It had now been a few weeks since the first leaders meeting to discuss about the Kaguya situation, and it was now time for Bethany and Hashirama to go meet them once again to plan their battle strategy. She really hoped Hashirama could help her with this, because, honestly- she had no idea what to do, not this time. It was probably the stress, she reasoned. Bethany had always had a bit of a brilliant streak, but she'd never thrived under pressure. Yes, she'd come up with some clever thoughts or wise insights before. Hell- she'd even managed to come up with some brilliant strategies during the last war that had saved most of, if not all of her people. But right now, she was coming up with a blank.
This was a lot more significant than just them. This time, it wasn't just their lives on the line, but everybody's. This war was being waged for the sakes of everyone, and she refused to let them down- not after all the trust they'd put in her. It would be hard, of that she was certain. But there was another thing she was certain of. Bethany Middleton Senju was absolutely sure that if she gave up now, everything would have been for nothing. That the lives of everyone who'd sacrificed themselves during the last war would all be for nothing. That the sacrifices made by those who still lived would have been for nothing. And that was even worse than the deaths being made obsolete were. Because it was those of them who still lived who were the ones who suffered and endured for the sake of this world- for the sake of their peace. And she absolutely refused the let those sacrifices, the sacrifices of her comrades and her family be in vain. It was an unthinkable option. So she carried on, enduring for that which was precious to her and standing up for her dreams- wow, she really had become like Hashirama Sensei, hadn't she?
The thought made her grin widely and chuckle slightly in happiness. Hashirama was the one person, besides Madara-Kun of course, who she admired and trusted the most. She was glad to be like him- flash-depressions and all. But still. The thought of more war weighed heavily on her heart, dragging it down into a deep darkness. She may act like she always knew what to do, but that was just because her experiences had taught her a great deal of things. What situations required seriousness, and which needed to be softened by a light heart. How not all people were the same or could be trusted, with some being such that it would be impossible to negotiate with them. They had taught her to be strong in the face of adversity and to do what she had to for the sake of those who were precious to her, because if she didn't then they would most likely die. Yes, she was by no means a genius, achieving greatness simply by being. No, Bethany Senju knew that everything she had now, she'd gained through sheer hard work and determination.
But none of those experiences really covered how to go about surviving much less winning a war on this scale. Bethany sighed deeply. She truly didn't know what to do, and that worried her almost more than the approaching threat did, because in truth- she did know what the new threat was, or at least she hoped she knew. But actually figuring out what to do was very much different from understanding the threat. It was unnerving that she knew next to nothing about Kaguya herself, and yet they were somehow supposed to defeat her and come out with most of their people intact? Bethany sighed deeply. Who knew being a leader could be so complicated at times. Despite the weight of the position, she was glad to have it. She supposed it could be attributed to her natural desire to protect everyone- even a former enemy.
That was just the way she was. Bethany knew that friends could become enemies very easily. I mean, look at Hashirama Sensei and Madara-San. Or Naruto and Sasuke. But when enemies became allies, it was that much more important to protect the bonds that had been made between them. Otherwise things could turn really bad really fast. Of that, she knew for certain. In that sense, things really were simple in a way. As long as you trusted your allies and friends- no matter who they once were or had changed into, the bond you shared between you would never break. It was only when distrust and fear took over that things spiralled out of control- as had been the cause for many broken bonds in the past.
It was- somewhat strange if she thought about it. She was never one for such deep philosophical thinking. But that was before and this was now. Even before the three Hokage had come into her life, she'd had her moments- short bursts of insight where she would come up with something that would astound her peers. But now- it was as though an entirely new array of thought processes now occupied her mind, stemming from her interactions with the teacher she was the closest to. Hashirama had opened her mind to all of this, partly with his meditation exercises to help control her new power, and partly due to his own philosophical insights that brought out her innate curiosity. Now she found herself thinking about things like these more and more often. It was hard not to, what with the threat of a world war possibly breaking out.
Bethany sighed deeply. The war was, possibly, the most worrisome thing on her mind. No, it was and she was deeply concerned about it. While no longer as afraid as she had been before, she still worried about her people and the rest of the world concerning the war. She-no, they couldn't let Kaguya win, they couldn't! If they did then a fate worse than death would befall them all, and no matter what, she wouldn't let that happen! She still trained like crazy, writing down every Mokuton jutsu she learned into her scroll, and she hoped beyond hope that all her training and cooperation with everyone else would be enough, otherwise- they were screwed. "Hokage-Sama!" a fairly young voice called out from behind her- one that was very familiar. Turning around, Bethany saw the three boys that she'd had as spies during the first war coming up to her. The oldest, Ren, waved at her, "Hokage-Sama, we've got some information for you" he said. Bethany snapped into leader mode, "Alright, report" she ordered. The second oldest, Kam, spoke up then "apparently, this Kaguya comes from the time before she was sealed by Sasuke and Naruto, and she also has her full power, strangely enough- I don't really understand it, but what I do know is that she is planning to complete the Eye Of The Moon Plan in this world" he explained. Bethany frowned, "though I don't doubt you are the best spies in out village at the moment, I have to ask, exactly how did you come about this information without being killed?" she asked.
The youngest, Nami, spoke up then, "I used the Hiding Like A Mole Jutsu and suppressed my chakra signature. I didn't see the woman, but there was this black thing that looked like it was talking to itself, but I could hear another voice, a women's, except there was no one else around Hokage-Sama" he explained. Bethany frowned deeper and crossed her arms while thinking, "I see, so Black Zetsu is here as well and is gathering information for Kaguya- I should have guessed- after all, where else would she get all her information from?" she muttered to herself quietly. Kam furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, "Hokage-Sama?" he asked. Bethany looked up and smiled gratefully, "thank you for all your hard work you three- I couldn't be more grateful, especially when it's something this dangerous" she said. The three brothers couldn't help smiling back, "of course, we would do anything to help you Taicho- after all, if it weren't for you, the three of us wouldn't be together now" he said with a smile.
*Flashback*
(Three years and five months ago)
Ren sat with his younger brothers in the hideout. It had been two years since the war started and one year since Akito-Taicho's death. They, like many of the others, still missed the older boy, even now. Despite the fact that Akito's next appointed leader did her best to care for them, they still felt that Bethany Middleton Senju wasn't as good a leader as the other boy had been, though they didn't complain. After all, she did do her best to protect everyone- but they just felt like it wasn't enough- although she fought the hardest for their sakes, it just wasn't the same. And it was painful.
Nami looked up at him, "Ren-Nii, do you think this war will ever end?" he asked. Ren looked down at him. The silver-haired boy stared up at him with wide, scared eyes. Ren sighed and brushed a strand of his long red hair out of his face, "I don't know Otouto, I really don't know" he replied sadly while wrapping his arm around the boy and pulling him closer. Kam, who had short spiky hair that was half red and half silver curled into himself, "but what do we do if it doesn't?" he asked quietly, "if Bethany-Taicho can't end it then what will happen to us- will we become slaves? Will we all die?" he asked, panicking slightly.
Nami gasped and tears came to his eyes. Ren pulled the small boy closer, "don't say that Kam, everyone talks about how Bethany-Taicho wants peace more than anything- she's even planning on building a village where we can all live safely with our families" he explained. Nami's eyes widened with excitement, "really Nii-San, do you really think she'll be able to do it?" he asked. Ren nodded, "I do, but first-things-first, we have to create some kind of peace treaty with the enemy, so that the fighting between us will stop". Kam's eyes narrowed slightly, "a peace treaty- just like that? What about getting revenge for our families and friends who were killed in the war? We can't just let them off like that!" he exclaimed angrily. Nami curled up tighter in his older brothers arms, while Ren's own eyes narrowed, "no Otouto, revenge isn't the answer, don't you remember what Taicho told us? That the desire for revenge will only continue the cycle of hatred and make things worse?" he asked.
"Yeah, but-" Kam was cut off by a light cough to get their attention. All three boys looked up to see Hashirama standing over them. They knew that Hashirama was the First Hokage in the Naruto world, and one of the most powerful Shinobi of all time. But they also knew that he was the closest out of the three Hokage to their new leader. The Shodamine smiled, "may I join you?" he asked gently. The three boys looked at each other, before Ren shrugged, "sure" he said quietly. Hashirama smiled gratefully, "arigato" he replied, sitting down next to Kam. There was silence for a moment, before the man spoke up again, "so-I hope you don't think I'm being rude, but I couldn't help but overhear the conversation you three were just having- you seem to be divided in your opinions, and I've found that the best way to overcome that is to talk about it with an exempt third party- would you like to talk?" he asked softly.
Ren frowned then sighed, "Shodamine-Sama, you're Bethany-Taicho's closest Sensei, right?" he asked. Hashirama scratched the back of his head, "yeah, I guess- why?" he asked curiously. The three boys looked at each other, before Nami spoke up, "does she really want peace, or is that just something to keep us from giving up?" he asked desperately. The Shodamine smiled, "yes, Bethany-Chan desperately wants this war to end and to create your home, she hates the fighting more than anything else" he said sincerely. Nami's eyes exploded with hope, "really? Really? And she'll do it, she'll bring peace and make a home for all of us?" he asked, in the way only an over-excited child could. Hashirama laughed, "of course she will, she swore to herself to endure for the sake of her dream, after all" he said happily. Kam began to speak then, "but- we've lost so many in this war, so many friends, brothers, parents, all of them dead- is it really worth it to make a treaty with people who don't care about us at all, and what about making them pay for all the other children they've killed- how can we just forgive them for that?!" he asked, slamming his fist onto the ground angrily.
Hashirama frowned. Kam reminded him of Itama with his hot-headedness, but Nami also reminded him of his baby brother with his kindness and bright eyes. "Kam-" a calm voice called, but it also held a hint of warning within it. The silver-haired boy looked up and flinched. His red-haired brother was glaring at him with a look that could freeze water, but the younger boy didn't dare look away. "If we continue to hate our enemies like that, it will only make things worse and cause the war to continue for an even longer period of time, that's what Bethany-Taicho said, and she is right, understand?" Ren asked in a dangerously calm voice. Kam nodded hurriedly and the older boy sighed, releasing his brother from his glare. Suddenly Bethany ran in, "the enemy is on the move again, this time they're attacking from the west, where our lookout is thin, get ready to move out!" she exclaimed.
As the girl rushed off, the three boys stood up quietly. "Hey," Kam whispered, "did you see her eyes?" he asked. Ren nodded, "she was- terrified and, determined at the same time" he breathed. All three stared after their leader for a moment, and then ran off to get ready for battle.
ŚŅŸ
Kam slashed through his enemies as they attacked him, dodging their strikes and retaliating swiftly. A few meters away, he saw his older brother clashing against a few different enemies with his katana. He himself was using a tanto against his attackers. Suddenly a terrified yell drew his attention away from his own battle. That was when he saw Nami on the ground with a behemoth of a man about to sever his head from his shoulders. "No!" both he and Ren yelled, attempting to reach their younger brother, but blocked by enemies on all sides. Both boys could do nothing but watch helplessly, as the weapon came down towards the terrified form of their baby brother. Suddenly a kunai whizzed past Nami's attacker, and in a flash of brown and red, Bethany was standing there with her sword outstretched and a cold look on her face.
The man fell to the ground an instant later, and Bethany turned to face the smaller boy. "Are you okay?" she asked, helping him to stand up again and handing him his sword. Nami nodded quietly, "hai, arigato, Bethany-Taicho" he replied. The brown-haired woman nodded and vanished in a flash of brown and red.
ŚŅŸ
After the battle, Ren and Kam rushed up to their younger brother, "are you okay Nami?!" Ren demanded. The boy nodded, "I'm fine Nii-San, Taicho saved me" he replied. Both boys pulled the younger into a hug, "oh thank god!" they exclaimed, tears coming into their eyes. Kam sniffed, "I-I've decided," he said. Ren and Nami looked at him questioningly, "from now on, I will follow wherever Bethany-Taicho leads- I will stand by her side no matter what" he said tearfully. The other two nodded. From now on, their lives belonged to Bethany- and they would do whatever it took to end this war alongside her.
*End Flashback*
Bethany's smile softened, "even so, you didn't have to risk your lives like this and yet you have, over and over and over again- if it weren't for you none of us would be here, so thank you, really- I truly appreciate all your hard work". The three boys all smiled back, glad that they could at least repay their leader in part for all she'd done for them.