Chapter 55
Facing Stone
Yahiko had been chilling outside the fort alongside a few Kiri ninjas namely Ao and Chojuro when he first caught sight of the King coming out with Kisame right by his side. It was midnight and even the moon was hidden behind the dark clouds but none of the men on guard duty failed to recognize the bright red hair of the King.
They also didn't miss his stony face or the cold fury in his eyes making them all give him a wide berth.
Ignoring caution, Yahiko left his comrades and approached his friend who had not spared anyone else even a glance but stopped on seeing Yahiko approach by his side.
"What's happening?" asked Yahiko quickly, seeing Naruto dressed in battle gear.
He glanced at Kisame who was also ready and so were the other two dozen Northern soldiers following the King.
"I received word moments ago from my Zetsu spies within Iwa's camp. Ohnoki is about to attack our allied forces near Amegakure at dawn with his entire force"
They had by now approached the place where Konan was standing ready with dozens of paper birds. She also didn't miss the immense fury in his eyes but was the only one who knew it was not just Ohnoki's actions alone that caused it.
"Then I'm coming too" said Yahiko seriously, Amegakure was his home and he had to be there when Hanzo faced the entire Iwa army.
"You think I was going to let you stay?"
Yahiko chuckled at Naruto's sarcastic question and sent a determined nod in Konan's way who returned the gesture. Quickly leaving the King, Yahiko ran towards the nearby paper bird.
Soon the two dozen Northern soldiers also started getting on their paper birds under the watchful eye of Kisame.
That left Konan alone with the King whose face showed not a single emotion other than dangerous fury.
"She refused, didn't she?" she asked quietly, earning a sharp look from him.
"Yes" he confessed, short and cryptic was his voice barely above a whisper.
"What will you do now?" asked Konan hesitantly, quite aware of his condition of having both her and Akeno in his life or none at all. But he had always been unpredictable and that worried her.
"My duty"
He was about to turn back to the men in order to make sure they were already set on the paper birds when Konan grabbed his collar and shoved him in the shadow of the largest bird. Her eyes barely holding back the sea of anger burning deep in her heart.
"Answer me" she whispered, her voice so cold that it sent a shiver down his own angry heart.
"I don't know..."
She was about to turn around and walk away, disappointed with his choice and the uncertainty he was putting her life through. She loved him dearly but he had to be certain, which he was not.
But his hand grabbed her wrist and roughly made her turn back shoveling her back against the paper bird.
It was then she looked in his eyes and saw the pain, desperation, hope, and fury. All visible so clearly in those deep blues that momentarily froze her own anger.
"I don't know what to do but what I am sure is that I cannot live without you" he confessed, looking her right in the eye.
"And her?" asked Konan seriously,
This time his eyes turned as cold as the Northern Winter which made her shiver.
"She made her choice. And I will respect it, but I am not going to suffer for the rest of my just because of her. But I need your help..." he said softly, resting his forehead against hers as their breaths clashed.
"You're going back on your condition?" she asked amusedly, and this time he blushed.
"Yes"
He waited for her to laugh at his foolishness, to scold him but she only brought her hands to cup his cheeks.
"Then you're mine now just as I am yours. Now and always" she whispered, looking intently in his eyes and saw the relief alongwith joy in his eyes.
"I promise"
He kissed her lips fiercely and this time she whole heartedly returned the gesture. Part of Konan was happy that she would not have to share his affection, she would not have hesitated even if Akeno had agreed because of what Naruto was to her.
With him, she didn't have to pretend. She could be herself...
With him, she could fight wars and rule a kingdom helping him in creating legacies they both could be proud of.
A future so vast and bright that it would overshadow their dark pasts.
And together, they would improve the lives of not just the people of Uzu or Ame, but those of the North and the entire Union.
She smiled into the kiss on feeling the same passion from him as he kissed her back. Konan knew part of his heart would always belong to Akeno and nothing she could do would ever change that. But there was another part of his heart that couldn't live without her.
If that was not the case, then he would not be here breaking his own condition, being selfish in his life for the first time.
And she loved him for it because he was hers.
It was twisted, complicated, fucked up beyond understanding of normal people, but then again neither of them were normal in even the remote sense.
When they broke their kiss, he looked in her eyes and spoke the words that made her love him more.
"Let us save your homeland, My Angel"
Akeno had watched him leave the mountain alongwith his small force from the balcony of her room. She had resisted all her temptations to run to him, to go back on her words knowing nothing would ever be the same again.
But she didn't have much faith that all three of them could have made such a unique relationship work. She didn't care about the politics or the personal benefits, she had never desired such things but what had worried her was the possibility of bitterness developing in anyone's hearts over the years.
So, maybe it was better to hurt herself and make him hate her now than hating her in the future.
It didn't help that he just dropped the bomb of her real father's truth on her, then went on to reveal his actions with Konan followed by his future plans for both of them and Akeno as well.
She was alarmed when she sensed another presence in the room.
Turning back she saw a mass of paper tags fluttering in the room which soon enough took the form of Konan. A frown appeared on Akeno's face as she watched the clone of the Ame beauty appear before her knowing that the real one had gone off with Naruto to war.
Akeno had chosen to stay back in order to further not hurt Naruto or make him angry. Especially when he was heading for another great battle.
"What do you want?" asked Akeno tersely, she and Konan had become good friends after their joint mission against Iwa forces intending to invade Ame. But Akeno couldn't help but feel bitter and threatened even as Konan remained unfazed.
"Is that your final choice?"
Akeno narrowed her eyes on seeing not a single expression in Konan's eyes. Her face bearing the same stoic mask quite often adopted by Naruto.
Konan might now know it herself, but she looked more fit to be by his side than Akeno ever could. The Uzumaki girl could see as to why Naruto fell for Konan first. There was a unique strength in her alongwith grace, not to forget determination and the iron will to make tough decisions a proof of which was the destruction of an entire Northern city by her hands.
That had also been one of the key factors behind the former Kumo army surrendering so quickly thereby ending one vital part of the war and unifying the North.
"Why are you here?" asked Akeno tiredly, not in the mood for games.
"I am here for both of you. But more for his sake, I guess" confessed the Konan clone, earning a raised eyebrow from the silver haired Uzumaki.
"What do you really want?"
The Konan clone glanced at Akeno and saw so many emotions going through the Uzumaki's eyes.
You fool, Naruto.
She couldn't help but curse the man she loved for he had no tact when it came to handling emotional situations. He was often a brick, blunt and honest which while a great quality in other situations but not one in this case.
The way he had confessed a whole lot of truths to Akeno was disastrous and even Konan herself would have been hard pressed to accept Naruto's offer of a dual marriage. Still, it was Akeno's choice to reject him and so here she was making one final thing clear.
"I want him to be truly happy. And a large part of that happiness is dependent on you" confessed Konan,
"And you think I don't want that?" snapped Akeno furiously, taking one aggressive step yet it evoked not a single reaction from the stoic blue haired girl who stared back at her coldly.
"No"
It was like a sword had been stabbed through her heart making Akeno gasp as her eyes widened.
"How-"
"Listen to me, Akeno. You're a friend of mine whether you believe it or not, and perhaps in some ways you know him better than me. So tell me honestly, what kind of future you are subjecting him, yourself and Nagato to with your decision?" asked Konan patiently,
Akeno had been expecting quite a litany of accusations but this strange question sent her thoughts astray. What did it even mean? Her, Naruto and Nagato were the best of friends and in her opinion not much could be affected with her choice. Maybe between her and Naruto, but not Nagato...
Her eyes then widened as Konan's true implications came haunting back in her heart.
The three of them, The Golden Trio, had been through hell and back in these past two years. But Akeno knew they all had changed, and despite their best efforts some bitterness would always exist especially in Nagato's heart over Naruto's actions in the war.
Naruto was a warrior and commander but he would need Nagato who was the better leader to maintain the peace across the still new Union.
And the same was the case for Nagato who would dearly need Naruto's full support to keep any rebellions from erupting time and again because there was no way in hell ninja nations would ever accept such peaceful times.
After her decision to not be with him, Naruto was definitely going to cut her out of his life. It had always been his way to shut things away so that he didn't have to deal with the unbearable pain. In worst case, he would not even acknowledge her anymore and as much it would hurt her...
It would make Nagato furious.
These past few months fighting this war together had brought her and Nagato closer than ever, and he had gone out of his way to protect her time and again. That boy would never accept Naruto's just but heartless treatment of her which could further disturb their much loved friendship and Alliance.
Most of all, The Golden Trio would be destroyed.
Akeno knew she had always been the peacemaker between the two boys who viewed the world quite differently. Without her, it would all fall apart. And that possibility scared her even more than losing Naruto for the rest of her life.
She could try to survive without his love but losing both her friends would be the end of her.
"Naruto is an idiot and an absolute brick when it comes to emotional situations. But he loves you more than he'll ever love me. If he loses you, then I'll always have a half hearted man to live with the rest of my life. I don't want that, more importantly I don't want to break the Golden Trio and put the future of not just us all but of the Union in danger" pleaded Konan, showing her fears and helplessness for the first time.
"I..." hesitated Akeno,
"What he has asked of you is no small thing, I admit that. But think about all he has done for you his entire life?"
Those words hit Akeno's heart like a freight train as memory after memory came running back. Those childhood days when Naruto accompanied her everywhere despite his loner nature, of him giving her birthday gifts even if they were awkward, of him always watching her back on each and every mission.
The day when Uzu fell it was he who dragged her away from their burning village when all she wanted was to fight and die, it was he who came back for her risking his own life against Orochimaru and entire Konoha when she was captured, he who didn't hesitate in stepping in the way of Kisame's attack that would have taken her life but ended up costing Naruto an eye. Not for a second had he hesitated and even remained behind against the dangerous swordsman while ordering his clone to take her to safety.
She remembered him taking the burden of getting Uzu justice, getting her to Amegakure, making sure she and the others were accepted by Hanzo and given a fresh start in life. Of him watching her back during that ambush against Iwa forces, of him keeping her strictly away from any Akatsuki business, of him rushing alone to save the newly discovered Uzu survivors, of him promising to look after their clan even if it meant being away from her and Nagato.
Of him returning with an entire army and saving her life.
By the time she reminisced all those memories tears had already fallen down her cheeks. Broken she looked at Konan's clone who had a distant look of her own in those amber eyes.
"He has loved you all along without even realizing it, and will continue to do so for the rest of his life even if he shuts you out of his life. I know that he'll never love me as passionately as he loves you, but what I share with him is something which you will never understand. And know this..."
Akeno froze at the icy tone and the fierce look in Konan's eyes...
"I love him more than anything in this world. And there isn't anything I wouldn't do for him" promised Konan,
And as the Konan clone disappeared her last words would haunt Akeno Uzumaki for a very long time.
"And that is my love for him. Is your love even capable to match that?"
(Dawn)
As the rays of the morning sun started to pierce through the night sky did also the sounds of a massive battle reach the ears of the approaching group of soldiers sitting atop their paper birds.
Konan tried to hide her scowl for the battle had began before they had expected, either their intel had been faulty or the Tsuchikage had decided to attack earlier. The thought of her countrymen down there against the entire Iwa army worried her.
Iwa knew this was the ultimate hour that would determine the fate of their nation. Even under normal circumstances, the stone ninjas were fierce and tough warriors. Now with their entire nation's future at stake, they would fight with a ferocity never seen before.
She glanced around and saw Yahiko shared her worries alongwith the Northern soldiers accompanying them.
Kisame remained indifferent but it could likely due to the fact that the man didn't care about anything except for Naruto's safety and his wishes.
As for the King...
Naruto's face was cool and composed never betraying a single emotion. All his anger towards Akeno being suppressed completely, his eyes had the same focus and intensity that terrified his enemies and made him feared across the world. He had his faults, but war was something which he dangerously excelled at. Something for which he had trained his entire life and had lost his innocence for.
It was because of that past the King didn't even flinch when he finally got a glimpse of the battlefield.
His forces were being decimated.
All across the battlefield Union forces were being butchered by ruthless Iwa forces whose fierce charge was being lead by a monstrous monkey beast.
A Jinchuuriki transformed into full beast mode.
Naruto closed his eyes when the monster slammed its massive fists sending hundreds of Union soldiers sailing hundreds of feet away very likely to their deaths or something worse.
Unsealing a scroll he took out his gear ignoring the dying cries across the battlefield. Off in the distance huge explosions were happening and it was there that he felt three massive Kage level chakra signatures. It could very well be the location where the Kazekage and Hanzo could be facing off against Ohnoki himself.
But his first priority was securing the battlefield for they needed their army to survive and not die pointlessly at the hands of the Biju and enraged Iwa forces.
He first grabbed the ghoulish mask given to him by Kisame and wrapped it around his face. Not only was it strong enough to protect his face from any weapon but it would also serve to protect him from the poisonous air the Biju was wrecking from its foul mouth.
He had already sealed away his crown and adopted the traditional full sleeved red shirt and green pants of his clan. On top of it was a blue colored jacket with the Uzu symbol on its back. Finally he took out the unique item which Lord Arima had presented to him on his coronation as King. He could still remember the older man's words when he gave this gift...
You may have ascended far in this world. But this will always tie you to our clan, wear it proudly across every battlefield.
A smile arrived on his face as he stared at the stark white sleeved haori with high collar that had a very familiar and endearing word etched in bold red at the back.
Yondaime (Lord Fourth)
Even now being so far from home and his clan, even when he was now King and had command of a great army, this simple haori with that title on its back gave him strength. It was a stark reminder of who he was fighting for and most of all where he came from.
He was Naruto Uzumaki of Uzushiogakure.
Yahiko smiled when Naruto donned that haori and grabbed a very familiar three pronged kunai. With his floating bright red hair and icy blue eyes he was a force to be feared.
Konan worriedly noticed his gaze fixed directly on the raging Biju...
"You're going to fight that?" she asked uncertainly, facing Kages and armies was one thing. But a full fledged Biju, only a handful ninjas could do that and survive. He was strong but still...
"I am going to kill that" he promised,
When he turned to face them all their fears were instantly replaced by a growing hope as they saw the determination in his eyes and the power radiating off him in waves.
"Get our forces to retreat two kilometers back and reform their lines. Command any surviving Uzumaki to form their strongest barrier ninjutsu upfront and wait for my signal to attack" he commanded, as his eyes found his two most trusted friends.
"Yahiko, Konan. Any questions?"
Both Amegakure ninjas shook their heads in negative and with promising nods descended down towards the scattered Union forces with the entire Northern ninja group following after them.
That left only Kisame alone with his leader.
However unlike all his battles, Kisame was not smiling this time and was instead focused on the upcoming battle knowing it would be difficult. Not only were they tasked to deal with a damn turned Biju but also a monstrous army at its back that was quite hungry for their blood.
"You have a plan?" asked Kisame sarcastically, as he watched the Biju monster started to form a dangerous looking ball of energy.
"Try to keep up"
Before Kisame could even finish the arriving smirk on his lips, a single three pronged kunai was sent sailing towards the Iwa forces which soon multiplied into hundreds of replicas.
Naruto had already transformed into a wave of dark smoke and rapidly descended towards the Union side as Konan and Yahiko managed to gather a few Uzumaki who quickly formed a massive barrier.
Kisame also lowered his bird to the ground and stepped behind Naruto. They were the only ones standing outside the safety of the barrier against the massive Biju and the even massive Iwa army. A sight which Kisame doubted he would ever forget for the rest of his life.
He looked at his friend's back and couldn't help but wonder what was going through his mind.
Naruto joined his hands performing a new set of hand seals as the Biju finished creating a massive chakra bomb and fired.
Hundreds of terrified screams echoed across the Union army as the terrified allied soldiers started taking several steps back from the approaching death. Even the sight of the King standing at the front, or the massive barrier being maintained by the Uzumaki failed to bolster their confidence.
Konan stood her ground on seeing Naruto doing the same as he finished his hand seals and pointed his special kunai forward.
"Hirashin: Dorai (Flying Thunder God Technique: Guiding Thunder)"
Dark engraved markings stretched all across the battlefield in the form of a massive cross as the Bijudama struck. The Union soldiers screamed fearing the imminent and painful death but were surprised when before their own eyes the massive ball of foul chakra was absorbed completely in the barrier made by Naruto.
Not two seconds later another monstrous explosion followed alongwith the screams of thousands of Iwa shinobi as the Bijudama detonated amidst their ranks courtesy of the hundreds of special kunai unleashed by Naruto. They had tried to get rid of as many of them as they could knowing how Minato Namikaze had wrecked havoc on Kumo forces in his last stand with those same kunai, but unfortunately their own Jinchuuriki had acted hastily and the results were disastrous.
The stunned Union forces could only watch in stupor as the Northern King unleashed his sword and raised it in his right hand while holding a three pronged kunai in his left hand. Soon enough the ancestral Uzumaki weapon came alive in the flames of Hell Fire as Naruto turned back to face them.
No hesitation, No Fear, No Confusion.
Those were the eyes that looked back at them all.
"To victory"
When he charged forward, he didn't look back to see if anyone followed him for their ferocious roars were proof enough.
He saw Kisame arrive on his left flank, Yahiko on his right alongwith the Uzumaki fighters. Konan flew above them all on her paper wings as the rest of the Union forces followed after them.
Seeing their defiance, the Biju roared murderously and surged forward shaking the entire battlefield with its might.
Naruto gave a quick glance at Konan and pointed towards the Biju as she gave a quick nod needing no words to understand what her lover wanted. Not that she could even hear a thing amidst the battlecries of thousands of soldiers and a pissed off Biju that was eager to feast on human meat.
Konan raced ahead surging through the sky at impressive speed. Her hands were raised forward as she created a massive storm of paper tags that started swirling around the giant monkey's head as it roared even more angrily but didn't stop his furious charge.
"Earth Style users, on my command!" yelled Naruto,
From the charging Union army, hundreds of shinobi from different nations ran forward of their comrades already moving through the required set of hand seals. An action performed by Naruto and Yahiko both.
Konan glanced back at her lover as he gave an urgent nod making her clench both of her fists. What happened next lit up the entire battlefield.
The giant monkey screamed in pain and fury as the hundreds of paper tags around him exploded in a continuous wave. The Biju felt large chunks of its flesh being torn apart and it lost its momentum making it tumble.
As the beast flew through the air casting a massive shadow on the battlefield, Naruto yelled!
"NOW!"
"Doton: Yomi Numa (Earth Release: Swamp of the Underworld)"
Dozens of kilometers of land that was already soaking wet due to the constant rains prevalent across Amegakure was soon turned into a giant mud swamp into which the massive monkey crashed into.
The Iwa forces had already seen the danger their trump card was in as the Union forces closed around the raging beast as it tried to get out of the giant swamp, which made the rock ninjas charge forward.
"Konan, Yahiko. Counter!" commanded Naruto, pointing towards the approaching thousands off pissed of Iwa ninjas.
His two loyal friends nodded and lead the charge as Naruto turned his attention towards the screaming Biju. It was trapped for now, its own great weight proving counter productive as it made him sink even deeper into the mud swamp.
But it would not hold for long.
"Sealers, with me!" ordered Naruto, as he raced towards the trapped Biju.
Now was his chance to end this monster before he could inflict more damage than it already had.
Dozens of Uzumaki warriors heeded his call and ran alongside him only to blown away completely as multiple explosions happened all across the border of the mud swamp directly preventing Union forces from reaching the trapped Biju.
Naruto got up from the ground brushing off the large cut across his cheek that leaked blood, looking around he saw quite a few of his clansmen had not been so lucky as him because they lay dead across the field.
His blood boiled at the sight high up in the sky.
Several dozen Iwa shinobi sitting atop different clay birds were flying all over the Union army raining down explosives after explosives dealing heavy casualties. Leading the charge was a bright blonde haired shinobi that had the look of a madman in his lone eye.
"KATSU!" he yelled, taking down another dozen Union soldiers in a violent explosion.
One of the Iwa bombers saw a kunai harmlessly pass by his side making him smirk at the sheer incompetence of his enemies. Only to freeze a second later as a red haired monster flashed above him in a dark flash slashing down his burning green sword thereby cleaving the bomber in half sending his mutilated corpse down the battlefield.
Naruto was quick to jump towards the nearest next bomber as the scream the previous bomber gave before dying had alerted his comrades. He made quick work of his next target then throwing another of his special kunai towards the following target.
The Iwa Bombers were forced to halt their butchering as their own ranks started to get decimated by extremely fast dark flashes. In their haste to eliminate the threat, they released bombs towards the dark flash's last seen location only to kill their own comrades in a deadly friendly fire.
By the time Deidara turned back in order to see what the commotion was, most of his fellow bombers had been decimated and he came face to face with the Northern King staring down at him icily. The fact that the redhead boy was effortlessly flying by turning his own body into dark smoke served to anger the Iwa bomber.
The blonde Iwa shinobi grabbed large clay bombs in his hands only for his opponent to start circling around him in clouds of dark smoke. The unnerving laugh of the boy only served to further infuriate Deidara as his precious art forms were not even able to lay a scratch on the super fast boy.
And that rising anger was Deidara's final mistake.
He had already armed another massive round of clay bombs and was about to throw them at his enemies hoping this time they would hit when he felt that very compelling voice whisper in his head.
"Why waste that precious art on me? Look at its beauty closely!" ordered the voice,
In the back of his mind Deidara felt some part of him warning him to refuse but the new voice in his head was praising his art so devotedly. It was begging him to show the true power of his art to the entire world.
Incensed Deidara started to raise the charged clay bombs high in the air above his head in an effort to show the power of his art when suddenly the timer on those bombs expired and Deidara, nephew to the Tsuchikage, mad bomber became a victim of his own creation as his own head was exploded away in a gory display of blood and brain matter.
Naruto remained unfazed as the last bomber's remains hit the ground with a sickening sound.
Although he did then notice that the sounds of raging battle had seized and several dangerous chakra signatures had arrived on the battlefield.
The most powerful one being the man who had freed the trapped Biju from the mud swamp and was now floating above the monster. The remaining Iwa army had rallied behind him and it was then did their eyes meet.
Naruto couldn't help but frown when he saw Mifune dragging a heavily wounded Kazekage away from the battlefield while Hanzo and Galatea who both looked wounded were also panting harshly. His eyes then again connected with the person who was powerful enough to reduce such dangerous warriors to such a state.
He had often heard tales of Ohnoki, the oldest Kage alive, the one who faced both Hashirama and Madara in battle and lived to tell the tale, a leader who gave his nation victory in every war he led, and one considered to be the most dangerous and wise Kage still alive.
And that same old man looked extremely murderous as he saw the remains of his own nephew lying gracelessly beneath the ground at Naruto's feet.
Things were just about to get a lot more complicated, to say the least.
Author's Notes: End of chapter.
Hope you guys liked it.
Back from my little family vacation so expect regular updates to start again.
Reviews would be nice.
Until Next Time,
Blackwolf501
