Author's note: Hello ladies and gents and welcome to the last Naruto story I will post up for a while as well as my second crossover. Worry not, for Ameno and Breaking the Habit will still be worked on, chapter two of the former already written out, so all that's left is to go over it, make a few changes and post it up.
This crossover is an Inuyasha/Naruto crossover, but nothing like you've ever read. Did you notice that the majority of Inuyasha crossovers almost always center around Kagome in some way and she's usually paired with any one of the characters in the opposite series? Well, I think it's time that we expand passed that and do something without focusing on Kagome.
Please enjoy the first chapter!
Chapter 1: One last chance
Madara Uchiha was many things. He was a clan leader, a villager founder, a legendary shinobi, a son and a brother. He was a man whom prided himself in his clan, in his visual prowess and in the power he held.
But as he lay dying in what seemed to be the land between the living and the dead, there was one other thing that Madara felt he absolutely deserved to be called: a failure.
He failed to save his father, for despite his strict nature, Madara loved him dearly. He failed to protect his beloved little brother, his pride possibly being the reason why Izuna had been met with such an early demise. He failed the Uchiha clan, his actions doing more harm than good and reducing the once great clan to only one member. He failed in his dream to bring peace to a war torn world, in the end only amounting to a mere pawn in an insane woman's equally insane plan. And he failed the one person who seemed to infect every aspect of his life.
Madara could feel someone sitting next to him. He didn't need his sight nor senses to know that Hashirama had taken a spot next to him. The once proud Uchiha internally snorted. Figures the idiot would be the only one to approach him, to be so civil with him. As if they were still friends skipping stones at the river, despite all the atrocities committed while he was alive and after being revived.
'Such a sentimental fool.' And yet, no real malicious bite coated his thoughts.
Hashirama spoke to him, and he retorted as best he could. They spoke of their dreams, Hashirama being able to achieve his while Madara's dream fell apart before him. The Senju joked with him, and if Madara had any semblance of control over his motor functions, he may have smirked over Hashirama's comment at drinking as comrades. But now, he was just so tired, the corners of his vision darkening slowly.
Madara was no fool. He would not be given any leniency in his afterlife. The things he has done would prevent him from joining those he held dear to him; his father, his mother, his brothers, Izuna, even Hashirama. But he wouldn't fight it. He was just too tired.
And so, the legendary Madara Uchiha closed his eyes and accepted his fate, bringing down the curtain on the life of a once great shinobi.
"This is most concerning." Hagoromo Otsusuki, better known as the Sage of Six Paths or Rikudo Sennin had an abnormally disturbed looked on his face. Not much could really faze him, unless it concerned something personal, but with situations such as what was going on in the mortal world, the progenitor of ninshu, ninjutsu as it would be later titled, was unable to keep himself calm.
"You seem agitated, my friend."
The Sage's Rinnegan eyes met deep blue ones. Such eyes belonged to a being mortals having been praying and cursing to for many a millennia. Black waves of hair cascaded down the male's waist, and he wore a simple green kimono. He wore a warm and sympathetic expression, knowing full well what had Hagoromo on edge.
Hagoromo turned to face Kami, interlocking his arms within the confines of his sleeves. "There are many things to be agitated about, and I fear history may repeat itself. Only this time..."
"Only this time, there's no one who could possibly stand up to her. Not many mortals, demons or humans, believe in the follies of the past, your family's legend included."
Letting out a heavy sigh, Hagoromo gave his friend an odd look. It was true that no one could stand up to that woman, his mother, in the mortal world. However...
Kami exhaled through his nose. "I suppose this is why you decided to spare him, one of your reasons anyway. I will admit, this plan of yours is quite intriguing, but are you willing to risk the ramifications should this fail?" The omnipotent being's eyes widened slightly then relaxed into a soft smile. It had been quite some time since he's seen that level of determination on the Sage's visage.
"Well, I suppose I can give you the benefit of the doubt." Kami paused, his form slowly fading away, and gave Hagoromo a solemn expression. "But if you are wrong, my friend, your punishment will be unfathomable, even to you." The warning uttered, Kami vanished, leaving behind an equally solemn Hagoromo.
Not wasting any time, the Sage of Six Paths formed the Tora hand-sign and began to chant an incantation. In front of him appeared a black hole with the kanji for 'seal' on the front. He placed his right hand onto it and bellowed a forceful "Kai"! A bright light emerged from the seal and, had Hagoromo been anyone else, he would have had to shield his eyes from the intensity. Once it cleared, the black hole had disappeared and was, instead, replaced by an all too familiar figure.
A long mane of unruly black hair billowed behind him and red armor clad the pale young man before the sage. Despite him being in a standing position, the male was unconscious, an unusually serene expression upon his visage.
Hagoromo place a hand on the man's head, wearing an almost parental expression. "Awaken, my son." The sage removed his hand in time for a pair of coal colored eyes to snap open.
It was almost like waking from a dream. He didn't know how long he slept for, it didn't seem too long to him. He was surprised though. With the obscenities he committed in his life, within the Edo Tensei and after, Madara was sure he guaranteed himself a one way ticket to hell, where he would suffer as he made others suffer. Instead, it was like he had taken a long nap in a pleasant space.
"Awaken, my son."
The soft voice reached his ears and Madara couldn't help but open his eyes. The never ending white space didn't bother his eyes as much as he thought, though he rubbed them in order to remove grogginess from them.
"Welcome back." The deep, warm voice startled the legendary Uchiha, and Madara took notice of the familiar man with the Rinnegan eyes. His coal black eyes narrowed.
"You-you're." Madara paused and sighed. He knew who this was, having met him briefly before what was supposed to be his death and even if he hadn't, his very soul knew this being. The Uchiha straightened his back and crossed his arms over an armored chest. "So, I assume that this was your doing. I was wondering why I wasn't burning in Hell by now."
Hagoromo's expression didn't change though, if one looked closely, they'd see regret, nostalgia and a sense of longing in the Rinnegan pair. "Madara Uchiha, you have accomplished much in your life and committed many atrocities against humanity before and after your death. For all intents and purposes, you should have received the maximum punishment a long time ago."
Madara snorted softly. That was a major understatement.
"However, I believe you have the capability for change. You have proven this through the regret you felt and heart's desire for a second chance in the last moments of your life. What I am about to offer you is a second chance to right your wrongdoings. Whether you accept this is entirely up to you."
A thoughtful expression came upon the Uchiha's visage. To him, this offer was entirely too good to be true, especially with all he did and tried to do. There was one thing that was bothering him about this though, especially with how the Rikudo Sennin explained his capability for change. But before he could voice his doubts, he was interrupted.
"Madara?"
Charcoal eyes wide, Madara paused when the familiarity of the voice registered in his mind. Slowly, he turned his head over to the left and was met with a pair of wood colored eyes.
"Hashirama." The name left his lips in a bare whisper. Old feelings assaulted him and Madara could feel a constricting feeling in his chest. Now that he wasn't blinded by the Curse of Hatred, the guilt he felt for what he put his friend through stirred inside his chest
At the same time, Hashirama felt his heart race at the look in the Uchiha's eyes, which the coal black he had been born with instead of the Sharingan he so prized. The long since deceased Shodaime didn't see the darkness that defined Madara since the day he deserted Konoha, but instead saw the glint of the old Madara, his friend, the one he once considered a gift from the divine. It was then that Hashirama realized how much he missed his friend.
Hagoromo watched as the former transmigrants of his sons stared at each other, unsure of what to say to the other. He cleared his throat in order to snap them out of their trances, bringing them back to the matter at hand. "I'm afraid we don't have much time. You'll have to resolve everything at a later time."
Simultaneously, the founders of Konoha turned to the sage, prompting him to continue. "The reason I called you both here today is in regards to a rather grim situation in the world of the living. It seems someone is seeking to release Kaguya from her seal."
The two Shinobi tensed, eyes wide.
"Are you serious? Who would want to release that crazy woman?" Hashirama inquired.
"Someone whose ambitions will inevitably bring about the end of humanity should his plans succeed. You two, better than anyone, know how dangerous my mother is. Because of the length of time that has passed since the shinobi era, there is almost no one who is aware of her, let alone strong enough to combat her,"
Madara's dark eyes narrowed. "How long has it been?"
The Rikudo Sennin gave Madara a dour mien. "It's been well over a thousand years since the Fourth Shinobi war took place."
An icy feeling enveloped Madara, who found it almost hard to breathe. He looked over at his old friend for confirmation and was met with a sorrowful expression. It hit the former clan leader like a ton of bricks.
Their dream, their village, their world, it was gone. Just like that.
A comforting hand squeezed his shoulder and Madara didn't need to turn around to know Hashirama had taken his place beside him. He exhaled through his nose then opened his eyes, regaining his composure. "Okay then, you've made your point. But why us? Wouldn't those two other brats be a better choice since they've already defeated her?"
"I'm afraid its not that simple. Both Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha have already fulfilled their roles on the earthly plane. Not only that, but not even they were able to your level of battle experience and fortitude. You two were hailed as the most powerful shinobi of all time, and I can think of no other I would rather entrust this task to."
Somehow, Madara didn't believe the sage's words, not fully anyway, and he was able to address his doubts from earlier. "That isn't all. You sealed me away in an area of comfort rather than sending me to hell for my crimes against the shinobi world. What is your actual reasoning?"
Silence descended upon the three as coal black eyes and Rinnegan eyes met each other in a stare down. It was Hagoromo who broke eye contact, his shoulders sagging slightly and his gaze casting downwards.
"I see there's no fooling your eyes, my son." Hagoromo chuckled at the incredulous expression given in response to the last part. "It's strange. There have been many incarnations of Indra and Ashura throughout the centuries, but none have so resembled them physically or emotionally, particularly you, Madara." A wistful expression took its place on Hagoromo's visage. "The reason I chose you for this task is because you resemble my Indra, so much it's frightening. I confess that I wasn't always the best father to either my sons, and it was my follies that lead to so much suffering in the shinobi world. Perhaps if I entrusted the peace, my legacy, to both of my sons, all of those horrid wars could have been avoided." He gazed upon the two men before him and, for a split second, he saw the spirits of his beloved sons in their place. "So I ask of you, not as just the incarnations of my sons, but as fellow men and shinobi, will you assist those in the living world who are unaware of what is to come?"
To say that Madara was speechless would be an understatement. He wanted to say something, but he couldn't find the right words TO express. The world he knew was gone, had been gone for the past millennia. No one knew of the shinobi world except in legends and stories, no human anyway. So whoever is aware of Kaguya's existence is most likely an uneducated simpleton, for releasing that old witch means the end of humanity.
One would think Madara couldn't care any less about what happens to those whom he has no connection to. But the thought of declining left a bad taste in his mouth, and the more he thought about Kaguya being released, the angrier he felt.
Looking out of the corner of his eye, Madara saw the determined look in Hashirama's wood colored orbs and made his decision.
"Very well, I'll accept the task. But only because the thought of that woman getting away with using me is unacceptable."
Hashirama burst out laughing, wrapping an arm around a none too pleased Madara. "You really are a kind person, Madara."
"Hn." Madara removed the Senju's arm from around his shoulder and shoved him away, ignoring the pout he received.
Hagoromo smiled. "I thank you for accepting, Madara Uchiha." Then, in an instant, a dark look flashed across the sage's eyes. "Dark times lie ahead. I hope you will be prepared for what's to come."
Two sets of eyebrows furrowed and before with of them could voice their concerns, Hagoromo was flashing through handsigns and chanted something that was foreign to their ears.
When he appeared in front of Madara, the latter opened his mouth, but all that came out was a silent scream as pain assaulted every nerve in his body.
"Forgive me," reached his ears and was the last thing Madara could comprehend before succumbing to unconsciousness.
Author's note: And that is it! I hope you enjoyed this first chapter and I am looking forward to hearing feedback. No flames as they will be used to make delicious s'mores!