"Thought Or Telepathy"
"Character Communication"
"Loud Speaking"
"Emphasis 'On' A Word."
Madara: A New Journey
Hiroi and Kaba catch their breath. They've been searching for what seems like hours, it's cold and wet. Madara is nowhere in sight. What are these two going to do now?
The light that had come moments ago had to be from him, but it was too bright to determine it's origin in the thick forest that went from the back of their house all the way down the mountains and then over the horizon.
Kaba looks over to his brother who's crutched over and still breathing heavily. "We're never going to find him like this. He'll probably leave for good if we don't find him tonight." Although he didn't feel a huge sense of debt towards Madara, it's clear that it could be beneficial to them as long as they can keep him by their side.
After all, without a second thought, he created an amount of gold that could dwarf the annual reserves of many local trading towns twenty fold. Bringing him along with them will make things a lot easier for them and even keep them safe considering how he saved them once.
Searching around blindly like they are is obviously pointless, these woods go on for hundreds of miles, although Hiroi had hoped that Madara couldn't have gotten far, he's not dealing with someone ordinary; he could be on the other end of these woods for all he knows. Their chances are very slim this way.
Hiroi stands up straight and says in a thoughtful and dragged-out tone. "Yeah..." He looks through the dark forest as ideas wonder. Like Kaba, he believes that Madara will be a valuable companion to bring along and of course, he wants to see him healed, but did they just let that opportunity slip through their grasp?
No, he has an idea! Since the day he had to meet Madara, he felt the overwhelmingly oppressive energy that was different from anything in nature. If he could somehow use this sense to search through the forest then just maybe he could find him. "I have an idea." Hiroi says with the backing of confidence.
"What's the plan?" Kaba asks, slightly suppressed by his brother's confidence in the face of such a hopeless task.
He thinks for just a second wondering if he should hold the truth, but if he was going to be training with his brother in the future it would be silly to hide things any further. "I have this six sense of sorts." Hiroi says bluntly.
Kaba didn't seem to understand so he continues. "I can feel the 'thoughts' of nature like when the plants are ready for harvest and when they aren't or like when an animal is hostile."
Hiroi rubs the back of his neck while glancing around as he nonchalantly says. "I'm sorry for not telling you sooner."
Kaba shakes his head. "You don't look very sorry." He didn't really know why his brother didn't tell him but maybe he had his reasons. It certainly added up in his head: the times his little brother got along with wild animals when he would only get bitten and how he knew when the crops were at their best.
It still kinda hurts to know that he wasn't fully trusted. He would die for his little brother the same as he would anyone in his family, did Hiroi think differently?
With a sigh, Kaba continues sarcastically. "Well, thanks for letting me know, better late than never I guess." He will have to get over this at a later, but he remembers something he read once. "Do you think it has something to do with the unique intrinsic body attribute that we read about in dad's journal?"
Unannounced to the two talking below Madara sat perched in a tree, staring up at the stars and he listens just out of sight. His back presses against the wood as he relaxes his head back further.
Although he travelled at a normal pass through the forest, once he finished fine-tuning his barrier he had speed up and cleared the distance in the blink of an eye but he didn't make himself known; this conversation just piqued his interest.
"Unique intrinsic body attribute?" It isn't something that he's familiar with, but he definitely sensed that the boy was different when he met him. And surprisingly the boy didn't tell his family about it until now, but it seems like Kaba is remotely aware of a possible cause.
His eyes narrow and drag to look down on the two. "Before I depart, I should get my hands on that journal they talk of." The two continue to talk below, but none of it is informative as both are aware of what this thing is and didn't feel the need to elaborate for no reason. He signs, drifting his thoughts elsewhere as he listens indifferently.
He's left with one thing to stay hidden. "Let's see how good your ability is..." A small smile. This is an opportunity to see how the boy's power of sense stacks up to other known sensory techniques of his era. His ability to mask his own presence is stronger then it's ever been, still, he couldn't claim to be the greatest at masking his own presence.
Kaguya in his mind was better. Naruto and Sasuke couldn't sense Kaguya's approach from behind and he himself couldn't sense Black Zetsu's approach in the final moments. To completely suppress the sensory abilities of Six Path Sage Mode isn't something feasible at such an intimate distance.
Even as he uses this new space-time barrier to cut most of his presence from the world, he's in a similar way to the limbo clones state of being - existing in another co-existing parallel world - but, it still wouldn't produce such effects as Six Path's Sage Mode can even sense across worlds that are co-existing, albeit on a much more difficult level.
A small realization rolls over him. "Kaguya's dimensions didn't co-exist so closely with the main world like I'm allowing myself to be, nor like the world of Limbo!" Kaguya did seem to have near full control over "her" dimensions, it's possible that she uses some sort of technique that uses the dimensions themselves.
And Black Zetsu - although he did something similar - had him manipulated from day one, he'd obviously have a way to hid his dagger that completed his very purpose for existing; it's something he would do. So, they probably weren't the same technique and Kaguya likely uses space-time like he does to mask his presence.
If Madara's line of thinking isn't inaugurated from false theories of the working of space and time, then the only difference would be the level of separation from the main world between Kaguya's dimension and his space-time barrier. There are differences between the two but none that matter with his current understanding and power.
Kaguya's memories are still foggy so taking the time to search them would prove difficult and plausibly futile. His face slightly twists into a scowl. "What a shame." If only he could learn more from Kaguya sooner; she seemed to have a deep understanding of space manipulation and who knows her origin, where did she even come from?
If he could just understand these memories like his own instead of viewing them through a lens and having to learn from watching things would be easier. He holds out his hand as a cracked and ashy looking bone procedures through his palm. "Why was I able to learn you instinctively?" Was it because it's a bloodline ability? Does that mean he's of pure Otsutsuki blood now?
"Whatever, it doesn't matter. I will learn everything about Kaguya, it will just take more time." He says knowing the time he has to spare as long as he doesn't die. "Looks like the boys about to try to find me." He says when Hiroi kneels down to the ground.
Hiroi met the ground, his hands touching the grass. Madara doesn't see any energy leaving the boy's body as he expects. "It probably works similarly to Sage mode, sensing things through the connection with nature."
If that's the case then he won't be found through this barrier. Twenty minutes pass and Hiroi looks strained and worried at this point. If the boy can't sense him in the next ten minutes, he'll drop the barrier. If he cannot be sensed at that point, then there will be no need to try further to gauge the power.
He cannot drop down a level to use regular Sage mode otherwise he would try that. His new body has undergone a complete transformation that cannot be annulled, unlike before. With the Ten-Tails it was different; it resides within the body, sealed and separated, serving Six Path's Sage chakra to its user.
There are probably numerous ways to use Six Path Senjutsu but very few to become a Six Path's Sage permanently. To his knowledge, there are only five people to achieve Six Path Senjustu, that being Obito, Kaguya, Naruto, Ashura, and Hagoromo.
Kaguya was the first to obtain it by consuming the Shinju fruit, fabled in that stone tablet, written by Hagoromo and altered by Black Zetsu - which definitely brought a pinch of salt to everything written. Supposedly though, Hagoromo strongly inherited his mother's power after his birth. And likewise, Ashura inherited a portion of his father's power, but this time, diluted.
Unlike Hagoromo who gained seemingly all of his mother's power, Ashura only received half. Maybe because it was a birth of two instead of one or did Hagoromo perhaps also lacked something? He then recalls seeing Hagoromo in person and on his forehead was the same red seal that resembled the Rinnesharingan.
It really makes him curious about what this thing actually is. He touches the seal. "What does Hagoromo have in common with me?" There were many possibilities as to why the seal exists but the obvious one would be that they both direct receivers of Kaguya's power. Hagoromo through birth, and Madara, by absorbing Kaguya's soul. What does this mean?
Besides those two, Obito used the same method as him by becoming the Ten-Tails vessel. And Naruto, well he doesn't quite know. He clearly had chakra from all the Tailed Beasts and the Sun seal that must have contained at least a portion of Hagoromo's spirit, the other portion with Sasuke to boost his power to a similar level and allow him to unlock the Rinnegan.
"Sasuke needed the Uchiha blood and the Yin seal. Naruto needed the Tailed Beasts, nature energy, and the Sun seal." It made him curious as to why their powers differed so much, one unlocked Six Path's Senjutsu, the other unlocked the higher form of the Rinnegan, and only in one eye, very strange awakenings indeed.
Was that because Sasuke didn't have the Tailed Beast chakra and the Sun seal and Naruto didn't have Uchiha blood and the Yin seal? And speaking of blood the Uzumaki clan descended from the Senju, which originated from Ashura, maybe the bloodline was important for both to achieve their respective transformation.
Back then he was taken off guard by Naruto and Sasuke's rapid transformations, now though, his form was superior in every way shape and form. He's at five times stronger without the restraint of the Ten-Tails affecting his chakra control and he can produce his own Six Path's chakra the same way as regular, mixing physical and mental energy in the chakra centre.
Which meant that his body and soul were fundamentally changed forevermore, he could never be stripped away of these powers again, they belonged to him and him alone. And with his new ability, he can grow stronger, time is the only factor. Finding a new body would be step number one if he cannot repair his own, hopefully, he won't need to resort to that.
"I found something!" Hiroi says elatedly, shocking Madara from his thoughts. It shouldn't be possible for the boy to find him, he never actually expected to be found. Should he reveal himself? No, he'll wait just a bit more and see if he's been had for real.
Kaba jumps up from his leaning position on the tree has grown rather bored in the last half-hour. "You did? Where is he?" He asks, figuring that it be a long run and getting ready for it.
Hiroi's face distorted into one of discomfort as he unsurely says. "I think he's really close?" He had focused as hard as he could for the last half hour, he searched far and low: people, animals, insects, he sensed them all one by one. It would hurt too much to focus on it all, it may even cause his brain to explode.
But the one he is looking for could not be found, and that is when he sensed it; nearby - closer than he ever would have expected - there was a feeling he had never experienced. Normally, even empty space has a feeling to it, everything was alive in some manner. However, in the trees, there is a dead zone. His eyes explode open as the zone disappears, revealing dread.
His heart drops and he wants to get sick as he feels that familiar feeling of the abyss that had only come from one person, Madara, or as he knows him, Ryuu. While the boy recovers from his nauseousness, Madara steps from the tree to land in between Kaba and Hiroi, both turning to him.
Kaba laughs a little. "You didn't find him at all, he came to us, guess all that was pointless ey?" He didn't understand at all. Madara views Kaba with a slightly pointed expression and the chid in question reels back not knowing what he did to deserve that glare. This child is being observed with far less light in his eyes compared to his brother, especially now.
"We've been looking for you!" Kaba laughs while scratching the back of the neck, trying to disperse that glare before he wets himself.
His glare remains as he replies. "I see..." He pauses to glance downwards at Hiroi. "...what for?"
Hiroi gets up from the ground and dusts himself off before facing Madara in full. "I know you told us not to bother you but we know someone who can heal you."
Before witnessing such an event as being discovered by what seems to be a chakra-less child he wouldn't even bother listening, but it seems this world has some mystery about it that doesn't match his own, maybe this person they are talking about could actually heal him. "Go on."
Hiroi and Kaba get closer and Madara takes ear as they explain their plan to move to a great city to join what they call a "sect" in hopes of picking up their father's trail. Apparently, this world has these sects; martial institutions for talented individuals that from their explanation were continually in a fierce struggle against each other all around the world.
Madara holds his breath as he nods along with their word. Going with them is definitely the logical choice, they understand this world more than him and they have their father's connection to that supposedly high-level sect and can get him to a healer.
This world definitely isn't normal. Many martial institutions have existed throughout history going under different teachings and names, but none to his knowledge existed without chakra as it's centre. Before chakra was introduced to the people, battles must have taken place without, bloody battles with the only difference being individual skill and tactical prowess of their leaders.
For that reason, he assumed the combatants of the chakra-less era to be incredibly skilled and witty even more so than his era. But, instead of their being a chakra-less era, there is instead another power source to fuel the war and an entire infrastructure was set up around it to aid this competition.
"Okay." Madara cut in with a sudden and resolute tone. Kaba and Hirou share glances at each other as the inquiries both floated in their head, "Okay"? Does that mean that he agrees to join them?
"Okay" Hiroi tilts his head to the side. "Does that mean you will come with us?"
He nods his head slightly causing the two children to grin cheerfully. "Now that you got me to come, when do we leave? Are you going to leave your home behind for good?" He tilts his head up a little. "I wonder what the others will say to this, I bet you didn't tell them did you?"
The two both laugh nervously, avoiding eye contact altogether. It makes them shake, the thought of telling their mother and sister is a truly terrifying concept to them. Madara sees their nervous demeanour and knows he guessed right. "Well..." He chuckles under his breath. "...I'll leave that to you. I'll return sometime tomorrow and we'll discuss our next steps."
Both Kaba and Hiroi gulp down dry saliva as they nod. They say a few parting words and leave to go back home and somehow find a way to convince their family. Madara watches them disappear into the darkness with a look of pity. With this, he has some sort of plan in motion rather than just treading water as he has been.
He still left himself with some free time instead of returning with them, one he didn't feel like being apart of "that" family discussion. And two, he had some things to do that required silence. With that in mind, he disappears from that spot and travels a few hundred miles away to the middle of nowhere.
The destination is a moderately sized river. The water is running through a small section about two-fifths the size of the pebble shore that surrounded either side. Madara steps onto the pebbles below to hear to the familiar crunching and grinding sounds of the rocks. He bends down to pick up a stone.
Rolling it in his hand and between his fingers as he raises his hand and flicks it across the water to meet the other side, skimming across with ease. Remembrance of the time he shared with his only friend enters from his subconscious.
"What's your name?"
"Madara"
"I'm Hashirama."
To think such a coincidental meeting, such trivial greetings would lead the world to an entirely different direction. A smile touches his lips, a forlorn smile at that. Looking back on it, a small part of him always wanted to stay in the village hidden the leaves, the village he named, the village he created with his friend against the odds of his era.
Madara rests his bottom on a small boulder that stood out from pebbles beneath. He has all night and most of tomorrow to figure out how to take control over his soul body. He closes his eyes to start the meditation technique to return to the soul-scape but then a strange sound disturbs him as he opens his eyes to look at this dog-sized frog just staring at him from the water.
He twists his head as he eyes the creature, frogs don't grow that large naturally. Summoning beasts and beasts that possess chakra and are intelligent can grow to unfathomable sizes from dog-sized to upwards of five hundred feet and more.
But he just shrugs it off as it's not possible for summoning creatures to exist yet, nor has chakra been dispersed throughout the world for creatures to inherit. It's presumably just some variety of extinct species of amphibian that falls off the evolutionary ladder in the approaching future. And as if insulted the large croaker jumps into the river and disappears from sight.
Leaving Madara to proceed in solitude. It takes less time to enter his soul-scape this time around. As he gazes upwards towards his soul body, a determined expression reveals itself. Within the time he has left, as each person has a different manner about taking control of a soul body, he must learn from scratch something that could take decades for others.
So there is no time to waste, each second ticking by is precious. A Minute, then twenty, hour after hour goes by and he remains tranquil, unmoving like a stone sculpture both in the physical world and within the soul-scape.
Just like the process to enter the soul-scape, he feels himself feeling distant from his consciousness. Is that his key? Becoming twice distanced from your former state of being and forgetting your form altogether. Water, like water, shapeless but able to adhere to any shape. "A perfect state of mind and body..." He drags out the words. He understands now.
He forgets himself, his form melts away in his mind, his mind melts away, his thoughts melt away, his emotions melt away: greed, anger, arrogance, sadness, regret, all become dust in the wind as he truly ascends into a higher state of being. In response, his soul-body glows vibrantly white as if signalling the change in its owner.
In this new state of being, like being rebirthed by creation itself, Madara opens his shining eyes for the very first time! What will he see with these eyes? What will stare back at him?
Madara: A New Journey