Thank you for the support.

I was honestly quite surprised with the way quite a few of my readers staunchly don't believe that Ino is dead (Maybe I traumatized you guys too much in my earlier fics, sorry for that).

Chapter 31

Broken Crest


(Naka River)

Naruto solemnly sat upon a small hill near its cliff overlooking the famous Naka river of the Leaf Village. It was deep within the Uchiha clan's territory and was the reason why most shinobi didn't bother approaching here. Since most of the Uchiha were fighting on the frontlines, there had been only a few novices patrolling the sector whom he had easily avoided, he had also concealed his chakra signature in order to hide himself from Tobirama who had been chasing after him for the past couple of hours.

He didn't know what the man was thinking by desiring to confront him after learning the lies told by his own students.

There was also another reason as to why he had came here and when he was sure there was no one else in the immediate vicinity he made his move.

"If you are there then show yourself, Zetsu" he announced, hoping he had pronounced the strange plant like creature's name properly- one that had used the Edo Tensei and had been Madara's accomplice at Nagi Island. He doubted Madara would dare infiltrate the Leaf, but the same couldn't be applied to his accomplice whose chakra signature was completely undetectable as Naruto had learned himself in the past battle.

He looked around and was not surprised when nobody answered his call, still he didn't back down and stood his ground.

"I have no time for games. If you are there and do not show yourself this instant, then I am out of here"

His threat worked as the black plant like creature rose from the ground right behind the blonde much to his shock as he hadn't even sensed its presence even when it was this close to his position. He gripped his sword in a reflex as his red eyes came alive.

"Your eyes have changed. Madara turned out to be right after all" said Zetsu in a mildly surprised voice,

"What is his goal and why is he so fixated on me?" asked Naruto seriously,

"He asked me to keep an eye on you ever since you left Nagi Island. That's why I followed you all this way...hope you now know the truth of what happened to your wife and child" whispered Zetsu with a knowing smile, making the blonde clench his fists.

"You are only trying to use me for your own goals" said Naruto bitterly,

"Then why are you approaching us?" countered Zetsu curiously, which made Naruto lower his gaze.

"You have something that I want. If you can give me that, then I atleast want to understand what it would cost me" answered Naruto truthfully,

"You want us to bring your loved ones back to life?" confirmed Zetsu, earning a nod from the blonde.

"We can do that but there will be a price for that"

"How?" asked Naruto suspiciously,

"With the Rinnegan , of course. Madara possess the eyes that once belonged to the Sage of Six Paths. Its power goes beyond the realm of life and death, even allowing its wielder to bring the dead back to life albeit at the cost of one's lifeforce" revealed Zetsu patiently,

"Impossible! The Sage of Six Paths and the Rinnegan are just myths!" rebuffed Naruto hotly, earning a sigh from the strange creature.

"Every myth originated from a reality once. The Sage did exist and so did his powers..."

Naruto listened as Zetsu told him about the origins of chakra, of how it was stolen from a sacred fruit that grew upon a tree a long time ago. He had to control himself from laughing outloud when Zetsu mentioned that it was an Otsutsuki that had stolen that power, Kaguya had been her name. She went on to stop all fighting among humanity and became the Goddess and Supreme ruler of the world. She lost her way over a period of time and terrorized the very same people she had once saved from the sacred tree that had assumed the form of the Ten Tails in order to recover the power stolen from it by Kaguya. Ultimately, her own sons had to stop her madness.

She was killed in battle alongside one of her sons, while the other inherited her power and taught Ninshu to the world in order to guide it towards a peaceful future. That man was the Sage of Six Paths, whose peaceful teachings would then be turned into Ninjutsu by humanity. His end came sooner than expected and the ten tails he had sealed inside of him was distributed into nine tailed beasts across the world to prevent that monster from ever reforming and destroying the world.

In order to ensure humanity followed a peaceful path, the Sage chose his younger son out of the two he had; one who preferred love over the older one's path of power. It led to an endless conflict that continued for centuries as the brothers and their descendants battled each other to inherit the rightful position they deemed to be theirs.

"You carry the blood of both noble bloodlines in you. The Uchiha and Senju, your powers are unique. Madara was only able to awaken the Rinnegan when he stole Senju Hashirama's power in their final battle and only by combining both Uchiha and Senju bloodline was that divine eye awakened once again. You are the only one who can truly inherit Madara's will and powers, most of all you two are a lot alike. Madara loved his family just like you loved yours...when it was destroyed, he truly sought to change the world and unite mankind by force if required so that it does not face complete annihilation when the Otsutsuki arrive to destroy our world" explained Zetsu patiently,

Even if it seemed a bit far fetched, Naruto was able to better understand as to why Madara was so interested in him. Granted, he was a veteran shinobi and capable of leading armies but that alone hadn't been enough for the level of interest the Uchiha had favored upon him.

"What is his plan?" he asked seriously,

Zetsu looked at him skeptically for a few long moments but he didn't back away which made the creature relent in the end with a heavy sigh.

"When the Sage died, he not only created the Biju but also distributed small essence of his chakra across the world into every living being. We want to gather all the tailed beasts and reform the Ten Tails. Madara wants to become the Jinchuuriki of that beast and with its powers, he will unleash a new jutsu that will cast away the past" said Zetsu proudly,

"Explain" stated Naruto suspiciously,

"People cannot understand one another if they cannot see each other's hearts. By using the Ten Tails powers and the chakra present among all living beings, Madara wants to join humanity's consciousness to him and each other. Each person would be connected to one another and be able to feel each other's emotions. All their thoughts will be linked to Madara, with such powers we can put an end to the continuous wars. Imagine, if a person wants to kill another person-each of them would be able to feel that malice and so would Madara. It allows an opportunity to end conflicts before it ever occurs" said Zetsu,

"But that's the power of a god...no human should have such power!" protested Naruto vehemently, earning a sinister chuckle from the creature in front of him.

"And what did your ideals get you except for betrayal, Naruto Namikaze?"

For the first time in his life, Naruto had no righteous answer. He had tried so hard his entire life to achieve peace for his loved ones, now almost all of them were dead except for him and that goal was still nothing more than a wishful dream.

Uzu was still not safe and had betrayed him time and again despite him sacrificing everything for its future.

"If the fighting in the world doesn't stop, then sometimes a man has to become a God to make it stop. Just like the Sage had to do it in his time to save the world. Madara and you have to do it this time for you are the saviors of humanity. Evil shall always triumph when good men do nothing" said Zetsu solemnly,

"I have no real power except for my service to offer Madara. Don't assume I can ask Kiri forces to fight for your cause, they all are bound to their Mizukage and I am not that man" replied Naruto in a vain last effort, earning another chuckle from the creature.

"You may think so now and will be right to keep a low profile. But the future is unpredictable..." said Zetsu cryptically with a mysterious smile,

"What do you mean?" questioned the blonde suspiciously,

He was surprised when the creature started sinking back into the earth but its eyes were still fixated upon him.

"All your questions shall be answered in due time. For now continue serving Kiri, when the time comes we will ask for your help. If you answer that call, Madara has promised to bring Ino Yamanaka back to life first. If you still choose to stand against us, then we shall destroy you completely"

Naruto moved forward to stop the creature but it vanished before he could reach it. He unearthed the ground beneath his feet where it had disappeared but found nothing. He tried to sense its presence and was further infuriated when he found nothing.

With a frustrated growl, he decided to move back towards the hotel where his comrades were currently lodged.

There was a lot of work to be done!


Mangetsu was quite surprised when he was ordered to gather the remaining Swordsmen of their group and assemble them all into their General's personal quarters inside the luxurious hotel where the Hokage had provided them and the entire 501st temporary accommodations.

By the time he roused the others and knocked on Naruto's doorstep, the blonde was ready for them.

"How did the meeting go, General?" asked Haku curiously, earning nods from the others as the blonde had went for a personal meeting with the Hokage and the Senju clan only to return late after midnight followed by summoning them all here.

Mangetsu caught a faint flicker of grief present in those eyes which was quickly replaced by an icy determination in the blonde's eyes.

"As expected I would say. They are desperate for this alliance" answered Naruto with a cunning smile,

"What makes you say that?" asked Kisame seriously,

"I took an unauthorized tour of the village and it is being defended by mostly green chunin squads under the supervision of few veteran Jounin and Anbu's. Their cemetery has also undergone great extension suggesting their losses in this war are more than what Tobirama Senju proclaimed them to be. It made me seriously reconsider this alliance once again" answered Naruto, not mentioning the fact that he had learned all of that after having teleported all over the village in an effort to stay away from Tobirama who was desperate to have words with him after what his students had done. He had also spent quite some time in the cemetery watching over his wife's grave.

Both those factors gave him key insights about Konoha, something he would have probably not noticed so easily had he not learned about Ino's death.

That grief was still too raw in his heart, but he couldn't afford the luxury to cry over it anymore if he truly wanted to get justice.

Such treachery had cemented his belief that Konoha could not be trusted under any circumstances. He was aware that there were good people in this village including his blood family but he could not forgive this nation for their failure to protect his wife. They knowingly put her in harm's way for their interests even when they knew she was pregnant with a child.

His child.

A part of him was furious with Ino as well for risking their unborn child like that, but he of all people knew how the shinobi nations loved to use the loyalty of their ninjas for their own benefits, even if it led to the destruction of those loyal soldiers.

It was the death of his unborn child that fueled his newfound hatred for the Leaf Village.

The same was the case with Uzu for what they did to Kushina despite his sacrifice and wish to keep her safe.

He had already lost almost everyone he cared for and couldn't allow those responsible to get away with their crimes without any punishment. He still didn't hate the people of both villages, far from it. But instead he wanted to destroy the corrupt powers ruling these nations so a new and better leadership could take its place.

For that to happen, he would have to make decisions that would have appalled his older self. But that wasn't a man who had lost what Naruto had lost now.

Yet he couldn't do it all alone.

Looking at the other great ninja swordsmen around him made him realize he would need their support for the revolution he wanted to bring. He was still contemplating joining Madara and a huge part behind that decision rested upon the man's ability to bring his loved ones back to life. He had still not forgotten that directly or indirectly, Madara had played a key role in all that he had lost over the years.

Joining that man if ever should be out of necessity and not willingness.

"What are you suggesting, Naruto?" asked Mangetsu earnestly, making the blonde give the young boy an easy smile.

"We came here to secure Kirigakure's future. Kumogakure, Sunagakure and Iwagakure are Konoha's enemies with only tiny Uzushiogakure as their ally. I had assumed them to be strong, maybe they are still financially but after my observations I'm not too confident about their military capabilities. Joining with them means putting Kiri against three great nations" warned Naruto without mincing any words,

"We are already at war with Kumogakure!" pointed Zabuza,

"True. But that is just one nation, knowing Iwa and Suna they would be more than happy to let Kumo fall to us provided we don't attack them afterwards and seek a peace treaty. Those three villages have joined together in order to crush the Leaf which was becoming too strong and ambitious, if one of them was to fall as the price for that victory...then the others wouldn't be too saddened by that loss" countered Naruto,

Mangetsu and Haku were both stunned by this line of thinking from their ever honorable leader. However, the remaining four members of their group looked quite pleased with those suggestions.

"You continue to surprise me, Naruto" said Kisame with a smirk on his face,

"I'm all for it. These tree huggers were too soft to begin with" agreed Zabuza with a dark chuckle,

"Whatever is best for our village's interests is good in my books" said Ameyuri without hesitation, earning a nod from Jinpachi as well.

Haku looked at Mangetsu worriedly making her childhood friend step forward towards their leader.

"This alliance is the wish of our Mizukage! He gave us freedom to negotiate terms, not to disobey his orders!" warned the Hozuki heir, his steely gaze boring into the blonde sitting in front of him making the older warrior raise his hands in a peaceful gesture.

"I have not forgotten that! But felt it right to let my closest comrades know the truth about our new allies before the negotiations that will start in a few hours this morning. In any case, I want you guys to think about more terms we can negotiate in our favor knowing what we do now" replied Naruto diplomatically, making sure his voice sounded nothing but patient and understanding towards the younger boy.

He was relieved when Mangetsu was placated by those words and chided himself over his impatience that could have created unwanted suspicion in the heart of the Mizukage's son over his new motives. He could not afford such mistrust, atleast not until he himself became Mizukage. Only then would he have true power to get his justice against all his enemies.

Soon enough, the rest of the swordsmen left after discussing few more demands they could make in the upcoming negotiations. A strange silence befell in his room as the never ending solace returned back into his life.

One day, I will get justice. Please wait for that, Ino!


(Next Day Morning)

Tobirama was immensely relieved to find the boy he had been looking for the past entire day. To think it was a wild guess that made him arrive at the cemetery of the village early morning...he had contemplated sending the Anbu to locate the blonde but gave up on that idea when he thought of what the boy might do to them in his current grieving state. It had to be his own father who confronted him. Even Mito had encouraged him to do that and keep this family matter as personal as they could without involving unwanted outsiders than they already had.

He found his son solemnly standing near his wife's grave as Tobirama hesitantly approached him.

"What do you want?" asked Naruto tersely, before Tobirama could even say something.

The Senju head tried to put a comforting hand on his shoulder only to be shunned away by a warning glance from the blonde.

"I'm truly sorry for everything, Naruto" apologized Tobirama sincerely, knowing that saying anything else would be insincere and would only upset his son further.

"It means nothing. It won't bring them back"

Tobirama was taken aback by those words and it only strengthened his misgivings over what this event had done to his son.

"You're right. It won't but I still mean it" he replied, making his son clench his fists painfully as he looked at his wife's grave.

"In this world you either die young...or live long enough to see things that would break your heart" whispered Naruto sadly,

Tobirama did not want to admit it, but those words struck deep in his heart as he remembered the events of his own life. His parents died when he was young, his brothers died in the subsequent conflicts of the Clan Wars Era, his last and most beloved brother Hashirama alongside all his cousins died in the First Great Ninja War, his nieces and nephews in the Second Great Ninja war as did a lot of his clan members and fellow comrades and students. He could never be together with the woman he loved, one who even in death gave him something to hope for. And now he had lost his daughter-in-law and grandchild.

Only now he understood the depth of his son's pain as he looked at Ino Yamanaka's grave.

"You gave him something to live for, a hope that was destroyed before it could fully blossom" thought Tobirama sadly,

Even after all that had happened in his life, Tobirama could still hope for a future thanks to Mito, Nawaki, Tsunade and the rest of his clan. Their warmth and love surrounded him always and his departed lover Inoue had given him a lost son for whom he had great hopes.

Naruto never had that and his hope was extinguished with the child that died with the demise of his beloved wife.

"You're right" he could not help but admit begrudgingly, earning a rueful smile from the blonde.

"Ask what you came here to ask, Tobirama"

The Senju head was again surprised by those cold words and the knowing look in his son's eyes.

"Do you want to back away from an alliance with Konoha for what Danzo and Saru did?" asked Tobirama hesitantly,

"Yes"

Tobirama was startled by that blunt admission yet the father inside of him was proud for the honesty displayed by his son when all he had received from this village was deceit.

"But the Second Mizukage wishes for an alliance. I am duty bound to uphold his wish"

Words couldn't describe how relieved Tobirama felt on hearing those words said by his son begrudgingly. His relief was shortlived when Naruto looked at him sharply...

"Don't be mistaken. Neither Konoha or Uzu deserve it for you are just as bad as the enemies that are trying to destroy you!" said Naruto scathingly, the anger burning bright in his eyes once again.

"Naruto, I understand serious mistakes have been made and I will ensure there are repercussions-"

"By doing what? Reprimanding the current Hokage and his adviser in power for hiding the truth that saved your life? By trying to force the Uzukage to reveal the truth about us Spartans when you and the other villages bribed him into submission thereby saving Hashirama and Konoha's honor while also hiding his crimes? Your people and allies would turn on you sooner than you think" reprimanded Naruto without hesitation,

"But-"

"The Mist is cut from the same cloth, in some ways it's even worse. But Gengetsu Hozuki is trying to change it, I can see it. He's a man of honor which is more than what I can say for the Hokage's or my own Uzukage. That is the only reason you will have your alliance now but don't assume the terms will be easy as before or this will be a long term partnership" said Naruto fiercely,

"What are you saying?" asked Tobirama worriedly, knowing very well that while the blonde would obey the Mizukage's orders...it was totally in his hands to set the terms for an alliance as he was Kiri's ambassador.

The cold chuckle that escaped from the blonde made a shiver run through the former Hokage's heart as Naruto walked away, but his words haunted his father for a very long time.

"The price of peace...is not cheap, Tobirama"


(Kirigakure: Few Hours Earlier)

Gengetsu Hozuki dodged a horde of kunai launched at him while firing water bullets from his mouth that struck the assailant dead on leading to his instant demise. The man tumbled down the stairs of the Mizukage's home cracking the plain mask hiding his face.

The Kiri leader clenched his fist when he recognized the intruder as a member of the Kaguya clan.

Another intruder crashed right through the roof over the Kage's head only for the older man to launch a swift jab at the assailant and crush his neck mercilessly. Removing his mask, Gengetsu was further disappointed but not totally surprised when he recognized this one to be a member of the Hagoromo clan.

He had known both clans had not been happy with his ascension as Mizukage with Reika Kaguya- the head of her clan wanting the post for herself. They had opposed many of his policies and heavily criticized him on the first failed invasion of Kumogakure which had costed him thousands of ninja and all the members of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen.

The front door of his house was blasted open as a dozen more intruders entered with Reika Kaguya and Hiro Hagoromo leading the charge.

"I knew there was bad blood between us...but I never considered you could turn traitors to this village" said Gengetsu furiously,

"Traitors? We don't see anyone but you and your lackeys as one. Despite being from a noble clan, you sidelined the importance that the shinobi clans have enjoyed in this village since its foundation. You allowed commoners to lord over us, launched a failed invasion that costed us precious fighters and all the previous Seven Ninja Swordsmen, went as far as nominating a youngling like that Namikaze brat for the next Kage position without even consulting us, and are trying to ally our nation with a losing side like the Leaf Village. You even returned Tobirama despite our opposition!" said Reika bitterly, as she pointed her bone shaped spear at him.

"But we're not here because of that. We are here because your transgressions have become too much! The Feudal lord was most displeased with your unauthorized raid on Nagi Island without even informing him or his advisers. That is treason and we have been authorized to take appropriate action!" said Lord Hiro Hagoromo frankly,

Gengetsu chuckled making the two clan heads look at him with deep frowns on their faces.

"What's so funny?" asked Reika tartly,

"It's funny how you two who hated the Daimyo's dominance over the village are the ones who first flocked to his side when Kirigakure tried to challenge his limitless authority and do what was right for this nation. But I guess, the lure of power corrupts anyone!" said Gengetsu mercilessly,

He was satisfied when both the clan heads flinched at that accusation but didn't lower the weapons they had aimed at their Kage.

"You crossed a line when you ordered the attack on Nagi Island...if Kirigakure is to be spared from the Daimyo's wrath, then we must present you in the Daimyo's court for judgement or kill you should you resist!" warned Lord Hagoromo adamantly,

"You think I'll give up so easily?" roared Gengetsu, righteous anger now burning in his eyes as his killing intent flared.

His eyes widened when he felt dark spots in his vision and all strength vanish from his legs as he fell to his knees. He saw Reika Kaguya grasping the coffee cup at his dinner table and giving him a knowing smile.

"We poisoned most of your food. Don't worry, it's not lethal enough to kill you just yet and we have an anti-dote to keep you alive until the Daimyo sees you" she added with a cocky smirk,

"Impossible, the...Anbu...check...everything..." denied Gengetsu, as he looked at one of the said Blackops lying dead on his floor who had given his life protecting the Mizukage.

"Not when we have their families hostage...don't worry they paid for betraying you with their blood!" said Reika with a cold smile,

She was taken aback when Gengetsu got back on his feet and looked at her murderously. The killing intent launched by the man once more bringing most of her warriors down to their knees in fear.

"You will pay for this!" promised Gengetsu, and was impressed when the two clan heads managed to resist his power.

"There are thousands of soldiers sent by the Daimyo surrounding our village at this moment, Gengetsu. More than that our two clans have surrounded your clan's district. Resist and all that is dear to you shall reduce to ashes!" warned Reika, her tone urging the Mizukage to see reason.

The said man extended his senses fully and grimaced when he felt hundreds of chakra signatures surrounding the Hozuki clan district. They were well hidden and not easy to detect unless one had acute sensory skills meaning these were the most lethal killers from the Kaguya and Hagoromo clans.

He also felt many unknown signatures at the far outskirts of the village's boundary lending merit to threat that Reika Kaguya had just given him.

"Thousands of people need not die tonight if you do the right thing" suggested Lord Hiro Hagoromo,

Gengetsu grimaced as his body tried to fight off the poison trying to bring him down. All the years he had spent developing immunity against a variety of such weapons was the only thing making him being able to fight.

However the dilemma before him was not of his own survival, but that of his people.

"A change is coming Reika and Hiro. I can see it and neither I, or you both and the Daimyo can stop this revolution!" said Gengetsu with determination burning in his eyes,

"Your son shall be taken into protective custody as soon as he returns. If you plead guilty, the Daimyo is prepared to spare his life alongside your clan. Your successor however is a problem and will be dealt with appropriately as will the 501st should they choose to rebel against our Feudal lord!" stated Reika seriously,

She was quite surprised when her words made a soft chuckle escape from the Second Mizukage's lips as the older man gave her a patronizing glare.

"The whole tree will not die even if a few branches fall. You may kill us, imprison our families, torture our comrades...but you will never be able to quench the revolution that we have started. Our will has been passed on in the hearts of our people and it shall one day engulf this nation's corrupt leadership and its barbaric traditions!" promised Gengetsu fiercely,

"Enough! Surrender or watch Kirigakure envelop in the rebellion that you started!" threatened Reika with a finality present in her dark tone,

Gengetsu grimaced as once again he was left with an impossible choice that would decide the fate of his nation.


Madara Uchiha calmly sat upon one of the hills within Kirigakure, a curious smile was etched upon his lips as he watched the activity silently happening within the village in the darkness of the night.

"It didn't take long to make them dance..." he said with a dark chuckle,

He had to give Zetsu's the due credit, for it was one of the creature's lackeys that planted false evidence of the 501st led by Naruto destroying the pirates on Nagi Island enjoying the Daimyo's protection.

Naruto and his men had been thorough in erasing any evidence including the bodies of their fallen comrades, yet the Daimyo had believed the false evidence planted by the Zetsu's when one of his advisers received report of the attack from nearby villagers a day later, many of whom were under Madara's genjutsu to relay exactly what the Daimyo wanted to hear.

The rest was history as he watched the two rebellious clans enter the Mizukage's personal residence.

The Water Daimyo had shown quite some shrewdness for a civilian when he asked the Kaguya and Hagoromo clans to secretly deal with the current Mizukage who was challenging his authority over the Land of Water. Of course the Feudal lord had also sent his forces as backup and also to serve as a warning should both clans have any second thoughts.

"Truly, a world of lies and deceit" whispered Madara with a smile, knowing he had played his own part in its misery with his own deception.

But that was the price for peace.

"Hashirama, soon I shall destroy this false world that you created and begin a new chapter for mankind!"


Author's Notes: End of chapter.

Hope you guys liked it.

We're officially done with half of the story and I'm quite excited for the remaining half to come. It will have everything to a certain extent which should satisfy most of you, I hope.

Would love to hear your thoughts on this chapter.

PS: I'm not assuring anything at this point, but apart from Mei who is an official pairing of this story and a key character; I'm thinking of having Kushina as a love interest for our favorite blonde. They already have a deep history and the way things have gone down in their lives, I can see it actually taking place without it seeming forced. What do you guys think?

Until Next Time,

Blackwolf501