Disclaimer: I will never own Naruto

Last time:

She looked up at his brother and smiled a warm, genuine smile.

"You're safe…now."

He shook his head in disbelief. This couldn't have happened. It must've been a dream. No. No!

"Kushina!"

Goodbye

"W-why? Why did you use yourself as a shield? You had a katana!" Kajou screamed at his dying sister.

"I didn't want to die just of illness. It was…more of a…honour…to die…this…way." Her eyes closed, her smile was glued to her lips.

"Kushina please!"

"Too late, she's dead."

Tears streamed down his wrinkled face. With the strength of pure anger, he lifted his sword and swiftly placed a deep gash on the man's stomach.

"Just die already and rot in hell why don't you?!" he screamed. "This one is for Kushina and Sotoumi!"

Hakkotsu clutched his bleeding stomach. It was painful that gash. He watched as Kajou's sword came down at him. He opened his mouth to scream out in pain as the katana pierced through his heart.

Kajou fell to his knees. The one man he hated was dead. He had got his revenge, but at what price? His protective sister…that was the price. He held his sister's head to his chest and wept.

"Kushina…"

He was in the middle of a battle, fighting Uchiha Sasuke. He had just landed a blow when a single tear slid down his cheek. Naruto quickly wiped it away. 'Why am I crying?'

A few more tear drops fell. Sasuke only smirked. "Am I too strong for you, weakling?"

"I'm just getting warmed up!"

The tears stopped falling. But why did they fall? Hinata couldn't have died or gotten seriously hurt. His kage bunshin was with her. What happened?

Sasuke could see that his opponent was distracted. He took this chance. His sword sliced open Naruto's flesh but stopped. Naruto's katana was in the way. His side was bleeding with Sasuke's sword stuck into it. He was too slow! He growled in frustration.

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"

A hundred clones crowded the caves. Stealthily, he moved away and looked at his wound.

"This trick won't work on me. I can get rid of them all with one jutsu!" Sasuke called out.

Quickly, he looked at his wound. It was deep and painful but he didn't mind too much. His healing ability was taking affect. The wound would be healed in no time.

"Katon: Gougakyuu no Jutsu!"

Plumes of smoke puffed into the air as clones disappeared. Naruto readied his katana as he concentrated on where his opponent could be. He snapped his eyes open as a felt a presence coming from his left. With a swing of his katana, a deep gash had been formed on Sasuke's stomach. One problem though, where was the blood? Sasuke disappeared.

"Above you!"

His own sword was high above his head, ready for a deadly blow. The sound of a sword and katana rang through their ears as another sword fight began.

Sasuke was getting sick of this. At this rate, neither of them would win. He smirked to himself, knowing of a way to weaken his opponent.

"You are lucky to have Hinata-chan as your wife. I'm sure you are pleasured by her like I was."

"Don't bring her deeper into this than she already is!"

"I just want to have her pleasure me again." Sasuke paused. "I loved it how she screamed…"

"Shut up!" Naruto's eyes held fear in them. He didn't want to hear anymore, not about his wife.

"When I defeat you, I'll be having her to pleasure me as much as I wish."

"Shut up you sick bastard!"

Red chakra bubbled around the jinchuuriki's body. Sasuke smirked, this was going to be interesting. Naruto was completely covered with the Kyubi's chakra with two tails hanging high in the air.

Naruto leaped forward, his katana in its sheath, like a fox pouncing on its prey. Sasuke dodged it easily. Arms of chakra stretched out at him, successful at only a scratch on his cheek. A streak of blood poured from the scratch but Sasuke ignored it. He continued to dodge Naruto's attacks.

One of the arms hit the wall, pieces crumbling to the ground. The dust that rose was used as a cover for Sasuke. Without getting seen, he ran behind Naruto. Quickly, he raised his sword and plunged it into Naruto his sword could be seen from the other side. Any normal human would have collapsed but Naruto, he just stared at it, collecting his thoughts while the wound healed and the sword dissolved.

Catching Sasuke off guard, Naruto hit him with one of his tails. Another tail formed. It took every bit of Naruto's self-control not to go into the fourth tail stage. His body was doing badly enough without it.

Sasuke clutched to his side where the tail had hit him. The stinging pain was horrible but he beared it.

'The chakra's poison,' he concluded.

"Any last words?" Naruto asked while creating a Rasengan in the palm of his hand.

He smirked. "Not really just-"

The Rasengan slammed into his body before he could continue. "Never talk about that again!" His attack went right through him. He hated how Sasuke's sickening smirk stayed on his face. Naruto raised his fist up high and punched him in the face, knowing full well that Sasuke was dead. He just didn't want the last image of him as a sick smirking bastard. A bloodied face was much preferred.

"That is the last I'll hear from you!"

He was exhausted. Using the Kyubi's chakra was tiring and harmful to his body. He walked a couple of steps away from the dead body and collapsed, grateful for a thing known as sleep.

Kajou walked in with Kushina's dead body. Naruto's clone was awake the whole time, watching over Kurogashi. He saw his mother and uncle struggling to get inside. His eyes widened in disbelief.

"Mother!"

His uncle turned to him with tears in his eyes. "I'm so sorry Naruto. I couldn't stop her from coming."

Tears fell from the clone's eyes (Sorry but take note). "Mother is…?"

Kajou nodded.

"Hinata! Hinata! Wake up! You need to help mother! Uncle, are you sure she's dead?"

He nodded again.

"No! That can't be true! Hinata!"

"I'm waking. Naruto, please be careful with me." She looked at the clone. Tears were streaming down his eyes. "What's going on?"

"Please tell me that Uncle is lying! Please!"

She turned to Kajou. She couldn't believe what she saw. Blood covered Kajou and the body he held. "Is that Kushina-san?"

He nodded the third time in reply.

Hinata instantly jumped up, crying just like Naruto was.

She checked for breathing.

Kushina wasn't breathing.

She checked for a pulse.

There was no pulse.

She activated her Byakugan to get for movement of chakra, hoping it was.

But there was no movement of chakra.

It was that day that Kushina Uzumaki was announced dead.

"I'm so sorry Naruto."

Naruto refused to speak to anyone. He knew that his mother would die but why then? Couldn't he have another week? A month? The tears had stopped. They only showed weakness.

Hinata was by his side, comforting him with tears in her own eyes. Once the news had got around, everyone in the clan mourned for Kushina. She was glad that Naruto had stopped crying. It was strange to see him cry like that. But all of a sudden, he was crying out. It was as if he was in pain. Knowing that Naruto was probably still fighting against Sasuke, she activated her Byakugan. Too much chakra, red chakra to be exact, was flowing through the body. It was disappear if it had continued.

"It hurts!" the clone cried out.

"You're going to be fine. Just dispel yourself."

"My orders were to keep you safe. Even if you are at the Uzumaki residence!"

The clone continued to cry out in pain. It surprised Hinata that the clone was still holding out just for her. She tolerated the cries. It only got louder and more painful.

'He is just a clone,' she repeated to herself. It was painful to see him suffer like that.

Then the clone disappeared. She was glad it was gone, half because she couldn't bear to see it suffer and the other because it was, to be honest, deafening.

She got up and headed out the door. Naruto had been using the Kyubi's chakra. She needed to get there and heal his injuries.

"Hinata-sama!" a girl with black hair called out. "Where are you going?"

"I'm going out."

"But I thought Naruto-sama didn't allow you to."

"I don't care. I'm going out," Hinata replied.

"But your pregnant!" the girl protested. "It may harm the baby!"

Hinata smiled at her. "I appreciate your concern but you shouldn't worry."

"Well then, if you're going, then I would like to come! I want to help Naruto-sama to repay for Kushina-sama's kindness."

She sighed in defeat. "Fine, you can come along but only you. What's your name?"

"Yuuretsu!"

"What a nice name."

"Arigatou."

And they left without telling anyone.

--

They found Naruto, lying face down on the floor, breathing heavily. His clothes had a neat rip near his heart. Hinata thought it might've been an attack. A close one too.

"Naruto, are you okay?" She turned him over and saw the trail of tears. His eyes were still wet. "You know, huh?"

There were no major injuries but healed hit cuts anyway. While she did, fresh tears fell from her eyes. "Naruto, I'm sorry. I couldn't help her. By the time Kajou arrived, she was already dead. I'm so sorry." The green bubbly chakra disappeared as she laid her head on his chest while he sobbed. "I'm so sorry." A weak but firm hand played with her silky blue hair. She looked up.

"It's not your fault Hinata. You did what you could to help her."

The tears came down heavily now from both of them. Hinata leaped into his arms crying her heart out.

'They've only known her for half a year but they can still cry up all the water in their bodies. I've only known her since she picked me up from the streets. That was when I was eight. Three years I've known her yet I can't cry like they can,' Yuuretsu thought.

Tears then slid down her face. 'Kushina-sama, I'll miss you.'

Two types of tears were spilled on August 11th. It was the day of Kushina's funeral.

Tears of loss.

It was also the day a child was born. Her parents named her Hikari Uzumaki. She was the heiress of the Uzumaki clan.

Those were tears of joy.

The couple didn't know how but they cried both tears at once. They were so happy that their child was born, but on the day of Kushina's funeral? At least the birth lightened up most of the people's spirits.

Before the day that they left, Naruto spoke. "As Head of the Uzumaki clan, I'd like to take it back to Konoha with me."

Many shook the heads, not wanting to go to a place where they were sure to be rejected.

Naruto growled in anger. "So what the clan has been disgraced by a single member? I don't want the Uzumaki clan to be known as cowards. Face your fear. The worst possible outcome is that the Hokage kicks the clan out of the village. That is highly unlikely though. Tsunade-baachan isn't mean to anyone except for me, Shizune and the occasional ninja that caught her in a bad mood. Who stands by me?"

"I agree with Naruto-sama!" a small voice called out. Yuuretsu stepped out. "I may not have been there when the Uzumaki clan ran away but I wish for it to go back! I'm sure Kushina-sama would want us to face our fears rather than run from them. I stand by Naruto-sama!"

There were whispers among the crowds until most of the clan cheered, most.

Kajou and Mika stepped out. "I'm afraid we cannot go Naruto-kun," Kajou started. "This village won't run on its own. I cannot simply leave it behind."

"Then what shall you do?" Naruto asked.

"We'll create a new clan using the surname of the man Mika chooses to marry. The land's name shall remain the same though."

Mika stepped forward, giving her relatives a farewell hug. "I'll miss you Hinata-san, Naruto-san."

"We'll miss you too," Hinata replied.

Little Hikari began to cry, as if knowing what was going on. Mika planted a soft kiss on the child's forehead.

"I'm sorry Hikari-chan. I'm sure your parents will take good care of you. Yuuretsu too. I hope to see you another day."

Naruto then turned to face his clan. "It is official," he announced. "The Uzumaki clan shall return to Konoha. People who would like to stay, please do. I am not forcing anyone to come." He smiled as the clan cheered in agreement. Next stop, the classroom.

Hinata and Naruto, along with little Hikari stepped into a room of sad faces.

"Is it true you're leaving?" a student asked.

"Yes, it is true. We'll be going back to Konoha," Naruto answered.

"Sensei, is that your baby?"

He nodded proudly. "This is our daughter Hikari. Hinata faced the child to the class. Hikari smiled and laughed.

"She's so cute!" a girl cried out.

The students got out of their seat to hug their teachers goodbye and take a closer look of Hikari for the first and probably last time.

"We'll miss you Naruto-sensei! You too Hinata-sensei!" The students said in unison.

"When you can, visit us. By then I'm sure to be Hokage!"

The children laughed.

"Goodbye Kurogashi," Naruto said once they were away from the crowd. "Become stronger for me, okay?"

Kurogashi nodded, wiping the tears from his eyes.

Tsuki looked away, her hands in her pockets. Finally she jumped forwards and hugged her sensei's waist, careful of the baby. "I'll miss you sensei!"

"I'll miss you too. Come by Konoha any time. We'll be more than happy to see you again. Same goes for you Kurogashi." He faced her and nodded.

--

They were at the shore. The whole clan was there ready to depart. Several boats were lined up at a small dock. Everyone got on except for Mika, Kajou, the few that chose not to go, Naruto and Hikari.

"I've disabled the whirlpools. You have a bit more than 24 hours to get past them," Kajou informed them.

Naruto bowed, taking Kajou and Mika by surprise. "Thank you."

Kajou bowed back. "We are honoured to have the future Hokage in our village."

"Do I take that as good luck?"

His uncle gave him a nod.

"Sir! Come on board please!" The sailor called.

"Coming! Goodbye Uncle, Mika. We'll miss you."

"We'll miss you too."

The small family got onto to their boat. The boats sailed away. They were almost out of sight when Mika called out.

"Don't forget to visit or contact us!"

"I'll send you letters!" Naruto yelled back. "But I don't think that I can visit. Goodbye!" Everyone was waving.

Though it was noisy, the baby slept peacefully. Everything was going to be fine.

That's the end of chapter 18! So sorry I couldn't post it up earlier! I was busy and had bad writer's block (and I mean bad!). I just finished reading the book Twilight and it sort of cured it. The story isn't finished yet! There's still a bit more!

By the way, Yuuretsu, which means bravery or courage, is a new character at the end of a story. Sounds kinda silly but I thought it be nice to have her for future stories. I'll explain her story in the next series.

Okay, I think that's it. Please review and have a happy and safe holiday (bit late to say that, right?)!