Gaara did not know how to feel right then. On one hand the other kages had come to the conclusion of not being involved in the happenings of Konoha for they would only meet with uneeded trouble. On the other other hand, Homura and Koharu still chose to continue with their original plan. Despite the situation not blowing up into an issue that would be difficult to solve, Konoha still would not relent on destroying Uzushiogakure. This was to be expected.

Looking out over Suna was Gaara, the sand blowing winds swirling around him as if worshipping him. The village had grown just a little over the span of a few months to accomadate for the growing population. There were the tall mud walls surrounding the buildings and desert hawks flying high up in the bright, clear blue sky of the morning. "What are you going to do, Gaara?" asked Temari. She stood a little ways behind him, arms crossed and waiting for the order.

There was silence before he spoke out in a whisper that seemed to drift. "We must report the news to the Uzukage. This may be a simple battle of fear on Konoha's part but none of it will be easy." Turning his head to the side so that one eye stared at his sister, she could not fully read his expression because of the sun's light shining down. "They will send their best ninjas to destroy them, and some will be faces too familiar to him. He will falter long enough to allow an opening in his defense for them to land a strike. We cannot allow something like that to happen."

"I understand." She disappeared to repeat the message to Kankuro who sat on the floor of his room doing the monthly maintenance check of his puppet. Knocking then entering the semi-small room, there was merely a single bed, table, window, and lamp. Her older brother's smaller puppets sat ligned on the shelvings at the entrance, deisplayed on either sides of the cream colored walls. At one time they had given her the creeps as small child with their unblinking, souless eyes staring right at her and seeming to follow her every step. They had given her nightmares at a young age, haunting and mysterious, inanimate objects that came to life with strings of chakra embedded into them. Now though, they were merely what they were named, puppets.

Kankuro looked up stopping midway to strengthen the chakra strings keeping his doll and its weapons together. "What is it? Did Gaara make his decision?" When he saw her nod, he immediately understood what they were about to head off and do. "Then let's get going. I'm just about finished, I'll meet you two at the front gate."

"Don't take too long, Kankuro. You know Gaara won't like waiting for you for something this important."

"I know Temari, relax. I'll be there real soon."

Naruto sat at his desk once again with piles of paper stacked all around him, they seemed to be taunting him. Groaning he leaned back into the comfy chair. "Do I really have to finish all of this? There's enough here that I could be doing this all day and night!" That earned him a flick on the head by Suzume who stood ready to administer punishment again. "Please Suzume. Ever since I woke up this morning there has been nothing in my line of view beside you and these god awful white menaces!"

She rolled her eyes at his dramatics. "Really Naruto, can't you just try to at least finish one more pile before trying to weasel your way out of here? You've neglected your duties and this is what came as a result of that negligence. Man up and take responsiblity."

"Fine." He grumbled before tackling another set of papers with hands so ready to tear them to small pieces that he could throw out the window. How long would he have to endure the torture of paper cuts and cramped hands from writing so much? His eyes were already tired and irritated from reading the hard black ink pressed words that now they all looked to swirl and scramble together. From the brightness outside, he could only guess that it was just a little past noon yet his body kept whining for sleep. "I can't do this," was his comment before slamming his head down on the hard wood desk.

Suzume managed to stop the paper avalanche that would have taken place had it not been for her quick reflexes. Sighing in defeat she opened her mouth when someone knocked on the door, thank goodness. "Come in." She called.

In came one of the guards of the Eastern Gate facing the mainland. He wore the standard forehead protector of the country, the Uzumaki clan symbol, and the red and white ninja outfit. "Uzukage-sama, the Kazekage and his entourage are here wishing to inform you of urgent news. Shall I let them in?"

"Of course, they are our friends and ally."

The guard bowed and walked back into the hallway, "The Uzukage will see you now, Kazekage-sama. I hope I have not delayed you."

Gaara replied, "No, it's alright." He walked into the room and Kankuro closed the door behind them. "Naruto, I have news that you need to listen closely to."

Raising an eyebrow, the blonde was curious. Usually the two would converse a little longer before getting right into official reports and such between themselves. This seemed out of character compared to the usual Gaara who visited every so often. "Take a seat first, you must be tired then you can tell me what the news is."

Sitting down with Temari and Kankuro standing right behind where their leader and brother sat, Gaara looked straight into the sea blue eyes that were so familiar to him. "It's Konoha. Thanks to Tsunade-sama still being in a comatose state, the two elders, Koharu and Homura have taken it upon themselves to direct the village in her stead. They had called a summit meeting between the five kages to inform us of Uzushiogakure."

"Did you reveal to them that you are already allied to us?"

"No, I thought it would be best to keep that piece of information a secret, it would only entice them more to advocate for themselves their so called early justice. But that is beside the point. Konoha has been put under orders to send the best of their men here."

Narrowing his eyes, Naruto asked, "To do what exactly? They have already been here and witness our lives. We have shown them no evidence of hoping to create a war among any of the other nations." Suzume couldn't help but agree.

Gaara only stared at his friend. "Yes but they do not want to take chances." Taking a deep breath, he said the words Naruto would spend sleepless nights agonizing over. "Konoha is on the move to destroy Uzushiogakure and all who reside in it."

Suzume gasped, "How could they do such a thing?!" Her voice reached the point of screaming as the others flinched at her volume. "If they think committing such an act of violence will be our downfall then they have another thing coming at them. We may be a small village but that does not mean we are so weak to be taken down easily." She was fuming with hands clenched tightly at her sides. "They won't get anywhere near here if I and the others have anything to say about that, right, Naruto?"

He nodded, "Konoha will not be successful in this little assault." Pounding his hands down and once again shaking the piles of paper, he stood up from his chair with a fire of determination flaring in his eyes. "Suzume, summon the rest of the Tide ninjas in front along with the civilians. We are having a mandatory assembly."

"Right."

"And Gaara," the red head looked at Naruto, "When are they coming?"

"In five days." His voice was monotone.

A sly smile plastered itself onto Naruto's face, a prankster's smile that held all the mischievious ambitions and child like thinking crossed with that of someone who had fought to hell and back. "Perfect. We'll show them then just how threatening we can be, if that's what they see us as. I am the Uzukage of this land and I won't let anyone, not even a former village, destroy my home and family."

Gaara stood up and crossed the few feet sepearting him and Naruto. "And I shall fight alongside you, as well as Temari and Kankuro. You will not have enough men ready by then with weapons to fend yourself against Konoha. They are a part of the five great nations for a reason."

The two exchanged a look before Naruto burst out laughing. "I wouldn't have it any other way, Gaara. Thanks."

"It is my pleasure. To help a friend in need, especially you Naruto, would be a great honor. Plus, I want to see the shocked faces of those two elders when they figure out that I choose you over them." He also wore a smile but smaller and more closed off. The Kazekage was determined to not allow any harm to come to his friend nor the village he would be willing to protect with all of himself.

Flashback- The Assembly

Naruto's POV

A massive crowd stood a couple levels down from where I was. I was really glad that I had managed to sneak in the plan for adding a small balcony right outside of my office. At first I just wanted it to use as somewhere to escape Suzume or Fumio's constant badgering but now it held another purpose. Here I could watch over and sometimes talk to those inside my village. I loved being able to watch the lives continue on through the streets and stores.

The voices rose and fell like waves. Children were busy weaving through adult legs playing ninja tag. Makio stood trying to corral her students into her line of sight but kept having to yell when one or two managed to escape for a second. I couldn't help but chuckle. This is what Konoha hopes to destroy? Not just a village but a group of people who finally got the chance to start fresh. I won't let them.

I looked at Hitsohi and he nodded once before using his fingers to whistle. That brought a hush on the crowd as they looked at me. No one else but Suzume, Nabuo, Hitoshi, and Fumio, aside from Gaara, Temari, Kankuro, and myself, knew of the news.

"Ladies and gentlemen, if I can have your attention please!" No one spoke, even the smallest of babies quieted themselves in their mothers' arms. "Thank you. Now you must all be wondering why I called this meeting into order. I don't want to alarm any of you but the Kazekage has been kind enough to tell me an important piece of information that affects us all here. I have made orders to all available Tide ninjas to stay vigilant for Konoha. They have come to the decision that we are too big of a threat to their lives and village. I am also orderig a level three evacuation into the lower bunkers of the village for all civilians."

Shouts of shock exploded in the crowd. No one could believe the news. Konoha was to attack them? Children clung more tightly to their mothers and fathers as things got more intense. How was Uzushiogakure supposed to fair against Konoha, a member of the Five Great Nations?

"Do not worry. My men and I will swiftly put this battle to an end. We do not seek bloodshed or wish to dirty our hands with the lives of others who only seek to protect what is important to them. I personally guarentee every single one of you that those you love that will be fighting alongside me will face no immediate danger. I am the Uzukage and I will not allow any casualties on our side to happen. I swear."

Konoha chose to have two offensive points, the sea and sky, seeing as those were the only two access points of Uzushiogakure. Kakashi, Shikaku, and Shikamaru stood in the office of the Hokage planning the most effective routes onto a map. Each point would be crucial to the smooth running of the mission.

"We cannot seem too obvious or in a rush. The ships would take too long going onto the banks of their land. Plus, we won't know if they will even let us on if they can sense the amount of people already on board the ship." Kakashi observed.

Shikaku stroaked his beard. "We will just have to find a way to mask our chakra signatures enough to blend in." Turning to his son, the older man sighed. "Shikamaru, go an prepare everything. We are leaving in two days."

Thinking the task to be a drag, Shikamaru lazily exited the room, hands slack in his pant pockets. Once outside into the light of the day he headed off to his friends scattered all over the village. Maybe by telling them he could somehow con them into spreading the information instead of him. With that well thought idea still being perfected in his head, Shikamaru walked the streets of Konoha, taking his time.

Two Days Later

Naruto's POV

I stood ready, my haori fit loosely onto my shoulders. I knew that once the battle started I wouldn't have time to waste worrying about getting the thing dirty. Tightening the forehead protector I looked out over my village from the top of the central building. All the streets and homes had been evacuated earlier this morning. Makio and her squad were to ensure the safety of the citizens.

Assigning each person their rolls I gave Hitsohi command of the squads responsible for attacks within and surrounding the village. Suzume would be in charge of relaying information and sensory, think of her as our second pair of eyes in the darkness. Fumio would be taking charge of the medical department while Nobuo took the sea.

My main goal was to detain as many of the coming ships as I could while still being able to watch for aerial assault.

"We're ready, Uzukage-sama." One of my men stood positioned at my door, standing tall and rigid. "Everyone is positioned in their posts. Lord Kazekage and his members are staying to defend the interior of the village."

"Good, thank you for telling me that. I will be out in just a while."

"Yes sir." He walked away into the street right below couble checking his surroundings.

I continued to stare out into that wide open blue and I felt that it was the eyes of my dad, staring down at me. Whether he was proud of me or not I couldn't say. I'd ran from my village even though I was innocent, I abandoned the place he died protecting, and I didn't feel guilty. What kind of son am I?

I felt annoyed now and ruffled my hair with my hands. "Get a grip Naruto. This is something that needs to be done. Uzushiogakure won't be destroyed another time. Never." Taking a deep breath to calm my nerves I picked up the white fox mask off the table. Staring down at it, it still gave me the chills. "I'll conquer my own demons, I'm not that same weak kid I was all those years ago and I never will be him again." Slipping the mask onto my face I felt a new kind of confidence wash over me. "Konoha is going down."

Suzume's sparrow chirped at the window, tapping its beak against the glass telling me that the enemy was close enough to be seen from the shores. When I gave it a nod, he flew away. I followed after him. Sure exposing to the enemy that we already knew their plans is a bad idea but letting them act all high and mighty thinking we were defenseless is even more bad.

Landing on the forest floor I whistled out and heard a whistle back in reply. Nobuo broke through the tree line. "They're almost here. Another three minutes and they'll be landing on our banks. Are you sure we should even be letting them through the pools?"

"Yes, we don't need to prolong this. Finishing them off quickly will be the best thing to do. Just make sure that if they try to attack that you'll have that jutsu ready to put them back in their place."

Nobuo laughed. "I will, they won't be pulling anything on us. I have faith in you Naruto that you won't do anything to them."

Confused, I asked, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"I mean that when you see them all, there won't be a shred of doubt in you to fight against them." He turned serious. "We are counting on you to lead us. If our leader shows even a slight chance of wavering then it'll be the end. Uzushiogakure will be destroyed and the lives we have all made here will disappear. There will be nothing left but bitter memories."

"I'm not going to crack. I swear."

"You better not." Turning around he started to walk off but not without a final comment. "You're the only thing keeping any of us from running away from all of this, just keep that in mind when everything around here goes to hell."

Nobuo left me there with those words echoing in my head. I had enough pressure as it was but he just needed to pile it on even thicker. Sighing I followed after him with the sound of crashing waves growing louder and louder with every step I took. I knew my body was prepared for the fight but my mind still lingered on the border. No, I will stand by my people. This place has been more of a home this past year than konoha had been for all those other years since my birth. Backing out now would not only destroy me but everyone else that called this island home.

"They have arrived on the edge of the whirlppols, Uzukage-sama. Shall we allow them entrance?"

I spared no glance at the ninja who stood a little behind me as my eyes kept staring holes into the Konoha ship. There were several chakra figures aboard but that was a complete ruse. There were more hidden away, blending in with the chakras of the others, masking themselves away to evade us. "Yes." I replied. That one word marked the beginning.

The waves were calmed and as the boats were lifted up by water and gently set to the ground Kakashi stepped off the vessel. As the others grew more tense I stayed calm and neutral about the situation. My former sensei walked closer and closer towards me, each step calculated and measured. He meant business today.

"Kakashi Hatake, to what pleasure do I owe this unexpected visit. Do you Leaf favor such surprising entrances into the Land of Whirlpools?"

The silver haired man made no move to show his repsect towards me and it made me a little irritated. "Lord Uzukage, we are here under orders to seize all members of Uzushiogakure and ensure the destruction of the village. Surrender your title and order your men to lower their weapons."

I chuckled lightly. "And why would I ever do such things?"

"You pose a threat to the peace of the other nations. This land and its people are a danger. Konoha has taken it upon themselves to eradicate the danger before chaos begins to settle."

As he continued to speak I noticed the other passengers of the 10 boats docked emerge. There were many faces I recognized: Shikamaru, Chouji, Lee, Neji. All of them were people I once had bonds and connections with in some messed up way. Now they stood before me as Chuunin or even higher ranked waiting to destroy the peace I had created on my own clan's land. Even Gai, Asuma, and Kurenai stood ready to strike us down.

Sighing, I held up hand, palm facing towards them. "I was hoping, truly hoping, things would not end like this for us. Our two villages could have been such good allies." I closed my hand into a tight fist. The signal for attack had been shown. "But Konoha has crossed the line in threatening us and now, you must pay the price for such actions."

Tide ninjas body-flickered to my sides and the battle commenced. I was left to deal with Kakashi as we both sized each other up. There were grunts of pain and the sounds of metal hitting metal as kunais and shurkien were thrown through the air. Blood spattered to the ground resembling what an artist would do to their paintings. The crashing of the waves played in the background as bodies fell to the ground, some not moving while others struggled for stability in all the chaos surrounding us.

"Do you really think you can beat me, Kakashi Hatake? You may be known as the copy nin but I am a kage. My power far outweighs you, more than you could ever imagine." My comments had no effect on the man as we kept exchanging blows. Kicks and punches from either side were easily blocked. When I managed to land a single scratch on his face, I couldn't help but smile in triumph underneath my mask. "Is this really all that you are made of? I expected more from someone so highly valued by the Hokage and her village. Pathetic."

That seemed to hit a nerve as he, without thinking, launched himself forward. Perfect, so mentioning the hokage or the village can get him riled up enough to get a clean hit. Managing to sdiestep, I brought my foot up and kicked down with my heel onto the small of his back. With a great slam his body landed to the ground where it cracked slightly from the force of the impact.

"Like I said, pathetic."

There was a rumble under my feet as my eyes grew wide in surprise. Kakashi appeared from under the surface of the earth and punched straight up, managing to snap my head back when he hit my chin. Staggering back, I held my chin.

"Who did you call pathetic?"

"But...how?"

His eye curved meaning to say that he was smiling. "I managed to trick you into thinking the body you hit was actually mine when it was only a log. Then in all the dust that followed after your brutal attack I dug my way underground to attack you when you were least expecting it." I glared at him through the eye slits. "Don't think that simple words like yours will make me do something foolish like attack you straight on. I've got enough experience to know how to keep a level head."

A crack formed on the left cheek of my mask. No, his last punch did this. If he is allowed to land any more hits he could break this and see my true face. But I can't run away from this, it would make me look like a coward.

"Let's finish this, Uzukage."

"Fine, Kakashi Hatake."

We took a step at each other before performing our jutsus.