Shikamaru POV~

The blow never landed.

A dark blur darted from the trees just as the tip of the spike was about to rip through Hidan's body. A well-aimed kicked sent the damned psychopath flying backwards and skidding on the ground, another flicked wrist knocking the scythe and weapons the other direction. 

Sasuke's speed was something I have experienced many times before, but never had his timing been so goddamn perfect.

I couldn't help sagging in relief. Even if the battle wasn't won, the immediate danger was no longer immediate. At the very least it was delayed.

Asuma wasted no time standing and getting in position with Sasuke.

"Nice to see you, Sasuke."

"Hn." Sasuke drew his katana, eyeing Kakuzu, "Where's the rest of the team?"

Kakuzu narrowed his eyes at him. "You expect me to answer your question?"

"No, but I would appreciate it."

Kakuzu snorted, "Watch your mouth, brat."

Sasuke just flicked his gaze towards the trees. Four shapes flickered from the forest just as seconds later. Sasuke tilted his head in their direction, but didn't look back.

"Never mind. Found them."

Hidan sneered from where he got up. "I'll get you for that you piece of shit!"

Sasuke glanced at him and proceeded to ignore him, which only seemed to piss off Hidan.

"HEY! Don't ignore me dumbass!"

Kakashi stepped forward, "Shikamaru, you okay?"

I looked up, "Yeah."

Kakashi nodded. 

Sasuke turned to look at us. Contrary to popular belief, the emotionless mask on his face did not particularly mean he didn't have emotions. I knew what to look for by now, enough to notice the concern and guilt flicker over his expression when he glanced at me. Most of the time, even I couldn't gauge his reactions with his extremely good poker face, having to rely on his actions and responses to get what he's thinking. 

I noticed now.

He was suppressing his feelings, his face unnaturally still. 

Then Kakuzu moved.

Predictably, he went for Asuma and Kakashi first, swiping a kunai just inches from Asuma's face.

"I'm not leaving without my bounty." he growled. 

Of course, by then I'd caught my breath, at least enough to perform another shadow possession for a couple minutes, but he didn't need to know that. Right now, he seemed convinced that I wasn't much of a threat and proceeded to leave me alone.

He was only aware of his mistake when he was caught by the shadows from behind.

I could feel the familiarity of it, the darkness slipping out from under me, controlled and precise as it snaked its way towards the other man. The next moment when he stepped down, he was paralyzed. 

"You're a pain in the ass, you know that?"

That voice had come from behind me, laced with irritation and hysteria. 

That voice also began to spew curses and insults when he realized his sneak attack didn't work.

"Stupid bitch!" Hidan screeched, writhing as the shadows held him in place, wrapping around his limbs and torso and restricting his movement. Sweat dripped down my face and neck, and my muscles were strained, and oh how I wished to be anywhere but here.

I hardly had enough energy to hold both Kakuzu and Hidan, but it was enough time for the rest of my team.

In a swift movement, Kakashi had a Chidori in Kakuzu's chest, and Asuma lopped off Hidan's head once again. I waited until the headless body behind me fell to the ground, Asuma already keeping ahold of the head to make sure nothing happened, before releasing that one.

The other one I held a bit longer. By now I knew enough about Kakuzu to know that Kakashi hadn't killed him yet.

But already I could feel the workings of a plan in my head, pieces and weaknesses clicking together.

Bingo.

It might not be enough, but I wasn't going to fail this team. Never again. 

Naruto POV~

Purple chains. Watch out for the purple chains.

That's much easier said than done.

Already those chakra chains snagged Shukaku and Matatabi, and it took a great deal of effort to get them off. God dammit.

'We might need a little help. I'm pretty sure he can take on three tailed beasts at once, with that kind of - '

"Kit, my chakra is strong enough to rival at least four of my siblings at once."

'I know, but will it be enough, if he seals you?'

Kurama went quiet at that. Then, "I'll contact the others."

Kurama left most of his chakra with me, his consciousness retreating to call an emergency meeting in the Psyche plane. 

"Shukaku! Matatabi! How're you holding up!"

"We're fine, brat! Keep him on his toes, will ya?" Shukaku snapped.

I reached out a chakra arm and knocked away several massive shuriken that he teleported from his portal (where the fuck did those come from?) and sent out a giant shockwave. Really, the only reason I did that was to clear the area and decrease visibility, but he had sharingan so I didn't know if he could still see or not.

I leveled down Kurama's chakra a bit, only until it no longer formed a fox around me, and made several dozen shadow clones. Each one formed a Rasengan, Kurama's chakra providing more than enough fuel for that.

Shadow clones dove about left and right. Subtly, I directed them, fed into their consciousnesses what I wanted them to do, but after that it was up to them.

That was the difference between shadow clones and regular clones. Regular clones required me to tell them what to do. Shadow clones did what I asked from them, but ultimately they had their own minds, minds just like mine.

I think I trusted my own judgement enough.

As the clones attacked, I fell back towards Shukaku and Matatabi.

"He's going to stop at nothing to get to you. We need to drive him away and get out of here."

"We know that, just get to the point! What are you trying to say?" Shukaku snapped.

"Kurama's contacting the other Bijuu."

Matatabi snorted, "What makes you think they're in a position to come? Many of them are within Jinchuriki who can't just drop everything and leave."

"That's not all of it. If the Bijuu can't come, their Jinchuriki can tell others and get them to come help. At this point, I'm pretty sure they trust me enough to come for help if I ask for it."

"You're 'pretty sure?'" Shukaku grumbled. "That's not sure enough."

"It's all we got right now."

"This plan was poor from the beginning." Matatabi flicked her tails and shot a full on Tailed Beast bomb into the direction of Tobi. Oof.

She had no idea.

I slowly felt Kurama's presence leaking back.

'How'd it go?'

"Gyuki is coming. Killer Bee somehow convinced the Raikage to let him come, although there are several Kumo shinobi coming with him. Kokuo might be coming, Isobu doesn't want to come but he probably will since he's close, and Son Goku and Saiken are a possibility, same with Chomei. The only guaranteed assistance will be Gyuki and Isobu."

My mind raced with the new information. 'This is a full on battle. We need more than that to win.              This fight may be the deciding factor for all we know.'

"Naruto. Can you sense them?"

'You mean Kakashi and the guys and two Akatsuki members with them? Yeah. I can.'

"Let's bring em."

'I was thinking just that.' I turned to the other two Bijuu and said out loud, "Is it possible that I can have some of your chakra?"

Kakashi POV~

It wasn't long before Gai and the whole of our students arrived, including Kurenai's team (excluding Kurenai herself, obviously. She was supposedly pregnant after all. It happened much faster than anyone thought it would, but absolutely none of us were surprised.)

At the sudden appearance of a good portion of Konoha, Hidan and Kakuzu became a little more wary. 

Shikamaru's plan was a good one, and in the end, it worked. Hidan was fully incapacitated, and Shikamaru managed to manipulate him into weakening his own partner as well. With the help of  our allies and Gai's eccentrics that could send a god to the grave, they stood no chance.

Shikamaru's strategizing was a major deciding factor in that. I was proud of him.

It was by pure chance (I really doubt it was chance) that the massive wave of Kyuubi chakra came over us just as we were all together. Everyone froze at the sheer power rolling through the trees. It was familiar, the terrifying feeling ceasing my bones the same way it did that night sixteen years ago, but it was different this time. No longer as wrathful or jagged, instead strong and intimidating and protective.

Moments later, Naruto was here.

He appeared faster than any of us could follow, coming down over the trees in a golden blur. Golden chakra engulfed him in a swirling cloud, stretching its light all over the area. A shockwave shook the ground where he landed, throwing up a cloud of dust. It was like staring at the sun.

I was reminded of Minato-sensei.

He was panting heavily, and looked up at us. His eyes were a deep sunset color, slit-pupiled and sharp.

"Oh, finally I found you." he grinned, "Hey guys."

Sakura POV~

Naruto was...different.

Honestly, when I came on this mission, I didn't expect to see him. At all. 

But I also didn't expect to get completely trashed by the two Akatsuki members we were supposed to defeat, so I shouldn't have been surprised.

It was hard, seeing him now. I remembered him as the idiot, our idiot, the one who could light up a room with both an irritating clinginess and a sunny personality. 

Discovering the truth tore me up, because I snapped at him. In a moment of anger, I called him a demon.

And it wasn't even the only time I'd done it.

Now, here he was, radiating strength and dripping in chakra, eyes sharp and smile worn like a weapon. Easily the most capable of any of us here.

When he came, I couldn't help it. I felt relieved. I felt inspired. Because Naruto was here.

Then, immediately after, I felt disgusted. With myself.

Compared to him, I was nothing. If anything, I was scum. A piece of trash who called herself a ninja.

Because I hurt him and I didn't even know it until it was too late.

But in a moment, I locked eyes with him. Those eyes, deep ocean depths that you would drown in if you weren't careful, were nothing but strong.

When he saw us, he smiled, not a drop of hatred in it. The grin was sharp and animalistic, but there was a righteous fury swirling around in the chakra around him. But not towards us.

He didn't hate us. 

I wondered if he was willing for a second chance.

Because this guy in front of me? He was the strongest person I'd ever met, in a way that had nothing to do with chakra or god foxes.

When I saw him, I smiled back.

Despite my stinging words back then, that smile was contagious. 

Naruto POV~

It was not hard at all to convince them to come fight, which was...surprising.

I was not greeted with any hesitation whatsoever as Kakashi sent a letter to the Hokage. I explained what I was going to do, and they decided to accompany me all the way to a certain destination before going back to help Tsunade get ready.

I went into this battle alone, and now I had a mini-army of Konoha shinobi following me. 

What the fuck.

Two foreign presences chimed up from where they nestled in my mindscape.

"HEY. We got caught again!" came Shukaku's voice. At least he wasn't resisting. I really wasn't in the mood to go feral pre-teen Gaara right now.

'That's why I asked for your chakra. Now at least some of your power is outside the Gedo statue.'

"We understand that, but what exactly are you planning?" Matatabi growled. I didn't blame her. If I was in her place, I would also be thoroughly pissed with the strange human with his strange plans offering to help and doing strange things.

Kurama took over explaining here, "It's an action plan before we fight. If Naruto gets a little bit of all of our chakra, then not all of us are completely sealed in the statue. He also gets access to all our power and Kekkei Genkai, like Shukaku's Magnet release. It'll grant us more leverage over Tobi, since Naruto will be our gateway to all us Bijuu attacking him at once."

Matatabi was silent. Then Shukaku grumbled, "Stupid fox. You and your pet human do what you want."

"Oh? I thought I was the pet, Shukaku?" 

"Shut the fuck up, dumbass!"

Kurama chuckled, enjoying pissing off Shukaku entirely too much. 

Shukaku and Matatabi's presences retreated just as we reached the area where Isobu was supposed to meet us.

"Our plan has changed quite a bit since the beginning." Kurama said.

'You know I'm no good at strategy.'

"Hm. That's right. You're more of a tactician than a long term planner. That's why I'm here."

'Aw. How sweet.'

"Enough. We're here."

I stopped, and the gaggle of Leaf ninja behind me also stopped. I looked over the group and realized I had quite the crowd following me. To be honest, I didn't expect the entire group to come, except for Shikamaru's team who went back to Konoha to talk to the Hokage and heal.

Sasuke fell into step beside me. He looked better, to say the least. There was a light in his eyes that wasn't there last time I'd seen him.

"Isobu next?" he asked. I nodded. Kurama made an impressed noise in the background.

"Isobu?" Gai questioned, just as the wave of Isobu's chakra overcame the group.

"Oh. He's coming." I said simply as Isobu came out into the open from where he was hiding. The giant three-tailed turtle looked even bigger looming over us at his full height.

"You're back, Naruto." he said.

"Hi, Isobu." I said as the rest of the group (barring Sasuke and Kakashi) gaped up at him. I noticed some of their chakra flickering cautiously, but no one did anything.

"Hmph. Only because I'm sick of this Akatsuki bullshit. What's with the audience?"

"They're friends, don't worry." 

Sakura's chakra fluctuated at that remark (I knew why, but I didn't exactly want to think about it). The rest of them seemed quite intrigued.

"Huh. Fine. Whatever you say. Here." he held out a massive finger and tapped it against my raised fist. I could feel his power coursing into my veins, cool and watery and unfamiliar. At least it wasn't grainy and jagged like Shukaku's, or even fiery and burning like Matatabi's.

I thought about Son Goku's lava release, and decided not to think about it.

"Thanks." I smiled at him. He seemed a little put off by it each time, which reminded me of a sadness I'd rather forget. "You'll keep in contact?"

"Sure will, brat. Go on now." he eyed the rest of the group, who automatically shrunk back, and retreated back to where he was. "I'll see ya around, Naruto. Same with you, Kurama."

Kurama huffed, not speaking out loud, and said "Sure, little brother."

While nobody else heard it, I knew Isobu did.

AN~

I kinda forgot to add this in, but Sai is on a different mission and that's why he's not here.

Also, kinda long chapter compared to normal.

I have no regrets.