RECAP: The fifth/ last bit of the last chapters. I'll miss this one, my first one, I don't know if you loved it but I really did. This was my favorite to write, my first technical and official one to write and yeah I got side-tracked and wrote others but this one is my homebase. I want to write another Naruto x Gaara but I don't think I can. I love this one a lot and yes I'm sad this is the last one. I've got more lined up though. Hopefully shorter.

Almost two years past. Konohamaru was named the seventh hokage like Naruto had planned. Minato was getting better faster. Gaara had barely improved from the day he died. Izuna was there to help Minato though. They hadn't moved anything in the apartment in two years. Gaara had Naruto's ring on his finger along with his own. He wanted Naruto to be buried with it but they were heirlooms. Sakura and Sasuke were over there constantly trying to cheer him up. He hadn't had a good day since, it was either a bad day or an even worse day for him.

Sakura and Sasuke were over again. Gaara was standing on their balconey, thinking about Naruto as usual. Sakura and Sasuke were doing the same thing.

"You know my mom and his mom were like best friends. It took us a long time to be best friends."

"I don't know why I'm not better. Minato is doing so good...I feel like he died yesterday."

"Me too...I can't believe he's gone honestly. I thought he'd outlive us all."

"I keep expecting him to come in while I'm asleep or while I'm watching TV or something. His smile and...and...our bed seems so huge without him in it...it's like I'm drowning in just lack of Naruto every night."

"...I never thought I'd miss him this much. Never. I miss him more than I...it's bad to say this but...I miss him more than my father...and maybe my mother."

"...He's watching over us...I wish I could watch over him."

"I do too. I wish we could go back in time to when Sakura was still pregnant. We were all so happy."

"...I just want to be with again...so much...like...after two years...I wake up and turn over...to his side. Like I'm gonna kiss him goodmorning. His pillow still smells like him and I...I wake up every morning and have to remind myself...that I will never do that again...ever."

"It's hard when someone dies."

Gaara and Sasuke both started crying.

"...Naruto's the only person on this earth that has ever loved me unconditionally...that wasn't family. He just loved me for who I was. That day on the teacups...we both say...used to say...it was the best day of our lives...because it was...and that's why we spend...spent our anniversaries there...because there were so many happy memories...I want to be happy. When I think of our happy memories I don't want to cry...I want to smile...and remember him...but I can't do that when he's gone...I can't do anything when he's gone."

"...You two...can only thrive...when you're together. Maybe you just need to survive."

"You're right...but I can't give up trying to be happy...he'll never forgive me."

"I have a trick that helps me sometimes. Just picture Naruto up there, like ripping his hair out because you get to eat ramen or something. Or laughing hard at an awkward moment you're having or laughing with you when you make a great joke."

"...Ha...thanks Sasuke."

Gaara wiped his eyes and smiled. The first smile of two years.

"I'm gonna see him again. I'm going to see my Naruto."

"...When you do one day...tell him...tell him me and Sakura say hi. And that Naru misses him alot, misses her mentor. Konohamaru is always trying to do just as well as him in the hokage's office. Shi misses him like Naru. 3 misses you and him, your banter, everthing about you two that livened the hospital. The rest of the rookie 9 miss your and his friendships. Miss them terribly. His birthday is possibly the saddest day in this village, but I don't have to tell you that."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Just in case...if it's...not possible...to watch over...if it's not I want him to know...he was missed. He made good friends and he was dearly missed."

"I'll tell him if I have to. But who says I'm dying first?"

Minato walked in the apartment. He joined them on the balcony. Sasuke gave them some privacy. Gaara started to attempt to memorize every last detail of Minato, thinking maybe today he'd see Naruto, it could be any time anywhere and he wanted to be ready. It made him nervous and he reached for his collar again.

"What's wrong dad?"

"What did you do today?"

"I...I went to see Izuna...I went to Ichiraku's..."

"How's Izuna?"

"He told the rest of his graduating class about us."

"Cute."

"...Was that a smile?"

"Sasuke made it happen. He told me to picture Naruto up there, laughing at awkward moment and being jealous of us eating his ramen. And I know that's exactly what he's doing up there."

"Good for you dad...now that I think about it he's probably laughed at so much stuff I've done. Like when I met Izuna's friends, I made such and idiot of myself. He probably laughed..."

"...Makes me happy to know he's laughing somewhere."

"You're making him happy. Seeing you smile again."

A few years later their sensei's passed. They visited their graves practically daily. Soon Tsunade died too. Izuna and Minato married. Shisui and Naru settled down with their own spouses too. As did everyone else's children. Years and years later, after all their traditions and all their love and all their time together the rookie 9 passed. Almost simultaneously. They died together like they fought together, like they played together, like they learned together, like they lived together. Buried together, mourned equally by children and friends. Gone to the after life together to be with the dearly departed looking after their kids, their remaining family their remaining friends. They were rejoined with their dearly missed parents and senseis.

Gaara was the second of the rookie 9 to go, the first being Naruto. His suffering was over, he'd made it, with the same time of death as Naruto, 00:03. Minato, Sakura and Sasuke cried over his body. He saw what Naruto must've seen so many many years go. Suddenly he was more limber. No longer an old man with grandchildren. A teenager, 16. It was bright wherever he was, Sasuke was wrong, he could see them. He could also see Naruto, young and happy and smiling. Gaara sobbed, collapsed and turned around as he hugged his knees. Naruto ran towards him and hugged him from behind.

"Oh Naruto. Is it really you?"

"Gaara, I've been waiting for you for so long. I'm so glad you're here."

"I've missed you, so so much Naruto. You're the only person I could ever love. The only person."

"I was watching, I know. You're so cute."

Gaara couldn't stop smiling, he was really there, really talking to Naruto, really kissing Naruto, really hugging Naruto, talking and smiling at and dancing with and holding his Naruto.

"So no what? Forever like this? Just you and me?"

"Not forever. Minato's coming. Our friends even sooner. It'll be like before. I love you."

Gaara smiled bigger than Naruto had ever seen as he cried tears of joy.

"I love you so much. We've never been apart so long."

"Weird huh?"

"I really missed you. No one is as funny or as energetic as you. Or as loving...and that was hard to live with."

"I would've killed to climb into that twin bed with you one more time. Everytime I saw you going to sleep alone, crying. I wanted to be there so bad it hurt."

"I'm so glad you're here now. Or rather that I'm here now right?"

Naruto smiled and kissed him. Gaara had been missing that for about forty years.

"And look at us, all young."

"This is the age that we met each other at. I don't know how it's decided though. I don't care, I love you whether your sixteen or sixty four."

"I'm so happy right now...I haven't been in happy in a long time."

"I just wanted you to come here...but I didn't want you to leave Minato."

"We're gonna be buried together."

"I know, I can't wait."

"I think Minato'll be fine."

"He's got his Izuna."

"And I've got you."

"Remember when I died?"

"Yeah."

"Sing it again."

Naruto took the lead and began dancing with Gaara as he hummed and sang 'You Are My Sunshine', just like their wedding night.

"If this is a dream..."

"It's not. I'd tell you."

"...You make me happy...when skies are gray..."

"You'll never know...dear."

"How much I love you."

"Please don't take my Sunshine away."

"I can do this for eternity."

"Good. I can't wait."

"I love you."

"I love you too. Now come on, time to meet the parents. By the way your mother loves me."

Gaara giggled and kissed him over and over.

They all led good lives. Righted all wrongs, made amends with all senseis and enemies, loved, were loved, were happy, felt joy. Felt the pure bliss and happiness that children bring. They made the village, the land, the world a better place by being there. By living the way they did. The hospital was renamed after Sakura. Minato's donation to the market place fair kept the teacups up and running for generations to come. Gaara and Naruto's movements as Kage made waves, the best kind. They'd be remembered. Minato grieved for both of them a great amount. As did Izuna. He loved his dads but he had his own family to worry about now. It was hard to think of them as never brightening up a room with their love ever again. Never kissing his head goodnight again. Never would Naruto and Gaara smile at their son. Never. Not until his time came. Which was far in the future, he had his life to live with Izuna. One day they'd all be rejoined with their parents. One day, they'd be looking down on their friends and family, wondering where their prime had gone and if they'd be alright without them on earth.

One day.

"I love you Naruto."

"I love you too."

[End Story]