THE BATTLE FOR THE EARTH – THE DOOMED CHILDREN
Grace and Hashirama's Starting Point
As the wind blows gently, Grace pushes her bright green hair from her eyes. To her left she senses Burns, she has gone down, the first victim in the battle of the Colonels. To her right, she senses Sisto, a victim of a team battle that should have been impossible to lose. How could a team of people who had fought together for less than twenty years best one that had fought together for multiple centuries.
Sighing, Grace turns her eyes to the prison before her. Inside this structure is Senju Hashirama. Although she had been victorious over Hashirama, she hadn't beaten him. She had won on a technicality. It was only because Hashirama was a novice that he had lost, no, it was because he was a novice and failed to realise it. If the 1st Hokage had been fighting sensibly, if he had acknowledged his own weakness he would have won. It seems unthinkable now, but had that have been the results, the hidden leaf would have survived. The invaders wouldn't have even come this far.
The solemn look on her face persists as her two fellow Colonels arrive. Now only these three and the General remain standing on their team. While their condition is better than the shinobis' this isn't a favourable situation for them.
"Are we giving everything to stop him from getting free?" Grace asks, not taking her eyes away from Hashirama's prison.
"Yeah" Sheer nods as she quietly replies to her friend.
Grace tightens her fist. This is not anger nor determination that she is experiencing, it is fear. "This guy only lost because he wasted his chakra stupidly" she snaps as she turns her head to the side, looking at her comrades out of the corner of her eye, "If he actually went for the finishing blow… if he really tried to…".
A pair of hands land on Grace's shoulders. Sheer's hands. "Don't worry, we won't let him get free".
Grace finally turns around, looking into Sheer's eyes she feels a moment of genuine reassurance. Sheer is one of the eldest members of their group, for her to make a promise like this can't avoid being of some comfort to Grace.
Still, the situation is a lot to take in for the green-haired Colonel. She turns around, resting against Hashirama's prison before slowly sliding her back down its length. Falling until she is sat on the floor. Thankfully, only a member of Hashirama's team can open this prison so this in itself does not free him, it does represent the Colonel's stress though.
"Grace" Sheer shouts before kneeling down next to her friend. "What's wrong?".
"Aren't you fed up of this" Grace asks. "Aren't you fed up of conquering worlds?".
"Grace…".
"We do it time and time again. World after world, but this is the first time the locals have put up such a resistance" Grace is on the verge of tears as she rubs her eyes, "This is the first time we have ever agreed to something like this. This contest is getting to me".
She continues, "Don't you feel at all like we are the ones in the wrong?".
This question stuns Sheer. Of course, any unbiased observer can tell that the invaders are in the wrong. No matter what their personal circumstances, they have showed up in this world, they have murdered the inhabitants of the planet, they have killed without showing any mercy. No matter what their personal circumstances, it's not like there is no choice at all. Sheer recalls what Sarada had told her, that if the odds were stacked against her, she would still try to overcome the impossible.
"We don't have a choice" Sheer eventually answers, "Don't you realise how lucky you are to be in this team?".
"Of course I do!" Grace practically screams at Sheer before taking a few deep breaths to calm down.
It is clear to Sheer and Peterson that this has all become too much for Grace. She has lived for over two hundred years, she is actually one of the youngest Colonels. There is only so much stress someone can take before they snap. The younger you are, it is inevitable that you will be able to take less stress before reaching that point.
"With the exception of Martin, you guys, my subordinates, you have all been like family to me. But, the worlds have always fallen, one after another, they have fought back but they have never come this far before".
Grace looks Sheer in the eye, knowing what she is about to say is especially true for her friend. "One after another, the people of this world have stood up to us. Their feelings, their emotions have reached us, isn't it impacting you at all?".
This is exactly what Sheer experienced against Sarada. "Yeah, of course it's impacting me. I have never met a local who has made me feel the same way these ones do".
"But we can't afford to lose" the wind-controller says with arms stretched wide, "It's because we are like a family to each other. I could give in if it was just me, if I were the only one who would die, but it's the rest of you".
"I don't care what dark thing I have to do, I don't care how many I have to kill. I'm not going to let you die".
Sheer and Grace gaze at one another. It is their job to be ruthless. It is their job to kill. Seldom are they brought together and often are they dragged apart. Yet, in the few moments where the Colonels are united they are truly like family. The bond between them is stronger than it has ever been with anyone during their childhood.
"It's all my fault" Peterson claims, drawing the two women's attention, "If I hadn't lost to that man, we wouldn't have been having this contest".
"If I hadn't lost to that man, Martin would have never fled. Now who knows what terrible fate he will bring down upon us".
Martin, the poison using Colonel. The man who fought against Boruto with an overwhelming advantage only to run away at the first sign of danger. A true coward, someone who has always acted like he deserves more from this group. He had promised that his sister would make Clyde pay for what he had done. An ominous threat that they may not survive.
Sheer nods, "Even if we win we are doomed".
"Yeah".
"If this was all a story" Grace mopes, "Don't you feel like we would be the villains?".
"No" Sheer resolutely replies, "I feel like we would be the doomed children, waiting for a hero".
"I guess that hero would be General Clyde wouldn't it" she smiles cheerfully, "Isn't he the leader of our family, the only one who can save us".
"The General will never lose" Peterson declares, his fists clenched tightly, "He will never lose if our lives are on the line".
Answer with two nods he continues, "If the General is going to do his best for us, we can't fail him on this front".
Tobirama and Peterson's Starting Point
Sarada arrives. Dropping out of her meteor form, she lands next to the 2nd Hokage in her human form. He doesn't appear to be moving so she examines him with her rinnegan, coming to a quick determination about his condition.
'He's still alive' is her conclusion.
She picks him up by the back of the head, looking at his unconscious face as she thinks of what to do. Sarada sighs internally, 'I hope this isn't too rude'.
SLAP!
Sarada slaps Tobirama's face, "Wake up!" she shouts at him.
Tobirama slowly opens his eyes, grunting in pain as he does so. This is the pain from his injuries obtained previously from Peterson's attack. Still, Sarada's less than subtle method of waking him does not go far towards improving his mood. 'Waking me like that, respect really has slipped amongst the younger generations'.
"What happened here?" Sarada asks, not concerning herself with the insignificant pain Tobirama will inevitably be feeling at this moment.
Tobirama rubs his palm softly on his forehead. During these last few days, he has endured a thousand negative emotions, between watching his brother's new attitude at work and watching his friends get beaten. He has endured a brutal fight against Peterson, only to have to endure another against Sheer. Not only that, but Sheer had successfully freed Peterson, only for the latter to blast Tobirama with lightning that may have killed him not so long ago. To be woken with a slap after all that, is not something he particularly enjoys.
Still, as always, he persists in doing what is best for the hidden leaf village. "Your opponent, Sheer, she came here and freed Peterson" Tobirama begins, "Together they overpowered me".
"Damn" Sarada stands and looks around, as if questioning where they went. "Did they go after Boruto?".
Tobirama pushes himself to his feet before touching the ground with his finger. Using this method, he can sense sources of chakra in other countries, there is no way that anyone in this battle, with chakra, will escape his sensory powers.
"I highly doubt that they went after Boruto and Kakashi" he begins, "By the time they caught up to them it would be too late to stop them from freeing Mirai".
Boruto and Kakashi are in a weakened state but a short while has passed, they are likely to have recovered to some degree. Sheer is different, her state is very weakened after fighting Boruto, Sarada and Tobirama. If Boruto and Kakashi were to free Mirai, even Peterson and Sheer together may be unable to stand up to them. If Grace were to join the duo of Colonels things may be different but abandoning Hashirama's prison is unthinkable. It's suicidal.
"In that case" Sarada mutters.
"Their strategy has become to prevent my brother getting free at all costs" Tobirama notes.
The 9th Hokage nods. Though she doesn't like Hashirama's new attitude she has a great deal of respect for his power. That is part of the reason she brought him to this time. "That makes a lot of sense, Hashirama, when he controls his power, is the strongest amongst us".
"Yeah" Tobirama nods.
Sarada tidies her clothes before turning to face Hashirama's prison. Naturally, there is only one thing to do at this moment. That is to free the 1st Hokage, if the 1st Hokage is freed then everything will be fine, the battle of the Colonels can be won.
"Do you need a moment to collect your thoughts?" the 2nd Hokage asks.
"What do you mean?".
"Just now when I told you that Peterson was free, you became abnormally worried that they would go after Boruto" he explains, "That would be a completely illogical move given the circumstances, there is no way they would do that".
Sarada averts her gaze, already understanding the implication Tobirama is making. "I'm no tactical genius like you, I just didn't realise" she justifies herself as she waves a hand in front of her face.
"Furthermore" Tobirama begins, "You were worried they would go after Boruto. Not Boruto and Kakashi".
"I have just known Boruto longer" Sarada replies as her face begins to turn pale red, "He and I don't…".
"Sarada, look at me".
She reluctantly returns her gaze to her predecessor. Looking into the steely eyes of the Hokage reputed for his technique creation.
"I don't care what sort of relationship you and Boruto share" he declares, enhancing her blush even further, "But you've got a job to do. You need to focus on saving the hidden leaf, got it, Lord 9th?".
Those words awaken something inside Sarada. She knows it's a common psychological ploy, refer to someone by their rank to reaffirm their sense of duty. Regardless, Tobirama is right, no matter what her feelings on Boruto, it won't matter if she loses here. She has something far greater to deal with, she has to protect the hidden leaf. She has to do her job as the 9th Hokage.
Taking a deep breath, Sarada adjusts her glasses, "Yeah, I've got it".
"Let's go". Tobirama stretches out his hand, throwing a kunai in the direction of Hashirama's prison. He waits but a moment for Sarada to take hold of his shoulder, then the disappear, they teleport away with the flying thunder god technique.
Near Hashirama and Grace's Starting Point
Arriving a few minutes later, Tobirama and Sarada take great pains to remain hidden in some nearby bushes. This is their absolute advantage. With Sarada's rinnegan there is no way the Colonels could hide at such close range, yet with their ability as shinobi, their ability to hide, there is even less chance of them being discovered. Still, the Hokages are still cautious.
"Keep your chakra as well hidden as possible" Sarada instructs.
"It's easier said than done with Kurama sealed inside me" Tobirama explains.
The nine-tails snaps at its host, "Don't blame me you idiot".
"You getting excited is making the situation worse" the white-haired shinobi retorts.
"Fine, just stop blaming me for everything".
Sarada thinks of an easy winning tactic, surprised that it hasn't been used already. "You must have marked your brother at some point since coming to the future, right?".
"Indeed" comes the reply.
"And aren't we within the range of your flying thunder god technique?".
The flying thunder god technique may seem miraculous but it does have one weakness, it's range. This has come into play several times in history. The best example of this can be seen with the delayed arrival of the resurrected Hokage during the 4th great shinobi war. On that day, it had taken Minato a long while before he arrived on the battlefield, despite using the flying thunder god jutsu and the 2nd Hokage crediting the former with being even faster than himself.
"That's true" Tobirama admits, "But I can't teleport to him right now".
Sarada starts, "Why?".
"I'm not sure, I think it must be because of that prison". The prison had been described as being made of the strongest metal that comes from the invader's world. Is that really all that makes it special though, the 2nd wonders. "Most likely, it is made of some material that separates the world inside from the world outside".
"You mean, as if it's a completely different realm?". Sarada is familiar with the concept of there being several realms. It is something that her parents both understood well, having experienced it in their battles against Obito, Madara and Kaguya. Truly, those three had been on a different level because of their ability to manipulate which realm they were in.
"Right now, I can't sense my brother's chakra" Tobirama points out, "Can you see him through the prison?".
"I cannot. And now that I think about it, I couldn't sense Kakashi's chakra when the start signal sounded. It's only after he passed through the prison that his chakra appeared". The pieces start to fall into place in the mind of the 9th Hokage.
"I see".
Sarada still doesn't understand fully how all of this is possible. "If the walls of the prison separate dimensions, wouldn't that have prevented Kakashi from passing through them?".
Tobirama strokes his chin, "I spoke to Kakashi before, about his Kamui power. Kamui has its own alternate dimension, I imagine that when he passes through objects, his body is teleported to that dimension".
At last it makes sense. Sarada lifts her glasses slightly. "So, that wall is present in our dimension and inside the prison's dimension but it's not present in Kakashi's dimension.
She shakes her head lightly from side to side, focusing on the situation at hand. "It doesn't matter how it works, all that matters now is freeing Hashirama".
The 2nd Hokage reminds the woman who eventually took his job that this is far from easy. This involves touching the outside of the prison, a prison guarded not by one but by three Colonels. Two of these Colonels are fresh, one of them is the strongest Colonel of all and both Hokages are heavily injured.
"No, it should be fine" Sarada counters, "I have my comet transformation and you have the flying thunder god jutsu. We are specialists when it comes to this".
"Sheer and Peterson control wind and lightning respectively, they are not slow". A high praise coming from a man who invented the shinobi world's fastest space-time technique, "Plus, my brother's opponent is also there. She may not be as fast as the other two but she still gives them a one-person advantage".
"We still have to try".
Tobirama smiles, admiring Sarada's determination. "Even if we go down, I suppose we have little to lose at this point. The others aren't within range so I can't use the flying thunder god to bring them here".
"Still" he continues, "They will arrive sooner or later, if nobody else can, then Kakashi can free my brother".
Sarada punches her left palm with her right fist. "Then let's give them hell in the meantime".
The 2nd Hokage nods.
Together the 2nd Hokage and 9th Hokage make their preparations for the most important manoeuvre of their lives.
Can they free Hashirama?