Hope you enjoy! :)
I do not own Naruto, it belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.
Senjutsu, Broken Blades and Beacons
"Did you get him?" Gamakichi asked.
"Yeah!" Naruto grinned.
The black spheres that had been floating by Minato rushed back to Obito.
"We hit him before he could shield himself with those black things." Tobirama declared, "This time it should have worked!"
The dark balls sank into the inky flames, and pulled the fire from the Juubi Jinchuuriki's flesh. To their dismay, Obito was unscathed.
"It didn't work at all." the second Hokage frowned in dismay, "We can't touch those shape-shifting black balls, but it doesn't work even if we do hit him. His attack and defence are both fast."
"It's as though he's obtained the power of his dreams..." Minato mumbled.
The Nidaime looked towards his successor, and furrowed his brow. "Weird... Your arm should have started to heal by now."
"I now have the power of the ancestor of all shinobi." Obito glared, "You can't judge me with your usual standards."
There was a moment of silence as they contemplated his words.
Tobirama's eyebrows furrowed. "Do you mean... that your techniques...?"
"What is it?" Minato asked.
The second Hokage looked at the blond man, "...Fourth, be careful not to get injured too seriously, even if your body is an Edo Tensei. That man is probably using Onmyoudon, which turns all Ninjutsu to nothing. In other words, even if it hits your Edo Tensei body, you won't be able to recover... and you'll die. Your right arm will probably never regenerate."
Minato glanced anxiously at his limbless shoulder. "...In that case, we must be even more careful..."
Naruto gazed up at the enemy. "Hey, Sasuke..."
"What?"
"We're going to have to fight ourselves. Can you keep up?"
Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "...Don't underestimate Uchiha."
"Okay! I'll enter Kurama mode and turn into a Bijuu!" Clapping his hands together, the boy's golden cloak flared up a moment, then swiftly disintegrated.
Sasuke blinked at the Uzumaki, perplexed.
Naruto looked very confused, seeming rather naked without his sun-coloured energy.
He still wasn't capable of a full Bijuu transformation.
"Don't make matters worse." Tobirama sighed. "Like father, like son. You can both be quite dumb sometimes. Even that man is appalled."
Indeed, Obito was staring at the shinobi in silent distaste.
"I... I'm sorry..." Minato mumbled.
The group jumped when a huge glob of oil went rushing past them for Obito.
It was Gamakichi.
The large, orange frog then fired a second large spurt of oil, which was also blocked by the black mass the Juubi's Jinchuuriki fought with.
"A Myoubokuzan toad?" Tobirama questioned.
"Gamakichi, what are you doing?" Naruto demanded, "We should fight using diversions or combination attacks!"
"Sorry, but the summon time is nearly over." he explained, "I want to try and do something before then!"
The Uzumaki grinned. "I appreciate your spirit! Have a good rest!"
"Sorry!" The giant toad vanished in a burst of smoke.
Not surprisingly, Obito had blocked the attack. However, they noticed that unlike most of the moves made against him, Gamakichi's oil wasn't erased, and clung to the black matter Obito fought with.
"Obito!" Minato called. "Didn't you want to become the Hokage? Why are you doing this?"
"Are you trying to lecture me now?" the Uchiha called down is disgust, "Isn't it a bit too late? ...Sensei."
Minato swallowed.
"You're always too late when it's important. I'm glad that my teacher was the Hokage. It helped me give up on my dream to become the same."
The Konoha ninja were silent.
Guilt and regret showed on Minato's face.
It was true.
It was beginning to seem as though Minato had always been too late.
He was too late in realising that Obito was the person who had attacked them while Kushina was in labour. Perhaps if he had known this sooner, he and Kushina could have lived, and Naruto wouldn't have been given the painful, lonely childhood that stemmed from being made an orphan and Jinchuuriki on the very first day of his life. What was more... maybe this terrible war would never have started.
All because he couldn't recognise his own student.
The white-haired man continued. "You didn't realise it was me that night despite being my teacher. In the end, you're not that great. I pity you. You died a hero and now you're showing your son how shameful your life was."
Naruto was still and silent.
"Yes..." the the Juubi Jinchuuriki said quietly, "Hokage just look pathetic compared to what I am now."
Tobirama glanced back at Naruto, sensing something changing in the boy. 'He's not just stupid... He realised...'
"Don't badmouth Hokage just because you couldn't become one." the Uzumaki piped up, a Rasengan swirling in his palm, eyes yellow and square-pupiled, lined with the orange pigmentation of the Sage mode.
The Nidaime moved to behind the blond, placing a palm on his back.
"And more importantly..."
The pair vanished in a bang of smoke, instantly reappearing above Obito, teleported by the Nidaime's Hiraishin. Naruto rammed the Rasengan into his back, pummelling the man to the ground.
"Don't badmouth my dad who became the Hokage!"
The others looked on in shock and confusion as Tobirama smirked.
'It feels like we got him indeed... Even though Ninjutsu doesn't work... Senjutsu does! Senjutsu attacks like the Myoubokuzan toad's aren't erased!'
Naruto's Rasengan sent Obito slamming down into the earth like a cannonball, blasting the stone apart with the force of the impact as he took the blow head-on.
"BASTARD!" Naruto roared.
Minato stared at his son in awe. 'He can use the same Senjutsu as Jiraiya-sensei?'
Sprawled in the dirt, Obito slowly pushed himself up onto his knees, a large hole in his back.
Naruto beamed. "Just as I thought!"
Obito frowned. He hadn't expected to lose his ability to travel through dimensions when he became a Jinchuuriki.
Naruto and Tobirama returned to Sasuke and Minato.
Naruto beamed as he explained the effectiveness of Senjutsu, which used natural energy, against Obito and the Juubi's natural energy. Their means of attack was clear.
The horns on Obito's back ignited with red energy.
They wouldn't get him from behind again.
"I guess I should prepare the Tsukiyomi to clean up." Obito placed his hands on the earth and gigantic tremors shook the battlefield as a massive, twisted stalk grew up from the ground, eventually showing itself to be a shape not unlike a spiked tree trunk, four huge rafflesia flowers poking out from the top.
The ninja of the Alliance stared up in shock horror at the gargantuan plant.
"There is nothing worth saving in this reality." Obito said coldly. "This world is already dead."
All four flowers began forming Bijuudama in their centres.
"Oh shit!"
"There's four of those things!"
"Even if the whole Alliance uses Doton Shouheki, we won't make it! There's too many!"
Ami gasped in horror, gaping up at the sight. "Four Bijuudama?! What the hell do we do against that?"
"Ami-chan, get in my mouth!" Namazu ordered, opening his maw, "I could put you in my mouth and burrow down! Some of your friends could fit too-!"
She cut him off. "No, Namazu-sama, that won't work... the blast will be too strong, and even if you could get far away enough, you can't save all of us... there's no point in saving only a few people in a fight like this, they'd only be picked off later. We can't burrow under this barrier either... a barrier this strong wouldn't have such a weakness."
Namazu closed his mouth, sighing sadly. "...Ami-chan, this summoning of ours is going to run out soon. Can I do anything to help? Anything at all?"
"...I'm trying to think, but I don't believe so..." the brunette replied, a bead of sweat running down her brow, well aware of just how close they were to death, the black energy balls growing before her eyes with every passing second. "Your best bet may be to just leave while you can."
"Ami-chan..."
Shikamaru was doing his best to keep calm and try to come up with a solution.
Between them, the Nidaime and Yondaime would be able to handle two of the four energy balls, but there would still be two left. Madara showed no intention of allowing Hashirama to leave their battle to help the others. All Madara cared about was duelling Hashirama, and Bijuudama wouldn't get in the way of an Edo Tensei fight.
A wood clone of Hashirama's began formulating a plan with the army to use a combination of earth walls and Joukai Koutan, a wood technique that created a huge forest, to guide the blasts to the sea, but Obito put up a huge, six-sided barrier around the entire battlefield to keep them from changing the attack's trajectory.
Obito began encasing himself inside a ball of black matter. "It's the end of the war."
"The only way to take them out is the Hiraishin!" Tobirama exclaimed, "Fourth! Can you take two?"
"I can only carry one, since I can't use my marking... but... there is a way..."
"You want to take everything outside?" Obito asked, "As if I'll let you. You won't be able to save anyone."
Naruto called to his father, extending his arm, hand clenched in a fist. "Dad... I don't know if it'll work, but I have an idea. Can you bump fists with me?"
Minato was confused at the blond's reasoning, but silently obliged all the same.
Obito, still not completely covered by his black energy cloak, watched the interaction between the pair through a gap at his face. He spoke to the boy; "Naruto... that guy can't do anything... he couldn't even protect your mother... or his subordinates..."
The Uzumaki was silent, lowering his gaze.
"Do you know what day it is tomorrow?" the Juubi's Jinchuuriki continued.
Silence.
"It's the anniversary of Minato and Kushina's death. It's the day they died. And if you die, it's the end in this world. Do you-"
Naruto cut straight across him. "You're right. It also means that tomorrow's my birthday."
Minato's eyes widened.
"It's not the end, you know..." the boy continued.
Obito's eyes were the only thing left uncovered, gazing at the blond.
"Because I'm here in this world!"
Naruto's body ignited with sun-coloured energy once again.
Still with joined fists, the father and son stood defiantly before Obito.
"Let's go, Dad!"
Minato nodded. "Yeah!"
The dark spheres of energy continued to swell to staggering sizes.
"He's planning on taking us all out by nuking those things right inside the barrier!"
"What the hell do we do?!"
The Bijuudama had been unable to pierce the barrier of the Hokage and judging by the colour of the barrier Obito had produced, it was at least on par with the one the four Hokage had made. The Alliance simply didn't have the means to destroy such a wall.
Ami glanced from the four Bijuudama to the barrier, raking her mind for ideas. 'I know that I can make high-pressure water jets and wind-powered blades that can cut through stone and steel like soft butter, but there's no way they would put a scratch in a barrier like that.'
Without warning, everyone was flaring up with orange energy, bubbling Kyuubi Chakra cloaks enveloping the bodies of everyone in the Alliance.
Ami jumped at the sudden rush of energy, feeling her fatigue and injuries fade away and vanish within seconds with the unfamiliar feeling of her skin stitching back together. She looked to Sakura, who stood atop Katsuyu's head, shocked at the sight of the Chakra.
"I thought the Kyuubi cloaks were gone!" the pink-haired girl cried.
"I noticed it when I was healing everyone, but... it seemed that it had only diminished in size... it never disappeared completely." the slug said softly.
"It seems bigger and stronger this time, too!" Ami added, admiring the increases size and ferocity of the energy.
"Is he planning to shield us from the attack with this energy?" Shikamaru wondered aloud.
Ami placed her hands on the catfish beside her. "Namazu-sama, we're going to be okay now. You can go. I hope to see you again soon."
"...Good luck, Ami-chan. I'm sorry I wasn't of more help."
The girl shook her head. "Don't apologise. You've done brilliantly. Thank you, Namazu-sama."
In a massive pop of smoke, the creature vanished.
Juugo quickly made his way over to Sasuke. "Sasuke, things are going downhill quickly! We have to get on the other side of this barrier! Use your summoning jutsu-!"
"I plan to." the Uchiha interrupted, "I'm bringing you and Naruto."
"That's right, I haven't given you guys my Chakra yet!" Naruto realised, "Come here, I'll split some with you!"
"Can we really get through this with just that Chakra?" Sasuke asked sceptically.
"Just hurry up and get your asses over here!" the blond barked impatiently.
Obito completely sealed his dark shield.
All four Bijuudama were released, the terrible strength of the combined blasts pressing the walls of the barrier out to twice their normal width, debris from the explosion firing out the top miles above the earth's surface in a massive cloud.
The dust settled and Obito unwrapped himself from within his black sphere. He observed the ruined battlefield within the barrier, puzzled at the lack of bodies.
"...This is..."
The entire Alliance were thrilled to find that they had been transported to the outside of the barrier with the Yondaime's Hiraishin jutsu.
When Naruto and Minato had joined fists, they had mixed their Kyuubi Chakra together, allowing Minato to use everyone's Kyuubi cloaks, which had become a mixture of his and Naruto's Chakra, as a Chakra link to transport the whole army.
'Those guys saved us again...' Ami thought, flexing her fingers, admiring the Chakra cloak, embarrassed that she felt more relieved than guilty. Glancing around however, she felt reassured at the sight of one grown man nearby all but bursting into tears with the realisation that they were safe, hugging the dark-haired girl beside him who grumbled something that sounded like; 'Don't make a show of me!', the duo clearly close in one way or another.
Naruto's body was encased in a huge amount of yellow Chakra, which morphed into the shape of a gigantic fox head. The others stared in awe at the amount of energy he was using, but Tobirama was quick to point out that there was absolutely no point to such exertion, as Ninjutsu alone wouldn't work on Obito. After an awkward pause, Naruto gripped his head in his hands, completely embarrassed at his stupid mistake, but recovered by adding natural energy to the Chakra mix with Sage mode. Minato also enveloped himself in Kyuubi Chakra of a similar structure, but his energy was of a darker, redder shade than his son's. The Chakra of both ninja changed from being just fox heads to entire fox forms, with torsos, legs and nine tails each. Minato's Kyuubi conformation created a Rasengan of epic proportions, and at his father's command, Naruto added natural energy to the spiralling ball. Tobirama placed his hands on the Kyuubi Chakra of both shinobi and transported them to Obito's back. The Juubi Jinchuuriki did his best to hold back the attack with gigantic hands that sprouted from his back, then blocked it with his black matter. Both Naruto and his father went flying back, now sure that they couldn't use Hiraishin to fool Obito a second time and would need to crush his absolute defence to hit him.
Naruto was quick to come up with another idea; A Bijuudama with natural energy and his father's Kyuubi Chakra added to it.
Sasuke eyed the blond boy with a mix of disbelief, envy and frustration. '...Is this what Naruto became...? He can use all this Chakra perfectly...' Feeling resentful as with a clenched fist, he begrudgingly admired the Uzumaki's ability to perfectly control so much Chakra, Sasuke scowled. 'How did you... come this far...?"
Obito clapped his hands together in a seal and the form of the Juubi sprouted from his back, sending dust and rock flying high into the air as it hit the earth, sprawled out on its back. The creature slowly closed its massive eye and the eye and its socket began sinking back into its head as the head and limbs of the Juubi receded into its body, forming a bulb. From this bulb, a staggeringly huge, twisted tree with a large flower bud at its top quickly sprouted, its budded tip pointed at the moon overhead. Spiky roots lashed out in every direction, knocking back Minato and Naruto, wrapping around shinobi and sucking up their Chakra in an instant, killing them in droves. Bee was dogged by the growths, no doubt sensing the Hachibi Chakra his body contained, though he managed to fight them off. Though she had a normal amount, with such concentrated Chaka, Ami had needed to bring up air currents for flight to protect herself, dodging between roots high in the air, not wanting to retreat in case the roots followed her back to the rest of the army. She rose high above the tree before being able to breathe properly for a brief moment, then instantly raced back away from the monstrosity's reach.
Naruto cried out as he was gripped in a root, his golden Chakra cloak still intact, as was his father's, though both their Kyuubi forms had disintegrated.
"Naruto!" Minato cried out.
Tobirama formed a seal and sliced through several roots with a water technique, but new limbs sprouted from the stumps so quickly that it was useless. "Shit, there's too many! Yondaime, can you fly directly to where Naruto is?!"
"No, the Hiraishin I used before and these branches have sucked up all my Chakra!" the man replied, panicking slightly as he watched the branches encase his son, who had now lost his golden layer of energy.
The Nidaime jumped towards the boy, but was beaten to him by the Sandaime, who cut him loose with the use of a large, black staff.
Naruto gave the elderly man a weak smile.
"Sorry I'm late!" Hiruzen said, grabbing the boy and moving to the other two Hokage.
All four of them transported to a distance away, reappearing on a piece of Terra beneath Juugo and Sasuke.
Sasuke looked at Naruto in silence, dismal at the sight of the Uzumaki's weakened state.
Naruto gritted his teeth at the sight around them.
The Juubi's movements had slowed down, but it had done its damage.
Corpses littered the battlefield, those still left terrified and tired, even with their Kyuubi cloaks for protection. Sakura had collapsed in exhaustion from trying to heal so many at once, doing her best to keep the aid going. Bee was panting heavily, surrounded by severed pieces of root, Ami laid on her hands and knees hacking and gasping on the ground in much the same state, red-faced from going so long without being able to breathe properly.
Obito gazed at them all, his arm outstretched. "Just stay still..." he said calmly, "You've endured enough."
It was disastrous.
Shikamaru had been struck by the roots, his Kyuubi cloak vanished and close to death. Sakura was unable to use Katsuyu's remote healing on those the tree had touched, as the Chakra of Katsuyu's small parts had been sucked away along with the Chakra from whoever they were attached to and the parts died. No longer able to serve as a long-distance link between Katsuyu and Sakura for healing, when Katsuyu's parts died, so did the person they were attached to.
Weakened and incapable of aiding those who were far from her and already as good as dead, the Haruno resorted rushing to the side of and setting about trying to heal Shikamaru, who was just a few metres away from her.
"It's the end of all shinobi..." Obito said, "If you stop resisting, I won't kill you."
Gritting his teeth, distraught and furious all at once, Naruto glared at the man, tears brimming at the corners of his eyes.
"If you don't want regrets..." the Uchiha continued, "Then you should just do nothing."
Some of the alliance members were starting to believe him.
"Then... if we don't resist... our lives will be..."
"Exactly." the white-skinned man nodded, "You won't have to endure anything or fear death anymore. You will reach your dreams."
"Do not give up!" Hashirama urged, "If you fall for his Genjutsu, it will be the same as dying!"
The shinobi were silent, torn between what to believe.
"This huge tree is closely connected to Obito..." Sarutobi said, "It's like his limbs are trying to extract Chakra... it's hard to get close."
"That's quite cowardly." a voice said, a ninja dropping down beside him, Minato and Tobirama. "Doesn't sound like you at all... Sarutobi-sensei."
It was Orochimaru, not reanimated, but resurrected, and very much alive. He had also brought Suigetsu and Karin with him.
"Juugo, Sasuke, sorry for the wait!" Suigetsu called with a smirk.
"Orochimaru... you're late!" Hiruzen frowned, "What about the five Kage?"
"I helped them recover. If they're not cowards too, they'll be here soon."
Hiruzen chuckled slightly despite himself. "Heh... Always a cynic."
"At last..." Juugo said, sighing slightly with relief.
Sasuke was silent, staring straight ahead at the tree.
"Now that I take a closer look at it, it's pretty big, isn't it?" Suigetsu commented, shielding his eyes and looking up at the massive plant. "How long will this take to cut down?"
"Who cares about that?" Karin snapped. "More importantly..." The red-haired girl gazed at Sasuke with a blush on her face and lust in her eyes, dribbling slightly, the Uchiha even more appealing to her than usual, cloaked in Kyuubi Chakra.
"Your job is to help the shinobi of the alliance recover, right?" Suigetsu reminded her, not missing the girl's expression.
Karin snapped from her stupor, barking at the Hozuki, "Of course! I know that! Bastard!"
'It's stopped moving...' Ami thought, apprehensive as she looked up at the twisted tree, 'What's next? What else is there? This war is just getting harder and harder to win... How can two men make this much trouble? One of them isn't even alive...'
Ami's eyebrows lifted as the voice of the first Hokage sounded in her head.
'Listen carefully!'
The ninja of the Joint Shinobi Army paid close attention to the Shodaime's information.
Regarding the bud at the top of the tree-like form Obito had produced from the Juubi, though the entire Chakra of the Hachibi and Kyuubi had not been absorbed, because it had a small part from each (by absorbing one of the Hachibi's tentacles and the Kyuubi Chakra Kinkaku and Ginkaku had had), the flower could still bloom. However, it was going to take longer than it would have taken if it had absorbed all the energy from all the Bijuu. If not stopped, then in just fifteen minutes, the flower would bloom. What's more, if Obito wished, the process could be sped up by absorbing Chakra from the shinobi of the alliance.
The army members were distraught.
'So basically... we're nourishment for that tree?'
'Is that what we shinobi are?'
'But then how can we...?'
'What can we do in fifteen minutes? We can't even get close!'
'Doing nothing will be the same.' Hashirama said firmly, 'We have to either cut down that tree or the jutsu user... within the time limit.'
'But..'
'I told you not to give up!' the Shodaime barked.
There were several seconds of silence.
'You talk like that, but in the end, you're an Edo Tensei!'
'You're from the past, and already dead!'
'We're still alive!'
One of the giant tree roots moved, sluggishly dragging across the earth.
A ninja dropped to his knees, beside himself with terror.
"It's over... it's all over..."
"If I had known from the start..."
"Yes..." Obito said calmly, "That's good... I'll take you to a world where you won't have any regrets..."
Naruto glared at the man, livid as tears of rage, frustration and sadness poured down his face.
Before anyone realised what had happened, a purple, full-bodied Susanoo cut through a massive root of the tree.
The eyes of the alliance widened, everyone's gaze on the same person.
Sasuke.
The boy landed, still enveloped in the brow of his warrior of purple energy, and the severed root crashed into the battlefield behind him.
The Uzumaki was stunned.
"Naruto... giving up already? I'm going."
Juugo also resided in the Susanoo behind Sasuke, ready to help.
Silent for several seconds, Naruto's body ignited once more with golden Chakra.
Overcome with emotion, Naruto's thoughts, memories and feelings overflowed in his heart and poured out into Ino's jutsu, transmitting to the entire army.
As a small child of about eight, Naruto watched an orphaned Sasuke from behind as he left the academy. The blond lifted a hand, considering calling out to the Uchiha, but at the last moment, his confidence wavered... and he didn't.
'That time...' the Uzumaki thought sadly, 'I should have... called out to him... I thought about it over and over...'
Ami felt her heart ache, Naruto's feelings mixing with her own through the Chakra connection. She cast her eyes over to Sakura, and saw the pink-haired girl with an expression much like her own. She wasn't the only one who could feel Naruto's heart. The entire army could.
Including Sasuke.
They saw everything. They felt everything.
Naruto all by himself at the academy, sitting on that lonely swing.
'That's why...'
Naruto at the Valley of the End, facing Sasuke.
The Sandaime's funeral.
Asuma's funeral.
'I...'
His time with Jiraiya.
Chiyo's death.
The deaths of other in the Joint Shinobi Army.
'Don't want regrets...'
Meeting a reanimated Itachi and Nagato.
'I don't want to think; 'I should have done it'!'
He thought of his parents.
'And I don't want all the things we did...' He moved to Sasuke's side, shrouded in a Kyuubi cloak. "To be turned into nothing! Sasuke! I'm going too!"
The Uchiha grunted, the slightest smirk playing on his lips.
The alliance watched the duo, hope and determination slowly returning to their faces at the sight.
Obito looked at the blond with disbelief, his brow furrowed. "Uzumaki... Naruto..." 'Again and again... he just keeps coming...'
Counting on his son, Minato had linked his Kyuubi Chakra to the blond, supplying the boy with fresh energy, then severing the link once Naruto's full Kyuubi form had been generated.
"So... Sasuke... you understand that only Senjutsu works on the enemy?" Naruto asked.
"Don't put me on the same level as you." the Uchiha frowned.
As if on cue, Juugo activated his own clan technique, and began leaking energy out into Sasuke's Susanoo, black, flame-like patterns spreading out from the side of Juugo's face throughout the purple giant, covering it in markings not unlike the pattern Sasuke's cursed seal had shown, a four-pointed star even appearing on the bridge of the Susanoo's nose.
As it turned out, the power of Juugo's clan was originally Senjutsu, and since Sasuke had been compatible with this power, capable of surviving and releasing the Cursed Seal that Orochimaru had given him using Juugo's Chakra, it was not strange that although Itachi had removed the seal and so, that particular power from his little brother during their fight, Sasuke and his Susanoo were still compatible with Juugo's energy.
The result? A Senjutsu Susanoo.
The boys rushed at Obito.
"You can only regret something after doing it, but you won't be here to have regrets, anyway." Obito said darkly, forming one of his black energy spheres into a staff and gripping it in his fist, moving to meet the boys.
The army looked on, intimidated by their strength and at a loss at what to do.
'They really went to attack it...'
'Ahh... what do we do...?'
'Maybe we should ask the five Kage when they arrive?'
'Is that okay...?'
Without warning, the members of the alliance found their heads suddenly filled with Hashirama's memories.
Madara spoke of a dream he had that was different to Hashirama's.
A dream he said he could see but Hashirama couldn't.
A dream he refused to tell anything about.
The memories shifted to the first meeting of the five Kage. Hashirama was trying to organise an even distribution of the Bijuu he had collected between the five major countries, as well as settle other small disputes.
Sasuke and Naruto struck at Obito, Naruto with a clawed hand, Sasuke with his Susanoo's sword, but both were blocked by Obito's black energy.
The Shodaime's memories continued to play in their minds.
A small argument broke out almost immediately when in the stead of a Bijuu, as they already had Shukaku, the Sand demanded a piece of the Fire Country's wealthy land for agriculture and 30% of the other countries' payment towards Bijuu. Hashirama intervened, pleading with the others to do their best to find a compromise and told them of his dream; 'A time when all shinobi will cooperate with each other', 'A time when everyone's hearts will be together, regardless of their countries'. He begged them, over and over, not to give up on his dream of the future, imploring them to help him work to take the first step there and then.
Having ridden on Gaara's sand, the five Kage finally reached the battlefield, landing before the army.
Hashirama's pleading turned aloud, no longer only in his memories. He cried out to the shinobi of the alliance, his voice loud and clear as he called upon them.
"Please! Our dear children! Now, bring together your pain... your sufferings... your discouragement... bring them together, to show me... our real dream!"
"I, for one, don't think we require such a meeting anymore." the Raikage grunted, "Am I right?"
"Indeed." the Mizukage agreed.
"Of course. But we must win this war, first." the Tsuchikage said.
"The Tsuchikage is right." Gaara nodded, "We can't afford to lose."
"Okay!" Tsunade shouted, "Let's spread out and take the lead! We're going to get the best out of this shinobi alliance! That's our role as the Gokage!"
With a shout of 'GO', the five village leaders leapt forwards.
Behind them, the soldiers of the army drew their swords and gripped their shuriken, formed their seals and held their kunai, confidence in their actions and the guts to perform them returned with the presence of their rulers and the words and feelings of Hashirama's earnest dream.
They would not back down.
Naruto and Sasuke flew down at Obito from above, Naruto aiming a Bijuudama as Sasuke's Susanno fired its crossbow.
Once again, the Juubi Jinchuuriki defended himself from both blows with the use of his dark energy.
Sasuke frowned, slightly intimidated by his fellow Uchiha's strength.
Naruto gritted his teeth in frustration.
As the dust cleared, they could see their enemy peeking out from a slit in his black shield. The man narrowed his eyes at them, ireful. "Is that enough for you?"
Outraged, Naruto released a roar from within his Kyuubi cloak.
Sakura's eyes widened as Chakra began to bubble up around Shikamaru's body while she was healing him.
She looked towards the Uzumaki, still fighting as he helped his friend recover. She bit her lip, upset. 'Naruto... You should do what you have to do! Leave the rest to us!'
Ino shook her head, reading her friend's thoughts by the look on her face. "That's not it, Sakura. Naruto's doing this unconsciously. His will to save Shikamaru is so strong, his Chakra's moving on its own. I can tell it from my Shindenshin jutsu."
The Nara weakly opened his eyes, Kyuubi Chakra bubbling up further and further around him, now starting to cover his body. The others looked on at the Chunin, listening in silence as they heard his thoughts through Ino's technique.
'Naruto... Jeez... you're always like that... Always overdoing it! How much will you do for us still? Even so far, you've never looked for compromises when it comes to us... In front of you... I can't complain about things being troublesome anymore...'
"Sorry Dad..." he wheezed aloud, "Naruto doesn't want me to go there yet..."
"Shikamaru, don't speak!" Sakura cried, still healing him, "I won't let you die! Naruto needs you!"
He closed his eyes, thinking back to the younger days of his friend. 'Dad... Naruto's gone through so much so far, and he was always alone... I didn't realise until afterwards... I don't want him to feel like that anymore... I'm staying. I told you once before; He has this way about him... when I'm with him, I feel like I want to walk at his side... everyone does... He'll become an important shinobi for Konoha... But unlike the Shodaime, Naruto, the idiot... he doesn't have a smart brother willing to be his adviser.'
Hashirama gazed at the young Nara as Tobirama lowered his eyes.
'So... well... I guess... when he becomes Hokage... I'll have to stay by his side.'
Smiles broke out on the faces of his comrades as Shikamaru slowly sat up, his strength returning, his body now completely enveloped in Naruto's fiery energy.
'I'm sorry Dad, I can't go yet! No one could become a better adviser for Naruto than me!'
Those of the army relaxed at the slow but sure recovery of their greatest mind.
Sakura blinked back tears of joy as she smiled at her teammate. 'Naruto... thanks to you, he was saved! Thank you!'
"Thank goodness he's better!" Sai smiled.
"Thank you, Sakura!" Ino breathed, sighing with relief. 'Thank you, Naruto!'
Ami sighed in relief, thinking to herself; 'Thank god we have Naruto for a friend. Where would we be without him? I've lost count of how many times he's saved our lives now.'
"Don't overdo it, Shikamaru!" Kiba smirked, "You might become my adviser!"
Akamaru whined.
"Don't worry, Akamaru." Shino said, "He can have three advisers."
The canine gave a pleased bark.
Overjoyed, Chouji gripped his friend in a tight hug.
Suddenly, Tsunade appeared out of nowhere, dropping down from above, and healed Shikamaru in an instant with a single touch to his forehead.
Ami's jaw dropped. 'Whoa... Sometimes I forget how amazing our Hokage is... I guess Sakura hasn't surpassed her just yet...'
"Tsunade-sama!" the Haruno cried, eyes wide with surprise.
Tsunade placed a palm on her student's head, beaming proudly. "Well done."
Sakura shyly smiled back up under her teacher's hand.
The fifth Hokage moved over towards the Shodaime. "Grandfather... I'm sorry..."
"Don't apologise, Tsunade. My problems were dragged onto your generation. I'm the one feeling ashamed."
"But your feelings and dream reached the next generation and even this one... The Will of Fire."
"...Good! Let's cut down that tree while he's busy fighting!"
Each great village's members exploded into proud cries of support at the words of their respective leaders.
"No matter how big that tree is, it's still small compared to the Earth!" the Tsuchikage said, "And the Earth is our ally!"
"YEAH!"
The Raikage thought of how similar Naruto had looked in the Land of Iron to Hashirama bowing his head. 'It seems as though Hokage like to bow their heads... perhaps it is not only actions and power that bring respect. Perhaps a bow can also be used to convey one's feelings.' "LET'S GO!" he bellowed.
"Okay! Double Lariat, brother!" Bee said, eager to battle alongside his Kage and partner.
The ninja behind him erupted in battle cries.
"As a woman, I can't be late to battle. LET'S GO, EVERYONE!" the Mizukage called.
Fresh shouting broke out.
Gaara closed his eyes a moment in thought. 'Naruto... you've really become something necessary to this world. You've become what we wanted to become. And you will save this world!' "EVERYONE! COME AFTER ME!"
The air filled with cheers.
The entire army was gearing up to attack, ready to help the Alliance to victory and stop the giant, Chakra-sucking flower's blooming in any way that they could. The story of Naruto's life had made him who he was today, brought everyone together and given hope to their hearts. No matter what village, ninja or samurai, everyone was there for the same reason, and a comrade to one another.
They were one allied force, fighting for the sake of the world.
"LET'S BELIEVE IN THIS HOPE!" Hashirama roared, "LET'S GO! LET'S CUT DOWN THAT TREE!"
Tobirama decided to use the Chakra link between Minato and Naruto to support their fighters with his own Shunshin jutsu, though he couldn't move everyone at once like the fourth Hokage could.
Though Orochimaru had said he had no interest in the war, he didn't want Obito to put the Earth under Genjutsu either, as all his work on his experiments would be no more. So, he leant a hand, binding roots with numerous giant snakes to that Hiruzen could sever them.
At the sight of the tree being attacked, Obito decided to switch to a more offensive tactic, and had massive, spiked, pig-like heads sprout from the base of the tree, snapping at anyone who got too close. Tobirama countered this with his Shunshin, moving anyone he sensed to be in danger to a safer location to attack, telling the other ninja to proceed without hesitation.
Combining their strength with the Byakugou, Tsunade and Sakura were able to summon part of Katsuyu, making her into a foothold for the alliance that could heal ninja just by letting them stand on her. Ino transmitted this information as Katsuyu melted herself down, spreading across the battlefield in a thick, pale sheet.
Various shinobi and samurai of the alliance were hacking at the tree, removing pieces from all over the growth. The sharp blades of the samurai cut through roots with ease, Kiba and Akamaru ripped at the wood with Gatsuuga, Sai drew and brought to life massive giants with katana, axes, maces and other weapons, Temari sliced though limb after limb with powerful Fuuton techniques from her fan, Tenten bombarded the roots with massive blades, and so on.
Sora rushed past her student, roaring for her to follow, and fired a huge wind technique at the closest root, lopping it clean off.
Ami grinned at the sight and formed a stream of seals. Her fists ignited with water and wind Chakra once again. The Konno leaked Chakra out into the air for a second or two, then jumped towards the tree, propelling herself at an alarming speed with a series of powerful wind current belts surrounding her body, shooting her forwards like a speeding bullet. She yanked the water from her canisters with one hand, forming a fifteen-metre blade of wind in the other, then wrapped an aqua cord around a massive root. Swinging around the limb, she dug the wind-powered blade into the tree appendage and sliced through the wood with ease. Driving herself with another blast of air, Ami moved in an arc, slashing several smaller limbs as she clung to the stump of her first mark with a liquid cord, before releasing this stub and moving to another, powering through the roots of the staggeringly huge tree, propelled by air belts. It was difficult to breath under such high-powered winds, so she fired herself up into the air and stopped using the currents for a few seconds to catch her breath, then tore through several more roots on her way back down.
Obito was fast, and Naruto and Sasuke were having a difficult time catching him, but the boys were starting to get the hang of sensing the white-haired Jinchuuriki. At the same time, they swung at him, being blocked rather than just missing for the first time in a while.
Sasuke smirked.
"It's almost time to sleep." Obito said, glancing towards the flower, which had more and more petals unfolding as the minutes passed. "I'll take you into the dream... there's no more time."
Naruto gritted his teeth as the man clutched both him and Sasuke in massive hands of dark matter, squeezing their Chakra-generated forms in the large, black fingers.
The boys winced in pain, doing their best to break free.
Obito was having none of it, and raced towards the earth, slamming all three of them into its surface with a shockwave that threw many on the ground from their feet.
Dust cleared to show a huge crater, Sasuke, Juugo and Naruto all lying at the bottom, Susanoo and the Kyuubi Chakra both gone, the trio conscious and groaning.
Naruto was first to get back up. Though his Kyuubi cloak had gone, his yellow Sage eyes remained.
Obito glared at him. "Why do you stand up? For what purpose are you fighting? For your friends? For the world? Listen... One day your friends will betray you, and love will become hate. You should know that already. Both the people of the village and Sasuke have betrayed you... and Jiraiya's love gave you hatred."
Naruto watched and listened, panting.
"You're like me." Obito continued, "Your hatred will grow and you will change. More pain is awaiting you now. Can you still state that you will never change? Your friends might betray you again."
Sasuke lifted his head from the ground, eyes on Obito.
"The alliance might start another war. And you don't even know whether you can win against me or not. There's no reason to fight for this world anymore. It will end in a few minutes. So why are you still fighting?"
Slowly but surely, a quivering Naruto got to his feet. "...Because it's my ninja way." he said, voice clear and firm.
Shaking slightly, Juugo and Sasuke also pushed themselves up.
"I never go back on my words. That's my ninja way."
Obito's eyes widened in shock, then narrowed in anger.
Sasuke stepped towards the Uzumaki as yellow and purple Chakra began to re-envelop both their bodies.
"Let's finish this with the next attack, Naruto."
"Yeah!"
Susanoo and the full-bodied Kyuubi of Chakra reformed behind the duo, morphing into a single body of energy with half of each boy's technique.
Naruto beamed. "I'll sleep tomorrow! I can dream on my own!"
Juugo stepped into Susanoo's half.
Susanoo wrapped itself around Naruto's Kyuubi form, the two combining in perfect symbiosis.
Naruto's eyebrows lifted in surprise at the change.
Sasuke smirked. "I wonder... does this feel the same as what Madara did in the past?"
Obito extended his black hands of Chakra once more, spreading them before Naruto and Sasuke's combination of abilities.
The unification of the boys stared back at him, down on all fours with the form of the Kyuubi and armour of Susanoo, brandishing a blade and wrapped in what looked like several layers of strips of paper-like material, gold and purple mixing in an awe-inspiring amalgamation.
In his left hand, Obito formed his black energy into a blade with the shape of a joined double helix. In his right, he created a giant shield. "No matter what you do, nothing will change. Look above you. What can you see in the hole in the ceiling?"
Glancing upwards out of the crater mouth, they saw it.
"It's the moon." Obito said, "It's almost time to go to the moonlit dreamland. The moon's dream will fill this hole of hell. The time has finally come!"
Naruto scowled.
Obito continued to speak, "This blade is the sword of Nunoboko, the holy sword owned by the Sage of the Six Paths. You can't win against me anymore. His strong feelings dwell inside of it. It's a blade of the soul. The hermit created the world using this."
Naruto's eyes were locked on Obito, his expression defiant as ever.
Ami's eyebrows lifted as she sensed herself being called by Naruto. 'He's summoning us... I can feel it.'
Glancing around, the Konno knew that she wasn't the only one who could sense this.
Lee, Neji, Tenten, Kiba, Hinata, Shino, Ino, Shikamaru, Chouji and Sai felt it too.
'His feelings are coming through the Kyuubi Chakra, calling us to help him.' She listened to the silent message blaring in their heads. They knew what the plan was.
"Lee!" the Konno called, and the Taijutsu specialist sprinted to her side.
"Understood!" he responded at once.
"Sasuke, we must focus on a single attack. There will only be a small opening, let's not miss it."
The raven grunted in response.
Rasengan began to form in each one of the tails.
"I will destroy this world with the same sword that made it!" Obito cried, rushing at the duo.
His eyes widened as in his peripheral vision, he spotted nine shinobi dropping from above, each landing in one of Naruto's Kyuubi tails. Every ninja gained a golden cloak on entry, and took hold of the giant Rasengan presented to them. From below, Ami flew herself and Lee towards the combination of Naruto and Sasuke's techniques, landing in through the back and moving towards the boys in the face.
"You know what to do!" Naruto called to the pair, who had now gained their own sun-coloured attire, the boy passing Senjutsu Chakra into the charged air surrounding Ami and into Lee's body as the duo ran by.
"Not a problem!" the girl said, pausing near her teammates and dropping her body's centre of gravity, Lee moving in front of her, ready for what was to come.
"Ready, set... go!" the brunette said. The girl turned her hands in a fast, sweeping motion, spun, then thrust her hands out in front of her.
Lee was blasted forwards through the open mouth of the Susanoo and Kyuubi symbiosis. He pulled back his fist, blazing furiously with orange flames of Chakra, ready to strike at the inky defence Obito had set up.
Ami quickly followed, shooting out the open mouth of the boys' combined technique, now powering herself forward with wind currents.
Lee's knuckles struck the shield with terrible force. The barrier shuddered under the weight of his fierce blow, a deafening boom sounding through the air from Lee's sage-powered strike.
Just as Lee began to drop, Ami shifted the air belts in mid-air to spin herself as she propelled forwards, her body becoming the centre of a gigantic, vertically rotating, Senjutsu-filled wind shuriken, her regular attack's effect being amplified by the nature power and Naruto's Kyuubi energy. The girl's attack hammered into Obito's defence, cutting into his shield. Behind her, Naruto, Sasuke and the others advanced, and Ami moved down and out of the way just in time for all nine giant Rasengan to hit exactly where she had been attacking, catching Lee as she dived. The assault proved to be simply too much for Obito's guard to handle, and his shield shattered under its force. In the gap provided, Naruto and Sasuke drove Susanoo's sword. Obito swung his own at it.
Obito's blade broke.
Naruto and Sasuke's didn't.
Having struck the white-bodied man, the Chakra of all nine Jinchuuriki sealed within the Juubi Jinchuuriki's body hung out, loosened, but not yet freed. The tree stopped moving, Obito no longer able to control it.
"NOW!" Naruto ordered.
Seven of the nine Kyuubi tail ends each had Chakra from one of the nine Bijuu.
These tails linked to the appropriate Chakra hanging out of Obito, but Shukaku and the Hachibi were unable to connect, as Naruto lacked their Chakra.
Instead, Gaara, the previous Jinchuuriki of the Ichibi, gripped Shukaku's Chakra with his sand while Killer Bee grappled with the Hachibi, Gyuuki's Chakra.
All ten golden-cloaked helpers landed back on the ground, watching the massive tug-of-war for power, their sunny energy quickly dissipating, returning to the regular Kyuubi Chakra cloak form. Shikamaru immediately sent a message to everyone on the Alliance.
'Everyone! …I said that even a little power can work if used well. That time is now! Your power will change the world! Listen to me! Naruto is having a tug of war with Obito to remove the Bijuu Chakra from Obito. If he's successful and that Chakra is removed, the flower won't bloom! If he loses, Naruto dies, Obito gains the Kyuubi Chakra, that flower will bloom and it's all over! Gaara, Killer Bee and Sasuke are already helping him, but if we're going to win, we need everyone!'
Naruto beamed as the army flooded to the battle of strength and willpower, ready to aid their comrades. The same ten that had helped Naruto and Sasuke break through Obito's guard landed on top of Naruto's end of the linked tails. Ami wrapped thick cords of aqua around one of the tails to help increase her effect, heaving with everything she had, the others gripping the Chakra and tugging with all their might, their cloaks helping substantially.
Minato latched onto the tails with a hand of yellow energy and spread nine links to this arm out across the battlefield so that more soldiers had something to grip and pull. Everybody was aiding the effort to win the battle of strength. With beading brows, gritted teeth and shaking bodies, nobody was holding back. It was an all-or-nothing fight for the fate of the world itself.
After a minute that felt like forever, with a sudden rush of alleviation, the Joint Shinobi Army triumphed, and the Chakra of the Bijuus was plucked from Obito's body.
All the Bijuu but the Hachibi and Kyuubi landed on the battlefield with massive tremors and gargantuan dust clouds, still linked to Naruto and Sasuke. The part of Kurama's Chakra that Obito had had being sucked inside of Naruto, Gyuuki's returning to Killer Bee, who was currently in his transformed Bijuu state.
Obito fell to the earth, his white scales disintegrating, defeated, but still conscious.
Naruto and Sasuke released their technique and the link between Naruto and the Bijuu was severed.
The Yonbi, Son Goku, a giant ape-like Bijuu turned his head towards the blond, voice booming; "You kept your promise, Uzumaki Naruto. You actually saved us!"
Naruto saluted. "Of course, Son!"
Gyuuki chuckled as the other Bijuu eyed the Uzumaki with admiration and respect.
Sasuke raced for the collapsed Obito, drawing his sword.
Naruto's eyes widened in horror, chasing the raven. "Hey! Sasuke, wait!"
To both their surprise, the air bended and twisted above Obito, and Kakashi suddenly appeared, kunai at the ready, pointed at his former teammate, who gazed up at him weakly.
Sasuke and Naruto stopped.
"Kakashi..."
"Sasuke, we can talk later..." the masked man replied, "Sorry for showing up suddenly, but... I used to be his friend and teammate. Let me take my responsibilities."
"Kakashi sensei!" Naruto started frantically, "Now he's-!"
The silver-haired man wasn't listening. He drew back his kunai, ready to drive it into Obito's breast. Obito showed no intent of resisting. He knew he was beaten.
To the shock of both men, a hand gripped Kakashi by the wrist.
It was Minato.
The boys looked on in astonishment.
"Dad!"
Over the roars from the army egging Kakashi on, Tsunade shouted for them to wait.
Minato spoke gently to his former student. "Obito... when we were pulling each other's Chakra, I was able to see into your heart."
The white-bodied man said nothing, but his unease at this information was unmistakeable.
"My son gave you quite the lecture." the Yondaime continued, "I guess he got that from his mother."
The Uzumaki blushed slightly in embarrassment. "Dad..."
The blond man turned to face Kakashi. "But that was supposed to have been your role."
Kakashi said nothing, clearly abashed, mask or no mask.
"If there's someone here that can truly understand Obito, it is you, Kakashi. His friend."
Kakashi lowered his eyes.
Naruto looked on, in awe of his father's actions.
"Don't you think so, Naruto?"
Thee boy blinked at his father's question, then looked towards Sasuke, who stared straight ahead, seeming displeased with the decision to spare Obito.
The Uzumaki understood what his father was trying to say.
Obito and Kakashi gazed at each other in silence, their shared remorse mirrored in their faces.
"Naruto, you and the rest of the Alliance should go and support the First Hokage." Minato advised, "You have to seal Madara."
The whiskered boy jumped in shock. "Oh yeah! He's still around!" He turned and started to run, calling back to his friend and leaving the three men alone to talk, "Let's go, Sasuke!"
The Uzumaki scaled the deactivated tree in a series of jumps, and formed a seal at the sight of Madara down on the battleground. Two Kage Bunshin appeared, and together they formed a giant Rasenshuriken with their original.
In the darkness of the night, a singing light shone brilliantly at the treetop.
The beacon of hope.
Naruto.
I wasn't sure of how to incorporate Ami and Neji into the attack on Obito's shield. I hope it doesn't seem too clumsy. :S
As always, constructive criticism is more than welcome, and thank you for reading! :D