Chap-43 Family Duty Honor

When the King entered the courtroom alongside Daen Nara most of the clan heads didn't miss his icy expression. The new ruler simply nodded to the greetings and short bows of his subjects before marching towards the throne. It was only when he was seated did the people relax and look at their ruler for an explanation because he had called for this meeting in the first place.

Tsunade knew in a few days she would have her own seat beside him but right now her focus was fixed on the fact that Naruto was dealing with something that was hurting him. Even so, his eyes were full of determination.

She could only imagine the pressure he must be feeling right now, having never expected to lead his own clan much less an entire nation. But he had started to accomplish this task as it was his duty, just in the way he had served the Uchiha's faithfully his entire life. Only now that duty was expanded to the entire Land of Fire.

"I have called you all here to formally acknowledge the support all of you have given for the future of this country. You have given me your loyalty and I want to make sure such faith is rewarded appropriately" declared Naruto,

"There is no need for that, my king. We did it for the good of this nation..." replied Nakamura Akimichi calmly,

Naruto nodded while also searching the man for any deceit despite his good words. He knew there were some good and honorable men among this lot of clan heads, but there were more ambitious ones too. Most of all every one of them was a shinobi and their kind was known for treachery than honor.

"I insist" said Naruto firmly,

He was not mistaken when he saw that his decision was very much welcomed. Outwardly, every clan head remained impassive with some even pretending that they didn't need these gifts. But their body language and their eyes betrayed their intentions. The King couldn't help but look at Daen as he realized the Nara had been right, maintaining peace between these dangerous leaders was going to be even more difficult than ruling over hundreds of thousands of civilians.

But if these ambitious leaders thought him weak and gullible, then they really didn't know him.

He gave them the first shock by creating the post of Guardian, a position that would make any ninja lord the most powerful man in the country after the King. In simple words, the person who held this post would hold the most influence and be the King's right hand. Many clan heads subconsciously stepped forward confident of them getting this honor but were all thoroughly shocked when Daen Nara, a former royalist of the Daimyo became the First Guardian of the new Dragon Kingdom.

To say the ninja lords including Daen were shocked would be an understatement. Most had expected their king to name his father or even Hashirama but instead he gave this power to a former enemy. Daen was quick to accept before any protests could arise, not that there was a chance considering the presence of the Biju lazily sleeping in the corner of the courtroom. By now everyone was aware the beast was loyal to the King and any defiance would earn them its wrath.

Naruto went forward to formally declare Madara as The First Hokage and gave him leadership over the Kingdom's ninja forces. The offer was swiftly accepted...

The next announcement was regarding the position of the Royal Treasurer and not many were surprised when Hashirama Senju was named to the post. The Senju leader was a force on the battlefield and despite his peaceful nature it was because of his actions that the Senju had became wealthy through favorable trade deals. A skill Naruto wanted to put to use for the entire kingdom. Plus, it didn't hurt that the Senju faction looked very pleased with this decision.

The next announcements were also very important...

Sasuke Sarutobi was given command of the Royal Naval Fleets.

Tobi Shimura was tasked with the development of an Elite Ninja Blackops Unit loyal only to the King with the Shimura leader named its first commander. Many clan heads tensed for the Shimura were the most fiercest Uchiha allies and with this decision the King had made sure to keep himself and his rule safe. Not to mention the Shimura clan knew the art of spying and assassinations better than most clans, a fact which would greatly stop anyone from getting any dangerous ideas.

Tajima Uchiha received the honor of keeping law and order prevalent across the kingdom. The Uchiha patriarch was a stern man who was a stickler for rules and discipline, a fact which would greatly keep the civilians in check. The King's father accepted the position with a smile when he was given the authority to form an entire Police force to help him accomplish his duties.

Tori Yamanaka, the widow of the deceased Itama Yamanaka was made Master of Intelligence.

Rei Namikaze was given the responsibility of becoming not only the creator but also the leader of the First Airborne troops of the Kingdom by combining every shinobi having a bird summon placed under her command.

Nakamura Akimichi was given the prestigious position of being the King's Representative across Merchant guilds.

Hiro Inuzuka and Shin Aburame were both assigned the task of developing a new Scouting Legion made up of the best trackers from the Land of Fire. Both men would share joint command.

Sakumo Hatake was made Protector of the Capital and tasked with its security. A decision which was greatly appreciated by the minor ninja lord.

The remaining smaller clans like the Kurama, Yuhi among others were not only given more lands and wealth for their loyalty but also a chance to join the Royal Guards that would protect the Capital and be the King's personal force that would be the first to step into the battlefield alongside their monarch in every battle. It went to say the minor clans had not expected the chance to achieve this much fame and reward which lead to everyone of their leaders quickly jumping on the offer.

Naruto also made the formal announcement that a new village would be created near the Southern forests. While a name was yet to be decided by the King for this village, its purpose was clear. It would serve as the central command of the ninja forces and be The Hokage's personal seat.

The King also announced his plans to crush the remaining Daimyo loyalists and revealed the battle strategy he had formulated with Daen Nara. He was pleased when the clans quickly accepted the strategy because despite their differences, no one wanted a civilian to rule again.

But the most shocking announcements were saved for the last.

The first being the royal marriage of King Naruto Uchiha with Princess Tsunade Senju that would take place in a week. Many were aghast to hear such an important affair had to be conducted at such a short notice, but Naruto was adamant that the marriage had to happen as quickly as possible because only when it was done could Naruto's most important goal be accomplished.

The War of Conquest.

Not a single clan head was not shocked when their King revealed his intention of ruling not only the Land of Fire but the entirety of the elemental nations. It was not to say they were against the move because they were shinobi and war was their profession. The King's desire would only give these ninja clans more power and resources while establishing the first dynasty after the fall of the Hagoromo clan to truly rule the elemental nations.

The words of King Naruto Uchiha would forever be remembered in history.

From this day forth, Dragons shall rule the world.

Tsunade gently brushed her long blonde hair while observing her reflection in the mirror. Nights were cooler in the Capital but she was used to such weather and could move around in her simple nightgown. Her mind pre-occupied with the events that happened today.

Just when she thought she knew Naruto Uchiha, he again surprised her with his brilliance.

But hurt her at the same time.

Even she could see he would be a great King, perhaps one of the best in history but he always walked alone and carried his burdens in silence. Already thousands worshiped him for giving them peace and in time even most of his former enemies would come to admire him. How could she ever match up to someone like that?

Was she destined to be his shadow? Was she just an obligation that he was tolerating in the name of duty?

Before she could wallow more in her sadness, the door of her room was opened much to her surprise. Her guards always informed her regarding any visitors and only when she gave permission were they let in. Most of all it was well past any visiting hours, It was almost close to midnight...

A frown came on her face as she glanced at the unwanted visitor.

"What are you doing here so late?" asked Tsunade hesitantly,

The Dragon King stared at her calmly ignoring her frown or borderline hostile tone. It was then she noticed the dark bags under his eyes and the tired gaze of his. He looked ready to fall dead any second...

"Kami, were you still working?" asked Tsunade in disbelief,

"Too many things to take care of. Assuring trade merchants their deals were not off and making new ones, checking the treasury, reports on enemy movements, discussions with clan heads among other things" he explained in his ever calm voice,

"You didn't have to exhaust yourself like this. A King does not have to do everything in one day..." advised Tsunade, as she got up from her dressing table and walked towards him.

She didn't miss him getting stunned as he got a good look at her loose nightgown which only served to make her voluptuous breasts more visible. He looked away instantly and was there guilt she saw in his eyes?

Something was troubling him and for once she decided to not let her sarcasm fly at him.

He was surprised when she placed a hand on his shoulder and looked compassionately in his eyes.

"What is it?'' she asked gently,

"I am sorry"

She had expected to hear many things from him but an apology was not on the list. Looking into his eyes she saw he truly meant it but what for?

He answered her unasked question with his next words...

"I promised you that I would treat you as my equal, as my queen, but in my haste or my anger should I say I forgot to take your opinion on the matter of the appointments I made today. I saw it hurt you but by then it was too late and we were in public. It will never happen again" he promised

Tsunade had never been left so speechless as she was at this moment.

"You noticed?" she whispered, her wide eyes searching his darker ones for any lies. There were none.

"I did. I take my promises seriously, Tsunade. I will never set you aside like that again..." he assured her,

The smile that arrived on her face was one of the most beautiful things he had ever seen. Her skin glowed brighter than the moon's light showing how happy she was, her eyes sparkled with relief and warmth. He was so lost in watching her beauty that he was not prepared when she abruptly closed the distance between them and hugged him.

He lost his footing and soon they were both tumbling gracelessly to the floor.

Fortunately, he was still wearing his golden armor which easily observed the shock as his hands grabbed her protectively so she didn't get more hurt. His head hit the ground and he winced from the impact alongwith the sudden weight of her that crashed into his armored chest.

Her long and shiny blonde hair went flying all over him and for a moment he thought the morning sun had arrived again. But it was over before he could blink as she realized what just happened and continuously started apologizing over and over.

She was forced to stop when instead of rebuking her he started laughing. Softly at first before it turned into a full blown laughter.

Tsunade was mesmerized as she watched the tension vanish from his handsome face as he laughed making him look even more younger than he truly was. Her own laughter joined alongwith his as she realized how dumb her action must have truly been. Thankfully, he was taking this far more graciously than she expected.

"You're beautiful"

Her breath hitched. It was not the first time she had heard those words but no matter how many times he said them it always made her feel happy. What made her heart skip several beats was the fact that aside from the lust there was true warmth in his eyes.

Gods, this man would drive her crazy!

She had never met a man so complicated in her entire life but there was something about him that attracted her to him.

"You're not so bad looking yourself. For an Uchiha..." teased Tsunade without any true bitterness in her voice.

He took her sarcasm with a wide smile as she got up on her feet and for a moment she felt she saw him sigh disappointedly. But that might just be her imagination...

She decided to test his commitment he made moments ago by offering her hand to him. Most men would balk at such a gesture of help considering it was against their male pride taking help from a woman when they were more than capable enough of helping themselves.

He made her smile again as he grinned before taking her offered hand as she hauled him back on his feet in a flash.

He blinked at her sheer strength, he had of course heard tales of her brutal strength from the soldiers who participated in the battle for the Capital. But she was so beautiful that made it hard for him to imagine her having that much power just in her arms.

"Are you made of steel?" he mocked teasingly, earning a cocky grin from her.

"I can be your knight in shining armor. And admit it, I'm more attractive than your bodyguard friends" she winked,

"Cocky, are we?" he asked with an amused grin, and chuckled when she shrugged shamelessly.

"I learnt from the best"

Naruto stared at his soon to be wife. She was his complete opposite yet alike in many ways and he would be a fool if he denied he had ever seen any woman more beautiful than her. He had spent his entire day buried in work not because it was just his duty but also for the fact that it kept his mind off the fact that Mikoto was going away from him forever.

It pained him immensely but he had to respect her choice just as she respected his choice to do his duty.

He could not change the past but if he allowed himself to wallow in misery over what was lost then he might just miss what could be his in the future. He had not missed the fact that she was attracted to him as he was to her even if they had both not admitted it outloud. Maybe he didn't love her right now but that shouldn't stop him from letting her be his friend. He owed her a chance...

"Thank you..." he whispered honestly, as he gently patted her soft hands expressing his gratitude for her understanding.

"I just hope one day you can share everything with me. Just as I wish to do the same with you..." she replied sincerely,

Guilt coursed through his heart for there was one big secret he had kept from her. One that could threaten whatever bond that was developing between them, he wanted to tell her but something stopped him.

Not yet.

"I need your opinion on an important matter..." he said seriously, trying to distance his mind away from his building guilt.

"What is it?" she asked attentively, looking into his eyes.

"The Daimyo's sons are dead and his relatives would soon be crushed. But we still hold the Lord, his wife and daughters prisoner. Many are demanding I execute them all to stem any threat of future rebellions, I'm inclined to agree in the Daimyo's case. But..." he said hesitantly, not able to finish the words but he didn't need to.

"You don't want to kill innocent women if you can help it" she deduced with a warm smile, glad that he was not as heartless as those who were advising him.

"I can't think of a proper solution that doesn't involve executing them..." he said worriedly, and was relieved when she squeezed his hands reassuringly.

"Give me till tomorrow morning to think about this?" she inquired,

"Very well" he conceded,

He glanced at the diminishing candles in her room that reminded him it was very late and time for him to go. He was just about to turn away when he stopped. Hesitation coursed through his heart but in a rare display of courage or foolishness he went forward to close the distance between them.

Tsunade froze when his soft lips brushed her cheek but before she could relish that strange warmth he had already pulled away leaving her trembling from that simple touch.

"Good night" he said with a warm smile,

She couldn't wish him the same for no words escaped from her lips. He must have understood her feelings as he gave her one last smile before walking away.

Only when he was gone did she raise her hand with her fingers brushing against the lingering faint moistness on her cheek.

Soon she went to sleep with a happy smile on her face.

In a dark room were currently seated four figures around a round table. Three of them were men and one was a women but if they had one thing in common was the fact that none of them were smiling. In fact their faces were full of worry and anger.

"This is stupid! How long do we have to pretend to bow to that boy-king?" snarled one of the men, out of the entire group he looked to be the most angry.

"That boy is not worthy to be King. Have they all forgotten he's a Kinslayer? Or the fact that he butchered an entire clan? Burned men alive?" asked the lone female icily,

"I can muster a force of 4000 but without help we'll be slaughtered. What is the situation with the remaining clans?" asked the last man worriedly,

The three turned towards the only person who had remained silent till now. Unlike them this man had not said a word much less even show his true emotions. He just sat there calmly listening to the arguments happening around him...

"Not good. It would seem they like Lord Hashirama are blind enough to have faith in an Uchiha..." said the patient man,

"You have to admit, he did give everyone pretty good rewards for their loyalty. I'm not surprised most of the clan heads can't see that we cannot allow those mad dragons to rule over us. This boy might be sane but who's the say his descendants would be the same?" asked the worried man,

"Even many of my own people are actually liking this change. If we don't act soon, then we might lose what little loyalists we still have left" snarled the angry man,

The three were all silenced when the patient man gave them a chilling stare.

"Patience. We need to destroy the remnants of the Daimyo's forces, an Uchiha will never rule over us but that does not mean I want to submit to civilian control again. Certainly not after what the Daimyo did..." said the patient man coldly,

For once his comrades had no objection to his suggestion which was a big relief for him.

"While we do that, you all must also try to gather as many of your loyalists. I've also been contacted by certain external parties who are very interested in making sure those mad dragons never rule" revealed the patient man,

"Who?" asked the lone woman eagerly,

The blank stare of the patient man was enough to make her flinch and not ask that stupid question again.

"How much support can they give us?" asked the angry man, despite the prior warning the lone woman had received from their leader for asking too many dangerous questions. But in this instance, the patient man answered...

"Enough to wipe out every last Uchiha from the face of this world"

All three of the conspirators were stunned to hear that. They all might hate the Uchiha but even they were not blind to their enemy's power. Even without their sharingan, the Uchiha were a force on the battlefield and only the Senju could handle them. Considering the Senju under Hashirama had submitted there was no equal to the dragons in battle now, much less deal with the likes of Madara and Naruto, nobody even dared to even think about that monstrous Biju that was loyal to the King.

But their leader was dead serious which could only mean he had a lot of allies backing him. Foreign allies who were very interested in the downfall of the Uchiha.

The patient man got up from his chair and walked towards the window observing some of the Uchiha guards now manning the Royal Castle.

"The Uchiha's madness and arrogance know no bounds. If we allow them to rule then our future generations will curse us for this folly. But wait for my command, when the time is right..." whispered the patient man,

His comrades nodded at his orders and went away even as the lone man continued staring at the Uchiha.

Away from the rebellion happening in the South lay the vast Northern lands of the elemental nations. Unlike the Land of Fire which was awash with wealth and prosperity, these lands were rough and hard to live in. The tribes and ninja clans living here were more rougher and dangerous than their southern counterparts. Still, the people of these lands lived simple lives and followed their respective clan leaders. There was minimal politics or back stabbing than what usually happened in the South, not because the ninja here were honorable but for the sole fact that they were separated by vast arrays of treacherous forests, high mountains and dangerous seas.

One such clan resided in the North Eastern side of the elemental nations. Unlike other lesser clans, this group were the branch family of the Senju's and indirectly related to the Sage of Six Paths.

Being the farthest outpost of humanity, the Uzumaki enjoyed total independence from any Daimyo or ninja factions. They had prospered because of their sealing skills and ability to make as well as trade invaluable weapons and goods. Their lands were free of war not because others spared them, but for the sole fact that they had blocked every sea route from the Southern lands to their little kingdom with powerful barriers. Nobody could reach Uzushiogakure, the home of the Uzumaki if the redheads didn't want them to. One could only reach the Uzumaki nation through sea and that too by ship because the Uzumaki had the protection of fierce whirlpools near their islands that had been the cause of destruction of many a great ninja armies.

But such benefits came with their respective drawbacks. The most important being the fact that the Uzumaki were literally isolated from the rest of the elemental nations. The only lands ahead of them was the ruined and haunted Land of Water, where the War for Dawn had been fought and was now a wasteland where humanity had not existed for thousands of years.

However, unlike the Senjus their cousins were not known for patience but for their temper and wildness.

Over the thousands of years that passed, the Uzumaki tried to expand in all directions. Their efforts failed for the most part, their first military expansion in the Land of Lightning was utterly defeated by the mountain clans who knew the lands better than them. Their campaign to gain a foothold in the Land of Fire was defeated by the Daimyo's endless hordes.

With such defeats, The Uzumaki turned their eyes east.

Even the Uchiha and Senju who were renowned for their power had never once dared to step foot in the Land of Water. Both noble clans and their allies considered those lands as haunted and touched by the devil himself, but the Uzumaki in their desperation or wild sense of adventure decided to claim an entire continent for themselves.

Alas, they were in for another disappointment.

Over the centuries, hundreds of expeditions full of brave and adventurous Uzumaki had set sail from their island nation to the Land of Water.

No man ever returned.

Instead of making the Uzumaki back down, it only fueled their desire to conquer the dreaded land. A monstrous expedition of 200 ships full of 3000 fighters was mustered under the command of Lord Shinzo Uzumaki. The young lord sailed his vast fleet with the sole aim of getting an entire new continent for his people to rule. If only he had taken a lesson from the fate of his ancestors...

The fleet was met with wild storms that were unnatural which led to destruction of a quarter of the ships in a single night. Still the survivors pushed on and finally managed to reach the Land of Water. A feat no human had achieved in a thousand years...

Confident that the worst was over, Lord Shinzo Uzumaki ordered his remaining people to spread across the lands and start their occupation. His decision proved to be disastrous as one after another he started losing contacts with his clansmen spread across several groups.

The few survivors who managed to reach their lord revealed horrible tales of ghosts, shadows, dangerous beasts butchering them. Yet the Uzumaki lord was not to be cowered...

Rallying all his remaining fighters, the young lord marched right into the heart of the area marked most hostile by the survivors. What followed after was a tale every Uzumaki would know centuries after...

Except for the younger brother of Lord Shinzo and his five bodyguards, the remaining Uzumaki vanished from the annals of history. The survivors fled from those lands with all haste in order to reach their homeland. Three of the bodyguards died of starvation, one was drowned in the sea when another storm hit their small boat, and the last one went mad and slit his own throat.

By the time the younger brother of Lord Shinzo arrived at his homeland, he had lost most of his senses. His trauma and lack of food and water had turned him into a lackwit who continued to babble about horrible tales his people experienced in the Land of Water until the day he died.

After that, the Uzumaki developed an irrational fear of venturing outside their lands and forbid anyone from getting even a hundred miles near the Land of Water.

If only they had known that their worst nightmare would one day come back to haunt them again...

It were these exacts thoughts of their clan's history that were coursing through the minds of the three Uzumaki men and one woman alongwith their fear. They were running as fast as they could hoping to Kami that they were on the right track as the moon was currently hidden behind dark clouds leaving the lands in gloomy darkness.

Every now and then, one of the Uzumaki would sneak a peak back and sigh in relief when they saw nothing. But it didn't stop them from fleeing...

"Did we lose them?" asked the female with the barest hope present in her voice,

"I hope so. We need to tell Mito-sama about this, if those bastards have already reached our outpost then it means the outer defenses have fallen" said one of the men,

"My brother was there" whispered the female, making the men grimace.

"I heard a rumor..." said one of the men in a desperate attempt to get the minds of his comrades off the gloomy topic if only to encourage them to run faster.

"What?" asked all his clansmen quickly,

"Mito-sama received word a few days ago that the Fire Daimyo was overthrown. An Uchiha now rules over the Land of Fire, the war between the Uchiha and Senjus is over. Some Dragon King is their leader now..." revealed the man with a mocking laugh,

"Fuck me, Kirito. Those mad bastards actually stopped their war?" asked the female in disbelief,

"They did, Niki. Apparently the new King managed to make those idiots see reason. He now has command over 50,000 soldiers with half of them ninjas" said Kirito in awe,

"Fuck those fools. What do we care who becomes King? The Daimyo was our ally and they got rid of him. I highly doubt an Uchiha would come to over aid, certainly not after our people gave his clan the finger since the beginning of time" muttered Kota bitterly,

"Well I hope the new King's not a bitter fuck as you, Kota. Or we are all doomed-"

Before any Uzumaki could reply they were all shocked when their one comrade who was silent till now stopped abruptly. There was a momentary panic in his eyes before he coughed blood and fell lifelessly on the ground with a strange spear shaped white weapon sticking out his back.

The remaining Uzumaki paled when they saw literally hundreds of figures emerging from the ground around them. The new arrivals were quick to make themselves stand up before looking at the Uzumaki fighters with blank dark eyes. What shocked the Uzumaki ninjas was the fact that a lot of these new hostiles had very familiar red hair...

Leading this army was a strange figure which sent a chill across the hearts of the Uzumaki.

What terrified them most were the figure's pale white eyes...

"Niki, get word to Mito-sama now!" ordered Kirito, as he unleashed his sword.

The Uzumaki kunoichi could only watch helplessly as her last two comrades unleashed their swords and formed a barrier between themselves and the army of hundreds.

"Kirito...Kota..." she whispered, but neither of the men looked back at her and only grimly stared at the approaching army.

Niki steeled herself and ran as if the devil himself was after her and the last thing she heard before the silence were the words of their clan roared by the two Uzumaki men as they clashed against the enemy army.

"FAMILY! DUTY! HONOR!"