The furrow of Naruto's brows eased when he felt many of the reanimation's evil auras begin to fade. By his expression Kakashi and Sasuke knew right away that Kabuto had been subdued completely. Team Jiraiya's timing in stopping the reanimation jutsu couldn't have been better...actually it could have if they'd done it before Madara and the others were reanimated...but they'd come through right before everything became too bleak.

"Maa, Now that thats all over with..." Kakashi's eyes were smiling but his cheery tone failed to fully eliminate the edge in it. He had to fight his dead father and watch his students fight their parents as well, Kakashi was beyond his limit of zen. His students shared a look as they felt Kakashi's bloodlust let out in a way that was scarier then ever, they'd take his and Zabuza's obstacle course before fighting Kakashi in this state.

"Lets finish this Aloe Vera bastard!" Naruto held out his fists to either side of him, lips curled into an eager snarl. Sasuke rolled his eyes and Kakashi smiled in (slight exasperation) pride as they pressed their fists together. Naruto's never ending goofiness, even when he was feeling the same pain as everyone else, was a godsend in making their moods just a bit better after the heart wrenching battle.

"Hn." Sasuke gave a firm nod of agreement, his eyes narrowing dangerously forward as they sped up in their pursuit of Black Zetsu.

Even with Kabuto's aid out of the picture, the humanoid creature was not deterred from his plans in the slightest. An eerie grin was still stretched across his face as he traveled through the ground. Zetsu knew Kakashi of the Sharingan and the little bratty Uchiha were not idiots unlike the perception he had on the blonde that was his true target; however, he was banking on their anger clouding their judgement just enough to not realize where they were being led until it was too little too late.

Unlucky for him, an angry Kakashi just became more calculated. "Naruto, Zetsu isn't moving aimlessly, he's aiming to drag us into a trap. It's likely he is bringing you to where the Gedo Statue is supposed to be summoned, you'll be on his turf."

Sasuke scoffed, "who cares. That just means we have to stop him before that."

"Then speed up, I can't keep holding back for you guys 'ttebayo." Naruto sped up once again, full of determination to reach Zetsu even faster than before.

"Hn, I was holding back for you, dobe." Sasuke sped up, taking the lead over Naruto with a cocky smirk. Naruto grit his teeth with a growl.

"Teme!" The blonde shouted as evened out his pace to be neck and neck with his rival teammate.

"Man do they make me feel old." Kakashi sighed out pitifully as he forced himself to go faster, feeling the strain a lot more than his over energetic students did. However, no matter how tired he was, Kakashi wasn't about to be outdone just yet.

The more ground they gained on Zetsu, the more the humanoid got aggravated. To slow them down so that they couldn't reach his position until he was in the proper place to have Naruto caught and sealed, White Zetsu's popped up from the ground. It was futile, the trio didn't even blink as they slashed through the weak plant clones.

Naruto held up a signal as they were finally in range. Kakashi let his Sharingan shift to that of the Mangekyo and turned towards Sasuke, sucking him into the alternate dimension of Kamui. "Naruto..." he paused letting his vision clear and readying his eye for another transport "NOW!" An array of glowing yellow arms burst from his body, slamming into the ground trying to grab the slippery plant. In retaliation, Zetsu's wood-style adjacent plants sprung up whipping around in defense.

"BASTARD, you're going down here and now!" More arms burst forth as he and Kakashi weaved through the vines. Zetsu dodged another one of Naruto's chakra arms and was forced into the grasp of another. "Kakashi-sensei!" Zetsu had no time to react or escape the bruising grasp before his body was being pulled and transported against his will into the Kamui dimension. When he was certain they were fully trapped, Kakashi slowed his pace and continued heading towards the final battle, something felt different.

"Where the hell am I?" Black Zetsu spoke gruffly as he looked around. He felt no connection to anything, he could feel anywhere with his connection to nature and yet, there was none. Everything was white blocks and black negative space. He'd never felt so disconnected. No matter, even in a place like this Zetsu would not lose. He was Kaguya's will, he'd bring her back to this pitiful world. Everything, even this place was hers. He'd show them that.

"Kakashi's Kamui dimension, the only escape is if Kakashi provides it, which means..." Naruto trailed off.

"You're trapped." The smiles Naruto and Sasuke wore were downright menacing. He was seething in anger, how dare these useless brats continue to interfere with his plan to bring mother back.

"I'll never be killed by the likes of you. Nothing you do can kill me, not until my destiny is fulfilled." Zetsu let the grip of Naruto break him in half, re-forming himself and running to attack. He couldn't hold back, not now. It seemed as if he'd have to kill the Uchiha and stop the 9-tails himself. He wanted to keep his power in reserve to subdue Madara when he became the jinchuriki; however, it was now or never.

"Let's see about that, your so called immortality from Kaguya versus my flames that can't be stopped." Sasuke's eye began to bleed as Amaterasu burned to life. The black flames went straight towards Zetsu, no matter how much he moved around, they continued their hunt. Naruto deflected all of Zetsu's attacks, they got much stronger. He'd never sen anything like it; but it wasn't enough. Soon enough the plant was back in Naruto's golden grip and the Amaterasu finally reached its target. Black Zatsu howled in pain.

They looked as if they had won already, damn them. He was black Zetsu, will of Kaguya, shitty brats like these weren't going to ruin his decades of plotting now. Zetsu hated the stupidity of the Sharingan, how did they even know to trap him. That brat Hinata, he should have killed her earlier, her knowledge was too powerful and it came back to bite him.

"You ruined so many lives, you manipulated everything and everyone, you caused so much hate and destruction in this world 'ttebayo. Do you feel any remorse, anything for the hate you brought this world?"

"I feel nothing, I'd do it again and again." Black Zetsu let out a maniacal laugh, it was deep and malicious, mocking. "I won't die! Not now, not ever. Even if you burn me, I will come back. I will continue my goal, even if I have to kill you both and wait until the 9-tails is reborn!" He lashed out in wrath but neither boy looked worried. Ameterasu continued to burn him, hehe was nothing but an upper half now, the flames destroying his cells completely and utterly.

"You know the best part about Ameterasu? My flames can burn down your cells until they are nothing but ass, no life can be reformed if every last cell is completely dead." Sasuke smirked as Zetsu shouted curses, spewing crap about not dying. They had a plan for that too, Naruto would seal his cells into the Kamui dimension with Sasuke's help, even if Zetsu (impossibly) survived the Ameterasu, he'd never leave. "How does it feel to die and know that everything you did, all the hate and chaos you brought was for absolutely nothing. Your existence is meaningless, you'll die along with the last bits of your so called 'mother'."

"Fuck you!" He snarled as the flames burned around his face, he could feel himself, everything his mother created him for burning away in the fire.

"Your evil can no longer plague this world." Naruto grabbed Sasuke's hand and they turned their eyes to the simmering ash. Naruto slammed his palm into the ashes, using the combined power of their Sharingan and Jinchuriki power to seal Zetsu's useless ashes into the Kamui dimension. Now all they had to do was wait for Kakashi to get them out so they could meet up with Hinata and finish whatever was left of this war.

*^*^*

Gaara's platoon couldn't hold up much longer against the prowess of the Senju brothers and the spores of Zetsu. They were fighting with all their might hoping for reinforcements or to get a break and get a lucky shot to seal away the reanimations. Gaara had to tap into his reserves of using the 1-tails chakra to even remotely match the chakra Hashirama had spewing out of him, and even then, the first Hokage wasn't deterred. His chakra overpowered that of Gaara's.

The sheer overwhelming strength of Hashirama's jutsu was only amplified by the speed and thoughtfulness Tobirama battled with. The only saving grace for their platoon was how Hashihama called out every attack he was going to make in order to try and give anyone an opening to stop him. The Kage were overwhelming and forced Gaara to fully submit to Shukaku's screams echoing in his brain. "Let me out, this bastard won't stop me this time! I'm not dying because you are such a shitty wimp!"

"If I release you, you stop Hashirama and Tobirama only. Protect my comrades, do not let the Zetsu's get to them or I will sacrifice the both of us in their honor." Gaara commanded, staring down his tailed beast with no hint of fear. Not wanting to be caught and forced to do the bidding of someone like Hashirama or Madara, Shukaku relented. Being with Gaara was less bad than being killed and forced into becoming the 10 tails.

The ground shook and the air whipped with tornado-like wind as Gaara released control, loosening his seal and mental block to allow Shukaku's takeover. All traces of Gaara were gone as Shukaku's giant form opened his eyes and let out a cackle.

"I'm free! Let's do this shitty bastard Hashirama." Shukaku pointed his striped tail threatening at the reanimated Senju. "Today you submit to the true power of me, Shukaku!" He puffed up with pride and blew the Senju brothers back with a wind jutsu.

"I'm glad to see even tethered to a host you didn't lose your sense of humor Shukaku! Please, I'd be so happy if you beat me this time!" Hashirama genuinely grinned in happiness at the tailed beast. Shukaku seemed so much more cute this time around. It just made the one tails that much more mad, he wanted Hashihama to cower, not smile at him like he was some kind of adorable, rabid child.

"Brother, I do not want to be beaten by such a disrespectful beast." Tobirama hated to not be in control of himself, he was seething with rage, but the idea of getting beat by a tailed beast that is disrespecting him and his brother, it seemed somehow worse.

"You fucking runt I'll crush you!" Shukaku screeched. He opened his mouth and the pressure surrounding him doubled as his chakra began to split and mold into a beast bomb.

"Nonsense! Come on, Tobi, let's get destroyed together!" Only Hashirama could sound so enthusiastic about dying. The first Hokage was ready to stop forcefully hurting those he had no reason to, he got to live and see a day of relative peace between nations and that was enough for him. "Shukaku, look out, I'm going to try and trap you."

Trees whipped around, coiling like vines in an attempt to wrap around Shukaku and entrap him. If Hashirama did that, he could force the beast to revert back into Gaara and bring the jinchuriki to be extracted per his given commands. The tailed beast bomb blasted through the attack sent by Hashihama was sent careening towards Hashirama. If it landed, it would mean that while Hashirama is being re-formed, he'd be able to seal him away and never have to look at his captors ugly mug again.

Tobirama stepped in front of Hashirama, taking the entirety of the jutsu. As he was hit, Tobirama teleported himself and the beast bomb away from Hashirama and towards Shukaku. The blast radius knocked the beast off of his feet and almost sent the airborne shinobi flying, but the beast held strong, too determined to go down right after gaining his freedom. Although Tobirama would be down for a minute, he did his job, and Hashirama managed to wrap Shukaku completely in his wood style, sage mode activating as he began to suppress the biju chakra.

"GAARA!" Temari cried out for her brother. Shukaku thrashed about trying to break free from his bindings. They had a chance, while Hashihama was focused on capturing subduing the 1-tails and capturing Gaara, they could attack. However, there was still that minor inconvenience of Tobirama. The Senju brother was back, his body still melding together like origami. As soon as he had hands again, he was going to flood them with waves until those who opposed him, his mission, were dead.

The waves rose menacingly, Shukaku was shrinking his body becoming nothing more than a cloak around Gaara.

"I am sorry everyone." Hashirama felt so bad, he hated not being in control. He didn't want to kill the boy or all of these people. How could he.

"Escape now or you will die." Tobirama's voice was monotone yet as threatening as the waves gaining more and more height.

"If we die, we'll die together." Gaara's platoon readied for their last ditch effort, when everything stopped. Hashirama and Tobirama were bathed in a glow of ethereal whiteness and their jutsu, all proof of their chakra, ceased.

"Well brother, it seems as the caster finally released the jutsu. We are free; however, there is something not right here, if this is truly the work of Madara.... For now it is in our best interest to stay."

"It's your jutsu little brother, how do we keep these bodies?" Tobirama gave Hashirama the seals to stop the reanimation from forcing their souls back into the afterlife. Together they became tangible once more, luckily in control of their actions this time.

Hashirama bowed deeply, giving everyone a sheepish grin. "Sorry about trying to kill you and everything, who would have known I'd come back to life with no control and destroy things." Hashirama laughed at his joke, but nobody else joined in.

Turning their backs on the reanimated Hokage, the long-distance division whispered among one another.

"So they really stopped Kabuto" "Yeah" "THEY DID IT!" The allied shinobi cheered for Hinata's team's success. They had really stopped Kabuto's jutsu. Temari wasted no time in getting to her brother's side. The cloak around him was fading, sinking back into his skin leaving a battered and exhausted Kazekage behind.

"Gaara, are you..." Temari helped him into a seated position as his eyes fluttered open.

"I'm fine. How are you, how is everyone?" His eyes looked over her for any obvious injury.

"Good, the one-tails...uh, Shukaku, he protected us."

"Ah." Gaara gave a firm nod. Gratitude and a promise to let Shukaku out once again in thanks for his following through in protecting those Gaara swore to protect echoed in his mindscape.

Temari's look of relief snapped into rage and she grabbed his ear and pulled. "You idiot, part of this war is for us to protect you, don't go being an idiot like Naruto and throw yourself headfirst into getting captured! If Hinata's team was any slower you'd be dead and they'd be that much stronger!" Gaara had the decency wince and look slightly regrettable as she screamed at him.

The redhead waited until he was thoroughly chastised to speak. "You are right, I just didn't want anyone else to die because of me. I thought that I could hold them off...I was too weak. I apologize." He bowed his head to Temari and then to the rest of his platoon. Apologizing to them as well.

The small smile he held dropped away as he turned towards the two Kage. His eyes were narrow and focused intently on the two who defeat him so soundlessly.

"You spoke of Madara, he was part of the ones controlling you. We could use your help, will you fight on our side now?" Gaara propositioned them, a hand extended in peace.

"No." Sand coiled behind Gaara, if they chose to say no, if they were going to fight for Madara, he'd stop them here and now. "To stop an Uchiha from gaining such power, step aside. This is our battle with Madara, shinobi akin to the likes of you have no chance of stopping Madara."

Hashirama clasped a hand on his younger brothers shoulder, squeezing tight with warning. The younger Senju stood down.

"Sorry about him." Hashirama gave a peaceful smile, one that had Gaara relaxing immediately. His smile was so Naruto-like, nobody bad could have a smile like that. "If you can give us all the details regarding the war and your place in it, then I will decide whether we help you...or I finish this on my own."

"Very well." Gaara explained the war, and what they were fighting for and against. Also the plan, the alternate plan, and the alternate alternate plan. Hashirama and Tobirama were impressed with the genius of it all.

"We're in."

Together, they set off to the main warfront, meeting up with Gai's squad on the way, Madara was waiting. Gaara was certain Hinata would be excited to meet Hashirama, she raved about the 1st Hokage.

*^*^*

The Akatsuki battalion was reaching their breaking point it seemed. Itachi's Susanoo had reverted back into its weakest skeletal form. Suigetsu was dehydrated and liquifying himself to prevent getting cleaved in half got harder and harder. Everyone other than Kisame, who although he was not suffering from any chakra weaknesses he was not as apt at fighting as Madara, was feeling the pressure the undisputed strongest Uchiha was placing on them.

"Now, worthless Uchiha, die like the rest of our clan. Only I shall live to restore the Uchiha's might." Like a gift from god, as Madara swung down the blade of his Susanoo do deliver a crushing finisher to Itachi, his clones dispersed. Madara's body began to glow a soft white light, becoming intangible so his attacks were completely useless.

"Oh my god, we're alive." Suigetsu grinned, slumping onto his ass. Sure, Pain was still alive and being protected by Konan, who seemed to be trying to convince him to switch sides and join the bad guy turned sort-of good club, but Madara's soul was forcefully being shoved back into the afterlife or whatever and that meant they could totally finish this war. Suigetsu thought everyone was stressing for nothing...right? Madara was strong but he really wasn't as scary as all the rumors made him seem. Some people just can't handle the heat of his fire style.

"Suigetsu, we haven't won yet, this war has only just begun." If what they were told was correct, Madara knew how to fight against his soul being released back into the afterlife. By the nonplused look Madara wore as his body was being released, it seemed as if their information was correct.

"What poor timing, I had thought that Kabuto would last longer in his battle. No matter. You survived thus far, perhaps you will continue to amuse me as I show you my true power." Madara brought his hands together, forming the seals to keep his reanimated body reanimated. The transparency he was beginning to have was gone, in fact he seemed to look even more alive as he fully solidified. "Nagato, it is time." He created a clone and wrapped both the clone and the Pain/Konan duo within it. With a swing of its 4 arms, it smacked Deidara from the sky. Sasori's threads slowed his descent before Deidara could impact at a near-fatal speed into the terrain below.

"Yes Madara." Another piece clicked into place for Konan, she was understanding Nagato's place. Hinata's words, Zetsu's stalking, Obito's claims, they were all becoming clear. The paths of pain all gathered together, summoning the Gedo statue. The Akatsuki members were familiar with he statue, however seeing it 'alive' enough to fight was something else entirely.

"I did not crush you in my reanimated form, I will just have to do it as I walk the land of the living. The thrill of life or death will make our dance that much more invigorating, perhaps you will actually pose a threat, show me what you have, Akatsuki."

As pain readied the Rinne-rebirth, Konan's stoic facade broke completely as she began to plead to Nagato. "Pain...Nagato, please don't. You'll die. Can't you see, if this is what they are asking from you, you are just being used. What about your plan for peace. How can you achieve it if you are dead." She stared Yahiko's body in the eyes, trying to convince Nagato to not give up his life. She expected the summoning, but for him to give his life up for Madara's? Hinata was right.

"This is for peace Konan, I will die for the sake of peace, it is my role, my destiny. Do not try to convince me otherwise." He sounded so cold, so unlike the Nagato that always spoke to her with that twinge of affection. They were family and yet he was so cold now.

"Please Nagato, don't leave me, I can't lose you too." Konan's tears flowed, she couldn't stop them. No matter how hard she tried, they just kept coming.

"Yahiko gave his life for peace, I will do the same. If you cannot bare to watch me die, leave. Get away from here, go somewhere to find peace and solace in our new world." Pain smiled, it was small but just enough. He was cold, ready to die, and yet he softened once again just for her. "Goodbye my family. Goodbye Konan." The paths of pain dropped dead as beams of white light began to surround Madara.

"NAGATO!" She dropped to her knees, gripping the cold hand in her own. First Yahiko, now Nagato. Her sorrow was overwhelming but her anger was blinding as Madara began to laugh. He was nothing but a pawn to them, and they should have realized it sooner, peace would not be reached by someone as cruel as Madara.

Madara flexed his hands, feeling the warmth of life flow through his veins once more."What a good pawn. He served his purpose well." The rest of the Akatsuki stared in differing levels of befuddlement, nobody was truly expecting their former leader to give up his life to bring Madara back to life. Their plans differed greatly and to know that even their leader was truly a pawn as well, it was one thing to hear but another to truly see it.

"You, I'll kill you." Paper flooded from Konan body swarming like a sea in a wrathful hurricane. She was going to avenge Nagato and die alongside him, it was her fault for not following her gut earlier. If she had tried to convince Nagato, convinced him to leave when Hinata or Obito did, he'd be alive now.

"I do not like weakness, woman, but if you would like to dance, let's dance. I'll even be so gracious as to let you join the other Akatsuki to kill me...but tell me, how do you plan on surviving this?" Planetary Devestation. Madara's eyes upgraded once again, shifting from his Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan to the Rinnegan. He held his hands to the sky, grinning darkly. He had been waiting to play with his perfected body. The sky seemed to shift from dusk to midnight as the light was blocked out by a giant moon hurtling towards them.

"Well, fuck." Kisame intoned. He thought Itachi and Shishi had strong eyes but but Madara's were on an entirely different playing field.

"Fuck indeed" Itachi responded dryly, his expression was pure shock as he tried to calculate any way they'd survive this. If they weren't facing a fucking moon being thrown at them, everyone would have been more shocked at Itachi cursing. "Deidara, Konan. Do you think you have enough detonation power between the two of you to destroy it? If we break it into small enough pieces, I can cover us."

"Of course I do, un." Deidara scoffed haughtily, like it was stupid of Itachi to even ask if he could make that thing explode. It was large, massive even but that made it all the better. "Art is an explosion, and one of this size will be true art yeah. You in Konan?" His grin was borderline psychotic with the amount of excitement he felt towards making such a grande art showcase. Everyone was finally going to acknowledge his art and the true strength it held.

"Yes."

To be continued...I promise Hinata will be in the next chapter since thats what we're all here for.

A/N: Long time no write peeps, sorry life has been hectic with school and then having to go to online courses and leave campus. I'm kinda sad about it because it sucks to end my first year at uni so early. Oh well, I hope everyone is doing ok with the Coronavirus and stuff please stay safe and healthy! Next chapter we have a clash of titans and everyone will finally be meeting up and Hinata will meet Madara at long last so be ready!

​​​​​​​I have decided to have an update schedule on every Sunday and/or Monday for this book or my other one now that I am home and isolated from people, I won't have distractions beyond schoolwork. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, another one coming soon!

Question: How are you guys feeling about Coronavirus, how are you handling the situation, any worries?

My answer: I'm just salty I had to leave school because I actually really loved it and was happier than I had ever been, and online classes are gonna suck but I'm not too worried about actually getting the virus because I've decided a stupid virus can't kill me, plus im healthy so I think ill be ok. I won't die until I finish this damn book either way so it can come for me but I'm not gonna go down... but at least now I have more time to write again so thats really the only positive I can think of