Hey everyone sorry I haven't updated in a long time. I doubt most people here would really care about what writers go through but an event that happened to me the same night I last updated this story has changed me forever. I won't get into detail of it but I was wanted to let you all know that even though it's been almost a year since that event I have been fucked up mentally and emotionally. However, I never forgot about you guys you're all always in my mind and I know you hate waiting but you all need to understand that the event has caused me to lose a lot of interest in writing. There are times where I find myself hopping on my computer to update and even though it's a little bit of writing every day my stories are being worked on nonetheless. So just bear with me and be patient since updates will be even slower now and I thank you all for the support as I'm not in any mental state to write but I will try and make sure the quality of any of my anime fics are as best as they can be. I decided to also have this be a more relaxed chapter too so please enjoy it.

Chapter 45: A Veteran's Knowledge

Naruto reached for the note on the lockbox and pulled it off the top of the container. Kurotsuchi and Genma each took a step closer to Naruto and stood on both sides of him and together the three teammates read the note while Kenji simply looked on.

Dear Naruto,

If you're reading this then it means that Kenji or Mako have given you my own special kunai as part of your inheritance. This is something I always planned on doing after we found out your mother was pregnant with you and I hope you use my equipment to the best of your ability. As you should know by now you can apply a jutsu formula and use multiple kunai to litter the battlefield and make yourself appear in many places at once allowing you to deal with multiple enemy squadrons. I will also come to the conclusion that by the time you receive this Jiraiya-sensei will have already taught the Hiraishin to you so I have no doubt you can pull off my maneuver used against Iwa during the last war. When peace has been achieved you may request whoever is Hokage to give you the deed to the Namikaze estate as well as our fortune. Naruto, do your mother and I proud and bring peace to this world and end all conflict and we know Mako and Kenji will be there to guide you as you continue to grow as a ninja. Good luck.

-Dad

Naruto was surprised by the note and placed it back into the before looking as the several dozen three-pronged kunai that was stored neatly within the little lockbox and took one out and felt it. Him not saying a word began to concern Kurotsuchi and Genma slightly and before they could say anything Kenji spoke.

''How are you feeling Naruto now that you can now utilize the very weapon that assisted your father in giving him his moniker?'' asked the older Jonin.

The younger blonde still didn't say a word as he took out the kunai and placed them all into his kunai pouch before handing Kenji the lockbox save for four of them. He faces the opposite direction and taking all four kunai he closes his eyes and and tosses them into the air before performing the hand seal for the Hiraishin and in a literal blink of an eye he teleports to each individual kunai and catches all four of them in mid-air. He then tosses one into the dirt in front of his colleagues before teleporting to it in an instant much to the amusement of Kenji and the confusion of Kurotsuchi and Genma. After appearing in front of the kunai he scoops it up and puts the four knives back into the pouch before turning to face Kenji with a confident smirk plastered on his face and that gave the older Jonin his answer.

''You can definitely guess how I'm feeling senpai. To think I would get to use dad's weapons for this war gives me a huge sense of pride! The second Yellow Flash will not disappoint in upholding the original Yellow Flash's reputation. I'm gonna do this right and make dad so proud!''

The confident and happy tone in their friend's voice eased the concern both of them had so Kurotsuchi and Genma placed a hand on Naruto's shoulders and gave him a proud look.

''Naruto I'm glad you're feeling so positive. There's no way you'll disappoint your father.'' said the woman happily.

''Sheesh man even when we're about to fight in a war you always keep that positive attitude. Oh well it's good because we need to the morale and mood booster.'' Genma chuckled.

The three younger Jonin shared a quick laugh with each other and while Kenji truly enjoyed seeing the positivity and feeling it in the air once he gave Naruto his father's kunai it was time to get to business since he brought them all here for a reason.

''Okay you three settle down now it's time to get down to business.'' Kenji said with an authoritative tone.

The seriousness in his voice caught the other three by surprise and recognizing that he has seniority over them they immediately gave the older man their utmost attention. Nodding to himself he clears his throat before explaining the situation to them.

''Alright you three since this is gonna be the first time you've ever fought in a war or any upcoming engagement larger in size than what you are used to I'm gonna see if you have the knowledge and whatnot that will help ensure you survive this as well as explain it briefly.'' Kenji started.

This peeked the interest of the younger Jonin and before any of them could say anything it would be Genma who raised a hand.

''What knowledge are you talking about senpai? Wouldn't we just apply the same fundamentals we learned doing missions that involve combat?'' asked the man.

Naruto and Kurotsuchi gave nods and sounds of agreement to what their teammate had just said since it did make a lot of sense but Kenji was quick to shut it down despite the good question he was asked.

''That is a good question to ask right there Genma and while you aren't wrong about that it still isn't the same. I know the mission you did with Mako where you helped her defeat that Kumo Jonin who used the paralysis jutsu on you, Udo Jin-e I believe was his name and the one where you conducted a raid on a Shinsengumi encampment and captured one of their lieutenants. While those missions are incredibly dangerous on their own due to the sheer skill of the enemy and the combat involved it still doesn't compare to fighting a war.''

The authoritative tone in his voice once again made the younger Jonin give him his full attention and just by the way he sounded was the message they got meaning they can't think of this war as some mission. It was serious business and would be more than just missions that they were used to.

''War isn't just about partaking in combat missions, there's also large scale battles that will take place between the opposing forces. Look at the Iwa invasion of Konoha for example, it was the largest battle ever between any of the villages in the last war, maybe the largest in history due to the sheer amount of both Iwa and Konoha ninja that were involved. Over a thousand for both sides. I did participate in some epic battles against Iwagakure during the last war but I also did my fair share of missions behind enemy lines like destroying the Kannabi bridge with Mako, Kakashi, Rin as well as Minato-sensei and Kushina-sensei. Hell, during the short border conflict we had with Kirigakure before I left I got into some brutal battles with their ninjas.''

The amount of knowledge and experience they were getting and learning about from Kenji was enough to leave them awe struck at the information they were being given. It all made sense now because before anything happened with the Shinsengumi they were always sent on missions that involved battling enemy forces and those were just small scale skirmishes like the raid they did on Sawagejo Cho's camp. Kenji was right a battle between opposing forces was way more violent and epic than a small skirmish on some mission. Now with the Iwa invasion years ago before Minato appeared and wiped out the invading Iwa ninjas was a battle of epic scale between them and Konoha that saw massive casualties for both sides. It made sense to classify missions and battles as two different things since missions were done in small units compared to larger units.

''I'll reiterate just in case guys, missions are only done in small groups such as four whereas a battle is larger and involves several hundred to at least a thousand in each side. Missions you may have done dealing with bandits or rogue ninjas will be nothing when we meet Shishio's Shinsengumi forces in the open battlefield.'' explained Kenji.

Naruto would be the one to raise his hand as he had a question when it came to the differences between battles and missions.

''Forgive the dumb question but I just want to make sure, what would make Shinsengumi soldiers different from bandits we've faced before?''

''It's a simple answer and that is from what we've all seen up to this point Shinsengumi foot soldiers are well trained samurai compared to bandits who have little to no training with weapons and combat. Since we're dealing with a largely samurai force they are a well trained and highly disciplined military nobility that originated from the Land of Iron which was destroyed by Kumo during the second war. I'll also let you three know that while they don't use their chakra like shinobi do when it comes to elemental jutsu they use it more so to enhance their kenjutsu skills. When I fought them during a mission years ago near the border with Amegakure they applied chakra to their blades and that extended the reach of their katana to make it wicked hard to get close to beat them and just so you know, the samurai..Shinsengumi foot soldiers are most dangerous when you fight them up close.'' Kenji explained.

That made the three younger Jonin gulp. Despite the fact that they had already fought quite a few of these extremists when the interrupted the summit they truly failed to notice how well versed and lethal samurai are in close quarters fighting. Sure the shinobi were trained and excellent in close quarters combat but the samurai were a whole different level and how does Kenji know this?

''How do you know this senpai?'' Kurotsuchi questioned.

Kenji let out a sight not wanting to think back to that fateful day but knowledge he got from that failed mission will always stick with him forever and it haunted him dearly.

''I've told Naruto this before but I'll say it again so you two can know. Almost a decade ago, me and another Jonin were assigned a mission to go to the border with Ame to investigate reported sightings from our ANBU of samurai wandering the area. My partner..'' Kenji almost let the emotions get to him and having prior knowledge of this Naruto spoke up hoping to ensure Kenji that everything will be okay.

''Hey senpai, no need to keep it bottled in anymore you can tell us anything.'' said the blonde.

Kurotsuchi and Genma had also noticed the sudden changed in his tone and attitude and gave Kenji sounds of agreement.

''Yeah, tell us whatever it is and we'll listen.'' Genma said with a smile.

It was a fresh air of relief for him to hear and he saw no reason not to tell the other two after telling Naruto a bit about the situation with Shisui Uchiha so he decided to fill them in as it might prove to be good knowledge for them to use during the war.

''Alright, if you two really want to hear I'll tell you since I'm sure Mako would want you to know too.'' he said before looking at Naruto, ''Naruto I didn't tell you the whole story so are you ready to hear it?''

Naruto simply nodded in response.

''Alright everyone listen closely. So you remember when Mako became Hokage she decided to have me be your team leader since she'd be too busy with Hokage stuff. She also mentioned to me that she was waiting on a response from me right?'' Kenji said.

''Yeah, what did she mean by that? Were you on a vacation or something?'' asked Kurotsuchi curiously but her answer from Kenji was him shaking his head no.

''No sadly I mean, I wish I was vacation but I don't know if she ever mentioned this to you guys but I was away from the village for over nine years.'' continued Kenji.

''Woah nine years? Why were you gone for so long?'' Naruto questioned.

''I guess that explains why we didn't see you at all compared to your colleagues.'' Genma seconded.

''Yeah nine years and well, the reason is...'' Kenji had to take a moment to gather himself before he could continue, ''As I said before we were sent to the border with Ame to investigate an ANBU report of samurai wondering the area. My partner was a man who was very close to me and very loved by Mako. His name was Shisui Uchiha.''

The three younger Jonin had a feeling where this was going with what Kenji just said because they remember hearing something from Mako saying she will always remain single and can never love again and putting two and two together they figured it out pretty quick except Naruto of course who had prior knowledge of this.

''Shisui Uchiha? I feel like I've heard Mako-senpai mentioned that name before.'' Genma inquired.

Kurotsuchi on the other hand knew she had seen the name before when she curiously visited the war memorial during Naruto's five year training trip with Jiraiya but she thought nothing much of it since she just assumed it to be a regular Uchiha that didn't really stand out from the crowd that was killed. Since Naruto already knew about Mako and Shisui being in love Naruto didn't really have anything to say or add to the conversation and decided to let Kenji explain everything.

Kenji himself noticed both Genma and Kurotsuchi looked like they were thinking heavily about the topic so he decided to elaborate for them.

''Kurotsuchi, Genma if you two are wondering about who Shisui Uchiha was he was the top graduating student from my academy class, my best friend, brother from another mother and most importantly, he was Mako's first and last boyfriend. She loved him so much she would rather they die together than leave one alone without the other.'' Kenji said.

Now this was the answer they were looking for when it came to Mako never wanting to love again. Of course as her students they did not want to ask or help her find love again out of respect for her. It was eating away at the three of them for years why Mako felt so strongly about relationships of this caliber and now they knew, well Naruto already did in a sense.

''So that's why she seemed to be so adamant on being alone.'' Kurotsuchi said.

''Yeah, keep telling us the story senpai we really want to hear it all now but of course that's up to you.'' Genma spoke.

Kenji nodded and continued his story and decided to tell them a simplified version of the encounter.

''As I was saying guys, this event is something that's changed me and Mako forever and I haven't been the same since and I'm sure Mako has found her own ways to cope with it but anyway. This happened when Naruto was being trained by Kurotsuchi as kids and I was notified by Mako of a mission the third Hokage had for me. I was originally assigned to do it with Kakashi but Shisui volunteered to fill in and go with me. We headed out to the border with Ame to investigate the reports of samurai and soon enough we encountered some. We took out some of them before we eventually had to retreat after I sustained severe injuries. Shisui however...he sustained fatal wounds and before I could get him to Konoha hospital he passed away when we were only a mile out from the main gate.''

The older Jonin had to take a moment as he could feel the emotions building up inside him but he took a deep breath and relaxed when he saw that Naruto, Genma and Kurotsuchi were still giving him their utmost attention.

''Take another breather if you need to senpai, really there's no rush.'' Naruto reassured earning nods of agreement from the other two.

Kenji let out a small smile at the younger shinobi and was glad to know they were respectful and being patient with him despite the him having to think back at that fateful day so once again he continued on.

''I'm not sure if you guys ever noticed, but I have two different eye colors. My injury was getting my eye gauged out by the samurai and when Shisui died, since he was an Uchiha he gave me his sharingan before he died not only to make sure I had full vision again, but because he believed that I can master its power.'' Kenji then activated his sharingan to show it to the younger Jonin before he deactivated. ''His death and not wanting to face Mako for being responsible for it are the reasons why I left the village for years but when I found out about what happened with Lady Tsunade and the suicide bomber plus Mako sending me a letter asking me to come back is why I'm standing in front of you three now. I was the weakest and dead last in my class but with Shisui's death I used it as a driving force to become stronger and what you see standing in front of you is the result.'' Kenji concluded.

''So that explains everything from your eye colors and you being gone. Wow I never knew senpai sorry to hear that.'' Naruto said in shock.

''Wow, you really went through so much but yet you never gave up. I can see why you and Naruto get along so well because you're both so similar.'' Kurotsuchi seconded.

''That's a terrible event senpai and I'm sure Shisui wouldn't want you to think about it for the rest of your life. No way you're at fault either.'' Genma added.

That really brought a smile to Kenji's face and he returned their kind smiles with his own.

''Thanks guys that means a lot. I feel a lot better now that I was able to let you all know a bit more about my past.''

Kenji and the three of them would continue to talk and review the differences between fighting a full scale war and missions before calling it a day.

-Kage Summit Room-

It has been over two hours since another session of the Kage summit began and thankfully they have received responses from the minor villages with Yu and Yumi as well as Wave country who will join the coalition. This brought an air of relief from the five Kage and so far they had arrived at the part of their war strategy when it comes to their reserves and what to do if they suffer massive losses with their front line forces.

''And what are we to do in the event we end up losing control of the conflict? I don't mean to kill the mood and morale but that is quite a possibility we could gain a winning edge and then Shishio pulls off some ungodly attack that tips the scale in his favor.'' Raikage A said.

''Then we bring in our reserve forces as well as any villager trained in combat as skirmishers into the fight to bolster and replace our losses.'' Onoki suggested but Haku would be the one to interject.

''We can't afford to do that if we are forced to be defensive since reserves would literally be the only remaining forces we have. Reserve ninja don't train and partake in missions as often as our active duty forces and most are not trained for combat duties and function more as support.'' said the Mizukage.

''Then I suggest we train reserve ninja to be secondary front line troops. It would also help in taking pressure and replacing losses suffered by the front line ninja and knowing how fanatic and dangerous the enemy is that is something that will help us a lot.'' Rasa said.

Even though Mako was the youngest and most inexperienced Kage in the room she knew that while the other Kage had good ideas when it comes to replacing losses and using reserve ninja to fight if if came down to that they might end up losing more and potentially draining their manpower. If they bring out the reserves the villages would be left defenseless.

''From my own experience and knowledge reserve forces make up about ten percent of all shinobi within each of the five villages, ninety-percent of ninja from my village are combat ready while all reservists serve only supply, medical and intelligence roles. The best way as Rasa-sama said is to cross-train every single reserve ninja for front line duties to maximize the usage of our manpower. Since we've gotten responses from Hoshi, Taki, Oto and Ame as well as Yu who can lend their military police we can now use the entirety of each of our active shinobi forces. Any of the minor villages reservists can stay behind in our villages and provide security and we can focus on using the full force of our ninja who are trained to fight in the field. ANBU can also be divided into three groups, one can be used to conduct clandestine operations against the enemy, one that can serve as extra security in the village and those who can fulfill the intelligence gathering role.'' explained the Hokage, ''Plus, there is one way we can also reduce the amount of ninja we send to the front to fight.''

The other Kage turned their attention to the young Hokage curious to what her suggested plan of action be.

''And what do you suggest Lady Hokage?'' Rasa questioned curiously.

''Surely you can come up with something that will help us win this war considering who mentored you.'' Onoki joked.

Mako let out a small smile and just looked at the other Kage in silence for a minute or two before she gave them their answer.

''We can have my student Naruto use his father's jutsu much like Minato-sensei did in the last war that brought about Iwa's defeat only this time have him place jutsu formulas all our countries to maximize its full potential. That way if it comes down to it he can just perform one hand seal and any area of our countries that have Shinsengumi foot soldiers can be taken out before we blink.'' explained the Hokage, ''It's a stretch but we can find a way for it to work even if it's something he's expecting.''

Rasa, Haku, Onoki and the Raikage looked at the woman like she was crazy and before the Uchiha woman could say anything about it the Raikage nodded in agreement and from the way Mako was speaking it reminded him of how Minato spoke and functioned when he was the Hokage.

He let out a light chuckle.

''I see Minato's intelligence and problem solving rubbed off on you Lady Hokage.''

Haku, Onoki and Rasa all made sounds of agreement.

''That can be an effective way to even end the war before it starts. Let's have Naruto get to it right now.'' Onoki quipped but was quickly shot down by the Mizukage.

''Hang on Onoki-san, we don't even know if the Shinsengumi have a sizeable presence in any of our countries let alone where they are within our territories. We'd have to have our ANBU scout the entire continent for any camps or bases they may have before Lady Hokage can have Naruto execute this plan.'' said the Mizukage.

''That's right. Plus this is a risk because after we learned that bastard was friends with the Yellow Flash he must have seen that jutsu multiple times before so it's possible he may have an answer for it.'' Rasa interjected.

Mako let out a small grunt of annoyance because surely it was a great plan to defeat Shishio and his forces in short notice but considering how intelligent the samurai was there's no doubt he would expect something like this from the likes of his former teammates' son so she had to interject once more.

''That plan may work in theory but in the end as you've said Rasa-sama he definitely may have developed a way to counter that jutsu. I'll have to consult with Naruto himself to see if he can come up with anyway to make sure no one can counter him using the hiraishin.''

''So I guess we'll have to go with the assumption that he has a way to deal with the Yellow Flash's jutsu so we'll have to rely on conventional needs to defeat him for now.'' said the Mizukage.

''I don't doubt that him and his samurai are incredibly dangerous foes but if fighting a lengthy conventional war against them is the sole way to victory then I accept it.'' Onoki added.

''Okay, then what about when the our battalions along with the forces from the minor villages arrive?'' A asked.

''We'll then perform final inspection and review before we make a departure to the front lines and since we're here in Kumo we could start by sending scouts across the entire country all the way up to the sea and Yu itself to see if Shinsengumi forces are already here.'' Mako suggested.

''Makes sense, those are always the final action all the villages have been doing since the first war. And the jinchuurikis? There's no doubt in my mind that bastard will put a huge bounty on them.'' Onoki said unsure of what to make about the topic.

The other Kage were going to speak their mind about the jinchuuriki but the Raikage immediately got their attention as he had a plan on what to do with them.

''There is an island off the coast of Kumo where they can stay and have ANBU from all the villages guard the waters and the island itself while they stay there safe from harm. It's an island that is hard to pinpoint and will take over a day to reach.'' said A.

While Mako wanted Naruto to participate in the war and gain even more experience as a ninja she knew that being the container of the kyuubi he will be the biggest target with Shishio and being Minato and Kushina's son doesn't help the younger blonde either. For now she thought it would be best to have him alongside the other jinchuurikis stay there for a bit for their safety.

''If any of the jinchuuriki are captured there's a possibility of having the beasts used against us. While we can asked them to use the power of the bijou that puts them in danger of being killed or captured so this will have to be the best option.'' Mako said finally speaking her part on the matter.

''Then it's settled on that matter.'' Haku added.

''One last thing, how will our forces be used? Do you all think it would be a good thing to have our ninja organized into units filled with ninja from their home village or should we integrate them together?'' Rasa questioned.

That was one risk the Kage were made aware of the moment they all came together for the summit but since they are all putting their differences aside for the sake of the shinobi class they knew this was something that could get in the way and ruin the alliance. Haku, Rasa, Onoki and A all had their answer on the matter in mind so they all turned to look at the Hokage for her to say her piece.

She returned their looks before taking in a breath and finally speaking her part.

''It would be best to have mixed units since it means the front line forces will be very diverse when it comes to elemental release and can help all of our ninja learn the tactics and training of the other villages as well as cover each other's weaknesses. That kind of cross-training would be sure to make our forces more lethal in combat and will help in ending any animosity between them as they will see no choice but to work together. Any dissent among the forces we will put down without mercy and hesitation. War can bring out the worst in people but it can also bring out the best if we can have our shinobi work together. If they try to fight as individuals we will lose but, if we fight as one unified force we will win.'' Mako said with fire in her eyes.

It's what Hashirama Senju preached when the shinobi villages first formed over a century ago, teamwork.

The sheer determination in her voice made the other Kages nod at her answer with smiles on their faces. Haku, Rasa and A knew that it shouldn't be too much of a problem with their ninja since they formed trade partnerships with Konoha during Naruto's training trip but Onoki on the other hand knew almost all the shinobi under his command, even the villagers and the Earth Daimyo himself seriously hate Konoha even to this day. It was his goal to make sure they all fall in line to make the alliance work so they can all win the war.

They've been going at it for another two hours and over a week already they decided on approaching the conflict in a conventional manner and put all the suggestions they had as backups should things go south for them. They all get up from their seats to leave the room and rest their tired bodies from the long summit for the rest of the day before they await the arrival of their battalion sized elements from their respective villages within the week to begin battle.

-Mako's Suite, Kumo Grande Hotel-

After returning to her room Mako was seen sitting at the small desk that was beside her bed reading letters all the Kage have finally received from Ame, Oto, Taki, Hoshi, Yu and Yumi who will all provide military support with the exception of Yu and Yumi who will provide police and shipping respectively. She heard a knock on the door and walked up to go open it to see that it was Kenji and her three students there.

''Oh hey you guys what's up?''

''We already finished doing whatever Kenji-senpai wanted to do with us so he decided to bring us with him to come keep you company after the summit concluded.'' Naruto answered.

''Yeah, we're also hungry and wondering if you can cook for us.'' joked Naruto.

Mako wanted to bonk her student over the head but relented as she only knew he was joking so she motioned for them all to come in. I haven't prepped any food yet for cooking so let's all pitch in.'' Mako said.

Using whatever ingredients she had in the fridge the five of them were able to conjure up a nice lunch that consisted of a bowl of ramen, several beef sticks as well as crab rolls. It was basic food but it was good food thanks to Mako's amazing cooking. After gathering their plates they all sat down at the small dining table in the kitchen and decided to have conversation about the events the happened today for all of them and it would be Naruto who started the talking.

''So how did the Kage summit go Mako-senpai? Is it all done now?'' the blonde asked while devouring his ramen.

''It went fine, just realizing how tiresome and bothersome it is with how long they are. Sitting on your ass for hours on end really hurts.'' Mako said as she rubbed her behind.

The others laughed at Mako's quip not because it was funny but because it was true.

''If you're wondering what we were talking about we just continued on with the usual stuff like what our battle plans are.''

The Hokage then pulled out the letters she and the other Kage received from the minor villages.

''I also have good news. During the last part of the summit these came in and we are getting the aid of the minor villages as well as Yumi so this should bolster our strength by a lot. Having Yu and Yumi especially will help us out so much when it comes to POWs and supply lines.''

Kenji, Naruto, Genma and Kurotsuchi all had looks of excitement on their faces as this was a huge boost to their already good morale and this meant fighting this war will take pressure off of them when it comes to sparing forces for supply duties and police details. Mako also went into detail on how they will focus on using all active duty shinobi for combat duties regardless of their specialty as well as using training all reserve ninja trained in support roles in combat to make sure that if and when their fellow shinobi are killed a reservist will be able to replace the deceased to keep their numbers steady. They were also glad to know Kakashi, Rin and Yugao have made it back to Konoha to help Tsunade and Hiruzen prepare the battalion to arrive in Kumo by the end of the week and then they will head into combat against the Shinsengumi.

''What do you plan on doing after the battalions arrive Mako-senpai?'' Naruto questioned curiously.

''We'll perform final inspection and review before heading out into Kumo to clear out any Shinsengumi forces.''

Mako then looked at Kenji in a way that he knew what it meant. She hadn't forgotten what she had him retrieve from Minato and Kushina's estate and she wanted to give Naruto since she became Hokage. Kenji then turned his attention to Naruto and nudged him to remind him that he was to show off Minato's kunai to the Hokage.

''Oh yeah.'' Naruto then pulled out one of his father's kunai to show it off to Mako, ''Kenji-senpai said you wanted to give this to me and I gotta say Mako-senpai, thank you. I feel so pumped and looking forward to using this when we fight the Shinsengumi. I know I'll be able to make dad proud too.''

Mako smiled tenderly at the younger man and nodded her head in agreement with that sentiment.

''You're right Naruto, Minato-sensei would be really proud of you.''

''Heck yeah bro you aren't gonna bring shame to your father's name.'' Genma said in approval.

Kurotsuchi gave her boyfriend a light peck on the lips and gave him a loving smile. ''I agree with Genma, you already make us all proud enough so if anyone thinks you can't do your dad justice to hell with them.''

''Since your mom was known to have a very short temper Naruto so you'd better make Minato-sensei proud. They didn't call Kushina-sensei the Red Hot Habanero for nothing.'' Kenji chuckled.

Everyone shared a laugh at the joke and they spent the rest of the later afternoon enjoying what down time they had until the war began and they all cherished this very moment since again they all knew times like these would be hard to come by during wartime.

-Massive Volcano, Unknown nation-

Shishio Makoto was seen walking along a ridge that hovered over a stretch of land the size of five football fields. He wasn't alone however as three figures were seen walking alongside him and they were shown to be the masked man, now revealed to be Shisui Uchiha who joined him in interrupting the Kage summit, the other was Kabuto Yakushi and the last was Oda Nobunaga, one of his most trusted warriors. They reach one end of the ridge before they turn around to walk back the way they came to a stop at the middle of the ridge which allowed them to look over the massive stretch of land. After preparing since the beginning of the last war he knew his forces were substantial enough to pose a huge threat to the shinobi villages.

Shishio looks downward to the ground and scans the area a few times over before finally smiling evilly to himself.

''What do you think Lord Shishio?'' Oda asked, ''With my samurai joining forces with you there is no doubt in my mind we match the villages if not surpass them.''

''With my reanimated army which includes some of the most powerful ninjas ever to grace the battlefield I think we can even the playing field against the great villages.'' Kabuto added.

Shishio's evil grin got larger and slowly raised his arms into the air as if he was some kind of messiah. The next shot reveals that in the stretch of land below them were several hundred, maybe over a thousand samurai standing in a massive formation and when Shishio raised his arms into the air they all gave out a loud shout that could very well be heard in the elemental nations because to them he really was the messiah.

''BANZAI!''

''I hope you and Kenji are ready for this Mako. Prove to me you are strong enough to win this.'' Shisui thought as he looked on at the crowd and the shot slowly focuses on his left eye and when he blinks it morphs into it's mangekyo sharingan form.

I'd like to thank aresu, PandaSDCA and greymatter1098 for their continued support.