That Morning:

After the storm had passed and the sun was rising, the Nara Clan Forest was filled with the fresh aroma of wet earth, and the sound of drops of water falling from leaves and branches. The sun started to peek through the clouds, casting a soft, diffused light onto the forest floor.

The trees and plants, which were once weighed down by the heat and humidity, now stand tall and vibrant, their leaves glistening with droplets of water. The canopy of the forest, which was once thick with foliage, now has pockets of sunlight that have found their way through the leaves. The forest floor was damp and covered in a layer of fallen leaves and twigs. The ground is dotted with puddles, and small streams may have formed, trickling through the forest floor. The sound of the water moving through the forest adds to the peaceful ambiance.

Birds started to chirp and sing once again, and animals that may have sought shelter during the thunderstorm emerged. The forest seems to come alive with renewed energy, as the plants and animals revel in the newfound freshness and coolness brought by the storm. But while the calmness of the forest may have been beautiful, there was one person who wasn't having a good time. Paralyzed on the forest floor was Shikaku with Rikumaru on his back, keeping him warm.

'Well... could be worse...how troublesome,' Shikaku thought to himself as he finally awoke, having taken a nap while paralyzed. Shikaku tried to move, twitching whatever muscle he could, but he couldn't. His body was contorted, almost shriveled up like a dead bug. He felt heavy and the unresponsiveness of his appendages wasn't helping. 'Yoshino, where are you?' he thought, unable to even speak, wondering if his wife had gone to get help.

At The Akimichi Clan Grounds:

Choza was sipping on his morning coffee as his wife was making breakfast. He was tired after all that happened and he barely got any sleep because of the storm last night. Reading the paper, which survived the Kyuubi attack, he was still saddened to see the headline.

'KYUUBI ATTACK LEAVES MANY DEAD! HOKAGE'S SON DEAD!'

"They have no respect," Choza said as a plate of food was placed in front of him. "Have you seen this? Not even the day after and they've already got their grubby little hands on this information."

"Choza, dear, maybe now isn't the time to be reading the newspaper. You've got a long day ahead of you." Sokuma, Choza's wife (I just chose a name, she's officially titled Choji's Mom, but giving her a name will make things easier.), said to him. She was a full-bodied woman with short, black hair and eyes which are accentuated by orange markings at each corner. She wore a light shade of lipstick, a pair of red, stud earrings, a high-collared Chinese purple blouse that has gold trimmings and the clan's obligatory kanji for "food" on the back, and a pair of pants. She also seemed to be several months pregnant, sitting next to her husband while eating a slice of salmon and some sweet-potato slices.

"Urgh...*sigh* you're right, I've got a lot to do day. They need all the Akimichi shinobi they can get, me included." Choza said as he started eating. But before he could eat more than a slice of toast, there was a knocking on their front door.

"CHOZA! SOKUMA! IT'S YOSHINO! PLEASE! I NEED HELP!" Yoshino cried out, her knocks becoming louder with each strike

Quickly shooting up from his chair, Choza raced to the door and opened it, letting Yoshino fall into his arms.

"SOKUMA!" Choza shouted as he brought a worried and frantic Yoshino to the kitchen table.

"Yoshino! What's wrong?!" Sokuma asked as Choza placed Yoshino in his chair, kneeling down next to her.

"S-Shikaku went out last night. O-One of the deer came to the house! Shikaku said that if he didn't come back, to get Choza and Inoichi!" Yoshino explained as best she could, limited by both her alarm and pregnancy. Without hesitation, Choza quickly grabbed his gear and staff, running out the door and to the Yamanaka Clan grounds, vanishing in the wind.

Later:

"SHIKAKU!" Choza shouted, trying to find his friend.

"SHIKAKU!" Inoichi shouted alongside Choza, trying to find Shikaku. "Where could he have gone?"

"I think I know, but I dread the thought," Choza replied as they continued walking.

As the two men walk through the forest, the damp ground beneath their feet crunches softly underfoot, and the sound of their footsteps is muffled by the thick layer of leaves on the forest floor. The fresh scent of the rain-washed forest fills the air, and the gentle rustling of leaves and twigs can be heard as a light breeze moves through the trees. Inoichi smirked as he strode forward, putting his hands in his pockets.

"You know, this would actually be pretty peaceful if it wasn't for the fact that we're trying to find our friend," Inoichi stated, looking over at Choza, whose gait was more hesitant, cautious, and in more of a hurry. He seems more focused on the ground than on the beauty around him, carefully watching his footing and trying to avoid tripping over any obstacles in his path. His face is tense and serious, and he appears to be lost in thought

"Hm? Yeah, I agree... SHIKAKU! WHERE ARE YOU?!" Choza said, shouting once more as they both walked toward the one place they didn't think they'd visit again so soon.

But, to their dismay, they finally arrive. The once green clearing where they buried Naruto was now a crater, and at the edge of that creator was Shikaku's frozen body, with Rikumaru still laying on top of him.

"SHIKAKU!" they both shouted, rushing over to his side as Rikumaru bleated at them.

Ignoring the deer fawn, but taking the time to pick him up and set him on the side, Inoichi flipped him over, getting his face out of the mud. Setting his head against Shikaku's chest, he heard a heartbeat as he took out a cloth and wiped his friend's face.

"Sorry for taking so long, Shikaku, what happened?" Inoichi tried to get an answer, but he only got moving eyes in response. "Shikaku? Shikaku, say something! I know you're alive, so don't play dead!"

"Inoichi?" Choza questioned as he tried to figure out what was going on.

"He's frozen and still as a board!" Inoichi said as he stood up, trying to get Shikaku up as well. It was almost like moving a statue, but more fleshy and soft. Barely managing to get the Nara Clan head on his feet, Inoichi supported his back as Choza made a few hand signs and his hands became huge! They grew to a massive size, large enough to grab Shikaku and lift him into the air. "You couldn't have done that earlier?"

"Wasn't sure if it was alright," Choza replied as he looked around. "Go tell Lord Hokage what has happened here, I'll take him to the hospital."

"Right!" Inoichi said as he vanished in a swirl of leaves, Choza nearly doing the same, but in a slower fashion.

With Tai Lung, Shen, and Kai:

Shen, Tai Lung, and Kai walked through the forest, their footsteps muffled by the thick layer of leaves on the ground. Shen led the way, his eyes darting back and forth, looking for anything or anyone that could be used as a distraction to try and flee.

"I hate this! This is why I had an army to do these things!" Shen mumbled to himself, taking the occasional glance at the ground, making sure that he didn't trip on anything.

"Why are we doing this? I mean, what's stopping us from killing the kid? Either sending us back into oblivion or setting us free?" Kai asked Tai Lung, from behind. Kai brought up the rear, his massive frame making him seem almost out of place in the peaceful forest. "I see that we have a 50-50 chance, so I say the odds are in our favor."

"Ah, yes, Kai the Widowmaker, having no fuss over killing an infant." Tai Lung retorted. Upon hearing an argument that would cause them to stop for a bit, Shen took the opportunity to stop and sit, rubbing his aching feet.

"Hmph, say what you will, but if you're not willing to take the chance... then why?"

"Hn?"

"Why? Why even bother? Why not just wait for the child to die of starvation? Set us, in a sense, free?" Kai questioned his ally, pointing at the bundle in the Kung Fu master's arms. To which, Tai Lung growled a bit, holding the infant closer to his body. "See? This is what I'm talking about! Already, not even 5 minutes after you found that thing, you're protective of it! It makes no sense!"

"Well then, maybe we should ask it for answers?" Tai Lung lifted the child into the air, still being wrapped up in its cloth. "You! Why have we been brought back to life? What happened to us? And why do you look like that?!"

Naruto, the infant being held in the air, could only giggle in response. Tai Lung then gave a side-eye to Kai, who huffed as he walked up and grabbed the baby out of his hands. He then held the child into the air, doing the same thing.

"What are you? How did we get here? I demand an answer!" Kai shouted as Naruto just giggled again. Rolling his eyes, Kai did the unthinkable... and dropped him. "Oops!" he said sarcastically.

Tai Lung's eyes went wide as he dove for the ground, reaching out to try and catch Naruto. Yet, that isn't what happened. Instead, a purple hand appeared, catching the infant just in time as Tai Lung looked up in shock. Floating before them was the Shinigami, pipe in hand, beads in the other. His very appearance sent shivers down all their spines as he gave the stink-eye to Kai

"Evil is as evil does, I suppose." the Shinigami spoke, his very breath reeking of death as Shen, Kai, and Tai Lung stood up straight. "I never expected you to try and kill the child so soon. I would've given you three at least another day."

[There we are, chapter 3! More answers incoming! Nothing makes sense!]