AN* And I have returned, finally. I know that many of you are probably annoyed at the delay but my muse is fickle and I couldn't seem to focus on this story, likely because it is so close to ending. Anyways since there are no urgent reviews to explain I will leave this at a high note and say this. I GOT MY LAPTOP BACK! I know, I know this seems rather childish but I have missed my HP and I haven't had it for almost three years(yes it took that long for me to finally have the money to spare to get my computer fixed, and for the damn computer shop to figure out the problem), and now that it is back I feel more inspired to write than ever, especially given the fact that I now have a lot of other stories that I had given up on ever seeing again. Anyways on to the reason that you are all here.

The Four Kages

Naruto and Hao observed from the air for a moment as they arrived at the battlefield and noted that the Zetsu had fallen back and that it was just the four Kages walking towards the army.

"What's our best play here?" Naruto asked with a frown.

"Divide and conquer." Hao replied calmly "I will deal with Mū myself since I can counter his Jinton. Let Gaara face his father though have Yugito on standby to assist if it looks bad for him. I would recommend that you face the Raikage. Wind beats lightning after all."

"Then who should we have dealing with the Mizukage?" Naruto asked.

"Roshi and Yukimaru."

"You sure about that?" Naruto asked with a frown "I mean Yukimaru is still pretty green."

"He has to learn eventually." Hao remarked "If you have a better plan I am willing to hear it."

Naruto sighed as he nodded and guided the board down to the ground alongside Hao. Once they landed the army seemed to come back to life at the sight of their leader and his legendary teacher. The pair walked to the frontlines where Gaara was standing with Temari and Kankuro, the three of them staring at their father.

"He's yours Gaara." Naruto stated.

"Are you certain?" Gaara asked, a little uneasy.

"I trust you. You have the best chance of beating him and while you're at it get some closure."

"What about us?" Kankuro asked.

"Standby for now. Keep an eye on things and be ready to jump in if things start to get bad." Naruto stated calmly "Temari, go get the other Jinchuruki, it's time we took to the front."

"Got it." Temari nodded as she moved into the ranks to find the other three. Once the other three arrived Naruto quickly explained their orders and recieved nods from Yugito and Roshi in turn and a nervous look from Yukimaru.

"Just relax and trust yourself." Naruto smiled "You've been training hard for this moment and it's time to show the world that you aren't the same scared kid that you were."

"Right." he nodded, still nervous but taking some small comfort in the fact that Roshi was going to be with him.

"Ok everyone. Show time." Naruto stated as the four kages stopped and Naruto nodded for them go. Flickering from sight Naruto kicked the Raikage back across the desert and pursued him, doing his best to keep him away from the others while Hao and Mū took to the air, circling each other. Gaara and his father soon had their sand clashing and when he gave a nod Roshi and Yukimaru charged towards the Mizukage who grinned as he leapt aside and started giving them encouragment.

"Keep the pressure up!" he said "If I summon the clam it's going to make an illusion of me and itself so you're going to have to find the real clam and take it down to cancel it out."

"Got it." Roshi nodded as he sent a blast of fire towards the Mizukage who leapt aside with ease.

With Naruto he and the Raikage were facing each other before the light seemed to leave his eyes and he struck. Naruto grunted in pain as a fist slammed into his stomach and sent him into the air where he twisted in the air while drawing his blades and slashing at the dark skinned man who dodged the attacks with ease and took Naruto's back where he had four fingers up as he slashed at the blond who's eyes widened as he realized what he was doing and rolled to the side.

"I guess you are trying to kill me." Naruto muttered as he closed his eyes and started drawing on Kyubi's chakra, changing into his golden form "Then I guess I should stop pulling punches." Moving at speeds that no mortal would be able to follow the two shinobi dueled trying to slash the other though Naruto knew that if the Raikage his him he was going to be down for the count. Leaning around a strike Naruto slashed with Reijingu-fū felt the blade cut through the Lightning armor with ease and through the Raikage as well. Even though he was in a berserker state he saw his eyes widen at this and dropped from using three fingers to one and tried to hit Naruto who flickered back a few yards as he sheathed Geiru and gripped Reijingu-fū with both hands and began pouring his chakra down the blade, making it howl even louder than before with the addition of Kyubi chakra. All across the battlefield everyone stopped moving at the sound of the howling blade as Naruto swung the blade down towards the Raikage, watching as the wind blade shot off it and cut through him, and the rocks behind him, and the ones behind those, and the ones behind those as well before it finally stopped. Moving quickly Naruto slapped the seal on the Raikage's head and watched as he was wrapped into a tight bundle in a matter of seconds.

"That could have been a lot worse." Naruto sighed as he returned to his normal state and started heading back towards the army.

In another part of the desert Yukimaru and Roshi were in the midst of battling the Nidaime Mizukage Gengetsu Hozuki. He had already summoned his clam but Yukimaru seemed to have surprised him by moving to the back and focusing on the mist.

"What is he doing?" he asked a little confused.

"His own special ability." Roshi replied as he used his lava to block the incoming attacks that were aimed at Yukimaru.

"A Kekkei Genkai?"

"We aren't sure to be honest." Roshi answered "All we know is that it will give us an advantage now."

Blinking at this Gengetsu saw that the mist that his clam had produced was disappearing at an astonishin rate as it was absorbed by Yukimaru who took a deep breath before flashing through hand signs.

"Suiton: Bakusui Shōha(Exploding Water Colliding Wave)!" Yukimaru exclaimed as he created the gigantic wave, that Roshi quickly used the Kawarimi to avoid, and sent the wave smashing into the illusionary Gengetsu and revealed the location of the clam as it was spun around by the attack and the real Gengentu was revealed as well.

"Katon: Karyū Endan(Fire Dragon Flame Bullet)." Roshi grinned as he sent the fire dragon down on the clam, sending it back to where it was summoned from and leaving Gengetsu on his own, though no less dangerous.

"Whoa, that was impressive!" Gengetsu laughed "What village are you two from?"

"I'm from Iwagakure. The Yondaime Tsuchikage, Roshi."

"I'm not really in any shinobi village, though I should have been in Kirigakure." Yukimaru replied.

"Ha!" Gengetsu started laughing as he looked at the pair "You two are from two different villages and here you are fighting together with an impressive display of teamwork and trust. Even though I despised the Nidaime Tsuchikage, here is the Yondaime working with a kid that should be in my village. It's great!"

"Um... Thanks..." Yukimaru chuckled.

"You are no pushover yourself." Roshi noted "I know the history of how you are the one that killed Mū. I am sure that it was likely an impressive battle between the two of you."

"Sure was." Gengetsu smiled "So I gotta ask, who's trying to kick that mummy's ass up there?"

"His name is Hao Asakura. He is a mighty shinobi that chose to fight him since he is more familiar with his skills than anyone else in our army."

"And you two got me because?"

"Of what we are." Roshi replied as he charged towards Gengetsu who smirked as he started shooting small water blasts towards the kage who only started drawing on the Yonbi's chakra and made the chakra cloak around him appear that evaporated the water before it could hit him.

"Oh." Gengetsu said as Roshi smashed him with one of his fists and sent him flying into one of the rock pillars nearby "So him too?"

"Yeah." Yukimaru nodded as he drew on one tail's worth of power and prepared to join in at the first chance he got.

"Well glad to see that you think I am stronger than that bastard flying mummy." Gengetsu laughed as he started his next attack "But you better keep up the surprises. You've peaked my interest and I see potential in the young man over there, so don't disappoint me."

Up in the air Hao and Mū were engaged in a deadly dance as the late Tsuchikage was trying to kill Hao with his Jinton technique while Hao was trying to weaken the kage enough to start the sealing process before he could do anything else. Pausing for a moment Hao and Mū stared at each other before the elder shinobi spoke.

"Definitely Iwagakure shinobi. No one else moves like that in flight." he nodded "Tsuchikage?"

"Hermit and rogue technically." Hao replied "You can blame your successor for being too paranoid about the next generation. He killed off three of his best shinobi and drove me away, and straight towards the young man that was to be his end."

Mū blinked at this as he realized what Hao was saying "You mean that Onoki is dead?"

"Killed by my student Naruto Uzumaki, the young man that is currently defeating the Raikage." Hao nodded.

"Well I'll be damned. I'll have to kill him myself when I am done with you to avenge the honor of Iwagakure."

Hao only frowned at this as he started to increase his speed, despite his body protesting it with the still tender wound as he managed to get inside of Mū's zone and imbed a fist in his stomach and bring another down onto his head that sent him crashing into the ground where Hao flashed through more hand signs.

"Shin Katon: Taiyō no ryū ikari(Sun Dragon's Rage)." With that a blast of gold fire smashed down into the ground where Mū was who looked up to see the fire heading right for him and knew that there was no dodging this. The detonation was deafening as it shook the ground and created a massive cloud of sand as Hao flew straight down after the attack, knowing that as an Edo Tensei that Mū was not finished yet. True to his thoughts Hao came into contact with the bandaged arm that blocked the kick that Hao had tried to smash through his face.

"Edo Tensei. I won't be dying that easy." Mū stated as he tried to punch Hao but was met with a block and a fist into his head that smashed it into his face several times until he was dazed enough for Hao to slap the seal onto his forehead as he grabbed his arms and with a mighty yank pulled them off his body, stopping him from pulling the tag off.

"Well played." Mū chuckled as he was wrapped into his own bundle. Hao only sighed at how well his good fortune had held up as he turned his gaze towards Gaara's battle to see that he had sealed his own father as well. Nodding he ran his gaze towards the battle with Gengetsu to see that the pair were holding off a smaller version of him that was slowly expanding.

"We need to stop that thing!" Roshi shouted as he blocked a kick from Gengetsu.

"Got it." Yukimaru nodded as he started flashing through more hand signs "Suiton: Suijinheki(Water Formation Wall)!" Spewing water from his mouth he managed to create a small barrier around the clone, just as it exploded sending the water flying outward with enough force to send Yukimaru skidding back a few steps.

"Is it done?" he asked as it started to hail from the sudden change in the atmosphere and the clone reappeared "I guess not. How do we stop that thing?"

"I won't be telling you this time." Gengetsu stated as he sent Roshi skidding back towards Yukimaru "This one is on you two to figure out. Show me what you two can really do."

"Ideas?" Roshi asked.

"Switch." Yukimaru stated getting an odd look from the older nin "Seal that thing in molten lava to stop it for good while I go second stage against Gengetsu until you join in and we stop him."

Roshi smiled as he put a hand on Yukimaru's shoulder and nodded his assent. The pair at first chaged towards the opponent that they had been fighting when they suddenly swerved and switched with Yukimaru drawing on more chakra and gaining his second tail and becoming a solid mass of red and black chakra as his fist went right through the chest of Gengetsu who blinked at the ferocity of the attack. Roshi on the other hand was luring the clone further away from it's creator as he flashed through the many hand signs that was needed to create his jutsu.

"Yoton: Koa no kōru(Call of the Core)!" Roshi roared as the earth was split in two, and strands of lava reached up, wrapping around the clone and pulling it down into the earth as it closed up after it, trapping the clone in the depths of the earth where it would be destroyed by the molten lava. Turning Roshi was about to head towards Yukimaru when he felt lightheaded and realized that he had used far too much chakra and was on the verge of collapsing.

"NO! He needs my help!" Roshi cursed.

"I don't have much to spare you myself." Yonbi warned as he tried to give him a little boost.

Roshi could only watch as Yukimaru kept up his assault on the Mizukage who was laughing and praising the young boy as he pushed him further and further. Yukimaru then smirked as his two tails wrapped around the Mizukage and brought him into a headbutt that dazed the man as Yukimaru returned to normal and slapped the seal onto the forehead of the Edo Tensei leader who tensed at the tag before laughing.

"Well done there kid!" he grinned "In a few years you should be ready for the position of Mizukage, once you are finished growing to those astounding heights that I am sure you can reach. Hell in a few years I bet you can beat me without the help of the Tsuchikage over there."

"Thanks." Yukimaru smiled as looked at Roshi who nodded his respect towards the youth.

"Good luck to you Yukimaru." Gengetsu smiled as was sealed away and Yukimaru collapsed onto the ground with a sigh.

"That was the most terrifying moment of my life!" he exclaimed.

"You did good though." Naruto said as he leapt down from the stone pillar he had been watching from "I was ready to step in at a moments notice if things got bad but you really showed the fruits of you training today."

"Thanks Naruto-sempai." Yukimaru smiled as Naruto helped him up and nodded to Roshi as he stood up, rather shakily. As the three of them returned to the main body of the army they saw that Gaara and Hao were waiting for them, and staring at something in the distance. Turning Naruto blinked in shock when he saw the masked man standing there, wearing a different mask this time, one that was white and looked almost like a giant sharingan with the tomoe design on it

"Oh shit." Naruto cursed as he touched his comm "Attention everybody I've got eyes on Madara. Repeat I have eyes on Madara. He is at the joined armies in the desert and I have a feeling that he is up to something since he saw us take out the Kage's that he sent at us."

"Roger that Naruto. We are preparing to have Nagato send his bodies to reinforce you whenever you are ready." an operator aboard the Arashi.

"Not just yet. But we better be ready for anything." Naruto said as he saw a coffin rise up out of the ground and Naruto felt like there was a lead weight in his stomach as it started to open and a figure started to emerge.

"What the..." Roshi muttered as he saw the figure emerge "That's impossible. How..."

"It can't be." Gaara muttered.

"It is." Naruto nodded.

"That is..." Hao began as the figure in red armor with long black hair and piercing Sharingan eyes stared at them "Madara Uchiha."