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
Final Chapter: In the name of Jashin
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The pain forced his eyes open.
He was in a small, dim-lighted room, resting in a futon bed barely large enough to receive him.
A wave of stinging pain hit him again, as he moved up into a sitting position.
His hands… No, not just the hands, but his arms too… They were bandaged.
Heavily.
The soft, scraping sensation of the bandages incensing his nerves, making him nauseous.
He remembered.
The valley.
The steam.
The Beast…
All of his injuries came from these - moving the slightest muscle was testing his ability to resist pain… It would take time to nurture his body back to health. Time he wasn't sure having to begin with…
Madara's eyes came to rest on his bed sheets, not really looking at them.
His eyes.
His… Sharingans.
Ever since he had awakened them years ago, fighting hadn't been the same for him. With them it felt like he could achieve anything, overcome any obstacle put in front of him.
And with training, grit and experience, he had managed to do just that.
Break all the dangers, all the enemies who had crossed his path… all the while rising in rank and responsibility for the clan.
Until he had met Hashirama again.
The teenage girl had managed to develop a new kind of ninjutsu, versatile and deadly, that added to her already exceptional talent… The fight that had ensued with her had shaken his absolute trust in his dojutsu.
No longer victory was certain while wielding its power… Not against a shinobi of her calibre…
And now, for the very first time since he awoke it… he had felt the ceiling of his Sharingan.
Its actual limits.
The whole thing had left a bitter taste in his mouth.
That Beast.
This creature was something of unparalleled power… Like Hashirama, it felt like there were no limitations to what it could achieve. And maybe this was what rattled the Uchiha Heir the most: realising the Sharingan couldn't overcome beings of pure power.
Their battle in his genjutsu had illustrated it: that thing had shattered it despite him putting every ounce of his chakra and will into fuelling his dojutsu.
It hadn't been enough.
This wouldn't have happened if my Sharingan had evolved, came the stray thought as Madara turned his sight to the window.
He bit his lip.
He couldn't allow himself this line of thinking.
Ever.
He had decided, from the very moment it had been made explicit by his father, that he would never go down the path the Tablet at the Naka shrine was egging him on, him and every Uchiha who learnt of its content.
He would not put his family in jeopardy, especially Izuna… That path was off-limit.
"I'll become stronger, even if I'm stuck with my Sharingan as is…", he murmured, taking in the nocturnal atmosphere he could glimpse outside.
"That's the spirit."
Madara turned his eyes toward the entrance of the room, where the one who had saved him - who had saved all of them, really - stood in silence, observing him.
"Hikako… How long have you been here?"
The girl tilted her head to the side, smiling.
"Long enough to see you pore your futon through and through the way you scrutinised it… How do you feel?"
"... Still in pain", grimaced Madara. "And the way I seem to be covered in balms, bandages and plants, I suppose I'll be in that state for a while."
"... It's going to take several days of you staying on the down low, before you can travel again", admitted Hikako. "At the very least. What we did here was rudimentary… But surprisingly, Kachikawa-dono and his artisans were very helpful, they are the ones who provided your ailments. They are used to burn injuries apparently. Still. I can't promise you that your injuries won't leave scars, nor that the pain will go away… ever."
Madara looked at one of his bandaged hands. Could he manage that level of pain on a daily basis?
He closed his fist forcefully; it immediately scratched and stung in protest, a burning and diffuse dolour radiating softly through his arm.
"If it comes down to it, I'll deal with the pain", Madara murmured. "I won't let such things get in my way, Hikako - I'll be fine. Thank you for taking care of me, cousin… And for your help during that encounter."
The teenager observed him thoughtfully before nodding.
"You're welcome. I didn't come here just to check up on your state though…"
And as she prepared for her explanation, Madara braced himself for it.
Whatever this was about, I was ready to hear it.
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Despite the cold temperatures, the two teenagers were going through the forest at a spectacular pace, flying through the foliage, jumping and twisting their way through the branches, always wary of their environment.
Something as natural as breathing for sons and daughters of the Senju clan.
After an hour of effort, they finally reached their target: three ninjas in a triangle formation came at them, the vanguard of a larger group of shinobis flying themselves through the trees.
They were led by a man of massive stature, who perked up as the vanguard let the two teenagers pass to meet him.
"Lord Tobirama!" he exclaimed, having a hard time hiding his astonishment.
"... Tonue-san, right? I picked up on your chakra scent a while ago… Itama?" asked the Senju Heir without slowing down.
"Ha! I knew that would come back to bite me in the ass…" grumbled the older Senju, visibly unsurprised at the request.
"Why is he here?" insisted Tobirama, as Tôka fell in tow with him.
"Can't say for sure, but Aderama-dono authorized him to be here…" indicated the shinobi leader while jumping off a branch.
"The Council knows of this?" said Tôka, surprised.
"Apparently", shrugged Tonue. "He's back there, with the Uzumaki general."
"Thank you, Tonue-san."
The two Senjus dropped further into the battalion, nodding and saluting their fellow clansmen, until…
"Brother! Cousin Tôka!" exclaimed a juvenile voice.
Tobirama looked sideways. Itama was there, flying through the air accompanied by Maoru Uzumaki.
"Maoru-san, Itama", saluted politely Tobirama as they all fell into the same rhythm.
"You made it properly, Lord Tobirama", said the older Uzumaki neutrally. "Excellent."
"Me too", assured the Senju teenager. "I'll be with you in an instant, Maoru-san. Itama, come."
Tobirama jumped laterally, forcing some distance between him, Itama and the rest of the Senjus.
Maoru looked at them quizzically but found himself preoccupied suddenly by Tôka's barrage of questions regarding Uzushio, allowing for the two brothers to talk freely...
"You know of our circumstances little brother, so why are you here? asked Tobirama without preamble." You should be at the village, not this far out in the country…"
"I know Tobi, but… something happened", Itama answered hesitantly, and with an unusually grave tone.
"Well? Tell me."
"... A couple of weeks ago, someone came up to our village… He was a lone traveller, a monk from a temple deep in the country. The man said he had a message for Hashirama."
"Really? What message, what was it?" asked Tobirama.
"I don't know… At the village, no one could open it."
Tobirama looked at Itama somewhat surprised: disinformation and information gathering were some of the tenets of their role as shinobis. They were equipped to deal with recalcitrant messages, so why-?
"It's a casket, and it's protected in a way that is impossible to open… The messenger said that only Hashirama could open it. And he also said…"
Tobirama observed the worry on Itama's face.
"... he said that they would be waiting for her at the temple."
"That's it?"
"... Yeah", finished Itama somewhat lamely.
"Well then, why are you here? I didn't hear any reason for you to be the one to deliver this casket… Do you have it on you? Show it to me."
"I can't," Itama said, avoiding his gaze. "The thing is, that messenger, once he showed the casket to us, told us all that… he gave it to me, and it… well, look."
Itama showed his forearm. A blue mark with a centred circle and the symbol "Carrier" was visible on it.
Tobirama recognised it at once.
He had seen that thing in the Codex back on Uzushio… but never before on the skin of someone, let alone his brother's…
"That's a storage seal…" Tobirama said while examining the symbol. "That monk… He chose to give it to you on purpose, didn't he? He knew you were our brother…"
"... Yeah", nodded Itama, contrite. "The elders from the council were furious, they threatened to execute him on the spot, but the messenger said he was ready to end his life himself if something happened to me and the message wasn't delivered to Hashi... He said he was committed to this and the fate of the country this much, and that everyone at his temple felt the same."
"... That temple… Was that the Fire Temple?"
"Yes! That was the name he used, yeah."
"That monk, what was his name?"
"I don't know, but he said he came on direct instruction from the Abbot of his temple. He said he'd stay at the village until I made it back with the news of the message being delivered properly to Hashi. The elders weren't sure whether or not to proceed with that, but…"
"But then, Maoru-san showed up with the missive from our father, and the Council figured that you joining was the safest way to deliver that message properly" finished Tobirama quietly.
"Yeah… I'm supposed to go back with Funomori-san and Iderama-san."
"I see… Did you talk about this with anyone?"
"You meant the Uzumakis? Big bro', even though they've been with us for a while, you know I wouldn't, it's strictly village business… But the elders did consult Maoru-san about it, since he's a fuinjutsu specialist… It seems there's no going around it, unless Hashirama gets the casket, the seal won't go away. At the very least, it's not dangerous."
Tobirama pondered on these words.
"... Well then, fine, it seems I'll have no choice but to allow it… but I've already asked Tôka to escort you back to the village as well."
"Really?" reacted Itama eagerly, before frowning." Ah, that's not good, if she does that, it means she won't be able to support your operation…"
"... That's fine, it's not like that was the first time I was going to miss on all the fun," came her voice from above.
The Senju girl had dropped to their level without them noticing, so ensconced they were in their discussion.
"You need to pick up the pace, guys - the Uzumaki general, he said something was going on, farther ahead… Tonue-san wants to speed up the end of the journey as a result."
"Port City?" asked Tobirama drily.
"... Probably."
Tobirama cursed, side-eyeing his little brother.
"Alright. You stick to me and Tôka like glue, got it? No roaming."
"Aye, brother!"
"Tôka, fetch Iderama-san and Funomori-san please, they shouldn't be too far from us in the battalion…"
"Yessir…"
Tobirama turned his senses forward, searching for Hashirama. Only the void answered to him, stifling another curse in his mouth.
"Hold on Hashi, I'm coming…" said Tobirama determinedly. "We all are."
The crowd of shinobis flew with renewed speed through the forest, as a flock of crows moved out above them, cawing in unison.
The sinister sound was still resonating in their ears long after they had disappeared on the horizon.
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"If you don't mind, Hashirama Senju, let's make this place… a place of our own. Just for you. Just for me."
The man eyed her with dangerous eyes, causing the teenager to grit her teeth warily.
It wasn't the first time she was facing an opponent with such an edge to him, but this one…? A constant feeling of danger was nagging at her ever since he appeared earlier.
The hooded figure went through a set of strangely distorted mudras, slowly, as if he was enjoying the sensation... His left hand flared suddenly and he slammed it immediately to the ground.
A circle made of kenji spiralled out of it, to Hashirama's surprise, encompassing a wide area around them, before shutting up in the air to form a dome above them…
When the man retired his hand, the dome made of ink and symbols hissed before turning a dull grey that warped everything beyond it - she could barely see the exterior now.
"A barrier…" murmured Hashirama, shocked." You… those kinds of jutsus… Only the Uzumakis know of those kinds of jutsus…"
The other looked at her with feigned indifference.
What was the meaning of this? Uzumaki techniques in the hands of a… of a jashinist? What was going on?
"I'll ask you again: who are you?" said Hashirama tensely.
She could feel it now: this barrier was more than meets the eye... A diffuse sensation of unease and heaviness was weighing on her since that technique went up. Her chakra… it was as if it was somehow dulled… and weighed…
Her enemy smiled sordidly.
"I am but a humble servant."
"...A servant of Jashin right?" pushed Hashirama. "I've faced the likes of you before."
"You've never faced the likes of me, little girl…" chuckled the man, genuinely amused. "No one has…"
"... Where is your partner?" spat Hashirama.
His smile became even wider and darker.
"I don't need one. For now, I'm His… humble servant, the first one among a multitude… His Avatar…"
Hashirama wondered how much truth was in his words.
Was he really what he claimed to be? Or were those delusions of grandeur? And she didn't like the implication of his sectarist movement being of much wider reach than she thought - at all.
"What do you want?" the Senju teenager demanded, malaxing her chakra constantly.
His demeanour, which had been falsely agreeable until then, turned ice cold in an instant.
"I want to dispose of you", the hooded man said greedily. "That power of yours… You are an obstacle on His way to this world."
Instinctively, she trusted this to be true.
She could tell whatever this man was… he was repulsive to the natural energy circulating freely around them. Worse: his influence on their surroundings seemed to be corruptive, with plants visibly deteriorating in his direct vicinity.
Rotting, like under the influence of a walking poison… or a disease.
That man's existence was offensive to nature itself… And beyond him, the thing he served, whatever that thing was…
Jashin.
A primitive anger came to Hashirama, as she slowly realised the gravity of what was unfolding under her eyes, with more and more plants around them turning to ashes.
"You shouldn't be here", she said forcefully. "You and your ilk… are an infection that needs to be rooted out. You have no place in this world."
The man opened his arms in a large embrace, visibly overjoyed.
"Nonsense. As His first servant, it is my role to guide this world to Him, so people welcome Him and His gifts with open arms… And in order to achieve that…"
His eyes who had been turned to the dome came down on her instantly.
"I won't lie to you: you need to die here, today, and your friends too. And tomorrow? Anyone strong enough to challenge Him, anyone who could stand in His way…"
The menace sent a chill to her spine.
Her own clan.
The Uzumakis.
Possibly others…
The jashinists would target everyone.
"Don't underestimate shinobifolks", stated Hashirama, eyes filled with determination. "Moreover… don't underestimate me."
"I don't", assured the other, switching stance. "Now come, let us fight one another."
Hashirama called the Warmth to her… but it didn't answer: only cold emptiness responded. The area was devoid of natural energy she realised suddenly, shocked.
That sphere had blocked it somehow!
His power was even stopping her from accessing her senjutsu chakra, something abnormal and otherworldly…
She couldn't hold back on this man, she had to crush him here, absolutely!
"Mokuton: Daisoju!" Hashirama called, clasping her hands, instantly shifting her attack strategy.
The ground exploded, several thick roots surging from it to strike the man head-on… and immediately Hashirama realised something was off. And as the roots clashed where the man stood, she realised why: her mokuton was withering under her bemused eyes, turning a dull grey.
The other emerged from the tangle of woods unscathed, her mokuton breaking down in splinters and dust under his feet…
"Senju Hashirama, is that the limit to your prow-"
The man was forced backward as a volley of shuriken almost pierced his neck, grazing him.
Rat.
Dog.
Tiger.
Now!
"Mokuton: Mokujoheki!"
New roots emerged from the ground at top speed, taking the forms of wooden pillars that joined together in a dome-shaped wall encompassing the completely surprised enemy figure…
Don't let up! Finish him now!
Snake.
Rat.
Bird.
"Doton: Doryuso!"
Slamming her hands to the ground, Hashirama shook the ground mightily, producing dense spikes that protruded from it, beelining explosively toward the dome she had trapped the enemy in…
They pierced the wooden dome from the insides, destroying it almost entirely…
And from the rubbles, uncannily, inexorably, inhumanely… emerged the cultist, clothes and robe torn to pieces, but otherwise uninjured and sporting a self-satisfied expression, a contrast to Hashirama's stunned face.
"Do you see now how unmatched you are? Do you see the glory of Jashin?" he cackled with extended arms, as if basking in his own words. "I've been chosen to be his Avatar; you can't stop me! And now… now, it's my turn", he finished with renewed hunger in his eyes, executing mudras in a blur.
"Fuinjutsu: Genryudan."
From the grey dome above them emerged a dragon form, ethereal and radiating from the same nothingness and repulsive feeling as her enemy.
And before she had the time to react, before she had the time to defend herself, it was on top of her.
Hashirama saw its maws close onto her, felt a wave of shallow cold go throughout her body as the dragon crashed into her - before yanking everything away.
It ripped the air from her lung, the heat from her skin, the chakra from her body…
A cold unlike anything she had ever experienced, seized her.
The world spiralled, and her head hit the ground as she collapsed… Something wet was against her chin, but the pain itself felt like a distant memory.
"Your power… it's beautiful", she heard from a distance. "Let's make a beautiful end, together."
She didn't care for what the voice was saying: she was suddenly so tired…
So tired, and so very cold…
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When Tobirama and the group of Senju warriors arrived, they came upon a spectacular scene.
A lone shinobi rife with chakra was darting to and fro, slicing and dodging through a crowd of foreign ninjas, separating heads and limbs indiscriminately whenever one of his opponents came too close.
A grey cupola was behind them, simmering.
The Senjus barely had the time to register what was unfolding in front of them, before leaping forward into the fight, their arrival immediately cut by the sound of metal blades dancing against one another.
Tobirama watched the clashes happen, then dropped near Momotama with his group as two Senjus had fell his opponents and darted after the remnants.
"Nice… timing…", panted Momotama. "Things were becoming a little too intense, even for me."
"What's the situation?" asked Tobirama immediately.
"Foreign scum... They showed up here… with a strange man, targeting your sister… They are-"
"- in that dome", finished Maoru-san, eyeing the grey structure on the other side of the clearing… "What in the world… I know that type of jutsu...?"
" Not only that", continued Momotama. "They also… sent troops to the port… to attack the ships!"
The other Senjus perked up alarmingly when hearing this.
"Are you sure, Momotama?" asked one of them, Funomori.
"The enemies' leader didn't look like he was bluffing..." said Momotama sombrely.
"Shit, Renji-san!" cursed Tôka. "Dealing on his own with those guys? That's too much!"
"Lord Tobirama, we cannot lose those ships… Uzushio can't afford any delay!" alerted Maoru, now very tense.
"Our sister can't either, she might be dying in there!" pleaded Itama almost immediately. "Tobi!"
Tobirama took in the scene, cursing internally.
How did things end up like this?
How could it have spiralled so much out of control?
His clansmen were dashing to and fro, their silhouettes mixing in the canopy with the blurs of the enemies. Some bodies were already strew on the ground, forming small pools of blood where they fell.
The situation was slowly descending into chaos right here, whilst his sister was seemingly trapped with an unknown adversary in that sphere… A deadly one.
He couldn't feel her chakra - her presence in any ways! - which was only adding to the mounting pressure he felt… Hashirama was strong, so someone being able to suppress a chakra as radiant as hers was extremely worrisome…
And normally, he would have rushed to her help, without a second thought… but Renji-san was facing off an unknown number of enemies on his own. Protecting the means by which he and his clan were meant to re-join Uzushio and help the Uzumakis in fending off the invasion on their shores… help his betrothed Mito defend her homeland…
In the few seconds that he found himself staring at the fights occurring, the Senju Heir felt gutted, hating himself for his powerlessness, hating this sensation of being pulled from both sides against his wishes, of being torn apart between the love for his sister and the love for Mito…
He wanted to scream so bad…!
To be forced into this position was a tragedy he never imagined could happen to him...
"Brother!"
Tobirama's eyes came to rest on Itama's face, almost white with fear, then on the dome, where nothing and no one within could be registered by his senses… His decision was settled in this instant, and he hated himself for it.
"Toka… take the rest of the battle group with you and head to the port immediately. I trust you to help Renji-san and protect the ships… at all costs! We'll take care of things here with Maoru, help my sister and join up with you afterward to finish off the enemies."
"Aye!" said the kunoichi, darting up in the trees at once. "With me!" she added while disappearing in the foliage, immediately followed by the dozen of waiting figures in the shadows.
They vanished quickly, as the frenzy augmented in intensity around the remaining group of Tobirama.
"Momotama-san, your chakra… are you up for this?"
"I'm fine, you don't… have to ask", grumbled the ninja, still calming his breathing.
"... Itama, stay next to me and Momotama-san then... Maoru-san, let's deal with whatever is facing my sister."
"Aye."
The four of them swirled through the clearing as the fight still occurred above their heads, jutsus and streams of techniques fizzling through the air, swords and kunais clashing with lethal intent...
Rows of dark, bloody fangs descending on them almost made Tobirama stumble; the sudden feeling of his imminent death gripped his heart as a tall figure emerged from the trees above, hands waving signs at top speed.
"Suiton: Mizurappa!"
Pushing through the killing intent, Tobirama jumped sideways just in time to dodge the powerful stream of water; it cratered the ground on impact. The Senju cursed as he saw the back of Itama disappear in the barrier after Maoru and Momotama.
"Hehehe, where do you think you are going, pretty fur?" stated the tall figure, a blue-skinned ninja now landing between Tobirama and the orb barrier.
His mouth was covered in blood, and lacerations were visible on his hands. His appearance was predatory through and through, and the way he looked at him… Tobirama realised this shinobi wasn't the type to be trifled with.
"You are the kind to not let go of an enemy you have decided to kill, aren't you?" asked Tobirama bluntly.
"Such a quick-study…" mocked the man. "It's the first time you face a Hoshigaki, isn't it? You mainlanders can't handle real shinobis like us…"
"I don't have time for this…", cut Tobirama, seizing Vajra and activating it in a beautiful arc of light.
The yellow eyes looking at him sparkled with sudden interest.
"Ohhh, so you are the one who kicked the ass of old Byakuren, heh?" said the opponent, suddenly changing stances, his dented teeth showing through the bloodiest smile Tobirama had ever seen. "I'm going to enjoy parading his sword in front of him, he's going to get so mad hehehe…"
"And me, I will enjoy tearing you apart!" spat Tobirama back, holding his sword at the ready.
"Such a poor choice of words…", mocked the other.
His muscles suddenly doubled in size, overflowing with power and chakra, and he produced a long, three-headed spear from a seal hidden somewhere on him.
"Now, let's dance!"
The two shinobis jumped at each other, as the dome barrier turned black behind them and chaos erupted all around.
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Shouts came, a deflagration, and suddenly she was in the air, scooped up against someone's chest. Before she knew it, hands were delicately putting her on something very hard, and so very very cold….
"Kami! She's on death's door!"
"Hashi! Big sis'! Stay with us, please…! Help her! Uzumaki-san!"
How strange… was it Itama's voice she was hearing? Why was he here? She wanted to tell him to not shout so much, but it was difficult to even think… to stay awake…
"Her injuries, they don't heal…", noted Maoru grimly. "And her chakra…! I'll try to mitigate the damages…"
Garnering his chakra, the Uzumaki general made a single mudra.
Tiger.
"Fuin: Chakura Chūnyū!"
Maoru's palm slammed at the centre of the girl's Hare, his altered chakra pouring into her network quickly as seal marks formed on her skin.
"That'll buy her some time", said the general, checking her pulse, "... but we need to take her away, fast."
"Take her away then! Now!" barked Momotama who had assumed a combat stance, positioning himself between his group and their unknown adversary.
Maoru cringed.
Despite his jutsu, the Senju teenager was still dangerously low on chakra, her own network flickering in and out as far as he could tell… Pouring chakra like he did was barely slowing down the process…
Maoru felt like he was in a loop, reliving the same scene that he had witnessed back on Okama's lake. But this time, the outcome looked to be the one he had expected that day: the Senju kunoichi was dying in front of him.
Inexorably.
"So, you've come here to share her fate... How brave of you!" said the amused voice of their opponent.
Maoru eyed him.
A small frame under a tattered scarlet robe, and a hood hiding most of his facial features - though the eyes seemed to glint in the penumbra, white orbs filled with malicious intent…
He was one of those special individuals they had identified on Uzushio before his departure, shinobi-trained and with exotic abilities…
All in all, extremely dangerous.
And if that one could have done that to a prodigy like Hashirama Senju… What else did he have in reserve for them?
"Oy, don't lump me with the likes of Hashirama, you hear me? I still have plenty of stuff to do" retorted Momotama defiantly.
"I appreciate your bravado, shinobi-san… But still…"
The hooded figure went through a simple hand sign, like Maoru had just done… and suddenly the dome barrier around them shimmered, turning from grey to charcoal black.
"There won't be anyone else joining us, now…" the figure said menacingly, "and there won't be anyone leaving here either… It's time to finish this, in the name of Jashin."
… Jashin?
"... What's the meaning of this?" barked Momotama, eyes wide with astonishment as he observed the now black dome around them.
"... That sphere… It's an advanced type of barrier jutsu…", explained Maoru, eyeing the black orb as well. "Our chakra was tied to it the moment we crossed it… and now? I suspect if we leave the area, our chakra will be taken away by the barrier… killing us in the process."
"As expected, from a member of the famed Whirlpool clan", acquiesced their enemy with a self-satisfactory smile.
Itama Senju looked shocked at the words just pronounced.
A young boy, barely a teenager, yet already condemned to death as a shinobi, Maoru thought to himself…
This world was ruthless.
The other one, the one named Momotama, seemed to take the information less graciously.
"… That bastard…! He tricked us in a death battle against him, huh…"
"Uzumaki-san!" asked the younger Itama gravely. "Is there something you can do about it?"
Could he? The barrier had changed in order to prevent them from escaping, maybe with sufficient blunt force…? On the other hand, the fact it latched onto chakra…
"I'm… not sure", admitted the Uzumaki general. "The only certainty is that our chakra is tied to this orb…"
"In that case…"
The young Senju ninja grabbed the hand of his sister, starting to infuse her with his own chakra, to Maoru's surprise… A gesture half-bold, half-useless in his eyes.
"Momotama-san is right: you need to take her away…somehow", Itama insisted. "My sister, she is too important for our clan… Even for the sake of yours, Uzumaki-san! She has to live… I'll help however I can! And you… can't you use the same technique you did to come to our village?"
Maoru looked at the boy, and the boy looked back at him, with a firm determination lining his every trait… He was sincere, absolutely convinced by what he was saying.
And, in hindsight, Maoru felt the same way when it came to the Senju kunoichi.
Hashirama Senju was very special, maybe special enough to not only help Uzushio through their ordeal, but also change the fate of the Senju clan and with it, that of the Land of Fire.
"... How bold of you to think I will let you do as you please…" said their hooded opponent, from across the dome, with a less pleasant tone this time.
"You won't have a choice!" grumbled Momotama, launching a volley of kunai toward him, forcing him to dodge.
The Senju ninja surged forward, channelling yang chakra in his legs, almost too fast for the enemy; his jump kick connected with him, blowing the man backward.
A sense of urgency crept upon Maoru, as he realised the Senju ninja was trying to buy him some time. He tilted his head, a foolish idea coming over him.
"... Does she have a summon?", Maoru asked Itama, thinking fast.
"Not that I know of, but-"
"Then… pray to the kamis that she falls into good hands", the general finished, while collecting some of her blood on his hands.
It was a huge gamble, the kind that could have her killed regardless due to the dangers tied to it - there was a reason the practice had fallen into desuetude commercially for the Uzumakis… To maybe risk the destinies of so many on this… His own recklessness came as a surprise to him…
Yet… Maoru Uzumaki proceeded with his ad hoc plan, breathing deeply, eyes following the taijutsu exchange happening in front of him, between the Senju youngster and the hooded figure.
"Such vitality, it's refreshing!" laughed the enemy while blocking a hit with his forearm. "But I did say that I wouldn't let you do as you please…!" hissed the figure, landing a solid punch on Momotama Senju, sending him fly in the air before darting past him - then sideways as a series of kunais almost riddled him on the spot.
"So won't we!" seethed Itama following up on his kunai barrage, his katana coming down on the enemy as he rushed him.
"You brat…!" huffed the hooded figure, catching the blade meant to behead him bare-handed. "Getting in my way like this…"
This is it! Now or never!
Boar.
Dog.
Bird.
Monkey.
Ram.
"Kuchiyose no jutsu!"
Resisting the urge to channel his own chakra, Maoru's palm came to rest on Hashirama for the second time in minutes, catching everyone's attention, as kanjis and symbols poured from his hand to engulf the pale girl.
She started to glow strangely as the jutsu latched onto her last reserves of chakra, and for the merest of instants, her eyes drifted to Maoru uncomprehendingly, an aching to understand visible in them…
Then, the circle of invocation stabilized and the Senju girl vanished before their eyes in a puff of smoke.
His gamble had paid off…
She was gone.
.
.
.
A wave of murderous intent gripped the heart of the three ninjas under the dome, almost overwhelming.
"RAAAAAGH! You interfering brat!" raged the hooded figure, kicking Itama square in the gut while yanking away his katana.
Itama landed on the ground heavily, stunned and struggling to catch his breath.
Maoru bit his finger, going through the same set of hand signs he had just executed.
"Kuchiyose no jutsu!"
A Toad larger than any man, garbed in bright armour and an orange cape appeared in front of Maoru and, immediately grasping the scene, jumped in front of Itama, looking mightily annoyed as it blocked the sword meant to kill the boy.
"Scramble", ordered the Toad, causing Itama to jump to safety near Maoru, re-joined groggily by Momotama.
"Who is this?" asked Itama, hardly containing the amazement in his voice.
"Gamakouji, an old friend and one of my summonses…" responded Maoru.
"Impressive", murmured Momotama, trying to catch his breath.
"You did good, the two of you…", continued the Uzumaki general. "Thank you for offering me this opening."
"As long as Hashi is safe…" stated Itama, kneeling next to the Uzumaki. "Will she be ok?"
"She better be, we worked our asses off to make it so…", grumbled Momotama, wincing. "I don't know how he does it, but even my jutsus are affected by the effects of this dome…"
"It all depends on the animals she has the most affinity to…" said Maoru soberly. "Hopefully, she finds allies and not enemies wherever she went… Either way, that's out of our hands now."
Itama and Momotama exchanged grim looks, not certain they liked what they had just been told.
"She will be fine, she has to", repeated Momotama seeing the pallor on the younger Senju.
Itama nodded silently, trying to mask his worry, his hand coming to rest on his marked forearm.
She had to be fine, Momotama-san was right…
"So it's you, Maoru boy… what is it this time?" exclaimed Gamakouji, as the hooded figure jumped backward, katana still in hand.
Maoru saw the eyes of the enemy frown, eyeing his summon suspiciously…
"Gamakouji, lend me your eyes and answer me this: if I summon one of the senior Toad here, could they shatter this barrier?"
"Maoru boy…"
"Is it doable?"
The armoured Toad observed the dome for a few instants, before turning its gaze toward the enemy in front of it.
"... No, it's not. That jutsu would tear them from their chakras, ending the invocation instantly, if not killing them in the process… Disposing of that man is the only way to collapse the structure."
"... I figured that much already, but I'm glad to know I don't have to hold back on anything… It's do or die."
"True enough", said Momotama next to him.
The enemy in front of them started to laugh, looking at them one by one - but there was no mirth in his eyes as his laugh died off abruptly.
"You thwarted me, all of you miscreants…" said the hooded figure darkly, planting the katana he held into the ground. "That girl was Ours to kill…! You will all pay for standing in Our way."
The man went through a set of strange mudras, before making the sign of an activation seal.
"Against the likes of you, this will be more than enough…! Fuinjutsu: Kuyin!"
A phantom wave came from the dome almost immediately, washing all over them - and Maoru felt his heart race out of synch all of a sudden.
"What-"
A second wave hit them, and Maoru found himself having wobbly feet suddenly. A quick look at his companions showed him they were having it even worse than him: the one named Momotama had been forced on one knee, while the little Senju had collapsed to the ground, all his strength seemingly gone.
That barrier! It's not just to pin us down! cursed Maoru. Each pulse is depleting us from our chakra…!
A third wave washed over them and suddenly he too had a knee to the ground. Across the dome, the hooded enemy was jubilating.
"Gamakouji, take them and go!" hissed Maoru, trying to think of a way to overcome the technique.
"Maoru boy, I can't do that…" protested the Toad.
"I can protect myself, but I can't fight and protect them as well…" interrupted Maoru.
The fourth wave hit them and the two Senjus fell on the ground, barely moving and having a hard time breathing.
"Gamakouji, now! Before you lose all of your chakra too!"
"...You should come with me, I can take you to Mount Myoboku as well…" insisted the summoned Toad, visibly conflicted.
"That… man. Those mudras… I need to ascertain something… And if I'm right, I can't walk away from this situation... not until it's resolved."
Gamakouji's arms flexed once, as if tempted to disregard Maoru's command… before the Toad relented, coming next to the Uzumaki.
"...Good luck then, Maoru boy. May the Ancestors protect you."
"...Likewise,", assured Maoru, noticing the finality in the tone of Gamakouji.
The armoured Toad grabbed the two Senjus under each of his arms and vanished in a cloud of smoke right as the next wave surged from the dome.
The Uzumaki general worked quickly, hands on the ground in an instant.
"Kekkai: Chakra Kiyojin!"
The four seals that he had just impressed the ground with, around him, activated.
Just in time too: the wave crashed onto his surging barrier, frying with sparkles and chakra before it fizzled out.
His barrier had held.
But for how long would that be the case? Moreover…
"Those archaic mudras… and the skills to execute such high level fuinjutsu… You are of Uzumaki ancestry, aren't you?" asked Maoru, trusting his intuition.
The other man remained silent, eyes observing him with newfound interest.
"The arrogance of shinobis knows no limits, I see… I am the Avatar of Lord Jashin, his first servant in this world… And you and your clan will be removed mightily. Now watch, Uzumaki."
The hooded figure went through his mudras at an insulting pace.
Maoru didn't know what he was playing at, but he wouldn't wait around to see what was coming…
The previous assault had hit his reserves hard… He would have to tackle him head-on, with his most powerful jutsu!
Not his first gamble today, he smiled to himself, thinking of Hashirama's fate…
Moulding his chakra, the Uzumaki went through his hand signs at an outrageous speed, finishing his mudras in the same breath as his enemy.
"Suiton: Suiryudan no jutsu!"
"Fuinjutsu: Genryudan!"
Shouting the torrent of water from his mouth, Maoru's water dragon erupted like a powerful geyser and sped fast above the ground, sifting the ground itself in a straight course toward the cultist… only to clash mid-air with an ethereal dragon emerging from the black dome around them.
And, to Maoru's stupefaction, he saw his dragon lose its momentum instantly - its consistency torn apart - being repelled before breaking down in various bodies of vanishing water… all that, in seconds. The shock almost caused Maoru to not realise its translucid counterpart was still heading toward him at full speed, maws largely open to devour him.
Him… or his chakra.
I can't let that thing touch me!
Maoru cut off his useless ninjutsu, jumping up as fast as he could at the last second, the mighty phantom dragon whizzing past below him inches away.
Such a frightful technique! To negate ninjutsu so easi-
*SHUNK*
"Now… you die", came the pleased voice of the hooded figure in front of him.
The pain… was atrocious.
Something hot and burning came to Maoru's throat, forcing its way out, as gravity manifested itself again.
Blood…! His blood…
Something hard and unforgiving smashed his back, expelling all the air in his lung, crushing him further - the taste of blood and iron filled his mouth again…
Maoru realised too late he had played into the hand of his opponent, as the other weighed heavily on him, hands on the katana that was piercing his guts… He had intended for him to try and dodge his technique, to create this opportunity… Moreover, that phantom dragon… that technique… it couldn't be…
"That was… Hanuman Uzu-maki… signature jutsu…"
An indecipherable expression passed over the face of the man above him.
"... I know. The power of Jashin is infinite", finally smirked the hooded figure, "...and I am but his first servant."
His hand found the way to his throat, crushing it… and Maoru Uzumaki closed his eyes, welcoming death at the hand of his ancestor.
.
.
.
Tobirama buckled under the power of their clash.
The strength of that fellow was uncanny!
Moreover, he was blocking Vajra with his strange weapon, channelling raiton to counter its effects on him.
Neither shinobis could gain an advantage.
"Hah! Not bad, runt!" exclaimed the blue-skinned ninja, smiling dangerously. "Let's see how you handle this…"
The man shifted his weight suddenly, causing Tobirama to lean forward despite himself - and immediately took advantage of his imbalance, spinning on the spot.
Downing from above, his trident blew Vajra backward. The second hit almost cleaved Tobirama's head open, if it wasn't for his reflex to shoot his sword right back up in front of him.
That second blow pushed back Vajra again, and once more the young Senju propped up his weapon just in time to parry the follow-up hit.
Then came a third blow.
And a fourth.
Each blow getting harder to stop, each following up hit trickier to tank.
Tobirama cursed himself for allowing his opponent to build such a deadly momentum, as the other roared of contentment at seeing him cracking under the rapidly mounting pressure.
Now a whirlwind of metal and strength, the Senju Heir realised he only had a few more rotations before his arms gave-in to the assault of the Hoshigaki, despite burning with chakra… Yet, his opponent already felt too dangerous to try escaping, lest he offered him an easy opening.
He was trapped!
"MYLORD!"
Tobirama recognised the urgency in the shout and disengaged blindly, jumping as high as possible. He passed inches away from the deadly trident… while a powerful gulf of wind chakra struck the enemy to the side, injuring him.
"Again!" shouted the voice.
"Fuuton: Daitoppa!"
A powerful gust of wind struck the blue-skinned enemy anew, sending him hurtling into the back of a tree, bloodying him as the other trees unravelled under the jutsu, collapsing on him…
Then, a volley of kunai landed, flying with paper tags, and the whole area was lit up by the explosion.
Two shinobis landed next to Tobirama, chakra still flaring.
"Thanks, Funomori-san! And Iderama…", panted the Senju teenager, adrenaline still very high. "Your timing was perfect…"
"Seemed like you were in a pinch, mylord!" smiled Funomori, eyeing the blown-up trees where the enemy ninja had fallen. "We are more than happy to support you in battle…"
"The field is clarifying, we now have the advantage", added Iderama neutrally.
He was right: their fellow Senjus were now moving about, having pushed back the enemies into the shadows when they didn't lay dead on the ground.
Only a few combats were still occurring, including the one Tobirama had just led.
The enemy shinobi seemed to realise it while he emerged from the blasted trees, as he jumped backward, gaining some distance from them.
Such resilience!
"Can't do your own fights I see", snarled the Hoshigaki ninja, dirtyed and bloodied, but alive. "None the matter… You really thought we came all the way here… just to battle you?"
The Hoshigaki showed a predatory smile to the assembly of Senjus before him.
"That was just a bonus: we had our own agenda beyond the cultist. Now… No one will leave Port City… ever again. You hear me Senjus?"
A couple of smoke grenades exploded in front of him, as some of the Senjus rushed him, but to no avail.
"A sunshin! He's escaping toward the port…" Tobirama sensed, concentrating. "Go after him, Funomori-san! Take ten shinobis with you and trail him!"
"Aye!"
Tobirama turned his attention back on the dome, doubting his decision of letting his fellow clansmen handle the retreating shinobis from the Land of Water was the right one...
The menace of the Hoshigaki hung heavily on his mind, but at the same time, Maoru-san, Hashirama and Itama were all under that sphere, possibly trapped in it with the enemy… and they were essential too, in his eyes, for varying reasons.
"Lord Tobirama!" called the giant Tonue.
The man still looked fresh, despite the fights he had just gone through - only the blood smeared here and there on his armour were betraying such events - and they weren't his.
"The foreigners have been dealt with, but we lost three shinobis in the process, and another is too grievously injured to proceed with us. With the two groups that went ahead, that's twenty of us left here."
"Have some of your men attend to the injured, the rest are going to split again: one group with me, one group with you Tonue-san", ordered Tobirama. "Renji, Tôka, Funomori… They'll need your support to root out the enemies at the port."
"... Alright. But mylord, are you sure you can do something about that sphere?"
They both looked at the black sphere dominating the clearing, a strange sight amidst the destruction wrought by their skirmish and the bodies lying on the ground.
"If it's a barrier, I might have a way to go through it", murmured the younger Senju. "But…"
"But what?"
"... It's something I developed, and it's unfinished", admitted Tobirama. "I don't even know if it will work properly."
"Ahhh, a gamble. And you are bad at those, aren't you? You are no Hashirama", smiled Tonue, visibly aware of his reputation.
Iderama was cleaning a kunai next to them, watching the sphere warily as the giant Senju spoke again.
"Lord Tobirama, if I may be blunt… we don't have time for your doubts. Your brother and sister might be dying in there, so you have to get in regardless of the risks involved… or your mewlings.
That's exactly why I'm going to crush any of the enemies that will stand between me and Renji…"
"And Momotama. And Maoru-san", completed Iderama, putting his kunai back into his pouch. "Lord Tobirama, Tonue-san is right… Time is of the essence. We have faith in your ability, mylord. Create those openings, and we'll make the most of them."
The Senju Heir watched both the resolute expression of his two comrades and fellow clansmen… and decided to let go of his doubts.
They were right: he needed to have faith in his own abilities.
The Raijin had worked once, it would work again...
"Senjus, we'll go for a pincer move", he finally ordered, looking everyone around. " Position yourselves accordingly: once I create the openings in the barrier, it's a go."
"Aye mylord!"
Tobirama made a silent prayer, watching Tonue departs with his group of ninjas… hoping his theory was correct, hoping that this would work!
Jumping up in the canopy, he saw his own men position themselves, Iderama first among them.
"Let's do this…"
He launched four kunais marked with his jutsu at the base of the dome, and…
"Raijin!"
.
.
.
The detonations could be heard as far as the centre of the town, with the inhabitants taking shelter as far away from the port as they could.
A situation unimaginable until the recent departure from the garrison of Hyugas from the city, following the fall of Suemori's castle…
Another mighty explosion occurred, shaking more than the hearts of the inhabitants.
"Fools! You dare challenge us on our own terrain?" spat one of the shinobi at the origin of it. "You wish you hadn't…"
"Bring it, fish guy!" retorted Tôka, landing at a distance from him.
Around her, shinobis were darting to and fro, engaged in the middle of deadly dances of their own...
And despite her bravado, the Senju kunoichi willingly admitted that they were at a disadvantage, fighting above water in the harbour, and trying to keep the fighting away from their ships…
A work that Renji had managed to do remarkably, taking the fights away from the high waters initially, to one of the neighbouring creeks of the harbour…
After dodging the third water bomb her opponent had thrown at her, the Senju kunoichi decided she had had enough.
"Time to wrap this up… since you like water so much", she hissed while malaxing her chakra. Inspiration and a little meanness from her, that's all she needed to design this next illusion…
Ram.
Dog.
Snake.
Tiger.
"Suiton: Suigen Suikôchû!"
A stream of water streams surged around her explosively, beelining toward her enemy who jumped out of the way at once… only to face another powerful water stream coming from behind him.
"What the-?"
The stream of water engulfed the ninja, forcing him down despite his best efforts, crushing him, ripping his lungs apart… From his blurred vision, he could see the surface of the ocean approaching at terrifying speed…
As the ocean closed on him, the foreign warrior closed his eyes.
The impact smashed him, snapping his mind instantly.
Not letting up, Tôka pourred even more chakra into her genjutsu, widening its range more and more, catching the unawares in it.
The effect of her technique was immediate, hitting the senses of the two ninjas ahead of her. They froze, their brains tricked in a haze where the very air around them had become giant columns of water crashing down on them; before the girl could finish them off, a tall figure dropped from nowhere, katana going through them in an instant, making that illusion the last thing they would ever see...
"Well plaid, Tôka-san!" said Renji, drifting to the side, his sword still bloody. "Keep up this genjutsu, it'll turn the tide of the battle!"
"Who do you take me for?" she smirked as the genjutsu was becoming tentacular in scale.
The turn of the battle was changing indeed, the Senjus headed by Renji starting to make quick work of the opposition who found itself in sudden disarray over the cataclysmic walls of water speeding them…
"So you are the caster, huh? Well-played", came a dangerous voice from behind Tôka, forcing her to jump away.
It was another blue-skinned ninja, with a powerful frame. But bloodied and dirty with soil, causing Tôka to realise he'd come from the interior of the land.
Did he escape the others…? she wondered, hands producing kunais immediately.
The malevolent look he washed her over chilled her gut; she kept up her mask of stoicism regardless.
"You did quite the number on my ninjas here… but foreplay is over", finally said the man, grinning wickedly. "I'm here to end this nonsense. No one is leaving this port… not to Uzushio, not to anywhere. In fact…"
Toka watched in horror as the enemy ninja suddenly went through an insane amount of mudras at uncanny speed.
"... no one is leaving this city. Period."
He finished his sequence of hand signs with the bird seal, before Tôka could react…
"Suiton: Daibakufu no jutsu!"
A column of water of incredible proportion shot out of the water, aiming for the sky above, growing to a massive scale in instants as the water they were standing on was drained by it…
It was large as the horizon…
"Hahahaha, see you on the other side little girl!" laughed the enemy shinobi as the monumental body of water, almost sky bound, tethered forward, slowly looming above them…
"TOKA!" surged Renji at her side. "LET'S MOVE!"
She barely registered her fellow clansman yanking her away, running, running, running sideways, burning all her chakra as the surface of the water they moved on turned to a wall; it felt eerily like running up a mountain to the young kunoichi…
And as the shinobis on the water, regardless of their affiliations, were scattering around in a panic, trying to aim for the beach… She wondered if her illusions had felt this way to the shinobis she and Renji had killed earlier.
This terrifying.
This… hopeless.
Then, the sky above casted out the sky below definitively, natural order reasserted itself… and the monumental waterfall took Tôka, her thoughts, and everything she ever aspired to away… alongside with everything and everyone who stood on that day in Port City.
Scarring the coastline forever.
.
.
.
A blue and white blur passed in front of his eyes and Maoru found himself suddenly lighter… But the air still refused to reach his lungs.
The cold refused to leave his skin.
The pain refused to leave his mind and body alone…
I will die here… Alone, in a country of foreigners.
The realisation hit him, harming him more than any of the wounds he had received…
He wished he could have seen the shores of Uzushio one last time… Bury the old quarrels and embrace his people...
He wished for so much now… so very, very much…
The Avatar had jumped back, sliding to a halt, looking at the enemies who had appeared in front of him dispassionately.
"That jutsu…", he said, anger bubbling to the surface, "... is quite the efficient tool. So how did you lot manage to get past it?" he added with a snarl.
Maoru looked around with much effort and hurt: there were two dozen shinobis around him now, with Tobirama at their head.
"Take a guess", grunted the Senju Heir.
"You will pay for this outrage, Senju brat…" menaced the hooded enemy. "The same way I made your sister pay…"
A clamour of gigantic proportion reached them suddenly, accompanied by a mighty earthquake that threw some of the Senjus in disarray... the moment Tobirama's heart had turned to lead hearing the enemy's words.
It lastes for what felt like eternity, before finally quieting.
"... Ahhhhh, but it seems the payment has already been taken", chuckled the cultist. "Jashin truly favours me it seems…"
"... What have you done to Hashirama? What have you done right now?!" urged Tobirama.
"Ensured the death of many more Uzumakis in the coming times…" assured the hooded figure, eyes twinkling. "Don't worry: after your sister, after this city… you'll be the next one."
And with a last laugh, the man disappeared in the shadows of his dark orb, the sphere melting his afterimage away under the confused and worried stares of the Senjus.
"I have a bad feeling about this...", Tobirama murmured while turning toward Maoru."Is he…?"
Iderama, who had been kneeling next to the man, made a negative sign.
"The neck has been crushed, and the wound in his gut is a fatal one… He's on death's doors."
Tobirama watched Maoru sadly, and Maoru watched him back, his face turning to a grimace of pain.
"... The two others… did you… are they…?"
Maoru's head made a simple nod, taking away the worry that had been mowing Tobirama down ever since they had entered the dome to find none of them in it…
Pushing back his tears.
At least they were fine.
At least Itama was fine! But Hashi…
A surprisingly strong grip took his hand, forcing him to watch the dying man again in the eyes.
"...Gg-hhhck-oOHhhsss…"
Tobirama watched him for several seconds, struggling with himself, with the end that was on him… before getting up.
"...Let's move back to the city", ordered the young Senju darkly, an ocean of emotions battering his heart powerfully. "General Maoru… was right. Port City, the others… We need to make sure."
"Do we take him with us?"
Tobirama looked back at the unmoved figure behind him, finally silent.
Finally peaceful.
"Aye. Retrieve him alongside our fallen comrades."
And as his clansmen started their grim work, Iderama approached Tobirama quietly.
"What if what that enemy said was true? That the city has been devastated, alongside the port? What will we do?" asked the Senju ninja, himself troubled by what seemed to unfold. "What are our alternatives, mylord?"
"Only one: finish off the resistance at Jigan and seize its own port", stated Tobirama. "It'll make things go that much longer to reach Uzushio… That bastard jashinist was right…"
If the port was destroyed, if the city had been torn asunder… If Tôka. And Renji. And Funomori. And Tonue. With his brother… And his sister…
If all of them were… were gone following that disaster…?
His inner turmoil finally overcame his will… and Tobirama yelled.
A primal, guttural, pained cry, aiming to the sky and the kamis watching over his clan for centuries...
What would happen now? To his clan? To Uzushio? And would that make a difference?
Would it?
.
.
.
Hikako opened the door, allowing two other Uchihas to enter and flank it, while she turned toward Madara.
"Someone's coming…"
"Who?" demanded the Uchiha Heir, frowning.
"Two ninjas. They want to talk… Specifically, talk to you. We haven't confirmed it, but there's a strong chance they are from the Kazumi clan."
"I see… Bring them in."
Hikako made a sign and one of the two Uchihas standing disappeared through the door, only to come back a minute later with Izuna and his own escort in tow.
Four Uchiha shinobis surrounding two ninjas that were definitely not from their clan…
The group entered the room, progressing to the centre, with the Uchihas positioning themselves all around in the room, whilst Izuna joined Hikako and the bedded Madara on the other side.
"That's as far as you can go", said Hikako to the approaching ninjas.
The man and his companion stopped in their tracks, waiting.
Madara observed them. Large eyes with a mane of auburn hair, and a red sash on the side… They matched the description made by the people of Takumi: they really could be Kazumis. In fact, he was certain of it.
"Are you from the Kazumi clan?" he asked nonetheless.
"Aye, we are", answered the man in front. "Who's asking?"
"The ninja who got rid of your pest problem…", Madara said, eyeing the two of them with feint interest.
The tension in his interlocutors rose, as he leaned back against the wall behind his futon, seemingly bored.
"You've come all the way here, but I don't deal with messengers. Go fetch what serves you as a leader, Kazumis, so that we can talk."
"Such arrogance…!" fretted the second man, a little smaller than the first, but a lot angrier too.
"Calm yourself, Shinoku", ordered his comrade. "Stranger, you can speak to me, I am the one leading the clan currently. My name is Shinoue, and this here is my aide and brother Shinoku."
"Really? You don't look like much…" said Madara provocatively.
"Test our patience with your insults and find out for yourself", retorted Shinoku while ignoring his brother.
Madara smirked.
"You are the ones who sought us out, why don't you say what you've come to say, Kazumis? What is it that you want?"
The one named Shinoue made a step forward, causing a hue of eyes to turn red at once.
"I told you to not go any further", warned Hikako again, her Sharingan lazily swirling in the semi-darkness of the room.
"I simply wanted to express, on behalf of my clan, my sincerest gratitude to you and yours. Seeing your eyes is only confirmation that the prestigious Uchiha clan came and dislodged a Bijuu from this land. It's something that is extraordinary. Furthermore, in doing so, you saved our clan from certain destruction. The Beast dwarfed our abilities, it would have destroyed us the same way it destroyed our little brother Shinzo… almost destroyed our clan."
Madara chuckled.
"How gracious of you, Kazumi Shinoue! But will you still be this grateful once you hear what I have to say?"
"... And what would that be, Uchiha-san?" asked the other ninja tensely.
"I want you to work with us. I want to strike an accord between the Uchihas and the Kazumis."
The two foreign brothers exchanged significant looks, seemingly not surprised by the proposal.
"Make no mistake, we are incredibly grateful that you managed to chase the Beast from the valley…", started Shinoue. "As I was saying, It took… a toll… on our clan. But, well…"
"It's not a reason for us becoming your lap dogs, is what my brother meant to say", finished Shinoku aggressively.
Madara slowly looked at him, his own eyes turning crimson like those of his clansmen in the room.
"If you don't want to be subservient to us… then maybe we need to finish the work this giant beast started. You saw the power of my Sharingan at work on that thing; what do you think it'll do to the likes of you?"
The two others remained silent, but their clenched teeth showed the Uchiha Heir his menace had stricken true.
"Your clan has been decimated by that Beast, by your own admittance. You need time and resources to recover from that… We can provide you with plenty of both."
"Why would you do that for us?" asked Shinoue.
Madara made a sign to Hikako, who nodded.
"Because we came here for Takumi village, and you are their main client", she continued calmly. "Have been for a long time. You already have ties with them, so we want you to handle that village on our behalf. We want you to protect them, to pacify the area around them and to ensure they respect the accords that will bind them to us. You do that, you'll still have access to a percentage of their weapons, and of their resources in return. And our clan will facilitate the rebuilding of your own village."
"We'll need… to think about it."
"Don't think too hard", warned Madara. "I'll come back here in a month with a written agreement to bind our two clans together… And an escort to deal with the outcome, whether it's a good one for you or not."
"Go", simply dismissed Izuna when Madara's disinterest became too blatant.
The two Kazumis bowed slightly before being escorted out of the place by the Uchiha ninjas, leaving Madara, Izuna and Hikako in the room.
"Do you think they'll take the deal?" asked Izuna.
"They will cave," assured Madara. "That Shinoku barked a lot but he had no guts. And his brother is in over his head… We play our cards right, we ensure our control of Takumi for a generation."
"If they want to avoid being destroyed, they don't have a choice in the matter", agreed Hikako.
They really don't, she repeated to herself as they left Madara to rest afterward.
For her cousin wouldn't hesitate to make that outcome a reality.
.
.
.
She was pulled through the ether, between seconds, beyond locales. A place aside from everything, from everywhere, from every times.
Only stars and meteors above were flashing under her tired eyes… or was it her travelling at unimaginable speed, in a world of stillness?
A world that didn't feel like her own - yet… a sense of familiarity was encompassing her.
Of home.
She knew this place between places… but she couldn't actually know, could she?
This was all confusing.
This was all too confusing…
Maoru-san…
What had Maoru-san done to her?
Why had he looked at her the way he did, a mixture of guilt, and fear… and hope?
A tug at the world - and everything stilled at once.
The sky stopped spinning… starlight ceased being… her body stopped falling.
Welcomed by a wet ground and an air dripping with chakra...
Chakra everywhere.
Nature everywhere.
Warm, and lush, and vibrant… and free.
All-encompassing.
All-being.
A Forest.
A Forest unlike any she had ever seen, any she had ever experienced… So Warm… So Heavy... Brimming with Life.
So much, it dizzied her, overwhelming her senses.
Overwhelming her mind.
Where was she? Where-?
Breathing became hard.
She was empty, so tiny in front of this abundance… It choked her.
So badly… How come something so good could also be something ravaging her? Twisting her? Killing her? And as her consciousness threatened to fade away submerged by her environment, as she collapsed under the weight of chakra exhaustion… she saw the Creature.
And It looked at her.
What was It?
And how could It possibly do such a thing? Without a form? Without a face? Without even proper eyes…?
Thinking became a challenge impossible to sustain; her last shreds of strength were burning to keep her awake. To keep her watching, as…
It watched her.
It loomed over her.
It seized her.
And in Its magnificent embrace… she was beyond fatigue. Beyond terror. Beyond struggle.
She simply was - and she would dream a sleepless dream.
She would.
In this place between places…
In this place beyond time.
.
.
.
Author's note: Season Finale!
Thank you for taking the time to read the final chapter of this second season of Hashirama's journey as a shinobi!
Things didn't pan out as Hashirama expected… nor as Tobirama had hoped. And the consequences for both the Senjus and the Uzumakis will be grim…
Some of them already felt very much in this chapter...
What lies ahead for them now?
And where did Hashirama land anyway? What do you think, dear readers?
Meanwhile Madara is making moves, with far reaching consequences for the Uchihas… and himself!
…Next season can't come soon enough now, can it? We'll continue to follow our cast of characters in the next phase of their adventures.
Stay tuned for the coming Third Season of Hashirama's journey!
Until then, dear readers!