"Summon!" says Kakashi, and his ninja hounds appear in a puff of smoke.
"Yes boss?" says Pakkun.
"I need you to track down Madara," says Kakashi. "He has Joe's Kids with him."
"He has Lucy with him too," adds Madoka, who is standing nearby holding the kitten Sasuke gave Joe's Kids.
"Right everyone!" barks Pakuun. "Find the scent!" Kakashi's pack of dog summons starts sniffing around Madara's house and garden. Fugaku and Team Seven watch in silence.
Then one of the dogs stiffens. "Point!" she barks.
The other dogs bound over to her, and they all start howling. "The hunt is on!" barks Pakkun. The dogs leap over the garden fence, and run towards the edge of the village. Team Seven and the Hokage run after the dogs - but not before Madoka puts the cat down.
Kakashi's summons lead them out of the village and into the forest, taking them deeper and deeper. Every now and again the summons stop to sniff everything in a ten meter radius, before taking off in a new direction.
Finally, the ninja hounds stop. "Traps up ahead," says Pakkun. "Too many to count, and too high level to easily disarm."
"He'll be on the other side, won't he?' says Fugaku.
Naruto flies up into the air and sees a circle of traps surrounding the mouth of a cave. Madara is sitting just outside, a grim expression on his face. He looks up and sees Naruto. Naruto waves.
Madara stands. Then he turns and says something into the cave and leaps over the treetops. He lands, right in front of the rest of the team, in the hero position.
Naruto flies back down to the ground. How on earth did Madara jump so far?
"Madara sensei!" says Sasuke.
"Well, our work is done," says Pakkun. "Later." He and his pack vanish in a puff of smoke.
"Hokage," says Madara, straightening up and crossing his arms. "I see you brought a small army."
Naruto laughs. "We're not an army. We're just here to watch the kids while you and Mr. Hokage negotiate, 'tebayo."
"Fine," says Madara. "Team Seven, watch my fosterlings. Don't let them out of that cave - I don't want them to see anything when we fight."
"You assume we will fight," says Fugaku, crossing his arms.
"Of course we will fight," says Madara. "If you think you can convince me to give up a plan I dedicated most of my life to, you are sorely mistaken."
"And what about Kaguya?" asks Kakashi. "Do you have a plan to counter her?"
"I'll kick her ass," says Madara so confidently, Naruto believes he could.
"Team Seven," says Fugaku.
"Yes Lord Hokage!" replies the team in question.
"Protect those kids. Don't let them leave that cave until either Madara or I says you can, understood?"
"Yes sir!" Naruto makes some shadow clones and flies his team over the traps to the cave.
They arrive at the cave to find Joe's kids and Lucy sitting around nervously. There is a basket sitting on the ground beside them.
"What's going on out there?" asks Tachibana.
"Is Uncle Madara going to fight the Hokage?" asks Sekitei.
"When can we go home?" asks Yatsude.
"Is Uncle Madara going to cause the apocalypse?" asks Sazanka, a half hopeful expression on his face. "He said he didn't want to."
Naruto kneels down in front of Sazanka and smiles encouragingly. "Madara doesn't want to cause the apocalypse. Don't worry: he's a good guy. He just hasn't realized it yet, 'tebayo."
Sazanka blinks back tears and nods.
"What's in this basket?" Sasuke asks, kneeling down beside Sekitei.
"A picnic," says Sekitei. "And cake. It's Ajisai's birthday, you know. We were going to have a picnic, but Uncle Madara says he forgot the Truce, but he didn't say why he made a truce - are we going to have our picnic?"
"You can start it now," says Kakashi, patting the girl's head. "While Madara and the Hokage are sorting out what Madara will do now that the Truce is up. I'm sure Madara will want you to eat it all, since he brought it."
"Shouldn't we save some for Uncle Madara?" asks Yatsude.
"You can if you want to," says Madoka. "But I'm sure Madara won't mind if you don't."
"Okay," says Yatsude, and opens the picnic basket.
"Madara, we can still talk this through," says Fugaku, trying to salvage what he can of the situation.
"Can we?" says Madara. "We already talked, when I had Naruto and Sasuke hostage a year ago. I never got to see the full extent of your strength back then."
"I have gotten stronger in the last year," says Fugaku. "I've trained my mangekyo sharingan - like I should have from the start."
"Good," says Madara. "Enough talk. Prove your strength. Fight me and show me that you are worth listening to."
"Fine," agrees Fugaku. He will beat Madara. He must beat Madara.
Madara throws a punch at Fugaku, who dodges. Madara hits a tree, and the force of his punch knocks down not just the tree he hit, but five others as well. Fugaku kicks Madara, who ducks easily. The kick meets empty air, causing a shockwave that sets off one of Madara's traps. The trap explodes, creating a gust of wind that blows their hair back.
Madara throws a kunai at Fugaku. Fugaku sees the paper bomb attached to it, and redirects the kunai back at Madara. Madara effortlessly sends it back. Fugaku catches the kunai and throws it at Madara. The paper bomb explodes in mid air, sending the kunai flying into another of Madara's traps.
The trap sends out a volley of shuriken, and both men dodge using the substitution jutsu. A moment later, they both start weaving hand signs.
"Fire Style," says Fugaku. "Grand Fireball Jutsu." He unleashes his best grand fireball at Madara.
"Fire Style," says Madara. "Phoenix Flower Jutsu."
Fugaku's Fireball blows away Madara's Phoenix Flowers, leaving behind the volley of shuriken Madara hid in his flames and the giant shuriken Fugaku hid in his. The weapons collide, sending each other flying. One of the shuriken lands in a trap, setting off a chain reaction that causes thousands of throwing needles to fly at Madara and Fugaku.
Madara pulls out a kunai and bats every single needle that comes his way aside. Fugaku pulls a substitution, reappearing behind Madara. He kicks Madara into the air and leaps after him.
"Dancing Leaf Shadow," Fugaku whispers.
"So you do know that technique," says Madara.
Fugaku spins around and kicks Madara into the ground. Then he aims a kick at Madara that breaks the ground into pieces. Madara escapes unscathed. "Lions' Barrage!"
"Isn't that Sasuke's move?" asks Madara.
"Yes, it's a good move," says Fugaku.
Their eyes meet, and their gazes lock. For a few tense seconds, each resists the other's sharingan genjutsu.
"I think it's time we stopped fooling around, don't you agree Hokage?" says Madara.
"Yes," says Fugaku, activating his Mangekyou Sharingan. "Let's end this."
Madara and Fugaku go straight to their perfect susanoo forms. They swing their mighty blades. The blades meet, and the resulting shockwave levels the forest surrounding them. All of Madara's traps are obliterated before they can detonate.
Madara starts to laugh, an insane expression on his face. "Finally!" he says. "It's about time I had a decent fight! Show me what you've got, Hokage!"
Fugaku can feel the strain of sustaining his susanoo under so much pressure. Madara is stronger than he was at the battle a year ago. He needs to end the battle quickly, before Madara overpowers him.
They pull their blades back and swing again. Madara's strike is so strong, it breaks Fugaku's susanoo sword in two. The jutsu unravels and Fugaku falls to the ground.
"Pathetic!" says Madara. "And you call yourself the Hokage! Weakling!" He brings down his mighty blade, aiming directly at Fugaku.
Fugaku pulls up as much susanoo power as he can to protect himself, but Madara's blade shatters what power Fugaku can muster. Fugaku falls to the ground, his entire body aching from the force of Madara's blow.
Madara raises his blade again, this time aiming for the kill. Fugaku watches the blade descend, determined to face his end like a man.
And then the blade stops.
"Please don't kill my father," says Itachi, who is standing between Fugaku and Madara. Fugaku feels a chill run down his spine as he sees that Itachi is blocking Madara's giant susanoo sword with only an ordinary kunai.