Nebula's Echo (a Naruto Fanfic)

Shippuden arc fight scene

(Okay so for those that didn't read my last Author's note this is going to be random. So: Sasuke spent a similar to canon amount of time away from the leaf village, training with Orochimaru (with cei) and this is the scene I had long ago written about the final battle against Madara. Sasuke helps them fight Madara, also like canon. Leaf shinobi and Sasuke once more fight side by side after 3 years as enemies)

Naruto and Sasuke stood beside each other on unsteady legs, watching Madara and the army of white zetsu as they approached. Sakura was frantically fussing over them, trying to heal as much of their injuries as she could with her depleted chakra. They had fought the Akatsuki and Madara for months, and were tired. So, so tired. Even in the midst of Naruto's seemingly never ending determination, a light of helplessness can be seen. They had tried. Sasuke had come back and they had fought the enemy together. The entire team was together, well, mostly. The Rokudaime was standing behind his students, trying not to collapse. They had all suffered. They had all gotten so strong. And yet no matter what they do, no matter how hard they try, the war never ends. They lost so many friends in this war, so many people close to them that would never return.

Naruto and Sasuke looked at each other, the despair mirrored in both their eyes. Naruto was reaching his limit. He had run out of chakra and even Kurama was beginning to tire. He looked at the gedo-statue with worry as Madara started activating it. He had gotten chakra from all the tailed beasts.

Sasuke was turning blind. His eyes were bleeding, and he could feel Ceiren subtly repairing his eyes and countering the damage. He couldn't fight anymore, not without more of Ceiren's help, but the damn chicken cutlet didn't want to out herself to their teammates. His own chakra had long since depleted. He closed his eyes as he let the feeling of exasperation overwhelm him.

Madara had collected the chakra of all the nine bijuus. He was going to awaken the ten tails and put the world in an infinite illusion. He was going to destroy the world.

When Madara finished the procedure for the awakening of the Ten tails, Sasuke opened his eyes. Madara was rushing towards them with the army of white zetsu, rinnegan blazing. Team 7 had been his greatest nuisance during his entire plan. He was going to kill them.

Sakura was completely drained, and not only her. Kakashi, Naruto and Sasuke. None of them had any energy left. Not even enough to dodge out of Madara's way. A heavy realization settled on three of them as they realized, that this is where it ends. This, is where they die.

Right before Madara reached them, a roar that shook the earth sounded from the gedo-statue and a black wave blinded everyone for a while. When their eyes cleared, Naruto's, Sakura's and Kakashi's jaws dropped to the ground. Sasuke let out a tiny breath of relief before rolling his eyes.

Long white hair flowing in the breeze. Pale, slender fingers wrapped around Madara's foot, stopping his kick. The leaf shinobi were hit by a sudden powerful wave of nostalgia.

Just like all those years ago...

The figure turned to them, and they were greeted by a beauty that could blind the world. Their eyes were opened impossibly wide with shock and disbelief.

They knew that face. That gorgeous, perfect face that had matured and become even more beautiful. The long sparkling white hair that had grown even longer, now sweeping the ground. The pale as newly fallen snow skin, and the body that had once been that of a child but now was that of a slender, soft woman.

The eyes that were no longer a pastel purple, but were flaring with bright purple flames.

And the blinding smile that graced that perfect being's face when she saw them.