Chapter 6

Preparations

Konohagakure

Since Naruto returned from the Kage Summit, getting Konoha named as the leader of the Shinobi Alliance and becoming the Supreme Commander of the Alliance, the young Hokage has been busy. With the help of Hinata and his clones, he was able to divide reconstruction and financial records and military records. He was also training in his spare time, but he didn't have a way to train with the Kyubi just yet. So he settled for extending his Sage Mode's time as well as decreasing the time it took him to enter it.

Also during this time, Danzo had left Konoha for his new secondary base so he'd be able to conduct his own assaults on Akatsuki without being held back by the Alliance. He had left in secret, only Koharu and Homura knew he departed, and they were sworn to secrecy.

In the training field, Naruto was meditating, his legs crossed. His eyes were closed and he was breathing out, staying perfectly still. Reddish orange pigmentation was appearing around his eyes, and when it was fully there, he opened them. Frog-like yellow pupils had replaced his blue eyes, signifying he was in Sage Mode. He then looked at the watch on his wrist.

"Brought the time down to change to two minutes," he said, standing up. "Now to see how long I can stay in it."

In another part of Konoha, where Naruto had fought Pain while in his Six-Tailed form, Hinata was searching for something. Her Byakugan was activated, and she was scanning the area.

There has to be some left of it here... Hinata thought, walking past the place where Naruto had been pinned down by Pain. Using her sight, she looked into the ground...and then began digging. She found several small shards of the green crystal that the young Hokage used to wear around his neck before the Kyubi shattered it. Carefully picking them up, she put them into a bag she brought with her. "Alright..."

When she had gathered all the shards, she looked at the place where she confessed her love for Naruto, and her cheeks blushed. Taking a final breath, she left the place, carrying the shards of the Hokage's Necklace with her.

In another part of the village, Sakura was furiously training, again trying to put off talking to Naruto about what the Konoha 11's decision about Sasuke. The medic threw punch after punch, trying to increase her speed in taijutsu. All around her was fallen trees and walls of rock.

Sakura panted, doing another group of seals and the ground turned into a river of mud in front of her. "Doton: Doryū Taiga (Earth Release: Earth Flow River)!"

Like the rapids near a waterfall, Sakura's Doryu Taiga rushed forward, slamming into multiple trees and falling them ease. Looking at her handiwork, she wiped her forehead, breathing in through her nose.

I need to get stronger... Sakura thought, thinking of her teammates. When Naruto returned, we were more or less equal...but now he's grown so strong in just a few months...and Sasuke-kun... she breathed out. I need to catch up to them...

She looked up with determination in her eyes. "I need to find Kakashi-sensei."

At the same time, Naruto was sitting perfectly still in his chair. His eyes were closed, and an invisible blue aura began to appear around his body. Wafts of Natural Energy entered his body as the reddish-orange pigment appeared over his eyes. He then opened them, showing the toad-like iris and rectangular pupil.

"Alright, now time to see if I can stay longer than five minutes in Sage Mode now..."

With that, he lifted his pen and began doing his paperwork. In the trashcan, there were several broken pencils and pens from when he attempted to write before. He was still having trouble controlling the vast amount of physical strength Sage Mode grants for everyday purposes.

The minutes ticked by, and Naruto was mentally counting down the time to five minutes as he continued writing down. He pursed his lips, lifting up one of the new papers-it was an economic report, and he began pound his head with his pencil as he thought. By the time he figured out the problem, three more minutes had past and he was six minutes into the entire Sage Mode duration.

Naruto looked at the clock to see that six minutes have past, and the pigmentation around his eyes faded and his pupils turned back to normal. A smirk appeared on his face, and he lifted his arms up.

"Now gotta try for seven minutes...then for ten..." Naruto said, throwing up his hands as Kakashi appeared in the window.

"Yo," Kakashi said and his former student grinned, and opened the window.

"Hey sensei, too cool to use the door or something?" Naruto asked jokingly, and he leaned back as Kakashi entered.

"Yeah, well this is the easier way to enter," Kakashi said with a grin as he entered the room. "I have something for you, Naruto."

"What is it, sensei?" Naruto asked, leaning back as the Copy-Ninja handed him a set of tri-bladed kunai. "What are these?"

"Those are the kunai the Yondaime Hokage used to use his Hirashin no Jutsu (Flying Thunder God Technique), as well as his Jikukan Kekkai (Space-Time Barrier)," Kakashi replied with a grin. "He even used them to deflect a blast from the Kyubi no Yoko itself during the attack on Konoha 16 years ago."

Naruto's eyes widened in awe, and he lifted one of the kunai. "...dad used these...?"

"Yes, they earned him the name of the Yellow Flash," Kakashi said, taking a seat. "I think he would want you to have them."

These are the things that earned dad his nickname... Naruto thought in awe, looking at the tri-kunai in his hand. "Kakashi-sensei...has anyone else been able to figure out his jutsu?"

"No, Yondaime-sama was the only one who mastered the technique," Kakashi replied as Naruto nodded.

...I need to learn how to do this technique then... Naruto thought, and a smirk appeared on his face. Just watch dad, I'm gonna surpass you!

Akatsuki Hideout

Madara had returned to the hideout, and a vortex appeared over his visible eye. Sasuke, Karin, Jugo, and Suigetsu were disgorged from the dimension he sent them to, landing in a heap on the floor. Zetsu's venus-fly trap body emerged from the ground and opened nearby.

"Kisame's in position. The plan went off without a hitch," Zetsu's white and black halves reported.

"Excellent," Madara said, walking over to the table as Karin lifted her head. Madara discarded his damaged mask, reaching for another spiral one. "How is Sasuke's healing, girl?"

"...he's almost at full health," Karin reported as Sasuke looked up, pushing himself up to standing position.

What was that last technique Naruto used...? Sasuke thought, thinking of that last clash as he walked to the wall.

Naruto created two Kage Bushins again, and both dropped smoke bombs down to shield themselves from Sasuke's eyes. The Uchiha's new crossbow aimed and there was then the sound of a whirling, buzz-saw like thing. The smoke cleared away and there was Naruto with his two clones, holding the Futon: Rasenshuriken over his head.

What the hell is that attack? Sasuke thought as blood dripped from his eye, as well as blood dripping from Naruto's side. It doesn't matter, I'll kill him with my this last shot!

Two more arrows were loaded in the now fully armored Susano'o's crossbow, and Naruto took a deep breath. The Rasenshuriken spun over his head faster, and he took a step forward. The two attacks were insanely fast...this would determine which was faster.

Just as Sasuke set one arrow flying, Naruto threw the Rasenshuriken. The rapidly spinning attack sounded like a buzz-saw on steroids as it flew through the air and hit the Susano'o just as it fired. The impact of the attack disrupted Sasuke's aim, sending the arrow flying into the ceiling. The armor...began cracking...as the Rasenshuriken continued to bore into it...and then...

Like a panel of glass, it shattered into a million pieces and the high spinning Rasenshuriken flew past and out of the fortress, crashing into one of the Wolf Maw peaks and cutting it in half before exploding a full second later! Sasuke groaned in pain as his Susano'o crashed away.

It destroyed even Susano'o... Sasuke thought, pursing his lips in anger and he punched the wall next to him. How could Naruto get that strong in such a short amount of time?

He remembered, nearly five months prior when he and Naruto had met up again in Orochimaru's hideout. Naruto couldn't even fight him then, and he had suppressed a tiny fraction of the Kyubi's might which had leaked out of the seal.

"There is also something else," Zetsu said, and he turned to Sasuke. "You're going to like this, Sasuke."

"What is it?" Madara asked, securing his new mask.

"Danzo is on the move," Zetsu replied. "And completely vulnerable as well, it looks like he's heading to a new ROOT base in the volcanic mountains of Southern Fire Country."

Sasuke looked up at that, as did Madara. The younger Uchiha's rage exploded at the mention of Danzo's name, and the Susano'o partially formed as his eyes shifted to the Mangekyo Sharingan.

"Where is he now?" Sasuke demanded, his teammates stepping back at his display of power.

"He is currently nearly 100 kilometers away from Konoha," Zetsu's black half replied calmly. "Better wait until he's further away from the village if you want to attack, Sasuke."

"I agree," Madara said calmly as Sasuke's rage lessened. "You'll get your shot, Sasuke. Give it a few days, then Danzo will be far away from Konoha so you can attack with impunity."

Sasuke breathed in and the Susano'o faded around him, and his eyes shifted back to normal. "Very well..." he replied as he began walking. This will give me some time to prepare then...I won't walk into another hornet's nest...

Madara vanished from the room using his jutsu, reappearing at the Gedo Mazo statue. Seven Bijuu were sealed inside it, and he smirked. Squeezing his hand into a tight fist, his Sharingan morphed to the Eternal Mangekyo, and he partially synced with the statue. Its mouth slowly opened, and he stepped back as a massive blob of chakra shot out. Seven insect wing-like tails appeared, colored yellow orange. They connected-turning green to an insectoid thorax, where the color began to turn blue. Six blue legs-each with a scythe were attached to the thorax which had two spines on its shoulders, and three indentations on each side of the thorax. Its head had a mouth with several teeth, below which were its mandibles...and a massive horn on top of its head completed the demon's physique.

"First shots of the war will be mine...and I have the perfect target," Madara said, immediately controlling the third strongest Bijuu with his Sharingan...then sucking it in. "And the perfect target is..."

With that, he vanished into a vortex he created with the Nanabi.

Fire Country, Northern Railway Hub

Ever since the Snow Country developed the steam engine nearly 40 years ago, and the subsequent invention of the locomotive, the Land of Fire had been the forerunner of steam technology. Dozens of train tracks all met at this hub in the northern railway station of the Fire Country. The smell of burning coal and wood was prevalent in the area, and all the trains that went to and from the hub went to most of the countries in the area. Thousands of workers toiled at the station, getting ready for the troop influx that the other countries would be sending for the war. Steam rose from the tracks and the idle trains in several tracks.

Just as the first locomotive began pulling up with hundreds of samurai from the Land of Iron, Madara arrived on the outskirts. He smirked behind his mask, seeing the pitiful defenses around the Hub. Only a few royal samurai from the Daimyo were stationed here, and there weren't even Konoha Shinobi stationed here yet.

"Perfect," Madara said and a massive vortex opened around his eye. The Nanabi no Kabutomushi surged out of the vortex, roaring, its six legs raising around its thorax. Akatsuki's leader still controlled it, and sent it charging at the railway hub.

The massive insect demon smashed into the incoming train from Iron Country, its scythe-like feet slashing through the rails. It smashed its horn through the ground, sending many people and equipment flying through the air. It gave a loud roar, sending a massive shockwave through the ground, ripping up the railways and destroying buildings. The shockwave even sent the parked trains flying high into the sky, and when they landed their boilers ruptured and exploded.

The swiftness of the attack didn't allow for any counter attack from few defenders around the hub. The Nanabi's mouth opened wide, and a green vortex of chakra appeared over its mandibles. It then fired the blast right at the large railway station where people were trying to flee from the Bijuu's rampage.

The Menacing Ball smashed into the ground, boring at the station before it exploded. A massive dome of energy engulfed the station and the surrounding areas, nearly half a mountain range would be completely annihilated if the Nanabi shot at one. The dome broke, and a secondary shockwave pulsed out of the center of the menacing ball, vaporizing and flattening everything for several kilometers. A large mushroom cloud raised from the area, and Madara smirked, completely unharmed due to his ability.

"Excellent. First blood is mine," he said, leaping at the Nanabi before sucking it back into his dimension, and he himself vanished.

All that was left of the station was a massive crater. It was like a meteor had struck...there was nothing left standing, and the rail lines were ripped apart for kilometers. Madara had struck a blow that would cripple troop movements for months...

Konoha

Sakura was walking down the newly constructed streets of the village, trying to find Kakashi. Shikamaru was still shadowing her, pursing his lips. He continued to wonder when Sakura would talk to Naruto about the Konoha 11's decision about Sasuke, thinking she was putting it off.

Alright Sakura, are you going to have to make me do it? Shikamaru thought.

Sakura looked up and she saw Kakashi walking idly down the street, reading one of his favorite perverted books. She took off running after him, a look of determination appearing on her face.

"Kakashi-sensei!" she called out and the Copy Ninja paused, and glanced back to wait for her to catch up.

"Sakura? What's up?" Kakashi asked her as she panted a little bit from her sprint.

"I...need you to train me..." Sakura said, rising up and Kakashi blinked. "I need to get stronger, Kakashi-sensei, and Shishiou is still unconscious...please...I need to get stronger..."

Kakashi sighed. "Sakura..."

"The only things you've taught me are the tree-walking and genjutsu kai, nothing else sensei," Sakura continued firmly, looking up at him. "And those were three entire years ago. You've ignored me in favor of Naruto and Sasuke...when I was a genin, you barely taught me anything other than those two things. No new jutsus, no combat skills and techniques, nothing."

Her teacher winced at that. "Well...you do have a poin..."

"Please sensei. I need this. I won't be on the sidelines when Naruto faces Sasuke, I want to help," Sakura finished, and Kakashi breathed out.

"...very well Sakura," Kakashi said. You didn't really need to lay it on that thick though... he thought and she looked at him directly in the eye. "I will start teaching you ninjutsu and help you improve your taijutsu."

Sakura's face brightened. "Thank you, sensei!"

Kakashi nodded. "You're welcome."

To be continued...

Author's Notes:

Sorry for the extremely long wait this time. I've been in between computers (I just got a new one from a friend and am still waiting on the drivers for the new video card), so I haven't been able to figure out when and how to update. Thank you for your patience.

In other news, the first shot of the war has formally begun. I've always thought that the Naruto world did at least have steam power, and the first movie confirms it in my eyes. Though its still a relatively new technology, not widely implemented through the Five Great Nations, basically only connecting the major cities, not the ninja villages.

Hope you liked that attack, plenty more are planned in the future.