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Artwork: jessejzette - The 7 Generations of Hokage - Find jessejzette on deviant art.
A NEW WORLD – ENCOUNTER WITH HASHIRAMA
Between the Camp and the Back Entrance
The floor of the cart barely creaks at all as it is wheeled forward along the ground. The wheels have been made beautifully considering the lack of resource available and the inside is luxurious enough for a royal to travel in. The floor on but firm wooden material, either side thick cushioned benches are present, wide enough to sit on, long enough to lay on. This is not the means of transport that the villagers have grown use to and especially not what Naruto has been used to.
"Why do we have to be pulled in this damn cart" Naruto snaps, crossing his arms like a stroppy child, "Sarada, you shouldn't have made this thing".
"I was asked to, I wouldn't have felt right saying no, especially given Clyde's condition".
"I'm feel fine, honestly" the general says.
The three of them have been grumpy for the entire trip so far. This trip has been much slower than their previous ones. The defeat at the hands of Carmen sapped the warriors mentally, making them feel completely devoid of energy. It has sobered them, shattered their previous high-spirits and reminded them just what they are up against.
Sarada was the one who made this cart, she used her power of 'creation'. It is a difficult power to use. She could, like Hashirama did previously, have created temporary accommodation for all the villagers as a substitute for the tents they are staying in. That wouldn't be practical though, to do such a thing for the villagers, military and shinobi would require an astonishing amount of energy. It would be wasteful, especially considering that they may have to move constantly over the coming months. Creating this cart was well within her capabilities though, the luxury element of it more a consideration for her comrades than herself.
The trio, having fought Carmen, are each blaming themselves for the defeat. Sarada for not seeing the opening she was looking for the entire time. Clyde for not being better prepared to face his own mentor. Naruto for being the strongest of them yet not being able to do anything at all. They have worked together, given it everything they had, and failed.
"The three of you should shut up" Tsunade shouts as she walks along the length of the cart. "You should be focusing on your own health right now. You don't know how much internal damage has been done to you".
Biwako nods, "Tsunade is right, it's best not to blindly trust your powers Naruto, just relax and let us check you over".
Frankly, the two medics have been incredibly useful and will likely continue to be so. They may not have the raw healing power of Naruto or even Hashirama, but they do have an in-depth knowledge of medicine accompanied by a keen intellect. Overall, they are arguably more useful as medics than either the 1st or 7th Hokage.
Sarada groans, confident of Naruto's abilities and that he has healed them already. It was Biwako who insisted she create this cart, a means of allowing them to rest and be tended to by the villages finest medics. She almost regrets it now. It's just like when she got the flu as a kid and her mother stayed home from work. Not a single person could have been more annoying, or so she thought.
"'Life' should have…" Naruto begins.
Suddenly, a voice from outside cuts him off. A shout. A scream.
"It's Lord 1st…".
Naruto exchanges a glance with Sarada and Clyde before the three of them quickly leap from the cart. They must be ready for action at a moment's notice. Truthfully, this is the worst time they could have bumped into Hashirama's group.
Emerging from the cart, the three of them circulate their divine energy to the utmost, dashing to the front of the group with a supernatural speed and positioning themselves between their allies and their enemies. A position where they belong.
They are met with a familiar sadistic laugh from an insane man.
"Here he is" Tao Ma says, swaying back and forward like a drunkard.
Sarada immediately praises their good fortune as they are not confronted by a large group, just a group of three. Hashirama, Boruto and Tao Ma. If the group had been larger, there would be no way to guarantee their safety. There is always safety in numbers though, as Clyde said previously, with the amount of people behind them using divine energy, they would stand a chance even against a mighty foe like Hashirama.
Boruto sighs, looking to the blonde man standing opposite him. "It looks like you've had better days father".
"Perhaps choosing the wrong path has weakened you" Hashirama says questioningly, "Otherwise, it would be impossible for you to be beaten so badly, Naruto".
Naruto flicks his eyes downward at his arm to see that the bruises from his fight are still there. He supposes that minor wounds like this are outside the scope of his healing powers, at least for now.
"Naruto hasn't chosen the wrong path since I've met him" Clyde counters defensively.
Hashirama ignores Clyde. "Why must you weaken yourself by allying with these people Naruto? Have you forgotten all the suffering they have caused your family?".
How could he forget something like that?
"… where are you going Hashirama, I can't imagine you're just taking a walk".
"I assume that you have just come from the rear entrance of the imperial palace, as it happens, I am heading there too".
Clyde starts. "The rear entrance? How do you know about that entrance?".
"I have no reason to answer you, unlike Naruto, you are my true enemy".
Clyde can't help but wonder. How many people know about the rear entrance to the imperial palace. That he knows of, the previous emperor, his headmaster, Carmen, a few other teachers, himself and Lara. Lara would never be willing to tell Hashirama about it, would she? Even if she would, it wouldn't matter, would Hashirama's group really trust anyone from this world about something like that? But who else could possibly tell him?
"Father" Boruto calls, "It's unusual to see you in this sort of state, it seems that the rear entrance must have some sort of guardian".
"Yes, it does".
"Have no fear" Hashirama smiles calmingly, "Uzumaki Naruto, I won't let anyone from this world get away with doing this to you. I will kill the guardian, then I shall kill Furst Jonas".
"You will?" Sarada steps forward, clearly mocking her former friend. "Lord 1st, do you honestly think your previous victory makes you a better shinobi than Naruto? You just used cheap tactics and had the element of surprise on your side. If the circumstances weren't so favourable to you, Naruto would have won".
"Right?" Sarada looks to Naruto for confirmation but surprisingly comes up empty.
Naruto just keeps his head low, refusing to tackle the question.
Many behind Naruto can only take this as a denial, a subconscious admission of Hashirama's superiority.
"… are you looking to fight here?" Naruto finally asks.
"I have never wanted to fight you, nor any other shinobi. You have simply forced me into it. Regardless, fighting here, even when you have been weakened, would be suicide. We are outnumbered by so many. Right now, we have stronger enemies to face".
Sighs of relief travel through the group of shinobi and captain as Hashirama refuses to fight with them. If he had decided to fight, regardless of the outcome, casualties would have been guaranteed.
"Boruto!" Naruto calls to his son, preventing him from leaving.
Boruto turns back to face his father, hearing him out.
"Back when I first came here you spoke to me. You spoke to me about something you would never speak to anyone else about. Who do you speak to now?".
"That sort of conversation is no longer necessary for me" Boruto says.
"I see…".
With the last words exchanged, Boruto, Hashirama and Tao Ma head on to make their attempt on the rear entrance.
They leave having posed more questions than they answered.
The Rear-Entrance
Carmen gazes at the hair tie in her hand, unsure how she should be feeling as she looks vacantly at it. It's nostalgic if nothing else. Even with her reduced sense of vision, looking at the beautifully woven clothing is like looking into her past. This contains many memories for her. So many of those memories are miserable, memories of failure and of loss. There are also good memories though, ones she would never want to forget, no matter what the cost.
A student approaches, one of the few that know about the rear entrance, one of the few that Clyde doesn't know about. This one is from the latest batch of prodigies to pass through the academy's walls. The modern-day version of a young Clyde. Still naïve to just how important the opening in this wall is but adored by Carmen all the same.
"Lady Carmen" he says.
She pays no attention, instead continuing to gaze at her own hair tie.
"Lady Carmen! Have you been in a fight?".
Carmen raises her head, seemingly only just aware that her student has approached. He notes that this is unusual, normally Carmen is keenly alert of everything that goes on around her. Her sensory re-balancing and her neatly exercised energy regulation see to that. The bruises forming on her face though, and the tie cut from the top of her head, that is very unusual.
"Sorry" Carmen says, smiling to her junior, "I was just lost in nostalgia. Yes, I was in a fight, but you don't need to worry about me, it was nothing I can't handle".
Carmen has always liked this student since she first met him. It wasn't because of his talent, not that it wasn't exceptional, it was because of his attitude. The student has no unique powers, no transcendent abilities, he's just a talented man. Gifted in the element of 'earth'. He is not like Lara, not mean, arrogant or headstrong. He is not like Clyde, emotional, a leader and at times overconfident. His foremost attribute is his kindness and consideration. Ironically, for a general in training, he is not very suited to a life of violence.
"To be able to cut this hair tie from your head, your opponents must have been something special" the student says.
"Yes, they were unusual, very unusual indeed. Sorry, you haven't come here to discuss me, can I help you?".
The student instantly perks up. "Yes. I was wondering if you could go over those five principles with me again".
Carmen smiles, "The five principles hey, I would be glad to, a lot of students don't pay as much attention to them as they should".
Carmen does just that, explaining each of the points concisely but leaving out certain details so that the student may work them out for himself. The five principles are her pride as a fighter, something she practices with great effectiveness. As she says to her student, she wishes other students studied them in greater detail. She can understand that they are too difficult for most to master, but not her most gifted two students. Lara, Clyde, the two of them have ignored the principles entirely.
Carmen finishes her explanation of the principles.
'Clyde, this young man is studious and hard-working, just like you were as a student. His potential is high, it's hard to know how powerful he may become one day. But, there is a monopoly on power and unlike you students, we aristocrats are allowed in on that monopoly. The world is unfair, but you can't change that by being hasty'.
"Is that enough detail for you?" Carmen asks.
"Yes, I'm very grateful my lady" he says politely, "Would you like me to fix your hair tie for you?".
"You can?".
"Yes".
Carmen gives the hair tie to the student and he masterfully uses his element to create imitations of the tools he would require. He then sets of on repairing the small garment.
'That hair tie, what would I do without it?' she wonders.
Many Years Ago, A Hospital
A much younger Carmen sat in her hospital bed, staring at the arm band she had worn throughout the campaign. It had been a war unlike any other, not nation against nation, or even good against evil. It had been order against chaos. Mighty individuals had fallen from a world full of villages and peace. Once those individuals died, the peace died with them. People with motivations beyond comprehension encouraged war and battle on a scale never seen before. It was like an enemy that could not be fought, that could not be ousted into the light of day.
It continued that way for many years, until one man united the agents of peace. A man just around the corner.
Endou Akashi.
He pulled the door to the hospital room open and walked inside, meeting one of his finest soldiers in person for the first time.
"Emperor Endou" Carmen said beginning to scramble out of the bed and onto her feet.
"No, please don't stand soldier, I don't need the injured trying to stand up for me, please".
He was a kind man, too kind in the opinion of many.
"But for the emperor I must stand!".
Akashi laughed, scratching the back of his head. "Emperor? It's just a silly title the people gave me, I'm just someone whose good at punching people".
"You're more than that. You united us. You deserve all the titles people give you" Carmen said.
For years Carmen had been fighting helplessly against shadows. Battling an unknown enemy who could attack from any direction. She had never even heard of a young man from the other side of the world, a young man who would come from nowhere to unite them. He was unique, a charismatic leader and a mighty warrior, a true hero who people rallied behind. He had discovered an element that nobody else had ever understood, he was the first person to use 'life'. Hyperbole couldn't be used for such a person.
"I was just born lucky. Trained and supported by the right people, at the right time, in the right place" Akashi said, standing calmly at the side of Carmen's bed. "You are different though. You've had very little support and yet came so far. I'm proud of you".
Carmen dreamed of one day hearing those words. She dreamt about the success of Endou Akashi, about meeting him since she first heard of him. A legend spoken of in stories. The words are not as sweat as she hoped they would be though, all because of the armband in her hand.
"Sir, this is the band my subordinates wore on their arm. I was the only survivor. I was supposed to be their leader but they all died".
Akashi picked the band up. "Hmm, a wonderful identifier" he said, raising to Carmen's head and tying a neat bow in her hair.
"Huh…".
"Listen Carmen, we cannot save everyone. As your superior, I am also responsible for their deaths".
"but…".
Akashi shushed her gently. "We can't let our lives be defined by the deceased. We can only keep them with us forever, in our hearts".
"Yes sir".
"You always do your best to look after people, to protect the good people in this world and to preserve hope for the future" Akashi explained, "I admire this quality…".
Akashi then explained to Carmen the origins of a system that would one day dominate society. A system that he never wanted to have such consequences.
"… I want to make you one of our honoured citizens. I'm giving you a title so that people know you are someone to be admired. You will become part of the aristocracy".
The Present Day
The student returns the bow to Carmen and she ties it in her hair, remembering how she once wore it on her arm. She cannot bring her comrades back from the dead, nor can she bring back Endou Akashi, but she can honour them forever, in her heart.
'I won't let you through here Clyde, not until you're ready. Anything else would be spitting on the Emperor's grave'.
The Leaf Hideout
Upon reaching the Hidden Leaf hideout, the large group of fighters dissipate. Shinobi return to their families. Captains reunite with their friends or platoons and head back to their tents. It's been a long day and they are in need of sleep now as much as ever before. However, some of them have higher priorities on their mind, one such person is Nara Shikadai.
"Shinki".
"Are you OK, Shikadai?".
"I'm fine" he answers, "But I worry for the village. Were you watching the encounter between Naruto and Hashirama?".
"Yes, I saw, I was watching every moment of it".
Who wouldn't have? Every last shinobi and captain had their eyes wide open and were staring straight at the encounter when it was happening. They feared for their lives, Hashirama could likely have slaughtered half of them alone and Naruto was at less than 100%. There were also other snippets of subtext to be understood from the conversation. As the last Kazekage, he could hardly turn around and give them a chance for a private conversation.
"What did you make of Naruto's response to the question? Did he silently admit that he cannot defeat Hashirama?".
A few members of the Nara clan listen in on the conversation, the closest remaining family of both Shikadai and Shinki. They wait with baited breath to hear just what the Kazekage will say. Will he force himself to answer one way for the good of the village, will he convincingly believe that Naruto is stronger, or will he answer honestly that he believes Hashirama the mightier of the two? A lot of minds may shift with his words.
He sighs, feeling the weight of their stares on his shoulders.
"No. I refuse to believe that. The Lord 7th my father told me of would never surrender in that way. I have wronged Naruto since meeting him, but I have yet to lose faith in him since then. He will never give up".
The words are good. Everyone agrees on that. The tone is open to interpretation though. Some believe Shinki means what he says. Others think he is putting on a brave face. As for what the truth is, only the Kazekage will know.
Shikadai is critical of the tone, dismissing it in his head. He doesn't know what to believe about Naruto and Hashirama. He does know his cousin though, and he knows that if his experience is serving him well, Shinki didn't mean what he just said.
Just as he is about to speak, a hand descends on his shoulder, his father's hand.
"I can understand why you are worried, Naruto gets like this from time-to-time" Shikamaru says, "It happened when Jariya died. However, Naruto never fails to bounce back. Soon Lord Hashirama will realise he was foolish to look down on Naruto".
"Of course" Temari agrees, "Naruto is the hero who saved our family and the entire world. Don't ever forget that Shikadai".
"I know. I have fought to protect Naruto before for that very reason. I just hope he realises that his own self-assessment will impact everyone else too" Shikadai says glumly.
"He has lost confidence, not power" Shikamaru says, "When he finds it again, he will be the person he used to be. He will be unstoppable".
Elsewhere, Sarada walks away, turning her back on her fellow warriors, leaving Sheer to chase after her.
"Sarada!".
"Hello Sheer, are you going to ask about Naruto's response?".
"Yeah".
Sarada knew that was where the conversation would be going from the second Sheer came over. She isn't so foolish as to think herself as important as Naruto. He holds a symbolic importance greater than she could hope to compare to for the mean time. His mood can sway the mood of everyone around him, his charisma is infectious in a strange way.
"Who do you think is the stronger of the two?" Sarada asks curiously.
"I will always believe it is Naruto. He saved us from our fate, so my view is biased" Sheer admits. "But he broke the mould. He was the local who made us realise that you could learn to use divine energy. Someone that incredible, I refuse to believe that he could be beaten by anybody less practiced than himself".
"I want to believe that too. In my heart I do but my head is telling me something different" Sarada nods, confident in her own situational analysis. "If Naruto has lost his confidence, it's almost as if he has lost part of his identity. Without that confidence, Naruto just isn't Naruto and he may never be as strong as he once was".
"Sarada…"
"When you reach our level as a shinobi, your mental state is an important part of your ability to fight" the Uchiha explains, "Countless times shinobi have seen their battle senses dulled and lost against a theoretically inferior opponent. I myself have beaten several stronger opponents whose battle senses have dulled".
Nearby Hinata and Kushina follow behind their husbands and Himawari, deliberately keeping just out of earshot. They too ponder the nature of Naruto's silence before.
"Hinata?".
"Yes?".
"Do you think he will be alright?".
Hinata is slightly touched by her future mother-in-law's question. She knows that everyone else is concerned with Naruto's strength functionally. It is nice to know that someone is still looking out for his wellbeing in this situation.
"I'm the only one here who has always known this Naruto" she says.
"He and I came from the past together, moving from the same timeline. He may burn himself sometimes, but he is like a phoenix. He will rise from the ashes he creates".
Kushina smiles. Her son is just how she hoped he would be.
"We can try to look after him and as good people we should probably worry about him" Hinata explains. "But just from a purely analytical point of view…".
"… we have no reason to be afraid. He is Naruto after all".