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Chapter 35

A Price for Peace

(Kirigakure)

Yagura was satisfied on seeing the conflicted look on Naruto's face as he watched a nearly transformed Mei Terumi placed in front of his forces. The clan heiress was just one step away from a full transformation, something which the Sealing Masters were preventing for now but could let happen should the situation demand.

He had nothing against the girl, in fact he sympathized with her condition more than anyone else in this village.

But her father-Lord Minase Terumi had refused to accept Yagura's rule and stayed defiantly loyal to the dethroned Lord Gengetsu Hozuki.

Loyal but foolish action that got him incarcerated in the dreaded dungeons of their village, his clan taken hostage.

It broke his young daughter's heart who volunteered her services in order to protect her father and fellow clansmen.

When Yagura had told her of Naruto's approach towards the village, she had been elated at first and later horrified when she learned of his plans for her. He had promised to release her father and clansmen should she help him deal with the last threat to his rule.

The girl had teared up and in that moment he had clearly seen the amount of respect she had for the General in her eyes.

He saw the same admiration and loyalty in the eyes of the General's men as they rallied around him led by Zabuza and Kisame. They were outnumbered, severely under-equipped and faced two Jinchuuriki and Kiri's most fierce clans.

"Be careful, Yagura. He already killed one of us in the past"

Yagura blinked in shock on hearing the tailed beast inside of him speak for the first time in years. When he had been younger, the Three Tails had tried to use fear to torment him but when that didn't work it had tried to take over his body during his weakest moments.

Only when the Karatachi clan leader had shown that he was no pushover did the beast stop and retreat away in isolation, waiting for a chance to strike once more.

"I know you want to be free, Isobu. But you cannot scare me" rebuked Yagura, making the large turtle laugh outloud.

"We tailed beasts are connected to each other. You humans have used us for generations but none have tormented one of my own more than the shinobi in front of you. I could feel her pain, hear her screams and experience the terror she felt before she was murdered. With her dying breath, the Two tails had given the rest of us a glimpse of her killer so we could avenge her should we cross paths with him one day" said Isobu seriously,

"I haven't heard of any such incident!" denied Yagura, distrust clearly present in his heart making the tailed beast sigh.

"The real truth is mostly never revealed in this damned shinobi world. I didn't care about it too much and kept my silence till now but your actions have brought both me and the Six Tails in direct conflict with this man. We don't care about your silly civil war but would want to prevent ourselves from facing a gruesome death. Ask the Sealing Masters to let the Jinchuuriki loose, the Six Tails-Saiken would take care of the rest. Have your army deal with his forces while you join Mei in dealing with the most important threat, I'll even lend you my power willingly. Deploy barrier arts with the help of sealing masters or you won't survive" advised Isobu honestly,

Yagura was left speechless as he clearly felt the unstated fear and anxiety in the tailed beast.

"Surely you aren't afraid of one man, Isobu?" asked Yagura hesitantly,

"There is a lot you don't know about him, fool. He was a teenager when he killed a Biju, his men defeated the Kinkaku and wiped out an entire Kumogakure Mountain Warfare battalion before being eliminated. If we survive this, I'll tell you everything...damn you for forcing me into this position!" cursed Isobu,

Yagura felt the beast's chakra flow through his entire body quickly and for the first time felt nervous about the upcoming battle. He quickly gestured the Sealing Masters with a new set of orders much to their surprise while also providing Reika Kaguya, the leader of her clan and in-charge of his ground forces to start their attack.

With a fierce warcry he jumped off the village's walls and joined the battle.

Naruto heard the fierce war cry of the enemy army before they launched their offensive under the leadership of Reika Kaguya and her bloodthirsty clansmen. His own forces were outnumbered nearly three to one as Kisame and Zabuza took up lead positions on their respective flanks.

He also saw Yagura stepping on the battlefield and conferring with his sealing masters currently holding back Mei.

Looking at his own men, he saw their fear but also their determination to emerge victorious despite the odds.

"Stick to our battle plan and follow your leaders. Hold your ground!" he commanded fearlessly,

His army roared in unison which only emboldened the enemy forces charging towards them. Quickly performing a set of hand seals, the Kiri General slammed his right palm on the ground.

"Earth Style: Shock Wave"

Reika Kaguya felt the ground beneath her feet tremble rapidly making many of her warriors lose their footing and fall flat on the ground. The more experienced ones managed to stay on their feet and joined their nearest comrade in stabilizing each other together by forming tight clusters.

She saw a cold smile arrive on Naruto's lips as Zabuza, Kisame and Ganryu charged forward to throw multiple scrolls high above Reika's clustered and disarrayed army.

Multiple blinding flashes enveloped her vision and by the time it was restored her men were dying by the dozen with shrapnel rounds raining down heavily from the ninja scrolls. They had a devastating effect on the clustered groups of her forces who had not yet regained their footing, had their vision reduced severely and were swiftly counterattacked.

She cursed when the slaughter further enraged her ever hot-blooded Kaguya clansmen even more as they recklessly charged towards the Kiri General.

"Earth Style: Elevation!"

Instead of an open field, Naruto made the very earth itself rise up so that his entire force was now standing upon an elevated patch of land with the the enemy now forced to fight an uphill battle to reach their target.

A hail of explosive kunai and shuriken tore down the fools from Reika's forces that tried to charge up the hill.

She brought her remaining forces to halt and ordered them to reorganize their broken lines while carefully eyeing the enemy position with a begrudging respect. She had expected to fight rebel forces and had now realized this was a well trained army that had prepared well for such a confrontation under their General.

It clearly showed when their frontline was composed of heavy swordsmen and melee fighters led by Zabuza and Kisame, probably Taijutsu specialists as well. In the middle, Reika saw Ganryu organize some of their village's finest Genjutsu specialists, while in the rear a clone of Naruto worked with a group of ninjas who quickly created a large red colored barrier over their entire force save for a small opening at the frontline.

A Kill Zone.

Still, it didn't change her objective and she was about to give the order for a frontal charge when she felt a huge chakra buildup. Looking behind, she saw Mei launch a small Bijudama right towards the elevated position of Naruto's army.

The General charged outside the barrier and threw a three pronged kunai towards the approaching tailed beast bomb.

He also threw another kunai right towards one of the far off mountains and clasped his hands together in order to teleport the attack. To his horror, nothing happened at all as his kunai was consumed by the tailed beast bomb which kept on advancing towards his position.

He tried to teleport himself and met with the same result as his eyes caught sight of the Sealing Masters now spread across the entire battlefield.

"Anti-teleportation markers" thought Naruto with a grudging respect as his foe had realized his most lethal trump card and had decided to deny him its usage. Traits of a smart enemy commander.

Dark ash colored chakra leaked from his body swiftly as he extended his right hand forward.

"Ash Release: Particle Annihilation"

An equally monstrous explosion clashed with the Bijudama in the air as their combined power rocked the entire land in its fury. The attack while not causing any casualties on either side miraculously due to its occurrence high in the sky, also launched a devastating shockwave that sent many shinobi flying away, Naruto included.

As he crashed back inside the barrier he coughed blood and felt atleast one of his ribs break instantly.

Zabuza saw fear ripple through their men on seeing their General crash like that even as Ganryu rushed to help the blonde get back on his feet. The enemy saw it too as they renewed their charge on the hill.

"Kisame!" he shouted furiously, earning a feral grin from his fellow Swordsmen as both of them performed a similar set of hand signs.

"Water Style: Ten Water Dragons!"

Reika Kaguya had mimicked their actions and launched her own water dragons as a counterattack but her power was no match against the combined might of the two swordsmen as few of their water dragons broke through and crashed upon the enemy forces.

Dozens of them were swept away in the wave as Zabuza turned towards their men.

"Let's send them all to hell!" he yelled murderously,

Kisame smiled when his fellow swordsmen actually led a counter-charge with a courage never seen before. Without waiting for anyone else he joined his comrade as both the Seven Ninja Swordsmen descended upon their enemies with their full killing intent causing the nearest ones to run in fear.

Zabuza gave them no mercy as his giant blade severed atleast five enemies in half and skewered many more through the heart. Kisame on the otherhand went straight for the serpent's head and charged straight towards Reika Kaguya who procured two bone shaped spears from her back.

"Water Style: Water Bullets!"

Kisame's swift attack struck down the Kaguya clansmen trying to get in the way of their matriarch's doom. He smirked when bloodthirsty cries were heard from the rear as their men joined the brutal melee after watching the fearless charge initiated by two of their leaders.

The swordsmen however was alarmed when he saw a transformed Mei and Yagura himself charging forward to protect the Kaguya clan leader.

His concern was answered when Naruto himself jumped in between their path and gave a reassuring nod to Kisame.

"Leave them to me, Kisame" he said confidently despite his wounds,

"I'll see you in hell otherwise, General" answered Kisame with a crooked smile,

Most of the people he knew would have interpreted his message wrongly but Naruto simply laughed boisterously and gave him a respectful nod acknowledging his fellow swordsmen's promise of fighting under his flag till the very end despite all the odds.

With that determination and respect, Kisame charged fearlessly towards the Kaguya matriarch.

Yagura rushed forward alongside his guard as his gaze remained fixated on the transformed Mei that rapidly charged towards the wounded Naruto who stood in between them and his army currently fighting against Reika's forces.

He saw the blood dripping from the rogue General's lips clearly signalling he had suffered some injury in the earlier attack. The man sank to one knee and clasped both his hands together in a Ram sign.

As Mei came extremely close to him, dark marks started spreading across her entire transformed state eliciting a painful scream from the female Jinchuuriki. Blood also flew from Naruto's eyes and nose as he clasped his hands even more fiercely as the first chakra tail from Mei's back disappeared followed by another and another.

"He's suppressing the power of a Biju?" thought Yagura in horror,

"There's no mistaking it. His chakra feels very similar to Hashirama Senju, the man who captured all of us tailed beasts. Those eyes of his are also similar to the Sharingan if not the accursed dojutsu fully. Yagura- he has the Uchiha and Senju blood in him, the power once possessed by the Sage of Six Paths himself. Don't let him touch you or we'll end up in the same situation as the Six Tails right now" warned the three tailed beast quickly,

The Third Mizukage saw merit in that advice when Mei crashed on the ground with more of her tails vanishing until only one remained. Naruto got up to advance towards her in order to deliver the finishing blow when a strange purple colored mist descended all around him.

He channeled additional chakra and performed a wind style jutsu dispersing the mist but was shocked when he found himself stranded in a battlefield full of corpses.

The familiar sight of Rezang La Pass haunted him where on the battlefield lay the corpses of his martyred Spartan comrades.

The scene changed once more, only this time he found himself outside Kirigakure's walls with his entire army slaughtered once again.

"You will die here, boy!" whispered a beastly voice from all around him, making him smirk.

"I remember the Two tails wishing the same" taunted Naruto, as he punched himself straight across one of his broken ribs.

The severe pain made the genjutsu disappear just in time as Yagura and Mei jumped towards him in their transformed state. Grabbing Muramasa from his back, he threw it swiftly towards Mei impaling the female Jinchuuriki straight through her upper chest sending her flying away.

"Water Style: Water Bullets!"

He fired hundreds of water bullets from his mouth as the Mizukage dived into a rapid maneuver response in order to save himself from the torrent of vicious attacks.

"You're not the man you are pretending to be, General. I know that now!" answered Yagura mysteriously with a heavy frown,

"I could say the same to you, Yagura" retorted Naruto disappointedly,

"There are things that I know about you, General. Secrets that you have kept from all of us including your trusted soldiers, if only they knew the real you!" said Yagura bitterly, as he watched the valiant fight being put up Naruto's forces under Zabuza and Kisame's leadership to the point that Reika was struggling despite more numbers on her side.

Naruto frowned on hearing those words and was quite confused when he saw three tails present on Yagura's back without the man transforming into the monster within him completely.

"Three tails-you have your Biju's support" declared Naruto, as Yagura's eyes changed completely.

"Not just mine" replied the Jinchuuriki in a demonic voice,

The Kiri General heard a thunderous roar as multiple tales again emerged from Mei's body as they removed Muramasa lodged inside of her far away. With a fearsome rage, she joined alongside Yagura with six tails flowing from her back.

"You'll pay for what you did to the Two Tails!" roared the female Jinchuuriki in a frightening demonic tone,

"So the tailed beasts are actually co-operating with each other and their hosts without killing them to bring me down? I'm honored" answered Naruto with a cold smile,

"We don't like them much either. But staying with them is a much better choice than what you may have planned for us" spat the three tails bitterly,

"You are darkness, a man who shall destroy everything in this world to quench your own thirst. Under the current system we shall atleast live, under you-our future is doomed. The way you butchered our fellow tailed beast is proof enough of your hatred for us" accused the Six Tails angrily,

"The Two Tails shall die a thousand more such deaths if we ever cross paths again!" promised Naruto mercilessly, the memories of what the monster had done to his brother and Spartan comrades still afresh in his heart.

His killing intent flared tremendously as he disappeared only to flash right in front of Yagura to land a solid punch on the man's jaw sending him flying away.

He watched as the two beasts joined up together and started transforming right before his eyes. In less than a few seconds, he found himself facing the infamous Three tailed Turtle and Six tailed Slug in their full glory.

The sight of the two tailed beasts instantly stopped all fighting between the two armies as nearly everyone from either side quickly ran to whatever they perceived was a safe distance. The notable exceptions being Kisame and Zabuza previously engaged in a duel with Reika Kaguya who was also watching the development with a horrified expression.

A part of that hesitation lurked somewhere in Naruto's own heart as the two beasts glared at him unleashing their full killing intent all upon him.

Their combined power enough to make him sink to his knees and despair to overcome his heart...

He looked around and was relieved to find the Sealing Masters previously holding the Anti-teleportation markers had also ran away in order to save themselves from the wrath to be unleashed by two murderous Biju.

Biting his thumb, Naruto quickly performed a set of hand seals he had not used in the past decade.

"Summoning Jutsu!"

A huge plume of smoke covered the entire area immediately until another ferocious roar shook each and every fighter as they found the Kiri General now standing upon a monstrous dark skinned wolf with murderous red eyes the same as his summoner.

"We had a pact, boy. You were not to summon us until told otherwise!" growled the fearsome wolf menacingly, only to earn a gentle smile from the blonde.

"It's good to see you too, Shera" said Naruto honestly,

The wolf saw the two tailed beasts in front of them as understanding dawned upon him as Naruto knelt to place a comforting hand over his head.

"I honored your wishes for a decade and have no intention of dragging your entire clan into doomed conflicts. But if this is to be my last battle, I would like it to be beside an old friend. Let the Namikaze clan fade into history alongside their trusted battle partners" requested Naruto,

"My father fought beside your mother until her death. Before he died a few years ago, he asked me to uphold my clan's honor and loyalty. What is it you truly desire?" asked Shera honestly,

"To regain what was lost and create a better world" answered Naruto truthfully,

"How far are you willing to go for that?" questioned Shera,

"Until death and beyond"

The giant wolf glanced at him for a long moment to realize that this was not the same boy he had left a decade ago, one blindly bound to his nation and village leader.

He could feel the power residing within the blonde but most of all he saw the determined look in the man's eyes.

"A world of peace, A world of truth...A world free of war. That is my dream!" said Naruto frankly,

"Impossible! Such a thing is not possible in this shinobi world and for humanity" refuted Shera, earning a chilling smile from his summoner in return.

"It is why I have declared total war upon them both to achieve that dream. The question remains whether you shall side with me or against me. The choice is yours!" whispered the blonde,

The three tailed turtle roared at the moment unleashing an ocean of water from its mouth as Naruto unleashed his own counterattack instantly.

"Fire Style: Majestic Destroyer Flame!"

Fire clashed against water until it turned completely into a battle of willpower as three tailed turtle channeled more and more of its massive chakra into the tidal wave making it push back Naruto's flames rapidly.

The Six Tailed Slug used that moment to charge towards them wildly.

"No! You don't!" yelled Naruto furiously,

A long earthen spear emerged from the ground to impale the Slug mercilessly and halted its charge. Dark ash colored chakra released from Naruto's body merged with his fire style attack making it even more fiercer and push back against the three tailed beast's water attack.

In that moment, Shera saw his summoner's determination clearly as he fought against two tailed beasts for the sake of his dream. There was no fear, no hesitation, no regret in those red eyes.

Just a terrifying determination of achieving his dream.

"So the pup has finally become a wolf of his own" whispered the veteran wolf with a smile, earning a smirk from Naruto.

The giant wolf gave his summoner a firm nod before he charged forward through the flames and water to directly give a crushing headbutt straight to the three tailed turtle's face sending it crashing away.

Naruto laughed at the sheer might of his battle partner earning an equally infectious grin from the beast. Together they turned towards the immobilized Six Tails who launched hundreds of large bubbles in their direction.

The Kiri General sensed the enormous chakra within those attacks making him immediately give a cryptic signal to his partner.

As the beast swelled its chest, Naruto also completed his own set of hand seals simultaneously.

"Wind Style: Bomb Blast Dance!" yelled Shera, unleashing a whirlwind of sharp torrents straight towards the incoming army of bubbles.

"Lightning Style: Electromagnetic Murder!" said Naruto, channeling devastating lightning bolts from his clasped hands that were thrown all over the area striking each and every bubble with the help of the swirling wind current unleashing fearsome explosions.

The Six Tails shielded itself from the explosions by bringing few of its tails forward but was quite stunned when the fearless wolf charged through the chaos protected by an aura of ash colored chakra across its entire body thanks to its summoner.

"Water Release: Starch Syrup"

The Six Tails unleashed a large amount of water from its mouth that swept across the land instantly. Unmindful of the incoming wave, Shera continued charging forward until suddenly he was brought to an instant halt.

Looking downwards he saw the tidal wave of water had now transformed into a sticky liquid river that had stopped him in his tracks completely. He tried to free himself but to no avail and it was then he heard another ferocious roar from behind.

Naruto saw the three tailed turtle harmlessly navigating through this dreaded river and charging straight towards his trapped summon with a terrifying killing intent.

"Keep Six Tails engaged, I'll deal with the other one!" instructed Naruto, as he produced a dozen kunai from his pouches.

Swiftly he threw them all in the direction of the Three Tails but each and everyone of the weapons simply bounced off its thick skin making it smirk victoriously. That feeling vanished when he saw Naruto smile knowingly as dark marks started spreading across its entire body from the places where those kunai had hit.

The beast felt a foreign chakra invade his entire body and trying to tame his power to which he fought back violently by summoning all his rage and hatred.

To his surprise, the foreign chakra fought back even more defiantly and with a ferocity that stunned the Biju. In that moment he felt himself being connected to the man behind this power.

He felt the pain and sheer rage burning inside the blonde's heart as the General roared murderously bringing the Biju to its knees completely.

The turtle unleashed a devastating shockwave in desperation which struck his enemy head on, flinging him off his summon and making him crashland brutally into the watery surface hundreds of yards below.

For a moment, Naruto felt his world turning completely dark making him wonder if he had met his end.

Then his entire body screamed in pain as he felt some of his broken bones groaning fiercely in protest. He faintly saw the three tailed beast advancing towards a trapped Shera now that his summoner was injured.

"I won't let it end here. Until my mission is fulfilled...I shall keep moving forward" he thought with determination, as he fully expanded his sensory powers to feel the energy that had always relied around him.

Shera had been bracing himself for a deadly brawl with the two approaching Biju until the watery surface beneath his feet evaporated instantly. Using that sudden advantage, he created some distance from his opponents but found their attention to be totally directed in a different direction.

There stood in the middle of the battlefield a monster like none seen before, its entire form made up of sheer darkness. It was humanoid in shape with three demonic looking heads facing different directions with their glowing red demonic eyes. In its right hand it held a staff like weapon and in its left it controlled a series of pulsating dark orbs.

In the beast's core floated a man, his dark slit red eyes glaring murderously at the Biju in front of him, the Sage chakra gathered in his body now also being shared with the monstrosity of his own creation giving it an even more frightening appearance.

"Impossible!" whispered the three tailed turtle in fear,

"It's just like the old man..." said the Six Tailed Slug, as it took a few steps back when Naruto's merciless gaze connected with him directly.

"You called me darkness? Destroyer of this world?" asked the blonde fearlessly,

The Tailed beasts remained silent which only made him smile at them coldly and without any hesitation present in his heart.

"I have your creator's blood in my veins. It's because I am of his line that I understand how his wish for a peaceful and gentle world was trampled upon by his descendants and humanity. So I, Naruto Namikaze shall destroy this broken system and create a new one. Surrender and you shall have a place there too, resist and be erased forever!" promised Naruto without hesitation,

"Is that a Susanno?" asked the three tailed turtle privately through his telepathic link with his fellow beast,

"No, he doesn't seem to have a Mangekyo or a normal Sharingan even if his eyes look somewhat similar to that dojutsu. I feel a strong mixture of Yin and Yang chakra in that monstrosity. Remember the old man used Yin Release- a form of Spiritual energy to imagine our creation and created our forms out of the Ten Tails while using Yang Release- a form of physical energy to give life inside our forms. I think he created this monster on the same principles...but do it so quickly in the middle of a battle while being injured, he really is something" answered the Six Tailed Slug frankly,

"That thing is pure energy?" asked the three tails in disbelief,

"Remember what the Two Tails-Matatabi told us before her death ten years ago. That her enemy was a formidable shinobi whose greatest strength was his speed and ability to continuously absorb chakra from all forms of life and nature itself. The perfect weapon who can keep on fighting as long as there were new sources to replenish his spent battle energy. The ninja world calls us monsters...yet they created one of their own" whispered the Six Tails nervously,

"You think we can take him?" asked his fellow tailed beast seriously,

"We have no choice. Such power does not come without a cost, if my guess is right he is burning through his vital lifeforce to maintain it. We need to maintain our distance and prolong the battle for as long as possible to weaken him followed by attacking him with our combined might. Come, Isobu!" replied the Six Tails fiercely, earning a grin from the giant turtle.

"Yeah, yeah don't go bossing me around-Saiken!"

They both were quite surprised when Naruto smiled at them before he vanished in the blink of an eye. Before the tailed beasts could get over their shock, the humanoid monster appeared right in between them in a black flash.

It speared the staff in its right hand clean through the Six Tails chest effectively pinning him to the ground while simultaneously launching the dark orbs that struck the three tailed turtle and sent him flying away followed by a thunderous explosions as the orbs exploded in a violent flash of light.

"Teleportation Jutsu...I should have known. He used the markings placed on Isobu's body earlier to transport his monstrosity right between us. That's why he allowed us to join together and waited for his chance" thought Saiken painfully,

He screamed when the staff lodged in its chest was twisted by the blonde and could feel all of his energy started to being sucked dry by the weapon.

"Sansan!"

Naruto's eyes widened when the Slug released a barrage of corrosive gas in desperation which made him use the teleportation jutsu quickly to avoid getting caught in the attack, that however made him transport himself to the earlier markings.

The Three tails.

He had not yet regained his balance when the beast charged towards him murderously intending to deliver a powerful strike up-close now that he had the perfect chance.

Just when it was about to come into contact with the blonde, Shera jumped in between and took the heavy blow.

The wolf was sent crashing away and screamed in pain as coral started growing rapidly across his entire body making his summoner instantly appear by his side and break the dangerous chain reaction by inserting Sage energy that not only stopped the infection but also helped wiped it out eventually.

That however allowed the three tailed beast the opportunity to advance towards his real target as he continued charging forward towards his trapped fellow beast and grasped the staff pinning him down only for it to vanish completely.

Looking back he saw the weapon now materializing back in the hands of the humanoid monster controlled by Naruto.

"How did you do this?" asked Shera to his summoner as he was helped to get back on his feet.

"To defeat these monsters, I needed one of my own. I wished for it and the power inside of my answered that call. Maybe I was just extremely lucky" answered Naruto seriously,

"No, it's because of your bloodlines. You have the Uchiha and Senju blood in you apart from being a descendant of the Namikaze clan, when those powers are combined it gives birth to a new force. Traditionally, the Namikaze clan fighters were good warriors but none too powerful like this except for your mother and you. Now I understand why" whispered Shera,

He was quite shocked when Naruto clutched his chest and vomited a lot of blood as the humanoid monster started to waver.

"Are you alright?" Shera asked urgently, watching as the blonde took several deep breaths painfully.

"I don't have long or much chakra left...this power is consuming my lifeforce like none other. Quite possibly I may have already lost a few years of my life and if I keep on using it even more..." replied Naruto tiredly, as he tried to restore his hazy vision while fighting back the screaming pain from each and every cell in his body.

"What do you need me to do?" asked Shera quickly,

"Engage the three tails and keep him occupied. I'll handle the Six Tails first before joining you" directed Naruto,

"Then let's separate them first" suggested the wolf, earning a weak grin from his summoner as he performed a set of hand seals that the animal had been quite familiar with.

"Fire Style: Artillery Barrage!"

Dozens of raging fireballs started raining from the skies heading right towards the two tailed beasts who had managed to get back on their feet. Realizing the danger they looked towards the skies raining fireballs to unleash their own counterattack.

"Bijudama!"

Launching tailed beast bombs from their mouths, they were quite satisfied when their attack completely obliterated Naruto's jutsu.

As the three tails turned towards the battlefield it was alarmed to find the giant wolf had used that opportunity to charge forward fearlessly and before he could react a swift thrashing from the beast sent the turtle flying away. Shera roared fiercely as he pounced upon the downed tailed beast and used his claws to gorge its lone eye making it howl in agony.

The Six Tails turned to help his breatheren only to wheeze painfully as a staff pierced his chest from behind as the humanoid monster controlled by Naruto flashed to his rear using the markings made on his body earlier.

It felt all of its chakra being consumed by that deadly weapon as he started to shrink in size watching as the merciless wolf continued mauling his fellow tailed beast brutally.

"Gudodama!"

Saiken flinched in horror as nine dark orbs were created right in front of him. He started to thrash furiously but the staff kept him rooted and continued sucking his chakra off. Helpless he watched three of them fly towards Isobu as the giant wolf kept the beast pinned down.

Looking back he saw the sheer determination and hatred present in those red eyes.

"Now I know why you lost...Matatabi" he thought weakly, as nearly all of his chakra was now sucked away by the staff.

"Are...you...going...to...kill...us...now?" he asked tiredly,

"No. I have nothing personal against you and your death will only kill Mei whom I care about" answered Naruto honestly,

"You killed one of us!" accused Saiken angrily, earning a solemn nod from the blonde.

"She killed someone very dear to me and for that I took my vengeance. That is all" replied Naruto without remorse,

Saiken watched as the three dark orbs clashed against Isobu's tails making him scream as he started to disappear.

"Why are you not killing him? You don't want to spare his host-Yagura who betrayed you?" questioned Saiken curiously,

"I am not a butcher. Yagura shall pay for his treachery in ways worse than death-I'll make sure of it. As for the three tails, it can live as long as it avoids harming this village and its people" clarified Naruto, only to frown as the giant slug laughed.

"Live as a Slave. All you humans are the same, using us for your own benefit. Yet you call us monsters!" whispered Saiken bitterly,

Naruto blinked in surprise after hearing those words as he was reminded of his own Spartan comrades who were used and thrown away by their own nation and leadership. For the first time in his life, he felt the pain lurking inside a Biju's heart since their powers were joined together at the moment.

They were not heartless monsters as he had imagined his entire life, but living beings with their own thoughts and wishes.

"Humanity shouldn't have done this to you. For whatever it's worth, I apologize for that sin" whispered Naruto sincerely,

Saiken was left speechless and could only stare at one of the few humans after the Sage of Six Paths who had even showed any ounce of thought or compassion towards a tailed beast.

"There are a lot of things wrong in this world which is why I want to change it. Maybe someday we can fight alongside as fellow warriors instead as enemies"

Saiken's eyes widened in shock and he saw the fading Isobu also looked quite surprised with the blonde's sincerity. It was a stark contrast to what they had been led to believe all these years by the Two Tails.

"Do you really mean that?" asked Saiken hesitantly,

"An enemy is coming for this world, one that seeks to destroy us all. Sooner or later all of us will have to join forces to face that threat. My goal is to unite humanity and change the fate of this cursed shinobi world. I don't know how I can help you tailed beasts but if you are willing to co-operate with me then I promise to atleast find a way to improve your situation" answered Naruto honestly,

"We'll...think about it"

Naruto nodded respectfully as both tailed beasts vanished leaving behind their hosts that crashed to the ground completely unconscious and badly wounded.

The Kiri General then turned towards the scattered enemy army and Reika Kaguya, all of whom were now looking at his terrifying monster with a newfound fear and respect.

Looking back, Shera found most of the Kiri villagers also emerging from their shelters and homes now that some of the brave ones among them who had risked their life to watch the deadly battle had announced the fall of the Third Mizukage and the twin tailed beasts.

Naruto pointed his staff weapon straight at Reika Kaguya making her flinch and take a step back.

"What is your choice?"

Kisame and Zabuza grinned victoriously when Reika lowered her head followed by throwing her weapons to the ground. She was quite surprised when the staff was still pointed right at her.

The message was clear.

Much to the shock of the remaining loyalist forces, their now highest ranking commander knelt before the Kiri General.

"We surrender. The responsibility for this conflict rests with me, Lord Yagura, and Lord Hiro Hagoromo. While we deserve no forgiveness...I only ask you to be merciful towards our clansmen who followed us out of blind loyalty" declared Reika begrudgingly,

The rest of her forces soon started laying down their weapons one after another eliciting fierce cheering from Naruto's own forces who started taking the prisoners into custody and were soon joined by enthusiastic cheering from the villagers that came out of their homes.

Shera stepped beside his summoner watching the celebrations starting all over the Mist village showing Yagura's regime had been successful in usurping power but not the hearts of their own people which belonged to Lord Gengetsu and his men.

"I guess it's over" commented the wolf, but was surprised to see Naruto shake his head.

"This was just a sideshow...the real thing is yet to come"

(Uzushiogakure)

Hanzo Uzumaki had been Uzukage for many years now, he had watched Kages rise and fall but was seeing one so young for the very first time.

In front of him was the Astral projection of none other than Lord Hiruzen Sarutobi-The Third Hokage.

"I see you have understood how to use this communication technology, Lord Hokage" said Hanzo calmly, earning a grateful nod from the young Kage in return.

"We are thankful for your generous contribution to our cause. This new technology will only help us co-ordinate our war effort better instead of relying on time consuming and risky traditional communication channels" agreed Hiruzen with an appreciative smile,

"The Uzumaki are happy to help their allies anytime. Although I'm curious to know the reason behind this call?" questioned Hanzo,

"It's regarding your operative in Kiri"

Hanzo narrowed his gaze as he had a pretty good idea as to whom the young Hokage was referring to, a man whose loyalties were a cause of worry for the Uzukage himself.

As he listened to Hiruzen's explanation of the recent negotiations between Kirigakure and Konohagakure, he could not help but be left speechless.

The most shocking being the fact that his operative Naruto Namikaze originally named Minato had been a son of Tobirama Senju all along.

"Inoue, you truly were a clever woman. To think you managed to keep such an important fact hidden from me" thought Hanzo begrudgingly,

"While Tobirama-sensei and Lady Mito seem to trust him, I have my doubts certainly after the unfortunate incident with his wife. The fact that he fell in love with an allied operative and started considering her as his real wife even being as reckless as to father a child with her while being on such a deep undercover mission does not give me much faith in him" said Hiruzen seriously,

"Minato had always been a child driven by his emotions. It began with his affection for his adoptive father, then his mother and step-brother, followed by his Spartan comrades. When all of them were gone, it was their memories that kept him going" commented Hanzo honestly,

"Minato, huh? How many in Uzu know his real name?" asked Hiruzen seriously,

"Just me, there were other elders who also knew but they have passed away over the past decade. The way you describe him and from the reports I have got from another operative, deep down he maybe the same emotional boy whom we raised but in reality he has became a different person just like his new name-Naruto Namikaze" admitted Hanzo with a nostalgic smile,

"We are worried about his loyalties. I'm surprised you are not, Lord Hanzo" said Hiruzen with a heavy frown, making the older Kage chuckle.

"It's because I know that while he may harbor a bitter heart towards me, he's still a proud and loyal shinobi of Uzushiogakure even if he has to be reminded of his true allegiance at times. Although I cannot be sure of his intentions for your village after what happened with Ino and your side's botched involvement in that affair" said Hanzo with a sly smile,

Hiruzen bristled and clenched his fist at the very subtle threat.

"As Hokage it's my duty to protect my village- any act of treachery or vengeance on his behalf will make the alliance between our villages null and void. Neither of us want that to happen in these difficult times, do we?" asked Hiruzen with an icy gaze,

"You may just survive as a Kage for long, Hiruzen. Do not fret for I understand your concerns and have countermeasures in place should Naruto became a threat to either of us. We may have our differences but remain committed allies" assured Hanzo honestly,

"As long as we are on the same page on this" warned Hiruzen, before terminating the projection.

The old Uzukage sighed as he opened a drawer from his desk to procure an old dossier. Opening it, the very first thing he saw was the picture of a teenage blonde boy dressed in Spartan uniform with all his details listed.

He sealed the dossier inside a scroll followed by summoning a hawk and attaching the scroll over its leg alongside a personalized self destructive note.

"Deliver it to Operative Ghost in Kirigakure. Should Operative Fox show his true colors...she is to use this as part of Operation Clean House" he commanded calmly,

The bird nodded before taking to the skies as the Uzukage walked towards the window with a cold smile present on his withered face.

"I hope you stay a true shinobi, Minato. Otherwise the last legacy of the Spartans shall die with you"

Author's Note: End of chapter.

Phew, crossed 200,000 words. My sixth story to cross this milestone!

Thank you to everyone for your support last chapter, while I am still hunting for a new job your kind words helped raise my spirits and I'm good now.

I earlier mentioned the story to be past the halfway mark, I think there are 25-30 chapters max that are left if my calculations on the remaining plot are accurate. And boy is it going to be a roller-coaster ride...it makes me excited and nervous at the same time.

Would love to hear your thoughts on this chapter and future predictions/expectations, if any.

Until Next Time,

Blackwolf501