Abyss of Fire (Finished)

March of the Dead Men

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the art involved in this story, they belong to their respective owners and franchises.

Konohagakure:

The next day, after the routing of Orochimaru from his hiding place and the arrival of Magnus the Red, the village was calm but still on high alert and even more so after it was revealed that Orochimaru was somewhere in the village. Despite knowing of his plans, Sarutobi truly wanted to draw the snake sannin out so he could be taken care of permanently, hence why the Chūnin exams have not been postponed and the final matches will be held within the next coming days. Currently, the gates guards at the front of the village were going about their usual day, but more alert considering the situation within the village. Standing beside them were two Imperial Fists, armed with their bolters and a boarding shield, they and many of their brothers and cousins, were assigned duties like this so they would not become too comfortable or complacent. Mostly it was the job of themselves and the Iron Warriors to do patrols and guard duty along the walls of the village, pointing out flaws or even cracks in the walls, obviously reporting them so they can be fixed or even strengthened. The sound of marching feet alerted the gates guards and their Astartes counterparts of an oncoming force, whether it was friend or foe was yet to be determined. Neither pair of guards had to wait long to find out, over the small crest of the road coming towards the village the flags of the '261st Siege Regiment' can be seen flying in the air. Not long after the after the flags are seen, the men themselves of the regiment are seen, being lead from the front by their officer while off to the left the Death Riders follow closely.
"Who in Kami's name are they?" One of the guard says, staring wide eyed at the number of soldiers marching their way.
"They are the Death Korps of Krieg, be cautious with them and let us do the talking, mortal." One of the Imperial Fists responds before sending a vox message back to central command in the Aquila Clan Compound. The large group of guardsmen stop in their marching, only a few feet in front of the open gate, the commander walks forward and salutes the Astartes before him, not really paying any attention to the shinobi guards at all.
"My lord, I am Guardsmen 1409, I am the commander of this regiment. Commander '5555' is the officer in charge of the Death Riders, what city is this?" The commander asks, his voice raspy and dark behind his respirator.
  "This is the village of Konohagakure, commander. We have other forces here, but take heed as those inside are all our allies, there are no Xenos or heretics here, commander. Tell your men that, lest you all will be considered enemies if conflict arises." No response comes at first, but then the commander nods his head and salutes the Imperial Fist.
  "Understood, my lord." The commander turns around and goes to his men, making sure the message is spread and told. Finished with his own men and telling commander '5555' of the Death Riders, the men start to match again, reforming into a more narrow column as they March into the village. The villagers and shinobi that see them coming stand aside entirely, not willing to get in their way or even possibly trampled by the massive horses the men are riding. Moving down the streets of the village, the men keep their heads forward and do not even gaze at the villagers and shinobi's they pass by, the Astartes on the other hand are a different story. Even though they do not move their heads to look at them, some of them wish they could fire upon them upon seeing the symbols of the Word Bearers, World Eaters, Night Lords, Iron Warriors, Sons of Horus and Alpha Legion, all of them traitor Astartes from their old world. However, seeing that they are not corrupted and standing beside those of loyalist chapters make the Kriegsmen question what kind of world they have entered. Watching them from above on the rooftops are the ANBU of the village, taking note of how many of them there are, weapons, equipment and anything that stands out. The worrying factor, was that these soldiers wore the exact same gear and clothing as Raijin, making them realize that the village has gotten even a higher influx of outright killing machines. Not just counting the Primarchs and their sons, but now a literal army of potentially just as powerful fighters. Even from the window of his office, the Hokage watched the procession while smoking his pipe and contemplating to himself about how powerful the village seems to be getting, but also how much bigger the population will be and potential damage to the food stocks. Despite the notion being crazy, Hiruzen wondered what it would be like for the 'Imperials' to somehow create their own hidden village or even want it would be called. However, that was a far off notion and one that honestly frightened the old man as he thought about it. Something moving out of the corner of the old mans eye caught his attention, and looking to his right he saw none other than Raijin, perched on a building ledge and looking down at his brothers in arms while they marched through the street. Regardless of the changes that have happened to the young man, Raijin was still very much a cold killing machine that the old Hokage was truly glad was apart of their village. Hearing a knock at his office door, the Hokage puffed out some smoke before speaking.
  "Come in." The door opened and closed, and Hiruzen already knew who entered his office.
   "There is a lot of them, meaning more strength towards the village." Hiruzen regarded, gesturing to the guardsmen while he turned around to face the Jōnin before him, that being mainly Kakashi, Might Guy, Asuma, Kurenai, and even some of the clan heads who looked either angry or concerned.
   "Hiruzen, this cannot be allowed to stand. The forces of these foreigners grows more and more, soon enough they may decide to overthrow the village." Hiashi Hyuga was the first to speak up, others nodded their heads in agreement with him, while others thought he was over exaggerating.
   "I understand your concern, Hiashi, but since the arrival of these 'foreigners', the power of the village has only grown. Not only that, but our trade routes and borders are more secure than they have ever been before. They have allowed our shinobi to better focus the sources of the village, on more precise missions no less. I have spoken individually with each of their leaders, and they have all assured me they intend no harm to us or the village." His words assuage the worries and concerns of all but Hiashi, who still looks unconvinced.
    "Elaborate lies, they have the power to overthrow us and we sit here waiting for it to happen." Hiruzen stands from his chair at the words of the Hyuga clan head, obviously not taking his words lightly.
    "Hiashi Hyuga, they asked to be allowed in our village. They did not demand, did not threaten, but asked to be allowed to stay in our village. Their leader, one called Horus Lupercal, even assured me that they would do what was needed to earn their keep. That is why you see them patrolling the streets, guarding the gate, even going out on missions that most of our own shinobi's would not survive. They are proving their worth Hiashi, I would and will not ask anymore from them." Even though he did not raise his voice, there was no need to do so, the clan heads and Jōnin present knew to respect the old mans authority. Hiashi kept his mouth shut after the speech from Hiruzen, knowing the old Hokage would not defend the 'foreigners' so vehemently if they were not proving their worth. Kakashi for his part couldn't help the slight smile that graced his face underneath the mask, since the arrival of the 'Astartes' things have been more calm in the village than they usually are, more than likely because word from traders and merchants has spread, and those that would usually be their enemies have questioned taking any action against Konoha at all.