Epilogue

(Reflections of the Heart)

All of you already know who I am, but for an introduction's sake I'm going to tell you anyhow. My name is Kakashi Hatake Uchiha and I have decided that the time was right to tell you how things ended up years later. Don't tell me that you aren't interested to know how my brothers grew up or what happened with the Hyuuga clan? Well, I didn't think so. So listen up. Because I'm only going to tell all of you this just once and only once. Got it? Okay then let's begin.

It has now been over thirty years since the day my family and clan returned back home to Konohona. Shisui was a great Hokage who took on a successor from the Senju clan once again. The Fifth Hokage lived only five years after receiving the title as he fought off a rogue Nin who had come with a small band of ninja to a Kage conference that took place in the Land of Snow. This was a meeting that was a first for the shinobi world. Shisui was seeking co-operation among the five great nations in order to help the smaller nations and villages. The Akatsuki were responsible for setting up the meeting. However, there were some people that didn't like the idea of the five great nations getting together about anything. Thus, the rogue shinobi and his men. Shisui was able to bring down the villain; but at the cost of his own life. Our Uncle Takeshi was never the same man afterwards and died a few years later.

One of the things that my cousin did that has proven to stand strong was his ideals. He taught the village how to truly care for their own and what I mean by that is to say, that the village became one. There are still clans in the Leaf and that will never change. We all celebrate our differences from one another through our clan holidays and rituals. Still, we can also appreciate the unity and bond that a united people gain. When we all come from different backgrounds and such to embrace ideals such as freedom and peace and the protecting and caring for each and every individual within the gates of the Leaf. Everyone is proud to be from whatever clan they come from, but they also take pride in belonging to such a tight knit community of people of various cultures and ethnicities. This was probably my cousin's greatest legacy and one that holds strong even today over thirty years later. The Unification festival still goes on every year in October. Yeah so that's really all I want to say about him. It still makes me sad that Shisui is gone even now.

Neji Hyuuga, remember him? He has grown into a fine leader of his clan. He has served under Anbu and was blessed with a family of his own. His wife, Aiya is a feisty woman that is currently on maternity leave from teaching at the academy. They are expecting their third child now. The first two are a girl by the name of Masaki and a son named Toru. Neji now serves on the advisor board to the current Hokage, the Seventh Hokage, but I'm getting ahead of myself. The Hyuuga have thrived under Neij's leadership and have grown into a powerhouse of a clan. The old ways have all been but forgotten, as they reached for a better future not only for themselves but for all people. I personally believe that the one time branch families have a lot to do with this. Let's face it. No one could sympathize with any people that are oppressed better than the Hyuuga clan.

Lady Hinata has grown up to become a fine young woman. There was a time when we all worried about her. She held herself responsible somehow for her father's actions. She was far too young to understand or even know of all the horrible things the man did and no one was blaming her for anything. Still, Hinata struggled and not just with what Hirashi had done to others, but also his poisonous words to her. It took quite some time but Hinata gained her freedom from her father's nasty opinion of her to become a well beloved clanswoman. Like Neji, she is married and has three children. Two boys and a girl. Izumi, Koji, and the little girl is named Hanako. Hinata is trained as a medic Nin and is currently on a mission right now. I believe. Her husband is a Jounin and he and Hinata always go on missions together or most of the time. Her sister Hinabi has also grown and is doing well in the Jounin sensei program. She currently has a team of her own. The sister's relationship was somewhat strained for a number of years but thankfully all is well now.

What about my parents, you say? There up in the years now, but they are doing very well. My brothers and I have just recently celebrated our father's seventieth birthday with him and mother. He is still clear eyed and can still spar with us youngsters though for not as long as he used too. Mother is now sixty-five and is a doting grandmother. Once father had retired from the military police and then from being the Head of Clan, the two of them have become Elders of our clan. They replaced Katsumi who had died some three years after the Uchiha returned home from the refugee camp. It would be another fifteen years before Asami died. She was followed by Togu sometime later. At this point, with Hiroki nearing the end of his life. The new Head of Clan decided it was time to induct new members of the Elders.

The Elders are the wisdom of any clan. Within each of their lifetimes, the Elders give us the knowledge of the ages. Things that have been passed down from one generation to the next. They also have lived and been in service to their village and clan. So they can bring valuable information to the table. Every clan thrives when their Elders are there to guide them and do poorly when a clan has lost those assets. Respecting your elders really is worth it. Who knew, eh? Anyway, both of our parents had gained much experiences in their lives and could help guide our clan into the future. The decision to include them was swift among those remaining among the Elders. Shin, Kenji, Isao, and Ichiro along with the Head of Clan made the decision. Thus the clan has done well under their guidance.

The Uchiha clan is stronger than ever. Our festival of life has become even livelier than ever too. With more children born into the clan than ever before. Our clan continues to remain a force to be reckoned with through the military police and Anbu. We are strong as Chunin and Jounin and confident and resourceful Genin. Our allies have done well too and we continue to maintain our alliances with each of the clans that belong to it.

Now I come to the part about my brothers and I will do this in order of age. So I guess I'm talking about myself right now. Lucky you. Kakashi chuckles.

I am now forty-nine years old. I never married. I loved my little brothers dearly when they were no higher than my knee and Naruto even sooner, but that brotherly love would never morph into a paternal love for my own children. I just couldn't bring myself to want to change my life style for a wife and kids. I prefer to watch over my younger siblings and be the uncle to their children that I know I can be. I still wear my mask in public. Only my family knows what I look like. I have no desire to be pestered by fan-girls at any age. I watched Itachi deal with them when he was a teenager. No, I didn't want to go through that myself then or now. I'm almost embarrassed to admit this but when I turned twenty, I was introduced to an author by the name of Jiraiya. A very different individual. The man was an excellent shinobi and even held the title of Sannin, but he was definitely different. If it weren't for the way he dressed, you would never have picked him out of the crowd to be a shinobi. He introduced me to a series of novels he wrote called the Icha, Icha series. He said that I looked far to stressed out from my job and needed to think about something relaxing. Whatever, I had said to him at the time. I have to say that I really fell for those books and yes they aren't the kind of books that you want children around when you're reading them. Still, I do read the books. I have the entire collection but those are not the only books I have. I do have practical, sensible books at home too. The thing is, people see me reading them and think pervert. Yeah, that is true to an extent, however I would never act like a pervert in front of women or in public in general. I could never say the same about the author. Kakashi can't help but laugh thinking of Jiraiya.

I also go to the memorial stone to talk to my second father, Minato. He really was like a father to me and Kushina was my first real mother. I also talk with Obito and Rin. I still miss them all so much. I had tried when I was younger to visit them at the stone, but with all the things that was happening when Naruto and I were on our own. I couldn't ever find the time to go. Later it was all the crap that the village and then council and finally Anonymous brought down on top of our heads. There just never seemed to be the right time to go. Maybe this is just an excuse, I really don't know. At the time, I was more concerned about the now and keeping my little brother and me alive and then when we were adopted into a family. I was trying my damn hardest to keep us together. The people that I had now were here. They hadn't died and I needed to stay focused on keeping it that way. This was what I believed then and now.

I have become the Commander of the Anbu unit. I have been now for the past ten years and it's a job that, I take to heart. No traitors are tolerated among Anbu and no one tries my patience either. Am I a hard ass? You better believe I am, but I'm not unfair though and I know when to give someone a break. I just don't take any crap that isn't supposed to be there. I still remember captain Murai and how ballistic he would get when he would find a traitor among us. People willing to sell out our village will never get sympathy from me. This said let's move on to Itachi.

Itachi is now forty-two years old. He left Anbu when our little brothers were getting ready to graduate from the academy. You already know that Itachi and I have given our little brothers most of their training even before the academy. You also know that neither of them were keen on going into the village. So it turned out that when they were nine years old, they registered with the academy. Not surprising they both did extremely well and graduated at the end of the year. All of their instructors were amazed at how much they knew already though neither Itachi nor I can understand how they could be amazed. Our little brothers were training with us since they were three. So they had to be good and I don't say this to soundly brag. I don't. It just doesn't seem logical to me to think that, our brothers wouldn't gain so much since they had two fully recognized Anbu training them. It was like they had their own personal instructors before the academy. The only reason they entered the academy at all was for formality's sake. You can't be registered as a Genin without first being in the academy. Getting the status as Genin is the only way to begin moving up the ranks of shinobi.

Itachi, as I was saying left Anbu at that time to become a Jounin sensei to our brothers. This isn't normally allowed, but an exception was made due to both of our brothers' pasts. No one wanted to argue it mostly because a lot of people felt guilty about what had happened to both boys. They were both made fearful to come into the village. They had suffered PSTD for some years before they could finally get completely over what they had been through. It was hard seeing them get frustrated with themselves. When they got scared or vomited just trying to go into the village with us or even with just themselves. Going by themselves didn't happen. Itachi was taking them to the academy or I and returning to get them afterwards. Which was why the academy board and the Hokage decided to let the rule slide just this once.

Itachi enjoyed working with his brothers and the one little female that was also made a member of squad seven. Her name was Takara and she was originally from the Land of Lightning's Kumo village. Her mother brought her to the Leaf when the Daimyo was moving people in and out of the Leaf. This would have been that time when the Kitsune Festival riot had happened. The Daimyo of the Land of Lightning wrote to our feudal lord and asked for permission for Takara and her mother to come and live in the Leaf village. Takara had a strong desire to become a medic Nin and the Leaf has the best medic anywhere. So her mother had asked their Raikage and he in turn sent letter to the feudal lord of the land of Lightning. The little girl was unusual right from the start. She has two different colored eyes like I do, but her eyes are blue and red. Naruto nicknamed her 'Odd Ball'. She was quiet and observant in and off missions and worked extremely well with our brothers. Itachi loved working with them so much that he continued on after our brothers became Jounin and no longer were under his command.

Itachi married when he was twenty-three. The lucky woman was from our clan named Masumi. They have four children. Two of which are in their teens now. Three boys of which their names are Tetsin, the oldest. Then there is Isamu and then Kenzou which means wise three and believe me. Kenzou is the wisest of the three boys. Itachi also has a little girl named Minako, which means beautiful child. She is over protected by her older brothers, but Minako doesn't mind so much. When she is in her teens however, I expect this will be much different.

Now I will tell you about Naruto. Yes, I know that technically, Sasuke is the older of the two but just bear with me. There is a good reason why I left Sasuke for last.

Naruto as you may recall didn't want to become Hokage when he grew up. Even though his father, Minato had been the Fourth Hokage. Naruto had lived a life that was fraught with so many dangers right from the very start of his life and he could pin all of it on either the villagers or later on idiots like Madara and the organization Anonymous. So it wasn't all that surprising that he would take this attitude, 'to hell with the village'. Time made some of those early wounds to heal but they left scars and Naruto could only come so far as to protect the village for his family and clan and then because of the friends he had made while in the academy. This was as far as it would ever go. For Naruto had decided that he wanted to become the next Head of Clan to our people.

I will never forget father's reaction at hearing his sixteen year old son coming in after a mission with his team and saying that he wanted to become the next clan head. Father asked him some hard questions to see if our brother was truly serious about it. Naruto answered every question truthfully and I still remember the determination in those cerulean eyes of his. Father knew then that Naruto was serious and he began to seriously think about it. He went to the Elders and brought up the topic and they went back and forth for a while mostly because of Ichiru and Isao who were stubborn to the idea. Naruto, they had said wasn't a pure blooded Uchiha and this made father's blood boil.

IN the end, Naruto could became head of clan if he agreed to two things. One he had to marry a woman from our clan and the second was to produce children. This wasn't a problem for Naruto. He was married at the age of twenty. He married the girl that I suspected for some time would become his sweetheart in life. She had given him a shirt years ago at the celebration of life festival. A T-shirt with a fox decal on it. Do you remember it? It had a saying on it that embarrassed Naruto to no end. It read, I'm foxy and I know it.'

Kakashi laughs at this memory. He then continues on.

You do remember her name? Don't fret it if you don't it has been years after all. Her name is Keiko. She is the daughter of Shin an Elder and a farmer of our district. Naruto and Keiko live on a farm of their own and though they have hired help. It's comical to see Naruto in the barn milking the cows or mucking out stalls. The couple have five children in all. There are three boys and two girls. They are lively in personality and their names are starting from the oldest to the youngest. The eldest are twins named Koji and Kioshi. They are eleven years old. Then their other brother, Minato who is nine years old. The two girls are Eri and Kushina and they are seven and five respectively. All of Naruto's children have the ebony tresses of their mother. They have their mother's eyes except for two of them both Minato and Kushina the nine and five year olds have the cerulean blue of their father. The twins for whatever reason have their father's face while the other children are a solid mix of both their parents.

Naruto is not only the Head of clan to the Uchiha, but he is also the Captain of the military police. He followed right behind our father and our father couldn't be prouder. When I look back on it all. It certainly does make a lot of sense. Naruto was as much in love with our clan as any pure blooded Uchiha. He loved our traditions and customs and wanted to preserve all of these things. Our way of life and even our Kekkei genkai that he never possessed. Though the two Elders, Isao and Ichiru thought that our brother wouldn't make a good choice. In the end, he proved them both wrong. Our clan is thriving and the military police is even more efficient with Naruto at its command. We, his family are all very proud of him.

Last but not at all least is my little brother Sasuke.

Sasuke as you may remember wasn't at all in love with our village. He was very mistrusting of it and really didn't want anything to do with it. To say that making the decision to go to the academy or not wasn't an easy one. For Sasuke would have to take the vow of his clan first before he could even enter into the academy. I had taken it right away because of my age and also because I was already serving our village. When the time came for both of our brothers to take the vow to protect not only our clan but our village with their lives, Sasuke decided that he wasn't ready. Naruto went ahead without him, but waited for Sasuke, before moving on to the academy. Sasuke eventually took the vow after struggling for two more years. This is one of the reasons why both brothers didn't get into the academy until they were nine.

Sasuke began to change I think shortly after starting the academy. I think seeing other kids there from other clans. Some of the clans that were our allies really helped him a lot to see things in a new light. He worked hard and was faithful to his team. First team seven and then later when he would work with different individuals as a Jounin. He still doesn't like to walk through the village alone. Naruto is with him or one of us. It wasn't until he was twenty-two years of age before he could walk down the streets of the Leaf by himself.

Kakashi pauses for a moment looking out into his yard but seeing beyond it. He sighs and continues.

Sasuke went on many missions with his brothers. Naruto mostly especially, as Itachi and I got older and older. He traveled around on his missions with us and he learned of other cultures. At one time as you can remember neither of our younger brothers went much of anywhere. If your village wasn't safe then what hope was there that any place else was going to be either. So when he got the chance Sasuke learned about every place he went. He was most drawn in by the people and how they lived. Many places left an impression on our brother.

Sasuke also got married. This is just one shock for me. Honestly, I never thought the boy would ever find it possible to take this step. He was so awkward around people at home. On his travels though, he could warm up to them better because there was no past history with any of them. At home however, Sasuke had to deal with fan-girls just like Naruto and Itachi. They got on his nerves. So I never thought it would happen, but happen it did. He married when he was twenty-two. He didn't marry a girl from his clan though. He married Takara formally from Kumo and his team mate. It didn't happen overnight the romance, I mean. It took them a few years to get there but eventually they did.

They have three children. All three are boys. Raiden is the eldest of the three at the age of nine and has his mother's mismatched eyes. One blue and one red. He has earned his mother's nickname from Naruto as well. 'Odd Ball.' Seijuro is the next one in line and he is seven years old. Finally there is Takeo. His name means 'Warrior'. He is only three right now. So he has a little ways to go on that one. All of the boys have been getting training from Sasuke and us. Meaning Naruto, Itachi, and I. We have done the same for Naruto's children as well. All the children have Uchiha blood and therefore fight and behave like an Uchiha. The Elders were the most pleased to see this. Finally there is one more shocker coming from by brother Sasuke. Are you ready for this one? Kakashi gives you a mischievous smirk.

Sasuke has worked up the ranks of Jounin and then went on to become Anbu. He was the number one top assassin for our village. He left and did a stint as jounin sensei like our brother Itachi and in the end was named successor by the Sixth Hokage. The sixth has since died from natural causes. A heart attack brought his life and career to an end sadly.

Sasuke is the Seventh Hokage. We were shocked at this sudden change of heart to even take the positon as the sixth's successor and asked him about it. He said that he wanted to continue Shisui's legacy. He never wanted people to forget that we are family within the Leaf village. Sasuke felt that what his clan went through thirty years ago can never be repeated and not just for the Uchiha but for any clan within the village. The atrocities that the main house of the Hyuuga did to their own brethren could also not be repeated. People aren't objects or property for others. He was fond of saying. "I want to ensure that all of this village's people rest safe and be assured that their Hokage will never allow such practices or such harmful beliefs harm this village and its people ever again.

Hey, who knew huh?

Kakashi winks at you with his one exposed eye and chuckles.

I can honestly say that I never saw that one coming. Never in a million years or lifetimes.