Chapter 23 - Naruto Universe Part 2: Reanimated During the Fourth Shinobi War

The following chapter briefly references characters that only appeared in filler arcs and OVA episodes.

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***

War had come to the shinobi world.

The five great shinobi nation's original force of eighty thousand was heavily bolstered from forces contributed by the Hidden Star, Hidden Grass, Hidden Frost, Hidden Rain, Hidden Waterfall, and the remnants of the Hidden Sound to a number of over one hundred thousand shinobi.

Tsunade, the Fifth Hokage, had woken from her coma just in time to participate in the war since Danzo had been disgraced and ȧssassinated.

Ay and Tsunade were stationed at the alliance headquarters to monitor the movements on the battlefield.

Gaara and Onoki, accompanied by the young Hoshikage of the Hidden Star, Sumaru, and the leader of the Hidden Waterfall, Shibuki, were with the allied forces directly on the battlefield.

Mei, Kenji, and the leaders of the Frost and Grass were placed as guards over the nations' Daimyos.

The allied forces were met in equal force by an army of one hundred thousand White Zetsu clones and an ȧssorted force of shinobi who had been reanimated by Kabuto.

Naruto Uzumaki and Killer Bee had been hidden in secret initially, the war having been kept secret from the nine tails Jinchuriki, but once he had detected the battles through his new mastery of the Biju's power, Naruto had been quick to join the fight alongside the eight tails Jinchuriki.

Thanks to this and the alliance's foresight of preparing extensive barrier and sealing teams the tide of war had shifted in the favor of the allied shinobi forces. The Zetsu army had already been cut in half and the majority of the reanimated ninja, even former Kage, had been sealed away.

***

(Land of Lightning: Day 2 of the 4th Great Shinobi War...)

Nagato felt his consciousness return to his body, finding that he wasn't in control. His body felt strange as if his free will had been sapped from it while his mind was still active. Seeing his hair as it fell in his eyes, he realized it was no longer red as it used to be but white. He realized then that whatever happened.

He wasn't supposed to be alive.

Members of the Uzumaki Clan were famous for slow aging, their hair never greying as they grew older. The only time an Uzumaki's hair color changed was when their chakra left their body, leaving their bright red hair a haunting white.

'Why am I alive? What's going on? Where's Konan?'

The former Akatsuki leader looked around, hoping to find the answer to his questions when saw a familiar face standing near. Only... the face was of someone he was sure had died.

"Itachi. What's happening?"

The Uchiha looked over at his former leader, "I'm not sure. I thought I was dead."

Nagato looked at his hands, "So did I."

There was a familiar rustle of paper as a third figure joined them.

"It's the Reanimation Jutsu," Konan's voice was full of despair as her figure took form, "Invented by the Second Hokage and used by Orochimaru. Since they are both dead, I guess that Kabuto is responsible for this."

Nagato stared wide-eyed at his wife, "Konan..." panic filled his eyes, "Our child! What happened to our child!"

A tear fell from the resurrected woman's cheek, "Forgive me Nagato, I never got to see him grow up."

Itachi stared at them in shock, "You had a child?"

Nagato bowed his head, rage filling him, "What happened?"

The three of them felt a silent command force them to walk forward. Nagato's body, still weak from his state when he died, stumbled. Konan and Itachi caught him and let him lean on them as they walked.

The Uzumaki looked at his wife again, "Konan?"

Konan's body trembled, "Madera came for your Rinnegan and I tried to kill him. I very nearly succeeded until he used a Jutsu called Izanagi.

Itachi's eyes widened, "Izanagi?"

Nagato noted the pained expression on Konan's face, "You tried, Konan," he tried to reassure her.

The purpled-haired woman blinked back tears, "When I failed, our village tried to reverse-summon our child to the Hidden Leaf to be placed under Naruto's care."

Nagato felt his anger subside at the name of the Jinchuriki. Naruto had been the reason he had found peace after so many years of despair. He had much to thank the young man for.

"Madera used a Genjutsu on me and discovered our son's existence."

Nagato caught his breath, "A son?"

Konan didn't hold back her tears at this point, "He was so beautiful, Nagato. He looked just like you except he had my eyes. He never cried, but he made me so happy. I wish you could have seen him."

Nagato felt his own tears silently run down his cheeks, "I sorry, Konan. I should have been there."

Konan shook her head, "You didn't do anything wrong, Nagato. I'm sure he's proud of who his father is."

The Uzumaki felt a sudden thrill run through his body, "He's alive?"

Konan nodded, her gaze still focused on their path ahead, "I was able to break the Genjutsu in time to stop Madera from taking him. I used the ritual seal for the reverse summoning to escape, but it was damaged, so we never made it to the Hidden Leaf. We ended up in a universe much different from ours. My only memories before dying were giving our son to a couple who found me," she smiled softly at the memory, "They will take good care of him, I know."

Nagato closed his eyes, "As long as he's safe and happy, I can't ask for anything more. I would have liked to see him just once, though."

Itachi spoke up, "We mustn't give up, hope. We may be forced to fight our friends for now, but there must be a way to break the Jutsu. If we do, we may be able to fulfill our final regrets."

Konan sighed wistfully, "I hope you're right."

***

(Several hours later...)

The three reanimated shinobi had exited the forest they had been traveling through to arrive at the edge of a large lake.

"We've been walking quite a while. Ever since the sun has started to rise," Itachi observed, "It's got to be time for us to fight then."

"But who are we fighting against?" Nagato voiced the fear they all felt.

"I shudder to think," Konan answered. Her eyes flickered to the far edge of the lake, "Its..."

Nagato raised his head, his Rinnegan confirming their suspicions, "No way..."

"Are they close?" Itachi asked.

Nagato smiled softly at the chakra he detected, "Something feels familiar... nostalgic."

Two figures, Killer Bee carrying the legendary Samehada sword taken from the recently dead Kisame and Naruto coated in the bright golden chakra of the nine tails, skidded to a stop in front of them.

Naruto gasped at the three familiar people facing him, "Itachi Uchiha? Nagato? Konan?"

"You know these people, Naruto?" Killer Bee asked.

Naruto nodded, "Yeah, I know all of them."

"Incredible," Nagato mused, "I never thought I would have to battle you again, Naruto. Not like this. It may be a long time since we last met, but for me, it's only been moments. You're different now."

Naruto gave his relative his signature grin, "Yeah, I've now mastered the nine tails power. Thanks to you, I understood true pain. Then everyone else, my parents, my friends, everyone helped me."

Nagato returned the smile, "Not only that, but you are stronger in other ways. I see it in your face."

Konan clenched her hands tightly, her bloodless body unable to bleed as her nails dug into her palms, "To have us fight the godfather of our child," her voice shook with emotion, "It's unforgivable."

Naruto's eyes widened, "Child? Godfather? What?"

"Konan gave birth to a son sometime after I died," Nagato stated, much to the shock of the two Jinchuriki, "He's hidden in a safe place, far from here," he bowed his head, "For his sake, Naruto, stop us."

Itachi frowned, "Naruto, there's something I must ask you."

Suddenly the three reanimated shinobi stiffened as they felt their bodies move to attack.

Itachi raised a hand in a hand seal. 'Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!'

A ball of fire spewed from the Uchihas lips and hurtled at the two Jinchuriki

Konan raised her arms. 'Paper Shower!'

A hail of origami blades rained from the sky.

Killer Bee pulled Samehada off his back and brought it down to slash through Itachi's Jutsu while Naruto created several chakra limbs from his back to fend off Konan's paper.

Samehada growled at its new owner in displeasure, the semi-sentient sword disliking the heat.

"Too hot, huh? When will I learn?" Killer Bee apologized.

Itachi's body disappeared, revealing itself to be a clone.

"Above you!" Nagato warned.

Naruto looked up and saw Itachi coming at them from above and jumped up to meet him.

"Where's Sasuke?" Itachi demanded, trading blows with the blonde Uzumaki.

Naruto grunted as he deflected a strike to the face, "He says he's going to destroy the Leaf Village! He even went and joined up with the Akatsuki!"

Itachi eyes widened in shock, "Why did he turn his back on the village?"

"He found out the truth about your top-secret mission!" Naruto dodged a series of heavy kicks from the Uchiha, "And now he's going to destroy the Leaf!"

Nagato frowned, "What secret mission?"

Konan moved to attack Killer Bee, "What does he mean?"

Itachi gritted his teeth, "Did Madera...?" he pushed himself away, creating some distance.

Naruto nodded, "Yeah he did. He also told me the truth about what happened too."

"Oh, he did, did he?" Itachi's voice was deceptively calm.

"Just tell me," Naruto demanded, "Was it or was it not the truth? Was the Uchiha Clan really going to take over the Hidden Leaf Village?"

Nagato and Konan gasped.

"Naruto," Itachi's voice was stern, "That's enough."

Nagato looked at Itachi, "Is he telling the truth?"

"Was that..." Konan hesitated, "The true reason you slaughtered your clan. To protect your village."

"Itachi, you made yourself look like the bad guy to save Sasuke and the whole Hidden Leaf," Naruto said, "Sasuke understands all of your pain and your resolve to do what you did, but Sasuke isn't like you. He's really going to destroy the Hidden Leaf. He's going to kill everyone to avenge the pain the village caused his older brother that he loved so much."

"Does everyone in the village know about this as well?" Itachi queried.

"There wasn't any proof of what Madera told us," Naruto revealed, "So Kakashi-sensei said to keep quiet."

"Then please, Naruto, you cannot let the Uchiha Clans name be tarnished. Also–"

Nagato suddenly raised his hand. 'Damn! My body is moving on its own!'

"Universal Pull!"

Naruto's body was suddenly being pulled towards Nagato's hand by an unseen force. Nagato raised his other hand and pulled a boulder from the lake to crush the Jinchuriki. A beam of red chakra shot out of Naruto's body and shattered the boulder and breaking Nagato's hold.

Konan raised her arm, "That's was nicely dodged, Naruto! Head's up! Beware it coming around!"

The kunoichi launched a paper chakram at the teen, forcing him to dodge as it homed in on him.

Itachi called out to Naruto, "You'll have to take care of Sasuke."

"I was always gonna do that!" Naruto responded.

Itachi smiled softly, "I was right to believe you could finish this."

"Beware!" Nagato warned as he was forced to weave hand signs, slamming his hand to the ground, "Summoning Jutsu!"

There was a roar as two giant beasts, a two-headed dog and a long-billed bird appeared.

Itachi appeared behind Killer Bee, "Behind you!"

The eight tails Jinchuriki swung Samehada in a counter move, "Got it!"

"Above!" Konan's cried as she rained down paper shuriken.

The two living shinobi easily move to safety.

Itachi wove more hand signs. 'Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!'

Several flame enshrouded shuriken flew at Killer Bee.

Killer Bee used his eight tail powers to enlarge the size of his hand to act as a shield.

A huge tentacle burst from the ground and grabbed Itachi before the Uchiha could move.

"Hah! I gotcha good! Fool ya fool!" the Jinchuiki chanted, revealing he was the one behind the attack.

Meanwhile, Naruto had created a large chakra arm from his back and smashed the giant dog summoning into the ground.

"Don't let your guard down!" Nagato warned from where he sat on the bird summoning.

A third head grew from the fallen canine and it started to get up.

Naruto reeled back, "What the... What?"

Konan appeared in front of him, "Dodge!"

Naruto followed her advice and used the body flicker to avoid her.

Killer Bee approached to restrained Itachi, planning on using Samehada to sap his chakra. The Uchiha's body disappeared into a flock of crows, revealing itself to be a Genjutsu.

"Don't look into my eyes!" Itachi warned as he revealed himself.

"Samehada!" Killer Bee called out.

The sword opened its mouth and spat out a number of swords for its user to defend himself from a barrage of shuriken sent his way. Killer Bee grabbed the swords, using his Acrobat stance, and launched himself at Itachi. The Uchiha was hard set to dodge the unpredictable attacks, even with his Sharingan."

Naruto tried hitting the dog with a Rasenshuriken but to no avail. The beast just kept growing more heads.

"He multiplies when you hit him," Nagato informed, "Knock me out first!"

Konan landed near Nagato as Itachi jumped up to join them, his Sharingan changing.

Naruto crouched defensively, "Watch it, Octopops! He's gonna use the Mangekyo Sharingan! If your hit by Amateratsu or Tsukuyomi, you're dead!"

Itachi's eyes blazed as the pattern changed to reveal his most dangerous weapons, the Mangekyo.

Naruto suddenly felt sick. His body heaved as it tried to regurgitate something.

"Naruto!" Bee called out as something black began coming out of the young shinobi's mouth.

With one last grunt, Naruto spat out the crow which instantly took off flying towards the reanimated shinobi.

Nagato narrowed his eyes when he saw the red and black Sharingan implanted in the crow's left eyes, "Itachi, what is that?"

The Uchiha didn't answer as blood seeped from the corner of his right eye.

***

(Flashback... Several months before...)

"Why are you so obsessed with my brother?" Itachi asked, "He's just a rogue ninja."

Naruto stared at his hunter calmly, "It's true that we may not be blood, but... he's more a brother to me than you ever were to him."

To the blonde's surprise, Itachi smiled.

The Uchiha opened his cloak, and a flock of crows flew out, surrounding the Jinchuriki.

"You are already inside my Genjutsu. No need to worry, I just want to talk," Itachi's voice sounded out from all around the forest glade. Itachi appeared in the air in front of Naruto, "I'm aware you want to take Sasuke back to the Leaf, but what if he doesn't go with you as you want?"

Naruto gritted his teeth, "I'll do anything to make it happen!"

"Even taking him by force," Itachi queried, "Sure, if you're lucky, Sasuke will just obediently return with you to the village. Tell me, what if the opposite were to happen?"

"What are you talking about?"

Itachi stared at his prey pointedly, "You just said yourself that you consider Sasuke to be like a brother to you. What if Sasuke were to attack the Hidden Leaf? What will you do then?"

Naruto stared at his hunter in disbelief, "Why would... No. There's no way that Sasuke would ever do something like that!"

"Sasuke is still a blank canvas," Itachi pointed out, "He can easily be dyed to any color. If he resists, will you be able to stop him... or even kill him? if need be?" Itachi motioned a finger at Naruto and a crow flew to the Jinchuriki, "I will share some of my power with you. Though I hope the day that you will have to use it never comes..."

***

Naruto held an arm over his mouth as he remembered the crow being pushed into his mouth while caught in the Genjutsu, "Come to think of it..."

Itachi slowly closed his eyes.

Konan called out a warning, "Naruto, watch out! It's Amaterasu!"

Killer Bee threw one of his swords at Itachi, but Konan was forced to deflect it with her origami. 'Damn it! I still can't control it!'

Itachi's eye flew open, locking with the Sharingan in the crow's eye.

The crow flapped in place, its Sharingan eye locking with the eyes of the undead figures standing together. As it looked, the Sharingan evolved into a Mangekyo. At that moment the Itachi, Nagato, and Konan all felt something change drastically.

Kabuto sat up in alarm, "What was that?" he looked around the cave he was sitting in confusion, "What the hell just happened?"

"Ah, so that's it," Itachi realized.

"Is this your doing Itachi?" Nagato asked.

"In a way."

Konan flexed her fingers, "I think we all know what to do."

The dog and the bird summonings disappeared in a cloud of smoke

Naruto tensed as his former opponents landed near him.

"Take it easy. We are no longer being controlled," Itachi told him, "I used a new Genjutsu against the enemy's Jutsu."

The Jinchuriki blinked, "Huh?"

"This Genjutsu ordered us to protect the Leaf Village. The Reanimation Jutsu is undone. Thanks to that crow, it emerged in response to my Mangekyo Sharingan I prepared it just in case for a time just like this."

Killer Bee landed on a nearby treetop, "What are you talking about?"

"I implanted it in the crow's left eye. Shisui Uchiha's Mangekyo Sharingan. The ultimate Genjutsu, Kotoamatsukami. That Genjutsu broke Kabuto's control over me. However, it seems that it's unable to be used again for many years."

"Shisui Uchiha?" Konan breathed, "The Teleporter?"

"Shisui's visual prowess is unique," Itachi explained, "It creates a powerful Genjutsu that allows you to control someone without them realizing it. I programmed the Genjutsu to protect the Hidden Leaf into Shisui's eye. I then put the command in the crow's eye and gave to crow to Naruto," he stared at the dark bird thoughtfully as it sat perched on a nearby branch, "Of course, I never realized I'd be using it myself someday."

"Why did you even have that eye in the first place?" Naruto asked, confused, "And why did you give it to me?"

Itachi's Mangekyo reverted to his normal Sharingan, "Self-sacrifice. A true shinobi does set out to seek glory. They protect from the shadows. That is a mark of a true ninja. Shisui was the one who taught me that. Shisui knew that a battle for the possession of his eyes would ensue after his death. He faked the destruction of his eyes and took his own life. I helped him by letting myself become the target of suspicion. The last time I saw Shisui, Danzo had already stolen his right eye. The left one was given to me. He instructed me to use it to protect the village and then disappeared."

Nagato and Konan tense at the familiar name. Danzo.

Itachi continued, "I gave that eye to you, Naruto. A ninja with the same integrity as Shisui. If Sasuke, whom I left behind, were to ever become a threat to the village, then I would have violated all that Shisui had entrusted to me to do. You were the only one who could ever make it right," Naruto caught his breath, at the statement, "You said that you consider Sasuke as a brother. That's why I knew that you were the only one that could stop him. I knew Sasuke would at least try to transplant my eyes into himself. He wanted that true power, the Eternal Mangekyo. If that did come to pass, that crow was set to emerge from you when you came into contact with my eyes. The crow would cast the Kotoamatsukami on Sasuke, making him want to protect the Leaf. That was my plan."

"Why didn't you just cast that Jutsu on Sasuke from the beginning?" Nagato gave the Uchiha a hard look, "Or why didn't you use it on us?"

Itachi turned to look at the Uzumaki, "It's not a matter of I didn't, but I couldn't. Not back then. Shisui's Mangekyo takes more than a decade to reactivate unless you have Hashirama Senju's chakra. Sasuke wanted me dead for many reasons. I had to concentrate on what my death would do to him."

"Itachi..." Naruto swallowed and tried again, "Thanks for putting your trust in me," the blonde looked at Nagato and Konan, "All of you... You don't have to worry any longer," he gave them a meaningful smirk, "You've done enough for the village. You don't need to do any more at all. Just let me take care of the rest of it."

The three deceased shinobi smiled fondly at the teen, remembering why they had entrusted the future in him when they were alive.

Itachi slightly bowed his head in thanks, "My little brother is luckier than he could ever imagine to have you as a friend."

Nagato clasped Konan's hand in his, exchanging glances with her before looking at Naruto, "We trust you, Naruto."

Konan's sensory tingled and she quickly manifested her wings, "Enemies!"

Nagato's body flickered next to Naruto, "Almighty Push!"

An invisible force deflected a wave of black sand just in time.

Konan took to the air as Itachi and Bee jumped back to make some distance.

Nagato narrowed his eyes, "Sasori?"

Itachi Sharingan observed the movements of the sand as it returned to its source, "No, someone older, and he's not alone."

Two figures appeared at the lake's edge, one dark-haired, middle-aged man surrounded by iron sand and one old man with a bristly mustache and beard who was levitating.

"There's no mistaking the sand," Nagato stated, "The younger one is the Third Kazekage."

Konan narrowed her eyes at the second male as bee began appearing from his clothing, "A member of the Hidden Stone's Kamizuru Clan and a user of the Lightened Boulder Jutsu. This must be the First Tsuchikage."

Naruto growled under his breath, "I hate this reania-whatever-you-call-it Jutsu."

Itachi glanced at the nine tails and eight tails Jinchuriki, "I'll stop the Reanimation Jutsu. I'll leave Madera to you two."

"Konan and I will fight off these two," Nagato stated.

"You can't kill them," Bee warned, "They can only be sealed away! It seems that this is a perfect Jutsu, you hear what I say? It's got no weak spot to my dismay."

"Didn't I tell you this already?" Itachi asked patiently, "Every single Jutsu has some kind of weak point. You just have to find it."

The eight tails Jinchuriki frowned, "I wonder about that."

Naruto raised his hands in the Shadow Clone hand signs, but Nagato stopped him, "Don't, you'll waste chakra."

The blonde teen shook his head stubbornly, "No way! I'm gonna put an end to this war all to myself, got it?"

The nine tails chakra faded and he suddenly panted for breath.

Itachi viewed Naruto thoughtfully, "You are stronger than before. You have much more power but as a result, you seem to have lost sight of something extremely important."

Nagato kept his eyes on the reanimated Kage, "Naruto, you know the reason you were accepted by the people of the Hidden Leaf Village. You understood them and fought for their acceptance. You said everyone who cared about you helped you get where you are," a sad expression passed over his face, "If you forget about everyone else because you now have power, you'll become arrogant and egotistical like I was. Like Madera."

"No matter how powerful you are, Naruto," Konan kindly warned, "Don't take it all on yourself. Because if you do, you will fail as I did."

Itachi inclined his head, "Your father, Minato fulfilled his duties as Hokage because of your mother Kushina and his comrades were at his side. You share your father's dream so never forget... Becoming Hokage isn't about getting people to acknowledge you. Only those already acknowledged will become Hokage. Never forget your friends."

The wind picked up whistling through the trees as silence fell over them all.

"Naruto," Killer Bee broke the silence, "I swore an oath to your father figure fella, Iruka, to protect you," he gave the teen a thumbs up, "You can't do this alone, bro! If I'm alive, I'm with yuh, raring to go! Yuh know?"

Naruto slowly looked at Itachi, "You're right, I just got caught up and forgot about that. I guess I thought I had to do it all alone."

"You are not alone, Naruto," Nagato stepped away from the Jinchuriki, "This time, instead of fighting as enemies, we will be allies."

Konan spread her arms calling up several sheets of paper, "Allies dedicated towards peace."

Itachi activated his Mangekyo and looked at the crow. A black flame engulfed its head, quickly burning the bird to ashes."

Naruto flinched back at the sight of the unquenchable Amateratsu, "Wha-?"

Itachi calmly watched the flames as they burned, "Shisui's eye won't work for another decade so you wouldn't be able to use it against Sasuke," he looked back at Naruto, "However, you possess something even more powerful than his eye. You and Shisui have the same soul. That is what he truly wanted to pass on. You don't need Shisui's eye anymore. The way you are now, you can stop Sasuke without it."

"But wait," Naruto protested, "If you're here now, you can talk to Sasuke. This time you can–"

"No."

Naruto flinched at the response.

"I tried to do everything myself too," Itachi's expression saddened before changing to a hopeful smile, "And I failed. So this time, I will leave that task for a comrade to handle."

Nagato smiled, "You are not only powerful, Itachi, but much wiser than I ever was."

Itachi turned away, "Killer Bee, Naruto, leave the Kage to Konan and Nagato. I will take care of the caster of the Reanimation Jutsu."

Konan glanced at Uchiha, "Nagato and I will follow as soon as we finish here."

Itachi nodded at disappeared into the woods.

Naruto stared after him a moment, "Alright Octopops," he reactivated his nines tails mode, "Let's do this."

Nagato sent Naruto a closed-eyed smile, "You've got this, Naruto."

The Jinchuriki nodded, launching himself in the air, "See if you can stick around somehow! I still want to know about my godson!"