Nara Shukaku watched impassively as the elite group of shinobi prepared for battle. 8 battle-hardened and jaded shinobi. Four close ranged and four long ranged fighters.

Bandages were being wrapped around pearlescent eyes, hitai-ate pulled over the bandages. Three shinobi fiddled with large scrolls, securing leather straps and adjusting small pouches. The last shinobi watched over the proceedings, a large gourd strapped across his back.

"Let's go," Gaara's apathetic voice resounded across he small tent. A soft whirr of chakra and the tent was empty. Hundreds of shinobi parted before the eight elite members.

This was their last line of defence, the last wall between them and Akatsuki.

The battlefield was sparse, the vegetation providing no cover. The ground riddled with holes, from explosions or from hidden land mines. Nobody knew, nobody cared.

The massive army approached, like one large, mindless entity. The eight elite ninja readied themselves, slipping into stances drilled into their subconscious through years of practice.

The first paper bombs exploded. Tenten worked in sync with Kunkuro, twisting her chakra strings in a strange dance around his, flinging kunai and paper bombs at the enemy, decimating row after row. Temari came next, at carefully timed intervals she unleash a barrage of wind, sending the weapons further into enemy lines.

After Tenten and Kunkuro's seemingly limitless supply of explosives and weaponry cleared, there were the harsh sounds of teeth grinding through flesh as summons flew out of the ground, mauling the figures before them. Many animals were present, contributed by all the ninjas who knew the summoning jutsu. Only one animal was missing. The toad.

Yet, like ants, the advance of the enemy was inexorable. Gaara raised a hand, the signal. Five shinobi charged. Four of them launched immediately into a spin. Thrusting their chakra as far out as it could go, bodies were thrown back several hundred metres and lay crushed on the floor, as if sent through a blender.

The last shinobi was less graceful, his movements were not of the circular Hyuga style. It was the brute force of Lee's unique style. He felt no remorse for the 'people' he killed. He felt no pity as his hands went through their skull. They have killed his sensei and are right now aiming to kill his remaining teammates, they would pay.

Black rain started to pour from the sky, hundreds of thousands of senbon shot down covering the entire army. Gaara had his sand ready, both shielding Lee from the hail of poisoned senbon and watching the Hyuga, waiting for their impenetrable defences to still.

Hanabi was the first one to end her rotation. Sand immediately shot around her as Temari sent another three blasts of wind. The second signal.

Tenten and Kunkuro drop from the sky, panting wearily, watching as the victims of their poison writhe on the ground.

Shino sent his bugs outward, releasing them, removing all inhibitions. Feed, he tells them, suck the life out of your prey. The scroll on his back disappears to reveal more bugs. The entire arsenal of the Aburame clan.

Sai acts the moment Shino's bug are done. Flying into the air on a large ink bird, dropping smoke bombs on the huge army again. Scanning the battle ground, waiting for the five short ranged shinobi to respond to the signal. The third signal. Four leave the fray, Sai waits for the fifth. He takes too long. It takes only a few seconds before hundreds of small venomous snakes flop to the ground

When Sai lands back behind the sand shield, he can still hear the screams of agony as the venom eats into their muscles.

There were ten shinobi, now there are nine. Hyuga Hiashi has fallen, defending his daughters to the last second. But there is no time to mourn; the signal has been given again. The fourth signal.

Now there are only six shinobi left. There are no more signals to be given, it is a free for all. Neji, Lee and Tenten fall into the familiar fighting formation, as do Gaara and Temari, their eyes blazing with rage, their hands shaking with the desire to butcher these monsters who dared to hurt Kunkuro. Hinata is fighting alone, occasionally slipping to Neji's side. The two Hyuga, main and branch, guarding each other's backs, united at last.

The remaining shinobi fight, waiting for the signal. The one that means peace is here. It comes, but much too late.

Naruto reverse-summons himself to the scene, his nature chakra sensed from a mile away. The determination on his face quickly gives way to shock as he sees Neji cut down in front of him, trying to defend Hinata, who has dropped from a temporary paralysis jutsu.

Sakura who has come with him flits around the battlefield, trying to heal everyone at once. Naruto knows she will not succeed, six of them are gone already.

It is that revelation, that he has come too late once again, that drives Naruto to embrace his predator instincts. And he pulls out the Kyubi's chakra, trying to get a hold of his tenuous control, he allows the demon to rampage, destroy everything in sight, everyone, but his comrades.

Finally the battle is won. Kyubi's chakra and killer intent disappear from the air. A signal to the waiting civillian and shinobi that all is well, the final signal.

They cheer, shout and scream. Hollering in delight. Easily forgetting the right shinobi who had originally been their saviours. When Naruto arrived at the villaige, he arrived on Gamabunta. Sakura seated behind him. Between the two of them they support a person and carry home nine bodies.

Hope you guys enjoyed it, please review!

Disclaimer: I own no Naruto, also, this story was written really sporadically so it may not be consistent.