Winds of War

Stirring before the Rise

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"-!"

Eh?

"-o!"

Who is that?

"-uto!"

They're loud

"-ruto!"

Shut up

"-ruto!"

I'm trying to sleep.

Wait ー sleep?

"NARUTO!"

"W-what!?", Naruto screamed.

(In his panic he had apparently kicked someone in the face, judging from the muffled yelp and familiar feeling of his foot impacting with something else)

When he quickly realized that he wasn't surrounded by enemies but instead six familiar faces, he dropped his hands and lowered his head sheepishly, guiltily grinning at the bright happy laughter ringing in his ears.

The one laughing was a girl with dark tan skin and mint green hair, honey orange eyes crinkling with joy while she grinned, laughter slowly dying down. Sitting next to her was a kumo nin, long dirty blonde hair tied together in white wrappings and pink-red lips quirking upwards. On the girl's other side was an old man with red hair and a whiskered grin displayed on his face.

Fū, Yugito, and Rōshi.

Naruto noticed that they were in a large glade, the center worn earth with a crackling fire, sparks flying from the orange-red flames. Surrounding the clearing like towers were big tall redwood trees, ivy snaking up the trunks and puffy moss clinging to the large roots. Sitting between each of the nine towering trees were the Biju, calmly staring down at them with their humanoid eyes.

. . . wait, the Biju. . .

Surprised, Naruto looked around again. Behind him was Kurama, vulpine face grinning down at him and long tails carefully sorted behind him. In the space next to Kurama was Shukaku, who wasn't paying attention and was mumbling to himself. The next few spots between were occupied by Matatabi, flickering with blue and black flames, Isobu, Son Gokū, snickering quietly, Kokuō, sky blue eyes watching, Saiken, Chōmei, and then back to Kurama. The only one who was missing was Gyūki.

Leaning calmly against one of the tall redwood was Han, arms crossed, sitting on one of the large roots was Utakata, blowing on his bubble pipe with his face carefully tilted to the other side, and standing in front of Naruto(who was on the ground and opposite everyone)rubbing his face was the tiny Mizukage, purple eyes narrowed.

Naruto scratched his cheek and smiled awkwardly, "Eto. . . where am I?", he asked.

"What were you last doing?", Yagura said instead.

"That doesn't really answer my question.", Naruto muttered.

Yagura sighed, "Answer mine first."

Naruto pushed himself up, crossing his legs, and put his hand to his chin, thinking. What was the last thing he did?

Flashes of dead bodies and grey cracked faces flitted across the forefront of his mind, but he pushed it aside, that had been the entirety of the war, he needed to remember the most recent event. Obito, Madara, Sasuke, Kaguya. . . the sealing, Dad ー wait, the sealing.

He remembered placing his palm on Kaguya, feeling the bright luminous chakra surge through him and out of his hand, but nothing else beyond that, just the red eye on her forehead, staring at him unblinkingly.