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Chapter 21
Madara Uchiha
"You dance well, boy"
Mangetsu and everyone in his squad were instantly assaulted by a force that demanded nothing but absolute obedience. The killing intent made him fall to his knees as he imagined himself falling down into the crater or his heart stopping instantly or of him using his own sword to end his life.
The others were in similar states of fear and mental breakdown.
His eyes widened in disbelief when he saw Naruto himself fall to one knee even as he struggled to maintain control. The Namikaze actually managed to get back on his feet after a few tries, something the others could only dream of accomplishing.
Naruto glared at the unmoving masked man as he threw his flaming sword straight down into the crater where it embedded itself with a sharp crash. He performed several one handed seals before pointing his two index fingers of his right hand towards the stationery sword.
"Ash Release: Valley of Flames!"
Dark chakra rushed from the blonde's body only to fiercely clash against the sword in the crater in less than five seconds unleashing a gargantuan river of scorching flames that spread in every direction until it had swallowed the very crater itself.
Smoke and ash started rising to the skies which instead had a direct impact on the already struggling Kiri warriors.
"Are you trying to get us all killed? How the fuck are we supposed to escape now that you set the entire crater we are standing inside on this stupid elated land on fire!" hissed Jinpachi angrily in a fit of coughs.
"Now that you can breathe again, your mouth sure is running a lot!" scolded Naruto without remorse,
Everyone's eyes widened as they realized the force that was nearly killing them had stopped. They looked in the rising smoke and ash only to realize that the masked man was nowhere to be seen. They could feel so much energy in the air created thanks to the fire which Naruto had unleashed with his own special chakra.
"You impaired his vision thereby preventing the masked man from his first point of sight on us. Next, you shrouded our specific chakra signatures by causing a wide scale fire unleashing large amounts of unstable energy in the air that is keeping us protected" explained Mangetsu accurately,
When Naruto nodded slightly, the squad relaxed a bit until they saw the Commander reaching into the pouch on his left thigh to procure a small plastic bottle holding a set of pills. They were of mud like in color and were very small in size.
Wordlessly, the blonde warrior offered the same to his comrades.
When they hesitated, he sighed impatiently.
"It's not poison. This will help, just take it before this diversion fails'' warned Naruto,
Mangetsu and Mei were the first one to grab a pill each, before passing an uncertain look at each other they quickly swallowed their pills. Within seconds, their eyes widened when they felt new energy come alive inside their bodies as their chakra reserves were replenished nearly by one fourth. The others shared those feelings once they took their own individual pills but when they reached out for more in order to fully recharge themselves, the Commander took it away much to their frowns and glares.
"Your bodies can only handle that much. Anymore and you risk a stroke or worse" he explained patiently,
"What are they?" asked Ameyuri curiously,
"Soldier Pills. A secret weapon used by my clan in the past to replenish the reserves of our highly taxing and super fast movement based fighting style. They pump huge amounts of adrenaline and energy in your body, if not taken carefully it can cause havoc on your nervous system. Even result in death" revealed Naruto with a stark warning look in his eyes,
He didn't tell them about the fact that he had given them the partial truth. Granted his explanation of the pills and its application alongwith dangers were correct, he chose to forgot mentioning the fact that it was the creation of the Spartan program instead of any medical tool created by his lost clan.
Keeping in mind the side effects of their usage with increasing use, genetic enhancements were made to all the Spartans to make them fully capable of utilizing this power and continue fighting for days without stopping.
It was also a weapon that had played a huge role in the Spartans going deep behind enemy lines to rescue Hashirama Senju years ago, the same mission where they were all killed.
He fought back the images of his dead comrades from that night and felt a pair of red eyes watching him from outside the smoke and ash. For the first time in a decade, he was afraid.
And yet, his mission was far from over.
He may have told Mangetsu that it was okay if they failed to assassinate the Lightning Daimyo, but he personally could never accept that outcome. His entire family was dead because of that man's ambition, his friends were martyred and his village faced the threat of destruction.
He had to die, no matter the cost!
It was that hate in his heart which gave him strength to overcome that primal fear inside his mind as he looked at Mangetsu.
"Summon your bird now!" ordered Naruto,
The Hozuki clan heir nodded as he performed the familiar set of hand seals before slamming down gently on the ground causing a small plume of smoke. An instant later, the large Eagle summon appeared beside them instantly much to the relief of the entire squad.
Without a word, one by one they all jumped on top of the summon.
Mei looked back to see Naruto still standing on that elevated piece of land, his gaze fixed firmly in the direction the masked man was last seen as he swallowed the remaining multiple pills inside the bottle before tossing it into the flames.
"We need to go now!" she yelled at him amidst the raging fire and smoke,
"Go on, I'll catch up" he promised, as he procured a last set of three pronged kunai from his pouch.
"But-" she argued, only to meet his now infamous red eyed gaze that had no shred of doubt or mercy in them.
"That's an order. Obey!"
Haku flinched and so did a few others on hearing that cold tone and the raw killing intent they felt radiating from their leader. It was Mangetsu who showed the special kunai given to him by the Commander drawing understanding looks from the Kiri warriors.
"Understood, Commander. Whatever you have to do, just get back fast" requested Mangetsu honestly,
Naruto nodded before he vanished in a flash even as the rest of the squad took to the skies atop the eagle.
When he landed back on the ground by teleporting to one of his earlier scattered kunai's outside the crater, he was left speechless when he saw the masked man casually sitting on the ground doing nothing.
"Ah. You finally showed up, are the trash out of the way?"
Naruto flinched on hearing that statement in such a nonchalant manner but it also gave him few vital insights about his enemy.
Kushina mentioned that he had attacked her Anbu squad and abducted the Daimyo. Yet if that was what he was after, then it made no sense for him to follow us to this battlefield when he had already accomplished his objective. Unless...
"Are you the mastermind behind this war?" asked Naruto coldly, as an unsettling revelation settled itself into his heart.
"Sharp as ever. Then again I expected nothing less from the son of Tobirama Senju" praised the masked man,
He saw the way Naruto remained unfazed even after hearing that revelation.
"Your lack of surprise shows you have known or have an idea about this reality for a long time. Your mother must have told you before she died, correct?" deduced the masked man shrewdly,
"Answering my question with one of your own. Let's skip over this dance, it was strange how the peace loving 2nd Raikage was assassinated right when he was about to broker an end to the dying conflicts from the First Ninja War with the Land of Fire; and the new Raikage that came after him started another war. It was strange how the Land of Lighting started the First Great Ninja war by capturing Hashirama Senju through the guise of a peace summit, they should have known they could never beat the strongest shinobi of their time and his allies unless they had a rival equal in power to match the Senju leader. One who was possibly controlling them all from the shadows...ain't that right, Madara?" asked Naruto coldly,
The masked man chuckled lightly.
He placed his right hand atop his mask and threw it away in a flash exposing a cold and ruthless pair of sharingan eyes.
Naruto could not help but be surprised by how young the man looked considering he was in his late forties. A phenomenon only the Uzumaki were infamous for as it certainly wasn't natural to a majority of the shinobi tribe whose bodies usually aged faster due to constant stress of combat and a dangerous life. The man had a clean shaved chiseled face with two large bangs covering his face, one of which nearly blocked his right eye. He was in top shape considering his muscular form and his chakra was teeming with ferocious vigor.
"Tell me, why did you not run like the others?" asked Madara curiously, even as he made a hand seal summoning forth a deep orange colored gunbai in his left hand and a sickle with a long chain attached at its end which he caught with his right hand.
"A Spartan never retreats, never surrenders and never abandons his mission!" answered Naruto resolutely,
"You think you can take my puppet out? He maybe an annoying asshole but he is useful to my plans. Although I wonder, is that kind of resolve the reason why the Spartans are nearly extinct now?" jibed Madara with a smile,
"My men died with courage and honor. I will not let you dishonor them!" warned Naruto coldly,
"That's where you are wrong. They died just like every shinobi of every era because humans are selfish creatures who cannot understand each other and are never at peace. You will not be the last soldiers to meet such fate if mankind continues on this path. It's a never ending cycle of hatred which needs to be stopped" disproved Madara fiercely,
"You think you can change mankind?" asked Naruto in disbelief and in a mocking voice, but was surprised when he saw Madara clenching his fist and his face lost all sense of friendliness it had till now.
"I have to if I am to save them from what's coming" whispered Madara fiercely, as he took an aggressive stance.
Naruto followed suit as both warriors glared at each other with their unique set of red eyes.
"Let's dance, SPARTAN!"
A three pronged kunai was unleashed by the blonde that sailed over Madara's head only to have Naruto appear in the same spot a moment later by catching the sailing weapon in mid air. The Spartan's eyes widened when a bone crushing kick connected with his jaw sending him sailing in the air. Before he could even recover, Madara flashed beside him to land a follow up attack to his chest cracking atleast another rib in the process and making him crash to the ground.
Despite his injuries, Naruto quickly backflipped away to a distance even as he vomited blood in volumes.
In pain, he glanced at his opponent and saw him swat away some dirt on his shoulder casually.
"Your speed is useless when I can see your movements and have quick enough reflexes to counterattack" chided Madara,
When Naruto only glared in silence, Madara beckoned him to attack with a mocking smile.
The Uchiha however narrowed his eyes when his sharingan showed the boys broken ribs healing rapidly until the entire damage vanished, as if it never existed in the first place.
"Healing without hand signs or medical ninjutsu. I can see Hashirama's chakra in you, then again you are part Senju thanks to Tobirama" said Madara bitterly,
A beastial like glint came in the boy's eyes as he instantly went through a couple of hand signs which Madara copied perfectly.
"Fire Style: Majestic Destroyer Flame!"
The two warriors unleashed a scorching wall of flames each that clashed violently creating more smoke and ash in the already clouded area. Madara sucked in a breath as he stepped sideways even as whistling sound passed close by his ear.
His eyes widened when his eyes spotting hundreds of energy signatures descending down from the clouded sky.
"Water Style: Rain of Death!"
Madara started to back-flip one after another in order to avoid the hundreds of hyper fast water bullets rapidly falling from the sky. His Sharingan soon changed its shape as a wave of black flames formed a protective roof over the Uchiha's head making him stop.
He was not about to get any respite.
"Earth Style: Headhunter Jutsu"
Naruto emerged from the ground beneath the Uchiha's feet having already unleashed a lightning laced kunai towards Madara's chin only to have the older man catch the same in a flash before using it to stab the blonde in the brain making him dissolve into a puddle of water.
"Wind Style: Wave of Destruction!"
Madara grunted when a brutal wave crashed against his back sending him sailing away before he regained control and landed on the outer boundary of the rare portion of the forest which had still survived.
He coughed blood and saw Naruto on the other side having raised his right hand that was cackling with lightning.
"To be able to use all five forms of chakra natures so expertly and with finesse. He expanded his area of attack forcing the atmosphere to create more moisture which he used to launch the water bullets making me move in the direction he wanted. There he had already created a clone from the ever increasing amount of water falling from the sky in the form of bullets but that was just a diversion, the real Naruto had already teleported to my back where he launched his attack landing me in the exact spot where his next move would be executed" thought Madara accurately,
The Uchiha looked into the blonde's merciless eyes as the heavens above them roared in apocalyptic fury.
"Disappear"
A flash of lightning fell from the skies right on top of Madara's position unleashing a violent explosion.
"Lightning Style: Thunder Bolt!" whispered Naruto, even as more and more attacks continued raining down from the sky making the explosion more and more violent.
He was disappointed when he saw Madara had survived the attack by simply substituting himself with a tree log and was now staring at him with an amused smile.
"Nice try"
Naruto grit his teeth in part anger and part frustration but he had also gained a few more insights for which he had started this fight in the first place.
"I can't defeat him with my current speed as he can see through my moves with his eyes. His Sharingan is no ordinary one either, the way he talks about me and my history it seems he knows a lot about me, while what I know is all from the stories I heard as a child. Neither can I overpower him, what can I do here?" thought Naruto seriously,
He blinked in surprise when the solution as simple as it was became clear to him.
"Why are you toying with me knowing you are stronger?" he asked seriously
"Because killing you does not serve my goals. You might not be as strong as me or Hashirama, but you are a far better Commander than either of us. Time and again you have proved yourself on the battlefield: In the battles of the First Great Ninja War, In the mission that took you deep behind enemy lines to rescue Hashirama, In the Battle of Osaka recently and even in this mission that brought you here. No matter the odds or sacrifices, you have always completed missions successfully and have never been defeated in battle. That is the kind of Commander my army will need if we are to stop them and save mankind from extinction" explained Madara honestly,
"Who are 'them' that you keep referring to again and again?" questioned Naruto with a narrowed gaze,
"The Otsutsuki"
The Uchiha tossed a scroll towards Naruto which the blonde caught hesitantly before glancing back at the older man.
"It has all the information that you need to know. Whether you believe me or not, join me or fight me, they are coming and they want nothing but the pure destruction of our world" said Madara coldly,
Naruto's heart skipped a beat when he saw the sheer conviction in Madara's eyes, irrespective of the truth this man truly believed in his own conviction.
"What makes you think I would ever support you after the war you started took everything from me?" rebuffed Naruto furiously,
"You're still thinking very narrowly: My Village, My Friends, My Family. The enemy does not care about such trivial matters" scolded Madara with a frown,
"They are not trivial to me"
Madara sighed but did give a tired nod of acknowledgement against the boy's words as he remembered his own past and what he had lost to reach to this point. He looked at the boy before him and those red eyes of his.
"In some ways, you are a lot like me. Those incomplete eyes of yours are a proof that you are part Uchiha making us distant family, if nothing else. All you wanted was to protect your family and your younger brother from this cruel world, just as I wanted to protect the Uchiha and my own brother. Even now, you are still trying to protect Uzu to honor your lost brother's wishes, just as I am doing what I am to protect the Uchiha to honor my brother's wish" reminisced Madara with a faint smile,
"These wars that you started destroyed everything I loved. It also took the lives of many Uchiha whom you are claiming to protect" rebuffed Naruto,
"It was not something I honestly desired but was something that had to happen in order to unite this world under one banner to face the Otsutsuki. Even so, those deaths are on me" acknowledged Madara without a flinch,
"You tossed aside your humanity to face the Otsutsuki?" asked Naruto in disbelief,
"You assume them to be human?" retorted Madara with an amused smile,
Naruto's heart skipped a beat before he glared back at the Uchiha even more fiercely making Madara shake his head and heave a tired sigh.
"For a long time I was lost in my guilt and pain. I thought myself to be worse than trash for failing to protect my family and friends until I found someone who looked past all that burden of mine. She loved me despite my shortcomings and cared for me more than I ever deserved. She became my lone light in this world of darkness and I will not let your ambition endanger her life!" said Naruto furiously, as his killing intent spiked to alarming levels drawing a surprised look from Madara himself.
"Maybe it's pointless to talk to current you now as my accomplice told me, the one who is so blind to the reality of this world. One day, the darkness inside the hidden villages will consume that lone light of yours just as it did mine!" roared Madara, and smiled when he saw some of the boy's hidden fears surface in his eyes just for a moment.
"Deep down you know it in your heart. Ninjas are nothing but disposable tools in the eyes of their nations. There is no honor, no light...no hope in this dark world. Someday you will see it and perhaps we shall meet again"
"I look forward to that day, boy"
A drop of water fell on Madara's left shoulder from the sky randomly but the Uchiha's eyes widened when he saw the predatory smile that came on Naruto's face before he vanished in a flash.
(Nearby Land of Lightning Stronghold)
Madara's clone that had been watching the unconscious Lightning Daimyo was shocked when he felt another presence appear inside the large bedroom suddenly. He swiftly turned around only to catch a glimpse of a pair of red eyes before a sharp pain erupted in his chest.
Looking down made him catch sight of the three pronged kunai stabbed clean through his heart and the cold ruthless eyes of Naruto Namikaze staring at him mercilessly.
"Bastard..." he cursed,
"Spartans never abandon their mission" reminded Naruto in a cold voice,
The clone's eyes widened as he realized the blonde's true target when he glanced at the unconscious Daimyo.
"All this time you were searching for my location. It was why you engaged my original in combat and marked him with your chakra through any of your attacks while keeping him distracted somehow, it would have been so subtle a move for my original to be taken by surprise. Then you used that marking on my original to trace my chakra signature and teleported yourself here easily using that link since the original and I share the same chakra. By marking him, you marked me as well" thought the clone in pain,
"We...underestimated...you" lamented the clone as he fell to his knees and disappeared in a plume of smoke.
"It failed"
"I told you so, Madara" chastised the pitch black creature who appeared beside him covered in dark robes, earning a miffed look from the Uchiha beside him.
"He's a man of honor. A rare breed that is hard to break which is exactly what we need if we are to stop the Otsutsuki. He may not be as strong as me, but he is trusted by the troops he leads into battle: The Spartans, The Seven Ninja Swordsmen, ninjas from Kiri and now the 501st. He never lost sight of his mission despite the odds against him, he didn't hesitate to push his men in danger but was conscious enough to bring them back home safe. Most of all he never gave up even when he faced me knowing he would die, instead he continued to search for a way to get to the Daimyo-his original target and didn't relent until he succeeded. That is the kind of Commander I want to lead my armies against humanity's true enemy, Zetsu" explained Madara without hesitation, earning a surprised look from the black creature.
"True, today's shinobi leaders are more focused on personal glory and fame through conquest. For all his shortcomings and failures, you still admire him" commented Zetsu,
Madara smiled.
"I should hate him considering he is the son of the man who killed my dearest brother. Yet unlike the scoundrel Tobirama who persecuted my clan for his personal hatred as soon as he gained power, his son is a man of honor who still chose to protect Uzu despite the village's decisions costing him everything he held dear. He reminds me of Hashirama to an extent and whether he chooses to join or oppose us...the fact remains that he is the only man since Hashirama himself whom I respect as a shinobi"
With those words, the Uchiha turned around and started retreating.
"You want our forces to pursue them? He did kill the Daimyo" suggested Zetsu, but Madara shook his head.
"Let them go. We can always replace the Daimyo with another one of our pawns, it changes nothing. The Namikaze knows this too" stated Madara,
"You truly believe he'll become an ally in our war?" asked Zetsu curiously,
Madara glanced at the dark sky as he remembered the fledgling light in the boy's eyes.
"Have you initiated our alternate strategy since mine failed?" questioned Madara curiously,
"Yes. I doubted your honesty would work on him so I started making arrangements even before he and his squad embarked on this mission" answered Zetsu seriously,
Madara chuckled.
"Crafty bastard. Then again it will be the hidden villages who'll do our task for us"
Harsh rains fell from the skies as Mei and her group tried to keep their balance over Mangetsu's summon even as the winds tried their best to make them fall. It had not been more than a few minutes since they left their leader behind to face that masked man but already it felt like an eternity.
Just thinking about that masked man's power made her heart skip a beat as it was more dangerous than even the Biju inside of her.
Her eyes widened when there was a flash of lightning in the sky rendering her blind for a moment alongwith everyone else.
When they opened their eyes, they were surprised to see Naruto standing at the rear end of the bird with a slump human body hoisted over his right shoulder.
"Mission accomplished"
His words snapped her out of her shock as she saw it was the Lightning Daimyo whom the Commander was holding. Their primary target's throat was slit from end to end and his lifeless eyes glanced at the Kiri swordsmen without blinking.
Wordlessly, Naruto sealed the body inside a scroll before placing it on his hip and walking towards the front of the bird ignoring the stares and surprised looks of his comrades.
Nobody uttered a word and neither did the Commander say anything as he simply took up position in the extreme front and stood there in silence.
The harsh rains drenched him from head to toe in mere seconds washing away the dirt, blood and grime he had accumulated in the battle. His fists were clenched as the thunder rumbling in the sky brought back painful memories that he had fought so hard to forget.
"Ninjas are nothing but disposable tools in the eyes of their nations. There is no honor, no light...no hope in this dark world"
Madara's dark words had rankled something deep inside of his heart. A fear he had kept at bay for so many years but one which he always knew contained the truth.
"Captain Fox, our lines are breached. We can't hold!"
He remembered the desperation he had heard from one of his Spartan officers as he and his squad who had stayed behind tried to hold back the armies from Kumogakure while the rest of the Spartan force tried to make their escape with Hashirama.
"Captain, the Kinkaku are with them. Where are the reinforcements?"
He could still see the Kinkaku slaughtering that Spartan by engaging him in a 30:1 fight.
"Wolf Squad is down. I repeat Wolf squad was annihilated. They are surrounding us from all sides, Captain!"
He could never forget those final moments as he had tried in vain to keep his troops together in a lost situation, how desperately he had tried to contact High Command only to receive dead silence in return.
"They left us to die, didn't they...Elder Brother?"
Nagato's words and the silent look of betrayal in his brother's eyes was not something he could ever forget.
"Lord Uzukage and members of the Jounin Council, I come before you to protest a grave injustice! The Spartans should never have been sent on that suicide mission, more than that no help or reinforcements were given to my men when they needed it most! These ninjas fought for this nation and its allies only to be betrayed in their direst hour. The situation is unacceptable!"
He remembered those cold stares and heartless souls that had looked at him that day, how unmoved they were even after hearing what had happened to his men following their suicidal orders.
"Captain Fox, we are at war. We need Konoha's military support to survive and Hashirama is required to keep that alliance active, the Spartans were the price for that alliance, the Fire Daimyo had made it very clear. We would have suffered heavy casualties had we tried to help by sending reinforcements, our military forces are already on the verge of collapse as it is. If the village learns about this, they shall lose faith in the leadership at this crucial hour and we shall lose this war making the sacrifice of your men meaningless. Or you can take full responsibility for this tragedy on your own shoulders, tell our people that your mistakes during the mission costed the lives of your men. If you do that, we shall take care of the families and wishes of your men forever, the village would stay united and we may just survive this war.
Choose Captain: Either believe in the village or in yourself and your ability to protect it from all enemies. Make a choice that will honor the legacy of your men"
He had made his choice after hearing the Uzukage and had taken full responsibility for the deaths of his men. The people had cried for his blood in their pain and sorrow only to have the leadership prevent them from taking his life.
He remembered that shame and the moment he had picked up his own sword to end that suffering of his only to have the Uzukage stop him and ask for his help to protect the village from the shadows forever.
They had sent him to Kiri because there was no future left for him in the village after that confession.
Uzu was still standing till this day but it was on the sacrifices that he and his men had made. The nation they had loved, fought and died for tossed them aside in an instant, as if they were disposable tools.
Madara's words had only brought back that pain and fear back in his heart.
"It has to stop"
(One Week Later: Kirigakure)
Naruto alongside his squad marched proudly towards the gates of Kirigakure with most of them smiling and beaming with pride after having accomplished a near impossible and suicidal task given to them.
"Commander..."
He turned back and saw them all staring at him with nothing but pure respect and admiration in their eyes.
"Thank you"
There were no words that he could say on hearing Mangetsu say that followed by them all giving him respectful nods of acknowledgement.
"No matter what the village or anyone else thinks, we think you are a great leader" said Mei sincerely with a smile,
"We discussed something among us and have a request for you" stated Haku hesitantly,
He gave a tiny nod giving her the permission to go ahead which made Zabuza step forward.
"You're a hardass and a crazy son of a bitch. But you know your shit and protected us to the best of your abilities. You saw something in us which we ourselves couldn't. There are not many leaders in Kiri who could do that" said Zabuza seriously,
"It is why we would like to fight this war under your Command. If you will have us" said Mangetsu hopefully with a smile,
"I know you have other plans for each of us that you may have discussed with the Mizukage, but we feel we are more effective as a group and can do some real good in this war under your leadership" said Haku honestly,
"Are you prepared to die following that choice?" asked Naruto in a whisper, as there could be no room for doubts or hesitations and certainly not when their opponent was Madara himself.
"HAI!"
A faint smile came upon the blonde's face when he heard that crisp and unwavering answer from all of them in one voice.
"Then you are exactly the kind of men and women I need in the 501st"
Mangetsu and most others could not hold back their smiles at that acceptance and the faint nod that they received from the Namikaze. Even Kisame and Jinpachi smirked as Naruto turned around and marched forward making them all follow after him.
The Hozuki heir could feel something had changed within their group and he for one was glad for it.
He was quite shocked on seeing his own father-The Mizukage appearing at the gate entrance, flanked by two dozen Anbu and the Blackops Commander.
They entire squad quickly closed the distance followed by kneeling before their village leader respectfully.
Naruto placed a list of scrolls before Gengetsu Hozuki and looked into the man's shocked gaze.
"Mission accomplished, Lord Second. All my men are accounted for" he reported dutifully,
"You did the impossible, Commander" praised the Mizukage without hesitation, even as the surprise and shock spread among the rest of the nearby Anbu and their own leader at that revelation.
"I had the finest ninjas of this village under my Command" acknowledged Naruto with a respectful nod as he glanced back at the surprised squad, all of whom beamed at that praise.
"Agreed. Kirigakure shall forever be in each of your debts and so will I" said Gengetsu proudly, as he glanced at his own son who smiled back at him.
"We did our duty. That's all"
An unsettling feeling arrived in Naruto's heart when he saw the pride and happiness in the Mizukage's eyes getting slowly replaced by hesitation and nervousness as he glanced directly into his eyes.
"Naruto, there is something you need to know..."
Author's Notes: End of chapter.
Hope you guys liked it.
As you can see this story has an altered sense of plot direction in comparison to my previous fics. It will definitely have major elements of my writing style but with a new pattern. There will be no Moon's Eye plan here or Zetsu bullshit, have never been a major fan of that plot.
Another thing, Naruto is no match for Madara right now by a long shot and he knows it too. We are talking about a Madara who did not let himself become old in a cave in the wait for awakening the Rinnegan, but one who made himself more and more stronger over the years in order to face what he considers to be humanity's true enemy, the Otsutsuki. Trust me, you do not want to face this Madara unless you have a death wish.
There are no cardboard cut hero or villains in this story. Most characters have their own agenda and ambitions, the decisions they make have a ripple effect on others just like in a RPG setting. This chapter should have given you some understanding of how that works...
Naruto is a powerful ninja but he is not a godly powerhouse like Madara or Hashirama, not yet atleast. His brilliance lies in his strategic thinking and his ability to lead troops into war. Even Madara respects him for that and is the reason why he needs Naruto in the greatest war humanity would ever fight.
In my mind, there are three different directions which can make me reach the endgame of this story. Each has its pros and cons with their own unique plot. While I will shortly make a choice based on what I think is the best option, I want to know your thoughts on how things should go or you think it will go from your perspective. Whatever works better in your eyes, please feel free to let me know and we'll see if your thoughts and mine are on the same page.
Sorry for the long note but now that we are here at this turning point, I wanted to set expectations straight. For those who want to part ways from here, I thank you for the interest and support you have shown so far.
Until Next Time,
Blackwolf501
