I really love writing this fic, it's definitely one of my favorites! I'm honestly super picky about my writing because I hate when what I write doesn't make sense. Even with these AU concepts, I still want it to flow and have a degree of credibility. That being said, I feel like so far I've done a decent job with the content, but I'm always trying to improve upon it.
If you haven't already done so, please review! It really helps to see if there's elements of this fic that can be improved upon, and I am very open to feedback. Anywaysss, before I ramble on any further, let's get back into this! Enjoy!
"Naruto, you're easily the most troublesome person I've ever met. I swear...fighting that masked man with just three other people is ridiculous!"
Shikamaru was rubbing his face irately after hearing back from HQ, who had informed the shinobi forces that Naruto and Killer B were fighting the fake Madara, Tobi, or whatever he called himself with Kakashi and Gai. He didn't really know what to say to his blonde friend, who looked at him sheepishly.
"What can I say Shika, I have a lot to do with the little time given to me. Plus, you shouldn't worry so much, the original me is indestructible right now!" Naruto said brightly, but the Nara was not amused.
"Baka," the spiky haired boy exclaimed, "you may not die, but the kyuubi is still inside of you. If that man gets both you and B-dono, then we have no chance of winning this war. Everyone needs to assist you immediately just like my dad said - oi, don't give me that look!"
Naruto groaned, turning to Ino and Choji for help, but they agreed with Shikamaru wholeheartedly. "Look, I won't let Kurama go, you don't have to worry about it. There's no way that Tobi can get him without going through me first y'know."
Shikamaru knew that Naruto was strong, but he was still skeptical. "Look, he's already captured seven of the bijuu and killed eight jinchuriki if you count Gaara. Tobi isn't weak and he now has the power of seven of the strongest creatures to ever exist. How are you four going to handle that?"
"Hmm," mused Naruto, "I don't know, but have some faith in them Shika. Plus, this division is moving towards the original me's location anyways, so it should be fine. Honestly, if anyone could fight the tailed beasts head on it would be a jinchuriki, there's nobody else who can do it."
Ino cut in with an indignant huff, smacking her fellow blonde lightly. "How the hell can you two do that anyways? Last time I checked Naruto, you weren't able to handle the kyuubi chakra."
"I know, which is why I trained to use Kurama's chakra after fighting Pain." The trio's eyes widened in surprise, and Naruto gave them a sheepish look. "Look, I was going to tell Tsunade obaa-chan when I had everything under control, but by that point it was too late. Plus, fuzzy didn't want me to risk my reputation considering how everyone hates him. Sure, I could've brought it up earlier, but do you really think anyone would've supported my decision? Kurama's chakra isn't easy to control, so obviously there would have been a ton of restrictions holding me back."
"As much as I hate to say this," Shikamaru sighed lazily, "he's right. It's not like we can do anything about it anyways, and at this point, he's our biggest advantage. Honestly, this is such a pain to think about, you really know how to make things more complicated, don't you Naruto?"
The blonde rolled his eyes and stuck his tongue out, but before he could retort, a loud yell informed everyone to gather together. The division was about to move out, and he turned to Shikamaru, Ino, and Choji, who were discussing something among themselves. It was at this point that Naruto knew that they would be ok, that after this war ended, the Ino-Shika-Cho triad would support and grow up together without him.
He sighed happily, flashing them a blinding smile. "I think it's time for me to dispel, the original me needs as much chakra as possible."
"What? We need you here with us Naruto, the original you has enough in his reserves...right?" Ino asked hesitantly, and Choji nodded in agreement.
"Well," Naruto laughed, "I'm pretty sure that it's the opposite. I think the clones have been drawing on a lot more chakra from Kurama, it's safer for me to go right now."
He turned to Shikamaru, who was frowning slightly, and the blonde rolled his eyes before throwing his arms around his friends shoulders jovially. "Relax you guys. As much as I hate to say it...you can't rely on me during this war. Don't forget that I'm still under Shinigami-sama's control. Anyways...the original me needs all the help he can get, so get going! I'll see you soon."
Before they could say anything, Naruto crumbled away in the wind, leaving behind three very confused shinobi.
Sasuke Uchiha was many things.
He was a traitor to his village, an S-ranked criminal, and an ex-member of the Akatsuki. Looking back at his life, he had realized that his older brother, Itachi, was always there to look out for him. It enraged Sasuke to his very core when he learned the truth behind the Uchiha massacre, how his entire clan was killed primarily due to Danzo.
Needless to say, killing him made the young Uchiha feel good. Sasuke felt powerful when he finally took down the man who had single-handedly destroyed so many lives just for his own personal gains.
The dark haired shinobi hated Konoha, and he was going to destroy it to avenge Itachi. He hoped that Danzo and the Sandaime Hokage would watch everything they worked on be destroyed, and Sasuke felt a sick sense of satisfaction as he imagined taking down the very village he grew up in.
A village his older brother protected so fiercely.
However, he knew that someone would stop him from achieving his goal. Naruto, who had a childhood filled with loneliness, would protect Konoha with his dying breath, and the challenge excited Sasuke. He would sever his ties completely, showing the blonde that they were never equals.
Sasuke's heart was filled with hate: he hated everyone who stood in his way, who made his life miserable for their own progress. He hated Naruto for trying to stop him, but at the same time, he could never truly hate his best friend.
It didn't matter though. Sasuke was hurt, so hurt that the pain was numbing. He had no physical wounds, but the mental ones were too much to handle. Not only had the young Uchiha watched his reanimated brother die again, but he had also confirmed the truth with Itachi. Currently, he had been travelling with Orochimaru, Jugo, Karin, and Suigetsu, and he decided that rather than destroy the village, he would get the answers he needed.
Which was why Sasuke found himself looking at the first four Hokages, who were currently confused and in a daze from being reanimated. Hashirama and Tobirama were arguing like children, and Hiruzen was confronting Orochimaru for bringing the kages back.
Sasuke looked at the Yondaime, who bore a resemblance far too close to another blonde he knew. Minato was taken aback by the dark haired shinobi's calculating gaze, and he raised his hand sheepishly. "Ah, hello. It seems that we have been brought back to do..err..something."
The Sandaime stroked his beard, troubled to see Sasuke with his former student. "It seems we have. Orochimaru, what have you done now? Do you intend to have us fight against Konoha?"
The snake sannin smiled ominously, shaking his head before turning to the young Uchiha. "I would like to see where the wind blows rather than force it to change direction. Sasuke Uchiha is the one who wanted to talk to you all, and he will choose whether you turn on Konoha or not. I could care less either way."
The Niidaime glared at Sasuke, but was stopped by his older brother, who gave him a disappointed look. "Tobirama, stop losing your temper! Honestly, of all people...be quiet and listen to him."
"Well," interrupted Minato, "I hate to stop you Sasuke, but I was wondering if you knew where my son Naruto was? Can I...see him?"
Of all things he expected to hear, the young Uchiha didn't expect that the Yondaime would bring up the dobe, and he certainly couldn't understand how he hadn't seen it before. Naruto was pretty much a spitting image of his father, and to think that the village who adored and worshipped their Hokage were so blind as to not make the connection early on...it was embarrassing.
"I don't know where Naruto is, but it doesn't matter right now. I have questions that you all have to answer, and then I'll decide what to do." Sasuke said coldly, noting how the Niidaime was especially angry with him for some odd reason.
This was going to be a long, long conversation.
The conversation Naruto had with the bijuu revealed many things to him.
All in all, it reinforced his decision to free the tailed beasts, who had whole heartedly thanked him and accepted what he was offering. Naruto and Kurama decided that when they were free, he would apply the seal and lock it in place with his blood. If the blonde was right, the seal he created would not only keep the bijuu's chakra hidden, but it would also prevent them from being sealed.
Naruto turned to the tailed beasts with a smile, and they looked at the young boy before them with a singular thought in mind - the Rikudo Sennin had finally returned.
Kurama nudged his host lightly. "Gaki, we need to go." Naruto groaned, walking to the kitsune and resting on his muzzle. The other bijuu were amazed - no human had ever befriended the kyuubi, the most powerful and stubborn tailed beast. To see the fox being so comfortable with a kid...it was a little heartwarming.
"Bye!" yelled Naruto. "I promise to free you all, just give me some time!"
His vision faded, and it was like no time had passed at all. The rods were yanked out, and the bijuu were dragged back in to the statue, but Naruto had done it. He forced the masked man back, and Kakashi felt his heart burst from how proud he was of his student.
A wave of debris flooded the area, filling the place with dust and making it very hard to see. Naruto stood in front of his sensei and Gai, his chakra being replenished fast enough for him to still be in kyuubi mode. Gyuki and B were backing them up, and the blonde, with his keen senses, smirked at the sight in front of him.
Tobi was shaking.
The masked man who paraded as Madara, who killed his parents and ruined his childhood would regret crossing Naruto Uzumaki. The blonde stood before the man with a determined look etched across his face. "Tobi," Naruto said firmly, "you will not get your way, and you will definitely not ruin the lives of all the shinobi fighting against you. After everything you've done to my parents, Jiraiya-sensei, and Konoha...I will do everything to stop you!"
To everyone's surprise, the mask adorning Tobi's face began falling apart, revealing a face that Kakashi could never forget. "O-Obito? Is it really you?"
Obito didn't respond, opting to look at the silver haired man with the most hostile look he could garner. "It seems that I have to deal with you yet again. Haven't you already realized that struggling is pointless Kakashi?"
Gai knew the situation just got fifteen times worse, and his eternal rival was not faring well. The green spandex clad jonin knew Kakashi very well, and the man was on the verge of passing out from seeing his dead teammate alive again.
Naruto hated that he had no time to comfort his sensei or to understand what the hell was going on because right now, he had to do the most he could to help everyone out. The blonde held his hands up, dispelling the clones he had sent because he could sense everyone gathering nearby. As he did so, Kurama had been talking to him about something he hadn't considered to be an issue.
"Look," began the kitsune, "I don't like this. As much as I hate to admit it, we need a better plan. The Nara that's instructing everyone...we need to be in contact with him. Send a clone to the HQ, it can relay messages through the tailed beast plane to contact us. You might as well send a couple clones while you're at it, they can meditate far away so you can enter sennin mode immediately whenever you need to."
Naruto mentally nodded, and he formed five clones who inconspicuously left the area to find Shikaku and the others. The meditation plan was a very good one, and considering how it had helped when he fought Pain...it would be a huge advantage to have over the Uchiha.
When the dust had completely settled, the blonde saw Madara standing near Obito, and his heart dropped. He had made sure two clones stayed with the five kages, and if the older Uchiha was here right now...
Naruto's head pounded, a violent current of rage coursing through him as several possibilities ran through his head. His clones hadn't dispersed yet, so if that was the case, they could be helping the kages. If Madara left them alive, Naruto had faith in his bunshins, who would protect the five leaders without fail.
Gritting his teeth, Naruto's eyes blazed with unbridled hatred, startling Gai and Kakashi. The blonde ran towards Madara, creating a small, Rasengan sized bijuudama in his hand to slam into the reanimation.
"Dead men don't have any right to come back and ruin people's lives!" he snarled, watching in horror as Madara's war fan absorbed his attack.
"Who are you to tell me that?" questioned the Uchiha lightly. "Get out of my way - Uchiha Reflection!"
A massive shockwave blasted throughout the area, throwing rocks everywhere and changing the landscape yet again. Naruto stood firmly in the ground, patiently waiting for his chance to attack Madara. "I see you still stand kyuubi jinchuriki," drawled the Uchiha, "and I have to say, your persistence is admirable. I, however, am running out of patience - give up before things get worse."
"As if I'm going to listen to you. We're both dead baka, shut up and keep your ideals to yourself!" Naruto spit out forcefully, his eyes flashing red for a mere instant.
Madara smirked. "If that's what you want, then let me show you something that stopped the kyuubi many years ago. Hashirama's wooden dragon will end your silly ravings and shut you up." He raised his hands, and a blue shroud enveloped him as a giant dragon rose, making it's way to Naruto.
The blonde activated his tailed beast mode, immediately morphing with the kyuubi and biting the dragon's neck. He didn't notice the Uchiha smile at him victoriously, as if he had already won, and by that point, Naruto had been too late to realize what was happening. The wood trapped him, draining his chakra steadily, and he found the tailed beast mode fading away.
Gyuki, who was holding an injured Gai, was watching this with wide eyes, as he too was trapped by wood bindings. Madara was approaching him with a sword, reading to cut through him and extract the Hachibi. Kakashi was busy dealing with Obito, his emotions interfering with the task at hand as he found himself at the verge of death.
"No!" growled Naruto, "Not on my watch!" With his extended arms from Kurama mode, the blonde shielded both Gyuki and Kakashi, his expression reminding Obito of Minato.
At that moment, a beacon of red light shot into the sky, and both Gyuki and Kurama knew what was happening. "Naruto, the ten-tails is awakening...we need to form a bijuudama now! Make a clone to stay with Kakashi, we have more important matters to deal with!"
The blonde formed the kage bunshin, rushing over to Gyuki before activating his tailed beast mode. Meanwhile, the clone he created was currently with Kakashi, but the main focus was definitely not them.
"Naruto," began the Hachibi, "we absolutely can't let the ten-tails out, it's too powerful and volatile. Start making the bijuudama, we can release it at the same time and get a hit in."
Kurama snorted. "Are you scared Gyuki?"
The octopus-like bijuu didn't respond, opting to form the bijuudama, which Naruto began doing as well. They put everything they had into it, making the beast bomb as big as possible.
Only, it didn't work.
The Shinigami had been watching patiently as he sent Naruto to do his bidding.
He was biding his time, waiting so that he could use the blonde as the puppet that he was. Naruto, in striking a deal with the death reaper, had essentially allowed the Shinigami to use him as he wished.
So far, Naruto had the freedom to do as he pleased, but not for long. In due time, the balance between life and death would only be ascertained by the death god, who was waiting for the right moment to do so.
The Shinigami didn't care if Naruto would be made to kill his comrades. If he willed it, then the blonde jinchuriki would do as he said, without question. This was the ultimate trump card, making the Edo Tensei that much more powerful.
With a chilling grin, the reaper of the dead continued to watch his puppet, waiting for the right time to strike out.
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