||Prologue|| - The Oath
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Uchiha Madara was a very proud man. In his childhood, he was the most promising and talented child his clan – the noble Uchiha clan, as Madara always insisted – had to offer. That was not to say that his younger brothers, especially his youngest brother Izuna were not promising, but it was a fact that they were nowhere near Madara's level. Madara knew he would be chosen to be the next leader of the Uchiha after his father Tajima died. At eight years of age, Madara had fully mastered the Sharingan, the Uchiha clan's doujutsu – ocular bloodline. Doujutsu are very rare bloodlines and only one other clan besides the Uchiha possessed a doujutsu: The Hyuuga clan.
The progress Madara had made day by day in his childhood caused his fellow kinsmen to wonder what star the young Uchiha heir was born under. No Uchiha since the history of the clan's founding had ever fully mastered the Sharingan. Therefore, Madara was paraded as a prodigy, the sign of the Uchiha clan's hegemony in the Fire Country. For a long time it seemed that the Uchiha would be dominant over all other clans in Fire Country.
Until they entered the scene: The Senju clan.
Senju Hashirama, his clan's heir, was a taciturn but knowledgeable man. He was not boastful of his clan's achievements and power, unlike Uchiha Madara. He was always concerned about the life of his younger brothers – Tobirama, Kawarama and Itama. Like Madara, he was the eldest son of the Senju clan's leader and also his clan's prodigy. Unlike Madara, he did not possess a doujutsu, but an elemental bloodline; Mokuton, or the wood element. Being the only elemental bloodline in the Fire country, Mokuton was also extremely rare. Only a small fraction of the Senju clan could develop it.
Hashirama and Madara had known each other since childhood. Because the Senju clan and the Uchiha clan were constantly fighting over the hegemony, Madara and Hashirama did not tell which clan they came from. And they did not care which clan the other came from; they shared a very healthy friendship. Hashirama would always tell Madara what problems he had. Madara's cheerful attitude alone made Hashirama forget his problems.
But that was a long time ago. Ever since Madara had lost all of his immediate family, he became very bitter towards Hashirama after he learned that he was a Senju. That bitterness deepened more, as Hashirama seemed to be the one jeopardizing Madara's ambitions, his needs and wants.
After the Uchiha and the Senju signed the truce to found the Hidden Leaf village known as Konohagakure, Madara wanted to be named Hokage, the village's leader. The Uchiha and Senju in unison chose Hashirama over Madara – the latter was full of rage.
And now, the leaders of both Uchiha and Senju, were to face each other in the final battle – the battle that would decide who would be dominant and who subservient. Would it be the Uchiha, or the Senju? Only time would tell.
The wind was hissing a woeful melody in the Valley of the End – this was what they called this place. There were other instruments to this agitating, woeful melody; such as the kunai and shuriken, the uchiwa battle fan, swords and scythes. The leaders of both Uchiha and Senju – Madara and Hashirama at this time – were exchanging an agile skirmish of attacks, attempting to wound the other. Any regular spectator of their countless battles would deem this as just another ordinary skirmish between the leaders of the two most powerful clans in the Fire Country. However, this time they were fighting until one of them would lay dead on the floor.
Both combatants were not holding back; both of them were performing their strongest attacks in order to be victorious. Their goals were inherently different: Hashirama wanted to win the battle without claiming Madara's life; despite everything he did, Hashirama still cherished him like a friend. Madara, however, wanted Hashirama's life. He wanted compensation for the countless humiliations and inflictions of pain.
"What's the problem, Hashirama!?" Madara's voice roared as he released his strongest fortress – Susano'o. Madara's mastery of the Sharingan had been fueled by the deaths and humiliations inflicted by Hashirama – so far that he unlocked a new level of Sharingan: The Mangekyou Sharingan.
"Hashirama!" roared Madara's voice once more as the giant ghost statue that was Susanoo slashed at Hashirama with its humongous sword.
Hashirama, however, summoned a giant Buddha statue made of wood that clashed with Madara's Susano'o.
"Not bad, Hashirama." Madara growled. "But can you overcome this?" He took the scythe end of his uchiwa and cut the inner side of his hand until the blood flow was moderate. He smashed his hand on the ground, roaring "Kuchiyose: Kyuubi no Yoko!"
Hashirama was startled. Since when did his archrival know how to summon a bijuu, a tremendous beast – let alone the strongest of the nine bijuu, the nine-tailed fox?
The fox roared and trampled the ground strongly as it violently swung its nine tails in the air. Susano'o served as a shield for Madara, therefore the fox could not hit him.
"Now, nine-tailed fox, obey me and do my bidding!" he cried as he projected his Mangekyou Sharingan directly onto the eyes of the fox. Its demonic red orbs slowly morphed into the shape of a regular Sharingan – this was a sign that the fox was being controlled.
"Madara…" Hashirama gasped as he witnessed the scene, "When did you-"
"You did not anticipate this, did you… Hashirama?" his rival questioned rhetorically with a slightly boastful undertone. "I don't take chances. The Kyuubi is my trump card." Madara's eyes became cold. "There's no way you can win this."
"We will see who wins and who loses." Hashirama gave his generic reply. "End this madness! You're toying with powers that you cannot control!"
Madara hissed. "Becoming desperate, Hashirama? Are you giving up already?" he mocked. The Senju leader shook his head vigorously. "Madara, stop this! No bijuu can be controlled!" But Madara did not listen. Instead, the Kyuubi swung its tails towards Hashirama's wodden Buddha statue and destroyed it.
He attempted to entwine the Kyuubi with big strands of wood, but even the wood would rot away because the chakra of the nine-tailed fox was just too large. Any Jutsu that touched the fox would disintegrate. Dumbfounded, Hashirama would jump back.
"Quit hiding from me!" Madara screamed and followed him vigorously as he projected his eyes on the Senju leader. "AMATERASU!" Black flames appeared from nowhere, hunting Hashirama who hid in his protective wood. The flames stopped at the wood, leaving Hashirama unharmed.
Seconds later, the Kyuubi violently destroyed Hashirama's wood shield and hit him on his stomach. A trail of blood emitted from his mouth as he was sent flying high in the air. Madara watched the scene with great pleasure, laughing out loud and mocking his greatest rival. "Your era ends here!" Madara roared and quickly reached Hashirama's location.
The Senju leader startled up and stood courageously, not allowing himself to show weakness in front of Madara. "Madara…" he said quietly. "Please… stop this. It will kill one of us!" Madara grinned sadistically. "Exactly, my dear rival. It will kill you!"
Hashirama jumped back, still gripping his stomach as Madara threw Katon Jutsu at him. He quickly evaded all of Madara's attacks and jumped up on a hill, panting.
"I'm disappointed." Madara commented. "You have got so confident with your position that you neglected your abilities." He positioned his scythe for a lethal strike. "This is the end." he stated emotionlessly as he jumped to decapitate Hashirama.
"Suiton: Suikoudan!"
Water sharks emerged from nowhere and attacked Madara vigorously, jeopardizing his killing strike against his archrival. The force of the water sharks smashes him on a wall, allowing Hashirama enough time to get up.
Madara was furious. Who dared interrupting the most important battle in his life? As he realized that water sharks were hitting him, it became clear to him who the culprit was.
"Senju Tobirama…" he hissed. Indeed, Hashirama's younger brother stood beside him. However, he was not the only person that stood there.
Madara's heart almost skipped a beat as he realized who the other person was that came with Tobirama. It was a female dressed in a maiden's clothes, wearing a priestess crown on her vermillion-coloured hair. The person was no other than Hashirama's wife, Uzumaki Mito.
"Mito..." he whispered the female's name, but clenched his fists a second later. No, she meant nothing to him. Absolutely nothing, he told himself.
"Are you alright, Hashirama?" Mito inquired worryingly and noticed the wounds her husband carried. "Your wounds!"
She made healing gestures with her hands, but Hashirama stopped her. "No, Mito. This is something I must finish on my own."
"The wounds will eventually kill you!" she exclaimed and turned to her brother-in-law. "Tobirama, reason with him!" He slightly shook his head.
"No chance. Hashirama's mind is already made up."
Hashirama jumped away from his brother and wife and stood before Madara. "Let's finish this." Hashirama pulled out his claymore and rushed towards Madara.
"Come, Madara!" he roared.
"I'm coming, Hashirama!" his rival roared back.
The Sharingan in the Kyuubi's eyes disappeared as Hashirama and Madara clashed. None of them realized this and ignored its roars. Before one of them could deliver the decisive blow, the Kyuubi violently threw both leaders back with its tails. They crashed against a wall and fell on the ground.
"What the-" Madara wondered as he arose seconds after the fall. He inspected the fox closely and noticed that its demonic orbs had reappeared again. "Dammit!" he hissed and reformed his Susano'o.
Meanwhile, the Kyuubi was roaring and sneering, smashing its tails and its giant legs everywhere, not caring whom it would hit. It smashed Madara's Susanoo and caused an earthquake.
"I told you… that using a bijuu is beyond you…" Hashirama huffed and looked at Madara who was wounded. Madara regarded him with an apathetic glare and hissed.
"At this rate, it is going to destroy the village." Mito interjected and helped her husband get up.
"I know" Hashirama replied. "But… neither Madara nor me… can fight it head-on.."
"What do you mean you can't fight it head-on!?" Tobirama yelled. "You are the Hokage! You must protect the village from any harm, even if it costs your own life!"
"This bijuu cannot be allowed to roam freely… it might attack the Whirlpool Country or the other countries! Everyone knows that the Kyuubi is in our possession." Mito argued. "They might see it as a declaration of war!"
"Damn you Madara…!" Tobirama yelled. "I should've killed you on that day! Is this your idea of executing revenge? To possibly destroy all of humankind?"" He pulled out his sai, but his brother was holding him back. "Wait, Tobirama… I have another idea."
"But… brother! This man is the root of our problems!" He looked at his brother with worries. "Kill him!" Hashirama shook his head. "No. That would not solve anything." He inhaled deeply.
"Madara! Do you remember the two options you gave me when we fought before?" he roared. "It's either to kill my brother or kill myself." Madara's eyes widened. "Hashirama… what are you-" Hashirama grinned. "I don't want anyone I hold dear to die here. Not Tobirama, not Mito… but most importantly…. Not you."
"Brother, what are you scheming?!" inquired Tobirama. "Don't worry, Tobirama. It's for the best." Hashirama gave his Hokage mantle to his younger brother. "Take this. From this day on, you will be Hokage."
"What's the meaning of this!? Why would you rescind your position as Hokage!? Why…?" Suddenly he realized what Hashirama was planning. "Unless…!" Hashirama nodded. "Yes. I will be the only one not to return from this battle."
"You will… die here…?" Madara was shocked. "It's the best for you all. I must pay for the sins my clan committed." Hashirama smiled happily at Madara. "I don't want to throw away our friendship anymore. And if I have to die to reclaim it, then so be it."
The sky darkened, and drops of water started to fall on the ground, and the Kyuubi roared fearfully again.
"No time to waste now!" Hashirama yelled. "Mito, use your sealing technique to bind the Kyuubi to the ground!" His wife nodded and release chakra chains from the ground that caught the nine-tailed fox in surprise.
"Fuinjutsu: Shiki Fujin!"
From the humongous seal that was formed from Hashirama's remaining blood emerged the death god, called Shinigami. He held a heavenly spear in his right hand and stabbed Hashirama directly in the heart.
"For the price of my life, Shinigami… I order you…" the Senju leader spoke courageously, "I order you to seal the nine-tailed fox inside her!" He pointed at his wife, Uzumaki Mito.
"Hashirama… you bastard…" was Madara's reaction. "Why…"
"I told you.. it is for the best.. My friend." Hashirama replied warmly. Suddenly, a seal appeared on Mito's belly that had her screaming and writhing in pain. It pained Hashirama to see his wife like this, but he knew it had to be done.
The Shinigami grabbed the nine-tailed fox whilst sealing chains, which came directly from Mito's belly, sucked the fox towards it. The fox disappeared within the young red-haired woman's body with a last roar. Madara, Tobirama and Mito witnessed the scene in shock and rushed to Hashirama's 'deathbed'.
"Hashirama…" Mito whispered as tears fell on her cheeks. "Why… why did you… throw your life away…?" The dying first Hokage rested his palm on Mito's head. "Why are you crying… for a man you never loved…?"
Mito twitched. "But… but I love you!" she insisted vehemently. "Don't lie to me, Mito." Hashirama spoke quietly. "Lying breaks my heart." He then looked at Madara who did not look at him. "Look at me." Hashirama requested. "Please, look at me." Madara did not move. "I'm sorry…" Madara still did not move. "I'm sorry… for not being able to save the life of your brother Izuna." Madara twitched, but did not move towards Hashirama. "I'm sorry for… for being a terrible husband to the girl you desired." Mito started to cry and sank on her knees. "I'm sorry for being such a bad leader.." Tobirama clenched his fists.
"But…" Hashirama rose his hand to reach out to Madara. "I'm sorry for… for being such a terrible friend."
Madara's eyes widened as he turned to Hashirama. This was the first time that Hashirama ever apologized for the pains he caused. "Hashirama…" he whispered and took his hand. "What took you so goddamn long to apologise!?" he yelled at his best friend and slapped him. "Bakayaro!"
"Madara, watch what you're doing!" Tobirama warned and took out his sai once more.
"Madara… " Hashirama called, getting their attention. "I will not hold out for long." he said quietly. "Take Mito… and run away from here."
"Hashirama, I can't-" Mito wanted to object, but her husband interrupted her. "Yes, you can. After all, isn't he the man you fancied the most?" He smiled at her and turned to Madara. "I want you to promise me that you will protect Mito, no matter what the cost… even if it means you have to put your own life in line." Madara was nervous. Hashirama never spoke openly about the relationship Madara and Mito shared prior to her arranged marriage with Hashirama.
"Only you can protect her at this point. Being a jinchuuriki, Mito will be branded a monster and most likely a target for assassination and execution." Hashirama firmly grabbed Madara's hand. "Swear… that you will protect her. And that you will, in time, become a better husband to her than I could ever be." Madara did not know what to say. On one hand, he felt victorious because the man he once cherished a best friend willingly handed over the woman he fancied in his childhood. On the other hand, he felt an incredible sadness take over him. Hashirama's death was Madara's goal. But why won't he stop being sad?
The rain poured down on them, the thunder illuminated Hashirama who was dying. Madara clenched his fists and his teeth. This was the first time since the death of Izuna that he showed emotion. He closed his eyes and imagined the face of his deceased brother. And then he imagined Mito's smiling face when he was spending time with her as a child and as a young adult. He opened his eyes and looked up on the sky and then back to Hashirama.
"I swear."
Hashirama's serious mimics morphed into happiness and his grip on Madara's hand loosened. "Good." were his final words before he closed his eyes, never to say a word again.
Senju Hashirama died in the final battle between him and his best friend, Uchiha Madara.
The Uchiha lowered his head, not daring to look at the corpse of the best friend whose death he triggered. That was the goal, wasn't it? That one of them would die. Madara emerged victorious from the battle; he did not win the village, but he won the girl that was wrongfully separated from him in an arranged marriage: Mito.
And yet, after all the fights those two best friends had…
"Madara…?" asked Mito in a broken voice. "Are you… crying..?"
"No… it's just the rain." he told her.
"It's just the rain…"
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to be continued