Disclaimer: not mine
The final part – the sequel! I asked reviewers what dimension they'd like to see the boys in. A lot said they didn't mind and the rest picked one or two. So I hope you like what I decided to do.
Part 3 – Sequel part 1
"Sora?"
"Yeah Riku?" he sat up from where he was sprawled on the couch in the residential area of the Nexus and looked at his soulmate and fellow Hand.
"Were we together before?" Riku asked, frowning slightly in concentration.
"You don't remember?" he asked in return, reaching to take his hand.
Riku seemed to almost willingly forget a lot of things but some he wanted to remember only to find the memories slipping through his fingers and it frustrated him. Eventually, he'd come to accept that forgetting mortal lives was normal. Sora remembered nothing of their life together, except Riku. He knew he hadn't remembered him until Harry had brought him to the Nexus and now that made him sad, he couldn't imagine his existence without Riku in it. He tugged Riku closer when he shook his head, hugging him, and Riku hugged him back.
"We weren't, I remember that. You never gave any sign you wanted to be with me, I think…there was girl involved somehow. But it doesn't matter, we're together now," he smiled at Riku.
"You don't miss the memories?"
"I've lived a lot of lives Riku and yeah, sometimes I wonder or a soul here for punishment looks at me like I should know them. But a brief life of memories isn't worth worrying over when we've got eternity."
"With Harry."
"With Harry," he agreed. "I love you Riku and I've loved Harry for a very long time."
"I don't even remember how we met," Riku admitted softly, "but I know I've loved you for a long time."
Sora grinned at that and then suddenly, somehow, they were kissing and it just felt so right. Their first kiss!
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Harry ran his fingers through Sora's hair as he leant against him, just enjoying time together. He could feel Riku watching them but he seemed lost in thought so Harry left him to it; despite having almost all of his mortal memories, he was still adjusting to his new 'life'. There was no rush, so long as nothing came up that needed Sora's interference at least. There were a handful of dimensions he was keeping a close eye on at the moment but he hoped that if action was needed, Riku would be ready as well.
He glanced up to find Riku watching them fully now, their eyes meeting, and then Riku was walking towards them. Something seemed to have changed, settled, even as Sora kissed Riku and Harry blinked as he realised what before slowly leaning closer to Riku, giving him plenty of time to move back but he didn't. The kiss was soft and short, no pressure.
"Home," Riku breathed as they parted, eyes wide in wonder, and Harry smiled at him, feeling Riku's connection to the Nexus settle fully into his soul.
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Roxas stood beside the man who had identified himself as Death. He was dead, as in permanently gone from the living, and it was scary but there was something…comforting about the green-eyed male. In the other room were two very familiar teenagers, even though he'd never seen his other with black hair. Sora and Riku were wrestling, messing around like he'd done with Hayner a million times.
"They don't remember you Roxas. For them, it's been almost two hundred years since Riku died. The dead are unburdened by memories of the living, but they will have each other forever."
He nodded slowly, there was so much he'd wanted to tell Sora and he'd never gotten the chance to in the Graveyard. He was the first to die since them but he had the feeling Xion and Naminé would soon follow since it had been the Replica body that caused his death. They'd never been tested for long term use, as in decades of use, not months or a year or two. They'd last longer since they didn't go around fighting Heartless, probably, definitely if Ienzo and the others realised the issue. Still, he'd had a longer existence then he'd ever thought once he found out about Sora back in the Digital Twilight Town. He just wish he'd gotten the chance to speak to Sora about everything but the Sora he had formed from no longer existed.
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Riku lay between Sora and Harry in the massive bed, he didn't think he could move even if the universe was about to end. He'd known what they did when they spent time alone in the room together but he never could have imagined… he'd even asked Harry who had confirmed Riku had died without ever being with someone. So this had been his first time and wow. He was glad they'd known what they were doing because he hadn't so he'd just kind of let them do whatever they wanted.
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Ventus looked around and then Death was there and a familiar form. "Vanitas?" without the helmet and darkness suite, he looked so normal, and so much like Sora.
Vanitas crossed his arms over his chest, looking aside. "Ventus."
"I don't understand, why are you here?"
"What do you think?" he snapped but…he sounded more tired than angry.
"So long as you lived, Vanitas couldn't move on, you're still connected. Not closely enough to drive either of you insane if the other died like what would have happened to Riku, but close enough.
"Oh…" Ventus whispered, staring at Vanitas. "I…I've missed you."
Vanitas' jaw dropped in shock. "What?"
Death chuckled. "I'll leave you two to talk a bit and then take you to see Sora and Riku. Vanitas likes spying on them though he's never shown himself."
"What's the point when they don't remember me?" Vanitas grumbled.
"Wait, what?"
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Sora laughed as Riku collapsed dramatically, Harry rolling his eyes. Riku had changed since he'd first come to the Nexus, Sora might not remember what he'd been like as a mortal, but at first he'd been rather quiet and serious beyond his confusion at what was happening to him. Now he was happy and open and sometimes it made Sora wonder just what they'd been through in that life.
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"Riku!" she called out, seeing him across the room, it was him, still as young as she remembered.
Riku turned but he didn't smile at her or call her name, no, his expression was almost blank but also a bit…curious? "Do I know you?"
What? "Riku it's me, Kairi."
"I'm sorry, I don't know who you are," he shook his head before seeming to realise something. "Did I know you when I was alive?" he asked, and she felt like crying even as she nodded. "Oh, sorry," he grimaced slightly. "I don't know what the afterlife's like obviously, but here at least, the dead aren't meant to remember being alive."
"Oh," she whispered. "Is…is Sora here too?" did he even remember him? But to her surprise Riku smiled.
"Of course, we're soulmates so H, Death would never separate us."
"Right," she whispered, Merlin had mentioned that so many years ago when he had told them they were both dead. She'd always thought she was Sora's true love or soulmate due to everything they'd gone through even before they were dating, seemed she'd been wrong. She was surprised when Riku's hand covered hers, concern in his eyes.
"Why are you here Kairi? You should have moved on immediately to the afterlife."
"I brought her," a new voice spoke, one she didn't recognise. And then a man was there, he had longish black hair and the greenest eyes she'd ever seen. And the way Riku smiled at him… "I've brought all of those you knew in life to see you and Sora when they die for their peace of mind before they move on," the man…Death?...explained.
All of them? Roxas had been the first, only fifteen years after they defeated Xehanort, then Xion and Naminé within three years. Ansem the Wise had died a few years later, then Cid, but those two had been older than everyone else. Gradually, one by one, everyone had followed, well almost everyone, somehow Cloud was still going strong and Master Yen Sid still looked the same as he had when she met him, she wasn't sure he was actually human. Kairi had been the last of the Guardians left, because she was also a Princess of Heart? Her powers hadn't passed on like the other Princesses but she'd also been the only one to never marry and she did wonder if that was why, her powers had only passed as she died, she'd felt it.
"You have? Why haven't we seen them?" Riku asked.
"Because it was less painful for everyone if they just saw the two of you were happy then to meet and be faced with the fact you don't remember them."
That made sense, it would have hurt less to see them at a distance rather than have Riku look at her like a stranger.
Suddenly someone appeared and for a second she thought it was Vanitas…but no, his eyes were blue and his face a little thinner. "What's going on?" and that voice…
Dark blue eyes met hers curiously, and then he frowned. "Do I know you?" he asked as he approached, Riku taking his hand.
"Sora?" was it really him? He looked different but still enough like Sora that it wasn't impossible.
"Yeah, I…" he shook his head, looking her over. "Ka…I…I know you," Sora grimaced.
"Easy Sora," Death cupped his face in his hands. "Don't try and force it."
"I know her," Sora whispered, rubbing his chest…his Heart. He looked at her again and she held her breath, could he remember? "Kai…ri?"
She covered her mouth with a hand, nodding, even as she tried not to cry.
"Kairi!" he called, Death stepping aside, and then Sora's arms were wrapped around her.
She sobbed then, clinging to him. "Sora."
"Don't cry Kairi, it's okay."
"Sora, you remember her?" Riku asked, sounding amazed and…nervous? Why would he be nervous.
"Sort of," Sora admitted, reaching out to brush away her tears. "Not really memories," her heart sank, "I just…I know you."
"Hmm," Death approached them, looking her over. "Ah, yes, that would be why."
"Harry?" Sora looked at Death…his name was Harry?
"You sheltered Kairi's, what that dimension calls the Heart, for several months. What they call the Heart is part of what is a person's soul. You aren't soulmates, she would have gone mad decades ago if you were, but there is a weaker link there."
"Oh," Sora looked at her again. Once he'd looked at her in love, that was gone now. But there was…affection, curiosity. "Did you have a good life?" he asked her.
She nodded, unable to tell him that she'd never moved on after first him and then Riku died. They were the only two she could have ever been with. She'd tried, but it just hadn't worked, even when Ventus had asked her. Still, she'd have a good life overall. There'd been no more wars and she'd kept busy in the Land of Departure, training for her Mark of Mastery and then as the years passed, taking over from Aqua as Master of the World and training those who came to them. She'd never been alone at least. And now she knew for herself that Sora and Riku were happy, it was obvious by just looking at them.
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Harry observed the man sitting behind the desk, reading a book. Master Yen Sid, the man who had made Sora's life more difficult than it had needed to be. But his actions back then weren't why Harry was within the Tower, no, he was there to see just how he had lived so long. Well, it wasn't anything like Horcruxes, thankfully. No…that was very interesting and explained why he had only acted in person once. He was tied to the Mysterious Tower, the magic of the World sustaining his life while his presence kept the place safe from intruders. An interesting set up and something he didn't need to interfere in.
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Riku dodged to the side, chuckling when Sora squawked as he tumbled to the ground.
"No fair," he pouted before scrambling back to his feet.
"You're the one that wanted to do this," he reminded him as he shifted back into a ready stance. It was weird, he didn't remember ever fighting, but his 'body' did.
He wasn't sure what the point was, it wasn't like they'd remember or keep any skills if sent out to live a new life and there was no need of fighting in the Nexus. He supposed it was just for something to do together. The Nexus wasn't boring, there were rooms that would become anything they could dream of, massive libraries…more to explore than they could in multiple lifetimes but variety was good.
They stopped when Harry appeared and Sora sighed.
"That time?" he asked, and Harry nodded, Riku waiting for one of them to explain. Sora looked at him and looked a little nervous. "We're needed."
Needed…oh! Riku swallowed, he was very nervous about that. To be born and have no memory of who he really was, to live a new life… "Will we be together?" he asked.
"You'll be in the same World," Harry promised. "You will be born into places and families that will give you the ability to alter the path of events which means you might be in different locations. The soul bond will ensure you find each other though."
"So where are we going?" Sora asked, bouncing slightly on his heels. For Sora, it was old hat so of course he wasn't nervous.
"The Elemental Countries."
"Oh, a new place, great!"
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Riku looked out the window, tuning out the chatter around him, focusing on controlling his own nerves. Today was team assignments and he could hear the girls whispering, glancing at the boy beside him. Fangirls, ugh. He glanced over at Sasuke who happened to glance his way at the same time, understanding passing between them. Riku had his own share of that kind of girl after him thanks to his looks and his Dad, though the civilian girls focused only on Sasuke since the Hatake were not a famous clan or anything. He wore a mask like his Dad, hiding most of his face and apparently that made him mysterious. Would he ever understand girls?
He was the only one not surprised when a familiar blond took the seat on Sasuke's other side, he'd heard the whispers about Naruto passing and something classified. A lot about Naruto was classified and he had the slightly enhanced senses of his clan, not as good as the Inuzuka but better than others, he could easily hear the whispers that followed the blond. Naruto acted out because he wanted people to see him, there wasn't any malicious so people calling him a demon, well…Riku thought he'd worked out why but he kept quiet, just like he kept quiet on his suspicions about Naruto's dad. How did no one else see the resemblance when a massive version of the mans face was carved above the village?
He knew how teams were decided and he knew it meant they wouldn't be together which he found disappointing. The three of them weren't exactly friends but he respected them both and they worked well together, Riku was the peacemaker between the other two. But the teams were almost always made with two boys and a girl, unless Naruto's last-minute graduation threw that off? There were exceptions obviously, like the previous generations Ino–Shika–Chō trio.
He looked to the front as two screaming girls got jammed in the door, hearing Sasuke's soft sigh of annoyance. He didn't blame him, those two…at least none of them would be stuck with Ino as a teammate, that honour went to Shikamaru and Chōji. But Sakura could be on any team and only Naruto would be happy with that since he had a crush on her, or at least thought he did. Riku didn't think Naruto felt as deeply for the girl as he thought he did, that he just wanted to fit in.
The two squabbling girls finally realised the seats around Sasuke were occupied and began yelling at Naruto to move.
"He was here first, get over it, and go sit somewhere else," Riku told them, glaring.
"Settle down!" Iruka sensei yelled, and they had no choice but to sit somewhere else.
Riku half listened to their sensei's speech, looking over the other graduating students. His Dad had never sugar-coated the Shinobi life, he knew very few of them would actually become true genin, especially among the civilian born.
"Team 7 – Uzumaki Naruto, Hatake Riku"
Riku blinked, what? He wasn't the top student; shouldn't Naruto be teamed with Sasuke?
"And Uchiha Sasuke," Iruka-sensei finished, the crowd erupting in noise from the disappointed fangirls.
He looked at the other two boys, seeing they were as shocked as he was.
"Sensei is Hatake Kakashi."
Oh…that explained his Dad's reaction the last time he saw him. Their relationship was…complicated to say the least. He didn't even live with the man; he'd been raised by a woman hired to do so. Yes, the famous Copy-non was busy with missions and Riku was sure the man was in Anbu but…he'd never wanted kids. Riku had been born due to pressure from the Council and the like, Kakashi made sure he had everything he needed but it wasn't the same. He just…he wanted his Dad to want him and now he was on his team?
"Are you related to our new Sensei?" Naruto asked quietly for him, and Riku nodded.
He stayed quiet as slowly the other teams were made and then gathered by their Sensei's, knowing the man would be late, he was always late.
"Did he forget about us?" Naruto grumbled eventually after even Iruka-sensei had left.
"No, he's just late to everything."
Sasuke looked at him. "How are you related?"
"He's my Dad," Riku admitted.
"Is that allowed?" Sasuke frowned, and Riku shrugged slightly.
"Not like he raised me, he never wanted me in the first place. I exist to placate the Council who don't want any clan with something special dying out. Not that the we're all that special, slightly enhanced senses and good at adapting in battle." No, he wasn't bitter at all.
"That's…" Naruto was staring at him with wide eyes, no pity though. He knew what it was like to be unwanted after all, and Riku knew he could have it a lot worse than he did.
At least his Dad took some interest in him, though he knew he was a disappointment since he wasn't classified as a prodigy, no early graduation for him. Pity the man hadn't realised Riku had done that on purpose, he didn't want the attention that came with standing out. He just… he wanted his Dad to love him, no matter who he was. He wasn't sure his Dad could love anything beyond the Village though. At least it meant he'd come to the Academy with his eyes wide open unlike many of the others, his Dad never tried to romanticise the life of a shinobi.
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Sora flopped down beside his brother, not at all scared when the sand stirred. He stared up at the sparse clouds, wishing for a cooler day. After a day of missions, it was nice to just relax, even though he knew they were being watched, well….his twin was being watched more than him. They were the children of the Kazekage and yet they were feared and hated for something out of their control. Okay, so he could have backed off, left his younger twin alone, but how could he?
Their Dad had doted on him when he was little because no one had expected him to survive to be born after the demon was sealed into Gaara. They hadn't even realised their mother was expecting twins until it was too late. But when Sora had stuck by Gaara no matter what things had changed. No one had ever tried to kill him, unlike Gaara, but he hadn't seen their Dad outside of official stuff for years. The less said about their Uncle the better, he knew Gaara had taken his words to heart but Sora hadn't believed him, no, he had the sick feeling he knew who had made him say all of that, had driven Gaara to kill him.
"Hey Gaara?"
A tendril of sand tickled the palm of his hand in answer, Gaara didn't talk a lot anymore, but Sora was an expert at interpreting the sand and everything he didn't say. He stood between Gaara and everyone else, even their older siblings. Everyone had thought he'd be long dead but he knew Gaara would never hurt him, even when he lost it totally, Sora was never put in danger.
"Think we'll be sent to the Konoha chūnin exams?" he asked, they'd been genin for almost a year now and those exams were still seven months away. The next exams were in Kumo and they wouldn't be allowed to go due to the Village's tendency to kidnap children with bloodlines or to steal secrets. Not to mention they had two Jinchūriki who were older and held more powerful tailed beasts.
Konoha had held the nine-tails though the common story was that the Fourth Hokage had killed the fox, Sora and Gaara didn't believe it. There was no way one man could have done that, no, the most he could have done was seal it which meant Konoha had a Jinchūriki who was at least a year older than them. They could be very dangerous but Suna and Konoha were technically allies so it should be safer, right?
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"Sasuke-kun!" the shriek had him fighting the urge to flinch as the blond latched onto him the moment they entered the exam room. He glanced around, taking in the other teams from their class. All clan kids.
"Where's Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked, and Ino looked aside. "Ino?"
"Troublesome," Shikamaru muttered. "Her team didn't pass their sensei's test, she's working for her parents now as a civilian."
"Oh."
Sasuke knew Naruto had liked her, or at least had thought he did. He couldn't stand the girl or any of those like her but still, it had to hurt to lose her dream like that. Then again, if she'd really wanted to be a ninja, why not return to the Academy to try again next year?
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Riku was frozen, staring at the strange man across the clearing. Sasuke was beside him, just as frozen, they didn't know where the real Naruto was but he hoped he was alright. He could feel his muscles shaking, terror threatening to cloud his mind completely. Surely death would be better….no!
"The Last Uchiha and youngest Hatake, such a prize," their opponent purred, licking his lips, and Riku felt sick.
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Sora perched on the branch, seeing the two Konoha-non frozen in place. He knew that chakra! What the hell was going on? He looked up at Gaara, seeing his confusion. They'd been feeling something strange from their father since they left Suna and now they knew…it hadn't been the Kazekage at all but this man. So what had happened to him? If he had killed the Kage then they were no match for him, even with their mission record. But they were allies, could they leave those two to die at the imposters hands?
His gaze went to the silver haired boy with a face mask, what had the man called him…Hatake? There was something about him. Sora glanced at his brother again and then the gourd he wore opened, unleashing the sand within even as Sora dropped down, landing behind the two older teens. He was glad there was a lot of moisture in the air as he formed a single Mizu Bunshin. He grabbed Hatake and his clone grabbed the Uchiha, leaping back into the trees as Gaara locked the imposter in a coffin of sand before contracting the sand.
"Come on, run!" he told the two Konoha genin who stared at him blankly before shaking off whatever had been done to them,
"What?" the silver haired teen stared at him in confusion.
"We have to run!" he yanked his hand.
"Sora!" his brother actually yelled and Sora yanked the other teen forward, his clone shoving the Uchiha before it was destroyed by a snake.
"He's been posing at the Kazekage," Sora hissed at the two, "we have to get out of here and warn people. Suna and Konoha are allies, this isn't part of the exam." He really hoped they'd agreed.
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Riku stared at the boy who had gotten them to momentary safety. He was…no, no time to think about that, no matter how bright those blue eyes were. He'd never thought they'd be saved by Suna-nin since killing was allowed, but he seemed genuinely worried. Riku glanced at Sasuke who frowned but then they moved, following the auburn-haired teen.
He tensed as sand swirled around them but their companion relaxed and then a red-haired teen was running beside them.
"He survived," the newcomer stated flatly.
"We expected that," the one who'd grabbed them answered. "We need to get attention from those watching the exam. Where's your third?"
"We don't know," Riku answered. "We got blasted apart by wind and then that man showed up in a henge of Naruto." He really hoped the blond was alive.
They ran in silence for a few minutes and then another snake appeared only to be taken out by a familiar figure.
"Naruto?" Sasuke asked suspiciously and the blond shook his head.
"Clone, boss sent us out to find you guys." He titled his head as he stared at the two Suna-nin. "Hi!"
That got a laugh from the more talkative of the two. "Hi, I'm Sora, this is my brother Gaara."
"I'm a Naruto clone, that's Riku and Sasuke cause I doubt they introduced themselves. I'm gonna dispel so the boss knows where you are." And with that he was gone. Riku was very glad they'd found out about that ability of the Kage Bunshin.
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Sasuke heard Riku scream, he'd never heard the other boy scream, even when his leg had been snapped by Zabuza.
A wave of sand slammed into Riku's attacker, forcing his neck to retreat and then Sora was catching him as Riku collapsed. A snarl of rage announced Naruto's arrival, his eyes blood red as he attacked. Sasuke took a shaky breath, yanking out some ninja wire before joining his teammate in attacking.
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Sora pulled the writhing body away from the fight, seeing the blood weeping from two deep punctures in his neck, the material of his inbuilt mask ripped open. He grabbed some bandages and used them to stop the bleeding, seeing that grey eyes had gone glassy, his breathing laboured…poison? "Hey, come on Riku, give me a hand," he called, but the other boy didn't respond.
"Sora!"
He looked up to see Temari and Kankurō. "It's Orochimaru! He replaced the Kazekage and now he's bitten Hatake Riku," he explained quickly. "Gaara is helping the rest of his teammates but we need help."
"Here," Kankurō tossed him a vial. "General antidote, should buy him some time." He shook his head. "Can't believe we're helping," he grumbled before unwrapping Karasu as Temari readier her fan.
There were the sounds of fighting but Sora forced himself to focus on administrating the drug to try and save Riku. What had the missing-nin done to him? He checked the wound and stared in shock, was that…a seal? He sat back and then nicked his thumb on a kunai, flashing through the hand seals, hoping it would work. Thankfully, the small Osprey appeared.
"Sora-kun?" he asked softly, he was not a combat summon.
"You need to find an examiner, tell them Konoha Team 7 and the Sand siblings have encountered Orochimaru. Peck them till they respond if you have to. Tell them Hatake's been bitten," he paused as a familiar kind of scream sounded and looked back to see sand catch the Uchiha, "Uchiha-san too. We can't hold him back much longer." He offered his arm to Asuga, launching him into the air.
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Kakashi ran through the forest with Anko and a team of Anbu, if that summons was telling the truth… he shook it off and then they were hit by killing intent and familiar chakra. He looked around, seeing a wall of sand surrounding Orochimaru, trying to move him…Naruto! The blond was snarling, covered in crimson chakra, pinned to a tree by the sannin who slammed a hand into his stomach. Red eyes went wide before fading to blue, Orochimaru releasing him to fall, the sand moving faster than Kakashi could to catch him.
"Orochimaru!" Anko yelled to draw his attention from the ragged children.
He spotted the redhead controlling the sand as he stood protectively over Naruto's now unconscious form, the older two siblings standing over Sasuke and….there! The fourth was mostly hidden from view, crouched over another body, one with silver hair. He'd known having the boy on his team would cause problems and it had, he'd had no choice but to become closer to him and now seeing him like that.
Kakashi quickly summoned Pakkun, sending the pug to help protect Riku, before focusing on Orochimaru. He could do nothing more for his genin until the sannin was at least driven off.
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Gaara stood calmly before the Hokage, he was tired and bruised but otherwise alright. Sora had a nasty gash on his arm but it had been treated. Temari had bruised ribs and a dislocated shoulder while Kankurō had a concussion. Overall, he knew they had been very lucky, not that he really cared what happened to the older two. Still, Sora would have been sad if they died so it was good they hadn't been that weak.
"Team 7 owes you their lives," the Hokage spoke. "Not many genin would take on an S-rank nin to save a team from even an allied village.
Sora glanced at him and then stepped forward to explain what they had worked out, seeing Baki stiffen at the news. Gaara knew there had been plans but with the Kazekage unmasked, he would not participate. Besides, the blond…he was like him. they had fought together and it had been like fighting beside Sora except Naruto had been able to keep up the whole time.
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"The doctors said you were awake."
Riku looked over at the door to see a sand-nin, frowning slightly before he recognised him. He'd been one of the ones helping them. What was his name… "Sora?" he asked, uncertain, and the younger teen grinned.
"Yeah, nice to see you not convulsing," he shuddered slightly, and Riku realised the other had been genuinely worried about him.
He pushed himself up in the bed and waved him into the room. "What happened?"
"What's the last thing you remember?"
"Pain," he admitted softly, nearly jumping when a hand covered his.
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Kakashi watched as his son smiled at the Kazekage's son who was gesturing wildly and laughing. He was proud of his team, even if they were out of the exams, they had done even better than he had thought they would. If Orochimaru hadn't interfered they might have even made the next round. Still, he now had two students bearing the Cursed Seal of Heaven, one of whom was his own blood. Why had Orochimaru targeted him as well?
Thankfully Jiraiya had appeared and had dealt with what had been done to Naruto's Seal and the blond was training with the sannin. He would need to intensify the training for the other two because he knew Orochimaru had more planned. While passing his original jutsu to his own son would make sense, Riku would never be able to use it in battle since he lacked the Sharingan. He would teach it to Sasuke instead. he had over a thousand jutsu's he could choose from to teach all three boys.
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Naruto grinned at Gaara who nodded, struggling to stand until his brother slid under his arm, helping him stay upright. The blond was shocked when the other brother grabbed him, keeping him up as well.
"You two are crazy," the sole girl grumbled.
"But we did it!" Naruto laughed, wobbling dangerously on his feet. They'd beaten the massive snake that had been headed right for where Iruka-sensei and the others had evacuated the Academy kids and some civilians. He couldn't wait to tell Sasuke and Riku.
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"Sora!"
He turned to see Riku, glancing at Gaara who nodded. He walked over to the silver haired genin after dropping his pack. Everything was over, the invasion a solid failure thanks to their intel causing Suna to pull out and fight with Konoha. Orochimaru had gotten away and the Hokage had been badly wounded, but the Village would continue on.
"I uh…I just wanted to say thanks, again." Riku shifted slightly, the mask making his expression almost impossible to read, but he was used to reading Gaara.
Sora shook his head, smiling. "It was the right thing to do, I'm just glad you're okay. You are, right?" the shirt that turned into a mask hid all sign of the 'wound' which was annoying.
"I…" he looked away.
Sora frowned and then took his hand, tugging him around a building for privacy. "I saw a seal forming where he bit you,' he reached his hand part way towards where it was, watching as Riku clamped a hand down over the area. "What did he do to you two?"
"It's called the Cursed Seal of Heaven," Riku admitted. "There's no way to get rid of it, my Dad added a seal to help suppress it."
Sora frowned, worried. He didn't understand why he was so drawn to the older boy but the idea of that snake being able to hurt him made him mad. "Riku, I…" he bit his lip. "If you ever need anything, you can come to me," he said instead. "And maybe, we could write?"
"I'd like that," Riku smiled at him, he looked tired but that wasn't surprising.
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Naruto watched his teammates, able to feel things had changed and not for the better. They were falling apart. He looked at his sensei, but he seemed like he always was. Riku was his son! So Naruto did the only thing he could do, he went to Ero-Sennin and Baachan, they had been teammates with the snake, surely they would realise what he could do. They had to be able to help somehow.
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Riku collapsed to a knee, hand clamped over the seal, vision swimming. Sasuke…Naruto…he had to do something. Everything was weird, part of him said get up and help Sasuke, they had to go, but a smaller part screamed that was wrong.
"Riku!"
He staggered to his feet, turning to see someone coming. Who? He drew a kunai, he would fight.
,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Sora skidded to a stop, raising his hands, seeing the strange flame marks spreading over Riku's visible skin…one eye changed to yellow with the white now dark. What was happening to him? He held a kunai, ready to fight, and Sora held his ground. He wasn't scared of Gaara at his worst, he wouldn't be scared of Riku either.
"It's okay Riku, it's me, Sora. I don't want to fight you, I just want to help, please."
"Sora?" Riku shook his head, his free hand pressing to his temple. "I…I have to go…"
"No Riku, please. It's the seal, you don't want to do what Orochimaru wants. You have to fight it," he kept his voice calm and level no matter how he wanted to scream. If Riku went to the snake, if Sasuke went…Gaara liked Naruto and the blond would be destroyed if his team abandoned him. "Just put the kunai down, please Riku."
Riku's hand was shaking around the weapon, his pupils dilating and then contracting. Sora didn't even flinch as a wave of demonic chakra washed over them, used to it from Gaara, but then there was something sinister…from Sasuke, and Sora watched in horror as he changed, strange appendages growing from his back. He looked back to Riku, seeing the marks spreading further, his other eye beginning to darken…in reaction to Sasuke's transformation or just the energy in the air?
"Riku look at me, focus on me," he took a step towards him, forcing himself to ignore the two fighting over the water.
Riku was panting for air, limbs trembling, he was still fighting. "Sss…ugh," he fell back to one knee, the kunai falling from his hand as he gripped his head.
Sora moved closer, taking his wrists in his hands, gently pushing them down, worried he'd hurt himself. "It's okay Riku, I'm here," he promised.
"H…help…me," Riku forced out, and Sora carefully drew him into a hug.
He pressed his hand over the Seal, he wasn't a Seal Master but he knew the basics, knew their Sensei had put another Seal over the sannin's but he could feel that something had interfered. He'd learnt to help Gaara, wished he had access to learn more, but he carefully began channelling chakra into the Seal Hatake had placed. "I'm here, I won't leave you Riku. Trust me," he whispered in his ear, feeling Riku shaking in his arms.
He would not let Orochimaru take Riku! He pushed more chakra into the Seal, willing it to work. Riku slowly raised his head, looking up at him, obviously not fully seeing him, but he didn't struggle. Sora watched as the darkness faded from one eye, revealing natural grey, some of the flame marks receding.
"Sora?" he sounded a bit more coherent now.
"I've got you," he promised and then followed his instincts, he leant in, sealing their lips together and it felt more right than anything ever had.
,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Sora…it was Sora, he'd come. And then warm, dry, lips were pressed to his, foreign chakra pressing into him and he surrendered. He managed to move, clinging to Sora as the chakra went from burning to comforting, his head clearing. His first kiss and he never wanted it to end but he could hear the sound of fighting, knew it was his team. He pulled back and reached up to trace Sora's face. "You saved me," he whispered.
"Riku," Sora looked utterly relieved.
Riku managed a small smile and then he was pushing to his feet, drawing Sora up with him. He looked at where Sasuke and Naruto were fighting, they were going to kill each other! He looked back down at Sora. "I have to stop them," he told him.
"We," Sora stated firmly. "I'll take Naruto, I can deal with that kind of chakra."
"You're sure?" he was doubting his skill as a ninja, but that chakra…
"Let's do this," Sora grinned at him, no doubt at all.
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Kakashi ran into the valley, unsure what he'd find, terrified, and he staggered to a stop, staring with a wide eye.
Riku was kneeling over Sasuke, pressing bandages to a wound, and a familiar Suna-nin was looking after Naruto, both boys unconscious. They wouldn't be trying to help them if they were dead.
He took a step and Riku's head snapped up, ready to fight, then grey eyes went wide and Kakashi barely braced himself before his son was slamming into him, hands clutching his vest.
"Dad…"
His eye went wide and he carefully wrapped an arm around Riku in response. "Are you hurt?"
He felt Riku shake his head against his chest. "Sora…Sora saved me. I couldn't fight it, I tried, I swear I did. But they shoved something in my mouth and then when they stuffed me in that barrel…I could feel it."
Kakashi closed his eyes. He'd almost lost his son to Orochimaru, had almost lost two thirds of his team to that monster. Riku had fought what was happening to him and somehow the young Suna-nin…Sora had helped him. As if knowing he was thinking of him, the teen glanced up, smiling softly at the sight of them before going back to tending to Naruto.
"I'm sorry Riku, I…I've failed you in so many ways," he whispered. He'd never wanted a child, had resented being pressured into it, hadn't been prepared to step back from Anbu to raise him. He'd barely seen Riku before he'd started the Academy, had been disappointed when he wasn't a prodigy but now he wondered if Riku had held back. "You are my son and I'll figure out how to do better. I'll re-open the Hatake compound if you want, we can live there together," he promised.
Then he panicked as Riku became deadweight against him. "Riku!" he called in alarm, carefully lowering him to the ground, Sora quickly beside them, sure hands checking for a pulse. He definitely knew how to keep a cool head under pressure.
"I think he's just exhausted. He took some injuries against Sasuke but nothing dangerous."
"He fought Sasuke?" Kakashi asked in concern. He listened as Sora reported everything that had happened after he had caught up to them, his siblings helping the other Konoha-nin with their fights against the Oto-nin. "Thank you." He'd saved his son twice now.
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
No one was aware of the green-eyed man watching, how he smiled when Sora and Riku kissed, solidifying the connection between their souls. Already, the Seal on Riku was beginning to weaken and so long as he remained close to Sora it would be gone in a few months.
It had not been part of the plan for Riku to be marked by that blasted snake but better him than say…Naruto. Once he had been marked, he'd hoped the Uchiha would be spared but sadly their interference hadn't been enough.
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
"Are you sure Sora?" Gaara asked his brother, the one person who had always stayed at his side.
"I…" Sora looked away. "Gaara I never want to leave you, you're my twin."
"But you love him," Gaara stated and Sora looked at him with wide eyes. "You should stay, he needs you now. You aren't abandoning me or the team, teams of four are rare. a new Kage will be named soon."
"I don't want it, beside my main element is water, not much use in the desert. Maybe I can pick up some more jutsu here, if the Hokage will agree to my staying."
"We can name you ambassador to Konoha," Gaara smiled slightly.
"Thank you," Sora whispered, opening his arms and Gaara stepped in, hugging his brother.
He was the only person who'd been able to touch him for years and he'd miss that, but things were better now with their older siblings than they'd ever been. For everything Sora had sacrificed for him over the years, how could he deny him this chance?
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Tsunade stared at the teenager, the twin of Suna's Jinchūriki, and apparently the reason young Riku had managed to fight off Orochimaru's influence. Now, he was asking permission to remain in Konoha, his siblings offering him as their Village's ambassador. No one in Suna would agree, the position of Kage in the Village was inherited which meant it would go to one of them so they had the authority. He had risked his life facing Orochimaru to save Team 7 before he ever knew them.
She had no reason to deny his appointment to the position, except his age and lack of experience. But she wanted a good relationship with Suna and if his presence could help Riku fight the cursed Seal…
"Welcome to Konoha, Ambassador."
He smiled at her. "Thank you Hokage-sama."
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Riku stretched as he woke, rolling to face his lover, finding Sora still deeply asleep. He was exhausted, pale, but healthy. Nearly losing his twin had been very hard on him but Gaara was alive, just without Shikaku. The last three years had been the best of his life, his Dad had really put in effort to be a father as well as his sensei and he had Sora. He was even free of Orochimaru, though no one could explain how. Within a few months of Sora moving into Konoha and their starting to date, it had faded away. He thought it was Sora somehow, or his influence on him, something, but no one would believe that so he kept quiet.
Sasuke had a harder time of it, struggling against the toxic influence. They'd both worked to help Naruto be less confrontational when trying to help Sasuke and it was helping. He wasn't surprised the two were now living together. Technically, Riku still lived in the Hatake compound but he spent most nights he was in the Village in the Ambassadorial compound and no one said a thing.
Sora slowly opened his eyes, smiling lazily before leaning in for a kiss.
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Sora slipped in behind, sword swinging fast, taking his opponent by surprise, taking the strange plant man's head off even as Sasuke set him on fire and then they moved on to the nutcase Tobi. Akatsuki had made their move towards Naruto, attacking Konoha itself and they would not let them win.
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
He watched as Konoha dealt with Akatsuki, Suna quickly coming to their aid. Things were not going to plan, hadn't for several years. The latest reincarnations had resisted all efforts to turn them against each other and were no in some kind of 'relationship'. He needed the Uchiha to leave Konoha, it was too dangerous to have him around the Uzumaki. Then again that brat would soon be dead, the Kyūbi torn from his body. He just might need to rework some things.
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Sasuke rushed to the battle ground, hesitating when he saw two bodies on the ground, no…. he forced himself to move, falling to his knees beside the battered and bloodied blond. "Naruto?" he shakily reached to touch his throat, searching for a pulse and for a heartbreaking eternity, there was nothing. Then…yes! He carefully lifted him and rushed back to the Village, passing Kakashi-sensei who moved to ensure Pein was really dead.
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Harry watched as most of Akatsuki was taken out, but not the main threat. Still, things were going far better than they would have. Sora and Riku had found each other early enough to cause some big changes. He didn't like that Orochimaru's Seal had taken to Riku, that shouldn't have happened….unless…Riku's soul would always align slightly more to Darkness due to the events of his mortal life, had that given the Seal a method to latch on? He'd need to check on that when they returned, shore up the protections on both to make sure nothing like it could happen again.
He watched as a teenager sacrificed parts of his own soul to stop a madman from taking a throne that didn't belong to him. what made him mad was how everyone abandoned the boy after, he was fifteen and they made him win their war…why was it always teenagers being forced to sacrifice to save the world? So when given the chance to regain his powers, of course the boy leapt at it, only to find it was all a lie.
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Kakashi stared at the unmasked body, unable to comprehend what he was seeing. It was impossible and yet lying drugged and restrained on the cot…was Obito.
"Dad?"
He glanced over at his son, relieved to see him back on his feet, jōnin vest in place and likely concealing the remaining bandages from where he'd been sheared by Samehada. Kisame had died at Sora's hands seconds later, the young Ambassador taking the legendary blade from him, mixing suiton and raiton together to fry him, he'd even smelled like over-cooked fish apparently.
"Is that who I think?" Riku asked, and Kakashi nodded.
"The medical records match," he admitted. "How's Sasuke?"
"Reeling, not that I blame him. Danzō's already been taken into custody. The Hokage is….not pleased." Understatement of the century likely. "Naruto's sticking by him, well, making him stay and look after him but he should be on his feet again in a few days."
"Right," he sighed and turned from the prisoner to leave the building with his son, heading home. "This had to be the worst timing ever."
Riku just shrugged. "Weddings can be rescheduled and taking down Akatsuki was worth having it delayed."
He was proud of his son, the first of his team to make jōnin at fifteen and in a committed relationship with their Ambassador from Suna who just happened to be the Kazekage's twin brother, tightening the ties between the Village even further. That was why Suna had been able to help so quickly, the Kazekage had already been on the way to attend their wedding. Sora was allowed to take missions with Konoha nin and had been promoted to jōnin himself only two months ago. Naruto and Sasuke spent a lot of time in Suna and with Gaara and Kakashi was not asking anything, he didn't really want to know. It was bad enough he'd nearly walked in on Riku and Sora once.
His whole team had become amazing, even if Sasuke still struggled to control the Seal. Anko had spent some time with him, giving him what help she could, but the Seal had changed some since she'd received hers. Still, Sasuke was a chūnin and would likely soon make jōnin, same with Naruto. He was the only one whose whole team had made at least chūnin and he was proud of that considering how doomed to failure everyone had thought his team was.
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Sora smiled as the ceremony finished, happily kissing his new husband. He met his siblings eyes once they parted, seeing how happy they were for him, the way Gaara's eyes would shift towards Naruto and Sasuke and wondered if Konoha would soon be sending two Ambassadors to Suna or an Ambassador and bodyguard.
He spotted Kakashi standing just behind Riku, wearing civilian clothes for once and his best mask, his eye soft as he watched his son. Their eyes met and Kakashi eye smiled at him. Sora knew that before being placed on Kakashi's team, their relationship had been almost non-existent and it had taken Orochimaru trying to steal Riku that had really kickstarted things. Sometimes he wondered if the mess with Orochimaru would have been the shock necessary for their own father to come around if he'd survived…but he doubted it.
The party that followed the ceremony seemed to involve half the Village and he loved it.
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Tsunade frowned as she listened to the report from Obito, he'd spent two years in T&I having them rip apart the delusions and brain washing he'd undergone. He'd never serve as a shinobi again but he was slowly being allowed back into the Village with ninety percent of his chakra sealed.
"So the plant guy Sasuke and I killed has another half that's still out there somewhere planning to use the bijū to lock the world in a genjutsu? And he's unkillable?" Hatake Sora asked calmly from where he was sitting, dressed in his Ambassadorial robes. He'd taken the Hatake name upon marrying Riku and with his Kage's blessing, tying him closer to Konoha as a member of one of their clans which had pleased the Council, though they had been a lot quieter since Danzō's execution.
Obito just nodded. Wonderful.
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
The planning took years, everyone with a knowledge of Seals working together to design something that would hold Zetsu forever. Getting the other Villages to help was easier when two more Jinchūriki were killed despite Akatsuki being gone. And then somehow, Uchiha Madara showed up…thanks to the Edo Tensei. Of course Zetsu was somehow working for him because their lives couldn't be easy.
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
"Riku!" Several voices screamed his name.
He tried to answer only to cough, tasting blood, feeling something warm splatter over his lips. He couldn't feel his legs, didn't feel it as he hit the ground, and then Sora was there, face pale and eyes wide.
"No, no…. MEDIC!" he screamed, hands pressing somewhere Riku couldn't feel. "You stay awake Riku, keep your eyes open," he begged.
He coughed more blood, struggling to speak, to move, anything. "Sss…"
"I'm here, I'm right here," Sora promised, even as a wall of water swirled around them. He'd copied his brother's ability to make a shield of sand, just using water, a while back.
He blinked and a familiar blond was kneeling beside Sora, her hands glowing green, face locked in a frown of concentration. Ino…
"Riku can you hear me?" she asked, and he blinked twice. "Sorry," she murmured, pulling his mask down, revealing the blood likely coating his face
"Sora! Naruto needs you on the Seal!" that was Sasuke, sounding angry and half panicked.
Sora shook his head, his hand out of sight and Riku knew he was holding his hand even if he couldn't feel it. Tired, he was so tired… and he knew… he forced his jaw to move. 'Go,' he mouthed, and Sora shook his head, tears in his eyes. 'Love…go…'
Sora leant in and then warm lips were pressed to his, at least he could still feel that. "I love you; you hang on. We'll get you to Tsunade," he promised before reluctantly leaving, the water remaining protectively around Riku and Ino.
His vision was fading in and out and he felt so cold. He could vaguely feel Ino's chakra moving inside him, trying to repair the damage. He doubted even Tsunade could save him now…just a little longer…had to know Sora was safe…his Dad…
He vaguely heard cheering and then the water was gone. He could dimly make out Sora and his Dad, his teammates.
"Riku," his Dad called his name, hand hovering over him, looking at Ino who slowly removed her hands, shaking her head.
,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Naruto formed a bunch of clones, sending them running to find Baachan, she could heal Riku, she could! He felt Sasuke wrap an arm around him, wishing Gaara was there but he was somewhere else, dealing with a reanimated Uchiha Madara.
Riku…Riku was more than a comrade, he was family. He'd always been pale and now he was even more so, blood coating his chin, eyes glassy but still open and blinking slowly, he was obviously fighting to hold on.
He felt a clone dispel. "Baachan's coming," he told the group.
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Tsunade didn't need to run any scans to know the truth but she still knelt at Riku's side, her hands glowing. The damage…his internal organs had been shredded and she didn't know how he was still alive. His spine had been severed so at least he couldn't feel any pain. And…she could tell he knew he was dying. Still, she could buy him a little more time for goodbyes, bolster him a bit, but it was his choice to accept the help…and he did.
Grey eyes focused more, Riku coughing to clear his throat, licking his lips. "Da…"
"I'm here Riku," Kakashi answered, reaching out to gently stroke the hair back from his sons' face.
"I can get him and you back to Konoha," Obito murmured. They'd unsealed him when they realised they'd need his help and he'd agreed to fight for them.
"It won't make any difference," she answered just as softly. "There's nothing left to fix."
The Uchiha grimaced. "My organs were badly damaged, could the cells used to heal me save him?"
"Damaged, not destroyed." She wished it would help but he wouldn't last long enough for it to make any difference.
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Sora moved to sit and Kakashi ever so gently moved Riku's broken body so that he was resting in Sora's arms. "I've got you Riku, we're all here. We did it, Zetsu's sealed for good."
Riku stared up at him, whatever the Hokage had done had obviously given him a little more strength but it was fading. "D't..wa't…go…"
Sora bit back a sob. "I know," he whispered, hearing a sob from Naruto. "I love you Riku, I will always love you," he swore.
"Sss'ra…l'v….Da…" Riku struggled more to speak.
Kakashi moved in, stroking Riku's cheek. "It's alright Riku. You…you can let go," he choked out.
Sora wanted to say no, for him to hold on, but he seen the look on Tsunade's face, there was nothing anyone could do.
"Kakashi-sensei's right Riku," Sasuke spoke up, kneeling so his teammate could see him. "It's alright, you kept us safe. You can sleep now."
Riku's gaze moved across those gathered and then back up to Sora.
He managed a watery smile and then leant down to kiss him goodbye, ignoring the taste of blood. "I'll see you again," he promised. He would see him in the Pure Lands one day and then no one would part them.
Riku's lips twitched slightly, his gaze becoming distant.
Tsunade reached in and then sighed. "He's gone."
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Harry rested a hand on Riku's shoulder, seeing his confusion and fear. "It's alright Riku, you're home, you're safe."
Riku blinked, recognition seeping in and then he was in Harry's arms, holding on desperately. He then pulled back; eyes wide in horror. "Sora," he choked.
Harry turned him to see the image of Sora with Riku's body in his arms, everyone gathered around. Knowing Sora's true appearance, he wasn't sure the auburn hair suited him, but at least he'd kept his blue eyes. "Will he be okay?"
"He'll be home soon, without you…"
Riku nodded, because of the soul mate bond, Sora would be driven mad if he lived too much longer. "He won't….suicide?"
"Maybe, but we'll both be here for him when he wakes," Harry promised him gently.
Riku relaxed in his arms, watching sadly as Sora returned with his body to the Village and arranged the funeral with Kakashi's help. That was the man he'd spent a lifetime calling Dad and he felt so bad for leaving him, parents weren't meant to outlive their children, and soon he'd lose Sora too. If only he'd turned a little faster, had gotten his sword up to block…then again with the amount of damage done, even that might not have been enough. He knew he could ask Harry exactly what had happened since he'd gone numb immediately and hadn't seen anything, but did he really want to know?
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Sora shook his head, pushing the ghostly image of a bloody Riku from his mind. "What?"
Gaara was frowning at him in concern. "Sora?" he reached to take his hand. "I'm worried about you, we all are."
"I'm fine," he smiled at his twin. He was, he had to be, it had already been six months. The Villages were at peace and everything was fine. He blinked as Riku appeared again, reaching for him, pleading for help.
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
"Hey! Look out!"
Sasuke heard the panicked voice and leapt to the roof, dashing towards the yell as he heard a crash, seeing several other shinobi change direction to check what had happened. he dropped to the street to find a group of panicked construction workers.
One looked up at him. "He just kept walking!"
Sasuke saw the rubble and realised someone was under it. He moved in, creating clones to help, working to shift the rubble, everyone pitching in. A hand became visible and Sasuke reached to check for a pulse, finding nothing, and then his eyes widened in horror as he took in the familiar ring. "No…."
"Uchiha-sama?"
"Sora," he whispered.
Two days later, Sora was buried beside his husband in the Hatake family cemetery. They had offered to send his body back to Suna but Gaara had told them to bury him with Riku, that he had become as much a part of their Village as he was Suna.
Kakashi retired a month later and a week after that what was left of Team 7 moved to Suna.
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Sora clung desperately to Riku as his memories returned. He'd never had to see Riku killed before, of that he was sure. His death in the Nexus didn't count, that had been painless and to save him from insanity. He looked over at Harry who quickly joined the hug.
"You're home and safe Sora."
"I love you both so much," he swore, holding on tight to both of them. At least now he knew why he'd been hallucinating; he'd been literally losing his sanity as his soul was drawn to Riku in the Nexus.
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Xehanort stared at Death, seeing the two boys beside him, recognising the two children who had ruined his plans…and yet had also shown him that he was wrong. He had passed the χ-blade to Sora for a reason after all. And now the boys stared at him with no recognition, their memories of those lives gone. He was ready to face his fate, Oblivion, or the Afterlife.
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Once again, Harry allowed the souls of their family and friends to see them before they passed to the Afterlife. The first was Hatake Kakashi, Riku's Father, and he hated having to tell the man that his son no longer knew him, it was always harder to tell family that. He looked devastated as he watched his son and son-in-law as they sprawled together on the couch watching a movie, Riku's fingers absently moving through Sora's now black hair.
"His eyes…"
"They became grey in your world because of your genetics. He became your son and he loved you. He didn't know the truth of his existence then. Riku…isn't really all that different to your son. Neither is Sora," Harry assured him. "They wanted you to know they loved you, that you were a good Father and Father-in-law. Riku hated that you had to watch him die like that. Sora…his death was a kindness, soulmates don't last long once one dies, they go insane. He was on the way to losing his mind when he walked under that load and part of him recognised it enough to not dodge."
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
"I'll never see them again, will I?" Kakashi asked sadly. He'd missed them so much, had consoled himself with the belief of forever with them, with his family. Knowing Riku had lived before well, reincarnation existed, that didn't mean he wasn't his son. He watched them, so content together, and he was happy for them. "They'll be together and safe forever?"
"Every now and then they'll get sent out like they were to your world, but even then they'll always be drawn together. Then they die and come home and with time forget those lives. They know they've lived mortal lives; they remember anything they learn here and if they ask, I answer truthfully."
"If they ever ask…tell them I loved them both and I'm glad they're together." He knew it was time for him to go. Death nodded and the place began fading but at the last second Riku turned his head and their eyes met, his son staring at him, searching for something. And then he was gone.
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Riku saw the soul fade, surprised by his appearance and how alike they looked but that wasn't possible, he'd been dead far too long for him to have surviving family that he'd know. He could have some from their mission but the odds they'd look so much alike his real form? It was silly. Harry just probably needed to speak to the guy about something before sending him on. So he turned his attention back to the movie, blinking away the sudden moisture in his eyes.
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Naruto was the last to pass through the Nexus, he outdid even the Sandaime when it came to age, helped along by Kurama's healing abilities. He was glad when it happened, he missed Sasuke and Gaara, missed Riku, Sora, Kakashi-sensei, Ero-Sennin, Iruka-sensei….so many people.
He appeared in the large throne room only to stare at his old teammate…except his eyes were a different colour and his hair longer, beside him was his husband…but with black hair? "Riku? Sora?" he asked, happy to see them.
"Um, hi?" Sora offered and it hit Naruto, there was no recognition from either of them.
Another man appeared, looking sheepish. "Sorry," he winced and then sighed. "Sora, Riku, this is Naruto, you knew him very well."
"You don't remember me?" he asked, hurt. Did that mean no one remembered him? would he forget everyone too?
"I'm sorry," Riku told him. "We don't remember the lives we live when sent to intervene in the mortal world."
Wait…what?! Did that mean...were they? "Are you…Shinigami?"
"No, the Shinigami rank a lot lower than them," the stranger chuckled. "They are my Hands."
"And you are…?" though he had a feeling he knew.
"Death." The man bowed slightly.
"So the Riku and Sora I knew…"
"Were very real, they remembered nothing of who they were. They were born and grew up like any other mortal. And they aren't very different to those you knew."
"Oh," he looked at them and they let him, they were holding hands which was good, he was glad they were together. "I've missed you a lot. You're…you're happy?" he asked, and they nodded.
"We are," Riku told him.
"Will I forget you?"
"No, only those you remain in between forget. You're going to the Afterlife to be with those already passed on. I happen to know there are several people waiting impatiently to see you again," Death promised.
Naruto nodded and then lunged in to hug the startled teens. "Thank you for being my family and team," he whispered, smiling when he felt them hug him back uncertainly.
"Your welcome," Sora smiled at him. "Be happy."
Naruto stepped back and nodded.
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Sora stared at Harry. "This is the second time there was an oops, first Kairi and now him?"
"She was a Princess of Heart and he was the longest lived Jinchūriki, special cases. And his soul slipped by too fast."
"We were family?" Riku asked.
"You, Naruto, and a boy named Sasuke were on a team together. Riku's father was your team leader and teacher and…he left a message with me if you asked, he wanted you both to know he loved you and is happy you're together. Naruto and Sasuke were both orphans, you became as close as brothers. Sasuke, Naruto, and Sora's twin brother Gaara became a lot closer than that. The two of you were married first though."
"Oh."
"That was the Elemental nations huh?" Sora asked, and Harry nodded.
"You helped bring the first lasting peace they've ever known," Harry grinned proudly at them.
TBC…
Okay so this was getting too long, so I've split part 3 into 2 parts itself.
And the world Harry peeked at was Bleach when Ichigo beat Aizen.
