THE IMPERIAL PALACE – THE BATTLE CHANGES
To the North
The two men standing opposite one another have a tremendous reputation. Throughout the history of the pocket world they came from their popularity is virtually unmatched. The man who united the world and the man who saved it. The Hokage who found the Hidden Leaf Village and the one who fulfilled the goal of the village. The two greatest sage mode users to have ever lived in that world. The two people from that world who have accumulated the most strength, surpassing even the god-like beings they fought in the 4th great war.
Looking at one another now, it feels like they have travelled so far. Hashirama has been on a journey to this moment ever since his wife died. He knew in his heart from that very moment that the greatest opposition to his merciless requirements would come from the 7th Hokage. For Naruto this is the accumulation of a journey from the first private conversation he had from Boruto. He does not fight against Hashirama but against the element of 'death' which has plagued his life ever since Boruto first mentioned it.
Despite having talked only hours ago, it feels like years.
"Hello Naruto".
"Hello Hashirama".
"It feels like you and I are fated to battle one another time and time again" Hashirama says, "It seems that you and I have become linked, just as I once was to Madara. It's just like you once were to Sasuke".
"That's right".
The battlefield around them rumbles with small explosions and collisions of energy but it makes little difference, the two men take no notice of it. It doesn't matter what happens elsewhere, all that matters is what happens between the two of them. The tension in the air is thick, Hashirama can feel it clearly as he moves his fingers nervously.
"I wish it were more of a surprise that you returned, but I always suspected Sarada" Hashirama says boastfully, "I couldn't admit it to Boruto though, and when she brought Tsunade I couldn't help but pretend to trust her. She went along with my plan too, it was a good plan, luring you to the south".
"Yeah, it was a good plan alright, but it didn't work".
Hashirama snickers and nods. "I assume she turned on Boruto?"
"Not before getting a few good shots in on me".
"I'm surprised, did she change her mind mid-fight?".
"Something like that".
Hashirama momentarily casts his mind to the south. Boruto and Sarada are likely fighting down there to determine Tsunade's fate at this very moment. That fight could have significant repercussions. If Sarada wins then nothing changes, everything stays as it is at the moment and this battle will determine the outcome of their war. However, if Boruto wins, Tsunade will probably change to their side. If Boruto wins then this victory will certainly be theirs. The 1st Hokage's confidence is immediately boosted upon analysing this, he is confident that his student's ability surpasses Sarada's.
"You have something I don't Uzumaki Naruto, something I so desperately wish I had" Hashirama explains with a sigh, "You have the ability to reach people, your words pierce their very soul. That is why you brought Sasuke back to the village, and why I failed to do the same for Madara".
"You can still come back to the village Hashirama. It's never too late, especially for someone like you".
"I'm afraid your words won't work on me Naruto, I have too many people relying on me".
"Then you know what has to happen next".
Hashirama puts his hands behind his back and paces back and forward. He pays no heed to the immediate threat Naruto poses him. There is nobody else in the village who would dare act like this before him. Even in a heavily advantageous situation Boruto and Sarada acted against Naruto with extreme caution, treating him as if he were a deadly and uncontrollable animal. Hashirama acts more like a scolding parent, not showing any fear, completely controlling of the situation in front of him. He of course has a trump card, one handed to him on a silver platter by his adversary.
"Naruto you're doing a good job pretending it isn't there, but not good enough. I can see that you're drenched in sweat" Hashirama says confidently, "There are still scratches and bruises on you that have yet to heal and your energy is significantly drained. You are not even close to one-hundred percent".
"No. No, I'm not" Naruto admits.
"There is a good chance that you will die if we go ahead with this. Are you really willing to risk that again?".
"Yes, I am".
Hashirama tuts and shakes his head. "Sacrificing yourself for others again. I question the character of those you want to save, but I don't doubt your good intentions. You're a good man Uzumaki Naruto, so I will try not to kill you".
"Don't get ahead of yourself, Hashirama".
Naruto drops into a fighting pose, one that Hashirama has not seen but that Naruto's friends will be very familiar with. A throwback to his youth.
"This time will be different from the last. This time I have a full view of the eternal hope within me. This time I am at my best. Depleted energy reserves, damage from my previous fight, injuries, none of that matters right now. I am at the best for the first time in so long. So go all out, try to kill me. But, when you fail, realise that you were wrong, and that you have chosen the wrong path".
Hashirama steadies himself after a moment's consideration. He was right with what he said before, the words reach for your very soul. Even when he is so determined that he is right, the young man in front of him almost convinced him to change his opinion. It is a frightening ability, far beyond his powers as a shinobi or his skill with 'life' energy.
Hashirama activates sage mode, leaping at Naruto and throwing a punch towards his head.
Naruto activates six paths sage mode, dodging to the side of the incoming punch and kicking Hashirama in the back as he passes.
The 1st Hokage stumbles forward and turns around to see that Naruto is already pushing a tailed-beast bomb towards his face. Hashirama manages to pull his head backward, generating the power to do so from his core. By the skin of his teeth, he evades harm and watches as the small explosion detonates to his right.
'Seriously? These movements, there is definitely something different about him' Hashirama confirms, 'Could it really be that this beaten up fool is the strongest Uzumaki Naruto of them all?'.
His realisation is accompanied by a terrifying fact he has yet to realise.
Since Hashirama learnt to use 'death', that last exchange is the first between them that Naruto has won.
Nearby
Tao Ma finally manages to grab Brooks after almost half an hour of the generals evading his grip, now that he has hold of her he is even less inclined to be merciful. Gripping her head under his left arm he repeatedly bashes his left elbow into the rear of her neck.
Blackburn charges at Tao Ma, recognising that with her child-like stature Brooks is ill-equipped to have a close range battle with someone so powerful as Tao Ma. However, he is too slow, with one final elbow to the rear of her head Tao Ma immobilises Brooks. He then lifts her over his head and uses her as a weapon, throwing her as hard as he can into Blackburn's legs, taking him out of commission as well.
Peterson waits until Tao Ma is unshielded by his comrades before unleashing a steady stream of 'lightning' upon him. Sheer backs up her comrade, adding 'wind' energy to the mix. Together they conjure up a seemingly perfect storm to bombard their enemy with. However, both are demoralised at the lack of effect this seems to have on Tao Ma.
The 'death' user creates a shield from his energy to hold off the attacks. He even goes so far as to establish his dominance over the battlefield by driving forward with the shield, showing Peterson and Sheer that even together they can do nothing to him. As he steps forward he re-establishes control over his tentacle-like constructs, using them to slam both of Clyde's subordinates down into the ground.
Now there is only one thing protecting them from certain death, one last warrior to battle against Tao Ma, and that is Lara's second-in-command. Elliot runs up to Tao Ma and exchanges fists with him. Initially it seems like the two are evenly matched, at moments it seems like Elliot's disciplined fighting style has the upper hand, but that is not the case. Eventually Tao Ma gets the advantage, the benefits of his training in his pocket world. He catches hold of both Elliot's hands and tries to push 'death' energy onto his body.
Elliot uses 'cold' energy to try to protect himself. 'You can't let it touch you Elliot. Not 'death' energy. Not 'death' energy. If you can't hold on it's all over. So hold on! Hold on!'.
He holds on valiantly, but even his endurance is not enough to save him.
Tao Ma releases Elliot's hands, pushes him backwards by his chest and then slams his hands together, detonating the 'death' energy and driving Elliot away into a nearby pond.
It takes a moment for Elliot's eyes to readjust as he pushes his head back out the water. He is aware that it is probably too late, that there is no longer anything he can do. His vision oscillates back and forward, too bright, too dark, too bright, too dark. Then they come into focus and he could swear that he is hallucinating. 'L… Lara… a hallucination?'.
But then a hand firmly grabs hold of Elliot's wrist and together they move back to dry land.
It is Lara.
Arriving on dry land, Elliot looks back over at Tao Ma to see that he has not yet been successful in killing his comrades. No, instead the tides have turned, and he is fighting a losing fight against General Clyde.
In a hand to hand battle Tao Ma had a marginal advantage over Elliot, but Clyde is someone who has used a training manual, his strength is a whole level greater. Within seconds Clyde establishes an overwhelming advantage on Tao Ma. He lands successive strikes which are simultaneously sparing and taunting the 'death' user. With a five successive unanswered punch, Clyde lifts Tao Ma off his feet and drives him back at least ten meters.
It is at this point that group of less powerful 'death' users rally to Tao Ma's aid, warriors that unlike him have not mastered their divine cloak yet. While they manage to fight well in this group they do little more than slow Clyde down, he is enough to single-handedly change the flow of the battle.
"Lara's what's happening" Elliot asks.
Without receiving an answer he looks to the nearby battle and understands. His face lights up with a joy he rarely displays as he notices that Hashirama has a new opponent.
"He's back!".
"Get up, moron" Lara orders as she drags Elliot to his feet by the arm.
"Lara I…".
"Clyde and I have a score to settle with these bastards" Lara says, "Reorganise the others, really them and get them ready for the counterattack. We're taking this battle back".
Lara then teleports to Clyde's side, happy that Elliot will be enough to handle their organisation. With the two of them working together the retaking of the battle happens even quicker. While not to the same degree, they are opposites who fight well together just like Naruto and Sasuke, just like Sarada and Boruto. The battlefield quickly falls under their control.
Elliot looks around to see many captains and colonels struggling to hold back the hordes of 'death' users they find themselves battling. While he struggled to hold back Tao Ma, fighting against these lower level warriors he is more than able to turn the tide.
He gathers 'cold' energy on his arm, freezing the very air around it. He wraps his arm around his body and then unfurls it, gesturing to the entire battlefield before him. From his arm, a huge barrier of frozen air forms, curving around in parallel to his fingertips. The huge barrier extends, cutting the field in front of him in half, separating his enemies from his struggling allies.
"General Elliot" a captain calls gratefully.
"There is no time for gratitude soldier, this is a battlefield" Elliot says as he moves towards them. "All medics tend to the other generals, get them back into fighting condition now!".
The few soldiers with medical capabilities run past Elliot and begin tending to Brooks, Blackburn, Peterson and Sheer.
After about thirty seconds the barrier of frozen air is broken and the 'death' warriors pass through two-by-two. That is no problem for Elliot. The first two that break through the barrier he rushes them, grabs them by the neck and slams their heads together.
Brooks is the first general to get back into fighting condition.
Standing up she shouts "out of the way" as she pushes the two medics aside. She quickly glides along the ground as she freezes it, joining Clyde and Lara in the counterattack. It's not long until the other generals do the same.
Elliot looks over at Naruto.
'His strength alone isn't what has done this, there's something more about him now. Lara, Clyde, everyone, we've all started to perform at a higher level. Morale shifts on his whim and he may not realise it but he may be the most qualified military leader of us all'.
To the South
Boruto leaps back away from Sarada, readying himself for his next attack. He holds his palm out in front of him and concentrates on the manipulation of his energy. Mimicking the way in which he uses the golden wheel reincarnation explosion, he spins 'death' energy around his fist like chakra. He unleashes the 'death' wheel reincarnation explosion upon Sarada, firing a steady beam of 'death' energy at her.
Sarada runs avoids Boruto's attack by running to her left, leaning hard to her right as she does so. Gradually as she circles around Boruto she spirals towards him, getting closer with each pass while she takes care to avoid the 'death' energy. As she calculates that she will reach him with the next pass she prepares a solar punch in her hand.
Boruto gives up his previous attack, using two of the truth-seeking orbs behind his back and firing at Sarada as she runs at him.
Sarada leaps, spinning so that she passes horizontally over the top of the truth-seeking orbs. While spinning through the air she concentrates and forms a second solar punch in her other hand. When she lands, she kicks the ground, moving forward with renewed momentum and renewed purpose. She is thoroughly ready to strike.
Boruto gestures back towards himself with his hand, turning the truth-seeking orbs around in mid-flight and bringing them flying towards Sarada's back.
Sarada doesn't have blind-spots though. Sarada does not have careless moments. The possessor of the rinnegan, daughter of Uchiha Sasuke, student of Uzumaki Naruto, she will always see attacks like this coming. She drops her centre of gravity, sliding along the ground so that the two truth-seeking orbs pass over her head. Tapping her hand against the ground mid-slide, she skilfully gets back to her feet, standing right before Boruto.
First she throws the left-handed solar punch.
Boruto creates a 'death' shield to block the attack.
Sarada throws the right-handed solar punch into the shield. There is a loud crunch and a few cracking sounds but the shield does not break. She then pulls her left hand back and creates a miniature Indra Arrow on it, quickly enhancing it with 'creation'. This attack is the strongest offense at her disposal and as she punches the 'death' shield with it, her fist goes straight through, hitting Boruto's chest and driving him backward.
Boruto lands on his back, coughing and spluttering as he gets to his feet.
"How could you do it Sarada?" he asks, "Don't you have any problem with betraying your fiancé? Isn't this going too far?".
"You were all too happy when you thought I was betraying my teacher" she says in reply, "No, I'm not betraying you. You made the decision to betray me a long time ago".
"So be it".
Boruto raises his hand, forming 'death' energy into the shape of an arrow and pointing it not at Sarada, but at Tsunade.
"Boruto…" Sarada practically growls.
Tsunade raises her head to look up at Boruto.
"It is time to see if you have any loyalty to anyone left, Sarada" Boruto says angrily, "I assume you still claim the mantle of Hokage, then surrender, and save Tsunade's life".
Sarada shakes her head. "Boruto, are you really going to do this, this is entirely different to what you have done before now".
"You have given me no choice Sarada. Now raise your hands into the air and don't delay a moment".
Sarada looks through every possibility as quickly as she can. There is no blind spot for Boruto whose vision is even more encompassing than her own. However, there may still be some room for manoeuvre, but nothing is obvious. She then spots Tsunade who seems to be gesturing to something. Regardless, Sarada has no choice in the next few seconds other than raising her hands into the air and at least pretending to concede defeat.
Realising there is somewhere Boruto may not look, Sarada takes her chance. 'I just have to be really careful that he doesn't notice'. The one weakness to Boruto's vision is the truly opaque.
Boruto holds his hand out, creating a bunch of 'death' chains and catching them as they fall about an inch into his hands. He takes the first step towards Sarada, his intention to clearly bind her and stop her from moving.
"Now Sarada!" Tsunade shouts.
Sarada pulls her left hand back and pulls out a tiny piece of super-strong thread rises out from beneath the floor. The thread wraps tightly around Tsunade's leg and as Sarada yanks it backwards the 5th Hokage is dragged out of the potential path of Boruto's arrow.
The Shadow Hokage has no time to properly react, so he leaps at Sarada, determined to bind her with his next action.
Sarada creates another miniature Indra arrow, this time in her right hand. She enhances it with 'creation' energy and throws her fist forward.
'Focus everything onto your right hand and let him have it!'.
Unfortunately for her, Boruto dodges the attack. He leaps through the air, wrapping Sarada's right arm in the 'death' chains as he does so. He lands behind her and wraps them around her left arm as well. Next with a swift kick to the rear of her leg he knocks her down to her knees and proceeds to tie the chain to her legs.
Sarada cannot move any more.
Boruto steps back, looking at Sarada and points the 'death' arrow in his right hand at her head.
"It seems you did have loyalty to someone after all".
Sarada scoffs. "My loyalty is where it has always been, with the Hidden Leaf Village. Where does your loyalty lie Boruto?".
"I… I…".
Sarada's face momentarily lights up as she sees the conflict on Boruto's face. She briefly dares to hope that there is still a chance he will change his mind, that they can all go back to the village together after this. The unity between the two groups would truly be the best chance of obtaining freedom for all the villagers. Alas, that hope is quashed as quickly as it is birthed.
"My loyalty is with my master".
Boruto hits Sarada with a powerful strike to the head, knocking her unconscious.
"But I could never kill you, that is my greatest weakness perhaps. I love you Sarada".
Boruto falls to his knees and watches over the woman he loves the most. This situation is not fair, he went to war to protect the village, Sarada included. He suffered so much, he watched as so many of his comrades died cursing the people who invaded their world. He spent far too long hearing the pleas for Clyde's head and then he wasn't able to deliver it. When he finally gained the power to deliver that, his father had decided to favour mercy instead of death. Now that he strives to fulfil the wishes of all those heroes, he is being stopped by the people they admired most.
He watches over her tearfully, knowing that there is nothing he can do to prevent this cruel fate consuming him.
But he does not watch for long.
A powerful blow to the back of his own head knocks him out as well.
The Shadow Hokage lands on the floor next to his Hokage.
And the only one left standing is Tsunade!
The Senju clanswoman gasps for air, still reeling from the 'death' energy forced on her previously. She questions the reality of the situation, it was so unlikely that she would be the only one left standing, yet that is what she is.
"Don't look away from me, I'm the 5th Hokage idiot" she says to the fallen Boruto.
Next she lifts Sarada onto her shoulders and begins the slow journey to the North.
The true battle is still yet to be decided.