Chapter 4

The dawn of Shinikage

The shinobi of the Hidden Leaf have been looking out for the enemy for the past two days. Everyone was nervous when they heard of the enemy's identity. That one name was like a taboo, surpassing even Orochimaru. No man was known as greater evil than Shinikage.

Even he, the said man himself, could not forget that day. The day when he became the terror incarnated. All this happened so many years ago…

Flashback

Lord Third Tsuchikage was standing before his army. All the Stone ninja were expecting his orders in perfect silence. The short man with the big nose eyed each and every single one of them. This army was to bring him victory in the very first campaign of the Second Shinobi War.

Then a young man, much taller, approached him. The man had short, straight brown hair, which perfectly framed his strong features. His black eyes scanned the troops. He smiled confidently seeing the army ready to move out.

"Ah, there you are at last, Yoshitsune." Oonoki said, getting the man's attention. "I am sorry for having you lead this campaign with these maggots."

"It's alright, father." He answered. "I believe the number of our troops will give us much of the advantage." He looked at the Third Tsuchikage, who only hmphed under his nose. The man chuckled and turned to his men. "Alright, listen up, soldiers! Because I won't say it twice! You know what awaits us out there! The battle which will decide whether the Earth Country will hold its eastern border or lose it! This means whether we will have the joy of feeding our families with the best fruits, vegetables and rice! Or will we lose it, along with the support of local tribes! Do you want the Cloud to take what is rightfully ours?"

All the ninja answered in denial. They were willing to fight. Yoshitsune signaled the army to move, while he faced his father again.

"Show these morons that they can't just enter our lands like so, my son." The Third Tsuchikage ordered.

"I shall not fail, Lord Tsuchikage." The man bowed. He placed his helmet on and jumped towards his army.

Three days passed since the army marched. As the night came, the Stone ninja were resting before the big battle which would take place in the morning. Yoshitsune looked at the flames, thinking of the incoming battle. He was confident they would win, but the thought of the fight itself scared him. He didn't want to go to war. But it was his duty. He had to insure the border land stays within Earth's borders.

"General!" one of the soldiers reported. "We can see the enemy. If we move out within 30 minutes, we'll clash at the Black mountain, sir."

Yoshitsune thought for a while. This was the time to act. "Captain! Tell the men to get ready. I want our troops marching within 20 minutes or less!" he ordered. He was given a salute. 'So the war is to begin now.' He thought.

The armies clashed. The battle was long, tiresome and, above all else, bloody. It was long past noon, and the fight didn't even seem to be half way. The ninja were all tired, feeling as if fighting forever. Yoshitsune cut down another Cloud shinobi, who would've crushed him if it wasn't for the armor. He breathed heavily. Looking around, he saw the battle wasn't progressing as he anticipated. It was as if the enemy new of their strategy. Yes, they had to. There was no other explanation. But who was the traitor?

The train of thoughts stopped when the apparent general of the Cloud's troops charged at him with a pitchfork. Yoshitsune's naginata proved, luckily, strong enough to stop the giant's attack. He backed away and performed a few hand seals. "Earth Style: Mudslide!" the ground under the opponent's feet turned into mud, making him lose his footing. Another set of hand seals followed. "Earth Style: Giant's Wrath Jutsu!" A boulder, which looked like a giant fist emerged from the ground and fell on top of the Cloud ninja. The Stone general sighed in relieve. Actually, wait, he just finished off the leader of enemy's army. The morals of Cloud shinobi should drop.

"Lightening Style: Light Arrow Jutsu!" a roar came. And from underground, an arrow of lightening shot out, piercing the man. He spitted blood before he even realized what happened. The Cloud general dug himself out and walked up to his victim. He smiled and repeated the jutsu two more times. Now the man had no delusion his enemy would die. He turned to see the Stone ninja he wanted to kill next.

Yoshitsune could feel his whole body aching. He tried to open his eyes, but it pained him. But he had to. He needed to find out why he felt cold.

He finally managed. And what he saw confused him.

There was darkness everywhere. And yet he could see his hands so clearly. What's more, he was floating. No, there was no up or down. What is going on here?

"So… Another soul arrives to be harvested." An echoing voice said. It sounded so cold and dark the man couldn't help but have the chills. He looked around, and finally found the source of the voice. It was a white cloaked humanoid with white hair and purple skin. Yoshitsune noticed the golden eyes, which made him regret that course of actions, as he felt all the kills of his. He heard the figures rosary, which had multiple souls within. There could be no mistake about the foul creature's identity.

"Lord Shinigami, I presume?" the Stone general spoke.

"Your life has been ended, little soul." The death god continued, as if not acknowledging the man's question. "Now it is time you joined all those who passed before you."

He reached with his hair for Yoshitsune, while reaching for his blade. The hair wrapped around the man, effectively making it impossible to escape. He struggled. But the death god was ready to pierce him.

"No, please. Don't!" he begged. "I still have my people to protect!"

Shinigami didn't respond. He just pierced him. The pain was terrible. There was no blood, but there was pain. His spirit started getting siphoned into the pearl. He would join those Shinigami has taken throughout eternity. Was this his end?

No, he wouldn't have it.

He grabbed the blade and with all his might struggled to push it out. At first it seemed futile. But then the death god himself, in full shock, saw the soul no longer being siphoned. Finally, the blade was pushed out. That's not possible! This shouldn't have happened. How could a mortal defy a god like this? This hasn't happened since the Great Exile. But this man wasn't that man. And yet he did it.

Yoshitsune made a few hand seals, calling out his jutsu: "Ninja Art: Vanish-Reappear attack!" Then he vanished, reappearing in several places around the god of death. The generals kept disappearing and reappearing continuously, until the real one finally delivered the blow to the neck. But to his disappointment, the blade broke. There was a scratch on the thoat of Shinigami, but it healed in time no longer than a second. The purple-skinned deity just gazed at the mortal and caught him in a tight grip. The Stone general struggled, but couldn't get free. Not like it was surprising. The gods and demons, their natural enemies, were far stronger than mortals themselves after all.

Shinigami set his blade to finish the mortal. It was the time to finish things. The blade stabbed him again. He could feel himself disappearing from existence. So that was the terrible fate of those before the death god- the state of being forgotten. It was painful. Empty.

No- he would not have it. He still had his mission to do. To fall here would be the greatest of his sins. He roared, struggling to resist. He needed to free himself. He needed to return to life. He needed to WIN.

And the unthinkable happened.

Not only did he win his soul from being absorbed into the rosary, but he was absorbing the rosary itself. The Lord of Death was shocked. He got scared. He threw the mortal away to stop whatever was happening. Yoshitsune stopped himself and looked at himself. He felt… power. The feeling was so alien to him. What was this feeling? It felt like… the distance was insignificant. As if the size of a mountain was a mere stone. As if time was an illusion. It felt as if he was just one person and yet a whole army. As if he was anywhere. Is this the power gods wield? Is this what it means to be above mortals?

"Mortal, you have no idea what powers you have just taken from me, no matter how small portion it is." Shinigami growled, ready to attack him. Yoshitsune's eyes widened, as in some kind of enlightenment. He easily dodged Shinigami's spiritual arrow, shot from his fingers. Yoshitsune did the same gesture and did the same attack. The god was surprised. But not surprised enough. He blocked the attack. The Stone general was at awe. But he quickly realized he had no time for this. He thought about his troops. He needed to return to his men. But how was he to return to…

He was vanishing.

He opened his eyes. The bright blue sky, filled with black smoke, was what he could see. He sat up to look around. He saw the whole area was filled with dead bodies. A horrible sight, for what was not covered by the dead, was red with blood and blades. He stood up to some more, to see if the fight was still going.

Then he got stabbed. He didn't even scream. The cloud general smirked. "What's the matter, boy?" he asked mockingly. "Didn't had enough pain yet? Well… I can settle this right now. And this time you won't come back!" he pushed the blade deeper and kicked the Stone ninja in the back. Victory was his. The Cloud army could go on forward. The general turned to face his troops.

He was about to order to move on, leaving the bodies on the battle field, when pain paralyzed him. He looked down at his chest. A hand pierced him. "What's the matter, pal." Yoshitsune's voice mocked him. "Didn't had enough?" The last surviving Stone general back his other hand and pierced him again- this time through his heart directly. The Cloud general fell without life.

Yoshitsune looked at the army before him. His look was that of an insane man. Though deep down, he was more than sane. He just could grasp his current situation yet. He should have died now. And yet he lived. So, if he couldn't die now, he would take advantage of it.

The moon was rising. The reinforcements from the Hidden Stone Village were on the way. The Tsuchikage was leading his troops to see the enemy run from his power. This land was under his protection. No Cloud ninja would take it. The army finally reached the Black Mountain… and what they saw was sickening.

Death. Dead bodies everywhere as far as the eye could see. Even the Tsuchikage was sickened. Some bodies didn't even look like human or animal. Some were so massacred it was hard to imagine how it could be done. Far in the middle of this field of the dead a single figure stood. The Stone ninja approached him and felt relieved upon seeing it was their beloved general. But when they came near him, their faces of joy vanished. The damage on his armor, these holes, these burns, these wounds…

And he wasn't even bleeding. He didn't even show signs of pain. Yoshitsune faced his lord and bowed.

"Lord Tsuchikage!" he addressed the ninja leader. "The battle is won."

The Tsuchikage grinned. "Nice job, boy."

Flashback end

He remembered many battles after that. All these campaigns since the Black Mountain Massacre. He was the power. But the later events, the betrayal made him into a rogue ninja. It made him into Shinikage. He would get his revenge. But he needed more power. After all, even he had his limits. But that jutsu could make him invincible.

"Lord Shinikage! The troops are set as planned." The lieutenant informed his master.

The man in the black armor faced the man. "Then give the signal, lieutenant. Proceed as planned."

"Yes, my Lord!" the man vanished in the mist of black smoke. The Shinikage smiled under his mask.

"Soon, Senju Tobirama, the Second Hokage, your legacy will be mine." He whispered to himself. He curled his hands into fists, tightening the grip in a victorious manner. His laughter carried out through the air.

His victory was close. And none will stop him.

To be continued…

A/N: Update at long last. Decided to end here for my birthday. I'll try to make the next chapter far longer if not normal length. Please review. Thanks.