275Disclaimer: Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.
This is the end. I loved writing 'Believing', thanks for reading.
Epilogue.
Nine years later...
"Wait for me." The six-year-old girl, with dark hair and dark eyes, screamed as she tried to reach out to the others.
"Rin-chan, I told you to be careful." The eight-year-old boy with pink hair and green eyes said as he helped the little girl lift her off the floor. He knelt down in front of her and wiped the dirt from her clothes.
"Sorry, Ichi-nii." Rin, the first daughter of Obito and Shizune, said shyly.
"I'll always take care of you, Rin-chan." Ichiro, the older son of Itachi and Sakura, stroked the little girl's cheek and took her hand, walking slowly toward the forest.
"Come play with us." Naruto's hyperactive son screamed as he snatched the book from Sasuke's daughter.
"Boruto, give me that back now." Aiko screamed angrily as she ran after the seven-year-old boy.
Aiko and Boruto had been born the same day, coincidentally. Aiko was Sasuke's first daughter with a civilian. Like he hoped the relationship with Ino did not work and she eventually married Shikamaru while Sasuke married a beautiful civilian he met in Suna on an ANBU mission. The woman fell in love with him and being the secretary of the Kazekage, managed to visit Konoha many times, making Sasuke realize that the interest was mutual, it did not take long for him to ask her in a date, after a push of Naruto and threats of Sakura. Akiko moved from Suna to Konoha in a short time and in less than a year they were married, two years later Aiko was born.
Naruto dated a few girls. Sasuke knew he was trying to overcome Sakura in his way, and even he thought that this perverted habit inherited from Jiraya was not healthy, but Sasuke did not judge. Some time later Naruto finally realized the feelings of Hinata and married the girl, almost a year after Sasuke married Akiko. Boruto was born a little later.
The son of Shikamaru and Ino lay lazily in the grass beside Itachi's younger son and Sasuke's younger son, ignoring the routine fights of Aiko and Boruto. While the Sai's son with a former partner of ANBU Root, drew the scene before him.
"Where's Nii-chan?" Itachi's younger son asked no one in particular.
"Must have disappeared with Rin-chan again." Boruto replied as he lay on the grass next to them rubbing his head where Aiko had beaten to retrieve the stolen book.
"Where are we going, Ichi-nii?" Rin asked as she was dragged through the forest.
"A secret place." He replied with a small smile, happy to see curiosity adorn her features.
He took her to an isolated place in the forest. Opening the curtain of leaves he pulled Rin into the cabin that was made between two large, hollow trees. "What place is this?" She asked with admiration as she saw the little place decorated with objects and flowers.
Ichiro lay on the red futon and smiled as she lay beside him, putting her head on his arm, using him like a pillow. "Mom showed me this place recently. She said it was a secret place for her and daddy, but now she and Daddy decided it would be my place."
Rin sat abruptly. "Your secret place?" She asked in surprise. "Why are you showing me then, Ichi-nii?"
He smiled and pulled her to lie down next to him again. "Because I want to share it with you."
"So did Aunt Sakura share with Uncle Itachi?" She asked almost shyly.
He nodded and she smiled, laying her head on his chest. "Our secret place." She whispered before closing her eyes.
"Who's going to get the brats?" Naruto asked as he devoured the ramen Hinata had made.
"You go." Sasuke answered nonchalantly.
"I'm eating. You go." Naruto answered angrily with his mouth full.
"Don't talk with your mouth full." Sakura scolded and slapped him on the head making him choke on the food.
Sai pointed to Neji who was next to Tenten who had a baby asleep in the arms. "I'll not, I have to take care of them." Tenten laughed knowing how much Neji was protector of her and the boy who had just been born.
"The old guys will go." Obito replied, pointing to Yamato and Kakashi who were sitting on the spacious sofa of Sakura and Itachi's living room. With the other hand he stroked Shizune's round belly.
"We have the same age." Kakashi grunted without taking his eyes off the new book Jiraya had published.
"I'm younger than you two." Yamato grunted.
"I'll." Itachi kissed Sakura's cheek that was talking with Ino, Akiko and Sai's wife.
"Itachi is a good husband, Sakura-chan." Hinata said sweetly, but all the women in the room laughed knowing that she said for the purpose of annoying the other husbands, including Naruto.
"Oy, I'm a good husband... and the best Hokage this Village has ever seen." Naruto shouted indignantly.
"If you do it again, I'll make you swallow this dish." Sasuke grunted as he wiped the face that Naruto had spit while talking with full-mouth.
"Here we go again." Shikamaru said lazily as he waited for a fight that was about to happen.
Itachi walked slowly into the park inside the Uchiha District where the kids used to play and clapped the hands to get everyone's attention, smiling when they stopped everything they were doing to follow him. He was happy to still impose authority even though Sakura said he had grown too soft over the years.
"Isao-kun, where is your brother?" He asked as he stroked the dark hair spiked from the youngest son who reminded him so much of Shisui.
Isao caressed Kuro who was resting on his shoulder and looked at his father to answer the question. "Ichi-nii disappeared with-"
"I'm here." Ichiro ran, holding Rin's hand, smiling as Kuro flew off his brother's shoulder and landed on his shoulder.
Itachi looked at the eldest son beside Obito's daughter and smiled, knowing exactly where they were, seeing the direction from where they were coming from. He had a light foreboding that perhaps his love story and Sakura would repeat, but this time in a less painful way.
"The lunch is ready." Itachi stated.
"Those who come last wash the dishes." Boruto screamed and ran toward the main house, followed by the others who shouted in protest.
Itachi felt a chakra he had not felt in a long time and narrowed the eyes.
"Dad, what happened?" Ichiro asked worriedly as he saw the apprehensive face of his father.
Itachi ran a hand through his son's pink hair. "A storm is approaching." Itachi said in a calm but serious voice making the boy feel shivers down his spine. Ichiro looked in the direction where his father was looking earlier and swore he saw a snake crawling through the bushes.
"Don't worry, I'll take care of it." Itachi said with conviction reassuring the older son. "You're going to have to do the dishes, son."
"Damn it." The boy screamed and ran toward the house.
"Language." Itachi shouted before smiling.
He looked once more at the bush and was relieved to know that he would have the chance to exterminate Orochimaru once and for all. If old Sannin thought only for a moment that he could threaten his clan or Konoha again, he was sure the man was more delusional than he initially thought.
He would protect his family and his clan with everything he had.
