Soon Naruto arrived at the battlefield. Well, his clone did.
The shadow clone appeared in a burst of smoke atop a jagged rock formation overlooking the warzone. From that vantage point, it could see everything.
The battlefield stretched endlessly, chaos unfolding in every direction. Smoke curled into the sky from burning terrain, and the constant clash of steel and jutsu echoed across the land.
Shinobi were locked in brutal combat with the White Zetsu. The creatures moved in unsettling ways, some mimicking fallen allies so perfectly that hesitation cost lives. Confusion spread in pockets of the battlefield as trust itself became a weapon.
Elsewhere, more experienced shinobi were facing the reanimated dead.
The clone's expression hardened slightly as it processed everything in an instant.
Without wasting time, it reached into its pouch and pulled out a kunai. One marked with a seal. The formula etched onto it glowed faintly, humming with chakra.
A Flying Thunder God marker.
With a quick flick of the wrist, the clone hurled it forward. The kunai spun through the air before embedding itself firmly into a large boulder near the center of the battlefield.
That single act set the stage.
The next moment, the clone dispersed.
A puff of smoke, and it was gone. It's memories flowing straight back to the original Naruto.
...
Meanwhile, the real Naruto and Bee were still on their way.
They had been moving at high speed through a dense forest when the atmosphere suddenly shifted. The air grew heavy, almost suffocating, as two figures appeared ahead of them.
Naruto slowed. Bee stopped beside him.
Standing there were Itachi Uchiha… and Nagato.
Both were unmistakable. Their presence alone carried weight, but they were currently in control of the Edo Tensei.
Itachi took control of his body. Using a bird he put in Naruto without him knowing.
The crow had been hidden deep within Naruto's chakra for a long time, planted carefully so it would never be noticed.
The moment Itachi activated it, it burst out in a quick flutter of black feathers before disappearing right back into Naruto's body, triggering the command it carried.
In that instant, the presence around Itachi changed completely. The stiffness from the Edo Tensei faded, replaced by something calm, aware, and fully in control.
Making him shocked, since when they did fight. Well he fought the fake Itachi. He was never put into Genjutsu. So he was very confused, but didn't question it.
Nagato was defeated by Naruto again and. Was sealed away by Itachi into his Susano.
The fight didn't last long. Naruto moved faster, cleaner, overwhelming Nagato before he could fully bring out the destructive power of the Rinnegan. As Nagato staggered, Itachi stepped forward without hesitation.
His Susanoo rose around him, massive and glowing, the Totsuka Blade forming in its hand. With a single precise motion, the blade pierced Nagato, sealing him instantly as his body faded into the gourd, disappearing completely.
'Another ability wasted,' Naruto thought, shaking his head.
Itachi turned to Naruto.
His expression was calm, his eyes steady as he looked at him properly now, no longer under anyone's control.
"You're stronger now. With that power, I feel you'll be able to defeat Madara," Itachi said.
" You think?" Naruto asked with a smile.
There was confidence in his tone, but also curiosity, as if he wanted to hear Itachi say it clearly.
Itachi smiled.
"I know. But remember, never forget the people that helped you become this powerful. If you do, you'll soon drown in Ego. And then, you'll end up just like Madara," he said.
His words carried weight, not as a warning shouted in urgency, but as something certain something he had already seen happen before.
'Yeah this would make sense to say to the real Naruto. Well the Naruto before me. He needed people to help him grow stronger when he could have done it by himself. Now I'm not saying he's wrong,' he thought.
Naruto's expression didn't change much, but his thoughts were clearly different from what Itachi expected. He understood the meaning behind the words, even if he didn't fully agree with how they applied to him.
Kurama spoke. 'You needed me or you wouldn't have been this strong, kid.'
Naruto simply pointed at him with his thumb, his face flat as if saying. 'Get a load of this guy.'
Kurama snorted, tails flicking lazily behind him but there was a hint of amusement in his eyes.
"I'll keep that in mind," Naruto replied with a nod.
"He's right, Naruto. Without big bro I don't think I'd be this strong," Bee said.
He tapped his chest lightly with his thumb as he spoke, giving a quick grin.
Itachi continued, his gaze steady.
"I'll leave Sasuke and Madara to you, Naruto. I feel only you can convince him, and make him forgive… not me, but Konoha."
There was a brief pause after he said it, as if he knew exactly how difficult that task would be. His eyes lingered on Naruto, searching for any hesitation.
Naruto laughed, hiding a smirk.
"Oh don't worry, I know exactly what I need to do."
His tone was light, almost too confident, like he had already decided how everything would play out.
Seeing this, Itachi got a bit worried.
A faint crease formed in his brow.
"Don't hurt him too badly now."
His voice carried a subtle concern, one only noticeable if you paid close attention.
"Alright, I need to go stop the Edo Tensei. Good luck, Uzumaki Naruto," he said before leaping away.
His body blurred as he vanished into the distance, moving with purpose. There was no hesitation in his departure he had already chosen his role in this war.
Naruto turned to Bee and put his hand on his shoulder.
"Let's go, fam."
"Ye—"
Before Bee could even finish.
In a blink, the two vanished completely from sight as they appeared at the battlefield.
The environment shifted instantly. One moment they were in open terrain, the next they stood in the middle of chaos.
"Ahhhh! What the heck!" Bee exclaimed as he looked around in shock.
His head turned rapidly from side to side, trying to process how they had moved so far in an instant.
The battlefield stretched out around them, filled with noise, movement, and destruction.
He then looked at Naruto. Naruto simply ignored him as he looked forward.
His eyes scanned the battlefield, taking everything in , the wounded, the exhausted, the ongoing fights that showed no signs of stopping.
'Time to stop this war before anyone else dies or gets hurt,' he thought.
His expression hardened slightly. Then he made his world-famous hand sign.
"Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
POOOOF
A massive cloud of smoke exploded outward from his position, expanding rapidly and swallowing the area around him.
The sudden appearance of such an enormous chakra signature made several shinobi stop mid-battle.
Some turned in confusion. Others in fear. For a brief moment, many thought a new enemy had appeared.
As it cleared, they saw them. Hundreds of blonde-haired ninja stood there. Each one identical. Each one radiating the same presence.
Naruto, the real one smiled.
"Alright guys. Go help our friends. Make it quick!" Naruto commanded.
"YEAAHH!" they all responded in unison.
Their voices echoed across the battlefield.
The next moment, they moved.
Clones scattered in every direction, launching themselves into different sections of the battlefield. The ground rumbled under the sheer number of them moving at once, their presence immediately shifting the momentum of the war.
A loud rumble echoed through the battlefield as they marched forward. Leaving Naruto and Bee behind.
Naruto watched them go for a brief second.
' I want to go to the real front lines. That's where Gaara and them are. I'll just wait for a clone to get there for now. Let's blow these guys in front of us,' he thought. He then realized what he just said ' Pause'
His gaze shifted toward a group of White Zetsu ahead, their numbers thick as they pressed against a group of struggling shinobi.
"Alright, I'm joining in," Naruto said before instantly storming forward.
The ground cracked beneath his feet as he launched himself into the fight, moving like a streak of motion straight toward the enemy lines.
TO BE CONTINUED