A/N - Okay, decided to finish up this story finally. Yes, this is the final chapter of The Wrath of a Namikaze. There WILL be a sequel to this story. I'll explain more after the chapter in the ending Author's Notes.

Anyways, this chapter explains some things that you might have been wondering about for some time. I'll tell you right now that I'm a liiiittle disappointed with how many people didn't seem to realize that Naruto said what he did at the end of chapter 2 to Kabuto and Orochimaru. The whole 'real ninjas don't use tricks' and such bit, y'know? He was playing Kabuto and Orochimaru, making them think he was still a dumb moron. Well, like I said, a lot of stuff gets explained in this chapter.

Alrighty, honestly not sure what else to say. I'm dead tired because I've been awake for way too damn long now. So read on and enjoy!

Epilogue

Once Naruto and Kuroko reached the gate, they smiled at seeing all their friends and loved ones waiting for them. Stepping up to Tsunade, Naruto glanced behind him at the village and said, "It's a shame. The village your grandfather envisioned has turned into this huge mess. Are you absolutely sure you're ready to abandon this place, Tsunade?" Naruto questioned.

The busty blonde looked at the village and said, "It stopped being the village he envisioned a long time ago, Naruto-kun. My grandparents and granduncle would be ashamed of what this place has become. It's better if the village burns to the ground."

Naruto nodded in agreement before he turned and began looking over everyone that had gathered with them. After doing a headcount, he frowned and asked, "Where are Ayame-chan and Old Man Teuchi? And what about Konohamaru and his friends? Also, what about my new team and Choji? It seems like we're missing a few people…"

"They're here." a woman could be heard saying. Glancing in her direction, they saw Yugao walking up to them with a small contingent of Anbu behind her. They were escorting the Ichiraku family, Konohamaru, Moegi, and Udon. However, he didn't see the other members of Team Anko.

Frowning slightly, Naruto asked, "That's all well and good, and I thank you for saving them, but what about my team? Where are they?"

Yugao frowned momentarily as she looked back at the village. "Anko and Shikamaru are at the hospital, guarding Neji and Choji. The two of them need time to heal. I told them to meet us in the Land of Waves once they're ready to leave."

Naruto frowned deeply and said, "Dammit. I don't want to just leave them here, but…there's no other choice, is there?"

"I'm afraid not, Naruto-kun." Tsunade said sadly. "Is there anyone else you're worried about?"

Thinking on it for a time, Naruto frowned and said, "I'd say Iruka, but…" Scowling, he clenched his fists and shook his head. "Let's just say Kuroko-chan and I ran into him. It didn't end well."

Flashback

Shortly after the couple left Sakura's house, they ran into Iruka, who had obviously been looking for Naruto in all this chaos. Frowning slightly, Naruto asked, "Iruka? Is everything okay?"

"Of course everything's not okay! I was worried about you Naruto. It's like the whole village has gone insane! And…" Looking at Naruto's companion, he saw that not only was she a real beauty, but she had the ears and tails of the Kyuubi. Eyes widening in horror, the scarred Chunin took hold of a kunai and growled out, "What the hell were you thinking Naruto?! Releasing the Kyuubi from its seal?! Have you gone mad?!"

Naruto got between the two of them and said, "Iruka, Kuroko-chan is important to me. She's been a dear friend and she's really helped me out. I know she killed your parents, but…"

Iruka snarled at him and said, "She murdered my parents! My family! And she's obviously corrupting your mind now too. I'm sorry Naruto, but I can't let this slide."

Naruto's eyes widened slightly as he saw Iruka come at Kuroko and himself, preparing to try and kill the both of them. Before he could react in any way, Kuroko put Naruto behind her before she thrust her tails forward, piercing Iruka's body in numerous spots before tossing him aside like a ragdoll. "Sorry Naruto-kun, but there's no chance he would listen to reason. His hatred for me runs too deep to just let this go."

Naruto scowled as he knelt down by Iruka, looking him over from head to toe. His injuries were severe and he highly doubted the Chunin would survive. "Iruka…Kuroko-chan…why wouldn't you just listen? Why does nobody ever want to listen and find a peaceful solution to their damn problems? Iruka…I'm sorry."

Iruka coughed up blood, gurgling as he found himself choking on his own blood. Looking into Naruto's eyes, he said quietly, barely loud enough for Naruto to hear him. "N-Naruto…be…c-careful…"

Naruto watched as Iruka took his last breaths before releasing a heavy sigh and shaking his head. "Dammit." Closing his eyes, he took a few deep breaths to try and calm himself. Chancing a glance over his shoulder after a moment, he said, "You didn't have to kill him…"

Kuroko sighed and said, "I'm sorry, Naruto-kun. But the longer we stay in this village, the more danger we'll be in. Iruka was willing to kill you simply for releasing me, not to mention the fact you were defending me. I gave him a mercy killing. Now come, we need to rendezvous with the others."

Naruto nodded sadly and said, "I…I know, Kuro-chan. This whole situation is just so fucked up, and all because people are fucking corrupt as hell. Just look at what's become of this place." Motioning towards the village around them, they could see smoke, fires raging uncontrolled throughout the village, dead bodies everywhere, and a number of battles taking place throughout the village. It was like a warzone and it was certainly not pretty. Hell, the sky over Konoha had grown dark and gloomy, looking as if it could start storming at any second. It would seem even the gods had their eyes on the events taking place here today.

Kuroko frowned as she looked around. "We knew this was going to happen someday. The moment you decided to drop the mask and start pushing back, this was bound to happen. People can't accept change all that well. In fact, they tend to fear change rather than embrace it. And the fact that their favorite punching bag suddenly grew a spine and began fighting back against it all…well, it didn't sit well with them. Come, we need to leave. NOW." Naruto didn't question her as he raced alongside her towards the village gates.

End Flashback

Tsunade hugged Naruto and said, "I'm sorry Naruto-kun. Come on, we need to get moving. I don't want to stand around here any longer."

Naruto nodded and said, "Thanks." Afterwards, he looked around at everyone before saying, "Sounds like our best bet is to seek refuge in the Land of Waves until my teammates can catch up with us there. I'm not sure how long that'll take, so while we wait, I've got a little project I'd like to get started on. So let's get going. Sooner we're away from this place, the better."

Deciding they could question him about his 'project' later, the large group turned and began their trek towards the Land of Waves. Seeing as how they had civilians with them in the form of the Ichiraku's and Konohamaru's group, they were stuck walking. It would take them some time to reach the bridge leading to the Land of Waves. They just hoped nothing serious happened that would make their trek take even longer.

Later that night

As they sat around a campfire, Kuroko grumbled to herself at all the looks she was getting. Glaring at the others, she asked, "What? Do I have something on my face or something?"

Kiba shook his head and said, "No, not on your face. You've got tails and fox ears or something coming out of your head. We were in a hurry earlier, so I don't think any of us bothered to ask, but…are you the Kyuubi, by any chance?"

Kuroko massaged the bridge of her nose and said, "Of course I am you idiot. And before you ask anymore stupid questions, Naruto-kun freed me by use of a sacrifice. The girl you knew as Sakura Haruno is no more. A small part of her seems to have remained, however, which is rather annoying." Grumbling to herself, the Kyuubi began to speak again. "Anyways, I've been helping Naruto-kun train, teaching him everything I can, little by little. We're in a relationship with one another, and so we needed a way to free me from that accursed seal. But, there's another reason for needing to free me from the seal. It was done in an effort to protect Naruto-kun from a group calling themselves the Akatsuki."

Jiraiya decided to take over the explanation at this point. "The Akatsuki are a group comprised of S-class ninja. Orochimaru used to be one of the members, and Itachi Uchiha is currently a member of that group as well. Their goal is to capture all the jinchuriki and extract the bijuu they hold. We currently don't know the purpose behind this, but if a bijuu is forcefully extracted from a jinchuriki…the jinchuriki dies. So with Kuroko-san safely extracted from Naruto's seal, he is safe from them…to an extent. They'll try to capture Kuroko-san once they learn the truth, but the three of us plan to look into creating a seal that will prevent Kuroko-san from ever being sealed again."

Hinata frowned in thought for a time before asking, "So…you're the woman we were told about? The one who would determine if we could be with Naruto-kun?"

Before Kuroko could say anything, Naruto looked at his girlfriend and said, "About that. I've had some time to think on it, and I don't agree with some of the terms you set forth before. If we accept another woman into our lives, I won't let you treat them as a slave. Some of your 'rules' were fair, I'll admit, but if we want to be intimate, then that's none of your business. And I won't just let you kill them if they don't like an order you give. We all need to treat each other with respect. We need to be treated as equals. I'm willing to wait until you're comfortable with me being intimate with other women, so there wouldn't be any sex or anything right off the bat. But no slavery in this relationship. I'm sorry."

Kuroko was silent for a time as she looked at him with a serious expression on her face. After a while though, she smirked at him and said, "Heh, I was wondering when you were going to stand up to me and question those terms. Took you long enough. I'm the alpha female in the group, though, that won't change. And I do expect them to follow my rules and listen to my orders. However, I agree with you, there won't be any slavery and intimacy between you and the others is none of my concern. However, I get your first time. I get to be your first bride. I get to bear your children first, before any other. Those terms are non-negotiable. Understand?"

Naruto nodded and smiled at her. "Of course Kuro-chan. I have no problem with that." Turning towards Hinata, the blonde raised an eyebrow and asked, "So, you're interested in me, huh? How long?"

The Hyuga outcast blushed and said, "Ever since we were little. When you saved me from those bullies…"

Naruto blinked a couple of times before his eyes lit up in recognition. "That was you?! Holy crap! I hope you know that some of your clanmates beat the shit out of me and told me to forget about you after that. I thought maybe you had sent them."

Hinata's eyes widened and she quickly shook her head. "No! I would never do such a thing! Especially not to you! My father on the other hand? He most definitely would have done something like that. I'm sorry…"

The blonde waved it off. "Don't worry about it. I couldn't remember who the heck you were though after that beating. One too many blows to the head, I think."

The girls looked saddened by that. "It's not right. How can people be so cruel to you?" Ino questioned sadly.

Kuroko scowled at this point and said, "It's called human nature. Anything they don't know or understand, they fear. Fear turns to anger. Anger turns to hatred. And hatred turns into violence. If it's different, then they need to suppress it and get it under control, otherwise it becomes a threat to their peaceful lives and to their very existence. Sadly, these very same people are the ones who make jinchuriki. They seal the bijuu inside of people and then proceed to treat them like shit. It makes no sense."

Jiraiya sighed and hung his head. "Humans are the real monsters. Not the bijuu. It's a sad fact. You'd think Humans would be more accepting of people and things that are different. Sadly…humankind is a violent, twisted thing. A great number of people lack empathy. They lack the ability to feel for others. They also lack the ability to see when they are in the wrong. They commit crime after crime and it never gets any better. Just look at the wars we've suffered through…"

For a while, everyone sat in silence, not sure what they could say in response to all of that. Then, Ino spoke up, deciding to voice a question to Naruto. "Naruto-kun? For a while now, you've been acting…different than how you usually acted. Why is that? And you also seem to be able to predict future events somehow. Is that some kind of special ability of yours or something?"

Naruto scratched the back of his head for a moment as he tried to figure out how best to answer her. After a while, he shrugged and said, "In answer to your first question: the Naruto you knew before? The idiotic loudmouth that shouted about being Hokage and crap? That was a mask I wore. What you see now? The things you've seen me do and heard about me doing is all the real me. I know I'm dark and twisted to some extent. I learned to hate people with a passion. I learned violence from the people of Konoha. I learned how to be cruel and even evil to an extent. I simply don't care anymore, so I figure it's time to show everyone the real me."

"As for your second question? Hmm…I suppose you could call it an ability of mine, sure. I'm very good at reading people and figuring out the truth. Can I see into the future? To some extent, yes. I've been able to predict future events from a young age. It comes to me in visions, but things can change and so it's never quite set in stone. It's a reliable gift, I'll admit. However, I'd rather not rely on it too often if I can help it. Like I said, things can change and they usually do. It's hard to pin down any one possible future." Naruto explained, shrugging his shoulders afterwards.

Their eyes widened at the revelation. After a moment, Hana decided to speak. "So why'd you drop the Uzumaki name and take up your father's name? I figured you'd want to keep the Uzumaki name because you're the rightful heir of that clan."

Naruto chuckled dryly at this and said, "I never forsook the Uzumaki name. I decided to go with the Namikaze name simply to fuck with the villagers' heads. Now that my job is done and the village has gone to Hell, I'm changing back to Naruto Uzumaki. I want to honor my mother and our clan. My father may have been a good man, but he was a naïve fool to believe the villagers would treat me like a hero. Besides that, he put the village over family, and that's a big no-no for an Uzumaki. Don't get me wrong, I understand why he did it. I don't hate the man. But I don't really love him either. I'd say it's a love/hate relationship, but that would imply I actually care about him one way or another."

Jiraiya frowned sadly at that, but nodded his head in understanding. "For what it's worth, I'm sorry, Naruto. I should've done more for you."

Naruto simply waved him off and said, "It's fine. I'd rather focus on the present and the future than dwell on the past. And right now, I'm looking forward to beginning with my new project."

Tsume looked him in the eyes and said, "You've mentioned this project of yours a few times now. What exactly is it that you're planning, Naruto?"

The blonde teen smirked at her and said, "Uzushiogakure is making a comeback. I'm going to rebuild Uzushiogakure with Tazuna's help. I'm going to restore the Uzumaki clan and lead us on the path to greatness. We'll become the sixth great shinobi village."

"Heh, big dreams. I like it. All right, I think I'll help you with that." Tsume said with a grin. "How long do you think this project of yours is going to take?"

"It kinda depends on the state the island and the village have been left in. Could take months, or it could take years. It doesn't really matter to me, so long as my rightful home is restored in the end." Naruto explained.

Kuroko looked at her boyfriend and said, "If we're going to Wave, you should take up Zabuza's sword, the Kubikiribocho. I'm sure he would have wanted you to have it."

Naruto frowned for a time before releasing a sigh and nodding his head. "Yeah, I think you're right. Okay then, I'll see if the sword will accept me. If it does, then great. If it doesn't, oh well. Anyways, we should probably try and get some sleep soon. We can talk more about all of this stuff later. Who's taking first watch?"

Tenten said, "I'll take first watch. I'm…I'm kind of hoping…"

Hinata frowned sadly at her and said, "I hope your father's still alive too, but…realistically speaking, the chances aren't great. I'm sorry."

The brunette sighed and said, "I know. I'd still like to hold out hope though…"

Naruto nodded in understanding and said, "Don't give up hope Tenten. There's always a chance he could be alive and might even catch up to us at some point. You never know."

"Thanks Naruto." Tenten said with a grateful smile on her face. "I appreciate it."

"Of course. Now, I'm feeling rather tired after all the shit I've been through today. So I'm going to get some sleep. Kuro-chan, would you like to cuddle?" Naruto questioned as he looked at his love.

Kuroko smiled at him and said, "Of course sweetheart. Come on."

After the couple had entered their tent, Tsunade smirked at Ino and Hana and asked, "So when are you going to tell him you liiiiike him?"

The two of them blushed deeply before shooting her nasty glares. "Not right now. Maybe later, but not now." Hana said.

Tsunade laughed for a moment before saying, "Fine, fine. Just don't take too long. You don't want to regret not making a move when you had the chance."

Ino sighed and nodded her head in understanding. "Yeah…you're right, Tsunade-sama. Thanks."

"Of course. Now, we should get some sleep ourselves. Tenten, wake me when it's time for the second shift." Tsunade said before she went to her tent to get some much-needed sleep. Shortly afterwards, the rest of the group went to their tents to rest as well, leaving Tenten and a few members of the Inuzuka clan to keep watch.

The Next Day – Orochimaru

Orochimaru screamed in rage as he came to the realization that Naruto Uzumaki had ruined everything for him once again. "Damn you Uzumaki! First Kabuto and now my precious Sasuke-kun! How much more will you take from me you rotten little shit?! I need a new plan. I need a new body! Shit! You've ruined everything. EVERYTHING!"

Pacing around in his room for a while longer, he decided he'd simply have to take what he could get for the time being. He would find a way to get back at the Uzumaki brat later. For now, he was going over a few possible bodies he could switch to. After a while, he decided on the perfect host. "Suigetsu, I've finally found a good use for you. Your body is going to come in very handy when it's time for me to take the fight right to that little punk." Yes, Orochimaru had a plan in mind and he was going to work hard towards achieving his goals. Naruto had ruined his plans, that's true, but the Snake Sannin was still ahead in this little game of theirs and he was going to prove it to the brat one way, or another.

Unknown Location - Akatsuki

"Report Zetsu. What have you learned?" a tall man going by the name Pain commanded as he looked down at the images of the other members of the Akatsuki.

Zetsu, a bi-colored man that resembled a plant of sorts, began to give his report. "The Kyuubi jinchuriki's been a busy little bee." the white half of Zetsu said. "Not only has the Kyuubi jinchuriki killed Kabuto Yakushi, but he's also responsible for killing some of Orochimaru's elite bodyguards. And…" Here, the plant-like man looked straight into Itachi's eyes. "Your brother's bit the dust. He pissed off the Kyuubi brat, so Naruto slaughtered him like a pig."

Itachi's eyes widened before narrowing dangerously. "Explain." he commanded.

"As you already know, Orochimaru placed his curse seal on your brother. Sasuke decided to leave Konoha to join Orochimaru in the pursuit of power. All so he could kill you someday." the black half of Zetsu said. "Yeah. Only, they weren't expecting Naruto Uzumaki. That kid's gotten scaaaa-ry. You should've seen the way he killed that brother of yours. Holy crap!"

"So…my little brother was a fool until the end. Leader, I'd like the opportunity to take the fight right to Naruto Uzumaki. I need to pay him back for killing Sasuke." Itachi requested.

Pain shook his head and said, "No. Not just yet. For now, we wait. It's too dangerous to act at the moment. Besides, the Kyuubi jinchuriki is a wildcard. We have no idea just what he's capable of, and you and Kisame barely escaped from him alive in your last encounter with him."

Kisame clenched his fists tight at the reminder. "I'll make extra sure to make the punk suffer the next time we meet. I won't let him catch me off guard again."

"It will have to wait." Pain stressed. "For now, train hard and prepare yourselves to act in three years' time. We'll meet again then. And just in case it needs to be said, DON'T attempt to fight the Kyuubi jinchuriki. It's just not worth the risk." Seeing everyone nod, Pain's image soon faded away with Konan following right beside him.

As the others vanished one by one, Itachi remained behind with Kisame. Naruto Uzumaki. I don't care about your reasons for it, you killed my brother. I'll make you pay, one way or another.

Konoha – Days later

Hiashi scowled as he looked around at what remained of the council. There was no Hokage, a number of the clan heads were dead, and there were only a small handful of civilians left on the council. The others had obviously perished during the civil war that had taken place inside their village.

Seeing that nobody else was coming, the Hyuga head felt like banging his head against the table repeatedly. However, he refrained from doing so. Instead, he decided to get the meeting underway. "As you all know by now, the civil war that took place in our fair village has left us severely weakened and at risk of being destroyed by outside forces. Our Hokage has abandoned us in favor of protecting the weapon and those he cares for. Jiraiya of the Sannin has also abandoned us. Danzo Shimura, Homura Mitokado, and Koharu Utatane have all passed away. Hiruzen Sarutobi's body, along with the bodies of his clansmen, were discovered in their home. Asuma Sarutobi and Kakashi Hatake have perished. In other words, we've lost a lot of powerful shinobi and those that could take over as Hokage, even if only temporarily. Right now, we need to assign a new Hokage out of those available to lead. Personally, I would recommend either myself or Shibi Aburame."

The civilians immediately pointed at Shibi. "No offense intended, Hiashi-sama, but we choose Shibi-sama. You've got enough to worry about trying to deal with your clan right now. I heard that some of the Branch members tried to revolt during the chaos?"

Hiashi sighed and massaged his temples. "Yes. We had to kill over half of the Branch family members before they finally settled down and gave up. They managed to kill almost an entire third of the Main family, however. It's a miracle Hanabi was spared. Each of the elders were killed, including my own father. You're right, I need to focus on my clan for now. Shibi, will you accept the title of Sixth Hokage?"

Shibi adjusted his sunglasses and said, "If I must. I shall do what I can to restore the village to its former glory, before all of the chaos happened. For now, we need to gather the dead and bury them." Thinking on it for a time, Shibi said, "I need Tenzo to meet me in my new office as soon as we're done here. He can restore the buildings and build new homes and shelters for those that are without a home now. I'd say that we should get in touch with Tazuna-san and ask for his aid as well, but…"

Hiashi sighed and said, "The weapon and his group of traitors have likely gone to the Land of Waves and explained the whole situation to the people there by now. The contract we have with them won't mean anything once they hear the truth straight from Naruto's lips. We're on our own here with no allies. Gaara and his siblings made it VERY clear that we cannot count on Suna's aid in these trying times. It'll be a miracle if we can get through the coming months alive."

Shibi nodded and said, "It is unfortunate, but we are still strong. We have some truly exceptional shinobi within our ranks, and we can only grow stronger from here on. As for the Kyuubi jinchuriki…his teammates are within the hospital at this time, are they not? I want Anbu posted to watch their every move. The moment they move to leave Konoha…we take them prisoner. Naruto will have no choice but to come back here to rescue them, and when he does…we will strike. Our weapon will not evade capture for very long."

Everyone nodded in agreement. They were all eager to make Naruto pay for what had become of their village, and if that meant capturing him and breeding the little shit for future jinchurikis, they'd do it in a heartbeat. Each of them sported an evil grin as they thought about how they'd like to make that little monster pay for his crimes. Not one of them noticed the snake that slithered away…

Anko

When Anko got the news from her snake, she scowled deeply before turning to look at Shikamaru. "Grab Neji. We need to run. NOW!" she commanded before she hurried over to Choji and lifted him onto her back. She watched as Shikamaru lifted Neji onto his back and nodded at him. "Don't stop. Don't look back. No matter how tired you get or how heavy he may be, put everything you have into escaping. If you fall behind, you're screwed. Now come on!"

Shikamaru didn't even question it as they rushed out of the hospital and towards the village gate. As they rushed through it, Shikamaru scowled and said, "We'd better move fast. I doubt they'll let us get away so easily."

"That's why we're getting a head-start on this. They haven't mobilized the Anbu yet, but they will real soon. So hurry your skinny ass up and move!" Anko exclaimed as they sped off down the path, running as fast as their legs would carry them. Naturally, as Anko had more chakra, she could keep going for longer than Shikamaru could, but he wasn't about to give up. If he absolutely had to, he'd pop a few Military Rations Pills and keep going as far and as long as he could.

As they ran, Shikamaru didn't even look back. Please let us get to them before the Anbu catch up to us…

Naruto – The Next Day

"Are you absolutely sure about this, Naruto-kun?" Kuroko asked as they stood in place on the road leading to the Land of Waves and the Great Naruto Bridge. "You had us turn back awfully suddenly…"

Naruto nodded and said, "Everything I've seen lately has said that we need to be here right now. Anko and the others are in trouble."

Tsunade nodded and said, "If that's what your gut's telling you, then I'll trust you, Naruto-kun."

It didn't take more than half an hour for Anko and Shikamaru to come running towards them with Anbu hot on their heels. Scowling at this, Naruto and the others burst forward, engaging the Anbu head on.

When the battle came to an end and the Anbu laid dead before them, the whiskered blonde turned to Anko and asked, "What the hell happened?"

Anko fell on her butt, dropping Choji to the ground where he landed on his stomach and let out a pained groan. "Exhausted. Explain…later. Sleep…" she panted out before she fell to the side and passed out.

Shikamaru chuckled dryly and said, "Sleep…good…" before he too passed out, Neji falling atop of him.

Tsunade frowned for a time before she motioned for Shizune to assist her. Together, they went about healing Choji and Neji of what remained of their wounds. Once they were fully healed, Tsunade looked over Anko while Shizune looked over Shikamaru. After a time, the busty blonde said, "They'll be fine, but they're suffering from severe chakra exhaustion. They pushed themselves incredibly hard to get here before the Anbu could catch up to them. Whoever's in charge back there really wanted these four back."

Naruto scowled and said, "I bet I know why too. They wanted their weapon back and under their control."

Most of the group scowled at that before some of the Inuzuka clansmen lifted the unconscious members of Team Anko (plus Choji) onto their backs. And with that, they began hurrying towards the Land of Waves once again, or at least as fast as regular civilians could go, that is.

One week later

"Dude…you've got a freaking bridge named after you." Kiba said as he stared at the impressively large bridge leading to the Land of Waves.

Naruto blinked as he stared at the placard describing the Land of Wave's hero and everything he had done for the people of the country. "Holy shit. They named the bridge after me."

Hinata and Ino giggled. "I always knew you were a hero, Naruto-kun." Hinata said with a kind smile on her face.

Naruto blushed a bit and scratched at his cheek. "Thanks, Hinata-chan. Come on, let's get going. I want to see Tazuna and let him know what's going on. Then I want to go and check on the Kubikiribocho and see if it will accept me as its new wielder." Everyone nodded in agreement before they set off across the gigantic bridge.

After crossing the bridge, Naruto smiled as he saw the state that Wave was in now. It was looking a LOT better than it had been when he was last here. Before he could say anything, he heard a familiar voice calling out to him. "Naruto-kun! You're back! Who are all your friends?"

Turning towards the owner of the voice, the spiky-haired teen was pleased to see Tsunami approaching them with Inari alongside her. Walking up to her, Naruto hugged her tight and said, "It's good to see you again Tsunami-chan. You too Inari. I have a LOT to tell you guys. I'd rather not have to repeat it all, so can we go to your house? Is it safe to assume your father is there right now?"

Tsunami nodded and said, "Yes, he should be there. But our house can't fit all of your friends."

Naruto chuckled a bit and shook his head. "You won't have to. Some of us can sleep outside if we have to, but it does appear that there's an inn or two here now. Am I right?"

The blue-haired mother nodded and said, "Of course. We'll let them know who you are and they'll do what they can to accommodate you. For now, we should go home and talk to Dad. If you're here again, something big is happening, isn't there?"

Naruto sighed and nodded his head sadly. "Yes. Like I said, I have a LOT to tell the three of you. Trust me when I say that you and your people will want to cut all ties with Konohagakure after this."

"That's serious indeed." Tsunami said. "Come along then, let's get you home."

Tsunade looked at Tsume and her clan and said, "Tsume, I'm entrusting you with procuring rooms for us for our stay here. The rest of us will join you after we're done."

"Roger that Tsunade-sama." Tsume said before she turned and began barking orders to her clan.

With that out of the way, Naruto and the others followed Tsunami and Inari back to their home. They had a LOT to talk about.

Tazuna's House

Shortly after arriving, Tsunami had set to work preparing dinner for everyone. While she did this, Tazuna looked into Naruto's eyes and said, "Spill it. What the hell's going on Naruto?"

Naruto sighed and leaned back in the couch he was sitting on. "Well, after we returned to Konoha, the Chunin Exams started. They're basically a number of grueling tests that Genin have to take if they want to advance in rank." he said, seeing their confusion. "Anyways, before the first exam, a man by the name of Kabuto Yakushi revealed all kinds of information on our competition and about the other villages. I'll get back to Kabuto later."

"Anyways, during the second exam, we were attacked by Orochimaru of the Sannin." Seeing their eyes light up in recognition of the name, Naruto nodded. "He defeated me easily and gave Sasuke his curse seal, promising him power if he would only seek him out." Sighing heavily, Naruto massaged the bridge of his nose before saying, "Sasuke gave into the power that came with the curse mark. Because of course he did. Power-hungry idiot."

"Skipping ahead to the day of the final exam. Everything was going just swell until Gaara, a friend of mine from Sunagakure, went nuts and tried to kill everyone by unleashing something really, really powerful on the village. I won my fight against Neji before that, and then I had to fight Gaara when Sasuke couldn't defeat him. It took everything I had, but I won that fight and changed Gaara for the better. I think that was the start of Sasuke's descent into madness…"

Sighing again, Naruto stared into Tazuna's eyes and said, "I was promoted to Chunin afterwards by old man Hokage. That's when he told me the truth about everything. Who my parents were, my inheritance, the fact that I'm the THIRD Kyuubi jinchuriki…everything. My father was the Fourth Hokage himself, Minato Namikaze. My mother was the last of the Uzumaki clan before me…and she was the second Kyuubi jinchuriki. I discarded my Uzumaki name for the time being and took up my father's last name as a real 'screw you' to the villagers."

"Anyways, I secluded myself in my parents' home for a week and studied absolutely everything I could in there with the help of my shadow clones. Then Jiraiya of the Sannin, my godfather, came to me and told me that we were to go and bring back Tsunade Senju," here, he motioned towards Tsunade, "to be the Fifth Hokage and to heal some severely injured patients."

"Along the way, I was attacked by two members of an organization called Akatsuki. Itachi Uchiha, Sasuke's older brother, was one of the two that attacked me. I fought them off and even managed to wound them before they had to flee. Now, something you should know about the Akatsuki is that they're after people like me: the jinchuriki. They want to extract our bijuu, which would kill us in the process."

Tsunami frowned deeply as she laid the food out on the table. "That's horrible! How can people do such terrible things?!"

Naruto shook his head and said, "I don't know. Human nature, I guess? Point is, they're dangerous and are going to be a big threat in the future if something isn't done about them. Anyways, moving on. When we found Tsunade, we learned that Orochimaru had approached her, asking her to heal his arms. We managed to talk her out of helping him…and that's when I fought Kabuto. Turns out, Kabuto was Orochimaru's right-hand man. At first, I played the role of idiot, spouting out some stupid nonsense about how real ninja don't need to use underhanded tactics and blah blah blah. Then, I proceeded to destroy Kabuto. I killed him in front of everyone and watched as Orochimaru fled."

Tazuna frowned as he looked at Naruto carefully. "Are you okay, Naruto? If that was your first kill, it couldn't have been easy to deal with afterwards…"

Naruto frowned and shook his head again. "It was my first kill…but I really didn't feel anything afterwards. It needed to be done, so I kind of just accepted it."

"I see. You're different from how you acted before." Tazuna commented.

"Yeah, I am. I decided to drop the mask and start showing my real self to everyone. Whether they like it or not doesn't really matter to me." Naruto said, shrugging his shoulders as he talked. "Anyways, upon returning to Konoha, things took an interesting turn. The Third Hokage had informed everyone of the truth while I was gone, telling them who my parents were and everything. Half of the village seemed to be apologetic and wanted to make amends. The other half were completely against me, wanting me dead for pretty much nothing. Tsunade took over as Fifth Hokage and things were…well, can't say they were peaceful, but it was certainly different."

Sighing softly, Naruto helped himself to a portion of the meal before continuing. "A LOT of different things happened, such as Kakashi being demoted to Chunin for his behavior. Asuma Sarutobi turned against me and killed the Third Hokage, his own father. Danzo Shimura sending his Root after me and Shikamaru. I even protected Ino-chan here from Sasuke when he tried to hurt her, perhaps even kill her."

Tsunami looked at Ino at this point and frowned deeply. "Sasuke attempted to kill her? Why?"

Ino scowled and said, "I slapped him and declared to the crowd around us at the time that Sasuke wasn't worth our time and effort. He was just a selfish boy that cared for no one but himself. So, angered by my actions, Sasuke attempted to kill me. He really was that insecure."

"Knew I didn't like that boy for a reason." Tazuna said before he began to eat. After a short while, he looked at Naruto again and said, "Continue."

Chuckling softly, Naruto nodded and continued with his explanation. "Orochimaru sent a group known as the Sound Four, plus Karin and a man by the name of Kimimaro, to retrieve Sasuke for him. Sasuke willingly left with them and was well on his way to Orochimaru's lair. My new team and I, plus Choji, hurried after them. Long story short, battles took place, I killed someone again, and, after we all split up, I followed Sasuke to the Valley of the End. Sasuke was stupid enough to let me make the first move. I killed him for his stupidity, and I took his eyes as well." Here, he activated his Sharingan and grinned sadistically. "They're bound to come in real handy."

Tsunami frowned and asked, "Didn't your village practically worship Sasuke? Couldn't you have gotten in serious trouble for killing him like that?"

Kuroko spoke up at this point. "Killing Sasuke was part of a plan to free me from the seal placed on Naruto at the time of his birth. I'm Kuroko, also known as the Kyuubi no Yoko. Naruto-kun performed a forbidden ritual to free me so we could be together. But it was also done to keep him safe from the Akatsuki. For the most part, at least."

"Anyways, I'm not entirely sure what happened in the village while I was dealing with Sasuke. Tsunade and the others can fill you in though if they want." Naruto said as he decided to dig into his meal now. He was hungry!

Tsunade frowned deeply and said, "Shortly after Team Anko left on their mission, the various clan heads of Konoha got together for a secret meeting. Their topic of discussion was Naruto, of course, and how to keep him in the village to be used as the village's weapon. They were planning to pawn their daughters off on Naruto and have them get pregnant with his babies so he'd have no choice but to stay in Konoha. Kiba, Ino, Hana, and Hinata brought this to my attention, barely escaping the clan heads once they were found out."

"It was shortly after this that things in the village went to Hell. Asuma, Kakashi, and Danzo raised a veritable army within the village and began a civil war of sorts within the village. They began targeting those that supported Naruto-kun and…let's just say chaos ensued. A LOT of people died and we were forced to fight for our survival. We lost people dear to us and were forced to flee the village. Last we saw, Konoha was pretty much in ruins. But they can still rebuild and plan for the future…if they survive that long. All I know is I want nothing to do with Konoha any longer. No, I'm planning to stay with Naruto-kun and help him restore his true home: Uzushiogakure." Tsunade explained.

Tazuna blinked and asked, "How the hell did things get so bad in Konoha? It sounds like everyone went batshit insane! Ow!" Tazuna exclaimed as Tsunami whacked him in the head with a frying pan. He had no idea where she got the damn thing, but it certainly hurt!

"Mind your language in front of Inari, please." Tsunami said sweetly.

"Yeah, yeah. Sorry Tsunami." Tazuna said as he rubbed the back of his head. "Damn that hurts."

Tsunade shook her head and said, "I don't know how it got that bad. It just did. It's like everyone went insane, just like you said. So many people are dead because of a difference of opinion regarding Naruto-kun. It's horrible."

Tazuna frowned and said, "Sounds rough. Anyways…" looking at Naruto, Tazuna asked, "Uzushiogakure, huh? Want to restore your clan's home, huh? I'll talk to some of the people at the docks. I'll get someone to take you there. It's up to you to figure out how to get on the island, however. Those whirlpools are nasty."

Naruto smiled and said, "They'll let me through, I'm sure of it."

Tazuna simply chuckled and said, "I don't doubt it. For now, stay the night. You and your friends can set out in the morning."

"Thanks Tazuna. I really appreciate it." Naruto said. Afterwards, they began to dig into their meals with gusto and chatted away about a variety of topics.

The Next Day

Sure enough, just as Naruto had said, the whirlpools seemed to recognize the presence of the Uzumaki trio and faded away, leaving them easy access onto the island. As they walked inland, looking around at their surroundings and seeing signs of devastation even this far from the village, Naruto couldn't help but frown deeply.

Soon enough, they came upon the rather enormous gate leading into the rather large village. The gate would need to be repaired, but that could wait for the time being. Stepping into the village proper, Naruto looked around at the devastated village, seeing headbands and skeletons all over the place. A lot of the buildings were destroyed almost completely, while others were somehow still standing even after all this time.

Ignoring all of this, Naruto proceeded to the Uzukage Tower located towards the back of the village. Entering it, he ascended the stairs and eventually entered the office located near the top of the tower. Looking around, he smiled and said, "I'm home."

To be continued…

A/N - And that's the end of The Wrath of a Namikaze. There will be a sequel, so keep an eye out for that. As you can see, Naruto will no longer be going by the name Namikaze, so therefore, I couldn't continue with the story being named 'The Wrath of a Namikaze'. So the sequel will go by a different name, but still have the same Naruto you guys have come to know and love. Not sure what I'll call it just yet, but I'll think of something. :P

Anywho, I hope you liked it. Like I said, a lot got explained, and then there was a lot left open-ended. You'll just have to wait and see what comes next.

I don't know what I'll work on next, but I'll think of something, I'm sure! lol. Ciao for now!