The Rise of a Warrior: Naruto: Shippuden

by The Legendary Dragon Reaper

Three years have come and gone, and while Tatsu and the ninja of the Hidden Leaf have grown stronger, they'll have a whole new group of enemies to face. The era of Team Dragon has arrived, but can they rise to the challenge? Sequel to the Rise of a Warrior: Naruto, second story in my Naruto trilogy. Please read each chapter until the end and check for notes.

24. Adventure At Sea

Shizune was watching Tsunade put it away in spades "Goodness, slow down Lady Tsunade."

"It's-not-enough." Tsunade got out between mouthfuls "My-chakra-hasn't-returned-to-normal." she finally swallowed "Go get me some more food and quickly, relax and I'll turn into an old hag again."

Then Shizune suddenly gasped.

"Oh no, it's happening!" she kept putting it away.

"We've completely depleted the Hokage Quarters Supply Storage but don't worry, I'll just go and requisition some more provisions for you. Please just take a short break."

Then Tsunade started eying Tonton in a very uncomfortable way.

Shizune noticed this and immediately freaked "No absolutely not, what in the world are you thinking Lady Tsunade? There's no way you can have Tonton!"

"What are you talking about?"

"...Nothing."

"As amusing as this is, we've got more important things to talk about at the moment."

Tsunade looked and saw Shisui standing in the doorway "So you really are still alive after all… Shisui Uchiha."

"Yes, and I'm glad to see you're looking well Lady Tsunade."

"I'm not there yet, I'm just getting started."

"...You're really just getting started even after all of that? Nevermind, that's a discussion that can wait for another time. Anyway Kakashi seemed pretty relieved too when he heard, he came a lot closer to becoming the Sixth Hokage then he would've liked. You know him, he really isn't the Hokage type when you think about it. Given our current situation, we need someone with much more influence to be Hokage like you."

"I've gotta admit I'm shocked the Allied Shinobi Force, I'm amazed the Tsuchikage and Raikage agreed to cooperate."

"They took a little bit of convincing, but Lord Shibuki of the Hidden Waterfall acted as a sort of mediator. Besides, that only tells you just how bad the situation is."

"Madara Uchiha… is he really still alive?"

"We didn't have proof during the time of the Uchiha massacre, and we still don't have any proof now. Still though, that's how it seems considering what they're planning to do."

"It's another war huh? I can't believe the misfortunes of the Uchiha have now spread so far as to torment all shinobi." then she gained the hardened gaze of a war veteran "I will call for a meeting with the council, we must prepare for war."

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At the same time, Tatsu and Sasuke were in a discussion with Lee "So what's got you so freaked out?"

Lee sighed "That battle, the one where Naruto and I fought against Pain. When Naruto stood up against Pain to protect Hinata, the darker parts of Kurama's chakra were influenced by the immense rage he felt. I could feel the anger, the rage, the sorrow, all of it was just pouring out of him. I could barely feel anything of Naruto's own will as it was."

"And don't forget that he destroyed the First Hokage's necklace in his rage, if Kurama's dark chakra were to run loose now then not even Yamato would be able to stop it."

"You guys think I don't know that?"

Tatsu looked and saw Naruto coming up to them, a crimson sword strapped to his back "Look man you know how risky it is to go into battle with Kurama inside you, that's a power you still can't control very well."

"Well I'm not the only one with that problem."

Tatsu's comeback died in his throat.

"In case you've forgotten, you've got overwhelming power on Tailed Beast levels inside of you too. Don't try to chew me out until you get yourself under control."

"...Yeah, you're right. I still can't control the power of the Tenseigan, I haven't even tried to use it in almost a year. As it is, I wouldn't stand a chance against the power of the Tailed Beasts. The only one who can control that power is my brother, and I have no idea how he pulled that off."

"Did he give any kind of hint?" asked Sasuke "Anything at all that could help you learn to control that power?"

"All I know is it was one mission involving the Hidden Cloud, and when he got back he said that he had completely mastered the Tenseigan."

"I see."

"He didn't give any kind of clue about-" then Naruto disappeared.

"What the hell?"

"Looks to me like a Reverse Summoning."

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At his hideout in the Mountain's Graveyard, Madara found himself approached by none other than Kabuto, and immediately went to kill him, but Kabuto protected himself by using none other than the Reanimation Jutsu to bring back 5 fallen Akatsuki members, them being Itachi, Sasori, Deidara, Kakuzu and Nagato.

He offered to join forces with Madara by reviving anyone he wished using the Reanimation Jutsu, and when Madara threatened to refuse he brought up a certain sixth casket that ended up leaving Madara visibly disturbed, forcing him to accept.

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At the same time, Anko and her team were being led towards Kabuto and Madara's location, apparently on purpose.

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Koharu was left incredulous at what Tsunade was telling her "You're saying that the Fourth Great Ninja War?"

Homura seemed skeptical "Even though we're talking about Madara Uchiha, can he really take on all of the Five Great Nations?"

Tsunade slammed her hand down on the desk "You need to wake up and face the facts, Madara Uchiha is the leader of the Akatsuki! Just one of them was able to destroy the entire Hidden Leaf Village, don't tell me that you've already forgotten about that!"

"I must agree with Lady Tsunade on this." Kazuma spoke up "The Akatsuki already have six of the Tailed Beasts from the One Tail to the Five Tails as well as the Seven Tails, if they intend to use them as military weapons then we must consider their strength to be far greater than what even Nagato was capable of."

"And if that's the case then the Five Great Nations, no more like the entire world, is in grave danger of total destruction. We cannot delay action."

"Very well." Koharu conceded "But where should we strike? Do you know Madara's current location?"

"We do have a general idea of the location." Shikaku told her "The Mitarashi Unit recently reported in, and they've confirmed spotting someone who fits the description of Madara Uchiha."

"What, they have?"

"Yes, and right now they're working to gather more conclusive intel."

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In the Hidden Cloud, the village council was meeting to discuss gathering information from the other villages.

Killer B was also present as well, though he was focusing more on rap lyrics, and unknown to him or anyone, Kisame was spying on the meeting from inside Samehada.

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Tsunade summoned Kakashi, Kazuma, Shisui, Tatsu, Sasuke, Lee, Ino and Shikamaru to inform them of the situation "Very soon I will make the announcement to the entire village about the coming of the Fourth Great Ninja War."

Tatsu leaned against a wall and sighed "It's really hard to believe when you think about it."

"What do you mean?"

"Everything about this situation is completely insane. Firstly, Madara Uchiha is still alive and now he's declared war. Secondly, the Five Great Nations and the Land of Iron have joined forces to fight off against an extremely dangerous foe in an all out conflict unlike anything this world has ever seen before. I always figured that the Akatsuki would be bad news down the road, but I never thought they would go so far as to declare war against the entire world."

"Yes. When the fighting breaks out, many shinobi will wrestle with doubt and fear. It will be your job to keep a close watch on their mental state. Circulate among the teams and report anything unusual, do not hide anything. Understood?"

"Got it, you can count on me."

"And one more thing, all of you be sure to keep an eye on Naruto. I cannot afford to have him act recklessly, he is the goal for the Akatsuki in this war."

"I'll try but that won't be easy seeing how he disappeared about an hour ago."

"What?! It's impossible for Naruto to be kidnapped from this village, I want him found right now!"

"Will you calm down, he's not in any danger."

"And how do you know this?"

"Because he disappeared in a puff of smoke, he just got reverse summoned to Mount Myoboku. That's all."

"Oh." then Tsunade promptly smacked him upside the head.

"What the hell was that for?"

"Don't scare me like that!"

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Tatsu was later wandering through town with Kazuma, rubbing his sore cheek "She didn't have to get all bitchy."

"You didn't have to scare her half to death." Kazuma pointed out "She's already got enough on her plate with the war coming up."

"She's not the only one with a lot on her mind." Tatsu gripped his fist "I'm not one to come across as weak, but I know that if I were go to war against the Akatsuki right now then I'd be killed in an instant."

"But you've already mastered Sage Mode and acquired the power of the Genryu, what else can you do?"

"You know exactly what else I can do." Tatsu shot him a deadly serious look "I need to master the power of the Tenseigan, it's the only way I'll be able to stand up to Madara and the power of six Tailed Beasts."

"Are you really planning to go after Madara straight from the get go?"

"In these kinds of conflicts, the best way to defeat the enemy is to cut their power off at the source." then he stepped back, causing the falling Naruto to hit the ground "And what the hell happened to you?"

Naruto stood up and let out a sigh, then started walking with them "The Geezer Sage reverse summoned me to Mount Myoboku."

"Just like I thought, so what did he want?"

"Well he brought me to meet with the Giant Gramps Sage said he had something he wanted to tell me."

"Hold on, you met with the Great Lord Elder of Mount Myoboku?"

"Yeah, he told me he had some kind of prophecy."

"Like the one he foretold to Jiraiya about you being the child of prophecy. So what exactly did the old guy tell you?"

"Well he said that I was gonna end up going to some really cool resort and meet some kind of octopus and a slug there."

"...What?"

"Those were his exact words."

"And what the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Well apparently this octopus is supposed to cooperate with me and the slug somehow, Giant Gramps Sage didn't know all of the details either."

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Later, Kazuma sat on a rooftop, staring up at the sky "It sure is quiet."

"I'll say." Ayame laid down beside him, resting her head on his chest.

"So peaceful."

"What are you talking about? There's no way it's peaceful, not even remotely. Sure the village is being rebuilt after Pain attacked and Lady Tsunade has finally come out of her coma after like a month, but don't forget that there's going to be an all out war against the Akatsuki, and more importantly, against Madara."

Kazuma bolted up "Wait hold on, how did you know that?"

"Don't take me for an idiot Kazuma, I can tell by watching the jonin prepare."

"I guess so. It's true, we've got war right at our doorstep."

"Yeah, I figured that would be the case if Madara was involved."

"This fight is going to be a conflict unlike anything this world has ever seen before. Just think about it, in order to combat the Akatsuki the Five Great Shinobi Villages, along with the Hidden Waterfall and the Land of Iron, are all coming together for the first time. It's the start of the Fourth Great Ninja War of all things."

"The Fourth Great Ninja War… be honest with me Kazuma, you're scared aren't you?"

"Well of course I am, this is war for crying out loud. Don't forget that Itachi and I witnessed a battle during the war when we were little kids who hadn't even entered the academy yet, and I'm still terrified."

"Do you think Itachi would be too if he were still alive?"

"Without a doubt. But this time it doesn't matter how scared we might be or how hard it will be, don't forget that our enemy is the Akatsuki and just one of them was strong enough to destroy the entire village."

"Yeah. I was out on a mission during the attack, I wish I could've helped."

"I feel the same. Still though, even after everything that's happened Madara's abilities are still completely shrouded in mystery. Even worse than that he's got the power of six of the Tailed Beasts, if he tries to unleash all of them at once then even the Allied Shinobi Force will stand a chance even if they all come together. Right now the entire shinobi world is at stake in this fight, so each and every shinobi will have to give 120% or we won't have a hope in hell of victory."

"Including us. Look Kazuma, I know you don't like me fighting but-"

"I know, this time it's unavoidable. Truth be told, I'm actually counting on you. Back during our time as chunin, you always were stronger than Itachi when he wasn't using his Sharingan. That's gotta count for something."

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Tatsu entered Tsunade's office "You wanted to see me?"

Tsunade nodded "Yes I did, the Mizukage has called for a meeting of the leaders of the Allied Shinobi Forces in three days time. I want you and Shikaku to by my escorts."

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The day of the meeting had come, and all of the Kage, as well as Yahiko, Mifune and Shibuki, had met up in the Hidden Mist.

"You all came quickly." Mei noted.

"A situation like this calls for swift action." Shibuki pointed out.

Onoki seemed skeptical about Tsunade being there "Listen princess Tsunade, are you sure you're up to this? You know you should've handed the reigns over to someone a little bit younger, you're getting way too old for this."

Tsunade let out a snort "You should really speak for yourself you old fence sitting geezer, you're the last person I want to hear this from."

"Please refrain from arguing." Mei told them "Setting aside the whole mess with Danzo, I'm so relieved to see you back in the seat of Hokage Lady Tsunade."

"Let us be done with greetings." Mifune told him "I believe it is best if we proceed right to main business. First on the agenda are the jinchuuriki of the Six, Eight and Nine Tails. Then we will move on to the information on the stronghold and battle strength of the enemy."

"Some of my shinobi found a location that could very well be the enemy's hideout, but it could also be a trap." Tsunade told them "I think it's best if we gather more intel first."

"And we've also organized multiple scouting parties." A told her "They're collecting data as we speak. We must pool and share the intel from each village with each other."

"What about forming an entirely separate unit within the Allied Shinobi Force specifically for handling intel?" asked Yahiko.

Onoki grinned "Now that's a good idea. Share and share alike, that's what I always say."

Mei nodded "Yes of course, if our nations become driven by greed and self interest then clearly the Akatsuki will pull the rug from under us before we even start."

"So where will we hide away the three crucial jinchuuriki?"

Tsunade's head snapped towards them "Hide them away?"

"What's the matter?" asked Shibuki.

"Naruto, Bee and Utakata can lend us battle strength, why hide them away?"

Onoki let out a sigh "I had the same thought at first, but the goal of our enemies in this war is to possess those two. Considering what could happen, we cannot let them participate. That's what we all decided at the last meeting, of course you were still unconscious princess."

"Our enemy is Madara Uchiha, hold back our strength even a little and we'll lose any chance we have to win, and we won't get another! We must hit them hard!"

"The aim of the Five Great Nations in this war is to protect those three." Gaara told her "Your sole descent as Hokage is not enough, in this case the majority shall rule."

"Listen you stripling, Naruto is-"

"I know him quite well, he takes far too many risks especially when it comes to protecting his friends. That is why."

"Before we discuss military strength, the Five Kage must reach a unanimous consensus or we'll be guaranteed to lose." Shibuki pointed out.

Tatsu let out a sigh "I have to agree with them, letting them out onto the battlefield is way too risky unless it's absolutely necessary. Besides, they aren't the only heavy hitters we have in this war."

"...Fine." Tsunade relented, albeit very reluctantly.

"The slug princess is back to her impudent self." Onoki snarked "That retort is proof that she's well."

"So what's our plan then?" asked Tatsu "Where are we hiding them anyway? It's not like we can put them in any of the villages, so does anyone have any ideas?"

"Sasuke Uchiha hid Utakata at the home of the summoning hawks for months and that worked out quite well." Mei pointed out.

"Yeah but we need a place that can keep them hidden without them finding out about anything going on in the war, I know from personal experience that summoning animals can't keep a secret to save their lives. So, any suggestions?"

A nodded "I've got just the place in mind, it lies inside the Hidden Cloud which hasn't produced any members of the Akatsuki so far."

"Which you like to keep reminding us of."

"I set this place aside just in case."

"Alright, let's give this place a shot."

Mei nodded "Very well, onto the next objective."

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A stood on the roof of the Mizukage building with Tatsu "So why did you of all people need to speak privately with me?"

"Because I need to ask you for two favors." Tatsu told him "One is on behalf of Lady Tsunade, the other is for me alone."

"Fine, what is it?"

"From what I understand your younger brother Killer B has complete control over the power of the Eight Tails, I was hoping he could do the same for Naruto and teach him to harness and control the power of the Nine Tails."

"Wouldn't that be convenient, if that brat Naruto manages to gain complete control over the Nine Tails then he would be the ultimate weapon for the Hidden Leaf. Do you honestly believe that I would ever agree to that?"

"If we wanted to go against your village after the end of the war then I'd just show up at your door, enter Sage Mode and shove a Rasengan up your ass. But this isn't then, we're dealing with the here and now, and right now we can't afford to be arguing about our own interests. We're facing Madara Uchiha, the man even the Fourth Hokage couldn't beat. We'll eventually be forced to use Naruto and the others, at this point even the four aces we have now won't be enough in the long run and it will be far too late if we just put it off."

"You shouldn't make threats like that, is that any way to ask someone for a favor?"

"Says the man who barks like an angry dog 70% of the time and doesn't know how to use the door."

"...Putting that aside for the moment, you do make a good point. I know too, because I myself considered it a long time ago."

"What exactly are you getting at?"

"Where I'm sending those two is much more than just some secret remote place where we can hide them away, I said I'd set it aside didn't I? A long time ago when we were younger, I trained on that island with B. It's where he learned to control the power of the Eight Tails."

"...I see."

"So what about that second favor you mentioned earlier?"

"Well that's the thing. When I was younger, my brother mentioned gaining complete mastery over his Tenseigan. I was hoping you could show me exactly how he did it, so I can learn it as well. I know for a fact that I'm going to need it in order to survive this war and protect the people I care about."

"...This place where I trained with B so he could control the Eight Tails, that's also where your brother mastered his eyes."

"Really? Wait, so why did you show that place to my brother anyway? Our villages weren't exactly on the best of terms back then."

"Because Kazuma Kamikaze reminded me of a certain shinobi I faced a long time ago and had great respect for. He even mastered that man's two signature jutsu, and created two himself."

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Tatsu explained this to Tsunade, Asuma, Fu and Kazuma "I think we should take the Raikage's word on this, me mastering my Tenseigan and Naruto mastering Kurama's chakra will be a huge help in winning the war if need be."

Tsunade nodded "I agree, but we need to send at least a few highly capable shinobi. I'll send you, Yamato, Lee, Shisui, Yahiko and Kazuma."

"That's it?"

"Yes, why?"

"It's just… nevermind."

"What?"

"He wanted to bring Ino along." Fu told her.

"I figured that was the case, unfortunately I'll have to refuse this time."

"You don't trust him to keep it in his pants." she received incredulous and surprised looks from the others "What?"

"To put it bluntly, no I don't." Kazuma said dryly.

"I'm not some man whore like Jiraiya was." Tatsu pointed out "I think you and Hayate-sensei beat more than enough etiquette and morals into me by now."

"I'm well aware of that, but we never directly addressed certain issues in that regard."

"And what the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Can I get in on this conversation?" Asuma cut in "I may be fond of Tatsu, but I'd personally beat him within an inch of his life if he forced anything like that on Ino. With all due respect Lady Tsunade, while you may be Hokage the fact is that Ino is my student and I have a say in whether or not she goes. Frankly, I think you should let her go. She can help train Naruto in water style jutsu and can train with Tatsu and Kazuma. After all, if Tatsu's negative instincts should awaken from overusing the Tenseigan then she's one of the few things that could stop him from going on a rampage."

"Ino is not going." Tsunade growled "I need her for missions here."

"I personally volunteer to take her place, I'm a more skilled combatant and Kin can cover for any medical duties she may have."

"...Fine. Kazuma, please go and retrieve your brother's girlfriend so I can tell her where she's going."

"Understood milady." Kazuma disappeared in a green flash.

Then Tatsu spoke "Now comes the real hard part. We still have to figure out a way to get Naruto to go along with this."

Tsunade gained a devious smirk "I think I can find a way to get him to cooperate."

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Naruto was practically drooling at what he was hearing "An S-rank mission? No way, you're giving me a big assignment like that?"

Tsunade nodded "That's right, it's a mission only you can undertake. You can Yamato will go to a sight in the Hidden Cloud."

"So that place is the resort?"

"The prophecy of the Great Lord Elder was correct, it seems that is the place he had foreseen."

"Then you're saying I'm really gonna meet the octopus and slug guys on this island? I've gotta say that I kind of feel bad, everyone's so busy and I get to go to some swanky resort and relax-"

"Shut up you idiot!" Tatsu smacked him on the back of the head "We're going on an S-rank mission not taking a vacation!"

"Yeah I know, I was just joking around. You don't have to get all angry about it."

"I can't afford not to be. Look Naruto, the fact of the matter is that we're standing on the brink of war which is why we're going on a mission like this to begin with. Now when we reach the location you're following Yamato's orders, got it?"

"Alright, I understand. You can count on me for this one Tatsu, I'm on the job."

"You better be."

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Tatsu entered Limbo with Naruto and Ino "Alright, here's the deal. From what Yamato tells me we've got at least a week before we make any stops. The time dilation here in Limbo makes a full day less than 5 minutes out there, and since we don't get tired, hungry or thirsty, we can train in here for days on end without any worries."

"So what's the plan then?" asked Naruto.

"Simple, I'm teaching you two kenjutsu. Naruto, you've got that red sword that Kakashi gave you. Ino, you've been working on mastering the Water Slicing Blade. Oh, and place this in your left hand." he held out a chakra paper "Your water nature is remarkably strong, but we need to figure out your second nature before the war."

"Good idea." Ino held the paper in between her fingers, and it crinkled.

"Okay good, that means you've got a lightning nature. I'll train Naruto in perfecting the Crescent Moon Dance first, in the meantime you go with Kazuma and learn Purple Thunder and one of the lightning jutsu we created with help from Kakashi. The Thunder Panther jutsu."

"Is that the same as his Lightning Beast Running Jutsu?"

"This is more specific and refined, and it uses a lot less chakra. After that you'll learn my brother's Thunderbolt jutsu, then once you've mastered that I'll teach you the Crescent Moon Dance in conjunction with the Water Slicing Blade."

Then Yahiko suddenly showed up and looked around "Woah, so this is what Limbo looks like. Jiraiya-sensei mentioned it to me once or twice, but we never got to come here."

"Oh hey Yahiko, listen you mind helping Naruto train whenever I'm teaching Ino?"

"Yeah sure, no problem. Hey by the way, Yamato wanted me to tell you guys that we're taking a little detour. Lee's really seasick and he's about to start blowing chunks all over the place."

"Knowing Lee, that sounds about right."

"We'll be docking in about an hour in the real world. Go ahead and train until then." then he departed.

"Alright, that gives us a little bit over 2 weeks to train." Tatsu drew his Dragon Blade and entered Sage Mode "Come on guys, let's get to it."

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After about 2 weeks of training in Limbo, really an hour in the real world, the group set for land, dragging a horribly seasick Lee with them.

Naruto let out a sigh "Come on Bushy Brow, get a grip already will you?"

"Hey Naruto, guys, over here!"

Naruto and the rest looked up to see Dosu, Sasuke, Kin and Konan waving "What the hell are you guys doing all the way out here?"

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They got to talking and sharing their stories.

"That's about it." Tatsu finished explaining.

Dosu sighed "The same thing happened to us, those waves were worse than humanly possible."

"Tell me about it, and for Lee that multiplies the effects by like 10."

"So you came here to let Lee recover?" Konan guessed.

"Pretty much yeah. Hey by the way I've been wondering, is the Hidden Rain gonna participate in the war?"

Yahiko shook his head "Absolutely not, the Hidden Rain has barely managed with the last two wars and we can't afford to have it take part, especially not after what Madara and the Akatsuki had put it through."

"I guess that makes sense." then he turned to Konan "So what are you guys doing all the way out here? You on a mission?"

Konan nodded "That's right. Lady Tsunade assigned me and the other three to come out here and she wanted us to help stock up on herbs that could be used for medicine and food pills. This land, the Nagasa Island, is apparently a treasure trove of medicinal herbs."

Yahiko grinned "That actually sounds really cool."

"Say you all can't set sail again until Lee gets over his sea sickness, why don't all of you come and help us out? It's just gathering herbs, nothing too difficult."

"Sure why not, not like we've got anything else to do."

"I'll help too, Naruto and Ino are too busy training." he jerked a thumb over to where Naruto and Ino sat meditating "Alright, let's go." he started to follow them back to the grassier areas, but quickly noticed Sasuke lagging behind "You coming with us or what?"

Sasuke cringed "I think I'll pass."

"Kin's still mad at you for leaving?"

"What do you think?"

"I think you should quit acting like a pansy and just talk to her already."

"And say what? That I'm sorry for leaving the village and joining the guy she feared and despised more than anyone or anything in the world? You really think she'd go for that?"

"Sasuke I am not going to waste my time being the jackass who plays love guru."

"That doesn't help."

"Just take her in your arms and apologize, clearly she's still in love with you so of course she'll forgive you if you just man up and tell her you're sorry. Besides, if that doesn't work then you could always one shot Lee and go for Fu."

"...Never say that again. But fine, I'll give it a shot."

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They reached a large field where the girls started looking for some other medicinal herbs they could use, with Tatsu getting away to the point where he wouldn't be in the way, but could still eavesdrop.

"Alright, Dosu search over on this side and Konan you search over there." Kin directed them on where to look for herbs.

Sasuke walked up to her, looking nervous "Uh, hey Kin?"

"Yeah?" she didn't look up from where she was herb gathering.

"I'm s-"

"Hey Kin, come and see this!" Konan called.

"Coming!" Kin walked away.

Sasuke sighed 'Well that couldn't have gone worse.'

Then Tatsu came back over, practically falling over laughing "What the hell was that supposed to be?"

"Oh shut up you idiot, we can't all date the girl we're into for more than three years before we realize we were!"

"Very funny. I can't believe I'm saying this but I've gotta agree with what Jiraiya was saying before, just find a secluded spot and make it the greatest night of your life."

Sasuke promptly smacked him upside the head.

"Yeah that's what I get for trying to take advice from Jiraiya. Fine, let me take the lead from here on. Hey Kin, can you come over here for a second?"

"Sure." then Kin came over "What's up?"

"This." he promptly grabbed both of them by the back of the head and slammed them into each other, making sure that their lips would connect "You're welcome." and he promptly walked away.

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About a week passed, and things were uneventful.

Naruto just sat on the ledge, fishing uncaringly and unenthusiastically "I know everything is supposed to go right on a trip, but then everything just ends up getting so boring."

Tatsu sat beside him, just as bored "I know what you mean, Shisui and Kazuma have been hogging our training area in Limbo for hours. God only knows what they're up to."

"You shouldn't sound so disappointed." Ino pointed out from where she was sunbathing on the deck in a violent bikini, showing off her curves and DD-cup breasts "Everything going well on a mission is a good thing, remember?"

Naruto groaned "Yeah I know, but it's so boring! I wonder how everyone else is doing back in the Hidden Leaf. Maybe one of them will come by again."

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Hinata was hard at work training in the practice field 'I have to get stronger for this war, I have to protect Naruto.'

"I see you're hard at work with training."

Hinata looked to see a girl around her age with short black hair standing by a tree, Sharingan active "Yes, I have to get stronger-"

"If you want any chance of surviving in this war, right?"

"Yes, and… something else. Oh, I'm Hinata Hyuga. Nice to meet you."

"The name is Rukia, Rukia Uchiha. You know this war is supposed to center on Naruto Uzumaki, one of the two village heroes."

"I wonder how he's doing on his mission."

"He most likely understands that he needs to hone his skills as well, just because he's on a mission doesn't mean he can slack off."

"You're right." then she noticed something.

Her caretaker Ko was standing on the other side of the training field waving to her "Lady Hinata, we'd best be going soon."

"Oh yes, right."

"What for?" asked Rukia.

"We have a big clan meeting to discuss our role in the war. Goodbye, nice meeting you." and she left.

"Rukia." another voice was heard.

Rukia looked and saw her brother Byakuya standing a short ways away "Brother."

"The time has come, we must go or we'll be late."

"Right."

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Sasuke sat in front of the 13 other remaining Uchiha "As the last of the Uchiha clan, we play an important role here in the Hidden Leaf. You should all expect to be given duties pertaining to combat once the impending Fourth Great Ninja War finally begins. Assignments are going to very, but in a crisis we will need one person to lead and unify the clan. I've been assigned to fight elsewhere, the same going with Shisui. Byakuya Uchiha, please step forward."

Byakuya stepped forward "Yes?"

"Aside from myself and Shisui, you are the strongest of all of the Uchiha and the only one aside from us who has awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan. The entire clan is well aware of your capabilities in battle, and that is why I want you to lead the clan on the front lines."

Byakuya bowed "I understand, I will protect the honor of our clan with my life."

"I'm counting on you. This meeting is adjourned."

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Asuma sat with Yugao outside her home "So how are you hanging in there? You sure you're doing alright?"

Yugao sighed "Well since I can't serve as captain anymore for obvious reasons, my career as a shinobi is pretty much over."

"Kurenai is pretty much the same, and now Team 8 has been disbanded and they're all scattered doing their own thing. She feels pretty bad about it like she's let them down."

"It can't be helped, but it anybody is to blame then it would be you."

Asuma blushed slightly "Yeah, I guess so."

Then Sasuke came along "Oh hey Asuma."

"Hey Sasuke."

"Yugao."

"You seem so busy." Yugao noted.

"Yeah I was just on a mission, but I don't have it as rough as people like Lady Tsunade or Kakashi."

"So you were out of the village then?" asked Asuma.

"Yeah, I went with Dosu, Kin and Konan to gather some herbs and we ran into Tatsu and the others."

"You did?"

"Yeah and don't worry, Ino's doing just fine. Oh yeah that reminds me, Lady Tsunade wanted to see you about something. Hinata too."

"Really? What about?"

"No idea, you should probably go and ask her."

"Fine by me, later." and he left.

"He seems kind of eager."

"He's been that way for the past few months." Yugao noted.

"I've noticed. So have you decided on a name yet? For the baby I mean."

"You know, I've been giving that a lot of thought."

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Hinata came into the Hokage's office "Lady Tsunade."

In her place was Shizune, dealing with a mountain of paperwork "What were they thinking, how could they let it end up like this?"

"Excuse me, where's Lady Tsunade?"

"Oh hi, well she stepped out… Let me see, where is she supposed to be right now? Oh yes, she's scheduled to be with the Cypher Corps, but I doubt that things are on schedule."

"I'll go there." Hinata bowed "Thank you." and she left.

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Shiho shook her head "Frankly, Lady Tsunade left already."

Hinata nodded "Oh I see, too bad."

"The Cypher Corps has been very busy working on a secret code that's going to be used by the Allied Shinobi Force, we got chewed out because we're running behind schedule. Anyway, she said she was going to check on the situation with the food supply next."

"Thanks, I'll go see." Hinata then left.

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"Sorry, but Lady Tsunade has already come and gone." Fu told her.

Hinata looked down "I see."

"Hey Hinata, you here to help us out or what?" Kiba called.

"Oh no, sorry I'm not."

"Oh well that's just perfect. I wish she would send us some help, we can barely keep up with all of these food deliveries as it is."

"We need as much as we can get." Fu pointed out "We don't know how long this war is going to last, it could be years for all we know."

"Yeah yeah, I know."

Then Fu turned back to Hinata "You know, Lady Tsunade did mention that she was going to head over and check on ninja tools."

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Tenten shook her head "Well she was here a little while ago but she left already. Try with the medical unit."

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Kin shook her head "Sorry, but Lady Tsunade couldn't make it. I was just told that I should submit a report to her. Dosu back there has a good amount of knowledge about herbs and medicines, and Choji was put in charge of food pills."

"Oh hey, there you guys are!"

Kin and Hinata both looked and saw Tenten running up to them "Oh hey Tenten, what can I do for you?"

"I was thinking, what do you say we all get together tonight and do it up a little. We can all head over to BBQ."

Then Dosu poked his head out along with a drooling Choji "Actually something like that would sound nice, a chance to unwind before such a huge battle takes place."

"Sorry boys, not really, but none of you men are invited. I think it's time that all of us had a girls only get together. All of us are gonna have a girl's night out!"

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Hinata had finally tracked Tsunade, only to be blown off and dismissed almost immediately when she found her.

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Then Tsunade found Asuma leaning against a tree "Asuma."

"Sasuke said you wanted to see me?" Asuma pointed out.

"From what Shikamaru tells me you've been training to earn the cooperation of Enma, the summon used by Sarutobi-sensei."

"The invasion was an eye opener, I've got a family now and I've gotta protect them."

"I see. Asuma, just be sure not to overdo it and get yourself killed." then she walked away without another word.

'I wouldn't if I could afford not to, but with war just around the corner it's not like I really have a choice.'

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"So BBQ reopened?" asked Kin.

"Yeah, I made us a reservation." Tenten looked over the menu "Oh check it out, beef tongue with salt!"

"And the new menu has a special ladies combo, it's such a good deal and you know I can't resist a good deal."

"So then, did all of you ladies decide on drinks?" she received nods from the girls present, them being Fu, Hinata, Kin, Izumi and Ayame "Alright then. Excuse me, we're ready to order!"

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On the other side of the restaurant, Choji had gathered up Asuma, Sasuke, Kiba, Shino, Neji, Shikamaru, Dosu and Zaku as well "Thanks for coming guys, I figured that if the girls were having a get together then it would only be fair that the boys should have one too. Let's pig out to our heart's content!"

Asuma sighed 'That's what I'm afraid of.'

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Tsunade had finally snapped from the pressure and had finally gone out drinking, much to the dismay of Shizune.

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Tenten proposed a toast "Here's to us!" they did the toast.

"So why are we all getting together like this?" asked Fu.

"Well everybody has just been so busy with getting ready for the war I thought we could use some stress relief."

"Oh yeah I get you, all of us need to unwind. There aren't any ordinary missions anymore, everything is focused on preparing for the war."

"Frankly, I just appreciate you inviting me seeing how I've only been in this village for about 2 months or so. But seriously though, how exactly do all of you know each other?"

"Well I know them because of Tatsu." Ayame told her "After all, he's like a little brother to me and the guys are all like brothers to him. I know Izumi because she had a thing for Itachi, and we were teammates with Kazuma and Shisui when the three of us were chunin. But as for how all of the others know each other, well they'll have to tell you that."

Tenten thought about this "Actually that's a good point, why do we always end up hanging out with each other anyway?"

"My best guess is because you all took the chunin exams together."

"Oh yeah of course, that must be it. We went on a lot of missions together too huh."

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"To be honest, I still don't get this whole thing." Kiba commented "About the Allied Shinobi Force I mean."

"It's like putting all kinds of meat together on a single plate." Choji told him "After all there's nothing wrong with a little variety once in awhile."

"But we're not talking about food here Choji, the Hidden Leaf just doesn't have any close ties to any other villages aside from the Hidden Sand and Hidden Waterfall."

"I've heard there have been issues with the Hidden Cloud." Shino noted.

"I'm sure it's not just us." Shikamaru commented "With all of the history between the villages, there's bound to be issues between and inside all of them."

Neji nodded "I agree, every village has one kind of grudge or another against all of the other villages."

"But the Five Kage have all agreed to this alliance." Sasuke pointed out "Not to mention the Land of Iron and the Hidden Waterfall. That just shows you how bad the situation has to be."

"Well if war breaks out then we're just gonna have to fight our hardest without knowing exactly who's fighting on either side." Kiba commented.

"You've never been afraid of strangers Kiba." Shino pointed out.

"Oh shut up, it's just a big pain to have to remember all of their scents."

Choji grinned "When all of us are together like this, it brings back so many memories of that one mission."

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"But then the chunin exam was cancelled." explained Kin "And it was only halfway done."

"You mean when the Hidden Leaf was attacked?" asked Fu.

"So much has happened but we haven't lost anyone and we can still get together like this so easily."

"That must mean your generation is exceptional."

"Yeah that's true, after all that girl Sakura is the only one who's really gone."

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Shikamaru's mood darkened "Are you talking about that one time we went on the mission to get Sasuke back?"

"But many of you nearly lost your lives." Shino pointed out "The reason is because you didn't take me along."

"Are you seriously still upset about that?" Kiba grumbled

"Well it certainly was a tough battle." Choji admitted "And yet all of us made it through okay somehow."

"And it benefited us in a lot of ways." Sasuke looked at his Raijin katana "After all, it's how I got that thing."

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"I'm glad." Hinata murmured "I'm glad that I took the chunin exams."

"You may have lost to Neji, but you still gave it your all." Tenten pointed out "That's what really counts."

"It's because he cheered me on back then, it's because Naruto had supported me that I was able to do my best."

"Naruto was unpredictable even way back then." Ayame let out a sigh "But he grew so strong through hard work and perseverance alone, and look at him now, he's become the village hero."

"But don't forget that Lee played a huge part in that battle too." Tenten pointed out.

"Both of them are prime examples, with hard work and determination anything is possible "And this time it's going to be our turn to protect Naruto."

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"It kind of feels like some faces are missing." Kiba commented "After all, it's a lot more lively with Naruto, Tatsu and Lee around."'

Sasuke nodded "I know what you mean, they make our little group feel a lot more complete. After all, they make up the majority of Team Dragon and they're the strongest ninja the Hidden Leaf has right now."

"You're just as strong as them Sasuke." Asuma pointed out.

"But not nearly strong enough. Still though, I wonder what they're doing out there right now."

"I doubt it's even remotely related to this, at least not while they're at sea."

"That's true." then he turned serious "It's hard to believe when you think about it, that this might be the last time we can get together like this before the war starts."

"The way I see it you guys are lucky." Asuma downed some meat "You haven't lost any of your class yet."

"We lost Sakura."

"She made her own choice to stray from the Will of Fire. Besides, you guys have more than made up for that loss. Besides, if you're worried about the war then just train as hard as you can for as long as you can."

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Kakashi stood leaning against a tree in the training grounds, and looked to see Asuma coming up to him "You seem pretty serious so early in the morning, what's up?"

Asuma promptly took out his trench knives "You know what's up. We've already lost Hayate, I don't want us to lose any more of our class. We've gotta work together on this Kakashi, if we don't combine our strength then we don't have a chance of winning this war."

"...You sound pretty fired up." Kakashi lifted up his headband, revealing his Sharingan "Alright, so you wanna get serious right from the start don't you?"

"No fooling around." Asuma gained brown markings around his eyes and white markings down his cheeks, his chakra blades turning from blue to white "Let's go." and he charged in.

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About 2 days went by, and the crew.

"Thanks for the food!" Naruto walked out of a local ramen shop with Yahiko "Man that sure filled me up, not that it compares to Ichiraku."

"To be fair, the standards are pretty high." Yahiko pointed out "I mean, what really could-" he was cut off by the sound of an explosion.

"What's going on?"

"You've got me."

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Two women by the names of Tokiwa and Shizuka were being chased by a greedy puppet master by the name of Kokuyo.

Tokiwa scowled "Great it's you again, why don't you just give up already?"

Kokuyo smirked "Look my business isn't with you, you're just the chaperone. The one I want to fight is the princess next to you."

"Never, I will not allow such a thing. Lady Shizuka, you don't need to dirty your hands with the likes of him."

"This is my destiny, please just stand back." Shizuka stepped forward.

Kokuyo smirked "How is it that you always look more beautiful every time I see you? Now hurry, I want you to be my wife." he prepared to unleash a rocket from his puppet.

Shizuka promptly removed her cloak and leapt into the air "Nadeshiko Style: Roaring Hurricane Kick!" she slammed her foot down after enhancing it with wind style, destroying the puppet and sending Kokuyo flying.

"Incredible Lady Shizuka, but now please go wait at the inn." Tokiwa handed her cloak back to her "I will check on the travel arrangements we've made for the ship."

"Thank you." and she walked off.

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Naruto let out a whistle "Damn, she's really something."

Yahiko nodded "I know what you mean, but it's not like it's got anything to do with us. We should go, Yamato and the others will be waiting."

"Sir, please wait."

Yahiko looked back to see Tokiwa rushing up to him "Something I can help you with?"

"From those headbands you wear I can see that you're both Leaf shinobi, am I correct?"

"That's right, why?"

"May I ask you about the Legendary Sannin, Lord Jiraiya? Do you know anyone who was his student?"

"...Naruto, why don't you go back to the ship? I'll deal with things here and catch up with you once I've wrapped things up."

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Yahiko sat down with Tokiwa in a teahouse "Alright, what is it you're looking for exactly?"

Tokiwa sighed "What a surprise it is to find the person we're seeking right here, we were actually about to board a ship to sail to the Hidden Leaf to look for you."

"It was quite the surprise to me too, hearing someone say Jiraiya-sensei's name out of the blue like that. How did you know about me though?"

"You mean Lord Jiraiya didn't tell you?"

"Tell me what?"

"Then I will tell you, your grandfather had a connection with my village that began many years ago. He had come to spy in our village and was spotted, but he managed to escape using the summoning jutsu."

"...That does sound like Jiraiya-sensei."

"Anyway, the former leader of our village tracked him down and made a request. To duel with her and marry her if he won."

"...Okay, where exactly is this story going?"

"Nadeshiko Village is matrilineal, it is made up of only women."

"I can imagine that Jiraiya-sensei would've seen the village as some sort of heaven on earth."

"Those who wish to be leader leave the village to find strong men and challenge them, and then if those men are triumphant then they are brought back to be our husbands. It's the law of our village. Their duel was a clash of well honed ninjutsu skills, but in the end the match was never actually decided. So they made a promise, the duel would be postponed and if their rematch would never come to be then their students were to seek each other out and finish the fight in their place."

"So you're saying that-"

"Yes, you're to duel with Lady Shizuka with the reward being her hand in marriage."

"...M-Marriage? Hold on a second, this whole entire thing is way too sudden for me."

"It's not sudden at all, it had been decided years ago."

"But this is the first time I'm hearing about it!"

"Sorry but that's your problem, besides a promise is a promise. We'll be in big trouble if you refuse."

"Yeah but I'll be in even bigger trouble if I agree! Anyway, I say we just forget we ever had this conversation! Any objections? No? Swell, bye!" and he ran off.

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Yahiko later told the others about what happened.

Tatsu burst out laughing when he heard it "That chick asked her to marry you right off the bat like that? Looks like we've got a real ladies man here!"

Yahiko felt the vein in his forehead throbbing "I'm telling you it's not like that, this is all because of some crazy promise Jiraiya-sensei made and now I'm the one who has to pay for it!"

Yamato let out a sigh "You know, in case you've forgotten guys we happen to be on a very important secret mission. We can't get involved in any foolish distraction."

"If that's the case then we should probably move up our departure." Kazuma suggested.

Shisui nodded "Good idea, lucky for us all of our supplies have already been restocked so let's hit the hay early and set sail first thing in the morning."

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Darkness hit, and soon everyone was fast asleep.

Yahiko got up in the middle of the night 'I've gotta pee. Dammit, I never should've drank so much before.' then he looked down and saw Tokiwa standing outside 'Son of a-. Time out okay, just give me 5 minutes."

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"Yahiko let out a sigh "Please stop following me and just leave me alone, I'm begging you."

"You won't be able to escape me, you are a prime candidate for a husband." Tokiwa told him.

"Look I already said no, what more do you want out of me anyway? I know that it's your village tradition and all but all it is to me is weird, I'm not taking part in any duel."

"But-!"

"Look, if you really want a fight that badly then go pick on someone else already."

"Please don't say such things!" Tokiwa slammed her fist against a boulder "Lady Shizuka doesn't enjoy this either, I can assure you of that much. She's always been kind hearted and compassionate. However, that all changed when he came along."

"He?"

"His name was Sagiri, he was a merchant who had been allowed into the village. Lady Shizuka ended up falling in love with him, even though the village law specifically prohibited them being together. However, he died soon after. No one knows how for sure, but some say it was a plot concocted by a few who were concerned about the future of the village. He was attacked and taken down easily to prove that he was unfit for the Nadeshiko."

"That's horrible, I just can't think of any other words for it."

"And from that day on Lady Shizuka locked away her heart, she's stopped herself from feeling love so she will never again lose someone she cares for. She's only thought of fulfilling her duty of seeking out and challenging the strong, it's become as though she's punishing herself for what happened."

"...And that's why you want me to fight her so badly?"

"You're the student of the formidable Master Jiraiya who fought our previous leader to a draw, you may be able to put an end to Lady Shizuka's struggles. I'm fully aware of how selfish of a request this is but please, will you agree to fight Lady Shizuka?"

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Morning came, and the group had set out.

Yahiko watched from the island as the ship set sail 'I swapped with a Shadow Clone when no one was looking, I just hope they don't notice too soon. Alright, that should buy us some time."

Tokiwa bowed to him "Yahiko, I am deeply grateful that you agreed to fight in this duel."

"I'm sorry to disappoint you but I didn't come here to fight, I came here to talk and nothing more."

"What?"

Yahiko looked back at Shizuka "Look I heard about what happened to you and I'm really truly sorry, but this whole thing is just completely insane."

Shizuka stood and removed her hood "You may not be here to fight but I am, now let's find out how strong you really are."

"...I'm not going to find any way to get out of this am I?"

"This area will do fine." Tokiwa formed a hand seal "Earth Style: Iron Prison!" she used an earth style jutsu to create an arena for the duel.

'Asked and answered. I'm not going to do this."

"Don't try to fight destiny." Shizuka told him "Please, allow me to begin." she then charged forward "Nadeshiko Style: Roaring Gale Chop!" she infused her hand with wind chakra and thrusted it forward, creating fissures in the ground.

Yahiko leapt out of the way.

"Nadeshiko Style: Ariel Dance!" she fired a barrage of kunai forward.

Yahiko continuously dodged them, but just barely 'Damn she's got a lot of those things.' he formed a hand seal "Earth Style: Mud Wall!" he formed a wall of rock to protect himself.

"Fine then. Spinning Waltz!" Shizuka spun like a small twister, continuously firing off a barrage of kunai, eventually cutting through the earth wall.

'There's just no end to them!' Yahiko formed a hand seal "Shadow Clone Jutsu!" he summoned 10 clones and they all charged.

"Gale Fan!" Shizuka breathed out a stream of wind from her mouth, dissipating the clones, then knocked the one behind her to the ground and held a kunai to his throat "Looks like it's all over."

"Yeah it looks that way doesn't it?"

Shizuka's eye shot wide and she looked back to see Yahiko holding his sword pointed at the back of her neck 'But how-?'

"And now it's over." Yahiko dissipated the Shadow Clone in front of her.

"A diversion in the second stage. Nobody has ever gotten behind me. Fine then, just go ahead and deliver the final blow."

"Forget it, I told you before that I didn't come here to fight. I'm sorry, but I'm just not interested in this duel."

"Then I'll take the woman for myself!" a gigantic puppet burst from the ground, catching Shizuka in its hand, revealing Kokuyo on the edge of the arena "Now I've got you."

"This trick is less than nothing, and it's nothing but cowardly!" Shizuka slammed her foot down on the puppet, destroying it. Then a red seal suddenly appeared on her stomach, causing her to cry out in pain as chakra strings appeared connected to her arms and legs.

"This is a little something I like to call the Hundred Puppet Bind, it's a jutsu that drives bolts or anchor points into my target each time one of my hundred puppets is beaten, and now you've become my puppet."

Tokiwa froze "So that means… the puppets from before were all for this? You coward!"

"Yes I've done it, and now Shizuka and Nadeshiko Village are all mine!"

"Let her go!" orange pigments appeared around Yahiko's eyes "We were still in the middle of talking, let her go now or I'll make you let her go."

"Just shut up, it's none of your business kid so get lost! I'm gonna take her away from here as a-"

Yahiko suddenly blitzed in front of him and fired a fist near his face, the force somehow carrying and snapping the chakra threads, cutting Shizuka free. Then he bit down on his thumb and formed a hand seal "Summoning Jutsu!" he slammed his hand into the ground.

Then Gamahiro appeared "What's going on- Wait, aren't you that third kid that Jiraiya trained from the Hidden Rain?"

"That would be me, it's good to see you again Gamahiro. Long story short, can you just kick that guy and send him flying?"

"...Okay." so Gamahiro sent Kokuyo flying with a single kick, sending him through the wall and causing the battle arena to disappear "That's the end of that. Later." and he left.

Yahiko gently set Shizuka down in the center of the crater "Are you alright?"

Shizuka just looked away "Why would you save me?"

"Okay, I've had just about enough of this. This whole thing is completely ridiculous."

"No not that, you had a chance to defeat me before so why didn't you?"

"Would you have been satisfied if I did?"

Her eyes widened.

"Because it's destiny? You locked away your heart, your emotions, and even your own sense of judgement just so you could go and look for a husband, the way I see that's just completely insane. I mean sure I don't know much about stuff like marriage, especially since I've been dead for about 20 years. But tell me, aren't you supposed to be in love with someone first and be attracted to who they are deep inside?"

"Yes, but that's…"

"There's a girl I love, her name is Konan. My heart belongs to her, it always has. Even when we were young, she was always at the front of my mind. And when she smiles, it's like she isn't even human. To me Konan is an angel, hell to me she's even a goddess. I would gladly give my life for her, and I actually did once. I honestly don't know if my feelings are one sided or not, but we've got one thing in common. A mutual desire for peace in the world. I remember one incident in particular. Another member of my Akatsuki asked her out but she refused, she said that she wouldn't have any time for any of that until she made our dream come true. Of course I'd never ever try to force her to love me, if I did then I would be no different than that scumbag that tried to make you his puppet. So anyway I made up my mind a long time ago to have two goals, to bring about the ambitions of the Akatsuki and to win Konan's heart."

Shizuka looked away "I see, but my destiny is different-"

"It's not destiny, it's nothing but some stupid rule your village made up and rules were meant to be broken."

"But-But how?"

"You're smart and you're strong, why don't you just use your abilities to put an end to it."

Her eyes widened, and she fell silent.

"I'm not sure that I explained it that well, but that's just about everything I wanted to talk to you about."

"HEY!" then Naruto suddenly dropped down out of nowhere.

"...What the hell are you doing?"

"That's what I should be asking you! Captain Yamato has been stuck in that creepy death face ever since we found out you swapped with a Shadow Clone!"

"It can't be that bad."

"It's been 3 hours!"

"...Yeah that's bad."

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Soon enough, they were ready to depart. Again.

"We're just about to set sail." Shisui called.

"I'll be up in a second." then Yahiko looked back to Shizuka "Well you take of yourself."

"Tell me Yahiko." her voice was soft "When your mission is over, when you go back home, are you going to tell that person that you love her?"

"...We'll see, depending on how this mission turns out. But for now I'll just keep watching over her and trying to protect her."

"And you're satisfied with that?"

"Yeah, I am. Of course nothing would make me happier than if she ended up returning my feelings someday, but either way I'll be content. I just want Konan to be happy. To me, that's all that matters." then he leapt onto the boat, and they set sail.

Shizuka waited for a good long while 'That's right, Lady Shizuko said that Lord Jiraiya told her that he had given his heart to another woman but it was pretty one sided on his part. But she had suffered so much heartbreak that she'd closed off her heart, and he knew that she would be the only one ever able to truly hold his heart so he decided to fill her presence with love just to make her happy, and he didn't care about getting anything in return.'

Then Tokiwa stepped up behind her "Lady Shizuka."

"Come on Tokiwa, let's go. I will become stronger and then one day, when the time is right, I will…" then she walked away, with Tokiwa following right behind her.

A/N:

Ino having water and lightning natures was inspired by the Legend of the Namikaze, a fic written by Mr Apathy. It's really good, you shook check it out. It's on .

Thunder Panther was one of the jutsu Tatsu used against Kimimaro in their battle during the retrieval mission, and yes it is based off of Kakashi's Lightning Beast Running Jutsu.

I named the other Uchihas Byakuya, Rukia and names of other characters from Bleach because I am absolutely terrible at coming up with names.

I figured that I should give Asuma some character development, and it would be awesome to give him Sage Mode. After all, Kakashi has a Sharingan and Guy has the Eight Gates, so why not give him an awesome power up too?

I added Yahiko in during that whole thing at Nadeshiko Village to give him some character development, as well as to give some insight into his feelings for Konan in regards to their goals for peace.

To reader R: I thought it would be good to have Naruto learn kenjutsu and enhance it with Sage Mode because, why not? No, Toneri will not be appearing during the war, but I have an idea to make sure that works out with the Last. Oh, and Kakashi will not become the Sixth Hokage. Oh, and expect the following people to take part in the battle against Kaguya: Tatsu, Naruto, Sasuke, Lee, Kakashi, Itachi (Will be revived later on), Shisui, Kauma, Ino. I may or may not continue on with a Boruto fanfic, depending on how good the anime turns out to be once things really get going.

Just to be clear, the pairings are as follows:

Naruto x Hinata

Sasuke x Kin

Tatsu x Ino

Lee x Fu

Itachi x Izumi

Kazuma x Ayame

Shikamaru x Temari

Choji x Karui

Neji x Tenten

Yahiko x Konan

Shisui x Samui because, why not?

Now then, I've run into a serious problem with this fic. I'm planning on having Neji survive, but the problem is that I need someone else to die in his place and I can't decide who. If anyone could provide suggestions, I'd really appreciate it.