"It's just like the time when I planned on crushing Konohagakure. He has chosen a divergent path from the village...But, even so, it'll always have some sentimental value. He's soaking that all in and coming to terms with...The consequences of his future actions and reaffirming his resolve."
Orochimaru
Yamaguchi twisted away, reversing a thrust cued in for his shoulder, letting it trail half of the length of his blade. He shifted swiftly, powering down, so that his swift parry of the Sarutobi's thundering overhand stroke was not only blocked the strike but directed both blades to slice into part of the bridge. He into the Sarutobi's guard, just as he began following through with a slash.
Hie foe heaved, twisting both of their blades up in a circular sweep, but Yamguchi used the rotation to generate enough force to shift forward just a little. It wasn't a lot, but he was able to use the power of two Sarutobi's attacks to just not drive them backwards, but also leave deep lacerations on their torsos and arms, leaving them to fall down the dirt hill-covered in snow, close by.
The Sarutobi constantly followed him, attacking relentlessly. Driving them towards the river had been relatively easy-where a large portion of their force was located. Yamaguchi had gladly gave ground, retreating along a narrow dirt passage, just a few feet from the icy water that loomed under the ancient bridge. His comrades had all leapt out from their cover when the Sarutobi were within range-the narrow passages became havens for short, close, and cruel battles.
The area hummed with death.
Chakra crackled through the air.
He could feel it shivering down his back, and wafting into his nostrils. He slid along the ground, coming to side of Tsugi. Yamaguchi pressed ahead while Tsugi lunged for the densest spot of Sarutobi. His blade arced, tearing through the resistance of armor before sending blood skyward. He brought it down, swiftly, the squelching of flesh the only semblance of movement.
Tsugi charged towards his foes with little reservation for his own life. He slashed through his foes without hesitation. He didn't bother to parry or even block, he simply outmaneuvered his foes. Their blades blurred even faster than before. They chopped and slashed and parried and blocked. Bodies thudded to the ground, rolling to the ground below, smears of blood staining the snow.
They shrouded the entire bridge. Under, over, and around it. Chakra crackled and spat in powerful flares. This was not clan against clan. This was not good against evil. It had nothing to do with duty, philosophy, religion, morals, or anything else man whipped up. It was people against people. Thousands of them. The damage they had done to each other. The damage they'd continue to do.
Nao back flipped to just a few meters, to the supporting pillar on the bridge-its form oxen and sturdy.
When the Sarutobi lunged in pursuit, she spun about. She whirled through her foes, sword in each hand, teeth gritting harder and harder with each stroke landing or being blocked. The Sarutobi were absolutely relentless. Just like their infamy for using fire based jutsus, so to was their attacking style. They didn't give ground nor yield. Cutting off their limbs didn't even stop them. Nothing but a swift arc that took their head or annihilation would finish a Sarutobi.
She kicked off one Sarutobi, knocking him away and into a horde of his comrades. Using the small amount of momentum gathered from her backpedal, she pivoted sharply, swinging through two Sarutobi's blades-getting both on the arm, cutting deep. Nao refused to stop, shoving her blade out and met them head on. She angled her blade high, felling the first Sarutobi before he could fumble for a weapon.
The second Sarutobi was quick enough to act arcing at her knees. She yanked her legs high and slashed just above the Sarutobi's hand, and he staggered off to the side. A swath of blood gushed to the surface-the wound was remarkably deep. Nao's momentum and attack, however, carried her along with the Sarutobi. He grappled for her ear. She used the close distance to gouge her blade into his neck, hand pressing on the blunt edge with crushing force as her foe began to twist at her ear.
"Damn you! You bitch!"
Nao whipped her legs around her next foe's head, her entire body arcing as she ascended, twisting to the side, and powered through with her core, hips, and legs to bring him face first into the ground. She scrambled up to her feet, and thrust her blade through his back.
Nao barely had the time to adjust before five Sarutobi pounced on her. They stood toe-to-toe, blades whirling once before they crashed together. Nao shifted once, trying to wrench them aside, but two of the Sarutobi shoved their way forward, and the next three followed. Nao leaped gracefully, distancing herself.
"She's not as strong as the Subatsu. If we gang up on her, she won't last long!"
Nao took a small breath as a wave of her comrades overtook the Sarutobi-the Hagoromo tossing aside and smashing the Sarutobi, those who wielded swords focused on driving it into the neck, and forcing it into their foe's side by grabbing them. A flicker forced her to sprint to the side, and she was just able to redirect the stroke toward her left-skimming passed her shoulder and angling upward.
She didn't slash, she didn't dive...Nao grabbed the Sarutobi by his arm, breaking it at the elbow joint-not willing to take any chances, she drove her blade into his neck not even a second after. She pressed ahead, forcing it into the wound an inch at a time, before finally shoving him against a wooden pillar and powering through, ending his life.
"Nao!"
Kimie and Nobu flashed beside her. Nobu tore through, heading left and straight into a horde of Sarutobi forcing their comrades into the frigid water, shattering the ice. Kimie simply blurred forward-like a white flash of lightning. Her blade met a Sarutobi's knee. Then his other knee. And while her was still in the air, brought her blade through the Sarutobi's chest.
She heaved a breath, eyes tracing onto the Sarutobi and her comrades-their were wounded on both sides, some of them laid unmoving on the ground. She continued her trek, marching forward and slewing through any Sarutobi bold enough to confront her-despite their efforts, the Sarutobi didn't seem to be losing ground, despite losing their numbers.
The bridge was turning into the scene of a full scale slaughter, and the civilians that gathered to watch the carnage could only hope that the madness ended soon. They couldn't feel nothing more than the burning of turmoil. The uncertainty of living to see tomorrow. What was stopping all of those people fighting to turn on them? So they kept their distance, either through ignorance or being naïve, thinking that no harm would come to them.
Asuna flourished through the chaos, spreading her foes out, spread them thin. She turned, thrusting her arm forward and was meant with little resistance. Blood bubbled from the man's mouth. He strained staggering back, she spun to her right scything her sword up and through her next foe's, and finished with a sharp kick to his neck snapping it and sending him flipping down the hill.
It was natural some would try to escape. You'd always have those who lacked pluck and resolve. For her it was disgusting to witness, running away like cowards. Leaving their comrades behind. She'd send them on their way. Her blade tore through bone and slashed sinew as she pressed her assault, sending the vicious Sarutobi sprawling across the ground. She pressed off with her back foot, lunging several meters across, and smashed right into her charging foe.
He twisted and turned, trying to send her flying with yanking her blade free. But, she had enough of his thrashing. She adjusted herself accordingly, and slammed her blade down, just as he made a swipe for her, and knocked its trajectory off by just a few meters.
Ryoku and Tsugi stuck together the best they could. The battle imploded, it was raging, continuing to rage, and it only grew worse. The area was starting to get crowded with bodies. Tsugi had always been quick and powerful complimenting Ryoku's swift and battering approach to fighting. Tsugi swiveled dodging passed stabs and slashes aimed to cut his trachea, he wasn't going to slam blade on blade now, there were far too many of them to do something so foolish.
Two, and three; he lunged forward with three quick steps, ducking under a wild swing and swiped upward, slashing a head clean off from shoulders. Four more Sarutobi blitzed him. He scythed through one's wrist pushing him aside, a split second later slicing the back of two Sarutobi's wrists forcing them to drop their blades. With little momentum, he turned his two foes aside, lunging forward.
The Sarutobi continued their relentless attacks, but more were forced back into the icy river. The eight inch thick ice was shattered by blades and the impact of bodies, the glacier-like water flying upwards as high as three hundred feet-but with chakra burning through their systems, that cold water was evaporated before it ever came close to touching them.
The Subatsu wielding spears, yaris, and nagitanas charged at the Sarutobi with the same ferocity, smashing into them with so much force the sound echoed beyond the village, The Sarutobi's swords could do little to stop the long range weapons and longer blades from cleaving into them. Kunai and shuriken were even more useless, since once the blades got that close, they'd already be splattering organs over the ground.
It didn't stop the Sarutobi from attacking. They gripped the shafts and pressed ahead, slashing at wrists and fingers. Some even tried to flip them over, but only dug their blades deeper into the wound.
For this reason Nao found herself sequestered in a tight formation, able to pick off Sarutobi just within her range, but couldn't reach her since her comrades kept them at least a foot back. Her blade was easily two feet, and it closed the gap within an instant. It was almost invisible, if not for the wide swaths of blood scattering through the air, one would never think she was even swinging a blade.
"Over here!"
The Sarutobi went into a frenzy upon hearing the command.
They all blitzed.
"We need help over here!" Yamaguchi shouted.
Todou shifted one way narrowly avoiding a cut to his neck, the deafening screech of his blade against another pounded against his ears. He easily blocked the follow up series all attacks aimed for his sides and neck. He shifted forward, stepping into his foe's guard-the Sarutobi could only blink in surprise before a flashing smear overtook his vision.
Todou swiped his sword to the side, shifting by just a fraction-avoiding a measured stab from his foe. He shifting again, his blade angling high for the shoulder-the Sarutobi dodged, but he couldn't avoid the retraction. Angry that he was struck, the Sarutobi twisted around ramming the blade of his shuriken against Todou's sword narrowly blocking another slash.
He pushed up, teeth grounding against each other, his wrist absorbed all of the impact driving his feet into the sand around him and forcing it to fly away. Todou launched a quick cross forward, snapping the Sarutobi's head back with a sickening snap. He collided with his foes once more in a series of spins, stabs, and slashes. His growing by the second as Yamaguchi, Nao, Nobu, and several Hagoromo were being forced back.
He shifted his waist, rapidly twisting within the same trajectory. His blade passed through his first attacker's body without any trouble, but to be sure it wouldn't be halted, Todou shifted on a dime, pivoting to his left just as another Sarutobi made to cleave his neck. With a quick step, he spun sharply completing his turn and slashed against the Sarutobi's chest.
The familiar resistance was there before the flesh tore open sputtering and leaking with blood as he completed his cut.
"Grraaghh..." Todou hissed in anger, pushing against seven Sarutobi at once, uncaring of his wrists and muscles ached. His sweat caked forehead glistened from snow. One. Two. Three. He stepped to the side, concise and without hesitation, his blade coated with some blood glinted off another as it sank into a Sarutobi's neck, slicing through the collarbone and going all the way through to his hip.
Swiftly, forcibly he drew his blade out from his foe, hissing as he watched at least eighty Sarutobi curround him. There's too many, I can't get to Yamaguchi!
Daisuke had been all over the place in the fight, but now his focus was here at the bridge. He had been broken away from Haji, and forced along the narrow paths to this point. He adjusted accordingly, always improvising and anticipating any and all situations. His foes didn't last long against him-the Sarutobi were all offense, and while that often played in their favor, this time it didn't. Not against him anyways.
Daisuke shifting his footing, clasping the hilt of his sword with both hands. His blade arced down, matching his foe's own blade's trajectory. His fingers squeezed the hilt even tighter as he brought up in another arc, diagonal at first, before it swiveled to a horizontal. He smacked the next attack aside with ease, bringing his blade down and straight through the Sarutobi's skull. The clang that pierced the air was deafening, and brought pain to his ears, but it didn't impede him.
With little hesitation Daisuke launched himself forward into the largest gathering of Sarutobi with a powerful flourish of his legs. He swiped down, blade arcing in twenty different directions. Twenty Sarutobi fell to his whirlwind of strokes, while another thirty staggered back wounded. Those that could continue their attacks did so, but found their blades being knocked upward, leaving them wide open.
"I cleared a path, Todou! Asuko! Asuna! Back him up!"
Daisuke shifted around a stroke, his movement caused his foe to promptly dodge his own attack before lashing out with another slash. Daisuke's blade arced forward, deflecting the first slash and he stepped through his foe's guard, jamming the tip of his blade deep into the Sarutobi's chest.
"Hgggnnhhh."
His foe's teeth ground against each other as he shoved forwards ignoring the hot pain of the blade cleaving into his joint. He jammed the tip of his kunai, which had been drawn, into Daisuke's side-but the larger man didn't even seem fazed. He pressed forward, clearing the distance between himself and a tree, and pinned the Sarutobi against it. He yanked his blade free, jamming it into the man's throat a second later.
"Daisuke! I'm going to leave this side to you!" Ryoku shouted.
"I got it!"
Daisuke held his ground.
One leg pressed ahead as he began shifting into his next attack. There was a screech as his blade sliced clean through another-its trajectory followed its course until it ore into a part of his foe's chest-not too deep to cut him severely, but it was enough to leave a minor wound. With a wary step he pressed ahead, but shifted harshly away from his foe. The Subatsu with spears and yaris smashed through-hundreds of them clearing swaths in the chaos of bodies and blades. He didn't let their progress go to waste, he joined them.
The Sarutobi were all offense, but his kenjutsu technique was a natural deterrent to any and all offensive techniques. When a dragon's head is attacked it uses its tail to defend, and when a dragon's tail is attacked, it uses its head to defend. No matter how much force they'd apply, all he had to was arc his blade up, and make contact-there was little weakness in the technique.
A loud groan echoed like rumbling thunder.
"The Machi-Inn is going to collapse!"
"What!?"
"Sasuke-sama and Genzo-sama!"
The civilians could only cower as they watched the carnage. They cursed the shinobi for their wars and conflict. Cursed the nobles for hiring and associating with them. They didn't know if the battle would end or not-the chaos and noise stretched on for an eternity. They weren't sure if it'd ever end.
Tobirama wasn't surprised in the least by the barrage. He sparred Usagi many times, but never before had it been a serious battle. A battle to the death. Them on opposite sides. Subatsu and Senju.
He met the Usagi's charge with quick efficiency. Ducking under an arc that would have tore through him, he carved a deep gash along the wall-Usagi's blade guiding his before a pillar stopped them both. When it she chambered back, his blade arced again. Usagi didn't react straight away. Tobirama's attack was coming in too fast, but it was also his trajectory.
Instead she drove the tip of her blade into the blunt edge of his, skewing his attack by just a than a fraction was enough.A fraction was enough for her cut loose.
Tobirama recovered within a second, sliding his left foot to the side, spinning, and lashing out with one swing. He pressed his assault, arms but mere flashes of color, being hovered around by a glint of steel.
Usagi twisted away from a thrust, dodged a horizontal stroke, deflected another, and finally flipped across the room, cartwheeling with vicious grace-evading his next stroke. She moved so fast, so swiftly, witch so much grace, that she was nothing but a blur. She was almost intangible. But, Tobirama didn't let himself falter. With each stroke he deflected, each evasion he performed another pressed on with a newfound urgency.
The battle, long, intense, and lethal as it had proved, was the first time he'd been in a true life-or-death struggle with Usagi. It had been his first since he returned to the Senju compound months was pleased to see that his skills had not been diminished by the layoff.
Chakra powered through Tobitama's arms, engorging his wrists and fingers, his elbows and shoulder. His strokes came more than twenty times in a single second. Each of the twenty strokes came from different angles with speed and intensity. A cadence of slashes, chops, and stabs of which every single one could take Usagi's life.
Not one touched her.
She had often walked unscathed through swarms of projectiles, defended only by her wit, instincts, chakra, will, and the direction of her blade. countering twenty strokes blows per second wasn't difficult. It was not impossible. She could ramp it up to forty, fifty, sixty, and then seventy! Her blade wove a web of angles and curves, each motion of her blade subtly interfering with three, four, eight, ten, or twelve of Tobirama's strokes, the rest crackled past her, her precise, swift, minimal shifts of weight and stance slipping them by just centimeters.
Tobirama snarled, ramping up the intensity and velocity of his strokes—twenty five per second, thirty, forty, fifty...Finally, at one hundred strokes per second, he aimed to overload Usagi's defense. So Usagi used her defense to attack. A subtle shift in the angle of a single parry brought Usagi's blade in contact not with the blade of the oncoming sword, but the hilt...
Tobirama's blade skimmed off to the side, inches from Usagi's forehead. Half the hilt clattered away, while the other was tossed aside-the blade as well, was cut in quickly drew another sword, crouching into a ready stance.
Usagi smiled at him.
Tobirama lunged.
Usagi parried.
"You're really fast!"
Tobirama slid away from the shorter woman, inhaling a sharp breath. Usagi was pressing him as hard as he was pressing her, if not harder. For every one of his own strokes.
"How can you be so cheerful?"
Usagi changed her stance, resting two of her fingers along the edge of her blade. "Not all of us can be stoically ice cold. Besides, you can match me in kenjutsu, or are for the moment. I am enjoying myself."
"Stoic, huh?" Tobirama echoed to himself, curious.
Perhaps that is why he and Usagi could never be mutual in certain aspects. She was a lot like Itama-emotional, impulsive, impressionable. Itama and Usagi would have made a fine couple, they both complimented each other. Usagi and Hashirama would have made a fine couple as well, Fundamentally, he and Usagi were just different people, though similar in a lot of pushed the idle thoughts aside.
"Yeah, you're not really reserved. Hiyori Domou is reserved. Haji is usually impassive and reserved. Souji is brusque and stony most of the time. They all rarely smile or show any emotion, but you're different...You experience emotions. You show them. But, you also suppress them."
"You're better than you were when we last sparred." Tobirama said, clearly impressed.
"You too, but this is different from that time." Usagi retorted. "This time, we are battling to the death not a simple spar. And, just know I haven't caught my stride yet!"
They both lunged in again. The room was filled with the swipe and swosh of blades cutting the air. The clang and cling of blades colliding or deflecting each other over one hundred times in the space of two heartbeats. They both would have been carved, lacerated, and slashed had they tried to react to each move individually. Instead they brought their chakra forward, letting it flow through them and guide their hand.
Tobirama's weapon became an extension of himself, and he responded to Usagi's blistering and high paced unstoppable attack with an impenetrable wall. Then Tobirama went on the attack. In the past he had always been wary of charging headlong at his foes to finish them off.
He either let them tire themselves out, and he'd take advantage of their careless mistake, or he'd simply be faster than they are. Now he didn't have such a wariness; for the first time he was pressing the offensive with all he drove Usagi back with furious slashes, forcing her to backpedal across the floor of the room.
Tobirama was relentless in his pursuit, reaching forward as his blade arced-coming within a centimeter of cutting Usagi on the shoulder. His stroke was turned aside before it could reach half of its trajectory, but he quickly followed it up with another series of powerful thrusts and subtly continued to give ground, stepping back from the raging storm of blades around Tobirama.
The outcome wasn't inevitable. Usagi was simply peerless in kenjutsu, but Tobirama was too fast, his strokes held too much power. Only some unexpected maneuver would bring the other done. They had fought side by side too many times in the past for him to surprise each other decided to move. Leaping, spinning, running, jumping, sprinting ducking, and rolling.
He was precise and swift with his movements, seeking to force the tempo of battle in his favor, and take it to a more favorable area. But the inn itself was like a maze.
One hall would lead to a room, and a room to a set of stairs, two halls would lead to a series of rooms, with stairs off to the side, that led to a balcony. Any and all routes to the outside were either cut off or extremely clogged from the raging outside were being blocked by the damiyo's soldiers-as far as eighteen blocks away, were soldiers stationed.
Others were just a few feet from the entrance-where Sarutobi ravaged what they could, going down screaming and swinging their stood in the center of a body ridden, blood stained room on the third floor. He was panting, stooped ever so slightly. He looked up as Usagi stepped through the doorway, the head of a Sarutobi shinobi rolling beside her.
He met her gaze, there was no hint of emotion or anything in her eyes. They were glinting, unflinching, and sharp.
"You should have married me when you had the chance. Hashirama knew it was better than making enemies out of us, and you made an enemy out of me..." Usagi mused.
There wasn't even three feet between them, it was just enough space for Usagi to give the hilt of her blade a quick flick, twisting her waist in unison. Tobirama copied her action-a light blue force field surrounding them as their blades arced and collided-they slid from end to end, screeching the entire time, and only after skewing off of each other did one deathly howl sound off-piercing everyone's ears.
The battle rejoined. Usagi and Tobirama both pushed each other. At times he was unable to anticipate the unfamiliar movements and sequences of Usagi's attacks. His mind was flooded with a million options of what his opponent might attempt, and he had a wealth of experience to draw on. And yet, he staggered back, swiping thrice as fast than before.
Within the first few clashes Tobirama knew he couldn't win. This battle would go to a stalemate. Usagi had devoted her all to kenjutsu. She'd practice for hours. After years of study and battle, she mastered many forms of kenjutsu. She honed her skills for thousands of hours, perfecting every move, every kata, every step, even how she held her blade.
She was infamous for her skill and prowess. She was perhaps one of the greatest living swordswoman in the Elemental Nations. Tobirama could keep pace with her, and match her, but it'd lead to nowhere. Eventually Usagi would overtake him with an esoteric technique that he'd never see 's press was ferocious and nothing short of savage.
She seemed to wield four thousand blades rather than one. She attacked with a fast, rapid, peculiar rhythm designed to keep her foe off balance, coming in with her blade high and low at the same time, striking from seemingly every direction at odd and opposing angles.
Tobirama had no option but to fall back...
And back...
And back...
Battling through the ravaged halls and collapsing rooms, they rounded a corner, interlocked arms, spun twice, before both spiraling away-blades arcing. It brought them in sight of what had once been the Machi-Inn's door-now a the wide archway littered with bodies of dead and the wounded, being ravaged by those still fighting. In the half a second it took Tobirama to recognize where they were, Usagi thrust forward. She knocked the Tobirama off balance for a brief second, perhaps less than a second.
Tobirama back flipped, flying through the air into up a set of stairs. He dropped into a crouch at the top, still facing his opponent. But in his haste he leapt a little too far; he was balanced on what remained on the top stairs, and four tons of debris was hanging above him-the shaking making it rock more and more.
Usagi responded by charging right for him, surprised, Tobirama surprised, quickly raised his sword to block. The impact sent him flying back, through a wall, and crashing down a staircase on the next side over.
His trajectory could have easily broken his neck, at least fracturing an arm or a leg, he could have walked away with a severe concussion as well-if he hadn't cocooned himself chakra. Even so he stood up, heaving a breath as he was forced to spit blood from his stood at the top of the staircase-her small form, somehow more imposing.
She stared down at him with a flinty, unflinching gaze. Despite the blood on her face, and entire body-including her hair, she remained unflinching."I will chase you down since you are my foe." Usagi said. "Wherever you go I will find you and kill you. You can't escape. Thousands of my comrades will be behind me, and I will make sure to bring Todou with me. Better to end this little menagerie with you now. It's clear you will always be an enemy. The enemy."
"I agree, we should end this." Tobirama replied, going back on the stepped toward him, but a shocking flare from her instincts and reflexes made her leap to the sude just as an explosive tage struck the floor right where she'd been about to stand. Riding the explosion, she flipped towards him, using her fall to gather velocity and momentum, the tip of her blade skewing for the top of his head.
Tobirama spun away from the stroke-a loud snarl sounding from his throat. He could feel the air being cut by the blade, right next to his ear. In the chaos of battle, Usagi was front and center, standing before his eyes. Tobirama maintained offense and defense, never pushing too hard on either end. Doing so would mean certain death-he couldn't overestimate his own defense and offense, nor could he underestimate Usagi's.
"Why do this?" He shouted. "There was a way to solve this without violence?"
Usagi chuckled-Tobirama's words making her ramp up her intensity. "Sanctimonious fool, Sasuke killed civilians and hooligans. He's brought this on himself, your village means nothing in this situation."
Blade-to-blade, they were different. After thousands of hours in sparring, in battle, side by side, they knew each other, more intimately than lovers. They were two side to the same coin. In every exchange, Usagi pushed and pushed. In every exchange, Tobirama pressed and pressed. In every exchange, they both gave ground. It was one way or the other-an enmity, opposition...blades flashed.
Arcs were parried or met with a blade; arcs for the ankle were skipped over and thrusts for the chest were nimbly deflected. The walls around them fell in pieces. Usagi, contemptuously, sent Tobirama flying back, and the sparks flared between them, until they dispersed, all at once, in a hot white flash.
"Usagi..." Tobirama's voice grew stern.
"Enough of your stupid dribble, Tobirama!" Usagi said through her teeth, swiping madly.A roar of pure force blasted both of them back, and into a wall. Tobirama swayed for a second, half stunned, his chest barely moving. Usagi stepped over bodies and lifted her blade for the had one technique that wouldn't work twice, especially against Usagi.
But it was a very good technique.
After all, it did work rather well on Izuna...He twitched one finger, reaching through with chakra to engorge every single part of his hands. Steel fingers clenched down, Tobirama became a sea of blades. Usagi reached into the storm of death, walking through it slowly, methodically, her blade twisted in the air. She took a two hand grip, yelling as she brought down a chopping stroke.
Tobirama hastily backpedaled away from the well time stroke, but was forced to exert more chakra as the blade was right in his face-before he could even blink, like it moved instantaneously. His feet jammed into the floor, sending spider web cracks rippling through as he avoided getting a gash through his face. His blade deflected the stroke at the very last second, but Usagi transitioned again, and this time he wasn't prepared.
His happuri protected him partly, but the tip of Usagi's blade cut through a part of his cheek and across his nose, slicing nearly into his other cheek. It was hairline wound, not too deep, but it'd still bleed.
"The flaw in that was your attacks were too linear."
"You..." Tobirama narrowed his eyes. "There was no flaw in that, I am able to force Izuna into a retreat with that very same technique."
"I am not an Uchiha-the Sharingan does have its weaknesses, as you've just alluded to. Subatsu don't have the Sharingan. We are trained in warfare. We can kill a million foes!"Usagi roared, flying at him, using both chakra and her body to crash Tobirama through wall once more.
Her hands seized his wrists with impossible strength, forcing his arms wide."I am so sick of you and your...!"
Power bore down with her grip. Tobirama felt the bones of his forearms and wrists starting to bend, beginning to feather toward the fractures that would come before the final breaks.
"Suiton!" Tobirama shouted, flaring his chakra for extra measure.
Usagi lunged backwards, positioning her blade at her side, parallel to the ground, with her fingers resting on the side. However, this is what Tobirama wanted her to do, and with great speed he shot out of the room, landing outside, and sprinted away. But, just the same, Usagi had anticipated him trying to flee, and the second she landed on the ground outside she was flanked by Rukuro, Itsume, and two hundred others-the rest were at the river, around the area, or in the inn battling.
This was perfect.
Running through the pathways and streets, lunging from the rooftops and across the ground for hundreds of meters-they all quickly cleared their way out of the capital itself, and into the barren forests of the Fire country. They were a good forty miles out of the Capital before Tobirama's speed ebbed just the slightest, but within that instant-Usagi turned her speed up a notch.
"Tobirama!"
Usagi increased her strides, spotting two people up ahead.
Hashirama.
Mito.
Hashirama and Mito both turned hastily, pausing for a moment as they took in the scene before them. Tobirama was speeding towards them, but behind him was Usagi, Itsume, Rukuro, and about two hundred others. Usagi was steadily gaining ground with Rukuro and Itsume trailing behind. They were all coated with blood-it was in their hair, on their uniforms, on their armor, on their hakama, and even on their sleeves.
Usagi stopped when she was just a couple feet away from the trio. One wave of her hand made everyone behind her stop. Itsume and Rukuro flanked her.
"Hashirama..." Rukuro's eyes settled on the tall Senju. "How dare you interfere."
Hashirama warily shifted his footing-he could see Hagoromo in the mix. Enishi, Takeshi, and the other prominent higher ups were nowhere to be seen, but Shuji was very much present. It was difficult enough dealing with Usagi and the Subatsu, but there were two hundred others-and any that were Subatsu had long weapons like spears.
They had one thing in mind, and one thing only.
But, he had been expecting this.
Now he just had to deal with it.
"You're a bit foolish, Hashirama." Usagi said, a bit musingly.
"I anticipated this." Hashirama said evenly.
Usagi shook her head, laughing. "Do you think we just left the Hyuga compound after our battle? There were units stationed there. We already know that Disuke was snooping around. I will tell you, we defeated them. We forced them into a full retreat-Daiki is dead along with four division leaders."
Itsume and Rukuro angled their blades towards the trio.
Hashirama's neck went taut. "Did you..."
Usagi angled her blade towards him. "He and the Senju with him would be dealing with Yokuna. She never lets her foes live."
Hashirama closed his eyes for a moment. Truthfully, he couldn't sense Disuke's chakra at the moment. There were too many Sarutobi, Subatsu, Hagoromo, and Mo present. Haji, Shuji, Sasuke, and Genzo were also prominent chakra wise. It'd take extreme focus, and at this moment he couldn't take time out to focus. If he dropped his guard for a second, he'd be done for.
If Disuke did fall...He'd find out once he returned to the Senju compound.
Satoshi and Toka leaving...
And now Disuke...
"Tobirama, take Mito back to the compound." Hashirama said.
Tobirama went stock rigid, chakra flaring. "Brother..."
Hashirama shook his head, subtly shifting his footing so he was in front of his brother and Mito. He'd be able to hold them off, for a few minutes. He wouldn't be able to hold back. He didn't go all out for a lot of reasons. The more advanced and powerful Mokuton jutsus required an enormous amount of life force, but in addition to that he added Yoton and Inton into his Mokuton jutsus through instinct. There was the Wood Oni and Wood Human-the latter he hadn't used as of yet, and there were also his variations of the Wood Dragon jutsu.
If he really got going, he'd be able to cover entire countries with his jutsus.
He could cover the entire landscape in trees within the span of a few seconds.
There was also the several thousand, billion, decillion, googolplex hands statues. But, those were last resort moves, and would certainly lead to his death.
Mokuton would be useless against Usagi, though. He'd never ensnare her with the jutsu.
"Go now. You and Mito can't die."
Tobirama hissed, forcibly nodding. "Don't do anything foolish."
Hashirama clapped his hands together-wood extensions sprouted from his body, slowly taking the shape of himself. They all landed beside him before surrounding Mito and Tobirama.
Hashirama shifted his foot back, throwing himself into the air and onto a branch several meters above. He kept his eyes on his foes the entire time, heart starting to race. Usagi, Rukuro, and any gathered Subatsu were staring at him, sizing him up... Like a predator does with prey. Their gazes were flinty, sharp, set, and unflinching. There was an icy resolve there. The Hagoromo and Mo didn't have such intense gazes, but there's were awfully close.
He was relieved, though. Usagi actually reacted to his move. Without her at the Machi-Inn, Sasuke and Genzo both stood a better chance of escaping and not being cut down. However he couldn't get over the ghastly and pointed stares-he could see where the cannibal thing came from. It was like they didn't see him as a person, but...Nothing, or, an enemy.
"I'm glad I was able to get you this far, Usagi."
Usagi's gaze darkened. Her eyes started glinting. It was a piercing and sharp stare. She could understand why Syrus resented Hashirama and did what he did. Why he ended the alliance and turned his back to the Senju. The alliance had never been as steady as it should have been, and Syrus and Hashirama were often of opposing spectrums of situations and strategies.
Hashirama also had a bad habit of trying to dictate and be in everything that had nothing to do with him. She didn't hate him, but she could see, and understood, the full danger that he posed. For now he was an idealistic, bleeding heart. He'd never raise his hand against a child or kill needlessly. He'll always put the prospect of peace first.
But, if Hashirama was able to found his village...
Make his dream a reality...
Would he get so deluded...So blind and dogmatic...That he'd this village to be so important that he'd kill a child...
His own child, even...
Would he treat a stranger like family. Would he treat his family like strangers...
Would he believe the village to be more important than one person or clan...
Usagi shifted forward, slow and concise. "I think you're going to be a big problem, Hashirama."
Hashirama slowly drew a kunai, crouching into a stance. "I won't let you pass."
Rukuro snorted, not the least bit amused. "We'll run right through you then."
To prove his point he waved his arm, and his comrades enclosed Hashirama on all sides.
No escape.
Usagi's eyes glinted, a small smile on her face. "Prepare yourself...Hashirama..."
Sasuke pressed on with a newfound urgency to his pace. The battle, long and vicious as it proved to be, wasn't the first time he'd been tested in a true life-or-death struggle since he'd been born. Since he became leader of the Sarutobi. Instantly his men formed a box around him Obi-Wan filling the entire room with glinting and glaring blades, arcing and skewing too fast for the untrained eye to see.
He brought his blade from his side to his chest and ignited it with fire. His swift step carried his blade through a crisp arc, and as the fire back around, Haji definitely fought it back.
Genzo pressed the attack, but more cautiously. Their weapons were the same length, and they struck from just out of reach of each other. He gave ground to Shuji, his defensive maneuvering just keeping the large polearm from smashing his head like an apple. Several Sarutobi circled him, blades swinging, each with lightning reflexes, each with a smoldering will.
Their skill, prowess, and their blades were guided by the clarity of their minds. They could feel the destruction. It was above, over, around, near, and behind them. Only seconds away. Only a hairsbreadth away. So close, yet so far away. Tangible, and yet surreal. Haji sprung to meet him, but at the last second used a fallen pillar to lift himself up to the next level.
Sasuke and Genzo both sprang after him-Shuji leapt just a second after them, still some feet away. Haji was ready and set by the time both Sarutobi rammed into him. They leapt higher and higher through the maze of devastation and chaos, slicing and smashing through anything that was still in one piece.
"I got you now! You son of a bitch!" Sasuke roared, sword beaming straight for Shuji's head.
Shuji shifted his feet, brought his polearm up, and harshly slammed it into the blade. The screech was ear piercing, and the sparks ate away at his fingers, but he managed to glare at Sasuke. He was angry at himself for being too engrossed in Genzo's assault, that he allowed the smallest fraction of an opening-barely perceptible, but it was enough.
The sweltering chakra powering Sasuke's arms let him arc ten times in a single second. Honed by years of experience, Sasuke allowed himself to enjoy the fight, and gave himself over to it. Each of his ten strokes per second came from a different angle, and different trajectory. He skewed each attack by a margin, an unpredictably broken rhythm of slashes, chops, and stabs. All of which were aimed to tear, and the surroundings to shreds.
Sword grasped in both hands, Haji took a single step forward, blade arcing like a flash of lightning-a diagonal slash that ascended, almost knocked Sasuke's blade from his grip. Spinning, Shuji shifted his footing, moving around Haji, and raced forward, feinting a diagonal stroke from the right, then twisted it around, switching it into his right hand and surged forward.
The blade might have gotten past Genzo's guard, but instead it glanced off the side of the man's blade, sparks flying from the collision. Genzo countered quickly with an upward sweep for Shuji's neck, but Shuji spun hard to his right, his polearm held straight out in front of him as he completed a circle, nearly smashing Genzo in two. Folding himself at the waist, Gezno stopped his trek, transitioning with Sasuke, parrying a rapid series of quick but powerful slashes from Haji.
Flipping out of range, Sasuke twisted his body to the right, set the blade near his right hip, and rushed forward, hammering away. Genzo took a similar approach, screaming as his arms began to flourish. Haji and Shuji deflected and parried the blows without altering their stance or giving a lot of ground, but in the process Haji left a fraction of his low leg exposed.
In a blink Sasuke dropped into a crouch and pivoted into a turn. For an instant it seemed that the blade was going to pass clear through Haji's knees, but Haji leapt high, half twisting in midair and positioning himself to come down behind Sasuke. The aim was too split his skull from the middle to the back, upon his trajectory.
Genzo lunged upward as Haji's body straightened out. Making his own lunge forward, Shuji hurled himself into the air, crashing his polearm into Genzo's blade-able to veer it off by just a few centimeters. Snarling, Sasuke took his left hand from his hilt to ensure there was more speed behind his next stroke. His blade arced-skewing for Shuji, but Haji's own blade-arcing in a blue hue-intercepted his attack.
The four skidded to opposite sides of the room, breathing heavily.
Sasuke shifted his stance, eyes burning. "Is that the best you've got?"
Haji or Shuji may have been about to reply, or not, but it didn't matter. Light speared through the room, opening holes twenty meters across. The room they were in shook, struck by the monstrous force of some collision, stairs and pillars rained down on what remained of where they once stood. With a loud splitting sound, a large section of the inn itself broke away, taking walls with it.
Genzo was a good distance away, both hands pressing into his hilt, angling his blade away from him. Slowly, he began to advance, debris, snow, and bodies falling around him, hair flapping in the harsh winter breeze. Then, with determined strides, he advanced on Haji and Shuji, sweeping his blade left and right, up and down, and at odd angles. Sasuke stepped beside him, movements forceful and aggressive, his blade wasn't even visible. He was hardly visible himself. He was merely a lashing flame.
Haji went into the fire, angling his blade in two quick successions, splitting upright between a group of Sarutobi trying to box them in, two fell to his sudden attack, the others continued to charge in until they found themselves battered and beaten back. Sasuke continued his assault. In the chaos of glinting blades, screams, and dying men, Haji was right before him-Shuji continued to transition around Haji, both covering the other's blind spots.
Sasuke ramped up the intensity of his attacks, focusing on velocity and pure speed. Two Hagoromo and four Subatsu charged at him, colliding with his own kin, but when one got through, he followed the blade's trajectory once he deflected it, bringing his blade into his foe's shoulder-forcing him aside. Haji cut a path through the Sarutobi, through Sasuke's fire, all the way to the man himself and Genzo, in a single sustained surge, reaching the leader of the Sarutobi just in time to send part of his blade spearing into the wall.
Sasuke drew another sword before anyone could blink.
Haji shifted his stance, noting how Sasuke angled his blade down, the tip veering towards his right hip. Thinking better of it, Haji sheathed his blade, shifting his stance again.
"Battojutsu?" Sasuke asked, eyes shimmering with the barest of disdain.
Haji lunged, blade arcing from four different directions. For a brief moment Haji felt resistance. Sasuke's muscly arms bulged and rippled with striations. Both pushed against one another, low growls starting to escape their lips. Sasuke broke away, shooting behind, and then around Genzo-leaving the taller man to ram right into Haji before he could get the jump on his leader.
Genzo pressed his pace rapidly, foregoing any caution and just trying to carve a trench through Haji, and anyone around him. He was so close to dropping his restraints and letting loose, but doing that would cause himself damage.
"Why don't you just stop?" Genzo asked.
"Nothing would have come about if you tried to kill Shisuke, but setting fire to this village..." Haji trailed off, eyes glinting.
"Then you will die here. You support Hashirama's idea."
Haji merely exhaled. "We can either roll with the tides, or go against them. Create something new, or further the old."
Genzo leapt in, his blade moving with far more speed than he had shown thus far. Deflecting the first barrage, Haji realized Genzo had been holding something in reserve...Just as he did, but Haji dared not to go that far. Now he was he seeing Genzo's true ability. He was able to keep pace with the older man, but Genzo's attacks were as brutal as they were swift. Both men grunted in surprise when the other managed to stave off their attacks, then stepped back to regroup.
They were both coming in hard and fast now, aiming to end their battle quickly.
Now both had to reevaluate a strategy.
Both lunged. The room was filled with the clang and swosh of blades striking each other twelve dozen times in the space of just two heartbeats. Both men would have been carved to ribbons had they tried to react to each move individually and systematically. Instead they called upon their chakra, letting it flow through them, experience, instincts, and with guiding their strokes. They gave themselves over to the fight, to the chaos, without reservation. Their blades became an extension of their wills, and one time after the next they'd both respond to an unstoppable attack with an impenetrable defense.
Haji leapt to the side, skidding harshly into the floor before lunging. He drove Genzo back with a furious flurry, forcing the older man into a backpedaling retreat across the floor. Genzo shifted, blade angling high to the left-deflecting his foe's trajectory, but Haji was relentless, changing the course of his attack into a downward slash, coming within a centimeter of landing a crippling blow.
His strike was turned aside at the last second, but he followed it up with another powerful series. Genzo continued to give ground, pushed back by the raging storm of Haji's onslaught.
Then Sasuke and Shuji crashed into them.
The outcome was inevitable.
They were simply too strong willed, and chakra wise. Only some unexpected maneuver could end the fight, they had fought too many times in the past for them to surprise each other now. Over the course of their battles each of them had seen every possible sequence, series, move, technique, barrage, and trick of the other, and knew counters and counters to counter those very counters.
Shuji bellowed as he lunged forward, polearm flying through the air-nearly invisible ,horizontally. Genzo and Sasuke charged forward, uncaring of they were smashed by the weapon or not. They leapt, spun, ducked, and rolled. They were wild and reckless in their pursuits and retreats. They were only seeking to end the other's life. But the perimeters set up around them were starting to grow tighter. Escape routes to the outside were cut off.
Sasuke pressed ahead, aiming t0 herd both of his foes into a dead end hallway, or a storage room. Recognizing what was happening, Shuji blew open the wall closest to him and stepped inside, steadily keeping Sasuke's blade at bay. There were no other exits. More importantly, there were no exits, period. Haji paused at the long arch hanging over the room.
Sasuke stood in the center of the ruined room, panting, stooped ever so slightly, his neck taut to keep his head from hanging. He subtly shifted his footing as Haji stepped through the doorway, under the arch, his steps slow and cautious. But when his gaze met Haji's, there was no hint of exhaustion or doubt in his eyes-his expression was flinty and stony.
There was less than five meters between them, but it was just enough space for Genzo and Sasuke to give their hips a quick twist, another hilt smothered by their hands. They were armed not with one sword, but with a pair, one in each hand.
Haji took two steps back, shifted to the side with his left foot, and stepping into the ball of his foot. There were many Subatsu that attempted to use two swords at once. Not many would stick with it and perfect the art, but those that did were more than a force to be reckoned with, and could handle both blades with both hands. Not many shinobi bothered with such forms of kenjutsu-one blade was enough, and they'd just hack and whack through their foes until it broke or something else.
Shuji narrowed his eyes, watching his foes twirl the blades expertly. The Hagoromo didn't specialize in two sword styles of kenjutsu. It was inherently flawed in their opinion, and they dedicated their focus to single sword kenjutsu. What two blades can do, one can do. But, seeing how Genzo and Sasuke handled each blade with ease, it was clear with enough dedication-the flaws of two sword kenjutsu could be negated.
The battle rejoined, but now it was a variation of impasse, stalemate, pursuit and retreat. Without proper training, even Shuji, with his enormous chakra and physical might was unable to anticipate the unfamiliar sequences of the two-handed kenjutsu style. His mind was flooded with a million options of what his opponent might attempt, and he had just some experience to draw on.
Haji stepped forward, covering Shuji's flanks with a whirlwind of strokes-a sphere of blades seemingly forming around both men. This allowed Shuji to press ahead with brute force. Within the first few passes both men knew they couldn't best the two Sarutobi. They trained for decades with two swords. After years of study, practice, battle, and dedication they mastered the art.
Then those skills were fine tuned for decades from battle, perfecting every move and sequence until they had become the perfect weapon. Until they were one with their blades. Sasuke was unrelenting in his pressure. He seemed to wield six hundred blades rather than two. Genzo seemed to wield twice as much. They attacked with a broken, chaotic rhythm designed to keep their foe just not off balance, but jumpy. Coming in with one blade high and the other low at the same time, horizontal and diagonal at the same time, striking from opposite sides at odd and opposing angles.
Haji refused to allow them to dictate the pace of the battle. He met their broken barrages straight on. He knew the layout of the inn, and he was able to work himself slowly toward the exit. Battling through the halls and corridors, they rounded a corner to bring them in sight of a wide archway and the small landing beyond, which was actually the ceiling, with a wide staircase leading back down to the ground floor. In the instant it took Sasuke and Genzo to pull back one blade, and sent the other forward, Shuji his polearm with an irate scream.
His polearm collided with Sasuke's side, folding him over and taking him off of his feet. He slammed through a wall, flying clear through a pillar and across the floor. Genzo tried to block the attack, but was off balance for a brief second, he went to back flip, but the monstrous force of his foe's attack sent him flying back. He couldn't halt his trajectory, and smashed through a wooden pillar.
In the time it took Shuji to bring himself straight, Sasuke and Genzo leveled the entire floor-sending it curmbling down in pieces-that grew and grew in number. Haji responded by flooding his legs with chakra, diving into Sasuke sending them both crashing down through a staircase, flying away from Genzo and Shuji who battled in mid fall, jousting for who'd hit the ground first. The fall could easily break their necks, or at least fracture an arm or a leg. But, there was tons off debris, and their comrades falling alongside, above, and under them-they were all heading to the same spot.
Haji struggled against Sasuke's iron grip, slowly turning the man's wrist to the side-forcing his body to go along with it.
"I will end you!" Sasuke yelled.
"We'll go to hell together then!" Haji replied, letting out a scream as he hurled out waves of chakra.
There was nothing subtle about this attack. The massive shock waves shook the broken foundations of the already crumbling in. The concussive blast had enough power to shatter every bone in their bodies and pulverize their flesh into a mass of pulp. But at the last possible instant anyone able threw up a shield to protect themselves from the attack.
Unfortunately, that didn't shield even Sasuke or Haji from the Machi-Inn around them. The walls exploded into great chunks of rubble. The broken stairways continued to collapsed in a shower of wood, burying everyone beneath tons of wood and cement. A second later the rest of the structure collapsed, drowning out any irate or dying creams with a deafening rumble. Haji, Sasuke, Genzo, nobody could be heard over the rumble.
Billowing clouds of dust, splinters, and blood rolled out from the wreckage and into the surrounding streets, quickly covering the area. It obscured the mountain of wood that had once been Machi-Inn. The civilians that had gathered, their screams were also drowned out by the deathly rumble. The debris, dust, snow, and splinters that relished itself into a giant plume soaked their vision and scratched at the back of their throats. The pain, and devastation was too much for them and they tried to flee. Try as they might, most of them fell either blinded or too overcome with emotion.
Their screams echoed along with everything else.
Amidst the cloud of debris, Sasuke shifted around-letting out a long growl. Exhausted by the long and ferocious battle, Sasuke heaved himself out of the wreckage. Blood and cuts marred his body, his hair was disheveled, and he was hunched all the way over, panting roughly. One cut stretched across his forehead, forcing blood to flow between his eyes.
Genzo pulled himself out of the wreckage, his leg twisted at an odd angle, but it did little to slow him down. He dragged himself across the cold ground, teeth grit, but there wasn't the slightest hint of defeat in his eyes.
Haji and Shuji rose out the wreckage next, breaths raspy and harsh as they collected themselves. Haji had one long gash running across his forehead, steadily flowing blood between his eyes. Shuji nursed his left arm, just barely, the bone visible-out of its normal place. They were all looking worse for wear, and were grievously wounded to some extent.
Their comrades slowly picked themselves out of the wreckage or tried to heave it off of themselves. Others were too weak or wounded to move, and others were simply dead from the collision. Even if they were shielded and cocooned by chakra-that much debris and force coming down, would kill anyone, regardless of the chakra coating them.
The proof was evident, as even Subatsu were picking themselves up, sporting severe wounds like everyone else.
Sasuke took a long glance around, eyes hovering on his fallen comrades before he let them fall on his enemies. He supported Genzo with his bodyweight as he set his arm behind his neck, and his comrade he heaved himself up wearily with his good foot. Reaching out with his chakra sense, he sought some sign that his comrades might still be alive beneath the mountain of debris. He felt little. He glanced to his left, noting how his comrade's chakra signatures were being snuffed out rapidly.
Genzo could still fight in this condition-he'd have to execute one his earth jutsus to stabilize the bone though. However, it wasn't a risk that he was willing to take. This battle was long and vicious. Even now his comrades refused to yield or give ground.
"It's over, Sasuke." Haji said, taking severe steps forward.
Sasuke narrowed his eyes.
He threw down a smoke bomb.
"He couldn't have gotten far. Should we go after him?" Shuji asked.
"No. Sasuke can cover a lot of ground, very fast. We'd be wasting our time in going after him. Focus on gathering the wounded and finishing off any stragglers. Disperse towards the bridge and any other area that is heavy with conflict." Haji replied.
"Hmph." Shuji exhaled briskly, but waved his hand to affirm the order was a priority. "I didn't think he was so good at running."
"Shinobi never fight a pointless battle..." Haji noted, wincing as some blood ran down his shoulder.
"We Hagoromo don't adhere to that philosophy. Cowardice is cowardice. We shun cowardice."