Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto (either manga or anime!); the wonderful Masashi Kishimoto-sensei owns all rights. However, the plot and Namiko Uzumaki are mine!

Chapter 65: Resurrection

June 4

Black Zetsu emerged atop the juubi. "I found Kabuto and was able to force him to complete our plan despite being trapped in whatever jutsu Itachi used on him. Madara is ready to be summoned at your will."

"Perfect. Let's make these fools pay. Summoning Jutsu!"

A hand slammed into the ground and a coffin appeared, opening to reveal Uchiha Madara. Black cracks marred his face and he opened his eyes, revealing the black sclera of a reanimated shinobi. "Ah, I see you finally reanimated me. Though it looks like it took longer than we planned."

"I apologize, it took longer to gather the biju than expected."

Madara glared at his protégé. "Obito, do you think I'm blind? Because this is not what the juubi should look like at full power."

Obito refused to make eye contact. "The hachibi and kyuubi's jinchuriki were more elusive than expected, so I collected their chakra a different way. Don't worry, it's still effective."

"It will suffice for now," said Madara, narrowing his eyes momentarily. "However, we need to capture the hachibi and kyuubi for Infinite Tsukuyomi to be a success. You will not mess this up. I want you to go after the hachibi and kyuubi; I'll handle the rest for now. Do not disappoint me again."

"Understood."

Hinata pressed her lips together to hold back her tears. Now was not the time to grieve, they had an extremely dangerous enemy to face and distractions could get them all killed. The massive biju had temporarily stopped its attacks causing everyone to turn their attention to motion on the head of the beast.

Hinata activated her Byakugan to take a closer look, gasping at what she saw. Naruto followed her line of sight but couldn't make out details. "What is it, Hina?"

Neji activated his Byakugan as well. "The masked man, the one calling himself Madara, seems to have summoned the real Madara…or at least a reanimated version of him."

"What?!" yelped Naruto. "Then who the hell has been playing pretend with us?"

"Another Uchiha," said Kakashi as he landed next to the three. "Itachi had stated he was working with someone using Madara's name during the massacre…it must've been some sort of persona. The Kage are already on their way here…prepare yourselves, this could get ugly."

Naruto gripped Hinata's hand, squeezing it reassuringly. "Don't worry, we'll all get out of this, okay? I'll stick with you no matter what."

"No, you won't," interrupted Kakashi, "you're sticking with me, Naruto. Where you go, I will go…and Gai too." He motioned over his shoulder at Gai. "They'll likely head straight for you and Killer Bee; you both need to be protected at all costs."

"I'm done being protected! It's time to protect everyone else." Naruto narrowed his eyes and surrounded himself with Kurama's chakra. "Let's do this, Kurama! Octopops, you ready?"

"You know it, now let's go for it!" rapped Killer Bee and the two jinchuriki leapt in front of the other shinobi, followed closely by Kakashi and Gai.

Explosions sounded distantly making Namiko a little more than nervous. She didn't dare activate her chakra sensing. She tried to focus on making ointments and soldier pills to keep her mind occupied, with Sasuke helping her by gathering the bulk ingredients and such so she wouldn't lift them, but the constant influx of injured made her cringe every time a new person was brought in. The more serious injuries were the ones that made it to the Medical Division in hopes to save them, and yet, so many hadn't made it out alive due to the severity of their injuries.

Sakura popped into the tent, causing Namiko and Sasuke to both turn to face her. "I wanted to let you both know that I'm heading to the battlefield to hopefully keep people from having to come all the way here for larger injuries. Tsunade-shishou just informed me that the Kage are headed to the battlefield too."

"Wait, what?" Namiko blinked a few times, trying to process what she just heard. If the Kage were joining the fight, then things must be more intense than what had originally been expected.

"How bad is it, Sakura?" asked Sasuke, his voice steady.

"It's…not good," said Sakura with a sigh. "From what I know, the masked man we've seen multiple times isn't actually Madara."

"How is that possible?" Sasuke was now confused. "He has the Sharingan."

Sakura stared at the ground. "I'm not sure. All I know is he just reanimated the real Madara and that's why we've had the sudden influx of losses. The Kage are planning on handling the reanimated Madara while Killer Bee and Naruto handle the masked man."

Sasuke clenched his fists. "This was exactly why I warned the Kage. I knew there had to be more to all this."

Namiko swallowed hard, her fingers tightening around the pestle in her hand. The idea of Naruto going head-to-head with the masked man made her stomach churn. She already hated being separated from him, but knowing he was on the frontlines, facing a difficult opponent they barely understood, made it nearly unbearable.

She wanted to be out there with him. But she couldn't—she wouldn't. Not when she had to think of the lives growing inside her. The twins needed her to stay safe.

Sasuke must have sensed her turmoil because his hand brushed against hers, grounding her. "We need to be ready," he said, voice low. "If things go south—"

"They already have," Namiko cut in sharply.

Sakura frowned but didn't disagree. "That's why we're reinforcing the battlefield with more medics. We can't afford to lose any more shinobi by waiting for them to get here." She hesitated, eyes flickering to Namiko's midsection and back to her face. "Surely, you're not thinking of—?"

"No, I can't," Namiko nearly whined, pressing a hand over her belly. The words tasted bitter. She wanted to fight. To help. But having her on the battlefield wouldn't save anyone, it would only hurt her and her children. The prophecy that Gamamaru gave her said that peace wouldn't return until her children were born, so she needed to do everything in her power to keep them safe.

"I know you're upset, it's more important for you to stay here." Sakura gave her a sympathetic look. "Yukina is staying behind. If you go into labor or if anything seems off, tell her and she'll send for me if it's anything she can't handle, but I have the utmost faith in her."

Namiko nodded softly. "I understand."

Sakura turned to face Sasuke. "Are you staying?"

Sasuke's jaw tensed. "For now."

Namiko gnawed on her lower lip. She knew him well enough to recognize the restraint in his voice. He wanted to go. To help the others even more than she did. His entire body screamed it. And if the Kage were already in the fight, she wasn't sure how much longer he'd hold back.

Sakura exhaled before pulling her gloves on. "Alright. Stay safe. Both of you." Then, with one last glance, she turned and disappeared out of the tent.

The silence she left behind was heavy. Namiko reached for another batch of soldier pills, her hands trembling slightly. Sasuke watched her, his gaze unreadable.

"We should prepare for the worst," he finally said. "Because if this war drags on much longer, I'm taking you back to Konoha, far away from the action."

Namiko shivered at the thought. She knew he was right; things were intensifying. And she wasn't sure what scared her more—the battle outside, or the battle she'd have to fight within herself to stay inside the walls of the Medical Division until after her children were born.

'No…it couldn't be…' Kakashi's mind came to a screeching halt as he stared at the now maskless man in front of them. "Is that…you…Obito?"

"You can call me by that name if you want, but it means nothing to me," said Obito, his voice completely devoid of all emotion.

Kakashi's eyes widened in shock. "You survived…"

"Who is he?!" asked Naruto gruffly.

"Our classmate and an Uchiha who was a Konoha shinobi," answered Gai. "We all thought he was killed in action during the last war."

Kakashi seemed almost frozen by the ghost of his past in front of them. "But if you were alive, why not come forward?!"

"Because it's irrelevant whether I had survived or not. Although…I suppose if you want an answer," said Obito, "the reason is because you…let Rin die."

Tension filled the air between them and Obito chuckled. "Oh relax. What's with the look, Kakashi?"

Kakashi narrowed his eyes at his former teammate. "So, you're not going to condemn me?"

Obito scoffed. "What would I gain from criticizing this absurd reality? I have no interest in the affairs of a world that will soon cease to exist."

"Kakashi-sensei!" yelled Naruto, snapping Kakashi out of his stupor. "I don't know what went on between you, but now is really not the time! Right now we need to stop whatever this guy is doing first!"

"Kakashi! It's just as Naruto says," echoed Gai, "The fate of the world currently rests in our hands."

"I have nothing to talk to you about!" shouted Obito as he activated his Kamui. "Die while still tied down to reality! Bomb Blast Dance!"

June 5

Sasuke and Namiko woke early to the sounds of a suddenly very busy Medical Division. Voices panicking and yelling orders, shinobi rushing back and forth, and the sounds of the injured filled the air. Sasuke looked outside the tent and stopped a nearby medic. "What is going on? Why are there so many people suddenly?"

The young medic shook his head. "Madara has taken out about half of our fighting force and even the Kage are struggling. I've got to go, they need me."

The medic ran off toward one of the surgical tents and Sasuke went back inside, coming face-to-face with Namiko. She furrowed her brow as she stood, rubbing her lower back. "Did I hear that correctly? …we've lost half of the shinobi we had?"

Sasuke nodded and grabbed his sword, attaching it to his hip. Namiko eyed him warily. "Sasuke…what are you doing? You're not thinking of going out there, are you?"

"It's okay, I'm just heading to HQ. I need Inoichi to connect me to Tsunade before the Kage get their asses handed to them."

"So, you're going to do it…bring back Orochimaru to reanimate the previous Hokage…"

"We're not left with much choice," irritation seeped into his voice, and he instantly regretted his sharp tone. He placed his hands on her stomach, exhaling sharply. "Sorry, I shouldn't have snapped. I just don't want to leave you."

Namiko smiled at him, cupping his cheek softly. "I'll be fine. We'll be fine. I'm safe in here…I'm more worried about you dealing with Orochimaru…"

"Suigetsu and Juugo will go with me, and I highly doubt he'd try anything now that I have the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan. He's far from stupid. It would be suicide for him."

She grinned at him. "Well, you are pretty badass…"

He smirked as he leaned down to place two kisses on her stomach then stood, cupping Namiko's face. He kissed her deeply, letting his lips linger a hairsbreadth away from hers. "I love you…I'll be back as soon as I can."

"I love you too…just…be safe."

"You too." And then he was gone, leaving Namiko alone once again.

Sasuke knew the easiest way to contact Tsunade on the battlefield was through HQ. He entered the room and headed straight for Shikaku. "I need you to let me talk to Tsunade. It's urgent."

"Is Namiko okay?" he questioned.

"She's fine, but I hear the Kage aren't. I have an idea on how to help the Allied Forces."

Shikaku sighed, Tsunade had mentioned Sasuke's plan to him previously, and he agreed could work if executed properly, but it was still risky, and even though he was the Chief Strategist for this war, the Kage still needed to agree on it. "Inoichi?"

"Understood." Inoichi connected the three mentally. "Godaime, Uchiha Sasuke would like to speak with you.

"Brat," snapped Tsunade, "what the hell do you want? This isn't exactly a good time."

"Better now than after you're dead from trying to do this without help," replied Sasuke in a snarky tone. He was done with tiptoeing around this. "I know you don't think this is a good idea, but you need to rethink about me resurrecting Orochimaru so we can reanimate the previous four Hokage."

He didn't wait for her to answer, "Hashirama and Tobirama both have extensive knowledge and experience with Madara. That knockoff alone was one thing, but now that you're fighting him and the real Madara with unlimited chakra, you need help. The Kage's pride is going to get everyone killed."

She paused. "And what if the minute you revive him, Orochimaru goes rogue again and refuses to even help us?"

"Then I kill him again and we're no worse off than before," said Sasuke simply. "I'm exponentially stronger than I was eight months ago. He's met my Amaterasu before; he knows I can and will use it if he steps out of line. I can handle him without a problem."

"Cocky brat," Tsunade muttered before taking a deep breath and groaning in frustration. "Shikaku?"

Shikaku crossed his arms over his chest. "He has a point, Godaime. He is the only one who can handle Orochimaru, and the Shodai and Nidaime will have invaluable knowledge about Madara. If you include the fact that they'll have unlimited chakra themselves, it would give us a leg up. It's our best choice."

"I'll trust your judgment then. Sasuke, what do you need to revive Orochimaru?"

"I need Mitarashi Anko to use her curse mark. It's a technique I remember Orochimaru showing me in case he ever died…back when he assumed I'd follow him until the end."

"I'll send her immediately to meet you halfway. Don't disappoint me, Uchiha."

Sasuke smirked in satisfaction. "I won't."

Sasuke, Juugo, and Suigetsu met Anko in the forest between the battlefield and the Allied Forces' base so Sasuke could remove Orochimaru from the seal on Anko's neck. The process had been simple enough, just placing Kabuto's flesh containing Orochimaru's chakra atop the seal, and a few hand signs later, the sannin emerged.

"You know I have to say, I'm quite surprised it's you of all people who brought me back, my dear Sasuke-kun," said Orochimaru as he crawled out of the mouth of a large snake that slithered from Anko's seal.

"The only reason I brought you back is what you can do for us," said Sasuke flatly. "Refuse and I'll kill you again and this time you'll stay dead."

"My, my…aren't you just as brutish as ever?" Orochimaru's grin spread further as he turned to face Anko. "Hmm, how sad I won't be able to watch things from inside you anymore."

Anko scrunched up her nose in disgust. "I sure as hell am not."

"You've been watching from inside her?" Suigetsu exclaimed as he hid behind Juugo.

"I secured my senjutsu chakra in those curse marks; they're like pieces of my consciousness," Orochimaru explained. "But enough of that, I'm assuming you brought me back for a reason, and I can assume it has to do with the war currently going on…but let me be clear, I have absolutely no interest in this war."

"Huh?!" shouted Suigetsu. "See, Sasuke, I told you this was a waste of time!"

Sasuke shot him a glare to silence him before turning to Orochimaru. "We're not asking you to fight in it. Here is our offer: we help you regain the ability to use ninjutsu, and in return, you reanimate the previous four Hokage to help us in the war."

Orochimaru's golden eyes gleamed with interest. "Oh? You're quite bold, Sasuke-kun." He tilted his head, tapping a finger against his chin in mock contemplation. "Bringing back the past to influence the present…I do enjoy poetic irony."

"Enough with the theatrics," Anko snapped, rolling her shoulders now that the cursed seal's weight was gone. "Are you in or not?"

"Ever straight to the point, Anko-chan." Orochimaru chuckled, his gaze sliding back to Sasuke. "Very well, Sasuke-kun. Lead the way."

Anko leaned over to whisper in Sasuke's ear. "Are you sure you can handle him?"

"Without a doubt," said Sasuke with a nod. "I've got it from here on out. Thanks for the help."

Anko nodded in return before taking off into the trees and heading back to the battlefield.

"Now what?" asked Suigetsu.

"Now we go to the Uzumaki Clan's Noh Mask Hall on the outskirts of Konoha," explained Orochimaru. "In order to perform the ritual in the scroll, the Death God's mask is necessary then one must allow the Death God of the Reaper Death Seal to possess oneself and guide it forth."

"Sounds complicated," muttered Suigetsu. "Why do we have to come too?"

"Don't be so whiny," said Sasuke with a glare. "It'll take approximately one day to travel there and one more to get back to the battle, so we better get going."

June 6

The four traveled through the night and arrived at the Uzumaki Noh Mask Hall, where they collected the Death God mask to perform the ritual. Sasuke then led them through a secret passage into the Uchiha meeting room inside Konoha's walls. Thankfully, with most of the shinobi gone, they were able to slip in undetected. They entered the room, and Sasuke lit the two braziers on either side of a large stone tablet.

"It's best if you stand back," said Orochimaru as he put on the death mask. A blue glow engulfed his body before dissipating as the shadow of the Death God loomed over him.

The Death God sliced open his own belly, and Orochimaru's along with it, and five blue orbs flew out, one wrapping around Orochimaru's arms. "Oh, how delightful it is to feel power coursing through my veins again! Sasuke-kun, the scroll!"

Sasuke unrolled a lengthy scroll on the ground, triggering what was inside to be released. Five unconscious but alive White Zetsu that the Allied Forces had previously captured. Orochimaru released his snakes to wrap around their bodies and immobilize them. "Suigetsu, hold open that one's mouth. I will need it momentarily."

Suigetsu did as instructed, mostly because he was still semi-scared of Orochimaru. Orochimaru placed his palm on the ground, and black markings appeared on the floor and around the remaining four White Zetsu. "Reanimation Jutsu!"

The blue orbs went inside each of the White Zetsu and immediately began transforming into those of the previous Hokage. "Now, here goes!" The snake sannin smoothly used his body transfer jutsu to leave his gutted and dying body behind and move into the body of the White Zetsu that Suigetsu held.

Sasuke watched as the bodies of the Hokage reformed and suddenly began wondering if he was doing the right thing. 'A little late to be second-guessing your plan…' he told himself, 'Let's just pray this actually works and they can help stop Madara.'

"Yes…" hissed Orochimaru in satisfaction as his new body began to move to stand, "the all-knowing…the previous Hokage!"

Suigetsu stood with his mouth agape. "These are the Hokage? That's the real Hashirama? The one touted as the 'God of Shinobi'?" he whispered in awe to Juugo who simply shrugged.

Tobirama glared at Orochimaru as he muttered to his brother, "It seems we have been reanimated by that shinobi Orochimaru again…"

Hashirama blinked a few times in confusion. "Wait…what is going on here?"

"I suspect Orochimaru undid the Reaper Death Seal which kept us locked away, and then performed the Reanimation Jutsu."

"No way," said Minato in disbelief, "You solved how to undo the Reaper Death Seal, Orochimaru-san?"

"Ah, now I see where your daughter gets her respectfulness from, Minato," said Orochimaru. "You underestimate me. It was originally a sealing jutsu of the Uzumaki clan. I extensively researched the ruins and scattered documents ever since I lost my jutsu."

"Well, Shodai-sama, it appears that we've been recalled to the world of the living," explained Minato.

Hashirama leaned over, narrowing his eyes to look more closely at Minato. "Who the hell are you?"

"Huh? Oh! I'm the Yondaime," he said as he turned to show the writing on the back of his cloak.

"Oh! The Yondaime, I see!" exclaimed Hashirama excitedly. "So the village has remained stable for a while then?"

"Well…I, uh, I'm not actually sure," admitted Minato, slightly embarrassed, "You see, I died and was sealed away years in a completely different incident, long before the Sandaime."

"Hmm, is that so?" Hashirama pondered thoughtfully. "So, then who is the Godaime?"

"Your granddaughter, Tsunade," said Orochimaru matter-of-factly.

Hashirama froze, immediately tensing up. "Tsuna, huh? Is…the village okay?"

"Is there a reason it wouldn't?" asked Minato nervously.

"Well, she was my first grandchild and I spoiled her rotten," explained Hashirama as he laughed, "In the end, she even picked up my gambling habit!"

While Hashirama was laughing, Tobirama continued to glare at Orochimaru. "You used the Reanimation Jutsu again? I cannot believe the jutsu that I made would be used so…casually. Are you planning to attack Konoha again?!"

"I took your jutsu away in exchange for my own life, only for you to revive us all to pit us against Konoha! How dare you—" snapped Hiruzen before he was cut off.

"No, that's not it at all," interrupted Sasuke. "I asked him to reanimate you to fight for not only Konoha, but for the allied Five Great Shinobi Nations and the rest of the world."

"The allied Five Great Nations?" asked Hashirama. "What enemy would be so terrible to cause them to become allies? Not that I'm complaining of course."

Sasuke hesitated for a second before answering, "Uchiha Madara."

The jovial glint in Hashirama's eyes suddenly vanished, replaced by something far more solemn. His shoulders tensed as he regarded Sasuke with a newfound seriousness. "Madara…? But I—" He stuttered in shock. "I killed him. I made sure of it myself."

Tobirama's frown deepened. "So, he really did find a way to survive."

Orochimaru smirked. "Not quite. Someone else revived him using your Reanimation Jutsu, and now he's far stronger than he was in life."

Tobirama's chakra bristled, almost electrifying the air. "And why should we trust anything that you say, Orochimaru? And you…" He studied Sasuke carefully. "You're an Uchiha as well, are you not?"

Sasuke bowed politely. "You're correct, I'm Uchiha Sasuke."

Minato smiled warmly at him, bowing slightly in return. "Good to finally meet you. I heard a lot about you from Namiko and Naruto. How are they doing? The last time I spoke to them was when Pain attacked the village."

"That was five months ago," said Sasuke, suddenly very aware he was talking to his wife's and best friend's father. "Naruto is doing his best to hold down things on the battlefield and Namiko has been helping as much as she physically can in the medical area."

"Five months, huh?" Minato thought for a moment before his brow furrowed slightly in concern. "So, she's probably not too far from having the twins. Not an ideal situation to be in…"

Sasuke didn't miss the glint of interest in Orochimaru's eyes, and he hesitated slightly before answering Minato, "No, but Medical Division has her under heavy guard; it was safer for her to be there than leave her here in Konoha."

"Twins? Namiko is pregnant?" questioned Hiruzen. "Minato, how are you so calm about this? For a number of reasons, but most of all because she's a jinchuriki!"

"I feel like…we're missing some information here, brother," Hashirama leaned over and whispered to Tobirama before straightening back up.

Tobirama let out a groan of frustration. "Can one singular person explain to us what the hell you all are talking about?"

Suigetsu raised his hand wildly. "Ooh! I'll explain! So lover boy here knocked up his girlfriend and then married her—"

Sasuke clenched his fist, feeling the beginnings of his Chidori crackle around it. "Shut up, Suigetsu… I've got this." He exhaled irritably as he retracted his Chidori. "Almost seventeen years ago, Yondaime and his wife, Kushina, had twin children, Naruto and Namiko. Kushina was the jinchuriki after Uzumaki Mito."

That caught Hashirama and Tobirama's full attention. "When Kushina gave birth, a masked man, posing as Madara, attacked and unleashed the Kyuubi." Sasuke glanced at Minato, silently requesting permission to continue, and Minato offered a subtle nod. "Kushina was unable to reseal the Kyuubi within herself, so Yondaime had no choice but to split and seal the Kyuubi inside Naruto and Namiko."

"Now, that man has returned, working with an organization called the Akatsuki, and has declared war on the Five Great Nations. They're creating some sort of weapon by collecting the biju, and they already have seven of the nine, leaving only Kumo's jinchuriki, along with Naruto and Namiko." Sasuke let out a breath. "And to complicate matters further, yes, Namiko is pregnant… and yes, we're married."

Silence hung in the room like a thick fog, the weight of Sasuke's words pressing down on the resurrected Hokage. Hashirama's expression wavered between awe and concern, while Tobirama's sharp eyes flickered with calculation. Minato remained thoughtful, his fingers twitching slightly as if restraining the urge to act. Hiruzen, however, looked positively stunned.

Orochimaru chuckled softly. "Ah, young love. Even in the face of war, the flames of passion burn brightly."

Sasuke shot him a glare, his Mangekyo Sharingan flashing ominously. "You're not exactly needed for this plan anymore, so I'd watch what you say. If you even think about trying anything against Namiko again or going after my children, you'll be dead—permanently this time."

"Now hold on, Sasuke," Minato said calmly, raising a hand in defense. "There could still be a use for him." He took a few steps toward Orochimaru. "Do you think you could use the Reanimation Jutsu on one other person?"

Tobirama shot Minato a look of disapproval. "What did I just say about using my jutsu so flippantly?"

"Minato is not the type to act without a plan." A sly smile appeared on Orochimaru's face as he looked at Minato. "Who do you have in mind?"

Minato pressed his lips together for a moment, as if he was second-guessing what he was about to say. "Kushina."

Orochimaru's interest was piqued. "Interesting…lovers reunited once again."

"That's not the reason," contested Minato. "Yes, it would be nice to see her again, but I also believe she would be a big help. Her sealing abilities are excellent which could be helpful in this scenario."

"Ah, yes, she was able to make quite a large shield to hold the kyuubi in and keep everyone else out. I remember that well," mused Hiruzen with a slightly bitter tone. "But don't you need something from the person to reanimate them?"

"No need to worry about that, I have some of her blood in a vial," Orochimaru said, waving his hand dismissively. "We'll just need to make a quick stop on the way to the battlegrounds. "

Minato raised an eyebrow questioningly and Hiruzen shook his head at his former student. "Do I want to know how you have a vial of her blood?"

"Oh, I have quite a few samples of DNA from special shinobi that I collected over the years…"

Sasuke crossed his arms over his chest, making a slight noise of disgust. "I would say I'm surprised, but I'm not."

Tobirama huffed. "Personal matters aside, the real concern here is Madara. If he's truly been revived and is stronger than before, we need a strategy." He turned to Hashirama. "Brother, you fought him last. If he's back, what do you make of it?"

Hashirama folded his arms, his usual easygoing demeanor replaced by something serious and determined. "If Madara is involved…this war won't be simple. He's always been a step ahead and always had a plan within a plan. And if he has the Rinnegan—"

"He does," Sasuke confirmed. "Both Madara and the copycat."

At those words, the tension became palpable throughout the room.

Hashirama let out a slow, controlled breath. "Then this is worse than I thought. We don't just need to stop him—we need to do it quickly. Before he gets any closer to achieving his goal."

"Does he even have a goal?" asked Tobirama.

Sasuke hesitated for only a moment. "He wants to trap the entire world in an idealized genjutsu, for 'peace,' or so he claims."

Silence again.

"That bastard," Tobirama muttered, fingers twitching at his sides. "I told you he was trouble, Hashirama."

A slow grin spread across Hashirama's face. "Well then…we'll just give him trouble right back. What are we waiting for? Let's go!"

A couple of hours later, they arrived at one of Orochimaru's old bases. Sasuke accompanied the snake sannin inside, far from thrilled to be surrounded by reminders of his past. They secured what they needed, and Sasuke urged Orochimaru to return quickly to their group.

"Sasuke-kun, the scroll again," prompted Orochimaru. Sasuke unrolled the scroll from earlier, releasing one more White Zetsu, which Orochimaru quickly wrapped in a snake to restrain it. Then Orochimaru pulled out another scroll he grabbed from inside the base, opened it, and poured a vial of blood in the center of the seal on the scroll. "Reanimation Jutsu!"

Dust and ash came together around the body until Kushina stood in front of them, her long red hair tumbling down her back. Her violet eyes locked onto Minato's almost instantly. "Minato? Is that you? How—what—have…we been reanimated?" she asked, confusion written all over her face.

"Yeah…" Minato swallowed hard, stepping forward. "I'm sorry, but Naruto and Namiko need our help. This is the only way we can help them."

Her brow furrowed in concern. "What could possibly be so dangerous that we'd be recalled from the grave?"

"War," said Minato, finally close enough to touch her hand. "Madara has also been resurrected and he's collecting the biju to create a weapon of mass destruction."

"So that means he's after Naruto and Namiko…" Her words trailed off before nodding her head once. "Okay, let's go help our kids then."

Orochimaru chuckled, clearly amused by how quickly Kushina had accepted the situation. "You're rather quick to adjust. Most people take longer to process their resurrection."

Kushina shot him a sharp glare. "There's no time to think about that when my children are in danger."

Sasuke saw the way Minato's expression softened at her words, at the sheer determination in her voice. He had no doubt Naruto would be ecstatic to see her—Namiko even more so.

"Let's go." Minato smiled at Kushina and squeezed her hand before turning to everyone else.

Kushina scanned the men around her as they began to run toward the battlefield. She recognized Hashirama and Tobirama from photos, as they had both died before she arrived in Konoha. She blinked a few times in surprise upon seeing Hiruzen and Orochimaru. There were two men she didn't recognize at all. The young man next to her, however, she hadn't seen since he was a baby.

Her grin was all too similar to Naruto's. "Sasuke…I'd recognize you anywhere. You look just like your mom, ya know?"

Sasuke stiffened at her words, his expression unreadable. He wasn't used to hearing people talk about his mother or any member of his family in a positive light. Kushina's eyes softened as she took him in, as if searching for traces of the little boy she saw cradled in Mikoto's arms so many years ago.

Sasuke quickly looked away. "We need to keep moving."

Kushina didn't push further, but her gaze lingered as the group picked up speed. "Right!"

June 7

Namiko knew the battle against Madara was getting more intense. She didn't need to see it; she could feel it. The juubi, Naruto, and Kurama's chakra was palpable in the air even without using her chakra sensing, and that realization left a sour taste in her mouth.

Or maybe the nausea was just from the cramping she'd been feeling off and on that kept her awake nearly all night. It wasn't at regular intervals, so it wasn't active labor, but whatever was going on was more intense than her normal 'practice' contractions. She brushed it off and pushed the tent flap aside, stepping into the cool morning.

It was barely sunrise and the red tint in the clouds of Kumo were ominous. 'What's that phrase? 'Red skies at dawning, sailors take warning?'' She shook off the thought and started walking towards the main medical tent.

That's when she saw it.

A massive black biju bomb headed straight toward the Allied Forces base.

Straight toward her.

A/N: I'm sorry for the cliffhanger…well, maybe not. Things are getting hairy for sure now, just prepare yourselves to sit on the edge of your seat for a while. And yes, I brought back Kushina. Some will probably be surprised at that choice, others may not.

I'm hoping to get back into my weekly chapters next week now that birthdays and family stuff are out of the way for a while, but we'll have to see.
I want to thank all my amazing readers again…I now have over 20k hits on AO3 and 40k hits on FFN! You guys are awesome!
See you soon!

Love, Eriisu

PS: Comments are my tip jar!