This AU has numerous twists and turns. I advise reading the entire chapter until the end! Other than that, Enjoy!

Chapter 1: After the War

The sounds of chants, screams, and thundering cheers ricocheted off the sandstone adobe walls of the city like echoes of impending doom. Rooftops were burning across the arid city of Riyal. Lines of angry citizens were marching down the tattered limestone brick road. Between the lines of citizens were black-cloaked soldiers holding spears and swords. The soldiers were force-marching men of all ages, battered and bloody through the city. Scarlet trails of blood caked the hot streets as the poor-beaten-souls were dragged through Riyal.

Naruto's face paled, watching the lines of men wearing white dunce hats with words such as "traitor," "adulterer," "teacher," "swindler," and "undesirable!" Many of the men walking the line had mangled plastic and metallic cubes dangling from bloody nooses tied around their necks. Those cubes were previously glasses, which made Naruto feel even worse. All those being targeted once wore glasses. One of the men marching against his will was an elderly man who coughed out blood below Naruto's knees and gasped, "Save me!"

A soldier hit the man's head with a club, causing the man to gurgle blood from his lips. They were pushed forward, their eyes closed, and their feet moving on autopilot.

The reprisals and mayhem in Riyal were worse than he thought. He looked away from the elderly man's purple, puffy, and bloodied face. This was the shinobi world, brutal and honest. He had taken part in many battles trying to retrieve Sasuke and save Konoha from Gaara. But what he was witnessing made his stomach churn.

More pitiful souls were being dragged by grinning bearded soldiers, all while the onlookers cheered from open windows on either side of packed streets. The soldiers were chanting, "Freedom! Freedom! Freedom!" To the tune of people shouting back, "Traitors! Traitors! Traitors!"

Two armored soldiers wearing black cloaks broke from the parade. They stood in front of him and shook their heads.

"Why aren't you celebrating ?" The cloaked soldier asked. "We couldn't have accomplished this without you."

"Dragging doctors and anyone wearing glasses through the streets is how we celebrate our victories. If so, I want no part in it," Naruto replied.

His heart was full of shame as he jumped away. Everywhere he looked, he saw black smoke rising, fires burning, and people celebrating with blood-red flags waiving over balconies. His fellow mercenaries were celebrating at the governor's mansion at the city's center. Hopefully, the celebration wasn't half as gruesome as what was happening in the streets.

He landed on top of a light pole overlooking the sprawling city. Riyal was the jewel of The Land of Amber, which half a million people called home. Naruto wanted to hide but couldn't look away from the destruction he unleashed. Moments like this reminded him of his status as a criminal. Last he checked, his bounty was the seventh highest in the Elemental Nations.

He had been accused of numerous crimes: spying, thievery, murder, lying under oath, treason, and planning mass murder.

Never in a million years would he commit such crimes, but try telling that to a corrupt military tribunal. No matter what he said, all they saw was Konoha's most annoying orange-loving jinchuriki. He was sentenced to ten years in prison but only spent one year behind bars. The Great Escape, the newspapers called it. He escaped through the prison's smelly, overflowing sewers and came out covered in shit. There wasn't anything extraordinary about it...

A small explosion took him out of his revelry down memory lane. Screams echoed from far away as plumes of bright yellow-orange flames escaped from a building close to the Governor's Mansion.

"Once a shinobi, always a shinobi," he muttered to himself.

XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoxoxoXoXoXoXoX

The red sun sank below the Meridian, casting the arid city in reddish-purple hues. Black-cloaked rebels patrolled the city's narrow roads as Naruto walked down the main road to the governor's Mansion. The rebels were from the Rakhan clan, an ethnic group native to Silver Country and Amber Country. Riyal, the city his mercenary company was hired to take, and the very one Naruto was walking in, was situated in the middle of Amber Country. The city was massive, home to a quarter of a million people, tucked in the valley of two mountain ranges. It was both arid and a tropical paradise from the creeks flowing into the Riyali River, which cut through the entire city from east to west. Riyal was strategic to both Amber Country and Silver Country as the crossroads between both nations and a hub for amber, spices, silk, silver, and coal.

Naruto thought the place was sandy, loud, and chaotic, with so many people still roaming about after a major battle.

Soldiers stopped on both sides of the road to give him brisk salutes as he walked by. Flag waivers cheered louder as Naruto walked quicker to the governor's mansion.

The rebel flag consisted of a golden eagle surrounded by scarlet fields. In the bloody sunset, this new flag flew ominously atop most skyscrapers, temples, and government buildings. Two blocks from the governor's Mansion, statues were being toppled, and many people waved the new gold and red flags over the rubble.

Many of his fellow mercenaries stood by with their pikes and swords at the ready. Their armor had the sigil of a red lion holding a silver blood-tipped lance. The Crimson Lancers were among forty separate mercenary companies hired by nations and shinobi villages to fight in their wars. Naruto stumbled upon them shortly after escaping Konoha more than four years ago. He'd been part of their outfit for over four years, with intermittent periods away from his greedy brothers in arms.

More statues were toppling into rubble deep into the city, and more cheers of excitement thundered around the heart of town. Several of the mercenaries scoffed and sheathed their swords.

"Damn animals these bastards are. We liberate them from their evil overlord, and the next second, they're parading heads on pikes around the shopping malls," complained a fellow lancer with black hair.

"Calling them animals is giving them too much respect. These Rakhan fanatics don't look like the lightbulb-changing type," Rias jested, causing Naruto's company of Crimson Lions to laugh.

"Maybe they're inbred," shouted another Lancer, causing Rias to stop laughing.

"Who cares if they're inbred? They are offering us enough money to finally leave this god-forsaken hell hole," complained another soldier.

"And be sent where? Ame?" Atsuko questioned. He sheathed his katana and came out of the shadows wearing an olive-green beret given out to Crimson Lancer officers. "War is on the horizon out East." His light-brown eyes shined happily, and his slashed Iwa headband on his forehead glimmered yellow-red from the setting sun. Atsuko stopped beside Rias and said, "I've heard rumors that Akatsuki is finally gone. They say an angel is now watching over Ame and that the world is finally ending!"

"No way that's true! If that's the case," she glanced at Naruto, "The entire shinobi world has turned into a giant…"

"Mess." Atsuko finished. He smiled, then looked at Naruto. "When one domino falls, the rest fall with it. Last week, I received word from an old friend that Iwa was mobilizing for war! If that wasn't bad enough, Konoha's recession might lead to them electing a new Hokage. War is our bread and butter. Once this war ends, another war will start, and hopefully, that next war will be a Great Shinobi War!"

"Why would you want that?" a grunt wearing a horned helmet asked.

"Because the bigger the war, the richer we get!" Atsuko roared, causing everyone to laugh.

"War, war, war. That's all we ever talk about," Rias expressed loudly. "Naruto-kun?"

Naruto saw Rias giving him her full attention, which caused him to freeze. She was a nineteen-year-old redhead with blueish-green eyes and a fiery personality. Five years ago, when Naruto was taking part in the Chunin exams, Rias left Kuso. After a terrible incident, she left the shinobi life and became a mercenary joining the Crimson Lancers. She was beloved by the army and protected by Atsuko, who watched her like a hawk, except for the day she found him in that abandoned barn.

He was half naked, smelling of filth, and he hadn't eaten in five days. Like an angel, she came to his aid and listened to his story. Without Rias saving his life more than four years ago... he wouldn't be here today.

Her cheeks turned pink, and her radiant smile and angelic sea-green eyes could undoubtedly launch a thousand ships her way. Looking at her made him even more ashamed, mainly because she was his world. He owed his life to Rias, but she kept looking at him like he was a hero. All the soldiers around the Governor's Mansion turned their eyes toward what piqued Rias' interest.

Naruto smiled the faintest smile he could muster on a day like this. The screaming, looting, and mayhem outside the compound of Riyal's toppled leader could be heard around them. The noise made his heart sink, especially with how much respect everyone was giving him.

"Captain, Uzumaki!" Saluted all the soldiers around the square.

"Did you find that ramen shop you were looking for?" Atsuko asked innocently.

Naruto smiled and shook his head before laughing. "I was about to order two bowls… but one of the rebels' parades went through the area. I saw so many people half dead and..." Atsuko and Rias came to his side immediately. He shrugged them off and threw his arms back in frustration. "We lost three hundred comrades, and for what?"

Rias gulped and stepped away from Naruto. They were Captains like him in the Crimson Lion brigade, which was a stepping stone away from becoming a brigadier general like Sifu. Atsuko grabbed his black and white checkered scarf and shook him.

"They paid the price just like we all do." He gave Naruto a gentle pat on his shoulders, then smirked. "You haven't experienced a Great Shinobi War like I have. We lost only three hundred because you were here. I've been deployed in Kiri, Suna, and Oto, and never once did we walk away with less than a thousand casualties. Hell, before you joined up, Konoha hired us to burn down Grasshopper Country, and we lost nine hundred while killing thirty thousand people. Just three hundred losses, for this city, I'd consider that a victory," Atsuko said wholeheartedly.

"This doesn't feel like a victory," Naruto said, brushing his side and taking a deep breath.

"The victory is that we are alive," Rias observed, looking out towards the mayhem and screams growing closer to the abandoned upper-class neighborhoods. "I bet you they are having a fun time."

Everyone started laughing and walking back to their posts. Naruto walked alongside Atsuko and Rias into the Governor's Mansion.

"Naruto, we were summoned by high command. They are meeting in dear Governor Nagoya's billard and whiskey room on the third floor. I'm almost positive they're discussing what happens next," Atsuko disclosed softly. "I believe you are up for a promotion."

"A promotion?" Naruto repeated. "Are you sure about that?"

"Come on, Naruto, everyone knows we couldn't have broken through the city defenses without your legion of shadow clones pulling off the diversion." Rias expressed excitedly. "We've been fighting together for close to four years. Hell, you took on twenty enemy shinobi by yourself… you deserve this."

"I do?" Naruto questioned, his head lowering as he thought about the hundreds of innocent people being targeted across Riyal. "I wanted the bloodshed to end. I was just trying to save lives…"

"Cheer up, mate. We will go inside, talk with the high command, get our pay, and then enjoy the spoils of victory at our hotel," Atsuko said happily. "Sifu told me that Amber Country's best pianist is performing later tonight." The brown-eyed former shinobi from Iwa opened the palace door for Naruto and Rias. "But first, let's get through this hell hole!"

If the screams of joy and terror outside were horrifying, the loud clanging of pints of ale and the hollering of gambleholics rang from the foyer of the palace. Glass chandeliers hung overhead, golden double staircases led to the second floor, and the most splendid part of the governor's mansion was the two-story waterfall cascading from the second floor. Men and women were chatting in long rooms, eating sandwiches, sushi, salted-pork, and whatever libations were left in the kitchen after the Battle of Riyal. Many people munched on bread while chugging beer and sake between each bite. Naruto heard extremely loud moaning and thrusting coming from upstairs.

"At least some people are having fun," Naruto grumbled, only to notice that everyone inside the palace had redirected their attention to him. "Uh?"

Rias grabbed his left arm and threw it up high. Everyone present around the palace entrance raised their drinking horns or clapped. Then, the party went back into full swing. Rebel soldiers were chewing khat and looting rooms as they ventured down marble-floored hallways.

Rebels and Crimson Lancers carried silk clothes, high-quality linens, jewelry boxes, and even underwear in their arms. The hordes of greedy soldiers left not a single room untouched. Rias held his left hand with both her hands, leading him down elaborate passageways in the massive palace. Naruto had never seen so much wealth contained in one building. Everywhere he looked, he saw gold and silver.

"You can't blame the people for hating the rich," Rias commented as they walked upstairs to a quieter part of the palace.

"Doesn't excuse what they are doing. Remember Water Country? There was far less bloodshed after the Kiri Civil War," Naruto said with hollow words.

"To be fair, we didn't stick around Kiri long enough to see what the rebels did to Yagura's old guard," Atsuko pointed out.

"Yeah, well, at least in Kiri, I could eat a bowl of ramen without people getting murdered left and right in the streets," Naruto pouted.

"Hmm, good point, I never thought of it that way," Atsuko agreed. "Remind me not to eat ramen after a major battle!"

Naruto grumbled while Rias laughed.

They followed Rias to the third floor. There, they saw bright-colored paintings featuring geometric shapes and angry brush strokes. This ugly modern art was too expensive for the commoners but tacky enough that a tyrant would place it at the centerpiece of his art collection. Naruto saw Rias' crimson eyebrows twitch and her pink lips drop as they entered a room full of statues of mythical dragons, priceless artwork, and a giant marble penis that was eight feet high.

Atsuko joined the growing crowd of men drooling at the artwork. Naruto was immediately fascinated by paintings that featured flowers opening up into the shape of…

Rias yanked him down the hallway and dragged Atsuko by his ear, who mumbled, "Ow! What's that for?"

"I didn't wake up before sunrise just to watch you perverts gaze at such vulgar and gaudy art!" Her cheeks were scarlet red, and she gripped Naruto's left hand on her bosom, causing him to blush. "Who in their right mind would consider that art?"

"Tsk, I saw you looking at it, too," Atsuko answered, only for Rias to yank his ear again.

She removed Naruto's hand from her warm and soft breast. Atsuko snorted and elbowed his side, causing him to sigh. He crossed his arms and followed his deranged companions to Nagoya's private office.

Every room they passed was being looted by hordes of armored Lancers carrying sacks filled with gold, silver, billfolds, and anything that looked valuable in Nagoya's personal quarters. Naruto smirked and smiled, happy that their struggling army could finally live comfortably for once.

They had spent the last year and a half fighting and battling their way north to the capital of Amber Country. Their army had yet to be paid for their services in battle, but now that Riyal had fallen, they would soon be paid. Naruto wasn't a genius like Shikamaru, but even he could figure out why this victory was significant. After all, the Rakhan clan heads agreed to the terms of capturing Riyal.

Whoever entered, conquered, and garrisoned Riyal first would automatically be promised first spoils. The only issue with this agreement was that their army, consisting of ten thousand strong, had to garrison the city. The Crimson Lancers were the only formidable military power in the region, and all those soldiers had to be quartered. Naruto silently prayed he'd finally be quartered on a nice, soft, feathered bed. He hadn't slept on a bed in almost a year!

He grasped the leather handle of his double-edged bastard sword strapped to his back while entering Nagoya's office with Rias and Atsuko.

Nagoya's office was massive and U-shaped like a horseshoe. It was equipped with an equally impressive bulletproof window that overlooked Riyal's bureaucratic square. Hotels, administration buildings, and even a Sunagakure embassy surrounded the square. Red and gold spotlights lit the buildings, giving the palace a bloody hue.

Thousands of Crimson Lancers and rebel soldiers were firing fireworks and singing songs of victory around the square. The commotion was so loud that the windows vibrated each time a rocket exploded into burning colorful sparkles.

Naruto, Rias, and Atsuko stood silently away from Red Lion Commander Sifu Genno. There were only nine commanders in their company of mercenaries. The leader of the Crimson Lancers, Meiji Tanaka, stood at the center of the semicircle of sitting leaders. Meiji was born and raised in Fire Country. He was a peasant whose parents were killed during the Second Great Shinobi War.

Meiji stood tall and dignified, always smiling mischievously as if he were planning something. His black hair barely existed in a military cut, yet it still had color for a man in his fifties. His black, soulless eyes were always focused on Rias, which unnerved Naruto.

All ten men commanders present either had a glass of Nagoya's whiskey in hand or a burning cigar in their mouth. Maps of the region and the five great shinobi nations were sprawled upon an ebony tabletop, which took up a quarter of the office. Bookshelves surrounded the back walls of the room, and there were two billiard tables, a bar, a fireplace, and plasma screen TVs playing the same movie Nagoya had on before his arrest.

"We have word that the rebels are moving upon the capital as we speak," Meiji said, his head hidden by the report he was reading. "Rakhan forces are grouping north of Riyal up to fifty-thousand strong against the Daimyo's Mukden clan's thirty-thousand. We have the initiative to end this war within a month."

"Yes, but as you can see, Iwa is mobilizing its forces along its border. Konoha plans to hold an election to elect a new Hokage, which will take place in three months. If the situation continues, that election might happen sooner rather than later," explained a commander whose face was hidden inside a report.

"Right, the looming Fourth Great Shinobi War, which we has been on the horizon for almost ten years," Meiji replied, annoyed. "Let me read that offer from Oto again!"

One of the commanders had his cigar in a tobacco tray and started pushing black-colored military division tiles on the Amber Country map to the capital city of Yalu. Naruto saw the map of Iwa on the map and saw that the nation's divisions were set up along the border of Rain Country and the nations north of Wind Country. He hadn't been invited inside the war room since Kiri two years ago. Seeing the commanders planning and strategizing was an experience of its own.

"Oto is sending us five hundred bars of gold if we agree to join them in their assault on Konoha in two months. If we take Yalu, we'll get five hundred more bars of silver on top of the four hundred they are paying us for taking Riyal. " Meiji rubbed his thin, graying mustache under his nose and settled his glass of whiskey on the maps of the Elemental Nations. "But if we agree to fight alongside Orochimaru, we would have to drop out of this war. In a week, the rebels are giving us what we are owed. That's when we'll decide!" Meiji looked up from his maps and smiled at Naruto, Rias, and Atsuko. "If it isn't our heroes!"

Everyone in the room turned their attention to Naruto. The blonde jinchuriki started blushing from their intense respective stares. He grew up a hyperactive, attention-starved orphan unlucky enough to hold the Kyuubi, so receiving so much praise and gratitude made him feel sad.

Rias bumped his side, causing him to salute high command quickly.

"At ease, captains," Meiji said enthusiastically. "I woke up this morning hearing disturbing news. I was in my pajamas at five in the morning, learning that captain Uzumaki Naruto had given the go-ahead to assault Riyal. This blonde-haired brat not only rushed the Red Lions into Riyal. But you did it months before schedule, all on your own."

The entire room was silent. Sweat started dripping down his blond-locked hair. Rias had her left arm around a kite-shaped steel Red Lion shield. Her left hand was concealed and shaped into the ram hand sign, and her right hand grasped the white tape hilt of a kunai. Meiji licked his pale, thin, white lips while gazing at Rias.

"Don't worry. I would never hurt an Uzumaki, especially one as beautiful as you.." Naruto gritted his teeth and tried his best not to seeth. He looked at Rias, who unsheathed her kunai. "Because even if I tried to fight her, I'm thirty-plus too old, and she'd break me in two, " Meiji hollered with laughter. "Come on, take it easy. The battle is over."

The other commanders awkwardly laughed at the joke but were obviously uncomfortable. Naruto held his cousin back. She sheathed her kunai, but her eyes were furious.

"I'm a kunoichi! Just because I lack a small withered-up dick doesn't mean I deserve such disrespect," Rias hissed loud enough to make the room silent.

"You once were a kunoichi, but right now, you are part of my army," Meiji retorted sarcastically. "Raising a weapon at a commander is a punishable offense!"

"Punish me then," Rias threatened.

"No," Meiji said, sweat rolling down his graying hair as he stared at Naruto.

"Why, because you're scared? Because you know that if I tell my cousin to kill you he would!" Rias growled.

Naruto was ready to raise his sword. His cousin only had to give him the go-ahead, and he'd carve up Meiji real good.

"Such unlady-like behavior is exactly why I haven't invited you two Uzumaki's until now," Meiji growled back.

"Meiji, now isn't the time for crude jokes, especially towards two of my captains. Rias is Naruto's cousin, and that comment is disrespectful to both of them," Genno asserted calmly.

Genno's wrinkly face was more pale than usual. Genno was nearly eighty and a veteran of all three Great Shinobi Wars. He wore large black-rimmed glasses and looked as frail as any geriatric at a nursing home. But despite his age, the old man was kind enough to take him in, especially when Naruto was at his lowest.

"I'm sorry for my rude joke," Meiji said with a smile.

"Apology accepted," Rias replied with crossed arms.

"Naruto Uzumaki, you've been in my army for four years under the name Naruto Kazuki. Did you genuinely think we wouldn't know you are a jinchuriki?" Meiji asked sternly, his black, soulless eyes burning into Naruto's soul. "You are an international criminal, but you are still a Crimson Lancer for now. Because of your flawless victory today, we are the richest mercenary company in the Elemental Nations."

"Am I in trouble," Naruto said meekly.

"Trouble? Are you stupid or something?" Maiji asked seriously. "Not even the Tsuchikage could have pulled off such a flawless victory."

Naruto lowered his bottom lip and shrugged, unsure how to answer. "Well… uh, am I in trouble?" he responded, confused.

Rias and Atsuko started laughing.

"No! Of course, you aren't in trouble!" Meiji barked in disbelief. "Why would I discard you? You've made us too much money. Half of the men and women in the Lancers are criminals, and I'd rather have a jinchuriki fighting with me than against me. Thanks to you, everyone will get their cut in five days, and I mean everyone! Even the potato peelers and toilet scrubbers will receive two years' pay!"

Everyone in the room raised their glasses and cheered loudly at the proclamation. Naruto's cheeks started warming up when he felt Rias jumping and clapping next to him. Atsuko gave him a bone-crushing bear hug. Never had he seen so many happy faces between commanders, captains, and grunts alike that all soldiers were on the same level for one second. The cheers and claps deafened the room long enough for Meiji to bang his fist repeatedly on the table.

The room dialed down, and Meiji smiled as he stood up.

"I've spoken to my commanders, and we have all agreed that it's time to promote the younger generation into high command. Dear comrade Genno Torappu," Meiji said, pausing long enough for Genno to stand up and salute, which fell to his side into a fist. "You have been fighting in our forces for over forty years. Oldtimer, you raised me into the man I am now. We've been fighting together from the start. As the seasons change and time goes on, it's time to look to the future. You will still be part of this family, but your days of going out into battle are over. This spring, Naruto Uzumaki will become commander of the Red Lion Brigade."

Genno's black-rimmed glasses nearly fell off his face. His thin, wrinkled hands were trembling against his body. Then he shook his head with his eyes closed. Naruto's heart sank when he saw the man he called Sifu lose the one thing he loved. Meiji smiled sadistically while everyone present cheered his name.

Fireworks flared and exploded outside the palace. Genno sat down while Rias raised Naruto's right hand and shouted, "Congratulations." Her usual vibrant smile looked forced. Atsuko, on the other hand, looked happy with the news. But Naruto couldn't help but notice his master's turmoil.

"Is that it?" Atsuko asked. "Are we free to go?"

"Yes, enjoy the night's festivities. You three are staying at the Green Dragon Suites across the square," Meiji divulged while huffing on his cigar.

"Best place in town," Commander Tasuku bellowed. "I heard that pianist we captured is playing there tonight. She's the prettiest creature I've seen. Such beauty deserves a man to ah, uh…" Rias was raising an eyebrow at Tasuko's comment. "She played for Governor Nagoya's war banquets before the takeover of Riyal."

Tasuko was a portly shinobi from Suna who retired into the Crimson Lancers. He led the Black Bear Brigade, and like Genno, he was the sort of Commander who wouldn't send his troops on suicide missions. Tasuka weighed over 300 pounds and had two chins, yet the man wasn't a slouch. Naruto had seen him smash four Kirigakure shinobi with a Warhammer during the Kiri Civil War.

"Is this pianist famous or something?" Rias questioned.

"Famous enough for Nagoya to hire her. She's among the hundreds of foreigners hiding at our hotel tonight," Gennno answered.

"Don't you three captains worry. We will keep her safe until the locals calm down so she can go home," Tasuku expressed happily.

"That damn pianist is among hundreds of other foreigners taking up rooms and beds that should be going to our weary troops. If I could throw every damn lawyer and tourist to those bloodthirsty wolves, I would," Meiji complained.

"Why not?" Naruto asked.

"Because our reputation is hanging by a thread, especially out east. If word starts spreading that a bunch of foreigners died under our watch… go and have fun. Leave the pessimism and planning to the adults," Meiji explained, his hands ushering the three captains away.

(A/N)Reuploaded! This chapter was heavily inspired by the victims of the Khmer Rouge and the experiences of people in a hotel in Nanking, China, during WW2 during the Nanjing Massacre. This is purely fanfiction, and any references I make to historical events aren't advocating for anything. These specific events just inspired me while writing this story.

Rias is based on Rias Gremory from High School DxD. I've never actually watched the anime, but I've heard from fellow writers about her character... and yes, I know she's a Harem fantasy character. The Rias in this story I thought her personality lifted off the page naturally, and I had a fun time writing Rias, Naruto, Itachi, and Hinata. Hopefully, all of you enjoyed reading this! Please support this story by following, favoriting, and reviewing!

The following three or four chapters will be a rollercoaster... so be on the lookout for more.