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Chapter 7

Lost Boy Chronicles: Part 1


Tobirama blinked in surprise when he saw those blood red eyes once more. He looked closer and saw the boy's remaining features. Fair skin, handsome blonde hair and that facemask….

There could be no mistake.

"Little Madara, I didn't think you would survive this long much less change your allegiance" thought Tobirama curiously, as memories of that dark day came back to haunt him.


(Flashback: Ten years Ago)

Tobirama exhaled a sigh of relief when he saw his elder brother resting flat against the bark of a tall tree. He was wounded and looked extremely tired, however Mito was already healing the worst of his wounds by sharing her chakra and healing prowess with him. A dozen Senju and Uchiha clan warriors surrounded the First Hokage, ready to defend the royal couple with their lives if required in the dangerous and war torn Land of Lightning.

"Tobirama…" rasped Hashirama in a hoarse voice,

The younger Senju instantly knelt beside his brother and placed his hand upon Hashirama's shoulder.

"I'm here, Elder Brother" replied Tobirama calmly, doing well in hiding his anger at the bastards who did this to his sibling.

"Can…you…teleport…us…all…to…the…battlefield?" asked Hashirama tiredly,

"The battlefield? No way, are you crazy….Hashirama?' asked Mito furiously, as she desperately worked to heal the Hokage's wounds.

"The children…." whispered Hashirama,

"What?" asked Tobirama with a frown, sensing the same question arising in their fellow comrade's eyes.

"Uzumaki children. A special forces unit dispatched from Uzu…..they rescued me from the trap and are currently stalling the enemy army buying us time to escape" said Hashirama sadly,

"Uzumaki? Since when did they have a special forces unit that is strong enough to face Kumogakure's army?" asked Kagami Uchiha, son of Izuna Uchiha and future leader of the Uchiha clan now that both Madara and Izuna were gone.

Many eyes turned towards Mito who had the grace to lower her head as she revealed the secret known only to the Uzumaki clan members.

"After the Clan Wars ended, our clan had lost quite a lot of our numbers. In order to defend ourselves against Kumogakure's advances, the First Uzukage put in motion a plan to create a force of extremely talented individuals who could defend Uzu against impossible odds. These warriors would have special abilities powerful enough to even defeat tailed beasts if required. For this reason, they chose the best and brightest children from our clan, even experimenting on their bodies in the hopes of giving birth to new Kekkai Genkai. This was still a plan being worked upon when I married Hashirama and came to Konoha. After that, I don't know what happened…..many among the clan were opposed to this idea as the very desire behind creating our village was to protect young children from dying needlessly in the frontlines. It would seem not much has changed despite the new era" lamented Mito,

To her and everyone's surprise, Hashirama started to get back on his feet despite protests from his comrades. When they tried to stop him, they received a dangerous glare from the Hokage which made even Tobirama back away.

"Take us to the battlefield, Tobirama"

Tobirama knew very well not to disrespect his elder brother's wishes when his mind was made up. One glance in Hashirama's dark eyes was enough to show his resolve to protect the Uzumaki children even if it meant putting all their lives in danger.

"Very well, Elder brother. Everyone, join hands with each other and connect with me" said Tobirama with a sigh, as he gathered his chakra for a long jump. It would be quite the effort but if Hashirama willed it, then Tobirama would make it happen.

His brother was naive in many things and too soft, but Tobirama remembered his own two young brothers who were killed due to war. Having known that pain, he could very well understand Hashirama's desire to prevent such a tragedy from happening again.

The Senju and Uchiha warriors joined hands together before they connected with Tobirama.

An instant later, they all vanished from the spot.

The very next moment, they all appeared on the other side of the planned jump with almost everyone including Hashirama and Mito sprawling to the ground as they were not familiar with this type of travel. It was a good thing perhaps, as they didn't immediately witness the horror that Tobirama did.

Corpses.

Despite having lived through the Clan Wars Era, known for mass murders and devastating battles….Tobirama still felt revolted by the amount of blood spilled before him.

"NO!"

Mito's anguished scream rang across the deathly silent battlefield as the Uzumaki matriarch scrambled forward towards the dozens upon dozens of dead young children lying motionless across the battlefield.

"My god….they are all dead" whispered Kagami in horror,

True to his statement, the battlefield was littered with corpses, most of them being from Kumogakure. Even so Tobirama easily spotted shinobi with the Uzumaki crest on their backs lying dead, almost all of them were in their early teens with some even more younger than that.

For each of them that fell, two dozen Kumogakure shinobi had to die as well.

"Is there no one left?" asked Touka Senju miserably,

Hashirama punched his fist furiously against the ground even as he hastily closed his eyes. Realizing the move, Tobirama also channeled his chakra hoping to find any survivors. For long, they searched for any signs of life only to be met with disappointment. Tobirama clenched his fist on seeing a weeping Mito cradling one of the young children against her chest.

It was then that Tobirama felt it, a faint ember amongst a dying world.

"Eastern side" he reported, alerting his comrades.

Together, they all charged in that direction keeping an eye out for any enemy stragglers that may try to jump over them. However, the Uzumaki children had made sure not even one enemy was left alive.

Hashirama narrowed his eyes when he saw a giant crater ahead of them. Sensing faint traces of foul chakra, he gestured his comrades to get behind him. Even Mito had reluctantly joined them in the hopes of finding any of her clansmen who might have survived this carnage.

"I still can't believe they fought against this large a force" whispered Kagami in disbelief,

Tobirama had joined his brother's side as both Senju's tried to ascertain if it was safe for their group to descend down into that crater where they could sense foul chakra still present.

Only when they were certain that the risk was manageable, they nodded and followed down alongside their comrades.

As they approached the bottom, Tobirama's eyes widened when he saw the mangled corpse of Two Tails lying motionlessly. The giant cat was not visible from distance due to the smoke, but up close they all saw that she had been viciously hacked apart all across her body. Her eyes were slashed out, her feet were torn apart and a block seal had made her explode from inside.

An act of pure hatred, one devoid of any mercy.

"Who could have done this?" asked Touka Senju hesitantly,

It was a well known fact that Hashirama and Mito had the power to tame tailed beasts. Madara and Izuna were others who had the potential as well, even the Uzumaki were strong enough to control such powers but to actually kill a tailed beast? It was a feat not yet performed in recent centuries across the Ninja world.

Before any further questions could arise in the minds of the Konoha shinobi, they all saw a young boy dressed in tattered Anbu uniform lying flat against the ground, a few feet away from the murdered tailed beast.

Judging from the slow and barely visible rise and fall of his chest, the boy was alive.

They charged towards him.

The very first thing that Tobirama recognized that unlike the rest of the Uzumaki, this child had stark blonde hair and dying blue eyes. There was a nasty wound across his chest and he was also bleeding to death with other wounds sustained across his body. His destroyed sword lied near him but one look in the broken boy's eyes showed he was waiting for death and had no will left to fight.

It was Hashirama who recognized this child who looked to be about either fourteen or fifteen years of age.

"Captain Fox!"

The dying boy didn't even have the strength left to look at Hashirama who knelt beside him. Mito had already knelt on the boy's other side and had started her healing jutsu.

Tobirama sensed the boy's fading chakra and realized he didn't have much time left. He also seemed to be in immense physical and mental pain, being the only one who survived from his group. Judging from the officer pin hidden beneath his armor, he was the leader of the now massacred Uzumaki special forces.

A truly sad fate.

Kagami Uchiha and Touka Senju flinched when Tobirama gently unleashed his sword and stepped towards the dying boy who looked up at him weakly.

"You've done enough, child. Die well" praised Tobirama, as he raised his sword to deliver the merciful blow that would end the boy's suffering.

"Wait, Tobirama!" cried Mito in alarm, as she threw herself in between Tobirama's sword and the dying boy.

"But-" argued Tobirama, only to receive a murderous glare from his elder brother.

"You will not touch him" warned Hashirama furiously, allowing his killing intent to wash over them all.

Tobirama flinched and lowered his sword much to Mito's relief. Hashirama still gave his brother a warning look making sure he stayed put.

"Get….it….over…with….Hashirama" whispered the dying boy,

Tobirama watched the child struggle as he summoned what was left of his energy to look up at the First Hokage with a content and bittersweet smile.

"It…would….be…an…honor….to…die…by…your…hand"

Tobirama blinked in surprise on those words as they brought back memories of a different day where another man had said the same words to them. He could not help but notice that sometimes the boy's blue eyes turned red, it only lasted a moment but was not something which was missed by the Senju warrior.

Is he related to the Uchiha clan distantly?

"Hang…in…there…don't…lose…hope….Captain" encouraged Hashirama, as he started providing his own lifeforce and chakra to heal the boy.

The boy just gave a weak smirk in response.

"If I don't save you right now, it will only anger the Uzumaki young ones who follow and look upto you as their hero. Besides, you saved my life" argued Hashirama sincerely, which nearly brought the boy to tears.

"There….isn't…anyone….left….with…such….prowess…among…the….Uzumaki…anymore….my…generation….died….on…this…battlefield" said the young boy miserably, as he glanced at the countless bodies of his own clansmen.

"There will be in time. Come on, don't give up. You told me about your dream, didn't you? About a world free of war?" asked Hashirama gently, even as he healed the boy's wounds by sacrificing his own life in return.

Tobirama sheathed his sword upon those words from his elder brother and saw the boy glancing at a motionless younger boy with red hair lying dead a few feet away. He then glanced at the battlefield where the rest of his comrades lay dead as well.

"That's just impossible. You…and…I….are….no…longer…the…same" whispered Naruto, as he stared at Tobirama and Mito alongwith the others surrounding Hashirama.

The boy's fist clenched as he looked at the destroyed battlefield.

"I…don't….have….any….family…left" confessed the boy miserably,

"I…have….nothing….left…to…protect. And…I…can….never….forgive…you….for…it…was…your….foolish…decision…to…share….the…tailed…beast….with…Kumogakure….that…started…this…war….My…brother…died…for…your….mistakes!" yelled the boy furiously, his now red eyes burning with hatred even as the effort costed him more blood.

Hashirama couldn't meet the young boy's eyes knowing very well that he was the one who gave the tailed beasts to Kumogakure which only bolstered their confidence in themselves and their ambition to rule the world. A decision which started the First Shinobi World War leading to deaths of young children.

"You've…got….your…priorities…backwards….Hashirama. It…will…lead…this…world….to…complete…destruction…one…day" whispered Naruto painfully,

Tobirama had never seen his brother freeze before but upon hearing those words from this boy, Hashirama froze and stared at the child with a new feeling visible in his eyes.

"Madara…." whispered Hashirama miserably, as he clenched his own fists.

Mito and Tobirama were the only ones who knew what those words meant to Hashirama. Those were the same words said to Hashirama by Madara just before the First Hokage killed the Uchiha, something which Hashirama had only revealed to his family.

Hashirama and his wife were both surprised when Tobirama knelt by their side to provide his own chakra to the dying boy's body.

"Why?" asked the boy,

"Dying here won't change anything. As their leader, it is your responsibility to carry on the dreams of your men who died. Strive to fulfill those dreams, remember what they died for and it shall give you strength" said Tobirama seriously,

"Keeping...my...brother...safe...was...my...dream...my...promise...to...our...parents. I could not protect my sibling nor my comrades...so...I...shouldn't" refused the boy,

He was surprised when Tobirama placed a hand on his forehead and looked into his red eyes.

"You will be the voice of the dead"

Tobirama watched the boy's eyes widen on hearing those words. The Senju didn't know why but something inside of him hoped that the boy would understand what he was trying to say. Fortunately, it would seem they both were able to understand each other as some hope returned in the boy's eyes.

"I...will...be...more...than...that"

(Flashback End)


"Senju Tobirama"

Tobirama watched those eyes that were the same as they were years ago. The boy seemed surprised on seeing him alive much less saving his life again.

"For the motherland"

Tobirama faintly smiled as the boy repeated the codeword used by the operatives currently stationed in Kirigakure under a joint program by Uzu and Konoha.

"So this is the path you chose..." said Tobirama calmly,

"Now I see why Command wanted us to attack this place. To think you would still be alive, Konoha will be relieved" said Naruto honestly with a respectful nod,

"Why did you chose this path?" asked Tobirama curiously, and saw Naruto stare at the sky even as he clenched his fists in fury.

"War is a never ending part of humanity. However, we shouldn't pursue it needlessly unless we desire to spread only pain and hatred. My dream died with my brother and comrades but their dreams still live in me. As long as there is life within me, I will protect their dream no matter what pain comes my way. That is my path" answered Naruto resolutely,

"What is that dream?" questioned Tobirama,

"To protect Uzu and its allies. I will protect it with all my heart" confessed Naruto, earning a thin smile from Tobirama.

"What is your name?" asked the former Hokage,

"Naruto Namikaze"

"I believe that is a half-truth. I can see from your chakra that you do belong from the Namikaze clan but a shinobi worth his salt wouldn't reveal his true name" said Tobirama with a smirk, earning a similar smile from the boy.

"I became Naruto the day I became an S. The boy I was before no longer exists...I can barely remember that name anymore" said Naruto nostalgically,

"Hold on to that no matter what" advised Tobirama,

At that moment, they both saw Mei now being fully surrounded by quite a few differently dressed ninja unit. They were dressed in all black with heavy swords on their backs, their faces covered by blank masks and a foul chakra shrouding them.

Tobirama saw the dark red sword in Naruto's hands burn even more brighter. A stark proof of his rage and hatred against the people who took everything from him. Tobirama didn't miss the fact that as the boy's hatred surged, so did his power.

But there was also something else, he had been able to recognize him as Hashirama's cells lived in him from that day when the First Hokage had shared it with him. Faint traces of Mito's chakra were also present, but it was the presence of another shinobi that shrouded them all. One Tobirama knew from his past...

"Nidaime...in your current situation you know you will not get very far in this enemy nation. Even if you escape, the enemy will catch you" warned Naruto, as he watched the battle begin between Mei and the Kinkaku.

Tobirama knew that very well as his wounds had started to re-open and soon enough he would be facing chakra exhaustion. He was not fed in days and the level of water in his body was dangerously low.

Even if he ran, Kumogakure's entire army would descend on him soon to either capture or kill him.

And this time he would rather go down fighting like a shinobi than die a slow death in a cell.

However, that would yield no benefit either for himself or for his village. He could only hope his students had been able to protect their home as best as they could. Yet they were very young and new to war, he had to go back home to protect Konoha or everything Hashirama and he had fought for would end in vain.

"Then what do you suggest?" asked Tobirama,

"Fight alongside me and gain the trust of Kirigakure. I don't think it would look good on me or my cover if I let you escape, but I will guarantee your safety with the Mizukage. Perhaps even manage to secure an alliance between our villages in this war" suggested Naruto carefully, not sure about how Tobirama would react.

"Making me a prisoner again? How is that different?'' asked Tobirama seriously,

"Kirigakure needs allies to win this war and so does Konoha. But both are too proud to ever approach each other to join forces, I want you to become that bridge" urged Naruto sincerely,

"Kiri will only threaten Konoha to win a more favorable deal with my life on the line. Knowing my people and my students, they would do anything to get me back. Kiri will use that" rebuked Tobirama harshly,

He was stunned into silence when Naruto then told him about the state of the war and the amount of damage suffered by the Land of Fire and Uzu. Knowing that Suna had also joined the Kumo-Iwa alliance made Tobirama clench his fists as he realized just how desperate his people's situation was.

It was then that Naruto stepped in front of him.

"I saved your brother once. Hashirama believed in me and for that faith I sacrificed everything. In the event Kiri plans to misuse you or threaten your life, I will get you safely back to Konoha no matter the cost" said Naruto honestly,

"Why do you care about my life? I might have saved you in the past but we barely know each other" questioned Tobirama, only for Naruto to shrug nonchalantly.

"Believe it or not, my mother considered you a dear friend. Before she died, she told me to seek you out and serve you. Said she owed something priceless to you...I still don't know what she owed you but I will do my best to keep you safe, Nidaime" promised Naruto,

"I would have approached you earlier had my little brother not asked me to stay with him in Uzu and fight its enemies. Well, it doesn't matter now...what do you say? I know it's not much but this is all I can offer"

Tobirama felt his heart skip a beat when he saw Naruto smile and in that moment a haunting feeling came back to him.

"Was her name Inoue Namikaze?" asked Tobirama hesitantly, and this time it was Naruto who was surprised.

"So you do know her. I always thought she was rambling about this during her final hour...maybe there was some truth to her last wish" whispered Naruto, as his wounds healed thanks to the First Hokage's power within him.

He looked back at Tobirama and was further intrigued when the former Hokage had a truly nervous look in his gaze.

"How...old...are...you?" asked Tobirama,

"Twenty four" answered Naruto, now confused with such a question being asked of him.

He was distracted when he heard Mei scream and he realized the danger they were all in as the foul chakra from the Kinkaku was now starting to spread.

Tobirama watched Naruto turn around towards the Kinkaku as he raised his sword.

"This time I will protect my comrades"

With that determination, the boy vanished in a dark flash. Most people wouldn't be able to see the movement but Tobirama could now see things that he previously couldn't.

That faint power he had felt inside of this boy, one that was carefully concealed and something that Tobirama only now realized.

It was his own power.