MAKING THE IMPOSSIBLE POSSIBLE – SENJU TOBIRAMA
Outside the Medical Building
Rain gently patters against the floor as Minato lays, eyes closed, on the dampening grass. This is a critical time for the 4th Hokage who can ill afford to lose concentration, what is important right now is the control of his chakra. Indeed, for one so talented as the 4th Hokage it is possible to slow down the spread of poison in your body with good chakra control. This is only a delaying tactic though, that is why Boruto has gotten the most proficient healer he could have possibly found.
Above Minato's chest are two hands, dancing above a field of green chakra, a healing dance. The man performing this medical jutsu is the 1st Hokage, Senju Hashirama. Though, once again, what Hashirama is doing is only a delaying act. Together they form a near perfect team to delay death as much as possible. The talented 4th Hokage, the legendary 1st Hokage, there is but only problem, how long can they hold out for.
Hashirama's head tilts to the side slightly, his proficiency in sage jutsu enough to help him sense what is happening in the mountains. He can sense it, the suffering of his wife. Naturally, the 1st Hokage does his best to take his attention away from Mito, she is able to take care of herself and Tobirama is with her, but to stop worrying about someone you love is far from easy.
A groan of pain escapes the lips of Minato as he does his best to focus on his self-control.
"Minato…" Kushina whispers.
"Lord 1st, isn't there anything we can do?" Hinata asks.
She is concerned for Namikaze Minato, her father-in-law. The two of them had little opportunity to meet one another. They talked briefly at the family reunion they held in this time and before that Hinata had only shared a battlefield with the 4th Hokage during the 4th great shinobi war. That was only a few days ago from her point of view, she doesn't know him well at all and perhaps it is only for Naruto's sake, but, she wants him to survive, no matter what.
'Mito, you have to be alright' Hashirama calls in his head as his eyes glass over while fixed on Minato's chest, 'Without you I…'.
"Lord 1st!" Himawari shouts at the Hokage, snapping him from his moment of prayer.
"Sorry, I lost my concentration for a moment" he replies. He could tell them about the fight in the mountains but he considers that the Uzumaki family have more important things on their mind at this moment in time.
"Isn't there anything we can do to help?" Hinata asks once again, this time leaning down to look into Hashirama's downcast eyes.
The older Senju brother answers with a shake of his head though. "This is the best we can do to keep Minato alive. For whatever saves him, this is the only delaying tactic I have".
With that the strangest of families hold on. They pray for a miracle. However, they don't realise what Tobirama has come to realise.
There is no antidote!
Inside the Medical Building
Looking down on Naruto's severed arm, a sweat comes to Tsunade's brow, the preparation is complete. Finally, it is time for the most difficult part of the operation, the joining of the arm. This is critical, whether Tsunade succeeds or fails here, the fate of the hidden leaf village lives and dies with Uzumaki Naruto.
Biwako hands a needle to Tsunade. The needle is very ordinary, long and thin, though made of a special metal as Biwako understands it. Tsunade takes this needle and pushes it into an artery in the upper half of Naruto's separated arm.
"OK" she mutters as she bounces lightly on her heels, "You can do this Tsunade".
"I'm right here with you" Biwako nods to Tsunade, not taking a deep breath for herself nor showing any signs of nervousness.
That is not to say that Biwako is not nervous, the butterflies in her stomach transformed into eagles long ago. She feels an enormous need to be sick but she doesn't show it, for the sake of Tsunade's comfort she holds herself back. She displays nerves of steel; she endures for that is the path of the shinobi.
Tsunade places her hand above the needle lodged in Naruto's upper arm before slowly injecting a chakra into that needle.
"Now, show me Uzumaki Naruto… just what kind of man you are".
The Mountains
Tobirama looks along the length of the knife he pulled from Mito's body. There is a mauve liquid on it, the sort of thing you would see in children's stories. Though Tobirama does not find the liquid amusing, on the contrary it disgusts him, his sister-in-law may be about to die to this poison. If she is in this state, what sort of condition will the 4th Hokage be in he wonders. Could this cowardly attack be the death of the hidden leaf village?
He throws the knife to the floor before charging at the captain before him. The captain starts, he knows that Tobirama can teleport but he wasn't aware that he was so fast in his own right. Space seems to bend as Tobirama passes through it, it's as if it is not him that is moving but instead the whole world.
The captain reacts with a click of his fingers. Though his hand is down by his side it becomes the origin for a chain reaction. Cell by cell, his skin transforms into stone. An impregnable defence, or at least it would be to anybody else.
Seeing this defensive move, Tobirama weaves a quick succession of signs. These are the signs for the jutsu that births the water dragon. The liquid dragon rises from behind Tobirama before coming down onto the captain, slamming into him with a force that could be felt for hundreds of meters.
As the captain's stone shell is shattered, the 2nd Hokage doesn't waste a moment on the offense. He thrusts his marked kunai straight towards the most open vital area available to him, straight towards the captain's chest.
The captain dodges this kunai using a shoulder roll, no sooner has he regained his footing than he begins to swing his fist towards Tobirama, with this speed, the shinobi knows he cannot dodge this attack.
Tobirama cannot dodge, instead he throws his kunai past the shoulder of the attacking Captain. Not a second after he throws the kunai, the 2nd Hokage is punched in the chest, it's a punch that feels like it has the weight of the world behind it. If not for the armour that Tobirama had always worn, he may well have cracked his ribs there and then. That can make it difficult to breath, that can make it impossible to fight.
As Tobirama begins to hurtle backwards from the momentum of the punch, he activates his flying thunder god jutsu, teleporting himself instantly to the kunai at the captain's back.
This is an opening.
This is a chance.
The captain's arm is wide open. So Tobirama attacks, he thrusts his kunai straight into the arm. However, the reaction is not what he expected, the Captain had been baiting him. The moment the steel pierces his flesh that flesh transforms into stone once more. No matter how hard he pulls, Tobirama cannot retrieve the kunai, it is stuck in place.
Seeing another arm swinging towards him, Tobirama feels he has no choice but to retreat. With a flash, he reappears at Mito's side, instantly pulling out another marked kunai as he arrives.
The captain frowns as he observes his opponent, 'I need to be careful here, this guy is not like the others I have fought since getting here'.
'His speed is remarkable but without teleportation I am still faster than him. All I need to do is wait for him to get close and then hit him as hard as I can'.
Tobirama lowers his hand towards the ground, taking this chance to observe the surrounding area at the same time as measuring up his opponent.
'Stabbing him in the arm didn't seem to do any damage at all. He is faster than I am. I have to keep my cool in this fight'.
The captain smiles, seeing Tobirama also taking an opportunity to contemplate how to proceed. 'One good punch to your head and I can crush your skull'.
Tobirama continues, 'Even if I stabbed him in the heart he may not die. I've got no overwhelming attacks to use like Naruto… but there is still one way'.
As one of Tobirama's muscles contracts a frown returns to the captain's face. 'He intends to make use of his ability to teleport. All I need to do is make sure I keep track of all his weapons'.
Tobirama crosses his fingers, executing one of the many jutsu he created, the shadow clone jutsu. His clone is quick to act, taking out a kunai of his own while the original Tobirama throws his kunai towards the captain.
The original Tobirama teleports to the kunai before kicking the captain in the chest.
The captain reacts in rage, covering his arm in stone before throwing a punch towards Tobirama. For some reason though at the last second, he misses. It's as if Tobirama's position changes instantly but he is in the same place, something he cannot do with the flying thunder god jutsu.
The shinobi quickly works to punch the Captain in the arm, a distracting blow before the main course. He thrusts his kunai once more towards the heart of the invader, only for the bronze cloaked soldier to leap backwards at the last second, creating separation between them.
That was a golden chance.
Missed.
'His body just moved instantly there, could it have been a result of his teleportation' the Captain questions, 'No, it's that clone he is using, they are both wielding that same weapon. They must have swapped places'.
'I see, so your technique is more advanced that it seems'.
While the Captain feels, he has gained a measure of safety now that he has understood the trick, Tobirama's thoughts are entirely different, in his head it boils away, a plan is formed.
'I've made sure that it works now, I've only got one shot though. To do this with clones is exceedingly difficult but… I have to try'.
Tobirama crosses his fingers once more, creating a second shadow clones. Now a trio of 2nd Hokage's line up against the one captain.
The first clone throws his kunai towards the captain before teleporting to it. The Captain wastes no time though before he throws a punch in retaliation. Just as expected, the fight goes the same way as last time, Tobirama's second clone swaps positions with his first.
As the two clones swap positions, they manage to dodge the punch, as the second one immediately thrusts his kunai towards the captain's arm.
'This cloning technique is obviously straining you'. The poisonous captain smiles to himself, finally seeing a clear path to survival. 'Your facial expression makes it obvious, all I have to do is outlast you'.
The clone's kunai reaches its target, a non-lethal target. The shoulder. The captain decides not to cover this part of his body in stone, it is of little importance, it serves no purpose in the fight going forward. Naturally, Tobirama knows this, his decision being to deliberately attack the captain in a place where it would hurt, in a place where he would be distracted, if only slightly.
The captain once more throws a punch that misses, signalling the coming of Tobirama's original body. It's finally do or die time for the 2nd Hokage who lunges his weapon straight towards the captain's heart.
'Go ahead fool. That attack won't kill me even if it does pierce my flesh'.
Then with a flash the kunai disappears from Tobirama's hand and is quickly replaced with a knife.
A dyed mauve knife.
The poisonous knife.
'WHAT!'.
By the time the captain realises what is happening it is too late. The knife has pierced into his chest; the poison begins to spread.
"H… How" he coughs out as he looks hatefully at the silver haired Hokage.
"I marked your knife with my formula the moment I pulled it from Mito's body" the younger Senju brother explains through his enemies sustained coughs and splutters.
"You're going to die, you know that, don't you?"
Tobirama has no more patience for this man, this captain who has potentially destroyed the hidden leaf. With a jerk, he pulls the poisoned knife from his chest and thrusts it into the rear of his skull. In the captain's defenceless state, it is an instant kill.
Tobirama has won.
The Hokage dissipates his two clones before walking slowly over to Mito's side. "Mito, are you?".
"Tobirama" she cuts him off, her voice very faint, a symbol of her weakened state. "You'll tell him, right?".
"I'll give my brother your love" he answers punctually. He has experienced much death, he understands the value of words at this point, he gives Mito all the time she can use.
"Good" she smiles while watching her brother-in-law clench his fists in regret.
She sighs gently, "Don't regret this Tobirama. There was nothing more you could have done".
"That's what I regret" he calmly replies, "My own powerlessness, my own inability to change things".
"You know, right, you know what to do. You know how to change things?".
"I know".
Mito smiles once again. "Tell Hashirama and Tsunade and… and all the others that I… I really hope they all find happiness in this world".
"I will".
"And you better find it too" her eyes dart to the man beside her. "If you come to the other side having lived a miserable life I will be very annoyed".
"I will find happiness Mito, not just for me but for everyone. That is my promise to you" he sincerely answers as he looks her in the eyes.
"That's very good. Good. Good luck… Tobirama" she says as her eyes slowly close.
'Hashirama… Tsunade… for me… live'.
Tobirama stays by Mito's side, keeping a respectful watch over her for two minutes before he gets an ominous feeling. He feels a tingling in his spine.
"Now then" he begins, "It's time to change things".