Chapter 36: The Last Dragons

He was afraid.

Never before in his life had he encountered something so grand and enormous than this.

Every instinct inside of him was screaming at him to run away.

Yet he charged.

So did the thousands around him.

Together they not only stood their ground but also ran to face the greatest powers of their world.

Each one of them knowing what would be their fate.

Yet everyone had something worth fighting for.

It could be a loved one, a friend, the love for country, the need for revenge, or just a desire to earn glory or even be a part of this great battle.

He did not know what was going through the hearts of his men but he did know what he was fighting for.

The image of his beautiful wife holding a small infant in her arms, one who he had her hair and his eyes and face. A child who would inherit the best of both him and her, a life that would never be forced to vanish at the hands of monsters.

The battlefield was dwarfed in the thunderous roars of the gigantic beasts.

He saw them all create monstrous balls of dark chakra at the command of their Otsutsuki riders and aim them at his army.

He and his men prepared themselves.

Eight large Bijudama were fired at once making the skies and lands tremble with their power as they raced towards their target.

Him.

While expecting an attack like this, he had not anticipated the Otsutsuki using their final trump card solely against him instead of against the entire ninja army. But then again, he was currently the greatest threat after Hashirama on the battlefield.

"Kamui"

His prized dojutsu obeyed his command faithfully and opened a portal quickly to absorb the series of tailed beast bombs. However, that action had slowed down his charge while his supporters did not.

With suicidal war cries, the ninja cavalry clashed against the tailed beast squad.

No matter how brave or skilled they were...not every human could match the power of a Biju.

The very first proof of this heartbreaking truth was witnessed when the Six Tails literally smashed hundreds of humans in one swing of its numerous tails. Takeshi was one of the many to be hit and was sent flying high in the air with one of his legs already severed. Mikoto's brother screamed as they Six Tails grabbed him by its teeth in mid air.

Naruto roared in fury and moved to save his friend but was blocked when three tailed beast literally jumped over him sending him crashing down. From the corner of his eyes, he saw the Otsutsuki commanding the Six Tails glance at the trapped form of Takeshi with a satisfied smile. He couldn't decipher the words said by the white haired ancient warrior but he did sense the massive build up of energy.

Takeshi was about to be evaporated courtesy of a Bijudama while he was trapped in the Six Tail's mouth.

The boy grinned weakly when a dark green blur of energy appeared behind the Otsutsuki commanding the Six Tails. The ancient ninja didn't even sense the blow that vaporized him to ashes as Kagami had unleashed his most lethal technique.

Naruto's eyes widened in shock and awe when his childhood friend delivered a powerful kick on the head of the Six Tails making the creature roar in agony as it crashed on the ground. If not for his Mangekyo, he would have never seen Kagami flash like a green blur delivering merciless strikes all over the Biju before delivering a brutal chakra palm strike that literally sent the Six Tails flying away like a rag doll.

The King smashed his Susanoo shield straight into the One Tail's face and shoved Dawn's glowing and larger form right into the Two Tails's midsection. Both beasts screamed even as the Susanoo clad Kyuubi unleashed a powerful shockwave sending the Four Tails crashing away. All three Otsutsuki riders of those beasts did not survive the counterattack.

As he got up on his feet, Naruto ran towards the still form of Takeshi who was being looked after by Shisui while Kagami was wrecking havoc over the tailed beast squad with his unstoppable power.

Naruto could not help but be impressed by his friend to the point that he even felt inferior. Kagami didn't have the sharingan but he had the heart of a determined man. Without dojutsu or any other Kekkai Genkai, he was still able to not only stand toe to toe with tailed beasts but push them back as well.

It was because of people like Kagami that gave Naruto hope. No matter the situation or adversity, humans would always fight for what they loved.

He was not alone in his admiration of Kagami as even Shisui and Takeshi were staring at their friend with pride in their eyes.

Naruto closed his eyes on seeing half of Takeshi's body was already gone, eaten by the tailed beast. It was a gruesome and heartbreaking sight for any warrior to witness. One made even more heartbreaking when the person suffering such a fate was a dear friend.

Yet the same boy was grinning like a maniac.

"Don't...underestimate...humanity...stupid...beasts!"

Takeshi Uchiha, the hot-head of the Kingsguard died with those words with his two friends by his side. There were no cries of rage or grief, having grown up in the clan wars era had made most ninjas develop a self control over their emotions. The hurt and grief were buried deep in hardened hearts as Naruto and Shisui both gave a final cremation to the mortal remains of their deceased friend.

No words were exchanged as the two boys looked at each other and then at the battlefield.

They both barely saw more than two dozen of their clansmen still fighting on the battlefield alongside trusted allies. Yet one by one they were dying as well in face of the overwhelming enemy that swarmed them from all sides again and again.

On the other side of the battlefield another catastrophe was about to happen.

Hanzo and Mifune alongwith their Samurai cavalry had been doing well so far but that was all about to change when the Gedo Mazo charged towards them all.

Alarmed, Naruto's Susanoo ran to intercept the monster but was forced to stop when he felt the power.

One moment the King was watching the Gedo Mazo wildly charging towards the Samurai cavalry and then the next the statue was brutally slammed down to the ground by a a shadow that fell from the skies. As the dust and debris started to settle, Naruto saw a large skeleton structure with crumbling wings trying its best to hold down the Gedo Mazo.

"This dance is MINE!"

A heavily bleeding Madara grinned back at his brother with a maniacal smile on his face even with his crumbling Susanoo that was barely able to hold back the Gedo Mazo.

Both brothers saw each other for the first time after what felt like an eternity.

In one's eyes there was relief, joy and unending determination.

In the other's there was worry and hesitation.

Madara saw his brother glancing across the battlefield where their people were being slaughtered on all fronts. No matter how motivated or skilled they were, the bitter fact was that the humans just didn't have enough numbers. The enemy despite their heavy losses had more than enough.

Now that the initial shock and awe of Naruto's arrival with his army was over, the Otsutsuki under their queen's command were rallying perfectly. The tailed beasts currently being held back by Kagami had already inflicted more than enough losses and would soon crush any hope for victory.

Madara made his Susanoo punch the Gedo Mazo straight in the face as the statue's struggles intensified ten fold. It was itching to get free and cause mayhem.

Not on Madara's watch.

Hashirama was engaged in a deadly duel with the enemy queen and was not doing so well at the moment.

It made Madara's blood boil when in this dire moment he saw Naruto's resolve wavering in the face of the devastating losses and mighty enemy.

"NARUTO!"

The stunned king glanced at his eldest brother who glared back at him with unwavering determination in his eyes.

"It doesn't matter if we all die here! It doesn't matter what the future holds for this world! It doesn't matter if there is no hope!" yelled Madara fiercely, even as he ignited the flames of Amaterasu on the face of the Gedo Mazo making the statue scream in agony.

The eldest Uchiha vomited blood from his mouth, eyes and his numerous wounds. He had not recovered from his battle against the dragons and the enemy queen...with his wounds catching up...

He sensed the statue's power and it was more than his own. Maybe if he was at full strength...

It didn't matter.

His brother looked shaken and disheartened with the brutal death of his friend. If Naruto lost hope here in this darkest hour then they were already defeated.

"All we can do...all anyone can do...is...just...one...thing!" roared Madara in pain and anger, as the Gedo Mazo headbutted against his Susanoo making him crash backwards.

Madara grabbed the statue's legs making it crash again thereby saving hundreds of Samurai from being slaughtered. Yet the Gedo Mazo only got more angrier and started brutally kicking Madara's crumbling Susanoo.

The Hokage's command was heard not just by his brother but by every human across the battlefield.

"FIGHT!"

A primal scream echoed across the land as the dragon headed Susanoo roared once more.

Tajima saw thousands of dead warriors led by many Otsutsuki officers charging towards his youngest son. Madara and Hashirama alongwith every heavy fighter were already fighting their own desperate battles. On the other side, Kagami was finally starting to slow down as his body started to fall apart from the unbearable pressure. The tailed beasts looked badly beaten but still in the fight. The only one capable enough to subdue them once and for all was one person.

Shisui's fierce cry rallied every nearby ninja.

"PROTECT THE KING!"

Dozens of nearby Samurai warriors were the first to obey the command as they valiantly charged straight into thousands of dead warriors and their Otsutsuki commanders. The cavalry was very small and was instantly overwhelmed as the dead jumped over them but the intervention bought time for the ninjas lead by Shisui to intercept a quarter of the enemy forces charging towards the King.

Shisui himself lead the charge and plunged his ancestral holy sword clean through the first Otsutsuki's heart.

"What the hell are those idiots doing?" asked Daen in shock,

Tajima glanced on the eastern front where another large contingent of enemy forces were trapped in a strong barrier held by Uzumaki ninjas lead by Mikoto, Kakashi and Danzo. The three members of Madara's guard barely had four dozen allies with them and yet they had went ahead in their move to trap the enemy for as long as possible. The dead trapped inside the barrier screamed furiously as they charged at the handful humans in waves on the command of their Otsutsuki.

"Doing what is necessary" answered Tajima grimly, knowing very well that every ninja in that barrier would never survive their last stand.

"The plan-" argued Daen, receiving a sharp look from Tajima.

"Is fucked! Whatever advantage we had is now gone and the enemy is surrounding us. It's fight or die! I say we give these Otsutsuki bastards all the hell they deserve!" decided Tajima,

Tajima raised his sword and charged forward with Sakumo right by his side. Even Sasuke Sarutobi joined them leading every warrior left alive to follow after the veterans.

Daen could only sigh in defeat as he charged after them.

"Fucking Uchihas. Always so troublesome!" thought the Nara head, as he and his few clansmen unleashed their shadow binding technique to trap as many enemy as they could.

Daen grinned a little when the previously overconfident Otsutsuki backed away to their rear lines when they saw hundreds of their Kaguya and Hagoromo allies be trapped first in the shadows. The handful Uchiha and Hatake still alive had nothing more left to lose as they charged forward and slaughtered dozens of enemies mercilessly under the leadership of Tajima, Sakumo and Sasuke Sarutobi.

The Nara leader heard a horrible scream and was satisfied when the rampaging seven tails that was about to pummel a dying Kagami was surrounded in numerous space portals that opened up all around it. The beast had large parts of its massive body sucked into the portal violently but before it could be absorbed quickly the portals was closed.

The seven tails was blasted to pieces unable to survive the violent exposure.

Before anyone could even digest the gruesome murder, they all saw their King charge towards a wounded One Tails that was recovering from its wounds inflicted by Naruto himself. The beast only had time to blink before the glowing sword of the Susanoo took its head off.

Naruto and Kurama both fought back their screams as they were shrouded in dangerous dark energy of the deceased One Tails. Killing a Biju in such a violent manner was bound to unleash the enormous energy stored in its form, with the Seven Tails such exposure was controlled as most of the dark energy was sucked in the portal but creating such a move again was next to impossible...

Certainly not when the remaining Biju had realized the threat and were now all charging towards the Susanoo.

"You call this is a fucking winning strategy?" asked Kurama in disbelief,

''Stop whining! Besides, it was your idea to kill your fellow brothers and sisters!" yelled Naruto irritatedly, as he prepared his Susanoo again as it had cracked deeply in various spots due to the violent energy explosion caused by the One Tail's execution.

"It's the only way to stop them. They'll reform again in a few years but what's more important is that we need to free them from Otsutsuki control. There is no time to figure out how to undo the sealing holding them as slaves. I don't like this but it is necessary" confessed Kurama sadly,

Naruto glanced across the battlefield where his people were paying the ultimate price just to stop the dead from getting in his way. At this rate even if by some miracle they won...there won't be anyone left to enjoy that victory.

"What do you need?" asked the fox warily, the joining of Susanoo had involuntarily given him a small connection to Naruto's heart and mind. What the beast felt right now made him very worried.

"Help my people"

Before the Biju could say anything the Susanoo broke their joint connection to now stand in front of it. There was a bittersweet smile on Naruto's lips even as the remaining seven Biju glared at him murderously.

He looked back at his childhood friend and this time there was no doubt in his eyes for he had made his choice.

"For a long time my people have believed your kind to be nothing but destruction and source of power. Now that opinion will only worsen, if there is to be any hope for man and beast to live together in harmony...then you must create that hope. For all of us" requested Naruto,

Kurama could only glance at his friend with even more sadness in his eyes as he realized what the boy was doing.

"Naruto, I.."

"No. You will do this. It is your mission from me. To be honest, I have failed on many fronts and yet my brother is right. All I can do is fight for the future of my people. I couldn't save my daughters but for the sake of my unborn son...I will give it my all so that one day he will have a world to live in" decided Naruto, as he made his Susanoo raise its sword.

Kurama glanced at the battlefield and saw dozens of skirmishes where his assistance was desperately needed. Together, he and Naruto were a powerhouse but the need of the hour was for them to split up and save as many as they could.

His friend understood it better than Kurama ever could, yet it did not stop the beast from giving the young king a warning glare.

"If you get yourself killed-"

Naruto smirked as the tailed beast charged at him all at once.

"Wars are won by killing your enemy. I intend to do just that...albeit much more smartly''

Kurama tensed when with those words Naruto charged forward in his powerful Susanoo. The Biju were all approaching at dangerous speed with menacing balls of energy already being formed in their mouths to vaporize the king once and for all.

The fox was quite surprised when Naruto made his Susanoo glow so brightly that it momentarily blinded nearly everyone on the battlefield.

Including the tailed beasts.

By the time the light finally died down two more screeching sounds were heard and Kurama alongwith every person on the battlefield were left speechless when the monstrous Susanoo beheaded the Two and Three Tails with its ethereal sword. The two beasts were dead before they even realized what hit them. The sudden execution released a sea of dark and poisonous energy but Naruto had already opened several dark portals that were sucking away that energy thereby saving any nearby humans from a gruesome death.

Yet even with four tailed beasts now dead, there were still another four left and they were mad.

Kurama flinched when the Four Tails bit Naruto's Susanoo from behind even as the Five Tails and Six Tails slammed their massive tails on the Susanoo's exposed flanks. The Eight Tails delivered a series of devastating strikes with its tentacles and the Two Tails jumped in the air before delivering a roundhouse kick over the Susanoo's head.

The Nine Tailed fox saw his only human friend scream in horrible pain as he was swarmed and attacked from all sides.

He was about to disregard his friend's prior order and go to his aid when he saw Madara's Susanoo crumbling rapidly. The eldest son of Tajima was on his final legs and was the only thing standing between the mad Gedo Mazo and the Samurai cavalry that was fighting under Hanzo and Mifune.

If that cavalry was wiped out then the battle would definitely be over.

It was one man's life against those of thousands.

Kurama's gaze connected with Naruto and he saw the boy give him a firm nod even as the tailed beast holding him started forming Bijudama all around him.

Tears fell from the Biju's eyes but he steeled himself and turned away from his friend.

Naruto grinned weakly when he saw Kurama roar and charge straight towards the Gedo Mazo. The ghastly statue felt the approaching power and was met with the sight of the Kyuubi jumping at him. Both beast and statue crashed gracelessly on the ground crushing the bodies of hundreds of dead. Madara despite his injuries saw the golden opportunity and charged ahead.

The First Hokage stabbed his Susanoo sword right inside the Gedo Mazo's chest earning another terrible scream. Yet to the Uchiha's surprise the statue didn't fall apart but only cracked.

Madara grimaced as he now understood the sole way to defeat the statue once and for all.

Without the statue the Otsutsuki would be badly affected. Madara didn't know much about their plan but he knew this statue was vital to their mission. Most of all it was a power that could destroy the human army.

It had to be destroyed.

But it was too ancient and strong.

It could not be killed by a man.

Yet the same was not the case for a beast.

He now knew what he had to do.

He glanced at his trapped brother one last time even as the young king was about to be evaporated in a series of Bijudama. Their gaze met and it was at that moment Madara gave a grim smile to his brother who returned the gesture.

The First Hokage looked at the Nine Tailed Fox who probably knew what Madara wanted.

Somehow the last words he said to Tobirama before his death was all Madara could think about and were the ones he said to the Biju before him.

"For our people''

Kurama saw Naruto open up a massive dark portal all around him just as the Tailed beast around him launched their final attack.

The King was vaporized right before Kurama's eyes just as the remaining tailed beast were sucked into the dark portal.

Tears fell from the Biju's eyes as he started to form its own Bijudama and set eyes on his final target.

Madara trapped the Gedo Mazo completely with the crumbling form of his skeletal Susanoo.

For the first time, the statue started struggling rapidly as it saw the Kyuubi forming its largest and most lethal Bijudama. It glanced at Madara only to see the Hokage smile at him victoriously.

It saw the young Uchiha utter something just as they were consumed in a Bijudama.