Naruto: The Last Harbinger of Storm – Book 2
NTLHOS-2: Chapter 7 – Crimson Storm
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"A man's valor is not measured by his strength but by the resolve to protect what he holds dear, even when the gods themselves test his will."
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NTLHOS-2: Chapter 8 – Retaliation.
NTLHOS BOOK 2: Chapter 9 – The Gathering Woods In The Pyre. IS OUT!
NTLHOS BOOK 2: Chapter 10 – We Forgive, But We Never Forget. IS OUT!
NTLHOS BOOK 2: Chapter 11 – The Dept Is Called. IS OUT!
NTLHOS BOOK 2: Chapter 12- How Times have changed. IS OUT!
NTLHOS BOOK 2: Chapter 13: A New Game Of Chess. IS OUT!
NTLHOS BOOK 2: Chapter 14: The Power Of A Single Stroke Of A Pen. IS OUT!
NTLHOS BOOK 2: Chapter 15: Back to Konoha IS OUT!
NTLHOS BOOK 2: Chapter 16: The Night of Falling Crows IS OUT!.
NTLHOS BOOK 2: Chapter 17: Did Uchihas Survive?. IS OUT!
Chapter 18: Politics at its best. IS OUT!
Chapter 19: Old Memory. IS OUT!
Chapter 20: Once A Legend Alway A Legend.!
Chapter 21: Still Sharp As Ever. IS OUT!!!!!!!!!! (Politics begins)
Chapter 22: The Negotiation. IS OUT!!!!!!!!!! (NEW)
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📖✨ 7.5K long chapter. Happy reading! 🌟🔥 The author's note is at the end of the story, so be sure to check it out!🙌📚😊
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Last time on NTLHOS-2:
Naruto's voice didn't waver. "I want you to complete the process I've started to make me whole and get me out of this chamber, fully healed."
The being's eyes narrowed, glowing brighter. "It is within my power to bypass this barrier. Not even the Shinigami could escape it. But such power does not come freely. There will be a price."
Naruto swallowed hard. "What is it?".
The being's grin widened.
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Now:
The moment Nobinaga raised his sword to decapitate a fallen Suifu, time itself seemed to have slow. Blood dripped from Suifu's wounds, and his eyes, half-closed, were bracing for the final blow. But before the strike could land, a red flash tore across the battlefield in second, slicing through the makeshift barrier Nobinaga had thrown up to keep others from interrupting.
Nobinaga felt a crushing impact in his ribs as the red blur collided with him, sending him skidding backward across the ground. He caught himself mid-slide, flipping to his feet. His eyes narrowed, scanning for whoever had the audacity to fling him around. Then he saw him.
At first, for the briefest second, Nobinaga's mind played tricks on him his eyes widened and he trembled with anger and fear, Ashina Uzumaki? But it lasted only for second. Impossible. The figure was too young, yet that same frustrating expression lingered, the one that radiated, "I'm above you." The same damn expression Ashina used to wear when he scolded or lectured him.
Naruto Uzumaki stood there, cloaked in a swirling aura of crimson chakra that sparked like a living storm. He glanced down at Suifu, relief flooding his face.
"Suifu," Naruto murmured. "You breathing?"
Suifu managed a weak grin. "I've had better days, Your Grace. I'm not the warrior I once was, and I'm… sorry for letting you down."
Naruto placed a reassuring hand on the old Grand Marshal's shoulder. "No. You've done more than anyone could ask. You've kept Uzushio alive this long, and you'll keep fighting." His hand glowed, channeling chakra into Suifu's battered form. Almost instantly, Suifu's wounds began knitting together, not in the typical fashion of medical ninjutsu, but as if he were being restored, the enhancement in his body visibly started repairing by itself.
From up on the parapets, a battered Zabuza watched this scene with a heavy sigh of relief. He'd honestly expected Lady Tsunade to swoop in at the last second best-case scenario. He sure as hell hadn't counted on the Grace to busting free of that chamber.
He turned to Rashirom, who in the chaos of the earlier duel had managed to regroup all of Uzu's forces behind the walls. "Didn't you say nothing could get the Emperor out until his time was complete?"
Rashirom shook his head, clearly at a loss. "I did. There was no way to open that chamber prematurely. Not unless he found some insane workaround… but apparently, he did."
Zabuza kept his gaze pinned battlefield, and sight of the mending Suifu's seal. "Didn't know the Emperor could heal like Lady Tsunade. Kinda pissed we didn't have that earlier."
Lady Mithrusha Uzumaki, face lined with strain from maintaining the barrier was now calm as if unburdened, spoke up. "He's not healing Lord Suifu in the usual sense," she explained, her voice tinted with admiration. "While, Yes, it might have taken a lot to make the Lord Suifu's enhancement seal and nearly two months to power it completely, a masterpiece no doubt, but Suifu is not the lord of these lands and not the holder and master of the grand seal of Uzushio. The Emperor is redirect the chakra of the barrier to the Lord Suifu's seal. The healing is just a byproduct."
Pakura, overhearing, frowned. "Wait, so he's funnelling the barrier's chakra into Lord Suifu? But that barrier's already compromised. Won't that drain it further?"
Mithrusha gave a light chuckle. "We don't need that barrier anymore, he's here. This was only a secondary shield. Now that the Emperor has arrived, watch closely."
As if on cue, an entirely new barrier, stronger and more ferocious in appearance shimmered to life around Uzushio's perimeter. Even those clueless about seals could feel its power, a warping force field that distorted the very reality. Manjutsu, gaped in disbelief. "You telling me… the thing we had before was just a secondary barrier?"
Mithrusha nodded, a wry smile tugging at her lips. "Precisely. This is the Uzumaki War Barrier. We couldn't activate it before because the Emperor wasn't here. In his absence, the Empress and two others combined can call it and even in the absence of empress we had alternative, but Nobinaga, once the closest confidant to Lord Ashina, knew how the grand seal works. He tampered with the core of the seal matrix in the ocean bed, the same seal that controls the whirlpools and grand seal that controls Uzushio itself. That why we couldn't activate it. However, even he wouldn't be able to wrestle control from the Lord of Uzu. That's why this secondary barrier was needed earlier, but not anymore. So that flimsy shield we've been leaning on? Consider it obsolete."
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Down in the rubble-strewn courtyard, Nobinaga dusted himself off like Naruto's sucker punch had been a minor inconvenience. He eyed the swirling chakra around the young Emperor, and that old hatred bubbled up in his gut. "So, you're Uzumaki Naruto?"
Naruto steped forward. "That's right. And you must be Nobinaga Yuseken, the bastard who betrayed his own master."
Nobinaga smirked. "Hah. Sounds about right. So, the descendant of Ashina Uzumaki steps in to 'save the day' just like the great old man once did, huh? How did you get out of that chamber? While the rest might not know, I for a fact know there's no way to escape from there not even the Shinigami can pull you out. Don't try to fool me. I was once groomed to be the Grace of these lands. I have more knowledge than even Suifu."
Naruto just gave a condescending half-smile, the same expression that had pissed Nobinaga off for decades. "You've got it wrong. Yes, I'm proud to be Ashina Uzumaki's descendant, but I'm not him. And I'm sure as hell not letting you or your allies waltz out of here without paying for what you've done. My reputation in the Elemental Nations is well-known, I may forgive but sure as hell don't forget betrayal, especially when it's aimed at my people in our weakest hour."
Somewhere in the crowd of minor lords who'd allied with Nobinaga, a few shifted uncomfortably.
"That's a lie. While you may know more than Suifu in some aspects, even you're not dumb enough to believe that a man who's lived almost twice your age knows less about Uzushio than you. I know things about Uzu that even you don't. The fact is, while Lord Ashina trusted you, he didn't trust you fully. Maybe more than many, but never completely. I am not telling how I got out. Figure it yourself oh so knowledgeable one"
Nobinaga scoffed, but his jaw clenched. "You done flapping your mouth, Emperor? Or are we actually gonna fight?"
Naruto shrugged. "Oh, we'll fight. But not this second." He glanced over his shoulder at Suifu, who was standing again, aura blazing with renewed vitality. "Suifu, handle him for a while. I have to collect the toll of entering Uzushio water from our friends here."
The moment those words left Naruto's mouth, Nobinaga lunged, trying to intercept the Naruto. But Suifu was already blocking him, swinging Oath Keeper in a wide arc. The clash of metal rang out, sparks dancing. Nobinaga snarled, forced to focus on the old Grand Marshal who was suddenly back to near-full strength.
The moment Orochimaru saw the Emperor, he was ready to bolt. While he might have supported Nobinaga, the agreement was contingent on the caveat that Uzumaki Naruto would not take to the battlefield. But going toe-to-toe with Naruto Uzumaki? That was one colossal 'No.' He would not make the mistake of fighting the man who had proven that he had ways to bypass his contingency of immortality, at least not until he found a way to fend off those masks. He watched with growing alarm as Naruto shouted a war cry and ordered the defenders to attack. The barrier opened, allowing them to surge forward.
What truly shocked Orochimaru was the speed of the Uzumaki lord. If he didn't know better, he would have sworn Naruto was using the Hiraishin. His speed was on par with, if not surpassing, the Raikage's, though not to level of Hirashi but very very close. Cloaked in red lightning no red plasma, Naruto streaked across the battlefield like a ray of light, leaving dead bodies in his wake. His appearance gave the defenders a renewed hope.
"Time to bounce," Orochimaru whispered under his breath. "Not fighting him. I'm no idiot."
Zabuza, still perched up top, gawked in disbelief. "The hell he's not using that famed Hiraishin, is he? What the hell is that speed?"
Pakura shook her head in amazement. "No idea, but it's insane."
In a blink, Naruto closed on the crowd of mercenaries and undead troops, his cloak crackling. He weak two hand seals and he reared back a hand from sky to down, calling down a torrential bolt of red thunder from the sky, like it was child's play. The resulting impact turned half of Sasori's puppet army to ash.
Sasori, who had been orchestrating his puppets with cold precision, felt the link to at least a hundred of them vanish at once. "What… the fuck?" he hissed. "Deidara! Kakuzu! We have a new target!"
Deidara, perched on his clay bird, had a scowl. "Ugh, more problems. That kid's fast. Great."
Kakuzu barely spared them a glance. "I am not a fool to go against a master of Storm Release. I want the bounties, but I am not suicidal enough to face that kekkei tōta. I say we retreat. Even in old times, we knew better than to face Ashina Uzumaki. While he may not be Ashina Uzumaki, I can sense it—he's in a league of his own. Maybe Nobinaga can take him down, but before he gets past the old Grand Marshal, we'll be nothing but ashes," he said, ducking the barrage of lightning from the sky.
The field was in chaos. Where Naruto moved, the defenders found fresh courage, pressing the advantage. Freed from maintaining the old barrier, Lady Mithrusha hopped down to the battlefield with Mei Terumi, Pakura, and a guard contingent. She marched straight into the fray, where reanimated corpses still shambled. With a calm gesture, she drew and activated a 108-seal array that was connected to the war now new barrier that began siphoning the souls of any corpse that stumbled onto it.
Suddenly, Orochimaru's "perfect" Edo Tensei began to unravel. The half-lucid shinobi he'd resurrected started collapsing as the sealing array wrested their souls from Orochimaru's hold. However, Senju brothers, Hashirama and Tobirama, weren't so easily undone, darting nimbly around the seals like they knew exactly how to avoid them. Which they probably do, considering they invented half those jutsu.
But the rest of Orochimaru's undead forces were crumbling left and right, devoured by that old Uzumaki's sealing array. The defenders cheered, cutting down the reanimated corpses that slowed or froze from the partial sealing.
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One of the first to taste Naruto's fury was Sasori. The puppets and reanimated shinobi made up the main bulk of the force that made them lethal, as no matter how you killed or destroyed them, they came back. The puppet master tried to keep his distance, flinging waves of mechanical horrors forward. But Naruto blitzed them with his red-lightning cloak. Each puppet was smashed in a single strike or incinerated by arcs of crimson plasmic bolts.
Sasori clicked his tongue, eyes flicking around for an opening. "Hey, Deidara, some help here?!"
Deidara soared overhead, but he was pinned down by a hail of arrows from Kidōmaru and seal bombs from other Uzu defenders. "I'm kind of busy," he snarled. "Handle it yourself."
Sasori cursed under his breath, unfurling another scroll with a sharp flick of his wrist. "Fine, I will show you why armies retreat at my mere sight. Let's see how you handle this." In a puff of chakra-laced smoke, the Third Kazekage puppet emerged, its array of iron-sand mechanisms clicking into place.
Naruto's gaze snapped to the puppet. "That's the puppet you used to… Wait… you're the one who kidnapped the Third Kazekage? You're telling me you started the Third Shinobi War practically by yourself?"
Sasori's lips twisted into a smug sneer. "Took you long enough to connect the dots."
Naruto scowled. The knowledge that Sasori had single-handedly sent the world spiraling into war with that Kazekage stunt lit a spark spark of third shinobi war. "You bastard… So you're the reason countless families were torn apart."
With a growl, Sasori brought his puppet forward, sending a hail of razor-sharp iron sand spears hurtling toward Naruto. But the Emperor wasn't having any of it. He took a deep breath, Weaved 5 hand salad seal and raised both arms, and channeled a whirlwind of swirling lightning, water and wind chakra that blened into one entity the kekei tota. A massive tornado burst from the ground, crackling with arcs of scarlet electricity. "Behold the true power of storm release the Kekei Tota".
The sheer force tore the sky open in a wild cyclone. Thousands of Sasori's puppets along with hundreds of shinobi and mercenaries unlucky enough to be in the blast zone were sucked up and shredded, pieces of wood and metal and armour spiralling away in a storm of destruction. The earth itself groaned under the pressure, and a huge massive crater formed at the centre, halting the entire battlefield for a split second as everyone gawked at the devastation.
"Holy shit…" one mercenary mumbled, wide-eyed, just before a stray bolt of red lightning nearly took his head off.
Sasori, battered but still standing behind the Kazekage puppet, tried to maneuver it to launch another iron-sand attack. He never got the chance. Naruto shot forward like a crimson thunderbolt, bridging the distance in a blink. Sasori only managed a desperate flick of his fingers, but it was too late Naruto's fist was already rearing back, crackling with energy.
"Red Thunder Breaker!" Naruto roared, slamming his electrified knuckles straight into the puppet.
The Kazekage puppet exploded in a hail of twisted metal, iron sand scattering like black snow. Sasori himself was knocked off his feet, puppet body splintering under the impact. He coughed, desperate to scuttle his living core out like a damned spider, but Naruto whirled around, lightning surging.
One second Sasori was looking at Naruto who was standing atop the puppet and the next CRUNCH. Naruto's hand crushed the container that housed Sasori's essence. The puppet master's eyes went wide, the last trace of life flickering out as crimson electricity devoured his puppet heart.
He glanced around at the carnage, the swirling crater, and the scraps of Sasori's puppets. "No more wars started by you," he muttered.
Across the field, Orochimaru saw that. Shit. If Sasori was toast, that meant one less big gun on Nobinaga's side.
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While Naruto hammered the Akatsuki, Suifu and Nobinaga resumed their all-out brawl. Thanks to Naruto's re-energizing seal, Suifu had recovered a chunk of his lost vigor. Their blades clashed and howled, forging shockwaves that cracked the ground.
Nobinaga's face twisted. "Damn it… I was about to put you in the dirt, old man, but you leave me no option!"
Suifu smirked, sweat dripping down his brow. "Sorry to disappoint, child. My Emperor saved me. And now you face me once more, at half your advantage."
"Half my strength, you say? No, you remember there's a reason my clan is feared and why your oh-so-precious Grace married his sister to my grandfather. You also have a stray from my clan among your ranks, though he's been twisted by some experiment. My clan channels nature energy it's in our blood."
With those words, markings spread across his face, his muscles growing more defined as all trace of fatigue vanished.
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Observing the battlefield, Orochimaru realized everything was going to hell for the invaders. The undead were half-neutralized by that 109-seal array, the mercenaries were getting trashed by Naruto's insane rampages, and even the Akatsuki (those who remained) were either pinned down or spooked as shit.
No way was Orochimaru sticking around for a final stand. He discreetly signaled his personal guard those monstrous half-human experiments and they fell back, forming a wedge to carve a path out.
"Heh, sorry, Nobinaga," Orochimaru mused under his breath. "You can keep up your crusade. I'll see you on the flip side if you survive."
He slithered away, ignoring the curses from a few misguided mercenaries who'd expected him to lead them to victory. Orochimaru was no fool. The second Naruto Uzumaki stepped onto the field, the entire calculus changed.
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Yagura tried to rally the Mist army, partially transforming into his three-tailed form, but Mei Terumi had confronted him with an army of loyal ex-Mist and Uzu shinobi. The battlefield lit up with swirling acid mists, lava blasts, and the occasional water explosion. The advantage had clearly shifted to Uzushio.
Naruto, freshly done with Sasori, pivoted to see Deidara launching a volley of clay bombs at the War Barrier, obviously hoping to bust a hole. Rolling his eyes, Naruto raised a palm and unleashed a savage bolt of that red plasma, destroying half the bombs mid-air in a chain reaction of detonations that ironically took out more of Deidara's.
"Damn it!" Deidara spat, forced to flee higher into the sky, battered by stray blasts.
Kakuzu tried a stealth approach, creeping behind Naruto with his elemental mask constructs. He unleashed a combined Katon-Fūton torrent, hoping to catch the Emperor off guard. At the lats second Naruto flickered away in that red lightning cloak, reappearing behind Kakuzu.
"Surprise," Naruto quipped. Then he drove a red Plasmic-coated fist right into Kakuzu's side. The man's eyes bugged out as he was knocked across the battlefield, smashing into a cluster of mercenaries.
"Son of a—!" Kakuzu snarled, scrambling to reassemble his masks. But Naruto gave him no time, blitzing once more. Realizing how outclassed he was, Kakuzu cursed under his breath and turned to retreat, aiming to salvage what hearts he could.
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The battlefield was a sprawling mess of ruptured earth, scattered corpses, and embers of half-dead fires. Acrid smoke drifted through the air, stinging the eyes of everyone still fighting. Despite the chaos, there was a sense of grim exhilaration among the defenders the Emperor's arrival had turned the tide. One by one, the big threats had been forced to retreat or were annihilated outright. Orochimaru had slipped away, Deidara was barely clinging to the skies, and Kakuzu was nursing bruised pride and shattered masks.
Yet the figure that stands near the eastern edge, partially cloaked in the demonic chakra of the Three-Tails: Yagura, the Mizukage, depending on whom you asked still held out. Crimson eyes flickered across the war-torn plains, and upon spotting Naruto, Yagura bared his teeth in a silent snarl.
He was partially transformed spiny turtle armor jutting from his back, a thick tail thrashing behind him.
"Uzumaki Naruto… you think just because you dispatched your other foes, I'll just roll over?" he snarled. He slammed his staff into the ground, and Mirror Coral began to materialize around him—a bizarre jutsu causing crystalline coral structures to form in midair, reflecting the swirling environment like warped mirrors.
Naruto paused a few yards away. "I'm not expecting you to roll over, Yagura. Actually, I was hoping you'd put up a fight." A smirk tugged at his lips. "I can sense the Three-Tails' chakra pumping through your veins. Let's see how that holds up against a real Storm Release."
A hush settled around them—enemy mercenaries, Mist stragglers, and even Uzushio defenders paused, giving the two a wide berth. They all remembered the tales: Yagura was once singled out as one of the strongest Jinchūriki. Meanwhile, Naruto was... well, the Naruto.
Kakuzu, lurking behind a partially collapsed wall, watched with thinly veiled anxiety. "Fuck… he's tangling with a perfect Jinchūriki. I should get out now. But if Yagura somehow wins, I lose the bounty. And if Naruto wins, I'd be suicidal to jump in." He clicked his tongue.
Farther back, Nobinaga, locked in his bout with Suifu, spared a glance. His eyes flickered. "Tch, that kid's stepping on all my plans. If Yagura goes down, that leaves… well, me." He gritted his teeth, parrying Suifu's blade as sparks flew.
Yagura lunged, staff thrusting forward. "Suiton: Razor Tortoise Shell!" In an instant, a swirling vortex of water enveloped his body, layers of spiked coral swirling in the mix—a literal whirling shield.
Naruto raised a brow. "Fancy." He thrust his hand out. "Storm Release: Raging Conduit!" Lightning and water fused in his palm, forming a spiraling orb of crackling, aqua-colored plasma. With a swift motion, he launched it at Yagura's shell.
The swirling projectile collided with the watery shield. For a split second, it looked like the vortex might hold, but then the entire defense warped under the intense, combined elemental force. A massive splash echoed across the field, drenching a dozen onlookers. Yagura staggered, panting, but still upright.
He tightened his grip on his staff. "Hah… you're not the only one who can combine elements." Channeling the Three-Tails' chakra, Yagura's form warped further—dark, slimy scales creeping up his neck. "Coral Mirror Reflux!"
Dozens of reflective coral shards floating in the air suddenly expanded, each shooting out watery tentacles converging on Naruto's position like living spears. Naruto instinctively leapt back, weaving a quick sign.
"Wind Release: Gale Crescent!" He whipped an arc of slicing wind from his free hand, cleaving through a row of coral tendrils. Some still managed to brush his arm, leaving stinging cuts and a hard, coral-like residue starting to crystallize. Naruto hissed, smashing it off with a pulse of red plasma. "That's new."
Yagura allowed himself a grin. "I've got more surprises. Let's see how you handle… this."
Dark chakra flared around Yagura, and he let out a feral roar as more of the Three-Tails' features emerged—a jagged, spiky carapace around his shoulders and an additional tail whipping behind him. Red and purple chakra oozed off him, blending with the watery environment.
Across the field, mercenaries started freaking out. "He's going full monster mode… we're all done for!"
One Oto shinobi, half-limping, whispered to his comrade, "Think Naruto can handle that?"
His comrade just shook his head. "No fucking idea, man. But if he can't, we're all screwed anyway."
Naruto exhaled. "So we're doing this? Fine." He brought his hands together in a quick series of signs. The air around him hummed, static dancing over his skin. "Storm Release: Arc Tempest."
Electric arcs and swirling water coalesced around him, forming twin streams of fused elemental chakra that snaked up his arms. The wind around him howled, adding a cutting edge. This was the trifecta he'd teased earlier—Lightning, Water, and Wind fused into a single, destructive synergy.
Yagura roared, stomping the ground. "Tailed Beast Shockwave!" He released a monstrous pulse of chakra, sending a visible distortion across the battlefield. Rocks and debris soared, and defenders clung to anything stable.
Naruto thrust both arms forward, unleashing the Arc Tempest in a cataclysmic blast that clashed with Yagura's shockwave. The resulting collision formed a swirling dome of pure destruction at the point of impact—waves of torrential water and lethal electricity meeting the Three-Tails' raw power.
BOOM. A massive explosion rocked the landscape, carving yet another crater into the ravaged terrain. Soldiers on both sides shielded their eyes from the flash. For a heartbeat, no one could see a damn thing.
When the dust settled, Naruto still stood, panting slightly. Yagura, sporting three fully formed tails, clutched his staff with a trembling hand. A trickle of blood dripped from his mouth. The hush told everyone that neither side was messing around.
Through the swirling dust, Nobinaga caught a glimpse. He grunted, parrying a blow from Suifu. "Your precious Emperor can bust out that kind of power, huh? He just might prove he is that man's defender."
Suifu, sweat beading on his brow (and gasping, since Nobinaga's recent power-up meant he was barely keeping the man from leaving or killing him), managed a quick retort. "You haven't seen half of it. You'd better run while you can, boy."
Nobinaga spat, "I don't run. Not from him. Not from anybody. My clan's kekkei genkai can take all of you down, Emperor included."
Suifu just smirked. "We'll see how that works out for you."
Yagura snarled, going fully savage. "I've had enough of this!" With a guttural scream, he let the Three-Tails' chakra completely flood his system. In a horrific burst, his form grew into the full, giant turtle-like beast, spikes and horns protruding from its shell, a monstrous roar shaking the sky.
The massive silhouette of the Three-Tails loomed over the battlefield, tail slamming the ground with enough force to send shockwaves across the plain. Shinobi and mercenaries scrambled in terror. "He's fully transformed!" someone yelled, voice tinged with panic, "And he's charging a massive Tailed Beast Bomb!"
Naruto's jaw clenched. "Damn it, Yagura. You've forced my hand. Fine. Let's finish this."
He knew he couldn't rely on speed to dodge; if he dodged, the turtle might blast his army or even the village. There was no choice but to confront it head-on.
Naruto gathered his chakra. Lightning crackled along his limbs, water coalesced at his feet, and wind howled in a vortex around him. He formed a complex string of seals, each symbol glowing with an eerie light. A savage aura built around him this was a technique well beyond typical Storm Release, something he rarely used, The was truest sense of the kekei Tota.
"Storm Release: Four-Point Cataclysm," he muttered. Raw power flared from him, forming four blazing orbs of swirling water, wind, and lightning that hovered at his sides. Each orb shone with an ominous red radiance, enough to make even the bravest shinobi step back.
The Three-Tails roared, massive jaws parting, a Tailed Beast Bomb swirling black and purple in front of its maw. Any second now, it'd fire wiping out half the battlefield, if not more.
Naruto didn't wait. "Now or never." With great strain, he thrust both hands forward, unleashing the orbs in a brilliant, twisting spear of elemental fury. The jutsu cut through the air like a massive comet, aimed straight at the beast's chest.
The Three-Tails tried to fling its incomplete Tailed Beast Bomb at the incoming spear, but Yagura's hasty desperation messed up the concentration. The monstrous turtle shell came up in defense.
"RRRAAAARGH!" The beast's roar was cut short as the spear slammed into its shell, cracking it with a deafening crunch. Lightning lanced through, wind shearing the thick carapace, and water slicing inward in razor-like currents. There was a moment of stunned stillness, then the entire technique exploded outwards in a wave of red plasma.
Time seemed to slow. The colossal body of the Three-Tails seized, and a blinding flash enveloped it. When the light receded, Naruto's jutsu had literally pierced the beast's form. At the sight of a bloodcurdling cry, the Three-Tails convulsed. A ghastly hole was visible, centered from the turtle's neck down to its underbelly. The three tails coalesced into chakra, shimmering with faint purple and blue masses, then erupted in all four directions like arcs of raw chakra scattering into the sky.
Shinobi on both sides stared, disbelieving. The beast—the Three-Tails—had been struck down in a monstrous blow. The massive crater carved by Naruto's final technique still crackled with residual red lightning, a testament to the devastation he'd unleashed.
Naruto stood at the edge, panting heavily, blood dripping from his nose. The cost of unleashing such a high SS-rank jutsu was clear—his arms trembled, and each breath felt like fire in his lungs. Naruto spared a second to mourn for Yagura, recalling that in his final moment, Yagura had sucked him into a spiritual plane and told him of his enslavement—which he already knew from Ao's reports. Still, he was disheartened that a man who truly wanted to protect his people was made to kill the very same people. Fate was cruel sometimes, and Naruto vowed to honor his memory.
A hush momentarily settled, broken only by the crackling of embers and the groans of wounded shinobi. Then a great cheer erupted from the Uzu ranks. Some of the enemy—mainly the Mist shinobi—who had any sense left dropped their weapons and ran. Others simply fell to their knees in surrender.
Naruto exhaled, stumbling slightly. He caught himself, wiping sweat and blood from his face. "Tch… Yagura… the Loyal…. I guess this is the end, You will always have my respects for what you endured and yet you didn't become a miserable soul." he muttered softly.
Kakuzu, lurking a safe distance away, swallowed hard. "Yep. Enough of this. Not worth any bounty in the world," he grumbled, turning to vanish into the smoke.
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All the while, Nobinaga's frustration peaked. Suifu's just cling to life, and from the corner of his eye, he could see Naruto basically shredding the entire allied force that had come to help him. This wasn't the plan.
"Damn you, old man!" Nobinaga roared, unleashing a savage wave of chakra that tore up the ground. Suifu shielded himself with a fiery earthen bulwark, though the force cracked the structure.
Suifu panted, wincing. "You're losing, Nobinaga. Surrender now, and maybe we'll spare your worthless hide."
Nobinaga's nostrils flared. "Spare me? Don't get cocky."
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Suddenly, Naruto blurred into existence next to Suifu, exchanging a quick nod. "You alright?"
Suifu exhaled. "I'm managing."
Nobinaga scowled. "Both of you, huh? That's how it's gonna be?"
Naruto flashed that infuriating grin, "the only one you are fighting is me" and took a step forward, motioning for Suifu to step aside. "You wanted a fight, didn't you, Nobinaga? Well, here I am. No need for Lord Suifu anymore. I've got to make sure you don't cause any more headaches for my people."
Nobinaga cracked his neck, eyes flicking over Naruto's stance. "Hah, so the Emperor himself finally shows up for me. Hope you can back up that mouth, brat. And let's not pretend, I didn't tear Suifu apart not because you repaired his seal, but because that damn war barrier of Uzushio was protecting him from me. It was siphoning all the nature chakra before I could absorb it But now that I've finally gotten rid that function, not even that barrier can save you."
With a guttural snarl, a swirl of nature chakra gathered around him, markings spreading across his cheeks, his eyes sharpening into predatory slits Sage Mode, more potent than before. The environment's energy flooded his body, banishing the wear and tear he'd suffered from fighting Suifu.
Naruto's brow crinkled. "Guilty as charged. So you're playing the sage game now, huh? So you did learn something from my great-grandfather after all. Wind, Water, and Lightning… You like to call it 'Typhoon Release?' Tch. You do realize that's not a real kekkei tōta, right? It's just a fancy three-element combo any half-competent shinobi could do with enough time."
Nobinaga's face twisted in rage. "Any half-competent shinobi? You little, I'll show you what this half-competent shinobi can do."
He blurred forward, sword whistling in an arc that crackled with supercharged Wind chakra. Naruto brought up a forearm coated in red plasma, Storm Release, to parry. Sparks erupted as the two energies clashed, the impact sending tremors through the ground. Both fighters vanished in a blink, moving so fast that onlookers saw only streaks of red and blue lightning slamming together.
CLANG!
Nobinaga twisted midair, flipping behind Naruto, hurling a Typhoon storm that erupted into swirling waves of gust and water droplets laced with crackling sparks. Naruto caught it with a quick seal of his own, "Storm Chains!" A web of electrified tendrils shot out to entangle Nobinaga's jutsu, but with sage-enhanced reflexes, Nobinaga sidestepped, weaving more seals.
"Fūinjutsu: Hydra Whirlpool!" he barked, slamming a palm to the ground. A writhing spiral of water burst forth, each tendril shaped like a serpent's maw. Naruto dodged left and right, the watery constructs snapping and spitting static-laced fangs.
"Damn, you're big on seals." Naruto flicked a handsign in return. "Well, guess what? I'm a quarter Uzumaki, Afterall." The last word came out as a hiss. A swirling brand lit up under his feet, "Ripple Cancel!" The serpentine water constructs sputtered, half-dissolving as Naruto's seal forcibly disrupted their chakra.
Nobinaga sneered, white-knuckling his sword. "Clever. But I've got plenty more." He charged again, brandishing his blade in a thrumming coil of Wind, Water, and Lightning. "Typhoon Release: Boiling Cyclone!" The ground beneath him cracked as swirling steam shot upward, the air superheating into a localized maelstrom.
Naruto grimaced at the sudden spike in temperature, but his Storm Release cloaked him in a shimmering red, deflecting most of the lethal heat. He rushed Nobinaga with a savage punch, only for Nobinaga to parry with a backhand slash, sending shockwaves of elemental fury across the battlefield. Shinobi from both sides dived for cover.
They broke apart, panting slightly. Nobinaga's Sage Mode markings blazed with a faint green hue, his posture unwavering. Naruto's eyes narrowed, lightning crackling through his hair. "You've got skill, I'll give you that," he conceded grudgingly since his speed that can't be seen was contered by his otherworldly reflex of the sage. "But you're still missing the point: kekkei tōta is more than just mixing elements. You can't replicate Storm Release with half-assed combos, no matter how fancy you dress them up."
"Says the upstart who inherited Ashina's cursed blood. I earned my power," Nobinaga spat, nature chakra swirling in his eyes. "Now shut the fuck up and fight!"
They lunged at each other. Nobinaga's sword glowed with watery lightning, while Naruto's fists crackled with red plasma-laced wind. Each collision released concussive blasts that knocked lesser shinobi off their feet.
CLANG!
CRACK!
BOOM!
At one point, Nobinaga nailed Naruto with a savage elbow, sending him reeling. Naruto retaliated with a Storm Release palm strike that shattered the air in front of Nobinaga, ripping his robes and drawing blood. They were evenly matched in speed vs. reflex, both refusing to yield an inch.
Then they broke apart again, both breathing heavily. Nobinaga's left hand blurred through a chain of seals, and the ground under Naruto lit up with bright script "Gravity Well Seal!"—dragging Naruto to his knees with a crushing weight. Nobinaga snarled, "Let's see you outrun this, and this is rookie mistake for any seal master but after all, for all the Uzumaki blood you claim I am trained in the way not you!"
Naruto hacked up a bit of blood, but glared defiantly. "Not… fucking… likely." He mustered a storm swirl around his arms, forcibly negating the seal by funnelling an overload of Lightning-Wind chakra into the script. The ground exploded in a mini crater, freeing him.
They locked eyes, coming to an unspoken conclusion. This fight was dragging on and didn't serve either of one. Time for final moves.
Nobinaga's chakra surged anew, nature energy flooding his entire body. "Typhoon Release: The Judgement," he roared. A roaring tornado manifested, tinted with brilliant blues and greens due to the sheer nature energy, rising from the very ocean by splitting the ocean to it very depth, behind him. He had to infuse as much nature energy as possible so as to combact a true kekei tota and bridge the gap. Its spiralling tip reached into the clouds, lightning dancing along its edges, howling like a living beast. It advanced inland, threatening to swallow everything in its path.
Naruto dug deep, swallowing the ache in his limbs, and formed the most potent version of his kekkei tōta. "Storm Release: Wrath of the Storm God!" he bellowed, thrusting both hands skyward. This jutsu, which began as a kekkei genkai, had evolved over time into a whole new beast. A swirling red plasmic tornado ripped down from the heavens, forming a crackling mass overhead. With a fierce shout, he directed it forward a massive tornado beam of spiraling water, wind, and lightning clashing with the oncoming Typhoon.
A hush fell over the battlefield as the two high SS-rank jutsu collided in a deafening roar of raw chaos. One was a giant, swirling tornado of watery wind, the other a gargantuan red storm beam from the sky. Soldiers, general and commander from both sides were flung off their feet by the sheer pressure. Even far-off watchers shielded their eyes from the blinding flashes.
The impact was cataclysmic. For a moment, it looked like the world might tear itself apart. Then a colossal shockwave ripped through the field, sending debris, water spray, and a thousand shards of wind in every direction. Shinobi were tossed like ragdolls; mercenaries crashed into half-collapsed walls; Zabuza and Suifu braced themselves, cursing as Suisu barely withstood the force while Zabuza was flung aside.
When the swirling light finally dimmed, the battlefield was left with yet another enormous crater far bigger than the one caused in the three tail fight. At the epicenter, Naruto stood on one knee, panting, cloak sputtering with flickers of red. Across from him, Nobinaga was also down on one knee, blood trickling from a cut above his eye.
For a long moment, neither moved, their gazes locked, unflinching. Slowly, the battlefield regained focus, the defenders, the mercenaries, and even the Akatsuki remnants. Everyone was picking themselves up, groaning, and trying to shake off the sheer cataclysmic force of the clash between Naruto and Nobinaga.
But what caught everyone's eyes wasn't the two combatants it was the massive army emerging from Uzushio's inner walls. A battalion, no, a full-fledged freaking army of shinobi, all bearing the Uzumaki emblem, their uniforms gleaming in the dim light. This wasn't just a ragtag crew of defenders—this was a force three times the size of the earlier resistance. Every single one of them looked battle-ready, chakra flaring in deadly synchronization. And most importantly? Bloodline users. And the clans.
Nobinaga's jaw clenched as realization struck him like a damn hammer.
"Damn it… the Traitor's Seal…" he muttered under his breath, fury twisting his features. He had played every card he had, leveraged every ounce of Ashina Uzumaki's systems. And this? This was the final punch in the gut.
He replayed it in his head. When he'd infiltrated the core seal matrix, the heart of Uzushio's defenses he'd done more than manipulate the grand barrier. Sure, getting schematics of the whirlpools and altering the barrier's functions had been a win, but that wasn't all. He had accessed the internal security protocols, specifically the Traitor's Seal a contingency most had forgotten even existed. Of course, Suifu would have known about it, that old bastard.
The Traitor's Seal was simple, but devastating. Designed to suppress entire clans in case of rebellion, it worked by locking down clan compounds, sealing them from the inside out. No one could leave their homes, let alone their compound. And, just to twist the knife, the seal poisoned the water supply within those compounds, paralyzing the inhabitants so they couldn't break out. It was foolproof, a weapon Ashina's great grandfather designed to keep any rebellious Uzumaki in line.
And Nobinaga had activated it. Why? Because it meant fewer bloodline users on the battlefield. The elite of Uzushio were trapped in their homes, helpless as their comrades fought and bled.
But now, those same shinobi were here. Three hours of recovery, likely thanks to Senju Nobinaga's teeth ground together at the thought. The woman must've found a way to reverse the paralysis and Naruto Uzumaki might had unlock the compounds the moment he got out of chaimber. That army was free, and they were pissed.
"Fuck," he hissed, glaring at the approaching forces. His plan was unravelling faster than he could keep up. Damn the Uzumaki bloodline and their ridiculous luck. Damn the Senju for always sticking their noses where they didn't belong. And damn Naruto Uzumaki for standing there, smirking like he'd already won.
From the corner of his eye, Nobinaga caught sight of Suifu in the distance. The old man was battered, bruised, and bloodied, but somehow, he was still upright, raising the Oath Keeper sword high as if taunting him.
"Damn it all to hell," Nobinaga muttered under his breath.
His hand twitched around his sword hilt. He considered it last slash. He could finish Naruto now. Hell, he had a good chance of succeeding. The brat was staggering, his breathing heavy, his red lightning flickering like a dying flame.
But then he looked past Naruto.
The defenders were rallying. Shinobi who had been down moments ago were back on their feet. Lady Mithrusha was in the distance, barking orders, her 108-seal array still devouring the remnants of his reanimated forces. Senju Tsunade was stabilizing those still wounded, and Suifu… that damn relic was rallying the defenders like it was some fairy tale come to life.
He spat blood, frustration etched into every line of his face. "Uzumaki Naruto… you think you can just show up and tear my plans down? I'll be back," he snarled. "I'll make you regret for surviving this day. I'll show the world that no barrier or title can stand in my way of decimating the Uzumaki."
A swirl of his nature chakra concealed him for a brief second, enough for him to bolt, disappearing into the rubble with a handful of battered loyalists.
Naruto exhaled, dropping to both hands. "Tch… bastard." He coughed, tasting blood, but managed to stand with shaky legs. Around him, the defenders let out ragged cheers. Nobinaga had retreated, the Three-Tails was subdued, and the tide of war had definitively turned in favor of Uzushio.
Even if they hadn't faught off Nobinaga for good, Uzumaki Naruto had made one thing crystal clear: as long as he stood, no enemy, be it Mizukage, Akatsuki, or the great traitor himself would ever dare march into Uzushio thinking they could claim it.
"What are your orders, Your Grace?" came the voice of the clan heads who had dropped to one knee.
Naruto turned to him, his gaze sharp and focused. "Lord Yuki, take one-tenth of the forces and round up the enemy. Seal their chakra. I'll decide what to do with them later."
The clan head nodded, rising with a bow. "As you command, your grace."
Naruto's eyes then landed on someone else, someone he trusted. A man who could have turned the tide of this battle sooner if he had been present. "Kimimaro," he called.
Kimimaro stepped forward, bowing his head. "Your Grace."
Naruto's tone grew resolute. "Take half our forces and inform Tsunade. I want Mist occupied within three days. Loot their nobles, secure the Daimyo's palace, and I want to see our flag over the Mizukage's tower and daimyo palace by next three days. I want the water daimyo in shackles Infront of me before I convene the next sitting of my court. They're leaderless now strike hard and strick fast."
Kimimaro nodded. "Understood."
"Take Utakata and Fuu with you," Naruto added, his expression darkening slightly. "And make it clear: we are not the Uzumaki of the past. Any indiscretion even if it's because someone was manipulated will not be tolerated. Keep our dignity intact. No pillaging for sport and absolutely no raping."
Kimimaro placed a hand over his chest in acknowledgment. "Yes, Your Grace. I'll ensure it."
Naruto's voice softened just a fraction. "Remind them what it means to carry the Uzumaki name. We don't stoop to the level of scavengers, even in victory."
Kimimaro nodded once more, his resolve clear. Without another word, he turned and began gathering the forces for the swift invasion.
Naruto exhaled, his gaze sweeping across the battlefield. The air was heavy with the stench of blood and ash. And he closed his eye to mourn for friend and enemy alike.
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Stay tuned for the next exciting chapter of NTLHOS- Book 2!
Author's Note:
I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it! Nobinaga's allusion to the "clan member" refers to none other than Jugo, who shares same blood. 🌀 A 7.5K chapter, what a journey, right? Let me know your thoughts, theories, and feedback in the comments. Your support means the world to me!
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NTLHOS-2: Chapter 8 – Retaliation.
NTLHOS BOOK 2: Chapter 9 – The Gathering Woods In The Pyre. IS OUT!
NTLHOS BOOK 2: Chapter 10 – We Forgive, But We Never Forget. IS OUT!
NTLHOS BOOK 2: Chapter 11 – The Dept Is Called. IS OUT!
NTLHOS BOOK 2: Chapter 12- How Times have changed. IS OUT!
NTLHOS BOOK 2: Chapter 13: A New Game Of Chess. IS OUT!
NTLHOS BOOK 2: Chapter 14: The Power Of A Single Stroke Of A Pen. IS OUT!
NTLHOS BOOK 2: Chapter 15: Back to Konoha IS OUT!
NTLHOS BOOK 2: Chapter 16: The Night of Falling Crows IS OUT!.
NTLHOS BOOK 2: Chapter 17: Did Uchihas Survive?. IS OUT!
Chapter 18: Politics at its best. IS OUT!
Chapter 19: Old Memory. IS OUT!
Chapter 20: Once A Legend Alway A Legend.!
Chapter 21: Still Sharp As Ever. IS OUT!!!!!!!!!! (Politics begins)
Chapter 22: The Negotiation. IS OUT!!!!!!!!!! (NEW)