Chapter 28: The Dragon's Roar

Naruto stared at the vast sea before him.

He had been across the waters of the oceans of the world only a handful times and even then those waters had been mostly peaceful to travel upon. However, the sea he was travelling through now had water so dark shade of blue that he could barely see any trace of life beneath the ocean.

The sun itself had been hidden behind dark clouds and never once had it shone its light on the Royal Fleet that was sailing towards Uzu.

The air was getting colder and more wild the closer they were getting to the home of the Uzumaki.

He could feel it in the air, the sensation was so palpable that it nearly terrified any sane man or woman.

Death

The ninjas under his command were getting restless for they could all feel the change. The earth itself was getting consumed in this darkness that was growing stronger and stronger with every passing moment. The only thing keeping the army together was Shisui's firm command and the presence of their King or else there were quite a few who would have ran away and even Naruto couldn't blame them for he himself could not help but wonder...

Had he doomed his men?

"My King"

He was brought out of his despair as Mito stepped beside him. If possible the Uzumaki heiress could sense his thoughts and offered a comforting smile.

"I understand how you feel. The world is changing here and you can feel it now. I cannot blame you or your men if this creates doubts or second thoughts in your hearts" consoled Mito,

"It is true that I am apprehensive but this threat is something entirely different and more dangerous than anything my people currently face. If they are coming for the Uzumaki, then they might come for my people someday as well. It is in everyone's best interests if they are stopped here" explained Naruto honestly, earning a smile from Mito.

"You are wiser than your age, My King" praised Mito, but was surprised when it only made the King smile sadly.

"If only that was true, Lady Mito" whispered Naruto, as memories of his bitter fight with Tsunade came back to haunt him.

She was out there and would soon go up against the Samurai Nation. Granted, she had Hashirama and Kurama by her side alongwith 15,000 soldiers but he still could not help but worry for her. She may have overreacted in her anger but he knew she had been scared for their future if the people didn't take his secret very well. That was not taking into account the fact that he didn't know how Shizuka was doing and if his unborn daughters were well or not.

He had promised the Priestess that he would visit her and yet he had failed to keep his word as he got caught up in the affairs of the world.

What kind of King lied to his own family and people? What kind of King left his loved ones alone in their time of need to fight for someone else?

Saving the Uzumaki may be the honorable and right choice but it didn't make him feel any less guilty for leaving his people alone.

"What more can you tell me about these enemies?" he asked seriously, in an effort to divert his mind away from his rising guilt.

If possible Mito's face darkened.

"Apart from the fact that they are all dead who came back to life unnaturally, they can be killed if they are beheaded or burnt. Anything less, even severing their vital limbs will not do much in stopping them from attacking you again and again. They feel no pain or fear or anything at all except the desire to slaughter. Their bodies are deformed and mutilated with their skin marred in dark stains and their eyes are demonic in nature. We call them The Undying or The Legion for they are endless" explained Mito gravely,

She didn't miss a realization flash across the King's eyes,

"What is it?" she asked,

"The ancestors of my clan commanded us to burn our dead. It is a tradition followed from Indra's time and even the maddest Uchiha have never defied this tradition. Our elders say burning the dead takes their souls to the halls of our fathers, but now I cannot help but wonder if there was a deeper meaning behind it" said Naruto hesitantly,

"Now that I remember it, the Uchiha are one of the very few who burn their dead" realized Mito in surprise,

The uneasy feeling in Naruto's heart only seemed to intensify as this realization dawned upon him. There was something dark at work here, something ancient and terrible.

"My King, I cannot express in words how much your help means to me and my people in this time of need despite our troubled past. If there is anything you ever need from me, I would be glad to offer you that" said Mito,

Naruto gulped on seeing the intense stare of her mesmerizing purple eyes. Mito was very beautiful even if she was older than him and the aura she was projecting left little to doubt as to the fact that she would offer him anything to show her gratitude. Unlike him, the Uzumaki were actual royalty with the proper lineage, nobility and wealth to back their status.

While Naruto could only be considered a King of Peasants in comparison to the Uzumaki, for most of the ninja clans except for the Senju and Sarutobi had very modest wealth and resources.

He could never forget how much Tsunade had hurt him with her words and it fueled a deep seethed anger within him. She had broken his trust and accused him of being selfish when all he was trying to do was protect his daughters. His hand already moved towards Mito's cheeks as he leaned closer, her lack of resistance to his closing proximity only encouraged him further...

"Naruto!"

He blinked suddenly and found a stoic Naori arriving on the deck. Her face broke no emotion but the cold fury and disappointment in her eyes were clear for him to see. Mito was quick to realize the deteriorating situation and went away with a hurried farewell leaving the King alone with his aunt who was his mother in all but blood.

"I raised you better, Naruto" said Naori disappointedly, and was surprised on seeing the defiance in the boy's eyes.

"I don't have to explain myself" replied Naruto coldly, and for a moment he regretted his harsh words as he saw hurt flash in her eyes.

"I know that. You are no longer a boy, but a man, a King. You hold a lot of power in your hands and it is true that you answer to no one but yourself. I do not know what happened between you and your wife but once trust is broken, it is very hard to rebuild" explained Naori sadly,

"My issues with Tsunade are my business. As far as I'm concerned, it is she who has hurt me" spat Naruto bitterly, but was surprised when Naori gently cupped his cheeks.

"And you will retaliate even more harshly? Don't be so spiteful as many of our people are. You are a good man, Naruto. Don't succumb to temptation and anger so easily. Our people are looking to you in this dark hour..." said Naori seriously as she laid a gentle kiss on his forehead.

She was relieved when he exhaled a deep sigh and the burden on his shoulders was clear for her to see. For all his talents, Naruto was just a man.

"Forgive me, I did not see..." he whispered remorsefully,

"Try to be patient with your wife. Neither you or her are perfect and you both are new in this marriage. A women can forgive and tolerate many things, but never can she forgive her loved one cheating on her. You are admirably fulfilling your vows as King, do not waver in the vows you made to your wife" insisted Naori,

"I won't. Never again" he promised fiercely, glad that he had his aunt who made him see reason before he committed an even bigger mistake.

Naori smiled at him proudly.

"Then let us never speak of this again..."

Nagato Uzumaki sat in his solar in heavy silence, his mind still reeling from the disastrous loss he had suffered while trying to recapture their lost islands. Before he began that foolish quest on the orders of his father he roughly had 12000 fighters with him, both ninjas and civilians alike. Now there were barely 8000 left and even those wouldn't have survived had he not ordered a full retreat to Hirashiman.

Even his own father who was sitting across from him realized the extent of his folly and both men could not help but wonder that Mito had been right all along.

"We cannot hold them anymore, Father" said Nagato honestly, earning a grim nod from the older Uzumaki.

"I realize that, my son. But even if I want to evacuate our women, children and old to safety, I cannot. We do not have the ships anymore. We must make our final stand and die defending our homeland" explained Ayato in a resigned tone,

He was surprised when Nagato gave him a grim smile.

"I'm glad you allowed Mito and my daughter to go to the mainlands. Atleast this way they'll live, I'm with you till the end...Father" promised Nagato earnestly, making the old man smile proudly.

Any moment the enemy could reorganize its now increased legions and attack. It was not going to be much long before...

Both men were surprised when they heard a very familiar war horn being sounded across the entire city.

One of the soldiers hurriedly came into the solar but was surprised when both his lords brushed past him with haste.

Miyami Uzumaki, wife of Nagato Uzumaki was unable to believe the dozens of different banners fluttering across the devastated Uzumaki lands. Nor could she believe the sight of thousands of armed ninjas carrying those banners marching towards the gates in perfect discipline.

The largest and most prominent was the three headed dragon banner but she also spotted the Senju banner, alongwith Namikaze, Sarutobi, Shimura, Akimichi, Aburame and so many more.

As she gave the order to allow the army passage into their city, Miyami did not miss the relief and joy on the faces of her clansmen. Almost everyone of them was shocked but a shred of hope had rekindled in their broken gazes...

She had never held hope of any aid coming for her people and yet...

Her eyes widened when a handsome young boy with light brown hair walked at the head of this army. If the golden armor of his did not give away his identity, the crown upon his head indeed proved his identity as King Naruto Uchiha himself.

"How?" she could not help but ask, earning a comforting smile from the King who was flanked by many Uchiha and Senju.

"I bring word from your allies in the mainland. The Uzumaki have been our allies since time immemorial, we share ties of friendship and blood. Our clans were born from the same family and together we once pledged to safeguard this world as one" said Naruto respectfully,

He looked behind Miyami Uzumaki as he saw two men very familiar in resemblance to Mito come running towards the gates. Their eyes slightly widened when they saw him...

"We come to honor that pledge" declared Naruto,

"King Naruto!"

The said monarch blinked when Nagato Uzumaki gave him a wide smile before engulfing him in a firm embrace. Although taken aback by the surprising gesture, Naruto could not help but feel the relief and happiness wave off this man in spades which brought a thin smile to his own lips as he gently patted Nagato's shoulder.

"It's an honor to have you here, My King" said Nagato gladly with a beaming smile,

Naruto nodded as his eyes spotted an old man with a striking aura step before him. It was no doubt Ayato Uzumaki, the leader of the Uzumaki clan and the man who had once spat at Naruto's offer to ally the redheads with the Ninja Kingdom. Both warriors stared at each other intensely and then to the shock of every Uzumaki, their lord knelt.

"You have come to the aid of my people despite our troubled past and my mistakes. I ask your forgiveness and humbly submit my people and nation to your rule, King Naruto" declared Ayato loudly but with respect,

There were many scathing things Naruto wanted to say to this man but was stopped when Mito burst out of the crowd and hugged her brother fiercely followed by her sister-in-law. The sight of that happy reunion stayed the King's sharp words and resulting in him giving Ayato Uzumaki a stern nod accepting the allegiance.

Ayato Uzumaki gaped when the thousands of ninjas stepped behind their King in unison creating a loud sound. Their faces set in stone as they looked at him. He glanced at the King and saw the young warrior glance at the Uzumaki around him with a promising smile.

"We are proud to fight alongside our kinsmen once more"

Naruto alongside his friends was currently standing around a large table holding a detailed map of the islands of Uzu. He was already briefed by Nagato about the extent of the war and the losses suffered by the Uzumaki, they even gave him detailed account of the enemy they were facing which was exactly what Mito told him about. When asked about any corpse the Uzumaki might have captured so that the King could study the enemy's secrets, he was disappointed to discover not one enemy was captured. It was not as if the Uzumaki had not tried hard but every prisoner they grabbed only seemed to disintegrate into ashes because of strange seals on their bodies. Seals even the Uzumaki were not fast enough to stop which was alarming itself since the redheads were the best in that art.

In light of the discovery and on Shisui's recommendation, Naruto had ordered majority of his ships to start evacuating the noncombatants from the main island of Uzu and the few that were still left on Hirashiman. At first, Ayato Uzumaki had objected stating that their combined armies could not stop the enemy but one stern glance from Naruto made the man stop any further protests. He was completely pacified when Naruto explained that even with all his ships it would still take atleast two or three weeks to evacuate every Uzumaki noncombatant to the mainlands and that was not even taking into consideration the ninjas and civilian fighters. In the event that the enemy could not be stopped, it was best if the evacuation began now or risk annihilation of every Uzumaki if the allied army failed.

Ayato Uzumaki could not raise any objection to that sensible choice.

"Send your 2000 civilian soldiers to protect Uzu from where the evacuation shall be carried out. The rest of our forces shall hold the enemy here" commanded Naruto,

"Is it wise sending so many capable fighters to defend Uzu? My King, we have a few good men in our home and solid barriers to protect the island. We need every fighter here to repel the enemy" urged Nagato,

"Enough of our people have already died, brother. We must save as many as we can...'' pleaded Mito, earning a sigh from her brother but in the end Nagato relented.

"It's no use hiding behind walls that are barely standing. We must make our 13000 ninjas face the enemy in open field.." suggested Kagami,

"We tried that before and they overwhelmed us with sheer numbers" lamented Ayato Uzumaki,

"Forgive me, my lord. Your people are brave fighters but they lack discipline. Our 7000 ninjas are the elite warriors of our lands, it would be best if your people act as their support and it might just help us hold the enemy" said Naori Uchiha frankly,

"She's right, Lord Ayato. Your troops are weary, ours are fresh and ready to fight. We also have good officers to lead this army. I urge you to follow this plan" requested Itama Senju,

"Very well" agreed Ayato, it was not as if he had much choice considering the ice cold glare from the king that was challenging him to disobey. The young boy surely had iron in his veins.

Everyone in the room listened as Naruto started explaining the battle plan. It was fair to say the strategy went against everything they Uzumaki loved but the King was in no mood to please anyone. He assigned leaders to command different units and surprised the Uzumaki family by revealing his decision to stand at the front. They tried to dissuade the young man from taking such a risk but were not able to convince the Uchiha leader.

The Battle For Hirashiman was about to begin...

Contrary to his expectations, Naruto never saw a single trace of the enemy for the next three days. He sent out patrol parties to search the large island for any sign of enemy movement but was disappointed when his scouts reported no activity. It was as if the enemy had vanished which he knew was not the case. Still, it gave his ninjas and those of the Uzumaki time to familiarize themselves with the battle plan and with each other. Moral was high and it went up further when the ninjas discovered the King himself would be standing at the front when the battle came alongside every other leader.

On the fourth night, the moment they were all dreading finally arrived.

King Naruto stood outside the walls of Hirashiman alongwith an army of 13000 ninjas watching the sole volcano of the island erupt violently. The already darkened skies were now completely shrouded in ash and dust creating a sense of doom and despair. While the erupting lava would never reach the city thanks to the strong barriers created by the Uzumaki centuries ago, they would not be enough to stop the other thing that came out of that smoldering volcano.

Now we know why our scouts never found any trace of the enemy...

Naori watched in horror as several caves suddenly emerged from the bottom of the volcano. The erupting lava changed direction and now headed towards the ocean as a wave of darkness emerged from the caves.

The ground trembled violently as thousands upon thousands of human like deformed creatures walked out of the volcano's caves. Whoever these people were once upon a time, they were long lost. Their skin was charred demonic black courtesy of remaining hiding deep within the volcano's caves. Their eyes just as dark and demonic without an ounce of emotion left in them. Strange seals were engraved on their mutilated corpses and all of them were armed to the teeth. What disturbed many of the King's forces was the presence of nearly a thousand children among the enemy force.

"What is this?" asked Itama in unabashed horror,

"The march of death" replied Nagato grimly,

Shisui clenched his fists as he saw even more and more legions of dead march out of the caves. His sharp eyes were quick to recognize that many of these dead still bore the armor of Kaguya, Uzumaki, Hagoromo and many other unknown clans. But what was most disturbing were another series of known clan symbols visible on the armors of many of the dead.

"Now we know what happened to the Mountain Clans from the Land of Lightning..." said Itachi worriedly,

"Those fuckers are all dead. Shit, how many of them are there?" asked Takeshi hesitantly,

"50,000 atleast"

The Kingsguard members flinched on hearing Ayato Uzumaki reveal the rough number of the enemy force. The more disturbing fact was that even more of the dead were coming out of the caves putting Ayato's estimate in even further doubt.

A wry smile came upon Itama's lips despite the grim situation as he found himself facing such horror surrounded by Uchiha warriors and Senjus alike.

"Never thought I'd fight death itself with Uchihas" joked Itama, earning an amused smile from Shisui.

"We are blood brothers, Uchiha and Senju. Even Uzumaki, it's right that we face such horror together" said Shisui proudly, making Itama smile as well. Many of the ninjas from all three clans chuckled on that statement while they glanced at each other.

"The fox would be proud" said Itama with a grin,

They watched the army of death being stopped by the barriers the Uzumaki had erected across the city's outskirts. Hundreds were burned alive as they tried to get through only to fail. Yet it didn't stop the enemy as they attacked again and again mindlessly without a care for their lives. Even the mighty barriers of the Uzumaki started to waver against such inhuman force and many ninjas took a step back.

Inhuman screams and battlecries of the enemy hordes resonated across the entire island making many men and women tremble. The desire to flee rose in many hearts on watching death itself marching towards them and all that stood in between were a failing series of barriers.

Despair and doubt started to rage across the allied army until they were all surprised by the sight of their King grabbing a horse and gallop across the entire battleline.

"Stand!"

Naruto's loud and commanding voice resonated across the entire battlefield as every ninja looked at him with many even taking steps forward.

"Warriors of Uzu! Warriors of Fire! My ninjas!"

Galloping across the vast battlefield, Naruto tried his level best to look at as many men as he could hoping to convey some strength in this dark hour. Fear had struck his own heart, yet he knew this madness had to be stopped here lest the entire world burn.

"I will not say that I am not afraid, neither are you! Yet we all swore to defend the realms of men! To protect our people! Our Lands! Our Homes!"

Nagato was stunned to see a direct impact on the morale of the army as the desire to fight was reignited in many eyes despite the sight of the crumbling barriers and roaring army of death.

"Against Foes! Against God! Against Death!"

For a moment the dark battlefield was enlightened as Dawn was unleashed by the King and pointed right at the enemy as the barriers were finally destroyed. The roars of the charging enemy army were dwarfed by the ferocious battlecry of the King...

"FIGHT! NINJAS OF THE WORLD!"

The sound of 13,000 swords being unleashed clashed against the inhuman cries of the enemy legions. Naruto gripped his sword firmly as he watched hundreds of more enemies be consumed by various booby traps set by his forces. They were ripped apart by explosions, consumed by hidden swamps, impaled on concealed spikes, trapped in secret barriers.

Yet they kept coming.

Never before had he seen anything like this. So inhuman and out of this world...

His sharingan eyes could already see more than 55000 dead charging towards his small army as each and every trap laid by the allied ninjas were overwhelmed by the sheer enemy numbers.

As the enemy got closer and closer, Naruto turned towards his ninjas with an ice cold gaze.

"Burn them!''

The entire frontline of the allied army alongwith the King himself performed a rapid set of hand seals as every sensor across the land felt a massive build up of chakra.

"Fire Style: Field of Fire!"

Thousands of ninjas unleashed the most devastating tsunami of fire that was larger than the walls of the city itself and spanning across the entire battlefield. It charged like a raging wave and consumed the entire front line of the enemy.

Naruto heard so many inhuman screams as the entire front line of the enemy army was consumed in flames. But as the tsunami of fire finally died down, he was stunned to see another massive wave that was even bigger than the previous one charge. Gritting his teeth, he raised his sword making an entire new set of ninjas replace the frontal ones who had just launched a great jutsu.

"Water Style: Raging Dragons!"

Through the combined efforts of thousands of ninjas alongwith the King, nearly a hundred monstrous water dragons with deep yellow eyes were created and made to charge towards the unstoppable enemy. Naruto watched the water dragons smash through enemy lines consuming hundreds of dead soldiers with their full might.

Still, they kept coming.

"GIVE THEM A VOLLEY!"

13000 kunai and shuriken laced with explosive tags were unleashed at his command consuming legions of dead in a brutal massacre.

Nagato and his Uzumaki clansmen could not help but gape at the one sided slaughter orchestrated by the King. Every ninja of the King obeyed their leader's command and was fighting with such discipline that the Uzumaki could have never dreamed of. The Uzumaki had tried to overwhelm their enemy with sheer force only to suffer catastrophic losses.

But for the first time, the army of dead was not only being stopped but destroyed by the thousands.

The enemy army had massive numbers on their side but what their warriors lacked was the ability to perform jutsu. A weakness for which they were paying the price in thousands.

Still, they were almost upon the ninja army.

"EARTH!"

Naruto's command brought forward another group of fresh Sarutobi warriors who replaced the water ninjas before them. They were encouraged by the sight of their king performing a similar set of hand seals alongside them...

"Earth Style: Earth Spikes!"

As hundreds more were impaled upon spikes of mud that rose from the ground, from the left flank Shisui finished his move just as Itachi did the same on the right flank.

"Wind Style: Wave of Death!"

"Lightning Style: Electromagnetic Murder!"

With the carnage of wind and lightning attacks unleashed by the Kingsguard members and the continued barrage of kunai being launched under the supervision of Itama Senju and Takeshi, more and more enemies were killed every second.

Despite losing nearly more than 20,000 of their numbers in the massacre...the enemy could not be stopped.

As the enemy were now merely a few hundred feet away from clashing against the ninja army, Naruto turned towards the Uzumaki led by Nagato and Ayato. Hundreds of Uzumaki went through a rapid set of hand seals and slammed their hands on the ground just in time as the enemy horde reached the ninja army.

"BARRIER!"

A large red colored barrier was formed between the enemy army and the ninjas. The dead clashed against the obstacle mercilessly but were stunned when hundreds of them were sent sailing away courtesy of the repelling nature of the barrier.

"SWORDS!"

Nagato and his clansmen twisted their hand seals creating thousands of small holes as King Naruto and his warriors plunged their weapons through the tiny openings and straight into the heads of the dead warriors. Nagato and his clansmen again channeled massive chakra into the barrier making it repel hundreds more of the dead. Again, Naruto and his army of swordsman used the advantage of another set of openings to silence more and more enemies.

Slowly but surely the ninja army marched ahead with the aid of the barrier crushing wave upon wave of enemies mercilessly.

"TO THE KING!"

"TO THE KING!"

"TO THE KING!"

One battlecry started resonated across the entire battlefield as every ninja followed the lead of their King whose command only encouraged them further.

"KILL THEM ALL!"

Surprise.

Nine figures stood at the edge of the volcano watching their army being pushed back for the first time. Their pale and stoic eyes were consumed in disbelief. Their gaze turned towards the man and woman standing atop one of the rocks, both of them looked intrigued.

"The ninjas are rallying to their King" commented the man,

The lone female of the group narrowed her eyes as her gaze settled upon the boy in golden armor. The sight of him fighting valiantly reminded her of another man with dark hair.

Indra's spawn!

The nine paled eyed warriors flinched on seeing the woman rise from her seat. Her cold gaze promising nothing but slaughter.

"My queen" said the man beside her calmly,

It was enough to make the lone woman stop and look at her companion who was staring at her with his ever stoic gaze.

"Let us handle this" he requested,

She looked at him and then at her nine faithful servants coldly before giving a nod. However, before they could leave to accomplish their task her dangerous eyes flashed wildly in the darkness as she finished a set of hand seals and slammed her hands on the ground.

"Summoning Jutsu!"

The barrier being continuously used by the ninja army was utterly crushed as a monstrous tidal wave was launched across the entire island. Hundreds of ninjas and dead alike were sent sailing away due to the sheer force of the attack.

When the dust settled, Naruto was stunned to not only see the army of dead retreat in haste but also the arrival of something even more hideous.

In front of him now stood nine warriors on the ground. They were all wearing the same grey armor with strange signs embodied on their chest, their eyes and hair as pale as the moon. In their hands were great white spear shaped weapons and even from this distance Naruto could feel the foul energy in those weapons.

But the most terrifying thing was the monstrous humanoid statue that was as tall as Kurama standing in front of them. On top of the monstrosity stood a man with long pale white hair and pale white eyes. He had colorful markings above his eyebrows and not a shred of emotion on his blank face.

The nine warriors on the ground all spoke as one,

"There shall be no dawn for shinobi"

The humanoid statue gave out a monstrous war cry that brought thousands of ninjas to their knees. The killing intent was so intense and all consuming that many felt their worst nightmare flash before their eyes.

Naruto himself was brought to his knees courtesy of the monstrous power. That thing...

He knew what it was!

To his horror, a group of Akimichi changed into their largest forms that were as large as the statue and rushed towards it with ferocious roar.

"NO!" yelled the King in horror,

The fearless Akimichi giants charged with their staffs ready to destroy the humanoid statue before it wrecked any more havoc on their allies. So focused were they on the statue that they didn't see the other objects sailing towards them.

Shisui watched the nine pale warriors on the ground launch their spears with accurate precision. For all their great size, the Akimichi warrior's armor and skin were sliced apart like a knife carving through butter as the spears grew in size and pierced their chests. Their agony didn't end there as out of the enlarged spears came out a foul stream of energy that started consuming the entire body of the Akimichi fighters at terrifying speed.

In front of the ninja army, the giant Akimichi's fell dead to the ground in thirty seconds with their skin and body mutilated beyond recognition.

Silence reigned across the battlefield until the energy swirling around the Akimichi was consumed inside their dead bodies as the nine pale eyed warriors made a hand seal.

"Arise"

Naruto took a step back when he watched the bodies of the giant Akimichi twitch followed by movement of their dead limbs. Soon enough the giants were getting back on their feet and this time their eyes had lost all light.

"What is this?" asked Naori in fear,

She was not allowed an answer as the silent man atop the humanoid statue now pointed his finger right at the ninja army.

"End their nuisance" he commanded,

Naruto realized the massive buildup of chakra from the statue and was about to give a warning when he saw the Uzumaki had already realized their threat. Ayato Uzumaki himself ran forward with dozens of his clansmen as they finished a set of hand seals.

"FUIN!"

A massive dark blue barrier rose around the statue and within seconds its interior glowed so brightly akin to a massive explosion that many had to avert their eyes. When the smoke cleared, the Uzumaki were stunned to see the monstrosity still standing alongwith the man atop its head.

"Dragons of Death!" whispered the lone warrior,

From the mouth of the humanoid statue were unleashed a series of dragons that were demonic purple in color with dark eyes. The beasts roared murderously as they charged towards their enemies as thousands of ninjas ran and jumped away for their lives.

Naruto watched dozens of his warriors be consumed by the menacing dragons. Instead of being burnt, it literally tore away the souls of the brave men and women from their bodies leaving behind their lifeless forms. The entire ninja army trembled with every warrior doing their best to avoid their inhuman foe.

The King snarled in fury as he raised his sword and charged.

A large portion of the army followed their leader despite the raging death around them as they all ran towards the monstrous statue. Their former Akimichi comrades were the ones who charged back at them with the intent to butcher them.

Naruto channeled a monstrous amount of chakra in Dawn as the first Akimichi came towards him. With a forceful jump, he launched himself in the air and avoided the gigantic hands of the man from crushing him. Landing on the giant's nose, he drove Dawn clean through his enemy's forehead. The turned creature screamed in agony as a beaming light was released from the King's blade that dissolved the strange seals on his body making it crash down and never rise again.

From the corner of his eye, Naruto saw Takeshi and Itachi bring down another giant with the help of Itama Senju as the three boys first destroyed the beast's eyes before setting him on fire thereby ending his life.

Shisui drove his ancestral sword, Fury, through a giant's head earning a similar effect as that of the King and brought an end to the turned warrior.

"FIFTH GATE-OPEN!"

The pale eyed warriors were stunned when Kagami Uchiha unleashed a powerful wave of chakra from his body. The Kingsguard member's skin turned red and a greenish aura of chakra consumed him completely. Many ninjas gaped at the sheer display of power as Kagami vanished before their eyes. Within seconds, the remaining Akimichi giants screamed in agony as they were hit by hundreds of hyper fast strikes all over their body before being set on fire. The last giant found himself being grabbed by the leg as Kagami threw him straight at the humanoid statue much to the surprise of the man standing on top of it.

The humanoid statue simply tore apart the dead Akimichi warrior with his bare hands before it could crush him, but it was pushed back by several feet due to the sheer force of the blow.

Naruto saw the panicked ninjas regaining some of their lost courage on seeing the display of valor and power by the Kingsguard and Itama Senju. Thousands rallied behind the young boys and the King...

The army of dead again charged from the rear of the humanoid statue led by the nine pale eyed warriors.

Naruto gripped Dawn firmly as he charged towards them hearing thousands more follow his lead. Kagami using his power of gates evaporated several lines of dead warriors before they could even blink. The remaining Kingsguard led the ninjas as both armies clashed in a brutal impact sending limbs and blood flying everywhere.

The King alongwith Ayato Uzumaki found themselves soon surrounded by the nine pale eyed warriors.

"Who are you?" demanded Ayato furiously,

"Your betters. You both are just lesser sons of greater beings" spat one of the pale eyed warrior,

Ayato growled before charging at the nearest warrior ignoring Naruto's command to stay back. The Uzumaki leader slashed his sword in a horizontal arc to hack away the head of the nearest pale eyed warrior only for the man to step back easily before clashing his spear shaped weapon against Ayato's blade shattering it to shreds.

The Uzumaki lord could only blink in shock before he was impaled by four spears across his body.

Naruto closed his eyes as he watched the Uzumaki leader fall. The man's temper and impulsiveness lead him to his doom. He saw many of his ninjas were trying desperately to get to him but were being ruthlessly stopped by hordes of dead getting in their way.

"Now you die, Indra spawn" whispered one of the nine, loathing evident in his voice.

They all moved as one launching their spears at the King from all sides only for the master swordsman to twist himself in a full circle with his sword, Dawn, clashing against the weapon of his enemies.

They all shattered.

"Indra's sword"

Naruto didn't miss the momentary shock on the faces of his enemies and used that small opportunity to unleash a wave of lightning from his body. He had watched Ayato Uzumaki move against these men, while the Uzumaki leader was foolish in his move he had been fast. However, these men saw the attack coming from a mile away which suggested Naruto that their pale eyes could be a dojutsu. His assumption was proven correct when he heard each and everyone of those bastards roar in agony as the lightning not only hit their bodies but also their precious eyes.

The first two didn't even see the King's sword before it severed their heads from their necks.

Naruto was about to move in against the remaining seven foes when his eyes widened as a massive beam of lightning hit him.

Every ninja watched in horror and despair as the massive lightning beam launched by the humanoid statue hit their King.

Naruto was sent flying away several hundred feet before he landed with a bone crushing thud.

The fighting momentarily stopped as the young Uchiha lay motionlessly in the small stream of water. A painful scream escaped his lips yet his hands still held on to his sword. His vision was dark and hazy, his chest on fire and blood oozing out of his mouth.

Gold flew like drops of blood from the chest of the dying King as his famous golden armor melted.

He heard the faint sound of approaching footsteps before a hazy vision of that lone warrior who had been standing atop the humanoid statue appeared before him. The man gazed at him with cold apathetic eyes with his spear in hand ready to strike.

Naruto weakly tried to swing his sword but the pale eyed man kicked the weapon away and broke the King's wrist in the process eliciting another painful scream from the Uchiha.

"Kimimaro Otsutsuki" said the man, as he raised his spear.

A series of whistling sound was heard and Naruto hazily saw the man called Kimimaro jump away.

"I will kill you if touch my son!" snarled Naori murderously,

Kimimaro narrowed his eyes at the woman who was now holding Dawn in her hands. The level of hate and anger in her eyes was amusing to see though.

"Foolish woman"

Raising his left hand he unleashed dozens of bone shards from his palm that flew straight towards Naori. To his surprise, the woman fired dark lightning bolts from her free hand that destroyed the bone projectiles. Kimimaro gritted his teeth as he rushed in.

Naori barely had time to raise Dawn as the Otsutsuki brought down his spear. She was nearly brought to her knees by the sheer power of the man but unlike others who had their weapons destroyed against those spears, Dawn held.

Another clone of Naori emerged from the ground behind Kimimaro but before the clone could strike down its foe, it was impaled by several more bone shards launched from the man's back.

With his free hand, Kimimaro delivered a devastating strike to Naori's shoulder sending her sailing away. The Uchiha matriarch lost all sensation in her left arm and had only enough time to dodge thereby avoiding beheading as Kimimaro started slashing his spear weapon while also launching bone shards from his body.

The Otsutsuki was surprised on seeing the Uchiha skillfully dodging his strikes. This woman knew she could not match his physical prowess and was using her speed to overcome that. Her skill with Dawn was impressive as well as she was perfectly able to deflect dozens of bone projectiles that Kimimaro tried to skewer her with.

But her eyes widened when Kimimaro smirked.

Naori jumped in wildly as Kimimaro launched dozens of bone shards straight at the wounded King. She gave out a silent scream as she felt several of those bone shards pierce her body.

Kimimaro watched the Uchiha fall gracelessly on the crimson ground. She coughed blood and desperately tried to move but her wounds were grave and she lost her sword as she crashed.

He walked towards her but was forced to stop when he felt his senses tingle in warning.

His eyes zoomed in on the location from where he had felt that sensation and he froze.

The wounded King was sprawled across the small stream of water that had now turned crimson with his blood. His life was fading yet his eyes burned with such hate that Kimimaro had only seen in Indra.

The army of dead froze and the pale eyed warriors blanched when their commander was set ablaze in black flames. Kimimaro's horrified scream tore through the battlefield as the flames engulfed him. His pale eyed comrades rushed to his aide and slammed a seal on the man's burning body which quickly doused the flames but could not stop the severe burns from spreading across the Otsutsuki's body. As they dragged the now unconscious Otsutsuki away, three more of the pale eyed warriors were set ablaze in merciless dark flames. But unlike before, their remaining comrades did not stop to help them and dragged only their commander to safety leaving their fellow fighters to die a painful death.

Tears of blood fell from his eyes as he crawled towards her. He could feel death knocking at his door but all he could think about was her...he had to get to her!

With the last of his strength he turned her towards him only to see her eyes already half closed.

A smile came upon her face as she barely managed to lay her trembling bloodstained palm on his cheek. She wiped the tears of blood falling from his eyes and opened her lips.

He watched her struggle to breathe desperately and try to muster the last of her strength.

Her eyes so similar to a person he once knew, so full of warmth and love.

"Be happy...my son"

The spark of life vanished from her eyes as she now stared blankly at him.

His heart shattered into millions of pieces and he wept for the first time in years. He could hear the screams of his men as they died by the thousands, the inhuman screeches of the dead as they destroyed the living, the menacing power of that cursed statue.

It all felt so distant now...

The last thing he saw was the silhouette of the soul stealing purple dragon as it consumed him.