:Hey guys! I think this fic needed something… then an epilogue came to mind… so, here it is.
:Enjoy! Hahaha. Still don't own Naruto!
Epilogue: A Dinner to Remember
"He's becoming more and more like Kakashi-sensei everyday…" Sakura thought, looking out the window of the Uchiha compound, staring at her husband who has been standing by the graves of the former Uchiha for more than an hour already. He seems to be thinking deeply of something, or someone, eying the grave of his brother, Itachi, but never shedding a tear. Sakura went back to her dinner preparations, and went out to call her son, the now four year old Fugaku Uchiha, named after Sasuke's father. He looking at the boy was like looking at a little Sasuke. Except, for the eyes. His eyes were not dark and distant like his father's. His eyes were deep and green, like Sakura's.
"Come on Fugaku… help me set the table." She said to her son. "We have guests tonight."
"Later mom! I've got to show dad that I can do the Shishi Rendan! I want him to be proud of me!" The boy replied with a smile from the yard outside their house, he's been training for hours already. "Can I please help you later?"
"Okay then, but don't overdo it." Sakura said to her son with a smile.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.
"I never thought this would be one of my habits that you would catch Sasuke." A voice from behind him said.
"Kakashi-sensei?" he said, looking at his silver-haired former teacher.
"I haven't been your sensei for a few years now. 'senpai' is fine, we're on the same squad, I don't really remember you calling me sensei even when I still was." The masked jonin replied.
"Yeah, well, I guess I'm making up for lost time." He answered. "I've been thinking…"
"I've spent hours and hours in front of a grave Sasuke. I know what it's like." He said.
"I remember the last words you said to me before I first left the village. You said that revenge would never make me happy." He said in a low voice, deep in thought, eyeing his brother's grave. "You were right. His death didn't make me happy. I really thought that I would be the happiest person on earth when I stood over his corpse, but I was very wrong." He sighed. "But I felt like I would never get the chance to be truly happy if he lived, he would always be the dark shadow looming over me, and haunting me, preventing me from feeling happy, making me hurt everyone that cared for me. It was just like he said to me, he was the barrier I must overcome. But I hope it didn't have to be this way."
"You regret killing your brother." Kakashi said, putting his right hand on Sasuke's left shoulder.
"I do. When I fought him, it was like he let me win." He said. "But now, I see that my life as an avenger isn't quite over yet. Madara is still alive. Maybe if he wasn't my brother's teacher, maybe Itachi wouldn't have massacred the clan, maybe he was just another victim, maybe, I could've had a real brother." A small smile then mad its way to his face. "Actually, you were the closest thing to a big-brother I ever had."
"Wow. I never expected you to admit that." He replied. "Really though, I see somewhat a younger copy of me when I see you."
"Really?" Sasuke asked curiously.
"Sometimes." The masked jonin replied. "Looks like we'll be hunting Akatsuki in the morning." Kakashi said, a smile showing on his one eye.
"It does." He said, returning his former sensei's smile. "Well, we better get to the house. Sakura will be angry if I'm late again."
"Don't tell me you've caught my habit of being late too?" Kakashi said with a chuckle.
"Maybe I did." He replied, as they began to walk to his house at the Uchiha compound.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.
"You're overdoing it Fugaku." Neji said. "Try to control your chakra more, and time the release. It'll make your rendan more effective. Don't just keep kicking needlessly, and take a break once in a while ok?"
"Thank you. Neji-san." Fugaku replied, landing another kick on the training dummy.
"You're putting too much pressure on the kid Sasuke." Neji said as Sasuke arrived in the lawn.
"What do you mean?" Sasuke said as his gaze landed on his son. "I'm not pressuring him to do anything."
"You think you don't. But being named after your father and all, and being the future of the Uchiha legacy is a lot to carry for a kid. He's trying to make you proud of him." Neji said. "My eyes have more insight than yours."
"I just want him to be strong." Sasuke said. "He'll be going to the academy soon. I want him to be ready."
"The Shishi Rendan at his age?" Neji said. "You learned that when you were twelve."
"It's a very basic jutsu." He replied. "I want him to be the best. I want him to be able to protect everyone… I want him, to be able to… do what I couldn't."
"That's a lot of pressure to put on a kid Sasuke." Kakashi said. "I graduated form the academy at five and became chunin at six. But times were easier then. You're already almost better than me. You're stronger than me when I was your age anyway."
"This isn't about me." He said. "This is about the future of my clan. I know what I'm doing, and I won't let my son get hurt. I'm just helping him get the step forward that I never got. My brother got all the attention, and the special training with it. I'm focusing all my attention on Fugaku, so he doesn't have to feel subordinate like I did. I'm going to teach him everything I know."
"It's a bit too early for that don't you think?" Kakashi said. "Won't your other future children feel subordinate if Fugaku gets all the attention?"
"The fate of being firstborn." Neji said with a sigh. "It's like a curse."
"Don't worry about that. I'm not having more children until I figure out how to prevent another massacre." Sasuke said in a serious voice. "I don't want the same thing to happen again, over a pair of eyes. I don't simply want to restore my clan, I want to improve it."
"I see." Neji said. "Well, let's go inside. Sakura, Tenten and the others are waiting."
"Naruto and Hinata's here too. Did we invite the whole village for dinner?" Sasuke said. "It's only Fugaku's fourth birthday."
"Well, at least it'll be more interesting than the past few months." Kakashi said. "Since the Akatsuki went hiding, there hasn't been much action, even reading the Icha-icha is getting boring."
"Yeah. It has been a pretty boring four years." Sasuke and Neji said as they all entered the house.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.
"Your so lucky Sakura." Tenten said while helping her pink-haired friend set the table.
"Why?" she asked.
"I've wanted to have kids ever since Neji and I got married. But the stupid Hyuga traditions are always getting in the way. Our firstborn would be taken away from us." Tenten said with a sigh.
"Raising kids isn't exactly that easy! I've already got one, and here's another one on the way…" Temari said, rubbing her belly. "…I can't imagine where my little girl gets her energy from. Her father certainly doesn't have much!"
They all laughed.
"Having even one kid is enough." Sakura said. "Sasuke's putting a lot of pressure on Fugaku. But I think he's just scared for him. He's really proud of him. No matter how he shows it."
"Well, at least you're married already." Hinata said, putting the plates on the table.
"Naruto's still clueless isn't he?" Sakura said. "Don't worry, he'll figure it out."
"I hope so." Hinata said in a small voice.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.
"Happy Birthday Fugaku!" Everyone exclaimed. They began to eat their dinner.
"Your not the type to be late for a party Kiba." Naruto said.
"Let's just say I had to get rid of someone on the way here." The Inuzuka replied.
"You mean that clingly blonde girl that's always with you?" Naruto continued. "She reminds me of someone…" he said thoughtfully.
"Shut up Naruto." Kiba growed. "Just leave me alone." He said, taking a sip of sake.
"Fine, fine." He said as he began to walk away. "You don't have to be so angry."
Kiba sighed and looked out the window into a cloudless starry sky.
"What's with Naruto?" Shino said, taking a seat beside his best friend and teammate. "Annoying as usual? But I don't see why you should get angry about it. I thought you were used to it by now."
"There are a lot of things you don't see Shino." Kiba said. "You wear sunglasses at night."
"Very funny Kiba." He said. "But there are reasons why I hide my eyes. I don't need them to know that there's a problem with you."
"If there is a problem, I can handle it by myself." Kiba said.
"Sure you can." He replied sarcastically, and made his way back to the main table.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.
It's been four years ever since Ino Yamanaka set foot in Konohagakure to train with Anko Mitarashi. She learned many things, mostly in intelligence gathering, because her family's mind-jutsu skills could provide an edge.
"Is it really over?" Ino said as she packed her bags.
"You've grown a lot in four years." Anko replied. "I've taught you all you can learn from me."
"I can't believe we're going home." She said, smiling.
"Don't you miss Konoha?" she asked.
"Of course I do." The blond replied. "It's just that-"
"You can't run away forever Ino."
"I know, I know." She said with a sigh. "I'll prove that you trained me well."
And they began their journey back to Konoha.
:Well, there it is. It's kind of a prologue to the sort-of-sequel, which continues the Kiba-Ino part of the story. More Than Words Could Ever Say.
:Thanks for following the story till the end! Especially to everyone who reviewed!