Solstice Equinox – Epilogue

Uzumaki Naruto was smiling. Its not like he needed a reason to smile though, but today he did. No it wasn't because he finally had the family he always wanted.

Honestly though that thought alone gave him plenty of smiles. Uzumaki Anoko was quickly progressing in her Genin Team. She had the talents of her family and the will of fire like her country. Not to mention she'd finally settled on a hair color. Naruto found great relief in that somehow, though Sakura scolded him for him being to uptight.

It wasn't his younger children that he was smiling about today either. Sakura had given birth to two blonde haired green eyed twins. Hiro and Akemi had been the names they'd decided on, and they fit the children well. Currently both were in the ninja academy. Lucky for them, they'd inherited their mother's brains. Both were doing quite well in school, and were being trained by Naruto in his off time. This however only had been agreed upon by Sakura, after he'd promised not to teach them the Sexy Jutsu. That still didn't stop Naruto from giving them ideas for pranks to play. When it came to dear ole dad, they could be quite impressionable.

He also wasn't smiling because of the new addition to the Uzumaki household. Only about two years after Hiro and Akemi had come into the world, Sakura and Naruto had been gifted by another child. Obito was the third child, and often the one most doted upon they former sensei. Sakura suspected Kakashi was trying to atone for his former sins, by ensuring this Obito got the attention he deserved. Course he didn't have anything to work about with his former students as his parents.

Naruto wasn't even smiling because of his lovely wife. Even though at the current moment she was bent over in front of him, adjusting Hiro's orange kimono. Even after several years of marriage, she was all he ever wanted in a woman. She was smart, sexy, humorous, a bit perverted, and still strong as hell. Yet most all, she accepted him. Despite his faults, despite the burden he carried, she never once demanded anything more than his affection from him. Well that and to stop slurping his noodles. Oh and to pick up after himself and the kids, and for him to stop teaching them that perverted Jutsu again.

Shaking out of his daze, but that smile still on his face, he leaned over to tease Obito. Bright blue eye's looked into dark jade greens, as Naruto made a face at him. Obito giggled and grabbed on to a lock of blonde hair and tugged. Yelping, Naruto tried to pull back from the young ones grasp. The fist was firmly entangled in his hair, no matter how hard he pulled away.

"Sssaaakkkuuurra-channn he won't let gooo!" Naruto whined to his wife.

Huffing as she turned around she tilted down and removed the lock of hair from Obito's hands. Shaking her head as she picked him up, holding him against her shoulder as Hiro and Akemi once again messed up their kimono. With an exasperated sigh, Sakura glared at her husband.

"You know sometimes I wonder if I'm not raising 4 kids in this house…" she muttered under her breath.

Catching her glare and her words, he leaned over and kissed her on the lips. That smile was still on his face, and it was hard to stay mad at him for long. She muttered something about cop out, before leaning down to adjust the children's kimono again. Naruto moved to the stairway.

"Anoko come on lets get going, otherwise we're gonna be late!" he yelled up to the eldest daughter.

Anoko came down the stairs, dressed in a rather flattering purple kimono. It did a good job hugging her developing form. Naruto took one look at her, and shook his head, pointing up the stairs again:

"No way you are NOT wearing that!" the still shocked Naruto shouted out.

Anoko just giggled, kissed him on the cheek, and leaned down to help Sakura with the twins. Naruto blinked. Hey wasn't he in charge last time he checked? He was about say something before Anoko glanced up with a smile

"Chill out Otou-san, Okaa-sama is wearing one just like it. Besides she told me that's how she attracted you…you don't want me to be single forever do you?" Anoko just smiled prettily to her father.

All she got was a glance back, almost begging her to really consider if she wanted that question answered truthfully. Sighing with defeat as Sakura shot him another look telling him don't you dare answer that, she handed him Obito. She then ushered them out the door. Naruto turned around, looking over his home with a grin, before grabbing his hat. Looking down to Obito with a smile, he kissed the boy on the forehead before shutting behind him. Yes he had plenty of things to smile about.

Today was a very important day in the Village of the Leaves. A boy who once had been hated by the village he now protected strove on. As he had done this, he had earned the respect of those around him. He'd earned the love of the girl he'd chased since he was a child. He was strong, and had a heart of gold. More so he would give his life for his village, and would protect those precious to him to his last ounce of strength. It only was fitting that a dream so long denied because of the foolish nature of those who could not change, was finally fulfilled.

Haruno Yori would shed tears of a mother, as the boy had become more of son to her then she'd imagined. She only wished the boy's parents could have seen him on this day, they would have been so proud of him. She glanced over to see her daughter smiling as well, tears of toy streaming from her eyes as well.

Tsunade would smile as she helped him adjust his robes. She would kiss his forehead, like she'd done so many years ago.

"Jiraiya, your mother and your father would be proud of you"

The two of them would stare a moment of silence for their fallen comrades, before Naruto moved on from the group. Tsunade then would move to stand along side Naruto's oldest daughter. Anoko mimicked the grin of her father, and the two twins shared it as well. Obito watched with wide eyes as his father moved to stand alongside a skinny man with white hair. He watched as that man with white hair, and a red colored robe that matched his fathers, stepped aside to let his father stand before the assumed villagers.

Today Uzumaki Naruto had another reason to smile, as he was named Nanadaime-Hokdage.

Who said stories don't have a happy ending?

0o0o0o0

Author's notes: We there it is. Last few chapters of my story. I don't know if anyone noticed, but I snuck a few of my other favorite Naruto pairings in there (TenTen/Neji and Shika/Tema). Would have put Ino/Couji,Kiba/Hina or Hina/Lee in there, but I couldn't find a good place.

It also has been a great writing experience, and I'm glad you all came for the ride. I've found this has challenged my writing style quite a bit, as I'm normally a poet and my stories are shorter. Something I forgot to mention in my first update, was were the names for Naruto and Sakura's kids came from. Hiro comes from the NBC show Heroes from the character Hiro Nakamura. I just started watching this season, and Hiro has fast become my favorite character. Sides I like the name Uzumaki Hiro. Akemi comes from an original character I used to write on. She was based out of the Ranma 1/2 universe, and was the daughter of Saotome Ranma and Saotome Akane.

I certainly hope you all have enjoyed this story as much as I enjoyed writing it. It was without a doubt a fun time!

I have a few people to thank.

Thanks to Shivakashi for providing the names for Sakura's folks. Less for me to think up lol.

Thanks to wikipedia, my information hot spot. One click and some typing, and you get the information you need. Though I'm disappointed they've revised the Naruto section, not as much detail as there used to be.

Thanks to MerianMoriarty for providing the Naruto Japanese Dictionary. Couldn't have spelled 7th Hokage without it!

Thanks to Natysan whom I asked to do a drawing of Naruto and Sakura from Summer Solstice. Seeing that drawing helped inspire me to start my writing back up.

A HUGE thanks to Miss Soupy. My Beta and my muse. Thank you so much for all you've done, and all you've helped me with. You've been great girl, and I'm going to miss working with you on this story. You helped inspire me for so long, and I am grateful for that time.

Finally I'd like to thank my readers. Thank you all of you that have read this story and reviewed it. You words kept me going, and made me not quit. Hell I can't let my fans down right? Oh BTW, I saw a lot of people added this to favorites and story alerts. That's great, thanks for that. How about dropping a review now that it's finished? Come on its not so hard, just click the button. Other wise I'll hold this story hostage! Yeah that's it…

What's that…it's already published….wellll funk….

Ok just review it or something, one good turn and all.

Anywho I'm not sure what's next for me. Considering I just finished a long series, I might just do some one shots. I've also been considering writing some lemons too. I have something in mind for my next series, so keep an eye out for that.

Thank you again once more, and btw

Naruto/Sakura 4tw

Peace!!