Something Precious

Chapter Sixteen

(A/n: omfl I am so done with these memories already. I can't wait to be finished writing them. This is the last chapter of them, I promise.)

After that memory was done with, as the black took over, Naruto had something to say. "That was one of the last moments I ever felt truely happy. These next memories are from the war. They won't be as light-hearted as the others."

The Hokage and Inoichi were left to wonder what horrors they were about to see if the memories they had just witnessed could be referred to as light hearted in comparison. What could be worse than seeing your best friend spiraling into madness before your eyes.

And horrors they were indeed. In the first one they were in a giant crater big enough to be a battle field (which it was). In the middle was a gianormous tree that had a flower blooming on top of its branchless trunk. A rasen-shiriken that also had the black flames of the Amaterasu was thrown at it and it was cut down. The sound of the wood cracking and splintering apart, resonated and sounded sickeningly like breaking bone. The grand trunk began to fall, rushing towards the ground where several dozen shinobi were scurrying to get out of the way. Before it could hit though, huge wooden tendrils reached from the trunk and grounded themselves like limbs. The entire wood began to morph, again letting off sickening sounds until it fully transformed into a hideous beast with ten long, thrashing tails.

"All the jinchuuiki were collected and had their tailed beasts extracted by a group of rouge ninja called the Akatsuki. All of nine tailed beasts were merged to create the Ten Tails." said Naruto solemnly.

"Wait. . . correct me if I'm wrong, but getting your tailed beast extracted kills you yes?" Sarutobi asked seriously. Naruto nodded. "So if the Nine-Tails was extracted from you, how are you still alive?"

Naruto thought on that a bit, like it was difficult for him to recall exactly. "Well the others all gave me a piece of their chakra. . . and the Sage of Six-Paths had something to do about it. . .?" he trailed off slightly unsure.

"Others?" asked the Hokage.

Naruto let out a sigh. "I don't know. Kurama you explain. This is the part I needed you for anyway."

Kurama grumbled. "All of us tailed beasts shared a piece of our chakra with Naruto. We gave him a part of our life force chakra so it replenishes and he can use it multiple times. When Minato sealed me he split my chakra in two first, sealing one in himself and one in Naruto. So he gave Naruto the half of me that was sealed in him since he was a reanimation and couldn't die." the men still looked kinda confused but Kurama was done with explaining.

"One more thing." Naruto gained the men's attention. "Well two actually. . . the Five Great Nations came together and formed the Allied Shinobi Forces." they both -but especially the Hokage - gapped. "Also you should know; the enemy we're fighting," he paused for a second, like the name was hard for him to say. "It was Madara Uchiha."

"Madara? Isn't he dead?" Hiruzen in particular, remembered the story being told by his own Sensei, the brother of the one who supposedly killed him. How could the great Hashirama Senju of all people, overlook Madara's death? Madara who had been the single greatest threat to his precious Leaf? Was that even possible?

Naruto shook his head. "He didn't die at the Final Valley like everyone thinks, he died later. But then he was brought back by this other guy, his partner I guess?" again he sounded kinda unsure, like there were details that he was missing. Specifically,  he didn't think Madara had been meant to be brought back the way he had been.

"Who was his partner?" asked Inoichi.

"Oh you know him. Obito Uchiha." the men sputtered. They knew Obito. Not well, but they had seen him from time to time, maybe even exchanged a friendly greeting. They had heard though, from the village seniors, how helpful and sweet he was. They had heard of his optimism and kindness. Did he really, once upon a time, grow up to be some kind of monster?