Nanashi stepped forward, not hesitating. 

"Nahiko? You are the Kazekage now? You've grown..... I'm proud, and I'm sure your mother is too."

Rasa, or rather, Nahiko, stood frozen. "How....? How are you alive? I watched you die!"

Nanashi smiled sadly. "And I did die. but a while back I seemed to have come back. I'll explain later. First, we have a snake to deal with."

The redhead turned to Orochimaru and his entourage.  "You deign to mark one of my clan? The Uzumaki bloodline will never be yours. Not to mention that boy, the grey haired one, reminds me of the Kotoko clan, and the Kaguya originate from Uzushio. Orochimaru, you are an enemy of Uzushio, and I won't tolerate it."

Nahiko nodded. "And for assuming the position of Kazekage without my knowing or permission, as well as plotting to use my village to attack our ally, you are not welcome near Suna. Keep away from her borders."

Together, father and son rushed the enemy, and easily pushed aside the two minions. Chishima was drawn, and golden sand rose up. The sand was their defense, Chishima offense. As Nanashi wove around Orochimaru, he noticed small details, twitches, spasms, and looked closer, beyond the exterior.

He blocked a strike from Kusanagi, and retaliated, slicing Chishima through Orochimaru's Kimono, revealing a small nearly invisible seal, burned into his chest.

"Nahiko! Buy me time!" Nanashi lept back, and focused on Orochimaru's chakra, detecting corrosion and an almost poisonous substance spreading through the sannin's chakra. The red haired nin looked closer, eyes sharpening, narrowing. The outline of one large seal, interconnected with smaller seals, decorated the snake sannin's coils.  Nanashi was revolted by the seal. There were several control seals, restriction seals, corroding seals, and infect seals. Nanashi noticed they all were interlinked and gravitated around a single seal, on Orochimaru's tongue.

Danzo.

Nanashi felt anger begin boiling under his skin, and his power rose up, KI making everyone freeze in fear. It hit them like a wave, maintaining its strength. Nanashi walked up to Orochimaru, who stared in fear.

"I am sorry Orochimaru, for the wrongs committed upon you by Danzo, and I hope that next we meet, it be to you coming to me to remove those seals. Kaguya, You are obviously on the verge of collapse. Sit down and allow Kotoko to treat you. You are welcome to join me in our homeland until you heal. I'm sure you want to live to protect Orochimaru."

The Kaguya blinked. He turned to Orochimaru who was silent, face twisted as though having an inner battle. He turned back to Nanashi.

"I will go to your village, and Kabuto will join me. However, his healing skills are inefficient, as he has barely kept me standing."

"Worry not, I know someone. Let us go." Nanashi walked over to Nahiko, and pulled him into a hug.

"I am so, so proud of you. We'll meet up soon, and I promise I'll explain."

Nahiko nodded.

"Oh, and you are in trouble. After all, your son's mental condition is not right."

Nahiko froze. His father's punishments were never fun. He hung his head.

"I know. I'm working on it. I hope I can send him your way for a while?"

Nanashi looked back from his stance atop a dune, where Haku an Karin stood next to him, watching the two new members on their journey. He smiled.

"Of course."

They vanished, reappearing a few yards away as they took off, continuing across the desert, and Nahiko looked after them, a small smile on his face. His damaged heart was healing, The father he lost long ago returned.

.

.

The group stopped in a small town. They were close, Uzushio being just across the water. It was a far distance away, a mere shadow in the distance. They rested up, Nanashi taking a look at Kimimaro, and wincing at what he found. He had a severe lung sickness that was rapidly spreading throughout his body, causing muscle weakness and deterioration. 

The next day, they set out across the water. It took six hours, with Kabuto carrying Karin when she ran out of chakra, before the touched down on the beaches of Uzu.

Nanashi breathed in the air of home, and cried silently at the ruins. He made his way through the city, towards the center plaza fountain, and touched the spiral on the base. He channeled his chakra through it, and his hair whipped around him as he felt Uzushio hum. A huge pulse spread outward, expanding across the Elemental Nations.

Come home, children. Your Kage has returned.

In the north, on the Borders of Kumo, a group of elderly nomads turned southeast, tears streaming down their faces.

In the west, two jinchuriki packed and began moving east.

In Konoha, Hiasu pushed the feeling away, apologizing.

In a small gambling town, a certain Senju knocked back more sake, drowning out a voice she would never remember.

The chakra of Uzushio called out to all of her people. Those both old, and young turned and made their way to a home long forgotten, yet always remembered.