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Chap-57 Fire and blood
🕑 Added 2022-03-18 15:12:46 +0000 UTC(One Day Later: Kyoto)
It was a cold but beautiful night.
The wind was almost non-existent.
The lands ever silent.
The last of humanity hiding behind the strong walls of the city.
But they all knew...it would not be enough.
One man knew this bitter truth better than anyone else and yet that didn't stop him from standing proudly to defend the last stronghold of his nation.
Out of all the likely scenario concerning his end, Madara had never imagined one so cruel as this.
His clan was gone, all of his brothers were dead, his best friend missing and his nation on the edge of utter annihilation. Honestly, there was nothing left for him to fight for. Only his hate and desire for revenge kept him going on but to be honest he felt hollow...as if someone had taken away everything from him leaving only a dead husk behind.
Yet he could not help but remember the hopes his youngest brother had for this nation and its people. It was not just Naruto, but Tobirama, Naori, almost every single ninja regardless of their clans who died for this country...they all made the ultimate sacrifice for the Land of Fire.
He had never imagined himself being a Hokage much less a King but there was no choice in those matters. He would most probably be the last king of men, but it would not stop him from offering the most fierce defiance to the Otsutsuki.
It was this sheer determination and hate that had allowed him to utterly crush the enemy army besieging Castle Tsukiyomi. So sudden and brutal was the attack staged by Madara alongwith his forces, that the Otsutsuki had been forced to retreat allowing Tajima to fall back with the survivors to the Fire Capital with his last son and his army in tow. This miracle would not have been possible had the Otsutsuki queen been at the head of her army. Fortunately, she had not been present and her fellow clansmen had been no match for Madara.
She must have realized her mistake as this time Madara felt a monstrous presence marching towards him alongwith an army of darkness.
A force nearly 300,000 strong.
Against that he barely had 25,000 ninjas and civilians combined most of whom were tired, scared and battling despair. One final stroke and it would break their back marking the end of everything.
It was why he had with the help of Nagato Uzumaki helped in erecting a series of dozens of walls across the Capital. All of them marked to the brim with seals of all nature. In between each walls he had placed forces ready to respond in the event of a breach.
Tajima Uchiha would lead the defense of the Northern Walls.
Sakumo Hatake would lead the defense of the Southern Walls.
Daen Nara would lead the defense of the Eastern Walls.
Sasuke Sarutobi would lead the defense of the Western Walls.
Each of these four commanders had nearly 6000 men with them while Madara stood outside the city with a Vanguard of 1000 elite forces who had chosen to fight and die by the side of their last king.
Among those were the Dragonguard.
Apart from his defense of Castle Tsukiyomi and the Capital, as the new king...Madara had officially established the noble order of warriors sworn to defend the King. It was more of a symbolic gesture but every little action that boosted morale was crucial.
Unlike the legendary Kingsguard of The First Dragon King, Madara's sworn defenders included the likes of Mikoto Uchiha, Danzo Shimura and Kakashi Hatake. All three had fought alongside their former Hokage now King in all his battles and were also present by his side in this final clash.
Watching the enemy armada approach made the three Dragonguard warriors step beside their King.
"What are your orders, my king?" asked Kakashi Hatake seriously,
He and his other two comrades were surprised when Madara grinned despite the horrific situation. The King turned to look at his Dragonguard followed by looking at the 1000 men standing behind him.
"Can you all feel it?" asked the King calmly,
He didn't need to be a genius to understand the emotions burning in the hearts of his ninjas. It was clear to see just from a single look into their eyes.
"Fear. I feel the same, it happens to me in every battle" admitted Madara honestly,
His eyebrows twitched when almost everyone looked at him in disbelief. Almost no one believed that someone like him could feel something as trivial as fear against anyone. Not even in death.
Madara sighed. How did his brother ever deal with such simpletons?
"You feel it too in almost every battle of your life. This one is no different, your heart is beating faster than it should, your throat is dry and your legs threaten to betray you every few moments. We all consider ourselves to be brave and skilled, we have trained for moments like these our entire lives...but in truth almost everyone of us wonders whether it would be enough? Whether we would be able to complete our mission or succumb to doubts and fears. There is no shame in fear but don't let it overcome your strength or you are already defeated. The truth is, brave men feel the same fear as cowards do" explained Madara frankly,
"Then how can a person be brave when they are afraid?" asked Danzo hesitantly, making Madara smile.
"You fight! You may piss yourself but you stand your ground, You may tremble but still grab your sword, You may cry for your mothers or loved ones but still meet an enemy you cannot defeat, You may lose hope but still continue fighting no matter what. It does not matter how weak or outnumbered you are, one truth never changes in this world"
''Everything can be killed. Even the dead"
The King was pleased to see hope return in many eyes including those of his Dragonguard as they stared at the monstrous enemy army with a newfound determination.
"Make a choice today. Choose to die or choose to make those bastards die for you. Most of all, keep on fighting until your enemy is dead. They can be killed, they can be wounded, they can be defeated! Maybe we are too few to win this battle...yet this is where we fight! This is where they die!" declared Madara loudly,
The ground beneath their feet trembled and more than one shocked gasp could be heard as the daunting form of the humanoid statue marched towards them alongside its army made up of Kaguyas, Hagoromo, and dead warriors.
The monstrosity glared down at the Vanguard and each fighter felt the killing intent of a god rain down on them threatening to suck away every last memory of happiness from their hearts and replace it with misery.
Yet the aura of death and gloom was stopped.
The humanoid statue and the Otsutsuki army stopped dead in their tracks when a sword of lightning was unleashed.
Ashura Senju's sword now being wielded by Madara Uchiha.
Madara sensed the power of the enemy but he still smiled confidently as he glanced at the holy sword in his hand. Its former master had alone held off an Otsutsuki army all by himself. If that man could accomplish such a feat by himself, then why couldn't he beat these monsters with the help of others?
He refused to surrender!
He refused to fall to despair!
He refused to fail!
With a proud smile, he glanced back at his elite soldiers whose eyes found his unwavering gaze.
"For Tobirama!"
Madara charged.
Mikoto, Kakashi and Danzo all unleashed their swords together with one final battlecry leaving their lips as they charged.
The roars of 1000 elite ninjas from all over the world followed after them.
The dark haired warrior leading the final charge of mankind had no crown upon his head. All he had was his clan's armor, the sword gifted by a good friend, the support of the men following him, and the desire to fight till his last.
"Fire Style: Great Fire Annihilation!"
Madara and almost every fire user in his army finished their hand seals to deliver their opening attack even as they charged towards the enemy army. A wave of raging fire spanning across the entire battlefield was unleashed and headed straight towards the enemy army.
Only to be absorbed away completely mid-charge.
Madara clenched his teeth as he caught the amusedly smirking enemy queen seated atop the humanoid statue. Her outstretched hand now pointed a mocking finger towards Madara.
Her smirk soon vanished when Madara grinned savagely.
"Amaterasu"
Hinata Otsutsuki was forced to jump from her statue immediately as it was set ablaze in the merciless flames of Amaterasu. Those very same flames were again unleashed by the deadly Uchiha's eyes and directly incinerated the entire frontal line of the Otsutsuki army.
"Dragonguard, let's dance!" cheered Madara,
His men roared in approval when the familiar form of Madara's Susanno started forming around him. The humanoid warrior with the face of a demonic bull roared again as it started rising in height and mass. It charged forward crushing hundreds of enemy warriors under its gigantic legs without mercy before the wings on its back flapped wildly making it take to the skies.
The Susanoo had a monstrous sword of lightning in its hands and its beastly mouth was brimming with dark flames.
"DRAGONFIRE!" yelled Madara fiercely,
The Susanoo forever bound to the commands of its master opened its mouth and unleashed a stream of dark flames like a raging dragon consuming thousands upon thousands of Otsutsuki warriors in its wrath. Their screams earning another round of cheers from the ninjas as they tore through the disorganized and panicked enemy lines.
The Kaguyas were not to be deterred as they pushed forward, but many Hagoromo on watching their fellow clanmates be burned in the flames of a dragonlord...broke ranks and ran. If only they knew their ultimate fate...
Madara made another pass unleashing a second wave of dark flames setting aflame thousands more.
Hinata Otsutsuki clenched her fists on seeing the havoc being wrecked upon her forces. She had been unable to stop this disastrous rampage due to her being forced to extinguish Gedo Mazo from being destroyed in the flames of Amaterasu launched by Madara.
The Uchiha had intentionally hit the statue expecting her to scramble to save it thereby leaving her army open for decimation.
The trick had worked once.
Not anymore!
Her eyes narrowed dangerously at the flying beast as she finished gathering the energy required.
"Bansho Tenin (Gravitational Pull)!"
The Susanoo felt a fierce power suddenly grabbing hold of its body before yanking it down to the battlefield brutally. Nobody cared if hundreds of Otsutsuki allies and even few ninjas were crushed in that crash. To his credit, Madara quickly regained his bearings and was about to make his Susanoo stand back up when he heard a gruesome roar.
The humanoid statue now having recovered from the initial attack charged right at him with murder in its hideous eyes. On top of the beast was the enemy queen.
Yet Madara was not intimated as he again tried to set the beast aflame but this the enemy kunoichi was prepared and easily absorbed the cursed fire before it spread across the statue.
"RAIKIRI!"
The enlarged holy sword of Madara's Susanoo fired off a dangerous bolt of lightning but he was surprised when the humanoid statue swiftly dodged the incoming attack. Madara raised the sword of his celestial warrior in order to defend and was again surprised when Hinata Otsutsuki glared at him.
"Shinra Tensei!"
Sensing the power behind the attack, Madara instantly stabbed his Susanoo sword deep in the ground just as the gravitational force hit him like a tidal wave. The Susanoo was brought to its knees even as dozens of fighters from both sides were sent flying away.
Even if the Susanoo managed to prevent itself from being sent flying away, it was left open and too slow in reaction for the next attack.
The Gedo Mazo connected a solid punch to its adversary's face sending it crashing away. Yet in midflight, Madara roared even more furiously and with ten times the defiance.
"Yasaka Magatama!"
Large black beads of dark energy were formed in the Susanoo's only free hand before being launched towards the enemy queen and her statue. Watching the incoming attack, the queen pushed both her hands forward.
"Tendo!"
Much to the surprise of the ninjas, dozens of missile like projectiles were launched by the white haired woman which sailed and collided head on with Madara's attack. Both jutsu ultimately ending up destroying each other rather than being able to inflict any actual harm.
Madara flinched when the demonic statue opened its mouth to launch an attack that had caused great suffering and misery before. The purple ethereal dragon came rushing out and roared in eagerness as it dashed forward towards its prey which was Madara's personal force.
Panic spread through his mind as he scrambled for any idea that might help him stop this beast.
Not having the time or idea he did the only thing that came to his mind.
Hinata Otsutsuki had become used to the idea of self sacrifice after watching so many shinobi die for their breatheren in this war one after another. Their actions while valiant were futile since the end result was the same.
Except for Madara.
The new and last dragon king literally slammed his Susanoo right into the soul stealing purple dragon. The beast itself was stunned when it didn't pass through the Susanoo and steal the soul of its master. A brutal left hook saw the dragon crashing to the ground. It looked up to see nothing but pure rage in Madara's eyes.
The extended form of Raijin no Ken merged inside the Susanoo was raised in the air.
"FOR MY BROTHER!"
The holy sword plunged through the ancient beast making it scream in agony as the lightning weapon surged a destructive power. The pure chakra clashed violently against the darker one of the dragon and ultimately subdued it. It was not enough for Madara as he still remembered reading about the fact that this monster had killed his last brother and aunt.
The dragon was already ripped into half and convulsing in agony on the ground much to the shock of the Otsutsuki.
Madara gave it the same justice which he had given to the rebel leaders who had tried to destroy his army in the Land of Wind.
The holy sword held by Susanoo severed the dragon's head mercilessly and Madara grabbed the hideous face of the monster before tossing it right in front of Hinata.
The Otsutsuki queen was shocked.
It had been a very long time since she had seen such brutal power. Even the previous dragon king fought more with tactics than power yet he had also lost. But this King...
The hatred in Madara's eyes for her was more deep and violent than the one she had seen in Indra.
The King's Susanoo gave a fearsome cry making many of Hinata's fellow clansmen and allies take several steps back.
"How will you defeat us, Uchiha Madara? A King with no dragons and a pitiful force" mocked Hinata,
To her surprise, instead of the remark riling up Madara and making him attack recklessly it only made the Uchiha stare at her as if she was a dumb child.
"You're looking at a dragon and I'm not the one using dead people for their dirty work. So far have the mighty Otsutsuki fallen...or were you this pathetic even during Kaguya's reign. I won't be surprised if that's true" scolded Madara harshly,
"Be careful with your words, Uchiha. Insult our queen again-"
"Fuck the queen!"
Madara's moment of triumph was soon replaced by dread when Hinata quickly performed a set of hand seals and slammed her hand on the ground.
"Summoning Jutsu"
It was a moment of awe and despair both for the handful Uchiha alongwith their King when the smoke disappeared to reveal three magnificent beasts that were thought to be long lost. Only they had been taken captive by the Otsutsuki.
Three beasts that were almost as large as the Susanoo now stood before the Uchiha King. Their scales as tough as the armor of Susanoo, their fiery breaths as deadly as the flames of Amaterasu, their murderous eyes emitting the same anger and hatred present in the eyes of the Susanoo.
To think I would be forced to fight against them.
Sadness gripped Madara's heart as he saw the three dragons be placed against him. He like the rest of his clan had always believed that the ancient beasts had existed in the world once upon a time, to be finally proven right and see them with his own eyes brought him great joy. Knowing they were forced to serve the enemy filled him with anger.
The Gedo Mazo for all its power was no match for these creatures as they flapped their wings and took to the skies for the first time in thousands of years.
"Let the dance of dragons begin!" said Hinata coldly,
Watching that smug smile be wiped off from Madara's lips only to be replaced by dread gave her great satisfaction. The Uchiha's were so predictable and they were the same as Indra had been. Take away their pride and power, and they were nothing.
She had seen nearly half of Indra's determination falter when his dragon summoning creatures were defeated and stolen by Hinata and her kind. In the first war, all of Indra's sons had received the dragon contract from their father. All of them had ridden those beasts into battle and when they fell, the sons of Indra lost hope and were ultimately defeated.
Seeing the same despair and sadness present in the eyes of the last Uchiha survivors gave her immense satisfaction.
How ironic that they would die at the hands of the very same beasts they had worshiped their entire lives.
Still, she could not help but be impressed with Madara as the Uchiha King took his Susanoo to the skies to meet the approaching three dragons head on. Only someone like Madara would have the balls to risk such a move...
For all his faults and weaknesses, even the Otsutsuki queen could not deny the fact that Madara Uchiha was perhaps the most fearsome warrior she had ever seen. He knew he would die today, he knew his defeat was imminent, he knew there was no hope, he knew his family was gone...
Yet only word came out his lips for his terrified soldiers battling against the Otsutsuki hordes.
"FIGHT!"
Hinata raised her hand as she saw the Susanoo warrior about to clash against the furious three dragons charging towards them. The battlefield being consumed in their fearsome cries and looming shadows.
As one the three monstrous dragons unleashed a hurricane of bright red flames at the approaching Susanoo.
Even if those monsters fought high in the skies, every warrior on the ground felt the scorching heat in those flames as they raced towards Madara whose own warrior form unleashed its counterattack.
"AMATERASU!"
Dark flames were unleashed by the demonic bull headed Susanoo and they clashed head on against raging dragonfire.
To everyone utter shock, the dark flames started not only pushing the dragonfire back...but also started consuming it much to the surprise of the three dragons.
The Otsutsuki queen was again left speechless by Madara Uchiha.
He was not joking when he said he was a dragon himself. His anger and hatred burns even more brightly than those of the beasts themselves. How much power does he have in that mortal body of his?
Deciding not to take any more risks against this dangerous foe, Hinata Otsutsuki gave the command.
Gedo Mazo fired off a large bolt of lightning that directly hit the heart of the Susanoo where Madara was located. The warrior jolted making the stream of Amaterasu flames falter. The three dragons pushed their own flames more viciously than ever.
As the first cracks in the Susanoo started to appear, Hinata decided to deal the final blow.
"Bansho Tenin!''
Madara's control over his flames collapsed as he was brutally yanked back towards the ground. The dragons used the golden opportunity to swoop down straight towards the Susanoo and bathed it in their merciless fire.
Hinata smirked as the warrior King fell to the ground brutally and was totally consumed in dragonfire raining down on him from all sides. She marched forward knowing it was the end for Madara...
She was about to raise her hand in order to crush the diminished elite of the ninja when she heard that horrible scream.
Turning back she could not believe what she witnessed.
One of the dragons crashed to the ground screaming in unbearable agony courtesy of the lightning strike that rained from the sky and pierced through its tough scales. The reason for that strike was the lightning sword being held defiantly by Susanoo even as it was being burned alive.
Madara and his beast despite being badly burned rose from the ground and jumped high in the air. The remaining two dragons had not expected this defiance and were too close to fly away. The holy sword of Raijin pierced through one of the dragon's heart as the remaining hand of Susanoo grabbed the last dragon by its neck.
The Uchiha King was panting harshly with blood leaking all over his body. While he was yet to be burned, his Susanoo was utterly charred from head to toe and crumbling apart. Madara roared defiantly as he flipped the last dragon wildly in the air before slamming the beast brutally into the ground killing hundreds of more enemy forces.
The beast screamed in agony before falling silent again.
The King looked at the ancient creatures. One of them was dead thanks to Raijin piercing its heart, the other two were mortally wounded and would probably not survive. It was a true shame that such magnificent creatures were reduced to this state. Madara doubted that any normal ninja could have taken down these ferocious beasts easily, if not for Susanoo then they would have roasted him alive.
He gasped in pain as he felt something pierce through his Susanoo.
Looking down he saw a long and broad white shaped spear lodged clean through his Susanoo. Dark seals started spreading from the spear towards the Susanoo's body and Madara felt his energy being suppressed rapidly.
Chakra Suppressors.
He was barely able to turn his monstrous Susanoo around but was too late as the Otsutsuki queen had already floated through the air with her attack ready.
"Gentle Fist!"
The Susanoo's chest cracked open as it stumbled backwards and gracelessly fell to the ground. Madara coughed blood as he tried to fight off the immense pain the strike had caused to his heart. The enemy queen had seen through Susanoo's weakest point and delivered a merciless strike. From the corner of his eyes, he saw his elite forces led by his Dragonguard being surrounded by all sides by the massive enemy army.
He glanced at the Capital knowing his father, all those ninjas, and nearly 100,000 civilians were holed up in there. If he failed, then they would all be killed.
Gathering his strength and suppressing his pain, Madara started to rise back again only to receive small boulder sized chakra fist attacks from the enemy queen.
"Eight Triagrams: Sixty Four Palms!"
Madara was sent back to the ground as massive fists of chakra delivered precise and brutal strikes all over his Susanoo form. The warrior king already battling his own pain and losing more and more of his chakra to the suppression seals was unable to continue providing chakra that his crumbling Susanoo needed.
With a final grunt, Madara was flattened across the ground with his Susanoo now crumbling fully around him.
Hinata saw a river of blood leaking from Madara's eyes and she could only imagine the amount of pain the Uchiha must be in. The Mangekyo Sharingan was a double edged sword which consumed its master and enemies both in the end.
"Now you die" she declared calmly, as she produced one final white shaped spear aiming it Madara's still form on the ground.
The blood soaked warrior looked at her and even now the defiance in his eyes irked her immensely.
"One day...you...shall...fall" cursed Madara,
Hinata didn't reply as she threw the spear and growled angrily when the stubborn Uchiha ignited it in black flames.
The little pest refused to die!
She was about to close in to finish the annoying pest once and for all when another war horn was heard across the battlefield. It was neither hers or Madara's.
Three dark portals appeared across the west, east and south side of the battlefield. Much to everyone's surprise the roars of the thousand of warriors mounted atop horses invaded the battlefield.
With the Capital city in the Northern direction, this new army had effectively surrounded the Otsutsuki on all sides.
Hinata clenched her fists when she saw nearly 25,000 ninjas and Samurai approach on foot to surround her army from the rear. The Senju flag was held proudly by Hashirama Senju and Mito Uzumaki who stood at the helm of this massive army.
On the eastern flank was flying the flag of the Samurai Nation with a 5000 strong mounted cavalry taking up positions under the leadership of Mifune and Hanzo.
But it was the western flank that shocked everyone on the battlefield.
"Damn you, Kimimaro!" cursed Hinata bitterly, as she saw the three headed dragon banner once more.
Madara smiled in relief and joy when he saw his last and youngest brother mounted atop the Kyuubi. He had no golden armor or a crown upon his head yet even wearing a simple Uchiha armor was enough to make Naruto Uchiha strike a fear in the hearts of his enemies.
Behind the King stood the Kingsguard and a cavalry of 5000 ninjas.
Tajima and the other commanders were hardly able to believe what they were witnessing.
Not only was the enemy surrounded but their King was alive!
And he had returned for vengeance against the enemies of mankind.
A massive infantry led by Hashirama had surrounded the Otsutsuki from the rear cutting off any escape from that route. Knowing the power of the Senju leader, the enemy was going to be in trouble.
A 10,000 strong cavalry had surrounded both the flanks of the enemy.
Tajima looked at Sakumo Hatake, Daen Nara, Sasuke Sarutobi and Nagato Uzumaki who all had the same looks in their eyes. They had all been forced to stay safe behind the city walls since Madara ordered them to preserve their forces. Tajima had been about to charge out ignoring the order when he saw his last son about to be killed. It would have led to everyone's death but now...
It might just save their lives.
"We stand with our King to death!" declared Tajima,
The roars of 25,000 ninjas within the city made the Uchiha patriarch smile as he unleashed his sword.
Together, the ninja army charged out of the city to complete surrounding of the enemy army from all sides.
The Otsutsuki had nearly 300,000 warriors in their forces alongwith that statue but even they bristled alongwith their queen when almost 70,000 humans surrounded them from all sides.
Naruto heard several sharp breaths being taken from his own ranks as everyone saw the sheer size of the enemy army for the first time. It was like a picture of a massive wave of darkness which dwarfed them all even when surrounded from all sides.
The sight of Gedo Mazo sent a wave of panic and fear among his 5000 strong force.
He felt Kurama tense as well but to everyone's credit not even one ninja, samurai, or civilian warrior fled at the sight of the massive enemy army.
They trembled but stood their ground.
Turning back, Naruto saw his three friends staring at the enemy army with a mixture of nervousness and determination.
Their 5000 strong force was made up of ninjas, samurai and even civilians as was the case with the cavalry led by Mifune and Hanzo on the opposite flank.
"We stick to the plan! Kagami, take command of our left flank and support my father's forces near the city walls! Takeshi, take command of the right flank and support Hashirama in crushing the enemy's rear! Shisui, you and your men shall follow me right towards the heart of the enemy army!" commanded Naruto,
"HAI!" chorused three reply,
The three Kingsguard swiftly parted to take command of the respective troops assigned to them.
Naruto wanted to launch the attack immediately but saw that his men were still trying to accept the dreadful sight before them. It was one thing to accept your death but an entire different matter when you see it right in front of you.
The defiant roar of the enemy army as they scrambled to defend all their flanks under the Otsutsuki leadership didn't reassure the human army. They had managed to surprise the enemy...but their resolve was yet to be broken.
"Warriors of this world!" yelled Naruto, surprised at the power of his own voice as it was heard across the entire battlefield by both enemies and allies alike.
Kurama had the foresight to travel through the dimensions in its smaller form and Naruto used this fact to make sure he and his men looked eye to eye.
"A great battle shall happen this day! Today, mankind fights for its survival! Let the dead see the resolve of the living! Let them taste the power of swords! " declared Naruto,
The sight of the King unleashing Dawn was the cue for the rest of the army to raise their own weapons.
"A day of RECKONING!"
"A day of JUSTICE!"
"A day of VICTORY!"
As Naruto galloped across the lines of his men, he narrowed his eyes for a moment when he saw a distant face in the crowd. Dismissing those thoughts, he focused on making his last observations of his troops.
The desire to fight and make the Otsutsuki pay was now reemerging in every warrior's eyes as they listened acutely to their King.
"Stand now! Fight now!" encouraged Naruto with every ounce of his own determination,
He narrowed his eyes dangerously when he saw the wounded form of his eldest brother being carried away from the battlefield by several ninjas. The Otsutsuki queen had lost interest in him and had instead scrambled to defend her surrounded army. But the fact that she had hurt his brother filled his heart with even more fierce hatred.
He clashed his sword fiercely against those of the men near him and made sure they saw the fire in his own eyes.
"FIGHT FOR VENGEANCE! FIGHT FOR THE LOST!"
The first rays of the sunlight pierced through the dark skies to fall upon the lands. Looking at his friends, he declared the words of his clan.
"FIRE!"
"FIRE!"
As one the entire ninja army roared silencing the entire battlefield with their warcry. Naruto turned to face the enemy army with his sword raised defiantly in the air.
"BLOOD!"
"BLOOD!"
His eyes met the gaze of Hinata Otsutsuki for the first time as he pointed his sword at the enemy army giving out his final order.
"DEATH!"
From all four ninja armies surrounding the enemy came out one reply.
"DEATH!"
"DEATH!"
"DEATH!"
"DEATH!"
The Kyuubi roared as the King pointed his sword forward unleashing the fury of his race.
"FOR MANKIND!"
The ground shook terribly as thousands of humans charged from all directions. From the flanks came a combined 10,000 strong cavalry. From the front and rear of the Otsutsuki came a furious force of 50,000 strong ninja fighters on the ground.
Naruto activated his Mangekyo Sharingan as he felt Kurama start to increase in size. Within seconds the beast gained its true monstrous form and was quickly shrouded in Susanoo armor. The new entity of man and beast made an intimidating sight as its head was a mixture of fox and dragon face. The monster charged on four paws yet it also had two large hands holding the sword of Dawn and a Shield of Amaterasu.
Behind this monster was a roaring cavalry of 5000 angry humans.
The Otsutsuki army to their credit were quick in forming deep and wide defensive lines on all sides with the dead warriors at the front, bloodthirsty Kaguya in the center and Hagoromo in the rear with the remaining strange troops. Each side was being commanded by atleast two Otsutsuki officers with the queen herself taking charge of the rear where Hashirama was charging with his massive army.
The dead who were unable to use jutsu simply locked their shields and raised their swords or spears forming a firm defensive wall in each direction. The Kaguya and Hagoromo had no such restriction and were quick to start gathering chakra at the command of their Otsutsuki officers.
"Slaughter them!" yelled the Otsutsuki officers,
Each ninja faction charging on every side saw a storm of arrows, shuriken, kunai, fireballs rise high in the sky. On the ground, the enemy army split the earth into vast swamps, jagged rock spears, made the ground slippery or simply caused a massive earthquake to break the ninja army's charge.
Hundreds of ninjas, Samurai and civilians succumbed to the series of attacks on all sides.
"CHARGE!" yelled Naruto murderously,
On the rear, he saw Hashirama unleash a forest of trees that annihilated the entire frontal ranks of the enemy despite the Otsutsuki queen's best efforts to defend her men. On the east flank, the Samurai cavalry led by Mifune and Hanzo continued their charge despite their mounting losses and Hanzo even unleashed a smokescreen of poison that directly hit several Kaguya and Hagoromo. On the frontal side, braving all losses Tajima and his ninjas unleashed a variety of jutsu making the enemy pay for every ninja they killed as they charged in closer and closer.
Several of Naruto's own cavalry fell to the numerous attacks launched by the enemy but no one stopped.
Not when they all saw the Susanoo/Kyuubi form a massive Bijudama.
"FIRE!" commanded Naruto,
The tailed beast bomb was launched forward and it sailed right for the enemy forces stationed on the western flank.
A disastrous explosion happened on the western flank as the Bijudama literally evaporated thousands upon thousands of enemy forces. The attack showed no mercy to either Kaguya, Hagoromo, or even the dead. One of the Otsutsuki officers on the flank was also killed in the explosion.
The remaining lone Otsutsuki officer on the western flank saw half of his flank be destroyed in seconds and the other half was completely disorganized with the threat of collapsing any moment.
He commanded what few hundred dead he had left to form another defensive line but froze on seeing thousands of murderous cavalrymen charging right at him lead by the Dragon King himself.
The last thing the Otsutsuki ever saw was Naruto's monstrous Susanoo sword crashing down on him and then he knew no more.
The Susanoo/Kyuubi monster thrashed its nine massive tails sending the remaining Otsutsuki fighters crashing away. The King mounted atop the fox also used his monstrous ethereal sword and shield of black flames to pummel dozens more every second. The last presence of enemy forces on the western flank were utterly annihilated by thousands of angry cavalrymen led by Shisui, Kagami and Takeshi who tore through the enemy lines with ease, their wooden chakra horses making quick work of the enemy stragglers by crushing them under their feet.
The eastern flanks faced a similar situation with Hanzo's Salamander going berserk on enemy lines and the remaining enemy unity being broken by the disciplined and ferocious Samurai led by Mifune.
Hashirama and Tajima's massive forces had already clashed against the enemy on the front and rear sides. Unlike the enemy flanks which were almost destroyed completely, those two sides were holding well thanks to sheer numbers on the front and the presence of the queen in the rear.
Naruto and his cavalry had effectively wiped out the entire western flank in one single strike and were busy eliminating the stragglers when they heard a monstrous roar.
The King looked ahead and saw the Gedo Mazo tremble and soon enough it unleashed eight shadows from within its body. Eight shadows that took up the shape of very familiar monsters that made Kurama growl furiously.
They were the eight tailed beasts thought lost over the centuries.
Naruto's worst fears came true as those very same destructive beasts were now revealed to be captured by the Otsutsuki. Judging by their blank eyes and heavy seals on their massive bodies left no doubt as to under whose control they were.
Now all eight of them zeroed in on the largest threat on the battlefield and roared.
Every tailed beast was quickly commandeered by one Otsutsuki warrior as they all now made a straight line towards Naruto and his cavalry.
The ground threatened to sink into the earth with the terrible rumbling and the killing intent of the ancient beasts instantly stopped the ninjas on the western flanks as their terrified eyes glanced at the death approaching their way.
"Form up! Regroup!" roared the King urgently, as he raised his Susanoo sword.
Naruto's timely command and the quick thinking of the three Kingsguard saw the scattered cavalry again reforming itself into an inverted V-shaped attack formation despite the tailed beasts charging right towards them.
The Dragon King pointed his sword forward and yelled out loudly for every man to hear the command,
"CHARGE!"
