Chapter 24: The War to End all Wars

From where she stood on the roof top, Tsunade stared out at the tree-lined border of Konoha. She could hear the enemy advancing, though she could not see them through the trees.

A slap in the face. They wanted her to know they were coming. Any other war had been fought with the quiet deadliness of shinobi.

But not this battle. This fight extended beyond the code of ninja.

On every side of her stood Konoha's own. The rooftops were covered with them. They all stood—silent and waiting—searching for the first hint of the enemy through the forest line.

A distant crash could be heard.

And another.

And another.

Tsunade took a deep breath. Although she stood among many, she stood alone now. Anyone who had seen her as more than just the Hokage was gone. Shizune was dead—Jiraiya and Sakura lost, possibly for good.

Naruto. She swallowed.

"I'll be Hokage someday!"

She set her jaw stubbornly.

She'd hold Akatsuki back as long as she could. She'd hold them back because the hopes and dreams of so many people rested within the hidden village.

She'd do her best.

Tsunade's eyes narrowed as shadowed figures appeared within the trees. And a giant, jewel-eyed head appeared above the forest.

First line of attack

She raised her hand. "For Konoha!"

The leaf shinobi rushed forward.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Giant plumes of smoke could be seen rising in the distance.

At the sight of them, Naruto's heart skipped a beat. He felt Sakura place a hand on his shoulder.

"Is that Konoha?" She asked.

He could only shake his head in uncertainty.

Hachimata called back to them. "Oi, Kyuubi! Is that your village I smell on the wind?" She grinned wickedly. "Perhaps this was all for nothing, no?"

She arced gracefully through the air. "Just a few more minutes and it'll be in sight."

At the rear of the group, Kakashi and Jiraiya clutched at the leafy vines covering the massive green dragon. They, too, could see the distant haze of black hanging in the sky.

"Kakashi," The sannin said grimly. "Do you see what I see?"

The copy nin looked out at the horizon.

A large wooden head with glowing eyes stared back at him.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Shikamaru!" Tsunade called from her position behind the stone wall. "Find a way to keep those enemy shinobi away from this area! We've got to keep this place for the wounded!"

The green-clad youth frowned slightly but nodded, disappearing from the Hokage's sight.

Tsunade wiped the sweat from her forehead. She wanted to be out there fighting with her people but she knew that her expertise as a medical ninja was more important.

For the last few hours, the town had been overrun by enemy shinobi. Tsunade did not waste time seeing who they were specifically, but due to the poison found in many of the injuries she saw, she assumed a majority of them were Grass ninjas.

Akatsuki are using shinobi from the countries they have taken over. Her brown eyes narrowed in disgust. How like them to force others to fight their battle for them.

She looked fearfully at the statue looming just at the edge of her line of sight.

They still hadn't demonstrated any of its powers.

They're toying with us.

Out of the corner of her eye, Tsuande saw Kiba rush in, the injured body of his sister lying across Akamaru's back. His own face was bruised and bloodied. She watched as white-clad hospital personnel swarmed the large dog, pulling the injured woman from his back. Kiba caught her eye briefly before he and Akamaru turned and headed back to the fight.

A chill ran down the sannin's spine.

She looked up at the sky, aware that the sun had disappeared behind a thick cloud of ash and soot. But…

Had something just flown by overhead?

She scanned the area around her, wary of what new tricks Akatsuki had planned. She could find nothing that attributed to the sudden goose bumps on her body.

A large, thunderous crash turned Tsunade's attention to the south side of the wall. She strained her eyes, blinking furiously as the salty sweat dripped into them.

She heard the noise again.

And smiled.

She could see a swirl of sand disappear behind the wall.

Thank God. She gave herself a moment to breathe before the next body came before her. Allies from The Sand!

Their timing could not have been better.

On the opposite side of the wall, Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro quietly assessed the situation. They would have to air more on the side of caution this battle. Though he had not lost the ability to control sand, Gaara had lost a large amount of stamina. He no longer had the almost unlimited Shikaku chakra to rely on.

And his sand no longer moved of its own accord. Now, the Kazekage had to rely on his own perception in order to move the sand quickly enough to protect him.

"Temari," His voice was quiet as always. "See to the defenses. Kankuro—"

His brother nodded.

"—see what you can find out about that statue. I will meet with Tsunade-sama and then join you."

"Hai!" Both the elder brother and sister leapt away.

Gaara watched them go, more concerned about them than he ever had been in his entire life.

A few rooftops away, Shikamaru knelt, hands pressed together in his thinking position. Despite how many enemy shinobi had entered Leaf, the tide was going in Konoha's favor. There was no question that the Fire Country's ninja were some of the best.

A shadow fell over him and he looked up.

"Hmmm. You again. How troublesome."

Temari gave him a half-smile. "You needed rescuing again. You've become more dim-witted than the last time, it seems."

"Mmmm." Shikamaru sighed. "I can't be bothered with explaining the situation to you…"

"You can and you will." She raised her eyebrow. "And don't start spouting that garbage about me being a woman."

He sighed again. She was much more violent than his mother.

Across the village, Kankuro did his best to remain in the shadows. He skirted the buildings, making his way to where he had a better view of the vicious-looking statue.

But he couldn't get as close to it as he had hoped.

Surrounding the perimeter of the massive wooden beast, the remaining Akatsuki stood in wait. Kankuro counted them…

Five?

He looked around warily. Where are the other two?

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Hachimata dropped team seven off on the outskirts of the village.

Her eight-faces grinned as she leapt back into the air.

"Hey!" Naruto screamed up at her. "You're supposed to help!"

She snapped off the top of a nearby tree with one of her tails. "You should know better than to trust a demon, little Kyuubi. And I never said I would help."

"Hey! Don't you have any honor!?!"

She chuckled, flying up above the smoke clouds over the village, where she remained unseen. She perched nonchalantly on the great carved head of the Fourth.

Naruto's eyes narrowed.

"Come on!" Sakura was already running towards the town. "They need our help!"

The rest of them rushed along behind her.

But the Konoha they stepped into was far from the village they had left behind. Everywhere they looked, a battle was being waged. Bodies lay strewn in the streets. Here and there, shinobi from both sides struggled to pull their comrades off the front line.

Sakura's jaw dropped. She had never seen so much carnage. "I have to find Tsunade-sama!"

Sasuke went to jump after her, but Jiraiya held him back.

"No, you need to stay with Naruto." The sannin said. "I will go with Sakura."

Sasuke watched as the Toad Sage took off after the medic. After a moment, he turned back to the remainder of the team.

"Sasuke, Naruto, take Saruwatari and see about that statue. The human shinobi are easily dealt with. It's that creature we're going to have problems with. If we can disable it now, we'll save that many more lives." Kakashi uncovered his eye. "I'll see what good I can do out here. Now go!"

They were off in a flash.

Out of the corner of her eye, Sakura saw her teammates separate. A terrible feeling of worry descended on her.

What if I never get to… She tried to push the thought away. She wouldn't think about the possibility of never seeing one of them again. She was a medic, and she wouldn't let them die in front of her.

"Sakura!" Jiraiya said from behind her. "Where are you headed?"

She inclined her head toward a long wall off to the hospital's left side. "Tsunade-sama mentioned before that the wall near the hospital was intended for battle purposes. Any medical staff outside would still be close enough to the hospital if they needed something."

She looked up at the medical building. A portion of it had collapsed inward but it had, for the most part, remained in working condition.

They rounded the corner of the stone barrier.

"Sakura! Jiraiya!"

They looked up. Tsunade rushed across the compilation of bodies toward her two friends. Sakura caught the exhausted woman in her arms as she fell towards them, tears streaming down her face.

"Sakura…" She reached a hand up and tugged the young woman's hair. "And you," she pulled Jiraiya into the hug. "You old fool."

Suddenly, the Hokage straightened. "But…Jiraiya…then…" Disappointment shown on her face. "We failed?"

"Well, Tsunade, it's a long story." The white-haired sannin sighed. "A really really long story. We have the Raiju and we have Naruto. But…" He gestured up to the nearly invisible faces on the mountain. "Hachimata is just an observer."

"What!" The brown eyes went wide. "Hachimata is here…and unsealed!?"

Sakura chuckled. "You always said Naruto had a way about him. But it really is a long story."

The Hokage's attention went to the newest incoming bodies. Her expression was instantly weary. "Sakura, as much as I want you by my side, go. Go out and help your friends. I don't want you to have to see them brought in here, knowing there may have been something you could have done if you were out there with them."

"Yes!" Her green eyes glinted with determination. "Thank you, Hokage-sama."

The sannins watched her leap up and over the wall.

Jiraiya helped Tsunade over to the injured shinobi. "You know, my old friend," he knelt down next to her, "you've never looked better!"

Rolling her eyes, Tsunade shoved him mercilessly, a smile on her face.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Naruto, Sasuke, and Saruwatari crouched with Kankuro and Gaara behind the remnants of a demolished home. They stared up at the wooden demon before them.

Gaara's expression darkened at the sight of the Akatsuki.

Naruto had no doubt that painful memories were being played over and over again in the Kazekage's mind. He knew there were no words to comfort the young Sand leader.

Kankuro scowled. "I wish Temari were here. I do not see a way to attack the statue without attracting Akatsuki's attention."

"So let's attract their attention," Gaara said ominously. "I have scores to settle."

Saruwatari frowned. "There are too many of them. There are not enough of us to distract them and have someone get close enough to the statue. I was young and foolish once too, you know"

Naruto nodded. "If only Sakura-chan were here. She could punch some monstrous holes in that thing."

Gaara regarded the old woman. He noted her hunched form and her covered arms. And, looking into her eyes, he saw what had once been a part of himself.

He looked at Naruto knowingly. "I underestimated the plans of Konoha." He said softly.

Saruwatari smiled. "Ah, so you figured it out, eh? I thought I had hidden my six tails pretty well."

Kankuro's jaw dropped.

The Kazekage smiled slightly. "You cannot hide a bijuu from another."

The old woman's eyes widened. "You…you're the host without a demon!"

Gaara nodded.

The five allies looked up at the statue.

How are we possibly going to do this?

But then something happened that made their blood run cold.

The large wooden bit fell from the statue's mouth.

As they looked on in horror, one of the jewel-like eyes flared with light. Slowly, the clawed hands began to move and the mouth curled in a evil grin.

A cloaked figure knelt on the massive head.

Naruto's eyes narrowed.

Akatsuki.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sakura froze, her eyes lifting from Neji's wound.

All around her, the fighting stopped for a moment as everyone stared at the Akatsuki creature.

She and Neji looked at one another.

Somewhere to her right, she heard the voice of Lee.

She hauled the Hyuuga genius to his feet and they ran for cover.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Coming soon: Chapter 25: A Clash of Demons

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!