The Next Day, Morning, Second Parallel World, at the Kannabi Bridge.
"Where's Naruto?"
Tobirama glanced around and asked, his mental alarm bells ringing. They had agreed on a time, and now the incredibly strong Final-Chapter Naruto wasn't here. He couldn't help worrying.
Hashirama, about to say something to soothe his brother, suddenly sensed several powerful chakras arriving via this world's "Funa-tsū" technique. His face lit up with interest.
(That little brat, Link!)
Tobirama sensed it too. At once, he perceived chakra signatures similar to those of the former Hokage, along with Link's own chakra, Final-Chapter Naruto's, and something resembling Uchiha Obito's. He instantly realized what had happened.
No time to be angry—those people had already arrived at the assembly point.
Use Flying Raijin then, you brat.
"Yo." Link waved in greeting to the fierce little white-haired brat and then said to the other person: "Lord Hashirama."
(No shadows, so it's a summoning from the Rashōmon technique, maybe?)
Tobirama held back his anger as he calmly judged the situation. Seeing how, in his own case, he'd never attempted to summon himself from another world, he knew full well that if he ever tried, he'd end up locked in endless scheming with "himself" for the good of the village—the same sort of plotting he was engaged in right now. After all, Konoha can only have one leading voice shaping the future.
(That little brat Link sure knows how to make trouble for me!)
"Hahaha!" Final-Chapter Hashirama laughed aloud, giving his younger brother's shoulder a hearty slap. "Seeing you so tiny, Tobirama, really brings back memories!"
"Brother."
Final-Chapter Tobirama's tone was cold. "This is not the time for odd comments."
"Link." The Tobirama of the Main World barely suppressed his fury. He paused, then said, "Once we're back, we'll have a thorough chat."
"Brother—" the First Hashirama tried to interject, but under his younger brother's killing glare, he just rubbed his head with an awkward laugh and said nothing more.
(So that other 'me' also has a rough time with his brother, I see…) x2
The two Hashiramas exchanged glances.
"Naruto, everyone—I'll be counting on you for dealing with Kaguya." Link bowed.
Final-Chapter Naruto patted him on the shoulder. "Leave it to us."
Hovering silently stood Final-Chapter Obito, now in his younger form, wearing goggles and an Uchiha-crest track jacket, quietly staring at the two childlike Madaras in the distance.
Meanwhile, the three different Minatos—each calm and collected—exchanged looks.
Summoned versions plus one who was still young… made them look like a pair of twins with someone else's kid.
No point saying more. The small Tobirama of the Main World seethed with anger, which finally turned into a silent sigh: "Brother, let's get going."
They weren't bringing any "Funa-tsū" scrolls for returning; if they succeeded in defeating Kaguya, they could simply come back via the Net, but if they failed, best not to let Jiraiya or Uchiha Madara end up handing Link's chakra to the enemy.
Originally, each person had a clear role in the Kaguya operation, but now they were badly overstaffed:
Hashirama x2, Madara x2, Tobirama x2, Minato x3, Sasuke x2, Obito x1, Sarutobi x1, Naruto x1, Orochimaru x1—total fifteen people!
They had prepared two copies of the "Funa-tsū" scroll, but that wasn't enough for so many new arrivals, forcing them to write one more last night before departure. Then, right before setting off, the Main-World Tobirama destroyed it, only leaving two copies. Someone's impromptu idea had messed up his plan. He could only glare hard at Link as they vanished into the spiral warp.
"All right, best of luck," Utakata said, coming up to Link in a gentle tone.
He'd rushed back overnight from Kusagakure to investigate their suspicious movements. After reporting via the Net, learning the Kaguya strike force was about to depart, he hurried back to the base.
Link stared at the now-empty assembly ground and sighed.
(Friends or foes, they've all gone. How it ends, no one knows. But I've done what I can.)
He felt uneasy about how the battle in the Third Parallel World might turn out.
Utakata quietly stood beside him. "Shall we return? There's still work to be done," he said softly.
"Yeah." Link forced a smile. "I've got to head back to the office. Tomorrow's the Five Kage Summit. Sigh…"
Carrying his fatigue, Link opened the "Funa-tsū" scroll once more and, with Utakata, returned to the Main World.
Once they arrived, the Net promptly delivered a flood of delayed messages: from the Anbu, from Nara Shikaku, from the two elders—nearly all official duties.
Without pause, Link went straight to the Hokage's office, morphing yet again into the stamping, paper-pushing machine known as the Sixth Hokage. Even though he was worried about the Third Parallel World's strike team, the pressing demands of actual governance left him no free moment.
By that same evening, he had to go meet with the Daimyō of the Land of Fire to discuss the upcoming Five Kage Summit and all these recent disruptions.
Thus, day by day, life continued, always teetering between the looming crisis of Kaguya's threat and the tangled affairs of the shinobi world.
~~~
Patreon(.)com/Bleam
— You can Read the Fanfic until Completion! This Fanfic is Completed in Patreon!