Thank you for your support throughout the journey. Here's the finale...
Chapter 62
So It Begins
(Tiger Hill)
The vast and inhospitable terrain of Tiger Hill was covered completely in an endless stream of snow stretching as far as one's eyes could see. A single narrow pass stood behind the formidable natural defense leading straight towards the Terran Federation's base several miles away.
Naruto stood upon one of the cliffs overseeing the defenses being prepared on its three sides by his men, for the enemy would be using them all to reach the top instead of attacking from one front. It was what he would have done if the positions had been reversed.
He looked at his trusted friends and sub-commanders who stood before him dutifully.
Standing 18,000 feet at above sea level was a very different experience. The air was very thin to breathe, the temperature several degrees in minus beyond the safe limits, steep mountain edges that led to deadly valleys on multiple sides. Thankfully, the Spartans had their Chakra armor that protected them from most of the harsh elements while the Zetsu's were surprisingly very less affected in such inhumane conditions, but then again they were not human so the same terms could not be applied to them.
Nagato was bewildered to see his brother who didn't have that Chakra Armor since his was lost in previous battle seemed very little affected even dressed in his Spartan uniform and a fur coat. Could it be one of the effects of receiving a portion of the Sage's powers?
"How are the preparations?" asked Naruto seriously,
"As good as they can be. We have established fortified bunkers at most key points giving us good vantage of the enemy that shall approach from below. They have been reinforced by our Sealing barriers, only an extremely powerful attack would destroy them instantly. Trench lines have also been dug for Zetsu forces to stay in and they are also protected by strong barriers" reported Nagato, who had been put in charge of establishing the fortifications.
"Munitions?" prompted Naruto, making Kasumi nod swiftly.
"We have 30,000 kunai launcher rounds ready and another 5,000 special rounds. Each Zetsu has been armed with a sword or spear, though their weapon quality is subpar considering we could only make so many after the Kage Summit and the ones we stole from the enemy dead. We do have several thousand bow and arrows, not sure how adept the Zetsu will be at using them though. But we do have enough explosives to create the Allies a new bunghole" replied Kasumi with a cheeky grin, making Hayate sigh and the others to chuckle.
"Barriers and traps?" asked Naruto next, making Kushina grin for this was what the Fuinjutsu expert had been waiting for.
"All three fronts are fully secured. Kumogakure was lucky that we had to run in order to save Hashirama all those years ago, now these new fools will realize what us Uzumaki can do when we decide to truly defend something" promised Kushina with an icy smile,
Naruto felt bad for their enemies, in most of the battles the Spartans had been used in nearly suicidal offensives. It had forced them to adopt the motto of Shock and Awe which heavily utilized a combination of Ninjutsu, some Genjutsu and close quarter combat in the form of Taijutsu and Kenjutsu.
The art which the Uzumaki clan was infamous for could not be applied fully in such chaotic and offensive actions where time was of the essence.
He was sure Tobirama was expecting this to be a weakness based on what he had seen from the Spartans in the past. What the Hokage had not known or seen was the fact that the Uzumaki special forces were equally trained in defense.
Fuinjutsu was an art only understood by the Uzumaki in great detail, many across the world didn't even know the basics. It was one of the unique advantages his outnumbered army was heavily depending upon.
And Kushina was the most powerful in this art among all the Spartans, when she made such a promise...a river of blood was going to flow from the Allies.
"Aerial Units?" asked Naruto, fully intending to utilize the other unique advantage he had against the Allies now that Iwa's bomber squadrons had been eliminated in the last battle.
"I have dedicated a squad on each of the three fronts, with a final one in reserve. It is much more economical instead of pooling them all together. But if we required, we can launch a few attacks in full force" reported Hayate, the leader of their Aerial units.
Naruto nodded at the logical choice even as he keenly surveyed the battlefield once more in detail. Barring all four Spartan officers including himself, there were 120 Spartans fighters. The Zetsu's made up the bulk of their army but he would not delude himself, the enemy would pay a dear price but they would sooner or later breach their traps and lines on all fronts. When that happened, close quarter combat shall follow and the Spartans would have to lead the battle.
They were the core of the army, its only real firepower.
If he excluded the Aerial Spartan units commanded by Hayate and the other officers here, it left him with 90 Spartans to defend three fronts- West, East and Center.
"Kasumi, you are in command of the Eastern flank. It has very steep slopes to climb and a better area for long range warfare. Take 30 of our best Spartan shooters and 5,000 Zetsu to hold it" commanded Naruto,
"It will be done" replied the deadly female Uzumaki marksmen,
"Kushina, you are in command of the Western flank. With its less risky terrain, I estimate a significant enemy force will come through here. Take 30 of the finest Spartan close quarter specialists alongwith 5,000 Zetsu" directed Naruto,
"My pleasure" answered Kushina with a smirk,
"Hayate, you will be our eyes in the sky. Maintain operational command over the units you have deployed on each front, and use your reserve unit on whichever front the enemy attack seems pressing. But when the first wave comes, ride out in full force and break them. It will reduce their morale" advised Naruto,
"Will do" assured Hayate with a firm nod,
"Nagato and I alongside Shera will hold the center with the last 30 Spartans and 10,000 Zetsu. I will have a few of my clones in reserve, in case any front requires additional assistance they are to light up a blue flare and they will come to your assistance. Fire a red one only in the event your front is about to collapse and you need my personal assistance to hold it" declared Naruto,
He received a series of nods from the others as they all looked at each other for a long moment knowing what was coming.
"So, no more of your boisterous speeches?" teased Kasumi with an amused smirk,
To her surprise, Naruto laughed happily making the others join him.
Tobirama took a trembling breath for he was nervous.
The preparations had been done with Hashirama and Mifune already departed to attack Kharakan Pass, even his own forces would be ready to attack Tiger Hill in the next two hours. There would be no turning back after that...
It was why this had been his only choice, perhaps it was too late now but only now did he realize what would happen at his hands.
It was an insult and even treason if anyone of his comrades discovered what he was doing now, but the Father inside him could not refuse this action.
He had sent out the call through the Hirashin kunai that Naruto had given him during his departure from Kirigakure. It had been a real pain to ensure nobody had followed him and his shadow clone kept the illusion that he was still in their basecamp.
Remembering the last time he had met his son made him wince. He had been so angry then and refused to listen to the boy most of time, even then Naruto had been respectful and understanding of why Tobirama would fight him. Unlike him, the boy had not hated him for that.
He was surprised when there was a dark flash and he found himself staring at his son.
"You came" whispered Tobirama hesitantly, earning a wry smile from the blonde.
"I did"
"I wasn't sure you had survived your last battle and if you would want to meet me after our last meeting" confessed Tobirama, earning a slight scoff in return.
"I do not hate you, Father. I do not agree with your decision to oppose me, but I understand where you are coming from. Even enemies can respect each other if nothing else" answered Naruto truthfully, making Tobirama remember what he had said to the his son before.
You are still my enemy now.
"I am truly sorry for what I said back then. You are not my enemy, son. The one you are fighting for is" apologized Tobirama sincerely,
"I don't fight for Madara, Father. I fought for the dream we envisioned"
"Please understand, son! There is no future if you continue resisting! Surrender and I will ensure you and your men are kept alive. I may have to imprison you to keep up appearances for sometime, but I will ensure you are sent back home to your family. To your children" pleaded Tobirama,
"You would go so far for me even after everything that happened?" asked Naruto, unable to hide his surprise on how a stubborn man like Tobirama was humbling himself like this for his sake.
"I have not been able to be a good father to you. Gods, there are times when you have pissed me off and disappointed beyond measure. But I cannot deny any longer that you are a good man. A far better one than I am, most importantly you are my son! It may be too late and I was a fool to not realize what you mean to me after so long...but I do not want to see you die. I was never able to be there in your life, I do not want my grandchildren to inherit the same fate" said Tobirama worriedly,
Most would call what Tobirama was doing as a shameful weakness, especially for a Kage like him. But after becoming a father himself, Naruto could not deny he would not do everything in his power to protect his children. Even at the cost of his pride...
"I cannot abandon my comrades now, Father. Nor will I give up on my dream, maybe someday you will understand why I am doing this. I am grateful that you have loved me and for trying to save me" said Naruto respectfully with a sad smile,
"Only death awaits you if you resist any longer, son!" replied Tobirama furiously, why couldn't the boy understand that!
"I grew up with soldiers, Father. I learned how to die a long time ago"
Tobirama froze.
Those words made him go pale and looking at Naruto's calm but knowing gaze told him that his son was not lying. There was too much wisdom and foresight in those eyes...
"You think my life is some precious thing to me? My dream of freedom is. The warriors of The Terran Federation shall never surrender. And for our dream: we shall stand, fight and die. Maybe someday humanity will understand that for their bright tomorrow, we gave our today"
Tobirama's eyes became moist upon that dreadful declaration. He was not able to save his parents, his brothers, his nephew and nieces, even great nephews, many friends and clan members...
Now he would not be able to save his only son.
A lone tear slipped from his eye before Naruto came forward and placed a firm but comforting hand upon his shoulder making the older man look back into his son's strong gaze.
"There are two things I want you to do for me regardless of the outcome of this war. My last wish if you want to consider it that way" said Naruto gently,
Tobirama didn't want to hear such things but he would not dishonor his brave child by crumbling in their final meeting, so he nodded.
"If you win which I doubt will happen, please do not extract further vengeance upon Uzushiogakure or Kirigakure. Enough people have died in this war, spare my comrades who survive this conflict and look after my children who are in Uzu now with Yahiko, the man who raised me" requested Naruto,
"I promise" swore Tobirama, no matter how hard it would be or who stood against him...it would be done. He took solace in the fact that Naruto smiled in relief upon hearing that.
"Lastly, please do not send Tsunade to the frontline. I promised Lady Mito that if I could spare one family member from dying in this war, then it would be her. It is my regret that I could not get to know my niece better, but I would like her to live" asked Naruto sincerely,
Tobirama was vindicated in his decision to meet his son, even after everything that happened he still considered the Senju clan or atleast his closest blood relatives from there as family.
"She is already far away from the frontlines, I have already seen to that. But it is good to see that you still care for her" praised Tobirama,
"You never give up on family, Father"
Tobirama clenched his fist and cursed Hiruzen alongwith all his conspirators once again to the deepest hell that existed. Realizing there was nothing more to be said, Naruto enveloped him in a firm hug making Tobirama return the gesture swiftly.
They stayed like that for a very brief instant before Naruto parted to give him a final nod.
As the young man turned around to depart and started walking away, Tobirama fought against the hesitation in his heart to say what he truly felt knowing there would never be another chance.
"Naruto..."
The young warrior turned around to see Tobirama looking at him with a gentle smile.
"Our philosophies may differ, but I will always be proud of you"
Naruto's eyes widened in shock and he could not help but stare as Tobirama offered him a respectful salute.
"You are the finest shinobi and commander I have the honor of knowing. Regardless of what happens, your bravery and sacrifice will be recorded in the history of humanity. Something any father would be proud of"
The former Mizukage fought back the lump in his throat even as his eyes became moist, there was nothing he could say against the highest praise he had ever received, so he offered a Spartan salute in return earning a heavy nod from his father.
(Few Hours Later: Midnight)
Naruto stood at the head of his army with his brother and the Spartans acting as the tip of the spear with 10,000 Zetsu as support. While their flanks were being defended by their comrades, it was the center that the enemy would intend to break at all costs.
For when that happened, the battle would be over.
The veteran Uzumaki warriors had seen many fearsome sights including tailed beasts in their lives, but nothing could make them hide their disbelief and their breath tremble as they witnessed a monstrous wave of enemy marching towards Tiger Hill.
They were carrying flags and banners from many shinobi nations, and the sensors among them could sense hundreds of powerful chakra signatures including Kage level shinobi. There were also dozens of Summoning creatures in those ranks who looked ready to unleash hell.
100,000 Allies and their support marching to meet 20,124 Terrans defending Tiger Hill.
"We will hold them here!" declared Naruto defiantly, making a few trembling Zetsu grip their weapons closer.
He looked at his Spartans next and swelled with pride to see not a single one of them was afraid in the face of death. Most looked eager to do what they were what they were bred for, what they were trained for...
What they were born for.
Despite the insistence of many of his surviving men, Ohnoki had chosen to lead the Vanguard from the front for he wanted to see the enemy tremble with the death that he was bringing to their doorstep, the same way they had inflicted death upon his village and countrymen.
He looked upon the massive mountains of Tiger Hill and knew it would still be a challenge, the sight of the legendary Spartans and Naruto Namikaze himself made many feudal warriors of the Earth Daimyo shiver but they held their ground knowing their Tsuchikage was leading from the front.
Ohnoki grunted in approval, it was the only thing he could actually respect and mimic Naruto in for the presence of their leader on the frontline was usually beneficial for their men.
Now, he could finally make these bastards pay for their crimes.
"Spartans! Make your peace for we will slaughter you tonight!
He frowned when there was no boisterous reply of defiance making many of his fighters grin confidently, perhaps the enemy had truly seen their fate and had nothing to say except cower in silence.
Ohnoki felt the whistling wind a moment before there was surprise and shock exploding within ranks as one of the Daimyo's captain standing just a few paces away from Ohnoki collapsed with a kunai lodged straight into his eye.
The Tsuchikage had seen the deadly kunai launchers of his enemy in action before, they were weapons he wanted himself. But the sheer distance that was between their forces, only the briefest moonlight illuminating the land, and the wild wind...such a shot should have been impossible.
It was then he heard Naruto's roar.
"MIDGET! Come and die at the hands of free men!
Kasumi Uzumaki grinned when she saw the disbelief upon the faces of many of her Zetsu as she successfully eliminated her target with her kunai launcher. To make her point, she had chosen a Captain near the Tsuchikage's position and seeing the tiny man's gawking expression had been worth the effort.
She would not have been able to take out the Kage so easily, for all his faults Ohnoki was a powerful shinobi who would have reacted much faster than the feudal warrior she killed.
"Nice shot, Kasumi" complimented Nagato over their communication link,
Naruto's declaration a few moments later made her alongside most Spartans and several Zetsu laugh.
The brief amusement lasted less than she would have liked as the Tsuchikage roared angrily and pointed straight at them.
It was the order his men had needed to jolt out of their stupor and finally get enraged for the enemy drawing first blood upon them so easily.
In the darkness of the night where the moon was now temporarily hidden by some clouds, she saw a terrifying mass of darkness charge at them from three sides.
"Oh, now we've done it" she cursed, as she signaled the Spartans under her flank to get ready even as the support Zetsu's did the same.
Kasumi could only hope Hayate would act soon for even she couldn't stop thousands of warriors from breaching through if they came all at once.
In the darkness of the night, three Spartan squadrons flew in the cover of the clouds using their winged devices through chakra manipulation with precision. With the Iwagakure bombers destroyed in the last battle, they had almost virtual control of the skies.
Hayate didn't envy his fellow Spartans on the ground when he saw the sheer enemy numbers charging at them.
From his position, it looked as if a wave of darkness was charging towards the mountain top.
Not on his watch!
The twenty three Spartans glided above the charging enemies from so high in the sky that not even most shinobi could see them, except if they were Uchiha or Hyuga. Each of them unleashed a large Fuinjutsu scroll bearing the mark of the Uzumaki clan.
"Now it begins" whispered Hayate with a cold smirk,
Tobirama had not been impressed with Ohnoki's antics for it was ill fitting for a Kage of a great nation. The enemy had chastised the shorter man appropriately which had started the battle thankfully.
He was not surprised to find his son at the head of his army for he had always been someone who truly lead from the front. Ohnoki on the other hand was content to let the first wave charge forward while he stayed in the rear, it was a logical choice but compared to the enemy commander who was standing by his army, it was a cowardly one in Tobirama's eyes.
He sensed the Spartans approach from the sky knowing they would utilize one of their few advantages to the fullest and while he was content to let Ohnoki pay more for his arrogance, he needed those men to reach the enemy lines or else his own would suffer more casualties.
Even as he flashed through a set of hand signs much to the surprise of those around him, the Spartans in the air had started their attack once again proving they were the most well organized unit the Hokage had ever seen.
Hundreds upon hundreds upon paper bombs were unleashed from the skies, realizing the danger Ohnoki moved into action to protect the Vanguard made up of his countrymen mostly.
Explosions rocked the charging allied ranks as men were vaporized to dust, many lost their limbs or guts or heads, hundreds more were tossed around wildly like ragdolls across the mountain dealing more lethal injuries.
The charge halted.
And Tobirama winced as he realized it was the wrong move as the second wave of bombs rained down upon the stationery force far too easily. If only Ohnoki had been leading them then his men would not have halted so easily.
Thankfully, the Tsuchikage was making up for his mistake by launching his deadly attack to the enemies in the sky.
"Particle Style: Atomic Dismantling!"
He launched a deadly beam of his feared Kekkai Genkai at the centre of the Spartan flying formation intending to tear them apart. They enemy had also learned from their past encounters and joined each hand with the one at their side as their chakra armors glowed brightly in unison.
Ohnoki could not hide his disbelief when the entire Spartan unit created a chakra shield that withstood his devastating attack. In order to get a better angle, he had flown higher in the sky exposing himself and as he prepared for a second attack he grunted in pain when a kunai lodged into his right hand breaking the preparation.
He glared murderously at the sharpshooter upon that hill even Kasumi gave him the middle finger which only enraged the Tsuchikage further.
"Water Style: Ten Thousand Bullets!"
Hayate and his men had already unleashed a third wave of bombs dealing more losses when they heard the clouds around them roar. He could sense the buildup of chakra coming from the Second Hokage in the rear and not a moment later they were assaulted by thousands upon thousands of water bullets attacking from them all sides.
Their Chakra armor shields could defend them really well against most attacks, if united they could even fend off Ohnoki's beams of Particle style attacks a few times, but they could not virtually defend them all across the body in an endless barrage like these.
"Shields are falling!"
"We need to pull back or we'll be dead in a minute!"
Usually, Hayate would have waited for Naruto's directions but his friend had given him operational command of their aerial fighters and that meant he had to make the call.
"Channel as much chakra as you can to maintain shields! One more pass and then we pull back!" he commanded,
Tobirama was impressed when instead of retreating immediately, the Spartan unit held firm and launched another wave of bombs creating further panic among the retreating first wave of allies, or what was left of it before pulling back.
He could already sense from the initial few thousand that had charged, less than a third had retreated back to the safety of their lines as the Spartan unit also retreated back to the top of their mountain.
"How many did we lose?" asked Tobirama with a sigh, making one of his sensor unit captains wince.
"We cannot feel 700 signatures, another few hundred are slowly fading. Nearly four hundred more are also injured and out of commission" reported the Hyuga somberly,
More than thousand men dead or wounded with the enemy not suffering a single casualty at all.
"They are something else, Lord Second" whispered Sakumo honestly,
"They stood up to Kumogakure's entire might all alone and won. Reorganize our lines and evacuate the wounded, put those who cannot be saved out of their misery. Have Shikuchi Nara lead the 2nd wave, Ohnoki will follow his command for he has already done enough damage with his stupidity" commanded Tobirama,
Sakumo nodded even as he went forward to carry out the assigned orders.
Tobirama glanced at the defenders upon Tiger Hill who were deadly silent despite their victory.
It showed their maturity despite their young age for they knew this had just been a probing attack. There would be several more before the real blow would come but the Spartans and their supporters knew it.
"Why are you smiling, Lord Second?" asked Shisui Uchiha curiously,
"I admire their courage and conviction, Shisui. They stare death in the face and yet still stand their ground. It is not often you face such an admirable foe, you would do well to remember" advised the Hokage,
"The bravest of the brave" agreed Shisui with a nod, making Tobirama look at the form of his son.
And the freest among us all.
(Two Hours Later)
Naruto stared as the enemy had finished their preparations and soon they would launch their next attack. He could no longer send his aerial units to attack them openly, as Tobirama would slaughter them for sure this time.
Hayate had been sensible in pulling his forces back once they had broken the first wave.
They had to hold them for four more days.
"Kushina, be ready to spring your traps and barriers for here they come" warned Naruto, as he saw several Nara clan members step forward.
"It would seem they are not completely stupid like Ohnoki. This wave will be interesting" pointed Nagato with a grin,
"And equally dead" concluded Naruto without batting an eye, earning several chuckles from several Spartans and Zetsu.
"I'm ready. Let me know when to give them a taste of Uzumaki prowess" said Kushina confidently,
Naruto smiled when he saw the sensible and cautious Nara commanders ordering a force of nearly a thousand fighters to charge forward. In reality, they were nothing more than shadow clones being sent out as meat shields to disable the series of traps the Spartans and Zetsu had placed in their approach.
He had also been prepared for such a deception.
"Do not trigger anything. Let them reach our lines" he ordered swiftly,
"Should we light them up with our kunai launchers when they get close? We can easily decimate them" proposed Kasumi,
"No, the Nara's are smart. They want to know exactly what we have hidden from them, be it traps or our real firepower. I have a feeling this is just a first wave of clones, they will launch a few more before they are sure what exactly they are up against. Then they will send their real fighters" explained Naruto in detail,
"Then we show them true Spartan Shock and Awe, Elder Brother" suggested Nagato with a grin,
Naruto unleashed Muramasa in return as the thirty Spartans by his side stepped forward from their lines under Nagato's command. Together, they marched towards a thousand allied clones.
Shikuchi Nara winced as he watched the absolute massacre of his entire first wave of clones in less than a minute at the hands of Naruto Namikaze and his small force of Spartans. Granted, these were clones but they had numbers and should have been able to kill or wound atleast one enemy fighter.
The butchery only seemed to further lower morale of their forces as they truly saw what they were up against.
"Shikuchi, send in the entire clone force. Do not insult the fighters who stood up to the entire might of Kumogakure alone, you are only giving them target practice and lowering morale of our own with your overly cautious strategy" advised Sakumo Hatake,
"They are meant to probe the traps they have set for us" defended Shikuchi,
"If there were traps, the Spartans wouldn't be able to fight in the open like this now" suggested Inari Yamanaka,
The veteran shinobi flinched when the final clone was butchered marking the annihilation of the first wave.
"They're demons" whispered one of the feudal warriors in fear,
Shikuchi could see why the man felt so when he had watched the brutality with which Naruto and his men had murdered the clones. Their Chakra armor gave them an aura of invincibility and they had the skill to match such technology.
He swore never to piss of Uzu if he survived this war if this was the quality of their shinobi.
Cursing, he signaled the launch of the remaining clones and he could swear he saw Naruto Namikaze smile directly at him.
Ohnoki had finished healing the injury to his right arm with the help of medics and had watched his comrades try various ways to weaken the enemy. Didn't the fools understand only raw power would destroy these enemies?
He blinked in surprise when Shikuchi Nara ordered forward his remaining clone forces numbering in thousands, created from many strong ninja. It would seem the man had finally shown some spine...
To their credit, Naruto and his small force held their ground bravely even as thousands charged towards them.
The former Mizukage himself destroyed hundreds of clones by launching lightning bolts from his hands, the remaining Spartans followed his lead and unleashed their own elemental ninjutsu.
The clones fought back as hard as possible taking brutal losses as they closed in on the enemy due to their sheer numbers.
Even as they fell by the hundreds, the impossible started to happen.
The Spartan unit and the former Mizukage himself was being forced to give ground little by little and retreat grudgingly towards the center.
Ohnoki could not have been the only one to see this development and was pleased when Shikuchi Nara made another bold move by sending in a thousand feudal warriors and few elite shinobi units to push them back even further.
"He is taking a calculated risk, if the Spartans are hiding their traps now they must use it before it's too late" thought Ohnoki seriously,
Naruto made a horizontal slash with Muramasa thereby destroying several clones around him. From the corner of his eye, he saw actual enemy fighters being sent towards their melee.
They were tempting him to show his real hand.
But it was not enough yet.
"Children, let's end this farce before they get even more crazy ideas. Clones are no fun" he ordered,
"You're right. They are too easy" agreed Nagato with a laugh,
"On my mark. Formation W"
The Spartans didn't need to acknowledge his order but he could see everyone making one handed signs quickly.
"Wind Style: Razor Blades!"
The enemy clones started to disappear into puffs of smokes by the dozen making the battlefield even more chaotic for their surviving forces. It was then Spartans moved as one and fell upon the confused attackers.
The plume of smoke only became larger as more and more clones fell, some realizing the imminent death tried to detonate themselves in order to take out few enemies with them. Naruto quickly zeroed in on them and finished them off before they become a nuisance.
By the time the smoke finally cleared, the actual fighters of the Allies sent to reinforce the clone's attack had reached the battlefield and were shocked to see Naruto and his Spartans waiting for them with their kunai launchers aimed directly at them.
"Wrong move"
Tobirama sighed in frustration when Shikuchi's gamble didn't pay off and the hills were rendered with the screams of helpless allied warriors being slaughtered by Naruto and his Spartans.
Their kunai launchers were deadly against civilian fighters and even the few elite shinobi units didn't last long against the merciless and precise barrage.
The white plains were rendered full of allied blood before the Spartans and their leader retreated back in an orderly fashion to the safety of their center, waiting for what next challenge the enemy would throw at them.
His sub-commanders either didn't understand or were underestimating the Spartans prowess on the battlefield.
It was time for him to take charge if he was to avoid more senseless deaths.
Men parted as he marched towards the front and Shikuchi alongside the others had the grace to look ashamed at their failure. Ohnoki had joined them now as well and was surprisingly silent while looking at him for guidance.
"Gather our strongest Lightning and Water Style users. They are to bombard the enemy positions for the next six hours with their elemental attacks from the skies, in the meanwhile Ohnoki and the Iwagakure shinobi are to use Earth Style attacks to raze the ground leading to the enemy positions on all fronts. If they have set traps deeper, your Particle Style should be able to weed them out" ordered Tobirama,
"Suppress the enemy with brute force making them focus on defending their positions while clearing the traps they have set to then launch a full frontal assault from three sides. Sensible" agreed Ohnoki,
"Get it done" replied Tobirama calmly,
"Thank you for your guidance, Lord Second'' whispered Shikuchi Nara,
"Going further, no attacks are to be launched without my explicit approval. The Spartans have fought more battles than most of us, do not be reckless or underestimate them. We have already lost thousands in such foolish attempts" warned Tobirama,
His sub-commanders had learned enough from such folly that they kept their silence even if they were berated so openly.
"You know them best, Lord Second. We will follow your strategy" conceded Ohnoki with a heavy frown,
"You will if you want to survive"
(Five Hours Later)
"Hold it together!"
Naruto encouraged his men as they fought desperately to uphold the massive barrier from the unending rain of lightning bolts and water bullets raining down upon their positions for the past few hours. Every second, hundreds of attacks tried to get through, some powerful and others weaker at different sections of the barrier creating further strain upon the Uzumaki Spartans upholding it.
"Elder Brother! They have already removed the first two layer of traps, we only have two more left! If they are gone, all those crazy bastards would charge us all at once. We will not be able to hold back so many all at once!" warned Nagato, even as he fought desperately to uphold his section of the barrier.
Naruto grimaced for it was the truth, this constant artillery barrage had kept them pinned in their positions unable to stop the Iwagakure shinobi and their Kage from literally razing the battlefield to the ground thereby disabling the countless traps.
Already they had gotten rid of all the paper bombs, shrapnel and other basic traps.
If this kept up, they would be harming the Fuinjutsu seals and formulas they had so meticulously placed, the only thing that would help them keep an enemy five times their number from charging them all at once.
His Spartans were strong but even they were getting withered down with these constant attacks, the enemy didn't have this difficulty as they kept rotating their troops launching these elemental attacks with support units replenishing their chakra. The Zetsu's were doing the same for the Spartans but it was making his overall army tired and weak.
It would seem he had found his match in Tobirama.
"Fine, I'll go and stop them!" he declared,
"No!"
He blinked in surprise when one of the Zetsu nearby opposed him fearlessly and was joined by several others from his ranks.
"You're the Supreme Commander! If you fall, we are all finished. We'll go and ambush them one after another until it becomes too costly for them to keep disabling the traps!" proposed the Zetsu, earning firm nods from his brothers.
"We can travel underground and strike them before they know it!" assured another,
"You'll be isolated without support! The Tsuchikage is there, eventually they will kill you all" said Naruto worriedly, earning a grim smile from the Zetsu.
"If this keeps us, it will be all of us who die. Including our remaining brothers and our Spartan comrades!" argued the lead Zetsu,
The Spartans blinked in surprise upon hearing those words and what was being proposed.
"How many of you want to go?" asked Naruto sadly, he had wanted to prevent his men from dying as long as possible but the inevitable was now at their doorstep.
"500 of us should be able to wipe out the ones trying to disable the traps. Equal numbers will again head out for as long as they keep sending their waves to disable the traps" answered the Zetsu bravely,
"Then I'll go out with you. I won't die so easily no matter what they throw at us! It will give some of you a chance to survive" promised Naruto,
The Zetsu's were not able to believe what was being proposed, they were expendable...he was not and yet their Commander would charge into certain death to save what few he could.
The exchange didn't go unnoticed by the rest of the Zetsu's even as the Spartans gave a knowing sigh.
Understanding the confusion upon the faces of the Zetsu, their Commander merely smiled.
"The allied commanders may consider their men expendable, content to stay in the rear while their men did the dying, we are not. So long as the Terran Federation shall survive, its Marshal shall always stand at the front with its fighters. You will not face death alone! I'll be there to protect you!"
Nagato saw hope being reborn among the entire Zetsu force that was the bulk of their army upon hearing those words. More than that, he saw true loyalty start to form in their eyes for the one leading them.
"Are you with me?" asked Naruto with a smile,
"To the death, Lord Naruto" replied the Zetsu's in unison with some even looking tearful upon seeing their leader's commitment to saving their lives
As one they all started to submerge into the ground even as Naruto was the first to step outside the barrier much to the shock of the enemy forces.
"He is crazy" whispered one of the Spartans amusedly,
"And we love him for it" answered Kasumi wryly,
Tobirama and the rest of the allied army could not hide their disbelief when they saw Naruto Namikaze alone charg out of the barrier fearlessly.
What madness was this?
Attacks rained all around him as he expertly dodged them by teleporting himself at short distances until he was heading directly in the directions of the Iwagakure shinobi who roared murderously upon seeing their most hated enemy coming towards them.
They lost focus of the traps they were sent to disable and instead turned to face to Naruto.
It was a mistake.
For hundreds of Zetsu's suddenly emerged from the ground all around them and started butchering them with ruthless efficiency, even eating some of them alive much to Ohnoki's horror.
Naruto used that opportunity to stab Muramasa into the ground as tendrils of dark energy raced out of it to latch onto the thousands of dead allied fighters who had been slain before but had not been moved away from the battlefield.
"To the Marshal!"
The Zetsu's at the front roared as one as thousands of unexpected allies joined their ranks thanks to their leader's cursed weapon. Ohnoki swiftly started backing away as many tendrils of that blasted sword tried to swarm him.
The force sent out to disable the traps was butchered with their Tsuchikage in rapid retreat, but Tobirama saw Naruto was still charging forward with the Zetsu and the twisted dead allied troops at his side.
Straight towards the Allied army.
"CHARGE!"
Naruto's command was followed without hesitation by the undead as they charged towards their former allies who were trying to get over their shock while preparing for that onslaught.
Tobirama was forced to fight as a dozen undead literally threw themselves towards him.
It was then Naruto saw the root of his army's problem, a well defended line area where the shinobi currently attacking their hill were still carrying out their offensive.
"Kill them!" he commanded, earning nods from the Zetsu's who once again went underground.
Moments later, more screams erupted from the back of the allied ranks as explosions rocked in their midst as the ground beneath their feet exploded.
Many more were grabbed by their legs and pulled underground to meet a worse fate by being eaten alive by hundreds of Zetsu.
Even so the focus of the majority of the allied forces were upon defending themselves from the hordes of undead cutting through their frontlines without a care for themselves.
But Tobirama was quickly gaining control of the situation as he and the ones around him slew wave after wave of undead troops without hesitation. His army followed his example and started their counterattack bravely.
It was all Naruto needed as he saw one Zetsu pop up from the ground near him, he quickly gestured them to retreat safely while the enemy was pre-occupied even as he teleported himself back to the safety of his army.
When he returned, so did the Zetsu's who had followed him moments later and much to everyone's shock barely a handful of them had been lost instead of the total loss they had been expecting.
The Terran Federation army roared in defiance and joy as the enemy attacks stopped.
They had held the line.
For now.
Author's Notes: End of chapter.
Hope you guys liked it.
I thought I could finish this last battle in one chapter, but it is impossible unless I post a frightening amount of content in one chapter which will be difficult to read. So maybe I'll need two more chapters before the epilogue.
I really enjoyed writing this, more than I initially imagined.
Reviews are always appreciated.
Until Next Time,
Blackwolf501
