(A Decade Earlier)
Ukina Uzumaki flinched and cowered behind her position as thunderous explosions rained all around her, marred with the screams of her comrades that were ripped to shreds at the base of the mountain.
She sneaked a peek and was heartbroken on seeing the enemy fleet had been successful.
The Southern borders leading towards Uzu were defended by the Fujima Mountains and the wide sea that was full of whirlpools and dangerous storms. It was considered extremely difficult to invade with high casualty rates for any enemy force, hence the village elders had only deployed a small company of their ninjas to defend this route leaving the majority of their forces to defend the other more vulnerable directions.
Ukina had remembered how horrified her Captain had been on learning of how undermanned his entire sector was going to be and had protested fiercely to the leadership arguing about the grave risk it would be to the village's safety. Ultimately, Captain Daisuke had only been assured of timely and sufficient reinforcements in the event he came under heavy attack from the enemy forces.
The fifteen year old Uzumaki chunin could only curse that decision and her own misfortune when Kumogakure sent two entire battalions to invade. For days, their naval ships had bombarded the beach thereby inflicting casualties, reducing morale and weakening the barrier seals that Captain Daisuke had erected across the coast.
Captain Daisuke had called for reinforcements immediately after seeing the gravity of the situation.
That had been ten days ago...
Now their beach was overrun courtesy of the enemy successfully turning off the whirlpool storms that had defended the coast as a natural barrier. Uzu's leadership had put a lot of unnecessary faith in the natural forces protecting their nation and the screams of her comrades were a proof of that mistake as the overrun defenders retreated hastily towards the Fujima Mountains which would serve as their second line of defense now that the beach was overrun.
Even now, the enemy ships were bombarding their retreat and the explosions had now reached the slope of the mountain where Ukina's bunker was situated. She dared not venture out into the open and only watched sadly as a Jounin was blown in half when one of the bombs launched by the enemy fleet landed a few feet away from him.
He was not the only one as nearly half of the retreating Uzumaki force was knocked off its feet by the following shockwave, much to the delight of the Kumogakure battalion right on their heels.
Captain Daisuke saw the horror and turned back towards the direction of the approaching enemy forces alongwith few of the other surviving Jounin.
"GO! Save yourselves!" yelled Daisuke fiercely,
Many of the younger and injured Uzumaki were jolted out of their shocked daze on hearing their leader's fierce command. They watched him and seven other Jounin form a defensive line between them and the approaching enemy troops.
That sight was enough to instill enough courage into Ukina that she jumped out of her bunker and looked at her comrades of the "Rear Guard" currently hiding inside similar bunkers nearby.
"Save the wounded!"
She was surprised on hearing the strength and resolve in her own warcry, but it was enough as seven of her comrades joined her as together they descended down the slope rapidly towards the limping forms of their retreating comrades.
Captain Daiksuke and his Jounin's had formed a barrier that had blocked the enemy's charge, but judging from its rapidly crumbling state...it wouldn't hold for long.
"Quick! Water clones!" she commanded,
"Roger!" chorused her fellow chunin beside her, as they all formed nearly two dozen water clones that now ran alongside them.
Within a few seconds, they reached their wounded comrades. As the water clones started carrying the wounded back up the mountain, Ukina saw the first major crack in the barrier erected by her Captain.
She looked at her Captain and saw he looked prepared to die in order to protect the retreat of his shattered force.
"Where the hell are the reinforcements!" yelled one of her chunin comrades angrily,
"There were none" whispered Ukina sadly, realizing the lie they had all been led to believe by the village elders.
A resounding explosion jolted the young Uzumaki out of her despair.
As she and her fellow chunin glanced forward once more, they were shocked to see one ship of the enemy fleet explode into thousands of pieces courtesy of a devastating blast that tore it apart.
Before even a single gasp could escape from her lips, Ukina saw more and more of the enemy ships being blown to shreds without any mercy.
There was a strange buzzing sound in the air and looking up, her eyes widened even further when she saw nearly a dozen humanoid figures falling towards them from the skies.
In the blink of an eye, the new arrivals zoomed towards the enemy forces on the ground and unleashed a rain of paper bombs strapped across sharp and nimble kunai being launched at a frightening speed from the weapons in the hands of these airborne troops.
The frontline of the enemy force was torn to shreds, while sending most of their remaining troops sailing backwards. Many didn't get back up...
Ukina and the remaining Uzumaki felt a flicker of hope being reborn in their hearts and could only watch in stunned silence as the new arrivals did a low flyby several feet above the ground where they again launched a salvo of kunai at the few Jounin that were attempting to rally the disarrayed enemy forces.
They avoided the incoming barrage with ease only to catch sight of a blonde flash that disappeared before they could even blink.
Ukina flinched when the same warrior appeared in front of the Uzumaki forces in a defensive position.
To her horror, the targeted enemy officer's heads rolled down to the ground instantly crushing the morale of the remaining troops under their command.
The masked blonde warrior raised his hand making his comrades land around him as the wings across their backs shrunk into an extremely comfortable small size.
"1st platoon, with me. Formation 5!" he commanded in a fierce voice that expected nothing but obedience.
He glanced back at Ukina's group making her flinch when she saw how red his eyes were. Most of all, the coldness and hatred in them unnerved her...
"2nd platoon, tend to our wounded and keep the rest safe" ordered the blonde,
The troops in black colored uniforms moved in unison on those orders, with half of them separating into respective groups in one swift motion.
The ones that surrounded the dangerous blonde reloaded the weapons in their hands as he unleashed his sword.
Ukina felt courage flow through her and stepped forward to help her comrades only to be stopped by Captain Daisuke and the Jounin's that had now retreated towards their position.
"Let the Spartans handle this, child" advised the old Uzumaki in a compassionate voice,
"Daisuke, I never imagined the higher ups would deploy Spartans as our reinforcements. It seems the gods have not abandoned us yet" praised another veteran Jounin in relief,
Ukina could not fault the man when she saw the swift and effective way in which the Spartans were tending to their wounded while few others formed a defensive perimeter.
The group at the front with the blonde was ready and unleashed their first volley of kunai at the enemy instantly.
The blonde vanished before her eyes only to appear amidst the dodging enemy troops that were trying to avoid the storm of sharp kunai's sailing all around them. Many fell silent moments later when the blonde's sword severed their heads or slashed their necks.
"CQC!"
The Spartans from the blonde's group placed their kunai launchers on their backs on hearing the command from one of their own. They equipped themselves with the twin swords on their backs and quickly channeled their chakra through the blades giving them a glowing aura.
Unlike the blonde who was using teleportation technique of some hidden nature, his men charged forward into the ongoing melee battle in the traditional manner with their speed leaving almost everyone scrambling to get away from their path.
Those that dared to oppose were skewed in half when the Spartan force tore clean through them.
Ukina had never seen a gruesome battle as this in her short life as heads, limbs, weapons and screams started flying across the entire battlefield. It was clear even for her that the Spartans were much faster, more deadlier and determined to win at any cost.
A resolve that the enemy troops now devoid of their officers severely lacked.
It was no surprise when many broke ranks and started to flee earning a wave of approving roars and cheers from the Uzumaki forces in the area.
"Kill them all"
Ukina grimaced when the Spartans brought forth their kunai launchers once more and aimed in the direction of the broken enemy force currently fleeing for their lives.
"Fire"
A volley of kunai put an end to that struggle forever.
The battlefield fell silent save for the moans of the handful enemy wounded mixed with the Uzumaki, only for the blonde to walk towards each of the enemy wounded and put a kunai right between their eyes.
The gruesome execution was not something she could accept just yet but Ukina saw none of the Spartans looked away, nor did many of her fellow comrades who had nothing but hate in their hearts for the people that wanted to take their freedom away.
She instead turned to look at the skies in order to not look at what the blonde was doing. It was necessary but too brutal...
She saw another dozen Spartan warriors flying towards them with the help of their winged devices, this group being led by a masked redhead.
Both groups decided to meet up near the foot of the Fujima mountains and Ukina was quite surprised when the cold hearted blonde Spartan ran forward and hugged the redhead, much to the younger boy's embarrassment.
However that affectionate gesture put many of the other Uzumaki at ease including Ukina who couldn't help but see the contrast before their eyes. Mere moments ago, this boy was nothing more than a brutal killing machine...and now he was just someone worried about a fellow comrade.
It put a human face behind those scary gas masks.
Even now, the villagers and the shinobi forces still didn't know much about the Spartans. They were fellow patriots who were exceptionally talented and powerful beyond imagination, yet nobody knew the people behind those masks.
It was to maintain the secret of their identities and there were some rumors flowing around that the higher ups had carried out brutal experiments on many children who had volunteered for a special program few years back.
And the result was now looking at them in the form of Spartan warriors.
If her guess was correct, these warriors should be in their early teens and yet they looked to be in their late teens with their enhanced body frames and muscle tissue.
"You do know I killed more than you today?" teased the redhead playfully, earning a scoff from the blonde Spartan.
"You just like to blow shit up" muttered the blonde in a sulky tone,
Ukina's doubts became reality when she heard their young voices which didn't fit with their older bodies. The blonde had the tone of someone her age or close to it atleast. She had a feeling they could pretend to change their voices if required, but it was still astonishing to witness nonetheless.
"A bet is a bet. I blew up the enemy fleet thereby killing an entire battalion waiting in reserve alongwith their sailors. That makes my kill count higher than yours on this battlefield. Time to pay up on our bet!" said the redhead with a jovial laugh,
"You do know how expensive that manga is to buy?" asked the blonde with playful tears running down his cheeks, as he grabbed the redhead's shoulders pleadingly.
"Yep. That's why you're the one paying for it from your own pocket" retorted the redhead victoriously, making the blonde slump in defeat with a dark cloud hovering above him.
Ukina and the others could only watch in amusement as the two Spartans whose aura's dwarfed the others significantly continued to argue back and forth about "Shounen Manga"- a unique way of story telling prevalent among their village since its inception.
Many renowned stories and writers had been born through this art form and a large portion of their fellow citizens actively subscribed to it. It was a booming business with many of the friendly nations also sometimes requesting these services to be extended to their people.
Another female redhead appeared beside the sulking blonde Spartan, bopping him on the head albeit playfully.
"Come on, you know you want to read more about Erwin again. Don't you?" she teased playfully,
"I still don't understand why you are such a fangirl of him! Levi is more cooler!" scolded the redhead boy and smiled on seeing the fire that lit in the blonde's eyes.
"Shut your whore mouth! There is nobody better than Erwin fucking Smith!" defended the blonde fiercely, with righteous fury burning in his eyes.
Captain Daisuke's light cough interrupted the fierce debate making the Spartans look at the older man who gave them an amused smile and a grateful bow which was soon replicated by his surviving fighters.
The Spartans were surprised but thumped their fists against their hearts which was what people had now came to recognize as their official salute.
"You totally stole this from the manga, Elder Brother" whispered the redhead mischievously,
"Shut it! No harm in it if our people are not objecting to it" retorted the blonde with a blush,
"Duh. You think they have a choice?" teased the female redhead, much to the blonde's added embarrassment when he saw their fellow countrymen trying to hide their smirks and smiles.
"You guys are...terrible"
(Two Days Later)
Nagato Uzumaki stepped across the beach near the village alongside Kushina and other fellow Spartans now that they were officially given some "Shore Leave" from the constant missions they had been engaged in.
There was an excited smile on his face as he held in his hands the latest Manga volume of his favorite series that his brother had subscribed and paid for courtesy of their bet.
Speaking of him, Nagato found his elder sibling standing at the shore and just peacefully staring at the morning sunrise that was about to happen anytime now.
A holler of cheers erupted from their comrades as they rushed towards the water happily; Kushina pleaded with him to join them but he waved her off and instead walked towards his brother.
When he stepped beside his half brother, he saw a peaceful yet melancholic look on his face.
Together they watched their comrades go wild in the sea water, their shrieks of joy and laughter a much more welcoming sound to the screams of dying people that they heard almost everyday, mostly due to their own hands.
"It's beautiful, Elder Brother" said Nagato with a happy smile, as he saw the first rays of the sun pierce through the dark clouds.
"Yeah, it is" agreed Minato in a whisper,
"What's on your mind?" asked Nagato with a knowing look on his face as he sensed something troubling his sibling.
"I have been named as the leader of the Spartans"
Nagato was stunned.
Granted, it had been quite sometime since they graduated from the program and the leadership had divided them into small groups fighting on different fronts under various leaders. It was meant to give them experience and also see who among them was more suited to leadership than others.
Suffice to say, ten names had came up and those included the two brothers.
Yet a small part of Nagato felt disheartened on not being chosen, a feeling which didn't go unnoticed by his brother.
"You wanted to be Captain" stated Minato calmly,
"Yes" answered Nagato honestly, no point denying something like this when his brother had clearly seen through him.
"I asked them to choose you who are the strongest Spartan" revealed the blonde, but saw it wasn't enough for his brother who as expected decided to change the topic to avoid an argument.
"Did the Uzukage bring you to this beach?" asked Nagato hesitantly, drawing a curious glance from his brother.
"He did"
"He asked me as to what do I see beyond the ocean..." said Nagato with a faint smile, and was quite surprised when his brother's eyes widened.
"He asked me the same thing as well. Creepy old bastard" muttered Minato, earning a hearty chuckle from his younger brother.
"I told him I hope to someday see a world free of war beyond the ocean. A world with which we could live in peace" answered Nagato honestly,
"It's a beautiful world that you dream of" said Minato hesitantly,
"What did you tell him, Elder Brother? What do you truly see beyond the ocean?" asked Nagato curiously,
The blonde's fists clenched and the hatred in his eyes was a mirror reflection of his heart.
"Enemies. What lies beyond the sea are enemies and we must kill them all if our people are to ever be safe. It's the only way to survive this cruel world of shinobi" answered Minato bitterly, his thoughts still lingering over the fate that befell their parents.
"Even at the cost of your humanity? Even if it means becoming the very same monsters that you sought to exterminate? Even if it means becoming a devil?" asked Nagato, his voice mixed with sadness and a hint of curiosity towards his sibling's vision of the world they lived in.
"The only one who can bring change is someone who can sacrifice what they hold dearest: their humanity, their dreams, or their life. Mother achieved the strength to face an army to save our village and gave up her life in return, the Uzukage chose the scorn of his people for creating us Spartans yet that decision saved the lives of our shinobi. I'll gladly become a devil if it means securing the future of our people and for my family. That was my answer"
He saw Nagato staring at him with a strange look on his face for a few fleeting seconds before giving him a gentle smile.
"I'll be honored to follow you into battle, Captain" promised Nagato,
"You're not angry with me?" asked Minato cautiously, but his brother shook his head in denial.
"I can see why the Uzukage chose you, I maybe the strongest and have bright dreams but you have the will to turn them into reality. You are the shinobi that shall keep moving forward until the last enemies of our people are destroyed, no matter the cost. There could be nobody better suited to lead the Spartans who are the hope and pride of our people" explained Nagato proudly,
Minato blushed and looked away earning an amused chuckle from his sibling as both brothers watched their comrades play in the ocean with Kushina leading the most wild ones.
Looking at their comrades, they could not help but realize just how much they had sacrificed already to reach this far.
Barely in their early teens, some even younger- most Spartans had been made to age a few years faster. Their bodies did not match with their age anymore, with many of them nearly five and a half feet tall already with broad frames courtesy of the genetic experiments and brutal training they had gone through. But even if their bodies had matured, their faces still held the fading glimpses of the children they once were.
A painful reminder for the Uzu villagers who felt responsible to an extent for this fate that befell upon the children for whom this village had been formed to protect.
In that way, they had already sacrificed their childhood for the sake of their village's freedom.
Freedom and Hatred.
Nagato could clearly feel these two emotions burning inside his brother like a raging tornado, and unlike him the blonde had never been able to move on or forgive himself for what happened to their parents. No matter what he did, he could never make his brother abandon those feelings and live in peace in the present which was the best they could do given the world they lived in.
"Nagato, your brother is a stubborn fool. Stay by his side, promise me"
He had made that vow to their mother all those years ago and felt himself smile when he thought of their last moments. A pledge that he upheld each day by making sure his lazy elder brother ate on time, didn't waste all his money on useless things, keeping annoying fangirls away from him among other things.
Minato understood and valued those little things and tried to look after him in his own way. The blonde ensured they didn't end up on the street after their parents died even if they weren't dirt poor, ensured Nagato was given the best of training, kept away the bullies during their younger years, regaled him with stories of his missions in the far away lands as they fought this war, always volunteering for the most dangerous missions so that his little brother wouldn't have to take them and could survive this war even if Minato himself didn't.
He caught sight of Kushina looking at his brother with a friendly smile, even going so far as to wave them both over once again. Nagato was more than happy to oblige, however was stopped when he saw his sibling was not inclined to follow.
The conflict in the blonde's eyes easy enough for his younger brother to understand.
"Let's just enjoy this moment, Elder Brother" said Nagato with a pleasant smile, earning a resigned sigh from the blonde though a faint smile did arrive on his lips.
"I never could say no to you..." whispered Minato as he placed a comforting hand upon his brother's shoulder,
They both raced towards the vast ocean to join their comrades with Nagato instantly taking the lead by creating dark chakra wings across his back much to his sibling's displeasure.
Nagato felt satisfied on reaching the water first only to find his brother standing right beside him much to his bewilderment. He then glanced at the Hirashin mark on his left shoulder...
"Gotcha!"
Both brothers couldn't contain their amusement and dissolved into cheerful laughter only to be joined quickly by their comrades.
Nagato watched his brother play water sports with some of the other Spartans as Kushina stepped beside him.
"It's been a while since I have seen him this happy" said Nagato contently, but Kushina didn't miss some concern which her fellow Uzumaki was trying hard to hide.
"What is it?" she asked,
"Elder brother is chosen as our Captain"
Kushina was quite happy to hear that as there was nobody more better suited for the task than Minato Namikaze. On the battlefield, he was decisive and swift. The ability to understand the situation and adapt to it was something he was better at than other Spartans. Most of all, there was no hesitation in his heart.
"He reminds me of his favorite hero from the manga, atleast on the battlefield. Don't you think so?" asked Kushina curiously,
Nagato blinked in surprise.
It actually answered quite a few questions for whom even he didn't have answers till this date.
The Battle of Aogika.
A conflict that had happened two years ago and the event which started Minato's ascension to leadership. Despite being outnumbered three to one, the Namikaze had achieved victory by inflicting heavy casualties on the enemy. He adapted his forces to the terrain and kept his strategy flexible. He also didn't hesitate to sacrifice his troops in kamikaze attacks whenever necessary and broke the enemy's morale.
In the end, the blonde had allowed Danzo and his cronies to take full credit of the victory to maintain their alliance.
Fierce, innovative, decisive, and bold- those were the pillars of his brother's leadership style.
Those traits, the Spartan salute, the way in which his brother always kept some distance from fellow Spartans unlike the emotional attachment he had towards Nagato and Kushina.
In normal life, his brother was a completely different person but Nagato could now see after whom his sibling had modeled himself as a fighter and a leader.
"I couldn't have picked a better role model" said Nagato with a proud smile,
"Just hope he doesn't start shouting Susume!" quipped Kushina, sarcasm dripping from her voice.
Nagato laughed as he could very well imagine his brother using that warcry under the right circumstances.
Thunderous lightning rained from the skies amidst a heavy storm that drenched the island nation in its fury. Wild waves rushed from the sea towards a never ending quest to conquer the land.
On the beach stood the Uzukage holding in his hands twin blades made of the finest steel in the world.
With great pride and hope, he looked at the fully armed Spartan in front of him.
Around them were each and every other Spartan, a witness to this moment of their village's history.
Hanzo Uzumaki walked towards the blonde warrior who respectfully knelt before him in the cold water without a flinch. The redhead kage raised the sharp blades before placing each upon the Spartan's shoulder.
"Let the seas protecting our great nation and the shinobi that defend its freedom be witness to your oath" commanded Hanzo, making the blonde boy look at him with a determined gaze.
"I, Minato Namikaze, son of Yahiko Uzumaki swear to defend the freedom of this great nation. I shall be the sword of my leaders and the shield of my people" pledged the blonde with conviction burning in his eyes,
Minato saw his brother looking at him proudly and for a moment he saw the shadows of their parents around him. Just for that fleeting second, he felt complete only for it to vanish. Yet instead of sorrow, it only brought him more conviction.
He felt the weight of the blades upon his shoulders and what they truly meant.
He couldn't allow this nation and its freedom to be threatened for it was the dream for which his parents gave their lives.
He saw the way in which his comrades looked at him and for the first time he saw himself becoming something more in their eyes.
"Arise, Captain Fox"
A fierce pair of red eyes gazed into the Uzukage's eyes as the boy got up and offered him the Spartan salute.
A wave of cheers erupted from the Spartans around them as they rushed in to congratulate their new leader and soon enough they had hoisted the blonde upon their shoulders for a victory march.
Nagato watched the Uzukage step beside him as both of them saw the celebration in content.
"I've never seen him smile like this in a long time" said Nagato with a happy smile, as he watched his brother actually basking in the cheering and for once letting go of the guilt he always seemed to carry for something he had no control over.
"He's lucky to have a brother like you" praised the Uzukage kindly,
"I'm not the only one" said Nagato with a pleased smile,
The Uzukage looked back at that strange remark and adopted a knowing smirk when he saw Minato standing in front of Kushina. Even an idiot could see the girl wanted nothing more than to kiss the blonde, but settled for only extending a handshake amongst the curious and few teasing gazes of fellow Spartans.
"Hug her, you fool"
Hanzo chuckled when he barely heard the silent curse that escaped from Nagato's lips and was further amused when Minato simply shook the girl's hand in a friendly manner.
"Idiots!"
The younger brother had enough of the antics and marched towards them purposefully and released his frustration by grabbing Minato and Kushina in a bear hug under his arms earning amused chuckles and knowing looks from their comrades which only made the two idiots blush and look away.
Minato sighed in relief as he crashed at the comfortable seats in the bar alongside his grinning brother. They chuckled on seeing Yamato and a few others tripping over themselves after the dozen crates of liquor they had consumed. Most of the others had already passed out after their wild party, all paid for by the Uzukage himself as a personal thanks for their service to the village.
"That was fun" said Minato with a contented sigh,
"I guess it was" agreed Nagato whole heartedly, as he smoked some very contraband stuff.
Nagato merely rolled his eyes at his brother's shocked expression on seeing him smoke what was essentially just green plants. Huh, strange how everything seemed so simple right now.
It was so simple that even his usual by the book-rule abiding brother actually requested some for himself.
"Not that this can keep either of us whacked for long" justified Minato with a sheepish smile,
Nagato chuckled at that fact since their genetically enhanced bodies usually processed toxins of any kind pretty quickly and especially in his older brother's case who had a very fast metabolism.
"To Captain Fox" toasted Nagato, as he passed the joint to his brother who accepted the same with a fake gracious bow.
They both settled for enjoying the peace now that most of their comrades were knocked out cold from their ridiculous rave party with only the most craziest ones still going at it like there was no tomorrow.
"Where's Kushina?" asked Minato curiously,
Nagato snorted which earned him a curious glance from the blonde. The redhead felt quite bold in part due to his high state and the casual look his brother was giving him despite knowing deep down that both idiots had some feelings for each other.
She had been by their side from the very start and had never left ever since. Nagato would be lying if he didn't consider Kushina as one of his closest friends who had looked out for them all these years.
Nearly everybody except his brother could see how much the girl liked him.
Nagato loved his brother but his lack of ability to notice the obvious in this case irritated him.
No, more than that it was his brother's fear of getting emotionally attached to anyone else after the death of their parents worried the redhead. Something broke inside his brother the night their mother died and he had never been the same after.
He got a lot more protective of his last family and always maintained some distance from everyone else. Kushina came close to breaking that wall he had put between his heart and the rest of the world, only to be pushed away time and time away.
Tonight had been the final straw and his brother still didn't realize his mistake or didn't want to think about it.
Nagato was not going to have any of that foolishness anymore.
"Left after watching how cozy you were getting while dancing with Matsuri" snapped the redhead,
He enjoyed watching his brother wince for a moment only to feel bad when the blonde looked guilty earning a comforting pat from his sibling.
"We are shinobi, Elder brother. Our future is uncertain, for once try to listen to your heart" admonished Nagato with a tired sigh,
"I'm her commanding officer" protested Minato, only to receive an exasperated look from his brother.
"Like the Uzukage cares, truth is he doesn't as long as it doesn't affect our duties. She cares about you and I know you like her" pointed Nagato flatly,
"We're just friends and it's perfectly normal for us to care about each other" Minato tried to reason,
"Oh, if you're just friends then why did you refuse Matsuri's advances for tonight. Why instead of talking about anything else, you asked me where Kushina was and just for a moment you winced a little on hearing she went home after seeing some other kunoichi getting cozy with you" scolded Nagato,
Minato grimaced at that harsh remark and couldn't help but feel guilty again.
They had been in this fight together for years, always watching each other's backs. She was the one that was most happy on hearing of his promotion and the pride in her eyes at that beach was something he had greatly cherished.
He had wanted nothing more than to kiss her right there only for his fear of experiencing any more pain to stop him.
"She deserves better"
His last resort at denial earned him a smack from his brother who only went on to give him a deadpan look.
"Nagato!"
"Mother wanted you to be happy, Elder brother. Please fulfill her wish"
Nagato hated himself for using the same emotional blackmail route for guilt tripping his brother into doing something that would bring him happiness. The Uzukage had used it for the village's benefit, and the younger redhead's only saving grace was the fact that his brother liked Kushina too judging from the way he always looked at her when he thought nobody was watching.
But Nagato had and wanted nothing more than for Kushina to truly become a part of their family.
It was lonely enough with just him and his brother.
He bore the furious glare that Minato gave him for that remark before the blonde swiftly stomped off right outside the bar, hopefully he wouldn't be too mad when Nagato saw him again.
Kushina returned to her apartment completely exhausted.
It was way past midnight and some of the Spartans were still celebrating at the party thrown by their new Captain. Nagato had introduced everyone to heavy drinking matches and it had only gotten out of control with young teenagers having the strength of near adults, atleast physically.
She herself had enjoyed the evening to the fullest, even managing to steal a dance with Minato.
Everything had been going so well, they had been so close to each other and she was sure her heart was not the only one that was beating at an alarming pace in that moment. She was not mistaken or imagining things as she had seen Minato lean towards her during their dance for just a moment to kiss her only to be interrupted by that bitch Matsuri.
The other Spartan kunoichi had nearly demanded a dance for herself and Minato had been too polite to decline, unaware or not caring of Kushina's own feelings. She had not missed his surprise or his relief at that interruption and had allowed Matsuri to explore his body more than necessary during their dance.
It was as if he was pushing her away deliberately despite knowing that she had some feelings for him, and maybe he had some for her as well.
It was too much to bear and she had walked away.
She tensed when a knock sounded on her door, on instinct she channeled her chakra and was shocked on realizing the chakra of the person outside. She hesitantly opened the door only to see him standing there, completely drenched in the heavy rain falling from the skies.
"Minato?"
He shivered a tiny fraction when a cold gust of wind passed through them and it made her spring into action. She quickly made him come inside and made him grab a seat on the couch. Within seconds, a fresh towel was thrown his way and she rushed into the kitchen to make some hot coffee, just the right thing to warm him up and also something he really liked to have.
The blonde could only watch in silent admiration as she brought them two mugs of steaming coffee. He had dried himself by then, even divesting himself of the useless shirt leaving him topless.
He saw her blush but the way in which she chose not to comment any further went to show his brother might have been right about this. He really felt extremely comfortable in her company and she understood him on a level he didn't think her to be capable of.
Kushina instead focused on making sure he had his coffee and only when he was finished and his body was suitably warm, did she look at him curiously.
Always putting me ahead of your own desires.
"I'm not an easy person to deal with, yet you have stuck with me this long. I am thankful for that" he said hesitantly, in hindsight he should have thought of a plan before appearing at her doorstep.
"You didn't have to come all this way to say this. We're friends and we look out for each other" she replied casually, trying very hard not to get her hopes up.
She saw him mutter something incoherent before he looked at her with fear, determination and affection in his eyes.
"I want us to be more"
Kushina went ghostly pale on hearing those precious words spoken barely in a whisper, it was all she had wanted for a long time yet something made her stop the rising happiness and look at him seriously.
"Are you sure about this?" she asked, in a last effort to offer him a way out. She had a feeling this confession had been put into action to some extent by a certain redhead who was going to be worse than dead if this exploded in her face.
"No"
Her heart shattered but before tears could arrive in her eyes, he stepped closer and took her hands in his own.
"It's nothing to do with you, but me. I am afraid of losing the ones I love, not after what happened to my mother. I can't go through something like that again" he confessed sadly,
She couldn't fault him for that yet also knew they could never be together if this was how he felt. They were shinobi with an uncertain future in a time of war.
"But despite my fears, I want to be by your side. My brother is my strength, but you gave me joy in a life of war and death. I'm not sure if I can overcome my guilt or fears, but if it's you...then I want to be better. I want us to be happy together, I want us to try" he explained, hoping against all odds that she would not take this the wrong way.
For a moment, she remained silent and his heart sank.
But when she smiled, he felt as if someone had breathed life back into him.
He doesn't hesitate. He dips down, occupies her mouth without a hint of hesitation, and pulls her tightly against him, his naked chest rising to meet hers. Their hands wage a fierce war to divest them of most of their clothes as they continued in a tangled mess towards her bedroom. There was no order, no direction, but just a wild thrill flowing through their hearts. For once in their lives, they were not Spartans but just two people who cared deeply about each other.
His hand slips down to unfasten her bra, runs around under it to loosen it from her ribs, plays a little under the fabric with the soft flesh and then removes it. She was thankful for their training even in the sexual arts otherwise it would have made her completely nervous when standing like this in front of him, especially him.
She hides her hesitation and uncertainty about their future, taking strength from his affectionate gaze that had nothing but yearning and warmth for her.
Kushina murmurs wordlessly in pleasure as his hand slips over the revealed curves, palming and then gently shaping and moulding; pushes into his searching hand and holds his head to hers as if she's never going to let him go.
In a way, his assertiveness was one of the many things that she loved about him. He was sure about what he wanted most of time which was more than what most others his age could say about themselves.
He felt her giving into him completely with a passionate kiss on his lips. He did the same, pushing power and passion into that kiss, taking her in his arms completely, showing her in every point of touch how much he has to give, how easy it should be for her to rely on him.
His palm returns to moulding her breast, fingertips gently teasing at her nipple till it hardens and peaks; repeats on the other side. His kiss is deep and sure, and she's tucked close enough to be kept warmed from the heat of his body.
He turns her into him again, and one long leg curls around him to hold herself close. He presses into her, and she shifts a little against the pressure and opens a little more. One hand keeps her tight, stretched over the fine skin of her back so that her naked breasts are rubbing against his own bare chest; one slips down to stroke her slim rear and then through and into the heated, damp cleft between her legs, covered only by the thin pale cotton of her panties. She moans softly, and moves to the rhythm of his hand as he works her up.
He stops kissing her lips to turn on to his back and slide her over him, nipping teasingly behind her ear and no longer needing to hold her to him. Conveniently, this leaves both his hands free to pet and stroke, and so he does: one hand sweeps the length of her back to as far down the silk of her inner thigh as he can reach, the other continues to wander lazily over her ass and the damp fabric, sliding and pulling it; her small sexy noises captured by his mouth on hers, and then the panties are lost.
He doesn't stop kissing her as he rolls them on to the bed to put her beneath him, where he can transfer his tantalising little kisses from lips to neck to shoulders and collarbones; marking each inch for himself to remember. He moves lower, smiling against her, and finally puts his mouth to her breasts again. This time she arches up into him, soft murmurs of encouragement becoming less soft and more breathless: he tugs a little and nips very carefully and sucks harder and she likes that. She may not be badly marked: her skin pale and perfect, but he will have half-moon bruising on his back, a finger-length below his shoulders. Her words, such as they were, have degenerated into ohhh, occasionally cut with pleasurably calling out his name!
He's deliberately slow. He wants her to enjoy it and he wants to enjoy her without rushing things tonight. Her stomach muscles tighten under the trail of his tongue; her hands are clamped around his head and she knows where he's going with this, twisting under him as he smiles lazily up at her.
"Lie back and enjoy it," he says happily. "I will, and I'll make sure you will." He prevents any commentary on that by taking one slow, forceful lick across her. She definitely enjoyed that. His hands lie lightly – for the moment – on her legs; he wriggles into the most effective alignment teasing and taking her with his wicked, mobile, flexible mouth, with a twist of his tongue around her over-stimulated nerves which makes her cry out, with slow licks and circlings and sucking and a little penetration which causes her to writhe and then arch and then shatter completely.
He slithers up the bed and cuddles her in firmly. She wriggles a little to fit more comfortably against him, her head on his pectoral, a leg thrown over his, an arm draped over his ribs; the whole of his Kushina snuggled against him in the way he'd wanted. He returns to slow, swooping strokes over her back, running over the sharp protrusions of her vertebrae and then the soft satin of her translucent skin.
Shortly, she starts to curve into his easy stroking. She shifts a bit over him, and the hand that used to be around his ribs essays some stroking of its own: first of pecs and the flat nipple to be found there; then towards his hip, and then inward until her clever fingers close around him. She emits a satisfied, sexy little noise and he can feel her smiling ferally against his skin. And then he very definitely feels a sharp nip on his chest and a tongue soothing it and he might have been slipping into the comforting pattern of stroking and snuggling but he certainly isn't any more. He is very much wide awake.
He becomes even more awake as her wicked hands slide up and down, gripping just tightly enough to hint at that tighter, hotter grip to come. She plays a little, teasing over and then under to stroke full, heavy weight, and his breathing deepens and turns harsher; his grip on her tighter, stronger. The soft tips of her fingers contrast with the scrape of her fingernails: the contrast driving him up, firing his blood.
He flips them over, for her to be spread out beneath him, desire in her face and seduction in her touch, and there's no more comforting, simply hard hot motion. He pushes into her as she arches into him; a tight glove squeezing around him, and it's perfect. She pulls his head down to her lips and kisses him, till he reverses the polarities and takes her mouth in time with his stroking into her body, and she opens completely and takes him home; digs her fingers into the firm muscle of his back as he thrusts and he groans and she moans and his fingertips find the bundle of nerves so that it changes to a cry and she clenches about him and it's all gone in the white-heat rush of her and him and them together.
Afterwards, she's cosily cuddled into him, wrapped up close and held firmly. Finally, the stiff tension between them all these years had been released. He amuses himself by dropping little kisses on her hair and intermittently trailing his fingers over a mildly ticklish point on her waist, which makes her wriggle and squeak. Otherwise, she's utterly boneless and still.
"Did you know you purr when you're happy? Just like a cat," he says, not entirely innocently.
"Purr?"
"Mmmm. Yes. You should let me stroke you till you purr a lot more often." He demonstrates with a soft trace over her breasts and back again. She makes an inadvertent small noise that is quite close to a purr, so he continues until it's quite definitely a contented purr. "See? You like it, so you're happy, so you purr. Which I like, so I'm happy too." He carries on. So does the purring.
The stroking becomes a little more determined, and reaches a little further down, and the purring stops being purring and starts to become panting and then gasping and then writhing against his wicked touch and then becomes a long sigh of release.
She's fallen asleep, still in his arms. When she wakes, he'll still be there. So will his issues, but she was worth the fight against his inner demons. He curls around her: large and solid, enveloping her slighter form; protecting her even as he falls into sleep himself.
(Few Months Later)
Minato found himself standing inside the Uzukage's office alongside his brother and few of the other more experienced Spartans like Kushina. Their Kage alongside his councilors looked at them for a few long moments before explaining the reason behind summoning them at such a late hour.
"As you are aware, ever since the fall of the 1st Raikage few weeks ago...the embers of conflict between our villages were dwindling. Lord Hokage and the new 2nd Raikage were even trying to negotiate a ceasefire, the effects of which you have clearly seen due to the reduced number of battles these past few days between Konoha and Uzu with Kumo. To finalize a peace deal, a summit was organized two days ago between the two kages" revealed the Uzukage seriously,
"Kumogakure can't be trusted. Hashirama is a fool if he thinks those bastards will honor any peace deal for a long time. It's just a ruse to rebuild their forces that have suffered great losses and start another war" protested Minato fiercely, gaining a satisfied look from the elder Uzumaki's in the room.
"I'm afraid you are right, son. I am sad to report that the summit was attacked by the Kinkaku and other shinobi loyal to the 1st Raikage. Additional details are still being confirmed, but what we do know is as follows: The 2nd Raikage was killed, Hashirama was captured, and this failure has in turn increased the possibility of the war pro-longing which is something that we cannot afford at any cost" revealed the Uzukage,
The Spartans grimaced.
It was true that while they had been successful in defending their island nation from Kumogakure but they had suffered heavy losses. Nearly half of their ninja force was either dead or incapacitated, the rest were either not the best, were inexperienced or just too young. The only reason they had survived this long was due to the enemy concentrating majority of its vast forces and tailed beasts to the war on the Land of Fire's borders leaving Uzu with just the task of defending itself instead of taking part in the heavy fighting. The Uzumaki clan had tried to honor this respite by aiding their staunch allies through Spartan support for various offensive operations throughout the war and helping with supplies.
If Hashirama was used to put that crucial ally out of the war, Uzu was doomed.
No matter how skilled the Spartans were, they and what was left of their village's forces could not hope to defeat the entirety of the Land of Lightning's military: civilian and shinobi alike should they descend upon their tiny island nation.
The Uzukage was satisfied on seeing his troops arrive at the same conclusion that their leadership had.
"Hashirama has to be rescued" said Minato bitterly,
"Yes. Konoha would probably buckle if Kumo threatens Hashirama's life, we can't have that. For all their military might, they don't have a para-military force that can infiltrate deep behind enemy lines and rescue Hashirama" stated one of the elders without hesitation,
Minato clenched his fist shut when he saw the Uzukage pointing at the area on the map where they suspected Hashirama was being held prisoner. It was deep behind enemy lines, far away from the sea or friendly borders, in an area full of dangerous mountains and unfamiliar terrain. Their intelligence unit barely had been able to put together a general summary of the terrain and possible enemy presence. The unknown variables were too great for his instincts to just ignore.
The elders either didn't seem to care or worse were perfectly aware of the risks.
He didn't want to consider which was the worst outcome.
"What about reinforcements? It will not be easy locating Hashirama in such a vast area in time, say that we are able to pull such a miracle...it's foolish to assume he would be lightly guarded. We can take on scores of ninjas on our own but the Kinkaku would be real trouble should they be present there. It could backfire and get the hostage alongside us killed" protested Nagato, his voice having a certain edge that earned him a glare from the elders.
"Then we are glad that you were not chosen as the Spartan leader, boy. Such pessimism does not suit a true shinobi" snapped Miza Uzumaki in her tart voice,
"Says the hag that sits behind a desk"
The older woman's eyes widened at that insult but was silenced into submission by one cold glance of the Uzukage who then went on to give the same look to the young Uzumaki in front of him.
"Miza may have chosen the wrong words but she did say the truth, it's not upto you to decide Nagato. That decision lies with Captain Minato Namikaze. I can order you to do it but you know it needs to be done, don't you Minato?" asked the Uzukage with a resigned look on his face,
The Spartans and the elders both looked at the blonde for an answer and watched him sigh before looking at their village leader without any fear.
"I won't lead my men into this mission without assured reinforcements should we encounter serious danger"
Kushina smiled and saw Nagato giving the elders a smug look, all eyes then turned towards the Uzukage who looked into the blonde's fierce stare before nodding.
"Very well. 5th battalion shall be stationed near the borders for your support should the need arise"
One of the elders got up from their seat and bowed before leaving to carry out the said command from their leader.
"We'll get him back" promised Minato, earning firm nods from the Spartans.
"I know you don't like the man, Minato. Even I don't agree with many of his decisions and hate that those actions placed us in this situation. Yet this must be done, for the sake of our nation's future. Too many people have died for that to go in vain"
Nagato and the other Spartans saluted their village leader following the cue of their Captain who now looked determined to see this mission through against all odds.
The younger Uzumaki despised the way in which the Uzukage had just manipulated his brother by playing on his self induced guilt and pain over their parent's who died protecting this village.
But the decision was made.
Minato swiftly turned around and marched outside the office making his comrades follow after him. Only once they were gone did Miza Uzumaki turn towards the Uzukage with a shrewd look on her face.
"5th battalion was nearly wiped out last week, Hanzo"
The Uzukage aged nearly a decade on being reminded of that well kept secret that they had hidden from their struggling village and closed his eyes for a few long moments before looking back at his fellow clansmen with a resigned gaze.
"All the more reason this needs to be done by the Spartans"
Minato found himself standing in the briefing room after having just now finished the explanation of their upcoming mission to his various platoon leaders. Suffice to say, none of them looked confident about their odds or the nearly impossible task given to them.
"Captain, this is too risky even for us" said Hayate Uzumaki, the leader of the finest trackers amongst the Spartans.
"I second that. If we are discovered before we find the hostage, the enemy could very well kill him to prevent us from rescuing him. No matter our efforts or justification for the failure, Konoha would not take it lightly. Knowing how subservient our leadership is towards the Senju clan, it wouldn't be a surprise if they offered our heads as a necessary sacrifice to appease those Senjus" warned Kasumi Uzumaki, the leader of the most dangerous Spartan marksmen. Her mistrust towards the leadership had always vexed quite a few of her comrades but today there were no arguments being made against her warnings.
"All of what you say is true but the fact remains that we have to do this or we will doom our village to destruction eventually. There is no choice" whispered Kushina Uzumaki, the leader of the most skilled close quarter combat specialists.
"There are no easy choices here. We shall follow your lead like always, Captain. You have not let us down once" reassured Nagato Uzumaki, the leader of the Spartan Scouts and Assassins.
The Spartan captain glanced at his four sub-commanders, each having raised their own opinions and concerns.
They were all right in their own way and in the end it all fell down to his choice.
The risks were enormous but if they backed down, they gave Kumogakure a chance to actually win this war. If that happened, all the sacrifices throughout the years and the death of his parents and fellow comrades would go in vain.
"We cannot stop until the last of our enemies are destroyed. The fate of our nation depends on it, we swore to risk everything we had for the sake of our people, our families. We cannot fail them!" said Minato fiercely,
"But-"
A cold pair of red eyes silenced any dissent in Kasumi Uzumaki's voice as a chill went down her spine.
''The decision has been made. Obey the chain of command!"
Four fists thumped against their respective hearts as the platoon leaders rose in unison to give the Spartan salute in acknowledgment of his command. They may either agree or disagree on the decisions of this mission, but what they couldn't ignore were the orders of their commanding officers.
Even if they were nearly being sent on a suicidal mission.
Their only solace was the trust they had in each other's abilities and the successful track record of their Captain who had never failed a mission before against any odds. As long as he was there to lead them, they might just be able to pull this through.
(Midnight)
The entire Spartan force stood at the ready in front of their Captain who inspected them once before giving a satisfactory nod of approval on seeing they all looked ready to complete the task assigned to them.
Minato himself looked at his Flexible Winged Device (FWD) and other important gear only to find everything to be in place. He looked back at his grizzled veterans and was glad to see they didn't need any speeches. They had been through enough battles to make them ready to face any obstacle the missions might throw upon them.
It was what they were trained to do.
He looked back at his village and his desire to see this through only rose further as the sight of their home reminded him of the sacrifice made by their parents to protect it.
"ADVANCE!"