THE END WAR – THE SENJU CLAN
South-East Okarin
The lead group stands atop Hashirama's vehicle and rushes towards Okarin. They are all nervous in the knowledge that this will be the most important fight of their lives. They will either free Homeworld forever, or they will die, and all hope will die with them. Kakashi and Hiruzen insist that Naruto should rest and try to sleep if he can, something that significantly irritates the 7th Hokage. He knows that his predecessors are right though, if they are going to win today he is going to have to perform at the peak of his powers. Nobody has ever defeated Emperor Furst Jonas, if they are going to win he must be the first.
While the 3rd and 6th Hokages do what they can to prepare the 7th, Tobirama walks to the rear of the vehicle to speak with his brother. They exchange a complicated look for a few seconds, this is the end of a war they have been fighting for years now. They have not always been on the same side during this war and it has done more harm to their family than any other. Tobirama was there when Mito died. Hashirama betrayed them all. Tsunade has lost her free will to a dreadful power from another world. Indeed, this has been cruel reality for the brothers.
"Hello Tobirama."
"Hello Hashirama. The Hive Mind is under control then? I want to know when you first fell under its control. Tell me everything."
"When Mito died I went away to train on my own, that training didn't work as well as it should have though because it was interrupted. I was killed by Tao Ma and he resurrected me. As a resurrected Sage Mode user he could enable me to use 'death' energy. I later understood 'death' energy by myself, that is why I am an acceptable host for the Hive Mind now."
"If you had been in control would you have killed Clyde or spared him?"
"I ask myself that question every day," Hashirama admits before looking at Naruto. "I hope that I would have listened to him but I don't know. As I look back now though I see that he was right. He is what I always pictured the Hokage would be like."
"Why didn't you become that Hokage yourself?"
"I had no control Tobirama."
"And the subsequent attempts on our lives, persuading Boruto to betray us, doing nothing as the academy was destroyed? When did you become Senju Hashirama again?"
"I don't know what you were doing at the time, but it was immediately after Boruto killed Tao Ma. My free will returned to me instantly. Shortly afterwards I helped to destroy the Foundry, but unfortunately that incident led to Sakura's death. That is the second time I failed her."
"You have failed too much."
Hashirama nods. "You're right. I haven't been a brother to you in a very long time now, have I Tobirama? I am sorry, you deserve better than this, you always have. I know that it has been difficult for you, but I am glad that you became the 2nd Hokage, you have done an excellent job. I don't deserve to call myself your brother."
"No you don't," Tobirama says bluntly.
"I wish that I had free will all this time. I know that I can never do enough to make up for the damage I caused the village, but I still plan to do what I can. I am a failure as a Hokage, I will help with rescuing Sarada to compensate for that. What can I do to compensate for my failure as your brother, what can I do to make amends?"
"Why isn't Tsunade here? Himawari said something about the Hive Mind."
"The orders that I was given when I was under the Hive Mind's control were not technically from Tao Ma, they were from the Hive Mind itself. It lives in my mind and occasionally it manages to wrestle control of my thoughts away from me. When that happens it can send orders to any resurrected Sage Mode user, such as Tsunade. The Hive Mind has been in control for a long time and it realised that I would not let that continue. When it gained control it ordered Tsunade to kill me."
"Does Tsunade understand 'death' energy herself."
"Yes."
"In that case if you die will the Hive Mind pass from you to her?"
"I fear that it would," Hashirama says.
"She has lost more than anyone in this future and now she has lost her free will. I assume that you plan to save her. That is my request of you brother. No matter what it takes free Tsunade from the Hive Mind. Once she is liberated of this terrible burden your debt to me will be paid."
"Don't worry Tobirama, I already intended to do that anyway."
"How?"
"I have a plan."
Tobirama recognises the look in his brother's eyes, he has seen the same look in the eyes of his subordinates many times and it has never been good. The Hive Mind has been a hinderance to their family for so long now, they are all desperate for that threat to end, for the clan to be liberated. That desperation is exactly what Tobirama sees. He sighs and places a hand on his brother's shoulder. Although it is now grey it is the same famous armor that he wore in the past, the recognisable uniform of Senju Hashirama 1st Hokage of the Hidden Leaf.
Right now Tobirama doesn't see the Hokage when he looks at Hashirama, he doesn't even see a brother. He sees someone who wants more than anything to help Tsunade. It is a desire that he has held for many years but has lacked the power to act upon, a desire that Mitsuki has held since becoming Tsunade's teacher. There is a way to end the threat of the Hive Mind, a path that only Hashirama can walk.
"I know what you intend to do brother."
"Don't try to stop me."
"I won't."
"Just… just… just…"
"I know brother. I know."
30 Minutes Later, South-East Okarin
Kakashi's eyes widen and he smells someone familiar. He alerts Naruto and Boruto as well as urging Hashirama to stop the vehicle. The 1st Hokage stops the vehicle and the others all get ready for a hostile encounter but are surprised at what they see. This isn't the hostile encounter they were expecting.
Tsunade is blocking their path.
"It's Tsunade," Naruto says plainly.
"And the other victims of the Hive Mind," Boruto adds.
Himawari shakes her head at the obvious assertions made by her father and brother. Of course it is Tsunade and the others, it doesn't take the One True Sense nor the Tenseigan to see that. The question is what to do about the situation. Frankly Tsunade is not strong enough to stop them, even with the others helping her. Only a class 8 warrior she is putting herself in the way of many class 9 fighters. If they fight it will mean certain defeat for the 5th Hokage.
Naruto glances back at Hashirama. "How should we handle this?"
"Let me talk to her."
The 1st Hokage approaches his granddaughter. He looks her in the eye and sees nothing. This is entirely the will of the Hive Mind and is not a reflection of the Tsunade he knows. He regrets what this means. It means that Tsunade is here for him, to kill him, that she will not stop until she has accomplished that goal. Every second for the rest of her life that will be her sole driving force, along with that of the others. Kill Senju Hashirama, those words echo time and time again in their heads, never stopping, never calming.
"Why are you here Tsunade?"
"I am here to kill you Senju Hashirama."
It has been a long time since Hashirama has heard Tsunade speak with such clarity in her voice. Since she has been absorbed into the Hive Mind she has rarely spoken and never so many words. This is because she has assumed a substitute leadership role for the group now, being the most powerful among them and the apparent successor to the power of the Hive Mind. It is a role that she would not want, nor one that Hashirama would want for her.
"Attacking me would go against your orders," Hashirama suggests.
"Explain."
"If you attack a team of class 9 warriors you will lose. If you all die there is no way that you can kill me anymore. You need to think of a clever way to defeat me when I am alone, otherwise you are failing in your duty to the Hive Mind."
"Your words are lies; you are simply looking for an excuse not to fight here."
"I am giving you all a valid reason to stop. I know that there is a part of the real Tsunade in there who can hear me. If you try to stop us here we will stand on the vehicle, surround it in nine-tails' chakra and use the Flying Thunder God technique to move around you. I don't want to do that; I want to see my granddaughter make a sensible decision to stand aside. Or better yet, march on the Imperial Palace with us, help us defeat Furst Jonas. If you want him dead then your only chance is to cooperate with the rebellion."
"Cooperation with Senju Hashirama is not permitted."
Boruto shouts, "We don't have time for this."
Hashirama nods and gestures everyone back to the vehicle. They all climb onto the floating platform and he looks one more time at Tsunade. He was hoping that he could somehow find a way to communicate with his granddaughter, but that seems to be impossible. In time he must proceed with his original plan, but not now. Now he must help Boruto and Naruto with their rescue mission and battle.
As Hashirama is about to climb onto the vehicle he looks up and sees a dome projected over the top of him and the others. The dome is made up of the wispy grey energy that he has learned to master over recent years, now combined with golden particles. This is 'death' energy in amounts even greater than he is able to summon. It is the collective power of all the Hive Mind's victims, a single projected shield. He helped to create a shield like this in the past when he was under the control of the Hive Mind, but the power of this shield is much greater.
They are trapped inside the dome with Tsunade and the others.
Himawari throws the Sacred Dagger at the dome and is shocked when it bounces off and back into her hand. The shield is immensely strong considering it is being manipulated by a class 8 warrior. To create combined energy constructs on this scale requires immense mental discipline. She understands that the Hive Mind must make this easier for Tsunade and the others, it gives them all a mental-link for perfect synchronisation. That is the only way such a powerful dome could be created.
"We don't have time to waste on this," Boruto says.
Naruto nods and approaches the dome himself. He uses both Detonation Martial Arts and 'might' energy to superpower his arm. He uses that superpowered arm to strike the dome as hard as he can. His fist smashes right through the wispy grey shell but shatters an area no larger than his fist, the rest of the dome remains intact. He groans, he only has so much energy to throw superpowered strikes like that and he wants to save them for use against Jonas. If he were to break free of the dome using this power it could take hours. That is time they do not have.
Hashirama sighs and begins to walk forward.
"Brother…" Tobirama says.
Hashirama stops and smiles to Tobirama.
"It has been an honour. The village is in good hands."
He then turns back to his granddaughter and approaches her from within the shield. Indeed, he has only one plan to stop the Hive Mind for good, only one way to eliminate it from this world, to free his granddaughter's mind, and to end the plight of the Senju clan.
"Naruto, can you push them all back against the dome somehow?" Tobirama asks.
"Sure, but why would I—"
"Just do it! Please."
Naruto uses his Energy Projection to push Tsunade and the other Hive Mind victims back into the dome they are sustaining with their energy. He then uses his Life-Manipulation powers to grow vines from the ground, twisting them and using them as bindings against the many enemies. As he watches Hashirama approach his granddaughter in the middle he understands at long last. Hashirama may have found the one way to eliminate the Hive Mind once and for all.
Naruto surrounds himself and the others with 'sand', he then reinforces that sand with as much energy as he can. He encourages Boruto and Ashen to do the same, and for the weaker fighters among them to lower their heads and get ready.
Hashirama reaches his granddaughter and bows his head before her. He never wanted to resort to this but freeing her of the Hive Mind is his first priority. Now he is certain that the village will be safe in the hands of his successors he can take the final measure to rid the world of this power.
The 1st Hokage begins to detonate his core.
"What are you doing you fool!" the Hive Mind asks.
"I am putting an end to you and saving my granddaughter."
"You fool, the two of you will—"
Hashirama ignores the ranting Hive Mind and focuses on the eyes of his granddaughter. He waits as the seconds pass knowing that they will reach the ends of their lives any second. He sees the look in Tsunade's eyes change. He doesn't know why but for whatever reason she has at the end been able to wrestle her free will back from the desperate Hive Mind. She regains her mental processes for only a few seconds but for those few seconds she smiles and joins her grandfather.
Tsunade's mind her own, she also begins to detonate her core.
"Together Tsunade?"
"Yes grandfather. Let's go and see them again, grandmother and Dan."
"Yes, it will be good to see them again."
Hashirama's core detonates first which incites Tsunade's core to detonate immediately afterwards. The power of their dual core detonation does what even Naruto's superpowered punch was unable to do, it shatters the dome around them to pieces.
The explosion breaks through the 'sand' shield around the rebels but Ashen protects the others with her bio-hardening and Naruto immediately coats them all in 'life' energy. It is enough to survive at the opposite end of the dome where they have positioned themselves.
When they get to their feet the others see what has happened. Hashirama knew that the Hive Mind couldn't be allowed to continue. He also knew that Tsunade would be overtaken by the Hive Mind if she succeeded in killing him. It sounded like there was a dual core detonation. That would mean that Tsunade also chose to detonate her core at the end. The grandfather-granddaughter team worked together at the end to shatter this shield and give the others a chance at moving on and defeating Furst.
Naruto runs over to the other victims of the Hive Mind and checks to see if any of them survived the blast. He is surprised to see that quite a few have, perhaps a result of using the same type of energy that exploded. Not wanting to waste the energy he heals them as little as he can before looking at the deepest point in the crater that the dual detonation formed.
Naruto approaches the deepest point and bows to it.
Himawari watches her father doing this. She said that Hashirama would be a liability if he came with them, that he might make her do something terrible. Instead of failing to control the Hive Mind he detonate his core in order to stop it and to guarantee them passage to the Imperial Palace.
"We can't let his sacrifice go to waste," Himawari says.
Naruto stands. "We won't."
Tobirama looks to the sky above Okarin. Somewhere on the other side he knows that Hashirama and Tsunade are smiling now. They have reunited with Mito and Dan, and they are free of the Hive Mind and will be forever more. He pictures them laughing and crying happy tears, at peace with those who were taken from this world too early. Now he remains behind to carry on the Senju legacy. He wants to write one more glorious chapter for the clan.
The Senju Clan fought off the Hive Mind.
Now they will help to defeat Furst Jonas.
In Response to Mr. Jovonovich
Who asks if Marvel could be one of the other pocket-universes
It definitely could be. The possibilities are endless.
Thanks for reading.
In Response to Sarada chan san
Who asks Can Enri summon someone she has seen but never met
I've never thought about that specific detail of the technique before.
I think she would need to have been relatively close to them, or seen them fight.
Enri can technically summon anyone, just like she summoned Naruto and Boruto at random for the Crystal Caves test.
However, she needs to recognise that person's energy to summon someone specific.
Thanks for reading.
In Response to S
Who asks can someone resist the 3rd Party Summon
No. Enri could use the technique on Jonas if she wanted. The reason she never has is that Jonas would likely kill her immediately.
Thanks for reading.