Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto (either manga or anime!); the wonderful Masashi Kishimoto-sensei owns all rights. However, the plot and Namiko Uzumaki are mine!

Chapter 42: Leave Out All The Rest

Tsunade waited a few moments before entering Itachi's room shutting down the machines. "I'm sorry for your loss, Sasuke. I want to let you know that Itachi was telling the truth; he was a double agent for Konoha. He saved the lives of tens of thousands in this village."

Sasuke pressed his lips together in a firm line. "What happens now?"

"Just like after the massacre, his body will be cremated to keep any hidden secrets of Konoha safe," explained Tsunade.

"Wait, ba-chan, before you do that, Itachi wanted Sasuke to have his eyes implanted to help his Sharingan."

"I don't want them…not right now anyway," said Sasuke quietly.

Tsunade folded her arms over her chest. "Understood. I can have them stored securely until you're ready to transplant them."

"I want to know something..." said Sasuke as he stood to face her. "Itachi showed me a memory of Danzo forcing him into the massacre and was the one to give him the order. Was that the truth?"

Tsunade's expression hardened a mix of anger and sorrow in her eyes. "It's true. Danzo manipulated the situation and forced Itachi to make a near-impossible decision. Danzo preyed on the rest of the council's fear and prejudice toward the Uchiha clan allowing him to get away with his own agenda. And before you ask, he's been held under questioning since the day after you and Itachi arrived and we discovered that he ordered the massacre. He'll be held fully accountable for his actions. For now, we need to focus on keeping the village safe."

Namiko looked warily at her godmother. "You're worried that the Akatsuki will try to come after Itachi, right?"

"It's a possibility. There's also a possibility that this may drive them into hiding for a while. Right now, I'm keeping as many shinobi in our walls as possible just in case, including you two." Tsunade blew out a stressed breath. "It's bad enough that Jiraiya is gone at the moment, but he has been keeping close tabs on the Akatsuki which will be much needed right now. You two go home and get some rest."

Namiko nodded and walked toward the door with Sasuke close behind. Right before he exited the room, he turned and took one last look at the body of his brother. 'Was all this worth it, nii-san?'

Namiko gave him a sympathetic look as she gently grabbed hold of his hand and interlinked her fingers with his. "Come on, I know where we can go." Sasuke was too numb to remove his hand from hers as they passed Kakashi, not caring whether his old sensei saw.

As they disappeared down the hall, Tsunade came back out and joined Kakashi. He raised his visible eyebrow. "When did that happen?"

"Sometime during the six months that Namiko was with him."

"…interesting."

The sun was still below the horizon but light was beginning to filter through the sky as Namiko and Sasuke slowly made their way to the Uchiha compound. The air was still, and the only sounds were the soft rustle of leaves and the distant chirping of birds as they began to wake from their slumber.

They walked in silence, the weight of Itachi's death heavy on their shoulders. When they reached the pond, Sasuke paused at the end of the pier, looking out over the water. The surface was calm, but the water was dark and cold, like how his heart felt right now.

Namiko sat down on the pier and took his hand, tugging it softly, silently asking him to sit too. Sasuke picked up a small pebble as he sat next to her and tossed it into the water, watching the ripples spread out.

"Do you want to talk about him?" Namiko asked softly.

Sasuke was silent for a moment before voicing his thoughts. "He was always so strong, so determined. I looked up to him more than anyone. Even after everything...I never stopped loving him, even when I hated him."

Namiko interlaced their fingers and began to rub her thumb over the back of his hand, her presence a comforting balm to his aching heart. "He loved you too, Sasuke. He did everything for you and the village. He wanted our future to be better than his past."

Sasuke's eyes squeezed his eyes shut to hold back his unshed tears. "I just wish I could have told him that I loved him too, but I just froze as he died right in front of us."

"He knew you loved him. You will honor his memory every day by living the life he wanted for you," Namiko said as she squeezed his hand. "By protecting the village and loving those around you. That's what he wanted most."

Sasuke turned to her, tears finally streaking down his cheeks. "How can I live in peace when he lived in chaos?"

"He could have died along with you and your clan, but he took the burden on himself, put the blood on his hands to save you because he knew you were worth it. He knew by taking the pain on himself, that you would have an opportunity to thrive. Otherwise, you would've died, and I would've never had the chance to truly know you. To fall in love with you." Namiko reached out, brushing the tears from his face. "We'll get through this together, Sasuke."

He took a deep breath, feeling a small sense of peace settle over him. "Thank you, Namiko. I don't know what I'd do without you."

She smiled, her love for him shining in her eyes. "You don't have to. I'm here, forever and always."

"And you'll never be without me." Sasuke leaned over and placed a chaste kiss on her lips. "How are you doing after seeing that memory of your mom?"

"It made me realize how much Naruto acts like our mother and it makes me wonder if I take after our father." Namiko sighed. "I'm honestly makes me miss her even though I never knew her. I never expected our mothers to have been friends, but it made me happy to see them so close. Makes me wonder if maybe they would be happy that we're together."

"Probably," said Sasuke as he finally smiled slightly. "You know, Nekobaa pulled me aside that night to tell me that my mother would've loved you and I shouldn't let you go."

"She's a smart woman," Namiko smirked and giggled. "Speaking of smart women, your mom seemed to have engineered our first meeting. And that meeting…did you really like me back then?"

"I did. Your hair may have been what initially caught my attention, but it was your personality that made me fall in love with you."

"Wait, is that where that rumor of you liking girls with long hair came from?"

"Well, I guess technically it wasn't a rumor since there was only one long-haired girl I liked," he replied with a smirk.

A mischievous grin crossed her lips. "You do mean me, right?"

Sasuke chuckled softly, a rare sound that seemed to brighten the early morning, especially after the dreary night they'd had. "Yes, Namiko, I mean you."

She rested her head on his shoulder as they sat in comfortable silence, the sky brightening as the sun rose. The water below them shimmered with the first light of day, casting gentle reflections that danced across their faces. For a moment, it felt like the world was standing still, giving them a precious pause from the chaos and pain they had endured.

Namiko hummed contentedly as she took in their surroundings. "It's good to be at the pond in person, not that I minded your genjutsu. It's truly beautiful and peaceful. I definitely wouldn't mind living next to this every day," she said as she hid a yawn behind her hand.

"Good to know." Sasuke stood and offered her a hand. "Come on, let's go back home. You need some rest."

When they entered the apartment, Naruto was already awake, sitting at the kitchen table with a bowl of ramen. He looked up as they entered, concern glossing over his face at his sister's worn expression and the hollow look in Sasuke's eyes. "Hey…I saw your note…"

Namiko shook her head sadly. Naruto stood up and put his bowl in the sink. "Do you guys want some breakfast? I can make some ramen—"

"Thanks, nii-chan, but I think right now we need sleep," she said as she stifled another yawn. "Why are you awake so early? It's barely six o'clock."

"Yamato-taichou wanted to meet me for training while Jiraiya-sensei is gone." He walked to the front door to slip on his sandals. "I probably won't be back until after lunch, so it's just you two. Let me know if you need anything."

Namiko gave him a grateful look as he closed the door. Sasuke had walked into her bedroom while she went to the bathroom to splash some water on her face. 'This whole thing has been exhausting. I can only imagine how this feels for Sasuke. I've never lost anyone before and I didn't really know Itachi, yet I want to break down and cry. I can't do that though; Sasuke needs me.' She patted her face with a towel and froze as she looked in the mirror. 'We're both sixteen now…and he dealt with the death of hundreds of family members at the age of not even eight. I'm still amazed he was only gone from the academy during that time for a few weeks; I think I would've never gone back.'

When she entered her room, Sasuke was lying on her bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. She slipped under the covers next to him, curling her body into his as she rested her head on his chest and wrapped her arms around his waist.

"Thank you for being with me," he whispered, his voice barely audible.

"Always," she replied as she leaned up to kiss his lips softly before resuming her position. His arms tightened around her and she felt his breathing start to even out as she focused on his steady heartbeat lulling her into a deep slumber.

Namiko was surprised to find Sakura at the front door after lunch. "Sakura, what's going on?"

"Tsunade-shishou sent me to collect you. Something about Jiraiya-sensei; she already sent Kakashi-sensei after Naruto," said Sakura as she craned her neck to look for Sasuke. When she didn't see him right away, she added in a whisper, "How is he?"

Namiko gave a forlorn smile. "About as good as you'd expect. He'll have to come with us; let me go grab him." She disappeared down the hall while Sakura stood in the doorway. She got Sasuke and the two followed Sakura to Tsunade's office.

As they stood outside the door, Namiko felt like her heart was beating out of her chest. 'If Tsunade-ba-chan has sent for both me and Naruto, and this is about Jiraiya-ji-chan…oh please let me be wrong that this is bad news…'

Sasuke watched her with concern from the corner of his eye, he reached over and squeezed her hand briefly as a sign of silent support. Namiko glanced at him, pressing her lips together nervously.

Sakura didn't fail to notice their unspoken exchange and suddenly felt a pang of jealousy and embarrassment. 'So, I'm right…something did happen between them while they were gone. Whatever it is, it's changed the both of them, especially since the time we saw them at Orochimaru's base.'

Before Sakura could knock on the door, Naruto and Kakashi came around the corner. "Namiko, Sasuke, Sakura…? What are you three doing here?" asked Naruto.

Namiko didn't have time to answer as Kakashi knocked on the door, followed by Tsunade's voice calling out "Come in" as Kakashi motioned for the four teens to enter the room.

Inside the room were Tsunade, Shizune, and Sai, along with several toads. One older, light green toad who was sitting on a carrier atop another toad spoke up, "So this is Jiraiya-chan's disciple?"

Tsunade sat at her desk, hands folded neatly in front of her. "Yes, this is Uzumaki Naruto, the probable Child of Prophecy, and his sister Namiko," she said as she gestured to them.

"A geezer frog?" questioned Naruto loudly.

Namiko smacked his forearm lightly as Tsunade snapped out, "Naruto! Watch your mouth! This is one of the two great sage toads of Mount Myoboku, Fukasaku-sama. He came all the way here so he could speak with you."

Fukasaku spoke, his voice showing his obvious age, "Are you really Jiraiya-chan's disciple?"

"Chan? Jiraiya-chan? How dare you treat Ero-sennin like a kid? Who does this geezer frog think he is?!" Naruto glared intensely at Fukasaku.

"Naruto!" snapped Tsunade again, "I said to watch your mouth! He's the venerable master who taught Jiraiya sage jutsu."

Naruto's eyes widened. 'Maybe I should learn to keep my mouth shut sometimes…'

"Ero-sennin, huh? What a fitting nickname for Jiraiya-chan," chuckled Fukasaku.

Naruto stared at the old toad. "What do you want with me anyway?"

Fukasaku's expression went from laughing to somber in the drop of a kunai. "I'm not sure where to begin. I suppose the most important thing is…I'm afraid Jiraiya-chan has died in battle."

Suddenly it felt like all the air had been sucked out of the room. Naruto shook his head, trying to understand if he had heard right. "…huh? What are you talking about? He…he can't be dead…" Namiko stepped next to Naruto and placed her hand lightly on his shoulder.

"I understand this is hard news to hear, so I understand if you don't believe me." Fukasaku let out a harrowed breath. "For some time now, rumors had been circulating that the leader of the Akatsuki was operating out of Amegakure. So Jiraiya-chan went there in person to verify whether these rumors were true."

Sakura's brow furrowed. "The leader of the Akatsuki was in Amegakure?"

"As I recall, that village is difficult to infiltrate. It's entirely closed off from the outside world," explained Sai.

Kakashi nodded. "Yes, but Jiraiya-sama was especially skilled in infiltration and espionage tactics."

Fukasaku closed his eyes as a sorrowful look crossed his face. "Jiraiya-chan confronted Pain, the leader of the Akatsuki. However, Pain was a former student of Jiraiya-chan's from many, many years ago."

Namiko's brow furrowed. "His student? But I thought our father was his only student."

"I don't know the particulars, but Jiraiya-chan called him Nagato," explained Fukasaku.

Tsunade leaned forward, resting her mouth against her folded hands. "That goes back to a time of chaos of the Third Great Shinobi War. Amegakure was a battlefield and Jiraiya took some war orphans under his wing. And unfortunately, we now know, thanks to Itachi, that Pain isn't even the leader after all."

"But to take down a shinobi as powerful as Jiraiya-sama…how did this Pain accomplish such a feat?" asked Kakashi.

Fukasaku's eyes narrowed. "Because Pain possesses the Rinnegan."

Namiko perked up, obviously intrigued. "The Rinnegan?"

"What's that?" asked Sakura.

"An incredibly powerful doujutsu, but I thought it was a myth," began Namiko, "According to legend, the Rinnegan is said to have been possessed by the father of all shinobi, the Sage of Six Paths. Its power is supposed to be beyond what can be imagined." At the puzzled looks around her, she shrugged before slinking back toward Sasuke. "What? I read a lot of history and mythology books…"

"But that's not all," said Fukasaku, "there were six Pains that Jiraiya-chan fought against." At the collective surprised looks around the room, he continued, "I'm not sure how they did it, perhaps there's some sort of trick behind it. I believe Jiraiya-chan discovered the secret behind them in that terrible battle."

Fukasaku closed his eyes as if trying to rid himself of the memory. "Even after his throat was crushed by Pain, and he knew the end was near, Jiraiya-chan left a message before collapsing." He removed his cloak to reveal a series of numbers etched into the skin on his back.

"A code…" Namiko swallowed the sour taste in her mouth at the sight. 'That looks extremely painful. Whatever this says must be incredibly important.'

"I'm sure Jiraiya-chan did this to prevent Pain from catching on." Fukasaku put back on his cloak. "And that's all I know about Jiraiya-chan's efforts."

Tsunade lowered her hands and straightened her back. "I wonder what he was trying to tell us. We need to decode this straight away."

"Why did you let him go, baa-chan? Why would you let him do something so risky?" shouted Naruto. "Why would you send him somewhere so risky?"

"He went of his own accord," replied Tsunade, voice tinted in sorrow.

Naruto scoffed as he walked toward the exit. "Bullshit."

Namiko gripped his wrist as he brushed by her. "Naruto! Enough! I know you're upset but attacking ba-chan is wrong. You know Jiraiya-ji-chan is stubborn and willing to take calculated risks…just like I was when I took the risk and put myself at Orochimaru's mercy to bring Sasuke home. Did you blame ba-chan when I left?"

Naruto jerked his wrist out of her hand. "No, but that's different! That was your choice."

"Right, and this was his choice! Don't go blaming others for things not in their control!" Namiko called after him as he slammed the door on the way out.

She turned to go after him, but Sasuke was quicker and caught her hand. "Let him be for a while."

"But—"

"Namiko." Sasuke's voice was firm but soft, and Namiko's argument immediately died on her tongue. He subtly swiped his thumb across the back of her hand as he let go and she returned to her place beside him.

Kakashi let out a sigh. "Fukasaku-sama, I apologize for Naruto's behavior—"

"No need, that's quite alright. But about that child of prophecy vision that I mentioned earlier," said Fukasaku contemplatively, "I can see that this child truly loved and admired Jiraiya-chan. It makes me hope more than anything that he is the child of prophecy."

Before anyone could ask questions, Tsunade spoke up, "Kakashi, please stay, but the rest of you are dismissed."

Everyone else left while Kakashi stayed behind. "What can I do for you, Tsunade-sama?"

Tsunade's eyes were heavy with concern as she looked at Kakashi. "It's not about what you can do for me, Kakashi. It's about what you need to know."

Kakashi's single visible eye narrowed slightly. "Go on."

Tsunade took a deep breath, glancing at Fukasaku. "The prophecy Fukasaku mentioned—it's more complicated than we thought."

Kakashi's interest was piqued. "What do you mean?"

"There's another prophecy given to Jiraiya-chan as well." Fukasaku said, his voice grave, "It says, 'The dual chronicles of onyx and fire will unite and a secret will be a harbinger of chaos and destruction. Once released, balance and peace will be restored, both within and without.'"

"Dual chronicles of onyx and fire..." Kakashi absorbed the words, his brow furrowing pensively. "You think this is referring to Sasuke and Naruto?"

Fukasaku nodded slowly. "From what I just witnessed between the two, it seems so. Their paths are intertwined in ways we have yet to fully understand."

"Do we have any idea what this secret might be?" asked Kakashi.

Tsunade shook her head. "We have no idea what this secret is or how it might manifest."

Kakashi's expression hardened as he processed the weight of the prophecy. "If this secret is something that could bring about chaos and destruction, it's our responsibility to protect them and ensure they have the guidance they need, along with protecting the village."

Tsunade's eyes met his with a mix of gratitude and resolve. "Exactly. And we must find a way to decipher this prophecy before it's too late. I want you to keep a close eye on them both."

"Understood, Godaime."

Naruto walked aimlessly around the streets of Konoha. Everywhere he looked he was reminded of Jiraiya. Memories flashed through his mind. Memories of training during their travels, of trying to keep Jiraiya from spying on women, of Jiraiya helping him pick out new clothes, and so much more.

He was so lost in thought, that he failed to hear Iruka calling after him. "Yo, Naruto!"

Naruto finally looked up but didn't say anything, and Iruka continued with a smile, "I hear you've been real active on missions lately and you brought Namiko and Sasuke home. Why don't I treat you to some celebratory ramen and you can tell me all about it?"

"Maybe later…" replied Naruto as he walked past Iruka, leaving his former sensei puzzled at his listlessness.

Naruto continued his walk. 'I would go home and shut myself in my room, but Namiko would probably only barge in and lecture me about how I treated Tsunade-baa-chan.' He let his feet lead him until he stood at the entrance to Training Ground Three. He sighed heavily and sat down at the base of one of the wooden pillars.

He leaned the back of his head against the wood. 'Ero-sennin…why? I know you've said that the measure of a shinobi is in how they die, but couldn't you have stayed here? Just a little while longer?' He hit the ground with his fist angrily and stared up at the sky as the tears began to fall while he watched the burnt orange of sunset begin to transition to the rich violet of dusk.

"Naruto-kun?" came Hinata's soft voice from the edge of the training ground.

He quickly lifted his head and rubbed his eyes to hide that he'd been crying. "Hinata…hey…"

She took a step toward him. "Can I…sit with you?"

"Yeah, sure." He straightened his posture as she sat next to him on the ground. "What are you doing out here so late?"

"I ran into Namiko and Sasuke on my way back from visiting Kurenai-sensei. Namiko told me about Jiraiya-sama." Hinata looked at him with concern. "I know how much he meant to you. I'm so sorry."

Naruto took a deep breath and leaned his head against the wooden pillar again. "I just wish he could've seen me become Hokage like my dad. Instead, I showed him the worst parts of me."

"I don't think he saw anything bad in you at all. He loved you so much; everyone knew it. He saw you and Namiko like his grandchildren, but you were always extra special to him." She smiled thoughtfully. "Can I tell you something?" At his nod, she continued, "My mother died when I was six and I felt so alone; my father kept all his focus on the clan and Hanabi was too little to remember anything. Once I entered the academy, I didn't seem so alone. I—I watched you train and grow stronger every day. Your determination and spirit made me believe that I could become stronger too. When I was sad, watching you helped me feel less alone."

Naruto turned to look at her, his eyes softening. "I had no idea. I was just trying to make everyone acknowledge me. I never thought I was helping anyone else."

Hinata smiled gently, her cheeks tinged with a faint blush. "You've helped more people than you know, Naruto-kun. Your strength, your kindness…they inspire so many."

Naruto sighed, his gaze drifting back to the darkening sky. "I don't feel strong right now. I feel like I keep losing the people I care about. First my parents, now Ero-sennin. I don't want to lose anyone else I care about."

"You'll have good days and bad; grief is strange like that." Hinata reached out, hesitating for a moment before placing her hand over his. "But you're not alone, Naruto-kun. You have so many people who care about you. Namiko, Tsunade-sama, your team, and…you'll always have me." Her cheeks flushed a little more at her admission.

Naruto looked down at their hands, the warmth of her touch grounding him. He squeezed her hand gently as his eyes met hers before flickering down to her lips.

Before she had a chance to process his gaze, Naruto leaned forward, pressing his lips softly to hers. Hinata's eyes widened in surprise then drifted closed as she kissed him back tenderly.

He pulled back all too soon, resting his forehead on hers as he tried to steady his breath. "I'm so glad I have you, and you'll always have me too. Thank you, Hinata."

Hinata nodded mutely, her cheeks blazing red from their kiss. She tried to control her breathing to keep from passing out. 'Did he really just kiss me? This better not be a dream. Hanabi would never let me live it down if I talked about him in my sleep again.'

He watched her face carefully, trying to figure out what was going on. "I'm sorry, I overstepped, didn't I?"

Hinata snapped out of her stupor, holding up her hands in panic. "No! Not at all! It just took me by surprise, that's all. I-I enjoyed it."

"Me too." Blush tinted his cheeks. "The last thing I wanted to do was screw something up between us." Naruto rubbed the back of his head nervously. "I like you a lot, Hinata."

A bright smile lit up her face. "I like you too, Naruto-kun."

He grinned excitedly as he stood up and held out his hand to help her up. "Come on, we both probably need to get back home. Do you want me to walk you?"

Hinata shook her head slightly. "I'll be okay, I'm not far from home." She took a deep breath and swiftly placed a kiss on his cheek before darting off toward the Hyuuga compound.

Naruto had a lopsided grin on his face as he walked through the door of his apartment. He found Namiko lounging on the couch reading a book. "Nii-chan, you're back! And you seem to be in a much better mood…what happened?"

"I kissed Hinata," he blurted out.

"That's nice," said Namiko casually as she went back to her book. "Wait…" His words finally sank into her mind and she tossed her book on the couch as she sprang to her feet and gripped his shoulders. "YOU WHAT?!"

A/N: So, things were more hectic than I expected since my last update (even though I was on vacation for my 10th wedding anniversary), but I am finally back on schedule! Thank you guys for hanging in there with me!
I wanted to make a note, that Namiko and Naruto calling Tsunade two different things isn't a typo. Naruto calls her "baa-chan" which is "granny" (and fairly rude) while Namiko calls her "ba-chan" which is "auntie" and commonly a way to refer to older women that are family or friends of the family.
I hope you enjoyed the NaruHina kiss! (Finally!) There will be more relationship things to come, with them, and with Namiko and Sasuke. I have some fluffy things planned soon, but we still have to get through Danzo's fate. I'd love to hear your ideas for what this prophecy means, so let me know in your comments! Thank you all for reading and I will see you next chapter!

Love, Eriisu

PS: Comments are my tip jar!