Second to last chapter, and we're tying up several loose ends. Which ones? Well, I'm sure you can guess some of them, but a couple might be a surprise. I was sure surprised by one! (more on that in the end notes)

If I may request, though...go back and review the last chapter before you read and review this one, okay? The poor guy only got 6 reviews! I mean come on! That's the lowest number of reviews in over 20 chapters, and the story has more readers than ever! 271 faves and 276 alerts, and only 6 people can review a chapter? Come ON people! It only takes a moment, you know, and we're winding down the story, too. Don't let the reviews drop off! Makes these last two the most reviewed chapters, and I PROMISE you all I'll write a sequel. Honest!

But without further a-due, here's the newest chapter.

Gaara had continued to stare at the man taking care of his sister ever since Sasuke disappeared into her room. He still didn't approve, but Kankuro kept telling him that it was just him being an overprotective older brother. He had rolled his eyes then, but right now he had other issues to deal with.

"You tried to kill me," he said simply. His uncle nodded.

"You were being controlled by my father." Yashamaru nodded again.

"But you did care for my well being, outside being controlled." The man slumped as he nodded.

"Though obviously I did not resist well enough. I am sorry." Gaara blinked.

"Sorry? For what?"

"For hurting you like I did; for perpetrating the act that led you to become what you have been ever since that day." Gaara grunted in annoyance.

"There is nothing to forgive."

"What? But Gaara, after all that's happened, how can you forgive him so quickly? Not that I'm against it, mind you," Temari asked, who had been looking back and forth between the two the whole time. After they had dropped Naruto off the night before they had gone to turn themselves in. Thanks to Hayate and Baki they recieved good treatment, but in the middle of the night Gaara had upended their beds to wake them up, asking how his uncle was still alive. It turned out that while he hadn't recognized him immediatly, staying up at night thinking about the day had helped him realize 'Amaru' was actually his uncle in disguise...a man who should have been dead. It warranted an explanation, and Temari and Kankuro gave him one that he was satisfied with. Well, satisfied enough to wait until morning to press it further. Temari wasn't sure how things would turn out, but for some reason Kankuro had felt that it would be fine. In answer to her question now, Gaara barely even turned.

"It was my father that wronged me, not my uncle, so he never did anything wrong." Directing his words to his uncle once more, Gaara continued. "How ever, you have a debt to me, and to repay it I demand that you watch over Naruto as she remains...in her home."

"What? How can you say he doesn't owe you anything then say that he does?" Gaara grunted again.

"I didn't say he didn't owe me, just that he didn't wrong me. However, there have been many years I was deprived of a caring person's presence, so he owes me that lost time we could have spent together. Again I say, uncle, to repay me that lost time, you are going to watch over Naruto."

"Of course," Yashamaru smiled. "After all, your father stole time from us as well."

"That is good enough," he said, but he threw up a small sand wall when his uncle tried to give him a hug. "No! I, I've had enough of those," he muttered, walking out of the clinic to wait for Sasuke to finish.

"...Sorry, uncle, but with all that's happened, Gaara's not really into letting people into his personal boundaries." Yashamaru nodded.

"Of course, it makes sense. You'll try to wear him down on that, right?" Temari laugh.

"Like sister likes to say, 'believe it'!"

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There was a heavy weight on her chest, and a deep pain. She could hardly breathe. Her mind flashed and she shivered before her mind clamped down on the memory and suppressed it. It was the only way she could find to survive, living in the place that she had. Her master had been cruel, evil...monstrous. Still, there was a time before, one she could sometimes remember, if she went without fear for a little while. If she maintained her calm. It was a happy time, and it made her smile. Even so, she wasn't sure if it was real, or a dream. How could such joy exist next to such pain and terror? She sighed, knowing she had to open up her eyes soon or the master would grow impatient. It was never pleasent, but it was even less so if she made him wait. She was his prize guinea pig for his most dangerous experiments.

Suddenly she frowned. This wasn't right. Her bed should not be this comfortable. There shouldn't be a sheet covering her body to keep her warm. There should most certainly not be any warm sun pouring through a window to brighten the room. Her eyes flashed open, taking in all the details, from the normal hospital room, to the Konoha symbol on the wall...and the white haired man asleep in the chair next to her bed. She stared.

"K, Kakashi?" She started coughing, reaching for a cup of water next to her bed. She didn't care if it was someone else's; she needed something wet down her throat that very moment. Of course the coughing woke the man up. His one visible eye took in the situation even faster than she did and he immediately stood up. He was patient enough to let her finish her drink, but the instant she was done he grabbed her wrists and demanded information.

"Who are you? What's your name? What was your team? How did I get my scar? Who was our teammate? Our sensei? Your-"

"Kakashi! Slow down!" He relented, some, but his grip on her wrists tightened.

"Answer the question, kunoichi, and tell us who you really are."

"If, if your going to demand that," she said, "then you're asking the wrong questions." Kakashi huffed though his grip relaxed slightly as she tried to move one hand towards his face. "The real question," she said, "needs to be something, that no one else would know, that you never told anyone, and that only a couple people would understand about you." Her finger reached his mask and began to pull it down, exposing the scar on his face.

"The question," she said, cool fingers tracing the scar, "is now how you got your scar...but why you cover it up. The reason," she whispered as they slowly drew closer, "is two fold; your shame of your father, then your shame, of yourself." Kakashi cried.

"Yes, that is the question...Rin!" His lips fell on hers, tears in both their eyes as their kiss told each other the stories of the years, of all the pain and suffering they had gone through without the other, their hunger to be with the one they loved again. Their moment was cut short as a team of nurses entered the critically injured patients room in response to her spiking heart rate. Her laughter started another coughing fit as Kakashi ran them back out of the room in anger for interrupting his reunion with his Rin.

Yes, she thought, that is who I am, and this is reality. She smiled as a still fuming Kakashi made his way back to her. I am Rin!

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It had been some time since her visitors left. Though allowed some freedom, the sand siblings were still on a leash. Kankuro was only able to be around for a little while before they all left, though Naruto was happy to hear from Kin. Sasuke also had to leave to prepare for the funeral the next day. It was this event that prompted Yashamaru to let Naruto leave that evening.

"He was the man who raised you, after all; you and your adopted brother. I get the feeling that he needs you now." Naruto thanked her uncle, though it was bothersome to have to be in a place that even resembled a hospital. At least it wasn't as bad as her usual place of recovery, and she had a pleasant surprise as she was leaving.

"Hey, Naruto! Over here!" Running towards here was her other teammate, Sakura. She skidding to a halt infront of her, embracing the blonde. "Oh Naruto, we were so worried when you passed out yesterday! You should have seen how paniced Sasuke was; I wasn't even able to keep up they rushed you to the clinic so fast. Are you better already? That was fast healing!" Naruto laughed.

"Yeah, well, you know me; I'm a fast healer," she said. "I almost worried that you weren't going to come visit," she said, voice lowering. Sakura looked at her in confusion.

"What? Why?"

"Didn't you see the fight yesterday?" Sakura nodded. "...and that didn't do anything to you?" Sakura thought for a moment.

"Well, Temari said it was your job to tell me, but there are some things I'm curious about, like what makes you and Gaara so similar...besides apparently being siblings after all." Naruto chuckled nervously.

"Yeah, that one was a surprise to me," she said as they started walking.

"Do I get to hear how that happened?" Naruto twisted her nose.

"Well, it'd be hard to explain, and even I don't quite get it. Talking with nee-chan will probably help with figuring things out."

"Right..." Sakura shivered. "No offense, but that lady is scary."

"Not as scary being a jinchuuriki," Naruto muttered. She kept walking for a moment before she froze. "Crap!" She raised her arms, waving them around defensivly. "Sakura-chan, I can explain! It's not as bad as its sounds! I promise! I- Why are you laughing."

"Well, after what you and Gaara did yesterday, I did kind of wonder, but I already told you, didn't?" She smiled brightly. "Friends stick together no matter what, so I'm sticking with you, Naruto." Naruto's smile split her face as she hugged Sakura tightly, thanking her though she hardly believed she had been accepted so quickly. Things really were starting to look up. Of course, as soon as she did look up she paled.

"Ahhhh! Run away! I don't want her to bop me on the head!"

"Get back here gaki! You've got some explaining to do!" Sakura stared as both kunoichi's dissappeared in twin clouds of dust.

"Was that...Anko?"

"Ahhhh! Don't hurt me!"

"I'm only gonna hurt you if you keep running, so stop it!"

"But you said you would bop me!"

"What? No I didn't!"

"Yes you did! Right after you told me about Iruka sensei planning a dinner for you!" Anko stumbled.

"How the CRAP did you know that? I told that to your clone!"

"It's not my fauuuuulllllt!"

"Of course not," Iruka said, appearing in front of Naruto. He managed to stop her, but her momentum took them both tumbling to the ground.

"Ah! Sensei, save me! She's gonna kill me!" Iruka blinked, feeling Naruto cower behind him as he sat up in the dust.

"Iruka-kun!" Anko seemed to forget about Naruto as she glomped her boy-toy. Naruto even tried to make her get away as they kissed only to discover that Anko had a tight grip on her hair. "Don't even think about it, missy; we are having words. What the heck made you go after Gaara yesterday? What made you think that was alright? Do you have any idea what the rest of us have been going through, especially after you didn't come home last night or check in the hospital? The only reason I knew you were alive was because I sensed that your seal that...that Hokage-sama put on you was still in existence. SO! What's going on?"

"Um, well, you see...oh, actually, are you engaged now?" Anko blushed and for once, she was the one stammering.

"Well, I suppose I should have told Anko about those shadow clones," Iruka mused.

"What? Tell me what? What about shadow clones Iruka!" He shrugged defensively.

"Well, you've never been given the chance to learn about the shadow clone because your seal could interfere with it, but teaching all the time I've learned a lot about jutsu application, history and theory. From that I learned that shadow clones have the unique ability to transfer memories to the jutsu user. I just didn't think about how you wouldn't know that at the time; after all, I didn't know that you'd told Naruto about our dinner." Anko blushed.

"Yeah, well, I did," she said. "But for not telling me, I garuntee you're going to have to wait to get some of-" He covered her mouth calmly as he turned his head to address Naruto while Sakura, now out of breath, caught up the them just in time to hear the news.

"Yes, I did propose to her, Naruto. We're getting married in a few months. Ow!" He jerked his hand back and glared at his fiancee. "What did you bite me for?"

"Because you covered my mouth without panicking," she said, matter-of-factly. "I'm not doing my job if you're not getting embarrassed. That, and I was supposed to be the one to tell Naruto."

"Ah, right. Sorry," he said meekly.

"oh *huff* wow *huff* congratulations! *huff*"

"Yes, we're excited, but we still need to hear about what happened yesterday!"

"Well, now that you've calmed down," Naruto said, coming out from behind Iruka, "I guess I can tell you-ow!" Anko grinned as Naruto rubbed her head.

"Heheh, now we're even." Naruto sniffed at her pseudo sister before relating most of the events. She wanted to talk with Anko about the specifics later. She didn't think it was a good idea to let too many people know that she was related at all to the sand siblings, though of course Anko would tell Iruka later, but for now the basics would suffice. Later Anko dropped Naruto off at home and she finally saw her little brother again. Ebisu had been with him since the day before, and uncle Asuma. He ran crying into Naruto's arms and she held him through the night, taking in his tears as they mingled with her own. It was good, to get it out, and tomorrow would be the funeral. She looked around at the walls of the place she'd called home for as long as she could remember. What will happen to us now?

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"So, what did happen, exactly," Kakashi asked as he held Rin in his arms. The hospital staff had objected to him laying on the bed with her, but a quick genjutsu with his sharingan was enough to make them run out of the room again, screaming. He had been without her for 12 years, so he wasn't going to let go quite yet.

"It's...hard to peice together," she said, snuggling into him and enjoying his warmth, "but I have a basic idea from all the flashes I'm getting."

"It wasn't...too hard, was it?" She trembling, prompting the copy-cat ninja to hold her tighter.

"It was hell on earth," she said. "Every day it seemed there were new experiments to run, and then what ever failed he'd fix and try again. So many knives, so much pain..."

"...how did you survive?"

"For the same reason I was made his 'prefect subject'; the night the kyuubi attacked I was hit with one of it's tails, right? Well, that tail threw me away with such a high velocity that I ended up in the river that flows from the Valley of the End. No where near the falls, of course; it was a few miles down stream I imagine, but when I hit the water, it started to...decelerate the charka poisoning my body. The toxins just...slowed down. That was when Orochimaru and his lacky Kabuto-ow!" Kakashi released his grip on her arm.

"Ah! I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to; are you okay?"

"I'm, ah, fine," she said as the pain faded. "I uh, I take it you've met Kabuto?"

"Hm, yes. He infiltrated the exams," he said, "posing as a team from Konoha. I think he wanted to get close to my team, but it didn't work out. Still..."

"Don't worry," she said soothingly. "It'll be fine. Once I've recovered, we'll have plenty of time to make him pay. In anycase, he did do me the favor of saving my life."

"...what?"

"Yes; the kyuubi's aura was all around my body, and Orochimaru took an interest. He's not as good as Tsunade-sama, perhaps, but he's a talented med nin, even at his age." She shook her head. "It's all really blury back then. It may have even been someone else, I don't know. Thinking on it now I know that I've latched on to Kabuto's image because he experimented on me for...it's been twelves years you said?" She shook her head. "One day rolled into the next. I trained myself not to think, just obey, do what I was told, live with the pain. I shut down. It took a little shock to my system to bring me back. But as I was saying, the kyuubi's chakra had enveloped my body, and Orochimaru wanted to see what would happen if I survived. You've seen some of what happened..."

"You heal like a jinchuuriki, and I never thought you'd have this much chakra."

"Exactly. It made changes to my chakra coils he wanted to try and emulate for future subjects, if he could ever manage to get himself a bijuu, I think. In the mean time, my healing made me great for experiments. As I recall, your chidori stabbed straight through my lungs." Kakashi blushed.

"Well, it's not like I knew it was you," he said.

"I know, Kakashi, and I wasn't blaming you. I was just pointing out that, while it's going to take a while longer to heal all the way, you can already see that my little accident has had amazing affects on me."

"Here's what I don't get," he said. "With all that pain, all that terror, even if you did start to block it out...how did you even find the will to survive? I thought I'd lost you and I almost died just from that." She smiled as she lifted a hand to his check and motioned him down towards her own face.

"All that time, I had this dream that kept coming back to me; this dream that gave me hope, even in the darkest times. Especailly in the darkest times. My dream," she said her lips a hair's breadth away from his, "was this."

Well, I hope that was a satisfactory conclusion to the Kakashi-Rin dilemma. I know alot of you were hoping for this, and I think I'll finally tell you the results of the poll I did so long ago as to wether Rin was supposed to be dead or not. Only 8 people voted, but it was: 6 votes for living, and 2 for dying. Of course, I knew that it would be a long time before Rin reappeared, because I'd already written the scene where she COULD have died, but I brainstormed a few ideas for how I could leave everyone in suspense. Like mentioning the idea of a clone or other type of fake Rin. I think it worked out alright. Of course, Rin has one more bit of story in the next chapter, so you'll get to see her one more time before the story closes.

Also, Gaara and Yashamaru are taken care of, and I manged to explain the whole 'when did he recognize him' thing. I tried to keep it in character, but I'll let you decide. Either way, I'm satisfied with it.

On Anko and Iruka, well...actually, I had TOTALLY forgotten that they needed to be included in the close of the story. After all, there was never an answer as the whether he DID propose. It was funny. I was sitting here writing the scene between Naruto and Sakura and wrote the line "Talking with nee-chan will probably help with figuring things out." That was when Anko came running into my mind saying "HEY! WHAT ABOUT ME!" And, well, I thought that perhaps since she ran in on my randomly, maybe she'd do it to Naruto, too, and so I adjusted the scene and in came Anko!

So, one chapter left. Just a couple more loose ends to tie up and then the story will be finished. This is one of your last chances to leave a fresh review so please...

REVIEW!