Twenty four days before the end.
Naruto sat hunched over open scrolls, several of his clones doing the very same thing, close by.
His improved memory worked wonders for this sort of thing, as he only had to read them once to remember their contents. Assimilating was a different thing, of course, but it would come, too.
This won't be enough. Indra said. Never enough.
Naruto knew it. The only thing that would be enough would be—
Take the Sharingan. There is no way we can win otherwise.
"Shut up." Naruto whispered angrily. He really was ignoring him, most of the time, but sometimes it just became too much. "Sharingan or not doesn't change a single thing. You just want me to hurry up and keel over."
If you die, I die. Indra whispered. I'm in no hurry to experience that again. You have been a very entertaining host, so far.
The scrolls he had gotten from Uzushio were… incredible. There was no other word for it. They filled holes in his knowledge that he didn't even know were there in the first place.
And if he ever decided to build a gleaming city… well, he knew where to start. Uzumaki Yoisen had left all of her plans in the library. Uzushio didn't share them with the outside world, but anybody who lived there was fair game, apparently.
But even them…
None of the scrolls had helped Naruto devise a solution concerning their Nagato problem, though.
He was not certain something like… summoning the Shinigami would be a wise idea, or if it would even work. Maybe a Rinnegan wielder could do something about it— or maybe Naruto was starting to buy into the hype of it himself, it was becoming harder and harder to tell.
Besides, his soul and Indra's were linked, and he was not looking forward to spending the rest of eternity with that man.
"…certainly not." He grumbled.
"Are you okay?" Hanabi asked, looking at him for a while. Beige dress today. Pretty impressive, too.
"We are fine." Naruto retorted, not looking at her. "Just need some time to think."
She paused at something he said.
"…I think that's the last thing you need." Hanabi snorted.
He turned to look at her. She didn't flinch, which was more than most people did, these days.
"…And what do I need?"
"A few hours off." Hanabi retorted.
He sighed. "We only have twenty-four days left before Nagato goes through with his plans. I don't think I can afford to waste any time."
"It's going to be more time wasted if you can't focus on anything. I can hear you mumbling to yourself, you know."
Naruto said nothing. Many people did the same.
"…And why do you keep your Cloak up most of the time?"
"Only partially." Naruto said. He hadn't really thought it was that noticeable, really. His hair stood up slightly and his eyes were gleaming blue, but that was about it. "It helps with increasing the brain's processing power. And the more I use it, the easier it becomes to keep it on… To waste less chakra when using it."
"…Doesn't it increase your aggressivity?"
He shook his head. "It did in the beginning, but I got used to the slight pain, now. It's worth it."
"Well… I guess you know what you're doing." She said, bemused. "Sometimes."
"What did you want?"
"Your… bondmates—"
Naruto frowned. "That's not a word."
She rolled her eyes. "Well. Karin, Ino and Sakura are busy and so is Anko, of course."
Naruto had delegated more of the tasks to her. If anything happened to him, she would be able to take over the leadership of the islands without much trouble. She didn't want to, likely, but well.
With Kumo and Kiri having joined up, they probably had the strongest alliance still standing. The three other Great Villages were still out of reach, so he wouldn't bother trying to set anything there for the time being. After Nagato, likely. If there was such a time.
"So I've taken it upon myself to take you out." Hanabi finished, arms folded.
"Huh…?"
Saheji was a city nestled high north in the Land of Lightning.
The weather was cooler, much cooler than most places in the Elemental Lands — barring the land of Frost, of course — and so they were wearing heavier clothes than they were used to.
Well, it was still the Cloak of Shifting, technically. It came in handy in so many different situations he was starting to forget how good they had it. They brought in a decent amount of money, too, since the Kumo ninja living on the island had started wanting some as well.
Also, very few people seemed to recognize them here. Which was always a nice bonus.
Well, there were still many people staring, but he knew that Hanabi usually attracted attention, no matter where she went. And he guessed he was not so bad-looking himself.
Saheji's views were very nice. There was a fortress, in which a royal family was said to still be living, in the middle of the city. If they stared at the horizon, far up north, the green sea gently spilled onto the shore.
There was a pleasant noise in the air, the hustle and bustle of the city. Lacquered woods made up most of the buildings, and the roofs almost gleamed under the sunlight.
The city itself was active, and the town square was lined with cafés, shops and restaurants. People seemed pretty relaxed, overall. Naruto wondered if the news had reached, or if they simply didn't believe it. People streamed in and out, an ever-transforming mass of different backgrounds.
Was this what the world looked like, far removed from war?
Naruto found he enjoyed it. And maybe Hanabi had been right, they needed a change of pace. All of them.
Flowers, plants and seeds were being sold on this particular street, spreading a pleasant but almost overpowering fragrance.
Naruto found he could not name a single one. For someone who wanted to find more to life than the shinobi arts, he definitely had focused almost exclusively on them.
They walked around for more than an hour, ambling on the walkway along the shore. Hanabi didn't know anything about the place, but from the way she was making up names and backstories out of nothing, you could easily be fooled. He had fallen for it a few times, too.
She seemed so carefree here, too, as if she just let go of all the pressure, the frustration and the helplessness that plagued all of them, now.
They stopped in a small coffee overlooking the sea, observing the people walking by and making small comments as they did so.
Before he realized it, finally feeling some of the tension falling away, Naruto fell asleep, leaning on Hanabi.
Izuna might be widely considered a confident, natural-born fighter, but Madara knew better.
He was young, still a teenager, really. One with a chip on his shoulder and something to prove. And he could be so emotional sometimes. Coming from Madara, who considered himself short-tempered, that was saying something.
But well, he was his last brother, and if it meant going to greater lengths to protect him, then Madara would do so gladly.
To never have to feel what he had felt, every time their father had come back from a battle with one less son, again.
"…What kind of jutsu was that?" He asked Izuna, blinking.
The very earth in front of him appeared to be scorched. Between the two of them, his younger brother had always been better at using Fire. Lightning seemed to come more naturally to Madara, but he was Uchiha.
There was no reason he would not master Fire, first.
"This…?" Izuna grinned, the mischievous smile of a child who knew he had something of interest. "Oh, not much. Just something I practiced — Hey!"
Madara feigned disinterest, looking at his fingernails as if something were stuck underneath them. Izuna was too easy to trick—
"Oh yeah?!" Izuna raged. "I'm sure you wouldn't be able to use it anyway, what with your half-baked Fire affinity!"
"…What did you just say, you little…?"
Izuna pulled on his eyelid mockingly, putting his tongue out.
A vein almost bursting on his forehead, Madara dropped down from the tree stump he was sitting on and started running after him.
Izuna, laughing, was already gone.
Madara wouldn't say this aloud, but he had hopes that one day, the dream he had shared with Hashirama when they had been younger might still be achieved.
They would join forces. Senju, Uchiha together. And they would be unstoppable. Izuna, Hashirama — even his manipulative brother — and himself.
But of course, that was just a dream. Madara would be an adult soon, and he knew that the world was not such a nice place. And there was no time for dreaming in times of war.
Peace was nothing but a nice word.
Izuna was gone, and in his last breath, he had bequeathed him his eyes. And he had made him promise not to trust the Senju.
Madara's heart felt as though it has shattered in a thousand pieces.
And he had nothing more to lose, after all. Throwing himself into battle was the one thing he knew how to do.
He had nothing more to lose, besides the lives of his clansmen.
In this sense, he didn't find it so surprising that he ended up taking Senju Hashirama's hand, despite Izuna's voice screaming in his heart.
"Two polar opposites operating together gives rise to all things in this universe."
The peace Konohagakure was built on was a lie. War was on the horizon again, both civil and interstate, if things went on like this.
Senju, hungry men like Tobirama, were to rule, accumulating more and more power. Left unchecked, he would build a dynasty.
Or their teachings would spread to other clans, until it didn't matter who it was that became Hokage at all.
While the Uchiha were destined to be their guard dogs.
Madara had thrown away their kin's sacrifice for this…?
No more. It was time for the Uchiha to leave.
No one followed.
An old man sat in a dark cave, unsure why he was suddenly remembering this.
Something was rolling down his face.
A tear, then? It had been so long.
It had been so long since…
No matter.
Alone and more than half-mad, Uchiha Madara planned for the world's salvation, driven by purpose and someone else's machinations.
In his eyes, the limitless power of the Rinnegan burned bright.
Naruto woke up with his head on Hanabi's lap.
It took him a while to remember where he was. Who he was.
But when he did, there was only a sense of purpose inside him. Burning so bright it outshone the rest of the world.
"Feeling better?" Hanabi asked, with a small smile. She was rubbing his head, almost tenderly. "I thought we could go to—"
"I need to leave." Naruto said abruptly. He stood up, ready to leave, ignoring her disbelieving expression.
He gave Hanabi a long look.
"…Thank you for today."
Naruto disappeared.
Twenty three days before the end.
'Have any of you seen Naruto around?' Karin asked worriedly.
He had closed the bond off. Well, mostly. Just open enough for them to know he was alive.
'No.' Ino answered, somewhat worriedly. 'Hanabi told me he all but disappeared yesterday. And that he's not in Umi right now.'
Yugito took a while longer to do so. '…No. Not much since Kiri.'
'He dropped by to take Samehada away, yesterday night. And some scrolls.' Sakura shrugged.
'Weren't you supposed to give the sword to Mei?' Yugito frowned.
'Yeah, I was… planning on it. It just… never came up.' Sakura tried.
'Uh huh…'
'I swear.'
'You obviously have no honor to swear on.' Yugito sounded vaguely amused. 'Make sure he returns it, then. Otherwise Mei's going to be on my ass.'
'Sure, sure.'
Twenty one days before the end.
Akamine Jirōbō woke with the feeling of something pressing on his chest.
He tried to turn around, but found that he couldn't. He was entirely bound, in a way that he didn't really understand. Something moved slowly in the corner of his vision and he inhaled sharply. He had heard about the disappearing people.
A man came into view, eyes gleaming blue with power.
"You are Jirōbō, aren't you?" He asked, and his voice sent shivers up his spine.
"…Yes."
"Good." He sounded amused. "I would hate to have gotten the wrong person."
"What do you want from me?!"
No answer. Jirōbō stared at the young man angrily. He was strong, he could almost feel the barely hidden power behind the man's huge frame. Wait… he knew this face.
Jirōbō paled.
"Uzumaki Naruto." He let out fearfully.
"The bogeyman in the flesh, yes." Naruto said dryly.
"I'll talk, whatever it is you want."
"Good."
Jirōbō could see that man's grin.
"What do you want?" Jirōbō asked again.
"Nothing you won't be willing to give." He said softly.
Twenty days before the end.
"Akado Yoroi?" A man asked him.
Yoroi answered hesitantly, palming a kunai silently. "That's me."
The man's smile widened.
Eighteen days before the end.
'Okay, where the hell is he?!' Ino asked though their bond.
No one had an answer. Naruto had cut himself off from all forms of communication days ago.
'I'll go look for him with Hanabi.' Karin decided. 'I'll keep a few clones around Umi anyway.'
'Yeah.' Ino said tightly. 'And maybe ask him if he knows anything about the dozens of people disappearing without a trace, while you're at it.'
Land of Fire.
Uchiha Sasuke sat under the shade of a tree, close to Konoha's camp, exhausted.
Not from fighting, because this had halted. But from training himself, harder and harder. He was mostly here because it was less of a risk to Konoha, honestly. He moved a lot between locations, now.
Even now, he couldn't believe the last few weeks.
Jiraiya. Dead.
The thought of it was almost unbelievable.
Not just dead. Killed by Nagato. The toads had confirmed. Killed, along with the missing ninja Orochimaru; Tsunade and the Third.
It seemed everybody was dying around him, and it only sounded like a wise idea to isolate himself until he could make himself strong enough to take down Nagato.
The war was not over, technically, but the battles had died down. Despite Ōnoki's proclamations that the madman who had threatened the entire world were nothing but empty words and fear-mongering, he seemed to be taking the situation seriously.
Several squads had been tasked with killing Uzumaki Nagato, but none had come back.
Iwa had apparently sent their Explosive Corps, led by Deidara.
Considering no one had heard anything from this particular madman since then, it was fair to assume that he too had failed.
Every village had tried their own luck, with no success. Akatsuki seemed prepared for anything.
Now there were rumors of an urgent Five Kage Summit taking place in a week or so. Sasuke was not privy to it, but if there ever was a time for the countries to push their grudges aside, now would be it.
The only problem with that, Sasuke knew, was that a common foe would unite the villages for a while only.
But once that threat was gone, the unity was guaranteed to fade away again. Still, Sasuke held some hope that his children might grow to become adults without seeing war.
Some hope.
And that was assuming they survived Nagato.
Part of him wondered if giving himself up might lead to a better outcome.
Maybe not. There were too many smaller villages who held deep grudges toward the Great Villages. And that without even touching the matter of how much the Great Villages hated each other.
And then again, it didn't seem like Umi and Kumo would give up the remaining jinchūriki.
And Sasuke knew he was not strong enough to fight Nagato. Maybe with Itachi and Shisui…? No, even then.
Karin had confirmed that he was alive, within the Kamui realm. And that they were helping him. How they were doing this, he didn't know, but Sasuke would find a way to get him out.
Shisui was in the camp with Sasuke. Considering the threat they were facing, he might be the only person able to do something if the worst happened, and Akatsuki came to get him.
That was a maybe, though.
Sasuke heard noise coming from the camp.
And then silence. His eyes stared in the dark. Gods, was he exhausted. He hoped it was nothing dangerous. Iwa…?
Sasuke's men began to shift the moment they saw the person who came out of nowhere.
Uzumaki Naruto glanced at him and then smiled.
He began to walk toward him. A few men tried to prevent him from doing that. In a flash of motion, they were all thrown away. Effortlessly.
Sasuke's face turned grim.
Shisui appeared from the shadows, coming closer to Sasuke. His eyes were burning.
"Wait." Sasuke called out to his men, with a raspy voice.
"Thank you." Uzumaki Naruto nodded as he stood in front of him.
"…Why have you come here?" Sasuke shook his head tiredly. "You know we will kill you."
"What if I came here to see an old friend?" Naruto said softly.
"We haven't been friends in years." Sasuke said, just as quietly.
"That's fair." Naruto admitted. "I have come here to extend my hand to you in alliance. So that we may stop Nagato."
And this close to Iwa, Naruto had had the distinct pleasure of having to slash his way through more assassins.
Sasuke closed his eyes. Shisui gritted his teeth.
"Is this a joke…?" He let out.
"Does it sound like one?" Naruto asked quietly.
"Does it?" Shisui barely choked on his rage. "You murdered dozens of Konoha shinobi by now, as well as civilians if the rumors are true."
They had been under Nagato's thrall… but he had killed a few of them. He had some trouble remembering where. It hadn't seemed particularly important at the time.
Shisui continued.
"You caused mass destruction, made loyal shinobi betray their villages, played at terrorist, killed several Kage. You broke alliances, brought Kumo and Kiri in your fold. You killed Kakashi. And now…"
Shisui was boiling with rage.
"And now you're proposing an alliance." He spat the last word. "You want us to join you."
"I wasn't asking you." Naruto shrugged, ignoring him. He looked toward Sasuke.
Sasuke stared back in disbelief. Was this really the person he had grown up with…? There was something barely restrained in his eyes. Something that looked too much like what he had seen in shinobi before they went off the rails.
"…The answer is no." Sasuke said flatly. "For the reasons he mentioned. Go away."
Naruto grinned.
Some of the ninja surrounded him.
"I was almost hoping you'd say that. Now, let's step away and—"
Shisui's strike took him in the neck.
He had counted on someone attacking him, and this had been the reason he had wrapped explosive tags around himself. Well, around his clone.
The clone who was just dispelled.
And the tags were powerful ones.
On top of this… The Uzushiogakure scrolls had taught him how to seal chakra itself into something.
After this, it was simply a matter of putting enough unstable chakra, let's say… Wind and Lightning, in a precarious state of balance. A state where the least disturbance might prove to be dangerous.
Shisui did just that.
And the camp exploded. Konoha uniforms burst apart in a spray of blood, flesh and gore. Screams and moans. It was a slaughter.
Most of the camp had gone up in smoke, and the scattered remains of Konoha shinobi were strewn across the place. Most had not survived. Some distant part of Naruto wanted to scream. But he didn't, and kept his eyes firm.
"You shouldn't have done that." The real Naruto shook his head, coming closer.
Shisui, covered in his Susanoo, although not as powerful as Naruto's Perfect one had been— Not his.
Indra cackled in his head.
Naruto felt like laughing too. Or crying, maybe.