Lionheart: Hey everyone, this is the official chapter. Made a few revisions after a hurried write job. I'll try to update as quickly as possible. It's been a full year since I've updated, but I'm determined to get this story finished to the end. Naruto the manga has gone a long way and I'm not sure if many of you would agree with me, but it's getting a bit dull. It should be called Sasuke now, Lol.
Nine Tails Defeated
"Attention everyone."
Standing upon a podium, on the roof of the Hokage Tower, Minato addressed the some thousands of Shinobi Chuunin rank or higher in the village.
Men and women snapped to attention, neatly lined up in perfect rows and columns as they listened attentively.
"We received reports yesterday that the demon beast, Kyuubi, otherwise known as the Nine-Tailed Fox, is currently headed in our direction. Reports indicate he will arrive before nightfall, which can be anywhere from four to eight hours."
Gasps from the lower ranked Chuunin could be heard as they nearly took steps back in fright, while the upper ranking ninja put on grim faces. Murmurs could be heard throughout the ranks as the ninja discussed this new information.
Minato took a breath before continuing, "As many of you know, this beast does not operate on the same level as we humans. We can expect that its presence will mean great destruction and harm to this country if we do not take action against it immediately. As such, all missions have been cancelled, and all forces are now being mobilized to hold off this threat."
Though grim faced, each of the Shinobi nodded. An ANBU raised his hand. Minato nodded towards him. "Lord Hokage, with all due respect…the nine tailed fox is rumored to be the strongest of all tailed beasts, with nearly unlimited chakra. How can we fight such a monster?"
"We will use all of our military force and defeat this foe," answered Minato. His soldiers stiffened, and as one, they nodded. Minato's face softened. "The will of fire…long has it been the driving force that has led this land to greatness. As long as each and every one of us fights alongside this 'will of fire,' there is nothing we need be afraid of. Conquer your fears and stand beside me. My brothers…my comrades, stand by me today and lend me your strength and your courage. Together…together, we will prevail. Who's with me," he roared.
A mighty roar came from the thousands of men gathered there as they punched the air with confidence.
As Minato spoke firmly to his Shinobi, Kakashi, Sakura, and Sai watched from a nearby roof. "He's just as impressive as the books say," complimented Sai.
Sakura nodded, "he's a good leader. I like how he was able to instill all that confidence into his warriors."
Kakashi nodded, "Well, that is one of the duties that comes with being the leader of an army of Shinobi.
The three were dressed in standard Jounin outfits, leaning against the rail of the building as they watched Minato address his audience.
"Guess we're all in for a rough night."
"Hello Mrs. Uzumaki," greeted Kakashi, barely turning his head. Sakura and Sai both turned and smiled.
"Hi Kushina," said Sakura.
Sai merely nodded his head.
The pink haired woman nearly laughed, "Haha, and here I was thinking I snuck up on you guys." She paused and looked around.
"Hey, where's my son?"
The three of them shrugged. "That idiot," said Sakura, "he ran off this morning and only left a note saying he would be back later."
"He is probably doing some last minute preparations," noted Sai. "Before I slept last night, I left him on the roof of our apartment. He had a most curious look upon his face,"
Kushina frowned, "Well, as much as I don't condone men leaving their wives in a hurry…" She winked at Sakura, "…I guess I can see that some preparations must be done." She tilted her head curiously, "And what are you three doing? Enjoying the scenery?"
Kakashi smirked, "You could say something like that. What about you, Kushina, shouldn't you be resting for your birth tonight? I don't think Sakura enjoys you getting up and about like this."
And true enough, Sakura did look a little uneasy, "Um, Mrs. Uzumaki, as much as I hate to agree with Kakashi Sensei, he is kind of right."
The older woman stomped her feet likely in a mild pout, "You all are no fun…making me lie in bed all day. Fine, whatever, I'll return to the hospital. You better join me there soon, Sakura. I can't lie there alone all day." As she turned, she bent her legs slightly as if ready to jump.
"NO, wait;" shouted Sakura, "you can't do that."
Kushina grinned as she turned back. "I'm just kidding." She pointed to an open door and steps leading back into the building, "I took the stairs. See you soon, dears," she said, as she vanished from sight.
"I better go with her," said Sakura, after a moment, "tell Naruto I want to see him when he gets back." Kakashi and Sai nodded, as Sakura walked away after Kushina.
"I think those two get along quite well," commented Sai.
Kakashi leaned back lazily against fence, "And you thought two women like that wouldn't?"
Sai ignored the comment. Instead, he pointed below, where blurs could be seen as Minato dismissed his men, assigning each of them different tasks. Moments later, Minato himself joined them on the roof. "The men are getting everything prepared and the Genin teams are evacuating all villagers. You sure the Nine Tails will arrive from the northwest?"
Kakashi nodded, "Yeah, are the preparations complete?"
Minato nodded, "Everything is set. I have the Jounins spread out around the area. They'll support us from behind, throwing whatever they've got. Chuunins will be stationed behind the Jounin teams in the event they are needed as backup. I've got ANBU teams in key locations outside and inside the village. I have them on lookout for Madara or any other unwanted guests. And of course, your group as well as I shall be at the very front."
Kakashi nodded, "Yes, quite so. You'll take Sakura's place as she will be assisting with your wife's birth."
Minato nodded, and then, glancing around, asked, "So, um, where's my son?"
Kakashi shrugged, "He ran off this morning. I imagine he'll be back soon."
The Hokage sighed and then nodded, "Alright then, I'm off to pay a visit to my wife. We'll meet up at our designated positions within one hour and hope Naruto has returned by then."
Kakashi and Sai nodded and bowed, while Minato leapt away into the distance. "I have a feeling we're in for a long night," said Sai. Kakashi sighed and looked in the direction the Nine Tails would come from. His normally twinkling eyes were completely serious.
One Hour Before Attack
It turned out Naruto had visited Mt. Myobokuzan to set up three clones to gather natural energy. Kakashi, Sai, and Minato joined him as they arrived at their designated location. Several Chuunin had been assigned to chop down trees in the surrounding forest to create a large clearing big enough for Minato and Naruto's summons.
"This is it," declared Minato, "are you prepared Kakashi?"
Kakashi waved lazily.
Minato nodded and then he dropped down, plopping down onto the grass. Patting beside him, he invited the others to join him. In a circle, they shared a moment of silence, before Minato looked up, "So…what now?"
"We sit and wait," asked Naruto, trying to contain a grin at his father's poor attempt to make conversation. "Actually, I'm looking forward to this. I did some special things today and we got an unexpected ally."
The three others looked at him. Suspicion in his eyes, Kakashi asked, "What ally?"
Naruto grinned, "Why, the nine tailed fox, who else? He's agreed to aid us in the fight against this time's Nine Tails. I bet that silly fox will get a run for his money…what?" Three pairs of eyes rested on him and three jaws had dropped as far as they would go.
"Y-you're kidding me."
Naruto shrugged, "I figured out some of the Sharingan abilities, and apparently, I can boss the Nine Tails around now," he said. His eyes twinkled mischievously and one could only imagine what circumstances he and his imprisoned beast went through. "That crazy dude gave me a contract so I can summon big foxes to help us. Plus, I can put him in check in case he tries to overpower me."
"Ah, Naruto," began his father, worriedly, "are you sure that's safe?" Worry was evident in his eyes."
The blonde waved him off, "Oh, it's no problem. You can definitely trust me. I got this idea from our man Madara." His companions were not quite so sure of that and the further revelation that he was copying tricks from Madara did not reassure them.
Unfortunately they could not press him for more details as a Jounin arrived, "Lord Hokage!" He knelt to the ground, tilting his head towards the ground respectively. Despite this, his deep breaths and urgent manner of speaking was a clear sign his message was important.
Indicating he could rise, Minato asked, "What is it? Any developments?"
The man nodded, "Sir, two men from a Jounin scout team that was deployed to the northwestern border have just returned. They spotted a man wearing a strange black cloak with red clouds and an orange mask. They said this man annihilated their squad and was currently headed this way." He paused, "Sir," he continued worried, "the men also detected an extreme pressure of chakra…"
Naruto exchanged worried glances with Sai and Kakashi. Catching on, Minato realized this man must have been the one who had tagged along with them on their time travel trip. Turning back to his man, he ordered, "Very well, order all patrols back here immediately and tell the men to prepare for combat. Inform Captain Hatake to have his ANBU on full alert for this man. Any sign of him and they should immediately shoot flares into the sky. Oh, and this man…his skill is of S-Rank, extreme caution is advised."
The Jounin was startled by this revelation but he quickly nodded and fled. Behind Minato, Kakashi blinked, "Captain Hatake? Is that me?" He chuckled.
Minato grinned, "I figure the best man I can rely on for the moment is you…err… him."
Naruto chuckled, "I might be interested in meeting this young Kakashi," he said with a grin. "I bet he's even more of a prick than you Sensei," he said to his former leader. Kakashi scowled.
"Watch it," he muttered.
And then the chakra hit them. Even Naruto was forced to brace himself as a fierce wind blew upon the area, enforced by a chakra so strong that lower level Jounin were knocked down.
In a flash, Naruto's eyes had gone from bright blue to fierce red, with the Sharingan eyes appearing, "He's coming!"
Moments Before Attack
"Where is it?!"
"I don't see it!"
"Stay ready men," shouted Minato, over the roar of the wind. Ever since the initial burst, there had been a steadily increasing amount of chakra pressure in the area. The Chuunin were forced further back, unable to handle it, while all Jounin fanned out appropriately. In the clearing, at the front of the line, were father and son.
On Gamabunta, Minato stood at the ready, an eerie look upon his face.
Nearby, Naruto stood on top of a large fox summon. His name was Itsuka, the strongest fox summon available. Although not nearly as powerful as the Nine Tails on its own, with Naruto commanding him, he was much more of a threat. Behind them, on a cliff made entirely from earth jutsu, were Sai and Kakashi. Three Jounin Teams surrounded them, although Sai floated above them on a hawk made of his ink. And everywhere else, stood the thousands of men, anxiously anticipating the arrival of their enemy.
"Any moment now," shouted Kakashi, over the howling wind, "Brace yourselves."
In front, Minato turned to his son, "Are you ready," he yelled?
"Any…"
And then it happened. From the sky, a massive ball of red chakra hurtled towards the ground. Most men would have frozen and waited for their impending doom. The Shinobi of Leaf were not like most men. As one, they summoned their chakra, shooting whatever elemental jutsu they had towards the mass in the sky. It seemed to halt the nine tails path, as the beast stopped in midair and crashed to the ground.
As its rotation stopped, the Shinobi stared in horror at the menace threatening their well-being. A great big fox, nearly as tall as mountains, approached them. A sinister red chakra surrounded its body and its nine great tails flickered about crushing trees where they stood.
But even more amazing was the giant fox that served as their front defender. On top of Itsuka, Naruto sat down, crossing his legs. It wasn't long before a yellow aura surrounded Itsuka's body. Gasps could be heard from the Shinobi below and the bright light attracted the real Nine Tail's attention to it. He seemed to be amused that a great Fox stood in his path.
"Boy," he spoke out in his deep voice, "Tell me where you learned that summon!"
Naruto opened his eyes, "You're in for a world of hurt, you bastard."
And before anyone could respond, move, gasp, or do anything at all, Naruto and Itsuka vanished. The Nine Tails seemed to have an idea of something happened for it howled and tried to jump. It was late in its move as Itsuka appeared before him, slashing violently with an arm. A crater the size of a small house appeared beneath them, as the Nine Tailed blocked the attack and retaliated with its own. As the two beasts fought for an advantage over the other, Minato pointed ahead.
"Strike Gamambunta. Aim for its tails."
"You got it," muttered the frog boss, leaping forward. Softly, the frog summon landed behind the Nine Tails, drawing his sword for a long sweeping strike. He didn't get a chance to attack, as one of beast's nine tails slammed into his side, knocking him away. Minato grunted, but with his chakra, managed to stay on his ally's head.
A second tail from overhead, threatened to slam down upon them, but with a quick flick with his tail, Itsuka saved them.
"Careful," said the Fox Lord, landing next to them, "Don't let your guard down for a second."
The Nine-Tails, now aware that a force of me was blocking its path, roared furiously. The earth itself seemed to shake as it stalked forward like a tiger creeping up on its prey. As it did, the ninja of Leaf involuntarily stepped back. That is until their leader shouted out, "Stand your ground!"
The fox leapt forward, raising its claw for a strike. Itsuka and Gamabunta leapt to the sides, dodging the strike. The ANBU team stationed behind them was not as fast, blown away by the chakra pressure into the nearby woods. A medic team quickly went to their aid.
Meanwhile, Sai quickly sketched a blob on his page before summoning it and hurling it at the fox's eyes. Using its tails, the fox shielded itself to prevent blindness. In doing so, he left his side wide open, which Itsuka took advantage of, biting into the soft flesh of his enemy.
The fox roared in fury, before pushing both Itsuka and an approaching Gamabunta away with a surge of chakra. Leaping backwards to avoid several Ninjutsu techniques by the back up Jounin teams, the fox readied its next attack.
"Die pesky humans," roared the Nine-Tails. He opened his mouth, and chakra began to gather, forming a small sphere. A moment later, a stream of pure chakra was shot out towards Minato and Naruto with incredible speed.
"I've got it," yelled a voice. Above them, Sai swooped lower, his hands placed together. "Art of the Summoning: Triple Rashoumon!" In front of Naruto, three colored gates with an intimidating face emerged from the ground. The chakra stream burst through the first gate easily, but quickly fizzled out to nothing as it struck the second barrier.
Taking the split second after the nine tails attack, Itsuka dashed forward ramming into his enemy. During this exchange, Naruto leapt off his summon and onto the Nine Tailed Fox's head. With a burst chakra, he created a Great Ball Rasengan.
Minato had seen a lot in battle. But when he saw the explosion and the Kyuubi's head forced into the ground in front of him, he could do nothing but gasp. Smoke filled the area, and for a second the chakra pressure eased up. The Jounin all gasped at their strange and powerful new ally, wondering where his strength came from. Ahead, the smoke was beginning to clear. Two large shapes, which could only be the two foxes, appeared and for a moment, everyone held their breath wondering what had happened.
Minato's eyes widened. To his amazement, the Nine-Tails had completely stopped. It seemed unable to move. Itsuka watched while Naruto seemed to be in deep concentration, his hands raised in front of him.
"NO! NO! What are you…stop it…boy…pl…"
The nine tailed fox stopped speaking and suddenly sat down. Its tails stopped thrashing violently and a glazed look came over his eyes.
From the front Itsuka turned to them, "Naruto says to begin the banishment technique!"
To all those watching, Kakashi emerged forward, and placed his hands together. His Mangekyo Sharingan was already activated. "Kamui," he murmured. The very air seemed to be distorted, forming a vortex. Slowly the Nine-Tails was sucked along with the air, his shape becoming a blur of red-orange color. There was no struggle, the fox could not struggle, not while it was trapped within Naruto's gaze.
By now the remaining Jounin had dropped their guards, staring at the sight in wonder. Here were two men they had never seen before fighting off the legendary Nine Tailed Fox. The blonde on the Fox summon looked suspiciously like the Hokage himself. Meanwhile, the Sharingan user had a Sharingan unlike any they had ever seen. His appearance gave no clue to which clan he belonged to either.
Their attentions were so distracted that in fact, they failed to notice the two dead Chuunin guarding the North Gate, killed by none other than Madara Uchiha.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
With an arrogant stride, Madara walk through the deserted streets of Leaf Village. The sounds of the battle had died down and he was sure it was nearing an end. He didn't mind the quiet. The shouting and yelling had always been an annoyance. As he walked, even Madara Uchiha experienced a feeling of nostalgia. It had been many years since he enjoyed a stroll in the village, and he smiled as he passed by the familiar Uchiha Compound. At the moment the entire Uchiha Police Force was outside assisting in the defense of the village. He paused for a moment to curse the traitors, before turning away in a huff. His task was not with the Uchiha tonight. Instead, he made his way towards the hospital.
He had known they would find a way to defeat the Nine Tailed Fox. Unfortunately, with the village's forces distracted, now was the perfect time to accomplish what he wished to do without any interruption.
Or so he thought.
"Halt!"
Madara eye twitched. An unexpected encounter? Turning, he found himself staring down a white haired ANBU member. For a second, he was concerned, recognizing the man. And then he remembered that he was back in the past.
"Fancy meeting you out here…Hatake Kakashi," greeted Madara amused. .
The ANBU removed his mask to reveal a younger Kakashi.
"You must be the guy with the mask that the Hokage was looking for. I don't know how you got into the village, but this is as far as you go." Before Madara could reply, the younger Kakashi raised some sort of item. He flicked it into the air and sent an exploding kunai after it. The flare, as it turned out to be, soared into the sky spreading into a bright red light that hung in the sky for several moments.
Madara sighed, "How annoying." He turned back to Kakashi, "And I suppose you think you're going to stop me?"
Kakashi suddenly vanished. Madara grunted, detecting a surge of chakra and the familiar cackling of electricity. Using his technique, he watched as Kakashi's Lightning Blade passed through him harmlessly. He was amused by the man's shocked response.
"W-what the…I hit you!"
"Yes, well, I am still standing you see," he said, smiling pleasantly. Leaping forward, he swung his fist out. Kakashi made to block, but to his surprise, his opponent passed right through him. From behind, Madara became solid, dragging Kakashi by his shirt. Stopping suddenly, he threw out a sharp right punch, sending the ANBU flying into a nearby stand.
With a groan, Kakashi stood, flicking up his headband in the process. Opening his eye, he allowed his Sharingan to analyze his opponent.
"Sharingan," asked Madara? "Interesting. Come and get me then."
XXXXXXXXXXX
The pain was constant, spreading through Kushina's body like violent storm. She groaned as she twisted and turned; all in an effort to cease the intense waves of pain. Nearby, Sakura calmly urged her to push while holding her hands as gently as possible.
The pain had grown steadily since Kushina announced her water broke. To Sakura's amazement, the woman stubbornly refused to shout out or moan too loudly with each wave of pain. Impressing the staff with her commanding personality and her knowledge of births, Sakura quickly took charge. As no female doctor had been present, she demanded to be the one to receive the baby, claiming it was a woman's job to supervise a birth anyway. No one dared argue with her when she punched the wall, cracking it.
"C'mon Mrs. Uzumaki, you can do it! Push, push and the pain will go away."
Struggling, Kushina attempted to do as she was told. Wearily, she looked around. Five pairs of eyes were trained on her and none were the ones she wanted to see. "Ayame…" she gasped, "Where's my husband and…Akuro?" Both men had assured her that Kakashi would be able to banish the demon away quickly and that they would rush over in time for her birth. Clearly, their failure to appear so far was beginning to worry her.
Quickly, Sakura turned and ordered one of the assistants to check outside for any signs of the battle. Although the village had been evacuated, a special team had remained behind to take care of Kushina. "Be careful," shouted Sakura as he vanished. She turned back to Kushina, who looked at her hopefully.
"They aren't here yet…but I'm sure it's only a matter of time." She smiled at Kushina's worry. "Don't worry about them, just focus on the birth." Easier said than done.
XXXXXXXXXXXXX
The silence was inevitable. One second, they had been struggling under the enormous chakra pressure of one of the most deadly beasts in existence. The next, it was all over. The Sharingan man had used some technique, and the demon fox was gone. Stunned Jounin looked at one another in confusion, while the lesser men collapsed to the ground in relief, happy to have their lives.
At the front, Naruto and Minato, both having vanished their summons stared at the spot where a monster previously threatened them.
Above them, Sai floated above, with Kakashi resting on his creations back. The latter was exhausted, but without too much struggle from the demon fox, it had been relatively easy to send him away. Still, each Kamui was taxing on the body, regardless of what he was trying to remove.
And then the cheers started. It began in the back with a squad of Chuunins roaring loudly, clapping their hands. The effect was instantaneous. The clapping spread like wildfire and many men surrounded both Naruto and Minato, cheering them and yelling out words of support and joy.
Both father and son shared sheepish glances, before joining in the cheering. Above them, Sai glided until he was low enough to land. Kakashi dropped to the ground, breathing heavily, but able to stand. It didn't matter anyway, because he was soon hoisted into the air. The sight was something of a comedy.
Rubbing his head, Kakashi waved to the surrounding men in embarrassment. They cheered even more.
That's when a Jounin noticed the flare. The cheering stopped and all turned to Minato for orders. Now that their attentions were focused, they could detect the chakra levels soaring within the village.
"Quick," shouted Minato, "get to that flare!"
"Damn," said Naruto, "we forgot all about Madara. He probably slipped right by us."
"C'mon," said Kakashi, "Sakura and Kushina are both in the village. Stop dawdling!"
Naruto nodded and with impressive speed, he shot ahead of the pack towards the North Gate. 'Please be okay, Sakura…Mom.'
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"Ugh!"
Coughing up blood, Kakashi struggled to stand. He had figured out Madara's technique, which was simply that he was able to move his body parts to a separate dimension while leaving an image of them behind. This seemed to be an ability that could be used within a split second and at will. He figured the best bet would be to hit the man as he materialized back into the real world. Still, this was a lot easier said than done. Every attempt he made to predict the man's moves ended up with him taking a punch to the face. Luckily for him, for some reason, his opponent didn't really seem intent on killing him.
"What's wrong," asked Madara, "you seem a bit flustered."
"Who are you," asked Kakashi, trying to bide some time. The chakra pressure from the Nine Tailed fox had vanished. He could only assume that it had been defeated or forced to retreat. A loud cheer from outside the village told him that it had probably been the former. Hopefully, in their excitement, they would notice his flares.
"A good question," answered Madara, "but I don't see any reason for me to tell you that." He paused suddenly and looked towards the North Gate. "Hm, as much as I love this chat…the Hokage is on his way. I'd rather not stick around to fight him. Not yet anyway. Toodles!"
Kakashi raised a hand, "Wait," but it was too late. The man had vanished.
At the same time, nearby, three ANBU teams landed. "Captain Hatake! We saw the flares!"
Kakashi whirled around, "Quick, get teams throughout the village. There's an S-Class man on the loose!"
"Sir!"
XXXXXXXXXXXXX
"Here he is, Mrs. Uzumaki."
Weary, but smiling, Kushina, took her newborn baby in her arms. The baby was crying, but otherwise seemed okay. The actual birth had not been as bad as some of her female friends had led her to believe. Sakura had gently talked her through the entire ordeal, claiming her strength and will were among the strongest she had ever seen.
"He's beautiful," murmured Kushina.
"Ma'am," asked one of the doctors on staff, "what is his name?"
Sakura smiled at Kushina's immediate response. "Naruto," she said without hesitation, "Naruto Uzumaki."
"Thank you," said the doctor, bowing, before leaving the room, leaving Sakura and Kushina alone. Well, not quite alone.
"Congratulations on your baby Mrs. Uzumaki."
Unable to move quickly, Kushina was only able to turn her head towards the source of the noise; the window. Her eyes widened. Meanwhile, Sakura had immediately jumped in front of her charge, a scalpel in her hands. Bright pink chakra surrounded it. Her eyes widened also. "You!"
Madara Uchiha hopped off the window and into the room. "Good evening to you too Sakura. I thought I'd pop by to say hello to the little Naruto. Is something wrong?"
His answer was the scalpel flying towards his face.