Chapter 56

A Man of Honor


Ohnoki had met many great shinobi in his life, from the strongest Madara to the noble Hashirama and so many more. Each of those men had a unique strength within them that forever made them immortal in the Tsuchikage's eyes.

And despite his rising fury on seeing Deidara's corpse, the Iwa leader was also enraptured with the icy blue eyes that stared at him with such intensity.

And a memory came haunting back in his old heart.


(Flashback: Two years ago)

Ohnoki stared impassively at the burning village across him alongwith the screams of dying men and women, of frightened children watching their family members die. It was a massacre.

One which these people brought upon themselves, but was gruesome nonetheless.

This was not what he would have done once the defenders were taken care off, but one look at the other two Kage beside him made him stop that dangerous thought. The Raikage and Mizukage were particularly ruthless and any sign of mercy from him would make Iwa appear soft which Ohnoki could not afford.

And so he could only watch in silence as hundreds of innocent Uzumaki were butchered in front of his eyes.

His attention was snapped away from the massacre, when a group of their men brought forward the man who started this mess with his dreams of power. He was very young, probably in his early thirties. Sporting the red hair and pale skin prevalent among his clan, his eyes still showing the same defiance despite his village being defeated and he himself standing near death's door.

These Uzumaki...

Ohnoki shook his head in disgust when the Mizukage and his group of butchers mocked the disgraced leader, surrounded him and started stabbing him playfully with small knives.

All the while the Raikage stood silent and uncaring.

The gruesome game of torture continued for several long minutes yet the Uzumaki didn't die. He stood defiant and brave even managing to snap the neck of one, grab a knife and kill four more before the Mizukage snarled and viciously stabbed the man close to the heart which finally made Katsuro Uzumaki, Lord Third of Uzu to fall to his knees.

Ohnoki couldn't stand this madness any longer and stepped forward earning an amused smile from the Mizukage who was glad someone else decided to join in. The Tsuchikage brushed past the mad man and instead knelt before the young dying man looking right into his defiant eyes.

"Rest, son" advised Ohnoki, taking out a sharp kunai from his pouch.

Katsuro Uzumaki stared at the weapon in the old man's hands knowing what Ohnoki was offering him was a merciful death in comparison to the long torture the Mizukage wanted to give him.

Yet he glared proudly into the Tsuchikage's eyes.

"The...Uzumaki...will...never...forget"

Ohnoki was truly astonished by those words. Despite the burning village around him, despite the death of his army, the ongoing slaughter of his people, how could this man say such a thing?

"Your village is destroyed, Lord Third. Your people and your legacy will soon follow, don't make this any more difficult for them" warned Ohnoki sternly, but the young man smiled.

"I...made...many...mistakes...yes...but...I...saved...the...best...of...my...people...and...I...promise...you...he...will...never...forget...he...loved...this...family...and...he...will...avenge...us...and...the...last...thing...you...will...ever...see...is...an...Uzumaki...looking...down...at...you...as...you...and...your...nation...die" promised Katsuro Uzumaki, looking right into Ohnoki's startled eyes.

The Tsuchikage stabbed the man in the heart and watched the light vanish from his eyes as his body fell to the ground.

Yet those words would haunt him for a long time.

(Flashback End)


But now looking into those cold blue eyes those words said by the dead Uzukage were now clear as crystal.

Ohnoki stared at the enemy army and couldn't help but be surprised for they were standing their ground and rallying not behind a veteran like Hanzo but behind the young redhead boy.

No, he was not a boy anymore.

He was a King now, the true manifestation of Uzumaki fury just as Katsuro had promised, those merciless eyes ready to avenge the atrocities committed on his people.

Madara had power, Hashirama had a good heart and,

Naruto Uzumaki was a man of honor.

It was time to test that belief.

"Let us not have our armies butcher each other needlessly anymore. Fight with me, one-on-one. I am willing to fight for my men, are you willing to do the same?" challenged Ohnoki, hoping the boy would accept but all he received in return was a chilling smile.

"I will fight and kill you, Tsuchikage. But I will not spare even a single one of your soldiers after what they did to my people. They have disgraced themselves by murdering innocents of my clan and raping many women. They will all die here, the best thing they can do is fight bravely to regain their lost honor. What I can promise you is that despite their crimes, their families won't be harmed once this is over" said Naruto seriously,

Ohnoki clenched his fists as the boy not only refused to fall for the bait but he also managed to anger Ohnoki's ninjas with that declaration if their shouting and cursing now was any indication. An angry man was an even more reckless soldier, and the Uzumaki knew that.

He proved that by raising his flaming sword and pointing it at Ohnoki and the Iwa army.

"I, Naruto Uzumaki, King of the North, sentence you all to death for your crimes against Uzushiogakure and its people as well as your crimes against the Union Nations"

Ohnoki could only stare at the boy and the iron strength with which he had said those words and looking into those blue eyes the Tsuchikage could see the boy would carry out the sentence he announced through his own hands.

"A pity. For it is you who shall die here" replied Ohnoki, earning a peaceful smile from the young boy.

"You think my life is something precious to me? If I could trade it for getting my people justice then I would gladly do so. I grew up as an Assassin, Tsuchikage. I learned how to die a long time ago" answered Naruto, as memories of his life came rushing back reminding him of the fact that never once had he feared his end no matter how many times he came close to it.

Ohnoki actually gave a small smile. The strength in this boy was truly astonishing, he was not the strongest ninja Ohnoki ever faced but perhaps he was the strongest and most honorable man Ohnoki ever met.

"Then let us begin" proposed Ohnoki,

Naruto readied his stance gripping in his hands his sword and special kunai as he stared at his opponent and the monster he commanded.

"It ends now, Tsuchikage"

When Ohnoki raised his hands and the beast below him roared Naruto looked back at his friends and comrades. In particular he stared at the ones closest to him namely Konan, Yahiko, Hanzo, Galatea and Kisame.

To his surprise, they and the majority of the allied soldiers were looking at him proudly and gave him confident nods saying all they wanted to in that simple gesture.

Such respect he had never dreamed of receiving in his entire life. Even now, he truly didn't understand what all these thousands of people saw in him apart from his physical power. Hell, he had made so many mistakes in life and war, and there was nothing truly spectacular about him.

Yet here they all stood ready to fight beside him.

Thank you.

He hoped his eyes could convey all his gratefulness to all these people as he turned back to face his opponent and prepared himself for the battle began.

"Jinton: Genkai Hakuri: Hashira (Dust Release: Detachment of the Primitive World: Pillar)"

He watched Ohnoki unleashed an atomic wave at such blinding speed which forced him to turn into dark smoke thereby evading the attack. Beneath him the Union army was already charging to meet the approaching Iwa forces. He could only hope they could handle themselves under Hanzo's command for he couldn't help them right now.

The beast was about to form another tailed bomb and Naruto knew he could not allow that. So he extended his hand and stretched his conscience towards the ball of anger that was the beast.

Konan immediately saw what Naruto was focusing on and also saw Ohnoki realizing the same thing. As the Tsuchikage moved to intercept the King, the Amegakure kunoichi rose high in the sky and attacked the old man.

Ohnoki was a very fast flyer even for someone so old as him, a trait he displayed by easily evading all the exploding paper tags Konan continued to detonate around him.

However, adding to the Kage's frustration was the fact that Konan was even faster than him in flying as she easily evaded all the dust release attacks gracefully. His eyes searched for the form of Naruto and was shocked on seeing him approach the Four Tails as the beast started to shrink in size.

Impossible!

Was the boy able to suppress the turned Jinchuuriki? No, Roshi was one of the strongest men Ohnoki had ever known and he would not yield his control so easily. Then what...

The beast.

Whatever the boy was doing had either harmed the Biju inside Roshi, or the tailed beast was actually supporting Naruto Uzumaki. And Ohnoki had to stop that but only if this damned kunoichi didn't continue to engage him so eagerly. She was defending the King with such passion...

Naruto Uzumaki was a real threat.

He unleashed several large earth size boulders from his mouth letting them fly directly towards Konan who was forced to perform evasive maneuvers. Ohnoki used that chance to race towards Naruto flying his old body towards the boy as fast as he could as his hands formed his next move.

The boy was in a trance perhaps his conscience was joined with the beast within Roshi. And that left him quite open for an attack now that Konan was not there to protect him.

"Jinton: Genkai Hakuri No Jutsu (Dust Release: Detachment of the Primitive World)"

Ohnoki formed a sphere in between his palms of his hands which started to become larger and larger. Directing his gaze towards the focused boy he sent the sphere sailing towards him.

This was the end.

Only for the Ame kunoichi to step in between and take the attack on herself. Her panic lasted only a moment as she was surrounded in a dome like structure as the sphere glew brightly before shattering every single particle within the dome.

Ohnoki gritted his teeth on seeing the real Konan pant harshly as her clone sacrificed itself to save the man she loved.

"Why do you protect him so fiercely, girl? What is he to you?" asked Ohnoki curiously, as she smirked.

"He's a wolf and I'm his Angel"

Ohnoki saw it then in her eyes the purest emotion that a human could ever have for another. Love.

The Tsuchikage had wondered as to why Naruto had so recklessly just decided to focus on subduing Roshi despite Ohnoki's presence. Now Ohnoki understood...

"He knew she would protect him just like a Guardian Angel" thought Ohnoki, and Konan had done exactly that.

The Kage was brought out of his thoughts when the Biju started to really shrink in size and the foul chakra surrounding Roshi started to rescind within his body. How could this happen?


Naruto stared at the giant haired ape before him who curiously stared down at him.

"The Sage had told us once that someone would come that would show us the way. I didn't believe him then but I guess the old geezer proved me wrong in the end" said the Biju named Son Goku, earning a smile from the boy before him.

"You Biju's taught my race that power can either be used for good or evil. Humanity could have tried to learn from your knowledge but we didn't and for that I apologize. As a descendant of the Sage himself, I release you from the slavery my race has subjugated you to. Go and live free knowing that you have taught my race the lesson the Sage wanted you to teach us. I'll make sure that none of my kind comes looking for any Biju, you have my word" promised Naruto sincerely,

"What about the Kyuubi? As much as that stupid fox is annoying, he's still a brother" hinted Son Goku,

"When my mother's time in this world comes to an end, the fox will join his true family. Your other brothers and sisters have agreed to reanimate in the North under the Shinji Mountains. They are quite vast and men do not wander there, as the ruler of the North, I'll seal that place away and forbid anyone from approaching so that you all shall live in peace. But I'll leave the seal open from your side so that if someday humans become worthy of your support and friendship then you all can come back" explained Naruto briefly, remembering his agreement with few of the Biju he had freed.

They had promised that their other siblings would be told about this when they felt their presence again taking form. He didn't know how those beasts would make it work, but he had to trust them. If things failed, then he would deal with the situation later. He had to lay faith in them when his own kind had broken that same faith time and again by enslaving the beasts.

Son Goku stared at him in surprise for a long moment before speaking.

"You really mean it all, don't you? Even the noble Hashirama enslaved us despite his good heart. What makes you different? How can I believe you won't go back on your word?" asked Son Goku skeptically,

Naruto nodded as he brought his hand forward willing the skin to be sliced open from the palm as he extended the bloodied hand towards the Biju.

"A blood oath?" asked Son Goku in shock,

"I, Naruto Uzumaki, descendant of Rikudo Sennin, King of the North, pledge my life and those of my descendants to protecting the lives of all Biju and keeping them safe from humanity. Go, you're free now" said Naruto with a smile, as he felt the giant monkey touch his large fist on the bleeding hand.

"I...never...thought...this...day...would...truly...come...Uzumaki...Naruto...you...are...man...of...honor...and...the...savior...the...Sage...promised...my...kind" said Son Goku in shock, as he started fighting against Roshi's control and blocking the Jinchuuriki from using his chakra.

"The North will remember, Son Goku"

The Biju smiled for the first time in centuries as his form started to vanish from the landscape and he stared at the boy who had shown there was still hope for humanity despite all they had done to their own world and the Biju.

"Thank you, Uzumaki Naruto. And I don't know about my brothers or sisters, but I promise you this. If a day comes when the wolves of the North truly need help, I shall answer the call" promised Son Goku,

Naruto was shocked on hearing that promise from such a powerful entity knowing just what it must have taken Son Goku to say that, ignoring all the atrocity humanity had done on him, and so the King gave a respectful bow as the beast disappeared with a smile on his face.

"Arigatou, Son Goku"


Ohnoki was left frozen by the sight before him. The giant monkey was less than half of its original size and it was now kneeling before the Uzumaki boy with what appeared to be a smile.

Even both armies momentarily stopped their bloody fighting to watch this spectacular sight. Not one of the men and women able to grasp how could such a monster kneel before this boy.

Naruto gave a respectful nod before plunging his flaming sword right inside the beast's head. The giant ape didn't scream even as the flames of Hell Fire started consuming its large body, it only fell gracefully to the ground with a thunderous crash that echoed long and wide across the entire battlefield.

What happened next changed everything forever.

Ohnoki gasped when his army started to turn back and flee.

The death of their Jinchuuriki who was their only trump card broke what little courage the Iwa soldiers had. Ohnoki yelled at his soldiers to stand their ground, barely half of his army stopped but the rest of the cowards didn't care and continued running.

Disappointed and heartbroken over such betrayal, the Tsuchikage realized it was truly over now. His nation...

He had known half of his army was comprised of barely trained civilian bandits and thugs or mercenaries supplied by the Damiyo. And those cowards had not hesitated for even a second to flee uncaring that Iwagakure would fall if they didn't win here.

Only the remaining half that were true Iwa shinobi knew what was at stake and had decided to stand their ground. But it would not be enough, certainly not with Roshi dead now if that flaming corpse was any proof.

He looked at the battlefield and saw his forces that were still standing were being surrounded by Union forces under the expert command of Hanzo Salamander.

The heartbroken old man looked back at the boy who destroyed all his hopes and couldn't help but wonder...

What did the boy have in him that made this possible?

Naruto Uzumaki was not a monstrous fighter like Hashirama or Madara, nor was he politically shrewd like Tobirama or the other Kages. Even his war strategy had its fair share of great success and disastrous failures, he was so ordinary and yet now the new world stood united behind him.

How could he still win after all that?

"You really don't understand, do you, Tsuchikage?" asked Konan calmly,

Ohnoki looked back at the girl who stared at him with pity and he was so heartbroken he didn't even have the desire to scold her for that.

"How?" he asked tiredly,

"Because he made us all love him. All he wanted in life was to look after his family and loved ones, something which most humans desire. Sometimes the world doesn't need great leaders, but just someone who can understand what ordinary people truly want in life" explained Konan briefly,

"And what is that?" asked Ohnoki with a frown,

"To live happily with their families. The world is tired of constant warfare caused by the ninja nations under the orders and greed of petty feudal lords. Naruto never promised anyone great riches or glory, all he promised was to give the people of this world a chance to make a new start and try to live peacefully. Instead of fulfilling one's wish through conquer, he just offered a way to achieve the same thing through alliances and negotiations. We all wanted the same thing for decades, and he was the one who showed us the way...

And most of all, he is a man of honor. Even after Kumo and Kiri butchered his people, that man didn't return the same act in kind. He punished the soldiers who committed war crimes but spared the ones who were following orders, never once did he harm any civilians of either nations despite those very same nations butchering hundreds of Uzumaki. He tried to offer Konoha peace despite everything. What makes him different from the rest of the Kage is the fact that he truly cares for the people as if they were his own family. Their lives matter to him unlike your great nations who never hesitated to kill their own soldiers and civilians for their own greed." explained Konan seriously, earning a snarl from the old man.

"Honor? It's fear and power that keeps the peace, foolish girl" spat Ohnoki furiously, these children!

"And yet here we stand"

Those words said by the girl were like a stab right to Ohnoki's heart as he saw half of his army fleeing like bloody cowards. Their actions betraying Ohnoki's philosophy instantly, while the Union army had never once tried to flee even when they were being butchered by Roshi in his beast form.

Those Union soldiers had fought bravely and rallied whole heartedly when Naruto Uzumaki arrived. They were still fighting fearlessly which was a stark contrast to Ohnoki's forces.

He looked at the boy who was still looking back at him with that grim face of his. There was no gloating or arrogance in those eyes even as he saw Ohnoki's men fleeing or getting slaughtered. His eyes were like ice observing everything with a heavy silence.

The boy should be laughing or enjoying on seeing the soldiers who butchered his people now facing the same fate themselves. Yet all Ohnoki saw in those eyes was grim acceptance.

"Let us end this, Tsuchikage" proposed Naruto calmly,

Konan glanced back at the man she loved and saw him give her a grateful smile for watching his back. However, now he was stepping back into the fight and she respectfully stepped behind him ready to support him if need be but willing to let him fight his own battle knowing this was important for him.

Ohnoki didn't miss the level of understanding between these two or the respect they gave to each other. It was rare to see that among people, much less among ninjas.

The air turned cold when Naruto unleashed his dark chakra fully and raced towards the old Kage in the form of dark smoke. Ohnoki raised his hands and started forming his next dust release move when from amidst that charging dark smoke was unleashed a single three pronged kunai.

Realizing the danger, the Tsuchikage instead of aiming at the coming smoke took aim at the lone kunai racing forward. He fired off a powerful beam of dust release only to see the kunai get destroyed but not before it multiplied into dozens more replicas. All of whom now sailed past the Tsuchikage.

Ohnoki saw rapid dark flashes and was about to substitute himself with anything nearby in order to get out of this trap.

When he felt something pierce his throat, followed by his chest, his stomach, his legs.

Those dark flashes were happening even faster than before and with them came the rapid slashes from his enemy's kunai. Ohnoki grunted in pain over and over before he felt one final painful stab right into his heart.

The old man coughed blood as Naruto Uzumaki appeared before him in the form of dark smoke.

"For Lord Third" he whispered, making Ohnoki's eyes go wide. How could this child remember he was the one who killed the previous Uzukage? But when he glanced in Naruto's eyes and felt the presence in his despaired mind he knew why.

"You...think...your...ideals...will...truly...create...a...future?...This...is...the...ninja...world...boy" cursed Ohnoki, as Naruto prevented him from falling down to his death as the old man's body started to fall apart from the wounds sustained.

"I don't know, Tsuchikage. But I will fight for that future for as long as I live" promised Naruto,

"So...young...and...naive..." mocked Ohnoki, earning a smile from the redhead boy.

"Maybe. But it is our era now. So die with honor here" said Naruto sincerely,

"My...people...don't...make...them...pay...for...my...mistakes..." requested Ohnoki, as he felt darkness approaching. It hurt his pride immensely to even ask such a thing but he didn't have anything left to lose. If his words could save the lives of even a few then they were words well spent.

Naruto's eyes softened on hearing that request. Atleast this Kage was not totally uncaring about the fate of his people, unlike the others he had faced before.

"No innocents shall be harmed and your nation shall not burn. I promise"

Ohnoki's skin had turned deathly pale showing his true old age even as a smile came on his dry lips.

"A...man...of...honor...huh?...Never...thought...I'd...see...one-"

Naruto closed his eyes when the old man in his arms breathed his last. He carefully lowered them both to the ground and respectfully placed the body of the fallen warrior on the ground.

He couldn't help but look at this old man. He should hate this man even now that he was dead, but Ohnoki despite his crimes had proven himself a better Kage and a better man than either the Raikage or Mizukage.

Not only did Ohnoki give Katsuro a merciful death, something which Naruto was thankful for. But this old man truly cared for his people and nation unlike the other two Kages who had just been power hungry and sadistic.

Konan came beside him and gently entwined her hand with his.

"Thank you for watching my back and saying those words. Even if I don't deserve half of that praise..." he said with a smile, earning a mock glare from her.

"I said what I truly believed"

"Hai"

Konan faintly smiled on his clumsiness but didn't say anything further.

"We will kill all the Iwa soldiers. I cannot accept their surrender knowing they killed my people. But as for the civilian fighters and mercenaries who just fled, let them go" he commanded, shocking his lover as she glared at him.

"Naruto, you-"

"None of those men and women killed my people, it was Iwa soldiers and they will pay for their crimes. But I cannot butcher every civilian fighter for trying to defend their nation. If they try to attack our forces then none shall be spared, but for now let them go. We have shed enough blood in this war, Konan. And if we are to have a future we'll need living people for that and not a sea of corpses" explained Naruto patiently,

"Is this because of Ohnoki?" asked Konan with a sigh, knowing Naruto's morals and his way of thinking was the opposite of hers. She loved him for it but at times like this it also made her quite skeptical of his choices.

He remained silent for a long moment only staring at Ohnoki's corpse before turning towards the raging battlefield where the last of Iwa ninjas were making their final stand.

"If I butcher everyone then I am even worse than the Kages I killed. I have a choice to set a different example here in this ninja world that has always known treachery, butchery and massacres. And I have made my choice"

He joined the battle again after saying those words leaving Konan to wonder. Despite loving him, she could not understand many of his choices and this was one of them. Granted the civilian fighters didn't stand any chance against the highly trained and organized Union forces, but tactically it was best if they were all killed before they ever became a threat.

Maybe they would hide now, but what about the future? Would the people of Iwagakure simply accept their nation being taken over by foreign powers? Granted they wouldn't have much of a say in that, and it could just be her cynical mind...

But Konan also knew he thought differently than her. Where she acted with her mind, he acted with his heart.

Naruto had always felt the weight behind every life he took as an Assassin, and every life he couldn't save despite his best efforts. There were moments in his life when his anger sometimes prevented him from seeing that, but Konan knew he cared for other people's lives and what those people meant to their families.

This war had changed him, just like it had changed the rest of them all.