TimeShifter: Jiraiya's just that good! Besides, it has several hidden messages to help Konoha...not that he cares. Anyway, Rikka is actually the author's version of the ensemble dark horse. I'll explain later... As for Danzo, I'm on my fifth or sixth rewrite on my outline on ideas for him because I do not want to seem to be copying the manga...and the latest chapter isn't helping. As I said previously, I am trying to take Pein out of god-mode territory. I like how it's turned out so far, but I will say I will keep cannon introduced powers. The thing that shifted in the sky was the attack Tendou was generating. He needed to move it just enough not to harm Naruto too much. I'll explain the glyphs in more detail in the bottom section.

samueltm2: Rikka might not be able to fight, but she has other skills. Yep, Naruto is finally back.

Valdimarian: Well, Rikka does have the advantage of a psychic network link, and Katsuyu is just communicating with herself. Makes things a little easy. I do agree on the points you made. I think fans would be happy to just know what's going on.

yes man: Thanks!

Chapter 24:
Determination, Fire, Spirit

Temari gingerly sipped a cup of hot green tea. She enjoyed stopping at a relaxing stop. Though she was on her way home, she was in no real hurry. The files Konoha had to share on Akatsuki were safely packed away, and she was only about two and a half days travel from Suna anyway. She had no reason to travel full tilt.

She heard the owner, a kindly old lady, set something next to her. She looked down to see a plate with three sticks of three dango each. They were covered in the house's sticky sauce, and she smiled widely as she graciously accepted the food. She chomped on the first sweat treat and chewed slowly, savoring the flavor.

As she prepared to take the second treat, the wind seemed to change direction. She blinked for a moment. The air felt different somehow. She shrugged it off as she pulled the second dango off its stick. Throat demanding liquid to wash the pasty down, she picked up her tea cup.

She released a satisfied sigh and was about to put the cup back down when she noticed something. She frowned as she realized a tiny fissure running from the tip where she sipped and continuing down halfway, forking erratically. She felt her lip; a tiny dribble of crimson came away with her hand.

She stood furiously. "I am not superstitious!" The old lady looked at her worriedly as her attention returned to Konoha. "I'm not…" She grabbed her fan and threw down some money, more than enough to pay for the partially eaten snack. "I'm sorry! It was really delicious!"

She swept her fan and molded her chakra. In an instant, she was floating the air currents at top speed. The last time she demanded to the heavens that she wasn't superstitious was when her brother died. Sure, he was brought back from the dead by an old lady's foolish technique, but he had died nonetheless.

She wore a worried expression as she found a reason to move at top speed. She could only hope she was wrong or not too late.

Hiashi calmly sipped a cup of green tea as he listened to the negotiation between his counterpart from Iwa and one of the merchants of Suna. He eyed his younger daughter, Hanabi, before returning his attention to the negotiating table. Though outwardly he appeared fine, he imagined he was inwardly in as much turmoil as the young genin.

She was not normally fidgety, and her entire body had shaken a moment ago. He didn't know why, but they were feeling anxious about something. Hyuuga, however, were accustomed to hiding their emotional states. He doubted the other two had even noticed her momentary weakness.

"Ah, that'll do just nicely." He looked to Shoka as he spoke up. He was an amiable enough man to get along with, and the Hyuuga head remembered on Shoka Yuri from years ago. The Iwa business man then turned and slid the paper across the table. "What do you think, Hyuuga-sama?"

Hiashi politely placed his cup on the table before picking up the document. He scanned through the terms, especially those dealing with trade differences. Wind was interested in trade deals outside of Fire, other allies, and neutral countries. A trade deal with Earth was a big step.

Interestingly, it benefited Konoha and Fire as well. He felt the positive of added trade deals far outweighed the small losses in Wind. However, he also knew trade deals with bitter enemies, like Iwa, wasn't guaranteed to alleviate tensions. Their leaders could be interested in peace and pursuing it all they wanted. There was still animosity in the minds and hearts of the people.

He nodded his approval and handed the paper back across the table. Shoka smirked, pleased at his work. The merchant greedily rubbed his hands. The new trade deal ensured he could reap huge profits. He was already imagining how he could expand his business front and hire new workers.

Hiashi eyed his daughter once more. They still had a long day ahead of them.

Kanaeru, Gayt and Star, Sasame, and Isaribi rushed through the village gates a moment before a powerful chakra light up the sky. Considering it was past midmorning, the light from the compressed ball hovering above the streets was intense. They stopped in their tracks, and the kunoichi were wide-eyed.

Gayt managed to maintain his composure as he couldn't sense the chakra. He rushed forward as he realized how much danger everybody was in. As the ball of compressed chakra imploded and crashed into the village, he stood between the outer rim of the energy and his charge.

The energy washed over him, and he was impacted by shockwave and debris. He groaned in pain as he fell backward, too heavy for the others to catch or lighten his fall. Star flashed frantically around him, yellow with concern. He waved the kunoichi off as they approached. "Kanaeru-sama, our assistance is required."

She nodded her agreement. "Sasame, see to any injured you can find. Isaribi, try to find what information you can and report it if possible." She looked towards the center of the city. A powerful person…no, group of people were starting to gather, and Naruto was heading towards them. "I'm gonna see about helping Naru-chan."

Sasame and Isaribi nodded before dispersing to their tasks. She could count on them to perform their duties. They were, after all, loyal to Konoha. As she strode forward, she stopped next to her armored escort. "You okay to move?"

It took a moment, but he was soon on his feet. Star flashed joyous blue that he was all right before her red anger boiled over towards that hurt him. Once he collected, he nodded. They were moving even before he answered. "I am at your service, Kanaeru-sama."

Without warning, they increased their pace. Though the ruined streets swept past them, they managed to make out a few details. The impact to the city was too much to describe. Kanaeru's eyes hardened as they moved forward, and Star's reddish tint darkened with every heavy thud of Gayt's armored feet against the gravel and debris.

A piece of a wall shifted and groaned before finally being kicked off. From a dark hole in the ground, Lee, Neji, and Tenten emerged. They were all worse for wear, hardly in any condition to fight. They looked around at the massive destruction caused by the last blast. They could already hear weary moaning as any living person slowly roused.

"Neji…" Tenten practically coughed his name. "Can you see what's going on?" Her voice was ruff as her throat was dry and lined with dust. She broke into a fit of coughs as her body tried to expel the foreign objects.

The Hyuuga prodigy closed his eyes. For a few long seconds, he concentrated on his chakra before arriving at a decision. "No, I don't have enough chakra." He looked at his teammates. Tenten held her arm awkwardly, and Lee gingerly rubbed his ribs. He made a command decision. "We rest first; then we see about helping out."

The other members of Team Gai couldn't disagree. As long as the mad summoning woman, as they would remember her, wasn't sending hordes of creatures after them, they had a chance to catch their collective breaths and recuperate. They didn't want to use soldier pills unless they had to; natural recovery was best.

Ningendou landed in front of three exhausted teens and the two they carried. He looked over each in turn and almost sighed in resignation. "You three were clever. To thin, you used so much chakra just to distract me. It's too bad I don't have time for your silly games, or I'd hunt you down and end this chase."

An instant later, he vanished to return to surviving members of the Pein Rikudou. The five he left behind were still in their fighting stances, panting profusely. They were partially reverted to their base elements. After a moment, they stood erect and held their hands in a cross seal. They dispersed into the elements, mission accomplished.

"Shannaro!" A particularly large bit of debris erupted into harmless falling rocks as a fist rocketed through it. Sakura, panting on the other side, wore a tormented expression. She was torn between righteous fury and sulking depression. Her village, her home, was in shambles. Everything she knew was blown away, and it was doubtless that there were casualties.

She turned around with a heavy sigh. She watched as Konohamaru, Moegi, and Udon slid down the wall their backs were against. They were tired and injured, but they were otherwise fine. She wiped the sweat from her brow as she wondered what they were doing in the village. According to Katsuyu, all civilians were evacuated.

"What are you three doing out here? All genin are supposed to remain in the shelters until the crisis is over." They were rules nobody disputed. They were the last line of defense between intruders and civilians. She didn't want to think that they were disobeying orders in a misguided attempt to help their leader.

Konohamaru adamantly shook his head. "No, we have a mission to complete! There's one more, um, academy student out there. She's Yuuhi Rikka, and she somehow slipped away from our escort." He waved his hands emphatically. If there was one thing he knew, the pink-haired kunoichi had a mean right hook, and she used it liberally on liars and perverts…and Naruto.

Moegi came to his defense vigorously nodding her head. "Um-hmm, um-hmm! We wouldn't lie, nii-chan." She wanted to make sure Konohamaru didn't get hit by that right hook. Neither he nor Naruto were liars; though, they did tend to stretch the truth.

Udon wiped his nose before adding his two cents. "Yuuhi-san is really worried about Yuuhi-chan." He noticed Sakura nervously scratching her cheek, but he continued unabashed. "She could be in real danger if all this is going on."

Sakura turned around, fist raised and eyes clenched. "No good little brat! You act all high and mighty and claim you're older than Tsunade-sishou, but you run off and do this?!" She tried to answer through gritted teeth. "Oh, you don't have to worry about her."

They were taken aback, startled and frightened. Paying no mind, the pink-haired chunin continued. "I'll be sure to handle her. You guys just go back to the shelters." She started forward, pounding a fist into an open palm. The teens behind her were scared stiff, not understanding her sudden anger and violence.

As the dust settled, Kiba and Shino lowered their arms from their faces. Akamaru looked out around his partner. They had been chasing after a shadow when a second Shinra Tensei. They may not have known the name of the technique, but they knew its devastating effects. It pushed like a giant wall of distorted gravity.

They didn't delay any further as they continued forward. They didn't know what to expect exactly, but they felt they had to do something. They were sure shinobi needed rescuing, but they were also worried bodies needed to be recovered.

A hand emerged from the ground, quickly followed by a wrist, forearm, and elbow. The elbow bent, and the hand took purchase on rebar sticking out of a large bit of debris. Soon, Kakashi's silver mane was revealed. He pulled himself up, ground rippling around him like water. He stopped to pant when his waist was revealed.

He strained as he hefted something with his opposite hand. After a moment of struggle, he managed to pull Chouza out of the earth. As Kakashi held onto his collar, the Akimichi head pulled two more from the ground, Gai and Shikaku. Once fully emerged, they fell flat against the ground, breathing heavily.

Kakashi was in the worst condition of them. His Sharingan eye was closed tightly, and his head lolled to once side as he fought to remain conscious. Katsuyu was fighting to keep his chakra above fatal levels. He had already exhausted himself when he used Doton to move the group underground and to safety. Doton was his weakest element.

Shikaku, Chouza, and Gai finally recovered enough to stand and walked to their comrade's side. The Nara and Akimichi heads took a seat to either side of Konoha's legendary technique expert. Gai remained standing at his feet. It was sobering to think the elite jonin was in such rough shape. They couldn't begin to imagine what Tsunade was going through, healing and energizing whoever she could through Katsuyu.

They felt an immense presence and looked up to see what it was. They easily made out the silhouettes of the remaining Pein Rikudou. Opposite him, they saw a smaller silhouette hidden by three large toads. If they could see better, they might have seen the five other toads between the giant toads and human.

Though they all suspected, Shikaku was the first to recognize who stood among the group of toad summons. They barely caught a glimpse of golden hair as light shimmered through the shadows and dust before the scarred Nara spoke. "Well, it's better late than never. Good job, kid."

Hinata, Chouji, and Ino fell to their knees panting immediately after the powerful energy washed over them. Chouji managed to find a spot to set Shion down before fully collapsing. He looked to Hinata, still holding tightly yet tenderly to Momiji, then Ino. They were exhausted. It didn't help that they 'overloaded' their elemental clones to put more distance between them.

According to Katsuyu, it was safer for them to make it to the Hokage tower. The option seemed less likely since it was at the center of the blast, but they knew Tsunade was still alive because her summon hadn't disappeared. It was a bit of good news, at least.

"Our Bushin…won't last…much…longer." Chouji said between labored breaths. Taking a deep breath, he continued without pause. "We only made them for distraction, and we managed to get as far as we did with a bit of luck."

Ino opened her mouth to disagree, but she quickly swallowed her response. They planned part of it, but it was partly dumb luck he hadn't picked them out the second time around. There were only a certain number of times a ruse like they used would work.

Hinata shakily stood. "We have to keep moving." She knew they were at their limits, but they had to get Shion and Momiji to safety. Beyond that, she wanted to see Naruto again. She had a strong feeling he was back. No, she felt him. His chakra was familiar to her, and she recognized it even if it was a little different.

Ino nodded; though, she'd rather stay put and rest up. It wasn't like they were being chased anymore. "This time, let's take a slower pace. I think we lost that…thing with our last diversion." She looked to Chouji. "You ready to go?"

He nodded and expanded his arms. As soon as he picked up the daimyo priestess of Demons, they took off. They kept a pace they felt was manageable with their chakra levels, and they hoped they came across some chunin and/or jonin to help defend the foreign dignitaries.

Though the Valley of the End was far to one side, Sasuke knew exactly where he was. Even at full speed, it would be some time before they arrived in Konoha. He had no interest in saving the village from its fate, but it was important to hurry and save everything necessary to revive his clan.

Before he could continue contemplating, Hawk was forced to come to a stop as a swirl of chakra appeared out of nowhere. He narrowed his eyes, recognizing who it was. As Madara's form coalesced, he tentatively shot out a modified Chidori. Even though the ancient Uchiha should have had no time to react, it simply passed through his body.

The unscathed elder amusedly chuckled. "Is that anyway to treat an ancestor, Sasuke-kun?" He patted the area the attack passed through as if to rid his cloak of some unseen particles. It was a play to scorn the last Uchiha scion.

For his part, Sasuke didn't react. He carefully communicated a question to Karin. Her response was quick and precise. As he suspected, she hadn't sensed him coming. He had simply appeared there. It really was an annoying attribute.

Madara tilted his head to one side as he watched Hawk's antics. They really were quite cute when frustrated. They couldn't figure out how he remained unharmed. Though he enjoyed tormenting them, they had serious business to discuss. "Tell me Sasuke-kun, what are you doing in Fire?"

Sasuke glared at the masked man. "I captured the Hachibi for you. It's a fair trade for the information you gave me. I'm on my way to deliver justice to the elders and council of Konoha. I'm through with Akatsuki." His glower only intensified when his words were shrugged off with a chuckle.

"Oh, sorry, sorry, I thought I heard you say you captured the Hachibi." Madara's tone changed from mirthful to venomous in an instant. "You honestly thought that thing was the Hachibi?! You failed, Sasuke. If you ever hope to repay your debt to me, you'll capture the real Hachibi."

As the two Uchiha had a glower contest, Karin spoke up. "What are you talking about?! Kira Bii matched the description! He was a jinchuuriki, and the contained spirit was a bull with eight tails."

Suigetsu glared at Hawk's healer and tracker before returning his attention to the ancient warrior. The masked Uchiha knew how to get under their skin. He was just toying with them. Still, he was not amused by the accusation. "We hunted down information on the jinchuuriki and even took what little you had to offer us. Either he escaped you once we handed him over, or your information was wrong."

Madara turned his attention to the shark-like man. His Sharingan spun dangerously as he contemplated killing him for the insult. After a moment, he tossed the idea aside in favor of sharing information. After all, he still needed the Hachibi and Kyuubi if he were to control the great weapon.

He raised a finger and wagged it mockingly. His voice held a chiding edge. "We didn't lose that pitiful thing. We started the extraction process only for it to halt for the strangest of reasons. What you handed over was one of the tails with a powerful Henge to make it look like Kira Bii.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes as the battle replayed in his mind. He didn't know how anything could have escaped his vision. Even when he was injured, he kept one eye trained on the metamorphosed jinchuuriki. The battle was still fresh in his mind, but something tugged annoyingly in his memories.

Madara chimed in amusedly. "The Hachibi is a bull yes, but its eight tails are those of a bull as well." Sasuke's eyes shot open with a renewed glower. "The tail that dropped out of the extraction was a tentacle. So while Kira Bii appeared to be the jinchuuriki of the Hachibi, he held a lesser creature."

Karin crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Wait, hold on…" She lowered her arms to her side as she tried to gather information. "You mean it wasn't the Hachibi no Gyuuki but the Hachibi no Ushi? I thought the bijuu were demons…" She trailed off as she wondered what the answer might be, let alone mean.

Madara scoffed. "That's like asking if it's Kyuubi no Youko or Kyuubi no Kitsune." He turned to face the red-headed kunoichi. "It doesn't really matter what they are. They are our enemies, but they do have a use." They just didn't have the use he kept telling Nagato about. "It's so fun to play with pawns."

Sasuke lowered his gaze. If he didn't think quickly, all the bijuu were going to fall into the ancient Uchiha's hands. It didn't matter once his own plans had succeeded, but he needed one of the jinchuuriki alive for at least the short term. He returned his gaze to his elder with a fierce determination. "Call off Pein." He accentuated every syllable.

Madara faced the last scion of his clan unflinchingly. "That was an interesting request. Why should I order Pein to retreat when he's so close to capturing the Kyuubi?" He shook his head and shrugged his shoulders. "No, no, I think not. I'll accomplish my goals, then you can skitter about to do whatever it is you want."

Sasuke's resolve hardened. "I'm not interfering with your plans." He paused to watch his elder laugh mockingly. "I am asking you to delay them." Those words caught the masked man's attention. Sensing the change in demeanor, Hawk was quickly on guard.

Madara gave them a scornful look, but he did not attack. "You, little whelp, think to ask me to delay my plans? You have the gall to think your plans more important than mine?" He chuckled darkly. "I've been plotting and scheming for over a hundred years, boy. I will not be stopped."

In response, Sasuke shook his head. "No, I never asked you to. However, my plans will be made more difficult or impossible once a particular step in yours has been accomplished." He seemed to have his elder's attention, so he continued. "Uzumaki Naruto will usher in, or at least help usher in, a new line of Uchiha."

Madara felt rage boil up inside of him. "That's presumptuous of you. You assume much, boy. What makes you think I'd let you revive my treasonous family? The fought the Senju so hard for so long, even before my birth or formation of the Uchiha clan. When we finally partnered with them to form Konoha, they pushed us aside to pursue their ideals!"

Sasuke raised a brow. "Who said anything about reviving your treasonous family?"

"What?!" Madara shook.

Sasuke fought a smirk. "I am the last descendent of the Uchiha who betrayed you, and I'm sure you'll still find a use for any heirs I leave. Uzumaki, however, is not descendent of our clan. With the help of…somebody I've screened, he can give rise to a new line of Uchiha. You can think of it as a fresh start."

Madara stopped to consider his descendant's words for a moment. He scratched his chin in careful thought. "What you say does hold some promise. I cannot deny how…interesting it would be to revive the Uchiha anew." He paused and looked over his shoulder. He seemed to be contemplating something as he asked something offhanded. "Who is it you screened?"

Sasuke glared. He had a feeling the question would come up, but he was hoping to avoid it. He wasn't sure how his ancestor would react. Even if negatively, he actually had two candidates. Spiriting one away wasn't a problem, but he preferred to keep things as easy as possible. Still, he couldn't delay. "Hyuuga Hinata is the best candidate I've found."

"Best, but not only?" Madara was amused to see the younger Uchiha instinctively reach for his weapon. "Well, well, it is most certainly an interesting development." He tapped his chin. "The clan records don't indicate who our ancestors might be, but most agreed we were definitely somehow related to the Hyuuga. You think some no-name from an unknown clan might be related?"

Sasuke nodded to Karin, who answered. "'think' is the wrong term. No, I know Uzumaki Naruto carries the necessary genetic characteristics to evolve the Byakugan into the Sharingan." It was generally accepted by Hawk that the Sharingan was an evolution, and she was certain the ancient Uchiha would appreciate the distinction.

"You still seek revenge on the elders of the village?" Madara brought the question out of nowhere. He watched smugly as they fought to regain their composure, and Sasuke's silent nod was the only answer he needed. "Good, then shut up and watch."

"Call off Pein!" Sasuke practically yelled. He didn't like raising his voice. He was used to projecting a fearsome presence. Most cowered in his wake, but nothing seemed to faze his ancestor. It was most definitely unnerving.

Madara merely chuckled. "Don't worry; you can't get there in time." Before the retort could come, he held up his hand and continued. "Sit back and watch. We'll continue our talk once we see the outcome. If I'm feeling generous, I might give you just enough time to attempt reviving the Uchiha with a fresh line from Uzumaki Naruto."

Either way, he was sure to be amused. Nagato was no opponent to take lightly. He was strong, and his Pein Rikudou provided an intense challenge. In the entire siege on Konoha, the shinobi forces had only managed to permanently incapacitate one. Jiraiya had done much the same, and he was alone.

Naruto had just arrived, and he was already displaying something Madara had never dreamed. He was completely suppressing the Kyuubi's chakra, and he was using some strange energy. Whatever it was, it felt similar to what Jiraiya used to battle the Pein Rikudou, and it surrounded him tighter.

The battle was going to be interesting, to say the least. Madara wanted to witness it from a safe distance. Then, and only then, would he consider listening to Sasuke's request. Hawk seemed to realize any further arguments would be futile. They settled in to observe the battle, but only Sasuke and Karin could clearly sense what was going on.

Still, Karin's powerful chakra sense proved invaluable once again. "Sasuke-kun, there's something weird about Naruto's chakra." Every member of Hawk locked their gazes on her. Madara seemed uninterested, but he paid careful attention. "I can't really describe it, but it's like…" She paused to collect her thoughts. "…he's gathering energy from the land around him."

Even to the ancient Uchiha, the statement didn't make any sense, yet it validated what the Sharingan was showing the last survivors of the Uchiha clan. They doubted it was a kekkei genkai, but they couldn't see through the technique; they couldn't copy it. They, however, decided to ignore it in favor of watching the impending battle.

As they made their way through rubble of the streets, they were forced to slow down. Chouji was having trouble keeping his family technique going while carrying Shion. Neither Hinata nor Ino had his level of reserves, so they were feeling extremely tired. They nearly stumbled when they heard debris slide, and they couldn't get into battle ready stances quickly enough.

They let out a sigh of relief when it proved unnecessary. A single ANBU was walking towards them. Her hawk-shaped mask was cracked, and her clothes were torn and dirty. Her raven black hair was loosed from its hiding place, and she had a hand to her abdomen where blood was drying.

Upon seeing their concerned expressions, she held up her free hand. "I'm fine, just a scratch." To a less prepared shinobi, it would have been a fatal would. Without a blood replenishing pill, she would have bled to death. As it was, she was in pain, but it was manageable. The wound was already closing up. It helped that she knew some medical techniques.

She looked over the weary chunin and reached into her equipment pouch. She extracted three small, round pills. They looked like soldier pills, but there was something off about them. She handed them two each. "Eat these. You'll need your strength." As they bit down, she relieved Chouji of the daimyo priestess. "Looks like you guys had a rough time."

Hinata nodded and swallowed. The pills were bitterer than normal soldier pills, but she felt her chakra reserves returning quicker than normal. Her tired and aching body shuddered with relief, and her muscles felt less sore. After a sigh of relief, she elaborated.

"We were attacked by one of the bodies. He was persistent following us." She paused with a shiver. "He also looked disgusting. His chakra was messed up, and I couldn't really tell if he was dead or alive. For whatever reason, he seemed intent on capturing or killing us. We expended a lot of chakra creating Bushin to distract him, but we were on the verge of chakra exhaustion until you showed up."

Hawk nodded. "I could tell." She looked at the visiting dignitary and her daughter, still hitching a ride on Hinata's back. "You did a good job defending our allies from Demons, but why are you heading this way with them? I was under the impression all civilians and VIPs were to be escorted to the Hokage monument."

Chouji nodded. "We were heading there, but Hokage-sama said it would be best for us to turn around and head towards the tower and ANBU headquarters. After all if they're intent on following us, we'd never make it to the shelters in time."

Hawk nodded. "I understand. I'll escort you the rest of the way to Hokage-sama." With Katsuyu on her shoulder, she knew exactly where Tsunade was. All ANBU did. Hinata, Chouji, and Ino may have been ordered to the tower and/or ANBU headquarters, but they might not know about the tower's destruction.

Their reserves restored, they kept the pace their ANBU escort set. Shion and Momiji were still slumbering soundly. They were glad for that fact. They weren't sure how they'd handle the destruction around them. They continued in silence for over half the remaining distance to the tower, but it wasn't really comfortable.

All around them were medics tending to the wounded. Whenever Ino looked to them and asked if they needed help, they waved her past. They were all worried about the city center. Medics were likely most needed there. It was a terrible and heart-wrenching sight for them. Their home was in tatters, and their people were suffering. It was hard for the young, war-ignorant shinobi to grasp.

Upon arriving where Tsunade was with Shikamaru and Rikka, they saw Naruto staring down Pein Rikudou. He was alone against that terrible force. He stood confident and proud. His voice never wavered as he argued, and neither side was about to back down. With words alone, they seemed to be at each others throats. However, it was no new experience to them to hear the blond genin speak with such passionate words.

Ino watched with awe for a moment before she tapped Hinata on the shoulder and leaned in to whisper in her ear. "So, when you gonna tell him?" The shy heir gasped and looked over her shoulder into her friend's eyes. "He's out there fighting, and we really never know when we're going to die in this line of work."

Hinata bowed her head to Ino's serious words. She hated to admit the words rang true. "I-I already told him." She spoke adamantly; though, she doubted the truth to her words. A small doubt building inside her was that Naruto either hadn't heard or understood. He was Konoha's number one knuckleheaded ninja.

Ino rolled her eyes. "Oh, when are you going to come off it? That was a dream for goodness sake!" She rested a hand on her him. "Listen, I've gotta go see about the injured here, but think about this. What do you think a guy likes more, hearing something in the real world or where it can be written off as the imaginings of a dream?"

Before Hinata could give a reply, Ino was running off. She didn't want to answer out loud, so she silently slid to the ground and positioned Momiji to as restful a position as she could. She interlaced her hands in contemplative prayer, a single tear trailing down her cheek.

Ino was right, of course. She could admit that much to herself. She had contemplated those very words before. She had confessed in a dream. She was fully aware of it. The dense blond had even tensed up so much that his muscles had frozen. She wondered if he had even breathed or blinked the entire time she spilled out her feelings.

She looked up when she felt the shockwave of a mighty crash. Two massive creatures were held aloft by two of the most massive Rasengan she had ever seen. They were easily as tall as her crush, and they exuded such raw power. She swallowed as she imagined his muscular body ripped with tension.

Naruto deserved better than the confession she gave him. He was out there fighting for the people he cared about. Perhaps speaking more to his character, he was out there fighting for people who hated and tortured him as a child. He was fighting for his dream, and he was redoubling the respect he had already earned.

The rumors spreading about Naruto were growing more interesting and positive with each passing day. Training with Jiraiya was enough to improve his reputation, and every mission since graduating the academy only amplified that training. If he was skilled enough to help defeat Zabuza and be recognized with the christening of a bridge before journeying with Jiraiya, one could only imagine how powerful he would be upon returning.

He had saved princesses, been proposed to no less than twice…that she knew of, and never waivered in his determination. He had saved Konoha from a demon born of human hatred, and then he saved the very Kazekage he helped endear to his people. Slowly, through determination and love, he had turned the people over to his side.

Hinata watched as Naruto's toad allies jumped into battle. It was a sight to watch. They didn't approach the Pein Rikudou, but they didn't allow a single creature the female summoned near their contractor. They fought in rhythm, and they managed to balance each other out.

She felt her heart flutter. She was definitely going to tell him. With her own lips, she was going to say what she only could in dreams. She didn't care if he rejected her. Like always, watching him filled her with determination and fire. She felt it well in the core of her soul. A smile etched its way onto her face. His spirit never failed to shine through.

She would watch. She would let the impact he made grow. She would always love him. She would always wait for him. He was her one and only. He was her fire, her salvation. He was the light that showed her path and ignited her will.

Naruto stepped back to take stock of the situation. The toads could easily handle any summons Pein sent out. They didn't seem to have a will of their own, so they were easy to predict. According to the report, the concentric rings in their eyes were a kekkei genkai, the Rinnegan.

They didn't know all the abilities associated with the Rinnegan. However, it did allow them to share their vision with each other. It was also likely the real Pein was watching from nearby. Shikamaru had determined, after hearing how Rikka's kekkei genkai worked, that the real Pein was relaying his chakra somehow. He was, with a high probability, very high up.

With everything he knew, he still had one more theory to test out. The only unidentified body was likely the one capable of reviving. He decided to take the initiative. He signed for an elemental technique. "Fuuton: Kazeken!" Instead of a single blade of wind, a tendril of wind whipped out. It sent two slices of wind towards Tendou.

Still weakened, he nonetheless stood his ground. As expected, Gakidou intercepted the two blades. Without hesitation, Naruto pulled the tendril back and kicked off the chubby body. As he crashed into the lead body, the blond genin took aim at his real target. With a mischievous smirk, he molded his chakra.

He opened his hand, and the first stage of the Rasengan took shape. Instead of letting it fully take shape, he forced it into the Kazeken tendril. He announced his new attack as he drove it through Ningendou's chest. "Fuuton: Rasenkei!" Powerful chakra exploded out Ningendou's back, and he collapsed without so much as a spray of blood.

He jumped back when Gakidou and a summon beast tried to attack him. He didn't fight the smirk that grew as he basically confirmed what he wanted to. He figured Chikushoudou wouldn't attack because she was in charge of summoning, but Jigokudou was who he was interested in.

The body stayed out of the way, and he was already working on reviving the fallen Ningendou. He landed next to Fukusaku and Shima. "Hey, you notice how that one's staying out of the battle?"

They nodded, and Fukusaku spoke up. "Yeah, he did that when we fought alongside Jiraiya, too. We never got to see him revive one of the bodies, but we noticed how he never seemed to do anything but hang back."

Shima remained silent for a long moment before she spoke her mind. "We honestly thought he was spyin' for 'em or somethin'. They can all see what the others see, so it made sense."

Naruto nodded and crossed his fingers. "Kage Bushin no Jutsu!" Two Kage Bushin flanked him and he held his hand behind him. The toads noticed what he was doing and made preparations to get out of his way when the time came. He may have been able to make the regular and large versions of the Rasengan by himself, but his most powerful attack still required Kage Bushin to split the concentration.

Tendou watched curiously as Gakidou prepared. His hands were already in position to absorb the incoming chakra. Ningendou rose steadily, and Jigokudou remained nearby. Chikushoudou continued summoning creature after creature. Observing what they did, Nagato was curious what the blond was going to try to pull off.

As Naruto and his Kage Bushin continued to mold and shape chakra, it grew denser and denser. A razor sharp edge formed and stretched outward. A loud, repetitive buzz started as a low hum but grew louder. The ball glowed with the intensity of chakra and wind trapped within the spinning sphere.

He held it aloft, and his Kage Bushin rushed forward. The toads took the cue and leapt back. They formed a semicircle around him as they fended off every summon beast thrown at them. Naruto's expression was solemn as he attached himself to the powerful attack with minute chakra strings.

He cocked his arm back and swung hard forward. "Fuuton: Rasenshuriken!" A summon tried to intercept the Kage Bushin to allow Gakidou to absorb the incoming attack. It flew and buzzed like a large shuriken cutting through air. The summon only managed to stop one Kage Bushin. The other slipped past its guard and locked in grapple with Gakidou.

Tendou had no other choice. Pulling on his still meager strength, he grabbed the nearest bodies and aimed open palms straight at the ground. He could only save Gakidou and Chikushoudou from certain death, but the final Kage Bushin was absorbed by the chakra-eating body.

Tendou could only watch as Ningendou and Jigokudou were caught in the effective blast radius. They were swallowed by a torrent of cutting winds with no end in sight. Their Rinnegan tried to capture the details, but even the famous eyes of a self-proclaimed god couldn't compete with the shear magnitude the attack demonstrated.

It cut into the bodies countless times, and they fell to the ground useless and broken. Their chakra pathways were cut to ribbons, and their communication rods were all but shattered. Without Jigokudou, they couldn't revive any more bodies. They simply didn't have the resources to scout replacement bodies, and adjusting to replacement bodies took time. It was one of the reasons Nagato had waited over a month to attack Konoha after Jiraiya's failed mission.

Naruto wore a confident smirk as he snapped his fingers. "That got 'im!" The toads pumped a webbed foot each in the air and charged into battle again. Standing back, the blond wiped sweat from his brow. "That took more out of me than I thought it would. I can't let my guard down yet."

He pointedly glared at Tendou. "That one has a powerful jutsu, and I can't just rush headlong into that. I've gotta think things through this time. I can't just summon hundreds of clones to study my opponent this time." He had to keep enough concentration for the two clones still under a waterfall of toad oil. He needed them for when his senjutsu wore off.

He wasn't one for holding back, though. He molded chakra and went through the appropriate hand seals for Kazeken again, but he seemed to add in a few extra. "Hey Fukusaku-sensei, keep an eye on them and tell me what you learn. I'm going to go observe things first hand! Fuuton: Daishou Rasenkei!"

Fukusaku shook his head, and Shima palmed her face. The blond was reckless and a showoff. However, they had to admit he had a battle sense like no one else. In response to Sasuke's Chidori manipulations, Naruto had developed his own for Rasengan. It used the free willed spirit of wind, so the form was more like a whip than the initial technique should have indicated.

He had even found a way to manipulate Kazeken to stay attached to his arm. The whip-like tendril was all he needed to inspire his invention of the Rasenkei and Daishou Rasenkei. They were powerful attacks giving Naruto superb close and mid range defense and offense. He could parry enemy attacks and lash out at the same time. It afforded him a powerful advantage.

Of course, Tendou and Gakidou were no slouches either. The very natures of their techniques were offensive and defensive at once. Tendou pushed an enemy or attack away, often causing some form of impact damage. Gakidou could absorb most any attack, and his touched drained shinobi dangerously.

Naruto avoided both for the moment. Gamabunta, Yusuke, Keiko, and Kuwabara concentrated on him as soon as they saw where the blond genin was heading. Gamakichi and Gamatsu concentrated on Gakidou. They mainly kept their distance and carefully attacked with ninjutsu.

Naruto was going after Chikushoudou. With the reviver out of the way, the summoner became the priority. They could worry about dealing with the absorber and pusher in a moment. Her ability to call more summon beasts to the field was a huge problem. Worse, she seemed to call on summon beasts already killed in the heat of combat.

He lost track of how many times he or somebody else had killed that massive, multi-headed canine.

He closed in, and she desperately summoned beasts to intercept his path. He calmly and easily sliced through each hapless creature, and she still summoned hordes to stop him. He kept his gaze locked on her as the Daishou Rasenkei seemed to grow in strength with each passing moment.

He was an arm stretch away, and she finally gave up. She looked at him unflinchingly as he crossed his arms in front of him with devastating effect. Her Rinnegan went dead as her body fell into four lumps on the ground. He showed no satisfaction at taking out an enemy and turned to Tendou and Gakidou.

Hinata, Chouji, and Ino expended a lot of chakra to fool and continue fooling Ningendou. Hawk basically saved them.

Rikka wasn't created for the first arc. In fact, I'd have never conceived her if not for a fatal flaw in the Raiton teleportation technique. Also originally, Daikichi was just a prop; he died in a raid, end of story. It was only Yumiko, Saiga, and Basuto. However, they couldn't pull off the abduction the way I planned, so I created a 'generic physic character' and profiled said character to fit the Naruto universe. Then Saiga became Yumiko and Daikichi's son. Then I had the idea for introducing kekkei genkai blends, failed ones however. At that point, I had developed Yumiko's family and attributes, and Rikka just fleshed herself out. Literally, I have no idea how exactly her image and personality spawned in my head. Also originally, all the bad guys died under a mountain collapse...due to Hinata... Yeah, that ended up not happening.

Rikka is my author's version of the ensemble dark horse because I literally just started loving how she turned out. I wrote up Hinata's abduction without thinking of Rikka at all, and a lot of the next chapter had to be rewritten or reworked because of her inclusion. I also wasn't sure if she would survive to the Pein arc. A lot of my plans changed when she decided to flesh herself out, and I don't really mind.

The glyphs last update (Chapter 23: Battle Preparation) are based loosely on magic (mana) rather than chakra. With a chakra-based summoning, the summoned is recalled or destroyed with the summoner. With magic, it's possible that the backwash will only destroy the glyphs and anything directly attached to them. As I said, it's loosely based. Naruto and the other toads were already summoned, so the glyphs and circle had fulfilled their purpose. Foreign energy was introduced and followed the already existing pathways.

As always, reviews are appreciated, and flames outright ignored.

Story Word Count: 8,064
Story Page Count: 17

Terms and Jutsu:

Youko versus Kitsune: A youko is a demon fox (see also Kurama of YuYu Hakusho), and a kyuubi is a fox.

Gyuuki versus Ushi: A gyuuki is a demon bull, and an ushi is a bull.

Kitsune and Ushi: I prefer the use of these not because they are cannon but because I hate the ushi-oni, or gyuuki, and kitsune fits more to some future developments to my fan fiction.

Fuuton: Rasenkei - Wind Release: Spiral Whip: Rasenkei is a powerful attack combining the first stage of Rasengan and elements of Kazeken. It ebbs and flows like a whip, but it cuts like a blade.

Fuuton: Daishou Rasenkei - Wind Release: Big and Small Spiral Whip: Daishou Rasenkei is no more powerful than Rasenkei, but it forms one whip attached to each arm.