❝𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑺𝒂𝒈𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝑲𝒐𝒏𝒐𝒉𝒂❞

𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒓 30: 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑺𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒎

Naruto ducked under Sasuke's slash and grabbed the Uchiha's wrist, sidestepping, and pulling him face first into Sakura's punishing fist. The snapping of the dark haired boy's bones was heard clearly and Sakura's shock was evident on her face. Her shock grew when she felt a blade put to her neck.

"Game, set, match." Naruto grinned at her.

"Time?" Sakura called back to the sidelines where Naruto's old team sat as she moved to fix was she destroyed.

"30 seconds!" They called out in unison.

Naruto turned to face his old team after he called it a day. He regarded them with sad eyes as the children made their way down the street towards the barbeque restaurant. Several weeks ago they were reassigned to a different sensei so Naruto could train without distractions to face this upcoming threat. Although he knew it was the right decision he still missed the good times they shared as one big happy, dysfunctional, family known as Team Uzumaki.

"Naruto you gonna keep standing there or do you wanna come home tonight?" He glanced over at Sakura's playful grin and smiled.

"I'm coming Sakura-chan!" He glanced back down the road but could no longer see his former team. With a heavy sigh he turned and walked towards his house with his rosette girlfriend beside him.

'The pieces are in position. The trap is set and everything is nearly ready. Now it comes down to Tsunade's last chance. If she only knew...' The golden eyed man smiled deviously while allowing his brain to travel routes that only his thoughts could follow. Pleasure fluttered in his black heart as he felt the time was coming of his glorious fight with Naruto was drawing near, however, today was not that day. Today was Madara-sama's chance to give Konoha the return of one of it's founders in the only way he knew how: death.

Yet he was also looking for something very important to him. Something only he knew the location of. Something that was needed in order for their plans to succeed.

That something resided where no one ever thought to look. And it will be theirs.

"The pieces are set. Let the fun begin."

The sun was setting over Konoha to conclude yet another day of training. All around the village many younger couples were up and about either marveling at the magnificent sunset or enjoying some time out and about with each other. Among that later group is the one which Naruto and Sakura found themselves as they enjoyed a nostalgic meal at Ichiraku. There Teuchi and Ayame were telling stories to the two about Naruto and all the mischief he would cause when they were younger. This most recent one was about when the boy had painted the Hokage Monument. That very day was when Naruto's life had changed forever.

"and the boy thought I would hide him from the ANBU!" Teuchi let out a hearty laugh while Sakura and Ayame found themselves wiping tears away from laughing so hard. Naruto's face held a slight tinge of pink yet he too found himself laughing along with them.

"Naruto may have been a goof when he was younger but two things have always remained the same with him." The older man's face had turned more serious which caused a rapid shift in the atmosphere.

"Number one would be his dream of becoming Hokage." The man glanced at Naruto and smiled while Naruto just nodded with a grin.

"And number two is how much he has always loved you." The old man turned his gaze on Sakura who found it was her turn to blush.

"Well actually that's a lie Jiji." Everyone turned to look at Naruto with confusion written clearly on their faces. His hand slipped into his pocket while his eyes locked onto Sakura's. "My love for Sakura-chan has only grown." His smile was soft and kind while Sakura just held his hand with a similar smile adorning her face.

"Which is why-"

Slowly they became aware of a slow clap coming from the now drawn curtains of the shop.

"Now isn't that just...pointless."

Naruto let out a deep and frustrated growl. Not only was he pissed that the mood was effectively ruined but moreover he was pissed that someone had the audacity to insult such a moment. He quickly slid off of his chair and turned on the man.

He came face to face with the man who had tormented his dreams for months.

"Madara Uchiha!" Naruto instantly let his eyes flare to life and he dropped down into his Taijutsu stance.

"Sakura get everyone out of here. Now!" He heard the pinkette begin moving everyone to a safe location which allowed him to turn his full attention to the man in front of him.

"What do you want Madara!" Naruto glared evenly at the pair of Sharingan before him. Madara's mouth twitched slightly as he spoke.

"Simple, I want to dance."

He suddenly appeared in front of Naruto and tried to grab his throat. Naruto pushed the arm up and placed his palm on Madara's chest. Without speaking Madara felt the wave of power lift him off of the ground. He flipped over and landed smoothly with a slight smile.

"No one ever touches me. Hm...you may be able to dance after all." He started forward again and this time he began a flurry of kicks and punches which put Naruto on the defensive. He would weave and dodge what he could while blocking or deflecting the ones he could not. But even after all of his training against Rock Lee, he still wasn't prepared for the speed and power that Madara was able to bring to the table. The legendary Uchiha went for a punch to Naruto's face which the blonde predictably tried to dodge. At the last second a skeletal blue fist materialized and was able to connect with the Uzumaki's cheek. The results were devastating as Naruto felt himself leave the ground and soar into the air. His world was blurry and everything was coming in threes. He landed back in the ramen stand in a pile of broken chairs and a destroyed counter.

"Naruto Uzumaki I spared you from the Genjutsu in the hopes you would give me an amusing fight. This however is pathetic...maybe if I kill the pink haired one..." Madara turned and saw said kunoichi several streets down evacuating a family of civilians. Before he could take a step in her direction, the Uchiha ancestor was hit from the side by a powerful Doton jutsu. He slid several feet before he was able to secure his footing and face his opponent.

'Just as Kabuto said. Good.'

Naruto's ocean blue eyes were gone, in their stead a pair of molten red eyes glared back. Madara noticed the air becoming thick as Naruto tapped into the power of his strongest tenant yet: the Ten Tails.

The markings on his arms seemed to come to life as they peeled off of his skin and floated in bubbles above the back of his hands. His shirt was slowly shredding due to the sheer power being released. Windows shattered, walls cracked, and people gazed on in terror as they witnessed their hero embrace the power that the Juubi was offering him.

"You will not TOUCH A SINGLE FUCKING HAIR ON HER HEAD! I WILL FUCKING KILL YOU!" The speed at which the blonde moved was fast enough that even Madara's Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan couldn't hope to keep up. The liquid wrapped around Naruto's fist and arms as he delivered blow after punishing blow to Madara's body and face. He swiped Madara's feet out from under him before grabbing his face in midair and slamming him into the unforgiving ground, but the force behind his attack was so great that even the earth caved in beneath the two combatants. However, before he can continue his barrage he heard a menacing laugh from behind him. Turning around his heart nearly stopped at the horrific sight before him.

"You must choose one, Naruto. You may have beaten my clone with your physical strength but what of the strength of your heart, can you decide who lives?" There in Madara's left hand was Sakura, suspended off of the ground by the mad man's hand wrapped around her delicate throat, her feet desperately looking for leverage to get precious air back into her burning lungs. In his right hand was the one perfect thing he had ever created with the girl he always loved: his son, Minato. The helpless child's desperate cries almost too loud to hear above, his tiny limbs flailing because of the rough manner the stranger held him at the base of his skull, the gloved hand could easily snap the tiny child's neck.

"Choose now or they both die."