Chapter 36: Battle Preparations
"Hey Naruto!" a voice yelled out in the forest.
Naruto spun around to see two people behind him. Two people he hadn't seen since he got back with Jiraiya. "Isis? Link? Is that you?" he asked taking a few steps towards them.
"Yeah, it's us. Where've you been?" Isis asked.
"I had a few missions, I've only been back two days," Naruto said.
"Damn, that kinda sucks," Link said.
"I'm okay with it, missions keep the village going," Naruto said grinning, in his mind all the information he and Jiraiya confirmed proved Isis, Link and Dozez were out of the Alliance.
"Not that so much as this, we're heading out," Link said.
"Oh, you got a mission?" Naruto asked.
"No, we're goin' back to the Grave. We've spent enough time here," Link said looking around.
"And as some are concerned, we overstayed our welcome," Isis said.
"Where's Dozez then?" Naruto asked looking around.
"Waiting for us, he ain't got no one here to say bye to. We kinda forced him to stay, and he stayed out of the public eye," Isis said.
"Well I hope I'll get to see you guys again," Naruto said.
"Yeah, and stay so we can get to know each other next time," Link said.
Naruto grinned, "yeah, I'll do that," he said and the two smiled and turned to leave. Naruto watched them go but Link suddenly turned to face Naruto again.
"Hey, Naruto, can you tell Kiba goodbye for me, I don't think I can face him," Link said.
"What, where you two close?" Naruto asked.
"Just tell him for her, he knows the deal, you don't have to," Isis said forcing Link around and continuing on, leaving Naruto there slightly dumbfounded.
x-X-x
"Well, that's the best news I heard since we were brought back," Grim said rubbing his eyes with his palms.
The twelve were gathered together in the room that Sakura had just told her dream and Sage and Strag had now just retold those events to the others. Grim's sarcasm was expected.
"What the hell do we do now?" Dea asked.
"Well, we got a war on our hands. We get ready and fight it," Wiseman said.
"More war?" Edge asked.
"Sorry Edge, it seems to follow us around. There's no way to avoid this one either," Sin said.
"Alright, some of you said that the village was no good, but there were individuals, go and get them," Wiseman said.
"I'd love to but…" Dragoon said.
Wiseman saw the look on his face, "Damnit Dragoon, are there any otherwise?" he asked.
Dragoon sighed, "No, I'll get them," he said defeated.
"Anyone else find some? As long as they can fight it can be our style or old style," Wiseman said.
Edge raised his hand, "You're coming with me Edge, don't worry," Dragoon said and Edge lowered his hand.
Wiseman looked around, "No one else? Damnit!" he said punching his palm.
"We have a few here, plus the Hokage might know of some from other villages," Nomad said.
"Yes, it looks like that's what we got. The ones here, the ones Dragoon and Edge bring, and the ones the Hokage know. Plus us. I don't know how many that is in total," Wiseman said.
"We're bringing three if we're lucky, one if not," Dragoon said.
"And the Hokage can say how many from this village and the others that will help," Strag said.
"My bet is under fifty though," Frost said.
"Even with fifty it won't be enough. The tailed beasts were hard enough, but Him?" Stone asked.
"Hey, the kid killed Kyuubi, they're stronger here," Nomad said.
"It's not enough," Stone said.
"But isn't only one? Why is it so hard for one?" Edge asked.
"He's like an army on his own Edge," Dea said.
"That's what was said of each of us when we first arrived, remember how wrong they were?" Sage asked.
"Let's get moving, time is against us, everything is against us," Lax said.
x-X-x
Naruto walked through the streets of Konoha looking for Kiba. He wanted to get this over with so it wouldn't haunt him. he headed to Kiba's house, it was as good a place to start as any. He got there and knocked on the door, Kiba answered.
"Naruto, what's up?" Kiba asked.
"I got a message for you," Naruto said looking at the floor.
"From who? Tsunade-sama?" Kiba asked.
"No," Naruto said looking Kiba in the eye, something was wrong… "hey, why're you all different?" Naruto asked completely losing track of why he was there.
"Huh? Oh, I'm going out soon," Kiba said adjusting his clothes.
"Uh, yeah…" Naruto said as he was snapped back on track, "The message is from Link," he said,
"Link? What's wrong is she not gunna be able to make it?" Kiba asked.
"She's gone. She had to go back to her village. She asked me to tell you," Naruto said looking at the ground again.
"She had to leave…" Kiba said.
"Yeah, she made it sound kinda like Dozez was forcing them. I didn't know about you two…I'm sorry," Naruto said.
"It…it's okay…" Kiba said slowly as he walked back into his house, leaving the door wide open. Naruto reached in to close it and left.
x-X-x
The doors to Tsunade's office burst open. Instantly there were three ninja between her and the door weapons drawn to protect her, the center with a katana and the other two with kunai. Wiseman strode in as the doors banged against the walls and went straight up to Tsunade's desk, walking through the three protector ninjas and placing his fists on her desk, "we have a problem," he said.
The two side ninja turned to look at him utterly petrified, while the center one hadn't moved. Wiseman had physically passed through him, as if one were a vapor. "How the hell did you do that?" the left side ninja asked.
"We have a problem Hokage," Wiseman repeated, louder this time. It appeared she was shocked by his actions to.
Tsunade snapped out of it and looked at Wiseman, "What kind of problem?"
"War. The god of all wars," Wiseman said.
Tsunade's eyes widened, "where are the others?" she asked.
"Getting ready. Strag and Sage are outside the office, waiting for you to clear the room of all others before entering," Wiseman said.
"What happened to the guards?" Tsunade asked.
"Sage and Strag are holding them. Hokage, this is very important. I don't care who you tell after this, but we're only going to tell you," Wiseman said.
Tsunade nodded and ordered everyone else out of her office. Once they had all left Sage and Strag walked in, shutting the doors behind them. "Alright what the hell is going on? What's all this about war? Is this about the Alliance?" Tsunade asked.
"This is above the Alliance. Someone behind them all, pulling the strings. All the preparations we're doing, all the men we're gathering, I don't know if it'll be enough," Wiseman said.
"One man? You make him out to be a god," Tsunade said.
"He is," Sage said.
Tsunade raised an eyebrow, "what the hell are you talking about?"
"An old man, draped in black, a white beard to his chest, whit hair down his back," Strag said and Tsunade's eye's shot open.
"Yes, the man from Sakura's dream. This is our only warning. He's coming soon. You must get all the soldiers you can, from you're village and others that will help. The Alliance is his front, we'll have to face them as well, but he could wipe us out," Sage said.
Tsunade didn't move, or, more precisely, she was moving too much, trembling.
x-X-x
"You've done well," a voice called out in the darkness.
"Who speaks?" demanded a man sitting alone in the dark room.
"I have driven your every ambition. I have watched you fulfill my plans to an unimaginable extent," the voice said.
"You didn't answer my question," the man said.
"I am what can give you your goals. You have nearly reached that point of having them. There is but one thing that stands in our way," the voice said.
"Really? What would that be?" the man asked.
"The Twelve Terrors, and the allies they have acquired," the voice said.
"It was Roken's mistake to bring them back," the man said pounding his fist on a desk.
"I guided that decision. They threaten us less where they are, than where they were," the voice said.
"You made him suggest killing Akatsuki and Orochimaru as well, didn't you?" the man asked.
"Yes. I was his hand when he killed the sennin, and aided him when you fought Akatsuki," the voice said.
"Why were they a threat to you? If we are not?" the man asked.
"You will help me from where you are, they would not. I needed them here," the voice said.
"When do you want to attack? When Roken returns?" the man asked.
"Roken is with me now. He was killed three days ago. Assemble your Alliance. When you have them all here, then you attack," the voice said.
"All of them? We have spies well hidden," the man said.
"If they are Ranks pull them out. We may need all we can get, I don't know what the Twelve may attempt. They are at Konoha, when you get all your Ranks back, march on them," the voice said.
"Indeed," the man said, but there was no answer, the voice had left.
x-X-x
AN: I know the days may confuse you, this last event with the man and voice happened the night Naruto got back with the twelve, the night Sakura had her dream. Wiseman spoke with Tsunade the day after that, the day Sakura spoke to Sage about the dream.