Resurrection in D Minor

Disclaimer: Naruto belongs to Kishimoto. This is purely an exercise in creativity and practice

Beneath the flickering surface of a massive purple box, Hiruzen Sarutobi, Third Hokage of the village of Konoha stared in horror at the sight before him. Stepping out of two of three, stood his teachers, the First and Second Hokages, Hashirama and Tobirama Senju, their bodies ashen and cracked, like corpses. Behind them, leering eagerly at the aged leader, was his former student, the snake-like Orochimaru.

"So, this kid managed to pull off that technique of mine, huh, Saru?" Tobirama canted his head lightly to the side, studying Orochimaru with sunken eyes set in cracked, ashen skin. "Friend of yours?"

"My former student, sensei." Sarutobi admitted reluctantly as he half bowed his head.

"Yes, and as much as I find this such a wonderfully reunion between you dottering old fools, this is a battle." Orochimaru chuckled darkly as he smirked back at the Hokages, two tagged kunai slipping down into one hand.

"Mah... such an impatient student you have, Saru." Tobirama noted almost boredly as his fingers twitched unnoticed at his side. "Still, rather impressive what he's done... Still, does he even know what he's doing?"

Next to him, the similarly desicated form of his brother merely arched a brow in silence as Orochimaru and Sarutobi both faltered slightly.

"I can assure you, I do..." Orochimarue's eyes narrowed into twin slits as he glared back at the almost bored look the Second Hokage seemed to convey. "Or do you think that your presence here is mere coincidence?"

"There have been stranger things that have happened." Tobirama nodded his head in agreement. "Quite possible that you were trying for something completely different and you're very, very good at recovering."

Orochimaru managed to keep his flinch annoyance to the barest of ripples across his features as his lips curled back into a snarl. "Yes, of course, and the fact that I'm quite ready to restore you to your true forms and send you into battle?"

"Ah, then I suppose you do have a fairly strong grasp of the technique. I assume you went and set up appropriate measures against its dangers?" Tobirama answered back as his lips quirked slightly upwards.

"Dangers?" Orochimaru smirked softly as he casually drew his fingers up, lifting the sealed kunai in hand. "Really, do you think you're senile prattling would distract me, old man?"

"No." Tobirama shook his head, before pausing slightly. "There is a very, very real danger to this technique. Do you know what that is?"

"Hmph." Orochimaru snorted disdainfully once more as he half glared back at the former Hokage, the kunai in his hand momentarily forgotten. "And I suppose you're going to enlighten me then?"

"Well, it's really quite simple." Tobirama smiled back at the sannin as his fingers finally went still. "You can go and raise someone who knows infinitely more about this technique than you."

"So he can what, blather on and on before I turn him into my little puppet and use him to destroy what he helped create?" There was that familiar smirk of amusement, curling over the paled faced man's lips as he continued that angry glare back at the grey haired man.

"No, that was just the distraction." Tobirama admitted, smiling slightly as Orochimaru's eyes widened in realization just a moment too late as he slammed his hand down onto the ground in front of him. "So he can turn it around for his own purposes."

There was a sudden explosion of smoke, filling the air, as Orochimaru leaped backwards out of its way, cursing loudly as he landed with no small amount of irritation written on his features. "Damned annoying old corpse!"

"Wow." The voice was muffled lightly as it left the rapidly clearing smoke, before revealing a sight none of the onlookers were expecting. "Now that was a rush."

Standing there, his lips quirked in amusement, was a completely rejuvenated Tobirama Senju. A completely rejuvenated, 14 year old Tobirama Senju who was grinning back at another, still smoke clouded figured. "Ha! It actually worked!"

"... Tobi..." The muffled voice held an audible tone of irritation through the smoke.

"Err, yes, Hashi?" That tone immediately made the reborn Hokage shift, nervously backwards as the smoke finally cleared, to reveal a similarly reborn, 14 year old Hashirama Senju, with one, minor, change.

A 14 year old, visibly female Hashirama Senju. "... Why am I a girl?"

"Errr..." Tobi offered hopefully as he jerked his thumb over at the gawking Orochimaru. "He used a girl to summon you back, sooooo..."

"... You do realize I'm going to kill you for this, yes?" Hashirama stated with a cold, blunt tone in her voice, before blinking slightly and canting her head to the side. "... And why do I hear a girl throwing a fit?"

"Huh, guess she was a bit further from death than the one he used for me." Tobirama shrugged again before grinning back at Hashirama. "But look on the bright side! We're alive again!"

"... You mean, alive again, instead of enjoying my nice, calm, relaxing afterlife with my wife?" Hashirama answered back as she slowly enunciated the last word. "You remember Mito, don't you?"

"Um, she was rather difficult to forget, yes." Tobirama agreed with a reluctant nod of his head while shifting nervously about.

"Good, I'm sure she'll be absolutely delighted you remembered her." There was a grim set to the girl's lips as she crossed her arms about her chest. "Especially once we die, again."

"Not if we straighten little Tsu-chan out and help out that Uzumaki kid!" Tobirama quickly back pedaled as he held his hands up defensively in front of him. "I mean, think about how she'd react if we didn't do anything to help them!"

"Ahem." Sarutobi coughed softly to draw the Hokage's attention back to him. "Excuse me, Sensei, but there is still a fight going on."

"He's your student, you deal with him." Tobirama waved his hand dismissively. "We're busy right now."

Orochimaru couldn't help but stare at the pair of legends that had, until moments ago been his trump card in what was meant to be the final battle against his mentor. A psychological and strategic edge that would guarantee his victory. Only, somehow, things had terribly horribly wrong.

"Yes, but all of Konoha is under attack, and the longer it goes on, the more damage the village will suffer..." Sarutobi couldn't help but stare back at his former teachers, and the sheer... irresponsibility they seemed to be exuding.

"You mean, the Konoha that made the last scion of our most steadfast of allies into a pariah?" Hashirama's new voice dripped with acid as she turned her eyes fully onto Sarutobi and glared at the man. "You remember the Uzumaki clan, don't you, Sarutobi? My wife's clan?"

"Or, hey, let's talk about how he's been protecting this village just like his mother and my sister-in-law did for how long again?" Tobirama cut in as he crossed his arms about his chest and glared as well at his student. "We didn't found this village just so people could spit on the memories of those that helped make it what it is."

"Let's not forget he's the son of a Hokage." Hashirama agreed with a nod of her own as her glare only intensified in strength. "You remember him, don't you? Minato Namikaze? The man that sacrificed his very soul to protect this village? And how do you honor his sacrifice?"

"So you're just going to let Konoha burn?" Sarutobi shot back with a glare as his own eyes narrowed. "Let him and the people he cares about burn?"

"Ugh, monkey boy has a point." Tobi muttered slightly as he still half glared at his old student. "I suppose we should…"

"Fine." Hashi grumbled as she quickly made a series of hand signs then slammed her palm against the roof top.

Instantly, the wood release erupted at the four corners of the purple barrier, grabbing hold of each of the Sound Four, as suddenly they vanished from sight, and with it, their technique faltered. Orochimaru's eyes narrowed into slits as he hissed quietly, then quickly darted back, narrowly avoiding the blast of water crashing towards him from Tobirama. When he settled again on his feet, he glared back at his former teacher.

"You've managed to put off your death a little longer, sensei. But, only a bit." And with that, he was racing away, retreating into the distance.

"We'll deal with him another time, Hashi." Tobi grumbled before glancing over at his brother, or was it sister now, he wasn't sure.

"Fine, let's go make sure the boy is safe." With a grunt the girl launched herself off of the roof and began to race towards the distance where they could see the gigantic demon tanuki.

"Well, have fun mopping up around here, Saru." Tobi offered cheerfully, before pausing just before he could jump off. "We'll talk about how you… misplaced my sword later."

Sarutobi palmed his face with a sigh, before suddenly he was surrounded by ANBU. "Hokage-sama, your orders?"

Shaking his head, the old man grunted only for a moment before looking around his village. "Capture as many as you can, kill the ones you can't."

-o-o-o-