Kurama waited in anticipation as he sensed the mass of intruders edging closer and closer in the dark valley. There were quite a lot of them which made the giant fox snarl but on the other hand his unlikely ally stood calm and composed.
There was strength and grace in his posture.
The way he handled his longsword with ease showed his skill with the weapon. His sharingan quickly scanning for the first sight of their approaching enemy.
But the most striking feature about the boy was the way he looked which was exactly the same as the one of a boy Kurama had known a long time ago.
The resemblance was disturbing for the beast but unlike in the past, this time he had a faint hope in his heart.
For this boy before him despite having similar looks and great power like his ancestor had one factor that set him apart.
Naruto Uchiha was a good man.
A person who dearly loved his family and clan going so far as to sully his own honor and life to keep them safe, whereas his ancestor had chosen power over blood.
Kurama could only hope Naruto's sense of honor and loyalty didn't fade away with time as happened with most Uchiha's. Even if today he was known as a Kinslayer, Kurama would not have any other Uchiha here beside him than this boy in the upcoming battle.
He was brought out of his inner thoughts when Naruto spoke,
"They're here"
Kurama smirked when the dozens of armed warriors dressed in heavy armor stopped on seeing him. Their wide and terrified eyes took in his monstrous form and the nine dangerous tail flowing wildly. He couldn't help but laugh internally at their fear and yet he also felt disgust at their weakness for they were the blood of a man he had dearly loved.
"Kaguya and Hagoromo clans. Quite strange seeing them together..." said Naruto curiously, but the heavy frown on his face was enough to show he was troubled by this new development.
The enemy seemed to whisper something among each other which made Kurama growl angrily. Naruto looked up at the fox with a knowing look in his eyes.
"Something tells me they are here for you..." suggested the boy,
"And you as well. They plan to either kill you or capture you for your Sharingan..." warned Kurama,
The beast felt a shiver pass through his body when Naruto's eye turned ice cold, his face a mask of contained fury making his red eyes seem even more menacing.
"Scared, Kinslayer?" teased Kurama,
"In your dreams, fox" retorted Naruto testily, but there was an amused smile on his face.
"There are quite a few of them..."
"You forget who I am?" asked the boy, that famed Uchiha arrogance present in his voice and the cocky smirk on his lips. But while most of his clansmen couldn't back those words into reality, this boy could.
The fox surprised his unlikely ally by simply sitting back on the ground with a nonchalant grin on his beastly face.
"Go on. Humor me..."
Naruto smirked.
"I don't work for free, fox"
Something between amusement and curiosity quickly passed through the Biju's eyes as he narrowed his eyes at the statement. But quickly made his decision nonetheless.
''You're interesting, Kinslayer. Show me what you've got first..." challenged Kurama, earning a mocking bow from the young boy.
"I am your humble servant, Papa Bear" teased Naruto,
Kurama snarled angrily on that ridiculous nickname but before he could retort back with a fitting reply, Naruto stepped forward towards the approaching enemy force.
The enemy made their intention clear when they charged ahead with thunderous battlecries, their various weapons screaming for blood.
Kurama's eyes slightly widened when he saw Naruto flex his sword pouring his chakra into the blade making it glow bright blue. He knew this sword, remembered the one who had made this weapon and used it in every battle, never once had this blade been broken.
And now watching that same sword being wielded by this brown haired boy with heavenly fair skin and delicate features alongwith that famed sharingan removed the last doubts from Kurama's mind.
Indra, even dead you still live on. It seems this time you are truly reborn in this boy.
Kurama had felt something distinct in Naruto the first time he encountered the boy by accident, he was different. His features, his chakra, his skills. When the boy spoke of his family, of his dead brothers, Kurama had found the same love and affection in this boy that Indra once had for his own family before things went horribly wrong.
Naruto adhered to the same sense of duty and loyalty which Indra had developed in his own house, The Uchiha.
The only difference between those two was Naruto's sarcastic humor and the fact that Naruto gave up his honor and his life for his family.
While Indra gave up on his own family.
Naruto gave out his own battlecry stabbing his ancestral sword in the ground unleashing a violent rumbling that surprised his enemies. Rocks and debris fell from the surface of the valley due to the tremors sending the enemy forces into disarray.
And then the boy charged.
He appeared behind his first opponent with a shunshin cleaving the teenage boy in half in one single strike. Electricity rained down from his left hand stunning five more enemies within range.
Naruto brought his sword upward blocking a strike from a Kaguya woman who snarled wildly at him. Her mistake was looking into his eyes.
When he beheaded her mercilessly, her clansmen backed away.
The stench of death and rotting bodies didn't bother him anymore. His fears no longer bothered him for he had seen and done much worse.
He was a Kinslayer.
And these people meant nothing to him.
Having realized they were more vulnerable going against him alone, the combined warriors of two different clans ganged up together and unleashed an entire barrage of kunai and shuriken in his direction.
Naruto roared murderously unleashing a massive amount of chakra from his body sending a brutal shockwave dispersing all the projectiles sailing towards him.
He clasped his hands together and glared menacingly as he finished gathering his chakra.
"Suiton: Suiryudan no Jutsu (Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique)"
Kurama's eyes widened when Naruto created two entire large water dragons out of thin air displaying his skill with the element. The summoned beasts roared as their creator surged electricity through them giving them more power as they charged towards their terrified enemies who had not expected such power from one so young.
When the cackling water dragons crashed nearly seven enemies were crushed while the rest barely managed to jump to safety.
As the carnage was finished, Naruto walked towards a twitching older man in his twenties who was crushed with his body marred in severe burns. He would not live long but death would not arrive for him sooner either leaving him in a lot of pain.
Kurama watched Naruto bury his sword swiftly in his twitching enemy's head mercifully ending the man's painful last moments.
"Monster!"
The boy actually smirked as one of the Hagoromo warriors called him that. But he prepared himself when he saw the enemy fan out and surround him.
They clearly don't want me to unleash my jutsu anymore.
He looked at his enemies, nearly ten of them were left out of the dozen that had arrived and they were all making every effort not to look in his eyes. That give him a distinct advantage in this fight, but they had the numbers and he had a feeling the blades of the Kaguya were definitely laced with poison.
He cursed himself for not having his armor with him right now for that would atleast give him some protection. Another point to keep in mind for the future.
Instead, he picked up one of the swords from a nearby dead Hagoromo and wielded his now two swords against his enemies.
Kurama watched this young boy facing against men and women far older and experienced than him with absolute courage. There was a smile on the boy's face as all the enemies attacked him at once.
Naruto parried his ancestral sword forward breaking the counter swords of two Hagoromo resulting in their throats being slit instantly. With his other stolen sword he blocked strikes aimed at his back and delivered a roundhouse kick to the remaining two in front of him sending them crashing away.
The fox watched as the enemies charged at the boy and he laughed.
Naruto performed a fast shunshin passing right between his enemies. Three men and one women fell dead to the ground with their heads missing.
The remaining five enemies glared at the boy as he rotated his swords with ease despite their weight in his small hands.
He's strong.
Kurama's sentiment was proven right when Naruto blocked five swords with his two and kicked one of the attackers in the balls. The boy roared pushing his enemies back making them stumble momentarily.
The boy used that single moment to stab his swords clean through two more hearts.
With just three enemies remaining, Naruto's smirk grew wide but his focused eyes were fixed on his opponents.
But that smirk vanished from his lips when three giant tails grabbed the last enemies and before he could say anything he was showered in flesh and gore as the enemy clan soldiers were crushed brutally.
He glared at the fox who laughed ferociously.
"You stole my kills!" said Naruto petulantly, a pout arriving on his lips.
"Like the shower, Kinslayer?" retorted Kurama with a smirk,
Naruto shook his head and dutifully wiped the blood from his ancestral sword while throwing the stolen one away. He walked towards one last Kaguya woman who was writhing in pain. He bent down and observed the wound to her heart which he had given.
She's strong.
Her end was near and yet he saw her raise her hand towards his eyes wishing to tear them away from him. He gently grabbed her hand and peered into her mind with his Sharingan.
By the time he was done, he was alarmed but he maintained his composure staring at the woman who was still glaring at him with her dying eyes.
"Rest now" he commanded with his sharingan,
The woman named Kimi glared at him one final time before her pained expression vanished and her eyes closed forever.
When he got up from the dead corpse, he saw Kurama watching him intently with a question present in his eyes.
"What?" asked Naruto irritatedly,
"She was your enemy" commented Kurama, confusion present in his demonic eyes.
The boy smiled.
"Sometimes it is better to bestow mercy even to our enemies" said Naruto kindly,
"You enjoyed killing them" said Kurama accusingly, earning a fierce glare from the boy that surprised the beast.
"I enjoy battle not the killing, fox. Remember that" warned Naruto,
''Why?"
"All life is precious" answered Naruto honestly,
"Then why do you fight at all?" questioned Kurama curiously, and saw a pained but determined frown arrive on the boy's face.
"Because I serve my family, my clan. It is my duty to protect them, no matter the cost, or my pride" said Naruto faithfully, which made Kurama smirk.
"Then what is your dream? Something other than keeping your family safe..." said Kurama seriously,
Naruto stayed silent for several long moments, his young sad eyes glancing at all those he had killed moments ago and then at his own hand holding his ancestral sword.
"I guess..."
Kurama waited when the boy hesitated as his lips trembled.
"For once in my life, I want this endless fighting to be over"
The boy glanced at the night sky with the moon enlightening the vast landscape.
"I want to serve something greater than my life, something in which I believe in. I want to end this warfare and create a place where people can live together without any prejudices. And for that dream, I will risk my honor, my life"
When Naruto looked back at the fox he saw the Biju had again adopted one of those unreadable looks in his demonic eyes.
"You're different than your mad clan...'' whispered the beast,
Naruto smirked arrogantly.
"Told you we're not all crazy..." teased Naruto,
Kurama just laughed which made Naruto smile but it soon disappeared on the boy's next question.
"Do you have any family, Kurama?"
The question asked out of curiosity evoked an extremely pained expression in the fox's eyes before he closed those demonic eyes, likely remembering his own past.
Naruto despite his young age understood the beast didn't want to discuss this, so he turned around and started walking away.
"Kinslayer..."
He turned back and saw the fox staring at him intently.
"Why did two clans attack you?" asked Kurama seriously, and saw Naruto stiffen a little.
"Word has got out about the Sharingan being reawakened in me and my brother. All clans are wary of my clan regaining their lost power and want to put a stop to it before it harms their interests. Strangely, the Kaguya clan was informed by someone about your existence and they came here to capture you" explained Naruto frankly,
"They should have brought more fools and even that wouldn't have been enough..." mocked Kurama with a laugh, but when Naruto didn't share the sentiment he looked back at the serious boy.
"This was a test" he replied,
"And we passed?" asked Kurama knowingly,
Naruto nodded.
"Then the next attack will be a big one" stated the beast, earning a nod from the boy.
"I need to see my family. Inform them of this" said Naruto frankly,
"And tell them about me as well?" asked Kurama dangerously, surprised with the boy's decision.
Naruto smiled.
"No. I gave you my word that I will keep your existence a secret from my clan. I am not going back on my promise"
Kurama relaxed and looked quite pleased with the decision which made him stare at the boy curiously.
''Where will you go?" asked the beast, and saw the boy shrug.
"Wherever duty commands me"
Kurama nodded smiling at the boy, "Farewell, Kinslayer"
Naruto smiled back, "You too, Papa Bear"
And then he walked away leaving Kurama alone.
Tajima stared at his bloodstained son thankful for the fact that Naruto didn't walk into town in this state lest the people think he murdered another few of their clan. Although he was surprised that Naruto had developed a secret passage for himself for going in and out of the town as he pleased. He should be angry with the boy, however the firm gaze in Naruto's eyes and what he just revealed made Tajima's thoughts focus elsewhere.
"You killed all of them? In Single Combat?" asked Naori in surprise, earning a scoff from Madara.
"He's the best swordsman I've ever seen. He can handle it" boasted Madara, which made his younger brother grin with pride.
"Regardless, it seems our enemies are now actively moving against us. We need to prepare" directed Tajima,
"We need to gather our allies, get more political and monetary support from the various Damiyo's. It will take time, Brother" suggested Naori, to which Tajima nodded.
"Then you leave in two hours. I'm increasing the armed force and servants that will be assisting you. Naruto, you will be responsible for your aunt's safety" ordered Tajima, and was pleased when his younger son knelt respectfully.
"No harm will fall on Naori-sama until there is life in me" promised Naruto, earning an amused smile from his aunt as she remembered not long ago this young boy had been quite different than he was now.
But then again a lot had changed in his life.
"What will you do, Brother?" asked Naori curiously, making Tajima look at Madara.
"We will start attacking the Senju and their allies. Our goal will be to grab as much territory and contracts as we can while weakening our sworn enemies. I will personally lead this campaign with Madara acting as my second in command" decided Tajima, which made Madara smile.
"Good. I've been waiting to make those tree huggers pay for what they did to my brothers" said Madara darkly, hatred visible in his eyes.
Naruto frowned at his brother for while their family had lost quite a lot because of the Senju, it was also true that both he and Madara had themselves murdered many Senju's.
Men, women and children who were family to many others.
He idly wondered the fact that if his clan managed to defeat the Senju's, then what?
Would they then move on to fight some other clan?
What was the meaning behind this senseless slaughter? Was there a way to stop it or atleast lessen its extent?
Many questions plagued his young heart but at the same time he knew his duty. He was an Uchiha, no matter his reputation. And he would serve his clan no matter his personal feelings.
For even if he wanted to change things, he had no power.
He was already disowned, forbidden to have a family, his name tainted, no longer the heir to the clan. It made him wonder as to whether his decision that night was right or wrong for the consequences of his actions were now getting clear to him.
He looked at his brother and saw the desire to butcher every living Senju in Madara's eyes. His brother would not rest until they were all dead and then find some other enemy to satisfy his thirst for battle. Madara loved challenges, especially battles and unlike Naruto, his elder brother didn't mind killing.
The weak deserved to die.
That was Madara's philosophy and while it bothered Naruto, it didn't change the fact that he loved Madara dearly despite his shortcomings and faults. For when everyone gave up on him, Madara didn't.
And for that alone, Madara would have Naruto's unflinching loyalty no matter his choices.
Naruto was again surprised by his elder brother when Madara came forward with a heavy chest in his arms. Curious, he watched as his brother opened it to reveal a finely crafted armor of gold boring the image of a dragon at the heart, and the symbol of the Uchiha on its back.
"For me?" asked Naruto with wide smile,
"Of course, little brother. Consider it my parting gift" said Madara with a proud smile, happy that Naruto liked the armor crafted for him. It had taken quite a lot of money, after all.
Naruto noticed many seals on the armor and a very strong helm which would protect his face and head in battle. It was unique for no such thing was ever used by any other Uchiha, but he couldn't deny the fact that he would be better protected with this in battle.
Madara noticed his lingering gaze on the seals and explained...
"Those are chakra seals, little brother. They will regularly absorb your chakra from your body in small amounts and in battle when you are low, you can draw that energy back to replenish your diminished reserves. Plus, this armor will keep you warm in the cold weather and is airy enough to bear in hotter climates. It will expand itself on its own as you grow and is strong enough to bear strong jutsu attacks not to mention weapon attacks" boasted Madara proudly,
"Woah. Madara, how much did you-"
Naruto was cut short when Madara raised his hand preventing his brother from asking that silly question. But was forced to do so when Tajima stood up.
"Where did you get this?" asked Tajima seriously, staring harshly at his eldest son.
"The Black Markets. It took quite a bit of gold to procure, but I had saved enough from my past missions. The trader said this was made by the Uzumaki Clan for only they are this skilled in the Sealing Arts. Even I have to say, despite their distant alliance with the Senju, their capabilities are quite good" praised Madara honestly,
Tajima nodded and Naruto didn't miss his father glancing at his aunt. Something passed between brother and sister, an unspoken agreement which Naruto couldn't decipher as Naori nodded in understanding.
"You should be more careful with your money, Madara. But I am happy that this will help protect your brother..." said Tajima neutrally, making Madara and Naruto smile.
"We're rich, Father" deadpanned Madara, earning a brief chuckle from Tajima Uchiha.
"Yes. That is true, thanks to your aunt and her skill at trade and negotiations" praised Tajima, as a faint blush arrived on Naori's cheeks.
Naruto wistfully stared at his happy family and couldn't help but remember Izuna, and how he would have been happy to see them all being happy like this. His fists clenched as he remembered the silver haired Senju who killed his beloved older brother.
And he vowed to kill that bastard, no matter what happened.
By midnight, the convoy was ready.
Tajima glanced at the carts full of supplies, money, and parchments that authorized Naori to negotiate on behalf of the Uchiha clan with any who wished. Her decisions would be binding on the entire clan provided that Tajima gave the final nod.
The Clan head observed the two dozen servants that will be assisting his sister with her daily chores, administrative tasks and serving her alongwith the entire convoy in general. These were the people who could not fight and thus were trained to serve their betters.
Among the others were a few whores that would serve to entertain the guards at their pleasure. While Tajima detested this practice, he also knew men were weak when it came to sex and money particularly. Half of this convoy was comprised of security forces made up of some of the finest Uchiha fighters. They were all good men and women who had served Tajima loyally, but even many of them had the need for personal pleasure. And it was better if they did it with the whores of their own clan and not some other enemy that might kill them during the act or force them to reveal any critical information regarding the Uchiha.
He checked the horses that would be carrying the supplies and non-combatants. Since their journey would be fanning across the elemental nations, he had made sure to provide every fighter with a horse. While those fine creatures would only be used for long distance travel, they could be used in battle as well but he doubted any Uchiha would do it for that would go against their pride for depending on a creature for help.
He had forbidden the rest of the clan from coming to see these people off, as such most of the people of this convoy atleast those who had families had already said their goodbyes to their loves ones and friends.
His gaze settled upon one particular Uchiha who stood out different from the others.
Dressed in dazzling but strong golden armor bearing the dragon on his heart and the Uchiha crest on his back, Naruto was a prideful sight to look at for Tajima. His youngest was also sporting a dark facemask obscuring his identity, and a similar dark black cloak was attached on his back falling to his waist that would help him battle the cold or travel through the desert sands. The boy carried with him their clan's prestigious ancestral sword resting firmly on his hip.
Currently he was giving last instructions to a group of boys named Itachi, Shisui, Kagami and Takeshi Uchiha who would be serving under him with the aim of acting as Naori's personal bodyguards.
"He's something else isn't he, Brother?" asked Naori with a smile,
"He is. Look after him..." requested Tajima, earning a firm nod from his dear sister.
"I will" she promised,
"And take care of yourself as well" urged Tajima, which made her laugh but not unkindly.
"I'm not a little girl you used to watch over, Brother" chastised Naori playfully, making Tajima sigh but he nodded.
''I know"
Naori hugged him and saw Madara doing the same with Naruto fighting back the tears that threatened to fall from his eyes.
"You've got great sons, Tajima. I'll watch over Naruto, you do the same for Madara" requested Naori,
"I promise" he said dutifully,
They both approached the boys who were finishing their hug and thereby heard Naruto's words said with a heavy voice.
"Thank you, Brother. For my life..."
Madara smiled and patted his little brother's back.
"Just be safe. Or I'll piss on your grave..." warned Madara, earning a hearty laugh from Naruto.
They were interrupted when they heard alarmed shouts from the gate guards. The family of four hastily ran and saw the guards were brandishing weapons at an approaching beast.
Naruto's eyes widened and the same was the case for the rest of his family.
He found himself moving forward quickly and gesturing the guards to hold themselves which they reluctantly did. Alone, he approached the beast which was bigger and taller than every horse his clan ever had. It stood tall and proud before him, its thick red fair shining in the darkness of the night, its long paws and sharp canine ready to tear its enemies.
But it was those same demonic eyes that shocked him most.
"Kurama..." he whispered,
The once monstrous fox who had now reduced himself to the size of a great horse looked up at him expectantly. Naruto then noticed the threat with his own clansmen waiting to kill the dangerous beast.
He didn't know what made the fox arrive here, or how he managed to make himself this small.
But he knew one thing.
Kurama was a friend and someone whom he had promised to protect.
"He's with me" said Naruto seriously, daring anyone to challenge otherwise.
His Father and aunt glanced at him warily, an argument about to pass their lips when one firm glare from the boy made them keep their lips sealed. Seeing the clan leaders not object made the guards stand down, although Naruto doubted they would not be overjoyed if the fox ripped him apart.
Only Madara grinned as he approached forward and clapped his sibling proudly on the back.
"Little Brother, you are a man of secrets. Where did you find this beast?" asked Madara curiously,
"In the forests" answered Naruto tersely,
Madara noticed his brother's tension and decided to let it drop. Instead he stared at the giant fox having never seen a beast like this. Surprisingly, the beast growled and looked back at him which made Madara laugh.
"A feisty creature. It suits you, Brother" praised Madara,
Naruto stared at Kurama for a long moment, a thousand questions circling in his eyes but still he remained silent giving a nod to his beast friend who inclined his head. With the approval given, Naruto climbed atop the giant fox and seated himself earning a snort from Kurama which made Madara laugh further.
He rode back to their clan gates gesturing his aunt to start their journey to which she nodded and commanded the convoy to begin. Many men and women alike, stared at the Kinslayer sitting atop that giant and dangerous fox. Already they feared him and with the beast, Naruto doubted his reputation would improve.
Ignoring those stares and few glares, he gave a respectful nod to his Father who gave him a faint smile.
Finally, he stared back at Madara who looked quite pained.
"Farewell, Brother"
"And you too, little brother"
With those last words and a final smile shared between siblings, Naruto rode forward atop his fox never looking back as his family and home became a distant blur.
A dozen pair of eyes observed the semi-large convoy passing through the dense forests. While their first instinct was to attack they didn't have the numbers.
Nor would they do such a thing because they were here only to observe.
"Is that the Kinslayer?" asked a young boy, dressed in heavy armor bearing the mark of his clan.
His older brother who had been hiding in the trees with him glanced at the distinct Uchiha riding at the very front of the convoy on a giant fox which was bigger than any horse and looked quite menacing.
Tales of the Uchiha Massacre had spread far and wide despite the dragon descendants best attempts to keep it a secret. While many sins and crimes were common across the elemental nations, the sin of killing one's own family was the greatest and regarded with sheer contempt among every clan, except for the Kaguya who were considered completely mad.
And Naruto Uchiha with his sharingan, rumored fighting prowess, his acts of killing his own clansmen, and now with his dangerous fox was fast proving himself a terrible and disgusting foe.
Yet Hashirama Senju's eyes widened momentarily when those same dark brown eyes glanced in his direction. It was as if Naruto knew they were there which made the elder Senju grab his sword in alarm.
"Is he looking at us, Brother?" asked Tobirama in surprise,
"I guess so. It seems he has sensory powers just like you, Tobi" whispered Hashirama,
"He's a Kinslayer" spat a disgusted soft feminine voice,
Hashirama glanced at his second youngest sibling and sighed. Tsunade had always been a feisty one and was much like their mother inheriting the same bright blonde hair and brown eyes alongwith her fair skin. One day she would become quite a great beauty, but just like their mother Tsunade fiercely loved her family and her morals.
And in her eyes, Naruto Uchiha was the worst scum on earth.
He was responsible for the death of her older brother, Kawarama in the battle between their clans that happened a year ago. Tsuande had never forgiven the Uchiha for taking away the brother who had looked after her their entire lives, and it was also because of Naruto and his clansmen that Itama who was currently hiding beside them had lost an eye.
Hasirama, Tobirama, Itama watched their only sister stare at the Kinslayer with sheer contempt and hate in her eyes. Not only was he responsible for harming her family but he had further degraded himself in the eyes of the entire world, including Tsunade's by killing his own people for power.
He might be one of the strongest warriors, but in her eyes he was nothing but a weak, power-hungry scum.
"We should report their movement to Father" suggested Hashirama, earning nods from his other clansmen hiding nearby.
"Should we not engage them, Brother? Together we can take down the Kinslayer ridding the Uchiha of their precious Sharingan..." suggested Tobirama coldly, earning a harsh glare from his brother.
"We don't have the numbers and I can sense he won't go down without a fight. You killed his brother, he will not forget that" warned Hashirama,
"I can take him" challenged Tobirama with a glare,
"No"
Tsunade and Itama flinched at their eldest sibling's harsh reply which instantly made Tobirama back down with a resigned nod. As their small scouting group started to retreat, her eyes zeroed in on the man she hated.
And he glanced back at her.
"Kinslayer..." she whispered bitterly, wishing to gods that Hashirama had given her permission for this Uchiha's very existence was an insult to Kawarama's memory.
She didn't know how he knew where she was but he had also chosen not to attack, and instead gave a playful wink in her direction.
His infuriating smile only made her growl but on hearing Hashirama call for her, she reluctantly turned and joined her brothers and clansmen.
One day I will deliver my justice on you, Kinslayer