11: Civil War Pt.2 - Conclussion

Naruto's birthday part was in full swing when Pakura brought in the cake and set it down in front of the happy blond. Six candles were lit, shining as brightly as the boy's eyes. Pakura leaned down to kiss the boy on the forehead, "Happy birthday, Soichi."

Naruto blushed and grinned up at her, and turned his attention back to the candles burning atop his cake, taking a deep breath.

Jiraiya was ready with the camera as his godson prepared to blow out the candles...before a seal appeared on his head. "What in the - ?!"

"ARGH!" Naruto clutched at his head as the seal appeared, pain shooting through his skull, his eyes turning red.

"Naruto!" Pakura was at his side in a flash as she picked him up even as he writhed in pain. "What's wrong!?" She asked frantically, "What's happening to him?!"

Jiraiya growled and reached for him, "Give him here, Pakrua-san. That's a seal I recognize." Reluctantly, the woman handed him over as the other children watched him in worry.

"Is Naruto-kun gonna be alright, Kaa-san?" A frightened Ino asked her mother, but the woman just held her daughter close as the Sannin began his work. Holding the boy close to his body, he preformed several one-handed seals, before a mark appeared on the back of his hand, and placed it against the mark on Naruto's forehead.

Naruto, to everyone's shock, let loose a titanic roar that rattled the windows of the home as his eyes returned to their blue hues. He slumped in the Sage's arms and was sound asleep in moments, the old man smiling, "There. He should be fine, now." He said, handing him off to Pakura.

"What the hell was that?" Pakura demanded, "How did that seal get placed on him?!"

Jiraiya narrowed his eyes, and Pakura found herself seeing him as the legendary shinobi that he was instead of the nervous man she had greeted at the door earlier that evening. "I have a good feeling I know just who to blame," he said, and headed for the door, looking back over his shoulder, "I'd suggest you all stay here for the remainder of the evening, if not the night...the village probably won't be safe for a while."

As he stepped outside, he looked toward the Hokage's Tower, seeing smoke rising from the roof. "Sorry, Sensei, but no one hurts my godson and lives," he growled, "The Toad Sage of Myoboku is on his way."

=x=

Kido made his way out of the village, his arms laden with scrolls, to the the meeting point for his extraction. "Orochimaru-sama will certainly be pleased with the research I've done on the Sharingan. God knows the man's obsessed with it. Maybe he can even help me advance my research and make it last longer."

Suddenly, a cold presence washed over him. He turned around...only to find a sword being pushed through his throat.

The cold golden eyes of the Hebi Sannin regarded him with glee, "I'm sorry to say that your services will no longer be required, Kido-san." He said as the man gurgled on the end of his blade, "I do appreciate the work you've done for me, but I believe that my own apprentice will take it from here. Danzo-san will understand, I'm sure." He retracted his blade, letting the man slump to the ground, and picked up the scrolls, sealing them away for himself, "Farewell, Kido-san, rest assured that I will make good use of these notes, and samples you have provided."

Kido felt his vision fading as the man walked away from him, reaching into his robes for something. He pulled out a small sealing tag, and channeled what little chakra he had left into it as his life faded away.

The tag was in fact a remote activation seal, which would trigger an explosion in his former laboratory. At the moment, what was left of the Root shinobi under Danzo's orders were making their way there. The thirty men that still retained their sight were caught up in the unexpected explosion that toppled the building, caving it in on top of the ones that were unlucky enough to be caught.

The remaining Uchiha police forces were still rounding up stragglers when the explosions went off. Itachi Uchiha was among the few that was close enough to be effected by the blast, and shielded a startled Izumi as she they felt to the ground from the force.

"What's going on?!" Itachi wondered aloud as he helped the girl to her feet. "That came from the T&I department!"

Izumi looked up at him, "But that place should be deserted at this time of night!"

Itachi shrugged and scanned the streets for anyone suspicious, "It could have been a distraction. Our forces have all but rounded everyone up at this point, and all of the Sharingan users we've caught have gone blind..." he looked toward the toward, seeing it tremble from a great force, "Hokage-sama may need help if this is part of Danzo's plans to take over the village." He said, starting down the street, "We should find my father and help if we can."

"But wait," she reached out and grabbed his hand, "We can't get in the middle of that kind of fight! Both of them are Kage level shinobi!"

Itachi smirked at her, "So little faith in me?"

Before she could comment, a massive amount of chakra washed over them like a flood. Itachi looked up only to see a red and white blur pass over them. And he was pissed.

"Wasn't that -?"

"Jiraiya," Itachi smiled, "It seems we don't have to worry about Sarutobi-sama after all."

A crackling was heard over their radios, "Attention, all Mangekyou wielders to the Hokage Tower at once!" Fugaku yelled, "Repeat; All Mangekyou users to the Tower!"

The two youngsters looked at each other for a moment with Izumi piping up, "But that's just Shusui, Naka, and Naori, isn't it?"

Itachi nodded, looking toward the tower, "Yeah, but they're more than enough to deal with the likes of Danzo."

=x=

Danzo was panting from exhaustion as he stared across the roof of the tower at his old teammate. Releasing his implanted seal had done nothing. The Kyuubi hadn't risen, nor were there any of his men left. This was a disaster! How could Hiruzen's forces have defeated them so easily when they had the superior power?!

"You knew, didn't you?" Danzo rasped, "You knew we were going to attack and prepared long before I was ready, didn't you?!"

Hiruzen, equally exhausted as shown when he leaned on his staff for support, could only smirk at his one time friend, "I always knew that you would someday try to take my home from me, Danzo." He said, straightening up slightly, "What you don't understand, however, is that I view the entire village as my family. The children of this village are my children, and I shall do whatever is necessary to protect them, from even myself if I must!"

Danzo smirked, "But you're alone in this, old friend," he said, smiling thinly, "Just like that boy was six years ago. You will die, just like him and that damned harlot of a wife of his!"

Hiruzen narrowed his eyes, "You speak of Minato-kun, and Kushina-chan with such disrespect...the Uchiha were no where to be seen on the night of the attack, and neither were your forces...it was you, wasn't it?" He asked, glaring heatedly at the man, "You're the reason no aid was given to Minato before it was too late."

Danzo sneered, "I was promised the seat of Hokage," Danzo admitted, "But that fool of a man that I made a deal with went and got himself killed by the Fourth before he could completely control the Nine-Tails. A little more time, and it would have laid waist to everyone that could have stood in my way."

"As I thought," Hiruzen sighed, and smirked, "You've just thrown the torch on your own funeral pyre, Danzo."

Danzo scoffed, "And I suppose you're the one that will put me there?"

A keening sound came from above them as a body crashed into the rooftop standing between them. Jiraiya stood there, his features changed into a toad-like appearance, and red lines drawn on his face, "The only flames you're going to feel, Danzo, are the flames of hell itself when I'm through with you!" Jiraiya roared murderously.

He took a step forward, the tile cracking beneath his webbed feet, "I loved that boy," he growled, still advancing, his form boilding with pure white chakra, "I loved him like my own son. I loved Kushina as my daughter, and was the happiest man in the world when the made me a true part of their family in naming me Naruto's godfather." Danzo took an involuntary step back, stumbling. "And you took it all away from him...from me..." A gigantic ball of chakra formed in each of his palms, "You took my family from me!" He rushed the elder, both Rasengan smashing into the roof of of the building, forming a cloud of dust and debris.

Danzo shot out of the cloud, attempting to escape, but found his path blocked as four more figures landed in front of him. Fugaku Uchiha launching himself at the man, tanto drawn, was knocked back as a blast of compressed wind streamed from the man's lips. Blood splattered the front of the Uchiha patriarch as the stream shot through his chest.

"BASTARD!" Naka roared, rushing him, "Amaterasu!"

Danzo flickered out of the way of the black flames, leaving the younger Uchiha's eyes bleeding from the strain. The whistling of metal sounded as Hiruzen through himself back into the fight as his Bo came screaming toward Danzo's neck.

He barely ducked into time to avoid it, which gave the the brunette Uchiha woman, Naori, enough time to rush in and impale him with her tanto through his abdomen. Danzo spat blood from his lips, kicking the girl away from him. "Stupid brat!"

"Damned traitor!" Jiraiya roared from behind him, his fist cocked back, and slammed into the man. Danzo was sent skidding across the roof to where Shisui was waiting. His Mangekyou Sharingan flaring to life.

"Susanoo." Shisui spoke softly as he became engulfed in a blazing green armor, and rose from the roof inside of the monstrous giant. "Tsukumo." The rib cage of the full-body Susanoo opened, hailing the aged former shinobi with a barrage of green chakra needles. Danzo was thrown from the roof, and down to the unforgiving streets of Konoha.

As he fell, he saw the men and woman, gather at the edge, watching him fall. A smirk played at his lips as the darkness began to take him. "I-Izanagi." He muttered once before he fell out of sight.

Back on the roof, Hiruzen sighed in relief, "I really am getting to old for this shit." He groaned as Enma eyed him from the staff, "Thank you for your aid," he sighed, and looked back at the broken form of Fugaku. The man was still alive, but badly injured thanks to Danzo's compressed air attack. Hiruzen knew the man didn't have much time.

Fugaku knew it as well, but still, the man smiled as the Kage, Sannin, and his clansmen gathered around him, "Now the children of my clan are avenged," he said hoarsely, smiling at the three Mangekyou users, "You've all done me so proud tonight...Shisui...until one of my sons come of age, and willingly take the position, I name you as the clan head of the Uchiha." He said, coughing up another mouthful of blood.

Shisui shook his head, "I'm not ready for such a task."

"That is why I choose you," the man smiled, "Because you know that you are not ready, you will proceed with caution, and, I hope, with all of the compassion and strength you displayed for our clan...our family...lead them, Shusui, lead them...and take care of them..."

"Father!"

Fugaku sighed, hearing the one voice he didn't want to hear for the first time. "Hello, Itachi." He greeted as his eldest rushed to his side. Izumi hung back next to Naori as the boy knelt at his father's side, tears streaming down his face, "My boy..." he reached up to place his hand on his shoulder, "I know that things will be hard for you...but I ask that you be strong...for your mother, and your brother. They will need you."

"We need you, Father," Itachi said, his voice cracking, looking up at the others gathered, "Can't we do something?!"

They remained silent.

Fugaku sighed, growing ever tired. "Son...I don't think I can remember the last time I held you..." he reached his arm around the boy's shoulders, and held him as tightly as he could as he strength began to leave him, "Take care of your family, my son...and tell...tell Sasuke...I couldn't be prouder of either of you...my beautiful sons..."

Itachi cried as he held his father close to him, even as he felt his arms slip from his shoulders, and his skin grow cold. Salted tears mixed with blood as the young man was left to mourn, and another Mangekyou was born to the Uchiha.

=x=

As the new day dawned across the village, many things had changed over night. Naruto, much to Pakura's relief, was fine after his brush with the seal on his head, thanks to Jiraiya's quick actions. Many shinobi families mourned the losses they had taken thanks to Danzo's men, including those that he had taken in under his wing. Among the dead were mainly Yamanaka, prized for their mind walking abilities, and some Aburame because of their insects. Many were unaccounted for, however.

The search for Danzo's body yielded no results, which worried Hiruzen greatly. In the next Bingo books to be published by Konoha, there would be a an entry summarizing the last Shimura Konoha had to offer. He would be marked as a KOS(Kill On Sight) Shinobi, with a bounty worth several million ryo.

Should he return, there would no mercy from the aging Kage, nor from the Uchiha as the entire clan cursed the man, while his family mourned the passing of the clan head, even as Shisui took his place. Sasuke was devastated by the news of his father's death, and cried nonstop when Itachi passed his last words onto the boy, whom held tightly in comfort along with his mother.

As the Uchiha clan buried their leader, Shisui spoke over his grave, saying their final farewell, promising to meet again in the Pure Lands.

"This could have been a whole lot worse," Jiraiya said sometime later while in the Hokage's office. "If he'd managed to loose the Kyuubi, who knows what would have happened?"

Hiruzen shook his head sadly, "I do not even want to think about what could have happened." He sighed, "What's more, we haven't yet found Danzo's body, even though we've scoured the entire village, there's no trace of the damned man." He said, sitting back in his seat, still tired from the ordeal, "He is still alive, unfortunately, as I know that he is far to stubborn to die so easily."

Jiraiya crossed his arms as he leaned against the window, looking out over Konoha, "I'll have my best people looking out for him, I promise you that," he said, growling in the back of his throat, "He dared to touch my family not once, but twice...no way he lives after that."

Hiruzen sighed, "Do not let anger and hatred cloud your judgement, my student." He said, cautioning the man, "Darkness is a demon that resides in the hearts of all those that call themselves human, anger and hatred will only make it grow stronger." He took out his pipe, stuffing it with his favorite tobacco, and lit it with a small flame at his finger tip, "You once told me that you wished to do something about all of the hatred that plagues the world...you can start by removing it from yourself, and being there for both Naruto-kun, and Pakaru-san as they will most likely need you in the future, once Naruto becomes a Genin."

Jiraiya nodded, "I can do that."

=x=

Rasa held his hand out expectantly as his Anbu handed him the letter that was meant for the walls of Konoha. He held it over the candle on his desk before letting the paper drop into the waist basket. "Temari is to never have contact with that boy, or the Leaf, ever again," Rasa intoned to his Anbu, "Any letters coming in shall be intercepted and destroyed, likewise with whatever my foolish daughter decides to send out."

"It will be done, Kazekage-sama," the man bowed.

"Good," Rasa sighed, and rubbed his palms together, "The Wind Daimyo has taken an interest in her, and it wouldn't do for her to grow too attached to something she can never have." He said, watching the letter burn away to ashes, "If everything goes well with this, then perhaps that insolent girl will finally be of use to me besides keeping the Jinchuuriki docile."

=x=

Gaara sat beside his sister as she scribbled across the scroll in front of her. He looked up at her with curious little eyes, "Are you writing to Naruto-niisan again, Tama-nee?"

Tamari grinned at her youngest brother and ruffled his hair, "Of course, who else would I write to?"

Gaara shrugged, "How come he hasn't written anything back lately?" The boy asked, "Doesn't he like us anymore?"

Tamari giggled, "Gaara-chan, he wouldn't stop liking us, even if he doesn't send letters," she said, though she herself was a little worried, "He's way too nice to just quit like this."

Gaara nodded, smilin shyly just as Baki walked in, a somber expression on his face, "Baki-sensei!" Gaara greeted happily.

Baki nodded to the boy with a sad smile on his face. "Gaara-kun, would mind if I spoke with Temari-chan for a little bit?"

Gaara nodded and hurried off toward his room, intent on finding a book for Temari to read to him later that night when she tucked him in. Meanwhile, Baki took up a seat beside the girl, leaning heavily on his knees. Temari looked at him nervously.

"Sensei?" She said, "What is it?"

Baki swallowed back the bile that rose up, "Temari...there's really no easy way for me to tell you this...but Kazekage-sama has recieved word that the Leaf Village has just gone through a brief civil war...Naruto...he was killed in the cross fire." He looked at the stricken expression growing on her face as her eyes welled with tears, spilling down her cheeks.

"No...Naru-kun...he can't..." she looked up at the man, "You're lying!" She grabbed his shoulder and shook him, "Tell me you're lying! Please!" But Baki didn't say a word as the little girl wailed, and held her tight as his words began to eat away at her. Gaara, having heard everything from the hall, sank down to the floor as his own tears leaked down his face.

Sorry this took so long to get out, but this will be the last of the child-hood-arc, as I will be moving on to the Genin Arc, consisting of Naruto's graduation, Wave, and the Chunin exams. As you can see, Rasa has plans for his little girl...Gods help her.