At long last, the Fourth Great Ninja War had begun.
The Allied Shinobi Forces Commando Unit, led by Kankuro, quickly entered the enemy territory, but the Reanimated Commando Unit ended up capturing Tokuma, Ranka and Muta fairly quickly.
Kankuro and his men deployed a small trenched outpost to survey the environment until Muta appeared in front of them, revealing that he had been attached to Sasori's chakra threads and planted with some of Deidara's clay bombs.
Taji attempted to save Muta, but Deidara just ended up detonating Muta, and in a split second Ittan sunk their outpost with his Earth Style jutsu in order to avoid the explosion.
Tokuma and Ranka descended to attack Kankuro, Dosu and the rest of the Commando Unit, but Omoi managed to use his Cloud Style: Crescent Moon Slice to cut Sasori's chakra threads, which allowed him to save both of them.
Kankuro managed to pull Sasori down and summoned Sasori's original puppet body, which he labeled as Scorpion, in order to settle things as he recalled their previous encounter.
Not wanting to waste time with personal grudges or reminiscing, Dosu used his Earth Style: Boulder Giant Jutsu to knock Deidara and Sasori out of the air and into Kankuro's waiting puppet traps.
Moved by Kankuro's following speech of how he had obtained the immortality that he dreamt of through his puppets he had created, Sasori then proceeded to entrust Kankuro with his Mother and Father puppets, and asked him to pass them down to the generations to come before his soul was freed from the Reanimation Jutsu and returned to the afterlife.
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Meanwhile, on Turtle Island…
Tatsu led Naruto inside the temple behind the waterfall "Nice work on mastering the block exercise so fast."
Naruto shot him a smirk "Playing with those building blocks, I knew that I could do it no sweat now that I've reached this level."
"I expected you to pull off an exercise that simple no problem but the next one is gonna be a hell of a lot harder."
"So this is connected to that room where me and Kurama beat the crap out of each other and you fought the Light Dragon right?"
"Yeah that's right, now take a good long look."
"At what?" Naruto looked and saw a statue of the Eight Tails "And now there's one of that guy too?"
"No, of his Tailed Beast. There is a difference."
"Well it's a major pain in the ass either way." he stuck his head inside the statue, opening the door to a new room and allowing the both of them to enter.
"This is gonna be the last stage of training for the both of us, the time has come for you to learn the ultimate jutsu of a jinchuuriki, you got me?"
"Yeah I think I get what you're saying, after all having all this power doesn't mean anything if I can't control it. Alright Tatsu, what exactly do I have to do first?"
"First you've gotta enter your Tailed Beast Mode, then go all the way." for emphasis, he was suddenly engulfed in a white cloak of chakra, which then took on the form of a massive white Genryu, only to power back down after a few seconds "Like that, sorry about that but until the time is right like Hikari said I can only use his full power in short bursts." he then proceeded to flash into his Tenseigan Chakra Mode "But until then I think I'll get by just fine using this. But back to the subject at hand, this is only the first step of the training so get a move on with it already."
"Hey come on Tatsu, don't you think that's a little bit too risky?"
"Hey come on man, the only risk is if Kurama decides to act like a dick. You already extracted a lot of his chakra keep in mind, you should be just fine with this and I highly doubt there being any sort of chance of you rampaging like how you did when you and Lee fought Pain."
"Fine, if you think so then I guess I'll give it a shot." so Naruto attempted to enter his Kurama Chakra Mode.
"You've gotta visualize you and Kurama working together as one."
"I'm trying!" and yet he only succeeded in turning into a chibi version of Kurama, and he quickly transformed back "Oh come on!"
"...Yeah, looks to me like we've got a lot of work ahead of us."
"Well I'm fucking exhausted after that, you mean I went and used that much of Kurama's chakra for nothing?"
'Well that rules out having Killer B or Utakata teach him the Tailed Beast Bomb, without having access to the full Tailed Beast state he doesn't have a hope in hell of using it. Don't worry about it, this isn't the kind of thing that can be rushed. But all the same there is something that I really should warn you about."
"What's that?"
"Well first things first I'll have to warn you about the risks that come with using the Tailed Beast Chakra Mode."
"Wait a second, risks? There are risks to using this kind of power?"
"Use your head stupid, why do you think I went so long without using my Tenseigan Chakra Mode, because of the risks that come with it. These kind of risks are a lot worse so keep your ramen hole shut and listen."
"What's the big risk about it anyway?"
"Well basically, while you're using Kurama's chakra he in turn is constantly siphoning away your own chakra at the same time since you're temporarily shelving your own personal chakra in order to use his. I think it should be obvious, but if he drains every last drop of your normal chakra then you will die without question."
"What?! But then why the hell are Octopops and Utakata always okay when they use it?"
"Because to be blunt, Kurama is a dick and you still haven't truly tamed his power yet. I can only assume that it used to be the same between Killer B and Utakata and their Tailed Beasts. Oh and by the way I wouldn't exactly advise using Shadow Clones while using Kurama's chakra, you'll lose an equal amount of chakra from each clone so you'll be drained instantly and you might end up dying."
"Oh get real Tatsu, you of all people should know how much of my own chakra I have."
"Don't get carried away with this Naruto or you'll be wiped out faster than you can blink, being able to restore your lost chakra just like that takes a damn long time so above all you have to be careful. If you get carried away and use all of Kurama's chakra during a battle then you'll be dead before you even realize it."
"What?"
"Normally a jinchuuriki would negotiate with their Tailed Beast and agree on an equal exchange of your chakra, not that Kurama is particularly known for sharing. Finally there's a limit to how much chakra you can receive from Kurama."
"Well then it's way too risky, does that mean I can't even perform the ultimate jutsu of a jinchuuriki?"
"Well you're gonna have to give up on using the Tailed Beast Bomb at least, for the time being you should focus on perfecting your own special move."
"The Tailed Beast Bomb? Hold on a second, what kind of jutsu is that?"
"It's essentially a gigantic ball of chakra you blow out of your mouth, appearance wise it actually looks a hell of a lot like a Rasengan, which is actually ironic because the Tailed Beast Bomb is where your father got the inspiration to create the Rasengan."
"You mean that thing that I used against Pain while I was under Kurama's influence, and what Kurama used against me when we were fighting?"
"Basically it's just you puking out a gigantic ball of chakra."
"I see." so Naruto entered his Kurama Chakra Mode "So what then, are we gonna improve more on my control?"
"Nope, we're gonna try something different." Tatsu powered down from his Tenseigan Chakra Mode and drew the Dragon Blade "From what Kakashi tells me that sword on your back is special and not just because it belonged to your mother."
"How so?"
"Because it's made of a rare metal that allows you to channel Kurama's chakra into that blade and increase the power of its strike several times over, essentially we're gonna create a new jutsu just for you and you alone: the Tailed Beast Crescent Moon Dance."
"That sounds so awesome I just got boner from it."
"...Leave it to you to make this sound weird. Nevermind that right now though, try channeling some of Kurama's chakra into the blade."
"Alright." Naruto channeled some chakra into the blade, only for it to explode and send him flying backwards, the sword embedding itself into the wall directly next to his head "Ow…"
"We'll call this a work in progress, channeling Kurama's chakra was supposed to be hard to begin with."
"Hey when the sword gets chakra like that poured into the blade it's insanely heavy, I was struggling to even hold it before it exploded on me."
"Well that's one of the key traits to remember about swordsmanship, the strike of a sword is far more powerful when you use two hands than it is when you use just one."
"Whatever, how am I supposed to focus on as many little details as that?"
"By channeling whatever dying brain cells you have left and doing it."
"That's my point, you of all people get that I'm the type that learns by doing stuff and not by listening. So that's it for this Tailed Beast Crescent Moon Dance, I'm just gonna have to keep doing it and doing it and I'm not gonna stop until I get it right." he gripped the hilt of the Crimson Death.
"Doing this is gonna be a lot more difficult when you're in your normal form, and those burns on your hands are from what people know as Jutsu Recoil."
"Like I literally just said I don't have time to worry about stupid little details like that!" he flashed into his Kurama Chakra Mode and began channeling chakra into the blade "Now come on Tatsu, just keep watching me until I get it right. I'll try to learn by the feeling and just being sure to remember it."
"Well your persistence isn't gonna change I can tell that much."
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In the outskirts of the Mountain's Graveyard, having been forced by Madara to reveal his inner workings, Kabuto proceeded to demonstrate the Reanimation Jutsu while explaining that he was unable to summon the souls of the First, Second, Third and Fourth Hokage due to the fact that their souls were previously sealed away by the Reaper Death Seal, and he couldn't resurrect the likes Kisame because there wasn't enough left of him to bring him back, or Jiraiya since his corpse was at the bottom of the ocean in the Hidden Rain Village and he couldn't reach it without being crushed by the water pressure.
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From the Allied Shinobi Forces HQ, Ao detected a large number of White Zetsu clones moving underground.
Mifune ordered some of his troops to provide support for the nearby Second Division.
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Using his Liquid Manipulation jutsu to fly the troops overhead, Dosu, Omoi and a Hidden Leaf ninja by the name of Zaji flew towards Zabuza and Haku's reanimated group "Now!"
"Right!" and once one of them formed the seal, the water birds dove down with paper bombs attached, ramming into the group of reanimated ninja full force in an explosion "I'll be sure to keep them coming, Zaji hurry up and use the flare!"
"Okay!" and Zaji fired off the flare.
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Kakashi looked and saw the flare from the distance "A red flare, that's from the Commando Unit."
"So we go?" asked Sasuke.
"Of course, now let's move."
"Right."
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"Are you alright after that Master Zabuza?" as it turns out, Haku had used a dome of ice to protect them from the blast.
Zabuza looked and saw one of the reanimated ninja, a Hidden Stone shinobi by the name of Gari, regenerating "Looks to me like you wasted a jutsu Haku, with this reanimation jutsu you can't die since you're already dead. I don't like this jutsu." he looked up "That was a pretty good catch Haku."
"That species of giant bird really does fly in pairs like that, they work together in order to catch their prey. However, that's only during winter when they're raising young. Plus there's that beacon that looks like a cloud, I have no doubt that the enemy who attacked us is up there with them. Please leave them to me."
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Zaku looked around and noticed something "This looks like… snow? And this cold air…"
"Zaku behind you!" Dosu's head snapped towards him when he noticed a large mirror made of ice appearing above them.
"Secret Jutsu: Crystal Ice Mirrors!" Haku fired a barrage of ice senbon, freezing the birds and causing them to evaporate and sending the three of them falling to the ground.
Dosu and the others slowed their fall through the trees and landed on the ground right in front of the group, only for him to quickly recognize them "Hold on a minute, isn't that…?"
"What is this, what's going on?" asked Pakura, a kunoichi of the Hidden Sand "They're just children."
"Our bodies are immortal now." Gari pointed out "A mutual strike will be sufficient."
"Dammit, almost all of the enemies in front of us possess Kekkei Genkai." Dosu muttered "Just because Zabuza doesn't have one doesn't make him any less dangerous."
Zabuza smirked underneath his bandages "Flattery isn't going to get you three anywhere."
"Yeah I know from personal experience."
"We don't have anything personal against any of you." Haku told him "However, we're not in control of our bodies or actions at the moment." he armed himself, with Zabuza doing the same.
"Here they come."
"Prepare yourselves!" they charged.
"Get back!" 4 new figures appeared and stopped the charge, along with several others.
Zabuza's eyes shot wide, the same with Haku's "Kakashi… and the Uchiha brat…"
Sure enough, Kakashi had appeared, backed by Sasuke, Guy, Lee and the rest of the shinobi in the Third Division, to save Dosu and the others' backs and stopped the attacks "Sorry we're late."
Dosu breathed a sigh of relief "I've gotta hand it to you guys, you're a bunch of lifesavers."
"I wouldn't start celebrating yet Dosu, none of these guys are going to go down without a tough fight." Sasuke warned.
"I knew we'd have to fight, but I never imagined that it was going to be against you or that other brat Kakashi." Zabuza commented.
Kakashi's lone eye narrowed as he recalled their previous encounter "The Land of Waves, almost 5 years ago. It's been a long time since then."
"That day back on the bridge that Kamikaze brat was supposed to finish me off and sent me to Hell, but when I came to I was in the same place that Haku was. It seems that this is neither heaven nor hell."
"This is the world of the living, a realm where you no longer have any place. You're both under the effects of the Reanimation Jutsu." Sasuke told him.
"The Reanimation Jutsu?"
"That's right, the forces of a group called the Akatsuki used the Reanimation jutsu of the Second Hokage to bring you back from the land of the dead."
"I see." he took a moment to examine Sasuke's full appearance "You've really grown up haven't you little Uchiha brat, and tell me are the other lads doing well?"
"You mean Tatsu and Naruto don't you? Yeah we're all really prospering, we're all in committed relationships and we're all jonin. Sakura got arrested for attempted murder and killed herself in an attempt to take Naruto with her."
"I see. To think that three brats defeated us, you've all grown up haven't you? I'm guessing that all of you are famous too?"
"Yeah I guess you could say that for him too." Sasuke jerked his head over to Lee "We're all apart of a new 4 man squad called Team Dragon. They named that bridge after Team 7 too, the Great 7 Bridge. To everyone in our village Naruto is considered a hero now, they call him the kid who can make miracles into reality and the kid who has the power to change people. It's actually thanks to that encounter on the bridge with the two of you that Naruto was able to discover his own ninja way, he pledged to follow it at your graves and now he's grown to be the strongest of all of us. He's an amazing shinobi now, and he's grown into a fine man too."
"Then he will become even stronger?" asked Haku, his voice sounding hopeful.
"Of that there's no doubt in my mind."
"I see."
"Have you reminisced enough? I hope so because now we need to work, now it's time for us to get serious." Kabuto's voice rang through their minds "Power is flowing into me, and now is when the main act starts!"
Zabuza suddenly stiffened as dark chakra began radiating from his body "Kakashi… Uchiha kid… you must… stop us…"
"Retreat!" Kakashi leapt back, with Guy and Lee doing the same.
Sasuke did the same "Looks like there isn't any doubt about it Kakashi."
"Yeah there's definitely no mistake, that's the Demon of the Hidden Mist Zabuza and the Ice Style user Haku."
"My mind… is growing foggy…" Haku got out.
"Dammit…" Zabuza ground out "The inside of my head… feels like it's on fire…"
"It hurts…"
"Everyone be sure to prepare yourselves." Kakashi warned "Nobody let their guard down, Zabuza's skill in the Silent Killing technique is unrivaled.
"Please Kakashi, Sasuke, I'm begging you both now. You must stop us once again, you simply must. My dream was always to be an instrument to Master Zabuza, a weapon for him to use as he pleased and to die protecting him. However, the fact that Master Zabuza is now under the effects of this jutsu means that not only did I fail to protect him from Tatsu that day back on the bridge so long ago but it also means that I cannot protect him now and what's worse is that I can no longer do any of his bidding."
"No you're wrong Haku, you did indeed protect Zabuza from Tatsu's attack that day. He had died from a different cause. Zabuza also never thought that you were merely his tool."
"Kakashi… just shut your mouth already…" Zabuza growled.
"Naruto, he dug deep into Zabuza's heart and managed to carve out the truth from him."
"That's enough…"
"Zabuza and Haku huh? They're both being quite stubborn, I can't believe I still haven't bound them yet. But have no fear, I'll make the both of you mere killer puppets soon enough because both of you are merely my tools."
"Kakashi… Uchiha brat… don't hesitate or hold back… Use whatever means necessary… to stop me… Remember… I already died once… and I died human…"
"Yes, I know that well." Kakashi revealed his Sharingan eye.
Haku shed a single tear "Master Zabuza… I thank you…" then his consciousness was finally erased by Kabuto, the same going for Zabuza, rendering both of them as nothing more than mindless killing machines.
"Here they come, everyone get ready."
"Kakashi, I'm pretty sure that guy back there is Gari of the Hidden Stone." Sasuke told him "If I remember correctly then he would be the master of the Explosive Style Kekkei Genkai, like the one that Deidara used but without the clay."
"What about the woman?"
"I'm pretty sure her name is Pakura, a master of the Scorch Style Kekkei Genkai from the Hidden Sand."
"Looks like we're dealing with all Kekkei Genkai users at this point, and whatever Zabuza has."
"Ninja Art: Hidden Mist Jutsu!" Zabuza unleashed the Hidden Mist Jutsu.
"Assemble battle groups with sensory type ninja at the center, I want the other members to cover 12, 3, 6 and 9 o'clock positions in manji formation! Zabuza is able to locate targets using only sound!"
"It looks like the mist is getting thicker." Sasuke activated his Sharingan "For everybody else here I guess invisibility would be low. Last time we did this he attacked from the blindspot of the formation, that being the center, so everyone be sure to watch your backs."
"Leave it to me." Lee got into position.
"It's not you I'm worried about right now."
Through the mist and cold air, Haku and Zabuza began killing shinobi left and right before they could react.
"Looks like it's begun. Kabuto must've kept their emotions intact after reviving them in order to try and shake us up on a psychological level.' Sasuke looked and saw Pakura mummifying a great number of shinobi using her Scorch Style: Super Steam Kill and Gari blowing them to bits using his Explosion Style: Landmine Fist.
"Leaf Hurricane!" before Guy or anyone else could, Lee dealt Haku a Leaf Hurricane before he could skewer a Hidden Cloud ninja with his Crystal Ice Mirrors "Comrades will die during a war, you have to accept that fact and prepare yourself for it. You can't lose focus or even more will perish, instead of charging into the fray in a blind rage you must make sure their sacrifices weren't in vain.
Kakashi clashed with Zabuza "I think I'm beginning to understand the enemy's strategy, but now it's gonna be our turn."
"We'd better be careful." Sasuke pointed out "This is Kabuto we're dealing with, he's not so stupid as to allow the enemy time to catch their breath."
"Yeah that's true."
"Summoning Jutsu!" Gari and Pakura slammed their hands down into the ground, and 6 more coffins rose up from beneath the earth.
"Oh crap."
Sasuke's eyes narrowed "Kakashi, are those who I think they are?"
"Yeah. They're the most brutal unit in the history of the Hidden Mist Village, the previous generation of the Seven Ninja Swordsman of the Mist."
"These are the most powerful ever out of all of the generations of the Seven Ninja Swordsman, it looks like Kabuto chose his pawns well. Ready Ensui Platoon?"
One of the men, a Nara by the name of Ensui, shook his head "Not yet, I still need just a bit longer."
"What about you Maki of the Hidden Sand?"
"My team is ready to roll sir." Maki told him.
"Alright, we need to buy time for Ensui's platoon. We'll all attack as one, now go!"
"Yes sir!" and they all charged, engulfing Zabuza, Haku and the rest of the Seven Ninja Swordsman in a massive barrage of attacks.
When the attacks subsided, they just regenerated as if nothing had happened.
"It's no use, no matter how many times we attack it doesn't have any effect. What can we possibly do against an enemy like that? They're the Seven Ninja Swordsman, and on top of that they can't die! The longer we fight the greater our disadvantage."
"You need to keep a clear head." Sasuke told them "The Reanimation Jutsu can still be stopped by sealing away the soul or immobilizing the body, and other than Zabuza none of them have their weapons at the moment-"
That was when Mangetsu pulled out a scroll and summoned several of the swords.
"And it looks like I spoke too soon."
"They do have their swords but they're not at full power." Kakashi told him.
"The mist is getting thicker, visibility is almost nonexistent and there isn't any sound to follow with the Silent Killing technique."
"We have to get rid of this mist or the rest of our forces will be at a disadvantage."
"Do you have a plan to get rid of it?" asked Lee.
"I happen to be preparing one as we speak."
"Alright good." Lee noticed Gari and Pakura both on the move "Guy sensei I'll take the Scorch Style user, you take the Explosion Style user."
"Right!" and Guy charged at Gari, with Lee charging at Pakura.
"Captain Kakashi, Shadow Possession and Shadow Paralysis ready." Ensui reported.
"Good, now fasten it to me." Kakashi told him.
Ensui did so.
"Listen to me Ensui, I need you to start by following my moves with a loose Shadow Possession Jutsu okay?"
"Right."
Kakashi prepared a Lightning Blade "Santa Yamanaka I want you to use your Mind Transfer Jutsu to trade places with me, with your sensory skills you should be able to track and find Zabuza even in this mist."
Santa nodded "Got it."
"Once you manage to locate Zabuza, Ensui will get my body within visual range using his Shadow Possession. Get him behind me as close as you can. Santa, once you see Zabuza I want you to use your Mind Transfer to return my body to me. I'll fight Zabuza and step on his shadow in order to connect it to mine, at that point Ensui you'll immediately power up your Shadow Possession while Sasuke you unleash your Raijin power and use your Thunder jutsu in order to bind him, which should allow for Maki to completely immobilize Zabuza with her Cloth Paralysis Jutsu. Okay, let's do it!" and he charged in.
"Right! Mind Transfer Jutsu!" Santa used his Mind Transfer Jutsu, enacting the first stage of Kakashi's plan.
"You heard him everyone, guard Kakashi with your lives!" Sasuke charged in.
Unfortunately, that was when the slaughter began, as revealed when shinobi began being killed left and right by Ameyuri Ringo with her Kiba blades, Jinin Akebino with his Kabutowari, Kushimaru Kuriarare with her Nuibari, Jinpachi Munashi with his Shibuki, Fuguki Suikazan and Mangetsu Hozuki, with Zabuza using his Executioner's Blade to slaughter more than all of them combined.
That was when Santa found him 'Perfect, I've got him! Mind Transfer Jutsu release!' he then released the jutsu.
'Good luck Captain Kakashi, Sasuke.' Ensui enacted the rest of his plan.
'Perfect, he doesn't notice that I'm here! I've got him! Raijin Chidori!" Sasuke charged in with a Raijin powered Chidori.
That was when Haku appeared in front of Sasuke using his Crystal Ice Mirrors and took the blow for Zabuza, then grabbed Sasuke by the arm.
'He took the attack for Zabuza, just like how he did back on the bridge, at least from what Tatsu told me. Zabuza's Hidden Mist Jutsu keeps them concealed and is the key stone to a battle of numbers so Kabuto must've known that Zabuza would be our target, and now he's using the rest of them as shields to defend him. Haku would protect Zabuza like his life depended on it either way, Kabuto knows this for a fact and is using this to his advantage.'
Zabuza lifted his Executioner's Blade.
'He would really hack right through Haku to take me out?' Sasuke pulled himself out of the way just in time to avoid the blade, leaving only Haku to be sliced in half in his place 'Zabuza… Haku…'
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(One of the few times I'm actually willing to right out a flashback, on the way back to the Hidden Leaf after the Land of Waves mission)
Tatsu gripped the new scar running down his shoulder "Well after this whole shtick I'm gonna have to be a hell of a lot more careful now."
Naruto let out a huge shit eating grin "Speak for yourself, I'm totally ready for another A rank mission when we get back."
Sasuke let out a snort "Are you out of your mind? You'd have to be a complete idiot to want to go on- You know what, scratch that."
"What the hell does that mean?"
"It means that we barely got out alive against the likes of Haku and Zabuza, and even then it was only because Tatsu and I were lucky enough to awaken our Kekkei Genkai."
"Oh come on-"
"Just lay off." Tatsu waved him off nonchalantly "Don't get so down about it, the three of us will get there soon enough but we have to do a hell of a lot more training before them, as in get even stronger and learn more jutsu."
"Well I guess so, you're right about learning more jutsu Tatsu but I've also gotta find more things that I wanna protect."
"Where did that come from?"
"Well it was something that Haku said, he said that when someone protects something that they truly and genuinely care about then they can really become stronger."
"...Is that so? Well I personally think he's got the right idea, but do you agree with him?"
"You bet your ass I do, after watching what Haku did with Zabuza I know for a fact that he's right on the money. And this might sound weird but, even though they were enemies I kind of liked them."
"...You know something Naruto, I did too."
Sasuke stared at the two of them as he fell back a little bit 'Having something to protect can make you even stronger… huh.'
(Thus ends the flashback)
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Sasuke gently set Haku's regenerating form down on the ground and looked between the two of them, and despite the situation he gave a small yet genuine smile "Zabuza, Haku, I'm honestly glad that you two were the first adversaries that we fought, for Naruto in particular." his own Mangekyou Sandagan flared into life along with his Susanoo ribcage, along with one arm and a larger version of the Raijin sword.
"Sasuke!" this was when Kakashi rushed over.
"Kakashi stay back, I've got this one handled."
"...Alright."
"Listen to me Maki, until I give the signal I want you to stay back and get the Cloth Paralysis Jutsu ready for use. Got it?"
Maki nodded "I understand."
"Good." Sasuke looked down at Haku's body 'Zabuza… Tatsu told me that you hesitated in slicing through Haku that day on the bridge back in the Land of Waves. You simply couldn't hide the unrest you held in your heart over Haku's death.'
Zabuza braced the Executioner's Blade and charged.
"But things are different now compared to then, now Kabuto has made you into nothing more than an emotionless tool of evil so let's just end this senseless fight before it has to begin!" and with that, Sasuke thrusted his Susanoo Raijin sword through Zabuza's stomach, causing the Executioner's Blade to fly out of his grip "Ensui, hurry and bind him." he quickly leapt out of the way.
'That's my signal! Shadow Paralysis Jutsu!" Ensui quickly took action and disconnected his shadow from Kakashi and attacked it onto that of Zabuza, paralyzing him with it.
'The manner of your death, the tears that you had shed, they demonstrated the bond you held with each other. It's just like the bond that I share with Naruto, Tatsu and Lee. I have plenty to protect as well, not as a shinobi but also as a human being. One of those things is protecting the way that Haku and Zabuza both died that day, especially since Tatsu and Naruto were their final enemies, and now I'm in the same position. Now Maki, hurry and do it!"
"Right!" Maki quickly used the Cloth Paralysis Jutsu on Haku and Zabuza, sealing them and cancelling out the Hidden Mist Jutsu, revealing the other members of the Seven Ninja Swordsman to the Allied Forces "As long as these tags remain they can't be summoned, I'll be sure to watch over these two personally."
"Good idea."
"Sasuke…" Kakashi slowly stepped forward "Good work, but the fight is only just getting started."
"Kakashi." Sasuke stuck the Executioner's Blade by the sealed bodies "Reanimation is just completely unforgivable, there's no other word to describe it. I know that it takes quite a lot for you to lose your temper and I'm about the same, but I'm about to boil over from all the rage that I feel over this." he gripped his Raijin katana, his Mangekyo Sandagan disappearing "I am Sasuke Uchiha, the Thunderclap of the Hidden Leaf. I've learned to harness the power of the Thunder Spirit, and now I'm going to use its power to the fullest and live up to my incredibly tacky nickname."
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By this point, Kiba, Hinata and the other members of the Second Division were busy fighting off the army of White Zetsu clones.
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Having been reanimated by Kabuto and now left under his control, the Second Tsuchikage Mu summoned other previous Kage, including the Second Mizukage, the Third Raikage and the Fourth Kazekage.
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The coastline where the First Division with Darui and Shibuki was another matter.
Darui watched as a large amount of White Zetsu began slowly emerging from the sea, and he turned to Shibuki "They're coming, give the signal to prepare for battle."
"Right." Shibuki looked out at the forces, purple markings appearing on his cheeks "And it's not just numbers that we have to be concerned about right now, just like HQ had reported I can tell which ones are more dangerous using my Sage Mode. I can sense Kakuzu of the Akatsuki out there, as well as those I believe to be Hizashi Hyuga, Dan Kato, Hayate Gekko and Jiraiya of the Sannin."
"And I think those two are- Oh crap."
"What's the matter? I can tell that they're both incredibly strong but I don't recognize either of them, do you know who they are?"
"Yeah, their Lords Kinkaku and Ginkaku, the Gold and Silver brothers of the Hidden Cloud and they both have traces of the Nine Tails' chakra in their bodies."
"...Oh crap."
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At HQ, Shikaku Nara discussed with Tsunade, A, Mei and Onoki about his strategy in outgunning the White Zetsu troops and the Reanimated shinobi.
While they Kage were all impressed by Shikaku's plan, they were still concerned about Mu being able to use a Kekkei Tota, which is like a Kekkei Genkai but used three elements at the same time instead of two.
In response to this, Onoki decided to head out and join Gaara's Fourth Division in order to confront Mu himself.
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The coastline was still quiet.
"There's a unit of reanimated ninja approaching." Tenten muttered "I guess the war really is starting."
"Shukaku is relaying his strategies to the other Kage back at HQ." Ino told her "It really is amazing just how much of a clear thinker he can be, he's able to come up with all of these brilliant tactics that I could never even hope to imagine. You don't have to be so worried either Tenten, my father will get those plans to us without fail, I have faith in both of them and I'm going to make my stand here and do whatever I can." this earned a growl from Samehada "I appreciate that girl, we'll do it together. We need to have faith in our comrades Tenten, now more than ever."
"...Yeah you're right Ino, we have to stay strong and hold back the enemy for the sake of our comrades. Thanks for the moral support, now let's do this."
"Right."
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'Now!' Black Zetsu managed to successfully infiltrate the fortified palace where the Feudal Lords were being kept, only to discover that they were fake 'So this wasn't it, was it?'
"Damn, he got away!" the guards swore "Alright, we have to get the word of this out to the other safe houses immediately."
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At the same time, Yahiko, Kazuma and Shisui were moving the Feudal Lord of the Land of Frost to one of the many safe houses, rotating it so the enemy couldn't discover their location.
However, Black Zetsu was watching them 'Those fools, they underestimate me. I am Black Zetsu.' he then merged with a tree 'This land is me, I am one with it. Now then, to wait until the time is right. Just one step at a time, and then I can finally bring her back at long last. Just a short while longer, and you will be back by my side again… Mother.'
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Darui let out a sigh "It's pretty dull, but I guess I'm gonna have to show them why it was decided that I would be the one to guard the coastline. I'll launch the opening shot now, then I want all of you to move in!"
"Yes sir!" everyone got into a ready stance.
"Lightning Style: Black Panther!" Darui unleashed a black lightning attack, electrocuting many of the White Zetsu upon impact "I'm sorry about that." this was met with even more White Zetsu clones shooting up from the sea.
Shibuki watched intently from behind 'I had heard from my father that the Third Raikage had taught only one man the secrets of the Black Lightning.'
Kakuzu led the White Zetsu on the charge towards the Allied Forces.
"You're not getting any further! Water Style: Water Slicing Wave!" Ino breathed out a sharp and powerful stream of water from her mouth, killing many of the clones.
More White Zetsu clones emerged from the ocean.
"Hold them, don't let them break through the barricade! Let's go!" they all charged in.
Hayate made his way onto the shore "It looks like my worst nightmare has come true."
Dan followed him "So it's like… no, it really is a Great Ninja War."
"And I'll have to stop the two of you here and now."
Hayate looked and saw Ino standing before them in a battle stance "Ino…"
"Yes Hayate-sensei, it's me."
Dan's eyes widened at the sight of Ino "Is it… Yes I see, you're Inoichi's daughter aren't you?"
"That's right."
"So he's all grown up isn't he?"
"My father has done enough growing up, now it's my turn." she then drew Samehada off of her back "Now come on, I'll end your suffering."
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In the desert, Shikamaru received orders from HQ telling them to assist Darui and Shibuki's First Division, leaving Temari worried about facing Mu, considering he was a wielder of the Kekkei Tota, but much to her relief, this was when Onoki arrived at Gaara's position to assist the Fourth Division.
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The Raikage A told Tsunade about the story behind Kinkaku and Ginkaku, the Gold and Silver brothers of the Hidden Cloud.
Kinkaku and Ginkaku were two of the most feared criminals in the history of the Hidden Cloud who once staged a coup d'etat that left the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, on the verge of death.
The two brothers used five weapons and tools once used by the Sage of the Six Paths himself, and they had both been devoured by Kurama in an attempt to capture him, resulting in them now holding a large portion of Kurama's chakra within each of their bodies.
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The battle of the coastline was getting more intense.
Samui and Atsui came to Darui's aid in order to help him in his fight against the Gold and Silver brothers.
Unfortunately, Ginkaku and Kinkaku were successful in capturing Samui and Atsui using their tool the Benihisago, which can record one's spirit word and seal the speaker inside.
Darui was almost drawn into the Benihisago as well, but he ended up accidentally changing his spirit word before he could, allowing him to take the ninja tools from them and use them in order to trap Ginkaku inside of the Benihisago.
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"Come on, come on, come on!" Naruto began channeling Kurama's chakra into the blade of the Crimson Death sword.
"Looks like you've got the balance between your two chakras okay." Tatsu noted "Now come on, show me what you've got!"
"Alright! Tailed Beast Crescent Moon Dance-" then he felt something "What the-?"
"Concentrate you idiot or it's gonna blow up in your face again!"
"What-" then it blew up in his face again and sent him flying.
"You were so close to getting it that time, what the hell happened?"
"Sorry, I just lost my concentration for a minute. What the hell was that just now?'
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Darui successfully sucked Ginkaku into the Benihisago 'Samui and Atsui, this was all thanks to the two of you. I promise I'll get the both of you out later, but for now it's just one down and one to go.'
By this point, Kinkaku was so enraged that crimson chakra began engulfing him "Why you… you whelp! HOW DARE YOU!" he let out a shockwave that sent a massive wave crashing onto the shore, sweeping away the bodies of the fallen White Zetsu clones as he entered his Version 2 six tailed form and began rampaging throughout the First Division.
"What the hell-" then Darui saw it and froze "Hey hey hey hey, that's…"
"How dare you do such a thing to my brother Ginkaku, I swear that whatever it takes I will make you pay!"
"Now he looks just like the Nine Tails' jinchuuriki…"
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Ino looked on disbelief "No way, you mean these guys have Tailed Beast chakra inside of them too? I can only sense one of them though does that mean that Captain Darui succeeded in sealing away the other one?'
Samehada let out a chattering noise.
"You think that's a buffet down there don't you?" then it hit her "Wait a second, I think that could work." and she charged down.
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Darui braced himself for the shockwave sent out by Kinkaku's raw power "Oh man, this is really not good."
Kinkaku glared at Darui and let out a low growl "You…"
'Is it time to grovel and beg for my life? Yep, I think it is. I'm really sorry…"
"Too late for that!" Kinkaku shot one of his tails forward, extending it all the way into the cliffside and sweeping it across, killing almost every shinobi that he came into contact with.
"Go girl!" Ino cut off a portion of the tail using Samehada, causing it to grow in size "Good job girl, but what is that thing? Is he some kind of former jinchuuriki."
"That's not it." an elderly Hidden Cloud ninja approached her "Now that we're all allies, I believe it is about time the rest of you were told the whole story. Long before Madara Uchiha had tamed the Nine Tails himself, the Hidden Cloud put together a mission to try to capture that cataclysmic force and that was when the Nine Tails devoured Lords Kinkaku and Ginkaku, only for him to expel the both of them after 2 full weeks."
"You mean like he vomited them out? You know what that can wait, I need to hurry and contact HQ so that we know how to counter that."
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Darui began continuously dodging attacks from Kinkaku's tails, being forced to retreat back onto the shore 'Dammit, if I could just seal him away in the gourd too but I need the Kokinjo to squeeze out his spirit word and I can't see that rope on his arm while he's being covered by the Nine Tails cloak. I can't get it.'
"Captain Darui." that was when Ino showed up behind him "I have a message, HQ is sending you something known as the Kohaku no Johei, or Amber Purification Jar, or Sealing Urn or whatever you wanna call it. The point is that it's on it's way."
"...I see, thank you for telling me this. Behind you!"
"Water Style: Water Slicing Blade!" Ino summoned a sword made of water infused with her chakra and manipulated it to take out multiple White Zetsu clones at once "And now it looks like it's here."
Darui looked and saw the Sealing Urn appear "It's here, good."
Kinkaku noticed it appear as well 'The Kohaku no Johei, that used to belong to us as well. I see, they're going to try to seal me away are they?'
"I'm glad that we have this now but the problem here is that Kinkaku already knows how this tool works, how am I supposed to seal it if he knows all its tricks?"
"Well I'm sure that HQ came up with a strategy but until we know exactly what it is we have to keep this safe." then she thought of something "Give it to me, I've got an idea." she grabbed onto it and formed a hand seal."
"No you don't!" Kinkaku thrusted his tail forward.
When the dust settled, 10 identical copies of Ino were standing before him instead of just a single clone "You have to love Shadow Clones at times like this, sorry about that big guy but I can't afford to let you catch me and get your hands on this thing now can I?"
That was when Darui joined a large number of shinob in the front "Fire Style squad, protect the girl! Now go!"
"Yes sir!" a large number of shinobi unleashed a barrage of fire style jutsu on Kinkaku, quickly engulfing him in flames.
"Damn you!" despite being ablaze, Kinkaku swatted at them all with his tail.
"Water Style squad!" a large number of shinobi unleashed a barrage of water style jutsu.
Kinkaku dodged the barrage with ease "You pathetic weaklings!" the water cleared to reveal that he had been boxed in by an Earth Style jutsu "What?!"
"Earth Style squad!" a large group of shinobi attempted to complete the earth style jutsu and box him in.
"Damn you all!"
"I'm sorry about this, not really." two of Ino's Shadow Clones appeared and generated lightning in their hands "Lightning Style: Purple Tiger!" both fired off tigers made of purple lightning, hitting Kinkaku dead on and electrocuting him as he was completely boxed in. With the ambus a success, Ino retreated back aways with her Shadow Clone "Did it work?"
Kinkaku broke free in a rage almost immediately, taking out one of her Shadow Clones "I'm going to rip all of you apart!" he extended his chakra arms and began ripping through one shinobi after another in a bloody and gory mess.
Ino retreated back aways 'It's unreal, to think this one guy was able to take all of them out as fast as this? A barrage of fire, water, earth and lightning style jutsu didn't have any effect on him. I'm sorry everyone.'
"Hey." Darui suddenly appeared beside her "You okay?"
"Yeah I'm fine, but the others aren't."
"I know, but this is war after all."
"Darui, Ino." a voice rang through their minds "It's Shikaku from HQ, I need both of you to listen up."
"We've been waiting to hear from you."
"The two of you have the Kohaku no Johei right? The Ino Shika Cho formation is absolutely critical for this plan to work successfully. Please, we need you to hold on until the others get there."
"The Ino Shika Cho?"
"He probably means me, Choji and Shikamaru." Ino told him "Shikaku and my father can't do it, they're still at HQ so they're too far away and we've lost too many men as it is. We'll just have to make do with it as it is until then- Wait a second, where did he go?"
"Gotcha!" Kinkaku charged down from above.
'Dammit!'
"Earth Style: Stone Fist Jutsu!" Kitsuchi suddenly appeared and used the Stone Fist jutsu to slam his earth powered fist into Kinkaku, driving him away.
"Captain Kitsuchi, sir!"
"I'm sorry I took so long, but I brought reinforcements." he pointed to where Kurotsuchi had arrived with a large number of shinobi."
"Good." so Darui turned to the rest of the crowd "Listen up people, HQ has a plan. We're going to strike at Kinkaku using the Ino Shika Cho formation and until the others who are part of that formation get here we have to hold this location!" he was met with cheers as everyone charged back into the fray.
"So Shikamaru and Choji are on their way right now? Well then it's as simple as this, there's no way we're going to fail to hold this line! Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu!" Ino fired off a large water dragon, engulfing at least 10 White Zetsu and killing them.
"You wretches!" Kinkaku thrusted his tail into the cliffside again, killing many.
'He's definitely strong but that won't be enough, he may have the power of the Nine Tails at his disposal but we have the power of the bond shared between the Ino Shika Cho formation. The teamwork ninjutsu of the Ino Shika Cho is one of the most celebrated legends in and of itself. We have to have confidence and pride in that.' she watched as the White Zetsu began slaughtering more and more shinobi "Hold your ground, we have to be sure to hold the line no matter what it takes! Lightning Style: Purple Tiger!" she unleashed a tiger made of purple lightning, killing several White Zetsu clones, then made her way down onto the sea "Took you guys long enough to get here."
Sure enough, Choji and Shikamaru landed beside her "Sorry we're so late, is that him?"
"Yeah that's him."
"How could he do all of this?" Choji muttered.
"He's releasing almost as much of the Nine Tails' chakra as Naruto did back when he and Lee fought Pain." she looked and noticed them cheering them on "Huh."
"Either of you get the feeling that there's a lot of hope riding on us now?" asked Shikamaru.
"Yep."
"That's the kind of people we've become?"
"Looks like it."
"It's making me kinda nervous though." Choji muttered.
"Well I guess that we're just gonna have to live up to their expectations." and then this next thing happened.
"Hey wait they're just the kids, not the real Ino Shika Cho!" one guy blurted out, drawing a large number of complaints from everyone else.
"I should've guessed you guys would complain, but so what if we're just kids?" she then proceeded to point Samehada at them "You got a problem with that?"
"...No ma'am, no problem whatsoever."
"Good." then she turned back to Choji and Shikamaru "Okay now that the intimidation tactic is in place, we're gonna start a legend of our very own right here and right now. Come on you guys, let's get going."
Shikamaru smirked "I heard that."
"You bet you did."
"Everyone cover them!" Darui barked out, and all of the remaining shinobi began firing a massive barrage of kunai, Tenten in particular firing the most.
"Pathetic!" Kinkaku blocked them with his tail "All of you are nothing more than third rate underlings!"
Then they started firing kunai with paper bombs attached.
Kinkaku still wasn't even fazed by the explosions "You're nothing but weaklings, as if you could ever even hope to bring me down!"
"Human Boulder!" Choji charged in using his Human Boulder technique, pushing Kinkaku back a great distance despite his attempts to stop it.
"Why you little-!" with a furious strained roar, Kinkaku threw Choji high into the air.
'Now!' that was when Shikamaru caught Kinkaku with his Shadow Possession Jutsu "Shadow possession complete.
"One pathetic trick after another!" he struggled to break free.
'Dammit, the raw power this guy is packing is incredible!'
"This is nothing, I can break this easily!" he broke free of the Shadow Possession Jutsu using his raw power "Now die!" he thrusted his tail towards Shikamaru.
"Adamantine Nyoi!" a blur suddenly appeared and sent Kinkaku tumbling back.
Shikamaru looked up and his eyes widened "Asuma?"
Sure enough, Asuma had appeared, now holding a large black staff "Sorry I'm late, I had to pick this up."
"Isn't that-?"
"Yep, the Adamantine Nyoi staff my father wielded, Monkey King Enma. But there's no time for small talk, Ino do it!"
"Right! Mind Transfer Jutsu!" Ino quickly used her Mind Transfer Jutsu and entered Kinkaku's body "Got him, Mind Transfer Jutsu is a success."
"Alright." Darui opened the Kohaku no Johei "Kinkaku!"
"Yes!" under Ino's control, Kinkaku was forced to speak, pulling him further and further towards the Kohaku no Johei.
"Now Ino, release the jutsu!" Asuma barked.
That was when Ino released the jutsu and returned to her own body "Got him."
Kinkaku was promptly sucked into the Sealing Urn "I can't believe that we, revered as the gold and silver of the Hidden Cloud, could be taken down by the likes of them!"
"It may be true that gold and silver coins are much shinier and worth more than the likes of bronze coins, but pool them all together and bronze are worth a lot more than gold or silver alone. You may be gold, but it seems to me that you're only false gold. That's the main reason why you lost, sorry but I told you that I was going to strip away your gold coating." and with that, Darui slammed down the lid on the Kohaku no Johei, sealing Kinkaku inside.
"It's over." then Ino felt a horrible pan of realization hit her "Oh crap, Choji!"
Then Choji emerged from beneath the waves and comically spat out some water as he gave her a thumbs up "No worries, I'm good!"
Ino approached him, with Shikamaru and Asuma following, and pulled him to dry land "You may have been afraid Choji, but you did a great job out there."
"I think I must've sweated out 50 pounds from all of that."
"Well if that's all then I say you're just fine." Shikamaru told him "To be honest you look exactly the same to me."
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Darui looked at the Kohaku no Johei 'I sealed away the Kokinjo, the rope that draws out the spirit word, into the Kohaku no Johei along with Kinkaku, so that means that we can't use the other two ninja tools. But that raises the question, what happened to the Bashosen fan?'
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Shikamaru led Ino and the others back to shore "Alright come on you guys, let's go."
"Hold on." Ino knelt down and picked up the Bashosen while she strapped Samehada back onto her back "Alright, now let's go." she started running, with the others following.
"Are you sure it's a good idea to keep that thing around when you barely know anything about it?"
"I know plenty about it, it's one of the treasured tools used by the Sage of the Six Paths called the Bashosen, a war fan capable of generating all 5 elemental chakra natures, though it requires essentially massive chakra reserves to use it or it could kill the user. Tatsu told me about it while he was training me and Naruto on the way to the hiding spot-" then she looked up and almost immediately got into a battle stand with the Bashosen "Get ready guys, this is no ordinary enemy."
Sure enough, none other than Kakuzu stood before them, strangling a random nameless Hidden Mist shinobi "It's been quite some time Asuma Sarutobi, Ino Shika Cho brats whom I only recognize two of."
"If I remember correctly then you would have to be Kakuzu of the Akatsuki, not somebody I would've wanted to face again."
"The feeling is mutual Yamanaka brat."
"Well sorry to disappoint you but we took the king." Shikamaru told him "The gold Shogi general is ours now and we know the moves of Kaku the bishop, you're good so we're gonna do the attacking."
"The brat that uses the shadows, the fact that you're here can only mean that you must have taken down Hidan. Did he get his head chopped off again while he was praying? Well since he's not here, does that mean that he's still alive out there somewhere?"
"That really doesn't matter at this point in the game." Ino pointed out "Nobody really cares either."
"True. So now I'm on defense with no rook and my gold and silver generals have both been taken." he proceeded to rip the Hidden Mist shinobi's heart out of his chest "And this one will make 5."
"That's right, if you have 5 hearts in your body then that means that we'll have to kill you a total of 5 times."
"I think it's time to start the game in Kaku mode." he released each of his heart monsters for each element, fire, water, lightning and wind, with one staying inside of his body "And for the record we've got our own gold, silver and bronze pieces taken from your side too, don't you wanna know who they are? First is Lady Tsunade's fallen lover Dan Kato, next is the fallen student of the Third Hokage and the Hidden Leaf's master swordsman, Hayate Gekko."
Ino froze 'No way… Hayate-sensei? What would Tatsu think if they saw this? Well no matter who you may have, we're going to stop you!" she raised the Bashosen "All of us."
"Agreed."
Ino looked and saw Shibuki appear beside her "Lord Shibuki."
"So you defeated the Gold and Silver brothers of the Hidden Cloud?"
"Yes."
"Good, then I'll need your assistance to finish this battle. I let Darui finish them originally because that was Hidden Cloud business, I'd like to do the same now but I know that I have no chance of defeating Kakuzu by myself. I need your help."
"Of course."
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As the Commando Unit attempted to retreat to the rendezvoused point, they were being chased by reinforcements for the Akatsuki, among them being Hanzo, who summoned his salamander and ordered it to attack, unleashing a paralyzing mist of poison, paralyzing the Commando Unit and leaving them at Hanzo's mercy.
However, before a devastating blow could be dealt, Mifune and others from the Fifth Division soon arrived and deflected said blow.
As the two of them conversed about the past and the paths that they had both chosen to walk in life, Mifune was able to break Hanzo's sickle and respirator.
As he recalled his previous encounter with Mifune back when he was still alive, Hanzo moved towards his broken kusarigama and, as he entrusted Mifune with his conviction, used the blade to commit seppuku, an act that cut the poisonous sac that had been inside of Hanzo's body since he was a child, and caused the poison to leak out and evaporate.
Hanzo's body ceased to respond to any orders given, shocking Kabuto and leaving him to soon be bound and sealed.
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Naruto was on the ground panting heavily from pure exhaustion, the Crimson Death lying right next to him "Dammit…"
"You're still not quite there yet." Tatsu told him "It's like you're not even trying to focus on the task at hand."
"Sorry but something has been bugging me for awhile and I just can't get it out of my mind." he powered back down to his normal form.
"What do you mean?"
"Well a little while ago I thought I had sensed some of Kurama's chakra outside, but it's not like there's any sort of way anyone else could have any of that right? I don't have any sort of clue what it was."
"...You probably just imagined it, chakra inside this room and outside are entirely cut off from each other and you're the only person who could have any of Kurama's chakra, well the only living person anyway."
"The only living person? There were others?"
"...Their names were Kinkaku and Ginkaku and they were revered and feared as the Gold and Silver Brothers of the Hidden Cloud, a long time ago the Hidden Cloud took on a mission to capture Kurama which ended with both of them being swallowed whole by Kurama. They were inside of his stomach for about two weeks and survived by eating the flesh off of the walls of his stomach before they were finally puked out, and since then they had access to a portion of Kurama's chakra."
"But they're dead right? So how could I sense it?"
"How should I know? Maybe the exhaustion is getting to you. This is bad, Naruto is starting to figure things out. I could sense Kurama's chakra out there too but it disappeared, that must mean that these Gold and Silver guys were reanimated by Kabuto but Ino and the others managed to seal them. However, he has the power to perceive the chakra more intensely in this room. I can't fool him for much longer but I'm not supposed to let Naruto out of this room, come on I've gotta think of something- You know what, fuck it.'
"Hey Tatsu do you know where the bathroom is?"
"Yeah sure, first door on the left outside. You can't miss it, it's the one that looks like a carving of the Six Tails."
"Got it, thanks." and he took off running.
'The bathroom, is that really his grand plan of escape?'
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'That was too easy.' Naruto made his way towards the waterfall 'Tatsu is trying to let me escape isn't he?'
However, Shibi Aburame and several other Hidden Leaf shinobi barred his way "Stop right there Naruto."
'I knew that there was something up, why else would they have so many guards here?'
"Look Naruto, I'm sorry but I cannot allow you to pass us. Please cooperate and go back to that chamber so you can continue your training."
"My training is as complete as it's gonna be here but that's not important right now, I don't understand what's going on. Why is Shino's dad here and why are all you guys watching me?"
"That's enough, just go back inside and we'll talk there."
"I'm not going back, I don't see why you can't tell me out here-"
"That's enough Shibi, let me talk to him." another figure stepped forward.
Naruto's eyes nearly bulged out of his head "I-Iruka-sensei?"
Sure enough, Iruka stood before him "It's me Naruto."
"Wait hold on a second, what the hell are you doing here on this island?"
"There's a second mission that has to be accomplished here and we were sent over to provide some backup for you, we've heard that this place is quite dangerous."
"Why the hell can't I go outside?"
"Well it appears that there's a new species of animal living here and our job is going to be to identify it, see that's because-"
"You know I wonder, I was sensing the Nine Tails' chakra outside. Is that somehow related to this whole thing?"
'He can sense the chakra of Kinkaku and Ginkaku from even here, where all chakra is supposed to be blocked out entirely? We definitely can't let him go outside, doing something like that would be way too dangerous. I'll have to do my best to convince him. Well maybe, you see the creature does appear to possess the Nine Tails' chakra. I guess there are other creatures like the Nine Tails here even though this creature isn't a Tailed Beast, if you go outside and the creature somehow responds to the Nine Tails chakra that you possess then it's over for you and that's why we want you to stay inside and keep hidden."
"Is this creature the reason why Captain Yamato hasn't come back yet?"
"That's right, Wood Style works best to suppress the Nine Tails' chakra. You know that too well don't you?"
"You mean from the Tenchi Bridge mission? Well Yeah I guess but-"
"Good, now just come with me and let's go back inside shall we?"
'Old Man Motoi said that Octopops had tamed every single beast on this island. That feeling I had when I did that fist bump with Octopops, that was for real.' orange markings appeared around his eyes as he entered Sage Mode "I can stop any creatures that try to mess with me, now let me out so I can see what's going on." he charged forward.
"We can't let Naruto escape!" two guards from the Akimichi clan charged him in an attempt to stop him.
Naruto easily overpowered them and pushed through them to the outside, his headband coming off in the process.
That was when a member of the Nara clan stopped him via Shadow Possession "Okay, now I've got him with Shadow Possession."
But it didn't stop Naruto from sensing everything happening with Sage Mode "What… What's happening? What is this?"
'He's sensing everything through Sage Mode.' Iruke noted grimly.
"What the hell is going on, why is all of this happening?"
"The Fourth Great Ninja War is being waged, Madara declared war during the incident back in the Land of Iron and now it's started." this was met with a horrified stare from Naruto.
"No Iruka, don't do this!" Shibi protested.
"Look Shibi I've had enough, the lying stops and it stops now. I know Naruto can handle this, he needs to learn the whole truth and then make a more informed decision."
"But why have you been hiding all of this from me?" Naruto demanded "My friends and comrades are all fighting and going through all kinds of hell while I've been kept cooped up in here without me!"
"Because the reason why we're fighting this war is so that we can protect you from Madara. Madara has launched an all out assault, his goal is to capture you, Lord Killer B and Utakata and extract the Six, Eight and Nine Tails from inside the three of you. We cannot let that happen, if he can extract all three of the Tailed Beasts then he'll be able to complete his jutsu and this entire world will be doomed so by protecting you we'll be protecting the future and the world and all of its people. We're all putting our lives on the line and fighting to keep you safe Naruto, at this point your fight would be with yourself because you have to stay here."
'Nagato, you said that I war only causes pain and more war and that I would be facing that in the coming days didn't you? What you said to me with your last words that day, is this what you meant?'
"Now let's go back."
"...I can stop this Iruka-sensei, I know I can stop this but I need you to let me. I'll take it all on myself, all of the hatred and all of the pain because that's my role to pay in this accursed world."
"Haven't you been listening to me at all? You have the Nine Tails sealed inside of you, this isn't just about you Naruto!"
"You know after Tatsu you were the very first person to ever truly acknowledge me Iruka-sensei, why the hell are you worried about the Nine Tails now? Why can't you just trust me and have faith in me?"
"Stop acting like a spoiled brat, do you have any idea what you are to me? You remain one of my most important students, I also think of you as my little brother."
"Iruka-sensei…" the Sage Mode disappeared from Naruto's eyes.
"The leader of the enemy is targeting you with everything he's got, how can I stand here and let that happen, and let you face such danger? And besides there's no good reason why I should let you face such a burden alone."
"Look I'm not just that same little kid I used to be, I'm stronger now both in body and in mind. Don't forget Iruka-sensei, you were the one who gave me that headband."
"...Yes I was." Iruka went over and picked up the headband, then slowly walked over to Naruto and held it out to him.
Naruto slowly gripped the headband "Sensei-"
"I can't." Iruka almost immediately erected a barrier "I'm sorry but I just can't let you leave this island."
"...Iruka-sensei, didn't I literally just tell you that I'm stronger now? I'm too strong for you to keep me here." he suddenly flashed into his Kurama Chakra Mode, breaking free of the Shadow Possession "None of you can."
"I'll stop him!" Shibi attempted to use his Parasitic Insects to subdue him.
Naruto easily broke free and took off.
'Dammit, my parasitic insects can't handle the Nine Tails chakra! Temui I want you to contact the barrier corps right now and tell them that Naruto is coming! I want the rest of you to come with me, let's go!"
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Naruto raced across the island, his mind racing 'Why… Why Iruka-sensei?' he strapped on his headband but found something hidden underneath the metal part "What the hell is this, some kind of note?" he read it.
"Knowing how you are, I'm sure that you're going to rush right to the battlefield without giving it a second thought. I also know how determined you are. The fact that you're reading this means that I wasn't able to stop you, not that I expected to be able to. Ever since Lady Tsunade had tasked me with going to the secret hidden island of the Hidden Cloud in order to make sure that you didn't leave, I've had this on hand. I kept this letter ready just in case of the likely even that I would fail. I'm disappointed in myself for failing. I don't know if I'll ever be able to give you this note but still, there's something that you need to hear from me. You've already gone off, so this is the only thing that I have left to say. No matter what happens, just be sure that you come back alive."
'Iruka-sensei…' Naruto tied his headband around his head, a renewed fire of determination burning in his eyes 'I will!'
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Iruka stared motionless in the direction Naruto had gone 'Forgive me Naruto, I'm nothing more than weak. I think of myself as your big brother, but I've never been able to protect you.'
"You totally botched it didn't you?"
Iruka looked back to see Tatsu emerge from the waterfall, with Utakata and Killer B following right behind him "Tatsu…"
"But then again if neither of us could stop him then nobody can. He's already gone isn't he?"
"Yes."
"You gave him that sappy yet fitting note?"
"Yes."
"Think he's gonna do it."
"Absolutely."
"I see." Tatsu tightened his headband and strapped the Dragon Blade onto his back "Well I think it's about time we get going." he started walking.
"Tatsu wait."
He stopped.
"I need to ask something of you before you go."
"What is it?" Iruka bowed to him "Please I beg of you, no matter what happens please just keep Naruto safe."
"...You know I've never really given a rat's ass about formalities and I still don't no matter who it is. You're the one you know."
"The one what?"
"You're the one that Naruto always carries in his heart and his mind through everything he's gone through."
"Wait, me? I am?"
"To be completely honest, I don't think there's a single person in this entire world that Naruto respects and admires more than you. Sure I've been there for him but I'm just his friend, a guy he went to the academy with and trained with, but you were always what he truly needed and that was an adult role model he could actually look up to. Everything you've told him, all of the lessons that you've taught him, he hasn't forgotten a single one of them even now. Your words of inspiration were what awakened the true shinobi inside of Naruto that day with Aizen, and they're what protected him to this day." he promptly flashed into his Tenseigan Chakra Mode and took off at full speed, with Killer B and Utakata following after him, but nowhere near as fast.
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Naruto continued on his way towards the edge of the island 'Looks like they're not gonna let me past without a fight.'
"You up for some company?"
Naruto looked back and saw Tatsu coming up behind him in his Tenseigan Chakra Mode "You could've stopped me from going outside you know."
"I could've but I knew that it wasn't gonna work either way, anyway there's a 36 layer self regenerating barrier surrounding the outer edge of the island so I doubt that even a jinchuuriki alone could get through that without any sort of difficulty."
"Well we'll just have to prove them wrong."
"Well said! Golden Wheel Rebirth Rasengan!" Tatsu fired a golden colored Rasengan, powered by his Tenseigan Chakra Mode, and slammed it into the barrier "Now!"
"Right!" Naruto pushed it further.
Tatsu fired off a large fist made of his Tenseigan chakra.
With great strain, Naruto pushed through it, completely breaking through the barrier "Yeah, we got it!"
"Onward!"
"To victory- Wait, shouldn't we wait for Octopops and Utakata to catch up?"
"No need, they'll join us soon enough. Now then, where were we? Oh yeah. Onward!"
"To victory!"
"To kicking ass!"
A/N:
There really isn't much to say about this chapter, aside from me giving Ino the Bashosen fan along with Samehada in order for them to balance each other out, what with Samehada absorbing chakra and the Bashosen using a large amount of it from the user. Aside from that however, I said before that I would be re-adopting my original system of uploading, as in one chapter per month for this story. However, I found that I hated having to wait that long to upload chapters I had already written out, so I'm gong with a new system: two updates per month, one towards the beginning, and one towards the end.
This isn't the last we'll be seeing of Iruka in the war arc, that much I can guarantee you. It's part of a big change I have in mind later on, you'll just have to wait and see what that is. All I can say about that change is, while it will probably anger a lot of people, I think it makes a lot of sense.
Now then, be sure to pay attention because this is important. I know that a lot of people hate how the war arc turned out, and I understand why. It did feel like it just dragged itself out when it wasn't constantly being pushed back due to endless amounts of filler, and the concepts about reincarnation and Kaguya seeming like big asspulls, so I'm going to try and fix it to the best of my ability in order to make sure you don't lose interest in the story. I just need time in order to make it work properly, so I have to ask you to be patient with me.