A/N - Apologies for this chapter taking so long to be published. For starters, I'm still writing on my tablet right now and haven't had any chance to use my mom's PC at all so, sorry if this chapter doesn't exactly flow that well. Plus, another reason for the delay, I had to work eight days straight at my job which thoroughly exhausted me. I haven't had much time to write or motivation to do it either. And, of course, this chapter was a bitch to write. Nothing was flowing right and I didn't really have a clear idea of what I wanted.

I'm not very good at writing epilogues or time skips as it feels too bland and boring - I prefer writing dialogue and monologues, really. I really hate this chapter but it's needed if we're to go any further in the storyline. Plus, it'll be a good buffer between the previous chapter and when we finally get closer to the academy graduation exams - which I'm really excited about. For my readers who read the original 'The Great Medic', the only hint I'm going to give regarding the Mizuki incident is that it's not going to go the same way it did in the original. Be prepared.

So, to finish this author's note out, thank you for waiting up on me and I hope you enjoy this... not too exciting chapter!

Naruto rubbed his temples harshly, pushing away from his desk before letting out a long sigh. He searched the paperwork scattered in front of him for anything that would keep his attention, but, sadly, nothing really stuck out. He'd been asked a couple of days ago if he could fill out some things for Teruya so that she'd have more time to work on the sudden surplus of walk-in patients instead. It was this lull in his current work and the inability to keep his attention where it needed to be that pulled him into his head, thinking back on the last three years.

It's been rough since the ninth annual Kyuubi festival, he mused to himself, learning of his heritage as well as his burden that is. The blond-haired teenager lounged heavily in his chair, letting his head fall back to stare stoically at the ceiling.

For starters, he and Hiruzen had pretty much ceased any and all contact. Although the unspoken ban relating to speaking about Naruto's status had been lifted - something that shocked and eased some of the villagers' stress to no end, something that still makes the blond hiss in anger when he thinks about it - the two of them still weren't on speaking terms. The old Sarutobi man never dropped by his apartment anymore and Naruto rarely ever went and asked him for help when it came to his medical studies or questions that only another ninja could answer. The Third Hokage still gave him a monthly allowance to help him purchase things as well as continue to live in his apartment, but they just… didn't talk anymore.

Naruto frowned, leaning forward in his chair, settling heavily in it. He let those thoughts slip away from him, moving to close the binder of paperwork before stuffing it into his backpack full to the brim of anything and everything medical-related; he usually brought this bag to the hospital with him whenever he went to volunteer. The blond-haired teen shoved himself away from his desk and started making his way towards the bathroom, having decided to take a shower as he no longer had the motivation to do any more paperwork before school tomorrow. As Naruto turned on the water, watching it fall for a couple of seconds, the academy student couldn't help but think of Hiruzen again.

Once he'd rid himself of his clothes, the teen climbed underneath the heated water, allowing his mind to wander once more. Hiruzen was like a grandfather to him - emphasis on the 'was'. After everything that had happened the Night of Grieving as the fifth night of the Kyuubi festival was dubbed, Naruto couldn't help but hold some anger towards the older man. Every time he saw the Third Hokage, his jaw tense and all those emotions from that night three years ago would flood back in. The wound on his heart was still fresh despite the years that have passed, but it hurts… being away from the man who'd basically raised him since he was a baby.

Naruto washed his hair with vigorous intent, teeth-gritting as a wave of pain flooded him. His eyes felt hot and the twelve-year-old boy ducked his head under the water to see if it would stop the wet feeling in his eyes at all. The water burned but he felt so cold. Hiruzen had been there for him since the beginning and was one of the first people in his life who never said anything bad about him, always encouraged him to be the best person he could be, and was the only person who had supported his original dream of becoming the Hokage, later supporting him in his journey to learn medical ninjutsu. The old Sarutobi man was there for every part of Naruto's life, all the highs, and lows… everything.

And now they weren't talking.

He stepped out of the shower, using a towel to dry himself off before making his way back into his room to get dressed in some nightclothes. Naruto's mind was still on the Third Hokage, though, as he laid in bed, rolling onto his side. He wanted to reach out to the man, ask him to be a part of his life again, but there was a part of him that didn't want to see the man ever again. Plus, if Hiruzen hadn't shown up once in the last three years, he probably never would. And that hurts.

Hurts...

It hurt when Shikaku wrote his mother's name down on his lantern, apologizing for being one to do so. It hurt when Naruto had found her name carved into the stone, lamenting the fact that she was gone. It had hurt when Hiruzen had apologized to him for keeping the biggest secret of the twelve-year-old's entire life. It hurt hearing what had become of his parents and the lifelong burden he'd have to carry. But, what hurts more is knowing that the person he's grieving for the most right now is still here and alive.

Naruto wiped at his eyes, not allowing his frustrated tears to fall. If Hiruzen didn't want to see him, then so be it. He wouldn't be the first to reach out.

The blond-haired academy student rolled onto his back, staring at the ceiling once more. Though, despite this, the last three years haven't been all that bad. He still had Iruka and Teruya who both were teaching him so many wonderful things. He still had medical ninjutsu, a skill that had been growing fairly well as the years passed by - he would say that he's pretty proficient in it by now. But the most important person Naruto had was Shikamaru. He smiled thoughtfully, cuddling into his pillow as his mind drifted away from the Third Hokage and towards his best friend.

Since the ninth annual Kyuubi festival, the academy student had made himself a known presence in Shikamaru's home. Although he was very much welcomed - Shikaku checking in on him every now and then, even inviting him to a game of shogi some evenings, and Yoshino making homemade ramen for him at least once a month - he still hadn't meant to plant himself into the Nara's home and never leave. "It might be a drag, but things like that just happen sometimes." Shikamaru had said one night when Naruto had asked if it was really alright that he'd stayed so long.

He shut his eyes, letting his exhaustion consume him. Usually, if he found himself consumed with thoughts of the Kyuubi festival and what had become of that fateful night, Naruto would dream about it over and over and over. Some nights, it centered around Shikamaru and the kindness he and his parents showed the blond-haired boy. Other nights, it was a retelling of the pain he'd felt, shadowing when he'd broken down in front of the Hokage's office, clutching onto the only photograph of his parents he had. Tonight, though, it seems like it is a simple passage of time.

The weeks following that night had been one of the hardest things Naruto had to overcome. The blond-haired academy student had struggled immensely to come to terms and acclimate himself to this newly acquired information regarding who he is and what all of that meant for his future.

His dream started somewhere during the last two days of the Kyuubi festival. People were still partying and having a good time, the smell of fried foods and the sound of laughter a constant in the Nara compound. During those two days, Naruto had stayed in his best friend's presence, his dream-self reciting what Hiruzen had told him nearly word-for-word. Throughout the whole ordeal, the two had bundled up in blankets and pillows, Shikamaru cuddling the blond after he'd fallen into a state of shock shortly after the retelling, petting his hair and cooing comforting words.

While Yoshino and Shikaku went out and about for the last days of the festival, Shikamaru had stayed behind and tried his best to help his distressed friend.

The dream shifted slightly, his past self pushing a cup of instant ramen away, "Shika, I'm not really feeling ramen today…"

"Yeah, but you need to eat." Shikamaru had rolled his eyes, "And it's your favorite, too, so..."

The blond-haired boy smiled softly, "I'll eat later, okay?"

"No, you're gonna eat something right now - it doesn't have to be ramen - but I swear I'll force it down your throat if you keep telling me you're not hungry!" The Nara heir had threatened, pushing the cup of ramen closer to the other boy once more.

And he had eaten, but that's beside the point.

Images and memories played out in a muted way that only a dream could achieve. Shikamaru did a pretty good job cheering the blond up, feeding him dozens of packages of ramen once he'd gotten him to eat something. He even suggested that the two of them play a few rounds of Speed, knowing that Naruto would win every time no matter how hard the black-haired boy tried. And although these little shenanigans had worked for a while, every time those blue eyes caught sight of the photo of his parents, he'd shut down a little more.

Because Naruto had taken it hard.

Despite the reassurances the Nara's had given him, he hadn't stayed there forever; there was a feeling deep inside him that told him he'd overstayed his welcome. Once the festival had officially ended, breaking through into a weekend, the blond-haired boy had left the Nara compound. "I just… need some time to myself. I'll be back though, okay? So don't worry too much!" His smile was grim as he stared at his best friend, the dream falling into an outside background. Understanding the sentiment behind his words, Shikamaru had let him go. Though, once he could no longer see the boy's blond hair over the horizon, a bitter taste had filled the Nara heir's mouth as if letting Naruto leave had been the wrong choice.

Throughout Saturday and Sunday, Naruto had simply laid in bed, going over the old Sarutobi's words again and again, over and over and over. It was a mantra in his head, rounding back to the fact that Hiruzen had kept something so important from him. Thinking of it all gave him one of the worst headaches he'd ever had - a migraine, his medic side had chided his lack of remembrance but he didn't care. It was torture because, although he would always love the Third Hokage as if the man was his own grandfather, he still felt betrayed and heartbroken which wasn't exactly something that could be fixed with a single apology.

"I'm sorry, Naruto." If he remembered right, he hadn't slept well that night, home alone without Shikamaru's comforting presence. It was the wrong choice to be by himself, his future self would probably say.

The following Monday after the Kyuubi festival, school had commenced once more. By this time, a public announcement had been given, telling the village that the ban regarding Naruto's status as the village's jinchuuriki was finally lifted after nine years of silence. Hiruzen had left his heritage out of the announcement, though, letting the blond-haired academy student decide who he wanted to tell on his own time. Children who knew nothing of jinchuurikis and what it meant for Naruto had gone to their parents, eager to ask them of the meaning. The news spread like wildfire and many of the boy's own classmates were nervously waiting for him to show, intent on bombarding him with questions their parents wouldn't answer.

But Naruto was nowhere to be found.

His dream fabricated what might have happened in the classroom from information he'd been given by his academy teacher as well as his best friend. As for his disappearance, Shikamaru had suspected it, the same bitter taste in his mouth as when he'd let Naruto go home alone. "It would be too soon to resume life as it was when you had a literal bombshell drop you." He was quick to tell Iruka this before class had begun that morning, suggesting that the Uzumaki boy might even take the entire week off, something that his teacher would recite back to Naruto later on. Ever the worrywart, Iruka found himself at the blond-haired boy's apartment after school, some take-out in a bag. From the way Shikamaru had spoken of the boy, it sounded like Naruto was grieving.

And when he finally opened the door upon his knock, Iruka could instantly understand why the Nara heir had carried around that worried look on his usually apathetic face. The bags under the boy's eyes and his sunken-in cheeks screamed a deep internal pain.

Naruto remembered letting the man in without much complaint, moving to climb back into his bed, shaking a bit - whether it was from his emotions or just because it was a little chilly in the room, the academy teacher couldn't tell. The man had set the takeout box in the blond's lap, sitting on the opposite side of the bed before starting to eat. Naruto was extremely quiet, a conflicted look on his face as he picked at his food before inevitably blurting out that he was the son of the Fourth Hokage and had a demon sealed inside of him.

To which Iruka had promptly choked on his food.

Once the man had recovered enough after slapping his chest multiple times to force the food down, coughing violently once he'd finished, Iruka had whipped his head to the side to stare at his student. There was a worried look on his face, one that the blond had expected, a hiss escaping his mouth. Afterward, though, he just sighed, an exhausted look on his face. Iruka's reaction just confirmed the fact that people were afraid of getting executed if someone told him anything about who he is.

"Hiruzen told me." He mumbled out once his teacher had recovered a bit.

Iruka frowned at the lack of '-jiji' at the end of the Third Hokage's name but didn't comment on it. "Are you alright?" He asked instead.

Naruto's eyes flooded with near-instantaneous tears, coughing out a laugh, "I don't know! Should I feel happy that I know my parents' names? Or should I feel angry because these secrets were kept from me for so long? I just… It hurts, a lot… Why didn't he tell me, Iruka-sensei?"

"Come here." The dream shifted in close, the brunette huddling his student in close, wrapping a secure arm around the boy's shoulders once their take-out boxes were secure on the nightstand beside Naruto's bed, "I can't say for sure why so much was kept from you but, if I know anything about Lord Third, it's that he does a lot of things for the sake of the village and its people."

"Not telling me about my parents and a literal demon inside of me is for the 'sake of the village'?!" He was getting angry again, but Iruka was a very patient man.

"Naruto, think very carefully about who your father was. Lord Fourth had many enemies in Iwa and many assassins were sent to try and kill him during the war. While none succeeded, it still put a target on his back, meaning that you have one on you as well even years after his death ." Iruka petted the boy's hair soothingly, watching the anger start to lift from his student's shoulders, "Your mother was a jinchuuriki like yourself. From the stories I've heard about her, she was a fierce fighter with a temper and a hatred for history like yours-"

"Hey!"

"-but because she married the Fourth Hokage and was also an Uzumaki, she was also in danger of being kidnapped or killed by assassins."

"Why? What makes her being an Uzumaki so important?" Naruto had asked in awe.

He paused for a minute, trying to figure out how to word his next sentence. "From what I've come to learn about the Uzumaki clan, they were people of immense chakra reserves meaning, if they were to fight in a war, they would be able to outlast most other ninjas. Their capabilities in sealing as well helped in making them a formidable foe." The older man tried to explain the best way he could, "During the war, it was a known fact that if you had someone of Uzumaki descent on your side, you had about an eighty percent chance of winning the battle."

"So someone would have tried to kidnap my mom to force her to fight for them?" The blond-haired academy student questioned, starting to understand little by little.

He had nodded, "That or they would have tried to eliminate her before she even had the chance to fight. But that was a hard thing to do when your father and your mother were practically glued together." Naruto gave a quiet giggle, leaning more into his teacher. Iruka smiled softly before continuing, "I wasn't much older than you when they passed away. The village took their deaths the hardest."

"So I've heard…"

"I have a… sort-of friend - we haven't spoken to each other in years but I see him passing sometimes. He was a part of your father's genin team but, when his teammates tragically died in the war, he was extremely lost and… broken. He shut himself away for days, wouldn't eat, and was extremely angry all the time." Iruka leaned back against the wall, shutting his eyes in remembrance, "So, to help his student, Lord Fourth gave him the single most important mission of his entire life - all he asked of my friend was 'Watch over my pregnant wife and my unborn child'."

"Why are you telling me this?" Naruto asked curiously.

"When my friend was but a baby, his mother had run away to who-knows-where and his father, who was rather famous, died tragically, leaving behind an orphan boy. Minato-san gave my friend a purpose when he was left with nothing." The man explained with a smile, looking down at his student, "And that purpose was family - a found family."

"A found family?"

"A found family is basically a family that is not blood-related to you at all but you consider them a part of your family." He smoothed the boy's blond hair down in a soothing motion, "My friend used to eat dinner with your parents and would spend the night as if he were their son as well and, for the first time in a while, he had a family to go home to."

Naruto's eyes watered, "But the Kyuubi took that from him…"

"It also took that from you. It took that away from me, too..." Iruka stated, nudging him a little, "What I was trying to get at is that you're not alone in what you're dealing with. People go through similar things all the time and it's not good that you're locking yourself away from the world. You know, Shikamaru couldn't nap at all today at school."

"What?!" The blond-haired academy student gave the man an incredulous look, "But he always finds time to nap!"

Iruka smiled softly, "That's because he was too worried about you to try to sleep. His eyes would flutter but he'd jolt back up and look at the door as if you were going to walk right through."

"Oh… I'm sor-"

"Honey, no, don't try to apologize. It's okay to need time for yourself but, when you do, just remember you always have people to come back to, like me and Shikamaru, okay?"

He pulled his knees close to his chest, leaning almost impossibly closer to Iruka who was just content with sitting against the wall. A stretch of silence passed between them before Naruto lifted his head, eyes swimming with tears."You know…" He started, tearfully looking up, "I might not have a d-dad but, um… I've always considered you in a, u-uh…" His face flushed red, unable to finish his world before dissolving into tears. But Iruka had understood the unsaid 'fatherly way' that hadn't made it out of his student's mouth.

"It's alright, baby, come here." The older man ushered quietly, a soft smile on his face, "You may not be my son in blood, but I would be a fool to deny how much I care about you."

"You're my found family, Iruka-sensei."

"And you are mine, Naruto." He placed a quick kiss on the boy's head, letting him snuggle into his chest.

Although Naruto lost both his mom and dad that fateful night, he knows now that he'll still have Iruka and Shikamaru to pick up the pieces.

His dream flowed in and out, not really making sense. It stumbled through the past three years he'd spent at the hospital. Overflowed notebooks and long overnight shifts on the weekend, studying under the head medic of Konohagakure - a man by the name of Yiruma Hana who had just come back from a four-year-long tour of Fire Country, healing people and teaching others medical ninjutsu. The mindless flow followed Naruto when he started working on creating a soldier pill that worked better than the original one with the help of a renowned pharmaceutical scientist Chikako Rikitake who worked with the hospital to make better medicines for patients.

Regarding the hospital itself, treating patients has gotten easier over the years. What had been a reluctance to be treated by the jinchuuriki was now a begrudging acceptance of his medical prowess, allowing Naruto to heal them. It probably helped that they no longer had to keep a tight lip of what they said towards him in regards to the demon that he held. The treatment he received from the village had definitely gotten better over the past three years, his dream following a course of showing people actually greeting him with a pleasant smile instead of whispering cruel things about the blond-haired academy student.

Naruto smiled, cuddling further into his pillow, sleeping comfortably as his dreams finally subsided. Some nights were filled with nightmares that distorted the village into a hateful gaze, most were simple dreams of kind retellings of how he's changed since taking on his goal of learning medical ninjutsu. Tonight had been somewhere in between - it started off rocky, full of a deep pain that still lingered even three years after the incident but had flowed into a hopeful prospect of the future.

He had everything he'd ever need. He had medical ninjutsu - a job as well as a hobby. He had Iruka, a father figure as well as a teacher. He had Shikamaru who had been there for him for as long as he can remember. And he had the rest of his life to figure out everything else in between. So, for now, he was content enough to just sleep through the night, happy at how far he'd come despite everything.