Shadow of the Empire - chapter 12/Clash of the Giants

=/\/=

The Zetsu clones marched relentlessly through the countryside. The fields were long since emptied as the citizens had been evacuated as soon as the reports came in. The Horde, for there was no other way to call them, marched on without breaking or even slowing down. They destroyed whatever they found just for the joy of it. They had no reason to ruin the villages they encountered, but they still ransacked and burned them down. The giggling echoed far across the land as the Zetsu enjoyed the senseless destruction.

KA-BOOM!

An explosion in the middle of the disorganized army sent several Zetsu flying. They crashed into some of the other clones, who immediately started to look around for the source.

A hail of shuriken flew at the Zetsu from the nearby bushes as a dozen Naruto clones jumped out and started to slash at the nearest enemy. The clones could take one, maybe two Zetsu out before they got piled upon and dispelled. With no threats present, the white clones took to devouring their fallen comrades. No waste was left behind.

Similar encounters took place everywhere. The sound of explosions, yells of surprise, and Naruto's wordless yells interrupted the monotony of the Zetsu march.

=/\/=

Naruto's eyes snapped open as he got up from his meditation.

"That was the last of them." He stretched, trying to push the stiffness out of his muscles.

"Any success?" Wave asked. The rest of the war council eagerly awaited the answer.

"No more than before. My clones set up traps and then engaged the Zetsu army, but it had limited success. They lost some clones, but it didn't slow them down. They just marched on."

"I expected that much." Kakashi leaned on his cane. "I am unsure what sort of Jutsu is that, but it would appear that each clone is a completely independent organism independent of the source. The fact their bodies remain indicates that much."

"Someone has access to a technique able to create the largest army in known history on demand?" Chancellor Chouri gasped.

"Doubtful. It has likely taken them years, if not decades, to produce enough of them. However, growth would be exponential if each clone is independent of the source."

"Then how did they arrive here?" Spear looked at the map. The Zetsu were marching from the south. With the sheer numbers and how disorganized they were, it was impossible to track their origin.

"The ocean!" Naruto realized. "I've seen the clones just walk through the lake like it was nothing. Not swim. Walk on the bottom."

Did they come by the ocean? I can't imagine marching on the ocean floor would be fast…" Kakashi scratched his chin.

"Given the speed they are traveling at right now, they could've easily gotten through the ocean between Jomon and Kashmir within half a year." Run interjected.

"Can we bring them down? Stop them from reaching " The Emperor shifted on his throne. Then he fixed his crown. Then grabbed the scepter with both hands and started to fidget with it.

"I can keep sending clones to disrupt them and pick them off, but it's not really that effective. Given the distance they have to travel, I can send maybe a thousand clones. Give or take some. Otherwise, they'd end up too squishy to be of any use."

"Then why don't you go to the frontline and meet them in the field?" Honest spat in between bites of his sandwich. "Those toads of yours should have no problem taking out that army, no?"

"Out of the question!" Esdeath slammed her hands on the table with enough force to shake the figurines on the map. "Sending Naruto out would be a suicide mission!"

Budo grunted. "Logically, sending him out is the more reasonable choice. Shinobi are supposed to excel in guerilla combat and sabotage."

"I must agree with General Esdeath." Chouri protested. "Master Naruto is far too valuable to risk letting him get killed or captured. These Akatsuki are clearly interested in him enough to join forces with our enemies."

"Chancellor…" The emperor turned to his advisor. "Wouldn't it then be better to hand him over?" That suggestion caused a myriad of reactions. Chief amongst them was that the part of the table where Esdeath's hands were still rested was now covered in ice. "I just… It seems like it is hopeless to resist. Maybe if we give them what they want, they will abandon their alliance with the Revolutionary Army?"

"I'm afraid, Your Majesty, that it's not as simple as you think. Even if we'd have handed Master Naruto over to them, there is no guarantee they'd betray their allies. Why should they? Just because they got what they wanted doesn't mean anything. No, giving away our greatest asset is a mistake, Your Majesty."

"I see. Thank you, Chancellor."

"Hey. Don't worry." Naruto decided to cheer the young emperor up. "If they come here I'll make sure none of them gets close to you."

"We're gathering all available armies from northern provinces, but we will still be outnumbered three to one." Budo moved some figures on the board. "The more detailed report indicates that the enemy numbers were overstated. The initial estimates are closer to seventy thousand than the hundred thousand they've threatened us with."

"Yes, but what about the Revolutionary Army? They'd probably also join in the attack." Wave asked.

"They are marching from the West, together with the western tribe army. That's another fifty thousand enemies." Budo shook his head.

"So we will be outnumbered five to one?" Spear gasped.

"Yes and no. While they have numbers, our armies are much better trained. Each of our soldiers is worth two or even three of theirs." The grand general declared, hitting his chest with a closed fist.

"The city guard is also currently organizing." Tatsumi joined. "We've evacuated the civilians from the outer parts of the capital and set up barricades on each major choke point. If your majesty permits, we'd also like to start preparing civilian militias. The refugees from the areas destroyed by these Zetsu are eager to fight for you, Your Majesty."

"We also have me! And Esdeath!" Naruto joined. "I can keep trying to poke at the army, but I fear maybe five more waves of clones is all I can get. And on average they've killed only a single Zetsu each. Some might've gotten more lucky."

Several people stared at Naruto with wide eyes. "Master Naruto, please don't undesell your achievements. To remove two thousand enemy soldiers already all by yourself is no small feat." Chouri finally said. "And if you manage five thousand more, it will already help our efforts greatly."

"What about the Akatsuki itself? We can't just assume they'll remain passive."

"Luckily for us, if they're planning on taking Utakata's Biju immediately, they'll need to spend at least three days uninterrupted in some remote location. Maybe even longer given their diminished numbers. Afterward, they'll have to catch up which gives us some time."

"What do we know about them?"

"Not much. We've already passed everything we have on Sasuke and Kisame, and the other two are not in the bingo book, so there is nothing to say." Kakashi looked at the map. "If they arrive, the priority should be to retreat and let General Esdeath and Naruto deal with them. Thanks to his Teigu, Wave should also be able to face anyone but Kisame in one-on-one fights. Everyone else has little hope."

"Understood. I'll make sure to pass it on." Budo bowed.

"Naruto and I have one more detail to discuss in private. By your leave." Kakashi bowed to the emperor.

"Of course. Thank you for your aid, Master Kakashi. Even in your state, you're proving to be a true asset to the Empire." Makoto waved them off.

Once the shinobi were safely away from the prying ears and back in their quarters, Kakashi sat Naruto down. "Tell me Naruto, are you sure you can kill Sasuke?"

"I… what?"

"Yes or no. Are you able to kill Sasuke if it comes down to this?"

"What are you talking about? Of course, I can beat him." Naruto shouted.

"That's not what I'm asking. Sasuke has become a missing-nin and joined the Akatsuki. Worse, he aligned himself with the Revolutionary Army. Meaning the Empire might try to claim him for themselves. Keeping him alive is too much of a risk. Transporting the body is much safer than escorting him back to Konoha. We cannot allow someone like Honest to get a hold of the Sharingan." He warned.

"Yes, but…"

"No. This time, Sasuke went too far. Naruto, I need to know if you will kill him if it comes down to it."

The blond opened his mouth, paused, closed it, then opened it again. "Yes. He is threatening my friends. This time, I will do my best to keep him from hurting those I care about."

Kakashi easily saw through the loopholes Naruto left in his answer, but it was good enough for now. He would deal with the fallout one way or another. "Fine. Send the clones and get some rest. There is no need to micromanage all of them at all times." Kakashi got up and was ready to leave the room when he remembered one more thing. "How is your training with the Kyuubi?"

"I… I can safely control up to five tails." Naruto revealed.

"Do you think you can master that power in four days? The fully realized Jinchuriki would easily turn the tides of war in our favor, especially with Utakata no longer in the picture."

"I'll try," Naruto assured. "Sensei… Why did the rebels just give up Utakata to the Akatsuki? He was one of them."

Kakashi sighed. "The Revolutionary army leaders must have decided that the army of Zetsu was more useful than one destructive super-weapon. Especially with the Path of Peace rejecting their offer."

"But… To betray their own ally?"

"The Revolutionary Army believes in victory at all costs. To them, it probably wasn't betrayal. It was a worthy sacrifice. I won't be surprised to hear that if they win, Utakata will receive a post-humous order for his bravery."

"That seems… wrong… Didn't you say those who abandon their comrades are worse than trash?"

"Yes, Naruto. The Revolutionary Army abandoned their comrade. And now they will pay for it soon enough. Get some rest." With that, he left.

"Sasuke…" Naruto whispered as he once more sat down in meditation. "What happened to you… Why did you choose to side with them?"

=/\/=

A single lightbulb illuminated the four tables. Three of them were covered with white sheets, with only the legs of whoever was there sticking out. They were all dead though. On the fourth one, a man sat. He was massive, with broad shoulders and perfectly sculptured abs. His skin was light orange, which contrasted with his black hair and impressive beard.

"So…" Prime Minister Honest huffed. "Did it finally work?"

"Yes." Stylish laughed. "While I have encountered some troubles along the way, I finally perfected the formula for injecting Naruto Cells into living humans without any possibility of rejection."

The politician laughed. Then he shot the test subject right in the heart. Stylish didn't even notice when the man had pulled the revolver, but the bullet went right through the guy, tearing through all the tissue.

Then, to Honest's shock, the wound started to knit itself together right in front of his eyes.

"Marvelous! I knew my trust in you wasn't misplaced, doctor!" The man's guttural laughter echoed across the laboratory.

"You shot me." The man growled.

"Forgive me, friend. After so many failures, I needed to be sure that the good doctor did not make any more failures. After all… I'm the next patient."

The test subject grumbled but he didn't voice any more complaints.

=/\/=

Esdeath and Naruto walked down one of the Capital streets. They could see barricades being erected every so often, sniper nests set up on the rooftops and balconies; And citizen living homes…

They arrived at the ice cream shop. All the tables were empty, but the old owner was still behind the counter.

"Hey. Sorry about the trash service." The man chuckled as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Both my waitresses quit so you'll need to come to the counter to make the order."

While Esdeath was busy picking out what they'd get, Naruto looked at the people on the street. The soldiers were the clear majority, but there was no lack of other people. However, everyone seemed to carry a weapon of some sort. Even children kept a hand close to a knife at their belts. The parents keep looking around, jumping at shadows.

Esdeath tapped his shoulder. She was now holding a tray with two Sundae, exactly the same as they ordered on their first date.

Any attempt of small talk died out quickly as Naruto's attention kept escaping back to the people on the street. "I hate this war." He grumbled. "There is no reason for them to fight. They don't want change. Maybe some do… but most are just lashing out in anger. I hate that!" Naruto jabbed the sundae with a tad more force than strictly necessary.

"Hatred is a great motivator." Esdeath waved the spoon around, accidentally causing a drop of ice cream to fall right at her breast. She scooped it up and, while looking Naruto dead in the eyes, licked it all off her finger. She went the extra mile to make sure it was all gone.

"It's still stupid."

"Maybe. But you can't change their minds. Until they see with their own eyes that the fight is meaningless, they will try to resist." Her seductive smile turned into a vindictive grin. "That's why we must destroy them so thoroughly that they will never think of resisting again." At least not in such a coordinated manner.

A silence fell between them as Naruto instead refocused on his (now half-molten) ice cream.

"Huh…" Naruto put down the spoon. "I just realized that I must've missed my birthday."

"What?" Esdeath put down her finished dessert. "When is your birthday?"

"October 10th." He scratched his head. "The thing is… I kinda stopped counting dates. After the ship crashed and Kakashi-sensei and I got separated, I'm not sure how long I spent on the ocean before these guys rescued me. Plus, when traveling from the port to the capital, I kinda didn't check how long it took. Plus a lot of days in the capital now seem to blur together in my memory. So uh… what month is it?"

"Naruto. It's November." Esdeath covered her mouth with the gloved hand to hide the chuckle.

"Ah. Yeah, that… kinda makes sense? I guess?" He shook his head. "It's not like measuring time is ever important when you're not in the academy."

His girlfriend just laughed for a moment. "Well, then I guess I should get you a birthday present, no?"

"Wait, for real?" Naruto's eyes almost glowed.

Esdeath's smile now became very cat-like.

"Indeed. And I have a really good idea of what that should be. But that would mean we are returning to the Royal Palace now."

"Wait, why?" They were supposed to have the entire day for themselves. As this was the last day before the battle, General Budo ordered everyone to have a day off to prepare. And say their goodbyes to their families should they wish to.

Instead of answering aloud, Esdeath leaned over and started to whisper into his ear barely loud enough for him to hear.

With each sentence, Naruto's face got redder. That was rauchier than Ero-sennin's books.

"So… any objections?" Esdeath finally let go, seeing as Naruto was now breathing rather heavily. It certainly didn't avoid her attention that somewhere along the lines his eyes focused solely on her half-exposed chest and didn't leave.

"I… ah…" Naruto stuttered. On one hand, this was his girlfriend pretty much offering herself on a silver platter (maybe literally), on the other… wait, what was the other?

"Naruto~" She traced her finger along his jaw. "I've waited so long already~" Her sing-song tone distracted him momentarily.

Tomorrow was going to be the final battle. For better or worse, his mission would end. The Empire won and the rebellion would be over. The Empire lost and Konoha would no longer have anyone to enforce the contract. Sure, the mission would be a failure but they already paid in advance… What was he thinking about?

Esdeath, meanwhile, started to trace circles on the top of his palm as she held his hand.

"So… Do you have anything to say?"

Naruto wrapped her in a tight hug and made a ram seal. "Shunshin no Jutsu."

The pair vanished, giving the ice cream shop owner a generous tip.

=/\/=

It was late morning the next day when hard knocking finally woke up the couple. Esdeath lazily stretched her body, allowing the covers to drop and reveal her naked form. Naruto grumbled as he made a clone that, after a swift application of a henge, went to check who was at the doors.

With the gloomy weather outside, it was understandable that neither of them was exactly eager to move, especially since sleep had come very late the previous night. Or rather this morning maybe… Eh, either or.

Outside the room, Kakashi was standing there with his cane poised for another knocking session.

"Sorry lovebirds, but the scouts are reporting that we have maybe two hours. Get up. And don't even try to stay in bed and send clones." To make a point, he smacked the Naruto in the doorway with his cane, causing it to disperse immediately. A new clone rushed to close the doors before his sensei got an accidental show (and Esdeath possibly froze his balls for it).

The pair arrived at the war room with post haste. There were some whispers and Wave tried to give Naruto a thumbs up, but got whacked by Kurome instead.

"Now that we have everyone, what's the situation?" Chancellor Chouri asked. While it was Prime Minister Honest who insisted on those 'tactical' meetings, Chouri chose to make the best of the problem at hand. Even if it felt like a waste of time.

"Well, the main attack force is the Zetsu army. We estimate that between Naruto's actions and what resistance they met on their way, that's a good sixty to sixty-five thousand troops coming from the south. There are a further forty to fifty soldiers from the combined Revolutionary Army and western tribes coming from the southwest." Budo answered while the attendants placed figures on the tactical map. "The capital currently has about thirty thousand soldiers gathered from across the Empire, as well as a further ten thousand militiamen and ten thousand city guards."

"So about two to one advantage on their side." Kakashi summarized. "It would have been decent odds if we didn't have to account for the difference between us and them. Specifically, the Zetsu."

"What do you mean, Master Kakashi?"

"Zetsu are stronger, faster, more durable, and more mobile than an average soldier. They work on the shinobi level. Granted, nothing above a chunin, but even that is a gap that's hard to pass."

"I still think-" Honest took a bite out of his ham "-that you've been overstating the Shinobi usefulness. Master Naruto-" Another bite "-is an anomaly, not the norm." He reminded everyone. With that piece done, he tossed the bone away to be picked by the servant and licked his gloved fingers. He then grabbed another roast and happily bit into it. Kakashi narrowed his lone eye.

"Prime Minister. It would be unwise to discard Master Kakashi's expertise on the subject." The Emperor chastised him, making Honest swallow his last bite hard.

"Back to the matter at hand, do we have any idea about the enemy's plans?" Run pointed at the map where groups of Zetsu and Rebels were half-surrounding the capital. "While their numerical advantage is apparent, total war can't be their only goal. The palace is what they would need if they hoped to stop the slaughter. If they capture the Imperial Throne, they can grant legitimacy to whoever they put on it. Or claim the dissolution of the empire. Either way, if the palace is taken the morales will not recover and the Emperor will lose any support he has."

"Killing the Emperor would also end the revolution. The emperor, Prime Minister, and Chancellor are three targets they will want to eliminate above all else because that will mean total victory. The fighting will no longer matter." Wave argued. "And with Night Raid still out…"

"Good thinking." Esdeath smiled. "I suggest all Jaegers remain with the Emperor and the government in the palace. That way, they will be protected from assassinations."

"With all due respect, I would prefer to not have everyone sit in one place waiting to die." Honest huffed before biting into his ham again. "I will be in my private safe room if that's no difference." Kakashi looked closer and noticed his neck was bandaged. He didn't comment on it for now.

"My men and I shall join him for his safety." Stylish immediately offered before any protests could be voiced.

"Fine by me." Esdeath ignored the byplay and focused on the larger picture. "Naruto-Kun and I will focus on the Zetsu. Our powers are uniquely suited to take down their army."

"Wouldn't it be wiser to split you up between the Zetsu and the Rebels?" Budo looked over the map. "With both of you focused on one side, the other army will be free to enter the city limits."

"With due respect, I don't believe sending Master Naruto alone would be a good idea." Spear chimed in. "He is one of the enemy targets. With General Esdeath nearby, he has someone to cover his back."

"I see." The Great General murmured. "Then what would you suggest about the Western front?"

"Captain Tatsumi and I will oversee the fighting from the front lines. If we move more soldiers in that direction, we can surprise the Revolutionaries."

"If I may," Run interjected. "I would perhaps also be better served at the front lines. While guarding His Majesty is important, I believe my Teigu will be better served in the open space than in the narrow corridors of the Imperial Palace."

"That could offer a significant advantage. Your wings can decimate groups of enemies and provide high ground to observe the enemy movement in real-time." Kakashi smiled. "That could work. Your Majesty?"

"I will allow it." A pause. "My subjects' lives are also important." He nodded.

"Then-" Budo was interrupted when the air twisted above the map. From the hole, a lone masked man in Akatsuki robes appeared. He wore an orange mask with a swirl centered on his lone eye. A Sharingan swept over the room.

"My name… is Madara Uchiha." He revealed. The name caused Imperial Citizens to shiver despite not knowing its significance. Kakashi's back straightened and he gripped the cane tighter. "I have come with an offer. Surrender the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki… and maybe you will yet live another day."

"No. I don't think we will." Esdeath wasn't smiling. "Begone." A blast of ice cut through the table and smashed into the man. Or it would've had he not simply disappeared into another vortex.

"Was that not too hasty, dear General?" Honest asked, not even trying to eat his roast for once.

"Yes. Yes, it was. Naruto-Kun, time to go. We have a battle to win." She grabbed her boyfriend and pulled him out of the room, leaving no space for discussion.

"General has the right idea." Run added. "We're almost out of time, so it's time to implement the new strategies before the enemy has a chance to organize the first assault properly."

"Dismissed," Budo ordered.

As everyone left for their post, Kakashi stayed in the room for a while longer. He looked at where Madara appeared. That vortex…

Nevermind. For now, he had another mystery to deal with. The sound of his cane echoed as he marched toward the Prime Minister's "Safe Room".

=/\/=

Sasuke paced back and forth inside their hideout. The 'new' Akatsuki has just finished recovering from sealing the six-tails jinchuriki. The ritual has left most of them exhausted for days.

Sealing the beasts out of order has introduced imbalance to the inner workings of the Gedo Mazo. Even now that all eight are sealed, we cannot be sure if the nine-tails sealing will be smooth. That loudmouth-

His inner thoughts were interrupted by 'Madara' returning to their base of operation. Parts of his robe were covered in ice and frost.

"So… the negotiations were short, ne?" Suigetsu teased. He didn't look up from his new toy though. Too absorbed with the inner workings of Adayusa to bother.

"Yes. The fools refused our offer and chose to stand in our path. Thus, we shall devastate them and take what's ours by force."

"Well, lucky for us that all these Zetsu clones are already in position then, no?" Kisame grinned. Behind him, Samehada was just finishing chewing on the corpse. A few strands of honey-blonde hair stuck between its teeth.

Jugo stretched as he got up from the couch. "Should we leave immediately?"

"There is no need to hurry. We should let them tire out on the Zetsu attack. Then, when they start feeling comfortable, we strike."

"You got that right. I'm not in the mood to become a frozen sashimi." Kisame approved, with Suigetsu nodding next to him.

"You're both cowards." Sasuke snarled. "That General is nothing compared to shinobi."

Jugo focused on Sasuke. "I wouldn't discount her so easily. According to the report, she was able to subdue the Uzumaki when he was in Five-tails state."

"We've defeated much stronger enemies." The Uchiha didn't let up.

"Easy for you to say. She doesn't instantly make your every Jutsu into a suicidal attack." Suigetsu quipped. Kisame sagely nodded to the tune.

"Hey, I'm old enough to remember those Yuki bastards. You never wanted to be on the wrong end of their Hyoton." The fishman shivered. "And that General Esdeath is more sadistic than their whole clan combined."

"Get over it, you big babies!" Zetsu shouted from the wall. "The General is not as strong as you fear her to be" Black Zetsu added.

"Enough," Madara growled. "We've wasted enough time. Get ready to leave. They should be sufficiently exhausted by the time we arrive."

"You might want to switch the robe first." Suigetsu grinned, pointing to the still-iced clothes Madara was wearing.

The lone eye narrowed to the point the blue-haired swordsman almost thought his boss closed it. He snickered.

=/\/=

As Naruto and Esdeath arrived at the outer fortifications, they watched the Zetsu across the empty fields that surrounded the capitals. The air was heavy and the clouds gathered above them. It would probably rain at some point in the near future.

The soldiers at the barricades clutched their weapons to the point their knuckles turned white.

"Listen up!" Naruto called. His voice echoed across the barricades and trenches. Far and wide, the soldiers could hear his words. "I know this might seem scary. Those things out there aren't human. They are barely even sentient. But this is your advantage. We have something they don't. We fight for the people we care about. We fight for our loved ones. Friends. Families." He looked over to Esdeath. "Lovers. These clones only want destruction. Will you let them come here and take away everything you care about?"

The resounding calls of "NO!" carried over the fortifications.

"You stand here, arm in arm, fighting for your homeland. The Will of Fire is strong in each and every one of you. The enemy wants to kill and destroy what matters most to you. So do not falter! Do not doubt! Remember! Out there, you will be each other's strength. There is no place for division, for conflict. Resolve all differences when the dust falls. Believe in the men and women beside you, just as they will believe in you. Everyone here has one goal! Protect! So fight! For peace! For the future! For every one you care about! Fight! Fight for the Empire you believe in!"

The soldiers roared. Rythmic stomping carried over the field as they cheered for Naruto.

Esdeath smiled and, making sure to not be noticed, reached over to squeeze his butt. "You can be quite a poet, Naruto-kun." She chuckled.

"They needed someone to show them that not all is yet lost. I heard some of them speak like this was already all lost and I didn't want them to go out there with that thoughts."

Perhaps roused by the cheers, first Zetsu stepped forward. Then another, and another. And then more. In moments, the horde rushed across the field.

With a blitz of hand seals, Naruto prepared a Jutsu. He grabbed Esdeath's hand and slammed his palm into the ground. In an explosion of smoke, three giant toads, dressed in yakuza clothes and armed with various weapons now stood in front of the capital, facing the charging horde.

"Hey, Boss. Hey, 'Ken. Hey, 'Hiro." Naruto shouted, getting the toads' attention.

"I sure hope that empire of yours is gonna give us some good booze. Got that, kiddo?" Gamabunta grumbled.

"Sure thing, boss." The blond nodded. "Can we count on you?"

"Yeah, yeah. My wife's been nagging me that I'm getting fat in my elder years. Can you imagine that?" Saying that he pulled his sword and sliced low to the ground. A bunch of frontmost Zetsu went flying away, cut into halves in one swift strike.

"Good. We're counting on you to keep the backlines safe."

With a shunshin, Naruto and Esdeath appeared in the middle of the horde.

The battlefield soon filled with the sound of countless explosions and howling wind. As the army stretched, there were blasts of fire or spheres of wind cutting Zetsu apart. A pair of clones could create and deliver Rasenshuriken if given some breathing space. Though that wasn't easy. The Zetsu seemed to learn quickly that if two clones were together, they needed to be exterminated with extreme prejudice.

The original Naruto stuck close to Esdeath. Either creating more clones or drilling through the white monsters with a pair of senjutsu-infused Rasengans. Behind the pair, three giant toads were effective at pushing back the horde while the soldiers provided cover fire.

The enemy numbers seemed almost endless. Esdeath and Naruto both had tried to count their kills when the attack first started, but neither could keep track.

While for now, the clones' suicidal strategies were pushing the army back, it was a few thousand shinobi against tens of thousands of mad berserkers. And Naruto's chakra pool was not endless.

His permanent sage mode, now almost perfected, was another advantage he used to its full potential. Punches that reshaped the battlefield, kicks that blasted Zetsu to pieces. He was a monster killing any Zetsu who got close to him. Not that Esdeaht was any worse. While she lacked sheer unbridled force provided by the Sage Mode, she could compensate with generous use of ice.

The two of them were a hurricane of destruction and death among the endless hordes of Zetsu, but even they wouldn't stop the flood forever.

The Zetsu were able to rush past them, and slowly got to the toads. Gamahiro was the first to get brought down, revealing a devastating secret to the Zetsu that no one realized before. Those things were able to drain the chakra of anyone they caught. To Naruto, it meant little as his clones died/dispelled before it became a problem and his sage mode allowed him to never be touched in the first place, but to the imperial soldiers, this was a death sentence.

Before anything could be done, Naruto sensed something new. With but a moment to think, he twisted around, ready to deliver a sage-Rasengan to the newcomer, but he caught sight of Sasuke's spinning, red eyes and once more all his muscles froze. Then, the world became black.

=/\/=

Kakashi walked through the corridors of the Palace, letting the guards rush past him as reports came in from all across the city. That was of no concern to him. Instead, he focused on following the trail left for him by Pakkun.

Prime Minister Honest was, frankly speaking, the single most problematic part of the mission. For some reason, the man made it his mission to slow Kakashi and later Naruto as much as he could. If he was any less corrupt, the jonin would've suspected him to be a Revolutionary Army spy. Alas, it was a lot worse. Honest was just a politician with more ambition than wits. Oh, he was plenty intelligent. Kakashi knew that a man who was able to take over the empire in all but name could not be an idiot. It did not mean he was smart. If he was, Honest would've figured that the Shinobi were a resource to be utilized, not an enemy to squash.

Kakashi stopped that train of thought as the trail led him to a conspicuous-looking painting of Prime Minister Honest. The shinobi almost chuckled when he noticed the scratches on the ground. Could the hidden doors be more obvious?

A relatively short walk through the dark corridor has led him into a large warehouse filled with glass jars. Most of them held some body part or another.

Joy. It almost looks like one of Orochimaru's laboratories

Kakashi stalked through the hall, keeping an ear out for any sounds. There were some sounds further ahead.

"Are you sure it will work?"

"Of course, your majesty. The Naruto Cells guarantee compatibility with all Teigu, even this one." The voice of Doctor Stylish was unmistakable.

"If you don't want to, I can just do it instead." Someone grumbled. Kakashi didn't know that man, but he also didn't care. At this point, he had what intel he needed.

A repetitive sound of metal hitting the floor echoed through the hall as Kakashi walked to the three men.

"What! How! Stylish! What's the meaning of this!?" Honest was none too pleased. He took a step back toward a strange door leading into a small room with a single chair.

"How did you find us!?" Stylish, similarly, tried to hide behind their third companion.

"I'm sorry. Isn't this the way to the bathroom?" The shinobi quipped. He gave the three men an unamused look. "You know that the contract with Konohagakure no Sato specifically forbids any attempts at stealing the village secrets, correct? It comes with some heavy penalties. Cancellation of the contract is not even the most severe."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Prime Minister puffed his chest.

"Indeed? Then would you mind clarifying what are these 'Naruto' cells?" He smiled.

"Sten. Remove this cripple! Permanently if you can!" Stylish cried.

The big guy charged at Kakashi, who only breathed out.

"Hien" (Flying Sparrow). With a single motion, he pulled a straight blade from inside his cane, slashed at Sten's neck, shook off the blood from the sword, and sheathed it. The headless body of his enemy dropped at his feet.

"What!? That's not possible! You're supposed to be a cripple! Your brain…"

"Yeah… Sorry, I might've sandbagged those tests. Shinobi, you know." He said that as if it made everything obvious. And to Honest, it was rather clear what the message here was. He never trusted them.

"You… You…"

Kakashi, with a flick of his wrist, sent a single kunai that hit Stylish right between the eyes and pierced his skull. Another blade sailed at Honest, but the doors to his chamber closed before it could reach him. The kunai bounced off with a resounding thud.

"You cannot reach me now, Master Shinobi." The Prime Minister taunted.

"Meh. I'm not worried. You'll have to come out eventually." Kakashi walked over to the deceased medic and picked up his gloves. They were both rolled in and tucked safely under his jacket. Looting was an age-old shinobi tradition after all and he was very interested in what Tsunade-Sama could do with them.

"You're a fool!" The entire ground rumbled as the metal floor broke apart, revealing a giant metal armor that housed Honest. "This is the Imperial Guardian: Shikoutazer! The ultimate weapon in defense of the Empire. And now, it's all mine!"

The machine rose from the base, breaking the ground and a part of the palace. It towered above the city, easily reaching higher than even the tallest spire of the palace. In fact, the spires barely reached to its knees.

"Citizens of the Empire. The enemy is at our gates, but fear not! Our armies even now fight to protect your lives. Sadly, they are not enough. Due to Emperor Makoto's weak leadership and Chancellor Chouri's deceitful sabotage, we have grown weak, corrupt, and vulnerable. But not all is lost! Our Empire does not need a fearful boy. It needs a protector. It is therefore with a heavy heart that I, Honest, first of his name, hereby strip Emperor Makoto of all his titles and inheritance. He has proven unable to lead us. The Imperial Family has proven themselves to be a lost cause. In his place, I proclaim the grand protectorate. In these trying times, I shall lead us through the hardships as Lord Protector of the Realm. And my first decree is that all traitors are to die today!" To that end, the Shikutazer fired a beam of concentrated fire at the frontlines where the Revolutionary forces were pushing into the capital. Hundreds died in an instant, with dozens more consumed in the aftermath. Not all of them were on the rebels' side though.

=/\/=

Naruto found himself surrounded by white. There was nothing but him… and Sasuke. They faced each other. In the beginning, no words were spoken. Sasuke just started laughing.

"I am finally the strongest. Stronger than Itachi. Stronger than Kakashi. Stronger than anyone in the Akatsuki. Stronger than you!" He laughed as the three tomoes in his Sharingan transformed into the flower pattern, with a black shuriken shape in the center.

"Yeah? Then why are you so scared?" Naruto quipped. And it was true. Under all that anger and malice, he could sense fear.

"I'm not scared!" He screamed.

"You are." Naruto remained calm. "Besides, if you were already the strongest, you wouldn't need the tailed beasts. Why are you even still doing this? Why join the Akatsuki?"

"Because they will help me get my vengeance!"

"What vengeance? Itachi is already dead. You've got what you wanted."

"No. Itachi was just a victim. He killed my clan following orders of the Hokage and his advisors!"

"What? No way!" Naruto protested. "Ji-ji would never allow something like that." Naruto swallowed. He recalled what Kakashi said about the hard choices a Hokage has to make. "I guess he would maybe order Itachi to kill the adults. If he had a good reason. But Ji-ji would have never ordered him to kill children! Or defenseless old couples!"

"He did. And if not, it doesn't matter! He didn't stop it, so he's complicit. Just like everyone else in Konoha. They all wanted the Uchiha gone. They feared us. That's why I'm gonna get my revenge."

Naruto's eyes narrowed. "What about our friends? Sakura? Ino? Shikamaru? Kiba? Everyone else? Iruka-sensei? Are they also your enemies now?"

"They stand against me, so I'll go through them." Sasuke snarled. "They won't stand against me the second time."

The blond shinobi sensed a spike of resentment higher than before. The entire time, his former friend was speaking about the past wounds. This… this was too fresh. "What did you do? What did you do!?"

"I tried to start my revenge by killing the three old fools who pushed for the destruction of my clan. And the person who gave the order. I almost succeeded." He growled. "Danzo was the hardest, but all three of Hokage's advisors fell to my power." Naruto's feeling of dread grew with each sentence. He had a bad feeling about where this was going, and he prayed that he was wrong. "But when I tried to take out the Hokage, those friends came to try and stop me."

"Why would you go after Baa-chan!? She wasn't even in the village when your brother went on a rampage!"

"Because she stood in my way. Because she threatened my mission. And tried to stop me. So did your friends."

"But why? Why do you hold onto your hate so much!?" Naruto screamed, clenching his fists.

"Because it's all I have left." Sasuke also clenched his fist. "Because they all deserve to feel the same pain I do."

"No. That's not the way. And it's not all you have left. At least it wasn't until you made it so. You are the one who pushed everyone away." Naruto took a step forward. "You were just blind to everyone who tried to reach out to you and kept pushing them away."

Sasuke only huffed.

"It was always about you. Uchiha Sasuke cares only about what Uchiha Sasuke thinks." He took another step forward. "And that hate? That's not hate. That's just you being an asshole!" In the blink of an eye, Naruto covered the distance between them and slagged Sasuke in the face. The white world around them shattered with the sound of breaking glass.

Then everything returned to as it was. They were once again facing each other in that white space.

"Last time, I failed to understand the true power of the genjutsu I used. This time, with the power of the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan, I no longer need to fear anything. You will remain stuck here, with your body unable to move, and cut from all your senses in the outside world."

"Yeah? We shall see if you're truly so strong."

"This won't be a repeat of our last fight. This time, I've already won." With that, he disappeared, leaving Naruto trapped, floating in the sea of white.

The shinobi sat down in meditation. Orange spots almost instantly appeared around his eyes. Then, he blinked.

=/\/=

Naruto's eyes opened. He was in the sewers that marked the insides of his seal. Right in front of him, the red doors that separated him from the Kyuubi stood menacingly. The seal that his father reapplied during the Pein invasion was slightly torn around the edges, but it held strong.

"Oi! Furball! I need your chakra! I can't break the genjutsu on my own!"

"And why should I help you?" The Kyuubi snarled.

"Uh… I don't know…" Naruto glared at the beast. "Maybe because if you don't, the Akatsuki will kill me and imprison you in a giant statue?"

"So?" Kyuubi turned around to not look at the blond. "I'll just be exchanging one prison for another. And at least I can take pleasure in knowing you'll die in pain."

"You don't want to help? Fine. But I'm gonna need your chakra if I want to save my friends!" Jiraiya-sensei said that when the time is right, I must remove the seal and take what I need. Naruto floated to the piece of paper that held the doors together. As soon as his hand touched it, the world around him changed.

Instead of the sewers, he was now in a clearing atop a hill. Instead of standing, he was now sitting under a tree. And instead of a giant furball, he was accompanied by a beautiful redheaded woman.

"The Kyuubi is a girl!?" He screamed, understandably confused.

"What!?" The woman roared, smacking him in the head. "I'm not the kyuubi!"

"Oi! I just took off the seal and suddenly there is a pretty girl next to me. What else was I supposed to think?" He massaged his head as he grumbled. "Besides, how did you know I was talking about you, eh? Admit it. You would've also thought that."

"Is that how you speak to your mother, Naruto?" Kushina suddenly gained a mischievous grin.

"Wait, you're my mother?"

"Of course. Didn't Sarutobi tell you all about me and Minato?"

When Naruto quickly explained his childhood, he ended up learning seven new swear words, sixteen very graphic forms of torture, and a life-long disgust with yogurt.

"I am so, so sorry you had to go through this, my baby!" Kushina, now no longer burning with righteous fury, pulled Naruto into a hug. He stiffened but quickly embraced her as well. Then, he remembered just where he was.

"Wait! Oh no! I have to get going! There is a war going on outside. Don't worry. The time here literally passes at the speed of thought." She snorted. "Besides…" Her expression grew serious. "This is the only time we will see each other for a long time."

"What do you mean? Aren't you also in this seal, just like that fox bastard?"

"No, my baby. I'm just an imprint. A message left behind. You see, when your father put the seal on you, he left two contingencies. The first time the seal would let go, he could appear and tighten it back. A sort of precaution in case you were too young and inexperienced to handle the Kyuubi. Then, when you would be ready to face the fox, I am here to help you."

"Awesome!"

"But before we get to that, I think you should hear a bit about your origin. The night you were born."

=/\/=

Esdeath laughed as she slaughtered armies of Zetsu everywhere around her. She cut any clone that got close to her. An ice spike to kill the one leaping at her. A wave of ice, locking several of them and giving her a breathing room on that flank.

When an especially dense group tried to target her, she sent an avalanche right their way, clearing away dozens of Zetsu in one attack.

She turned toward Naruto, only to see him staring at the black-haired shinobi in the Akatsuki robe. She was ready to rush and skewer the bastard for daring to touch her Naruto-kun, but another figure in the same cloak appeared in front of her.

Meanwhile, something big was happening in the city but she did not have time to care.

"I'm sorry. I can't let you try and interrupt them this time." He sent a fireball her way, but it was too slow to hit her. Instead, she used the cover it provided to leap up and dive at the masked man with her saber aimed at his head.

The maneuver was executed perfectly. Her opponent was unable to escape. And he would surely die.

She phased through him like he wasn't even there.

The moment her feet touched the ground, Esdeath twisted in place and slashed at his robes, only to also hit nothing but air. The enemy was still standing there, but he was completely intangible.

"Stupid woman. Do you think you have a chance against the great Madara Uchiha?" He kicked her away.

Esdeath got up and dusted herself off. Madara rushed at her with a kunai aimed at her chest.

"Mahapdama" The world around her froze as the orb of blue light blasted from between her hands.

She picked up her sword and walked over to the supposed Uchiha. Then, with a movement beyond normal human capabilities, delivered stabs at his chest, legs, arms, and neck. She finished with a single slash that went right through his neck. Then, she stepped to the side as the time returned to normal.

Her opponent stopped his charge. Blood gushed from the wounds she inflicted. And his head dropped off his shoulders.

"Never threaten my Naruto-kun again." She spat at the corpse before sending the biggest wave of ice yet at the charging Zetsu.

She was about to rush and help Naruto when everything paused.

The pressure she felt that day, back at the theatre, was back. And this time, it was strong enough to make even her feel… something. It wasn't anywhere as malicious, but just the weight it generated made it seem as if he had gravity of his own.

She now understood what Kakashi meant when he said that Naruto was more powerful than they imagined. If he wanted, Naruto could wipe out the entire capital and no one would be able to stop him. With this power, he was truly an apex predator.

She shifted around, trying to let go of her thoughts. There would be time for that later. For now, there were other threats to deal with.

=/\/=

After his mother finished the story, Naruto reappeared in front of the cage. He was back to holding the seal.

Remember Naruto. I'm here, ready to help.

"You did, Mom."

Naruto tore down the seal. As soon as the locking mechanism finished unlocking, the gates blasted open and the Kyuubi launched out of the doors, ready to fight.

"Wait!" The blond called. It was so utterly confusing that the beast stopped in its tracks.

"How dare you order me, you thief!" He roared, making the walls shake from his power.

Naruto? What are you doing? Kushina's voice echoed in his mind.

"Yeah, I wanted to steal your power," Naruto admitted. "But that was before I knew the truth. You never intended to attack our village, did you? Not during the night of my birth and not during the times of the first Hokage. You were just used by those with power to control you. Times and times again you were stripped of your freedom."

"What are you babbling about!? Do you think you understand me? Do you think you understand my hatred now?" Kyuubi snarled, but he made no move to attack his jailor.

"Maybe not. But I don't want to be like them. I don't want to steal your power. If it means being like them, then I will find a way out without you. I don't want to win if it means I become like them. I will not hurt innocents to gain power. And yeah, you've killed my parents, so maybe you deserve some of it. But I refuse to be like them. Like Madara or Sasuke." He took his eyes off the Kyuubi. "Mom. Can you break the genjutsu instead? I have to deal with Sasuke before he hurts those I care about."

The fox stared at the blond. His giant claws flexed as he looked around. Even with the seal that held him down taken, he could feel that the fight against the boy would be long and hard. He wasn't sure he would win if he attacked him now to try and reach for his freedom. And there was more.

Kyuubi laughed. His deep, throaty chuckle reverberated across the sewers.

"You are probably the dumbest human I've ever met. The single, most brainless child I spoke to." He paused. After a shake of his head, he continued. "But you remind me of someone. And so, I shall give you a chance. Prove to me that not all humans are worthless trash to be eaten."

Naruto felt a new stream of chakra enter his system. It was warm and full of hatred, but it didn't hurt him. Instead, it healed him and pushed any foreign chakra out.

The world around him shattered and Naruto found himself back in front of Sasuke. A golden cloak wrapped around him. His skin, clothes, and hair all became gold. In addition, a haori reminisce of the one he wore after his sage training materialized on him. His headband seemed to wave with the non-existent wind to stand up in a shape similar to Kyuubi's ears.

My name… is Kurama. You brat better use it. The Kyuubi's words echoed in his mind.

"Got it. Let's do this Kurama."

Sasuke barely dodged when Naruto appeared in front of him. Even the near-perfect future sight granted by the Sharingan was meaningless in the face of the difference between their raw power.

"You-" Whatever he tried to say, Naruto didn't care. He just blurred away only to materialize in front of Sasuke. The speed was enough to hide even from the Sharingan.

He could almost see the punch that would probably put him out of commission. Sasuke crossed his arms in front of his face as a purple skeleton chest formed around his body. While he was unharmed, the punch was enough to move him back several dozen feet, leaving a crater where he landed.

Naruto took a moment to look back into the city as he sensed another wave of death.

The giant machine was marching across the town, blasting at the frontlines. Both the rebels and loyalists were being killed in the crossfire. The message from the new Lord Protector kept playing over and over. And it seemed to turn its gaze at Naruto and Sasuke.

"All dissidents must be purged. For the safety and prosperity of our glorious Empire!" Light shone from the giant's chest. Slowly, the red turned white as the energy concentrated in one place. Sasuke groaned and redoubled on his effort. A bead of sweat fell off his head.

The beam slammed into the pair, annihilating a large area around them.

Even when he finished, Honest couldn't see what happened. The blinding light followed by a cloud of ash obscured his vision. For a moment. From the dust, a giant, glowing, purple samurai rose. He had four arms, two swords, and a bow and arrows. Behind him, a pair of paper wings unfolded.

To the side, a golden fox sprouted out of nowhere. Standing on four legs, the fox was easily the size of a mountain, towering over the samurai and reaching to the machine's shoulders.

On the ground, Esdeath cackled watching the battle commence. She popped a pill she received from Kakashi the previous day and felt her strength return to her fivefold.

A blizzard formed around her. From therein, dozens of ice soldiers stepped out. If she wanted to use all of them, she'd have needed days to assemble them, but that one pill provided her abundance of energy.

She led them into the city to slaughter all resistance.

The samurai flapped its wings to get away from the other two, but the fox slashed at him. The force behind the hit put him firmly back into the ground. The Shikoutazer sent a barrage of missiles at the fox, who dropped low and let them pass over him, hitting the nearby forest.

Sasuke screamed inside his Perfect Susanoo. Why was that blond loser always stronger than him? Furious, he willed his mech to pull back the bow. An arrow of black flame formed. He aimed it at the fox, but Naruto dashed to the side and stepped into the city. Now the Imperial Machine was between them. Sasuke did not care. He released the shot, hitting the mech in the right shoulder.

Naruto took advantage of this and crouched behind Honest's armor. Between the force and a very convenient tripping point, the Shikoutazer fell over. Naruto dashed at Sasuke as soon as he was done and bit into his arm. Despite Susanoo's efforts, he was unable to throw off the fox and he lacked the dexterity to cut at him when he was at that side.

Red and Blue bubbles started to gather inside the fox's mouth. Slowly, a black orb assembled. He still kept his jaws clenched at the samurai.

Sasuke screamed and tried to escape the grip even harder. He was not strong enough.

A bijudama detonated point blank at the armor. The Kyuubi took some superficial damage. At the same time, everyone could watch the severed purple arm disappear into nothingness.

Furious, Susanoo struck at the fox. With relentless fury, he tried to slash at him.

Down. The attack safely passed over Naruto's head.

Left. Several houses were ruined but the fox was already somewhere else.

Up. Sasuke hit only air as his enemy jumped back.

Naruto lowered his head as he took account of what was going on. The fighting continued. It seemed that the soldiers were now even more devoted to ending the war fast. It was as if the battle between the three of them was just another obstacle.

Or they fear that if one wins, they will be dead anyway so they hope to achieve their goals before that. He thought.

Shikoutazer managed to get up and now started to charge another beam.

All nine tails behind Naruto curled and focused in front of his snout. He opened his mouth and gathered chakra once again. This time, as the black orb formed in front of him, the fox swallowed it. His stomach glowed for a second before a beam of pure destruction fired from his mouth, meeting the beam sent by Shikoutazer. The two attacks met mid-air and clashed with one another.

The ground below melted as the heat of the two attacks held in place. Meter by meter, Naruto's beam moved toward Honest.

Sasuke did not sit idle. High in the air, he fired an arrow at the Kyuubi. Black fire pierced its leg, making it falter. Lord Protector regained some ground but lost any progress just as soon as Naruto redoubled his effort. This time he marched forward. Step by step, he pushed the attack back at the former prime minister.

Inside the command center of the machine, the traitor saw steam rise from the cockpit. Red lights blinked everywhere around him.

He tried to eject, but the system refused to open. The heat has already molten the outer armor and sealed everything. The heat was becoming unbearable but if he let go now, he would be blasted into pieces anyway.

Honest tried to do something. Anything. There had to be a way. He would not lose his empire just-

Everything inside the Shikoutazer became white.

Naruto stopped the blast. Only the legs remained from the destroyed Imperial Machine. A pair of legs barely reaching the waist, standing over the main road leading to the palace.

He coughed up a lot of smoke. The golden fox shimmered. For a second, it seemed that the prolonged battle took too much from him. Instead, the beast shrunk to three-fourths of its size and turned to the sky, where Susanoo was aiming another arrow.

Before he could fire, Naruto vanished in a blur. The next thing Sasuke knew, he was on the ground. This time, it was the head of his armor that was held in a vice grip of the fox's jaws. His hands and legs were pinned by the tails. Red and blue chakra gathered between the beast's teeth.

Sasuke tried to fight back, but there was nothing he could hope to do. He was already running out of chakra while the fox seemed to grow bigger by the moment.

He did the only thing he could and dispelled the jutsu.

He could've sworn the fox smiled at him as it picked him up between two fingers before swallowing him whole. Before the darkness enveloped him, he saw the orb of chakra fire, hitting the nearby mountain where he knew the Revolutionaries had their command.

The blast that destroyed half the mountain certainly made sure that a lot of the command structure of the rebels was gone. Then, he lost consciousness as the exhaustion took him.

The war was officially over. No one would be willing to oppose a giant golden fox with the power to destroy mountains and reshape the land with just a swing of his tail.

=/\/=

With the rebels surrendering and the Emperor safe and healthy, it was now time to rebuild. After the remaining Revolution Generals delivered their former surrender, the Emperor, under Chouri's guidance pardoned most of the survivors on both sides. The exception was made for those who had some significant crimes to their names.

Surviving Night Raid members received a full pardon for their actions in opposition to the throne. As long as they surrendered their Teigu and swore to never again take a life. During the battle, Tatsumi managed to defeat Temujin and claimed Incursio as his own. Leone has, regrettably, fused with her Teigu permanently when she overused the already-damaged belt. She would be permanently stuck with lion features. As such, she would be banished from the Empire since they couldn't ensure she was disarmed.

Najenda, in addition to the pardon, was offered a place on the Imperial Council as the minister of war. It was the Emperor who decided to offer it. He claimed that despite her claims, her experience was too important to just let go. She would receive only a tenth of normal pay reserved for the minister of war, to signify this as her atonement, not reward. She was happy to accept and eagerly went to work.

Sheele and Chelsea were happy to move far away from the capital and live their remaining life in peace.

Run became the new Prime Minister. His contribution to the Empire's victory as well as his dedication to fighting the corruption within the system was recognized. Wave received the highest commendation a soldier can get: the Imperial Sword. He was elevated to nobility and granted a large stretch of land. He and Kurome moved there as soon as the ceremony was over. The same was granted to Bols, who was happy to accept. He used the funds to construct the first Imperial University of Arts on his lands, which is thriving even today.

Tatsumi and Spear got married. In the aftermath of the battle, Tatsumi found Sayo and Ieyasu. While Ieyasu was forever crippled, they were both happy to be alive and together. Newly minted Minister of Justice Tatsumi was now even more in debt to Naruto who was the one to have rescued the pair when he first arrived in the capital.

Nobody was able to find Stylish or his Teigu. It was widely assumed to have been destroyed in Honest's coup. The palace wing where the pair was hiding was annihilated. Burned to the ground so that not even ashes remained.

As for the Shinobi, they were granted further rewards for going above and beyond in the fight, as well as in the follow-up cleanup. The thousands of clones that scattered through the capital in the aftermath of the battle were a sight to behold. They rescued the wounded, captured those who tried to still fight to their last breath, and began reconstruction. They each received a substantial payment, as well as The Imperial Ring. The highest reward that the Emperor could bestow on foreigners. The capital's crest was officially changed to that of a golden Nine-Tailed fox. Something that made Kurama incredibly smug.

Nobody was able to find Kisame or Suigetsu. They were both gone. Similarly, the body of the masked Uchiha had been destroyed by Naruto as soon as he reached him. No trace remained from the combination of Rasenshuriken and Bijudama. Sasuke though, was taken in alive. He was bound, locked in a specifically-made coffin-like container, and prepared to be shipped with the Shinobi as soon as they resolved all other pressing concerns.

There was only one issue remaining. An important one, but one that most were unwilling to deal with. General Esdeath.

To Naruto's shock (and not a small amount of righteous anger) she was called to trial for her cooperation with the Traitor Honest. While her service could not be denied, she had made many enemies who were now eager to see her fall. And people of the empire were still reeling from Honest's action and wanted to see someone pay. Of course, no one was willing to try and get on Naruto's bad side, so the tension was high.

When Najenda brought some of the General's earlier crimes to light, there was no more choice though.

"This trial is now in session." The Emperor called. Esdeath was brought in. Though she was not bound, the four guards leading her kept a close eye on her, ready to react at any sign of aggression.

Naruto let out a low growl, but Kakashi's hand on his shoulder held him firmly in place.

"We are here only to observe." The Jonin warned in a hushed whisper.

"General Esdeath. You have been accused of corruption, bribery, conspiracy to commit treason, treason, incitement to rebellion, murder, arson, marauding," The list went on. The crimes piled up to the point even Naruto was getting worried.

"Many of those crimes warrant the penalty of death. How do you plead?" Makoto looked at the general unsure what to expect.

"Everything I have done was in the service of the Empire, Your Majesty." She smiled.

"Even if that was true, you went beyond any limits of human decency!" Najenda screamed from her spot among the other ministers.

"You did not deny any of those allegations." Chouri gained everyone's attention. "Should we then assume you confess to all listed crimes?"

"In this world, the strong survive, and the weak die. I did everything I could to make the Empire strong, to the best of my ability." She no longer smiled. Instead, she glared at Chouri and Najenda.

"I have here signed confessions from both your soldiers as well as survivors of the massacres you organized. All before the Revolutionary Army was first formed. Multiple former rebels quoted your heavy-handed methods as the reason they joined the revolution in the first place." Najenda waved the stack of papers for everyone to see. It was rather thick. "You encouraged your soldiers to rape, pillage, and burn the homes of anyone who stood against you." She then pulled out another stack of papers. "And more importantly, you've ordered your subordinates, the Three Beasts, to kill everyone on the charity cruise organized to gather support for the poor. That's a direct action against the well-being of the Empire. You ordered a political assassination."

"There were members of the Night Raid hiding amongst them. I could not have been sure that there weren't more sympathizers among them, so I chose to ensure any potential traitors were eliminated." She huffed.

Naruto slumped. He knew Esdeath was not the best person, but the way this trial was going it looked worse and worse for her.

"So you admit to ordering the death of everyone on that ship?" The Emperor asked.

"I was requested to deal with the Revolutionary Army and given free rein in how I resolve the issue. I chose to ensure that no rebel was able to evade justice."

"You just wanted to sate your bloodlust!" Najenda screamed, throwing the papers down.

"Enough!" The Emperor hit the scepter in the specially prepared disk. "Minister Najenda. Please control yourself. We've heard enough." He straightened up in his seat. "General Esdeath. While you claim to have served the Empire, your methods went beyond what was strictly necessary and acceptable. Even if your intentions were noble, results speak louder than promises. Therefore We find you guilty of all charges."

"What!?" Naruto yelled from the sidelines. He completely ignored Kakashi who tried to hold him back and marched in front of the court. "But she did everything to help you! The Empire as a whole. She might've made some mistakes, but she wanted to do what she believed was right! And besides, she stayed loyal to the Emperor even when Honest did the whole Lord Protector thing. That's gotta count for something, right? I won't let you just kill her!" He stepped in front of her as if shielding her from the Emperor's judgment.

"What then you'd suggest, master Naruto? Let her go free after all the suffering she has caused? What about those she hurt?"

Naruto didn't speak immediately. Instead, he thought for a moment. Everyone focused on him, waiting for what he would say.

"Banish her. Strip her of her rank and exile her from the Empire. Allow me to take her away from here and I promise you'll never see her on Kashmir again." He proclaimed.

"And do you think this will suffice?" Najenda sent him a glare. "After everything she has done?"

"I don't think you have any grounds to speak. You lead a group of assassins that killed a lot of good people too, and yet you're in the government." Naruto glared back for a moment before turning to the Emperor. "Your Majesty, please."

Makoto hesitated. He looked to Chouri and Tatsumi, and they both nodded.

"Very well. The judgment has been made. Esdeath Partas. You're hereby stripped of your rank as the General of the Imperial Army, as well as all honors and privileges that come from it. Your possessions will be seized to pay back those you've caused undue harm. You have seven days to leave the Empire. Should you ever be found on the Imperial Lands, your life will be forfeit. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Your Majesty." She bowed.

"Yay!" Naruto rushed over to her and pulled her into a kiss. After a moment, they separated and Naruto turned to the Emperor. "Thank you, Your Majesty."

"No, thank you, Master Naruto. You've yet again helped me make the correct choice. The Empire will forever be in your debt."

"We just did our job, Your Majesty," Kakashi spoke.

"After all, we're Shinobi." Naruto smiled and gave the Emperor a thumbs-up.

"No, you're heroes."

=/\/=

THE END
KONIEC

=/\/=

AFTERWORD

Hi. Thanks for reading this story and sticking to the end. Also, Happy New Year. This story started because I was kind of tired of there being no Ninja in Ninja anime. I wanted to sort of recapture the feel of earlier parts of the series, especially the Wave Arc, but with more interesting context.

At first, it was not even supposed to be a crossover, but as I worked through the plan I realized how many OCs I'd have to invent, so I ended up just slapping another series into the mix. And so, the premise "Wave Arc but Gato hired Konoha" turned into "Naruto saves the Empire without just going on a rampage against Honest". Because let's be honest. If Naruto was on the Night Raid's side, the story would end the day he arrived in the capital. Between shadow clones and sage mode, he could kill everyone important in the capital before anyone so much as cried for help.

Having him paired with Esdeath was also a careful choice. I considered having Spear be his companion throughout the story, but it was quickly scrapped. Esdeath's relationship with him was not the same as with Tatsumi. Here, Naruto wasn't below her in terms of power, but an equal, which was a fun idea to explore. I also wanted their relationship to sort of reflect his relationship with the empire, as well as the shift in childish black-and-white morality into more refined shades of gray. His accepting Esdeath was also him accepting the world as something more complex than just absolute good and evil.

Overall, I'm incredibly satisfied with this story. I don't think there is anything I'd change. I wish you all a Happy New Year.

And for those who were kind enough to read my ramblings, here's a small omake.

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Tsunade groaned as she yet again went through the piles of paperwork that Shizune brought. Getting the village back in order after that damned Uchiha tried to go on a rampage was a pain. At least it made Kumogakure back off. They couldn't exactly blame Sasuke's actions on Konoha when they were hit just as badly. Even Ay wasn't that petty, though she couldn't hope to see relations between the two villages recover in her lifetime. Not after Kirabi was kidnapped and presumably killed by the Uchiha.

The doors to her office were summarily kicked out as people piled inside her office. The stacks of papers fell over, scattering everywhere.

"Hey Baa-chan! We're back!" Naruto called as he marched into the office. Shizune ran inside with Sakura in tow.

"I'm sorry, Shishou. We tried to stop him but…"

"Don't worry." Tsunade dismissed them. "So, brat. Did you succeed in the task I gave you?" At least he was safely away from the Uchiha and the Akatsuki.

"Yeah! Also, I brought you a gift!"

Kakashi hobbled inside. The Hokage was about to ask what was it about when a giant steel coffin was rolled in. Through the visor on top, she saw who was locked inside. One Sasuke Uchiha.

"Gaki!? What's that supposed to be?" She glared daggers at the blond, who shrugged.

"Oh! Right! We captured Sasuke and I brought him back. Just as I promised, Sakura!" He cheered. "But no, I wanted you all to meet my wife. Uzumaki Esdeath. Nee Partas."

A tall, blue-haired woman entered the room. She was dressed in a fashionable white dress. The most pronounced detail was her rather round belly. She was easily three months pregnant, if not more.

"NARUTO! WHAT DID YOU-"

"Oops? I thought she would be happy" Naruto muttered, ignoring Kurama's incessant laughter.

Nobody paid Kakashi any attention as he placed a pair of gauntlets and a peculiar crystal on Tsunade's desk.

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