## Senju Compound ##
"How long have they been like that?" Tobirama asked, gazing into both Naruto and Hinata who sat on the ground, in perfect lotus position facing each other. They were looking intently into each other's eyes without making any single movement, not even the slightest of twitches.
The odd thing was that they both had they doujutsus activated. Naruto had his mangekyou turned on while Hinata was using her newly awakened eyes. Her light blue eyes clashed against the blood red of the sharingan.
"A couple of hours" Itachi replied, giving a side glance to the sitting couple.
"I see" Tobirama replied flatly and sat down at the table, his eyes never leaving them. "How long do you think it has been for them?" He asked, noticing a small drop of sweat running down Naruto's face.
"Time perception changes between users. In my Tsukuyomi, one second in real life means 24 hours inside my genjutsu world. As for Naruto, I can't but wonder. I'm severely restrained by my average chakra levels unlike him" Itachi replied evenly. "But…both of them have been going at it for hours. They didn't even had lunch"
"If he shares the same skill as you do with the Tsukuyomi then both of them have been in there for…years" Tobirama said, quickly doing the math in his head.
Years in a couple of hours.
Tobirama was lost in his thoughts when he heard a groan and noticed Naruto had closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Both Naruto and Hinata stood, popping a few joints for all the time they sat on the ground, stiff as boards. He looked towards Hinata and saw her hair shifting back to her dark blue color.
Tobirama looked carefully at Hinata. Her posture seemed different. No. It was different. But that could have been for sitting on the ground so many hours. His eyes trailed back to Naruto who was already at the table, munching on anything he could grab. He took a small read and felt his chakra levels were near the bottom.
Naruto had expended all of his chakra in that speed training session. Tobirama wondered. "How long?" He asked, narrowing his eyes at Naruto.
"I didn't just use my chakra, Tobi" Naruto replied with a crooked smile. Tobirama groaned once more at the nickname. Naruto had taken to call him Tobi for short, no matter how many times he reminded Naruto that Tobi was once the mask of Fugaku.
"We emptied Kurama as well" Naruto explained and Tobirama's eyes widened ever so slightly.
"If they used the chakra a bijuu then…"
"Two years" Naruto said and saw Tobirama's jaw drop as well Itachi's.
"You have been stuck in your mind for two years?" Tobirama asked in disbelief. Two years! That was insane. The amount of chakra required would be staggering. No wonder they drained the Kyuubi.
"Two years, one month and twenty four days" Hinata informed him while Tobirama just shook his head.
"What did you do in there for so long?" Tobirama asked.
"Mostly training" Hinata replied, munching happily on an apple.
"I see" Itachi answered neutrally. "Anything we need to know?"
"Nope" Naruto grinned. "However, Hashirama is no longer the second strongest on our group" Naruto replied and Tobirama raised his head, looking at Hinata who looked exactly the same. Then again, for him and Itachi it was only a few hours.
"Really?" Tobirama asked with suspicion. His brother was filled to the brim with chakra, not mention his mokuton bloodline.
"Indeed" Hinata answered but said nothing more. "Let them wonder" She added in thought.
"And you?" Tobirama asked towards Naruto. "What have you been doing in there for two years?"
"Preparing for Madara"
## Next Day – Hokage's Office ##
"He won't like it" Tsunade commented. She stood next to the windows, hands behind her back as she gazed into the village. The sun coming up in the horizon.
"I know" Hinata replied softly.
"How do you know Naruto-kun won't like it?" Shizune asked with a frown. She, Hinata and Tsunade were the only ones in the Hokage's office. Even the Anbu were ordered to leave.
"What we are trying is dangerous and Naruto-kun will know it" Hinata answered with a sigh. "But he will understand. We just can't progress any further without him. A single sample requires our absolute attention and take weeks to grow. If we want it ready for the war we need more time…or Naruto's abilities" Hinata explained and waited for Tsunade to answer.
"Fine" Tsunade sighed in defeat. "Just…ease him into it. You know how he gets with the whole war and peace things" Tsunade explained and Hinata nodded in reply, taking the authorization form from the Hokage.
"Another thing" Tsunade said, stopping Hinata from leaving the office. "Don't take too long. I need you and Kakashi to get ready for the Kage meeting"
Hinata frowned at Tsunade's words. "You are not taking Naruto-kun?" She asked.
"Things are…tense between us and Iwagakure" Tsunade sighed, closing her fists behind her back. "Naruto is too proud for his own good"
"Actually, I think you should reconsider" Hinata replied instantly, making Tsunade turn away from window and look at Hinata with a raised eyebrow.
"He and the Tsuchikage are at each other's throats. I can't allow that to happen if we are to be allied in this war" Tsunade informed her.
"That is why I think you should heavily reconsider not taking Naruto-kun with you. I spent two years with him in our minds and he's humbled quite a bit" Hinata explained.
"Really?" Tsunade asked with amusement. "And is that an impartial observation?"
"One thing you should understand about Naruto-kun is that he had never lost before" Hinata began softly. "We both had rough times growing up. Naruto-kun pushed himself to his limits every single day to reach the level he is today. It is normal that he takes pride in his abilities since he worked hard for them"
"Although the early years were hard, Naruto-kun was always had a…talent for the shinobi arts. He learned jutsus fairly quickly thanks to his eyes and his taijutsu and genjutsu grew just as easily. The problem with such talent and power was that he never lost a single battle" Hinata said and Tsunade raised an eyebrow in surprise.
"He was never once defeated in battle and he was never outsmarted either. Then came Madara, who kidnapped me right from beneath his nose. And to make things worse, Naruto couldn't find me afterwards. It shook him. It made him feel weak, frail and hopeless for the first time. I think he learned a lot of humbleness from that" Hinata finished explained and Tsunade remained silent.
"That certainly explained all the anger he had" Tsunade muttered to herself. She looked up towards her apprentice and mused silently in thought. "Alright" Tsunade conceded, shaking her head at the bright smile on the girl's face.
"One question though" Tsunade said and Hinata nodded quite quickly. "What exactly where you doing for two years in your dreamscapes?" Tsunade asked with curiosity.
"Mostly developing my eyes so I don't have surprises during the war" Hinata shrugged her shoulders. "I had time to think about my researches and couple other things"
"But what you learned, don't you need to train it with your actual body?" Tsunade mused out loud.
"Not really" Hinata replied. "Mine and Naruto's body are at our physical peak at the moment. The absolute peak of the human body is around 25 so we just have to wait until there. The things I learned in our minds can easily be applied in the real world without placing too much strain on my eyes" Hinata explained and Tsunade chuckled softly.
"Care to share?" Tsunade asked shrewdly.
"Apparently I'm Hamura's transmigrant. Due to Naruto's chakra being injected into my system it forced my eyes to awaken, hence the white hair and the bones thing" Hinata shrugged her shoulders. She didn't mind her new eyes but she was still wrapping her mind about the bones.
"I see" Tsunade replied, walking towards the chair and leaning backwards. "Anyway…get going and come back with him once you are finished" Tsunade said. Hinata bowed and walked out of the office.
"That girl" Tsunade chuckled. "She never ceases to amaze me"
"Indeed" Shizune giggled in reply.
## With Naruto ##
"Are you serious?" Naruto asked in disbelief mixed with surprise and shock. He was staring at the scarecrow of a shinobi standing lazily in front of him. "Anko! You are marrying Anko? I thought all you had was a fling?" He chucked in disbelief.
"Now, now Naruto. Anko may be a bit …eccentric"
"And crazy, twisted, sadistic and did I mention crazy? Shall I go on?" Naruto asked with amusement.
"I'm a simple man, Naruto" Kakashi sighed and closed his book. "I see boobs. I marry them" Kakashi replied and Naruto sweat dropped.
"Well, good luck then" Naruto said after recovering. "You are gonna need it by marrying that crazy woman" Naruto laughed in thought.
Both Naruto and Kakashi stiffened slightly but quickly relaxed when they felt a spike of chakra. They watched as water started swirling on the previous dry ground and Hinata materialized herself in front of them. "Hina-chan" Naruto ran up to her and proceeded to whine about Kakashi getting married with Anko.
"Congratulations Kakashi-sensei" Hinata said happily while Kakashi nodded in appreciation unlike certain blonds.
"Come now, Hinata. We are all jounin. Kakashi or Kakashi-senpai is fine" Kakashi answered and Hinata nodded before turning towards Naruto.
"I need your help. Are you busy?" Hinata asked and Naruto shook his head, wondering what Hinata wanted. "Good. Come with me" Hinata said and motion for him to follow. "See ya, Kakashi" Hinata bowed slightly as both walked off.
## Konoha Hospital ##
"So, where are we going?" Naruto asked as both of them stepped into the hospital through the front doors.
"You will see" Hinata grinned and Naruto followed, wondering what would require of him in the hospital. He always hated hospitals. That damn smell of high powered cleaners.
Nonetheless he followed her. She made her way through the hospital blocks with practiced ease. Soon enough Hinata turned on a corner that lead to a dead end. Naruto raised an eyebrow as she kept walking until she stood but a few feet from the wall. Naruto's jaw dropped when Hinata placed a hand on the wall and immediately a small seal flared to life, glowing intermittently for a few seconds.
Naruto watched as a small outline appeared in the wall, the size of a simple door. "Come Naruto-kun" Hinata said, breaking Naruto from his stupor. Hinata pushed the wall and it retreated backwards without much effort, sliding to the side.
Naruto stepped into the room with trepidation. "Where the hell are we going?" Naruto was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't notice a simple elevator standing in the middle of the room. A single anbu stood next to the doors in perfect position, arms by the side of his body and straight posture.
"Uhm…where are we?" Naruto asked with no concealed curiosity. It was a small miracle he managed to hold it so far.
"We are nearly there. I will tell you when we arrive" Hinata replied and entered the pin code and the doors opened with a swoosh sound. Hinata stepped inside and Naruto was about to enter as well when the Anbu placed a single arm to stop his movement.
"Lord Senju does not have clearance to enter this section" the Anbu replied sharply and Naruto turned to Hinata who blushed in realization.
"I'm sorry. Here" Hinata stepped out of the elevator and quickly pulled out the form she received from Tsunade. The Anbu looked through the form seconds before it burst into flames and was turned into ash.
"You may proceeded" The Anbu replied neutrally and returned to his posture.
"Thanks" Naruto replied awkwardly and stepped into the elevator. The doors closed and he turned towards Hinata expectantly. She felt his eyes on her but ignored him. They were nearly there.
Naruto could feel the chakra signatures on the surface getting dimmer and dimmer as the elevator continued on downwards. Suddenly, the elevator stopped and Naruto looked forward as the doors opened and he blasted with white light.
"Welcome Naruto-kun…to Orochimaru's greatest creation" Hinata said but Naruto was barely able to register her words. There was so much white in front of him. White walls, white lights on the ceiling.
"Orochimaru" Naruto finally processed Hinata's words. "What do you mean?" He asked as he was led by Hinata through the halls. Naruto looked through the clear glass walls and saw many tables filled with vials and other equipment. He recognized some of the equipment from the basic knowledge he had of biology.
They kept walking and took a sharp right until they entered another section of the place. This room had large tanks filled with some type of liquid. Something was floating inside the tanks, connected by tubes to the exterior.
Naruto suddenly stopped and placed a hand on Hinata's shoulders. Hinata turned backwards and noticed Naruto's face. "Explain" Naruto said more harshly than he intended but Hinata didn't seem to mind. It seemed that she expected it in fact.
"Orochimaru was the founder of…all of this" Hinata began, waving her arms. "This is a secret division of the leaf for biological weaponry research. These facilities are perhaps the closest kept secret in the village. I doubt that even Danzo knew of this place, but with his connections it is unclear. This structure has living facilities for the active personnel and support staff to reduce the trips to the surface and lower risk of exposure."
"Remember that little laboratory you found years ago during your D-rank mission?" Hinata asked and Naruto nodded. "That was actually an emergency entrance to this place. It would seem Orochimaru had repurposed that location for his own plans. When he was caught I think he didn't have time to properly clean up everything. That would explain how you found so much" Hinata mused.
"He may have over stood his boundaries but he was a genius, and one of the leading minds in genetic engineering. This was his life's work before he went crazy with the whole immortality thing" Hinata explained and Naruto nodded, following her along the corridors.
"It was supposed to be a dawn of a new age. All the chakra in the world is meaningless when a simple virus can wipe out a village and leave its wealth intact" Hinata explained and Naruto was already frowning.
"Isn't chakra enough?" Naruto sighed. "Does Konoha really need more weapons?"
"But you are wrong though" Naruto thought sadly. "If you understood chakra like I do…you would know that chakra is the only absolute"
"I understand how you feel Naruto" Hinata replied softly. "But don't forget that this village is the military power of the fire nation. And while Konoha always had powerful shinobi, we never had the largest armies nor the biggest diversity in bloodlines. However, we always strived in medicine"
"I suppose I shouldn't be too surprised. But I thought shinobi were resistance to virus and other diseases?" Naruto commented out loud.
"True" Hinata agreed. "People with active chakra networks have stronger immune systems so they don't get sick with standard diseases. But we are still humans, Naruto. Even we get sick and die if the disease is strong enough" Hinata explained as both of them stopped in front of a door.
"I still don't see how I can help. My genetics knowledge is a little rusty" Naruto joked until Hinata pointed forward. Naruto looked at where they stopped in front of a steel door. "V.I.R.U.S" Naruto read the letters on the door.
"Viral Investigation and Research Unit Section" Hinata informed him as she stepped forward the doors opened automatically. "This way" Hinata called and Naruto followed until they stood in front of large cylindrical tanks, very similar to the ones he saw on another section of this place.
"Is that what I think it is?" Naruto asked, observing the white blob floating in the liquid.
"White Zetsu" Hinata confirmed. Naruto watched the blob in front of him for confirmation. It was indeed a white Zetsu, or at least a few chunks of one. "Ever since the Kumo invasion we have been working on several ways to quickly neutralize them."
"Actually that would be a brilliant idea" Naruto replied with a surprised face. "Madara's army would be entirely composed by white Zetsu. If we could find a poison or something that would target only them, we could dispatch of his army instantly" Naruto said and Hinata nodded in reply.
"There are a few snags however" Hinata said, sitting on a nearby chair and powering on the computer and other equipment. Naruto leaned over Hinata to look at the monitor to watch an array of complex symbols and other stuff that held no meaning to him. "We are learning more every day but I have to say that Zetsu clones are one work of art"
"They are essentially clones of Hashirama's, although their DNA is slightly different since they are not entirely human" Hinata explained, pointing towards the monitor which had a representation of a Zetsu body.
"They possess nearly all the strengths of Hashirama. They carry the same powerful life force and his healing abilities as well. They are also heavily in tuned with nature, being able to literally merge with any substance and allowing them to blend in easily and being virtually undetectable, even for powerful sensors like you and Tobirama" Hinata explained, pointing to several schematics and Naruto nodded in understanding.
"They can use the mokuton, although in a much smaller and weaker scale than Hashirama thankfully" Hinata said and Naruto sighed, rubbing his forehead.
"I expected the Zetsu clones to be nothing but fodder" Naruto groaned. It would appear that Zetsu clones weren't as weak as expected.
"The Kumo invasion was an eye opener" Hinata nodded in agreement and returned to her explanation. "Since they aren't exactly human they do not perform much of our bodily functions. They do not require food or even oxygen, instead they draw natural energy for sustenance. Since they draw energy from the earth itself they do not tire, unlike us" Hinata bit her lip.
Hinata replied and stood up, leading Naruto to another table. "Their bodies are very durable. Low levels wounds will heal up immediately. To take them down you need extensive trauma, like decapitating them or blowing them to pieces.
"What about their offensive abilities?" Naruto asked, looking backwards to the floating Zetsu on the tank.
"Besides the mokuton their offensive abilities are on the weaker side. Their only reliable ability seems being able to absorb chakra" Hinata said and Naruto frowned at her words.
"Like my Rinnegan?"
"Not like that" Hinata shook her head. "They cannot negate ninjutsu attacks. However, they can latch onto a person and drain their chakra and fairly quickly too if we are not careful"
Naruto nodded, taking particularly attention to store all these little details. "So what do you need me for?"
"I need your Rinnegan abilities. I need you to mature a couple of specimens so that we can try our creations on them" Hinata said, pointing to several vials on the fridge. They seemed to share the same color but the labels identified the liquid with different strains.
"Z Virus?" Naruto asked with amusement.
"Z for Zetsu. Not very original but it will do" Hinata giggled while Naruto shook his head. He walked up to the tanks and placed a single hand on the glass. The Zetsu parts began shaking and suddenly snapped to their right positions. The leg piece went to the bottom while the head stayed at the top.
Small white tendrils burst from the head and quickly latched on the remaining body parts, pulling the pieces together, mending the flesh back together into one whole body. Yellow eyes snapped open as Naruto removed his hand. The Zetsu snarled, gulping the liquid but he didn't seem to mind. The Zetsu punched the tank but the glass didn't even vibrate.
"Reinforced glass. They are perfectly safe in there" Hinata commented as she drained the liquid inside the tank. Hinata walked back towards the computer and started typing.
"WARNING…WARNING" Naruto heard from the speakers. "Z Virus Protocol Initialized. Dispersing…B-Strain" Naruto turned back to the tank and saw nothing happening. The Zetsu was still trying his best to break the glass until he suddenly stopped and started convulsing in pain.
His skin started blistering as the Zetsu trashed inside the glass cage until he collapsed to the bottom, completely still. Hinata was looking at the report from the computer when the Zetsu opened his eyes and stood up. With a smirk all the blisters healed and he began trying to break the glass again.
"B-Strain Simulation…Failure" the system reported.
"Oh well" Hinata sighed and stood up. "Not like I expected to work in the first try. That would have been too good"
"Do you know what makes them obey Madara's command so blindly?" Naruto asked with curiosity.
"Oh…I know that face" Hinata stated with a smirk. "What are you plotting inside that devious mind of yours?" She asked, watching Naruto remain obvious to her question.
"I was thinking. What if we could somehow modify this Zetsu" Naruto pointed to the tank behind him. "To follow ours orders? Then we could simply form our own army of Zetsu and pit it against Madara's. And should we lose, we could always make some more" Naruto explained but Hinata frowned.
"I don't think it will work. We just got to work on the Zetsu and have so much more to find out. I don't think it would be wise to risk building an army only for it to turn against us" Hinata explained.
"You are right. Anyway, how many clones do you need?" Naruto asked, looking at the four others tanks.
"One is enough for now. When I manage to end this one I'll let you know. In the mean time we need to get ready for the kage meeting" Hinata explained, placing her lab coat down.
"I don't think baa-chan will let me go" Naruto frowned.
"No worries. I talked to her and convinced her to give you a second chance" Hinata replied and Naruto looked up. In a flash he was next to Hinata hugging her.
"Thanks Hinata-chan" Naruto cheered, spinning her while she laughed. "Did I tell you how much I love you?"
"Not today" She pouted.
## Senju Compound ##
Most of the people living under the roof of the Senju compound were gathered in the living room. Naruto had just geared up and was waiting for Tsunade to arrive so they could departure for the final meeting before the war.
"No matter how times change, war always finds its way back" Hashirama said sadly, looking down into the floor. "All the battles I fought, the union of the clans into villages and were we go again"
"This war is different" Naruto replied with a smile. Hashirama looked up with hollowed eyes.
"There is no point in war, Naruto. You will understand it…sooner or later" Hashirama sighed. He could already feel the nature weeping for the loss of life that was to come.
"You are wrong, grandpa. It is true that most wars are pointless but this one is special. For the first time since the birth of chakra, all the clans, all the villages, all shinobi are united against a common enemy. No one wishes to sacrifice their freedom" Naruto said seriously. "For the first time in history we are united for more than greed, more than personal gain. This is for our future"
"Good speech" Hashirama snickered but his words were honest. "You should relay that message to whoever becomes the commander of the forces on the field"
"Naruto"
Naruto turned to see Kurama approaching the room, followed by his seven siblings. The only bijuu missing was the one still inside B, back in Kumo. "That can't be good" Naruto thought with anticipation.
"We want to fight by your side" Son Goku said, stepping forward and standing next to Kurama.
"Absolutely not" Tobirama replied sharply. "We are going up against Madara. A single glance from his eyes and you become nothing more than puppets"
"We deserve to fight" Matatabi replied harshly. "You are not fighting for your future alone. Should you fail, we will also be enslaved" Naruto for his part was silent, pondering what to do.
"Don't tell me you are considering this?" Tobirama asked incredulously, turning to look at Naruto.
"They are right. They deserve to fight for their freedom as well" Naruto replied and the bijuu nodded. "However" Naruto continued, stopping any rant. "I can't allow you in the battlefield. Tobi is right. It is a chance I cannot take" Naruto replied sadly while most of the bijuu growled in anger.
"And who are you to stop us?" Son Goku growled, his tails waving menacingly. "You are not father" He spat.
"I know" Naruto answered with a small smile. "But it is my job to protect you" Son Goku closed his mouth and looked at the floor. But he was still too proud to back down.
It would appear they reached an impasse. Sensing the tension growing in the room Hinata stepped forward. "May I offer a compromise?" Hinata asked and everyone turned towards her. "Why don't you seal the bijuu inside a vessel of their choosing?" Hinata offered and everyone's eyes widened.
"When a bijuu is inside a host they are not affected by genjutsu, and this way they can join forces and help in the war" Hinata explained and Naruto nodded, pondering very seriously this hypothesis.
"I agree" Matatabi replied instantly and jumped in the air, landing on Hinata's shoulders. "I want her" Matatabi purred while Hinata for her part patted her head in acceptance.
"I can go with that" Naruto said and turned towards Son Goku and the others. "Will you agree?"
Son Goku stayed silent for a few moments as he turned backwards to talk with the remaining free bijuu, Sanbi, Kokuo and Saiken since it appeared Matatabi had already agreed and chosen her vessel. They whispered for a few moments until they seemed to reach a consensus. "We agree on the condition we are treated fairly and be allowed to roam free"
"You know that I won't allow anyone to use you purely as weapons of mass destruction. Pick your vessel. If they agree then I will seal you and allow you to participate on the war" Naruto explained and Son Goku nodded. He started walking around the room, sniffing anyone in range.
"I want your mate" Son Goku said towards Tobirama who turned stiff as a board.
"Of all the people in the world he managed to choose a kage" Naruto muttered. "Oonoki is not going to like this one bit" Naruto snickered, thinking back to the old leader. Oonoki really wanted the bijuu back, and now Naruto was going to seal a bijuu that once belonged to Iwa into the kage of another village.
"I want you" Isobu said, walking towards Tobirama. "I sense your chakra nature will go along with mine very well" Isobu explained. Naruto looked at Tobirama for an answer but the man simply shrugged his shoulders but Naruto could swear he saw a smile tugging the corner of his lips.
"And you?" Naruto asked, turning towards the remaining bijuu, Saiken and Kokuo.
"I sense we are very much the same, Itachi-san. I would like to be bonded with you" Kokuo said, much to Itachi's surprise.
"I thank you for choosing me" Itachi replied and bowed in kind.
"I want Hashirama" Saiken replied meekly.
"Of course" Hashirama replied joyfully.
"I guess it's settled" Naruto said as Tsunade come into the room. "I will seal you after we come back from the meeting"
"Seal what in who?" Tsunade asked, narrowing her eyes at Naruto who gulped under her gaze.
"You know" Kurama began, drawing the attention to him. "Father said that someday we would all be together. I just never thought it would be quite like this" Kurama laughed.
## At the Kage Meeting ##
"I apologize for my words during the last meeting, Tsuchikage-sama" Naruto said, bowing his head.
Onoki opened his mouth to reply but no words came out. If he was expecting anything from the spawn of the yellow flash that this was not. "It certainly wasn't" Onoki thought in mild disbelief, seeing the blond in front of him. He looked around to see faces of shock and surprise amongst everybody in the room.
"Did you put him to this?" Oonoki hissed towards Tsunade who also was shocked.
"No" She gasped.
"I see" Oonoki said neutrally, contemplating the young shinobi in front of him. "Stop bowing, boy. Show some pride" He snarled suddenly. Naruto rose but kept his face empty, waiting patiently for Onoki's answer. "Why did you apologize?" Onoki asked, narrowing his eyes in suspicion.
"I over stood my boundaries during the last meeting. It was not my intention to coerce you to relinquish control over the bijuu by force" Naruto replied, looking somewhat downcast. "I still have and will always have pride. I bowed, not by lack of it, but as sign of respect and apology"
"And where do you stand now about the bijuu?" Onoki asked and everyone in the room stiffened, waiting for the response.
"I am sorry. But giving you the bijuu is not something I will do" Naruto frowned but replied nonetheless.
"I see" Onoki said, inhaling sharply. Everyone in the room tensed and waited for the old man to blow up once more.
"We are all shinobi, are we not?" Naruto suddenly asked. "Why must we force ourselves into endless fighting over land, money or even power? We could do so much more if we all stood together" Naruto explained seriously. "War will only lead to our mutual destruction"
"I suppose I agree with you on that" Onoki replied and everyone sighed in relief. "I'm old, Naruto. Very old" Onoki said, referring to the blonde by his name for the first time. "And I have seen more chaos, blood and death than even you. The attack of my forces during the last meeting was not my decision"
"As you know, I was under Madara's influence so I am partial to blame for that mess. And I extend you my gratitude for sparing my men" Onoki said and Naruto smiled, shaking Onoki's extended hand. "Good. When this is all over…then we can talk properly" Onoki finished and sat down around the round table.
"Now" Onoki began as the body guards also stood behind each of the kages. "Let's show that bastard what happens when he messes with us" Onoki snarled and Tsunade snickered internally.
"Some things never change" Tsunade thought, casting a side glance at Naruto. She saw Hinata's hand discretely come up and grasp Naruto's tightly, hidden behind the cover of the chair. "Behind every great man… stands an equally great woman" Tsunade thought with a smile and turned back to focus on the meeting.
"We have confirmation that the smaller villages will also partake in this" Baki explained, pointing to several smaller countries in the elementals nations.
"Excellent" A agreed. "What news we have from Madara?"
"Madara is holed up in the rain village" Tsunade bean explaining. "It is unclear if the rain shinobi are by his side or if they are simply being coerced or manipulated"
"And his forces?" Mei asked, intertwining her hands together.
"His army will be comprised of Zetsu clones. Their number is uncertain as of now but we can expected the high tens of thousands" Tsunade explained and everyone grimaced at the numbers. "Here is all the information we have on their strength" Tsunade said, tossing a thick folder into the table.
"My suggestion is sending bulky nintaijutsu users to the front lines with long range cover. Zetsu are not dangerous but they are hard to take down." Tsunade informed as they quickly read the report from the leaf.
"You are trying to develop B.O.W.s against them?" Mei asked with a raised eyebrow.
"B.O.W.?" Naruto whispered to Hinata.
"Bio Organic Weapon" Hinata replied and Naruto nodded.
"Yes but progress has been difficult. They have an advanced healing factor" Tsunade frowned.
"When can he start moving in?" A asked gruffly, leaning on his chair.
"My army is ready. We should move in a week" Onoki offered as did the other kages.
"If I may?" Naruto said, stopping the chatter. "Why not move tomorrow in a surprise attack? Catch Madara by surprise and end this before he can properly set up? You do know that the more time we take the more Zetsu clones he can make" Naruto explained.
"And how do you propose we move our armies across the elemental nations in less than 24 hours?" A asked with amusement.
"Leave that to me" Naruto replied. "If I could land all of our shinobi at the front gates of the Rain Village would we be ready for war?" Naruto asked, straining the word ready. While a surprise attack was good, if the troops weren't properly equipped than it could easily back fire.
A turned to the other nations leader and they all quickly agreed that would be possible to get their shinobi battle ready in a few hours. "It is possible. Now explain how you can move eighty thousand shinobi from multiple places in the whole world in under a day?" A asked, crossing his arms in somewhat disbelief.
"Not a day. I can move them all in under a second" Naruto explained and silence ensued.
"I severely doubt even your famous Hiraishin can achieve that?" Onoki replied, stroking his beard.
"The Hiraishin was designed to move only the user through space. Moving large amounts of mass takes a lot of chakra" Naruto explained and stepped forward, picking the world map. "A few years ago I designed a seal that would open a tunnel between two points in space and stabilize this link, keeping it open indefinitely"
"My technique works by creating a door way between two points" Naruto said, folding the map such that the leaf village and the rain village touched. "The shinobi simply need to cross this door and they will be in the rain village. In fact, this very technique is active in our Senju compound and linked to the Hokage tower"
"The Space Bridge" Tsunade said, her eyes lighting up in recognition.
"Exactly"
"How much energy does it take to work?" Mei asked, folding her hands together.
"Actually not that much" Naruto explained, placing the map back on the table. "It's like friction. You need more force to put an objection in motion that to actually sustain that motion. Only someone with large reserves can kick start the bridge. After that even a gennin that sustain the bridge open for hours."
Naruto finished his explanation and stepped back, waiting for the leader to make their decision. The final verdict seemed to be the same. "Send word to our villages. Tell them to get ready for transport" A shouted to the shinobi in charge of delivering messages.
"By the way" Mifune began, retrieving something from his pouch. "I took the liberty of designing a new headband for all of us" Mifune explained, tossing the headband across the table. The Raikage quickly caught the headband and turned it around, displaying the kanji for shinobi, branded on the metal
"Hn" A grunted with a smile. "I suppose we are"
## With Madara ##
"Madara-sama" Zetsu called, rising from the ground. Madara did not acknowledge him but Zetsu didn't seem surprised. "I have some interesting information"
"Get on with it" Madara said, overlooking the cloning of Zetsus.
"It appears that the allied shinobi forces moved their timetable. They will strike tomorrow" Zetsu said. Madara turned backwards to look at the white clone with surprise.
"Interesting" Madara said, scratching his chin with a pensive look. "Then we will move forward as well. How many samples have you found until now?" Madara asked, leading the clone to another room filled with scrolls.
"A few" Zetsu answered and rose fully from the ground, bringing several rotten corpses with him. "I also have samples from all the previous Akatsuki members. I took precautions should they ever be defeated" Zetsu explained
"Good. I also heard what happened to my clan. I suppose you don't have any samples from worthy Uchihas around?" Madara asked, never looking up from a particular scroll that was used to bring him back.
"Easy enough" Madara read the instructions with more care as he prepared a massive Edo Tensei jutsu.
"I have one that I think you might enjoy. He was Fugaku's younger son who perished a few months ago" Zetsu said with a smirk.
"If he was anything like his father than forget it" Madara replied and started waving through hand seals.
"He was a lost kid, easily manipulated but he was strong nonetheless. A mid S-rank shinobi with a mangekyou" Zetsu explained as Madara finished.
"Kuchiyose - Edo Tensei (Impure World Reincarnation)" Madara said, slamming his hand on the scrolls. The Zetsu clones he had on the room started becoming covered with leafs until they started taking different shapes.
"Hn. They will do" Madara grunted, looking at the reincarnated shinobi in front of him, waiting patiently for orders. Fugaku seemed particular hateful towards Madara.
"I suppose he will do as well. The Edo Tensei is such a great jutsu is it not?" Madara asked with amusement. A dark smile adorning his face.