Chapter 26

He felt the steel and stone around him crumble and tear, his body crashing into the ground after a powerful explosion. His skin felt raw, his clothes tattered as he lay upright in pile of smoking debris. He opened his eyes, seeing a stone tower crumbling apart after his body had been thrown through it. He felt a small surge of pain in his body, finally reacting to the attack he had been hit with moments before.

"Kurama..."

"I'm aware."

He felt Kurama's chakra run through him once again, the fox guiding the chakra toward his wounds for him, Doffy watching as Naruto's tailed state began to recede in the distance. Steam began to rise from Doffy's body, the previous torn, red skin from before quickly healing. Fractured bone and torn muscle mending together.

"A powerful attack, if a bit sloppy. You got careless."

He bit back a retort, already aware that the fox was correct. He had gotten careless, too lost in anger and trying to simply overpower his opponent instead of fighting more intelligently.

"I underestimated him, or you more accurately. I didn't think the power your chakra granted increased at such a pace."

He heard the fox hum in acknowledgement, a sound filled with pride and no small amount of arrogance.

"I shouldn't have to explain how powerful I am to you. The power my chakra will grant as you learn to control it grows exponentially and can give several advantages in combat. You should already be aware of this. Be honest, your pride got the best of you."

He growled at the words, thinking back toward Naruto's several forms. 'Advantage' was a severe understatement to what he had just witnessed. Near invulnerability, regeneration, incredible speed and strength along with the sheer advantage of having more limbs than your opponent.

To call those abilities, those transformations, mere advantages didn't do that power justice. Still, it wasn't without consequence. He could practically feel how weak Naruto was through his Haki. His Aura dim and fading.

It was clear he wasn't controlling that strength, but rather enduring it. The pain, the force and pressure on his psyche… he wasn't in control, he was just pointing a weapon far too large and powerful for him to wield.

"We'll discuss this later, Kurama. For now, I have something far more important to take care of."

He slowly sat up, feeling and hearing his bones creak and crack in protest, before being rapidly healed by Kurama's chakra in a cloud of steam. He could hear the Fox grunt in response to his words, seeming calm about the situation.

"If I didn't know any better, I would say that last strike knocked some sense back into. But my instincts tell me otherwise. You're not calm at all, are you?"

He chuckled, his grin stretching painfully, his fingers moving rapidly as they manipulated non-existent strings. He began to walk, slowly moving closer and closer to his target.

"Calm? You're right, I'm far from calm. I'm angry, Kurama."

He continued to move, the sound of his footsteps seeming to echo around him as he did so. The battered stone below his feet releasing a gentle click with each step. He couldn't stop the small bit of laughter escaping from him.

"Angry at myself, for letting that fool injure me like this."

He heard a resounding slam, the sound of flesh hitting stone as Naruto's body hit the ground, too weak to keep himself standing.

"Anger toward this naive boy, thinking himself worth more than he could ever be."

He stepped closer eyeing the prone blonde carefully, watching the rise and fall of his chest with a predatory gaze. He saw the boys head begin to rise, slowly looking up and meeting his eyes.

"But, most of all-"

He stopped, standing in front of the boy. He reached down, grabbing him by the neck and lifting him up. Slowly. He could hear him gasp for air, feeling the muscles and tendons in his neck tense as they fought his grip. He didn't dream of loosening his hold.

"Revolted, that the world would ever put me side-by-side with someone so pathetic."

He looked into Naruto's eyes, waiting for the boy to say something, anything. Waiting to hear him talk more about understanding or friendship or whatever other foolish notion he believed in so wrongly. He didn't have to wait long, Naruto's voice coming out hoarse and tired, Kurama's chakra taking its toll.

"I…I- "

He planted a fist into his stomach, stopping the boy cold. He could feel a rib snap as he did so, but he held back. He didn't want to kill him yet. He chuckled, shaking the boy awake as he gasped for air, beginning to lose consciousness.

"So, Naruto, are you satisfied now? Have you made your point yet, because I'm failing to see what you've proved with this little tantrum of yours?"

Naruto began to breath heavily, catching his breath and trying to ease his latest wound. His voice was shaky, but he met his eyes with an annoying confidence, his resolve unbroken. He would change that.

"I-I told you that… that I could beat you without… without- "

Doffy spat in disgust, throwing the boy out with a flick of his hand. He sent Naruto careening into a wall, the stone cracking as Naruto screamed out in pain. He walked toward his downed opponent.

"And what exactly have you proved here, Naruto? That you can't rely on your own power? That you're too weak to fight without Kurama's help?"

There was a look of confusion on Naruto's face, but it fell quickly as Doffy slammed his foot into his broken rib, grinding the appendage into it forcefully. He grinned at the expression of pain, bending down and grabbing a hold of Naruto's hair, forcing the boy to look him in the eye.

"I wonder, is that how you've gotten by? Calling upon Kurama's chakra whenever you run into someone more powerful than you are? I suppose it makes sense. Afterall, I can't imagine you taking on a single member of the Akatsuki, let alone Pain, without his help."

He eased up on his ribs, wanting to hear what he had to say, relishing the agony Naruto's body was experiencing.

"What is it? What do you have to say for yourself?"

It came out as a whisper, but his words seemed to echo off the stone walls around him.

"W-who's… Kurama…?"

Doffy stopped, his smile falling from his face as he looked into the boy's eyes, seeing genuine confusion there.

He began to chuckle, bringing an arm backward.

"You really are hopeless, aren't you?"

His arm ran forward, razor sharp strings flying outward.

Wind rushed past Minato's face as he moved, retreating from the battle of the two Jinchuuriki behind him. He wasn't completely sure what was going on between the two of them, but it didn't matter right now. He had to re-group with his team and make sure they were safe.

He stopped for a moment, placing a finger on the ground and sending out a burst of chakra. He waited, concentrating as he tried to sense where his team was. It didn't take long, his form blurring as he rushed to their aid. He reached them in record time, hiding behind some debris to assess the situation.

The two were back-to-back, each facing a copy of the man that had attacked them. They seemed tired, but thankfully not injured. He eyed the two clones carefully, seeing them frown as they looked at their hands.

No, that wasn't quite right. They were looking at the Tailed Beast chakra that surrounded them, seeming confused. Choza and Shibi didn't try to attack them, merely trying to stand their ground instead. Minato agreed with their decision and tried to think of a way out of the situation.

It was clear that the clones weren't gathering their Tailed Beasts chakra on purpose, rather it being a side effect from their creator drawing on its power. The fact that Shibi and Choza were still alive and uninjured told him that the clones weren't trying to kill them, just keep them occupied.

He didn't mean to brag, but if he could barely handle this opponent, then Choza and Shibi would be hard-pressed to fair any better.

He could use this. If his attacker didn't mean to harm them, then an involuntary use of a Tailed Beast's chakra could mean it would be impossible for them to cause small amounts of damage. He might be able to convince the clones that it wasn't worth fighting anymore.

Or, he could be wrong, and they were just playing with Shibi and Choza to kill them at a later time. But he had a feeling that wasn't the case here. He had a theory of who Naruto was. It was crazy, and pretty far-fetched, but not totally impossible. Nothing ever was.

He'd have to trust his instincts on this one. He wasn't sure if he could beat a Jinchuuriki as powerful as this one, not without some other kind of trump card. He already used one against the original Naruto, and he seemed to brush it off rather quickly.

Minato stood up, walking toward the group at a calm but brisk pace. His team spotted him, Choza smiling for a moment before a look of concentration overwrote it, knowing that the battle wasn't over yet.

The clones seemed surprised to see him, eyeing him curiously as they put their hands down. One of them smiled, his voice and tone relaxed as he spoke.

"We didn't expect to see you here, Minato."

Minato forced his breathing to stay calm, standing next to his team as he pointed toward the ensuing battle between Jinchuuriki.

"Our battle is over for now. Your creator has another problem at the moment and will probably need your help soon. I suggest you go help him."

The clone seemed skeptical, looking over in the direction, pausing as if in deep concentration.

"He's a sensor too, a skilled one as well to sense so far away so easily. Then again, it's hard not to notice that."

He looked over in the direction he was pointing, seeing a large red sphere of chakra hanging the sky. He recognized the attack. A Rasengan, larger and more powerful than anything he had ever created. It only proved his theory.

He watched as the clouds in the sky began to swirl, being drawn in by the powerful jutsu. They rushed away from it a moment later, the sphere of chakra exploding outwards, releasing a massive shockwave throughout the sky, the ground beneath him trembling.

He looked over toward the clones curiously, seeming them being to unravel into white strings, until they faded out of existence. Minato exhaled, beginning to pant as he collapsed to the ground that slowly began to settle. Shibi and Choza caught him before he struck the ground, Minato thanking them.

He saw Choza pull out a small, round marble, a soldier pill he realized. "Here, eat this Minato." He only nodded, taking it and chewing the hard supplement thankfully. He felt energy rush through him, revitalizing him.

He carefully stood back up, brushing himself off and stilling his shaking legs. "Thanks, Choza. Are you two alright?" The two looked toward one another before nodding.

"We are uninjured for now. What is going on, Minato? Who is that man and why is he after you?" Minato thought about Shibi's question, debating what to say.

"I don't know yet, but I'm going to find out." He turned around, heading toward the direction of the explosion. He felt a hand on his shoulder, Minato turning and facing Choza, who had a look of distress on his face.

"Hold on Minato! We aren't going to let you fight alone. We're a team! Besides, we still have a mission to complete."

Minato nodded, brushing off Choza's hand. "I know, but this is something I have to do myself. Trust me, I know what I'm doing."

His two teammates looked toward each other, seeming to speak silently before agreeing unanimously. "Fine then, what should we do in the meantime?"

Minato looked over to the large tower, where the two signatures' of Anrokuzan were originating from. He pointed toward the structure. "I need you two to track down Anrokuzan and find where he's hiding. Somehow, he's managed to create two chakra signatures located at that tower. Regroup with Kakashi and see if you can find out which one is really him. Do not engage him unless necessary. I'll regroup with you shortly."

The two nodded, before rushing off to follow their orders. Minato began moving as well, not wanting to waste any time. He rushed across the city, the sprawling towers seeming to blur past him. He thought back to his fight with Naruto, trying to wrap his mind around his current situation.

He saw it through the broken lens of his glasses, Naruto slowly opening his eyes, revealing ice blue eyes.

"That was quite dangerous. You could have killed me."

He remembered that moment, seeing it as clear as day. 'Naruto…'

And his eyes, what Minato saw there was almost haunting. An inexplicable anger, a rage. Enough hate to drown the world.

He kept moving, as fast as his legs would let him.

'Just what happened to you?'

He could see dust settling in the distance, around the base of a destroyed tower. He dropped toward the ground, placing a finger on the bricks and sending out his chakra. They were there, just a fair bit away from that tower.

He continued, rushing toward their location, before stopping abruptly as he reached them. He hid behind a wall, peering out to examine what was happening. He could see Naruto standing over the other ninja, gripping his hair in his hand with the other poised to strike.

"You really are hopeless, aren't you?"

The hand moved, and Minato moved with it, a test unlike any other for his speed and agility. Chakra roared through him as rounded the corner and kicked off the ground, the world around him seeming to move in slow motion. He realized quickly that he wasn't going to make it at this level of speed.

He grabbed a kunai, throwing it ahead of him and hoping it would be quick enough. It soared through the air, before it was almost between the two ninja. It would have to be enough. He teleported, the world around him shifting in an instant as he assumed his new position in space.

He lashed out, now positioned almost between the two Jinchuuriki. He grabbed his kunai in one hand, throwing it behind him before slamming the hand on the ground to give him strength. His leg lashed out at the same time, landing on Naruto's wrist.

He pushed with all his might, redirecting the attack as his free hand moved and grabbed the injured Jinchuuriki. He could hear a thunderous blast, the strings from Naruto's attack impacting a distant structure. He looked into Naruto's eyes, expecting to see surprise and anger, but saw nothing. A blank stare was all that greeted him.

He teleported, taking the injured Jinchuuriki with him back toward the kunai he had thrown behind himself. He grasped it firmly as he stood in a battle-ready position, looking for any retaliation from Naruto. He was met with none, the blonde simply standing straight up.

He ignored the rasped breathing of the Jinchuuriki behind him for now, simply waiting to see what Naruto would do. After some time, Minato decided to speak. "So, are you finished?"

Naruto raised an eyebrow, rolling his shoulders experimentally before nodding. "Hmm, I suppose so. There's no point fighting you in the condition I am in now. You would probably win anyway. So yes, I guess our fight is over. I see can how you earned the title of Fourth Hokage at such a young age. Why don't you hand that little brat over here and we can go our separate ways?"

Minato eyed the 'brat' before shaking his head. He lowered the kunai taking a step forward. "No, first things first, you're going to explain things. I want to know who the two of you are, and why you're here."

Naruto snorted, taking calm, slow steps over toward a nearby chunk of debris and sitting down. "I think you already know who I am. You're too smart to not have a guess at least."

Minato was silent, Naruto waiting for him to answer. "Are… are you…?" He couldn't finish the question, but Naruto answered it for him anyways.

"Heh heh heh! Yes, I am your son, several years from the future. I'm not sure how far I traveled back, but still, the answer's the same."

Minato absorbed that information, the truth. Standing in front of him was his son, his future child. It was… bizarre to say the least. He couldn't sort the emotions going through him at the moment. He felt pride, knowing how strong his son had come, how much he had grown. He felt grief, realizing that his son was a Jinchuuriki, and knowing who had probably made him that way.

He felt absolute dread, because he knew why he contained the Nine Tailed Fox.

He gestured toward the ninja behind him, who had fallen unconscious. "Him too then?"

Naruto nodded, placing his head in his palm as he explained. "Yes, the two of us are both your sons, but not in the way you probably think."

Minato looked toward him inquisitively, waiting for a further explanation. "Each of us are from a different timeline. Two versions of your son coincidentally placed in the same time. Rather strange to put it lightly."

Two timelines? As if this wasn't confusing enough. "How did you get here then? Why have you travelled back in time, and how?"

Naruto put his hands up defensively, chuckling lightly. "It wasn't on purpose. I was on a mission to capture a criminal named Mukade, who was hiding in this area in the future."

'Mukade?'

"We were underground, near some altar, when he started going on about something called Dragon Veins. There was an explosion of chakra, and when I woke up, I'm here, along with that fool behind you."

"…I see…" He wasn't sure what to say to that. It was rather strange, but it did explain things.

"But I can't help but wonder, what are you doing here then, Minato?"

Minato cut himself from his thoughts, before deciding to explain his own presence in the city of Roran. "I was on a mission to assassinate Anrokuzan, the Minister of Roran and deliver large-scale demolition and sabotage of this city and kingdom."

Naruto seemed surprised at that, leaning forward in interest. "Really? And why would the Leaf be interested in something like that?"

"It wasn't long ago that this kingdom was just an ordinary city. It was small, and without the numerous towers you see around us. Then, one day, it began a major expansion. Large towers expanding further and further outward, with a hidden sub-section underneath it all."

Naruto seemed to understand, but he continued, nonetheless. "Leaf information networks had picked up on the expansion, and worry began that the kingdom was being used by the Hidden Sand to hide an upscaling of military force or weapons research. So, we investigated."

Minato pointed upward, toward the large towers around them.

"We discovered quickly that the towers themselves were the military expansion. They look like ordinary buildings, but they are used as nodes for a large-scale chakra string network. It didn't take a genius to figure it out, with the Hidden Sands specialty being puppetry, and the large number of puppets in the kingdom itself."

He scratched his head, sighing as he went on.

"Our R&D quickly theorized that these towers, with sufficient chakra, could spread hundreds of chakra strings throughout the Land of Wind, and probably beyond it. The Land of Wind could have an army of puppets remotely controlled from a safe position behind their border. The only issue was the amount of chakra to even power such a concept, but this Dragon Vein you mentioned seems to put it all together."

"And why target the Minister?"

Minato heard a groan behind him, looking over to the other 'Naruto'. He was still unconscious, just in pain. Mentally reprimanding himself, he knelt toward him and pulled out a first aid kit, specifically, some pain killers.

"Most of the population in this kingdom, have been dead for quite some time, disappearing along with the informants that had notified us of the expansion."

He looked over toward Naruto, who was now looking around curiously. "You're right. In the future, this kingdom is nothing more than ruins, so I didn't notice the lack of people when I woke up here."

Minato feed the pain killer to the boy, making him swallow the pill, before wrapping his hands and arms in bandages, trying to soothe the red, dry skin. "Though it is a small kingdom, it still is under the Land of Winds rule, and answers to its Daimyo. The leader of this kingdom, Queen Sara, is unaware that her kingdom is all but a ghost town, so she reports that all is well in the kingdom of Roran."

"When she goes out in public, she is greeted by puppets, disguised as her former citizens. We then realized that the recent expansion happened around the time that Roran hired its new Minister, Anrokuzan."

Minato was about to go on, before Naruto interrupted him. "Tell me, does this Anrokuzan seem to- "

"Be in two places at once? Yes. When you mentioned you were on a mission to capture someone, everything came together for me. The reason Anrokuzan seems to be in two places at once is because he is actually Mukade, the one you were after, and the one this Naruto was after." He stood up, letting the injured Naruto rest.

"Anrokuzan was, or rather is, staging a coup against the Land of Wind, with Roran being his base of operations. We would assassinate him and destroy the towers and their devices to ensure someone else doesn't follow in his footsteps."

Naruto stood up, grinning. "Well let's go then. I'm tired of waiting around here. Let's go kill Mukade and find a way back to our own timelines."

He began walking, Minato stopping him. "Hold on, you still have something to explain."

He stopped walking, turning his head and looking toward him. "And what's that, I wonder?"

Minato gestured toward the injured Naruto next to him. "The two of you. What was that, earlier?"

Naruto snorted, walking toward him and stopping next to his doppelganger. "Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Just a fight started by a fool who doesn't know any better."

Minato was about to speak, but he was stopped when a hand lashed out, the injured blondes hand latching onto Naruto's ankle. His other son was awake. He knelt down, trying to get him to relax. "Easy there, everything's fine. You can stop fighting."

He heard laughing, Minato looking up at Naruto to see a wide grin looking back at him. "You were awake this whole time, weren't you? Did you really have no idea?"

Confusion struck him, not sure what he was talking about, until he saw it. He was crying, his injured son was shaking and weeping, though he didn't know why. Did the pain killers not work? He began to reach into his bag again before he heard a raspy voice interrupt the action.

"Is it true?"

He stopped, looking upward only to be met with a shake of the head. "He isn't talking to me, Minato."

Still confused, Minato answered the question with his own. "Is… is what true?"

The boy rolled over slowly, Minato getting a good look at his face. The first thing he noticed were the whisker marks, more defined on his face than they were on his twin. The other, was that he reminded him a lot of Kushina. Give him red hair and he would be her spitting image.

"Is it true… that you're my father?"

It was like ice water ran through his veins. Those words, filled with hope and despair at the same time, chilled him to the bone. He looked at his son, truly did, and realized that the future was far worse than he imagined.

He knew he was dead. In the future, he and Kushina had been killed, and he had been forced to pass on her burden to his son at a young age. That was why Naruto wanted to test himself, because Minato had never been there to tell him how strong he was. He didn't realize how young Naruto was when that happened. In one timeline, it was clear that Naruto had learned of his heritage, but in the other he had no clue.

"…Yes, I am." He had no other answer. It hurt. Though he had no real connection to him, to know that his son was right in front of him, in pain, and being unable to help him, hurt more than he expected.

"It really is incredible, how clueless you are. How could you have gone through our life, and not figure it out?"

Minato didn't stop Naruto from speaking, not sure what to say.

"Did you think the Third Hokage looked after you because he liked you?"

He could feel the boy trembling under his hands, the boy trying to cover his ears.

"That Jiraiya, one of the Legendary Sannin, would teach you such a powerful technique just because he felt like it?"

Minato had had enough, glaring at the taller blonde. "That's enough. He's had enough."

"When did you figure it out?" Minato paused, looking down to see a blank look in the boy's face. "When did you figure out that the Fourth was our dad?"

He heard a chuckle, a reply following swiftly. "To be honest, I don't remember. I've always known."

He felt the boy get up, Minato trying to stop him. "Hey, you're still injured- "

Naruto ignored him, getting up to his feet on shaky legs and glaring at his twin. The taller of the two chuckled lightly before giving a dangerous glower.

"If you're going to attack me again, believe me when I say dear old dad won't be able to save you a second time. The only reason your alive is because Minato saved you. If he doesn't want me to kill you, I'll respect that decision, but it's a thin line. Don't cross it."

Minato stood up, slowly gripping a kunai as he looked at the two. He didn't know what was going to happen, but he wanted to be ready.

"I…"

The shorter of his sons began but stopped, a look of frustration on his face. Minato saw his hands clench into fists, and he tensed. Minato looked between the two, hoping that he wouldn't have to intervene. A roar of rage shattered his hopes.

They stopped when they had reached the top of the tower, Sasuke looking behind him quickly to see Sakura waiting for his lead. He nodded to her, the two slowly moving toward the window below them. They would need to be methodical in this, and quiet as well. Sasuke was not a sensor. He couldn't tell where Mukade was as easily as Naruto could.

They couldn't allow Mukade to flee or escape, and the element of surprise was always a welcome advantage. Thanks to Naruto, he knew that there were two Mukade's, and at least one was at the bottom of this tower. It was larger than the surrounding structures and near the center of the city. A good place of operation if Mukade was hiding underneath it.

But he couldn't assume that he would stay there. Mukade could have moved anywhere in this tower since they had split up, so it was best that he worked from the top and worked his way down. It would give him the chance to see Sakura in action, and it was easier to infiltrate this way.

Sasuke placed himself next to the window, his Sharingan activating as he peered in and took in the room. There was a throne, simple yet ornate in its design with a young girl sitting upon it. Her eyes were closed, his Sharingan making out the small rise and fall of her chest. She was asleep.

Beside her, a large puppet stood, its left arm composed of a thick metal blade. Luckily for him, the puppet didn't seem to be facing toward him, preoccupied with something else. Instead, it was facing the girl, its left arm already in motion to stab through her body.

There was no time for thought, Sasuke thankful that he had the foresight to activate his Sharingan to give him the needed reaction time. Electricity coursed through him as he moved, pulling himself through the window and toward the wooden assassin. As soon as he started flying, he knew he was moving too slow.

He thrust out a hand, his chakra pooling there immediately to power his attack. He was careful with his aim, using every precious millisecond the Sharingan gave him to make sure he would not miss and injure the girl by accident. Lightning shot forth, forming a slashing blade as he carefully maneuvered his hand, slicing off the bladed appendage of the puppet.

He was too late, the small spray of blood he could see made him realize that. Even so, he was at the puppets side a moment later, smashing through it in a shower of sparks before cutting off the storm to attend to the girl. She was awake now, her eyes wide open and trying to scream in pain. A pained, bloody wheeze came out instead.

Sasuke grabbed her and held her down. "Sakura, get in here, now!" He had to attend to her wounds, or she may die. The blade had dug into her chest, probably slipping through her ribs and piercing a lung based on the blood she was coughing up.

Sakura had arrived in a heartbeat, already placing her hands on the girls wound and channeling healing chakra to the wound. "Just keep her still, I can fix this." Sasuke watched with a critical eye, curious to see how effective the girl was to the one that he knew.

He wasn't disappointed. The wound began to heal rather quickly, the flow of blood beginning to come to a stop. After a few minutes, he let go of the girl, who seemed to be able to support her own weight. He looked at her, seeing fear and terror in her eyes. "Wha- what's happening? Who are you?!"

He thought for a moment how to respond, before deciding. "We're ninja from the Hidden Leaf. We tracked a know terrorist to this city and learned that he had plans to assassinate you. It seems we got here just in time." The lie would do for now. It was better than trying to explain this mess.

"Terrorist? Assassin? What assassin?!" Sasuke reached down and grabbed the blade of the puppet, still wet with the girl's blood.

"His name is Mukade, he's a puppet user and a powerful one. We believe that he's hiding somewhere below this tower. Is there anyway you can guide us there?" Horror seemed to come over the girl, somewhat surprising him, as he expected relief after making it clear they were not enemies.

"That's… that can't be true. Anrokuzan would… he would never do something like that! He wouldn't try to…" That was a new name.

"Anrokuzan?"

The girl slowly nodded. "Y-yes, my Minister. He's the one that assigned those puppet guards to me. But he would never try and kill me! He's loyal to the kingdom of Roran and its people! He… he has to be…" Doubt seemed to fill the girl as she stared at the blade, the drops of blood being the only sound in the room for a moment.

Then, the door behind them exploded.

Sasuke jumped to action. "Sakura, protect the girl!" He grabbed a kunai as a puppet seemed to fly through the doorway in front of him, spinning saws acting as hands threatening to slice him to ribbons. His lone Sharingan tracked their movements as he rushed to meet the wooden servant, lightning running into his kunai.

He sliced through the metal on one of its limbs, his other hand forming a Chidori and smashing through the other, the blades seeming to break apart due to the force of the attack. His Chidori kept going, smashing through the rest of the puppet before grasping onto the blades he had cut with his kunai, that where spinning in the air.

Two more puppets came through the doorway, Sasuke throwing the metal blades he now held toward there bodies. His Chidori coursed through the metal, turning them into spinning blades of electricity that tore through the wooden puppets with ease.

He stopped, waiting for more opponents to arrive, before he heard footsteps. Sasuke narrowed his eye, raising his kunai as he prepared. Mukade had certainly changed since he last saw him, but it changed very little about his mission. His target was here, now he just had to eliminate him.

"I see you are still alive, Queen Sara. How unfortunate. Had you simply laid there your death would be much less- "

He was already sick of his monologue, Sasuke rushing toward him in an instant and slamming his kunai into his chest. He almost froze as soon as he did, knowing that something was wrong. Mukade grinned toward him and began to raise one of his arms. Sasuke wouldn't let him retaliate. They needed to leave, to get out of this room and into the open. From this close, he could easily tell what was wrong.

He kicked the man away from his, the shattering of stone echoing outside the door he flew into. "Sakura! Grab the girl! We're getting out of here!" He could tell Sakura was confused for a moment but followed his order, nonetheless. She picked up the Queen and they jumped out the window together. The tower behind them exploded into debris, Sasuke quickly turning around.

Hundreds of puppets were flocking toward the destroyed tower, collapsing into a large ball of wood and steel, until finally a form emerged. It was ugly, and monstrous in size, with spider like legs allowing it to move around.

"Can you hear me Queen Sara?! Today is the end of the Kingdom of Roran! And the beginning of my Rule! This world will belong to me!"

Disgusting. Mukade, had turned his body into a living puppet. Sasuke landed on the side of a tower, kicking of it immediately and toward the behemoth. Mukade saw him coming. A blade sprouting from one of its giant limbs and swiping at him with deadly accuracy.

Sasuke curled up, tensing his muscles as electricity coiled around him. The blade met his form and quickly shattered against it, Sasuke slamming into Mukade's side with terrifying force. He uncurled, digging his fingers into the wood beneath him with one hand, the other coming up to his lips.

He drew in breath, exhaling a large fireball at the creatures head a moment later. Mukade's head seemed to move on a swivel as it looked at the attack, before opening its maw. Sasuke watched in shock and annoyance as his fireball began to shrink rapidly, before winking out of existence.

"Hahaha! Your pitiful attacks mean nothing to me! With the power of the Dragon Vein, I am invincible!"

As if hearing his words, the towers around him began to light up, an ominous glow overtaking the cables connecting them. Then, plasma seemed to shoot out from them and into Mukade's body. Sasuke leapt off the puppet before he could be struck but realized that he wasn't safe yet.

Mukade opened his mouth once again, a large ball of electricity coalescing inside. He was still looking at him, and Sasuke didn't need a hint to know that a large attack was coming his way. He kicked off the air, going behind the puppet and over its back, watching with some worry as Mukade followed his actions smoothly and easily, his head twisted a full 180 degrees and further.

The attack fired, and Sasuke kicked off the air again, toward the ground. He heard a loud clap echo around him, followed by a loud ringing in his ears. His hairs stood on end as the powerful attack shoot just above him, and he could feel his clothes and hair become lightly singed from the attack.

But he dodged it nonetheless, and he was already starting his counterattack. Rocketing through the air, he tensed his body and slammed into Mukade's back, the wood splintering around him and turning to dust. He planted a foot onto his body, and began running up toward his face, a Chidori in hand and digging into Mukade's form.

He carved a path with his Chidori straight up to his head, dodging his many limbs as they tried to slash at him with blades. He reached his face in record time, rearing back his Chidori to slam it into his maw. Mukade's mouth opened, ready to absorb the chakra from his attack, and Sasuke answered by throwing in a roll of paper bombs with his other hand.

Mukade didn't react in time, the explosive traveling into its body before he could close his mouth. Sasuke kicked off the air to a nearby tower, not wanting to be near what happened next.

"You son of a- "

The explosion cut him off, his head turning into sawdust and flying metal as it came apart, Sasuke watching as one of his metal teeth flew by him. The body fell toward the ground in a crumpled heap, knocking over a nearby tower.

He heard Sakura land next to him, Queen Sara still in his arms. "So, is it over?" Sasuke kept his eye on the wooden corpse for a moment more before nodding with a sigh. He looked over, a small smile on his face.

"It seems so, for now. We'll need Naruto to find the other Mukade. He probably ran off somewhere after hearing the- "

He was cut off as he looked behind Sakura, seeing a large ball of chakra begin forming in the sky. He grit his teeth, grabbing on to her and the queen. "Down! Now!"

The shockwave hit a moment later, the tower under their feet shaking from its strength. "W-what was that?! What's going on?!" He ignored the Queens cries for now, looking over toward the explosion with his Sharingan as he released the girls. He could see a figure falling, the other version of Naruto.

"Sasuke? What's happening?" He looked toward Sakura, before shaking head.

"I don't know, but we should regroup with- "

The towers around them lit up once again, the clap of energy ringing out as the towers around them began to shake. He turned around back toward Mukade, watching as the debris around them slowly made its way toward his body.

He was rebuilding himself.

The steel and stone of the towers began to fill the large gaps between wood, Mukade's head reforming once again. The amalgamation stood up, its face rearing toward them, a hunter looking at its prey.

"Don't think I'm done with you yet, boy. I've changed my mind. I'm not going to kill you."

It stood up, its many legs digging into the ground beneath it, cracking the stone as it tried to bear its weight.

"I'm going to let you live, so I can make you into an example for those who defy me!"

It opened its mouth, purple flames gathering and releasing just a moment later. There was no time to dodge, not with Sakura and the Queen next to him. He ran through hand signs and took a deep breath.

"Fire Style: Fire Ball Jutsu!"

The roaring flames clashed, and Sasuke knew that he was going to lose this bout. Thankfully, Sakura needed no guidance, scrambling away with the Queen thanks to the time his jutsu had brought. He dropped the technique as soon as she was clear, his leg lashing out with blades of wind that cut through the purple wall of flame rushing toward him.

They made him an escape, Sasuke diving through the small opening with a Chidori already in hand, clashing with the two blades of steel that slammed into him. He grimaced at its strength; his body sent careening backward but Sasuke kicking off the air, so he didn't go back into the wall of flame.

He returned to the ground, looking up at his opponent who had already begun gather another ball of flame in its jaws. He sighed lightly, stretching his muscles before returning to his stance.

This was going to be harder than he thought.

He screamed, dropping to his knees and slamming a fist into the ground. It was too much. His body burned and ached, despite the medicine that Minato, his father, had given him. Briefly, he thought about how things had gotten here. This was supposed to be a normal mission. Find and eliminate a rouge ninja, but somehow it had turned into this.

He stopped, his harsh breathing filling his ears as his heart pounded rapidly in his chest. He looked up, seeing a gaze of disgust looking back down at him.

"How pathetic. To think I have to share a name with someone like you."

He let the words roll off him, not letting them affect him. But deep down, he knew they had. Sasuke stories had told him enough, let him realize that the Naruto standing in front of him was some completely different from him.

He hated him. At every turn, every low point in his life, the one before him had prevailed where he had failed. He saved Sasuke, had friends that trusted him and treated him like family with the village adoring him for his strength. He was even to become Hokage, his own personal dream.

He couldn't shake the feeling that was filling him. Was this despair? Maybe.

"N- Naruto, calm down! Just breath!" He felt a hand place itself on his back, his fathers. It was supposed to be comforting, but it wasn't. It felt like it burned, and he was filled with shame as it lay there. That was it. Shame. Just what had he been doing all this time?

Was all that training, all that work, for nothing? That's why he hated his other self so much. He showed what he could have been, what might have been had he done things differently. All those pranks he pulled, skipping class; all of it was time wasted. He could see his life flashing by, seeing every moment where he failed, every failed attempt at growth and success, and beside each one, he could see how he would prevail.

He grit his teeth, calming his breathing and slamming the stone underneath him one last time. He began to stand up, looking him in the eye all the while. He had a passive look, unimpressed with his actions.

"Are you done yet?"

He bit back a retort, swallowing as he stood firm on shaking legs. "You… You were right."

"Oh? About what?"

He breathed in deep through his nose, noting the pain blossoming in his ribs, the ones that he had broken earlier. "About me. You right about me, about everything."

He didn't reply, so he kept going, feeling his resolve strengthen.

"I'm weak, naive and a terrible ninja. You were right, I'm just a fool."

He could hear a grunt of amusement from the taller blonde, who simply tilted his head. "And so, what? Now that you've had your great epiphany, do you think something is going to change? People like you never do, too stupid to improve and never able to see how to in the first place."

He grinned menacingly, seeming to tower over him as he continued.

"You're stuck as you are, doomed to wander as a hopeless fool dreaming of dreams they can never achieve, and never able to wake from. There is no salvation, Naruto."

He lifted his hand, straightening his head band. "And that, is where your wrong."

He frowned, the grin falling as annoyance graced his features.

"I'm not going to stay like this, not anymore. You've shown me that I can be better, and that I have to be better, for my friends and the Hidden Leaf. More than that, you've shown me that my dreams can be achieved, just not as I am now."

The frown turned into a snarl, the larger man grabbing him by the collar and lifting him off the ground.

"You really don't listen, do you? Try all you want, fight as hard as you want, you will never change!"

Naruto looked on, unflinching, too determined to be intimidated. "Then I'll keep fighting until I do. I won't give up. I swear, I'm going to grow stronger, and one day I'll surpass you. And I don't go back on my word." He almost yelped as he was suddenly dropped, the hand holding him releasing him. He almost fell to the ground before his father caught him.

He looked up, seeing the other Naruto begin to walk away. "Do what you like, it doesn't matter to me."

He couldn't help but grin, the promise of a lifetime settled in his heart. He would grow stronger after this, he had to. No more games, no more playing around. From now on, he would succeed, no matter what it took. He carved the image of his new rival's back into his mind, the pink, lightly burnt feathers of his jacket bouncing softly. That was his goal, to reach that level of strength, in both body and mind.

"What are you going to do now?"

Naruto turned to Minato, who was speaking to the taller of his sons. "I still have a mission to complete, so I'm going to meet up with my partner. Carry the fool if you want or leave him. Doesn't matter to me."

He disappeared a moment later, Minato turning his attention to him. "Can you stand on your own?"

Naruto stammered for a second, before nodding, gathering his feet underneath him and standing. His body was sore, and his ribs still ached, but he felt surprisingly better. Maybe it was because of the Nine Tails?

He jumped lightly up and down, testing his body. It still hurt, but his legs weren't as shaky as before. He should be able to move with the help of those pain killers but they would have to go slow. He told Minato, his dad, as such. He nodded, looking off into the distance.

"Good, we need to get moving. We don't want to be left behind." Minato jumped off at that, Naruto carefully jumping after him, being careful not to tax himself.

Doffy tried burning the memories of that encounter in his mind. It didn't work, but it was worth the effort. Naruto was insufferable. Almost as annoying as Strawhat, but at least he could stand toe-to-toe with him, a fellow king. Whatever, it didn't matter right now. He wanted this mission over with and to return to his timeline.

He followed Sasuke's presence, others seeming to be around him. Minato's team, Sakura, the 2 Mukade's and someone else. It was strange, why weren't they dead yet? Sasuke should have been able to finish them off easily.

In the distance, he could see towers begin to glow, lightning shooting off the cables between into a large cloud of dust. He grimaced, feeling that this was about to become more complicated. He approached the cloud, watching as the cloud of dust was swept away by a fierce wind. He looked onward, frustration filling him.

He saw Sasuke, standing in front of Minato's teammates, who were on the ground unconscious. Sakura was tending to them with another girl shaking in fear next to her. Sasuke looked bruised and battered, breathing heavy from exhaustion.

Before him, a large construct roared, two horned heads atop its body with four large, mechanical arms. Chakra ran across its body, like water and lightning it poured off it in waves, speaking volumes of its strength. Mukade was in there, both of them, and they seemed rather powerful in that body of theirs. Good.

He had some… frustrations to vent.

Author's Note: Gah, this took forever to finally get out but we did, eventually. Sorry for the wait again folks! Any way, we really wanted to finish the movie with this chapter but it felt long enough without the final fight in it as well. So, we will be done with the movie in the next chapter and start reintroducing the main story again. A few things as well.

Interesting enough, the Lost Towers Movie doesn't seem to explain why Team Minato is actually in Roran. They're... just kind of there. So, Minato's explanation is to fix that little detail, mostly because it bothers us. Other than that, feel free to leave us a review and we will see you all next time!