Oooooh, boy. Dang, rollercoaster of feels.

I hope you are all healthy and safe. And enjoy.

Disclaimer: See the first page. Guess the alluded episodes if you like.

*"Words"*: Broadcast message

Also, very dialogue heavy... Enjoy.

XXXXX

[Loose End Found]

Part 2

*"After losing consciousness from battling for so long…, I woke up strapped on a bed to ten and later twelve familiar faces…"* Nine out of ten girls grinned nervously when their parents gave then disbelieving look.

*"… Still the same after all these years… quite literally. And still as chaotic as ever… just like I remembered. Sorry about this by the way."* All cringed when the white-haired ninja lightly tapped the damaged tablet.

They blew a sigh of relief by the bit of good fortune that followed. *"But I heard that you have a soft spot for kids. So, I think you would've let it slide and say it was just an accident. That they're just children. And you're probably right. You did take me in after all."* The Loud couple silently thanked the man for taking care of their son.

*"And you said to not lose hope of returning home…"* But they felt something wrong when Lincoln uttered that assurance without any conviction.

*"I wished you didn't lose yours when the world was against you. I would have helped knowing from experience."* And now they are worried with what he meant, wanting to know yet fearing of the answer.

Lisa was a bit troubled with how quick her brother can shift between emotional spectrums. *"But enough of our losses. I was never able to talk much about my family, being all moody and grumpy at the time."* None of them bought the understatement they can only imagine.

*"Now where to begin?"* They wondered what was that piece of paper he brought out. But after laying it beside the photo, Lisa magnified it to show the Loud family.

*"Let's start with Lily: the happiest little bundle of joy… if it's not time to change her diaper that is."* The family giggled at the baby's pouty face. *"Her future is limitless with so many of her loved ones to guide her."* They were not sure how much Lily knows, but they felt warmth in their hearts at their baby sister's praise.

*"It was one of my regrets of never seeing her grow-up. But to my surprise and joy, I can still have that chance. I wonder if my portrait would do her justice…"* They all wondered what he meant until Lisa suddenly paused and scurried upstairs.

When she returned, they were about to scold her for taking that recognizable sketchbook. But it was put on hold when the little genius opened to a page that confused everyone. A sense of familiarity lingered the longer they looked at it.

It's because they cannot remember who the sketch of this smiling young girl was. She was standing in a field of flowers that Lucy suddenly realized are… "Lily." Like the clearing of the mist, they slowly connected the symbolisms behind this picture. Lincoln imagined his youngest sister's future.

*"Next is Lisa: the smartest child you'll ever meet and I already met a number of 'so-called' geniuses. Even if she believes of having such mature outlook…, I'm glad she still has her childish innocence."* This phrase was proven when she tried to stop Luan from playfully ruffling her hair.

But the tired sigh the man let out blew away the uplifting moment. *"But I fear it's because of both contexts that she's afraid of me. Because I am something unfamiliar… An unknown."* Her scientific mind may have understood the sentiment, but the childlike heart felt crushed for the assumption… that she can't disagree.

*"As a shinobi, I commend her for that."* And it hurts that her male sibling believes in that too when his face scrunch in thought. But her tears were put on hold by a surprising follow-up. *"But it is also my fault. I shouldn't have placed her with the likes of those traitors."*

*"She's innocent… She's still young… She's still learning… She's still… pure. She still has so much good to offer the world."* Lisa childishly let the tears flow, feeling unexplainable relief at his heartwarming defense.

*"All of them… And if they let me, I wish to protect them for as long as I can."* They paused for a moment to let their smartest little girl be a child for once, though the others too felt touched at the indirect declaration.

They resumed the video once everyone was calmed down. *"Then you can never find a more different yet similar pair of twins…, that is if you didn't meet the Hyugas. Lola's fiery brilliance that may one day outshine the competition."* Some rolled their eyes as the princess preened at the praise.

*"And Lana; the literally down-to-earth, hard worker that you can rely on to get down and dirty."* Now they laughed when the little tomboy puffed out her chest in pride.

*"The very definition of balance. The Yin and Yang so to speak. Hmmm… Sakura did remind me of these two-."* "What's a Sakura?" They paused at Lola's interruption.

"It's Cherry Blossom. Those are beautiful pink trees in Japan. Here, I'll show you." Luan explained before showing them the picture she searched on her phone.

"Ooohhh… Pretty!" Of course, she would think so… It is her favorite color. Not that they disagree.

But Lana thought of the more pressing matter. "But why do we remind him of a tree?"

"Maybe to symbolize of you being rooted to the earth while Lola flourished her beauty like those leaves. Both ends connected to a maturing trunk as it strengthens through the test of time." Lucy eloquently speculated.

"Or maybe someone is named Sakura. Lily is named after a flower." Leni's simple answer was still surprising. Thankfully she's busy cooing at her baby sister.

*"Actually…I take it back."* Lola almost had a nervous breakdown before quieting to listen. *"I think Lola resembled Sakura the most. I had my worries for that girl. But I was surprised and amazed on how much she had matured… as a ninja… and as a person. Maybe I too can see how much Lola will one day mature."* And maybe she also wants to meet this person.

*"And I see Lana in Kiba… And in turn, his mother; Tsume. Fitting for a clan of dog-lovers, they are very abrasive to strangers. But once they see you as part of the pack, you earn their undying loyalty. Reminds me how Tsume and I became friends after giving her a make-over."* They paused again when Lana shared the story. The fashionista can't feel anymore proud for her 'little' brother.

*"Lucy… She's like the night sky. Only in the cover of darkness, her beauty and talent will shine the brightest. I guess it's fortunate I'm a ninja now because she no longer has to be alone in the shadows."*

"~I was all alone without you

and my days were dark without a glimpse of you.~"

When Luna suddenly took Lucy into her arms, they thought she was comforting the little goth. Though some suspected something else when there was pride in her tears and a smile that was looking borderline stupid. "I'm so proud of you, lil' sis."

*"I guess I'm glad she still retained her emotions. I was so close to getting rid of mine… and I pity those who did."* Again, they felt the need to know but feared for the answer. *"I hope Sai found his again after bonding with Team 7, he was a big help in duplicating those drawings of mine."* Luan started listing names and hoping in time their brother can share its significance.

*"Lynn…"* The aforementioned girl braced herself, knowing that dull tone meant nothing good. *"I won't lie… For a long time, I blamed her for losing everything. My family… My home… My place in the world. So much that… I started believing her… That I was bad luck…"* But she was still not prepared as she was bombarded by all her transgressions.

Her father caught the sportsgirl's crumbled form as the faults kept piling. *"Then I lost you… Then Obito… Rin… Teacher Minato… I started losing faith in the Will of Fire… That I was cursed to be alone…"* Leni and Lily joined to offer comfort as Lynn tried shielding herself from anymore accusations.

But they became greatly concerned when Lincoln remained quietly still for a while. "Hey, Lis. Did you press pause or something?" Before the genius could rectify anything, they were all shocked by an unexpected development.

*"Hey, Linc! You still in there?"* They all turned to a now startled Lynn, who has just remembered that she left the table early that day. *"I brought dinner. It's meatloaf. I even saved you some mac n' cheese bites. You used to fight tooth and nail because you liked them so much. Or I hoped you still liked them."* Then the uncomfortable silence stretched again.

But it seems past-Lynn decided to soldier on. *"Listen, what Lori said earlier… Well, uh… I won't apologize for her. But I know she didn't mean it… Just like I didn't mean to be so rough on you all those times."* Lori too didn't want to be defended for her own mistake, but she appreciated Lynn's attempt.

*"But I know…or I thought I know you can handle anything, even before you became a super ninja."* It was faint but they could hear something like a sniffle. Or was it from present-Lynn?

*"But… I guess I didn't know. Heck I don't even know how to be a good sister!"* Now the cracks in her voice were loud enough to be heard. *"I know I messed up big time. I- I'm so… so… sorry… We all are. And I want to fix it but… I can't. Because I don't know how…"* Despite the reassurance earlier, no one still knows how can this be done.

*"All I can do now is try to be there for you… Even if you don't need me- us anymore."* The barely restrained crying was echoed as Lynn furiously rubbed her tear-filled eyes. *"I gotta go. I still need to do my homework. If you like to come back inside, you can bunk with me and Lucy again. If not… well… I brought down a sleeping bag and this is the clean… -er one."* They never saw him ever since.

*"So… uh… Good night, Lincoln."* After a few moments of silence, the ninja got to the door and took inside the things Lynn left. He now had something better to sit with dinner in hand.

Some were annoyed that Lincoln presented his back when he started eating. *"Hmmm… If I only I had the skills and resources, I would have let you tried some of dad's recipe. Not as good as if he actually cooked it though."* He took some of the cheesy delights and placed it on the tray of the memorial.

*"Hard to believe, huh? That she was the source of some of my earlier nightmares. But I guess I pushed that away for new ones."* And that didn't make it any better.

*"But she reminds me of some of my comrades who were annoyingly stubborn, headstrong knuckleheads."* What they heard as insults were surprisingly the exact opposite. *"Yet they were the most valuable friends I had the trouble of meeting."* The change in tone compelled her to listen intently.

*"Obito… Gai… And there's Naruto. That kid had it rough since day one. But he never gave up and after a bit of roughing out, saw friends in his enemies… He tried to understand their past."* A raised fist would appear intimidating but Lynn felt something different as he looked at his clenched hand.

*"Maybe I can reconcile mine… by forgiving and understanding her… Lynn meant well in her own childish ways."* The athlete didn't know how nor care, but she silently thanked this Naruto guy for indirectly giving her hope.

*"That is why … I gave up my hatred… and took back all those cherished moments."* She tearfully promised to give a hundred and ten percent to make things right!

*"Despite the chaos. We may have dodged and shoved each other, I wanted to believed that, in some strange way…, that we loved one another."* Everyone looked at one another and tried to find some truth in those words.

They returned back to the screen when they heard him chuckle. *"The teacher has become the student now, huh? Even if I taught him things far before and after the academy…"* The way Lincoln sheepishly scratched his head seemed to lighten the mood a bit. *"Maybe something I shouldn't have."*

*"But in the end, he kept us on our toes with those creative and very unconventional plans. I even intentionally fell in some so that no one will suspect that I taught him how to make those pranks-."* "I WAS RIGHT!" They all shushed the resident prankster when it was a bit too loud.

*"He would have gotten along well with Luan."* Hearing her name, the girl got in front of the screen to listen. *"Huh… Thinking about it now, I guess that was subconsciously my way of remembering her."*

*"And what I was missing most was her laughter. Joyful and genuine… And the freedom to express it."* Luan felt tears reached her smile at how he thought of her. So, her heart clenched when Lincoln started blaming himself again. *"And another of my fault of taking that away. I really wished we had something to bond over."*

*"Hmmm… I wonder if things settle down, would she be up for a bit of pranking? I think I'm more than a match for her."* The mischief-maker silently took up the challenge.

*"Luna is a… rockin' cool girl. Very friendly, level-headed most of the time and quite passionate with music. I would have thought we might have gotten along quite well."* The rock musician felt an indescribable high with all those acclaims.

Which made the crash all the more painful with his depressing confession. *"But that made the betrayal more pronounced. Was our bond just of convenience? Was it that easy to break? In a small way…, I think I get where Sasuke was going. Those closest to you can cause the most lasting pain."* Luna fell to her knees, the weight of realization becoming too much.

"He did help a lot… And how do I repay him?" She was thankful that her spooky little sister held her to stave the overwhelming sorrow. *"I hope Naruto got right through Sasuke too. Even after all these years of heartache caused by his friend… He never gave up on him."*

*"And neither will I… even if I'm no longer their brother-."* "No, Lincoln! You will always be my bro!" Her parents had to intervene when she started to grab the screen.

*"Then there's Leni…"* It was not needed, but they allowed the ditzy blonde to approach. Many reassured that there were very little things to judge against her. *"Oh, Leni. She's still sweet and cheery as ever… She has Inoichi's daughter's love for beauty and Chouza's son's big heart… If only she had the Nara genius… she would have been the whole set. But I wouldn't have her any other way."*

She beamed at the verdict but it didn't last at his somber musing. *"Yet… I feel she's a bit different… Like she changed in a subtle way. I know it was my doing… but… I'm not as worried about her as I should be. I hope it is something good in the midst of a bad situation… Though I feel like I have to make up for the heartache I left."* And the second-oldest too felt the need to be a better sister.

*"And finally… My eldest sister Lori… Yes, she's bossy and a tiny bit conceited with a temper to match…"* She wanted to be angry at those accusations but held it in, remembering what her outburst had already caused. But it saddens the young woman that this was how Lincoln remembered her.

But hearing what follows amazed yet pained her more on how much her prodigal brother was forced to mature. *"But take away the childish views, she is the caring and loving sister who had to watch over almost a dozen kids."*

*"And after being a squad leader to a rowdy bunch of my own, I think I shouldn't have given her such a hard time."* Lori shared a small chuckle with the record. *"And I should have stopped being selfish back then and helped her. I know how it is to act strong for those looking up to you."*

"No, Lincoln. We should have helped you for being strong for all of us." Lori softly tried to console her weary brother.

*"Yeah… That's all ten of my wonderful sisters."* They were surprised and disheartened by what they assumed was a sarcastic laugh.

What followed however was confusing but much better received. *"Sorry about that… You did think we practiced the fabled 'clan restoration act' or something. And I was almost traumatized when we had 'the talk'."* The younger ones (saved one) watched in confusion when the older people laughed.

*"But after meeting different clans, I'm amazed and thankful that our parents treated each of us well with equal discipline and affection…, more or less. With a family that big, there are a bit of shortcomings. But though not warriors; my father and mother are very strong people."* This earned the parents plenty of affirmations of such admirable character.

*"Dad must have worked so hard to provide for us. Yet he still took time to be there for each of us. I hope he can still be the pillar for my sisters to lean on after what happened earlier."* Though heavy with emotions, Lynn Sr. tried to be the person his son looked up to.

*"And mom… I haven't had anyone to compare to, Kushina-san and I not interacting much to make a comparison. Must be why I've been so cold to others before because I missed her warm affection."* Now its Rita's turn to tear-up as the feeling was greatly mutual.

*"Which made me wonder how you could say that your wife would have accepted me… To be my mother."* And she bawled for many reasons: fear for being replaced, relief that it never came to pass and shame to deny what her son may have needed at the time.

*"I never did ask what she was like. But maybe I was waiting to gain the courage to. I came to realized why because I wasn't ready to face that familiar longing that I see in the mirror. Like how I longed for the family I may never see again."*

*"But at my final battle, that hope was rekindled… It was within my grasp if we survived the battle… There might have been a way I can go back to my old family… But I made my peace and gave it up to save my new ones."* They were not sure if they can do the same, which was why they admired but not envied Lincoln's very powerful will.

*"To be honest… I'm not quite sure how I got back. Actually… I might have a guess but it was all set aside for the more important task of making out of there alive."* Even Lucy felt great concern at such casual regard of his mortality.

*"Ironic I would say that considering I knew that I wouldn't make it after that last desperate move. I already made peace with myself and toss away all my regrets… All but one. That I wanted to see my family again."*

"You got your wish! So, what's the matter?!" Lola frustratingly asked. Not even the matured members can answer as they know that this cannot be simple.

*"Now I have…; They're unchanged after all these times… While I did in so many ways."* They all want to deny that. That they have all changed since he left but didn't know how to convey it.

*"Maybe Lori was right. I am no longer their brother. I'm just a shadow of the boy they have been searching for…"* The eldest daughter greatly wished she could take back her words, along with all those times she treated her brother poorly. *"And they are all silhouettes of memories I kept behind locks and keys. She's right once again… I did want to keep those memories as I have remembered."*

*"Because it hurts to see them all devastated because of my doing… And for them to pretend this stranger is their brother."* They felt shame at that very accurate opinion. *"Which is why I'm hoping that they can truly move on… without me."*

"Please… Don't leave me…" Despite what she said earlier, they understood that Lucy was still a child… and her fear is very real.

*"They are young… They are pure. A bit rough around some edges…, but they are gems of untapped potentials."* None of those flowery words meant anything if it comes with such heavy cost. *"And if it means sacrificing myself…, then I don't mind if they can make it out of this hardship stronger and better than before."*

"No! Not without you!" No one knows who started but they all clamored, hoping to tell their brother to stop hurting!

*"Despite no longer being their son or brother…, they are my family. And I wouldn't trade them for the world-."* A knock snapped them out of their depression-fueled trance.

"Tadaima." They only have time to anxiously recognize the voice before the front door opened. The white-haired 'youth' can only look in confusion at the frozen, fearful state of his family.

But his sharp eyes immediately caught a splotch of white before someone attempted to hide it. Hearing his own voice confirmed the suspicion as he reached to alleviate the arising headache. Letting out a heavy sigh, Kakashi finally spoke in resignation while leveling a narrowed stare. "I should have expected this."

XXXXX

So… Where from here? Ideas and suggestions will be taken into consideration. Keyword: Consideration.

xxxxx

OMAKE

Optional Skit (Depending on the mood. If you want something to lighten it, go ahead. But if you somehow liked the heavy feeling, come back later. Enjoy.)

"Ding dang darn it!" Dinner, especially in the Loud house can be quite a lively affair.

"What's wrong, dear?" Rita asked, peeping to see her husband fretting over the stove.

"The oven's busted and my Pork Butt, not an actual butt, and Taters are not yet done!" He said while taking out the half-cooked roast.

"I'll fix it, dad!" Lana helpfully suggested

"But I'm hungry NOW!" Lola complained, knowing that whatever needed to be fix needs time. The sentiment was shared with her more vocal siblings.

After a bit of squabbling, a white flag was raised. "I have an idea." Oh… It was just Lincoln standing up.

"Way ahead of you. So, it's pizza or Chinese?" Luna was met by silence and crickets. They turned to Luan when she brought out the creaking toy again.

"Let's make that Plan B." Lincoln indulgingly suggested as he went to offer assistance. "Can we bring this to the yard?"

They were curious on what's going on, but not enough to move from their sit. "And I need more help, preferably someone with an iron-grip and nerves of steel."

Lynn whole-heartedly volunteered. "You got it, Linc! I'm your woman!"

"Okay, Lynn. And can you bring some of those pokers? Preferably washed." Lynn went out the back with the gathered tools. Cleaned of course.

"Okay, so you skewered the meat. Are we having a barbecue?" Now this got some of their attention as Luna and Lisa went to observe.

"Sort of. Now try not to move too much."

"What are you planni-." "Katon…"

Everyone stayed rooted to their sits as what ensued was muffled screams barely heard over a loud crackling, flickering flashes dancing from the windows.

After a moment of silence, the two brunettes returned with wide-eyed expressions, the little genius clinging tightly to the rocker's leg.

Then they smelled something delicious heading their way. The two Lynn's stiffly entered the dining hall, eyes just as wide and knuckles white with how tight they were holding their barbecued dinner.

Last to follow was a very sheepish-looking Lincoln. "So… Dinner's almost ready… Let me get the salad." He retreated leaving four statues, two still not letting go of the steaming hot meal.

Everyone has so many things to say but didn't know how to say it. So, a one-liner would do as Luan got a bright yellow hat with a feather stuck to it. "Sssssmokin'."