Author's Note: Wow, not so many reviews huh…? Guess I should wrap up the Konoha arc as soon as possible, but not right now, since… well you'll find out in a couple hundred words away.
Chapter 23: Deadly Force
Time Skip: Two Months
Naruto was not a happy guy right now, as he stood alone on an outcropping of rocks overlooking the ruined village.
I know there's going to be complications, Naruto sighed as he recalled the order from the messenger hawk about an urgent message which would be delivered by his teacher about Akatsuki. Naruto sighed later as Kakashi came into view, Sai and Sakura with him.
"Ohayo Kakashi-sensei, anything new?" Naruto asked as Kakashi looked solemn. That was his cue to get serious, "Okay, what's going on?"
"A massive Akatsuki force has amassed near the borders of Hi no Kuni," Kakashi replied, "Reports say that this is the largest offensive they have ever attempted, and more reports hinted at the possibility of what appears to be… be…"
"The undead Scourge," Sakura finished, ignoring his horror-stricken face, "What's more, the leader was recognized as one Uchiha Madara, in all his glory, wielding what appeared to be a combined Sharingan and Rinnegan. In this, we have reasons to believe that he is also related to the disappearance of Konan, of Amegakure."
"That's strange… why would he not use it against me then?" Naruto murmured to himself as he thought about it, "Unless… he's testing me this whole time, to see if I'm a challenge… Then again, we all know that Konan is most likely killed by Madara anyways."
"Or he simply couldn't synchronize with the Gedo Mezo," Kakashi shot back, "Not to mention you were placed into ANBU almost right as the war started, making you all but untraceable until he figured out you were Fox. By then he's probably already sealed up some of his abilities for later use, so you never got the chance to face the real him in combat."
"This… is bad," Naruto commented, "That's not done yet, this is barely complete, Mei-chan's still having problems with the finer aspects of Mokuton, Jaina-chan and Lina-chan aren't ready to face shinobi… Yet, there is nothing we can do, is there?"
"We need to face Madara now," Sakura replied, "Before he manages to get even more power."
"That seems to be the only option," Naruto sighed, "I'll go fetch the girls and Yamato. By the way Sakura, Rinnegan?"
"It's there," Sakura said as the Rinnegan flashed on briefly before it was turned off. "I knew you were a stamina freak, but seriously? This tops the chart."
"You get used to it," Naruto said, "if you ever start using it in the first place. The first month for me increased the chakra load by a lot. It wasn't until the third month that I got the output down to an acceptable level."
"I'm glad I'm not designed for assault then…" Sakura muttered, before she looked back at him, serious, "I thought only the so-called Lich King could control the undead, though?"
"Madara is in contact with someone named Arthas Menethil, supposedly second in command of the Scourge, and I guess that's how Madara could partially command them," Naruto replied, uncertain of the cause, "Whatever the case is, we need to stop them, and do it fast. Let me find them now."
With that, Naruto disappeared in a bright yellow flash, and in an instant Jaina, Lina, and two Naruto's returned, the two women confused. A minute later, Naruto returned with Mei and Yamato.
"Which direction is the army?" Naruto asked as Kakashi held his hands up.
"Maa, slow down Naruto," Kakashi replied, "Get the briefing from Tsunade first."
"You do that, which direction is the army?" Naruto asked once more as Kakashi sighed.
"If I tell you, will you run off to fight the enemy?" Kakashi asked as Naruto nodded. Kakashi sighed once more.
"Then, under the orders of the Godaime Hokage, Tsunade-sama, your presence is required immediately," Kakashi spoke as Naruto's eyes hardened.
"Fine, Kakashi-sensei, if you insist on my presence," Naruto replied before he flashed through seals, his Rinnegan active. A minute later, the other five bodies appeared in bursts of light.
"Is this good enough?" Naruto asked as the five stood silently. Kakashi thought for a minute.
"Fine," Kakashi finally gave, "It's by the border of Kaze no Kuni."
As soon as Kakashi's words left his mouth, the Yondaime held the other four bodies and flashed away. Naruto shook his head before grabbing everyone else and teleporting away to Tsunade's office. Hiraishin no jutsu beats walking, any day, and they needed to make up for lost time.
In an instant, they assembled in the Hokage's room, standing by to listen to Tsunade's orders. Tsunade blinked a bit, however, looking at them.
"That was fast, though I shouldn't be surprised…" Tsunade muttered looking at Naruto.
"Namikaze Naruto, returning as ordered, Godaime-sama," Naruto spoke out loud, "So what now baa-chan?"
Tsunade twitched as she resisted the urge to pummel Naruto to the ground, and instead straightened up in her seat, "As you have probably asked Kakashi, I'll just skip the point. You are to lead a team to reinforce the borders immediately. We have a force of ninja there as well as Suna ninjas, but the Akatsuki forces are attacking en masse this time, including what appeared to be half-dead beings of an unknown nature and what appeared to be reanimated versions of several corpses sewn together."
"Who's on the team?" Naruto asked as there was a knock on the door. Neji, Lee, and Kiba appeared, along with Gai, Kotetsu, and Izumo.
"They are the rest of your team. Neji and Kiba are there to search for Hyuga Hanabi who had reported in on the location with the leader of her team, Tenten, prior to the alert, whereas Gai, Lee, Kotetsu, and Izumo will be going to aide in the effort. We would have sent more but it would have taken longer, and they were also incidentally the only ones ready."
"I got it," Naruto said as his Rinnegan eyes glazed for a moment, "I've engaged the enemy."
"What?" Tsunade asked, surprised, before noticing his Rinnegan eyes and remembering exactly what had transpired, "I see… get going now brat, I want that place secured."
"Hai, baa-chan," Naruto replied as he created more clones, "Hold on."
Without so much as another whisper they were gone in a bright yellow flash, leaving Tsunade, once more, alone in her office. She looked, once more, at the portraits of the past Hokage, and silently wondered; what would they do in this situation?
Border of Hi no Kuni and Kaze no Kuni
As Naruto reappeared in a flash of yellow, his entourage in tow, he quickly directed them.
"Quickly, we cannot afford to waste time," Naruto said as he disappeared with incredible speed, the team following him, while Jaina was simply content with sensing his signature then teleporting over. No sense in trying to catch up with Naruto at that speed. Naruto, on the other hand, led the team of ninjas, still including the Mizukage, in a random direction, or at least they thought so, until Kiba twitched a bit, Akamaru whining slightly.
"Naruto… what the hell is going on?" Kiba asked, a bit freaked out, "I've never smelled something so… like death, its like death itself."
"That's pretty much what we're facing, Kiba; the undead," Naruto replied with a solemn voice as they charged into the clearing. There, they saw the largest group of Akatsuki they had ever faced. Each ninja under their command wore a cloak with red clouds, with an armored mesh underneath that cloak to protect from damage, though it never done a lot of good as most kunai and shuriken were simply launched at a velocity that rendered such protection pretty much moot. Right in front of the group was the most disgusting thing they would ever see, as the undead growled and attacked the thinned defenders, even as the Suna ninjas attempted to help from the other side. There were blurs on Naruto's side as the five paths returned, causing Lee, Gai, and Kiba shock, though because Kotetsu and Izumo had gone into combat already they never saw the spectacle. Naruto turned.
"You all have your missions, now move out!" Naruto ordered as he and his group of bodies disappeared into the fight, even as Gai and Lee recovered to dash into the fray, delivering deadly kicks and punches to the fragile structures of the undead. Surprisingly, they had the best advantage since their attacks were usually fatal in terms of strength. As the undead had dulled nerves, they could not feel pain, and thus nullified many of the attacks to only physical damage which they could also shrug off until too much accumulated. Kiba and Neji, on the other hand, with the assistance of Kakashi went into the fray to look for a specific person, even as they saw Tenten summoning a massive array of weapons, only to direct them with a sniper's precision as they impacted, fire streaming from their tips, into clusters of enemies, detonating after a few seconds in loud explosions which sent shockwaves through the battlefield. There was a circle of blue runes rising from a location, which dispelled to reveal Jaina and Lina, who instantly saturated the area with blizzard blasts and giant waves of fire.
Naruto, on the other hand, fought his way over to Tenten, knowing that he would not have enough time to flare his chakra out, and, as he and the Yondaime blasted through a wave of Ghouls with Rasengan, he shouted over, "Tenten, catch!"
Tenten had turned around and just barely caught the two scrolls which were sent hurtling her way. She looked at them, before seeing the name of the scrolls: Hiraishin Kunai. She grinned as she looked back at the two, one Kage Bunshin and one… original? As Naruto dashed past, he shouted back.
"Tell you later! Just launch those kunai!" Naruto yelled as the duo rushed past, Naruto with his twin wind blades blasting through, and the Yondaime slashing through with a katana. Tenten didn't think much of it as she leapt back, and, using wind manipulation, formed brief platforms which allowed her to leap higher and higher, before rolling out the scrolls, and launched the hundreds or so kunai which were sealed in the scroll. The hail of kunai rained down on the enemy, and as the Akatsuki members saw them, they immediately began to retreat.
"Shit! Get back now!" a random member screamed out but was silenced as one found its way into his throat as they scrambled to retreat. However, Tenten had known, and the kunai were actually thrown farther than their locations. Naruto smirked as he sensed the kunai.
"Sayonara, teme…" Naruto whispered as the Yondaime disappeared, followed by Naruto. A moment later the other four bodies landed where the two used to be, as the Sandaime and the Nidaime launched a searing combination of fire and water attacks, combining to form a scalding steam which shrouded the undead. Sakumo ventured into the mist, his blade active. Moments later, there were bright flashes from the mist as it began to cool and disperse, and before long Sakumo stood alone, surrounded by slain Scourge. The Shodai used his manipulation on the earth as it began to deform. Suddenly, a wave of sand appeared, and as it flowed over, it was blasted apart to reveal Gaara, the Godaime Kazekage.
"Looks like you got things under control, Naruto," Gaara commented, being one of the few who knew about the paths. The Shodai turned around.
"Yo, Gaara," Naruto greeted through the body, "Nice to see you but there's a wave of undead coming through."
"Undead," Gaara replied dryly, "How did the Akatsuki get those?"
"Madara sent me hurtling at who knows how fast into another dimension. These are the equivalent of using Edo Tensei on a few thousand people. Instant kill attacks are the most effective since they feel no blood loss and have deadened nerve endings. In that essence, Fire attacks have the most advantage, but your sand might be more effective," Naruto replied as Gaara, true to Naruto's words, crushed several Abominations in his sand without any effort at all.
"I'll coordinate my forces to begin retreats then," Gaara said as Naruto interpreted the meaning.
"You want us to push them into Kaze no Kuni?" the Shodai asked as Gaara nodded. Smirking, Naruto and the Yondaime flashed to the more southern kunai, picking some up along the way as they slew wave after wave of Akatsuki, most of which were Zetsu clones appearing to be someone else, just like how Itachi and Kisame did. Naruto flashed through seals as he took a deep breath.
Katon: Goukakyou no Jutsu! Naruto concentrated for a bit, feeling the air bulge, before expelling it in a powerful display of fire. Unlike the previous times, however, the fire was violet. From far away, Madara watched, giddy, until he saw the violet flames incinerating his troops, instantly changing mood.
Impossible, Madara thought frantically, Only Itachi could launch flames like that, and if the jinchuriki could do that, then…
The situation was quickly worsening, however, for the villages, as the numbers simply proved overwhelming. Naruto stared back at the gigantic group, taking every single one of them in, as the Konoha defenders rested, and the Suna ninjas also took refuge.
"Rest for a bit," Naruto instructed emotionlessly, "I'll take care of them. Once I give the signal, charge forward and push them into Kaze no Kuni, Gaara and I have a plan."
"Hai, shishou!" the ninjas replied as they retreated. Naruto stood alone with his five paths. Two scrolls hang limply by his side, the Hiraishin Kunai within. Naruto then began to draw power from the Rinnegan again as he clasped his hands together, and power flowed through.
"Chibaku Tensei," Naruto whispered silently as the dark orb of energy was revealed and soared up into the sky. Madara, with his perfect vision, was able to see it, and quickly activated his phase technique. True to his prediction, the earth began to tremble, as rocks of various sizes began to bulge out, before cracking from the ground and blasting into the air, sticking together. Then, Naruto channeled even more power, as the cracks spread even further, before encompassing the entirety of the ground the Akatsuki and undead soldiers were. Rocks began to fly in large chunks now, as the enemy began to frantically escape, to no avail, as giant pieces began to move and isolate each soldier, immediately killing them when the rocks impacted with the central sphere of energy. More and more soldiers were killed as they tried, while the undead tried to engage Naruto, only to be repelled by the other five paths.
As the sphere finally took shape, the two groups of ninjas stared in awe, including Gaara.
"So, that's the power of the Rinnegan…" Gaara mused silently before materializing the sand from right underneath the remaining Akatsuki.
"Ryusa Bakuryu," Gaara called out calmly as a giant wave of sand began to move as the earth turned to sand. Within moments, the remaining attackers were trapped. Gaara looked over as Naruto looked back, and Gaara gave a simple gesture. He nodded.
Naruto let the giant ball drop as it crashed down onto the trapped defenders, even as Gaara took the sand away, panting slightly as he did so, as he did not have Shukaku's chakra anymore. Madara materialized.
"Looks like you managed to defeat my army…" Madara mused but had to dodge as Naruto came by with a Rasengan. Naruto narrowed his eyes.
"You had to dodge the Rasengan because you used up your time with the phase isn't it?" Naruto stated rather than asked as he stood across from Madara, Gaara standing on the other side. Madara had to dodge again as a whip of sand came by, even as a giant fire dragon went his way and engulfed him. After what seemed like eternity, Naruto stopped the dragon and watched as Madara was replaced by a burnt log.
"Kawarimi… not surprised," Naruto muttered as he shot a wind blade to the side, causing Madara to leap out even as he flashed through seals.
"Katon: Goukakyou no Jutsu!" Madara yelled as he expelled a fireball many times the size of Naruto's, and though a wave of sand came up, the heat was still felt at Naruto's range. When the fire died down, a glassy surface was seen where the wall of sand was. Naruto returned with his attack, fueled by Gaara's.
"Futon: Renduken," Gaara called as he punched the air, sending a drill forward.
"Katon: Karyuu Endan!" Naruto shouted as his violet fire dragon roared forward again, fusing with the drilling bullet of air. The air sucked the dragon in as the rotation began to compress the flame, before the dragon roared, now much thinner yet is now a very light violet.
"The violet hue again…" Madara said to himself as Naruto looked curiously. Taking no time to waste, he created several clones.
"Since you can't phase…" Naruto said as the clones closed in, "Bunshin Daibakuha!"
There was a loud explosion which enveloped the region, even as Naruto sent his bodies back. As he turned, however, he had to dodge a barrage of shuriken which were sent his way. Gaara immediately tried to ensnare Madara, though he walked out as if it was nothing. It was then, that Naruto recognized the technique.
"Izanagi… you will go so far as to sacrifice you eye?" Naruto asked rhetorically, "just to gain the Kyubi? You don't even have the Haichibi yet!"
"It matters not in the long run," Madara replied, "So long… as I get to have the tailed beast in the future."
"So be it," Naruto replied before he disappeared in a yellow flash, appearing just inches of Madara as he thrust a Rasengan forward, but was deflected by Madara as Madara attempted to punch Naruto, who disappeared yet again.
"You think you can defeat me?" Madara asked, "Even without the phase, I still have much more to offer against you!"
Naruto didn't reply as he struck out, this time managing to strike Madara lightly against the ribs, pushing him back a couple of feet. Naruto leapt back.
"Gaara, cover me," Naruto stated as he created a few clones who dashed off. Madara attempted to intercept but was forced to dodge as a wave of sand approached.
"Don't presume to think I am like the rest of the Uchiha clan, Kazekage-sama," Madara mocked, "Like Itachi, I trained myself to fight without it if necessary. It was him, in fact, who told me that, and quite frankly, I see why he's a genius at that very point."
"Do not speak of Itachi," Naruto growled out, "You and him are completely different people."
"Yet, in the end, we are all alike," Madara explained, "We are both Uchiha, we are both considered prodigies, and we both left our clan, slaughtering them along the way."
"Yet he was loyal to the very end," Naruto replied softly as Madara's eyes narrowed, "There was a reason why I was never caught."
"I see…" Madara mused, while avoiding sand shurikens, "I should have known, but still I must applaud him for his braveness, albeit stupid."
"Perhaps your way," Naruto said, standing right behind Madara as he swung with a powerful left hook which impacted onto Madara's cheek, sending him hurtling back several meters. It was almost destroyed instantly by Kamui, however, from Madara. That gave Naruto the power boost he was looking for though, as his eyes turned another shade of color. Madara swore.
"Sennin Mode…" Madara muttered as he leapt away from a punch, before avoiding a sand lance. Kakashi attempted to join the fray, though Naruto shouted back.
"I'll call you when I need you, but for now, this is between Gaara, me, and him!" Naruto shouted. Kakashi stopped dead in his tracks.
"You better be careful then, Naruto," Kakashi said as he retreated, and charged his eye with chakra. Meanwhile, Madara had managed to launch a giant lance of fire at Gaara, who leapt away, but the lance followed. Naruto leapt in between as he flashed through more seals.
"Suiton: Suijinheki!" Naruto shouted as a gigantic wall of water rose, three feet thick, eight feet tall, and almost ten feet across. This managed to block the lance for only a little bit, however, as it broke through.
"Shinra Tensei!" Naruto shouted as the wave of energy deflected the lance. The three opponents stood by each other, looking in their directions.
"It's too bad really," Madara commented after a short pause, "If you were not the jinchuriki of the Kyubi, you could've been destined to great things. Same with that Rinnegan of yours. It's a shame that Nagato really did figure it out."
"Figure what out?" Naruto asked as Madara laughed. It wasn't a laugh of confidence or of victory, it was a hollow laugh filled with absolutely nothing, and chilled everyone to their bones except Gaara and Naruto, who had endured worse.
"That the Rinnegan was actually dormant in the Uzumaki genes. Remember, Naruto, that the Uzumaki and the Senju were allies?" Madara said, "They were related. The ancestor of the Senju clan had two sons as well, one who changed his name to Uzumaki. From that time on, the Rinnegan, locked within the Rikudo Sennin's spirit, was transferred to the Uzumaki. I acted as the catalyst for Nagato's activation, and he was your catalyst. Only those I have talked to did they mistakenly believe what I told them was true. Of course, now that you're going to lose, there's no point in withholding it from you."
"Then…" Naruto said as he looked at Sakura, before quickly snapping back at Madara, hoping that he didn't understand his intention. To Naruto's horror, he did.
"Ah…" Madara said, understanding, "She will have the bloodline, but her children will never be able to use it correctly unless someone of Senju, Uchiha, or Uzumaki blood gives her offspring in the future. In that event… she is useless to me as far as this is concerned."
Naruto never replied. There was no need as Gaara's sand engulfed Madara. Several minutes passed without his appearance. Just as everyone was about to relax, however, Naruto spoke.
"I know you're not dead, Madara. Show yourself," Naruto said as Madara reappeared.
"Smart, hm?" Madara replied, "Too bad."
There was no reply from Naruto as suddenly another Madara burst from the ground, detonating in a ball of fire. When the fireball dispersed, it showed Naruto, burnt and lying on the ground – which promptly disappeared in a cloud of smoke as a ringing sound came from above.
"You were a fool to think I didn't realize it," Naruto said, holding the Rasenshuriken, "Sayonara…. Futon: Rasenshuriken!"
"So that's the Rasenshuriken…" Mei said softly as she gazed in wonder at the powerful technique, "So much chakra… it rivals almost my entire chakra capacity…"
There was no time for Madara to dodge as Naruto threw the Rasenshuriken right at Madara. Although Madara phased through the first one, he saw the subsequent chakra shuriken hidden underneath, and yet another one within the shadow of the second. As the two approached…
"Shinra Tensei…" Madara whispered as the extent of his power came into play, and the wave of energy blasted out, destroying both shuriken. Naruto landed and immediately began a taijutsu fight against Madara, supported by Gaara's sand, but Madara was able to weave through the attacks like it was nothing. Comparatively, though, in Naruto's opinion, it was true. That didn't mean he couldn't do anything though.
"Shinra Tensei," Naruto whispered as a shockwave propelled Madara backwards, sending him tumbling to the ground even as tendrils of sand began to creep up onto Madara, though he phased through. The instant he phased back in, however, Naruto disappeared in a flash and he impacted a Rasengan onto Madara, before instantly flashing through seals and biting into his thumb.
"Kuchiyose no Justu!" Naruto yelled, yet Madara also began a summoning.
"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" Madara yelled in response as smoke enveloped the place. When it cleared, Naruto was standing on Gamabunta, while beside Madara stood a raven.
"Obliterate that oaf of a toad while I deal with those two," Madara ordered as the raven took off. Naruto and Gaara looked at each other, before nodding and leaping in different directions, as Madara gave chase to Naruto.
Naruto and Gaara, however, had completely different plans. As soon as Gaara was out of sight he suppressed his chakra and snuck over, following the beacon that was Naruto. Throughout this, Madara was suspicious, though with victory so close in his grasp, he did not really think about it until…
"Ryusa Bakuryu," a giant wave of sand crashed down onto Madara, trapping him. With that, Naruto created a few clones.
"Futon: Atsugai/Katon: Karyuu Endan!" the Naruto's yelled as they exhaled, streams of air combining with fire to create a gigantic inferno which enveloped the giant dome of sand, and blasted out into the sky in a pillar of fire. The rest of the ninjas looked on with astonishment.
"That sort of looked like your light strike array, Lina," Jaina commented, looking at the slack-jawed Lina.
"Yeah, only a couple million times more powerful!" Lina exclaimed, "Can you imagine how much power is needed to pull that off? Madara will not-"
"Survive this?" an ominous voice sounded right behind the two women, "Don't be foolish."
There was no time to turn as Madara shot a ball of fire at the two, point-blank range. They had no room to escape, no room to maneuver, no time to think, no time to react. They just stood frozen, as the white fireball approached.
Meanwhile, Naruto had just finished his barrage before he sensed a danger. There was no signature within the dome anymore, and a spike was felt in the distance, beside the two signatures that were Jaina and Lina.
"Shit!" Naruto yelled as he teleported right in front of the spike, seeing the giant ball of fire. He had no time to dodge, nor could he, as Jaina and Lina were behind him. He braced himself for the blast as it came.
Only it never came. Naruto looked, opening his eyes. There was a girl in front of him, reminiscent of Hinata. She was weaving a barrier around them all.
"Shugohakke rokujyuon shou!" Hanabi shouted as the net reduced the fire to nothing. Meanwhile, Shikamaru had sent a shadow, and pierced Madara, before he could dodge. A spear of shadow appeared around his left shoulder, disabling it.
"…hai," Naruto said, never more grateful for the lazy genius than now, as he delivered a powerful uppercut to Madara's chin, sending him up.
"Lee, now!" Naruto yelled as Lee leapt up. Bandages wrapped around Madara.
"Omote Renge!" Lee yelled as he sent Madara pummeling right down onto the earth. There was a loud shattering noise as the earth cracked under the pressure, and Lee leapt back out, slightly burnt. There was a trail of black fire approaching him as Naruto appeared.
"Shinra Tensei!" Naruto yelled as the fire disappeared. Madara appeared, looking bruised and cut.
"…" Madara panted as he glared. The mask had shattered, revealing his eyes to the world, and Naruto resisted a shudder, before resolving himself. He had eyes to return to, and peace to give to his family member.
"You took Nagato's eyes," he stated as Madara looked on, "As a surviving member of my clan… it is my duty to retrieve it from you. Prepare to die, Madara."
There was no more words exchanged as the raven crashed down, Gamabunta landing upon with, tanto out, and stabbed deep into the body. The raven screeched before it disappeared, even as Madara began another summoning, this time a larger raven. Gamabunta looked at the raven.
"Oi, gaki," Gamabunta rumbled, "I would help if I can, but the last one took a lot out of me. Get Hikaru or Ryusei to do this, I'm too tired, suimasen."
"It's okay, Bunta," Naruto said, "Thanks, and bye."
"Sayonara gaki, good luck," Gamabunta said before disappearing in a cloud of smoke. Madara suddenly laughed.
"I knew it! I knew it!" Madara laughed, "You hold the contract to the phoenix!"
"How…" Naruto asked before remembering the smudged name, "You were the previous summoner?"
"Hell no…" Madara laughed, "When I saw that violet flame, I can only think of one person who could do it."
Meanwhile, Hikaru and Ichigo were summoned to the field of battle. The instant they saw Madara, their flames roared higher.
"You…" Hikaru rumbled dangerously. Naruto looked at Hikaru questioningly, "Our previous summoner mentioned him, Uchiha Madara, before."
"That person," Madara continued, "Was a prodigy, a complete prodigy. I had thought his mastery over fire was that until he showed me his summoning."
"They were of the same clan, yet with completely different ideals… his name…"
"Can you guess it yet, Naruto?" Madara asked, "His name, is…"
"Uchiha, Itachi/Uchiha, Itachi," Hikaru and Madara said at the same time.
"Itachi…?" Naruto asked, completely shocked beyond belief, though as he thought about it, he knew it to be true. Itachi was a master at using fire, and was a prodigy. Though he acted cold, he cared for those he trusted, including Konoha, Sasuke, and even his partner, Kisame. The more he thought about it, the more it made sense, "So the partner which died with him…"
"That is Itachi's personal summons, indeed," Hikaru said, "He was sent back due to an injury sustained at the field of battle, and when Itachi fell, he died. He did not revive until several days later, claiming Itachi had found his successor, and shall serve him willingly."
"Who was the personal summon?" Naruto asked. Ichigo spoke up.
"Me," Ichigo said.
"What?" Hikari squeaked from her perch at Lina's shoulder, "But I thought…"
"You were young at that time, Hikari, there are many things you do not know," Ichigo replied, "And now, I pledge myself to you, Namikaze Uzumaki Naruto, inheritor of all that Uchiha Itachi stands for, and I shall battle by your side, until the day you fall, and I shall follow you till death."
"Isn't that touching…?" Madara mocked, more worried than ever before. He did not anticipate Naruto's powerful summons. Naruto flashed through seals again, however.
"I'm making sure you don't survive, Madara," Naruto said, "I'm going all out. Kuchiyose: Ryusei!"
With that, he faced his palm in the air, as a twister of wind shot up. Out the twister, emerged a scaly, long, summons.
"Orochi…?" Kakashi asked rhetorically, having only seen such scales on one animal before, until he remembered the legends, and connected the dots.
"Impossible… Naruto also has the dragon contract…" Kakashi whispered as the others all looked on, unable to say anything.
"Naruto… why have you summoned me here?" Ryusei asked. Naruto pointed.
"His ambition is to gain control to the Juubi after sealing all nine biguu into himself. He has seven right now," Naruto said.
"The juubi must not walk on this world at any cost!" Ryusei roared loudly, "You have my full support, as well as those of my brethren. Namikaze Naruto, I pledge the dragon clan to you, command me as you wish."
"Take down his summons, and await with Hikaru for a combination attack. We're taking him down once and for all," Naruto said as he walked forward, and for every three steps, Madara took a step back.
"You will not defeat me like this," Madara yelled, "I will rule this world! Kuchiyose: Gedo Mezo!"
"Now," Naruto whispered as a lance of sand, previously unnoticed, stabbed right through the emerging statue, causing it to be enveloped in a bright flash. Taking that time, Naruto appeared right by Madara, slapping another contract seal on him, taking away his ability to control the statue.
"No!" Madara yelled desperately as the statue glowed brighter. Naruto's Rinnegan pulsed as the mouth opened. Several shots of chakra blasted out to balance the unleashed forces before it began to decline. Taking place in only a few seconds, what had once contained 7 bijuu now only had the first two left. Naruto worked quickly as he weaved through seal after seal.
"Gaara… can you handle Shukaku again?" Naruto asked as Gaara nodded. Having been born with Shukaku inside of him, he had built up a resistance. What was a few dozen more years if it could keep the world safe?
With that, Naruto activated a seal, and managed to capture a brown streak of chakra, sending it hurtling at Gaara. Gaara, on the other hand, flashed through seals as his cloak was torn open, revealing an empty seal. The chakra shot through the seal, rapidly closing in. Naruto then flashed through even more seals as he slammed his palm onto Gaara's now full seal.
"Fuin!" Naruto shouted as the gate closed. The only difference was, Shukaku was now completely imprisoned, all its chakra unable to leave. It would never see daylight again, or have any influence on Gaara. Meanwhile, Hikaru and Ryusei engaged in a battle with the giant raven, as it shot large bolts of what appeared to be nothingness at the two legendary summons, who dodged and returned fire with their respective elements. Violet jet of flames and powerful bursts of water and wind were traded for blasts of nothingness and shadow. The shots of chakra danced around, moving at hyperactive speeds, until Naruto redirected the Gedo Mezo. The chakra responded to his call, as they returned to the statue. Only thing was, Naruto now controlled the statue as he lowered it back into the earth, before turning to Madara, who glared back with hatred.
"The Uzumaki clan… you always… managed to fool my plan," Madara gritted before a swirl began to appear. Naruto did a cut gesture as it suddenly stopped. There was a second vortex surrounding the one Madara created as he looked around. Kakashi had his Mangekyou Sharingan active, and was channeling Kamui to stop his escape, even as Hikaru and Ryusei opened up a rain of fire to dance upon Madara. Madara screamed as the fire torched his skin, as the fire continued to spread, covering the area in a blitz of white and purple, before subsiding, leaving all others unharmed. There was a shiny crater in the epicenter, as Madara struggled to move.
"Fool… you forget I still have my own abilities," Madara claimed as his right eye lost the Sharingan pattern, reverting to a full Rinnegan. He had just finished talking as Naruto slammed into Madara, forcing him back. Having lost his eye, he could never use his phase tool again, as Kakashi stopped his own vortex.
"This is the end, Madara," Naruto said as he formed a Rasengan. This time, he expanded it as it formed the four points of the Rasenshuriken. However, the core began to glow softly, before a dark red enveloped the center. Sand came up and enclosed Madara's arms and legs, preventing him from escape.
"Go, Naruto," Gaara said calmly, "You called on his life, and now it is yours."
"Sayonara, for real, Madara. For Konoha, for Theramore, for this world, and for every world," Naruto said, as he threw the disc, "Katon: Rasenshuriken!"
There was naught but a bright light, as the disc of firestorm enveloped Madara.
Ah, finally this chapter's done. Just to let you know, most things were on the spot moments, especially the fight between Madara and Naruto (with help)
Also, if any of you want to guess what the Katon: Rasenshuriken is, be my guest, since I doubt any of you have the same idea, at least, I haven't seen another fanfiction that uses elemental Rasengan the way I did the Katon: Rasenshuriken yet.