The Red Flash Chapter 59 (A Cursed Uzumaki)

Year 79 AOSH (Age of Shinobi)

'Uzushiogakure no Sato is...was a village that was world-renowned for their fuinjutsu. So renowned in fact that its famous reputation led to the destruction of the village out of fear during the Third Shinobi World War. Three villages took part in a campaign against the residing shinobi, the Uzumaki. The Uzumaki clan were fierce but noble warriors ranging from honorable samurai to shinobi and kunoichi, respectively. While the village did not have a large military per say, what they lacked in numbers they made up for in skill and sheer tenacity. After all, quality triumphs quantity; at least, that is what the people of Uzushiogakure believed in.

However, the unthinkable happened when three mighty nations stood at the doorsteps of the small but significant village of Uzu. Their armies were vast and very intimidating. The Uzumaki, however, were steadfast. Their resolve was steeled. They were ready to lay their lives down to protect what they believed in. Many have heard of the village Konohagakure no Sato and their 'will of fire.' But that saying was soon to be overshadowed by Uzushiogakure's 'Will of Life.' The enemy, Iwagakure, kumogakure, kirigakure, and A Fourth unknown party, stood stationary as the Uzu warriors stood upon the walls of their village overlooking their advisory. The roaring whirlpools were almost deafening in the face of silence between the three massive armies. The calming misty ocean breeze swept across the mighty force tickling their necks, almost as if a temptation, a calling, an invitation to death. Heavy dark clouds hovered overhead, a disadvantage that left them open to Kumo and Kiri's long-range jutsu.

A large boom of thunder echoed throughout the lands of Uzu, which was soon followed by a bright flash and then a crackle of lighting. An exploding roar erupted from the mass of all three armies. They burst forwards, intent on destroying their foes for their masters. This day would be forever marked down in history as 'The Great Loss.' They would soon realize that the Uzumaki were not simply trifled with.

"Uzukage-sama!" bellowed a deep yet powerful voice. A handsome young man, no older than sixteen, stood at an average height of five feet and nine inches. His blood-red hair was tied in a ponytail with his bangs covering the left side of his face, while two long strips of hair flowed straight down both sides of his chiseled frame. He wore a simple dark black loose Kimono with light blue highlights. On his hip sat two well-crafted swords, a katana, as well as a Wakizashi.

Both of which had their hilts wrapped in elegantly crafted purple and white material. His name is Uzumaki Nozomi, an Elite Anbu Phoenix captain with incredible skill in all aspects of the shinobi arts. Standing at attention behind his leader, the Uzukage, or as most knew him, Ashina Uzumaki. Most would mistake him for a simple old man, 139 years old. However, this is not the case. The way he moved and held himself spoke waves of power, discipline, and respect. He carried the legendary Katana.

'Dark Blood' was known throughout the whole world as the most powerful sword to exist, used by the Sage of Six Paths himself, The God of Shinobi.

"Report," the Uzukage, Ashina Uzumaki, said in an even yet serious tone.

"Hai. It seems the enemy has an advantage over us in both numbers and the elements. They're attacking from four sides. And have our village surrounded. The estimated time for arrival is imminent. The enemy has delayed our request for reinforcements from our allies. All teams sent out to scout possible weak points in the enemy's location, and possible tactics have yet to return, meaning they're most likely KIA. It seems we are on our own this day, Uzukage-sama," Nozomi reported in a grim voice, and a harsh response was given. The older man let out a weary sigh as he knew what would soon unfold. Looking over his shoulder, he saw men and women prepared to die for their beliefs, for their country...but above all for each other.

"You did well, my boy. However, you know as well as I what will happen on this day. And I am afraid for you and our people," Ashina spoke in a hushed voice while his gaze turned down slightly as if pondering something weighing on his shoulders over the past few days.

"Uzukage-s," Nozomi spoke by, was firmly interrupted as Ashina raised his hand. Turning around, he faced Nozomi as well as the other shinobi, kunoichi, and samurai that made up the Uzumaki. "This day we are equals, titles are forgone, as of now I am no longer the Uzukage. But instead, a warrior alongside my fellow comrades and family." He spoke, gathering all the attention from his forces.

"Hai...father. Nozomi spoke respectfully with a small smile gracing his lips and then bowed his head deeply. The rest of the men and women soon followed and gave their leader, friend, and comrade their respects. Pride swelled within Ashina as he too bowed deeply, returning the jester to his fellow Uzumaki; while at the same time fighting back the tears that threatened to fall. Mustering up a serious face in spite of the death that was sure to come, Ashina spoke steadily.

"What I am asking of you is no simple task. But yet, I know that by you standing here with me, I have your answer," he spoke with a soft smile. He gazed at their faces, forever etching them into his mind. Soon his gaze fell back onto Nozomi, his one and only son. Who stood there patiently waiting for his father's orders.

"Nozomi, my son. I want you to lead the Anbu corps to intercept the enemy before they breach our walls and we are overrun!" Ashina commanded as Nozomi gave a quick "Hai," He and his Anbu disappeared in a swirling tide of water. "As for the rest of you! You're going to follow me to meet the enemy at the Northern gate!" he yelled as a loud choir of "HAI!" rang throughout the area.

Going through some quick hand seals, he slammed his hands down onto the walls of the village and erected a barrier protecting the citizens within the village. Withdrawing his katana, he gave a mighty shout."FOR UZU!" Ashina's mighty roar could be heard by the enemy Kage who were a few miles away. And with that, he jumped down to attack the enemy as his forces soon followed him.

After Nozomi shunsin, he immediately appeared in front of the quickly approaching enemy along with his fellow Anbu appearing beside him."I won't let you down, father," Nozomi thought before preparing a very fast set of hand seals for a jutsu. "Futon: Daitoppa!" Nozomi Shouted as he blew out a powerful blast of wind towards the enemy. He soon followed up with another set of hand seals "Kanashibari no Jutsu!" Nozomi thought as his first technique hit the enemy; they were blasted by a powerful force that halted and disoriented them momentarily. As soon as his second technique activated, the enemy found that they were paralyzed and could not move.

"TIGER NOW!" Nozomi yelled to one of his fellow Anbu and Uzumaki. "Right!" Tiger shouted already amidst his own hand seals. Calling out in a serious and deadly tone, "Suiton: Kokuu!" The effect was immediate. A rain of oil fell over the few dozen or so cocky ninja battering them with thick globs of oil. Quickly releasing his second jutsu, Nozomi flew through hand seals and shouted, "Karyuu Endan!" He exhaled a large stream of fire towards the oil-soaked Rock, Mist, and Lightning ninja. As soon as the fire hit its target, a large fire explosion erupted on the battlefield, shocking and unnerving the rest of the oncoming enemy.

Wasting no time, all twenty-five Anbu, including Nozomi, appeared in front of the next wave of enemy shinobi and quickly flew through a blur of hand seals. "Katon: Haisekisho!" They yelled together as clouds of superheated ash bathed the surrounding area around them. The enemy soon covered inside the dense clouds of ash began screaming in pain as their bodies received third-degree burns. Simultaneously Nozomi and his men clicked their teeth together, and the results were instantaneous.

BOOM!

An earth-shattering blast rocketed the small island of Uzu. Ally and enemy alike stopped to witness the large plum of fire rising in the sky. This was to be the start of the Third Shinobi World War...This is the day that Kumo, Kiri, and Iwa will never forget.

A day where one hundred thousand enemy forces stood against a measly fifteen hundred Uzumaki warriors. And lost more than half of their men and women to battle against a superior foe. For every Uzu warrior lost, over thousands of enemies would fall. This day over one hundred thousand Iwa, Kumo, and Kiri shinobi would lose their lives.

The exchanging of Jutsu's clashing each other tore the landscape and scarred the once beautiful land of Whirlpools. Thick black smoke burned high and could be seen as far as the eye could see. As for the village itself, it was no longer recognizable. Nothing left but scorched ruins, ash, and soot.

"Die!" Screamed an Iwa shinobi as he tried to bring his sword down on an unsuspecting Nozomi. He gracefully maneuvered out of the attack he easily countered with his katana. Doing a simple shunsin to appear behind the shinobi, he then sliced his sword at the shocked man's head. The end result was beheading and the end of another life by his hands. Not wasting time, he quickly fell back into position with the two remaining Anbu.

"Tiger, Snake, it seems we are all that's left," Nozomi said as he got back into position. They have been fighting for three days straight with little to no rest at all. The enemy just kept coming and showed no signs of relenting.

Nozomi grit his teeth in frustration. They were losing, and it was only a matter of time before they met the same fate as the rest of their comrades. "Hai Nozomi-sama, it seems you're right," Tiger spoke before quickly turning to Snake. They both nodded before rushing behind Nozomi and swiftly brought a hand chop to the back of his neck, rendering him unconscious. Being so tired and weary from constant battle, Nozomi didn't expect a thing, especially from his fellow Uzumaki. "Snake, follow through with the Uzukages final wishes. This is to be your last mission. It was an honor to serve with both you and Nozomi-sama. I will hold off the enemy as long as I can. I hope it will be enough to give you time to make the proper preparations." Tiger spoke in a stern voice.

"Hai, Tiger-taitochi," Snake spoke as he picked up Nozomi's unconscious body. Before Snake was about to leave, Tiger spoke once again."Please, call me Fumio, Fumio Uzumaki," Tiger said as he removed his mask. Giving Snake a small smile. "It was an honor, Fumio-san. You may call me Hisoka Uzumaki." Snake said as he too removed his mask and smiled in return.

"Amaya's cousin, huh?" Fumio said. A quiet "hai" was given a Hisoka, grabbed Nozomi, and disappeared in the traditional Uzumaki shunsin. "May Kami be with you," Fumio thought as he turned to face an onslaught of enemy shinobi. "I will take you, bastards, to hell!" He yelled before going through a few semi-long hand seals. A large explosion occurred, engulfing the entire area, effectively killing all within one hundred-meter radius. A large grin was all the last thing he managed to give as he too was caught in the blast. And so was the end of Fumio Uzumaki.

Sensing that Fumio was no longer alive, he knew he had little time. Hisoka quickly hid Nozomi's unconscious body underneath some debris, hiding him the best he could and then placing a high-level genjutsu and sealing array over his body that would be difficult to detect even for a strong sensor shinobi. His mission was complete. Immediately turning around, he went off to draw the attention of the shinobi in the area away from Nozomi's location." I will be meeting you all soon, especially you...Amaya" were the last thoughts of Hisoka before he to would eventually meet his fate on the battlefield.

On one side of the Battlefield, Kya Uzumaki kept slicing Kumo Shinobi left and right, jumping away, a seal spread all around her body, ready to lose her life for the Future of the Uzumaki Clan.

Her heart beating speed up, as a word '魂' slowly appeared on her right palm, as The Red Strike of Kumo, an S-Rank Sannin landed in front of her. His name is Dikata Gitago, of Clan Gitago known for their Red Lightning.

"You killed my whole Squad; what's your name?" The man in front of her asked with respect, his right palm engulfed in red lightning.

"My name is Kya Uzumaki, The Red Rain," Kya introduced herself; knowing who was in front of her, she knew she couldn't win; that left only one option.

"Kya Uzumaki, I will remember the name" with that, The Red Strike rushed with his palm aimed at her, Kya didn't have time to block it activated a Healing Fuinjtsu on her shoulder as the strike hit her stomach, launching her, she was slammed against the concrete, her stomach bleeding, she quickly stood up, knowing she needed to do something fast, as He tried to strike again, as Kya put her arm in front of the strike as the symbol on her left palm shines.

"Soul Fuinjtsu"

Before he could strike again, her palm touched his chest as the strike hit her again.

The building crumbled; Kya was lying on the ground defeated, her right arm gone but still with a smile on her face seeing the Sannin suddenly stop and fall on his knees, spitting out blood as lines spread from his chest around his body, extending purple marks.

"Wh-what-what did you do to me?" The Sannin asked through extreme pain, his nose, ears, eyes, and mouth bleeding blood.

Kya smiled as the same symbols spread from her left palm around her body.

"Soul Fuinjtsu, One touch of my palm, and both of us will die, I gave my life to this Fuinjtsu," Kya said as pain spread around her body, her vision got blurry, her nose, ears, eyes, and mouth bleeding.

A laugh was heard from the Sannin as he barely stood on one knee looking at her. "At least I-I will die, how I a-always W-w-wanted..." his body fell on the ground dead, and so did Kya, who closed her purple eyes for the last time.

"Summoning Jutsu"

A Light suddenly illuminated the whole battlefield as the phoenix of Their leader ascended from the sky, The Phonix Janus.

The leader stood at the top of the phoenix, ready to rain fire on his enemies when...

Suddenly, a shadow fell on him, and as he raised his head, he saw another phoenix, larger than his own and as black as a starless night...

The Two Phonix collided with each other as the fighting continued...'

Hiruzen Sarutobi - Now

The Hokage couldn't help himself but look at the two photos in front of him, and he wondered why the sudden appearance of not one but two Uzumaki; not mentioning Naruto reported that one of them was named Karin Uzumaki.

It had been a long time, but Hiruzen remembered Kushina coming to him several times after Uzu was destroyed, mentioning if anyone with the name Azynaka Uzumaki and her daughter Karin Uzumaki had been spotted.

Azynaka was Kushina's sister; therefore, Hiruzen had sent a squad to search everywhere but to no avail.

He wondered if he could have done something more to prevent the destruction of Uzu...

"Are you certain about this, Hokage-sama?"

The third Hokage blew out smoke from his pipe as he stared at the large council gathered in front of him. Usually, for out-of-the-blue meetings like this, it was enough for only the advisors to be present, but the clan heads were also in attendance. That was something of a rarity, given that they were currently in the midst of war. The topic of the meeting was not even about war.

Well, not their war.

Sarutobi Hiruzen placed the pipe down after another exhale of smoke, and he leveled the clan head, who spoke a tired, but stern gaze.

"I certainly am, Akimichi." He replied, ignoring how the plump man frowned uncertainly at his answer. "I believe this is a reasonable request from our allies, and it would not harm us to lend our aid to them."

"But we're at war, Hokage-sama!" One of his advisors exclaimed. "We don't have the time nor the resources to spare these people! Haven't you thought of that?"

The jab at his reasoning made him glare at the man, and the threatening aura that filled the room made everyone flinch. "What kind of Hokage do you think I am? Of course, I've thought about it! I'm just not the kind of man who would leave his allies to die after such a horrible tragedy."

"And what a tragedy it is."

Sarutobi turned to another member of the advisor council—the one with the dark hair and bandages around his face. He narrowed his eyes as the man casually placed his hands on the table.

"A prestigious clan like that destroyed out of fear of its unrivaled sealing techniques." He seemed to tut in shame and disappointment, but nobody could tell if he was condescending or genuinely sympathetic. "The Uzumaki clan did not deserve to be so unfairly outmatched and annihilated."

The third Hokage grunted. "I agree. Our allies were no match for the sudden invasion of Kiri shinobi. They were outnumbered three to one, and that included children and civilians."

He looked at the scroll in his hands, unfolded to display a short, quick request for sanctuary. A swirl-like pattern was printed at the end of the message, indicating that it had been signed and sent by an acting clan head.

'Uzumaki Aizu,' He read the hastily drawn signature. His brow furrowed when he realized that he recognized the name. 'Grandson of elder Ashina, eh?'

"That doesn't make any sense," A clan head spoke up to break the silence, and Sarutobi looked up to see a confused-looking Yamanaka glaring at the table. "Uzushiogakure is not part of this war. Why would anyone seek to destroy it?"

"Fear." Was the short reply from a slouched clan head next to him. A Nara, obviously. "Danzou-sama has already mentioned that the clan is known for its powerful sealing abilities. With a power like that, any nation would attempt to seize it for themselves—or destroy it."

"And Uzushio is an ally of Konoha." The head of the Inuzuka clan somberly added, and Nara's head nodded.

"That's right. Getting rid of the Uzumaki clan was probably an attempt to diminish Konoha's power." The Nara head then snorted, leaning back in his seat. "Too bad they completely forgot that a clan full of seal masters would have some sort of backup plan in case an invasion happens."

Sarutobi nodded at this, and he couldn't help but be thankful for that. Uzushiogakure is indeed comprised of promising and powerful shinobi, but their numbers were barely half of the number of shinobi in hidden villages like Kirigakure.

The very name of that village made the Hokage narrow his eyes in confusion and suspicion; that village was not part of this war. What were they planning?

'Are they planning on joining the war, after all?' He thought, tightening the hold of his joined hands.

"In any case," The bespectacled advisor spoke up, and he turned to the Hokage. "What happened to the Uzumaki clan is unfortunate, but I strongly believe this is not our concern. Our efforts should be concentrated on the war that we are currently fighting."

"Homura is correct." The only female on the advisory council, Utatane Koharu, agreed. "Konoha has many enemies, and if we let our guard down for just a moment, we could end up like the Uzumaki clan. We shouldn't even be talking about this."

Sarutobi narrowed his eyes at his former teammates. While what they said made absolute sense, he himself did not want to abandon the survivors of the Uzumaki clan. They had aided Konoha in the First Shinobi World War, and now when they needed help, was it right for Konoha to simply turn its back on them? And not to mention, the Shodaime's wife was an Uzumaki, herself.

The way they nonchalantly rejected an ally's request; made him sick to the stomach.

But before he could voice out any of these thoughts, he was taken aback when the man whose support he did not expect suddenly spoke up.

"I say we welcome the Uzumaki clan to Konoha."

The conference room was silent. Even the soft murmurings stopped. Everyone turned to look at Shimura Danzou, whose face did not betray anything. The ones who knew him well looked at him in shock.

"Danzou?!" Koharu turned and practically screeched.

"Do you realize what you're saying?" Added Homura, though he was more restrained than his fellow advisor.

Danzou was not looking at them but rather at the Hokage whose suspicious gaze he calmly met. The man shifted in his seat to turn towards Danzou.

"I can't say I'm not glad for the support, but," He paused. "What is your reason for thinking this, Danzou?"

The man leaned back in his seat as he started to explain. "First of all, it should be mentioned that the Uzumaki clan is an ally of Konoha. The clan has aided us in the past; surely, we should be gracious enough to do the same in their time of need? Also, the clan is comprised of talented fuuinjutsu users. Something that, I believe, would aid us to win this war."

The Hokage narrowed his eyes. There we go. The man's true motive. "You would have them join this war right after surviving the destruction of their village?"

"It's giving and take, Hokage-sama." Danzou didn't flinch when the Hokage glared at him for the subtle jab at his title. "As the advisors have mentioned, it would take a considerable amount of time, effort, and resources to house the Uzumaki clan refugees. I suggest that, in return for offering them refuge, we request that any able shinobi among them would be included in the war effort."

"That is fair," Homura conceded, rubbing his chin in thought. Even Koharu looked like she was changing her mind about the issue.

"And with their knowledge on fuuinjutsu, the Uzumaki clan would be able to teach our shinobi their techniques. It would add to Konoha's growing repertoire of powerful jutsu." She added, nodding to herself.

"You think they would gladly share their secrets, Utatane-sama?" A clan head spoke up. It was the Hyuuga head.

"Not all, no. But enough to give our shinobi an advantage in the field. One does not need to be an Uzumaki to learn fuuinjutsu, after all."

All thoughts went to a certain white-haired jounin currently in Amegakure. Everyone listening nodded in agreement.

The Hokage sighed. It seemed like most everyone agreed to welcome the Uzumaki clan, but for the wrong reasons. He supposed that there was no helping it, but still—

He frowned. What would Hirashima-sama do in this situation, he wondered?

"Does anyone else have anything to say regarding this issue?" He lifted his pipe to his mouth and asked. When no one seemed to want to add anything, he inhaled through his pipe and sighed. "If that is so, I call for a vote. All in favor of offering refuge to the survivors of the Uzumaki Clan?"

He watched as hands rose in the air, some slower than the others. He observed that even the clan heads who had been vocal about their skepticism were now raising their hands. Perhaps the points raised by Danzou had managed to convince them as well.

Danzou.

Of course, the man was raising his hand, but Sarutobi was unsure of his motives. The man had Konoha's best interests at heart, surely, but...

What was this uneasiness?

The Hokage mentally counted the number of hands in the air, and he noted that everyone had voted to give them refuge. Deciding that asking for a vote for the opposite was unnecessary, he rolled the scroll in his hands closed and snapped his fingers. Immediately, a pair of ANBU appeared behind him.

"Bear, Bird," He began. "Send your teams to accompany the summoned emissary to the marked location on this scroll to meet with the survivors of the Uzumaki clan. Be sure not to waste time and lead the refugees here safely."

"Yes, Hokage-sama!"

"Also, I'm pretty sure the messenger is tired. Give him... a carrot or something."

They acknowledged with another synchronized affirmation, and they vanished in a blink of an eye.

After a moment, the pale-haired Yamanaka head cleared his throat and asked, "How are we going to prepare their lodgings, Hokage-sama? And will the Uzumaki clan be recognized as a clan here, as well?"

"That will be all discussed in due time. For now, the events at Amegakure need to be examined. After a ten-minute break, the advisory council and clan heads will discuss this."

As the people slowly filed out of the room to take advantage of their break, Sarutobi slouched in his seat and let out another smoky exhale. In the corner of his eye, Danzou left the council room along with the two other advisors. That uneasy feeling from a while ago returned.

'Just what are you planning, Danzou?' He asked himself. Deep inside, he had this theory...

The Hokage shuddered. He vaguely wondered if declining the Uzumaki clan's request would have been much more merciful.

Naruto Uzumaki

The redhead couldn't see anything after the Dark Phoenix had attacked him; the young didn't know why he saw all that fight and why?

Who Attacked him?

Suddenly he felt his body weightless, no pain, no weight, nothing.

His body was falling as he looked down to see the whole world in front of him; he wondered when had the world had gotten so small, was it always like this.

When a red bird suddenly landed on his shoulder...

"What's This?" Naruto screamed as his body fell and fell towards the ground, not stopping.

Fly, the bird said, his purple eyes piercing his soul.

"I Can't Fly," Naruto shouted back.

How do you know, have you ever tried it, the bird said

"You have wings" Naruto shouted

So do you, the bird said

Naruto spread his arms and legs, but his body kept falling, the mountains now taller than him.

"This must be a Dream. I will wake up once I hit the ground," Naruto said

You will die when you hit the ground, the bird said

Naruto felt the ground come closer and closer as he spread his arms, waiting for the impact...

Naruto Abridged One-shot - Just for Fun, not related to the story.

Sasuke looked at Itachi with terrified eyes; he had killed the whole Clan and their parents.

"Why, Why did you do this, Itachi?" Sasuke asked, barely holding his tears.

"They were using our WiFi, Sasuke," Itachi answered with no remorse and a smile on his face.

"That's Not So Bad,"

"They found your secret photos Sasuke," Itachi said with remorse.

Sasuke's eyes almost popped out from fear. No, Anything but that.

"No, they, you promised they Were Secured," Sasuke cried.

"I'm sorry, Sasuke, I'm afraid they found your real name is Sasgay," Itachi said.

"NoNoNo," Sasuke cried as Itachi activated his Eye of Infinitive Bullshit.

"Allow me to Show you, Mind Fuck"

"Noooooooooooo"