Inside the Allied Shinobi Forces headquarters, the atmosphere was thick with tension.
The large command room buzzed with activity as shinobi rushed between communication stations, relaying reports from across the battlefield. Massive maps of the continent were spread across long tables, marked with colored pins that tracked troop movements, enemy sightings, and defensive formations.
Chakra-powered communication devices hummed softly while sensory ninja sat cross-legged along the walls, maintaining long-distance links between divisions.
At the center of the room stood a circular command table where the leaders of the allied forces had gathered.
The Kage were present—except for Gaara, Onoki, and Terumi, who were currently stationed with their respective divisions on the battlefield. Their absence left the room feeling slightly emptier, though the weight of leadership still filled the space.
The Raikage, A, stood near the table with his massive arms crossed tightly over his chest. His muscles were visibly tense, veins slightly bulging along his forearms. His expression was dark, clearly irritated.
Across from him stood Tsunade, the Fifth Hokage. She had just finished receiving a report from one of the sensory units stationed near the island.
A shinobi messenger had barely finished speaking when Tsunade suddenly chuckled under her breath.
The quiet laugh echoed slightly in the tense room.
While A was furious.
His head snapped toward her instantly.
"This isn't a laughing matter!" he barked, slamming his palm down on the table with enough force to rattle several of the map markers.
"Madara must have sensed their whereabouts by now. Most likely on the way to them as we speak!"
His voice carried the sharp edge of someone who had been worrying about this exact scenario since the war began.
The thought of the two remaining jinchūriki—the Nine-Tails and the Eight-Tails—moving freely across the battlefield made his blood boil with frustration.
Tsunade didn't seem nearly as concerned.
She leaned casually against the edge of the table, folding her arms beneath her chest, the faintest smirk forming on her lips.
"Calm down," she said evenly. "They're not weak." Her eyes glinted slightly with confidence as she continued.
"Both of them have complete control of their Tail Beasts now. That alone already puts them above all shinobi in this war."
Several of the commanders nearby nodded quietly. Reports from the island had already confirmed that both Naruto and Bee had mastered their jinchūriki powers.
Tsunade tilted her head slightly, her smirk growing.
"They're very strong," she continued.
"Especially Naruto."
A few heads in the room turned at that.
Tsunade's voice remained calm, but her words carried weight.
"I'd argue none of us Kage could take him even if we were together."
The room fell silent for a moment.
Some of the shinobi exchanged glances, unsure whether she was exaggerating or simply stating a brutal truth.
A scoffed loudly. His pride as the Raikage clearly rejected the idea.
"I won't believe it until I see it," he muttered, his arms still crossed as his eyes narrowed.
Standing near the communication section of the command center was Shikaku Nara—Shikamaru's father and the chief strategist of the Allied Shinobi Forces.
Unlike the others, he appeared calm.
His sharp eyes scanned the information being relayed from multiple stations while his mind processed countless variables at once.
As the strategist responsible for coordinating the entire war effort, he had already anticipated Naruto and Bee attempting to escape the island.
He let out a quiet sigh.
"Troublesome," he muttered under his breath.
But there was no real irritation in his voice.
If anything, he had already begun adapting the strategy around their sudden appearance. Shikaku stepped forward slightly and closed his eyes.
The shinobi around him immediately fell silent.
He placed two fingers together in a familiar concentration gesture.
Through the telepathic communication network maintained by the Yamanaka clan, Shikaku connected his mind to theirs.
Shikaku, began messaging Bee and Naruto telepathically.
His calm voice echoed directly inside their minds.
"I'll fill you both in about everything that's happened so far."
Naruto blinked slightly as the voice suddenly appeared in his head, but he quickly recognized it.
Bee simply grinned. Inside their minds, Shikaku began transmitting the full situation.
He explained how the war had unfolded so far—the sudden appearance of the White Zetsu army, their infiltration tactics, and the chaos they had caused across multiple divisions.
He told them about the Edo Tensei reanimations Kabuto had unleashed upon the battlefield.
Shikaku continued explaining how the Allied Shinobi Forces had split into divisions to handle different threats.
The first divisions were currently engaging large groups of White Zetsu.
Other divisions were dealing with the resurrected shinobi.
And at the center of it all…
Madara Uchiha.
The name alone carried a heavy weight.
Shikaku explained everything in clear, precise detail, making sure Naruto and Bee understood the scale of the war they were about to enter.
"Thanks, Shikamaru's dad. We'll take it from here," Naruto said.
His voice carried a calm confidence as he continued moving forward through the forest at incredible speed. The trees around them blurred into streaks of green as he and Bee raced across the terrain, their feet barely touching the ground between each powerful step.
Through the telepathic connection, Shikaku sighed quietly. Troublesome, just like his son.
Before he could respond, another presence suddenly forced its way into the mental communication channel.
The pressure behind the voice alone made it obvious who it was.
Suddenly A came through as he spoke as well. His voice thundered inside their minds like a lightning strike.
"You will not be taking anything!"
Naruto slowed slightly, raising an eyebrow.
"You two need to be in hiding from Madara! You know very well he's looking for you two!"
The Raikage's voice was filled with raw authority and frustration. To him, Naruto and Bee were not just powerful shinobi—they were the two most important strategic assets in the entire war.
If Madara captured them, the war would be over. A's voice grew even louder, echoing through the telepathic link.
"Don't make me come down there and stop you myself!"
Naruto scratched the back of his head casually as he ran, completely unfazed. Bee glanced over at him, curious how he'd respond.
Naruto chuckled.
"Come try, old man."
For a brief moment, the communication channel went completely silent. Back inside the Allied Shinobi headquarters, several shinobi froze in place after hearing that response.
Some of them slowly turned to look at the Raikage.
Tsunade, however, burst into a small laugh, covering her mouth slightly as her shoulders shook. She clearly found the exchange entertaining.
Tsunade chuckled hearing Naruto's response.
"You walked right into that one," she muttered.
A's face darkened instantly. His jaw tightened, veins bulging slightly along his temple.
A got even more mad. The room felt noticeably heavier as the Raikage's chakra flared slightly from pure irritation.
For a moment it looked like he might actually punch the table again.
But then. He suddenly stopped. A took a slow, controlled breath. The anger in his eyes didn't disappear. Instead… it shifted.
His lips slowly curled upward.
He smirked. "Alright," A said calmly.
His voice had lost its shouting tone, which somehow made it more ominous.
"See you in a few."
Naruto's feet skidded slightly across the ground as he came to an abrupt stop.
Bee stopped as well, landing beside him with a heavy thud that cracked the dirt beneath his sandals. The wind from their sudden halt rustled the surrounding trees.
Naruto stared ahead for a moment, then rubbed the back of his neck.
"...He's serious," Naruto muttered.
Bee crossed his arms, tilting his head slightly. His sunglasses glinted in the sunlight as he looked down at Naruto.
"You're seriously gonna take on my brother?" Bee said. He pointed a thumb toward himself proudly.
"You must be a fool, ya fool!"
Naruto grinned. Not nervously. Confidently.
A faint golden glow flickered briefly around his eyes as Sage Mode chakra subtly stirred within him.
He cracked his knuckles casually.
"Trust me," Naruto said.
His voice was calm, almost relaxed.
"I can deal with him." A small smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth. "Easily."
TO BE CONTINUED