Chapter 108: The End

"Naruto Uchiha..."

Madara's cold voice echoed across the destroyed battlefield, as everywhere lay the bodies of nearly 2,000 Reich soldiers. All killed in action...

Izuna lay panting beside his brother, while Kurenai remained protected in a wooden dome created by her husband. The Kaiser had tears in his eyes as he saw the bodies of so many of his soldiers, the ones who had bravely attacked the Uchiha Brothers. Before Izuna could truly finish his devastating attack, the soldiers had attacked so ferociously that both brothers had to fight together or risked being killed.

"You have fought valiantly, Kaiser. But you have allowed your friends to die for you, rather than face the enemy yourself..." sneered Madara,

Tears fell from Naruto's eyes as that remark broke his heart, the sheer truth behind those words combined with Sasuke, Gaara and Tsunade's smiling faces sent him into an unending pit of despair. One which only seemed to grow bigger and bigger as he watched his dead soldiers lying motionless around the field.

Madara's Susanoo took a step forward as the Uchiha expanded his hands dramatically,

"On this night, join me and accept your destiny..." ordered Madara, sheer brutality visible in his dark eyes. The man's victory in close sight of him.

Naruto knelt down and closed the eyes of one of his soldiers, his hands trembling with grief.

"I never wanted any of you to die like this..." said Naruto sadly,

"We should end this, Naruto..." said Kurenai seriously,

"You can never defeat us, Naruto. We are Immortal..." boasted Izuna,

Madara raised an eyebrow, Izuna took a step back when the entire ground exploded. The sheer rage that radiated from the young boy was enough to make his opponents cautious. Shin arrived beside his friends, helping Kurenai to stand straight.

To say Naruto was mad, would be the understatement of the millennium!

"If you don't want to die, Kurenai. Then get out of here..." warned Naruto,

"But-" protested his wife, and gasped when she saw the murderous fire burning in his eyes.

"NOW!" said Naruto darkly, his insanity reaching the highest peak.

Shin saw strange seals glowing on Ryujin Jakka, and wordlessly grabbed a wounded Kurenai. She protested, but he completely ignored her exchanging one last glance with Naruto. His friend didn't reply, his heart crying for blood!

A moment later as Shin dragged Kurenai away, Naruto started walking forward. His furious gaze set on Madara and Izuna...

"Immortal? By the time I am done with you; both of you shall regret to be born in this world. I swear it to the gods on this night, that I shall kill you!" promised Naruto,

"Bold words, try to make it a reality..." suggested Madara dryly,

Izuna remained silent, his cold gaze being all the answer that Naruto needed to see.

The Kaiser tore off his vest revealing his bare chest, across his stomach an entire array of seals glowed brightly. The boy placed his hand on the seal, as it started shifting much to Madara's shock.

"He has waited for vengeance for nearly 100 years..." said Naruto darkly,

"Have you lost your mind?" asked Izuna in horror, Naruto smiled in an evil fashion.

"Even this won't kill me, because I have prepared for this since the past few years. And don't worry, he's completely loyal to me and under my spell..." said Naruto, sporting a malicious grin all the way.

The final seal turned!

A sea of evil red chakra started leaking from Naruto's gut, growing larger and larger. Slowly it started taking shape, as a monstrous figure roared across the field. The thing almost as big as the Gedo Mazo, its nine giant tails lashing out across the bloodstained battlefield sending devastating shock-waves.

Electric storms roared across the dark sky, forests were set ablaze, the wind howled madly, as the Kyuubi's slit eyes glared down at the Uchiha brothers.

Izuna had heard tails about the giant fox, even seen a few pictures. But to think it was this terrifying, beside him he saw Madara calmly stare at the beast as if he was a simple house dog. Across the field, he saw Naruto panting harshly. But a smile was visible on the Kaiser's lips...

Kurenai and Shin gulped in terror, understanding exactly why their husband/best friend had sent them away. This was way way beyond their league...

And the Kaiser was still fucking standing, laughing like a mad man!

"Tsunade! Gaara! Sasuke! Your will shall not be extinguished! It's my turn now to bring the peace you all fought and died for..." said Naruto proudly,

His Susanoo started wrapping itself entirely around the grinning fox, Naruto raised his divine sword and the entire Susanoo was drenched in yellow colored light.

"Stop it, Naruto! You'll-'' warned Izuna, a little nervous with what he had just seen happen. His descendant had a monstrous willpower!

"I am an expendable asset! I'll take you both down with me..." said Naruto angrily,

At that moment an even scarier roar echoed across the battlefield. Naruto saw Izuna sigh in relief, and Madara smirk a little.

"So it has begun..." said Madara triumphantly,

Right on cue the fire barrier that had previously sealed the Gedo Mazo was teared apart as the scariest creature Naruto had ever seen stepped out. Instead of trembling in fear, the Kaiser leaned down and placed a hand on his giant fox friend.

"Told you it was probably going to be a one way trip..." said Naruto bemusedly, Kurama grinned. Finally free fully after so many years thanks to his best friend.

"A glorious death..." agreed Kurama,

The Ten Tails tore through the barrier, its scary one eye and thousands of canine like teeth enough to shake even the mightiest warriors. An image of Sasuke flashed through Naruto's mind, as he pointed his hand forward.

"Fight hard, Die Proud" commanded the Kaiser,

The Kyuubi roared in approval. Its body shielded in Susanno, even as it was so tiny in comparison to the Ten Tails.

It only seemed to anger the giant monster. Its ferocious ten tails lashing out in outrage, its vast mountain like body swirling. Izuna quickly leapt on the beast's head, a strange cord connecting the man's skull to the beast's brain. Madara stood ahead, ready to assist his brother.

Naruto was surprised when two people landed beside him. Although he was not at all surprised when it turned out to be Kurenai and Shin.

"If we are to die, then we will do so fighting to the end..." said Shin seriously,

"By your side..." said Kurenai firmly, and Naruto's eyes widened as he saw dark marks starting to form underneath her eyes.

The giant wolf of the former Hokage leapt beside its master, with Kurenai boarding on top of it quickly. Naruto twisted his divine sword as it released a tremendous amount of energy.

"Arise, Felix!" ordered Naruto,

Shin was shocked when the yellow energy that was gathering around him started to take shape. Slowing raising him higher and higher in the air, he was awed to find himself sitting on top of a phoenix which was burning with divine yellow colored flames. Its simple glow was enough to illuminate every part of land, even enough to make the Ten Tails avert its eye for a moment due to the bright light.

"Naruto, you didn't have to release the fox. Your life..." said Kurenai worriedly, Naruto shook his head.

"I am descendant of the world's strongest clans. More than that, I have already absorbed chakra from the remaining Biju to a certain extent, and have Ryujin Jakka. I am fine..." said Naruto confidently,

"So that was your plan..." said Kurenai in surprise, she was also curious as to why he even bothered attacking the Gedo Mazo when there was little they could do to harm it. Now she knew why...

"I am at my full power in this form, Kurenai..." said Kurama, grinning from ear to ear.

"It speaks?" asked Kurenai in shock,

"Yeah. And by the way, call him Kurama. Or even better, foxy-chan..." teased Naruto,

"I'll kill you..." roared Kyuubi, much to Kurenai's bemusement.

"Get in line, my friend..." said Naruto casually,

"Even so, Naruto. A Jinchuuriki becomes extremely weak and quickly dies after the tailed beast is released from them. I can understand the other Biju's chakra making you still be able to fight, but..." said Shin hesitantly,

"How is my body able to recover so quickly from the brutal process?" asked Naruto knowingly,

"This is nothing. His damn mother was able to restrain me completely even after I was released from her body, when she had just finished giving birth to this idiot standing on top of me..." said Kurama frankly, making Naruto's eyebrows twitch.

Kurenai and Shin could only try to understand just what kind of power and strong will a person would need to do something like that. No wonder Naruto was able to do even more, his Uzumaki blood and his mother's spirit burned brightly inside of him.

"While I was in coma, I also met my parents. For months I trained with them for this battle, it is that reason I woke up so late..." confessed Naruto, a smile visible on his lips.

"You met them?" asked Kurenai in surprise,

"Yeah. We...cleared...some...things..." said Naruto awkwardly, just trying to finish the topic as soon as possible. Kurenai saw and understood it.

"I understand. I just don't know how many secrets you keep hiding away from me, and everyone else..." said Kurenai, some disappointment seeping into her voice.

"Not many, Kurenai. Just the necessary ones..." replied Naruto solemnly, sharing a secret nod with the fox.

"Guys, I think the Ten Tails is pissed..." suggested Shin, Naruto rolled his eyes.

"All right, now that it's just the three of us against that monster-"

Naruto was cut off, when he heard several thousand voices. Turning around, he smiled widely on seeing his entire remaining army arriving towards the battlefield. Kakashi, Mifune, Shino were at the front of the army.

Sai was seated on top of his ink bird joining Shin in the sky.

While Itachi quickly stepped beside the Kaiser, a satisfied smile visible on his face.

"What took you so long?" asked Naruto curiously,

Itachi simply tossed Kabuto's severed head down towards the ground, Naruto chuckled loudly.

"I think Sasuke's rubbing off on you, Itachi. Still, what about the Edo Tensei and Cursed Sealed Warriors?" asked Naruto seriously,

"All Cursed Sealed Warriors were eliminated, just as you wanted..." replied Kakashi, as the copy ninja came beside his leader.

"I released all the Edo Tensei as soon as I got the chance..." replied Itachi frankly,

"You okay now?" asked Naruto

"Yeah. Let's stop the apocalypse now..."

"Wasn't that the name of some movie?"

Across on the other side, Madara's eyebrows were twitching. One for the fact that his plan was moving smoothly, and the other for seeing Naruto still be ready to fight despite removing the Kyuubi from his body. The boy was stronger than Hashirama...

"Izuna, take control of the beast. Start the plan..." said Madara seriously,

"It will take some time, brother..." replied Izuna frankly, Madara grinned as he summoned his gunbai from the other dimension.

"Not to worry, I'll deal with these wannabes..."

Madara's gigantic samurai warrior type Susanno charged forward. Naruto did the same with his Nine Tails covered Susanoo...

"Itachi, you're with me. Kurenai you too, the rest of you throw everything you've got at Izuna..." ordered Naruto,

"YEAH!'' replied thousands of humans,

Naruto raised his hand high in the air, and yelled enthusiastically.

"Let's go, everyone!''

Madara raised the sword of his Susanoo, completely unfazed by the dangerous army and their powerful leaders charging straight towards him. The other hand of his Susanoo forming several Bijudama sized red color balls.

"Kami no Ken Surasshu (Divine Sword Slash)!"

Izuna watched in awe as his brother's massive sword slashed forward crashing with the ground. The resulting effects were the complete destruction of every inch of land that stood in its way, and a powerful shockwave which was now heading straight towards the approaching army.

Itachi quickly activated his Susanoo, a massive shield taking on the incoming shock-wave head on. The ground shook, hundreds of Reich soldiers being sent flying away even as Itachi stopped the attack.

Naruto too was surprised when he saw Itachi grit his teeth, the sheer amount of power in that attack even enough to make the prodigal Uchiha struggle.

"Kurama, you ready?" asked Naruto,

The Biju formed a massive tailed beast ball from its mouth, even as Madara pointed his Susanoo's remaining arm forward. The one holding several Bijudama sized red balls...

"Yasaka no Magatama!"

Madara fired his army of lethal projectiles, and Naruto was yet to finish his attack formulation. Kurenai who was charging forward with her wolf, positioned herself between the incoming fire and the Reich army. Her hands already moving through seals...

"Doton Doryuuheki (Earth Release: Mud Wall Jutsu)"

She quickly started creating giant layers of earth walls. Madara's repeated attacks destroyed the defensive measures with great speed, but the more he attacked the more Kurenai defended with more earth walls. The Reich Army quickly taking cover behind the giant wolf and the Kaiser's wife...

"FIRE!" yelled Naruto,

"Bijudama (Tailed Beast Ball)!"

A massive attack was launched by the growling fox, the giant bomb rapidly approaching towards Madara who prepared himself to face the brunt. At that time something unexpected happened. Hundreds of wooden plates started forming around the older Uchiha's Susanoo. Along with a menacing wood dragon formulating on its rear, its dark yellow eyes glowing in an evil fashion.

BOOM!

The explosion happened as Naruto's attack collided with Madara, another round of shock-waves crossing through the entire battlefield. By the time it was finished, Madara still stood unharmed with only a part of his Susanno damaged. Even so, new wooden plates were converging on the damaged spot covering them quickly.

Naruto saw Izuna unclench his fists, as the dragon completed its formulation on the Susanno's back.

"Go wild, brother..." said Izuna, being finished helping his sibling.

Kurenai now finished with her defense of the soldiers, quickly arrived by Naruto's side. Her husband clasped his hands together, as she herself placed her hand on his back. Her sage chakra and his immense energy slowly merging with each other.

"Senpo: Myojinmon (Sage Art: Gates of Great God)!"

Several red colored gates fell from the sky, pinning the giant tails of the Jubi beneath their immense weight. Izuna grimaced but managed to remain on his feet...

Madara directly stared at Kurenai...

"I never thought I'd ever see a Sage again. You're a powerful woman..." complimented Madara,

"I'm just getting started..." replied Kurenai tersely,

"Let's see what you've got then..." challenged Madara,

Kurenai quickly made a hand seal as her wolf stepped forward. Jumping back on top of it, she took a deep breath!

"Senpo: Okami no Sakebi (Divine Wolf Cry)!"

Madara grit his teeth as an ear piercing scream was released by the creature. It hit the Uchiha head on, Naruto gasped when Madara's Susanoo started to flicker.

"The sound. It's disturbing his chakra concentration..." thought Naruto in awe,

Looking back, he saw Kurenai had her eyes closed in concentration. Her mental link with her summon allowing the former Hokage to direct its attack, keeping Madara at bay.

"You've became an admirable ninja, Kurenai..." thought Naruto proudly, maybe the distance in their relationship over the years had done some good for her after all.

"Itachi, let's go..." said Naruto seriously,

"Yeah"

Shin and Sai were both seated atop the mighty Phoenix created by Naruto, while the battle on the ground raged on; both of them charged straight towards the Ten Tails and Izuna standing on top of it.

On seeing them approach, Izuna who was previously concentrating directed his gaze towards them. Even with its tails restrained, Shin saw movement on the monster's part.

"Sai, brace!" warned Shin,

The de-facto pilot of the phoenix quickly steered the bird a little away, as Izuna spoke in a deadly voice.

"Mokuton: Sashiki no Jutsu (Wood Release: Cutting Technique)"

Hundreds upon hundreds of wooden spears were created by the Ten Tails from its back, and launched straight towards the flying Phoenix.

The former wielder of Ryujin Jakka stepped forward, sharing a firm nod with the divine bird. Shin made a hand seal, as the phoenix took a deep breath...

"Ten no hono (Heavenly Flames)!"

Felix released a large breath unleashing a massive fireball which was half as large as the Kyuubi. The result was a massive clash of the fire with the army of unending wooden projectiles being continuously thrown in its way.

To Izuna's surprise, the bird was matching the Ten Tails attack and holding its position effectively.

He soon heard the battle cries of thousands of Reich soldiers, led by Shino and Mifune. The ones that had managed to get through Madara and were now headed straight for him and the Jubi.

The younger Uchiha simply gave a firm nod...

"Tenpenchii (Cataclysm)!"

Mifune was thrown off his feet when a devastating earthquake rocked the entire field, hundreds of his soldiers lost their footing too. It didn't end there as he saw several destructive lightning strikes rain down on their frontal line. The poor soldiers were fried to a crisp...

Shino was sent flying away courtesy of a furious tornado striking from the sky, hundreds of Reich soldiers also got hit in the same attack.

Izuna frowned when despite the grave losses inflicted on them, the remaining Reich soldiers continued to charge towards him uncaring of the dangers to their lives.

"They seem determined for a fight. Well then, who am I to refuse..." said Izuna coldly,

The Ten Tails entire body started shifting as hundreds of creatures started detaching themselves. Many of them were humanoid in shape, and the rest looked like animals. Some were quite large, rest small, some medium in size.

Izuna pointed his hand forward and ordered...

"Charge!"

The Reich forces stopped their charge, many of them even taking a step back as the army of screaming creatures ran towards them. With their leaders injured, and the Edo Tensei duo busy in the sky; there was nobody left to lead or guide them against such an enemy.

At that moment, they saw a shadow pass through the air.

"Chidori!"

Kakashi stabbed his electrified hand straight through the head of one of the largest Jubi clones, it gave a painful cry before crumbling to the ground.

"I couldn't protect many of my friends. But I won't let you kill anymore of them..." said Kakashi furiously,

The former Supreme Commander quickly performed a set of hand seals, and slammed them on the ground.

"Doton: Yomi Numa(Swamp of the Underworld.)"

The Reich soldiers were amazed when a sudden muddy swap came to life, trapping the entire Army of Jubi clones inside of it. The more they struggled, the more they got further trapped. Kakashi turned towards them and spoke loudly.

"Kill them all..." said Kakashi loudly,

"Raiton: Shichu Shibari(Lightning Release: Four Pillar Bind)"

Four large pillars formed across the swamped pit full of those hideous creatures, and then in a merciless attack thousands of bolts of lightning started striking the monstrous army making them scream in agony.

The Reich forces cheered and joined their brave Commander, soon enough an army of fire balls, water bullets, air bullets, electric shocks and earthen rocks alongwith variety of weapons such as kunai, shuriken, spears, arrow bolts rained down on the enemy. Slowly but surely, the Jubi army started to falter despite receiving continuous reinforcements troops from the main body.

Izuna clenched his fists, despite attacking the enemy from both air and ground they were unwavering. Turning around, he pointed both his hands forward.

"Shinra Tensei!"

With the power of the Ten Tails coursing through his body, the Uchiha channeled a massive amount of chakra. Releasing a powerful shock-wave he managed to send the gates holding his beast sailing away. With the Jubi finally freed, it gave a mighty roar even as its minions were almost slaughtered.

"So you want to kill, huh?" asked Izuna bemusedly,

The Ten Tails opened its mouth, as Kakashi saw the largest attack of his life started to take shape...

Naruto was locked in a heavy combat with Madara alongside Kurenai and Itachi, when a nuclear explosion happened across the other side of the battlefield. The place where his army, his friends were attempting to stop Izuna and the Ten Tails.

An eery silence descended upon the area...

"Everyone..." said Naruto in a trembling voice,

"This is your fault, Naruto. Yours alone, for your selfish dream you just sentenced thousands of humans to a pointless death..." said Madara icily,

Naruto collapsed on the top of Kurama, the thought of Kakashi perhaps being killed?

"Don't fall for his mind games, Naruto..." said Itachi seriously,

"He's a coward who couldn't accept reality. Have faith in our people, this is your duty as the Kaiser..." encouraged Kurenai,

He looked in her eyes and saw the faith and determination burning in them. He looked at Itachi to see that the Uchiha was still willing to fight. Making a silent prayer in his heart for the well being of his comrades, Naruto got back on his feet.

"Then let's finish this the way we started, Together..." said the Kaiser proudly, Kurenai and Itachi smiled.

Naruto raised all nine tails of his Susanno, each formulating a tailed beast ball. Itachi's Susanoo also started formulating similar balls of energy.

"Renzoku Bijudama (Continous Tailed Beast Balls)!"

"Yasaka No Magatama!"

Madara instantly gathered a lot of chakra as he saw the army of Bijudama and Itachi's very own mini atom bombs coming his way. A large portal dimension was created in front of him which slowly started absorbing the onslaught of attacks.

Naruto and Itachi grit their teeth, Madara grinned menacingly.

"Take this, brats!" thought Madara,

Kurenai had decided to protect Naruto and Itachi's rear, just in case. Her Sage Mode allowed her to be aware of everything happening on the battlefield. It was this reason that she knew their comrades fighting against Izuna had not completely vanished. But revealing that information would not be good for them.

For starters, it would make Madara cautious instead of arrogant. She wanted him to feel he was winning and make mistakes...

And Naruto needed some strong motivation to finish off this beastly Uchiha quickly, and what better way than to suggest that his entire army alongwith Kakashi's life was at it risk.

So far her plan was working.

Then she sensed something!

Alarmed, she turned towards Naruto and Itachi...

"We've got incoming, behind us!" warned Kurenai urgently,

Itachi swiftly reacted. Placing himself alongwith his Susanno in front of Naruto and Kurenai, he grimaced as nine tailed beast balls alongwith his own energy weapons emerged from the portal dimension. Bravely raising his shield forward, he also managed to deflect two of them with the help of his sword.

BOOM!

"ITACHI!" yelled Naruto, as he saw the remaining attacks surround Itachi in a violent explosion.

When the smoke and dust slowly started to clear, his Mangekyo showed him Itachi's unmoving, bloodstained body lying in the field. Taking on nine tailed beast balls made by the Kyuubi and powered by Naruto's own monstrous energy, and his own attacks were too much for the prodigal Uchiha.

He simply lay there...

SLASH

The Kaiser's horror didn't end there as he heard a scream. Turning back, he saw Kurenai's wolf being pierced by Madara's Susanoo sword that was lodged in the creature's heart. Kurenai herself coughed blood and fell to her knees, as the hilt of Madara's gunbai was lodged into her stomach.

"Shit...Naruto...keep...fighting..." said Kurenai painfully,

And then she collapsed as well, her wolf disappearing in a puff of smoke never to appear again.

Naruto instantly leapt forward, catching her bleeding form in his strong arms. Her eyes were fluttering, even as blood leaked from her mouth and her wounds.

"No...no...no" said Naruto desperately,

She placed a hand on his chest, stopping him from panicking further. A diamond seal glowed on her arm, as chakra leaked from the spot. Slowly her leaking blood flow stopped, and the wound started to close down.

"How?" asked Naruto in surprise,

"Tsunade...gave...me...this...a...few...months...ago..." whispered Kurenai, as Naruto slowly helped her stand back on her feet.

"I shall protect the Kaiser and all the people of this empire with everything I have."

Naruto closed his eyes, a lone tear slipping from them as Kurenai placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. Even after all this time, Tsunade was keeping her promise from the afterlife. He couldn't even imagine how he could have even survived Kurenai's loss, but Tsunade had still saved him and his wife.

Kurenai quickly made a clone of herself...

"Itachi's still alive. Make sure he stays that way..." instructed Kurenai, her Hokage persona taking charge.

"Itachi is..." said Naruto in relief,

"Yes, Naruto. And I think I know a way to deal with Madara. Listen..." said Kurenai in a conspiracy tone,

A few moments later Naruto smiled devilishly, a gesture which Kurenai reciprocated.

Kakashi stared in fascination and horror, as the powerful phoenix commanded by Shin and Sai placed itself between the Reich Army and the Bijudama. Again...

BOOM!

Shin saw the Ten Tails preparing another such monstrous attack, just how much chakra did this beast have? Was there any end to its power at all?

Naruto's Phoenix was badly wounded, taking on five Bijudama created by the Ten Tails and surviving them was no small feat. Yet Felix had done so bravely, a testament to the power generated by Ryujin Jakka...

Sai quickly stepped forward as he saw another tailed beast ball ready to fire...

"Kamui!"

Izuna gasped when Kakashi stepped forward, his Mangekyo rotating at great speed absorbing the entire Tailed Beast Ball.

"So you know how to use Obito's other Mangekyo eye..." commented Izuna in surprise,

Sai and Shin quickly made a few hand seals and spoke together...

"Doton: Sando no Jutsu (Earth Release: Sandwich Technique)!"

Two massive rock formations erupted around the Ten Tails; in one strike it slammed the Biju between them. Even Izuna grimaced due to the sudden blow...

The Monster was Trapped!

Kakashi gave a respectful nod to the two Root boys, who grinned in return.

"Heh, who would have thought Edo Tensei's unlimited chakra and immortality could be so useful. Should we stay like this?" asked Sai mischievously,

"No" replied Shin flatly,

"You're no fun, Shin..." complained Sai,

"And you're an idiot. Focus on the battle..." scolded Shin, making Sai pout.

Shin turned around and stared at the stunned Reich Army who was staring at them in awe. He had to admit, a part of him quite liked this admiration. But there were more important things to do then gloat...

"What the hell are you guys waiting for? It's trapped, ATTACK!' commanded Shin,

Kakashi quickly started commanding his troops as all of them started attacking the Ten Tails in repeated waves...

Madara prepared himself as his opponents finished their own preparations. He had no doubt that despite being outnumbered, Izuna would be able to manage not only because of his own powers but because of the fact that he had the Jubi under his control.

The only ones who could stop the monster or his brother were currently in front of him, with one of them already sacrificing himself to save the other two. It was fair to say that Madara's respect for Itachi Uchiha for his skills and ability to survive had went up a notch. Whether the boy survived to live in the Tsukiyomi was entirely upto him and fate...

Even so, he was quite cautious when it came to Kurenai. While Naruto and Itachi were the powerhouses, she was the brain behind their attack. Her Senjutsu was the only thing that saved Naruto and to a certain extent Itachi from being taken by surprise and obliterated by the Bijudamas.

"I'll just have to take her out first. Naruto seems quite attached to her..." thought Madara cunningly,

Forming a sword and a spear in each of his Susanno's hands, Madara charged forward. The Samurai like Susanoo, dressed in armor gave a mighty roar. Even the wood dragon placed on its back screamed!

To his surprise, Naruto and Kurenai smirked.

"Shit" thought Madara, as the damned woman slammed her hand downwards.

"Doton: Chidokaku (Earth Release: Mobile Core)!"

A sudden large part of the ground sinked, taking down Madara with it. At that moment, Naruto launched his own Kyuubi clad Susanoo forward and made it stand on the edge.

''Time for payback, Kurama..." said Naruto eagerly,

"My pleasure..." replied the fox,

Kurenai watched in satisfaction as the giant fox launched tailed beast bombs one after another, while Naruto not only formed a layer of ice around his Susanoo but also continued to direct fire on the sinking Madara.

After nearly keeping up their attack for three minutes, draining massive amounts of chakra in those attacks, they saw results.

Even while sinking Madara had managed to absorb the attacks with his Mangekyo, in order to not let him get out Kurenai had continued increasing the depth of the hole. But as per her calculation, when after three minutes Naruto managed to continue his attack Madara faltered.

A tailed beast ball instead of getting absorbed struck the Uchiha head on, the wooden dragon on Madara's back did well in gulping the entire attack but destroyed itself in the process.

By that time, four clones of Naruto had finished placing seals all across the inner areas of the pit.

"Fuin! yelled Naruto,

The Kaiser was just about to smile when the Susanoo froze, but Madara disappeared in a dark dimension leaving his jutsu to collapse in the pit.

Kurenai quickly formed a Rasengan and took it straight behind Naruto as Madara emerged there. The Uchiha simply reacted on reflex and sucked the woman inside his dimension. Naruto screamed.

Madara quickly jumped away thereby evading the vicious lash from several of the Kyuubi's tail...

"And then there was one..." said Madara, in a sing-song voice.

Naruto roared.

Madara quickly created half of his Susanoo again, as a barrage of tailed attacks were launched by the Kyuubi. The brutal blows started to tear many areas of Madara's Susanoo, only to be replaced by more stronger armor by the minute.

Both remaining Uchiha's stared at each other and spoke together...

"Amaterasu!"

"Amaterasu!''

Madara grinned madly, this was what it meant to be truly alive. Watching his wave of black flames collide with Naruto's, even as the Kyuubi tried its best to inflict damage made him laugh. The boy had a fighting spirit, despite everything.

"I'll show you the true power of an Uchiha..." thought Madara forming a single hand seal.

"Yasogami Kugeki (Thousand Hands of Wrath)!"

Nearly a hundred large hands emerged from the chest of Madara's Susanoo, in a flash they started raining hell on Naruto's own Susanoo. The Kaiser flicked his hands...

"Ajisukitahakone (Dragon of Thunder)"

"Kokuryo Bofusetsu (Black Dragon Blizzard)"

A monstrous dragon of lightning fell from the sky, striking a direct hit on Madara's Susanoo head. While Naruto created two huge ice dragons and launched them straight in the onslaught of gigantic hands being fired by Madara.

BOOM!

BOOM!

BOOM!

The battle of two of the strongest warriors continued for several minutes. Blow after blow, strike after strike, both Naruto and Madara matched each other in power and determination.

Suddenly, Naruto pressed forward. An ice sword forming in his Susanoo's hands.

Madara quickly threw his Susanoo's sword and spear in an effort to stop the charging Naruto. To his horror, Naruto vanished.

"What?" asked Madara in shock, how can a man vanish with a Susanno and the fucking Kyuubi?

Then he remembered the specialty of Naruto's eyes, and what Izuna had warned him against!

That lesson was the only thing that allowed Madara to create a last minute defense. Just in time, as Naruto alongwith the Kyuubi clad Susanno appeared inches away from him in a bright flash.

Madara raised his Susanoo's hands as a blocking measure, but all of the Kyuubi's nine tails attacked at once. The concentrated attack, backed by the powerful stab of Naruto's ice sword tore through Madara's strongest jutsu.

The ice sword had also pierced through Madara's heart, but neither was the man in pain or bleeding. Instead, Madara was smiling.

"You can't beat me, Naruto..." said Madara tiredly,

"No, I can't..." admitted Naruto, an evil grin arriving on his lips. Madara's breath stopped when he spotted Ryujin Jakka missing from the Kaiser's arms.

SLASH

A fire erupted across Madara's chest alongwith a large hole, the man coughed blood as he fell to his knees. His Susanoo vanished, and Madara crashed on the ground.

"I...can't...believe...my...back...was...taken...again" said Madara nostalgically,

On seeing Kurenai emerge from the Kyuubi's mouth, everything became clear to him. Naruto stepped beside him with Kurenai...

"You're one devious woman..." complimented Madara,

"Your greatest advantage was also your biggest weakness..." said Kurenai coldly,

"Sending...a...shadow...clone...deliberately...to...my...secret...dimension...with...Ryujin...Jakka...knowing...no...man...no...matter...how...powerful...can...survive...a...strike...from...that...sword. How...did...you...find...out...the...secret...to...my...kamui?" asked Madara painfully,

Madara was surprised when Naruto lifted him slightly, placing his head in his lap.

"I...don't...want...your...pity...boy" said Madara bitterly,

"I am only giving you an honorable death, Madara..." said Naruto respectfully,

"Heh...still...an...idealist..." said Madara, although he gave a small smile as a thankful gesture.

"I first noticed your power during the Taijutsu battle you had with Naruto. You literally managed to evade his entire strike to your chest, the only possible reason you could make your body intangible would be if you transported that certain part elsewhere. Somewhere your opponent couldn't touch..." explained Kurenai frankly,

"And how did you come to the conclusion that it was specifically in my secret dimension?" asked Madara curiously,

"It was a guess, I simply assumed that the dimension was the only possible reason where you could transport your body without killing yourself, and it was connected with your eyes. So I gambled..." said Kurenai hesitantly,

Madara chuckled.

"And...you...Naruto. You...are...a...good...actor...you...managed...to...deceive...me...with...your...grief...when...I...stole...Kurenai...from...you..." said Madara sadly,

"I did what was necessary to defeat you. You were perhaps the most difficult opponent I ever faced..." said Naruto honestly,

"Even...more...than...Hashirama?" asked Madara, Naruto smiled a little.

"Yes"

Madara smiled contentedly, even as his breathing became extremely slow.

"You...can...never...get...Ryujin...Jakka...back...now, without...it...you...won't...be...able...to...stop...Izuna. Not...that...I...think...you...have...a...chance..." taunted Madara,

"Neither will you live in your dream world..." retorted Naruto simply, Madara smirked.

"My...dream...shall...live...that's...all...that...matters...Everything...was...for...this..." said Madara tiredly, making Naruto eyes go wide.

"Madara, you..." said the Kaiser sadly,

"I...guess...the...two...of...us...are...the...same. All...we...ever...wanted...was...to...bring...peace; even...so...I...am...happy...that...I...am...dying...by...your...hands. The...two...of...you...are...good...warriors...and...wicked...with...deception..." commented Madara.

"Madara..." said Kurenai hesitantly, the dying man raised his hand.

"Don't...disturb...me...woman. I'm...not...dying...just...in...the...process...of...dying. Don't...disturb...my...last...enjoyment..." said Madara weakly,

Kurenai nodded. Tiredly she herself collapsed on the ground, her chakra and energy almost over.

She saw Madara whisper something in the Kaiser's ear, which made Naruto smile. The young Kaiser made a hand seal, as a small wooden platform was created. It slowly started to rise higher and higher, until it provided a clear view of the entire valley that was created due to their ferocious battle.

Giant craters, tattered bodies, destroyed weapons and the bright moonlight falling from the sky.

"I guess it's time for me to pay my dues..." thought Madara calmly, as Naruto made him sit on a royal wooden chair on the edge of the platform letting him observe the entire valley.

"What a view..." said Madara in a satisfied voice,

Naruto and Kurenai silently stood beside him.

"I...don't...care...to...die...while...looking...up...at...something..." said Madara calmly,

"Madara Taijma Uchiha, age 33, died upon leaving those words"

Kurenai could only stare at this prideful man, even in these last moments and in defeat Madara never lost his respect for himself and his cause.

"He...needs...no...grave...or...epitaph...just...more...powerful...warriors...to...fight...in...the...afterlife..." said Madara bemusedly, coughing some further blood.

His vision blurred as the face of his brother flashed before his eyes.

"Izuna..."

The exact time of Uchiha Madara's death is unknown.

Born in the chaotic clan wars era, he lost his family and loved ones several times.

A leader with great powers and a different vision.

His stormy life came to an end at 33 years.

Kurenai saw Naruto fall on his knees, vomiting a lot of blood. The Kaiser had wounds all over his body, his muscles had lost mass and his face looked pale. The Kaiser had sacrificed everything in order to defeat Madara. Even his heavenly sword...

She herself was not left in any shape to fight anymore.

"Take care of Itachi..." said Naruto seriously,

"But-" protested Kurenai, and received a pleading look from her husband.

"Sasuke...would...look...down...in...shame...if...I...let...him...die. Please, Kurenai. I'll go handle...Izuna" said Naruto tiredly,

"Naruto..."

She wanted to say a lot of things in protest, but the mysterious look in his eyes combined with her own fatigue made her relent.

With one quick kiss which Naruto continued for a little longer, the Kaiser was picked up by the giant fox. Placing the tired boy on his back, the beast slowly started to march towards the battlefield, to stop their last enemy.

Kurenai tiredly started to crawl towards her clone which was trying to save Itachi's life.

Izuna coldly stared at the destroyed battlefield, thousands of Reich soldiers lay dead everywhere. Kakashi lay wounded on the field, Mifune was also gravely wounded, and Shino was nowhere to be seen probably also killed in battle.

The powerful Phoenix had vanished a few minutes ago, and Shin alongwith Sai were panting harshly on the field. Their bodies slowly reforming again...

The remaining few thousand Reich soldiers were extremely tired and had no fight left in them. Even so, they stood their ground intending to meet their end proudly in battle.

"What extraordinary people..." said Izuna in awe,

Despite knowing they had little or no chance to stand up against the Ten Tails, they had fought. They had pushed, wounded, even survived the Ten Tails onslaught with valor. Even Izuna himself came to this close to being killed when Kakashi managed to reach him...

The lack of Izuna's entire left arm, and a stab wound in the back was a proof of the Hatake's last valiant act.

"It's time to start the plan..." said Izuna tiredly,

He was surprised when Zetsu arrived beside him. Both White and Black versions of the strange creature silently observed the destructive scene...

"The Resistance was wiped out..." said White Zetsu,

"Jiraiya of the Sannin was the last to fall..." reported Black Zetsu, making the former Tobi sigh.

"A pity. They were my useful pawns, I had hoped to let them live in my peaceful world. But I guess it can't be helped..." said Izuna calmly,

"So it's time, isn't it Tobi?" asked White Zetsu curiously,

"Yes"

Izuna was surprised when a cord emerged from the Ten Tails head and connected itself with Zetsu. He frowned, but before he could ask a question he saw someone arrive on the field.

The Uchiha's eyes widened in horror when he saw Naruto arrive on the battlefield with the Kyuubi. The Kaiser himself looked mortified on seeing the result of the battle.

The fox slowly placed the Kaiser on the ground.

But if Naruto was here, then...

Izuna's heart stopped. He felt himself falling into an endless pit of despair and loneliness, even so he decided to confirm it.

"Naruto, where is my brother?" asked Izuna darkly,

"Madara Uchiha died honorably in battle. He's at peace now..." said Naruto silently, preparing himself for battle.

The remaining Reich soldiers arrived beside their Kaiser joined by Shin and Sai; as the small group felt a wave of killing intent descend upon them.

"YOU'LL PAY FOR THAT, NARUTO!" yelled Izuna furiously,

The Kaiser quickly stepped forward as Izuna clasped his hands together, and gave a fearsome battlecry!

SLASH

Naruto's eyes widened in shock, when a hand pierced clean through Izuna's throat and another through the man's heart. The shocked Akatsuki leader gurgled, spilling out rivers of blood he looked back to see the Zetsu's coldly glare at him.

Izuna viciously tried to attack the Zetsu's, but miserably collapsed on top of the Jubi's head. His lifeless eyes still open...

"What!" said Naruto in shock,

The Zetsu's stepped forward towards the surviving Reich forces, and looked straight at the Kaiser.

"Those who have survived till now, have a right to do so till the end..." said White Zetsu mysteriously,

"What is the meaning of this?" asked Naruto sharply, his suspicious gaze glaring daggers at the backstabbers who had betrayed their own leader.

"We represent the supreme power in this conflict, and shall relay its wish to you. Choosing to ignore it or accepting it is your choice..." said Black Zetsu icily,

"Stop fighting. Peace is what his Majesty desires..." said White Zetsu politely,

The confused Reich forces looked at their leader, since he was the only one inhering that title. But Naruto's own eyes widened in realization, as the revelation struck him.

"Kaiser Naruto, his majesty wishes to speak with you..." said Black Zetsu flatly,

"What if I refuse?" asked Naruto coldly,

"Then you alone shall be responsible not only for the death of your men, but of the human race as well. What shall it be?" asked White Zetsu worriedly,

Naruto stared at the tired faces of his own comrades, and the monstrous Jubi. A sigh escaped from his lips, a good leader always realized when he was being overwhelmed. And for the sake of his people, he had to make the right choice.

The Kaiser gave the signal and one by one the remaining soldiers laid down their weapons. The Zetsu's remained true to their promise, and the Jubi remained still never making a move to attack anyone.

The Beast slowly opened its mouth, everyone tensed fearing the worst. But the monster simply rolled out its vast red colored tongue straight towards Naruto; stopping just an inch before the Kaiser. Shin and Sai saw Naruto understanding the gesture and wordlessly started walking forward.

At 3:00 Am, January 1st, Imperial Year 6, the drums of war started to die down...