A/N: Hey all! First I would like to apoligize to all of my readers who have had to wait soo long for this chapter, I hope it was worth the wait. I tried my hardest not make it too cliche or rushed, i wanted to take my time on it, and make sure that you guys enjoy this last chapter.
So many emotions flow through my mind's eye right now, this story is over a year old if you count pre-production, it's been a long journey, and I just would like to thank the people who's been along for the ride since the beginning.
Now to answer a few of your questions, the biggest one being the one about whether or not I am writing a sequel to this story.
The answer is... no.
I'm currently working on four other fanfictions in addition to my four part-time jobs, and my full time - student career. You can ask my beta, (i'm his beta too btw), he will tell you that I am seriously busy.
Even though I really enjoyed writing this story, i feel as if I have taken every possible path the story can take.
I hope you all aren't too disappointed! But anywho onto the story!
Also just to remind you, please please please review, I would honestly like to know your opinions about this final chapter. Even if you haven't reviewed a single chapter of mine, please let me know!
Chapter 20
Sakura watched the group swarm around the two evil shinobi with fear reflecting in her emerald eyes. She knew first hand how frightening both Kabuto and Orochimaru could be and she just prayed that she would be able to see everyone alive by the end of this battle.
Naruto and Sasuke stood before Orochimaru at a distance, Sasuke's stance one of cool nonchalance and Naruto, one of threatening power. Kiba and Hinata stood on the other side, glaring darkly at Kabuto.
There she was, in the middle of two growing battles. Unable to attack, unable to help, completely useless…
"You ready, Naruto?" Sasuke asked, looking over at Naruto, who had pulled a kunai out of his sleeve.
"Yeah."
*-*-*-*-*
"I don't know what you're trying to accomplish here, Sasuke." Orochimaru sneered, as he made a hand-sign, "But you will not kill me, I have not spent these last few years training my student to overthrow me."
"We'll see about that!" Naruto grunted, rushing towards Orochimaru, his kunai raised high.
"Pathetic." Orochimaru snarled quickly hurling Naruto to the sand, a cloud of dust enveloping him.
"Naruto!" Sakura yelped, taking a step towards him.
"Stay back, Sakura!" Sasuke snapped, holding out his empty hand to stop her.
Naruto slowly stood, wiping the dust from his brow, his breath coming in heaves. Sasuke stood beside him, his eyes closed in meditation. Slowly little black marks appeared over his entire body, opening his eyes to show the Sharingan glowing bright red. A purple aura surrounded him.
"It's my turn now, Orochimaru." Sasuke muttered, making a hand sign. "Chidori Eisou!" he said, throwing his hands up, forming an electric spear. In that second he hurled the energy blade towards Orochimaru.
Orochimaru smiled broadly, "Stupid boy, I know all of your tricks!" he snapped, catching the electric handle in his hand, dispersing the chakra surrounding it.
But before it disappeared, Sasuke made another hand sign and suddenly the spear broke apart, sending a dozen sharp miniature spears into Orochimaru's body. Orochimaru grunted painfully.
"Orochimaru-sama!" Kabuto gasped, looking up over the battle he was currently fighting with Kiba, Hinata and Akamaru.
"Stupid move." Kiba snapped, collapsing on top of Kabuto, holding him down as Hinata reached for his chakra points.
"Obviously you don't know all of my tricks, Orochimaru." Sasuke said, a confident smile covering his lips.
Sakura stood in awe as she looked over the epic battle, she watched with fear as Orochimaru's outstretched neck headed for Naruto.
"Watch out, Naruto!" she yelped.
Naruto dashed to the side, Orochimaru's teeth barely grazing his neck. Sakura gasped as one of Orochimaru's fangs pierced his skin, drawing blood.
The force of Orochimaru's body hitting him full force sent the blond shinobi flying backwards. He landed on his back in the sand near Sakura. She came rushing over to the cloud of dust he had kicked up.
"Naruto-kun!" she yelled, running towards him, sliding on her knees to his side, "Are you alright?"
Naruto held his neck painfully as the poison slipped inside of him.
"This… poison… my chakra… is draining out of me…" he muttered as Sakura grasped his hand.
Sasuke meanwhile was doing his best to hold off Orochimaru as his neck stretched around him.
"Chidori!" Sasuke screamed, slamming the electric ball into the side of Orochimaru's head. Orochimaru collapsed on the dirt, his eyes rolled in the back of his skull.
"Sakura, is Naruto okay?" Sasuke bellowed over at her as she fought to find the source of the poison.
"I don't know yet!" she yelled back, "Naruto, are you okay?"
She knew the question was a stupid one, just as she sat there she could literally see the blue chakra draining out of him. She also knew that if she didn't do something soon then she would be facing the possibility of the nine-tailed fox making an appearance.
"Naruto I'm going to take the poison out…" Sakura said, pulling out a kunai from her pouch and turning to face Naruto.
He gripped her wrist as she steadied it over his neck; his soft blue eyes looked up at her lovingly.
"I trust you." He muttered as his blue eyes suddenly began flashing back and forth from red to blue, "Hurry!"
She sliced a slit where the poison bubbled at his throat. He was fighting the eternal struggle with the Kyuubi to keep him from invading his body. The hand that was currently clasped around Sakura's arm grew long white claws.
"HURRY, SAKURA!!!" Naruto growled, his voice imitating the Kyuubi deep rumble.
Sakura kneeled down and began sucking the poison out of Naruto neck. His hand gripped painfully onto her arm and she winced in pain but didn't falter. After spitting out the mouthful of poison and blood, she looked down at him and rested her palms on his chest, sending her chakra through him. His large chakra capacity drained her entire chakra level. Her eyes widened in shock as she felt Naruto's body absorb every drop of chakra she had left.
The claws receded and Naruto regained his conscious. Sakura fell forward, into Naruto's arms, exhausted.
"Sakura… are you alright?" Naruto asked, gripping shoulder as his arm wound around her back.
"I'm fine." She said, her eyes fluttering closed, passed out.
"Sakura!" Naruto gasped, holding his wife tightly in his arms, "Speak to me!"
But she was silent. Her breaths came in short gasps.
"NARUTO, I need you over here!" Sasuke choked as Orochimaru slowly stood again.
Naruto softly set Sakura in the sand, her face falling over to the side.
"I will protect my family." Naruto said, determination filling his body, making his chakra rage. He headed over to Sasuke and stood beside him, his chest heaving.
Orochimaru was getting obviously weaker; it was evident in the way he moved towards them, slow and lethargic.
"This is not the end Sasuke-kun; I will not be taken down by the likes of you and your friends." He sneered, making a handsign, "Ninja art: Twin Snake Sacrifice jutsu." He snarled, as two snakes came slithering out of his shirt sleeve.
Sasuke held up his arms and made two hand signs. "Striking Snake jutsu!" Sasuke bellowed, as snakes came flying out of his sleeve as well, meeting Orochimaru's larger snake head on, in the next moment Naruto threw a kunai, hitting Orochimaru's snake, slicing off it's head, it landed on the ground with a sickening thud.
Suddenly Orochimaru stood up, hands tightened into fists. Hundreds of snakes came pouring out of his body, slithering all over the sand.
"Naruto! Now!" Sasuke yelled, forming a Chidori ball in his palm. Naruto ran towards Sasuke, a kunai raised.
"You're through!" Sasuke yelled.
"You have got to be kidding-"
"RASENGAN!!!" Naruto screamed suddenly, it came from behind of Orochimaru, without anyone noticing, Naruto had created two shadow clones.
Orochimaru, attempting to avoid Naruto's Rasengan, ran straight into Sasuke's Chidori ball. He grunted.
"OROCHIMARU-SAMA!!!" Kabuto screamed as Naruto's Rasengan slammed into Orochimaru's back, he began to spin around violently.
Blood and snake juices covered both Naruto and Sasuke as they slowly ate away at Orochimaru's frail body. With one last gasp for air Orochimaru wailed in pain. Kabuto began to rush towards Orochimaru as his body fell limp.
"Orochimaru-sama!" he yelled again. His hand reached out to slice off Naruto's arm.
"Naruto-kun! Watch out!" Hinata squealed, but suddenly the pink flash came running by them. Sakura raised her fist and connected her knuckles with the side of Kabuto's skull. The force of it sent Kabuto flying through the air, the strength of the punch crushed his skull, smashing his brain, killing him instantly.
"Sakura!" Naruto gasped as she dropped to her knees, totally spent.
"I'm okay!" Sakura coughed, covered in sand, "I…I just reacted…" she muttered, as Naruto carefully picked her up. They looked around them, Orochimaru's insides splattered all over the desert floor, and Kabuto's brain stood smashed against a rock, both dead.
Sasuke breathed heavily after the battle, barely standing. Naruto and Sakura stood over Kiba and Akamaru, Sakura quickly healing the many lacerations over their bodies from Kabuto's Mystical Palm jutsu. Naruto used his chakra to help her heal them.
"It's over, finally." Hinata squeaked, kneeling beside Kiba, holding his hand.
"Sakura…" Sasuke breathed already standing behind her. She felt her heart pounding as she stood after healing Kiba.
"Yeah?" she asked, watching Naruto out of the corner of her eye.
"I'm sorry, for stabbing you." He said, looking down, "I had to prove my allegiance to Orochimaru for a little while longer."
"I understand." Sakura admitted awkwardly, and Sasuke smiled a small smile. She looked down awkwardly.
A moment passed between them, both knowing the other's thoughts, it was as if Sasuke and Sakura were hitting a large fork in the road, and were separating, "Well… you know… I'm going to go make sure Naruto is alright." She said, gesturing to where Naruto stood, walking past Sasuke. The moment she looked into Naruto's eyes she smiled broadly. There had only ever been one person that could put a smile on her face: even after such a grisly battle.
He grinned boyishly as she walked over to him, wrapping her arms around him.
"You did it Naruto, you and Sasuke killed Orochimaru." She said, kissing his sweaty brow, she then kissed his lips, despite the fact that she felt Sasuke's eyes on her.
But she had already chosen the man she planned to live the rest of her life with.
Sakura wiped the blood from his lip, a tear rolling down her eyes.
"Why are you crying, Sakura?" Naruto asked, cocking an eyebrow questionably.
"I love you, Naruto Uzumaki."
He grinned widely, showing most of his teeth, "I love you too."
"We need to find someplace to stay tonight." Kiba commented, breaking the mood, his body supported Hinata. Akamaru stood beside her, limping a bit.
"We could see if Temari-san could put us up for a couple of days." Sakura said, before turning. She saw Naruto and Sasuke looking across from each other, understanding in their eyes.
"You sure?" Naruto asked, looking over at him.
"Maybe at one point I belonged here," Sasuke explained, "But if I was to return to The Hidden Leaf Village, I'd be branded as a criminal."
"I understand."
Sasuke held out his hand, and Naruto took his, smiling widely.
"You know Naruto," Sasuke said, a lazy smile playing at his lips. "You weren't my first friend, but you were definitely my best."
"Same with you Sasuke."
"Take care of Sakura and your baby."
"I plan on it."
Sakura wanted to say something, anything. But her voice had left her. She just watched as Sasuke headed off into the desert, his hand lifted in goodbye.
After Sasuke left Naruto walked over to the gloves on the ground, and put them on, picking up the scroll with one hand. He then walked over to Sakura, placing his other arm around her neck.
"Let's go." He said.
-*-*-*-*-*-*-
Naruto and Sakura had spent the next few months in the Sand Village, Naruto working as a liaison between the two allied villages. Sakura in turn had taken a teaching position with the Sunagakure Ninja Academy where she taught medical ninjutsu to a few gifted students.
Kasumi, Kenji, and Mika greeted them when they had returned and Kasumi had shown obvious interest in learning medical ninjutsu as one of Sakura's students.
Naruto and Sakura had finally said goodbye to their three team members from Team Uzumaki as the students all returned to Konoha. Sakura knew that Naruto wanted to return home, but with Sakura in her final trimester, she didn't want to risk the baby's health. There was nothing they could do about it. For now, they were stuck in Sunagakure.
-*-*-*-*-*-*-
"It looks like we have a new name to add to Konoha's database!" Shizune squealed, running into Tsunade's office, "We just received a message from the Sand Village, Sakura-chan gave birth last night!!!"
Tsunade's eyes widened, looking over the card.
Parents: Naruto and Sakura Uzumaki
Gender: Boy
Name: Yasuo Sasuke Uzumaki (scribbled beside the name were the words "Naruto wanted to name him 'Seventh Hokage'")
Tsunade grinned. "I'm so happy for them."
"Yes." Shizune squealed happily. "They will be returning within the week."
"Good." Tsunade said.
-*-*-*-*-*-
Naruto and Sakura walked through the woods, "Are we there yet?" she asked Naruto as she carried a tiny bundle close to her body.
"Yeah, we're almost there, I can see the village walls." Naruto said, looking back at her.
"I wonder if anyone will be looking for us?" Sakura asked, looking down at the tiny baby in her arms. Little Yasuo slept soundly in her arms; a tiny arm came out of the blanket.
"Yasuo's getting restless, I think he's hungry." Sakura explained.
"We can stop for some ramen once we get into the village!" Naruto smiled his eyes wide with anticipation as his mouth watered.
"You know, I've only been a Mom for barely a week, but I'm pretty sure you don't feed a baby ramen." Sakura muttered sarcastically.
"Oh well, we can pick him up some formula after we go to Ichiraku Ramen!"
Sakura's eyes widened, "Naruto!"
"I was kidding!" Naruto joked, laughing.
Her eyes narrowed angrily as they continued on. They both grinned widely when they saw the gates of Konoha, wide open as if welcoming them home with open arms.
"Home sweet home!" Naruto bellowed, throwing his arms around Sakura's waist, grabbing her side.
"It's nice to be back." Sakura said, hoisting little Yasuo higher against her chest.
"Sakura! Naruto!" A voice yelled suddenly, as they walked in through the gates.
Naruto's mouth stood gaping while Sakura's eyes widened. All of their friends were waiting for them when they returned. Ino and Sai were smiling broadly at them as they held hands, and Kiba and Hinata stood together, having been married for a few months now.
Neji and Tenten also stood together, with Lee standing close beside them as well, looking awestruck.
Choji and Shikamaru both exchanging glances as both grinned.
"Wow, you guys, it's good to see you all!" Sakura said, looking over them with thanks glowing in her eyes.
"What an adorable baby!" Ino cried, running up to Sakura.
Kiba shook Naruto's hand. "Congrats man." He said.
"NARUTO-SENSEI!!!, SAKURA-SENSEI!!!" A girlish voice squealed as Kasumi, Mika, and Kenji all rushed up to them with bright smiles on their faces, "Welcome back!"
"It's good to be back!" Naruto said, as he looked over his students.
Then suddenly a large group of people headed towards the gate. Tsunade, Shizune, Kakashi, Captain Yamato, Asuma, Jiraya, Kurenai, Konohamaru, Udon, Moegi, and Sakura's parents all headed towards them with Iruka bringing up the rear.
Tears spurt into Naruto and Sakura's eyes as they were overwhelmed by the welcoming reception. They were finally home.
This entire love story began with a boy and a girl, both finding each other through the rough and sometimes difficult stage of growing up. But because of their love they will become stronger, and even though what lies ahead in their future is currently unknown, the trip down the road of life will seem much less bumpy as long as they're together.
The End
A/N: Anyways that's it you guys! I hope you enjoyed it! Keep an eye out for new stories coming soon!
Much love!!
Please review, this is your final chance!!!
(and much love to my beta, thanks for looking over this!)