A Sacrifice for Another

Chapter 27

Many Years Later

Naruko arrived at the front of the academy and smiled at the large crowd there. She adjusted her white and red robes slightly and fixed the hat that rested on her head.

"Kaa-san!" She heard shouted from the crowd.

Two young silver-haired boys ran up to her, their hair sticking up every which way and defying gravity as they proudly displayed a new hitai-ite on each of their heads.

"Look! Look! We graduated! We told you we were just as awesome as Haku-nii!" They said.

"Don't get your hopes up too high, you still aren't anywhere near my level." Said a 15 year-old Haku, jumping down and standing next to his mom.

"Hey! You shut your mouth Haku-kun! If anyone in this family is the strongest, it's me! After all, I am the Hokage, aren't I?" Naruko boasted.

Haku sighed. "Yeah, I know you're better than me kaa-san. But Tou-chan is pretty good too."

"Kaa-san is the best!" Peeped the little blonde girl that was holding onto her mom's hand as she looked up at her older brothers.

"You know it!" Naruko cheered. "Haku, why don't you take your little brothers and sister out to Ichiraku, I'll meet you in just a minute."

"Sure kaa-san." He said, taking his little sister's hand and leading her away with his brothers talking about their test.

Naruko looked at them in fondness and looked back at the crowd, and was on the verge of tears. She looked around her and saw many familiar faces, sure, there was Neji and Christina smiling and congratulating their daughter as she passed as well, and Rin and Obito doing the same. They all had kids in the same year for their first children, but then agreed it was too much of a hassle and spaced out their kids more.

But the faces she missed and recognized, and she knew Neji and Christina were doing the same, were the other faces of the other twelve year-olds in their kids grade. She looked around and saw the faces of many dear ones.

Sakura, with her bubblegum pink hair, who had yet to discover her love for medical jutsu and punching things with extreme power. Who this time, wouldn't get her hopes for Sasuke crushed, as his family lived and breathed, and he had no intention of leaving, especially from his dear older brother.

Sasuke, with his still childish face, who would never discover the pain of being alone. Who would never be corrupted and be faced with the hardest decisions and being on the verge of insanity. He had his own best friends, her sons in fact, he had grown particularly close to due to their older brothers' friendship. Who still had the love and warmth of his mother, and strong father.

Ino, who was complaining about being put on the same team as the lazy ass and the fat boy. Who had yet to discover just how much she loved those two men, and how they would become her best friends, and how much she would cherish her sensei. Who had yet to realize the love she would find with a certain pale man who liked to make fun of Sakura and Naruko when they were on the same team with the obnoxious root member. Well, this time, not root member.

Shikamaru, who was complaining about how troublesome this whole ninja thing was. Who had yet to know that he would become the first Chuunin of the Konoha 12. Who didn't know just how much he would be able to accomplish, such as take on and defeat an Akatsuki member by himself. Who didn't know how much pain the death of his sensei had brought him in his past life, or the happiness of his sensei's child. Or that he would fall in love with such a 'troublesome' sand woman who he fought with and against at different times.

Choji, with that constant munching on his bag of chips. Who would prove Ino wrong, and show her that girls could like chubby guys. Who would be one of the most accomplishing men in the Akimichi clan, growing chakra wings without having to use any of the clan pills. Who would see on one mission, that he was no longer that little boy who no one wanted to play games with because he gave away the hiding spots, but instead, had gained friends, ones who would love him for who he is.

Hinata, the quiet, shy girl, who was being told that she did acceptable, but should have been higher in her class, even though she wasn't doing bad at all and placed just below Sasuke in most categories, and below him and Sakura in theory and such. Who didn't know how confident she would become, and see how many friends she made. Who would eventually make amends with her cousin, and finally become as close to him as she had always wanted, just like brother and sister. Who would find love with the obnoxiously loud Inuzuka.

Kiba, the boisterous one who was boasting to his mom and sister about graduating, and how he was going to be the best ninja ever! Who had yet to realize that his shy teammate was the one for him. Who didn't know that the small little puppy in his jacket would be as tall as him one day. Or that he would become such great friends with a certain blonde chick, even though they were both equally loud.

Shino, the one who kept quiet and was nodding to his parents for their approval. Who would find out that even with his bugs, he would fall in love with a civilian girl who didn't care about that fact. Or that he would open up, and get close to Hinata and Kiba, and even everyone else from their class. Who would find out later that he was the only one that was able to help some of them at times, being one of the wisest of the group.

She looked on all of them with fondness, and even saw herself and Christina in the crowd as proud kids who had graduated. Well, Naruko was being hugged by her parents, and Christina had come along since she had graduated the year before in Neji, Tenten, and Lee's class. She had asked the Maini family to move to Konoha for the sake of their daughter's love life, as well as her friendships, and they had agreed.

Naruko felt a hand press down on her shoulder and looked to see Kakashi standing next to her, smiling happily. She smiled, and noticed the tears had started streaming down her face, and wiped them away.

"Is it hard? Seeing it?" He asked.

Naruko nodded. "But I am happy with my life the way it is. I don't think I could be happier, I have you, and the kids, and I'm hokage. My dreams have come true. I just have one left to make sure happens. I have to make sure these kids don't have such a rough time as the first time they did." She said.

"Are you sure this is the year I should become a sensei? I mean, I do like the field." Kakashi said.

Naruko laughed. "You can't weasel out of it this time 'Kashi. You're going to be Team Seven's sensei."

He sighed. "Well, who would have thought you would have been on my team twice?" He said.

Naruko laughed again. "Come on, I'm fine. Let's go celebrate our kids' graduation." She said, grabbing his hand and them both walking towards Ichiraku.

She wiped the last tears away from her face and smiled. The Old Man was right the first time, they were the most promising generation she'd ever seen. And the old man didn't even know what she did. She sighed contently, at least when her and Kakashi got too old-even though they were only in their late twenties-the village would be left in very good hands.

The future of this village was bright.