Chapter VII
The Strongest: the day a god is born
13 March, 738 AS
It has been a hard year for Konoha. The Village has lost many of its Shinobi, both young and old. It has lost its innocence and peace, the once-green forests of Konoha were now stained in her citizen's blood. Not so long ago, Konoha had lost her leader, the second Hokage, Senju Tobirama. It was partly because of him, he was weak back then, unbefitting this hat that now hung heavily on his head. Had he been stronger, he could have stayed behind instead of his Sensei, had he been smarter, he would have realized it was a trap all along.
But he wasn't.
Back then, a year ago he was a talented, confident Shinobi, a student of the Hokage. He had no experience fighting wars, all he knew were some light skirmishes on the border, nothing more. He had learned a lot of tactics and Jutsus but found them next to useless on a real battlefield.
Because of this, his friends, his comrades, and his subordinates died.
Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage was tired. How he wished peace came back, how he wished he was not responsible for the well-being of Konoha. Don't get him wrong, he loved Konoha with his whole heart, but it was just so... tiring. Every day he woke up, sending people on missions, reading reports from the front, writing letters to the families of dead Shinobi. He just wanted everything to stop, he wanted to spend his time with his family, with his friends.
Today, his wishes came true.
Instead of being forced to lead the Village, he was leading his men into battle.
Scouts came bearing grave news today. Kiri's army has been spotted marching through the Land of Fire, already halfway towards Konoha. They came from the south through the Land of Noodles. Konoha's flank has been left open, not expecting any invasion from the south, believing in Uzushio's Naval supremacy to defend them from any Kiri forces.
Not only that, but for the last year Kiri has been merely sending support on Kumo's frontlines, never opening a war theatre on their own. It changed three months ago when the Mizukage declared war on the Land of Noodles. Their Naval Invasion was swift, having sailed upwards a river that led to the country's Capital before Sieging it for a month.
'They must have prepared well,' Hiruzen mused in deep thought. They had no intel of Kiri's forces even leaving their Country, let alone Sieging a neighboring country's Capital for a month. The Daimyo of the Noodle Country gave up after a month, paying homage to the Lord of Water Country and Kiri, becoming their vassal.
The Mist forces wasted no time, quickly marching toward Konoha where they met little to no resistance. Most Shinobi were on the frontlines, in the Capital, or Garrisons a bit more near Konoha. It was by a stroke of pure luck that a single scout saw them and managed to escape before they found and killed him. It was also the same scout who notified him of the incoming threat to Konoha. There was no time to send for reinforcements, if not stopped, they would reach Konoha in five days. There was only one thing he could do.
'And here we are,' Hiruzen, in his battle attire, consisting of a black bodysuit, iron helmet, forearm guards, and chest plate, looked over the small division of Shinobi he managed to muster for this battle. 'Can this be even called a division?' They barely counted five thousand, some of them were fresh Genin, others were retired Ninjas, some were sick, and others were injured. This was all he managed to bring onto the battlefield.
He looked over the great plain in front of him. Lush, green grass reached as far as the eye could see, hills and trees dotted the landscape while the Keishi River flowed not too far away from his position.
His eyes narrowed, against them, on the other side of the River a small army started to appear. At first, it looked like there were merely three thousand people, but on a second glance, it was merely the Samurai Vanguard. Behind them rode another five thousand cavalry, two thousand archers, and seven thousand peasants who took up weapons and farming tools, while in the back another twelve thousand Shinobi marched with confidence and anticipation.
An army of 29 thousand mixed soldiers against around 5 thousand Shinobi.
Odds were not in their favor, he could see some of his men were already hesitating, ready to run should anyone do this before them. Hiruzen sighed, he knew that should he stay silent, most of his forces would run away.
"Listen and listen well!" Hiruzen shouted, startling his men. His voice was laced with Chakra, making it not only louder but also made it sound confident, and powerful, yet motivating. "They come here, waging war that could have been avoided! They come here, killing, burning, raping! They come here, thinking no one will stop them! But they are wrong! We will stop them! We will kill them! We will triumph over them! Remember, for each of them you kill today, your son or daughters will have one less enemy to fear! Now, show me your resolve, show me your strength! SHOW ME THE FIRE BURNING INSIDE YOU!"
His subordinates, no, his family roared in approval, ready to do whatever it would take to protect their home and loved ones. To protect Konoha, to protect their Legacy, to protect the Will of Fire, the torch of hope and inner strength passed onto them by those who came before.
Hiruzen looked up, the opposing army stopped some distance from the river. A single person came riding on a horse from behind, and he recognized him immediately. It was Ashida Kano, one of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist and a known S-Ranked Shinobi, wielder of the Kubikiribocho.
The Mist Ninja shouted to them, offering to let them free and join Kiri should they surrender and let them go burn Konoha. He promised that only Shinobi would die and civilians would be spared, but from the laughs and snickers heard even from such distance it was a lie. Still, even if it wasn't, not one of the Konoha Shinboi even considered surrender.
"Men! Plan A!" Hiruzen shouted and various Shinobi behind him broke the rank and ran up to the River along with their Hokage. They sped through hand seals before the River rose into a giant wave that threatened to drown the opposing forces. Kiri Shinobi retaliated by running to the front, creating walls made out of water to stop the wave.
"NOW!" Hiruzen shouted and a handful of SHinobi went through another set of handseals. They all pointed their hands on the wave and lightning coursed through the water, electrocuting the frontline of Kiri forces. "CHARGE!" As one organized force, the Konoha Shinobi rushed forward, cutting through the Kiri Vanguard.
Their enemies didn't let them wreak havoc on the battlefield, the moment Koonoha Shinobi started massacring the Samurai Vanguard, Kiri Ninjas rushed forward. A great melee started, arrows were flying overhead, horses were running through, and Jutsus were thrown around. Blood and gore sank into the river as lifeless bodies hit the once-green plain.
The Sandaime Hokage rushed forth, he summoned the Monkey King Enma, his trusty summon, who instantly transformed into the famed adamantine staff. Sarutobi swept through the enemy forces like a hot knife through butter. Each of his strikes broke their necks, cracked skulls, punctured lungs, and shattered spines.
Not only that, but after every melee attack, he spat out fireballs, and lighting, and summoned wind to cut his enemies and threw stones at them. His colossal library of Ninjutsu wrecked chaos and havoc on the battlefield. Hiruzen stiffened and turned around, blocking a huge sword aimed at his midsection. The power behind the swing sends him skidding on the grass. Instantly, three Kiri Shinboi appeared behind him, but before he could turn around, a Konoha Genin with silver hair and a glowing sword cut them down.
Sarutobi turned to his attacker with a glare, his Chakra seeping out of his body in spades. Ashida Kano grinned at him before rushing at the young Hokage. They exchanged crashing blows, quick counters, and masterful feints, yet none of them gained the edge. All who were too close to their fight were killed, even if only by being too close to their crushing Chakra presences.
"I'm surprised, I didn't expect you to be this strong. But then again, you are nothing special. You are good for an A-Rank Shinobi, but you are not a true Kage. Tobirama would have killed me countless times already," Ashida commented as the two circled one another. Hiruzen narrowed his eyes but otherwise ignored the comment.
Without a word, the Sandaime created two Shadow Clones, one of them rushed the enemy Ninja, while the original and the other Clone sent a barrage of Ninjutsu at the Mist Ninja. The Kiri Jonin laughed and created three clones of his own and the fight resumed. They destroyed the area, explosions, burns, and floods. They blitzed around the battlefield, trying to get the upper hand over their enemy while their comrades fought and died around them.
Hiruzen stepped into Ashida's guard, his adamantine staff lashing out. The Kiri Jonin raised his sword, ready to block the attack only to curse when Hiruzen imbued the weapon in Raiton Chakra for the first time in the fight. The Kubikiribocho was shattered and Hiruzen landed a critical strike on the Swordsmen of the mist. The Sandaime pinned him to the ground before pounding him once, twice, and thrice, breaking his ribs, puncturing his lungs, and making the Kiri Shinobi cough blood.
"This ends here!" Hiruzen shouted and prepared to crash Ashida's heart, only to be sent flying as a team of Jonin appeared around their superior. Hiruzen growled as a team of Jonin helped Ashida to his feet, helping him stand still.
"I will have your head, Sarutobi," Ashida coughed out, blood seeping out of his mouth before he and the Jonin team vanished. Hiruzen growled and tried to give chase, intent on finishing the enemy army's strongest fighter, but he was swarmed by Kiri Ninjas who saw their leader getting defeated and wanted to avenge him.
'Damnit! They must have a medical base set behind these hills,' Hiruzen deducted before his Adamantine Staff lashed out, killing three Kiri Shinobi who tried to attack him from behind. 'We are pushed back, I need to get serious!' For the next two days, the Clash between Konoha Shinobi and the Kiri forces continued on the plains near the Keishi River. At one time, on the second day, it looked like Konoha would be overwhelmed, but a quick response from a Platoon located near Konoha arrived just in time with an additional three thousand HSinobi, fresh and ready for battle.
On the third day, when Konoha's forces counted around a thousand and Kiri's forces counted six thousand strong, Ashida came back onto the battlefield. He hunted the Sandaime Hokage down, intent on taking his head and becoming a Kage Slayer.
Hiruzen looked up, his battlesuit bathed in the blood of his enemies, his breath ragged. It had been constant three days of fighting, with maybe an hour or two of rest when his forces pulled behind the Keishi river and the Kiri forces didn't instantly follow. But now, his Chakra was almost spent, his stamina was exhausted and his body ached.
Ashida looked fresh, for he had been resting and healing for the last two days. The two fought and even with the help of two Jonin, Hiruzen was on the back foot. After two hours of being unable to pin the Sandaime Hokage down, Ashida decided to end the fight and pull out his trump card.
"You know, Sarutobi. They say an S-Ranked Shinobi is only considered one if they have a domain expansion," Kiri Jonin stated with a bloodthirsty grin. Sarutobi clenched his teeth with a grim look. Ashida lifted his hands, interlocking his fingers in an unfamiliar hand sign and Chakra erupted from his body."Domain Expansion," His Chakra wrapped around him, Hiruzen and a few more Shinboi caught in the crossfire. The Chakra shuddered before becoming solid, changing color from the usual blue to complete darkness, encasing them in an inescapable area. To the onlookers, it looked like a giant black orb formed on the battlefield, with no opening or exit.
"Eve of the Storm!" The dark sphere around Hiruzen changed to the open sea, with a raging storm, dark clouds, and thunder roaring above their heads. The Sandaime narrowed his eyes as the random Shinobi who were caught in the domain were drowned or stuck by lightning. "Now, let me show you why you are nothing to me," Lighting and torrents of water rushed at the young Kage, who closed his eyes with a frown.
Yet, before the attacks reached him, fire, lightning, wind, water, and stone erupted around Hiruzen, stopping the attack, and shocking Ashida. Sarutobi lifted his hands in a prayer pose and his eyes opened.
"Impossible! You-!"
"Domain Expansion: God of Elements," Hiruzen Chakra erupted, his Domain clashing with Ashida's before overpowering it completely. The area switched from the open sea to a green plain, filled with lush grass, huge trees, and a clear sky. Behind Hiruzen, on a hill far away, stood a huge stone statue of Hachiman, the god of War. The Statue was depicted with four arms, each holding a different element. The left upper held water, the left lower held lightning, the right upper had stones, while the last arm, the lower right held wind. The chest of the statue, right where its heart was supposed to be was burning in crimson flames.
"You think your domain was something special? You thought you could scare me with something Tobirama-Sensei could make without needing a Domain? Let me show you what a real domain looks like," Hiruzen stated, his Chakra skyrocketed and the domain expanded further, opening for a moment before closing as more and more Kiri Ninjas were inside. "Pray to your god, for this one shall grant you no mercy!" Chaos erupted as the Kiri forces rushed towards the Hokage, trying to kill him before he could.
They were too late.
As the first Ninjas crossed the halfway point to Hiruzen, all five elements rained down on them. Fire burned their bodies, Stones crushed their bones, Lightning turned them to ash, water severed their limbs and the wind cut them to mincemeat. A moment later it was done, all of his enemies dead, his Chakra depleted and the Domain shattered.
Whatever remained from the Kiri forces, those who didn't get caught up in Hiruzen's Domain quickly realized that most of their comrades were dead, along with their commander. Someone shouted to retread, someone started running and a few moments later, Konoha's army was the only one standing on the plains near Keishi River, roaring in triumph. Later on, Hiruzen would be recognized as a S-Rank Shinobi, his status of a Kage undisputed, while the title of 'God of Shinobi' was granted to him.
Yo!
Kind of a filler Chapter, but I wanted to drop something before I go on a break. I know, it sucks, but I have less and less time to write, so you can expect the second Part of Belleteyn somewhere between mid to end of February.
Meanwhile, I have decided to build the world of this story more. I've started working on World Anvil to create a complete timeline of the events, writing articles about events, places and people because I realized that I can only flesh this story out so much without dragging it out with 200k words of worldbuilding and no plot progression.
And I thought that maybe I should make it public for the reader. But on the other hand, I want to make it only for people who read the story and not everyone. So I came up with the idea of making a Pat; reon and giving people who would be my subscribers there access to the World Anvil. You know, articles, character profiles, a chronicle of the world, interactive map, I think it cool if you are into the story, but I'm not sure if anyone would want to pay a dollar monthly for something like this.
Let me know and maybe if some people want to support me I will maybe open it. Of course, World Anvil wouldn't be the only thing there. I was thinking about earlier updates, some snippets of future chapters, polls, and that things. but let me know what you think about it.
And of course don't forget to review the chapter, follow, and fav!
Review answers (Not something I usually do, but there's one review that I think needs to be addressed)
XenoLucifer:
I understand that my writing skills might be lacking to bring a transition smooth enough world-building so big. However, I think that this is exactly why Naruto fanfics are so great. We barely know anything about the history of elemental Nations, politics, or geography. Yes, we know there was the Sage, then the Clanw ars, Konoha founding, and three wars before Canon took place, but it leaves a lot of room for worldbuilding.
How long did the Clans fight for? How long after Sage gave Chakra did they begin? Did nothing happen during these periods between fighting? Was there no progress in the world? For me, Naruto's world is perfect, because there is an established world with rules that can be expanded on, without changing canon history.
Downplaying Elemental Nations because I established a new important City in the world that lies on the other side of the Continent that the main story takes part in? Come on, that's a reach. besides, just because it's bigger and more industrialized than Konoha doesn't mean it is the best in the world. Naturally, it will have more factories, more civilian things, etc, than Konoha, which is a military city, for the sole purpose of training an army. The Capital of Fire Country is much bigger, but team Seven doesn't know that because they didn't see it, so of course they will be surprised by the grad city of stone and marble, compared to the more military-based city of wood and stone that is Konoha.
Domain expansion not fitting in? We can discuss how well I explained it, but let's not forget that Chakra is something everyone is born with. Does that mean that everyone's Chakra is the same? Besides, Chakra allows for almost everything, you can enhance your body, you can spit fire, and you can create avatars like Susano's, so why is a domain weird? Tsukyomi creates a world in your head where time passes differently, Kaiten makes a spinning dome of solid Chakra that reflects all attacks, and Kamui sends you to a different dimension. Domain expands on the idea of barriers, that are canon in the world (Barrier that contained Ten-tails, the one used during Sandaime's and Orochimaru's fight). Everyone has a different one is not so weird when you consider how complex Chakra is, since there is an in-depth analysis or description of it in canon.
I understand this might be not to your liking and I don't mean to attack you or anything, but I just want to show you how I see this. Anyway, I appreciate that you enjoyed the story, even if only at the start, and hopefully one of my future stories will appeal to you more!
Krzychu14x:
Thanks, I was hoping someone would know where it came from! I am a huge fan of the books and games as well, appreciate you enjoy the story!
Thanks for reading
See ya!
