Naruto groggily opened his eyes, the first thing he noticed was a bright flash of light which temporarily blinded him. He tried to raise his hand to block the offending light but found an unbearable pain erupt in his chest. Distantly, he heard someone curse and hurried footsteps rapidly approaching towards him.
Soon enough he saw a woman looming over him. Dark black hair, fair face, perfect makeup on her cheeks, soon enough he saw her ruby eyes.
"Kurenai..." said Naruto, his voice hoarse.
A look of relief spread across her face as she wiped a few tears away from her eyes. Then she did something unexpected, Naruto had quickly closed his eyes fearing the bop she would give him for getting injured like this. He was surprised when a soft pair of lips met his parched ones, the simple gesture breathing new life into his nearly dead body.
Satisfied she broke the kiss and detached herself from him, Naruto had a smug grin on his face as he said...
"I could definitely get used to this..."
BAM!
A light bop connected with his head making him wince just a little.
"And here I thought I'd get a grand reception. Damn women..." muttered Naruto childishly,
"I heard that..." retorted Kurenai sharply,
"Crap..."
She gave him her best murderous glare, and for the first time Naruto got a clear look at his body. His entire chest was naked and wrapped up in bandages, his left arm tied up in a sledge showing it was broken. Half of his face burned with scratches and cuts, there was a deep painful sensation inside his chest. Fortunately, his legs looked alright.
"How bad?" asked Naruto meekly,
A nurse standing hidden in a corner had her eyes wide on seeing the almighty Kaiser being scolded like a little child for the next few minutes. Even the man who ruled the world could get an ear-some every now and then.
"Alright, jeez. Give me a break, okay? If I knew it was going to be this bad I would have instead preferred dying and enjoying with my Icha Icha in the afterlife..." complained Naruto,
When he didn't receive an answer, he looked up to see Kurenai on the verge of tears again.
"Don't ever say something like that again..." said Kurenai sternly,
"Hai" replied Naruto, feeling a little intimidated from the bloody murderous glare she was currently giving him.
"So...how long was I out?" asked Naruto carefully,
"One day..."
"WHAT!"
Kurenai smacked her forehead, when the poor nurse fainted on hearing the Kaiser's shriek. Her eyebrows twitched as she glared back at Naruto, who muttered a meek "Sorry".
Sighing she placed her hand over his chest, making Naruto blush a little.
"Your heartbeat's fine and stable, thank god. You seem to be in good mental condition too, no permanent damage. Not that there was much to be done, since you are already insane..." said Kurenai nonchalantly,
"Hey!" protested Naruto,
"SHUT UP!"
The Kaiser instantly adopted a vow of silence as Kurenai performed her series of tests. Still his eager curious look was clearly visible on his face, and Kurenai sighed on seeing that he was itching to ask another series of questions. Taking a deep breath, she looked at him.
"Ask..."
"Are the enemies defeated?"
"Yes. The Capital is secure now..." answered Kurenai honestly, but there was something strange in her eyes.
"Um...where's Haku? Not that I'm not happy to see you here..." said Naruto carefully, not sure whether Haku and Kurenai still had their cold war on.
"You could never tell when it comes to women..." thought Naruto sagely,
"Quite true..." agreed Kurama,
"Thanks..." muttered Naruto, with a grin.
"Hey, are you even listening to me?" asked Kurenai irritatedly, snapping Naruto out of his inner talk.
"Of course..." lied Naruto outright
Kurenai sighed. But refrained from scolding him more.
"Haku's in hospital..." said Kurenai calmly,
"WHAT!"
"One more ear piercing scream, and I'll chop your balls off. You get that, you lunatic..." yelled Kurenai, frustration evident in her voice.
"Hai"
"Haku is safe and healthy. So is Yang..." reassured Kurenai,
She watched in fascination as Naruto got a mysterious look in his eyes and a gentle smile on his face. It reminded her that Naruto had grown up so fast during the past few years.
"That's good..." said Naruto in relief,
"Naruto...is Orochimaru truly dead? I don't doubt Anko's testimony, but the bastard always sneaked away in the past..." said Kurenai hesitantly, as he looked her straight in the eye.
"He's dead. I obliterated him to the last cell inside his body..." said Naruto icily, making her flinch. He could be quite scary at times...
"I'm glad to hear that..." said Kurenai truthfully,
She frowned when he became extremely silent. His eyes lowered as he stared at his own clenched fists...
"How many dead?" asked Naruto sadly,
Kurenai bristled.
She had wanted to keep this part away from him for a while, at least until his wounds healed. But he gave her a polite yet stern gaze which she had to submit to. This was the Kaiser and her fiance after all.
"While you battled with Orochimaru and his army, the Akatsuki attacked the Capital. They were led by a masked man..." said Kurenai,
The former Hokage was shocked to see no surprise on Naruto's face. It was as if the Kaiser...
"You knew they would do so?" asked Kurenai incredulously, he sighed.
"It was going to happen sooner or later. I already revealed to you that I worked with that organisation and together we captured the tailed beasts..." pointed Naruto, her glare intensified.
"You made a deal with the devil..." said Kurenai harshly, making Naruto look away.
"They were the only ones with the resources to store the tailed beasts and provide me weapons, supplies, money and manpower. My Reich was young and growing, constantly at war with the entire might of the shinobi world. If even one of the major villages knew the location of the captured beasts, then I would have to divide my already few resources between protecting my territories and the tailed beasts. And if I had done that, the Reich would have collapsed..." confessed Naruto,
Kurenai wanted to say a lot more things, but she couldn't. She herself had been a Hokage, been in the shoes and had to make similar harsh decisions as a leader. She could only imagine the agony Naruto was in right now...
"They killed a lot of our people, Naruto..." said Kurenai devastatingly,
"Tell me everything..." said Naruto, his voice firm yet his eyes were numb.
"The Akatsuki attacked with a small infiltration team with the masked man leading the charge. They were after something specific, something which you entrusted the Sound Four to protect..." said Kurenai, curiosity and confusion evident in her eyes.
"Did they get what they came for?" asked Naruto, already knowing the answer.
"The Entire Royal Guard led by the Sound Four fought against them. Except for a critically wounded Tayuya, there were no other survivors..."
Naruto closed his eyes. His fists dug deep inside his palms. Kurenai sympathetically stared as the Kaiser choked back a sob, it took him a few moments but he managed to regain his composure to some extent.
"Go on..." said Naruto stoically, his eyes cold and nearly dead.
"Guren sacrificed her life in stopping Kimmaro and the rest of the invaders. Nearly a hundred Reich soldiers also died honorably in battle, we are still counting civilian casualties..." said Kurenai respectfully,
Naruto's mouth opened and closed again. He grit his teeth, but said nothing. Even so, just a simple glance in his eyes was enough to show...
That the Kaiser knew that all these deaths were on his hands.
"Your fight is over, everyone..." said Naruto sadly,
Kurenai watched in awe as the Kaiser made a silent prayer for his deceased soldiers. The warriors who had followed his orders to the letter and made the ultimate sacrifice for the Reich and in the name of their Kaiser.
"What were they protecting so fiercely, Naruto?" asked Kurenai compassionately,
"The Zero Tails and a boy called Sora who was a pseudo Jinchuuriki containing some of the Kyuubi's chakra..." confessed Naruto gravely,
"WHAT!"
Not surprisingly, Kurenai was shocked on hearing that. She had heard rumors about the Zero Tails, but to think the creature existed in reality and was now in Akatsuki's hands. And someone other than Naruto having the Kyuubi power?
Naruto sighed and explained how he and Sasuke had captured the Zero Tails a few years ago, and Sora becoming a part of their Reich once Fire Nation had been conquered. He also explained how Sora's father was present during the Kyuubi attack on Konoha, and managed to capture some of the foul chakra of the beast and seal it into his own son for selfish reasons.
Kurenai's head dropped in shame as she was again reminded about the brutalities committed by her own people in the name of righteousness and pride.
"You're right, Naruto. The Ninja world has to end, to turn even a father so blind; so he could do such an atrocity on his own son. And for what?" asked Kurenai distastefully,
"Every person has darkness within them. It depends on the person as to how far they fall into that endless abyss. If you look at it from that point, each of us has sinned. I kept these secrets from all of my supporters except for Sasuke. And now so many of my soldiers died paying for my mistakes, the most painful part is that none of them even knew the reason for which they gave their lives..." said Naruto shamefully,
Kurenai laid a gentle hand on his shoulder and felt how badly he was trembling with anger and sorrow.
"No, you're wrong at that point. All of them knew that they were dying for their Kaiser, they believed that their actions no matter how small or insignificant would ultimately help their leader in winning a future for their people and humanity. As long as you succeed, none of them would have died in vain..." explained Kurenai seriously,
He nodded.
Then much to her frustration, Naruto started to get up from his bed. When she tried to stop him, he raised a firm hand stopping her instantly.
To her surprise, he actually managed to get back on his feet easily and wordlessly stepped towards the window of the room. His eyes looked at the afternoon sun shining in the sky, the repairs going around his capital and people trying to restore their lives.
Kurenai stepped beside him and saw his eyes were fixed on several bodies of soldiers and civilians alike which were slowly being cleared from the streets of the capital.
"For humans, there is an appropriate life as well as an appropriate death..." said Naruto, a far away look present in his eyes.
"Naruto?"
"Never mind, thank you for saving my life. Order Anko to prepare our forces, I shall march to the battlefield in the next few hours..." said Naruto seriously,
"You can't do that..." replied Kurenai flatly, making him stare at her.
"Why?"
"I've healed the lethal wounds and your body seems to be healing the remaining ones pretty rapidly. But it does not change the fact that a part of your artery that connects the heart and lungs has been damaged and it needs a lot more healing. I just managed to freeze the wound and stop the hemorrhage but you need a critical surgery and rest for atleast five more days. If you don't do that, it could be harmful-" warned Kurenai,
She frowned when he smiled.
"I don't like surgery or resting in hospitals, Kurenai..." said Naruto flatly,
"Kaiser, this is not a matter of like or dislike. It concerns your life." replied Kurenai sternly, but he shook his head.
"No, it is a more important matter than simple like or dislike. Believe it or not victory in this war depends on how well I lead my people and help them defeat the enemy who clearly outnumbers our forces. I'm their best bet, and besides lying around in my pajamas on a hospital bed waiting for death or something worse doesn't suit me..." said Naruto calmly,
Kurenai stared at him. She could not describe it in words, but the glow on Naruto's face was shining brightly than ever even when the color of his face had grown so pale.
"Besides, I don't trust anyone other than Tsunade or Sakura to perform such a surgery on me. Since both of them are on the frontlines, it is imperative that you take me there as fast as possible. That is if you want to save my life..." said Naruto smartly,
"You're evil..." said Kurenai, heaving a heavy sigh.
"I don't like this anymore than you do, Kurenai. But my life isn't mine anymore, when I decided to conquer the world I also undertook the responsibility of protecting those under my reign. My soldiers are facing an enemy thrice their size, more than that the Akatsuki will soon enough join this war. I can't leave my subordinates to face such an adversity alone. Will you support me? Because even I can't do all of this on my own..." said Naruto patiently,
In return, Kurenai gave him a determined gaze.
"I will, Mein Kaiser..." said Kurenai confidently, he smiled.
"You don't have to necessarily call me that..." replied Naruto lightly, but she shook her head in denial.
"I'll have to think about it..."
"I see..."
"If I had just a few more months for finishing my preparations then I would have attacked the Akatsuki, neutralized them and then focus my attention on the Resistance. But it seems the enemy was more faster in making their move, still..." thought Naruto worriedly,
"It's coming to an end, isn't it Naruto?" asked Kurama silently,
"So it would seem, old friend. If you have even a shred of a doubt at any point of time, then don't hesitate to talk to me about it..." said Naruto compassionately,
"Naruto, you really need a surgery and medical rest. That battle with Hashirama was..." said Kurama, and shivered on remembering how scary it had been.
Even so, Naruto managed to defeat the strongest shinobi of all times. Although he himself didn't come out of the battle unscathed...
"Do what you can. My people need me..." instructed Naruto,
"Very well, Naruto. But the pain will be severe and will get worse, I suggest you manage your expressions as best as you can..." suggested Kurama, his voice sounding tired and extremely sad.
"I will..."
Kurama simply stared as Naruto talked with Kurenai for nearly half an hour. The woman slowly but patiently explained the entire tactical situations across the Reich and Naruto listened to her.
After hearing about all the problems, Naruto directed her with various solutions and orders.
Unknown to the beautiful woman, the Kaiser was suffering an unending pain. Even so, he kept his expressions neutral and never once did he reveal his own suffering to her. Naruto was fighting as bravely as he could, for he knew what was at stake and the entire world's fate depended upon how he acted.
In his long existence, Kurama had never seen a man like this.
Kaiser Naruto, was nothing less than Kaiser Naruto himself no matter the circumstances.
His relentless rationality and indomitable self-control was something even his enemies feared and respected. It was the reason the Reich had survived so far despite the odds heavily stacked against them.
"Where are my friends and my daughter?" asked Naruto suddenly, surprising Kurenai.
"I ordered Anko to release them from their coffins. But they are being contained inside a safe barrier since they are still under Orochimaru's control and lack a will of their own..." said Kurenai frankly,
"A sound decision..." agreed Naruto, and saw Kurenai bite her lip.
"What is it?"
"Kaiser, I say this with all due respect to your feelings. Even if you are able to somehow free them, it doesn't change the fact that they are dead. You will have to allow them to return to the afterlife and rest in peace..." advised Kurenai,
She stepped back quickly when Naruto violently turned around and gave her the most menacing glare she had ever seen. Even his Mangekyo Sharingan came alive, making him look more fierce and threatening.
"Kurenai, KURENAI!"
"H...hai, Kaiser..." said Kurenai weakly,
"Do you have a right to disappoint me to this degree?" asked Naruto furiously,
The Kaiser clenched his fists and took a few deep breaths on seeing the fear in her eyes. Even so, he angrily turned around not wanting to scare her further.
"Anyone and everyone, be they friend or family, they all go and leave me behind. Why don't they continue to live on, for my sake?" yelled Naruto, raw anger and pain visible in his voice.
Kurenai's trembling stopped, on seeing Naruto's shoulders slumping as the Kaiser sat back on his bed.
"I won't let them go. I don't remember giving permission to the three of them to leave me alone again. Each of them made me suffer all these years, taking a part of my heart and soul when they died. And in the end, you tell me they are going to do such cruelty to me again?'' asked Naruto incredulously,
"Naruto..."
"No, not this time. For what reason did I attain so much power? Why did I conquer the entire world? Just to let the people most important to me go away? I am Kaiser Naruto, the ruler of this world. I will get what I want, even if death is my opponent. To satisfy the hole in my heart, I will obliterate the boundaries of life and death..." declared Naruto fiercely,
"You don't have that kind of power, Naruto. Nor do I think any person should have it, even you..." said Kurenai compassionately,
"Then I will get that power. I've surpassed impossible odds before, I can do it again. I understand why you're saying that I shouldn't, but you don't have any children of your own yet. Nor have you lost any of your best friends, that pain destroys you from the inside. If not for Sasuke, Gaara or Kakashi I believe you would only be seeing a shell of this Kaiser right now..." said Naruto passionately,
Kurenai nodded. Everything he said was the harsh truth, she couldn't possibly understand the pain he felt even if she wanted to. Fortunately even after he lost his daughter and Root friends, he had a few others who supported him.
If not for those people, she could already see Naruto straying from the right path. He had a sea of anger inside his heart which he usually kept under control with his self control and help from his friends, but there were times when he lost it. And those moments were quite dangerous for everyone...
Every person in the world had a flaw, it was a distinctive trait in humanity. Even the Kaiser was no such exception...
"You've lost so much in your entire life that the mere thought of losing even more. Especially your loves ones terrifies you..." thought Kurenai worriedly,
It was Naruto's fatal flaw. One which his enemies had always used against him, and every time the Kaiser had suffered.
Even now he was suffering.
"If my friends and family aren't alive to live peacefully in the world I created, then there is no point to all of this. I might as well just allow the Resistance and Akatsuki to do whatever they want..." said Naruto defeatedly,
She hesitantly stepped forward and sat beside him. Gently placing her head on his shoulder and taking his hand in her own, she spoke in a soft, compassionate voice.
"Then we'll find another way..." said Kurenai finally,
"But don't my wish and actions violate your morals at every level?" asked Naruto hesitantly,
At that point, she looked him straight in the eye. The compassion, love that burned in her ruby colored eyes made the last remnants of anger wash away from his heart. Resting his other free hand on her cheek, he laid a tender kiss on her forehead.
"I'm sorry for lashing out at you like that. I just don't have many friends or family left to sacrifice, you of all people should know what I fear most..." said Naruto worriedly,
"Loneliness..." said Kurenai gently, he nodded.
"I can go up against anything, but I can't bear the loss of anymore of my loved ones. Not that there are many left to begin with..."
"I understand. I'll do everything in my power to fulfill your wish, you have always cared about the feelings of others. It is right that we do the same for your feelings. I love you, Naruto. Even when we were on the opposite sides, even when we went our separate ways, even when you married Haku. Despite the odds you never gave up on me, never stopped loving me no matter how much I hurt you with my actions. I want to do the same for you as well, will you allow me to do that?" asked Kurenai sincerely,
A full warm smile came on his face, etching closer he placed a passionate kiss on her lips. In that tiny moment, he felt himself relaxing. Words couldn't describe how empty he had been without her all these years, and now to have her by his side. To feel her love again was a gift which he would cherish forever.
"Thank you..." said Naruto, slowly breaking the kiss.
"Would you like to meet them?" asked Kurenai, a warm smile shining on her lips.
"I thought you'd never allow that? Maybe even give me an entire list of medical reasons to keep me sealed inside this room..." teased Naruto, as she scoffed.
"As if I have that much power to stop the Kaiser. Even if I do have that power, you'll just sneak away the moment I take my eyes off you. Besides there is only so much I can do for you, I may know medical ninjutsu but I am no Tsunade or Sakura..." said Kurenai frankly,
"Then you'll come with me to meet them? They'll be happy to meet you..." said Naruto happily,
Kurenai smiled. She was relieved and happy to see the joy and delight return in the weary Kaiser's eyes as he told him some important things about Sai, Shin and Rei. The way in which he enthusiastically described the character of his best friends and daughter showed just how much the Kaiser loved them.
"Yes, yes I'll come with you. Who else would have time to haul your lazy ass out of hospital?" teased Kurenai, but he smirked.
"Maybe I'll just summon Haku..." retorted Naruto, the cocky smirk widening just a little.
"You will do no such thing. The Kaiserin needs rest, stupid men don't know the toll childbirth takes on women. Am I understood?" demanded Kurenai,
"Seems you two have become good friends..." thought Naruto in satisfaction,
"Hai, hai..." said Naruto in resignation,
"Good..." said Kurenai, a victorious grin arriving on her lips.
"Then will you please bestow upon me the honor, your majesty?" mocked Naruto,
Kurenai for her part got an aristocratic look on her face as she got back on her feet. Gave Naruto a passive look, and said in clear words.
"Of course, my dear servant..."
Deadly silence prevailed in the room.
A group of people numbly stood around the cold, lifeless corpse of a person whom they knew, cared about and respected.
A man who had once been the Army Commander of the entire Reich forces, and now he was nothing but a corpse.
Kakashi could hardly believe the sight of Uchiha Sasuke sleeping lifeless on the bed in front of them. His body was cold, eyes closed, face betraying nothing. It was hard to believe that just a day ago this boy had been alive and had bravely led an assault that resulted into the Reich gaining an important and much needed strategic victory.
Naruto maybe the one who had ultimate control over their military forces, but Sasuke was the one who made this army. Whipped the soldiers into shape, instilled discipline and camaraderie in them. He was the one who had turned an army of soldiers from different nations into the powerful military of the strongest empire the world had ever seen.
And now he was gone.
The impacts of this tragedy were going to be disastrous. Not only did the Reich Army lose its brave and powerful commander, but the Kaiser lost his best friend and most powerful comrade.
"What will I tell Naruto?" thought Kakashi, sheer terror eating at his heart.
It had been a well known fact that Naruto and Sasuke were more like brothers, which was true even from a biological point of view since Sasuke was the Kaiser's distant cousin. The Resistance may have lost a Kage and nearly 25,000 soldiers but Sasuke Uchiha's death alone had evened the score.
"What happens now, Supreme Commander?" asked Neji seriously,
Kakashi looked around the room and saw solemn looks visible on the faces of Shino, Gaara and Neji. Even Suigetsu stood silently in a corner, his eyes cold and lips sealed shut.
"Does anyone else know about this?" asked Kakashi, and Gaara shook his head.
"Only the soldiers who came with us, they are loyal to me and have sworn to keep this a secret until I tell them not to. They are the ones who are currently looking after Itachi Uchiha..." explained Gaara sincerely,
"Even so, this is a tremendous loss for the Reich. If the soldiers find out that their Army Commander is dead, and with the Kaiser not present here..." said Shino gravely,
"Our forces might just collapse internally from fear and panic..." said Kakashi tiredly,
"Yes..." replied all the men in unison,
"Should we atleast inform Sasuke's fiance?" asked Suigetsu, speaking for the first time.
The others turned to look at him, Neji and Shino were giving him disapproving stares, Gaara remained neutral while Kakashi had a regretful look in his eyes.
The message was clear enough for Suigetsu to understand.
"Fuck you guys and your secrecy, I won't be a part of this..." said Suigetsu bitterly,
The former Kiri shinobi turned around and started walking towards the exit, only to be stopped by Kakashi's stern command.
"Suigetsu..." said Kakashi icily, the boy turned around and looked his leader straight in the eye.
"Yeah, yeah. I won't tell this to anyone...soon"
And with that reply the impulsive boy dashed out of the room, slamming the door shut with a loud bang. Kakashi sighed.
"I don't like this anymore than the rest of you. But until the Kaiser gets here, we need to maintain order and discipline in the army. We are still at war, and the Resistance can attack us again..." explained Kakashi,
"You shouldn't have allowed them to take the bodies of their dead away..." said Neji flatly,
"That maybe the practice of the Resistance, not ours. Besides, in return we also received the bodies of our fallen soldiers who died in the raid led by Sasuke..." scolded Gaara,
"In the meantime, what should we do about Itachi? We need the information he has, I can get it out of him..." said Shino coldly,
"You will do no such thing..."
The young boys were surprised when Kakashi's stern command reached them, and the Supreme Commander gave all of them a threatening glare.
"Sasuke died to get this information to us. Itachi has already agreed to co-operate, even fight for us once he's healed. I will not allow any of you to torture that man for no reason. You may blame him for Sasuke's death, but also remember that it was Sasuke's last wish to pardon his brother..." pointed Kakashi,
"That decision shall be taken by the Kaiser..." said Neji coldly,
"Yes, but until he arrives here and makes that decision. It is our duty to protect Itachi until then..." said Gaara finally, ending the topic.
Reluctantly, Neji and Shino agreed making Kakashi sigh in relief.
"I believe the Kaiser will be the best person to convey this sad news to Sakura and Tsunade..." said Kakashi hopefully,
The others nodded.
"He was going to be a father..." said Gaara, a lone tear falling from his eye.
When he didn't receive a response, the redhead turned around to see the others staring at him in shock. Their eyes darted towards Sasuke's corpse and back to Gaara.
Kakashi's clenched his fists tightly, but didn't say anything. What could he say?
Shino and Neji lowered their gazes.
Gaara sighed. Taking a deep breath, he stepped forward and looked his comrades straight in the eye. The redhead's gaze was full of determination and courage.
"We won't let Sasuke's sacrifice go in vain. I'll have him declared missing in action for the time being, and take command of the army. Any objections?" asked Gaara frankly, although his stern gaze dared the others to even try to oppose him.
Fortunately, no one did that.
After all, Gaara was the next highest ranking officer after Sasuke. He was well respected by the soldiers, was a sound leader who had led the Reich armies through many successful campaigns, and most of all he was a powerful warrior.
Kakashi stepped forward and gave a respectful salute to Sasuke. The others did the same...
The Supreme Commander then respectfully took the "Army Commander" insignia from Sasuke's chest. Turning around, he saw Gaara stepping forward and the boy gave him a respectful salute.
"Serve this empire with all your powers till your last breath. Bring honor to your uniform and be an inspiration to your soldiers. Congratulations, Nidaime..." said Kakashi proudly, and placed the insignia on Gaara's uniform.
"I will..." promised Gaara,
His eyes turned towards Sasuke, a person whom he respected and had been a good friend of his. Sasuke had been one of the few who had accepted him right away despite Gaara being a Jinchuuriki.
Gaara would never forget that for his entire life.
"I shall protect them just like you, this I swear to you..." thought Gaara,
The next moment alarms sounded across their entire camp.
A single man stood alone in the empty battlefield.
Standing in front of him was the gigantic "Uzu Wall", the Reich's greatest and most powerful defense structure. It was the empire's greatest pride and safety measure. Behind it, the Reich Army was currently camped and waiting for the war to start again at dawn.
The light of the midnight moon shined at him, and he smirked when alarms sounded across the Reich camp.
"So they have already spotted me. Naruto, your army may not be as weak as I imagined..." thought the man,
He was wearing a black long-sleeve top that covered his neck and chin, a pair of black gloves, a pair of dark-colored pants, a long green scarf and standard sandals and white stirrups. On his waist, he was wearing a thick black belt with Armour-like metal plates attached to it, and similar plates on his upper arms.
His face well concealed by his traditional orange colored spiral mask with a few black colored flames additionally included now.
One of his eyes sported his dark Mangekyo Sharingan, while the other had a metallic purple colored eye sporting ringed patterns.
He raised two of his fingers when the Reich turned their long range guard lights on him...
"Kuchiyose: Gedō Mazō (Summoning: Demonic Statue of the Outer Path)"
The entire earth shook violently, a battle-cry never heard since thousands of years echoed across the earth sending fear and despair in every person's heart. The Masked Man smiled cruelly as the monster broke free from its restraints and another ear shattering scream from the beast sent powerful shock waves in every direction.
It was larger than all the Biju of the world.
The monster was a giant, earthen-colored humanoid entity with a decayed appearance, a body shaped into a robe, and a number of spike-like protrusions on its back. It had nine large eyes, all of which were closed.
The masked man pointed his hand forward and spoke in a cold, murderous voice...
"Charge, Gedo Mazo!"