Legend to text:

"Normal Speech"

'Thoughts'

Tailed Beast Speech

Chapter 1: Something Ends

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(3 years after the Fourth Great Ninja War)

Naruto limped over to the edge of his father's stone head, looking out over the ruins of Konoha. There wasn't a single building left standing, Sasuke had made sure of that. His exhausted eyes rolled over the dilapidated ruins before coming to rest on a large crater just to his right on the cliff, the resting place of his "best friend". He cursed how naive he had been, to believe that Sasuke could change. What was left of him was spread throughout the crater, disintegrated in a mess of blood and bone. His gaze then shifted to the love of his life lying beside the crater, Temari Uzumaki. Sasuke had taken everything from him, his loathing for the last Uchiha only grew the more he thought about it. But he had bigger problems, he had reached his limit and the dull pain was returning. His prosthetic right arm was completely severed and the old wound where the prosthesis bonded had reopened, he was bleeding steadily and if it didn't stop soon, he knew he would die. Not that he cared, he had nothing left to live for. As he turned back toward the village for what he thought would be the last time, his life flashed before his eyes.

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10 years ago, On the Roof of the Konoha Academy

"My name is Naruto Uzumaki, I like ramen. I dislike the three minutes it takes for ramen to cook. My hobbies include collecting different types of ramen and my dream is to become the strongest Hokage ever!"

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Almost 9 years ago.

It was 7am on a Thursday and Naruto Uzumaki had just woken up in the hospital, he had been there for an entire week and he had slept through it without so much as a murmur. But today he was up and that was reason enough to leave, he despised the hospital. He was preparing to go out the window when he hesitated at the sound of footsteps coming down the hall.

Naruto frowned in disappointment, 'Damn, Tsunade is here earlier than usual or the nurses started rounds early'. He hoped it was the latter given that Tsunade's doctoral visits were never pleasant, whether it was an exam, shots, or a lecture he usually got hit at least once for something he either said or did. He quickly climbed back into the bed to pretend to be asleep while cracking an eye slightly, regardless of who it was he didn't want to be awkwardly staring when they entered.

But when the door slid open, he was surprised. Rather than the usual suspects it was a young kunoichi that he immediately recognized with her signature four ponytails and teal eyes. She was wearing a purple blouse under a gray top, a dark blue skirt that reached her mid-thigh and she had a red sash tied around her waist that trailed behind her. It was Gaara's sister, Temari No Sabaku and Naruto had no idea why she was here. Since he appeared to be asleep, she slowly crossed the room and sat in the chair next to Naruto's bed, lost in her thoughts as she gazed out the window. Realizing that he wasn't going to be able to sneak out, Naruto slowly opened his eyes and yawned.

"Good morning"

Temari smiled at his greeting and slowly turned to gaze at the blue-eyed boy. "Good morning to you as well, Uzumaki-san. How are you feeling?"

Naruto slowly stretched to test his body. " My shoulder is still pretty sore but other than that I feel pretty good but what brings you here Temari-san? I was expecting either a nurse or Baa-chan. And please, just Naruto is fine, you're making me feel old.

Temari smirked at his nonchalant nickname for the most powerful woman in the world and the second most powerful person in the Land of Fire, but given her knowledge of the blonde knucklehead she wasn't surprised. He was not one for formalities, which she appreciated.

"Well please just call me Temari then, I'm here because I never got the chance to thank you for what you did for my brother and I was in the area today so I thought I'd stop by."

This was only partially true, she had actually been waiting for him to wake up after he was brought back half dead after the Sasuke recovery mission, but she wasn't going to tell him that. She didn't want to make a bad impression on the boy that had changed her and everyone's lives in Suna so much.

Naruto scratched the back of his and grinned. "Oh, it was nothing but I'm glad I got through to him in the end. How has he been doing?"

Temari paused as she thought about the past 6 months. "Well, since we got back, he's been doing better, he hasn't killed anyone. Well, anyone that didn't deserve it anyway, my point is that he's made a lot of progress and it's all thanks to you. You did something great for Suna, Naruto, I mean it. "

She didn't think it was possible but Naruto's grin became even bigger. It made something inside her tingle a bit as her own smile grew in turn.

"So, Naruto ", Temari said as she broke eye contact and fixed a wrinkle at the bottom of her blouse. She didn't want him to see her blush, blushing was for girls and Temari considered herself to be a mature young woman. She returned her gaze to him after a moment with a soft smile. "While you were resting, I was appointed as the Suna representative to Konoha, so I will be living here from now on and I wanted to know if you could show me around and if we could get lunch. Maybe, this weekend perhaps?"

Unfortunately, Naruto was oblivious to the implications of her request.

"Sure I can do that, but wouldn't you rather someone like Shika…."

Before he could finish, Temari rose from her chair in an instant and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt pulling him close, their noses maybe an inch or two from touching. She had a stern look on her face, one that reminded him of Sakura just before she hit him. He braced for the worst, but to his surprise the hit never came. Temari decided to use her voice instead, but it delivered something far heavier than a punch.

"Look Naruto, I'm trying to ask you out on a date and you are making this very difficult for me. Now you and I are going to have a nice lunch this Saturday and then you are going to show me around the village and if you are lucky, you're going to take me to an even nicer dinner after. Is that clear?"

Naruto turned completely red and nodded, he couldn't find any words. The fact that any girl wanted to go out on a date with him was the craziest thing he had ever heard and he had seen some crazy shit in his short life. Her brother's giant sand demon transformation being one of them.

Feeling satisfied, Temari shoved him back into the bed. She mumbled the word "baka" as she turned and pulled out a piece of paper with her hotel's address and room number. She placed it on the bedside table and motioned to leave, but as she reached the door she stopped and glanced back at the tomato-colored boy with a sweet but somewhat dangerous smile.

"Be there at 12 and wear something nice, you are going to be escorting a foreign diplomat after all. Otherwise, you'll meet the hard side of my fan and you will still have to take me out after. Goodbye Naruto."

As she disappeared into the hall Naruto continued to sit there, still processing the strange conversation he just had with the sand princess. However, it only took a moment for reality to come crashing down like ice cold water on his back.

"I HAVE A DATE TO PLAN!"

With that, he quickly changed and darted out of the hospital window in a blur of blonde and orange.

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That next Saturday at 11:58 am, about two blocks away from Temari's hotel. A certain blonde boy nervously approached as he coached himself in his head. 'Alright it's just a date relax, just don't say anything stupid, if you can master the Rasengan in a week you can show Temari one good day.'

He realized he was going to be slightly late; he just hoped the reason was decent enough as he glanced down at his new clothes. He shrugged to himself. 'Eh, it should be fine.' Based on what he'd seen and heard from Jiraiya, women operated on their own idea of time and he doubted Temari to be any different.

Meanwhile, in the hotel, Temari was busy scolding herself as tied her hair hurriedly. 'Of course, I tell him to be here at 12 and I'm not going to be ready, nice going Temari!'

She had wanted to put her hair into a nice bun but she was running late so her four ponytails would have to do. She just hoped that her date wouldn't mind. She smiled to herself as she thought about the situation, she found herself in. 'I'm going on a date with Naruto of all people, I must be losing my mind.'

She then glanced at her choice of outfits for their outing, in truth, she really didn't really pack a lot of clothes that weren't for work or training so her only options were her purple battle kimono that she wore for the chunin exams, a purple yukata for outside semi-formal events, and a formal kimono for higher profile diplomatic events. As her fingers grazed the fabric of her yukata, she began to wonder what her date would be wearing, this was much more interesting given his taste in colors or rather just one color in particular. She let out an exasperated sigh as she turned back to the mirror. 'He's probably gonna wear that damn jumpsuit, ugh, purple battle kimono it is.'

After begrudgingly changing she then glanced at the clock, a nerve ticking on her head as she read the time. '12:05! He's late!' But just as she was about to track the boy down, she heard a knock at the door. She practically flew to it and pulled it open with enough force to stress the hinges, however upon seeing who it was or rather what he was wearing, she hesitated and turned a slide shade of red. Standing in front of her was a Naruto who wasn't bathed in orange and he wasn't wearing a jumpsuit either. Instead, he was wearing a navy-blue Yukata with black sandals. He had Iruka buy it for him after he explained his predicament as he wasn't allowed in such a nice store due to his standing as the village jinchuriki.

'Kami, who would have thought he'd be so handsome when he tries but dammit now I have to change!'

"Uh, are you alright Temari?" Was all it took to break her out of her stupor. She quickly smiled and moved back to allow him in. "I'm alright Naruto, I just got lost in thought, please come in. I just need a few minutes to finish getting ready and then we can leave."

As he walked in and looked around, she quickly went back into her bedroom to change. He was surprised by how big her suite was, having lived in his tiny apartment for as long as he could remember. The hotel decor was pretty generic with the only unusual thing being her trademark battle fan on the kitchen table. But just before he could touch it, Temari returned from the bedroom behind him.

"Already getting familiar with my fan? Don't worry I'm not bringing it tonight; you're doing pretty good so far."

"Actually, I'm really interested in how you…." he didn't finish his sentence as he turned to look at the young woman.

This was the first time he really got a good look at her in anything that wasn't battle gear. She was wearing a purple knee length yukata with her trademark red obi that trailed just behind her. It was modest but to say she was attractive in it was an understatement, especially with her shoulder length sandy blonde hair down framing her face. Later in life he would say this was the moment he first felt physical attraction to the opposite sex.

Temari meanwhile, was feeling slightly self-conscious. She was expecting him to say that he didn't like what she was wearing, that it was too conservative. The last boy she went on a date with was missing some teeth from the punch she threw after that snide comment.

"You are so beautiful"

She blushed at his comment and decided to do a little spin to show him the back, smiling sweetly and almost devilishly at the same time as she finished. "I'm glad you like it Naruto, but I'm hungry and we are running late. Unless you want me to change my mind about the fan, let's get the hell out of here."

It only took a nod for her to take his hand and drag him out the door.

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Later that Night.

"Well Naruto I must say this date exceeded my expectations." Temari said with a smile as they approached her hotel, walking closely along the path.

"Well, I tried my best, to be honest I had no idea what you wanted to do or eat. I was kinda winging it."

She gave him a mock glare but Naruto couldn't tell. "Oh, come on Temari-chan you know I didn't mean it like that. We hadn't ever really talked before until today, now that I know you a little better, I can plan something you'd really like."

Temari continued to be silent, making Naruto think he made his mistake even worse by adding the honorific to her name. It was a habit and Sakura never liked it either. He was preparing to apologize but her big smile interrupted him.

"Temari-chan? I like it, and I look forward to our next date then, Naruto-kun."

Naruto scratched the back of his head and gave his own smile in return. 'She isn't mad after all'

They kept walking and before they knew it, they had reached the hotel. Temari turned toward Naruto with a soft smile, it was giving him goosebumps.

"Thank you for taking me out Naruto-kun, I really had a great time tonight."

"Well, I'm glad Temari-chan, I hope we can do it again soon"

Awkward silence fell as both of them waited on the other to make the first move.

'Ah, the hell with it'. In an act of bravery that surprised both of them, Temari pulled him into an embrace before giving him a quick peck on the lips. She couldn't help but laugh at the bright red expression that Naruto had on his face.

"Haha, I expect you to take the initiative next time. Alright?"

Naruto nodded as a little bit of blood trickled out of his nose. She patted his cheek and smiled.

"Good boy, now I'm going to my room. Goodnight".

She then walked into her hotel with Naruto still frozen in the street, he had been kissed and hugged by a beautiful girl for the first time. This had been one of the strangest but best nights of his life.

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4 Years later, just outside of Konoha

Naruto was sitting in his tent meditating to enter sage mode. When he was like this it improved his sensory capabilities, reactions, his chakra-based techniques, physical strength, and it also had the side effect of calming him down when he was stressed. He knew he would be needing all of these things in a moment if he wanted to survive the massive amount of killing intent that was stomping towards his tent. He knew who it was and she had every right to be furious with him. She had only found out about the battle after the fact via messenger bird and probably heard how reckless he was. He winced when he heard the tent flap swing violently. He felt the air moving and his body reacted, his hand reaching out to catch the metal fan with a loud thunk. His orange frog-like eyes opened and he looked up to see furious teal ones bearing down on him like knives, full of tears and rage. Despite this however, he spoke softly.

"Temari-chan please...".

"DON'T FUCKING START!" She hissed as she pulled back and swung it a second time, again making contact with Naruto's hand. Despite the pain Naruto's demeanor didn't change in the slightest.

"I know you are angry and you have every right to be, but please, put the fan down and talk to me."

Naruto had many fine qualities, but eloquence with words was not one of them. His choice of words was so bad that Temari dropped her fan mid-swing and stared at him with an incredulous glare.

"Talk!?"

"TALK!?

YOU HAVE SOME FUCKING NERVE TO SAY THAT AFTER WHAT YOU HAVE DONE NARUTO UZUMAKI! WHY THE HELL DIDN'T YOU TELL ME?! YOU KNEW THAT THE AKATSUKI WERE COMING AND SAID NOTHING TO ME!

"Temari-chan please calm...",

SLAP!

Naruto sensed it before she even raised her hand but he didn't react, he thought he deserved that one at least.

"ANSWER THE QUESTION NOW AND DON'T GIVE ME ANY BULLSHIT EXCUSES!"

"I made a mistake; I should have told you and I'm sorry. But you have to understand."

"NO..."

"NO, YOU LISTEN TEMARI!" Shouted Naruto as he rose from his seat.

"DO YOU THINK I PLANNED ANY OF THIS?"

"THAT I WANTED JIRAIYA, MY GODFATHER AND THE LAST LIVING REMINDER OF MY FAMILY TO DIE?!"

"THAT I WANTED ME HOME REDUCED TO A CRATER?"

"THAT I WANTED TO HAVE A DEMON SEALED INSIDE ME AND TO HAVE A TARGET ON MY BACK WHEREVER I GO!"

By the time he finished it wasn't just Naruto speaking, someone else was also present. His eyes had turned from orange to red and his pupils became slits, it was unnerving but Temari didn't outwardly react. Naruto turned his face away from her as he tried to reign in the foxes' influence. His voice was low and somber.

"I didn't ask for any of this. The only thing I can do is fight back, and I don't need you judging me for trying to keep the only person I have left safe."

Temari sighed, this conversation was becoming increasingly common between the two of them and despite the circumstances she was not going to budge on the issue either, she was too hard headed.

"Naruto, I don't know how many times I'm going to have to say this but I'm not a helpless child. I am a tessenjutsu master and a Jounin, and regardless of that Suna could have done something. There was no reason to keep us in the dark, we could have helped."

Naruto's face was like stone as he stared off toward the entrance to his tent. He didn't disagree with Temari's assessment for an ordinary battle, she was a very powerful Shinobi and Suna was far from weak militarily. However, his fight with the Rinnegan bearer was anything but ordinary. He wasn't going to sugarcoat the truth, not this time.

"Temari, I was the only one that could have stood against him, you or anyone else would simply would have only gotten in my way."

Temari gave a scornful expression almost immediately but Naruto didn't let her get a word in.

"You don't understand how powerful the man who attacked the village was Temari, have you seen the crater that used to be Konoha? My new senjutsu abilities weren't enough either, I had to release 8 tails to defeat him and I almost lost myself doing it."

Temari's face quickly went from anger to fear as she hugged him tightly. In truth, the mission report sent to Suna was extremely vague, the only thing she did know is that Naruto won. She knew that Naruto hadn't called on the power of the fox since the Tenchi bridge mission and he only released 4 tails that time, she shuddered at the thought of him unleashing that much power and the cost it could have had. In that moment all the anger that she had was completely washed away, replaced with love and guilt.

"Naruto, just promise me that you won't ever hide something like this again, I don't want to hear from a messenger bird that you got into a huge battle. You owe me that much at least. You say you love me and that you trust me but you hide the truth when it's convenient."

"I am really sorry Temari and I promise that I will not hide the truth again. I do love you and trust you, but I knew that you wouldn't have been able to stay away and I couldn't risk you being here."

Her only response was to cling tighter but he didn't mind. They stood there for a while in silence just comforting one another until Temari peeked her face out from his shoulder.

"You're right, you know."

"Hm?" Naruto Grunted as he brushed her hair tenderly. She pulled back off his chest to look him in the eyes.

"I wouldn't have been able to stay away."

"I know, Temari-chan I know."

"So, what now?"

Naruto let out a drawn-out sigh, she knew that meant he had orders.

"Well, I talked with Baa-chan and she is sending me on a long-term training trip to the Land of Lightning."

Temari's face curled into a pout and Naruto couldn't help but chuckle.

"What's so funny, baka?"

"Well, Temari-chan, You and I are going to be over there for a couple of months. It was my only condition so Baa-Chan agreed and I don't care what Gaara says either, you are coming with me. I hope you brought enough supplies, otherwise we will have to stop in one of the towns along the way to the coast."

Temari practically squealed in excitement. "Really, I can go with you!?"

Naruto only nodded as he attempted to shush her. What he didn't expect was for her to pull his lips to hers for a very passionate kiss. When they separated, she had a small smile on her face. She knew the trip wouldn't be all fun but she would make the most of it.

"So, when are we leaving?"

Naruto's face twisted in thought as he tried to remember. "Uh in a week or so, all the details haven't been worked out, but you will be staying here with me until we leave. The hotel is demolished and I'm not taking no for an answer."

Temari looked up at him with a smirk. "I wouldn't have it any other way. I love you Naruto-kun, but no more secrets? You do something like this again and I'm going to bring Gaara with me next time, and you don't want to see some of the new "creative" torture methods he has come up with using his sand. And that's after I pound you into the ground. Understand?"

Naruto gulped; he had heard about these "creative" methods from Kankuro on his last trip to Suna. It was the stuff of nightmares; sand wasn't meant to go in the places that Gaara was said to put it. "I love you too Temari-chan and I promise that I won't keep anything from you but you have to promise that you won't be reckless if I do."

"I promise" were the only words that escaped her lips before she pulled Naruto's lips back to hers. As their tongues fought for dominance, Temari slowly led Naruto to the makeshift bed and without a second thought shoved him onto it. Naruto looked back up to see lust in her eyes as she pulled out her hair ties and undid the red obi on her kimono, letting it fall to the ground around her. Between his missions and her diplomatic responsibilities, they hadn't seen each other for close to 4 months. He figured she'd want to get "reacquainted"; he just wasn't expecting it so soon. She continued to loom over him, teasing him with her words.

"You know I really missed you Naruto-kun, I hope you didn't let all the new Naruto "groupies" do anything to you while I wasn't here." She said with a seductive tone as she straddled him, the only thing separating her skin from his being something rather small and thin. She leaned down and buried her face in his neck, whispering between kisses. "Huh Naruto-kun? Were you a good boy while I was away?" She moaned softly into him as she felt his lower regions stir.

"Of course, Temari-Chan, I only want you. I could care less about the "groupies".

His hands were now on her almost naked body, her soft moans becoming louder as he fondled her. She missed his touch, and it wasn't until now that she truly realized how long it had been since she felt it. She was so entranced that she didn't even realize that she was now completely exposed. She wasn't going to let him be the only one clothed though. She giggled and unzipped his jacket before pressing herself onto him as she whispered in his ear. "I suppose I should reward you, would you like that Naruto-kun?"

"Please" was the last word that was said in Naruto's tent that night. Any other sounds were either moans or laughs as they enjoyed each other's company the entire night.

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3 years later, 8 months before the present.

Naruto and Temari were standing at the top of the Hokage tower looking down at the cheering citizens of Konoha and the guests from Suna. It was early in the evening and they were both dressed formally, Temari in a beautiful long white kimono with red detailing and Naruto in a black was not tradition to see the Hokage in black for an inauguration. However, this was more than that, it was also the day that two Villages became united by matrimony.

"Well Naruto-kun, how does it feel? Or should I call you Hokage-sama now?" Temari snickered as she looked down at the crowds.

Naruto rolled his eyes but smiled warmly. "Please, it's just a title. I like the sound of husband a lot more than Hokage-sama anyway."

Temari turned to her husband with a somewhat sarcastic smile "Oh? After everything you have done? All the screaming and shouting about becoming the Hokage, and now you couldn't care less?" I'm a little disappointed Naruto-kun, if you didn't care then we could have run away and eloped long ago."

His gaze slowly rolled to her, his infectious smile making her sarcastic smile dissolve into a sweet one.

"It's still very important to me, but it got pushed back when I fell in love with you Temari-Chan. You are the most important thing in my life and having a family was always my ultimate dream, everything else comes second." He said before turning back to the village, lost in the surrealness of this moment. Everything in his life had led to this and if he could've helped it, it would've never ended.

Temari broke him out of his thoughts with a slight tug at his sleeve, she had a sultry grin on her face that he recognized immediately, although he pretended not to notice, it was more fun this way. In response, she tried even harder, pulling him close to whisper in his ear. "I know you are ignoring me but we have a lot of work to do if you want to start a family, why don't we go inside your new office to start "exploring our options". Wouldn't that be nice Hokage-sama?"

Naruto smiled and pulled her into a deep kiss, causing the crowds below to cheer even louder.

He whispered back, "I just wanted to hear you say it, Hime."

He then turned around and began to walk down off the rooftop toward his new office with his wife in tow. He waved over Shikamaru, his chief advisor. "Can you let everyone know that my wife and I are going to be late to tonight's reception and can you lock down my level of the tower till then? I have some business that I need to attend to and I don't want to be interrupted."

Shikamaru uttered only one word and shook his head, causing Naruto to laugh and Temari to look away in embarrassment.

"Troublesome."

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8 months later (1 week before the present)

Naruto was standing on the balcony of the tower looking out over Konoha. He had already given everyone their orders and they had just left, the only exception being his wife. He had saved her mission objective for last; he knew it would be the most difficult to explain. He could already feel her searing gaze burning a hole in the back of his head.

"Sasuke and I have things to settle and he has gathered a sizable invasion force of zealots and mercenaries. Regardless, you will not be here to see it. Your objective is to lead the civilians out of the village tonight, you will not participate in the battle when he arrives."

"So, you want me to standby and do nothing while you and our friends risk their lives!? We've talked about this before and I'm sick of it! I'm not some delicate thing that needs your or anyone else's protection, I don't see you forbidding any other Jounin and I want to fight for my home like everyone else!"

"It is not a request Temari Uzumaki, it is an order from your Hokage. You are too valuable a target and your capture or death could affect the outcome of the battle by morale alone. You will not be here when the fighting starts, you will lead the civilians to safety and then standby for more orders when they are available. This decision is final."

Temari crossed her arms and looked down in disgust, nothing made her more angry then when Naruto used his authority to overrule her but there was nothing she could say. She was his wife but also his subordinate in the Shinobi hierarchy, she knew that in situations like this whatever he said was law even if she hated it.

Naruto sighed as he continued to look at the village. He honestly didn't know if he would see her again, and he didn't want this to be her last memory of him. He turned and slowly approached her but she would not meet his gaze. His eyes fell to the floor as well and his words were stuck in his throat.

"Temari, I…" .

"Naruto, look, everything will be fine, we will get through this and then we will have the rest of our lives together alright. I don't like this at all, but your argument makes sense and if you think that this is best then I will lead the evacuation force."

"Give me your word Temari-Chan."

"I swear I will stay away and protect the civilians." she said loudly, looking up at him.

"I love you Temari-Chan."

She leaned up and kissed him deeply.

"I love you to Naruto-kun, be safe, and don't do anything stupid."

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1 hour before present time.

The battle was not going well. Despite Narutos best efforts Sasuke barely had a scratch on him, he had underestimated Sasuke's mastery of the Rinnegan and now the Uchiha had the upper hand. However, he knew what Sasuke had in mind and he already had a plan to counter it, he could feel Sasuke's chakra as it was being drawn into his hand and in response, he began to form his own signature technique. Sasuke wouldn't think that Naruto would sacrifice himself, he was to conceited to even conceive the idea of self-sacrifice. Naruto was going to draw him in and then once they made contact he overcharge his Rasengan to create a massive unstable rasenshuriken that would engulf them both, bringing an end to the battle at the cost of their lives. As their attacks reached their peak power, they both took off toward one another as blurs, one with a Rasengan, the other, a Chidori. As they closed, Naruto thought about his promise to Temari and how couldn't keep it, but he steeled himself.

'At least she will be alive. She might never forgive me but that is enough.'

Their attacks made contact with a loud crack that reverberated throughout the village, shattering glass and toppling the ruined buildings. The resulting clash created something that looked like the eye of a hurricane, with lighting and wind shooting off in all directions as neither gave ground. It was at this moment that Naruto heard someone cast a jutsu, it was the last voice he wanted to hear.

"Wind style:Great Task of the Dragon!" Temari shouted as a tornado left the edge of her fan, barreling down on the eye of the storm. She broke her promise to him, but she couldn't just let him risk his life alone. She was trying to magnify Naruto's Rasengan with her wind-based jutsu, but her attack wasn't powerful enough. Instead, it rebounded off harmlessly, clouding the cliffside battlefield in smoke.

Sasuke scoffed "And here I was thinking you married someone talented!"

Naruto's focus only wavered for a second but this was all Sasuke needed, his Rinnegan flashed and Naruto watched in horror as Temari screamed in pain, Sasuke had swapped their places and now Sasuke's Chidori was completely through her chest. Her life ended in an instant and Naruto dropped to his knees in agony as Sasuke withdrew his hand from his wife's lifeless body.

"Now you understand how it feels Naruto, to have everything taken from you right before your eyes. But don't worry, you'll be joining her soon along with the rest of this shitty world!"

Naruto didn't even acknowledge him; he was in his own hell as he stared at her body and the hole where her heart used to be. But Sasuke wasn't going to drag this out, it was too risky. He didn't have much chakra left so he drew his sword and closed the distance in an instant, his lighting cloaked blade millimeters from contact.

'It's finally over, at last'

But as the blade moved ever closer, it happened.

Sasukes Sharingan failed and at the same time Naruto's chakra cloak reignited like fire, he moved to the side, catching Sasuke's wrist with one hand and slamming a rasenshuriken into his chest with the other.

"GO TO HELL YOU BASTARD!"

The attack made contact with a devastating blast of wind and chakra, launching both of them back before erupting in a massive explosion . When the dust settled all that remained of Sasuke was a crater and a mangled pile of flesh. The attack had been so violent that it even severed Naruto's own arm from the elbow down, but he didn't feel any of it, he didn't feel anything anymore.

End flashback.

Naruto wasn't sure how long he had been standing on the cliff but he was sure about one thing, it was time for him to go. He wouldn't live without his wife. They had done everything together in the past nine years and he knew that she wouldn't enter the Pure Land without him. He just had one last thing to take care of. Taking a deep breath and closing his eyes, he entered the collective mindscape of the tailed beasts for the last time. He saw them looming over him, all with sorrow in their eyes.

"I….. I wish I could have gotten to know all of you more. I am sorry and I hope you can forgive me. Please protect this world, it is what is left of my and Hagoromo's legacy."

They all nodded and then he turned to Kurama with a warm smile. "After I die the seal keeping you inside of me will release. That was your dream, right? To be free?"

Kurama almost seemed to cower at his words. Not like this Naruto, not like this. Is there anything else that I can do before you go?

Naruto just shook his head. "I wish things could be different, that I had more time. But I can't stand it any longer. This is goodbye Kurama, be well and may you guide the world down a better path."

And with those parting words he left the mindscape, a hopeful smile on his face for what came next.

"Mom, Dad, Temari-chan, I'm coming home".

With that, he felt a deep sleep start to take him; he fell forward off his father's stone head, cascading towards the ground at great speed.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Meanwhile, back in the mindscape of the tailed beasts a heated discussion was going on.

Kurama, are you crazy? You would subject yourself to another life? After all you have seen and been through? Asked Shukaku, the one tails.

If it means that Naruto can live again then yes, I will do it gladly. But before that happens, we all need to be in agreement. Will all of you help me do this?

The group immediately grew silent at the implications of what Kurama was suggesting. Initially they didn't really believe that he was serious, but for him to say that he needed their help meant that he had a certain technique in mind. One that had not been used in centuries.

'Kurama, are you suggesting to use the Six Paths: Creation of All Things Technique?' Asked Chomei, the seven tails.

Kurama nodded, the group then became silent as they all contemplated on their own, meanwhile, Kurama laid down and sighed to himself as he waited for their bombardment of questions. He had already given this great thought even before the battle so he was more than prepared.

It didn't take long for Son Goku, the four tails, to begin.

Are you aware of any risks? And how is this better for him? Naruto didn't exactly have a good start or end here. How can you be sure it will be different?

Kurama didn't even open his eyes as he replied.

There is no risk to this reality because Naruto and I will continue to exist here, nothing is being added or removed. The other reality, however, is a different issue. Naruto and I's memories are being forcefully brought in and transferred to our counterparts, at best nothing will change except for us, at worst the shift in natural continuity could erase this other reality for good. As for Naruto himself, his start won't be any different but I hope that with his knowledge and my help he will be able to live a full life and lead that reality down a better path.

Kukou, the 5 tails, was next to speak, clearly displeased.

So you are willing to risk the lives of everyone over there for the chance that he could have a better life? We can all agree that Naruto has done a lot for this world yes but how can that justify the genocide of another reality if you fail?

If we do nothing, this other reality will probably end up much like this one. So, either way we are doing it a service, whether Naruto can save it or we save Madara and Sasuke the trouble. Now, will all of you help me or not?

As Kurama finished, the room became silent. It was hard to argue with the fox's logic and while the risk was great it didn't really matter in the end if Kurama was right. Gyuki, the 8 tails broke the stalemate.

Kurama, I think I can speak for everyone when I say that this is very risky, but at the same time I would rather give Naruto the chance than to stand by and let this happen again. Does anyone disagree?

Kurama couldn't hide his toothy grin as all of the tail beasts bowed their heads in response to Gyuki's words.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

When Naruto opened his eyes, he was greeted by one of the loveliest sights he had ever seen. He was on top of the Hokage tower and standing before him was Temari, looking just like she did on their wedding day, stunningly beautiful in her long white and red kimono. In an instant he embraced her and began to sob as she brushed his hair softly

"I'm so sorry Temari-chan, I made a mistake! Maybe if ….!"

"Shhh Naruto-kun, it was not your fault. I made up my mind and I must go on with that burden, but you…." Temari's eyes watered as she looked up at the love of her life, knowing what came next for him. "You must wake up. I am waiting for you to find me."

Naruto looked at her, confused, but then he felt it. An agonizing pain gripped his body, like he was being ripped apart from the inside out. It was so excruciating that he fell to his knees and when he opened his eyes again, he found himself in a white endless expanse. Temari was nowhere to be seen but her words continued to echo across the nothingness like a chant.

"Wake up Naruto-kun, I am waiting for you to find me!"

"Temari-Chan I don't understand, please help me!"

"WAKE UP!"

Naruto jerked awake to find himself not on the ground but in his old apartment. He practically jumped out of bed as he ran out to his balcony to see the pristine village below him, he didn't notice that his wounds were healed or that the Hokage Monument was missing some faces.

'What the hell is going on?! Was it all just a nightmare? But why am I here? And where is Temari?'

Uh Naru...?

"Kurama what the hell is going on!? Everything feels strange, it's like everything that just happened was a dream but at the same time it was too real to be a dream! Is this real?! And if it is, why am I in my old apartment and where is Temari!?"

Naruto, I need you to slow down and take a seat. I have a lot to explain to you.

Naruto slid to the floor on his balcony, his head pounding but just before closing his eyes he noticed something strange in his reflection on the sliding glass door. Something was weird about it, but he couldn't see it that well in the dark. He slowly began to crawl over and reached inside to hit the light-switch

WAIT NARUTO! JUST LISTEN TO ME!

But Naruto couldn't hear the fox, he flipped the light on and froze as he saw himself.

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON!? WHY AM I YOUNG AGAIN?!

Chapter end

A/N: So, I have been writing this off and on for a long time and I have a few other chapters that I will be releasing soon. Any feedback is appreciated.

P.S: I realize that in the memory flashback sections that Naruto wouldn't have access Temari's thoughts and emotions but I am making the assumption that they have talked about these memories so Naruto could have imagined her perspective in that moment. Anyway, that's all I've got. Have a good night.

P. SS: Ended up rereading and reworking a few things, I was tired last night so I missed some grammar errors that have now been rectified. Also reworked some parts that in my opinion didn't make a ton of sense (mainly the Naruto Sasuke fight). With that being said its hardly perfect. Anyway, thanks again for reading.