RECAP: Third of the last chapters. :'(

Although he was supposed to be helping Minato and Izuna home Kiba's mind had drifted and he took his usual path. To the Inuzuka graveyard. He didn't even notice until after Minato said something, it as his usual routine.

"Why're we here?"

"Hm? Oh...whoops. This Akatsuki border patrol thing has my head a little fried."

"..."

"I uh...after I do my rounds...I come here."

"Why?"

"Remember when you were little? I had that big white dog?"

"...Oh...oh yeah. I remember him."

"...Me too...he's buried here. He was my dog since I was about 7 so...yeah...you guys can get back from here right?"

Kiba's voice was getting shaky.

"Yeah we can. Thanks Uncle Kiba...and sorry about Akamaru."

They left. They started back towards their houses. Kiba walked the memorized path to Akamaru's grave and sat down. Hinata came up behind him.

"Ah, geez, trying to scare me to death?"

"...This is where you go?"

"...I miss him..."

"We all do."

Hinata sat next to him and kissed him. He put his arm around her and wiped his face.

"...Dammit Hinata...you'd think after all these years I'd be able to hold myself together."

"No, I don't think so. I think it'll be awhile. You can't just have a best friend die and not mourn for awhile."

"For a little bit...but it's been so long and I'm still...I still get all misty when I think about him."

"That's ok. You love him."

"...I love you too."

"Come on, I've got dinner."

"...Not all that hungry."

"You have kids now. I don't care how long you stay but be back before tomorrow morning."

"...You know what I'll go now."

"He'll be there tomorrow."

Izuna and Minato weren't sure they wanted to go home just yet but they were too wet to go in anywhere. Lucky for them it started raining. They held hands as they looked for somewhere else to go. Most places were closed. Ichiraku's was open though. The old man's daughter was manning the shop now. He was too old and frail to make ramen.

"Hey, why do you guys smell like sea water?"

"We went swimming."

"Just ramen?"

"Mhm. How's your dad?"

"Meh, been better but he's alright."

She got their ramen and the began eating. She was clearly in a chatty mood, it was the middle of the night, no one else to talk to but them.

"So why're you swimming this late at night, in the ocean too?"

"His birthday."

"Seems like one of those spontaneous things people do in romance movies."

"It kind of was."

"...Oh."

"How did the village react to my dads' coming out and all that?"

"Hm. Well I remember my dad was happy for them, like me. I know Lady Tsunade was happy and so were your Aunt Sakura and Uncle Sasuke...let me think. The rest of the rookie 9. All fine with it."

"Rookie 9?"

"Your father, Naruto's graduating genin class. In addition to Team Gai. You know Kurenai sensei right?"

"Mhm."

"Her team was Shino, Hinata and Kiba."

"Aw, and they got married. That's sweet."

"I know right. So then there's Asuma sensei's team."

"...Asuma?"

She sighed deep.

"...Damn, it's been so long but...well you know Kurenai's son? That's Asuma's. His team was Ino, Chouji and Shikamaru."

"...Ino...my mother. Shikamaru's my uncle."

"Yeah and Chouji is his best friend. He got married to...oh who was it."

"It was that girl from Aunt Sakura's intern groups."

"Oh yeah, that's right. And you know your mother married Deidara..."

"Yeah. So keep telling me, keep going."

"Alright, alright. So Gai's team was Tenten, Neji and Rock Lee. Of course Neji and Tenten are married. I think Lee married Neji's cousin...what was her name...Hinata's younger sister."

"Oh yeah, I know who you're talking about."

"He had the biggest crush on Sakura, so cute."

"So what other teams do you know?"

"I know 'em all."

"...Tell...me..."

"Ok, let's see your father Naruto was trained by Kakashi Hatake."

"...Who?"

"...Oh...well his father was referred to as 'The White Fang'. Kakashi is one of the best Jounin there are."

"Other than me."

"Let's just say only your fathers combined have a chance of beating him. Anyway so yeah he was a freak about sticking to 'the plan' on missions because his dad like went back to save a teammate and screwed up the mission. Everybody was like hating him for that so he killed himself. So Kakashi's now like super teammates are important though."

"...So who are his teammates?"

"Oh his teammates are all dead. Died long ago. Before you were born. Way before that."

"...Who were they. They were the best. They were Rin, medical nin, Kakashi, son of the white fang, Obito, strong Uchiha. All taught and mentored by the famed, highly honored, fourth. The Yellow Flash of Konoha, the much famed Minato Namikaze."

"...My grandpa taught my dad's sensei?"

"You're two for two."

"...Wait did you say Minato-Namikaze?"

"Oh yeah, the third, may he rest in peace, decided Naruto should take his mother's last name. Being an orphan and having to fend off your father's enemies wouldn't pan out well."

"Enemies?"

"He was the best ninja we've seen in hundreds of years, second only to rinnegan."

"Rinnegan?"

"It's said that the creator of this world possessed the powerful ocular jutsu known as Rinnegan. The creator then made the 9 jinchuuriki using his own life to split the mighty ten tails into 9 then seal the last one in himself. Thus jinchuuriki. The Rinnegan is either a myth, a legend, or bullcrap. Or it was real and is gone. It's said the Rinnegan's descendants are Sharingan and Magekyo Sharingan."

"...So my grandfather was second only to the creator?"

"He might become second to your father soon."

"...Wow..."

"As I was saying Obito died at about 12, I can't remember how Rin died but she did. Obito gave Kakashi his eye as a sort of morbid deathy present."

"..."

"So Kakashi's team is all dead. His sensei, the mighty Yondaime, was under the tutelage of, you guessed it, JIRAIYA!"

"...Jiraiya...? Like my dad's old sensei? Didn't he die long ago?"

"When your dad was the ripe age of 16 and Pein had just attacked. Oh wait, wait. Pein, or rather Nagato-"

"Nagato?"

"Oh, Jiraya was a writer, he taught Nagato, Konan and Yahiko, stray orphans from the rain. He taught them but they eventually formed the akatsuki with Madara Uchiha after Yahiko's brutal death. He wrote a story about the gallant Naruto. Your grandfather named him after that character."

"...So they were sibling disciples, my dad and this Pein fellow?"

"Yes, he possessed the rinnegan himself. He brought back many from the dead thanks to Naruto."

"...Wow...small world."

"Anyway so Jiraya and Tsunade and Orochimaru were all the a team under the tutelage of the third, Sarutobi, incidentally he's Asuma's father, who's Konohamaru's uncle. Anyway Orochimaru strayed and died. Jiraya died at the hand so Pein. The third was killed by Orochimaru."

"...This is complicated."

"Hang in there."

"There's more?"

"You asked. I hear all the chatter from ninja, plus your fathers will just tell me."

"...Fine keep going."

"Alright, where was I. Oh so Tsunade is descendant of the first Hokage, the only family with the ability to use wood type jutsu's. Anyway his wife, believe it or not was the first Jinchuuriki of Kyuubi, Kurama."

"...What?"

"Her name, Mito Uzumaki. They sent your grandmother Kushina to train in this ninja academy, she'd be the next Jinchuuriki. That's how she fell in love with your grandfather, it breaks my heart."

She actually started tearing up.

"What's wrong?"

"They were so good together. When she was pregnant with your father, Minato had to seal the beast in her. That's how he died. She told him she was happy that he loved her. Oh God I'm gonna cry...anyway she died giving birth to Naruto who became the third Jinchuuriki of Kurama."

"...That's..."

"I'm sorry I'll be right back."

She was about to start sobbing thinking of such a sad love story. She came back with red eyes and continued.

"And that's...that's how everything happened."

Izuna interrupted.

"Hey, why are there only four Uchiha?"

"Actually there are five."

"...Who's the fifth?"

"I told you. Madara Uchiha. Brother of Izuna Uchiha, who died after he gave Madara his eyes for his eternal Mangekyo Sharingan."

"...Izuna Uchiha?"

"Would you like to know about Madara? It might shock you past recovery. Unless of course you know what Danzo made Itachi do. Of course Madara got like so much more youth in him after stealing the Uchiha eyes Danzo stole."

"...What happened? Uncle Sasuke says the Uchiha used to be a powerful clan responsible for the police force."

"True, true. Your father would kill me if I told you what he did."

"Tell me!"

"...Alright...your father...is gifted. He graduated the academy at age 7 and was head of ANBU at age 13."

"Dayum."

"Yeah, dayum is right. Danzo was the leader of a secret ANBU organization called the foundation or Root. Many people think he did it out of sheer hatred but we soon found out Danzo made your father do it. He had no choice. War was about to break out, if he didn't do it many more other civilians would've died. He had to betray his father and his beloved younger brother."

"...What did he do?"

"...He let Sasuke live for one thing."

"What?"

"He...assassinated the Uchiha clan."

"..."

"He had to. He couldn't bring himself to kill Sasuke though. He loves him. He had to make him hate him though, he use Tsukuyomi to show Sasuke his parents' brutal murder at his hands. Sasuke figured out what actually happened. He came back to Konoha when Naru was about ten."

"...He killed the entire clan?"

"That clan was about to break out war. So many more would've died."

"...Oh God."

"You didn't hear it from me."

Minato put his hand on Izuna. He smiled and Izuna did his best to smile back.

"Alright you guys better get home...damn your grandparents are gonna make me cry again."

She closed up shop and the two of them started walking home. Izuna was a little freaked out but didn't want to ask his dad about it.

"Look. Izu, like she said, he was forced by that Danzo guy. He didn't want to."

"Distract me."

"Alright."

Minato picked him up and kissed him as he did. He carried him the rest of the way home in the rain. He littered him with kisses before saying goodbye. Minato then walked back to his house, wondering about his grandparents and how everything played out at Naruto's birth. He got home and changed. He went to get water and Naruto walked out.

"So how was this 'birthday party'?"

"We didn't do anything...we did talk to the ramen lady a while."

"...What'd she say?"

"She told us about Uncle Itachi, I get it. She also told me this heart-wrenching story about your parents."

He retold it to Naruto who was shaking his head.

"That's not what happened. My mother fell in love with my father after he saved her from being kidnapped seeing as she was already a jinchuuriki. She carried me for ten months because she was a jinchuuriki. My father took us to a remote location where no one could attack. The seal would be weakened while she gave birth so he and plenty of ANBU kept it stable. Madara Uchiha."

"...What about him?"

"The devil...cost me my family. She had me but he stole me and dad came and got me. Then he took my mom and released the Kyuubi to attack the village. She lived through that though, she's an Uzumaki. My dad was fighting the beast and had to bring it to me and my mom. He had to seal it somewhere. My mom was helping restrain it and was already weak from birth. She said to seal it in her, so it'd die with her. My father loved her, he couldn't do that. He suggested this jutsu that killed the third. He said he'd seal the remainder in me. That'd kill him."

"..."

"But not mom. She refused but he convinced her it was for the best. She'd get to see me grow up...Kurama heard of these plans and it tired to kill me...so uh...so they used themselves as shields...and uh...then dad sealed his chakra and the beast in me and my mom sealed her chakra in me...the third said the last thing she did was tell me how much she loved me...to leave me with as much of her love as possible."

"...Oh dad..."

Naruto was looking away and wiping his eyes. Minato hugged him tight. Gaara came out.

"What's going on?"

"...Dad...was explaining what happened to his parents."

"...Oh Naruto...Minato you go to bed...he needs to take a walk with me or something."

"...Ok dad."

Minato let go and went to his room. Gaara took Naruto outside where he started bawling. Gaara kissed him and put their foreheads together. Naruto started whispering.

"Do you think she really did that? Did she really try to fill me with love?"

"She did Naruto, you're full of love, that has to be from her and your father."

He started crying harder.

"Come on, let's walk, you love the rain."

Gaara kissed Naruto over and over again on his temple. He kept his arm around him and they walked slowly around the neighborhood. They ran into a sobbing Kiba.

"What's wrong with you?"

"...Can't get over Akamaru...what about you?"

"Parents."

Kiba started walking with them. They walked around for awhile until they ran into Shikamaru, smoking, on the verge of tears.

"Since when do you smoke?"

"...It's his birthday...and...I always play Shogi with him, especially on his birthday...I mean...every other day...but today...is his birthday. Why are you guys upset?"

"Akamaru and parents."

"You guys going anywhere in particular?"

"No just keeping each other company."

"...Room for one more?"

"Sure."

Shikamaru joined the club. Tsunade came out of the bar, barely buzzed after years of drinking. Eyes red as well.

"What's wrong with you all?"

"Asuma's birthday, Akamaru, parents. What about you?"

"...Jiraiya...where are you guys going?"

"Just walking around."

"I'll walk too."

She walked with them around the village. Sasuke came around, also crying. It must've been the rain making everyone so upset. They explained their grievances.

"And you?"

"...Mom and Dad...I was just in the clan's village...and...it's just like it used to be...but my mom hasn't dusted in a while...it's weird...I miss them..."

He joined their depressed group as they walked in the rain. Then came Kurenai. She was also clearly upset. She walked next to Shikamaru after noticing he was smoking. Chouji later joined the Asuma grieving group. Soon everyone's teammates and wives and husbands came looking. A rookie 9 reunion. Team Gai came too. Every sensei was there other than Asuma, even Kakashi. They walked into a bar and drank away the tears as the reminisced about the good ol' days.

"We're so damn old. Look at us. Remember when we were genin? Remember?"

They all raised a glass to that.

"I feel like we never see each other anymore. We all used to be so close...no Ino."

"i don't think she can handle this village anymore."

Tsunade and Kakashi sympathized with the fact that they were the only surviving members of their teams. They kept reminiscing about the adventures they went on as kids. As preteens as teenagers. As Team 7 and 8 and 9 and 10.

"Remember when I cut my hair?"

"That was pretty impressive, all of the sudden you could fight."

"Ha, damn I wish Ino was here."

Two black and soaking figures came in and shook off. Ino and Deidara, they had tips from the Akatsuki but couldn't find any authority figures. They joined and Sakura repeated her hair story, Ino told hers. They kept talking for hours on end. The good ol' days. It was hard to accept that they weren't the rising generation. They were the ones everyone was expecting to retire soon.

"Where do the years go?"

"...Damn I hate being so old. I miss my prime you guys."

"Me too. Look at us. Married with kids."

"I like being married, being in love. It's just so much more scandalous when you're sixteen. Everything is."

They drank to that. Before they knew it they'd talked from 3 in the morning to almost ten in the morning. The bartender noticed not one of them was drunk. A slight buzz for Lee but even he had kept his head. They had talked about everything from birth to the academy to the chuunin exams to the invasion to everything they could. They had to go home. They cried as they said goodbye like it'd be the last time they'd ever see each other. Ino and Deidara had to relay some information to Tsunade.

"Do they know Gaara's here too?"

"They might but I don't think they're going after him anymore. We're more worried about Naruto. Madara and Kisame are really tracking him. Just keep an eye on them. They've invaded other villages looking for supplies but disguised. Very well disguised."

"Thanks you two."

While they informed Tsunade, Kakashi went home with Naruto and Gaara and they ate breakfast.

Minato woke up when he heard the door open.

"Are you guys just getting in-who's this guy?"

"You must know. This is Kakashi sensei. He trained me and Uncle Sasuke and Aunt Sakura when we were just kids."

They spoke, he saw his eye. He was impressed. It was weird to think his parents had a life before him. Naruto and Gaara kept thinking about all of their adventures from the past. That day they'd go back to the market to ride the teacups. That became a tradition on their anniversary. Ino visited much more often. Tsunade then named Naruto hokage, four years later he was still loving it.

BOTTOM NOTE: Yeah these last chapters are real long. They're the last ones, of course they're gonna be long.