First off, I'd like to offer my Ukrainian readers, and of course the rest of Ukraine my sympathies. The whole world is watching, and I wish we could do more. There are a couple from Ukraine that are reading this story and I hope this chapter will offer you a distraction of the horrors that are taking place.

A few more things:

As promised, the chapters have been increased in size, which should be better for everyone. I Do have to add that if the flow of the chapter doesn't allow for it, it will stay at its original size. Unfortunately, it isn't as easy as merely copy pasting two chapters into one!

Whenever I wrote chapters or parts of it that had a dark/sad tone, I used music to help me out with it. I strongly suggest using music of your own choosing to help bring across those moments (I added a notification when I found it to be most appropriate). In no way is this necessary for the enjoyment of the chapter, but it helped me with writing, so it might help you with reading it!

I personally used 'Cold' from Jorge Mendez.

A big thank you to all who reviewed and added this story to their favorites/alert. It warms my heart knowing that you are enjoying the story! It makes me regret, not picking it up earlier!

For the sake of the already lengthy author not, I'll refrain from adding your names, just know I am grateful!

update 03-23: I've updated the second half, a certain part (spoiler free). I felt that it missed something. It's not crucial to the story, but it's worth a reread.

Enjoy!

Chapter 37: Persistence

With a groan Naruto finally came to, slowly pushing the body that lay on top away. He took a sharp breath, only to erupt into a heavy coughing fit. Dust particles hung in the air, making it difficult to breathe. "Micheru, are you okay?"

"I feel like I went ten rounds with Rome…" She held her head as she slowly tried to get up, grabbing Naruto's offered hand.

Naruto looked around, running a hand through his hair. Just besides them the wall had come apart, splitting the wall effectively in two, with a massive hole in between. "Kuso…"

He reached for the headset that hung around the neck of a fallen shinobi, quickly clasping it around his. The radio he had been using had been destroyed in Kenpachi's attack. He changed frequencies until he heard Gaara's voice.

~I repeat, the wall has fallen. Commander Kari. You have one job. Hold the line. Do not let them past the gap! ~

~Understood Kazekage-sama.~

Changing frequency again, he let out a single cough before activating his mic. "Kankuro, are you still alive?"

~B-barely! I'm on the other side of the breach. ~

"Get your men sorted, they will be on top of the wall in seconds!" he turned off the radio and turned to the men around him, who were slowly getting back to their feet. "Defenders! Get on your feet! This fight is far from over!"

Reforming their ranks, the defenders quickly made themselves ready for the next wave.

Micheru looked at the blonde with amazement. "You don't even know how to give up, do you?"

Naruto's grimy face showed a bloody grin. "Of course, I don't. You should've known that by now!"

The seal masters on the ground far below were repairing what seals were left, to prevent the Reaver army from running up the side of the wall.

Due to the explosion, a few of the towers had been caught in the blast and were blown to pieces. The remaining towers had Reavers charging on in, attacking the defenders with no regards for their own safety.

The disoriented shinobi forces were barely prepared for the onslaught but still managed to hold off the first wave of Reavers.

Stepping forward, he slashed open the first Reavers's throat. Ducking underneath the second he slammed his fist into him, throwing his kunai, he reached for a tag and plastered it on his foe, kicking him to a small stack of Reavers.

The man exploded, taking the others along with him.

The Hunter reached for his blade and started hacking and slashing around him, dropping his enemies with slight exertion. With heavy breathing, he continued onwards, Micheru close behind. They assisted where the attacks were the heaviest and desperately tried to fend off their unstoppable foes.

With shaky fingers he reached for his new mic. "We need more men all along the wall. Our numbers are dropping and fast."

~ We can't help you, Naruto. All available reinforcements are rerouted to the breach. You have to hold it until the Anbu reinforcements arrive. ~

His dust and blood crusted hand released the button, a barely audible sigh escaped his lips. Looking at the horizon he noticed the sun slowly coming up. Not enough to illuminate the valley. But enough to know that night was slowly coming to an end.

They had been fighting for a little over six hours. And in those six hours, the Reavers had sent their entire might to break them. And they had failed…at least, for now. Ducking underneath a horizontal slash, he grabbed the passing wrist and sharply twisted it, the blade slipped out of the hand and he quickly grabbed it out of mid-air, using it to pierce the woman's skull. He let her drop the ground with the blade still embedded.

With the fall of Suna's mightiest defense, there was little to stop the onslaught. The fighting would move from the breach into the village. There wasn't a chance they'd be able to hold them there.

"Naruto, what do we do now? We need those reinforcements." She said, dropping her opponent with a twist of his neck.

Naruto looked over the edge towards the gap. A massive battle was happening below. "I don't really know, Michu."

"Of course, you don't."

Looking up, Naruto saw Kenpachi standing on the other side of the breach, intimidating as ever. Demonic chakra oozing from him.

Behind him, he could hear Micheru stutter, noticing the man standing on the other side. "T-t-that's"

A sound of air being displaced caused Naruto to turn his head. Kenpachi had crossed the hole in an instant. His arms were crossed, and he too looked down at the fight.

Naruto swallowed nervously, his posture rigid and ready to dodge the incoming attack that would undoubtedly come at a moment's notice.

"We…are endless. We have won. You know this, Ghost."

"We are stubborn like that. You should know that by now."

"Oh, I noticed. You are a prime example. I thought I had killed you."

"You should've done a better job." Naruto pushed his fear into the darkest corner he could find and straightened his back.

Kenpachi pointed at the gaping hole in his face. "It seems you're missing something."

Naruto grimaced but otherwise stood in defiance, Micheru standing to his side. "I'll be returning the favor; don't you worry about that."

Kenpachi let out a low chuckle. "You stand no chance. Last time you survived by a stroke of luck. I'll be making sure that won't happen again."

Red chakra started emerging from Naruto's gauntlet, which started to cover his entire body, letting it blast outward. Micheru covered her face in an attempt to block the scorching chakra.

"I've been improving myself. Don't expect a repeat." Naruto's voice morphed as his chakra oozed off him.

The Reaver charged forward with lightning speed, giving the blonde barely time to respond. He shoved Micheru away and jumped backwards, dodging the attack which came crashing into the ground, creating a small crater on top of the already damaged wall.

Sidestepping another fast-paced attack, the blonde retaliated with a jab of his own, trying to hit him straight in the face. Kenpachi instead, grabbed the incoming attack, a smirk etched on his face.

Naruto sneered and swung his other fist, only to have it clasped a well. Emitting more chakra, the hunter tried to push against the Reaver in an attempt to overpower him, knowing that he stood no chance in this encounter.

"Pathetic." He swung upward and then slammed the blonde into the ground, dust and debris flying upwards,

"Chakra push!"

From the cloud of smoke, the attack charged forward, hitting Kenpachi and blasting him towards the other end of the wall, hitting Reavers and shinobi alike.

His dangling blonde hair was a mess. A thick line of blood seeped out of the corner of his mouth. Slowly he stood up with a straight back. The attack had hurt but he had managed to deflect most of the attack.

Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu!" Naruto roared as he suddenly blasted out a fire jutsu, setting ablaze one of the towers that wasn't protected by their defensive ability.

Kenpachi came charging in once more and slammed his claw into Naruto's who barely had time to put up a defensive posture. Skidding back several feet he returned with an upper kick. Kenpachi grabbed the incoming limb and threw him towards the breach.

'Crap!'

Holding out his hand he aimed downward. "Chakra push!" Blasting himself upward and into the morning sky.

"Predictable." A voice uttered from above. Naruto barely had time to create a Rasengan in his hand and twisted his body, hoping to hit his target.

Instead, he hit Kenpachi's red orb, causing it to explode on contact, sending them both to opposite ends.

Naruto came to a bouncing halt on the edge of the wall. Laying there he looked around noticing the rapidly dwindling numbers of shinobi. "Gaara, we need help!" He croaked slowly.

~You need to hold the wall! If we lose the wall, we all die! ~

With a moan of pain, he slowly stood up, unsheathing his katana once more. Calculating his approach with a narrowed eye. Trying to slow his breathing, he slid one foot back and pushed off with it, disappearing with flashstep, slashing open every Reaver in his attack.

Appearing at the other end he knew he just bought the defense a couple of seconds of extra time. He quickly reached for his headset." To all defenders on the eastern wall of the breach. Partner up! Back-to-back!"

It was one of their last moves. A move created out of desperation. The moment the defending force started reaching a low point, they were exposed to flanks and couldn't rely on their numbers to cover that anymore.

It was meant to stall, nothing more. They wouldn't regain the upper hand with this plan, nor would they inflict heavy numbers. All it did was buy some time.

Naruto never saw Kenpachi's next attack coming. He got jackhammered through the top of the wall, crashing out the side and into the headquarters, far-far below.

Kenpachi looked over the edge at the ruined building with narrowed eyes. Satisfied with the result, he turned to Micheru. "Hunter, prepare yourself."

Micheru looked at the hole Naruto crashed through with horror. 'Focus! Show him not to mess with you!' She seemingly ignored him and instead focused on her current opponent. She parried the attack and let forth a wave of fire with a tap of her feet, incinerating the Reaver.

She turned to the man and lowered herself into a defensive stance, desperately trying to keep her heartbeat under control. Holding out both hands she conjured a frozen spear and hurtled it toward Kenpachi.

The Reaver in return snatched it out of midair and crushed it with his hands, letting the remains drop to the ground.

Micheru threw more medium ranged attacks at the man as he slowly inched forward, slapping away every attack she sent his way.

Gripping her wrist, she tried to control her shaking outstretched hand. "T-t-t-t." She tried to say but couldn't and watching in pure horror as Kenpachi almost loving grabbed her arm.

"Commendable, but irrelevant."

Micheru screamed out in pain as he tightened the grip on her wrist, breaking the bone. Discreetly, with her other hand she pointed at Kenpachi's exposed side. A thin beam tore through him and out the other side.

He grunted in pain and looked down at the unexpected attack. He grabbed her throat and slowly started applying pressure. She slammed her fist into his face, repeatedly but Kenpachi ignored it and started choking her.

Naruto came flying in, feet first and crashed into Kenpachi, sending him blasting off the wall. "You, okay?"

Micheru looked at the ragged, heavy breathing blonde. He was a complete mess. His white chest armor was missing a piece, with large dents over the remainder. His face was covered in blood and dust. His hands had numerous wounds and broken fingers, along with dried blood. This didn't seem to deter the blonde though. Clutching her broken wrist, she gave him a nod. "I'm…okay."

Naruto gave a nod, dashing to front of the wall and jumped on top of the embattlement, pushing off into the air, using chakra to enhance his jump, flying over the massive army below. His speed was many times Kenpachi's and caught up fast. Forming another rasengan, three times the size of the previous one. He slammed it into the Reaver who was sent careening into the ground below. Slowly falling the ground, himself, he quickly summoned a shadow clone whom he used as a steppingstone to activate his flash step with, appearing back on top of the wall mere seconds later.

Micheru was once more in a dance with one of the numerous attackers and was slowly being pushed back. her broken arm was severely hampering her abilities, along with her chakra reserves that was starting to run low.

The wall was once more being overrun. His trick from earlier had a mere momentary advantage, just as he suspected it would. A cold shiver was sent down his spine as the remaining defenders were being overrun and cut down.

"If the wall falls…so, do we…" He muttered once more, letting out a near inaudible sigh.

"We have to retreat. There isn't any other way." Micheru whispered, following his gaze along the wall.

Naruto reached for his headset, clicking it on. "Be…aware, the wall is about to fall."

There was a moment of silence. ~Naruto, we can't lose the wall, you have to hold it.~

Naruto gritted his teeth, his anger flaring. "There isn't anyone left to hold it, you get me now?!"

With no more reinforcements to assist in the defense of the wall, the numbers continued to dwindle. What was once a large defending force of thousands upon thousands had now been reduced to mere speck of barely a couple of hundred. The order he barked earlier had done little to buy time. The Reavers were methodical to say the least.

More flaming objects crashed into the wall, destroying various sections, completing clearing it out, regardless of friend or foe. More and more towers crashed against the wall and started unloading their men and started running down the wall, only to be disintegrated by the seals that were in place, but only barely. The constant harassment and bombardment had put a heavy strain on the seals and were slowly giving way.

~You're not understanding me, Naruto. There isn't going to be the order for retreat.~

Naruto understood what he meant with it but was dumbfounded by the remark regardless. Fighting to their death would do little. retreating however would give them some extra forces to order out strikes from the shadows."

"Our sacrifice won't change anything, nor will it buy time."

~But it will.~

Naruto's body went numb as he slowly moved to the breach. He knew the answer to his dreaded question long before he looked over the edge, yet he needed confirmation.

Suna's defending forces at the breach had retreated to the edge of the village, leaving a defensive seal with a small force of sacrificial troops behind, like the one on the wall in place. "You planned for this but didn't tell us?" He knew that the seals were keeping the Reavers in place.

~The longer you fight, the longer the seals will strengthen and hold. I'm sorry Naruto.~

Naruto had a look of disgust on his face. Gaara wasn't wrong. But the difference would be less than minimal. The remaining defenders on the wall would have been of better use then the desperate attempt Gaara had concocted.

"And you call the Akatsuki, monsters…I have no words," He changed the frequency to Kakashi's. "You guys hear that?"

"Gaara is out of moves, he is doing anything to buy time, no matter the cost."

"Unbelievable…" Naruto muttered while gritting his teeth. "Kage Bunshin no jutsu!"

A large smoke cloud erupted, and an entire army of Naruto clones charged forward, assisting at the most critical points.

A heavily breathing Naruto wrapped an arm around Micheru's waist. Disappearing with his trademark technique, reappearing next to the rest of their squad. Naruto stumbled and fell against the battlement, using it as support to keep upright

"What do we do?" She asked worriedly, gently stepping away from her fellow hunter, her hand resting on his shoulder, looking at him with concern.

A slightly scorched Itachi spoke up. "Their seal disintegrates upon contact. I have already tested my Susanoo and it hold long enough for us to get through…but not the others."

Naruto silently cursed, rubbing his face in frustration. "I have sent clones to buy some time, but we can do little to stop the advance of Reavers."

"For now, spread out on the wall and keep fighting. This isn't about us, but about stalling for as long as we can." Kakashi ordered, getting the approval of the others.

Spreading out across the wall, the group of Konoha continued their struggle as the last defenders of the wall were being killed.

x.X.x.X.x.X.x.X.x.X.x.X.x

Kenpachi looked at the top of the wall where he had been earlier. As his forces continued to climb into the towers and onto the wall. He had to admit, Suna had put up an admirable defense, but it mattered little. He would take the village and further drive them back. It was inevitable.

Looking at the bodies that littered the ground he gave a near inaudible sigh. The losses they had were at a far higher number he had expected. 'Shinobi…A plague. Bred for nothing more than chaos and destruction. A foe worthy of our goal.'

This was their fifth conquest. And their numbers had been reduced, but not by this extend. He had to admit that the shinobi of the elemental nations were far better warriors than Mirarca's centurions, or Likia's Legionnaires. 'Shinobi are using their Nucleus* differently than any of the other nations. They use their hands to significantly increase the speed of their attacks.'

Behind him he heard one of his officers' approaching but paid him little mind.

"Our forces are being held back by another layer of protection, Lord Kenpachi. To breach it will require a similar attack as before."

Kenpachi barely registered the man and instead looked towards the breach. "You know what to do. Destroy their layers of protective seals. Enter the city and end this fight."

The man bowed and stepped back. "It will be done, my lord."

Kenpachi showed little emotion as he stepped forward once more, returning his gaze to the top part of the wall.

x.X.x.X.x.X.x.X.x.X.x.X.x

Leaning against the side post of one of the elevators he looked at the rapidly dwindling numbers of clones. "To think he would leave behind his brother."

Kankuro looked over his shoulder to the village with bitterness in his eyes. "I…I understand. Everything for the village."

"It's a Kage thing, throwing away their toys when they're done playing." Naruto spat angrily; his hands balled into a fist.

"Maa, Naruto. You know that the Reaver's can't cross the wall. Gaara has little choice." Kakashi said. His vest was unzipped and almost completely ruined. Various satchels were torn off and it was nearly completely blood soaked.

"This won't make a difference. You know this. He's literally throwing away good fighting men."

As if on cue, their radio sprang to life, giving the order people were begging to hear. ~Listen up. The Kazekage is going to give you a small window of time to retreat, but you need to give the order for all remaining wall-defenders to get clear of the wall as fast as possible. ~

Their heads snapped up in surprise and quickly started relaying the message, while Naruto was creating another batch of clones to buy time.

"I guess he can't handle the guilt." Micheru muttered with look that was one of disappointment, anger but for most part, relief.

"Kage Bunshin no jutsu!" His body noticeably slumped as he felt his chakra leave his body. Looking at his claw he resisted the urge to let go of his demonic chakra, but instead forced his chakra coils to hang on to it.

"Okay. This is the best I can do. Give the order to lower the seals." The entire wall was filled with copies of the blonde. All had the same demonic ability as the original had.

The remaining shinobi slowly stepped away from the fight, with Naruto's clones taking over the attack.

The blue barrier flickered and after a moment disappeared altogether.

"Go go go! Get down now!" Kankuro ordered as he took the lead, skidding down the wall.

The remaining defenders jumped after him and once they were close enough to the ground, they pushed themselves off the side of the wall, landing on the other side of the barriers.

Naruto gave one last glance at his fighting clones before sliding down the wall, following Micheru down. The wind hit his battered body, nearly causing him to lose his balance. He gritted his teeth and leaned forward slightly, getting a better grip on his stability. Nearing the ground, he pushed off the wall and landed on the other side as well.

Seconds later the commander barked his orders once more. "Put up the barriers, fast!"

Despite their best attempts, a few still managed to get through but were quickly taken care of by the anbu squads who were protecting the retreat.

Naruto dragged himself to the nearest building and slid to the ground, his head resting against the concrete wall, breathing heavily. Looking down towards his claw, he slowly let the demonic chakra turn back into its dormant state. Looking to his other hand he noticed that his fingers were broken and out of place.

A wave of pain flooded his body as he set his fingers back in its proper place. He reached for his pouch and pulled out blue tape. He started taping the broken fingers together but was stopped by a gentle hand.

"Hunter-san. Might I offer you some aid?" It was a medical chunin. She gave him a reassuring smile, which felt out of place because of the dried blood and dirt that was covering her face.

He looked back down to his shaking hand and gave her a nod. "Arigato…"

"I first need to check where the fractures are." Her hands started pressing and pulling at various points on his fingers. He grimaced as more pain erupted from it.

"Sumimasen. I know this hurts but I have to know where the fractures are," She gave him a sympathetic look as she quickly examined the rest of his figure. It was clear to her that he had experienced quite the beat-down. "Do you have any other wounds that need attending? From the looks of it, undoubtedly."

Have gave a wave with his free hand while a drop of sweat made its way down his dirt ridden face. "Undoubtedly." He repeated. A faint smile that looked more like a grimace appeared on his face.

"Humor, that's a go-" she started.

"A good sign…I've heard." He said, wincing as he felt her starting to mend his bones. Like before, it felt weird, feeling the bones being restored to their proper place.

"Hunter-san. Please remove your armor plating. I need to check what other injures you might have."

With a grunt he reached for the straps and pulled it over his chest, setting the plating on the ground beside him. His dark shirt underneath had various holes and was slightly torn at certain spots.

The chunin waited patiently, giving him a comforting smile, that somehow put him at ease. It was clear that she was fairly young, maybe 18. She had black hair, tied in a knot. despite the grime and blood, she was pleasant to look at. "What's your name?" he asked as he slowly pulled the black shirt up to his chin.

Her eyes roamed his chest, inspecting his injuries. "My name's…Akemi…You have some severe bruising, and that's putting it mildly."

She was putting it mildly. Looking down, he noticed the various purple bruises that covered his torso. "Can you do anything about it?"

Her hand was glowing with green chakra, inspecting the contusions. "It doesn't look like it's broken…But I can't do anything about this. I would give you pain medication, but we're running low on those," she checked a laceration, one that hadn't broken the skin. "Your body has endured a lot of punishment. I strongly suggest moving to a support line and staying away from the main fight."

He chuckled. "Do I look like someone who would stay away from this whole mess?"

She reached for the fabric of his shirt and gently rolled it back down before looking up at his face. Initially, the shadow of the building, coupled with the still relative darkened sky had obscured his face. But now that he leaned forward did, she notice the gaping hole in his face, where his eye used to be. The rest of his face was covered in scars and wounds, most had been covered by the white bandage that Micheru had put on earlier.

"Kami…" she whispered, disturbed by the sight in front of her.

He leaned slightly, picking up the armor and sliding it back over his head, which turned out to be more difficult than the removal had been. He adjusted the straps at the bottom, making it fit perfectly around his frame once more. "Once the fighting start. Head to the exit gate. I think you'll be better suited there."

"I can't abandon my post." She objected while gesturing around. "There's too much work as it is."

He couldn't help but like her attitude. In the face of certain annihilation. She still refused to abandon her comrades. A noble gesture, but futile. For a moment the image of a young Kumo kunoichi appeared. She had the same mindset. She had been found dead in the aftermath. "If you stay here, you'll die." He spoke in a near whisper.

They stared at each other, unsure what to say. Slowly she stood up and gave him a sad smile. "We all have to, at some point. I wish you all the best Hunter-san."

He slightly leaned forward, extending his hand, a frown on his face. "My name's Naruto Uzumaki."

Her smile widened but only by a fraction. She grasped his hand and shook it with both hands. "I wish you all the best, Uzumaki Naruto."

She walked away, looking for someone else she could tend to. For some reason, sadness welled up in his chest. Shaking his head, he slowly climbed to his feet and ran after her. She noticed the steps behind her and turned around. Naruto pulled her into a hug. "Please…please leave."

She was surprised by the embrace but returned it full-heartedly. A lone tear slid down her face and dripped on his shoulder. "I wish we could."

Naruto held her for a full minute before slowly he pulled back. He looked her in her eyes, trying to swallow the lump in his throat. His hand lingered on her shoulder for a moment longer, until he finally let go. "I'll see you on the other side."

She wiped away her tears and gave him a shaky nod. "I'm glad I met you, Naruto." With one last look towards him, she turned and disappeared in the crowd.

"Goodbye Akemi." He whispered, knowing that, before long, she'd be amongst one of the countless dead. It felt like he was back in Kumo, with the girl, Rae he saved. She too had refused to run. It was an admirable trait. But a trait that would kill her.

Slowly he eased back against the wall, his chakra exhaustion had dulled for the moment, but was now rearing its head. His massive reserves were almost completely spent. With the two waves of clones, he had sent to hold the wall, he had almost completely drained his remaining chakra. He always knew that clones were well known for the heavy strain on one's chakra. However, using it along with the demonic enhancement…It had taken its toll.

Itachi appeared in front of him, and he noticed that Micheru and Kakashi were heading to a genin squad. Off in the distance Raipa, Kisame and the immortals were talking amongst themselves.

"Well, I guess we tried."

"The barrier will hold for no longer than half an hour. After that it will collapse, and we will all die." Said Itachi solemnly. The Uchiha didn't look like he was in a better shape than he was.

Naruto reached for his canteen and wanted to take a sip but tossed it away when he noticed that a hole had emptied its content. Which most likely happened during his brief clash with Kenpachi.

A young genin walked up his hands holding multiple canteens. "I have a full one for you, Hunter-san."

The Hunter leaned forward and reached for the offered canteen, accepting it with a nod of gratitude. "Arigato..."

The genin walked off, handing out more of his canteens to the exhausted wall-defenders. Naruto looked around, hoping to see Akemi one last time. Gritting is teeth he focused his gaze back on his canteen. Restraining the urge to throw this one as well. Looking around, he noticed the troops standing ready at the edge of the village, not far from the barrier were mostly fresh shinobi, whom hadn't been on the wall and were most likely the last of Suna's reserves.

"Problem is, I have gotten barely the strength to stand up, let alone, fight Kenpachi." He said while taking a sip from his new canteen, pleasantly surprised at how cool the water was. It was most likely a fresh batch.

"Micheru is working on that. We might not like the aftereffects though." Itachi said as he walked over and sat down next to his friend.

"We won't be feeling those I think." Naruto muttered, a mixture of bitterness and sarcasm gave his words a sharp edge.

"If our sacrifice has saved the lives of the fleeing villagers, won't it be worth it?"

Naruto watched as Micheru and Kakashi slowly made their way back to them. "If it's my time to go, it's my time. I just kinda hoped to take the big guy out with me."

Itachi briefly smiled, one that was quickly replaced with a grim face. "Then we will. Let's kill Kenpachi, no matter the cost."

The Uzumaki tore his gaze away from Micheru and looked at Itachi. "I barely stood a chance when I had plenty of reserves left. I've got barely anything now."

"I think Sun-san has found a solution to that." He looked at the small bag in her hands as she walked up.

"Solution to what?" She asked as she crouched down in front of them. Her broken arm had been mended but would remain for the time being, a weak spot. Medical-nin were capable of healing broken bones, but it would be a weak spot and wouldn't be able to withstand much damage.

"To my chakra exhaustion…"

"Naruto, you know using chakra pills when you have no chakra left, will take a heavy toll on your body."

"It doesn't matter, Hatake. I doubt we'll make it out alive." Naruto tiredly said, holding up his hand.

Micheru seemed to hesitate, looking from the bag to Naruto's outstretched hand, but relented in the end, dropping a few in his palm.

Naruto looked at it with a tinge of hesitation himself before stuffing it in his mouth. With a grimace and a sip from his new canteen he managed to down it. "Having to rely on these pills…an Uzumaki."

The effect was almost instantaneous. He felt a flood of chakra soar through his body, giving him a rush of energy.

Micheru watched as the blonde stood up. "Better?"

"Much. Arigato, Micheru-kun."

"Remember, you can't keep taking these. Don't overdo it with your attacks, okay?" Said Micheru while handing two to Itachi as well, giving her a nod of appreciation.

"Excuse me."

Micheru and Naruto both turned their attention to the newcomer, noticing a young chuning standing behind them. He was holding a camera in his grimy hands.

"What do you need?" the Huntress asked, trying her best not to sound sincere.

"I'm trying to get as many pictures as possible, as part of our memoriam. The Kazekage asked me personally if I could get as many pictures and write as much I can. To tell our story."

Kakashi from the far side spoke up "Might be good for morale for the others…after we're gone."

"I guess you 're right." Naruto answered, agreeing with the Kakashi.

"So…could I get a picture of you two?" pointing to the two blondes.

Naruto crossed his arms, shrugging while looking at Micheru. "I take it you don't mind?"

Micheru smiled at the youngster and nodded. She stood back up and held out her hand for the Hunter to grasp. Naruto couldn't help but grin at her and he grabbed it before being pulled to his feet. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder. "I'm glad you're here with me, Micheru-chan."

She slid an arm around his waist, while returning the smile. "If I had the chance to go back in time and do it all over again, knowing where I'd end up…I would."

He locked eyes with her, his mouth slightly ajar in surprise. "That's…Thank you. That means a lot."

The Chunin went to work and swiftly snapped a few pictures of the two. "Perhaps we could get your friends as well?"

Micheru slowly stepped away despite her reluctance. "Let me go get them."

It didn't take the Huntress long to find the others. It took a bit more effort to convince them though. Kisame found it particularly ridiculous.

"It's good for morale, Sushi. Stop complaining." A slightly annoyed Naruto said.

"What ies 'this?" Raipa asked as he walked up to them.

Micheru stood next to the blonde, her hand sliding up on his shoulder, letting it rest there. "This, is for the others…If this cameraroll survives…It would give me comfort, knowing my mom would see these pictures one day."

"How is the camera going to survive, if we won't?" Kisame asked sarcastically.

It was the Chunin who spoke up. "Well…there really isn't…But after this war is won and they retake Sunagakure. They might find this. It will tell our story in more than just words."

The group stood close together as the Chunin started taking the pictures.

Naruto looked at the group of unusual shinobi. 'Before the sun reaches its peak, we'll all be dead.' He somberly thought. Trying to shake off the thought, he turned his gaze back to the camera.

The chunin took the last picture before looking at the group in satisfaction. "Much appreciated. I know the Kazekage has a fondness of you, so he'll be happy to have your pictures as well. Good luck in the fight to come." He gave a small bow and moved on to another group.

Naruto snorted at the remark. "Fondness? Sure, let's call it that."

Kisame snickered slapping him on the shoulder. "Who's complaining now?"

The blonde couldn't help but grin. "I'll put you up on the wall and block your only escape off, see how you like it."

"I'm not a baka like you."

"Your much, much worse."

"Quiet brat."

"You be quiet Sushi"

"Brat"

"Sushi"

"Brat"

"Sushi"

"Br-"

"Merde! Let us focus on the plan!" the foreign hunter, Raipa said as he rubbed his forehead in annoyance.

"What actual plan? The wall's fallen. We're down to less than one fourth of our strength and Kenpachi himself has joined the fight." Micheru said, looking at Raipa.

Kakashi seemed to mull it over but shook his head. "There is no plan. We have to hold them here. We'll be pushed back to the center of the village," He looked at the Kazekage's dome before gazing towards the far wall, where the villagers had gone through many hours ago. "From there a retreat will happen, towards the wall where we will have our final stand. "

Naruto looked towards the wall, while trying to tape the damaged straps of his armor, hoping to keep it in place. He couldn't offer any words of comfort and instead simply nodded.

"I'm going to check with command, see what they have concocted." Itachi stood up and started heading towards the large building on the far right.

"Let me join you." Kakashi followed in Itachi's footsteps giving one last glance to the Uzumaki.

Naruto in turn looked to Micheru who was staring towards the horizon, having taken Itachi's place next to him. "You okay, Micheru?"

"I meant what I said before, Naruto…It's just…I'm about to die in a foreign land, far away from my home. How do you think I feel?" Micheru said dejectedly. Her shoulder visibly slumped, and she let her head rest on the back wall.

Naruto opened his mouth and was about to reject her morbid thought, but the words got stuck halfway.

She let out a humorless laugh. "I know what you want to say Naruto. But you can't protect me from this. It's okay though. I wasn't under any illusion that you could, despite…you being you."

Naruto looked towards the rising sun as well. "Remember when Hawke introduced me to you? Could you have ever imagined us ending up here? In the middle of all this."

Micheru fondly smiled as the memory flooded her mind. The bubbling blonde who couldn't keep the volume of his voice at normal levels. "I remember a loud-mouthed blonde."

Naruto scratched his cheek in slight embarrassment. "Yeah, I was kind of an idiot back then."

"What happened? Despite your difficult past with Konoha, you seemed incredibly happy and bright." Micheru asked, hoping to finally get an answer to her burning questions.

Naruto smiled but otherwise didn't answer her question.

"Rome said it wasn't his place to say. But I have a feeling he never really knew the full extent of your story."

"Rome knows nothing. He's just making assumptions." Naruto said, absently drawing circles in the sand.

"Then what did happen? After all we've been through, please tell me." Micheru pleaded with him, letting her hand rest on his.

Naruto sighed and looked at her briefly. Guilt rising in his chest, he looked away, as if he was ashamed. "Irosa…"

It instantly clicked in her head. "The Irosa massacre…It's true then."

He nodded. "I…It's something I will regret for the rest of my life…which isn't much longer by the looks of it."

"Why did you do it?" A heavily conflicted Micheru asked as she looked at her partner.

"It's because…I-" He trailed off as unwanted memories clouded his mind.

The petite woman gave him a concerning look before grasping his hand and held it tight. "After everything, I know you didn't do it without purpose."

"We did what we did because-." A large horn echoed through the village and shortly after their headset came to life.

"Defenders, the seals won't hold much longer, get to your feet and prepare yourselves!" The commander barked.

"Of all times…" Said Micheru while shaking her head.

Naruto straightened his back, letting out a cough before pushing his memories and emotions back underneath the surface. "I promise I'll tell you before we…we go."

Micheru looked into his bright blue eye and couldn't help but stare for a moment too long. "You're something else, Naruto-kun"

The blonde in question chuckled, his hand still covered with hers. "Naruto-kun huh? Never imagined you saying that."

"I like it. You better get used to it." She winked at him playfully.

Naruto looked deep into her eyes before he gently removed his hand. "I don't want to turn this into a depressing situation, but I think it's for the best if you…say goodbye to your mother."

Micheru's mood noticeably changed but she nodded regardless, reaching for a piece of paper and a pencil, while the other blonde was summoning his messenger.

x.X.x.X.x.X.x.X.x.X.x.X.x

(M/N: start)

In Konoha it was still dark as the nighttime reached its halfway point there. However, in the Hokage's office it was still active with shinobi moving about, trying to get more updates from the situation in Sunagakure.

Tsunade and Mayu looked at each other from opposite ends of the war table. It was covered with pictures, a map of Suna and various other pieces of intel. "Last update?"

Shikaku stepped away from his corner and took over. He remained silent for a moment, looking at the report in his hand. "The wall's been breached."

A pregnant silence fell over the room before Tsunade spoke. "What are the estimated losses?"

Mayu looked at the strategist with concerning eyes. Afraid that Micheru would be one of them.

"Difficult to say, but at least over 70 percent."

"70?!" Tsunade yelled, slamming her fist down on the table, nearly making it buckle under her immense strength. "Is there anything we can do?"

Shikaku shook his head as he closed the report, handing it to the Hokage. "We've requested Que to assist in any manner he can, but it would do little to no good. It would only lead to certain death."

Pein stepped forward, flanked by Konan. "Suna will fall, and we can't do anything to stop it. We need to start focusing on fortifying Konoha. This will be their next destination."

"And what do you suggest we do, Pein? Suna was the best defendable hidden village. Along with the forces of the minor villages and Kisame's Rogue company. It didn't stop them!" Tsunade suddenly snapped as she slammed her fist once more on the table, cracks forming, and groaning under protest.

"You've united the nations but have done little else. They've been taking us out one by one. We need to combine our forces." Konan quietly spoke.

Before another could voice their opinion a soft puff of smoke appeared on the table. Naruto's summon, Tatsu appeared. Everyone quieted down and looked at it.

"Tatsu?" Jiraiya spoke, extending his hand, offering the small bird to hop on.

The creature tilted his head from the left to the right, as if deciding whether he was worthy. Eventually he hopped on and held out its paw which had two note attached. Jiraiya unrolled the letter and started reading it. He stopped and looked to Mayu, handing it over to her. "It's for you."

Mayu slowly started reading it, her face becoming paler as time went on.

Tatsu looked at the sannin once more, his normal shrieking behavior nowhere to be seen. "Baka says goodbye."

Mayu let the letter slip from her hands, landing on the table. She slipped past the group and slowly walked for the exit; her thoughts completely lost.

Sakura anxiously reached for the letter and started reading aloud.

"Hi, mom,

For some reason I can't help but think back to the lovely summers back in Mirai, laying on the beach with dad and Susie, just before it all started. I remember you slapping dad because he was making fun of your new bathing suit."

Sakura looked up at her friends, her hands trembling slightly. She didn't know Micheru very well but reading the letter was breaking her heart. She tried to continue.

"You'd be proud of us. We're making them pay for every inch they take, like true hunters. Not that it matters, there's just too many. The wall's been breached, and we've erupted a barrier which is holding for now. After that, they'll storm the village and kill us all."

The room was completely silent, people listening to Sakura's words whose breathing became irregular as fear and sadness threatened to overtake her. Clearing her throat, she read the second half. The next part was written a bit sloppily.

"I'm scared."

Sakura looked at Rome as he was silently listening. Hoping to get his approval to continue. He gave her a nod.

"I don't want to die but I've accepted that we're not coming out of this alive, I just couldn't let Naruto go alone into the dark."

So, I guess this is goodbye. I'll say hi to dad and Susie.

I love you mom."

The last words were besmirched by tears but were still readable. Sakura wiped the tears away, slowly she walked to Rome and the other hunters, handing over the letter. "I'm so sorry."

Hawke's mouth was slightly ajar, his face a mixture of emotion. He slowly grabbed it and started rereading it.

Jiraiya looked at the bird as it disappeared in a poof, his mouth trying to form words he didn't manage to utter.

"Why can't they just retreat?" Hinata softly asked, almost sounding like the timid girl from the past.

Tsunade looked at Jiraiya, closing her eyes in defeat. With a heavy sigh she decided to speak up. "It's because of the civilians. The longer they hold, the bigger their chances of survival are. If they decide to retreat, they will most likely survive, but…"

" The innocent civilians won't…" Hinata responded in near despair, her mind on her blonde crush. 'Please get out of there, Naruto…'

I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Next chapter concludes the battle for Sunagakure.

Until next time!

M/N: Play is the notification as mentioned at the top.

Nucleus is chakra. I just personally think that every nation has different ways of describing it.