Chapter 2: Sacrifice

On the fateful 7th day of the siege on Uzushio, the Uzumaki clan faced the harsh reality of their impending doom. The Uzukage, having received word of an additional wave of shinobi from Kirigakure advancing toward the defenseless Uzushio port, made a crucial decision. Acknowledging that most of the clan would be exterminated, he ordered the evacuation of children, mothers, and Genin to save them from the same fate. However, most of the Uzumaki main branch chose to stay, preferring to die in their homeland.

There was, however, a glimmer of hope. The recently born heir, the Uzukage's grandson, was to be evacuated using a teleportation seal that combined the Shisho Fuin (Four Symbols Seal) and the Hiraishin Fuin (Flying Thunder God Seal), to transport him to Konohagakure. The seal masters suggested adding another Shisho Fuin to also teleport a guardian, likely a member of the main branch family, to protect the child. However, this addition would delay the seal's completion.

When it came to selecting the guardian, none of the Uzukage's remaining sons volunteered. Each preferred to die defending their home rather than fleeing from the enemies who had butchered their kin. But the Uzukage was resolute—he ordered his surviving youngest son, Eichi, to protect the heir.

Eichi was heartbroken by this command and begged the Uzukage to reconsider. He yearned to die a hero like his brothers, especially Izuna, who had heroically sacrificed himself with a Reverse Four Symbols Sealing, taking twelve enemy shinobi with him to the Pure Land. But as they argued, a messenger arrived with dire news: the enemy had begun their assault on the port earlier than expected. The Uzukage, unprepared for this early attack, was forced to split his forces between the walls and the port.

With the final evacuation team safely out of the village, the last stand of the Uzumaki clan began.

-Tajima -

"Damn," Tajima muttered as he watched the seemingly endless fleet of enemy ships approach. Appointed commander of the 2nd army defending the port, he knew from the start that survival was not an option. This was a suicide mission, and he had accepted his fate. But the thought of his brother Eichi escaping offered a small comfort in the face of certain death.

Tajima had always known he wouldn't survive this war. He had come to terms with that, but what haunted him was the idea of losing Eichi after already losing Izuna. It was a loss that would surely break him.

Eichi and Izuna, despite Tajima's deep love for all his brothers, had always held a special place in his heart. They were the turbulent ones, smart and carefree, unburdened by the harsh realities of the shinobi world. Tajima envied them for that—envied their freedom. As time passed, he became more determined to protect them from the pain and suffering that had consumed his own life. He wanted to shield them from the life that had stolen his innocence.

But fate had other plans. Izuna had made a kamikaze attack, and now Eichi would be left to live a life full of regret, guilt, and responsibility. Yet, Tajima clung to one thought: at least Eichi would be alive. He shook his head, steeling himself for the battle ahead.

As the first wave of enemy ships stopped about a kilometer from the shore, Tajima ordered the seal team to prepare the Whirlpool traps and for the Ninjutsu experts on Suiton to ready a large-scale attack on the approaching army. When the enemy shinobi landed on the water and started running toward the port, Tajima gave the command to activate the seals.

He smirked as he watched Kiri shinobi get swallowed by the ocean, the Whirlpool Seals pulling them into the depths. The seals were perfect for maritime battles, dragging anyone who fell into them deep underwater, where even the Water Breathing Technique couldn't save them from the crushing pressure. But the seals, effective as they were, could be disarmed with a simple Suiton technique.

And so it happened—the Whirlpool Seals were disarmed, and the enemy continued their advance.

Tajima then ordered the second phase of their defense: the Hakai-tekina Tsunami (Destructive Tsunami). This technique created a massive tsunami aimed at the enemy fleet, and with the Uzumaki's immense chakra reserves, it was easily executed. But the Jutsu had a flaw—it could be countered with the Rift Valley Technique, a Suiton technique that created a deep rift in front of the user, absorbing the force of the wave.

The tsunami, though countered, still managed to sweep away a significant number of enemy shinobi, showcasing the Uzumaki clan's prowess, even against Kiri's Suiton masters.

With the second phase completed, Tajima ordered the release of the catapults. Massive rocks, inscribed with explosive seals based on techniques developed by the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, were launched into the air. Upon impact with the water, these explosives unleashed devastating blasts, each wiping out dozens of enemy shinobi and creating mini-tsunamis that added to the chaos.

But the enemy was resilient. The Seven Swordsmen of the Mist and the Jinchuriki of the Four Tails joined the battle, breaking through the Uzumaki defenses. The crucial moment of the battle had arrived.

Tajima engaged the enemy in what he called the "Suicide Squad Formation," a strategy designed to inflict maximum damage before dying. He fought fiercely, his blade cutting through the enemy as he moved in the regular Uzumaki formation. But the enemy numbers were overwhelming.

Seeing no other choice, Tajima ordered his squad to take "alleviation measures." Each of his men created two shadow clones and unleashed a barrage of destructive jutsu—fire, wind, lightning—anything to create chaos and destruction among the enemy ranks. The clones wreaked havoc, allowing the real squad members to finish off any surviving enemies.

This pattern repeated across the battlefield, with the Uzumaki fiercely defending the port to buy time for the seal masters to complete their work. But the enemy began to break through, sneaking past the defenses and into the heart of the village.

Realizing the danger, Tajima made a quick decision. "Five men with me to defend HQ from intruders! The rest, try to reform with other squads and hold the line!" he ordered, cutting down an Iwa-nin before gathering his team and heading toward the Uzukage tower.

As they moved through the village, Tajima noticed that the enemy was trying to overwhelm them by sneaking past the front lines and attacking from behind. But something bothered him—why was this particular squad heading straight for the Uzukage tower?

"Hey, you!" he called to one of his men. "Inform our front line to get the 4th phase on the line now! We'll use asymmetric warfare—that's the only way."

"Hai!" the shinobi responded before disappearing toward the front.

"And you, to my father's frontline," Tajima ordered another.

"Hai!" The shinobi disappeared, leaving Tajima with three men.

They sped toward the enemy, Tajima's heart sinking as he realized their target. "Let's go now! They intend to get to the Uzukage tower!"

-Eichi-

In a dimly lit room, or rather a bunker beneath the Uzukage building, ten of the world's best seal masters—Uzushio's finest—worked tirelessly, their concentration unwavering as they struggled to create the seal of transportation. They had been at it for an entire day, and the strain was evident in their deep frowns and the meticulous way they inscribed kanji onto the floor, as if crafting a delicate piece of art.

Eichi sat in a corner, cradling a baby in his arms, his eyes fixed on the seal masters as they moved their brushes with precision. Time passed slowly, and his mind wandered. 'I wonder if my brother is still alive…' The loss of his brother Izuna had devastated him, and now the looming fate of his father and Tajima weighed heavily on his heart. This wasn't a nightmare—it was the harsh reality that Eichi had to accept if he was to complete his mission with the last heir of the Uzumaki clan.

Finally, the seal masters stopped writing. Eichi looked up from the floor, noticing them forming a circle around the intricate seal they had just completed.

"Eichi-sama! Now is the time to go! We've detected a squad of powerful enemies speeding toward us! They could be here any moment—" one of the seal masters began, but his words were cut short as an explosion shook the entire building.

"Now!" Eichi commanded, his voice firm despite the urgency.

"Hai!" he replied, rushing to the center of the circle with the baby still in his arms.

The seal masters began weaving hand signs together, their movements synchronized as they prepared the final stage of the transportation seal. But just as they were about to complete the last hand sign, five enemy shinobi burst into the room, their eyes locking onto the seal group.

The enemies rushed toward them, intent on stopping the teleportation. Eichi quickly formed a series of hand signs, casting a Genjutsu on one of the incoming shinobi. The enemy's perception was altered, making him see Eichi thirty centimeters to the left of his actual position. The shinobi's blade sliced through the air, missing Eichi by a hair.

But not all the seal masters were as fortunate. In the chaos, two of them fell, their lives snuffed out in an instant. Just as the situation seemed dire, Tajima burst into the room, his presence a whirlwind of deadly force. He engaged the enemy, buying the remaining seal masters the precious moments they needed.

And then, in a flash of light and a surge of chakra, Eichi, the baby, and the surviving seal masters vanished from the room, disappearing from the face of the Elemental Nations.

The mission was complete, but the cost was immeasurable.

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