Chapter fourteen – Polar Night
'Night' is understood as the centre of the Sun being below a free horizon. In areas within the polar circle, polar night occurs when the sun doesn't come up over the horizon and results in night lasting for more than 24 hours.
With his jaw resting in the palm of his hand, Madara sat thinking deeply over what he'd been avoiding for over a day. He was sitting together with Izuna out on the training ground while they ate lunch in silence. The village felt unusually quiet, probably because it was the first time ever Madara had sent so many people out without going with them himself. Right now however, it was better to stay in one location, so that everyone knew where to find and report to him whenever they found something.
The lunch he'd brought was only half eaten, and when he knew his appetite was gone for good, his mind drifted to the blond girl he'd recently got rejected by, and what she might be hiding.
While he didn't doubt Naruto, not at all, he still wondered what had been a lie and what had not, amongst the slippery black shape's words. The creature had said she'd just 'popped' into the world at six years old. It was the strangest lie he'd ever heard, not to mention that thing about her soul being abnormal and tilting some sort of system? It was the craziest load of bullshit he'd ever been served in his life, and also things it was impossible to prove.
No, they had to be lies…
The Itanika thing though… He had been convinced she'd told him the truth about that. Her village was destroyed, and an Uchiha had done it. But the evidences was stacked against her. After the village was destroyed the Uchiha had taken everything of documentation stored there, and after going through it he hadn't found a single sentences about any Namikaze at all.
Maybe she was a very good liar… Maybe she had been a beggar… It was very hard to be sure.
The jinchuriki part though… Black Zetsu had said it went missing six years ago, and her being a demon container would be possible to prove.
...Somehow…
It might be that she… Had sealed it as a way of self defence… Or someone had sealed it in her in self defence. She had been thirteen years old after all. How the hell does a thirteen year old manage to seal the strongest of the bijū inside oneself?
Maybe the demon had been in an area where she'd wandered into. It would almost be miraculous for her not to have been close to one of the bijūs with the amount of travelling she'd done in her life.
Out of all the creatures spewing of crap, her being a jichuriki didn't sound so far fetched to Madara. Naruto never seemed to get tired, or run out of chakra, and she healed… Healed so quickly, even quicker then Hashirama… maybe.. Maybe those things all came down to her being a jinchuriki.
The reason she'd never told would be obvious… Who'd want to tell that to anyone? No one would trust you if they knew, would be scared and keep her away. Hell, even Madara had been sick at the thought that he'd let her into the village at first, only for the feeling to turn into guilt.
Naruto had never done anything wrong to them. Only a stab wound to the leg to one of his shinobi that hadn't been anything serious. Only to save a little boy she'd sympathised for in a spur of the moment decision. Afterwards she'd protected himself and his brother from Senju Butsuma, then again with this protection barrier around the village.
But still… While he truly believed Naruto had always acted for the best, he also wondered if maybe her best wasn't the same as the Uchihas best. The words of his father still lingered in the back of his mind.
'But remember, Madara, and never forget, that the clan comes first. Before yourself, before me or your brother or any singular person.'
Yes… The clan came first… Maybe not before Izuna, but certainly before his little... crush. This bijū was the key to stopping his clan getting killed and die out. His people could be saved once and for all if they just obtained the power of a demon, and this was something even Izuna could talk him out of.
Still musing about everything he'd do once they obtained one of the taled beast, Uchiha Yuko sought him out to report her mission in person. "Bad news, Madara-sama. The Senju has caught on to the biju. They have started scouting for it as well."
Uchiha Yuko was a year younger then Madara. She had brown short hair that reached to her yaw with bright brown eyes, which she'd managed to activate when she was ten years old. She was an excellent sensor who could feel disturbances in chakra. The more the better she felt it. This was a perfect mission for a sensor with her abilities.
Madara turned away from his brother and his sharingan activated in anger. "What makes you sure?" he asked insistently.
"We managed to overhear some of the Senju scouts searching the eastern borders. They were talking about the ruins of the civilian village and was scared of their mission. They never said exactly what they were afraid of, but I think it's safe to assume they came to the same conclusion as you did, Madara-sama." The young woman reported. She was dirty and tired looking. Being out for two weeks, only to be sent straight out again when she returned to search for the bijū.
"It looks like we're in a race then." Said Izuna thoughtful.
"Yes. I it seems like we are, I'll guess it's time I started looking for the demon myself. Now that Hashirama is out looking for it we're in a hurry." Madara told his brother who nodded.
"Tell me how the scouting has gone so far." he ordered Yuko who at once started summarizing the last couple of days in the field.
The searching for the bijū was a surprisingly hard task. You'd think something that large would be pretty easy to find wouldn't you? But unfortunately for Hashirama this wasn't the case. They had been out in in the wild for one and a half day without a trace of it, until they ran into a very scared civilian shouting about a huge red gorilla that had crossed his path half a day ago.
The intensity of the search had a renewed surge of energy and they trotted on after hearing these news. Kurou was looking just as sour as he'd been when they left the Senju village, while Mito was concentrating with everything she had as they moved through the forest. With them was about forty five shinobi who'd been called in after they heard news of the biju.
Mito had concluded from the civilian's description, that they were dealing with the yonbi, so Tobirma had gotten the main responsibility to deal with the thing together with Hashirama. While the eldest brother's wood technique might be of help to subdue the gorilla, it would be difficult to take it down with such a flammable element.
Itama had been sent far back in the rank. While he was a skilled shinobi with a pretty good water element and a surprisingly well tuned to lighting affinity, he was too young to deal with something like this. Hashirama quietly had a feeling they all were.
"I wish Naruto was here." Muttered Mito and looked sourly towards Tobirama.
"Why? I'd doubt she'd be anything but another hinder for us." Bit the Senju back, looking just as grumpy as Mito was.
"Because, Naruto can sense chakra. She'd find the beast in a second." She answered angrily.
"Naruto is a sensor?" Asked Itama curiously.
"Yes, a damned good one too." Mito retorted with another angry look at Tobirama.
"She wouldn't help with this..." Muttered Kurou and straightened his glasses while keeping his eyes straight forwards. He seemed to have said the words as if it had been something he'd thought, not said.
"Why do you say that? Naruto would be even more horrified then we are about the destruction the yonbi caused that poor village." Said Mito stubbornly back to her brother.
"You are forgetting sister, that Naruto has already been involved with a similar situation. While you are right the she would indeed find this bijū very quickly, she would have sent it away instead of… capturing it, as we are attempting." He said the last words with contempt and his went back to his private brooding.
Kurou was extremely pissed off about being involved in this ordeal, and believed they were making matters worse by trying to capture it. While Naruto might act like an idiot at times, her intentions and convictions were usually very good.
Not capturing bijūs was one of her strongest 'no-no' as she had so gallantly worded it. He couldn't let his sister go alone though, he couldn't just sit back at in the Senju village while she ran off to fight a biju for crying out loud.
'Kurama?' Asked Naruto to the bijū inside her mindscape. While Naruto was focusing on running, she was letting Kurama do the scouting.
'Hmmm… Shit, I think they got there before us.' Growled the fox as she ran through the forest, not bothering with keeping herself hidden any more.
'What?' She gasped and automatically speeded up.
'That blasted Senju… And… I think I can feel my former jinchuriki there too.' Swore the fox as they ran full out through the forest.
'I though they where south! How can they have gotten past us? And what is Mito doing here? She was supposed to stay hidden, dattebayo!' She growled she tried to see past the surrounding trees. She could clearly feel it now.
They were scared but determined.
She heard the high pitched scream of Son as he started cursing their existence. Clearly pissed out of his mind that anyone was trying to challenge him yet again.
"Fuck." She growled, but this time it was because of the other presence she felt a little ahead of them.
'Yes, I was about to tell you of them as well….' Muttered Kurama as he gritted his teeth and attempted to run as fast as the Hiraishin no jutsu.
The forest became a blur as they pelted through with no regards of who saw or noticed them. To enraged and worried to bother.
They came to a stop as they reached a large lake, and there they were.
Son Gokū on the shore while Uzumaki Mito and Hashirama was keeping him in check with their respective techniques to subdue the bijū.
'Stop Naruto.' Commanded Kurama as she was about to launch herself forwards, and she realised why when a horde of shinobi did the same from a little distance away from them. She recognised Madara at once.
They ran forwards, racing towards Son Gokū, Hashirama and Mito, intent on thwarting their attempt at all cost.
The Senju ninjas was on guard in a second, pointing and forming a human barricade between the oncoming enemies and their leader all the while shouting.
"It's the Uchiha!"
"Fuck, Uchiha Madara!"
"Don't let them pas!"
She heard them yell to each other as they took formation around Hashirama and Mito, who seemed to pay them no attention. To busy trying to control Son.
"Hashirama!" Shouted Madara as he more or less blasted the Senju's out of his path.
'Okay, this escalated quickly... Go now!' Shouted Kurama inside her head. Jumping like she'd never done in her life she crossed the water and ended up straight behind Mito. Landing while hitting her hard in the neck making her gasp, she sailed down in a dead faint. Her chakra chains slowly starting to fade away.
"Wha-!" Shouted Hashirama as his head swirled between the four tails, Madara who had stopped in shock, the unconscious Mito and lastly to Naruto who stood over her.
With a growl she came at Hashirama who had to move this time.
"NARUTO!" Hashirama and Madara shouted at the same time.
"I will not let you seal Son, damn it!" She growled as the yonbi roared in triumph, finally able to move again.
As Hashirma jumped backwards to avoid her fist, Naruto felt Tobirama behind her and dodged just in time when he came flying past her with his tantō, he'd tried to use the teleport technique to strike her down. Spinning around and kicking him in the stomach, he was blasted away from them in the opposite direction into the water.
Son was making an awful commotion, and Naruto usined the kage bunshin so her clones could surrounded him and talk some sense to the bijū. Naruto had to make sure he didn't hurt anyone while she focused on her other opponents.
"Leave now, Son Gokū! You are not safe here! You will get sealed into a human if you remain!" The clones shouted while the real Naruto turned warily towards Hashirama who had gotten ready to strike her.
Before he did, Naruto's own anger got the better of her. "What the hell is wrong with you people? Do you have problems understanding me? I say don't fight one another, and yet this war continues. I say don't attack the bijūs, and here you fucking are trying to seal, Son Gokū!"
Hashirama turned angry and stepped forwards while pointing to the red gorilla. "That demon has killed plenty of innocent humans, Naruto! It is too powerful to be left roaming the wild!" He shouted as he raised his blade. Madara came up on the other side, his own kama raised and his eyes blood red.
"The Uchiha will have the four tails." He said in a low threatening voice.
All around them a big fight had started out, Son was still somewhat restrained by Hashirama's wood release, but it was only a matter of seconds before he was free. Naruto's clones was dodging Uchihas and Senjus all the while trying to talk some sense into the the yonbi. The Senjus had started battling the Uchihas, and metal blended shouts was heard all about them.
"Why can't you both see that you are making things worse? Son Gokū did something wrong, and I for one is pissed at him for letting whatever happen go out over Karonichi Village, but sealing him away wont solve anything! It will just make him even more furious! Let me talk to him. I can convince him to leave this land, and to stay away from humans." She shouted back to the both of them.
"No, the yonbi is a powerful weapon. The Uchiha will use the power to win this war once and for all." Said Madara without moving.
"I can't allow the Uchiha to take the yonbi." Said Hashirama with bitterness in his voice.
Son was being his usual frustrating self as he roared at the Naruto clone trying to tell him to get the hell away.
"You big headed ape! Get the hell away from here! And you call humans stupid?!" They heard the clone bark out at the lava spitting gorilla. Instead of answering, he attacked Hashirama. The Senju started ducking, but then two of Naruto's clones jumped in front of the blast and got hit by the burst of lava.
"You're being an idiot, Naruto." Hissed Madara.
"Going up against a bijū, the Senju and Uchiha all at once. You must have lost your mind."
"I never wanted to! You guys are forcing me!" She growled back, pointing accusingly from Hashirama to Madara.
"Please leave, Naruto. This is no place for someone like you. If you don't do as I say, I will have to capture you, and I do not wish to harm you." Muttered Hashirama, trying to reason with his friend.
"Someone like me? I think you must have forgotten what I told you before, Hashirama. Do you not remember what I told you about the bijū? Trapping them will only make our bonds to them even worse then it already is. Do you want a repeat of how things are going with the Uchiha?!" Naruto answered, getting even more pissed off at Hashirama for not understanding why she was doing this.
"What? That thing you told us as kids? That was a story, Naruto, a legend you heard as a child. It doesn't mean it's true. Did you not see the destruction and the deaths up in Karonichi village the same way I did? Are you blind to how powerful that demon can be in the wrong hands? I'm trying to help, Naruto."
Tobirama stepped up to them and gave Naruto such a nasty glare she felt like giving him the finger in retaliation.
"Brother, she's crossed the line. If you wont kill her then I will." Muttered Tobirama and came up on Hashirama's side.
"You have enough to deal with Madara and the Yonbi. And someone will have to look after Mito..." He said looking down at the red head by Naruto's feet.
"I would never let anything happen to Mito!" Naruto growled back in fury.
"Funny way of showing it." Said Tobirama and with a sarcastic smile.
In that moment Madara took his chance and focused on Son instead of the others as Izuna came running out of the forest towards them. "Obe-" He started but Naruto was flying towards him in an instant. Throwing Mito to Tobirama who caught her on reflex.
Madara had just enough time to stop Naruto's fist with the his gunbai and he was pushed backwards away from the shore and onto the lake. Izuna came behind his brother and swung his blade at Naruto who dodged sideways, turned and hit him hard in the side so he flew away just the same way Tobirama had done earlier.
In that moment it seemed Son had enough of the diplomacy talk with the remaining Naruto clones. The clones was evaporated as he punched them straight in the head and with a sound of fury he charged against the remaining humans.
"You give me no choice!" Growled Naruto who was dodging Madara's furious kama stabbing, and as the red gorilla came towards them she tapped into Kurama's power.
Madara thought for a moment he must have been hit with a genjutsu. Since Naruto, who he knew did a lot of idiotic things, still couldn't possible be stupid enough to put herself aflame. One moment the young woman was in front of him, crouching sideways as his blade swung downwards, and in the next moment she was gone.
She reappeared standing in front of the four tails with one hand raised in a symbolic denial to let him pass. And to everyone's wonder the four tail stopped dead in his track.
Naruto was letting Kurama do the talking for her this time. As killer B had once told her, the bijū could talk to one another telepathically.
'Son, get the fuck out of here this instance! Naruto is here because of me, and is trying to save you from getting sealed into a human, damn it! Try cooperating for once and run! Now! Me and Naruto will deal with the talking monkeys here.'
"You… Kurama..." Said the red demon in wonder.
"Leave… I'll keep them at bay." Naruto said with conviction. The four tails tilted his head, and as if he was struggling with himself, slowly he nodded.
As Naruto turned towards the Uchiha and Senju, the gorilla turned and fled with such a speed, he was making the earth shake slightly each time his gigantic feet hit the ground.
"FUCK YOU, NARUTO! What the hell did you just do?!" Shouted Izuna and ran towards her. Madara stepped in front of his brother and stopped him from getting closer. It looked like a similar scene had occurred between the Senju brothers.
"I will have to stop you now, Naruto. The Senju can't allow you to do these sort of things. You have become a threat to my people." Said Hashirama and came towards her. Madara didn't say anything but his intention seemed similar.
'My, my. We certainly stepped in it didn't we, brat?' She heard Kurama say amusingly.
'Am I supposed to fight them both? At the same time? I could just run for it…?'
'Then they will just fight each other. Why don't we teach them a lesson. Even though you act like a moron doesn't mean you can't be right. Let them understand your conviction in this.'
'It's the shodai and Uchiha Madara! I needed help just to take down Madara alone once! Do you remember? We had all the shonibi of the five great nations getting beaten into a pulp while they tried to protect us?'
'This isn't the ancient rinnegan Madara. This is the young Madara before he turned dark. Hashirama is the same. He's not yet as powerful as he we saw him back in the war. While both are strong, they wont team up, not now. They will attack you as much as they attack each other. It will become a three way battle.'
'But… They're my friends…'
'So you called, Sasuke. Didn't hinder you from attacking him.'
Coming out of her conversation she steeled herself for what was coming.
"I'm not going to get captured or killed. I'm right in this. Son Gokū have killed innocent people, I'm not denying that. But can you say your own hands are clean, Hashirama? Have everyone you killed in this war deserved death? Have all of them been evil and mindless as you think Son is? I haven't seen you try to capture anyone in the Uchiha clan and force them to fight their own. That's what I feel you where trying to do to Son just now." She said and glared at Hashirama who halted in his track.
"This is not about good and evil, Naruto. This is about the blood of our people, to save the ones still remaining." Muttered Madara without halting. His expression was twisted, seemingly reluctant but resolved in his course.
"So you say this is about revenge?" She asked and looked sadly at Madara.
"It's about my family, and I'm not going to allow you to spoil our chances to win this war." he replied and came to a stop a few meters away. They stood in a triangle formation on the shore next to the lake. Three friends turned enemies.
The three way deadlock.
Team one of Konoha.
There was so many ironic elements to this, that if the situation wasn't so serious Naruto would have laughed.
"So be it. I've lost too much, fought too hard for you to stop me now." She said and unsheathed her chokutō.
Hashirama attacked first, flying forwards and jabbed with his own chokutō. Kurama had been right when he said they wouldn't team up, since Madara didn't aid him.
Their blades clashed, Naruto gritted her teeth as she pumped chakra through her mussels. Unfortunately as a girl she didn't have the same mussel mass as men did, but chakra was a great equaliser for that.
She saw the pain in Hashirama's eyes, and knew he wanted to kill her as much as Naruto wanted to kill him. The whole situation was just absurd. With a roar they both threw each other backwards and Madara stormed forwards against Naruto.
She had landed on her behind in the water, and had just enough time to stop his kama over her with her chokutō, their weapons struggling against each other. She used Kurama's chakra to make a chakra arm from her chest, and wide eyed Madara jumped backwards to avoid getting grabbed by the clawed hand.
"You… You are, aren't you?" He gasped despite himself. Looking both furious and disbelieving at the same time. Naruto felt a moment of confusion hearing his words, but before she could think much of it the Senju made his presence known.
"Mokuton: Deep forest creation!" Shouted Hashirama and clapped his hands together.
"Suiton: Water dragon bullet technique!" Naruto countered, using the water in the lake to power it up, and hoping it would be strong enough to withstand Hashirama's wood release.
The lake started bubbling as Hashirama's roots moved about on the bottom. Trees started peaking up through the surface of the water while the water dragon Naruto was focusing on protected her from getting caught.
Hashirama and Madara both had abilities that could bind Kurama's power, it was better to depend on nature transformation and normal ninjutsu against opponents like them.
Naruto couldn't help but marvel at how good Hashirama already had become as the scenery completely altered through his powers. It soon looked like an over flooded forest then a lake as the trees continued to grow both inside and outside the lake.
'He is trying to get more advantage by having trees here! Hashirama has more power on land then on water!' Kurama growled to her.
"Katon: phoenix sage fire technique!" Madara shouted and bullets of uncontrollable balls of fire shot towards the both of them.
"Katon: Great fireball technique!" The scorching ball came whooshing towards them, water and wood clashing and fighting against the fire as Madara tried to tear down both of their abilities.
"Fūton: Great wind draft!" Madara shouted, and the fire ball got renewed energy, making Naruto and Hashirama having to move backwards towards the shore to avoid the flames.
"Mokuton: World of trees wall!" Shouted Hashirama and hit the ground hard with the palm of his hand. Naruto recognised the technique, she had seen captain Yamato do something similar once, but this was more powerful. Instead of bare wood shooting up and twisting themselves to make a solid wall, these had branches, and leaves were flourishing like the forest was growing decades in just a few seconds.
"What?" She heard Hashirama mutter, but a few second later Madara appeared on top off the wall and cried: "Fūton: Cutting knife technique!"
Rotating disks of wind blades pelted towards them.
"Fūton: Cutting knife technique!" Naruto mirrored him, and her own wind disks hit each of Madara's and blasted them to pieces before heading straight for the Uchiha. He dodged just in time and jumped down to them to avoid getting hit.
Naruto was a lot stronger in wind transformation and grinned teasingly at the frustrated look on Madara's face.
"You shouldn't try and attack me with wind. My element will tear yours down Madara." She taunted.
"Fire is dominant to wind, you should give up right now, Naruto." He answered, they both expected Hashirama to come with some catchy comeback against them both, but he seemed much more interested in his wood wall.
"Wind might make flames burn brighter, but I can do more then just fan your flame." Naruto retorted and made seven clones all of which started making the rasengan.
Madara looked narrow eyed at the technique, he'd never seen anything like that before. It looked like pure wildly rotating chakra in the palm of her hand. He was surprised it didn't tear up her skin from the force.
"Shit..." Muttered Hashirama and clapped his hands together.
"Mokuton: Underground roots technique!" He bellowed, and as the words indicated, roots shot up from underneath all of them. Wrapping tightly around Madara's feet and Naruto jumped along with most of her clones, two got caught but smashed through with their rasengan.
Hashirama was only playing for time and he had gone very still. Naruto realised with a jolt what he was doing.
Shit, he had already learned senjutsu…
She jumped up on a tree while she let her clones distract the others. Madara had blasted through Hashirama's roots and was attacking a clone he thought was the real Naruto.
Hashirama's red markings appeared around his eyes and forehead, while the glowing Naruto was going through the same transformation. Their eyes met at the same time and leapt towards each other.
Their elbows hit one another with a thunderous sound. Both having turned incredibly strong through nature chakra.
"I see you've been training hard Hashirama!" She said grinning widely at him.
"Off course Naruto." He said challengingly.
"Senjutsu… That's old news, Naruto. I've been fighting his skills for years. You would have known if you had stuck around." Muttered Madara from the sideline.
"Well, I'm back now, and I'm not letting you two blow each others heads off!" She growled as Hashirama kicked her in the side. Making her lose her breath for a moment as she flew into a nearby tree.
"What is that?!" Exclaimed Hashirama wide eyed, Madara was looking funny at her as well.
"What are you talking about? The glowing thing? I'm just awesome, that's what!" She shouted back while she got to her feet.
"No! I mean my mokuton is acting funny around you." Said Hashirama and pointed to the tree behind her. Naruto looked back and wanted to hit herself on the head when she realised what he was getting at. The tree was in full bloom behind her.
Apparently it was an apple tree since the fruits was rapidly growing into edible food as she watched. Picking one of the red fruits and taking a bite, she grinned back at Hashirama and Madara who was looking stunned.
"Ah... Right. I'm not sure, but I have a lot of life force in this mode. It makes me heal incredibly fast, it makes me a lot stronger, and all my attacks more potent, it seems to have a funny reaction to living things. I've made furniture sprout branches a few times, you know." She answered while she shrugged, and taking another bite of her apple she threw it away.
"If you boys want to have a nice catching up, then I'm all for it you know. But I was under the impression you both wanted me impaled on your blades a few moments ago. Why don't you stop being so indecisive?" She said putting one hand on her hip. Tilting her had to the side and smiling challenging.
"I have duties to my clan, Naruto." Said Hashirama with a strained voice.
Madara didn't reply, probably to stubborn to agree with the Senju. "I know, and believe it or not, but I do understand. I know neither of you truly want to hurt me, which is why you wont defeat me." She said with a small smile.
"But I'll give you this advice. I haven't shown you anything yet. If you want to defeat me you will have to try a lot harder. If you collaborate, you might just win."
They stirred at her words. And glanced sideways at each other, but looked swiftly away when their eyes met. Madara looked furious at her proposition, while Hashirama looked thoughtful.
"Well… I guess I haven't shown you much of my abilities yet either, Naruto. Madara as well." Said the leader of the Senju clan and got a hard look in his eyes. Madara moved uncertainly from foot to foot, giving the Senju and uneasy glare.
"You think I'm going overboard, Madara? It's you who are underestimating her." He said and moved his hands together. "I'm a sage now, just like you, Naruto. I can feel your power. It's surrounding this whole area with it's potency. You where not boasting earlier when you said neither of us was a match for you." He said looking determined as he gathered more nature energy.
"Your chakra… it's full of life. But more then anything it feels infinitive. You have more chakra then Madara and I combined." He muttered. Madara looked hard at her, as if he was bursting to say something but was holding himself back.
"I can assure you it's not infinitive, but there is a lot of it." Said Naruto and got into fighting position. Madara stiffened while he listened and got in his own stance.
"Senpō mokuton!"
"Susanoo!"
"Summoning no jutsu! "
On the abandoned lake the remaining fighters stopped in their tracks at the rushing sound coming from the shore. Wide eyed they stared as gigantic figures rose up into the air. Tobirama recognised his brother's wooden golem and Madara's Susanoo. He had problems understanding what the last figure was though.
"Shit..." Muttered Tobirama who was fighting Izuna.
Izuna seemed to be on the same page as him, as they jumped away from each other and started running. This battle was going all out it seemed, witch meant that if they wanted to keep their limbs intact, it was best to get the hell away before they got caught in the crossfire.
"What is the last figure?" Asked Kurou who was running right in front of Tobirama. Looking over his shoulder he took in the creature.
"It looks like a summon. A huge one! A frog or something!" Bellowed Tobirama as he saw the frog take out a gigantic blade. It was larger then Tobirama's house for crying out loud.
Izuna growled but still focused on running rather then attacking for now. "Damn, and the bijū is gone.." Tobirama heard him mutter from ahead of him. He was running with Uchiha Katsu and both seemed ready to attack at any moment.
Looking over at Kurou who seemed very worried as he peeked over his shoulder, Tobirama ran on.
"I never guessed brother would have to go this far..." He muttered as they jumped over a river that ran into the now destroyed lake.
"Never mind that! Focus on getting the hell away! Hashirama-sama is going up against Uchiha Madara!" Shouted Tamotsu who had caught up to them.
"I'm more worried about what Naruto can do." Tobirama growled, but fastened his pace all the same.
"A frog?" Asked Madara studying the enormous creature in front of him. "I'm a toad you idiotl!" Shouted Gamakyuo in wrath.
"Can't you see the difference? You pinwheel eyed bastard, show some respect for your superiors!" Exclaimed the toad and took out his enormous tantō.
"Should you use those eyes so recklessly, Madara? I thought..." Muttered Naruto concernedly looking over at the Uchiha.
Madara's head tilted to the side, wondering what on earth she could know about the prise for using these eyes.
"I can assure you my eyes are perfectly fine. As I'm now demonstrating." He answered her darkly. Naruto frowned but didn't reply. Hashirama was unsure what this was all about, but refrained from starting up another argument.
"You can still stop this. Go home. Think of what I said. The yonbi is long gone by now. All we're doing is fighting friends." Said Naruto and crouched down so both palms laid flat against Gamakyo's head.
"We've already gone through this Naruto." Said Madara. "It's too late for cold feet now!"
The susanoo raised its blade and swung wide against them.
Naruto shared Kurama's chakra with Gamakyuo and the whole toad lit up in an orange substance while he stopped the swinging weapon with his tantō. The golum ran at the summon intended to punch him.
"Fūton: roaring shock wave!" Naruto shouted and stopped the golum in its track as it fought the wind blast.
Gamakyuo swore loudly as it fought the strength of the susanoo, while Naruto focused on Hashirama.
"Starch Syrup Gun Technuique!" The toad bellowed in anger, and a white thick sluggish thing shot out of it's moth and hit the susanoo square in the face as it was about to strike him with it's other blue glowing blade.
Madara was forced backwards from both the impact and the odd reaction the syrup had to the susano who lost some of it's substance.
The Uchiha looked up just I time to see Naruto making two red glowing arms again, which was helping her make a technique in her right hand. The thing looked at first like the rasengan she'd used earlier, but he then noticed the wind element being put into it. The swirling monster technique was making an awful sound that screeched in his ears as he was stunned into a stand still while the attack was fired.
"Fūton: Rasenshuriken!"
Hashirama shouted as both arms of the golem was blasted off plus a good chunk of it's stomach. Hashirama fell onn his ass as the whole wooden statue shook, but as he fell he still clapped his hands together and used a tehnique neither of the others could hear.
A dragon came out of the wooden troll's neck, and charged at Naruto while Hashirama concentrated on rebuilding his golem.
Gamakyuo jumped high into the air and dodged the mouth of Hashirama's wood attack, while the Susanoo charged and swung his blade at the neck of the snake formed dragon, almost cutting it in two.
Gamakyuo came hurtling down to earth again, landing with one foot on the susanoo's arm, and the other on the body of the dragon, forcing them down together while Naruto jumped off his head.
Hashirama and Madara did the same, meeting in mid air they all slashed their blades.
Hashirama against Naruto, Naruto against Madara and Madara against Hashirama. They all somehow stopped the other's attack.
Madara by gripping Naruto's wrist, Hashirama by sprouting a root from the palm of his hand that wrapped around Madara's kama. And Naruto had a kunai that stopped Hashirama's blade.
They let go simultaneously, and jumped backwards and landed in a triangle formation between the two remaining giants who was still fighting each other.
With a shout they leapt at each other.
Tobirama was focusing on Izuna, Kurou backing him up while Itama was fighting Katsu together with Tamotsu. The youngest Senju had Katsu backed into a corner while Tamotsu made sure there was no loophole.
In the flight from the large scale battle a mile away, the two Uchiha had gotten separated from the rest of their clan. It was now four against two, and the minority was struggling.
Kurou growled and used water release against the oncoming fire spiral Izuna was attacking them with. The red head was talented in water release and like Tobirama could use it without water nearby, it wasn't as potent as his own, but enough to cause damage.
Seeing that his water attack wouldn't be enough, Tobirmama helped out.
Kurou had been in a terrible mood ever since his siter was knocked out by Naruto, he'd seen it even in the commotion of the fight by the lake, and was using his anger to fight. He was truly powerful, much more so then Tobirama had expected from the guy when he'd first met him. He'd taken down four Uchiha on his own, and bound them with fuinjutsu after making sure his sister stayed safe.
"Come on, Tobirama, let's take this asshole down!" Kurou cried, and together they stormed at Izuna.
"STOP!" Naruto cried, and interfered Hashirama and Madara's attacks by setting off a resenshuriken in the middle of them all.
The two had been trying to take out the other for the last minute while Naruto had sent Gamakyuo back home.
Nauto stood frozen as she tried to find him. Tried to sense his chakra after it had suddenly flared up before disappearing completely.
Both turned to Naruto, looking as though they were expecting her to give up.
"Madara… your brother… Izuna! I can't sense him anymore!" She cried looking panicked over to the Uchiha.
He froze still like a statue staring back at her, his already pale skin going whiter as he took in her words.
For half a second they all seemed to hold their breath, before Madara turned and shot away faster then either had seen him go.
Hashirama and Naruto looked scared back at each other, and with a nod that Naruto took as a truce, they followed after him.
They arrived to a scene where Madara was bending over a bloody Izuna on the ground, while Katsu was standing in front of them against Tobirama, Itama and Kurou. Someone else was lying unmoving amongst the bushes, but it was impossible to recognise who because of all the leaves.
Madara stared back up at them as they halted behind Kurou. His eyes swirling with furious red mangekyō sharingan. Naruto felt dread turning inside her stomach as Izuna suddenly gasped. It sounded as if he was in an incredible amount of pain. She could barely feel his chakra.
"Madara… let's… Let us stop this." Naruto said while Hashirama nodded wordlessly.
He stepped forwards in front of Tobirama and look intently at Madara.
"You can't beat me, Madara. Let this fighting end, we… We can maybe still save your brother. We have some good healers in our village." Hashirama said looking down at Izuna and then to Madara. Naruto saw his jaw clench and unclench, he was worried about Izuna's state.
Madara seemed lost as he looked from his brother's half conscious body to Hahsirama's firm conviction. Naruto took another step forwards and reached out her hand, silently begging him to take it. Madara came half a step forwards, but then.
"Don't.. No, don't..." Panted Izuna and gasped his brothers hand, blood pourng out of his mouth as he tried to speak.
"Izuna! Please listen to me. We can save you, just… Just please try to understand that it doesn't have to be like this!" Naruto shouted.
If Izuna heard her he didn't show it, since next moment his eyes closed as he succumbed to his pain. Madara and Katsu both shouting at him to stay awake.
Madara looked pained back at Hashirama who had his hand extended, to Naruto who stood next to him with pleading eyes. Gritting his teeth he took a hold of his brother and dropped something that sent dust and vapour everywhere. Naruto felt their chakra signatures raise away at speed, and when the smoke cleared, all three were gone.
'Shit, shit, shittity shit!'
Whirling away from the spot the Uchihas had disappeared from, she found her victim and punched Tobirama as hard as she could.
"You idiot! Do you have any idea what you just did?!"
Hashirama restrained her in an instance. Her hands and feet was wrapped with roots as she growled at Tobirama. Itama came over looking confused.
"What the hell are you talking about? I didn't do it, it was Kurou you mad woman! And this place isn't for soft hearted people. You should have stayed away if you can't deal with reality." Said Tobirama stonily. Still looking winded from her punch and massaging his jaw.
"Calm down, Naru-" Itama started, but next moment she snapped her restraints with brute strength while growling at Hashirama. The Senju stepped backwards from her, they all had problems cutting over Hahirama's roots even when they used the sharpest of their blades, and here she'd snapped them like threads.
"You just made sure Madara would never trust you again, Hashirama!" She snapped at him with venom.
"He might survive..." Said Hashirama looking dejected. Naruto crossed her hands in front of her and sighed.
"I'm sorry Tobirama… I lost my temper there." Naruto said and looked at the white haired young man who nodded.
"I think you might be right through… Brother, you always said that Izuna had to stay alive if we where ever going to convince the Uchiha..." Muttered Tobirama while looking searchingly at her with interest.
"Madara might see this as a wake up call, Naruto. We might be wrong you know." Said Hashirama hopefully. All around her she could feel the Senju's triumphant feelings. It looked like the winner of this battle was clear.
"This… This will break him. He won't be Madara any more." Said Naruto with gritted teeth. Inside her she felt Kurama move restlessly. His constant furious commentary a background buzzing while she tried to figure out what would come of this. The only thing she really registered was his last grumbling words.
'I think… We'll have to deal with this now. Naruto, you know what you have to do.'
Author note: Thank you so much for reading!
I know this is awful of me, leaving it like this on a cliffhanger, especially since I don't think I can update the next chapter as quickly as everything else has come up till now. The reason is very simple; I have nothing written yet… The only things black on white is the chapter contents plan which includes everything that will go down…
I'm so sorry! I truly am...
Gah! I just haven't had time to do it on top of editing the other pre-written chapters, write and rewriting things that didn't work. Plus, you know, living a life outside this website.
It wont be too long until it's up, I swear. Hope you can forgive the delay, I really don't want to put up some rushed, half finished chapter with loads of grammar mistakes...