"The strength of a puppeteer is measured by the amount of puppets they use."
Sasori
Hitomi woke up with the most agonizing of headaches. It felt like she was hit over the head with a massive block of wood and had been asleep for three years. Everything seemed to be painfully bright when she opened her eyes, and she had yet to gather all of her bearings as she slowly came back to this reality stepping out of her sleep and dream induced haze. She slowly turned her head, light eyes traveling around the room as she began observing her surroundings.
The roomwas sparse with an opening off to the side that acted as a window and two futons which were neatly folded off to the side. She could tell that the bathroom was a connection to this room, or there was another connection to the room given the layout of it-she had a few rooms similar in her own home growing up. There was nothing in here that could possibly give away her location. She turned her eyes outward, focusing on the merchants and people below her mill about in the long paths tending to their daily business and activities. She sighed softly, turning her eyes onto the girl just a few feet away from her.
The Hatake and Akimichi weren't chasing after her anymore, that much she was certain of, and that part of her plan worked. The Uchiha and Domou would mow them down the moment they crossed the borders, saving her from being dragged off to the middle of nowhere-from experience with Cho and that band of Inuzuka she knew well enough by now that every shinobi clan resided in the middle of nowhere. It was a calculated risk on her part, if the Uchiha and Domou weren't as...Friendly as they have been so far she knew she'd be dead and burned to a crisp leaving what remained of her body to dissipate in the wind.
The Hatake and Akimichi were brazen enough to cross the borders, it was something she factored in before she made her move, but becoming a prisoner was not something she anticipated. There would be chaos, and in the midst of that she'd slip away and find some sort of way to get back to Haji. She should have anticipated becoming a prisoner, because then she'd have at least some sort of plan to get out of this predicament...Even if she couldn't hope to escape from the Uchiha and Domou, for obvious reasons. it was better to have a plan to fall back on.
She didn't exactly have a plan at this moment, however.
Well, She didn't have a plan for this particular situation...
There really was no way to plan for a situation like this-being surrounded on all sides by Domou and Uchiha. She very well couldn't just sprint away or even try to sneak away since an Uchiha would more than likely spot her, and there's no way she could match a Domou physically, they'd have her captured and hauled off of her feet faster than she could blink. They were an extremely deadly team to say the very least.
Yuko kept her eyes pinned on the young woman seated before her. She kept her expression neutral as to give nothing away, though she was certain Hitomi wouldn't even be able to read into her emotions, experience told her not to take the risk. A shinobi never exposed themselves, period, even in front of those ignorant and naive to them. This would perhaps make them be even on more guard, one could always play the part of an ignorant fool to gather information.
Hitomi's expressions fluctuated as rapidly as her emotions. It was dizzying and disorienting, how one person could do through so many moods in the span of just a few seconds she could never begin to guess...Though women were more emotional than men. She underwent strict and meticulous training to hone, suppress, and control her emotions to the point they were like masks that she could wear and dispose of. But... She was still very emotional.
Yuko gently clasped the hilt of her sword.
"You're not going to kill me, are you?" Hitomi asked meekly after the silence between them dragged on for too long.
Yuko offered no response for several minutes mulling the question over in her mind. Letting Hitomi go could be a big risk in the long run of things, but it was very much evident the girl had no valuable information of any sort other than the fact she was to marry Haji. She, herself wouldn't strike down Hitomi, but she couldn't be so sure about Madara, Izuna, and Souji... While they seemed like the types that wouldn't harm a woman, in times like this drastic measures could take one very far.
The fact Hitomi was a princess-had been a princess put an even bigger hamper on it. There was doubt in her mind there would be hordes of shinobi from different clans chasing after her until the sun went down and the moon rose, and even in the dead of night she'd be stalked and hunted down. Nobles weren't all that useful other than for their money, but if someone could manage to rope one in they had the world in their palm of their hands. If Hitomi was let go she'd be hunted down and chased, if she remained here her days could be numbered.
"I'm not going to." Yuko replied carefully. She'd never bring herself to kill Hitomi, she couldn't be all that much older than her, maybe older by a few months to a few years, and they were both women... So, they were of the same kin. But, there weren't many places Hitomi would be able to go without having to look over her shoulder, even if she managed to make a maiden look like her back in the Lightning country. "You're not my enemy or a shinobi. I won't bring any harm to you." Yuko continued, hoping she didn't so plain as to make her objective of killing when it came time to do it to seem so fickle.
"So if I was an enemy shinobi-"
"No." Yuko cut her off sharply. She never took joy in killing, she only did it because she had to...If she didn't strike first she'd be struck down, she couldn't die, she couldn't rollover and just let someone kill her. She may have killed a civilian during the raid, maybe two, but that couldn't be helped. There was so much chaos, so much mayhem, so much destruction in that seven story building that if she let herself falter for just a second she would have been a casualty. "I still wouldn't kill you. You didn't attack me, and you didn't make it your goal to kill me. I'd have no need to take action..." Yuko looked over her carefully. There was fear and apprehension in those bright eyes of Hitomi, but also an underlying curiosity. "Unless you attacked me with the sole intent to take my life, I have no reason to take action against you."
Hitomi nodded slightly, her lips pursed as she stared at Yuko carefully. She had the brightest red hair and the most adorable eyes, it was hard to believe...Hard to actually think that this girl was a killer and could kill her in over a million ways, could kill her with just a small flick of her little finger. Yuko didn't seem like the kind of girl to do this sort of thing, her eyes were gentle and understanding, and the way she spoke...She didn't kill without remorse like shinobi did, she wasn't heartless, no every time she killed someone it pained her and never went away. "I'm sorry." She said softly, turning her eyes down to hide the shame that swarmed her features. "It was wrong of me to even make that assumption, I can see now that you're...Different."
"No need to be sorry." Yuko narrowed her eyes slightly. She had been in a similar position with the Sarutobi and it was a terrifying experience. Her chakra had been suppressed and she couldn't even move the barest inch since she was tied up like a pretzel and then some, to top it off they were going to rip her eyes out from her skull because...Because she had the Sharingan and they wanted all of its secrets. Anything to give them an edge over the Uchiha and Domou by extension. Hitomi wasn't suffering what she had, but the fear was very real. "What do you mean by different?"
Yuko struggled to keep the anger out of her tone, but it was difficult. Her entire life she had been very different from everyone else, and was scorned upon for it, she didn't have the black spiky hair of the Uchiha, and she was a half breed. She had the pale skin every Uchiha had, but it didn't change the fact she wasn't...Full blooded. That her hair was bright red and straight as opposed to black and spiky.
Hitomi kept her eyes lowered. She didn't mean to step on a nerve, in fact she thought she was doing just the opposite. It was a great thing Yuko was so different from other people in the world and different from the shinobi around the world. Different from other Uchiha. She hadn't taken much time to study growing up, but what she knew of the Uchiha clan they were a very fierce, solemn, and battle adept clan. They were completely militarized and uniformed, their codes and ethics were as strict as they were harsh on everyone that followed them. They based everything off strength and the 'purity' of their blood. There were many times in their history when incest was a norm and they would sleep with immediate family or cousins and nieces.
It happened in shinobi clans...To keep the secrets of their clans and techniques away from outsiders. But, the Uchiha took it to such an extreme considering they had the Sharingan it was well warranted, but still extreme.
Oh my... Hitomi realized with horror what she had just done. Bright red hair and almost golden eyes. This girl wasn't a full blooded Uchiha and the hell she must have went through because of it, but there wasn't wariness in her eyes-no there was nothing but firm determination and resolve in those bright eyes. "You're not heartless or cold, and you don't kill without remorse..." She furrowed her brows together, looking at Yuko intently. "You also don't take joy in killing. The lives you take all weigh down on you...You never wanted to take another life." Hitomi turned her gaze up, staring into Yuko's bright eyes-nothing like the black irises of a full blooded Uchiha. "You're a very good person."
"Thanks." Yuko murmured.
"My parents and sisters were always so..Cruel, instead of helping our people they got rich off of them and made living dire." Hitomi shook her head with pursed lips. It was one of the things she struggled to understand growing up, and became one of the things she rebelled against once she became of age. "I guess you and I are alike in that sense, we've always been different...And, deep down inside we wanted to be different from the rest."
It had been goal to please her father. She didn't care about the war. She didn't care about being half Uchiha. All she cared about was pleasing her father, to see the pride shine in his eyes and that very small but proud smile cross his face. And, though he was stern and strict, he never treated her any different, he wanted her to be excellent in every way possible. Awakening her Sharingan at a young age had to be the biggest moment of her childhood, maturing it was the second biggest moment of her childhood. Yuko had never seen her father so happy before.
It wasn't until Mikito vouched for her and gave her that suicide mission that she became involved in the open conflict that plagued the world. Though, in that aspect she wanted a chance to prove herself, a chance to see shock on Izuna's usual smug face, acceptance on Madara's normally impassive face, but most of all a chance to prove that she was strong. She may not be the strongest or the most skilled, but she was more than ready to take that mission to the Water country. She could hold and pull her own weight.
Before that...She just spent her time training. Honing and refining all of her techniques as well studying.
Maybe...If Mikito...Never vouched for her she would have faded into the background...Izuna wouldn't have taken notice of her and Madara wouldn't have acknowledged her. She would just be a half breed and nothing more, she'd probably just be a spy. She would have been able to live in relative peace and not worry about if she took the next turn that somebody would be their with a blade poised at her neck, she wouldn't be on the battlefield. Izuna and Madara made sure the Uchiha were well off and worked so hard to ensure they prospered. She would have had a nice life.
It didn't matter what could have been...She was marrying Izuna. She proved herself to be capable. Proved herself to be strong. She had a best friend, someone that was very much like a surrogate mother. What could have been was meaningless, it would never be, and there was no sense in dwelling on it.
Yuko managed a smile. Hitomi, she seemed to understand the pains and trials she endured. Nobles weren't at all like or operated similar to a shinobi clan, mercenary clan, or demon clan...but they had their keen similarities.
There was a...Pressure to exceed and rankings meant everything, birthrights meant everything, women were still married off for a facade of peace and many times kept stupid out of men's own misled and ridiculous fears. They were baby machines and nothing more. Born a noble, Hitomi must have had so many things set out before her, before she even turned the tender age of one...Her life was truly never her own and every single aspect of it had been controlled down to the smallest detail. She never had a choice or say, but while some would bend back and give in, Hitomi rebelled and fought. "I guess we're not that much different from each other."
"How old are you?" Hitomi ventured.
"Sixteen. You?"
"Sixteen. I was born in January on the 14th it was just about to turn ten o clock at night, and my mother was in labor all day." Hitomi smiled to herself. She always was a bit fond of astrology and horoscopes.
Yuko nodded, slowly relaxing. Hitomi wasn't all that threatening, she was just like her...They both rebelled and fought against what was set before them, and they both wanted to escape. "You're a few months older than me. I was born in march on the 14th. It was just about turn to nine o clock in the morning, my mother was in labor all night."
"So, I am your senior." Hitomi had a look of triumph on her features.
"By two months." Yuko retorted a bit quickly. She wasn't that much younger than her.
Yuko turned her head towards the door, feeling Mikito's familiar presence nearing, she quickly schooled her expression.
The door slid open, silently and swiftly.
"You must be Hitomi Kazama." Mikito's tone and expression were passive as she entered the room, immediately putting Hitomi at ease and whatever conversation she was having on hold. Mikito suppressed a smirk, Hitomi must have been expecting some rabid killer that ate the skin of her foes. Many of the rumors about her and the Domou were just absurd, it was even more absurd people actually believed the wide majority of them. She ventured towards a cushion since silence was her only answer, picked it up and set it down a few inches in front of Hitomi before taking a seat with her arms crossed across her chest. "I am Mikito Domou, leader of the Domou clan."
"Mikito-sama!" Hitomi gave a hasty bow. Years of etiquette training that she endured kicked in, but it couldn't take the nervousness out of her voice. "I am honored to meet you!"
"No need for the formalities, Hitomi-hime-chan. Don't bow to me, and please don't use the suffix sama if you insist on using an honorific use san, tan, kun, or dono." Mikito said softly, putting her hand up and waving it for emphasis. She felt the need for formalities and such strict etiquette was useless and downright ridiculous. It made everything that much more shallow and put on. The only people who were really so formal with her would be her Council and that was about it. Even Madara spoke to her with such familiarity foregoing the usage of honorifics altogether. That's how she liked it. "She is Yuko Uchiha."
"It's very nice to meet you." Yuko gave a soft bow.
"It is a pleasure to meet you." Hitomi grinned.
Mikito didn't miss the way they traded greetings. It seemed Ahiko was rubbing off on Yuko.
"It is to my understanding that you ran away from your husband and home..." Mikito said, tilting her head as a thoughtful expression crossed her face. "I guess that would mean your surname is no longer Kazama. It is also to my understanding that you intended to marry Haji Subatsu, or at one point you were actually betrothed to him but there were complications..." She paused, carefully taking note of the way Hitomi's eyes widened and the way her chakra seemed to quicken with her heartbeat, there was also undeniable relief and happiness flashing through her at the mere mention of his name. "Is this all correct?"
"Yes..." Hitomi bit her bottom lip. Haji...
She always felt a million different things whenever she thought about him, and the way they parted the last time, she truly feared that he'd hate her and want nothing to do with her. And, she couldn't blame him in the least with the way her parents spoke to and treated him along with the rest of the Subatsu and Senju that were there. Haji had saved her more than once, and would often groan about it, but he would hardly leave her side and when he did he made sure she was right in his arms. It was a part of his mission, but she couldn't help but be entranced by her protector in that moment. "I want to be together with him. My parents...They could never understand and I would never expect them to understand or accept it..." It was something she had grown bitter about, her parents took away her happiness. "I've come this far, but then I was chased and had to come in this direction."
Yuko looked at her carefully.
"You realized you could have been killed..." Mikito narrowed her eyes slightly as she locked them with Hitomi's forcing the younger girl to hold her gaze. It was common knowledge that anyone that stepped into this region would be dealt with swiftly by her clan and the Uchiha, unless it was traders and weary travelers, but even that was going to take a sharp turn. Hitomi could have been swept by a unit of Uchiha and Domou, swept up by Izuna or Mitsuki. They wouldn't be so kind to her. "Consider yourself lucky that it was my sister and Yuko that encountered you."
"I...I know." Hitomi clenched her hands tightly, squeezing the duvet. It was a risk she was willing to take to see Haji again, to be happy again. If she died, then...She died and she already resolved to it. It was stupid to run into this region for any reason, but she had to do it. She didn't have any other choice. She was tired of being controlled, tired of her life being planned out without herself having any say and with Haji she had freedom. Real freedom. "I've already resolved myself with the consequences my actions could bring..." She wanted to be together with Haji and that goofy Usagi who always had a way of making her smile. She wasn't any happier except when she was with them.
"You want to be together." Mikito nodded understandingly. Love was always a wonderful and powerful thing, it knew no bounds, no class, no clan. Love was simply love and there was no give and take it just simply was and is. To be together to the very end. She pitched her focus outside, into the distance, using her sensitive sensory perception to hone in on any chakras. If what Hitomi was saying was in fact the truth, then that meant Haji was taken by her...And, if that was true it meant that he loved her and would go to any length to get her...Syrus would go to any length to see to it they were together.
"With everything I have." Hitomi said earnestly.
"I understand." Mikito smiled softly. Hitomi was a strong but foolish girl. "You don't need to worry about any harm coming to you, and you will be with Haji soon..." Hitomi's eyes widened like saucers, it amused Mikito slightly, but at the same time a part of her grew wary. Haji was always more even and reasonable than Syrus, put bluntly Syrus was an arrogant ass with a horrid temper, but this could be one time when Haji wouldn't be even and reasonable. Hitomi was his mate, reason went out the window. "But, you should know that Haji will go to the ends of the earth to find you and Syrus will support him every step of the way..." She frowned. "They'd attack this place just to get you out of here, you do realize this don't you..." Syrus would be front and center. What a foolish girl.
Hitomi nodded just barely. She really didn't think this through. "I..." She knew that Syrus would go to the ends of the earth for Haji, and if Haji wanted her, Syrus would be the first one to lend his support...And, that was scary. He was scary. But, given they hadn't attacked yet there was a good chance that they didn't know. If the damiyo didn't know, then there was no way Syrus and Haji could know.
"It seems you've really thought this through, to some extent." Mikito said with a steady gaze, eyes soft. If Syrus and Haji did know there was no doubt in her mind that they'd be here. They weren't the types to hide or seclude their presence. "But, If you've truly resolved yourself than you are ready to die right here and now."
"Mikito..." Yuko felt worry take a grip.
Hitomi looked shocked for a moment before she found the strength to nod again. "I am prepared for it."
Yuko felt the fabric of her blue trousers nearly tear in her hand.
"There's this man named Tunoichi Shainingu, I'm sure you've heard of him." Mikito glanced at Yuko for a moment, taking note of the tenseness in her body. Who didn't know Tunoichi, he was infamous in his own way, and with his recent actions, Tomoyuki's, and the Shainingu clan at large. Mikito set her focus back onto Hitomi. "He was our prisoner until recently, my sister healed him. He has an hour at the most to get out of this region or he's going to have every unit of Uchiha and Domou hunting him down until they drag him back piece by piece... For this reason I'm going to keep you here a bit longer." Hitomi would be swept up in that melee without a single doubt, Tunoichi would see to it. There was a high chance they'd be encountering the Sarutobi, Hyuga, Akimichi, Hatake, and Hageshii.
The Shimura were oddly quiet, still.
"Does this mean..." Hitomi dared to hope.
Mikito blinked, bringing herself out of her thoughts.
"Don't do or try anything stupid, not everyone here is as merciful and empathetic as I am. If you even try to escape you will be killed." Mikito said firmly, keeping her eyes pointed on Hitomi until she turned away unable to keep her gaze locked with her own. Madara wouldn't kill this girl, but that didn't mean he wouldn't rough her up or something along those lines, Hitomi was on thin ice and the only thing keeping her safe was her, this room, and Yuko. "Do I make myself clear, Hitomi? Yuko is going to be watching over you for the remainder of your time here."
Yuko gave a firm nod. This was Mikito's way of assuring Hitomi didn't try to escape and get killed. If Hitomi was daring enough to run across two countries, she would have the idea to get out of here sooner or later.
"I understand." Hitomi nodded quickly, something telling her to agree with Mikito before she did that head tilt thing again. How could Mikito be so scary while smiling? She wasn't unnerved, but she felt like Mikito was hovering over her.
A loud rumble sounded from Hitomi's stomach and she found herself blushing. "Ummm..."
"Aya can get you food." Mikito told Hitomi softly, slowly standing up to her full height and looking out the window again with an intense gaze. "Anything else that you need ask Yuko and Aya, when it's time for you to leave I will be back."
Hashirama felt many things. Too many things to be felt all at one time and comprehended. He was mad, angry, surprised, shocked, and just completely dumbfounded.
He was always emotional. It was one of the many things his father made a point of noting and as he got older tried to 'beat' it out of him. That didn't go over too well the last several times when he'd catch his father's fist and they'd spend three hours glaring at each other before Tobirama cut in. But, there were always new highs, new extremes for everything and that went doubly for emotions.
He couldn't believe it.
Syrus was gone. The Subatsu were gone. And, their alliance was no more. After everything they had been through it came to an explosive end.
He clenched his teeth, knuckles tightening against his skin. He didn't want this to happen, it was the last thing he wanted to happen. There were subtle underlying tensions between them but it never got too explosive, but it had. For a moment he felt like Syrus was looking into him, it was more than just that wolfish and ghastly expression that was etched onto his face in that moment when they were staring each other down.
He had told him about his dream, and though it wasn't in great detail the fact he said he wanted to send a ceasefire to both the Uchiha and Domou was enough to get his point across. Syrus may be an arrogant, violent, and belligerent individual but he was extremely powerful and he could put those subtle things together. He knew that the world needed to change, and was slowly starting to shift.
Syrus didn't want or desire peace though...But, that didn't make him evil or bloodthirsty. It just made his life goals different than his own.
What did he desire though?
Hashirama's creased brows flexed. He never bothered to ask him about such things, partly because he never really had the time or made it, and Syrus didn't seem like the type to divulge such things if he really pondered about them. He would have to ponder them or pondered them once upon a tim, because, If Syrus didn't think such things were possible he'd be giving into the cycle of hatred and violence, but he didn't give into it he was resisting-trying to bring it down its knees. They shared a similar goal, perhaps not the same goal, but it was close enough.
He also had a knack for worming his way in...Like with Madara. The unlikely friendship between the two of them shaped him into the person he was today. Madara had been the only one to have the same dream as him and the only one that wanted the same thing he did. They talked for hours, and he found himself more and more inspired by Madara. He was very strong even at the young age they met each other, but Madara was leagues ahead in certain aspects...Where he was just getting the idea, Madara had already resolved to it and wanted to see it through, he knew he needed the strength to make it happen. It wasn't until after his talks with Madara that he realized just what it would take.
Syrus was a bit different that Madara, and they were drastically different in certain aspects. But, they were both similar in the sense they let their actions speak. They used their strength to make things happen, believed strength was the starter to anything including change, their resolve to see things through to the very end, and the way they were so focused on something that everything else would be blocked out. Madara didn't have a temper like Syrus, not to say his old friend didn't have one, but it wasn't as bad as Syrus's, and...They didn't share the same dream.
Madara wanted peace.
Hashirama felt his breath heave out, almost as if he were struck by a chakra consumed fist.
The things Syrus said when Tobirama spoke about his attack on the Hageshii, it all made sense now.
What Syrus wanted. What Syrus truly desired was...Unity. Harmony. Where everyone regardless of ideals, religion, customs, whatever differences they may have, all came together as one in total harmony. There'd be no wars, no famine, no plagues, no oppression, no strife, no money, no greed...Nothing...There'd only be a mutual understanding and a rapport between everyone, and in time there'd be long lasting peace...Harmony.
If this happened then it'd mean every shinobi clan large and small in the entire world united. It'd completely shake the foundation of everything, it would be unprecedented! To think that clans like the Hoshigaki and Kagyua would be side by side with the Yamanaka and Nara, the Uchiha side by side with the Senju, Shimura side by side with Sarutobi and Hyuga. The list was endless.
He had only thinking along the lines of the Fire country at large and his own clan and the Uchiha, they'd come together, and slowly the fighting would stop and clans would join their village, and eventually their idea may be respected and appreciated and catch on soon spreading across the world.
It seemed like they were never on the same page, but he could understand where Syrus was coming from. By default in a sense, in whatever world Syrus dreamed off, if he had, the Uchiha and Senju were allies, and it was a small part to an even greater unification.
One could consider such a thing dangerous, extreme, and beyond ambitious. The damiyos and lords would be all but useless in this case and the shinobi would own and control the land, they wouldn't need the damiyos' money anymore, the backlashes of such a thing would be drastic though. There was a fear of shinobi already, and if they all banded together it wouldn't show in the best light, there would be battles fought-battles the shinobi would win, but the casualties would still rise. The thought of shinobi clans being independent and operating on a greater scale sent chills down the spines of anyone that thought about it. There would be no more wars, and the only thing that would matter is strength, skill, and merit.
He would work side by side with the damiyo in a sense.
There would be a partnership, the damiyo would give him the power over that territory but the damiyo held all power and shared it with him. It was a bit complicated and awkward but he was confident it would work. The leader of the village-he wasn't sure what to call it, would represent the village and be its own head, having control just within that domain. There would be missions but according to rank, not necessity, and children wouldn't be sent off to battlefields. But, missions would need to be taken in order to sustain the village. Things wouldn't be about merit, strength and skill-this was much like the unilateral decisions that happened in this era that decided everything in his opinion.
Things would be talked out, not disputed with force and turned into wars.
He would share power with the damiyo. Syrus didn't want to share power with the damiyos, and wanted the damiyos and lords out of the picture. If they were out of the picture it meant that there wouldn't be anyone hiring clans-if there was no one hiring clans than there would be no conflicts between clans. The fighting between shinobi would all but cease. But, conflicts could arise between the shinobi and damiyos, the ordinary people that lived in fear of them. Damiyos wouldn't give up their land or power, and the shinobi would topple them and take it by force.
Perhaps...Maybe him and Syrus could never get on the same page. Syrus wanted total reformation...Wanted to destroy this and make something totally different, wanted the damiyos out of the picture, the local lords out of the picture. He just wanted to end the endless wars by joining hands with the Uchiha and Madara and create the village they both dreamed about. From there conflicts would cease, they'd work side by side with damiyo, and welcome the clans that wanted to join their village with open arms.
Maybe...They were never on the same page.
Shuffling the thoughts away and struggling to center his emotions Hashirama turned his focus onto the present. He and Tobirama both couldn't go to rescue Hisao's daughter, one would need to remain here in order to greet the division and coordinate a defense if there was an attack. He would prefer to go personally, but he knew Tobirama already thought of a plan or the layout of one. He'd need a trusted comrade and perhaps himself or Tobirama to go and retrieve Hisao's daughter.
"Brother." Hashirama said decisively after a long moment of consideration.
"You go and rescue Hisao's daughter." Tobirama said quickly. There were many things he had intended to do since they arrived and he couldn't do them since Syrus was around and because Hashirama would naturally object. He wasn't going to waste his energy and argue back and forth with either of them, he'd just handle the smaller things, but now they'd both be gone. He could get a jump on the Uchiha and Domou. "Take Satoshi with you."
Hashirama nodded, noting but not speaking on the terseness of his brother's tone. Disuke was needed here, and Toka...She had went missing after that horrendous battle. Satoshi would be taking her place, his wit in battle, clear thinking, and ability to think clearly and stay composed even in the most dire situations made him invaluable, but Toka had done so much for him and his brother, her disappearance was devastating for all of them. Satoshi was suited for this mission though, he was second to none when it came to infiltration.
"Be careful." Tobirama added sternly, narrowing his ruby eyes the slightest.
"I know." Hashirama nodded. The Senju had a lot of enemies. The Uchiha, Domou, Sarutobi, Hyuga, Hagoromo, and Shimura being up there at the top. The Shimura were a very dark and mysterious clan, they were practically merciless, but their talents and strength were near awe inspiring, able to master and born with more than two chakra natures. They had always been a steady enemy of the Senju. His father clashed with Daishiro many times, and nearly got killed in one conflict. If he was even spotted-no if there was the suspicion he was even seen the Senju would be branded as enemies of the Wind damiyo.
His strength was something he wasn't going to need this time around. He'd need his stealth, speed, and elusiveness.
"I trust you to handle things here while I'm gone." He was right to trust Tobirama, and like he figured his younger brother already had an entire strategy worked out. He waved towards Satoshi. "We'll change and then leave, we'll need to set up a camp near the location."
Satoshi was a young man. Aged twenty four he was tall with a lean build and slightly tan skin, his hair was messy and light brown hanging off the side of his right in thick bangs matching his brown pupil-less eyes. He wore gray armor with two plates protecting the top of his thighs and had a sword on his hip. "I understand." Satoshi said in a smooth tone, turning on his heel and striding towards a large building where all the Senju and Subatsu shinobi and kunoichi had been sleeping.
"You're not going to leave too?" Tobirama turned towards the damiyo, noting the pensive expression on his features.
"You don't need to worry." Tobirama said evenly, crossing his arms over his chest. "We'll stay until we complete our mission."
The damiyo nodded, looking relieved.
The sky was bright but covered in sheets of light gray. The wind was oddly calm, but squelching signaling that it would indeed begin to rain soon as it had for the last few weeks. The wind picked up as it began to gust and howl, kicking up sand and starting the foundations of a sandstorm before forcing it to dissipate and disperse across the ground in wide ripples.
Twigs and remnants of branches were scattered across the ground overshadowed by the sprawling and tall boles and trunks that entangled in on themselves. There were clear signs of fire jutsus and lightning jutsus. Many of the massive trunks were completely splintered breaking off into thousands of pieces and just standing by the root, others were charred and smoking massive half stubs with barely and vegetation on them. Among the boles and branches were huge blocks and chunks of stone and earth weighing over 100 tons and easily three hundred feet tall and twice as wide.
The remnants of their battles and jutsus were very much prominent. Overwhelming as they littered and took up the landscape in every possible direction.
Amidst all of this there were thousands of bodies scattered across the landscape swarmed by scavengers, bugs and insects as the process of decomposing began to set it.
It was all just a reminder of what transpired a while ago, however... A reminder of Hashirama...
Syrus was vexed, he couldn't believe how vexed he was. Red hot rage burned through his veins. His nostrils were still flaring and he couldn't shake off the lingering fury that ran through his bones. Ideals were always dangerous and tricky, that tripled when it came to someone else and there happened to be a clash. He wasn't so idealistic that he had his head in the clouds, but he was resolved and wanted to see things through, so he was idealistic enough in the sense he didn't want this facade to continue.
Hashirama wanted to further the paradox that the world had long since been suffering from for centuries. In doing so he would bring peace, though short and hollow. He may have united the shinobi clans in the Fire country but the bigger picture escaped his vision or he just simply didn't want to see it. There would still be conflicts and while they wouldn't be on the hourly basis they would still happen and when they did it'd be explosive. He probably wanted the people to vote in leaders, which wasn't a bad idea if they weren't so fickle and weak willed, and he probably wanted some sort of civilian council as well.
In his honest opinion civilians had no say in the affairs of shinobi. They didn't know the first thing about shinobi other than the fact they could spew out fire or water from their mouth and kill them in a billion different ways. Their power structure, their affairs, their trails...The civilians would know nothing of them, didn't know anything of them, and they'd fail to truly understand. It'd turn into favoring and then nepotism would start to spread and everything would rot from corruption. The council was more than likely just a ploy to keep himself in power-the ordinary people had this tendency of putting the Senju above others and had a certain respect for them.
Hashirama wasn't the type to take advantage of the peoples' hearts... He would rally them, and they would follow him, he would assure there were concessions for them, and they would take the concessions...and while it was unknowing or indirectly he would be taking advantage of their hearts in that moment. His desire for peace would appeal to many, was appealing to many, but there were even more that resisted and weren't swayed by his words. Then, there was his Mokuton.
Hashirama was going to be a huge problem for as long as he was alive.
Tobirama too for that matter.
He struggled to reign in his rage and focus on his current objective as he sped across the expansive barren landscape. The first thing he needed to do was meet up with the division leader, from there they would likely travel back to the compound unless they were contacted, though since his falling out with Hashirama happened just a few hours ago he doubted word would travel so fast. The second thing he would do is tear a warpath on his way out of the region. If Tobirama was smart-and that white haired little bastard was smart and pragmatic he likely sent word to the Senju division to have them change course.
He wouldn't hesitate to wipe them all out.
"Summoning Jutsu!" Syrus slammed his hand down on the ground, his chakra swelling tremendously before a huge cloud of gray smoke dispersed around him and hung thick for several moments. Usagi copied his action. The smoke slowly cleared away revealing a wolf with thick midnight black fur and piercing magma eyes, its build was nothing short of fearsome, rippling with powerful muscles and easily dwarfing the Inuzuka's Ninken. His appearance differed a bit from Daji's for the obvious reasons-his fur was nearly pitch black, but he was also leaner and a bit longer, where Daji was a bit wider. There was also a piercing gleam in his eyes.
"Brat." Daji swatted the smoke away, not looking all that angry as he came to Usagi's side.
"Syrus..." The black wolf flicked its eyes onto the man that summoned him, locking for a moment before turning his eyes onto Daji. "Why have you summoned the both of us? I don't see an army that needs to be cut down to size." He asked brusquely
"Good to see you again too, Ebisu..." Syrus replied blandly, not taking to the tone his summon took with him, but blew it off after a second. He couldn't expect anything less. "I'm meeting up with my division that's arriving today. If Tobirama has any brains he would have had his Senju division change their course."
"They're about three hundred miles to the east." Ebisu said after a moment, lowering his nose. "The Subatsu are about five hundred miles opposite of them..."
Syrus chuckled humorlessly. Of course, Tobirama did have them change course.
"The Domou and Uchiha are pretty close, their divisions must be grouped together, but there's other things following them..." Ebisu continued, looking a bit ways off to the side. "No, they're being chased, the same can be said for the Subatsu and Senju and every other clan that seems to be traveling here."
"What is it?" Usagi questioned.
"Don't know, but the scent is foul." Daji said with a low growl. "And, it's big whatever it is..." He snapped his neck to the side almost on instinct, eyes narrowing in as he straightened his head. That scent...It was familiar, he could vaguely recall it, but he never forgot a scent. Daji focused, inhaling sharply. There was a wretched taste in the back of his throat, now he remembered this scent. "That woman is close."
Haji noted Daji's eyes were locked on his own. He couldn't be too sure why he had his focus pinned on him. Hitomi couldn't be here, not after what happened when he took his leave. Her parents would have had her on lock down and once she was married off to the Lightning damiyo she'd never have a sliver of freedom again. But...Daji caught onto her scent, and that meant that it had to be fresh.
"Hitomi?" Ryoku couldn't help but ask, curious. That's the only person Daji could be talking about. "That's in the direction of the Sand country."
"Yeah." Daji didn't glance in his direction, keeping his magma eyes pointed in the direction of Hitomi's scent, there were many scents mixing in with her's. He knew her scent though since he got a good whiff of it when he assisted Usagi in searching for her. "There are many Domou...and Uchiha..."
"Mikito is there as well." Ebisu added gruffly.
Haji scowled, brows furrowing in agitation. She would do something so foolish... Hitomi had proven to be a real troublemaker for lack of a better term, and she always found a way to make trouble for him. Granted, it wasn't anything he couldn't manage, but now she got herself caught by the wrong clans. He wasn't too concerned about Mikito or Souji for that matter, but Izuna and Madara could be spiteful enough to use her as leverage against him. Even kill her just to make him angry. But, the fact she was alive... "I'll go and get her."
Syrus almost objected, but thought better. Hitomi was Haji's woman, his mate...and he couldn't interfere in this. It would also save them from an ensuing battle between the Uchiha and Domou. Haji was always more even tempered and reasonable than he was, but Haji could lose his temper, and this was one of those times where reason often took a backseat. He had to trust that Haji would keep things under control. "Alright..." Syrus narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. "Once you have her come back to us. We'll be in battle so you won't need to focus too much in order to sense us."
"Should we send someone with him?" Usagi asked.
"No." Syrus shook his head. He was going to need everyone once he tore a rift from this region to the next and confronted whatever the hell was chasing down shinobi. "Until we meet again."
Ahiko was having quite the day. It started out pretty mild, but then she had been told to heal Tunoichi she couldn't exactly refuse, though she did question it. As a medic she had to put aside her personal feelings and heal him, he was just another patient and she had to do her utmost to ensure he got the best treatment. Perhaps this was another reason healing wasn't as much practiced as ninjutsu. In order to put aside your own personal feelings and treat the person who could have killed your family, your lover, anything along those lines...It wasn't suited for everyone.
It wasn't until mid afternoon that she had realized Tunoichi was attacked by several units of Uchiha and Domou. He managed to escape, but suffered some wounds in the process. The man was always brash and pushing his luck, but this time he pushed too much. Izuna was leading a few of the units and he made it priority number one to mow down that arrogant and brazen man known as Tunoichi.
Patrols had increased and were much more frequent. As soon as she was done healing Tunoichi and got cleaned up she went out to tend to her routes. She would be in the village. Misaka and Aito were on the other side of the village. There were more units of Uchiha and Domou that weren't in the castle around the village in disguise and out in the open, milling about as ordinary citizens or playing the part of sleeping bums. Nobody would even guess they were highly trained killers. She would be partnered with an Uchiha shinobi that went by the name of Isao. He was twenty-four years her senior and was a bit on the tall side with the trademark pitch black spiky mane all Uchiha had and pale skin. His hair was a bit on the unkempt side and fell down to the back of his shoulders, with a few spikes at the crown, and long bangs that shadowed over his equally black and steady eyes.
He was very talented and strong she knew from experience. They had both been on the same battlefields several times. Isao wasn't always up front in the chaos, he'd provide support along with Yuto and start to shift the formations, but there were other times where he'd be at the very front clearing a path out. He was invaluable on the battlefield and an invaluable partner on patrol.
Ahiko trusted him.
They had run into very little as far as shinobi were concerned. But, the citizens stance with them had become very clear to her, especially with the most recent event. Mothers would hold their children close whenever they stepped passed them, people would look at them with scowls and eyes wide with fear whispering among themselves 'demons' 'bloodthirsty' 'monsters' were many of the things thrown their way. The people didn't think that they could hear them, or were just completely ignorant.
"Looks like our recent actions have hit their nerve." Isao said a bit blandly, noting the looks they were getting, but not seeming to care in the slightest. It's not like they knew Tunoichi and Hajime were ready to kill them all when they got the chance.
"Yeah..." Ahiko agreed sullenly. Putting heads on stakes at the front of the village and on the borders was a good way to warrant this kind of reaction out of the citizens, as if the last battle here wasn't enough reason. She didn't agree with this sort of method, but she knew very well that she couldn't question it, and no matter how harsh and horrible it truly was, it spread a deadly message. People would come to fear this region, the ever present threat of the Domou and Uchiha ready to take action at a seconds' notice, the dire consequences one faced if they did intrude, and they'd leave it alone eventually. They'd cut their losses and move onto the next one, but the reputation of the Domou and Uchiha...The way these people would look at them...
Perhaps the last one didn't matter so long as they had their freedom and autonomy.
Isao glanced at Ahiko for a moment, turning away after a moment and looking down towards the next block. He knew her to be a bundle of energy and cheer, she was always with Yuko for the most part. She was very skilled with a spear as well. It was funny and awkward watching her interact with other Uchiha and Domou respectively. Uchiha were solemn and didn't readily show their emotions, but Ahiko had a way of chipping away at their armor and prying it out of them.
They rounded a corner and Ahiko immediately took a defensive stance. This street was completely empty, it was in one of the more isolated parts of the village. Not many traveled this far except for the Uchiha and Domou and a few other people. However, the person that came within her sight was Haji-wearing just a plate of armor on his chest. "Haji! What are you doing here?"
Haji already seen Ahiko and didn't react, merely kept his hand hovering over the hilt of his sword as he observed those around her. There were a good twenty or so Uchiha and Domou, plus Ahiko. It would be a vicious fight, and he was sure he'd come out with more than a few wounds at the very end. But, Ahiko wouldn't blindly attack him and he knew that especially since they were within the walls and any damage could lead to an innocent casualty. For now, he could breathe. Ahiko was a friend. "I'm here for a woman."
Ahiko shifted her footing before relaxing just slightly. If Haji was going to attack he would have already done so, and she really wanted to avoid fighting within these walls. She gestured to the Uchiha and Domou behind her, not breaking her focus until they just kept their hands hovered above their hilts or settled on deadly glares. The last thing they needed was to get into a fight now of all times. "The girl disguised as a monk..."
Haji snorted. He wouldn't put it passed Hitomi to try something as ridiculous as that. "Yeah, that's the one."
"All you finish your routes and head back to the castle. Isao-san, if you will, meet up with Misaka-san and Aito-san." Ahiko said decisively, her voice still warm held a small edge to it. If Haji was taken by this girl-he had to be since he came all the way here and even slipped through the front gates than that could only mean one thing. Just like the Domou, the Subatsu love without reservation and unconditionally. They also become taken by one person, their mate. Once that happened they would spend the rest of their lives together. "Haji, she isn't one of your spies is she?" Ahiko asked, directing him towards a darker area.
"No." Haji answered a bit dryly. The thought of Hitomi being a spy was nothing short of amusing...Perhaps she could play the part, but there were subtle layers one had to put in place and facades that needed to be meticulously kept. She would more than likely miss one of these things, and that was the difference between life and death. A razor's edge, one thought. "We were supposed to get married, but her parents interfered." He could be honest at least, there was no harm in telling Ahiko he was supposed to get married.
It would even be beneficial that he told Ahiko they were supposed to get married...Despite being rivals and enemies their respective clans followed very similar and at times the same ethics, code, and laws.
"She came running to us, quite literally. There were Akimichi and Hatake pursuing her, I'm not sure what their leaders would want with her...and there were a good few hundred altogether." Ahiko explained warily. It had been abrupt, and they had almost been taken off guard, but they kept them outside of the walls and any that had slipped in were dealt with before they could catch their stride. Hitomi for a non-trained civilian put up quite the struggle, and managed to shove one guard off of her, and in turn the chain reaction of tipping carts and wagons began. When horses got scared or spooked it wasn't pleasant.
Haji felt slightly obligated to apologize. Normally, Hitomi only gave him such trouble, and he felt she was his responsibility at this point. "She has a bad habit of causing trouble, usually it's only just me."
"It all worked out." Ahiko said, it wasn't the worst they had to deal with. Though, Hitomi managed to cause quite the stir. They silently moved around the castle until they were in the location Ahiko deemed appropriate. She pointed up towards one of the towers letting her finger stray a few inches from it. "She's on the left side. Room on the far right, tenth level. Yuko should be out of the room at this moment."
"You're certain..." Haji gave her a long look
Ahiko didn't really think it was worth Madara's time and even if he was informed he wouldn't be so inclined to care. He didn't care about nobles, and Hitomi was just baggage that needed to go sooner or later. Haji being in the village could be a red flag, but it wasn't unheard of for more than one clan to be in a village at any given time. That shouldn't be happening now given the scenario. But, she knew Mikito wouldn't go on a rampage just because of Hitomi. "Yes. If we would have went from the other side a good portion of units could have been killed as well as collateral damage being prominent from the ensuing battle with you. I would be forced to take action, but, we avoided a conflict with each other, and we got some information out of Hitomi." It was really a win and win sort of situation at the moment. "You'll find her exactly where I said, but move fast, patrols have gotten more tight and abundant since the last time you were in here."
"I got it." He couldn't exactly argue against some of her points.
"I'll do a few more sweeps then meet up with Hikaku and Mitsuki." Ahiko said after a silent moment of thought and staring at Haji carefully. "They should be coming back from their patrol outside the walls in a few minutes. I can't say how long I'll be able to delay them, but I'll do my best. In return just move as fast as you can." She noted Haji's impassive expression but didn't take it personal, he was going over things in his head in order to ensure a swift and silent escape. "I baked some brownies, not everyone wanted to eat them so..." She rummaged through her pockets, pulling out a small scroll. "Give these to Usagi, I'm sure she'll appreciate them."
Haji nodded, slowly taking scroll from Ahiko and pocketing it. With her abundant sweet tooth, Usagi may just scream when she got a hold of these. He had half a mind to ask if these were poisoned, but he knew Ahiko wouldn't stoop to such levels-she wouldn't have given him the brownies if she did, and there was no way she could send someone off to a slow and agonizing death. Ahiko was just too gentle, she even wanted a truce between their respective clans. "I'll let her know you made them."
They both shared a nod before dispersing in opposite directions. Both vanishing in their respective whirlwinds of speed. Haji went left and then up the castle's side, Ahiko went right and continued down straight.