Hinata's Sensual Adventure - The Chronicle's End [Part C]

Fated Reunions — Hearts' Symphony

"I-Incredible!" Ao exclaimed as he deciphered the unique linguistics of the Sensing Water Sphere. The large, detached bubble stood in the center of the room, manned by three other shinobi from the sensory division. "Did you guys feel that?"

"It's unbelievable!" another man described.

"There's no doubt about it," a third began. "That was definitely the Kyūbi's power."

Ao quietly agreed, the sphere amplifying his sensory abilities as he sought to confirm the truth of it again. Except... I felt something slightly different about it.

"What's the situation?" Shikaku asked, noting the men's commotion.

"Uzumaki Naruto is holding the masked Madara back through unbelievable force. I had no idea such chakra existed — no... actually, they're pushing him back. Just four of them — Naruto, Bee-dono, Kakashi-dono and Gai-dono!"

Shikaku took but a moment to process Ao's words and then turned his attention to Inoichi and company. "I need you to give everything you've got and put the current information from Naruto's side directly into the head of every member of the divisions moving to reinforce them! Cut it to fifteen seconds if you need to! I want to boost morale in one big sweep!

Those four are hanging in there with all their strength. So, we've got to throw all our strength into doing what we can! We have to convey their feelings!"

"Every member...," one man almost chocked on the words, his head fixed in a large machine that supplemented the use of his sensory and telepathic abilities. "If we do that, the strain on our chakra channels will be overwhelming. If things go wrong..."

Inoichi smiled at his colleague's agitation, his head fitted with the same bulky equipment. "You're asking for the impossible... so we'll do it in ten seconds!"

"Inoichi-san!" the man snapped, breaking out into a sweat.

"Sorry to ask, but this is important," Shikaku returned gratefully. "Condense it as briefly as you can."

"I'm not much of a speaker, but leave it to me!"

This is a transmission from HQ! a robust voice dawned in the mind off all those converging on the battlefield where the masked villain was located. Conditions at the area to be reinforced are favorable! In other words, Uzumaki Naruto is holding his ground! The people our alliance is to protect — Naruto and Bee-dono, are fighting for us at the front line with true passion! So are Gai and Kakashi!

Members of the alliance, add your passion to theirs! Inoichi urged vehemently, even as blood trickled down from his nose by the sheer strain of his large-scaled announcement. Our combined feelings... are the prophecy that will lead us to victory in this war!

Shikaku regarded his comrade with utmost esteem, even as the shinobi emerged from the requested task struggling to get a breath of air into his lungs.

"I really am... a lousy speaker," he admitted dryly, his chest heaving. "In the end, I took twenty... whole seconds..."

The man's apprentice looked on in awe, while Shikaku bore a more logical and calculating visage. Yes... that's how powerful your own feelings were.

Dark clouds converged in the endless skies. A broad leaf sagged under the weight of a water droplet. From the open plains to the forested mountain ranges, the grey slant of rain assaulted the parched earth — wind and fog dimming visibility. But nothing could slow the momentum a significant boost in morale had ignited.

Thousands of footsteps echoed above the thrashing rain as shinobi sprinted to the next battlefield. There were those who fought for dreams, some for passions, others for family, a friend — but, ultimately, everyone fought for a future. And they steeled their nerves as they pushed forward to make that resolve a reality.

Kiba heaved a wolfish grin, staring unblinkingly ahead even as the icy rain drove into his face like tiny needles. Naruto, I made sure I marked you a long time ago — marked you as my rival. He pushed aside the memory of his loss in the Chūnin Exams. Make sure you keep Madara busy until I get to you. And you better be looking after Hinata!

I will support Naruto flawlessly with my ninjutsu, Shino vowed. Why? Because... I don't need a "because"!

"Sounds like Naruto's really pulling it off," said Shikamaru to Chōji. "When you think about what he was like just a few months ago, it's unimaginable just how much he's grown. But even when he was dumb, despite appearances, he was as sharp as a kunai when it came to battle instincts."

Chōji — who didn't mind flaunting his now toned physique — allowed a wide smile. "It used to be beyond question that Naruto was dumb as I was fat, but a lot of expectations are getting turned upside down, huh?" Wait for me, Not-Quite-So-Dumb Naruto. Slender Chōji is on his way!

"He may have finally hit puberty," Shikamaru teased. "But there should still be a need for me to help develop strategies." Hold on, Naruto. I'm nearly there!

Thanks, Dad, the words took form in Ino's heart. Thanks for conveying the strength of Naruto's feelings to us all. We've got to make that prophecy come true no matter what!

Are you okay, Gai-sensei? Tenten took a turn. Are you making sure to keep Naruto safe? I'm sure you're okay since Kakashi-sensei's there, as well.

Elsewhere, the forest that flanked them on both sides formed a wall of green and brown as they dashed through its thick embrace.

"If it wasn't for the rain, I could have flown there with my Great Beast Painting," explained Sai frustratingly.

"Less complaining, more running, Sai-san," chided Lee uncharacteristically. "We've got to live up to Gai-sensei and Naruto-kun's gallant examples and show the world our will!"

The former Root agent regarded the teenager with a friendly smile. This is what it means to have friends. I can feel it now, Naruto.

Despite working around the clock with her fellow medical practitioners to keep the soldiers alive and in tip top shape, Sakura radiated exuberance and zeal as she matched the pace of the shinobi dashing alongside her.

Naruto... you saved Konoha, she reminisced, the image of the sage's undulating red cape etched in her mind. Now, you're trying to save the shinobi world. Every single time we end up leaving these terrible things to you to sort out. But this time, no matter what you say, let us... not just you and me... this time, let all of us fight together!

As the shinobi pressed on in the unmerciful rain toward a worthy cause, the sun peeked out through a gap in the clouds, illuminating the footprints left behind in the mud. A collection of dreams, ambitions and desires tinted in good intentions — craved in the soft bosom of time.

But nature was unbiased.

Elsewhere, a pair of lone footprints were also highlighted by the sun's fleeting grace. And, as opposed to the many men and women who risked their life's for peace and prosperity, the aspirations molded into these imprints were dark, selfish and corrosive in nature.

A sudden flash of lightening illustrated the ominous crimson glow of a Sharingan — and an even more ominous smirk from its bearer. And the clap of thunder that followed promised a disaster of epic proportions.

"The Five Kage are being pressed hard by Madara," Inoichi hated being the bearer of bad news. But feeding this type of information to the Chief Strategist was imperative, if they hoped to sustain a favorable advantage in the ensuing war.

"This chakra is insanely strong," Ao added.

"It figures," responded Shikaku. "Not only is he a shinobi of legend, but he has an Edo Tensei body. That gives him immortality and unlimited chakra." the man cupped his chin calculatingly. "Even for the Five Kage, it's a grave challenge."

"We really do have no choice but to deal with the Edo Tensei user," Mabui — the Raikage's capable female assistant — contributed softly.

"Do we have news from the Search Squad?" asked the chief, his question geared to Inoichi.

"Nothing good. They're going over potential hiding places with a fine-tooth, but there's no sign of Kabuto whatsoever."

"What about the Sensory Squad?"

"We're not getting any responses," Ao informed regrettably. "He may have raised a powerful barrier."

"Should we send reinforcements?" offered Mabui.

"We've sent all we can," said Shikaku in denial. "Any more and we'll be leaving holes in our front line formation." the man clicked his tongue in frustration. "I never thought Kabuto could be so much trouble to deal with..."

One couldn't deny that Orochimaru's successor was a royal thorn in the side, but nothing could even remotely compare to the real danger that Uchiha Madara posed. He was a true force to be reckoned with — and the five Kage were experiencing that first hand.

Despite their advantage in numbers, it was clear their efforts proved nothing more than amusement for the ancient gladiator. Each time it seemed their strategy won them the upper hand, the tyrant revealed another fraction of his power, which shaved away at their morale, in turn. But with their innate charisma and a burning desire to leave behind a legacy befitting the next generation, Ōnoki and Tsunade kept their fellow Kage afloat.

At the same time, Itachi — accompanied by a distraught Sasuke — managed to easily find and infiltrate Kabuto's lair despite the Search Squads valiant efforts. Working together like days long passed, the brothers were able to corner the serpent who had evidently surpassed his predecessor in power. Utilizing Izanami — Itachi's ultimate ocular ability — they managed to successfully seal Kabuto within a genjutsu illustrating an indefinite loop.

Then the Uchiha followed up with his Tsukuyomi, learning the method with which to stop Edo Tensei. But he didn't dispel the jutsu without first disclosing his history to an inquisitive Sasuke — everything from his ghastly childhood to the final mission to completely eradicate the Uchiha Clan before they could stage a coop.

"I've shown you the entire truth," Itachi said candidly, lumbering toward his dumbfounded brother as light eroded his immortal vessel. "And I won't have to ever again. I've always lied to you by asking for forgiveness, always pushed you away with this hand of mine. I didn't want to get you involved.

But this is what I believe now: you could have been the man to change father, mother, and the Uchiha. If I'd just faced you from the beginning, treated you as an equal, and shared my truth with you while listening to yours...

I failed, and whatever I try to tell you now, from above, its meaning won't cross the gap between us. So now, at last, let me share just a tiny bit of truth with you."

Instead of poking or flickering Sasuke's forehead as he'd done a thousand times before, Itachi pulled his brother into a warm embrace, their forehead together as one. "You don't ever have to forgive me. No matter what you do from here on out, I will always love you."

Sasuke's chest tightened as the words seeped into his skin. His eyes quivered uncontrollably, and he couldn't spin a single coherent thought into his mind. And, all too soon, his beloved elder was gone...

"Edo Tensei has been released," Madara murmured as the Kage regarded the blinding light that suddenly engulfed his body.

"What?" exclaimed the Raikage.

And Tsunade shared the commander's alarm. "I thought we were still looking for Kabuto. That was too fast! Finding him would be hard enough. To stop the technique on top of that... who was it?"

"Did one of Naruto's clones manage to find him again?" the Mizukage contributed.

"Doesn't matter," said Ōnoki. "Whoever it was, that person is a hero who has kept the shinobi world safe. Looks like providence hasn't given up on us just yet."

"Apparently, you, too, had capable shinobi on your side." Madara's words came out more as mockery than a compliment, especially as he glowered at them from his lofty perch. "So it goes."

The Mizukage frowned suspiciously at the man's carefree tone. "He was ready for this?"

"It's not over yet," Ōnoki warned, and a microsecond later Madara was lunging at them like a bat out of hell. "He wants to get one more good hit in before he disappears. Get ready!"

"Fire Style: Dragonflame Warsong Technique!"

Ahead of him, four fiery projectiles akin to fanged beasts hurled at the Kage. And they growled as if they were alive — a war song that promised nothing but ruin.

The Mizukage's cheeks inflated as she molded the chakra necessary for a water-based counter but—

"No, I won't make it!"

WHAM!

Tsunade deflected the attack with forearms coated in chakra. But, despite the reinforcement, the deadly flames still managed to severely hurt her. The Hokage winced at the import of excruciating pain, but she didn't dare turn her gaze away from the real threat.

It took but moments for her accumulated reservoir of chakra to transform and heal her wounds. But fighting Madara while diligently healing her allies was far more taxing than she anticipated. The woman had sustained more injuries than she bargained for, too, and that came with disastrous effects.

"Hokage-sama!" exclaimed Mei worrisomely.

"I'm fine!" she reassured heartily, but when those disastrous effects reared their ugly head, the woman soon found that was far from the truth.

No sooner had her wounds healed than the rejuvenation jutsu began unraveling itself. And Tsunade's eyes quivered in devastation as the intricate designs gradually disappeared from her body — and with them, her energy.

The Might of a Hundred Technique ran out? she thought in a poorly suppressed panic. But there was a sliver lining: Madara's body — a product of a dispelled Edo Tensei — began to glow. And then his spirit separated from the vessel.

My technique may have run out, Tsunade thought absently, the light in her eyes fading as her body surrendered to unconsciousness. But... we won.

Or so she thought.

Without even batting an eyelash, the Uchiha exerted his iron will. And the dregs of the abolished jutsu bent to his will, his spirit swiftly reaffirming itself into the empty vessel.

Tsunade fleetingly caught a glimpse of her imminent doom — a chakra-forged blade aimed at her chest — but she couldn't summon the strength to react. The Raikage whizzed off to her rescue, but it was someone entirely different who managed to whisk her away from death's door in the nick time.

Madara's eyes followed her like a machine.

"What was that?" said the Raikage huskily.

"I thought she'd lost consciousness!" Ōnoki added.

Completely frazzled, Tsunade gazed unseeingly at the ground, trying to piece together the miracle that just transpired. I was paralyzed. What happened?

It's been too long..., a sweet, velvety sound flowed into her mind. It's me, Tsunade.

The Hokage's eyes widened at the familiarity of the voice, and the next thing she knew, she was surrounded by a magical world painted in an ocean of glittering stars. But the most beautiful attraction was the man who now stood cheerfully before her. Butterflies fluttered in her tummy when she pronounced his name upon her lips.

"Dan! How can you be here?"

Tsunade took a step forward, a fist pressed to her chest sheepishly. She didn't care how he managed to escape the clutches of the afterlife. All that mattered was that he was by her side again and she would relish his presence while she could.

"Edo Tensei's been released," he informed sweetly. "So I flew here with the Spirit Form Technique. Man, that was close just now."

"Dan..."

"You never change, Tsunade," he beamed affectionately.

For the first time in many years, the kunoichi allowed the walls barricading her emotions to collapse. Before the man she loved with all her heart, she looked like a vulnerable and needy female. "Dan! I've always—"

"There's no time...," he interjected regrettably. "Now isn't the time for sentimentality. I have to go..."

Tsunade looked on dejectedly. And she couldn't help but reminisce about his solemn convictions to protect his loved ones and kin as the Hokage. And he valiantly died walking the road to that dream. Even now, in death, he was determined to protect all that he treasured.

"Dan, after you died, I spent so long running from my memories of you, but I changed. Now I have another chance to make sure you have no regrets and nothing left undone! I became Hokage. But—"

"Thank you, Tsunade. You've achieved everything I wanted to... and more. You've gone through so much suffering because of me. I'm sorry," he bowed his head sympathetically, regarding her grief-stricken face. "I'll be waiting for you, but I'd rather you took your time," he gently took her face in his hand. "After all, you are my dream."

Slowly, lovingly, he pressed a kiss to her forehead in an echo of her feat many years ago. And Tsunade's eyes quivered as a plethora of emotions flowed through her fragile heart.

Dan pulled back, a sweet smile stretching across his attractive mouth. "I was able to protect you at the very end. Call it a silver lining to my Edo Tensei?"

Tsunade swallowed the bittersweet import of emotions as her lover slowly disappeared from her life forever. And, as her vision of the world around her returned, so did her conviction to defeat the malevolent phantom who threatened to crush everything she had ever known and loved.

"You've recovered," Madara voiced coolly, a bit annoyed that the woman was perched above him. "Did you receive chakra?"

The Hokage smiled. "I happened to meet an old friend."

"You won't be apart for long."

"What? What's going on?" the Mizukage expressed her confusion to her comrades. "His chakra started going away, but now, it's clinging tightly to his body! Did he recover, too?"

"Why?" the Raikage blatantly sought the truth directly from the source. "Why won't you go away? Edo Tensei is supposed to have been released!"

Ōnoki and Gaara waited impatiently for man's response.

And Madara regarded them with undisguised scorn and disdain. "Edo Tensei is a technique for summoning the dead. It carries just one risk."

What risk? Gaara pondered.

"If the spirit summoned from the Impure World happens to know the seals, he can annul his side of the Edo Tensei summoning contract."

"What do you mean, annul it?" asked Tsunade.

"It is the ultimate disaster," the man said amusingly. "An undying body; unlimited chakra; freedom from any sort of control..."

"You don't mean...," Ōnoki blanched.

"Tell this to the user: forbidden techniques are not for the unprepared," he said before dispelling the jutsu using the appropriate seals.

And then the nightmare ensued.

Tiny specs of light doted the battlefield as the soldiers of Edo Tensei began a long overdue departure. And headquarters wasted no time broadcasting the news to all the divisions, effectively bolstering the troops' morale in the same beat.

The Hachibi studied the glow radiating from the motionless Jinchūriki secured in its tentacles. "Naruto! The Jinchūriki are fading away!" Bee informed with evident delight. "Man, Itachi just made my day! But we still got this fool keepin' us at bay!"

Naruto stood imposingly atop the Hachibi's head, holding the fool's accusing gaze. "Then quit complaining and let's follow through on our end."

It was only after he leapt to the ground, in the company of Kakashi and Gai, did our hero allow himself a moment to watch his companions depart. As they ascended to the heavens in a column of light, he offered tribute by rehashing their names one final time.

"Leave it to me!" he uttered aloud, the sound of his own resolve reaffirming the fiery blaze that had dwindled to a smolder in his belly.

They're all gone, huh? the Hachibi muttered with a hint of grief.

But Naruto knew it was better this way. The Jinchūriki being released from their bondage meant they were no longer suffering. Thanks, Itachi. I guess that means the other battlefields should be wrapping up just about now...

As he predicted, all the other Edo Tensei soldiers were on the verge of vanishing. But it was both a relief and a tragedy. Those who shared stronger bonds with the deceased had to experience the excruciating pain of losing them all over again. But being flanked by their comrades was a constant reminder that they had a solemn duty to protect those who were still alive.

Tobi swiveled his head around with a leer he hoped would decapitated the incompetent snake, wherever he was. That imbecile Kabuto must have failed.

"Quit daydreaming!" Naruto asserted, offended the bastard had the nerve to look away from them. "I'm right here in front of you!"

Tobi conceded — though, his eyes were sufficiently filled with contempt and malice when he met their gazes once more. As if responding to the sheer magnitude of the man's anger, the Gedō Mazō uprooted itself from the ground and hurled itself at the source of its master's annoyance.

With the help of his clone, Kakashi forged a lightening-based rope. With the astounding agility he was notorious for, he carefully maneuvered around the titan's punch and set the behemoth up to be tripped.

"Gai!" Kakashi signaled.

"Yeah!" the man bellowed, an inner-gate-powered dropkick sending the titan toppling over.

But the beast didn't get to fall.

The Hachibi followed up with a powerful uppercut.

Again, the beast didn't get to float.

A massive flaming hammer — courtesy of Naruto's transformed clone — came down with the force of a meteorite, sending the giant hopelessly plowing into the earth. A thunderous shockwave rippled outward, and a mushroom cloud took to the sky. Dust and debris flew in every direction — and Tobi retreated to safety before he could get caught up in the destruction.

Naruto watched his hopeless struggle in amusement. "You sure look upset," he mocked.

"What do you mean?" Tobi fumed.

"Since you're hiding your face, I get to imagine you having whatever expression I like. If that bothers you, why don't you take off that mask and show me what you really look like, you moron!"

"Nice one, Naruto!" Gai cheered.

Kakashi signed. "How many times do I have to tell him not to taunt the enemy?"

"Very well," Tobi responded, as if falling prone to the teen's ceaseless provoking. "It seems I have no choice."

Quickly forming a seal, the Uchiha summoned the Crimson Gourd and Amber Purifying Pot within which the Gold and Silvers brothers were sealed.

Kakashi and Naruto frowned knowingly.

"I did want to resurrect it in its completed form," Tobi began, noting that he had only managed to amass a single tentacle's worth of the Hachibi's chakra. And an inkling of the Kyūbi's chakra was the most he would receive from the pseudo-Jinchūriki brothers, as well. "But, even incomplete, its power remains the same."

Like a ravenous beast, the Gedō Mazō chucked the pots into its gaping maw and clenched its mouth shut.

...

THROB!

Something ancient and celestial suddenly fitted into place, like a pivot and a cog that had long been separated. Sampling the flavor of all the Bijuu's chakra nature, something evil and primal erupted inside the mysterious humanoid statue. And its nine eyes — which were always shut — suddenly snapped open in tandem with a ferocious and animalistic roar.

"It's long overdue, but the promised hour is finally here."

As opposed to the certainty of Tobi's convictions, Sasuke wasn't quite sure what to do. Meeting Itachi again had only inflated his already explosive hate and disdain for his home. But, despite everything he had been through, his older brother still strove to protect Konoha — why? He was commissioned to completely erase his family, friends... his entire clan. And, even in death, he still honored the will of the Leaf.

It was absurd.

It made no sense.

Hoping to find some level of clarity, Sasuke opted to resurrect Orochimaru. The serpent was extremely unorthodox and conniving — not to mention ridiculously obsessed with his ocular abilities. But it was also true that the man possessed a wealth of knowledge and wisdom regarding all the different facets of the world.

Sasuke would utilize that multitude of historical knowledge to learn about the root of Konohagakure, and the various clans that made the village their home.

What was the Will of Fire?

What legacy did the founder intend to leave behind? And how did the Uchiha Clan incur the wrath of the village's leaders? What could possibly warrant and justify such a tragic fate? It was only after learning these truths would he be able to make a decision. Would he pick up the mantle and carry on Itachi's will? Or would he use every ounce of his power to crush Konoha and purge his clan's existence from their minds?

The Gedō Mazō's howl rose a few octaves higher. The air heated and the earth trembled under the force of the creature's dominating aura. And Tobi stood amongst the ensuing chaos, keeping his figurative puppet strings attached as he guided the beast to its former glory.

"The Mazō has been going crazy ever since he put something in its mouth," Gai stated the obvious, hoping someone had a better understanding of what was happening.

And from Kakashi's troubled expression, it seems he may have connected a few promising dots. "It can't be...," he muttered in disbelief, even as Tobi's statement rehashed in his mind.

— "I did want to resurrect it in its completed form."

"Watch closely... and know it to be true," the man said present time, rocks of various sizes rising into the sky as if the force of gravity had been reversed. "The Jūbi 's reborn! The apocalypse has begun!"

Everyone braced themselves, as if his words were palpable projectiles.

"I see," Kakashi frowned. "That means the Mazō was intended as a shell for the Jūbi all along." But Something's not right. Based on what he said during his declaration of war at the Five Kage Summit, the whole purpose of this war was to collect the Kyūbi Chakra necessary to revive it.

Kakashi looked over his shoulder, as if verifying that the remaining Jinchūriki were actually still there. He isn't done collecting the Hachibi or the Kyūbi. Was he bluffing? We can't risk getting too close without a plan.

An eighty-five ton mass of muscles and tentacles, Bee stood gawping at the masked villain. And it didn't take long before guilt illustrated where his folly had given breath to their current predicament.

— "But even incomplete, its power remains the same."

The Hachibi frowned ruefully. Don't tell me he's pulled it off with chakra from just one of my tentacles?

"We have dedicated our lives to rhyme, but on this occasion, we've screwed up big time," Bee rapped in reply, breaking out into a nervous sweat. "Earlier, he collected some chakra of a tentacle clone," he announced repentantly to everyone. "I may look calm right now, but my mind is blown!"

He got chakra from a Hachibi tentacle, Kakashi processed as calmly as he could manage. I guess that counts as part of a Bijuu.

Naruto, the Kyūbi started. I know you sensed it, too. Some of my chakra was inside that gourd and pot.

"There's no mistaking it," the sage concurred with a frown. "Those are the same ninja tools that Kinkaku and Ginkaku were sealed in — and I recalled them using your powers."

Switch with me. I will explain, including about the Jūbi . You listen from here.

"You know about the Jūbi ?"

Yeah, of course, I do.

All of a sudden, Naruto's disposition changed. The oceanic depths of his blue eyes transformed into molten lava. Rounded pupils narrowed to slits, and pointed canines filled his mouth.

"Listen up!" Kurama's deep voice was filled with assertion and the crisp cadences of an earlier century. And, of course, this high soprano voice blaring out of Naruto's mouth had everyone flinging their heads around in abject shock.

"Naruto and the Kyūbi have swapped sides," Bee informed reassuringly.

They will explain everything, the Hachibi added. They have let down their mental divides.

"If one part of a Bijuu suffices, then the Mazō already contains chakra from both me and the Hachibi," Kurama admitted coolly.

Kakashi gasped. "The Kyūbi, as well?"

"The gourd and pot he summoned and fed to the Mazō just now are artifacts belonging to the Old Man Rikudō. They have the power to seal absolutely anything, and once something is inside, it can never come out.

Now... the one in the pot is Kinkaku, and the one sealed in the gourd is Ginkaku. I suspect they were raised with Edo Tensei, used to fight in this war, and then finally sealed inside the artifacts."

"The Rikudō Sennin, Kinkaku and Ginkaku," Gai repeated with a hint of awe. "It's like being in a fairy tale. But what's this got to do with Kyūbi chakra?"

Kurama blinked open calm eyes, which did little to erase the perpetual frown that creased his forehead. "A long time ago, those brothers challenged me to a battle. I ate them, of course. But then they gorged themselves on the flesh of my stomach, and absorbed my chakra."

"In other words, Kinkaku and Ginkaku possessed a certain amount of the Kyūbi chakra," Kakashi deduced. "And the masked man stole it as insurance for reviving the Jūbi , taking it from Darui's First Division." This matches what we were told by Headquarters.

"But I don't know what kind of form the Jūbi will be reborn in with just fragments of our chakra."

Kakashi pulled the hem of his glove, securing it upon his hand. "I guess we should do as much as we can before its revival."

"Kakashi," Tobi scoffed, glowering at the man through his mask. "You say these things so casually. Appropriate for the man who's lived a lifetime of regret."

Kakashi squared his shoulders with the bastard, his body language now screaming hostility.

And even Gai felt triggered by the man's extremely personalized verbal assault. "...Just who are you, really?"

"Is there any point in telling a man whose face means nothing to me?"

Kurama took a few steps forward. "Kakashi. As you say, if we're going to act, this is our only chance, before the Jūbi can be reborn. Old Man Rikudō told us that the Jūbi 's complete revival would mean the end of the world."

"Is the Jūbi really that incredible?" Naruto asked, Kurama's mountainous body towering over him in his metal scape. "I can imagine what having ten tails must mean, but what is it actually like?"

The Kyūbi looked him over, as if assessing whether he was ready for the answer. "It is the amalgamation of all our chakra, from the Ichibi to the Kyūbi — the source of chakra, the deity that created this land.

It has many names. It drinks seas, sunders the earth, moves mountains... it is the very progenitor believed to have created the world. Even in simple terms, it has the power of the nine Bijuu combined. In truth, on my own, I am nothing before it."

Everyone blanched.

But Kurama rebounded with a solvent. "Yet, if it has only a fraction of the strongest chakra, mine or the Hachibi's, then there may yet be meaning in trying to challenge it."

"You labor under a misapprehension," Tobi interjected derisively. "I don't need the revival of the Jūbi to be complete."

Everyone blanched again.

"My objective, in the end, is the great genjutsu: Eternal Tsukuyomi. I will place everyone on this planet under a single genjutsu — a united world without identity. A perfect world that knows no war or hostility. Truth exists only in a unity of consciousness that has abandoned the self. The world no longer needs hope, or a future, or famous heroes.

When the Jūbi is revived, even incomplete, I will be able to use the Eternal Tsukuyomi Technique. Then reality will end. All that will exist is a single endless dream, stretching forth into eternity."

"...Swap with me, Kurama."

The intense features of a proud feline gave way to a familiar face. "I had a dad," Naruto said as a means of reintroduction. "And a mom. And Ero-Sennin. Kids love heroes! That's why I can keep running forward without hesitation! I will become a Hokage that surpasses all who came before him! That's my dream, you moron!"

Tobi didn't even flinch.

Gai grinned openly — the kind of radiance an optimist would flash in opposition to fate. "Even if you don't want to let your youth end, you have to put an end to your dreams someday."

"Hah." Kakashi nodded in agreement. "Dreams are for fulfilling."

"Dreams, dreams, dreams!" Bee joined in on the fun. "Dreams are the thing! My dream's a mature woman's breasts — that's the way I swing! Fulfilling lots of dreams is the key to truth-seeing."

The Hachibi scowled at the man sprawled out on its nose in their mental scape. You've got real guts, coming out with your kink in this situation.

"The self obscures the truth," Tobi asserted his ideology once more. "I am no one, and so my words alone come from the truth of this world."

CRUNCH!

A stone crumbled under the weight of sandals. In an instant, a relatively annoyed Naruto took a powerful step that propelled him forward at lightning speed. He had already donned Kyūbi Chakra Mode and was weaving through a series of hand seals.

"Water Style: Water Dragon Bullet!"

Heeding its master's silent command, the elemental dragon charged at the masked bastard like a great deluge. And our hero rode upon its lengthy frame, a lethal Rasengan filling his hand.

Tobi ignored the incoming beast, as if it wasn't there, his eyes, instead, transfixed on Naruto who lunged at the howling husk of the Jūbi . The moment the imposing dragon slipped through his body — a fruitless distraction — Tobi thwarted the sage's attack with a decisive maneuver of his shield. "I will not let you touch the Mazō!"

Naruto leaped back cautiously.

Through his peripheral vision, he noted that the humanoid statue had begun transforming like something out of a nightmare. All nine of its ashen eyes bled and its howling increased to a fever pitch — a dark and agonizing sound. Dammit. I guess I'll really need to break this bastard's mask first before we can get to the statue. And, from the looks of it, I need to hurry...

Also recognizing that time was of the essence, Kakashi decided it was time both him and Gai rejoined the battle. Rallying everyone to his side, the Jōnin decisively formulated a plan to tackle the man's annoying and seemingly unbeatable ability.

The plan was to keep pressing the Uchiha in close-combat, and try to exploit that brief window whenever he tried sucking someone in with his space-time technique — or attacking. During that moment, he had to materialize himself entirely, which would be the opportune time to strike.

Naruto's golden eyebrows narrowed shrewdly as he charged in with what he dubbed a Mini Bijuu Bomb. According to Itachi, every technique had a weakness and space-time ninjutsu was no exception. There had to be a cool down time; they just needed to continue pressuring him until they figured it out.

While the enemy was preoccupied, Kakashi attempted to sever the Mazō's head by warping its neck, but the Uchiha managed to somehow nullify the ocular assault with minimal effort... or was the Gedō Mazō just immune to that kind of attack?

Their confusion waned a tad, however, when a mere coincidence shed some light on the possible theory behind the man's ability. With little other strategies to work with, Kakashi decided to take a gamble and test the legitimacy of his deduction, which quickly bore fruit.

From a well-organized assault, the Jōnin was able to analyze and conclude that the Uchiha didn't really have two techniques — an evasion and store and recall ability. He was simply being flexible with the way he manipulated his space-time ninjutsu, but the most shocking discovery was that his jutsu's dimension was directly tied to that of Kakashi's. And that raised a ton of suspicion.

"Just who are you?" Gai asserted.

"And where did you get that eye?" Kakashi added.

The man's features hardened behind his cracked mask. And he pointed an accusing index finger at Kakashi, attacking the Jōnin with another wave of guilt stemming from what appeared to be a personal grudge. Every word was perfectly tailored to crush and consume the man's heart, gradually convincing him that the criminal that stood before him was no other than a former comrade he held quite dear.

Kakashi broke out into a sweat, his breathing creeping toward hyperventilation. But it wasn't just the Jōnin who was the target of the Uchiha's merciless outbursts. Naruto was frequently in the line of fire, his ambitions and convictions constantly being questioned and challenged by the mysterious villain.

"Naruto..." he continued, contrasting eyes glinting with the same derision. "If you fail the tasks they entrusted you with, what will you think of yourself? Even if you delay dealing with the problem, even if you try to cover it up with the word hope, all that awaits you is the emptiness of reality. The emptiness of both entrusting and be entrusted."

Kurama snarled darkly, his patience for the man's insufferable delusions reaching its breaking point. Naruto, swap with me! I have a thing or two to say to him.

Naruto's disposition changed again, his facial features taking on that of proud and exasperated feline deity. "I'm afraid your words are completely irrelevant to this one," Kurama announced coolly, gesturing at his capable Jinchūriki. "The Fourth entrusted me to Naruto, only for him to befriend me and, ultimately, master my power!"

Naruto's eyes widened, quivering with surprise and delight as he looked up at the complacent fox towering above him in his mental scape.

"The Fourth sealed me into Naruto to be the power to defeat you," he declared, even as the familiar glow of his chakra flickered about his body like an emerging flame.

And then his body ignited.

Naruto heaved a wide smile, and Kurama returned his customary wolfish grin. Go, Naruto! You will not fail!

"I'm on it!" he howled, throwing himself at the smog bastard.

It took a bit of cajoling, but Kakashi managed to gather his bearings enough to rejoin the battle. And, with wordless communication that only a student and teacher could share, Naruto and Kakashi devised a strategy to land yet another hit on the mastermind, utterly shattering his mask.

"You're... Obito?" Kakashi murmured breathlessly, his heart sinking to his toes. And, as his one eye widened in disbelief, he couldn't help remembering the mission that would have created a wedge in their team forever. "You were alive... all along?"

A heated conversation led to another clash of powers. But, before the confrontation could get serious, there was an explosion as something... or someone joined them on the rock-strewn battlefield. The dust gradually cleared to revealed black, undulating hair and the Uchiha crest. And Obito looked on knowingly as his fellow kinsman squared off against their enemies with a fist on one hinged hip.

"Things look like they're becoming interesting over here, Obito" Madara said with evident amusement, his gaze leaving the man to pass over the three insects that stood before him.

Gai and Kakashi tightened their defense.

Madara..., Naruto frowned assessingly, ironing out his own posture. Is he a clone or the real one? But, if that's the case... what happened to Granny Tsunade and the other Kage? They couldn't have been taken out, could they?

"How like you to find a way to defy even the Edo Tensei Technique," Obito said by means of introduction."

"Forget me," Madara retorted. "I want to know why you're dawdling."

Naruto's fists tightened, blood boiling beneath his skin. "Madara... how is it that you're here?" his voice quivered as he fought to maintain control.

"Madara?" Kakashi blanched, Gai sharing his dread. "The Madara?"

The Uchiha ignored the Jinchūriki's anger that seemed to solidity amongst them by the second, capable eyes noting that he was but a fabrication. "This is another shadow clone. Where is the original, Obito?"

Kakashi gasped, Madara pronouncing the man's name only adding more confirmation that this megalomaniac was truly his former comrade. But what happened to him — could Rin's death have really lured him down this crazy and diabolical path?

Oi, Naruto, the Hachibi called in a clear panic. If he's here... then what happened to all the guys over there?

"What happened to the others?" Naruto spat, unyielding lines of outrage creasing his face, and his eyes burned fiercely.

Bee held his breath, fearing the worse for his brother.

"Those five?" Madara drawled, disregarding the air of urgency that echoed from his foes.

"Tell me, goddamn you!" Naruto snapped, his chakra exploding threateningly.

But Madara's pace didn't improve. "Who knows," he replied, his voice devoid of emotion "I imagine they're all... in less than perfect health."

Naruto bit his lip in time to suppress the urge to lunge forward like a feral beast, his shaking fists slowly steadying. With a sigh, he allowed his eyes to close. If he had killed them, he would have admitted as much. If Granny Tsunade is still alive, I'm sure she'll find a way to keep everyone alive. You got that?

Loud and clear, Naruto, Bee responded with evident relief.

For now, we just need to keep our head in the game.

Using the Kyūbi's chakra, Naruto quickly dislodged the metal rods tethered by chains Obito had used to tie down the Hachibi. And, without a moments hesitation, hurled them at the two men who were far too composed considering their countless crimes.

He's undoing the cursed chains faster than they can wrap around him, Obito noted as he unfastened the weapon he's been using as a shield and chucked it to Madara. "Have it back. It was yours to begin with."

A simple flick of the fan like weapon erected a barrier that effortlessly stopped the heavy projectiles in their tracks. And Naruto watched in displeasure as the man regarded him with little significance, as though he was just a means to and end.

I'm finally free! the Hachibi rejoiced openly. Thanks, Naruto! Now, it's my turn!

A strident roar from the Gedō Mazō won Madara's attention, and he regarded the thrashing husk that was still enveloped by a blood red barrier. "Obito, don't tell me you launched the plan half-baked without securing the Hachibi and Kyūbi first."

Kakashi frowned. He knows the plan. What's the connection between these two?

"You lost your composure," Madara chided calmly. "Is that also why you had me raised in this pitiful form? No matter. Knowing you, you surely have your reasons. What have you been doing? What happened to Nagato?"

Naruto's eyes flickered at the mention of his senior student.

"You were to wait until the time was right, then resurrect me with the Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique. I believe that was then plan."

Naruto glowered at the despicable duo. "You were... planning to use Nagato?"

"He betrayed us," Obito clarified. "He used that technique to save the villagers."

"Everyone fails me," Madara scoffed. "No matter. It is not yet too late; I shall seize the Hachibi and Kyūbi!"

Naruto was already descending on the arrogant bastard, a Mini Bijuu Bomb filling his palm. "I won't let a dead guy push us around!"

BOOOM!

The incredibly condensed warhead collided with the man's shield, an explosive shockwave blasting away the surrounding rubble. But something was wrong — the sphere wasn't detonating. Instead, it felt like the blast was whisked away by some inexplicable force.

Was it the Rinnegan?

"Uchiha Reversal," Madara uttered with a vile grin, tilting his shield that had began to churn and glow with a telling force.

Naruto's eyes widened as the weapon shot out what was supposed to be his own attack, at lease twice as powerful. But, before his body could succumb to the blistering heat and destructive force, he quickly retreated by means of the technique formula he had previously placed on Bee.

Oh-Oh?" Madara mused. "So he can use the Flying Thunder God Technique, too? I am looking forward to this dance. I will take the Hachibi and the Kyūbi," he announced sternly. "Obito, you deal with the others."

"Not so fast!" said Gai, quickly giving chase.

The two former comrades and holder of the same Sharingan held each other's gaze. "What happened to you, Obito? What are you doing with someone like him?"

The Uchiha regarded the man unblinkingly, the bitter question and aggravating sight of him unraveling memories he would rather keep buried. But they surfaced nonetheless, tormenting him ceaselessly, like thorn-riddled vines coiling around his heart.

Over a decade ago, after sacrificing himself for both Rin and Kakashi, Obito, in turn, was rescued by an age-worn Madara who was sustaining his feeble life using both the regenerative cells of Hashirama, as well as the essence of the Gedō Mazō. This esoteric medical practice was also the reason why the boy could still be in the world of the living, despite his severe injuries.

Like a grim reaper, the emaciated and grey-haired Uchiha hovered over the young Chūnin, demanding reparations for saving his life. But Obito was more concerned with returning to his village and by the side of his friends.

Admirable as his convictions were, his body was far too deteriorated to tackle the task. Though, when Zetsu — who was Madara's will given form — brought news of Kakashi and Rin's dilemma in the ongoing war, Obito quickly forged a path to a functional body and blasted his way out of his savior's hideout.

But his valiant efforts were just a fraction of a second too late. Surrounded by the blackness of night, electricity illuminated the horrified faces of Rin and Kakashi, his Raikiri set in her chest. Their horror paled in comparison to Obito's, however, his entire reason for being slipping between his fingers as he watched the girl he loved take her final breath, her heart stilling for all eternity.

It was within this heart-wrenching moment did both Kakashi and Obito unlocked the Mangekyō Sharingan. And the curse of the Uchiha bloodline — accentuated with unfathomable rage and hatred — ultimately twisted Obito's ideologies to overlap those of Madara's. And, thus, began the diabolical agenda of Plan Tsukuyomi.

While Kakashi and Obito had their fated battle, both the Hachibi and Gai tried to draw a line of defense between Madara and Naruto, but they were swiftly beaten back.

"This is Hashirama's wooden dragon, which he used to hold down my Nine-Tails long ago," said Madara as he infused the chakra to craft the colossal beast.

But our hero wasn't deterred.

Manifesting Kurama's entire body — an imposing predator engulfed in energy akin to flames — Naruto challenged the ancient dragon. But the serpent quickly coiled its rough-hewn body around the chakra-forged Bijuu, suppressing its movements and absorbing Naruto chakra.

"That damned wooden thing!" exclaimed Gai, watching as the creature rapidly sprouted branches and leaves as it drained and resonated with its trapped target. "It's leeching on the Kyūbi's chakra!"

The Hachibi flinched in alarm. That moment of hesitation was all it took for the serpent to launch a surprise attack in its direction, too — its vines swiftly constricting around the Bijuu's many limbs. And even, Gai, who was recovering atop the creature's head was held captive in his weakened state.

"These guys are a distraction for you too, right?" said Madara with a ruthless gaze. "This world is about to come to an end. So in order to enjoy the little time we've got left... let's clear out this battlefield first."

His words cut off to spawn Susanoo in their wake. In the same beat, an exhausted and dejected Kakashi was also in a bind. Both parties were just seconds away from being cut down, and time slowed to crawl.

A muscle worked in Naruto's jaw, his chakra-fashioned haori fluttering in the wind. "You bastards make me so pissed, I can't even think straight. So, instead —" he made his customary hand seal — "let me tell you something about myself."

From a blinding flash, two streaks of light split apart and fell upon the battlefield like fallen stars. Using chakra-forged arms, both warriors effortlessly halted the weapons set to cleave his comrades in twain.

"I'm not trash!" asserted Naruto confidently. "I'm not planning on become trash, either. If you think I'll just stand around and allow you to have your way, then you've got another thing coming. I'll never let my comrades die!"

Naruto's strong words made quite an impact, especially on Kakashi who was the one to share the ideology with him. Feeling a familiar flame rekindle in the pits of their stomach, everyone looked to the Orange Shinobi with renewed vigor, and then to the enemy.

I'm sorry, Naruto, Kakashi said mentally, resurfacing from the quicksand of grief that was set on dragging him down. I'm the one who taught you Obito's words and yet, I was about to waver again.

Unsteadily pushing himself to his feet, the Jōnin gazed at his best friend with evident resolve. But Madara and Obito had no intention of allowing them to regain their bearings. The villains launched their attack, and our heroes retaliated in kind.

"Obito," Kakashi held his unrelenting gaze. "Your once strong will is still alive today — right next to me. What the current me can do is protect the current Naruto."

"You'll protect the current Naruto?" he was both unimpressed and unenthused, even more so when Kakashi slumped back down to the ground.

Gai was just as winded. He almost looked emaciated after unleashing his forbidden power. But his sacrifice wasn't in vain.

Mmm, the Hachibi's rounded eyes widened a tad, the strong hold from his wooden prison loosening by just a fraction. And he wasted no time exerting his strength and breaking away from the uncomfortable bondage. Be careful, Naruto! he warned. The enemy's Wood Paralysis Technique is identical to the First Hokage's! It has the power to bind Tailed Beast power!

"Just like Yamato-taichou's technique," he compared with a side-long glance.

"A Raikiri that relies on the Sharingan... you've mastered your left eye," Obito praised with a hint of malice. "Even awakening the Mangekyō. But, can you make it back from the other plane in your current condition?"

Confidently revealing his hand, the man went on the offensive but was quickly pushed back by an overprotective Naruto. "Now I see it clearly...," the Orange Knight chuckled in a combination of arrogance and pity. "Your pained face that was hiding behind that mask."

"Save those lines for the one right next to you," Obito warned.

Naruto regarded the Jōnin from above his shoulder appraisingly. I definitely have to help Kakashi-sensei somehow. He's completely drained from overusing the Sharingan. If he gets sucked in...

Naruto, Kurama called tellingly, conducting his own appraisal of the situation. Switch with me for a second.

"Do you have a plan?" he asked, looking up at the mountainous titan towering over him inside their mental scape.

Don't question me, just do it.

Naruto's oceanic eyes turning red signaled Kurama presence — and cautious eyes watched as the enemy made a quick advance. "Oi, you brat, give me your hand."

The exhausted Jōnin tilted his head at the sound of the familiar voice, sweat rolling down his face. "You're..."

"Never mind that! Just stick out your hand!"

Kakashi did as he was told, his eyes flashing with revelation at the brief connection. And he didn't flinch when the Bijuu swung and tossed him in Obito's path to get spirited away by the Space-time technique. But Naruto was flabbergasted at what appeared to be Kurama chucking his sensei into the jaws of the beast.

Now you don't have any distractions, was all that the Bijuu said, as if those words alone were enough to justify the madness he just performed. I'm leaving the rest to you, Naruto.

Facing the enemy, the teenager quieted his heart and steeled his nerves. If he didn't trust Kurama, he wouldn't have even remotely considered freeing the fox spirit from his cage. Nor would this level of synchronization — and the power stemming therein — be possible.

Thinking little of what just transpired, Obito pressed his charge, an outstretched arm geared toward his target's throat. Naruto brandished a kunai and challenged the man's momentum, the weapon slipping through the Uchiha's head while the man's fingers passed through his neck.

Bearing just a single one of the pair, the effectiveness wasn't as powerful as Nagato's, but Obito used the power of the Rinnegan to pull Naruto in, solidifying himself for the imminent kill.

Time slowed.

The polished metal of a kunai gleamed in the moonlight as it spun above the villain's head. Before his eager fingers could clasp and crush Naruto's throat, the shinobi was gone — a technique formula allowing him to fast-travel to the weapon's location. And then a quickly spun Rasengan was crashing into the bastard's stomach, pinning him to the ground.

Time righted itself as Naruto heaved a frown, his lips pulled to a tight line. The moment the blue orb dispersed from his palm, he could easily note the only mass he had made contact with was the ground. Obito had cleverly hidden away his lower torso just before the moment of impact. But that was impossible; Naruto's window was spot on.

Obito laughed. "Like father like son, I suppose. To think you could use The Flying Thunder God Technique. The only reason I was able to counter is because the Fourth Hokage used this strategy against me be—"

COUGH!

Blood spewed from the man's mouth, contrasting eyes popping open at the unforeseen assault. Naruto leaped back cautiously, watching as the man's body lurched this way and that, as if he was locked in battle with an invisible phantom.

It was Kakashi who did that, Kurama explained to a baffled Naruto. The difference between you and I is that I can give or take chakra at will. I'll show you how it's done later.

"So that was your intention, when you grabbed his hand."

Hah.

"Way to let him have it, Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto praised when the Jōnin made a cool reappearance.

"Thank the Kyūbi for me," he returned coolly.

"Sure thing!"

Elsewhere, Naruto, Bee and the Hachibi, in unison, were generating a gigantic Bijuu Bomb with which to annihilate the Gedō Mazō. The nuke engulfed both creature and barrier, altering the landscape in a colossal explosion that followed.

But—

"The Mazō's chakra is... gone," Naruto hesitated, more focused on his sensory abilities rather than weaving a coherent sentence.

"We did it!" Bee celebrated. "We did it, fool. Ya fool!"

Naruto grinned, an index finger rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"Is it over?" asked Kakashi.

"Yes... for this world," Obito murmured.

Madara sat with evident nonchalance atop a rock, keen eyes piercing the dust and debris that concealed the catalyst of the world's destruction. "Well then... shall we get started?

...

Ten swaying tails eclipsed a luminous blood red moon. And a single heinous eye snapped open with a malevolence that was matched only by the monstrous shrill that tore from the Jūbi 's ghastly maw.

The warriors of justice looked on in abject shock at the titanic fiend that towered over them. It was at least five times the size of the Bijuu and did little to mask the murderous intent radiating from its very existence.

Kurama frowned pensively. That's... without a doubt the Jūbi .

As if to confirm the Kyūbi's analysis, the creature roared and exerted its bottomless power, dispersing the blanket of dust that blanketed its mountainous frame.

While Obito and Madara retreated atop its head, Naruto's clone and the Hachibi regrouped with Kakashi and the original.

"I could have sworn the Mazō's evil chakra had disappeared," Naruto said, even as he tried to size up the fiend.

"Damn, they got us!" murmured Kakashi.

That thing doesn't have any kind of emotion, explained Kurama. It can't be sensed. It's natural energy itself. It's the same as that which circulates around the world, that you can feel in the soil, water, and the air. It would be a different story if you tried it while engaged in Sage Mode, though. But, I wouldn't recommend it.

Regardless, Naruto was already dismissing his current form and gathering natural energy. But what he felt was an immeasurable force — like the weight of a planet with numbers moons caught in its orbit.

"I had planned to capture them before the Jūbi revived," said Madara as a pair of tube-like appendages sprouted from the creature and attached itself to his and Obito's nape. "But they're pretty good."

"I want to start the Infinite Tsukuyomi ritual immediately," replied Obito, ignoring the man's unwarranted praise of the enemy.

"That Great Genjutsu requires time to summon the moon. They will interfere with the jutsu. Things will go more smoothly if we use the Mazō's power to get rid of them first. Do you agree?"

"Madara... you just want to test the Jūbi 's power, don't you?" Obito said accusingly. "That's why you deliberately... you're just like a kid."

"Not really," the Uchiha defended, arms folded across his chest. "Kids are impatient, touchy little brats."

Ignoring the banter of its masters, the epitome of destruction succumbed to its unrelenting desire for blood. It hurled itself across the landscape, laying waste to the geography as it did.

Oi, here comes a big one, warned the Hachibi. You think we can really do this?

Don't think you can hide under your tentacles 'cause you're scared, teased Kurama. But first, hand me Gai over there. I'll heal him later. And that Naruto and Kakashi, too.

They all joined the Main-Clone-Naruto at the helm of the translucent Bijuu Mode, just before they were hit with the typhoon that accompanied the Jūbi 's arrival.

Listen up, Kurama said authoritatively. First, we keep our distance and see what move he makes! Then we'll counter the attack and hit him with a big blow as close as we can get.

"Kyūbi," Kakashi said playfully. "You're acting like a captain."

Huh? You have a problem with that?

"Nope. In fact, I feel kind of happy."

Gai threw a thumbs up and Naruto grinned.

That line... save it for after we've won! Let's go!

The very fabric of space and time seemed to quake as the monster drew closer. The Bijuus eased into a quick sprint, attempting to make a b-line around the incoming threat. But while the Jūbi was titanic in stature, by no means was it slow and clumsy.

A lethal claw suddenly burst through the cover of dust and debris, narrowly missing Kurama who made a hasty retreat.

It's surprisingly fast, Naruto frowned assessingly.

There wasn't any time to observe its moves! Kakashi thought, sharing Gai's frustration.

The Jūbi 's jaws snapped open with a domineering shriek — a mixture of a fog horn, a whale, and something nefarious and otherworldly. Dozens of razor-sharp fangs lined a gaping naw — and the single eye etched in a grotesque face glowed with an evil that was beyond insanity.

The creature squared off against Kurama, and then they lashed out at each other. The larger arm managed to land a blow, but it was all just a diversion. The Hachibi was already charging a Bijuu Bomb with a now airborne Kurama doing the same in tandem.

"There's no need to dodge," Madara said coolly.

"I want to preserve the Jūbi 's power as much as possible," replied Obito.

And yet the atmosphere destabilized when the beast began summoning its power. Like something out of a nightmare, the Jūbi 's head retracted into its body like that of a snapping turtle. Then it reemerged — its jaws ripping open to more than half its body size as it tailored its own lethal weapon.

The Hachibi blanched. This is...

...Not good, Kurama finished.

VUUUU-PIIIZZUU!

Quickly charging and condensing a massive Bijuu Bomb to roughly one-tenth its size, the progenitor of destruction fired off the cataclysmic attack, like a spaceship would a death ray. The dust and clouds cradling the battlefield instantly parted as the unrelenting beam of light cleaved the earth, effortlessly consuming the fusillade launched by the Hachibi. And, by simply whipping its head to the side, the fiend was able to intercept Kurama's attack, as well.

Knowing they would also fall prey to the beam, Kurama fenced his tails around his body to form an impenetrable cocoon of defense — and the Hachibi did the same, positioning itself in front to be the first point of impact.

A clash of epic proportions lit up the battlefield and culminated in a deafening explosion. The scorched earth trembled, and the debris cleared to reveal Kurama whose nine tails had been incinerated by the blast. But his damage was little in comparison to the Hachibi that had been rendered to but a single tentacle.

"Persistent lot," Madara murmured.

"Hey, Naruto," said Gai, his face pale. "Don't tell me..."

"Don't worry, Bushier Brow-sensei," Naruto reassured with a raised arm.

Nice control, Naruto, Kurama praised, watching as the clone and his sensei free fall over the Jūbi and its pair of far too complacent masters. You got them in nice and close!

We focused too much on the Ten-Tails, Obito thought mentally, already plotting a counter.

But he was already missing an important component to an effective counter-strategy. The Hachibi didn't get vaporized in the latest attack. Leaving a single tentacle behind to tell a story, the Bijuu hid away inside Kakashi's dimensional space and was now ejected over head.

I'm gonna smash this into his eyeball! roared Gyūki with a hint of revenge, a powerful projectile already whizzing toward its intended mark.

With a simple flick of the Jūbi 's forefinger, the nuke was deflected right back at the sender. The projectile slammed into the Hachibi's chest, hurling the Bijuu skyward before detonating into a devastating blast. In the same beat, the Jūbi turned its attention to the duo still freefalling, a single tail intent on swatting them like flies.

Thanks to the sensory prowess of Sage Mode, Clone-Naruto was able to perceive the looming threat in time to sacrifice himself for his sensei. On the ground, Bijuu-Mode-Naruto managed to snatch a weary Kakashi before he could hit the ground, and also stop Gyūki's body from hurling any further along the rough landscape.

Noting the teen's impressive act of selflessness, Obito couldn't help but remember the ultimate sacrifice he had made for his former best friend, as well. Naruto, you really are a lot like me, he thought openly, eyes grave and fixated. That's right... you're just younger than me. Eventually...

Kurama sighed.

As if that one breath was the fuel that powered Bijuu Mode, the mountainous giant deflated, sending Naruto, Kakashi and Gai falling to the ground. Gai's fall was especially brutal as unleashing the gates left him entirely numb and immobile.

"Kurama!" Naruto exclaimed, a hint of petulance in his tone. "How can you fall apart at a time like this? We're about to get our asses kicked!"

Sitting crossed legged, the Bijuu looked down at the flailing midget. That was about eight minutes, he clarified, reminding the shinobi that, since they hadn't gotten the chance to practice properly synchronizing their hearts, they could only sustain the new chakra mode for roughly said time. It's longer than before, but that's the limit. He poised his hands in a meditative fashion and blinked his eyes shut. I'm going to have to infuse and build up my chakra again.

"I guess I'll have to keep everyone alive, until you're done," Naruto said, closing his own eyes as he sought to gather natural energy.

"That hurts, fool. Yah fool!" Bee complained breathlessly, his body riddled with cuts and bruises. But it was nothing compared to the injuries his partner sustained.

Bee, I'm going to rest a bit, too, panted Gyūki as his massive frame slipped into the Jinchūriki. I'm also at my limit.

"I can't get healed yet?" Gai huffed, barely managing to tilt his head off the ground.

Pulling something as massive as the Hachibi in and out sure comes with a correspondingly large cost, thought Kakashi, barely able to keep himself upright. I'm already drained.

The situation looked bleak. But, when the gang saw the light of conviction in Naruto's eyes, complemented by the markings of Sage Mode, they couldn't help but feel a flicker of hope.

"Seems the Hachibi and Kyūbi have run out of chakra for now," Obito pointed out the obvious.

But, when Naruto turned around to face them, they could tell he hadn't given up just yet. If anything, he hadn't truly gotten started. Though, whatever aces he had up his sleeve, was it enough to turn the tables of this war?

"Your favorite Shadow Clone Jutsu, eh?" Madara mocked when the teenager silently crossed his fingers. "It may be a forbidden high-level ninjutsu, but just increasing the number of losers won't—"

"A corpse has no right to call me a loser!" Naruto interjected curtly.

"All your comrades are out of breath and on their knees," Obito pointed out derisively. "What exactly do you expect to accomplish on your own?"

"Naruto..." Kakashi called tellingly.

"Relax, Kakashi-sensei," our hero spared him a reassuring sidelong glance. "I'm not about to do anything stupid, nor will I allow you guys to get killed. Trust me."

"If you go down," the man continued. "We lose this war."

"I know."

"You and I are both powerless shinobi," said Obito. "You — no, I should say, everyone... will eventually end up like me."

"I'll never end up like you!" Naruto snapped. "How many times do I have to tell you? My dream is to become the Hokage!"

"Don't worry," reassured Obito. "Everything will go as planned. There is no shinobi jutsu mightier than the Infinite Tsukuyomi. I'll make you Hokage inside this jutsu. So... just disappear along with the rest of this world."

Heeding the man's silent command, the Jūbi flexed its head like a machine and then fired off another nuke to utterly annihilate the enemy. But the trajectory suddenly shifted last minute — the beam completely incinerating a few dozen mountains a few kilometers away.

"Tch!" Obito frowned, shaking off the jutsu that relinquished his free will for but a moment.

"What tha—" Gai stuttered.

"Did it miss... on purpose?" Kakashi asked aloud.

Revelation suddenly dawned when they heard the familiar whoosh of an agile shinobi.

"Took you guys look enough," Naruto grinned when backup dropped in beside them.

"Kakashi! Gai!" Hiashi called as a means of introduction. "Sorry to keep you waiting!"

"I can't believe he shook off my Byakugan-aided, spot-on Mind Transfer in just two seconds!" argued Ino breathlessly, landing with Neji in tow.

"But you still succeeded in shifting that large thing's aim off target," Hiashi pointed out. "Good work."

"You okay, Naruto?" Sai landed behind him.

"Yeah!"

"Don't you go acting all tough in front of Sai now, Naruto," Kiba teased with a wolfish grin.

Without missing a beat, members from the Aburame clan in conjunction with those from the Hidden Mist Village, created a blanket wrought of mist and bugs to hide their location from the prying eyes and sensory abilities of the enemy.

"We're here, Naruto!" Chōji declared his arrival.

"All right, we won't be so easily detectable now," said Shikamaru.

"Bee-sama!" the Jinchūriki's apprentice — Karui — dropped in with a rather mocking display of concern. "You're in better shape than I expected!"

"Bee-sama!" Omoi — the other apprentice — genuinely seemed concerned though. "You look seriously wounded! Are you OK?"

"Omoi, you worry too much!" Karui chided exuberantly.

"Gai-sensei!" another hot-blooded subordinate appeared on the scene. "Don't tell me you used Hirudora?"

Without having to look back, Naruto sensed the presence of a capable kunoichi he vowed to protect — and he called her name tellingly. But Sakura knew what her responsibilities entailed, and had already zipped over to Kakashi and began applying treatment.

The Jūbi 's monstrous presence aside, with thousands of shinobi congregating in one place, the Sensory Water Sphere used to facilitate monitoring location and activity, could no longer maintain its shape to give a proper reading. In other words, in but a few moments, the sensory team at headquarters would no longer be able to detect or track anyone outside of a one-mile radius of where the enemy was and the alliance were concentrated.

"Inoichi! Ao!" Shikaku called commandingly. "Confirm the situation!"

Conceding to the request, both men started reaching out to the division officers.

Darui: "First Division has arrived!"

Kitsuchi: "Second Division has also arrived!"

Deputy Officer: "Third Division has arrived!"

Shikamaru: Fourth Division has arrived!"

Mifune: "Fifth Division has also arrived!"

Shizune: "The Medical Unit's here, too!"

And they already started tending to the wounded.

Shee: "Sensory Unit has arrived!"

Madara gazed into the shuffling mist that even his eyes couldn't penetrate, but still his nonchalance didn't waver. "Nice try hiding, but..."

With a single whip of its tail, thousands of shinobi could now be seen backing a Naruto whose nonchalance rivaled that of the Uchiha's.

"Am I still alone? Are all my comrades breathless and still on their knees?" Naruto asked condescendingly with a grin. "Behold the Allied Shinobi Forces Jutsu — the world's greatest, most invincible, super-duper ninjutsu! A jutsu that trumps the Infinite Tsukuyomi. Remember that, you goddamn moron!"

Obito's facial expression morphed into something fierce.