❝ let's go. ❞

so much elegance. Roots rising from the ground as Shizuka raised her hand. Wrapped around several monsters made by the Ten Tails and crushed them with a single move.

As a loud boom sounded nearby, the four of them somehow got together again in one spot. Back to back.

"Shi-chan! Did you see that?! Did you see my attack?" Naruto beamed. Eyes sparkled at Shizuka, waiting for her answer and praise.

Shizuka fell silent, suddenly remembered the peck he gave to her. Making the girl flushed again and looked away. "Tch, it was nothing special, nanodayo," she said as she pushed up her glasses. An act of covering her blushing face.

His spiky hair somehow flattened slightly, reflected his dejected mood. Displeased by her words. Shizuka wondered how his hair could do that. But her eyes then glanced at his form. The light yellow glow on him.

So he finally managed to control the Kyuubi huh...

"Don't drag us down, Naruto!" Sasuke scolded.

"That's right!" Sakura said. "If you get hung up on the details, I'll just grab the seat of Hokage for myself!"

"What?! You want to become a Hokage too?!" Naruto exclaimed. "Shi-chan! Don't tell me you want it too?!"

"I have no interest in becoming a Hokage," she calmly answered.

"But why? Being Hokage is cool you know!" He argues.

"Actually, do you want me to become a Hokage or not?" She asked, feeling annoyed. "You should be lucky that I'm not going to be your rival, nanodayo. Although I doubt you can become a Hokage because of your stupidity!"

"Wha― You're so mean, Shi-chan!"

"These idiots," Sasuke grumbled.

"Well, at least they're fine now," Sakura chuckled. She still remembered Naruto looking very gloomy because of Shizuka's cold attitude.

The ten tails roared, made another army of monsters. Bigger and some even have wings now.

"Naruto, can you share your chakra with everybody right now?" Sai asked.

"Not right now!" he exclaimed. "Kurama hasn't finished recharging his chakra yet!"

"In order to get the main body, we need to mow down those monsters and slip past them. Is not a distance that can be cleared in a single leap. That's also not possible with those flying monsters as I'm sure no one can do air battle beside the Tsuchikage and me. And we need time to weave signs and repel the enemy attacks," Sai explained. "Without your chakra, it's highly likely we'll suffer heavy casualties. But the medical corps can't come to the front..."

Automatically and simultaneously, the four of them bit their fingers to bring out blood and slapped it on the ground.

"Mow down and slip past?" Sasuke smirked. "Piece of cake."

"This guy has the power to clear the distance..." Naruto grinned. "in a single leap and repel any enemy attacks, dattebayou!"

"Air battle?" Shizuka pushes up her glasses. "leave it to me, nanodayo."

"I can now stay near and heal anyone who suffers serious wounds..." Sakura exclaimed. "at all times!"

A puff of smoke comes out from the jutsu, along with their summoned beast. Three of them are the animals that the sannin use. But the new addition, the biggest of them all, stood a red dragon.

This dragon is different from the dragon they usually make in a jutsu. This dragon was much bigger, well built, and had four legs. With a scar on the right side of his neck, a jagged blemish scar on his right cheek, and a cross-shaped scar on the left side of his abdomen.

"Shizuka!" the dragon boomed. "who do I need to burn?!"

"We'll focus on the monsters in the air," Shizuka pointed and she felt the dragon move its head upwards.

"Woah!!"

"Fly, Natsu!"

"Oh, I'm all fired up!!" Natsu roared and after Gamakichi and Aoda move first, he spread his wings and he soared in the air.

He pulled his claws out, tearing apart the monsters that were heading for them. And with a flap of his wings, several monsters fell due to the resulting wind pressure.

"Fire Release: Majestic Dragon Hell Flame!" Natsu exhaled a large scale destructive fire breath attack that completely destroying the surrounding area in a massive explosion. "Yeah!"

Shizuka grinned slightly. But then a blue flash was heading their way really fast. Making the two of them unable to react and are pushed far out of the way.

A loud boom sounded from the impact when Natsu's massive body hit the ground roughly and quickly. Generates vibrations around it.

Shizuka coughed, turning her head towards Natsu who was trying to stand up. "Are you okay?"

"This is nothing to me," he said, completely standing up.

She sighed in relief. "Then who―" her breath hitches as the dust faded away. Standing meters in front of them, stood the one and only Uchiha Madara.

The real Madara.

"I'm a little bit bored," he spoke, his deep voice sending shivers down her spine. "So I hope you can satisfy me."

Shizuka bit her lip as she took a deep breath. She will fight him alone. None of her friends can help her. No, this isn't the time to be selfish. This is for the shinobi world.

"Let's go."

Natsu and Shizuka split up.

"Wood release: Deep forest bloom!" wood sprouted from the ground and wrapped around the dragon, sending him crashing to the ground.

Shizuka focused her chakra on the wood and made the wood unwrapped Natsu. "Wood has no effect on a Midorima," she said coldly, slightly amused by Madara's expression after finding out the wood wasn't working.

But Madara's expression turned flat again. A blue aura shot out from him, and a frame that Shizuka thought was similar to Sasuke's one came out and covered him. Even though it's only half the body.

Susanoo. The trees had told her about the kage's fight with his Susanoo.

Natsu roared and simultaneously, the two of them headed to Madara. Hitting that Susanoo with their fists, creating a crack in the process.

"Fire Release: Majestic Fire Destruction!" Madara sent a massive stream of flames as he jumped back to ovoid their punch.

The dragon landed beside Shizuka in a flash, his wings shielding her from the intense flames. And because of his resistance to flames, they weren't hit by his attacks.

"Fire won't work on me!!" Natsu flies again and attacked his Susanoo.

Tch, wood and fire don't work for them. I have to eliminate the dragons first.

It's getting interesting...

Madara focused his Susanoo on targeting the red dragon. The Susanoo had changed, became larger, and was covered in armor. Both hands took out a long blue sword, which was aimed at Natsu. While it swinging the scabbard at Shizuka.

She jumped, running while avoiding the scabbard. Her hands are ready to do hand seals. "Boil release: Boil bullets!"

Bullets expelled out of her mouth as Shizuka dashed forward. She side stepped, dodging from the sheath pierced the surface of the ground where Shizuka had been.

She can also use boil release like Mizukage...

"Fire Release: Dragon Flame Caterwaul!" Madara expels several large dragon-headed fireballs from his mouth. Moving in an erratic manner towards the green haired girl, and because of the speed, Natsu won't be able to protect the girl from his attacks.

"Water Release: Water Formation Pillar!" Shizuka expelled water from her mouth to extinguish Madara's fire attack. "Earth Release: Mountain Technique!"

Two enormous rocks came out from beside Susanoo and closed towards it. Squeezing Susanoo between the two boulders. Shizuka's attack succeeded in making Madara stop targeting Natsu and focused on the two rocks that were pressing on him. Susanoo's two hands gripped the rocks and tried to get out. But the girl emphasized her chakra again so he wouldn't succeed.

The blue fire-like aura lit up and the Susanoo changed shape. Taller, with a lower body, and a large pair of wings. The change was successful in making it get out from them.

Shizuka gulped, staring wide eyed at the Susanoo. The final stage... Susanoo's complete body.

"The Kages can't even win against this form," Madara spoke. "Let's see if you can survive."

"Don't underestimate us!" Natsu roared. "C'mon Shizuka!!"

"Alright, Earth Release: Earth Dragon Bullets!"

"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"

The two attacks unite and hit Susanoo who was protecting itself with its wings. The damage was not large but managed to make Madara took steps backward.

The Susanoo unsheathed the sword it carried and slashed randomly. Making the mountain sliced in half. It brought the sword to its chest and ran towards Natsu.

Shizuka quickly climbed on Natsu's head, seeing how his stubbornness and recklessness need to be calmed down, and helped him attack Madara with taijutsu.

She controlled her chakra on her feet so she won't fall off from Natsu. "Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique!" she expelled a large volume of water in the air, then cascades down onto the Susanoo. The force from the water on it makes them take a few feet back before flying to dodge it. And in the end, Shizuka's water attack fell to the ground and created a hollow out of the ground.

Now they are fighting in the air. Fist versus sword. They were fighting with a fast motion, and luckily Shizuka was used to it. Or she could get motion sickness in the middle of the war because of it.

Slash! The two huge creatures fell to the ground with a loud sound and caused a tremor on the ground.

"Natsu!!" she screamed, noticing the sword stabbed on his stomach, closer to his chest.

"I'm okay!" the dragon gritted his teeth as he pulled out the sword roughly. Blood was splashed on the ground.

She turned towards Madara. And she noticed it's left wing bent strangely. Looks like Natsu managed to break one of its wings.

"Damn you dragon!!" she can hear Madara cursing the dragon.

Shizuka bit her lower lip. "Natsu, go back," she says with a soft voice but her face held determination that Natsu never saw on her face.

"What?! Do you want to fight him yourself?!" Natsu snapped. "Are you crazy?"

"You're hurt. And if not treated immediately, you can die," she reasoned calmly. "I can call the others if I need to. I don't want to see you die in front of me."

"You better call us!" Natsu growled before disappearing with a puff of smoke. And Shizuka could feel her chakra had stopped draining.

"Finally, that lizard is gone," Madara smirked.

Shizuka took a deep breath, her body relaxed, as she stared at Madara with so much determination. "Come."