Review Responses:

LadyMidnightBat - Everyone needs a badass (mini) Sakura in their lives. Also yes! Battles are changed completely depending on one's opponents and how their weaknesses and strengths line up. If you have the right match-ups, the battle becomes easy. And yes, paralysis seals are definitely OP but man, I wanted to get through all these battle scenes. How are they still ongoing?
In relation to the yondaime/godaime bit - I avoided using the word. However, everyone seems to agree (on the Discord server at least) that Toru should be the yondaime. I think that Uzushio will likely never quite say because it makes it very confusing for all the other villages but also it's a great in-joke (and also like no one knows whether Toru is reborn or if he's Toru from years past or if he's someone new with the same name - I mean people guess but not everyone knows for certain).

Shy911 - He is!

nagi92 - Canon definitely did Sakura dirty, but I'm a fan of giving badass female characters centre stage like they deserve. Also, fuck canon. I do get how you might not be a fan of Sakura though, I won't personally go out of my way to read fics about her, but she can be written well.

Wingi - It does mean more chapters for you to enjoy and it mean I didn't have to deal with the ending yet which was helpful. I didn't want this to end either, and yet...
I didn't consider the parallels to canon with Sakura! It was more like the idea that not everyone could escape unscathed from all the battles that played a part here, but it is an interesting parallel.
Obito was... tricky to figure out, but hopefully it all works out well!
Kakuzu was the worst to write! What are his skills? Why does it make no sense? I scrolled through his wiki page multiple times and then proceeded to go fuck that and changed some things for myself. I hope you enjoy this chapter!

One on one, Team Gai are somewhat equal to the skills of the clones. But they are Konoha-nins and will never fight alone, if given the choice. And they aren't so much as given a choice here as they grab it.

Together, Team Gai decimate their enemies, leaving white corpses piling up on either side of them. Whilst they aren't officially together as a team, that doesn't mean they've let their teamwork go. They'd been genin teammates, once, and they still trained together where possible.

(So many genin teammates disappear from each other's lives like they were never there, only leaving memories of things long past. Team Gai refuse to let that happen to them. They are a team—or they had been once. They'd been friends and teammates and they will remain as such until they're all dead and buried.)

"Hey," Neji says, eyes focussed beyond Tenten's shoulder as she brings down another of the clones. She's starting to get the hang of it. They all have the same weakness, after all, and it's easy to fall into a pattern that works against them. Occasionally, one will pull out a move that surprises them, but the three are used to sudden changes and the clones don't quite manage to catch all three of them, always leaving one or two to help and win the fight.

"What is it?" Lee says, pausing on Neji's left, eyes surveying the nearby landscape for any possible enemies. "You see something?"

"Obviously," Tenten retorts as she steps back to fall into line with her teammates.

"There's a… something that's like the clones we've fought but not quite. It's a different colour for one," Neji says. Hdzc goszfcx

"Think it's the leader?" Tenten asks, readying her current weapon.

"Even if it's not, it's worth checking out. Neji, you want to lead?"

Neji nods in response to Lee's question and the trio follow the Hyūga who weaves them through the battlefield with ease. "There's someone already fighting the black clone," Neji reports as they close in.

Soon, Neji doesn't need to report what he can see because they're close enough that Tenten can see for herself. Like Neji had said, it is just a black version of the white clones they've been fighting, but this one seems to be one of a kind.

The ninja fighting the black clone isn't particularly fast or strong, but they're swift and tricky enough that the black clone appears to struggle against traps placed seconds prior. Neither of Tenten's teammates hesitate and so she doesn't either, just charging forth and trusting in them.

While Neji settles in to defend the Uzushio-nin, Lee and Tenten take up offensive positions. Unlike the clones they've been fighting, the black clone doesn't try to attack straight-on. Instead, it pauses, appearing almost considering. Tenten has a feeling it's not quite a clone.

"So more of you appear," the creature says. "No matter. I am Zetsu and I will not be stopped by such little humans! You are nothing more than ants in my way and I will not notice as I strike you down. Kaguya will rise and no one can stop her!"

That means nothing to Tenten. Is she meant to know that name? She doesn't look at her teammates, but she doesn't need to look at them to feel their confusion either. It's almost familiar, in the same way that the melody for childhood lullabies are familiar.

"Kaguya?" The Uzushio-nin echoes, looking around, and Tenten assumes it's a stalling method as the other pulls out ink and paper from their weapons pouch. It's a pretty obvious tactic, though Zetsu certainly doesn't seem to care, surveying them without a care. "Don't think I know that name."

Zetsu snarls. "You puny humans cannot remember anything! Kaguya deserves your praise, your love, your slavery. She is the one from which all comes and the one who will bestow greatness upon the world! I will bring her back and you will all bow down to her!"

The Uzushio-nin hums. "Yeah, no thanks," she says. Then her chakra flares and the piece of paper she's holding shines. Zetsu recoils backward and none of Team Gai even think about hesitating, charging forward and pressing on the advantage.

Lee is, of course, the fastest and he swirls around Zetsu and kicks it in the back, causing the creature to stagger forward towards them. Neji takes the lead, slamming forward with a series of jabs that target tenketsu, before slipping sideways and allowing Tenten to lash out with a series of blows that leads to the creature retreating.

It's in that moment that the Uzushio-nin catches up. She's clearly not on their level, but she puts up a good fight and tries, (which counts in Tenten's books; whether it's enough to keep her alive in this fight is another question entirely), and slaps out with the inked-seal, chakra flaring once again.

Beneath the onslaught, Zetsu finally falls backward and Tenten dives forward, blade leading, and cuts off its head. Standing, she grins, her team instantly falling around to flank her and ready to tackle their next challenge. After all, the war doesn't wait for anyone.

Hope can only get you so far. It's an awful, awful thought. Yeah, hope kept them all going when Uzushio fell and it led them back home too—but it can only get you so far in a battle.

(Hope doesn't let you win. Hope doesn't see you survive. If hope let you win, Uzushio never would have fallen in the first place. But that's not how it works. Uzushio fell, alone and without allies, and her people fled with only stories and the belongings on their back.)

Michi knows a few things about hope. She'd been a jōnin when Uzushio had fallen, had three genins under her care. She got them out, alive and whole, and they survived the decades that follow. They came home, too, all of them. Now she is an advisor for the Uzukage and part of the Uzushio Council and has seen Uzushio rise from the ruins Kirigakure left her in.

So yes, Michi knows hope and how it builds, how it can falter and remain strong, how it is enduring and ever-lasting and how it can keep you alive when nothing else does.

But it cannot stop a kunai from slicing your throat, from your rips breaking beneath a blow, from your air supply being cut off. Hope can do much but it is not everything. Thankfully, Michi does not try to fight with only hope.

She may be in her fifties, might not be an active ninja, but she is a ninja of Uzushio, (and she is deadly; ninjas don't retire, not the best ones at least—they know to always be ready, to always be capable of a fight, to know how to survive whatever the world throws their way). Still, still Michi knows that one day she will fall. It might be to old age or it might be in the battle she now fights in. There's no certainty which one it will be.

And, as the fight draws on, Michi knows that the danger against her only grows. She knows that at her age, she will not be able to endure everything. There will come a point where the creatures she fights against will be stronger, be faster, be that much better, be that little bit more lucky. Before then, Michi will try to retreat to a defensible location, whether it be helping at one of the triages or near a base overseeing some commands.

In the end, it is not Michi's bond that fails her but her own mind. She thinks about something else, something other than the fight, and her feet slip on the bloody ground. Falling, she twists, eyes wide, desperate to avoid that killing blow. Even as she does so, she knows the blow will land.

(If she dies here, she will not mind. She will have died in defence of Uzushio and she will never regret that. She is proud, of what she has done and what she has managed and what Uzushio has become. She only hopes that Uzushio will survive this battle in tact.)

Then the creature stops, body lifting off the ground and slanting backwards, as a thick white bone-like spear shoves through its torso from behind. Not wasting any time, Michi gets to her feet quickly, a kunai in hand for quick and close defence.

"Michi-san," someone calls and it's not another Uzushio-nin who steps up beside her, or a Konoha-nin, but Kimimaro. "Where do you want me to lead my squad of Oto-nins?"

Michi spins and finds herself staring at Kimimaro, a fierce grin on his face, with a contingent of Oto-nins behind him. She grins, bloody and surviving and fierce. "We need to push back on this border," she explains. "They're getting close to one of our main triages."

"We can handle that," Kimimaro says, confident and easy with it. He looks settled, looks happy, looks willing to lead the Oto-nins against Uzushio's enemies. Without another word, he charges forth, leaving Michi to watch as the force launch a devesting attack that, almost straight away, begin to push the other army back.

Watching, Michi can hardly believe it.

(This time, Uzushio's allies come. They're here and they came and-)

(Uzushio continues fighting, but they don't stand alone this time.)

Shōta's world had become nothing more than blood and death and his hands deep in people's chest. Or maybe his world's become a battlefield and he can't think beyond his current patient, the death he's trying to stave off, the life he's trying to save.

To him, it feels like there's nothing beyond this—the almost-hidden whines of the injured, the screaming that's dulled down to background noise, the heavy breathing, hearts pounding. All he's aware of is his hands, his tools, and the people around him, and those he's only vaguely aware of.

Exhaustion threads its tired way through his body, but there's no time to for it to really set in. So Shōta forces it back, rubs tired eyes, takes a triple shot of what-might-be-caffeine, and keeps working. His breathing remains steady and so do his hands and he'll see this through to the end.

But Kami, Shōta knows that he's pushing the edge as it is. He's a medic-nin, a good one even, and he knows his limits and the dangers of chakra exhaustion. While he's precise with his chakra, there's a danger in using medical jutsus when exhausted. If you lose focus or your control wavers, that shit can blow up in your face pretty damn easily, (and there's enough explosions going on around them at the moment anyway).

Not to say that Shōta won't try his best. He'll fucking last as long as he has to—he won't give in. If needed, he'll defend the entire medical area himself and do his best to kill everyone who goes up against him. But, more than that, he'll fight against the injuries that try to claim Uzushio's fighters, try to buy them more time, try to get them capable of moving to the hospital which is the best place for them to get proper treatment.

Unfortunately, there's a difference between doing your best and succeeding. Lives have been lost today. And it's one thing to know you can't save everyone, (and Shōta knows that but he's never had to be on the battlefield before though he has watched as life has slipped from his fingers), but it's another to have multiple lives depending on you and attempt to figure out who you try to heal first.

The worst part of it, Shōta reckons, is the fact those who can keep moving just get in-field surgery if needed, basic stitches, and get told to try and make it to the hospital. The others, well, sometimes he uses his chakra to heal wounds and bring people back from the cusp of death. Sometimes he eases pain with as little chakra as possible and promises them that they died for a good cause, that they will be remembered, and then he moves on without stopping.

(There's no time for stopping. Stop and you die. Or, worse, stop and someone else dies.)

Shōta's got one hand buried in someone's chest and is pinching an artery in what should definitely not be done without tools while someone else is working on trying to keep the patient's heart beating and lungs breathing and everything else. His other hand is linked to a jutsu that's currently keeping three other ninjas in comas as his colleagues do their fucking best to save these people. Technically, Shōta could let the ninjas be and save his chakra, but it's better to do this when they're under and… Well, if things go wrong, at least they won't be aware of their pain.

"Reinforcements!"

The cry rips through their lines. No one pauses in their work, but the tension is palatable for a second. On the edge of his mind, a brief thought crosses his mind—reinforcements for Uzushio or for their enemies?

His answer comes as three ninjas descend on the triage. One of them comes over, hands already growing green, hitai-ate proudly displayed on their forehead—bearing the Otogakure symbol.

They don't ask questions, just nod at him, and take over two of his patients. Shōta doesn't breathe a sigh of relief—who has time for that anyway—but he turns his concentration onto actually working. Now he can actually think about organising the retrievers for those injured and get messages to the other medic groups.

And now only two lives rest in his hands. He can deal with two. It's much easier than four, after all.

Naruto's mind moves fast. It always has, jumping from one thing to the next in a way that seems to confuse almost everyone around him. It's always helped give him a little bit of an edge in battle, lets him think of a new tactic on the spot that might seem absurd for anyone else.

Naturally, it has his drawbacks and he has a tendency of focussing on something that he really shouldn't be thinking about at times. Like—they're in the middle of a battle. A war. Whatever. And all Naruto can think about is how weird it is to see Toru.

And like yeah, Naruto knows it's Toru and there's definitely that baselevel hurt thrumming through his body the moment he spares a second to even think about the fact Toru is there. But it's also entirely strange to see Toru fighting.

He's lived with Toru a long time—or had, at least. He's trained with Toru too and seen him fight, bloody and deadly, but this is different, somehow. Toru's always been protective, and he's the same now as he was when he fought for Konoha though Naruto had only seen him as a masked ANBU then.

Still. Something is weird. Off. And Naruto isn't sure what it is. All he knows is that he keeps glancing at Toru from the corner of his eye and thinking that it feels so strange to be working alongside him.

Maybe that's it. The fact that Naruto's fighting alongside Toru rather than- rather than something. He's not sure what. He's fought beside Toru before technically, but it's more like they're equals now? Even though Naruto's fairly certain that Toru's likely got a bit more power. After all, he's a Kage now.

Which-

"Focus," Sasuke breathes out, sharp and harsh and exactly what Naruto needs right now. He breathes out steadily, counts to his heartbeat, and draws his thoughts and eyes away from Toru. That's—That's to deal with after this. After there's no one in danger and Toru's-

Focus.

They'd come across Toru and his team accidentally. Naruto and Sasuke had been fighting and slicing through the army of clones without a thought when they'd stumbled across Toru and his team, (Naruto's noticed the way Toru's team flank him, guard him, stand between him and them—two of them are familiar, the third not so much, but there's something about the way they look to be protecting Toru from them that hurts). One of Toru's teammates had picked up something that Toru had immediately turned towards. Naruto and Sasuke, unable to do anything else, had followed, trailing along in Toru's wake, (and maybe it had always been like that, Sasuke and Naruto following and helpless to do anything else).

When they come to a stop, they're on the very edge of Uzushio. Not near the cliffs, but close to the shore and there's almost no one around. But, in front of them, are two ninjas. One Naruto knows somewhat—she's got an Akatsuki cloak and an entry in the Bingo Book.

Her hair's blue and her eyes are narrowed at them, arms almost loosely held by her side. Though Naruto's fairly certain she's holding weapons in her hands, which are hidden by the long sleeves. She's dangerous.

The man beside her looks considerably less so. He's emaciated, to the point where Naruto can easily count his ribs. Metal rods appear to come out of his back, almost looking like a fan in appearance. It's… weird, to say the least. What really grabs Naruto's attention, however, is the fact his eyes are a light purple colour, swirling with what looks to be the legendary Rinnegan, (Naruto only knows of it because of the Uchiha Clan and everything they've taught him).

"Why have you come to Uzushio?" Toru asks, his voice only steel and holding no warmth.

The man, though pale and clearly weak, only tilts his head slightly and smiles and- and there's something almost familiar there, though Naruto can't put his name on what. "Perhaps I wanted to see the land of my ancestors," the man says with a slow smile. The words don't ring hollow or anything, but they sound wrong.

Toru, however, seems to appraise the man as if his words make sense, which Naruto doesn't understand. Surely Toru doesn't believe that this man led an army against Uzushio because he wanted to see the village!

"Uzumaki," Toru says suddenly, and Naruto glances at him, eyes wide. "Aren't you? But that doesn't matter, you didn't come here to see Uzushio."

"Indeed," the man says. "I'm Nagato Uzumaki and I came here for all of the bijūs you have so cleverly hidden from me. In fact, you've brought one directly to me. Thank you."

That's obviously aimed at Naruto and he would respond but this is Toru's village and Toru's the one in steering the conversation.

Toru doesn't respond straight away. Rather, his chakra flares, clearly a sign of some kind though Naruto doesn't know what it's for. Then, Toru simply says, "I offered them homes and they decided to come. They are under my protection as they are Uzushio's and Uzushio is theirs in return. The jinchūriki do not want to die. They're happy living their lives and you will not take that from them."

"What if I said I could offer you peace in return? Imagine it! No more fighting. Uzushio was destroyed by Kirigakure, do you not wish to avoid this happening again? A world where no one village fights another, where people live happily side by side, where there is peace. This is what I can offer to you if you hand over the bijūs. Once all nine bijūs are under my control, I can ensure that the world maintains its delicate peace. No one would dare go against us," the man—Nagato—says. "Is this not a good life?"

"It's one ruled by fear," Naruto spits out. "Peace can't be continued indefinitely by fear! It's about hard work and choices and making things work and fixing problems not- not letting them stew in fear and behave because they think they'll be killed otherwise. That's not peace at all!"

"I agree," Toru says without hesitation, (and it makes Naruto warm to hear Toru agree with him so easily, so quickly). "Uzushio will not be bowing down to terrorists—nor will we accept some peace brought on by fear. Yes, Uzushio fell once but we have rebuilt and found our own peace our way. And not through fear either."

Nagato sighs, sad as if it's unfortunate they won't bow their heads and give in to fear, like this isn't Naruto's life and that of the other jinchūriki on the line!

"I'm sorry it's had to come to this," he says, and-

It's clearly coming to a fight. Already Naruto has a vague idea of how this will work out. Toru will likely stick with his team, since they'll be used to fighting each other. Meanwhile, Naruto will work with Sasuke to take down the second opponent—in theory, they could probably work with Toru too, but Naruto's not entirely sure how Toru will fight and they can't afford to have any hesitation or weaknesses in this fight. Not against S-ranked ninjas.

"Naruto, Sasuke," Toru says lowly, and Naruto's heart skips a beat as Toru speaks to them, (directly to them), "can you take Nagato? There should be people on their way to lend aid if possible."

Naruto glances at Sasuke, catches the swirling of his Sharingan, the steel of his expression, and nods. "Yes," he says simply, though he longs for Sakura to be there with them. They're a team, even now, and they should be here altogether but Sakura is elsewhere, fighting a war without her team and undoubtably kicking ass.

(Sakura is, in fact, fighting and surviving and wishing she was at her teammates' backs, but she knows they can take care of themselves and they likely have each other. In the meantime, she defends medics and heals people as best she can and never for a second pauses. She's part of Team Kakashi and it's never been more obvious than now.)

Toru charges forward, his team spreading out immediately, and divides Nagato and the woman—Konan!—up. Without exchanging a look with Sasuke, the two Konoha-nins leap forward and into the fight, refusing to give in.

Across Uzushio, the battle goes on.

Karin Uzumaki is one of those weird Uzushio-not-quite-Uzushio ninjas. Technically, that should make her position weird. Those in Uzushio should scorn her for not being completely loyal to them. They should question her, not trust her, except…

Well, if anyone in Uzushio doesn't trust her, they certainly hide it well. Rather, they all seem to welcome her when she's around. It's strange because she's not like some of Uzushio's people, who've abandoned their villages for better places, (she abandoned Kusagakure what feels like a lifetime ago), for Uzushio. Yet, she's always welcomed and she has friends here.

They've even given her an Uzushio hitai-ate! Karin isn't like Kimimaro or Yagura, both who operate as ambassadors for their respective villages. Except…

The Uzumaki Clan don't have many people. Maybe that's why they easily took Karin in, taught her what should have been the culture she grew up with, (they even gave her beads signifying she's part of the Uzumaki Clan). But Karin has a feeling it's also because that's just how Uzushio is.

All this really means is that when Uzushio is attacked Karin is lucky—or, perhaps, unlucky—enough to be there. She splits her time between Oto and Uzushio, fairly evenly. She knows that Orochimaru doesn't mind too much, though he does always send responses when she reports what she's currently doing. Then, of course, there is Kimimaro who almost seems to trade off-and-on with her, though he usually spends more time in Uzushio than Oto.

Anyway, none of that matters. Not in this battle. The point is that Karin's been here enough that she's known, both in terms of skills and personality. As a result, she's not one of Uzushio's many fighters but in an important position near some of the members of Uzushio's councils.

Thus, when she feels Toru's chakra flare in a predetermined signal, (they'd been no time to make plans, not with Toru coming from Konoha and Uzushio's defences doing their best to hold and beginning to give—but they'd made plans before, ones that Karin only knew the basics of), she turns to the closest council member. "Uzukage-sama needs help," she says, voice hurried. "He's not in trouble, but he's-"

The council member nods. "Alright," they say. Glancing around, they somehow call an ANBU team towards them where the group had been fighting nearby. "Karin-san, lead on."

Karin nods and turns, not bothering to wait a second more. Since they're further back in the village, (which Karin had been irritated about at first, but then it became clear that this was the best position for her—she was the one who could identify where help was needed, whether it be medical aid or more fighters), they can cut across Uzushio's rooftops to where Toru, his team, and two Konoha-nins fight against two Akatsuki.

The Uzushio council member drops back as Karin and the ANBU charge forward, speeding up that little bit more. The ANBU head towards Toru, which makes sense, and Karin leaves them too it—though Toru looks like he just took down his opponent with his teammates.

While the two Konoha-nins are handling themselves, their chakras fluctuating with worry-fear-determination. So Karin doesn't think for a second, just calls on her chakra, layering it and strengthening it. Then, she lets her chakra flare, whipping outwards. Immediately, golden-red-sunset chains burst from her body, feeling like extra limbs.

The enemy she faces remains fairly still, though his chakra is powerful and strong and Karin knows how dangerous it is to go up against him. However, she's not alone—there are the Konoha-nins, yes, but there's also Uzushio at her back, (and she will not fail, not here, she will put her life on the line for this village and these people and that will see her through to the end). Karin's chakra chains lash out, flying through the air. The other two ninjas easily adapt to her actions, dragging the attention away from her. She doesn't waste the opportunity given to her, just tries to speed up the chains and watches as they latch onto limbs of their enemy.

She feels the strain immediately. Chakra runs down the chains, her own trying to contain the shinobi and the shinobi's own chakra rebounding, flaring and fighting her. Gritting her teeth, Karin doubles-down on her chakra. She's an Uzumaki, Kami damn it. She's an Uzushio-nin and an Oto-nin and she's not going to give up.

A blue glow starts to surround her as her chakra strengthens, forming a glow around her. She's never forced this much chakra through her chains before, but it's overpowering her enemy, slow moment by slow moment. Then-

It feels like everything stops, abruptly. Arms crossed in front of her face, Karin feels chakra blast past her—or maybe it's nothing at all. The world is silent. Even to her chakra sense, it feels almost dead. The few key figures who've been overpowering her chakra field, forcing her to dig further and further to feel the specificities of everything, have disappeared.

She looks up at the one she's been fighting, shoulders heaving as she sucks in lungful of air after lungful of air. He's silent, eyes wide as he stares at her, and he looks so fragile. Planting her feet properly, she lifts her chin. He's not fragile and she's not either and they're both going to never stop fighting, that much she knows, (but what she doesn't know is that what you fight for can change).

"You've lost," Toru says, (and somehow his voice is gentle, is soft, and Karin doesn't know how—this is the man who tore their village apart, broke past their defences, attacked without cause). "Nagato, you've lost."

"What did you do to Konan?" The man—and this must be the Nagato Toru is speaking to—says, eyes wild. His chakra roils, thrashing against Karin's chains, but she holds still, holds strong, and doesn't falter.

"She's not dead, just paralysed," Toru says, and his voice is steel. Mercy is an offering here, but it's not a guarantee and if Nagato pushes the issue… Well. Toru is an Uzukage after all, even if Uzushio is a very strange place.

"You've lost," one of the Konoha-nins echo, voice derisive. Karin glances at Toru, only a flicker of her eyes really, but the Uzukage doesn't seem to care—not outwardly, at least. "You lost because this isn't how you get peace. Your idea of peace was bullshit anyway. You don't keep peace through fear—that's never worked! People will rise up against you eventually. No one wants to live in fear. You saw that in Kirigakure, when their civil war came for them, bloody and awful and horrific—but because they were kept in control through fear. And you're, what, from Amegakure? You had an uprising of your own against… against Hanzō. He kept the war going, kept people in fear, and so people rose up against him. That's how it always goes. People try to keep others bowed down in fear, try to hold onto their positions of power, and they fail. They fail and they fall and they never last.

"You can try to keep the peace. And maybe it'll stick around for while. But then it'll come back and it'll go down, go down big time, and we'll probably end up in another war. You want to keep all the bijūs under your control? Then people will come for you. They'll come for you and for the power you hoard and it'll spark war all over again." The Konoha-nin falls quiet again, eyes focussed and steady and… and with the little attention that Karin pays to her sensory range, she can feel his determination-anger-hope.

"What do you suggest I do?" Nagato spits out, harsh and hostile. "It's not like Konoha's plan for peace worked so well. Splitting the bijūs so unevenly and ignoring the small villages. There's nothing for us here!"

"So? Taking the bijūs and holding them, or not holding them whatever, that doesn't prove your power! It's not—you're after peace. Peace… Peace has been bought through war a lot, but it's not peace that lasts. It's peace that leaves people and villages tense and unhappy because it comes from war. We can get peace other ways too. Peace can come through treaties and alliances and it'll be stronger peace.

"And so what if your village is small? How many small villages are there out there? There are five big villages and they have reputations, but that doesn't mean-" The Konoha-nin throws his hands up. "So what if they have reputations and are well known?" He glances sideways at Toru, an unreadable expression crossing his face, before he turns back to face Nagato, unmoving. "Uzushio was a small village but Kirigakure came to them because they were dangerous anyway. It's not about being small, it's what you do with your reputation, how you manage it. It's about-"

"Peace," Nagato says. "Peace and choices."

Nagato closes his eyes briefly. Sasuke wonders what he's thinking. Does the man realise that all of his plans, carefully laid and otherwise, have finally crumbled? There is nothing for Nagato to hang onto now. Perhaps he has some secondary plan but… Sasuke doubts it, heavily. It seems like this had been Nagato's last chance, which explains the sudden attack on Uzushio, with all their jinchūriki.

Swallowing, Sasuke wonders what he should say next. Everything he's said so far has been automatic, something drawn from the depths of his soul. He hadn't realised he'd thought so much about peace, (he is a ninja born to peace-time, to safety and a village with no wars; the peace he knows is won through war, bought by war). Perhaps it's Naruto's own thoughts infecting him, grand ideas of peace and could-bes, or maybe it's Toru's own ideologies—that things can be better.

(Or maybe it's just Sasuke, growing up as he did. His life has, arguably, been fairly easy. At least, it had started that way. Only his brother's shadow, cast over him, had been a hardship. But then—the massacre of the clan, the traitors hidden deep within Konoha, the struggles Naruto faces daily.)

(In the end, it's Naruto's own thoughts and Toru's ideologies and Sasuke tying it altogether with his own thoughts and experiences. It's Sasuke believing that they can have peace.)

"Do you truly think the other villages will listen to us?" Nagato looks directly at Sasuke. The question doesn't sound derisive or anything, not antagonistic or doubting, it's curiosity, plain and simple.

Sasuke isn't a Kage. Doesn't want to be either. But he thinks about Naruto and his dreams, all his friends working towards their various positions, Tsunade up in the Hokage's Office who came back despite her losses, and how she strives for Konoha to be more, to be better.

He glances sideways at Toru, his heart aching. Toru is here and alive and the Uzukage. And…

"Yes," he says, firm. There's only certainty in his heart, only believe that it will work. Even if not all the villages listen—even if Kumogakure doesn't and Kirigakure ignores them. There's Konoha, who will try to listen at the very least, and Sunagakure is Konoha's ally, so there's a chance there too. And maybe Sasuke hasn't seen Toru in ages, hasn't spoken to him either, but he knows Toru, (and he assumes that Toru hasn't changed; that his brother remains the same no matter what time has passed), and so he knows Uzushio will listen and fight for it.

Fight for peace. Because, in the end, isn't that what they all want? Yes, Sasuke knows peace and doesn't know war, but there's a different kind of peace waiting for them. One that's not based on old tensions and hostilities, on treaties that aren't truly followed, on generations who knew only war.

Breathing in, Sasuke feels a revelation forming in his mind. One he's known for a long time, but never really found the words for—until now. "Peace needs to be made by new generations," he says. "The peace we have now has been bought by war, bargained by those who fought. It's what was needed at the time, but now we can have something new. This is the chance for a different kind of peace. All you have to do is… is ask. Ask, extend a hand, and have hope that things will be better."

"Sometimes hope is all you have," Nagato says thoughtfully. He dips his head, chained as he is. "Alright, ninja of Konohagakure, I will try it your way." Then he looks away from Sasuke, who steps back, and turns his gaze toward Toru. "Where do we go from here?"

"We figure it out," Toru says. "First, you call off your forces and we see what the rest of the battle's like. Then, we start working on an alliance and you go back to your village to figure out terms. After that, you'll approach us with a treaty and talks will start. You reach out to other villages too." Toru pauses and seems to look beyond Nagato, though Sasuke doesn't know what he's seeing.

"Peace isn't easy but it's not impossible," he continues, now looking back at Nagato. "And our world today makes it a lot more likely, and it's not peace born of fear either."

Nagato nods. "I surrender," he says, voice clear, and a shudder runs through Sasuke. This, he realises, is the fight over, the battle won. What comes next?

The leader of the battle surrenders to Uzushio following Sasuke's words on peace. Somehow, they have survived this fight. But across Uzushio, the battle goes on. There is much to be done.

Everyone needs some more Tenten content in their lives, obviously.

Hello yes, I love Michi and also Kimimaro. Uzushio has allies and they are coming i m. I love that for them. It's also really fun writing Michi's POV when Uzushio's allies come because Michi was around when Uzushio fell, when their allies didn't come. The difference now is startling.

Of course I had to include Shota! I love him. He's such a fun character to write.

So what happened with Naruto and Sasuke? Well, firstly I forgot anything happened with them. I am now amending it to they were taken by the original white zetsu (i.e. the one not a clone) and killed that Zetsu, and rejoined the battlefield. Or maybe it was just a zetsu from the clone army, that's not exactly clear and I'm content to leave it that way.

Hello, welcome in Karin! She was a fun POV to write because she's such an outsider and also Uzushio's but also Oto's. If you were wondering who was talking that entire time too, it's Sasuke. Because Sasuke is, well, Sasuke is very different to his canon counterpart but we already knew that.

That's me done for this short note. Hope you all enjoyed this chapter! The next one will see the aftermath and all those fun things (but, not yet, a proper conversation between Toru and Naruto and Sasuke, that still lies ahead).