Author Note:
Hello Everyone,
Sorry for not writing in quite such a long time. Part 3 took a lot longer to plan than I thought it would. Altogether it is as long as the first two parts put together.
So, until part 3 is completed I will be returning to my previous schedule. I will do my best to upload one chapter every day.
As always, I hope you enjoy it.
Thanks,
Me
THE BATTLE FOR THE EARTH – THE BEGINNING
Near the Hidden Leaf Camp
A huge group of skilled shinobi gathers near to the hidden leaf camp. Their attitude betrays what they have gathered for though, they do their best to remain blasé but anyone could see the sadness, the fear hidden in their eyes if they were to look hard enough. This group have all decided to go to the contest, either to participate or to watch. It should be understood though, that even going to watch this contest would be risky for a non-shinobi. A stray flame from these battles could kill a civilian, such is the danger that is anticipated from them.
All of the people that Sarada summoned from the past have gathered. The only exception being a great a source of pain to them, that exception is the late Uzumaki Mito. Along with those from the past, Sarada, Boruto, Mitsuki and the others from their generation have decided to come to the contest. Though Mitsuki and the others do not intend to fight, they have been doing the heavy lifting in this war for so long now, if it is going to end they could not bear not to witness it. Furthermore, Hanabi and Himawari have also come to support Naruto and Boruto who had a tremendous task ahead of them. Finally, Naruto's training team had come, his peers from the past, led by Shikamaru. This assembly of the Hidden Leaf Village's finest warriors, represents its last hope.
"A lot of people have come to watch" Hinata says with an awkward smile. Hinata's inexperience let's her down, for she does her best to keep Naruto and Boruto calm, with little effect.
"Of course, they couldn't bear not to" Boruto breathes out as he nods gently, "This contest will determine whether we live or die".
A groaning noise comes from behind Boruto, causing he and the rest of the Uzumaki family to turn and look at the source. It comes from a green-looking Namikaze Minato. Minato has only recently avoided death at the hands of a deadly poison yet not even Naruto could completely remove the poison from his body. This has resulted in Minato having occasional bouts of pain, ranging from unpleasant to agonising.
"I can't help but think you should have stayed at home gramps" Boruto takes his turn at smiling awkwardly as jokingly nods towards the 4th Hokage.
"I'll be fine" Minato chuckles while grasping at his stomach, "This is nothing".
"I told you to stay at home idiot". Kushina's fist reigns down from above, hitting Minato right on the top of his head.
Minato rubs his now-soar head with his hand, massaging the pain away while complaining under his breath.
'I doubt that's helping' Naruto and Boruto simultaneously think to themselves, a small bead of sweat dropping down the backs of their necks.
"Dad" Himawari calls from her father's side.
Naruto turns to face his daughter from the future, noting that she is just as tall as he is. "What is it Himawari?".
"It's not much really" she answers, "But, it's my birthday in a few days".
Naruto starts. This isn't something he had considered until this moment. His son and his daughter were both into their twenties now, they were older than him. That may not have seemed like much but that meant he had missed almost fifty birthdays between them. Travelling to the future can come at a great cost.
The 7th Hokage still smiles however, he doesn't have to miss another one. "I see, how old will you be?".
"Twenty-seven" his daughter answers.
The blonde shinobi sighs once again. He had celebrated his 17th birthday not so long ago, battling against Uchiha Sasuke, trying desperately to bring him back to the village, losing an arm in the process. Himawari, his own daughter, is ten years older than him.
"That old…" Naruto finally whispers.
"When I was really young, you missed one of my birthday parties" despite the sadness of the story Himawari giggles to herself, "Boruto got really angry about it back then".
"Sorry" Naruto quickly replies, waving his hands in front of him in apology, "I'm sure that I didn't mean to".
"It's fine, you've been there each time since". It was around that time that the village came under attack, that Boruto had learnt the true meaning of being a shinobi and that Naruto had learnt a few things about being a father. "You haven't come to one yet though, have you" she asks.
"This is so confusing" the young father concludes while scratching his head.
"We haven't attended any birthday parties since coming forward in time" Hinata simply answers, attempting to simplify the situation for Naruto.
"Exactly" Himawari nods in reply, "I hope you guys will be able to make it to this one".
"I would be happy to" her mother nods in reply, delighted to receive the invitation.
"Time travel makes things really confusing" the historic Hokage grumbles while crossing his arms, "But I wouldn't miss your birthday for anything".
"If you send a shadow clone this time I won't forgive you" Boruto comically growls.
"A shadow clone?".
"Aunt Hanabi, you will come won't you" Himawari asks, approaching the woman who often cared for her in her youth.
"I'll be there".
"Grandmother, Grandfather, you two are invited too" she continues, feeling like a little girl again. Despite the desperate situation, the world has found itself in, Himawari had never before had a birthday where so many loved ones could make it.
"It sounds like fun" Minato begins before he starts groaning in pain.
"Eh" Naruto starts, "Is the poison hurting you again dad?".
His father shakes his head though, "No, I've got this strange pain on the top of my head".
For the first time in a while, the Uzumaki family truly relax, laughing together at Minato's amusing remark. Naruto looks around at the smiling faces and does his best to burn their image into his mind. This is a family, something he has never had before, something he has been missing all his life. This is what he is fighting to protect.
Suddenly, a rustle in a nearby bush signals the arrival of an enemy. Out from the bush step five men, each wearing the same vest with the number three on the chest. Each man adorns the same thick, bronze-coloured cloak. It is an appearance that even those from the past have become all too familiar with, it is immediately clear, that these five are Captains of the invading forces.
The man in the middle of this group steps forward, it is clear from his demeanour that he is the one with the highest status among them. His shoulder length black hair lifts over his shoulders as he approaches the hidden leaf shinobi. Boruto judges this man to be in his mid-thirties and notes that his height is not above or below average.
This captain raises his finger towards Naruto, "You".
Naruto dumbly points towards himself.
"You match the description that we were given".
The 7th Hokage is unsure where this is going, if this man has been sent here to intimidate him. Though he is sure of one thing, he is intimidating the others, those who have never battled a captain before, to that end he walks right up to this newcomer and looks him in the eye, not a hint of fear in his expression.
"What do you want?".
"We are here to accompany you to the venue for the contest, my name is Captain Dred" the dark-haired captain declares, "I assume you have six others who are willing to compete".
Naruto does not speak, he merely nods in reply.
"It's best that you bid your final farewells" Dred explains, "You won't be returning here again".
"They are coming with us". The strongest shinobi raises his voice slightly, hinting that he won't take no for an answer.
This is something Dred quickly catches on to, a small smiles creeps onto the Captain's face, "You're gathering everyone in one place so we can slaughter them all at once, well that works for me".
Turning on his heels, Dred begins to walk back towards the Captains he came with, prompting each of them in turn to turn around as well. "If you would like to follow me, it's a short journey to the venue".
On Sarada, the incumbent Hokage's orders, they all do just that. The greatest shinobi of the hidden leaf village, they charge on masse, they charge towards the battlegrounds, for the most important battle they would ever fight.
As they run, the captain to Dred's left approaches him, a young woman whose youthful appearance isn't dissimilar to that of a twenty year old. "Sir" she calls.
"What is it?".
"Is it really alright" she questions, "To bring so many of them along with us".
"What do you mean?".
"Those guys, they are stronger" the captain explains as she looks over her shoulder. "They are stronger than any other locals that we have encountered since coming here, not only that but there are so many of them".
"This power they use, chakra, are you able to feel it?" Dred asks.
"Sir?".
"Only six of them could realistically defeat myself with the power they wield, despite that seven of them are supposed to be competing in the contest" he explains with a lowered voice, "They are stronger than before, that is true, but their fate is set, they are going to die".
"Still…".
"We have hundreds upon hundreds of captains on our side, all of them have also gathered to watch. If a fight were to break out, do you think that our side could truly lose to them?".
"No sir" she answers, "No, that would be impossible".
"Yes, we're leading them to be slaughtered, this is the end of our incursion into this world".
"I suppose you're right".
Dred then turns his head around, looking at the hidden leaf shinobi running behind them at a conservative distance. He notes that they are still well out of earshot, with no chance of overhearing the Captains' conversations.
"Despite that… do you get the same feeling I do when you look at that man, that he has a far greater power hidden within him?".
The young-looking captain turns her head, looking behind her like Dred did not a second ago. "I don't feel anything sir, his chakra may be far greater than usual but it's nothing the general has not overcome before".
"No" Dred whispers under his breath, "I'm not talking about him…"
A Hill Overlooking a Valley
Dred, stops having led the hidden leaf shinobi to this place. It is one of the two peaks overlooking a deep valley. As men and women who used to roam this land freely, many of the shinobi recognise this spot, while the others are easily able to determine their rough whereabouts from it.
"The spectators will wait and remain here until we give instructions to the contrary" Dred declares, "Is that OK?".
The question is directed at Naruto but the seventeen-year-old turns instead to his best friend's daughter, who is, after all, the Hokage.
"You're the Hokage" Naruto nods to Sarada.
"That's fine with me" she nods her head slightly, not daring to take her eyes away from Dred for even a moment.
"The seven competitors will follow me" the dark-haired Captain announces as he walks slowly down towards the middle of the valley.
As the hidden leaf shinobi approach the centre of the valley it becomes clear that seven figures are waiting for them at the bottom of the hill. To those without special techniques, they are fuzzy but the colours speak for themselves. Six silver cloaks, one golden cloak. It is their opponents.
Dred brings them face-to-face at last. Resulting in a clash of gazes, gazes that could burn a whole through the morale of a normal person. However, these are not normal people. Facing one-another, are the General of the invading forces, General Clyde and the 7th Hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village, Uzumaki Naruto.
"I have brought your opponents, General" Dred salutes his superior officer.
Clyde returns the salute with a smile, "Good work Dred, keep it up and we will continue to support you in your push to become a Colonel".
With that Dred, leaves, heading up the hill on the other side of the valley. Naruto gasps as he looks at the other hill and sees the hundreds upon hundreds of people on it, each of them with a shining piece of thick cloth attached to their backs.
"Are those guys all…".
"Yes" Clyde answers, not even waiting for the question, "They are all Captains".
"Damn" Mirai clenches her fist tightly, "If we lose here we will die for sure".
"Even with gramps and Lady Tsunade, there is no way the others can defend against that many captains" Boruto shakes his head gently.
"It will be a massacre" Sarada concludes with her teammate.
"Don't lose focus" Tobirama calls to the 'younger' generation, "It doesn't matter how much larger the enemy forces are".
"That's right" Hashirama agrees with a low voice, "We only need to defeat the seven of them before us".
Hashirama and Tobirama are right in their deductions. The captains have been brought here, if nothing else, as a show of strength, an attempt to intimidate the hidden leaf forces. This contest is a 7 vs 7 battle though, therefore the only people who can pose a threat to them are the seven strongest among the enemy, the seven stood before them.
"I remember you three" Peterson smiles.
In an instant, Naruto, Hashirama and Tobirama all focus their gazes on this man. Never before had they seen such terrifying powers of lightning, this man had forced them to evaluate the enemy in a new light. His scarred face has haunted them for many a night and now they have been brought together again.
"It took all three of you to beat me last time" the silver haired Colonel recalls, "And now you want to beat not only me but the General too. Do you even know what you have gotten yourself into"?
Peterson waits, anticipating a look of fear, a look that never appears on the faces of his adversaries.
"No" Naruto finally refutes his enemy.
"You are the one who doesn't realise what they have gotten into".
"For too long now, you have hunted down our friends, killed our allies and tormented our loved ones".
"And now we have come, it's finally time for that to change".
"The seven of us have pushed ourselves harder than ever before and now we are ready".
Naruto looks Clyde dead in the eye, once more not showing a hint of fear as he stares down the enemy leader.
"We will take you on, each and every one of you… and…".
"We will beat you so bad that you never come back".
The time has finally arrived, Naruto and Clyde face each other down. A calling card for the contest that is about to begin.
From this moment, they will fight.
The battle for the earth.