All the Hidden Villages were bustling, working to fulfill their new orders. The five Kage had all informed their second in command to put the troops on high alert in case they were needed at a moments notice. Scout troops had been ordered to continue looking for Akatsuki hideouts, and locations that could support a hidden army. Everyone else had been tasked with trying to find out more about the Infinite Tsukuyomi. Anywhere you went there was tension in the air, everyone was anxious to hear the results of this mission. Every village was on edge, if anything went wrong they could lose their leaders and other than the Raikage's troops, no one was close enough to provide reinforcements right away. Not to mention the implications of an enemy that could defeat all five Kage. Everyone had faith in their leaders but were preparing for the worst because they had too.

xxx

As soon as Yamato had gotten the new message he had gone to tell Kakashi. He found him in his usual spot.

"Another message just arrived." Kakashi looked up a Yamato not bothering to take the scroll form his outstretched hand. He was clearly tired. This last time that Naruto and Killer B had gone into the training room had been different. They hadn't come out in nearly two days, and Kakashi hadn't slept a wink.

"Just tell me what it says." He replied tiredly.

"They are expecting to arrive in about two days time. Apparently, the turtle we are on is controlled by some sort of justsu and will be taking us to the location where they plan on ambushing Madara. Which brings me to the next part. They are thinking that Madara may not be Madara himself, but rather a follower of his. Any idea who it could be?" Kakashi thought about it for a few moments then shook his head. "They are expecting that whoever this masked person is, is going to try and take Naruto and B alive." Kakashi's one visible eye widened.

"For what purpose?"

"Something called the Infinite Tsukuyomi."

"Well that doesn't sound good." Kakashi let out a sigh. "I'm tired of all the fighting Yamato, why must people always want to do evil?" Yamato was surprised by the sudden show of emotions by Kakashi, it was very unusual. It was clear that the whole situation was getting to him. Without thinking about it Yamato reached out and pulled Kakashi into an embrace that he accepted willingly. Tears starting to fall from his eyes. "Naruto hasn't even hit twenty yet. We've only just gotten Sasuke back to us, and now, the weight of the village in on their shoulders. It's just wrong. I'm not strong enough to protect them." Yamato knew that Kakashi cared for his students, but he had never realized just how much. He loved them as if they were his own, and honestly, he was the closest thing they had to a parent. After a few moments the two men separated. They both sat down on the floor with their backs against the wall. "You're a good friend Yamato. Can I ask a favor of you?" Yamato looked over at Kakashi.

"You want me to keep this between us?" Kakashi let out a small chuckle.

"Well that too, but actually, it's something else." Yamato raised an eyebrow.

"I've been seeing someone for a while now, and I'm going to ask her to marry me." Kakashi's cheeks turned a light shade of pink. "Don't let me chicken out, okay?" Yamato couldn't help but burst out laughing.

"Kakashi Hatake, the copy ninja, afraid of proposing!" Yamato was barely able to get his sentence out past his laughter. Kakashi pouted.

"Will you hold me to it or not?!"

Yamato stopped laughing and softened his tone. "Of course I will. So, who's the lucky lady? I had no idea you were seeing someone." Kakashi's blush deepened at the question.

"When we first admitted our feelings to each other we decided that based on our positions, being discrete about our status would be best, but with everything that has happened and the threat looming over us, I don't want to wait any longer to be with her fully. I love her, and life is short. I don't have to tell you how dangerous our line of work is, if I die, I want to go out knowing that I spent every moment I could with her."

"You didn't answer my question." Yamato prodded, giving Kakashi a playful smile. Kakashi remained quiet for a few moments before finally answering.

"Shizune." A smile crossed Kakashi's lips as he said her name.

"Hm, you two certainly have done a good job of hiding it, but I can see how you would be a good fit for each other. Don't worry, I won't let you get cold feet."

Just as the two were finishing their conversation the sealed door to the training room opened. An exhausted Naruto and Killer B came stumbling out. Yamato and Kakashi quickly stood up.

"Damn, I don't think I'll be able to move for the next week." Naruto complained.

"Cheer up friend, we're at the end, just one more bend, you'll be on the mend and ready to defend! Yow!" Everyone let out a collective sigh in response to B's rap.

As Naruto went to take a step forward his legs gave out, Kakashi caught him before he could fall and supported him as he walked.

"You were in there for quite a while Naruto, are you okay?" Kakashi's voice was laced with concern.

"Yeah, I'm okay, thanks Kakashi sensei. Ya know, I think I finally have it, I was able to maintain nine tails chakra mode the entire time we were in there training. The only reason we stopped is because we were both completely out of chakra."

"I see, that's good Naruto. I'm proud of you."

Yamato watched as the two made their way to the camp. After his and Kakashi's conversation he couldn't help but smile. Team seven was such an unlikely pairing of people, but they had become a family and a force to be reckoned with. Damned be the person who harmed even a hair on any one of their heads.

xxx

Naruto had been asleep for a full day after his lengthy training session with B. The turtle island that they were on had pulled into the cove of a crescent shaped island early that morning. Kakashi, Guy, and Yamato all stood looking out at the way that had just come.

"Looks like the way we came in is the only way in or out." Kakashi said plainly. Yamato nodded his head.

"Good place for an ambush." Yamato responded.

"How exciting! The hour draws near that we will finally be able to face off against this terrible fiend and bringer of injustice!" Guy made a fist as he energetically delivered his statement.

"The Kage should be arriving sometime today." Kakashi added. No one bothered to say it, but they all knew that the enemy would not be far behind. Soon, very soon, the battle for the world as they knew it would begin. They would be ready. The three stood silently watching the entrance to the cove hoping that they would see their companions before their enemy. Naruto came walking up behind them.

"Hey guys..." He looked around. "Where are we? I don't remember all this other land being here." They had never bothered to tell Naruto that the "island" that they were on was actually a turtle and he had never seemed to notice that they were moving so that had just let it go.

"We are on more than just an island Naruto." Kakashi didn't bother to turn around as he spoke. "It's a turtle. It has been almost constantly in motion making our position extremely hard, if not impossible to track."

"What!? We're on a giant turtle!?" Naruto looked around in total shock. The three chuckled at him. "Why have we stopped then?"

"Probably just needed a rest." Yamato suggested.

"You're probably right!" Naruto laughed lightheartedly. "I would too if I had been swimming around all this time! How long have I been asleep?"

"A little over a day." Naruto looked at Kakashi, understanding dawning on him.

"No wonder I'm so hungry! I'm going to grab some grub and wash up. Catch you guys later." Naruto grabbed some rice balls from camp as he headed for the spring they had been using to bathe. Once he was settled in the cool water he began eating one of the rice balls. He was sure that they would be able to head back to the village soon, he had mastered the Nine Tails Chakra Mode, now he was just fine tuning it. His heart fluttered at the thought of being back with Sasuke. When he finished washing up he would talk with the team about when they could start heading home. It was hard to believe how far he had come in such a short period of time. He closed his eyes and let out a sigh. It felt like a lifetime ago that he had first overcome the Nine Tails in their internal battle. He smiled slightly as he relived the memory.

When Naruto had first appeared outside of the Nine Tails cage the fox had given him a dirty look. When he caught onto the fact that Naruto was releasing the seal he had given him an evil toothy grin, full of malicious intent. As soon as the seal had been broken their chakra's had collided full force. It was a fierce battle of wills, each trying to draw the chakra of the other into themselves. A tug a war of sorts. It had been close, Naruto had almost given in, almost been taken over by the hate filled aura of the beast but that's when his parents had appeared. When the nine tails chakra had been sealed inside of him, some of his parents chakra had been as well. Just for this moment. His mom had been his saving grace, bringing him back from the brink of hatred and despair. She had restrained the Nine Tails long enough for him to regroup and plan the attack that had been the finishing strike. Once he had absorbed the chakra, his form had morphed and he had taken on Nine Tails Chakra Mode.

His body had been surrounded by glowing yellow/orange chakra that blazed like flames, two fox like ears stuck up from his head. Three dark lines, like war paint streaked across both of his cheeks. The fox had been so infuriated that he had called upon the remaining chakra that Naruto had not been able to absorb in an effort to pulverize him, but Naruto had just sealed him back into his cage. The whole ordeal had not put them on the best of terms, not that they had been to begin with, but Naruto taking his chakra definitely hadn't helped. Ever since then he had been training with B to be able to control that power. At first, he had only been able maintain that form for a few minutes at a time, but now he could remain in that state for almost two days strait. He was ready. He stayed in the spring for a quite some time, letting the soreness and tension ease out of his muscles. Everything as sore, places he didn't know could be sore were sore, but he was quickly recovering. Another benefit of being a jinchuriki. After he felt sufficiently relaxed he had dried off and gotten dressed. When he got back to camp he was surprised to find that no one was there. He had been gone for a couple of hours, he couldn't imagine that they were all still standing watch. He made his way back to where he had found them before. As he came out from the tree line Kakashi called to him.

"Ah, Naruto, right on time. I trust you were able to relax for a bit?"

"Uh, yeah, what am I on time for exactly?" Kakashi waved him over. When he reached Kakashi's side and looked out at the water he gasped. A boat was just about to make ground on their little island. What surprised him even more was who was in it.

"Granny! Sai!" Naruto ran down to meet them as they reached the shore. "Hi Shizune!" They all smiled in return. Naruto let out a startled yelp when Suigetsu suddenly popped up out of the water in front of him making everyone chuckle. "What the hell Suigetsu!" As Tsunade stepped out of the boat she gave Naruto a solid punch on the top of the head, knocking him on his butt.

"How many times have I told you not to call me granny!" Naruto nursed his head as everyone couldn't help but laugh. Not a thing had changed.

"What are you guys doing here?"

"You'll find out soon enough Naruto. For now, we need to wait for the others." Naruto gave Tsunade a puzzled look.

"Others?" As if on que two more boats came into view. One carrying the Raikage and the other Gaara. During the commotion Yamato had moved over to Kakashi. He elbowed him, bringing a light flush to Kakashi's cheeks.

"Naruto." Sai extended a hand to help him up.

"Hey Sai." Naruto gladly accepted the hand up flashing Sai a smile. It quickly vanished when another two boats appeared carrying the Mizukage and Tsuchikage. "Why are the five Kage here?" Sai patted Naruto on the shoulder in an effort to ease the worry that now showed on his face. Before long they were all seated around the camp, Naruto had been uncharacteristically quiet. He looked at the five Kage, a serious expression on his face, his tone matching it when he spoke.

"What's going on?" He didn't bother to beat around the bush, the five Kage wouldn't be here if something wasn't wrong, and what worried him even more was that Sasuke wasn't with them. There was no way he would have stayed back at the village if something serious enough to bring the five Kage to the island had happened.

"It is time that we filled you in on everything that has been going on. We decided to hold off until we could tell you in person for the sake of your training." Naruto watched Tsunade intently as she spoke. He already didn't like where this was going.

"Madara Uchiha, is coming here. He intends to take you and Killer B in order to create something called the Infinite Tsukuyomi. We know this because he kidnapped Sasuke and is forcing him to show him the way here. We decided that this was our best opportunity to have the upper hand and strike first, so we are going to set up an ambush." Tsunade paused briefly allowing Naruto to take in what she just said. "We think that it may not be Madara at all, but a disciple, someone bent on carrying out his wishes. We don't know as much as we would like, but Sasuke has been sending us intel whenever he can. They are likely not far behind us. We will need to begin preparations right away."

"Did everyone know about this but me?" Naruto was clearly displeased at having been kept in the dark, but he maintained his composure.

"It was on my orders." Tsunade stated plainly. "There was nothing you could have done so we felt it better not to worry you." Naruto sighed, but dropped the issue.

"What's the plan then?" Tsunade couldn't help but be impressed with how Naruto was handling the situation, it was like he had grown up since the last time she saw him. Normally he was so impulsive, yet he was taking everything calmly and in stride. She couldn't help but feel a sense of pride while at the same time being totally freaked out.

"Each of us, along with the Anbu will hide behind the mountain range, you and B will of course be the bait. Once they have entered the crescent we will block the only exit and it will be him against all of us. We will also be utilizing Sai's ability to do aerial attacks, along with Suigetsu who excels in the water. He will literally be surrounded from all sides. There will be no chance of escape. Our biggest advantage is that he doesn't know we're here."

"Well, we had better get to work then." Naruto stood up as he spoke. "There's no time to waste." Everyone nodded their agreement. Sai stood up as well, rolling out a scroll. Five large ink birds came to life off of the scroll, he had gone ahead and prepare them on the way.

"When you are ready these will take you to your locations along the cliffs." Everyone gave Sai an appreciative nod. The five Kage began talking back and forth amongst themselves, finalizing details, and strategies. Sai pulled Naruto off to the side.

"Naruto, there is something I wish to talk with you about."

"What's up Sai?"

"I just want you to know, this is all part of Sasuke's plan. He didn't get kidnapped by our masked friend. He went willingly. He did it so that he could provide intel, and give us an edge. Not to mention he likely saved lives by making the choice he did. I just wanted you to know the truth. He is alive and well. I know that ultimately, he is your priority." Sai gave Naruto a knowing smile.

"Thank you Sai. I appreciate you filling me in, and for being discrete about us. You're a good friend." Naruto hadn't missed Sai's comment about Sasuke being his priority. It was true. A lot had changed in the last two almost two and a half months since he had left the village for this training. He had a new perspective and matured in many ways. One thing that hadn't changed was his love for Sasuke. The two had been sitting quietly for a few moments when Suigetsu walked up sitting down on the other side of Naruto.

"Hey Suigetsu." Naruto patted him on the shoulder.

"So, did Sai fill you in?" Naruto nodded. "You ready to take this bastard down?" Naruto got a determined look on his face.

"Hell yeah I am! What do you think I've been training for? Bring it on!" Naruto's two companions smiled at his enthusiasm. Some things really never would change.

xxx

When Zetsu had appeared back at the boat, Sasuke knew that they were close. His suspicions were only confirmed when Zetsu spoke.

"I've found them."

"Very good." The pleasure evident in Madara's voice. "How far?"

"About one more day to the north. Apparently, they have been on an island upon the back of a turtle. That's why they have been so hard to track. The turtle has been swimming without stop for the last few weeks and has stopped at an island to rest."

"What's the status of the army?"

"Underneath us as we speak." Sasuke sighed internally at Zetsu's response. He was beginning to understand more clearly that this army was not made of normal people. It seemed that, like Zetsu, who had the ability to merge with the ground, this army could too. Annoying.

"Good, good. Kisame! Pick up the pace!" The boat lurched as their shark like companion, or slave would probably be a better description, started to push the boat a little bit faster. Sasuke was certain the poor guy was probably exhausted. He had been pushing the boat nonstop for the last three or four days. The biggest break he had gotten was when Sasuke had stripped to send the messenger bird. He hoped it would make him easier to take down in the battle, or perhaps he could be convinced to change sides. God, he hoped his teammates were ready. That Naruto was ready. If this plan didn't work it could end in disaster, but he trusted Sai, and his teammates, it had come together. They would all be there waiting to ambush this crazy lunatic. One more day. One more day and they could end this. All Sasuke wanted was to be home with Naruto again, to get settled into a life together. He wanted peace and that started here.