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Chapter 60
Memoirs
(One Day Later: Mountain's Graveyard)
Madara stood in the center of a large room surrounded by a handful of his trusted commanders in the form of Inoue Namikaze, Nagato Uzumaki, Reika Uzumaki and Kasumi Uzumaki.
For once the fiery and powerful redheads and their shrewd Uzukage looked somber than ever before.
"My Zetsu spies reports that the Rock Brigade is shattered. Out of the 100,000 who marched in that force, less than 20,000 remain and not in the best shape or morale- the rest are dead, injured or have fled. With the Amekage and Takikage dead and most of their fighters slain, wounded or routed, those two nations have pulled out of this war. While Ohnoki survived, most of his shinobi died and he has barely managed to gather the survivors, most being feudal warriors from the Earth Daimyo.
It is a devastating blow for the Alliance: They have lost half of their total army alongside two Kages, crucial supplies, their only airborne troops in the form of Iwagakure's bomber squadron and their most needed mountain warfare specialists in the form of Iwagakure shinobi who would have been crucial to wage war in the Mountain's Graveyard. It is a stunning victory" explained Madara honestly,
"At what cost?" asked Inoue Namikaze bitterly, making the Uchiha sigh but give a sad nod.
"We barely had 110,000 Zetsu in our ranks. More than 20,000 of them are dead or incapacitated, few Spartans are injured but they will recover shortly, however Kushina and Naruto are in critical condition. One of our most capable officers and the leader of this army" pointed Nagato,
"How are they now? I can bring them back to life if they die with my Rinnegan" promised Madara, earning a frustrated growl from Kasumi Uzumaki.
"That isn't the case. They hang between life and death, Kushina might survive. But Naruto has lost both his eyes and is in a coma, none of our medical ninjutsu have been of use"
"We can kill them and resurrect them once again" proposed the lone Zetsu in the room,
The creature regretted those words when every warrior from Uzushiogakure nearly drew their swords on him until abruptly halted by their Kage-Inoue Namikaze.
"That might work with Kushina. But may just really kill Naruto for good" she whispered sadly,
"How is he?" asked Madara worriedly,
"His wounds are healing, albeit very slowly. However, he is nearly brain dead. If not for his chakra armor, he would have been turned to ash. He hangs between a place of life and death, not so alive but not dead either" explained the Second Uzukage in an extremely tired voice,
"Without Naruto, we are lost" whispered Reika Uzumaki, despair evident on her broken face.
"The Leaf Brigade marches on us with 120,000 strong army led by the Senju brothers and the Samurai. They'll have many Edo Tensei of powerful warriors in their ranks. With 10,000 Zetsu's engaged in Naruto's covert mission with Ino, we barely have 80,000 Zetsu and the Spartans, our finest general is gone" reported the lone Zetsu somberly,
"Ohnoki and his 20,000 strong forces will join them for whatever its worth making our odds even worse"
Madara saw Inoue Namikaze step forward and look at her subdued clansmen with a fire in her eyes.
"Then I will assume Command as Naruto had ordered. We have paid a heavy price, but we have not lost yet. We will deploy our own special reserves and launch everything we have at the enemy. We must hold them for five more days and then victory shall be ours!" promised Inoue fiercely,
"I'll come with you too. None of you shall survive for that long without my help!" assured Madara,
"No, you are needed here. You are the key to our plan, Naruto knew that. We are expendable, you are not. I'll leave a reserve of 30,000 Zetsu with you at this base and take the rest 50,000 and the Spartans into battle with me. It is most likely we will never see each other again and yet you must see this through to the end for all of us, Madara Uchiha" explained Inoue honestly,
"What kind of a Federation will I build if all my comrades are dead?" asked Madara defeatedly,
"You can bring us back to life, like you did before. I imagine the power of all tailed beasts will give you strength equal if not greater than the Sage of Six Paths himself. My son believed in you and this dream of a united humanity, our blood is a small price for that. We are not doing this for you or the mission alone" said Inoue sincerely,
"For Naruto!"
Everyone in the room were surprised by those words said none other than the lone Zetsu himself. As he watched their astonished gazes staring at him, the creature lowered his head.
"We heard of what the Marshal did for our brothers. He could have left the wounded Zetsu's to save his Spartans, but he stood his ground at great cost. So did all of you Spartans even if it meant losing your leader and a close friend, no one has ever done that for us" confessed the Zetsu hesitantly,
Madara felt guilty for a long moment as he remembered using these creatures recklessly in the past to achieve his dreams. Compared to his actions, the warriors of Uzu had stood side by side and risked their lives to protect the Zetsu's.
It came as no surprise when the creature knelt not in front of him with respect, but towards the Second Uzukage.
"We Zetsu's shall fight by your side to the very end"
Inoue gave a respectful nod as she glanced at her comrades who looked at her with a cold determination in their eyes.
"The Terrain Federation will fight to the last warrior!"
(Uzushiogakure)
Hanzo Uzumaki, the former disgraced leader of Uzu had assumed temporary command of his nation's defense after it had been dragged into an unwanted war. With their Second Uzukage-Inoue Namikaze off to war alongside their finest warriors-the Spartans, it was upto him to defend their island nation with the small but loyal army of Uzumaki clansmen.
But as he stood upon one of the mountains alongside their army overlooking the vast but beautiful sea ahead of him...he could feel nothing but regret.
For it was his actions that had brought doom upon their island.
"The men are ready, Lord Hanzo" reported Captain Daisuke, his second in command.
With Hanzo's protege Reika Uzumaki fighting alongside their Kage, Daisuke was the senior most veteran he had left under his command. A shinobi who had seen enough of war, not extremely powerful but a good commander.
"Tell me, Daisuke. Have you ever gone on a sail with your son?" asked Hanzo solemnly, earning a wistful shake of the head from the younger Uzumaki.
"No, never. A shinobi's life is all I've had the honor to know" answered Daisuke truthfully, with a hint of regret present in his voice.
"I would have liked to have gone on a sail with my son" thought Hanzo, as he saw the end marching towards their shores.
"Why don't you hand me over, Captain? It was my actions that brought this catastrophe to our doorstep" said Hanzo regretfully,
Daisuke Uzumaki watched the largest fleet in the world marching towards his homeland with the flag of Kirigakure flying proudly upon every vessel. Now that Naruto's truth had been exposed as an Uzu spy who infiltrated their land, they were here to deliver retribution.
True, it was all done upon Hanzo's orders but the former Kage was being naive if he thought these fighters would stop if they handed him over to face justice.
"More Uzumaki do not need to die for my mistakes" requested Hanzo sadly,
"I'm afraid it will not be enough to stop their desire for vengeance. For better or worse, you are more useful to us alive in the upcoming battle. But there is another reason as to why the four thousand Uzumaki standing behind me will not abandon you" answered Daisuke honestly,
The former Kage looked behind to see the four thousand strong army of Uzumaki fighters looked determined to defend their homeland to the bitter end.
"What is that?" asked Hanzo curiously, receiving a determined look from his commander.
"You are one of us and we will never abandon our own again. Not after what was done to the Spartans in the past, your crimes will face justice at the hands of your own people once this war is over, that is if we survive. We are a small nation with moderate strength, it is very likely we may become history by the end of this conflict...if this is to be our end, we will stay true to our clan's words to the bitter end" promised Daisuke fiercely,
"Family. Duty. Honor"
Hanzo's eyes widened upon hearing Daisuke's promise and the roar of their clan's words by their entire army in unison upon hearing that. Tears arrived in the older man's eyes as he was once again reminded of his mistakes.
All his life- he had sought power at all costs, thinking it was necessary to protect his homeland and his own rule considering the numerous disadvantages it faced against the great nations.
All the while ignoring its true strength.
His people.
He could not help but remember Yahiko, Inoue, Nagato, the Spartans, so many other ninjas and even Naruto Namikaze.
Even his own son.
They gave up everything- their happiness, their honor, their families and even their lives and dreams to protect this island and their clan.
When he looked back at their army, he saw the same determination and loyalty in every shinobi.
This had always been their real strength, one that no great nation, no Kage, no fucking army had ever been able to beat no matter how hard they tried.
Daisuke was relieved when he saw a fearsome determination reborn in their former Kage's eyes as he finally stepped out of the shame he felt and stood before them proudly.
"Thank you, Captain. For reminding me of what I had lost sight of once again" said Hanzo respectfully,
"If I could be allowed one regret...then it would be that we could not aid our Spartans and Minato when they need us so desperately once more" whispered Daisuke sadly,
"The enemy at our doorstep is a hard but necessary reason why they asked us to preserve our strength to defend our nation in such an eventuality. It is a bitter reality" said Hanzo honestly,
"Then let us meet our fate, Lord Hanzo" agreed Captain Daisuke,
As the veterans steeled themselves, they were quite surprised when in a few moments the Kirigakure Navy stopped its advance at a respectable distance from Uzu's shores with only a lone ship moving forward under a banner of a peaceful flag.
"What are they doing?" asked Daisuke confusedly,
Hanzo Uzumaki sensed very powerful chakra signatures upon that vessel and an inexplicable hope blossomed within his heart as he looked at his commander hopefully.
"Let's go find out"
As the First Uzukage and his commander descended down the mountains with a small honor guard alongside them, they saw six figures jump out of the approaching Kirigakure ship. As they got closer, Hanzo and the rest of the Uzumaki were quite surprised to see they were all members of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen led by Mangetsu Hozuki.
The two groups met each other on the beach and looked at each other for a few long and tense moments.
"By all rights, I should be delivering justice upon your island for your actions, Lord Hanzo" said Mangetsu honestly,
"Isn't that why you brought this army in my home?" challenged the First Uzukage fearlessly,
"Your actions ended up delivering a man who helped my nation achieve true greatness. So I'm actually here to thank you" joked Mangetsu, earning a smirk from some of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen.
"You brought forty thousand fighters all this way for a joke?" asked Daisuke Uzumaki sarcastically, clearly not believing the swordsmen.
"Are you the new Mizukage?" asked another Uzumaki shinobi,
Hanzo was once again surprised when he saw an iron clad determination arrive in Mangetsu Hozuki's eyes alongside every other member of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen.
"Kirigakure has a Mizukage and his name is Naruto Namikaze"
Every Uzumaki including Hanzo looked shocked upon hearing those words and saw not an ounce of hesitation in any of Kirigakure's finest warriors.
Mangetsu must have seen the disbelief upon the faces of the redhead clansmen as he took a confident step forward.
"We heard rumors that your nation was staying out of this war and sending only the Seven Ninja Swordsmen after Naruto" said Hanzo hesitantly,
"A mistake which will not be implemented. Naruto was not born in our nation, but he has fought and sacrificed for its glory and safety more than most citizens of our land. He is still one of us" explained Mangetsu sincerely,
"Why?" asked Hanzo once again, earning a determined smile from the younger clan head.
"I know it defies all sense of self preservation and Naruto's truth. But the people of Kirigakure are a bit like yours, loyal to their own. We remember how Naruto stood for us in our time of need, we love him regardless of his past and will risk everything for his sake. Which is why forty thousand Kirigakure warriors will march upon The Mountain's Graveyard to defend our Kage!" declared Mangetsu proudly,
Hanzo Uzumaki was left speechless.
He glanced at the entire Kirigakure army assembled upon that massive fleet and the sight of the grim but determined Seven Ninja Swordsmen before him.
He could not help but feel even more ashamed for these men and women were going to war and death for the sake of a man who was not even their countrymen by birth.
While he had abandoned his own so many times...
"This is our war, Lord Hanzo. The fate of our world depends in the battle that shall be fought in the Mountain's Graveyard. If we lose Naruto, we lose everything for we know what the Allied Shinobi Nations will do to us all eventually if they win this war. Kirigakure shall answer its Kage's call, we are here for your decision" said Mangetsu honestly, and looked straight into the older man's eyes.
Hanzo Uzumaki looked at his clansmen and saw only one emotion present in their eyes.
One which he shared whole heartedly as he stepped forward to correct the mistakes of the past and to do what was right.
Mangetsu offered him his hand which the former Uzukage shook confidently, his colorful yet fiery promise bringing cold smirks upon the faces of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen's faces.
"Four thousand Uzumaki shall sail with you and see Tobirama Senju and his cronies shit themselves!"
He awoke with a faint gasp and sucked in as much air as possible.
Strange lights danced all around him until he regained his vision and saw a dark sky floating endlessly above him. Gathering his strength, he got back on his feet only to find himself in an endless open grassland.
One full of burning funeral pyres.
It took him a moment to take in that sight but steeling himself, he looked at his body and couldn't remember the last thing that happened.
Was it a dream?
Perhaps.
He tried to get out of it, but found that he couldn't despite numerous attempts, so with a frustrated sigh he started walking through the Field of Fire.
He walked and walked in a place where time had no meaning, where the funeral pyres kept burning continuously all around him for as far as his eyes could see.
For hours or days or ages he walked forward, wondering just whom these pyres had been lit to cremate.
An air of everlasting sadness and grief prevailed, as he felt a sorrow like never before try to overwhelm his heart.
But he had not fought three great wars on a weak heart.
His life had been a tragedy and even so he had fought with everything he had within him.
For Clan and Country, For Comrades and Friends, For Humanity.
For Freedom.
That resolve gave him strength to keep moving forward even as he heard a million souls cry out in grief over the dead burning around him. He felt their pain, their broken dreams, their despair...
But Naruto Namikaze kept walking forward.
He was then assaulted with the deaths of every man, woman and child burning around him.
From the first to die in battle and countless more one after another. Guilty and innocent, brave and cowards, heroic and disgraceful- he watched every battle that mankind fought in an endless dance of death.
The drops of blood falling from their bodies became a lake in the far distance, which then grew into a river, and then an endless and horrifying sea of blood.
He didn't falter and started walking upon it without a flinch even as he felt the dark energy all around him, trying to drive him mad with grief and despair.
The ocean roared at his defiance and a massive tsunami of blood rose in the distance.
He kept walking forward even as it raced to swallow him to the deepest pits of hell.
Summoning his own power, he created a frightening tsunami of his own and made it clash with that deadly force of nature making blood rain from the skies and drown him completely in the aftermath.
When his vision cleared, Naruto found himself staring at the clouds and a pure breeze of air made him calm.
He looked at his body and found it to be clean from any blood that had rained down upon him before.
And then he froze.
Horror coursed through his heart finally when he found himself standing upon a mountain of corpses.
Men, women and even children that had been killed by his own hands.
He spotted the lifeless eyes of the Third Raikage, his son A, Kinkaku and Ginkaku, Kakuzu, Hiruzen Sarutobi, Hanzo Salamander, many Daimyo's alongside thousands upon thousands of shinobi and warriors from many nations alongside civilians staring back at him.
Their haunting gazes condemning him.
"You have killed many, my descendant"
As he heard that ancient voice, the scene changed again until he found himself standing on the shores of Uzu watching the vast familiar sea in front of him. The thought of it alone brought him peace, the older man floating beside him did not.
One look at his Rinnegan eyes and he knew who the man was- for only the Sage of Six Paths had that power before Madara.
"I have" he replied curtly, no bravado but only a brief regret in his voice making the older man grunt.
"I can see why Madara likes you. Quite direct, aren't you?" asked the Sage amusedly,
"What is this?" asked Naruto seriously,
"A place that exists between life and death, not a dream. I have been here a long time" confessed the older man,
"Why?"
"Cursed for a mistake that grew this suffering. Watch in horror as my sons, grandsons, and my descendants died killing each other alongside countless people of this world in an endless conflict. A terrible fate" said the Sage sadly,
"You have been waiting all this time. For 3000 years and more" pointed Naruto, earning a grave nod from the older man.
"For what?" he asked, knowing deep in his heart the answer to that question.
"Freedom"
Something stirred deep within his heart upon hearing that priceless word and the Sage smiled ruefully as he looked at the expression on his face.
"You remind me of my dear sons. The fierce and strong Indra, and the loving but brave Ashura. The first in all this time to have blood of both Uchiha and Senju in your veins. The greatness of both as well as their weakness at the same time" said the Sage fondly,
"Why did you want to meet me?" questioned Naruto hesitantly, as the Sage looked at him quite seriously.
"To understand you"
"And what is that you want to understand?" asked the blonde as he narrowed his gaze at the older monk,
"As to why a man as great and wise as you, someone who yearns for freedom deep inside his heart is now hell bent on enslaving humanity itself?"
At first Naruto blinked in absolute shock upon hearing that question which was followed by a black rage as he glared at the older man furiously.
"I am trying to free it from the curse you inflicted on us with your foolish decisions! To bring an end to this senseless and unbearable cycle of war and death!" refuted Naruto fiercely, earning an understanding nod from the Sage.
"Is that the Vow renouncing war?" he asked curiously, making Naruto nod with determination.
"Then you are doomed, just like I was. For humanity is a monster that can never be tamed, not even by the gods if they exist or any force in this universe including the Otsutsuki against whom you intend to unite mankind by force. My mother tried once through terror and fear, I tried through compassion and you through conquest. Mankind has always desired more than what it deserves, and they will never submit to anyone that denies their wishes- be they great or terrible. They shall always rebel for it is in their blood" advised the Sage sadly,
Much to his surprise, Naruto merely gave an understanding smile instead of being enraged further.
"I know that. The solution that Madara and I agreed upon is not exactly the right choice. There never was one to begin with...in time, there will be come another that shall deny our Vow renouncing War and seek to reverse it. Perhaps they shall succeed or even fail...I cannot say" confessed Naruto,
"Then why go so far?" questioned the Sage, confusion evident in his eyes.
"Because I am free"
The Sage's eyes widened in shock followed by a sense of understanding dawning upon him as it proved his beliefs about humanity.
"We men are doomed. And yet we still fight against the inevitable with everything in our heart, because we were born in this world and freedom is our birthright. As long as there remains a single human being, our race will endure no matter what gets thrown at us. Even if it's brief and forceful, I want to show my people a future where they could actually be united and face the greatest threat marching towards them. Only when one experiences something, do they understand it truly. Humanity never got that chance...all I am trying to do is to give them one" explained Naruto with a wistful smile,
"Even if they hate and scorn you for it? Even if it costs you everything you hold dear?" questioned the Sage in a stunned voice,
"My people have experienced a lot of pain and suffering, I want to give them a paradise- even for a short while, something which I never got and may never get to see. The cost of peace and freedom is always priceless and I shall pay it gladly"
"I see" whispered the Sage somberly, his eyes becoming a little moist as he glanced at his descendant.
"Do not be sad, old man. This is the path we chose for ourselves and we must live with it, just like you had to with your choices" suggested Naruto in a much more comforting voice than he thought himself capable of.
"There is a drawback to your plan which I must warn you about" replied the Sage after a moment's pause to gather himself,
"Which is?" asked Naruto hesitantly,
"If you achieve victory in this war and humanity finally is at peace. Then it will lose its prowess at war that it has honed for thousands of years"
Naruto's eyes widened in shock before determination once again arrived in his eyes which made the Sage smile knowingly.
"Madara and I will not let that happen. Yes, we will bring peace but also prepare our people against the Otsutsuki" replied Naruto defiantly,
"I have no doubt you will. But humanity has very short memories sometimes, visionaries like you and Madara are not born very often- much less ones who actually have the power and will to implement those reforms. With no enemies left to fight, humanity may just get too used to peace. By the time they realize that folly, it may be too late. The Otsutsuki are creatures not bound by time, they can easily wait for you and Madara to die for you are mortal- they are not in a complicated way. You understand the value of peace for you have been at war ever since you were born, but will generations that come after- children who have only known peace also understand and be able to master the art of war against such dreaded enemies in time?" asked the Sage seriously,
Naruto wanted to answer in defiance they could, but the honest part of his heart was uncertain. Humanity may be at peace once it was linked completely to each other through chakra and be able to understand each other, but at the same time that peace could make them complacent for there would be no more wars to fight.
Until the great one came crashing at their door.
"What is the alternative? Let my people squabble and die for petty feudal lords? You must realize how broken the current shinobi system is! We'll never be united or just be even weaker by the time the Otsutsuki hit us!" argued Naruto, earning a grave nod from the Sage.
"There is no doubt it is a terrible and broken way. It will never deliver peace but only more war, but if I am being brutally honest it also gave birth to great warriors like you and Madara. Would you be so good at war if you had only known peace and fought in no conflict at all your entire life?" asked the Sage seriously,
"No"
The Sage was pleased to see the boy was not delusional and had the strength to accept criticism to an extent at least.
"But after listening to you and watching everything that has happened ever since I made my decision, I believe that humanity deserves a chance at true peace. We never gave them that choice with our actions, it might also happen that they may actually end up preparing better against the Otsutsuki with the right leadership and true unity. It's time to give this world the freedom which was stolen" said the Sage honestly,
Naruto was stunned and it must have shown clearly on his face because the Sage actually chuckled.
"I do not totally agree with you, my descendant. And yet I must accept that you are free"
He watched a genuine smile arrive on the young man's face and for a moment he reminded the Sage of his younger son-Ashura, which only made the next part more painful.
"There is something I must show you" said the Sage hesitantly, as he offered his hand.
"What is it?" asked Naruto seriously, even as he gently grasped it with his own.
"You clearly know what defeat shall mean. Yet you must also know the cost of victory should you prevail and make your choice accordingly" said the Sage,
"I have won every battle" answered Naruto frankly,
"And yet you are losing this war"
That fact made the young former Kage flinch and brought forth the deepest fear and a bitter reality he was fighting against desperately.
And what the Sage showed him next made him go pale with horror and tremble like never before.
So many paths, so many consequences...
By the time the visions ended, he had fallen to his knees making the Sage place a comforting hand upon his shoulder.
"Your enemies will be desperate and will use your weakness against you without hesitation. You once made a painful choice that brought an end to a war, if such a decisive moment comes again for this conflict...your choice now will affect humanity itself. Are you prepared for that?" asked the Sage honestly,
"They will have to go through my ashes first before harming anyone of my people" replied Naruto without hesitation,
"Loyalty is your weakness, Naruto. But it is also what sets you apart, the world remembers that. From Uzu to Kiri and even to the fighters in the Land of Lightning, they remember your name and will risk everything for your sake in time. What are the Uzumaki clan's famous words?" asked the Sage honestly,
"Family. Duty. Honor" answered the Uzu born fighter dutifully,
"They too shall hold their oaths sooner or later. Now that you know the cost of freedom...are you still prepared to pay it? Your decision is the key. One that can save humanity from despair" questioned the Sage, with a gaze that seemed to bore clean through his descendant's very soul itself.
He watched the young man clench his fists bitterly and his shoulders slumped in defeat making the Sage disappointed a little...
"I'll do it"
Hagoromo Otsutsuki's eyes widened upon hearing those words and on seeing the terrifying determination in his descendant's eyes when the blonde looked back at him.
"I'll put an end to 3,000 years of bloodstained feudal history created by shinobi"
The Sage's eyes teared up a little even as he helped the young man rise back to his feet and looked into those eyes for a long moment.
"Then I hope you succeed where I and my sons failed. The only one who can save humanity now is you, Naruto Namikaze" said the Sage truthfully,
Naruto's eyes widened when he felt a strange green colored energy envelop him completely, looking back at the smiling older man made him only more confused.
"What is this?" he asked,
"I will restore the vision you have lost while sharing some of my power. It is not much, but I hope it will help you fulfill your destiny. When the time comes, make the right choice or you'll end up here like me watching this endless cycle of violence happen over and over again" said the Sage seriously,
Naruto nodded as he vanished from the landscape making the Sage smile one last time as he glanced at the vast sea in front of him.
"Naruto-The Great, huh? And here I imagined the little shits would give me that title for giving them knowledge of ninshu in the first place"
Author's Notes: End of chapter.
Hope you guys liked it.
Can't believe it's been four years since I started this story and the incredible journey it has gone through. Makes me smile.
I will finish these last few chapters the best I can in time.
As always, your reviews are always appreciated.
Until Next Time,
Blackwolf501