Chapter 1: The Fall of the Whirlpool
A girl with vibrant red hair was running. Behind her, others with that same signature hair shadowed her, their faces etched with worry.
They looked at the streets, which were now in chaos as people scrambled toward the shelters.
'How?' Kushina's mind raced. 'How did our ninja's miss them? How is an entire army at our front door?'
As she jumped from one building to building, she spotted a familiar figure struggling on the street below. It was her aunt. She was due to give birth in just a few days, and yet this was happening now.
Kushina leaped down. "Aunty, what are you doing here? You should be evacuating to the shelter!"
The woman's breath came in ragged gasps, her eyes filled with worry. "I—I couldn't, Kushina. I can't run. And even if I wanted to, I don't think I can." She clutched her swelling stomach, her face contorting in pain.
This was Medori Uzumaki, Kushina's maternal aunt. A powerful Jōnin and master sensor with Mind's eyes of kagura.
She had been reduced to the strength of a high Genin due to the strain of her pregnancy.
It was the first time in Uzumaki history where a mother's vitality had been weakened to this extent—and the attack had come exactly when the village's "Eyes" were at their weakest.
"Aunt, come with me," Kushina said in a firm tone. At that moment, she looked less like a child and more like her father—the Clan Head.
———
On the Front Lines
A man stood at the village walls, stared at the horizon where the enemy fleet was closing in like hungry Hyenas.
He turned to the woman beside him, his voice study despite the danger. His name was Kenji Uzumaki.
"How... how did this happen?" he asked, his hands shaking as he held a sealing scroll half of his size—not out of fear but worried by the implications.
"What happened to our sensory team? Our sensory seals? How did they reach our very doorstep without a single alarm?"
"We lost contact with them. Our sensory seals were tampered by someone or something," the woman replied, her head lower.
She was Sakuko Uzumaki, the Jōnin Commander and one of their top shinobi.
It was her responsibility to safeguard the borders and she failed.
Kenji remained silent. A surprise attack while the village's top sensor—the one with the Mind's Eye of the Kagura—was down did not paint a pretty picture. He should have listened to his friend's advice. Alas, there is no medicine for regret.
"How many enemies, and from whose village they belong?" he asked with clench jaw.
"15,000 enemy forces from Kumo, Kiri, and Iwa,"
Kenji smiled wryly. 'It will be a tough fight.'
Sakuko continued, "—and they have two Jinchuriki with them, from Kumo and Kiri."
'It seems Uzushiogakure is destined to fall,' Kenji thought.
"What about the reinforcements from Konoha?" he asked, already knowing the answer.
"We sent the intel through reverse summoning. If everything goes right, it will take ten to fifteen hours,"
She replied. Her knuckles turned white from how hard she gripped her sword—a massive blade forged from pure Chakra Metal.
"Also, send word to the Old Hag. Tell her our survival depends on her," he ordered, remembering a final hope.
"Yes, my lord," Sakuko replied with a small smile despite the situation.
"That 'Old Hag' is your sister and the Matriarch of the Senju Clan," a man said as he landed beside the two, followed by another woman.
"How did we not sense them before they reached our borders, Kenji?" the woman asked in a no-nonsense tone. Her name was Saki Uzumaki, and the man was Shōto Uzumaki.
"I warned you, Kenji, that we should increase borders patrols and prepare our shinobi," Shōto said gravely, his hair whipping in the wind.
Both were Kenji's childhood friends and served as third and second-in-command, respectively.
Kenji could only sigh in resignation at the remark.
Saki turned to Sakuko, her disciple. "How much time until they reach the shore?"
"Thirty minutes to reach the shore, and another thirty to cross the forest," Sakuko replied to her sensei.
"Good. It will buy us time to prepare the ninja and activate the seals around the forest. I can only arrange 1,000 ninja at the moment. They are placing the seals and paper tags as we speak."
"Good. Start evacuating civilians from the shelters through the underground tunnels," Kenji commanded.
"If you've come to the same conclusion as me, then you should know there is no 'safe' tunnel," Shōto replied.
"I know. But if even a few survive, at least the Uzumaki name will not be forgotten in a history book," Kenji said.
The others' faces grimaced with understanding.
Shōto knew the situation better than anyone. They would fall here; the only question was how much time they could buy and how much enemy prepare to lose.
He had already sent his best men to lead the evacuation. He could only hope that not all Uzumaki would perish here as he watched the ships draw closer.
———
On the other side of the Battlefield.
In the sea of Uzushiogakure, three Large wooden boats, which is leading the March of few hundred smaller ships are slowly marching towards the battlefield. which will be a meat grinder for all of them.
Three men are leading the charge to the shores of uzushio. They were highly capable ninja of their village.
Leading them was a brown skinned man with muscular build and dark messy hair; said with heavy voice.
"It seemed the intel had been right afterall."
As much as it's a good news it was also a alarm to his paranoid mind that someone can bypass Uzumaki's village which is known for their strong sensors techniques and seals.
Then what about theirs and it seems the he not the only one concern about this.
"You are right, i should also inform to Tsuchikage about this." the Iwa ninja with brown hair and lean build said with wry smile.
It not like they could do something about it anyway.
"Anyways how should we deal with them" the last man decided to ask in carefree voice. He is a lean man if not Scrawny. In his waist hung a sting like sword.
It's a chore for him to be here but alas orders are order he can't just leave from here as the one of the swordman of the mist, he have the reputation to keep.
Suddenly, a weak wave hit their ship. The others ignored it, as it wasn't the first time in this long and short journey
But the Kiri ninja could feel it: the seas were restless, the wind was becoming more active, and the clouds were moving unnaturally
He already informed them about this so they should expect rain and storms. And everyone know what storm are at sea, well everyone in Kiri know, he don't know about the other two nor he care about these so called 'Allies'.
'There are no eternal enemies only interest.' he thought amusingly looking at he horizon at Uzushiogakure and there fleet which is more than 12,000 strong men with two nukes of their 'allies' village; and the two nukes are glaring at each other.
It will be hilarious two men on parallel boats staring at each other if the two were not radiating a massive about of Malicious intent that from start to now no one dare to step in their line of site and are keeping 10 meter distance from them.
Those are obviously second and fourth tail beast jinchuriki from Kumogakure and Iwagakure, respectively.
'Hhh i am tired of this, should I quit and live somewhere quit and start a family. Nahh, Kiri higher-up Will chew me alive and throw me in some ditch. The Dilemma of this job.'
Then he sees a movement in the shores he can see some Uzushiogakure ninja laying traps and seals all over the place.
If he can see them so can the other two. As he thought that other two also noticed it.
Suddenly a Kumo ninja flicker in front of them.
"Sir, enemy seems to setting up traps." we all looked at him like he is an idiot.
'Bro, should they be laying red carpet for us. so we can come happily and butcher everyone like some catel and steel everything. And whatever hidden agendas these two have…. specially these Kumo basterds, they are like group of bandite wherever they spotted a Kekkei Genkai for sale.'
———
Sanji's Pov
Sanji is barely keeping his eye from twitching by the audacity or stupidity from his own ninja.
'He will discipline them later.' he thought inwardly 'if we survive that is.' he has no illusions, Their chances were twenty percent at best, and that was for the elite. The rest? They were just fodder meant to stall the three monsters waiting for them on those shores.
"Hmn" he nodded his head and focus on the horizon, Uzushiogakure.
The jōnin taking it as his que flicker away.
Kenji Uzumaki, Clan Head and a Seal Master second only to Mito Uzumaki.
Shōto Uzumaki, The Technician of seals second only to Tobirama Senju. It's said he even helped create some frobiten jutstu with him.
And last but not the least most feared Saki Uzumaki, The Monster Crimson Witch Second only to Hashirama Senju and Madhara Uchiha whose name still terrorise the world.
He could still feel the phantom pain of the spear stabbed in his gut. as she was covered in the blood of her enemies, stared down at him with emotionless eyes and said one word "Weak" and left.
That word still hauts him to this day and why shouldn't it, his hundred men strong infintry reduced to only him.
That's why he personally requested this mission from Rakekage so that he can wash away that fear or die trying.
"How much time till we reached shore" he asked that Kiri lazy basterd, that treating it like a picknik.
"10 minutes" came the lazy reply.
He sware to God he would have killed him if he was not one of the seven swordman and his army is second largest in this fleet.
And amusingly mostly are genin to low chunin with few jōnin in far between and almost all of them are Kekkei Genkai holder.
'It seems Mizukage cleaning his house or more like erasing it.'
he don't know nor is he interested. Believe it or not even Kumo doesn't want to poke that can of worms.
'I just hope our special ops will do there job and secure the target before those tree huggers arrive.' he thought grimly.
'If they arrive that is.' he added with a dark smirk.