Chapter 24: War of Conquest

He lay awake in bed staring at the soundly asleep person beside him. It was hard to believe that she was his wife now, bound to him for life. Just as he was to her...

Last night was unlike anything he had ever experienced before. It was not just the pleasure that excited him but more the fact that there was an understanding between them. She had trusted him with everything, be it the future of her family or her own body, had understood and accepted him for who he was.

And it made him feel horrible.

He had promised to treat her as his queen, his lawful wife, his equal. To love and care for her, to provide and protect her from anything and everything.

All his life he had lived by his own sense of honor. It was the only thing that had kept him sane after the things he had seen and done over the years, others might consider it a stupid moral which shinobi should never abide by.

But to him it was everything.

If one cannot trust their own words, how could they expect others to do the same?

But now he could slowly feel his honor slipping away from him. The sense of righteousness and justice that had always given him strength was now becoming his weakness because every second he realized he was lying to his wife.

Honor dictated that he tell her the truth about his daughters with Shizuka. It was the right thing to do, and it was not as if he had done anything wrong because the deed was done before he ever met Tsunade.

But Duty dictated that he do everything in his power to protect his children from everyone in the world, no matter who they were. He was the one that gave those two growing babes life and it was his duty to keep them safe. This peace with the Senju was new and for all the growing friendship he was developing with Tsunade, he couldn't determine how she would react. Much less her brothers, especially Tobirama who was already dangerous as it was.

In the end, torn between honor and duty he realized he was putting his Family in Danger.

Family. Duty. Honor.

A soundless chuckle escaped from his lips as he realized how the morals he had lived his life by were directly related to the words of a certain clan. He had always imagined the words Fire and Blood had something special in them, and they did.

But the Uzumaki clan's words were the principles he had lived by his entire life.

Madara was more an appropriate example of Fire and Blood.

A day shall come when you'll have to choose and your choice shall determine the fate of not just your family but that of the world.

Shizuka's words haunted him even now and he still dreaded the remaining two events she had warned him about where he would be forced to make a choice.

After what happened in his life in the past few months, he was now more than a believer of her words and prophecy.

He was brought out of his thoughts when he felt Tsunade move and unknowingly wrap herself more closer to his side. The rays of the morning sun were now slowly entering their chamber and he could not help but watch as they made her glow. Those golden hair of hers were a beacon of light and her faintly moist skin was shining under the sunlight. A soft whimper escaped her lips which made him run soothing circles in her back eliciting a contended sigh from her. Despite his inner turmoil, a smile graced his lips and he remembered he had made her a promise last night.

His mind calculated the remaining time they had before their attendance at the Royal Court was required, combined that with his own guilt he decided to do something special for her just as he had promised her.

With a single hand seal, he made a shadow clone who only needed a knowing gesture from its creator to understand what was needed. Grabbing a spare pair of clothes and a cloak from the wardrobe the clone exited out of the room and shut the door very quietly.

A sly grin graced his lips as he carefully extricated himself from their shared embrace and shifted himself on the bed,

Tsunade moaned in a quiet whisper as he pressed a lovely but gentle kiss on the sensitive side of her neck. His hands were lightly coated in warm chakra and he used them expertly to explore every inch of her body. He started with her shoulders, then moved to her slender arms, then to her beautiful breasts, followed by her waist and curvy legs.

He could not help but grin proudly as her moans were now becoming louder and her body involuntarily was starting to crave his touch more and more. Unlike him, she was a very deep sleeper but considering the building pleasure he was spreading across her body, he doubted she would stay asleep for long.

And he needed her to be in her dreamworld just a little more longer.

It was why he made a hand seal and subtly encouraged her drowsy mind to remain in its little heaven a little longer. While using genjutsu was not something most Uchiha ever practiced on their partners during sex, he felt in this instance it would be worth it for her.

He resisted the urge to kiss her lips and could feel his own hardness make its protest known. But he reminded himself this was about her, just as last night she had made every effort to satisfy him.

Tsunade's hands tightly clutched the bed sheet as she felt a flame being ignited across her entire body. It was unlike anything she had ever felt before and she could not help but crave for it even more. Her drowsy mind finally started to regain its senses and she realized she was moaning.

A lot.

She could sense a deep ache building between her legs, it was so painful yet enjoyable at the same time. Her eyes slowly fluttered open and at first all she could see were dark blurs and stars. Gods, what was happening to her?

Finally, her eyes regained their vision and she saw a faint mop of brown hair.

Her gaze slightly widened when she saw Naruto was lying in between her legs and as their gaze met she saw him kiss just above the most intimate part of her. Tsunade cried out loud in pleasure and she was very wet, and her husband was grinning at her smugly.

"Naruto?" she breathed questioningly, her chest heaving. He didn't respond with words. He responded by pressing a kiss between her legs and she inhaled sharply, her hands fisting in the furs atop the bed. Naruto kissed her again, and this time his tongue flicked against part of her that made her body seemingly convulse. A gasp and a strangled cry left her mouth as he did it again, unable to stop her hips from rolling up towards him. Naruto seemed encouraged, gliding and swirling his tongue against her so deliciously that her head felt like it was spinning uncontrollably. Somewhere she was aware that she was moaning wantonly, and that her hands were scrabbling against the furs and sheets as though they were the only thing holding her in the real world. Because nothing else felt real as Naruto continued to lick, and kiss, and suck at the most secret part of her body.

Her stomach tightened and her thighs began to shake. Instinct had her pressing them together as Naruto drove a pleasure through her that she felt sure would kill her if it continued any longer. He denied her instincts, his hands keeping her thighs firmly apart as he continued to feast between them. Her whole body was twitching now, almost violent convulsions rippling through her as she thrashed against the bed. Her back arched up and an agonized cry came right from the very pit of her stomach and released into their bedchamber as all her tensed muscles suddenly relaxed all at once. Vaguely she was aware that Naruto had released his hold on her thighs, and slowly she became aware of him kissing his way back up her body. She lay there dazed, panting hard to regain her breath as her heart hammered in her chest. Her thighs still twitched involuntarily, and little spasms shot through her entire body. Every pore tingled deliciously, as though she had just been shattered into a million pieces and then put back together again.

It was incredible. Indescribable. So much pleasure should surely not be allowed.

Tsunade closed her eyes momentarily as her head began to clear a little more, becoming aware of her skin being damp across her forehead and between her breasts. She could feel it behind her legs as well, and between her thighs. By the Gods she must look a mess, but Naruto was looking at her as though she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen when she opened her eyes again. "How?" she breathed, the only word she felt capable of uttering at his moment. He smiled widely in response, running his hand across her brow to push her damp hair away from her forehead.

"I promised," he said simply, and she just about managed to smile at him before he leaned down to kiss her. She lost herself in him. Tasting the difference of him and realizing with a jolt that it was because she was tasting herself on his lips. He obviously noticed her moment of surprise as he pulled back, his fingers slowly coming to caress along her cheek.

"Are you alright?" he asked softly, and she bit down on her lip.

"I am not sure how a person is ever supposed to become accustomed to such a thing," she told him honestly, and he dropped a light kiss to the tip of her nose.

"I don't think it would be the same, if it were something we were to grow used to," he responded, and she hummed her agreement, nodding slightly.

Even in her dazed state, she saw he was painfully hard and could not imagine how much he must have restrained himself to give her pleasure. She could not but not want to give him the same joy...

Her hand reached for his hardness but he stopped her midway. Their gaze met and she was surprised when without any word she understood his message. It was so strange to be able to communicate with someone just through a single gaze, but damn if she did not understood him or admire his adherence to his duty as King.

How could someone so faithfully stick to their own morals no matter the temptation?

She knew she couldn't not with what he offered her. But he was different from her, more strong and rationale not just in the physical manner. He was an enigma to her, an Uchiha she had never seen before.

And he was hers.

She nearly jumped in surprise when their chamber door quietly opened but he grabbed her hand reassuringly and it was then she realized it was a clone of his who was carrying a large tray full of juice and breakfast.

A lone tear threatened to slip from her eye as the clone pushed a table right beside her bed and placed the delicious smelling breakfast right before her. Naruto smiled at her stupefied expression as he got out of the bed and Tsunade could not help but admire his well toned and muscled body, and his scars as well.

The clone gave her a last smile before he joined beside its creator. She remained silent and mesmerizingly watched as Naruto donned a fresh pair of clothes minus a shirt which only served to arouse her more. He went to his desk and wrote something on a piece of parchment before passing it to his clone who read it, nodded and then silently went out of the room again.

When that was done, she watched him momentarily stare at the vast Capital spread out before him through the lone window of their chambers. Tsunade could not help but notice as the sunlight bathed his chest and to her surprise not even a patch of his skin became red due to the heat. She then remembered the horrible tale of him slaughtering Uchiha traitors and how he had not burned in the inferno that consumed them all, but not him.

Maybe some of the tales were not false. Maybe few of his kind really did descend from dragons...

It was the only phenomenon she could think of, for no matter how powerful a ninja was, they were still vulnerable to fire.

But not him.

The Young Dragon, they all called him and she could not help but agree as she watched his form in the light that the name truly suited him.

"Naruto?''

He turned towards her with a gentle smile and she could not help but feel greatly happy.

"Thank you" she whispered, her voice wavering just slightly but he didn't mind.

He silently came towards her and laid a gentle kiss on her lips before breaking apart and moving towards the breakfast tray. She was about to intervene but one look from him made her stop midway. He was a man of few words but his actions and deeds spoke for him. A fact she realized more and more with every moment that she spent with him...

Together, they both enjoyed their first breakfast and throughout the entire morning there was a radiant smile on her face.

Hashirama had seen many great and terrible things in his life but even he could not deny the sight before him today was possibly the greatest he had ever seen. Standing on top of the City walls, he could not help but admire the mass of gathered humanity.

50,000 soldiers.

He could see countless flags of different ninja clans with many familiar to him. Half of the army was made up of ninjas of all sorts, be they clan warriors, nomads, or individuals.

The remaining half was made up civilian soldiers, shogun warriors, Samurai, and a few mercenary companies.

It was possibly the largest and most powerful army united under one banner for the first time after the Sage of Six Paths reigned over the world. And everyone of these fighters was here for one reason alone.

The War of Conquest.

Once upon a time the Rikudo Sennin and his family ruled over the entire world but that dynasty shattered due to the war between Indra and Ashura. What was once a united realm was divided into so many pieces with different nations rising and falling over the thousands of years.

But now the true rulers of the world were now determined to get back what was theirs.

The Uchiha and Senju were destined to rule over the world maintaining the peace the Sage wanted. Hashirama knew this war would take many lives but he had hope that once the world was united, the scale of conflict could be controlled to an extent. He was no fool to think that war would ever end despite what many believed. It was in man's blood and so long as there were men, there would be war.

But it was also true that peace could also be maintained if men wanted it.

In a way it was not just the desire for peace but many other favorable factors that contributed to this change. The most important being the fact that too much blood had already been shed among the ninja clans, and most lords realized their families would die if they continued fighting each other. The power play by the Daimyo only fueled to sow the seed of unification.

The union of the Uchiha and Senju alongwith the arrival of the strongest Biju of the world was the final nail in the coffin.

Humans respected and feared power, and currently Naruto Uchiha was the most powerful man in the world.

The boy was by no means perfect and had faults of his own but he knew how to rally people to his cause. This grand army had not just rallied to him because of his alliance with the Senju, but for the fact that many of these soldiers wanted what most humans wanted.

Fame, wealth, fights, lands and immortality.

They all knew that this war could and would give them just that, because if Naruto Uchiha managed to win, then he would be the first after the Rikudo Sennin to rule over the world. Whether his dynasty survived for long or not, humanity would remember the First King to rule over their race and all those who lived and died for the King would most probably be remembered for a long time.

Another beneficial factor was the fact that the alliance with the Senju and the Daimyo's resources gave Naruto the ability to start this war. The last harvest had been bountiful and there was enough food, coin, weaponry and supplies to run this grand army. It also benefited from the presence of many great leaders of war which assured a sound and reliable chain of command for the men to depend upon. The Land of Fire was finally rid of war and it had immensely boosted morale making thousands of eager civilians to join the King's cause in hopes of making something for themselves. Already, the popularity of the Dragon King was soaring high day by day, and if he won then he would forever be immortal.

The only problem to this war was the fact that Winter was almost upon them, and the elemental nations were soon going to be engulfed in dangerous weather. Many learned men had foretold the coming winter would be harsh and severe, if not long. Waging a world war in such a time was not advisable, but Naruto had no other choice. The entire Land of Fire while enjoying peace was getting more scarce to sustain so many ninja clans and civilian population. More than that, old feuds that were being kept in check for now would soon resurface if these men and women were not given a cause to fight for.

One way or another, this war had to happen if Naruto's reign was to last more than a year.

Hashirama glanced at the most tallest and powerful banners among the army. On the left flank was a flag very familiar to him with a roaring Antler flying high in the sky.

Ours is the Fury.

Not many of his people often recited their clan's words but those were the words of their ancestors and Hashirama knew they were more true than ever for even the mighty Uchiha had been wary of the Senju's fury if they want too far in the war.

On the right flank, was the famous and dangerous Dragon banner of the Uchiha clan flanked by many smaller ones of their allies and comrades alike.

Fire and Blood.

Every Uchiha ever born often chanted those words more than a thousand times in their lifetimes. For all their arrogance and stubbornness, they were one of the finest fighters in the world feared and respected even by the Senjus.

On top of both these banners was a new banner. It was unique but at the same time a combination of the best traits of both clans.

A roaring three headed dragon.

Hashirama could not help but respect Naori Uchiha's shrewdness as she took the best of both clans to give an identity to a dynasty that shall rule over the world if the gods were in favor. It gave due respect to the families it originated from but at the same time placed the dynasty above them as well.

He was brought out of his thoughts when he heard thousands of whispers at once, he didn't need to wait for long to determine the source behind this commotion. To say it was a grand entrance would be an understatement...

For many of these warriors it was the first time they ever saw a Biju, much less the strongest of the beasts and the Kyuubi did cut a menacing figure in his full glory. Hashirama still could not get over his surprise at the size of the beast, nor its mighty tails that would be enough to smash the Capital to ground in minutes. It towered over men and women making each of them adequately aware about their own inferior existence. If rumors were to believed, many Uchiha were already starting to worship the fox as their new god.

When the beast roared every soul across thousands of miles of earth was silenced with every pair of eyes glancing at the beast and the golden armored warrior standing on top of it.

The war strategy had already been discussed among the top ninja leaders and various leadership appointments were already finalized during the Royal War Council. But any leader was worthless unless their men supported them, and The Dragon King knew that very well.

Hashirama had been more than pleased on seeing the radiant smile on his beloved sister's face when he met her in the morning. She had assured him that Naruto was truly good and kind to her, even going so far as declaring her his equal in front of all the leaders. Not only did he allow her to fight by his side in this war but also made her one of his commanders.

Under the guidance of Daen Nara and other leaders, the war strategy was decided based on the information collected over the past few weeks by the Shimura, Inuzuka and Aburame scouts stationed at the borders.

Word had spread of Naruto's coronation and his intent to rule over the world. Naturally, it threatened the future of various ninja clans, noble lords, Daimyo's, and even Samurai spread across the world. It was not a surprise when news came that two great armies had been formed to destroy the Dragon King and his allies.

The first was made up of the Samurai Nation that were being funded by atleast four important Daimyo's across the world. Made up of seasoned Samurai, minor ninja clans, shogun and mercenary companies it was an army containing 40,000 strong fighters.

The second resistance had opened up in the Land of Wind whose Daimyo joined forces with the Daimyo of the Land of Earth. Together those two factions had managed to rally a force of 30,000 fighters with half of them ninjas.

It was not taking into account the two smaller armies led by the ousted Fire Daimyo's relatives that were currently marching to retake the Capital, even if it was a lost cause.

In comparison to that challenge, Naruto had a force of 50,000 fighters with half of those numbers being ninjas and a Biju.

The King displayed his prowess at warfare by making crucial decisions after hearing the advices of his supporters.

The first priority was to crush the internal rebellion within the Land of Fire, for that purpose two small but strong forces were formed. One would be led by Sasuke Sarutobi who would command 8,000 fighters to crush the Daimyo loyalists in the east. The second would be led by Madara and Tobirama themselves with a force of 10,000 warriors to crush the Daimyo loyalists approaching from the west. Many had suggested Hashirama to work alongside his old friend but the King emphasized that he needed a fighter of Hashirama's caliber for his own campaign. Apparently, having a Biju would not be enough for the enemy they would be going up against.

When both of these armies managed to crush their opponents, their orders were to join forces and march on to face the armies of Land of Wind and Earth.

In the meantime, Naruto himself would lead a force of 22,000 fighters and his Biju to face the entire might of the Samurai nation. The King's plan was to crush the larger army first before attacking the Land of Wind and Earth from the east while Madara and Tobirama did the same from the South.

Surrounded from both sides, their enemies would have no choice but to surrender or face annihilation.

It was a great challenge to say the least for the fact that the enemy had greater numbers, but numbers didn't always help in winning wars. It surely raised the odds but Naruto had some of the finest clans in the world on his side, a highly motivated army and a monstrous Biju to support his cause.

To protect their homeland from any external threats and maintaining the peace, Tajima Uchiha and Daen Nara would remain behind with a handful leaders alongwith 10,000 of the last fighters. Together both veteran and experienced leaders would keep the peace until Naruto returned while also building the ninja village the King had ordered to be constructed. Daen was more than capable of ruling and Tajima was firm enough to keep the peace.

Madara would have leaders like Tobirama, Tobi Shimura, Mikoto Uchiha, Sasuke Sarutobi, Ken Hatake and Kakashi Hatake, Rei Namikaze, Tori Yamanaka, Hiro Inuzuka and several civilian generals acting as his commanders.

Naruto would be supported by Tsunade, Hashirama, Itama, his Kinsguard friends, Naori Uchiha, Shin Aburame, Yakumo Kurama and remaining civilian generals.

Tajima would protect their rising nation with the help of Daen Nara, Nakamura Akimichi, and Sakumo Hatake.

The preparations and plannings were finished, now it was time for war.

"WARRIORS OF FIRE!"

Naruto's thunderous roar boomed across the entire land garnering the attention of every fighter present. He had to steel his heart as he literally watched an entire river of different colors step closer to him and Kurama. What made it more daunting was the fact that it was not a river of water...but a sheer army of 50,000 fighters.

And each and everyone of them was looking at him.

Their King...

For the first time in his life his throat felt dry and his hands were shaking. He knew becoming King would give him great power but watching this army before him frightened him. The fate of all these souls rested upon his decisions...

Standing so high on Kurama's back made him oblivious to the identity of every fighter but he knew they were all looking at him. They had answered his call to arms...now it was his duty to lead them.

But gods damn him if he wasn't excited and scared at the same time.

"For far too long has this world remained divided. For far too long we have killed each other in the name of our families, for honor, for glory, for revenge. Long have we forgotten the time when our ancestors ruled this world, Long have we forgotten the fact that our ancestors shared their homes, their lives, their families with each other..." roared Naruto passionately,

He stepped at the edge of Kurama's head so he could be visible to each and every man, woman and child present here. Whether he liked it or not, whether they believed it or not, whether he was worthy or not...he was their King.

"It was the Great War that broke us apart. BUT THE GREAT WAR IS OVER!" yelled Naruto defiantly,

Thousands of approving roars were unleashed at his statement which was a stark proof of the fact that perhaps Hashirama and Naruto were not the only ones who craved for peace. Still, he was here to unite everyone regardless of their different views.

"You are here not to fight for me but to fight BESIDE me! To take back what is rightfully OURS, To once again unite MANKIND once and for all!"

A small smile graced his lips when from the Uchiha side started a thunderous roar with thousands of men banging their fists against their shields and armor. What surprised him more was the fact that the call was valiantly answered by the Senju side as well...

"From this day forth we fight for more than ourselves! From this day we fight to preserve, protect and unite MANKIND!"

"In Fury, Fire and Blood was this world created. It is time we reunite it again with FURY, FIRE AND BLOOD!"

"WE ARE NOT CONQUERORS!"

"WE ARE NOT RAIDERS!"

Tajima's breath stopped when he watched his son unleash the Uchiha's ancestral weapon high in the air. There was a momentary illumination as the light of the Sun was dwarfed by the sword's light which bathed Naruto in all its glory making thousands upon thousands gasp at the sight before them.

"ARISE! MEN OF DAWN!"

A deafening sea of roars engulfed the land for thousands of miles as friends and enemies, comrades and rivals, civilians and ninjas, men and women all unleashed their swords, their shields, their spears, their flags and gave out a battlecry that was more louder and fiercer than the one unleashed by the giant Biju before them.

Kurama had never understood why his creator had always insisted to have faith in humans. The Sage of Six Paths belonged to a race greater than the humans yet he had loved this race as if they were his own children. He had fought for, believed and eventually died for these strange creatures. For a very, very long time Kurama had only seen the worst side of this race but today for the first time in his existence he felt hope for them.

From the corner of his eyes, he saw the man who made this miracle possible point his ancestral sword at the grand army.

"MEN OF DAWN! Oaths we have taken...LET'S FULFILL THEM ALL!"

The first Dragon King raised his sword towards the skies unleashing the cry that changed the world forever.

"FOR MANKIND!"