Thank you for the support. Hope you continue it.

As promised, we are going back to the main story with this chapter.

Quick Recap: Naruto and the Seven Swordsmen kill the Land of Lightning's Daimyo and return alive after facing Madara who controls the war from the shadows. Ino escapes from Kiri after a botched attempt to rescue a Konoha spy about to be caught by Kiri forces. Tobirama assures that Ino is still alive restoring Naruto's decision to oppose Madara for the sake of his nation and growing family, he is also nominated as the Mizukage's heir for the next Kage position much to the dislike of some internal factions. Kiri and Konoha are trying to finalize an alliance starting with returning Tobirama to the Leaf. Naruto alongside the 501st commandos and the Seven Swordsmen are given the task. They are also tasked with destroying a pirate base in Nagi island in order to weaken the corrupt Water Daimyo on the Mizukage's request for the betterment of their nation. While executing the mission, they come across ghosts from Naruto's past.

From here, it should get interesting to say the least.

Chapter 29

My Honor Was Loyalty


"Elder Brother"

A decade.

He had longed for that voice for that many years and was surprised to experience the surreal moment before him as he watched his half sibling stand before him. Tall and Strong, just as he remembered.

It made him remember all the years he spent in loneliness when he lost the boy in front of him alongside his former comrades and friends. The war was over by the time he had recovered from his injuries, there was no place left for a super-soldier like him in the society anymore. Their own people shunned him when he falsely accepted leading the Spartans to their deaths in a covert operation, never revealing the details of what went down in reality in order to protect the future of their nation by protecting their leadership who honored that sacrifice by looking after the loved ones of the fallen Spartans, albeit at the cost of ostracizing the last Spartan believed to be left alive.

He lost his purpose, just a broken tool of no use to anyone until the Uzukage gave him one final and suicidal mission.

One which he accepted as he wanted to die as there was no one left who cared about him, no one who loved him. He was unnecessary...and felt that way until he found Ino who filled that void in his broken heart.

And now he had to again face the ones he had lost.

But it also gave him a chance he never thought he would ever get.

"I am truly sorry, Brother. For everything" he said sincerely, and meant it with all his heart as the dreams they once shared all those years ago flashed through his heart once more.

"Did the village truly do that to you, Elder Brother?" asked Nagato sadly, and clenched his fist when he saw the shocked expression in his sibling's eyes.

"How do you know?" asked Naruto in shock, only the elders and the Uzukage apart from the leaders of Konoha and Kumogakure knew the truth and none of them had ever said anything to protect their own interests.

"The ones who resurrected me told me. I know everything that has happened" admitted Nagato,

"Nagato, I..."

"I wanted them to treat you for the hero you were, for our comrades to be recognized for their sacrifice...and they betrayed us all. Betrayed our memories"

Tobirama took a step back when the redhead unleashed a monstrous killing intent and the glare he gave to the Hokage could have melted lesser shinobi.

"Madara was right, this shinobi system is broken. Nothing has changed, even now young children are dying in a new war just like we did. Even now nations dishonor their fallen soldiers, even now mankind is embroiled in conflicts that continue to extend this endless cycle of pain and violence. We gave our lives to stop that cycle!" said Nagato furiously,

"If you know it all, then you also understand that Madara was the one who started the Great Ninja Wars" pointed Tobirama, earning a fierce glare and a nod from the redhead Uzumaki in front of him.

"He was a catalyst, yes. But you cannot deny sooner or later someone else would have started those conflicts for their own interests. Your brother Hashirama sowed those seeds by distributing the Biju among nations essentially giving power hungry rulers the means to further pursue their agendas and overestimate their own strength" countered Nagato bitterly,

"If it's any consolation, I warned him not to do it" said Tobirama sincerely, earning a scoff from the redhead.

"Tell that to the Dead"

The Hokage lowered his gaze unable to match the righteous eyes of a person who lost everything including his own life because of that mistake.

"What are you saying, Brother?" asked Naruto hesitantly, a pit forming in his stomach which was further deepened when the redhead looked at him coldly.

"Hand over the Hokage, Elder Brother. We'll avoid further bloodshed" stated Nagato seriously,

"You joined Madara?" asked Naruto in shock,

"He offered to bring us back to life. All of us" said Nagato honestly, as he pointed at the Spartans all around them.

Tobirama sharply looked at his son and watched the color drain from his face.

"You're lying!"

"What reason do I have to lie, Hokage? I'm already dead! Gave my life for a nation that destroyed my dear brother and disrespected the legacy of my men in order to cover their own cowardice. Broke my last family to such an extent that he nearly took his own life and when he was completely broken, they used him again for another suicidal mission and sent him to Kirigakure effectively concealing their crimes forever. Maybe you're right and there is no way to bring us back to life...but if there is and Madara can do it, then I will follow him so that I can bring my men back to life" argued Nagato fiercely,

"He intends to destroy Uzu, Nagato" whispered Naruto sadly,

"The nation we loved and died for never cared about us, Elder Brother. I can't forgive them for what they did to you and our men. Such a corrupt system needs to be destroyed so that future children do not experience what we did. If you still believe that our nation actually cared about us, then tell me honestly why did they send Kushina to Kirigakure when she returned to Uzu after you killed the Lightning Daimyo? Madara told me about that"

Naruto flinched as he remembered explicitly requesting his former lover to live a peaceful life in their village after the years of hardship she had endured in a hostile nation as a spy. Kushina had agreed reluctantly only to later show up in Kirigakure on the orders of their leadership to keep an eye on him. Even her chakra had felt different...

His eyes widened in horror as a disturbing possibility came to light.

"She tried to clear your name, Brother. Tried to tell our people of the real truth about us Spartans and the Uzukage punished her for it. In order to conceal his crimes he messed with her free will and sent her on the same suicide mission as he sent you. Made her and you believe that she came by her own choice...when it truth it wasn't. My best friend, my brother, my men...destroyed forever for the sake of that man's desire to cling to power. I tried to accept this...but I can't" explained Nagato sadly,

"The sins of one man cannot be the reason for you to turn your back on your village. You swore on an oath!" reminded Tobirama without mercy, unable to hide his disappointment. No nation was perfect but treason could not be accepted under any circumstances.

"And we died fulfilling that oath"

The former Hokage had no answer to that when he looked at the young Spartans in front of him. The shinobi in him felt their pain but the leader inside of him could understand why the Uzukage did what he did. It wasn't right but was the way of the world.

"It's not a surprise for you to defend that man, Tobirama. After all, you were the one who recommended the truth to be buried" said Nagato bitterly,

Naruto looked at the Senju and was shocked when the man didn't meet his gaze.

"That's right. It was you Tobirama who encouraged the Uzukage to hide the truth completely in order to save the honor of your dear brother. Uzu was given steep reparations for that silence and the Uzukage's decision to sacrifice his finest troops as sacrificial pawns never came to light as well which saved his reign. Konoha successfully negotiated a peace treaty in their favor alongside saving the reputation of their foolish leader- Hashirama by never revealing the truth of how he was captured by the enemy and how many allied shinobi died to save him.

While Kumogakure got a saving grace with majority of their people never knowing of how brutally their armed forces and one Biju were crushed by us Spartans. My men died for our nation and its allies and their bodies were left to rot on that battlefield, their families told blatant lies, my brother made a convenient scapegoat for the crimes of allied leaders!" pointed Nagato mercilessly, unable to hide the anger he felt deep inside himself.

The Hokage had the grace to remain silent which made his own son take a step back.

Nagato used that momentary slip to rush towards the Senju and was quite surprised when he had to cross swords with his own brother who stopped his charge.

"Why?" asked the bewildered redhead, unable to understand as to why his brother would still defend such a man after he just told him of what the same man had done to the blonde through his actions.

"I can't let you kill or capture him, Brother" answered the blonde sadly,

"I don't understand..." whispered Nagato, earning a sad smile from his older sibling.

"He's my father...but Madara didn't tell you that did he, Brother?"

Nagato froze.

He had always known that the two of them had a common mother but different fathers, that hadn't stopped either of them to consider themselves as true brothers. Their parents had never revealed who Naruto's real father was...

"Mother told you before she died?" asked Nagato hesitantly, putting the clues together.

"Yes"

It all made sense now and if he looked closely, he could now see the similarities between the Senju and the blonde warrior.

"Then why did you not search for him?" asked Nagato curiously,

"I made a promise to her that I'd look after you, I made a promise to you that we'd fight alongside each other to defend the nation for which our parents died. I swore an oath as a shinobi to defend our motherland...no matter the cost"

"My honor was loyalty, Nagato"

The redhead lowered his weapon as he watched his sibling look into his eyes with a smile on his face.

"Our nation doesn't deserve a hero like you" whispered the redhead sadly,

"No, it doesn't. It deserves more"

Tobirama's eyes widened on hearing those words said with so much conviction by his own son, a resolve that also touched the boy's departed sibling who just stared at the blonde.

"The village may not be perfect and have its flaws, but it is the dream for which our parents gave their lives. It is the legacy for which my beloved brother and my men sacrificed themselves, a legacy that I shall protect until my last breath-no matter the cost" promised Naruto fiercely,

"I can't forgive them for what they did to you, Brother. Or our men...it's not right!" whispered Nagato,

"Then I'll correct that mistake since I played a part in letting it happen"

The brothers looked at the Hokage who stepped forward and couldn't help but look at his son proudly.

"You're right, Spartan. It was my brother's mistakes that led to such tragedy and good shinobi died correcting it. Loyalty towards nation is necessary but the same nation should also honor its heroes- alive and fallen for it is their sacrifice that keeps that dream going. I'll ensure the world knows the story of the sacrifice made by your brother, yourself, your men...to defend Uzu and its allies" promised Tobirama sincerely,

"The Uzukage would never reveal the truth" denied Nagato,

"You leave him to me"

The redhead was quite surprised on seeing the absolute determination in the Hokage's eyes.

"Why?" he asked seriously,

"Because I would like my grandson to know about his valiant father and uncle who were true heroes that sacrificed everything for their village and its allies" answered Tobirama with a smile,

Nagato looked at his brother and his eyes widened in shock when he saw the blonde blush and look away.

"It's true" admitted Naruto shyly,

The shackles of grief constricting the redhead's heart were loosened when he saw the happiness in his brother's eyes.

"You're truly happy, Elder Brother?" asked the redhead earnestly,

"I was in a dark place when I lost all of you, but with time I found a person who loved someone like me. I found comrades who believed in me, I got the opportunity to protect our dream- the village and have a family of my own. And it's all thanks to you. You saved me, Brother" confessed Naruto with a grateful smile,

Tobirama watched a crack appear on the redhead's face which soon started to spread much to the blonde's surprise.

"What's happening?" asked the blonde worriedly,

"Edo Tensei is a jutsu that has a few weaknesses, one of them is-"

Tobirama's eyes widened when Naruto grabbed him quickly and he felt the familiar sensation of a teleportation taking place as Nagato exploded into a brilliant flash of light.

When they landed, the Hokage grunted and saw his son was furiously looking in the direction where his brother had exploded to ashes. From the smoke, a man with familiar red eyes walked through that made Naruto take a step back and Tobirama to miss a heartbeat.

For Madara Uchiha was a warrior capable enough of instilling fear even in the most brave warriors of the shinobi world.

"You" spat Tobirama bitterly, earning a raised eyebrow from Madara.

"It's been a while" replied Madara with absolute vengeance burning in his eyes,

The Uchiha was surprised when Naruto stepped in the path leading towards the Hokage and glared with absolute hatred burning in his eyes.

"You'll pay for what you did to my brother" promised Naruto murderously,

"Madara Tajima Uchiha does not need any help to take down the likes of you and that wretched man cowering behind you. Zetsu, you tried your tricks now let me do what we came to do" scoffed Madara,

A strange plant like creature emerged from the ground beside Uchiha and grinned before making a hand sign summoning more than a hundred coffins as the Spartans were dragged inside before it disappeared completely.

Naruto was pained when he saw his brother's corpse that was reforming also met the same fate.

"Boy, I don't know whether to admire your loyalty or curse your misfortune. You still believe that some good can come from this broken shinobi system despite being used by it again and again. You still choose to stand by your village even after your brother told you as to what they did to your fellow Spartan, it's a true shame that good men like you die young for the cowards like Tobirama standing behind you" said Madara disappointedly,

He smiled when Tobirama instantly got back on his feet and grabbed a kunai in each of his hands.

The Hokage was unnerved when Madara gave a cold smile to the blonde in front of him.

"This broken system used you, your brother, your parents, your friends and comrades...even your own wife and child" said Madara with a satisfied smile,

"What the hell are you talking about?" asked Naruto bitterly,

"My words will mean nothing to you yet, boy. Go and see for yourself the real truth of this world" said Madara cryptically,

Zetsu chuckled as he disappeared back into the ground and Madara saw the first silhouettes of Kirigakure shinobi approaching towards them.

"You will see the truth with your own eyes. Then either you'll die as a hero or bring a revolution the likes of which the world will never see again. I look forward to the choice you make, Black Flash" whispered Madara with a smile,

The Uchiha directly looked into the eyes of Senju Tobirama and was satisfied when he saw real fear in those eyes.

"No matter how much you run- the claws of truth shall always find you, Tobirama. A day of reckoning is coming, soon this world of lies and deceit shall fall"

Madara vanished with a puff of smoke as the conflict happening all across the island seized with the complete disappearance of the enemy.

Naruto clenched his fist furiously and turned around to saw Haku and a group of Kiri forces charging towards him.

His gaze connected with his own father and he felt something rankle deep in his heart when Tobirama looked away.

"Are you alright?" asked Haku as soon as she arrived,

"Yes, neutralize any remaining pirates on the island and dispose their bodies. Leave no evidence of our presence here, we need to get the hell out of here quickly!" ordered Naruto,

"The enemy?" she asked,

"They are gone"

Haku quickly checked with the rest of their forces under the command of the other Seven Ninja Swordsmen and was surprised to find that was actually the truth.

"But why?" she asked curiously, and flinched when Naruto glared at her furiously.

"Just carry out your orders"

The blonde walked past a stunned Haku who quickly got out of the way as she felt the raw anger burning inside the man as he zeroed in on Tobirama.

He stepped in front of the Senju and didn't relent until the man looked into his eyes.

"I want to see my wife and child as soon as we reach Konoha" he whispered furiously with murder evident in his eyes,

"Of course" answered Tobirama sincerely,

"Was that true? What Nagato said. About you being the one to bury the truth about us Spartans to save your brother's reputation? About what Uzu did to Kushina despite my wishes?" asked Naruto seriously,

"The Uzukage couldn't let the truth become known so easily, it would destroy his reign. It would also cause severe damage to Konoha and my deceased brother's reputation but I have every intention of making this right. You have my word" promised Tobirama earnestly,

Naruto shoved past him and his words sent a chill down Tobirama's heart.

"I shall see the truth soon enough with my own eyes"


Author's Notes: End of chapter.

Hope you guys liked it.

It's been a while since the last update, sorry for that. Hopefully the pace should be more faster from now.

Would love to hear your thoughts or any predictions or requests (if you have any) on the future plot. It's more fun and motivating writing for an interactive reader base.

Until Next Time,

Blackwolf501