MAKING THE IMPOSSIBLE POSSIBLE – WHAT IF HE DIES?
Outside the Medical Building
Hashirama's greatest wish in this moment is that he could stop being a shinobi, that he could stop feeling what he does. He is not a great sensor like Tobirama, he is not a legendary teleporter like Minato and he does not have unrivalled vision like Sarada. Though, he is still the 1st Hokage, there are some people in this world who have enormous chakras, chakras that you cannot help but feel when they are there and miss when they are gone, at least, if you are the 1st Hokage.
If Hashirama could stop being a shinobi then he wouldn't have to feel this, this sense of loss. His ability to manipulate nature chakra was described by many as a gift but by none as a curse. That is what it is though, to feel the death of a loved one without being able to move, while being powerless to help them, that can only be described as a curse. If that cannot be described as a curse, then what else can be.
As Mito's chakra slowly disappears Hashirama thinks back to the times they spent together. From the moment, they met, to when they decided they would marry one another. He thinks to all the support she gave him in his time as the Hokage. Then his mind drifts to their journey to the future, into an unknown world that is not only confusing but also intimidating. In that world where so many people are depending on him he felt there is only one person he can truly depend upon and now she has vanished. Now what can he do?
'Mito…´ he speaks her names in his own head, almost pleading for her to speak with him one last time.
No, this is not a plea, this is a prayer.
A wish that is not granted.
"Lord 1st, is something wrong" Hinata asks, noticing a solitary tear rolling down the bronzed cheek of the world's first Kage.
"I can sense it" he replies after a few seconds. Despite his anguish he keeps his eyes firmly locked on the body of Namikaze Minato, while other people would run he stays. That is his duty as a Hokage of the hidden leaf village. "Mito just died".
Kushina's eyes widen as she finally focuses her senses. The words are quickly proven right to her, the previously overwhelming chakra that exuded from Uzumaki Mito is gone. Only one conclusion can be drawn from this.
Mito is dead.
"Lady Mito died…" she breathes out, struggling to believe that this day could get any worse.
Mito had been an important part of her life, convincing her that the most important thing for a jinchuriki was love. That conviction lead Kushina to Minato, it is because Kushina was instilled with that conviction that Naruto, Boruto and Himawari were born into this world.
"That's…" Hinata mutters, not knowing what to say. From the brief time, she spent with Kushina, she learnt that Mito was very important to Kushina, another survivor of a near dead clan.
"Lord 1st, I'm very sorry for your loss" Himawari bows her head, doing her best to maintain her composure in this situation where everyone else has lost there's, "I'll go and find Aunt Ino, she can take over the healing process while you go to Mito".
Himawari gets to her feet before realising that this isn't necessary. The aforementioned Yamanaka clan member is to her rear, brought here by her brother Boruto.
"There he is" Boruto says as he points his finger towards Hashirama and Minato.
Despite her old age, Ino runs over to the 4th Hokage at full speed. "Lord 1st, allow me to take over from you".
Hashirama's expression has changed from before, previously it was an expression of steely focus, of icy concentration but now it has changed to a blank expression. It is the sort of face you would expect to see in a school classroom when a child has lost focus, it is devoid of emotion, of consciousness, of caring.
"I can't do that" he replies after a few seconds.
"What… why not?".
"Lord 45h hasn't spoken for a while, that is because the two of us have come to an understanding, we have reached an equilibrium" Hashirama answers in a dreary monotone voice, "Not only is medicinal chakra required to help keep the poison at bay but so is nature chakra".
"Nature chakra?" Hinata leans forward, thinking back to Naruto's stories of his time at Mount Myoboku.
"The chakra of sages" Boruto explains.
Kushina's eyebrows lower to her the tops of her eyes before she turns to Boruto out of curiosity. "You're a sage".
It would seem that sages ran in the Uzumaki family. Minato, while not an expert, is a competent user of sage jutsu. He spent his time at Mount Myoboku on the orders of his sensei, Naruto, of course, became a legendary sage who defended the world from Madara, Kaguya and Sasuke. Now Boruto too is a sage. Even Naruto's godfather, Lord Jariya, was famed for his use of sage mode.
"I struggle with it" Boruto answers with a small shrug of his shoulders, "I cannot compare to dad who wields such incredible power with nature chakra. Still, it's true; I am a sage".
"It has to be me" Hashirama continues, as if ignoring what Boruto has just said, "I'm the only sage who is proficient enough in medical jutsu".
Hinata starts, "But your wife…".
"I KNOW".
The 1st Hokage's shout stuns everyone into silence, the usually relaxed and clumsy Senju Hashirama has snapped. To see him become angry like this, to lose his cool is very unusual. Something even Mito and Tobirama cannot claim to have seen many times. This is the change in attitude that only Mito's death can cause to her husband.
"I know" he says again more quietly, "But if we lose Minato as well she will have died for nothing".
Once again a frosty few moments of silence pass, broken by the tightening of Kushina's hands on the edges of her sleeves.
"Thank you Lord 1st … thank you".
"Don't thank me yet" he replies blandly.
Then the door to the medical building opens, emerging are two women in medical garb. Clearly from their reaction they did not expect to see this when they came out.
"What is going on?" Biwako asks as she runs over to the side of Kushina.
"Lady Tsunade" Himawari turns to the 5th Hokage and quickly approaches her, "What happened, did the surgery go well?".
Tsunade shakes her head gently, "Only time will tell, now we're just waiting".
"He will either die or he will wake up, those are the only two options".
Kushina pulls her hair from in front of her eyes, finally realising what a state she has gotten into. "Hinata, would you explain the bad news to Tsunade please. I don't think I'm up to it right now".
"Yes" Hinata smiles gently as she rises to her feet, "Lady Tsunade, please come with me".
5 Days Later, Outside the Medical Building
As a small wooden shelter, has been built around Minato's position it has made it practical for him to remain here. Even a shinobi of his calibre would struggle to focus on his chakra for 24 hours a day if he was bombarded by rain and wind. This structure has made it a lot easier for both the 4th and 1st Hokage.
With them is the doting Kushina. Her dishevelled appearance not so different than it was 5 days prior. Her clothes still the same, the smell around them noticeable for anyone who passed. As Boruto and Hinata approach for a visit, they quickly realise that Kushina hasn't once left Minato's side.
Kushina looks to her approaching daughter-in-law, as if not stressed enough already she is reminded that Naruto is also on death's door.
"Is Naruto showing any signs of recovery" the red-haired woman asks.
Hinata shakes her head slowly from side to side, "I'm sorry Kushina".
"My family was torn apart in the past. That is what Sakura told us. I never met my son, I had far too little time to spend with my husband and naturally I never knew I had grandchildren". Kushina reflects on the difficult of her family's life.
"Now fate has given me a second change to enjoy a life with my family and it is all slipping away right in front of my eyes".
Hinata's lack of self-confidence is evident but she pushes through it kneeling next to Kushina and hugging her mother-in-law gently to her. "It'll be OK" she whispers, "They are both strong".
Kushina nods, accepting the wisdom in Hinata's words. Naruto and Minato were two veterans of the 4th great shinobi war, two people who had a very short time together but in that short time had saved the entire world. If anybody could survive these torrid circumstances, Naruto and Minato could.
"I'm really glad I met you too Hinata" Kushina smiles momentarily, "I'm really please Naruto married someone like you".
"Thank you".
"Lord 1st" Boruto calls to the previously silent 1st Hokage.
"… yeah" his croaky voice replies.
"It's time now…".
"… it's time to stop healing him".
Hashirama's head rises from Minato's chest and his eyes fix on Boruto.
"Boruto…" Kushina stammers in horror, "What are you saying".
"I know this is hard, I know that just as well as anyone, this man is my grandfather after all. Still, every second you spend healing him is a second of sleep you lose Lord 1st".
"You're not honestly suggesting we give up on Minato are you" Kushina asks mouth agape. That family she was so desperate to spend more time with, it was suggesting that they let her husband die, just what is happening she wonders.
"What if dad doesn't wake up" Boruto points the medical building as he leans forward, "What if you spend this entire month healing my grandfather and don't do any training yourself".
"Lord 1st if that happens then you will be our strongest shinobi come the contest and you would have done no training".
"Boruto…" Hashirama rolls the name of his tongue, not quite believing what he is hearing. 'Is this man really Uzumaki Naruto's son?'.
"You couldn't even defeat a Colonel before" he points out before his voice raises to a shout, "How are you going to defeat a General?".
"No, you have to stop" he finishes.
Hinata rises from her knees again approaching her son with downturned eyes. Upon reaching him she lifts her hand up to his face.
SLAP!
As Boruto's eyes widen at his mother's reaction Hinata begins to scold her son. "You idiot. Has your father never told you of his ninja way, of my ninja way. We never give up!".
"You've not lived in this world as long as I have" Boruto explains, "You haven't had to endure what I've had to endure. This may look like the paradise you lived in but it isn't".
Kushina's voice practically a whisper, she raises her objection, "Sarada… Sarada would never leave Minato to die".
"That's why I exist, to make those hard decisions she can't" Boruto says as he takes a step towards his grandmother, "For the good of the hidden leaf, that is my duty, that is the duty of the shadow Hokage".
"My wife died in the hope of protecting this man" Hashirama's voice remains croaky as he looks from Boruto back to Minato, "I refuse to let her die for nothing".
"If we all die that's exactly what she will have done".
Hashirama pauses, "Sarada brought us here to save the people of this village".
"She didn't do it to protect herself but to protect the weak. This compassion is what binds all living creatures, it's what makes us what we are" Hashirama suggests, "Even if the village has to die to preserve it, I will preserve that compassion until the very end".
Boruto sighs, seeing as the 1st Hokage will not change his mind. "Very well" he says as he turns to leave, "On your head be it".
The Lake
Hiruzen and Mira continue to train with one another, their goal the perfection of her hidden power.
"Keep calm…" Hiruzen instructs his granddaughter.
Mirai does her best to relax as she gathers her chakra into her two hands. In her left hand is the howling wind originating from the north and in her right hand is the blazing fire spoken of in legends. These two alone would be enough to make most shinobi quake in their boots, however, Mirai's goal is not to battle shinobi, no, her goal is to battle a Colonel. Her goal is to reach a level that only Uzumaki Naruto has reached previously.
"NOW".
As her grandfather commands her into action, Mirai pushes the two sources of energy together before expelling them into the air before her. Out from her hands comes one of the most beautiful attacks either has ever seen, a bright orange explosive flame.
Hiruzen chuckles lightly as he sees the attack form. In his life, he would have gone on to teach many people many things, however, none of them would have brought him the pride and delight that this has. Seeing this attack, this power he spoke of come to fruition is truly satisfying.
Mirai smiles widely as she comfortably controls the exploding flame before her. Despite its repeated explosion it does not disappear as she changes its shape. She forms it into the shape of a dog, a horse, a dragon, the exploding flame reacts exactly as she wills it.
"Old man, I can control this flame" she smiles, struggling to stop herself from laughing, "I can control this explosion".
"Mirai, your ability is so much more than that, you will come to realise that in the coming weeks".
Finally dissipating her flame, Mirai jogs over to the 3rd Hokage before embracing him in a tight hug.
He smiles as he reciprocates the hug, "Hey, what are you getting so emotional over?".
"I've never had the strength to protect the people I care about" she explains, "I've had to watch as they die for so long, I've retreated without making any progress at all".
"But then you came along from the past, you and grandma changed everything. Thank you so much".
Eventually letting go of Mirai, Hiruzen continues to smile knowingly, "Mirai, this strength is nothing yet".
"Nothing?" she chuckles, "This power is incredible".
"This power within you can do much more than just this" Hiruzen declares. A man who was revered for his knowledge of jutsu he is more than qualified to make this remark, after all, he proved everyone wrong, he brought out Mirai's special power, "We're going to bring your full power out, OK?".
"Yes".
"That was impressive" a voice startles the duo from nearby, Biwako is approaching, "Congratulations on controlling your power Mirai".
"Thank you Grandma".
"What is the news of Minato and Hashirama" Hiruzen asks, the smile finally dropping from his face as he thinks of his two fellow Hokage.
"Still nothing, we're stuck waiting for a miracle" Biwako answers.
The 3rd Hokage sighs, his exhalation lasting for a controlled five seconds, "Without them I'm not sure we can win this contest".
"I know" his wife nods, "Hiruzen, you should prepare to compete in the contest, if Minato dies we will need your help".
"I know…" he answers, "But Minato's potential is a lot greater than my own and if Lord 1st doesn't get any training done then…".
"Let's not talk in ifs" Mirai suggests.
She finishes her sentence in her own head.
'Because if that comes to pass. Then we will all… die'.