Disclaimer: All my love for this saga won't change the fact that I do not own Naruto.
English not being my native language, please forgive me for the eventual errors I might do, I'll do my best to avoid doing them in the first place or remove them after the fact.
Summary: A story of Hashirama Senju, the one who revolutionised the Shinobi world. AU.
Season II
Chapter Seven – part II: Welcome Home
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The sun was already setting when the two teenagers left the compound, starting to walk throughout their village.
They were soon being left by the two shinobis escorting them, Bonnotaro and Renji who hurried to see the other members of the mission…
Leaving Hashirama and Tobirama to be watching around them the people going through their activities and hurrying home.
"I had forgotten… how much of a non-factor I could be to the Council", finally said Hashirama bitterly. "I thought getting older and stronger would change the way adults considered us, but it's as harsh as ever..."
"Your wood release… I'm not sure there was ever anyone wielding such an ability in the clan. You might be a pioneer. As a result, they want to test your new strength against strong opponents", Tobirama analysed. "They forget themselves in their eagerness. "
"Maybe they are."
A couple of young children passed by them, barely old enough to walk on their own outside their homes, kunais already in their hands.
Hashirama watched them turn the angle of the road, her bitterness now even more pronounced.
Things were so wrong in this world…
"Don't hold it against them, Hashi," Tobirama said, side-eyeing her. "The Council… They are from a generation where kunoichis had very specific roles. I don't think I ever saw them not treating harshly even the likes of Töka."
"I'll force them to reconsider how they treat kunoichis then", Hashirama retorted mulishly. "I meant it, when I said I would pledge my strength to the clan!"
"Funny you would say that!" exclaimed someone above them, drawing their eyes up.
In stark contrast to the declining day, the figure dropped to the ground, clad in green armour and grinning like mad between his bicolored hairs.
"I was eager to test that strength myself once you'd be back."
"Itama!?" exclaimed Hashirama.
It took only seconds for her to draw in her little brother in a strong embrace.
Even Tobirama acquiesced to join the hug. Hashirama took a moment to look at Itama seriously.
He had grown!
His face was no longer as round as she remembered, but was still retaining that infant quality somehow.
His hairs were much longer, framing his face behind a bandana harbouring the symbol of their clan on it.
"Itama, you seem so much bigger now! That's amazing."
The boy seemed to swell with pride, eyes twinkling.
"So, we've been told of your exploits dear brother" started Tobirama, while Itama fell easily in their steps.
It hadn't taken long: the fall of the Hagoromos had been a news rocking the treadmill of information reaching even the land of Whirlpools.
That their little brother had been instrumental in their downfall, tracking down the enemies back to their caves, had been the real shock to Hashirama and her brother Tobirama.
"So, you've been told", Itama said simply, non-committally.
"Are you all right, Itama?"
The question surprised him.
He hadn't expected those words coming from Tobirama's mouth… Hashirama was the one usually doting on him.
"I'm fine", assured the boy. "What I did… I took no pleasure in it. What happened to the Hagoromos was… vile… but it was necessary for the safety of our village, for its future.
The Hagoromos will never be in a situation to threaten us again."
Tobirama remained silent while his sister looked worriedly at their younger brother.
"I can't imagine what you've been through", finally said Hashirama quietly. "Those kinds of events have to take a toll on you… I..."
Itama stopped, his traits now hard.
"As long as this serves as a warning to our enemies, as long as it preserves the future of our clan… I can live with it", he assured.
Those words sent a chill through Hashirama's spine… Even though they were enemies, the Hagoromos also had been brothers and sisters, and parents and children, and elders… They had been like them… They were like them. To think they had been pushed to the brink because of her own brother…
Hashirama felt somewhat sick.
"You've grown", the teenage girl said. "I suppose… war does that to people."
"You suppose well", agreed Itama, resuming their walk.
Dusk was falling quickly now, with people heading back to their places around them. Several of them stopped-by to salute them, welcoming them back, or simply bowing toward Tobirama as a mark of respect. It helped soothing Hashirama's heart despite the trouble she felt toward Itama's words.
"I want to see it for myself", she finally said. "I want to see how much you have grown as a shinobi…"
She stopped, causing her two brothers to stop and look at her.
"Show me that new strength of yours…boy", Hashirama said provocatively.
Itama grinned.
"You'll regret those words."
"Maybe I will."
"Enough you two", stopped immediately Tobirama. "I know you are eager to go through the motions, but we don't have time for this Hashirama."
He made a placating gesture when she started opening her mouth.
"We should head home, get out of this gear and get settled at least for the time being. You'll have plenty of time to fight each other once we are done with Suemori in a few days."
"But-"
"Don't forget what our objective is, Hashirama. The Uzumakis… Mito… need us."
"All right, fine," said Hashirama, somewhat abashed. "Sorry Itama, it seems like we'll have to keep that spar for another time."
"Another time it is", Itama laughed, and that sound alone, more than anyone and anything they had seen and met since their return in the morning made them feel at home.
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The dinner had been austere, with dry fish and vegetables to feed them, but it didn't matter in Tobirama's eyes.
Pleasure was what he took away from it.
The pleasure to be back in their village, among their clan.
The pleasure to be in their home, where they had grown up.
The pleasure to share a simple meal with his brother and his sister…
It had been such a long time since they had reunited the three of them, Hashirama, Itama and him…
The house was quiet in the evening.
He could hear the slow snores of Hashirama coming from her room. Itama's was quieter, but if he concentrated enough, he could also hear the boy's breathing and its rhythm.
He was the only person awake in this household, it seemed.
Tobirama closed his eyes, focusing on the beating of his heart.
A slow drumming that made it easier for him to drift into meditation.
And, as usual, it worked quickly.
He could feel the state of his body, his restlessness; he was still sore from the journey back from Uzushio, he hadn't recovered entirely...
Tobirama slowed his breath, immersing himself in the waves of chakra going through him.
Limb, muscles, bones. Limb. Muscles. Bones. And deeper… His network of pathways.
With his perception, he'd always been able to sense the form of it, its relief.
Navigating it was child play to him, something he learned from his father, wasn't as easy and even doable for many in the clan…
"This is a gift from the kamis themselves, son… Use it wisely. Mastering your understanding of chakra will provide you opportunities many can only dream of."
It had been true.
His chakra control.
His ability to react to foreign chakra and cleanse it from his pathways.
His sensing abilities.
All of it came from sharpening his gifts through daily meditation.
Already, his mind was flourishing, ideas and images brushing at the edge of his perception.
Tobirama ignored everything.
The geography of his network was ingrained in him.
As such, he'd always realised there'd been alcoves and dead ends where his chakra couldn't go, or couldn't pass freely.
His curiosity had led him to press against them more than once, to test those passages - to no avail.
Those areas didn't budge, to the point Tobirama had formed the conviction, like many before him, that they couldn't budge, no matter the effort.
That those passages were as immovable as the sky above his head.
Until the fight in Ori's cave.
Thinking of that combat was unsettling to Tobirama. Their enemy had been strong. Very strong. Enough to take down Shingo Uzumaki.
Enough to nearly kill him. If it hadn't been for Renji… wait…
The young Senju opened his eyes.
Nearly killed.
A near-death experience.
Was this the key? To understand what had occurred that day? Was it that sense of dread and imminent death, walking that twilight line, was it the reason he pierced that day something that always had been impregnable to him?
He knew the answer before the question finished forming in his mind.
Yes.
Yes, it was.
The key to this awakening.
"Now, to wonder if it can be repeated without a tremendous challenge", murmured the teenager, as he settled for the night, fatigue finally catching up to him.
A question that would accompany him in his dream that night, and haunt him in the following days.
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They came at the hour of the Rat.
Shadows gliding into the darkness, almost mystical in nature.
They avoided moonlight like a plague, playing into the odd angles and covert structures of the village.
Six figures.
Three pairs, soon slipping into three unsuspecting houses.
In the dead of night, no sounds were heard in the village, besides the hooting of the owls, and the occasional rumbling of the sentinels.
And in no place was this silence more deafening than in those three houses.
Merumi. Mikazuki. Shôta.
The shadows made quick work of their entourage… when necessary.
No blood was shed, but no one crossing their path would be left unscathed by their passage either.
The intruders didn't hold back when it came to using their techniques. As a result, they employed brutal genjutsu on the people standing in their way due to bad timing and luck.
The psychological fallout might be severe once broken out of it.
They didn't care.
This was their way of doing things.
They came in three pairs… They left three trios.
That was their absolute goal, and as long as it was accomplished, they were content.
The daughters of the council elders had been captured, as well as a young boy that couldn't be older than ten.
All swayed under their genjutsus.
All under their control.
All gone in a matter of seconds.
And by the time the villagers realised something would be amiss, by the time shinobis would be mobilised to track the whereabouts of the disappeared, it would be far too late…
The leader of the Fûma clan would be no different.
How was something like this possible?
That shinobis had managed to infiltrate their village to such an extent was almost terrifying to him.
And yet… they had come here to kidnap people dear to the members of his council.
The motives behind such acts were apparent: the kidnappers had an agenda, and wanted to pressure their Council into following it.
"Honour your duty", were the words Ryosuke Fûma would find himself facing, as he prepared in the quiet of his household to join the shinobis of his clan in their pursuit.
The three representatives of the Council were there, marked traits and resolves high, kneeling at the door of his bedroom.
Ryosuke would know, in that instant, that he'd already lost the battle against the enemy… He would know too who was behind this situation. And, lastly, he would know rage, coming in full force in his heart.
"We beg you, Ryosuke-sama!"
"Ryosuke-sama!"
"For the sake of our clan, you must!"
They dared? Pressure him to this extent? Ryosuke was speechless. He knew his councilmen. They were volatile people, self-centred in the matter of their families and prestige, more than in the matter of the whole clan itself. Here? They wouldn't stop harassing him until things went their way… one way or the other.
Ryosuke considered his armour pristine, waiting for him to don it…
The Council opposing the Clan's Head was the last thing he wanted. And he knew that, if he didn't agree to the asks now, they would be headed there straight away…
The Fûmas didn't need internal strife in a time of crisis like this. They needed unity.
"For the sake of our clan… I will", were Ryosuke's words, seething.
And for what the Uchihas wanted the Fûmas to accomplish, it was more than enough.
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Beautiful.
The Senju girl played a little with the shards in her palm: even like this, it felt like she was holding an ocean in her hand. A gate to infinity.
What should she do about those?
They were a gift… Gifts were meant to be displayed, weren't they?
But how should she go about it, really?
Hashirama considered her reflection in the mirror, dark hairs that were long enough now to tickle the crest of her back this early in the morning…
She grimaced.
Her hair too needed some work… Despite her best efforts, it wasn't as easy to maintain her appearance back home than it had been in Uzushio.
She didn't have the same accessories, the same tools, and Mito wasn't above her shoulder to prop her with her servants… That girl in the glass wasn't helpful at all.
"Someone's having fun", said a voice behind her.
Hashirama's eyes glanced above her shoulder in the mirror, to the young woman standing in the door frame.
Tall. Shining. Impeccable.
Tôka.
It felt like forever to Hashirama, but it seemed her cousin hadn't changed at all: her pointed chin slightly lifted in an act of defiance, her long nose sitting high in the air, black eyes scrutinising her from behind heavy eyelashes… she exuded such strength and confidence, yet the little contempt she used to harbour wasn't there on her face - so, maybe a little change.
"So perceptive" chirped Hashirama, half-amused, half-exasperated by the remark. "I'll happily trade with you if something is the matter - no offence." she added quickly toward the older girl who laughed freely - something else unusual.
"None taken, little princess, you seem to have everything under control," she placated while entering the room. "A real pleasure… Though you should know, your hair is going to draw unceremonious attention someday… better tie them properly if you're reluctant to cut them."
"As opposed to yours?" said Hashirama in a faux-outraged tone.
"You won't find me wasting hours on prepping them", responded the other girl, playing with the bang shaping her oval face. "Knotting them the way I do is the best way to achieve that… Just saying."
"Fair enough", said Hashirama, looking back at her own reflection in the mirror.
She tried to imagine herself with an elaborated knot like the one at the top of Tôka's head… She didn't like that picture.
"And… what's this anyway?"
Tôka was pointing at the shards of Silima in the hand of the Senju teenager. Hashirama smiled despite herself.
"A gift to me from the Abbot of the Fire Temple! Shards from one of their most ancient relics."
Tôka seemed quite impressed.
"A gift from the Fire Monks themselves? That's very nice! What will you do about it?"
"That's the question I keep asking myself", Hashirama admitted aloud.
"Can I see?"
Hashirama passed the shards to Tôka who examined them.
"Pretty, yet discreet… They would make for a nice necklace I think, that would be lovely."
"You think?"
"You think not?" clapped Tôka cheekily. "Anyway, I came here not just to talk jewellery with you, or deal with your disgruntled brother at the crack of dawn: Tolerama-sama wants to see you right away at the Council."
"Oh."
Hashirama's expression soured despite herself, with creases of worries showing on her face.
"I see you are still wearing your emotions on your sleeves", drawled Tôka. "A true kunoichi should have cast iron control over herself, a veil of secrecy on what she thinks and what she feels unassailable to scrutiny… You are failing at that Hashirama."
"Sorry for that," said the teenage girl, somewhat embarrassed.
Tôka observed her for a few more moments.
"You shouldn't mind the Council. They are essentially old fools who don't know better when it comes to the likes of us… As long as you deliver on missions, they'll have to bite their tongues."
"What do you mean?"
The look of pity that came on her face while eyeing Hashirama made her feel thoroughly foolish.
"We are kunoichis, Hashirama. Our role isn't supposed to be on the frontline fighting with other shinobis, you know... In that, we are breaking new grounds and the older generations have a hard time coping with that."
"I… wasn't aware of that before."
"You were a child. In some aspects, you still are one now, but you've grown, you've bled too I imagine… The expectations around you will be different."
Hashirama remained silent. She realised that too. If Tobirama was expected to marry to form an alliance outside the clan, it was obvious something similar was expected of her at some point…
"Tolerama-sama was against you moving abroad for this very reason. Also, he doesn't like the interference of the Uzumakis in the deployments of our troops here, and fears the influence they'll hold over our clan's affairs. After all, Tobirama-san is bound to inherit the leadership position. And you… are his sister."
"This… makes sense", said Hashirama while getting up.
She carefully wrapped back the shards in their pouch, before turning toward her cousin.
"Let's go."
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When the two girls arrived in the Council's Hall, everything was quiet.
Tôka led Hashirama to the garden at the centre of the compound, where a lone frame was standing, eyes roaming among the plants.
"You wanted to see me, Tolerama-dono?" asked Hashirama, inclining her head before him.
The elder man, looking from above his shoulder, motioned her to join him.
"Come, Lady Hashirama. Tôka-san, you can leave us."
Hashirama watched her cousin vanish out of sight, before walking to the area Tolerama was currently standing.
The inner garden of the Council's Hall was as beautiful as ever. It was always so full of colourful vegetation and plants, and impeccably tended too…
"Show me."
"...Sorry?"
"Show me, the power of your Mokuton", repeated the elder man calmly.
Hashirama wondered for a moment what this was about before acquiescing to the demand. She turned both to her senses and to the garden in front of her.
She could feel them.
Roots from underneath, old roots swirling through the ground, like a maze. There used to be trees here… High and mighty, she could feel it in her bones.
The teenage girl kneeled, caressing the soil under her feet.
Yes… Right here.
Hashirama clasped her hands, summoning her chakra at once, carefully seeping it into the ground..
"*Mokuton*", she whispered.
The stimulus was immediate. The roots, reinvigorated, exploded with life. Hashirama focused, she had to control their rapid evolution, make sure it surged here without destroying the new garden atop of them.
After an instant of struggle, the roots bowed to her, obeying her command to channel her chakra through one of them only. And, under the eyes of the two Senjus, a small plant pierced the ground, growing to a small arbust in seconds, then a young tree towering already above the tallest plants of the garden…
The growth stopped right there and then.
"Why did it stop?"
"The garden, Tolerama-sama. I… The tree shouldn't overshadow the other plants in it, or it'll ruin the garden in the long run?"
"I see…"
Tolerama's eyes had widened throughout the whole process. So, this was real… Rambuto hadn't been exaggerating after all… Moreover, she really seemed to have a good control over it… To be able to halt the growth this easily…
"Rambuto said you could create… shapes, as well? Is it true?"
"Aye," confirmed the Senju girl, "although they are pretty basic for now."
"What are they?"
"With Mokuton, I can create barriers made of wood. I can also stimulate my surroundings to cause trees to emerge from the ground, at a rapid pace. I can smother enemies with moving roots and branches…engulf them", Hashirama enumerated quickly. "I've not tried it yet, but I think I can use my Mokuton to facilitate travel throughout the forest, or make it more difficult if need be. I still have a lot to discover when it comes to it…"
Tolerama didn't say a word, his mind was turning at full throttle: as he understood it, Mokuton was like clay in the hand of the girl. She could shape it to do… anything, to be anything she wanted it to be…
"Your power is really going to change everything."
Tolerama turned toward Hashirama, looking at her gravely.
"It is said the Sage of Sixth Paths could manipulate nature to its whim. In a sense, us shinobis do the same… but I have never heard of someone holding power over the living environment like you do. Your very existence is a vindication of our heritage, Hashirama! Only trueborns from the Sage could develop such abilities…"
Hashirama greeted his words in silence, wondering where Tolerama's words were leading to.
"If it was up to me… I wouldn't allow you anywhere near a battlefield", Tolerama said bluntly. "If it was up to me… you'd stay here, until we'd have catalogued all the new jutsus you have. And then…"
His regard was piercing, calculating, stirring up uneasiness into the teenage girl.
" You are of age, your duty should be to cultivate this new mutation, pass it onto a new generation of shinobis so that it can take root into our clan, spread within it", the old man stated bluntly. "That's the true strength of a female shinobi. But, it's the paradox with you: you are too valuable to be risked on a battlefield… and also too valuable to be kept out of it."
Tolerama turned his attention toward the tree who had grown.
A small chuckle escaped his lips, surprising a shocked Hashirama.
"This tree… I remember it. It was destroyed a long time ago… a Raiton jutsu which went awry… the elders at the time were furious…"
Hashirama didn't know how to react.
The words of Tolerama had hurt her.
She never imagined someone on the Council would be thinking of her in that way, she didn't know how to process it… A veil of anger was colouring her thoughts though.
Whatever the case, she was a shinobi first and foremost, not just… just… livestock to be bred…
Besides, seeing Tolerama reminiscing about his past with a smile on his face? It was a side of him Hashirama had never seen before.
The old man could tell she didn't know how to react to his sudden bout of nostalgia; he decided to put an end to it.
"This war we are waging… Our daimyo must overcome his enemies at all cost, daimyo Ujimasa is but one of them... Our clan wouldn't survive our daimyo's defeat, we wouldn't be able to face the brunt of the forces assembled against him… assembled against us, on our own. Your abilities are instrumental to the future of our clan, even I can admit that. So It is essential that you know the limits of the new powers you've unlocked Hashirama - and that you hold complete mastery over them. Even though I loathe the idea of you going outside the village right now, this mission is just the beginning of what is to come: the clan will be relying on you much more than you could have imagined in the future... Be prepared."
Hashirama bowed deeply in front of Tolerama, gritting her teeth.
"For the sake of our clan… I will."
Those words would still be echoing in her mind two days later, as she departed with Tobirama, Renji, and seventeen other Senjus, from their village.
For the sake of their clan. Always.
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Her aim was true.
Two soft sounds and the figure slumped to the ground, struggling there for a few instants before becoming very still.
Hikako dropped from her branch silently and approached him, flanked by a focused Daichi Uchiha.
"Decent throw by the way, you've really come through" said the ninja, kunai in hand.
"Thank you, Daichi-san."
One shuriken had pierced the man's jugular decisively, the other had crushed his throat.
Not a pretty way to go, but it was efficient: a silent takedown was a must when it came to assassination attempts.
"No mistake, that's a Senju alright", murmured the older shinobi, retrieving the killing weapons and searching the victim for good measure.
"Found anything useful?"
"None. However…"
Daichi's head turned to an odd angle, looking to the side from under, confusing the girl.
"We have to join the others. Now. Let's go."
They reached the clearing where they had left her two cousins Madara and Izuna, with the hostages.
"So?" asked Madara, seemingly bored by the whole thing.
"We found the one trailing us, Lord Madara. A Senju."
At this, the two others perked up, intrigued.
"Is that so?"
"Aye. Hikako managed to kill him. Which means… There is a high probability that the caravan Subaku and Kishin went scouting is actually controlled by the Senjus."
"You said it couldn't be them!" hissed Izuna, outraged.
"No, I said I couldn't sense their presence there", corrected Daichi unimpressed. "The Senjus are quite crafty when it comes to chakra mastery. If they sent out shinobis able to suppress their chakra signatures…"
"Shit!" swore Izuna, turning to his brother.
"Wonder what would be so valuable for them to escort like this…," pondered Hikako.
Madara looked at the three hostages, thinking fast.
"Izuna. Hikako. Pick up the hostages and head toward our territory now. I'll go with Daichi-san, we'll link up with Subaku and Kishin."
"Alright", said Hikako, already processing the rest of their route toward their village. "Be careful cousin! As Master Daichi said, the Senjus are crafty foes."
"When am I not being careful?" responded Madara cockily. "Let's go, Daichi-san."
They vanished from the two young shinobis at top speed, leaving them to deal with that last part of their journey.
It didn't take them long to catch up with Kishin and Subaku and, once up to speed with the information, they rallied behind Madara's objective: wrestle that caravan away from the Senjus, especially if something valuable was hidden in it.
"Subaku-san, I want you to act as a support this time around" said Madara immediately. "After me, you have the best shuriken technique in the group with Hikako."
"After you, eh? Aren't you humble", mumbled Kishin on the spot.
Subaku didn't seem to mind, him.
"Fair enough, I'll instil doubt in our enemies' heart."
"Good. Daichi-san, you take the front of the caravan, I'll take the rear", continued Madara, weighing the options available to them. "Kishin, you'll deal with any straggler or breakaway wannabes. Aye?"
"Aye!"
"Let's do this," finished Madara, punching in his hand.
And they did.
And it was as if Hell had suddenly fallen upon the caravan's defenders.
Waves of kunais and shuriken were striking indiscriminately at the surprised escort.
Koji had realised quickly the difficulty of their situation - no heads up meant Soyaru had been either captured or killed by their attackers…
They were now down to him, the two kids and Jiroumi to defend the convoy, plus whatever guards hadn't been killed by the initial attack.
Moreover, that implied the presence of enemy shinobis with the attackers, for Soyaru-san was a skilled ninja and tracker.
Disperse. Protect. Mission!
The remaining Senjus obeyed and, among the cries and the fighting grunts, clashed with their counterparts high above the surviving defenders.
That battle had lasted less than three minutes, but it had felt like three hours to Koji.
And then…
"Reinforcements! Force of twenty, heading toward us at full speed!" declared one of the youngsters, a boy named Mitoma.
"A group of our village… Has to be!" stated Jiroumi from behind his cover.
Koji praised the Kamis, for his prayer had been answered.
Madara swore, cursing his rotten luck.
"More Senjus… and twenty? It's too much!" yelled Kishin, as he disengaged from one of the Senjus.
"Either reinforcements or a third-party, but I'm pretty sure it's the former", added Daichi, his strike forcing the ninja to jump away in the trees. "We have other priorities than those bastards…"
Their strike had meant to be quick and incisive, and the location of the ambush was remote enough for there to be zero chance of shinobi interference.
And yet, a large group had been approaching them at top speed, and were going to be clashing with them on the spot.
Senjus!
Always an obstacle to him and his clan…
Securing the caravan had been the top priority of the moment but if they couldn't have said caravan, certainly the Senjus couldn't have it either…
"Destroy it", finally ordered Madara. "I'll cover you."
Kishin and Daichi moved in unison above the canopy as Madara made the preparation for his jutsu.
Snake.
Ram.
Monkey.
Boar.
Horse.
Tiger.
"Katon: Gôenka!"
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"Shit!" cursed Tobirama. "The Uchihas! They are already there!"
They had been speeding through the terrain ever since Tobirama had noticed their chakra signature at the edge of the Red Forest.
That they hadn't manage to intercept them before reaching Koji's caravan was serious bad news...
"Hold on Koji-san!" Hashirama said determinedly, darting through the branches.
"The caravan! We must- EVERYONE, DODGE!" yelled Renji.
Hashirama had barely the time to look up, before multitudes of fireballs rained on them, breaking down their formation and sowing widespread chaos on the field.
The intense flames engulfed several areas around them, generating black smoke and making breathing more difficult.
Hashirama couldn't see her brother anymore, nor the rest of the formation as she landed on a part of the ground left unscathed by the attack.
The visibility was dreadful… Did they manage to escape the flames?
Her eyes were suddenly obscured even more…
Her heart gripped.
The feeling of her imminent death made her skin crawl and put the fear into her.
Heaving against the killing intent pushed on her, she forced her legs to move against the deadly paralysis.
"Die!"
Hashirama relented as a massive ninja came out of the smoke next to her, his chokuto aimed at her heart.
Moving diagonally, she managed to let the weapon pass, her hand seizing mechanically a kunai in her pouch and aiming for the man's neck immediately.
He blocked her kunai skilfully from one hand while trying to gore her with his chokuto in the other, his eyes flashing crimson.
Definitely an Uchiha!
Shaking off the last remnant of fear, Hashirama swirled around the weapon nimbly, docking a few teeth out of her would-be killer when her fast-paced elbow connected with his chin. Swearing and bloodied, the man jumped to the side of a surviving tree, executing hand signs at top speed, maintaining his balance with chakra… only to topple unceremoniously to the ground, barely dodging a volley of kunai she'd aimed his way.
Cocky bastard!
If it wasn't for his Sharingan, he might have suffered a direct hit from those kunais! He was going to make that kid pay -*ack*
A sudden pain in the torso rendered Kishin Uchiha breathless: looking down, he saw, uncomprehendingly, the bowled haircut from his opponent, barely out of his diaper the way he looked… When the kid tilted his eyes toward him, Renji realised he had been mistaken: that it was a girl, not a boy, who had been fighting him…
A kunoichi, on such a battlefield? So young… and fast!
Only now he registered the displacement of Shunshin his opponent had made, masked by the dwindling smoke, to bridge the distance between them and strike him down decisively, with her unsheated katana. A precise, deliberate move that, for the briefest of instants, had surpassed the ability of his Sharingan...
Uncanny… And now, his dojutsu was failing him…
Kishin collapsed in silence, unable to sustain his strong frame, once the last of his forces left him; the sound of the forest heaving under the dying fires, and metal clashing against metal suddenly filled his ears, soon drowning away everything he was hearing, every thought he was having.
The world was swaying in front of him in patches of red and green.
And as a quiet silence finally settled in, all of this… suffering drifted away, suddenly meaningless.
Kishin didn't notice when the girl's kunai softly pierced his throat, making sure he would never get up again… Why would he? The patch of sky was so blue above her face…
Hashirama gritted her teeth, humbled. Whomever this warrior had been, right at the end, he had been at peace with his fate.
"I won't let it end like this," murmured Hashirama, gravity etched on her traits. "Never."
A blur suddenly cleaved her vision; Hashirama barely dodged the hit, jumping out of harm's way and turning her katana toward her new opponent.
Surprise struck her when she recognized the figure kneeled in front of her:
Pale complexion, long spiky raven hairs, traits radiating of authority…
"Madara!" breathed Hashirama, heart pounding with both excitement and dread.
Madara, here!
The boy was barely recognizable now: he got up to his feet, brushing absent-mindedly the dust from his clothes as he looked up in her direction, and the Senju girl realised he was possibly taller than she was… Broodier too.
"It's been a long time Hashirama", said Madara while sizing her up from top to bottom. "You have… somewhat grown."
His words were sincere.
This person he had in front of him would be hard to construe for a boy now… She was too tall, had the skin too fair and a frame too thin to make the mistake.
He was probably stronger than her now - not that a difference in physique had ever stopped her to push him around…
"Three years, what did you expect?" smirked Hashirama teasingly.
Madara didn't respond, casually glancing at the body of his fellow clansman. Somewhere in her mind, Hashirama acknowledged his earlier move had meant to kill her - Madara wasn't fooling around this time.
"I see you have disposed of Kishin-san", Madara said to her matter-of-factly.
"I did what I had to do to survive him;" Hashirama answered neutrally. "He was quite capable."
"I know you did - but he was weak! He couldn't capitalise on the opening I made with my jutsu. So… I pay it no mind: the Uchiha clan has no need for weaklings among its fighters, Hashirama."
Did he really believe a word he said? Hashirama doubted it, but kept the thought to herself.
They remained in silence for long seconds, eyeing each other intensely, still surrounded by the burning remnants of his katon.
He was taller now, but not by much, Hashirama recognised… and there was a hardness in his eyes… yes, definitely broodier than she recalled…
"And you are still harbouring that stupid haircut, I see," Madara finally added while strolling around her, a hand casually playing with the edge of his sword.
"Not quite", Hashirama said, tilting her head to the side, showing off her knitted bun.
Even her hair had a pristine quality to them now, Madara thought dully.
A true kunoichi on the battlefield… Not unlike Hikako, or her sister Rûta. He would test her power, see if she was as worthy as his cousins to fight among men…
Hashirama was wary: the way he moved, it seemed like Madara was deliberately trying to prevent her from interfering with the attack on the convoy.
"Glad to see you too Madara."
Madara grinned. He was glad, indeed. Seeing her earlier had petrified him: a memory made manifest at the most unsuspecting time. But now the jitters were gone, leaving here only a surprise he couldn't help but find excellent… But of course, she didn't need to know that.
"You wish you were Hashirama."
He turned his gaze toward the convoy behind him.
Her group was fighting with the Uchiha forces, but they had a hard time doing so while trying to protect the civilians.
Uncharacteristically, the attackers weren't visible, using shurikenjutsu and their Katon techniques to harass the caravan, forcing the Senjus into forming a defensive perimeter around it…
Madara pointed behind him.
"We intended to take this convoy from the beginning, '' he explained as if reading her mind. "Damages needed to remain at a minimum."
His stroll came to a stop, just as Hashirama tightened her grip on her katana.
"But your group coming here changes everything. My men have been instructed to finish off that convoy. You being here is just an added bonus."
"Oh? How is that?"
"It's the opportunity for me to kill you," Madara said with a gleam in his eyes.
"You would kill your own sister? Now, who's making wishful thinking Madara?" laughed Hashirama somewhat cruelly. "I won't go down that easily you know."
"We shall see, sister," said the boy provocatively.
Both teenagers darted at the same time at max speed; a powerful *KLANG!* resonated in the air as their swords met for the first time in years on a true battlefield.
She resisted his push; her strength hadn't waned. Madara smirked.
"As a kunoichi, can you handle this?" he boasted, as his sharingan flared to life.
As expected, she lowered her gaze, realising too late the Uchiha teenager had taken advantage of the distraction to mask his movement.
His foot squarely landed on her chest, pushing her back painfully. She managed to block his sword, but not the follow-up kick that struck her again.
Rolling around, she heard the wet sound of metal hitting earth. Heaving herself on one hand, she jumped backward, her weapon meeting Madara's mid-air.
Both shinobis landed several feet apart from one another, Hashirama breathing quietly, Madara grinning like a madman.
"Your technique has become so poor… Is that all there is to your kenjutsu?"
"You are not going to stop me just by kicking me around!" Hashirama retorted. "And I'm a quick study: you won't make that opening again with me."
"Try stopping that, then!" Madara muttered while jumping backward.``Katon: Gokakyuu no jutsu!"
He had grasped at his chakra fast, bursting out the potent fireball instantly. The roaring oblivion came crashing down on Hashirama, who dodged to the side, only to scurry away as a barrage of kunai flew where her head would have been if it wasn't for her reflexes.
"Ha! Where is that strength you used to have?" mocked Madara, surging from her blind side sword in hand.
Pivoting, she barely blocked the hit with her own, cursing as pain jolted to her forearm from the potency of the blow.
She almost dropped her sword, but grasped it with renewed strength, resisting the chakra-enhanced hit from her best friend now turned enemy.
"What have you been doing all this time away from me?" hissed Madara, his disappointment real. "You are a disgrace!"
"And you… you talk too much", groaned Hashirama, pearling under the effort.
From the corner of his eyes, Madara saw the assault on the convoy was waning: the others were probably at their limits, they'd have to move or risk capture and death at the hands of the Senjus.
Shit! Just when things started to heat up…
Hashirama noted Madara's distraction. She'd have one shot at this. She wasn't as proficient as Tobirama when it came to it, but she had had the opportunity to practice the skill several times since her time on Uzushio…
Snake.
Rat.
Dragon.
Dog.
Tiger.
Madara's eyes widened. One-handed seals… She could do that now?
"Mokuton: Jubaku Eiso!"
The Uchiha Heir had barely the time to react: a tree emerged from the ground at an uncanny speed, crushing the earth and almost encasing him in it alive.
"What devilry is this… Hashirama?" snapped Madara, landing at a prudent distance from the girl.
She cursed herself.
As usual, her capture techniques needed more refinement and speed to be effective against strong opponents.
"A new ability I call Mokuton! With this, I'll put an end to the fighting."
Madara couldn't help but be impressed.
A whole new type of jutsu… was it a kekkai genkai? But there was no evidence of the Senjus having that kind of bloodline limit among them in the past.
He bet Hashirama was an anomaly in her clan, he could feel it in his guts…
Noticing the battle next to them seemed to have died off, Madara turned toward Hashirama confidently.
"Let's see what your Mokuton can do against me next time."
"I'll look forward to it, Madara", answered the Senju teenager, still alert.
Madara nodded.
Next moment, he had vanished in a puff of smoke.
He, and the other Uchihas, were gone.
.
.
.
Author's note:
Thank you for taking the time to read the seventh chapter of this season of Hashirama's journey as a shinobi!
After years appart, Hashirama and Madara faced each other again in a quick skirmish! Who knows where they'll meet next?
That second part of the chapter allowed our characters some time back home before drifting away to another crucial mission… Suemori's castle! How they'll deal with it, we'll see in the next chapter…
Next chapter which is scheduled for next week!
Hope you enjoyed the read, dear readers! See you next time.