A Thousand Hands
Summary: The rise and fall of the man who moved nations; Senju Hashirama.
Disclaimer: Naruto Series is not mine
Arc Three: Brothers and Rivals
Chapter Seven
"Silent the old town …
the scent of flowers
floating …
And evening bell"
- Matsuo Basho
Hashirama spent his little time for breakfast morning glory gazing. He stood on the roof of his home, now revamped into a two story tower, and watched the sun creep its way towards heaven. It was a beautiful tapestry without seems. The golds, yellows and reds of the morning sky seeped into the trees within and around the village to create the illusion of a flame fluttering back and forth in the wind.
The town was silent, for the most part. It was fast approaching summer now, so the scent of flowers floated in the air like a pleasant distraction. With each inhalation Hashirama let a powerful euphoria take over him. From his position he could not see the four corners of the village, which amazed him. Briefly he considered climbing up the mountain.
"Hashi …" Tobirama said from behind him. "They're here."
Tobirama grabbed Hashirama by the hand and pulled him to his feet. The two stood in silence for a moment admiring the view and taking in the fresh air and their months of hard labor.
The village had continued to expand, just like Tobirama had thought it would. The day after their encounter with the Uchiha clan the village had been invaded by merchants. Traders came from far and wide to take their share of the growing pie of money. Since then, Hashirama and Tobirama had stayed mostly out of the economies way and tried to build up their military forces.
There was no doubting that the 'Senju Clan', for now, was horribly inefficient.
"They lack incentives," Tobirama said. "Your grand speeches rile them up for a while, but then after a week, they start to remember that they're serving in an army for free … those with clan relations are bad, but the non-affiliated ones are just as bad. There's no reason to try hard."
Along with waves of merchants came waves of bandits. Many had foolishly tried to plunder wealth and had been dealt with mercilessly. Those that saw the devastation from the shadows offered to join the army in order to benefit from the wealth. Hashirama had found a place for them.
Along with the bandits had come clans trying to get their share of the wealth. The council had resoundingly denied them for the simple fact that they were without worth. Unlike the existing clans in the village, most of the clans trying to join were mostly battle orientated and had no civilian capabilities. For one reason or another, they were rejected.
Now, a similar dilemma lead Hashirama to his office, where the Council was sitting at a round table.
"Chuuko, representative of the civilian populace, reporting."
"Sasuke, for the Sarutobi, at your service."
"Tenpi, leader of the Yamanaka clan, here."
"Hoya, head of the Akimichi clan, here."
"Peko, representing the Nara clan, here."
"Tobirama and Hashirama," Hashirama said, "heads of the military, reporting."
"So," Sasuke said, stretching back and yawning loudly. "What brings us here at the break of dawn?"
Hashirama reached into his clothes and pulled out two scrolls. He laid them down gently in front of him and crossed his hands.
"Two more clans are trying to gain access into the Senju clan," Hashirama said. "The Aburame clan and the Inuzuka clan. The two clans have historically very close ties, and applied together. That makes me think that they would fit in well with our system. Both clans are mostly fighters. They usually work with 'animal partners'. The Aburame work with a special kind of bug, while the Inuzuka work with dogs."
"What else can they do?" Tenpi asked.
"Nothing," Tobirama said. "Both clans make a living doing ninja duties."
"Then we can't take them," Chuuko said. "Its the same problem with the other clans. If we allow them to join the clan, then that would mean two full clans of purely battling warriors. They can't make any profit for the village, and we would have to feed them all out of our pockets!"
"That is an understandable problem," Hashirama said, "but not one we can't try to find a way to fix. The Aburame and Inuzuka … they're special. Their clan skills give them great advantages over other ninjas. For instance, the Aburame's special bug, the Kikaichu, are very hard to detect and can send information over long distances. Basically, they could make our village impossible to surprise."
"And the Inuzuka are just as impressive," Tobirama said. "They accompany themselves with a special breed of dog with chakra enhanced senses. They can hunt down anyone, and their battle prowess is astounding. It would make defecting from our military alliance almost impossible."
"That doesn't solve the problem," Chuuko said.
"It also brings up another problem," Peko said. "I usually agree with you two but … bringing in two clans with the specific purpose of being our village's defenders and our military's enforcers is dangerous. If they work together, they could control the village with that kind of power."
"I reject them no matter what!" Hoya said. "I refuse to split power even smaller throughout the council."
"I agree," Tenpi said. "Yamanaka men aren't going to be battling on the behalf of Aburames and Inuzukas."
"Well there you have it," said Sasuke. "Hoya and Tenpi are power hungry fools … while Peko and Chuuko make valid points. I agree with them. First, we can't afford to feed two whole clans of warriors who can't make their own damn money. Secondly, with the clan set up as it is now, they would have too much political power. I say we deny them."
"I understand all that," Hashirama said. "I didn't call you here to try and force their clans on us. I called this meeting to ask you all to think! As a military union, the Senju Clan isn't efficient. Soldiers have no motivation to be good soldiers except for free food and shelter. In the end, its only dragging our village down. We need to think of something else."
"There isn't anything else," Hoya said. "The only option is that the soldiers are returned to their clans. But like you said yourself, militia groups won't be able to stop the Uchiha if they come back?"
"Have you considered," Tobirama began, "that the Uchihas won't come back? After all, its been four months, we're nearing summer now and we still haven't been harassed."
"But if we go back to the old system and they do come," Tenpi said, "then we'll be decimated."
"Yeah, it is a difficult situation," Hashirama said. "Which is why Tobirama and I need your help. We'll talk again in three weeks. Talk with your most trusted men, maybe even your entire clans … what could make this clan work better? Thank you ..."
Tobirama left with Peko. Hashirama brewed himself some tea to calm his nerves when they left. He hated Council meetings. It was almost impossible to get anything done because of their conflicting nature; it was very inefficient. The Senju Clan had come to reflect the Council that it served. That would have to change if they were to move forward.
"Lord Hashirama," a guard said, peaking open the door of his office. "There is a nobleman here to see you."
"A nobleman?"
"Yes," the guard assured him. "A nobleman from River Country."
"Escort him in," Hashirama said.
Hashirama quickly put away his tea and tidied up what he could. He had never met a nobleman before, and despite the fact that they had come to meet him, he could not help but feel somewhat star struck and nervous. Within minutes, the guard opened the door again and a man walked through. He was dressed in long robes of silk and was followed closely by two ninja body guards that looked hardly worth paying for.
The nobleman bowed, and Hashirama stood and bowed slightly.
"I am Tsukai Kazoku," the man said. "I come from River Country seeking your help, Lord Senju."
"Kazoku," Hashirama said, shaking his hand. "Its nice to meet you. Please, call me Hashirama. Would you like anything?"
"Nothing Lord Hashirama," Kazoku said, "except your agreement to employ the Senju clan to a special task."
Hashirama sat him down, and found a place for his guards. Each of the guards was carrying a scroll. One of them laid their scroll down on the table and opened it to reveal a map of the continent. It was very well printed, but the borders looked shoddy at best. Borders on this continent were hard to distinguish. No Daimyo had enough authority to consecrate their country's borders due to the movement of ninjas between borders.
"I come from River Country," Kazoku said, pointing to a fairly large country that acted as a southwestern border between Fire Country and Wind Country. "Our country is rich with rivers and the lush forests and fertile lands that accompany them. For that reason, ninjas are hired by rich nobles to battle over the lands and rivers." He pointed at a small river. "At this very junction, a bloody battle has been taking place at Kikyo Pass."
"And is that what you've come for?" Hashirama asked, unsure of his feelings. "For me fight a bloody battle for you with my men?"
"Yes," Kazoku admitted, "but not for a river, but for the entire country! You see, Lord Hashirama, for several months now the Daimyo of Wind Country has been trying to annex River Country. Wind Country, the largest on the continent, is almost entirely a desert. I'm sure you could see how they would benefit from taking the river rich and forest plentiful River Country. Our Daimyo has tried many times to send hired ninja armies to face off against the Wind Lord's forces, but no one has returned."
Kazoku draw a line over a large chunk of River Country.
"Anyone going beyond this line has died, except for two," Kazoku said. "I sent my man here, Chi and Dai, to scout the enemy forces. It turns out that the Wind Lord has not been using ninja to fight his battles!"
"Then what has he been using" Hashirama asked.
"A Tailed Beast!"
Hashirama had heard of Tailed Beasts before. Tobirama's father, Tamago, had told them stories of how he and a group of men had faced off against the Three-Tailed Beast, Isobu. Tailed Beasts were titanic masses of pure, uncontrollable chakra. Their powers far outmatched any ninjas, and was only slightly tempered by their bestial nature and inability to properly focus their awesome abilities. Quite simply, he found it nearly impossible to believe.
"You don't believe me," Kazoku said, before pulling a small seal out of his robes and placing it on the table.
Immediately, the room was filled with a chakra that was much like a miasma. Hashirama had only felt something like it when facing Izuna and his Amaterasu technique. Before they could chock from the power of the chakra, Hashirama placed his hand on the seal and silenced the demonic energy with his own energy.
"Your men sealed some of its power?" Hashirama asked, already feeling a new respect for the lanky warriors at Kazoku's side.
"With help," Kazoku said. "The seal was made by the Uzumaki Clan, from Whirlpool Country. I approached them first, and they gave me many seals to help with the problem."
Hashirama had heard of the Uzumaki Clan as well. Where the Uchiha Clan's legacy was legendary, the Uzumaki Clan was almost considered a myth. Many stories said they descended from the man who discovered chakra and invented Ninjutsu. Their territory was totally controlled and not in a state of utter chaos like the rest of the continent.
"There's no denying that," Hashirama said. "Only the Uzumaki clan could create such a complex seal. Why didn't they seal the Beast for you?"
"Well … the Uzumaki Clan is a clan of sealers, not of battlers," Kazoku said. "The Wind Lord has been hiring the Uchiha Clan to subdue the One Tailed Beast, Shukaku. Their leader, Madara, has advanced his Sharingan to such a state that he can actually subdue the Tailed Beasts. He makes Shukaku slumber with his eyes and then reawakens it in our cities. He'll do it until the River Lord surrenders the country!"
"This is too much," Hashirama said. "Noblemen, Tailed Beasts, the Uzumaki clan … and the Uchiha. Why did you come to me?"
"When I approached the Uzumaki Clan, they directed me here," Kazoku said. "The whole world knows who you are now, Lord Hashirama. He who bested the Uchiha Clan. Only you can help us."
Hashirama tried not to sink back into his chair. Quite simply, it was too much. Too many details to remember, and simply far too many risks. Then of course, came the simple fact that there was no reason to do it. To be sure, his interest was peaked, but Hashirama prided himself on not being a man who gambled with people's lives. Placing his village's forces against the Uchiha clan by will, and then against a Tailed Beast was of interest to none of them.
"Ten million ryu," Kazoku said. "I'll pay you ten million for this."
"You've planned this well," Hashirama said with narrowed eyes. "How can I trust you?"
Kazoku nodded at one of his men, who promptly placed a suit case on the table and opened it. Inside was ten million ryu. As if to prove a point, the man dug through and grabbed the money by its assorted bundles and counted it out.
"Would you mind waiting outside?" Hashirama asked.
As soon as the three were outside, Tobirama scaled in through the window.
"You heard?" Hashirama asked.
"All of it," Tobirama said. "I'm somewhat skeptical, but I think we should proceed with it. Ten million ryu is a hefty sum, brother. With ten million ryu we would be able to fund the Senju clan for several months without having to worry about taking from the village treasury. That would give us some leverage over the Council in dealing with incoming clans."
"It would, but how do we convince the Council to go along with it?" Hashirama asked. "Chuuko might agree with us, but the other four won't risk their soldiers for the sake of money they can't pillage."
"This … is perfect," Tobirama said, his face brightening up. "Don't you see, brother? We don't need to use the Senju army for this mission. We can hire the Aburame and the Inuzuka clans; we gave them one million a clan. This way we can gain their loyalty, make an incredible profit, not have to deal the Council, and most importantly, not put the clan itself at risk."
Hashirama sighed. "You're so cold," he said.
"You have the heart," Tobirama said, smirking, "I have the ruthlessness. I'll go collect the Aburame and Inuzuka."
Tobirama slipped out through the window and Hashirama called Kazoku and his men back in. As if already knowing he would accept, one of the men laid the suitcase down on the table and slid it over to Hashirama. Hashirama grabbed the suitcase by the handle and slipped it underneath his desk. Kazoku's face lit up with excitement.
"You accept then!" Kazoku said. "Perfect! Now, it has been about one week since Shukaku destroyed the last River Country city. The beast is still slumbering there … if you move quickly, within the next week or so, you'll be able to get there as Madara and the Uchiha clan are reaching the city. Take this scroll."
The other minion placed the unopened scroll on Hashirama's desk and rolled it open slightly to reveal a complex array of seals and markings that Hashirama could not even begin to understand. There was a large black dot in the center of the parchment, and seals expanded from that remote blackness both symmetrically and fluidly, creating the illusion of a spiral of seals with no end to its black, unfathomable, depth.
"This," Kazoku said, "is the seal given to me by the Uzumaki clan … but on a much larger scale. If you can subdue Shukaku with your chakra, like you did with that tag earlier, then you'll be able to confine the Beast inside this seal. It will stay in there, as long as small amounts of your chakra is constantly provided … may I know your plan?"
"Of course not," Hashirama said, grinning mischievously. "Until the mission is complete, you and your men can lodge in the village. There are many prestigious inns in this area that would love to have you."
"Of course, Lord Senju," Kazoku said as he stood and bowed. "Good luck on your journey."
The three vanished, leaving Hashirama alone with his thoughts. A plan, he thought, it would be good to have a plan. Hashirama retrieved a pen and pulled the map of the continent closer. For a second, he was lost in the grand detail of it. They lived in such a big world, he thought. Finally, he put his focus on the part of River Country now in the control of Wind Country.
The land was fairly vast, and for a second Hashirama wondered how they would find Shukaku and the Uchiha clan. He quickly worked his way around that obstacle; the Aburame and Inuzuka clans were trackers, and would have no problem finding a large group of men. Also, his chakra sensing abilities had multiplied in the past months, so finding a collection of colossal chakra would not be so hard. But, then came the part of fighting the Uchiha.
Admittedly, the idea made Hashirama slightly nervous. He had seen the prowess of Izuna, and could only imagine how powerful Madara would be. But, that was not a cause for alarm. His skills with his Wood Style techniques had multiplied a thousand fold. They had advanced to the point that using Earth Style and Water Style techniques was nearly obsolete for him.
Eventually, Hashirama got tired of thinking and headed out. The village barely noticed that he was walking about. Shops and homes were being built, roads were being paved, and trades were being discussed. Just some months ago, he had thought that the expansion was over. He saw now that it was far from over. The village was moving so quickly that Hashirama was almost scared that it would never stop expanding.
Sensing Tobirama arriving with two familiar chakra signatures, Hashirama abandoned his gawking and left for home. He met the trio just as they reached his front door. One of the men, Inuzuka Koga, was a feral looking man with wild black hair and red markings underneath his eyes. Right beside Koga was a dog as tall as his hip, and longer than he was tall. The other man, Aburame Kageru, was hidden by a pair of sunglasses and a thick woolen hat.
"Hashirama!" Koga said brightly. "I hear you're looking to pay me good!"
"I've got a lot for you," Hashirama said with a wide grin. "Come in. We'll talk inside."
Hashirama explained the mission, or at least the part they would be involved in, over a meal. Koga, easily enticed by the thought of the fortune his clan would be getting and the thought battling Uchiha, quickly accepted the offer. Kageru, silent through the briefing, was much more cautious.
"One million ryu?" Kageru asked. "Its a hefty sum. But what else?"
"Your application to the village will be considered again," Tobirama said for Hashirama. "The Clan Council has denied both of your applications. There's no changing their minds, not until the Aburame and Inuzuka can prove that they'll be useful to the clan."
" … accepted," Kageru said.
"I like to hear it!" Hashirama proclaimed, standing. "We'll leave in three days. We'll need to travel in large enough numbers to be formidable, but small enough to move quickly. One hundred men should do. We'll provide thirty three of our finest. Can I expect the same from you?"
"Thirty two plus me?" Koga asked. "No sweat. The Inuzuka Clan has hundreds of warriors."
"Agreed," Kageru said.
The Council was informed the next day. As Hashirama had expected, there was some backlash. But there was nothing they could do. Hashirama personally hired the thirty three finest ninjas he could find, thereby bypassing the Council altogether. The next two days or so were spent gathering supplies. Food proved to be a problem. The mission might take several days, and by then, much of the food would have spoiled. With Kazoku's help, Hashirama was able to identify various spots along Fire Country and River Country where food for a hundred men could be attained.
On the day to leave, Hashirama stood alone in his office. In a glass case in front of him was a black fighting suit surrounded by red armor. The outfit was the brain child of the Akimichi and Sarutobi clans. By mixing the skin tight body suits of the Sarutobi clan with the lightweight, plated armors of the Akimichi clan, they had created a very unique looking uniform. On the shoulder plates was the insignia of the Senju Clan.
Hashirama donned the armor and sheathed the Kusanagi firmly to his hip. He and Tobirama exchanged brief goodbyes before he made his way out of the village and to the field where once the Senju clan had battled the Uchiha clan. Waiting for him there were his thirty three men, dressed in their fine Senju armor.
"Lord Hashirama," they greeted.
Hashirama made a point to greet them individually. It fostered loving and trust.
Within hours a platoon of Aburame men arrived, followed closely by a platoon of Inuzuka men. Hashirama greeted the two clan heads at the center of the field.
"Before we leave," Hashirama said. "Your men have to understand that I'm in charge. Will they follow my lead?"
"No doubt about it," Koga said. "I've been telling them since we left that you'll be running the show."
"I did the same," Kageru said.
Hashirama had the three factions gather together. At his suggestion, the men intermingled. There was a powerful tension in the air. It was the kind of tension that came with professionals being forced to work with other professionals.
"Senjus! Aburames! Inuzukas!" Hashirama said, standing in front of them. "We've gathered here … in order to complete a deadly mission. But, the mission only serves a greater purpose. Our real goal here is to foster good faith between our clans, so that one day we can all become one. Until the day we are one, we can fight together as brothers in arms-"
Hashirama kept the speech short. It was just enough to rile the men up without getting them too excited. The battle was almost half a week away and they would need to save their energy. After the theatrics, he went about organizing the men. Despite his speech about fostering brotherhood, practicality was the main issue. Aburames and Inuzukas worked together, while Senjus worked together. Each faction was split into three groups, creating nine total groups.
A single Yamanaka clan member was placed in every group, such that their telepathic communication would benefit the small army.
The march began at noon. They moved southwest in a wave so fast one might have thought they were the blowing wind. The sight of them caused terror throughout the country side. Entire villages scrambled to flee into their homes at the sight of the small army, until they saw the insignia of the Senju Clan and returned outside with foodstuffs and open hands for money.
"They love you," Kageru said to Hashirama.
"They love the wealth I bring," Hashirama said to him.
They were not so adored when arriving in River Country. The people, even more than those in Fire Country, absolutely feared ninjas. They took to traveling at night to avoid large mobs of angry civilians who tried to challenge them. Koga and Kageru had both seethed at the thought of avoiding civilians. 'Like cowards', they had said. Hashirama had logically convinced them by explaining that they could not afford to draw attention to themselves. It would be horrible for the Uchiha clan to find them before they found the Uchiha clan.
The course was charted soon after their entrance into River Country. Hashirama's chakra senses had pointed them directly southward towards the city of Shita. Very soon, the Aburame clan had grown nervous as their Kikaichu bugs began to buzz nervously at the feel of the sinister mass of chakra that slumbered in the city.
"Where are those bugs anyway?" Hashirama had asked.
"Under my skin," Kageru had replied, making Hashirama and surrounding people go pale.
The city of Shita was both expanded, and destroyed. A mile from the city limits outlined on the map, Hashirama's platoon started to shift through sand. It was an inexplicable phenomenon. After crossing a river, they were met with a forest that was inch deep in sand. As they got closer to the city, the sand grew thicker and began to whip and lash as if they were in the heart of Wind Country. The city, obscured by the moving sand, was soon within sight. Hashirama scaled the city's defensive wall along with Koga and Kageru.
"No way," Koga said. "The whole city's flattened!"
"The power of a Tailed Beast," Kageru said with actual inflection in his voice.
The entire city was indeed flattened. The streets were now covered completely in dunes of sand. Only the tallest buildings protruded through the blanket of sand. At the very center of Shita, Hashirama could feel an astounding amount of chakra. He tried to find a limit to its depths, but was overwhelmed. The mountain of chakra was surrounded by tinier blots of chakra.
"The Uchihas are already here," Hashirama said.
"At that mountain?" Koga asked, pointing to the massive brown figure in the distance.
Near Shukaku's, Hashirama felt another chakra signature. It was large, maybe as large as his own. However … it was sinister. Where Shukaku's chakra was simply wild and even angry, this chakra had an feeling evil about it.
"There are one hundred Uchihas," Hashirama said. "They're split in groups of ten. They've surrounded the Tailed Beast. One of them is facing it directly."
"Sure your feeling that right?" Koga asked. "Your senses must be off."
"They're fine," Hashirama said. "Anyway, we've got the advantage. They're preoccupied with Shukaku. We'll surround them. I'll face the leader and see if he's willing to surrender."
The nine groups spread out silently, using the telepathic union of their Yamanaka guides to move in unison. The groups used the surviving buildings to cover themselves. Hashirama moved right down the center of the city. Soon, he was standing on top of the highest surviving building. A massive sight was his to behold. The mountain that Koga had mentioned earlier was Shukaku. It was a sandy-brown color, covered in thousands of illegible purple markings all over its form.
Shukaku seemed to be sleeping, as it made no movements. Standing in front of Shukaku's snout was a tiny little dot of man with long black hair tinted blue, and fan strapped to his back. The man turned on a pivot, and looked up at Hashirama before crossing his arms. Hashirama nearly cringed at the sinister feel of his chakra; no doubt this was Uchiha Madara. Hashirama could feel the man's Sharingan eyes taking note of him. Their eyes met briefly, before Hashirama leaped down and stepped forward to meet him.
"Am I supposed to be impressed?" Madara asked.
Hashirama could see the Uchiha men in the distance. They seemed to have symmetrically surrounded Shukaku, no doubt preparing to seal it.
"Speak!" Madara said. "Or would you prefer to die with your words in your throat."
"I'm Senju Hashirama," Hashirama said. "And you're Madara?"
"Senju …" Madara said, narrowing his eyes.
Madara felt a hot anger boil in his belly at merely hearing the name. It was an instinctive, primal rage that he could not understand. Despite that blinding rage, he knew he had heard that name before. Senju, he thought. Senju … the hot feeling in his belly was suddenly replaced by a cool feeling of relief, the kind of relief that comes with most eager thoughts of vengeance.
"Yes, Senju," Madara said. "You're the one who humiliated Izuna. He spoke highly of you. I thought you would be dead."
"What made you think that?" Hashirama asked.
"He used Amaterasu on you," Madara said. "Yet, you're still alive. How shameful that some commoner could survive the ultimate Fire Technique. So … Senju, is it? … have you come here to try to best the Uchiha clan again. Be sure, I don't share Izuna's gentle heart. I'll take great pleasure in gutting you here."
"Actually Madara," Hashirama said. "I was hoping to avoid a fight. Just like you, I'm here to take that Tailed Beast. No one has to get hurt if you and your men just leave."
Madara looked at the poor fool incredulously, before placing his hand on his stomach and exploding with laughter.
"You're funny," Madara said. "I'll give you that Senju. This prize is mine, and so is your head."
"You're outnumbered and surrounded," Hashirama said, partly lying. "Swallow your pride and retreat."
Hashirama could feel a certain kind of excitement boiling in the pit of his stomach. He could feel the power radiating off Madara. It scared a small, helpless part of him. But, the rest of him was sweating with anticipation. He had never faced someone of such power and with such lethal intent. He shamefully admitted to himself that he was excited to test his limits against this powerful new foe.
"Fine by me," Madara said, unsheathing his metal war fan. "Your one thousand Senjus versus my one hundred Uchihas. Let's dance!"
They met almost instantly in a clash of steel. The Kusanagi and the war fan went bright with sparks of fire. Neither could gain ground. Hashirama pulled back and struck again. Madara blocked with his free hand on the back of the fan.
"Return!" Madara said.
An explosive gust of wind shot through the fan. Hashirama was blown back. He flipped and landed on his feet, and moved to intercept Madara's downwards strike.
"Extend!" Hashirama said.
The Kusanagi extended through the air, nearly piercing Madara through the heart. Madara back-flipped to avoid and landed solidly on his feet, planting his war fan in the earth. Hashirama crowded him with a series of spinning and straight forward kicks. Madara parried with his forearms before crouching and trying to kick Hashirama's feet out from under him. Hashirama leaped back.
All around them, the war had begun. Fire balls and streams of all sizes made the air sizzle, while Hashirama's forces retaliated with a variety of deadly attacks at all ranges. Soon, the fighting spread to the surrounding buildings, sending rubble and sand flying and whipping through the air and obscuring the vision of the fighters.
"Fire Style: Dragon Flame Song!" Madara said.
The Uchiha inhaled deeply before expelling a series of massive fire balls that transformed into dragon heads. With a single swing of his fan, Madara made the dragon heads suddenly roar and grow in size. Hashirama nimbly dodged one of them. The head crashed into the sand around them with tremendous force and immediately transformed the sand into hardened glass.
The dragon heads maneuvered through the air at Madara's whim. Soon, Hashirama was surrounded as two came descending from the skies like gods from heaven and the other two cut off his escape on the ground.
"Wood Style: Wood Locking Dome!"
Pillars of wood erupted from the earth and locked around him in all directions. The dragon heads slammed into the walls with amazing force and heat. The dome held briefly, but before Hashirama could think to escape, Madara erupted through the front of the dome and attempted to crush him with the war fan.
Hashirama parried with the Kusanagi, sending the war fan crashing into the earth before punching Madara squarely in the jaw. The Uchiha crashed through the collapsing wood and skidded through the dirt outside.
Hashirama descended on him with the Kusanagi, which screeched for blood.
"Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!" Madara said.
Without hand seals, but rather a swing of his fan, Madara sent a powerful gust of wind to catch Hashirama in the air. Hashirama landed firmly on his feet and fell into stance. A thick sweat was dripping down his cheeks, and the two stood momentarily to regain their breaths.
"You're impressive, Senju," Madara said.
"Wood Style: Threefold Wood Shield!"
Three round boards of wood formed into a single shield on Hashirama's left forearm. Hashirama charged. The war fan and the wood shield clashed. Hashirama swung the Kusanagi from behind his wooden defense.
Madara pulled his fan back, blocking both shield and sword. Hashirama pressured down, attempting to bring him to his knees. The war fan came to life. A powerful stream of wind lifted Hashirama into the air. Madara made one hand seal.
"Fire Style: Great Fire Destruction!"
Madara released an intense mass of fire with a single breath. The flames roared forward, large enough to consume an entire army and hot enough to turn steel into butter. The air sizzled and popped. Madara felt the rage in his gut at facing the Senju increase. With it, increased the power of the technique. Without warning the flames went from orange to a startling white that was so hot that Madara felt his throat begin to burn.
"Wood Style: Cocoon of Mother's Womb!"
Hashirama wrapped his hands around himself. They extended around him in all direction in the form of wood. The cocoon, within seconds, was three feet thick on all sides. The flames launched the tiny ball of wood higher into the air. Hashirama sweltered at the feeling of the heat.
The flames dissipated, and a ball of wood landed in the sand, throbbing like a sore from the heat. The Kusanagi erupted from the ball. Madara dodged, and Hashirama emerged from the cocoon like a rising phoenix.
"Wood Style: Smothering Binding!"
Hashirama's free arm transformed into a branch. The arm stretched and split. Dozens of wooden tendrils hunted Madara down. Madara knocked back many of them with his fan. Hashirama gritted his teeth in concentration. Madara leaped into the air, making hand seals. A tendril caught his foot and whipped him against the ground.
Hashirama roared as his arm retracted. The Kusanagi stood ready to draw blood.
Madara twisted his body in midair. The Kusanagi missed his heart. Instead it left a deep gash on his shoulder. Suddenly, the two were face to face. Hashirama caught a brief glimpse of Madara's Sharingan rearranging itself. The three comma marks extended and locked onto each other, and the wider ends opened. Instantly, the world went black.
Then it went red. Hashirama struggled to move, but his body was weighed down by chains that had no limit to their weight. The sky was a ruby color, and everything else, even the massive moon, was black. In front of Hashirama was Madara, his hands crossed and looking down triumphantly at his trapped enemy.
"Beautiful isn't it," Madara asked. "My world of dreams."
Hashirama struggled to move, but again his body did not respond.
"There's no use," Madara said, smirking. He opened his arms wide. "Amaterasu is the ultimate Ninjutsu technique, representing the light of the physical. This is Tsukuyomi, the ultimate Genjutsu technique. It represents the darkness of the spiritual world. In the confines of this technique, I am God. All matter, time and space are in my control for the next seventy two hours."
Madara drew a sword from nowhere. He cut Hashirama slightly on the face. Genjutsu or not, Hashirama felt the stinging pain of the blade. It came again. It was faster this time, stronger, and in the shoulder. Hashirama resisted screaming. Again, this time a pierce, through the shoulder. The blade slid it out slowly. It cut the meat and the bone without discrimination.
Hashirama reached within, trying to get a hold of his chakra.
"It useless," Madara said, his mouth to Hashirama's ear. "Normally, fluctuating your chakra would break a Genjutsu. Tsukuyomi can't be broken like that. Only an Uchiha with eyes as powerful as mine can break out of this technique."
Madara pulled away, took a deep breath and exhaled a stream of black flames. The flames were intensely painful, but worked slowly. They first chewed away at Hashirama's skin, and then his meat, and then his bones. When his entire body was reduced to but a puddle of once human mass, he was reformed and it started again. It continued for hours, maybe days.
"Twenty six hours and fifteen minutes have passed," Madara said with a bored tone of voice. "In the real world, not even a second has passed. Now do you grasp my power, Senju?"
It was the voice that brought Hashirama back to his mental senses, which had been almost lost through the pain. His real body still remained, unharmed. He stretched his senses. Beyond the walls of Madara's controlled world he could feel the energy of the universe flowing around him, waiting to be called. He grabbed that energy, and it came bursting through him suddenly and without warning.
Madara's blood red world was suddenly pierced by a blinding green light. The light pierced through the sky. The light engulfed them both, and within seconds the real world returned. It was still dusty, and still broken by the sounds of screaming men and of clashing steel.
Hashirama fell to his knees. His muscles twitched. He was sweating profusely. He faded in and out of darkness. His remaining bit of sanity reached out and pulled natures energy closer to him. It healed him, calmed him and comforted him. The muscles twitched less, his temperature dropped and the world started to become clear.
Madara stared at the man on his knees before him with not the slightest bit of awe.
"You shattered Tsukuyomi," Madara said, mostly to himself. He raised his war fan. "But it too, has shattered you!"
Madara brought the fan down like a hammer. Hashirama deftly blocked with the Kusanagi. They struggled briefly, but Hashirama's strength returned to him and he threw Madara off. Hashirama wiped the sweat from his brow, and scanned the battle field. He realized that he had let this fight go too far. It was time to end it.
"Wood Style: World of Trees!"
Instantly the entire world was uprooted. The sea of desert was, in just seconds, engulfed by an ocean of branches, trunks and roots. The remaining buildings in the area were smashed, and the blinding glare of the sun was soon replaced by the cool shade provided by Hashirama's new world. Madara stood in front of Shukaku's mouth, just outside of the range of the world of trees.
"This technique is something like your Tsukuyomi," Hashirama said from atop a giant root. "Inside the confines of this forest, I am a god!"
"I'll burn it to the ground!" Madara said.
Hashirama's sprung to life and extended the trees as one would extend an arm. Dozens of thick branches instantly converged on Madara. Madara deftly avoided, using his fan to break their momentum. A tree lurched forward, smacking Madara out of the sky. He landed with a thud and a shattered arn. The branches and trees descended to offer final judgment.
The force of the impact cracked the ground. Hashirama immediately felt that he had not succeeded.
When the branches cleared, Madara, bleeding profusely from the mouth and eyes, was surrounded by a thick blue chakra that formed into what seemed to be a spine and ribcage around him. In a matter of moments the chakra thickened and took form. When Madara stood, so too did his guardian deity. The chakra figurine was a beast of immense height, almost as tall as Hashirama's abnormally giant trees. From its head protruded a single spike, and two spikes came from its chin. The beast had four hands, two of them wielding curved blades of pure chakra.
Madara seethed beneath his breath; it was a shame to be forced to resort to this. He could feel the technique killing him as it protected him. Every cell in his body screamed for release as the beast ate away at his chakra.
"This is Susanoo," Madara said. "Susanoo is the guardian deity of the Uchiha clan, and only available to those who have mastered Amaterasu and Tsukuyomi. Feel its wrath!"
Madara swung his massive swords, cleaving through oncoming trunks. Roots grabbed Susanoo's legs. Madara jumped into the air. A tree trunk slammed into Susanoo's chest. Madara landed on his giant feet of chakra. Madara's Susanoo cleaved away at the encompassing world of trees and the two free hands made seals.
"Great Fire Annihilation!" Madara yelled.
Madara released an extremely wide stream of flames that fed itself from Susanoo's body. The flames engulfed the wood. Hashirama pushed further. More trees erupted from the ground, more roots, more energy. The fire was silenced before it began to roar.
"Madara, you're defeated-"
"Fool!" Madara said, spitting as he spoke. "I am the God of War! I crushed the Fuuma Clan single-handed. You won't defeat me!"
"Listen!" Hashirama said. There was silence "Listen! Don't you hear the quiet. My world of trees has consumed your Uchiha fighters or forced them to run. You can't win!"
"Damn you!" Madara said, upon hearing the deafening silence. The sounds of clashing steel and screaming men were gone, replaced by an eerie quiet. He could feel the remaining Senju fighters lurking in the wooded wonderland. Madara's vision blurred, and he cursed.
"Well done, Senju Hashirama," Madara said. "Well done. You've beaten me. But there's a single flaw to your plan." With a single movement he hacked away at a line of trees blocking his vision of the sky. "Only I can sedate the Tailed Beast. You'll be buried here!"
Madara leaped through the hole in the foliage, and was gone.
Before Hashirama could think to pursue him, a shrill shriek pierced the silence and shook the Senju association to its bones. A thick, powerful cloud of chakra emanated from the mass of sand and flesh at the center of the forest. The power was so thick that Hashirama could feel members of his forces choking, literally choking, at the mere presence of it.
"I am awake!" Shukaku screeched, standing on its four legs taller than the world of trees.
It swept its paw across the trees in front of it. Hashirama leaped away to avoid a powerful trail of destruction that destroyed a line of his trees. The Tailed Beast found him immediately. Hashirama's chocolate eyes met for a moment with the black and gold eyes of the Beast, and he felt Shukaku's powerful chakra challenge his own.
"Human! A powerful human! I will kill you!"