Epilogue

(Forest behind the old Hokage Monument)

It had been nine months since the Jūbi's defeat.

Kakashi stood in a clearing in the woods. Everything was ready. He'd stopped by the Memorial Stone and explained everything to the departed. He had informed Tsunade and the Council what he was planning and what he hoped would happen. All that was left was to follow through.

"I hope this works," he muttered, lifting the headband blocking his eye.

He concentrated and vanished in a whirl of distortion.

(Hyūga District)

"Hinata-sama, you sent for me?" Neji said, upon entering the office.

Hinata turned around with a severe look on her face and held up her hands as though to perform the hand sign to invoke his seal.

"W-what?" Neji stammered out confused.

Hinata's face broke into a grin as she giggled. She took a few moments to compose herself before holding up a scroll to show a seal on it. "The counter seal to remove the Caged Bird seal."

"You finally managed to make it? We're... free?"

She gave him a gentle smile. "Yes, Neji, the branch family is free."

The moment Hinata had become the head of the Hyūga clan she had abolished the use of the seal. Children born from then on no longer had to fear the Caged Bird seal, but those already born were another matter. Their ancestors had never created a way to remove it, so it had taken time to break it down and figure out how to remove it.

"Let's get this spread to the branch members," she continued. In a few short hours the Hyūga clan would finally be free of that dark seal.

(Grassy Hill)

CLANG

"Ouch! Damn it, what is it with troublesome women and hitting me with metal objects?"

"What the hell did you just say?!" The woman ground out, holding her giant fan up for another strike.

"I said, hello Temari, what brings you out here?" Shikamaru said, sweating.

"Oh, you know, just that DATE we're supposed to be on right now!"

"Ah, right, that... I have a reservation," he said, laying back down.

Temari glared at him. "You said you would pick me up an hour ago. I doubt it's still good."

"Only an hour? Then we're still ok," he said patting the grass next to him. "Relax and watch the clouds with me for a bit. We've still got time."

Temari huffed but still sat down next to him to look up at the sky.

(Laboratory)

"We got a new sample in," the redhead said as Sakura entered for her daily shift.

"Kimimaro and Jūgo again?" Sakura asked her as she moved over to the table Karin was working at. "Those two work fast."

"Mhmm, from Sector 1."

"One? Old Iwa?"

"Mhmm," she said, stepping aside. "Take a look."

Sakura stepped forward to look at the sample they had received. After studying it for a moment she gasped. "It's breaking down!"

Karin pushed her glasses up. "Of course it is. You didn't think I couldn't beat this, did you?"

"But... this... we'll be able to expand! We won't have to worry so much anymore! Will it work on all of it? How long will it take?" She blurted out in rapid succession.

"It will take awhile. Ten years or so probably, and it seems each area's miasma is a bit different, but since we've already got our start here it shouldn't take us long to break down the others."

Sakura seemed to droop a bit at the number. "Ten years... still, I guess it won't be so bad. We'll just have to keep the population control laws in effect for a bit."

Karin looked over at her. "Speaking of children... what was his name? Neji? If you two get serious..."

"K-karin! We've just started dating!"

"Pink hair and white eyes? It's a good thing we're not fighting anymore, that would make a terrible combination for a ninja. How do you two even get along? He's all proper and you're... you."

"Karin..." Sakura growled out.

"Does he Jūken you when you get out of control?"

"SHUT UP!" The pinkette raged, throwing and smashing things as Karin ducked out of the room with a smirk.

(?)

Kakashi found himself in a void. He looked around curiously. Yep, void. Black everywhere. No sky or land, just void. He looked up to find the moon that obviously held the Jūbi.

Turning his gaze down he found endless floating squares of all shapes and sizes in the void. On one of the squares in the distance he saw an unusual lump on it.

After making his way to the square he found it was two people. One was an old woman. Withered and white-haired. Her skin was dry when he checked for a pulse.

Nothing.

He looked at the other anxiously. It wasn't old or withered like the woman but it was just lying there like she was. He checked for a pulse.

…

…

Just as he was about to give up and pull his hand away he felt it. 'There! It's faint, but he's still alive!' He looked at the boy with his Sharingan. His chakra was so low he should be dead. Kakashi quickly pulled out a pill and popped it into the boy's mouth, massaging his throat until he swallowed it.

It took some time but eventually the boy woke up and sat up groggily. He glanced down at the woman next to him.

"She's dead," Kakashi told him. "We should get you home. There are people that will be glad to see you. Especially since you've been gone about nine months now."

He nodded. "I'd like to bury her first."

"You sure? I mean it has been nine months. Isn't there anyone you'd like to see?"

"Why do you keep stressing how long I've been gone?"

Kakashi casually pulled out his little orange book. "Oh, I don't know. How long did it take you to prepare this? You must have had some free time, right? You spend any time with Tayuya?"

'Yeah, I had free time. But you could be some damn help and tell me instead of reading your-' He blinked as he looked at the book in Kakashi's hand. "Oh shit."

Kakashi grinned and placed a hand on his shoulder.

(Hospital)

Sasuke was walking calmly through the halls as he headed for the room. He had spent a great deal of thought on this. If it turned out the way he hoped it would, he would have new family.

Finally he reached the room she was in and reached for the handle to enter.

"Aaaaagh! I'm too young for this! That shithead did this on purpose!"

Maybe he would stay outside for a bit.

"I'm going to rip the dick off the next man I see!"

Definitely staying outside for a bit.

He waited patiently as the cursing and screaming continued for some time. Eventually it stopped and he heard the sound of an infant crying. He waited until the nurses informed him it was ok to enter and found Tayuya holding a newborn.

The baby had some fuzz the color of Tayuya's hair. One of the eyes was brown, just like Tayuya's. The other was black, just like His.

Sasuke smiled and pulled out some paperwork.

"The hell is that?" Tayuya asked, eyeing him suspiciously.

"She's got the Sharingan. These are forms to become an Uchiha. They just need your signature."

"Find your own damn woman, she's mine," a voice cut in from the door.

Sasuke whipped around as Tayuya's head jerked towards the door. The papers fell from Sasuke's hand as he stared in shock. Standing there was a haggard Menma, supported by Kakashi.

"Yo. Sorry I'm late, Kakashi-sensei took his sweet time picking me up." He pulled himself off Kakashi's shoulder and hobbled over to Tayuya's side.

She looked up at him with a bright smile and tears in her eyes. "Say hello to your daughter, shithead."