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January 1. Outskirts of Konoha. 6:12 Reign of the 3rd Hokage (2nd Term)

Hinata banged on Naruto's door. She had no doubt he was in there. She couldn't hear anyone in there, but her gut instincts told her he was in there. Relentlessly she pounded on the wooden door.

"Naruto. What are you doing in there? The enemy will be here soon! Most of our shinobi have already mobilized! Only seven of us are still waiting." Hinata hollered at the door.

There was no reply. Only silence. Hinata thought she heard metal rattling ever so slightly, but she couldn't be sure. Sasuke joined Hinata and hit the door rather forcefully.

"Come on Naruto Don't keep me held back from this battle!"

Hinata took a look at Sasuke and almost jumped. His high collar shirt was evidently gone along with his shorts. In its place, he wore navy blue long, flexible pants and a night black sleeveless shirt. Upon both was the Uchiha family crest. His Hitae-Ate had been moved to his left arm and Sasuke also wore black fingerless gloves… He was ready to fight.

He seemed to have raided the armory as well. Both of his legs had shuriken and kunai pouches. Across his back was slung a ninja-to. On his hip was a pair of kodachi and an assortment of scrolls. In his pouch, Sasuke carried a kama and a kusari-gama. Finally, both his forearms bore straps, which held triplets of throwing spikes similar to Haku's.

Hinata's eyes were diverted by the sound of Naruto's doorknob. It rattled and turned. Naruto stepped out through the crack and stood in the fading light.

He and Sasuke dressed strikingly similar. He too wore long flexible pants but his were colored a fire red and his sleeveless shirt shared the same color. Yet again, red found its way onto Naruto's fingerless gloves.

As for his weapons, Naruto doubled Sasuke's output. Naruto seemed to have ditched his shuriken pouch and swapped out for a pair of claws. On his back was strapped two hookswords; one on the upper right, pointing down and to the left and another one on his lower left, pointing up and to the right. Concealed in his pouch, Naruto carried a rope dart and an assortment of double sided kunais.

Naruto wordlessly locked the door behind him and dropped his key on the doormat.

"Oh Naruto." Hinata murmured. "You left your key."

"I know." Naruto said, and he walked on.

Naruto, Hinata and Sasuke found the rest of the remaining resistance already beginning their march to catch up with the first mass.

"I guess you didn't really want to wait!" Naruto yelled.

Kakashi turned and waved but didn't slow down his pace.

"Son of a-" Sasuke muttered, breaking into a sprint. "Just wait 'till I get up there."

Hinata smiled at the jubilation. It was amazing how her friends could be so happy at a time like this. Almost as an answer to her pondering, Naruto threw a shoulder over her.

"Just let it loose." He said, inspecting a fingernail. "With low expectations, how can you be disappointed?" With this, he pecked a kiss on her cheek and caught up with Sasuke.

Being on horse back made any trip much easier than on foot. Shintaro almost felt sorry for the Ashigaru around him. But he wouldn't linger over that thought. He had earned this position. All those years he had worked under the thumb of his superiors. But look what it brought him. The second highest military position in his land. Now that was a thought he could linger over.

Yinagi quickened her pace and reached her friend. "So do you see a minor or major victory ahead?" She asked.

Shintaro slowly nodded, muttering "I see a grandiose victory. These are mere ninja. They stand no chance against our forces.

Yinagi smiled a smile that was more malicious than heart-warming. She looked up to the sky and noted that the black clouds were slowing their movement, but would be the no doubt. "I can already feel the adrenaline of battle within me."

"Save it for the enemy Yinagi. We shall have a lot of fun."

"Well it seems like you're dressed for a war." Hokage said to Naruto. Naruto and his party had caught up to the main forces, but lagged behind to have a brief talk with their Hokage. "Where did you manage to get all those weapons?"

Naruto grinned proudly. "I made them myself."

Hokage chuckled. "And exactly how long did that take you?"

"Well, I started very slowly since I had the red and black dreams. Then when this paranoia started, I sped up my pace." Naruto swung his claws about, testing their strength and sheathed them.

"You two look like you could be related." The old man said looking at Sasuke. "What made you dress so unique and yet so similar?"

Without even communicating, Sasuke and Naruto knew which answer was best.

"To stand out against our own men." They said in unison.

"Now that is admirable."

Hinata slipped to one side with Neji. They conversed in low tones.

"Naruto has been acting rather happier than normal. Do you understand it at all?" Hinata asked her cousin.

"No I don't" He lied. "I can guess he has a plan though. Otherwise, we'll all be dead!"

Naruto had just cleared a hill when he heard the distant drums of war. He immediately spun in it's direction and tapped Sasuke on the shoulder. He followed suit.

"We've spotted them!" Naruto said excitedly.

Hinata and Neji caught up with Naruto at the sound of war. Neji smiled.

"What we've all been waiting for..."

The Shogun leveled with Shintaro. "They have found us and we have found them." He nodded to Shintaro's regiment. "Take them to the right flank and hide behind those hills. We'll try to corner them in that shallow valley. When you hear the horn, ride like the wind."

Kakashi had sensed it in Naruto's abnormal behavior. He knew the most probable outcome of this battle. Naruto had seen it too. Kakashi patted the Hokage on his back and ran forward to the vanguard.

Naruto tightened his gloves and secured his pouch. Making sure he had all his weapons, he turned to Sasuke and extended a hand. Sasuke clasped his over Naruto's and had a sincere look on his face. Naruto did the same for Neji and the Hokage. However when he met Hinata, Naruto embraced her and whispered in her ear, "I'm sorry."

Before she had time to act, he was gone, muddled into the soldiers up ahead.

Ninja-to the Japanese name for the standard short, straight ninja's sword

Kodachi the ninja counterpart for the tanto or wakizashi

Kama a short stick with a curved blade attached perpendicularly to one end.

Kusari-gama a weapon comprised of a kama attached to a long chain with weight on the other end

Claws (a pair) an ancient time ninja claw which was comprised of a small wood rectangle with three blades protruding from one of the longer sides. The palm was then placed on the rectangle long ways and the blades slid between the fingers

Rope dart a long rope attached to a dart shaped weight which could be thrown, propelled, swung or used as a choker