A Thousand Hands
Summary: The rise and fall of the man who moved nations; Senju Hashirama.
Disclaimer: Naruto Series is not mine
Arc Four: The Hidden Leaf Village
Chapter Ten
"Temple bells die out.
The fragrant blossoms remain.
A perfect evening!"
-Basho
"Hashirama, sign the contract if this woman, my daughter, is to be yours," Han said.
Hashirama's hands quivered.
There was a rush of murmurs throughout the temple, which was filled to the brim with people of all walks of life; clan heads sat alongside villagers, and villagers alongside trained assassins to watch the ceremony. Tobirama stood silently in the doorway and watched with a mixture of amusement and regret. Finally, Hashirama steeled his nerves and gently wrote his name on the contract in front of him.
To Hashirama's left was Uzumaki Mito. She was dressed in her finest white clothes, her skin was powdered white and her hair was wrapped to the sky. In front of the sitting two was Han, the Uzumaki clan's leader, and Chuuko, who was acting as the representative of the Senju clan.
"Now," Chuuko said. "Mito, sign the contract if this man, as beloved to me as my own son, is to be yours."
Hashirama had done a good job of hiding his fear; his brushstrokes had been smooth and clean and had not reflected his utter fear of commitment to this single woman. Mito did not have the nerve that he had.
Mito stared at the contract with her large, pupil-less eyes the way that someone would stare at a cage. That was what this contract represented to her; she was to be caged to this man's whim. Mito knew Hashirama to be a gentle spirit. She understood that he would treat her well, and that he would never seek to limit her pursuits of knowledge and pleasure, but the contract scared her nonetheless. As her hand began to sign the contract, her entire body started to quiver and her resolve began to shake.
Hashirama, noticing her fear, gently laid his hands on hers. The gesture seemed to calm her, for she stopped shaking and gently wrote: 'Uzumaki Mito' on the dotted line.
"Now, you may exchange your rings," Han and Chuuko said in unison.
Hashirama and Mito turned to face each other. Their eyes met, and with those glances came a rush of emotions that crashed and churned like waves of the sea. They put the rings on each other's fingers.
"Now, you may drink your sake," said the elders, once more in unison.
The two lifted small bowls of alcohol, and gently ladled it into the other's mouth. Immediately there was a rush of applause from the audience of the temple. The villagers and ninjas hugged and laughed and kissed and hollered. The marriage ceremony than exploded into a party; for hours the attendees drank sake and danced wildly on the temple door until finally, as the sun began to set, the temple bells sounded loudly and people slowly filed out and headed home. Hashirama, Mito and Han remained. Mito and Hashirama had spent much of the party talking between themselves about the last three years, and what steps needed to be taken to finish the unification of Fire Country.
"The Uchiha have to be dealt with," Mito said. "You can't avoid it any longer, Hashirama. This country, and the eventual plan, can't go forward until you crush them all."
"You're asking me to commit genocide," Hashirama said, exasperatedly. "I won't kill an entire clan of people; especially one as large as the Uchiha clan."
"Then what will you do?" Mito asked. "Time is ticking, Hashirama. Only seven years remain."
"That's long enough," Hashirama said, this time a bit more forcefully.
"Seven years is merely the blink of an eye," said Han. "But tonight, you two stop speaking of duty and futures … enjoy your marriage as if it weren't a business arrangement, for me please."
Han and Mito had a short, and curt goodbye. He would be making his way back to Whirlpool Country with the rest of the Uzumaki escorts this very night. Hashirama had learned over the past three years that Mito's relationship with her father was a strained one; she almost hated him for ingraining in her the ideas of duty to the clan and the future. She just wanted to be free. When Han walked away, Tobirama stumbled over to them with a bowl of sake in hand, his cheeks rosy and his eyes bloodshot.
"Tonight my brother becomes a man!" Tobirama hollered, spilling some of his sake. "Forgive me my Lady."
"Go home Tobirama," Hashirama said. "You're drunk."
"Hardly," Tobirama said, suddenly he seemed to be sober and he stood straight. "I just came to remind you that the emissary from the Hyuuga clan will be at our doorstep tomorrow at seven in the morning, sharply. I'll let you two have the house, just for tonight."
"Where will you go?" Mito asked.
"It's a perfect evening tonight," Tobirama said, taking a deep breath. "I'm gonna find a beautiful woman, take her for a swim and … you know. Have fun."
When Tobirama vanished around the corner, Hashirama and Mito decided to stay away from the home. First they went to find something to eat. Naturally, every restaurant in the village would have accepted them with open arms and given them a feast for free. They decided to avoid the crowds, and they went to a small fish stand on the outskirts of the village. When the food was gone, once again they felt the pressure to return home.
"We don't have to go home yet," Hashirama said, feeling her shake as they grew closer to his house, which was now a giant red mansion. "Let's go to the mountain top."
There, on top of the mountain, they watched the sunset. The golden fire of the sun seemed to light the entire country on fire.
"It's so vast," Mito said.
"The vast lands fertile," Hashirama said in return. "Once you witness this beauty, it's hard to believe that just beyond our vision there could be battle happening … when I sit here, I always imagine that somewhere out there is a hollow land … yet to be touched by war and human greed. It is waiting to be shaped."
"I try not to think like that," Mito said. "The whole world is full of bad people, but for every bad person there are two good ones. You have to find the good inside the evil, and when you find it, enhance it."
Hashirama's gaze fell down to the village. Three years had passed since the Uchiha clan had attacked, destroyed district four and harmed many of the other districts. Since then, every district had expanded, district four was bigger and livelier than ever and one more had been added. It seemed that soon this village would consume the green pastures that carried out to the end of his vision.
The Uzumaki clan's assistance had been vital in there rapid resurgence. Most helpful had been a sealing technique that allowed people to mark objects with a seal, mark a scroll with that same seal, and thus summon objects through the scroll. It had been unimaginable. A journey that might take five days due to carrying heavy equipment was shortened to just a day. Supplies moved at light speed. It made rebuilding much easier.
It had also made warfare much easier; the Uchiha clan had found itself overwhelmed in conventional warfare when the Senju never needed to retreat in order get more supplies. This change in dynamic came with a change in the system of the Senju clan.
Hashirama and Tobirama now stood firmly at the top of the mountain. The clan heads were still heads of their clans, but merely in a traditional sense. All ninja missions were first directed to the Senju brothers. They would then approach whatever clan had the best skill set to handle that mission, and the clan head would be allowed to choose the individual clan members who did the mission. Thus, the Senju clan became a picture of absolute efficiency.
Within three years, they controlled the entire northern half of Fire Country, and where quickly beginning to assimilate Uchiha territory in the south. The only clan not under the fold of either Senju or Uchiha was the Hyuuga clan, who controlled a peninsula that jutted out of the south of the country.
The first two years after the Uchiha's attack on the village had been bloody. Daily conflicts, and daily struggles. When the direct battles had threatened to destroy both clans, a sort of peace was established. Now, they vied for the attention of potential clients. Whenever someone hired the Senju clan, their opponents would hire the Uchiha clan. Thus, they fought their wars through others. More and more, southern peoples were moving north to contract the Senju over the Uchiha.
Since then, Hashirama had battled Madara many times. Their relationship was almost cordial.
"Let's go home," Hashirama said when the sky went black.
Hashirama realized immediately that Mito had never laid with a man. He had done so with many of the woman inside and outside the village. She was tense to his touch. So, he did not force the issue. Instead they simply laid in bed, and he enjoyed the fragrance of her hair. He fell asleep quickly.
When Hashirama woke up the next morning, Mito was at the table in their room writing away on a piece of paper.
"What are you doing?" Hashirama asked.
"I'm finishing this seal for Tobirama," Mito said. "When he showed me his original design, I was very impressed. No one, even in the Uzumaki clan, has ever made a seal that allowed people to traverse space and time. However, I'm sure that I can modify it to make it slightly better."
Hashirama grunted in approval. When Tobirama had showed him 'Suijin's Heavenly Doorway', he had nearly died of astonishment. His brother's ingenuity was at times frightening. Though of course, that had paled in comparison to finding out his brother could now raise the dead to fight for him. The entire concept of 'Edo Tensei' still gave Hashirama the chills.
"The Hyuuga emissary is waiting for you," Mito said.
"What?!" Hashirama said, jumping out of his bed. "Why didn't you wake me?"
"He said to let you sleep," Mito said, never turning away from her design. "He figured you'd had a long night."
Hashirama quickly groomed himself and made his way to the greeting hall. There, dressed in tan and white robes, was a man with long brown hair, pale skin and creamy white eyes without pupils. His forehead was covered by a white bandana. He rose quickly and bowed to Hashirama, who bowed curtly in return.
"Lord Senju-."
"Please, call me Hashirama."
"Of course … Lord Hashirama, I'm here to escort you to the Hyuuga compound. I am Hitachi, the humble servant of my master, and now a humble servant to you."
"Would you like to eat first?" Hashirama asked.
"Thank you, but no thank you, Lord Hashirama. Lord Tobirama fed me well upon my arrival. Let us depart quickly, so that we can make good time. I'll wait for you outside."
Hitachi left, and Hashirama moved to tend to his business. Mito, sour that she was pulled away from her design, hastily sealed his armor and his Kusanagi into a scroll. He kissed her gently on the forehead before she vanished to return to her work. Tobirama came soon after her, looking well-rested and happier than usual.
"You're sure you don't want a personal escort?" Tobirama asked. "You're going deep into Uchiha territory in order to get to Hyuuga territory."
"Madara knows I'm going to meet the Hyuuga head," Hashirama said. "He'll probably be heading there as well. He won't attack so dishonorably. He'd want to kill me right here, so the whole village could see it!"
"You'd be surprised how quickly a desperate dog will abandon his honor," Tobirama said. "Either way, be swift and strong. We'll be waiting for your return."
Hashirama and Hitachi immediately headed south. Through a map, Hitachi explained that the Hyuuga were at the very edge of Fire Country territory; on a peninsula. The middle fourth of the peninsula was Fire Country, the upper fourth was Noodle Country and the bottom half was more or less Tea Country; though Tea Country was experiencing bloody wars and might well just be considered several loosely associated states.
"We'll pass through Keishi," Hitachi said. "The capital of Fire Country."
"The majority of the Uchiha clan is there," Hashirama said.
The Uchiha were nomadic, and did not claim to have a specific base of operations. Over the years, however, Hashirama had found out that they garnered most of their money through Keishi, Fire Country's capital and home to the richest men in the country. Since Hitachi needed to rest, it took them three days to reach Keishi.
Keishi was a sprawling city; it was much larger than Tanzaku Gai or Otafuki Gai and thus much larger than Hashirama's unnamed city under the mountain. Over all, Hashirama found it to be unimpressive. The majority of the city was in squalor, while standing on a hill was massive castle where no doubt the Fire Lord and his noblemen cowered. The city was no match for Gouben, the capital of Whirlpool Country.
Hitachi led Hashirama to a massive compound just outside the capital, and very close to the castle of the Fire Lord. Sitting on the doorstep of that compound was none other than Uchiha Madara. For the first time, Hashirama saw Madara without his Sharingan active. His eyes were a dark chestnut, and he looked almost like a human being.
As if they were not mortal enemies, Hashirama and Madara bowed gracefully to each other.
"Lord Madara," Hitachi said. "I am Hyuuga Hitachi, the humble servant of my master and-."
"Enough of your drivel," Madara said, sounding bored. A servant came from behind him and opened the door. "A feast awaits."
Hashirama felt wrong walking into the compound. The inside was almost empty, much to his surprise. For the most part it seemed to be non-Uchiha servants that occupied the building. Hashirama noticed immediately that almost all of the servants were woman.
"It's not a military base," Madara said, noticing Hashirama's nervous gaze. "It's a comfort house. My clan has the luxury of being very nomadic. So, I set up many of these such houses so that any Uchiha in the area can come and rest. There are five or six around Keishi, since most Uchiha are in the city as we speak."
In the dining hall there was a great feast prepared for them. The woman of the house moved about rapidly to serve them. It was a meal of lamb and rice; sparse compared to the generous meals offered by other clan heads. Then again, Hashirama had figured he too would not go out of his way to feed his greatest nemesis.
"Why here?" Hashirama asked. "Why, Keishi?"
"Isn't it obvious, Hashirama?" Madara asked, fetching for one of the girls. "Keishi, before your village came along, was the most profitable place in the country. Maybe the world. Hundreds of powerful clans have fought for the rights to this city. We Uchiha had to eradicate the entire Fuuma clan in order to get it. When you control Keishi, your money flow is high. As long as we promise to protect them, the Fire Lord and his nobles will pay us exorbitant amounts."
"You aren't protecting them," Hashirama said. "You're just not attacking them."
"Only if you imagine there's a difference," Madara said. "Either way, every taxed dollar in the country is at our whim, now."
"How many people actually pay their taxes in Fire Country?" Hashirama asked. "Less than ten percent? The rest of the country is too disorganized or dangerous for taxmen to harass. What do you gain from keeping the Fire Lord cooped up here, and unable to rule his country?"
"Well, you can't exploit a man who controls a whole country," Madara said. "If he gets his act together, there'll be more to tax, yes, but it would be much harder to threaten him. Better to keep him in his little rut, where what little he does make is mine to plunder."
"You'd keep the whole country poor, just stay rich?" Hashirama asked, beginning to feel disgusted.
"And you're any better?" Madara asked, smirking knowingly. "If you are so hell-bent on world peace, why haven't you and your vast Senju army come here and simply seized Keishi? Don't feel ill towards me, Hashirama. I know more than greed. I had hoped to unite all of Fire Country under a single banner … the Uchiha banner. But of course, you and your people came to power and now the country is more divided than ever."
Hashirama came to realize strikingly that he and Madara shared the same goal; they wanted the total assimilation of Fire Country into a single entity. The rest of the dinner was mostly silent. Afterwards, Hashirama was escorted to his room by a young woman. It was well-furnished, and he could sense no traps.
Much to his surprise, the door opened sometime in the night. A young woman stepped in. Before Hashirama could say a word, she was stripping.
"W-what are you doing? Put your clothes on!" Hashirama said.
"My lord, Lord Madara sent me to keep you company," the woman said.
"No thank you," Hashirama said. "Just go …"
"My lord, please!" she said, the desperation in her voice evident. "I'll be punished if I leave toni-."
"Then stay here!" Hashirama said.
Hashirama quickly stepped out of the room and made his way to the front of the compound. It was well lit with lanterns, which was good because the sky was dull due to their proximity to a city as luminous as Keishi. Madara was sitting on the steps, staring into nothingness. Hashirama set a few feet from him.
"You didn't like my gift?" Madara asked, seemingly amused. "Kerai is the finest that this compound has to offer."
"I appreciate it," Hashirama said. "Sounds like I'm missing quite the night to trade words with a mortal enemy. Besides, I just got married yesterday. I don't think my wife would appreciate it."
"I heard," Madara said. "I'm sorry I couldn't attend … mortal enemies and all."
"You said you wanted to unite all of Fire Country," Hashirama said. "Why?"
"Why?" Madara repeated. "I don't know why. It's the logical next step. Part of me wants to see there be peace, so that my clan members no longer know bloodshed. I hate to see the young ones die. It boils my blood."
"I'm sorry," Hashirama said. "The battles between our clans have killed many young ones. You must hate me."
Madara laughed. "Hate you?" he asked. "Don't confuse it, I do wish to kill you in a horrible manner … but I don't hate you; at least not in any manner I understand. What would I do without you? The main reason I decided to spread across Fire Country was simply boredom. I figured the farther I spread out, the more likely I would be to find a worthy adversary. I was right … beyond right. Now, our war threatens to destroy the whole country."
"We don't have to fight, Madara," Hashirama said.
"Don't be naïve," Madara said, staring at the sky. "It'll be written in history! The Senju versus the Uchiha!"
"Monster!" Hashirama said, feeling his face go red with anger. "You'd let thousands of people die just for a chance to etch yourself into history? In the end, no powerful ninja is powerful against the current of time. You and I will soon be forgotten. Staying in memory a year or two longer is not worth having people die. It's senseless, Madara!"
"What then?" Madara asked. "Peace? How will we do that?"
Hashirama was suddenly struck, and lost for words. He had never considered how a peace between them would actually last. A good chunk of the Senju economy now was trying to fend off the Uchiha when contracted.
"Goodnight, Hashirama," Madara said, standing and sliding the door open. "Please, be gentle with Kerai."
The woman was fast asleep on his bed when Hashirama returned. He sat on the wall, crossed his legs, and closed his eyes. His meditating, however, could not pull him from the darkness of his imagination. It had dawned on him suddenly, and painfully, that nothing remained for the Senju and Uchiha clans but full-scale war. He shuddered to imagine the level of devastation that would happen.
It would all start when they reached the Hyuuga clan. If the Senju won the Hyuuga clan's favor, then the war was decidedly on their side. If Madara got the Hyuuga clan's favor, then the battling would be decidedly more even and more brutal.
Another servant woke them up before dawn. A small breakfast was eaten, and Madara said goodbye to his compound. Oddly enough, no one paid him in any mind. There was no grieving party that Hashirama thought a man like Madara, who figured himself to be a god, would have. They slipped silently from Keishi and made their way due south.
It was nearing the end of spring; Hashirama always found this to be a beautiful time. The sun shone brightly, but they had not neared summer enough to face the sweltering heat waves of Fire Country. It was like walking through a dream, or would have been had it not been for the sheer terror that Madara seemed to inspire in anyone they crossed paths with. Ninjas and civilians alike recognized the symbol on his back and either ran or brought gifts.
They never paid to stay in an inn.
Past noon, three days later, they crossed from what was traditionally the territory of the Uchiha clan, into what would be considered Hyuuga territory. Hashirama could smell the salt of the sea water. Hitachi seemed to notice.
"We're nearing Kanashii Ocean, and my home," Hitachi said.
The Hyuuga Clan had fashioned themselves a city on a cliff. It was segregated beyond belief. The outer edge of the city was occupied by civilians only. The people here were very poor in comparison to the civilians of Gouben, or even of Keishi or Hashirama's village beneath the mountain. The second layer of the city was comprised of many Hyuuga; but they were not as wealthy looking as Hashirama would expect of one of the country's wealthiest clans.
"Is this the area of the Branch Family?" Madara asked.
"Correct, Lord Madara," Hitachi said. "You are very astute."
"The Branch Family?" Hashirama asked.
"The Hyuuga Clan is split into two houses," Hitachi said. "The Main House and the Branch House. The Main House governs the Hyuuga clan, while the Branch House protects it."
"More than that," Madara said, spitting on the ground. "The Branch House is basically a house of slaves. The Main House treats them as dogs. I find it despicable that anyone could treat their own clan members like that."
"Is that true?" Hashirama asked.
"It's all a matter of perception, I guess," Hitachi answered.
The final section of the city was a massive compound, akin to the Uzumaki compound in Gouben. The compound stood with its back to the cliff. It was walled off to the rest of the city by large, pearly white walls. The three travelers were met with a massive gate, with two Hyuuga at sentry posts and one standing in front of the gate.
At Hitachi's command, the guards opened the gates and a bell began to resound around the compound. Immediately, Hyuugas began to stream out of the compound homes and walk towards the gates. The sidewalks were lined with sakura trees, and the pink-leaves mixed with white robes gave Hashirama the feeling of walking into heaven. Madara felt quite the opposite feeling; he resisted sneering at the pretentious and worthless vermin lining up to meet them.
A man who looked much like Hitachi, but dressed much finer, stood at the forefront. He bowed, and the other Hyuugas followed suit.
"Lord Madara, Lord Hashirama," the man said. "I am Himachi, the head of the Hyuuga clan. A pleasure to meet you."
"The pleasure's mine," Hashirama said, smiling widely.
Madara said nothing.
"This way please," Himachi said. "My finest chefs have produced a feast for your arrival."
Himachi led them to what was called the Hyuuga 'dining hall'; it was a massive, ceremonial building used for Main House dinners. There were many tables, and a table at the center where Hashirama, Madara and Himachi sat.
"I hope my brother treated you well," Himachi said.
"Hitachi is your brother?" Hashirama said, marveling somewhat. "He was great! This clan has some fine leaders."
Madara scowled: "Hitachi is no leader here," Madara said.
Before Hashirama could even think to question Madara, the waiters streamed out of the kitchen with large plates of assorted sea foods. Hashirama clapped when a plate of thick lobster and other delicacies was placed in front of him.
"So, Lord Himachi," Hashirama said. "I hear your clan is organized into houses. Over the last couple years, I've gotten really interested in organizing people. Please, tell me more about this set up."
"Thank you for asking," Himachi said. "The Hyuuga Clan is a very ancient clan, and as an ancient clan we've faced many trying times. In order to better protect our clan secrets, many hundreds of years ago, the clan was split into the Main and Branch houses. The Main House remains very exclusive and small, and leads the clan. The Branch House does most of the fighting and working."
"Interesting," Hashirama said; it sounded nice, but Madara's words from earlier where clinging to him. He was not sure he wanted an alliance with a clan that treated its own members like slaves. "How are Hyuugas placed into branches?"
"If you are born to Branch family, you are a Branch member. If you are born to a Main family, after the first child, you are a Branch member."
Hashirama resisted scowl and suddenly losing his manners said:
"Well, that's ridiculous."
"Not ridiculous," Himachi said, not missing a beat. "Its fate. Instead of trying to weed out those worthy of ruling from those who aren't, we simply let fate decide. Much easier, and much more efficient."
"Then …" Hashirama came to a sudden, cold realization. "Your brother?"
"Yes, Hitachi is part of the Branch House," Himachi said.
Hashirama could not force himself to finish the rest of his meal. His stomach was churning with nothing less than disgust. He could not imagine turning his own brother into a pseudo-slave. It was sickening. Madara seemed to notice his disgust.
"Why have you called us here, Himachi?" Madara asked. "It seems like a very poor plan for picking an ally. Bringing us both here at the same time, sitting us together. Are you trying to negotiate a peace?"
"No," Himachi said. "I've come to understand that the Senju and Uchiha clans aren't going to come to peace. You've both come to need each other. When a wealthy man hires the Senju clan for a mission, his wealthy enemies hire the Uchiha clan to oppose them. You're economies thrive from combating each other. Soon, it will erupt into full scale war … war unlike anything this country has ever seen before. So, I've come to exercise what little power I have here."
"You have no power," Madara said after a snort. "Don't think because I have chosen not to crush you, that I cannot crush you."
"You are wrong there, Lord Madara," Himachi said. "You have chosen not to war with us because the Hyuuga clan is large enough and strong enough to fight back. When full scale war breaks out between your two clans, whoever we decide to join is the likely victor of the conflict. I understand, however, if I don't pick a side, then the Hyuuga clan will be sucked into your war and destroyed."
"Choose wisely," Madara said, a threatening tone in his voice.
"Your threats mean nothing, Lord Madara," Himachi said. "If I join the Senju Clan, then you try to destroy me. If I join you, then the Senju and Uzumaki clans try to destroy me. I've brought you two here to give you fair negotiating ground … you can sell your point."
"My point is simple enough," Madara said. "Join the Uchiha clan, or be eradicated."
"And you, Lord Hashirama," Himachi asked.
Hashirama at first avoided speaking; his gut told him to simply leave and never look back. Himachi had suddenly become a worm in his eyes, and the thought of working with him made Hashirama's skin crawl. It was only Tobirama's cold, spiritual, presence that kept his gut at bay. After all, risking his entire village over a moral dilemma was deplorable.
"The Senju Clan is an organization striving, ultimately, for peace," Hashirama said. "If you join us, you become a part of a family of ninja clans that support each other."
"How much power do I retain over my clan?" Himachi asked.
"I'll allow you full control of your clan," Madara said. "However, you answer to every Uchiha of considerable rank."
"As much as possible," Hashirama said. "The Senju clan works closely together. Your clan would have to relocate, eventually, to our base in the heart of Fire Country. Our system gives the clan heads as much power as we possibly can."
"I had figured as much," Himachi said between a bite of a fish. "Either way, I am subject to your wishes. The sovereignty of the Hyuuga clan head is diminished. So, the question becomes a simple matter of which of you is more powerful? I have set up a test-."
"You'd have us do battle in your compound?" Madara asked. "This flimsy city could not handle the weight of our power."
"I didn't come here to fight anyone," Hashirama said, standing.
"Please, Lord Hashirama you won't have to fight each other," Himachi said, pausing until Hashirama retook his seat. "There are many amongst the Main Family who think that somehow our clan can survive as a third party in the eventual outbreak of war. I am not so foolish. I would simply like for you both to prove that you can fell this clan's best two warriors, and thus silencing those dissenters."
"Fine," Madara said. "But, I'll show him no mercy."
"When?" Hashirama asked, after a pause.
Himachi stood and clapped, suddenly making the entire hall go silent. The Hyuugas understood the signal and immediately started to file out of the hall. The trio followed the mass of people to the edge of the cliff; there was a massive raised platform that the people circled around.
"This is our sacred sparring area," Himachi said. "Here we have our Thousand Sparring Ritual, where whoever is to be clan head must spar one-thousand consecutive opponents. Here, we'll have our fights. Who would like to begin?"
"Let's start this dance," Madara said, stepping onto the platform.
A thin mist had rolled onto the cliff face and was making its way up towards the platform. Himachi gestured into the crowd, and immediately a young Hyuuga man about Madara's size stepped onto the platform. The Hyuuga dropped his robes, leaving on nothing but his pants and a sash around his waist.
"This, Lord Madara, is Himusha," said Himachi. "He is one of the most skilled fighters in the Hyuuga clan. The rules are simple; because there are so many people watching, Ninjutsu is not to be used so as to avoid casualties. Anything else goes. Are you ready?"
"You think that stripping me of Ninjutsu will aid your warrior," Madara said, a sneer across his face. "You're wrong. The Hyuuga Taijutsu is powerful, but it's no match for me."
Madara's eyes went crimson, and many in the crowd shivered at the feel of the dark power of his eyes. Himusha made a single hand seal, and suddenly his temple veins enlarged to massive proportions and connected to his eyes. His normally absent Hyuuga pupils suddenly became a dark outline.
"Is that the Byakugan?" Hashirama asked.
"Correct, Lord Hashirama," Himachi said, pride leaking from his voice. "The Byakugan is the Bloodline Ability passed down from Hyuuga to Hyuuga. It allows a full three-hundred sixty-degree view, the ability to see far ranges and the ability to see through solid objects. It's especially useful in battle because it allows us Hyuuga to see the three hundred and sixty one chakra points of the body."
"Why would that be useful?" Hashirama asked.
"Our fighting style depends on it," Himachi said. "Since we can see chakra points, we can attack them with our chakra. Our fighting style is Jyuken, the Gentle Fist. It is the most powerful Taijutsu style in the world."
The battle had already begun. Hashirama immediately noticed the difference between Madara's style and the Jyuken. The Jyuken was like flowing air. Himusha was in constant motion; circling, fading, and leaning. Madara's style was more like lightning. It was direct, sudden and consistent. They seemed to be at a stalemate; Madara was landing firm punches, but could not deliver finishing blows for fear of being even touched by Himusha.
"Even Lord Madara fears it," Himachi said. "A single touch from a Hyuuga can close chakra points; disrupting chakra flow. When enough chakra points are sealed, then even moving becomes difficult. Our style is so dangerous because no matter how powerful you are, you can't train your insides."
Madara and Himusha met in another clash of fists and open palms. Madara's speed allowed him to bypass Himusha's air-like fluidity. He landed a solid punch to Himusha's jaw, before ducking a palm and sliding away. Madara growled; this was starting to become annoying to him.
Himusha rushed forward and Madara watched closely; his Sharingan told him that Himusha's stance was too perfect to bypass; a physical assault would result in him being killed. He smirked, and waited for his moment.
It was brief, but Himusha foolishly met Madara's eye. In that instant, Himusha suddenly collapsed mid-stride, his mind having been turned to mush through three days of continues mental torture. Madara walked calmly over to the quivering form of Himusha, and viciously stomped his throat.
"Not even a workout," Madara said.
"Madara!" Hashirama yelled, tensing up.
"It's fine," Himachi said. "The Hyuuga clan has no use for a weak clan member."
A group of Hyuugas calmly removed the body from the platform, and the next Hyuuga took his place; it was Hitachi. He too was shirtless. His body was marked by many long, and ugly scars. Slowly, Hitachi removed his headband, revealing a strange blue marking running across his forehead.
Hashirama removed his upper clothing and placed the scroll with the Kusanagi gently on the floor. He removed his shoes in order to feel the cold feel of the platform under his feet.
"Lord Hashirama, do not underestimate me," Hitachi said. "Even though I am a Branch House member, I am the strongest fighter of the Hyuuga clan. I won't fall easily."
Hashirama noticed off handedly that the mist from the ocean was growing thicker; it slightly impaired visibility now. He was embroiled in his thoughts, and he hardly noticed Hitachi rush him in a wonderfully protected stance.
They met a flurry; Hitachi's hands moved as quickly as lightning, and his feet were as solid as a mountain. Yet, he could not make his way past Hashirama's iron hands which parried and returned his every move.
Hashirama launched his assault suddenly, sending Hitachi reeling back. He quickly knocked Hitachi off-balance before punching him squarely in the jaw; it was like punching iron. Hitachi's face suddenly exuded a bright blue chakra. Without warning Hitachi began to spin and the chakra escaped every pore in his body and spun with him; creating a powerful spinning shield of chakra. The shield knocked Hashirama back like a man would knock away a fly.
Madara, standing next Hitachi said: "I've never seen that one before."
"Eight Trigrams: Revolving Heaven," Himachi said. "Kaiten is created by releasing chakra from every chakra point and spinning to make an impenetrable defense. Only a Hyuuga could use it properly, for it requires the most precise chakra control."
Hitachi stopped spinning, falling into stance.
"Lord Hashirama, you are within my range of divination," Hitachi said.
Hitachi vanished, and reappeared in front of Hashirama. Before Hashirama could strike back, he struck him twice, then two more, then four, then eight, then sixteen, then thirty two times. The final blow came as a powerful palm to the chest, sending chakra crashing through Hashirama's system and tearing into his insides.
"Eight Trigrams: Sixty Four Palms!" Hitachi yelled on the final strike.
"He's been defeated!" Himachi said, astonished.
Madara snorted.
Hashirama struggled to stay standing.
"I admire your resilience, Lord Hashirama," Hitachi said. "But … I have closed sixty four of your three hundred and sixty one chakra points. At this point, you won't be able to function. I'm sorry."
Hitachi rushed forward to close the distance and end the match. It was only because of his Byakugan that he saw Hashirama's chakra points suddenly rush open, as a powerful new energy crashed through his chakra circulatory system. Hitachi stopped in mid-stride, astonished by the development.
"How?" Hitachi demanded. "I sealed your chakra!"
"I wanted to see just how powerful the Hyuuga clan really is," Hashirama said. "And I see now. Very admirable!" Hashirama grinned widely. "Almost anyone else would have been done in by that attack. But now, the show is over. Surrender."
"I can't do that, Lord Hashirama," Hitachi said.
Hashirama felt the natural energy run through his veins and mix with his chakra to become a far more powerful chakra. He pushed some chakra through his legs and vanished from sight. Hashirama punched Hitachi in the chin with such force that Hitachi came off his feet and spat blood as he landed like a rag doll on his back.
"You fought valiantly." Hashirama said, still grinning. "I can respect that!"
There was a bit of a silence; Himachi watched with a red face.
"Well, Lord Hashirama?" Himachi said, angered. "Aren't you going to finish it? As I said, the Hyuuga clan has no use for weak fighters."
"I won't," Hashirama said. "He's defeated, and can live to fight another day."
"L-Lord Hashirama," Hitachi said through the blood in his mouth. "P-please! I knew the consequences when I took this role. It is my fate to die here today!"
"I don't believe in fate," Hashirama said.
Himachi made a single hand seal. Suddenly, the seal on Hitachi's head began to glow brightly. The nearly lifeless Hitachi was suddenly full of energy as he grabbed his forehead, kicking and screaming as if his brain was being scrambled from the inside out.
"Enough!" Hashirama said.
"Lord Hashirama, I must," Himachi said. "Hitachi is weak, and must be punished for that weakness so that other Branch members don't repeat his weakness. Besides, Kaiten and Sixty Four Palms are techniques reserved strictly for Main House members; Hitachi has broken our laws by learning it."
Suddenly, Himachi was in the air with Hashirama's hand clenched tightly against his throat. Himachi released the seal and helplessly grabbed Hashirama's forearm. Hashirama's eyes had taken on the quality of cold metal, and Madara noted that he had only seen those eyes before in Tobirama.
Madara grabbed Hashirama's forearm, bringing him to his senses enough that he let Himachi drop helplessly to the floor.
"A man who would treat his own brother like scum!" Hashirama said. "A clan that values the lives of some more than others!" Hashirama spit angrily at Himachi's feet. "Everything about this disgusts me! I don't think I want you in the Senju Clan; you'd sully our good name with your pompous way of life."
The mist had grown thicker now, but no one cared to notice. A voice suddenly came from all directions, hidden by the mist.
"It doesn't matter," the voice said. "You're all about to die!"
"And who do you think you are to kill us?" Madara asked.
"I am Sugoi, leader of the Seven Shinobi Swordsmen of Water Country," the voice said, confidently. "We are the most powerful pirates in Kanashi Ocean. Your city lies on the edge of our territory and is due for some plunderin'."
"You're in over your head," Madara said. "I'll kill you all myself."
"Oh, we've heard of you, Uchiha Madara," Sugoi said. "And of Senju Hashirama. You two are rumored to be the most powerful ninjas in the world. And this is the compound of the Hyuuga clan, a real powerful clan. Doesn't matter. Me and my band of seven are going to kill you all right here!"
Hashirama grabbed his Kusanagi scroll; the mist was too thick now, and they could hardly see each other.
"Madara," Hashirama said. "It looks like we're going to be fighting together."
"It's unfair really," Madara said.
"Senju and Uchiha together," Hashirama agreed with a grin. "Who could stop us?"
Village beneath the Mountain, Fire Country …
Tobirama took one last gulp of sake; the warm liquid burned his throat and gave him a sudden clarity of thought, followed quickly by a fuzziness of vision and a release of tension. He stroked the fur around his neck gently, and tried to clear his mind of the ghosts that haunted him. His mother, his father and his two lovers; they flitted in and out of existence in his eyes.
The ghosts vanished suddenly, when the door opened and Mito walked into the room; her hair was like fire on her head and she looked rather pleased with herself. Her eyes were on fire with a passion that Tobirama understood very much; it was pride.
"I've completed the seals!" Mito said, laying down a scroll on his table.
Tobirama studied the seals on the paper and found himself amazed; compared to his original seals for 'Suijin's Doorway', this was a masterpiece in comparison to a crude children's drawing.
"What did you do?" Tobirama asked.
"At first I couldn't figure out how to fix it without having you ripped to shreds," Mito said. "But, eventually I managed to incorporate a pressure release seal, which will protect you from harm during space-time travel. Secondly, I added a barrier seal which will protect your water droplets from harm, meaning you can use just regular water instead of finding rare elements."
"Astounding," Tobirama said. "You're a genius."
"Nothing compared to you," Mito said, a hint of jealousy in her voice. "I was only able to do what I did because of your original design. In thousands of years, no Uzumaki has ever mastered the art of space-time travel. How did you come up with it?"
"I battled with a pair of bandits who could summon giant animals to fight for them," Tobirama said. "After the battle I figured the animals had to be hiding somewhere far away and then summoned. I figured such fast travel would be amazing for battle."
The door suddenly opened, and in streamed ten men dressed in black capes with plain white masks covering their faces. They lined up across the wall and bowed slightly.
"The Sarutobi Ten?" Mito asked.
"You finished the seals just in time," Tobirama said. "Our surveillance has been tracking the Uchiha brothers. Madara is with Hashirama in the Hyuuga stronghold. Izuna is in Rain Country with the Uchiha Vanguard. He's trying to gather allies."
"And you're going to go kill him?" Mito asked.
"You can't stop me," Tobirama said.
"I don't intend to," Mito said. "I am more like you than like my husband. Hashirama, even though he knows it can't be, has secret wishes for peace between us and the Uchiha clan. I don't think so optimistically. We have a duty to this village and to the world to solidify our power as quickly as possible. If you kill Izuna, then we'll gain a decisive edge over the Uchiha clan. Once you kill him, the country is going to be ours."
"And who could stop us?"