Eve of War

 

Well guys, this is it. We're done.

 

Well. We're done with the buildup and foreshadowing, at least. After Chapter Twenty Eight, we hit the 'dreaded' Invasion. Who's gonna live through it? Who's gonna die? Who will the invaders be? What will the objectives be?

 

If I answered all of that, it would spoil half the fun.

 

 

Life is simply unfair... don't you think?

 

Simplistically, one could liken war to the flipping of a coin. There are two opposing sides, and once someone ignites the flames (flips the coin), the struggling won't stop until a victor - a result - is determined. Naturally a war lasts longer than a single flip of a coin, but it still works for an analogy.

 

The Invasion is that flip of a coin. Nothing ever came out of the Invasion in canon, but that largely had to do with the 'opposing sides' reconciling after it was discovered the Hidden Sand was manipulated into fighting the Hidden Leaf. The scope here... will be much, much larger, and far-reaching. Hidden Leaf and Hidden Sand have a tight bond, but it will be put to the test through this Fourth Shinobi World War. Hidden Stone on one side of the Continent, and Hidden Cloud and Hidden Mist on the other. There is also the little matter of 'experienced Jinchuriki', of which the Hidden Leaf and Sand do not have very many of. They have Rin Nohara, who has been a Jinchuriki for slightly longer than Naruto has been alive, and the other three - Naruto, Gaara, and Fu, are still learning to master their Tailed Beast Chakra. Hidden Cloud has two rather experienced Jinchuriki - Killer Bee and Yugito Nii. Hidden Stone has Roshi and Han. And Hidden Mist has Utakata. Utakata is perhaps the youngest of those five, but even he has a 'unique' mastery of the Six-Tails....

 

On top of the Big Five, there are the minor nations with their shinobi villages. Rain and Waterfall side with Leaf and Sand, while Grass is 'on-the-fence'. Hidden Sound is naturally allied with the Hidden Mist, but not necessarily the Hidden Cloud and Hidden Stone (though it may send reinforcements to them on occasion). Lands like the Land of Rivers, Land of Frost, Land of Hot Water, and Ishigakure..... will essentially be warzones. Not belonging to either side, after a while.

 

 

And who should be instigating all of this but the great Tailed Beast Hunters themselves? The Moon's Eye. War is the perfect backdrop for a Jinchuriki Hunt, because they'll all be out in the open, doing their very best for the countries they serve. The Moon's Eye will bring a lot to the table for both the Invasion and for the War; they need to, as 'allies' of the Hidden Stone and Hidden Cloud. Without their cloak and dagger efforts, there wouldn't even be a Fourth War... at least not so soon after the Third War. The Leader of this organization has also set his eyes on the Rinnegan of the Fifth Hokage. Will he succeed by the end of the Fourth War..?

 

And wouldn't it be interesting if they have a 'pet Jinchuriki' working to further their ends...? Stay tuned for the Invasion, as we kick it off in Chapter Twenty Eight of TToNU!



Training Mini Arc! (SPOILER ALERT!)

* For those of you who would rather read TToNU cold turkey, I suggest you turn away now. Those still here...? Enjoy.*

As has become apparent by now, some things have changed in the rough outline I had about eight months ago. The planned summer chock full of updates never happened, and I've only recently managed to get some updates out again. We're just about done with the C-Rank Arc, and we're edging into a mini arc that takes place before the Chunin Exams. I guess you could say it's the transition from the first C-Ranks to the Chunin Exams; but it won't be a full-blown arc. Hopefully less than five chapters long, but plans can change.

So. Without further ado, here's the scheduled content...

Chapter Eighteen: Stepping Up

 

The Hokage and the higher-ups receive word of the tragedy that befell Team Ten. Nagato enlists Rin Nohara for the purpose of travelling to the Hidden Sand to save Asuma and Baki, and gives her free reign to recruit who she deems necessary for a successful mission. Of particular note, Kabuto Yakushi is enlisted by Rin on this mission. Obito is given the task of getting everyone there as soon as possible, as time is of the essence. The Clan Heads of the children involved are informed of the situation, and the higher-ups begin arguing over their next course of action with the Hidden Sand; though a large part of their decision will be decided by Asuma's fate.

 

Meanwhile, Team Eight meets with Sakumo Hatake and deliver the missive in regards to the Chunin Exams.

 

Teams Seven and Guy return to the village after having rested up and securing their client (Tsuyu) and their prisoner (Yugito). The Genin are dismissed for the time being while Guy and Kakashi give a debriefing - the Genin, meanwhile, gather at a Training Ground at Naruto's insistence. He has something he wants to tell them...

 

The Fourth Kazekage wallows in regret, though Pakura is there to help him keep a level head. Obito, Rin, Kabuto, and the other medics arrive, and get to work on Baki, Asuma, and Sasuke.....



 

Chapter Nineteen: The Will of Fire (working title)

 

For a while, things are touch-and-go with Asuma; with a little less than three days to save his life, Rin has just enough time to isolate the poison and remove it from his body, but she has to do the same with Baki, and eventually Sasuke. That's where Kabuto comes in; while he's less experienced than Rin, Kabuto is still a prodigy in his own right. And he proves that by working on Baki while Rin takes on Asuma's case. By the time Rin saves Asuma and inspects Kabuto's work, she leaves it to him to finish what he started and proceeds to work on Sasuke. In the end, no one dies, and the medics even inspect Gaara for any fatal injuries he might've suffered without realizing.

 

While Naruto talks to his team and Team Guy about his role as a Jinchuriki, the Nine-Tails recalls some of his chats with the Three-Tails and grudgingly concedes there might be potential in the blond, though the beast very much doubts that potential will pan out. After all, Naruto lost control once before... who's to say he wouldn't do so again...?

 

In the Land of Rice Fields, Jiraiya crashes the battle between Anko's squad and the Hidden Sound ninja. What few Sound shinobi are left call for a retreat upon recognizing the Sannin. Anko moves to pursue them, but Jiraiya stops her; turns out 'the Land of Rice Fields' went by a new name, and Jiraiya reasoned it was time to return home to sort through the intel that Jiraiya had gathered. As it stood, they were very likely to run into enemies if they chose to overstay their welcome, and there was no telling what nasty surprises Orochimaru had in store for trespassers in the new Land of Sound. Anko grudgingly takes Jiraiya's advice and they depart; but unbeknownst to the group, a certain man had been nearby to overhear them.....

 

Rasa reports to Nagato about the successful operations, and Nagato assures him the Alliance remains strong, much to the chagrin of Homura and Koharu. Nagato sends out a message to the Raikage about the capture of the Two-Tails' Jinchuriki, and he insists that the Chunin Exams be postponed for three additional weeks. Depending on how the Raikage responded would decide on the Hidden Leaf's next course of action.....

 

Chapter Twenty: Recuperation and Training

 

Teams Eight and Ten return to the village with decidedly different mindsets. While Team Eight never suffered an experience like the other rookie teams, they still find themselves inspired to grow strong after hearing of the Hidden Rain's past plights, as well as Sakumo's personal tale. Team Ten, on the other hand, don't simply want to grow stronger; they have this burning need to. Teams Seven and Guy are the happy medium between the two mindsets; they feel they need to improve, and they want to.

 

Each of the Genin pursue an area to improve on in earnest for the Chunin Exams; the Jonin want each Genin to pick only one area, as they are not quite in a position to pursue multiple disciplines. Yet they are not prohibited from expanding their repertoire through team exercises as well; it is just Genin solo training that has that restriction....

 

Itachi is assigned Ibiki's previous task of overseeing the First Stage of the Chunin Exams, as Ibiki and Inoichi will have their hands full with Yugito. Konan will oversee the Second Portion, given that it will be set in the Forest of Death. Tenzo would be temporarily be pulled out of the Anbu to oversee the Final Stage. If Nagato didn't feel so uneasy about the Hidden Cloud's potential negative response to Yugito's capture, he would have kept Ibiki, Anko, and Hayate as the examiners. But as things stood with potential backlash, they needed strong examiners on hand in case situations needed to be contained.

 

Chapter Twenty One: The Chunin Exams Begin!

 

Time skip. The Raikage appeared to take Yugito's capture in stride, and still sent some Genin to participate in the Exams like many of the other countries. Due to the delay of the exams, there would be a shorter waiting period for the Final Stage, but still enough to warrant some training for the one-on-one matches. Precautions have been taken, and the Leaf Village feels ready for whatever comes their way.......

Chapters Fourteen to Seventeen (SPOILER ALERT!)

* For those of you who would rather read TToNU cold turkey, I suggest you turn away now. For those of you interested in some facts of the immediate upcoming Chapters, this is the purpose of the post, as I don't see myself getting around to penning these fully until this summer - as in May, to be honest. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED *














Chapter Fourteen: Clash of the Jinchuriki

 

The Ginkaku Squad has breached the border to the Land of Fire and have finally caught up to Teams Kakashi and Guy. Totaling thirty Jonin and highly-Chunin, this Special Forces group was stationed in the Land of Frost in the case of outright enemy invasion. However, Yugito Nii, the Jinchuriki of the Two-Tails, was put in charge of all the Hidden Cloud shinobi stationed in the Land of Frost, and she has some different ideas in mind when it comes to using the talents and strengths of these shinobi. Naruto, Shikamaru, and Hinata have been ordered to retreat with Tsuyu, leaving Kakashi, Guy, and the eccentric Taijutsu specialist's team of Genin to take on the enemy. Only when Tenzo and his team of Anbu enter the fray does it become more even - because truthfully, not even Might Guy and Sharingan Kakashi combined can handle thirty well-trained soldiers on their own.

 

When Naruto, Shikamaru, and Hinata think they're in the clear, Yugito finally makes herself known and stops their reluctant retreat. The trio is skilled, but they're up against one of the Raikage's best tools - a very skilled Jonin and a Jinchuriki just like Naruto, a fact that has not been explained to either of his teammates yet. Only when Shikamaru and Hinata are taken out of the fight relatively early does Naruto begin to furiously draw on the power of his own Tailed Beast.... Yet is it possible for massive, unfocused power to overcome smaller yet equally potent, more focused power?

 

 

Meanwhile, Team Ten has been dispatched on their own C-rank mission, unknowing of the very real, very lethal threat that awaits them on the path to the Hidden Sand......

 

Chapter Fifteen: The Deciding Factor

 

 

The battle between Naruto and Yugito rages on. Naruto somehow manages to add some Wind-style to his 'claws', but the additional power actually does very little in the face of Yugito's Fire-style, relentless assaults. Despite the increasing amount of Chakra Naruto subconsciously draws from the Nine-Tails while still in his feral state, Yugito continues to effortlessly thrash him around without having to go full-Two-Tails on him yet. While the Nine-Tails was admittedly amused at first at his container's reckless actions, taking glee in the amount of Chakra Naruto was drawing upon, it stopped being funny when Naruto eventually can't draw on anymore because of the Fourth's Seal, and Yugito continues to pound away at him mercilessly. The Nine-Tails finally attempts to run damage control, though even the 'almighty' nine-tailed fox finds that to be a challenge in Naruto's current state of mind. All the Nine-Tails can do is patch Naruto up as much as possible, because at this rate, Yugito could kill the blond Uzumaki.....

 

Kakashi breaks away from fighting the Ginkaku Squad when Tenzo and his Anbu team arrive to help deal with the invaders; it wasn't all that hard to miss the usage of Tailed Beast Chakra, even if the power was being thrown about some distance away. It is up to Kakashi and the Nine-Tails to calm Naruto and take Yugito down, but things look bleak for a while...

 

Meanwhile, Team Ten is attacked for real, and not by the Sand Siblings... How can one Jonin and a team of Genin hope to compete with two S-rank shinobi...?

 

Chapter Sixteen: Reinforced and Tested Bonds

 

 

 

Things go great for Teams Seven and Guy's C-rank after it gets resolved. Naruto bravely imparts the knowledge of his Jinchuriki status to his teammates and to Guy's Genin. Feeling at least slightly better with having told people his own age about his secret, Naruto and co. return to the Hidden Leaf with Tsuyu and a prisoner to show for the whole clusterfuck.

 

Team Eight is revealed to have been sent out on their first C-rank mission as well. In addition, the investigation into the destruction of the Land of Rice Fields' capital city is in full swing after Team Anko arrives. The first task in that mission, however, is to dispose of the unrecognizable group of shinobi that appear to be guarding the ruins, people that Jiraiya has been dealing with already.....

 

 

Simultaneously, things are not going well for Team Ten. Asuma is devastatingly injured having tried to keep an eye on his team and fight Orochimaru and Sasori - suffering a potentially fatal wound. Sasuke awakens his Sharingan at last, but they're only at the first stage, and he can't fight as well with them as his clansmen. Team Ten is outclassed and outmatched, yet a surprise party-crasher allows for Team Ten to get away with their incapacitated and dying Sensei.....

 

Chapter Seventeen: Survival or Starvation?

 

 

Team Ten, in their weakened state, are intercepted by the Sand Siblings as they get closer to the Hidden Sand Village. Recognizing the trouble that Team Ten is in, Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro are all in agreement about putting the spar on hold. The group of seven makes their way to the Hidden Sand.

 

Upon reaching their destination, Asuma is rushed to intensive care, and a number of people, the Elders known as Chiyo and Ebizo and the Hokage,  are contacted immediately when Sasuke reports that they were assaulted by Orochimaru and Sasori, and that they barely escaped thanks to some large shinobi with steam armor. Verbal descriptions confirm that it was the Five-Tails' Jinchuriki that, for one reason or another, saved the trio of Genin, and the Fourth Kazekage appears perturbed about Orochimaru and Sasori. When questioned about it, Rasa reveals the duo approached him a short time ago and proposed an alliance with the Hidden Mist and the Hidden Cloud to take down the Hidden Leaf; a proposal that Rasa turned down to the relief of the Genin.

 

The Hokage is informed of these developments as well, and it's confirmed that Kabuto, Rin, and Obito are on their way to help the medics with Asuma......

 

End notes:

 

Lots of spoilers in this post, but hopefully it will satiate some of your curiosity of the upcoming events. Plenty of things going on at the same time, but after this 'C-rank' Arc is over, there'll be some training before we truly hit the Chunin Exams, which will end around Chapter Thirty or so.

 

Hope the New Year has gone well so far for you all!

Extended Part One (Spoilers!)

It's been an intensive semester, but once November and the first couple weeks of December wrap up, I'll finally be able to get some writing in. Yet this doesn't mean that school was all I was focused on; it made up a rather large chunk, and I might have been depressed with the news of Naruto (manga)  ending within the next week or so, but I have been thinking an awful lot about TToNU. I've got quite a number of details added to the timeline now, and we won't be racing to the Chunin Exams the moment Teams 7 and Guy return from their 'C-Rank Mission'. If anything else, the thirtieth chapter is now the end of the Chunin Exam Arc, and I am in the process of planning the final Arc of Part One that comes after that in more detail as you read this.

 

As usual, for those of you who don't want some idea of what I've been plotting out, just skip this article and wait about a month and a half more before the next update. Fairly long wait, I'm well aware, but I'm in no position to update any fanfics at this point in time because of college life.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bringing Yugito Nii early to replace Zabuza and Haku for Naruto's first C-Rank has been in the works for a while, and as of the last update, you readers got the tiniest glimpse of her ever since that point in the past when Team Minato encountered her and Bee. She's feisty, she's domineering, and she will absolutely get the mission done, without fail. But just what does that mission entail, you should be asking.

 

From the beginning, I had this plan to bring in Yugito as a recurring, vicious enemy. And she will be; just wait 'til you see what she does to Naruto in their battles. There is no personal agenda behind Yugito's actions; she is merely a fiercely loyal Hidden Cloud kunoichi who is proud to serve, even in battles where her fell ninja would run away against seemingly insurmountable odds. She's tough, powerful, and has every intention of ending one Naruto Uzumaki because of what he has inside him. Losing a Jinchuriki would be a devastating blow to the Hidden Leaf, after all.

 

Yugito will be stirring up trouble at the Chunin Exams as well as this C-Rank that Naruto and co. are on, so stay tuned for more from this powerful kunoichi...

 

In addition to Yugito, Utakata will be making an appearance in the Hidden Leaf during the Chunin Exams as well. However, he won't be that aloof man we saw in the Tsuchigomo filler arc; he's experienced a totally different upbringing to be anything remotely close to that. Inspiration for Utakata's character in this AU was derived from Etc Flip's 'A Different Result', where Utakata becomes a vicious shinobi under Orochimaru's care and tutelage. In TToNU, Utakata was still reared in the Hidden Mist, but what with the radical changes in government going on there, he won't be given the option to break away from the village. He will have been molded into a perfect weapon to serve the current Mizukage. Of course, whether he comes out of the Hidden Leaf alive will be a horse of different story...

 

 

One of the main reasons that Part One was extended was because it felt like the rookies were hardly getting any experience as Genin prior to the Chunin Exams. It also felt a bit rushed in that there was no time for the little things, which the canon (and filler) made time for. Teams 8 and 10 will be getting their own respective C-Ranks before returning home to train for the Exams, which were postponed to prepare for an invasion at the Exams. At the moment, Team 8's mission is hardly dangerous. But Team 10's will turn into a doozy, and may result in near-death. In that mission, Sasuke will gain the Sharingan, and he will feel compelled to get stronger for his team and himself.

 

In the two extra prep months for the Exams, Sasuke and Naruto will be swapping instructors when it comes to a certain part of their training - elemental affinities. This does not mean they'll be masters at their elements. Sasuke will be able to use Chidori, and Naruto will be able to apply some Wind Chakra to his weapons and body, but that's about it; Naruto won't be able to split a waterfall yet, and Sasuke won't be able to branch off from the 'basic' Chidori yet. They'll get better in Part Two, naturally.

 

 

This will be the final tidbit for now. Kabuto will be gaining a more prominent role in the next few chapters, and he is not planning to betray the Leaf, believe it or not. As a result of his memories being wiped from his days in Root and not getting personal training from Orochimaru, you would think that Kabuto would be weak as a Chunin of the Leaf. You'd be wrong. Kabuto was on Konan's Genin Squad in this AU, and he still developed a fighting style with his medical Ninjutsu - he has no qualms about revealing that he's a prodigy; he did as a spy for Orochimaru, so without that restraint, he can get close to people and soak up knowledge and Jutsu from someone high up on the ladder like Konan.

 

 ............ But will he remain this way...?

 

 

The Moon's Eye Group Profiles (Spoilers!)

 

The Immortal Duo

 

Perhaps one of the most dangerous pairs of shinobi in the world, Kakuzu and Hidan now serve the Moon's Eye Plan and its goals. Kakuzu was enlisted into the group fairly early on, and did not require 'convincing' to remain loyal - as long as Kakuzu is paid, he will serve whatever cause, no matter how unethical or twisted. As for his partner, Hidan, the young man is a member of a cult religion, worshiping Jashin. Hidan did require 'motivation' to join, as well as 'persuasion' for his permanent membership in the Moon's Eye group. He now follows orders religiously, and takes satisfaction in al the killing he gets to do now. Hidan is assigned the Two-Tails for capture, while Kakuzu is assigned the Seven-Tails.

 

 

 



 

The Swordsman and his Tool

 

Zabuza Momochi, the Demon of the Hidden Mist, was among the first to be recruited into the Moon's Eye Group. Like his fellow Swordsmen, Zabuza faithfully serves the Moon's Eye Plan and its goals, and even goes so far as to make use of a kid he encountered early on in his career as a member of the Moon's Eye. A child that devotes his mind and body to protecting Zabuza and carrying out his will. Zabuza craves challenging fights, and loathes missions that are merely about collecting money. He is assigned what is perhaps the most important capture of all - the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki. Haku is assigned the Three-Tails, originally.

 



Scientists and Immortality-seekers

 

Another perfectly matched pair, Orochimaru and Sasori make brilliant multi-taskers. Sasori seeks to make eternal beauty - his vision of Art - as well as become a true puppet. Orochimaru craves immortality and to know all Jutsu, and has established the Hidden Sound Village, an establishment that their Leader has designated as an outpost for the group, as well as a smokescreen, should certain parties attempt researching their group. Sasori is allowed to use anyone or anything in the Hidden Sound, provided that it does not inconvenience his partner and his research into various fields. Orochimaru's main research project is the Impure World Resurrection Technique, and he has made great strides in perfecting it, making meticulous notes as he does so. In addition to being scientists, this duo also serves as the Moon's Eye's main intelligence network managers; Sasori has spies all over the Elemental Nations, and Orochimaru has a few of his own. Some of the spies are so deep undercover they don't even realize that they serve this duo. But when they come to collect information, the spies suddenly remember... Sasori is assigned the capture of the One-Tail, and Orochimaru is assigned the Eight-Tails.

 

 

 

A Destructive, Artful Maelstrom

 

Like his fellow Swordsmen, Kisame was brought into the Moon's Eye first. But unlike his 'brothers-in-arms', Kisame did not require the Leader's 'persuasion' due to his bloodlust. Though there certainly is more to this shark-man than meets the eye... And then there's his partner, Deidara. Deidara is one of the group's most recent recruits, and he did not come willingly initially. But after a heated battle with Kisame, Deidara seemed to come around and accept that he would be joining the Moon's Eye. The Leader suspected he would need to 'persuade' Deidara to be permanently loyal, yet Kisame vouches for him, and so these two become the only pair in organization to not be mindlessly brainwashed into fulfilling the Moon's Eye Plan's goals. Kisame is assigned the Four-Tails, while Deidara is assigned the Five-Tails to hunt.

 

 



 

The Leaders

 

Without Nagato to use as a puppet, Madara Uchiha firmly steps up and rules the Moon's Eye group with an iron fist; insubordination will not be tolerated at all. His mysterious partner, Zetsu, serves as another spymaster of the group, and as the go-between when the group is separated and out on missions. These two took over the Hidden Mist singlehandedly, manipulating the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist and the minds of shinobi and civilian alike. Of course, there is still talk of rebellion, but for the most part, the Hidden Mist is now ruled by Madara Uchiha - or so he proclaims himself to be - and the hidden village's resources are now at his disposal. Meaning that the Jinchuriki of the Six-Tails reports to him personally; thus his capture will not be an issue. There are many secrets with this duo, and time will tell if some of these secrets are kept from one another as well... 

The True Mastermind (SPOILERS!)

 

 

So as all of you manga readers know, stuff has been getting 'interesting' lately. If you don't mind spoilers, feel free to read on ahead; but if you're only an anime-only type of guy/gal, I suggest turning back now.

 

You've been warned.

 

 

 

 

 

So recently, Madara was stabbed in the back (figuratively and literally) by what he (and we) thought was the one subordinate that would never, EVER betray him. Black Zetsu. Some of you may be aggravated at this turn of events; Kishimoto always seems to be changing Zetsu's backstory. But the way I like to think about it, he's been revealing everything in onion layers; and now we're to the innermost layer, what is likely the last 'shocking' revelation with these clones. Everything we've learned about Zetsu has come from Obito, and Madara by proxy. Therefore, if MADARA'S information was wrong, and he was not aware of what Zetsu really were, can we really be too furious with this latest revelation?

I only have my interpretations and speculations to go off of. We'll have to see if there are anymore flashbacks in the chapters to come; but here's my theory on what I think happened. Madara survived his battle with Hashirama at the Valley of the End - let's set aside the debate whether or not someone 'helped' him to survive for now - and awakened the Rinnegan 'near the end of his life', having implanted Hashirama's DNA into himself somehow. Madara summons the Gedo for the first time. Now, even if he had gotten a look at the Uchiha Tablet, do you really think that there would have been information about Kaguya's army on there? The Ten-Tails was the bigger threat, as was Kaguya. If there had been mention of an army of Zetsu, Madara sure disregarded it. Because he must have infused some of that Hashirama DNA into the Gedo and began to make stuff 'grow'. And since these clones could move through the earth and some could use Wood-style (Spiral Zetsu), he assumed he had created clones of his irritating rival - perhaps the Zetsu clones even lied to Madara's face and told him they were clones of Hashirama, when they were in fact leftover clones from the last time Kaguya pulled everyone into the Infinite Tsukoyomi and transformed their bodies.

Obviously there were a lot left over, because Obito was able to harvest 100, 000 clones with the help of some Tailed Beast Chakra.

The point is, Madara messed with something beyond his comprehension. He THOUGHT he knew what he was doing, THOUGHT he was in control, but if Black Zetsu's speech was any indication, Madara had no flippin' idea, and he definitely wasn't the one pulling the strings. Whatever the coming chapters reveal, Madara was manipulated. Masterfully.

So what effect do these latest revelations have on the Tale of Nagato Uzumaki's universe? Since it's ancient history, I can't change that, really. I mean, I could, but then it'd definitely be AU from past to future. I like making the past concrete, though, so Kaguya, her sons, their children, and the Zetsu clones will all have to have happened. What I can do, though, is debate the final battles - whether Kaguya actually resurfaces.

Somewhat mean to write Kaguya off, but on the other hand, we've only started learning about her within the last forty chapters or so - and that's being sort of generous. What will likely happen is that Madara will be the final villain; Black Zetsu will be dealt with before he can take Madara over. That's not written in stone, but it seems like a simple solution. How will I deal with Black Zetsu? Well, I'll leave that to your imaginations. I believe I have a plan for how he'll end up, but that could change depending on the coming final chapters. I could change my mind and make Kaguya the final villain; but for now, I think it would be more appropriate to make that final villain Madara. I honor Kishimoto's decision to end with a strong female villain - the strongest, even. Yet compared to Madara, we've heard so little about her throughout the series that it seems inappropriate somehow. So until further notice, TToNU will build up to Madara's return, and see him as the 'ultimate antagonist', even if I don't care to hype up the Uchiha all that much. Uchiha are strong, but I'm not the biggest fanboy when it comes to them.

Until next time! ~Yaxon

675 Does Not Change Plot For TToNU

The usual warning to you folks - this will spoil the latest manga chapter, so read ahead at your own risk.

 

With the revelations of 675, we learn that Madara actually manipulated Obito over to his side by orchestrating Rin's death. I'd speculated about that for the longest time; the event seemed too convenient, but it was never delved into until this point. Turns out that Madara planned for Rin to become the Jinchuriki of the Three-Tails and go ravage the Leaf Village - not the Hidden Mist. He controlled Mist Anbu, and waited for Minato to be away on a mission, thus isolating Rin and Kakashi. Madara's goal was to have Rin killed by the puppet Anbu, thus persuading Obito over to his side, but it still worked out for him when Kakashi actually did the deed. So now we know why Rin couldn't commit suicide herself.

 

What does this change in the TToNU-verse? Nothing. Nothing in the long term, nothing in the short term. Obito was still the original target, but something occurred that resulted in Obito being spared and a certain someone else taking up the mantle as Madara's successor. There is a reason that the Rin Kidnapping still took place, and a reason that Obito gained the Mangekyo through that incident. I will eventually be writing the omake for that incident, and might even post it as a bonus chapter in the main story. Not right now, as I intend to make weekly updates, but maybe when school starts back up for me in August.

 

So don't fret if the latest revelations seem to make the events in TToNU's timeline illogical. I'd intended for Madara to be manipulative from the beginning, and had reasons for the Rin Kidnapping playing out the way it did this time around. It's just convenient for me that Kishimoto-sama was kind enough to play along. Haha. ^^

 

I will post more later! Ja ne!