I don't own shit
Prologue:
'The shinobi world is one of countless horrors and brutal deaths, nobody is safe from the Shinigami's cold embrace,' Uzumaki Mito thought as she looked on at the festivities transpiring before her. She sat at the end of a long table, garbed in a simple yet regal looking pale red kimono.
A soft smile spread across her lips, 'it's been too long since we've been able to celebrate like this, hasn't it, Tobirama,' the elderly woman thought, in a silent prayer to her late husband. It was true, it had been a long while since the people of Uzugakure had reason to celebrate; even her wedding, which solidified the alliance between the Uzumaki and the Senju, had been a somber affair. 'You were always quite the stoic, but even then I could see the pain in your eyes.'
Cling cling cling!
Mito was brought out of her musings by the sound of a clinking glass held by the young Namikaze heir.
"It is an honor to be among all of you here today," the spiky haired blond said with a warm smile. "I couldn't be happier to be here, in the great village of Uzugakure, with you all, and of course my beautiful bride Kushina!" The blond turned his cerulean eyes to gaze once more at the fiery redhead to his left. "I truly feel like the luckiest man in the world..." Minato trailed off, his expression losing some of its warmth as his gaze shifted to the floor. "But many of us, Uzumaki, Senju, and Namikaze alike, are unable to be here today..."
The jovial expressions on the guests faces quickly mirrored Minato's, all bowing their heads in a moment of silence for their fallen brethren.
"But tomorrow the sun will rise again, and with it a new alliance!" Minato said, after the drawn out mourning for the dead. "One hundred years of war will come to an end, and we will usher forth an era of peace!" Those words have been heard before, though they usually fell on deaf ears.
In the crowd Minato could see a sea of mixed emotions. The few who have made it to old age looked up at the young heir with what could only be described as pity. They had lived a long time, almost every moment of which death loomed close by. The not so old veterans were a different story, however. Many of them wore an expression of hate, infuriated by the thought of ever extending the olive branch of peace to those who had scorned them, though most appeared weary of war, ready to make further concessions to ease the suffering for future generations. It was the eyes of the still youthful, however, that inspired hope. Not yet so broken were they that they has given up. Not so hardened that they were unwilling to make amends. Not so stubborn that they would continue fighting to the last man simply to spite fate itself.
Kushina glanced down the table towards her great grandmother Mito expecting to see the trademark Uzumaki fury at the thought of peace towards those who has taken her husband from her. The young Uzumaki-Senju heiress was surprised to see a warm smile painted on the no longer red headed woman's lips.
'He reminds me of you, Tobirama,' Mito thought, looking at the young man standing down the table. 'Not so much in looks. Nor in personality... but in his presence.' True that Minato and Tobirama were a far cry from twins, both when it came to looks and personality; Minato being the warm and kind blond maverick, while Tobirama was known for his cold piercing gaze and oddly feral yet refined looks, both had in inexplicable aura about them. Both stood tall and strong, inspiring confidence in those around them, 'though not without ruffling more than a few feathers,' Mito thought with an audible chuckle that caught both Minato and Kushina's attention.
Both the bride and groom shared a small smile at this. "Well that's about all I have to say," Minato said sheepishly, eager to retreat to the company of his new wife. "Please, eat, drink, dance to your heart's content!" Minato chirped, quickly plopping back down by Kushina's side. "So how'd I do?" He asked, clearly wishing to be praised.
Kushina let out a small giggle at his boyish charm, leaning in and planting a peck on his unsuspecting lips. "I had no idea I'd be marrying such an accomplished wordsmith," she teased, lacing her fingers with his own. "You did great!" she chirped, receiving a bright smile from the Namikaze.
"Ahem, I hope I'm not interrupting," Mito said, placing a hand on each of the pairs shoulders.
"Not at all Mito-sama!" Minato said quick to stand and offer the Uzumaki elder a bow.
"Good, because I would like to have a word with the two of you in private if you can spare the time," the old woman said in a way only a kindly old woman could. It was not so much a request as it was an order, something that didn't get past the pair of newlyweds as they stood to follow Mito to her chambers.
As they entered the bedroom of one Uzumaki Mito the pair noticed the old woman drop her regal facade, finally able to see how old and tired the woman truly was.
"Come, sit," Mito said as she herself lowered herself onto the bed.
Kushina took a seat on the bed by the side of her great grandmother, while Minato repositioned and took a seat in the soft rocking chair on the side of the bed. Truth be told the chair was probably the most comfortable thing Minato had ever sat in, seeming to ease every bit of built up tension and aches his body had accumulated over the years.
"Seals, my boy," Mito said simply, noticing the immediate relaxation of Minato's features. "As you know, we Uzumaki are quite adept at the sealing arts," she explained. "I developed those seals early on in my decline into old age. They're designed to relax your muscles and soothe your aching joints."
Kushina helped her great grandmother lay down on the soft feather mattress, positioning the pillows to allow Mito to sit up comfortably. "You're an angel, Kushina-chan. You always have been. Despite the horrible things that have happened in your lifetime..." Mito seemed to melt into the comfort of her bed, closing her eyes and sinking into its warm comfort. "It's a shame I'm the only family that could make it to your wedding... and an even greater shame I won't be able to watch your new family grow..."
"What do you mean Baa-chan?" Kushina asked, comforting tone only barely masking the worry in her voice.
"My dear Kushina-chan... I am old... Much older than I'd ever thought the Shinigami would allow me to become. I have lived my entire life in this war, and now all those who lived in my time have passed." Mito's eyes opened slightly, reaching out to hold her only living descendents hand. "It's a blessing and a curse, your Uzumaki blood. You live to see all the happy moments, only to have it taken from you by fate's cruel hand," there was no malice in those words as she continued. "Minato-chan, I have no doubt you will become a great man, much like my late husband and his brother once were... they too spoke of peace, though Hashirama was much louder about it," she said with a chuckle.
Minato was startled to hear the one who became known as 'Queen of the Whirlpools' compare him to two of the most legendary shinobi in history, and nearly as strange to hear someone speak of them with such familiarity.
"Time has a way of warping the truth of the past... I am sure you both know the stories of my time... the world wasn't always this bad." the elderly woman let out a sigh. "I feel like an old woman about to ramble on with one of her old stories, but here I go..."
"There is only one way for us to show each other our guts now, Hashirama," Madara growled. He lay at the feet of the only man who had ever bested him in a once heavily forested, now baren valley created during their just now finished battle. "Kill your brother, or kill yourself now. That is the only way."
Shock spread across the faces of the two Senju brothers.
"Only then we'll be even. I'd be willing to trust your clan! Now Kill your brother or kill yourself!" Madara roared.
"You dare s-" Tobirama's outburst was cut short by Hashirama's palicating hand.
"I agree." Hashirama said, Madara looking up at him with an unreadable expression. "Thank you, Madara. You really are kind hearted." Hashirama removed his armor. "After my death do not kill Madara," Hashirama said, his attention directed at his white haired brother. "I forbid any fighting between the Senju and the Uchiha. Swear this right now... upon the lives of your fathers and your children and your grandchildren. Madara has given me a choice," the legendary Senju slowly removed a kunai. "To kill myself or my brother. He knows all too well the pain of losing ones younger brother." Hashirama raised the kunai, gleaming in the bright afternoon sun. "Hear this, Tobirama. Etch these words into your heart, the words I will be exchanging my life upon... Farewell." With a warm smile on his face Senju Hashirama plunged the gleaming kunai deep into his solar plexus, severing his aorta in one swift motion.
Time stood still. The white haired Senju looked on in shock as a trickle of blood slipped through his elder brothers lips. The trickle soon became a waterfall with Hashirama soon falling to his knees, then flat on his face. The pool of blood growing larger with every silent second that slipped by.
Tobirama seemed to lose his will to stand, falling straight down on his haunches, looking on at the horror before him.
"We will meet again, Tobirama," a smug, voice purred victoriously. There stood Madara, smug grin plastered on his face. "I won't kill you today," Madara said, turning his eyes down towards the fallen Senju. He at least had the decency to wipe the victorious smirk off his face as he did so, "out of respect for the dead." Madara turned his back to the Senju and began to walk away only stopping to glance at the furious look in Tobirama's eyes.
Before the surviving brother could pounce the Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan flared to life within the Uchiha's sockets.
In an instant Tobirama laid prone in his brothers pool of blood, unconscious.
It was a week until Tobirama fully recovered. They had sent his last brother to the Shinigami in a pyre of flames. Tobirama's eyes wandered over the faces of his clansmen, Madara's final words to him echoing in his mind.
'Whether it be tomorrow or a hundred years from now. The Senju clan is dead.'
Those words from within the world of Tsukuyomi repeated in Tobirama's mind, long enough to drive him mad. But he couldn't afford to lose himself. Not now. With Hashirama gone he was now the head of the Senju clan, and his comrades depended on him now more than ever.
It was true. Without Hashirama, no one could stand up to Madara's might, especially with the entirety of the Uchiha clan no doubt fully backing him again. They needed allies. Powerful allies. But first, they needed to get the fuck out of there.
The Senju's flight from their ancestral home within the forests was nothing short of treacherous. The Uchiha tormented them every step of the way, ambushing them around every corner. Tobirama has to adapt.
While the Uchiha, and so many other clans were known for their respective bloodlines or secret techniques, the Senju had no such ace up their sleeves. Their renown was derived from individual talent. Tobirama took advantage of this, splitting the clan up into four man cells, sending them out as distractions, or as shock troops. The idea was to hit large groups of enemies hard, hit them fast, and get the fuck out of there. Gone were the days of large head on battles. Enter the age of stealth. The age of the Ninja.
After months of Tobirama's new tactics being implemented, the Senju clan has finally made it far enough east that the Uchiha no longer saw it possible to continue their pursuit. Not yet at least. They needed to regroup and begin planning accordingly. Tobirama breathed a short sigh of relief, his plan has worked. Speed. Speed was the answer. At least for now.
The gears in his head visibly turned as he and the vanguard walked further east through unfamiliar forests. Then he felt it. Tobirama reached out with his senses, trying to locate his scouting party, only to find faint traces of their chakra miles ahead.
The white haired Senju went wide eyed at what he felt. His clan was measurably smaller than it had been only mere months before. They were haggard and weary, unprepared for this both physically and mentally.
As he sensed it, so too did it sense him.
"Kota!" Tobirama called to his second-in-command. "Lead the vanguard North." He said curtly, "try to find Uzugakure. The Uzumaki have always been friends to the Senju. If I do not return, do not come after me."
The older Senju known as Kota looked at the clan head in confusion, but having enough faith in the younger man's judgement carried on the order without question. "Yes, Tobirama-sama!"
As the muttering vanguard began heading north, all confused as to what their leader was so suddenly worked up about, Tobirama headed east.
Some of the younger Senju, eager to prove themselves to their leader, moved to follow. That is until a spine chilling roar was heard in the distance.
Tobirama suddenly came to a halt at the edge of a clearing, his eyes widening at the sight before him. "Kyuubi..." he whispered in awe, taking in the sight of the greatest of the biju thrashing in a fearsome rage.
"How dare you disturb me!" the great fox snarled, locking eyes with the clan head. "SPEAK, HUMAN!"
"K-Kyuubi-sama!" Tobirama stuttered out. "Y-yes, I sincerely apologize for whatever actions my subordinates may have taken against you!"
"Your subordinates..." the biju's snarl slowly morphed into a twisted grin, "tasted awful!"
Tobirama's eyes hardened at this. "You ate my family..." he growled through gritted teeth. "And you DARE boast about it!"
The fox's grin widened as Tobirama flashed through hand seals, only for a sweet voice to break the tension between the two.
"What seems to be the problem, Kurama-sama?" the voice asked from behind Tobirama.
The white haired Shinobi's eyes widened in surprise as he spun on his heel to come face to face with the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen.
"Damn woman! Get out of my sight!" the Kyuubi spat. "I've told you time and time again that if you disturb me I'M GOING TO EAT YOU!"
"Yet you never have, Kurama-sama," the red headed woman said with a sweet smile.
"Just because I took a liking to you as a child doesn't mean I can't change my mind," Kurama grumbled, somewhat less hateful than before. "Besides, this shrimps subordinates have made me so hungry."
Tobirama was about to react to the taunt, the biju's attitude reminding him so much of a certain Uchiha, but was quickly stopped by a swift slap to the face, courtesy of the beautiful redhead. "Now why would you do that? What were you thinking, provoking the most powerful being in existence?!" she scolded, as if she were a mother scolding a toddler. "I deeply apologize for our guests rudeness, Kurama-sama," she said with a deep bow, "I assure you, such deeds will not go overlooked!"
The great fox took a moment to ponder this. Of course he knew Mito was lying to protect the runt, but he was actually quite fond of the Uzumaki woman. "Very well. Just get this whelp out of my sight!" Kurama said with finality, laying down in the clearing, resting his head on a pair of crossed paws.
"And that is how I came to meet your great grandfather, Kushina-chan," Mito's eyes gleaming as she recalled the fond memory.
Kushina smiled at that. She'd heard the story countless times, the tale was practically legend among the now intertwined clans. Minato, however, was not a Senju or and Uzumaki, therefore the story had him slack jawed. Seeing this both Kushina and Mito shared a laugh at the Namikaze's stake.
"We lived together in this very house for many peaceful years while the clan wars continued to rage outside our lands." Mito continued. "The Uchiha only grew stronger, subjugating other clans, or simply wiping them out entirely. Tobirama couldn't stand to hear of it when news reached our walls, until one day word came that Madara himself had set his eyes on Kurama, in the literal sense no less, and with the great biju in tow he was marching to Uzugakure to make good on a promise he'd made years ago."
The rest was a legend that everyone in this world had heard countless times, most likely exaggerated with each telling until it became common practice to end with, "and then, Senju Tobirama, to avenge his brothers death and protect all those precious to him, summoned the Shinigami himself and sacrificed his life to seal away Madara's eyes."
"That's exactly what happened," Mito confirmed, causing Minato to go pale at the thought of it. "Kurama was so enraged at being controlled, upon his release from the Sharingan's genjutsu he swallowed the blind Madara whole and vowed to kill any human he ever saw again, save the descendants of myself and Tobirama, of course." She finished with a smile.
Minato turned to Kushina, "you mean yo-"
"Oh! No," Kushina waved him off. "Kurama-sama went into hiding after that and nobody has seen or heard from him since... Actually, nobody has seen or heard from any of the biju since, either that or anyone who has is dead or keeping it very hush hush."
"And that... Is why I brought you here," Mito said, suddenly looking exhausted. "I had a vision." The old woman's voice suddenly changed from sweet to ominous and raspy, "The one who will bring an end to this hundred year war is coming. The child of prophecy will find and befriend all the biju, and together they will defeat he with the most powerful eyes. Thrice betrayed: first by a lover, second by a friend, only for doom to befall him when betrayed by himself! Devastation is to come and doom awaits us all. For peace will flourish once everybody dies."
As the ancient Uzumaki drew her last breath, greeting the Shinigami at last, Kushina's hands moved over her belly, the ominous prophecy forever burned in her mind.
XXX END PROLOGUE XXX
So this fic is obviously placed in a world where Hashirama did actually kill himself, so the village system was never established, the biju were never sealed into jinjuriki, and the clan wars never ended.