A/N: Here we are, ladies and gentlemen. The true final chapter of Into The Abyss. In advance, this one will be covering a lot of unseen content. At least in passing. Know that it's written that way intentionally.

It's been a joy writing this fic, and continuing it in Jack's stead. I don't know how well I've succeeded in comparison to what might've been with him as its author long-term, but I've done my best. This chapter will be the culmination all of that effort.

Time for the Epilogue, at long last.

Enjoy!

Naruto had never understood how the Land of Iron managed to remain so bitterly cold year round. It could be deep into June as it was presently, and the ground would be covered in ice and snow, with a mean-spirited wind to boot. Even more perplexing was the fact that, just across its border with the Land of Fire, the climate changed on a dime. Ever since Naruto and Satsuki had crossed into their home country, it had slowly become more and more inconvenient. Mere hours ago, the winter cloaks on their shoulders had been a welcome shield against the cold, but now, they were nothing but overbearing drapes of sweat-drenched cloth.

Uncomfortable as both of them were, their concerns were elsewhere. They were within a short walk of a place of great significance. They had come upon the river that fed into the canyon-bound lake many miles ago. All there was left to do was follow it to its reservoir. Though the pair nearly always shared conversations during their travels, a mutual silence overtook them as they drew closer to their destination. They had long since made peace with their past duel, that one bloody winter day, but it still struck deep chords within them.

After a short trek with the river's current on their side, Naruto and Satsuki reached the edge of a massive view was nearly the same.

A pair of massive statues, a crashing waterfall, with a lake standing ever still at its base. The Valley of The End was as grand and ominous as ever, but it still bore the scars of its last cataclysm. Its once-pristine monuments were scuffed and fractured in multiple places, its walls were uneven and cracked. Shaking off the awe, Naruto hopped from the edge of the waterfall, with Satsuki following after him.

"We did a number on this place." he said, landing on the surface of the lake with a sizable splash. Satsuki landed beside him a beat later.

"It's just as messy as we left it. I was sort of expecting some cleanup. They've had the time to come out here." she replied. Half a decade was certainly ample time, but the Valley also resided near several borders, and it was a long journey from Konoha. Walking out into the open water, Naruto marveled at the sheer scale of the trench. He had been unable to appreciate its aesthetics during his prior, far more stressful visit, but he could now see its appeal. He felt exceptionally small standing within it.

"At least it's still in one piece. Could be a lot worse." he said, coming to a stop in the middle of the valley. As the sun beat down on him from above, the day of his and Satsuki's departure from their homeland replayed in his mind. The pain, the panic, the struggle, the relief. He was satisfied with his decisions. They had led him down a turbulent road, but he had emerged from it with more than he had ever dreamed. He was a married man, with great power and experience. All before his twenty-second birthday. Yet, as he stood wordlessly on the water, something still stuck out in his mind. Joining him at his side, Satsuki tugged on the edge of his cloak.

"What's on your mind?" she asked. She knew him well. He had mellowed with age, but she could still see his unspoken turmoil with ease. Naruto looked down into the depths of the clear water. He couldn't see the bottom.

"This is probably where Gaara died. Close to it, at least." he said ponderously. He had never forgotten the redhead's sacrifice. It had facilitated the life he had gone on to live since. Satsuki turned her own gaze downward.

"He deserved it." she said. She was blunt as ever. Naruto chewed his inner lip absently. Gaara had indeed been reprehensible. A murderer, a liar, and a likely war monger. But the blonde could not bring himself to think so coldly of the late Jinchuuriki.

"He still saved us. That's worth something." he said. Satsuki said nothing. Years of partnership had taught them both to save their arguments for topics that were worth the energy. Walking further down the length of the valley, Naruto spotted something familiar. A rocky ledge. It was a mundane feature, just a protruding cluster of rocks, but the Jinchuuriki would never forget it.

"You stood right up there. Just before we almost blew each other to pieces." Naruto recalled, pointing to the ledge. Satsuki studied the rocks for a moment before jumping from her spot next to him. Landing atop the perch, the Uchiha surveyed the area below her.

"As intimidating as you remember?" she asked jokingly, flashing her sharingan in jest. Naruto smiled. The levity was much needed.

"Not quite. You're smiling this time." he said. Satsuki's slight grin turned to a smirk. She then leapt down from the ledge. Naruto realized a few seconds too late where she was poised to land, and as such, when her weight hit him, they both crashed into the water. Scrambling back up to the surface, the Jinchuuriki blinked several times to clear his functioning eye.

"Really?" he complained as his wife's head popped out of the water in front of him. Satsuki pulled herself out of the lake and took him by the wrist, yanking him free as well.

"We could both use a dip. We're sweating like pigs. Besides…" she said, pausing as she pulled her cloak over her head and off her body.

"...it gives me an excuse to lose a layer." she concluded as she threw the winter gear over her shoulder, leaving only her equally soaked shirt covering her. Naruto sighed and followed suit.

"The forest isn't exactly toasty, you know." he pointed out. Satsuki shrugged and loosely braided her long dark hair.

"It'll all dry out before it gets to be a problem, and even if it doesn't, I'd take some shivering over a heat stroke any day of the week." she said. Naruto wrung out his cloak and slung it over his shoulder.

"Don't whine to me if you catch a cold." he grumbled. For the better part of an hour, the rogues wandered about the canyon, taking in its sights and sounds in a positive light for the very first time. It was a beautiful place, and the weather was ideal. Fascinatingly, the valley was not a natural fixture. It had been carved into the ground during the great clash between Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha. Even with such artificial origins, it fit perfectly into the landscape of the surrounding area. It was history in tangible form.

As both Naruto and Satsuki had come to learn, such history still very much influenced the modern world. Ghosts from the past had a way of clinging on well beyond their expiration dates. It was the duty of the capable few to keep such echoes locked up and under wraps. They had succeeded in doing so, at great cost. Truths had been uncovered, plots had been foiled, and lives had been lost. Nearly all in the dark. Battles had been fought that would never see the light of day, for better or worse.

There was still work to be done. Enemies still lurked. But for now, until proven otherwise, the pair could relax. It was a temporary peace, and they knew as much, but there was no reason to squander it with worry. Circumstances had aligned for them to unwind, and they were going to take the opportunity with both hands.

As the sun reached its highest peak, signifying noon, Naruto looked out toward the exit of the valley.

"If we wanna be back before sundown, we should get going." he said. Satsuki, who was admiring the waterfall behind them, turned around and stretched.

"Lead the way." she said. With that, Naruto set off running with the Uchiha trailing not ten feet behind him.

They were homebound.

Shikamaru glanced down at his watch as the seconds dragged by. He had known that volunteer guard duty would be a dull experience, but seven hours into his shift, he was struggling to stay conscious. Kotetsu had fallen ill the prior week, and the security rotation had been short-staffed as a result. It had taken convincing from Kakashi, but the Nara had eventually caved to fill the position for the rest of the coming week. He was regretting his decision more and more by the minute. Cutting his eyes to Izumo, who stood on the opposite side of the gate, Shikamaru exhaled through his nose.

"I can't even nap. You're already out cold." he muttered to the man. Not a single thing had happened. There had been no scheduled visitors, no drifters attempting to wander into the village, not even a departing squadron. The southern gate was the much more popular of the two access points, it seemed. Shikamaru generally appreciated a slow pace in general, but even he had a hard limit. So far, his recent promotion to the rank of Jonin had done nothing but slow his life to a crawl.

'At least I don't have to do the graveyard shift.' he thought to himself. He would be free to go home at nine-thirty, leaving him with four more hours of monotony. Allowing himself to glaze over somewhat, Shikamaru did his best to be optimistic. Haku had promised him a pre-made dinner upon his return, which was an incentive worth enduring for. Beyond that, Hideo had begun to crawl recently. To watch his son move about was the most fulfilling form of entertainment. Now smiling despite his undesirable job, Shikamaru relaxed. He had always loved his parents, and the home they had provided him, but to have a family of his own was a privilege he was grateful for every single day.

'When did I turn into a sap?' he pondered. It hardly bothered him. Life had given him plenty, even if its methods of delivery were rather unconventional at times. The onus had been on him to learn to stay within himself, and he had done so. His career prospects had improved greatly as a result. Knowing better than to lose focus completely, Shikamaru looked back to Izumo again. The older ninja had awoken, and was rubbing his eyes.

"Rise and shine." Shikamaru called to him with a smirk. Izumo grunted a defensive quip and turned toward the forest. The Nara mirrored him. Initially, nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary. Birds were singing their evening songs, with crickets beginning to chime in from all sides. But, after a moment, two silhouettes appeared in the dense thicket. The very first visitors of the day. Straightening his posture and rehearsing the proper procedure he had been given that morning, Shikamaru awaited the oncoming pair's arrival. When they emerged from the shade of the trees, the Nara's eyes practically popped out of his skull.

"No…No way…" he breathed, struggling to process what he was seeing. The taller of the two was a man with blonde hair and blue eyes. The pupil of his right eye was split down the middle. Additionally, his cheeks were etched with markings that resembled whiskers. The shorter figure was a woman with long, raven-colored hair, pale skin, and what appeared to be a sword hanging at her waist. He recognized them. There wasn't the slightest doubt.

"Hey. It's been a while." Naruto greeted him, waving a hand with a broad grin. Satsuki wore a more subdued smile of her own. Throwing any and all formality to the wayside, Shikamaru burst out running from his post and slammed into them with a charging hug. They both returned the sudden embrace.

"Took you long enough." he choked out, his voice breaking. He had heard rumors of their continued survival throughout the years, but part of him had always assumed that they had died. But now, here they were, right in front of him.

"We've been a little busy." Satsuki said humorously, gently prying him off. Backing up to give them space, Shikamaru took a deep breath to compose himself.

"Kind of an understatement. We haven't stayed in one spot for more than a week in at least two years." Naruto added. With his composure somewhat regained, Shikamaru took a longer look at the pair of rogues. They had both grown taller, but Naruto's development was more stark. He now stood a clear few inches taller than Satsuki, with perhaps a half inch in height over the Nara himself. His face had changed a bit as well, having lost the last remnants of its childish roundness. He was an adult, no two ways about it.

Satsuki had grown less overall, with only an inch or two gained vertically, and a more or less identical build from what he could see. As with Naruto, her face had matured somewhat. The only major difference compared to when he had last seen her was a long scar running from the bridge of her nose down to her jaw. Alongside their slightly changed appearances were the matching navy blue cloaks they were wearing. With effort, the Nara put aside the surrealism of the moment.

"This might be a dumb question, then, but are you sticking around?" Shikamaru asked. Much to his surprise and relief, he received nods from both.

"If we don't get arrested on the spot, that's the plan." Naruto confirmed. Shikamaru looked back over his shoulder at Izumo, who appeared just as surprised as he was.

"I doubt that'll happen, but there's only one way to find out." he said, gesturing for them both to follow him into the village. They obliged without hesitation. The moment they passed through the gate, Shikamaru felt a peace come over him.

It had taken far too long for his liking, but his team had come home.

Satsuki suppressed a yawn as she savored the luxury of functioning air conditioning. Shikamaru's home wasn't especially large, but it was well-kept, functional, and nicely decorated. Likely all thanks to Haku, whom she had learned her teammate had married a year and a half prior. Much of the trepidation she and Naruto had shared regarding Konoha's legal reaction to their return had been quelled immediately, as their criminal status had been revoked within an hour of their arrival. Their timing had been perfect, as had their planning.

Kakashi, who had won the seat of Hokage roughly a year prior, had found a surprisingly clever justification to pardon them of their dubious legal status. As it turned out, no time limit had been specified in the official documentation of Naruto's mission to return Satsuki to Konoha. The detail had been overlooked amid the panic of the moment. As a result, in technical terms, Naruto had met the parameters of his assignment, thus overturning the mission from a failure to a success.

For the sake of optics, Kakashi had chosen to levy an insignificant fine against Satsuki for her illegal departure. The moment the Uchiha regained access to her frozen bank account, she would be more than capable of paying it. Both she and Naruto were guilty of dozens of crimes elsewhere, but nearly all of them fell well outside of Konoha's jurisdiction and awareness. As things stood, they were innocent so long as they tread carefully.

Now a fully free woman, Satsuki found herself seated in the living room of the Nara household. Dinner had been served an hour ago, with a meal of barbecued pork and rice. It had been an excellent time. The conversation had been lively and lighthearted, and the meal itself was easily the best she or Naruto had eaten in months. Shortly after dinner had wound down, Naruto and Shikamaru had departed for 'male bonding'.

'They're definitely at a bar.' Satsuki thought to herself. She didn't mind it in the least. For all that she loved her husband, and vice versa, they had been together near-constantly for five years straight. One night apart was perfectly acceptable, potentially even healthy. The single predicament Satsuki was faced with as a result of Naruto's absence was a simple one, and soon came walking into the living room.

"I hope the pork was decent. It was a cheap cut." Haku said, sitting herself down on the floor with her infant son in her arms. Satsuki leaned back into the couch cushion pressed against her back.

"It was fantastic. You're a hell of a cook." she said. Haku smiled, setting her son down on the carpet to roam freely. The huntress had been nothing but hospitable since Satsuki and Naruto's surprise appearance in her home, and she didn't appear to be perturbed by the Uchiha's continued presence, but Satsuki still felt rather awkward. She barely knew the woman, and their previous relationship had been shaky at best.

"I'm glad. We're on a bit of a budget right now. Babies are expensive." Haku said lightly, gently guiding her son away from the sharp corner of the coffee table in the center of the living room. The boy was just beginning to walk from the looks of things.

"What's his name? I think I missed it during dinner." Satsuki asked. She had been entirely focused on her food throughout the meal. Naruto had done much of the talking.

"Hideo." Haku replied. Satsuki furrowed her brow. As far as she knew, the Nara clan followed a fairly strict naming scheme regarding their male children. Before she could voice her confusion, Haku answered her unspoken question.

"Oh, I should clarify. We were going to name him something more traditional, but Shikamaru's parents gave us permission to be more creative." she explained. Satsuki's eye twitched involuntarily. Haku had an uncanny ability to read people, and judging by the veiled look of amusement on her face, she had done it for effect.

"Traditional or not, he definitely looks like a Nara." Satsuki commented. Hideo's facial structure, young as it was, seemed poised to develop into a carbon copy of his father given time. He wasn't completely lacking in features from his mother, as his eyes shared both a color and shape with Haku, but he certainly took after Shikamaru.

"For sure. He doesn't seem quite as fed up with the world as his father quite yet, but I get the feeling I'll be living with a duo someday." the huntress said. Satsuki chuckled. Wholesome as it all was, seeing the family Shikamaru had made for himself was odd in some ways. Her last memories of him were that of a frustrated teenager with a brain he often struggled to use. But here he was, with a happy marriage and a son of his own.

"I'm guessing you're not working right now?" Satsuki asked. Haku nodded, softly encouraging Hideo as the boy clumsily scaled his way along the side of the coffee table.

"I will be fairly soon, but for now, I'm a full-time mother. Once he's old enough for daycare, I'll transfer to the Anbu's security division. I'll go back to active duty eventually, but not for a while." she said. Satsuki began to reply, but stopped when Hideo wandered his way to her leg and latched onto it for balance. The Uchiha looked down at the young boy. He was staring at her quizzically. Though initially unsure of what exactly to do, Satsuki eventually leaned down and rubbed the top of his head.

"What's new with you?" she asked, doing her best to emulate the tone her own mother had once used with her. Hideo reached up and took hold of Satsuki's hand, giving it several tugs.

"He wants you to hold him. He likes you." Haku said encouragingly. Satsuki pursed her lips. She had never been particularly comfortable around small children. She seldom understood their mannerisms, and they were chaotic in a way that made her unsure of how to handle them. Pushing down her uncertainty, she reached down and picked the boy up by a grip under his arms. Setting him down in her lap, Satsuki let the infant settle in on his own.

"I'm not all that great with kids." she admitted as Hideo began to climb up her front. Haku giggled and stood up from her spot on the floor. She then made her way across the living room and sat down next to Satsuki. Immediately, Hideo scampered from the Uchiha's lap to his mother's. Apparently, infants were as fickle as the woman who bore them.

"I can tell, but it's something you should get used to." Haku said as she somehow managed to coax her son into sitting still. Satsuki eyed her side-on.

"And why's that?" she asked in a cagey tone. Haku gave her a sly smile and poked her in the belly.

"Because you have a bun in the oven." she said. The Uchiha's face flushed red immediately, but she calmed herself quickly. With a long sigh, she slumped back into the cushion.

"I'm not even gonna ask." she murmured. Haku shrugged her lean shoulders and carefully wrapped her son up in a blanket she had brought with her from the floor.

"You ate more pork than Shikamaru and Naruto put together. I know a craving when I see it. You also keep touching your stomach." she said, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. At her words, Satsuki took a glance down and discovered that her palm was indeed laid across her abdomen.

"You're way too observant, you know that?" she said sarcastically. Haku tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear.

"Shikamaru says that at least once a week. I take it as a compliment at this point." she said. She then stood up and carried Hideo away, slipping into the hallway beyond the kitchen and turning into one of the rooms within it. When she returned, she was empty-handed.

"How deep into the pregnancy are you?" the huntress asked as she sat back down on the couch. Satsuki thought for a moment.

"Eight weeks, give or take. It wasn't planned, but we've been thinking about kids for about a year, so we were both pretty excited." she said. Haku crossed her legs and folded her hands in her lap.

"I assume that's why you're back in Konoha, then?" she inquired. It was a fair assumption, and partially true, but the nuance of their decision to return ran a bit deeper.

"That, and Kakashi being elected Hokage. Both Naruto and I were criminals until earlier today. We figured our chances of being pardoned were pretty high with our old teacher running things." Satsuki said. Haku raised an eyebrow.

"And you call me overly observant. You've been plotting." she said dryly. What the huntress didn't know, despite her deductive skill, was that the pair's reappearance had been as much influenced by Kakashi's election as it was by the timely passings of Homura and Koharu. The two elders had easily been among the most conservative and difficult members of the council. Their deaths had been incredibly convenient, as with both of them gone, the path toward a safe return home had been more or less assured.

"I guess you could say that." Satsuki said. With her mind now dwelling on the topic of Konoha's administration, a stormcloud began to form within her. She was happy to be home. It was a relief, in many ways. Even so, there was still one loose end left untied. A bandaged face flashed across her mind's eye.

"Well, both Shikamaru and I are glad you're back. We'd heard you were in one piece, but actually seeing you again is comforting." Haku said, snapping the Uchiha from her macabre train of thought.

"I'm surprised it means all that much to you. We've never been all that close." Satsuki replied. It was a jabbing remark, but such waters were worth testing. Haku took no visible offense.

"Friends of his are friends of mine. Even thinking selfishly, you two being back in the village does nothing but good things for me. He's bound to be in a great mood for the next little while." she said logically. Accepting the answer without issue, Satsuki stood up and stretched.

"Makes sense to me. Either way, I should get out of your hair. I've got some cleanup to do." she said. Haku nodded and rose as well. The huntress then escorted her to the door.

"Thank you for the food. Once we've got our housing situation figured out, we'll host next time." Satsuki offered with a bow, which Haku returned. Stepping out of the Nara household, Satsuki made her way into the street. The night was warm. She then turned toward the Hokage building. Her eyes narrowed.

'He's probably still there.' she thought to herself. She had spotted him mulling about the halls of the administrative building during her and Naruto's visit with Kakashi earlier that evening. Danzo Shimura was very much alive, and still seated in a position of power. With dark emotion bubbling up within her, Satsuki took a deep breath. A calm state of mind was needed. Things would go haywire otherwise.

'You won't see sunrise, old man.'

Naruto slung his arm across the back of the bench as he and Shikamaru sat at the edge of a familiar training field. The very same that they had taken their genin entrance test, years ago. They had spent much of the night wandering about Konoha, discussing anything and everything. They hadn't settled until just five minutes prior, and they had said very little. Time had taught Naruto to appreciate downtime, and the peace that came with it.

The night had been a good one in nearly all respects. Kakashi had been as lenient as they had hoped, dinner had been excellent, and to be home again felt fantastic. There was still a hurdle left to be overcome, but that task did not fall to him. Looking back toward the village, Naruto cracked his stiff neck. All he could do was hope for a discrete outcome. Turning his attention away from the distant lights of the town square, Naruto relaxed again.

"You've done pretty well for yourself." he commented. Shikamaru yawned and gave him a thumbs-up.

"Life's got a way of sorting itself out. Even if it takes a while." he said. Naruto pondered his words. His own road had been full of fluctuating peaks and valleys. It had all led him to a place of satisfaction, but he had nearly given up more than once. The highs had been wonderful, and the lows absolutely hellish.

"But I'd be lying if I said I didn't get lucky. If anybody but Lord Third had been in charge, I would've been fired about a week into my career." Shikamaru mused. Naruto chuckled.

"You would've deserved it, too. For a genius, you've made some boneheaded calls." he said. Shikamaru kicked a stone laying at his feet.

"This coming from the guy who went and became an international criminal for the girl next door." he shot back humorously. Naruto laughed out loud. Put into literal terms, his departure was certainly a questionable thing to look back on. He hadn't a single regret.

"How much do you know about what we got up to? We ran into some familiar faces a few times, but never for long enough to talk much." he asked curiously.

"When Kiri folded in on itself, there was a rumor that you two were somehow involved. I heard a few other things, but that's the biggest one." Shikamaru said. Naruto turned his gaze up to the night sky. Of all the escapades he and Satsuki had found themselves neck-deep in over the past five years, their encounter with Yagura Karatachi and his regime was easily the most difficult to stomach, even now. Another fellow Jinchuuriki, tainted by an intrinsic darkness.

"We were there." Naruto said shortly. Shikamaru granted him silence, appearing to recognize that the topic at hand was sensitive. The Jinchuuriki then reached into his pocket and rummaged around. After a moment, he produced a cigarette and a small lighter.

"You smoke?" Shikamaru asked, sounding rather surprised. Naruto lit the end of the cigarette and put it between his teeth.

"Not much. Just every once in a while. Takes the edge off, y'know?" he said. Shikamaru shifted in his seat.

"I started two years ago, but then Haku caught me buying a pack. I, uh, ended up quitting on the spot." he said. Naruto cracked a smile.

"Satsuki and I ended up doing it to blend in out in a mining town. She hated it, and I didn't. She lets me do it as long as it's only once a month. And she knows when I break that rule." he said. Truth be told, it was difficult to find time alone to do such things to begin with. Satsuki was far from an extrovert, but she rarely left his side. Naruto enjoyed her company greatly, and his affection for her had not waned an iota, but to go from relative isolation in Konoha to being accompanied at all times was a stark change.

He had once been slightly irritated by the relatively short leash she kept him on, but over time, he had come to realize that it had nothing to do with a need for control or a lack of trust. She simply could not stomach the notion of losing track of him, or not being present to defend him in the event of a disaster.

"But really, I'm glad she keeps me honest. I need the direction sometimes." Naruto added. Shikamaru nodded in understanding.

"I know the feeling. Haku's a total oddball, but I need that chaos in my life. I'd get depressed otherwise." he conceded. The conversation fizzled out from there, with neither man taking the initiative to lead. After a time, Naruto stood up and stretched. His cigarette had reached its end.

"Let's get some ramen. It's been way too long." he suggested. Shikamaru sighed and stood up as well.

"You're still hungry?" he asked tiredly. Naruto grinned and took off walking at a brisk pace. His appetite was ravenous.

"Always am." he said as the Nara jogged to catch up with him. Shikamaru complained no further, and fell into step next to him.

With varying enthusiasm, the former teammates set out for a second supper.

Danzo straightened his robes as he looked over the contents of his office. Everything was in order, if a bit overcrowded. Much had changed in the past year. Hiruzen's resignation as Hokage, and his subsequent passing within the same six months had left the village in a state of mourning. Even a year and a half removed, the Third Hokage's absence was felt all throughout Konoha. He had been the village's longest-tenured defender. The nation's stern, but loving father. And, most importantly, an obstacle of resolute sturdiness.

Danzo had not hated Hiruzen. Far from it. In many respects, he had even considered the man to be his friend. They had grown up together, fought together, and later in life, worked together. Throughout it all, however, their visions for the future had been vastly different. Danzo valued order, stability, and a strict adherence to proper code. Hiruzen's tenants were far more idealistic. He had readily sacrificed structural integrity for the sake of so-called unity more than once, and he had been soft with the incompetent.

Even more frustrating was his habit of nipping Danzo's own attempts to rebuild the village's stability in the bud. Each law he attempted to tweak or pass, Hiruzen vetoed. Every extracurricular experiment, every outside activity, the Third Hokage had shut down without hesitation. As such, in spite of the very real respect Danzo had still held for Hiruzen at the time, the man's resignation, and even his death, had come as a relief to the councilman. He had lost much of his powerbase when Homura and Koharu had lost their own battles to old age, so he had effectively been fighting alone up until the moment of Hiruzen's decision to step down. The path had been opened up once more for change.

Then, the election came.

Danzo's hopes had been high. His popularity with the older side of Konoha's population had always been strong, and he had made a genuine effort to sell himself favorably to the younger generation as well, to mixed success. He had been the favorite to take the reins of the village, and become Fifth Hokage. Kakashi Hatake, while a strong candidate, was a decidedly young man. Not even forty years of age. A close but clear victory for Danzo had seemed all but assured. But as the votes were tallied, the councilman's hopes were dashed against the craggy shores of the changing times.

Kakashi defeated him by a surprisingly wide margin, taking nearly sixty-five percent of the village's registered votes. From the very moment Danzo had read the results, and the data accompanying them, he gleaned the truth. Hiruzen had been a step ahead of him from the outset. He had quietly wormed Kakashi's merits into the minds and hearts of the most crucial voting blocks. He had started a silent campaign years in advance. He had foiled Danzo yet again. It was a bitter pill to swallow.

'He barely keeps track of his paperwork, let alone our finances and international relations. He's unfit.' Danzo lamented within his mind, gripping the top of his walking stick tightly. Hiruzen had been no older than Danzo himself upon his death. The councilman's time to correct Konoha's course was limited. But, he would not give up. He would find a way to seize power, one way or another.

'He's young and impressionable. He can be manipulated. Even if it requires…' Danzo thought to himself, slowly walking over to the window. Once he reached it, he carefully slid his fingers between the bandages covering his right eye and pulled them apart. The sharingan beneath was still well-intact, and ripe for use. He had not taken advantage of its hypnosis for several weeks. It was an exceptionally underhanded tactic to be sure, but necessary all the same.

'The ends justify the means.' Danzo confirmed to himself, staring down over the village as he pondered what he would do next. His quiet contemplation was soon interrupted by a knock at his door. The councilman furrowed his wrinkled brow. It was late. Well past visiting hours. Covering his right eye once more, Danzo turned around and cleared his throat.

"Enter." he called out calmly. There was a slight pause, but the door soon opened to reveal a surprising guest. Stepping into the office slowly with a dark blue cloak over her shoulders was Satsuki Uchiha, who had returned to Konoha only hours ago.

"Miss Uchiha. What brings you here at such an hour?" Danzo greeted the young woman politely. He held his own disagreements with Kakashi's decision to pardon Satsuki for her illegal departure, for both personal and official reasons, but there was little point in voicing them to the culprit herself.

"Forgive the intrusion. I just have a few questions, and Kakashi wasn't answering his door. I figured you might still be here." Satsuki said. Danzo walked around behind his desk and sat down. How the woman had entered the building at all was an open question, as the receptionist had gone home well over two hours ago. Something was afoot.

"Ask away. I'll answer them as best I can." he said as he folded his hands atop his desk. The Uchiha kept her distance, standing just inside the doorframe.

"I was taking a walk around the village, and I noticed that the Uchiha sector is fenced off. Would it be possible for Naruto and I to take up residence there? It should still be under my family's name and ownership." she requested. Danzo studied the young woman carefully. Her body language held no outward aggression, and her face gave away no clues as to her emotional state. She was a blank slate.

"That sounds reasonable enough. I'll see what I can do." he replied. Satsuki responded by producing a kunai. Danzo's heart rate momentarily spiked. But, instead of turning it against the councilman, the Uchiha began filing her nails against its edge.

"I appreciate it. I'm a little sick of cheap motels. Not the best service." she said casually. She then set the kunai down on top of the file cabinet to her left.

"I was also wondering where I could apply for a marriage license." she inquired. Danzo kept his eyes glued to the woman's hands. His intuition was sounding off like an alarm within him.

"The clerk's office should be able to help you out with that. I believe they open at seven tomorrow morning." Danzo said evenly. Satsuki nodded, finally stepping away from the doorframe and approaching the desk.

"Got it. Just one more question, if that's alright with you." she said. Danzo held her gaze. The information she had sought thus far was fairly mundane, but the atmosphere was gradually shifting to one of great tension. It was becoming difficult to breathe.

"Certainly." he said. Satsuki stopped just in front of his desk and leaned forward, resting her hands atop its surface with unwavering eye contact. Her irises promptly changed, with their usual deep charcoal color being replaced with a kaleidoscopic pattern of red and black.

"What does the name Shisui Uchiha mean to you?"

Naruto breathed a sigh of relief as he reached the peak of Konoha's mountainous monument. The hike had been long and muggy, and it hadn't been in vain. A brief look down over the faces of the five Hokage etched into the stone of the cliffside revealed Satsuki, sitting on the edge of Hashirama's forehead protector. No matter where they went or why, when the Uchiha wanted to be alone, she tended to climb upwards. It was an odd habit, but it made her fairly easy to track down. Cradling the takeout box he was carrying under his arm, Naruto hopped down from the peak of the monument.

Landing just behind her, Naruto stepped around and sat down beside her on the edge. Unsurprisingly, she looked weary and unhappy. Naruto offered her the takeout box.

"I got you some ramen." he said. Satsuki eyed the box for a moment before wordlessly accepting it. She had eaten a copious amount of food at the Nara residence, but the gesture was less for practical purposes than for plain comfort.

"Thanks." she said quietly, opening the box and splitting the chopsticks within it. For a minute or two, Naruto watched her eat in silence. He knew better than to rush her.

"You did it, didn't you?" he asked when the noodles had evened her mood somewhat. Satsuki nodded, twiddling the chopsticks absently.

"It was easier than I thought it'd be." she said. Naruto looked out toward the Hokage building. It was now a crime site, for all intents and purposes.

"Do you think they'll catch on?" he asked. In some ways, it felt shallow to approach the issue in such a logical manner, but Danzo Shimura was undeserving of the consideration.

"I made it look like a suicide. It was quick, too. They'll blame somebody, but it won't be me." Satsuki said after swallowing a mouthful of ramen. She was calm. Too calm. Her walls were up.

"One less thing to worry about. You can relax now." Naruto replied. Satsuki nodded, but said nothing and continued eating. Even after finishing the noodles, she was guarded and quiet.

"Talk to me a little. You're not happy." Naruto pressed gently. Satsuki flicked one of her chopsticks into the open air and watched it fall to the village below.

"That's exactly it. I'm not happy. I don't feel any better, even with him dead. It's just like…" she said, her voice dying off near the end. Naruto slipped his arm over her shoulders and gave her a squeeze.

"Healing is something you've gotta do for yourself. Getting rid of one person isn't going to fix everything. It takes time." he said. Satsuki drew her knees up to her chest and leaned into him.

"I wish I'd known when I finally found him. Itachi…he didn't deserve what I did to him." she said quietly. It was a conversation they'd had before. Naruto shook his head.

"It was what he wanted. You gave him some peace in the end. Even if it's hard." he said. Satsuki audibly swallowed.

"It still hurts." she said. Naruto turned and kissed her on the top of her head. It would never get any easier to feel his wife's grief. She had grown up considerably, but spectors of her bloody history still haunted her, and likely always would.

"Try to look forward for once. We're home again. We've got options. We don't even have to be ninja anymore if we don't want to be." Naruto said. Satsuki reached across him and gripped his shirt. She was tactile as ever.

"We'll always be ninja. It's all we're good at. Especially now." she said bluntly. It was a fair point, but clearly influenced by her drab mood. Naruto rested his free hand on her stomach.

"We'll have another job soon, so I wouldn't be too sure about that." he said. The Uchiha relaxed ever so slightly.

"You're gonna spoil her rotten." she muttered under her breath. Naruto gave her a curious look .

"Her? Isn't it a little soon to know gender? We haven't even seen a doctor." he asked. Satsuki covered his hand with her own, gently pinning it to her belly.

"It's a girl. I'm sure of it." she said confidently. Taking her at her word, Naruto smiled. Her judgment wasn't always perfect, but for whatever reason, he believed her this time.

"Let's hope she takes more after you than me, then. I'm not all that feminine." he joked. Satsuki chuckled.

"I'm a clone of my mom, so she probably will. She could end up blonde, though." she said as a warm wind blew across the monument. The topic remained consistent from then on, with the mood only turning upward as a result.

With a future to defend, they talked the night away, dreaming of their family to come.

A/N: And so ends "Into The Abyss". I intended for this to come out on Sunday, but life got a little hectic for a few days. But either way, I hope this epilogue provided you some intrigue and closure. I'm well aware that it's very long, and jumps around a bit, but there was lots to cover.

I'm also aware that I left a fair few things vague. How did Satsuki learn the truth? When and how did she kill Itachi? What happened in Kiri? All of this will be left up to interpretation, as I feel there are multiple potential answers. And for those of you typing up complaints about how it all sounds extremely different from canon Shippuden, consider that Gaara is dead. Obito's plans would be, at the very least, pushed back quite a bit while Shukaku reincarnates. Take it for what it is.

But putting all of that aside, writing this fic has been my focus for nearly 8 months now. I threw myself into it not exactly knowing what I was doing, and entirely unsure if I could live up to what Jack started. I'm still not convinced I've done so, and I'm not especially proud of how certain things turned out, but above all else, I hope that you all enjoyed this story, and the ending I gave it.

Getting to know many of you through PMs and reviews has been a joy, and the support has been overwhelming. You know who you are.

Now, I know I've probably irritated many of you with how much I ask for feedback, but I'm gonna do it one more time. If you've never left a review before, I implore you to do so, and tell me your thoughts on this fic overall. Same goes for my regular reviewers as well. I read every review I get, and they make my day.

I don't know if I'll write on here again. This fic was personal to me for obvious reasons, but I've come to enjoy the process. I'm not closing the door, but I can't promise anything.

As I've said countless times, I love you all.

Thank you for everything.

I'll see you down the road!