Sasuke POV~

I hate everything.

If Kakashi hadn't been there, I was quite sure I would jump down there and smack every shinobi down there (besides the Hokage, she's okay) with a Susanoo-powered slap.

Naruto kept a calm exterior, but I recognized when he was nervous. His face would become unnaturally still, his eyes much more guarded and wary, muscles tensed and ready. It was the stance of someone who was far too used to being backstabbed.

I suppose if it was just him and not the Bijuu behind him, the Leaf ninja around the gate would be much less hostile, but they were causing him panic and I wanted to kill them so bad.

"He's grown up a lot." Iruka's voice came from beside me.

"Hn."

Iruka side-eyed me in a weirdly fond way and watched the proceedings with growing anger on his face. It wasn't an obvious anger, not like frustration or simple scolding like at the academy. This was a different anger, silent and stormy and far more dangerous. 

He didn't say anything though, and his face noticeably brightened when Naruto acknowledged us before leaving.

Kakashi stood. "Perhaps we should go welcome our new guests."

I frowned at the hostile shinobi around the Bijuu and stood as well. "Yes."

There were very few of us who were actually willing to treat the Bijuu as equals. Iruka was cautious, of course, as everyone was. He put much more trust in Naruto than the other shinobi, though, so he was fine.

I recall Naruto telling me the names of the Bijuu once. Of course, I couldn't remember all of them, but what I did remember (thanks to his insistent warning) was that the Four-Tails absolutely hated being called that. According to Naruto, I could forget all of their names but the one name I couldn't forget if I valued my life was that of Son Goku.

So, he was the one I addressed first. I remembered Isobu too. "Are you Son Goku?"

The Bijuu in question seemed impressed, "I assume you're a friend of Naruto's, if you remember my name."

"You could say that."

Tsunade stepped up beside me. "I ask that you all state your names now, just so that there's no confusion when we speak to you."

The Tailed-Beasts exchanged glances, looking quite perplexed, and introduced themselves.

"Isobu, Son Goku, and Kokuo. Got it." The Hokage muttered under her breath. Louder, she said, "We don't exactly have room inside the main part of the village, but inside the gates is a large clearing surrounded by trees. It is inside the walls, so you won't be out in the open, and it should provide some privacy. There will be shinobi around day and night, and they will remain respectful of your wishes and your space." she turned and sent a withering glare across the ninja gathered around her, "If you wish to speak to any of us, or if you would like something, feel free to ask any of them."

They blinked at her, and I'm not as good at reading their emotions as Naruto but the closest word I could find to describe how they looked was dazed.

"If it is alright with you." Kokuo said, a massive hoof scraping across the ground.

Isobu huffed, "What a time to be alive." he muttered.

Somehow, the three Bijuu managed to get into the Hidden Leaf without breaking anything, and make their way towards the clearing Tsunade mentioned with hardly any trouble at all. Their maneuverability, despite their size, was impressive to say the least. I suppose that sort of agility was what centuries of living around creatures tinier than them did. This time, they were actually trying not to destroy anything.

What a time to be alive, as Isobu said.

Once they got settled, guards and sentries were posted all around them. There were several in the trees surrounding them, more scattered around the walls and atop high vantage points where they would have a clear view of the Bijuu. All of them were equipped with communication devices, fast and interconnected enough that the moment any sign of Akatsuki appeared, they would just have to say the word and every guard would be there to attack  and defend immediately.

If anything, the three Bijuu looked awkward, the three of them sitting around in the clearing surrounded by humans with orders to protect them and looked absolutely lost as to how they got here in the first place. Rightfully so.

I didn't exactly have anything better to do other than stare at the sky with Shikamaru, so I went to talk to them.

They were watching me come even before I entered the clearing, three pairs of eyes fixed on me instantly. 

"Well. If it isn't the boy who recognized us." Son Goku looked down at me.

Kokuo smacked him on the head with a tail, "Don't sound so ominous, Son." Kokuo looked down at me, "I would say any friend of Naruto's is a friend of ours, but Naruto's proven to make friends with everyone and anyone, so I suppose I'd have to get to know you first."

"Now who's sounding ominous?" Isobu grumbled, and Kokuo smacked him too. I watched with faint amusement as they bickered amongst themselves.

Honestly, history could've been so different if -

I froze. Madara Uchiha was the one who controlled Kurama first in his battle with Hashirama Senju, which was what led the First Hokage to capture and entrap all the Tailed Beasts in the first place. 

Madara Uchiha.

I dragged a hand over my face. I was an Uchiha. I was proud to be an Uchiha, a member of what (used) to be one of the most elite shinobi clans.

But damn, some of my ancestors were fucking stupid. 

"Oi, stop that. You're gonna chase away our little visitor." Isobu snapped at Kokuo and Son Goku, who were literally at each other's throats at this point.

"Apologies." Kokuo rumbled, scuffing a hoof on the ground, "Our siblings tend to make a mess no matter where we are."

"Oh, shut up." Son Goku growled, rather fondly. 

This easy sibling tussling, bickering, caring for one another...

A painful pang of memories sprung up in my chest, and I pushed it down.

The Bijuu have been constants in an ever-changing world for thousands of years, and that whole time they've had each other and not really anyone else. No one else who would last.

I found that I wanted to protect that. These beasts, who could be friendly and kind and protective if only no one treated them as monsters.

Naruto didn't see monsters in them. He couldn't. And I couldn't, either. Not now.

I ran a hand through my hair. I failed myself, I suppose I failed Naruto as well (though I was fairly certain he didn't see it that way), and I realized I didn't want to fail the Bijuu too.

I wouldn't, then.

So I sat down on the grass and talked to them. Talked to them about their lives, about my life.

The confusion, that of not being used to being treated as equals, was present through a good portion of the conversation, but began to disappear after a while. We talked. We talked about simple things, complicated things. I told them about my life, my friendship with Naruto, and they talked about their's. They told me about the Sage of six paths, who they viewed as father figure back when they were young. I told them about my clan, about Itachi. I wanted to talk to them.

And they listened. They understood.

I was grateful for that.

When I left that evening, a new bond had been forged between us. 

A friendship.

Naruto POV~

"I talked with Son Goku earlier. He said they're doing good in the village."

I sighed, relieved, 'That's good. I was a little worried.'

"A little?"

'You know what I mean.'

Kurama shrugged, "He said Sasuke came to talk to them. Looks like the little Uchiha comes to visit them often."

'That's good.' I said, smiling, 'They both have company that way. Sasuke needs more friends anyways.'

Kurama huffed, but didn't say anything.

'So, looks like Kabuto is dealt with somehow.' I reached my senses further into the deep cave we were watching, 'I don't know what happened exactly, but it seems that edo tensei is no longer a concern.'

"Hm. We should kill him."

'Kura, no.'

"I'm just saying." he snorted, "He's better off dead, anyways. Whatever genjutsu he's under, there's a chance of him getting out and being a pain in the ass again. He can't do that if he's dead."

'I'm not gonna kill him. Please don't kill him.'

Kurama scoffed, "Fine." Unspoken was the no promises.

Since that was all, I left. No point sticking around.

The tension of the whole situation overall could snap any moment. Our side was reluctant to strike blind, and Tobi was off doing something that could very well cause the end of us.

I better find him first.

"What are you going to do? Fight him?"

'I don't know what to do. Right now, the Bijuu except for Shukaku and Matatabi are safe, but they might not be for long. He could've been plotting a war, for all we know. The best thing to do is take care of him now, then we might as well have won this.'

"Hm." Kurama sat in thoughtful silence, "I'm pretty sure exposing the fact that he's not really Madara Uchiha gave us an upper hand there."

'Really?'

"Yes. From the looks of it, he was planning on using Madara's name as an alias the entire time, until we completely debunked that." Kurama thought for a second more, "Madara was very powerful. You may not understand fully, but I lived in his time. He and Hashirama Senju were both considering gods among the shinobi world. As you know, their battle carved out the Final Valley." Kurama soured at this, no doubt because he himself was used as nothing but a pawn in that fight.

'What are you getting at, Kurama?'

"I'm just saying, if word got out that Madara Uchiha was alive and plotting against the Hidden Villages, my first thought would be that it would create mass panic. After all, not many ninja could stand up to him in his time, and not many ninja of today's world can stand up to him either. That may have been what Tobi was aiming for, until we destroyed that plan." Kurama smirked then, bitter and more of a baring of teeth than anything else, "That bastard was hoping to use Madara's name against us, but it didn't work. Everyone is much more confident now that they know it isn't Madara Uchiha they are facing off. Using that, we can plan much more accordingly."

I nodded, understanding his logic. 'That makes sense. Thanks to you, I have increased empath and sensory, and you already knew what Madara's chakra was like, so it wasn't hard to find out that Tobi and Madara aren't the same person. Anyone else wouldn't be able to tell.'

"That's right."

I sat down heavily, heaving a sigh. 'Fighting Tobi is a pain in the ass. I don't exactly want to do it without assistance. If we outnumber and outmatch him, we should be able to take him down. It's a matter of outwitting his teleportation.'

Kurama nodded. "Perhaps having allies like Kakashi and Sasuke would be beneficial."

I nodded, leaning back against a tree and taking a quiet moment of peace for myself. I didn't know when I'd get another chance to take a breath like this.

AN~

Thanks ALL OF YOU for your support, and I guess I lied when I said before that the story was ending soon 

*nervous laughter*

Anyways, I love you fam, have a great day, and enjoy :)