A/N: Hello everyone,
The last chapter of this year ;)
I hope you will like it and that you have had some nice and quiet days these past few days. Now there is only one thing left for me to say: Have a good start to the new year. Stay safe, and see you in 2025.
Both Shimura brothers sat in a clean hospital-like room. The younger-looking Danzo looked at his brother holding up two sealed vials. "The last two I could get before they cleaned out the laboratories." The green bubbling fluid in the vials reflected the electrical light. Danzo looked back and smiled. "I am very sure that those are the last that are not sealed away into some blood-locked Uzumaki seal. With this, we can complete our bodies and make sure we can be conquerors of the things behind the great barrier."
Without saying a word the the little brother of Danzo had no problems nodding and smiling. His brother always was the one with the vision. Both strapped themselves into the chairs with one arm exposed. Counting them in Danzo put the vial in the injector an action copied by his brother. Both did not even flinch as the needle injected the green fluid into their veins. For seconds nothing happened at all. Danzo took deep breaths he felt his heart beating faster and faster. Like a drum gone through his bloodstream, his veins began to pulse. For a moment he could not see a thing as his field of vision got the same pulsing sensation as his veins. He needed to focus really hard to keep his heart beating, channeling chakra through every part of his body. Dazo is a veteran and that shows now. While others mostly would concentrate on improving their offensive skills, Danzo had started to improve overall. His Sealing Arts, while not as good as the Uzumaki, had developed some seals that he had used on his troops. Somehow they got overwritten by the Uzumaki as far as his investigation got him the information back. Besides Sealing he also looked into improving his healing skills. This improvement helped him to circle his chakra quite right to adjust to the influxing genetic material that entered his system.
While Danzo had trained his skill up to the level that he could handle it his brother did not. A scream ripped Danzo out of his concentration but luckily he was over the point where it would be a disaster. He would lose some humanness in the arm but he quickly unstrapped himself and got the the side of his brother. From the injection point, it was like roots grew out of his skin. Slowly taking over his arm. Rushing through handseal Danzo applied a seal that would help to stop the growth so to speak. Looking back a the last part of his clan he did so with sorrow and for the first time in a very long period showing true emotion.
"I know brother. There is no reason for you to be this way. It will be useful to us. I know that your seal won't hold forever." His brother started after the process had ended and left him panting and sweaty. "You remember that they are still looking for 'Danzo' right? Nobody knows about me. So I say…" He coughed once. "Let us give him a Shimura to kill. You need to fulfill your dreams brother. With your body the way it is you should be able to do so quite easily." He smiled weakly while the real Danzo got his features back under control and took hold of his brother's shoulder.
"I had hoped to reach team with you. Those dreams were ours to begin with." Danzo started only to be interrupted by a short chuckle. The arm had stabilized and looked like a mixture of a tree trunk and an arm now. Black lines in random places that held the sealing formula could let you mistake it for bark instead of skin.
"Don't get sentimental now. That would be unbecoming of an emperor." He joked weakly. "I will make sure to give you as much time as I can. When they will kill me, because let us be honest your seal won't stop this" he looked at his trunk arm before looking back. "I will no only be able to get some peace by helping you delay them, as they won't know that they did not kill you, they won't be on the chase anymore leaving you to be free. Doing what we dreamed of."
The brothers engulfed each other in a fierce hug for the first time after many years before his twin adjusted some marks on his face to resemble his brother's scars and vanished with a Shunshin. Danzo looked at the place where his brother left off, a lone tear fell to the ground before he also vanished in a Shunshin.
In a southern part of fire country, the scouts had noticed the big assembly of chakra signatures and so the allied shinobi forces also had moved towards this mass of chakra. Some Skirmishes had started occurring and Naruto had noticed that the new Zetsu could not be absorbed. After the Reanimations joined the battle The leadership of the Allied forces decided to use their best to hit the stronger targets. Naruto was held back and asked to find a way to deal with them.
Naruto checked the knot of his Ponytail before he looked back to two masked ninjas. "Find this elusive snake and use the seal I gave you. We will deal with him permanently after this go and look for Danzo." He was about to turn as he unsealed his sword to place it at his hip. "One. Thing. You two. The time to sneak around is over. I will deal with Obito and whoever thought it would be a good idea to wipe out the descendants of the horned geezer will learn that we are quite resilient right? Itachi, Shisui?"
The two Uchiha had sealed their mask and nodded Shisui giving him a mix of a smile and pure determination. "Right, you are Naruto. Locate that Kabuto, and use the seal. Find that Warhawk and bring him to justice. Nothing new here. You can manage here?" Shisui's expression changed to a slightly concerned look. Itiachi was still his neutral self.
Naruto activated his Rinnegan showing off the veins at the sides of the eyes with the unusual pattern. "The Biju are safe. My chakra control is finally where it should be and I perfected this one skill of mine. I think it is time to show the world what it means to mess with the new Uzushiogakure." Shisui and Naruto fist-bumped. Itachi refrained from joining but he gave Naruto a short nod. Shortly after the three of them disappeared in Shunshins.
While Naruto and the two Uchias started of their hunt, another group consisting of two Uchias and one other prepared to join the battle. Madara looked at Obito. Two Rinegan eyes looking at two Sharingan. "I will prepare the present Obito and start the next stage of the eternal moon plan. You deal with that pesky Uzumaki like you should have all along. How could you have fucked this all up in the first place? I gave you everything you would need to prepare everything. You can be happy that Zetsu and I had a fallback plan for the Biju." Madara said with quite the venom in his voice. Zetsu just looked on looking neutral.
"Still, you could have left one of those eyes to me I did revive you after all," Obito responded tense and looking a bit pissed about being talked down like that, even if it was kind of true.
Zetsu never said something in those conversations he just looked at Madara. One of his wooden-looking brows raised. The battle had started and they could start with the next phase already. Time was of the essence. He was so close to fulfilling his purpose. Those pesky human insects would finally get theirs. They should have never rebelled in the first place.
Madara gave Obito one last look. "Don't whine around. Did you not want to get revenge? Get your perfect world with the girl alive? Your love? Rin?" He asked while he unleashed some of his Killing Intent.
Obito huffed before he used his Kamui to disappear. Zetsu turned to Madara. "Are you sure he will do his part? He seems a bit unstable if you ask me Madara-sama?" The plantman said with a neutral voice.
Madara looked back to Zetsu who had a bit of a smile on his face. The former leader of the Uchiha clan radiated a certainty that surprised even Zetsu. "This pathetic wretch should suddenly have a backbone? Surely not. He didn't even realize that I affected his emotions before I died for the first time. He'll buy us enough time. But enough of my failed legacy. Time to summon the God Tree."
Zetsu nodded to Madara and they both walked into the open where Madara began a rather long sequence of hand signs.
Naruto had joined the battle seconds ago. He had the feeling that he should save his energy so he stuck to Kenjutsu and his chains. It looked like the chains had a mind of their own. Holding down enemies for Naruto to cut through them. They also blocked incoming attacks by building webs of chains to catch fists, kicks, or weapons.
Naruto also launched some clones to prepare his special Jutsu. With a battlefield this big he would need some time to set everything up but after that, he hoped that he could deal not only with all those reanimations but also with Obito and the others he expected to pull the strings around here.
Some of the Kage had decided to directly insert themselves into the battle. One of them was the Mizukage Mei. Somehow she had the feeling it would help if that madness was over, that she was active and doing things. Or maybe even help her to scout some husband material? Well, first she needed to find the one person she half expected but hoped not to see. Gengetsu Hōzuki. The second Mizukage. How that Kabuto person got all those DNA samples evaded her but she would keep her soldiers safe. They already lost some to his tactics. The fifth Mizukage had got on the hunt and finally managed to corner her reanimated predecessor. The mist he had summoned was no problem for her. What could give her trouble was the the fact that sealing tags, she had been provided by Naruto with, did not hold onto him. It was like he had normal protection for everything that could be stuck to him.
The battles had started all around the place. Normal or transformed Zetsu fought against the Shinobi of the allied forces. Those who had been used as sacrifices and thus transformed had bigger impacts and most often inexperienced shinobi of the alliance crumbled against the undying hordes. Mostly the reanimated S-Rank ninja delivered heavy blows and the army tried to contain and stick sealing tags on them. Often only the specially trained teams could even come close to accomplishing this. Unfortunately, those trained teams are not as vast as one would think. They did not have much time to bring everyone together and still decided to keep the Jinchurikii behind as a safety measure. Naruto just dealt with one of the seven swordsmen that got resurrected and was about to reinforce a squad to his left when a blast shook the ground and put him on his back for a moment. In a swirl of air in the epitome of the blast radius Obito appeared snarling at the red-haired boy with two Sharingan activated. "You will not stop this brat!"
Naruto blinked, looking at the Uchiha wearing a swirling mask with two eye holes. A traditional Uchiha Gumbai on one hand dragged a chain on the floor behind it. "Would not have thought that would show your face here Obito," Naruto replied with a calm that unnerved the Uchiha just that much more.
"I will rip your head off Uzumaki!" The Uchiha screamed using his Kamui at the right moment so the chakra chain passed through his body without harm. The Uzumaki chuckled and summoned some clones.
"Tut Tut Tut Obito. I don't think so." His Rinnegan pulsed one time before his body was enveloped by chakra forming a very small Susanno. "I will finish the job my dad could not. Right before I finally bring peace to the nations, so my clan and friends can live their lives in peace." With the last word, Naruto moved quickly as many could have seen. Augmented by the Sharingan Obito could and managed to dodge the slice of the blade the red-haired boy wielded with deadly efficiency.
The two ninjas began to engage in battle. While Obito's attacks got blocked with ease by the Uzumaki leader. The attacks of Naruto were just hitting the intangible form of the former leaf ninja. it looked like a stalemate.
Miled apart Itachi and Shisui had managed to find a charka collection that could be Kabuto's hideout. While the two Uchiha had been the ones enlisted to do the deed so to speak, Naruto had enlisted some of the former root agents to help them track the former apprentice of Orochimaru down. With the additional help they had been fast and as time was of the essence grateful that they would maybe fulfill their mission earlier than expected. As they arrived at the destination they scanned their surroundings. Shisui looked at Itachi.
"I can feel something but even my Sharingan can't see where we should go. Do you have any luck?"
Itachi let his eyes enter the Mangekyou stage and a faint rippling showed itself to him. Using his chakra with precision he started to dismantle the Genjutsu and Seal barrier in front of him. Like a surgeon, he got in between the layers and released them bit by bit. With a matter-of-fact voice, he informed his partner on this mission. "Naruto was a good teacher with those seals. I think I can break through without alerting those on the other side but we should be ready for ambushes."
Shisui nodded and could only agree. Their Fuinjutsu lessons were mostly focused on dismantling barriers to infiltrate places. The occasional offensive seal but they had only time for the mission-critical things and looking back, Shisui had to say he was grateful that they had taken him up on his offer. Without he was quite sure, that they either would have died on one of the last missions or wouldn't be able to complete this one. With the noise like breaking glass, the last barrier broke and both Uchiha crept into the hideout.
Slowly stepping into the base, Shisui and Itachi blinked as they did not encounter any resistance at all. Looking around it was more like this hideout was quickly erected with Doton Jutsu and resembled more an earthen cave than anything done professionally.
While no resistance was good it also was something unexpected. Most ninja would even trap their camp at night to the brim just to be able to sleep with one eye closed. This complete lack of anything providing security was an anomaly. It could mean that the one building that base thought his barrier strong enough that the enemy would not even find him or her. Or, there were good hidden traps. Nodding at each other the Uchihas used the Kage Bunshin as the Nidaime had intended and sent them on their way. As neither the Bunshin popped nor did they dispelled the Uchiha slowly caught up and stared at two big cages of beings.
"Itachi are those humans or animals?" Shisui asked slowly as he joined his clone looking at cages. The cages it seemed were littered with seals. The doppelganger pointed to a well-hidden tripwire made of ninja wire and the tiny seals that formed a kind of line that started in front of the cages. Shisui nods his understanding and witnesses Itachi and his clone doing the same before they seem to engage in a nonverbal spar on what to do next.
Great, now Itachi has one he can really talk about that strategic stuff he so likes to talk about another Itachi. Shisui sighed. "Itachi?" He said a bit louder so both turned.
"Yes" came it from both in unison. Before the main looked at the clone who nodded and disappeared in a puff of smoke. "I think we can't cross that border without triggering the alarm. Regarding your former question. I would say both of them were human once. That slime-like human could be one of Orochimaru's experiments. If our intel is true we are still missing one Suigetsu and one Jugo. The latter is to be believed the one he started his curse mark from."
"Really, well I would say slime man is this Suigetsu then and this horned abnormal thing would be the other one. I have to be honest. While I would like a fight or a good spar we are in a war and should conserve our energy."
"Quite right. What do you propose?" Itachi replied not leaving the two cages out of his sight. Shisui took out one of the scrolls they had taken with them.
"We have those big prisoner scrolls with us Naruto had worked on. He told us they would work on nearly any human being. We have two each. One for Kabuto makes three leftovers. With those two sealed it would leave us with one scroll as a reserve. What do you say?"
Shisui explained the plan.
"Not a bad idea but can we be sure that this won't trigger the seals on the floor?" Itachi replied. I say we try it but be ready if anything happens." The analyst said. Shuisui agreed and prepared a scroll from both of them again using Kage Bunshin to coordinate the sealing. They both had no trouble spreading the scroll, showing the sealing formula. Pumping the chakra into the scroll leads to expanding the formula. As it crossed the sealing line of the two cages an alarm siren sounded out. Not one to let himself get distracted Shisui concentrated on completing the sealing. Itachi got into a ready position and a Kunai impaled a white snake that appeared from out of nowhere. It would not be the last as more and more snakes appeared. Itachi used a fireball jutsu next and Shisui rushed through the hand seals as under both cages the kanji were completed.
"Shisui…" Itachi said as he had trouble keeping up with the not-ending waves of small snakes. The other Uchiha and his clone pumped chakra into the sealing scrolls. The air around the scrolls started to ripple, and a vortex made of chakra began to suck in the cages.
Itachi just used the Kunai Kage Bunshin no Jutsu. He killed another wave but this time one evaded his efforts. Before Itachi could adjust to the fact a shockwave shook the room and the two cages had disappeared into the scroll. Unfortunately, the shockwave had pushed Itachi and Shisui back and dispelled the clone. Both scrolls had closed themselves and smoked heavily for a moment. The white snake looked curious before it grew and grew to a bigger size. Still disoriented Itachi flicked a Kunai at the snake that was now just as big and large as a normal human being. The Kunai hit something non-crucial on the sake and while it hissed angrily.
As both Uchiha prepared for another attack the snake was faster and spit out a casket. The Kunai and Shuriken impacted the snake's tail dispelling it. As The Uchias got back on their feet, Shisui quickly sealed the scrolls away as Itachi rushed to the opening casket. Itachi used the Uchihas signature Katon Jutsu and tried to burn the casket before it could be a problem. Shisui got into a supporting position adding his fire to the building inferno. Both held the Jutsu for more than ten seconds. Usually, that would just leave back scorch marks. This time there was an orange-red ribcage.
"You have to be kidding me…" Shisui said.
As the Uchiha tried to come to terms with their new opponent, the allied forces stopped their battle for one second. The reason for this was the sky-high tree that suddenly appeared. Naruto just dodged another attack from Obito who had some scratches but nothing serious. The Uzumaki too had some scratches. The killer of his parents was not so bad in Naruto's opinion. That he had to accept. He could not go all out around here and something was up with that tree he could feel it.
"You see that tree Naruto. That is the beginning of the end. Not that you will live to experience it." Obito mocked him before he attacked again. Using some wood-style Jutsu to reengage again. Naruto countered with wood-style himself. He just hoped his allies would hold the line while the clones prepared for his finishing move. He already could feel the chakra building up. Shortly after the tree appeared they had to adjust as the tree seemed to suck in all chakra around the area. Nearly unnoticeable but Naruto was a good sensor. His clones changed the Jutsu slightly and shielded the build-up from the effect. Using some of his chakra chain to impale a white Zetsu that wanted to sneak up on him Naruto quickly absorbed his leftover Charka with his Chain before he used a part of a second to look up. Clouds started to build over the battlefield. As Obito started to notice the clouds he started to laugh.
"Look at that. even the sky decided to support the growth of the mighty tree with water."
They both jumped back and Naruto smirked. Something that slightly irked Obito. At that moment a faint rain began to start. Naruto closed his eyes for the blink of a second. Opening them again showed he had moved to his Mangekyou Sharingan. "You know I get vertigo if I do that thing with the Rinnegan." He pointed his sword at Obito as the Kanji on it began to glow before after a whisper the sword cloned itself.
"Stop with your nonsense I think we already established, that your physical attacks can't hit me." Obito spat. He prepared to attack him with his war fan again he noticed Naruto's full-blown foxy grin as he sprouted fiery wings and markings all over his skin.
"Time to end this," Naruto spoke with clarity before he disappeared in a flash.
Obito looked around waiting for an attack that never came. Then the screams started. Obito looked around and saw how his forces began to get cut down like nothing. "Fuck…"
Madara looked at the forces dwindling standing on the tree with Zetsu. He looked at the situation enfolding before he nodded at Zetsu. "As expected that idiot messed up again. We move to stage three immediately Zetsu."
"Are you sure Madara-sama?" Zetsu said while he started doing hand seals. The former leader of the Uchiha just gave him a short look back. Not giving a verbal but a very clear nonverbal reply. "Of course Madara-sama!"
Madara looked at the battlefield as Zetsu seemed to merge with the god tree. Seconds after all the cut-down white Zetsu that started to grow trees out of their white corpses withered. At the same time, the tree grew in a very fast way. Green started to bloom before everything stopped. Only the reincarnations still fought and used the distraction to their advantage.
At the same time, two Uchihas were locked in a fierce battle with the reincarnated but mute Fugaku Uchiha. The father of Itachi and honorary uncle to Shisui showed why he had led the clan for many years. His Susanno was locked in a two-against-one battle. Not the speed or the Genjutsu prowess of Itachi was enough to break the deadlock they had found themselves in.
"Your old man is quite the fighter Itachi," Shisui mentioned as he had to dodge another attack with his Shunshin. Itachi had no time as he needed to break another Genjutsu.
"We need to find a way. As a reanimation his reserves are limitless." He replied as calmly as he could while he himself evaded a big fireball. "My Tsukoyomi is too weak to keep him still long enough for the scroll."
Shisui nods shortly throwing some paper bomb Kunai. Using another Series of Shunshins he tried to move in a direct line of sight with Fugaku. The Uchiha Patriarch moved out of it right at the very moment Shisui was about to establish eye contact. "I need some help here Itachi!"
"Busy!" Itachi said as a clone of Fugaku had unleashed the Destroyer Flame Jutsu and bathed Itachis side in a sea of flames. The former Anbu Captain quickly used an earth wall to redirect the flames. Itachi had to wonder why his father had not defended himself the last time they had battled. With his skills, he was on par with him. Why did he always tell him he had surpassed him? Those thoughts got through Itachis head as he needed to dodge another attack. As his feet touched the ground only his instincts kept him moving further and evaded the black flames Fugaku had used on the spot his Sharingan told him Itachi would be.
Still, in a draw, the situation got worse for the two attacking Uchiha would get worse with every second that passed. Shisui spoke out what both of them thought. "We need some help here!"
Moments before, back with Naruto and Obito. The Uchiha was pissed. The son of his former sensei not only could use his signature Jutsu but also managed to cut down most of his forces without breaking a sweat. He witnessed the precision strike and the yellow blurs of the Jutsu.
How had everything gotten so wrong? All the little trees that grew out of the white Zetsu markings could not have shown his failure even more.
"I had hopes you know? Hopes, that you could be my legacy. The one that would have helped me reshape the world but I got a failure instead of a prodigy. So much time wasted just to be disappointed again." Obito turned, to the new voice and there standing in his usual battle attire stood Madara Uchiha. On his face was a dominant case of disappointment clearly visible. The Rinnegan looking back at Obito's Sharingan.
"In my world, only the strong will survive, no failures allowed," Madara added with an ice-cold voice.
"Your failure in pressuring the Shinobi alliance long enough for the tree to bloom forced my hand. As it does right now."
Many things happened at the same time. The trees that sprouted out of the Zetsu corpses withered away in seconds. A pulse of chakra with the tree as an epicenter drew his attention away from Madara. "You… you did not…" He whispered.
"Ohh I sure did," Madara said. roots grew out of the trees. Nearly unseen they captured most Shinobi of the alliance before another flash of gold transported the rest away. Those who got touched by the roots were quickly encased in wooded cocons. The god tree would keep them alive but suck out their chakra. Madara grinned manically as he observed the event only frowning a little as so many got transported away.
"Again this Uzumaki Brat… Well, I will deal with him next. Ohh and Obito?"
"Huh?" The Uchiha turned only to get stabbed in the back of his neck by Madara's shadow.
Face pale he looked back at the one person who not only helped him to survive after his team had thought him dead but trained him relentlessly. This person had now killed him. Those thoughts kept him company as he crossed over from this plain to the next. If he had not been as emotionally invested in this moment he could have used one of the Uchiha Kinjutsu to survive this hit. Unfortunately, he was this invested and now the younger Uchiha saw the light at the end of the road as his life left him. Falling first on his knees before he fell face first into the dirt of the battlefield.