19 Chapter 19: Tobirama's Legacy

"Why?''

Pure anger was flooding his mind...his hands were clenched so tightly that blood was coming out of his hands, and for the first time in his life he was ashamed of himself.

"Why did she have to die? I'll never see her again...all of them are gone"

"Hawk...why did you leave her behind?" asked Naruto in a dead voice, he just needed an answer from the man.

"It was the only choice...it was her or all three of us. She sacrificed herself for both of us..." said Hawk remorsefully, and the next instant Naruto got out of his grip and landed on the ground.

He then tried to punch Hawk...but the Anbu caught his hand before the hit could connect.

"We don't leave comrades to die...why couldn't we save her?" asked Naruto in a tearful voice, and a few more tears slipped from his eyes.

"Because you were afraid"

Those words shook the ground beneath Naruto's feet and his eyes widened in shock. But he realized what Hawk had said was the truth...he was afraid back there, and had slowed the squad.

"Because I was not strong enough to protect my comrades..." said Hawk shamefully, and this time Naruto realized the man was right.

Both of them were responsible for the death of their entire squad...because of them, Hisana, Bird and Eagle had to die.

"Only if we had been more faster...we wouldn't have got cornered, and Hisana, Bird, Eagle wouldn't have to come back to save us...It's my fault they died" said Naruto defeatedly,

Hawk grabbed the young boy's shoulders and looked at him straight in the eye.

"Naruto...this world is full of lies and deception, as long as there is love there is hatred...Hisana gave her life to protect her country and her comrades. There will come a time when we will have to do the same" explained Hawk briefly,

He was quite tired by running continuously for 30 minutes as the gas in his 3D gear had ran out...and running 7 clicks straight on Shanxi hill was no joke. Their pursuers were regrouping their forces so they had a little time to take a breath.

"Can this ever end? What should I do?" asked Naruto silently, and Hawk looked at the boy firmly,

"Use your hatred...and become more stronger. Hatred will keep you going...till today you didn't hate Iwa shinobi but look what they did to Hisana and the others. They waged an unnecessary war against Konoha and so many of our brothers died...this is unforgivable. Destroy your enemies with your hatred, Naruto" said Hawk seriously, and the look in the young Namikaze's eyes changed.

"I swear I'll make those bastards pay for what they did to my team...I hate them, I hate every one of them!" said Naruto bitterly, and for a moment Hawk felt a little wary of the boy as the amount of KI he was releasing was astonishing.

"This will at least not break him down when such battle is going on..." thought Hawk seriously,

But something was really off...that look in his eyes, even his sharingan was not active but Hawk could see the unending hatred in Naruto's eyes...it was as if everything he had believed in had been destroyed today...the reality of their world had changed him.

Both of them were interrupted from their chat when two birds landed right beside them...and they were quite surprised to see Armin and Rangiku hopping off from the birds and running towards them.

Rangiku was horrified on seeing the condition Naruto was in, his entire body was covered in blood...just what happened back there.

She ran forward and before he could react she hugged him tightly...and a few tears slipped from her eyes on seeing him alive.

''Rangiku..." said Naruto in a hollow voice, it felt warm...this feeling that he was having in his heart was so different, was this the power of love?

"Are you two alright?" asked Armin worriedly, and Naruto averted his eyes from his friend...instead he just hugged Rangiku back.

"Yeah...what are you two doing here? You are supposed to provide air support for the Garrison force..." said Hawk seriously, and Armin had expected this question.

"We were sent to rescue your squad by Commander Fox...he figured you guys would need help considering the last information Naruto gave him," explained Armin briefly, and Hawk was glad the Commander sent these two, he didn't know if he could make it back in time.

Rangiku broke the hug...and gently took Naruto's Anbu mask off, and the first thing she saw was hatred in his eyes, the desire to kill everything...and she had an idea as to what had happened.

"Where's the rest of your squad?" asked Rangiku carefully, and again she saw the anger and hatred increasing in his eyes.

"They are gone...those bastards killed them, and I'm gonna kill every last one of them!" said Naruto angrily, and Rangiku was very sad on hearing that.

"I'm sorry...I know you must be in pain, but you shouldn't let so much hatred remain inside yourself," said Rangiku seriously, and this time she saw a betrayed look in his eyes.

"You don't understand...I was naive, I thought I could change the world...I believed I could protect my comrades...look where it got me" said Naruto adamantly, and Rangiku started healing the wound on his back with her medical ninjutsu.

"This was not your fault...your squad gave their lives for you, remember that!" said Rangiku warmly and caressed his cheeks affectionately...and this time Naruto's eyes widened in shock as he remembered Hisana's last words.

"Don't give up"

Naruto realized what Rangiku was trying to say...and even Hisana wanted him to do the same thing, but then he remembered the moment when those bastards brutally murdered her.

"All that's left of my team is the hatred they gave me...the only thing I feel is hatred" said Naruto firmly, and Rangiku sighed tiredly.

"Is that so? What memories do you have of your squad?" asked Rangiku straightforwardly,

"Slow down Shithead...or you'll have an orgasm!"

"Welcome to the vanguard brother...let's fuck some Iwa bastards"

"We all are like family...we bicker, we have arguments but we always watch each other's backs. Don't worry you'll fit in just fine"

"Hm"

Those memories...what were they? His heart felt lot more lighter when he remembered those happy times...but he also couldn't forget the moment they died, it was playing that memory in his mind over and over again.

"No matter what pain comes before you...never give up, don't replace the kindness and love in your heart with hatred. Hatred will make you blind...and you will feel a hole in your heart...one which you have right now" said Rangiku calmly, and this time Naruto was truly astonished to see how much the blonde blacklight clearly understood him.

Not even Mikasa was capable of seeing so deep in his heart...why did he matter so much to Rangiku?

"I miss them...it hurts so much," said Naruto in a broken voice, and Rangiku smiled a little.

"You still have friends that will help you fill the hole in your heart...as long as we are here, no matter what happens you won't be alone" said Rangiku firmly,

She was surprised when Naruto came forward and slowly started removing his facemask...and her heartbeat increased greatly.

"What are you doing?" asked Rangiku hesitantly...but the next moment one of her wishes was fulfilled when she finally saw what he looked behind the facemask.

"Thank you..." said Naruto gratefully...and the smile which she saw on his face made her so happy, and she jumped on him and hugged him back.

"I love you..." said Rangiku in her mind, maybe someday they could both be together.

Armin smiled a little on seeing Naruto's smile...but there was one person in the group who saw the real truth...he saw what was behind that smile.

It was the smile of a devil.

"Naruto Namikaze...you truly know deception...your hatred is the greatest in this world and no one can make it disappear"

And Hawk was proved right when Naruto gave him a sinister grin...he had not changed.

His path of hatred had just began.

"So that's what happened?" asked Han quietly, and Naruto nodded. Hawk was standing right beside him...and they had just told Han what happened back there.

"Hai...the captain and the others died in the line of duty. We gave devastating blows to Iwa's army...and I believe they'll attack us at night...because even if they have Sakumo and Mito with them...they know if 5 of us could cause so much destruction...then what destruction would 27 blacklight could cause?" said Hawk deviously, and Han had to agree with the young Anbu's logic.

"Commander...how can those two be alive? They died decades ago" said Naruto in confusion

"Edo Tensei" said Han frustratingly, and Naruto got a lot more confused.

"It is a kinjutsu developed by the Second Hokage...that summons the dead person's soul back from them other world...and then the caster uses these souls to do his bidding. The dangerous thing about this jutsu is that these dead cannot be killed, no matter how much you cut them...they'll regrow their parts again. The only way to stop them is by sealing them," explained Han briefly,

Minato had warned him and the other commanders of this...there had been reports of such Edo tensei appearing during these years...and so far only Sakumo and Mito had came to the front...damn that Orochimaru.

"Who is controlling these people?" asked Hawk curiously,

"Orochimaru..."

"Then we'll kill him and stop this jutsu.." said Naruto murderously but Han shook his head in negative.

"Killing the caster won't stop this jutsu...we'll have to seal them and Naruto I'll be needing your help" said Han seriously, and the young Namikaze was quite surprised by this.

"I am maybe strong...but I'm no match for those two, I may not be of much help" said Naruto honestly,

"You're wrong...Sakumo is a great fire style user, while Mito is a water style user...that's what the records had said. I'm a wind style user...while I maybe at par in Kenjutsu with Sakumo...I can't stand against him in fire ninjutsu...this is where you have to play a role!" said Han sharply, and some things started making sense to Naruto.

"You want me to keep them busy with my water style ninjutsu and when the time comes trap them with my Mokuton...so that you can seal them quickly, while the rest of the blacklight keep the Iwa forces at bay," said Naruto deviously, this plan would work.

"You have become lot more devious...young Namikaze" said Han proudly, and Naruto gave him a firm gaze.

"They want to use force to destroy us...I'll use my hatred to wipe out every last one of them from the face of this earth" said Naruto murderously, and Han nodded.

"Then what was that with Rangiku back then?" asked Hawk curiously, he still was a little confused.

"There is no need for her to be worried about me...if I had not done that, she would lose her focus in battle as her mind would still be concerned about my hatred...and that would not be helpful for us. Nothing in this world can fill the void in my heart that Hisana's death created" said Naruto sadly,

Hisana was the first person who welcomed him despite just being a rookie...she could have just ordered him around, but she did the opposite. She became a sister to him...even if the time he spent with her was short, he did cherish it very much.

"Hisana...no matter what happens, I swear I'll avenge all of you" thought Naruto sorrowful, and his sharingan started spinning more dangerously.

Han looked at the boy for a few moments...if one battle had changed him so much, then what this war would do to him? He still remembered his fight with Naruto in Valley of Death...there he had seen a glimpse of his hatred and one thing was certain.

"His hatred is far more stronger than his love...the more his hatred keeps on increasing, the more powerful he'll become. I can see it in his eyes...this boy will change the entire world as a savior born from love...or a destroyer born from hatred. Only time will tell..."

After all Naruto was a descendant of the famed Uchiha who were known for their hatred.

In a small park of Konoha walked a lonely boy...his hands were behind his back, and a lot of thoughts were running through his young mind.

Itachi didn't know why there was so much chaos in the world, 5 years had passed and the war was still not ending. He was now 11 years old, and was studying in the academy...he had seen many of his seniors heading off to war, but he was never sent to the front.

He even requested his father to join the war...but his request was denied. Konoha needed shinobi right now...but his generation was not being sent to war.

"You are far too young...and in case of an attack on the village, we will need even the help of academy students."

This was the vague reason given to him by the captain of the Police force...but even he could tell that was not the truth.

He hated wars...they only brought misery and pain, his entire family was at the front lines and risking their lives everyday...why was peace not possible in their world?

"I'll go mad if I keep thinking on like this," thought a frustrated Itachi,

His sharp ears picked up the sound of crying coming from a nearby corner...and he rushed towards the right side, and to his surprise he found a little boy barely 7 years old crying...there was a small picture in his hand.

The boy looked so familiar...he had spiky brown hair and dark black eyes, he was wearing a small yellow tshirt and tight shorts...and there was a small scarf around his neck.

Itachi went forward and put a gentle hand on the boy's head...and the young boy looked at him...and he saw the grief in the boy's eyes.

"Why are you crying?" asked Itachi comfortingly, and the boy just looked at the picture in his hand...and Itachi noticed there was a couple in it along with a small young boy in their arms...on closer inspection he saw that this was the same boy that was crying right now.

"My Tou-san and Kaa-san...died," said the boy sadly...and Itachi's heart broke when he heard that.

"What's your name?" asked Itachi gently, and wiped away the tears from the young boy's eyes.

"Konohamaru Sarutobi..."

"He's the third's grandson...that's why he seemed so familiar, so it means the third's elder son and daughter in law have died in this war too.." thought Itachi bitterly,

He sat beside the young boy...and was now looking at the picture of the family quitely, for a moment he saw the picture of his own family in it.

"You still have your grandfather...and uncle, don't you? You will get through this..." said Itachi patiently, but the boy just looked at him angrily,

"What do you know of my pain? Have you ever lose your parents!" said Konohamaru angrily, and Itachi sighed tiredly...he didn't know how to give a proper answer.

"No...I don't know your pain, but my parents and big brother are fighting on the front lines. Its been 5 years since I heard from my brother, I don't even know if he is alive...but what I do know is that they are fighting to give us a better future...just like your parents did" said Itachi calmly,

Konohamaru looked at the older boy curiously...everyone close to him just said they know how he felt, but this boy was different.

"What matters is the love in their hearts for us...their will to sacrifice everything for us, your parents gave their lives for you because they loved you more than anything in this world, when you remember how they died also remember how much they loved you." said Itachi with a kind smile, and Konohamaru just gave a weak nod.

"Nii-chan...whom do you love the most in your family?" asked Konohamaru silently,

"My big brother..."

"Even more than your parents?" asked a shocked Konohamaru, how could someone love another person more than their parents?

"Don't get me wrong...I love my parents deeply, but the one who truly understands me is my Nii-chan. No matter how much I annoyed him in the past...he always stood by my side...took blame for my mistakes, and was always there for me. Sometimes I believe he went to war...to protect me, so that I would not have to face such a terrible thing," said Itachi tiredly, he really missed Naruto a lot.

A small smile came on Konohamaru's face as he imagined what his brother meant to this boy...

"I wish I had a brother..." said Konohamaru regretfully, but was quite surprised when Itachi punched his hand in the air.

"Who said you didn't have a brother? You've got the great, famous, genius...Itachi Namikaze as your big brother from now" said Itachi jokingly,

The next moment Itachi fell flat on the ground and when he looked up he saw Konohamaru was hugging him tightly...and tears were freely flowing from his eyes.

"Thank you..."

Two simple words escaped from the young Sarutobi's mouth...but it was enough to convey the feelings in his heart to Itachi, and he patted the young boy's head gently.

"Nii-chan...I will create a world where we all can live peacefully."

It was pitch dark...and in a small trench 27 men stood in battle ready positions.

Hands firmly on their weapons, their mind focused only on the ground in front of them...the earth around them was shaking violently, and even the moon had hid behind the dark clouds.

If one could say it was hell.

On front of these men stood a tall man, he was wearing his shinobi armor proudly, and there was a large sword strapped on his back. The fox mask on his face being a symbol for his power.

Han looked at the 26 young blacklight troopers behind him...and no matter the circumstances he was proud to be fighting beside such soldiers. Men whom he could trust, men who would die for their country and their comrades without any hesitation.

The firm sound of marching was echoing in the entire area and he knew this time the enemy's entire army was going to attack them.

27 against 3500...a soul terrifying massacre was going to happen tonight...and each one of them knew it.

He looked at the faces of his men...and he could see in their eyes the will to fight with everything they had. They would fight till the end.

"This war has brought you here today...it will define each of you," said Han in a firm voice, and his men were looking at him with respect in their eyes.

"You maybe a brother, a son, a father...but tonight you are a soldier. The enemy gave you a war...and you accepted to be here. Each of you choose to stand and fight...each of you are heroes. One way or another we will not let Iwa get this hill," said Han loudly, and the soldiers could hazily see thousands of Iwa shinobi approaching their position.

They gripped their launchers and swords tightly...and adrenaline rushed through their entire bodies. This was it.

"There will be no room for mistakes...each of you needs to be willing to die to save this hill...anything less and you are already dead. I, Commander Fox, leader of 1st company am proud to have served with all of you," said Han proudly,

"The honor was ours, Commander" said all the blacklight Anbu in unison,

The enemy army now clearly came out in the open field...and now the blacklight platoon clearly saw what they were up against. The thousands of Iwa shinobi were ready with their weapons to kill them.

Han unsheathed his sword and pointed it at the enemy army.

"Expect no mercy...Show no mercy"

All the blacklight troopers readied their weapons, the KI in the area rose to tremendous levels and for a second even the Iwa shinobi took a step back in fear...when those 27 warriors looked at them murderously.

"Fight or die!"

The Iwa shinobi were quite surprised when a young phoenix masked blacklight came forward...and his dark red eyes were burning with hatred.

In a blink of an eye he performed hand seals quickly...

"Suiton: Mizubōsō (Water Release: Rampaging Water)"

The ground shook tremendously...and a 90 feet water wave was unleashed by the young Anbu on the entire Iwa shinobi...the wave moved at tremendous speed destroying everything in its path.

The Iwa shinobi couldn't believe what they were seeing...such powerful jutsu.

"A water style jutsu without any water source..." thought the Iwa ninja in shock...

However a few of them realized the danger they were in and quickly performed a familiar set of hand seals quickly.

"Doton Doryuuheki (Earth Release: Mud Wall Jutsu)"

A massive earth wall was formed by hundreds of Iwa shinobi in order to defend themselves against the tidal wave of water.

"Heh...earth style is stronger than water. You can't defeat us" said a Iwa shinobi arrogantly, and many of his comrades agreed with him.

CRACK

Their eyes widened in shock when they heard cracking voices coming from the wall...

CRACK

The ninja's took a step back in fear when more small cracks started appearing in the wall...

CRACK

A few of them slowly started retreating as the cracks became bigger and bigger...and then,

CRACK!

THE WALL SHATTERED TO PIECES AND THE ENORMOUS WAVE RAN STRAIGHT THROUGH THE FRONT LINE OF IWA'S ARMY!

A lone woman's eyes widened when she saw waves upon waves of Iwa shinobi...being caught in the powerful water attack, and many of them were killed within seconds.

Mito and Sakumo watched in shock...as Iwa's entire army was now in a panicked state, while the leaders were trying to gather their men back.

"Tobirama...is that you?" thought a shocked Mito...she knew only the Second Hokage was capable of such a feat.

"This presence reminds me of Nidaime-sama..." thought Sakumo seriously, he didn't know what this force was...they were the best soldiers he had seen in his entire life.

But what happened next would forever be etched in both of these shinobi's memories...the young phoenix masked Anbu was standing on top of a large water wave...and he pointed his finger at the Iwa army.

"Mokuton: Jubaku Eisō(Wood Release: Tree Bind Flourishing Burial)"

Every tree in the area started changing...and numerous Iwa shinobi were caught as the trees started binding them...and in a flash they buried the shinobi alive.

Mito's entire body was in shock...she had never dreamt of seeing this jutsu again in her life. Her husband was the only person capable of doing wood style...and this boy had performed both water style and Mokuton ninjutsu.

That only left one possibility...he was a Senju, and possibly a direct descendant of Hashirama or Tobirama.

"He first crushed the ground with his water attack...and performed the wood style right after the soil got wet enough. Ingenious" thought an impressed Sakumo...this type of training took years.

"Not another step...you are done here!" said the boy murderously,

A lone Iwa sensor sensed numerous chakra signatures behind the boy...and his eyes widened in shock when the entire blacklight platoon jumped right at them.

Han was at the front of the platoon...and he made one hand seal, and the next instant 8 shadow clones appeared right beside him, and the entire blacklight platoon formed hand seals quickly.

"Fuuton Daitoppa (Wind Release: Great Breakthrough Jutsu)"

"Fuuton Suidou no Tatsumaki (Wind Release: Tornado Tunnel Jutsu)"

"Fuuton Reppushou (Wind Release: Gale Wind Palm Jutsu)"

"Fuuton Kazekiri (Wind Release: Wind Cutter Jutsu)"

"Fuuton Suraisu no Tatsumaki (Wind Release: Slicing Tornado Jutsu)"

"Fuuton Kaiten Shuriken (Wind Release: Rotating Shuriken Jutsu)"

"Fuuton Juuyouseigun (Wind Release: Gravity Force Jutsu)"

"Fuuton Atsugai (Wind Release: Pressure Damage Jutsu)"

"Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu (Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu)"

"Doton Doryuudan (Earth Release: Mud Dragon Projectile Jutsu)"

"Doton Ishihassha (Earth Release: Stone Catapult Jutsu)"

"Suiton: Mizurappa (Water Style: Violent Water Wave)"

"Suiton: Suiryudan no Jutsu (Water Style: Water Dragon Bullet Technique)

"Kawara Shuriken (Tile Shuriken)"

"Katon Hosenka no Jutsu (Phoenix Sage Fire Technique)"

"Raiton Rakurai no Jutsu (Lightning Release: Thunderbolt Jutsu)"

Waves upon waves of jutsu rained down and destroyed numerous platoons of their armies that caught in the crossover...blood, flesh and gore flew in every direction along with the screams of the Iwa shinobi.

"Troopers...kill them all" screamed Han murderously, and many blacklight took out their kunai launchers.

The next second a sea of kunai were being launched at the enemy forces...and they were being killed mercilessly, there was no remorse in the eyes of the blacklight platoon.

The attacks were so powerful that even the quickest of Iwa shinobi could not react in time...and in a matter of minutes, almost 400 Iwa shinobi lay dead on the floor.

"First squad...Second Squad...CHARGE!"

As soon as Han gave the order half of the blacklight took out their swords and jumped high in the air in order to devastate the enemy forces,

However Naruto's eyes widened in horror when he sensed a massive burst of chakra.

"WAIT!" yelled Naruto in fear...but it was too late.

"Katon: Goka Mekkyaku (Fire Release: Great Fire Annihilation)!"

Naruto watched in horror as a tsunami of fire was fired straight at the two advancing blacklight squads...and in a flash it hit them.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH"

"No...No...NO!" yelled Naruto in agony...as he watched 14 of his comrades being burnt alive...and reduced to ashes.

He took out his tanto...and ran straight towards the dust and smoke...but a firm hand on his shoulder stopped him.

He looked back...and saw Han giving him a stern gaze, and there were 17 more blacklight troopers behind him including Han's shadow clones...in a second they were reduced to half, and that only meant one thing...

"They are here..." said Han darkly, and Naruto saw two figures slowly emerged from the dust and smoke.

The rest of the blacklight platoon prepared themselves as Sakumo and Mito now stood in front of them. Sakumo's eyes were hollow and he was standing still...it was as if he was being completely controlled like a puppet.

Meanwhile, Naruto noticed a lot of sadness in Mito's eyes as she looked at all the dead bodies around her.

"Troopers...all of you have fought well. Go and hold off the Iwa forces till your last breath, I and Naruto will handle these two..." said Han authoritatively, and readied his sword...this was going to be the most dangerous battle of his life.

"But Commander..." said a blacklight in protest, but Han gave him a harsh glare.

"Those two shinobi are said to be stronger than the Sannin itself...look what Sakumo did with just one attack. We have drawn them out...I give you my word I'll stop them at all costs. Do your duty and prevent any Iwa shinobi from getting between my battle" requested Han calmly,

The rest of the platoon thought about the order...and they could see Iwa's army had again regained their formation. If these Edo tensei had to be stopped then it would be up to them...to stop Iwa's army from interfering.

Hawk stepped forward and gave one last salute to his commander.

"We'll buy you as much time as possible...Commander." said Hawk firmly, and Han gave him a respectful nod.

The young Anbu then stepped up in front of Naruto...and ruffled his hair with a small chuckle.

"Next time...don't forget the sake and drugs," said Hawk with a sad smile, and Naruto gripped his hands tightly.

"Hawk...I..." said Naruto in a choked voice, but the Anbu just poked his forehead lightly.

"I know...shithead" said Hawk calmly, and his eyes hardened as he looked at the advancing Iwa army.

"Let's make the end memorable...brothers." said Hawk firmly, and the rest of the blacklight nodded.

Naruto stood there painfully...as one by one each of his comrades passed by him...but not before giving him a light pat on the head.

"Don't shed tears for them...if you truly want to honor their sacrifice, then help me seal these two Edo Tensei. That will be the greatest tribute you can offer to your fallen brothers..." said Han seriously, and Naruto gave a weak nod.

He gripped his tanto firmly...and looked at his enemies who were currently surrounded by Han's shadow clones from all sides. The next moment all the clones performed an identical set of hand seals...and a purple barrier rose around Han and Naruto...and it was the same for their enemies.

"What is this?" asked Naruto hesitantly,

"This is a barrier...it will prevent anyone from entering in our battle even if after our comrades fall. Let's do what we were trained to do" ordered Han strictly, and Naruto resolved himself to fight the most dangerous battle of his life.

But before they could attack...they heard a dark chuckle from Sakumo...and it confused them, even Mito did not know what was going on. Sakumo was not a man who laughed in such an evil manner.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you...young Naruto-kun," said Sakumo in that sick voice again, and this time Han realized what was going on.

"Orochimaru...you traitor, you are a disgrace to mankind. Summoning the dead for your atrocities...you are nothing more than a coward, hiding in the shadows" said Han furiously, and this time Naruto realized he was right now talking to Orochimaru through Sakumo's body...but the question that troubled him was how did that man know his identity...he even had his Anbu mask on.

"So the one controlling us is Orochimaru? Is he the same Orochimaru...that was Tsunade's teammate?" asked Mito sharply,

"Hai...Mito-sama, but now he is Konoha's biggest traitor. Forgive me, but I'll have to stop you here..." said Han flatly, and pointed his sword at the red haired Uzumaki.

"Stop us...Commander, we have already died once...we don't want to be forced to kill anymore young kids," requested Mito seriously, and Han nodded.

"Are you done? I'm bored...how long do I have to wait to get my hands on the young Senju over there?" asked Sakumo a.k.a "Orochimaru" impatiently,

Everyone's eyes widened on hearing those words...but the person who was shocked the most was none other than Naruto himself.

"A Senju? Stop fucking with us...bastard" said Naruto angrily,

However Han and Mito connected the dots...and realized it was indeed the truth that young Naruto was a Senju.

"That explains why he has such control over water...as well as a Mokuton user. Even if Orochimaru is lying, I have seen Naruto's powers and it cannot be a coincidence that he has the power of both the Senju brothers. Maybe..." thought Han analytically

"So Toka's child survived...she was always the type who kept a lot of secrets, and so was Tobirama" said Mito calmly, and she observed the young boy standing in front of her...and she was quite surprised to see a two tomoe sharingan in his eyes.

"Why do you want Naruto?" asked Han dangerously,

"He is the perfect vessel...and the key to my plans. Do you think I sent these two Edo tensei to help Iwa take this pathetic hill? So naive..." said Orochimaru mockingly,

"Naruto is the descendant of the Uchiha and Senju clan...and has inherited both of their traits. Out of both the brothers, he is said to be more stronger as compared to Itachi...and if he survives this war one day he may become more powerful than any shinobi in this world...no wonder Orochimaru wants him." thought Han quickly,

"Commander...I've had enough of his bullshit. I'm Naruto Namikaze, plain and simple...let's do what we came to do," requested Naruto flatly,

"He's right...there is no time for talk" thought Han seriously, and got in a battle ready stance...he had to make sure these two were sealed, or else his troopers won't stand a chance and they'll lose Shanxi.

"Oh...you're quite scary Naruto-kun" said Orochimaru jokingly, and he watched in interest as the young Namikaze looked at his coldly.

"I told you before...the time for talking is over!" said Naruto seriously, and the next instant he disappeared in a flash.

Sakumo took out his sword...and parried the attack that was launched at him from behind, and he was not surprised to see the attacker was none other than Naruto Namikaze.

The next instant chains erupted below Naruto...and binded Naruto's entire body.

"It's over..." said Sakumo seriously,

"Hn"

Mito was quite surprised when the sharingan in the boy's eyes swirled again...and he vanished again.

"Toka...it seems your descendants are quite as skilled as you in genjutsu" thought Mito proudly,

"Fuuton Daitoppa (Wind Release: Great Breakthrough Jutsu)"

A strong gust of wind sent both the legendary shinobi flying a few feet away...however both of them gracefully back flipped away and landed firmly on the ground.

"It seems you are going to be a pain in the ass" said Orochimaru in an annoyed voice, and the next instant Sakumo performed a set of hand seals.

Han prepared himself...as Sakumo formed the tiger seal.

"Katon: Ryūen Hōka no Jutsu(Fire Release: Dragon Flame Release Song Technique)"

A lot of dragon head shaped fireballs were fired by Sakumo and it was moving towards Han at unbelievable speed.

"Suiton: Suijinheki(Water Release: Water Formation Wall)"

A giant water wall was formed all around Han...and the dragon head shaped fireballs collided straight with the water wall, and a lot of steam rose in the area.

Han noticed Naruto rising from the ground...and he was quite surprised that he had struck his opponents with his genjutsu first, his sharingan was one of the most powerful eyes Han had ever seen.

"It's no less than I'd expect from the grandson of Tobirama Senju...now let's take it up a notch" thought Orochimaru sinisterly,

Naruto landed right beside Han...and both of stood beside each other covering their backs, as it was not possible to see in the mist that had formed due to collosion of the fire and water attacks.

"Naruto remember Edo tensei have unlimited chakra...so use your chakra carefully. I'll support you as best as I can...but I need to save my chakra for my jutsu that will seal them. " said Han quickly,

"Hai...Commander, how do you plan to seal them off?" asked Naruto curiously, and Han bit his lip.

"You'll see when the time comes...till then stay alert and don't let your guard down," advised Han seriously and Naruto gave him a firm nod.

Both of them were quite surprised when Sakumo and Mito jumped right on top of them...and Naruto quickly brought his left hand forward and blocked the kick that Mito gave him...meanwhile Sakumo and Han started engaging each other in battle.

Naruto grabbed Mito's leg and tried to swirl her in the air...but the Uzumaki flipped in the air, and attempted to give him a straight kick on his head.

Again he could see her movements with the help of his sharingan...and he dodged the kick by mere inches...and back flipped a few meters away.

"You are strong...Naruto," said Mito with a small smile on her face,

The Red head Uzumaki performed a set of hand seals...but she was quite surprised when Naruto mimicked her actions perfectly.

"Suiton Daibakufu no Jutsu(Water Release:Great Water Vortex Technique)"

"Suiton Daibakufu no Jutsu(Water Release:Great Water Vortex Technique)"

Both the water vortex collided with equal forces...and hundreds of droplets of water got spriknled everywhere, and Mito's assumption were proved right as Naruto was able to copy her perfectly...and that was not an easy job.

With great speed Naruto appeared before Mito...and slashed his tanto right across Mito's face, but she dodged it at the last second...however a few strands of her hair were cut by the attack.

"Prepare yourself...Mito-sama. I'm not going to show you any mercy," said Naruto coldly, and Mito chuckled a little on hearing that.

"You remind me of Tobirama...he behaved like you in battles, always focused" said Mito nostalgically, and Naruto just glared at her.

"I'm not a Senju...the sooner you accept it, the better it will be for both of us" said Naruto flatly,

The next instant the young Namikaze performed hand seals quickly...and even Mito couldn't see what they were.

"Suiton: Suidanha(Water Release: Water Severing Wave)"

Mito's eyes widened in shock when a sharp water torrent teared right across her left arm...and Naruto appeared before her and gave her a roundhouse kick that sent her crashing a few meters away.

"Katon Hosenka no Jutsu (Phoenix Sage Fire Technique)"

"He's too fast..." thought Mito quickly, as several fireballs were fired towards her by Naruto.

Naruto broke through the ground below her feet...but her chains emerged from her body and he had to back away quickly.

"Why do you have a sharingan?" asked Mito curiously, if this boy was really her grand nephew...then the least she could do was talk with him and know more about him.

Naruto tried to give her a leg sweep but jumped in the air and instead gave her a painful kick on his face...that sent him crashing a few meters away.

"Fuck...she hits hard" thought Naruto in pain as he massaged his bruised cheek.

"Suiton: Suiryudan no Jutsu (Water Style: Water Dragon Bullet Technique)"

Naruto was quite surprised when Mito used the water around her to form a large water dragon...and sent it straight at him. But he was preapred for this...and slammed his hands on the ground.

"Mokujoheki (Wood Locking Wall)"

A strong wooden wall was formed all around Naruto...and the water dragon was not able to harm him. But Mito's veteran eyes saw the boy was getting tired...wood style was not something anyone could handle, and the boy was very young...and combine that with the high level water attacks he launched at her and Iwa's army...it was no wonder his chakra levels were dropping quickly.

"You should retreat son...but not before you answer my question" said Mito flatly, and Naruto looked at her tiredly...he was running low on chakra and it didn't even look that Mito was tired at all.

It was true this woman was very strong...and add that to Edo tensei, and you practically have a killing machine at your disposal.

"I can't retreat...not before we seal both of you. And my mother is an Uchiha...so there you've got your answer" said Naruto tiredly, he knew he had maybe 5 more mins before his chakra ran out...and this meant that he had to solely rely on Taijutsu now.

"Damn...the enemy separated me from Commander in order to stop us from sealing these two. I have to assist the commander quickly" thought Naruto tactfully,

However Mito was in shock...when she heard Naruto say that his mother was an Uchiha. Today one of the dreams of her late husband had finally been fulfilled.

"Hashi-kun...it seems our children have finally stopped their endless hatred for each other. Your sacrifice did not go in vain..." thought Mito sadly and a small tear slipped from her eyes.

"Magen: Jubaku Satsu (Demonic Illusion: Tree Binding Death)"

She smiled a little when she saw a tree erupted behind her...and started squeezing her to death. The next moment she saw Naruto emerging from the bark of a tree with his tanto ready to kill her...or at least disable her temporarily.

"Futile..." said Mito with a tired sigh...and she launched a powerful wave of her chakra that dispersed the genjutsu in a flash.

However she was quite intrigued when she saw a victorious look in Naruto's eyes...it was as if he had got what he wanted.

"Banmuchi (Vine Whip)"

Hundreds of vine whips instantly wrapped around her entire...and she was quite astonished when despite her strength she could not get out of this trap, and when she looked at Naruto she was shocked to see he had collapsed on one of his knees.

"It seems your chakra is almost finished.." commented Mito with a small smile on her face,

"Shut up..." said Naruto embarassingly, the way this women was looking at him was giving him the creeps. It was the same as a grandmother would look at her grand kids when she wanted to tease them.

"Tobirama...he's the same as you. You also used to get riled up when your chakra was at its limit when battling with Hashi-kun.." thought Mito nostalgically,

"Naruto...you fought well. Now seal me quickly" said Mito urgently, as she felt her consciousness fading away.

Naruto was quite shocked when Mito's chakra exploded...and in a flash she destroyed all the vines that were holding her.

"What!" said Naruto in surprise...but when he looked in her eyes, he realized she was taken over by Orochimaru just like Sakumo.

"It seems I underestimated you...Naruto-kun. Do you know how many years I searched for you? Now I finally have you in my sights...now be a good boy and surrender. I swear I'll be kind to you" said Mito darkly,

"Are you gay?" asked Naruto with a sweatdrop,

"No...but I'd like to be" said Mito flatly, and this time Naruto was truly vary of this man...he had strange tastes.

"Commander...please come back quickly. I've got a pedo on my hands"

(With Han)

Han dodged another strike from Sakumo's sword and gave him a hard punch followed by a straight kick to the man's face that sent Sakumo sailing in the air.

However Han's eyes widened in shock..when he saw Sakumo performing a very familiar set of hand seals.

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu (Summoning Technique)"

A giant dog appeared right in front of Han...and from the looks of it, the beast was hungry. He formed a set of hand seals...and the next moment 4 earth clones appeared beside him.

"Formation C"

Han and his clones instantly jumped in the air and dispersed in different directions...and in a flash now stood all around the summoned creature.

The dog jumped straight at Han...but the man channeled a large amount of chakra in his feet and gave a crushing kick on the dog's face that sent the dog stumbling a few feet back.

Han knew he didn't have much time, so he decided to finish off the summon. He nodded to his clones and they got ready.

"Fuuton Kazekiri No Jutsu (Wind Release: Wind Cutter Jutsu)"

One of Han's clones performed his wind style attack, and several sharp invisible blades of wind shredded the dog's legs. The creature fell down on the ground and screamed in agony.

"Raiton : Shichu Shibari ( Lightning Release : Four Pillar Bind)"

Another clone performed his ninjutsu, and four pillars rose all around the dog and started subduing it by shocking him with jolts of electricity.

"Raiton : Juurokuchuu Shibari ( Lightning Release : Binding of Sixteen Pillars)"

The last clone completed his hand seals, and immediately sixteen pillars formed all around the dog, and formed a dome which trapped the creature inside.

"Katon : Suyaki No Jutsu (Fire Element : Bisque Technique)"

The real Han performed his hand seal and inside the dome fire started burning, the dog's screams could be heard in the entire corridor, and soon there was a puff of smoke indicating the summon must have died and returned to its world.

Han immediately had to perform a substitution in order to save himself from getting hit by a hail of Kunai and shuriken.

His clones tried to fight but the weapons were too many in numbers for them, and they were ultimately destroyed.

"Tsk...Sakumo is strong as ever. I have to regroup with Naruto," thought Han quickly and performed a set of hand seals.

"Shadow Shuriken No Jutsu"

A hail of shuriken were launched straight at Sakumo...but as expected the man started deflecting each of the projectiles effortlessly...he wasn't even affected by such weak attacks.

But that gave Han the chance he wanted...and he felt Naruto's chakra flaring nearby and shunshined away.

(With Naruto)

Naruto was trying his best to defend himself against 5 of Mito's shadow clones who were attacking him relentlessly. To say that this woman was tough would be an understatement...he had never faced an opponent like her in his entire life.

Whenever he tried to get close her chakra chains would try to bind him...and when he tried to maintain his distance her shadow clones engaged him in hand-to-hand combat...if not for his sharingan then she would have wiped him long ago.

He dodged another kick from one of her clones and gave her quick punch that dispersed it immediately...but the smoke that the destroyed clone created was a great mistake as two of Mito's clones gave him sharp kicks and punches that sent him sailing in the air.

"Fuck...I think she broke my arm" thought Naruto painfully, and spat out some blood from his mouth.

The 4 shadow clones ran towards him...and he cursed his luck for running low on chakra at such a time.

"Take the soldiers pills with you..."

He suddenly remembered Hisana's words when they were about to start their mission...and he slowly checked in his right pocket.

"There it is...Thank you Captain Hisana..." said Naruto gratefully, without her advice he wouldn't have made it so far.

However before he could eat the pill...Mito's clones performed a set of hand seals.

"Suiton: Hahonryu (Water Release: Rapid Crasher)"

"Shit" thought Naruto in panic as a giant wave headed straight toward him...but he was quite surprised when a person stepped in front of him and performed a set of hand seals in a flash.

"Doton Doryuuheki (Earth Release: Mud Wall Jutsu)"

A large earth wall was formed in front of the young Namikaze...and the wave crashed against the earth wall but it didn't shatter at all.

Naruto looked up and saw it was none other than Han himself...and what happened next shocked him. Han broke the wall with one punch and the debris flew straight towards Mito's clones and destroyed them.

"Don't fall Naruto...No matter what!" said Han firmly and looked at the two Edo tensei shinobi that had regrouped again.

"C-Commander..." said Naruto weakly,

"Let's end this battle..." said Han flatly...but Naruto just averted his gaze from his leader.

"They are too strong...we cannot defeat them" said Naruto defeatedly...his left arm was broken and whatever damage he did to Mito was healed instantly.

"We can...believe in yourself. Come, I'll show you the true power of Commander Fox...of 1st company" said Han confidently...and one look in the man's eyes showed Naruto that this man could truly do it. The firm gaze in Han's eyes was enough to make him stand up for one last effort.

The young Namikaze slowly got up...and ate his soldier pill, and in one painful twist put his broken hand back in position while suppressing the painful scream in his throat.

"Naruto...we cannot fight them head on anymore, they are stronger than both of us. Listen to my plan..." said Han seriously...and a small seal formed on his hand which he hid from Naruto's eyes.

Naruto stood in front of Sakumo and Mito with Han behind his back...and he performed a set of hand seals quickly.

"Katon: Nenshou Misairu (Fire Release: Burning Missile)"

A large wall of fire was fired by Naruto at his enemies...and the flames burned everything in their path and were heading towards the Edo tensei's.

However both Sakumo and Mito performed their own set of hand seals.

"Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu(Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu)"

"Suiton: Mizurappa (Water Style: Violent Water Wave)"

The combined fire and water attacks of Sakumo and Mito collided with Naruto's firestyle attack...and hot steam flew everywhere in the air.

"Pathetic" thought Orochimaru disappointingly, but was quite surprised by what happened next.

"Wood Release: Underground Roots Technique"

Numerous roots rose from the ground and wrapped tightly all around Sakumo and Mito's bodies...and they saw two figures rushing towards them at lightning speed.

Han and his shadow clone jumped in the air and performed a set of hand seals.

"Snake → Boar → Ram → Rabbit → Dog → Rat → Bird → Horse → Snake"

The mist started to disappear and Naruto was quite surprised when he saw Han and his shadow clone had captured Sakumo and Mito.

"Commander...you-" said Naruto proudly, but was confused when Han clapped his hands loudly...and the entire air around him became cold.

"Shiki Fūjin (Dead Demon Consuming Seal)"

He ran forward and his heartbeat increased greatly...just what the hell was going on? Sakumo and Mito's eyes had reverted back to normal...and they were smiling.

"Forgive us...Commander. We are responsible for the death of your men" said Sakumo regretfully...and Mito gave Naruto a motherly smile as he came beside them.

"Thank you for releasing our souls..." said Mito thankfully, and Naruto saw a seal had formed on Han's chest.

"Commander...what is happening?" asked Naruto in a shaking voice...and slowly the mask on Han's face fell down.

Naruto saw Han was quite handsome...dark black hair, a masculine face...he was probably 30-35 years old, but the most important thing was the small smile on his face...and the calm look in his eyes.

"I used a forbidden Kinjutsu taught to me by Minato-sama...to seal them. They are free now and won't cause any more damage to our comrades," said Han calmly as he felt the death god started pulling his soul withing himself.

"A Kinjutsu?" asked Naruto in shock, he knew such jutsu came with a very high price...and in most cases it resulted in death.

"Minato-sama...taught me and two commanders of other companies of blacklight this jutsu. He knew such a thing would happen since Iwa's army was not strong enough...to break through our defenses, and Orochimaru would probably send Edo Tensei to assist in this invasion. This jutsu seals the souls of the caster and his targets in the Shinigami's belly forever... it is a suicide technique." explained Han briefly,

"Why?" asked Naruto angrily, and Mito saw the hatred in the boy's eyes increasing more than ever.

"To protect Konoha...and my students" said Han with a small smile on his face,

"Then you should have let me do this jutsu...you are the commander of this company...what will happen to us now!" said Naruto bitterly,

"This jutsu requires years of training which you don't have...and besides it is a teacher's duty to protect his students, and this company has a good leader besides me...he's right in front of him" said Han gently...as the Shinigami pulled more of his soul along with Sakumo and Mito's soul.

"He's right...he did this to protect all of you. To save his comrades he sacrificed himself...that is the trait of a true squad leader." said Sakumo patiently,

"Naruto-kun...I'm glad we met. Don't get angry over little things...compared to you our pain would be instant. Take care of your comrades and Konoha...we leave the future to you," said Mito in a motherly voice, and his hands clenched tightly as tears dropped from his eyes.

Han felt his time running out and he grabbed Sakumo's clone firmly...while his shadow clone grabbed Mito's shoulders. But he had to do one last thing for the man in front of him who had suffered so much on Konoha's mistake.

"Sakumo-sama...you are considered a hero in the village now, even your son Kakashi considers you a great man, and he is continuing your legacy as a hero of Konoha" said Han honestly, and Sakumo's eyes widened in shock on hearing that.

"Thank you, Kakashi..." thought Sakumo proudly, and a small tear slipped from his eyes.

"Naruto...please tell Kakashi sorry on my behalf...I have caused him a lot of pain, and no matter what happens I'm proud of him," said Sakumo with a gentle smile, and Naruto just gave a weak nod in return.

"It's time..." said Han calmly and looked at Naruto one last time.

"C-Commander...how can I lead a company if I cannot save even one of my comrades?" asked Naruto sadly,

"Because you are the savior of this world...instead of drowning yourself in hatred...change this world with your power" said Han with a small smile,

Naruto's eyes widened in shock...when he heard those words, and he looked up to see Han giving him one last smile.

"FUIN"

Han, Sakumo and Mito gave him one last smile before the seal on Han's chest glowed brightly...and Sakumo and Mito's bodies crumbled to dust and two unknown bodies were in their places...Naruto jumped quickly and caught Han's body from falling on the ground.

The barrier around him disappeared as Han's clones that were holding the barrier vanished...the commander's body was cold, and he had a peaceful look on his face.

Naruto saw he was surrounded by Iwa shinobi...and everywhere around him were the bodies of his fallen comrades.

"Hawk.." said Naruto sadly as he saw the young Anbu being hanged from a tree...everyone was dead and he was left all alone.

"Let's capture this bastard...he must have valuable information"

"Kill him...due to him we lost the Edo tensei's"

Various such conversations were happening...but Naruto was just staring at Han's dead body.

"I lost everything...I won't let that happen again" thought Naruto angrily, and he picked up his tanto.

The Iwa shinobi looked at the boy arrogantly...he was surrounded from all sides.

''Give up boy...your comrades are down. If you resist, we'll cut you to pieces" said a Iwa shinobi murderously,

"You are all alone..." said another darkly,

The next instant a kunai passed right through his head...and his body fell lifeless on the ground. Naruto was shocked when numerous explosions occured and smoke spread everywhere.

He was quite shocked when a person landed beside him and grabbed him firmly...

"Mikasa..." said a shocked Naruto, how was this possible? He had put her in a genjutsu?

"I won't leave you behind...and I keep my promises" said Mikasa firmly and made him stand up.

"Come on, love birds...we are in the hot zone'' said a voice behind them urgently,

"You can kiss him later...Mikasa" said a teasing voice,

Naruto turned around and his eyes widened in surprise when he saw Kotetsu, Izumo, Armin, and Rangiku standing beside a few birds.

"You guys..." said Naruto happily,

"We fight together...we die together. Let's get out of here" said Mikasa gently...and Naruto gave her a weak nod.

He looked at Han's body one last time...and one thing was certain.

"Commander...you didn't die in vain. I swear I'll protect them...and I won't let Iwa get this hill"

The last stand had just began