(Here you go guys.)
The day after the mission to retrieve the artifact of the Tengu Shredder, Naruto had hidden it in the Foot Temple. The next day, Naruto was in his Shredder armor practicing with the sword of Tengu at the training field, "Yah!" Naruto called unleashed a few shockwaves from the sword incinerating some training dummies.
Naruto then heard applauding and he turned seeing Kakashi, "I see you're still up to the peak of your strength, Naruto."
"I have to be Kakashi-sensei, after all if the Tengu Shredder should come I need my strength to be at full." Naruto explained as he sheathed his sword.
"Have you heard any word from Shikamaru, Chouji, Hinata, or Lee?" Kakashi asked.
"Nothing yet, but I got this feeling they will be coming back soon. Call it instinct." Naruto said to his sensei.
"Well I hope they're doing all right, because if what you say about the Tribunal is true, then your friends may very well be enduring the harshest type of training in their lives." Kakashi believed.
"Maybe sensei, but I believe in them just as you believe in us." Naruto replied and Kakashi eye miled in response.
"Well I got a mission right now, so carry on in your training." Kakashi said taking his leave.
"Arigato sensei." Naruto said, as he left as well heading back to the Foot Temple.
Meanwhile not too far from the village, Sasuke and the heralds were on their way to Konoha that very moment. Sasuke was deep in thought, 'I wonder just how much stronger Naruto has gotten since I've been away.'
Meanwhile back in the village at the Foot temple, Naruto was having tea with Ino peacefully, until Naruto's body started getting covered in his red chi markings, "Naruto what's wrong?" Ino asked.
"I sense danger approaching." Naruto replied as his eyes firmed.
Suddenly Hun burst into the room, "Master, we got problems."
Naruto stood up, "Hun, what's the situation?"
"The herald's sir, they're back." Hun panted.
Naruto's eyes lit up and Ino looked shocked, "Here in the village?" Ino asked.
"Yes mistress, and there's more…" Hun started, "Sasuke is leading them."
Naruto's and Ino's eyes widened with surprise and distraught, "Ino suit up!" Naruto ordered, as they headed to get into their armors.
Hun hurried back up to help the other ninja, who were already fighting back against the heralds. Back above a majority of the Chunin and Jonin who weren't out on missions, the Foot ninja, and Anbu were trying to hold back the five mystics who were appear to be searching, "Where is the artifact?" the Fire mystic demanded.
"We aren't telling you anything." Kiba shot back as he and Akamaru tried to attack with their Gatsuuga technique.
The Earth mystic appeared before the fire one, catching both Kiba and Akamaru and threw them aside like they were nothing, "If you refuse to give us the artifact, we will be forced to tear this whole village apart." The Wind mystic warned them.
"You will do no such thing!" Neji called, as he and the three other elite arm themselves and tried to attack, but sadly their speed and skills weren't fast enough to subdue the powerful mystics.
Meanwhile Naruto, who had got above ground with Ino both in their armors, took off in different parts. Ino went to help the others against the mystics, while Naruto had an even bigger worm to hook. He was standing around on a rooftop in the village looking at where the mystics were but knew he wasn't with them. He knew the only way to draw him out now, "SASUKE GET OUT HERE!" Naruto shouted in command.
A snicker was then heard very close to him, "You called?" Sasuke asked as he appeared in a Shunshin of fire.
"Sasuke?" Naruto gasped.
"It's been a long time, oh mighty Shredder. Is that new armor you're wearing?" Sasuke asked in a mocking manner.
Naruto frowned beneath his helmet, "You have a lot of nerve showing your face here again especially the runaway stunt you pulled when you left for Orochimaru!"
"Well if it makes you feel any better Orochimaru is the least of anyone's problems now. My new associates finished him for good." Sasuke explained.
"Associates, you mean the heralds?" Naruto asked.
"Yes, and they have offered me a greater power than that snake could ever afford to give me." Sasuke said as he held up his arm which had the Tengu Shredder's gauntlet.
"Sasuke you're tampering with power beyond your understanding!" Naruto warned him.
"It's the only way if I aim to defeat Itachi once and for all!" Sasuke argued back.
"And then what, if you killed him, what would you do after?" Naruto asked him, "You're a nuke-nin now Sasuke. The entire ninja land wants your head on a pike just like they want Itachi's."
"Then I'll deal with it." Sasuke shot back.
Naruto sighed knowing there's no getting through to his thick skull, "Sorry Sasuke, but there's no way you can go on being a nuke-nin on the run. No one's ever going to help you. Which is why it's my job to see that you fall by the hands of the village that was once your home!" he declared pointing his right arm blades at him.
"Really? Well come on and try it." Sasuke smirked as he drew his sword.
"With pleasure." Naruto replied drawing the Tengu sword.
Both fighters powered their sword with electrical energy from Sasuke's Chidori, and the Tengu sword powered its own energy and the two went at it in swordplay, while jumping around the village roofs, "Pretty good moves Naruto. It looks like you were serious about getting stronger than me." Sasuke said as he deflected a sword strike from Naruto using his own.
"I vowed that not only would I become the stronger Shredder, but that I would also be the one to take you down!" Naruto added as he struck again and deflected a blow from Sasuke's sword.
They continued their swordplay, leading them closer and closer to where the heralds were fighting the Foot and the Chunin and Jonin. Watching from the window of her office was Tsunade, who looked concerned, "So Sasuke has returned to retrieve the artifact, Naruto be careful."
Back with the heralds, they noticed Sasuke and Naruto getting closer to their location, "So there's the brat who takes the name of the Shredder in vain." The Metal mystic said.
"You will not talk down upon my master!" Hun growled as he formed hand signs and blew fireballs right for the Metal herald, but the water mystic blocked the attack putting the fire out with its water element.
"Don't you see it yet? You cannot defeat the heralds of the Shredder with mere jutsu." The Fire mystic taunted.
Sasuke who had heard them, jumped from his spar with Naruto, landing by the Mystics side, "Yes, and with their power I will defeat Itachi." Sasuke added.
Naruto landed on the opposite, "There's no way we're letting any of you get away with this."
"That's enough! Where is the cask?" The Wind mystic demanded.
"Sorry, but we saw it first." Naruto replied like a smart allec.
"If you don't hand it over then we'll destroy this village!" The Fire mystic threatened them.
"Just try it." Naruto challenged them.
Suddenly a little rat scurried up the Earth mystic to its ear, and chattered something to him. "I know where the cask is now!"
"No!" Naruto gasped.
"Show us the way!" Sasuke ordered.
"Follow me!" The Earth mystic said, as he hurried off with the other heralds and Sasuke after him.
"Don't let them retrieve the artifact!" Naruto ordered, as his troops charge after them and he thought, 'Guys we need help!'
His thoughts echoed all the way to Shikamaru, Hinata, Lee, and Chouji still in their new armors and helmets, who's heads shot up as their instructors looked at them in their own separate realms, "What do you sense Shikamaru?" Kon asked.
"Something's going down in Konoha, and it's bad." Shikamaru answered.
While with Hinata and Chikara, "I feel as if my master is in trouble, and needs my help." Hinata told Chikara.
With Juto and Lee, Juto responded to Lee as if the acolyte has just said exactly what Hinata said, "Then you must go acolyte, for your village needs you."
Hisomi had his dragon assistant give him last minute words for Chouji, "But remember all you have been taught about the body, soul, and mind. For harnessing the strength from each is the key to defeating the true enemy that lies ahead.
A four-way split screen of all four ninjas was shown as they all nod as if their instructors told them the same thing. In a flash of light, they all appeared back to where they found the shrines far from each other. Thanks to all of their training they were able to meet up in one location with Chouji using his newfound speed, Hinata levitating on a rock, Shikamaru through a swirl of wind, and Lee appearing from lightning, "It seems we've all learned a lot in the last couple of weeks." Shikamaru noticed.
"Yes, and now it is time we return to help our master." Lee added.
"Yes, the village needs our help." Hinata nodded.
"Then let's go!" Chouji called as they hurried off.
Back in Konoha, Sasuke and the heralds infiltrated the Foot, while Ino and the other Foot ninja tried fighting them off until Sasuke approached Ino with a sinister smirk on his face, "Ah if it isn't my old teammate, Ino."
"Get back Sasuke! I will not let you intrude on the sanctity of the Foot!" Ino warned him as she readied her sword.
"Don't make me laugh." Sasuke said as he unleashed lightning from his body similar to the Chidori.
'He can cover his whole body with Chidori?' Ino thought in surprise.
Sasuke was about to use it on Ino until, "Mistress Ino!" The female Foot ninja Hyoku called pushing her out of the way taking the attack which immobilized her body.
"Hyoku!" Ino called as Sasuke walked past her.
"No!" Ino tried to stop him, but was knocked aside by the Metal mystic.
"It's here." The Earth mystic said to the others.
"Search everything!" the Fire mystic called as they started tearing the temple apart.
"No!" Ino tried to stop them but wasn't strong enough to fight them, just like the other Foot ninja.
Sasuke finally approached a cabinet and opened it up looking at the helmet, "I've found it!"
"At last!" the Fire mystic raised its staff.
"We got what we needed let's go." The Water mystic said, as they were about to leave but saw Naruto, Hun, and all the other Foot ninja standing in the doorway.
"You have violated the sanctity of Master Saki! You demons will pay with your lives!" Naruto shouted with his eyes glowing red and Kyubi chakra was surrounding him.
"Take the cask. I'll deal with him!" Sasuke said, handing the Wind mystic the helmet, and they started to escape even with Hun and the Foot trying to retrieve the cask back, while keeping them from escaping.
Meanwhile Sasuke was smirking at Kyubi Naruto in his new Shredder armor. He went into his second level of the cursed seal and they went at it just as they did years ago in the valley, only this time Sasuke seemed to have the upper hand against Naruto who was trying ever so desperately to stop his once comrade. Sasuke using a Chidori manage to strike at Naruto knocking him down into a pillar, as Sasuke landed before him, "You've lost Naruto. The helmet is mine, but don't worry I'll save you the trouble of carrying on with your guilt in the world." He said as he blew fire streams all around the temple setting it on fire, "See ya round Shredder." Sasuke said mockingly as he vanished in a Shunshin of flames.
Naruto who was weakened from all the fighting, managed to look up seeing fire all around him until he blacked out. While at the entrance the Foot was evacuating with Hun trying to drag Ino out, "Come on Mistress we have to go!"
"But Naruto!" Ino cried as she tried to go back but they were cut off by a fallen pillar signaling they had no choice but to leave.
They all made it out of the burning underground temple along with Hyoku who was being treated by Sakura, while Tsunade, Shizune, and several Anbu arrived to see Kushina shaking Hun by the shoulders, "Where's Naruto, where's my baby?" Kushina demanded out of Hun.
"I'm sorry mistress there was nothing we could've done." Hun said with his head down.
Kushina's eyes looked filled with sadness as if it was dejavu all over again, "No!" he started sobbing as Tsunade comforted her.
Suddenly in a gust of wind there stood Shikamaru and the others, "What's happened?"
"Shikamaru?" Ino asked with tears in her eyes.
"What's going on here?" Chouji asked looking around.
"We were invaded by the Foot mystics. They got one of the artifacts, and Naruto's…" Ino tried to say but couldn't bring herself to say it, as Sakura comforted her.
"We were too late." Hinata gasped.
"No!" Lee gasped.
Shikamaru looked down, "We've failed."
Suddenly their chi markings started appearing all over their bodies as a sign, and bursting out from under the ground was a black and gray dragon with red claws and wings. It roared to the sky and it looked to everyone, "What the?" Haku gasped.
"No way!" Neji gasped.
"Is that?" Yoroi asked.
"Naruto?" Shikamaru asked.
The dragon landed on the ground and transformed back into Naruto still wearing his armor, but dropped to his knees and almost onto his face but kept his hands on the ground keeping him up a bit. His helmet ended up falling off his head as he panted, "Naruto!" Ino and Kushina cried.
"Master Shredder!" the Foot ninja gasped as they rushed to their leader helping him up.
"Master are you ok?" Sakura asked making sure he was breathing.
Naruto coughed up some smoke, "I'm all right, but the temple of the Foot, of Master Saki is gone." Naruto said shedding some tears.
Hours later, Naruto was still standing before the large hole he created when he burst out in his dragon form, until Ino, Hun, Tsunade, Shizune, Kushina, his Foot ninja, Jiraiya, and the four chosen dragons approached, "The Foot temple may be gone, but what matters most is that we're all ok." He said.
"This was our fault, master." Chouji began in sorrow.
"If we had gotten back sooner we could've helped you." Hinata said feeling bad.
"No Hinata, this was an event that even I should have seen coming," Naruto replied, "But now that it's come to pass we still need to carry on our mission," He turned to everyone, "We may have lost the battle here, but the war has just begun. And we're going to win the war."
The four chosen ones approached Naruto, "And we shall be there to help you." Lee promised.
"We've completed our training with the Tribunal, and we're ready to take on our enemies now." Chouji added.
"I am pleased to hear that." Naruto answered.
"And you were able to turn your dragon spirit into an avatar." Shikamaru noted.
"Yes Shikamaru. You learned well from Kon, and I know you've all learned well from your respected senseis," Naruto said looking at each of them, "All right then, whatever happens from here on out, we're in it together right?" he puts his hand out.
"Hai." Hinata said putting hers on Naruto's followed by Lee, Chouji, then Shikamaru.
Suddenly Ino put her hand in along with Hun, Zabuza, Haku, Jiraiya, and all the Foot clan bowed their head signaling they're in all the way as well.
Meanwhile far from Konoha, the heralds and Sasuke were by a waterfall, "At last," Sasuke said holding the helmet above his head before putting it on, infusing him with more of the Tengu's energy, "This energy coursing through my veins is stronger than ever."
"It is not over yet." The Fire mystic said.
"There remains one final artifact in order for the power to be completed." The Earth mystic said.
"Then we should find it." Sasuke suggested.
"Yes, for with only one artifact left, the true Shredder shall resurface." The Wind Mystic said.
"And that's when I'll take the power and finish Itachi." Sasuke said before walking off with the Mystics trailing behind smirking to themselves.
'Foolish mortal.' They thought.
Meanwhile inside a dark cave, stood ten silhouettes of people who were wearing Akatsuki cloaks, "What reason have we been summoned here?" Itachi asked looking to one member who appeared to have been leading them.
"It is because I have discovered the one Jinchuriki host to top all the Jinchurikis." The leader said.
"You don't say Pain-sama, who is it hmm?" one member with one invisible eye asked.
"Well Deidara, this is what I mean." Pain said performing a summoning jutsu and appearing in the center was a casket with the Foot symbol on it.
"What is this?" another member said looking like something with a hunched back.
"This Sasori, is the casket containing the one, and the only, Tengu Shredder host." Pain answered.
"Tengu Shredder?" Kisame asked.
"Yes. I've done numerous studies on him, and a portion of his power was sealed inside this very casket. If we can harness its power we will not require the nine Jinchuriki." Pain explained.
"Ooh, looks like we got ourselves a break right, Itachi?" Kisame asked Itachi who didn't say a word.
"However, we cannot manifest its power at this current state. We shall all have to meet in person in order to completely harness it." Pain explained.
"We're meeting together in person are we? We haven't done that in years." One member carrying a three bladed scythe said.
"Yes, so prepare yourselves. We shall meet at this same location as soon as possible. Until then you're all dismissed." Pain said as the silhouettes vanished and the casket vanished as well.
(There you go for now.)