Sorry for not publishing a chapter sooner! I'm going to make this one longer, hopefully it can sorta make up for the lost time :)
I always wanted to clarify the timeline, just in case it's a little confusing:
- The sequence of events starts with the normal Pain arc, leading to Naruto and Hinata dating for roughly five months
- In this time, Naruto and Kurama come up with the failsafe and are able to keep their friendship a secret from everyone
- Team 7 encounters Tobi and Zetsu at the end of those 5 months and captures Naruto, then they attempt to extract the kyuubi - the result is only getting a small portion of the kyuubi chakra due to Naruto's failsafe
- one and half ish weeks later, the five villages are allied and the 4th Shinobi War starts soon afterwards. I hope that clears things up a bit!
Also, fair warning before this starts: there's a lot of NaruHina fluff in the first half LOL! You've been warned :)
Enjoy!
Naruto watched his girlfriend in amusement, relishing every second he got to spend with the dark haired beauty.
Without hesitation, he snaked an arm around Hinata's waist, tugging her toward his chest. She blushed, looking up at him shyly before snuggling into his toned body. At the moment, their division had been delayed because they were dangerously low on supplies, so everyone had to wait a bit longer before going to the original Naruto's location.
"Hinata," the blonde whispered into his lover's ear, "I'm sorry that I left...I know I promised to never leave you, but-"
The lavender eyed girl looked up at him with a small smile gracing her face. "Naruto-kun, don't worry about it. I...I won't lie and say that I'm not angry with you, but I can never stay mad for to long - I love you too much for that."
Naruto leaned down and kissed his girlfriend softly. "I don't deserve you hime, you let me get away with everything. Anyways, we both need to get some things off our minds - you go first."
The Hyuuga heiress wrapped her arms around her boyfriend's shoulders, resting her head in the crook of his neck while he held her tightly. "If I say what I really want to say, you're going to be upset with me."
"Hey," Naruto murmured comfortingly, "you know you can tell me anything. Remember what I said before? I can never stop loving you, no matter what you do or say, you have my heart in your hands - I promise I won't be upset."
"If you're so sure, then I'll be honest." Hinata said quietly, "Naruto-kun...after you d-died, I couldn't bear living without you. I-I wanted to be with you, so I tried to..."
The pale eyed girl burst into tears, and Naruto put his hands on his girlfriend's cheeks, looking into her watery eyes with concern. "It's ok, just let it all out. If you were gone, I wouldn't be able to live with myself either, and if I say anything else I'd be a hypocrite. I want you to be happy, and you still have the rest of our friends around you for support...promise me Hinata, say you won't be reckless during the war."
Having calmed down a little, she sniffled miserably before tightening her hold on him. "I-I don't know." Hinata whispered, "I've loved you for so long that not having you by my side is killing me - if I don't die physically, I'll die mentally. Please...don't leave me, take me with you when you leave Naruto-kun."
"Hime," Naruto said gently as he cuddled his girlfriend, "the place I'm going to after this isn't fun. Shinigami-sama will have a hold on my soul, which means I'll be stuck in oblivion forever. That's not a fate I would want for anyone, especially the woman I love. I won't let you die because I'm gone Hinata, please...there's so much you have left to do. You still need to reform your clan, remember?"
"B-But," Hinata stuttered, "my clan has Neji nii-san, he'll change the Hyuuga for the better, and he can do it without me. Hanabi is also there in case he needs the main family's support, they never needed me in the first place."
The blonde sighed deeply, and he was getting more uneasy as the conversation progressed. His lover wasn't even remotely concerned with her own well-being, and it was all his fault. Naruto felt like if he hadn't died, Hinata wouldn't be so careless about her life...they could've been so happy together, but it was no longer possible because of his mistakes.
"You know that isn't true, and Neji would agree with me. The Hyuuga need you because your heart is strong, and the love you have for the branch family and the main family is what will bring the two together. Knowing that the heiress of their clan wants to reunite both sides will be a big deal, and don't tell me that it isn't. Hime...what happened to your resolve?" Naruto said carefully, watching Hinata as several emotions flickered across her face.
"I don't know," her pales eyes shifted to look at his cerulean ones, ignoring the black surrounding them as they were another reminder of his death. "I don't know anything anymore because I can't live without you. You...you make me complete, I feel so happy and loved when I'm with you. When you died, a huge part of me died too, and I feel so..so empty and lost."
Naruto wasn't one to dislike many things, but something he decided he truly hated was seeing his girlfriend upset. The blonde didn't know what to say to her declaration, opting to hold her closer while he thought things through.
"You know," he said sadly, "Ero-sennin once told me that the life of a shinobi is usually short because of how dangerous their lifestyles can be. He also told me that when I found the woman I loved, I should make sure she knew about my feelings immediately because the chances that I wouldn't see her the next day were high, especially since I'm a jinchuriki. His death was so hard on me, but after seeing how badly it affected Tsunade obaa-chan...she loved Ero-sennin so much, but never got around to telling him that. When we started dating, I told myself that I would be honest about how I felt so that you knew how much you meant to me, but five months wasn't long enough. But...it was plenty of time for me to realize something."
Hinata noted how Naruto seemed nervous, and she squeezed his arm gently to reassure him. Suddenly, the blonde jinchuriki untangled himself from their embrace, and he grabbed both her hands while looking into his eyes intensely, causing the lavender eyed beauty to blush.
"Hime," he said seriously, "I think it was probably a week into our relationship when I realized that you...you were my future. I couldn't imagine anyone else that I'd want to spend the rest of my life with, to have a family and grow old together with. It didn't take long for me to fall in love with you so hard, so strongly that it physically hurt for me to be away from you. Hey...don't cry, please Hinata, I hate seeing you upset."
The Hyuuga heiress was sobbing, and even as Naruto held her face to kiss her tears away, she couldn't help but feel more empty inside. "N-Naruto-kun...why tell me this now?"
The blonde gently put a finger under her chin and tilted her head upward, letting her see the dazzling smile on his face. "I'm telling you this because when I was alive, I told myself that when we were a little older, I would propose to you. That plan was a bust so...well, err...how do you feel about marrying a dead guy?"
"What?" Hinata's eyes widened, and her brain was working overtime to come up with something to say. "You...want to marry me...huh?"
Naruto laughed, his eyes softening as his arms found their way to her waist. "You will always have a part of me in your heart, but giving you my last name is proof that I'll stay with you forever. You know my nindo: when I make a promise, I'll stop at nothing to fulfill it. Hinata Uzumaki...god, it sounds so nice saying that. Please don't give up hime, live for me, live for us."
The dark haired beauty was silently thinking about what her boyfriend had just said. He loved her so much that he couldn't bear to see her die for his sake, but where would that leave her? Konoha was only a reminder of what Hinata lost, but she knew that the village meant everything to Naruto. His dreams of being the Hokage was now passed on to her, and the Hyuuga heiress was determined to fulfill her love's wishes. Another part of her was confused as to how she would marry him in the first place considering he was dead, but that could be figured out later.
Hinata looked at Naruto with teary eyes, and he immediately wrapped her up in his arms, noting that their division was about to move out again. "I know it's difficult, and I'm sorry for that. There's also another benefit that comes with marrying me, but remember, it's not why I want to marry you. Taking on the Uzumaki name means you get all my assets, which means all the scrolls and other random junk I left behind. Who knows...if you ever have or adopt a child, you can pass my techniques on to them."
"What?" the Hyuuga heiress breathed out in shock, "I would never be with another man, there's no one but you Naruto-kun. Maybe...maybe I'll adopt a child, and I'll tell them about you - after all, you would be their father, right?"
His eyes were a little watery, and Hinata's subtle way of accepting his proposal made his heart soar. "I'm so happy hime, seriously...I love you so much. There's also a very special scroll that I have, but it's for your eyes only. I can't tell you what it is, but know that I would never pressure you to do anything you didn't want to do. If you decide against what's in the scroll, it's ok because when the time comes, you will know what to do."
And just like that, Naruto was able to calm his girlfriend down while simultaneously turning her life upside down for the millionth time. This was the promise of a lifetime - to be by Hinata's side forever through an unbreakable bond, to pledge his love and life to her and her alone.
Naruto grabbed Hinata's hand, squeezing it gently before silently swearing to protect the smile on her face for as long as he could before leaving her again. As they reassembled with Team 9 and Team 8, the blonde felt a familiar feeling in his chest and he stopped abruptly.
"Naruto-kun?" the lavender eyed girl asked with concern, "what's wrong?"
He grinned at her before looking at his friends happily, but they seemed to be more alarmed as they saw him crumble right before their eyes. "Don't worry, the original Naruto is dispelling me, probably so he can conserve his chakra. You guys won't be too far from him now, just...be careful, ok?"
Hinata willed her tears back as she knew that there would no longer be time to talk to her love, but a small smile graced her face as she watched him fade away in the wind.
"This...this is really, really bad."
Kakashi Hatake, the famed copy ninja of Konoha, was shaking like a leaf at the sight of the monster than appeared before him. The Juubi roared ferociously, scaring the absolute shit out of the seasoned jonin, who had glanced over to see Gai in the same position as him. The massive beast's singular Sharingan twitched, and it opened it jaws again, displaying its terrifying, jagged teeth.
The tailed beast forms of Naruto and Killer B stood side by side, each mentally communicating with their respective bijuu to discuss the situation they were in. "Naruto," informed Kurama, "the Juubi is on another level than the rest of the tailed beasts. It doesn't have any emotions or feelings - it's a real monster in that sense, but it only gets worse from there. The ten-tails is nature energy itself, it can't be sensed...see, you can feel it right?"
His bunshin had ended Kurama mode in favor of trying to use sennin mode, and the blonde immediately began sweating bullets at what he felt. "You really weren't kidding...there's just so much everywhere, how the hell are we going to defeat it?"
"Oi," Gyuki said aloud, "Kurama...can we really do this?"
"Hmmph, don't tell me you're scared now. By the way, give me that eyesore..err...I mean Gai - I can heal him. Naruto, your clone and Kakashi can come up here to. It'll be too dangerous to stay on the ground at this point, there's nothing stopping the Juubi from destroying us all within an instant." The kitsune teased his brother, but internally, he was also worried. Humanity's future could end if they didn't stop Obito and Madara, but taking those two down were much harder than he anticipated.
Kakashi and Gai exchanged grim looks, both feeling useless as they were unable to do anything at the moment. Unfortunately, the Juubi decided to make a move, and the beast roared yet again, stomping towards them with alarming speed considering how massive it was.
"Kurama, Gyuki, let's go!" Naruto yelled determinedly, and both the bijuu rushed forward, evading the claw that swiped at them by just an inch. Kurama roared furiously, and he began running toward the damned creature as fast as possible, jumping high in the air in an attempt to crush the Juubi's eye.
Unfortunately, the ten-tails swatted the fox away like he was a bug, but he didn't realize the Hachibi coming up around him, a black ball of energy being formed in his mouth. The Juubi looked up in the air to see the Kyuubi doing the same thing, and the two bijuu unleashed their synchronized attack.
"Tailed Beast - Bomb Barrage!" Balls of red shot out of their mouths rapidly, each one carrying an intense amount of power as they made their way to their target.
The Juubi looked irritated, and it puffed its mouth out before opening it completely, amassing a dark red ball that made Kurama nervous. "This is really bad, we need to dodge right now, you too Gyuki!"
Naruto didn't think twice about his friend's words as he threw himself to the side, barely managing to avoid the red laser that nearly obliterated them out of existence. The chakra that the tailed beast mode used was so high, and the only reason he held out so well was because he was an Edo Tensei - considering what he and Kurama were about to do, he thanked his lucky stars that he was dead.
Gyuki rolled up into a ball, his tentacles protecting himself while Kurama's tails did the same, and the red laser that hit them was deflected successfully. When the dust cleared, Gai sighed in relief before looking over at Kakashi, and he quickly became alarmed when he saw his friend missing.
"Nice! You got them in very close gaki, let's just hope they can hit the Juubi." The kitsune muttered, hoping with his whole heart that their plan would work.
In the distance, the Naruto clone and Kakashi fell down in the air, and the silver haired jonin activated his Kamui immediately, bringing out the Hachibi in his full form.
"This should get his eye - let's go B!" Gyuki spit out a bijuudama, aiming it right at the Juubi's eye, but to his surprise, the creature swatted it right back at him. Before the shock could fully settle in, the octopus-like bijuu was thrown backwards, grunting in pain as he took in his own attack.
Naruto's eyes widened in disbelief, and he turned to see Kakashi in the way of the ten-tail's warpath. Without hesitation, he smacked his sensei hard on the back, sending him flying out of harm's way while he took the brunt of the attack. Though the Edo Tensei made his bunshins more durable, there was nothing he could do when the explosion from the bijuudama and the Juubi's tail hit his clone, dispelling it instantly.
Kurama and Naruto leaped in the air, grabbing Kakashi before stopping Gyuki, who was skidding along the ground. Killer B came out of his tailed beast mode just like the blonde jinchuriki beside him, panting and huffing from the strain of using so much chakra. Naruto closed his eyes, finding himself in front of the fox, who looked worse for wear.
"Naruto," the kitsune huffed irately, "I hate to say this, but you need to use the Sage of Six Paths mode. One of the clones you sent to fight Madara used it, and from what I can tell, jiji was right because it lasts longer than the other forms you've used so far. However, just as I told your bunshin, you need to be careful - this mode gives you control of all elemental manipulations, so it's easier for your jutsu to form because there's so much chakra behind it. That means you can take even more risks, which means using new jutsu. Don't give me that look - it worked with your clone, it'll definitely work for you. I'll tell you the handsigns when the time comes, just make sure you're always on high alert."
"I don't know how it's going to work, but I trust you on this. Besides, I still need to get the seals on the other bijuu. With them trapped in the Gedo Mazo, who knows when the chance will come for me to get it on them. Honestly...even though we worked really hard on the seals and you told me it would work, I can't help but feel worried. If it works, then Madara and Obito won't succeed, but if it doesn't-"
"Idiot, don't be so pessimistic. It will work, just have faith in our efforts Naruto, and right now, focus on getting into the Sage of Six Paths mode. Are you ready?"
"Duh." Naruto playfully scoffed at his friend, his eyes softening after seeing the fox smile at him. "You know, for what it's worth, I'm glad I was your container - I don't think there's anyone else I'd rather have had sealed into me."
The kitsune, who didn't know how to take compliments for the life of him, growled at the blonde. "As if you had a choice...and stop being so mushy with me!"
"Oh please...your stubbornness is just as bad as mine. I guess that's why we get along so well, right?" Naruto rolled his eyes at the bijuu, who was glaring at him half-heartedly.
"Yeah, yeah, fine...we're getting off topic! I'm going to meditate for as long as possible, and your chakra refills so quickly that using the Sage of Six Paths mode shouldn't be to much of a problem. Let's do this!" Kurama lowered his hand down to Naruto's height, offering his fist to the very first human he befriended.
The blonde grinned, eagerly fist bumping the fox before opening his eyes to find that not much time had passed. He walked in front of Kakashi, B, and Gai looking at Madara and Obito defiantly. The Uchihas sat perched atop the Juubi, and they both looked down at him like he was nothing more than a pest.
"A tenacious lot, aren't they? When will you stop trying to fight your fate Naruto Uzumaki - give up!" Madara snarled, his patience evaporating at the mere sight of the annoying brat who was stopping him.
"I don't think so." Naruto looked up at the two, focusing his attention on Obito, whose blank face made him angrier. "I am tired of this - one dead geezer and another supposedly dead weirdo come back to do what, take over the world? Is this was the Uchiha clan stoops to? Are all you bastards moody and broody, because let me tell you something. This is my last and final warning to the both of you - will you end this madness or not?"
Kakashi and Gai gaped at his brash words, and the steely look in the blonde's eyes even made them think that he could take down their opponents. The silver haired jonin looked at his old teammate, and he felt conflicted about what to do. On one hand, Obito had committed so many crimes - he had been the one to unleash the Kyuubi in Konoha, which killed Minato sensei, Kushina, and hundreds of people, leaving nothing but misery in his path. But how could Kakashi kill the man who had once saved his life, a man who had been his comrade and friend? This was the very same person who gifted him his Sharingan, and had it not been for Obito, he wouldn't be known as Konoha's copy ninja.
Naruto focused on Madara and Obito, who looked at him with snarky expressions, and that was all it took for him to know what their answer was. A powerful surge of chakra filled the area, and the blonde began transforming in front of everyone's eyes. The Rikudo Sennin's gift to him was not one he would take lightly, and he mentally prepared himself for what he was about to do. As Asura Otsutsuki's reincarnation, he would make sure this war ended so that peace would be reinstated.
Kakashi's eyes widened as he watched his former student transform right in front of his eyes. "He looks just like Minato sensei!"
Donning a black shirt and matching pants, Naruto was practically glowing as his golden coat billowed out behind him. His blue eyes were now orange, both sporting horizontal and vertical slits, and the black sclera surrounding it made him more intimidating. Seven black orbs formed an arc over his head, and his hitai-ate sash was floating up in the air. The jinchuriki's chakra was warm, but it also screamed danger...it was an incredible transformation, that's for sure.
"Naruto," whispered Gai, "y-you...what is this? I'm all for youthfulness...but even I can only take so much!"
Naruto smiled at the green spandex clad jonin, but his eyes were serious. "This is a new mode I got with Kurama's help...don't worry about it Bushy Brow sensei. All you need to know is that I'll stop at nothing to end this war, as long as I'm here, these idiots won't get their way."
A stunned silence followed, but the blonde had other plans. He had been freaking out internally, frantically communicating with the kitsune to figure out a plan. "Kurama! Did you talk to those clones I sent to HQ? We need Shika's dad to figure something out soon, and considering how I have sennin mode already, I'll leave one and dispel the rest. Sound good?"
"No, that doesn't sound good." The kitsune said quickly, forgoing his grumpiness considering how desperate the situation was. "This mode isn't permanent gaki, you won't be able to use it for as long as you think you can. Having those clones in sennin mode is good since you've already practiced dispelling them individually after fighting Pain - think of it as a backup plan. I told one of the bunshins about what's going on, he'll get back to me soon. We need to stall the Juubi for as long as possible...the Nara will come up with something, I'm sure of it."
They were brought out of their conversation when the ten-tails began gathering another red ball of chakra in its mouth, and Naruto's eyes widened in fear for his friends, who wouldn't be able to withstand the laser-like attack. The blonde got into a defensive position, shielding Kakashi, Gai, and B, but to his surprise, the Juubi's attack missed.
"Well, I guess that works too. It's a good thing that I dispelled all the other clones I sent out, looks like the rest of the shinobi alliance should be coming right about...now." Naruto turned around, watching as all the divisions were slowly gathering together, gaping at the Juubi that stood before them.
Ino was panting, her eyes wide in disbelief as Neji patted her back awkwardly. "Unbelievable...he shook off my Byakugan aided Mind Transfer within seconds!"
Naruto glanced at his friends, who were dumbfounded by yet another ridiculously overpowering mode the blonde was displaying. Hinata was more surprised to see her...fiancé practically floating in the air, and using her dojutsu, her jaw dropped at how potent his chakra was.
"This is insane," Kiba squawked indignantly, "his smell changed again...Hinata, is his chakra bigger now?"
The Hyuuga heiress nodded dumbly, taking in the sight before her. Naruto was currently standing in front of the entire shinobi alliance, and they were all lucky that Madara was humoring their efforts by holding back. If he really wanted to, the Uchiha could've attacked them again...it was a miracle that they were alive.
Kurama chimed in, giving Naruto the instructions that Shikaku had already given to the rest of the Shinobi Alliance, who were currently rushing around the battlefield. "Ok brat, listen carefully. Your clone said that the plan right now is to not give them any chances to counterattack, so I say you go all out...but not entirely. Kumo will use their signature lightning attacks to blind the Juubi, and then Suna will blind it. Iwa will immobilize it in the ground, cover them in quickslime, which Kiri will activate with water. Konoha will add the fire, trapping the monster in a cement like structure. The two of us are going right after the ten-tails...the bunshin will tell me when to throw your Rasenshuriken, so get ready!"
He watched in awe as the hidden villages worked in tandem, coordinating their attacks perfectly and working together without any arguments. He knew Ero-sennin was watching this from wherever that pervert was, and he was sure that his beloved godfather could rest peacefully knowing that the Elemental Nations were coming together as one.
"Do it now!" Kurama yelled mentally, and Naruto immediately summoned an army of clones, who each began forming his new version of the Rasenshuriken that had a tremendous amount of power behind it.
The blonde and his bunshins jumped down into the hole. "Odama Rasenshuriken!" they yelled simultaneously, throwing the condensed chakra right at Madara, Obito, and the Juubi. Each clone was dispelled, leaving the original Naruto floating in the air to make sure his attacks hit.
He knew something was very, very wrong the second Madara smirked, and that was when all hell broke loose.
The Shinigami was not in the best mood.
Sure, he was immortal and had lived for hundreds and hundreds of years, but even the reaper of the dead could be impatient. His puppet, Naruto Uzumaki, had been doing his bidding quite well - the imbalance of life and death was slowly adjusting, the scales heading toward an equilibrium - but not quite yet.
It was not enough. Orochimaru of the Sannin had meddled with things he shouldn't have messed with, and now, four of his best souls were freed from his grasp. Saying the Shinigami was irritated was a massive understatement...he was furious.
This of course, meant Naruto would need to gather more souls for his consumption. Of course, he only wanted one - Madara Uchiha. Just the thought of having his soul gave the reaper of the dead great joy. Madara held so many strong emotions: hate, anger, betrayal, and the list went on and on.
Having such a delectable treat dangled in front of him, the Shinigami decided that he would take it as payment for what the snake from Konoha had done. His puppet was just that - a marionette with strings that could be tugged and rearranged to do whatever the immortal being wished for.
Naruto was going to find that making a deal with the death god was a big mistake, and the Shinigami couldn't wait to see the mortals despair over their hero being forced to do things he wasn't in control of.
With a dark chuckle, he continued to watch the war, eager for it to end so his plan would go into action.
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