Sorry for the long wait been very busy and only just got some free time, enjoy and I hope you are all doing well and taking care of yourselves

If you are reading this again sorry, I just learned people were having trouble commenting and reviewing because of the clean up I did last time so I've just rearranged some stuff to make it so this can possibly be commented on again, I added literal FILLER chapters to take up the space of stuff that I removed.

Naruto CH67

"Please, I beg of you, whoever you are! Release me, I must go to her!"

"No, I cannot do that, you're dangerous"

"Please, have a heart!"

"Right now I must close mine to you"

"Try to understand, she needs to hear what I have to say!"

"Oh? And what is it you have to say?"

"W-well that's really for her ears only so...come on! please release me!?"

"Hmm, well I still can't let you go, what with you being an Edo Tensei and all, you could wind up possessing someone"

"I won't do that, I think I've started to regain control over myself or at least how to reduce my performance, so...I give you my word I won't hurt anyone"

Hirofumi looked skeptical, to say the least "that's a tall order when under the Edo Tensei, how can you convince me otherwise?"

There was a moment of silence as Dan seemed to collect himself, searching through himself to find something to prove his case to his warden. "All my life I was never truly alive like others, I was always a little drawn to the other side, I don't know why I was born like this, some nights when I was asleep I could see myself from the outside, how others might see me, I would fly around while my body slept and sometimes I would go there, to the Otherside" Dan paused and looked to Hiro "you're from there, aren't you?"

Hiro nodded "yeah, limbo, though it ain't really the other side, you've been to the real Otherside? the afterlife"

Dan looked to think on that "I guess so, but it's difficult to remember or describe but it didn't feel complete...not without her, all I can really describe is that"

"Yeah I know, but what makes you think you can resist the Edo Tensei"?

"Now that I've had time to get used to my situation I feel like I've learned to regain some control over my spirit, most people wouldn't know how to manipulate their spirit but for me, it's just the same as moving around. I feel like I have strings on me and that I can pull against them. I don't think that man is really that focused on me as he is on Lord Second so I believe if I try hard enough I might be able to break free and leave at my will"

Hirofumi nodded, that didn't not make sense to him, he could believe someone as spiritually unique as Dan might have a natural resistance to the power of Edo Tensei that most victims would unfortunately lack. "ok then do that"

"I can't"

"You can't?"

"I won't!"

"Why?"

"Because of Tsunade!" Hiro was silent as he stared at Dan "I see now that she suffers, clearly she has been for a long time, when we met... she'd not long lost her little brother, before that her father, her mother, her Granduncle and Grandfather...not long before me she told me her Grandmother was also fading. I can only imagine what all that loss must have done to her!"

Hiro's eyes were sharp and indifferent orbs as his gazed down at the bound Dan "It's turned her sour and bitter, the woman you loved is gone".

"NO!" yelled Dan, causing the most minute change in Hiro's attention "that's not true, buried under all that pain, grief and despair I know that Tsunade is still there, waiting to bloom again and fix this ill world!"

Now Hiro seemed to truly notice Dan, coming down to him on a knee "You truly believe that? Despite years of cynicism, excess, ill behaviour and poisoning both her own mind and body, you truly believe the woman you once knew is still in there under all that mess of a human being"

Dan's expression didn't waver as a soft smile seemed to break out of his very existence "How could I not? I love her"

Hirofumi broke eye contact and turned away from Dan "then you are a smarter man than me" with a sudden snap of his fingers the roots binding Dan came undone.

Dan's body's first desire was to leave but to prove the man's faith was not illy placed Dan resisted that urge "you will not regret this, she will be Hokage not because the village wills it but because I know in my heart that it was always supposed to be her!".

Hirofumi looked to Dan over his shoulder and smiled "go get her back, for this world that needs her".

Naruto felt a sudden spike of chill shoot out from within him and for just a moment he thought he saw it, saw Dan, a smile broke out on Tsunade before she suddenly stiffened all over and fell to her knees, head bowed low.

"Lady Tsunade!" yelled Sakura but before she could attempt to go near her Naruto intervened with a chakra claw to her hand shaking his head.

"Well, well, well isn't this just perfect" the kids turned to the condescending voice and saw Kabuto, clothes a bit messy and showings of blood speckles on his face and arms but nothing looked like it would hinder him. He smirked "she's completely immobilized, getting the killing blow on her now will be almost…. disappointingly easy".

Naruto scowled, his teeth involuntarily bearing themselves "don't forget who's in front of you ya bastard!"

Kabuto's face fell placid and his eyes shifted to Naruto with no change in his concern on the matter "oh I don't need to get through you to get to her, she'll come to me" with that he sent out his order. They turned and saw to their horror as Tsunade rose up, Kabuto sighed in awe at the spectacle of having control over a Sannin and then grinned "you know what I have a better idea, kill her yourself Dan" order Kabuto.

Everyone gasped and saw as Tsunade picked up a sharp jagged piece of rock and started directing it to her throat.

"You were wrong in setting him free Spirit! Now he will kill that girls only hope of getting better"

Hiro held his head low before the glowing well, Kurama's massive red eye reflecting on its surface. Doubt flickered on Hiro's face but as he recalled Dan's voice, his expression of conviction and love for that woman whose body he now took over he felt that doubt wain "it will fail".

The giant slitted eye narrowed "oh?"

The jagged point was pressed to the white skin of her neck but didn't break the surface, the hand trembling. Kabuto raised a curious eyebrow at the sight "what the hell are you doing!? Kill her now!" his order seemed to fall on deaf ears as the grip on the rock tightened but didn't move.

Sakura looked perplexed "what's going on? Why isn't he doing as he's told?"

Neji smirked "He may be Kabuto's slave but it does not mean he has to mindlessly obey, maybe he has some will left that he's using to fight back with".

Kabuto heard all that and snuffed "absurd, don't make me throw up! He can't do that, not with my Edo Tensei that is! Mine allows for perfect control over my thrall"

Naruto smirked and pointed to Tsunade "clearly not you idiot!"

Kabuto scowled at the smug-looking Uzumaki and willed Dan to execute his former love but as he sensed closer he encountered something he thought couldn't be possible...resistance. It was inconceivable! That foolish drivel that the Hyuga spouted in his presence was proving true! This man, who was less than a Kage! Less than a Sannin and barely something that could be called an Elite was fighting him!? Fighting his version of the Edo Tensei? Fighting the very Jutsu that was keeping its very own creator and Second Fire Shadow perfectly obedient? Ludicrous! Something must be wrong!

"What's the matter Kabuto? You look spooked" mocked Naruto "bit off more than you can chew with that one?"

"Yeah, did Orochimaru perhaps..." Sakura smirked "overestimate your abilities"

Kabuto teeth gritted under all this mockery from these little twerps who didn't understand a damn thing "Lord Orochimaru was not wrong in choosing me, not in the least, clearly Dan is an anomaly that's all, accounting for things like that now will only serve to make future summons all the more stable and obedient. Though unfortunately, it seems that I will have to get my own hands dirty this time, oh well this way I can I say I dealt with Tsunade personally". Kabuto smiled with a wicked confidence as he stepped forward and all the kids jumped back in guarding positions before the still Tsunade "you better step aside, I will not hesitate to kill you all".

Neji looked to Tsunade "without her Hinata will most surely never get better!" he turned to Kabuto "Naruto, Sakura leave with Tsunade" and without giving them a moment to protest Neji zipped at Kabuto.

Kabuto was for a second shocked by the rash attack of the stoic-looking Hyuga, he at least thought that out of all the kids he'd be the most level-headed. Kabuto started taking quick steps back keeping just out of the boy's reach, Kabuto knew just how lethal the touch of a Hyuga could be, one perfect strike and he's dead. Kabuto turned from side to side, the boy's pokes always just falling short on the next failed strike Kabuto slid past the boy and saw his exposed back and grinned. His chakra scalpel buzzed to life, Kabuto thought to just simply sever a few arteries and let the boy die of internal bleeding.

But suddenly, before Kabuto could get the intended strike in, Neji suddenly started spinning forming a blue dome of chakra around himself that pushed Kabuto back. Kabuto was still skidding back when the dome dispersed and Neji still whining down from the spin emerged and unleashed an air palm which Kabuto barely avoided getting struck in the chest by but instead grazed his shoulder blowing a chunk of sleeve away and opening up a multitude of small wounds. Kabuto barely had time to hiss as Neji clearly predicted that attack would fail and closed the distance.

Neji's goal was clear, his hand striking out, his fore and middle finger containing the highest concentration of chakra he's ever invested into a single strike. This would be lethal, Kabuto would not be the first life he has taken and certainly wouldn't be the last. If taking Kabuto's life would insure Lady Hinata's recovery then killing this man would be a happy memory, not a bleak one.

SMACK!

Neji's Byakugan widened, Juken having now met Chakra Scalpel for perhaps the first time ever, they met like two knives, the two energies dispelling over one another in a harmless display. Kabuto looked just as surprised by the effeteness of his counter and smirked, the look making it seem like this was always his intention and not just some fluke. Neji felt the pain before he realized what had happened Kabuto hadn't hesitated to capitalize on his new advantage and used his other hand to strike Neji's offending arm with superior reach making it fall limp.

The fight barely lasted a few more seconds after that as Kabuto had little difficulty fending off a half-effective Hyuga when he now knew he could use his Chakra scalpels to parry a Juken strike.

While that had all been happening Naruto and Sakura had refused Neji's request and instead chose to stay. "Naruto we should help him!"

Naruto frowned "yeah but...listen Sakura!" the girl perked up "we might have one descant shot to beat him, are you with me?"

Sakura was silent for a few seconds before she nodded

Neji was on a knee, breathing becoming difficult, arms useless, left leg equally so and Kabuto hovering over him like a predatory bird. "huh you did well, but not nearly good enough to save your lady, shame, guess she'll just have to spend the rest of her life suffering a limited existence all thanks to you".

Kabuto ceased his gloating when he heard the sound of wind rushing over something odd, he turned and moved at the sight of a golden gleam, avoiding being snagged by a chakra claw, the moment he landed another was on him but this one caught his left arm and without thinking Kabuto used his chakra scalpal to cut through it. To his joy it worked, it gave way something like wet tissue paper or cotton candy but then suddenly to his further bewilderment he came face to face with the one called Sakura, she threw the most bullish and easy-to-read punch of his life. He leaned his head to the side and felt it sail past and kicked her, he was unable to execute the strike with anything close to his full force so to his dismay she easily found herself back on her feet.

But then he realised something, he made a mistake, a rookie error, he had become for only a moment enrapt by the girl's sudden gull, by the mystery of how she somehow thought that she had anything to contribute to this fight. He saw her at the Chunin exams she was nothing special, not when compared to Sasuke, Naruto or even half of the other participants, all she knew was a bit of water jutsu and even that was subpar at best, what was she thinking? And that was when it became clear she was not attacking him because she thought she could someone beat him with a mere punch! No, it was simply a ploy, her ludicrous appearance was like a flashbang meant to momentarily blind him, block out the sound and narrow the scope of his sight onto her.

When kabuto came back to his senses he saw it and felt it, first his right and then his left hand both got snagged by Naruto's chakra claws and held above his head. Kabuto then observed as Sakura sprang forward towards him "so this it then! Naruto restrains me while she goes for the killing blow" Kabuto saw her movements, flawed and unrefined, he'd simply kick her when she got too close maybe even hard enough to shatter her jaw or break her neck if he did so correctly. But something was wrong again with her, she didn't draw a knife instead she had a fist curled up "what is she thinking!? Surely she doesn't believe that she packs the physical strength require to beat me to death before I could overpower".

As Sakura was sprinting towards him he saw more golden limbs rush past her towards him and Kabuto maneuvered his legs to avoid getting snagged his left got caught in a firm grip while the other wasn't so secure. While she was still approaching Kabuto glanced up at his hands "my hands are still bound but I can feel my Chakra Scalpels are cutting through the chakra at a steady pace".

Sakura was only three or so feet away and Kabuto smirked to himself "fool" he said smirking for her to hear before he broke his foot free, losing his boot and striking her across the face, a loud smack of skin on skin.

The pain exploded across her face, her vision blurred. Sakura had now come to notice one thing in these past few months and that was that a lot of people did not seem to think much of her. She was considered either weak, ordinary, plain and naïve, not like Naruto naïve, the kind that charmed people to him but like way over her head, like she entered into something she didn't understand and no one believed she ever could hope to succeed. She would admit up to her time in the Forest of Death they would've been right about her, she did not understand what kind of world she signed up for but she has stared death in the eye, Orochimaru, Garra the latter of which admitted to underestimating her and despite the pain and terror that followed that it also brought with it a boost to her confidence that was desperately needed. If a monster like that could admit that he was wrong about her then this bastard didn't understand a damn thing about who she is!

Sakura gritted her teeth, fought the pain, remembered her orientation, planted her foot and kept her focus on balancing that charged chakra, not wanting to lose a single drop of it to a waver in focus and spun her body in the direction the kick sent her until she did a 360 and was facing Kabuto again before his leg could even come back down to his side and sprinted at him again.

"Huh!" he gasped, surprised by her resilience and her continued pursuit as blood started to leak from between her lips. She swiftly covered the last foot and some to get in range and gagged on-air as Kabuto with a look of annoyance kneed her in the gut, so hard it lifted the young girl off the ground "will you just get-!"

"Rwarrrr!" Sakura roared and buried her fist in Kabuto's gut.

A few things happened as Sakura finally delivered her weeks' worth of training right into Kabuto's abdomen. First, he watched in shock horror as her fist didn't land like a toddler punching a bag of sand but instead like a full-grown man taking out his frustrations on one of his pillows, her fist going wrist deep into his stomach. Secondly, a shock was felt running through him, like a small invisible bomb had detonated on and within him. Thirdly, his glasses cracked, again, just great. Lastly, all seemed to come together as one great impact, a sudden transfer of force from her to him that swept him off his feet, freeing him from the Uzumaki's grasp.

Sakura sent Kabuto flying with a thunderous clap and an epic boom as he smashed into a big protruding boulder. Despite the pain in her face, she grinned wide "how do you like that huh!? Calling me a fool! Who's the fool now!? Huuuh? Hahhaha!".

"Way to go Sakura!" Shouted Naruto as he came running to her.

"That was amazing" said Neji as he came hopping over to them.

"Well I'm not sure if we could have done it without your..." Sakura was unsure what to say "distraction".

Neji smiled "I know what I did was foolish, you don't need to be kind".

Naruto agreed "yeah that was pretty dumb of you".

Sakura scowled "Naruto!".

"What? It was, I'm not saying it wasn't helpful but it was still pretty dumb".

Neji smiled "I agree, it was pretty dumb of me, I lost my sense to a passionate need to insure Lady Tsunade's safe return and thought that-".

"Hahaha(cough!) hehe hah ahhh heh".

Everyone fell silent as they looked towards Kabuto who was being kept standing by the rock he was buried into, his shirt partially ripped, his face pale, blood running from his mouth, his skin bruising all over and clear showings off the blood vessels of his eyes having ruptured. His breath was haggard and his injuries clearly bad but for whatever reason, he was smiling creepily.

Naruto snarled and stepped forward "what've you got to laugh about huh!?".

Kabuto smirked, his eyes slightly glazed over, his body subtle showing signs of triggered healing "oh you'll see". Suddenly a bad cough was heard that was not Kabuto and his smile widened "there it is!".

Naruto spun and saw Sakura with a hand over her mouth and the other her left side as she fell to her knees, Neji hobbling to her side with eyes active. Naruto spun back to Kabuto his cloak flaring with barely kept rage "what the hell did you do!?"

Kabuto smirked a bloody horrid thing "what I did? You're the one who let your grip on me slip just a little too soon, I merely tried to defend myself and so I may have nicked her left external iliac artery on reflex, I mean really you only have yourself to blame for what happened"

Naruto's eyes were wide with rage, his cloak starting to blaze with small flecks of acid red "you cruel bastard!" Naruto heard more coughing behind him and turned to see Sakura fall onto her side.

"She probably only has a few minutes left, now I could heal her but it will cost you, tell me how much does her life really mean to you when compared to the happiness of such a lifelong friend like Hinata, huh Naruto?"

"Shut up!" yelled Naruto, his hands curling, knuckles whitening.

"Naruto ignore him"

"I am!"

"No you're not"

"He's right kid I can feel he's getting to you" added Kurama

"N-no he isn't!"

"This is what he wants, he wants you to doubt yourself, doubt your values and identity, recognize he's in your head and truly shut him out" enforced Hiro.

"Sakura needs help! But...I'd have to give him Tsunade but then Hinata..."

"Naruto you are letting him make you think this situation has more limited options than it really does, calm yourself, forget about him, he's making you think his options, he wants you to think he is the only option" rebuked Hiro sternly, trying to be the lighthouse in the storm of Naruto's panicked mind.

Naruto's mind was racing as he fought to forget Kabuto demands.

"Oh my god!" everyone turned and saw Shizune, on the ground dragging herself along with one arm.

Naruto beamed "Shizune!" before turning serious "please Sakura needs help, Kabuto cut one of her arteries".

Kabuto burst out laughing "look at her she can't do a damn thing! She needs to be healed before she can do any healing of her own!".

Naruto looked to Shizune hoping for a different answer but she looked at him with a remorseful look and his stomach sank so low his knees nearly gave.

Kabuto smiled with bloody teeth on display "so then Naruto what will it be?"

Naruto looked to Neji and saw that not even he had an answer, seemed that even as devoted as he was to Hinata's recovery not even he was cold enough to resign Sakura to death. "Gramps?"

Hiro sighed, it wasn't disappointed it was a sigh of truth as harsh as it may be "Naruto you know that if you give him her, he will not help you and even if you do he'll probably rig her body to die at some point later, can you really entrust her wellbeing to him?"

Naruto bowed his head.

"It's ok" everyone turned to see Sakura, smiling with teary victorious eyes "she lost, she has to go back, you all saw it, Hinata will be ok, that's all that matters now" after that her eyes fell closed.

Naruto felt his eyes warming up as he watched her still "Neji is she?"

Neji couldn't even begin to express his gratitude to those words "no, but she is fading"

Naruto screamed suddenly, pulling at his hair and curling over as his cloak dimmed and sputtered out like a dying fire "what am I suppose to do!? I can't just watch her die like this!"

There was a small thump of something hitting the ground and everyone turned and saw Tsunade but not just her, she was now shrouded in a beam of light that stretched way, way into the sky and in it the transparent figure of Dan, clean and without cracks smiling as he rose into the sky before disappearing along with the light.

Kabuto was speechless as he felt his link with Dan snap like a broken thread.

Hope flooded Naruto as he saw her move towards them

"Hah! You think she can help!?" everyone turned to Kabuto who was smiling a shit-eating grin "she has Hemophobia! She can't help anybody! She's useless"

Naruto gritted his teeth "please Tsunade, help her! I beg you!"

"You can do it Lady Tsunade!" shouted Shizune.

"No you can't" yelled and an almost manic Kabuto, blood flying out with almost every other word. "look at all that blood, how does it compare to the sight of your lover when you held him dying in your arms huh!? It's only natural you'd be paralyzed at the sight of it for the rest of your pathetic life!"

Tsunade paused before the girl, trembling as everyone kept shouting at her, her shaking hand curling into a fist as her jaw clenched until "QUIET!" she shouted into the sky, glaring at everyone especially Kabuto who did not like the look in her eyes or how she kneeled beside the girl. "Quiet, I need to focus" she closed her eyes and to everyone's awe her hands glowed the most soothing shade of green and remained completely and utterly steady.

Kabuto couldn't believe the sight "she's over her Hemophobia? In the state I am now I can't stay here not when she's like this" with that he called out to Tobirama and he appeared, looking to be healing from battle. Tobirama touched Kabuto but looked at Tsunade who met his gaze.

Tobirama showed a brief approving expression to his grand-niece and said one thing before flickering away "it's a start".

Naruto held his eyes closed the entire time, praying "please Sakura, don't give up" and the most wonderful sound filled his ears, one deep intake of breath. His eyes snapped open wet and saw Sakura breathing strong. He looked to Tsunade and saw her smile with relief.

"She'll be fine" she said.

Naruto wiped the tears away and grinned "t-thanks Granny"

The smile dropped like a brick from Tsunade's face and a visible vein pulsed on her head but she breathed a calming breath and decided that since she had another patient after this, she looked to Shizune lying like a soaked noodle, she'd let that slide for today.

A hard thump caught everyone's attention and they all turned to the arrival of Jiraiya still with a different face and company "hmm they got away" he stated, making it clear to everyone that he knew and did not need updating on that.

Tsunade sighed "Yep"

"But Dan?"

Tsunade smiled "He's...back at peace"

"Think will be seeing him again?"

"Somehow I don't think so" with that Tsunade stood up, finished her work on Sakura and then waltzed over to Shizune much to the young girl's relief, a river of tears running down her face "oh stop weeping!".

Jiraiya felt eyes boring into the side of his head and looked down to see the blues of Naruto gazing up at him. Jiraiya held his own chin and grinned showing all his now razor-sharp teeth "what'd you think? do I look even more handsome like this?" the two toads on his shoulders gazed at each other with confounded looks but then looked to the boy wondering what he's gonna say.

Naruto grinned "I think you look awesome!"

Jiraya grinned and laughed "well of course I do! How so?"

"you look like an ogre!"

That put an instant stop to Jiraiya's joyful laughter and instead gave way to the toad's laughter.

"Haha did you hear that Ma!?"

"Oh yes Pa! Hehheh!"

Now Naruto took true notice of the two elderly toads, scratching his blonde head "um who are they master Jiraiya?"

The Toad Sage gave him a dead expression "nothing important" he said flatly before getting bonked on the head by the lady.

"How rude you little squirt!" she screeched.

"And after all we've done for you! Helping you fight a Kage and all that!" yelled the old man toad.

"Enough!" he yelled before unsummoning them and in a burst of smoke they were gone and the change to Jiraiya's body receded and he was back to normal.

"Aww why'd you do that Master Jiraiya!?" complained Naruto, he really wanted to know what those two were about.

"Because I am a beautiful man!" he yelled to the sky, everyone could only look at the sage with blank confusion, Naruto went to ask again about the form he was in and the strange toads before Jiraiya threw a hand in his face "we will speak no more of this today!".

Naruto sulked at that and mumbled "fine". Naruto Looked down at the soundly sleeping Sakura and smiled "yeah this is fine".

Chapter End

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