Chapter 38

AN: Dun Dun Dun DUUUUN… Final chapter everyone! Time to tie everything in together for a final chapter extravaganza! Will Naruto be saved from Orochimaru? Or rather, will Orochimaru be saved from the little hellion? Will the 'Will of Fire' prevail or will it die? Find out by concluding the strangest fic I have ever written!

Orochimaru's village, in the Land of Rice…

Orochimaru looked at the sleeping child through the one way mirror they had set up for observation. He resisted a giddy dance at the blow he had just dealt his sensei and the village that scorned him. Kabuto sent him a bemused smile.

"Master, what if he refuses? I mean, there are those reports about the Akatsuki after all…" Kabuto trailed off at Orochimaru's manic chuckle.

"Kukuku my dear Kabuto, do not fret; I will train him personally and make him see the darkness. I might even have that Karin come by to show him 'family bonds'."

"…" Kabuto gave a deadpan look.

"Of course if that fails we do have mind torture and loyalty seals." Orochimaru finished lightly while tapping his chin thoughtfully. Kabuto sweat dropped but nodded. Their attention was then drawn to a rather abruptly conscious Jinchuuriki, who sniffed at the Oto garbs that were put on him; the old clothes were burned save for the shirt. Kabuto planned to keep it as black mail against Danzo Shimura for running a camp.

Looking at himself in the mirror, Orochimaru made sure he looked the part of a benevolent psychopathic leader and went to greet his new super weapon.

"Why hello there my little pet. Do you know where you are?" Orochimaru answered rhetorically. Naruto was still getting his bearings but shook his head no. The sannin about to continue into his prepared introduction into the greatness that was his plan when the Jinchuuriki pointed at him.

"But I know you! You're the snake man that framed Itachi- nii!" Naruto said without fear, remember the picture the Uchiha had shown him. Here Orochimaru got a tick mark.

"Oh for the love of immortality! No, I did not 'wipe out the Uchiha and frame Itachi- kun' . Why would I wipe out a clan whose eyes and bodies I crave?"

Kabuto face palmed from the observation room.

"You…crave bodies? Without them allowing it?" Naruto asked with a slightly green tint.

"Of course they don't allow it but it matters not! I will occupy their bodies and" His rant was stopped by a gag.

"EW! You're a- a- a… a sex offender." Naruto pointed in accusation at the term his senpai had taught about people who touched others without consent.

'Must not slaughter, must not slaugher. He has to join Oto.' Was the snake sannin's chant.

"I… think we got off on the wrong foot. My name is Orochimaru, a very powerful shinobi, aspiring immortal, and the most handsome kage in the world. We are in Otogakure, a village soon to rival the other measly villages."

"Oh. Why am I here then?" Naruto asked. Orochimaru clapped his hands together.

"An excellent question, kukuku. You are a being filled with immense power, a Jinchuuriki! I have brought you here to become my personal weapon! Join me, Uzumaki, and we'll take down the wretched village that is Konoha and then the world!" Orochimaru held out his hand.

"Hmm…nah. I think I'll go home now; Shin- senpai and Sai- senpai are probably worried."

"… I'll give you power." Orochimaru promised.

"My senpais train me a whole lot!"

"Money"

"ANBU feeds me and Hokage- jiji gives me an allowance."

"Fame."

"Eh, but Nagato- nii says I'm more famous than the devil or something."

"…" Orochimaru was screaming inside and started pulling his hair out. What could he give to children? Kabuto slipped into the room and handed a slip of paper before stepping back out.

"Kukuku… how would you like unlimited… ramen?"

Naruto, who had taken to looking at the ceiling, snapped his head to the sannin.

"WHERE'S THE RAMEN?!" Was the rabid response.

Thirty six hours later, Konoha's Hokage Tower…

The Hokage's office was over flowing with ANBU and ROOT, so much so that dozens were crammed around open windows. The pre dawn light illuminated the furious Hokage and Danzo Shimura, the Darkness of Shinobi knowing his life was on the line. Naruto had to be saved. The village on high alert and ANBU teams had been assigned to the ROOT's best trackers in search of the blonde.

"I don't know who or why, but Naruto Uzumaki, code name: Kitsune, has been kidnapped." Hiruzen said in a voice that defied his age. "The only clue was the faint trail that split into three." Danzo stepped up with the report Fu had handed only moments before from his and Torune's preliminary tracking efforts.

"We have ruled out two of them; one led uselessly back to the village in a corkscrew route. The second one simply stopped in a clearing with residue chakra, pointing to it being a clone whose purpose was to distract us."

"And the third?" Kakashi growled, his Sharingan flashing in the darkness.

"Over the border into the Land of Rice" Hiruzen intoned. Here Itachi gasped slightly. Everyone shifted their gaze to the prodigy. "Is there something we should be aware of Itachi- kun?"

"Hn. Hokage- sama, I remember a report Zetsu gave when my former associates still had their…goal."

"And?" This time it was an agitated Dragon.

"Well signs point to some sort of new hidden village being constructed there. Zetsu's last report was that there were hostile, well armed, and organized if not secret."

Danzo hummed slightly.

"It seems your idiot of a student was right Hiruzen. The 'Hidden Sound Village' is indeed more than a mere rumor. And now they have our Jinchuuriki."

"Hmm it appears so." Hiruzen closed his eyes for a moment before popping them open, plan set in motion. "This is war… a silent, deadly war. Shikaku" here he nodded to the jonin commander who nodded back. The shadow user didn't have to guess what his leader was going to say. "Shikaku… you and the jonin will protect the village while keeping the façade of normalcy up. Younger ROOT agents and three fourths of the ANBU- squads 10 through twenty along with the commander will suffice- will continue the normal black op missions. Danzo and I will lead the rest in an operation to retrieve our Jinchuuriki. Time is of the essence as they could be planning to control him or just remove the Bijuu. Either way they've signed their death warrants; no one from this village will be left alive to speak of our presence. Now, scatter!" At the commanding ring everyone assigned to the war party was out of the tower and leaving the village through the underground passages, a furious kage and Danzo at the front.

War was hell, but for once Hiruzen wouldn't back down from it. And, judging from the silent shift in the shinobi he led, neither did they.

Back in Oto…

Naruto was devouring an average of twenty bowls an hour with no sign of stopping. Technically they were left to guard the Jinchuuriki and spread their 'Will of the Snake' that all Oto shinobi and kunoichi lived by… but even their induction techniques failed when Naruto began speaking with reverence about the 'Will of Fire' and its kindness and friendship as opposed to the Oto's version of 'leave the weak behind and serve Orochimaru forever with loyalty'. Orochimaru's body guards were never the same.

Kimimaro had since taken to wearing a Konoha head band from who knows where while the rest painted the symbols on their shirts.

"High priest- sama, another bowl?" The bone user asked in reverence.

"Yatta! Thanks guys, and I told you, my name is Kitsune or Naruto! Not 'high priest'." Naruto spoke between bites. Tayuya had stars in her eyes.

"But you are the high priest! You made us see the way, the truth, and the light! We live by faith and not by sight for the Will of Fire!" She practically shouted and the others cheered.

"Please, High priest- sama, lead us in the prayer you bestowed upon us." Sakkon begged. With a sigh Naruto set down his bowl, unbelieving that he had to deal with such children.

"If I do can I have my chakra back?" Naruto asked, knowing they would probably refuse; but he had to get his chakra back and leave before Danzo- jiji and Hokage- jiji got too worried. To his surprise all five nodded their heads and he smiled brightly.

"Okay! Who are we!"

"Konoha ninja!" They replied boisterously.

"And what do we do?!"

"Triumph!"

"Because that's"

"OUR WILL OF FIRE!" The group finished together and Tayuya made a hand seal, releasing Naruto of the chakra seal that blocked both his and Kurama's chakra. A slight buzz filled the air as he flared it.

"Yatta! Well I have to go guys, remember to keep being great Konoha ninja!" Naruto saluted before bolting with another ramen bowl. The others held up their own bowl and saluted, watching the boy go with happy sighs.

"Not you guys too! Just what happened here?" Asked an irate Kabuto who had tied up Naruto instantly. "And why are you all wearing that despicable symbol?!" The man had come to have them escort Naruto to Orochimaru where they would all evacuate with the more powerful shinobi, leaving the genin and experiments to deal with the Hokage's secret invasion force. He had started noticing many of the lower ranks spewing 'Will of Fire' nonsense and it seemed to be permeating from this group. Well, he didn't have time to waste due to Konoha and prepared for the worst.

Kabuto still wasn't pleased that his distraction tactics failed to fool Konoha, even if he was in a rush.

Kimimaro nodded to his comrades in the Will of Fire. As one they charged and a flabbergasted Kabuto found himself defending a barrage of bones, webs, genjutsu, and kunai.

"Leave, High priest- sama, we will take out the trash." Kimimaro ordered. The Twins were trying to restrain the medic and Jirobu untied Naruto.

"Are you sure?" Naruto asked with slight tears; from what he'd heard, Kabuto was super strong. The sound five nodded with smiles.

"May the Will of Fire protect you!" They cheered and turned back to fighting. Unfortunately, Kabuto had already alerted Orochimaru through an alarm seal and smirked. He figured it would be great fun to destroy whatever brainwashing technique Naruto used when this was all over. Usually people gave into the 'Will of the Snake' as Kimimaro had practically made it a cult in his devotion to Orochimaru.

Ten minutes later the sound five were incapacitated and Naruto was captured and seated in front of Orochimaru in the sound booth where the sanin would give his speeches across the base. Every room had a speaker and all shinobi outside the village had a radio seal that would activate for Orochimaru whenever he pressed the 'recording on' button.

"Naruto- kun, why did you try to escape? Was the ramen not good enough?" Orochimaru asked, standing over the child who was seated in the overly large recording chair.

"Nah, it was great Snake- jiji!" Naruto complimented and tapped his chin. "I just have to get back home."

"…This is your home, Naruto- kun. Now explain why Kimimaro is wearing my old headband and everyone is shouting about the 'Will of Fire'?"

"Well it all started when they asked about a pamphlet I started reading when the bone guy was started talking about his Snake Will or something."

"P- pamphlet?" Orochimaru asked, perplexed as they never carried pamphlets (the Will of the Snake was a private club) and Naruto had been stripped of all belongings before he woke up.

"Eh? Oh yeah, Shin- senpai put it on my ANBU tattoo in a seal. He said it goes off when 'unbelievers try to corrupt' or something. He said everyone 'like us' has it, whatever that means." Here the blonde shrugged.

Ignoring the fact that seals don't just release without chakra and that Naruto had his sealed (Orochimaru vowed to mess with the impossible at a later date) and that it somehow activated on its own, Orochimaru instead decided he had to get his minions back to normal before his sensei showed up.

No way would he stand for his sound five and random underlings defecting mid battle.

"Kuku, please… tell me EXACTLY what you did and said." Orochimaru ordered so he could reverse engineer it. He was more than confidant he could withstand whatever jutsu or mind games the child tried.

Oh, those famous last words of the prideful. For Naruto, in all his curiosity, pressed the switch under the desk, thus making this conversation heard by all of Otogakure's main base.

With Konoha team, later…

Sarutobi watched in amusement as several guards bowed and asked to be part of Naruto's little 'Will of Fire' cult. Shin, who had been silent along with Sai since they woke up to the knowledge that they essentially led Naruto to his capture, started cackling.

"That's my Priest- kohai! Come one, come all, I, the senpai to our high priest, has all the essentials! From induction pamphlets to figurines and even standard Konoha head bands, all for the fair price of two"

"HUNDRED THOUSAND Ryo each!" Hiruzen interjected already imagining filling the coffers up in the wake of Naruto's appetite.

Danzo couldn't resist his jaw dropping as the horde whipped out their money and bought at the very least a headband.

"Who runs this village? The border patrol agents only gave up where the village was, even their minds withheld who was in charge" Fu demanded.

To their surprise, they replied in unison.

"Orochimaru!" Silence filled the entrance to the underground base before Hiruzen motioned for the ANBU to follow him into the base.

Only for a darker aura than the kyubi to burst from the entrance, blowing the now…former(?) Oto shinobi away, many ROOT and ANBU following soon after.

"Hello there my foolish student. I see you haven't aged a day" Hiruzen said, Danzo and him standing firm against the oppressive aura. Two enraged snake eyes glared at him and stepped out of the base…

With Naruto biting his arm.

"And then I said the chant again and the spider guy started crying and" Naruto mumbled through his grasp. Orochimaru stopped ten feet from Hiruzen and Danzo.

He snarled.

He flipped them off.

And then he threw the Jinchuuriki into the Hokage's arms.

"Here's your little shit. I expect my shinobi to be turned over to me in light of their insanity. Now, get OUT OF MY VILLAGE!" Orochimaru screamed. Danzo blinked and shared a side eye with Hiruzen.

"Well there is the matter of you massacring the Uchiha. Not to mention those human experiments and kidnapping a Jinchuuriki" The Hokage said delicately, knowing they could feasibly take the haggard snake out seeing how he was out numbered and letting his emotions cloud his judgement. However, it would cost lives and he felt bad for some reason at the thought of potentially killing members of Naruto's cult.

"Aww Jiji, why not let him join Konoha? He even gave me lots and lots of ramen!" Said blonde interjected.

"I'm sorry but he cannot join the village."

"Well, why not let him be like Nagato- nii and the rest of the Akatsuki and give him a head band? He gave me ramen and ramen givers deserve a head band!" Hiruzen repressed a laugh at the thought of Orochimaru willingly wearing a Konoha headband.

Orochimaru waved his hands in frustration and swiped a head band from a subordinate's forehead and looked at Naruto.

"If I wear this head band and swear a treaty with… Konoha… you will keep him away from my shinobi and return the so called 'converted'. Also, Kabuto stays here, his tea is too delicious." Hiruzen went slacked jaw at the rather plain terms.

"I… I think that's acceptable, but your atrocious past"

"Can be forgiven if you pay five hundred million ryo to the village." Danzo hushed the Hokage. Hiruzen grew a tick mark but allowed it.

"Deal. Now take that insssufferable thing away. I'll send Kabuto with the peace treaty next month" Orochimaru hissed and went back inside, his snakes rounding up the converted. Already he was planning a move to the far side of the Land of Rice.

"Bye bye Snake- jiji! I'll come back to visit!" Naruto shouted happily, completely dismissing the ordeal he just went through.

'Far, far side of Rice' the sannin corrected.

As Orochimaru left, Naruto and the Konoha group headed home, Naruto being handed around from one ANBU to the next.

Not even Flamingo complained, as ANBU finally had their mascot back and not even the Juubi could spoil their 'victory'.

Epilogue…

Today was the day, the day Naruto's long standing mission at the academy was ending the second Sasuke and his class received their head bands. The blonde looked back with smiles as he watched over the class from his perch. A lot had changed in the past year since the infamous 'Camp Danzo' (which he was going to again, much to his dismay), including the discovery that Iruka set some one up as the spy.

Flashback, one month! Nighttime at Iruka's apartment…

Mizuki cackled as he helped the stupidest ANBU interrogate Iruka once more as his friends were unavailable. The man was biding his time and getting closer to the brat to kidnap him. The last correspondence he had gotten from Kabuto- sama was for information about the boy for Orochimaru- sama. Mizuki didn't know why but his master wanted him.

That message had been a year ago. Kabuto had vanished, along with numerous spies of Orochimaru, leaving Mizuki alone to finish the task. He heard about the 'treaty' with Otogakure and was certain it had something to do with his master's absence. No one knew who the elusive leader was or where the village really resided but surely Orochimaru- sama had to stay hidden from such a strong alliance. Mizuki knew that if he kidnapped the boy and took him to the Land of Tea's base, he'd get answers and recognition. The opportunity was tonight, after he finished gloating to a bound and paralyzed Iruka while Naruto washed his hands, tired from painting Iruka with glitter and making him sneeze.

"Mizuki, why are you helping Kitsune?!" Iruka whispered in annoyance. He put up with the boy's attempts as the Hokage started giving Iruka extra pay and Kitsune broken paralyzing tags, but to see his friend join in was too much.

Mizuki cackled and pulled out a shuriken.

"Well, well Iruka, I just wanted to see you one last time." The blue haired chunin sliced his former friend's cheek.

"O- one last time?"

"Well yes, you see I was the one that encouraged Kitsune to keep seeing you as a spy! That idiot of a Hokage who kept me from a better rank was so inept that he thought YOU were a spy! Don't make me laugh. It gave me the freedom to move around, serving my master. Now I can kill you and take that idiot to Orochimaru- sama."

"Mizuki!" Iruka gasped and instinctively blocked Mizuki's downward swipe with the shuriken. Mizuki's eyes widen in surprise, sure that Iruka was immobilized (why else would he let Kitsune paint his face rainbow colored).

"H- how" only to find himself stuck with the real paralyzing tags the Hokage had given to Iruka for if Naruto ever got out of hand.

"Hey! How'd you get out!" Came Naruto's shout from the kitchen.

Flashback end!

Naruto still wasn't convinced Iruka hadn't made Mizuki say things but Ibiki- senpai kept saying that Mizuki was a traitor and would be punished severely while Iruka was innocent.

Much to the other ANBU's chagrin, Naruto still stalked the man occasionally 'just to be sure.' On the bright side Iruka's skills had improved enough for a special jonin promotion within the year.

Not that Naruto knew that.

For now, the blonde cheered as every classmate walked out with a head band.

"Bow before me, Shin the GREAT! For I have gotten my official headband mwhahaha!" Shin burst through the door, dragging a resigned Sai who had purposefully failed as was the plan, but Shin was excited. Even if he had been doing missions since they were six, this was a big milestone in Shin's eyes. The pale boy joined Naruto on his ledge and started drawing, knowing he would be on more missions with Naruto while Shin babysat

Sasuke came out next, puffing up proudly at his head band. Naruto waved and was once again confused when Sasuke flinched and muttered something about stalkers. Oh well, Hokage- jiji cleared his loyalty so Naruto wasn't worried.

"Alright class, please sit down for team assignments." Iruka called and sweat dropped as Naruto once again zeroed in on the chunin. Ignoring him, Iruka pressed on. "As you know, we usually wait a few days for team assignments, but councilman Danzo was kind enough to offer training for you all starting in two days. Please listen quietly. Team one…" Naruto instantly tuned out, as did his friends.

"Team seven: Sasuke Uchiha, Sakura Haruno, and…Shin." Cue Sasuke beating his head into his desk. "Your sensei is Itachi Uchiha." Here Sasuke gave a fist bump and Shin banged his head, bemoaning his enemy. When everyone settled down, Iruka continued on.

Finally each team finished, and Naruto looked at Sai, feeling like he was forgetting something.

"Hey, Senpai?"

"Yes, Kitsune" Sai answered while drawing. "Did you forget today was the day your 'cousin' was coming to Konoha for political meetings?" Amusement was evident in his voice.

"Oh shoot! You're right, gotta go. Bye Sai, Shin, Traitor, Sasuke!" Naruto said frantically and dashed out the windows towards the gate, leaving a confused class.

At the gates…

Nagato was rather glad the long journey was over. Wearing his noble robes, he walked through the village with Konan, praying his village would still be standing when he went home. As it was, he wasn't surprised when his neck got heavier and opted for a sigh.

"Cousin, how many times do I have to tell you not to come within fifty feet of me?"

"I don't remember but let's go get ramen!" Naruto begged. Konan was already up ahead, passing out the infamous pamphlets to the numerous passerby. Nagato let out another sigh and wished he could make everything explode like good old days before he was a legitimate leader.

"Fine fine. Might as well get this over with. Sarutobi- sama can wait for an hour; I am rather famished from the long journey." Nagato gave in while ignoring that he had ramen not one hour ago at a stand in a small village.

The two cousins walked along to the stand, catching up on what happened since Nagato's visit in the winter. That one had been for an early birthday party. Rumor was Shin had taken off his clothes and run around the village naked, Naruto in his ANBU mask chasing him, both of them drunk out of their minds.

Nagato noticed, even if his cousin didn't, that the various ANBU still watched like hawks. Even after Kitsune took down his organization, inspired the Kiri rebellion's leader Zabuza to open trade with Konoha, and turned Orochimaru's village into a war of ideologies (much to Nagato's sick pleasure even as he funneled the now out lawed Will of Fire merchandise to the country), they still strove to protect him.

Strangely, Nagato knew that if anyone threatened his cousin and his ridiculous peace he had established, that the ANBU would find themselves rushing to get to the ones responsible before Nagato did.

After all, family is family, and Naruto made his rather unique one more loyal than any adversity that came along.

Even if the psycho was unaware of it.

Yes, life was better than before the boy stumbled into his fortress, Nagato thought, and then sputtered at his cousin.

"What do you mean you set the Daimyo on fire?!" He demanded when his cousin off handedly mentioned it.

"Eh, he he, it was an accident. We had to kill some bad guy named 'Diamond' but I read 'Daimyo'. That's not the best part though!"

By the end of the ludicrous tale, Naruto had managed to get the Daimyo indebted to Konoha and a decree that ramen was the national dish. Nagato couldn't be more proud.

And finally, later that night!

Naruto sat with his various senpai and ROOT friends; even Danzo had begrudgingly tagged along. The atmosphere was solemn as Naruto put a flower on a small grave, the last one of over fifty. They arrived after Nagato left and now the stars were the only light in the cemetary.

"Think my parents would be proud? Even though the village doesn't see me as a hero?" Naruto asked in a small voice while he looked at the grave.

Here Lies Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze

Declared Dead: May, AD 4500

May he rest in the pure world with

The Heroes…

Sarutobi put his hand on the blonde's shoulder and squeezed.

"I know they are; you were their world, Naruto. And you are a hero, the best kind there is."

"T- the best kind?" Naruto rubbed the tears in his eyes. The Hokage smiled.

"Yes, the kind that picked the village over himself, and who protects everyone every day, even if they don't know it. Your family, all of us, knows it."

"Yeah Priest- kohai, cheer up!" Shin shouted from his spot, Tora meowing in agreement from atop his head.

"Brother…sigh, but yes, cheer up, for you are a hero and kohai: Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze. Even if no one else knows it here."

"Yeah, my favorite little brother shouldn't be so down." Boar interjected.

"Even though you think I'm the devil, I see you as a hero and a fine shinobi." Iruka admitted.

"Hn, you've accomplished much." Itachi admitted.

"And I'm proud of you, apprentice… now do my paperwork." Dragon said, plopping down a stack of paperwork.

"Maa, did you say something?" Kakashi eye smiled.

"And no matter what, know that it's not about the fame or recognition that makes you a hero; it's about the people you save." Hiruzen said finally. Danzo grunted.

"Just keep your emotions in check and I'll let you live."

Naruto smiled at everyone widely and laughed when Shin demanded the chant. The adults rolled their eyes as the most infamous team put their hands together.

"Who are we?!" Naruto asked as he slipped on his mask.

"Konoha ninja!" Sai and Shin declared.

"What do we do?"

"Triumph!"

"Because that's"

"OUR WILL OF FIRE!" Surprisingly every ANBU joined their mascot, and Kakashi threw Naruto over his shoulder.

"Time for some funeral cake for the mascot!" Cheers could be heard from the group as the dysfunctional family left.

"Man, I'll miss our team, even if it is only disbanded until Sasuke becomes a chunin." Shin admitted, a wave of melancholy washing over him once the ANBU were gone.

"Brother, I feel the same way…"

"Actually, you'll find Kitsune on a long term 'protection mission' to keep Sasuke Uchiha sane… he has been rather twitchy and paranoid." Hiruzen said with a twinkle in his eye. Shin grinned but then frowned as Sai would be left out.

"I guess I will be re assigned" Sai mumbled in a stoic voice.

Danzo gritted his teeth as his left foot was crushed by Hiruzen's and scoffed at the smile sent his way.

"Actually… your job is to make sure your team mates don't cause an international incident on missions. Now leave us." Danzo ordered.

Soon it was just the two sides of the shinobi left by the grave. The Kami and Yami of shinobi stared at the stone.

"Do you think I did right? Making him sign the contract, faking his death, and now ensuring he's a ghost? Taking away his chance of being in the light?" Hiruzen asked quietly.

"Hmm..," Danzo hummed. "I rarely see the good in this world, but somehow that boy made the darkest roots of my soul become grey; for that, I thank you for whatever mistakes you think you made. Now, let's go: Kitsune should be taking a bite of the coffee cake at this point and it is bound to be amusing."

"You didn't!" Hiruzen gasped. Danzo just smirked.

"No, but my mother may have heard Kitsune loves coffee cake with six layers of chocolate icing and sent one for the party."

"You are evil, my old friend."

"I try, Hiruzen. I try."

"And fat."

"At least I'm not a smoker."

"And at least I don't make shinobi emotionless."

"And I don't let four year olds sign contracts with crayons!"

"Tsk, it was the only thing I had."

"Old monkey."

"Foolish warhawk."

The bickering continued with no real malice. And when the ANBU HQ exploded with five hundred ANBU clad Naruto's running around in a sugar rush, they shared a good laugh that proved no matter the quarrels, a little sunshine could wash the hate away.

End!

So, this chapter was a beast. I ended this on a mixture of stupidity and sweet, showing how much Naruto and everyone has grown. This has to be my favorite fanfiction to write, as it was what started growing my readership. I hope everyone enjoyed this fanfiction as much as I have and ask for you leave a review telling me:
1. Favorite or least favorite part of the story

2. Favorite character

3. How did you like the ending. I have planned this ending for awhile, and have hinted that Naruto would indeed always be in ANBU. I respect cannon for how much he gained their respect, but at the same time it's not the only way his life could have gone. Just one change, and he might have become something different…

Perhaps even the ANBU's mascot.

With love,

Riku