THE BATTLE FOR THE EARTH – THE FINAL BATTLE
The Hidden Leaf Hill
Today is the day. The sun has risen on over the peak of the hill. It is today that destiny will show itself. Fate only has two options today, to be very kind to the hidden leaf village or to be very cruel. Those are the stakes, by the end of the day, the village will either be protected or it will be doomed.
The hidden leaf hill is occupied by every shinobi that has come from the village, awake and alert, ready to watch how this day unfolds. For Sarada, bringing back the Hokage of the past has already proven to be a masterstroke but whether or not it was effective will be proven right now. People try to hid their gazes but you would have to be a fool not to notice them, the sideway glances at Naruto. The last fighter.
Naruto oversees the situation as a group of Captains request to setup special equipment on the hidden leaf's hill. At first the others resist but when the Captains tell Naruto it is specifically for the final match, the 7th and 9th Hokages agree to have it set up.
Machinery.
Strange looking machinery is set up, much to the confusion of the historical Hokages.
"Television" Boruto mutters.
Naruto looks towards his son, who of course has more technical knowledge than himself, coming from the future. "Boruto, what's television".
"Oh" Boruto is stunned by the question, until a second ago he hadn't even considered that Naruto had not been exposed to this when he was young. It was a completely different time, technology improved so fast after the war when the villages began to work together.
"It's moving pictures on a screen" Boruto explains, "It was invented shortly before you became the Hokage".
The 7th Hokage looks on at the contraption in awe. "Amazing".
"Never seen one before?" a voice asks from slightly down the hill.
The footsteps of this man are light in weight, barely making a sound. Yet, to the shinobi of the hidden leaf who are experts in stealth, these footsteps sound heavy, very heavy indeed. It is not just because of their owner's clumsiness, no, it is because of the aura, the importance their owner carries with them.
It is the enemy's General, Clyde.
"Clyde" Naruto shrugs his shoulders as he questions the arrival to his hill, "What is happening? Why is all this equipment being brought to this hill?".
"Surely you must know" the General reacts with faux-surprise, "It's time for the final match. It's time for our match".
"Why would you need TVs for that" Sarada asks, noting that there are TV's being setup on the invader's hill as well.
"The last match will be special". A huge smile comes to the face of Clyde as he answers this question. He has competed in many captained six challenges but none so important as this. The last round rarely comes about but whenever it does, it's fun, great fun.
"The last match will involve all seven competitors from both sides".
"What" Mirai walks towards Clyde as she hears this. She hasn't been expecting to fight again.
Tobirama snaps, his anger overflowing. "You bastard, you never told us about such a rule".
Clyde shrugs. "Whether I did or not, those are the rules of the captained six challenge".
Boruto recalls this from when the 14 warriors first faced each other at the bottom of the valley. Back then the General had mentioned that the last match would be different if it were to come about. He had refused to say why the last match would be different or how it would be different, but it has become clear now. Indeed, this is a truly unique match format.
"It makes sense" Hashirama strokes his chin as he does a fine job of remaining calm. "That's why we designated Naruto as the 'Captain' in the beginning".
"Exactly".
Naruto looks between the various members of his team. Each of them are battered and bruised. Ironically, Hashirama, who lost his match, looks the closest to 100%. Boruto doesn't look so bad, as for the other's though, they are not in peak fighting condition. He dismisses their injuries, while he is concerned for them it cannot be helped, plus, the enemy Colonel's will be injured too, it's not like this is an unfair stipulation.
"Fine then" Naruto accepts this condition, "How does this last match work?".
Clyde takes a deep breath before explaining.
"The two of us will face each other in battle, much like the others have done up to this point".
"However, in our battle our allies can help or hinder us. They could prevent one of us from staying down for the full ten seconds".
Naruto nods gently, a simple enough rule. "So, I have to beat all of the Colonels to make sure you stay down".
"That's right" Clyde affirms.
"However, the two of us will be starting in a different place to the others".
"A different place?".
"There are seven starting points" the General explains, "Firstly, there is ours, the place where you and I will be fighting one another".
"There is also a starting point for each of the six pairs who have battled so far".
Mirai chips in. "That means Sisto and I will share a starting point".
Clyde clicks his fingers, pointing towards Mirai. "Exactly, you've got it. Though, the two of you will be in different circumstances".
"At each starting position, the loser from that respective battle will start in our specially made enclosure. For simplicity, we call it a prison".
"What's a prison" Naruto asks.
Upon instruction from Clyde, one of the nearby Captain's provides a picture for the shinobi through the TV. The prison appears as a black cube from the outside, with various apertures indicating that one face is a door. This is the enclosure that the losers will start in.
"The prison is a hollow black cube big enough to fit one person" Clyde says as he points at the picture, "It is made from the toughest metal we can forge".
"There is no way to break a cube. Not even I could break it" the General shrugs with a smug smile forming on his lips.
"There is only one way to escape the prison. That is for the door to be opened. The door can only be opened from the outside, it can only be opened by your teammates".
"Take you" Clyde points at Boruto. "You will be free from the beginning because you won your match. You could leave your starting point and save your friend here", saying this Clyde gestures to Hashirama.
Hashirama will start the match inside a prison because he lost to Grace. Therefore, Boruto can free Hashirama.
Clyde explains that the door opening mechanism is simple, you need only touch the surface of the prison and the door will open automatically.
"So, it's a tactical battle as well as a battle of power" Kakashi observes before reminding his teammates to use their abilities wisely.
"There is a definite requirement for teamwork" Sarada says in agreement with her parents' sensei.
"I have one final thing to say to you" Clyde lifts one finger to head height before dropping it, "Uzumaki Naruto and I will not be starting our battle in this valley".
"Why?" Kushina steps forward and asks. Concerned for her son's safety. "Everyone else has".
While Kushina is concerned for Naruto's safety, that is simply her instinct as a mother. Something Minato would have said if she hadn't beat him to it. Still, no matter where the battle is held, nobody can save Naruto when it starts. Only one person on either team can hope to fight effectively against the two team Captains. That person, is Hashirama.
Clyde looks over his shoulder, "The valley has become a terrible mess. Besides, if we went all out here you wouldn't be safe, right Naruto?".
"Is that really true Naruto?".
"Yeah" Naruto reluctantly answers. "In the other battles debris, has been sent flying everywhere. Of course, I have been able to protect you from any danger like that. I'm fighting this next battle though, none of you will be capable of withstanding the power that I put out".
Hiruzen starts. He may not have trained himself for this contest but he is still the 3rd Hokage. "Isn't that a terrible exaggeration".
"It's no exaggeration" Shikamaru smiles, "This is Naruto we're talking about, it's for the best that he fights away from us. Besides, we can watch on TV, right?".
"I suppose so" Hiruzen resigns to this fate.
A few minutes later, a group of Captains walk up the hill. Seven of them in total, their bronze cloaks dwarfed by those worn by their accomplices. Accompanying these seven Captains are five people in silver cloaks, these are, of course, the Colonel's from the previous battles. Sisto, Burns, Peterson, Grace and Sheer. A notable absence is Colonel Martin, who has obviously not returned after retreating.
Clyde explains that these captains are here to accompany the various combatants to their starting points. To make sure that the prisons are closed properly and that no cheating takes place. They are hardly unbiased but Sarada accepts that she cannot realistically complain in this situation.
As the Captain's begin to accompany the pairs away, a voice stops Naruto in his tracks.
"Naruto!".
The 7th Hokage turns around, it is Hinata. "Hinata he smiles".
"You are going to win, right?".
"Of course,". Naruto boisterously shouts his answer, a throwback to the kid from his past. "Then the two of us are going to eat ramen together, aren't we?".
"Naruto…".
"Besides" he continues, "It's Himawari's birthday tomorrow, I'm going to her celebration so you better be there too Hinata".
"I will".
As Naruto and his future wife share a thumbs-up with one another, Kushina looks on. She is unspeakably proud of the man that Naruto has become. He is not even an adult yet, he has been thrust into this desolate future and named as the number one hope for their salvation. He has been made Hokage without any sort of ceremony, he is the destination of awe-filled looks and people treat him like a divinity. Despite that he is smiling as he walks to the battlefield, ready to decide the village's fate as the Hokage.
'Naruto, it's all on you now. I know I don't have any right to ask you this but please…'.
'Win'.
Tobirama and Peterson's Starting Point
Tobirama's gaze turns back in the direction he came from. It has been a goodly while since they started travelling and their pace had not been slow.
"We're so far away" he whispers to himself.
He looks up into the air to notice a floating piece of technology. If his knowledge of the future were to be more thorough, he would recognise this as a camera. For this is the camera that will record this starting position.
"HEY" Peterson shouts to Tobirama.
"What is it?".
"Nobody has ever put up this much of a fight against us before and I just… I just" a crazed smile slowly comes to the scarred face of the Colonel, "I just wanted to let you know, even if we lose, I've had fun with you, Senju Tobirama".
"It won't make a difference to me. I'm going to do my best either way but…" Tobirama begins, "What will happen to you? What will be your fate if you lose?".
"What will happen to us?" Peterson is surprised to hear this question. Normally the people of this world fear him, they spit on him and lash out at him, never before has one shown concern for him.
Since Tobirama has come to this world Peterson's life has changed. Tobirama had been the one who first detected him coming. Following the battle between Peterson, Naruto and Hashirama, it had been Tobirama who held Peterson's life in his hands. Then the two fought in the contest, only for Tobirama to overcome Peterson. Now, this person who has bested him time and time again is showing sympathy for him. When you consider their power, it is a complete role reversal.
"You don't need to concern yourselves with our fate" Peterson finally answers, "Besides, I intend to win".
"As do I".
Peterson smiles contently before he steps in through the open face of the prison. There is a simple, unassuming chair on the inside. As the Colonel sits on this chair, the open face of the prison begins to close. With a thud, it shuts completely.
The prison is complete.
Boruto's Starting Point
"Why isn't there a prison here" Boruto asks of the Captain who accompanied him.
"Your opponent ran away".
"So, he really did run and hide". The shadow Hokage shakes his head in disgust. He hadn't thought much of the invading forces before but he had never assumed they would be so pitiful. If they had continued that fight Martin could well have beaten him.
"Colonel Martin is a hated man" the Captain sneers as he thinks of his ex-commander, "He was a cowardly man despised by many".
Boruto looks away from the Captain. 'Still, that's one less opponent to deal with. We have the advantage here'.
Sarada and Sheer's Starting Point
"What do you think Uchiha Sarada, do you believe you can win?".
"Sheer…".
"The odds are on your side after all, you are one person up". The purple-haired Colonel doesn't look the least bit disappointed by this fact, reflecting the general consensus of Colonel Martin with her own low opinion of the man.
Sarada steels herself, "I won't drop my guard if that's what you are hoping".
Sheer chuckles. "I thought not".
"I have too much riding on this" the 9th Hokage clenches her fists as she thinks of what home had been not so long ago. "I've got friends, people who have been like family to me and the entire village depending upon me".
"I too have friends depending on my victory" Sheer explains, "Perhaps this time it is my turn to overcome the impossible, to win against the odds".
"Then give it your all, if you get the chance".
"Oh?" Sheer smirks at Sarada's confident attitude.
"I don't plan on letting you out of that prison" the Sharingan user declares.
The Colonel replies ominously as she steps into the prison.
"You won't be able to stop me".
Naruto and Clyde's Starting Point
Naruto surveys his environment. There isn't much to shout about. To the left, nor to the right, there is not a single feature of these surroundings that is worth speaking about. It's just grass, the sort of field you could run through for hours before reaching the other side.
"Isn't this perfect" Clyde asks, arms wide as he gestures to the domain, "A huge open grassland. Nowhere to hide, nowhere to run, nothing to use as a weapon. We are just stood here, as two men, ready to fight for what they believe in".
Naruto's eyes flutter to the object floating in the sky and the various similar looking ones all around them. "These are?".
"They are cameras" Clyde explains, "They will be recording the fight and sending it to those on our hills".
The Hidden Leaf Hill
"Damn" Shikadai curses as he looks at the screen showing Naruto, "A wide open setting like that, this is the worst".
Inojin agrees, "We are shinobi after all. The most advantageous place would be one with plenty of places to hide".
"What are you saying" Hiruzen frowns at the two Ino-Shika-Cho members.
"Are we wrong Lord 3rd?".
"Fundamentally you aren't wrong. Indeed, a shinobi fights best in an area with plenty of cover" Hiruzen answers, "But, this fight is different. Every fight has damaged the valley more and more. Just look at it".
Mitsuki quickly understands. "There isn't any cover left".
"Exactly, cover has proven useless in these fights so far and this one is different. Naruto is takin on a General, these two are leagues apart from those who fought before".
"Hiruzen sensei is right" Tsunade lowers her head in contemplation, "Naruto said that we wouldn't be able to survive if they fought here. If 3 Hokage cannot guard against their fight, what chances to do some trees have".
Himawari clenches her fists tightly as she looks at the television. Naruto has perhaps been on television more than anybody else in history but never like this.
'Dad, do your best'.
Naruto and Clyde's Starting Point
Clyde smirks.
It is finally time for his big reveal.
"I imagine you thought a team battle would be advantageous to you, Uzumaki Naruto".
"Our team unity is better than yours" Naruto replies as if this is obvious.
"That was simply because of Martin. But without him our unity vastly outstrips yours" Clyde smiles as he makes this declaration.
"We have thought together for hundreds of years".
"Hundreds of years!".
"That's right" the General laughs as he explains it. "It's a difficult thing for you mere locals to understand but we have battled together for centuries. Let me say it like this, compared to you, we are immortal".
'He doesn't look a day over 30' Naruto looks Clyde up and down; the man certainly does not look aged. 'Could he really be immortal?'.
"I hope you know what you have let yourself in for, Uzumaki Naruto".
"The mightiest warriors from many places have battled against me and they have all fallen in battle"
"You will be my crowning achievement, saving Peterson like this will be the greatest victory I have ever achieved".
"It will be my greatest victory. And your destruction".
A moment of silence passes. Leaving Clyde to assume Naruto understands his situation. That he cannot win.
That is until Naruto speaks.
"No" he declares resolutely.
"It doesn't matter how long you have been doing this, or how good your team unity is".
"We are united by our experiences, we are united because we have all experienced the same pain".
"The hidden leaf has endured your torment for far too long and our emotions are about to boil over".
Faces enter Naruto's mind. The face of Konohamaru. The face of Sai. The face of Mito. And the faces of Sasuke and Sakura. There are so many more from the leaf that have died and there are even more from the other villages.
"The wills of the dead have been passed on to me and they are telling me to beat you".
Clyde frowns as Naruto continues.
"You won't be able to stop me".
"Because…".
"I have a birthday part I need to be going to".
The General is stunned. "A birthday party?".
In the air above each starting point a buzzer sounds, signalling the countdown to the start.
3...
'I can't afford to lose here' both warriors tell themselves.
2…
'No matter what, I'll win'.
1…
'So here I come'.
BUZZ
"Naruto!"
"Clyde!".
With this, the final battle begins!
Author Note
Hi All.
Sorry about a chapter of mostly explaining rules and buildup.
It will start now though, I promise. Tomorrow will be the first chapter of the final battle.
For a perceptive few, yes, this format is pretty much taken from KHR.
I quite like KHR, it's the basis for the one story I wrote before this one.
I would prefer it if you interpreted this as 'taking inspiration' rather than 'stealing' but hey, it's your life. Either way I'm not changing it.
As always, thanks for all your support. It's great to see quite a few people are reading this story (at least compared to my last one).
Thanks for reading,
Cbehrills