"Real power is forged from the desire smoldering in the heart. It fans into a flame and begins to burn with an intensity scarcely imagined to be possible."
Orochimaru
It was just supposed to be a mission.
Take out a few Sarutobi that were terrorizing the trade routes as well as the merchants and traders. It could be considered a minor mission, i'd be a bit difficult since the Sarutobi were extremely powerful and had no inclination of giving up period. It'd be a bloody tooth and nail battle, but they would succeed and accomplish the mission.
At this point she knew things could never be that simple. If things were that simple there wouldn't be constant war and bloodshed, but how one mission headed straight into a war she would never be able to guess or comprehend. Things weren't supposed to get this bad.
But, then again she hadn't been on normal missions. Aside from that one to retrieve the letter from that small town. The next to follow was going to the Water country which was just horrifying-it was like a whole different world over there, and like the rumors and stories said the water did run with blood. she survived though, and obtained the Hyoton scroll, and made it back in one piece.
This time wouldn't be any different.
She felt a stab of guilt, however.
Had she and Ahiko not come here in the first place to quell the threat of the Sarutobi... Maybe this wouldn't have happened. Maybe there wouldn't be a war, the Sarutobi would be hassling the merchants and traders with vigor, but that was better than a war, right?
No...
It was going to be horrible no matter which way she sliced it.
Yuko stared at Ahiko's back. For the first time she felt helpless, but remained silent trying to stay focused on the task at hand.
She wasn't sure what the girl had in mind for them to do, but anything was better than sitting around.
Ahiko had her do a lot of things. Some of them normal, others she had to say weren't so normal. The first and most prominent in her opinion had to be the weighted clothing, it took her weeks to finally get used to the constant strain and weight they put on her body.
There was the time when Ahiko made her go through hand seals blindfolded for half of the entire day and then fight blindfolded for a few more hours after that. Ahiko explained it as training the muscle memory as well as nervous system, so she didn't even need to think about her next move it was already coming along with three more of them.
It was beneficial but harsh training.
Then there was that other time when she'd have to survival training and Ahiko would slap a seal on her to block one or more of her senses forcing her to adapt and attune her senses. Become one with nature as it were. Because of this training she had an acute sense of hearing, smell, as well as touch.
There was also a lot of weird training, that's the only way she could describe it. She'd do handstands for hours, even hanging on the edge of a cliff which was more than terrifying-she managed to balance somehow. There was the ten thousand laps or extremely harsh physical exercises. Then there'd be hours spent on strengthening her actual arms-the wrists themselves with a special apparatus, it was very harsh training, many times bringing her to a breaking point when she didn't want to continue, but pushed herself through the pain and finished.
Then there was weapons training, which had to be the most interesting and fun for her if she were honest. There was shurikenjutsu which she was familiar with already obviously, medical ninjutsu something her father also invested much time in, kenjutsu another one she was more familiar with naturally being quite talented, and there was bojutsu as well something she grew accustomed to and flourished in.
The less practiced sojutsu and kyujutsu were also a part of her training, Ahiko had insisted as much and she couldn't say no to her.
Some of the weapons she wasn't even sure what to call them or if they even had names. There was one in particular which was more like a mallet than anything. There was the three section staff which was a bit interesting able to bind and disarm opponents and strike from blind spots. There was the Nunchaku which was less praticed. The meteor which was two heavy iron balls attached on opposite ends by a long and sturdy chain. It was one of the harder weapons to learn requiring a lot of spinning and twisting to gather speed and momentum.
Once that thing got going though it was a done deal, one could counter, strangle, disarm, and strike all from a distance away.
She couldn't remember a lot of the weapons name, there had been so many. She was like a kid in a sweet shop.
Then, everything was finished with meditation.
The survival training had to be the harshest and most difficult.
It hadn't been the best training, running into giant spiders, centipedes, and that... Scorpion is it called... Had to be the worse thing that happened on that particular day. The chain of events were the same as the weeks went on. She'd rather fight a pack of Sarutobi than see those eight pitch black glossy eyes staring at her. She survived, blew the things to bits and hurried back to her small camp to relocate far away from them.
It was a day to remember.
Or a day that she'd never forget.
She decided not to voice her curiosity aloud as to what they were doing or where they were going. A part of her felt that it'd be better not to ask, but there was another part of her that was just too curious. If it was a certain thing she'd need to spent a little time preparing and such.
The hallways started to blend together despite there being several extravagant paintings and statues on certain floors it all looked the same to her, she had seen it a hundred times over at this point, and Ahiko knew everything in here like the back of her hand.
The sunlight was glaring as the castle doors were opened.
Dry heat swelled against their clothing and skin forcing a long grimace out of the two of them.
Yuko hastily brought up a hand to shield her face from the tremendous heat of the sun, it was always so hot during this time of day, but the dry air and wisps of sand had to be the worse part-since it got in the nostrils. Halfheartedly, she began to trail after Ahiko with short steps, glancing around the area taking in a few Uchiha and Domou shinobi going out to patrol and a few units switching shifts for the day that weren't inside of the castle at the moment or in the village.
Everything seemed to be going swimmingly.
It was just a bit surprising to see both sides getting along a bit better than before in such a short amount of time...There was no longer a glaring contest going on between all of them anymore, and the invisible line wasn't drawn which you weren't supposed to step over. Of course, there were a few that continued to glare at one another, stubborn to the very end. But, the vast majority were at least on good terms and weren't sizing each other up-this point being more so with the Domou and their kunoichi in particular.
Madara and Mikito sure had a way with words that was for certain.
But, the Uchiha would listen to him without question, honestly. He had the Mangekyo it's what solidified his place as leader. The same can be said for Izuna who solidified his place as second in command. And, it also seemed their respective Councils were behind this alliance completely which was odd at first, but even she could see that this alliance was more than fruitful for both clans, and another dozen marriages were probably being planned at this very moment, not including her own.
Winter was fast approaching, what were they going to do marry ten people in one day?Then marry twenty the next? That was laughable and absurd.
Yuko swiped at a bead of sweat making its way down the side of her head sighing softly, the heat starting to bother her.
"Mikito! Madara!" Ahiko called giving an exuberant wave, unhindered by all the looks they were receiving.
Yuko blinked a bit in wariness as she spotted the man of her thoughts several meters away from her current location with Mikito close by giving orders to Shin, Chiasa, and a few Uchiha pointing in several directions before nodding her head. Yuko watched them all disperse in the given directions, some of the Uchihas not looking too pleased but staying quiet since Madara was shooting them all death glares, daring them to even mutter a protest or objection.
Yuko began hastening her steps getting closer and closer to them.
"Sister." Mikito flashed a smile at Ahiko, slowly turning to the side and let her eyes settle onto Yuko."Yuko, just the person I was looking for." Mikito gave Yuko her full attention, her large eyes beaming onto her fully. Her lips curled up in hint of a smile, it was a graceful gesture.
"Did you need me to do anything, Mikito-sama?" Yuko gave a quick glance to everyone huddled around the area. Mikito insisted she didn't need to use any honorifics, but around so many people it was just better to be polite. "I mean I'd like to help if I'm able."
"Ahh, you're so diligent Yuko." Mikito said with a very pleased expression, grinning just slightly as she turned towards her ebony haired husband with an expectant expression. Madara had been taken the initiative since Sasuke launched the attack and the clash with the Senju and Subatsu. "Madara, didn't you say something about sending out a small scouting team? Why don't you send Yuko with?"
Madara nodded carefully, giving a quiet order to Yuto before the man nodded and sprinted off. "I was intending to do that." He acknowledged with an incline of his head. It wouldn't be hard to find Sasuke with the sheer numbers he had behind him it was more likely that he had his own little chunk of desert somewhere close by, and once they did find him was just a matter of timing.
And, there was also the Senju and Subatsu, but given the time of day they wouldn't be moving until nightfall-a good few more hours maybe five from now. "Kagami."
Mikito turned her attention onto the boy who couldn't be no older than ten at the very least. The same boy who raided Maison-ya with them and stopped the barrier or seal that was placed on the inn.
"Madara-sama." Kagami gave a slight bow, slowly righting himself and giving his leader all of his attention.
"Proceed as planned." Madara looked towards Ahiko and Yuko for a moment, darting his eyes onto Souji and Izuna who were approaching from opposite directions, and lastly onto Mikito who was now focused on him waiting for him to finish. It had been her to bring Yuko to his attention, the half blood proved that she had pluck, she did survive being in the Water country for a couple of months. But, he was still angry.
This woman was the reason Izuna gave him a migraine. "Report to Izuna or Aito if I'm not here when you return."
"I understand." Kagami bowed before hurrying off to continue getting ready for his task.
"Where is he going?" Ahiko asked the obvious question.
"You are already aware Sasuke has been on the move, the day is starting to wane so I know he's waiting to launch another attack. I want to get the jump on him." Madara pointed at the trio keeping his gaze on Yuko for just a second longer. "He wouldn't be so foolish to set up camp in the same place as before, though it'd be strategically advantageous we know the entire area so he won't do the same thing twice.
Yuko nodded. Spotting those fireballs, even a blind man could have seen those. It was the most ridiculous and reckless thing she'd seen.
"I have nothing for you to do at this moment." Madara said pointedly after a long bout of silence. It was surprising things were pretty quiet and there were no enemy shinobi around for miles. It wasn't to the point where they'd be using the damiyo's army, but it was steadily progressing to that point. It was just a matter of days. "I suggest you get some rest since you'll be coming with us during the night."
"Thank you for your diligence, Yuko." Mikito offered a small smile, honestly Madara was so sour at times and Yuko was a bit more perceptive. She could pick up on the narrowed eye, the sharp scowl forming.
"There has to be something I can do." Yuko furrowed her brows. "How about I go with Kagami? It can't hurt, right?"
She wanted to do something to get away from her thoughts at this moment, Madara surely had a small task to give her something that was too beneath him to even consider. Now she was being thrown right back into those thoughts she savagely tried to claw away.
How much time had passed now? Seven months? Eight months? She wasn't a step closer to finding out the one thing she wanted to.
"It couldn't do any harm, Madara." Mikito said after a moment of silent thought, it was just reconnaissance with the chance of a fight, but at this time of day nobody was really going to expend that amount of effort. It was just the reason why Madara was choosing to do this now instead of later. He didn't want to get a jump on Sasuke, he was getting a jump on him. Brilliant. "I could send Ahiko too."
"Fine." Madara said with a low sigh, looking at Mikito for a long moment, a familiar scowl making its way onto his face. He didn't feel like getting into one of their verbal spars at the moment. He turned his gaze onto Yuko, narrowing his visible eye to a slit. "Kagami!"
Kagami ran towards him. "Yes, Madara-sama."
"Yuko and Ahiko will be going with you."
"Of course."
Madara fixed Yuko with a stern gaze. "You'll be leaving in two hours."
"I'll be ready." Yuko assured with a nod.
"I'll meet you in our room when you come back." Yuko forced herself not to start at the sound of Ahiko's voice. She slowly glanced over her shoulder, realizing the curly haired girl was leading her away from Madara and Mikito and back towards the castle, she had turned and started walking... But, probably stopped getting lost in her thoughts. "If I'm not in there I will be shortly."
"Kay!" Yuko beamed a smile.
They separated going different directions.
Yuko gave a small nod to a group of the damiyo's guards patrolling the entrance to the castle. They were wary for good reason, but ever since the attack the air was ripening with trepidation. The guards were no different and constantly kept lookout, such it was better to at least nod in their direction-a small bout of trust.
She had been meaning to explore the castle a bit more, but recent situations and all she didn't have the time to curb her curiosity. The areas she had been in kind of blended together and looked the same, but there was a lot of this structure that was ancient and remained unexplored. The door shut with finality, startling her, one hand racing to the hilt of her sword before she took a calming breath and paced forward. That door always slammed shut so loud.
It took roughly ten minutes for her to get back to the room she was sharing with Ahiko. She slid open the door stepping inside quickly and sliding it shut. She started at the sight of Souji giving one of his trademark stony looks with a rather large scroll resting between his legs. "Souji?" Yuko raised her eyebrow questioningly.
It wasn't like him to be sitting here considering what was going on just outside.
"I'm going to need you to stay quiet, and not ask any questions until the very end." Souji said. The words were spoken slowly and pointedly, not as if she were stupid, but so she understood not to even say a peep until he was finished with what he had to say. He had been looking into this for a while, and since everything was shimmering at the moment, he finally had time to capitalize. So he would.
"Okay..." Yuko blinked once before taking a seat.
"I'm going to keep this short." Souji said, crossing his arms over his chest and sighing softly. Perhaps it wasn't the best idea to do this right now, but he couldn't let Yuko start getting distracted. "You already know that you are half Uchiha and half Kizoku..." He grabbed the scroll between his legs and handed it to Yuko, noting that she nodded just barely. She took it from his hands carefully, bringing it up towards her chest opened it, an audible gasp escaping her lips. "You already know of their fate." Souji continued, his tone slow and careful.
"T-This is..." Yuko's throat was thick with shock.
"I can't tell you myself." Souji's statement was direct and blunt. "But, I'm sure you'll have time to go down the straight path and find the answers you want. The answers I can't give you." Souji slowly placed his hand on Yuko's shoulder, shaking her out of her stupor and drawing her full attention onto him. She had been getting lost in her thoughts again.
Mikito wanted him to look into this a while back, and it was the least he could do since Yuko was a great help in the clan... She had been particularly well liked by the clan after a few weeks. "Keep in mind this is an old map, things will have changed there."
"T-Thank you!" Yuko stuttered out, bowing her head gratefully. She had truly been at a loss and wasn't sure if she could continue on, but now she could continue on. She had solace. She had an objective. Izuna wouldn't give her the answers she desired so now she could find them on her own. She could never thank Souji enough. She was indebted to him.
Souji simply nodded striding passed her and towards the door sliding it open swiftly and exiting. The gesture didn't surprise Yuko anymore. "Be wary when you're with Kagami." Souji told her carefully. "I have a feeling the Shaningu or Chibana are going to make a move very soon..." He paused, eyes glinting dangerously. "They've shown clear signs of that much, and with the recent ceasefire..." He narrowed his eyes suddenly. "I'm going to send Ahiko, Masa, and Shin with the both of you. I've gotten a report from one of my spies. She spotted Disuke Senju early in the morning treading towards this region with great speed, he was also spotted in the Lightning country."
Yuko nodded carefully, unsure of what to say so she simply nodded. Maybe this was the true intentions of Madara's task.
Tensions had reached an implosion with the Shaningu clan as well as the Sarutobi. Now the Senju and Subatsu were close by and that was ten times worse than an implosion, but the Shaningu had shown to be hostile with small skirmishes out of this area, and the disaster at Maison-ya nailed the coffin shut and buried it three hundred feet in pieces.
Many would argue Tomoyuki and his faction deserved it, but there were those who argued different. Those who argued different claimed the Uchiha and Domou were merciless and didn't spare a single foe that night, no person was seen to escape they were all mowed down. Those who were lucky or unlucky enough to see the aftermath when the battle was over... It only intensified those feelings of resentment and fear.
Then there was the growing enmity between the Uchiha/Domou and Sarutobi clan. After wiping out their entire force that had been stationed here, along with what would have been the outpost... Not to mention sending back that Shinobi's head and Izuna killing Haruo; things couldn't be any worse between them. Sasuke wanted revenge, and he was looking to pull the entire region into a war to get that revenge.
He already attacked the Sand and Desert. Next he'd attack the Wind and Dune. Every village and country in between was going to get caught in the middle...
Yuko stared at the floor.
Souji looked at her carefully, a stony expression on his features. "I doubt you'll come across him in any case." Disuke was a crafty and clever man. Immensely powerful. If he didn't want to be spotted he wouldn't be, it was just simple as that. "If you do, however, don't engage him remember your mission. And, the Senju or Subatsu won't be attacking, where they are currently the weather won't allow them to do anything as much as walk in the open, let alone fight. so we have other things to take care of."
"The Tachibana, Chibana, Hageshii, and Shaningu..." Yuko said uncertainly.
Yuko hadn't taken the much discussed cease fire topic of conversation with much thought, it was just another one of those things that changed as it was passed on. Though, it seems there was merit to this highly discussed event-if the citizens and travelers in the village were anything to go by. Hashirama through some means, got four clan leaders one of the more notable being Hajime to agree to a ceasefire. And, this was just crazy. Insane.
It was unheard of for such a thing to happen... Monumental was the right word to describe it. An actual ceasefire not going up in smoke...
She knew it wouldn't last, something so frivolous would never have longevity or remain long standing. No, unfortunately their world consisted of give and take. And, people would sooner fight than discuss anything civilly. So, this ceasefire was in essence a strategic move by one or all of the clan leaders involved, and though they couldn't fight against each other that didn't mean they couldn't with each other.
Souji gave a small nod, his expression betraying nothing of his inner thoughts, and he could tell from the concentrated look on Yuko she was thinking along the same lines as him. "So, stay alert when you're out there. And, kill anyone that confronts you."
"I will." Yuko assured herself more than Souji.
"Good." Souji gave a small nod and exited the room sliding the door shut behind him.
Yuko sighed, turning her focus outside her window. Nothing could ever be simple.
Her father had trained her to the bone, and that meant a thorough schooling in politics. After all, she was an Uchiha-one of the most prominent clans in the entire world, it was only natural that she be educated in such things. Not like she had any fondness for politics, it was all just one headache that never ended.
Is that why they accepted the ceasefire... Yuko slowly clenched her hands into fists clutching at the fabric of her shirt. What if the Hageshii and Chibana were planning to team up or the other two clans... The Shaningu and Tachibana. It brought back a vague memory of what would have been her mission prior to the Water country, the Chibana had requested 'assistance' from the Uchiha clan. What if that was just a way of getting a rat into the compound or gathering something that could be used against them...
Yuko wrapped her arms around herself, fighting off the chill with vigor and persistence. It just gave her an overall horrible feeling, maybe she would have been part of the whole thing-betraying her own clan unwittingly and not even realizing it until the end when it was too late. As unlikely as it sounded, it was by all means possible, she never underestimated her opponents.
No, things would have went in this direction... Either way, regardless of chain of events this would be the end point of all those possible scenarios.
The only thing she could is fight. Fight for herself. Fight for the clan. Complete the mission.
She took a very slow and deep breath.
Why couldn't the fighting just end?
Now the Senju and Subatsu were close by and persistent, she had spotted dozens of Hashiramas which turned out to be clones, the fight that erupted had to be worse yet, it was bloody, bitter, and vicious it didn't need to get anymore worse. Now there was a possibility that four more clans were going to try and stake their claim or lead a fight against them and anyone else who even thought of opposing them. Clans would get pulled in just because and no other reason than that.
It was like... This whole region was going to be the center of it. The center of all the enmity and conflict, the bitterness and hatred.
Maybe she was being a bit over dramatic, but that's how it looked to her.
"Change of plans, Yuko-chan. I'm going to be coming with you." Ahiko's cheerful and chipper tone made the red haired kunoichi jump in fright.
Had she gotten so wrapped up in her thoughts she failed to notice Ahiko's presence or hear her entering? She wasn't the most acute sensor, but she could always feel Ahiko. But, it was possible if she was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she missed Ahiko's entrance.
The fact she jumped and Ahiko took a seat on the futon across from her were completely ignored by her, and she felt a little bad since she was dead silent not saying a word. "Souji went to Madara with something, and Madara agreed with it something about Tachibana, Hageshii, and Disuke, but then Mikito wanted to do something different after hearing about Disuke, then both Souji and Madara said no. Then they started arguing. Then, they told me I was going to be coming with you, and so here I am."
Yuko turned towards Ahiko carefully, watching her rake one hand through her thick and abundant hair that was just a bit out of place. She was sighing and groaning, shaking her head, so unlike her normal cheerful self. Not to mention she said all of what she said in one breath, and that had to be more taxing than fighting a Bijuu. Of course, she already knew this since Souji spoke to her in private. Being between a fight with those three had to be seriously daunting.
"I heard." Yuko said with a small smile, sauntering towards her futon and plopping down supporting her body with her hands as she leaned back. It wasn't very ladylike, but she didn't care. "Do you have everything you need?" It's not like Ahiko would forget anything, but she could spend so much time fussing over her there was a very slim chance Ahiko could forget something.
"Look at you. Worrying about me. Trying to act all cool." Ahiko quipped gently with a light grin.
Yuko grinned at the last statement. "I just want to double check." Yuko reasoned sheepishly, normally it would be the other way around. Ahiko was worrying about her or fussing over her, and here she was doing it to Ahiko. It was funny, but also very embarrassing for some reason.
"I have everything that I'll need, and my spear is over there." Ahiko gestured to the wall where her spear was resting against it. "What about you, have you eaten anything since we've come back?"
"Well, I did." Yuko nodded looking at anything that wasn't Ahiko. She did eat, a few Onigiri to be exact with some tea, but she could have eaten a lot more. She didn't want to be full while she was fighting though, vomiting was never on her list that had to with anything. But, this left her a bit hungry at times. Ahiko knew since they spent so much time together, and she'd always ask if she ate something, or just shove a few plates of food in front of her and tell her to eat.
The diet varied greatly in comparison to the Uchiha who mainly ate fish, rice, and vegetables. Some of the Uchiha even ate tofu, chicken, pork, but the main diet was those big three. Fish. Rice. Vegetables.
The Domou ate a lot of different meats, there were also a lot of different fruits and numerous vegetables which numbered even more than the meats. The fruits being extremely sweet and moist, and the vegetables being ripe and crisp. There was a lot white rice, brown rice, even yellow rice in every meal. The majority of the time the meat and vegetables would be mixed together in with the rice. There was also a heavy emphasis on spices, so a lot of chili peppers of various types were used including the ghost chili.
She noticed how vast the diets between her clan and the Domou differed. It was quite glaring so. The Domou had more a lot fruits and meats.
But there were similarities, both used a lot of rice for every meal, it was a staple part of their respective diets. Vegetables as well.
Needless to say the Domou ate a lot, their portions were always huge and abundant. Yuko could already see a difference in her... Figure. Over several weeks of sticking with their diet and her training regimen. She was no longer slim and lithe, but full her training defining and toning her entire body, she was agile and flexible. Nimble like a kunoichi should be. It was the reason she tried staying covered up save for when she was asleep or in private.
"I guess I could eat a little bit more." Yuko admitted. The best way to restore chakra was through food first and foremost. And, it'd be a good time to pick up on anything that was passing through word of mouth around the village may be useful or at the very least pique her interest. "I'll pay this time." Yuko said a bit firmly, it was sudden and random, but she felt like she had to say it. Ahiko had done so much for her, got her so much, it was about time she returns the favor.
"Then I will let you pick the place." Ahiko sent the girl a small smile. Yuko had always shown concern when she was paying for everything, she tried to tell Yuko that it was fine, but the girl couldn't let it go. She was definitely half Uchiha, she had the same stubborn streak they did.
"We can go to that one tea house we always go to." Yuko offered.
"Okay." Ahiko agreed in a chipper tone. "Then we can meet up with the others and take care of this mission."
"Right." Yuko nodded.
Tobirama was pragmatic and a realist.
Hashirama was the dreamer.
But, there was a keen difference between him and Hashirama.
He had gained his father's apt military mind when it came to strategy, or anything of the sort. While, Hashirama was more of the diplomat, he tried to talk things over when he didn't need to or shouldn't have done so in the first place. Nonetheless the difference was clear even if Hashirama could shape the landscape to his advantage with the Mokuton.
Tobirama took a small breath and set down a map of the entire region they were in, that included every village and country regardless of size or population. There were a few circles and X's dotting the map, vital points that needed to be guarded or utilized that could swing the battle into their favor. It was just a matter of hours before the sun finally set over the horizon and the cooling night would roll in.
He had more than enough time to finish thanks to Hashirama as well as Syrus and Haji who were assisting the damiyo with organizing his entire force as well as their own, it was a demanding and exhausting task. One that he could no doubt complete but he'd be a bit hard pressed afterwards. Of course Usagi stayed with him.
Since the village's population was only around eight thousand, maybe nine thousand the military force was about half of that so three thousand eight hundred, at the most four thousand hundred.
And, counting his clan's and the Subatsu's respective numbers-between them both there was roughly one thousand two hundred.
Five thousand roughly in all total.
The Sand country had roughly two hundred thousand soldiers total, the Dune had at least one hundred thousand, and the Wind dwarfed any and all of them with having more than four hundred and eighty thousand soldiers in total with more in reserve.
It was quite daunting when one really thought about it. And, one could even say they were now fighting a losing battle, the odds were not in their favor.
But, he didn't fight losing battles. Tobirama was always prepared for any and all situations. Naturally, he created a jutsu just for this type scenario when numbers were not in their favor and he needed to cover a lot of ground fast.
In the end he decided that they'd do a six point charge. After Usagi explained it to him he conceded and added the last group.
There would be one main force charging forward, two more smaller forces flanking them several miles apart, and then two more groups would sweep in from the back once that battle was well underway and then begin to overwhelm them through the element of surprise. While this was happening another group would come off from the side and then spread out and surround the area effectively cutting off any routes of escape while a few people from that group charged in and began the second overwhelming. If the battle came down to numbers they could contain them in the small perimeters formed by their bodies.
It was ruthless but effective.
He sighed to himself, nodding once as he memorized the plan and jotted down a few more key points on the map. It was truly a shame things couldn't be settled without fighting there was never any type of diplomact, but he wouldn't force the issue. If it's a fight they wanted, it's a fight they would get. He was already prepared for this and would act accordingly and swiftly to the situation at hand. He carefully folded the maps back up, keeping the one he jotted down on near him, and stacked the rest of them neatly on one side of the desk, he didn't even start when he sensed a familiar chakra outside of his door.
"I think... Disuke is here." Usagi said softly giving the door a careful and analytical gaze.
"Enter." Tobirama said in his baritone. It was indeed Disuke.
Disuke slid the door open and stepped a few paces before sliding it shut. He trailed his glance at Usagi for a moment, then turned his focus onto Tobirama giving a small bow, and sat down on a cushion.
Usagi remained silent but interested.
"What do you have for me?" Tobirama asked. Disuke's mission had been straining his mind a great deal, it would determine his next course of action, and if things were really bad the next course of action they'd take which could be in five seconds.
"There are a couple of things." Disuke stated in his low tone slowly adjusting himself on the plush cushion a few feet from Tobirama. "The first is the Hageshii and Chibana have been showing clear signs of aggression towards the Senju as well as the Subatsu, the Tachibana and Shaningu are showing similar tendencies, but more importantly..." Disuke paused, his eyes taking on a sharp look as he rummaged in his pocket pulling out a white cloth.
"That's your headband..." Usagi muttered warily.
"It is..." Tobirama said in a low tone, slowly taking it from Disuke's hand. "Where did you find it?"
"I found this on a Hageshii shinobi's person while I was in the Lightning country tracing their movements back to that location in particular."Disuke explained in the same low tone, though there was a keen edge of urgency and anger laced in his tone. "It turns out they were intending to attack a small town just beyond the borders and put the blame on us. Me and a few of my men took out the whole attack force and then found this a few moments later, I think this has something to do with the recent ceasefire." Disuke's eyes narrowed. "It was just to entrap us and make us out as enemies to the damiyo."
Tobirama hissed under his breath. He was anticipating they intended to do something so foolish, but to try and tarnish the name and honor of the Senju clan... That was something he couldn't forgive. Even worse was making them out as enemies to a damiyo, the last thing they needed was clashing with a lord over anything. "You are certainly right about that. Their intentions were villainous from the beginning, and what of their most recent movements?"
"They all seem to be heading in this direction." Disuke replied, flicking his eyes outside for a moment before returning them back onto Tobirama. "Their forces vary in number and strength, but I assure you they are well over two thousand respectively."
"Two thousand?" Usagi hissed through clenched teeth. That was ridiculous, beyond ridiculous-it was as bad as Sasuke marching in with over three thousand shinobi backing him and launching two attacks in unison. Two thousand was not by any means small and would prove to be more than difficult, and there was the possibility there were even more than that.
"I see." Tobirama gave a small nod. That was no small force by any means and would be seen from quite a distance away without any problem. He was expecting them to do something like this, it was only natural after all, they had never been sincere at all. "What else is there?" If this was the first thing he couldn't even begin to imagine the second. Were the Kagyua clan and Yuki clan storming into the Fire country by boat?
Disuke tensed slightly before slowly clearing his throat. "The next thing has to with the Water country."
Usagi and Tobirama exchanged looks. This couldn't be good, that place ran with blood.
Tobirama suppressed a sigh. He just had to wonder that.
"What's going over there?" Usagi questioned before Tobirama could even open his mouth, she was content to listen to the two men speak, but now she had to chime in.
Disuke was silent for a second before he elaborated. "Things are becoming even more violent."
"I'm sorry." Usagi shook her head, lost in her own bemusement at the statement. It was common knowledge it was hellish there, a lot different than the mainland. Fights and conflicts were a common occurrence raging on for days, weeks on end leaving bodies covering the islands and numerous rivers. It was hell. Even the most powerful and experienced shinobi could lose their lives going there. "You're going to have to be a bit more specific than that Disuke."
The man nodded understandingly, not seeming to take offence to Usagi's statements. "The battles have been spilling into the towns and villages, even the village in the mainland has been ravaged by the long battles. The battles that occur on the islands are spilling outwards and raging in the mainland. The Hoshigaki clan, Kagyua clan, Hozuki clan, and Terumi clan have been clashing for months now... And, the Yuki... They're going everywhere they can and killing anyone they come across whether they're shinobi or civilian, there's even a notion within the Yuki clan to attack the Uzumaki clan believing that they stole their prized Hyoton scroll and the Kagyua are looking to do the same simply for the thrill of it. Needless for me to say, but the Yuki have already confronted and is battling the four clans I mentioned before, if they really intend to launch an attack the damage and casualties would be catastrophic." The Kagyua thrived and lived off of bloodshed a battle, a primal and innate penchant for mayhem and destruction, they had to be the most dangerous.
Usagi furrowed her brows at this... Surely... It couldn't be... Yuko...
"Are you sure they intend to launch an attack?" Tobirama asked Disuke with all seriousness noting Usagi's expression changed as well and her brows were furrowed. The Uzumaki wouldn't tread towards the Water country or do something as foolish as stealing the Hyoton scroll. That was something more suited for an Uchiha. The Uzumaki were peace loving and kind, but they were a fierce and powerful shinobi clan that would fight if the need arose. He knew it wasn't the Uzumaki who stole the scroll, but the fact there was someone able to steal it... Just what kind of person was it?
Surely he would have heard about such a fierce, powerful, and calculating shinobi. Their name would be widespread and everyone would know of their feats. But, he hadn't heard a thing about this, and he should have...
The Yuki were showing signs of aggression, but the Kagyua and Hoshigaki were also showing aggression so he kind of just blew it off as another Water country thing.
"Yes." Disuke nodded. "Though, they are preoccupied at this moment. I think their intentions will be to make their way this way and in that time between they will attack the Uzumaki."
And, that can't happen. Tobirama finished silently, narrowing his glinting ruby eyes even more. The Uzumaki have always been close allies and distant relatives of his own clan, there was no way he'd let an all out attack happen there, and that went triple for Hashirama. But, if this was indeed true, they couldn't just leave their post here spur of the second, as much as it pained him he couldn't act on emotion alone. But, they were busy fighting each other, and they were thousands, maybe even millions of miles away from the Uzumaki's home island, so things should be... Relatively smooth until they finish here.
"And, lastly..." Disuke looked unflinching. "The Aburame have been showing signs of aggression."
"Report this to Hashirama immediately if you haven't already." Tobirama ordered.
Disuke gave a small bow before exiting.
Tobirama turned his focused gaze onto Usagi. "I need you to do something for me."
"And, what is that Tobi-kun?" Usagi looked at him with a curious tilt of her head. Surely he wasn't going to ask her to go the Uzumaki or something along those lines. "I won't go near the Uzumaki, it's common knowledge that our clans never really got along or liked each other." Usagi said pointedly, slowly crossing her left leg over her right. There were reasons the Subatsu were extremely reclusive. "I'm sorry, but it's not within my power to do that. I can squash some bugs for you, though."
"I wouldn't ask you to do that." Tobirama shook his head. He already knew the Subatsu and Uzumaki had never gotten along or liked each other, but that was besides the point at this moment. The Aburame weren't anywhere close to them, he wasn't worried. "If it isn't too much trouble meet with Haji, we were supposed to to go over a few things, but I have speak with my brother about the situation. I'll fill in Syrus, of course."
Haji was going to come and meet him so they could go over a few strategies for the coming conflicts, since the man was always quick and forward right to the point Tobirama felt confident working with him. After all, he did see to it all of the wounded Senju were brought back to the compound and healed. So, that counted for something too.
"That I can do." Usagi nodded. Though, knowing her brother he already had whatever this is done. Instead maybe they could go out and handle whoever was trying to stake their claim and challenge them.
Regardless of how long she's been here Yuko could never adjust to the dry and barren heat of the desert terrain. She could tolerate it for a moment, but then it became too much altogether. Their mission was simple find wherever the Sarutobi were camping out, get a read on their strength, and then report back once that's done with. If things turn hectic they're to attack and get out as soon as possible, if they come across anyone else they are to kill them.
Yuko knew it was kill or be killed, and even though it pained her she'd do what she needed to in order to survive.
The desert was just bland and everlasting, it spread out in every direction taking up the landscape. Hashirama's trees and branches weren't this far out. It would have made a better change of scenery , but Yuko busied herself with trying to keep her body cool as well as forming a loose formation with her team. Kagami, she knew was prodigious and an extraordinary shinobi, Shin was immensely powerful and talented even though she had never seen him in combat she heard enough in the Domou clan, and lastly Masa she knew a little about; she was extremely strong and skilled utilizing kenjutsu and ninjutsu with deadly efficiency.
And, as for Ahiko, well, they were closer than blood.
"Wait." Masa motioned for them to stop, moving silently and crouched behind the nearest mountain of sand carefully moving up to the tip and peering over the edge. "There's a large group just up ahead." She narrowed her eyes for a moment, focusing in silence. "Feels like they're Shaningu. There's Sarutobi in the far distance, but these guys are taking up quite a bit of space we won't be able to move any further as long as they remain there.."
"We could move around them." Shin suggested after a moment of silent observation. There were roughly fifty of them total, not too much, but it still wouldn't be favorable to fight with them head on-maybe a surprise attack, but it was better overall to move with stealth and remain elusive. Slowly, he spaced himself apart from the group keeping his gaze pointed on the group several meters ahead of them. "There's a chance we'd get spotted, even if we used these hills for cover."
"That'd be bad." Kagami agreed. That means the group would get the jump on them and attack putting them at a disadvantage.
If they fought them it could drag out, and they'd be encountering Sarutobi later. Little chakra could be expended.
"All of us shouldn't go." Ahiko concluded. Their chances of actually getting around them was very slim at best, and there was a great risk they'd be spotted even if they used the hills and sandstorms to cover themselves. Attacking seemed to be the only method they could use at the moment, one or three people would be enough if they moved swiftly. "Shin-san and Masa-san can you handle them?"
"I can." Masa nodded in kind.
"I'm capable..." He warily turned his glance onto the Shaningu."I'm going to move over." Shin told everyone present as he locked eyes with Masa who gave him a firm nod.
"I'll take the left." Masa told him before sprinting to the side and disappearing behind another hill of sand.
Ahiko flicked her eyes onto the young Uchiha. "Kagami, while we take care of them I'd like you to scope the area and see if there's any more Shaningu around." They may have been clustered here at the moment, but it didn't mean there weren't those who strayed behind or something along those lines. This could just be one small force while reserves were waiting somewhere close, but she couldn't sense anyone close by-none that were Shaningu. She wasn't going to overlook it though.
Yuko kept herself situated behind the hill of sand, slowly and warily shifting her feet as she kept a lid on her chakra, the Shaningu were at most seventy feet away and if they as much caught a glimpse of anyone other than themselves they'd be ready to attack. That went double if they sensed even a faint flicker of foreign chakra.
"What should I do?" Yuko turned her head towards Ahiko looking at her for instruction.
"Just leave it to those tw." Ahiko stated with confidence. Yuko's hair was just too vibrant and distinct; she wouldn't get further than two inches until she was spotted and then swarmed. Shin and Masa were perfectly suited for this task; Shin had an apt for speed and precision while Masa was swift and nimble moving in quick blurs of color and motion. "Conserve your energy."
"Okay." Yuko nodded slightly. She wouldn't question Ahiko's choices; she always had her best intentions in mind.
"I can do that." The young Uchiha nodded.
With the plan ready to be set into motion Yuko waited restlessly. Finally, after ten minutes there was a loud shout, and she watched as the Shaningu charged towards Masa, the woman collided with them head on felling five within the span of a second, she twisted around a sword and broke her attacker's neck with the back of her fist.
Yuko grimaced but kept her eyes focused watching the man's neck twist at an unnatural angle before his body crashed into the ground, she spotted Shin shooting across the gap with tremendous speed while the Shaningu were too bust focused on Masa and her assault. He slashed through three unhindered splitting their armor and splintering their bones, continuing to press alongside Masa he sprinted and twisted mowing through the Shaningu and using the element of surprise as well as teamwork with deadly precision.
It took less than five minutes to clear away the Shaningu, they hadn't been expecting Shin to attack as well, and even if they had Masa's assault was so ferocious they wouldn't have had any time to take their eyes off of her.
"Come on." Ahiko waved her hand quickly at Yuko as she bounded across the rough and coarse terrain. Ahiko watched Shin and Masa were checking over all of the bodies, some of them nothing more than mangled and torn flesh, this was an assurance of death, but there could be some stragglers and they couldn't take that chance. Though, she wished that they didn't need to go to such an extent-but she knew it was necessary. "Excellent work, Shin-san and Masa-san."
"Kagami is coming back." Shin gestured to the side, where true to as he said Kagami was sprinting towards them. It was also his way of saying thanks, since he never really said thanks in particular, and he was only following her orders. He was only doing what he had to. "You find any signs of a nearby camp?" Shin asked the young Uchiha.
"No signs." Kagami shook his head. There were only fifty, so there could have very well been a camp close by with more, but it was more likely they were just a unit sent out to scope around and get a feel for everything. "They're doing what the Akimichi clan and Sarutobi clan were doing before. They're sending out teams varying in number and strength to test our strength."
"In that case..." Masa flashed through two hand seals, before taking a deep breath and exhaling a potent wave of fire shrouding the fallen bodies entirely. Burning them was the quickest and most efficient way of getting rid of bodies, even though the flesh popping and hair burning filled the air around them with an obnoxious odor and charring the sand black.
Yuko blinked widely. There were hardly any signs of any bodies left aside from charred bits of flesh that crumbled into ash. If the Shaningu were really doing the same thing as the two clans, she couldn't call it anything more than heartless... Sending these men to their deaths. But, orders were orders, and these men who fought and died followed them to the very end. "Why would anyone do something like this?" She asked out loud before she could consider keeping the question locked away.
Masa sighed to herself. There were too many reasons, too many possibilities, and she didn't want to dwell on or entertain any of them. They had to go with what they knew, what their mission entailed. "Don't dwell on it too much, Yuko-san. Stay focused." Masa kept her tone gentle as she looked at the young woman.
"But-"
"It's the world we live in." Shin interjected with a dry tone, wanting to keep things moving along. The Shaningu didn't set them back by much, but they still only had a few hours of daylight left. "Ahiko-san, we should keep moving."
"Mmmm." Ahiko nodded in agreement.
They got back into a rough formation and sped through the barren landscape once more with Ahiko staying a bit ahead of everyone else as she took the front, Yuko and Kagami took the sides, Masa took middle, and Shin took the rear. They stayed a few feet apart from each other, carefully pacing themselves as they trudged over entire coarse hills and mountains. The problem with this region in particular was the terrain, it was nothing but sand and hills, and it expanded on forever and ever with no end in sight.
It was a region not often sought out except by merchants and traders who made a living selling their products to any neighboring country or village, because since there was no fertile soil or ample rain crops and livestock weren't able to survive and thrive. Shinobi clans never came here unless they were contacted and even then, most clans would turn it down simply for the fact that there was nothing worthwhile here to trudge through the dry heat and smoldering sand.
There were also no places to hide, no shadows to linger towards, which put any shinobi worth their salt on edge since they cling to the shadows and move about silently striking when their foe least expects it. There was no hiding or sneaking around out here, everything was open and forward. Battles were fought and raged in the open leaving miles of blood drenched sand and corpses being feasted on by any and all scavengers. It was a haunting reminder that the shinobi's most valuable asset was nonexistent here.
Shin stopped for a moment as did everyone else. "Tremors."
"We're getting closer." Ahiko said, tightening her grip around her spear. "Keep your chakra suppressed the best you can. I don't like what I'm feeling up ahead."
An hour and a half roughly passed. The sun was just starting to begin its slow descent when Ahiko jolted with a start. The air was thick with chakra and the tremors from before were a lot more powerful and bone shaking. "Get down!" She hissed through her teeth, pulling Yuko down before she thought any better smiling apologetically as the red haired kunoichi shot her a disheveled look. Pressing her chakra down as far as it could go, almost nonexistent she slowly inched up a mountain of sand with Yuko close behind her while Shin, Masa, and Kagami spread a few inches out around the two of them and moved at the same pace.
A tremor erupted, billowing sand outwards and into the sky forcing them to drop to all fours and brace against it. No doubt it was a tremor caused by ninjutsu.
"Just our luck, we would walk right into a battle." Yuko mused humorlessly.
"I can't argue against that." Masa said with a light laugh.
Slowly, Ahiko peered over the peak of her perch, eyes widening at the sight. There was Sasuke of course, his chakra potent and rolling off of his body in wild waves along with the rest of his force... But, Daichi was also present with a force of Hyuga. And... Hajime was also present battling the two leaders viciously as his own force collided with the Sarutobi and Hyuga. There were thousands of them all running and screaming barring their fangs and blades just slamming into each other.
Another series of tremors and shock waves ripped through the area.
"I think this is the Sarutobi's camp." Kagami said with furrowed brows as he held himself firm against the shock waves, spotting clusters of tents and structures that had to be created through some type of Doton jutsu. He turned to his comrades carefully analyzing them for a few long moments before he continued speaking. "It'd be wise to head back now." If a Hyuga just chanced a glance at them it'd be over. There'd be no escape.
"Damn." Masa scowled as the battle continued to rage and jutsus were launched that threw up plum clouds as they collided with the wild whirlwind of chakra acting as a barrier around the Hyuga. Sasuke, Daichi, and Hajime clashed with strikes and blades every so often spacing themselves apart and skidding for several meters before their respective shinobi shot in front of them clashing once more with the opposing force. "I wasn't expecting the Hyuga and Hageshii to be present as well..." Hyuga were tough to kill as were the Sarutobi and Hageshii, on top of that they were easily outnumbered it was at the point of being laughable.
"This changes things." Shin muttered. I know Souji-sama was expecting them to make a move, but for them to do it so soon... First the Shaningu and now the Hageshii and Hyuga... He gave a narrow eyed glare to all those fighting unaware of their presence. Hyuga may have superior vision, but if they're focused on a battle it was directed towards the battle, and with so many people around their sensors wouldn't be able to pick them up, their minds fuzzy and flaring with a thousand different chakra signatures. "I agree with Kagami, fighting will get us nowhere, and we can't afford to get spotted."
Yuko nodded in agreement. She was ready to fight if she had to, but she had no intention of jumping into this fight. The way they were fighting was just incomprehensible, there seemed to be no end in sight, even as bodies thudded to the ground and those who had enough wit about them stabbed their foe in the foot or cut off a leg dragging themselves across the ground to finish each other or until they breathed their last. She fought for breath as a lump grew in her throat from watching one head fly overhead as a chorus of screams erupted before dozens of bodies thudded on the ground and one in particular literally exploded. "Ahiko-chan?"
"We're heading back." Ahiko said softly, keeping her eyes focused on the battle below them, turning away as another Hyuga and Sarutobi slammed into each other driving their blades through the other's sternum and sputtering blood from their mouths as the wounds split open. "We need to report this to my sister and Madara-san. I've got a bad feeling about this." She turned to her comrades with slightly furrowed brows before carefully moving herself down the mountain and standing at the base.
"We'll move in the same formation as before." Masa said looking over the horizon towards their destination. "Any objections?"
Everyone present shook their heads.
"Let's go then." Ahiko said stepping forward in stride with Masa and patted Yuko on the shoulder shaking the girl from her stupor, and nudged her gently until she walked by her own will. Seeing what she did, Ahiko couldn't blame Yuko for being so numb and unresponsive. Even herself nearly wretched her guts out seeing that man's body go from solid to little bits and pieces. "The sun has started to set, so let's not delay."