A/N Well, here it is. The final chapter of the story all together. It was good ride, and I think I enjoyed writing part 2 more than 1. I think a good song that would go with this ending would be "World So Cold" by 12 Stones. However, this does say 'chapter' which means that there still is an epilogue, so this isn't the end of the story. I'll see you all later in the FINAL chapter of this story.

Chapter 41 - Aftermath

Jutsu Translations at bottom

The light faded and Menma's avatar dissipated, his pure white chakra returning to his body while the Bijuu faded away, their individual chakras seeping back into him through his skin. He blinked a couple of times before he approached the body lying in the center of ground zero of the massive crater around him.

The entirety of the Mountain's Graveyard, once a heavily forested and mountainous land, had now been reduced to a bleak, empty and crater filled wasteland, the dirt grey and lifeless. Menma stopped and glanced down at Indra's corpse, noticing a small trickle of blood emerging from the corner of his mouth, then kneeled down to examine him closer. He placed his finger up to the side of his neck to try and find a pulse...but there was nothing. Not a single beat. He was truly dead.

He slowly shook his head in pity before he stood back up to full height and looked up at the red moon above, the Shinju's eye still imprinted on its surface.

"Time to end that horrid jutsu...release." said Menma as he held up his hand towards the moon and dispelled the jutsu, the Shinju's eye disappearing and the red color fading away until all that remained was the soft white glow of the moon.

He looked back at Minato and Kakashi and they waved, Menma returning the gesture before he started to walk towards them, turning his back on Indra's corpse. He raised his eyebrow in confusion when Kakashi's wave turned into a frantic point at something behind him, and he quickly took the hint when he heard a slight sound.

His reaction to danger however was too slow, and in the blink of an eye, Indra's wrapped around his throat Indra and was holding him in the air, his monstrous grip growing stronger with each second.

Menma glanced at his thought to be dead corpse, but he finally understood when he saw the body shimmer and fade away as a result of Izanagi.

"Dammit ..." he breathed while he struggled to break from Indra's hold, but even with the Shinju still sealed inside him, he was powerless as Indra began to suck out his chakra to restore his own.

"Menma!" yelled Kakashi when he and Minato were forced to halt their sprint at him as soon as Indra procured a chakra reiciver blade in his hand.

"Stay back, or I kill him and unleash the Shinju!" he bellowed, the tip of the chakra receiver hovering inches away from Menma's neck.

"Indra, Indra, Indra..." sighed Menma before he grasped hia wrist and flipped him over his shoulder.

He broke off the chakra receptor in Indra's grasp and swiftly chopped off his hand while simultaneously kicking him away from him, the madness in the man's soul overwhelming him.

Indra clutched his bloody wrist and turned himself around to try and attack Menma again, but he was halted suddenly when a long and slender object pierced his chest, getting grabbed by a red blur on its way out, then stabbed through him multiple times again, with strands of wire being sewn through him until he was wrapped up tightly and unable to move.

He had spent all his chakra and had none left to use, now helpless at the mercy of the young Uzumaki. Menma however was surprised at the sudden appearance of the masked Kiri Hunter-Nin restraining Indra, then saw her nod her head as she gripped the blood soaked handle of Nuibari, cut the thread connecting it to Indra and stepped back to observe.

"All those thoughts and temptations about power has corrupted your mind, tainted your heart and soul, and reduced you to this." said Menma in disgust while he looked at Indra in the eyes, seeing the rage and blind fury swirling in his spiral eyes.

"I'll kill you!" he snarled, Menma shaking his head slowly in pity for the man.

"Considering all that you have done, I could kill you right now...but that would be pointless since your chakra and will would just be reincarnated into another person. Plus…" said Menma before he glared at Indra with a scowl on his face. "That would just be the easy way out...So...I'm going to have Kakashi send you to the other dimension so you can live the rest of your days in the void...and insanity."

He turned away from him to continue his walk towards Minato and Kakashi, with Indra spouting out hateful curses and words at his back.

"You don't have the guts to finish me off! You are weak, just like my senile father and foolish brother!" he spat, Menma stopping for a second before he continued to walk.

"You're spineless Menma, just like the rest of your clan! They couldn't do anything to defend themselves when their village was destroyed! You are worthless, just like your father and the rest of your kind!" he said, his words striking Menma's ears and stopping him dead in his tracks, his body becoming rigid.

"What did you say…?" he asked, his voice venomous and laced with maliciousness.

"You heard me." sneered Indra, Menma slowly turning around to rest his gaze on Indra, his right eye wiping the sneer right off his face.

His Rinnegan morphed into the Shinju's eye and it glowed, making Indra's courage fly out the window and his arrogance be replaced by fear and true terror.

"Mugen Tsukuyomi." said Menma, Indra gasping before his eyes changed into the Rinnegan and his body became dead still, his breathing ceasing as he was ensnared in the very genjutsu he had wanted to utilize on the world.

Kakashi and Minato ran over just in time to watch Menma hold out his hand to allow multiple wooden strands to snake out from his sleeve and start to wrap tightly around Indra, mummifying his body until he was completely encased, his fear stricken face disappearing behind the strands.

"Go on Kakashi, Minato, I'll catch up with you. By the way, how did you survive Kakashi?" asked Menma, Kakashi smirking behind his mask.

"It's a long story, I'll tell you later." said Kakashi before he placed his hand on Indr

Menma's eye returned to normal and he gazed around at the scarred landscape once again before disabling the Six Red Yang Formation and dispersing the one summon he still had active, being the one Indra had not seen and that had allowed Menma to see where he was coming from in any direction, the invisible chameleon imbued with the Rinnegan in its eyes.

Menma shook his head one last time at Indra before he brought his gaze up to the female Hunter-Nin and began to walk towards her. She stabbed the tip of her sword into the ground and looked away from him without taking off her mask while Menma raised his hand up to her.

"I think we should leave them alone." whispered Kakashi as they watched them, Minato nodding very fast.

"Yes, let us go somewhere not here at the moment while we wait for him."

"Agreed." replied Kakashi before they grabbed Indra's body and scuttled away very quick-like.

"Amari…"

"You hurt me Menma…" said Amari from behind the blank mask she wore, Menma lowering his gaze and mask away from her in regret and guilt.

"You broke my heart when I found out you were the one who were capturing the Bijuu and killed so many people. I don't know if I can ever trust you again..."

"Amari.. I truly am sorry for what I did, and I wish I could take it all back...but I can't. I'm so sorry Amari..." said Menma before his shoulders slumped and his head hung low, regretting his actions while Amari gave him the cold shoulder.

He turned to walk back towards Indra to dispose of him, but he was stopped when a hand slipped into his and grasped it tightly.

He turned back around and saw Amari take off her mask and smile at him.

"But...what you said made me realize you really are the man that you say you are...and that I can trust you." said Amari, making Menma tighten his grip a little around her hand before they closed the space between each other and they kissed, forgetting their sorrow for their love instead.

They leaned back and Menma blushed a little, Amari giggling at his awkwardness.

"Well...that was nice." he said, Amari laughing again before they hugged tightly.

"Your eyes...they've changed." said Amari, Menma blinking as he smiled.

"Yeah...but I can-"

"No...I like them just the way they are." said Amari, Menma stepping back while readying himself.

"Alright, it's time to get things going." he said before he closed his eyes and pressed his hand against his stomach, Amari standing back and grabbing Nuibari.

"Release." he said before out held his arm out and from his body emerged the giant form of the Demonic Statue, then with his other hand pulled out each Bijuu's individual chakra.

While the Bijuu finished materializing, Kakashi and Minato walked over with Indra's body and Amari clipped her mask to her belt and grabbed Nuibari while Menma waiting for his father.

"Kakashi?! You're alive!" said Naruto as he spotted his former sensei standing beside his father.

"Long story. I'll tell you and Menma later."

"So, where's that bastard Indra?" asked Isobu after entering his human form.

"There." said Menma with a finger pointing to the mummified body resting on the ground beside Kakashi, Matatabi walking over there to get look closer.

"So, this is Indra...what happened to him?" she asked after she observed the wrappings covering his body.

"He's harmless now. I'm going to connect the Demonic Statue to him and have Kakashi send it and Indra into the other dimension with Kakashi's Kamui so it can never be used again." explained Menma while Chomei inspected him with Matatabi.

"But why is he not moving? He should be able to break out of this easily."

"I put him under the Infinite Tusukyomi. He's never going to be a threat to anyone ever again, nor will his will and chakra either, since the Demonic Statue will keep him alive until the end of time." explained Menma, Naruto laughing as he returned to his normal form.

"Ha, payback's a bitch. So, what do we do now? And who is this I wonder? Looks like a Kiri Hunter-Nin and one of the Swordsmen to me." he asked while strolling up to Menma, a cheesy grin painted on his face when he noticed Amari.

"The name's Amari. You must be the Kyuubi, Menma's father." said Amari with a small bow, her courtesy making Menma smirk.

"What's with the manners all of a sudden?" he jokingly asked, quickly regretting it when she elbowed him in the ribcage, knocking the wind out of him.

"I can still kick your ass, Sage of Six Paths or not." she said with a grin, Naruto chuckling at Menma's face.

"Call me Naruto." he said with a smile, Amari nodding.

"So, going back to what Naruto said, what do we do now?" asked Gyuki, Menma regaining his composure, and his breath, and looked at all the Bijuu assembled around him.

"I repair all of the damage I've done while I was with Indra." he said before he nodded to Kakashi, who placed his hand on the Demonic Statue with Indra connected to it and widened his right eye.

"Kamui." he said, the spiral vortex appearing from his eye and sucking in the Demonic Statue, sending it to the other dimension only he had access to.

When it disappeared, Menma nodded again before he turned towards the rising sun of a new morning, its gradient light shining over the Mountain's Graveyard.

"Come on, we're going to Taiyō City first."

- Taiyō City -

Menma, Amari, Minato and Kakashi and the Bijuu approached the city's walls that now held the ruins of the once sprawling city, half of it being the hole that he had created with his fight with Naruto, and engulfed by the giant roots due to the World of Trees Jutsu Indra utilized.

"Menma-"

"Shh." said Matatabi to Naruto as Menma closed his eyes and took a deep breath, exhaling it as he walked towards the city.

It's citizens took notice of him approaching the city and they instantly knew who he was, thanks to the chakra he had shared with them. Menma stopped and opened his eyes to gaze upon the ruined city before he brought up both of his hands and breathed in again.

"Banbutsu Sōzō." he said, all of the Bijuu gasping a little as Menma's left hand became engulfed with blue fire made up of Yin chakra, while his right was covered with red fire, made up of Yang chakra.

He closed his eyes and swept his left hand in a full arc, everyone becoming amazed as the craters became filled, buildings were created from nothing, and the giant hole beside the Akatsuki Tower was filled with earth once again, while the gigantic roots snaking throughout the city shimmered away, like they never existed.

Then he waved his right hand in a wide arc, and as if it were a miracle, family members and other people becoming overfilled with joy as their dead loved ones or friends were filled with life again, the people waking up as if from a deep sleep.

Menma lowered his hands and he opened his eyes to see Suzaku and the others run towards him and the Bijuu, smiles on their faces.

"Menma!" laughed Suzaku as he ran up to him and clapped him on the shoulder, Arashi and Genkaku running up to stand by him while Akayuri ran past them and up to Naruto, with Akayuri diving into his outstretched arms.

"God I thought I lost you..." cried Akayuri, Naruto smiling as he hugged her while Minato smiled at the two before Menma approached.

Arashi walked up to him and instantly socked him right in the gut, knocking the wind out of him and making his knees buckle.

"That's for betraying us."

"I deserve that...wow..." coughed Menma as he regained his breath and managed to stand back up, seeing into approach him with a soft smile.

"I think it's time I returned to Kushina. She should be waiting for me." said Minato, Menma understanding what he meant with a nod.

He placed his hand on Minato's chest and with a soft glow of light, he freed his soul, his body returning to the reincarnated form he had possessed before, then the ash and debris forming his reanimated body fading away while his soul drifted up into the sky in a pillar of light to return to where it came.

"Wait a minute, Kakashi?! I thought you died!" asked Genkaku when he noticed him among the crowd.

"Guess it's time to say the truth. Where do I start...oh yeah. Well, I sensed Menma's approach and while I pushed you out of the way, I used my eyes to cast a small, insignificant Genjutsu, so small, neither you or Menma noticed it. It appeared he had stabbed me, but in fact I had used Kamui to go intangible and phase through the ground while I left behind a substitute clone. It was quite simple really." he explained while he read his book, Menma chuckling at the thought of Kakashi outwitting him, again.

"Now I'm guessing we go to the other villages?" asked Kokuo after he had finished, Menma nodding before he began to go towards the wall exit, everyone following behind him in his journey to right his wrongs.

When they arrived at Sunagakure, they encountered a distraught population along with a grieving Temari and Kankuro, longing for their brother to be alive again.

"Temari, Kankuro." spoke Menma, the two sand siblings looking at him from where they sat with red eyes.

"There's someone who wants to meet you." he said before he stepped aside, allowing an alive and well Gaara to return to the embrace of his brother and sister, with Shukaku sealed inside him already thanks to Naruto.

"H-How did you…?" asked Temari as tears of joy streamed down her cheeks, Kankuro still embracing his brother.

"It was nothing. Gaara." said Menma as he watched Gaara turn towards and set his cold gaze on him, then immediately softened up and held out his hand to him.

"I knew that you would live up to what your father said. You did change the world, for the better." he said with a smile before they shook hands, the two forgetting about what had occurred between them.

They went to Iwagakure next, Kokuo and Son Goku leaving the party after Menma returned Iwa to its former glory, then to Kumogakure, where Menma reunited A with his brother Killer B and Gyuki.

"I could not thank you enough for this." said A before B walked away from his brother and up to Menma, the latter awaiting any harsh words that could come from the Jinchuuriki.

"I knew you still had good in you. You proved it out there too." said B as he offered Menma his fist, the Uzumaki fist-bumping him back.

For the rest of the day, they travelled to the other villages devastated by the attacks Menma had his wood clones perform on them, and when night fell, they finally returned to Taiyō City, the only bijuu with them being Matatabi and Chomei, since they had been members of Akatsuki since they had defeated Indra the first time around.

"We'll see you later, we'll get back to our own stuff." said Matatabi with a wave before she and Chomei left them, leaving only Naruto, Akayuri, Menma, Amari and Kakashi alone near the front gate of the city.

"I'll be going as well, I need to check up on the other guys, see what I missed while was gone." said Kakashi before he tucked away his Icha Icha book and departed the group in his usual manner, through his Kamui.

"Man, his skill with Kamui is on par with that of an Uchiha...it's simply amazing." said Naruto in awe of his former sensei before Akayuri hugged his arm and rested her head against his arm.

"I think it's all time we took a vacation, as a family." she said happily, Menma brightening instantly on the idea.

All of a sudden, Suzaku appeared out if nowhere with shorts on, a red and white flower shirt, and a suitcase while he smoked a cigar.

"Where we going?" he asked with a spastic smile, all four of them busting out in fits of laughter.

"Suzuku, you do know she said family, right?" asked Menma, Suzaku letting go of his suitcase to cross his arms.

"Yes, and since we're all in the same clan, we're all family, regardless of blood relation or not."

"Well guess I'm an outsider here." said Amari awkwardly, Naruto looking at her funny before smiling.

"Nonsense. You're family as well. I know that when someone brings home a girl as beautiful as yourself, something's bound to happen!" he said with a cheesy grin before Akayuri smacked him in the back of the Hearn scolding him a little.

"Let me remind you that you're married." she said masterfully, Menma and Amari laughing as his father rubbed the back of his head while growling a little.

"So,I'll ask again. Where are we going?" asked Suzaku, Menma rubbing his chin for a second, feeling that he was starting to grow some hairs there, then had an idea.

"I know where we can go. And when we get there, there's some people who would like to meet you."

- Whirlpool Country-

"I don't like the idea of coming here, now that I think about it." said Suzaku as he shivered, memories of his last and the village returning to him.

"Just wait a second. Hey! You can come out now, it's me! Menma!" yelled Menma out over the ruined village of Uzushiogakure, the others starting to doubt his reasons for coming here until several chakra signatures appeared from seemingly nowhere.

"So you did return, and with company as well. May I ask, who are they?" asked Ninturo as he and his men emerged from behind some rubble and approached Menma, Suzaku totally floored.

"Ninturo?!" he sputtered, Ninturo focusing on him for a second until he recognized him and returned the gesture.

"Suzaku! Is that you? Damn, you haven't changed a bit, since you're still smiling those ghastly cigars." said Ninturo before the two shook hands, Naruto and the other still confused by these men.

"Uh, who are you guys?" he asked, Ninturo remembering manners and bowing a little at him.

"My name's is Ninturo Uzumaki, captain of Uzushiogakure's famed Kurouzu. These are my trusted men, also part of Kurouzu." he said politely, Naruto's eyes lighting up in wonder and surprise.

"I never realized there were more of us...my name is Naruto Uzumaki, and-"

"You are the leader of Akatsuki and also the Kyuubi and the father of Menma here. Yes, I know because of the chakra he shared with us and that speech he gave as well. Quite touching if I do say so myself." said Ninturo before he shook hands with him, then laid his eyes on Amari and Akayuri.

"And you are?"

"My name is Akayuri Uzumaki."

"And I'm Amari Ringo, soon to be an Uzumaki." said Amari with a grin, Ninturo nodding.

"We're thinking of moving the Akatsuki's home base here and staying here, if you don't mind." said Menma.

"Menma, if you truly are here to stay, I must say that it could be difficult to find a suitable living space..." started Ninturo before Menma stopped him with a pat on his shoulder, then stepped forward and raised his hands.

"Banbutsu Sōzō." he said before he manifested the same. Blue and red fire from before, and before their very. Eyes, he restored the entire village to before it was destroyed, not a single stone left unturned.

"My God..." uttered Suzaku as he looked around at everything, awed by homes everything looked just like when he had lived there, the same effect falling on Ninturo and his men.

"Menma...this is...how could we-"

"Don't. I did it for all of us." said Menma before they all walked through the streets to the Kage tower, Ninturo even more surprised when he found that right beside the entrance, a plaque had been erected.

"In this very building, the Second Uzukage and his brave protectors made their last stand, in the hope that their heroic sacrifice would not have been in vain, and that the evil that had besieged them would be punished by justice." He read aloud, Menma walking up beside him and smiling as Ninturo took in a deep breath and held back the tears of gratitude his eyes were threatening to let loose.

"Thank you." was all he could manage before he shook hands with Menma again, then stood back to allow them to enter.

"We have a lot of work on our hands if we want to re-populate this place. We're going to have to discuss this with the Daimyos..." started Naruto before Akayuri shushed him and glanced at Ninturo.

"Where are the guest rooms?"

"Down the hall, to the left." he replied, Naruto grinning before he was dragged off to the guest rooms, winking at them all before he disappeared around the corner.

"Good grief..." muttered Menma before Ninturo approached him,with something behind his back.

"Since Uzushiogakure is going to bbe repopulated again and become a village...it will need a Kage again." He said before he brought out the Kage hat of the village, the kanji for vortex imprinted on it while it's color was light red, the color of the Uzumaki clan's symbol.

"Menma Uzumaki, will you become the Third Uzukage?" asked Ninturo as he offered the Kage hat to him, Menma's eyes shooting open in surprise while Suzaku and Amari waited for his response.

Menma slowly raised his hand up to the hat and paused for a second, thinking if his options, then grinned as he took hold of the hat and nodded, Suzaku clapping his hand in his shoulder and laughing.

"Damn, imagine the surprise on Naruto's face when he finds out you're the Third Uzukage! Haha!"

"And with you becoming the Uzukage, you have access to the Kage's room as well."

"Oh is that so...?" asked Amari before glancing over at Menma, a grin on her face while Ninturo and Suzaku looked from one to another.

"The room is on the fifth floor, down the hall, take a right and keep going straight. Can't miss it." informed Ninturo.

"How do you know this place so well?" asked Menma, Ninturo grinning a little before he covered his face with his mask while his men vanished from sight.

"We have to. We are your personal guard, after all." he said before he too disappeared, leaving the three of them alone.

"How about we go check out that room of yours...Menma?" asked Amari in a seductive tone, Menma's grin growing wider as he handed Suzaku his Kage hat then picked up Amari bridal style, making her squeal.

"Put that on my desk. And don't disturb me for maybe a couple of hours!" he ordered before he vanished, Suzaku shaking his head and chuckling before he climbed the stairs up to the office and rested Menma's Kage hat on it while looking out the windows to gaze out over the village.

"It's good to be home..."

A/N Jutsu Translations

Banbutsu Sōzō / Creation of all Things