Since I took so long adding the last chapter, here is another chapter to help make up for lost time. Expect another one to come out Monday!

The theme song for this chapter and the next chapter is State of My Head by Shinedown guys. It'll make more sense as it goes on.

It's been a long bumpy ride sittin' back in the saddle
It's time to get down, dirty up our knees in the battle
Come on, round up the boys, gonna make the walls rattle

Oh, our flag is tattered
And our bones are shattered
But it doesn't matter
'Cause we're movin' forward

Round 'em up, round 'em up, let's go
Round 'em up, let's go

Oh, my eyes are seein' red
Double vision from the blood we've shed
The only way I'm leavin' is dead
That's the state of my, state of my, state of my head

They don't know, where we've been
We got that concrete street skin
The only way I'm leavin' is dead
That's the state of my, state of my, state of my head

OoO

They were fighting blind. Madara activated his sharingan, barely managing to dodge a stray kunai. He hopped out of the smoke and to the top of the trees, waiting for it to recede. He had so many questions and no answers. The only for sure answer he had was this had to be an ambush. They had been tricked. His next question was where Hashirama and Neikan were, for they were nowhere to be found on this battle field. He knew there was a second front to fight, and he had sent a small number of warriors to scope it out, but would Hashirama really take more than half of his shinobi and Neikan to go fight there? The fight was here!

As Madara looked around the battlegrounds, the smoke cleared and he watched as Izuna turned his back to Tobirama. He jumped down, trying to make it in time in that split second, but he couldn't. His little brother was doomed and all he could do was watch. Or so he thought.

Madara screamed as Tobirama came down above Izuna. He ran for him, ignoring everything else around him. But he didn't make it in time. "IZUNA!"

His little brother fell to the ground, but before Madara could do anything, Izuna disappeared. Madara looked around and watch as Izuna appeared behind Tobirama holding his own throat in horror. "What the hell?" Madara went over to his little brother and dragged him away into the trees. He patted him down and then punched him. "You fucking scared me! I thought you died!"

Izuna looked up at him, just as confused. "So did I."

Madara put aside the events they had bene dealing with and hugged is brother tightly. He thought he lost Izuna. If he had lost Izuna, he wouldn't have known what to do. Despite how Izuna felt towards him right now, Madara adored his little brother greatly. And to his surprise, Izuna hugged him back.

"I still hate you."

Madara chuckled and held his brother's head close. "I know." He let him go and they went into battle. But this time they went together, despite their differences.

But why had Izuna seemingly come back to life? Madara thought of an answer while he fought, but he couldn't come to one until he saw Hisen. The boy was holding the left side of his face, which was covered in blood, and his left eye was squeezed shut. What had happened to Hisen's eye? Then, thinks started to make sense. Hidden missing an eye, his brother coming back to life.

Hisen had used Izanagi to save Izuna's life.

OoO

'I won't tell you anything, girl.'

Anju stayed silent as she meditated in the realm of the beast, hoping that maybe it would spill some of its secrets to her. And to be honest, she found peace in its dark abyss. It was silent, no disturbances. Plus, it made time go by faster.

She opened her eyes and looked to the barred gates that held the beast. "You yourself said you hadn't had company in a long time. Don't you like my company?"

All the beast did was snort and reclose its eyes.

'Something about you has changed, girl. You are braver than before. Fiercer. Vivacious.'

"That's a big word for a beast that doesn't know much."

It growled and bared its teeth at her. 'Careful what you say, girl.'

She merely smirked and went back to her meditation. "I'm not afraid of you."

'You should be.'

In her peaceful state, she felt this wave of hatred. Greater than anything she had ever felt before. She opened her eyes and looked to Akumu, who was awake and staring at her. 'You feel it too.'

"What is it?"

Akumu sneered and growled as she spoke, 'Neikan.'

Anju's eyes widened. "What's it doing here?"

Then, she remembered the second front they talked about at the council meeting. What if the second front wasn't where they thought it was? What if it was coming to them? And they were completely defenseless. The Senju and whoever sent them would know that, but how?

'You can bring scrolls here? Impressive.'

Anju unrolled a specific scroll she had had her eye on. One about the 'Third Eye'. She wasn't exactly sure what it did, but she had a feeling it's what she needed. She had very little chakra, and what she had she was saving to read more into the scrolls, but she could use it for this. Hopefully it would be enough.

She performed the hand signals shown on the scroll. She closed her eyes and soon she found herself overlooking the forest near that was near the Uchiha clan. She looked around and saw the Senju getting closer, their flag flying high. Next to it was… that couldn't be. It was Riku's flag, one of the men competing to be Kage of the Land of Fire. Riku was the same man who hired the Uchiha. It was a setup.

She returned to the dark abyss and looked to Akumu, who seemed impressed. 'You are able to perform my jutsu. You sure are a talented young girl.'

"I have to warn them. I could use your help, Akumu."

'I told you. Release me and I will help you.'

"And I told you no. I really just going to sit by while Neikan annihilates us? Because I won't."

'Well girl, I'm not you.'

Anju glared at Akumu. "You're useless!"

It growled at her but she exited its realm before it could say anything to her. She had to warn the clan and get them to safety.

"Lady Anju!" A young boy, no older than twelve, approached her with a concerned look on his face. Anju smiled at him and attempted to calm him down. "I know."

Yuuta came running over. "Anju! What are we going to do?"

"Why are you asking me?"

Anju looked between the boy and Yuuta. What was she supposed to do? Eiko called her from her room, "Anju, what's going on out there?"

"Nothing. Just a little scuffle. I'll be in a moment."

She looked back to Yuuta and the young boy. "What's your name?"

"Touma."

"Touma, go gather children older than the age of nine. Can you do that?" the young boy nodded and headed off. Anju then looked to Yuuta. "Yuuta, gather all able bodied Uchiha women. Meet me at the north entrance."

"What's your plan, Anju?"

"If it's a fight the Senju want, it's a fight they're going to get."

Yuuta smirked at her. "I'll meet you at the northern entrance."

Once Yuuta was gone, Anju walked into Eiko's room. The concerned mother looked up at her. "Did I hear right?"

Anju nodded. "Hai, you did," she looked to Elder Yuuna, "Elder Yuuna, I need you to gather the young children and pregnant women of the clan and get them to Naka shrine. It's underground and protected with a seal. The Senju won't be able to get in there."

Elder Yuuna nodded. "I can to do that, Anju."

Eiko looked up at her. "Tell me what to do."

"Eiko, you've just had a baby. I need you to go to Naka shrine with Natsu and your Hisao."

Eiko handed her newborn to Elder Yuuna and stood. "I am a shinobi of this clan and I will not sit by while my clan is slaughtered! I have enough fight left in me to protect this clan, so let me do it!"

"Then help Elder Yuuna gather young children and pregnant women to Naka shrine."

Eiko nodded and left with Elder Yuuna, Natsu, and her newborn. Anju went to her bag and dug out the shinobi uniform Madara had gotten for her. She put it on one piece at a time. She looked in the mirror and barely recognized herself. She had put on the black, high collared shirt that split in half from her belly button to her knees and over it the black, ankle length jacket that sported the Uchiha symbol on the back. She wore black pants and matching colored sandals. She looked like she was ready for a funeral and she smiled – a Senju funeral.

She went around Eiko's home and looked around until she found kunai and shuriken, and she strapped them to her thighs in pouches. She didn't have much chakra, but she wouldn't be going down without a fight.

But she remembered what the staff had said. She looked at it and considered for a moment. "Akumu." The staff glowed red and she found herself in Akumu's home. The beast looked at her boredly. "What do you want?"

"The clan is under attack. I need your help."

'Until you release me, I'm not helping you.'

Ken flew over her as she headed for the north entrance. Yuuta was already there with a group of Uchiha women in battle uniform. "This is all we have?"

Yuuta nodded. Anju only counted fifty women, fifty-one including herself plus Yuuta. "This will have to do." Then, Touma appeared with a bunch of young children and teenagers. "Young children must go to Naka Shrine! You are the future of this clan and will not be risked."

"We're staying Lady Anju! This is our clan too!"

With Touma's group, they probably came to about a hundred. She had no idea how many Senju there were or how many of Riku's men there were. "Aika and Akane, scout the area. Tell me how many there are."

Aika and Akane nodded and headed off. "Hanami, Shiko, Doi, and Mio, go to Naka shrine and guard it." The four women nodded. "And take a couple of the young ones with you."

There was less than a hundred of them now. A hundred of them to face the Senju and Riku's men. And less she forget Neikan. She could feel that sickly chakra.

"I have a plan and I need all of your cooperation. And Yuuta," Yuuta stood at attention for her, "I'm going to need some of your chakra."

ooo

Aika and Akane returned to Anju just a little while later. They had counted nearly three hundred Senju and Riku's men. They were severely out numbered, with three enemies for every one Uchiha. They were all thinking it but none spoke it out loud – this was going to be a slaughter.

Anju wouldn't let that happen. She waited in the trees at the tree line with Yuuta until the first line of troops came through. And at the head of them were Hashirama and the blonde shinobi that had nearly killed her. The sight of him made her blood boil. She was prepared this time and she would make him pay. They triggered a trap, which caused a series of explosives to go off. Men fell and suddenly the Senju were well aware and on their feet. Anju found herself face to face with two of them. She took one's sword and shoved it through his gut, and engaged the other one in sword combat. She was rusty, but made it through the fight without breaking a sweat.

The next wave came and this time they were stronger. Anju struggled, and if it weren't for Yuuta coming to her aide, she wouldn't have made it. She felt her knees become weak and her breathing became ragged. Then, her worst fear came to light. She met swords with Hashirama on one side and the blonde shinobi on the other. Their strength combined pushed her back and broke her swords. What was she going to do? Even with Yuuta's chakra she couldn't hold them off for very long.

Then, Hashirama came at her again. She dodged and roundhouse kicked him, though it missed. She recovered, only to be met with a punch from the blonde shinobi that sent her into a tree. "This is what the Uchiha left? Pathetic."

The blonde shinobi picked her up by her collar and held a sword to her throat with his other hand. So, this was it? She was going to go out like this? Weak and pathetic? She closed her eyes. She couldn't say she didn't try to stop them. She tried, they were just too strong and they were too out numbered. "So, you survived. What a pity."

She clawed at his hand, but his grip only tightened around her neck. She watched the black smoke for tentacles reach out to caress her. "Such a beauty. You would have made a nice prize." She watched as it formed a smile at her. "Now to take care of the rest of wretched clan and take what is mine."

As the sword came down over her she squeezed her eyes shut and whispered, "Akumu, please."

'What will it be?'

Anju didn't have time to answer. She thought the sword would come over her, but it never did. Instead, she saw a black tendril gripping the sword above her and broke it in half. Then, she felt a strong, powerful chakra overcome her body. It was a power she had never felt before – power no man should ever have. Power that was inhuman.

The blonde released her and charged her, but she dodged. She made the hand signs and blew a fireball at him, which he countered with his own water style jutsu. They were enveloped in steam. Another sword came down over her and she dodged it easily. She sent a kunai their way and smiled as she heard a thud. She held out her hands and cleared the smoke, revealing a bloody battlefield.

She then held out one arm in front of her and threw it to the side, sending a huge wave of sharp chakra hurling towards group of Senju and Riku's men. They stood no chance. The blast of chakra obliterated them and tore them to pieces. So this was Akumu's power?

'You're lucky I hate Neikan. I don't just hand anyone my power, girl.'

Anju smirked and clasped her hands together. This was going to be fun.

Lightning came down around her and engulfed her being. She sent it out, striking every enemy in a hundred yard radius. Hashirama appeared on her right, and then the blonde shinobi of her left. She activated her sharingan and glared at them both. "YOU WILL NOT HARM MY CLAN!"

Chakra crackled around her like lightning. Akumu's power coursed through her veins and grew stronger with her rage. A ring of chakra surrounded her in a circle and with the quick out stretch of her arms, it barreled towards all in its path. It took out trees until it ran out of power. Then it was nothing but an enormous clearing between her and the clan.

"You've gotten powerful. Power like that can only come from one thing…"

Anju watched on in horror as Neikan took form from the blonde shinobi in full force. It towered over everything – just a huge dark mass that looked like a starless night sky. Then, it took the form a large, black eastern dragon with red markings and two sets of eyes, one set right under the other. It roared down at her. This was bigger than any tailed beast she had seen. It towered over what trees were left. And on top of its head stood the blonde shinobi. How was she supposed to top that?