章節 61: Chapter 61:Aurora Part IV

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto

"Hmm…."- Bijuu

Chapter 60:

Aurora Part IV

Miyuki felt herself pant heavily as she chased after the two retreating Akatsuki members from rooftop to rooftop at amazing speeds, making her realize that she had used a lot more chakra than she had expected in order to bring the Konoha strike force to Suna even with how much she had prepared herself. That meant that she would have to take even more care with these two. She already knew of them, of course. And they weren't lightweights in any sense of the word.

'But I can't let them escape,' she told herself in determination. 'At the very least, I can take care of two future threats for us here and now!'

Hidan turned his head back to see Miyuki right on their toes. "Oi, Kakuzu, we still have the white haired bitch after us. What do you want to do?"

Kakuzu merely grunted, not offering any sort of coherent response. Not that the question even warranted an answer. It was already obvious what they needed to do. Kakuzu wasn't one to partake in useless fights. The only reason why he fought so much was for the money…..and because that was the environment he had been raised in. There really wasn't anything else for a bastard like him to do. It was that simple.

But Hidan didn't particularly like that answer. He was itching to fight. Even after he had killed so many people in the past four days, it wasn't enough for him. He needed more. And the woman behind him fitted the bill pretty well.

His desire went up even more as two cloaked figures suddenly appeared in front of him and Kakuzu.

Kakuzu narrowed his eyes when he saw this, dodging the cloaked figure as he jumped up to another vacant rooftop. Hidan wasn't so elegant as he smashed the one that came after him with his scythe, the being shattering into a dozen of pieces.

'So they're puppets then,' Kakuzu realized form his position as the puppet that came after him soon took its place next to Miyuki. Said woman was still panting, her teeth grinding together in annoyance.

Hidan grinned as he pointed his scythe at the female puppeteer. "Kakuzu, you go on ahead. I'll take care of this annoying bitch for us right here."

Kakuzu didn't offer a response, his eyes going to his partner before drifting to Miyuki. His eyes could immediately tell that the woman was already tired for whatever reason. At least it told him that she wasn't at full strength. That was something at least.

But not wanting to get caught up in any annoying side tasks, Kakuzu turned away from the two. "You already know where to meet up. And don't take too long. We do have another task after this. Remember that, Hidan."

It was Hidan's turn to not reply, his focus being entirely on Miyuki. But that suited Kakuzu just fine as he continued on his way out of the village, intent on getting some rest before the sealing began. He had already gone through one, so he knew how long these things were going to take from now on. He certainly wasn't looking forward to it, that was for sure.

Hidan grinned as Miyuki watched Kakuzu go. "You should focus on your opponent, you know. Especially since you won't be getting anywhere near Kakuzu after I'm through with you!"

Miyuki didn't say anything in return as Hidan charged straight for her. But the religious enthusiast stopped in his tracks the moment a portal suddenly opened less than a feet in front of him, another puppet springing up from the ground. Miyuki narrowed her eyes when she saw this, filing this detail for later. But Hidan didn't waste anytime in smashing this puppet like the last one with his scythe, clicking his tongue in annoyance as he did so.

"This is why I hate puppeteers," Hidan commented as he noticed more puppets appearing out of portals around Miyuki. "Always hiding behind those damned things. Why don't you fight me yourself, you bitch!"

Miyuki frowned. "I have no desire to soil my hands against a fiend such as yourself. Nor do I have anytime for your chatter. After I finish you off, I have to chase after your partner."

Hidan sighed, shaking his head. "That's all I've been hearing these past few days. 'I'll kill you.' Well, guess what!? You can't! And nothing annoys me more than hearing you boast about trying to kill me when it will never happen!"

Miyuki didn't offer any sort of response as her cloaked puppets charged forward.

Growling in aggravation, Hidan nevertheless did the same, his scythe in hand.

Beyond them laid fire and explosions throughout the village, the obvious signs that the main battle in the village was completely underway.

Konan felt some sense of apprehension. And it wasn't because of the coming battle. It was more because she was surrounded by a bunch of shinobi who didn't particularly feel any sort of positive feelings towards her. Konan knew that it mainly had to do with the fact that she came from Ame. But she wasn't going to hide that fact either. She was here to represent the new alliance that Naruto wanted to create. And she would see it to the end. Not to mention that the dislike here wasn't one-sided. Her country had suffered much due to the wars of the great nations. And somewhere in her heart, Konan was a bit resentful for that.

"You have nothing to fear, child."

Konan turned back to see a woman dressed in brown robes walking towards her. The blue haired girl already knew her as the Kazekage.

"They will not cause you any harm," Chiyo continued, referring to her shinobi who had parted to make way for her. "But since you're here, you must know that we will not hold your hand either."

Konan nodded. Although she suspected that Naruto had asked her to be placed with Chiyo's unit since it would be the safest for her. She felt a sense of gratitude to the blond for that but also some annoyance. She would focus on those feelings later, though. Now wasn't the time to be dwelling on minor details.

Seeing the girl determined, Chiyo focused her attention on the gathered shinobi around her. "I know that many of you have a lot of questions on your mind right now. But things will be explained in more details later. Right now, we have to stand together to defend the village that we all love so much."

There were several shouts in approval.

Nodding in approval, Chiyo turned her attention to where most of the smoke was coming from. No doubt that was where things were the most crazy right now and where the Konoha shinobi were fighting with their lives to defend another village.

"Then let us move forward! For Suna!"

Konan's eyes sparkled in admiration, not believing that there was such a strong kunoichi out there. She hadn't exactly been exposed to many heroes due to her troubled past. But already she knew that the world was really a big place. And as much as Jiraiya meant to her, Konan wanted to find someone who could truly inspire her.

With that in mind, the girl followed behind the Suna shinobi, walking to the beginnings of her path as a shinobi.

Sasuke scowled heavily as he looked at the two foes in front of him, his mind still trying to understand what he had just heard. Otsutsuki? That wasn't possible, though. According to Miyuki, Nori was supposed to be the last one. So why in the world were there two more standing in front of him right now?

"Ah." Momoshiki's eyes sparkled in realization. "It seems like you're under some misinformation at the moment."

Kinshiki stayed quiet.

"And what would I be misinformed about exactly?" Sasuke asked, trying not to let his opponent know just how ignorant he was about many things.

Momoshiki chuckled. "There's no need to try and cover up your ignorance, descendant of Kaguya. Our clan has long since been forgotten. Our existence isn't something that can be explained so easily."

"Then why exactly are you here?" Sasuke went straight for the point. "And with Nori no less."

"Isn't it obvious that one would want to help his fellow family member out?" Momoshiki said in return. To Sasuke, it was a weak excuse. But Momoshiki was aware of that too. So he continued. "Although, if you're really curious, I did already tell you. We want your chakra. Or more specifically, the chakra of Indra residing within you."

Sasuke's eyes widened slightly at hearing this. How could he-

'Of course,' the Uchiha thought in annoyance. 'Nori must have told them.'

"You couldn't imagine my surprise when I heard of Kaguya's actions all these years after our exile," Momoshiki continued. "Although I can't particularly complain. But being taken out by her own sons…..well, that's too ironic even for me. And her grandsons are no slackers either apparently. This method of rebirth….while not perfect, it's ingenious. Especially without the Rinnegan in either of their possession. But now, it will serve to further my goals."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "You-"

"That's right, descendant of Kaguya," Momoshiki cut in with a smile. "After we're done with you, the bearer of Asura's chakra is our next target. But out of the two of you, he's more precious to us. He does possess all the chakra of what once made the Juubi, after all. Only someone of Asura's status could ever hope to accomplish something like that nowadays. But that's why we're starting with you. So that we'll be as ready as possible once we take him on."

Sasuke chuckled. Even though he had many questions for the two in front of him, he already knew that it would have to come later. "It does seem like I'm being underestimated here. And that's something I can't exactly have now."

Momoshiki didn't reply. Instead, Kinshiki materialized several red glowing weapons at once, taking a step forward as he did so. Seeing this, Sasuke tensed as the Otsutsuki member charged at him.

Not wasting a second, Sasuke brought his first stage Susanoo into life around him, knocking the red glowing tools to the side with its arms. Kinshiki, with his perfect reaction time, managed to avoid the Susanoo hands as he leaped up into the air over Sasuke and the Uchiha's Susanoo.

"So this is the Susanoo Nori told us about," Momoshiki muttered as he observed Sasuke with his byakugan activated. 'Even with just the sharingan, the fruit still managed to grant the wielder unique powers…..'

Seeing Kinshiki's speed, Sasuke knew that his regular Susanoo wasn't going to cut it.

Landing on the other side of the vacant street, Kinshiki narrowed his eyes when he saw the Susanoo begin to shrink in size as it surrounded Sasuke completely like a set of armor.

"It looks like you're not planning on taking it easy on us," Momoshiki called out from his position.

Materializing a set of swords in his hands, Sasuke glanced at him for a moment, his right Eternal Mangekyo eye spinning wildly.

Tensing for a moment, Momoshiki instantly brought his right hand forward just as a black flames appeared in front of him less than a second later.

Sasuke's eyes widened a second time when he saw the man absorb the black flames like they were nothing. 'No, I should have been expecting something like that,' Sasuke thought, calming himself down. His opponent did have the Rinnegan in his possession as well, after all.

"That was a dirty trick you tried to pull on me there, Uchiha," Momoshiki said with a small smile as he finished absorbing the black flames. Raising his left hand, he continued, "Why don't I return the favor to you?"

Sensing something familiar, Sasuke was shocked to see his Amaterasu flames shooting out from the man's left hand a moment later. But coming back to his senses, Sasuke was quick to raise one of his hands as well, reabsorbing the flames with his own Rinnegan now active.

Momoshiki's eyes lit up in recognition as he lowered his hand. "Ah, so you have the same eye as me. Interesting. I wonder. Just how were you able to attain it? From what I can gather, Indra's descendants don't have the capabilities alone to awaken the Rinnegan."

Sasuke smirked. "So it seems that Nori didn't bother to share everything with you. Like how I possess this eye. At the very least I can see that he doesn't think much of you two if you don't even know that much."

Momoshiki frowned at this as Kinshiki growled, not liking that this superior was being talked back to.

"I would suggest that you watch your tongue, Uchiha," Momoshiki said, no humor visible on his face any longer. "Your abilities have sparked my interest. It's the only reason why you're still alive at this moment."

Sasuke h'mphed, dismissing his swords as he brought his hands together into the ram seal. "My abilities interest you, you say? So be it then. I'll give you some taste of the power under my command."

Momoshiki narrowed his eyes, seeing Sasuke build up quite the amount of chakra through his byakugan. But then he had to pause as he felt the ground underneath him start to shake. It was something that Kinshiki felt as well, making them both wonder for a moment just what Sasuke was planning on doing now.

But they didn't have to wait for long as Sasuke finished preparing the first stages of his technique.

"Chibaku Tensei!"

"What's wrong, Asura-kun? Cat got your tongue?"

Naruto was still too shocked to form any words as his eyes continued to stare at the impassive looking Aika.

Nori chuckled some more as he took in Naruto's reaction. "Heh. That's exactly the reaction I was hoping for. I guess saving her did have more uses than I had expected. I gotta remember to do this more often."

Coming out of his stupor, the blond leveled the amused Nori a glare. "You. Just what the hell did you do!?"

Nori shrugged. "Nothing much. Just simply saved her from her impeding doom."

"What?"

Nori smiled. "Repairing a couple of damaged organs isn't beyond my abilities, you know. Just how did you think I was able to create my spectacular group of bodyguards?"

Pride landed next to Nori the next moment, almost as if to emphasize his point.

"The powers granted to us by the chakra fruit are beyond this world," Nori continued. "It's certainly something no other individual of this shitty race can ever hope to achieve. They're too…weak for that."

Naruto gritted his teeth. "I don't care about your damn speeches! Aika is dead! And yet, you-!"

"Aren't you happy?" Nori interrupted. "I have just reunited you with the girl you love." He then turned to Aika. "And you love him too, don't you?"

"That's correct. I do love him," Aika replied. Except that it wasn't in the same tone that Naruto was used too. This one was too monotone. And Aika's face…..it was devoid of any sort of emotion.

Naruto shook his head. "No…..this is too wrong! All of it!"

"And why would that be?" Nori asked. "You care for her. She cares for you. Reality made you lose her. And now, I'm giving her back to you. Isn't that-"

"Don't play me for a fool." It was Naruto's turn to interrupt Nori. "I already know what kind of person you are. You enjoy the misery of others. That's the whole reason why you even did this. To see me suffer."

Nori chuckled. "Not entirely true, Asura-kun. I'm simply showing you a point."

"And what would that be exactly?"

"Why, just what humans are capable of course," Nori answered as he spread his arms out. "And what other better stage than right now while humans try to kill one another as we speak. And for what? Honor? Power? Pleasure? Those petty qualities are what make a human being."

"All through a plot you set up," the blond retorted.

"Too true," Nori agreed. "And yet, they all took the bait. I didn't force any of them to do any of this. So tell me, how exactly can you pin all the blame on me when all I did was give them the option to do as they please? You can't. This is simply the nature of human beings. Which is where your dear Aika comes in. Just like animals, any other human wouldn't hesitate to use her in order to further himself in the name of power. All they require is the means. After that, the dominoes start to fall one after the other."

"I've had enough of your shitty lies already," Naruto said with a low growl as Kurama's golden chakra surrounded his body instantaneously, his chakra cloak now flowing in the breeze. "I did say I was going to put an end to you the next time I saw you, didn't I?"

Pride tensed when she heard this. But she didn't spring to her master's defense when she noticed that Nori didn't look worried in the least. In fact, there was a look of pure hatred in his eyes as he stared at Naruto.

"That gaze…you really do remind me of Hagoromo, after all…."

Naruto didn't reply, gathering as much of sage chakra as he could as he waited for Nori to make the first move. He wasn't looking at Aika who stood next to Nori any longer either. As far as he was concerned, she was nothing more than a fake that Nori had created in order to mess with his head.

Running a hand through his hair, Nori felt his anger rising, his mind reminding him the last time that he had seen Hagoromo face to face in the world of the living. All those years ago…..it felt like an eternity now. Those moments of happiness could no longer be. Not after he had been robbed of those he held close to his heart. And now, his heart was calling him to do the same thing to Naruto. Why? Because the blond was just like Hagoromo. They were both idealistic idiots who thought the world's problems could be solved in a couple of words. But Nori had long since come to deny that way of thinking. He could never believe in those words again. Not after that night.

But the man let those thoughts drift away. They no longer mattered. He had chosen his path. And he wasn't about to second guess himself. That wasn't his way. He had no regrets.

"I guess you still need to learn more about pain then," Nori said with a small smile as he nodded towards Aika. "Why don't you get reacquainted with one another with a friendly spar. Don't you agree, Aika?"

Aika didn't offer a response as gold chains shot out from her. Naruto, who had gathered as much nature energy as possible, took a step back when he saw this. Not because the chains intimidated him. Far from it. It was because he was far too wary of fighting Aika. Even if he kept telling himself that she was a fake, he knew that he could never bring himself to harm the girl.

"Snap out of it, brat!" Kurama exclaimed with his loud booming voice. "This is exactly what this bastard wants! But we all saw Aika die that night! She's not the same girl you came to know. Don't let appearances fool you!"

'Even if you say that…..'

Naruto wasn't able to get another word in as Aika charged straight for him. The girl wasn't moving at a speed that he couldn't follow, especially now that he was in his Sage mode in addition to using Kurama's chakra. Even so, Naruto's muscles didn't come to his aid as the girl delivered a straight punch to his face that had him stumbling back. Not bothering to consider just why the blond wasn't fighting back, Aika continued with her barrage of punches, all of which hit Naruto head on.

The bijuu saw this with pained expressions, already knowing why their host wasn't trying to put up a fight at the moment. But that didn't mean that they were enjoying this either. Especially Kurama whose face was now twisted in anger, deeply wishing he could squash Nori with one of his tails.

Nori closed his eyes as he witnessed the one side onslaught in front of him. He already knew that Aika was no match for Naruto. But the blond's emotions were taking hold of his body right now. So in front of Aika, he couldn't move a single muscle to defend himself least of all activate his jutsu. It was exactly what he had been banking on. No, more like it was exactly what he had known the blond would do. He had once felt the same things, after all.

Pride for her part watched all of this with unfazed eyes, feeling some measure of pleasure at seeing the blond beaten down. She did have some pent up resentment for Naruto and Sasuke for what happened to two of her sisters.

Naruto was already down on the ground with Aika standing over him. The girl didn't waste anytime to use her chains to bind the jinchuriki, forcing Kurama's chakra to recede back into him. It took Naruto completely by surprise. He already knew a lot of what Aika's chains could do, mainly because he had conducted some small research during his time in Uzu. But Aika had still been a novice when it came to using them. She didn't have the skills to pull off something like this. Unless…..

Nori chuckled as he walked up to the fallen Uzumaki. "She's more powerful than you remember, right? I guess you could say I did give her some adjustments to make her better than before."

"What the hell did you do to her?" Naruto growled out. Even if the chains were restricting the bijuus' chakra, he still had his own as well as sage chakra.

"I already told you," Nori replied, looking over at Aika's blank face. "I brought her back to you. Aren't you pleased with me?"

"That's not Aika."

Nori raised an eyebrow at this. "Oh? Are you sure? She remembers everything about you, though. Don't you, Aika?"

Almost as if another silent command had been given, Aika replied with the same monotone voice, "Yes. Everything that Aika felt about you. Her memories. They're all inside me. Every single one of them."

"That's not it," Naruto said in return with some torment in his eyes. "You may look like her. You may sound like her. But you're not the Aika I came to know. That Aika died in my arms that night. It's an unbearable fact for me. Something that almost made me give in. In that moment, I wanted to destroy the whole world. But I was able to overcome your death thanks to those around me. I've already left you where you belong now: in my memories. You will always hold a place in my heart. But we can no longer be together."

Aika locked gazes with him, her blank look still present. But to Naruto's immense shock, tears started to form around her eyes. "I can feel it. Sorrow. Regret. It's swelling deep within me. But it isn't me either. All these memories. Except that they aren't me. I love you. But I also hate you. I don't want to feel this way anymore."

Even though Naruto meant every word he had said, he still flinched when he heard that in Aika's voice. They resonated with him. It was like Aika's ghost was condemning him.

"You were supposed to protect me, weren't you?" Aika continued. "And yet, I died. What happened to all those boasts? Were they empty promises in the end?"

"No," Naruto answered truthfully. "I tried my best. And yet, I still failed. Is that what Aika felt in the end? Do you really want to kill me now?"

Aika didn't reply.

Nori smirked. "Love. A human's greatest strength. But also your greatest source of weakness. Such an oxymoron. Are you really prepared to die for this girl, Asura? To throw away everything up to this point? Just for her? Is that what you're thinking right now?"

Was he? Naruto didn't really know anymore. Despite what he had said, even now, he was having doubts. His conviction was betraying him. He had fallen flat on his words.

"You're only human, after all."

That voice…it was familiar. But at the same time, it wasn't.

It continued. "Humans always fall. You're not perfect. That's why there's no shame when you do fall. The real question comes after that: what will you do? Stay down on the ground like a defeated animal? Or stand back up to fight to your last breath? It's this choice that differentiates the weak and the strong. You should know this too, Naruto. Your conviction has been tested before. And you have doubted yourself. But in the end, you have always stood back up to face the incredible odds before you. That's your ninja way. Are you going to back down on your word now? In front of the person who was the most precious to you?"

That did it.

Nori was forced to jump back in surprise when Aika's chains were pushed aside as more gold chakra erupted out of Naruto's body. Except that this time it wasn't just Kurama's. No, it was the combined chakra of all nine bijuu.

'This power again,' Nori thought with narrowed eyes. 'It forced its way out, even through the gold chains.'

Even Aika stumbled back, clearly not having expected that Naruto would be able to overcome her chains so easily.

Standing back up, Naruto felt the chakra from the bijuu overtake him again, nine orbs forming all around him. The blond formed a staff with one of the orbs after it casually floated over to his hand.

"Nice to see you back again, brat," Gyuki said with a chuckle.

"You had us a bit worried there for a moment," Kokuo added.

"You were lucky," Chomei stated.

Kurama huffed but didn't comment, which only made Naruto smile.

"The power Hagoromo gave you, eh," Nori said as he took in Naruto's newest form face-to-face in the real world for the first time. Next to him, Pride was already ready to defend or attack depending on how things played out after this.

"Even after all of this, you still don't understand," Nori continued with a frown.

"Oh, but I do understand," Naruto replied calmly. "Despite how much of a pain in the ass you are, I have grown because of you. Just not in the way you wanted. I don't know how exactly you brought Aika back. But I don't care. I've already gotten past the point of trying to understand your actions. No matter what, you won't leave things alone. You cause chaos and pain wherever you go."

Nori's hands clenched into fists. This was turning far too familiar for his tastes. This was no longer amusing for him. No, it was starting to anger him to a point that he hadn't experienced for a very long time.

"And what of it then?" Nori asked. "You're prepared to throw Aika to the side. But what happens now? Are you going to kill me?" Nori grinned. "We both know you can't. You're too soft."

Not letting him continue, Naruto was instantly in front of the man, bypassing Aika with ease. Even Pride hadn't been able to keep track of his movements.

In the next moment, Nori felt something he hadn't felt in a long time: intense physical pain. It went beyond the punch that Naruto gave him during Uzu's destruction. And even then, it had only been in Naruto's mindscape. Looking down, Nori was treated to a sight of the black rod in Naruto's hand impaling his lower abdomen.

Looking back up at Naruto's determined eyes, Nori couldn't help but smile as blood began to drip down his lips.

"Master!" Pride exclaimed, moving as fast as she could to attack the blond. But not wanting to deal with her at the moment, Naruto sent one of the other orbs straight for the woman with enough force to send her flying back across the rooftop and down to the street below.

"You really have changed then," Nori commented, his smile still in place. "Even after you killed Danzo, I thought it was nothing more than a one time deal. And yet…."

Off to the side, Aika didn't move to aid Nori. Unlike Pride, she already knew that Nori didn't wish for her to interfere.

"I did tell you, didn't I," Naruto responded, his voice calm. "I've changed. After seeing those close to me die right in front of me, I realized that there are times when I can't be lenient or show any mercy."

"Are you sure about this?" Nori asked. "Even if you think it's justified, it'll bring a lot of accusation down on you from others. You could even lose sight of your goal because of it, becoming someone you no longer recognize."

"It's a tough distinction," Naruto agreed. But then he smiled. "That's why I'm a shinobi, though. Because a shinobi is one who endures. No matter what pain, what kind of despair you throw at me, I won't lose sight of myself. Not anymore. I've come too far. This is my answer."

Nori closed his eyes. "I see. Let's just wait and see how things turn out in the end then. To see whether you succumb under all the despair or not. I'll be looking forward to that, Asura-kun."

Naruto didn't reply as Nori disappeared right in front of him through another portal which he opened from below his feet. Looking down at the ground for a moment, Naruto then turned his attention back to Aika, seeing the girl already descending down through another portal.

The two locked eyes once more. But neither said a word. Not that there was a need. They had said everything that they wanted to one another. Even if Naruto knew that he could try and kill the girl at this moment, he just couldn't move a single muscle. In the end, some part of him was still at odds with this new development.

Kurama t'ched, seeing Nori and Aika disappear through Naruto's eyes. "It looks like the bastard can even withstand a direct hit from one of the Gudodama orbs. No doubt thanks to that blood flowing through his veins."

"Yes, that may be so," Matatabi began, already knowing that Naruto had been aiming for a quick kill back there, "but what of that woman? Is she-"

'She's gone as well,' Naruto stated, the orb that had collided with Pride returning to him. 'She disintegrated to dust. It looks like even they can't come in contact with them lest they lose their lives.'

At least that was one less Sin they had to deal with. And he had gathered information to see what could work for the future. Even so, even after knowing that it was necessary, Naruto took no enjoyment at having killed her.

But the Uzumaki and bijuu were forced to come out of their conversation as they felt the ground start to shake. Looking over to other side of the village, they were greeted to a spectacular sight of rubble and debris forming massive "meteorites" up in the sky. But through his current mode, Naruto could now perfectly sense what was happening. And it was a peculiar thing for him indeed.

'These two chakra signatures…they're strong.'

"I'm guessing the Uchiha is probably going to need some backup," Kurama said in a somewhat annoyed tone.

"Then what are we waiting for!" Shukaku roared with an excited voice. "Let's get this party started, baby!"

Naruto merely smiled while the other bijuu sighed. Shukaku would never change.

Miyuki glanced back towards the inner portions of the city, feeling the ground underneath start to shake. That wasn't the only thing either. She could feel how Naruto's chakra had changed. But to go in this mode…and he wasn't even anywhere near Sasuke's position yet. She could only think of one reason why the blond would use such a power: Nori. The bastard must have made an appearance as well.

"Don't get distracted, bitch!"

Miyuki turned her attention back to the problem in front of her, bringing more of her puppets in front of her as a shield against Hidan. It was the perfect strategy for her. The immortal was a close-range fighter. So as long as she kept her distance, she would eventually gain a valuable opening and finish the man off. Or at least, capture him.

Hidan felt his blood boil in seething anger as he fended off another set of puppets. This was getting on his nerves. This wasn't a battle. A battle needed blood. Death. Not these soulless tools. It was why he hated puppeteers with a passion.

"I'm going to enjoy making you a sacrifice," Hidan stated as he brought his arm back, his scythe still in hand.

Miyuki narrowed her eyes, wondering what the Akatsuki member was up to. But then her eyes widened when she realized what he was trying to do.

Hidan laughed as he thrusted his arm back forward, his scythe elongating as it flew straight for Miyuki while smashing through puppets in its wake.

But instead of getting nervous at such a move, Miyuki stayed perfectly still as the blades of the scythe neared her, making Hidan laugh even more at his apparent victory. At least, he did. Until he saw how his scythe when straight through the woman like she wasn't even standing there.

"What the hell!?" Hidan roared, not believing what he was seeing.

Miyuki smiled. "You've left yourself exposed."

Hidan was about to curse her out again until a trio of puppets suddenly appeared behind him, ninja wire flexed into their hands. Thanks to his thoughts on his earlier victory, Hidan wasn't able to react in time as the puppets bound him with the ninja wire perfectly, wrapping it tightly around his body. As a result, he dropped his scythe to the ground, leaving him without a weapon.

Struggling to break free, Hidan growled as he looked over to Miyuki who sidestepped around the tips of the blades of the scythe. "What the hell kind of jutsu was that!?"

"That's not something that should concern you," Miyuki retorted as she stopped in front of the Jashin follower. "You're now my prisoner. I suggest you answer all the questions I have for you."

Hidan paused for a second, making sure he had heard her correctly. He then broke down in laughter. "Hahaha! That's rich! You think I'm going to tell you anything!? You've captured me. But so what! I can't die! And bring on the torture if you think you're tough enough for that!"

Miyuki frowned. But she honestly shouldn't be surprised. The Akatsuki members were all notorious criminals who would stare death in the face without flinching. They would rather die before being captured less of all interrogated.

Hidan for his part continued trying to struggle with the ninja wire keeping him at bay, cursing the fact that he had dropped his guard back there. He had much destruction left to cause. No way in hell was he going out here.

But those thoughts left him as Miyuki placed one of her hands on top of his head.

"So be it then," Miyuki said. "If you're not willing to share what information you have willingly, then I'll simply force it out of you."

Not knowing what she meant, Hidan gritted his teeth until he felt an aching pain burning right through his skull.

"What the hell do you think you're doing!?" Hidan hollered out, the pain intensifying.

But Miyuki didn't bother to reply to him as she focused on her task at hand, finding it a bit more hard than usual due to her weakened state. She was trying to collect what information was relevant about the Akatsuki through Hidan's memories. Hideouts. Plans. Current member count. It was all needed right now.

Realizing what the woman was doing, Hidan knew that he was being made a fool out of. No one had ever dared to do something like this to him before. It infuriated Hidan to a whole new level.

Concentrating on the information she was interested in, Miyuki smiled as the data began to pile in for her, knowing that this would be of great use to them. But she then frowned as she soon discovered that the Akatsuki did in fact have the Son Goku of this time period now. With Suna's jinchuriki in their hands, that made two already then. But if she could find out where they were supposed to link up, Miyuki knew that Naruto could still stop it.

But those plans went down the drain as Miyuki found herself back in the real world, having been pushed out of Hidan's mind. Confused for a moment, Miyuki was about to try a second time until she realized that Hidan's appearance started to change into that of his grim reaper one.

"That's enough of that," Hidan began with a mad look. "It's about time I made a proper sacrifice out of you!"

At long last, Hidan finally snapped the ninja wire wrapped tightly around him, his newfound anger giving him some extra strength.

Miyuki stepped back as Hidan jumped for her. Reacting quickly, Miyuki formed a hardened bone which shot out of her palm before she thrusted it straight through Hidan's stomach.

Hidan laughed wildly at this. "Do you think that can stop me!?"

Seeing what she had done, Miyuki cursed inside her head before she jumped back to put some distance between herself and Hidan, recalling her three puppets back to her.

Still laughing, Hidan was about to reach for his scythe until he started to feel something strange building up in the pit of his stomach. Looking down, Hidan was shocked to his core when he saw how there was now a gaping hole where Miyuki had pierced him. And it was quickly spreading.

Miyuki cursed herself again, not believing that she had actually used the Tomogoroshi no Haikotsu. But she could no longer do anything about it.

Somewhere in his mind, Hidan realized that he was dying. But while this piece of information would make most despair, it filled Hidan with a sense of excitement that he hadn't felt before.

"Hahaha…I'm dying. I'm actually dying! You actually killed me, you bitch!"

Miyuki didn't respond.

Smiling, Hidan looked up to the sky, his body crumbling up to his torso. "I guess you'll have to go on without me, Kakuzu. But I killed to the end. That's the best way to go."

And with that, Hidan completely crumbled into a pile of ash. He was officially dead.

Closing her eyes, Miyuki turned away from the sight, dismissing her puppets as well. The man had died without a single regret, something Miyuki couldn't begin to comprehend. After all this destruction, after all this death, he had died with a smile on his face. He had died with his beliefs intact.

'That's the one thing humans will always cherish to the end,' Miyuki thought to herself. Putting that aside, she was about to head over to Naruto. But just as she took a step forward, she dropped to the ground on one knee, feeling herself even more weak than before.

'I've used too much chakra,' Miyuki thought in annoyance. For now, she couldn't be of any use to the others.

"Chibaku Tensei!"

Momoshiki couldn't help but raise an eyebrow as more and more rubble and debris shot up for the sky. "Even with where we are right now, you're willing to use such a technique?"

Sasuke didn't respond. He could sense a familiar power now too. Smirking, the Uchiha himself shot up for the sky, multiple satellites now formed all around him.

Momoshiki frowned just as Kinshiki appeared next to him again. The former was about to command the latter until he felt a powerful chakra in the distance. Powerful but familiar. Frowning, Momoshiki turned his head to the other side of the village where it was coming from.

Until it suddenly appeared right in front of him.

Sasuke continued to smirk as Naruto appeared next to him in the air, feeling the Hiraishin kunai in his pocket. "Glad to see you join the party, Naruto."

Naruto shot his friend a disbelieving look as he took the situation in. "What the hell are you even doing, Sasuke? And you're so lucky I can fly in this mode too or I would be kissing the ground right about now."

Already knowing what the Uzumaki was referring to, Sasuke dismissed it. "The village will be rebuilt. But right now, we have to take care of these two. They're Otsutsuki. And from what I've seen, they have some unique powers. Including the Rinnegan."

Naruto took this information in with a frown, not believing what he was hearing. From what Miyuki had told him, Nori was the last one. And yet, according to Sasuke, there were two more right in front of them. Just how?

"I suggest you worry about that later," Kurama said. "We have a battle to finish here."

Agreeing with his partner, Naruto glanced to Sasuke. "Alright. Since you've already shown your fancy powers, why don't I get things started here."

Sasuke resisted the urge to roll his eyes, already knowing that the blond was still pouting inside due to his having the Rinnegan now. Sasuke was well aware that the blond wasn't truly jealous of him. It was more of childish banter on the blond's part. It was why the Uchiha found it so stupid.

But agreeing with his friend on the matter before them, Sasuke willed the makeshift meteorites straight down for the two Otsutsuki below them.

Without a word, Kinshiki took a step forward before he lunged up to the air, more red glowing weapons materializing around him. The large built man headed straight for the nearest incoming satellite, smashing it into smaller pieces which went flying all around the village. The man was about to continue with the others until Naruto was suddenly in front of him, another rod in hand. But Kinshiki was quick to defend himself with one of the tools around him, one that resembled a spiked club.

Naruto narrowed his eyes, taking in the man's appearance and realizing that Sasuke was correct. These guys were definitely Otsutsuki. But that also made Naruto know that he could't afford to hold back here.

Kinshiki pushed Naruto back with his monstrous strength, intent on capturing him for Momoshiki. But not one to be outdone, Naruto sent three of his orbs to the larger man from the side. Seeing this, Kinshiki was quick to lower himself back down on the ground via red glowing chains that burst out from him and down below.

'Despite his built, this guy is fast,' Naruto thought, knowing that it wasn't going to be so simple.

As for Momoshiki, he looked up at the incoming satellites with a slight scowl. With Naruto now in the mix, things were going to be a lot tougher than before. But they had been planning on collecting him as well. So this simply saved them some time. With that in mind, the man raised up his left hand, a column of fire shooting out to the sky. With the intensity of the flames, all the satellites nearby started to crumble apart. The others collided on the ground far from Momoshiki. All the man felt was more shaking on the ground. But he himself remained unharmed.

Sasuke scowled when he saw this before shooting down to the ground, his Susanoo wings giving him extra speed.

Noticing this with his byakugan, Momoshiki was quick to dodge to the side as Sasuke landed right on top of where he had just been. Not one to be deterred, Sasuke was soon on top of Momoshiki again, his two Susanoo swords in hands. As a result, Momoshiki was put into a short range fight, something he didn't enjoy. That was Kinshiki's field of expertise. Mainly because, as far as he was concerned, fighting like this was beneath him. Ninjutsu was the true beauty of the world. That wasn't to say that he was a slacker either. He could handle most when it came to taijutsu. But Sasuke was a different story.

This was quick to show as Sasuke began to overpower him, even going as far as to slice a part of Momoshiki's sleeve.

The man noticed this instantly, making him narrow his eyes in anger as he shot a stream of lightning straight for Sasuke via his left hand, something Sasuke evaded as his Susanoo wings propelled him backwards.

Looking down at his torn sleeve, Momoshiki gritted his teeth. "You have some nerve."

Sasuke tilted his head to the side, not understanding why that would tick the man off. But considering what he had seen of the man's ego so far, maybe he shouldn't be too surprised. Well, not like it concerned him anyhow. Sasuke was more curious to know just how the man had absorbed so many jutsu. He must have stockpiled before they got here. That was the only explanation Sasuke could come up with at the moment. But it was also the most likely.

But their attention was turned to Kinshiki who came flying from the side before landing roughly in between them.

Sasuke smirked when he saw this, glancing over at Naruto as he did so. "It looks like you're having fun."

"You could say that," Naruto replied as he walked over towards Sasuke. "But he has an annoying skill." Especially those chains. The blond had only been able to deliver one clean punch so far. "They're no joke."

"You don't have to tell me that," Sasuke said in return.

Momoshiki looked down at his subordinate, feeling even more irritated. "What the hell are you even doing?"

Standing back up, Kinshiki looked at Naruto with narrowed eyes. "He's good. His speed isn't something I can take head on. He outclasses the Uchiha in that regard."

Momoshiki knew that things were no longer going as planned. Especially since Naruto had joined their fight far too early. Their combined powers was an annoying match, even for them. Going one on one wouldn't be of any benefit to them either. But this was Momoshiki's ultimate goal, one which he had set out for a long time.

"You already know what must be done for our goal," Momoshiki stated calmly. Without any remorse, he shoved his hand straight through Kinshiki's chest. But already knowing that this was something he had agreed to, Kinshiki didn't fight back as he felt Momoshiki absorb his powers.

Both Naruto and Sasuke narrowed their eyes at the sight, not knowing what to expect as Kinshiki suddenly transformed into a chakra pill which Momoshiki swallowed without any hesitation. And to their continuing surprise, Momoshiki began to transform into some sort of demonic looking being. Even his horns increased in size. Combined with his new dark red skin, fangs, and claws, it was a sight to behold. Not only that, but a third Rinnegan appeared on his forehead as well.

"This looks like it's going to be a pain in the ass," Kurama commented.

Silently agreeing with the bijuu, Naruto charged for the newly transformed Momoshiki with Sasuke in tow, intent on finishing this once and for all. Even if they didn't know much of this guy, they knew he was a threat they couldn't ignore.

But with no trouble, Momoshiki was able to keep up with both of their movements, evading their well executed combos. Even with the orbs, Naruto found himself hard pressed to land a blow on the man. If Kinshiki alone had been a challenge, with the two now combined into one, this was more than that.

Flinging Sasuke to the side, Momoshiki materialized a set of razor sharp red glowing discs behind him, which quickly went flying out for Naruto. The blond's reaction time was tested to its max as he did his best to dodge the incoming projectiles. Even then, one managed to scrape him on his shoulder. Not paying any attention to this, though, Naruto threw the rod in his hand straight for the man. But even that was nothing as Momoshiki quickly absorbed it.

'What!?' Naruto thought in shock. 'He can even absorb those!?'

Smirking, Momoshiki threw it back to the Uzumaki from his left palm. Except that instead of it being its rod form, it was back in its orb shape. Naruto felt the air leave his lungs as he flew backwards, taken by a surprise. Not wasting a second, Momoshiki brought his hands together, engulfing the fallen jinchuriki in between two massive boulders that he created in an instant.

Turning his attention to the side, Momoshiki was able to catch sight of Sasuke who was already over him, a single sword engulfed in Amaterasu flames now in hand. In the face of such a weapon, even Momoshiki was forced to be completely on the defensive, already knowing not to get caught in them.

"You have to do better than that, Uchiha!" Momoshiki exclaimed as he swiped his hand in between them, causing a large torrent of wind to come into existence between them.

"Shinra Tensei!"

For the first time, Momoshiki was caught by surprise as the technique dispelled his torrent of wind as well as sent him flying back due to its immense power. But not one to be out done, he quickly created another set of red glowing chains which wrapped themselves around Sasuke, bringing the Uchiha along for the ride. Due to his own surprise, Sasuke wasn't able to use his Susanoo wings in time to stabilize himself. Instead, he crashed into a nearby building with great impact.

Coming to a halt, Momoshiki looked at his two fallen opponents. But already knowing that this wouldn't be enough to make them stay down for good, he quickly materialized another column of fire. Except that this time, the flames shot out straight for Naruto and Sasuke.

Sensing this, the Uchiha brought his own arm froward as he stood back up on his knees right before the flames came for him, absorbing as much of the flames as he could with his own Rinnegan. Even with the Susanoo armor, though, Sasuke flinched as some of the flames managed to penetrate inside, burning his arm ever so slightly. But it was enough to tell the Uchiha that Momoshiki's chakra was making the flames even stronger than normal.

Momoshiki smirked again he noticed this with his byakugan. And this was while Sasuke possessed the Rinnegan. There was no way that Naruto was going to be able to-

His hopes died when Kurama's form broke through the two boulders that had kept his host trapped before. And up inside his head was none other than a panting Naruto, safe from the flames that had seeped inside the two boulders.

Moving quickly, Kurama sent Momoshiki flying back as he sent a powerful sweep with his claws down on the man's position. This also destroyed a lot of the remaining buildings nearby. But Kurama wasn't focused on this at the moment.

Flying up to meet up with the Uzumaki, Sasuke entered Kurama's chakra with ease as he landed next to Naruto, feeling the burns along his arm starting to heal as well. Already knowing what to do, the two combined their two chakras together, Susanoo's armor completely shrouding Kurama's body.

"We'll only get one chance at this," Sasuke said as he looked down at Momoshiki who was already back on his feet. "Naruto, lend me the bijuu's chakra."

Even though he didn't exactly know what his friend was planning, Naruto nevertheless complied. Nodding in gratitude, Sasuke brought his hands back together into the ram seal, using Kurama as he would his Susanoo as he materialized both a bow and an arrow for the bijuu to use.

Momoshiki noticed this with a h'mph. It didn't matter what they were planning. In the end, no matter the jutsu, his Rinnegan would absorb it.

Already knowing this as well, Sasuke still pressed on. "Let's see how well that eye of yours measures up against my strongest attack, Otsutsuki."

Naruto's eyes widened slightly when he heard this.

As for Momoshiki, he didn't bother to respond. Instead, he merely raised his right hand up in the air, intent on using this attack for his own benefit.

"Indora no Ya!"

Smirking, Momoshiki didn't bat an eye as the technique clashed with his Rinnegan. And just like he had expected, he began to absorb the technique. Until his Rinnegan actually began to crack. Momoshiki howled in pain, feeling as if his palm was being burnt to a crisp.

"But how can this be!?" he roared out. "My Rinnegan is indestructible! This shouldn't be-!"

He wasn't allowed to finish as his Rinnegan finally shattered into a million little pieces, leaving him completely exposed to the jutsu. The last thing Momoshiki saw was a flash of lightning.

Both Naruto and Sasuke shielded their eyes when they saw the technique finally explode, causing a mini thunderstorm to form around the area of impact.

Sasuke was panting as he and Naruto released Susanoo's and Kurama's form respectively, the two landing on the ground softly.

"That was something else right there," Naruto commented as he looked at the now present crater in front of them.

"It was the only sure way to finish him off," Sasuke replied. "His Rinnegan wasn't able to handle all that powerful chakra in the end. It did have the bijuu's in the mix too."

Naruto chuckled. "Leave it to you to come up with something like that. But now we have a bigger problem in our hands…"

Sasuke raised an eyebrow at this. "And what is that?"

Naruto looked at all the destruction that they had caused. "How in the world are we ever going to explain this to granny Chiyo….."

She was going to kill them, that was for sure.

"I can't believe you! Do you know that the whole village saw you!"

Naruto rubbed the back of his head. "There were certain circumstances that couldn't be helped at the time….."

Konan pinched his cheek. "Don't give me that! You seriously need to learn some restraint!"

Sasuke had an amused look as he took the scene before him. Naruto on the other hand was rubbing his cheek in pain. Konan had some mean fingers on her. The trio was also on top of the Kazekage tower which had, surprisingly, remained completely intact during the whole incident.

After Naruto and Sasuke defeated Momoshiki several hours ago, they had headed off to the main battlefield. Even though the two had many questions for one another, they still had a duty to do. But in the end, they had rushed for nothing. The combined force of Konoha and Suna had successfully repelled the enemy force.

After that, the two had been subjected to many curse words at the hands of Chiyo herself. Why? Because Naruto and Sasuke had literally obliterated a portion of the village into nonexistence. But Sasuke wasn't exactly sorry. He had made sure to minimize the damage. Not only that, but the damage had also decreased since he and Naruto had ended things as quickly as possible. So he felt that he wasn't to blame. And there hadn't been a single civilian casualty. Those were good results in Sasuke's opinion.

Miyuki was currently in her dimension, trying to recuperate as much of her strength as she could before her assistance was needed again. But she had promised to tell them everything she knew about the two now dead Otsutsuki after she recuperated.

Sasuke had also told Naruto about Indra, making the blond wonder if the voice he had heard belonged to Asura.

"You two do have some balls," Tsunade said as she joined them. Behind her was also Kagome who was looking at Sasuke with a new gaze. "It's not everyday that you see something like we did today."

Sasuke shrugged. "Besides the point. Anyway, did you do what I asked?"

Tsunade huffed. "Yeah, I did. But it'll take a while for me to examine the samples. We didn't collect that many unfortunately. From the looks of it, only some are given this…..'blessing.'"

Naruto raised an eyebrow. He had heard what Sasuke had asked of Tsunade. "But then how did you bring them down?"

"Oh, that's easy," Kagome said, joining the conversation. "She squashed their heads into a ball of mush. It wasn't pretty. But she isn't exactly subtle either."

Naruto didn't know how to feel about that. He also didn't know who Kagome was until today. But she was a close friend to Tsunade apparently. So he knew he could trust her.

But Kagome's attention was fixed solely on Sasuke, something the boy noticed with some annoyance.

"What is it?"

Shaking her head, Kagome answered, "Nothing. I'm just trying to understand you. I mean, I know you had left the village on some sort of training trip. But if what Tsunade said is true and from what I saw today, I don't think you need anymore training."

"You'd be surprised," Sasuke said in return. "Besides, I'm not exactly comfortable letting you in on our….situation. Tsunade trusts you. So that's why you know as mush as you do right now. But don't push your luck."

Kagome rolled her eyes. "Well, aren't you a ball of sunshine? But don't worry. I'm not going to let anyone in on your little secrets. But I do want to know more."

"In time, maybe," was Sasuke's simple answer.

Even though she wasn't exactly satisfied with that answer, Kagome knew it was better that she dropped it. For now.

Before the conversation could continue, though, a Suna jonin appeared behind them.

"Kazekage-sama requests your presence, Uzumaki-san."

Nodding, Naruto made his way back down without a word, the others watching him go. Sasuke did this as well, knowing that Naruto was better suited in trying to smooth things over than he was.

"Times have really changed," Chiyo began as she focused on Naruto. Sakumo was also standing next to the blond, looking somewhat uncomfortable. "I never would have expected to talk face-to-face with the man who killed my only child in the last war. Heck, just last month I was still planning on avenging his death one day."

'Ah, so that explains it,' Naruto thought, now realizing just why Sakumo was uncomfortable. The two must have talked about it before he had arrived.

"I understand your loss," Naruto began, "but it's something that I ask for you to put behind you. Especially with what I'm asking."

"I've already heard of your proposal," Chiyo replied. "And it does seem that you even managed to convince that stubborn Raikage into thinking about it."

Grinning, Naruto said, "I know. Knowing his personality, that was a great leap forward. I had wanted to have Iwa join by now as well. But recent developments have made it abundantly clear that that cannot be done just yet."

"Onoki is another stubborn idiot," Chiyo agreed. "But considering what just took place, you must know that I can't let things go unanswered. Now that the whole village is aware that I am the new Kazekage, my mantle of responsibility is complete."

Naruto already knew what Chiyo was really saying. And that was about another war. Since Naruto wanted Suna to join in their alliance, then that would mean that Konoha would be dragged down into it too. That rang true for both Ame and Kumo.

"Considering the forces at play here," Naruto began, "I'm sure that it won't be long before Kiri joins Iwa and declares war on us too. This is something that I wanted to avoid honestly. But without any concrete proof in our hands, we have no choice but to accept the situation. Hanzo is already aware of this. The Raikage will have no choice as well when Kiri comes knocking on his doorsteps. Right now, the best we can do is play things safe while trying to turn this mess around."

Chiyo hummed at this. "You have given this matter a great deal of thought."

"With what I'm trying to do, it is required," Naruto responded. "But that leaves me with the ultimate question: are you willing to join Aurora?"

Looking down at her desk, Chiyo gazed at the scroll that Sakumo had given to her before Naruto had joined them. In it, it called for a meeting among herself, the Hokage, the Raikage, and Hanzo. In a way, it was to formally formulate their new alliance. With their jinchuriki having been captured during this whole mess apparently, Chiyo knew that Suna could do well with this alliance. But that wasn't the only factor.

Thinking back of everything the blond had done up to this point, Chiyo knew there was only one answer. "Yes. Suna will join. Provided that you are willing to compensate us for all the damage you and your Uchiha pal did of course."

Naruto scratched his cheek, a small smile on his face. "I saw that one coming…."

Chiyo merely smiled.

Sakumo also joined in, glad to see that things had gone well in the end.

Aurora had gained another major member.

Itsuki blinked as he took the destruction in before him with a look filled with ignorance.

Both Rasa and Karura were in the same state as well.

After the exams had ended, their team had been forced to stay in Konoha for a couple of more days to let Rasa recuperate from his injuries. They had then set out back to their home. But they never would have expected to see this.

Their jonin sensei was in a state of denial as well. It wasn't until one of the guards stationed nearby who began to fill them in on the situation did they began to understand.

But they had seriously missed a lot in the short time that they had left, that was for sure.

Nine shadows came into existence inside a cave in the middle of unknown territory. It had already been a day since the incidence in Suna with things calming down somewhat. But with another war on the horizon, things weren't completely still either. In the end, though, all of this played out perfectly with their plans.

It was why Tobi had assembled this meeting.

"So in the end your partner didn't make it, huh, Kakuzu," Fuka commented from her spot.

"He was too free spirited for his own good," Kakuzu replied.

"That doesn't matter," Tobi said, cutting in. "Hidan did his part. Because of him and his group, we now have the Ichibi in our hands. As soon as Kakuzu is out of the Land of Wind, we are going to seal it along with the Rokubi."

"The Rokubi?" Sasori repeated in a surprised tone. "How did you-"

One of the newcomers, who also had a large sword strapped to his back, interrupted. "Kiri didn't exactly have a jinchuriki for it. So it was left out unprotected. It wasn't hard to sneak in and steal it right from under their noses."

Sasori narrowed his eyes, already knowing that there was more to this than what was being said. But he didn't comment on it.

"This also brings me to the next topic of discussion," Tobi said, continuing with the conversation. "We have three members joining us officially as of today."

Not wasting any time, the one with the large sword began. "The name's Kisame. Pleased to be working with you all from this day on." Even through his projection, a visible grin was clear on his face.

The other two stayed silent, though, not even bothering with a greeting.

Kazuki's sharingan eyes were focused on them momentarily before they closed.

"Quite the people person, aren't they," Fuka muttered.

Not letting that bother him, Tobi focused back on Kakuzu. "Report in as soon as you're in a safe location. After the sealing, I have a new job for you."

Kakuzu didn't respond.

Turning his attention to the rest, Tobi said, "As for the rest of you, be ready as soon as you're summoned. You already have your orders as well."

With that, the nine projections disappeared, leaving no trace behind of their existence.

It was nighttime in Konoha. Even though she knew that Obito was waiting for her to get home, Mikoto knew that there was something that she needed to do. That was why she was currently standing in front of the present matriarch of the Uzumaki clan.

Kazumi had a small smile on her face as she said, "I'm sorry. But Naruto-kun is still out on his training trip. I really don't know when he will return back to the village."

Mikoto couldn't help but sigh at the information. It had been more than a month since the blond had left already. Mikoto had assumed that the idiot would be back by now. But nevertheless giving her thanks, Mikoto began to make her way out of the compound, having done what she had set out to do.

Kazumi watched the girl go, mentally wondering to herself just how Naruto had made an impact on her. Her future grandson was truly an enigma.

This was what Kushina came to as she saw the gates of the Uzumaki compound. Like usual, she had spent the afternoon with her friends. But she had never expected to see Mikoto making her way out of her clan's compound.

"What exactly are you doing here?"

Mikoto paused, her attention now turned to Kushina who stopped several feet in front of her. "Kushina."

Waiting for an answer, Kushina looked at Mikoto, already telling that the Uchiha was somewhat dejected for whatever reason.

"I came to see if someone was here," Mikoto answered, seeing no reason to lie to the girl.

"And who would that be?"

"I don't see how that concerns you."

Kushina narrowed her eyes. "You were at my home. I think that gives me enough of a right."

Frowning, Mikoto knew that it was perhaps better to tell the redhead. She really didn't want to deal with a troublesome situation right now.

"I was seeing if Naruto had returned from his training trip." There. She had said the truth.

Now that took Kushina completely by surprise. "Why should that even matter to you? It's not like you two are friends or anything."

Now that did make Mikoto think. Did she now consider the blond her friend? She knew the Uzumaki did. But at the time, she hadn't thought much of it. Now….

"We are," Mikoto stated.

Kushina's teeth clenched. For some reason, she suddenly felt a bad feeling at the pit of her stomach. It was like she was hearing the beginnings of a bad omen.

Seeing as the redhead had nothing else to say, Mikoto continued on her way.

That was enough to make Kushina come out of her stupor, looking at the Uchiha girl walking passed her.

"Just know, I will win. No matter what."

Mikoto didn't respond, continuing on her way like she hadn't heard a thing. But there was a noticeable frown present on her face after Kushina had spoken for the last time.

Kazumi watched all of this from a distance.

"You sure are excited about this, Yahiko."

Yahiko looked at Konan with a grin. "Of course I am! We're about to see Naruto and Sasuke go head-to-head! How could I not be!"

Nagato stayed quiet. And it wasn't because of the pouring rain either. More like he didn't know what to expect.

It had been some hours since Naruto and the others had returned from Suna, just to see if anything had happened in Ame while they had left. And thankfully, nothing had. Everything was the way it had been before they had left. But with the threat of the new war, Naruto and Sasuke knew that they weren't going to be staying put anytime soon. It was why they had informed Hanzo of the incoming meeting that he needed to attend, something the man merely grunted about.

But for now, Sasuke had issued a challenge to the blond. A fight. It was something that Sasuke had been putting off for a while now, mainly because of everything that had taken place when they had reunited with one another. It was why the two were now in one of the remote areas of the country, making sure no town was in sight.

Miyuki was shaking her head at the whole thing, not believing that Naruto had actually agreed to this ordeal. Then again, the rivalry between the two was notorious. So maybe she should have been surprised if the blond had actually said no.

Jiraiya was interested too. As was Kaito, who had decided to return to Ame with the others for a couple of days before he headed back to Konoha. He would soon be part of the incoming war, after all.

"I would suggest that you all stay close," Miyuki began, catching the attention of the others. "It'll be easier to get you out of here when things turn too violent for us."

Jiraiya raised an eyebrow in amusement at this. "Is that so?" He really couldn't wait for this then.

With Naruto and Sasuke, the two stared at one another.

"I actually expected for you to turn me down," Sasuke said.

Naruto chuckled. "And why would I? I get to kick your ass. In front of an audience. And you asked for it! So of course I would say yes."

Sasuke smiled. "Really now? I guess you'll have to show me then."

Naruto smiled as well. "Gladly."

There was a moment of silence. But it didn't last long. The two were on each other less than a second later.

And so began a "friendly" fight that would forever leave that part of the country scarred.

Gin took a big swing of his drink, smiling as he did. "It looks like all the pieces are now in place, eh, Aya?"

The now named Aya, who was leaning against the trunk of the tree that Gin was resting on, nodded. "Yes. It won't be long now."

Gin chuckled as he looked over towards the girl who was looking up at the sky. "Are you excited?"

She didn't answer. Not that she had to. Gin already knew the answer to that. In all of his life, Gin never had expected for things to turn out this way. But that was how life was, he supposed. Even if you made a plan, things didn't go according to that plan. Hell, that was how his life had started too. But there was a sense fascination in that. For him at least.

"Things are going to be quiet for a while," Gin muttered. "I guess we'll have to be observers for a bit longer."

"If that's what's necessary, so be it," Aya answered softly.

Gin merely nodded, taking another sip of his drink before falling into a comfortable silence.

'At long last, your true dream will finally come to pass, Kaguya,' Aya thought with a small smile.

And so it continued.

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