DISCLAIMER: I don't own Naruto or any of it's characters.

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[Author's note]

This story is set in a world where the third great ninja war never really ended, instead spilling over into a larger fourth war. Minato never died sealing Kurama into Naruto, instead the entire village supervised the process of making Naruto a Jinchuriki.

Jinchuriki are nothing more than weapons to be used and are raised from birth as such. They are being officially deployed into battle for the first time ever in the fourth great Ninja war following the less successful experiments of having actual tailed beasts fight for the hidden villages.

Following the death of Kushina Uzumaki, her son Naruto is chosen to be the new host of the nine tails owing to the already significant traces of the beast's chakra residing within him.

Prologue

The sky over Konoha's defensive trenches was a nightmarish tableau of smoke and fire. Konoha's forces were entrenched, desperately trying to hold the line against the relentless assault of Kumo's shinobi. The ground shook with each thunderous explosion from Kumo's newly invented artillery, tearing through the defensive fortifications and scattering debris and bodies alike. The relentless barrage of Kumo's artillery turned the battlefield into a hellscape, the ground trembling with each deafening explosion. The Konoha shinobi, seasoned and green alike, found themselves in a desperate struggle for survival against an unseen, overpowering force.

The artillery shells whistled through the air before detonating with bone-rattling force, sending shrapnel and earth flying in all directions. Every explosion was a symphony of destruction, drowning out the cries of the wounded and the shouted commands of the officers. The once orderly trench lines were now a chaotic mess of craters, rubble, and bodies.

Shinobi clung to whatever cover they could find, their faces streaked with dirt and fear. Some tried to create shields of earth, seeking refuge from the deadly rain of metal. Others, caught in the open, were torn apart by the blasts, their screams abruptly silenced. The air was thick with dust and the stinging smell of smoke, making it hard to breathe, let alone see.

A young genin huddled against the earthen wall, his hands pressed over his ears in a futile attempt to block out the noise. His eyes were wide with terror, tears cutting paths through the grime on his cheeks. Nearby, a jonin shouted orders, trying to organize a defense, but his voice was lost in the cacophony.

Sakura Haruno moved through this nightmare with single-minded determination. Her pink hair was matted with sweat and grime, and her eyes burned with determination. She barked orders to the other medics, her voice barely audible over the hellish noise of battle. Her chakra glowing hands were a rare beacon of calm amidst the chaos. She ignored the explosions, the flying debris, and the screams, focusing only on the task at hand: saving lives.

A massive explosion rocked the trench, and Sakura felt the ground shift beneath her feet. Feeling a spray of dirt and blood hit her face, she felt herself thrown sideways, landing hard against the trench wall. For a moment, her vision blurred, and her ears rang with the impact. She forced herself up, shaking off the disorientation, and rushed to the source of the explosion.

There, she found a squad of Konoha shinobi, their bodies broken and bleeding. The artillery shell had landed directly in their midst, leaving a gruesome scene of carnage. Sakura didn't hesitate. She dropped to her knees beside the nearest soldier, a chunin whose leg was barely hanging on. Her hands glowed with healing chakra as she worked to stabilize him.

"You're going to be okay," she said, more to herself than to him. "You're going to be okay."

The soldier's eyes fluttered open, filled with pain and fear. "Am... am I...?"

"Don't talk," she ordered, her voice firm. "Just hold on."

As Sakura's chakra knit flesh and bone with practiced precision, the teenage boy's face twisted in agony, but he managed a grateful nod.

All around her, the artillery continued its merciless barrage. The ground shook with each new explosion, sending fresh waves of debris into the air. The noise was a constant, overwhelming presence, a reminder of the relentless power of Kumo's new weapon.

In the distance, Sakura could see other medics working frantically, their green chakra glowing in the haze. Some were carrying the wounded to makeshift shelters, while others performed triage right there in the trenches. It was a scene of controlled chaos, every medic doing their best to keep up with the endless stream of casualties.

"Kumo's breaking through!" someone yelled from down the line, and Sakura's heart skipped a beat. She knew what that meant. The front would collapse, and the enemy would pour into the village.

She stood up, her legs aching from hours of crouching and kneeling. Her eyes scanned the battlefield, taking in the advancing Kumo forces engaging whatever was left of the defending forces. Kumo's artillery had created breaches in Konoha's defenses, and their shinobi were exploiting them with ruthless efficiency.

The rain of fire showed no signs of stopping. Every moment brought new explosions, new injuries, new deaths. The Konoha shinobi, battered and bloodied, clung to their positions with grim determination. They were fighting not just for their lives, but for the safety of their village and loved ones.

Sakura felt a surge of anger and helplessness as she worked. The artillery was a cruel, impersonal enemy, striking without warning or mercy. It was a challenge unlike any they had faced before, and it was testing their limits in the most brutal way possible.

Then, out of the smoke and chaos, came a brilliant flash of yellow light. Minato Namikaze, the Fourth Hokage, had arrived, and for the first time since the bombardment began, hope sparked in Sakura's heart.

His presence was like a beacon of hope, and for a moment, the battle paused as both sides took in the sight of the Yellow Flash. Minato moved with impossible speed, his kunai flashing as he cut through the Kumo ranks. Each strike was precise, each movement a blur. Konoha's forces rallied around him, their spirits lifted by his arrival.

Sakura watched in awe as Minato decimated the enemy lines, his teleportation jutsu turning the tide of the battle. The Kumo shinobi, caught off guard by his sudden appearance, began to falter. Their artillery, so devastating moments before, became useless in the face of Minato's relentless assault. Calling in fire on him was only going to affect their own men.

"Retreat! Fall back!" came the panicked cries from the Kumo commanders, but it was too late. Minato's presence had already turned the tide. Konoha's remaining forces surged forward, pushing the invaders back with renewed vigor.

Sakura didn't allow herself to relax. There were still lives to save, still soldiers to heal. But as she moved to the next injured comrade, the explosions seemed a little less terrifying, the noise a little less overwhelming. Minato's arrival had brought more than just a tactical advantage; it had brought a renewed sense of hope and determination to the battered defenders of Konoha.

As the Kumo shinobi retreated, the artillery fell silent, and the sounds of battle began to fade. The Fourth Hokage's intervention had saved them, but the cost was high. The trench was filled with the dead and dying, the ground soaked with blood.

Sakura knelt beside another injured comrade, her hands steady despite the weariness that threatened to overwhelm her. She couldn't afford to stop, not now. Not ever.