Hello and thank you to all who have read this fic. This is the last chapter and I hope it rounds out the story in a way that everyone feels is satisfying. I was originally going to make it much longer and I might at some point, but for now this is how the story ends.

As always, I don't own Naruto, only my OC. Thanks so much!

Chapter 13: Happy Ending

Sumi really felt like someone had punched her. She felt like the shock that one felt after such a surprising blow…but not the pain. She felt her adrenaline rush, but could find no enemy to face. Just Kakashi.

She stared stupidly at the silver-haired man, the man who had caused her so much grief for over half her life…but so much joy and happiness as well.

"I'm sorry…what?" She cocked her head to one side and stuck her pointer finger in her ear, just in case she had gone deaf in the last five seconds and hadn't noticed.

Kakashi eye-crinkled at her, his face mask and headband still in place. "You heard me."

"No, I don't think I did because I thought you said—"

"I love you."

She continued to stare.

"I love you." He said again, this time his eye crinkle was gone and his dark eye regarded her with absolute seriousness. He tugged his face mask down and his headband up, staring straight at her Sharingan and all, and for the first time Sumi really thought she was seeing the true Kakashi.

He had always hidden behind one mask or another. Whether it was his signature face-mask that he had worn since childhood, his ANBU mask, or the deeper mask of his pain and anguish.

"Say it again." Sumi continued to look at him but her stare changed to one of need. She had been waiting what seemed like her whole adult life for him to say that. She had been waiting for him, and damn it, he had made her wait a long time.

Kakashi grinned, "I love y—"

And then her lips were on his and she was in his arms once again. Both of them kissed each other feverishly, each smiling at odd intervals as they held each other. They continue to do this for what seemed an eternity, just kissing one another not out of lust, but for the first time, out of mutual and spoken love.

Or at least, it had begun that way.

Gradually that need that Sumi felt burned to the surface like the Will of Fire that burned throughout the Leaf Village. She clutched at Kakashi's shoulders, deepening the kiss. He responded all-too well, returning it with equal heat and fervor.

It was too much, all the emotions that Sumi had been feeling from anger, hurt, devastation and sadness, but they all burned up under the heat and power of finally being able to openly express her true feelings.

Already each only partially clothed, they made short work of the rest of their coverings. Soon, the two of them were tumbling onto the neatly-made bed, completely naked, but not caring one bit for any preamble. Each one was desperate, hungry, and recovering from his and her own emotional ordeal.

Matsumi found that she had tunnel-vision and the only thing she saw was Kakashi. He was the only thing on her radar. She was consumed by his touch. Kakashi alternated between light and fluttery caresses to hard, almost bruising grips that only pushed her further over the edge of her own lust.

Kakashi continued his touches, getting himself and Matsumi closer and closer until he had himself positioned over her, ready and waiting for her confirmation. As she watched him, his silver shock of hair hovering over a quirky grin, she had a sudden flash-back of the first time they had engaged in this exact activity.

She remembered that Kakashi had been very nervous, though at the time it had only been displayed as social awkwardness mixed with what seemed to be inattentiveness. Truly, Matsumi had wanted to kiss him the instant they had returned from that mission so long ago in Hidden Mist. But she simply hadn't been able to work up the courage to do it.

Then, seemingly the perfect opportunity presented itself when she broke her ANBU equipment on purpose. She had felt horribly guilty afterwards, destroying a perfectly usable piece of gear, but had since decided it was one of the best decisions she had ever made. And the events which had unfolded from there had been nothing short of an adventure. Now, looking back on it, Kakashi had always been the one, though at first that hadn't been her intention. After all, you weren't supposed to fall for your ANBU captain. But then again, it was Kakashi, after all.

It seemed that no matter how the world had twisted them away from each other using pain and loss, they always came back together to tend to their own wounds. As they had continued to bind themselves together over the years, it seemed that the old wounds they had both sustained after Rin's death and after the death of Lord Fourth and Kushina had finally be healed.

Matsumi looked deep into Kakashi's mismatched eyes and let him take over. They moved together with such familiarity and love that she never wanted the moment to end. Finally, Kakashi, his face beaded with sweat, brought them over the edge together and the two of them curled up against one another. They held each other, drifting in and out of sleep until the sun rose. Both of them feeling more satisfied and whole than they ever had before.

Epilogue: Ten Years Later

Kakashi Hatake awoke all at once. As the Sixth Hokage and a life-long Shinobi, he knew no other way to greet the morning. He stretched and ran a hand through his perpetually unruly silver hair and took a moment to admire the sleeping woman beside him. Matsumi Hatake was still asleep which was only natural given the earliness of the hour. Kakashi smiled, his face unmasked in the privacy of their home.

He continued to watch the woman beside him, his mind wandering across the span of years, each memory making his smile grow ever wider. So engrossed was he that he didn't notice the minutes tick by and finally the dark-haired woman beside him stirred. She turned to face him and cracked one brilliant green eye open and gave him an equally brilliant smile.

"Good morning Lord Hokage." She said sleepily.

"Good morning, love." He said, "But you know you won't be able to call me that much longer."

"Ha, of course. Today is the day after all. I still can't believe that Lord Fourth and Kushina's son grew up to accomplish all he has. I still remember how Naruto-kun pranked you that first day in the classroom. Do you remember?"

Kakashi's expression turned forlorn. "Yes, and I still maintain my first assessment that those three are total idiots. And besides, I have far fonder memories of that day." He waggled his eyebrows suggestively.

Sumi grinned at him. "Well, would you like to make some more memories today?"

Kakashi could think of nothing better.

After they were both satisfied, Kakashi happened to glance at the wall. "Hmm, when did I need to be at the ceremony again?"

"…right now." Matsumi said guiltily.

Kakashi let out a barking laugh and together and then headed to the ceremony. Both knowing as they did so that though things may always change, they would always have each other to fall back on. They would always have each other to help ease the pain. And Kakashi would have it no other way.