~~~
"Where am I?" One spoke, their eyes opening as light peered into their vision. His wrinkled skin appearing as cracks unraveled around him.
"Is this...?" One with white hair questioned, one red mark was on both sides of his cheek, and another red mark on the bottom of his chin.
"Huh? I'm..." Another lost their voice, letting it trail.
"We're... alive," Hashirama said, referring not only to himself, but to the rest of the Kage that stood right beside him.
They looked at their hands, seeing cracks and sign of "decay" on their bodies. Their bodies were full imperfections as their sight strengthened.
"Orochimaru..." Hiruzen said, his eyes narrowing as he stared at the snake himself.
"Ah, if it isn't sensei," remarked Orochimaru, grinning with madness behind his words. They freed the from the depths of the Shinigami's stomach.
"Why... have we been put back together?" Tobirama asked, his eyes full of seriousness and sternness - it was like an order being given to those higher than you.
But their strength, it was much closer than one would think.
Minato kept quiet, surveying and assessing everything around him. He could feel the overflowing chakra that was radiating from one end of the world to the other.
Naruto... He thought, feeling his abundance of chakra. It was impossible to miss it; because it dwarfed all the other chakra signatures.
And it was...
Full of malice.
"Ah, you all must be wondering why we had brought you back to the mortal realm," Orochimaru said, looking back at Yu.
He moved to the side, letting Yu take his place.
"I am Naga, and... no, it's not right to say I need your help; but it's more right to say that the united alliance between the nations need your help." Yu did not disclose his name, opting to go under the alias that he has been using for a long time.
He grinned under his mask.
"Can you feel it? The overwhelming chakra and power that he holds. You may not recognize it, but he is the most powerful person who walks on this very planet."
They had not noticed it - excluding Minato since Naruto was his son - due to them focusing on their return to the mortal realm.
Hiruzen immediately recognized the signature.
"No... way... that is!" Yu nodded, seeing as Hiruzen realized who the person was. Hashirama and Tobirama grew curious, questioning who the person is.
"The chakra and the malice afterthought that he holds - it's him, all right," he confirmed, verifying the thoughts that illuminated Hiruzen's thoughts.
"Who is this person that you all are talking about?" Hashirama asked, wondering who could hold such malicious chakra.
It was full of evil intent.
"His name is Uchiha Naruto - The Enemy of Humanity."
Tobirama's face distorted with disgust at the mention of an Uchiha, the very name giving him a grimacing look on his face.
"Of course," Tobirama muttered.
The Senju and the Uchiha were always at constant conflict since the Warring States Period. Those feelings of mutual hatred did not leave him.
Because, to him, the Uchiha threatened his family, killing his fellow clansmen. His fellow brethren were killed by them.
He didn't hate them, but he did have his strong bias and prejudice against them due to their long history in battle.
He had singled the out during his reign as Hokage.
He loved the village and the people in it, and as such, he had given the Uchiha a playtoy - their own police force that they operated.
Even if it wasn't out of the most noble of intentions - he did it anyway.
It was wrong of him, but those feelings that he bore from long ago: the hatred, the sorrow - he couldn't forget them just because they became comrades in arms.
He'll never forget.
A frown appeared on Hashirama's face.
"How unfortunate. He seems to be very strong," Hashirama spoke, a certain amount of softness and kindness behind his words. He could feel the overflowing power that radiated from Naruto's body from afar.
And, as they all stood, they too were sure that Naruto could feel their presence.
"I say we should take him out before it's too late," Tobirama said with a serious and stern tone. Their reason for being here was to be used to beat Naruto.
"Hey, hey - relax. I don't think you understand the gravity of the situation right now." Yu warned them with a calm tone behind his voice.
"What do you mean by that?"
Yu smiled under his mask, seeing an opportunity being presented in front of him. If he does this, maybe humanity does stand a slither of a chance.
"Do not underestimate that guy. He isn't your ordinary Uchiha that is from some random family. He bears the blood of your long-time enemy: Uchiha Madara." Obito had informed Yu of Naruto's heritage.
And the chance of spreading it was on a silver platter.
But he'll spare Minato, because his fate was still undecided - and without a doubt, his fate will be decided by his own kin.
"And believe me, if you 4 fight him now: you'd suffer a miserable defeat." There was type of softness in his voice that they picked up on.
"What do you suggest?" Hiruzen asked, glancing slightly at Minato before returning his gaze back to Yu and the others with a stern look.
"Ah, that's the question, isn't it? I'm sure you can sense the Shinobi Alliance that bears their teeth against the almighty man that stand before them." He continued to smile underneath his smile.
He didn't hate Naruto, but he found this very amusing. He wanted to watch how this will all end. And he was very sure, that whatever the outcome...
It'll be a joy to watch.
~~~
"Shikaku to Kages. Shikaku to Kages." They heard Shikaku repeat his voice, his lazy voice reaching their ears as they prepared for the worse.
They had created a communication device that would transmute their voices to their designated person. It was like a walkie talkie but much more potent.
"We hear you, Shikaku-san," Gaara said, responding to the intelligent man's voice the quickest.
"Naruto and his subordinates are making their move. They are currently splitting off into 3 groups with Naruto moving alone." Shikaku had a digitalglobe of the Earth in front of him.
It let him see what was happening, and the whereabouts of Naruto and the others. And by the looks of it - Naruto was moving at a steady pace.
"Where is he going? Any predictions of where he is heading?" Tsunade asked, staring at the transmuter with a stern look on her face.
Shikaku looked at the digitalglobe that floated right in front of him, assessing the situation and trying to predict where Naruto would go with the direction that he was going.
"From the looks of it, Naruto seems to be at the edge of the Tea Country." They narrowed their eyes, wondering what Naruto was trying to do.
"He is now running across the water at a fast pace."
"Which way? East?"
"No. Naruto is going south from the Tea Country." Their thoughts scattered from their brains, not knowing what Naruto was trying to do.
The direction that Naruto was trying to go - everything beyond there was unexplored. The many times that they did search beyond the waters, they only found small islands that had nothing.
So...
Why was Naruto trying to do something that they had already tried? The many searches that the amount of teams that they had dispatched to search for more civilizations was nothing more than a trivial and futile dream.
"He stopped!"
"How far is he from land?"
"Going off of how far he is away from the Tea Country, he is about 4500+ miles away from it. And the only thing around him are pieces of small land that Konoha had searched in the past." They nodded in response, their minds wandering with such intrusive thoughts.
"Do you know what he is trying to do? Any predictions?"
"I don't know the full extent of Naruto's abilities, but to be that far out from land, he must be trying to find something out there in the vast waters. That, or he's trying to play God."
This was indeed plausible when it came to Naruto. But it didn't take long before a disruption occurred, shaking the nations with such incredible strength.
The 5 Great Nation shook.
~~~
Naruto rushed through the endless trees, his speed blinding those he comes across. Things were escalating rather slowly.
Of course this was to be expected - it was only the first hour of war.
Things were only going to get even crazier as time goes on. It being only the first hour was nothing too important.
Around him, Naruto could sense the abundance of chakra signatures and the hostile intent that they had for him.
He could sense 4 very powerful signatures.
Jumping through the trees, Naruto soon came across the endless waters that surrounded the Elemental Nations.
*SWOOSH!*
Naruto landed on the water, creating splashes that rippled through the surface of the water. Continuing his way, Naruto blitzed through the water, leaving rippling trails from behind.
He soon stopped and looked back.
"This should be far enough," muttered Naruto, his eyes seeing no land from where he was. Sighing, Naruto straightened his posture, stretching his limbs.
Voluntarily stranding him in the middle of the ocean, Naruto outstretched his arms to the side, activating his Rinnegan that was on one side of his face.
"Banshou Tenin!"
With an extreme amount of invisible force, Naruto pulled something from underneath him. The Nations begun shaking, his power defying the world's logic.
His Banshou Tenin reached dozens of thousands below the surface of the ocean. Before long, bits and pieces of land begun to rise from the depths of the ocean.
There was land shifting from below.
Hills and mountains appeared, and a vast amount of land appeared from the deep depths of the ocean. The land ran across many miles, dozens and hundreds, and maybe even thousands in width.
A new continent was formed.
~~~
"Naruto... he just rose land from ocean - a new continent has been formed due to it." They widened their eyes, surprised to hear of such development.
"A new continent?! How...?" They had never heard of something as wild as that other than seeing the second Earth that hovered right next to them.
"It's just as I said: Naruto created a new continent." Shikaku could not see it clearly, but he did see the gradual increase in land that transformed into a humongous continent.
Onoki gritted his teeth at the predicament.
"How frustrating that brat is - shall we go to him?" He asked the other Kages that stood right next to him. They shook their heads, showing their worries without hesitation.
"No... that's too risky. It's far too early for us to go out there and fight. We need to buy a bit of time, analyze how things are, and only then we can engage in a battle with Naruto." The others nodded at the words that raced from Ay's mouth.
They knew that this decision was a double-edged sword; since people would lose their lives while they try and analyze the current situation.
"Shikaku! Order the commanders of each unit to be on standby, and make sure that they don't engage in combat yet!" Tsunade yelled, her voice stern with a commanding tone.
"As you wish."
Shikaku was going to do this anyway since he knew the dangers of fighting a powerhouse like Naruto and the weight that it carried.
Death was what loomed over those who fought Naruto.
But it's worrisome if those under the commander's leadership don't follow their orders. Shikaku thought, deciding to add a little twist.
~~~
A man with greyish-white hair stood in front of the masses with an eye mask that covered both his eyes. Kakashi could not see, but he could feel everyone's chakra circulating around in the air.
A transmuter was attached to his waist. Feeling a buzz, Kakashi took the transmuter, holding it to his ear.
"Ah, can you hear me? Commander of unit 1?" He heard Shikaku's voice from the other side.
"Yes, I can hear you clearly - is there a problem?" Kakashi asked, his heart beating at a quick pace as he looked at the thousands of Shinobi that stood below him.
He was currently on a rocky structure that was in the Wind Country. Next to him was Sakura, the second-in-command of their unit.
"The Kages asked me to tell the commander of each unit to stay on standby and to not engage in combat with Naruto at all cost." Kakashi raised an eyebrow underneath his face mask.
"Is Naruto around the vicinity?" He asked, his body tensing upon hearing this warning. Kakashi could hear a sigh come from transmuter.
"No, that's not it. It's just that the Kages are forming a plan through analyzing Naruto's actions." Kakashi soon hummed in understandment.
"And please don't forget to discipline those who are stepping out of their line. If you have to, force them to obey your command. You are their commander after all." Kakashi nodded slowly, his covered face looking down towards those from below.
He could feel their restlessness ooze from their bodies; and it was practically like they were begging to die in the hands of Naruto.
So this is what you mean. Kakashi mused, thinking back to what Shikaku had told him.
"Everyone! I would like you to take heed!" He yelled, amplifying his voice through the use of chakra. Everyone soon became quiet, their eyes dancing all around the Copy Ninja.
"As of right now, we will not yet engage in combat with Naruto! Through some circumstances, we will remain on standby until our presence is needed for battle!" He finished what he needed to say, seeing if there were going to be any complaints.
There were lots of complaints from them.
"Why the hell not?! We can take that bastard down if we collectively band together! What's stopping us from doing so?!"
"What that guy said!"
Kakashi sighed. Sakura was going to retort back with a roar that would silence them, but Kakashi held her back from doing so.
"It's fine - I can do this," Kakashi whispered to Sakura. Nodding, Sakura backed away just slightly to let Kakashi do what he needed.
He released a massive amount of killing intent that washed over their consciences, their mind going blank due to the incomprehensible power being released down towards them.
"Do I have to remind you that... I AM YOUR COMMANDER!" Kakashi roared with anger, his voice reaching even to the heavens above.
"And, without complaints, you will do what I say! If I say you go out there and die, then you will go out there and die with no complaints! If I say to remain on standby, then you remain on fucking standby!" Everyone soon quieted down.
A portal appeared from the side of him, a blade of Aphrodite reaching out towards him.
"If you have any form of complaint, I'll strike you down; because I have no need for someone who will recklessly do what they are not told to do and risk their comrade's lives doing so. If that happens, they are nothing but trash liability. Do I have any complaints?!"
There was silence.
"I asked... DO YOU HAVE ANY COMPLAINTS?!"
"NO!!" They all yelled in unison, obeying Kakashi's words. Kakashi lightly shook his head, sighing in relief that his words managed to strike them down to obey them.
This was his duty; as a commander, it was his job to make those who disobeyed to be put in their place. He wouldn't let such people who were foolish to create tragedies from their mistakes and failures.
"Good. It seems they understand." Shikaku, who had been listening into to what Kakashi said, sighed at the aggressiveness of his tone.
But I guess that's what is needed to lead those under you. Shikaku thought, going to other units to order them to remain on standby.
~~~
Naruto stood on top of a mountain in the new continent that he had made. Under him were the numerous ocean-life that existed below the surface of the waters.
It seems they are not making their move just yet. Naruto thought, referring to the lack of action made by the 5 Kage that hid from him.
They're hiding their signatures very well - I can't even feel a single leak. He mused, continuing his thoughts that roamed all around his mind.
But I've already anticipated this. Naruto widened the range of his sensory abilities, feeling even more chakra signatures than before.
As expected, none of the 5 Kage were there.
Power begun to surge all around his body.
"I'll draw all of them out..." He muttered, taking a single leap before disappearing at the speed of light. His targets were already determined.
"With this."
~~~
While there were squadron units, there were also units that directly operated outside the commander's supervision.
Essentially, they were people who got direct orders from the Kage, but also do not share the burden of having to command thousands of Shinobi.
Kurotsuchi was one of those people. Along with her partner Akatsuchi, they were operated under only the Kages and did not order those below them anything.
"Hello... The 5 Kage have ordered me to tell you and everyone else to not to engage in combat with Naruto just yet - they are assessing Naruto's actions right now." Kurotsuchi quickly absorbed the information.
Hesitantly, Kurotsuchi nodded her head.
"I guess it can't be helped. We'll remain our distance and won't engage in combat with that man." She turned towards Akatsuchi.
"We'll be staying away from Naruto for now. It's direct orders from all of the 5 Kage, so we can't disobey them without any consequences." Akatsuchi nodded his head.
"That's probably for the better. It'd be reckless of us to fight him without any usable information and a good strategy before diving into it." They were about to head to the opposite direction, but a burst of light appeared above them.
They looked up.
Their eyes widened in surprise.
"Shit! Get back!" Ordered Kurotsuchi, backing away to avoid a brisk landing from the entity that arrived from the skies above. Debris flew towards them, obscuring their vision with such ease.
Kurotsuchi brought her arms back down, sweat trickling down her face once she saw a hand grab her on her face.
"Kurotsuchi!" Akatsuchi exclaimed, yelling as he moved towards her with relative swiftness. But it proved to have no results, only seeing Kurotsuchi's body flail and be thrown towards him.
They soon regained their balance, getting a clear look at who was in front of them.
"Uchiha Naruto!" Their guards were brought up, their bodies tensing under the sight of the man who was bringing war against the entirety of humanity.
Naruto looked at them with lackluster eyes.
He unsealed a transmuter that differed from the transmuters that the Shinobi Alliance was using for their communication.
"Satsuki... can you hear me?" Naruto asked. Hearing a hum from the otherside, Naruto got a clear answer once a voice came in.
"Yes, I can hear you," she said, her voice full of smoothness and silkiness. Keeping his eyes on the tense Kurotsuchi and Akatsuchi, Naruto continued with his talking.
"Are you in position? And have you checked if the others are in their position?"
"I'm in position, and all the others are in their position as well. All we need is your command and we'll carry everything out." Naruto hummed in understandment.
Keeping his eyes glued onto the two, Naruto saw them slightly orbit around him.
"Ok. Good. I'll wrap up things on my end; and then you can carry on with yours." Satsuki hummed from the other side, getting Naruto's order without any complaints.
Sealing the transmuter back, Naruto's eyes sharpened suddenly.
Things were going smoothly.
"It seems fate has brought me to you two." Naruto plastered a fake smile on his face.
"But will fate let you two live?" He asked, releasing a suffocating amount of pressure onto the two Shinobi that was brought with high regard by the Tsuchikage.
The long silence had been broken by him.
And things were only going to be more hectic from now on.
~~~
Done. This chapter was brought to an abrupt end, but I do intend to update more again since my school year is ending soon. Since this is the A/N, I do like to mention one thing.
Thank you for 400k reads.
Anyway, back to what I was saying - since Grace is ending soon, I'll take around like a 2-4 week break before I give u all the new fanfic that will arrive.
But until next time.
CYA!