I'm sorry this took so long to get out….I just moved to a new town for work and then had to evacuate due to the Hurricane. Currently I do not know the status of my place and can't get back any time soon due to all the flooding/road closures (there are still risks of more flooding due to overfilled dams and levees). I was lucky but please keep everyone affected by this tragedy in your thoughts. My heart feels so heavy right now for all those suffering and my coworkers and friends who were not able to evacuate in time, but I tried my best to get this out for you.

As things are still up in the air, the next update will probably be a while again. I am currently trying to gather donations and supplies to take with me to the shelters when I finally head back and obviously that takes priority. Please review to keep me motivated in the meantime, it always cheers me up! :)

I'm sorry I haven't replied to any reviews yet but I promise I read each one and I will try to reply soon.

Please enjoy and let me know what you think. Please excuse any mistakes or rough writing as it definitely is not my best. If you catch any glaring typos please review and let me know so I can fix it. I am not in the right mind to edit properly at the moment.

At the end of this chapter I have complied a brief background for people who had not completed the Naruto series and do not know the ending.

Disclaimer: I do not own, nor do I claim to own Naruto or any of the characters in the Anime/Manga. This is a fan fiction purely written for pleasure.


Forbidden Fruit: a thing that is desired all the more because it is not allowed


Chapter Two: Reunions

Kakashi nursed a few sore fingers but he clutched his reward within his fist. A puff of smoke indicated his assailant had completed their task.

Kakashi was familiar with this hawk (a favorite of his brooding former student to torture him) but even offering the majestic bird a treat did nothing to quell its barbaric tendency to maim.

Shikamaru had watched the entire scene before him in barely concealed amusement, not bothering to step in as demanded by his leader. Instead he had quipped that as said leader, he should be more than capable of handling the situation.

Sometimes Kakashi regretted allowing such a sarcastic and lazy man be his assistant (even if it was the best decision he'd ever made). The disrespect was abound when it benefitted the pineapple-haired youth and yet he still refused to call him anything less than 'Hokage-sama'. It was an empty form of respect, he was sure.

Kakashi turned his attention to the small note he held in his hand, sure that the contents would only cause him undue suffering. Being the Hokage was a tough job, often accompanied by long nights and raging migraines at all hours of the day. More often than not, he complained incessantly of the duties he had to perform to the one who generally brought them to him: Shikamaru. It was the only reason he kept the guy around (Although he was good at organizing his schedule and making his job easier…).

"What's the letter say?" Shikamaru prompted, his usual blank mask of boredom hiding his curiosity.

Kakashi opened and scanned the letter briefly before placing it on his desk and sighing. "I definitely understand why Tsunade kept alcohol in the office during her time here." Shikamaru rolled his eyes at the white-haired man and reached for the letter himself.

His eyebrows rose as he read. "He can't be serious, can he?" Shikamaru looked to his Hokage with muted shock. "He must be addled or something, we've heard nothing about this." Kakashi just shook his head behind steepled fingers.

"It's not like the Hokage gets to go out for intel and espionage Shikamaru-kun." Kakashi gave Shikamaru a covered smirk and Shikamaru narrowed his eyes at the former Sharingan user. The Hokage most likely blamed him for his lack of routine exercise these days.

"But Sasuke said this started a month ago. Why haven't our shinobi encountered any of this?" Shikamaru sighed in exasperation as his mind started to whir with all the implications the content of the letter contained. "I mean, why did Sasuke wait this long to say anything?!"

Kakashi shrugged and stood, taking off his Hokage hat so he could run his hands through his hair in thought. "I don't have an answer for you regarding our shinobi. As for your last one, the answer is simple: Sasuke didn't want to involve Konoha in his poorly thought out road to redemption."

Kakashi watched his advisor as he went through a thousand different scenarios. While others would pace back and forth and worry their lip or exhibit some other tell, Shikamaru became a statue as he worked out solutions to Konohagakure's biggest problems. As usual, he stood with a hand to his chin and a faraway look in his eyes. After a few minutes of this, Kakashi cleared his throat.

"Well? What do you think Shikamaru-kun?" His right-hand man started at the interruption. Kakashi's smirk was back; bravado to assure his worried counterpart as was necessary from the Hokage. "How would you advise me?" The flippant way in which he accented his last statement brought an upturned twitch to the spikey haired man's lips. Good. Kakashi had no use for an unsettled advisor.

"As of now, all we can do is grant Sasuke his request for back-up and hope that this is all just some sick joke." Shikamaru shrugged but his shoulders were noticeably stiff. Kakashi noted that the war was a sore spot for the man, after all he'd lost his father to the very demons that were supposedly coming out of the woodwork (pun intended).

Kakashi nodded and moved to place his hat back on top of his head. "And who would you recommend?"

Shikamaru already had an answer prepared. "Obviously if Naruto and Sakura catch wind that Sasuke contacted you and they weren't chosen, it would cause an uproar that is not worth dealing with." Kakashi chuckled at that; it was quite easy to imagine his cute little former students demolishing his office in their mutual rage if he'd made the decision to not send them. "It would be okay to send them; you'd need a medic on the mission either way and Naruto has been on top of his work recently, so I think we could spare him for a little bit."

"Lucky for them then I guess." Kakashi grinned, causing his eyes to crinkle. Shikamaru still had a serious expression on his face.

"Hokage-sama," Kakashi's smile dropped at the honorific but Shikamaru either didn't notice or care. "I think Hyuuga Hinata would be a good addition to the team seeing as Sasuke requested a tracker and Naruto will be on the team." Finally Shikamaru cracked a smile at the opportunity to set Naruto and Hinata up together.

"Yes, I concur with that. Put her on the mission as well." Kakashi smirked at the possibility of playing matchmaker for his blonde-haired former student. It had been a growing game between Shikamaru and Kakashi (at the behest of Sakura) to try and pair the two whenever the chance arose. They found the interference necessary as Naruto was a dolt and Hinata too shy to express her feelings.

Kakashi grabbed three scrolls and an ink block, shoving them unceremoniously into Shikamaru's unprepared hands. His aide looked at him in surprise. "You don't have all day to write these missions, Shikamaru-san." The sweet tone the Hokage used was laced with venom.

Shikamaru rolled his eyes at his boss, aware that he was taking revenge for his use of honorifics only a few moments before. "So troublesome…."

OoOoOoOoO

Hinata smiled serenely behind her tea cup as she watched her sister run through her katas with Neji in the Hyuuga compound training grounds. Hiashi observed his eldest daughter with knowing eyes.

"Are you reminiscing of your own training for the Chunnin exams?" Hinata met eyes with her father and shook her head, placing her tea cup down against the lacquered wood table.

"Ie, I was just thinking how fast time flies." Hiashi quirked a brow and smirked as he took a sip of his tea.

"Shouldn't I be the one saying that?" Hinata's tinkling laughter softened the older Hyuuga's smirk into an affectionate smile. "You and Hanabi have already grown to become women right before my eyes, meanwhile my body begins to show signs of wear. Soon I will hear the pitter-patter of children running through the compound." Hinata gasped and blushed.

"O-Otou-san!" She clutched her flaming cheeks with both hands and shook her head vehemently, her hair dancing around her shoulders in waves of blue and indigo.

The Hyuuga head chuckled at his older daughter's expense. She had grown to outclass even her late mother in terms of beauty. The past three years had been particularly kind to her and she seemed to grow out of her shell into a confident young woman; although she was still easy to tease. Hinata had become a strong kunoichi in her own right and even won the grudging respect of the Hyuuga elders for her efforts to protect and encourage the future Hokage during Pein's attack and the subsequent war.

Hiashi was not blind to the Hyuuga elders' true motive in reinstating his scorned first-born – the close friendship Hinata had with the Hokage-in-training was sure to guarantee all future Hyuuga inquiries an audience with the blonde Jinchuuriki – but as Hinata now knew well, sometimes it was better to keep your enemies closer than friends. Appraising her with warmth, Hiashi knew that her propensity to forgive was by far her strongest attribute.

After all, she had forgiven him for all his misgivings.

"What? Can't a father talk of his future grandchildren? I've already told you, I want a veritable horde of grandbabies." Hiashi huffed at his daughter's overt displays of embarrassment in mock superciliousness; in that sense, Hanabi took almost completely after him.

"Wow Onee-chan I think you've achieved a new shade of red unseen amongst humans." Hanabi rolled her eyes and deadpanned in much the same tone her father just used. Hinata squeaked and downed her tea, if only to distract herself from the mortification. Hiashi's younger daughter glanced his way and they shared smirks. "I want loooooooots of nieces and nephews to spoil so don't forget!" She winked at her bashful older sister who at this point looked as if she were going to keel over. Neji stood a few paces behind his younger cousin, his arms crossed and a frown marring his strong features. Although he did not speak, his thoughts on the matter were quite apparent.

"A-Ano isn't it a little early to be speaking of children…?" The indigo-hair beauty played with an errant lock of hair as she mumbled to the floor. "I don't even have anyone in mind…"

Hanabi scoffed outright at Hinata's deflection and turned to her father in disbelief. The man just shrugged as he took a sip. "Are you kidding me right now Onee-chan? You of all people don't have someone in mind already?" Blubbering a rushed answer incoherently as she shook her head and hands in denial, Hinata's face was positively steaming. Hiashi sighed and placed his cup down to stop the teasing before it became too much. Neji beat him to it.

"Hanabi, that's enough." His younger cousin pouted and crossed her arms, sniffing snootily. Hinata shot Neji a grateful look.

"Yes Hanabi, we have already made Hinata aware of our expectations so now we must allow her to take the necessary steps on her own." Hiashi grinned at Hinata's baffled expression. Neji positively smoldered at the thought of his innocent cousin even remotely dating let alone having children.

Hanabi made motions to speak but the sound of padding footsteps and a rap against the door stopped her. She sighed in annoyance as Hiashi called out for the person to enter. "I am sorry to interrupt Hiashi-sama, but a mission has been sent for Hinata-sama. She is to be at the Hokage tower within the hour." The attendant placed the mission scroll neatly within the doorway and swiftly exited as quickly as she had arrived.

Hanabi retrieved the scroll and handed it to her sister, peering over the older girl's shoulder as her curiosity got the best of her. "Ne, what's it say, Onee-chan?" Hinata giggled at the mousy girl's antics and snapped the scroll closed before she could get a peek. Hanabi's world famous pout presented itself and Hinata beamed indulgently at the sight. It was a rare moment for Hinata to pull the wool over Hanabi's eyes.

"Hanabi where did you get those obscene manners?" Neji muttered, shaking his head. Hanabi stuck her tongue out at her stoic cousin.

Laughing at Hanabi's stubborn reaction, Hinata explained the mission to her family. "Hokage-sama has requested my presence for a reconnaissance mission. I will be gone for roughly two weeks." Hinata explained, Hanabi's face falling at the news.

"But you promised to train with me before my Chunnin exams!"

Hiashi sighed and rubbed his tense shoulder. "Hanabi, you can't expect your sister to deny the Hokage. I am still able bodied and will serve as your training partner in her stead." Hinata nodded her appreciation to her father and stood at those words.

"I should get going, I need to pack and get dressed." Hiashi nodded and Hinata moved towards the door, patting the top of Hanabi's head as she passed the younger Hyuuga on the way out. Neji moved to follow her.

"I will escort you, Hinata." Hinata gave her protective older cousin a soft smile and shook her head.

"There's no need, but thank you Neji-niisan." Hinata braced her hand on the door frame as she slipped her sandals on. "I don't want to impose and I need to hurry if I'm going to make it on time." She gave the older man an apologetic look but he waved it off.

"Very well, have a safe trip."

"You better be back on time Onee-chan!" Hanabi warned her older sister with a wave.

OoOoOoOoO

Hinata booked it towards the Hokage tower, losing precious time when she stopped by her apartment to pack her things. Idly, she remembered a time in which mission scrolls filled her with dread and anxiety, a time where she did not have confidence in her abilities or much self-esteem. These days however, she knew that if she tried her best she would never be a failure.

Inadvertently, loving Naruto had allowed her to come to this realization.

Maybe because her love for Naruto allowed her to risk her life and throw everything on the line, to truly believe in herself if only because she needed to if she wanted even a remote chance of saving her golden boy. Honestly, she had failed in multiple instances but by facing an impossible situation head on and not backing down, Hinata finally saw the change she had always been searching for in herself. It also didn't hurt that not only Naruto but her clan finally acknowledged her skills.

The one plus side of Kakashi being the Hokage was Hinata could never be late to a meeting. Kakashi often scheduled meetings in his office and yet somehow always ended up late, even though it was where he spent most of his time. It was the biggest complaint Hinata had heard on various occasions amongst the others. Hinata timidly knocked on the door to the Hokage office before opening it at the prompting from within.

Peering around the edge of the door, Hinata smiled as she entered, her eyes lighting upon an empty seat behind the paperwork encumbered desk. Shikamaru was seated upon one of the sofas off to the corner of the room, his fingers rapping impatiently against the armrest at an indiscernible rhythm. "Thanks for making it on time Hinata-chan." She nodded understandingly to right-hand of the Hokage.

"Of course Shikamaru-kun, Hokage-sama stepped out did he?" She inquired, looking around as if the white-haired leader would pop up unannounced as he often did.

Shikamaru rolled his eyes and sighed with what could only be utter exhaustion. "I told him we had this meeting and to stay in the office but as soon as I looked away for a second, he was gone." He looked at the clock and shook his head. "That was five minutes ago! It's not like he has anywhere else to be. He couldn't wait until after the meeting? Troublesome…" Hinata giggled behind a raised hand.

"It's quite alright, it seems like I'm the first to arrive anyways."

Shikamaru shook his head in annoyance at that. "I swear, Kakashi has taught Team Seven nothing but to be late." So Team Seven will be a part of this mission, it must be very important then…

As if on cue, Sakura burst through the door, leaning over to catch her breath with sweat glistening along her often-discussed forehead. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I got here as fast as I could!" She looked up from her hunched over position and grinned when she saw the other two rookie nine members. "I had to stop by the hospital on the way here. Is it true Sasuke-kun contacted Kakashi-sensei?!"

Hinata's eyebrows quirked up, disappearing into her fringe bangs in surprise. Sasuke had contacted the Hokage? Was that what this mission was related to?

Shikamaru waved away Sakura's excitement. "Wait until that stupid white-haired man decides to make himself known." Sakura looked as if she wanted to contest his description of the Hokage but Shikamaru beat her to it. "I know what I'm saying Sakura-chan, it doesn't take away from the fact that I enjoy insulting him almost as much as he enjoys being a pain in my ass. I'm one hundred percent sure he does it because I refuse to drop honorifics with him."

"Oh my Shikamaru-san, someone seems to have made you upset, haven't they?" Kakashi strolled in through the open door, his face imbedded in an ecchi novel. He lowered the book long enough to give Shikamaru a keen look. "A Hokage is allowed bathroom breaks, right? You wound me with your lack of trust." It was obvious he had just wanted to arrive late. The Konoha leader shrugged offhandedly and sat back in his chair, kicking his legs up onto the desk and uprooting a few stacks of paperwork that fluttered to the floor. Hinata held back a smile as the intent behind the action was no secret.

"Hokage-sama, I just organized those documents for you." Shikamaru gritted out in frustration, his patience wearing thin at the older man's antics. "And you're ten minutes late to a meeting in your office!"

Sakura rolled her eyes at the argument, more important matters needing to be discussed. "Kakashi-sensei, is it true you got word from Sasuke?" Kakashi turned to her and gave her a clothed smile.

"Well yes, that's what this mission is about." Sakura squealed with excitement and jumped up and down, her heart soaring at the news. Hinata couldn't help but empathize with the pink-haired woman.

"Hey guys…" Naruto stumbled into the office, looking quite tired. Rubbing the back of his head, Naruto was quick to explain himself. "I didn't mean to be late this time I swear, I just had to finish up the paperwork for the Chunnin exams and I think I nodded off at one point…"

Hinata blushed upon Naruto's arrival – it had been months since her last mission with him and she was elated at the prospects of spending quality time with him– but as soon as he turned to acknowledge everyone in the room she covered her mouth as she struggled to keep a giggle down.

Words covered his face from temple to chin, solidifying his excuse in being late. When Naruto blinked languidly, Hinata sputtered as the words were scrawled along his brow and eyelids too. Shikamaru smirked at Naruto's face, his previous anger almost forgotten. Sakura couldn't be bothered as she pestered Kakashi for more information on Sasuke since Naruto was present. Hinata had the forethought to proffer a napkin to Naruto while pointing at the mirrored spot on her face where the offending ink rested on his.

"Ne, ne, Kakashi-sensei, what did Sasuke-kun say, did he mention me at all?" Kakashi was displaced from his seat as the strong kunoichi shook him by the shoulder.

Clearing his throat, Kakashi stood and stepped away from Sakura to stand before his desk, grabbing his discarded Hokage robe in the process. Hinata stood a bit taller and placed her hands behind her back as she realized Kakashi wanted to get down to business. Naruto slouched in his spot as he rubbed at his face and Sakura fidgeted with poorly concealed anticipation. "I called you three here because yes," He gave Sakura a pointed look here, "I did receive some new from Sasuke-kun." Naruto perked up at the news and smirked.

"What did Teme want? Can't cut it on his own out there?" Naruto placed his hands on his hips and laughed heartily. Hinata could tell that even as he put on airs, Naruto was excited to get news from his closest friend. Hinata smiled affectionately at the sight.

"Shut it Naruto before I make it so you can't talk for a week." Sakura stamped her foot down in rage. It was lucky the wood didn't give in. Kakashi sighed and shook his head.

"If you guys don't stop interrupting me I will assign others to this mission." That instantly sobered up his former students and they both apologized demurely. "Thank you…now I don't even know where I was."

Shikamaru rolled his eyes and waved a hand sarcastically. "You were at the very beginning."

Kakashi chuckled awkwardly and nodded his thanks. "Right. Well…" He sighed and tried to pick back up where he left off. "Sasuke-kun sent a hawk earlier today with a message. He is requesting shinobi for a recon mission as was stated in your mission scrolls." Naruto, Hinata and Sakura all nodded.

Kakashi became serious as he continued. "Sasuke-kun was pretty vague but he mentioned that he has heard rumors of White Zetsu movement over the past three weeks." Naruto opened his mouth to interrupt but was swiftly stopped with a raised hand from the Hokage. "Keep in mind that Sasuke said that these were only rumors." His hand lowered, along with his voice. "However, after some investigating of his own, Sasuke-kun believes there may be some merit in these claims."

Hinata's heart began to pound and the Hokage's voice became muffled by the sound of blood rushing through her ears. The White Zetsu were moving? If that were the case, it would spell nothing good for the shinobi race. White Zetsus were nothing but minions for a far more sinister evil, one that they had barely managed to defeat the first time with the help of Naruto and Sasuke. Even then, at most they had merely sealed Kaguya with the strongest Fūinjutsu ever known. Hinata's grip on her hands tightened to borderline painful just to stop them from shaking. Memories of the war and fighting for her life flooded her mind and made her feel like the walls were closing in on her.

"-nata-chan? Hinata!" Hinata started at the sound of her own name.

"Y-yes Hokage-sama?" Kakashi gave her a sympathetic look.

"How far are your visual boundaries using the Byakugan?" Shikamaru now stood beside the Hokage with pen and paper poised and she blushed as everyone's attention moved to her.

"Ano, it depends on if there is a clear path or any interference. With no chakra interference, I can see roughly 30 – 35 kilometers away." Hinata felt her blush descend past her collar and she glanced at the Jinchuuriki as Naruto whistled at the number, impressed.

"Wow I didn't know you were that good Hinata-chan!" She gave Naruto a shaky smile.

"You mentioned chakra interference, Hinata-chan. What do you mean exactly?" Kakashi inquired, hand on his clothed chin in thought.

Hinata continued her explanation, unsure of why they were going down this line of questioning. "Well, unlike the Sharingan which can detect and disrupt chakra interference from shinobi or an object imbued with chakra, the Byakugan can detect it but I would not be able to distinguish the cause of interference or how to stop it." Kakashi made a noise of understanding. "A-Ano! It's not a total loss; just because there is interference doesn't mean it cannot be used to track something. Often, people use chakra to mask something they don't want found…in cases such as that, just finding the landmarks or objects that are not visible to me are enough to give some insight." She let out a sigh in relief at the end of her speech and her heart swelled with pride at Kakashi's crinkle-eyed smile towards her.

"Well then, I think I did a pretty good job picking out this team then, don't you think Shikamaru-kun?" Kakashi turned his question to his top aide who just stared at him blankly.

"Hokage-sama, I was the one who recommended Hinata-chan." Kakashi pointedly ignored the spiky haired man's rebuttal.

"Ano, why did you ask about chakra interference, Hokage-sama?" Hinata gave the Konoha leader an apologetic look. She should have been paying attention earlier instead of zoning out.

"If the White Zetsu are moving as Sasuke has reason to believe, they have been quite impossible to find. Sasuke requested someone with tracking abilities since his eyes are, quote 'indisposed'." He motioned to the rest of the temporary team. "I assumed Naruto and Sakura would like to help out since Sasuke is not particularly fond of Konoha Shinobi in general." The blonde grinned and gave his teacher a thumbs up but Sakura was a bit more subdued in her excitement.

"Is Sasuke-kun okay, Kakashi-sensei?" Hinata noticed the genuine concern etched into the taller kunoichi's face. She was a goner just like Hinata was, they were similar in that aspect.

"I'm sure he would have made a bigger fuss if he wasn't Sakura-chan. Don't worry you will be seeing him soon." Kakashi held his hand out expectantly towards Shikamaru. The aide rolled his eyes, took two steps towards his boss and picked up a folded piece of paper off the desk said man was leaning on, handing it to him with a huff. Kakashi grinned and unfolded what turned out to be a map, walking behind his desk and beckoning the three shinobi forward to view it. He pointed at a red circled location and met eyes with his former students.

"This is where Sasuke will meet you. There is a small civilian village within Kaminari no Kuni that acted as a military stronghold for the United Shinobi Coalition during the war and only a few kilometers from the battle grounds in which the White Zetsu were overcome. You will be tasked with rendezvousing with Sasuke and assisting in determining the whereabouts and intent of the White Zetsu. You are not to engage unless provoked first."

"We got it, Kakashi-sensei we won't disappoint you!" Naruto spoke for the team and the two girls gave their affirmations.

Kakashi nodded and motioned for them to leave. "It will take you four days to get there so I suggest you get a head start." The group moved to the double doors but Kakashi called out to them. "I know this goes without saying: if the other villages find out about this, it may cause unnecessary widespread panic. No one should know about this so be sure not to draw attention."

Hinata's heart sunk. Even if she got to be with Naruto, the implications behind this mission ruined any happiness at the prospects of spending time with him.

Would the peace they fought so hard for, sacrificed so much for, be taken this easily?

Hinata's eyes landed on the dependable orange-clad back of Uzumaki Naruto as they made their way towards the village gates. No…Naruto would never allow it, and I will stand beside him and protect the people in this village until my dying breath. That is my Nindo way.

OoOoOoOoO

Drip. Drip. Drip.

At some point in the darkness, the sounds of water falling came to him.

He knew it had been ages since he had heard, seen, or felt. The next sensation to reach him in the void was the dank, humid air and the lapping of water at his weary limbs.

Heavy eye lids fought against him as he tried to open them. Even open, the darkness was impenetrable and gave little insight into his location or how he had come to be there.

With no nerve receptors he felt no pain, but still found it hard to move his limbs as he struggled to get his bearings. Reaching out, he felt the cool clamminess of the raised edge his back rested against. He lay in a shallow ditch dug from the earth and filled to the brim with that divine liquid. Cupping his hands, he lifted them to his face and inhaled. Water. He could smell the earth and soil mixed in with it.

Tipping his hands against his eager mouth, he found he could not bring the liquid to his lips fast enough. Streams slid down his throat and he stumbled to his hands and knees, dunking his head in the sooty water to drink his fill. Only when he was completely sated did he rise from the pool with a sigh of contentment.

With strength slowly seeping into him, he tried once more to get his bearings in the inky blackness. Off towards his right side, light cut through the darkness and he narrowed his failing eyes in hopes of identifying his whereabouts. Sucking in a breath as he raised himself from his knees onto shaky legs, he made his way towards the light cautiously. With each step he took towards his destination, his memories began to return to him.

A purple distorted sword stabbing him.

Black flames.

"Uchiha Sasuke." He spat as the name of his killer came to mind. He came upon a raised dais etched out of the ground a few hundred yards away, lanterns throwing their hollow light against the walls and petering out before they reached him.

He remembered this place.

Uchiha Madara's hideout. The location of the Flowering Tree that produced the army of brethren whose features resembled his.

He slowed as he closed in on the source of light only to find someone kneeling near the edge of a large pool of water, a lone sunbeam refracting against the surface from cracks in the rocks above.

The man before him repeatedly punched the water and cursed, clutching his face with one hand. "No. No! No! NO!" The unrelenting waves of anger were palpable and caused him to falter.

He lost his footing and fell to a knee, still weak from his apparent revival. The man before him turned sharply and fixed him in place with a piercing glare. A man with long black hair and... the Rinnegan. It couldn't be….

"Madara…?" He called out into the darkness between them, confusion marring his face. It wasn't possible, did it mean they succeeded? Was he resurrected to watch their plan come to fruition?

The man stood to his full height and approached him, clad only in tattered pants. The modest light from the lanterns only served to throw shadows across the sinister face before him.

Upon closer inspection, he noticed a large green seal marring the surface of the Uchiha's forehead, running over his eyes and on the higher parts of his cheek bones. Madara smirked at his surprised face, glancing down at his body to observe himself. "I do look like that fool Madara, don't I?" He knew that voice…

"It's you." He murmured, lost for words. The fake Madara laughed and nodded, looking impressed.

"You remember well, Jōzetsu." White Zetsu searched the face before him, shocked by at the mention of his nickname. Black Zetsu, his other half, stood before him. But something was not right.

"I don't understand. I was killed by…by that damn Uchiha Sasuke." He looked around, trying to understand this new situation. All that met him was empty darkness. "Did we achieve our goal? The Infinite Tsukuyomi?" Black Zetsu growled at those words, his borrowed features turning animalistic.

"No!" He clutched his head in agony as he howled with rage. "We were thwarted by that damn nine-tails Jinchuuriki and the Uchiha brat!" White Zetsu felt fury bubble and fester in his chest but held it off to gain information from his mastermind counterpart.

"How am I here then, Dokuzetsu? The Uchiha burned me alive." Black Zetsu turned to his pale other half.

"I gathered your spores and reconstituted you here. You've been dead for roughly two years." White Zetsu's eyes widened in shock. "I have called for the Zetsu army as well. They are already descending on this location as we speak." It took a few moments for White Zetsu to process this, his former humor and rapid speech patterns lost at the comprehension of their utter defeat.

"What exactly happened? How did you end up in that body?" White Zetsu struggled to stand, his strength still severely failing him.

"Madara and his lackey Obito produced the God Tree and cast the Infinite Tsukuyomi as planned so I used his reanimated body to summon Kaa-san." Black Zetsu began, frustration on the tip of his tongue as he relayed their failures. "The nine-tails Jinchuuriki and the red-eyed freak sealed Kaa-san and I with the Sage of Six Path's Fūinjutsu." Here, the embodiment of evil intent sneered. "I hid a small part of me within Madara when I took over his body to bring Kaa-san back as a contingency. If I had not done that, I would have been completely sealed along with her. It took me almost three years to regain my strength to escape the earth they put me under." Black Zetsu flexed his borrowed hands as if imagining the necks of his nemeses between pale fingers.

"If you have Madara's body we can still activate Infinite Tsukuyomi, we just need the right conditi-"

"No. We cannot." Black Zetsu pointed to the seal that bloomed innocuously on his forehead, gritting his teeth as he continued. "I thought I was lucky to have a fully functioning Madara in my possession, but the shinobi were smarter than I gave them credit for. The Rinnegan has been rendered useless as the seal has been activated." The seal was raised on the surface of his skin and seemed to block all ability of the Rinne Sharingan although the trait was still expressed.

White Zetsu scowled at his brother-in-arms words. Those damn children had somehow ruined everything. It didn't matter that their plan had been thwarted; he wanted revenge for his untimely death. Even before his death he had felt apprehension regarding the youngest Uchiha. He had always been a rebel, refusing to conform to their simple requests long before he betrayed and struck him down in cold blood. "I had my eye on the Uchiha for a long time. I want his head."

Black Zetsu gave an empty laugh and chided his paler counterpart. "Unfortunately, you cannot have it as he is now the only living person with the Rinne Sharingan. I need him alive."

"I want retribution for my death and his part in ruining our plans. The Jinchuuriki can go to hell, this is personal." Black Zetsu relished the animosity rarely expressed by his pale second half. Death had embittered White Zetsu's cause, gone was the chatterbox from before their defeat. Finally, they had a common driving force.

Black Zetsu used his borrowed limbs to grasp White Zetsu, staring into his golden eyes. "That is why I brought you back. I have a plan that will help you get your revenge. But I will need you to do something for me first." White Zetsu groaned at the contact, reminded of his zapped strength and understanding what Black Zetsu needed.

"If that body is useless let us combine. I desperately need to feed." Black Zetsu acquiesced, his chakra levels still markedly reduced. The quickest way to remedy that would be to scout shinobi with pure or large chakra reserves to devour.

"Come then, let us feed and I will explain my plans to you."

OoOoOoOoO

Sasuke kissed his teeth as he kicked a bowl half full of rotting food across the dirt road he stood on. The rest of its contents lay scattered on the ground at his feet.

The last time he had been in this village, Inazuma – roughly six months ago – it had been a small albeit bustling hub for trade due to its prime location on the only main road leading from the Kaminari no Kuni border to Kumogakure.

This time, not a single soul was present.

To the untrained eye, it would seem as if it had been deserted for a while or the townspeople had left on their own. There were insignificant things that on their own would not alarm but cumulatively showed this was not the case.

Rotting food, still in their bowls.

Doors to huts and houses left wide open as if they had been riffled through, squeaking at the slightest hint of a breeze.

Saddles and hitches to tills lying in the fields of prized crops, marks of a scuffle apparent.

Not a single lifeform was present. It was as if the entire village had made the collective decision to up and leave at the exact same time. Footsteps in the dirt showed another story however.

Signs of struggle. Marks that looked like heavy objects had been dragged, predominantly leading away from doorways. Sasuke stood within one now, the wood in the hearth burned down to white ashes having long since died out on its own. Wood was stacked against the wall but there was no one to replace it and tend to the flames.

Sasuke was not one to mourn the dead, but he was sure these townspeople were long gone. How they went had definitely not been pleasant. He sighed as he stepped over the threshold and out into the glaring sun. He held a moment of silence for the innocent but the significance was lost on him as he did not have much reason to speak these days.

The location of the battle with the White Zetsu Army was less than a half day's walk from Inazuma village. Although he was chasing rumors, it frustrated Sasuke that he never had anyone to question, anyone to save. The White Zetsu, if this had been their doing, were cleaning up their tracks without ever being aware of it.

This had been the third village he had found this way. So much for savior beyond the walls.

Sasuke looked up, noting the position of the sun in the sky. It was a little past noon.

Sasuke made his way to an outdoor restaurant seating area and used his right leg to kick an overturned bench to its upright position before a table, sitting down unceremoniously with an upturned nose at the revolting smell coming off the abandoned plates. With a sigh, he used his right arm to swipe the plates off the table, placing his pack in their stead before him.

With his one hand and the help of his teeth, he undid the ties and procured his meal: a rationing of dried meat and fruit. Bracing his elbow on the table to prop his head up, he stared into the distance as he chewed idly.

The movement of whatever he was following was progressively heading west; in the direction he had come from. Although he had been traveling east, each village he came across had been empty far longer than the last when taking his travel time into account. Having to back track did not excite Sasuke, but it did pinpoint the general location in which he believed the White Zetsu (or whatever this was) were convening.

Unfortunately, all he could do now was wait.

OoOoOoOoO

Hinata, Naruto and Sakura reached the border of Kaminari no Kuni in record time, although Hinata had been pushed nearly to the end of her limits. Both Sakura and Naruto had kept the pace at almost a dead run the entire time, anxious at the prospects of seeing their former teammate. For this, Hinata could not blame them.

As they closed in on the rendezvous point, Hinata noticed Sakura fidgeting more than usual. Her hand alternated between moving to the pouch strapped on her hip and straightening out her hair or clothes. Naruto showed signs of anticipation too; he'd become eerily silent, an extremely rare occurrence for the usually boisterous blonde.

Hinata understood where Sakura was coming from though. Everyone knew of her infatuation with the brood last Uchiha, just as they all knew of her own crush on Naruto. Their mutual unrequited love had brought the two closer during their shifts at the hospital. During their breaks, Sakura often confided in Hinata and expressed her deepest fears, in turn she had helped Hinata immensely in keeping up her morale regarding Naruto when the days seemed bleak.

Hinata was fortunate, even if she didn't get to see Naruto often she was able to interact with him on a regular basis, more so if she would just build up the confidence to actively pursue him. Sakura didn't have that luxury. Even if Sasuke expressed interest in her (he didn't express interest in anything to be honest) he had not been around for the past year and a half for anything to blossom between the two. Hinata often worried about her pink haired friend, spending extra time with her to make the long days go faster.

When Hinata caught Sakura alone sometimes, her melancholy stares out the break room window often tore at her heartstrings. Yes, she had been infinitely blessed.

Determined to relieve some of their nerves, Hinata smiled softly as she struck up a conversation with the two former Team Seven members. "Would you like to eat some food I packed?" She held out the neatly packed onigiri, famished after their run but wanting to put their minds at ease first and foremost.

Naruto gave her a distracted smile and plucked one from out of her hands. "Thanks, Hinata-chan." His stomach growled just as he brought the food up to his lips. "Honestly, I could really go for some ramen right about now…" Hinata laughed. Naruto grinned and took another one gratefully.

Hinata turned to Sakura and held the food out to her. "How about you Sakura-chan?" The pink-haired kunoichi shook her head as they stopped to eat, worrying her bottom lip. Hinata sighed and grabbed the other woman's arm in a rare display of assertiveness, forcing the onigiri into her hands. Sakura looked up at her and after Hinata offered an understanding smile, finally returned it as she accepted the food.

"Thank you Hinata-chan…" Sakura sighed and looked up into the sky.

Hinata took a different approach. After a few moments of silence, in which Sakura scuffed her sandals in the dirt, she prodded gently. "Ano, what is in you pouch Sakura-chan? Is it something for Sasuke-kun?"

Sakura gave a sheepish look at her friend's accurate guess. "Well…" She deliberated for a moment before continuing, eyes bright with poorly concealed excitement. "I finally finished it Hinata-chan." Sakura beamed with pride but her insecurities dampened her enthusiasm. "That's why I was late to our mission briefing, I had to go get it from the hospital." Hinata's eyes widened, instantly recognizing what her friend spoke of.

Hinata has often seen the pink haired kunoichi toiling long hours into the night at the hospital, working on her self-appointed project. It was a source of reprieve for the woman, a method to distract herself from the absence of her long-time crush. Hinata marveled at the time and effort Sakura had put into her designs; Sakura often conferred with her on what direction to pursue, even though she was the most well-versed medic ninja second only to Tsunade.

Recently Sakura had hit a roadblock in her research and had been quite moody, spending multiple nights on end in the hospital, rarely eating as she skipped her lunch break to confer with textbooks and scrolls. Hinata had deliberately started packing larger lunches way too much for her alone to convince her peer to eat, worrying her friend was going into a tailspin. To hear that she had finally made a breakthrough gave Hinata a sense of pride in her friend, awe at her determination and perseverance.

Hinata couldn't help the excitement that colored her tone. "You mean the arm you were working on?" She looked to her friend in anticipation. Sakura grinned and nodded triumphantly.

"Yes! I finished it two days ago but I didn't think I would get to give it to him already!" Sakura placed her palms on her cheeks, trying to temper her blush.

"I'm so happy for you Sakura-chan! How did you overcome the possibility of host rejection though? I know you were having some trouble with it…" Hinata inquired.

"Sakura-chan you made an arm for Sasuke?" Naruto butt in, his mouth full of rice. Sakura wanted to ignore him in lieu of answering Hinata, but realized he would only keep asking if she did.

With an exaggerated roll of her eyes, Sakura answered, "Yes, Naruto. I just finished making Sasuke-kun's prosthetic limb." Naruto rubbed the back of his head and gave Sakura a confused look.

"Well what took you so long? I mean, I had to wait about six months but you've been working on it for over a year…." Hinata cringed at Naruto's question; sometimes the boy didn't have a filter.

Sakura scoffed at her teammate, her hands fisting at her side in controlled anger. "Naruto, you wouldn't understand the nuances of cellular regeneration and tissue engineering." Her flippant attitude continued. "No wonder it's all lost on you, even if you profit from it." She motioned at his bandaged arm. "You should read a book sometime, if you knew the sheer number of hours put into it and what a medical breakthrough the development of that arm was – even for Tsunade-sama – you would never disrespect her again." She finished with a huff.

"Regena-what?" Naruto tried to pronounce, clearly not in his element. When Sakura's face darkened at his lack of understanding, Naruto held his hands up in a placating manner. "Sorry, sorry Sakura-chan…I get it, calm down…" Hinata sighed at his poor choice of words. Sakura opened her mouth to yell at him, but Hinata beat them to it.

"So about the possibility of host rejection, how did you bypass that?" Hinata was truly curious, it had been a point of contention between Tsunade and Sakura as they had different approaches to the issue. Tsunade didn't agree with Sakura's decision to move forward with making the replacement limb, knowing that it would not fuse properly with someone not of Senju background and not wanting her protégé to follow a moot dream. Sakura had been adamant that she could find a solution, her stubbornness winning out in the face of failure. That had been an explosive fight to say the least; Tsunade's office bore the brunt of the damage and was still in the process of being patched up even five months later.

"Wait, what are you talking about Hinata-chan? Why would Sasuke reject the arm?" He was seriously puzzled.

Now that Sakura's mind was in full medical mode, she easily chimed in as they continued in the direction of their rendezvous point. "Jeez Naruto you really are a dolt, aren't you?" She rolled her eyes again as Naruto grumbled under his breath at the dig. Hinata tried to keep the peace and answered for her.

"Sasuke-kun wouldn't reject the arm Naruto-kun, the worry is if his body would." Naruto's expression caused Hinata to elaborate. "What I mean to say is, your new arm was made of the First Hokage's DNA, someone who you are effectively related to. Because of this, along with your chakra similarities, you are more compatible with Hashirama's cells. This is why you took so well to the prosthetic arm."

"Okay...but what does that have to do with Sasuke getting a new arm?" Sakura sighed.

"Sasuke's chakra and DNA signatures are inherently different from Hashirama, this means that if we were to transplant the new arm made from Hashirama's cells, there is a chance that his body would undergo a foreign body reaction to the new limb."

"Foreign body reaction? What does that even mean?" Hinata giggled at Naruto.

"Yes, it means his body would think the new cells were an infection and attack them, killing the cells in the new arm and cause shock to his system eventually ending in death." Naruto stared at his right hand in mute horror.

"Don't worry Naruto-kun, the chances of that occurring for you are way lower than the chances of it happening to Sasuke-kun." Hinata comforted.

Naruto was pensive for a moment before piping up. "Wait! Didn't Madara and Obito both have Hashirama cells integrated with them? They were fine, weren't they?" Sakura gave Naruto an impressed look.

"I'm surprised you caught onto that Naruto, maybe you're not all that stupid." Naruto's face fell at the half compliment half insult. "I can't say much on behalf of Obito, maybe he just got lucky or eventually the grafting would have caught up with him. For all we know, he may have already been feeling symptoms." Naruto opened his mouth to ask something but Sakura beat him to it. "Grafting means transplanting the new tissue onto the host tissue." Naruto nodded, soaking the information in. "But as for Madara, from what we know, he needed to graft Hashirama in his body to activate the Rinnegan although it took decades before he expressed the trait. By that time, he needed to rely on the Divine Path Statue to sustain himself. My belief is the external chakra source staved off the reaction to the foreign cells that had already started eating away at his body which is why he went into hiding. He was literally dying from the inside out." Naruto looked positively sick.

"And you're saying this could happen to Sasuke…or me?" Naruto shivered at the gruesome prospect of death.

Sakura laughed, "You're lucky you have both me and Tsunade-sama. Although highly unlikely in your case, if it did occur, we could easily stop the reaction with immunosuppressants or just removal of the foreign tissue. It's different with Sasuke though.

"I had already made the prosthetic arm for Sasuke-kun when Tsunade-sama said it wouldn't work." Sakura grit her teeth in annoyance. "We had almost completely run out of progenitor cells at that point – the original Hashirama cells - so I couldn't afford to start over and take another six months to engineer a new one."

"Sakura-chan has been working on a method to fix the existing arm to make it adaptable to Sasuke without causing a reaction. Right Sakura-chan?" Hinata supplied.

"Yes! It took me a little over five months but I finally figured it out! Actually, it was something you mentioned that helped me Hinata-chan." Hinata looked to her friend in surprise.

"Something I said?"

"Well, more like what you did. Do you remember your case study two months ago in which you had to use your Byakugan to heal down at the cellular level by forcing the toxin out with chakra pulses?"

"Yes, but how does it relate to this?"

"Well in my research I found a scroll that stated you could use chemicals to treat transplantable organs and effectively keep the structural integrity while removing the cells that would cause the foreign body reaction. This alone would not be enough, as the tissue would be completely useless without the proper genetic coding and cells to sustain it but after a few trials, I found a way to use chakra to gain a similar outcome and seed new cells on the remaining structure."

"What? But how?! That's extremely complicated even with the Byakugan to see it!"

"If I pulsed my chakra at just the right frequency, I could disrupt the cell membrane enough to remove everything using a saline based conduit until I could replace the cells with new ones."

"But even if you did that, without any replacement cells, like you said it renders the limb useless…"

Sakura held up a finger and waggled it, looking like the cat who ate the canary. "That's the thing, if I have a small sample of cells that I can replicate in vitro - outside the body, Naruto – I can effectively make the limb an almost complete replacement. Physically it will still look like Hashirama's typical grafts but it will not cause immunogenic reactions!"

Hinata could not believe the amount of effort Sakura had put into the new prosthetic limb for Sasuke. This kind of medical procedure had never been attempted before – let alone by someone without a Kekkei Genkai like her Byakugan. It was a testament to Sakura's precise chakra control and status as one of the legendary new Sannin. "And you've tested this, Sakura-chan? Are you sure you can do it?"

Sakura nodded and grinned cheekily. "Yes, I tested it numerous times and have gotten fast enough that the complete replacement would only take me three hours at most with a 90% success rate!" Even Naruto looked impressed.

"Wow Sakura-chan, I didn't know you were so smart…" Sakura rolled her eyes and punched Naruto in the arm.

"Of course you wouldn't know, you were never into studies like Sasuke-kun and I, that's why you ended up in Team Seven to begin with." Naruto just narrowed his eyes at the dig.

"Just because it takes me longer to catch on to things doesn't mean I'm stupid Sakura-chan!" Naruto yelled in frustration after multiple let downs. "I have been known to think up a good plan or two once in a while. And I kept up with you two!"

As Naruto stamped his feet and raged at Sakura, Hinata felt a spike in chakra up ahead and quickly turned her head in the direction, activating her Byakugan to detect the volatile force looming within their path. Before she could even pin point the location in which the disruption came from, the chakra appeared behind them and she turned her head in alarm, realizing whoever it was had moved right into her blind spot in the blink of an eye.

"Urusatonkachi, just as loud as usual I see." Hinata barely recognized the voice but she did recognize the insult. Uchiha Sasuke.

Glancing at Sakura, Hinata noticed the pink-haired kunoichi's eyes were wide in disbelief, face ashen as she stood frozen in place, unwilling (or unable) to turn and face the man she loved. Naruto had been quick and caught his former teammate behind them, standing to his full height, chakra snapping at the edge of his fingertips in warning. These reactions were completely different from the boldness displayed by the two earlier. Even if Sasuke had set himself on the path of righteousness, she could see the two did not trust him.

Sasuke seemed to pick up on this too. He sneered, his mismatched eyes glinting dangerously. "What? Not happy to see me?"


Dokuzetsu – "Wicked Tongue"; the nickname of Black Zetsu

Jōzetsu – "Chatterbox"; the nickname of White Zetsu

Inazuma – Lightning (made up name of an imaginary village in Naruto Universe)

Kekkei genkai – "Bloodline Limit", specific traits or skills only found within a family like the Sharingan and Byakugan as well as Ice Seal held by Haru, Lava Seal held by the Mizukage, etc. does not include shared techniques/jutsus passed down through families by teaching/oral (example kage jutsus from the Nara family or Aburame family's bugs)


For story explanations please keep reading


Surprise, Medical stuff! This is proof that when you review, I take what you say into consideration so PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE review! It's motivation for me (even if you say Gambatte!) and I can gauge what the audience wants and tailor the story accordingly. If you don't speak up, don't get upset where the story goes :P

If you are interested in the topic of medicine Sakura was using, it's called decellularization. This is done in tissue engineering to utilize the existing extracellular matrix (pretty much the backbone which keeps cells where they need to be) of an organ of interest so that they can replace the cells with the cells of the person getting the transplant. This way, there is no transplant rejection as the grown organ will literally be of the person's living tissue. They are doing this with hearts and other transplantable organs currently. They use detergents (not the cleaning kind haha) to remove the existing cells, place stem cells from the host (who the organ will go into) and then culture these cells on the resulting scaffold, which is the remaining extra cellular matrix, in a bioreactor (a machine that provides the right environment for the cells to grow). Look up some youtube videos if you get the chance, it's pretty amazing stuff! You can tell I work in the medical field, huh? Haha.

Now, just want to say, they are definitely not advanced enough to do this with a whole arm seeing as there are too many types of cells associated with that and the structure is too complex, but this is fantasy and Sakura can literally make a bubble of water go into a person and remove poison. Let's suspend reality a bit in this case. Lol.

Once again, please keep the people affected by Hurricane Harvey in your thoughts. I will try to update as soon as I can. Luckily (or unluckily) since I am displaced, I cannot work so maybe I can churn a chapter out quickly. Either way please stay safe, hug your loved ones and try to help us out during this trying time if you can. American Red Cross is probably the best place to donate. I have already donated $200 myself and you know exactly where the funding is going as opposed to those shady sites that pop up when disaster strikes. Thank you for all the nice messages, I promise to answer asap!

Until Next Time,

Trinity Effect


(SPOILERS AHEAD) Story Explanations/Background (SPOILERS AHEAD)


My explanation as to how White Zetsu survived: He could produce spores that could get information by attaching unassumingly to a person of interest and White Zetsu was able to effectively gather intel on them while they were in the dark about it (he could follow them, feel chakra, etc.). I adapted this ability he had and assumed like most fungi, his spores would be tougher than normal, enough so to survive Amaterasu. I did take a few liberties here but overall, I do think it was the most realistic way to get White Zetsu back.

My explanation as to how Black Zetsu survived: For those who are not up to speed on the Naruto Universe ending, Madara was resurrected by Kabuto's Edo Tensei technique (developed by Orochimaru) and started enacting his plan to activate the Infinite Tsukuyomi. He believed that this plan to bring salvation to the Uchiha was of his own design and thoughts (This was written in the Sage of Six path Hagoromo's stone tablet which was in possession of the Uchiha clan). Before his death, he entrusted Obito to act on behalf of him until he could be resurrected again. He believed he had made the White Zetsu from the flowering tree which was imbued with Hashirama's cells and that he made Black Zetsu, a living embodiment of his will to help Obito in achieving his ultimate plans as he neared death. In reality, Black Zetsu was the one to create White Zetsu (letting Madara think he had done so) and had manipulated the Uchiha tablet to state that the Infinite Tsukuyomi was the only way to save the Uchiha when it was actually necessary to bring back his true master, Ōtsutsuki Kaguya the protector of the God tree and the source of all chakra. What Madara didn't know was that Black Zetsu had been manipulating him into becoming evil and was using him to try to activate the Infinite Tsukuyomi for this purpose. Black Zetsu was actually the embodiment of Kaguya's will and was formed when she was sealed the first time by her twin sons Hagoromo and Hamura (Who it could be said Naruto and Sasuke are the reincarnations of although in reality they are the reincarnations of Hagoromo's sons Asura and Indra respectively; This being the generation in which Black Zetsu starts to exert his plans to bring back Ōtsutsuki Kaguya by causing rifts between the brothers and starting the Uchiha down their cursed path). Black Zetsu's ultimate goal was to bring Kaguya back to life so she could take back all the chakra in the world as she believed that no one deserved it after she was betrayed (this story will touch on this so I will not talk about it here, you can watch Kaguya's life story as there are episodes if this interests you).

Now, where Black Zetsu's survival comes into play is when Madara finally releases his Infinite Tsukuyomi, Black Zetsu betrays him and stabs him through the back, absorbing him and changing him into Kaguya. After Kaguya is sealed by Naruto and Sasuke, at the last minute, Naruto throws Black Zetsu into the seal and we are shown he has been trapped with his mother. But, as the sealing is occurring, Madara's body is spit out from Kaguya and he shares last moments of peace with Hashirama and the others. It does not seem too farfetched to believe that Black Zetsu would have left a small piece of himself in Madara's body as a backup plan incase things failed. Black Zetsu had been planning Kaguya's resurrection for centuries, I believe he would have learned better than to put all his eggs in a basket. In addition, the anime does not touch on what became of the body after his death. The bodies were resurrected from corpses, so it does not seem unlikely that Madara's corpse stayed intact post resurrection death and was quickly buried in an undisclosed location. This is my justification on how he survived.