9 Chapter 9: The Tactical Plan

Jiraiya stared at the young blond boy, in the center of the room. He was clearly impressed with the way, he motivated the council.

There was a fire burning in everyone's eyes, the desire to win, the will to protect their home, and precious people was clearly visible in every shinobi's eyes.

He saw Naruto hugging his mother, but something seemed off.

Jiraiya looked closely, and his veteran eyes saw something that shocked him. He had fought in three wars, had seen a lot of evil, even his best friend had succumbed to darkness.

And if one thing Jiraiya clearly remembered about Orochimaru, was his friend's devious smile.

The smile that sent shivers down his spine, the smile that was meant to deceive people, and the smile that showed the darkness within his friend.

And right now..

The same smile was on Naruto's face!

Naruto seemed happy, his face was showing feelings of joy.

But what was the mystery that could be seen, in his dark black eyes?

It seemed to represent something dark, something scary.

"As time passes, and the boy grows, his darkness will increase. His desire to protect is far greater than any person I have ever seen, but his desire to kill is even greater. He has a good soul, but I sense something very dark inside him. The more his visual prowess will increase, the more darker and dangerous he would become..."

A small shiver ran down Jiraiya's spine, he still couldn't forget a single word, the elder toad had said when he was alone with him. What if, Naruto was truly the child of prophecy?

That thought made Jiraiya relieved, as well as worried at the same time. The boy had a good soul, but he was very mysterious, and Jiraiya never liked mysterious as they always had a dark side.

He looked at the boy, and now the smile was gone.

It was replaced by his innocent smile once again.

"What darkness, do you have inside, Naruto?" thought Jiraiya warily.

(Grass Country)

In a small room, sat 5 figures in a small circle.

There was pin drop silence in the room, one could even hear the small noise coming from the wooden floors.

In one corner, of the room sat the Sandaime Raikage, his boisterous figure, and his presence could be felt in the entire room. However he was not the only person, who had such a powerful presence.

Beside him sat the, Tsuchikage. Onoki, was sitting seriously, and for the first time he was not complaining about his back pain.

Konan of the Akatsuki sat opposite of both of the Kage's, beside her was the Mizukage.

She could feel Yagura's as well as the Sanbi's (Three Tails) power. The man was a very strong Kage, and a Jinchuriki too.

On her opposite side, sat the most evil person she had ever met.

Orochimaru was sitting calmly in his chair, but everyone could see his devious snake like smile, and frankly it was disgusting.

"So, Orochimaru, we have prepared our armies, and they are now almost ready. It's time for you to play your cards," said Onoki sharply.

Orochimaru deviously licked his lips with his snake like tongue, which irritated almost everyone in the room.

"Of course, Tsuchikage-dono, I always keep my word," said Orochimaru with a twisted chuckle.

"I beg to differ," said the Raikage curtly.

"I'm hurt, Raikage-dono, you really don't trust me?" asked Orochimaru, in a sad voice.

Nobody gave him an answer, which made the Snake Sannin sigh in disappointment,

"I'll show you, that I am indeed with you in destroying Konoha. Let me show how powerful ally I am," said Orochimaru with a smirk.

He made a few hand seals, and suddenly 5 coffins rose from the ground.

Every Kage's eyes widened in shock, when they saw what was in that coffin,

Orochimaru started chuckling madly, and clasped his hands together in excitement.

"Gentleman, I present to you the greatest warriors, ever to be born in this world," said Orochimaru excitedly

"He finally learnt how to do it, " thought a shocked Konan, but she did not show any emotion on her face.

"That's…" said Onoki in shock.

Even the Raikage took a step back in fear, when he saw the person's in that coffin. Even he was no match for these 4 veterans.

"Edo Tensei?" said the Mizukage in amazement.

The figures slowly stepped out of the coffins, and now everyone could feel the power of these shinobi. However one coffin remained closed.

There stood in front of them, the magnificent 4, they were the best warriors of their time.

"Hashirama-dono..?" asked Onoki in shock,

Onoki's eyes were wide as saucers, because there stood in front of him Hashirama Senju.

The God of the shinobi, the man who was said to be the strongest shinobi to be born in this world. The strongest Kage of all times, and also the First Hokage of Konoha. He was a master of wood style, and was said to be the greatest medic ever to be born in this world.

Beside him stood his brother, Tobirama Senju.

The Second Hokage of Konoha, and the greatest water style user of all times, he could create water from thin air, and was a master of teleportation.

Yagura's eyes gleamed a little in excitement when he saw the white haired Senju.

The third person was none other than Mito Uzumaki, she was the wife of Hashirama Senju. She was also one of the strongest females of the Uzumaki clan. Her power was immense, and she also had the ability to even subdue the Nine-Tailed Fox.

The last person was none other than Sakumo Hatake.

The White Fang of Konoha, the man was said to be stronger than the Sannin, and was one of the most powerful shinobi of the hidden leaf village.

"Is this really them?" asked the Raikage suspiciously.

"The one and only, I present to you, Hashirama Senju, Tobirama Senju, Mito Uzumaki Senju, and Sakumo Hatake. The strongest shinobi of the Hidden Leaf," said Orochimaru proudly.

He had devoted years of his life, in perfecting this Kinjutsu (Forbidden Technique), and now he was getting excellent results.

"How do we know that you can control them?" asked Yagura dangerously.

"I can control them, they can fight on our side, and help in destroying Konoha. Just imagine the faces of Konoha's shinobi when they have to face their greatest heroes in battle," said Orochimaru with an evil chuckle.

All the Kage's, had a devious smile on their faces, as they realized the damage they could do to Konoha.

"Who is in that last coffin?" asked Konan, firmly.

"Well, that's a secret, you'll find out when the time is right," said Orochimaru mysteriously.

"You will tell us, right now!" demanded the Raikage angrily

"Is that a threat? You do remember that I can control these four, it is not wise to threaten your allies," said Orochimaru darkly, his KI flared in the entire room.

Everyone took a step back in fear, they knew even if they were allies, Orochimaru was a dangerous man, and if he could control these 4 legends, then it was wise to have him on their side.

"We'll let it slide for now," said Onoki bitterly. He hated submitting to this young man, but his goal to destroy Konoha was more important.

"But we do want to know about the identity of this person. Don't test my patience," warned Yagura darkly.

"I promise, when the time is right, you will find out who it is," said Orochimaru sincerely.

"I can't reveal my trump card, right now!" thought Orochimaru bemusedly.

"Kage's, Leader-sama wants to know your strategy for deploying our armed forces," said Konan seriously.

Onoki and Yagura, gestured the Raikage to speak first. Meanwhile, Orochimaru made another hand seal, and all the coffins disappeared from the room.

"Konoha is right in the center of the shinobi world, that is a big advantage for our war." started the Raikage calmly

"What do you have in mind?" asked Konan curiously

"Before I state my plan, what is our current situation on the field?" asked the Raikage.

The Tsuchikage and the Mizukage nodded, as this was where their part came.

"I have divided my force of 15,000 shinobi into three divisions. One is stationed in Kusa, one in Taki, while the third division will serve as the backup of the first two divisions, and will constantly supply weapons, food, reinforcements, and all other important supplies to the front line troops," explained Onoki briefly.

"It was very easy to overthrow the people of Kusa and Taki it seems," said Orochimaru bemusedly.

"My armies are strong, we will not let anything get in our way. I have Kusa and Taki in my control, rest assured they won't be a problem," said Onoki firmly.

"Very well, you have Konoha surrounded from the west, do you have any special forces who could attack Konoha, secretly from Suna's borders?" asked Konan curiously.

"Yes, I have a small force of my Explosion Corps hiding deep in Suna's borders. They can bomb Konoha's borders within a few weeks," explained Onoki.

"Very good, you have a good strategy. Leader-sama will be pleased." said Konan stoically, while Onoki just nodded nonchalantly.

Konan then motioned Yagura to speak, the man just gave firm nod.

"I have divided my army into two divisions. One will continue to attack from Kiri, and the islands around it. The second division has already moved into Nagi Island and set up a base of operations there. They will attack Konoha from the south, while the first division will attack from the east. I also have a small force specialized in naval warfare, ready to engage the enemy. The total forces which I have spared for this war, are 15,000 shinobi," explained Yagura briefly.

"So, that surrounds Konoha from the east as well as the south, a wise move," said the Raikage with a smirk.

"What about your forces, Raikage-dono?" asked Orochimaru seriously.

"I have also divided my forces into 3 divisions, with each having 5000 shinobi in them. They will attack Konoha from the north, my forces will be ready for attack in a few days." said the Raikage seriously.

"So, we have surrounded the enemy from all sides. Konoha will be forced to stay on the defensive," said Konan analytically.

"What about the weapons your leader promised us, we have paid you a huge sum for them," said Onoki sternly.

Konan gave a nod, and unsealed a scroll. The thing which appeared made the Kage, as well as Orochimaru curious.

There was a weapon, it was made of metal and was pointed in shape.

"What is this?" asked Orochimaru seriously

"This weapon is called a missile, it was personally developed by Leader-sama. It can hit anything within 2000 yards, it can also destroy armored targets," explained Konan briefly.

"How strong is it?" asked the Raikage excitedly.

"It is more powerful than 500 combined explosive tags, if used precisely it can severely annihilate any advancing enemy forces. The blast would not leave any survivors," explained Konan stoically.

"Very good, it will be very useful in the war," said Yagura proudly.

Konan looked at all the Kage's, they were such fools. They were thinking about only their selfish interests, without even realizing the real intentions of the Akatsuki.

"What about the Jinchuriki?" asked Konan very carefully.

All the Kage's looked at her and Orochimaru with narrowed eyes, they didn't trust both of them. The only reason they were teamed up, was because they all shared one goal.

"They will fight too, but you shouldn't concern yourself with this. We can handle it," said Onoki dangerously, no one ever touched his weapons.

"Kumo's Jinchuriki will fight, but only on my orders," said Raikage sternly.

"I have no interest in fighting this war, my armies will do their job. Raikage, Tsuchikage, you have not forgotten our deal, have you?" asked Yagura sternly.

"Rest assured, you have our full support against the rebels," said both the Kage in unison.

"What about the support of your comrades?" asked Yagura curiously.

"The members of our group will provide tactical support when necessary," said Orochimaru seriously.

"Very well," said Yagura curtly.

"And when you'll be immersed in the war, we will take your Jinchuriki, and bring peace to this world," thought Konan firmly.

The Kage's, and the Akatsuki members discussed their plans for a few more minutes, before ending their meeting.

However all of them, didn't see a small bird observing them closely...

(Konoha War room)

Everyone was now sitting patiently in their seats, the inspirational speech had really boasted up everyone's morale.

Minato looked at his son proudly, now he had to fulfill the task for which Naruto was present in this meeting, but before he could begin, the door to the room was opened roughly.

A person walked into the room.

Everyone's eyes widened in surprise and shock when they saw who this person was. Jiraiya had a smirk on his face.

"So, you have finally come, still beautiful as ever," thought Jiraiya warmly.

There stood in front of everyone, the Legendary Sucker, member of Team Hiruzen, and one of the Legendary Sannin of Konoha.

It was none other than Tsunade Senju.

Hiruzen was shocked, he couldn't believe that his wayward student was here. Maybe there was still some hope left.

Tsunade stood in the center of the room, she was wearing a green haori which had gambler written on it, while her legs were covered by her grey pants. She had her hands on her hips, and had a serious look on her face.

Many men were looking at her large breasts with wide eyes. She looked so stunning despite being nearly 44.

"Tsunade-sama...," said many people in shock

Tsunade didn't give any answer, and just gave a stern gaze to Minato, who just gave her a very firm gaze and motioned her to sit.

Many people started asking questions, as Tsunade had indeed left the village for quite some time. Since she was a Sannin, she had the right to go wherever she wanted, as long as she remained loyal to the village.

But to see her back in the village, was a shock.

But it was also a great relief for many people, as Tsunade was a Kage-level shinobi, and was the greatest medic in the world. If she was back, then their chances of winning the war increased.

"Now I request everyone except, Shikaku, the elders, Tsunade-sama, Jiraiya-sensei, Hiruzen-sama, Anbu commander, Shisui, Mikoto, Naruto, Kakashi and Kagami-san to leave the room. The purpose of this meeting was to explain the enemy's actions till now. The further strategy will be formed by us, and all of you will receive further instructions in due time from your superior officer," explained Minato briefly.

All the people nodded, and gave a deep bow to their leaders, and slowly started to leave the room.

After a few moments, everyone had left except for the people Minato had mentioned.

He looked at his son, now was the time.

"Naruto Namikaze, step forward!" commanded Minato.

Naruto gave a nod, and stepped forward. He now stood in front of his father, he got on his knees, and bowed in front of his father.

Tsunade looked at the boy curiously, this was the first time she was seeing the boy.

She was quite surprised that the boy looked more like his mother, but still he had Minato's blonde hair.

She was familiar with Minato and his wife Mikoto, Tsunade liked Minato as a Hokage, because he didn't force her to do anything, and allowed her to live her life on her own terms, even if it meant staying away from the village.

He understood her pain, and despite people's protest he allowed her to leave, and she was grateful for that, as it gave her time to grieve.

Now Minato wanted her help, she knew how much danger Konoha was in, despite loathing the village, she still had decided to stand by its side.

The only reason she was doing this, was because it was her brother's and lover's dream of protecting the village and becoming Hokage. And she would be damned if she let their dreams die.

So despite her personal feelings, she was here to fight as a shinobi of Konoha.

She gave a curt nod to Mikoto and Kagami, she respected both the Uchiha. They were some of the few Uchiha whom she could stand, as they were not stuck up pricks and gave her the respect she deserved.

She noticed Mikoto's worried eyes fixed on her son. A small smile came on Tsunade's face, she could understand how Mikoto felt. She also felt very sad for the little boy, he was far too young for this war.

Just like her brother was.

"As of today, you are being recruited as a shinobi of Konoha. You will serve as the Namikaze clan's heir, and will fight for the village on the front lines," said Minato loudly.

"Hai, Hokage-sama," said Naruto sincerely.

"However, you have a special responsibility towards this village, for which you will have to make sacrifices," said Minato slowly.

The people in the room looked at their Hokage curiously, while Mikoto narrowed her eyes. What was her husband up to?

"I am yours to command, Hokage-sama," said Naruto seriously.

He knew already, what his father was asking from him. But he feared what his mother would do, once the truth came out.

"You will not be joining the regular forces, instead..." said Minato hesitantly

This was a very dangerous decision he was making, he noticed Mikoto looking at him very sternly, but the plan which he had in mind required Naruto to do what was necessary.

"You will be a part of a special force, which I have formed in order to protect this village," said Minato seriously.

Naruto, now looked at his father and gave him a firm gaze,

"Tou-san, I accept this order, and will do my duty as a shinobi of this village," said Naruto sincerely.

Minato gave a short smile to his son, he then motioned him to come forward, and gave him a small paper chit.

"You will be joining the Boot Camp in a few days, where you will be trained ruthlessly. Right now I want you to find these two people, and bring them to me. Do you have any objections?" asked Minato seriously

Mikoto was just about to speak, when Minato gave her a cold look, and told her to keep quiet for a few moments.

Naruto took a deep breath, this was the biggest decision of his life. He knew the consequences of his actions, he looked at his mother.

She looked very worried, he gave her a small reassuring smile, and then turned to his father.

"I accept," said Naruto truthfully, he had made his choice.

"I'm proud of you, fight with courage and honor, and make your country proud," said Minato proudly.

"I will," promised Naruto

"Now, find these people before evening and report back to me," ordered Minato

Naruto nodded, and gave one last bow to his father. He looked at his mother, and told her it was okay, and was just about to leave, when he was stopped.

"What makes you think you can fight in this war?" asked Tsunade loudly.

She wanted to know why this boy was so willing to put his life on the line. He was far too young for a war, and he was sent into the special forces already? Did his father wanted him to get killed?

Naruto looked at the blonde haired woman curiously.

"Do you know what war is?" asked Tsunade sternly.

"I don't," said Naruto curtly.

Tsunade was quite surprised with the boy's answer, she expected him to protest, but it seemed he was speaking the truth.

"You think, just because your father believes in you, you can fight in a war. War is not a joke, the sound of explosions, people's screams, their fear, the KI, your friends will die, and the people you love will die in front of you. Would you still like to fight in a war?" asked Tsunade curiously.

She didn't know why she was saying all this, but she just couldn't see another young boy dying. And Naruto reminded her of Nawaki, her little brother. It just seemed like yesterday when Nawaki was in Naruto's place.

Naruto looked at her with sad eyes, something which made Tsunade avert her eyes from him.

"Tsunade-sama, you are right, I have no idea what war is, and neither do I want this war to happen. But if I don't fight, who will? My country, my comrades, my family...and my little brother needs me, and I won't back down," said Naruto firmly.

Tsunade gave a smirk, the boy sure had confidence. But now came the most serious question.

"You think you are strong enough to kill a person? Taking a life isn't easy…," said Tsunade sadly.

"I can do it," said Naruto coldly, his eyes showed that he indeed meant what he said.

Everyone was quite shocked when they heard him say such words.

"I'm strong, far stronger than you will ever know. The power which I have, I will use it defend my brother, and I will kill each and every enemy, who tries to harm him. None of you know or can understand why I'm doing this, but I'm not a worthless coward who would give up, just because I am young for a war. Even if I'm alone, I'll kill the enemy myself," said Naruto darkly.

"Naruto, what is this nonsense?" asked Mikoto angrily, and slammed her hands on the desk, making a few cracks.

"You want to fight the enemy, all by yourself?" asked Shisui worriedly.

Minato looked at his son firmly, he knew his son was different. He knew it from the beginning.

Meanwhile, Jiraiya's anxiousness was increasing with each moment, it was just as the elder toad predicted. If Naruto was the child of prophecy, then...

"This world is merciless...but it is beautiful too. I lived a good life, being loved by my parents, my brother, and the villagers. I always ask myself, what did I ever do to deserve this? Just because I am the son of a Hokage? This may be true, but they believe in me, my brother believes in me, so I'll win no matter what!" said Naruto passionately.

"Naruto, you cannot do everything by yourself, you cannot defeat everyone by yourself!'' said Mikoto worriedly.

"If I can't, then I'll just die. But if I win, I'll live," said Naruto firmly, and went out the room.

Everyone was shocked after hearing this, and they were just looking at each other with wide eyes. Danzo was very impressed, that the boy had the traits of a killer shinobi, and was not a weakling. Maybe he could get the boy on his side...

Tsunade was also shocked by Naruto's determination, the boy was very different.

"Minato, what are you doing with my son?" asked Mikoto angrily.

Minato looked at his wife calmly, she was very angry, but he had to make her understand.

"Why are you sending him in a special force, he is just a child," argued Shisui.

"Sensei, I know you have a plan, but don't you think he is far too young for any special ops missions?" asked Kakashi doubtfully

"Everyone, I will answer all your questions, but you will listen to me, and will not interrupt me. Am I clear?" asked Minato sternly, and everyone gave a nod except Mikoto, who just stared at her husband sternly.

Minato gave a tired sigh, Mikoto was very stubborn when it came to Naruto and Itachi's well being.

Suddenly there was a puff of smoke, and a small bird appeared in front of Minato, it had a small scroll on it. Minato took the scroll and opened it with his blood.

His eyes widened when he read, what was inside.

"It's just as we feared," thought Minato worriedly.

"What is it, Hokage-sama?" asked Homura curiously.

"A few hours ago, Iwa attacked Kusa and Taki, and has now taken control over the two villages, some of their special ops teams are hiding in Suna to strike us. Last night, Kiri too took control of Nagi island, and has surrounded us from the south and east directions. Kumo's army will be ready in a few days, and will attack us from the north. The war has already begun," explained Minato briefly.

All the people were quite shocked when they heard that.

"How do you know all this, even my spies have not heard anything about it, what are you hiding?" asked Jiraiya suspiciously.

Minato looked at everyone present in the room, things had gotten much worse now.

He knew he had made a few mistakes, and they were now paying the price. In a way, he and his elder son were the same, both of them thought that it was their duty to shoulder everything alone.

He looked at the worried faces of his people, he hadn't even told them about the Edo Tensei, or the new weapon, the Akatsuki, and and so many more things

The people in the room, were the only ones whom he could trust, well except Danzo. But now he had to tell them the ugly truth, he couldn't tell this to the other shinobi or the villagers.

Or there would have been chaos.

Now his only hope depended on the plan which he had made, and the people in the room.

''Seven years ago, I started "Operation Black storm"...and this is where it all began...," said Minato darkly.