Kakashi was in a meeting with all the five Kage about the discussion of who would be commanding the individual divisions, but something surprised him and he waited until after the meeting to converse with the new Mizukage.
"So you were successful in your coup," Kakashi said.
The Mizukage looked at him with a slight smile under his mask, "I did andI was nominated the fifth Mizukage, but how are your brats doing?"
"Sakura has become a pupil of Lady Tsunade and well Naruto is the reason we are fighting, but my other student died a couple of months ago."
"My condolences, only if it weren't so." Zabuza stopped when he thought of Haku, "But that's how it goes, the good ones die while people like you and me survive to endure the trials and tribulations."
Kakashi agreed with the former demon of the mist, but Kakashi was curious about what Zabuza's role in the war would be.
"If you don't mind me asking, what is your duty during the war?"
Zabuza rubbed his clothed chin, "Well officially I'm going to guard the Daimyos, but I'd rather be on the front lines so I asked my fiance to do so."
Kakashi was shocked, "You managed to get engaged?"
Zabuza realized he let his words slip, "Yeah, I just proposed a couple of months ago."
Kakashi felt happy for Zabuza, he was once a cold and heartless man but now has become a Mizukage and got engaged.
"What about you, how are you doing nowadays?" Zabuza asked.
"Me? Well, I guess finding out who my real grandfather was, is something. But to be honest, I'm at my wit's end, I once loved a girl when I was younger and I thought she died, but she is the one who started this war."
Zabuza looked at him sympathetically, "The boy, Naruto showed me that no matter how cruel and demented one can be, there is still hope, you just have to dig for it."
Kakashi chuckled a little, how had a twelve-year-old changed a stone-cold killer's heart? He was right and what Zabuza told him was something he desperately needed to hear, if he could try to sway Obito's mind then maybe, just maybe, the scale would be tipped in their favor.
"What division will you be assisting?" Kakashi asked.
"Probably your company, the Kazekage's son is leading the fourth company, the Raikage's pupil is leading the first company, the Tsuchikage's son-in-law is leading the second, and the samurai are leading the third. I know you'll have my back in battle and besides, we don't even know what our enemy is yet."
A thought crossed Kakashi's mind,
"I know it's not my place but what happened to your executioner's blade?"
"Oh I'll be bringing it into battle, but they just don't allow a Mizukage to wield one of the seven blades during their reign. This is an exception and I expect it will be put to good use in the upcoming battles." Zabuza threw Kakashi a little wave before he left.
Kakashi stood atop a large stone cliff face and looked at the five divisions as Gaara gave a speech. Watching as the five divisions put their differences aside for the greater good, it was the first time in history that the five great villages have come together for a common enemy.
Kakashi traveled to the forest with his fifth company and Zabuza, he was prepared for any sort of enemy to fight, but when he saw the Edo Tensei coffins he knew it wasn't going to be an easy battle.
Guy was wary as the Seven Ninja swordsmen of the mist stepped out of their respective coffins, he still remembered the day his father died fighting against them. Might Dai managed to kill four of the seven ninja swordsmen, Guy was heartbroken but refused to surrender his power of youth.
A reanimated Kisame set his sights on Guy, he never finished their fight before the first Hokage impaled him.
Guy decided he was going to fight Kisame, even though he didn't remember him.
Zabuza stood next to Kakashi wearing the traditional hidden mist jounin attire with the executioner's blade, he recognized all of them including Haku. Haku looked confused as he saw Zabuza with ninja from other villages, including the man that tried to kill him and succeeded with Haku.
"Master Zabuza, you survived. What is happening? Why are you with him?" He motioned towards Kakashi.
Zabuza seemed saddened by the desecration of Haku's soul, "Things have changed in the three years since your death, including the current war." Zabuza said.
Haku still didn't understand but Zabuza continued, "After your death, I killed Gato, went to his hideout, stole his money, and returned to the hidden mist village to stage a coup d'etat. But to my surprise, there had already been an ongoing rebellion, led by a woman named Mei Terumi. We successfully dethroned Yagura and I was nominated to be the fifth Mizukage."
The boy had been shocked to hear such a thing, his former master was the Mizukage. "So my sacrifice let you complete your goals, that is why I was the perfect tool for you."
"No, you were more than that. I-I thought of you as a son, it was you who melted my icy heart. And to honor your memory I will be the one to seal you." Zabuza stated.
"Thank you, Master Zabuza," Haku said before fully under the reanimation caster's control.
Kakashi watched as Zabuza fought the Edo Tensei Haku, but his attention was drawn to another Edo Tensei Shinobi. He had silver hair just like himself and Kakashi recognized the sash he wore, "Father." Kakashi almost whispered.
Sakumo fought and killed many of the fifth company Shinobi along with the other mist swordsmen, Kakashi blocked his path and Sakumo immediately recognized him.
"Is that you Kakashi?" Sakumo asked.
"It's been a long time, dad." He said trying to hide his sadness and sorrow.
"How old are you?"
"I'm thirty-one now, but the last time I saw you was when I was seven."
Sakumo's body moved towards Kakashi and started attacking him, "I'm sorry for whatever suffering you went through, but know that I too was suffering. I'll help you however I can in this state."
Kakashi blocked Sakumo's strikes and retaliated with a flurry of kicks, "Should I kill the woman I love, or loved?"
"I assume she probably started this new war and is controlling me, if that be the case maybe there's no redemption. Or maybe she hasn't had the light to illuminate her path. If you truly do love her, son. Then let your heart guide you." Sakumo said whilst casting a wind-style jutsu at Kakashi.
He quickly put up a mud wall to block it, "I don't know if I can do that dad, she's been in the dark for too long."
"Is it that Uchiha girl that always fought you in the academy?" Sakumo asked as he broke through the mud wall.
"Her name is Obito, and the only thing left of her that hasn't been tainted by war is this," Kakashi said lifting his forehead protector from his left eye, his father was shocked as he saw Kakashi's Sharingan.
"A Senju with a Sharingan isn't that ironic." He chuckled to himself, "I don't and won't ever know how you obtained that but what I do know is that with those eyes come pain and sorrow." Sakumo paused, "You may not have understood why I did the things I did but just know that you only make mistakes when you forsake yourself, comrades are the ones that stay with you until the end of the line."
Kakashi activated a lightning blade, "I understand now, thank you, father." He lunged into Sakumo's torso and it turned into paper, one of the division's sealers helped Kakashi with sealing his father.
Before he was sealed he said one last thing, "I'll say hello to your mother for you, it's the least I can do." And this Sakumo was sealed and unable to be used as the Edo Tensei puppet he was.
Kakashi didn't know why but he needed that, the closure with his father helped him let go of his laziness. Only if his next encounter with Obito would be just as nice.
Zabuza helped seal Haku and the other seven ninja swordsmen, all that was left was Kisame who was still in a deathmatch with Guy. Kisame transformed using samehada, he created a giant ball of water to restrict Guy's movements.
Guy was forced into the seventh gate and smashed Kisame into the ground, he was weakened enough for a sealer to do their job.
Kakashi looked as if there wasn't any more Edo Tensei ninja in their sector until a large explosion went off not too far from them. The stone ninja confirmed it was the former member of the Akatsuki, Deidara.
He was flying overhead on a clay bird, there weren't many long-range fighters so Kakashi asked Zabuza to do a water dragon jutsu with him, Kakashi's Sharingan helped him memorize it from their fight years ago.
The duo launched water dragons at Deidara as he continued dropping clay bombs, once the clay bird was hit it lost one of its wings. Kakashi rushed to where it crashed to see Deidara was preparing to use a mouth on his chest, he was concerned as his body became translucent.
Kakashi thought quickly and used Kamui on Deidara, with no more Edo Tensei Shinobi to deal with Kakashi sat down to think about his father's words. He was right, in an optimistic kind of way. He just needed to hear it during these troubling times.
Kakashi perked up when he heard screaming, there was another Edo Tensei in the form of Sasori. He recognized Kakashi from before, the puppet master had his Third Kazekage puppet alongside him.
"Oh, you're the one Tobi fought, Baka something right?" Sasori said.
"Who I am doesn't matter to you, because you won't be around long enough for it to matter," Kakashi replied as Sasori was surrounded by half of the fifth division.
"You're that confident huh? We'll just have to see if-" Sasori was blindsided by Guy with a dynamic entry, Zabuza acted quick and trapped Sasori in a water prison until a member of the sealing corp arrived.
Kakashi felt the chakra of Naruto on the battlefield, "Zabuza, Guy, I feel Naruto's chakra nearby." Kakashi said.
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Zabuza shouted. Kakashi lead the way as Guy couldn't sense and Zabuza didn't have the same sensory range as Kakashi.
Earlier at the Shinobi alliance headquarters, "They're using reanimated Shinobi, this reeks of Orochimaru's doing. Lord Raikage, we must go out and help." Itachi said.
The two Kage thought for a moment before the Kazekage spoke, "I agree with the Uchiha, we must go out and help."
"Are we not better suited here? Madara hasn't appeared yet so there's no reason to worry." The Raikage replied.
Ao, the leader of the sensory division shouted in panic, "Madara Uchiha is heading to the fourth company and I can't sense anyone from the first company!"
"What!?" Both Kage said in shock.
The Raikage reconsidered as he wanted to avenge his brother and now his pupil by killing Madara, "All right we shall go to the fourth company's location, but let me deal the final blow on Madara."
"I am sorry Raikage but I will not be joining you at the fourth company as I still have a vow to a friend that I must keep," Itachi said as he headed off in the third company's direction.
"It seems it will just be me and you," Ay said looking at Raza.
"Three Kage against Madara Uchiha, what could possibly go wrong?"
"You don't think we can do it?"
"I know we can't as long as we don't have a medical ninja."
"Anyone of note?"
"The first Hokage's granddaughter, Tsunade."
"She's at the medical Corp, but will we have time to pick her up?"
"One can only hope."