Hello! Hello! Welcome back!

Disclaimer: This story has multiple mentions of trauma, death, and blood. So if it's not your cup of tea, please use discretion.

As a clarification, I do not own Naruto in any shape or form. However, I do own the plot so :D

'Thoughts...'

"A physical speech..."

"Kurama talking..."

"Past memory..."

Enjoy!

Edited 12/ 28/ 20

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The teen groaned, noting his team following behind him. He was going to end up being here for months

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A pineapple haired Jonin lay quietly on the grass, watching as the clouds pushed past with the cold wind. He shivered slightly, glancing at the blond next to him who was restlessly curled up and staring off into the trees.

"Take a nap, Naruto." The boy groaned at the other, fingers rubbing at the bridge of his nose.

"I can't, Shika." He whimpered. "I just can't anymore. It hurts."

Shikamaru sighed, mumbling a small 'troublesome' to himself as he sat straight up once again. The teen next to him quickly did the same.

"There are a few Zetsu's incoming. Where is the rest of the team?"

"Naruto? W-what do you mean." The intelligent muttered softly, slowly standing up while using the tree behind him as a support. "I'm sorry, They- they're dead, Naruto."

The whiskered blond's hearted pulsed, his breath gained momentum as he fell into a fit of rage. He jumped to his feet, sprinting towards the group of enemies in front of him and leaving the other behind. Using Kurama's chakra, the boy was able to shred through the white clones, slashing left and right in an attempt to get rid of his rage. 

       As the cloak eventually whisked away and his thoughts caught up with his heart, he realized his friend no longer by his side. Naruto scanned the area only to find every living thing around him dead. Surrounding trees fell, turning to ash as they burned. The grass around him gathered in clumps, clear foot marks intended itself into the in soft ground as roots became more visible.

At the foot of a distant tree lay his pineapple-haired comrade, a sword sticking straight through his gut. The wound was bleeding vigorously and it quickly became clear to the teen that his best friend was going to die.

Naruto threw himself through the clearing, stepping over the bodies of the dead zetsus as he struggled to make it before Shikamaru's final breath.

Smoke wafted towards the blond's face, its strength deteriorating as quickly as his friends' life had. He dropped down to his knees, swiftly releasing the man's gut of the sword and placing a golden hand on the wound. He cried softly, begging his childhood friend not to go so soon, muttering too many sorry's to count.

Shikamaru, however, was not so easily discouraged. With his remaining strength, the raven placed the smoking cigar against the other's chapped lips.

"See you later, you troublesome blonde." The man released his final breath, allowing his eyes to droop into eternal rest.

"Shikamaru! No, please! Don't go!"

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Kinuki opened his eyes once again, only to close them swiftly. Tears flowed freely from his face and onto the tree's branches below him. A soft breeze fluttered the leaves, comforting him in its sheer beauty. It reminded him of home. He paused, home? 

"-It's what bunny would have wanted!" Unconsciously, he listened in to the people fighting below him only to discover that they were, in fact, the remaining members of ANBU team 005, mouse, sloth, and their captain, frog.

"Bunny would've wanted us to ruthlessly slaughter the people who killed him? Are you going insane!" Frog shouted at mouse, hand running through his hair. "That kid would've never wanted us to take revenge on any man let alone his brother."

"It doesn't matter! They will pay for killing such an innocent child!"

"Mouse, you foolish girl! The opposing shinobi have suffered just as much as we have. We have killed the same amount of their shinobi if not more and you think that we have the right to take revenge?"

The group went silent. There was nothing left to be said. Mouse trusted frog with her whole soul but something deep within her just didn't want to accept that for once.

"So, what? We took this mission for nothing?" The girl whimpered. "I would've never come back here unless it was to take revenge and you know that."

Frog didn't answer. He turned towards the opposite direction and walked away, throwing a bark splitting kunai into the tree in frustration. Mouse followed frogs lead and stomped off, leaving a thoughtful sloth behind as he gathered his feelings as well.

"You can come down now, Aka." Kinuki sweat-dropped, he forgot to properly mask his presence before three highly trained ANBU. They most definitely knew that he was eavesdropping on the conversation. The redhead dropped before the other, rubbing his neck slightly.

"Sorry, Sloth. I shouldn't have listened in." The teen was met with silence. "That sounded seriously personal."

Sloth contemplated his options momentary, deciding to entertain the teen before taking a deep sigh. "Bunny was our old teammate. He was very young and scrawny to be in ANBU so we all treated him like a little brother. But he only lasted a few months. On our last mission at the Kannabi bridge, he was brutally murdered by an Iwa shinobi who thought Bunny was the one who killed his wife. Mouse had refused to even leave her room until we were offered this mission."

Sloth's deep voice sunk into Kinuki's mind, reaching his heart with familiarity. "That really sucks, man. I'm so sorry."

"Well, that's life." The ANBU looked beyond the teens mask, straight into his eyes. "You look way too young to have such dead eyes. Looks like you've held your fair share of deaths as well, haven't you?"

The redhead looked up towards the passing clouds, smiling sadly. "You could say that again."

"We were a family, you know." The man's deep voice faltered. "But we're never even going to know the kids' real name. The Hokage refused to tell us anything about his family or his life. We didn't really know anything about him but his code name. We could've protected him better. Maybe then-"

"Now, listen Sloth," Kinuki interrupted the other. "Bunny knew the dangers of entering the ANBU but he did it anyway. It's no one's fault but his own. Instead of regretting everything you could've done to save him, savor the memories you do have with him and move on. You should be very proud of him, he died to save the country. Without his sacrifice, we would've never gained the upper hand."

"You treat him as though he was only a pawn on a chess board." He spat at the whiskered teen.

"In a way, we all are Sloth. We shinobi are in charge of protecting the king." Kinuki eyes glossed over with dreed. It was Shikarmaru who taught him this lesson long ago, drunk beyond the stars but still coherant. "Our lives are detected to protecting Konoha and we accepted that as soon as we became genin. But, who do you think the King is? Who do you think we are truly protecting?"

Sloth thought for a second before raising a brow at the boy. "The Hokage?"

"One would think that we are protecting the kage but think of it like this. The pawns represent the genin, the rooks on the board could represent chunin and the horses represent the jonin. If the bishop represents the daimyo and the Sannin while the queen represents the Hokage, then who is the King?" The future seventh kage was met with silence. "The king is the generations to come; the future children and grandchildren of today's generation; the future protectors of Konoha. We shinobi dedicate ourselves to our jobs for a better future. And Bunny is only a prime example of this chess board. I've blamed myself for the death of all my friends for years. Never valuing a person until they were truly gone. Don't follow my mistake, Sloth. You have to move on. It might take weeks or months, but don't ignore the people who still care for you now."

The bulky man smiled down on the redhead, the sun peering down on the duo as the mood brightened.

"Thank you, Aka." Sloth laughed. "You really do sound like an old man. A wise and elderly old man."

"Oh, shut up."

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

A large and strong voice echoed throughout the village, threatening all its citizens with its might. The owner of the voice? Well, it was none other than the newly appointed and still mourning Raikage, A.

"I don't give a damn that these men aren't under your command! They were your people, and they killed the third Raikage! The deal is off."

"Listen, A." Kinuki slammed his hand on the table, standing up to face the man with fearless eyes. "This is the end of the war we're talking about. Onoki is not under your command so if you don't do something now, they will go against you. This is a negotiation between Kusa, Iwa, and Konoha, not your own. So why don't you guys back off?"

"Because you killed our Kage!" The redhead sighed, eventually giving up on convincing the thick-skulled man.

"What if we went to destroy the camps? It would be mutually beneficial to all of us, wouldn't it? What do you think, Kusa-sama?"

The Kusa leader looked at A cautiously, struggling to release a few words in fear of getting flattened. "I agree. These men want nothing to do with our village anymore, they value revenge over the lives of their people. They should be killed themselves for murdering so many innocent."

"How about you, Lord Raikage?" Kinuki glanced at the hunk of a man. "The only string attached is that Konoha, Kusa, and Iwa get their alliance and go through with the negotiations. Do you agree to the terms?"

A thought momentarily, trying to separate his rash thoughts from his somewhat normal ones. The other two countries were left to watch the man deliberate with himself, the tension rising as more and more time pass.

"Alright, you win Aka-San." The redhead released a sigh of relief. "But be warned. If I see any wrong moves showing me that you are against my village, I will kill you and all of Kusa in an instant."

The said representative sweatdropped. "Right, would you be ready to leave towards the camps in the next hour? We could delay until tomorrow, of course, but-"

"Yes." The Raikage interrupted the teens ranting. "Kusa-sama, will you be joining us today?"

"Why, yes of course. You should never doubt the old bones that helped found this good country of ours." The leader said proudly. "I will gather my elite and loyal ninja within the hour and meet you at the gates. May the will of fire burn through both of you. Meeting adjourned."

Kinuki turned and stepped out of the humid and tenuous room, whipping a sweat from his forehead. As much as the teen loved A, this version was a little much. He was brash and blunt but he was still somewhat trying to act like a true Kage. The former Kage sighed, moving through the hallways with quick precision before changing his route towards a familiar blond haired jonin and his team.

"Yo." The team awoke from their stupor. Over the course of his mission, team Minato had stayed to help their escort with some kind of construction, but more often than not, they could be found with the redhead rather than actually doing their job. Their time together consisted mostly of laughter and nostalgia. And while it saddened the former blond, it also brought him joy and hope. It was hard to keep such a thing even when things seemed to be looking up.

Step one of his three-step plan to protect team Minato was complete. Conveniently, he traveled back in time on the same day as Obito's supposed "death" and was able to prevent it completely. Step two consisted of protecting Rin from becoming the third tailed beasts jinchuriki and her inevitable death afterwards. Meanwhile, step three consisted of eradicating the feud between the two rivals and preventing Kakashi from falling into a black hole of doom. If he were to complete such a simple task, saving the world from destruction shouldn't be so hard, right?

"Kinuki." The blonde greeted. "How did the meeting go? It sounded exciting throughout the village. Like a lion fighting over his meat."

"You could say that again. The Raikage is a mad man. Which could be a good and bad thing considering what the next step is." The teen paused, who was he kidding, he already knew he was going to ask this question, why put it off? "Actually, would you guys like to come? It would be pretty good to have a world-renown hero on our side."

"We'll do it!" Obito responded immediately. "What's the mission about? Killing hundreds of men? Facing off against a demon king?"

"Actually, you're not far off. We're going with the Raikage to abolish the rebelling Kusa shinobi. And if your sensei is willing, we could use your help on the battlefield."

"I don't know," Minato replied. "Would it really be smart to send a bunch of chunnin to the depths of the battlefield?"

"I didn't say anything about sending Obito and Rin to battle." Kinuki smiled. "Kusa is short on medical-nin and the two could definitely help even if it's a short term solution. Rin could use this chance to teach Obito some basic first aid in case of an emergency. Meanwhile, you and Kakashi would help out in fighting against the rebelling shinobi. But be warned, there are a couple hundred of them."

Minato looked towards his team, waiting for a thumbs up from each of them before replying. "Sure, why not."

The teen clapped his hands together. "Alright, we leave within the hour. Chop chop, get moving ladies."

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

An hour later, a small but strong company gathered at the front of the gate, each shinobi waiting silently for their commanding officers. A distinguishable red and blond hair were seated at the front lines. Next to them was none other than the Kage of Kumo, A. His bickering continued to echo within the small village, raising the bar of standards and drastically decreasing any willing volunteers.

A short elderly man stepped through the crowd towards the group of leaders. "Are we ready?"

The men nodded at the elder as they all waited for Kinuki's word. Said redhead struggled for words momentarily but was reassured by the nod of a silver jonin's head. He turned toward the shinobi, straightening his back proudly and puffed out his chest.

"Listen up because I will only say this once!" He shouted at the company, continuing when he heard sounds of agreement within the men. "Platoon One will be lead by Lord Raikage and will presume position 034 while traveling. With the same position, platoon two will be lead by Kusa-sama. My platoon and Minato's platoon will presume position 092 and interchange with 047 at exactly 1738 minutes. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir." The men's voices were heard loud and clear. Some unsure, others filled with pride. But it was blatantly clear that they all shared the same goal; to stay alive.

"Now men!" The redhead turned towards the large exit, his long hair flailing dramatically as he turned. "Let's move out!"

For days the company moved towards Ame with minimal breaks in between. The trip was tedious, crossing over rivers and climbing up mountains deemed hard for the young and inexperienced. But eventually, all the shinobi made it to their destination in mostly one piece with a single casualty; the Kusa leader. The "Old Bones that helped found the country" fell ill quickly during the trip and with no proper medicine to treat the man, died within two days. The platoon was taken charge by the advisor from Iwa and while he was one of the "Young and inexperienced," faired well on his own.

When the leaders settled and began to set up camp, the platoons gathered together to build tents for both the leaders and for the future wounded.

Now, at exactly one in the morning, you could spot a familiar redhead dashing towards the trees towards one of the nearby enemy camps.

"Kinuki!" The teen froze, checking his defenses before looking towards the voice. Running towards him was a now bed-headed jonin. His iconic blond hair spouting in every direction. The redhead snickered under his breath.

"Minato," Kinuki whispered. "What's up? Where are you going?"

"I could ask you the same thing!" The blonde scolded quietly.

"Uh, I'm just going to take a wiz."

"Uh huh, Sure, with all your armor and weapons on you?" The teen sweatdropped, muttering profanities under his breath. " I know where you're going Kinuki. And I think it's foolish. You can't do it all on your own."

"Wanna bet?" The teen grinned. "I'm only going to destroy two of the camps. It'll be fine. it really won't hurt to try. I'll be back by sunrise."

"Really?" Minato raised an eyebrow. "Multiple stab wounds won't hurt?'"

"You really underestimate me, Minato Namikaze. I feel so betrayed." Kinuki mocked a shocked reaction before quickly turning back towards his initial route, leaving the other in the dust behind him. There was no point trying to stop the stubborn younger.

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The sun peered over the light pink clouds, waking the soldiers from their slumber and emitting a new day. Alas, it was not calm or quiet.

"Where is Aka-san!" The Raikage shouted towards his fellow leaders.

"Sir, please calm down. I'm sure he'll be back soon" The future Fourth Kage rubbed the back of his head. "He said he would be back by sunrise."

A breeze flew by within the tent and the three platoon leaders immediately took a fighting stance. Next to them now stood a slightly winded and scratched Kinuki, a man who made fighting off two camps look like a simple jog in the park. He examined the large map on the folded table in front of them, making two big red Xs on two of the four circled camps. The Raikage grabbed the masked man by the collar, pulling him up to his level.

"Yo." The redhead held his hand up in a casual greeting, fingers littered with small cuts. Wind jutsu wounds, Minato thought the moment he saw them.

"Boy! If you don't tell me the antics of your night I will rip you to shreds!" The man's terrifying glare etched itself into the teen's soul. But he looked almost nonchalant, his hands burrowed deeply into his pockets and his eyes staring right back at the man. It looked as though he just faced the world with his head buried far in the clouds.

"Simple, really lord Raikage. I just made our lives a bit easier, it's not that big of a fuss." The Raikage let the boy down, raising a suspicious eyebrow before laughing hysterically.

"You really did it, didn't you?" Minato's eyes widened. " Impossible. You couldn't have done it on your own."

"You owe me a meal, dear Mina." The teen grinned. "Two of the four camps are in ashes thanks to yours truly. You can thank me later but first, you have to listen to the data I've gathered."

The Raikage was dumbfounded and finally silent for the first time since they met. The trio of leaders most definitely underestimated the other. He looked like a scrawny, measly kid who just became chunnin let alone kill a few dozen people within a few hours. On top of that, not a single droplet of blood could be found on the teen's extravagant exterior. Sure, he had beads of sweat all around his face and his lower half was covered in mud and dirt but that was a given in any battle. But not the battle of the century. In the end, what reason did the younger have to lie? The teen continued through the other's silence.

"The leader of the rebellion is none other than Hanzo of the salamander. And I mean The Hanzo of the Salamander; the one who made the three sanin, sanin. The guy who sprays poisonous gas and has a gigantic pet salamander summon. "

"Get on with it, Aka." Minato cut the redhead off, who chuckled and nodded.

"Rumor has it that he is at this camp." He pointed to the middle point in the man. "And he is being manipulated by our elder Danzo."

"The war hawk Danzo?" The blonde inquired. "Are you sure we're talking about the same Danzo?"

"Don't interrupt me. And yes, I'm sure." The teen scolded, pointing into mountain terrain on the map. "Tomorrow will be the perfect time to strike here with our company. At exactly 3:30 pm tomorrow, Hanzo and Danzo will travel to meet with a group called Akatsuki to kill their leader, Yahiko." If we were to prevent Yahiko's death then maybe pervy sage could live his life to the fullest, Kinuki's words were left unsaid.

"With its numbers increasing drastically, it would be a good political decision to have them on our side." Kinuki continued. "We know their plans too, so it'll be as easy as pie."

The leaders all gazed at the teen, surprised at the teen's fluid leadership. It was almost as though he had thought of on the spot plans all the time. The fire of a Kage were talking to his subordinates. But while it seemed like the other could back off, his commanding gaze showed otherwise. The Raikage nodded, snapping out of his shock and exhibiting his pride once again.

"I agree. Shall we proceed in the same command and platoons?" A interrogated the redheads winning streak, trying to catch him off guard.

"Definitely, our teams are correctly divided by specialization. And might I say, I've grown attached to my platoon." He grinned. "They're not too stupid."

Minato hit the teen on the back of his head. Kinuki immediately began rubbing the forming bump. "Don't even joke about that, Kinuki."

"Fine." The former blonde gave in. "If everything is in order, I want to go see how my little children are doing. It'll be quite funny to watch Obito trying to wrap a wound."

The duo waved towards the other two, heading across the camp to the medical tent.

As the two walked, whispering shinobi watched Kinuki's every move. Somehow, they were able to catch wind of his little "deed." And quickly, his existence became an enigma. With such raw strength and power, a man like him should be in the bingo books by now. But, no matter who the shinobi asked, no one was able to identify the man as a threat. Unless you count the few dozen people he killed and miles he traveled in a few hours. Then maybe, you could count him as a threat to humanity or to the shinobi world itself.

Minato put a hand on the teens back, urging him to move faster to the two chunnin he loved so much.

"Kakashi! Rin! Obito!" Kinuki ran through the small drapes that signified a door. "How I've missed you so."

"Kinuki!" Obito yelled in near madness. "Get me out of here!"

The duo struggled to hold back their laughter as they saw the scene. Somehow, Obito had managed to strangle himself with layers of gauze, making him look like a little mummy. On his left stood an erratic Rin, struggling not to yell at her teammate and to his right a white powdery substance covered Kakashi, who muttered profanities under his breath.

Kinuki gave up hope, opting to drop on the floor and hold his sides as he laughed hysterically. Minato just shook his head at the team, chuckling to himself lightly.

"This is impossible." Obito shook his fist in his attempt to free his arms. "I don't understand how 'first aid' works! I mean, how is this that hammer going to test your reflexes? Won't it just snap your knee in half?"

"Obviously not, Obito!" Rin yelled at the younger. "Now, stop moving and I'll cut the tape off."

Obito stopped moving momentarily, closing his eyes in a panic of being cut himself.

"There." The young girl announced to the Raven. "You're free!"

"Please let me be free of this stupid child," Kakashi mumbled a soft prayer. "Please, Kami. If I get flour thrown at me one more time I will go crazy."

Kinuki began to regain his composure. "Do I even want to know?"

"No!" The trio answered immediately, causing the redhead to lose it once again.

"Obito." Minato scolded. "Your job is very important. You should take it seriously. Tomorrow, hundreds of soldiers may be flying in near-death conditions and it'll be your job to save them. You won't have the time to complain then."

"Fine, sensei." The younger gave in, picking up the first aid case and thrusting it towards Rin. His eyes sparkled with childlike curiosity. "Teach me your ways, Rin."

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

"Halt," Former Naruto Uzumaki announced to the platoon just before the end of the line of trees. Bellow them, platoon four gathered as well. Minato gave the teen a nod, giving him the silent 'we're ready.' With the signaling of a hand, his platoon of shinobi sprinted in front of Minato's, jumping over stones as they were pelted with heavy droplets of rain.

In the distance, Kinuki heard the familiar scream of agony from a fellow redhead. It became all too clear that they were too late. With two strong jumps, the whiskered teen saw a depressing scene that could cause even a grown man to cry.

From above, Danzo watched as Nagato impaled his best friend in the gut with unbearable regret in his eyes. A purple-haired beauty curled up on herself to the far left of the scene as she cried out to her leader, restlessly trying to break free of the strong restraints given to her by none other than Danzo of the Salamander.

Kinuki immediately jumped into action, unsheathing his sword in the blink of an eye and springing towards the dozens of men behind Danzo. The former blond slashed at about ten shinobi before the members of his and Minato's platoon arrived, overwhelming Hanzo with his numbers.

Danzo spotted Minato and shouted ferociously. "Minato! What is all this?"

"What are you blind?" Kinuki mocked. "It's impossible really, Danzo. You know, with that Sharingan of yours?"

"Sharingan?" The elder veteran laughed. "Do I look like an Uchiha to you?"

Kinuki thrust his sword towards the man and while the man clearly had the reflexes to dodge, he was unable to avoid its sharp blade cutting the bandages off his face. The bandages unraveled slowly and once all the gauze finally reached the ground, the men were shocked to see a blood-red eye, staring intently at the redhead. To his demise, the teen did not crumble to the ground or even react in any way. He simply laughed back at the Warhawk.

"Don't even try, I have long been immune to the Sharingan." He bared his sharp teeth to the man. "Danzo, you just ruined one of the best relationships of the century. And If you think you're going to get away with it, you better think twice."

"You just placed a death sentence upon yourself and all those here, boy." The elder chuckled, pointing his sword right back at the teen.

As the madness around them continued to grow, the future Kage dodged the upcoming barrage of attacks from the man, jumping back every so slightly to throw kunai at the other. Swiftly, the elder blocked the attempt with his sword, jumping to the left to avoid another. The teen lunged at the other, parrying the male's sword towards the opposite direction before impaling the man in the shoulder.

Kinuki turned and slashed at another while the individual fell into a state of shock, gripping his shoulder and breathing heavily. The elder's vision blurred, the only thing he was able to distinguish was the bright red hair and purple ringed eyes of an incoming male.

"Universal Pull."

The Warhawk was thrown into the air, pushed towards Kinuki who gutted the man. From behind him emerged another redhead, his furious purple eyes shaking the veteran to his core. The elder shakily pushed himself to his feet, his hands moving quickly to form a wide array of seals.

"Katon: Fireball jutsu!" The man blew out a massive fireball, burning everything in its path.

"Blocking technique;" Nagato formed a large barrier around the two. "Absorption Seal!"

The fire quickly dispersed around the duo. This time, Kinuki transported his physical body behind the raven with a single hand seal. In his past place stood a clone which went unnoticed by the elder.

Kinuki stuck his chakra infused feet onto a branch, allowing Nagato to let out an 'Almighty push' before slashing the Warhawk through the chest as he flew towards him. The teen dropped next to the now-dead Danzo and began scavaging the man for parts. He quickly took out the mans Sharingan, sealing it in his forearm before urging the other Uzumaki towards the opposite side of the clearing.

The battlefield was scattered with bodies. Some dead, other's just tired and wounded. They thrust forward quickly towards the purple beauty, not stopping for a person's cries or whimpers. It made the Akatsuki member sick to his stomach.

"Who even are you?" He asked the masked man from behind. "Why are you helping us?"

"I'm Aka, I guess." Kinuki chuckled. "It's a name that I never choose so don't judge me for it. Our initial goal was not to help you but to defeat the rebelling shinobi of Kusa. So we're fighting for the sake of peace. Although helping you is a plus, Nagato of the Rinnigan."

"Peace only brings along foolishness and thoughtlessness." The older stated bluntly. "How do I know you won't stab me in the back?"

"Because I respect you." Kinuki grinned, making the other crunch his face together. His answer was just unbelievable. But, despite this, he trusted the teen. He acted almost exactly like Yahiko.

Yahiko... he was dead now. And he had been the one who killed him. His hands would forever be tainted by his best friend's blood. The sad face his leader made as he killed etched into the boy's soul. Carving itself deep within his heart.

But Nagato above all else was not prepared to see the scene in front of him.

Shinobi of all ages and sizes laid all around the now grassy field. All of the men were foaming at the mouth with eyes rolled back into their heads. A small red line was the only evidence of any attack. The clearing was filled with the stench of a burning corpse or even moldy cheese. He gagged, expecting the other to do the same. But, his new comrade didn't look affected in the slightest. It was as though he had seen the exact say scene hundreds of times before. Which he, as much as he didn't want to believe, knew deep down that his subconscious was correct.

"Minato!" The teen gasped, rushing towards the fallen other. Minato was coughing ferociously, clutching his heart as he gasped for air. Poison? Lung Damage? He survayed his friend for wounds, taking a step closer to get a better look. Before he was able to get to the blond, however, a certain salamander blocked him entirely. He swung his Kusarigama at the teen, forcing the other to jump back towards Nagato.

"Why, hello there." The male greeted the newcomer, catching his blade by its chain. "Are you here to join the party?"

"Why, yes." Kinuki mocked. "I guess so."

Hanzo grinned at the teen, to which the other mirrored back. They stuck at each other hard; his Watanabe against his kusarigama. They fought fiercely, every strike met with either a dodge or a perry. But, neither one of them was able to even graze each other.

Nagato took this distraction to get to his teammate. Slowly, he cut the shaking girl free, hugging her strongly as she wracked with sobs.

"Hey." He whispered gently into her hair. "Konan, I'm sorry, you're safe now."

"N-Nagato," Konan muttered. "He's dead, isn't he?"

The redhead squeezed the girl tightly. He was still in denial. Yahiko was his best friend. He would've killed his friend for life even if it meant killing himself. So, why is it that when it came down to it, did he truly killed him. He actually killed Yahiko. With no other hand than his own.

Kinuki blocked an incoming strike from the duo. Propelling his body up the tree, bouncing off of the hard bark when he saw Hanzo close enough. He slashed at the man's head with one hand while thrusting his fist into the man's stomach at the same time. The salamander staggered, letting out an involuntary gasp of air.

Kinuki used this time to kick the man in the face, only to have his foot grabbed by the man and flung across the clearing and into a tree. The teen groaned, watching with blurry vision as the other stomped toward his, releasing his chain and letting it drag across the ground. With one hefty strike, the man threw the blade of the Kusarigama at the stunned male. It was only when the blade was about two inches away from his abdomen did the teen throw himself to the side, allowing the weapon to graze his arm in its path.

As Kinuki made his way to the muddy grass, a gigantic lavender salamander appeared in the clearing, opening its mouth to release the final blow.

Now, with poison slowly making its way around his body, Kinuki only had two options. He could either (a) grab Minato and flash the fuck out of there, leaving the others to fend for themselves against the atrocious reptile or (b) use Kurama's chakra against the foxes will. In his mind, this choice was a no brainer.

'Kurama-.' The redhead chimed in his mindscape.

"No."

'Oh, come on.' Kinuki whined at his residence short answer. 'Just a little bit?'

"No."

'Would you rather us die by the hands of an amphibian?' The fox fell silent.

"Fine. You better not lose, mutt."

The teen felt his entire body warm with Kurama's chakra. Small bubbles scabbed over his wounds, healing them at an abnormal rate. His animal instincts sharpen, allowing the redhead to avoid the incoming gas that came from the salamander's mouth.

Kinuki rushed towards the future fourth Hokage, cloaked in what little chakra Kurama had given him and dragging him towards the closest safe point. He watched as Nagato swiftly picked drowsy Konan, small papers fell off the girl's head as he jumped to a high tree just above the gas.

"Almighty push!" A wave of wind pushed the poisonous gas back towards the other, giving Kinuki a chance to flash behind the man and stab him in the back of his ribcage.

Hanzo groaned, allowing the salamander to dispell and leave him just barely standing on the ground. He coughed out remnants of blood, digging into his trench coat and swiftly pulling out a green vial. Kinuki prepared once again for an all-out attack, only for the vial to be thrown in his face. He quickly caught it before it hit the ground.

"The antidote." He said shortly. "I won't meddle in your business anymore. You have earned my respect.."

"Aka."

"Aka!" Kinuki spun around to face the booming voice, fully expecting an ambush. Instead, he got the hunk of junk, A, running towards him from across the chaos.

When the teen turned back towards Hanzo, he was gone. He shrugged. Future Hanzo wasn't much of a talker either. He jumped back to the branch where a pale and wheezing Minato laid.

He scanned the blond for further injuries, thrusting the lid of the small vial open and pouring the liquid into his mouth once he found a minuscule scratch at the bed of his knee. Minato drank it without a choice, gulping the thick liquid down swiftly as his breath began to even out.

"So, that the famous gold cloak, huh?" Minato winced. "They were right, it was pretty cool."

He began to sit up before quickly being pushed back to the ground once again.

"Don't move."

The older processed the situation instantly. "Kinuki, you were poisoned too, weren't you?"

"No." The teen grinned through the soft pain in his arm. "I'm fine."

"Kinuki." He warned.

"It's just a graze."

"Kinu-"

"Aka!" The Raikage rushed towards the duo, raising a fist. "We did it, man."

The teen hit the knuckle with his own. The man didn't have a scratch on him. The only unusual thing was the bits of rubble all over his uniform. But that wasn't important. No, what was important right now was that B totally copied the fist bump from A. Or was it the other way around? Was B even alive yet? It seems he never did catch the 8th jinkuriki's age or did he and he just didn't remember?

"How many casualties?"

"About a dozen shinobi from Iwa and Kusa. But other than that, the leaders are dispersed and the rebellion is over. We got our revenge. Although, it wasn't nearly as satisfying as I hoped." The man grimaced. "It seems that you held up your end of the deal."

The redhead took a deep breath, looking around. "And the alliance?"

"It can continue. I don't know who the leader of Kusa is now, however."

"Its delegate was already chosen. Sad to say, but his country will continue to thrive without him."

The clouds covered the falling sun, the daylight slowly faded to black before the shinobi were able to make it back to the camp. Kinuki gave the two remaining Akatsuki members a hug, one of which, of course, protested, before commanding the troop back to the camp. They traveled in complete darkness and silence, the only noise was the occasional sounds of footsteps splashing against the muddy earth.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The four platoons made hast towards the medical tent as soon as they reached the camp. The majority of the troops while not dead were severely injured. Danzo's men were erratic, most of them using artificial drugs in battle in order to keep of with the pace of his leadership. At least it provided yet another reason to disband Root. 

Kinuki rested his head against a large oak tree. He sipped a small chunk of his soup before glancing at the silver-headed jonin in front of him. Thankfully, Kakashi remained in the back for most of the battle and was able to avoid any physical damage. But Kinuki knew the psychological damage was unbearable to the younger. Watching hundreds of dead bodies drop before your eyes was mentally scarring. And if anyone were to know that, it was Kinuki. He still had visions of his time in the war even when the brunt of it was over. He wasn't in a time of peace but at least he wasn't in a time of mass destruction either. 

"I got you a gift, Kakashi." He smiled, unsealing the jar where he placed Danzo's eye. "It's a replacement eye. You can't be a shinobi with only one eye, you know."

The jonin's eyes brightened. "Thank you." 

The older nodded in response. He stored the Sharingan once again. "How are you?"

"I'm ok, I guess. I didn't really do anything, though." 

"Of course you did something, Kakashi. We couldn't have done this without the help of every hand that volunteered. And you were one of them Kakashi, thank you. Any plans when you get back to Konoha?" The silver-haired teen stiffened, avoiding Kinuki's eye contact. "It looks like you got something weighing on your mind." 

"I-" He stuttered. "I actually want to join the ANBU once I get back. With you, you know." 

Kinuki hummed in response. "Why?"

"Because it's really cool and really educational?"

"And?" He urged him on, the young jonin met his gaze for a moment before returning  it to the ground.

"And then I could get away from Obito and Rin."

The older stiffened. This wasn't the response he was expecting. He had done everything in his power to steer Kakashi away from this depression but he was in the same position as his sensei was at his age. "And why would you want that? They really love you, you know."

"I'm not sure. I guess I feel as though if I stay close to someone, they're going to die." He paused for a second. "Like my father did." 

Only then did Kinuki understand the extent of the younger's pain. This Kakashi was as good at hiding emotions as his future counterpart was. The Kakashi of the future only revealed information when he was at his most vulnerable. The only mention of his father occurred when the duo conversed at a hospital after an attack on the Kage tower. He was under so many meds that he read the entire Icha-Icha book out loud in a single day. Did he mention that half the time, he was reading it to a bunch of toddlers? 

"Your father's death was not your fault." He answered firmly, he was beyond enraged at this point. "Kakashi, people die. It's just apart of life. You have to accept that. Your father died to preserve his honor and he left his legacy in your hands. You are a jonin now, in the shinobi world, that means you are an adult. And let me tell you a secret, you get to make choices. Opportunities and responsibilities will come flying by and as an adult, you have to depend on your every decision with two things; your heart and your mind." 

He paused briefly, redirecting his gaze towards the fire. "I had to make a decision like that today, you know. I could abandon the company to fend for themselves and live life normally or take a risk and save our team at the possible cost of my life. As an ANBU, you would have to make these decisions every day. Would you really be up to that?" 

The teen fell silent. He watched as the other's fiery hair and eyes burned in passion. If joining the ANBU allowed him to be by Kinuki's side, he would join in a heartbeat. 

"Yes."

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Miles away, an elder raven sat in the middle of a battlefield. Raindrops numbed his entire body as he opened his eyes. 

The entire world seemed to freeze in fear of the man, releasing its trembles in thunders of light. Dark crimson eyes stared back at the cold sky, its iris shifting before submerging itself with black. 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Welcome back my fellow readers, it is nice to see you again. It is currently 12 in the morning and I'm v tired but I have so much to say. This book has recently gotten 150+ reads! That is absolutely amazing in under a month. In celebration, I have made my longest chapter yet. A 7,200-word extravaganza. There is no gap between Fanfiction.net updates today and wattpad updates today because we have also reached a milestone of 25+ followers so go check it out if you're interested in faster, future updates! 

Can I also point out that Autocorrect is constantly changing Kinuki to Kinky. So it'd be like, "Kinky crossed the clearing, his locks waving wildly behind him." Just a fun fact. 

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Aɳԃ ԃσɳƚ ϝσɾɠҽƚ ƚσ ʋσƚҽ αɳԃ ƈσɱɱҽɳƚ!