Darkcush - I'm glad you're enthusiastic about the prospect of war. ;D

The Ice Sorceress - Oh, I know what you mean! My mother and sister find that creepy too. But the only thing that courses through my mind is, "I'm the boss!"You actually guessed it all correctly, congrats! You really have the ability to predict things! :D

Sylencia - You can say that.. But chaos gives an addicting touch to a story, don't you think? As for the lemon, maybe this small part between Tobirama and Shisui will satisfy you a bit. :D

SilverIcy - Expect the worst, my dear reader/reviewer!

Geminine - If you need help with your writing or anything, I'll gladly help you out! Think about the offer. :D And really, you're flattering me; thank you for the nice complement. n.n

VKlover13 - Nah. Tobirama-kun is having too much fun torturing ol' little Kakuzu. :p

Roxi'sRedMoon - Thank you! :D

Sophie (guest) - Spies are lurking everywhere, my dear Sophie. Yes, Merumi is included too but Madara loves his siblings even more than himself or his lover; my opinion. And of course Shisui will be helped; she will get all the loving support that she'll need starting from her crazy siblings, to her dear lover and best friend.

Lucia-Theresa Horizon - Ah! Thank you for mentioning that, I've re-read it and corrected the (many) mistakes. Thank you for the nice complement and the review, I appreciate it dearly! ^.^

GamingBoar - Take your time to read and review it on your pace, no need to hurry and rush. Enjoy the story and thank you for the lovely complement, you know how much I appreciate them! ;D

Guest - Yes, I did. As you can see I get into the flow rather well... :p

Aliagame - Thank you, my dear! ^.^

treavellergirl - Thanks for the permission! Nah, I like your rambling, they are rather interesting to read. But as you said, and I'm only confirming your statement, good spies are unreachable and invisible. Bad (clumsy) spies are found quickly ...and tortured or killed in the progress. In our case, Kakuzu from Takigakure is a rather experienced fighter or they wouldn't have sent him to assassinate Hashirama and find intel on Konoha's SS-rank secret. I find the ninja world very interesting; a world filled with brutal deaths, lies and misty deception.

ruby2360 - ...I agree. :(

OnePiecefan202 - I always love the climax, don't you agree? :D

Lady Syndra - Oh my, you sure are excited. :p

Zapphy - Aww, that's sweet of you! And wow, that's actually a good idea. I'm definitely doing it, thank you for the proposal; I'll be sure to mention your name! ;D

So here are the ages for the ones that are confused, for this chapter only:

Uchiha Madara/Senju Hashirama=30 years to 31 years old

Uchiha Izuna/Senju Tobirama/Uzumaki Mito/Sarutobi Sasuke=28 years to 29 years old

Uchiha Shisui=25 years to 26 years old

Senju-Uzumaki Akhiko=5 years to 6 years old

Dear reader,

As you noticed I haven't updated for a long long long time. I had to re-take some of my tests and therefore I had to concentrate on my studies since they are very important for my future life. No need to worry, from now on, I'll try to update as soon as I can! Hope you all aren't mad or disappointed in me.

Angelbloodlover out.


Era of the Warring States

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By Angelbloodlover

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~ Those who do not understand true pain can never understand true peace.

Uzumaki Nagato/Pain

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Chapter 34: Cycle of Pain and Love

Who will you be when the end comes,

When, in the destruction of an empire goodness fades?

Run away? Dive behind a rock? Or track the evilness in the world with fierce pride?

Rise up from your ashes, get up when you fall,

Answer the call, let the battle cry resound,

Let him rumble of the mountains,

Through the forest and in the air.

Who will you be when the end is slowly on sneaking closer? As the vultures circle and the shadows encroach upon you. Will you keep hiding or jump in the line?

Is your heart made of stone or from pure snow-white?


Her fingers shook and she looked away but he wasn't one to go away easily. His piercing, red eyes narrowed, "Shisui, stop."

"…" She shut her eyes and tried to close herself off from him. And if she thought very hard, it almost succeeded her too. Suddenly, air passed her by and she snapped her eyes open when she felt the warmth of a body, more precisely a familiar warmth whom she had cuddled to each night above her.

Black wide eyes locked with ruby-red and she found it so hard not to look away from his gaze. It made her squirm uncomfortably behind the force of those eyes-they looked right inside her very soul. No wonder people feared Tobirama more than Hashirama; he was cold, collected, calculating. He always kept his cool and his emotions inside of him while his brother showed them openly. Even though she was his girlfriend, at times, she was confused too because Tobirama had a certain way of acting with people- he was more distant and tried to keep his social contacts at shoulders length, never wanting to get closer to those who weren't needed. Family was an exception, his brother was too precious for him.

His fingers tightened around her hands and she swallowed quietly, keeping her eyes locked with him. But oh Kami, the heaviness of his eyes made her cringe as he kept his lips set in a grim line. At the moment, she felt like a child getting scolded by a parent.

Her eyes started tearing up from the dryness and she was forced to blink. But even after the blinking of her eyes, Tobirama kept his heavy gaze on her, his eyes telling her what his lips refused to. Or rather what he didn't want to say.

After some tense silence, Shisui opened her lips but only a shuddering breath escaped her chewed lips. Nails digging on her bed sheet as she looked at the crouched form of her white-haired lover, attention moving to his red marks, something that differentiated him from the other Senju's. This was his symbol, his war paint, and now, he looked like a man made from marble- everything was smooth, no wrinkles, no flaws. His face was pretty, just like they had described it to her in the history books back in her old-future time-era.

Mesmerized, she slid her hands away from under his grip and lifted them up. Slowly, she cupped his cheeks tenderly and slid her fingers up, to his ruby-red eyes, to his aristocratic nose, to his masculine jaw and then to his thin, perfect lips. She noticed how his eyes were following her every move and then ruby-red eyes locked with her uncertain, scared ones. "I-I...," She stuttered out and stopped to wet her dry lips. "I...I'm lost." Closing her eyes, she rested her head on the soft pillow. "I wish I could swim out of this deep ocean I'm trapped in...," her voice was shaky and Tobirama noticed but kept silent. Sometimes knowing that there was someone listening to you could ease the heavy weight from your heart.

"Then swim," Tobirama started, which made Shisui's breath hitch in her throat, "Swim with all your might, Shisui." His hands slid to her tired face and he couldn't suppress the anger that he felt, knowing that the scumbag responsible for this is rotting in the prison.

Finally, after some silence, Shisui opened her unbelievably tired eyes, her voice shaking, "W-What if I fail...?"

"Then I'll be there to pull you out," was his immediate answer, no hesitation, no lie, nothing more than the pure truth.

She looked into his eyes and knew right then and there that Tobirama would do anything for her, even if it meant selling his own soul to the devil. A tiny smile appeared on her face, which lightened her entire face, "...thank you." And she was pushing him away; how ungrateful of her. Repeating the same two words again, she cried silently, tears rolling down her hollow cheekbones, "Thank yo-" But her words were interrupted by a fierce, passionate kiss, one that knocked her very breath away. At first she was confused from the amount of emotions which Tobirama was putting into the kiss;

Hurt, sadness,

Grief, sorrow, loneliness,

Despair,

Frustration, Anger, rage, hate,

Helplessness, worry, exhaustion,

Hunger, lust, passion,

But foremost undying love.

The moment his lips touched hers, she felt a jolt run up her spine, a warmth that embraced her entire body... And therefore she closed her eyes, snaking her arms around his neck as she kissed him back fervently, indulging in this great feeling of being alive.

As if she was able to fly and reach the sky.

...at that moment all she could feel was protected and loved; there in his embrace she felt as if she could withstand anything.


Warmth; she woke up to a familiar warmth and crawled closer to it. To her sudden surprise the warmth squeezed her back and that was when she opened her eyes to beautiful ruby-red eyes, eyes which she hoped to wake up to every single morning.

"Morning, my love." Tobirama whispered in his rich, smooth voice, his hot breath tickling her cheek.

Cherry-red tinged her cheeks, a small smile tugging on her lips, "Morning, Tobi-kun."

Some good night sleep did wonders to your body and mind. She felt so much better, so much lighter, so much alive- it felt intoxicating this feeling. She wanted to drink it all up and get drunk, dive right into it and drown in it but even she knew that this peaceful moment wouldn't last forever.

So she decided to enjoy the moment as long as she could.

Instead of getting up, she snuggled closer to him,

Instead of letting him go, she snaked her arms around his neck,

Instead of facing reality, she dove into his arms and inhaled his scent,

Instead of releasing him, she kissed him. Softly. As a feather. Deeper. Passionate. Lovingly.

Tobirama gladly returned the kiss, indulging in her addicting peachy-smell, tasting every corner of her inner cavern as his hands moved up and down her thighs. How he missed their moments together...

"Monster! Get away from me!" Scared, haunted eyes shrieked hysterically.

And then that same sudden heaviness roared from within her, threatening to crush her from the inside out. She pushed him brusquely off and rolled off the bed, running straight to the joint bathroom. ...right on time to throw up in the toilet. She heaved and threw up, choking on the disgusting smell that was starting to become natural to her.

Calloused hands held up her tangled hair and rubbed her back as she stared mindlessly at the content of the toilet. "...is it wrong of me to long for happiness while my loved ones are struggling with their lives?"

"No," was his quick reply, "This is you being perfectly human; all we ever tend to do in our lives are to seek happiness and avoid pain, and if needed to, obliterate those painful memories."

...and Shisui could only close her eyes as Tobirama snaked his arms around her shoulder, supporting her without words.


"How is her condition?" A low baritone voice spoke tiredly, bags clear for all to see.

The white-haired man exhaled deeply, "She is getting better-" "Which means she still didn't recover..." The black-haired Uchiha interrupted, fists clenched as he stared at the door where his little sister was sleeping in.

Tobirama frowned unhappily at Madara's rude interruption but decided to let it slide- his concern for his little sister was blinding him for everything around him. "I'm doing my best, Madara."

"I know but trying isn't good enough." It was no damn question, he was stating a simple fact.

Gritting his teeth, the Senju narrowed his eyes in disapproval. "Are you accusing me of not doing my best for my girlfriend?" Without knowing it, he slid his feet apart and looked with red piercing eyes at the Uchiha clan leader and his co-Hokage. How dare this man accuse him of not trying his damn best with the woman he loved? Didn't he see how much he cared for Shisui? Was he blind?

His eyes narrowed even more, "I don't see you trying, aniki." Tobirama provoked Madara, hands clenched tightly.

"Speak what's on your mind, Senju," he answered brusquely, his eyes flickering from black to red.

Another step forward until the two were face-to-face, both looking ready to rip each other's throat.

"I don't like to repeat myself, Uchiha."

Snarling, Madara grabbed Tobirama's collar and glared at him, Mangekyou Sharingan activated. "I dare you to repeat what you said, filthy Senju."

Said man pushed chakra to his arms and ripped Madara's hands off him, "Don't touch me." He growled dangerously low, taking a fight stance, adrenaline running through his veins, ready to give him a power burst.

Madara didn't speak, he acted swiftly and efficiently, flickering behind Tobirama, twisting his arms up but to his anger, he only touched water. "Tch. Not surprised." An ominous glint in his eyes appeared and as quick as a tiger, he rolled to his left, missing Tobirama's jab at his ribcage.

"I'm not really for surprises," was Tobirama's answer as he glared at Madara. "I never was."

Suddenly the room was filled with deadly killer intent, one that made the two occupants turn their head to the presence of said person. And to their surprise it was none other than Shisui, who looked ready to kill them both. "Have you no shame at all?" Glaring at them with her Sharingan, she continued, "Konoha is in trouble and you two are here fighting? Have you absolutely no shame at all?" Tears of frustration appeared in her eyes and all Madara and Tobirama could do was to stand there helplessly and watch how Shisui was criticizing them for their childish behaviour.

"We have enough on our plate with spies infiltrating Konoha and to top it all off, Konoha's important leaders are fighting with each other." Scoffing at them, she clenched her fists, "I'm sure that Konoha wouldn't last a day if we all continue like this." Intentionally, she was speaking about herself too. She didn't dare to close her eyes for fear that the nightmares might consume her. "Even I am at fault...," She didn't even have enough strength and willpower within her to cry; she was so goddamn tired of everything.

Shisui took a deep breath and let it all out, "But instead of keeping our minds focused on the task at hand, we're fighting with each other. How in the name of Kami are we going to destroy our enemies when we can't even get along properly?" Biting on her lips, she walked forward until she was standing between them, "Aniki, Tobi-kun, no matter how you look at it, the two of you will be stuck together...so for my sake, for Konoha's sake, tolerate each other's presence...please." She grabbed their hands and looked right into their eyes, begging them to do so.

The two legendary men looked at each other and with tired eyes, they inclined their head in agreement. "Shisui is right, no time for petty fights." Tobirama inquired softly, "I apologize for my behaviour."

"As do I, Tobirama." Madara stated, "As do I."

From afar were two other figures standing, more precisely Hashirama and Izuna, watching the event with small smiles plastered on their face.

Who said Konoha would give up?

Under no circumstances would the Village Hidden in the Leaves give up. Ever.


Tobirama knocked on the door, waiting for the approval. When he didn't hear anything, he opened it and stepped inside. A sad smile appeared on his face when he saw his student sleeping near his comatose father. "...Saru."

His hands automatically balled into fists- his dear student didn't deserve this, his girlfriend didn't deserve all these pain, ...and yet trouble seemed to find them everywhere. He walked towards the closet and opened it, finding warm blankets. Picking one up, he walked to his student and covered him.

"I will not let Sasuke's sacrifice go to vain," He turned his back to the sleeping duo, "This I promise you, Saru."

...and gone was he.


"I'm so sorry, my little sunshine, I'm so sorry for failing you." A lone tear rolled down. "I'm so sorry for letting all of this happen right under my watchful eyes..." Sniffing quietly, she pushed the brown strands away, "I'll make sure this won't happen again."

She leaned down and placed a tender kiss on his forehead and left the room.


Mito opened her eyes and stood up, looking around the room. She swore she had felt someone's chakra...but who was it?

Looking on the table she found a basket filled with peaches with a small note. The peaches gave it away and somehow the Uzumaki princess found it difficult to look away. So, instead of ignoring the note, she stood up on her wobbly legs and walked towards the table.

With shaking hands, she picked up the note;

Dear Mito,

It must be so hard for you- to fear the life of your son and the unborn child at the same time. And I feel so helpless, Mito, so stupid and helpless... But know that you are not to blame, you have done nothing wrong. You're the perfect mother for your children, you have given them nothing but love and care.

So don't you dare to blame yourself.

If there is someone to blame that would be me, only me.

And for this I'm truly sorry but I'll promise you, Mito, I will not give up, I will find a cure for Akhiko-kun and I'll make sure this will never happen again.

You have the promise of a Uchiha and Uchiha's never go back on their word. Ever.

Much love, your worrying friend,

Uchiha Shisui.

By the end of the letter, Mito was gasping for breath, her eyes closed. "No...Shisui...you're not at fault here..." Crushing the note against her heart, she tried to steady her breathing, "Not at fault..."


One by one they walked into the room- Hashirama, Madara, Tobirama, Izuna and Shisui.

One by one they looked at each other.

One by one they promised to protect Konoha with their lives.

...and together they would make it reality,

For they would re-write history,

And light up the entire Village in times of darkness, in times of need,

Because the Will of Fire was strong within them.