"Sasuke!" The pink-haired shinobi rushed over to the cot where said ninja was lying.

Sasuke reached up and pulled off the bandages around his eyes, and once they were off, he looked up at Sakura, who was leaning over him. His right eye was a Sharingan pattern that Sakura had never seen before, but his left eye was purple, with a few Tomoe markings on the rings.

"Sasuke, your eye!" Sakura exclaimed.

"Yeah," Sasuke nodded, then said something that surprised the girl, "Thanks, Sakura for transplanting his eyes."

This took her aback, but she smiled, "Not a problem! But how did you get…?"

Sasuke ignored her question and looked at his palm.

Sasuke closed his hand into a fist, and without looking at her, he asked, "Where's Naruto?"

"Naruto?" On the verge of tears, Sakura looked down and shook her head, "Sasuke, Naruto… Naruto died."

"What?" Sasuke exclaimed, snapping his head over to her, "That's impossible."

"Sasuke, I saw Minato-sama carrying Naruto's body!"

"He can't be dead," Sasuke shook his head.

It wasn't making sense; why did the Sage give him this power and tell him to work with Naruto if Naruto was dead?

Sasuke was determined to find himself, "Where did they take his body?"

"The tent next door," Sakura replied, "But the Tsuchikage isn't letting anyone in. Minato-sama is… devastated."

"I need to see him," Sasuke said, swinging his legs over the side of the cot.

"They haven't let anyone in to see him, not even Tsunade or Jiraiya, or even Kaka-sensei," Sakura shook her head, "The fourth wants to be alone right now, and he won't leave Naruto's side."

"Tch," Sasuke clicked his tongue.

"Sasuke!" Sakura exclaimed, a little angry at him, "Minato-sama just lost his son! You could be a little sympathetic."

"You don't understand," Sasuke shook his head, "I need Naruto."

"Why?" Sakura asked.

Sasuke hesitated, then held up his palm, showing the black crescent shape.

"What is that?"

"A power that was given to me with the Rinnegan from the Sage of Six Paths," Sasuke explained, "Naruto has the other half; that's why he can't be dead."

"I'm sorry, Sasuke, but unless he came back from the dead," Sakura shook her head, "He's gone."

"I need to see for myself," Sasuke pushed off the cot and started heading out of the tent.

"Sasuke, stop!" Sakura grabbed his arm, "You need to leave the Fourth alone!"

Sasuke narrowed his eyes at his teammate, then clicked his tongue again.

He needed to see if Naruto was truly dead or not.

That's when they heard Minato yell next door, "Are you insane?!"

Sasuke and Sakura looked at each other for a moment.

"You said he was alone?" Sasuke confirmed.

"Yeah, he should be," Sakura nodded.

"Then who did he just yell at?" Sasuke asked.

They gave each other a knowing look before running out of the tent.

Minato had not left his son's side. The elder blonde was exhausted and laid his head next to his son's body to rest. His cries and screams had worn him out, but nothing had changed. His son was still dead. Minato lifted his head to look at his boy. Naruto was too still, too pale.

His imagination had begun to play horrible tricks on him. Naruto had started to look completely healthy. All his wounds had healed. All the abuse that Pein had inflicted on him was gone. All the bruises, the cuts, the swelling. It was all gone. Naruto looked perfectly normal. Perhaps his mind was tricking him into remembering Naruto in this way rather than the mutilated version he had brought back. This was how he wanted to remember his son. Perfect.

Minato lifted his head. His blue eyes were filled with rage. He was usually calm and collected, never letting anything rattle him, so Minato never thought he would be this angry. Pein was going to pay for killing his son.

Standing up, Minato looked at his son one last time before turning around. He grabbed his Hokage cloak that he hadn't bothered to put on earlier when he took off to rescue his son. He roughly shoved his arms into it as he thought of a plan.

"Tou-san?"

Minato froze.

He had to be hearing things. He couldn't bring himself to turn around to look. More tricks were being played on him by his mind, he decided. He was hearing things. Naruto was dead. There was no way it was real.

"Tou-san?"

There it was again. The sound of his son's voice calling him.

Slowly, Minato turned around. Everything moved in slow motion. Minato's eyes widened, and he realized that it wasn't his mind playing tricks. It was real.

His son was alive.

"Naruto?" Minato asked hesitantly, too afraid that actual reality would come crashing down.

Naruto gave him a small smile, sitting up and leaning on one elbow, "Tou-san."

"Naruto!" Minato lunged forward onto his knees and hugged his son tightly, "Oh, god, you're alive!"

"Yeah," Naruto chuckled, "I guess so."

"How?" Minato pulled back but still held Naruto's shoulders.

"You've been crying," Naruto commented, ignoring his father's question.

Minato took one arm and wiped his face with his sleeve, "Uh, yeah, well, my son was dead. What did you expect?"

"Yeah, you're right," Naruto gave me a sad smile, "I'm sorry I didn't mean to make you cry."

Minato looked up at his son and returned the smile, then he sat back and gave Naruto a hand, pulling him up in a fully seated position. Naruto pulled his legs into a cross-legged position so that Minato could sit on the end of the cot.

"Where were you going?" Naruto asked.

Minato smirked, "I was heading out to take on Pein."

"What? Revenge?" Naruto asked.

"Something like that," Minato nodded.

Naruto had a sad smile as he looked down into his lap. It was silent between them for a moment.

"Naruto, you were dead," Minato said, causing his son to look back up. Minato stared at his son's striking blue eyes that mirrored his own, and still not quite believing that his son was indeed here, "How are you alive? How are you here?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," Naruto laughed.

"Try me," Minato smiled at him.

"The Sage of the Six Paths."

"The Sage of the Six Paths?" Minato repeated.

Naruto nodded, then started rambling, "Yeah, he came to me and said I was in a space between reality and the afterlife and that I had a special quality that he liked, and then a bunch of stuff about the ten tails, and a divine tree, and his mother, and about how I am the reincarnate of his son? Oh, and Sasuke is also a reincarnation of his other son, and we are in a feud that we need to settle before we die. Then he told me that I needed to take down Pein for him because he was upsetting the balance of the world. I don't know. He also summoned all the tailed beasts, including Kurama, saying that he created them from the ten tails that Pein is trying to resurrect for power by sealing them in the husk of the ten tails, some statue, I guess. I learned a bunch of tough names for all the tailed beasts, and I promised them that after the war, they would get to live as the Sage had intended, which was not sealed within Jinchuurikis, and then he gave me some Sage-y power."

Naruto held up his hand, showing his father the sun on his palm.

Minato blinked at him as his son's hand was inches from his face.

"What?" Naruto asked, bringing his hand back down.

Minato nodded, "Yeah, I'm dreaming."

"No! Tou-san! You aren't," Naruto laughed, "I am telling you the truth!"

"Okay, so let me get this straight," Minato paused, trying to collect his thoughts and organize all the information that his son had just thrown at him into something more coherent and understandable, "You didn't go to the afterlife when you died, but you were in some limbo, where you met the Sage of the Six Paths who told you that you and Sasuke Uchiha were the reincarnates of his sons. He asked you to take down Pein because Pein was planning on resurrecting the ten tails by sealing all the tailed beasts in the husk of the ten tails, therefore upsetting the balance of the world that the Sage intended. He also gave you both the power to do so?"

Naruto thought momentarily, then said, "Yeah, that's about it!"

"What about his mother and a tree have to do with it?" Minato asked.

"I'm not sure," Naruto shrugged, "I think he said that his mother became a monster by eating a chakra fruit from the divine tree, so then it turned into the ten tails trying to get the chakra fruit?"

"What?" Minato asked.

"Yeah, I don't know," Naruto shrugged.

"Okay then, so who is Kurama?" Minato asked.

"The Kyuubi!" Naruto gave him a huge smile, "That's his name!"

"Huh, okay," Minato nodded, "So then they all have names?"

"Yup," Naruto nodded, then listed them in order, "Shukaku, Matatabi, Isobu, Son Goku, Kokuo, Saiken, Chomei, Gyuuki, and Kurama!"

"Huh," Minato huffed, then laughed, "Impressive."

"Thanks!"

"What's the power that he gave you?" Minato asked.

Naruto shrugged, then raised his palm again, showing his father the sun.

Minato grabbed his son's hand and looked at it, "what does it do?"

"No idea," Naruto shrugged, "He said he gave Sasuke something too. Maybe Sasuke knows what to do with it?"

"Maybe," Minato replied, then looked up at his son, dropping Naruto's hand, "But you are right; if I didn't completely trust you, I would not have believed the story you told me."

Naruto laughed.

"Naruto," Minato breathed, "Oh, god, I thought I lost you."

"Yeah, I'm sorry," Naruto replied, looking down at his lap.

There was a heavy silence between them before Naruto spoke up again.

"Tou-san, I'm sorry about how I spoke to you the last time; we…" Naruto trailed off, staring into his lap.

"It was a pretty intense fight, huh?" Minato smiled.

"Yeah, it was," Naruto nodded, "It would have been shitty if I did die, and that was the last thing I had said to you."

"Yeah, but I knew you didn't mean it," Minato replied.

"Well, I know, but still," Naruto sighed, "My last words to my Father would have been 'fuck you.'"

Minato chuckled a little, "You were angry."

"I was," Naruto nodded, "Very."

"Yeah," Minato nodded, and when his son didn't reply, he continued, "Naruto, I should have told you the truth. I should have told you about taming the Kyuubi, but I thought that it was something you needed to figure out on your own."

Naruto looked up at him.

"I also thought that if I told you about it," Minato sighed, "You would think I was trying to weaponize you and the Kyuubi."

"Oh," Naruto replied, "I didn't even think about that."

"No?" Minato replied, surprised.

"No," Naruto shook his head, "I've always known that the Kyuubi could have been a very powerful weapon I could use for the village. I don't think I've ever thought about you just trying to use me."

"Not once?"

Naruto shook his head, "Not since you explained it to me as a kid. I mean, I only had him because of what happened to Mom."

"Right," Minato nodded.

"I was just so angry that I was being shipped off while my friends were fighting for me."

"I know," Minato nodded, "I am sorry, Naruto."

"It's alright," then a smile crept onto his face, "Mom and I talked about it."

"Your mom?" Minato blinked at him.

"Yeah, her chakra released, like you said it would, and I got to talk to her," Naruto gave him a big smile.

"Kushina," Minato sighed with a smile.

"She said to tell you that she loves you and misses you!" Naruto smiled, and he noticed that his father was getting a little teary-eyed, "Tou-san?"

Minato reached up and wiped his sleeve on his arm, "I'm okay, I just miss her."

Naruto smiled at his father, and then that smile fell, "She also said I should tell you, trust you, and tell you the truth."

Minato stopped wiping his face and looked up, "The truth? About what?"

"The real reason that no one knew I was your son," Naruto mumbled.

Minato narrowed his eyes slightly, "What's the real reason?"

Naruto stared at his lap for a minute, but Minato called his name again, so he started to explain the same thing that he had told his mom, "When I was little, and before I knew that Kurama was sealed in me, I had terrible nightmares. Nightmares that showed Kurama attacking the village the night I was born, showing people dying. So, when the teachers and shinobi beat me and called me a monster or murderer… I believed them. I thought those nightmares were my memories. Things that I had done. I didn't know they were Kurama's."

"Naruto, why didn't you tell me?"

"I never told you about them because I thought you would be like the rest of the village if you found out. I thought you didn't know that I was a monster, but everyone else did, and that if you knew, you wouldn't want me. You were the only one who seemed to want me around, and I didn't want to lose that. I didn't want to lose you. I thought you only liked me because you didn't know I was a monster. I was terrified of losing you, so I pretended everything was perfect.

Minato didn't respond; he just watched his son.

"I put on the front of a perfect son so you would still love me. I didn't tell people I was your son because I thought they would tell you I was a monster. If no one knew you were my dad, no one could warn you about me."

Minato and Naruto sat in silence while Naruto's explanation sank in.

"Tou-san, I…" Naruto started but was then cut off.

"Naruto, I am so sorry that you went through that; I am sorry about the nightmares. I should have told you the truth about the Kyuubi sooner. I thought since you were my son, the Hokage's son, it would protect you from the hatred the villagers felt towards the Kyuubi. I didn't realize you thought you had to be perfect for me."

Naruto smiled at his father and nodded.

Minato leaned over, embraced his son, and whispered, "From now on, let's trust each other and be honest, huh? No more secrets, no more lies, no more hiding."

Naruto returned the embrace and agreed with his father.

Naruto pushed his father back a second later, "Tou-san, do you trust me?"

"Yes, why?"

"I need to find Sasuke," Naruto stated, and when Minato nodded in understanding.

Naruto took a deep breath before continuing.

"I need you to let us handle Pein."

Jiraiya and Tsunade were walking through the medical camp. Kakashi walked out of the tent that Jiraiya had met him in earlier. Kakashi nodded to the two of them, then joined their group.

"Has anyone checked on Minato-sensei?" Kakashi asked as he walked up.

"No," Jiraiya shook his head.

"After that scream he let out, we probably should," Tsunade said.

"Yeah," Jiraiya looked over at the tent and noticed that the Tsuchikage had left from the entrance.

"I'm not sure how he'll cope," Jiraiya shook his head, "When Kushina died, he was a bit of a wreck, but he had Naruto, and that kept him going, but now..."

There was a heavy silence in the air.

"Damn," Kakashi swore, looking up at the sky to keep the tears back, "How can the kid be gone?"

"You know you'll always lose teammates and comrades, especially in war, but Naruto seemed untouchable for some reason," Tsunade shook her head, "But he's gone."

"So, what now?" the Tsuchikage asked, walking up with the other two Kages, A and Rasa, with Bee and Gaara in tow.

It was silent for a moment before anyone spoke.

"We protect the last two Jinchuurikis, and that means getting them back to the island as soon as possible," The Raikage crosses his arms, "We don't need the Akatsuki getting their hands on another one."

"I agree," Rasa nodded, then turned to Jiraiya, "How's Minato?"

Jiraiya shook his head, "I don't know. I haven't seen him."

"Well, I know he lost his son, but he is the Hokage and the Regiment Commander for the Shinobi Alliance," the Tsuchikage said, "He will need to set aside his grief for now and return to the fight."

Several of the group turned to him in complete shock, but no one said anything. As blunt and heartless as it sounded, they knew he was right. Minato was the Hokage; he had a duty to his shinobi and those in the alliance.

"We've all lost someone in war," The Raikage nodded, "Naruto is not the first, nor will he be the last causality. Minato knows this, and as Hokage, he is responsible to his troops."

The rest of the group didn't respond. Jiraiya looked up at the tent. He needed to check on Minato and bring him back to the fray.

A second later, they hear Minato yell, "Are you insane?!"

"Who is he talking to?" Rasa asked.

"I don't know," Jiraiya shook head, just as confused as everyone else.

"Are you insane?" Minato asked, well more yelled.

"No?" Naruto replied, not sure if that was a trick question or not.

"Pein just killed you," Minato stated, standing up, "And you think I am just going to let you and Sasuke take him on? By yourself? Why would I do that?"

"Well, when Pein killed me, there wasn't anything I could do to fight back, Tou-san," Naruto replied with an edge to his voice, standing up off the cot as well, then holding up his palm, "I also didn't have this!"

"You are dreaming if you think that will convince me to let you go up against the enemy that just killed you," Minato shot back, pointing at his son's hand.

Naruto sighed, "Tou-san, you just said we needed to trust each other, so please trust me!"

"Okay, the last time you asked me to trust you on some plan, you ended up as Pein's prisoner and then was later killed by him," Minato leaned back and crossed his arms.

Naruto opened his mouth to argue, but his father was right, so he didn't have much leg to stand on. He found that he may not get his father's permission, but it was something that he had to do.

"I'm sorry, tou-san," Naruto said, "I have to do this, please."

"Naruto," Minato sighed, "I can't lose you again."

"You won't," Naruto smiled.

"How can you guarantee that?" Minato asked.

"I can't, but I have a feeling," Naruto replied, "Please."

Minato sighed. His son was determined and confident, but he couldn't let him go. Minato closed his eyes and thought for a moment.

"Tou-san," Naruto said, bringing him out of his thoughts.

His son was on fire- not literally, but Naruto was covered in a glowing yellow chakra that displayed a flickering flame around his entire body. Naruto's pupils were a cross between vertical fox slits and horizontal toad slits. His hair had formed two horns on his head, and six magatama markings were around his neck. There was some prominent circular/swirl design over his stomach, which Minato thought looked like Kyuubi's seal, and Naruto had various black lines extending along his body. Naruto was also surrounded by tiny black orbs and had a black rod in his hand. Naruto looked up at his father.

"What an intense power," Minato said, feeling the power radiating off his son.

"I think this is the Sage's power," Naruto said.

Minato locked eyes with his son and understood then what Naruto needed to do with this power, so he nodded, "Go."

Sasuke stepped out of the tent just in time to see Naruto, who had deactivated the Six Paths Sage Mode, step out simultaneously to his left. Upon seeing Sasuke, Naruto held up his right hand so the sun on his palm was directed towards Sasuke, to which the raven did the same, showing the crescent shape.

Naruto and Sasuke both smirked at each other and then Naruto nodded in the direction of the exit, indicating that they should go. Sasuke replied with a nod in agreement. Naruto then reactivated his glowing yellow chakra.

"Naruto," Minato called from behind him.

Naruto didn't entirely turn around but looked over his shoulder.

Minato held out one of his famous kunai.

Naruto smiled as he grabbed it. Minato nodded at him in a silent conversation. He knew exactly what his father was trying to tell him. Come back alive.

Turning around, Naruto placed his father's kunai in his mouth before throwing a black rod over his shoulder. After one last look at his father before he and Sasuke flash away.

What neither had noticed during their short exchange was the stares that were directed at Naruto. He had just come back from the dead. Minato stepped out of the tent just in time to see his son give him a knowing look before he disappeared.

"Minato!" Jiraiya ran over, "Naruto. What? How?"

"It's a long story, sensei," Minato smiled, "But he's alive."

Jiraiya nodded, "I see that."

"Where did they go?" Rasa asked as the rest of the group walked over to the Hokage.

Minato looked from face-to-face with Kakashi, Jiraiya, Rasa, and the other Kages before he spoke, "To kill Pein."

"What?" several of the people in the group replied.

The Raikage yelled, "You just sent your son back to the man who killed him!"

"I know," Minato nodded, then looked in the direction his son took off in, "but he and Sasuke both recently acquired an immense power; I mean, you all saw Naruto. They can take down Pein with it."

"That glowing thing he was doing before he flashed away?" Kakashi asked.

"Yeah," Minato nodded, then smiled, "And did you see Sasuke's eye?"

"Sasuke's eye?" Tsunade asked.

Sakura walked up and caused everyone to look at her when she said, "Sasuke has the Rinnegan."

"He has the Rinnegan?" Tsunade said, "The same as Pein?"

"Yes," She nodded, "Sasuke said the Naruto had the other half of the power, so if it is close to the power of the Rinnegan, they can do it. They can take down Pein."

Minato nodded and smiled, "They can win this fight. I believe in my son."