This parting of the shinobi was tougher than any war they had previously experienced...

Boruto and Himawari hugged Uncle Neji they would probably never see again... Himawari was in tears...

"We will miss you Uncle!" she sobbed out.

"Aww... Don't cry my dear... I will always be there with you, watching over you..." Neji beamed to them both, and hugged them tightly, bitter smile covering his face. "Become the greatest shinobi world has ever seen... So that not just your parents or me, but all of your ancestors could be proud of you... and the whole world..." he beamed.

"We will Uncle Neji! Just you wait!" Boruto clenched his fist, a tiny tear appearing in his eye too.

Hinata also cuddled tightly with Neji.

"I will miss you, big brother..." she whispered, tears in her eyes.

"I'm always there, Hinata..." Neji kindly beamed, caressing her, "Hang on tight, you have a bright future ahead of you, I can see it..." and he looked down at Boruto and Himawari, smiling. Then he turned back to his cousin: "Greet Naruto from me... Tell him I thank him for everything he did for you, Hyuga family, the village, and the whole world... I have no regrets, safe for being with you all those happy moments..."

Hinata wiped her tear away, bitterly smiling.

"I will tell him, Neji..." she said.

Neji smiled, slightly bowed as a sign of gratitude, and disappeared, turning into orange smoke, and floating up in the sky...

Mao Shin sighed.

"I hope I didn't cause you too much pain Lady Hinata..." she said.

"What are you saying, Lady Mao Shin!" Hinata exclaimed, "We all are eternally grateful!" she beamed and sighed, "I'm glad I could see him all grown up... That was always my dream..."

Mao Shin smiled.

Meanwhile, Uchiha family's goodbye wasn't that painless either.

"Here again, we are parting once more, big brother..." Sasuke sighed.

"Don't be discouraged, Sasuke, my little brother..." Itachi beamed and poked him on forehead, "I'll always watch over you and your family... I'll always be there... You just follow the path you chose, and look forward, because bright future awaits you there..." and he smiled down at Sarada, who was awedly blushing.

"I'll miss you, brother," Sasuke put his hand on his shoulder.

"I'll miss you too, Sasuke," Itachi smiled, "And of course you, tiny," he beamed to Sarada and poked her on forehead as well.

Sarada giggled and hugged him.

"I hope we meet again sometime, Uncle Itachi..." she said.

Sakura was smiling.

"Good luck! And Sarada, remember," Itachi started turning into orange smoke too, but kind beam was still covering his face, "follow your dream... I bet you will surpass all the Hokage there were... And I'll be watching you from the Spirit World, as your raven guardian..." he smiled warmly, and vanished in orange smoke, floating up in the sky in form of a smoke raven...

Sarada waved hand, and began crying, hugging Sakura.

Sasuke sighed, and looked down.

Mao Shin walked up to them.

Sasuke smiled to her.

"Mao, you never ceased to amaze me with your skills..." he said, "Thanks for letting Sarada meet her uncle this once..."

"I'm always glad to help with all I can, Sasuke," Mao bitterly smiled. "I'm sorry I'm not able to bring him back to you forever..." she sighed.

"Do not be sorry," Sasuke replied. "This is our fate. Everyone goes to Spirit World eventually. Being able to see them once or twice like this is a lot all by itself".

Mao beamed. She was happy and sad at the same time. Happy that the families could reunite for at least a little time, and sad because they eventually had to part...

But Uzumaki and Uchiha families were more or less accepting their fate, as the ones they parted with, were already long gone, and only brought back for a little time... For Kazekage family, things were a lot tougher...

Shamo was crying bitterly.

"Why do you have to go?! Why do we have to live on opposite sides of the vast ocean?!" she sobbed. "I'll miss you, father!" she hugged Gaara tightly.

Gaara sighed, having a bitter expression on his face. Here again, one more time he was parting with these amazing people - his orchid, and now this little rose...

He hugged his daughter tightly.

"I'll miss you too, Shamo, dear..." he said.

Meanwhile, Lao and Shinki were sadly watching each other.

"I finally got to see my mother, and now I have to part with her?" Shinki looked down in sadness.

"Aww, don't be so sad Shinki, dear," Lao caressed him, cuddling him to her chest, "We'll meet again, I promise... Just you wait..." she bitterly beamed, "I'm so glad to have a son like you... I bet you'll become the best Kazekage ever known... You'll even surpass Gaara, you'll see," she winked.

Shinki chuckled, being sorrowful at the same time.

"And I bet Shamo will surpass you, mom," he grinned.

Lao laughed.

"Of course she will! She is your sister, after all! And Gaara's daughter..." she beamed.

Then the siblings looked at each other.

"Shamo, I'll miss you..." Shinki murmured, being sad.

"I'll miss you too! I always wanted to have a brother! I'm so sad I have to part with him right away!" Shamo cried hot tears, hugging Shinki tightly. "I promise this is not a goodbye! I'll come back! Just you wait! I'll come to the west to see you again, Shinki! I want to see how you grow up and become a strong man..." tears streamed down her cheeks as she smilingly watched her little brother.

"And I'll be waiting for you, to see how you turn into a beautiful strong woman..." Shinki beamed back.

"Take this, Shinki..." Shamo handed him a piece of her iron sand.

"Huh?" Shinki took the piece, surprisedly watching it. "What is this?"

"Iron sand of my Colourful Sand," Shamo beamed, "Fuse it with your own iron sand, and my chakra will always be there to protect you..." tear fell off her eye.

Shinki widened eyes. He stupefiedly looked up at Shamo, who had a maternal gaze upon him... as his big sister...

Shinki clutched the sand, immediately fusing it with his iron sand cloak.

"Thank you, Shamo..." tiny tear fell down his cheek.

But the saddest parting still occurred between the loving hearts...

Lao and Gaara stared into each other's eyes, both of their faces being sorrowful...

They clutched each other's hands.

"Here again, we have to part, Lao..." Gaara sighed.

"It's not forever..." Lao beamed bitterly, tear falling off her eye. "Once your daughter ascends the throne when she's older, and I resign, I'll straightly come over you..." she grinned, but sorrow was still shown in her eyes... It could be told her heart had sunk...

"Then I'll make sure Shinki becomes a great Kazekage, so that I could come over you too," Gaara smiled kindly, and the couple's lips touched each other... This was their bittersweet Sherbet they drank together...

And then the western ninjas waved hands, and ascended the ships, sailing off into the ocean...

"This is not a goodbye papa! When I'm older and stronger, I'll come back! I will come back when you need me! Just you wait!" Shamo shouted from the shore, tears pouring off her cheeks.

Gaara looked back, and sadly waved hand.

"I'll be waiting, Shamo!" he shouted back to her. "We all will be waiting for you!"

And then, soon, the ships disappeared behind the horizon...

Shamo's eyes were reddened from tears.

Lao put hand on her shoulder.

"Shamo..." she quietly called out for her.

"This is unfair... It's so unfair..." Shamo was crying. She looked up at her mother. "Mom... He was the best man I had ever seen... The best father I could ever dream of..." she was sobbing.

Lao sighed.

"I know hun..." she hugged her and bosomed her, "I know..." she caressed her crying child on head. "But that is fate of the leaders... They always have to look after their villages, and sacrifice a lot for them... I'm so sorry Shamo..." tear fell off her cheek. "Only if I could ease your pain somehow..." she bitterly sighed.

Shamo puckered, clenching her fist, being decisive.

"It is not a goodbye mother," she frowningly looked up at her, "They will need us once, I know. And when they do, we'll go there," she looked upon the horizon, "I will return to my papa... I swear I will..."

Lao smiled.

"I know you will..." she caressed her.

The sun set into the sea...