Something Precious

Chapter Sixty Nine

"'Let's not waste it with war'. Have you seen the world as it is now? There is already war. Already carnage. This, Uzumaki, is what I have worked so hard to inialate. This is the truth to which you have so stubbornly remained ignorant. The nations, they are so mesmerized by their own power, even if they saw peace there are those who would reject it in favor of war. You have seen a war of the nations now, surely you see their greed. They fought with you once yes, but only because you were their only option if they were to survive. Peace as you want it is not possible, you see that now do you not?" Madara was no longer amused by Naruto's ravings. He seethed at his unchanged ideals. He had always contributed his stubborn insistence of peace to having never known a war like this. Having never seen the power lust that lead to nation turning on nation. To never see the smaller ones being reduced to dust in face of the squabbles of the big five. He perhaps thought, that being witness to it would change his perspective. But it hasn't. Naruto remained good and strong, and that only made Madara all the more determined to rip him down brick by brick in the most tedioisly efficient way so that he might never be rebuilt, and so that he may feel the pain that Madara was once so familiar with.

Naruto however, remained immune to the anger of the man whose name sent shivers down the spines of even the Kages. Minato glared back at the old Uchiha who went about ignoring him entirely. But a quick glance confirmed that the other man - Sasuke - was keeping a close watch on him as he slowly backed ever closer to the rock barrier with his student held closely to his chest.

"I see what you mean." Naruto said, surprising both Madara and Minato. "I understand why you would think as you do. But you had only ever fought against us, never with us. You didn't see the comradarie that I did. You didn't see their hope, feel their faith. It is possible, believe me." he took a pleading step forwards. Sasuke's hazy eyes snapped from Minato to Naruto so fast you would question if he had looked away at all.

Naruto too, looked at this clone of his closest friend. He could almost convince himself he was real. He wanted so bad for him to be real.

He blinked and shook his head to rid the looming thoughts.

"Foolish as ever." Madara tutted in a mocking, disappointed way. "I see neither of us has changed, or ever will it seems. But you not take the boy today."

Naruto's eyes flashed with anger. "Again, you think you could stop me? Or rather, that this clone could. It may copy Sasuke's chakra and abilities, but it isn't him. It can't stop me." he stated confidently as looked the thing in the eyes, backing swiftly to where Minato stood by the barrier. He could feel it humming. It was strong, but not enough that he would be unable to break it. Minato would've been able as well had his hands not been full, but he was unwilling to let Obito down for even a moment as if the old man would snatch him back into his hold and they wouldn't ever get him back.

Neither of the jounin however, liked the sickening smirk that danced on the old mans wrinkled lips.

"Stand back." Naruto warned. Yellow, nine-tails chakra crawled up his left arm as powerful chakra collected in his left palm, taking shape first as the rasengan, then long spinning blades formed like that of a shuriken. It was almost effortless, his startling eyes never leaving Madara'a save for a glance at the clone. "As soon as the barrier is down you get them out okay? I'll follow as soon as I deal with it." he said, nodding his head in the direction of the clone. Then, in a fast jerk of his arm and before Minato had space to speak, the jutsu was slammed into the rock, instantly shredding it and the barrier into dust.

Minato's eyes widened. What was that? He wondered. He had never seen a jutsu like that before. So powerful and controlled.

The dust made little clouds in the air making him cough and his eyes tear up as they tried to rid themselves of the dust.