Chapter 44: The End

(Two Days Earlier)

Tsunade hesitantly walked towards her good brother's chambers in order to check on his condition. As she walked through the corridor, she saw a small group of Hatake, Namikaze and two Uchiha guards standing outside the door. They all bowed to her and she gave them an acknowledging nod in return.

These past few days had been strange to say the least.

Lord Tajima was struggling to keep peace in the city while also managing the horde of refugees. Their food was running low and there was not enough shelter to protect everyone from the raging snowstorms. Most importantly, the people had watched their king and his small force march off to what was most probably a suicide mission.

They were getting restless believing that their king was gone forever and it only placed more burden on Lord Tajima.

The Uchiha patriarch had been kind to her, even treating her with respect if not affection. Tsunade knew it was quite awkward for the older man to have her as his daughter by law for his entire life he had been busy killing off Tsunade's family. Not that her own family was any different but Tajima had requested her to heal Madara.

She had seen the desperation in the older man's eyes and it had made one thing clear to her.

Tajima didn't believe his youngest son was ever going to return home.

The Uchiha leader had resigned himself and was trying his best to keep his crumbling world from falling apart. If Naruto died, then Madara would be King if she failed to deliver a boy. Even if she did, she feared for the child's life for it would just be a babe while Madara was a grown man. A powerful leader whom many supported, and in these desperate times they would flock to him rather than an infant who couldn't even feed himself much less humanity.

She protectively placed her hand upon her belly as she opened the door, as soon as she stepped inside she was shocked to see the nurse watching over the Uchiha lord was unconscious.

Most of all, Madara was awake.

He seemed surprised by her entering the room and she instantly noticed he had already donned his battle armor. Their eyes met and she knew right then that the man knew exactly what happened during the time he was injured.

"You shouldn't be here" he said harshly, even as he continued his search across his room.

"You know" she whispered, earning a curt nod from him as he hastily grabbed a very familiar sword.

Madara flinched on seeing tears arrive in the Senju woman's eyes as he held Raijin no Ken in his hands.

Her brother's sword.

"Your brother gave it to me" he said hesitantly, not sure what to say. He had never been good in dealing with emotional people, women even more so. Gods, it should be Naruto here to console his wife and instead the brave fool had marched to his death.

"Was...he...in...pain...when?" she asked him, her weeping eyes haunting his very soul.

"Yes"

He had watched Tobirama die, it was thanks to the Senju's sacrifice that they had come so far. Madara glanced at the unconscious nurse whose mind he had ransacked for information. Knowing that the woman before him had lost all but one of her brothers, most of her clan, and possibly even her husband made him feel something for her.

It made him step forward and raise his hand to place it comfortably on her shoulder but he stopped himself at the last moment. They hardly knew each other and he didn't know if the gesture would be appreciated.

"I couldn't save your brother but I will save mine. I will get your husband back even if it's the last thing I do" he promised fiercely,

She looked into his dark eyes and saw the fierce determination.

"You're not fit to fight" she protested, he had made a remarkable recovery but he was not fit to fight. Not by a long shot.

"I belong with my brother. If I lose him..."

Tsunade had always heard stories of how much Madara loved his last and youngest brother. But now watching this man who had just barely dodged death still willing to go against it again just for his brother...

"You'll never reach the Land of Water. Naruto took the dragon with him" she suggested, making him curse outloud.

To her shock, he closed his eyes and when he opened them they were burning with the Mangekyo Sharingan. Even in this condition, Madara Uchiha still had this much power was something she had never imagined in her wildest dreams.

"He needs my help. I cannot just sit here and wait for him to die. Most of my wounds are healed but my chakra pathway is still recuperating. I can reach the Land of Water on my Susanoo in two days, even lesser if someone supplies me chakra" he rambled, as he stepped towards his wardrobe to gather his remaining weapons.

What he didn't realize was the idea that he had planted in her head. Naruto had refused her aid again and again fearing her presence on the battlefield would put their baby in danger but she had been nearly useless sitting here and healing strangers while her own husband faced his death.

"Let me come with you" she insisted, making Madara stare at her as if she had lost her mind.

"No. My brother would kill me if I risked-"

He turned around and came face to face with a stormy pair of hazel eyes as a hand grabbed him by the shoulder. Madara winced against the monstrous pressure as his healing bones groaned in pain.

"That was not a request" she commanded icily,

He looked deep into her eyes for several long moments before he laughed. Tsunade was about to punch the arrogant man to oblivion when he gave her a respectful nod.

"You're alright, Senju. My brother chose a worthy queen"

Tsunade was surprised to hear those frank but honest words. It made her realize how different Madara was to his brother, with Naruto it was always complicated. He was a mystery she had to solve little by little everyday but Madara was a sword.

A very powerful sword.

Sharp, Straight and Loyal.

She was again surprised when the door to his chambers opened again as a group of armed warriors stepped inside.

Kiara Hatake, Daen Nara, Rei Namikaze, Hiruzen Sarutobi, Tobi Shimura, and Shiki Aburame.

A few of them were still recovering from their injuries but they were still here, armed and ready to follow the man they believed in.

Madara.

The small squad including Tsunade saw the eldest son of Tajima Uchiha stare at them with a ferocity that ignited a new wave of determination in their eyes obliterating any doubts or fears they had about their mission.

"Let's bring our people home"

Moments later, the city bells were ringing loudly and thousands of shinobi stared in awe as a monstrous shadow flew past them. It had the face of a demonic bull with arms and the body of a human warrior with wings. Shrouded in dark flames and malicious chakra, the creature roared much to the discomfort of not just the city populace but also the small squad currently flying inside the beast.

Tsunade had never felt her chakra drain so rapidly as she supplied Madara the energy, and in return the Uchiha let them fly past hundreds of miles at rapid pace.

The rest of the squad could only watch in silence as the Land of Fire started to flow past them.

Most of all they were silenced when the bloodthirsty look in Madara's eyes and felt pity for the ones about to face his wrath.

However, the one most surprised was none other than Tsunade herself.

In the back of her mind, she never had a very good impression of Madara Uchiha. The man was a conqueror and prone to harsh decisions, he would also benefit the most if Naruto died in the Land of Water as that would give Madara the chance to rule the world.

Yet, the same bloodthirsty man had ignored all caution and charged off deep into the enemy's territory.

"Why?" she asked curiously, and for the first time saw a soft expression arrive in the older man's eyes.

"When our brothers died, everything changed. People looked at me and Naruto very differently because we awakened the Sharingan. Even our own father and aunt who cared for us couldn't help but try to shape our destiny. Everybody wanted something from us be they our family, allies or enemies. It made us realize that we only had each other" confessed Madara sadly,

He looked at her and she could not help but witness the fierce love he had for his brother. It was an emotion more powerful than anything she had ever seen.

"My brother has sacrificed a lot in his life for me, our clan and our damned race. He deserves the happiness this cursed life never gave him. He deserves to see his child, be with you and lead our people. I will give him that even if it means I have to drag his stupid ass kicking and screaming from that shithole" said Madara fiercely, his voice strangely sounded remorseful which Tsunade had never imagined hearing.

"How will we get him out of there, much less face the enemy? Not all of us are in our best shape. What's your plan?" warned Tsunade, and saw him clenching his fist before he looked at her with barely contained fury.

"My plan is to fight until they are all dead or my brother is in my arms. My plan is to fight, to try, and get my brother out of there. I will do that or die trying" promised Madara,

A soft smile came upon her lips as she realized one thing that Hashirama had always tried to explain to her but she could never grasp it.

Madara was many things but his one redeeming trait was his love and loyalty. For all his power and fierceness, she saw the man was afraid. He didn't say it but his tense posture and restless eyes were a stark proof of that fear.

Madara Uchiha loved his brother more than anything in the world.

She smiled in relief and nodded at the man respectfully even as she increased the amount of her chakra into his body making the Susanoo fly even more faster.

"He's lucky to have you" she praised, and saw a small smile arrive on Madara's lips.

Memories of them training together, fighting on the battlefield, the moments when Naruto made harsh but right choices that saved their clan came flooding back in Madara's heart. His brother had always been loyal to their family and clan, had always made decisions that benefited them and the world at large no matter how much burden or scorn it earned him.

In a way, Naruto had prevented Madara and Tajima from continuing a losing war against the Senjus, his decision of making peace with the Senjus had rekindled Madara's prized friendship with Hashirama.

"I'm lucky to have him" whispered Madara, as he fought back the lump in his throat.

Hang in there, little brother.

(Land of Water: Present Time)

Hinata Otsutsuki couldn't believe her eyes.

It was impossible for any mortal human to attain that power on their own. Even her own was gifted to her by Kaguya before she was sealed away. The Sage had that power because he was the original ancestor of the Uchiha and Senju having both their bloodlines.

Then why was an Uchiha able to awaken that eye?

She could not help but ask herself that question as the earth and seas rumbled. She watched his Mangekyo get transformed into a very familiar purple ringed eye. Zetsu had always told her that only someone with Uchiha and Senju cells could awaken the Rinnegan and only through immense grief.

Then why was Naruto whose ancestral line never had any Senju blood or the lack of grief in the current situation be able to awaken this power?

She ransacked all information she had about the dragon king quickly and soon enough found the answer.

His wife.

Tsunade Senju was one of the most powerful Senjus in all of history. Her inhuman physical strength and healing abilities were legendary only surpassed by that of her eldest brother, Hashirama. Her blood was strong, perhaps even more stronger than Naruto's and she had married the man and was pregnant with his child. Those nights of physical intimacy with his wife must have been the time when he unknowingly came in touch with her DNA. It was barely enough but still had done the job of awakening his ultimate power.

And one look in his resigned eyes showed her the other condition to awaken this power was also fulfilled.

He had accepted death and destruction of his dreams to put her down.

He raised his palm forward and her world erupted in pain.

Kurama howled in pain as the very sea started to boil as large wasps of steam started to rise to the heavens. Many of the Otsutsuki minions screamed against the heat and pain while their commanders quickly ordered them back to the beach, having realized that this fight just went out of their league.

The fox through his pain and submission could hardly believe his own eyes as he watched his best friend awaken the Sage's power.

Before Kurama could ponder over his doubts, his world was consumed in a sea of pain.

Everything had changed.

The world which was previously a sea of colors was now nothing more than different forms of energy, all of it visible before his eye. He could feel the sheer amount of energy present in nature.

In the air, in the sky, in the sea, in the land...so much energy.

He looked at his own reflection in the sea and was barely able to make out his new eye. Judging from Hinata and Kurama's gaping looks of horror and shock, he had awakened the Rinnegan.

It was different.

He didn't know why but some part of his heart was at peace, a tranquility he had not experienced in his entire life. It gave him more inner strength and awareness about the world around him. He idly wondered if the Sage had also felt what he was feeling right now.

He glanced around and realized that he had to deal with the enemy army first before he confronted Hinata once and for all.

Most people thought the sea to be cold, dangerous and dark.

But there was also so much warmth hidden deep inside its heart. It gave life to every creature on earth while surrounding itself in darkness forever. A feeling he could experience very clearly with his own determination to set his own feelings aside for the sake of mankind.

He reached out to that warmth and it accepted his embrace wholeheartedly with a smile.

Their energies merged in an explosion of colors painting the world anew.

Screams echoed all across the battlefield as dozens of Otsutsuki thralls started to feel the change. The sea itself had started to boil unleashing steam and agony as thousands of years of warmth hidden under its heart answered its new master's summon.

The Otsutsuki commanders must have seen the enormous energy being unleashed from the darkness of the sea making their pale faces lose the last of their color. Their pale white eyes stared in horror across the ocean before landing at him fearfully.

"To the beach!"

The army of dead instantly heeded their commander's call as Hayate Otsutsuki lead them to safety away from the monstrous energy rising from the sea threatening to burn them all to ashes.

Naruto watched the little creatures run but their movements were so slow, so pitiful in a vain effort to escape their fate. He heard another agonizing scream and saw a whirlpool had appeared around the Otsutsuki queen and her hideous creature of bone and the fox.

A second later thousands of years worth of heat pent up beneath the sea came charging to the surface.

The bone warrior screamed as its entire body started to melt away.

The Kyuubi roared in agony as large swaths of its skin was consumed instantly.

Hinata Otsutsuki yelled as she tried to save herself from the heat.

The rings in Naruto's sole eye started to turn and strangely he felt so many strings opening in front of him. He chose the nearest thread and was surprised to see himself and Hinata locked in a fierce battle. He watched her bone warrior be reformed again as she used the Kyuubi to launch a Bijudama right where his comrades were currently trying to detonate the Biju bomb.

He backed away and unknowingly stumbled upon another thread.

Again, this time he watched himself engaged in a battle of ninjutsu against the enemy queen until she summoned a damn meteor from the heavens and pummeled him into the sea.

Another thread, another possibility of him burning away half of her remaining army in one attack while she managed to inflict a deadly gash on his Susanoo warrior.

He winced as he felt large quantities of his chakra being consumed so quickly even as more and more threads opened up before him.

What is this?

"The Ultimate evolution of our eyes, Naruto" whispered Indra in awe, even as the Uchiha founder himself saw the series of threads before them waiting to be explored.

"What do you mean?" asked the king irritatedly, as he glanced through another thread only to wince in pain as the strain bore down on him.

"The Sharingan allows us to predict our enemies incoming attacks and their moves before they reach us. However, it's only halfway complete because we can only predict them after our enemy launches them or is about to launch them. But your power surpasses that weakness to gaze into the very future itself. Right now you are seeing the various possibilities of your battle against your enemy. Look into them all and choose the one most favorable to you" explained Indra seriously, making Naruto's eyes go wide as he realized the implications of his new power.

"The Eye of the Future" he whispered,

The possibilities were limitless, with this power he could not just rule the world but also defeat the Otsutsuki clan when they arrived on Earth for their conquest.

Eager, he opened his eye but instead of salvation he found an endless chasm.

A world of threads.

His mind nearly exploded as the chaos hit him faster than lightning. So many voices, so many futures, so many people...all of them whispering, yelling, crying, laughing, dying, being born.

It was not him traversing the chasm...but the chasm consuming him.

A firm hand grabbed him from behind yanking him backwards just as the ground beneath his feet vanished. He gulped on seeing a wave of darkness enshrouding the chasm away.

He came back to his senses to see he was kneeling on his feet, his body drenched in sweat and a large portion of his chakra vanished. He grasped his eye as agonizing pain teared through every muscle in his body. He fought it back but it was the feeling of having every muscle in your body be set on fire.

Indra knelt beside him and placed a hand on his shoulder once more.

"This power is a double edged sword, my son. Even more dangerous than the Mangekyo for it would only render you blind through overuse, but this is a sinister temptation that would drive you mad at first before ending your life in the most painful ways. Be cautious" warned Indra,

He received a terrified nod from the young king who seemed shaken from that brief moment when he had tried to see too far ahead in the future and almost got killed because of that mistake.

"Use as it you would a Kinjutsu" advised Indra, as the founder of the Uchiha again faded inside the Susanoo's corporeal form.

Naruto heeded that advice as he reconnected himself with the nearly limitless supply of natural energy around him. Before his very eyes, he saw nearly a 1000 replicas of himself emerge from the deep waters. Their sharp swords just like his own but their energy so different from his because they were not a part of his energy but that of nature's, given shape by his Rinnegan.

The clone army formed ranks on their own before marching straight in a uniformed fashion towards the retreating Otsutsuki forces.

He suddenly coughed more blood and felt a foreign chakra tearing through his body eager to reach his heart. It was so full of rage and hatred threatening to burn everything in its path. He held it at bay and saw Hinata Otsutsuki had managed to make her creature take to the skies and was now utterly furious.

At this rate, he only had a few minutes before he met his end.

Steeling himself, he grasped both his hands together. The knowledge was there at the back of his mind and his dojutsu was whispering it to him. Instead of resisting or trying to gain dominance, he simply allowed the energy to flow from his body allowing instincts and faith to take over.

"Bansho Ten'nin!"

Hinata's bone warrior cracked wide open as a thundering mass went flying outside its protection. Her eyes widened when the now freed Kyuubi fell directly before her enemy's Susanoo. The monstrous humanoid warrior slashed its holy sword shattering all her chakra rods controlling the fox. The beast moaned in agony as it slowly started its efforts to rise back on its feet now that it was free.

She roared as she brought her broken bone warrior right atop the Susanoo.

Their blades clashed and she was pushed back even as she regenerated her bone warrior. Channeling more and more of her chakra, she allowed the beast to enlarge so much in mass that it ultimately had to separate into four different clone replicas that soon surrounded the Susanoo and the wounded Kyuubi.

She clenched her fists again bringing down lightning from the sky and obliterating Naruto's water clone army before it could reach her own retreating forces.

The King grimaced at the instant decimation but never lost focus as he was once again surrounded. Her chakra receivers might have been destroyed, but they had consumed quite a lot of chakra from the fox and also rendered him paralyzed for a while. The fox was wounded and would most probably be unable to fight for a while.

One of the bone warriors tried to attack the fox but was swiftly blocked and repelled by the defiant Susanoo.

More came again and everytime the king fought them off shielding the wounded beast.

"Why?" she asked him, curious as to why he would fight so hard to defend a beast like the Kyuubi.

Naruto looked down at the fox before a faint but proud smile came upon his lips as he glanced at his arch enemy.

"That's what friends do, woman"

Hinata was very...disappointed.

"Honor will get you killed, Naruto. This is exactly why humanity can never defeat the Otsutsuki clan. They have no honor or weak emotions, they are conquerors. It is why Kaguya wanted to unite humanity under her firm command to give your moronic race a chance at survival" said Hinata bitterly,

"By making us like your dead minion or Zetsu creatures? We would like to stand and die on our feet rather than be turned into wretched and miserable creatures for the sake of survival. For you, the fox is just a beast to be used and thrown. But for me, he is my first friend. We have fought together in so many battles and I will do everything in my power to protect him" promised Naruto,

He didn't give her any time to counter his argument as he swiftly grabbed the wounded fox and took to the skies. He heard the Otsutsuki queen curse loudly as her hideous creations started to form their own bony wings before following after him quickly. But he had already taken a head start and wanted to use it to his advantage.

Zooming in one of the few mountains in the inner lands, he quickly set them down taking care to place Kurama gently.

For the first time, he got a detailed look on the fox's wounds.

There were large holes on all but one of his legs, most of its tails were cut or burned, there were atleast three gaping holes across its torso and a nasty gash across its face.

All wounds inflicted by his own hands.

"I'm sorry" he whispered apologetically,

"Don't be. What...do...we...do...now?" asked Kurama, his voice hoarse with pain and fatigue as he still felt the remaining elements of the cursed Otsutsuki queen's chakra trying to subdue its own.

"Shrink yourself"

Kurama never asked a question and instantly lowered his size to that of a small horse and saw Naruto closing his eyes. The beast could feel the enemy queen getting closer along with her army of monsters. To its surprise, their main army led by the Kingsguard was actually able to hold the enemy at bay while the bomb was almost ready.

"I'll link you up with Shisui. Help them out if you can and retreat to the Land of Fire when the time comes. Shisui will keep you safe" ordered Naruto, as he lowered his Susanoo.

"Come with me" pleaded Kurama, making a pained smile arrive on his friend's face.

"There's no time. The next generation will need you, Kurama. Unite mankind and your Biju brethren when the time comes. I know you can do it" said Naruto gently, even as the Biju furiously shook its head.

"I won't leave without you" argued Kurama fiercely, but was stilled when the Susanoo placed a hand on its head affectionately.

"You have done your part, fox. You have brought Uchiha and Senju together which might just save this world. By now you must have realized that I am not the chosen one but someone else. Protect him" requested Naruto,

Realization dawned upon the fox as he remembered the unborn child growing within Tsunade. A child with both Uchiha and Senju blood, a true successor of both powerful clans.

The true heir of the Sage.

"How can you be so sure that the next generation can shoulder that burden? That they will be strong enough to face the Otsutsuki clan and win?" asked Kurama desperately, earning a nod from his friend.

"I don't know really but I believe they can. My generation has given them the foundation by uniting the world under one banner, it will be upto you and people like Madara to keep the peace while preparing every living being on this planet for the final war. I have done my part and now I leave the rest to you" he whispered sincerely,

"We will need you, Naruto. You are the finest leader I have ever seen and you have a mind for war. Your people followed you into this war so far because they believe in you...they love you. Please rethink about this decision" urged Kurama, but was left heartbroken when Naruto shook his head.

"Hinata Otsutsuki needs to be put down alongwith her entire army. Humanity cannot prepare for a war against the Otsutsuki before we put an end to all our internal wars. I have to be the one to put an end to her...someone else might not be upto the task" declined Naruto compassionately,

Kurama looked into his friend's eye and knew the path that Naruto had chosen.

A heavy burden settled upon the beast's shoulders as he longingly looked at the boy he had known for so long. It would be a lie to say that the time he spent with Naruto was perhaps the finest of his long life. The boy was a true king and a good friend. They had their fair share of joys and sorrows but Naruto never gave up on him...

But now he was asking Kurama to leave him behind to die alone.

He looked at the boy standing inside the Susanoo and could not help but again notice how young he was with such a long life ahead of him.

The Young Dragon.

His people had given him that name...and he would stay that way in their hearts.

Forever Young.

Kurama saw the first silhouettes of the enemy appearing on their horizon and knew the time to make his choice was upon him.

Either stay and die with his friend or retreat in order to unite mankind for the final war.

It would be a colossal and very important task to keep men and Biju from becoming enemies once more. When his brothers and sisters were reformed, they would be wary, even hostile to men courtesy of this war. Kurama could imagine mankind having similar feelings due to the amount of death and destruction the Biju had wrecked upon them under Hinata's forced control.

He could not help but bitterly realize why Naruto wanted him to survive. As the strongest Biju, Kurama had some leverage over his own kin. He could persuade them to make peace or force them to do the same with men.

If he knew Naruto well, then he had likely ordered Madara and his wife to do the same with men.

Even now the king had his eyes set on the future, his every action dedicated to the survival of his people while sacrificing all his personal happiness.

Even his life.

It only made the choice even tougher for Kurama but he made it nonetheless because he saw what his friend wanted.

"I promise" pledged the beast, as a lone tear fell from its eyes.

Naruto gave him one last smile before picking him up with his Susanoo hand.

"May we meet again, Kurama" said Naruto with an eye smile, breaking the Biju's heart even further.

With a mighty roar, the Susanoo took to the skies while pulling its arm backward. Kurama caught one final glance at his friend's smile before he was violently thrown several miles away and straight towards Shisui's position. The last thing he saw before darkness overcame was the sight of his friend charging towards the enemy.

Shisui parried a horizontal slash from one of the Kaguya warriors and twisted himself to appear behind the man. Without hesitation, he sliced his foe's head off as Itachi and Mikoto together plunged their blades into one of the last Otsutsuki clan warriors.

The three friends warily looked at each other and then at the graveyard full of rotting corpses around them.

Hagoromo, Kaguya, the dead, summons and even Otsutsuki.

All of them had fallen to their blades and the remaining two hundred could only gape in horror at the massacre of their comrades at the hands of three kingsguard and their clone forces.

He could not help but admire their enemy's bravery or stupidity as the last remaining Otsutsuki yelled a battlecry making its surviving fighters charge as well.

Shisui tiredly raised Fury in his hands and watched as Mikoto and Itachi did the same with their own swords.

The clone army was destroyed but they had taken their enemies with them before being defeated. Kakashi had rallied the few survivors from the original force and was keeping the barrier safe serving as the last line of defense alongside Mifune, should the Kingsguard fall. Danzo was injured and so was Hanzo, but it wouldn't be long before the Uzumaki completed their objective and then they could all go home.

It gave him hope as he charged to meet his enemies.

Both forces barely had any chakra left and knew this battle would be finished the old way.

Shisui swiftly blocked a hail of kunai thrown at him before sidestepping a vertical slash by one of the Hagoromo. He had to swiftly jump in the air and avoid being taken down to the ground by two desperate dead thralls. The Kingsguard commander took out his own kunai from his pouch before embedding them into his enemies. The satisfying sound of the explosive seals going off and taking down atleast a dozen of his foes was very satisfying.

Mikoto was surrounded by the last few Kaguya, all of whom lunged at her madly. A big mistake.

Most people would have missed it but Shisui's eyes didn't.

He watched Mikoto channel chakra to her feet before vanishing past her first foe, her sword already slicing through the man's head. With her free hand, she slapped a seal on the collapsing corpse before kicking into four other of his comrades. Before anybody could react, the corpse exploded shredding everything nearby in shrapnel and broken metal. Her last three opponents hastily raised their swords. She clashed her blade against the first, ducked the attack from the second before kicking the third enemy in the groin. Throwing her last smoke bomb, she used that small moment to stab the Kaguya whom she had kicked in the groin. He screamed as she lodged her blade into his heart and used his body as cover to absorb the counter stabbing from his two remaining comrades. Twisting herself around her enemies, she used her sword to carve them open from behind and ended their lives.

Shisui was pleased even as Mikoto didn't relish her victory and charged forward towards an approaching squad of dead warriors.

Instead, the kingsguard commander ran towards Itachi who was engaged in a fierce duel with the last Otsutsuki commander.

Already, Shisui was imagining a series of moves to take down this opponent. If the Otsutsuki was killed, then they had won this battle.

But instead of lunging into the battle, Shisui had to hastily grab Itachi and jump away just in time as a shadow violently fell from the skies and right over the shocked Otsutsuki commander.

When the dust cleared, Shisui and Itachi were shocked to see a mortally wounded Kyuubi lying upon the now crushed corpse of the Otsutsuki and a few other of his minions.

"What the hell?" asked the usually stoic Itachi in shock,

But Shisui glanced into the fox's pained eyes before his attention was diverted towards a massive explosion happening near the coastal area. It made the land tremble in its fury and only solidified Shisui's worst fears. If the fox was sent here in this condition, it could only mean...

"Where's Naruto?" asked Mikoto hastily, some fear creeping into her shaken voice.

"Retreat" wheezed the Biju painfully, hoping they would understand their king's last wish.

By now, Kakashi had arrived beside them alongwith a few able bodied fighters. Shisui looked at the fox and then at his two childhood friends. For once, their thoughts were united.

"Kakashi, take the Kyuubi to safety and retreat once Nagato gives the nod" ordered Shisui,

"Where are you going, Commander?" asked Kakashi hesitantly, and saw Shisui glancing at the far off battlefield.

"To our King" replied Itachi calmly, as he sheated his sword and stoically grabbed a few discarded weapons from the nearby dead enemies.

Mikoto roared as the last few enemy that were littering in the rear decided to be bold, but only lost their lives under her furious rage as she teared them apart with her sword with Kakashi and his men's help.

Shisui silently drank from a small flask of water offered by the only medic of their group.

"You'll die if you go out there" warned Kurama, and was surprised when Shisui looked back at him with a determined gaze.

"The Kingsguard doesn't flee"

"But-"

"Dead or Alive, we'll bring our king home or join him in death. Now go!" barked Mikoto fiercely,

Shisui silenced Kakashi before the boy could protest as his two friends joined him. Thankfully, the medic resupplied them with what little chakra he could before the three kingsguard charged towards the last battlefield.

We won't leave you behind, Naruto.

Hinata Otsutsuki observed the lone foe defiantly standing before her.

The Susanoo had shrunk in size somewhat and its wings were gone now, most probably in order to preserve chakra. She realized her enemy was acting as the final line of defense between her and his comrades trying to set off that bomb.

She could feel the rising unstable energy and knew she had very little time left to act.

Her enemy was on his last legs and had refused all her advise to make the right choice. It left her with only one way and what a shame for Naruto Uchiha would have been a useful pawn in the wars to come. Maybe she could revive him as her thrall, he would make an excellent general.

"Finish him" she commanded,

Hayate Otsutsuki nodded as he and his remaining several thousand strong army surrounded the Susanoo from all sides.

"Attack!"

At once, hundreds upon hundreds of dead thralls charged towards the Susanoo loaded with hidden explosive seals on their bodies. The gigantic monster within the Susanoo turned most of the dead to ashes by unleashing wave upon wave of scorching flames. But still a few got through rocking the Susanoo in explosions.

While the dead distracted the Susanoo and its master, Hayate had finished his next move.

Hinata was satisfied when her commander and his army together assaulted the earth and shattered it. The Susanoo suddenly lost balance as the ground beneath its feet sunk into the earth. She yelled at her four monstrous bone warrior forms at the exact moment.

The beasts leapt into the air and she grinned when Naruto grimaced. Expecting a duel, Naruto feebly tried to raise Dawn and made a mistake.

The bone warriors exploded and the world turned white.

Hayate Otsutsuki grinned as the dust cleared. He and his men cheered on seeing the Susanoo lying on its knees with its entire body covered in large bone shards. Even the dragon hidden inside was not spared and was pierced brutally. At such close range, the four bone warriors had never given the dragon king anytime to evade their suicidal attack. Hundreds upon hundreds of bone shards had rained down upon the Susanoo from all sides. It must have fought valiantly but even there was a limit to its defense.

CRACK

They all cheered once more as the Susanoo finally shattered and the dragon inside collapsed dead to the ground with a mighty crash. A mangled corpse of a man literally destroyed by bones fell to the battlefield never to rise again.

Hayate was about to order one of his men to check that the enemy king was dead when Hinata herself marched forward.

"My queen!'' protested Hayate,

She didn't say anything but her cold look silenced any further protests that Hayate wanted to make.

He watched her raise the corpse in the air and saw a satisfied smile arrive on her face.

The body before her exploded in a puff of smoke.

She twisted backwards already conjuring a bone spear and swinging it upwards even as the dark portal spewed forth her arch enemy in the flesh.

SLASH

Her spear pierced clean through her enemy's armor and lodged itself deep into his chest while his own holy sword teared through her neck mercilessly. Both warriors gurgled in pain but before Hinata could do anything her entire body was set aflame courtesy of Dawn's power.

Hayate screamed as his queen burned to death and to his horror, it released the jutsu controlling the dead warriors. They all started dropping one by one leaving him alone with only half his army made up of his own clansmen, Kaguya and Hagoromo fighters.

10,000 bloodthirsty warriors against one mortally wounded king.

All of them overtaken by rage and murder as they charged furiously at the one who had destroyed their dreams.

It had all happened so fast leaving no room for either Hinata or her supporters to react.

The Dragon king had deliberately took the mortal blow and allowed the destruction of not just his Susanoo but his dragon as well. He had placed all his bets on Hinata's arrogance over her powers and made her believe she had won only to appear behind her blindspot to deliver the fatal blow himself.

He never gave Hinata a chance by stabbing her straight in the neck before setting her on fire with Dawn's help.

Now the Otsutsuki queen's charred remains burned pitifully across her own lands.

For all her powers, her arrogance led to her downfall by an opponent much more inferior to her in power but more superior in cunning.

Yet, even in death Hinata had left her mark upon her killer.

Naruto lay on his knees grasping for breath and trying desperately to grasp the spear lodged in his chest. The poison in the weapon had already spread through his body.

Hayate was more than willing to send the king to hell.

It was getting dark.

White scorching pain burned across his body consuming each and every part of his soul.

Warm red liquid dropped from his chest staining the world in crimson.

All around him there were so much noise.

The sound of metal clanking and angry roars reached him as he weakly gathered the last of his strength.

It had worked.

A desperate gamble...but it had worked.

His world was drowning in pain but with that was also present a feeling of satisfaction.

He had done his duty.

Fighting back the pain, he barely managed to get back on his feet and raise his sword once more. He could not see anything more than hazy blurs but he could still hear them as they charged at him.

The chaos reminded him of his first battle and how he had felt back then.

The only difference was that he was not afraid today.

He tore the bone spear from his chest unleashing a torrent of blood soaking the ground once more. With Dawn in one hand, and the bone spear in the other he prepared himself.

All around him men were screaming, cursing, charging.

He sensed the first attack from his right side and jumped in the air only to block twin strikes with the help of his sword. He twisted himself around and felt two blades piercing through the two enemies engaging him from the front and used his spear to destroy the ones behind him.

When he hit the ground, the satisfying sound of heads rolling was all the proof he needed to know about his attacker's demise.

Suddenly the attacks stopped and he heard the enemy move back at the command of one firm voice.

"Attack!''

Naruto heard the sound of dozens of weapons being hurled at him at once. He was forced to retreat upwards across the mountain all the while using his sword and spear to block the hail of kunai, shuriken and ninja weapons. Once or twice he even had to evade an explosive note thrown at him.

He raised his hand forward calling forth the last reserves of his chakra.

He felt the army of sailing weapons stop mid air before changing course and instead sailing right back at their casters. Unfortunately for him, the Otsutsuki commander and his clansmen blocked most of those weapons preventing any further massive losses in their army.

The precious few seconds of respite was put to good use as he created some further distance between him and his enemies gathering high ground on his side across the mountain.

His vision was getting hazy due to his wounds and severe loss of blood, his chakra was dwindling and his hands were shaking which made it more difficult to hold Dawn. He stabbed the bone spear a few feet ahead of him staring down at the approaching mass of enemies.

He could not climb further up the mountains for he barely had the strength left to do so.

He tried to summon his space time dimension but could only open a small fabric of that before it also vanished. He could force himself to create it again but didn't think he had the strength left to carry himself all the way to the Land of Fire.

It was decided.

It would happen here on this rugged mountain in a land far from his home.

Exhaustion and pain was all he could feel at the moment alongwith the cold sea breeze whistling past him. The air was full of death and the sound of approaching enemies. The skies devoured by dark clouds stealing every last ounce of light away from the bloodstained lands.

"Here...I...stand..." he whispered, directly staring into Hayate Otsutsuki's merciless eyes.

"Finish him"

Shisui and his two friends sailed across the Land of Water atop Itachi's crow summon. While it allowed them to move faster, it had nearly deprived Itachi of his energy and it took Mikoto to support the tired boy. But none of them gave up as they were almost there.

Strangely, the battlefield had fallen silent.

Shisui's eyes widened when they flew across a charred battlefield where the badly butchered corpse of Naruto's dragon remained still. Not far from that was a burned body of a female and on closer inspection, Shisui was shocked to see the faint visage of a very dead Hinata Otsutsuki in the corpse.

"He did it" whispered Mikoto in awe,

Itachi saw thousands of rotting dead corpses lying around the dead queen which could only mean the jutsu controlling them came to an end with her death. But if she was dead, then where was Naruto?

He discovered a large group of people not far from their position.

"North!" said Itachi quickly, and without any question the crow changed direction.

Their crow gained speed and increased its height into the air as the three friends glanced at each other nervously. Their panic increased even more when they saw the remaining few thousand Otsutsuki fighters present all over a lone mountain.

They sailed higher and found a new battlefield upwards across the mountain marred with nearly another hundred corpses bearing the armor of Otsutsuki, Kaguya and Hagoromo warriors.

Another large group of enemy fighters were up ahead surrounding a badly wounded warrior. One of the Otsutsuki had grabbed the barely conscious warrior by his neck and made him forcefully stand.

Mikoto's eyes widened when she recognized the badly bruised face as the boy she had loved her entire life.

Her cry died in her throat when the Otsutsuki stabbed a long spear clean through the boy's heart.

Time slowed down for her as the Otsutsuki let his victim free off his firm grip while yanking the now bloodied spear out of the man's chest. A pained moan escaped from Naruto's lips as he fell to his knees with blood spilling wildly out of his chest. He looked up to the skies and his gaze connected with her.

He fell to the ground and didn't rise up again.

The Otsutsuki commander kicked the fallen king brutally before looking at his grinning comrades. He raised his blooded spear high in the air.

"To The Young Dragon!" mocked Hayate,

He laughed when his comrades howled out pitiful imitations of a dragon's roar and kicked and spit at the boy on the ground. Hayate could not help but admit that the boy had been young, atleast in the Otsutsuki's eyes.

"Forever young" concluded Hayate,

He watched his comrades mercilessly drag the king over their shoulders to show his end to the rest of their army eliciting another wave of cheering. Their queen had died but they had taken down the enemy king as well, which was a bitter victory.

But a victory nonetheless.

Hayate grinned when he saw some of his comrades drag the severed head of the king's dragon. Another few men dropped the dead boy to the ground in a kneeling position as one of the Kaguya took up position behind him with a sword ready to cleave the king's head off.

Their gruesome celebration was interrupted by a thunderous roar.

He looked up and froze.

Three furious Uchiha were falling towards them from the skies with their blood red eyes full of murder. Hayate cursed when he saw they were no ordinary sharingan, but three pairs of Mangekyo.

His luck went from bad to worse when one of his men pointed in the western direction where a fully armored demonic bull headed Susanoo was charging towards them thunderously. The beast roared madly and Hayate took a step back when he saw none other than Madara Uchiha staring right into his very soul.

It was over.

Hiruzen Sarutobi had thought this war had shown him every gruesome sight in the world.

But he was proven wrong again as he glanced at the destroyed mountain full of butchered corpses. Thousands upon thousands of enemy lay dead. Their end came for them in the form of Fire and Blood.

They never had a chance.

Madara and the three kingsguard fell upon them in all their fury and hatred. Their Mangekyo powers shredding the enemy to pieces. To their credit the enemy had fought till the last man but they were all butchered mercilessly.

Mikoto herself ended the enemy commander who stabbed Naruto by destroying his body on an atomic level with her Mangekyo.

Madara, Shisui and Itachi butchered the rest of the enemy forces.

Hiruzen alongwith Daen Nara, Tobi Shimura, Rei Namikaze, Kiara Hatake and Shiki Aburame stood protectively around the weeping queen as she desperately tried to heal her motionless husband.

"Come on!Wake up, Naruto!" pleaded Tsunade worriedly, as she channeled more and more of her chakra to heal his wounds.

Madara came storming towards them and knelt beside her. He gingerly picked up his cold brother and cradled him in his arms. For the first time in front of everyone Madara Uchiha cried.

"You promised me!Both of us against the world!Let's go home together, little brother!" pleaded Madara, as tears fell from his cheeks.

He helplessly looked at Tsunade who was crying as she shook her head.

Madara felt his world crumble before his very eyes.

He looked at the beaten, bruised and scarred corpse of his brother. They had butchered the poor boy, they had taken his last brother from him. Madara wished he could kill them all again and again making them experience the pain they had wrecked upon his heart.

His brother's skin was so cold, his eyes closed and his body soaked in his own blood.

His end had been full of pain and suffering.

Madara glanced around and saw Kiara Hatake and Rei Namikaze desperately hold a weeping Tsunade in their arms. While Hiruzen, Daen, Shiki, Tobi and Itachi did the same with a hysterical Mikoto.

Shisui stood all alone far away from the others with his shoulders slumped. Even if his back was against them, Madara noticed the few tears that fell from the boy's eyes and hit the bloodstained ground.

Madara glanced at the dark world around him as his entire life flashed before his eyes.

All of his brothers were gone now.

He was supposed to protect them and all he had ever wished for was a world where his brothers and clansmen could be safe. He had fought so hard for that his entire life, but now that his dream was before him, there was no one left to live it.

His brothers were dead, his clan was almost wiped out.

Madara screamed.

Mikoto watched the ever strong Madara crumble before her eyes as his brother's death destroyed the last of his hope and sanity. She could not watch him like this, she could not watch that lifeless corpse of her lover lying before her.

It was not supposed to end this way.

It would seem she was not the only one who felt that way as she watched Tsunade steel herself and kneel beside Naruto ignoring the protests from Kiara and Rei. She watched a broken Madara pleadingly look into the Senju queen's eyes almost begging her to stop his crushing pain.

"I will bring him back" she promised fiercely, as tears fell from the Senju's eyes.

"How?" asked Madara hesitantly,

He felt a horrible feeling creep upon his heart as he watched Tsunade sadly clutch her belly and her own heart before she steeled herself and looked at Naruto.

"A life for a life. The world needs him now more than ever and my kinjutsu will save his life" promised Tsunade,

"At what cost?" asked Hiruzen warily,

"My own and that of the child within me" confessed Tsunade, much to the horror of the ones around her.

"No!You can't, my queen! The King would never forgive us if we let you and the prince die. He gave his life for your future" pleaded Itachi desperately,

Surprisingly, Madara backed the boy.

"Naruto will never be able to live with himself if his life came at the cost of yours and that child. I cannot allow it" said Madara sadly,

"Then what do we do?" asked Daen Nara hesitantly,

"How does your jutsu work?"

Tsunade looked up in surprise and saw Mikoto approach towards her. She saw the same grief and pain in the Uchiha woman's eyes, knowing that she had loved Naruto as much as her was Tsunade's only consolation.

"I transfer my lifeforce to his own healing his wounds while breathing new life into his body. This jutsu is forbidden among my clan for the user will not survive at the end" said Tsunade honestly,

"If it is too much for one person, then what about three?"

Tsunade was again surprised as it was Shisui and Itachi who asked that question as they knelt beside her. They must have seen the unsaid question lingering in her eyes as they glanced at their fallen king.

"We failed in our duty and couldn't protect him. He was our king, our friend, we pledged him our lives and swore to sacrifice our lives for his own. It is time to honor that pledge" said Shisui calmly, with determination burning in his eyes.

Itachi nodded as well and Tsunade's surprise didn't end there as after the kingsguard, came Daen Nara, Tobi Shimura, Rei Namikaze, Kiara Hatake, Shiki Aburame, Hiruzen Sarutobi and Madara himself.

"I don't know the jutsu but I hope all of our lifeforce combined should help" suggested Madara, earning nods from everyone around him.

"You all can die during the jutsu" she warned,

"Troublesome, but it's a risk we'll have to take. His survival is necessary for the Uchiha-Senju alliance and for peace to prevail across the world" said Daen honestly, sealing his own acceptance of the risk.

"King Naruto fought valiantly, he fought with honor and courage, and he died for us. This is the least we can do for him" suggested Hiruzen with a small smile, earning nods from Rei Namikaze and Kiara Hatake.

"Give us our king back, Tsunade Senju. The cost does not matter even if it means all our lives" asserted Tobi Shimura, earning a nod from Shiki Aburame in favor.

Tsunade glanced at all of them.

Uchiha, Shimura, Namikaze, Sarutobi, Hatake, Aburame and a Senju.

Families that had torn each other apart for thousands of years were now united to risk death for the sake of one man.

She had never seen anyone inspire this kind of change in their cursed world. She had never imagined the world to be changed by the will of one man. Her gaze settled upon the smiling face of her husband and it was then she understood why these people were willing to risk everything for him.

They believed in him.

Believed in the future he could give them by staying alive and helping them in the final war against the Otsutsuki clan.

They were his friends, comrades, subordinates, and family.

And so was she.

One by one they all joined hands together and gently placed them over their king's corpse. Madara extended his own chakra powered hand which Tsunade connected with her own. To both of their surprise, two symbols appeared on their hands respectively. A half moon graced Madara's hands while a glowing sun covered Tsunade's hands.

Together, they placed their hand upon Naruto's chest