Chapter 4
As the Daimyo of the Land of Spring, Koyuki Kazahana had been doing her best to manage things after the 4th Shinobi War. Thankfully the Land of Spring was doing well, much better than the Hidden Villages that was for sure. The woman was aware of their situation, and what her fellow daimyos were doing. Trying to help Konoha was dangerous as the Fire Daimyo wanted to 'put them in their place' these were his words.
Koyuki had been in contact with Naruto, and she desperately wanted him to come here for his own safety. The Fire Daimyo was clearly losing it, and there was a chance he might try killing the guy who saved the world. Naruto had refused, but he had sent her something interesting.
"These are blueprints." The scientist said. "Advanced stuff along with some improvements to our current technology."
"He said he designed this stuff, but he couldn't actually build them." Koyuki said. "He did say that he was interested in technological advancement in unique ways."
"Well these certainly are unique that's for sure…" he said. "I think we should try."
The blonde was smart that was for sure, and it was a shame he couldn't build what he wanted. This of course wasn't why he was currently kneeling in front if her.
"Daimyo-sama we—"
"Stand up Naruto, you of all people don't need to bow." Koyuki said. "The hero of the world shouldn't have to bow to anyone in my opinion, and drop the sama, it's annoying."
"Thanks." The blonde said before standing.
"So what brings you all the way here?" she asked. "I don't suppose you've decided to join the Land of Spring?"
"No, a new threat has come stomping at our gates."
"Threat?"
"Yes it appears that Konoha has been sentenced to death by someone called the Supreme One, this person has an army ready to wipe us out." – "Our weapons aren't exactly in the best shape so I was wondering if you could spare some—"
"You'll have them." She said cutting him off. "If Konoha falls then there's a chance thus army might come after us next considering our alliance."
"Thanks, I really appreciate this, and I'm sure everyone else will as well." He said. "Also, about that stuff I sent you, is it possible?"
"Took us a while since you weren't able to actually assist, but we managed to get a couple things done."
Naruto's eyes lit up upon hearing this. To hear that they'd actually gone, and built what he'd sent brought him joy. This meant that 'those' were probably ready as well. If they were then this fight was going to take a turn. Especially since they had 8 days to prepare.
The Next Day – Land of Fire – Konoha – Training Ground #7
Kyuko didn't exactly want to be anywhere near someone who looked at her like the way Remedios looked at her, in fact she actually scared her a bit. There was clear prejudice, something she hadn't experienced when she came to Konoha. Yet this human didn't seem to understand that she had no reason to hate anyone in the village. Even so Kyuko preferred to keep her distance, but then a clone of her master had showed up.
"The boss won't be back for a couple days." The clone said. "He does however want to make sure that you aren't slacking on your training."
"Of course I'm not!" The kitsune girl exclaimed. "I've been training diligently, practicing the spells he taught me, and reading the Uzumaki scrolls." – "I want to be able to serve him the best I can, but he hasn't given me a chance."
"Well this upcoming fight will be your chance to prove yourself to the boss, so be prepared for anything."
"You got it!"
Kyuko knew her limits, and was aware of what spells she couldn't cast with her current mana pool. It would be extremely dangerous just to try so she would hold off on damaging her body.
"To small." She said. "Master keeps underestimating me because of my youthful appearance despite me being older."
She was strong, granted not as strong as her master, but strong nonetheless. In eight days she would prove it to him, and everyone else that she could hold her own.
Land of Fire – Cabin
Ainz stared at the map of the Elemental Nations that the bandits had 'given' him, his gaze on Konoha specifically. They were much more advanced than the Re-Estize Kingdom, and the Baharuth Empire. It was only to a certain capacity since they clearly had electricity, but still used carts. Then there was the strange energy they used, the bandits called it chakra something every ninshu was born with. It was their power, and life force; if they ran out then they would die. This was worth investigating.
'Maybe giving them 8 days was to much, the Lizardmen were so primitive that giving them that much time didn't change anything, but if ninshu are this advanced then this first battle…' Ainz silently mused. 'I'll probe them with this first attack, no need to send out the big guns straight away; wait what if they have guns?' – 'Maybe chakra based weapons?'
He wasn't sure what chakra could really do, and definitely wasn't going to go onto the battlefield without more information.
Taking everything into account it might be possible that he might have nothing to worry about. Nobody had been able to actually be a threat to him, mind you he still didn't know who brainwashed Shalltear, but aside from that he was damn near invincible. The same could be said for the guardians, Nazarick was at the top, and nobody had been able to hurt them.
A part Ainz realized that he was on a power trip, it was a part of him that was mostly being suppressed. A part of him that planned on breaking out, and taking back control no matter what the cost.
8 Days Later – Miles Outside Konoha
Naruto was ready, there was a plan in place, the shinobi were ready, and the civilians were inside the shelter. The secret passage that led to the coast was secure, and ready to be used. If worse came to worse they would migrate to The Land of Whirlpools using the [Gate] necklaces that Naruto had made, and given to six of the shinobi who were protecting the civilians. What frustrated him however was the fact that Calca wanted to stay, believing that her summoned angels could be of assistance. This caused Remedios, Kelart, and the Paladins to stay behind as well.
"You should stay back, they'll need the Hokage if we lose this battle." The blonde said. "The scout came back with information about the army, it's made up of undead, six Death Knights, and two elder liches." – "The bestiary left behind by the Player…"
He let out a sigh.
"Touch Me helps me understand how dangerous these things are." He said. "Of all the things he wanted people to call him, why that?"
"If I remember correctly, you told me that Uzushiogakure housed 6 Players is that right?" Kakashi asked not wanting to address the strange name.
"Yes, they showed up before Mito Uzumaki, and are said to still be somewhere in the Land of Whirlpools in some kind of slumber." – "I personally believe that they're really there, somewhere waiting to be found." He said. "But for now let's focus on the undead army of 800."
"Are your spells ready?"
"Of course, I decided on which ones to use before I came here."
Jumping onto the ground, he was in the middle of their forces. Shinobi, and paladins working together; this was going in the history books for sure.
"[Quadruple Area Maximize Magic]." The spells were ready. "[Manifest of Fire, [Gia's Blessing, [Greater Barrier, [Greater Senses, [Greater, Slash, Blunt, and Physical Resistance, [Greater Regeneration, [Greater Chakra Recovery, [Greater Chakra Booster, [Greater Magic, [Holy God's Protection, [Greater Magic Resistance, [Greater Physical Enhancement, [Titanium Skin, [Destroyer's Calling, [Greater Weapon Enchantment, [Greater Extension]."
Seventeen buff spells on the entirety of his allies, it was a bit much, but it was better to be safe than sorry. From here on out he was going to assume that the master mind was stronger than him. It's what he'd done with the undead dragon lord, and it worked.
"That must've taken a lot out of you." Lee said.
"No, it's just annoying having to remember all of those spells, thankfully Kurama remembers them." He said before looking forward. "Here they come."
Without a word, most of the shinobi disappeared including Lee. It was him, a nervous Kyuko, 45 jonin, and the paladins. Remedios caught his attention, and vice versa. The young woman frowned, and looked away.
"I think she still upset about what happened." Kyuko said as they proceeded forward.
"It's not my fault that she isn't leadership material, besides I told the queen in private not in front of everyone." The blonde said.
Quietly Naruto pulled Calca aside, specifically into an empty room. The blonde queen didn't know what was going on, but she had a couple ideas. Some of which ended up with her finding out she was pregnant.
"Remedios isn't leadership material, and you need to stop showing blatant favoritism because it's not healthy." Naruto stated. "She's strong, but not very bright." – "Her black and white world view is dangerous as well, she's a danger to herself, and others."
Naruto wasn't going to mince words when it came to the strongest paladin. The only reason they hadn't come to blows yet is because Kelart managed to keep Remedios from getting physical. Kyuko, and Shikamaru could only barely hold the blonde back. If he wanted to he could throw them across the village.
"I admit that she can be a bit difficult, but—"
"Right now you have to treat her like she's a subordinate, and put your foot down for her own safety."
Their talk had bore fruit, and Calca had decided what to do with Remedios. The young woman would now be second in command with Gustav taking the role as commander, and if Remedios couldn't properly follow orders then she would face severe punishment. Naruto hadn't bothered to hide the fact that he'd said something to Calca. Kelart wasn't exactly upset since it gave her a chance to help her sister with her problems that led to this.
"It's what's best for her stubborn ass, you know Sakura-chan would've thrown the first punch; she's not as nice as me."
"Your patience with that woman truly rivals that of a saint." Kyuko said.
A couple minutes passed before they heard it. A monstrous roar joined by the footsteps of the undead. What came into view were undead armed with sword, and shields with some weapons being magical. Then there was the undead that stood at 2 meters tall with a crooked body. It had a rippled sword and a tower shieldwith its armor having sharp thorns everywhere. Two demonic horns protrude from the helmet, with the face being visible underneath. It has a disgusting, rotted face whose empty eye sockets are filled with hate and killing intent, glowing with a flashing red light. A Death Knight.
Then there were the undead clad in old and luxurious robe that covered its body of rotting skins and bones. Elder Liches, and there were two of them.
"Kyuko, the Elder Lich to the right, take the one to the right while I take out the one to the left; the mastermind is probably watching so don't use anything big unless you have to." – "But not yet…"
The nearest Death Knight let out a roar as it suddenly charged.
"Activate it!" Naruto exclaimed.
A barrier of chakra suddenly surrounded the army of undead. The Death Knight slammed into it, and began to beat onto it to no avail. Then they heard something coming from the sky, it was something many of them hadn't heard before unless they'd been to the Land of Spring. In the sky was a large air ship, it was slimmer, and lacked balloons and visible rotors. This one resembled a ship with sails.
"Wha—what the hell is that thing?" Gustav asked not able to believe what he was seeing.
"An airship, upgraded using my own ideas, it's fast, durable, and has a barrier around it." Naruto said. "Science at it's best, well not it's best, but it's still pretty amazing."
The bottom of the ship opened into a circle. Then something dropped down. A large sphere orb, it was slightly translucent, and red in color.
"What is that?"
"A weapon, a very dangerous weapon."
The sphere hit the ground, the impact crushed the undead under it. Then it exploded with enough force, and explosive power to turn the minor undead, and the Elder Liches into ashes. The barrier was the only thing that protected them from the full force of the blast.
'A chakra bomb.' Kurama said. 'It's powerful.'
'Truly which is why they aren't going to be mass produced, it's a weapon of mass destruction at full power, and I don't want them falling into the wrong hands.' He said as the smoke cleared. 'I'm glad Koyuki agreed with me.' – 'I actually thought the Elder Liches would survive that.'
The Death Knights still stood strong, they had survived thanks to their unique ability to take one fatal hit without dying. The rest of the undead army that hadn't been caught in the barrier were now running forward. The ships barrier activated, and it flew up higher. The shinobi released the barrier, and then they all charged forward with a single goal. Annihilate the undead army.
Kyuko went for the nearest Death Knight. It swung at her with an attack that she saw coming. Jumping behind it, she turned faster than it could.
"Take this!"
Her right leg tore through the Death Knights body, severing its lower, and top half. Without waiting the kitsune girl dashed forward at speed that made her seem like a blur.
In the back Neia who was with the other archers was quietly panicking. There were more undead than she'd ever seen in her life. Thankfully she wasn't alone in shooting, and the buffs provided by Naruto were helping her quite a bit. The fear of the death, and loyalty to the queen was keeping her calm enough to properly shoot. She prayed that she wouldn't run out of arrows any time soon.
Remedios on the other hand was more or less enjoying the fight.
'To punish evil!'
Her fist tore through bone.
'To protect my queen, sister, and country!'
The paladin cut down three in a single swipe.
'This is what is means to be a paladin!'
Remedios truly believed what she was doing was for the greater good, and right now she was 100% in the right. The strongest paladin was tearing through the undead with ease, she felt stronger than ever. Though she wouldn't admit that Naruto's magic was the reason she didn't feel tired, and stronger than ever.
Said blonde had sensed the surveillance spell along with the life, and mana signatures east of the battlefield. There were 4 in total with one being undead, and having the highest mana. He knew nothing about who they were or what they could do aside from summon this kind of army of undead, this was definitely the strongest undeads doing.
'Must be skilled.' He thought as he cut through undead with his kunai. 'Must be a Overlord, an undead from YGGDRASIL…maybe a player?' – 'Got to take precautions against instant death spells then.'
Caution against the unknown enemy was the right call, and he had to presume that they were stronger than him. If they knew more spells than him then he would have to use counter spells, and seals. If he needed to he would use one of the treasures that his Clan had left behind.
"Wind Style: Gale Decapitation Jutsu!"
Wind chakra gather in his right hand. With a single swinging motion he cut through the many undead that were around him. They were simple enough to dispatch, but he was worried about something else joining the fight. Some that could actually charge the village. This was why taking down the Death Knights had been so important, he still couldn't believe the Elder Liches had gone down so easily.
The fighting ended after another hour, and the living stood victorious.
Land of Fire – Cabin
Ainz had been genuinely surprised by the airship, and the bomb it had dropped onto his forces. That was technology he'd never seen in the north. This was a clear indication that their technological level was higher than he thought. The Death Knights had still been killed even after surviving the attack, rather easily at that.
"This is the first loss I've suffered in quite some time." Ainz said.
"Lord Ainz please let us avenge you!" Albedo begged. "These maggots can not—"
"Albedo, the battle was fair, and this was simply to probe their defense; besides I'm not a sore loser." He said. "Still, that airship came at just the right time, they must've planned that as well." – "They hold technological superiority over the north, and us which means they might have more of those; maybe some things that pose a threat to us."
Ainz touched his boney chin.
'Conquering them might not be the best way to go, and negotiating will likely fail because we attacked them; unless I do like I did with Cocytus.' – 'I didn't see anyone in that battle who looked like a serious threat, skilled in fighting, but not a serious threat.'
Despite this he didn't want to take a chance, and get blindsided. His gaze went to Shalltear, she could do this with her skills. Then again so could he. Best to decide after meeting their leader.
Land of Fire – Konoha – Hokage Tower
The attack undead army was destroyed albeit there were a few human casualties, but that was it overall. Still there were many questions as to who the Supreme One was, and why he apparently wanted them all dead. If he was sent by the Daimyo then this was a clear sign that the man wanted them wiped out as fast as possible. If that was the case then something had to be done now before the man sent something a more dangerous.
Kakashi wanted to ask about the airship though. It was much more advanced than the few he had seen in Spring Country. He wasn't fully aware of the situation there, but Naruto probably knew more than he did. The blonde had went there, and as a result managed to get some help.
"I got a location on this 'Supreme One', and he isn't alone." Naruto said before telling Kakashi, and Queen Calca who was now very much involved.
"Could your Daimyo truly be capable of this?" Calca asked. "I truly don't understand why."
"If this is him then he's not bothering to hide it anymore." Kakashi said. "He wants us dead, and gone." – "The man has truly gone insane."
Naruto was completely silent as the two leaders began to speak. His mind was occupied by the fact that Konoha was encountering trouble more and more these days. Their Daimyo, the Baharuth Empire, and now this Supreme One with his undead army. They couldn't keep this up when people were consistently coming here to mess with them. The Land of Fire was suffering badly, and he could think of a few drastic solutions. The best one being to migrate to the Land of Whirlpools.
'If only we could move to another planet.' Naruto silently said. 'Leave behind all of this horrid shit to start over.'
Naruto looked to the sky outside the window as his mind went back a few days.
The craft he rode in wasn't an airship, but something of his own design. It was experimental, but now was as good a time as any to test it. Currently he was 54 miles in the air, over the clouds, and able to see the entire continent along with the Land of Whirlpools. It was beautiful.
One would have to wonder how he of all people designed a flying machine that went higher than modern airships. It was simple, he decided to actually try. Learning the real ins and outs of modern science was like learning magic. Putting it into practice had been the difficult part since he had no resources, but that wasn't the case now.
So here he was, going higher and higher into the air. He was already past the troposphere, stratosphere, and the mesosphere.
The protective suit he wore had six oxygen seals set to release one by one or all at once by his command. It would protect him from the cold void of space. It was slim, comfortable to a point, and most importantly it was safe.
"Kurama we're officially at…123 feet!" he laughed. "Holy shit, the Land of Spring has some damn good engineers!"
The ship rumbled more.
'I hope you haven't forgotten the experimental part!'
"Nope, but we can go a bit higher!" – "We have the means to get back, plus…"
That's when he sensed it surrounding the shuttle. Looking out of the left window, his eyes widened in amazement at the sight.
A sea of energy that surrounded the planet like a thick blanket. Chakra, magic, and the life essence of all things; quintessence. He knew the magic part of it, some of what he'd learned from the records, and what he had managed to piece together in his own through his own studies. Quintessence was life itself, and a planet was supposed to have a lot of the stuff. Yet the milky white substance was less than the chakra, and magic.
"That's not good is it?"
'No, no it's not.'
Something was very wrong with this planet, and in the back of his mind was a thought that he quickly pushed down. It might be his fault.
"If that's the case then I'd like to offer assistance in the form of a peace treaty." Calca said.
This snapped Naruto from his thoughts much to his relief. Sadly he didn't know what the two leaders had been talking about. The blonde proceeded to excuse himself with the excuse that he wasn't feeling well. A lie that Kakashi saw through with ease.
Konoha – Naruto's Apartment
"I figured they'd be celebrating." Naruto said.
The people were more on edge than ever, and much more pissed off now. They wanted to know what was going on, why they'd been attacked, and who the Supreme One was.
"Well, if it makes you feel any better the beast-kin are just as upset." Kyuko said. "None of us have heard of this Supreme One either, and to be honest that army was kind of pathetic."
"Don't get cocky just because you did great against one assault, the next one could have enemies a hundred times stronger than you." He warned. "Also you really were impressive out there, it looks like the training paid off quite a bit."
The girls eyes lit up.
"Kyuko if this Supreme One proclaims himself to be a god or is worshipped as one, just remember that he isn't." Naruto said. "There is no such thing as a true god, a being that like can't exist by the laws of reality in our universe or any other."
"I don't understand." She said.
"Oh…well it's just something I learned when mastering nether and aether magic, it's one of the critical parts of becoming a master of one or both." The blonde said. "Understanding what magic actually is, is also crucial."
He leaned in closer as did she in response.
"Magic is a celestial element just like chakra and natural energy it flows through our young universe with quintessence being the life essence, they also connect to the realm of the dead, and what I call the Primordial Sea." He explained.
"Primordial Sea?"
"Yes, it's where magic summons come from, a sea of raw energy influenced by beliefs, and imagination of mortals like us." He said. "Its why angels look the way they do, because that's how humanity sees them, but if I summoned one then it would look different." – "Magic summons are given physical form and consciousness because of mortals existence so if one tries to pull the 'I'm a being of divine existence so I'm above you' card, just remind them that they wouldn't exist if they hadn't been summoned by mere mortals."
This had happened to him a total of five times with weaker angels who for some reason had a complex on them. The stronger ones were much nicer, humble, and likeable. It was likely because they had a better handle on their pride, and rationality. He could summon other things as well, but that was for another day as it was much to complicated.
"Master your so wise!" She exclaimed with glee. "Combined with your strength, and how much people love you why aren't you Hokage?"
"Not ready for that, plus I'm not sure if I ever really wanted to become Hokage." The blonde said. "I wanted the village to acknowledge me, and now they do." – "Becoming Hokage hasn't crossed my mind until just now, and frankly I don't think it's a good idea for me to be stuck behind a desk."
He wasn't like the previous Hokage, he wanted more than what this world could give him. A leader needed to be grounded, focused on the people, and he would have to put their needs before his own desires. But, he couldn't do it, not in the way needed to be Hokage. He was loyal no doubt, but he still had goals to fulfill. Goals that could help the village prosper, maybe even the Elemental Nations as a whole. If he could do that, and ensure that the next generation had a peaceful future to look forward to then he could live without becoming Hokage. It would be worth it for sure.
Naruto smiled at Kyuko, she and the beast-kin were his people as well. They deserved to prosper as well.
"If you looked at least 18 then I wouldn't mind flirting with—"
The door suddenly burst open before he could finish.
'Damnit!' the girl silently exclaimed.
"Naruto, they're back!" it was Sakura, and she looked ready for battle.
"I hoped that they would give us more than a few hours, but whatever."
Getting up, he stretched a bit before leaving the house. This time he wanted to meet the mastermind, and get some answers. Specifically, why he had a death wish.
Chapter 4 End