Naruto: Uchiha no Densetsu


Chapter 32: Prepared to Die


Timeline of the story so far: (PLEASE DO READ THIS!)

Age XXX5- Kaguya and her partner come to Earth, Age XXX5- Kaguya left her partner on the verge of death, Age XXX6- Hagoromo and Hamura are born, Age XX27- Kaguya is sealed, Age XX32- Indra and Asura are born, Age XX71- Hagoromo dies, Age XX81- Hamura dies, Age X104- Indra and Asura die. (circumstances of their death will be revealed soon enough)

Age 1272- Konoha is formed by Hashirama(age 20) and Madara(age20); Hashirama elected as 1st Hokage; Age 1274- Madara leaves the village; Hashirama and Madara have their battle at valley of the end and reconcile; Madara assures to protect the village they made from the shadows.

Age 1286- 1st Shinobi War starts, Age 1290- The three Sannin are born, Age 1291- Hashirama(age 39) dies; Madara begins to investigate Hashirama's death; Tobirama(age 38) appointed as 2nd Hokage, Age 1292- Tobirama(age 39) dies, Hiruzen(age25) appointed 3rd Hokage; 1st Shinobi War is over.

Age 1296- Minato is born; Sannin graduate from Konoha Academy, Age 1301- Madara leaves Minato(age 5) in Konoha; Nagato is born.

Age 1308- 2nd Shinobi War starts; Team Jiraiya(age 18) is formed with Minato under his command; Minato tells Jiraiya and Hiruzen about his father, Age 1310- Madara(age58) is dead; Nagato's(age 9) parents get killed, Nagato meets with Yahiko and Konan, Age 1311- Jiraiya meets Nagata, Yahiko and Konan; Nagato awakens rinnegan, Age 1314- 2nd Shinobi War is over; Minato(age18) meets with Jiraiya, Nagato(age 13), Yahiko(age 13) and Konan(age 13) in Amegakure; Akatsuki with Yahiko as its leader is formed.

Age 1316- 3rd Shinobi War starts, Age 1317- 3rd Shinobi War is over; Obito Uchiha(age 12) assumed to be KIA by Konoha; Obito found by Jigen; Minato(age 21) appointed as 4th Hokage; Orochimaru defects from Konoha.

Age 1318- Tobi and Jigen approach Nagato(age 17); Yahiko gets killed; Jiraiya and Minato hear news of Nagato, Yahiko and Konan's death, Age 1319- Kyubi attack on Konoha village; Kushina Uzumaki(age23) and Hiruzen Sarutobi(age 53) are dead as an outcome of the Kyubi attack; Naruto is born; Itachi(Age 5), Shisui(age 8), Kakashi-Asuma-Kurenai-Anko-Genma-Ebisu-Gai(Age 14), Yamato/Tenzo(Age 12), Minato(age 23), Jiraiya-Tsunade-Orochimaru(Age 29), Danzo(age 53)

Age 1323- Chapter 1 of the story starts; Naruto-Sasuke-Hinata-Sakura(age 4); Naruto unlocks the use of chakra, Age 1324- Naruto and Shisui meet for the first time.

Age 1326- Naruto meets Hinata for the first time; Iwagakure attack Naruto and he unlocks sharingan.

Age 1329- Uchiha Massacre, Naruto awakens rinnegan in his right eye; Danzo defects from Konoha; Naruto joins Anbu; Tsunade returns to the village; Naruto unlocks Kurama's cage; Hiashi tells Hinata about Hamura Otsutsuki and the origins of the Hyuga Clan; Takeshiki Otsutsuki makes first appearance in the story (end of chapter 12).

Age 1331- Naruto meets Takeshiki Otsutsuki for the first time; Takigakure falls under Iwagakure's control; Mikasa died in Takigakure; Four tails and Five Tails captured by Kisame and Hiruko.

Age 1332- Civil war in Kirigakure ended with Yagura's death. Mei Terumi anointed as 5th Mizukage.

Age 1333- Rest of Konoha 11 graduate from academy(age 14), Naruto leaves Anbu and joins team 7 in their missions; Two Tails gets captured by Akatsuki; Kurama admits hiding information about Gedo Mazo from Naruto, to himself(chapter 20); Naruto fights with Urashiki Otsutsuki for the first time and uses Kurama's Chakra Mode; Shisui makes contact with Jigen; Chunin Exam begins in Konoha.


(Flashback- One week ago, Amegakure)

There was a time when Nagato genuinely believed himself to be a God- one who would bring about peace and order to this war-torn shinobi world, as the reincarnation of the Sage of Six Paths. With the defeat of Hanzo the Salamander by the end of Third Shinobi War by the newly formed Akatsuki, the peace that Yahiko and him so desired for in their homeland was beginning to look like reality. That was until he met the monster known as Jigen. And by the time he had realized the severity of his past actions, the Akatsuki that was formed upon Yahiko's dream to help others had changed into an organization indirectly doing Jigen's bidding. He would not dare to say his thoughts aloud, for he knew the reality he lived was not one he chose.

As the rain fell over the highly industrialized village of Amegakure no Sato, their leader- Pein, sat on the edge of the roof at the tallest tower, intently gazing over the horizon. Over the past few months, he often found doubt creeping into his mind over his decision, but he also realized that it would be a necessary one. Consequently, his mind drifted to a memory from years ago- one where Tobi and Jigen had introduced themselves and proclaimed of an 'organization' being interested in him as the second coming of Rikudo Sennin. Had he realized the hope with which he had accepted Jigen's proposal would one day lead to the death of his best friend, Nagato would have killed the man on spot, or so he would like to think now. The death of Yahiko had cast an unimaginable shadow over Nagato's outlook for peace. Had it not been for Jiraiya's words in the past and Konan's support he would never have been able to keep up this façade for so long.

Moments later, a small area of space distorted and out stepped the shadow leader of the Akatsuki- Tobi. Nagato sighed as he sensed the man's arrival. Even to this day, he hadn't come to wholly trust Tobi, who also called himself Madara Uchiha. Konan had always advised him to be wary of him, and for good reasons.

"The Ichibi, Nanabi, Hachibi and the Kyuubi will all be gathered in a single place. With Konoha under attack, it will be much easier to take at least three of them. Have you decided on who to send?" Tobi inquired, upon coming to a stop beside Pein. Still not having acknowledged Tobi's presence, he continued to look over his home. The memory of Yahiko sacrificing himself to save Konan and his life often played through his mind. And it was also this memory, that kept reminding him of the reasons behind his actions.

"What of Iwagakure and Sunagakure? I hear that the Tsuchikage's top two shinobi- Akatsuchi and Kitsuchi have already set out with large armies and are setting camp near the Fire Nation borders. Is that true?" Pein questioned.

"Yeah, that's correct. Ohnoki is currently in Kaze no Kuni with the Kazekage and Orochimaru. Orochimaru's men will be waiting at Tanzaku Gai. Their plan is to surround Konoha on its west, north and east sides with only leaving the main gates for entry or exit. Most of Iwagakure's forces will be attacking from northwest and Otogakure shinobi from the north, Danzo with his root army from the southeast, while Sunagakure's forces invade from the southwest." Tobi briefed the man on the important details. He frowned slightly, upon hearing Pein's response, or lack of it, for that matter. He was about to speak when his subordinate began.

"I shall head out myself, along with Konan to indulge with the Kyubi jinchuriki. I assume you can take care of the other three?" Nagato asked with a side glance. Tobi scoffed at the insinuation made by the so called 'god' but nodded, nonetheless. Deciding to continue, Pein added, "Kisame and Hiruko are currently in the Land of Dragons to look for the first celestial relic. Sasori and Deidera are next to the Desert Kingdom in the southeast of Kaze no Kuni. They will be heading out towards the small islands in Sabaku Sea to look for the second ancient relic that Lord Jigen had described. Meanwhile, Hidan and Kakazu are in the Land of Glaciers. And I believe you'll know the whereabouts of Zetsu better than me."

'Hmm... this might actually work. If luck is on my side, I can at the very least capture the Ichibi, Hachibi and Nanabi while Nagato keeps Naruto busy.' Thought Tobi gleefully. If everything went according to plan, he would have the Ichibi, Nibi, Yonbi, Gobi, Nanabi and Hachibi. Then all that'd be left would be the Sanbi, Rokubi and the Kyuubi. 'And even among those three, the only uncertainty will turn out to be that damn Kyubi.' Tobi thought.

"I'll let Orochimaru take care of the distraction in the Kage Box as well as the task to separate the Hokage and Raikage from the rest of their forces. I'll go after the Ichibi, Nanabi and Hachibi when I find them alone. Also, if you do manage to capture Naruto, do not yet kill him. Lord Jigen will contact you himself on what to do with him." Tobi stated and soon disappeared from the area using a jikukan ninjutsu. The moment Tobi left, Pein performed a few hand seals and placed his right palm on the ground beside him.

"Kuchiyose no jutsu" A second later, there was a puff of smoke and his most trusted friend, Konan stood beside him. "We prepare to depart for Konoha day after tomorrow. Make sure that all of my bodies' chakra is at full capacity." Pein instructed to her.

"Yes, Leader-sama." She replied blankly. Although her face softened a bit upon seeing the troubled look on his. Placing a comforting hand on his shoulder, she took a seat beside her childhood friend. Although the current body of Tendo Pein was a corpse, and that too of Yahiko, she could tell when there was something weighing on Nagato's mind.

"If we do this Konan, there's no coming back. Not until we finish what we started." Pein said, in his monotone voice. He looked at her curiously when he felt Konan caress his cheek tenderly with her eyes closed. Meanwhile, the blue haired woman momentarily remembered the warmth of Yahiko's face while he was still alive. The next moment she opened her eyes, Nagato had gotten his answer.

"The truth of a man lies not in the land of his birth, but in his heart..." Konan whispered as she lay her head on his shoulders for a few seconds of peace. The words of their master would forever be in their thoughts.

"We leave for the Fire Nation day after tomorrow and wait. I have a message that you need to deliver to Jiraiya-sensei. He'll know what to do."

(Flashback end)


Forests of Fire Nation

Itachi and Shisui currently leaped through the forests at top speeds, while scanning the surrounding areas with their sharingan. They made sure to keep their chakra as suppressed as possible, so as to not alert any enemy sensors. However, there was also a chance that an extremely proficient sensor may be able to pinpoint their location. Then again, they are prepared for the risks as shinobi.

Having departed the village a little over twenty minutes ago, the two had already crossed over the mountain range to Konoha's north-west and it was strange that they had yet to notice any signs of the enemy. Although neither Itachi nor Shisui were sensors, the sharingan allowed them to see chakra, even from quite a distance. After travelling for another ten minutes, the two came to a stop on a high ground. While Itachi took out a map of the Fire Nation with marked location of all Konoha outposts, Shisui looked around the area and noticed much of the surrounding lands of Fire Nation to be visible from the spot. Seconds later his eyes picked up on a trail of black smoke next to the river, that was rising high into the sky. Climbing to the top of a nearby tree to get an unhindered view of the area down below, Shisui switched to his mangekyo sharingan. From up here, he could see the chakra of hordes of shinobi siting beside the river. Seconds later, he jumped back down once he had decided on a course of action.

(Near the river)

Back on land, the large platoon of Iwagakure shinobi rested for a few minutes after having destroyed the Konoha outpost. Most of them could be seen collecting the kunai and shuriken, eating either a chakra or food pill, or quenching their thirst with water from the river.

Although, most of them had come out unharmed, there were quite a few in the initial wave of attack who had sustained heavy injuries. Kitsuchi and Akatsuchi were a bit further ahead, preferring to stay in front, to better direct their men. Despite the small number of losses their group had faced, the two jounin were content with how their plan was faring so far. The success so far was largely contributed by the newly formed Explosive squad, Kurotsuchi- who had led her own group of elite Iwa Black Ops to the two outposts on the western borders and the Akatsuki.

"Now, we just need to cross the ranges in front of us and hide in wait. Once Nidaime and Ohnoki-sama commence their attack, we can start moving into the village." Kitsuchi said, as he too drank some water. Their platoon had been running for the past few days without much rest.

"Still, don't you find it strange that we haven't faced much resistance at all? None of the primary targets that we were warned about were there at any of the outposts." Said Akatsuchi in deep thought.

"I know what you mean. But there's no point in overthinking at this stage of the plan. The possibility may have been low for how straightforward our fights have been so far, but it was still a possibility. Let's not look a gift horse in the mouth, alright?" Kitsuchi replied to cheer up his comrade. "Anyhow, we should move out now. We've rested enough. Regroup everyone and get into formation." Kitsuchi added before getting up. Although, the moment he got up, six people landed in front of him with a resounding thud, covering the area in a large amount of dust. By the time the dust had settled, Nagato's six Paths noticed that they were surrounded on each side by the Iwa shinobi.

"Those eyes… but you're not Naruto Namikaze!" Kitsuchi exclaimed his shock upon getting a good look at the person whom he was facing. Beside him, Akatsuchi noticed that at least four of them had the same eyes and were all looking in different directions.

'Somethings not right.' He thought. He looked around at his men and signaled them to strike at a moment's notice. The tension in the air rose with every passing second as Kitsuchi further expressed his dissatisfaction.

"Listen here punk, I'm not going to repeat myself here. Tell me who you are!" Kitsuchi demanded as he stepped towards Deva Path, intimidatingly. In response, Deva Path simply raised his right hand towards Kitsuchi, who found himself getting pulled, overpoweringly. As the soon the scene registered in the minds of those around, all two hundred of them jumped towards the six, while aiming multiple kunai and shuriken attached with explosive tags at them. However, it all turned out to be in vain. In that split moment, while still pulling Kitsuchi towards himself, Deva Path tapped his left foot on ground to expel a strong pulse of gravity that blew away all of them. Several trees and even the ground itself were torn to smithereens. Seconds later, when things looked to settle down, there were body parts lying around everywhere. Majority of the explosive tags thrown by the Iwa shinobi blew up right in their faces and coupled with the tremendous force of the gravity and all the debris hitting them, there was no doubt in Deva Path's mind that everyone else was indeed dead. As he turned to look at the whimpering man whom he held by the neck, he felt no sympathy for him.

"You'll… pay for… it bastard." Kitsuchi grimaced in between gasps. His misery didn't last long as Deva Path immediately stabbed him with a black rod through his heart. A small amount of blood trickled down his chest and within seconds, his body went limp.

"Look for Akatsuchi and then lets rendezvous with Konan." Ordered Deva Path, as he sealed Kitsuchi's body in a scroll.

(With Itachi and Shisui)

"Intel said that six outposts on the northwestern and western borders of Fire Nation have been taken. Two of these outposts are stationed close to the Fire Daimyo's summer castle and Fire Lake. I think it's safe to assume that those places will have already been run down. There's only a single outpost remaining upfront, that's close to the river…" Itachi began saying but was soon stopped by Shisui.

"Look ahead, the outpost near the river has already been taken by the enemies. From the looks of it, Akatsuchi and Kitsuchi's divisions are already there. We should expect close to two hundred ninja altogether." Shisui pointed out. Directing his gaze towards the pointed location, even Itachi was surprised at how quickly the Iwagakure shinobi had destroyed the Konoha outposts. The younger of the two Uchiha could only presume that the enemy must have marched into Fire Nation with a significant number to have been this efficient. Moreover, due to the event of the Chunin Exam Finals, the village was forced to recall most of their shinobi from these outposts for added security. This in result had left the borders without quality defense.

"There's close to two hundred of them and its just the two of us. I'm thinking the two of us should prepare our strongest jutsus and take them out from the side. We'll have the advantage since they'll be coming towards us." Shisui suggested.

"I see. That also has the added benefit of allowing us not to engage in direct battle with them for an extended period. However, we'll only have a single opportunity. We'll send a shadow clone to intercept them and then strike from the side while they are distracted." Itachi concluded. The two Uchiha were about to head out in separate directions, when they heard a familiar voice call out to them from back. Turning around, they were certainly surprised to see Sai riding atop one of his ink creatures- a bird. A few seconds later, he landed on the ground and hopped off the bird.

"Sai, what are you doing here? Has the invasion started already?" Itachi asked urgently, while folding up the map he opened earlier and placed it in his pouch.

"I left the village maybe five minutes after you guys. Nothing had happened inside the village walls as of then. But I believe some to have already infiltrated from the north side of the village. On my way out of Konoha, I noticed a squad investigating the hills above the Hokage Stone Faces. Also, our shinobi stationed at the outpost near Jafuku Forest are headed towards Obake Weeds to aid against the Otogakure forces. My orders are to aid you in any way and to ensure that you both return to the village soon." Sai explained.

However, before either of the three could speak another word, they were interrupted by an unannounced presence. Promptly, Itachi, Shisui and Sai jumped back with their weapons drawn. To their shock it was a women wearing revealing navy blue robe, with a large hemline on the front, and exposed her arms, back and the lateral part of her breast and her belly, wit her navel being surrounded by four more piercings. She also displayed to be carrying a scratched headband on her right hip and wore a pair of blue pants that seemed to function as her shoes, with white high heels.

"Who are you?" Itachi questioned immediately with his sharingan active. To his surprise, it was Shisui who had answered the question.

"Konan of the Akatsuki... What business does the Akatsuki have here?" Shisui directed his question to the blue-haired woman. The moment she turned to look at him, she felt the cold touch of the chokuto pressed against her veins. 'He's fast.' Was all she could think.

"Shunshin no Shisui, your reputation precedes you. But I believe it'll be in your interest to hear my words. I'm not here to fight." Konan replied, and her whole body turned to thousands of pieces of paper that formed back into her, a few feet away. Although this time, she also had what appeared to be a letter in her hand. Meanwhile, Sai had quickly drawn several mice that scattered around the area to look for anyone else.

'Akatsuki? Did Ohnoki request their help with the invasion? This has trouble written all over it.' Itachi thought. There were tons of questions racing through his mind. "What reason do we have to believe you? Is the Akatsuki not here to aid in the invasion?" he asked. Directing his gaze towards Shisui and Sai, the two lowered their weapons, so as to avoid unnecessary bloodshed. Moreover, from the look on her face, time was of the essence for everyone.

"Make haste and speak." Shisui commanded. Although, the sounds of a large blast compelled the three Konoha ninja to immediately turn their head towards the source.

"What was that?" Sai exclaimed, summing up his comrade's thoughts. The area next to the river, where the Iwagakure shinobi were noted to be resting, now displayed a large crater about hundred meters wide. The three immediately turned to Konan, when they heard her speak again.

"To ensure that you believe my words, Pein has eliminated all the Iwagakure shinobi that were approaching from that direction. Now, I suggest that you listen to my words carefully." Konan implored. The Konoha ninja certainly found themselves in a pickle.

"Have you defected from the Akatsuki then?" Itachi questioned, upon analyzing the current scenario.

"That is correct. Pein… Nagato and I did decide to defect. The Akatsuki that Yahiko, Nagato and I made was originally formed on the basis of bringing peace. But, considering the route that was forced upon us, we had little choice in what the Akatsuki became today. Anyhow, I digress; we also have information on the man known as Jigen, as well as the masked man who largely contributed to the Kyubi attack on Konoha, fourteen years ago." She revealed, truthfully.

"As in the same Nagato that was Master Jiraiya's pupil? I thought he died at the end of Third Shinobi War." Shisui questioned flabbergasted. He wasn't the only one. Since all three were once part of Team Ro, they had a somewhat decent knowledge on Naruto's rinnegan and subsequently, the stories of Jiraiya's former pupil who also had the rinnegan, often came up. The clear look of shock was evident on everyone's faces. A tiny smirk formed on Konan's face as she imagined the look on Minato and Jiraiya's face. It had been quite a few years since she had met either of them. She reckoned it must have been just following the end of the Second Shinobi War.

"This whole invasion is a distraction by Tobi in hopes to capture the gathered bijuu in Konoha today. Although, I believe their primary target to be Minato Namikaze. As it stands, Konoha is the only place that has the power to stop Jigen's plans." Konan further stated. A look of understanding promptly appeared on both Itachi and Shisui's faces as they realized that their assumption of Jigen being related to the Akatsuki was correct. Piece by piece, the words of the former Akatsuki woman began to make a tad bit sense to the three. Moreover, since Shisui had been investigating the criminal organization for the past few years, he had come across several information that seemed to have been forgotten by the Great Nations.

"Even so, why come to us for help? The Akatsuki may not have openly committed any crimes in the Land of Fire, but your organization is still considered to be a criminal syndicate that has people working in several nations. You guys must have surely thought that Konoha may very well decline this matter and decide to deal with Jigen ourselves." Itachi narrated his thoughts. Although his question was answered by the arrival of a six new presences, who landed beside Konan. There was complete silence among everyone as the Konoha shinobi witnessed six people with rinnegan. Unknowingly, all three of them stiffened as one of the six rinnegan wielder stepped forward.

"From ancient times, mankind has established many religions, envisioning different versions of Heaven and Hell, and God and the Devil. Though they grow up in different lands and speak different languages, for some reason, the religions of mankind all share gods and devils. If the various religions of this world are based on visions shown by another being, then perhaps from mind-bogglingly ancient times, that being has been at work- manipulating the thoughts of mankind from behind the scenes of history. One might say the god that all mankind has imagined is something that being conjured up." Deva Path began with the tone of a wizened owl. He then looked towards the sky and sighed. "You will be trying to go up against the being… who created… your God." The Konoha shinobi remained rooted to their spots as they understood the implications of his words. Deva Path then proceeded to take out two scrolls from his pocket, that he threw on the ground, halfway between the Konoha ninja and themselves. "The corpses of Akatsuchi and Kitsuchi of Iwagakure." He added. Shisui and Sai stepped forward and each opened a scroll to confirm their words. Once Itachi had confirmed with his two comrades that it was indeed the corpses of Kitsuchi and Akatsuchi of Iwagakure, he lowered and sheathed his chokuto.

"I came across Jigen and a young boy with him, while I was following a member of Akatsuki, named Zetsu. I overheard part of their conversation before I was discovered. How is it possible for him to be behind all of this? Moreover, how has any of the nations not known about someone like Jigen or the Otsutsuki Clan?" Shisui threw a barrage of questions for the new arrivals. Konan frowned on hearing that bit of information. She had always suspected Zetsu to have an ulterior motive when he was brought in by Tobi.

"This is not the place to be discussing matters of such importance. We need to make sure the Hokage, Naruto and the other jinchuriki are safe. Once this invasion has been dealt with, can we begin to worry about the likes of Otsutsuki." Pein emphasized upon the urgency of the fact. However, the Konoha shinobi still found the whole situation rather hard to comprehend.

"How can we be certain that you wouldn't double cross us?" Sai asked the question that was in the back of his comrades' mind. Both Itachi and Shisui intently eyed Pein, expecting a response that might lower their doubts. Pein visibly sighed at the Konoha shinobi's reaction. Yet, he couldn't blame them.

"You're correct. I have no way to wholly ascertain that I indeed come in peace. My allegiance is not to Konoha or the Land of Fire. As I had said earlier, there is a far graver menace that will befall our planet if we do not begin to act soon. As it stands, I will simply proceed to the village to keep Naruto, Minato and Jiraiya out of harms way, even if we do not reach an accord right now. But it will be in both of our interests if we combine our forces. However, most importantly, we can deliver you information on the man who's responsible for the Kyubi attack on the village fourteen years ago. While your Hokage believes to have killed him, he is still very much alive and has instigated and shaped many events since then. And he will be making an appearance in Konoha today, for the sole purpose of retrieving the bijuu." Pein stated calmly. It was sufficient to say that the Konoha shinobi were shell shocked upon learning that. Out of the three, Shisui felt more inclined to accept the proposition, considering he had firsthand experience of the threat that is Jigen.

"Alright, we're allies for the time being and we'll discuss the matter of the Otsutsuki Clan after the invasion is dealt with. We appreciate your help… Nagato." Shisui replied gratefully and extended a hand of friendship. Tendo Pein momentarily gazed at the extended arm and wondered again if this was the correct path.

"What lies ahead will be a tough part Nagato, but at the end of it all, it will be worth it." Konan said softly. Any doubt was expunged from his mind when he heard Konan's voice and he firmly shook Shisui's hand.

"Konan, get back to my body now, and wait. I'll summon you as soon as possible." Deva Path mentioned to Konan. Following that, the group of Konoha ninja along with the Six Paths swiftly left the scene on top of one of Sai's ink birds in the direction of Konoha. Meanwhile, Konan hurried towards Nagato's real body which was hidden inside of a large tree that she made with her paper jutsu. The plan was to let Animal Path summon her and Nagato once their group was close enough to Konoha.


Subsequently, as the Konoha shinobi would soon find out, the enemy would showcase their arrival shortly. Before coming to Konoha, Orochimaru had Kabuto reverse summon the Nidaime Tsuchikage- one of the shinobi revived through the Edo Tensei jutsu, Ohnoki and Rasa, near Tanzaku Gai. Having worked with Danzo for years, Kabuto had intricate knowledge of the underground passageways that led into Konoha. Since Orochimaru and Danzo had knowledge about several of Konoha's key defenses, one of them being the sensory radar jutsu- their foremost hurdle was to be able to enter Konoha, undetected. This is where the Nidaime Tsuchikage steps in. Mu was one of the few shinobi in history who could wield all five elemental nature transformations. With doton release, Mu could make his body light enough for flight and through the use of suiton release, he was capable of completely hiding his presence. His mastery of the technique was such, it often troubled even the most skilled sensors. However, his true skills were in the use of Jinton (Dust release)- a kekkei tota, which is a combination of doton, futon and katon. The sheer destructiveness of said jutsu is such that, it destroys the target on a molecular level. Some have even stated in the past that Mu's mastery over Jinton was leagues above Ohnoki.

Geographically, the village of Konoha is surrounded by tall mountain ranges on its northeast and northwest, with some of the hills on its western side that has an average elevation of seven thousand feet . And it's also on the northwestern side that Konoha showcases it's past and present leader's stone faces. This played to the enemy's advantage as the mountain range on Konoha's northwest ran all the way down to Tanzaku Gai. The four shinobi ran towards Konoha, all the while sticking close to the base of the hill. Their foremost objective is to allow Mu and Ohnoki to enter the village from north, without alerting the Konoha forces of their identities.

Jumping from one branch to another of the tall trees, as the group came within five hundred meters of the area- where the two mountain ranges above Konoha met, they halted upon seeing a dozen shinobi standing guard.

"Looks like we'll need to take care of these lot before we can move ahead." Kabuto said, breaking the eerie silence among them. He turned to look at the two live kages behind, and asked, "So, how shall we take care of this problem? If there are shinobi stationed here that must mean the village's sensory barrier extends just till the base of the mountain. And we don't want Konoha to be alerted yet if you actually want to go through with your plan." Kabuto said with a smirk while he slightly nudged his glasses up.

"There are shinobi standing guard at top of the hill too. Judging by number, I would say, another dozen." The Nidaime Tsuchikage reported in a monotone voice. Ohnoki grunted visibly as his predecessor spoke. While he may not have liked to see his sensei get defiled by this horrendous jutsu, he also understood the fact that they needed immense fighting power to launch a successful invasion into Konoha. The threat of Minato Namikaze and especially Naruto Namikaze were far too high in the eyes of the Ohnoki.

"We'll need to launch a coordinated attack from both the top and ground to take out the two groups simultaneously. Mu-dono and Ohnoki-dono can likely take out the shinobi on top since they can fly. And Kabuto and I can eliminate the forces on the ground." Rasa suggested calmly. He may look calm right now, but tensions were high even in Sunagakure. Considering the kind of risk their village had taken by participating in this invasion, he had to ensure any and all steps they took were methodical with the highest chance of success.

"Hmphh… don't keep any alive on the ground. They all deserve to die." Ohnoki stated, with a dangerous glint in his eyes. The next second, the Nidaime Tsuchikage seemingly disappeared from everyone's sight and flew up towards the top of the hill, with Ohnoki following the latter. The Yondaime Kazekage then placed both his palms on the ground and used his magnet release- simultaneous use of doton and futon elements, to summon large quantities of gold dust. Meanwhile, at the top, Mu had swiftly appeared in between the Konoha shinobi out of thin air, taking the ninjas by surprise.

"Wha..." One of the shinobi from the Sarutobi Clan was about to yell, just as Ohnoki prepared his jutsu, hovering above the lot.

"Jinton: Genkai Hakuri no jutsu" Ohnoki recited as he formed a three-dimensional cube out of chakra between his palms. As the white cube levitated to the middle of the Konoha shinobi group, it promptly began to expand astonishingly fast, destroying everything that was unfortunate enough to pass through it.

Down at the base of the hill, the heavy gold dust particles travelled through the ground and then burst out around each of the shinobi, binding all twelve of them up to their head. "Take them out, quickly!" Rasa ordered, strengthening the bindings around the Konoha shinobi. Not turning down the opportunity, Kabuto took out twelve senbon needles from his pouch and threw them towards the captured shinobi. The needles flew straight through each of the Konoha ninja's head, killing them on the spot. The gold dust then proceeded to recede back into ground along with the bodies, leaving no visible trace of them. In a matter of less than ten seconds, all twenty-four Konoha ninjas were effortlessly taken out. Shortly after that, Rasa and Kabuto ran uphill to rendezvous with the two Tsuchikage.

When Rasa and Kabuto made it uphill, they saw that the Nidaime Tsuchikage was crouched with his eyes closed and had a single finger placed on the ground.

"He's trying to sense if there are other ninja in our vicinity. Lord Mu's sensing abilities are incredibly advanced." Ohnoki filled them in.

"We don't have time to waste. We should get into position and wait for signal from the Konoha stadium to commence our attack. If their security is as good as they claim to be, Konoha sensory division already knows that someone has infiltrated." Kabuto exclaimed urgently.

"He's right. I sense two groups of people advancing towards our general vicinity. One is approaching us from the east and another one from our west. Let's move into position." Mu stated. Without further ado, the group of four promptly made their exit from the scene. While Ohnoki and Mu ran further ahead to the left to hide until the right time, Kabuto and Rasa ran towards the main gates of Konoha, which was on the other side of the village.

About three minutes later, a squad of four Konoha shinobi appeared on the area. "What the hell could have happened here?" one of the jounins named Daichi exclaimed his surprise uneasily, upon seeing the large crater before them.

"Given the fact that there are no signs of fighting, the enemy must have launched a surprise attack on them and taken out all in a single sweep. Currently, we don't know how many have gotten inside or more importantly if any of them are among the primary targets. Also, judging by the looks here, either their bodies were destroyed in the attack, or they were knocked out and taken hostage for interrogation. Any of these cases is not a good predicament for Konoha." Mugino analyzed. He then crouched to touch the surface of the ground at the crater and noticed how smooth it was. "Kizuna and Daichi, you guys will accompany me to search the surrounding area for anything that may tell us about this incident. And Tento, go back to HQ and inform Shikaku-dono of the developments." He added, grimly.

After a moment of sudden shock, the seriousness of the situation dawned on the other three members of the squad. Wordlessly, Tento shunshined out of the area and headed straight for the HQ, while Kizuna, Daichi and Mugino took to the surrounding forests.

"Mugino, there are bodies down there. Let's check it out." Kizuna stated out loud, before proceeding to run downhill using chakra on the soles of his feet.

Upon hearing his teammate's words, Mugino and Daichi quickly followed suit. In a matter of moments, the three of them had reached to the ground and noted that the ground looked recently disturbed. With an earth release jutsu, Daichi tore up a small area of the ground to discover the bodies of their comrades, with most of them appearing to be already dead. Despite that, the three of them went to check each of the bodies hoping to see if one of them survived by chance. As Mugino crouched next to one of the bodies, he was certain of the person being dead but what caught his attention was the small amount of sand around the body's feet.

'Sand… huh?' he thought, as he could think of only two ninja from Suna who utilized sand based jutsus. When he turned to look at his comrades, he noticed that they had come to the same conclusion as him.

"Gaara Subaku or Yondaime Kazekage- Rasa. I think we all agree that given the current scenario, its more probable for it to be the Kazekage rather than Gaara. And based on what we saw on top, I'm now certain that it was the work of Sandaime Tsuchikage- Ohnoki of the Twin Scales." Mugino voiced his thoughts. "Kizuna, contact Lord Inoichi and let him know the details immediately." He added. Said member of the Yamanaka Clan closed his eyes to perform the secret telepathic ninjutsu of their clan. Although this particular ninjutsu is marked as a C-Rank jutsu in Konoha, it is only studied by the Yamanaka Clan members. The great aspect about this jutsu is- if performed between two members of the Yamanaka Clan within a certain range, nothing needs to be done except speaking into each other's mind.

'Inoichi-dono, do you hear me? We have discovered the cause for the chakra disturbance above the Hokage rocks.' Kizuna said in his mind. Within the Anbu HQ, Inoichi promptly heard the message and replied, 'Good work, Kizuna. Go ahead with the intel.' Inoichi noted a hint of alarm in his voice.

'We believe its Rasa- the Yondaime Kazekage and Ohnoki- the Sandaime Tsuchikage. We found traces of their jutsus on the scene. We don't know if anyone else has sneaked in with them.' Kizuna relayed the information they found.

'Got it. Scout the area and wait for Tento to come along with Jiraiya-sama and Tsunade-sama. Those two are to engage directly with Ohnoki and keep him outside the village walls. Stick close to them and good luck Kizuna.' Inoichi informed his clansman, with a heavy heart.

'Understood, sir.' Kizuna noted firmly. Once he ended the telepathic communication, he repeated Inoichi's message to his teammates. Deciding not to waste any time, they scattered in different directions of the hill to cover a larger area in their search. In the Anbu HQ, Inoichi relayed the intel to Shikaku, Tento, Jiraiya and then telepathically to Yamato, who coordinated the Anbu operatives within the village.

"Their intel coincides with what we have gotten. Naruto had already informed us that Orochimaru is in the stadium disguised as Kazekage. They must have someone else with them who's using a jutsu to hide their presence." Shikaku concluded after a quick overview.

"I think so too. There's no point in standing here and pondering over who that person is. I'm going to head up there myself and confront him. I might be able to sense their third member once I'm in Sage mode. Tell Tsunade to get there as soon as possible." Jiraiya instructed to Shikaku, as he disappeared in a shunshin, along with Tento. The sensory division had already gotten to work in an effort to discern a general location for the infiltrators. While selected members of the sensory division were locating the two Kages, the others began to work on expanding the radius of the sensory radar jutsu.

However, Shikaku still had a nagging feeling about this invasion. Why did Ohnoki and Rasa decide to infiltrate from behind the hills of the Hokage Rocks. With Danzo and Orochimaru as an ally, he assumed that Ohnoki must have been informed about the ANBU HQ's generalized location. So, why take the risk of infiltrating from a location that's awfully close to the 'brains' of the village.

'Of course, it's common strategy to attack the 'brains' behind an attack.' Shikaku realized.

In Konoha Stadium

The Hokage subtly glanced at the man disguised as Rasa and wondered, 'What are you thinking Orochimaru?' Minato then momentarily looked towards the faces of the past Hokages, that was partly visible to his right. He couldn't help but think that there was something amiss in all of this. Now that he thought about it, all of the different intel that the village had gathered about the invasion, seemed too… convenient. 'I'm certain that Orochimaru and Danzo are aware that Konoha knows about the invasion. And if Iwagakure has amassed such a large army, it may stand to reason that Ohnoki and Rasa also know that Konoha has countermeasures in place. If that is the case, what is Danzo's end goal?' The old war hawk's ideology was well known among those who knew of his deeds. Hence, looking from that perspective, it'd be far easier for Danzo to attempt an assassination on only the key figures. He figured destroying the village was something Ohnoki and Orochimaru personally wished to see, along with taking out Naruto and himself. The fact that Konoha hadn't heard of any news from the Daimyo's estate about the enemy shinobi having invaded Fire Nation also worried him. He clenched his fists loosely, in mild frustration, at the thought of watching his village burn.

His gaze then shifted towards the two genins on the arena as they seemed to be almost done with the third match too. He heard several movements of feet behind him and noticed that Killer B had joined Darui, to stand guard behind his brother. The two exchanged a glance and B simply gave a nod of acknowledgement. Similar to A, Killer B had come to recognize Minato as a humble person, yet a deadly shinobi. Minato reciprocated the action in response and realized that the second Kumo bodyguard C wasn't here.

"He has gone to check on Samui, Hokage-dono. She's an important shinobi for our village and must ensure her safety now that she won't be able to move around due to her injuries." Darui spoke as he caught onto Minato's lingering gaze.

"You're right." Replied Minato offhandedly, and soon turned his attention back to the fight. Looking at the two genins below, it just dawned on him that there are currently four jinchuriki inside the village walls. Then there was also an intel which suggested Orochimaru was once part of the Akatsuki but had defected some years ago. At this point, it made the Hokage wonder about the credibility of the information. Because, if Orochimaru is still with that group, they wouldn't get a better opportunity to attempt to capture four out of the five alive jinchuriki, in the midst of battle. However, he had no way to be sure about his hypothesis. Considering his position, one thing was certain- the enemy would want to get rid of him primarily.

"What's up? You seemed to be in deep thought." Minato suddenly heard his son's voice and turned towards him. Upon seeing the look in his eyes, Naruto realized that his father must have been mulling over the intel they just received. He certainly was surprised that Ohnoki had decided to come into Fire Nation with such a large army. Knowing Itachi and Shisui, the blond was certain they'd be victorious.

"Don't worry about it. Is Hinata doing okay?" Minato asked, as he readjusted himself to sit more comfortably. He realized he would need to make sure that his son wouldn't be next to him when the war broke out. If the invasion does turn out to be a ruse for the Akatsuki to hunt the jinchuriki, then him and Naruto can't be tied down to a single fight.

"Yeah, she's good now. It was just some scratches and minor chakra exhaustion. I had her healed and she must be back in the contestant booth by now." Naruto replied, as he came in view to stand beside his father. He placed a hand on his father's shoulder, as if to comfort him, and gave a gentle squeeze. A small smile tugged on his lips as he saw his son's unwavering face and he felt his mind at ease, even if a little. Despite all the precautions the village had taken, he had a sinking feeling about Konoha's fate. 'The children must survive… no matter the cost.' Thought the Hokage, as he resolved himself for the better.

"Naruto, since Itachi and Shisui have gone outside the village, I want you to go help outside the stadium in their stead. Apart from the daimyos, and civilians who are currently in the stadium and at shops in the market street, everyone else has been evacuated. Each clan is protecting their own section of the village. So, I want you to go outside the stadium and help out in eliminating the enemy forces. Stay close to your friends and make sure none of them die. They are the young buds that must grow." Minato whispered, when he asked his son to lend a close ear. Surprised by the words, Naruto was about to say something when he felt his arm held by his father's.

"Just trust me… I have a feeling something big is about to happen. And on an off chance like that, both of us cannot be tied to a single fight. So, off you go now." Minato ushered as he let go of his arm. Naruto certainly wanted to argue with him as his son, but as an order from his leader, he couldn't refute it. He'd be lying to himself if he didn't think there was even a minute possibility of his father dying. Yet, on the other hand, as Hokage, he couldn't ask a Konoha shinobi to die for the village if he himself wasn't willing. The younger Namikaze gritted his teeth in slight frustration and simply nodded. The next second, he disappeared from the Kage box, to stand next to his friends in the contestant booth.

"All good with your son, Hokage?" The Raikage commented as he caught a glimpse of that little ordeal.

"Oh… don't worry about it. I just believe him to be needed elsewhere." Minato replied, with a chuckle. A merely grunted as the interactions between Minato and Naruto reminded him of his relationship with his brother.

'Tch… I would have preferred to have Naruto in here along with B, for the launch of the attack. But it can't be helped. The others must be close to their position as well.' Thought Orochimaru as he noticed Naruto's disappearance.

Down in the arena, the two genins panted heavily after an intense bout of hand to hand combat. As someone, who was blessed with the eyes of Hyuga, Neji displayed an excellent accuracy in his hits and came out relatively less unscathed than Fu. The match had begun with the two of them chucking weapons like kunai and shuriken at the other, to test the other's reflexes. Upon learning that Fu couldn't get past his defenses without getting close, she had decided to engage in taijutsu which once again had turned out to be fruitless. The Hyuga Clan's gentle fist specifically targeted the tenketsu in the chakra circulatory system that prevented the user from molding their chakra properly.

"Do you wish to give up now?" Neji asked, standing a few feet away from the girl. On the other hand, Fu struggled to get up, considering several of her tenketsu points were abruptly closed. 'I don't want to lose… I will need to hamper his vision somehow to able to summon Chomei's chakra.' She thought and shakily stood up to mold what little of her own chakra she could still use. Neji scoffed at the girl's determination, thinking that his opponent was just prolonging the inevitable and charged straight towards her.

"Hidden: Rinpungakure no Jutsu" She made the tiger hand seal and clapped her hands. Fu then proceeded to exhale a large quantity of fine powder from her mouth, which due to its luminous quality, shined so brightly that it temporarily blinded Neji. The young Hyuga immediately came to a stop, unable to see anything around himself.

"Kaiten" Neji said and began a clockwise rotation to keep powdery substance in the air away. While Neji was preoccupied with defending himself, Fu quickly took the time summon as much of Chomei's chakra she could for a final attack.

Majority of the crowd in the stadium gasped as they saw the potent red chakra bubbling out of Fu's body; but instead of taking the form of tails, the chakra took the shape of a pair of wings on her back. The change in the air pressure could clearly be felt by those within her vicinity. On the arena ground, the moment Neji ended his Kaiten, he was smashed in the face with a punch that flung him all the way to the walls at his rear, rendering him unconscious immediately.

Kiba, Choji, Shikamaru and Lee sitting behind the three with Gai, were wide eyed at the show of power. In the contestant's booth, even the young Aburame and Ino were shocked upon seeing their friend's new form. Although, Shino had already come to deduce that Fu is a vessel for a bijuu, similar to Naruto. By now, the said blond had come to stand beside Hinata, Sasuke and Gaara. While Naruto and Gaara weren't entirely surprised to see Fu using her bijuu's chakra, Sasuke was mildly interested in seeing her tap into Nanabi's chakra.

'Neji nii-san...' Hinata thought worriedly. After returning from the medical room, she had joined Sasuke and Gaara to stand beside them. She came halfway through the third match and had realized the outcome of it within the first few minutes. While Neji was indeed exceptional in close quarters, he did not have the skills to defend against long range attacks and relied solely on byakugan aided jutsus. Although, that was a trait she had noticed in majority of the Hyuga Clan members who became ninja. She was brought out of her thoughts when she felt Naruto hold her palm gently.

"I know you're worried about him, but he will be fine. From what you've told me about Neji, he's a tough guy. Plus, we will have more important things to worry about… anytime soon." Naruto finished while glancing towards the Kage Box with a focused look on his face. Yes, he was scared but he wouldn't say it out loud. He felt it was his obligation to remain strong, no matter the situation. For he knew, the dam of emotions that he keeps checked would burst open like a fountain.

"I know. And this time, you won't be fighting alone. We'll all be in this together. That's what matters." Hinata replied comfortingly.

"But… it doesn't take away the dreadful feeling that something may happen to you or others in the middle of battle." Naruto retorted with a solemn look. And for once, Hinata and even Sasuke could clearly see the frustration and fright clear as a day, etched on his face. For some reason, seeing the blond in such a state, only seemed to infuriate Sasuke even more. The Naruto Namikaze that he'd come to respect as a shinobi and even a close friend was someone who did not falter in the face of any situation. Yes, he went through his share of hardships, but he came believe that it was those hardships that made him the shinobi he is today. Yes, it's fact that Konoha would suffer her share of casualties today, but it was the shinobi world they lived in. And to see him frightened did not bode well with him.

"Since when did you become such a coward? Do you have that little faith in our abilities? You're not the only one who wants to protect their home until their last breath, Naruto. We all feel the same. So, don't you go into this war thinking you're the only one who has to protect Konoha. We all do. Get that in your thick head, loser." Sasuke reprimanded. "You once told me to fester my hatred and grow it stronger and then to use it against the enemies who wish our homeland harm. I have trained hard every single day since then. And today, the man responsible for the downfall of our clan will once again try to destroy our home. We will kill him today, Naruto. No matter the cost." Sasuke added with a voice of finality.

Surprised by such strong words, Naruto was momentarily at a loss of words. He wasn't the only one. Everyone in the contestant booth stared at Sasuke in astonishment. None had ever thought they'd see a day where Sasuke would be the one lecturing the blond Namikaze. Hearing him speak, Naruto genuinely wondered if somewhere in his mind or heart he thought his friends to be uncapable and realized how absurd he must have been. He softly slapped himself on his face with both his palms and took in a deep breath with closed eyes to clear his head of any unnecessary thoughts. He felt refreshed when he opened his eyes and saw all his friends now staring at him intently.

"We fight together, and we'll die together, if it comes to that." Hinata reassured him. Even Shino and Ino standing to the pair's right nodded, with Shino further adding, "Sasuke and Hinata are right. We all shall help in fighting the enemy. I will support you with my ninjutsu completely, Naruto. Because we are friends and a further reason in unnecessary."

"Shikamaru, Choji and I will also support in any way we can, Naruto. My father sat me down last night and explained how things may turn out in the worst-case scenario and I don't think I want to go through that nightmare. Neither do I want to see any of my friends and family die in vain." Ino remarked with a fiery passion.

"I may not have known you long Naruto, but in the past few weeks, I have come to understand a sort of peace that I believe I'll only find by following in your footsteps. I will go on to apprehend my father and see if he's willing to stand down. If that doesn't work out, I will do what must to keep the peace. But, rest assure, I'm not planning to die yet. You made me realize that even a monster such as myself can reclaim himself in this world. I'm not going down before I can repay you… if I ever can." Gaara spoke earnestly, as he readied himself to go down. Seeing his friends' support and hearing their words had certainly come to boost Naruto's morale, even if slightly. Looking towards his longtime friend/clansman, the blonde gave a small nod and mumbled an inaudible thanks, acknowledging what Sasuke had said earlier.

He then turned to Gaara. "Thanks, Gaara. It means a lot coming from you and don't take the risk of doing anything too reckless. I will keep the same in mind too." The redheaded jinchuriki showed a small tug of smile on his face in reciprocation. Although, the moment among the young shinobi was broken when they heard Genma call forth Sasuke and Gaara to present themselves in the arena.

"I'd say not to go easy during our match, but I'm sure you already know that…" Gaara told Sasuke, as he utilized a sand shunshin to travel to the arena ground. Naruto and Hinata smirked on hearing Gaara's remark since those who knew Sasuke Uchiha were aware of his thrill to engage in a fight. Upon reaching the arena ground, Gaara noticed the subtle hand signal made by his sensei, Baki. His eyes widened ever so slightly. Just enough that even Naruto had taken notice of the slight change on Gaara's facial expression and he promptly activated his sharingan. He glanced towards the Kage booth, especially towards the disguised Orochimaru, for any sign of movement. Naruto couldn't explain, but he felt a morbid feeling run up his spine.

Just as the medics were escorting an injured Fu and unconscious Neji out of the arena grounds, Hinata once again reminded Sasuke to be careful and not give too much away through their fight. However, she also knew that her words may turn out to be moot if the invasion started in the middle of their fight. Sasuke merely nodded in response and was about to jump when he was stopped by Naruto.

"Something's not right… wait and stay on your guard. I have a feeling it's going to begin any second." Naruto said hastily. In the spectators stand, Kakashi who had been closely monitoring the Suna shinobi, sitting on their far right, also noticed Baki signaling a message via hand signs. The Copy Ninja's guard suddenly went on high alert and following his lead, the Konoha jounins beside him also readied themselves. But none in the village would be prepared for the events that would transpire in the next three hours.

Unbeknownst to Gaara, the hand sign made by Baki was not one for him, but rather for Orochimaru. Once the Hebi Sennin took notice of the signal, he grinned in his mind. It signified that everyone involved in their primary wave of attack had gotten to their position. Kabuto and Rasa stood in wait beside the river, next to the main gate, Ohnoki and Nidaime Tsuchikage- Mu waited above the hills of the Hokage Rocks and Danzo with his Root Anbu unit will enter from the village's southeast via the Forest of Death.

The single guard standing behind Orochimaru was indeed using a special transformation jutsu created by him. The said guard or guards and better known as the Sound Four- are four ninja from the Land of Sound that Orochimaru personally selected for two important tasks. Upon noticing the signal, the guard commenced its first task. He dropped five small spherical explosive bombs from his left hand, that was hidden from the view of other occupants of the Kage Box. These explosive bombs were scripted with sealing formulas that produced a high level katon jutsu upon explosion. Just as the bombs left the guard's hand, the disguised Kazekage and said guard disappeared in a cloud of smoke, garnering the attention of those within the Kage box. Minato didn't know if it was luck or not when his gaze faintly noticed the bombs just before it contacted the floor. Because in that fraction of a moment, he grabbed the person nearest to him and swiftly teleported away to the closest Hiraishin marker he could sense, that was on Naruto.

BOOM! As soon as the bombs touched the floor, the walls of the Kage booth exploded with a deafening boom. Simultaneously, Orochimaru reappeared on the roof of the Konoha Stadium, while his guard after having dropped the transformation jutsu and reverting back to the Sound Four- Jirobo, Kidomaru, Tayuya and Kimimaro surrounded the stadium from the outside, as they all said in unison, "Shishienjin". The four ninja had already released the second level of their curse marks to augment the power of the barrier that now besieged the entirety of the stadium. Like all of Orochimaru's cursed seals, the ones on Sound Four forcefully drew out the user's chakra while feeding back senjutsu chakra in return, giving each a unique transformation and attribute boost, along with increased chakra levels, physical capabilities and improved effects of ninjutsu while the seal is active. Since the first barrier blocked ingress, the Sound Four swiftly erected a second barrier to impede the people within the stadium from attacking them.

In the contestant booth, Naruto's susanoo had enveloped around Sasuke, Hinata, Ino and Shino at the moment of explosion and as such had been spared the brunt of the attack. As soon as Naruto felt the ground stop rumbling, he released his susanoo.

"Is everyone okay?" He asked worriedly, as he helped Hinata get up. Glancing towards his friends, he sighed in relief when he noticed none were harmed.

"More or less." Sasuke admitted, dusting off his clothes. Climbing to his feet, all he could hear was the whooshing sound of the air and the screams of battle that now filled the stadium.

"I think so…" Hinata replied but stopped midway as her eyes honed into the destruction that covered the stadium. The walls and rows of seats around the Kage booth were all broken into numerous fragments of varying sizes with most of them ablaze. On the arena ground, Gaara had formed a dome of sand to protect himself and those around him from the blast. But that wasn't what petrified her.

"This is terrible… So many people dead in an instant." With aghast, Ino pointed out the myriads of dead bodies that lay around the epicenter of the explosion. She had yet to take her first kill and hence was visibly more shaken than the others. Minato and the Raikage on the other hand could only stare at the Kage Booth in horror, as the shock of what just transpired settled on them.

"NOO… BEE… DARUI!" the Raikage yelled from his position angrily, as his signature technique- the Lightning Release chakra mode, covered his whole body. He was about to rush after Orochimaru in a fit of rage, whom he noticed on the roof when he was stopped by Minato.

"They're both still alive, A. I can sense his and Darui's chakra under all that rubble. They may be gravely injured, but they're alive." Minato assured him. The Raikage visibly calmed down, albeit lightly A quick glance at the dual barrier around the stadium inferred to Minato that one wouldn't be able to get out of the stadium without normal means. Moreover, he could also sense traces of senjutsu chakra imbued in the barriers.

"Naruto, see if you can break the barrier around the stadium. If that's not possible, you'll need to use your jutsu to move everyone outside. I'll deal with Orochimaru and other enemy forces until A takes Bee and Darui to safety." Minato urged. Soon after that, the two Kages bolted from their position. By now, the Suna Shinobi sitting within the stadium had already begun their attack on the Konoha shinobi within the stadium walls.

"Our first priority is to evacuate everyone outside of the stadium and then to the safe haven. Ino and Shino, meet up with other Konoha teams and gather the civilians at the north exit of the stadium. I'll be there with Kakashi-sensei as soon as possible." Naruto stated, and everyone beside him promptly jumped out of the area. While Sasuke, Hinata and Naruto jumped straight down towards Kakashi on the ground who seemed to be fighting off several enemies; Ino and Shino moved towards Kurenai, to meet with their team.

Thrusting his arm covered in raiton chakra into a man's chest, Kakashi swiftly back flipped to avoid getting his arm cut off. He noticed four more shinobi flanking him from behind, when a wave of sand knocked them all away. "Thanks, Gaara." Kakashi replied with an eye smile. This intervention seemed to come as a shock to the Suna shinobi as they realized that Gaara Subaku had just aided their enemies. There was no rest for them, as both Gaara and Kakashi erupted a sand and mud wall respectively to block a barrage of kunai and shuriken aided by futon chakra, thrown at them from all directions. Just then, Naruto, Sasuke and Hinata landed inside those walls beside the two.

However, it was also at this moment, when Naruto sensed the buildup of a stupendous amount of chakra for a jutsu. He frantically looked up, specifically on top of the Hokage Rocks. Those standing beside him also followed his gaze and became wide-eyed at the scene.

High-up in the sky, Ohnoki and Mu levitated above the mountain that portrayed the Hokage stone faces. As soon as they noticed the fire in the Konoha Stadium, which was the signal of commencement, the two kages gathered an enormous amount of chakra that began to form in the palms of their hand.

The two Iwagakure kages combined their jutsu to create a massive octagonal prism structure, with a sphere of chakra located at its center. The jutsu's structure expanded rapidly, rivaling the half of the mountain itself in terms of size, in mere seconds. With a final glance towards the village, the two shinobi propelled their jutsu towards the Hokage Rocks.

"Jinton: Genkai Hakuri no jutsu: Hakkakkei Purizummu"


Author Notes: Finally, most of the pieces of the story is in place now for where I want the story to head. The next chapter will be mostly the war that will take place in and around Konoha. I have also decided on the casualties on both Konoha and Akatsuki's side. The only thing I can say for sure is that Minato and Shisui will not die in this event.

Nagato's and Konan's defection from Akatsuki will become clear in chapter 34, along with their relation with Minato and Jiraiya during earlier years. I will be adhering to the timeline that I have posted in the beginning of this chapter and will be posting them frequently on certain chapters.

The way Nagato uses his rinnegan is different than Naruto's. As of now, he has more experience and his eyes have had more time to mature. This will become more clear in chapter 33 and 34.

Please follow, favorite and review the story! Really glad that people are still posting reviews and I'll try my best to turn this piece of story into something special!

Until next time!