Chapter Forty - What Befalls The Future

Long before the formation of hidden villages, every clan acted as their own small nation with varying influence. Typically, the larger the clan was the more powerful they were militarily and politically. The smaller clans were easily wiped out or subjugated to the will of their more powerful and larger neighbours. The largest clans across Elementia had been the Hyuga, the Kaguya, the Kamizuru, the Senju, the Uchiha, and to a lesser extent the Uzumaki. Of these clans, they have all had drastic changes to the fundamentals of their respective areas and have influenced much of their own villages.

The only exceptions were the clans with special abilities. The Chinoike clan was small, with only a dozen or so members, but their Ketsuryugan was feared for being able to control blood - or so it was said but that was because the dojutsu was able to manipulate iron and because blood has high amounts of iron it is only fitting it would control the liquid.

The Daimyo of today's countries have only become so because of the deals they made with the most powerful clan they could control. In Fire, for example, the Daimyo's ancestor had gained the service of a small but skilled clan; the Oda. The clan is primarily skilled with "peasant arms" which was a term used to describe a lowly class of people that used typical labour tools as weapons. But even if this term was used, the clan was still one of the most feared not because of a special ability or for their numbers, but they were feared for their natural affinity for magic - fire magic specifically.

In the words of an Uzushio scout; "their ability to bring the sun's flames to the earth may even be enough to scorch the heavens. Should this type of ability be mixed with and be enhanced with the Royal Blood, the world will be bathed in flames that once took over Pandemonium."

Many Daimyo had followed the steps of the Fire Daimyo and they too gained control of enough land that became the seed of their future dynasties. But because of the time the Fire Daimyo had over his neighbouring rivals, he amassed the most land until the formation of the Hidden Villages.

However, in the case of the Uzumaki, the clan had not been restricted to the continent of shinobi. They had always expanded outward, ever searching for more to learn and more to conquer. And it was in this search two hundred years ago that the Uzumaki found another learned culture called Lightreich. These people learned alot about magical abilities, especially those that can fight the demons that plagued their lands.

In this country, they were led by an Emperor, a man who single-handedly dictated everything about this country from its military to any political and social movements. He was a Demi, a person with claims to be or has evidence of being a child of a Divine Being, but the Emperor did not claim descent from a god himself. Instead, there has been evidence of him being the child of Odin the All-father.

The Uzumaki clan Prince at the time was still Ashina Uzumaki. He and his four Division Captains and Lieutenants were already making a name for themselves for clearing out the most troublesome of clans in Elementia and making their way across Gaal. They had run into plenty of demons on their march through Gaal, sealing most of them into masks while the rest were killed and sent back to their intended place of existence.

Doing this had caught the attention of the Lightreich in Key and Ashina had been invited by the Emperor to visit their capital Silbern. The Prince accepted as he had no reason to deny such a request but he made sure his captains and lieutenants were prepared for anything. Of course, this was before they even knew that the Emperor was a Demi and that the soldiers under his service had special abilities.

While at first, the two sides got along over their desire to learn and to make sure the demons did not cause chaos in the material world, it was their differences that caused a lot of tension. While the Lightreich learned to destroy demons, sending them back to their hell, the Uzumaki desired to use and learn their powers for the sake of learning. The Lightreich thought that the demonic powers had no place in the civilised world and as such looked at the Uzumaki actions as blasphemous.

Eventually, an argument escalated into a clash between Fourth Captain Kenpachi Yachiru and one of the Emperor's top commanders. Yachiru won easily, using her zanpakuto Bankai to lay waste to the man, and her Lieutenant Furofushi Saito had fought and killed twelve soldiers simultaneously without the use of her Shikai or Bankai. To the survivors and civilians, it was like watching two murderous psychopaths take pleasure in homicidal crafts - but that image wasn't helped by the grin on Furofushi's face or the stoic blood-stained face of Yachiru.

This single incident pitted Ashina's small force against that of the Emperor's nation.

While previous Princes have had Captains and Lieutenants of prestigious backgrounds and incredible skill, Ashina had gone another route. With the help of his younger half-brothers, Shigekuni Yamamoto and Ginrei Kuchiki, Ashina Uzumaki filled most of his ranks with the underbelly and despicable characters of society. Murderers. Psychopaths. Truly dark people that most would not be able to control let alone keep in line to perform as the Division officers.

But Ashina and Shigekuni were the strongest to be born of Uzumaki blood for a long time, with Ginrei inheriting a strong mind from their shared father. Their skill and potential were unmatched and overwhelming. The other four officers had little choice but to fall in line when their strength was displayed. Some, like Furofushi, had no problem with who was pointing the direction she went so long as she can continue creating beautiful, gruesome artworks.

The First Division has served as the Prince's personal guard for many generations and that had not changed for Ashina Uzumaki. Led by Captain Shigekuni Yamamoto and Lieutenant Butsu'unsai Katori, this guard was smaller so as to appease the more nervous natures of other royalties. Shigekuni acted as Ashina's right hand and advisor, and Butsu'unsai was a smart and talented fighter whose zanpakuto had a naginata released form as well as sharp wind powers.

The Second Division served as Ashina's scouts, a change from tradition as he kept his divisions with him whenever he went out on his conquests. The Captain of this Division was Chika Shihoin, a recently migrated family that specialised in assassination and Chika specifically got in trouble for killing others. The Lieutenant was Kinroku Izuhara, a former veteran samurai that lost his Iron Lord and consequently wandered until he found himself in some legal trouble with Uzushio after fighting and killing an Archmagus.

The Third Division served as Ashina's vanguard. They were given control to Ginrei Kuchiki who served as the Division's Captain with Danjiro Obana, the bastard child of a Shiba man that got into frequent bar brawls to the death, serving as his Lieutenant. Ginrei and Danjiro actually got along as back in his youth, the Kuchiki lord was a frequent drinker and enjoyed a good fight.

The final division, the Fourth, served as Ashina's berserkers; a squad dedicated to wholesale destruction and chaos. The squad is led by a notorious killer, Kenpachi Yachiru, who had desired a battle that would last for days. A battle that would bathe battlefields in blood. Her Lieutenant is an equally unhinged swordswoman, Furofushi Saito, who had been caught after wiping out the massive Dakogi clan; a clan that had a special ability to enhance their body to such a degree that normal weapons could not hurt them.

These six officers and the Prince had reduced a once sprawling nation into nothing but squabbling tribes, Ashina even defeating the Emperor in one large conflict on Uzushio's coast. But the death toll was insurmountable and greatly weakened the Uzumaki so much that they were unable to repel the shinobi coalition surprise attack on their home weeks later.

Uzushio

Naruto sat on the bench in the memorial park dedicated to the destruction of Uzushio at the end of the Second Shinobi War. He twirled Khahrahk on the tip of his sheath, staring at one of the memorial stones mindlessly as he thought about the upcoming meeting today. He invited Konohamaru and the rest of the Sarutobi clan to his island, sending Kimi with a teleportation seal, so as to attend the upcoming ceremony that would bury Hiruzen's body. To the world, the man has died and Naruto is unsure if he should expose that while the man's body has died his soul continues to exist through him.

He was unsure of how Konohamaru and Tsunade would react, but he knew Asuma would throw a massive fit if he learned of what had happened to his father's soul. Naruto could just show the memory through a seal used in some court processes - although it wasn't taken as concrete evidence in those cases because memories can be tampered with, which they learned by interacting with the Yamanaka during the Warring States period. That still would not ease the man's temper as even if the memory was shown, and Hiruzen was brought out, it would not mean the man would accept the actions the blonde took.

If anything, doing any of this may pit the chain-smoker against him even more, and that was something Naruto had no time for. Not that he was afraid of the man, he just won't let himself fight the old man's family over something that cannot be changed. He is abiding by the last wishes of a dead man that he looked up to, he did not need the approval of others dammit!

Sighing again, Naruto looked at Khahrahk with a tired gaze. "You've been very quiet lately, Khahrahk. What's going on?"

"I just feel," the sword spirit paused at this point, going silent for a few moments. "I just feel like things have changed. For us. You know you feel it in your heart. You are not the same. You're closer to being like me now."

Naruto paused in twirling Khahrahk at the zanpakuto's hesitant statement. He knew exactly what the sword was saying and while he would have wanted to deny it, say that he hasn't changed, he couldn't lie to himself or his sword. Even his wives, Sara included, noticed the change in his tone and behaviour. He was colder. Not to them, not to the point of making it seem like he didn't love them any less, but he was cold in the way he looked at the village. It was a stare of a man who no longer cared of sacrifices or of death, it was one that showed the determination to do what was needed through any means.

"You feel it too," Khahrahk muttered. "Was Hiruzen-jiji's death really the turning point for you? You created me over the mistreatment we faced as a child and that was a lot worse than the death of a loved one."

"Creating you is what gave me a fresh start to not be like this," Naruto informed the sword tiredly. "But really, I am just seeing this as an inevitable outcome. I thought you would be happy, I will be similar to you and we will see things the same way."

"You have given insight into things I do not notice or do not care to take into account. If it wasn't for you, we would have slaughtered the Sand siblings in the invasion four years ago. If it wasn't for you, we would have sacrificed Koyuki's loyal samurai and manager to get to her uncle. If it wasn't for you, our family would be the target of the world again."

Naruto and Khahrahk are quiet once more, not letting the weight of the conversation settle before they could continue.

"Prince-sama," a First Division Visored approached and bowed. "The visitors are here."

Naruto nodded his head and stood to his feet. "Thank you. You are dismissed to your prior duties."

"Understood."

Naruto used the sling on Khahrahk to hang the nodachi across his back, making sure both he and the weapon were comfortable before making their way for the plaza he will be receiving the guests at. It would be a comfortable place that was set up by the Third Division for the group's stay even if it is brief.

"The amount of Souls I can feel is more than should be here. Six, one of which is an infant."

Naruto knew about Kurenai being pregnant with a daughter named Mirai, so he assumed the woman and her daughter came with Asuma and Konohamaru. The two others might be their guard since Asuma may feel uncomfortable being back in Konoha. It was as he arrived he found Third Division Visored standing guard outside the small building but it was the two others standing with them that caught his attention.

"So troublesome," Shikamaru sighed while leaning on the wall to Sasuke's right.

"Hey, Naruto," the Uchiha greeted with a nod. "How's my sister?"

"She's enjoying raising the kids," Naruto grinned as he knew his wife loved spending all day with their twins. "You should visit your niece and nephew more. They should get to know their uncle."

Sasuke scratched the back of his neck as a blush darkened his cheeks, a small smile on his face. "I'll try to make time."

Naruto nodded his head at the boy's words and smiled at the bashfulness. The raven-haired boy was still having difficulty accepting the softer emotions like love and compassion, mostly to do with him suppressing his empathetic emotions for most of his life, but he has spent quite a bit of time with Kokomi and Erin. It was giving the boy the incentive, if you could say, to be softer than what he usually is and that is only achievable because of the innocence that came with his infant niece and nephew.

Naruto turned to look at Shikamaru and smirked at the boy blatantly ignoring his presence, but he bumped his elbow into the shorter boy's arm. "Hey. You gonna ignore me the entire time you're back in Uzushio?"

"Hah," Shikamaru exhaled with a small frown on his face but Naruto heard the tinge of amusement in the boy's expression. "You gave me more responsibilities with being a Masked."

"You will get used to it," Naruto shrugged with a smirk. "You volunteered, whether your mother had anything to do with your choice or not. So don't act like a strong-armed you into anything."

Shikamaru said nothing to combat the other boy's statement and simply leaned back against the building.

Naruto patted the boy's shoulder with a soft smile before entering the building, nodding to the two Visored that bowed to him. It wasn't long before he found the Sarutobi clan resting on the luxurious couches, Asuma and Kurenai sitting in one couch with the young woman holding her daughter, while Konohamaru sat in a single chair with his eyes closed but his hands clasped together over his lap. A noticeable change of the boy is the yellow scarf around his shoulders, darker clothes that were either black or dark blue, and a Demon Mask is attached to his hip by a cord looped around the mask's eye.

The mask, as Naruto studied it, was the Mask of Hastur. The demon known as Hastur is a being that is not too much of a threat to existence as it's a threat to sanity. Hastur has infected many minds, granting chilling nightmares that leave a person in a coma for weeks at a time, and he even knows the secrets and laws of the universe that only the Chief gods and Mother and Father know. As such, he was captured and contained within a Mask and was among the ten given to Konohagakure.

The abilities granted are being able to hear the whispers of the universe, the knowledge of most secrets of the universe, the ability to give reality-altering nightmares much like the way of genjutsu, and the ability to share a secret of the universe which causes the mind to shut down and the target enters a vegetative state.

"Greetings," Naruto said and got the three's attention. "I'm glad you could make it, I was holding off the burial for as long as possible but Tsunade-baasan was getting restless."

"Naruto!" Konohamaru got to his feet and hugged the blonde man.

Naruto smiled and ruffled the young boy's hair. "Hey, Konohamaru, it's good to see you again."

Owari, Fire Country

"Yo, Earl, the fuck is up?"

The dark-haired man turned to his boss with a dull but questioning gaze. "What do you mean, Zoya-sama?"

"These reports from last night," Zoya motioned to a packet in her hands even as she looked at another. "Three villages just become ghost towns all of a sudden, and a recorded migration of power moving to the northeastern coast."

"Oh, that," the man said in realisation of what his boss was upset about. "We were delivering tools, drugs, and other supplies to those farming villages and they were deserted. We couldn't find a cause on-site, not like they lost water or a pestilence took out them or their crops, so we recorded it as a mysterious occurrence."

"And the migration of power?"

Earl paused at that as he silently formulated an accurate response to his boss' question. "We have recorded multiple powerful signatures not of a chakra nature. We are unsure of what they are exactly but they have all made it for the villages off the coast. They've congregated in a dense area."

Earl flipped the packet in Zoya's hand to a page that had a map. "The highlighted area is their location."

Zoya stared at the map and the more she noticed the more her stomach dropped. The way the highlight of the coast was, she had no other feeling than the thought of it being a coincidence they were at the shortest point between Fire and Uzushio. Almost as if these powers were preparing an invasion.

"What of chakra powers? Any change?"

"Very minor," Early answered shortly. "We did notice B-rank and above threats, Uzumaki Threat Levels Three to Five, moving from the Fire-Rain border to this vague location."

The Uzumaki had developed a ranking system they called Threat Levels because of their encounters with non-shinobi combatants as well as having developed this hundreds of years ago. The levels range from One, the weakest, to Six, the strongest.

Threat Level One is known as an Individual Threat as it would be meant for or dangerous for a single person to handle. For shinobi, this includes E-rank to D-rank as these are inexperienced but still moderately trained individuals who can get lucky. This level also includes Apprentice Mages and those not yet graduated from an academy or equal learning centre. Bandits in large numbers are included in this level and are the only civilian type to exist in the Uzumaki rankings.

Threat Level Two is known as the Team Threat, ranked to the Uzushio common four-man squad. Within this threat category are C-rank shinobi, rookie samurai - commonly referred to as Iron Samurai because of their high numbers in Iron country -, and lastly Disciple Mages. Chunin are frequent threats because of their high numbers and this is the level they start to focus on a single individual skill that they excel in. Rookie samurai are not as frequent but because of their much more intense training with many weapon skills they are more dangerous at this point. Disciple mages are magicians that have been acknowledged by their master and are given more advanced training.

Threat Level Three is the Group Threat, typically consisting of two or more teams. Within this category are B-rank shinobi, experienced samurai, and Adept Mages. B-rank shinobi are not Jonin and as such command squads of Chunin. Experienced samurai have hardened their skills with the rest of battle and as such are more in tune with their abilities than their rookies. Adept mages are magicians who are not scholarly devoted to new experiences and spheres of magic.

Threat Level Four is the Army Threat, often filled with two or so groups. This category includes A-rank shinobi, veteran samurai, and Master Mages. The A-rank shinobi are often veteran and skilled shinobi or special operations agents from various villages. Veteran samurai have been tested by dozens of battles and have led others and survived the heat of war. Master mages have a chosen sphere of magic that they have learned extensively and have experience in using this sphere to devastating degrees.

Threat Level Five is the Country Threats, which is rated to the average national degree. This category includes S-rank shinobi, samurai lords, and Archmages. S-rank shinobi are at the peak of shinobi performance and often have special skills or techniques or bloodlines that have given them an edge against even the top officers of armies. Samurai lords, also known as Iron Lords, are blessed warriors of the samurai class and are considered lords of their own provinces. Archmages are the epitome of magicians, often having created something new or progressing a sphere of magic farther than their compatriots.

Lastly is Threat Level Six, also known as the World Threats. This category is very different in the way it includes people. To the Uzumaki, very few people can be included in this category, and should someone meet the requirements they are the most powerful individual to ever grace the face of the world. In this category are the mythical SS-rank shinobi, Divine Mages, and Demigods. Only blessed, or cursed, individuals of unimaginable power have entered this class.

The most to have entered Threat Level Six are Divine Mages who've been around for a long time and have gained the blessings of their god. Demigods, while having popped up occasionally to the Uzumaki, are not nearly numerous and only one had been considered more powerful than this category. Naruto Uzumaki, because of his divine powers and his zanpakuto abilities, is considered a World Threat but since he is still growing he may even become the first Threat Level Seven - a Galaxy threat.

But to even have a group of levels Three to Five join with the hundreds of other powerful individuals already set up on the coast. It was causing Zoya to rapidly think over any scenarios in her head.

"What of Oak in Rivers? Has she heard of anything out of Rain?"

"She has yet to respond."

Zoya stood to her feet and grabbed the two packets she had been looking through. "I'm going to see her myself then. I need to know why this is happening before I make any rash conclusions."

"Before you leave, boss," Earl stopped Zoya from walking out the door. "There's been some happenings in the capital. It seems that the Daimyo has been making problems with his family's allies."

"Not just them but his own people," Zoya scoffed over her shoulder as it was known that her organisation in Fire had to expand just to support the growing number of needy villages. "What's the point?"

"He disrespected the Clan Head of the Oda," Earl said with a concerned look on his face.

The Oda clan were the owners of Owari and the province of the same name, coincidentally where the Legion set their headquarters up. The Clan Head knew of Legion's presence and had only desired a small cut to their profits for taxes. It was a minimum percentage as the clan leader had found it honourable for the Legion to dedicate so much to helping the lower class of citizens.

"So that's why she's been quiet lately," Zoya said to herself before making her way out without another word.

Marsh-Demon Border

Aizen stares from the edge of a cliff, the peak situated over a solid ground trail through the swamp that acted as the highest volume of civilian traffic between the two countries; mostly because it connected the two capitals together with the shortest amount of time - with the exception of going through the bogs and thick marsh that were filled with animals, demons, and parasites that will bring any amount of plagues upon unsuspecting groups.

"Captain."

Aizen turned towards who spoke and he found his top officers approaching him - plus Yachiru Kusajishi. The one to speak was Gin.

"What is it, Gin?"

"An Uzushio home squad, amounting to fifteen, arrived at the camp," Gin told the Captain. "Requests to have a word with you."

Aizen smiled softly, although it did not meet his eyes. "Of course."

With that, Aizen began walking past his officers but they shortly fell into step behind him with a few feet of respectable distance. He kept his smile, a complacent smile that was relaxed and welcoming in nature, but it was his mind that did not match the expression. Inside his head, he was going through the many reasons a squad sent from their home village would be appearing.

The most likely is that his Prince has heard and sent a message to them, or that the other Captains and Lieutenants have heard and sent a complaint to him about his campaign. For the former, he was prepared to answer anything his Prince had sent him even if it was a recall on their righteous quest. If it was the last, he would use his Bankai to satisfy the squad and send them back on their way home.

He may be a ruthlessly devoted servant of his Prince, killing and torturing anything that does not see the error of their ways, but he was no slayer of comrades. If they died for the Prince's cause that is one thing, but his Prince would not appreciate his servants killing each other no matter the reason.

Upon reaching the centre of the camp, over ten dozen large tents that held three-man squads surrounding the command tent, he found a group of five Visored, five shinobi, four Adept Mages, and the young Third Division officer Toshiro Hitsugaya. The last individual stood with his arms crossed and an annoyed expression on his face.

"Hello, Hitsugaya-san," Aizen smiled softly as he approached the young man. "What brings you to the Fourth Division's camp?"

"A message from Prince-sama and Captain Kuchiki," Toshiro immediately handed an envelope sealed with the Uzumaki symbol. "Was ordered to hand it to you directly."

Aizen eyed the envelope before flashing his teeth as he accepted. "Of course."

The seal melted away into wisps and the Captain opened the paper to start reading the contents, making sure his face never changed.

Captain of the Fourth Division Sosuke Aizen,

Hope this letter receives you well and on time. The Prince has returned home safe and sound and has been informed of your activities. While others are angered over your decision to act outside of the Prince's mandate, the young Prince instead is worried about the repercussions this may cause for any politics for the foreign lands. The Witch Queen, especially, is a cause of concern for Uzumaki-sama as he has been setting up a pact with her nation.

The Prince has ordered for you and your Division to return to Uzushiogakure and report to him immediately. He awaits your appearance and explanation immediately. Should you fail to do so, the Prince will be terribly upset and there will be punishments.

Ginrei Kuchiki
Captain of the First Division

Aizen stared at the signature and seal of his Prince and knew that even if the old man could gain the seal and use the man's name against him, he doubted the Prince's signature could be forged so well. The old man also knew his boundaries when it came to such things, Aizen will give the man that, so he knew this was an actual order.

"Understood," Aizen smiled at Toshiro and put the paper in his haori pocket. "You may return home and tell Captain Kuchiki and Prince-sama of the Fourth Division's arrival."

Toshiro nodded his head respectively. "Understood, thank you for your cooperation, Captain Aizen."

With that, Toshiro activated the home teleportation seal and disappeared in a brief light; his squad followed his actions and they too disappeared upon activating their own seals.

"Are we really going back after getting this close to our target?"

Aizen turned to his Lieutenants and gave a disarming smile to Lieutenant Tosen that conveyed a threat of death upon the man. "It is the Prince's will so we will follow his order faithfully whenever it is given. Are you maybe questioning our godly Prince's orders?"

Gin's smirking face darkened and his hand went to his zanpakuto, his squinting eyes peering at the darker-skinned officer.

Kenpachi didn't react much even as he was as much a zealot follower as the other two men, he was more concerned about not being able to kill any of those Future Cult weaklings.

"Oooh," Yachiru teased with a smirk on his face. "Looks like Tosen-san chose his words incorrectly!"

Kaname swallowed thickly even as his blind eyes stared forward. "I was not saying such a thing, Captain Aizen."

"Good, then you should go relay the orders to your teams," Sosuke turned to the others. "We are packing up and leaving. Rig the jail seal to release that Witch Queen once our teleportation seal activates."

"Understood, Captain."

Aomin Port City, Fire Country

Konan drummed her fingers on the table as she stared deep into the table, her mind distracted by thoughts of the invasion. No matter how much she tried to calm her nerves she couldn't shake the feeling that they were not prepared for this. She knew the Uzumaki Prince was stronger than Nagato as even with all the power her childhood friend exhibited he had never been able to go through with destroying a shinobi village.

The man wrestled S-rank individuals into line to create the upper ranks of Akatsuki, the likes of Hidan the Jashinist and Deidara the Mad Bomber having no choice but to follow the man's orders. But Naruto did not care for that. If he saw good in you he gave you the chance to repent, but if he saw you as a lost cause then he will force you into a life of redemption. He gave no choice.

She knows of his special abilities with his zanpakuto. How he can consume the souls of those he kills or whose death is recent enough that he can steal them from the afterlife? Those souls came back and he either let them serve as undead soldiers or as personal bodyguards. She had no doubt the fate Hidan and Kakuzu now faced after attacking the blonde on Nagato's orders.

"Konan-sama."

Konan stopped moving her fingers and looked up to see Ajisai on the other side of the table. She wore the Akatsuki cloak and straw hat, and underneath her cloak are numerous bomb tags and kunai. The young woman took what she was good at, seals, and took after the Uzumaki to learn what she could. Coincidentally, it was Uzumaki learning manuals that the girl found on the black market that she was learning from.

Of course these seals were nothing like what the Uzumaki Prince exhibited in the Chunin Exams as those were much too advanced, but the girl has been able to recreate devastating seals that can lay waste to groups of enemies. While not all of them are sure to kill stronger individuals, her senbon and kunai have been marked with seals that acted like remote Uzumaki Marks.

Not exactly the same but because the weapon can pierce the armour and clothing of the target, it did not need physical contact to react. And the fact she was beginning to use blood seals to enhance the formulas upon piercing the target's body, Ajisai was known as a powerful kunoichi with a flee-on-sight order from Taki, Suna, and Iwa.

"What's wrong, Ajisai-chan?"

"Haschwalth-san says that the Wandenreich soldiers are ready to start the invasion."

Oh boy! This is not looking good. It seems Uzushio is going to have it's first home invasion since it's reformation. How will Naruto handle this? Will the repel the invaders? Only the next chapters will tell!

A big thank you to everyone reading and reviewing the story I am grateful. I hope you continue to enjoy!

WindCitySlayer1: We can only one that Konan and Ajisai survive and save their people. Not everyone in Akatsuki is like Nagato. There can still be hope. Asuma has problems from his life and with his deep loyalty to Konohagakure.

PraetorXyn: Yeah but I'm good I was able to convey it well enough. Thank you :)

TigrezzTail: It seems the order got to Aizen in time, but will he arrive in time to repel the invasion or will he be too late?

WhateverPlus: Thank you :)

Guest: Nagato sure isn't doing any favors with his actions. We shall see how it goes.

Primarx: We can only hope he makes it back in time! The Fourth Division holds the most members as well as the strongest officers - all fanatically loyal to the Uzumaki Prince. It would be good for Naruto if they made it back to help.

Guest2: I grew up on Bleach so I have a bit of a bias for the show. I love the Thousand Year Blood War so far and think it is a lot better than the beginning of the series. As for the crossover mess, yes I do think I added too many too quickly and many have been shoved to the side. Mushoku Tensei technically exists here and in Konoha but I have not shown them and four years have passed since the events of chapter 2. So far, I have been sticking to Bleach, One Piece, Black Butler, Witcher, and Deadman Wonderland. Fairy Tail is a background crossover inclusion for the basis of magic in Elementia (the land of shinobi). One Piece will make more of a portrayal later on (hopefully) as well as Witcher, and Black Butler is going to be setting the second industrial revolution that will expand machinery and weapons. Naruto is very strong, much more to the point that he can face all of the shinobi nations at once by himself and bulldoze them - and this is before Boruto when he quite literally fought space gods. The reason is also the implementation of demigods and goddesses. Power lies in the divine, so to speak. As for mentioning going into Boruto, that was not my exact words. I more conveyed that once everything ends for this, we will be continuing on to other universes. Attack on Titan, Game of Thrones, Tower of God, etc. Itachi's name was more of a personal issue and I kept forgetting I even changed the name, then forgetting the name I changed it to. I am slowing down with the evens and I hope it is more consistent for your tastes and everyone elses. Thank you for the good and kind criticism :D