Chapter 91

The Uzumaki clan had been methodical in their approach, not in any rush but still progressing at a pace that reflected their growing confidence. For three days, they moved steadily, weaving through the hidden landscapes with purpose and precision. A mere 1000 kilometers stood between them and the hidden villages and the surrounding regions. While it might have seemed like a short distance to some, the strategic planning involved meant that the final push would come on the fourth day. It was just a matter of time, and that time was running out.

Despite their calculated pace, the growing sense of urgency was palpable. The villages, once safe behind their barriers and vast reserves of chakra, were now vulnerable. The Uzumaki clan knew they were running low on time. It was no longer about making careful moves or waiting for the right moment—it was about striking before the shinobi forces could regroup. The research experiment had already cost them over 100 men, but it had given them valuable data. Unfortunately, the results hadn't been promising. They couldn't guarantee survival yet, but there was no longer time to waste. The process, although slow, had to continue.

Inside the hidden labs, the last few experiments were nearing their conclusion. The chakra reserves were depleting faster than anticipated. The ninja villages had used up nearly all their stored chakra for weapons and various other functions, including their most precious asset—the barriers. In a day, the other village defenses would be rendered useless, except for their protective measures against immediate threats. It was a delicate balancing act, and the Uzumaki clan was determined to finish it before the inevitable end of their chakra supply.

From behind the operating table, Nagare, a young but powerful member of the Uzumaki clan, stood in visible frustration. His impatience had grown as the rituals and experiments dragged on longer than expected. His attention had already wandered, his gaze shifting to the walls around him. He'd had his fun with the resistance, pranking and toying with them, but after countless repetitions, the act had lost its charm.

"Isn't this too boring?" Nagare complained, his voice dripping with disinterest. He stood behind Daikaku, who was overseeing the experiments, his tone more serious. "Why don't we just end this already?"

Daikaku turned slowly, his expression calm but firm. "Patience, Nagare. This is not for you. This is for the clan, and for the people that died to these monsters." His voice held a cold, unwavering conviction. "A simple death would be too merciful, and our clan doesn't engage in torture. This is the best we can do."

Nagare's face darkened in frustration, but he was not one to question his leader directly. "So, can I leave?" He looked at Daikaku with mild annoyance. "You don't really need me here, do you?"

"Of course not." Daikaku's response was calm, yet firm. "You have your duty to stay. Never underestimate your enemies. They can always bite back."

Nagare sighed loudly, crossing his arms. His boredom was undeniable, but he had his pride to consider. "That's what I mean! We should just end them before they get any ideas or before Naruto shows up and messes things up for us."

"The worst that child can do is imprison us," Daikaku stated, his tone unshaken. "And there is no prison that can hold an Uzumaki."

Nagare, though skeptical, gave a dramatic roll of his eyes. "I don't know why I even bother." He muttered under his breath before heading toward the door. "Fine. I'll stay. But I'm taking a nap until this is over."

Just as he was about to leave, something caught his attention. His sharp senses tingled, and his eyes narrowed as he turned his gaze toward the horizon. A massive aura of power was building up in the distance, growing stronger by the second. It was unlike anything he had felt before. The air seemed to crackle with the energy, and he could almost see the storm of power swirling, visible to the naked eye.

"Finally. They really managed to cook up something." Nagare muttered to himself, his eyes glinting with interest. "So, do I wait, or should I move?"

Daikaku, sensing the urgency, gave a short nod. "Move out and eliminate the threat."

Without a word, Nagare vanished in an instant, a blur of speed and efficiency as he summoned his squad. He wasn't about to take unnecessary risks—he would deal with the situation from the shadows, eliminating the threat before it could turn into something dangerous.

As he sped toward the enemy camp, his mind was sharp, focused only on the task at hand. The Uzumaki clan's plan had been in motion for weeks, and this power surge—this unknown force—was a wildcard they couldn't afford to let slip through their fingers.

Nagare wasn't willing to let anyone, especially not some upstart force, ruin everything they had worked for. With his squad at his side, he was ready to extinguish this threat before it could even begin to rise.

As the Uzumaki forces continued their approach toward their target, Nagare soared through the sky, riding atop Lightning Birds, their wings crackling with electricity as they cut through the air. Below, the Red Squad, led by Mikoto's second-in-command, rode into battle with the might of the land beneath them. The squad's mounts were nothing short of magnificent—flaming horses, powerful tigers, and fierce lions, all trained and enhanced by the Uzumaki clan's dark expertise in manipulating the elements of nature and animal physiology.

The Uzumaki clan had always possessed an arsenal of monstrous creatures at their disposal, and their ability to control, train, and enhance these beasts made them a formidable force. Their strength and battle-readiness were nearly unmatched, giving the clan an edge in the field of combat. Yet, despite their immense power, they were soon confronted by the combined might of the Kage Alliance.

Storm and Gaara had positioned themselves as the front line of resistance, standing strong against the incoming onslaught. Mei, alongside Kurotsuchi, had remained in Iwa to ensure that the leaders of the enemy faction did not join forces with the forces in Kumo. The stakes were high, and they had to keep the lines of defense intact.

"Storm," Mabui called out, her voice calm yet commanding. "Occupy them in one place for long enough, and we will end them."

Storm turned to her mother, Mabui, her brow furrowing in confusion. "What do you mean, mom? How can we defeat them with this?"

Mabui smiled, her expression filled with pride and determination. "Your father always has trump cards hidden up his sleeve. We're about to unleash it now. For now, these mechanical puppets are the best support we can provide."

At her command, the ground rumbled as giant mechs, the result of countless hours of research and development by Douman, Kankuro, Merlin, and Tenten, powered up before them. These prototype giants, though in their early stages, had been built with one clear goal: to fight back against the growing might of the Uzumaki clan.

The mechs, standing 20 meters tall, were a testament to humanity's ingenuity. Equipped with chakra-enhanced systems and formidable weapons, they were humanity's last line of defense. With each giant having its own chakra core along with five auxiliary cores, their destructive power was nothing short of incredible, rivaling even that of the great Kurama. Yet, despite their potential, the chakra supply was finite—once used up, they could not be replenished.

As Gaara watched the mechs power up, he couldn't help but reflect on the uncertain future that lay ahead. He hoped that this was not just the last stand against the Uzumaki but the beginning of a lasting peace. Naruto's dreams of a world filled with harmony and peace seemed so distant now, but Gaara swore to protect those ideals, even in the face of such overwhelming power.

"Brother, I will try my best to keep this world safe while you are gone," Gaara thought to himself, his gaze steely with resolve.

Turning to his brother, Kankuro, Gaara's voice softened but still carried the weight of responsibility. "Don't overextend yourself, Kankuro. Stay safe."

Kankuro, riding inside one of the giant humanoid puppets, chuckled with excitement. Unlike his usual strategy of remote control, this time, Kankuro was directly connected to the puppet, feeling every movement, every action as if it were his own body. "Brother, I would never endanger myself." His voice was full of confidence, but Gaara couldn't help but worry. Kankuro was deeply invested in the creation of these mechs, but the pressure of leading the charge weighed heavily on him.

"Good. Then start the offense."

The time had come. The Uzumaki clan had mastered the art of sealing, making close combat nearly impossible. Even a single touch could potentially defeat them. This was not just any battle; it was one of survival, where every movement had to be calculated.

Without hesitation, Kankuro, alongside Samui, Karui, and Temari, initiated the first strike. The giant mechs roared to life as their chakra cores surged with energy. The combined power of multiple Jinchūriki and thousands of ninja had gone into creating this immense storage, but now it was all about how long they could last before the energy ran dry.

Each mech unleashed a volley of missiles, their warheads designed with the sheer intent of annihilation. Each missile contained compressed chakra, highly volatile and extremely combustible. Upon impact, the chakra inside would react to the surrounding nature energy, creating an explosive multiplier effect that could wipe out entire regions with ease. The air seemed to shimmer with power as the missiles hurtled toward the Uzumaki forces.

But the Uzumaki were ready.

Nagare, seeing the incoming barrage, quickly raised his hand, invoking the power of the Red and Green army's symbols—a manifestation of the combined strength of hundreds of experts who surpassed even Kage-level power. The symbol hovered above the Uzumaki forces, glowing with an immense, otherworldly energy.

With a flick of his wrist, Nagare summoned a tornado of lightning, its raw destructive power focused on the incoming missiles. The wind whipped around him, charged with crackling electricity as it consumed the missiles, turning them into nothing more than scrap before they could even reach their target. The tornado, now enormous, grew in size as it traveled forward, scattering the explosive projectiles with ease.

As Gaara and Storm prepared to unleash their most devastating attacks, the atmosphere around them seemed to warp with the sheer intensity of their combined power. Both warriors had transcended their usual limits, entering Sage Mode and merging their chakra with their respective partners.

Gaara, having fully embraced his earth elemental form, had taken the power of Shukaku to new heights. His connection to the land was now complete, allowing him to draw strength from the very minerals beneath his feet. The world seemed to pulse with each step he took, his connection to the earth deepening by the moment. With the Sage Mode enhancing his abilities tenfold, he was no longer just a Kage—he had become a threat on a scale that could topple nations. With Shukaku's power coursing through him, Gaara's control over sand had evolved beyond his previous limits. He had gathered enough sand to form an immense trident—a weapon so colossal and heavy that it was as though multiple mountains had been condensed into a single spear of destruction.

The trident gleamed with chakra as it spun toward its target, a force so destructive that Gaara feared the very planet would tremble at its impact. His eyes, focused with unyielding determination, held the weight of centuries of battle experience as he released the attack with a single motion. The trident tore through the air, a force that could tear apart continents, its trajectory set on the heart of the Uzumaki forces.

Beside him, Storm—empowered by her bond with Isobu, the Three-Tails—had reached an almost incomprehensible level of power. Her transformation into a mutant ninja turtle form was a manifestation of the pure, raw power she had gained from her fusion with the tailed beast. With her Sage Mode augmenting her physical abilities, she had become a country destroyer and now, with her combined chakra, was threatening a moon-level impact.

Storm's weapon of choice was a spear made of pure lightning, charged to a degree that it threatened to reduce the world around her to ashes. The heat and force contained within the weapon were so overwhelming that even the air itself seemed to bend around it. She hurled the spear forward, unleashing the concentrated lightning toward the Uzumaki army. The weapon held enough power to tear through the planet itself, a testament to her sheer strength and determination.

Together, Gaara and Storm launched their attacks, a combination of elemental fury and chakra-infused weapons that would have annihilated any foe in their path. If they were facing anyone less capable, it would have been a definitive victory. However, they were up against the Uzumaki clan, who had cultivated expertise in warfare Fuinjutsu to the highest degree.

Nagare, the leader of the Green Squad, stood at the center of the Uzumaki defense, his eyes sharp and calculating. With a flick of his wrist, the barriers that surrounded the Uzumaki forces activated, sending out layers of protective seals that intercepted the incoming attacks. The attacks from Gaara and Storm collided with these intricate layers, each missile of chakra slowly being drained of its power by the numerous Fuinjutsu seals that had been placed strategically across the field. Nagare's seal mastery allowed him to not only block the attacks but also strip them of their energy.

As the two monstrous attacks continued their assault, Nagare moved with precision, summoning lightning orbs that collided with the weakened projectiles, further dissipating their power before they could reach the Uzumaki forces. But he wasn't done yet. Instead of simply defending, Nagare had another move in mind. Using the absorbed energy from Gaara and Storm's attacks, he reshaped the gathered power into a lightning beam.

With a snap of his fingers, the beam erupted from the ground, tearing through the sky with such speed and intensity that it seemed to erase everything in its path. The energy was beyond anything Gaara or Storm had anticipated. Within moments, the beam was closing in on them, and there was little time to react. The beam's heat was so intense that it threatened to vaporize the very air around them.

Gaara acted quickly, enveloping his comrades in a sand dome. The dome, infused with a combination of powerful seals, acted as a shield that stripped away any external energy that came into contact with it. As the beam collided with the barrier, the sand dome began to absorb and repel the energy, its chakra-enhanced seals working overtime to mitigate the damage.

But even the sand dome was not enough to completely withstand the might of the lightning beam. Storm, using her Mega Gain Guard, raised her defense with a mighty roar. A white aura enveloped her and her comrades, strengthening their resistance. At the same time, she activated Invincible Shell, summoning a blue hexagonal dome that formed around the sand shield, providing an additional layer of protection.

Despite their combined efforts, the power of the beam was immense. Storm's defense began to crack under the pressure, and the force of the attack began to overwhelm her. However, the Mega Gain Guard had done its job—by the time the lightning beam had reached its full strength, much of its power had been sapped by the layered defenses. The attack lost much of its potency, and the final impact left only minor injuries on the defending team.

Both Gaara and Storm stood, battered but not broken.

The battlefield trembled as the Uzumaki army unleashed their deadly Adamantine Chains, golden strands of power surging through the air like vipers, seeking to restrain and crush their disoriented opponents. Each chain gleamed with pure chakra, capable of binding even the strongest of beings, sealing their energy and rendering them powerless.

However, the giant puppets, marvels of human ingenuity and destruction, had not been left defenseless. Enshrouded within layers of energy barriers, the towering mechanical warriors retaliated with a shockwave of condensed energy, a sphere of force that rippled outward, violently repelling the chains before they could reach their targets. The sheer force sent waves of energy tearing through the landscape, carving deep scars into the earth.

Seizing the moment, the four colossal mechs activated their primary cannon systems, channeling 20% of their total energy reserves into a coordinated counterattack. The combined efforts of thousands of shinobi over months had led to this—the apex of human destruction, the pinnacle of technological warfare.

As the mechs unleashed their devastating beam attacks, four enormous streams of pure energy erupted from their cores, lighting up the sky with a blinding glow. Each beam possessed the power to shatter mountains and split the heavens, an overwhelming force that surged toward the Green Team of the Uzumaki forces.

Despite his confidence, Nagare had no choice but to react immediately. His eyes flickered with irritation before he moved, activating his portal technique—a green vortex of swirling energy manifested before him, swallowing the beams in their entirety, sending them hurtling through space into nothingness.

Yet, before the ninja forces could celebrate their apparent success, a new threat descended upon them from the sky.

The Red Team—led by Anna, the fearsome substitute for Mikoto, had moved in from the side, seizing the moment while the ninja forces were distracted. Though she lacked Mikoto's sheer destructive prowess, Anna was by no means weak. She commanded the flames of total annihilation, a force of pure destruction that devoured anything in its path without leaving behind even ashes.

A deep rumble filled the air, followed by an explosive roar as the heavens turned red. From above, the sky was set ablaze, and flames rained down upon the battlefield like a divine judgment. The searing inferno descended, threatening to consume the mechs and their operators in a firestorm hotter than magma itself.

Recognizing the peril of their situation, the ninja forces reacted instantly. The giant puppets shifted their energy reserves, constructing massive barriers to defend against the onslaught of fire. Protective energy shields formed, flickering blue, absorbing and repelling the hellish flames.

However, retreat was not an option. The mechs continued their relentless bombardment on the Green Team, determined not to let up their offensive even under overwhelming pressure.

But then, Nagare moved again.

As if tired of the game, Nagare finally unveiled something truly devastating.

Green Lightning crackled in the atmosphere, an eerie hum vibrating through the battlefield as the air itself became heavier, suffused with an overwhelming force. The symbol of the Green Team glowed with renewed intensity, feeding Nagare limitless power.

Suddenly, the energy condensed, compressing into thousands of orbs of green lightning, each pulsing with enough destructive force to level an entire city. The orbs hovered in the sky for a brief moment, blazing like miniature stars, before Nagare snapped his fingers.

"Go!"

The green lightning vanished.

A heartbeat later, the entire battlefield was consumed in a storm of lightning and flames. The bombs had materialized within the ninja's barriers, bypassing their defenses entirely.

The world became a sea of pure annihilation.

Lightning surged, fire burned, barriers shattered—there was no escape.

It was a one-sided slaughter.

The ninja forces, unfamiliar with the true terror of the Uzumaki, found themselves at a complete disadvantage. Their ignorance of high-level Uzumaki warfare Fuinjutsu had cost them dearly. The Green and Red armies had easily embedded seals into the battlefield, placing their enemies under a debilitating debuff—lowering their physical strength, chakra reserves, and defensive resistance.

The battle was becoming a massacre.

And just when it seemed as though all hope was lost,

"Hey, the party has just started!"

A powerful, thunderous voice boomed across the battlefield, carrying with it an overwhelming presence that shattered the despair hanging over the ninja forces.

The ultimate weapon of Iwa and Kumo had arrived.

A shadow loomed over the battlefield—a humongous fist, so large it blocked out the sky itself, descended toward the Uzumaki forces.

The ground shook.

The heavens trembled.

The battle was far from over.