On top of the village barrier wall, a very confident Rokudaime Hokage leans against the railing and takes a deep breath, enjoying the crisp morning air. From above, he watches the Konoha Shinobi work vigorously in putting the finishing touches on the last of the village's defenses, before the light of a new day shows itself over the distant horizon. They all knew that this day would be Konoha's most memorable, since the attack of the Nine-Tailed Fox so many years ago.
Naruto's Hokage coat fluttered in the wind as he watched the first light appear over the horizon, "Its first light. They will be attacking soon," Naruto calmly said to Shikamaru as the grumpy shinobi walked up along side.
"Yeah," replied Shikamaru as he reached for the radio control around his neck, "Neji, commence operations."
Neji's faint voice could be heard over the static, "Roger."
The young Nara tightly grabbed the rail in anxiety, "I better get down there. Things are going to get nasty real quick."
Naruto turned towards his friend, "Watch your back."
Shikamaru turned with an optimistic smile, "Yeah." Then he leapt over the guard rail and disappeared into the forest below.
A distant explosion caught the young Hokage's attention, the battle had officially begun. The radio started crackled to life as news was relayed from one team to another that the scouts had found the incoming Akatsuki Army, and the scouts warned that their enemy was rapidly heading towards their home. Remorse ran throughout Naruto's body as he blamed himself for this war. It was he who brought down the Akatsuki leadership and left the remnants of the organization intact. And now many Konoha shinobi may pay for that mistake.
Below, Konohamaru and his teammates whisked the last of the young and elderly beyond the safety of the village gates. They knew time was short and they themselves were anxious to join in, "Come on, hurry!" As the last civilian made it past the gate's threshold, a powerful explosion from afar got their attention. The trio gazed at the plume of smoke as it slowly ascended into the air. While they focused on the plume, nobody noticed a single ANBU operative dart past them as the gate closed.
Within seconds after the explosion, a powerful shockwave hit the Konoha barrier wall and causes Naruto to fight for balance as his coat flapped around vigorously. He knew that it was a sign that Neji's team of elite Konoha shinobi had finally engaged the enemy. The young Hokage was utmost confident in his shinobi. It wasn't the army that concerned him, but the very demon that was now beginning to become visible over the horizon. At the rate it's traveling, it will be in range within a half an hour.
From the command center below, Shikamaru was busy barking orders to the various teams in advancing to their opponents or have teams cover the Medic Nins as they made their way to the wounded. Already, the first casualties were arriving and Ino was busy rendering first aid. Genin teams ran back and forth in aiding the Medics by carrying the worst of the wounded to the Konoha Hospital where they would get proper treatment.
Inside the Konoha Hospital, scrambling footsteps woke Sakura from her nap. Nurses down the hall could be heard talking about an explosion in the forest. Immediately the pink-haired kunoichi got out of bed and opened the curtains to see a pillar of smoke beginning to dissipate from the forest winds. Right away the she knew that the Battle of Konoha had begun, "Chihiro."
Her student appeared from nearby, "Yes, Sakura-sensei?"
Sakura walked over behind the changing partition and succinctly gave her instructions with a resolute tone, "Protect the baby."
Chihiro obediently responded, "Yes, Sakura-sensei."
Dressed in her shinobi outfit, Sakura emerged with a powerful look of determination in her eyes as she tightened her gloves, "I'm going out to help."
As the young Rokudaime Hokage continued to watch the explosive battle from afar, a single ANBU soldier stealthily appeared from behind and suddenly thrusted his Kunai into the back of his target, only to see it disappear in a cloud of smoke, "Kage Bunshin!" Surprise struck the assassin and it quickly realizes it was mistake and jumped to safety.
A voice cried out from the shadows, "Behind you!" As the assassin turned towards the voice, he was quickly greeted by a powerful punch to the mask by one Naruto Uzumaki. The punch propelled his victim down hundreds of feet below, landing violently on a nearby roof. Dazed, the assassin tried to get up and was greeted by cracking knuckles of the very Hokage who he just tried to kill, "Kabuto".
Kabuto Yakushi snickered behind the cracked mask, "You've improved quite a bit, Naruto-kun." He took off the mask, to reveal an all too familiar serpentine face, "I forgot how clever you were." A malevolent grin appeared on the spy's face, "But not clever enough!" Snakes appeared from the ground and wrapped tightly around the young Hokage, "Afraid this is it, Naruto-kun." The snakes bit into their captive and he disappeared in a cloud of smoke, "Should've known," Kabuto sighed.
"Never underestimate a Hokage, Kabuto," declared Naruto as more Kage Bunshin appeared around the spy.
The spy taunted his prey as he stood up, "Come now, Naruto-kun. Surely a Hokage should have more Jutsus in their inventory than this."
Naruto's Kage Bunshin smirked in unison and one of them spoke for them, "I don't think I need anymore than this to handle you."
Kabuto grew greatly annoyed as his eyes narrowed with great abhorrence, "Oh, I think you will regret that." He leapt high into the air and unlocked the tiger seal, to reveal a Katon Jutsu that simultaneously dispelled the many Kage Bunshin that once surrounded him. When he landed, he calmly used his senses to locate his prey and shouted out, "Found You!"
A giant snake appeared out of the ground and quickly wrapped around a neighboring building and destroyed it as it constricted. The building's demolition caused Naruto to leap in the air where Kabuto returned the punch that he only received moments ago. Naruto fell backwards and quickly ingested by the very snake that drove him out of hiding.
Inside Naruto chuckled at this nostalgic view, "He's got to be kidding." Chakra accumulated in his palm and within moments the trademark Jutsu was complete. The determined blonde thrusted the spinning ball of chakra against the snake's throat, "RASENGAN!"
Kabuto chuckled as the snake exploded. Quickly he greeted the emerging Hokage with the sword of Kusanagi that he obtained from his assimilation of Orochimaru's former body. As the sword grew towards the heart of his quarry, something collides with it and stabs harmlessly into the ground.
A voice off to the side calmly calls out, "I don't think so."
