When the festive days of the wedding were long over and most had returned to their own homes, to live their own lives, the summer grew strong and hot, a good summer.

Akemi soon confirmed she was pregnant and the whole of the Uchiha clan seemed alight with excitement. As much as the clan of fire-wielders ever showed, at least. Toru, of course, was a well known figure among their numbers, and not only for his service to Konoha and then to the Ring, as well as his strength then, second only to their Head, Sasuke.

Naruto helped him raise the structure on the extra rooms he was building, and watched Yoisen and Ino make adjustments, companionably. He watched them as they moved around the house, pointing at things he wasn't quite sure he saw in corners; he watched them laugh and smile at each other in a way that just a few years back, he had never counted on. Toru had more than a few things to say about their plans, and Akemi, even more so. Even then, they ended up taking several of the suggestions.

The clearing of the Uzumaki (and Nii) household's storage room took a bit more work, as Yugito had the unfortunate habit of storing a lot of items she stumbled upon during her travels in and out of the Ring. Naruto made an ill-timed joke about cats, hoarding and hiding things, and Matatabi clawed the back of his hand, which got her in trouble with Yūshirō, who didn't exactly approve of sudden, escalated violence.

It wasn't to say he had any particular issue with justified use of violence, however kind he might have been. Perhaps it bore saying that just a few months after the remaining eight of the Nine's return, Yūshirō went along with Sakura on her first serious assignment outside of the Ring since the Battle of Takamagahara.

"I have a bad feeling about this." Boruto said, arms folded. "I think I'll come with you."

Yūshirō seemed bemused, and looked at him blankly. "Nah, it's going to be fine. I'm with Auntie."

And strangely enough, it turned out to be fine.

Not solely because Sakura was the strongest, most qualified person for any Warrior job that didn't involve peaceful diplomacy, although that was rather fascinating in itself: a girl born with rather weak chakra and nothing more than above average control, who had climbed her way to the top of the metaphorical food chain. It was the sort of happening that would have driven the clans mad, just a few decades earlier.

It helped, however. And yes, it turned out to be fine. Sakura accepted Yūshirō's no-killing condition rather easily, and although Boruto was surprised on his behalf, he was slightly moved, too.

"Your Lightning Prediction is shit, though." Sakura would tell Naruto's son, once they were done.

"…That's not an actual thing, is it?" Yūshirō asked, slightly anxiously.

To the young man, it was one thing to train under his father's rigorous methods, keeping up with his inventive challenges, like programming automatic responses to specific attacks or learning to manipulate the inner currents of electricity emitted by other living beings or harnessing the storm's inner beat to change the very nature of his affinity to something not quite natural. Bringing all of it to life together at once, however, was another ordeal entirely.

In answer to his question, Sakura only laughed, and Yūshirō obtained his answer. She decided he probably needed yet another teacher, possibly one that was as strong as it went, and so she agreed with herself to become his newest sensei.

And so it was that they settled into their new rhythm.

UZUMAKI NARUTO VS. PEACE

That went for all of them.

As before, they studied and learned and played and still, were kept rather busy. It was a world entirely at peace, certainly, and a golden age for innovation, a world that offered no shortage of opportunities. And so they continued to grow, if perhaps in new ways. Karin, in the first few months, learned how to paint things that were not seals, such as serene landscapes, Hanabi finally taught Naruto how to dance, and Sakura accidentally poisoned most of her household.

That was not to say they became entirely different people, of course.

"That's bullshit!" Jiraiya exclaimed.

"Jiraiya." Sasuke called, deadpan, gaze lifting from the board.

"But he is right." Hinata — Kage's wife, not Sasuke's, who simply shook her head — said, lips pursed. "Although the wording leaves much to be desired — It isn't right."

"Whoa, whoa." Toru said, lifting both hands, as his wife rolled her eyes. "I didn't mean to do that, of course — I wasn't aware you played with a different set of rules, that's all."

"Those are the same rules as always." Hanabi snorted. "Nice try. Your road needs to be longer by one segment than the current longest one for you to claim the two points. Not the same length."

"Oh, my bad." Toru said simply. "I didn't know."

"Are you going to say you forgot?" Sakura sneered. "Again?"

"What can I say?" Toru said disarmingly. "I simply have very poor memory."

In any case, Year Seventeen was a beautiful one.

With Sasuke's help, Karin planted saplings in the backyard. Hanabi hoped they would someday grow taller than those behind Toru and Akemi's house, visible in the distance to everyone but her.

Autumn draped Umi in its golden hues, filling the air with the crisp scent of falling leaves. Naruto spent most of that particular season studying the Path of Mastery. Despite Mitsuki's repeated assurances — proclaiming him already the most qualified, already beyond needing any further preparation — Naruto persisted in doing things the traditional way. And although Mitsuki often came by for tea, quite unsubtly checking on him at the same time for the first few months, Naruto remained steadfast in ignoring his pleas to simply take upon the role. He continued to spend his afternoons between scrolls and books and his family.

On the fourteenth of November, Ino approached her wife with a proposition. "Come with me, Yoisen? To Sector N112, to the water worlds."

Yoisen, although slightly bemused, was rather practical about the matter. "I would love to, however, I do not think I am able to guard anyone, as of now."

Ino laughed off her concerns with a wave of her hand. "Does it matter? I am strong enough for both of us, I think." Her confidence was as much a part of her as her sharp tongue, Yoisen thought. She agreed, and away the two of them went.

Back in Umi, with most of their friends entangled in their own affairs, and nearly all of them busy with other matters, for a while, it was just Naruto and Karin again, and it felt slightly nostalgic. They spent their days leisurely, indulging in quiet companionship, light conversation, and movies of rather dubious taste. They spent time with Orochimaru and Anko too, and they ate pancakes, and there was no one to stop them.

By the time Ino and Yoisen returned, they had plenty of tales to share. Yoisen had learned the basics of a new language, Ino had sealed an official alliance with ocean dwellers, and their recounting of adventures in underwater cities and encounters with strange sea creatures was full of contagious enthusiasm.

"Had no trouble at all?" Yūshirō asked.

Hanabi replied with a smile. "Bah. Ino was there. Of course they didn't. Besides, if brute strength were needed, they would've asked me. Or you."

"Fair enough."

"She's right, you know. You're pretty good at breaking faces for a pacifist, demon boy." Sakura said approvingly.

Yūshirō, by then, was all too used to similar comments, and he knew it was as close to a true compliment as it went with Sakura. "Thanks, Auntie."

It wasn't as though they didn't stay in contact during such expeditions, of course. Ino, always preferring immediate interaction, made frequent direct calls, and Yoisen, who had always been more fond of messages, wrote to them often. There was never a shortage of these affectionate letters, and never would be.

The pleasant autumn sun gave way to light rains, and with them came the smell of petrichor. Although he could smell it, Naruto slowly stopped paying attention to the ozone. The rain tapped a gentle rhythm on the leaves, a whisper through the trees, and the breeze carried a heartier scent.

Around that time, Kage, Gama and Roku had ventured into a new pursuit, aside from their usual endeavors — opening a brewery. It started as a modest establishment, but it would prove quite resilient. Indeed, Year Seventeen would be remembered as a magnificent year for beer-enthusiasts.

Winter came, and Sasuke invited the Uzumaki, Nii, and the sea-Uchiha to stay with them in Konoha for a while. It was a cold winter, and the season draped the village in a pristine cloak of white. Frosted rooftops and silvery, snow-laden paths; the sort of cold the village hadn't seen since the years of Naruto's childhood. There was the soft echo of distant laughter in the air, as well as the delicate crunch of snow underfoot, too.

And for all the bad blood, and the complicated feelings Naruto had about this place, the Uchiha clan compound, with its warm lights and welcoming hearths, ( for they remained staunch traditionalists) became a warm refuge from the cold. Inside, fires crackled merrily, casting dancing shadows across the walls, and warm spice tea was enough to shield anyone from the bite of frost.

There was much laughter and conversation, and more black-haired children than Naruto had expected, laughing in delight as they fashioned snow sculptures and chased each other with snowballs, cheeks flushed with the cold. Less than a hundred years ago, they would have been considered to be of fighting age.

It wasn't a time for darkness, however, and although both Sasuke and Yoisen could guess at his thoughts, they said nothing of them. The thoughts passed, and Mikoto taught a few of them the art of knitting, which she considered to be one that was slowly disappearing. She was wrong in that, but Yūshirō wouldn't point it out, for he was too glad to be staying with his grandmother along with everyone.

Naruto and Sasuke, the younger Uchiha siblings, returned from their recent adventures, laden with scavenged artifacts. Sasuke, the elder, sighed at the sight, urging them to stop hoarding such items. He reminded them that just because Yugito, whom they were still fond of for reasons that extended beyond her rescuing them from their homeworld, collected artifacts of her own, it didn't justify their own accumulation.

"We'll take them with us when we move out." Sasuke, the younger one, said.

By then, however, it was evident that they had no real plans to leave. The elder Sasuke simply nodded, pretending to believe them. "I see."

The rather large gathering exchanged gifts when the new year came, and Hotaru and Tayuya played music for them, and together, they all watched the fireworks illuminate the sky together, huddled up on a rooftop, wrapped in shared warmth.

And so did spring come.

By the time the cherry trees unfurled and cast the streets of Konoha in a pink hue, their numbers were already unofficially settled in Boruto's home. He and his young partners welcomed the help with the children, certainly. The air grew warmer again, full of the smell of growth, life awakening in every corner.

Yes, it was becoming clear that Orochimaru, for all his lack of a poetic soul, had been right in keeping the seasons as they were. There were things that were beautiful because they were imperfect. Or perhaps it had been Kaguya's idea, for it seemed she brought to the man something he had never truly considered he was lacking.

No one quite knew.

There were many matters to attend to, many discoveries to be made, some grandiose and others not, and time went on, and ushered in summer. In Umi, it was a true swelter, the sort of heat that might have sapped spirits and weighed heavily on bodies in the past. The man-made sun hung heavy in the sky, dominating, relentless in its heat, and the haze that shimmered over the beaches was rather impressive. Yet, the people of Umi remained untroubled, for there was a limit to how natural they were willing to let things be, as they cherished their leisurely days by the sea.

And although the day's heat would have been oppressive in different circumstances, the cooler evenings, when the sky turned a deep, velvety blue, brought people together. People from afar and not, that was. Night markets thrived, alive with the sounds of traditional and modern music, the rich aroma of street food, and the solace of the day's heat.

Yes, dusk settled and the night took hold, and the town came alive in a different rhythm. Sakura, during the vibrant festivities, quietly observed Yūshirō and Yui, the adorable pair, in matching yukata, choosing to keep her thoughts to herself. There were other days for meddling.

Hanabi thought differently. "Why doesn't she simply tell him?"

"Well." Hitoshi said to his aunt. "If anyone could answer this question, it's not me."

"I'd do it." Jiraiya declared. "If I were in his shoes and if I kept his same, terrible taste."

"Like hell you would." His brother said, frowning. "I think you just like talking a big game."

"You're wrong again, and it's becoming ridiculous."

Akemi gave birth to their first child in July, and despite her insistence on naming the boy after Toru's deceased mentor, acknowledging his significant influence, Toru firmly refused. Kakashi had once extracted a half-serious promise from him, supposedly, declaring his own name unlucky and expressing his disbelief in naming children after the departed. Their son, whom they named Hiro, was lively and demanding.

"Well, see?" Toru said, cradling his newborn son as his loud cries filled the room. The baby's cries, that was, not Toru's, although he was weeping. "With a voice like this, Kakashi would never have suited him. And Takashi? Just too goofy."

"Where do you think he gets that voice from, exactly?" Akemi responded.

"Same place he got everything else, of course — from you."

After they celebrated Yūshirō's eighteenth birthday, with loving, messy tenderness, Year Eighteen passed to its Autumn. The first of Karin's children was born on the thirteenth of November, and two things were particularly remarkable about Satoshi: his shockingly bright red hair, and his considerable size.

"You do realize you were not supposed to feed him Cubes before birth, right?" Sakura asked, neutrally.

Karin laughed, both relieved that the whole thing was over, and that aside from the rather striking size, he looked like any normal newborn. "Stop projecting, dear. You wish you'd have grown to be half as tall."

Someday, Uzumaki Satoshi would become the largest of his extended family, towering over them all, including his father and his big brother, who would eventually get used to it. For all his wild mane of crimson hair and his tendency to forget about his own strength, he was and would always remain a gentle giant.

But that was for the future.

When Satoshi was around two months old, on the fifth of December, Ino welcomed her son Riku into the world. From the moment he opened his eyes, they captivated anyone who looked into them, mirroring the deep blue of clear skies. Even as an infant, Riku would seem to possess an uncanny awareness, almost as if he expected others to read thoughts as effortlessly as he always could.

"…He has your forehead." Ino said, with a hint of amusement in her voice, and there was no question who she meant. "Somehow."

"What—" Sakura muttered. "Of course not. His is massive."

"Yes."

"It's perfectly normal-sized." Naruto chimed in, grinning, although his eyes seemed slightly misty once more. "Cute, even. Perfect for kisses."

Sakura whirled around. "Who told you about that?"

"…Told me about what?"

Despite the demands of caring for two young children, Naruto was not exactly overwhelmed yet. With more assistance than most could dream of, he felt rather fortunate. In the days that followed, and perhaps because he half-feared what was to come, he also solidified his commitment by finalizing his acceptance into the Path of Mastery.

Because Hanabi was never one to be outdone, she gave birth to triplets in January.

"…Three?" Naruto asked breathlessly, and Yoisen rubbed his back soothingly, mustering her own courage as well. "I thought — I thought there was just a decent chance we'd have twins — Like Sasuke — Or Boruto — You said it was a family thing—"

"Sorry." Hanabi said with a shrug, her voice light. "I just couldn't see it coming."

"Or maybe you specifically told the Healers you didn't want to know." Toru remarked.

"Keep it up and see if I don't make your brother the godfather instead." She said.

"My theory." Toru said, noticing Naruto's struggle to find words. "Is that you simply had too many character flaws for any other single person or two to handle. It's a stroke of luck, really. Now the sin is split among three vessels."

Their names would be Kaito, Minori, and Yumi. Their family gathered around them, and no one quite marveled at them the same way Yūshirō did, as he had and as he would for each and every one of his numerous siblings. He settled into his role quite easily, to. Perhaps too seamlessly, as his attentiveness sometimes bordered on overbearing — not the same way Noriko could be, however, but in a rather more pleasant sort of way. Both his parents and his aunts frequently had to reassure him. "There's no need to hover so much," they would say, or "We don't need more help, Yūshirō, but thank you." "Yes, the clothes you picked for them are very cute." Despite the gentle reminders, his earnest efforts were appreciated by all.

Surprisingly, the triplets would exhibit manners that were impeccable, kindness that was consistent, and temperaments that were even, leaving many astonished. Except for Hinata, who seemed to have anticipated such a thing. The true complexity of the triplets' characters only manifested when they were left to their own devices.

"Hellions." Sakura would call them, affectionately. Perhaps it bore saying that they had a special fondness for her, which would blossom into a deep, enduring bond, similar to her relationships with nearly all her students and relatives, despite her own idiosyncrasies. In time, the three would grow to become legendary figures; Guardians and Warriors, all of them, they inherited all of their parents' gifts and blood, and their affinity for chakra itself easily rivaled Yūshirō's own, although he would always remain more driven.

For all of that potential and precociousness, that would be then.

As of now, they were and would remain teethless for a while. And though Hanabi would soon prove to be a dutiful mother, which she would proclaim to be an Uzumaki thing, dismissing any Hyūga inclinations, about a month later, Naruto strode into the lecture hall almost an hour late, having been kept busy by the triplets.

Among the scholars gathered, not everyone was pleased. Yuzuki Ayako, a native of Ring Eight, voiced her discontent crisply. "Sure, he has achieved remarkable, terrible things, but to be late to his first lecture?"

To Ayako, the former Emperor was a fighter first and foremost, a man who wielded chakra, this near-divine gift, as merely a weapon. She viewed his son through the same lens and considered Naruto's admission to the Path of Mastery as blatant nepotism. The fact that he could no longer wield chakra only reinforced her skepticism. What insights could such a person possibly offer about anything, including chakra itself?

It was quite tragic, in a way. A Warrior stripped of his essence must feel profoundly lost. A man of war, who had lost what made him himself. She speculated how diminished he might appear now.

"No." She continued, turning to her fellow scholar. "I doubt a man who has just expanded his family so significantly will have the time or focus to commit here—"

In out through the archway, a man came confidently.

Ayako thought it was a man, at least. There was something unmistakable about him, however. It wasn't just the authority that seemed to emanate from him despite his casual demeanor, nor his fierceness; it was his eyes — purple and almost luminescent, hinting at something otherworldly.

"Apologies." Uzumaki Naruto said with a slight grin. "I got lost on the path of life. It won't happen again. You are here to learn more about chakra, and I believe I can teach you exactly that."

And soon enough, Yuzuki Ayako decided she was convinced.

Over the next couple of months, Sakura finally finished her book.

As her friends and family erupted into cheers at the announcement, she waved them off with a mutter. "Stop it, stop it. It's just a book — it's not even that great. Really, it's not a big deal. A long time coming."

"It's a big deal to you." Ino said. "And that means it's a big deal to us."

"…Fine." Sakura said, then paused. "You're not saying this just because I dedicated it to you all, right?"

"Not at all." Karin replied, her smile reassuring. "Though that does make it extra special."

Toru, who had read it, found it at least slightly better than his own, although he would never mention it. A few years later, however, they would work together on a memoir, supplemented by the accounts of their friends.

In the spring, on March the twenty-third, Yoisen gave birth to Aoi. Though she did not share her yet unborn sister Kazue's golden eyes, they shared the same pale hair.

"I thought your hair used to be red like mine." Karin pointed out.

"It was, yes." Yoisen said. "I suppose some things carry over, and that others transform entirely."

"Well." Karin said. "Regardless, she's a cutie. Just like her mother."

By that time, there were so many children crawling around the house that when Ino told him she wanted another, Naruto barely stopped to consider it before accepting. He was a bit more surprised, however, when Karin followed. Nori, in time, would grow to look very much like his Yamanaka grandfather, and Mana, perhaps because of the purple eyes and the red hair, resembled both her grandmothers.

Sakura, whenever she pictured herself interacting with all these children and the ones that would follow — from Yuna to Kaizen to Sumi to Tsubaki, as well as the ones who would be born later, and Toru and Sasuke and Anko's yet unborn children — would occasionally feel as though she must have looked quite ridiculous from the outside. It could be rather difficult for her, indeed, to know what to do with these giggling, space-invasive creatures. She did a quite passable job, however she thought.

Kaguya's third and latest son, who didn't share quite that much with Hagoromo and Hamura, aside from small horns, would someday be born and become one of the most problematic men upon the Rings, if in a well-meaning way.

But that, too, was a story for another day.

Time went on, and there was no pressure in that. When Mitsuki asked him whether he would someday be interested in regaining his former power, should such a thing ever become possible, with eyes full of peculiar scrutiny, Naruto only shrugged.

"Eh, good question." He said. "I don't think it matters much, frankly. Besides, I've got kids to raise."

In the autumn of Year Nineteen, Naruto, Sasuke and Toru took a three-month-long walk around Ring Five, as they were curious about how much things were said to have changed there. The answer was 'quite a lot,' and how great of a change it was. The memory of that expedition became so cherished that the journey became a tradition, repeated every five years from then on, sometimes joined by others.

They sparred, too, frequently, and it was something that had stopped being a matter of life and death, and was becoming closer to a celebration of their enduring friendship. Or a never-ending competition in which Toru maintained a narrow lead, perhaps.

No matter what it was, at around that time, having benefited from the guidance of some of the most formidable mentors in the empire, as well as having the drive to make the most of it, and at the sage-like age of nineteen, Yūshirō became the youngest S-rank Warrior.

His formation was rigorous and diverse, and he learned not just the arts of combat and strategy from people he considered family, but also the subtler skills of diplomacy and logic. It was a comprehensive education that encompassed more than just arts, history and science, and as he tackled them all, he set a pace that would be unmatched for a while. All of this, he did while helping take care of his growing siblings, and there was not a day he wished things were different.

It was a changed world, in many ways.

By the end of January of Year Twenty, Sarutobi Biwako had made up her mind. It was Konohamaru who relayed her wish to see Naruto. On a chilly afternoon, with spring still shy of two months away, Naruto set out to meet her. Asuma's expression was slightly somber as he greeted him, but it was the expression of a man who had known the bad news was coming.

Biwako greeted Naruto at the door, and her face was lighter than he had expected.

Naruto did not ask her where they were going; they simply fell into step and set out to walk through the compound, and then Konoha. It was a pale winter evening, and they passed a secluded tree where Naruto once sought solitude. The stars glimmered in the sky, and both of them were silent, lost in memories of their own.

He took that moment to remember the woman who had taught him how to read, and how to heal, and it felt like all of it had happened an eternity ago.

"Well, Naruto." She said. "I hear you have become quite the father."

"I'm not sure who said that." Naruto nodded. "But I do try."

"It surprises me." Biwako admitted. "I would never have pictured you becoming a family man, then." Her voice caught slightly. "But I suppose I've missed seeing many things."

"There's no need for any bitterness in this farewell." Naruto reassured her, shaking his head. "I told you, once. I've long since moved beyond those days."

"I thought you might have, yes."

"Why bring it up now, then?" Naruto queried. "Your teachings shaped me, though perhaps not as you intended. Without them, things wouldn't be as they are."

"...I understand." Biwako said. "It is good to know. However many regrets I have, I have watched Konoha grow, change, and become more than even Hiruzen could ever have foreseen. It will keep evolving. My era, however, I fear has ended. I do not wish to live forever. Nothing holds me there, although it is a beautiful world you have built."

Naruto, feeling that her decision truly was made, only nodded. "Very well. Thank you for your guidance, then. They will miss you."

A rare laugh escaped her. "How blunt. Very much like you."

He smiled, too.

Together, they ascended the Hokage Monument, settling down to watch the sunset.

"This was his favorite view." Biwako murmured. "He claimed it was the most beautiful scene in the world."

"I know." Naruto replied, his heart unexpectedly light. "I know."

The following day, as the sun rose, it cast a pale, golden light over the village.

Then Sarutobi Biwako passed on; for she felt her age was over, and for the soul of shinobi had changed, and she saw no point in lingering longer in this world, and she knew she was expected.

At the gates of the Pure Lands, Hiruzen awaited her, and he was as gray and old as she was, and his eyes were youthful, and they walked into the light, and as they did, so did she become a pure soul as well.

The sun climbed higher in the sky, another beautiful winter day. Naruto, feeling slightly wistful, stayed by Biwako's side as she drifted off, becoming nothing more than wisps of chakra, surrounded by family.

Naruto would go home to his family soon after, and Umi's winter was pleasantly warm, and a hearty meal awaited, and his family was eager to begin. Ino met him at the door, pulled him by the hand, leading him to the brightly lit window, and so did lunch begin, a loud, chatty affair.

In that moment, and in all others, Naruto considered himself the luckiest man in the world.

AN: Just one more to go, published tomorrow.

Next chapter: EPILOGUE: All the Lights in the Sky