To the Future

by cbehrills

Uchiha Sarada is the 9th Hokage. A legendary shinobi, the first Uchiha to have become a Hokage. However, her reign is not easy, the village is under attack from a threat greater than any that have come before. When even the Five Kage cannot stop the incoming threat there is only one person who could, Uzumaki Naruto. There is but one problem, he is dead.

249. YOU ARE WEAK!

THE FOUNDRY – YOU ARE WEAK!

Marshlands, West Cheqitori

Boruto activates his Tenseigan, a power that he didn't require in order to defeat Tao Ma. He does need his special eyes though for another reason, that is that he can't find the people most important to him in this camp. Where is his second master Senju Hashirama, where is the 5th Hokage and where is his closest friend? They were all supposed to be in this camp yet when he arrived, they were gone. He had intended to wait for the former two to leave in order to fight Tao Ma unimpeded, but the latter should still be here.

What he doesn't realise is that the Hive Mind lives on, as a sentient creature it has it's own will to survive. It picked it's next host wisely, choosing someone whose mind it believed it could dominate and someone whose power would be useful. What the Hive Mind did not realise is that Hashirama would have the strength to resist, that the great uses of this power would be sapped away from the sentient divine ability and would be of benefit to the 1st Hokage instead.

Nearby

"Tsunade," Hashirama murmurs as he reaches for his granddaughter affectionately.

The 1st Hokage is good at reading people. Having felt so much pain in his own life he is able to easily recognise it in others. Yet as he reaches for his granddaughter, Senju Hashirama sees no semblance of emotion behind her eyes, nothing but a trained obedience, enforced by a constant stream of pain from the Hive Mind. That pain may now be gone but unfortunately it is too late, it seems that Tsunade stopped resisting the pain long ago.

Hashirama isn't surprised but he is disappointed, after all he had stopped resisting too. In the brief moment when the Hive Mind was gone altogether, his mind reverted to it's original state. Perhaps that was by the wish of the sentient ability, being in the body of a man capable of free thinking must have been far more useful than being in the body of a mindless drone. Then when the Hive Mind tried to take control of his brain, he felt the same pain he did before, the pain it used to change the people within the hive. Tsunade took more of that pain than anyone for longer than anyone else, of course she was going to stop resisting.

A man sneaks up to him from behind.

"Hello Mitsuki," Hashirama says.

"How long have you known I was here?" Mitsuki asks as he makes his presence more apparent.

"Even when I was under the control of the Hive Mind my senses were sharp. I am the 1st Hokage after all."

"When you were under it's control? Are you trying to convince me that you are free now?"

"I am free Mitsuki."

"Then why is Tsunade still like that? Why is she acting like a soldier waiting for orders? If that isn't the control of the Hive Mind, then what is it?"

"That is the control of the Hive Mind, Mitsuki," Hashirama admits. "Its control wasn't magical; it was won with pain. It bombarded people's minds with pain until they stopped resisting, now they just recognise its orders and obey. What it did to her is something I cannot justify or explain. She is my granddaughter Mitsuki, I promise you that if I could take it all back I would."

Mitsuki remains calm, but under the circumstances even he is struggling. "Why are you acting this way then if not under orders? The way you are behaving now, it is the same as the Senju Hashirama who came into the future all those years ago. Why do you get to be OK but Tsunade suffers?"

"The Hive Mind must have fixed the damage it did to me."

"Why?"

"Because it wanted to use me as its next host."

"Next host? What are you talking about? Did something happen to Tao Ma?"

"Tao Ma is dead. The Hive Mind left his mind and tried to take over my own. I'm guessing it fixed my brain to make me a more appealing host. It didn't work Mitsuki, it's hard work but I'm maintaining control for now."

Mitsuki is reluctant to believe Hashirama. This is exactly what the Hive Mind would say if it were controlling Hashirama. When Tao Ma came to their world during the battle between Lara and Clyde, he brought Boruto and Hashirama with him. At that point the trio encouraged the pocket-worlders to join them on their mission to kill Homeworld. Given the opportunity to change host, surely the Hive Mind would try and engineer those circumstances again. Surely, Hashirama would try and ally himself with those who were his enemies, to use them in his attempts to kill Homeworld.

"You can use the Hive Mind's powers?" Mitsuki asks.

"To some extent," Hashirama says. "I can feel where the other members of the Hive are. I believe I could tell Tsunade to say hello and she would do it."

"Hello," Tsunade says.

"The Hive Mind fixed your brain then, why can't you use it's powers to fix Tsunade and all the others," Mitsuki asks. "Why can't you bring back the Tsunade with us before all this? She was an innocent woman, feeling the pain of losing everyone. She only joined this group because she wanted to be with you, her grandfather! Why can't you help her?"

"Because I don't know how!" Hashirama admits. "Do you think that I wouldn't help her if I could? I've lost people too Mitsuki and I want nothing more than to turn back time, to right my wrongs. There are some things I can't do though, at least not yet. I promise to you, when I can fix Tsunade's mind, I will."

Mitsuki is confronted with a decision. Does he trust Hashirama or does he oppose him as he did with Tao Ma. His father once famously walked an evil path, using the past Hokage to cause chaos, now he walks the opposite path, himself standing between past Hokage and chaos. There is little he can do, Hashirama could kill him if he wanted to. Still, Mitsuki refuses to blindly trust the 1st Hokage, there is too much that could potentially go wrong.

"How did Tao Ma die?" Mitsuki asks.

"I believe Boruto killed him."

"Then Boruto is back at the camp?"

"Yes, I believe so."

"Then we need to go back and see him."

Hashirama sighs, "We can't. Not yet."

Mitsuki's suspicions around the 1st Hokage continue to grow. How can he possibly justify not going to see Boruto? The Shadow 9th Hokage is the one person who guaranteed his safety during the battle that broke out in their group. He was the one 'death' user not affected by the Hive Mind. Orochimaru's son simply glares at Hashirama, knowing that the look alone will be enough to imply more explanation is needed.

"Boruto killed Tao Ma, he thinks the Hive Mind needs to be stopped at all costs. There is nothing to stop him trying to kill me," Hashirama explains. "You are right not to trust me Mitsuki, he would be right to draw those same conclusions. If he kills me then I can't help the Leaf. Then what if the Hive Mind transfers to Tsunade next, would he kill her too?"

"So we stay hidden?" Mitsuki asks. "How long do you suggest we hide for? Do we wait for the end of the war like cowards, do we watch as Furst kills Boruto and everyone we care about?"

"We wait for the right moment so I can prove I am in control," Hashirama says. "That's why I need you to stay with me, to help me find that moment. I need to show Boruto that I am willing to help Homeworld. That's when we will reveal ourselves. That's the moment we join the resistance."

"Even then Boruto would need to give you the chance to prove yourself. How will he know that he can trust you even with that?"

"I believe that Boruto will look at me and see me for who I am. For the first time in years, I am Senju Hashirama again."

Above the Crystal Caves

Enri approaches Naruto and sees him diligently practicing with his 'fate' energy. She is proud of how he continues rolling his die, despite how boring it is to do so. She watches as he rolls the highest value he can get every time for a while. Then he changes what he wishes for, instead going through all the values on the die in ascending order, then descending order. It is a simple training but a very effective one for those with 'fate' as their element. She only wishes that Akashi were still here to offer him such quality training in 'life' energy.

Enri taps Naruto on the head, snapping him out of the trance-like state he enters when he starts training.

"Sorry, have you been standing there long?" Naruto asks as he gets to his feet.

"Not long, just enough time to see how well you are doing. Tell me honestly, were you concentrating while you did that, or were you thinking about Hinata."

"I wish she still had her memories of me," Naruto admits, "But she is still my wife. Hyuuga Hinata is fighting in there, one day her memories will shine through, I know that. Then things can be like they were before between us. I'm looking forward to that."

Enri nods. "I'm sure Hyuuga Hinata is just as incredible as Endou Hinata. It would be an honour to meet the other aspect of my daughter. Not long ago she went to Cheqitori to check on the state of the resistance. She will be returning soon. I need you to stay here and wait for her."

"Are you going somewhere?"

"There's not much left I can do for you here, not alone. I am going to meet up with Yuuki Terukatsu so we can discuss how to proceed with the war," Enri says. "I may be a class 9 warrior, but my battle skill is relatively low. I wouldn't bet on my defeating any of the royals in a one-on-one contest. But I'm still a useful resource for the resistance, someone who can defeat any class 8. We will need to make sure I am used wisely going forward, at least until you become a class 9 yourself."

"You're going?" Himawari calls as she approaches, "It is a shame that we cannot spend more time together."

"We will see each other again soon Himawari. Your mother named you the Blaze Princess because of your unique powers. I suspect that when I return, we will fight together on the battlefield. I look forward to seeing what the Blaze Princess can do."

"Before you go, I have a question," Naruto says.

"Yes?"

"When Yuuki Terukatsu sent me North from Aturia he said there were two reasons for me to head to Fayoth. The first was to help build the resistance. The second was to find the Foundry. Is the Foundry really so important?"

"The Foundry is without a doubt the most secure place that exists," Enri explains. "It is said that it exists in another realm. There is one safe route to that place, but I don't know where it is. The only people who can go there are the people Furst gives permission to. It is the place where divine abilities are manufactured. As long as Furst controls it then the Imperial Guard will have a monopoly on divine abilities. Right now we are unlikely to win the war with a series of conventional battles. If the Foundry were destroyed, we might stand a chance."

"If nobody has ever been there before how are we supposed to destroy it."

"If I knew that I would have done it myself. Remember 'fate' brought you and Boruto to me Naruto. I don't know how it is going to happen, but I believe that if anyone has the willpower needed to do it, it is you."

The Fort, South Ewoa

The creaky wooden door slams shut in one the fort's many rooms. Clyde has come in here to speak with Mirai. She hasn't been the same since Lara's death, concentrating too much on her training. She used to speak to her shinobi companions more often. Now only Temari remains and the two shinobi don't talk to one another as much as they should, each preferring their own contemplations.

"Training?" Clyde asks.

"Yes."

Clyde nods. He would rebuke Mirai for her one mindedness, but he is the same. He is desperate to break through one more time and become a class 8 warrior. That would put him on the same level as the resistance's leader Yuuki Terukatsu. Then he could use his experience to help stir up the rebellion and lead people into battle. He might even be able to defeat a general from the Imperial Guard, something he could once only dream about.

"I'm thinking about dispersing the military. They are too easy to detect in one group. As smaller groups, each lead by a general or a colonel they could start recruiting. They could end up recruiting the vast majority of the resistance in the long run."

"Do they each have your sway?"

"They don't have my name recognition, but they all came from the academy. They each worked hard to get where they are today, and they have only gotten stronger and wiser since we switched allegiances. I believe in them."

"Then it's a good idea," Mirai says.

Clyde walks around in front of Mirai. Her eyes are dry and empty looking, like she hasn't slept in months. Clyde wishes that they could reunite with Naruto or Sarada, that they could find someone more qualified to keep Mirai company than him. He knows he has failed her since Lara's death, but he hasn't had as much energy for it as he should. Every time he talks about Lara, he feels the pain of her death again.

"Do you still think about her?" Mirai asks.

"Every day."

"Yeah, me too."

"What do you think she would say about all these battles?"

"She would probably have enjoyed them," Mirai chuckles. "I think she would be proud of you. Head General Clyde, you've done a good job as her successor."

"Thank you."

Mirai closes her eyes, wishing she could sleep. For now she must concentrate though. She has noticed something since her last battle. A revelation that could be even more important than understanding an element, the potential for something world changing. In her inner world there exists a potential for a power increase unmatched throughout Homeworld. If her idea works, she may find herself on level with the royals, or even stronger.

Mirai holds out two palms, bringing golden 'wind' energy to the one on the left then 'fire' energy to the one on the right.

"You've understood 'fire' energy," Clyde says smiling. "I remember thinking that people with two elements were just a myth. Since we came back to Homeworld and set the war in motion it seems to be getting more and more common. First my daughter, now you."

"They aren't balanced in power, so I can't truly feel any benefit from having two elements," Mirai admits.

"No I suppose you can't. You may come to understand tier 3 'fire' energy in time. Then you would be a class 8 warrior. Isn't that something to celebrate?"

No, Mirai is thinking about something else entirely.

"You probably don't remember the first time you saw me fight," Mirai says. "It was the captained-six contest, I fought one of your colonels. My best way of attacking is fusing wind and flame together, it ignites a fire so quickly it looks like an explosion. That isn't the full extent of my unusual power though. I can combine the elements at will, creating a new variety of attacks nobody knew was possible."

"I do remember your fight. I was very impressed with your abilities. Tell me what you are thinking."

"I have always fused elements outside my body, but now there are two tablets, 'fire' and 'wind' in my inner world. What if I combine them in my inner world? Every time I combine the elements using this power, I feel them get much more powerful. If that happened before the energy even left my inner world it might be even more powerful."

"It would be much more powerful," Clyde says, "Do you think you can do it."

Mirai gets to her feet and walks to the centre of the room. Clearly, she is going to try.

Clyde leans against the wall, hoping that he is about to watch something spectacular. What he doesn't realise is that he is underestimating the significance of what he is about to witness. What is happening before him will shake this realm to its core.

Mirai concentrates in her inner world. She pulls a small amount of energy from the tablet engraved 'wind' and a small amount from the one engraved 'fire'. This confirms that the energy is operating as expected. Then she draws energy from the two tablets as fast as she can. A raging river compared with a tiny stream; she directs the energy from the tablets towards each other.

Mirai is physically lifted, her feet half a meter from the ground. Tremendous amounts of energy gather around here, as much as Clyde remembers feeling in his life. The Head General is no longer leaning into the wall but forcing himself into it, retreating like a scared child.

Tiny yet powerful explosions begin to detonate around Mirai. The gap between the explosions gets smaller by the second. Clyde is forced to turn his back and cover his head, terrified that the mere act of Mirai combining her two energy will kill him.

"Run!" Clyde yells as loudly as he can.

His subordinates didn't need to be told; they are already running. The fort is evacuated so quickly that within a few seconds only Clyde and Mirai remain within its walls.

There is a tremendous bang. A noise so loud that it completely deafens Clyde. A beam of energy white and red fires up into the sky, energy so bright that it blinds him. If it weren't for the howling wind pressing him into the wall, he would think that he was dead. This energy is beyond his wildest expectations.

Above the Crystal Caves

Naruto is distracted when he sees a light in the sky in the distance. A light made up of white and red energy. He gets to his feet to look at it, stunned. The energy is so intense that he can feel it even at this great distance. An explosion sounds soon after the light appears, startling him so much he almost falls from his feet.

This energy is indeed far away.

It is coming from Mirai, on the other side of Homeworld.

"What is that?" Naruto asks himself.

South West Fayoth

Enri stops on her journey after feeling the shaking of the explosion. When class 9 warriors travel at full speed the wind rushes past their head so fast it is hard to hear anything unless they are listening out for it. Enri heard that explosion, she sees the light and she can feel the energy.

This is incredible energy.

North Aturia

With Ming Dai and Shao Chin at his sides. Yuuki Terukatsu looks at the source of energy in the distance. Normally something like this would be worth checking out, he would send Shao Chin to investigate. This is different though. If a person is emitting that energy, they would be a devastating adversary. It is as if someone is ascending to class 9 by skipping 6 levels, or perhaps ascending even higher, if such a thing were possible.

Boni City, Seblix

Nadia rushes to the roof of her palace to see what is going on. She has never seen anything like this before. This level of energy reminds her of two people she has witnessed in battle before. The first is Endou Akashi, and the second is Furst Jonas.

Whatever is causing all this energy to amass, if this energy stays it will change the landscape of Homeworld.

The Imperial Palace, Okarin

First glances in the direction of the energy. He notes that it is indeed impressive. No doubt whoever is doing this has the potential to rival him once everything has settled down. He is not worried though, he has fought someone like this before, and when he fought Akashi he won convincingly enough.

What irritates him though is that he doesn't understand what is happening. How can so much energy be gathered at once? If someone is breaking through how could they possibly skip so many battle classes in one go?

There is one great relief, the energy is to the south. Uzumaki Naruto is believed to be north-west of him. If the pocket-worlder were to have a breakthrough like this, then Furst would have a true challenger to the throne.

The Fort, South Ewoa

The two energies have begun to circle around Mirai rapidly. They dim and brighten at a steady pace, producing a flashing effect. A beacon warning all nearby to stay away.

After a few moments the flashing energies stop and enter Mirai's inner world via her torso.

Just as loud as the explosion beforehand, three deafening words fill the air.

"YOU!

"ARE!

"WEAK!"

The energy stops. As does the wind, the light, and the sound. Everything goes back to how it was before and Mirai drops to the ground.

She gasps for air, waiting half a minute before Clyde has recovered his sight and hearing. She tries to combine 'wind' and 'fire' energy together to create an explosion as before. Her efforts are unrewarded. Fate was not on her side. She delivers the news Clyde feared.

"I can't fuse energy anymore.

"It didn't work."