Chapter 6: Fatigue

I rubbed my eyes, my eyes extremely dry and far too tired for this shit. It has been five weeks since we've been out of the clan boundaries and we were heading back now. If things go accordingly, we should be arriving in two days... or three days with how tired my group is actually.

After the encounter with the Akimichi, they gave us a bigger portion of food. Which make the clan a lot happier, because the famine was hitting hard. One the the villages around our clan boundaries got deserted, and some of the other villages started to completely die out. Although, with more food that the Akimichi gave us, they demanded our help for fighting even more. They were usually smaller fights, so we easily helped them. We rarely asked them for help in fighting. In fact, in terms of on terrain help, they helped us carry some ore we found on a mountain and they helped us fight off some bandits, but that's it. Since we started helping the Akimichi more directly, we have become unofficial allies with the Yamanka and Nara as well. They didn't trust us fully, but these things started out slowly. Baby steps.

I briefly look back and send out a small wave of chakra around me, sensing that everyone is here. All nine other members of my group. We were currently running through a thick forest, shadows covered us with occasional small beams on sunlight. I could sense my group being very tired so I slowed down until I stopped running. I looked back at them, "We'll rest for half an hour. Then, no more breaks until we reach our boundaries," I say to them. They let out a wave of relieved sighs and most sit on the ground. I cross my arms and close my eyes, trying my best to scan my the area surrounding us, in case of enemies.

Due to the lack of supply and how much longer we've been out of the clan, we were all extremely tired and lost a lot of our chakra. In result, that also meant that my chakra sensing decreased significantly. Where my usual radius of chakra sensing is 100 km, it's now just 20 km... I probably shouldn't have given all of my food to my teammates. Not to mention, the more we ran, the slower we got. I've sent a messenger bird to the clan, telling them of the situation and status. If we got lucky, there would be an escort team with us in a couple of hours. To secure us.

I sighed and looked down at my pouch. The reason we were out of this mission was to localize ourselves with the new potential clan area. We had found a great area on top of a mountain. There are no clans near, it seemed that no one knows of that and there is a very dense forest at the base of the mountain in which we could lay many traps for enemies. It was exactly what the leader as looking for, what I was looking for, basically what everyone was looking for. The only downfall is that it's very far away, so trips will have to be made to carry Kireha from the old clan boundaries to the new one. I patted my pouch and looked over my teammate, who fell in quiet talk. I had managed to get some of that ore that Soke wanted, so hopefully he's happy with that. I couldn't endanger my teammates more though, so we didn't go towards the detour I had previously wanted. But I had sensed a few caves near the mountain, so Soke just had to be patient.

I suddenly tense up, my chakra flaring ever so slightly. My teammates turn quiet and look at me. I look towards the North East side... yeah, no mistaking it.

"The Uchiha are heading towards this direction," I tell them. They all tense up. I crouch and put my hand to the ground, trying to sense more... That is Madara coming this way, with three others of his clan. They were heading a bit west compared to where we stood, but he would definitely be able to sense up... especially with that speed... I have to distract him.. but will I be enough? "Kupo, stay with me. The others..." I give them all a stern stare, "please run as fast as possible to the boundaries." There was a silence, my team looking at me with softened eyes before they nodded and all ran past me and Kupo. I stayed quiet. Was this finally the moment I would...

I looked at Kupo and her at me. "As the strongest of the group, we are to keep the rest alive. Do you understand that?" I ask her, and she nods. "Hai, I understand Yasu." I nod back. "Come on, two. Let's head towards the North West then," I say and start to run at a lower than average speed, "Hai, one."

x

I like lots of things about my clan. It ranged from how open people are with each other, the familiarity, the dedication and loyalty they instantly had. Another that I found quite nice, was the anonymous-ity the clan has. When outside and engaging with an enemy, our names as never spouted out. Thus, no one except those in the clan knows of my name, or my leader's name. Instead, we use numbers. Since I was the leader of the clan, I was usually 'one' while the other numbers would be numbers randomly selected.

It was small things like that that really made me appreciate my clan.

I could sense Madara's chakra flare in anger at a precise moment. If I were to take a guess, it would be that he sensed me... also because he was heading straight towards me. I immediately blocked his gunbai with both of my twins so that we were face to face while I heard Kupo stop behind me as I also sensed the other Uchiha's stop behind Madara. To my surprise... he seemed tired. His chakra reserves seemed to be lower than usual... and his left arm appears to be injured, there's not as much chakra going in there compared to the rest of his body. I can hear him huff in annoyance, "You damned wrench," he spits.

"Got into a small fight before meeting little 'ol me, Madara?" I ask, my mouth twitching in a smirk as I can feel his anger towards me for addressing him so familiarly. Well, injured or not, he's still extremely strong so he managed to push me back. I jumped back to go with the momentum and landed on my feet. Before I knew it, he was right in front of me again but I blocked it with my twin. I ducked down and went to kick his leg but he jumped in. He turned around midair and went to slam me down with the gunbai, but I quickly dodged to the left, avoiding the gunbai and wind that came with it. He made a small crater but quickly followed me towards the left.

With my fatigued state, I didn't have much power.

So I had to use the blood line limit.

I went fully offensive and swung my twins towards his neck, which he dodged and went to slam me with his gunbai. But I jumped up and on his gunbai and used his momentum to kick his left shoulder, where I assumed his wound would be. His chakra spiked ever so slightly and he retreated. He jumped back while I landed on the ground. We both took a single breathe.

His hands flashed as he made a multitude of hand signs while I concentrated on my twins. My skins was quickly covered with the blue vines of chakre that came from my hand. I put the twins away quickly and grabbed the enhanced chakra twin swords. He made the grand fire ball jutsu. Being too close to me, I couldn't dodge it. So with my chakra sword, I cut through the fire ball. Quickly following my line of interception, once I saw the other side of the cut fire ball, Madara was waiting for me with a another jutsu. The Dragon Flame release.

I clenched my teeth as I spun as fast as possible, expanded my chakra sword twins until it's limit.

Once my chakra sword twins touched his dragon flame release, it ignited an explosion.

My chakra swords require a lot of chakra balancing. This means, I need to balance out the yin and yang of the chakra. A good sword is not defined by the quantity of metal is contains, but by the quality. Similarly, my chakra sword gets better once the yin and yang have the best type of quality when put together. Now, especially with chakra swords, there is a limitation to this. The better the quality the chakira sword is, thus the better the yin and yang is balanced, the less chakra it should contain. Exactly like how the more chakra the sword has, the less balanced it will be, thus making the chakra sword big but extremely blunt, light and not dangerous at all... so what happens when an extremely balanced sword comes in contact and accepts a jutsu of extremely high chakra?

Well. The sword breaks, releasing an amplified amount of energy, thus creating an explosion.

The blast threw me back, pushing me against the ground. I flipped over, putting myself to my feet and stopped myself from moving my digging the tips of my feet into the ground. I avoided touching the ground with my hands. I did not need to see them to know that they were completely burnt, red and probably bleeding. I place one of my knees on the ground to keep my balance and keep in the sounds of pain that I want to let out. An explosion of fire is bad... but one of fire and chakra is definitely worse.

I yelled at myself mentally, saying that what I did was the worst idea I came up with in my entire life... I sensed around myself, and felt that Madara also dealt with quite a lot of damage. I also note that Kupo wasn't affected too much by it and jumped to my side. I used far too much chakra for that, I was could feel my life force slowly being drained from me. I could only sense what I could see if my eyes were open, which is not a lot at all. Madara stood up, having crouched on the ground to keep his balance as well. I needed to see what he would to for my next course of action. It was clear him as his men were also tired and injured... so if only they would retreat..

But from his firm stance, it doesn't look like it.

I also stand up, my arms shaking in pain. I concentrate once more, this time a chakra blade was attached to my arm as a whole, since I couldn't hold anything. Everyone stayed still. He held his gunbai with his right hand only. At the exact moment we were about to run at each other... the ground shook. My first thought was an earthquake... but the ground emitted... chakra. My senses almost came as an overload as trees and roots suddenly came out of the ground, destroying the makeshift terrain the Uchiha, Kopu and I made during our battle.

I took a step back, recognizing the newcomer very easily but never having been so close to it before.

Hashirama Senju.

If Madara wasn't angry before, he sure is now.

I'm trying to keep in my terrified state hidden inside me because the god of shinobi is right there and in my state, he could kill me instantly.. maybe I can push Madara to focus solely Hashirama, and Hashirama on him? I can sense Madara thinking, judging by how the chakra inside him is swirling in a mess. He doesn't know how to win this fight. Neither do I. But I do know how to avert this fight so that I can flee. As Hashirama was assessing the situation, I decided to strike. I showed Kopu my index, middle and pinky finger, a message that said to run on the spot. The moment she started to run, I used the last of my energy to run behind Madara. Appearing behind him, I used my chakra blade not to slice him, but to push him towards Hashirama. I made sure to use a minor wind jutsu as well to push him further.

He barely blocked it, which ensured no injury for him, but it did ensure him being pushed. I smirked and let him fly towards Hashirama. I quickly went behind one of the two remaining Uchiha, Kupo had killed one of them, and slammed my blade to his neck, effectively decapitating him. I felt the other Uchiha about to fire ball me but I kicked him in his throat. I didn't acknowledge Hashirama's chakra spark as Madara was forced to give him an attack and I fled. Before leaving the area, I turned my chakra blade into hundreds of sharp chakra strings and attacked them to the trees to act as a barrier from me and the Uchiha and Senju. If they were careless, they'd be cut into pieces once they touch the chakra strings.

Having little to no chakra left, I couldn't sense at all around me anymore and had to open my eyes. I didn't look back, knowing that would only slow me down. I just needed to get out of there, as fast as possible. I needed to catch up to Kopu and my teammates, or reach the boundaries. I couldn't trust my ears to sense around me as they were ringing. So I had to trust my eyes and my nose to guide me back. I notice the hurried tracks that Kopu left behind and quickly follow them. My heart is still beating far too fast. All odds were against me then... and they still are. I wouldn't know if anyone is following me now. I keep my eyes in front of me and continue running as fast as I can.

x

It has been a whole day. A whole 24 hours since I've been running.

I've been slowling down and I don't know if I'll make it back home.

I shake my head and remove those thoughts from my mind. I shouldn't think like that, I am the leader. I will make it back and I will found my teammates. I scan the area for more marks that Kopu left behind. The last one I saw was half an hour ago, but I couldn't find any anymore. Maybe she finally got wary and stopped making marks around? Looks like I'll just need to trust my instincts to find me a way home. I was running around a lake now, in a less dense wood. If it weren't for the situation, I would have looked around in pure bliss at how peaceful it seemed... but I couldn't help but feel my guts squeeze together in wary. Something didn't feel right. It was too quiet.. too peaceful. My stomach felt queasy.

A minute later, I smell the start of something absolutely foul.

The smell of death of rotting and of stained life.

The smell of blood.

I immediately stop running. Blood drains from my face.

My team and I would usually make a detour when we find and sense the remains of a battle. It always lowered the mood and nobody wanted to see the harsh reality. Except... I had a horrible feeling that, I couldn't look away from this harsh reality. I walk towards the foul smell. I feel dirty just by walking.

My mind is blank. I can't think but I can only feel. Feel something is bad. I want to deny what is to come.

I stop at the red tree in front of me. She doesn't look peaceful at all. Isn't death suppose to symbolize the freedom of life? Her eyes look dully at me, void of life. I don't even want to find where the rest of her body is. Her beautiful locks were intertwined in the branches as blood oozed out of her cut neck and onto the ground. She was alive a few hours ago.

I close Kupo's eyes and untangle her head from the branches. Once done, I cradle her decapitated head in my arms and place her on the ground.

I can't help myself but move closer to the even fouler smell.

This being a genjutsu doesn't even come across my mind. Because Madara had tried on me before and failed, and if it doesn't work with a genjutsu master like him, nobody else would succeed. And yet, one would think something this cruel would come from the imagination only. I come at a small red clearing. I stop at the middle as my eyes took in my five teammates. They don't even look how they used to. It looks like their skin were pulled inside out, their stomachs are cut open and their guts are pulled out to act as vile scarves.

Inhumane.

Absolutely inhumane.

"Hello, Kireha-san," I hear someone from behind me. But the buzzing of my ears sound louder. "We've been waiting for a while... sorry about the smell, but you've kept us waiting..." I want to throw up my heart and kick it until it is just a rotting red mess. The voice's owner walks around me and stands in front of me. I can't help but just blankly look at him. The symbol on his collar shows that he's a Shimura. "Your ninjas proved to be more durable than we thought, but... it's a shame it came to this."

That was the last straw.

The once eerily tranquil remaining chakra inside me exploded in fury.

How dare he?!

I appeared behind him and kicked his throat. He fell to the ground.

He attacked my family!?

I pulled my hand back and quickly make them punch his face. I took my index and ring finger out and hooked them in his eye sockets. He screamed and I didn't notice the other Shimura running to me.

He not only just killed them, but he tortured them!

I spun around and kicked all the Shimura around me, the ones that tried to confine me.

HOW DARE HE!

MY POOR INNOCENT FAMILY, WHO JUST WANTS PEACE!

I don't register the fact that they've started stabbing me with their kunais.

My energies drains at a faster rate.

They just wanted to live in peace...

x

They had kept three of my teammates alive. They had me leaned against a tree, tied a rope around my stomach to make sure I didn't leave. The plunged a kunai in both of my hands into the tree. They had another in my shoulder. Then one on my calf and one of each feet.

I stared in absolute misery as my remaining teammates were tortured to death in front of my eyes.

Blood stained the ground and blood stained my hands for the rest of my life.

Once they were done with their ordeal, the dragged me across the ground to where I would assume is their clan. My eyes were open but I couldn't see. I couldn't comprehend.

The only thing I knew what that I was no longer surrounded my red trees stained by my family's blood, but I was in a dark cell stained by my blood.

Chapter 6 done. This will be continued in the next chapter.

Small summary: Yasu & team are out to go scouting for a new area for the clan to immigrate to, because where they are at is far too close to the war.
They were on their way back, and they are all extremely tired because it took far longer than expected.
Madara unexpectedly shows up, so Yasu and Kopu sacrifices themselves to save the rest.
Hashirama shows up, probably followed Madara. Yasu uses him as a distraction to Madara and she flees with great damage (and Kopu left earlier, so they aren't together).
Her teammates got captured by the Shimura and were tortured to death.
Yasu is also captured by them.

Things aren't going well for them :(

14 - May - 2018

Tsuki