The final day of the Chūnin Exams dawns mildly cloudy. However, in the hour before they begin, the clouds are chased away by the sun and the day becomes warm and sunny. Quickly, the stadium fills. The crowd is large, larger than the last one Konoha had hosted in the Chūnin Exams. There are a number of reasons why, but none of them are particularly important.

Above the arena ground, on a ledge overlooking the arena, the Kages sit. For the first time outside of a summit meeting, there are more than two Kages meeting. One of them is, of course, the Hokage—Tsunade Senju, renowned medic and member of the famous Sannin. The second is the Mizukage—Mei Terumī, the one who ended Kirigakure's civil war and began a new era of peace rather than bloodshed. The final member is the most unknown, the Uzukage—the leader of a village that fell but has somehow returned.

(There are a lot of rumours about the Uzukage and no one knows what's exactly true. Some say he is a ghost, a shinobi of Uzushio who refused to let the village die even when he died. Some say he is Uzushio's revenge. Some say he is the missing last Uchiha. Some say he is Uzushio's spirit made human. Some say he is only a man. All the rumours agree on one thing: he did the impossible. Uzushio lives again.)

Tsunade steps forward and the stadium falls silent in seconds. She surveys the crowd and the contestants, ninjas from a number of villages, (it's strange to see how many different villages have sent teams in this Chūnin Exams; Tsunade doesn't think she's wrong to consider Toru one of the primary causes). "Good morning," she says, voice booming. "Welcome, all of you, to Konohagakure. Today, ninjas from almost every village have gathered to prove their strength and attempt to earn their promotion to chūnin. However, this is not the only thing the Chūnin Exams are about."

She pauses, surveying the contestants down below. Some of them look confused, those who are on the younger side of the age range, and some simply look calm, clearly aware of this knowledge.

"The Chūnin Exams were made to keep the peace," Tsunade says. "But that has never been their main purpose in my eyes. The Chūnin Exams are about unity. They are about coming together, not just as a team or as a village, but as a whole to prove your strength. It is a chance to shout to the stars that you dared to dream and you will reach them."

Smiling, Tsunade glances at the Kages who stand with her. Mei, proud and deadly, standing on her right and looking every bit as impressive as Tsunade had heard. Then there is Toru, the one who makes impossible things become possible, the one who brought Uzushio back from the dead.

"But it's also about allies," she says. "It's about making new allies, new connections, new friends." She looks at Mei, who meets her gaze and smiles. They'd started off as strangers, but Tsunade has no doubts they will become friends in due course. They have the time and they have the peace, after all. "But it's also about old allies," she continues, "old friends and old connections. It's about rebuilding bridges and rekindling what had once been."

She glances at Toru who smiles at her. He looks so young to have done the impossible, to be a Kage, but age has never meant anything—not to a ninja. She looks at him and thinks of old allies, of Uzushio and Konoha's close ties and what might be once again. She looks at him and thinks about the friendships and family he's clinging to once more. She looks at him and know he is one of the reasons Orochimaru reached out.

"So yes, genins, show your strength and shout your dreams. But remember the ties you have made here and the friends you have had for years. Cling to them with all your might for, in the end, you are stronger together." Tsunade surveys the arena once before, and nods her head. That is all she has to say. She steps back, leaving the floor open for either Mei or Toru to speak.

Toru hesitates for less than a heartbeat, but then he is stepping forward. "For those of you who don't know me, I'm Toru Uchiha—Uzushio's Uzukage." There's a low murmur of discussion that sweeps through the arena, both in the group of contestants and the crowd of spectators, (and here is what Sasuke and Naruto and Toru's team will notice: Toru introduces himself as an Uchiha first and foremost; he ties himself with the Uchiha Clan and he ties himself with Uzushio; it means everything he does not say).

Before the conversations can get too loud, Toru continues and everyone quietens. "Once upon a time, we lived in a world torn apart by war. It was a place full of genocides and invasions and massacres. We've seen this happen in the past. Uzushio is only one name among many, though she was the only ninja village who fell and was destroyed. It was not the first war that destroyed Uzushio and it was not the last war either.

"But Uzushio was never destroyed, not truly."

Toru falls silent. The people are quiet beneath his gaze, (and they do not see how young he is; in this moment, in this time, he is an Uzukage and he is the one representing a village that had fallen; they see him stand in the sun and they see only his strength).

"This is what it means to be human." The words seem to shock everyone and Toru smiles as he watches heads turn to one another, muttered discussion growing once again. "It is human to fight when the odds are against you," he says. "It is human to say 'we will keep living' when it seems impossible. It is human to find a way to survive when an army marches towards you.

"It is human to fight. Sometimes this is against another opponent in a test of strength and sometimes it is against grief that threatens to overwhelm you. Sometimes you fail. Sometimes you fall. Sometimes you bow your head and give up. But you are not alone. Someone will reach ask if you're alright. Someone will gift you a kind word. Someone will reach out a hand. There will always be someone reaching out a hand.

"A new era is dawning," Toru lifts his chin, looks not to everyone below but to the sun overhead, shining down. "A new era is dawning and it is not one of war. It is one of peace, of love, of acceptance. It is one of kindness, of family, of friendship." He smiles. "I speak not only to my people now, but to all of you. Let us remember hope, in times of hardship. Let us remember kindness, in times of cruelty. And let us remember to reach out and lift one another up high for you are never alone."

(There are so many things Toru wants to say. He wants to engrave the lessons he learnt into people's skin. He wants them to know what he does, that kindness is not a flaw, that mercy is not a weakness. But they will only learn that in time. And they have the time. They have the opportunity. Toru will see that they have all the time in the world.)

(In the end, there is only one village that hears the words Toru does not say. One full of ghosts and laughing people. One full of refugees and fighters. One full of survivors and graves. Uzushio hears him and hears what he says with every word that escapes his lips.)

(The sea will never die.)

It is Mei, who steps forward, and says the last thing. "So good luck to everyone down there today," she says, voice loud. "Fight to prove yourselves! But, once the fight is over, remember to reach out a hand too. May the Chūnin Exams begin!"

Konoha's main gates are crowded and chaotic. People cluster together, swarming around one another. There are voices raised and people shouting and people laughing. With the end of the Chūnin Exams, it's time for people to return to their own villages.

But these Chūnin Exams had been like almost every other before it. This time people are not leaving without leaving something behind. This time there are friends in other villages, there are memories that have been made, there are addresses that have been shared. This is what the start of something new looks like.

That, however, is not the point. While everyone tries to get organised enough to leave, there is one party that is leaving. Not only have the Chūnin Exams, but Konoha and Uzushio have cemented their alliance and agreed on their treaty. It is time for the people of Uzushio to go home.

It is time for Toru to go home.

"I'll write," Toru promises, smiling at Iruka.

Iruka smiles back, eyes crinkling at the corners. "I'm sure you will," he says. He tugs Toru into a hug. Then, he steps back and makes eye contact with Dai, "Make sure he gets some rest and actually does write those letters."

Laughing, Dai steps forward and pulls Iruka into her own hug, though this one is much briefer. "I will," she promises. "And you write too! I want to hear all the chaos happening on this side of the world."

"It wouldn't happen if you hadn't told my class to practice their trapping skills by pranking me," Iruka complains, though the smile on his face indicates how much he minds. "I'd managed to keep Naruto from doing that this year."

"Iruka-sensei!" Naruto turns towards him, a pout on his face. "Is that why you kept telling me I had a mission whenever I entered the Academy grounds? The Mission Desk kept saying that I'd misunderstood the message!"

Iruka laughs and steps forward, pulling Naruto into a hug. He ruffles the boy's blonde hair. "You've still got a lot to learn kid."

Naruto escapes the hold, trying to fix his hair half-heartedly. "Iruka-sensei," he whines. Then, he meets Iruka's gaze once more, eyes teary.

"Oh kid," Iruka pulls Naruto back into a tight hug. "You take care of yourself and your family," Iruka says seriously before pulling back. "You hear me? Write too! You've got summons. I want to see you using them!"

"I will, I will!"

Iruka smiles. "Then I suppose you've got one last goodbye left to go," he says, tilting his head to where Sakura stands beside Sasuke.

Swallowing, Naruto lunges forward. Sakura and Sasuke catch him, but someone slips and they end up in a pile on the ground, dust rising around them. They laugh, hanging onto one another, and Naruto breathes in the scent of Sakura and Sasuke, something that means team and family.

"I'm gonna miss you," he says softly.

Sakura squeezes him in response. "I'm going to miss both of you as well," she says. "But it won't be too long! And I'll write every other day and we've been apart for longer."

"Yeah," Sasuke agrees, voice rough. He pulls back and helps them both stand up. "But still…"

"Still," Sakura agrees. She breathes in, then breathes out slowly. "I love you two idiots, you know that right?"

"We do," Naruto says, choking up. "We love you too."

Sasuke nods in agreement. "You're family, Sakura. No matter what happens or what you do, you're family."

"I know," Sakura says smiling. She hesitates, looking unsure for a moment.

"You could always come with us!" Naruto offers. "Toru said you could!"

"I'm not one of Konoha's two ambassadors," Sakura says. "Besides, I've got some work to do here if I want to become one of the best battlefield medic-nins! By the time you're back, I'll have an S-rank profile in the Bingo Books."

"We'll be gone for two weeks, you can't manage it in that time!" Naruto retorts. "If you do that, then I'll… I'll give up ramen until I'm an S-rank too!"

They shake hands and Sasuke rolls his eyes at the pair of them. "You're both dumbasses," he says. "And I am going to throw you in the ocean Naruto."

Then, somewhere behind them, there's a loud piercing whistle and the Uzushio-nins begin moving out. Caught amongst them, Naruto and Sasuke hesitate for only a second before they grip Sakura in a tight hug.

"We'll be back before you know it," Sasuke promises.

"Believe it!"

Sakura laughs. "I know," she says. "Now go see your brother's village." She steps back and the boys wave to her one more time, and then they're running off, leaping over others, and shoving at each other, heading to the front where the Uzukage, Toru, their brother, waits for them.

Up ahead, Toru smiles at his people. Souma nudges his shoulder and Sora drops an arm over his shoulders and Dai grins at him. Toru breathes out slowly, watches as Sasuke and Naruto make faces at each other. Then he looks ahead. Why should he look back? Uzushio lies ahead and his family are beside him. He has everything he could possibly wants—and more.

The End.

This chapter title... Perfect... Horizons. What lie ahead. The line where the sky and ocean meets, indistinguishable. The one place you can never get to. What is so often admired. Where the future lies ahead.

Welcome to the end of The Sea Never Dies. It's been... a journey. A long one. But man, what a fulfilling one. I don't even know what to write here. It's been such a journey. I've loved every moment of this and we've seen some real hard times and some good ones too. I've met so many amazing people and I want you to know I love and adore each and every one of you.

One of the main things about this ending is that it's not necessarily a perfect one. It's not "they lived happily ever after" and there's a lot of things to still happen. But it is their lives to live, you know? They're so young. They have so many years ahead of them. They are going to live and they're going to laugh, and maybe some days they will cry and grieve and not get out of bed. But there will be hands reaching out, there'll be hugs and kisses and soft gestures. They will live and live and live. And the sea never dies, so why should they?

I'm not sure if this ending is perfect in terms of writing, but I'm not upset with it either. Maybe I will be later, but right now I'm just proud of how far this series has come, how far I've come, and also how far these characters have come. They've fought so hard and done so much and they get to be happy now! They get to live! They get to be free and I'm so happy for them.

The speeches were fun. I wasn't sure who was going to be in attending, but it was fun writing it. I really wanted Toru to say the sea never dies but he didn't, in the end. And maybe that's fitting and maybe it's not, but I'm happy with how it went anyway. Tsunade's I'm definitely happy with, Toru's wasn't as good but like... I'm still happy and maybe that's because this is done, but whatever.

Then, of course, the ending! I'm not sure how I feel about this scene. I wanted all the family feels and the team feels but it's not an ending as much as it is the start of the rest of their lives, I guess. My plot notes mentioned that it's not necessarily a happy ending but it's a good one and the potential is there for them to live happily for the rest of their lives. I do, naturally, have a few scenes for post-canon and those are likely up by now. But... Well, this is it I guess.

God. I don't even have words.

But we are at the end and I have done my notes ahead of time. Firstly, I'd like to just say a massive thank you for everything you've all done.

A few years ago - not that long ago, I published Sea Dreams. It was first published on the 25th of April in 2017. I'm not entirely sure when I first started it though. When I created the idea and watched it grow but… not that long beforehand, I don't think. Regardless, it's "birth" so to speak is going to be the 25th, because that feels fitting. It's kind of why the last update's coming out on the 25th - of March, though, because I refused to make you all wait another month. I'd kept you waiting for long enough.

In reality, the main fics of The Sea Never Dies were completed on the 23rd of February 2021, though I was still writing up extra scenes and AUs to be added to Uncharted Waters.

But, that's probably a bit beside the point, huh. Before I get into, well, everything, I'd just like to talk about writing this series. Because… it's been close to my heart. It felt like it kind of became my soul for a little bit. It kept me going. Not because of the story or the writing, but because of you.

This series has been almost five years of writing. It's seen me graduate high school, pass exams, join university, and a whole bunch of things. It's seen me find trauma and fall into a worldwide pandemic. It's seen me succeed and smile and laugh. You've kind of seen all that.

So let me just begin this by saying thank you. Thank you for being there and coming with me on this journey. It's been a joy and a laugh and just- fucking everything, really. You and I went on a journey and we watched these characters go on their own ones too. We changed the world, added new things, fixed bits, threw some stuff in the bin. We watched Toru and Sasuke and Naruto, and all the others, grow into themselves and find their families, find their lives and laugh and smile and love.

God, I don't even know what to say. But… you know how some things, (some people), make living with it? That was all of you. Is all of you. Thank you for giving me something to live for, for helping me climb out of the dark grave I occasionally fell into when life got hard. Thank you for giving me love and laughter and friendship. Thank you.

Because this series, all several hundred thousand words of it, never would've gotten as far as it did without all of you. Maybe some of you left comments or bookmarked this series, maybe some of you never said a thing. Maybe you left an emoji or rambling paragraphs or a single sentence. All of it helped. Every single bit I hoarded, close to my heart, and it kept me warm - keeps me warm, because I'll never stop treasuring this.

Thank you to the people who were there in the beginning, even if I've lost you now. You kept me going, kept me writing, helped me up when things got tricky or tiring and I felt like I could keep going with your encouragement. I don't know if you're all still around and reading this series - but you were here at the start, and that's enough.

Some of you were awesome enough to create art, maybe by yourself or maybe through a generator of some kind. Regardless, I appreciated it. I shouted about it, even if it was just to myself.

But, no matter what you did or didn't do, I appreciated it. Maybe you joined the Discord server! Maybe you wrote a comment! Maybe you read the series and that's more than enough, whether you're a commenter or not.

This is my shout out to all of you. For being the fucking epic people you are. Thank you so much for reading this series, for being here. You all deserve the world.

(If you want to talk to me, feel free to message me on here or join the Discord server, where we discuss my projects, but also a number of different things including reading and writing, and just general life).

So, once again, thank you so much - for everything.

If you're curious about what will be happening next, I've got a tumblr post up for you. The basic rundown for The Sea Never Dies is:

So, The Sea Never Dies has been a lot of fun. I've had a ball creating it but there's also the whole actual Naruto canon to deal with, which was considerably less fun. A while ago I started thinking, what if I originalised The Sea Never Dies? What if it became magic and fantasy and, well, a bunch of other things too. I'm still figuring it out.

Ultimately, I'm going to edit The Sea Never Dies with the idea to write down plots, characters, things I want to include, and so forth. Eventually, I'll plot it out as an original work but it'll be different to what it was. I'm going to remove arcs and characters and villages, add in magic and change abilities and rewrite motivations. It'll be a lot of fun and I'm kind of excited and also somewhat intimidated by it. If you're interested in keeping up to date with that, I'll definitely be mentioning it over on my writing server and probably will write a few updates on here as well.

Other side notes I've got at the moment are: in Uncharted Waters, the second last chapter is an Obito ending for him, and the final chapter sees Toru's team post-canon and I'd definitely recommend it.

My last message is to all of you on . THANK YOU.

I had struggles on . The community there is sometimes shit. Sometimes it's like taking a brick to the head or a ball to the face or just something like that. It's not something you laugh off easily. I got angry, and that left me exhausted. And sometimes I was just so fucking tired of that shit. Because… Because it's hard. Y'know? It's hard and I struggled because it happened, time and time again.

And you know why I returned to , time and time again? A few things, and you were one of them. So thank you for taking a chance on me. For taking a chance on the series. Thank you for being there, for speaking up, for leaving reviews even when it's easier not to. Just thank you so much.