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Chapter 65
The Last Spartan
(Tiger Hill)
The last defenders of the Terran Federation stood atop Tiger Hill in a strong Phalanx formation manned by the Spartans and supported by thousands of Zetsu as the largest army they had ever seen charged them all at once.
Even as the Allied army ran towards their final position, their middle and rear units unleashed an enormous wave of weapons in the air towards their enemy.
The night sky became pitch black as Naruto saw a rain of kunai, shuriken, spears, arrows and all sorts of weapon sail in the sky. Before he could order a counterattack, the Konoha shinobi leading the allied frontal attack joined forces together.
"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"
The Spartans took cover behind their Fuinjutsu enhanced shields as a devastating rain of fireballs rained down upon them mercilessly. With the Spartans and Naruto pinned in holding the front, it had left the Zetsu's in their middle and rear completely open to the rain of weapons from the sky.
Naruto grimaced when hundreds upon hundreds of Zetsu died instantly despite their best efforts to counter the fearsome rain of weapons.
It was one thing to fight the Allies when they were attacking in waves, but entirely different when their entire remaining army attacked them all at once.
He didn't get much time to think about the disadvantage more as the enemy horde close around his Spartan Phalanx.
"Make them pay in blood!" roared Naruto furiously,
The first of Konoha shinobi were extremely brave as they fearlessly clashed against the shield wall and covered themselves in chakra to simply plow through the defensive line. The tactic backfired when the Spartan shields absorbed the chakra and the defenders used that unexpected power surge to simply bash their bold enemies in the face.
The Spartans already had superhuman strength through their augmentations and brutal training, the Chakra Armor had only made that strength even more terrible. Combined that with the powerful shields of Fuinjutsu created by Kushina, the results were horrible for the Allies.
The entire frontal lines that clashed against the Spartans was sent sailing away hundreds of feet either into their own lines or down the valleys of the mountain.
Their deaths had been extremely painful.
However, the Allied army while shocked was also undeterred as their charge continued with more fighters falling upon the Spartans.
"Wind Style!" commanded Naruto,
In sync the entire Spartan force raised their chakra swords and laced them with the elemental chakra ordered by their leader as the next wave got closer.
"Now!"
"Wind Style: Razor Wind!"
Hundred and twenty four Spartans brought down their now enhanced deadly blades upon the enemies cutting them to pieces.
''PUSH!"
Another swipe of the mighty shields sent more enemies crashing as they tried to get through the torn bodies of their comrades in front.
"KUSHINA, NOW!"
The redhead female Spartan grinned as she bit her lip unleashing hundreds of chakra chains from the ground beneath the feet of their Allies spearing dozens and sending many more flying away to cause further mayhem.
As more enemies continued their attack- unmindful of the casualties among their ranks, the Namikaze brothers stepped forward and joined forces.
"Ash Release: Two Thousand Strikes!"
The brothers created a frightening wave of sharp projectiles made up of ash which caught fire as they were sent towards the charging army. Hundreds of Allies started falling with many more getting badly injured bringing their advance to an immediate halt.
It was a mistake.
The Zetsu's incensed upon the death of their brothers had aimed their bows and arrows with vengeance. While most were terrible in accuracy, the close proximity of the enemy army and narrow terrain made their aim much more easier. Even the wind was manageable for correction.
A rain of arrows, some laced with few paper bombs left with the Spartans caused another dance of carnage.
Tobirama saw most of his highest ranking commanders felt a little nervous upon seeing the prowess of the Spartans and their leader in close quarte combat.
"I never believed in myth or legends mostly, certainly not in a small Uzumaki commando unit taking on a significant portion of Kumogakure military in the past. Now I can see there was merit to those claims" said Shikuchi Nara begrudgingly, he hated these enemy fighters and its leader even more for killing most of his clansmen but couldn't deny their skill in battle.
"Those tales are true, Shikuchi. Let me go to the frontline, Tobirama" proposed Hashirama confidently,
The Second Hokage critically looked at his enemy, still unwilling to risk sending in his brother so recklessly. He remembered Izuna Uchiha's Edo Tensei form being struck by one of the Spartans, and the next moment he was teleported away most probably by Naruto and soon Tobirama had lost complete control over that pawn.
If the same happened with Hashirama or worse his brother was somehow turned against them...
Disaster would be too small a word.
Yet he had to truly destroy his enemies and unleash his most powerful fighter to inflict the decisive blow.
"You are free to use any long range attacks from here if you can, Elder Brother. I will send you in when the time is right, for now it is important to break the Spartan formation" directed Tobirama,
Hashirama sighed but nodded at the wisdom behind the harsh decision.
Tobirama turned towards his other commanders next...particularly at Ohnoki who was the most fanatic of them all in the hatred of their enemies. It could prove useful once again..
"Ohnoki, join Hashirama in long range attacks for yours are truly effective in withering Spartan shields and armor. Use whatever Iwagakure units you have left to aid in this action, you will also have support units on standby to replenish your chakra reserves to continue the bombardment" explained Tobirama seriously,
"It will be my pleasure to crush these bastards, Lord Second"
Tobirama ignored the malice in the man's voice hoping it would be used effectively against their formidable enemies instead of blind rage like in the past.
"Send in the next wave as Akimichi- they are to steamroll through the gaps in their formation that Ohnoki and Hashirama shall create. The Uchiha are to go in next for they have real speed, their job is to exploit those key breaches and slaughter as many Zetsu as possible. The Senju fighters alongwith the other stronger ones from remaining ninja clans will launch a joint attack upon the surviving Spartans to keep them pinned and not able to aid the Zetsu or risk the complete collapse of their frontline" explained Tobirama,
The confidence of his commanders grew upon understanding the tactic to be implemented, the enemy had fought valiantly despite all odds which had impacted the morale of his mixed Allied fighters from various nations.
Most shinobi were not good commanders, usually majority irrespective of their nation were well suited to lead teams, platoons or small companies.
Only a handful were true battlefield commanders capable of leading battalions or regiments of men.
And only even rarer ones like Tobirama or Shikuchi Nara were suited to lead entire armies, assess the terrain and enemy strength as well as morale to formulate their counterattack.
Unlike his son, Tobirama was not suited to inspire an entire army with a speech but he had to bolster the resolve of his sub-commanders for it was sorely needed.
"The Spartans are not invincible- they may have better training, augmentation, armor and weapons. But they are human and outnumbered. They know they are going to die soon and we will make it happen" said Tobirama straightforwardly, for those were the facts which even their enemies could not deny. His men nodded back at him fervently in response.
They had sent in the first wave to see how strong the resistance would be, it had exceeded even their most wild expectations.
It was certain sooner or later the Terrans would fall, but their resolve showed they would fight to the last man taking half if not all of the Allied army with them if given a chance.
He could now allow that to happen for he needed this army to face Madara at his base and counter the reinforcements from Kirigakure and Uzushiogakure marching towards them from the rear.
Naruto, you have held the line for almost three days. But it's time to end this.
He saw the Allied army halt their advance and retreat to a safer distance from the arrows of the Zetsu, as Hashirama and Ohnoki now stood side by side with the Tsuchikage even being gracious to use his powers to lift the former Hokage in the air for better visibility of their enemies and their positions.
Naruto saw the moment when the enemy would intensify their attacks to a degree that would truly hammer his forces and break their formation to shreds.
"Spartans and Zetsu, prepare to advance!" he commanded fiercely,
"We will take the fight to them instead of it being brought to us"
He was pleased when not an ounce of confusion or objection was uttered from his ranks, his men having unwavering faith in his ability to fight upon the battlefield.
Closing his eyes, he called forth the true power bestowed upon him by the Sage for this very moment.
The older man's words echoing through his heart once again as warning and proclamation itself...
This is the power of the founder- one who gave the gift of chakra to this world. My sons gained a portion of it and so shall you, but your blood while of my own descent is considerably weaker. This power shall give you a strength like none other- greater than any form of ninjutsu, genjutsu, taijutsu or even the most infamous Dojutsu like the Sharingan or Rinnegan.
It's my lifeforce itself, it'll burn through all that stands in your path.
But bear in mind, you are human and it shall consume you as well.
Are you prepared to make that sacrifice? Will you keep moving forward even if you turns to ashes?
The very mountain itself started to tremble much to the horror and awe of every living being upon the battlefield as witness to his answer to that ultimate question.
Hashirama had always been well versed with nature energy being a Sage himself, it was why he recognized the moment when the strongest force of their planet roared.
Right before his eyes and that of the entire Allied army, the gigantic Tiger Hill itself started to tremble.
The skies started to split apart in a cacophony of roars as monstrous lightning storms raged as if the gods had unleashed their entire wrath.
Burning steam eruptions followed across large swaths of landmass, some even amongst the Allied ranks reducing the unfortunate souls caught to disfigured corpses.
Streams of torrential water broke out of the ground next in an unending rain making the battlefield even more deadly.
He could feel the very fabric of nature's power being twisted around a single point.
Naruto Namikaze.
He looked at his brother and was amazed when even horrified like everyone else, Tobirama was already weaving through a set of hand seals.
Not a moment later, dozens of wooden caskets emerged from the ground all around the Allied front line.
The Allied shinobi were quite shocked to see many powerful dead warriors step outside in the form of Edo Tensei from the caskets.
The first was the Third Raikage followed by his son-A, the Kinkaku brothers were next, followed by Mu-the Second Tsuchikage, and finally Gengetsu Hozuki completing the line of Kage level shinobi.
There were a dozen more lesser known powerful shinobi like Kagami Uchiha forming up behind the revived Kages.
Their haunting faces were devoid of any emotion unlike Hashirama making him realize his brother was not willing to give them any free will. He wanted to be in control of their form to stop the storm that Naruto Namikaze was about to bring...
It was just as you said, Old Sage.
It was all Naruto could think about as he saw the enemy summon more Edo Tensei, most his former foes with the lone exception of Lord Gengetsu Hozuki.
Without wasting more time, Hashirama performed his next move by creating a a gigantic buddha statue with thousands of hands. That was not alone, as more and grotesques creatures were created by his wood style technique until they were a small army standing ahead of the terrified Allied shinobi.
The former Raikage and his son unleashed their fearsome lightning style, ready to execute their teleportation techniques.
Kinkaku and Ginkaku were transformed into two frightening versions of the Nine Tailed Fox.
Lord Mu had joined Ohnoki's side in cold silence as both Tsuchikage's prepared their Particle Style assault.
Gengetsu Hozuki had also summoned his Clam like creature, being supported by the likes of Kagami Uchiha and two platoons of Kinkaku Blackops revived in the form of Edo Tensei and soon transforming into their beastly form due to the tainted Biju chakra they had been experimented with.
Tobirama himself took to the frontline again leading the last of the Edo Tensei forms.
Now with true power on their side, the Allied army confidently took up positions behind their leaders who had decided this to be the final part of this dreadful battle.
There would be no holding back now.
For the first time in this entire battle, the Spartans trembled if only a little while the Zetsu forces were quite open in their absolute terror. The only thing that kept them all standing their ground was the frightening power emerging from Naruto who stood before them like an unbreakable wall.
"Very well then"
Instantly, the Terran Marshal summoned his giant wolf summon-Shera alongside many fearsome fighters from the feral wolf clan.
A pained hiss escaped from Naruto's lips and he coughed blood violently as a sea of darkness engulfed his entire form and continued growing to everyone's horror. Shera had seen this monster before during the Kiri Civil War and creating it had shortened his summoner's life back then.
In the next few moments, Naruto was encased in a gigantic humanoid avatar with three demonic shaped heads glowing with dark red eyes. It hand nine large hands, each equipped with an ethereal sword and dark shaped chakra spheres hanging at is back.
Nagato's eyes widened in horror when he watched not just his brother's protected body, but the entire chakra avatar around him be bathed in white lightning so bright that it was nearly blinding to look at.
"Elder Brother! NO, Mother forbade you from ever using this!" he pleaded desperately, knowing their mother had succumbed to the after effects of the final form of the Hirashin technique. It had helped her defeat an entire force of Kumogakure backed by Kinkaku monsters but at the cost of her own life.
He froze upon seeing the unflinching determination in his sibling's eyes...this was a man who knew what he had to do.
The same courage Naruto passed on to his terrified fighters when he looked back at them fearlessly.
"Victory at any cost! My warriors, prepare for glory!"
With that final command, Naruto unleashed the seven hells upon the battlefield.
Before Tobirama could even blink, his son delivered the first blow.
At one moment the dark chakra spheres were hanging around his son's demonic chakra avatar, but the next instant they were tearing through his trump cards completely.
The first to be struck were the Third Raikage and his son-A, followed by Mu and Shisui Uchiha.
The next unfortunate souls were the revived Kinkaku Blackops forces alongside its legendary leaders- Ginkaku and Kinkaku.
The dark chakra orbs tore through all the Edo Tensei forms at an atomic level making them scream in agony before they all simply turned to ash. Tobirama froze when he recognized he had lost all connection with those forms and none of them were reforming.
He barely managed to teleport Hashirama away to safety but was not fast enough to save Gengetsu Hozuki or his Clam summon as the last of the dark orbs obliterated them completely.
Naruto's avatar teleported in a fraction of a second to emerge before the wooden monstrosities created by Hashirama.
The Buddha Statue with thousands upon thousands of arms which had once decimated the Nine Tailed form protected by Madara Uchiha's Susanno attacked. In return, the nine holy swords of Naruto's chakra avatar unleashed a deadly dance tearing through every incoming attack with ferocious speed.
The wooden golem and a few other monsters charged into the fray only for the avatar to vanish once again in the blink of an eye.
"Impossible! This is the Hirashin's final form...forbidden to all" thought Tobirama in horror, for using it would mean certain death.
And yet his son had done it...
"I grew up with soldiers, Father. I learned how to die a long time ago"
With a broken heart, Tobirama realized those had not just been sad words but a bitter acceptance of a man who knew when it was time to stand and fight.
And to die.
Naruto emerged behind the wooden monstrosities and tore them to shreds with merciless attacks as the rest of his army charged forward down the hill with the same cold acceptance.
They were all coming to die and take as many Allies with them to the afterlife.
Naruto's monstrous display of power made the once confident Allied army take several steps back as their enemies came rushing towards them with no care for their own lives.
As Naruto continued decimating the remaining wooden creatures mercilessly, his army fell upon the allied front ranks with the same ferocity. With nothing left to lose and death approaching, the Terrans fought like demons.
The Allied frontal ranks were getting massacred right before their stunned leaders as the Spartans tore through their men with the Zetsu army supporting their rapid advance.
"Come, Tobirama. Let's put these children out of their misery" said Hashirama honestly, sadness evident in his voice even as he activated his own Sage mode.
A lone tear slipped from Tobirama's eyes as he looked at his only son fighting valiantly upon the battlefield against impossible odds, it was how he would remember his child as he made the dreadful decision.
"What is his weakness, Lord Second? We need to put him down before he kills us all!" said Ohnoki worriedly, as he hurriedly came near the Senju brothers and pointed at Naruto who had now joined his army in slaughtering the Allied frontal ranks.
"Loyalty"
Understanding dawned upon Ohnoki's face as he heard Tobirama make that confession miserably. Looking upon the battlefield, they saw Naruto fighting side by side with his monstrous wolf in aiding the last assault of their army upon the enemy forces.
"Corner his men and he'll rush to their aid, even if it's a trap" said Ohnoki with a cunning smile, making Tobirama clench his fists but keep his silence.
"I will assist you in this task, Ohnoki. Follow my lead" said Hashirama,
"Sage Art: Gracious Deity Gates!"
Before Naruto could teleport his form, he was slammed into the ground by monstrous gates laced with sealing powers that fell upon him from the skies in the blink of an eye. To his surprise, he was not able to teleport no matter how much power he used.
His eyes widened in horror when a wave of darkness started surrounding his advancing army and halting their advance.
Staying on the mountain top had become impossible after the Allies were about to launch their massive firepower, but charging down to meet their enemies was also certain death.
He started the creation of twin truth seeking orbs that the Sage had given him knowledge off alongside his powerful chakra, that was when thousands upon thousands of wines emerged from the ground beneath his feet and wrapped around his entire form.
The orbs he was forming were also destroyed by precise attacks of Particle Style launched by Ohnoki with a savage grin as the midget floated at a safe distance in the sky.
"Wood Style: Deep Forest Creation!"
His chakra avatar struggled to maintain itself as hundreds of giant trees sprouted all around its form and started sucking his lifeforce and chakra alarmingly.
If that wasn't enough, soon enough he heard the pained screams of his men.
He couldn't see them in the darkness but could still clearly sense their chakra signatures vanishing rapidly. The Zetsu's were dying by the thousands...and...
The darkness was allowed to vanish and Naruto saw his entire army was now trapped inside a massive red colored barrier. Even from this distance, he could feel its power and knew it was no ordinary barrier.
A large portion of the allied army led by the Senju brothers and Ohnoki had surrounded his smaller force from all sides.
Shera and his wolf summons were tied up on the other side of the battlefield fighting the remaining Allied ranks.
He froze when he saw the first Spartan die when Tobirama teleported in front of him and pierced his chakra shield and armor with his holy blade- Raijin no Ken. The young Uzumaki fighter gurgled in pain before lifelessly falling to the ground.
Two dozen more Spartans fell moments later as they tried to shield the Zetsu's from a rain of wooden stakes being unleashed down upon them by Hashirama and Particle Style attacks by Ohnoki that tore through armor and shields.
"NO!"
Tobirama felt his son's monstrous wrath in that primal roar upon witnessing the deaths of his dear comrades. The Kages beside him watched in awe as Naruto destroyed the Sage Gates holding him down murderously by utilizing a large portion of his power instantly.
Hashirama was about to restrain his nephew again...
"Let him come" said Tobirama in a resigned voice,
The two Kages beside Tobirama nodded even as they went forward to enact the next part of their plan in cold silence. As Naruto charged forward towards the barrier, he created several of those devastating dark chakra orbs that tore through its fabric much to Hashirama's shock.
His wrath knew no bounds as Naruto slaughtered hundreds of allied forces by pummeling them to dust with the swords of his avatar form. He was teleporting his entire form from one place to another instantly much to the Allies horror and disbelief as the former Mizukage tore a brutal path through their encirclement to reach his beleaguered comrades.
"Particle Style: Atomic Rain!"
Ohnoki launched a series of devastating attacks towards the trapped enemies and grinned in triumph when Naruto teleported his avatar to take those blows thereby saving his comrades. Instantly, the blonde found himself boxed into the Tsuchikage's next attack and if not for the Sage's power would have been reduced to nothing.
Naruto looked back to see the torn parts of the barrier had been restored and he was not able to teleport his comrades outside of it or even himself.
It left only one option.
Hashirama blinked in surprise when Naruto used his inhuman power to completely wrap his entire remaining army and even those who had fallen in a protective bubble of chakra that floated in the air and raced towards the barrier's exit under the protection of dark chakra orbs that raced forward to start creating an opening.
Many allies tried to attack the escaping enemies but the protective bubble of chakra kept them safe with all its might.
Ohnoki's eyes widened in shock and then glee when Naruto's chakra avatar collapsed to its knees and its strength started to lower as the former Mizukage focused most of his power to protect his men instead of himself.
It was exactly as you predicted, Lord Tobirama. Loyalty will be the death of him...
"This is our chance! Everyone attack this monster with everything you have!"
The next moment the entire Allied army inside the barrier launched an all out attack at their isolated foe.
Shera and his wolf clan fighters had also suffered heavy losses which made them rapidly retreat. They had delayed a large portion of the enemies for as long as possible, dealing hundreds of casualties but there were just too many of them to fight against.
The massive wolf leader saw the Terran army being carried out of the barrier as the enemy launched their real trap by unleashing hell upon Naruto from every direction.
It made him and his last four clansmen hasten their retreat with half of the Allied army in hot pursuit, he quickly directed his clansmen to help the Terran survivors now deposited outside the barrier to retreat uphill as Shera himself rushed inside the barrier before it closed again.
He crushed dozens under his massive paws but focused his attention upon the entire battlefield.
"Wind Style: Tornado!"
The giant wolf unleashed a series of violent tornado's that sent hundreds sailing into the air in all directions, it caused enough panic to halt many of the attacks being rained down upon Naruto's chakra avatar which had crumbled under the relentless assault of nearly 30,000 shinobi- several of them powerful fighters including the Tsuchikage and Senju brothers.
Hashirama had summoned a deadly wooden dragon with gleaming golden eyes that had wrapped itself around Naruto's form possessively and was sucking away even more chakra. It led to several sections of his chakra avatar getting weaker...
"Thunder God: Holy Spear!"
It was Tobirama's holy blade- Raijin no Ken that delivered the first fatal blow.
Shera had not been fast enough to stop the Second Hokage from creating a white lightning spear in the air with his sword that pierced through one of the weakened spots in the chakra avatar to hit Naruto's real body.
The shock and pain disoriented the Terran Commander enough to create a small opening in his Chakra avatar.
"Particle Style: Multiple Strikes!"
Naruto roared in agony and defiance as tight beams of Ohnoki's precise attack tore through his upper chest followed by his stomach. The Tsuchikage's victorious grin faded instantly when the chakra avatar teleported right in front of him.
"What-''
The wounded former Mizukage grabbed his enemy brutally unleashing the cracking of several bones inside the tiny Kage's body making him scream.
"Die knowing that there shall be no dawn for your nation!" cursed Naruto,
Ohnoki's entire body was engulfed in a ball of chakra flames making his inhuman screams echo painfully across the battlefield making thousands of Allied shinobi back away in terror.
Moments later, Naruto coughed blood violently as his chakra avatar vanished as he fell to the ground in a painful heap. He didn't get any respite as Tobirama teleported in front of him with his holy lightning sword already flowing to take his head off.
Muramasa was raised by the blonde instantly to clash against his father's sword unleashing a powerful gust of chakra. Tobirama grunted in pain when Naruto gave him a harsh kick to the chest sending him flying away.
Hashirama appeared beside his wounded nephew next but was sent crashing by the giant wolf-Shera who arrived by his summoner's side.
"You look like shit" spat the wolf and meant it for he could clearly feel the life slipping out of his summoner.
"The others?" asked Naruto tiredly,
"Engaged with the enemy but managed to get out of this barrier trap. We must do the same" encouraged Shera,
"Buy me time to create the truth seeking orbs- they can dismantle a section large enough for us to escape" replied Naruto,
The wolf grunted in agreement as the Senju brothers and thousands of shinobi charged towards them from all sides.
Nagato grimaced as he watched five more Spartans fall from the relentless attack of thousands of shinobi as they covered the retreat of their remaining army up on Tiger Hill. A few Zetsu grabbed the corpses of their fallen regardless to drag them uphill to safety.
Nagato burned alive hundreds more in retaliation with his Ash Release attacks, but his own chakra reserves were dwindling and his wounds were only making it worse.
Ahead of him, he saw Kushina literally dragging the badly wounded forms of Hayate and Kasumi upwards while bleeding to death herself.
124 Spartans and more than 9,000 Zetsu had charged down the hill to stop the enemies from destroying them where they stood.
Less than half were returning back alive and Nagato knew more would fall soon.
That was not even taking into account the fate of his own brother who was still trapped inside that damned barrier.
His only solace was the fact that for everyone of their ranks that fell, the enemy lost twice or even thrice the fighters in some engagements.
But the bitter reality was that the Allied forces could afford such losses, the Terrans simply couldn't.
The only thing he could do was to get the rest back to their secure hill positions while waiting for his brother to return.
They had known the odds had simply been too great, victory had been an impossible dream but defeat had also been a distant thought at the same time.
If only we had more numbers...
His eyes widened when there was a thunderous explosion, looking back he saw the barrier was torn apart in one section as Shera and his brother's crumbling avatar form charged outside. Both looked gravely wounded with the massive wolf speared by hundreds of wooden spears, Naruto also had two lodged in his chest and was extremely pale.
But their eyes quickly spotted the retreating form of their forces, now being chased by thousands of enemy ranks.
Naruto and Shera's murderous roars made the Allied pursuers freeze and turn back to see a massive wolf and a teleporting chakra avatar rapidly charging towards them slaughtering hundreds of their ranks mercilessly.
The carnage was brutal and total which allowed the remaining Terran forces to safely complete their retreat to secure positions.
Nagato had to pickup Kushina as she collapsed from severe blood loss with two wooden spears lodged in her own stomach. A few Zetsu picked up Hayate and Kasumi's wounded forms, while the remaining Spartans dragged their dead and wounded uphill.
(Half an Hour Later)
Nagato looked at his fellow Spartan-Matsuri who was desperately trying to heal the mortal wounds suffered by his elder brother. The girl was crying even as she fought with everything she had to repair the grave damage, but the shinobi in him could see this battle was already lost.
His brother knew it too as he gently grasped the girl's hand and gave her a thankful smile.
"It's alright"
She wanted to argue and continue but Naruto gave her a determined look making Nagato give her a supporting one in return. Matsuri teared up but she was a good Spartan first, and the girl who had once held a crush on her Captain later. She saluted and left the two brothers alone with each other.
In the distance, Naruto heard the last of the Spartans and Zetsu fighting desperately to hold back the determined allied army.
"Don't worry, Elder Brother. We will not leave you" swore Nagato fiercely, he was in no shape to fight but he would die before he allowed any of the enemies to reach his brother.
"You must"
His eyes widened not just upon hearing those words but also upon seeing his brother struggle through great pain to make himself sit upright and grip Muramasa tightly in one hand.
"What?" asked Nagato in disbelief,
"We must win this war, no matter the cost. The Sage told me that..." whispered Naruto even as he coughed up more blood in pain.
"What are you saying?" asked the redhead with a trembling breath,
"For humanity to win, For us to attain our freedom - there is one final wall that needs to fall" said Naruto tiredly,
"Name it and I shall destroy it even if it's the last thing I do before I die" swore Nagato, making his brother smile kindly and pat his cheek affectionately.
"You can"
Hope blossomed in the younger redhead's heart upon hearing that for he finally had someway to save his family and those of their comrades still left alive.
"I am that Wall"
Nagato took a step back as tears started to arrive in his eyes even as his brother grunted further to make himself stand up on his knees.
"I don't understand..."
Naruto looked at his younger sibling and finally revealed what he had told Madara before coming here, of what truly happened between the Sage and himself.
It was no surprise when Nagato was raging by the end of that confession.
"That fucking geezer, I'll find him even if he is hiding in the deepest hell and kill him!" swore Nagato furiously,
"It must happen and it will" answered Naruto calmly, resignation and determination both present in his fierce gaze.
"Then we'll stay here and you escape. As long as you live, there is hope for our cause. Heal your wounds with Madara's help and hold on long enough for the plan to succeed" implored Nagato,
"You will not be enough to hold them long enough for that"
Nagato flinched as if he had been slapped harshly and looking into his brother's calm gaze only made him more angry.
"And you can?" he asked with gritted teeth, anger and disbelief only present in his voice.
"Yes, the Sage gave me his lifeforce for this task. It is why I am still alive even if I should already be dead with these wounds and using the final form of Hirashin, but it will not be with me forever. It will get extinguished soon but will allow me to buy you all enough time to ensure our victory" explained Naruto patiently,
"And then you die" whispered Nagato miserably,
"Then I die"
Nagato felt tears falling from his eyes even as he looked at his elder brother with a pleading gaze, but the man while sympathetic didn't budge from what he wanted to do.
"What's the point? Fools like Tobirama, Ohnoki and the others will again find someway to start this bloodshed in time" he argued,
A ghost of a smile arrived upon his brother's lips which was borderline nostalgic as he gave Nagato a knowing look.
"There is no point. Completing this war in victory and hoping for a better future is all we have left. And if I die tonight then so be it! But I still expect you to fight for us"
Nagato's eyes widened in disbelief as he realized those were almost the exact same words he had exchanged with his brother at Rezang La all those years ago. Only their situations had been reversed then and the enemies had been different.
History was repeating itself and he could not help but hate it from the bottom of his heart.
"I can stay with you then, let the others escape" he still resisted stubbornly,
"And let mother lose both her sons? Abandon our Spartan comrades in the final battle that shall come? One of the Namikaze brothers needs to live for that. Back then it was your time to make the ultimate sacrifice, now it is mine" said Naruto honestly,
"Elder Brother, please..."
"Nagato, the hardest thing I have ever done in life is to keep on living when I only wanted to die in misery and shame after I lost all of you. I cannot go through that again, more importantly this is about humanity and my own atonement as well" confessed Naruto,
"Atonement?" questioned Nagato hesitantly, making Naruto lower his gaze in shame.
"Nagato: you, our father-Yahiko and mother were the first successful volume of a story that shall span into a trilogy. A perfect start" said Naruto proudly, happiness clearly evident in his eyes.
It slowly turned into regret moments later when Naruto raised his hand and looked at it.
"However, the second volume was a failure. That one was me, I have done some good things but it cannot wash away the blood of innocents at my hands whom I killed in senseless revenge or in the pursuit of my ambitions. I contributed to the cycle of hatred and waged more war than anyone else. This shall be my apology to the dead as well for as little as that matters, to help lay the foundation of a future where such pain no longer exists. This is my final choice"
Understanding dawned in Nagato's heart as he truly grasped the real meaning of his brother's decision.
"The success and failure of this story depends on the third and final volume of this trilogy, Nagato. Mine...no all of humanity's children...you must be the the hero that shows them a better path, one free of war amongst mankind. Create a better world- one that shall overshadow my failures and what little greatness people like to see in me" requested Naruto in a gentle voice,
Tears were falling continuously from Nagato's eyes as he understood his brother's true wish.
His last one.
"If I had tried to do everything myself in my life, I would have failed. I had our parents, you, Kushina, our Spartan siblings, the people of Uzu, Ino, Mei, Lord Gengetsu Hozuki, the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, all the people of Kirigakure, Tobirama Senju, Madara, the Zetsu's and all those that believed in me no matter where they hailed from. The only reason I succeeded in getting this far, why I became Naruto-The Great in so many eyes was because you all supported me and kept me moving forward.
Naruto Namikaze shall make his last stand upon Tiger Hill. I will fight and die on this battlefield but I will not be alone, for you all are already right here" said Naruto proudly, as he pointed at his heart.
Nagato couldn't stop crying tears of sorrow and pride as he looked at his brother as he revealed what kind of a man he truly was.
"This isn't fair, Elder Brother" he whispered miserably,
"Life isn't, Brother. Long ago, you gave up your life so I could live and I did. I carried on your will, tried my best to fulfill your dreams and saw the world that you wanted me to see. It's time for you to do the same for me" requested Naruto sincerely,
Nagato nodded reluctantly before determination arose in his heart as he looked straight into his brother's eyes.
"I will do as you ask for you have done the same for me, most importantly I understand where you are coming from. But you are wrong about one thing" said Nagato fiercely,
Naruto saw the barrier being held by the last Spartans and Zetsu was about to collapse anytime but he still looked back at his sibling.
"The second volume was never a failure. It's mistakes and shortcomings shall be the guiding steps for the third one to become a true masterpiece making this an epic trilogy" whispered Nagato truthfully,
Naruto was left speechless upon hearing that before a ghost of a smile appeared on his lips as he went forward to hug his brother for the last time. The redhead returned the gesture even as he sobbed again, but when they parted the younger redhead had become the Spartan leader that Naruto was proud of.
"I need you to help me don a chakra armor, one last time. Please Brother"
No more words were said as Nagato helped his sibling don a still functioning chakra armor from one of the dead Spartans nearby. It was not in the best state or the perfect fit, but it would give his brother more time which was what truly mattered.
He then called several Zetsu and ordered them to share all their chakra with his brother which he absorbed thanks to his unique powers and gave them all a thankful smile.
Naruto finally managed to regain his strength and stood up back on his feet, his mortal wounds were barely healed but the Sage's lifeforce was keeping him going for now.
He looked at the surviving Spartans whom Nagato had briefed already about what was to happen, at first they argued but upon being accused of insulting their Captain's final sacrifice they backed down. Together, they grabbed every Spartan-alive, dead or wounded including the likes of Kasumi, Hayate and Kushina. The surviving Zetsu threw the last of their smoke bombs and explosives making the enemy pause for a few precious moments even as the barrier fell.
They then quickly linked up with the Spartans.
Most were disheartened and openly in tears, but many more understood why this was happening and offered their leader a parting salute.
"Go tonight to win this war by preparing the last of our forces there and make the base ready. Afterwards, be happy and live long lives in peace- you all deserve it. That is my final order, I'll wait for you in hell a little while longer" said Naruto with an amused smile,
Many chuckled a little even as tears fell from their eyes as they saw their Commander pick up a kunai launcher and his cursed sword to stand in the way between them and the entire might of the remaining Allied Shinobi Army.
Their hard fought retreat would be covered by their dying leader till his last breath.
"We will remember you, Lord Naruto. Thank you for everything" said a Zetsu sadly, earning somber nods from everyone of its remaining brethren.
"It's been a true honor, Elder Brother" said Nagato respectfully, earning firm nods from every surviving fighter of the Terran Federation earning a last smile from Naruto.
"The honor was mine"
Naruto looked at his brother for a long moment before his gaze shifted towards the unconscious and badly wounded form of Kushina Uzumaki. He remembered the childhood promise of theirs...
Till The End.
"Tell her I am truly sorry for not being able to keep our promise. But where I am going, she cannot follow. Kushina has suffered a lot in this life, tell her to forget about me and live the rest of her days in peace and happiness. She deserves it" asked Naruto sincerely,
"I'll try my best to help her, Elder Brother" promised Nagato tearfully, as he saw Naruto looking at Hayate and Kasumi's wounded forms next.
"See that Hayate and Kasumi end up getting married eventually. The stubborn fools would never have the courage to go for it themselves" teased Naruto with a sad chuckle, a part of his heart wanted to be there in that priceless moment.
Nagato just nodded heavily making his brother look at him for a long moment.
"Tell Father and Mother, Mei and my children that I am truly sorry. Please look after them, Nagato" said Naruto tearfully,
"I promise, Elder Brother" replied Nagato sincerely,
Naruto gave a final nod as the remaining Zetsu enveloped all the Spartans inside their bodies in a protective manner and started disappearing into the ground. He smiled when all of his comrades still standing offered the Spartan salute by thumping their fists over their hearts making him return the salute with a faint smile.
The war cries of thousands upon thousands of enemy forces heading towards him made him forcefully regain control of his emotions and prepare himself for what he had decided to do.
As the smoke cleared, even the enemy army came to an abrupt halt when they saw only the lone form of Naruto Namikaze waiting for them upon the final heights of Tiger Hill.
Hashirama and Tobirama realized instantly what had happened, disbelief was clearly evident on their faces as they saw the young Terran Commander look at them all with fearless courage.
"Your men finally abandoned you and ran for their lives?" asked Danzo Shimura with a sarcastic grin,
Tobirama clenched his fist and fought back the urge to kill his student right there, many of the other veterans in their ranks like Sakumo Hatake and Shikuchi Nara were not so restrained to tolerate such foolishness.
"He is covering their retreat, you fool" cursed Sakumo Hatake with a sigh,
Many shinobi from their ranks were quite shocked upon hearing that for their own leaders had been content to let them die at enemy hands while they remained protected in the rear, only to join the battle when victory was assured.
Compared that to Naruto who had fought side by side with his fighters in every attack, protected his men, even taking mortal wounds to save their lives and now making his last stand to cover their retreat...
Danzo suddenly felt very wary when he saw hundreds of shinobi looking at him and many other commanders from their army with barely hidden scorn. He could not help but be further confused by Naruto's actions, as Supreme Commander he was entitled to live over his men. They should have been honored to die in his defense...
Thankfully, Shikuchi Nara came to his aid by ordering hundreds of shinobi to charge forward. In cold silence, the Allied fighters surged towards their lone enemy making him take a deep breath.
Twenty Seven...Naruto Namikaze was.
The morbid thought should have made Naruto even more grim, instead it only made him smirk at the hidden joke his twisted mind had conjured up. As the enemies came more closer, he fleetingly wondered if things could have been different had he not joined Madara.
He would still be the celebrated Kage of Kiri, a devoted husband to Mei Terumi and be by the side of his dear twins.
But nothing would change and most probably he would pass on the same cruel world to his children that he grew up in.
And that was not something he could ever do, something which brought him here.
The Sage had shown him something truly important, his own end.
If he had ended up taking the more rational but heartless paths, he would have perhaps achieved victory at the total loss of most if not all Spartans and his Mother. Even many from Kirigakure and Uzushiogakure that would soon come to their aid.
The others had been a little better, if only for those who stood by him but not for himself as he would die quite horribly in saving their lives and achieving victory. Get a fate worse than death...
Even when faced with that dreadful choice, he couldn't shy away from doing what was right for all their sakes.
Be it the Spartans, his mother and brother, or those brave shinobi from Kirigakure and Uzushiogakure that he had seen in that path coming to his aid.
Only Madara knew about all of this, for he doubted Nagato or any of his remaining Spartans and Zetsu would have left him behind if they knew reinforcements were coming if only a while later. Time they didn't have with most of their comrades dead or badly wounded, he had to send the Spartan's bodies and wounded forms back to Madara so he could revive them fully once again to aid in the final battle.
He could still escape unlike what the Allies believed, but they still had a strong army despite the reinforcements the Terrans shall receive eventually. With Hashirama and Tobirama still leading them, their victory while difficult was still achievable.
Maybe the Terrans could still win despite the odds, certainly if he could have added his own assistance in that final battle. However, it would still result in grievous losses among his comrades- be they from Uzu or Kiri or even Zetsu. Thousands would perish, maybe more and even Madara could not bring back so many unless he sacrificed his own life.
It was why he had made his choice.
His life to protect those who loved him, ones who had taken up arms against the entire shinobi world for him.
It was time to return that priceless loyalty with his own.
He was not afraid of the end- for his legacy, memory and dreams would live on in those left behind. They would not be fully happy, but they would live and have chance at a better life which was all he could ask for.
Even so- dying alone so far from home, away from everyone he loved or cared for made his heart break just a little.
It was why his eyes widened in shock and disbelief as even before the first of the enemies could reach him, from one of the destroyed trenches emerged a giant wounded wolf that attacked them ferociously.
Naruto's eyes widened upon seeing Shera was still alive even as the monstrous wolf had shrunk to a smaller size to preserve his remaining strength, even so it was as large as a horse. Unwilling to let him fight alone, Naruto jumped into the melee making the rest of the charging enemies simply run away in fear much to the embarrassment of their leaders.
He then looked at his clan's oldest and most loyal summoning partner...
"Go, my friend. You don't need to die with me here" said Naruto worriedly, even as he gave the wolf a truly grateful smile.
"This war cannot be won until Hashirama is standing and you will not be able to defeat him alone, no matter how much you would like to believe otherwise. I will keep their lackeys away for as long as possible, go and do what must be done" said the wolf clan's leader with a grunt,
"But your clan..." argued Naruto,
"Will be safe in my son's hands, just like your children will carry on yours with the help of your family. Both of us have lived decent lives to an extent, my ancestors have died fighting beside your Namikaze forefathers many times. Your selfless actions merit the same respect" assured Shera,
"Arima Namikaze..." whispered Naruto in disbelief, as realization dawned upon him earning an amused smile from the wild creature beside him.
"The Young Wolf died a hero, loved by his descendants like you till this day. My ancestor who died by his side is also respected among my own clan. Maybe someday we'll be remembered as such as well, I hope" whispered Shera honestly with a continuing smile,
He was pleased when his words made Naruto truly smile and the last worries and grief holding him back were gone.
Maybe I couldn't fully live like the heroes I looked up to as a child, but I'll get to die as one. All things considered...
"It's a good death" agreed Naruto, earning a nod from his wolf.
"It is"
Naruto tightened his grip on his sword and raised his kunai launcher with his left hand towards the enemies who also prepared themselves. Beside him, Shera growled fiercely as he too prepared himself.
Danzo must have been truly irked by his earlier words as Naruto watched the younger shinobi rally a large portion of their army and actually lead the second charge to finish them off for good.
But his gaze was truly fixated upon the form of the Senju brothers standing in the center of their army, now they were playing safe by not battling him personally knowing this risks especially to Hashirama. That had to change...
"We'll just have to cut through these few thousand bastards to reach them" grunted Shera amusedly, and pointed at the thousands following Danzo's lead.
"Are you ready, Naruto?"
The wolf was surprised when his summoner patted his wounded back gently expressing his gratitude for everything before a fearless look arrived in his eyes.
"Now it ends"
Danzo ducked as Naruto unleashed every last kunai round in his launcher taking down a dozen of the Allies before discarding the empty weapon and switching to Muramasa.
The last Spartan on Tiger Hill charged forth alongside his wolf summon to meet the large group of Allied fighters head on.
Danzo was in the midst of unleashing his wind style attack but paled in horror as Naruto swiftly teleported right in front of him. Before he could defend himself, the blonde gave him a crushing kick sending him gracelessly crashing down the hill screaming.
Even as he sent the Allied leader flying, Naruto brought Muramasa mercilessly upon his stunned enemies with inhuman speed even as Shera tore into the enemy ranks simultaneously mauling his prey brutally.
Hashirama watched his nephew fight more valiantly than any man he had ever seen in his long life.
"You have a fine son, Tobirama. He's a good Kage, the best I have ever seen" praised the First Hokage sincerely,
"Let's end this, Elder Brother"
Hashirama looked at his brother to find a blank look upon Tobirama's face as the Second Hokage crushed all his feelings, but it was the man's eyes that betrayed him. For in them, there was only unending pride alongside deep regret for what had to be done.
They watched as Naruto and his wolf inflicted a merciless slaughter of thousands of allies until finally the beast took a few more mortal wounds in the fight and fell honorably when a Konoha Anbu stabbed him through the heart.
Naruto avenged his battle partner by killing the Anbu swiftly and the remaining Allies before sadly kneeling by the dying wolf's side.
No words were exchanged between them, but the lone tear that fell from Naruto's eyes as the beast breathed its last showed everything before the lone Spartan glared harshly at his enemies.
Shikuchi Nara was about to order the next wave of attack, only for the Senju brothers to step forward themselves to face the last opponent.
Naruto stood back up to face them defiantly as the entire battlefield fell silent.
"You have fought well, nephew" praised Hashirama,
"We have said all that was needed. Prepare yourself" said Tobirama reluctantly,
A cold smirk came upon Naruto's lips.
"Bring it on, Father"