Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. All rights belong to Kishimoto.

ITALICS – thinking

BOLD – demon talk/jutsu


Arc Two: The Meaning of Life

Chapter Five


The sounds of battle were heard in the valley whilst a blizzard blanketed the corpses that lay about the battlefield; the snow splotched with red.

A year has passed since Naruto took up the field commander position, and ever since then the war has been one massive back and forth. Simply put, the war was at a stalemate to the point where one side would make a huge gain only to lose it about a month later. Of course, a war such as this dealt both factions heavy losses, one's which a now 13 year old Naruto had witnessed and committed to memory. Such a sight made the young commander realize just how devastating war could be as well as what the true meaning of life was.

Currently, for Naruto and the others, their task was to take out an outpost which Takeshi was rumored to be hiding at thanks to their spy network. Much like the other two outposts they attacked during the year, the rebel leader fled like the coward he was; a disgrace to the samurai way he once embraced. Although Mifune and his samurai grew tired of this game, they knew it wouldn't be long until Takeshi had nowhere to run.

Dressed in his usual armor, Naruto peered over behind the snow drift he and his 500 troops were hiding behind. Using a pair of binoculars that was handed to him, the Uzumaki got to see guard rotations, how many were moving about the outpost, as well as Mifune's other troops moving into position. After a couple months of planning, it seemed like today was the day this war would finally end.

Speaking of outposts, the other two they captured helped boost troop numbers thanks to in part of samurai that were saved from their prison cells. Once given a medical check and some physical tests back at the main village, those that passed quickly registered to join the fight against Takeshi. Although much larger in number, for this mission, Mifune allocated 1,500 just for this battle alone. The reason? This was one of the largest outposts they have targeted and thus a lot of resistance was to be encountered.

Handing back the binoculars, Naruto silently turned to his troops and motioned for them to listen up.

"Archers, I want you front and center." Naruto started in a battle-hardened tone. "Once I give the signal, we will rain hell down upon our enemies. Once done, find a good vantage point to cover us once we get in the outpost. To the rest, once the archers are done, we will take the southernmost side of the compound. Are we clear?"

"Hai, Commander Uzumaki!" They chorused which made said person nod in acknowledgement.

"With master, Takuma, and Hiroto each taking one side of this compound, our victory will be ensured." Naruto thought with a smirk as the archers got into position. "Hard to believe how much time has passed."

Breaking from his thoughts, he checked the battlefield once again to ensure that his calculations were correct and, with a grim smile, Naruto held his right hand in the air then dropped it down two seconds later. The almost silent twang of the many bows was heard as their deadly projectiles were launched towards the outpost. For those inside, the sky suddenly turned dark and ominous which made many look up only to blanch in horror. It was here, that they knew that they were about to live their last day on this plane of existence. As the arrows flew, Naruto couldn't help but to look back at what this past year had accomplished.


Two Months after Naruto gained Field Commander

With a sigh, Naruto leaned back in his chair as he paused from reading the multiple scouting reports that were sent his way, most of which had come from Yuki. Said fox was currently sleeping on Naruto's lap with a smile on her face thanks to him scratching behind her ears. The reports, much to Naruto's dismay, were mixed at best. Some showed Takeshi's rebels pulling back to many outposts, outposts that Shizuka got the coordinates from her former master, while others showed possible troop movement for an attack. Either way, most of Takeshi's recent issues was because of his biggest weakness; oversight.

"To think that Takeshi would seal his own downfall."

"Stupid mortals, Kit. Stupid mortals everywhere." Kurama quipped which made Naruto snort in amusement before going back to reading his reports.

After ten minutes of reading, Naruto happened upon a report which told that some rebel groups formed their own coalition of sorts and was ready to take on more civilian villages. Disturbed by this new faction, one without Takeshi as leader, the young field commander knew that if something wasn't done, more innocent lives would be lost. Before he could contemplate on this any further, a knock was heard at the door.

"Enter!" Naruto replied as he looked to the door to see who would come in. U

"Mifune-dono." Naruto quickly grabbed Yuki before he stood and bowed in respect, surprise evident in his voice.

"Uzumaki-san, glad to see you are in better health." Mifune said with a smile as he closed the door behind him.

"Hai, but the memories still haunt me and they always will. Luckily, I have Shizuka to help me heal and keep me on the path I was so close to abandoning."

Mifune simply nodded in acknowledgement before sitting on the nearby couch. As he did, however, Naruto asked why he was here.

"Is it wrong to check up on my youngest field commander?"

"Is it wrong for a general to leave their post?" Naruto quipped back, a smile on his face.

Mifune let out a soft chuckle before he cleared his throat. "Touché, but there is one thing I wish to discuss; the civilians."

Not even hesitating, Naruto quickly relayed the recent report he read about some rebels making their own coalition. Of course, this brought up discussion about civilians and the multiple reports that Mifune got about how well they handled themselves in a battle situation. Naruto confirmed such reports and went into greater detail then some of the reports did. For Mifune, this was an eye-opening discussion as he never thought the civilians would be capable of such a feat. He honestly saw them as nothing but simple people who helped stimulate Iron Country's economy though businesses, among other civilian jobs. But being capable of fighting…it never crossed his mind once.

"How great a leader can I be if I cannot recognize the talents of my own people?" Mifune thought sadly. "I have grown complacent in my old age…and because of that, innocent lives could have been spared."

"You helped keep the samurai way intact through two wars, General." Naruto stared as he felt Mifune's depressed state. "Yes, innocents have been lost, but the time I spent with the civilians showed me that they understood this, and were happy with how you ran things. But now, we can show them that they're more than just a simple person."

"How?" Mifune question as he looked Naruto in the eyes.

The Uzumaki now had a huge grin on his face.

"We simply let them take up arms in order to defend their honor, home, and family."

For a good two minutes, Mifune played this thought around his head, but then it was like a light bulb went off. With a happy grin that matched Naruto's own, he started a discussion on the topic which would last for hours. Once done, however, Takeshi would lose another foothold in this war.


Journal Entry: 645 – Four Months after Civilian Armament

The program Mifune and I came up with has been a complete success and has been met with much praise. No longer does the civilian population fear the samurai, instead, they see us as heroes, a role model if you will. Due to this, many samurai have helped train civilians on how to use a bow and arrow as well as hand-to-hand combat; kenjutsu included.

Blacksmiths now worked at full speed to get the necessary amount of arms made up, as well as enough for trading to the Elemental Countries. New businesses have sprouted up and, as a result, Iron Country has seen a surplus in their economy for the first time since the end of the first war.

Although samurai no longer wander the civilian villages, the civilians knew that they could protect themselves if need be. Thanks to some rebel coalitions, Takeshi got a rude wakeup call when his scouts reported back with how the civilians treated his forces. It was amusing really, in a morbid sort of way. Any rebels that would attack, and subsequently die as a result, would have their heads placed upon a pike which was placed at the entrances to the village.

It won't be long now, the war will soon be ours.


It was also during these first six months that Shizuka had a meeting with Mifune and the other commanders. Even Hiroto was there, though a trusted samurai kept the field base running at full capacity. At first, Hiroto, like the stern elder he is, questioned Shizuka's loyalty due to siding with Takeshi for a year before leaving. However, after a bout of verbal backlash by both Shizuka and Naruto, Hiroto backed off and decided to give Shizuka a chance.

The meeting was long, three hours to be exact, and in that time everyone learned about the six main outposts that Takeshi operated from as well as how to come up with a plan to make it where Takeshi felt pressured to the point he gave up. That, or he simply went out like a true samurai; fighting until death. Most of the outposts were to the south of the main village, but a couple were to the east near the border to the Elemental Nations. Those near the border were small and would be easy to conquer, not to mention it would leave Takeshi landlocked so to speak. In short, the rebel leader's days were numbered.


Journal Entry: 700 - Six Months after Civilian Armament

Two outposts, two months. We have successfully captured the two near the borders to the Elemental Nations, but the task was met with hardship. After the first outpost was taken, the other near it tried to make a counterattack. Not surprisingly, the attack failed which resulted in heavy enemy casualties; it would make the second outpost go much smoother.

On an added note, Shizuka and I have started to grow close. I do admit she is a beautiful and caring woman, but can she really be my girlfriend? I fear that if we grow too close, I might end up hurting her, or losing her, much like my master did in the second war. *Sigh* Thoughts for another time I suppose as I have much paperwork to do…damn Field Commander position.


A month after these outposts were taken, attacks on civilian villages increased to the point where small platoons of samurai had to be sent for protection detail. As the attacks continued, most being unsuccessful, the civilians had wanted to keep with their tradition of putting the enemy's head on a pike. The samurai, however, politely told them no and proceeded to lay the enemies to rest just as if it was one of their own. Although this was seen as a form of honor and respect to the samurai, to the civilians it puzzled them greatly as to why an enemy would get such a thing.

Upon seeing this, one of the samurai on protection detail sent a detailed report to Mifune. Not happy about this void, the general ordered many copies of the Bushido Code as well as a small book of what the daily life was like for a samurai. With haste, these were shipped to all the villages in Iron Country and, as the weeks ticked by, the civilians saw their guardians in a new light. Some were so enthralled with the samurai lifestyle that they petitioned to join the force. It was a huge morale boost, one which was desperately needed.


Journal Entry: 730 - October 10

My 13th birthday…hard to believe it has been seven years since I started training. My birthday was met with much fanfare, and gifts…lots and lots of gifts. Amongst all of those I got, the best one by far was Shizuka taking me out on a date. Although a samurai village, it did have an upper-class community which meant there was some fine dining establishments. The restaurant was beautiful inside and out, and the food was amazing. Was it as good as my fair maiden? Hell to the no!

The date was awkward at first, but we eventually broke out in conversation and had a wonderful time. After dinner, we went to one of the best spots in Iron Country to watch the sunset. It was here where we first kissed…it makes me blush just thinking about it. I guess we are boyfriend and girlfriend after all.


Amid the screams of the dying enemies, Naruto broke from his trip down memory lane and nodded towards the samurai behind him which prompted everyone to run towards the outpost. Once a certain distance apart, the archers sped off in search of the best vantage point they could which wouldn't be too difficult seeming this outpost was nestled in a valley.

Upon seeing Naruto's forces heading towards the southernmost side, Fukui, Hiroto, and Takuma nodded to each other then led their platoons towards their objectives. Fukui would get the northernmost side, Hiroto would focus on the easternmost, while Takuma would take the west. Like the assassin raid, everyone had radios in their ears, but for now it was radio silence. Communication would only occur once every side of the outpost was covered.


Outpost – Office

As Takeshi sat and looked out the window, he scowled at the sight of his troops scrambling about as they tried to set up defenses to halt Mifune's forces from entering.

"This is the third outpost in many months…tch, I knew I shouldn't have trusted that bitch Shizuka."

A knock at the door broke the leader from his self-musing.

"Enter!"

One of the rebel soldiers entered where she quickly bowed before she spoke.

"Everything is ready Takeshi-sama," The rebel that entered bowed before she spoke. "When do you wish us to make the attack?"

For a couple minutes, the office was silent, but then an evil grin came to the rebel leader's face, one which the rebel didn't like.

"Change of plans." Takeshi said coldly. "I want you to take every prisoner and set them up for a public execution."

"B-but sir…that's over 300 men, women, and children!" She protested, though was silenced when she got an evil glare in return.

"I don't care what I have to sacrifice to ensure this war is mine for the taking!" Takeshi slammed his fist on his desk, a sick grin coming to his face. "And if killing innocents is what it takes…then so be it."

"And you wish us to execute them once they breach, Takeshi-sama?"

The morbid grin that Takeshi had formed into something that the soldier thought belonged on the Shinigami instead. Although she didn't like it, the soldier knew her orders and, with a bow, left the office to relay this to the others.

"And now to skin a certain fox…"

With that, the rebel leader left the office and went to his private armory to suit up.


With Mifune's Forces – 30 Minutes Later

"North in position, over."

"Copy, East in position."

"West in position."

"South in position. Shall we commence?"

In unison, "Commence!"

With a war cry, Mifune's forces stormed the outpost where they instantly killed any guards they came across. As they entered the outpost, however, they were met with little resistance which put everyone on edge. In fact, they could feel the enemy had them surrounded, but as to why haven't they attacked, nobody knew. With reluctance, they all headed towards the center of the outpost and paled at what they saw in front of them. There, on their knees and bound with rope, was over 300 men, women, and children with Takeshi's forces behind them, ready to do the unspeakable deed. It was silent, one which was like an omen at what was to come; nobody dared talk, nobody dared moved.

"Welcome, Mifune's forces, to my home" Takeshi introduced himself, his followers making a path for him to come to the front. "I do hope you're enjoying this little welcoming gift I've set up for you all." Takeshi motioned to the prisoners before him. "Tell me, how will your forces fair after seeing so much innocence being lost in one day? Will they falter, will they see themselves as failures, or will this bolster their will to fight?"

"Takeshi, my brother, I beg of you." Fukui pleaded. "Please don't do what you are about to do, this path you are going down will only get much darker."

"I've told you once, my brother, and I will tell it to you again and again until I perish." Takeshi replied heatedly. "The brother you knew is gone…he died in the burning remains of our home, and died as he buried his own parents. There is no hope for me, I am too far gone."

The commanders did not miss the sad tone Takeshi tried to hide at the end, a tone which made them all wonder if all this was a front to hide the pain within. Before they could contemplate further, Takeshi twitched a finger which prompted the execution of all 300 innocents. Blood now ran in the streets and, for a while, it seemed like the silence would last forever. However, that silence ended when everyone caught site of an orange/red blur which was followed up by a loud bang. Takshi was no longer standing where he was, no, he was sent flying towards the other end of the outpost via a Kyuubified punch from Naruto. A person who was currently gritting his teeth in anger at what had been done, his Kyuubi cloak now fully active.

"Please calm yourself, my student! Remember, revenge isn't the samurai way!" Fukui shouted as battle erupted around him.

Naruto turned to his master whom flinched at the visage the boy had. It was like the one he saw seven years ago when Naruto entered his shop, but the only difference was that tears were present as was an angry snarl.

"I know master, but what he did is inexcusable." Naruto was angry, but many other emotions were present as well. "The war is ending today, I will make sure of it."

"Before you fight, remember what I have taught you." Fukui reminded knowing that Naruto couldn't be swayed otherwise. "The last thing I want to do is to bury a student…good luck."

"Your master is right you know." Kurama said in the hopes of calming his container down. "Killing the one who orchestrated all this will only lead to more pain."

"I'm tired of innocents dying, Kurama. I can't stand for this!" Naruto mentally yelled as he launched towards Takeshi's position. "It ends today!"

"He's awake, you know." Kurama replied after a short pause.

Naruto thought about who 'he' was, but nothing was clicking; that is, until Kurama spoke up again.

"He will feed on your current anger, your current emotions…Yami is lying in wait, kit. And if he takes over, I fear I won't be able to stop him this time."

Naruto suddenly stopped running and stood on one of the roofs of the many buildings, the Kyuubi cloak sputtered before it collapsed entirely. Listening to his master and Kurama's advice, Naruto closed his eyes and took a deep breath before opening them again while exhaling; the anger in his soul now diminished.

"Thank you Kurama."

The fox smirked, "Anytime, Kit."


With Takeshi

The rebel leader groaned as he pushed the debris off of himself then touched his right cheek with a wince. He was honestly surprised nothing was broken.

"Kid has a mean right hook." He mumbled, then stood and walked out of the demolished building he was in.

As he did, Takeshi pushed out his senses to try and find his brother's student but, to his surprise, he couldn't even pick up any signatures; chakra or Ki.

"Just who is this kid? Is he the reason why my soldiers are having a hard time sensing Mifune's forces?"

"Was it worth it…all those lives?" Naruto's voice echoed about which broke Takeshi from his musing. "Would your parents be proud of what you have become?"

"You know nothing of my pain!" Takeshi snarled, "Come on out boy and fight like your master taught you…face-to-face."

"I know all about your tricks…shinobi." The voice echoed in response. "Are you real, a clone perhaps?"

The rebel leader smirked, "Could a clone do this?! Earth Flow Spears!"

Multiple spikes of earth suddenly protruded out of the ground and penetrated into the surrounding buildings, some of which collapsed as a result. After a minute of holding the technique, Takeshi cut off his chakra and chuckled to himself. One which quickly turned into a scowl as he noticed a figure standing atop one of the spears.

"Yes, a clone could do that, but I guess I will have to fight you to find out." Naruto shrugged his shoulders then paused before he spoke again. "But no shinobi techniques. You wanted a samurai fight, then so be it."

Naruto jumped off the spear and landed on the ground in a half-seated position, ready to initiate his Tatehiza no bu. As Takeshi stalked towards his enemy, he became emotionless and, with a blur, he sped up and attempted to behead Naruto from behind. Sensing this, the Uzumaki effortlessly performed the kata for a person behind him which blocked Takeshi's katana. For a brief moment, both held this technique in order to look into each other's cold, emotionless eyes. The battle, however, continued when Naruto attempted to kick Takeshi's feet off balance. In response, said person jumped back to avoid it which made Naruto rush forward while slicing in an X pattern. At first Takeshi didn't suspect anything and was ready to block, but that changed to shock as he sensed the Ki usage in the attack.

Using his speed, Takeshi ran and jumped over the attack then continued towards Naruto whom used the kata for a person in front of him to block the katana. Again, both looked at each other with those cold eyes, but Naruto noticed Takeshi looked to his right. Acting quickly, Naruto shoved the rebel leader forward, then snap kicked him in the chest which sent him into the side of a rock spear. The counter-attack was done at the perfect time as Naruto ducked to allow an Earth Dragon to pass overhead.

"Clones Takeshi? I should have known you wouldn't stick to a clean samurai fight."

The leader chuckled before he replied, "Your good kid, I admit that, but now you will see how powerful I really am."

Naruto's eyes widened as he suddenly lost sight of Takeshi and, with barely any warning, Naruto raised his katana to stop the blade from cutting off his head; two inches to be exact. However, Takeshi's strength was quickly overcoming Naruto to where the blade inched ever closer, but Naruto wasn't deterred; he had a way out. Acting quickly, Naruto fell back towards the ground then kicked upwards in the hopes of connecting with Takeshi's chin. With a scoff, the rebel leader caught Naruto's foot then brought a Ki enhanced elbow onto the Uzumaki's knee. A sickening snap was heard followed by a grunt of pain as Naruto tried to hold in his scream.

The rebel leader then threw the boy in the air and roundhouse kicked him in the stomach which sent Naruto through multiple earth spears. Not a moment later, the jinchuriki slammed into a wall of a vacant building where he instantly collapsed to the ground in pain.

"Ow!" Naruto rubbed the back of his head and winced." Ok…this guy is no pushover, time to step it up a notch."

Just as Naruto was about to activate his Kyuubi cloak and get up, however, Takeshi kicked him in the side which rolled him over. The next thing the Uzumaki felt was something being slapped on his forehead and Kurama's voice suddenly going silent. It was then, Naruto understood what fear truly was.

"It seems my brother will be burying his student today." Takeshi evilly said as he rose his katana, ready to behead the child in front of him. "Such a pity."

"Just because I lost a part of me, does not mean I am defeated." Naruto said with a cough at the end. "Tell me, to what extent, how much do you know about your Ki?"

The rebel leader didn't have time to answer as a massive surge of power blasted him away. When he looked up, he gasped in shock at what the boy was doing.

"I-impossible!"

The reason for Takeshi's surprised state? With a smirk on his face, there Naruto stood with a hazy aura about his form, melting the snow beneath him. His eyes were no longer blue, instead, they were all white and his muscles bulged slightly under his armor.

"Let me show you, Takeshi, what our ancestors discovered about the power all samurai use today." Naruto said, strain evident in his tone. "A power that only I know how to use to its fullest extent!"

Before Takeshi could even attack, Naruto crouched low then sped off which left a crater in his wake. If not for his experience, Takeshi would never have dodged the hit but, to his surprise, he was still lifted off his feet and sent through a couple earth spears before he recovered with a back-flip. Once both feet were on the ground, the rebel leader tried his best to find the boy but he suddenly spit out blood and bile as a fist was buried deep into his stomach. He did not fly, however, as Naruto grasped the man by the back of his head, and brought it down against his non broken knee three times. Takeshi didn't feel any pain, no, all he felt was the weightlessness of flying through the air and towards the center of town where the executions took place.

"Incredible!" Was Takeshi's only thought as he flew.


For the other commanders, their battle had been pretty easy as the rebel forces seemed more disturbed by the executions they had to commit than anything else. About five minutes into this battle, however, something suddenly crashed into the ground beside them which brought all fighting to a standstill. As they peered into the crater, everyone couldn't help but gasp at seeing Takeshi in all his broken glory. Before anyone could even go up to the rebel leader, something crashed next to Takeshi; the sight of which made everyone step back in both fear and awe.

"N-Naruto?" Hiroto, Fukui, and Takuma stuttered.

"The ways of old are wonderful, are they not?" Naruto grinned as he spread his arms out. "THIS is the true extent of the power we all use today, what our ancestors discovered long ago."

Just as Naruto was about to pick up the rebel leader and knock him out so he could be brought back to Mifune, Zetsu suddenly appeared, grabbed Takeshi, and sunk into the ground. Although angry at not being able to get the man that started this war, Naruto did see an opportunity as many of the rebel forces that guarded this outpost was still alive.

"Come peacefully, or die by the blade…your choice."

Not wanting to face the young commander in the state he was in, the rebels immediately laid down their arms and surrendered which made Naruto sigh in relief.

"Master, you might want to catch me," Naruto grunted out as pain was starting to take over his body. "This power comes at an extreme cost."

With that, Naruto let his Ki recede back into his body and promptly fell backwards into Fukui's arms. It was here, Naruto's master saw his student's face contort into pain and trying his best not to scream. It was also at this moment that Fukui saw the seal on Naruto's forehead, one which he had no idea what it did so he left it as is.

"Why isn't the Kyuubi healing him?" The Harumasa noticed, his eyes widening as Naruto started to cough up blood. "We need to get him home and fast…maybe Shizuka can fix this."

As the rebels surrendered, Hiroto took one look at the boy then Fukui and instantly knew what had to be done.

"Rest easy Fukui, I will take Uzumaki-san back home as I am the fastest out of all of us."

Fukui nodded, "Thank you, and please see if Shizuka can do anything about that seal. If not, I fear we might need to contact Konoha for help."

Hiroto nodded, then grabbed the boy and sped off, trying his best not to aggravate Naruto's already serious injuries.


20 Minutes Later – Hospital

Hiroto burst inside and quickly ran past the receptionist amid her protests and instantly found a free operating room. For the many nurses and doctors who saw the boy in Hiroto's arms, all of them knew that whatever happened to Naruto, it was serious. Without a thought, two doctors and four nurses quickly got to work in the hopes of saving their youngest commander. Satisfied that Naruto was being taken care of, Hiroto sped off towards Shizuka's residence. Meanwhile, with Naruto, the nurses and doctors scrambled to patch up his injuries. Out of a village of samurai, these were the only people allowed to use chakra.

"Doc, he has a lot of internal bleeding," One of the nurses informed, "And his tenant is not healing him for some reason."

As the nurses carefully took of Naruto's armor, one of the doctors prepared a chest tube. Once the armor was removed and his kimono cut off, the chest tube was inserted into Naruto which immediately started to drain the blood and fluid in his lungs. It was at this time, the heart monitor he just got hooked up to started to show him about to flat line.

"Shit…we're losing him!"

"Clear!" One of the doctors said as he sent an electric jolt through Naruto's body once everyone wasn't touching the young samurai's body.

The heart monitor still made the noise everyone feared.

"Again…clear!"

Naruto's body jolted as the electrical pulse ran through him. Still nothing.

"Dammit…not this way, wake up damn you!" The doctor who administered the shocks said in a surprisingly calm state. "Clear!"

Another electrical pulse, but this time Naruto threw up a massive quantity of blood which spattered on everyone trying to heal him. However, the nurses and doctors didn't even flinch as they were too focused on saving Naruto's life.

"Is his airway clear?" One of the doctors asked as the heart monitor came back on, much to everyone's relief.

"Yes." A nurse replied which made the head doctor nod in acknowledgment.

"Insert a breathing tube, and put him in a medically induced coma. Once he is in the clear, we can work on his injuries." The head doctor let out a sigh of relief then headed towards the door. "Would one of you run a diagnostic and send a report to my office afterward?"

One nurse, who instantly got to work, simply nodded which prompted the others to step outside; all thankful that Naruto was somewhat stable. Once they left the room, however, they came face to face with Shizuka and Hiroto.

"Please tell me he's OK!" Shizuka said as tears started to form.

As Hiroto put a reassuring hand on her, the head doctor shook his head with a sad smile.

"I'm afraid not…"

"Shizuka."

"I'm afraid not, Shizuka-san." The doctor continued sadly. "He died on us a couple times, but we luckily revived him. Whatever that boy did, it almost killed him. To be honest, we have him in a medically induced coma right now as he is not ready for treatment to the other injuries he has."

"And the seal on his forehead?" Hiroto spoke up before Shizuka could.

"Ah, yes. I'm afraid that it might be the cause as to why his tenant is not responding."

Shizuka's eyes widened, "I have limited sealing knowledge, I might be able to take it off."

At first, the head doctor was going to refuse, but he nodded as it could save Naruto's life. Acting quickly, the head doctor escorted Shizuka inside just as the nurse finished her diagnostic. The sight of Naruto in this state shocked Shizuka to the core, but what made the situation worse was when the nurse shook her head with a frown, signaling that not all was OK. Steeling her nerves, Shizuka looked over the seal for a moment before scrunching her eyes in confusion.

"I've never seen a seal matrix this complex before…it's amazing." With a sigh, she looked it over again and again, then came to a startling realization. "I cannot remove it. If a certain part of this seal is tampered with, it will kill Naruto."

With tears in her eyes, Shizuka grasped her lover's bloody right hand, and squeezed it slightly.

"Please come back to me Naruto, please come back to me!"

Hiroto hated seeing this part of war; the possibility of losing a loved one.

"I will have Mifune contact Konoha to see if someone could help our Akuma no Senshi." Hiroto said as he laid a reassuring hand on Shizuka's shoulder. "It's the only shot we have."

Shizuka smiled slightly then let out a whispered thank you before she was escorted out of the room much to her displeasure. The only thoughts in her mind was what the doctor had said to her and the hope that Naruto recovered. She didn't care if his career as a samurai would be over as a result, all she cared about was the two of them being in each other's arms for eternity.


Konoha – Hours Later

Nagato leaned back in his chair with a smile as his Paths did the paperwork for him. Just as he was about to fall asleep, however, a pecking was heard at the window. Confused, he got up and took the message off of the hawk's left leg before dismissing the bird. As the Godaime sat down, he unrolled the message and began to read. By time he sat down, Nagato's face was becoming pale the more he read. In fact, the news was so startling that he had to read the message twice to fully grasp the delicate situation at hand. Nagato was now worried, not only for Iron Country's situation, but for his cousin's well-being as well.

"Preta, get me Tsunade and Jiraiya ASAP!"

The Preta Path nodded, then vanished in a shunshin. A minute later, both were in his office.

"What's the matter Nagato?" Jiraiya asked with a raised eyebrow.

"No time for questions Sensei, Naruto is on death's door." The Godaime quickly replied, leaving no room for discussion. "Mifune requested a sealing master as well as Tsunade-san due to Naruto's condition."

The Sannin gulped, but it was Tsunade who was the most worried as she had an idea of why she was called upon.

"Please tell me his chances of survival…please."

Nagato sighed sadly, his tone was that of a broken individual. "Five percent."

The Sannin were gone instantly, they didn't even wait for a dismissal from their Hokage. Nagato didn't mind, however, as he knew of the bond they shared with Naruto even though it took a bit of time to get there. For the Sannin, as they ran, the only thoughts in their mind was that their godson was about to meet the Shingami at the young age of 13.

It was something they wouldn't stand for.

"How long until we get there, Jiraiya?" Tsunade asked.

"It's usually a week's journey on foot, but at Shinobi speed, our speed, I would say about two to three days at most."

The Slug Sage growled as she wished the journey could be quicker, then again, both thought the same exact thing.

"Hold in there gaki, we're coming for you."


With Takeshi

Much like Naruto, Takeshi was put into a medically induced coma so that he could heal from his multiple injuries. Currently, they were in a hideout which Tobi used in the Land of Iron, one which he and Zetsu would abandon for good.

"What now Tobi?" White Zetsu said as he watched the person in question's hands tense in disgust at the sight before them.

Tobi scowled in disgust as he watched the sleeping form of what was supposed to be the catalyst to his plans in the Elemental Nations.

"Although our time in Iron Country is finished, the plans have not changed." Tobi responded as he turned away from Takeshi's broken form.

"And what of Takeshi, will you kill him?"

The Uchiha scoffed, "He's already dead, Zetsu. His mind is clouded with revenge…it will only kill him in time."

"And of Naruto, the Kyuubi Jinchuriki?" White Zetsu added. "Do you wish for me to retrieve him in his weakened state?"

Tobi paused in thought, then shook his head. "No, let him heal, let him grow in strength. Both of us will meet in the future, and when that time comes, the world will be under my control."


Two Days Later – Naruto's Hospital Room

Once Jiraiya and Tsunade had arrived, Mifune escorted them to the hospital where they all were taken to where Naruto was being held. Knowing the severity of the situation, Mifune kept everything brief.

"I warn you now Tsunade-san, Jiraiya-san, at what you will see."

Before they entered the room, however, the head doctor recognized Tsunade and quickly stopped her and handed over Naruto's hospital report. The amount of injuries her godson had was shocking to say the least.

"Internal bleeding, shattered right kneecap, almost all the muscles, tendons, and ligaments in his body was torn, and extreme stress fractures on most of his skeletal structure. And these are just the worst ones…dear Kami, what did you do to yourself, Naruto!"

Composing herself, Tsunade thanked the doctor before they all entered Naruto's room where they found Shizuka holding his right hand with a frown on her face. Although Shizuka's eyes were red and puffy from lack of sleep and crying, upon catching sight of Tsunade, a glimmer of hope was seen.

"Please tell me you can fix Naruto-kun…please, Tsunade-san."

Mifune smiled at the concern, "Tsunade-san, this is Shizuka, Naruto's lover."

"Thank you for being there for my godson, Shizuka-san." Although known to be a super pervert, Jiraiya didn't comment on her physique due to the situation. "Now, you said something about a seal?"

Shizuka nodded and pointed to Naruto's forehead and, when the Toad Sage saw it, he couldn't help but grimace at the sight.

"I haven't seen a seal like this since the Second Shinobi War…it's almost like an Uzumaki Seal, almost but not quite. Let's see here…"

The room was silent as Jiraiya worked, well almost silent at least. The only thing they heard was the seal master humming his thoughts on how to go about this. A tense five minutes later, Jiraiya smiled as he had finally figured out how to undo the seal. After pulling supplies for a sealing scroll, he drew a counter-seal and applied it to Naruto's head. Once gone, Jiraiya had to push everyone to the door as Naruto was soon covered in a red aura which fried any medical equipment in the area and peeled the paint from the walls due to its corrosive nature.

After two minutes of this, of which many samurai and doctors had rushed to the door to see what the matter was, the red aura left once the healing process ended. Once it disappeared, however, Tsunade was immediately by Naruto's bedside and ran a quick diagnosis.

"He's not out of the woods yet, but his chances are now at least 50 to 60 percent instead of five." Tsunade, and others, breathed a huge sigh of relief. "Give me some time to work here, Shizuka. I assure you, Naruto will be back in your arms before you know it."

The girl blushed and, for the first time in days, a true smile came to her face.


Edited: 8/29/15