Н‘¾Ð‘¯Ð‘¬Ð‘Μ Ð‘»Ð‘¯Ð‘¬ Н‘¾Ð‘°Ð‘Μ𝑫 Н‘©Ð‘³Ð‘¶Ð‘¾Ð‘º €¢Ð’Ƒ𝒙Н’Ƒ• Epiphany

As soon as the word ‘teamwork’ left Naruto’s lips, Akashi sensed the familiar usage of Kamui.

Naruto, he’s here. He told the blond.

Hearing that, Naruto, along with the rest of them, turned to face forward as both Madara and Obito appeared.

“Then dying together can also be considered teamwork, eh?” Madara questioned them, straightening up and revealing that he had retrieved Obito’s Rinnegan and that he now had both of them.

“Madara… you have both Rinnegan.” Kakashi commented, staring at the man in thought.

“Obito!” Naruto called out, trying to get the other man’s attention, but he didn’t even react to having his name called.

“Unfortunately, Obito is gone,” Black Zetsu said, “I’ve taken over his body now, seems like he was hoping to right his wrongs… He was praying like a child, deep inside, so that he could leave the future to you all,” Naruto grit his teeth at his words as his fists clenched at his sides, “How convenient that would have been for him, right? Just like a spoiled brat.”

Madara trailed his eyes over them all and from the side, Akashi felt a spike in Sakura’s chakra. He felt fear fill her for a brief moment, but, unexpectedly, the fear disappeared in a matter of seconds and only pure determination was left. Her chakra spiked one more time and all of them watched as she dashed forward, “I’ll be the diversion. So follow me!” She exclaimed.

“Wait!” Naruto yelled as he and Sasuke went after her.

Really… That girl…

Upon reaching Madara, Sakura was instantly impaled by his staff before she could even do anything. He reached her hand back as if to punch him, but it got blocked by Shadow Madara. From behind her, Sasuke slashed at Madara with his lightning blade, but it got blocked by another Shadow Madara, while Naruto grabbed Sakura and jumped away, Sasuke following after them.

There seems to be more than one Shadow Madara. Akashi informed Naruto.

“Sakura!” Naruto grabbed the black staff and ripped it out, throwing it off to the side.

“Don’t worry about me, Naruto,” Sakura slowly peered at Sasuke, before she looked away, “I’m all right, so…” She trailed off.

Even though all that time had passed… Even since their academy days… She was still hung up on that boy, wasn’t she?

How… nice.

“Naruto! Akashi!” Sasuke called out their names.

“We know! There are more of them, right?” Naruto said.

“Enough with this sideshow.” Madara spoke up and flew upwards, above them all. He raised his hand and a glowing black orb, one bigger than him, grew on his palm. A moment later, it split up in numerous smaller orbs. Chakra spiked within the man and the ground started breaking, chunks gluing themselves onto the separated black orbs.

Above them hovered numerous meteorites, made out of the chunks from the ground.

“This is Six Path’s power?” Sakura questioned.

“He’s way bigger than before and there’s more of ’em.” Naruto said.

“Stop getting distracted by what’s above!” Sasuke reprimanded them, “His shadows are on the ground with us!”

Then, the meteorites began descending downwards and towards the ground.

“Here they come!” Naruto exclaimed.

“The shadows as well!” Sasuke added.

Naruto did his Shadow Clone Jutsu and four Clone Naruto’s, one for each Shadow Madara, appeared, racing towards them, “Leave them to me!” The clones said and started fighting with the Shadow Madaras.

Sasuke activated his Susano’o and flew towards one of the meteorites, slashing it into a million pieces, while Naruto threw a Tailed Beast Bomb Rasen Shuriken at the other. Sasuke continued slashing at the others, but there was just too much of them.

Kurama, are you ready? Akashi asked.

As ready as I’ll ever be. Kurama replied.

Naruto, I will be borrowing you for a bit. Naruto’s brows furrowed as the words rang through his head, but before he could say anything, he found himself unable to move his body.

Akashi?! What?! Alarmed, Naruto could only say those words inside his head.

“Don’t worry, little brother, I will give you your body back.” Damn… It was weird being in a body that wasn’t his own… His voice was different… Everything was different…

Akashi raised his hand and willed his chain so appear. One, giant chain, rose out of his hand and then hardened into something akin to a long spear. Gripping in in his palm, he let Kurama’s chakra cover its whole form. It glowed a bright yellowish-orange as Akashi pulled his arm back, aiming it at the meteorites

Taking a deep breath, he whipped his arm forward.

The spear sailed through the air and straight through two of the meteorites and flickered out of existence a few moments later. Akashi stood still for a second or so, before he felt the air rip in half. A shock-wave, one so strong it reached the ground, almost made him skid back a few feet. He watched as the two meteorites glowed and lit up in a flash so bright, he had to shield his eyes from the blast. An explosion ripped through the air and the meteorites exploded into pieces.

He closed his eyes and gave the control back over to Naruto.

“Akashi! You should warn me next time! I don’t like the feeling of not being able to move my body!” Naruto immediately whined out.

The said boy ignored him, instead he was too busy looking at the unnaturally crimson moon. One which looked awfully similar to that of a Sharingan eye.

Was Madara…?

The rest of the meteorites raced towards the ground and Naruto raised his hand into the air, “I’ll pulverise the meteorites with these next, so don’t worry,” he assured the others as seven Tailed Beast Bomb Rasen Shurikens were formed, “You two stick close to me and stay still!” He told Sakura and Kakashi.

“Okay!” Sakura answered.

“Go!” Naruto exclaimed and the jutsu was thrown, narrowly evading Sasuke, who was racing towards the ground, “Sasuke, don’t head down here so suddenly! I could’ve hit you with a Rasen Shuriken-!” Susano’o harshly landed, shaking the ground beneath everyone’s feet, “Hey! Land more softly too!” Naruto clenched his fist, looking up at Sasuke.

Seriously… He never changed.

“Just shut up and stay still!” Sasuke yelled at him as Susano’o’s wings wrapped around them all, shielding them from the outside world. The ground tremored as the remains of the meteorites slammed into it.

Naruto stood up, prepared to leave the Susano’o, but Sasuke stopped him by grabbing onto his shoulder, “Naruto! You can’t right now!” The raven-haired boy said, “Don’t go outside! Without my Susano’o’s protection, you’d be bound up in his Genjutsu as well!”

“What’s going on outside right now?” The blond questioned, but Sasuke didn’t answer.

“Sasuke?” Sakura asked.

“What difference will it make, knowing that?” Sasuke glanced at her, “There is nothing you can do right now.”

“Sasuke… that’s not the point,” Kakashi spoke up, “Naruto and I also want to know… I’m sure Akashi does too,” Sasuke narrowed his eyes at the mention of the redhead, which didn’t go unnoticed by the said redhead, “In order to analyse our next move, Sakura is…” The silver-haired man was interrupted.

“Kakashi… You’re being just like Sakura now… Just be quiet for a bit.” Sasuke reprimanded him.

“Hey, Sasuke! We need to work as a team!” Naruto yelled at him, annoyed at his behaviour, “Team 7 needs to work together to bring Madara down!”

“You’re right. There’s nothing I can do right now.” Kakashi spoke up once again.

“Kakashi-sensei!” Naruto looked at him along with everyone else.

“If you can analyse what’s outside with your left eye, Sasuke… you should be the one to lead Team 7’s five-man-squad.” Kakashi declared.

Confused as to what’s going on, Naruto’s eyes widened, “Huh?!” He pointed at Sasuke, “I doubt he’s better at planning than either you or Sakura, probably even Akashi!” He said, “Although he may be better than me.”

“Anyway… Madara has activated his jutsu. It’s a powerful Genjutsu. I suspect everyone outside has already fallen under its spell,” Sasuke raised his head, “We might be the only ones left unaffected.”

“The Infinite Tsukuyomi, huh?” Kakashi looked off to the side.

“So right about now, everyone’s…” Naruto trailed off.

“Inside a dream.” Sasuke finished his sentence.

Inside a dream, eh? A Genjutsu was able to put everyone, except them, inside a dream?

Just how powerful was that Genjutsu?

The outside world felt different now.

Before, Akashi could only sense the chakra of human beings, but now…

He sensed chakra come from everywhere.

Honestly, he was a little overwhelmed. He didn’t even need to try and sense it, it just kept pouring into him.

It kept pouring into him along with everyone’s chakra. He could feel everyone in a few mile radius, their chakra… Their feelings… Everything.

That was what troubled him… That is why he stayed quiet during the conversation…

The feelings and emotions of everyone outside.

It confused him, greatly.

Usually, when one is put under a Genjutsu, their chakra would spike, indicating a disturbance or their chakra would spike out of fear and dislike of what they were seeing inside the Genjutsu.

But… The Infinite Tsukuyomi wasn’t doing that.

It wasn’t making them see things they hated or feared.

Their chakra was calm. As if there was nothing that even bothered them. Akashi had never sensed chakra which was that calm. Even while people slept, their chakra would spike because of their dreams or even when they weren’t dreaming, their chakra could never reach that level of calmness.

There was this disturbing feeling.

A twisted sense of happiness.

The people outside were the ones who felt it. Happiness. Even while trapped inside a Genjutsu, they were… happy? Why? What was the Genjutsu making them see?

Happy memories? Happy moments? Their families? Their friends?

Sasuke had mentioned they were inside a dream.

Were they dreaming about happy times? Or… some kind of fabricated reality?

They weren’t in pain, Akashi would have sensed it.

They weren’t sad, Akashi would have sensed it.

They weren’t unhappy, Akashi would have sensed it.

They were… actually… completely and utterly… satisfied with where they were. A dream in which nobody had to be in pain anymore… A dream in which there was no suffering.

No war.

No death.

Just… peace.

What was he supposed to do? What? What was he supposed to do? What? What was he supposed to do?

“Chakra should have never even existed.”

“Neither should have you.”

“Balance is important for the world and your existence had shifted that balance.”

“You were never supposed to be born.”

“Your sole existence is something which never should have been.”

“You shall decide if the world ends today or if it remains to see another sunrise.”

“Nothing. You are not special. Nothing about you is special. You were just… chosen by fate.”

The Sage of Six Path’s words flashed through his mind.

Akashi? Kurama’s voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

Yeah? Somehow, his own voice seemed quieter than usual.

Are you…? The fox began, but stopped before the next word could come out.

No. He answered. I’m not. I don’t know what to do. Kurama… I… Is it wrong to feel this way?

No, little one, your feelings are your own… You are allowed to feel whatever you wish to feel.

But, I-!

It’s okay. I understand. Whatever it is you wish to do, you do it.

Kurama…

Whichever decision you make, I will be by your side. I will follow you until we are no longer on this plane of existence. I will follow you until the stars cease to exist. I will follow you until the sun stops shinning. I will follow you until I draw my last breath. I will follow you until you tell me otherwise. For you are you and I am me… And us? We are one.

As the wind blows. As the sun shines. As the ocean sings its endless song, So too, will I follow you. Eternally.

The world went into a standstill.