Empty

by zzzgnas

There is nothing worse in the world than the feeling of complete and utter helplessness. That empty feeling you get when you've lost everything and you know there's absolutely nothing you can do about it. Uzumaki Naruto was four when he experienced this feeling for the first time. And from then on... nothing had gone right... Strong! Naruto. Third Ninja War Timeline.

10. Chapter 10 - Ignorance is Bliss

Chapter - 10

Ignorance is Bliss

"There's nobody in this world who is incapable of love. Definitely not you."

Kusa Border, 6 A.M

Fugaku Uchiha was bored. He knew when he was sent here that the fighting was over. They were nothing more than sentries. A border-patrol. It wasn't a bad place to be. Not by a long shot. But this was not a place where he could demonstrate his abilities. If he was to become clan head after the war, he needed to achieve more. A lot more.

He hadn't forgotten about that day at the brothel. Tenzen Uchiha was a disgusting individual. Fugaku would be the first to admit that. But he had something that Fugaku wanted. And he wasn't above some ass-kissing to get it. He'd partnered up with the veteran shinobi… For better or for worse.

At the moment, they were on watch point 13, one of the safer places. When Yakumi and his friends told him that they were all headed to the Kusa border to fight the war, Fugaku was thrilled. That was where he could shine. He was stronger than the average Uchiha. Almost as strong as even Mikoto. But nowhere near as strong as Tenzen if what he'd heard about the Mangekyou Sharingan was true.

Anyway, he was headed for disappointment because Yakumi and the other Uchiha had chosen the Kusa border because the battle had ended already. Now, Iwa was busy fighting a war with Kumo, Kusa was off licking their wounds… There was a better chance that Kumo would cross over the mountains in the Land of Frost to attack Konoha, than of war breaking out here. And it was exactly for this reason that the group of Uchiha had chosen this as their destination.

It made Fugaku sick that his comrades would opt for the path of least resistance when it was very clear that their help was more needed elsewhere. But he had no say in it. His opinion wouldn't be a welcome one. He doubted Tenzen even knew he was there.

But he wasn't in any position to complain. Tenzen was strong. Possibly the strongest person in Konoha. Kotoamatsukami. That was not a power meant to be held by a human. To decide the memories of another human being without their consent. That shouldn't be possible… Yet, it was. Idly, he wondered why he never used it on Mikoto. From when they were genin, Fugaku was aware of the strained relationship between Mikoto and her father. Yakumi told him that Tenzen unlocked his Mangekyou when his son died. That gave him close to 5 years to use it on his rebellious daughter. Why didn't he?

Fugaku knew that he'd never find out the answer because he would never be in a position close enough to Tenzen. That was just the way he was. But then, a thought occurred to him. When he met Mikoto, she was proud of her name. She wasn't arrogant and rude like the rest of them, but she was still proud to be called Uchiha. That changed after her brother died. Fugaku assumed that the trauma of his death and the resulting series of annoying obligations made her resentful of her father, of her clan. But now… Could it possibly have been Tenzen?

"Oi. Stop looking at me like that." Fugaku was brought out of his thoughts when Tenzen stood up and he got the impression that he was annoyed with him.

"Sorry. I was just thinking about something." Fugaku muttered under his breath.

Tenzen whirled around on him. "Thinking about what, exactly?"

Fugaku flinched at the tone. "Nothing, Tenzen-sama."

"Tch." Tenzen glared at him. "Boy, do you think I'm stupid? I know why you came with us out here and I know you started the fire the other day." Fugaku was immediately on guard. "I know why you are partnered with me right now."

Fugaku took a hesitant step back because at that moment, Tenzen's eyes had morphed into a perfect triangular shape. "What are you saying?"

Tenzen smirked. "You want to become the clan head one day." It was a statement, not a question. "Now, I don't want to be the one to burst your little bubble but I see absolutely no chance of that happening in your current life."

His sharingan also activated. "I think you're wrong."

Tenzen was a bit taken aback. The boy was braver than he thought. "I don't think you understand your situation, Fugaku, it doesn't matter what you think."

Fugaku silently stared back at him in defiance.

"I know I'm not supposed to use this all the time, but you do know what I can do with my eyes right?"

Fugaku took a step back again. "Are you going to make me believe that I don't want to be the clan head?"

Tenzen outright laughed at him. "No. Are you silly? I can't be the clan head forever. I need someone to succeed me. Why not you?"

Fugaku was stunned. Now, he was telling him that he wanted him to be the clan head?

"But… I won't have it as you are now. You're too soft."

"I am not soft." Fugaku retorted angrily.

"Yes. You are. The events at the brothel are proof enough that you are. So… I'm going to take away the reason for it."

Fugaku averted his eyes a second too late.

"Kotoamatsukami."

Suddenly, Fugaku found himself in a world with red skies. The moon was out behind him, lighting up the entire world. But somehow, it was still dark. As he surveyed his surroundings more, he saw that he was standing in a circle. And that he couldn't move.

Despite the situation, Fugaku couldn't help but smile. It was peaceful. No sound, no surprises. It was mesmerizing. He found himself feeling the sensation one gets when they're slowly falling asleep. Someone was drawing a curtain around him and somehow, he knew that once it was fully wrapped around him, he would feel bliss. Pure, complete bliss.

Tenzen said he would take away the reason he was soft. In his mind, Fugaku knew that Mikoto was the reason he was. Which meant that Tenzen would take Mikoto away from him. He wouldn't love her anymore. He would forget everything about her. The way she smells, the way she smiles, the way she twirls her hair around when she's nervous… Everything.

…

…

No.

No.

NO.

I won't let that happen. That will never happen. Mikoto… I won't forget you.

Suddenly, he was back in the real world. The morning light blinded him, but he recovered soon. The first thing he noticed was that they were not alone anymore. The remaining Uchiha had now joined Tenzen. Yakumi was at his right side looking at him in indifference. Everything became clear to him right at that moment. This wasn't the first time Tenzen had used the technique on a fellow clan member. The people with him… They were all under his control. They were his private soldiers. Directly under his orders. Not the police force, not the Hokage, not Konoha. Him. Tenzen Uchiha.

His eyes found the older Uchiha on his knees. Blood was rolling down his eyes and nose. Something had gone wrong. His technique had gone wrong… Which meant…

Yes… Yes… He still remembered her.

"You… You broke my technique… You broke the ultimate genjutsu." Tenzen spoke quietly, as if he didn't believe his own words. "How?"

Fugaku didn't know. He didn't care. All that mattered now, was getting as far away as possible. Getting as far away from them all. But he was surrounded. There was no way out. Him against 7 of his clansmen? There was no contest. There was no way he would get away unscathed.

But there was no need to run, because suddenly, the sky was lit up by a fireball shot into the sky. A warning signal.

Looking toward the enemy territory, he saw huge rocks flying towards them. Enemies. Iwa was here.

Fugaku looked around at the Uchiha. "We'll figure this all out later. For now, we need to help." Then he jumped off the branch he was on. But Yakumi was already on the forest floor waiting for him.

"You're not going ANYWHERE until I'm finished with you." Tenzen yelled as he clutched his head in pain. The technique had disadvantages. He could see that.

Fugaku didn't wait any longer. He made the five necessary hand seals and bit his thumb. "Summoning Technique!"

Before the Uchiha could even move, a crow appeared on his shoulder. "Karasu. Alert Mikoto. Iwa is attacking at the Kusa border."

The crow dispelled as soon as it had appeared, in a burst of smoke. As soon as it did, the Uchiha came down on him and pinned him to the ground. It was over. They would most likely kill him, or if they failed, Iwa would. He was done. But at least… At least he'd done his job.

A shadow fell over him that enveloped him in ever increasing darkness. He was ready. The past few months… He hadn't been living. His mind, and everything else that mattered, died when Mikoto walked away from him. Now, his body would too.

The boulder made of stone came crashing down on him. His mind registered some pain but it quickly gave way to something else. In his last moments, all Fugaku could think about was the 16-year-old girl, Kazane, and how she had been broken beyond repair, by the people he once looked up to and considered his friends.

He was wrong to set the weapons shop on fire. He should have burned the brothel down instead. With everyone in it. That's what he should have done.

Konoha Council Chambers, 7:45 A.M.

Orochimaru looked over the assembled shinobi. Every shinobi, chunin and above, was there. This was the first time since the war had been declared, that chunin were also asked to attend. 'Iwa at Kiriniku Border. Kumo in the Land of Fire. Council Chambers now.' That was all the message said. Orochimaru didn't quite understand what he felt when he read the message. Things had never before been as bad for Konoha as it was now. So… Why wasn't he afraid? Why wasn't he angry? Why was he just… indifferent?

Hiruzen stood up from his chair. "Where are the genin?"

Several shinobi looked at each other uncomfortably. Surprisingly, it was Chouza Akimichi who spoke up. Orochimaru had never seen the man speak in the council chambers before. "We didn't think we needed genin for this, Hokage-sama."

Hiruzen grit his teeth. "That was not for you to decide, Chouza. All jonin instructors make sure they're all ready to leave within the hour. No excuses. No exceptions." He glared at his shinobi and everyone immediately understood something about today. Today, the third Hokage was not the elderly shinobi searching desperately for peace between the villages. He was the Professor. The man who led Konoha to victory in the last two wars.

"Earlier today, we received communication from the group sent to Taki that Iwa has invaded through the Kusa border. The information was relayed to us by Mikoto Uch-, no, by Mikoto via Rumia Yamanaka." The information was met with silence. This was bad news. They were not ready for a war.

"However, that's not all. Kumo has invaded through the land of Frost. They're also in the land of fire."

Whispers of outrage erupted across the room. Orochimaru was also a bit surprised. He didn't expect his sensei to lie to them, but he definitely didn't expect the truth to be delivered so bluntly.

Inoichi looked at Ibiki who was sitting beside him. The boy was exhausted. He could see that. But… he still came with him to the meeting. At that point, Inoichi became certain of something. This level of dedication would undoubtedly be rewarded… if he survived the war, that is.

"Hokage-sama. We should start fortifying the village in preparation. We cannot wait any longer." It was Hyuga Hiashi who spoke. Orochimaru didn't particularly like the man, but he couldn't deny that he had skill. After all, there weren't many people alive that escaped the clutches of the Steel Guardian of Iwa.

The Hokage held up his hand and the room immediately went silent. "No." The single word echoed through the room. "No. We will not be fortifying the village. We will be leaving it."

The declaration was met with even more shouts and protests. "Hokage-sama. We can't do that. What about the civilians? And the children?"

"SILENCE!" Danzo shouted. "We don't have the time to argue about this. Listen to your Hokage and listen well."

Orochimaru looked around at the people in the room. No one dared to say anything. After all, Danzo never shouts. He was scary enough without it.

The Hokage stepped forward. "Homura. Koharu. I leave the village in your hands. Start evacuation plans immediately for anyone without a headband. Chunin shinobi are in charge of evacuation. Go door to door and get everyone. Lead them into the tunnels behind the Hokage monument and don't let anyone come out until we come back."

The two advisors nodded immediately; determination evident in their faces. "As for the rest of us… We will leave the village behind. With enemy shinobi scattered around the Land of Fire, we have had to fight this war at half-strength. We were trying to protect the village and in doing so, we have arrived at this situation. Two different places of attack. The Land of Grass and Frost. Our goal is to direct them to a single place…"

The shinobi were stunned. This was not… familiar. This was not the way they did things. The village had always been protected during war. No village had ever come close to harming their village before. The houses were still the same as the ones built by the first Hokage's wood release. The civilians were always safe. The children were always safe. That's what let them fight. Fearlessly and relentlessly. It was knowing that they had a home, and people waiting for them in it. But now…

"We will divide into two groups. The first one led by Akira Senju will confront the Kumo shinobi coming from the Land of Frost. Their goal is not to fight, but to divert them away from the village and push them just enough so that they see that the fight is not worth it. We want them to either retreat… or regroup with their shinobi in the Land of Earth. They must not get past you."

Akira stood up from among the crowd and nodded his assent. "How many can I have?"

Hiruzen looked down at the floor. "300."

Akira raised an eyebrow. "That's… not enough."

"I know." Hiruzen hesitated. "But your goal is not to fight. It is to show them that it's not worth it. I believe you'll be capable of that."

Akira nodded after a few moments. "Volunteers?", he asked, looking around the room.

No one dared to even look up. This mission. It was suicide. But if no one stepped up, their village would be overrun. Everyone looked at each other, waiting for someone else to be the first one to stand up, until one person did.

Dan Kato stood up from his seat. He nodded at Akira who smiled and nodded back. Orochimaru also stood up. He wouldn't have his genin in an all-out war so soon. They were more likely to survive at the Kumo front than with the all out war that had broken out with Iwa. Seeing this, Tsunade also stood up. Slowly, the people started coming together and soon, a respectable group was formed. Akira surveyed the group of standing shinobi and smiled. "Good men."

Hiruzen smiled at the group and then at Akira. "Jiraiya. Send word to your student in Taki." Jiraiya tilted his head, confused. "Tell him to lead half of their shinobi to fight at the Kusa border and Nara Shikaku to lead the rest to stall Kumo."

Jiraiya nodded and immediately disappeared in a shunshin. Hiruzen turned his gaze to the assembled shinobi again. "The rest of us… We are going to war, comrades. Fight well. Fight hard. Our goal here is not to win. It is to push them back, direct them into the same place as Akira will with Kumo. Once we accomplish that, our job is half done."

The Hokage paused to draw a deep breath. "This place isn't our village… These buildings aren't what makes us Konoha. It is the will of fire. This is our home. But the place isn't what makes it so. It's the people. If we come back to find this place in shambles but the people safe, our fire is still burning. If we come back to find both still standing, our fire will burn brighter than ever. They can't hurt us at home. We will… survive."

The assembled shinobi let loose a chorus of cheers and Hiruzen smiled proudly at them. "Go. Get ready. This will be the fight of your lives. 10 years from now, the history books will talk about each and every single one of you and about how brave you all are. Your will of fire will be known to everyone who will ever be born into the great nation that is Konoha."

Another round of cheers rose from the shinobi. Orochimaru couldn't help but sigh at the excitement. Most of them had only fought during the ending stages of the second ninja war. They weren't aware of what lay ahead. But they would soon find out. Orochimaru watched as the people walked out the exit, preparing for war. He walked toward the Hokage who was now talking to Akira. He only grabbed the end of the conversation when he reached them, but what he heard made his blood freeze.

"Where are we leading them?" Akira asked softly.

"The Land of Rain." Orochimaru's eyes widened. "We will get them there and Hanzo will take care of the rest."

Meanwhile, With Naruto.

"Even if that is the case, we aren't going to be anywhere near it. We're genin. So shut the fuck up." Anko yelled. She was lying on the ground. She was in no mood for this bull shit. She needed to think. Think about something important. She was the first one to go down that day. The only one in her team to lose as well. That, in itself, was completely fine. But it got her thinking. She was almost always the first one incapacitated. She preferred to think that it was because she was the biggest threat and that was why Orochimaru always took her out first. But that wasn't the case here. She was always first because she was just too reckless.

And what Kakashi was asking them to do was certainly reckless. Normally she'd be all for it. Even when she was just a kid, she'd hear these stories. From people who came into her father's store, or her academy teachers, or her neighbors… It was all the same. Their pride in surviving the war. The relief they felt when they made it back to their family whom they never thought they'd see again. That's why Anko wanted to be a ninja. She wanted to be able to tell these stories. But things weren't as simple as she once thought they'd be.

She knew from the start that people close to her would die. But she imagined she'd get over it by getting revenge. She now knew that she was wrong. She'd seen how Naruto had changed completely, in just a few hours. Perhaps he was always like that. Perhaps he was only hiding it. But she remembered. From the two weeks before the disastrous silent dispatch, she knew that Naruto was an easy-going, goofy kid.

How he'd saved her from being crushed by Manda and how he talked about it like it was nothing? That's what she wanted. To be able to tell a story and keep people listening. But it all changed on the day of the silent dispatch. He became cold. Distant. He wasn't telling them anything. From his subsequent actions, she got the impression that he expected them to trust him even though he didn't return the trust. He had a sister? Zabuza told him that and he didn't say anything to them during the return trip. That told her that he didn't trust them at all. But somehow, he trusted Rin enough to tell her? Now… that just hurts.

Because of all these reasons, her mind was not in its normal state when Naruto came and sat next to her after her little outburst against Kakashi.

"What do you want?"

Naruto didn't reply immediately. He just sat there which made her more annoyed.

"What do-"

"Why don't you like me?" Naruto asked sharply.

Anko was taken aback. "Tch. You don't get to ask me that."

Naruto didn't relent. "I do. We're friends. So, if you think you can't be friends with me, you have to tell me why."

"Why don't I tell Rin and then, she can tell you." Anko snapped at her.

Naruto looked at their friends. Kakashi was arguing about what he read in the message Orochimaru received. Rin, Yuna and Obito were trying to tell him to calm down. He was trying to get them to pack. Prepare. Because they'd be going too. Which was preposterous. They were genin. Genin don't fight in wars, period. Naruto shook his head at the idiotic argument. He turned his attention back to the more important matter at hand.

"So, it is about my sister. I thought it might be, but I wasn't sure." Naruto laid back and looked at the sky. The sun was bright but somehow, it wasn't hurting his eyes.

"Congratulations. Now you know." Anko said sarcastically, still annoyed with him.

"Anko. Tell me. How did your mother die?" Naruto asked softly.

Anko whirled around on him in anger. "How? How dare you ask me questions now?"

Naruto snapped his attention to his teammate. "Don't want to answer something personal? Why can't you understand that it's the same for me?"

Anko winced in surprise. "That's. That's different."

"How so?"

"You told Rin. But not us."

"I went to Senju Akira's house to get some answers from him. Rin followed me after the party and she connected the dots when I showed her the bingo book." Naruto chuckled. "I didn't tell her anything. She found out."

Anko was silent. She wasn't convinced. "But still… Your news is good news. Mine… Mine's bad."

Naruto growled in anger. "You think this is good news? Sure, it can be good news. But, put yourself in my position Anko. You've been here more than four years. Suddenly, you have a sister you've never heard of, who hasn't once tried to find you in all the time you've been in the village and is apparently, a mental wreck."

Anko went silent. When he put it like that, it didn't sound like good news at all.

"Tell me, Anko. Would you share this oh so wonderful news with me, if this happened to you?" Naruto asked.

"I… I probably wouldn't." Anko said hesitantly. "As it is now."

Naruto frowned. "Well, there you go. Some things are meant to be personal."

Anko thought about what she just heard. It was true. She could never even imagine telling someone else about how her mother died. About how she was the one who found her dead body… As traumatizing as the event was, it was hers. And was it so wrong that Naruto wanted that as well. But it wasn't just about his sister. He was keeping a lot of secrets from his teammates. Hell, she didn't even know about Yugao until she met her after Shinzo and Shizuka's funeral. She wanted to talk about it all, but she didn't get the chance to… Orochimaru was back.

Naruto sat up attentively. His sensei's expression was causing him to worry. It seemed that Kakashi was telling the truth when he told them that Kumo was invading.

"Get ready. Be at the north gate in 30 minutes. Pack all you can. Food and water only. No clothes, no camping equipment and no excuses." Orochimaru was already starting to walk away. "Oh. And weapons. Food, water and weapons. Lots and lots of weapons."

"Sensei, what's going on?" Yuna asked. This was strange. The last time she'd seen Orochimaru this agitated was at the silent dispatch. Was this going to be another test?

Orochimaru turned around and looked at her strangely. "War, Yuna. We're going to war."

And then he was gone. Naruto frowned. Everyone talked about war like it was taboo. Like the word itself would create panic and chaos. How was it any different from all the killing that normally happens?

Anko stood up. Kakashi was now belittling the rest of them for making fun of him earlier. She didn't care about that now. She extended her fist toward Naruto. "Whatever be our differences, we're a team. We'll get through this together."

Naruto returned the gesture and bumped fists with her. "Yeah. We will."

"I know you want your space, Naruto. And you are allowed your secrets… I realize that now." Anko hesitated. "But if I'm being too nosy and asking something that you'd want to keep to yourself, then please tell me that. Don't lie…"

Naruto smirked at her. "Anko, if you can be sure of one thing about me, it's that I'll never lie."

Anko was a bit surprised at the declaration but she recovered quickly and smirked. "Yeah, right." She then turned her attention toward their friends. "Oi. Let's go get ready. We have a long day ahead of us."

Taki Border.

"I will lead half of you to the Kusa border and the rest of you will go to head off the Kumo ninja under Shikaku Nara. Reinforcements are already on their way. We have to stall till they get there. Jiraiya-sensei delivered the message. We aren't trying to win the fight. If it seems winnable, then go right ahead. But our main focus is to direct both fights to Amegakure and let Hanzo take care of both our problems. It's risky, but it's the only way we're getting ahead of this."

His announcement was delivered to everyone telepathically by Rumia, who he was partnered with. He'd been hoping to get Kushina with him, but she was still pissed. And rightly so. "Rumia, divide them up into two groups. We need to move out as fast as possible."

Rumia nodded. Her mind techniques were the most important in such situations. If she hadn't been here, they would've had to meet physically to talk about the plan.

Sighing, she reached out to the others. She only connected with a few people in spread out locations. Anything more would be too taxing for her. But there was a dilemma facing her. She didn't know where to put Kushina. She had been there when things turned ugly with her and Minato. While she still didn't fully understand it, she knew that Kushina wasn't the type who forgave easily. It might be best to separate them for now. But a second opinion was always good.

"Miko-chan? You there?"

"Rumia?"

Rumia grinned. "Yup. Do you have any idea where to put Kushina?"

Mikoto was silent for some time. "Not on Minato's team, for sure."

"Thought as much. Can you tell me what happened exactly? I don't fully understand it."

"Later, Rumia. After we get back."

Sending a mental pout at her friend, she closed off the connection and looked at Minato. "It's done, Minato…"

Minato nodded. "Good. Let's head to the meeting point."

They took to the trees, speeding through the forest. They informed all the Taki-nin they passed on the way to the rendezvous point. They weren't happy about it, but it wasn't like they could do anything about it.

They were the first ones there, which was a surprise considering that some other teams were much closer. Minato hesitated before looking at Rumia.

"Rumia, can I ask you a question?"

Minato was such a cutie. So polite. But she already knew what he was going to ask. "I put Kushina on the other team, Minato-kun. Mikoto as well, so she can watch over her."

Minato nodded. There was a mixture of pain and relief on his face that made Rumia's heart ache. "Thank you. I don't think I'll be able to face her for a while."

Rumia only nodded. After all, what could she say?

"And, a word of advice. Don't make the same mistake I made. You shouldn't have put Mikoto with her to look after her. She can look after herself."

Rumia's one visible eye widened. "Yeah. You're right…"

Minato understood why she was surprised. They had been taking care of Kushina ever since they'd become genin. She was broken when she arrived in Konoha and they had been the ones to slowly pick up the shards and put her back together. But now she was whole. She had been for a long time now. And they didn't see it. She was no longer the crying child they met all those years ago. She was no longer the person who just gave up when Kumo tried to kidnap her. She was Uzumaki Kushina of the Leaf, the crimson death. It was high time everyone realized that.

With Yuna.

Rin was silent as they headed into the residential district. They had gone together to the Sarutobi clan compound and like Yuna said, they were barely even there. In and out in 5 minutes. That's all the time Yuna needed to pack for the mission. Rin idly wondered what she could take. Orochimaru said food and water only. And weapons of course. But she didn't know if she had any transportable food. Maybe a few ration bars, but that was it. Not enough for more than a couple of days and definitely not enough to last a war.

The chunin were helping with the evacuation. People were already being rushed out of their homes to a secure location. She wondered whether her parents would be home when she got there. If they were, it would be so much more difficult to leave. They were just too overprotective.

She was brought out of all those depressing thoughts when Yuna spoke up. "Why did you tell Naruto that you were on a date yesterday?"

"Huh?" Now that was a question she had not expected. Why was Yuna even concerned? Rin was always a friendly person, but she always had trouble with exactly three people in her class. Kakashi, Anko and Yuna. They were never close during the academy days. Yuna was always indifferent to everyone, Anko was always badmouthing them, and Kakashi? He was just a monumental brat to anything with a pulse. Rin understood that he had gone through some stuff, but his attitude got old quickly.

The fact of the matter was that personal questions were never entertained in conversations with those three, even after they'd gotten close over the past few months.

"You heard me. I want to know what you were doing with Naruto yesterday." Yuna spoke again.

Against her better judgement, Rin was getting angry. What the fuck was that tone? "I don't feel the need to answer you when you're talking to me like Asuma does."

Yuna's mouth dropped. She hadn't intended to offend her and definitely didn't want to sound anything like Asuma. "S-, Sorry… Rin, I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me."

Rin's eyes softened. She was nothing if not forgiving. "That's alright Yuna. We're all a bit tense now, aren't we?"

Yuna nodded gratefully. "Yeah, I guess."

"Why do you want to know about me and Naruto?" Rin asked, not able to contain her curiosity.

Yuna looked away. "It's just. You've always had a crush on Kakashi. I just don't know why you'd show an interest in Naruto."

Suddenly, it made sense to Rin. "Oh my god. You like Naruto!"

Yuna looked around in panic. "No, I don't."

Rin laughed. "Yes, you do. Yuna, if you were interested in him, all you needed to do was tell me and I'd back off." Rin laughed again. "Not that I was planning anything. This is not an ideal time to be thinking about dating, you know?"

Yuna was silent. Naruto had told her much of the same thing yesterday. This wasn't the time for anything of the sort. But why couldn't she get rid of this feeling.

"So, you really like him, huh?" Rin asked, trying to get some details out of her.

"I don't… … Ok, maybe I do. I don't know. I just know that seeing him with you yesterday made me uncomfortable."

Rin nodded. "Don't worry, Yuna. He was outside the hospital yesterday and he looked depressed. So, I just decided to cheer him up."

"What about you? You still interested in Kakashi?"

"Nope." Rin replied effortlessly. "Interactions with him have increased since we became a team and you can see why that could be bad."

Yuna laughed. "That's true."

Rin smiled at her friend. "So… Do you think Naruto likes you back?"

"No." Yuna replied quickly. "I don't think he'll have romantic feelings for anyone for a long time." At Rin's questioning look, Yuna continued. "Naruto has a lot of shit going on for him now. He doesn't have time for things like… feelings."

Rin could only nod in acceptance. "I know. Just look at today alone. He just casually threatened a sannin like it was nothing. Who knows what else he's actually dealing with?"

With Naruto.

"Why are you going?" Yugao whined. Naruto had only just returned and he was already going away. It wasn't fair. The last two days were so much fun for her. Naruto allowed her to stay up late and played with her. They went out to get ice-cream. He even brought her some new books and a few toys. She should have known something like this would happen soon.

Naruto, for his part, looked beyond uncomfortable. He knew she'd be upset, just not this much. "I have to go, Yugao-chan. It's my duty."

"No. Your duty is to be with me." There were tears forming in Yugao's eyes and it made Naruto's heart ache. It was never his intention to make her cry. This was actually only the second time he was seeing her cry… and it made him sick to think that he was the reason for her tears. But he had to go. There was no choice involved. He had to go.

At that moment, a knock came at the door. Naruto opened the door with a heavy heart and saw that it was a chunin. 'Of course, the evacuation.'

"Sir, I'm here as part of the evacuation. This is not a drill. I'd like any civilian in the apartment to accompany me." The chunin was much taller than him. He towered over Naruto and it was making him feel a little insecure. Just as he turned around trying to figure out the mess he was in, out of the corner of his eyes, he saw Hayate behind the chunin looking into the room.

"Yugao. Come to the door. Hayate's here for you."

Despite the mood she was in, she couldn't risk hurting her friend by ignoring him. She ran into the living room and was met with a scary looking tall ninja and Naruto at the door. This only made her even more scared. "No. I won't leave you."

Naruto sighed and kneeled down in front of her. "Yugao-chan. You have to. I can't be here to take care of you all the time. I know that it's my duty to protect you. But you have to learn to take care of yourself and Hayate and everyone you care about."

Yugao's eyes snapped up at him. "Why you? Why can't others go?"

"Because I made a promise, Yugao-chan. And I can never go back on my promises." Naruto looked straight into her tearful eyes.

Yugao started crying in earnest. "Then promise me. Promise me you'll come back."

Naruto smiled at her. "Of course, I'll come back."

Yugao wasn't convinced. "Say it. Say you promise."

Naruto's smile never faltered. "I promise, Yugao-chan. And while I'm gone, you know I'm still right. Here. With. You." He poked her chest when he said it, making Yugao smile.

He wrapped her in a hug. "I'll go. But only because you promised. I love you."

Naruto let her go and turned to Hayate. "Hayate, take care of her alright?"

"Of course. I'll make sure she's safe." The stoic boy replied.

Naruto nodded and kissed her forehead. "Love you too."

The chunin picked her up and carried her. Hayate was being carried by his mom. He smiled at Naruto. "A colorful family you got here kid.", the chunin said pointing at the color of their hair.

Naruto grinned. "Yeah. I suppose we are a bit colorful." He hesitated when he noticed the slight limp of the chunin as they started to walk. "Are you okay?"

The chunin looked at him sideways. "Observant, aren't you? I thought I cleaned up pretty good."

"You look ok, I guess. But clothes can't hide the limp." Naruto grinned.

"I suppose so. What's your name, kid?"

Naruto smiled. For some reason, he liked the chunin. He felt that they could talk for hours on end and not feel uncomfortable. It was a first for Naruto and he felt obligated to answer. "The name's Naruto. Yours?"

"Ibiki. Morino Ibiki." The older ninja replied. "You don't need to worry about… Yugao, was it? I have a younger brother myself. I know how worried you really are."

Naruto nodded. "Thank you. Ibiki-san. I hope you survive. I'd love to chat more after the battle."

Ibiki just grinned. "I hope so too."

Naruto watched as the four of them left the building. Yugao was talking excitedly with Hayate. Just looking at them, Naruto felt like they would stay friends for a very long time. Suddenly, a name came to his mind. Hayami Uzumaki. Was he friends with her like Yugao is with Hayate? He got the feeling that Hayami had been very important to him. He knew it when he first saw her dead body in the 'visions'. And Zabuza only confirmed it when he told him that his sword was named after her.

He snapped out of it when someone in another apartment made some noise moving about. It brought him out of his thoughts and into his problems. Where was he going to get food?

High in the Sky, Land of Fire.

"They're moving out soon. You ready for this, kid?" The man was wearing standard Iwa attire. His headband was around his biceps. It was funny how different people wear their forehead protectors in different places. It was a forehead protector. It wasn't a fucking fashion statement. Although when a busty woman wears it around her neck, it only makes the cleavage stand out that much more. He didn't want to be the one to change that, so he would let it slide.

Idly he wondered why he had been selected for the job. Sure, he could make some crazy explosions. But he didn't think that the Tsuchikage thought he was talented enough to destroy an entire fucking village. He was, but he didn't know that Onoki knew it.

Whatever, all this sitting and waiting was turning out to be very boring. He was aching for some action. He knew that today was the day Midori-sama would attack from Kusa. He wanted to be there with him. Right by his hero's side. But he had been given an important job. And succeeding in it would only make a lasting impression on everyone back home. And that would go a long way towards fulfilling his dream.

Tsuchikage. That had been his dream for as long as he could remember. The village was precious to him. Onoki was precious to him. Everyone in the village… They were what made him want to grow stronger. He would protect them or die trying.

"Oi. Deidara!" That brought him back to the real world. "Didn't you hear me?"

Deidara looked at the older man on the clay bird beside him. They were both flying high above the Land of fire. The patrols had swept through the entire country. But they'd never find people hidden in the clouds by searching in the forest, would they? He had gotten the idea of creating flying creatures from the Tsuchikage. The man could fly, for fuck's sake. That was badass. His insecurity about his height was probably the reason he developed it, but it was still pretty damn awesome.

"I'm more than ready. I feel good about this." Deidara said looking down at the village that had caused his home so much grief in the past. Everyone was assembling at the gate. They were all going out. Probably hoping no one would attack them while they were gone. How naïve.

He was tempted to just direct his birds directly into the growing group of shinobi. But he wouldn't do it. That wasn't his mission. He would wait for them to leave. He would wait until they were all gone and then he would strike. His clay spiders were already in position. This was going to become his best work yet. They had no idea what was coming for them.

North Gate.

Anko smirked at Naruto. "Your win against Kakashi was just a fluke." At Naruto's outraged look, Anko continued. "Ok. Not exactly a fluke, but still. You didn't know the reason why you won."

Naruto shook his head refuting what she was telling him. "What are you talking about? I beat him fair and square."

Anko's smirk grew wider. "No. You remember him meeting your sword with his charged up little tanto? He unleashed all that lightning on you and you didn't even flinch. At first, I thought it was because of your pain tolerance. But then I thought about it. I've been on the receiving end of that nasty attack. You don't just shake away that much lightning entering you. It makes your nerves burn in pain for hours. The amount Kakashi used on you should have made your whole hand go numb."

Naruto's mouth dropped open. He hadn't been aware that such a thing was possible. "Then why didn't it happen?"

Anko looked at him with a silly look. "It's obvious isn't it? It was because of your wind affinity." Naruto was puzzled. He had no idea how to use wind chakra. Not even if he tried to do it on instinct. He was about to ask more questions, but someone else interrupted him.

"This was what I would've told you during your assessment. You know… before you started threatening people." Orochimaru looked at him with a sly smile. "It fits with your personality too. You don't act before thinking. You strike quick and fast, and where it would deal the maximum damage. You're erratic, but when it suits you, you're quick and precise."

"Just like wind." Anko added.

Naruto didn't know what to say. "But how was I able to brush off that much lightning if I've never even handled the element before."

Orochimaru pondered a bit on that. "It's likely that you've already mastered your wind affinity before… In your life before Konoha."

Naruto only nodded. Just another thing to add to his long list of questions. Speaking of questions, there was something he really wanted to know. "Why are we going to this battle, sensei? We're genin."

Orochimaru didn't answer immediately. He was struggling to find the right words. "You're here for numbers."

Both Anko and Naruto looked surprised. That was not something they needed to hear. "You serious?" Anko asked incredulously.

Orochimaru didn't appreciate the question. "I'm always serious Anko. The hidden leaf is facing the greatest shortage of manpower since the end of the warring-clans era. This is the first time that losing seems the likely outcome. So, yes. You are here to make the enemy hesitate. You will increase our numbers."

Naruto didn't quite agree with the logic, but he could tell that Orochimaru was in no mood to entertain his opinions, especially ones which contradicted his own. So, he decided to switch back to the original topic. "How do I work on my wind affinity? Where do I start?"

Orochimaru frowned. "I don't really know a lot of people with the wind affinity. The only people I know of are Danzo and your sister, Kushina. It seems you'll have to wait a while. Or you could try to copy some wind jutsu with your sharingan. We will eventually end up fighting with some Suna shinobi as well."

Naruto nodded. If he had already mastered the element, then he would only need to see how the chakra should be molded. Then his previous experiences should help him learn some techniques to add to his arsenal. Although he was pleased with having two affinities, he was a bit underwhelmed by wind. In his opinion, Earth or Lightning would've been better for his fighting style.

There was still some time left till departure. But soon… Soon, they were going to war. This would be their first trial. If Orochimaru's stories were to be believed, the silent dispatch and their genin tests would seem like nothing. He would have to be careful. Anko was right. He was far too reckless. He was going to try to curb it while he was still in one piece.

Kusa Border, An Hour Later.

Fugaku slowly opened his eyes. He was dazed and light headed. Everything was blurred. He closed his eyes and shook himself to see if it would make it better. It didn't. Grunting in pain, he sat up. He didn't know how long he'd been unconscious, but judging from the smell of blood and smoke that reached him, it had been a while.

As he looked around through the smoke, he could see the remnants of the boulder that had come so close to crushing him. He wondered how he'd survived. He remembered channeling chakra to his eyes, but nothing else.

He tried to stand up, but immediately stopped when the intense stabbing pain shot up his leg. He looked at his foot and saw that he hadn't escaped as cleanly as he'd thought. It was at an angle that he didn't think was possible and he couldn't move his toes. His bones were crushed. It didn't take a genius to figure that out.

He reached into his supplies and withdrew a kunai. It would have to act as a splint until he could get medical help. After he was done with whatever first aid he knew how to apply, he stood up on his other leg. That was when his ears registered a noise other than the distant sounds of battle. Very labored breathing.

He activated his sharingan and looked around. He saw the entire Uchiha platoon on the ground. Only three of them were moving, although, not much. Akiko, Yakumi and… Tenzen. The remaining four were already dead. Head crushed in; torso separated… … … all very 'natural' deaths. He slowly walked to the nearest person he knew was alive. But as he got closer, he realized that he wouldn't live for much longer.

Yakumi Uchiha had a huge boulder on the lower part of his body. Tears fell down his face as he tried to contain his sobs. His hands gripped the grass below him, to try and get some leverage to push out from under the rock. Fugaku couldn't contain his smile.

"That was exactly how Kazane looked when she was trying to get away from you, Yakumi."

Yakumi turned around rapidly, now seemingly glad to see him. Fugaku wondered if he had forgotten about how he was going to kill him.

"Oh. Fugaku. Thank kami. You have to help me out of this, brother."

"Thank kami? That's what you have to say to me? You tried to kill me, brother." Fugaku retorted.

A look of panic crossed his face before it turned to anger. "So, you're just going to leave me out here to die?"

"Yes." Fugaku replied effortlessly. "I'm going to leave you here just like you left that poor girl in the brothel, half-dead and no chance of escape."

Yakumi started shouting at him, calling him names, cursing him. Fugaku didn't care. He simply turned around and limped away.

"Stop your yapping, Yakumi." Fugaku recognized the voice as Tenzen. "He's not going anywhere."

Fugaku stopped and turned to where the voice had come from. Tenzen Uchiha was under the same circumstance as Yakumi was, except the fact that Tenzen's right hand was also pinned under the rock. "And what makes you say that, Tenzen-sama?"

"Our eyes, boy. You will never let it fall into the hands of our enemies." Fugaku could feel the smirk on his face, despite not being able to see it.

"That's true. I won't do that. But that doesn't mean I'll help you." Fugaku limped over to where Tenzen lay trapped. He lifted his right foot and stepped on his face, remembering how Tenzen had done the same to Kirua from the brothel. He then sat on the rock that was crushing him under it.

Tenzen coughed up some blood. "You. You traitor. You can't kill us. They'll find out, and then they'll have your head."

Fugaku laughed dryly. "No. First, I'll kill your little soldiers by setting them on fire. And then, I'll start cutting you till you're begging like your whore did yesterday. Then, I'll slash your eyes. And when I'm finished, there will be no witnesses. Just like there are no witnesses to your weekly visits to the brothel. There will be no loose ends."

Tenzen looked around desperately for something he could use. But no. His use of Kotoamatsukami had drained him, especially since Fugaku broke through the technique. He wasn't aware that it could be broken, let alone the potential backlash. His hands were trapped under the boulder and he was bleeding profusely from multiple wounds. The only way he was getting out of this was if someone showed up or if Fugaku changed his mind. Desperately, he decided to try for the latter.

"Fugaku, don't be so unreasonable. Being a clan head is what you want, right? I can help you. I can make sure you will-"

Fugaku made a single hand seal and sent a fireball toward Akiko Uchiha, the one farthest away. Yakumi and Tenzen watched in stunned silence as their friend screamed in agony. "No. I'm not like them. I can change. I can change. I can… Fugaku. Please. Please."

The word was repeated so many times that Fugaku lost count. Finally, he fell silent.

Tenzen tore his gaze away from the burning corpse. Yakumi was hyperventilating, flailing around on the ground.

"What do you want? Is it money? A nice house? Tell me what you want and I'll give it to you. Just let me live." Tenzen pleaded desperately.

"What I want, you threw away. There is nothing you can give me." Fugaku stepped off the older shinobi and limped towards his former friend who was still screaming hysterically as he flailed around.

"Fugaku. Don't kill me. Please don't kill me. You know me. I'm your friend. I know Tenzen-sama is wrong. He forced me to. You have to believe me. He forced me to go with him. Please don't do this."

Fugaku smiled at him evilly. "Oi. Tenzen-sama. It seems your bitch isn't getting enough attention. Should I help him?"

Yakumi's eyes widened as he realized those words as his own. Fugaku's smile only widened when he saw the light of recognition in his eyes. "And here I thought that my esteemed company would be enough."

"Fugaku, please. You don't have to do this. You know me."

Fugaku didn't pay it any attention. "By all means, go ahead.", he recounted the dialogue from a few nights before.

"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"

Yakumi screamed as his body caught fire. The pain was agonizing as he was burned alive. The worst part though, wasn't the pain. It was the smell. The smell of cooked meat.

As the screams died down, Fugaku turned his attention back to his clan head. Tenzen Uchiha stared at him in fear. "Why? Why are you doing this? I told you. I can get you anything you want."

"And I told you. You threw away the one thing I wanted." Fugaku spoke calmly as he walked forward, his eyes taking the form of three dots followed by three curves spiraling counter-clockwise around the pupil.

Tenzen didn't overlook that. "I see. That's how you broke my genjutsu. I never imagined you of all people to be capable."

"You tried to take away the one thing I value more than anything. So, of course I awakened it. Do you think I'm weak?"

Tenzen didn't reply. He flinched when Fugaku reached him and stepped over him like before. "So, that's it then. You're doing this for Mikoto."

Fugaku drew a kunai and drove it into his gut. "No. You have no right to say her name after what you did."

Tenzen was surprised at the sudden display of emotion until suddenly, it clicked. He started laughing. "Ha. Ha ha. You think I used the genjutsu on her. You think I made her reject you. You dumb idiot. She was always only using you to get under my skin. Did you seriously think she actually felt that way for you? You are a fool, Fugaku. You're a fool for believing that doing all this will get her back."

Fugaku didn't react immediately. He twisted the kunai in his gut before drawing it out. "Contrary to what you think, I always knew about her real feelings. I knew the day would come when I wouldn't be good enough for her. But… You're right about one thing. I was a fool to believe it would last any longer than it did."

Tenzen looked up into the eyes of the person who held his life in his hands. "I can help you get her back, Fugaku. I can use Kotoamatsukami on her. I can make her love you more than anything else in the world. I can make her your slave."

SLASH.

Tenzen's world went dark when the kunai slashed through his eyes. He screamed in pain. "You… WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?"

Fugaku remained silent watching the pathetic old man struggle to get away. He was already bleeding profusely from the hole in his gut and all the struggling was only quickening his death. That didn't sit well with Fugaku. Channeling fire chakra into his palms he held it over the gaping wound and melted it shut. Tenzen continued to scream.

"This didn't have to happen, Tenzen-sama. You only needed to hear me out instead of trying to brainwash me."

Tenzen's screams slowly turned into dry hollow laughs. "You fool. You're such a fool. Mikoto will be so disgusted by you. You will never get her back. Never."

Fugaku extended his hand and slapped the older man right across his face. "I told you. You were wrong about everything you said earlier. I didn't do this for Mikoto. I did this for Kazane."

Despite the situation, confusion entered Tenzen's face. "Who the fuck is Kazane? Your side bitch?"

Fugaku's eyes twitched in annoyance. Taking his kunai out of his pouch again, he casually cut off two fingers making him scream again. "No. Not my side bitch. She's the 16-year-old girl you and your minions destroyed yesterday." Tenzen went silent as soon as he heard it. "And now that I think about it, you all screamed louder than the poor girl ever did."

With that Fugaku once again stepped off the older shinobi. He walked a small distance away, ignoring his screams for him to come back. He turned around in annoyance. He had forgotten the four other Uchiha. He needed to destroy their eyes as well.

Tenzen's dry laughter reached him as soon as he was near. "I knew you'd come back. You're soft. You can't stand my screams, can you?"

Fugaku came to a stop in front of him. It was true. He couldn't stand his pathetic screaming. Fugaku reached down with his right hand and grabbed his throat, slowly increasing the pressure on it. Tenzen coughed and struggled for a long time, but it ended abruptly as his voice box gave way and imploded.

"Tenzen-sama, before I forget about your little offer about using your Mangekyou on my Mikoto. I've come to a decision." Fugaku ran through hand seals and sent four quick fireballs to the four remaining corpses, setting them on fire.

Tenzen flailed around in panic. Blood from his crushed throat slowly filled his lungs. He was drowning in his own blood. "The answer is no."

Fugaku lifted his foot and planted it firmly on his chest to stop his struggling. Tenzen tried to struggle some more, but soon went still as slowly his gurgles died down and his life exited its container.

"I can do it myself."

6 Hours Later, Forest of Shimogamo, The Land of Fire.

Naruto looked at his friends to see them just as confused as he was. Why were they stopping? The enemy was nowhere in sight and this was not a particularly advantageous spot. The land had a slight slope in the direction of their disadvantage. The forest was so dense that they couldn't see much through it. Altogether, it seemed idiotic to make a stand here.

He looked straight ahead of him and saw Akira and Orochimaru in deep discussion. They were probably discussing the situation to decide what to do next. He was so deep in his thoughts that he didn't notice someone come up to him and sit next to him. It was alarming how he didn't even register her presence. He only noticed when she spoke.

Tsunade Senju couldn't help but laugh at the genin who she had just sneaked up on. She could see his teammates looking over at the both of them warily, as if something was about to go horribly wrong. She sighed internally. Did she make such a bad impression on them? She didn't have to delve deep into her memory to realize that she probably had.

"Tsunade-sama. What are you doing here?" Naruto asked, not able to hide his discomfort at her presence.

Tsunade looked at his posture once again. Even when they were seated on the ground, it was a perfect stance. Arms at suitable positions to defend vital points, legs poised to jump away and his sharingan eyes activated. The boy would no doubt die if she wished for it, but he was doing his best to make it difficult for her.

"I came to apologize to you." As soon as the sentence left her mouth, she expected to see some change in his stance. Surely, the surprise would get him to drop his guard for at least a moment. But no. He remained the same, with the only difference being a tilted head and a raised eyebrow.

He remained silent. Naruto didn't trust himself to say something that wouldn't be construed as offensive. So, Tsunade decided to keep talking.

"I'm sorry about how I acted two months ago. It was not your fault, nor Mikoto's. I shouldn't have acted the way I did and I'm deeply sorry for it. Please accept my apologies."

Naruto remained suspicious. "What brought this on?"

Tsunade grinned. The boy was still on guard. He was good. He was direct and to the point. No space for bull shit, even when the one talking to him was someone of Tsunade's status. She understood why Orochimaru always talked about the kid. "I talked to Orochimaru. He told me about your little list." Tsunade internally rejoiced at the narrowed eyes and the clenched fists, the first visible reaction from the young redhead.

"And?"

"And he told me your reasoning behind it as well. 'For some reason, she doesn't seem to like me.' I get why you may think that, Naruto-san."

"Tch. It seems sensei is a little tattletale." Naruto muttered under his breath.

Tsunade's melodious laugh filled his ears. "Yes. I suppose he is." Her smile fell as her face turned serious. "I know what I've done, Naruto-san. I know that as a direct result of my actions, three genin ended up dead and their sensei ended up disowned. I can't begin to express how sorry I am about it, but I can tell you one thing. At the time, I felt like she deserved it. I don't anymore and I'm sorry I ever felt that way."

Naruto's eyes softened when he heard the sincerity in her voice. "I'm glad you've changed your mind about her, but I feel that you should be telling her this. Not me."

Tsunade nodded. "Yes. But I wanted to let you know how my feelings about you changed as well. I felt the same way about you in the beginning." Naruto raised an eyebrow. "I saw you. One day, in the market district."

Naruto was now genuinely surprised. He didn't think that Tsunade would even remember him past a few weeks. Apparently, he was wrong.

"You were with this young girl, maybe 4 years old?" Naruto nodded. "I don't know why, but seeing you two made me feel good. It reminded me about the good times I had with Nawaki and I realized that that was what I should hold on to. You helped me get over my grief, so I'm thankful for that. And I'm sorry for how I treated you at the start. I hope you forgive me someday."

Naruto hesitantly nodded. He wasn't used to this… heart-to-heart approach. "It's fine, Tsunade-sama. People do things when they're grieving. You got Mikoto-sensei disowned which coincidentally, only made her happy, and I blackmailed and threatened the entire jonin shinobi council. We've all done things."

Tsunade laughed again. "Thank you for being so understanding, then.", she joked. "But in all seriousness, you can't keep going like this. This is the second time you've threatened your superiors, isn't it?"

Naruto nodded. "I know today was a mistake. I only wanted to get my teammates off my back and I ended up making all those threats."

Tsunade nodded. "Be careful about what you say. You never know who might be listening."

Naruto nodded at the somewhat strange advice. They sat silently for some more time before Naruto decided to ask something. "Do you know her?"

Tsunade looked at him in confusion for a few moments, when it occurred to her. "You mean Kushina?" He nodded. "Hmm. I've worked with her maybe two, three times in the past… She's a strong kunoichi. She supported me in the clan head act modification that I presented to the council. Outside of such meetings and other official business, I haven't seen much of her. She's my uncle's student and like you, she's very talented in fuinjutsu."

Naruto didn't reply. He nodded and simply stared at the ground. Tsunade continued.

"Personally, I think you're right to suspect Konoha. A lot goes on in the village that gets swept right under the rug. Looking at you now, it's pretty fucking obvious that you're an Uzumaki. I don't know how no one pointed it out to you before."

Naruto was a bit surprised at that. He knew that the hair and the eyes were pretty distinctive markers, but he didn't think it was anything definitive. "So, anyone with red hair and purple eyes is an Uzumaki?"

"Yeah. Pretty much." Tsunade replied. "You did dye your hair black and you have the sharingan. That probably dismissed some people's doubts about your heritage."

Naruto nodded sagely. He had a lot to think about. He wanted to find out more about his sister, but before he could ask any more questions, a white-haired man came up to them.

"Tsunade-hime, who's this handsome young man? Is he stealing you away from me?" Dan asked playfully.

Tsunade laughed. "What if he is? What will you do, Dan?"

Dan wasn't fazed. "I'd ask him to hold out his fist, then I'd bump it with mine and then I'd look deep into his eyes with the utmost respect and say… 'You daawwgggg!'"

Tsunade's eye twitched but she didn't say anything while Naruto struggled to contain his laughter. This guy was cool.

"What's going on here? What are you doing with my team, Tsunade?" The new voice belonged to Orochimaru. He was rightly feeling a bit uncomfortable with Tsunade's presence near his genin, given how she had reacted to them at the start. But Naruto's reassuring smile told him that there was nothing to worry about. But still, he felt like yanking on Tsunade's chain, so he went ahead with the question.

As Tsunade and Orochimaru devolved into a very mature bickering tournament, Naruto couldn't help but notice her very mature curves in all the right places. He even activated his sharingan to memorize it. His gaze was torn away from her shapely behind when the white-haired man coughed and smiled at him knowingly. Naruto didn't know what else to do. So, he looked deep into Dan's eyes, mustering as much respect as he could and held out his fist. "You daawwgggg!"

Dan didn't get to reply however because Akira Senju started speaking and all the shinobi in the group turned to him.

"We'll make our stand here. It's not ideal, I know, but our mission is to direct them towards Amegakure. The next usable forest cover is well out of both our way and theirs. Our mission is not to defeat them. It is to prevent their passage through this forest. Prepare yourselves. This won't be easy. Reinforcements are coming from the west. We have to hold on till they reach here. Scouts say that Kumo is 3 hours out, so until then, lay down traps, set up watch points and above all, hide your chakra signature. We don't want to lose our element of surprise… because that's all we have pretty much."

The gathered shinobi roared their assent and started carrying out their duties. Naruto smiled at Dan and moved away from the high-ranking ninja to reunite with his group. Knowing them, they would probably want to know everything about his latest personal interaction with Tsunade.

With Minato, Kusa Border.

Minato knew that war was horrifying. He had seen it first hand when he was a newly made genin. Then, only small conflicts remained with all the bigger ones over and done with. But it was still horrifying for a 13-year-old boy. He wasn't sure why his sensei had taken him there. It wasn't consistent with his behavior. All he knew was that it had changed him. From then on, he was serious in his training. Never goofing off, never just resting. Kushina was the one who made him feel normal.

Being apprenticed to Jiraiya, he didn't have many friends his age. It changed one day when he saw the Kumo delegate in Konoha carrying a young red-haired girl who he had briefly met in the academy. His feet had just started moving on its own. He didn't waste any time waiting for the ANBU. He knew from his training with seals that they would be alerted as soon as the Kumo-nin exited the village because of the barrier.

And because he chose to follow her that day, he had been able to reconnect with his friends from the academy. They started spending a lot of time together. They were interested in the same things. They both loved fuinjutsu. They both hated fighting. The only thing that they disagreed on was ramen. Kushina loved the stuff. He thought it was… meh. That had been the only real argument they had until very recently.

After the second ninja war was wrapped up, they were able to spend even more time together. Finally, on her 16th birthday, Minato told her that he loved her. His declaration was met with tears and not of joy either. Until then, from her frequent visits to the hospital and a little revealed information about her old home, he knew nothing about her tragic past. When he became jonin, he was made aware of the ruin of Uzushiogakure and all the events that led up to it. It was traumatizing, yes. But Minato thought that that was the extent of Kushina's pain.

Oh, how wrong he was. On the day of her 16th birthday, he confessed his love for her. It was met with tears of sadness. He held her through the night and comforted her as best he could. When her tears had run dry, she told him. She told him everything.

Flashback

Minato never expected his day to end so badly. He didn't realize what he'd done wrong. Why was she crying?

"Kushina, it's ok. Don't cry. Please don't cry."

It only made her sob harder, so he held her silently as she emptied her eyes out. He didn't know how long they stayed like that. It could've been mere minutes, it could've been hours, it could've been days. It didn't matter. He would hold her till her tears stopped.

"Minato. I… I'm sorry. I don't deserve it."

Minato was confused. "I don't understand, Kushina. You don't deserve what? I love you and I won't ever hurt you."

Kushina's mouth quivered as her eyes filled again. "You don't understand, Minato."

"Then tell me."

Kushina hesitated. "No."

"Tell me."

"N, No."

"Please just tell me, Kushina. I need to know."

At his defeated look, she simply broke down. "I don't deserve you."

The outburst did nothing to settle his questions. "What are you talking about? That's just not true."

"I… I can't love, Minato. I don't deserve to. Not after what happened."

That stuck with Minato. She was saying that she wasn't worth loving. She was saying that she didn't deserve to love or feel loved. His eyes hardened. "Tell me why."

Kushina hesitated for the longest moment. In her eyes, he could see her struggling to contain the truth. A storm that was barely being contained and he knew how to unleash it.

"I love you."

Kushina's eyes opened wide as he kissed her on her lips. The feeling of his soft lips sent tingles down her spine. She'd never felt that way before and soon, she was returning the kiss instinctually. When they finally separated, Kushina looked deep into his eyes. "I'll tell you my story. You can decide afterwards if you still want to be with me."

Minato wanted to tell her that of course he would. But somehow, he knew that Kushina didn't want to hear that.

"I'm from Uzushiogakure, the land of the Uzumaki. I was born on July 18th, 16 years ago now. I was born to our leader's daughter and her husband, Tara and Hisame Uzumaki. They were very young when they had me. My mother was only 16 or 17 years old. But it didn't matter. They did everything they could to take care of me. I was happy for a long time. Until one day, when I was around 8 years old, my mother came back from a mission crying.

They told me to go upstairs so I wouldn't hear, but I didn't listen. My mother was pregnant, you see, and my father was not the one responsible. It was someone else. My father was angry. My home was turned upside down by it. My mother became a hateful person, devoted to her job and indifferent to her children. My father started drinking. I told my grandfather how bad it was, but he said it would change later. When the baby was born, they wouldn't be fighting.

He came on October 10th, when I was 9 years old. My mother was the happiest I'd ever seen her. My father… wasn't there. Everyone looked at me for a name and I told them. Naruto. His name would be Uzumaki Naruto. He was a clever little boy. He always knew where we hid his favourite snacks and there were instances where he would use his cuteness to his advantage even when he was just a year old. Things were still rocky between my father and mother, but it was much better than before.

I was naïve when I thought it would last. Naruto was two years old when it happened. My father came home drunk one day and no one was home. Only Naruto. My mother had been given the post of jonin commander by our leader. She was never home anymore. I was… I was in class. Naruto was hungry, you see, and wanted something to eat. He asked my father for help, which he promptly ignored. Naruto later told me that he had called him tou-san when he snapped.

My father… My father turned him on his back, took out his sword and started carving. Deep slashes on his back, in no discernible shape . He was near death when I came home. I got him to my grandfather's house and my grandmother was able to save him. But he was never the same since. He wasn't the bright happy boy anymore. He was afraid. Constantly afraid.

I started leaving Naruto at the neighbor's house when I had to go out. He became friends with the little girl in that house. Slowly but surely, the old Naruto was coming back. He was happy again. I would sing to him when he was feeling down and take care of him when he was sick. I loved him. And he loved me. More than anything.

But my father was only getting worse. I told my mother to do something about it. She didn't listen. I told my father to stay away. He slapped me in response. I found myself resenting them. I hated them. More… … more than anything. For how they were treating each other and for how they were treating Naruto. More than all that, I resented Uzushiogakure. My grandfather was the leader of the place, yet, he did nothing to help my brother. My mom was the jonin commander. She did nothing. I hated the place and everyone in it… except Naruto, of course.

So… That's why, when word came that there was need for an Uzumaki with the Kongo Fusai in Konoha, I volunteered. I thought it was something trivial. It was a chance to get away and I was told that it was only for a week. I decided to go despite all the protests from my parents and grandparents. I didn't care what they thought. I had stopped caring about them a long time ago.

The hardest part was telling Naruto. He cried so hard. I'd never seen him cry so much, not even on the day my father cut him. It broke my heart. But I told myself that I needed to do something for myself. That place was eating away at me and I needed to get away. I told myself that it would be better in the long run. He begged and pleaded with me so much that I almost stayed back… Almost… But, I left. Despite his screaming protests, I left for Konoha."

Minato held her tightly as tears continued to stream down her face. Why had she kept all this to herself over the years? Why didn't she say anything? Why did she carry this huge burden by herself?

"When I reached Konoha, I was brought to Uzumaki Mito. It turns out that I was here for something completely different from what I imagined. I was here because Mito-sama was dying. I was to be the next jinchuriki of the kyuubi."

Minato's eyes widened. "You're… You're a jinchuriki?"

"Yes." Kushina replied without delay. "I'm sorry for keeping this from you, but it's a S-rank village secret. I had no choice. Or at least I thought I didn't."

Tears filled Minato's eyes. Just what had she been going through the past few years? Every time she saw the back of a jounin vest, she would've been reminded of everything. This place wasn't any good for her. It was torture. That was why she didn't fight when the Kumo ninja took her. She didn't see any point in staying here.

"Usually, babies are chosen to be the containers of bijuu because it would give their chakra coils time to expand and adjust throughout the growing period. But I was 13 years old at the time. The transfer placed me in a coma. All the Konoha elders were in the room when I woke up. I asked them how long it'd been and they told me that it had been a little over 2 months. I started panicking. I told Naruto that I'd be back within a week. And it had been 2 months since then. I wanted to go back immediately.

That's when they told me. Uzushiogakure has fallen under a joint assault by three ninja villages. Kumo, Kiri and Iwa. There had been no survivors. After delivering the news, the elders left the room immediately. As if they were just here out of obligation. Akira-sensei and the Hokage stayed behind. I told them, pleaded with them to let me go to the village. So that I could see for myself. The Hokage refused. He told me that it was too dangerous. But Akira didn't say anything. In that moment, I knew he wanted to visit the village as well.

We left the village in the night. He carried me so that we'd travel faster. When we came to the place where ferries used to be, there were none present. Akira managed to get an old boat into the water and we sailed toward my home.

It was then that I understood why the Hokage didn't want me to go. There was nothing there. The once beautiful waterfall was dry. The river that ran through the village was now just a deep trench. The houses, burned to the ground. The people, ashes. Nothing remained. I fell unconscious as soon as I saw it."

Tears were now streaming down both their faces. Minato was shocked at what Kushina was dealing with for the past few years. He couldn't even imagine what he'd do if all that happened to him. Him, along with all their friends from the academy, knew that her entire family had been killed in the Uzushio massacre, but he never thought she'd been living with all this guilt for so long…

"Akira took me back to Konoha. I was here when I woke up. He told me how sorry he was for taking me, but I forgave him. It wasn't his fault. I'd asked him to."

Kushina looked directly into Minato's eyes. For the first time, Minato saw something different in her eyes. Something he didn't think just someone's eyes could express. It was despair.

"Do you see why I don't deserve your love, Minato. My little brother begged and begged me to stay. He screamed in protest as I stepped onto the boat. Someone capable of love could never do that. Someone capable of love would never-"

Minato closed the distance between them. "I don't care." He kissed her on the lips again. "I don't care." He kissed her again. "There's nobody in this world who is incapable of love. Definitely not you."

Kushina cried again and they held each other for the longest time. Kushina later told him that it felt good to let it all out after so long. It took some convincing on his part, but Kushina tearfully agreed to give it a shot. She would try. For him, she would try. That was the best he'd get out of her.

Flashback End.

Minato wondered why his mind had gone to that particular memory. He didn't have to think much to figure it out. It was what he saw in front of him just now. Death and destruction. The essence of war. He imagined himself in Kushina's place. Coming back to Konoha and seeing it in shambles. Everyone he'd ever met before, everyone he loved… Just gone. If that ever happened, how would he be able to continue?

He knew the answer. He wouldn't. He told her that he'd never hurt her. He lied. He had probably hurt her more than anyone else in her life right now. He'd told her that he would never let something like this happen again. He had lied. The proof of his deceit was right in front of him.

"Namikaze-san! You need to see this."

Minato turned and walked toward the chunin who called him. "What is it?"

The chunin didn't reply. Instead he pointed towards the huge boulder in front of them. "I think he might be alive."

Minato's eyes widened. "Then what are you standing around for? Let's help him."

The chunin's eyes widened. "Er. Yes sir."

Minato ran through some hand seals, and created an earth wall under the boulder, lifting it up just enough for the chunin to drag the person out. He ran some diagnostic techniques and realized immediately that the person in front of him was dead. No doubt about it. From the looks of it, it was a long and painful one. Someone had pierced his gut, then stemmed the flow by cauterizing the wound. His two fingers had been cut off and those wounds had also been treated the same way. His throat was crushed and he had died, drowning in his own blood.

Minato saw that there was a lot of blood around his eyes, but he couldn't see any head trauma. Slowly, he used the side of his sleeve to clear away the blood. That's when he saw it. The familiar scar across the nose. The stern face and rigid jawline. He almost didn't want to believe it. He reached into the shinobi's flak jacket and fished out his ninja registration card. It was true. He had to believe it.

His face turned grim as he ran through hand seals. Biting his thumb, he slammed his hand on the ground and a toad, as tall as him, appeared. "Bunta-san, I need you to send a message to Jiraiya-sensei. Tell him that our team has reached the point of first contact and that there appears to be no survivors." Then he hesitated. "Tell him… Tell him that Tenzen Uchiha is dead." Gasps echoed around the clearing as people heard what Minato just said. Bunta nodded and popped out of existence.

The shinobi around him looked at him grimly. He turned to Rumia. "Let's move out. Seal up the bodies of any Konoha shinobi you see. But don't do it if it seems too much. Survivors may still be fighting nearby. We need to make it as soon as possible."

Rumia nodded her assent and started conveying the message to the others. Everyone had their jobs to do. This was hers.

2 Hours Later.

Koharu Utatane was a seal master. She worked diligently in the barrier team under the guidance of Mito Uzumaki for almost a decade after the first war ended. Some of the contingencies and traps in the barrier were laid down solely by her. The credit for the seal system belonged primarily to Mito-sama. But she was definitely a part of it.

It was for this reason that she was the head of the barrier team in Konoha until very recently when the Nara clan head took over. Maintenance and repair were what she specialized in. She usually worked with a very thorough team of highly talented seal specialists that unfortunately were required elsewhere in the next few days.

She was on top of the Hokage monument with her former teammate, watching over the village. On a normal working day, the village would receive, on average, about 1600 visitors. The chunin stationed at the gates would notify her team of anyone entering through the gates. The barrier also alerted them when a non-nature chakra carrier touched the barrier. So, sometimes, even insects entering through the barrier would alert them. With many optimizations made over the years, it was improving, but they still had to deal with quite a lot of false alarms. But usually there would not be more than a dozen a day.

So, her genuine surprise was definitely warranted when she felt over 30000 chakra sources passed the barrier simultaneously all around the village. Her posture tensed and that was enough for Homura to realize that something was wrong. And based on her ever-widening eyes, it wasn't getting any better.

Koharu barely had time to speak up about the 30000 foreign presences in the village, when she felt more enter. This time from above. "Homura, look up."

Homura did as he was asked and what he saw confused him. Birds made of some white substance were rapidly descending to the ground. Was this the Land of Birds attacking? Are they summoned animals? He simply didn't know. He had never seen something like this before. He didn't have time to think more on the topic because at that moment, he saw a spider made of a similar white substance.

Koharu was in panic mode as she made the necessary steps to close the barrier or at least strengthen it. The numbers entering the village were just staggering. She rapidly went through hand seals and slammed her hand on the ground when she had molded enough chakra.

"Sealing Technique: Red Flames Dome Formation."

As soon as she did so, a dome made of red flames appeared over the village, rapidly closing it up. For better or for worse, nothing would get in or out. She knew it was working when the influx of chakra sources came down to zero. A bead of sweat traveled down her face at the effort. This was the first time since the founding of the village that the red flames dome had been utilized. And the fact that it had only succeeded in keeping more from entering was not lost on her. She had seen the white birds descending on the village. They were almost to the surface. She looked at Homura who was holding up a struggling white spider in his hands. He stared at her with a confused expression.

"Do you know what this is?"

Koharu shook her head, equally puzzled. "No. But I can sense earth chakra in it. What do you think this means?"

Homura didn't reply. The birds had reached the ground and they were resting. They looked like normal birds but he could tell that something was off. They all… They all seemed to be looking at him which unnerved him.

He sent an uncertain glance at Koharu which she didn't return. Curious, Homura followed her gaze toward the sky. There was one bird just above the red dome. This one was different because two people stood on top of it. And they too seemed to be looking right at them.

Above Konoha, With Deidara.

Deidara watched in fascination as the red barrier formed over the entire village. Woah. That was some defense. Idly, he sent some of his clay creatures at it, but nothing. Not a dent. It made him slightly irritated that something created by the tree huggers could withstand his art. But it didn't matter. He had more than enough in the village. Now all he needed was the right moment.

Shinji or Yagura or whatever his name was, had come through. They would never have foreseen something this well-hidden. The barrier was not taken into consideration when they made their plans. They had received the news late last night. Someone from the Kamizuru clan had been contacted via her summoned creatures. But Deidara only needed to make some slight modifications to his plan. Everything was already in place. The only thing which had changed was that now, he would have to send everything he had, in one fell swoop. The earlier plan to have his creatures sneakily wait until the shinobi got back wouldn't work if there was someone maintaining the barrier.

No matter. The old geezer would just have to be satisfied with him destroying the village. Deidara felt proud as he relished the feeling of the wind hitting his face. This was it. His moment. No one had ever accomplished something like this. Not even close. Konoha had always seemed untouchable. But now, as he looked down at the two figures atop the Hokage monument, he couldn't help but laugh.

"What're you waiting for, kid?" His companion asked him.

Deidara didn't look away from the Hokage monument. He grinned as one of them finally looked up. "I'm waiting for them to see me." He led his bird even closer to the barrier to get a better look.

His partner chuckled at his reply. "You are one sick kid, Deidara."

Deidara just ignored him. He didn't matter. He was just a random villager who would be singing his praises after this.

The Konoha shinobi looked up at him. He knew that they probably wouldn't be able to see it, but in his mind, he hoped they would see his smile. His smile of retribution. Vengeance against the people that had taken his family away from him. Now he would take away their home from them.

"WITNESS MY ART AND FEEL DESPAIR, KONOHA-NIN." He shouted as he held up a one-handed ram-seal. This was it. This was his moment. "KATSU!"

With Naruto

The atmosphere was tense. They had spotted the enemy for the first time a few minutes ago. They were traveling much faster than they'd imagined. Naruto was surprised that no one started screaming and running back. He was tempted to do that. The sheer strength in numbers that the Kumo party nearing them held…

Their army was huge. So huge that it wasn't even funny. They had to be at least 2000 strong. Meanwhile, Konoha had sent 300. He didn't want to admit it, but Akira had been right to wait. If they'd gone ahead, the battle would've ended by now. Now, they at least had a chance. If reinforcements from Taki showed up, that is.

Naruto was suddenly hit with a very pessimistic outlook on the events that were going to transpire. What if the reinforcements weren't coming? What if they had to join the fight at Taki? He didn't know why, but his instincts were screaming at him to run. They were near the front of the forest, because they had to stay close to Orochimaru. Chunin were all aware of the standard protocols and codes used to communicate when shit hit the fan. The genin didn't know shit about any of that. So, they were stuck with Orochimaru or rather, he was stuck with them. Team 12 and team 7 both. Personally, Naruto felt better being here with Orochimaru.

He could see the shinobi approaching with the help of his sharingan. They were all huge bulky dark-skinned men. The two at the lead had insane amounts of chakra, the one wearing the shades being the taller of the two. And again, the feeling came. He wanted to run. He just couldn't shake the feeling that something was about to go wrong.

Orochimaru noticed his restless fidgeting. "What is going on with you? Relax. It's going to be fine. Don't let the numbers scare you. We have the element of surprise."

Naruto looked sideways at Orochimaru. "I don't know what's wrong. I just… I have this feeling that something is about to go very wrong."

Orochimaru's eyes softened upon hearing that. Sometimes, he forgot that Naruto was still only a child. He was scared. Understandably so. But this wasn't the time for doubt. He was about to say that when he felt it. The ground trembled under him.

"GET DOWN!" The yell came from somewhere in front of them, and Orochimaru did just that. He went down on the ground, dragging Obito and Rin with him. The others had also made it in time. The dense forest had taken care of most of it, but they still felt it. The wave of wind and debris that passed over them was not normal. It took nearly a minute to die down.

Naruto slowly got up from the ground, shaking off the dust that had settled on his back. What the fuck was that? The blast was so strong. And it came from the same direction that Konoha was in.

Yugao-chan.

He was about to point that out to Orochimaru when he noticed that his sensei was no longer staring in the direction the wind had come from. Instead, he was staring straight up at the sky.

Naruto followed his gaze and gulped at what he saw. It was a hail of kunai going away from them, toward the Kumo army headed towards them. Why was that a problem? It was because they had lost the only edge that they had. The element of surprise. The blast of wind created by the huge explosion in Konoha's direction, had triggered a trap they set for the Kumo-nin.

And there it was. Murphy's law. Naruto didn't know how his instincts told him to run. This couldn't have been predicted. Not by anyone. The entire group of Konoha nin had now noticed the hail of kunai going away from them. They stood completely still, watching helplessly as it sailed into the Kumo army.

…

…

Well, at least it got some of them.

The big man with the goatee glared at the forest angrily. Now that he knew someone was there, he was able to find their location easily. He raised his hand and his army stopped their advance. He opened his mouth and roared. "BEEE!"

The man wearing the shades, turned toward his companion. "Let's do it."

Naruto was frozen on the spot as the man started forward, chakra bursting out of him. A bead of sweat formed on his forehead that slowly trickled down onto his face. He looked around and saw that everyone else was similarly affected, even Orochimaru.

The man finally came to a stop, about 30 feet in front of the rest of the army. "I float like a butterfly, but I sting like a bee."

The man was suddenly enveloped in a deep red glow that became larger and larger. His skin turned red and he fell down on all fours. A pale white exoskeleton formed around him as he continued to grow larger and larger. Tails sprouted behind him and pure demonic killing intent hit them and Naruto felt the people around him fall to their knees as he continued staring at the scene unraveling in front of him.

Orochimaru whirled around at the genin he was in charge of. But it was of no use. The only ones still standing were Naruto and Kakashi. The rest of them had fallen to their knees at the demonic chakra overloading their rudimentary senses. Obito and Yuna even started vomiting their guts out. He looked at Naruto and saw that his gaze was fixed on what was happening. This was bad. "Run. All of you. Get up and run."

Naruto paid him no mind instead looking at the transformation. Layers of skin developed around the still growing creature. His tails became larger and larger and some skin formed taking the shape of tentacles. Two horns sprouted out of the top of his head. He tilted his head up and roared. The beastly roar traveled swiftly toward them, uprooting a few trees at the start of the forest and sending it flying over them.

"Because I am the Hachibi! WHEEEEEE!"

The meaning of his words wasn't lost on Akira. A perfect jinchuriki. Capable of transforming back and forth at will. His techniques would do nothing to hurt him. And he would be able to easily block Akira's more widespread destructive techniques. This was bad.

The Hachibi raised his mouth up to the sky and started gathering chakra. Naruto couldn't move his eyes away as small spheres of visible chakra gathered together to form a dense purple-black orb. His sharingan slowed it down for him to see the technique at its core. The beast was drawing in chakra, he didn't know what type, but it was colored purple, red and blue. The chakra was being rotated at high speeds in several different directions, creating intense vibrations while not popping the huge spherical structure that the beast had assigned it.

"OROCHIMARU. NOW." The yell came directly in front of them and Naruto recognized the voice as Akira's. It was no doubt a call for him to set up his Rashomon gates, as many as he could manage to summon. On his other side, he felt Dan, the white-haired man he'd met earlier, move forward through the forest ignoring Tsunade calling him back.

Visible chakra shape manipulation. He had seen elemental manipulation to this extent just a few hours before. Kakashi had transformed his lightning chakra into a spear and sped toward him. How would the eight-tailed beast deliver the technique? Now that was all Naruto needed to know. Kakashi had no choice but to charge his opponent hoping to ram the spear through him/her. If he tried to launch the spear, it would lose its shape and hence its power. It would become the same as the C-rank technique Kakashi had used, the lightning beam technique.

So, how was the huge ball of chakra going to be used? Bee was certainly not going to chase them all around with it like a goddamn 5-year-old with a bat, was he? He received his answer without much delay when the eight-tailed ox opened its mouth wider and slowly but surely, the huge ball of chakra descended into its mouth.

Beside him, Orochimaru focused all the chakra he could muster into the summoning technique that would hopefully save them all. "SUMMONING TECHNIQUE: RASHOMON GATE!"

Naruto watched taller than usual Rashomon gates emerge from the earth quickly reaching the beast's height. Then a second one and then a third. A fourth one also started appearing when another barrier formed in front of it.

Dan looked up at Orochimaru and smiled. It was the reduced version of the Four Red Yang Formation with only two nodes instead of four. It was one of the strongest sealing techniques available to Konoha. Orochimaru was surprised by Dan's intimate knowledge of seals, but he would have time to think on that later. He needed to focus.

Anko grit her teeth as she tried to lift her head to try and see what was happening. She saw something that she would never forget for years to come. A huge orb of death and destruction about to hit them point-blank…

…

And Naruto staring unblinkingly at it with a smile on his face.

Naruto saw the fifth Rashomon gate emerge in front of him just in time. The ball had been completely swallowed up. The ox's head started trembling as it slowly opened its mouth.

He smiled. Of course! It was ingenious. A small opening had been created on the outer spherical surface of the technique. With nowhere to go but out, the now out of control chakra stormed out of its container in unbelievable speeds, heading straight toward the gates. He felt Anko come up behind him and tackle him to the ground, but his eyes never left the intense beam of chakra traveling toward them.

Orochimaru's voice echoed throughout the forest. "GET DOWN!"

"BOOOOOMMMMMMMMM!"

---

Well... Hi again. Shit has officially hit the fan in this chapter (I think). What's going to happen next? Surely the gates won't be enough right? A mini kyuubi wrecked like 5 of them in a partially transformed state. Well, hopefully you'll find out soon :)

AN0: Fugaku has officially obtained the Mangekyou. I know the usual awakening is when someone close dies (or through intense training... apparently), but I think the horror and mental trauma associated with possibly forgetting the love of your life should be enough? Maybe? What do you reckon his abilities should be? I'm thinking Amaterasu and Kotoamatsukami.

AN1: Deidara wasn't something I planned out, it just happened when I was high and I decided to stick with it. Hopefully you guys liked it. (That fucking psycho, wanting the Konoha-nin to see him before destroying their home? What's not to like? :p)

AN2: Tsunade has made up with Naruto, kind of. But you guys probably already know what's about to happen with Tsunade :(

AN3: The Kushina flashback seems kind of rushed towards the end, to me. Will add some more content when I'm able to think something up.

The next chapter should be out within two weeks. And you'll get to find out if Naruto survives (he does, by the way). See you next time. :)