I'm still alive and writing!
Guys, guys! I did it, I completed a chapter by myself! E3 did look over some of the scenes, but the vast majority was written by yours truly, since E3 was too busy :(. I'm quite proud, okay. (And nervous, and literally shitting myself as I post this). This is a new writing style that we both adopted, and it's quite hard getting the hang out of it. So please excuse any mistakes, I'll amend it quickly!
Anyway, thank you, thank you for the support you're showing for this story! It's pleasing to see and read! And in regards with Nizhal I'm glad this story is entertaining you, and I hope I won't traumatise you in any way. :))) (No promises, though XP). This story is not PWP, so you're good.
Again, thank you for the reviews and favourites and follows AND the amount of communities who have put this story in their archive - thank you!
First Foot into the Sea
The last dark of the night overlaid tendrils of light, struggling to break through, to announce the dawning of another day. Everything was quite in the Uchiha estate, perhaps too quiet –– for a mere human's perception. After several hours of countless contemplations and quiet reflection, Tsunade's molten-hued eyes dimmed and she started to drift off to sleep again. However, a short rustle of clothing punctuated through the perpetual quietness so sharply it made her jolt into a sitting position.
Light footsteps rang closely next to her door before it began to slowly fade out into the background. Tsunade laid back on her makeshift bed and listened closely. From what her hearing could collate, several kunais were being projected into the posts in the outdoor training ground. The repetitive sound of metal meshing into wood created a steady rhythm, filling in the lulling silence that cradled the Fifth's sceptical mind.
She shifted stiffly out of her bed and slipped out of her kimono and into her battle set. Quietly, she followed the distinct sound through the hallway until it dragged her outside. Madara was stood in the centre of the training ground with three kunais in between his fingers, eyes glinting with precision despite being devoid of the sharingan.
He lashed the projectiles harshly at the incoming target that swung from the canopy of the trees. It wasn't surprising that he managed to lodge all three kunais into the centre of the target board. He grinned with pride and even expressed a small fist bump to the air.
Madara drew another set and repeated his training. The sound of metal hitting wood stopped long before Tsunade entered his line of vision. If he was surprised by her sudden intrusion, Madaras hid it pretty well, but Tsunade knew better than to take his expressions –– or lack thereof –– as they came.
"It's a bit too early to start training, don't you think?" She said lightly, approaching the poor post which was filled with kunais. She pulled one out and twirled it on her hand, wielding it with such an elegant touch.
The Uchiha heir smirked slightly, throwing the last kunai he had to the furthest post, hitting it with a bullseye. "Training starts when you wake up and ends when you fall flat on your face." He wiped his hands clean and nodded forward, giving her a silent provocation. Can you hit that post behind you? I bet you can't.
Tsunade gave him a haughty glare before she took another kunai from the post. With a feather-like touch, she shot the first kunai and waited for a second before she projected the second. The second kunai collided with the first, changing its direction towards the target. The kunai dipped slightly before it firmly embedded itself in the centre of the red circle.
"Bullseye." She placed one hand on her hip. "Not bad for a woman, huh?"
Madara ruggedly smiled. "I didn't say anything…."
"Out loud," she continued. "Your scepticism is palpable. You lack faith in my abilities because I'm a woman, and not a man."
"Well, technically, you're not a woman. You're a girl, Tsunade." He traced his way on the stone pavement towards the koi pond. He propped himself on the edge of the pond and languidly ran his hands through the water, watching the carb circle round and round, their bright scales shimmering under the moonlit sky.
Tsunade joined him beside the koi pond, sighing lightly. "Smartass," she lowly bit back under her breath.
Madara chuckled and withdrew his hand out of the pond. He took a quick glimpse at her before he forced himself to look back at the pond. "What…." he swallowed thickly before he steadied himself. "What do you think of this war? The entirety of it, I mean. You're someone who's not from the Senju nor the Uchiha; you're not plagued with eternal hatred for the other, you know what it's like to live outside this nature befouled with Death and Hatred."
She wanted to laugh. Little did he know that she was affiliated with the Senju clan; the direct descendent of his long-lived rival. That being said, she was never plagued with scorching hatred for the Uchiha. For one, she lived in a completely different era. Children were not being indoctrinated to manifest hate for the rival clan. They were taught the exact opposite, to reinstate peace and retain its stability. Her grandfather made sure of that. He didn't want to have a repeat of the Warring War between the Uchiha and Senju. And while her granduncle continued to remain suspicious of the clan, he never imposed his beliefs onto the younger generation.
"That's not for me to answer," she finally replied. "I'm sure this war has its reason. Do I think this is a senseless battle? Yes, I do. But that's only my perspective because I do not understand the importance of this war."
The Second Shinobi War's purpose was to expand colonial territory. The Third Shinobi War was due to small skirmishes with smaller villages sparking the light, and its purpose was to have the most superior village to have the final verdict –– to reintroduce peace over the lands. In hindsight, such travesties could have easily been evaded, but the sense of pride and superiority of the Nations dwindled the chances of any negotiations being laid.
She breathed out lightly, intertwining her fingers with the luscious springtime grass beneath her. "That being said, I do know one thing: immoral conduct will not defeat immoral conduct and form a better future. This will all just become an endless loop, breeding more hatred." Their gazes met for a breath's moment. "And this won't stop until no one is left standing," she finished coldly.
Madara directed his gaze up to the stars and closed his eyes. "I don't care about the meaning of this war. I don't care about pride and domination. All I care about is protecting my only brother. And in order to do that, I need power." His hands clenched into a ball. "I need power to overthrow these ideals, to create a new system and take reign. I want to be able to leave my brother and know that he would be safe."
Tsunade listened appreciatively.
"I have a friend –– an ostentatious one –– who suggested that we build a settlement together." He laughed. "At first it sounded ridiculous, almost impossible, but now –– after feeling this power in my veins –– I think we can both do it. We'll become the revolution this world needs, and with that…." His eyes softened, "….I can protect my brother."
The blonde was the one this time to avoid his meaningful gaze. Siblings were certainly a treasure to have. Nawaki….Her lower lip trembled at the thought of her brother, and how she had failed him as an older sister. He still had a lot to experience: his first S-rank mission, first love, and first kiss. Her brother died prematurely because of wars like these. She gritted her teeth and glowered at her shaking hands, seeing specks of blood frazzling her vision.
Nawaki…..
Dan…
Their lost lives tainted her hands, and it sickened her. If only…
"You're shaking again," he lightly noted, intruding in her inner muse.
Tsunade jolted back to regain some distance between them, a feeble defence mechanism that left the young heir befuddled. He stood back up on his feet and observed how the greyed clouds were slowly transitioning into an azure hue. It was almost sunrise.
"Come," he gestured, to which she raised a questioning brow. "We still have some time to spar."
"Isn't it too early for that?" She asked, rising from her position.
Madara cocked his head to the side slightly, "What are you…?"
Her subsidised ire burst back into life before his tongue could even form the syllables.
"…A girl?" he finished.
Her lids ascended; her eyes blazed. Blood-heat. Too much. Too soon. Her smile narrowed, adopted feral qualities. "You just had to say it." If there was one thing Tsunade greatly loathed in the Shinobi World, it was sexism. The common belief that most people subscribed to: women were inferior and therefore useless.
He laughed, the sound of cool and sharp. She cracked her knuckles and clenched her fists dangerously, menacingly. Madara retreated into a masculine stance before he gave her a come-hither look. Tsunade took the initiative and she flexed her limbs, spurring head on.
The Uchiha jumped back slightly and smirked, eyeing how lissom her movements were despite being fuelled by raw anger. His palm came into contact with her forearm so he could redirect her dangerous punch to the air. In that instant, a gust of air emitted from her punch and roughly skimmed past his hair. A sweat dropped on his temple.
He shouldn't have provoked her.
That being said –– he counter-attacked her punch –– this was going to be fun.
The same girl, the same eyes –– but not the same dream. Rin didn't whisper, speak, or scream his name. She was silent, cold, limp in his arms, and Kakashi –– he held a thread of awareness, a scintilla of feeling, but he knew this wasn't his body. He was but a mere spectator, witnessing events through someone else's eye. Blood, too much, too warm, too thick –– slipping through his pores, bathing him in madness and the tangy scent of revenge.
This is Hell.
He came awake thrashing with violent, jerky motions, tangled in sheets, slick with perspiration and…tears. His left eye wept, in spite of his control. His lungs couldn't process air.
Air –– I need air…
One furtive glance at his sheathed katana, and he left.
Hashirama observed the Hatake's brash movement from afar, deep in the shrouds of the leaves, on a branch. He continued to stare at the repetitive movement of his hands shuffling against each other in the river, until his skin became brittle. Although he couldn't quite distinguish it, he could hear him murmuring quietly to himself. The act itself was desperate –– and rather personal –– and the naïve boy didn't know whether he should intervene.
Kakashi shook his head vigorously and refused to recount the amount of times he has been haunted by his dead comrade's final moments. He had been successful in keeping this memory hidden for a long time. The last time he dreamt of Rin was when he was starting his days in the ANBU. Sure, there was the occasional occurrence but the impact was nothing like this one.
Was this a sign?
He dried his palms on his lap and shakily sighed. Finally, his heart had stopped suffusing at such a rapid rate, and his palms had stopped trembling frantically. The sight of blood had vanished and his breathed reached its equilibrium state again.
Everything was fine.
Everything was normal.
Well…. apart from the fact that he was in the wrong era, everything was exactly the way they used to be.
"Did you have a bad dream?"
Kakashi turned slightly and saw Tobirama standing a few feet from him, giving –– what seemed to be –– a sympathetic look. He approached lightly and crouched beside him. He took his hand and scrutinized its state. He grunted under his breath and directed his glance down to the ground, silently recalling the first time he saw Kakashi actually fight. The boy was a genius in the battlefield; his fixation on the mission, his perfection with assassinations, all pointed to the same conclusion. Kakashi was a powerful asset, more so than himself. To think that after everything he has done, his hand would at least show the consequence of over-using that lightning technique.
"C-Can I have my hand back now?" Kakashi asked with uncertainty, not really appreciating their close proximity. When his hand became his own again, he was silently grateful. His shoulders slumped and he pinched his nose, feeling the over-bearing intrusiveness of his glare. "How much longer are you going to stare daggers into my face, Tobirama-san?"
"Until I get the outcome I want," he replied evenly, increasing his unyielding glare.
Moreover, the Senju couldn't help but ponder on the same question he had compiling at the back of his mind: what was that side he saw from Kakashi? His eyes were glazed with an enigma as he ran the field dry with the corpses of young Uchiha members. It's been a day since then, yet he still hasn't mustered the strength to inquire about it. (And that was unlike Tobirama Senju). Surely it had just been a hallucination. Kakashi isn't the type of person to have that kind of personality. He ––
"I dreamt of seeing a dear friend of mine die in my arms –– again, for the thousandth time." The calmness of his words gave chills to the Senju, akin to the same sensation he felt when he saw Kakashi's darker side. There was something odd at how detached he spoke, despite the fact that he was actually emotionally invested on the matter. The possibility of PTSD worried the Senju. Such sickness would surely debilitate one's abilities as a ninja. That, and he had seen this overcome one's sanity, destroying them slowly in the mind and heart –– oscillating them from reality and figment of imagination.
Tobirama cleared his throat and hesitantly placed his hand on the masked boy's shoulder, giving as much comfort as he could in a little manner. His distaste on showing outward care deepened when he sensed his brother's chakra spew out uncontrollably like a giggling fangirl. His eyebrow twitched and his temper snapped.
Using the water source beside him, he moulded it into a miniature dragon and directed its catastrophic power directly at the tree his stupid brother was trying to conceal himself in. The tree collapsed and out came the overly-zealous man. Hashirama's butt bounced on the hard ground before he came to a sharp halt. He rubbed his head and groaned out in pain and surprise.
"That really hurt, Tobirama!" He checked his ass' condition and found that it was still in one piece. Thankfully. "What's the big idea, huh?"
"Quit eavesdropping, it's beyond disturbing." The younger Senju snapped, drawing his hand down. He folded his arms and rose firmly, glaring down at his brother like he always does. "Anyway, you haven't done anything productive today."
Hashirama pouted, "I just woke up, that's why."
"Take a day off, I'm taking over your shift." Tobirama turned his back to his brother and steadily paced back to their new temporary headquarters. He stopped suddenly and looked over his shoulder. "Just make sure you train Kakashi right." His maroon eyes glinted at the Hatake. "This better be worth it, Brother."
The First saluted his brother with a cheeky grin. "He may act like that but he's actually a very soft little brother inside." He turned to Kakashi and winked. "Now, let's go somewhere quieter. I have quite a few things to teach you."
Kakashi swatted the debris off his clothes and nodded. "After you, Hashirama-san."
Izuna almost stumbled aback when he saw his brother sparring –– or at this point, teaching –– Tsunade. Their spar from earlier was enough to wake up the whole compound, and the young Uchiha was glad that their physical training didn't escalate from there.
However, that didn't stop the spell of disdain tainting his tongue. He didn't like the idea of his brother being too open to a total stranger, regardless of the gender. She may be a girl, but that didn't mean that she wasn't lethal. Every living creature is lethal in their own way –– and Izuna wasn't ignorant to the strength of women.
Madara swung his sword in a lithe motion and directed its tip at the blonde. "Show me what I've taught you." His eyes tightened with anticipation.
Tsunade sprinted towards the Uchiha and swung her sword downwards with deadly precision. However, Madara parried her feeble attack with ease before he lunged forward and slashed through her arm's skin.
"I could have struck your heart," he remarked. Swing. Swing. Swing. Three consecutive lethal swishes happened in a flick of an eye, and Tsunade deflected them all. She staggered backwards and continued to be on the defensive when Madara continued to relentless assault through her blocks. "Is this the best you got?" He asked, slashing against her sword. "I would have been able to kill you by now."
She gritted her teeth and gained her distance. "Fighting with swords isn't my speciality."
"Make it." He dashed forward and predicted the movement of her sword before she even made it. With movement like lightning, his sword flicked upwards and shot her sword out of her hand, rendering her defenceless and mute, marking her loss. Finally, he pressed the tip of his sword against his throat. "You lose, Tsunade."
The blonde admitted defeat with a silent nod. Madara withdrew and slotted his weapon back into its case. "You're a great fighter, I'll give you that. However, you have many weaknesses. While you do have the prowess and upper hand at close hand combat, you cannot compete against the use of ninjutsu. You certainly cannot just rely on your fists all of the time, that's why you should have a sword as a substitute."
Tsunade settled on the grass and wiped off the specks of perspiration building up on her forehead. "What do you propose I do?"
"You're a force to be reckoned with, especially with medical ninjutsu." He sat beside her and placed his sword in between them. "To be in the front lines is a dangerous thing. You'll be our priority, of course, but –– I think –– it would be best if you were able to move independently on the field, without anyone of us hindering your progress. Sure, we can still protect you, but that duty will be very hard to carry out with plenty of enemies around."
"Don't leave me in suspense," she said impatiently, not willing to listen to his own musings.
"What's your affinity?" He asked suddenly, eyes lightening up with a new idea.
"W-W-Why?" She already knew why he was inquiring about this. He wanted to see her perform ninjutsu. While she can easily perform medical ninjutsu, she was not proficient with her affinities. She could never trust herself to mould a dragon out of water, to emit gusts of wind from the palms of her hand, or to erect a mud wall from the ground.
Madara grinned that insane grin of his. "I just got an idea."
"Brother!" Izuna intervened suddenly, "Don't tell me you're going to….!"
"I've already mastered my affinity –– the Fire Style." He concentrated a slither of his chakra on the palm of his hand and set it ablaze. "And I can teach you how to master yours, Tsunade. I'm sure you're conscious of what affinities you have, and which ones you're most proficient with."
She knew she had several affinities in her arsenal, lightning and water being some –– just like her Grandfather. She has good chakra abilities –– a prerequisite to being a medical ninja –– but using these said elements makes her sceptical if she could even reach such a feat. She could easily sustain their mould, but to be able to use them at will –– with such precision –– failed her.
Madara shifted on his spot and reached down for his sword. "We'll continue this again, Tsunade. You should get some rest."
"W-Where are you going, Brother?" Izuna asked, watching him shuffle past him.
"I'm going to patrol."
Tsunade glanced down at her hands in question. She knew she was capable of doing it. But she often held back from zones she wasn't comfortable with. That being said, she's a Senju –– a direct descendent to the God of Shinobi, Hashirama Senju. She shares his genetics and his fighting prowess. She has yet to utilise her peak's form, too. Back then, at her most pinnacle form, she was hindered by her loved one's death. Before she could ascend further, she fell into the abyss and coils of alcohol and gambling. Her form inevitably dwindled away, and there's only so much she could tap into without structured and rigorous training.
This was her opportunity to reach the heights she failed to reach back on those years.
When Tobirama walked back into their training grounds in the forest, he didn't expect to see Kakashi drenched in sweat –– and only donned in the shirt that extended as his lower face's mask. From the looks of it, Hashirama had just subjected the Hatake to an extensive physical training. While the Senju stood relatively pristine, the same couldn't be said for the other boy. His hair was matted with one another and his eye was wearier than usual. His breaths were fairly erratic, too.
"Brother, I didn't tell you to nearly kill him!" Tobirama roared out.
Hashirama smiled. "Relax," he dismissed his concern with a small gesture. "He's been progressing since this morning." He pointed at the silver-haired boy who was deep in concentration. "Look."
At the right moment, Kakashi opened his eye and released all of his garnered chakra out into the atmosphere, creating shockwaves throughout the entire forest. As waves of chakra tendrils roared uncontrollably, gradual channels of potent electricity began to pour out from his system. He gritted his teeth and outstretched his dominant arm, lacing all of his power around it, creating a more vibrant Raikiri than the last. Before the signature one-thousand birds could sing, his chakra supply leaked and everything shattered in an instant.
There was sizzle, then a clap of thunder, to which Kakashi was sent flying a few feet away. Before his back could grind against the uneven surface, he was swiftly caught by Tobirama's water release. He smiled thankfully at the boy's caring initiative, as he was laid softly against a tree.
"Brother, what kind of reckless training have you been doing?" Tobirama asked sharply. "Making his lightning release jutsu isn't what you were supposed it be focusing on!"
Hashirama tutted with disappointment. "Don't you see the other factors that come into this training?" he asked. "This isn't just about refining and retuning Kakashi's lightning jutsu. This training is versatile, it's something Kakashi needs. This will increase his chakra control and with such hard regime, he will be able to tap into more of his reserves. As of now, Kakashi can only open less than half of his nods. While that is above average, the weight of the Sharingan nullifies this advantage and puts him – at best – with an average chakra gauge. That being said, Kakashi can still achieve so much."
"Why are you just focusing on his reserves?"
"Haven't you seen it yet?" He paused, glancing at Kakashi. "He's the perfect ninja. He just lacks the chakra to back up his deadliness. Why should I focus on his strengths when he still has a few weaknesses?"
Tobirama didn't bother to satisfy his brother with an answer. Instead, he approached Kakashi and summoned water at his disposal. "Here, you seem dehydrated." His summoned water swirled and fired harshly at the boy, hydrating him –– but not in the way he would have wanted. However, the Senju didn't seem to see the fault in his action and so ignored the look of disdain he was welcomed with.
"I'll see you later, Tobirama," Hashirama said suddenly.
"Where do you think you're going?"
"To patrol."
"I've already patrolled the area, Brother," he deadpanned.
"Well, checking again won't harm anybody."
After the eldest Senju fled, Kakashi saw Tobirama clench his hands into tight fists. "Is there a problem, Tobirama-san?" he weakly voiced out, still in the process of regulating his short breaths.
"Brother sure has been going out a lot," he noted out loud. "And his presence always ends up at the same tributary in the West." His eyes tightened at the thought, this may be his rendezvous. But with whom? His brother was a lot of things, but a traitor was never one of them.
"Kakashi," he turned. "I want you to return to the compound. If Father asks about our whereabouts, tell him that I'm following Brother. Father should know what you're talking about."
"Sure thing, Tobirama-san." He imbedded his sword into the ground and used it to gain stability; the intense training he just underwent made his legs surprisingly numb from the experience.
"And if you dare run away, Kakashi….." Tobirama's unsaid threat morphed in the air, potent with death wishes and promises that he would track his chakra signature and cleave his head off.
Kakashi nodded with uncertainty.
Why do some Senju feel the constant need to threaten the person they have asked a favour from?
Tajima followed Madara back into the compound with a foul look on his face. He grabbed Madara by his wrist and forced him to turn back around. "You do understand what I want you to do, don't you?" When his son could only look down at the ground, he took him by his shoulders and furiously shook him. "This child –– Hashirama –– is Butsuma's son! He is a Senju; he's responsible for our clan's deaths! –– For your brothers' deaths!"
Madara's eyes widened with fury, but he remained quiet.
"Your brother and I will accompany you in the morning. For the sake of the Uchiha clan, I want you to cut your ties with this kid. You don't know what he's thinking, he may be plotting against our clan right now. In the midst of this mess, Izuna may also lose his life."
His lips pursed.
"I got it," he rigidly spoke, gripping the stone in his hand.
Later that night, Tsunade slowly approached the shaggy-haired Uchiha, and when her foot accidentally crushed on a twig, he jolted back and quickly hid the stone in his kimono. When he turned around, the relief on his face was evident.
"It's just you," he said lightly. "I thought you were Izuna or Father."
She took a seat beside him and gazed up at the swarthy sky, polluted with a thousand stars. "What are you going to do?" she asked softly.
He pulled the stone out and revealed the engraving on it –– a firm warning. "Hashirama is very fast on his feet, he should be able to get away," he spoke in a hopeful tone. "I need to try and save him, at least. Even if he's a Senju, he's a good person." His eyebrows sewn together, half-anger and half-saddened. "I just wished he wasn't from the Senju clan. It would have been easier to reach our pipe dream."
Tsunade took a daffodil from the ground and twirled it delicately. She would have never imagined that Madara would have displayed such fondness towards her Grandfather. From all the stories she's heard about their deadly rivalry, she expected anything but this. Their relationship, from the looks of it, was misconstrued far from reality. From the books she has read, Madara and Hashirama spited each other and only merged together to end the Warring War.
"Fighting him will be inevitable; the battlefield between the Senju and the Uchiha is small. I just need to prolong that day from happening. I don't want to fight him, not in this kind of circumstance." His teeth gritted in frustration. "But he's a Senju…."
She laughed, and he reciprocated with a glare.
"Are you a fool? Do you think an affiliation changes a person?" She began to pluck the petals out, one by one. "Up until now, you had no problem with Hashirama ––" she paused upon saying her Grandfather's name. The act felt wrong on the tip of her tongue; he had always been her Gambler Grandpa, and not just 'Hashirama'. "But now, you do?"
"That's not only it! This is a very complicated situation, Tsunade!" he roared. "My clan depends on this. I cannot choose his life –– his clan's –– over my own. We have our pride, and no one is going to take that away. We will not be bested by the Senju, but that doesn't mean I will let Hashirama die by being blindsided. I will repay my debt by allowing him to live." He grabbed a handful of the silken grass around him. "And if we were to encounter each other in the battlefield again…. then…. I can no longer promise anything."
"I thought you said you didn't care about pride?"
Madara blushed in embarrassment; he didn't think she would shoot back at him with that. "We-Well, this is different. I am willing to discard my pride for my brother's life. Hashirama is not my brother, he's an enemy."
"But….?"
"I still think of him as a friend." He closed his eyes and Hashirama's faint smile appeared in his thoughts. That damned depressed log, to think that he's actually from a prestigious clan. Tsunade's right, his affiliation shouldn't mean a thing. They became friends and they share the same dream of peace, of unity. However, he's from the Senju clan. He may not hold a grudge against the Uchiha, but the same cannot be said for the rest of his clan.
Their fate rested on the weight of the stone in his hand.
Their encounter as Uchiha and Senju was brief and nothing but a declaration of total war. Madara didn't anticipate for the events to unravel like this. That being said, his brother nearly died because of the Senju, and Hashirama's brother by the Uchiha. They could no longer meet eye-to-eye. The Senju and the Uchiha –– their dream –– could never be unified. They were like oil and water: immiscible.
Madara walked back into the compound and headed straight into his private wall, purposely avoiding his clansmen's judgemental stares. He pushed himself against the wall and sunk down against it. He buried his face into the palms of his hands and groaned out in frustration. This wasn't supposed to happen.
When he glanced up, he no longer saw a reflection of himself, but an enigma slowly taking shape. Twin scarlet eyes bled and pulsed with deep agony, as his tears streamed freely. This was the only way. Their next encounter would most likely be at the battlefield. They were no longer two boys innocently skipping stones. They were soldiers of their clans –– the future Heads.
"Hashirama….."
His hue deepened sharply.
"….Our dream really just can't happen."
A small surge of new power flowed throughout his body like a flowing river. He felt it at the tip of his fingers and the deadliness of his acquired clan's jewels. Blackness reigned and he darkly smirked to himself.
So this was the power of the Uchiha.
Hashirama hid himself in the forest, cutting any traces of his chakra so Tobirama couldn't track him down. He pursed his lips as his eyes watered. Their pipe dream was hindered by this catastrophe. They were so close to coming to an agreement to make it a realization. But now…. their dream is shattered and its fragments remained spewed in the flowing river.
"Damn it!" He cried, slamming his hands together. Almost in an instant, a small tree sprouted from the ground before Hashirama's chakra fastened its growth into a titanic tree. The young Senju shrieked and jumped away from the growing tree.
He leaned against another tree with a questionable look. Did he cause that growth? He scrutinized his hands and felt a new sense of power pouring through his limbs. It was far greater than before. Had it been triggered by his despair?
He clenched his fists.
"Madara…."
He slammed his hands together against and erected several more trees around him.
"…I will never forget our dream."
And this power will be his hope for the brighter future.
2 weeks later.
Kakashi sat obediently on a tree branch, keeping an iota of alertness and care for the prodding ––and damning –– presence of the white-haired Senju from below. He sighed and lazily propped his chin on the back of his hand, sighing for the umpteenth time. It would have been great if his reading material had also travelled back in time with him. He really wanted to read back on Chapter 10 where the heroine and the hero finally reach their goals and realize each other's feelings. The built up tension and that climax –– he could go on forever!
His lax attitude and habit to become out-of-trance was enough to repulse Tobirama to turn around and fold his arms defiantly. Hashirama was sitting quietly beside another tree, amassing chakra with deep concentration. Tobirama sighed and settled on a boulder. This day has been too peaceful for his liking.
"I'm going to train," Kakashi suddenly announced, jumping down from the tree branch with nonchalance. "Or do you still not trust me to go alone?" His glanced at the boy, seeing his perturbed expression grow more frantic, as if he had just caught him in an act.
"Go on ahead," his shoulders slumped forward, "But if you do run away, I will hunt you down myself; don't think Brother will help you, either."
Kakashi picked up his sheathed katana and slotted it by his waist. "Please, don't sugarcoat your words," he drawled with potent sarcasm. After he had neatened up the black collar of his sleeve-less kimono, he looked over his shoulder, "I will not betray you."
"Even for that blonde girl you're desperately trying to find?" He tested the waters dangerously, knowing well that he would illicit a response from the silver-haired man.
The masked man smiled underneath his mask and didn't bother to reply. He didn't feel the need to, anyway. At least… not yet. It was to be expected that Tobirama would still suspect him for treachery, and he didn't blame him for it. It was his duty to remain wary of his intentions, because he was not of the Senju clan. However, his affiliation was already decided for him when he accidentally dragged the Fifth Hokage into this mess.
"You already know the answer,"
"Tobirama!" One member of the Senju announced suddenly.
The boy's interest immediately piqued. "What is it?" he asked sharply, already reaching for his sword.
"Something terrible has happened!"
He clenched his sword. "Tell me!"
"Up the river, our workers were ambushed and ransacked! Everything has been stolen –– our supplies, weapons and food! We tried to stop them, but they were too powerful!" Sweat meandered down from his temple as he saw the growing anger on the young boy's face. "Please ––!"
"Where's father?"
"Wh––"
"Where's father in all of this?!"
"He…."
"Tobirama! Hashirama!" Another man called out with parallel desperation.
The eldest Senju snapped out of his bubble and opened his eyes wearily. "What's all this ruckus about?"
"Our men who are guarding the noble man's women and child are under attack by bandits! We can't hold them back any longer. There's just too many of them!"
Tobirama's temper boiled and the vein in his forehead popped. "Goddamn it! For all the times for Father to be out."
"Tobirama, go and save Hajimata-san's family, I'm going to upstream. It would be a shame if we lost our richest investor. We also can no longer replenish our resources and buy new weapons. If we lose all of these supplies, we'll be forced to ration indefinitely." Hashirama spoke calmly, tying his forehead protector on. "Kakashi, please accompany Tobirama."
"Sure thing."
The three scattered like the blitz. Tobirama hopped onto a treetop and garnered his chakra intensely around him as he surveyed the area with high scrutiny. His eyes snapped wide open when he sensed foreign chakra one thousand meters away. He swung his sword on his back and dashed off to the pin-pointed location.
Kakashi lagged behind silently. Behind the flowing tendrils of his silver hair, his sharingan wheel swirled with deep languor, stirring from its sleep.
"Thank you, Miss!" A young girl blushed. Her pure dark features, acting like jewels that framed her face, lit up appreciatively. She rubbed her healed knee and continued to gawk in awe at the 'magic-trick' Tsunade had done.
The blonde ruffled her hair and ushered her back to her circle of friends. With a soft smile, she wiped the few droplets of sweat off her forehead and breathed out with relief.
"People are finally taking a liking to you, Tsunade." Madara approached from behind, lips arching upwards when she turned on her heels to face him. "Normally, they would be frightened of you. It's the first time I've seen a member of my clan come to you willingly."
Tsunade, out of habit, placed her hand on her hip and raised one brow. "Do you also need treatment?" She took his arm and examined its state: mild burns with a fractured forearm. Her hazel eyes directed a sharp glance at him. "What did you do?"
Madara winced slightly when her feather-like touch transformed into an unforgiving hold. "I tried to deflect my enemies' attacks and it resulted to this. It's not a big deal, really."
She sat him down on the grass before she knelt down beside him. Within a few seconds she contained a potent amount of chakra in between her hands, wildly visible and potent with power. She pressed her amassed chakra onto his damaged arm and slowly knitted it back in its pristine state. After a couple of minutes, she drew out a roll of bandages and wrapped it around his forearm to create a protective barrier.
"Don't try doing that again, especially with this arm. It's not fully healed yet."
"Alright," he withdrew his arm and propped it on his lap. "Thank you, Tsunade. Because of you our men have been able to recuperate quicker. It brings me great comfort to know that you're here." He smiled and let his gaze wander adrift to the scenery around them. "At least, I know that if my brother gets too reckless and winds up being hurt, you'll be here to heal him."
"It's a medic's job, after all."
"How are you doing with infusing your affinities to your primary arsenal? Can you make giant water dragons now? Or maybe emit an electrical shield?"
She swatted his excitement away. "Nothing like that. I'm currently working with concentrating Wind or Lightning style to my palms to further strengthen my punch. In addition, I'm trying to summon Wind style moves." She huffed with exasperation. "It's a lot of work. And I can't say that I've been successful over the week's period."
"After my arm has fully healed, I would like to see your progress." He fumbled with his clothing and fastened it close. "We'll spar again some other time."
"Right," she smiled.
After Madara made a swift exit, she felt the throbbing presence of his younger brother in the shadows, intelligently positioning himself at her blind spot. Too bad for him, she could sense his chakra. She directed her gaze at the boy. "Did you also get an injury, Izuna?" she asked, approaching him slowly, in the same manner a hunter would stalk towards a fawn.
The Uchiha pushed himself out of the shadows and stretched his arm out, showing a small laceration on his forearm. "It's your job, right?" he mumbled, looking away to escape her scrutiny and amusement. He never liked asking her for favours, because that would mean he would owe her. And he didn't like being in debt, especially to someone who's not an Uchiha.
Tsunade and delicately took his arm, and examined it. A speck of purple ink was quickly identified. It wasn't a deadly poison –– actually, Tsunade wouldn't even class that as poison. Either way, the worst side effects would be fever and headaches. It's not deadly, but she decided to humour herself.
"The weapon you were struck with was laden with poison, Izuna." She pretended to look concerned. "This is going to be tough; the poison has been here for too long."
Izuna felt a frozen shiver clamp down his spine. "W-W-What's going to happen?"
"The effects right now are subtle. I mean, you won't be able to feel the symptoms until it's too late. We need to stop the spreading of this poison before it consumes you."
"So, it's not yet over? Good. Good. Stop this poison, Tsunade!" He commanded too strictly for her taste.
"Yes, I can stop it….. but it will cost your entire arm."
"What?!" The boy vociferated.
"Yes. It's either that, or your body and life will have to pay." She reached for the nearby katana and unsheathed it dramatically, to add further tension and realism into her amusement. "I'll stop the bleeding right away. The pain will stop within a few seconds." She angled the sword on his arm.
Izuna clamped his eyes shut and forced himself to look away. "Just do it quickly!"
The sword roared down and slashed through nothingness, making the young Uchiha wince back in fright. At first, he opened one eye to see what had just happened, before he realized that his arm was still intact. He blinked at the Senju. "I-I-I thought…."
She flicked him back and frowned. "That's what you get for being reckless in the battlefield. Had that been a real poison, you would have been dead by now." She gestured at his fully healed arm. "You're welcome."
He puffed his cheeks and glared at the Senju.
"Remember to be more careful next time, Izuna." Her tone was too teasing for the younger boy, so he trudged back into the compound with his pride sorely battered.
She laughed and folded her arms. That should teach him.
Madara, who initially went into the shadows to catch his nap, smirked.
Tsunade craned her neck up and stared up at the bright sky. It's been a couple of weeks since they managed to mess with time. Moreover, it's been two weeks since she's seen her lackadaisical genius Jōnin. She hummed and wondered where he was now. Is he reading his perverted book right now? Or is he in a middle of concocting a masterful plan? He was Kakashi Hatake –– the most unpredictable Jōnin she's ever met. She wouldn't be surprised if he had already managed to pinpoint her location.
Her lips curved upwards softly. She didn't need to worry about him. The right time will bring them to each other. For now, she couldn't afford to arouse suspicion by sneaking out to track down the lone ninja. He was still alive, she knew.
Kakashi always found a way to cheat death.
Faster.
Faster!
Tobirama could feel the muscles in his legs burn as he raced over the forest. Finally, he saw his platoon and their objective. He saw them falter and grow weary against the undying forces of the enemy. There were thirty left in the field. Surely, they could take them on.
"Wind style: Hurricane Roar!" One ninja joined their hands together and released heavy wind currents which blew the closest Senju members away. Tobirama struggled against the current by augmenting his leg strength with chakra. His eyes widened when he saw the rest of the members extending a strike towards the mother and child of a noble class –– the ones who hired them.
Shit.
If the blow strikes –– and they die –– the Senju clan will face severe consequences. These noblemen have enough power to deconstruct their clan at will. Their profound wealth means that they have more clans under their wing, ones which will lead to the Senju's annihilation if this mission fails.
"Water style––!"
Kakashi was quicker. He slammed his palm on the ground, "Earth style: Mud Wall!" A large wall erected just in time to deflect the incoming blades and projectiles, bidding enough time for Kakashi to scoop the mother and child into his arms, and carry them to safety. The young woman blushed whilst the child stared at him with an awestruck expression.
Tobirama smirked and continued to weave his seals. "Water style––" He was yet again interrupted by another wave of wing styles. He grunted and stabbed his sword into place so he could regain balance.
As the wind current died down, a series of attacks were launched upon the Senju. He curtly deflected each and every one of them with his sword, and with the proficient use of taijutsu he was able to fight off the enemies in front of him. However, several other ninjas managed to get past his and his other team's line of defence, despite their efforts to keep them away from their target.
"Kakashi!" Tobirama bellowed out, slashing through one of the enemies.
Kakashi twisted and spat out a large fireball at the incoming ninja. He whipped out his sword and welcomed those who evaded his jutsu with a fatal strike to the heart. As his sword lodged into the last enemy, another handful appeared from the shadows of the trees. Kakashi gritted his teeth and left his sword imbedded in the enemy, and quickly coated his hand with potent, sizzling electricity.
"Begone!" Kakashi roared, dashing towards the incoming threat. "Lighting style: Lightning Beast Tracking Fang!" A hound formed from his palm and lunged forward to the enemies before they could even blink.
"Run!" Kakashi firmly ordered the two, pulling the hound back round to attack the remaining enemies. "Run and don't look back."
"Water style: Instant Bullets!"
"Wind style––"
Kakashi took deep breaths and closed his eyes shut. There were too many enemies for only the five of them. They were greatly outnumbered, evacuating now will be the only way to survive this. He looked at the mother and child who remained numbed on the spot, and contemplated his options.
"Kakashi!"
He was immediately pulled out of his inner muse and saw an eclipsing lightning attack headed his way. His hand jolted immediately with his own electricity. As he was going to face it head on, the lightning vanished in thin air. As it disappeared, the clashes of metal and exchange of wind and water style also ceased.
Kakashi looked up ahead and saw the enemy ninjas shaking in fright in their spot. They trembled but their legs couldn't move. He looked up and saw a dark-cladded ninja jump down into the scene with nonchalance coating their presence. The femininity of their posture only confirmed one thing for Kakashi –– this person was a woman.
"Bandits…." She retorted with disgust. "I wouldn't have thought there would be a sheer amount lurking in the shadows."
They continued to tremble, not moving. However, Kakashi soon realized that it wasn't fright that froze them into place, but her jutsu. What kind of jutsu was that? A cold sweat ran down on Kakashi's temple. This woman's presence was unimaginable.
"Tobirama, I thought better of you."
Even the white-haired Senju bowed his head in response. "I'm sorry, Toka."
Toka? Kakashi murmured in his head.
"Now then," she raised two fingers up and tightened her glare towards the bandits. "Let me welcome you to another world." Her dark eyes brimmed into a lighter hue as the leaves, that previously cascaded down on the floor, shone white.
Kakashi stepped back and scrutinised the jutsu. It was unlike he's ever seen before. Even with his sharingan he couldn't analyse the magnitude of it. What was this? It far exceeds even the likes of Kurenai's genjutsu!
Within a second, the enemies were encapsulated by her jutsu, and all of their eyes rolled back as their bodies went limp. Their conscientiousness stolen from them, and replaced with an unfathomable dream that would reign on for hours on end.
Tobirama looked down at the ground and saw the black coloured leaves at his feet. "Since when did you…?" he wanted to ask. These leaves weren't from the trees, they were part of her jutsu. In order to enwrap multiple people in her jutsu at once, she would often spray these leaves that would then act as a solid seal which will stop their chakra and movement.
"You're too young to get rusty, Tobi…" she softly said, picking up one of her blackened leaves.
As the wind caught and splayed her hair along with the zephyr, she turned her head to the side and caught a glimpse of Kakashi. Their gazes locked, and the silence between them grew palpable enough for even the white-haired boy to notice.
"Who's that?" Toka asked.
"Kakashi Hatake…" He saw her face contort in confusion. "I'll fill you in the details later."
"Oi!" One Senju forced Kakashi to bow his head down. "Show some respect, that's Toka-chan! And she just saved us from this predicament!"
"W-Who is she?" Kakashi questioned quietly.
"Don't you know? She's the best genjutsu user of the Senju clan; she can even rival the Uchiha's genjutsu!"
He looked back up at her, capturing the gaze she held as she observed the flow of clouds in the sky. The sharpness of her features were drawn out by the sunkiss touch of the sun, sharpening the colour of her hair and eyes, whilst softening the colour of her porcelain skin.
"She's the strongest female Senju!" They continued.
Their eyes caught each other in another tangle.
Kakashi couldn't help but smile with intrigue.
He wondered what his Godaime would say about that.
xox