Naruto sighed as Motoi, the supervisor of the island, rattled on about his relationship with Killer Bee. The blonde understood bonds well enough considering his own team was his family but they weren't forever in debt to each other. None of them thought of themselves as living only for the other. They all had their own goals and dreams to achieve. 

Motoi, on the other hand, seemed to do everything in terms of pleasing Bee. It quickly grew bothersome as Naruto quietly snuck out of the main room as the others continued listening to his stories. He stepped out of the main building and breathed in the fresh air of nature around him.

The blonde sighed again before frowning. He thought of the war and what his teammates were going through at the moment. He hoped they'd handle their positions well and survive with minimal injuries but that was a fool's wish. He knew anything could happen in a war. He had to prepare himself for that possibility. 

"Yo! Bakayaro! konoyaro!" A familiar voice suddenly interrupted his thoughts as Naruto looked up to see Bee sitting on a large branch above him.

"Yo..." Naruto gave a small smile. 

Bee eyed him for a moment before jumping down and holding out his fist "First comes the greeting!" He said and Naruto wondered why he would be greeting someone as if it were the first time when the two traveled here together and had many conversations already.

"Eh..." Naruto muttered with a confused expression.

"We start with first bumps, while we keep rapping" He continued with a firm expression.

Naruto sighed, he supposed he'd play along though as it seemed every Jinchuriki he'd met so far had some weird and unique manner about them. That, of course, applied to himself as well.

Naruto mustered up his positive energy and bumped fists with Bee "Yo! I'm Naruto, ya know!" He grinned.

A moment of silence passed before Naruto began to wonder if he did the greeting wrong. Was he not supposed to introduce himself in Bee's form of a greeting? 

Before the blonde could delve deeper into his insecurities, Bee pushed against his fist "Man, it's 'ya know, ya know' all the time" He complained before moving away from the blonde and playfully glaring at him "Shuddup, ya know!" He grinned.

Naruto grew an irk mark on his forehead at being mocked but smirked as he knew Bee was only joking around. 

"Bee-san, will you train me?" Naruto suddenly questioned with a serious expression.

Bee turned to him again with curious eyes.

"I have a good relationship with Kurama but very little control of the power he lends me." Naruto muttered with a frown. He wanted to work alongside Kurama but the fox had so much hatred in him that it was almost impossible not to lose himself to it as well.

Bee hummed to himself signaling the blonde to follow him. Naruto did as told as the two walked silently through the forest until they came to a large waterfall with a small island in the middle of its pond. 

"This is the Waterfall of Truth. Sit in the middle and focus, yo!" Bee instructed. 

Naruto eyed the body of water with suspicion before doing as told and closing his eyes. 

"Why are you still following their orders?"

Naruto snapped his eyes open as he heard the voice. A shadow stood on the other side of the waterfall which the blonde assumed is where the voice came from.

"What...?" Naruto narrowed his eyes as he waited for the figure to reveal itself.

"You're much stronger than them. You could take the village with minimal effort" The voice spoke again. 

Naruto frowned as he recognized the voice to be his own. The blonde froze as the shadow immerged from the water. It was a spitting image of Naruto, only his eyes were black as the night sky and his pupils were a blood red. 

"What is this?" Naruto muttered as he stood, silently releasing chakra in his system and muttering 'Kai'. Nothing happened and the figure continued watching him with a dark smirk.

Naruto clicked his tongue against his teeth "Who are you?" Naruto questioned.

The dark Naruto's smirk widened "Can't you tell? I'm you. The real you" 

Naruto frowned, understanding what he meant. He was the hatred within Naruto. The dark side. 

"What did you mean about following their orders? If you're the real me then you should know that isn't the way I want to become Hokage" Naruto stated with fire in his eyes. The man was determined to remove this darker part of himself.

Dark Naruto chuckled "There's no point in lying, especially to yourself. Becoming Hokage of a village corrupted by greed and hate stopped being our dream when we left the village.  Why don't you stop them? The thought's crossed your mind." Dark Naruto smirked. 

Naruto grit his teeth as he listened to the words. He was right. He didn't want to be Hokage of a village that enjoyed the things they were doing. They had no regard for life, only power. 

"See? You know I'm right. Accept me and we can stop them. I'm sure our teammates will join us. They hate them too" Dark Naruto continued planting the seed in Naruto's mind.

Naruto seemed to snap out of his descent into the abyss at the mention of his teammates. 

He glared heavily at his darker self "Now I know you're not the real me" He muttered "My teammates and my goal have always been to achieve peace-"

"Peace that you know cannot be achieved! You really think they'll let you become Hokage?! They hate you! They hate all of you!" Dark Naruto exclaimed with a rage in his eyes.

Naruto closed his eyes as he breathed deeply to regain some form of serenity. It didn't help that his darker self laughed at him.

"You keep fighting me but I'm on your side. All those people we enjoyed killing, the training Kakashi put us through. If he wanted peace, why would he prepare us for war? He knows the truth. The only way to achieve some kind of peace is to destroy those against it." Dark Naruto continued, knowing he was winning so far.

Naruto shook his head before calmly glaring at his darker self "You're right. I hate them and so do my teammates" Dark Naruto smirked in victory "But I know they can change. So can you" Naruto continued, wiping the smirk of Dark Naruto's face.

"You fool...How naive you are to believe that. Don't you remember the pain we went through in that village? They chased us and beat us! They-"

"The source of all anger and hate is fear and pain." Naruto interrupted with a firm expression, the tables were turning in his favor "They were also scared and in pain. They didn't know how to deal with their loss which turned into anger and hate."

"Tch!" Dark Naruto grunted. For a moment, Naruto could see those very emotions of fear and pain in his eyes. The blonde sighed. He understood all too well the anger he held within himself and while he judged those around him for their actions and beliefs, he forgot to judge himself. 

He could be hard on himself at times which added to the pain his darker self felt but he also turned a blind eye to his anger instead of facing it and understanding why it was happening. 

Naruto's eyes softened as he stared at his darker self. He was too hard on himself yet not hard enough in the areas that mattered. What a confusing bubble of self-doubt and hatred.

Naruto moved to his hurt self and stood in front of him with an understanding expression "I know you're in pain and angry at what others have done to you but holding on to these feelings is only continuing their intentions of hurting us. They don't feel any of it. Only we do. I know it's not fair." Naruto watched as his darker self's eyes filled with unshed tears that should have fallen a long time ago. He glared fiercely at the blonde yet Naruto could only stare at him with loving eyes.

Naruto placed a hand on his shoulder, feeling the tense muscles beneath his hands "You're not alone. You never were. There have always been others who have felt the same things we do, experienced the same things but hurting those that hurt us isn't going to solve anything. It only continues the cycle of hatred onto others. If you hurt a man, his family will feel pain. If you kill a woman, her son will want revenge. It never ends until we decide to end it" Naruto explained as his grip tightened on his other-self.

Dark Naruto had tears running down his cheeks at this point as he listened to the words.

Naruto smiled "It's okay" He muttered before pulling Dark Naruto into a tight embrace.

Dark Naruto's eyes widened at the action before his expression fell and he sighed. He slowly brought his arms around his brighter self and sighed.

Naruto held a tight grip on him with his eyes clenched shut before he suddenly felt his dark self fade away. 

The blonde opened his eyes to see Dark Naruto's body drift away into light particles. He smiled as he had finally accepted that part of himself and came to understand his feelings of the past. He was by no means forgetting the past but he was one step closer to forgiving it.

___

Kakashi sighed. The time had come for those chosen to lead the divisions to address their comrades and head off to the battlefield.

"Are you alright, Kakashi-san?" Gaara stepped up to him as he noticed the Jounin's tiresome expression.

Kakashi glanced up at the young man, wondering more how the Kazekage was feeling at not only going to war for the first time but also leading a large division himself into said war.

"I'm fine, Gaara. You?" He questioned with a relaxed smile.

Gaara stared at him for a moment before looking toward the closed curtains where their divisions stood behind at attention, waiting for them.

"I don't know. Much has happened since I became the Kazekage. I never thought we'd be going to war again. A naive thought..." He muttered.

Kakashi solemnly nodded his head "It is not naive to want peace" The Jounin stated.

Gaara looked at him, feeling somewhat grateful for having Kakashi as their leader. He wasn't focused on the past like the other Kage's. Gaara could see for himself how much the future meant to the Jounin.

"Now then-" Kakashi straightened up as he glanced at the other division leaders "Everyone gather around".

The small ground did as told with the exception of Gaara as he was already standing beside Kakashi.

Kakashi eyed each one of them with an intense look in his eyes. The group surely felt pressure beyond their normal responsibilities. They would be the deciding factor in many shinobi and samurai's lives in this war due to the decisions they make.

"I'm sure you all know which divisions you'll be leading but let me state it again for the others" Kakashi stated.

"Darui." Kakashi called the lightning-style user, who glanced at the man with a bored look in his eyes though anyone who knew the man personally knew he was anything but bored in this situation. Kakashi had heard he was the one to train Sasuke for the first year and a half when the Uchiha came to the land of lightning "You'll be leading the Mid-Range Battle Division aka the First Division"

Darui nodded in affirmation.

"Kitsuchi" He moved on to the large man who was an earth-style user. "You'll be leading the Short-Range Battle Division aka the Second Division" Kakashi stated as he eyed the man. He didn't know Kitsuchi but had heard he was calm under pressure, decisive in his decisions, and assertive which made him a good leader. 

"Hai!" Kitsuchi confirmed with a firm nod.

"I will be leading the Short and Mid-Range Battle Division aka the Third Division" Kakashi stated, watching as the group seemed to relax a little. He wasn't sure why though, he wouldn't be beside them to help them through this war. 

"Next is Gaara, Commader-In-Chief. You'll be leading the Long-Range Battle Division aka the Fourth Division" Kakashi glanced at the red-haired male who nodded with a blank expression on his features.

"Last division is the Special Battle Division aka the Fifth Division which will be led by Sasuke Uchiha" Kakashi stated as he eyed his student with a firm expression.

Originally, Mifune, the leader of the Land of Iron was set to lead the Fifth Division but voluntarily stepped down as he learned of the Uchiha's abilities as well as his mastery in Kenjutsu.

Sasuke didn't react as he simply waited for his sensei to finish up. The Uchiha wondered back to Sakura who stood with the other shinobi down below in their formations. She was in the First Division under Darui. He eyed his former sensei from the land of lightning before returning his gaze to his actual sensei. 

"Now that everyone understands their positions, It's time to address the divisions" Kakashi stated, almost sighing at having to stand before so many people. He hated being in the spotlight.

"Hai!" The group of leaders stated together before moving to their curtains. 

"To see a kid like you standing up here with the rest of us..." Darui muttered to Sasuke before he could go toward his curtain. 

Sasuke smirked at Darui "Afraid I've surpassed you already?" He remarked.

Darui scoffed with a chuckle before smirking back at the Uchiha "Don't let your ego get in the way of winning this war, Uchiha" He stated before moving to his position.

Sasuke eyed him as he went before glancing at his sensei who was already watching him. Sasuke nodded as if to say he was fine and ready for battle to which Kakashi returned the nod and moved to his position as well.

Sasuke sighed softly as he stood in front of his curtain.

'Let's get this over with' He thought to himself as the curtains all opened at once. 

The group all stepped out at the same time as cheers and applause greeted them as they came in view of the Allied Shinobi Forces.

Kakashi watched the reactions of those he knew in the formations to be fairly amusing, especially those of Kiba and Ino as they stood in disbelief at Sasuke standing up with the leaders. Not only that, he was in charge of their division. Kakashi glanced at the Uchiha to see he had no expression on his features as usual.

Kakashi sighed as he glanced at Gaara "Now then, Gaara. You are the Commander-In-Chief. Please address everyone when you're ready" Kakashi smiled.

Gaara seemed to pause in whatever was going through his mind as he somewhat deadpanned at the Hatake. "Kakashi-san...You're the leader of the Allied Forces."

Kakashi hummed as he tilted his head at the red-haired male "Yes, I am" He smiled.

Gaara eyed him for a moment "Shouldn't you be the one to address them?" He muttered in question as he watched the crowd below beginning to mutter amongst themselves.

Kakashi tilted his head as he watched the shinobi below begin to argue about past issues. He stayed silent for a moment as he watched Gaara notice the disputes as well. Gaara raised his hand and sent his sand to break up the fights.

Kakashi glanced at the young Kazekage "Well, now you have to do it. You got their attention" Kakashi stated with a casual tone.

Gaara glanced at the man and eyed him for a moment. Kakashi wondered if this was his version of a glare but brushed it off as Gaara turned back to the shinobi.

"In the name of gain and profit for one's nation and village..." Gaara began, albeit a little begrudgingly only noticeable to Kakashi "Shinobi have hated and hurt each other for many years, from the First to the Third Great Ninja Wars." He continued. 

Kakashi hummed as he listened to the red-haired male.

"That hatred cried out for power and thus, I was born. In the past, I too was hatred and power...I am a Jinchuriki and I hated this world and the humans in it and thought about destroying them." He continued, all eyes on him as he captured everyone's attention. 

Sasuke watched him as well with a curious expression, remembering back to the Chuunin Exams. 

"This is exactly what the Akatsuki is trying to do now." He paused as he glanced at Kakashi and Sasuke before turning back to the shinobi below with a fierce expression "However...A single shinobi from the Hidden Leaf stopped me." Gaara stated as he closed his eyes, remembering the past with Naruto and how he fought tooth and nail to stop him and at the same time, save him.

Kakashi watched him with understanding of who he was referring to.

"He cried for me, his enemy!" Gaara exclaimed "We wounded each other in battle but he called me his friend! He saved me. We were enemies but we were both Jinchuriki..." Gaara eyed the shinobi below with determination and passion "When we share and experience the same pain, there can be no bad blood!"

Everyone, including the leaders beside Gaara, watched him intensely. Kakashi's eyes softened as he understood Gaara held the same belief his team held. Peace.

"No one is an enemy here!" Gaara exclaimed again "Because we all bear the pain of having been hurt by the Akatsuki."

Sasuke watched the reactions of the shinobi below as the look of determination grew in their eyes.

"The Sand, The Stone, The Leaf, The Mist, The Cloud...are no more. Now, there is only...Shinobi!" Gaara finished with a wave of his arm through the air as if to say it was final. 

Surprised expressions grew on the shinobi's faces as they took in his words before a sudden boom of cheers and applause filled the silence. 

Everyone could feel the power of being under the same headband rushing through their veins. Gaara had done well invigorating them all, including the leaders beside him.

He may have been young but the red-haired male had wisdom beyond his years.

Kakashi smiled as he glanced at the Kazekage "Not bad, Kazekage-sama" He muttered. 

Gaara turned to him with a smile on his features, determination in his eyes.