Yo...
Time for another chapter, and I have a feeling most of you will like this one.
I think this chapter will start a new saga in Naruto and everyone's life. The choices which I can make in this story are limitless, kind of like a RPG (Role Playing Game) where you make all the choices, and I really like this aspect as it grants me immense freedom in the plot and its creative aspects.
I'm also very happy that you guys are finally starting to understand the significance of this civil war arc, and the impacts which it shall have on this story...
Enjoy the last chapter of this arc...
Chapter 74
The Trial
(2 Days Later)
Naruto idly sat in a small cell of his old Blacklight base, the room only had a small bed and an in-built sewage system. There were no windows in the room and the corridor outside was completely dark so he didn't even know since how long he was being held in this place.
He would occasionally get a meal every few hours along with a glass of water, basically he had lost all contact with the outside world.
The only thing he wished was that Mikasa or anyone else didn't do anything reckless and got themselves in trouble. He was prepared to face this military trial, and now that the war and Baku's revolt were finished...he didn't want any more of his friends to die in vain.
Certainly not for someone like him...
He was interrupted from his thoughts when the door of his cell was slowly opened, and he had to cover his eyes as a Anbu guard detail walked in.
"Keep the light down..." said Naruto hesitantly, and the Anbu captain signaled his soldiers to lower the burning wooden sticks.
"Commander Naruto, the authority will conduct your trial now...we are here to escort you." explained the Anbu captain, gaining an understanding nod from Naruto.
The former Blacklight commander got up from his seat and stepped in front of the Anbu captain while offering his hands to be binded by ninja wires...
"That won't be necessary..." said the Anbu captain apologetically,
"Why?" asked Naruto curiously,
"None of us like this, sir. We understand what you did was only to protect Konoha...if it were up to us, this trial wouldn't have happened. But we are under orders..." explained the Anbu captain,
"The least we can do is to escort you to the court not as a prisoner, but as a commander. You deserve that..." suggested another Anbu, and his other two Anbu comrades also gave affirmative nods.
A small smile came on Naruto's face on hearing the respect his comrades had for him...
"Thank you..." said Naruto gratefully,
The small group now started walking through the dark corridors, taking turns at every corner until they saw a bright light radiating from a closed door.
"Go ahead, commander" suggested the Anbu captain,
Naruto took in a deep breath as he slowly started to walk towards the door. the moment of truth had finally arrived.
As he gently pushed the doors, he was invaded by the bright light of the sun which momentarily blinded him. After a few seconds, he regained his vision and saw himself standing in a large room.
There was a large podium on the top, on which the 4 members of the authority could be seen sitting. On the left and right sides, there were several seats in which he could see familiar faces.
His Blacklight comrades were in the left row, while many of the Konoha Council Members were sitting in the right row along with his family.
He could see anger and disappointment in Mikasa's eyes, while worry and compassion in Rangiku's eyes...
Izumo and Hana just gave him a small nod indicating their support for him...
Shizune seemed too nervous to say anything, while Anko had a frown on her face as she watched the authority members...
Genma seemed frustrated, and the same could be said for Itachi who was certainly not in favor of this trial. While his mother seemed to be nervous...
Although he was surprised to see Hashirama, Tobirama and Toka sitting along with the Konoha Council, that was certainly unexpected.
As he slowly walked towards the open area of the court he saw Kushina standing there in chains, waiting for judgement to be passed on her.
"You okay?" asked Naruto worriedly, gaining a smile from her.
"Now that you're here, I'm fine. What they are doing to you is outrageous...they should be worshiping you for saving their helpless hides, dattabane!" replied Kushina in a frustrated voice,
"Kushina, I really don't think you should say such things in front of these people..." advised Naruto, but she just huffed in defiance.
"I don't care...this is wrong" said Kushina honestly,
Before Naruto could knock some sense into his comrade, the were stopped when one of the authority members slammed their hand on their table silencing the bickering duo.
"The authority on behalf of the Hokage will conduct your trial, Kyuubi Jinchuuriki" announced Red Dragon, surprising Naruto.
"But the Hokage decides the fate...why is this happening in her case? She's not even a Blacklight, your highness" questioned Naruto in protest,
He even looked at his father for answers but Minato just remained stoic and didn't reveal a single emotion on his face...
"Kushina is your father's former teammate and a close friend. As such, he won't be able to rationally judge her case due to his personal feelings and attachment to this woman. The same can be said in your case, as you are his elder son. As such, he has directed us to conduct your trials and has authorized whatever judgement we pass..." explained Tortoise in detail,
The decision made sense as Naruto gave a silent nod to the authority an signaled Kushina to comply with the changes, they had no choice in this as Minato himself had authorized it.
Kushina was rather surprised when several familiar faces surrounded her and Naruto from all sides. She idly wondered what the various clan heads of Konoha were up to...
Shikaku Nara, Choza Akimichi, Inoichi Yamanka, Kagami Uchiha, and a Hizashi Hyuga along with Tsume Inuzuka and Shibi Abumrame.
A small smirk came on Naruto's face as he understood what the authority wanted to do...and it was quite ingenious.
"These people will help us in determining your case, the motives behind your actions and the penalty which you must be awarded. Shikaku-san restrain these two...so that we don't have to deal with any further unexpected actions.." commanded Red Dragon,
Kushina was about to protest but a glare from Naruto instantly silenced her, as the Nara clan head binded them with his clan's hidden ninjutsu.
"Choza-san, you shall keep an eye on these two. Make sure they or anyone else don't disrupt this court's proceedings..." declared White Tiger,
"As you wish" replied Choza curtly, and got behind Naruto and Kushina.
"Kagami-san, put both of them under a simple genjutsu so that they don't tell us any lies. While Inoichi-san shall verify the truth by comparing their words with actual memories of their minds..." announced Vermillion Bird, as Kagami stepped in front of Naruto and Kushina.
"It's alright..." comforted Naruto, as his grandfather activated his sharingan and both him as well as Kushina felt something in their minds.
Meanwhile Inoichi put a hand on their heads and channeled a little chakra, as Naruto and Kushina felt a new presence inside their mind.
"Hizashi Hyuga had opposed the rebellion of his clan. So this authority has selected him for this job. He will keep an eye on your heartbeats with his Byakugan, while Tsume-san will sniff out your pheromones, and Shibi-san will analyze your body temperatures. In this way, there is no possibility for any deception from your side...you cannot lie to us any more" explained Tortoise victoriously,
"Sneaky bastards..." thought Kushina irritatedly,
"Well, it's to be expected from the authority. They know their job very well..." thought an impressed Naruto,
"Naruto Namikaze...step forward!" commanded White Tiger, as the boy took a few steps close towards the jury.
"Commader Phoenix, former leader of 1st company of Blacklight. You are facing the charges of- treason, murder of fellow Blacklight, desertion of post during war, breaking every law of Blacklight, hiding information from your superiors, and acting on your own without any authorization from your commanding officer. What do you plead?" asked Vermillion Bird seriously,
"Guilty" answered Naruto, gaining shocked gasp from many members of Konoha Council as well as from his own family.
"Before we pronounce your sentence, we would like to know what prompted you to perform these actions. You were a brave, loyal commander..." questioned Dragon curiously,
"I only acted to protect Konoha and Fire Country..." confessed Naruto,
"Explain yourself, Commander you disappeared after the battle at Miyasato island...where if I'm not wrong, Kushina Uzumaki attacked your forces including you" said Red Dragon seriously,
"Yes, it is true that she attacked us on that island. However she was being controlled...by a very powerful ninja who had subdued her with his powers. Kushina never left Konoha due to her own wish, rather she was forced" explained Naruto patiently,
Minato and Mikoto were indeed surprised with this information, particularly Mikoto. She had always thought that her marriage to Minato was the reason for Kushina's desertion and misery. But this certainly gave her some relief...
"Is this true, Kushina?" asked White Tiger in a strict voice, trying to intimidate the poor woman.
"Yes" answered Kushina truthfully, and Naruto decided to further his explanation.
"Your Highness, I was able to subdue Kushina due to my Mangekyo and Mokuton powers but I suffered severe wounds in the fight, and so did Kushina. My soldiers were already unconscious...and the enemy used this advantage to capture both of us" said Naruto seriously,
"Who captured you?" asked Dragon curiously,
"It was the Akatsuki..."
The entire court room erupted into chaos on hearing the confession, only the Senju family didn't have any idea about the Akatsuki. But looking at the terrified faces of Mikoto and Minato was enough to warrant the organization as a threat to Konoha...
"SILENCE!"
The chaos was disrupted when Red Dragon's powerful voice echoed in the room bringing peace to the trial, as the man motioned Inoichi to verify the information.
"It's true, they were indeed captured by the Akatsuki" declared Inoichi confidently,
"This complicates the validity of many charges against you commander...and was the Akatsuki also responsible for abducting Kushina in the past? And who was the person that was able to subdue even the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki?" asked Red Dragon worriedly,
Every person in the room could see the worry in Naruto's eyes, and it didn't bode well for them. Minato knew his son was one of the bravest ninja of their world, and if this person could unease Naruto then he was a formidable threat.
Tobirama sensed the dark feelings in the boy, and the amount of hatred which he had for the person...
"Uchiha Madara"
Silence...
Not a single sound could be heard in the entire room as each and every person felt struck by a 1000 lightning bolts, the fear, the despair in the room increased greatly just by the name of that shinobi. In a desperate attempt to prove this revelation a myth, everyone turned towards Kushina but when even her shoulders slumped in defeat and a fearful Inoichi verified the claim...
They knew that that apocalypse had already begun...
"It can't be...I killed Madara at the Valley of End" said Hashirama in denial, just how was this possible?
Everyone started chattering among themselves in order to find solace, to hear that this was not the truth. Only Tobirama sensed something in Naruto, that proved the boy was definitely up to something...
He had specifically preserved Madara's body all those years ago, there was no way the man was alive. It only meant that the person Naruto was speaking of was an impostor...
And looking into the deceptive look in the boy's eyes made him smile...
"You son of a bitch. Naruto, you are not only a great leader but also a master manipulator. Now I truly understand the dream of your empire..." thought Tobirama smartly,
"Is something wrong? Do you think Naruto is lying?" asked Minato seriously, making his father silent for a few moments.
Tobirama didn't know what to do, he was the only one who knew the truth and how Naruto was deceiving everyone. On the other hand, he had also seen the terrible state of the ninja world, even if their enemy was not the real Madara...he was still a dangerous foe if he was so easily able to manipulate all ninja villages.
Four world wars had happened which had proven that the system of ninja villages was failing, even all the rules he had formed to protect Konoha seemed helpless against the greed of the ninja world.
He had also seen Naruto- not only was his grandson a man of honor who valued his comrades, but was also a person who was willing to do everything to protect Konoha and maintain the peace. He had inherited Hashirama's ideals, but also Tobirama's very own cunning mind. Naruto was a leader with a vision, a grand vision. One that was far greater than the boundaries of the ninja villages, a vision that aimed to unite this war-torn world.
And now he had to make a choice...
A choice which was the best option to save the world.
"No, Minato. Your son is not lying...from what I know of Madara, it could be very well be possible" lied Tobirama deviously, and gave a cunning nod to Naruto who just smiled.
"Tobirama...what are you saying?" asked Hashirama in shock, how could his brother say this?
"You'r too soft, brother. I told you to kill Madara decades ago, even if you truly wanted to kill him in order to save Konoha. He somehow survived and is now destroying our village, he almost destroyed everything we worked for. I Believe in Naruto!" announced Tobirama loudly, surprising every person in the room.
Kushina was stunned when the Authority agreed to the Nidaime Hokage's declaration, she never thought it would be so easy to convince everyone of Madara's existence, but Tobirama's faith in Naruto's information had certainly made everyone comply.
However she was a little wary as the grandfather-grandson seemed to have the same feelings in the heart...and she could feel it.
There was something bigger going on...why did Naruto surrender himself so easily? What was his true plan? Why did he reveal the truth now?
"The empire..." thought Kushina in shock, as she realized the true plan of Naruto Namikaze.
Fear could be a very powerful weapon, and right now the people sitting in the room had power over more than half of the world. Due to the defeat of the Heavenly Alliance, Iwa, Kumo and Kiri were now under Konoha's mercy. And the fate of those villages would be decided by the people in this room...
But none of these people had the power or the mind to defeat Madara. More than that, these people were scared and nervous...easy to be swayed in whichever direction Naruto wanted.
Her eyes shifted towards Naruto, she could not understand how someone so noble could also be this devious. It only proved that Naruto was a boy of both the dark and light sides...
"Your highness, as well as everyone. Uchiha Madara is the true leader of the Akatsuki, he was the one who put Kushina under his genjutsu and made her turn against Konoha. Madara made the Heavenly Alliance with the help of the Akatsuki, and started the fourth great ninja war" announced Naruto confidently,
"Oh Kami...we're doomed" said Choza nervously,
"This is a nightmare" said Kagami in defeat, even Hizashi was clearly troubled with this information.
Even Minato and Mikoto seemed very worried about the future, if all this madness was created by Madara...then what more could the man do?
"What does Madara truly want? Why is he doing this?" asked Tortoise eagerly, and deep down Naruto got a satisfied feeling in his heart.
"So, they are now believing Madara is real...The Authority? Hn, you think you have control over everything? Rules? You idiots have no idea that our enemy follows no rules, he knows no boundaries, no sympathy, no honor. Do you think by this trial you can discover the truth and punish me? The truth will be what I want it to be...otherwise you might just destroy our world in your foolishness" thought Naruto deviously,
"I will not let my world be destroyed by the likes of you. Several of my friends and comrades have died for this day, and I will make sure that a better world is created in the form of "Empire of Japan''. This is my true dream..." thought Naruto with determination,
"Madara plans to collect all Jinchuuriki, for reasons unknown. But I believe he wants to create a super-weapon to rule over the world with the help of the Biju. I had to abandon my post in order to find out who was our real enemy. And if not for Kushina, I could not have found it out...I gained Madara's trust and became a spy for Konoha inside the Akatsuki" explained Naruto patiently,
Mikasa and Rangiku could now understand why Naruto had been so secretive all those times. He was doing whatever it took to defend Konoha...
"How did you gain his trust?" asked Red Dragon suspiciously, as a regretful look appeared in Naruto's eyes.
"Madara didn't trust me from the beginning. So, in order to verify that I was truly loyal or not...he gave me an order" said Naruto sadly,
"What order?" asked White Tiger hesitantly, somehow he was not going to like the answer.
"I was ordered to slaughter Narita village of Kiri. Murder all the people in the village to the very last men, women and child to prove my loyalty to Akatsuki and Madara" confessed Naruto with deep regret in his voice,
Absolute feelings of horror and disgust was visible on the faces of every person, while Mikoto realized why her boy was so different. The things he had to do in order to protect Konoha, protect his family would have broken his soul.
"If I hadn't done that, Madara would have killed me on that spot. I am not afraid of dying, but with the information I had...I could have saved Konoha, and I just couldn't leave Madara in charge of everything. Konoha was losing the war, so I killed all the civilians and destroyed Narita village of Kiri, thereby gaining Madara's trust" said Naruto sadly,
No person knew what to say, what could they even say to the boy? If they were in his situation, then they would have to make the same damn choice...
"What did you do then, Commander?" asked White Tiger patiently,
"After that I gained Madara's trust, as he thought that he had been successful in destroying my humanity. I was close to death when Akatsuki captured me, they rebuilt my body with Hashirama-sama and Kushina's cells and Madara tried to put me under his genjutsu through his Mangekyo...but due to some special circumstances it didn't work, or maybe because I have a Mangekyo like him. The reason is still not clear to me, your highness" stated Naruto calmly,
Hashirama could still not believe his once best friend could do such horrible things, he could never imagine Madara's pain was this great that he wanted to destroy the entire shinobi world. A world which both of them had dreamed and created together.
"I started operating as a member of the Akatsuki along with Kushina. Very soon I learned about the invasion which the Mizukage had planned. I also discovered that Yagura was also under Madara's genjutsu and it was one of the reasons Kiri had joined this war. I commanded Mei Terumi's forces and destroyed the enemy forces...she did mention that a Konoha shinobi helped her, and if you check your records there were no Konoha shinobi in her fort...only her rebel soldiers. More than that her forces were outnumbered, but with a good strategy I defeated them all" explained Naruto in through detail,
"Naruto is telling the truth, your highness. He was indeed the one who saved that entire sector and saved Mei Terumi" clarified Inoichi,
"You defeated 12,000 enemy troops with the help of just 400 rebels?" asked Red Dragon in wonder, and the same amazed look could be seen on the faces of every person in the room.
"I am a Blacklight Commander, and a student of Commander Fox. I did what was necessary and after my battle with Yagura I freed him from Madara's genjutsu, just as I freed Kushina..." said Naruto simply, without any trace of arrogance in his voice.
"It's true, Naruto freed me from Madara's control and I announced the surrender of my forces immediately...ending Kiri's participation in the war. You have to understand Kiri didn't want this war, we were forced into it as I was not strong enough to face Madara" answered Yagura truthfully,
The authority were quite impressed with such actions, this move had practically saved Konoha from destruction as well taking a major step towards ending the war.
"Then we thank you for your actions, Naruto Namikaze. Your wisdom had indeed saved Konoha from total destruction..." complimented Red Dragon,
"I did my duty, that's all. Yagura had became a threat to Madara, so I hid him in one of my secret locations. Very soon I discovered Baku's plan to send Mikasa and her team straight into an ambush. The testimony of 1st company soldiers as well as that of the captured Kinkaku unit of Kumo is on your table. It proves my men were only following orders of Baku...he wanted to kill them so that he did not have any obstacles in his path when he started his revolt. Fortunately I had other loyalists inside 1st company who informed me of this plot, prior to all of this I had informed one of them to spy on Baku and I received information that he was plotting with Danzo Shimura" said Naruto seriously,
"Yes, 1st company has strongly requested that we let you off the hook and drop all charges against you. I must say, you have quite a loyal unit who are willing to break all the rules just to save their commander...and with good reason" said Tortoise in an impressed voice,
"I'm honored by their faith in me. When I rescued Mikasa's team, I ordered them to capture the Tsuchikage's son and granddaughter in order to gain leverage in this war. I also gave the order for collection of information on Killer Bee...I had made all the plans to protect Konoha, before I was gone" said Naruto hesitantly, as he nervously looked towards his mother.
"Gone?" asked Minato curiously,
"Tou-san, I visited you in your quarters just before you embarked for the battle of Osaka..." said Naruto calmly, as a frown came on Minato's face.
"I don't remember that meeting, Naruto" stated Minato seriously, as Naruto agreed.
"That's because I wiped that memory from your brain along with giving you my entire plan to protect Konoha from the Akatsuki and Baku after the war. Before I embarked on my suicide run to take down Akatsuki and Madara myself..." replied Naruto shamefully, and averted his eyes as he could not bear seeing the anger in his mother's eyes and the shock in everyone else's eyes.
"How could you, Naruto? You never thought how we would feel? Did you?" asked Mikoto angrily,
"You were my only family, how could you even think of leaving me alone?" yelled Mikasa furiously,
"Naruto, you were willing to die despite everything that had happened between us...was it even real for you?" questioned Rangiku in a deeply hurt voice
Kushina could just give a sympathetic glance to Naruto, as the boy was being buried under accusations which were obviously breaking his heart.
"You wanted to save everyone, didn't you? Taking all the pain and misery of this world with you...no person in this room has any right to question my Nii-san. I understand what he did has hurt you, it has hurted me too. But I can't ignore the fact that he wanted to destroy all the evil in this world...so that all of us can live in peace. If that doesn't prove his love for us...then I don't know what does. I'm just glad you're back with us...now" said Itachi happily,
"Itachi, I..." replied Naruto in relief, but was happy when his brother just gave everyone a glare shutting them up. Even Mikoto had to sit down when her son glared at her.
"Damn, and here I thought Naruto had the balls to silence Mikoto. Seems it's quite the opposite..." thought Kushina in surprise,
"Thank you, brother" said Naruto gratefully,
"I'm sure you'll make it up for this foolishness. But what changed your mind?" questioned Itachi intriguingly, and the answer everyone received was a finger towards Kushina.
"She saved me from my suicide mission, made me understand that I still had to live on for my family and Konoha. That I could not give up just yet, and at that time we learned of the Edo Tensei attack on Konoha's forces. I knew my father would need help, so I along with Kushina and Mikasa's squad returned back and jumped in the battle..." said Naruto honestly, gaining a small embarrassed blush on Kushina's face.
''Kushina, thank you for saving our foolish son..." said Minato and Mikoto in unison, while Naruto just pouted on being called ''foolish''
Itachi and Rangiku could just chuckle when Mikoto gave another rant to Naruto which was completely embarrassing for the boy. While Mikasa gave a thankful smile to Kushina...
After a few minutes the commotion settled down, as Naruto and Kushina turned towards the authority for their final judgement...
"I have told you everything, your highness. And the evidence that can prove Kushina as well as Mikasa and the other's innocent is on your desk. I take full responsibility for everything and all the rules that have been broken..." said Naruto finally,
The members of the authority looked at the boy for a few moments before having a short conversation among themselves, followed by writing their decision on a paper.
"Naruto Namikaze, this jury commends you and your comrades for your thoughtfulness that has saved our village in the war as well as the revolt. But at the same time we cannot ignore the gravity of your reckless actions. You will have to retire from Blacklight forces effective immediately..." announced the authority finally,
"That's it?"asked a surprised Naruto, as Red Dragon looked at him.
"Son, we understand what you did for all of us...so this one time, we are willing to ignore the rules. Besides, we need your sorry ass in our fight against Madara..." said Red Dragon lightly, bringing a grateful smile on Naruto's face.
"Thank you, sir" said Naruto in a relieved voice,
"Don't thank me yet, you'll still have to become a Jounin Sensei...it's a part of your punishment to train young genin" said Red Dragon deviously, and gave a small nod to a smiling Minato...whereas Naruto's face lost all colors.
"No, I can't train brats...it's cruel!" argued Naruto desperately,
"No arguments there, soldier. That's an order!" yelled White Tiger bemusedly, as every person in the room erupted into laughter while Naruto's shoulder slumped in defeat and a dark gloomy cloud could be seen hovering above his head.
"Reminds me of someone..." said Tobirama suggestively, making Hashirama smile on seeing Naruto's depressed state.
"As for you Kushina Uzumaki, while we want to believe that you are still loyal. We are still not sure, that's why you shall work closely along with Naruto Namikaze. He possess the Mangekyo and Mokuton that shall help in protecting you if Madara tries to take you back. You will be under surveillance for the next 6 months. She's your responsibility Naruto" advised Vermillion Bird strictly, gaining a confident nod from the boy.
"I'll take good care of her...I give you my word" promised Naruto,
At that moment Kushina could just stare at Naruto with great affection in her heart. He gave her life back, fought for her when she didn't have anyone, believed in her when no one else did.
Maybe, just maybe she had started to fall for him...
The authority signaled the clan heads to release the prisoners and in a flash Itachi was right in front of Naruto and enveloped his brother in a tight hug. A gesture which Naruto happily returned.
"Itachi, thanks for having my back there..." said Naruto silently, gaining a small thumbs up from his little brother.
"What are brothers for..." said Itachi happily, both the boys were pleased when their parents came beside them and Mikoto gave a hard bop on Naruto's head.
"It hurts...damn it" said Naruto in pain,
"That was for doing something so foolish..." answered Mikoto angrily, as Minato too gave Kushina a warm hug.
"And this is for coming back to us..." said Mikoto happily, as she lovingly kissed both her son's forehead.
Minato hopped on top of the a small table gaining everyone's attention...
"Let's go home..."
Author's Notes: End of chapter.
Next chapter will be the last piece of this arc. Because some more information is still left to be revealed, along with something else. BE PATIENT!
This was the best way in which this arc should be ending, Naruto did break the rules but it was for the greater good...so he was only asked to quit from Blacklight. That itself is a punishment, along with training genin...it's not an easy job.
Now after a long time our heroes will finally go home, and start a new life...
Next chapter: Heroes of Konoha
Until Next time,
Blackwolf501