Yo..

The poll is still going on and will be closed at the end of this week. I am allowing everyone to present me their thoughts related to the pairing issue, and there is one thing I can assure you.

If it turns into a small harem story (Only 3 girls), or even a single pairing story then it won't be similar to other Harem or single pairing stories.

Because the female characters of this story have their own paths and beliefs, and are badass too. (They are not fan girls)

Enjoy the chapter...

Chapter 32

The Nidaime Taichou

"Minato"

Her eyes softened on seeing his face, 14 years had passed since she saw his face, his smile. Words couldn't describe how happy she was feeling on seeing him after all these years.

"You can come back to us, it is still not too late"

Kushina was again shocked when she saw Mikoto standing on another side of the beach with a friendly smile on her face. This was the woman she admired the most, and was her only best friend.

"Mikoto"

"Kushina, the will of fire burns in you the most. Don't give up so easily...don't let the Kyuubi's hatred influence you"

"Jiraiya-sensei"

She emotionally stared at the 3 people around her, the 3 pillars that had supported her throughout her life. The people whom she once called family, the people with whom she had laughed, cried, fought and shared every feeling of her heart.

"It can be all yours again, you don't have to face this cruel world all alone. The feelings that you have in your heart right now are far more powerful than your hatred for the world, fight"

Kushina stared sadly at the young shinobi in front of her, he looked the exact copy of Minato except for his sharingan. All the dots started connecting in her mind, as she realized who he was.

"I'm Naruto Namikaze, son of the Yondaime Hokage and Mikoto Uchiha. And I'm going to take you back to your family"

A lone tear slipped from her eyes as her eyes observed the people around her, after 14 years of loneliness she was finally able to see their faces, their smiles and somewhere in her heart she felt something which she had forgotten during all these years.

But she knew there was no going back now...

She raised her right hand and made a small hand seal as Minato, Mikoto and Jiraiya dispersed from the area. The only one left was now Naruto who was looking at her sympathetically.

"I cannot live in that genjutsu anymore, you are their son. The child of my best friends and yet I tried to kill you, I abandoned my comrades in search of that peace that would fill the void in my heart. I sacrificed everything in search of that world where my dreams can come true...even if you defeat me now, other people like me who have suffered pain will never stop spreading more hatred in that world" explained Kushina sympathetically,

However the boy just gave her a warm smile that touched her heart...

"Then I'll save all of them too, as long as there is a little hope in their hearts I will rescue them from their darkness. I will never give up"

Ikiryo watched silently as his alter ego pledged to save people from their darkness, he also saw the tears that slipped from Kushina's eyes.

He didn't want to admit it, but maybe Naruto could really change this world. His desire to protect his friends, his faith in people who had lost themselves to darkness...

"How can you believe so much in yourself? How can you say you won't give up even when you face only pain and despair in this worthless world?" asked Kushina pleadingly, all these years she had followed Madara.

The Uchiha had made her believe that this world was worthless and the only way to save it was to follow his plan. But now she saw a man who wanted to save the world, a man who didn't want to give up on people who had lost faith in themselves and the world.

Maybe, just maybe...

"I've known love, the feelings that your family shower you with.."

He remembered his time with his Minato, Mikoto, Shisui, Kagami and most of all Itachi, the brother he loved the most. While Kushina remembered her time with her team.

"I've known happiness, the feelings that you feel when your friends and comrades fill the hole in your heart and bring joy in your loves"

Commander Fox, Yugao, Armin, Kotetsu, Rangiku, Izumo, Genma, Anko, Hana, Aoba, Raido, Shizune, Iwashi and Mikasa's faces flashed in his mind. While Kushina remembered her life with Minato and his young team. Their pranks on Jiraiya, the times when they would hide Hiruzen's smoking pipe,

"And I've known despair and pain, when those same friends and comrades are ripped to shreds in front of your eyes."

She noticed the lone tear that slipped from his eyes, so he too had lost friends in this war. He did know the pain that every shinobi was going through in this world.

"And most of all, I have darkness in myself and it is because of that darkness that I can understand your pain. I have done some horrible things too, I know how hatred makes you do things you feel ashamed of. The only thing we can do against it is to keep on fighting and never give up until the end. And we are not alone in this endless battle, we have friends and family that can support us...you just have to let them in. It's never too late, Kushina...come back to us" said Naruto lovingly, as he slowly extended his hand to the shaken kunoichi.

"You...I..."

He noticed the words that were not able to escape from her mouth, as tears were freely flowing from her eyes. Naruto felt something for her, both of them were the same and he wanted to save a fellow Konoha shinobi, most of all he wanted to save her because she was family.

She slowly stared walking towards him in order to grasp his hand. Was she really mistaken? Could she have made the wrong choice?

Most of all she couldn't understand just how did she betray her family...she was not someone who would give up on family, there was something wrong.

Why was this pain emerging in her head?

Ikiryo's sensed something that shocked him to the core, so this was the real truth of this woman.

"Naruto, JUMP!"

SLASH

His eyes widened when a chakra tail emerged from her body and tried to stab him in the heart, fortunately Ikiryo's warning allowed him to escape the attack by mere inches.

"What are you doing? Surrender, Kushina!" yelled Naruto sternly, but he saw something that shocked him greatly.

"She's a puppet, look in her eyes," advised Ikiryo quickly, as Kushina's entire body was covered in red chakra and five tails emerged behind her back.

Naruto saw the frozen expression in her eyes, and it only took him a second to realize just what happened to her all those years ago.

"That's right, she has lost control now. Even if she wants to come back, she can't. Someone is controlling her mind," warned Ikiryo, as the sixth tail emerged from Kushina's body.

Naruto looked at the faces of his unconscious soldiers, he knew that his power was still not enough to fight the Nine Tails. But if he ran away, then his entire company would be massacred as Kushina had lost all control now.

Ikiryo watched silently as Naruto wrapped the haori of "Captain" on his chest, and the boy gave a small smile as he looked towards the sky.

"Now, I finally understand what you meant Commander Fox. Maybe it wasn't so bad that I joined Blacklight, you fulfilled your duty as the Shodai Taichou of this company and now..."

"What are you doing? I'll kill-" yelled Ikiryo loudly, but the connection was quickly shut off as Naruto gained full control of his body.

"It's my turn to fight for them as...the Nidaime Taichou,"

He put his Phoenix mask back on, as both of his Mangekyo flared to life. The air was stinking with the smell of the foul chakra, his eyes shifted to the barrier which the water clones were holding.

"I'll have to take her away from here, there is only one way left now.." thought Naruto quickly,

"GAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH"

He had to instantly activate his Kamui as Kushina fired a shock wave of Kyuubi chakra straight at him, the attack passed right through and hit right beside the barrier where his soldiers were.

Naruto quickly fired two exploding tags towards the berserk Jinchuuriki, but she easily blocked it with her tails. Without wasting another second he stared running away from the area, while his opponent was right on his heels continuously firing her tails at him.

The young captain quickly analyzed the chakra left in his body, he didn't have any chakra pills right now so whatever chakra he had left had to be used carefully.

There was no way he could defeat Kushina in her current state, but if he could bring her out of that genjutsu then there was hope that all of them could be saved,

But still, to think that the strongest Jinchuuriki of their world was being controlled by someone all these years made him a little anxious.

Because there was only one thing in the entire world that could control a Biju, and the answer to this mystery was in his eyes.

So, there was another one who had the Mangekyo Sharingan and he was certainly not on Konoha's side. Could it be that this person was the real villain of this war?

"There is something really big going on, this war was waged by someone else. But right now, I have to save Kushina...but to do that, I have to save my chakra to perform that jutsu. But if I don't use my mangekyo then my chances of survival are slim to none, but if I don't have enough chakra then the power of that jutsu won't be able to alter the genjutsu casted on Kushina. I have to take the risk," thought Naruto tactically,

Kushina's chakra arms again tried to tear him apart but he acrobatically evaded the strikes, he hazily saw the 7th tail had started to emerge and if she went full nine tails then his plan would fail.

It was now or never.

He didn't know if this power would help him or not, but he had to take the risk. His hands quickly performed a set of hand seals as the monstrous jinchuuriki jumped at him.

"Mokuton: KajuKai Korin (Wood Release: Advent of a World of Flowering Trees)"

The entire area erupted into a forests of trees and within seconds hundreds of small pink colored flowers emerged from the branches and released gas in the entire area.

Naruto collapsed on his knees and coughed up a mouthful of blood, as certain black marks started spreading across his entire body.

"What is this? What's happening to me?" thought Naruto alarmingly, and his eyes spotted all the marks were emerging from one of his legs.

He remembered this injury, but those wounds had healed years ago. Even the medics had certified him of being healthy, but now these marks were killing him from the inside.

His entire body was on fire, and using the Mangekyo a few moments ago had made his vision hazy again. He saw Kushina was desperately trying to destroy the numerous trees that had encircled all over her, and the sleeping gas released from the flowers had slowed her movements.

All of this had started years ago, and whenever he fought something hurted his body. At Shanx he had felt the mild effects of severe strain on his body, at Shuri Castle he had literally collapsed after defeating the enemy and now...

Shizune was wrong...

He was really dying...

"Renzoku Bijūdama (Continuous Tailed Beast Balls)"

His eyes widened in terror when Kushina fired 5 bijudama at him, and he did the only thing he could.

BOOM!

The entire area exploded as those Bijudama hit their target, most of the trees were destroyed, sand flew wildly in the air and the entire sky lit up brightly.

Silence followed in the area, as the dust and debris flew in the entire area. Kushina watched stoically as the boy was blasted to pieces from her attack.

It was all over now...she could return to Madara-sama,

"Is this the death you imagined for me, then?"

She was minutely shocked when he heard his voice, certain cracks could be heard and soon she saw the young Blacklight commander emerging from a dragon like wooden dome that had protected him from the Tailed Beasts bombs.

Naruto painfully got up from the ground, his legs felt weak and with each passing moment those black marks were killing him. His body was already trying to recover from the destructive battle that he had fought with Kushina with Ikiryo's help.

He could try to take his alter ego's help, but he didn't trust him. Even if it had promised to protect his soldiers, Naruto knew Ikiryo would sacrifice them in a blink of an eye if it means he could survive. That was the reason he had to shut him off.

Naruto looked at the struggling Kushina who was about to escape from his bindings, and quickly performed a set of hand seals.

"Mokuton: Hotei no Jutsu"

Giant wooden hands emerged all around Kushina and quickly grasped her entire body. Naruto felt a massive shock in his heart, as the boy fell flat on the ground.

Blood leaked from his mouth, and his vision started to darken.

He had used almost all of his chakra in the last attack, and his body couldn't take it anymore. He had to fight, or else Kushina and his village would be in great danger.

The wooden hands were draining the Kyuubi chakra from her body, but the more they drained the more chakra erupted from her body.

"Not yet...I have to do this"

He shakily got back up as blood leaked like a river from his mouth, he could barely see Kushina and knew his time was close. With great difficulty he started walking towards the red head.

"Biju Daiken Suidanha (Tailed Beast Laser Bullets)"

"GAH!" screamed Naruto in pain, as several laser bullets acidified with Kyuubi chakra pierced his arms and legs.

He painfully started walking towards Kushina while ignoring the small holes in various parts of his hands and legs, just a few more meters and then he would succeed.

Naruto neared Kushina as the out of control Jinchuuriki growled at him furiously, every cell in his body was hurting but he kept on walking ahead.

"Almost there..."

He slowly lifted his right hand as he neared towards her, the air was so hot that some parts of his skin had started burning badly. The giant wooden hands were draining her chakra, but he knew she could break free any moment.

SLASH!

His eyes widened in shock when 3 chakra tails pierced clean through his chest, the pain that he felt in that moment was unbearable, and his legs couldn't hold his weight anymore.

THUD

The soft sand was being drenched in his blood, he could barely hear some voices in his head while his eyes were fixed on the struggling Kushina. He tried to move but every muscle in his body was resisting him.

Was he really going to die here?

He could faintly hear his heartbeat decreasing, and his eyes were slowly closing with each passing second.

"You're my leader, Naruto. You are a great ninja who possesses true power, I believe in you,"

His eyes widened in shock when he remembered those words, he would not fail. Armin gave his life believing he could change this world, and his sacrifice would go in vain if he could not save Kushina.

She could reveal the true mastermind of this war and it could save hundreds of lives.

"If I perform this jutsu with the current level of my chakra and these injuries, my life will..."

He quickly got back up again, and with all the strength left in his body he started walking towards Kushina.

"To entrust the Kyuubi back to Konoha, and save Kushina and reveal the mastermind behind this war, this is my best shot!"

Naruto quickly grabbed Kushina's head as the foul Biju chakra burned his skin, but he ignored the pain and looked her straight in the eye as his Mangekyo Sharingan spinned one last time.

"Kamimusuhi (World of Illusions)"

THUD

Author's Notes: End of chapter.

The final decision regarding pairings would be revealed by next chapter.

Be happy and have a good life.