"Yes, it's been a while...Since I've used myself"
Sasori
The sky split open...
Rain came down in thick sheets.
BOOOM!
BOOOOOOM!
BOOOM!
BOOOOOOM!
Widespread battles tore the region to its foundations as the civilians panicked grouping together in a safer place, cursing the shinobi for their wars, cursing their damiyo for contacting them, and marveling how forests sprouted in an instant only to be burned and ripped asunder as shinobi bounded across them. The Uchiha and Domou tore through the streets blitzing their way through the gates and to outside. There were explosions breaking off in an irate rhythm
Madara cut down dozens. Hundreds.
However as his men cut down several and the Domou crashed forward battering anything and anyone that got in their path, it was Souji and Izuna who tore through their opposition. One by one, twelve at a time they battered and bashed their way through vigorous attacks. Senju, Hyuga, Sarutobi, Hageshii, Shainingu, Subatsu it didn't matter in the least. Their blades continuing to twist and glide in its wild arcs, vicious counterattacks were launched skewing away fingers and wrists.
Neither held any reservations. Just up ahead. Haji. Tobirama The path towards them was anything but empty, like all around them shinobi swarmed attacking from all directions.
Souji slammed blocks pushing them back a few at a time, spinning and lashing out viciously tearing through their sternums and severing their ribs. They were swift but violent deaths.
"Souji!" Haji snarled running towards him.
"Izuna!" Tobirama hissed locking eyes with him.
A spout of water hurdled towards Izuna.
"I got this bastard!" Izuna shouted.
"Madara, Hashirama is up ahead!" Souji shouted before bounding away. "Mikito is fighting Sasuke, Daiki and Syrus about fifty clicks away!"
"Follow me, keep pressing ahead!" Madara ordered those around him swiftly, jumping forward and batting aside a blade that would have taken his head off. He turned striking out, slicing across the chest of the older man, surging chakra into his palm, he grunted, pushing him off of his feet.
BOOOOOOM!
BOOOOOM!
Fighting against the dust as an explosion rocked the landscape, Madara stormed forward spotting Hashirama at the center of the chaos looking him directly in the eyes.
"Hashirama!" Madara snapped.
"Madara, let's not-" He with a firm tone as he stood just a few feet away. Instincts and reflexes took over as he speared his way across the terrain. He felt himself shiver involuntarily his sight being smothered with unmatched intensity. Potent chakra was radiating off Madara, thick and copious like the rainstorm soaking them. He held himself firm, battling back the the decisive swipe of his sickle, jumping back and away to give himself some space.
CLANG!
CLANG!
CLANG!
"Are you going to dribble, Hashirama?" Madara asked in clear anger. He raised one arm, surging chakra into the palm of his hand, and sprinted forward with. Hashirama grunted, only grunting as he was purchased into the ground, feet tearing trenches through it as if he were a moving a thousand miles an hour. A shearing heat burned through him. Madara's glinting blade swept across their small gap, and with deftly timing Hashirama blocked the edge of a his gunbai. "Do you insist on going on about such naive things!?" Madara yanked his gunbai back, kicking him in the sternum.
Hashirama's breath caught in his throat as he absorbed the impact, teeth clenched to their limit. The impact of the strike was tremendous. Madara swiveled, turning and spinning the twisted sneer on his face sending emotions pulsing through him. He clenched his hilt, with a quick flick he rammed it against Madara's gunbai once again. The weapons resounded with a loud clang. "Madara..." Hashirama strained, pushing against him. "You couldn't have forgotten our dream!" Hashirama scowled, feet compacting against the ground as the stalemate began to shift. "And... I know you couldn't have given up on it!"
"Shut up!" Madara shook his head. "Let it go, Hashirama! This is the way the world is!" Madara narrowed his eyes, rage boiling through him. The rapid and steady beat of his heart pulsed, until it flooded his ears. All small part of him wished that it could be done, that wanted to do it... End the Era of the Warring States, and that small part of him held onto that dream. Where they could all sit down and pour drinks for each other...
But, he was a clan leader and he had no time to dawdle on that what ifs and what could be. This was the world is, there was no need to be friends... They could kill each other without reservations now.
Surging with more chakra Madara dashed forward, almost completely vanishing into a flash of movement.
Hashirama collided with him, deflecting the deathly blade of his sickle, twisting sharply to his right and throwing himself into the air.
Madara heaved himself up, powerful hips and legs amplified with chakra. He swung forward, and Hashirama turned at the last second blocking the blow, gritting his teeth as he pushed forward both struggling against each other. Luckily the stalemate was broken, Hashirama broke it himself jumping away deftly avoiding the curved blade
Hashirama lashed out towards Madara with a quick barrage of slashes. Madara blocked the dizzying barrage of slashes and jabs, countering with his own powerful slashes. Hashirama was great, he wasn't too linear when he followed through with his attacks, and there was little telegraphing on his part. However, Madara's defenses weren't daunted by the powerful and swift attacks, he countered, blocked, and parried blow after blow pressing his own attack
Madara found himself stepping back from the assault. While he was blocking and deflecting stroke after stroke, Hashirama's attacks were relentless and well timed, forcing him to pivot or swivel. Madara swung forward just as Hashirama's blade tore forward, they collided, screeching and wiling, the two of them pushing against each other for supremacy.
The stalemate snapped sending both sliding across the ground away from each other.
Hashirama eyed his blade warily. There were a few chips. Tossing the sword aside, he quickly drew another. "That's quite the sword you got there, Madara. Did Mikito make that for you?"
Madara attacked... Something about the way he said her name so casually pissed him off.
Hashirama had the move scouted, deflecting it with a powerful swipe careful not to put too much force behind the attack, and shifted his footing, grip changing seamlessly as he swung back around. Madara quickly blocked it from colliding with his shoulder armor. Hashirama pivoted, using the quick motion to speed off to the side, before rebounding with a quick spring throwing himself back at Madara.
They dodged and parried the other's frenzied and high paced assault. Countering each other just at the last possible second going back into a mad dash The sheer attack force and abrasive approach of Madara didn't batter Hashirama's defenses aside no matter how furious the strokes were. He couldn't maintain defensive... Hashirama strained, exerting his chakra outwards like a gushin wave, clashing with Madara in a vicious display of power and speed.
Finally, Madara overpowered him with a quick half turn, pushing his blade to the side and swiped down, but Hashirama ducked under the attack, lashing out with his long leg which nicked Madara's ankle, the Uchiha quickly re-balanced, appearing to have not lost it at all. "Madara why don't you-" Just as he said this, his senses alerted him to danger. Jumping to the side as a fireball beamed passed him crashing into one part of the his massive forest exploding into a blaze of light and thunderous power.
While Hashirama regathered his bearings, Madara took the opening granted by his small pause.
Madara simply swung down, smashing his gunbai against Hashirama's blade in a show of brute force, pushing forward and down against him.
Hashirama stepped forward, and instinctively he took a half step back. "Madara" Was all Hashirama could say as he broke their stalemate, forcing them apart for the moment.
"Still talking!?" Madara sneered.
Hashirama stared in shock for a moment before narrowing his eyes and setting his jaw. Madara couldn't have turned his back on their dream... Someone other than him wanted things to change, wanted to break this endless cycle. Was foolish and naive enough to believe it was possible. Madara... You leave me no choice, I will get through to you... He formed two hand seals. "Mokuton! Jukai!"
"This again?" Madara demanded, clashing with Hashirama and his jutsu again in a fiery display of power and wills. Madara chose to press his attack, despite this attack being one of the more massive and expansive in Hashirama's arsenal and used to entangle and pin down foes rather than skew or stab. He viciously smashed and bashed his blade with Hashirama's, cleaving and slicing through his trees as if they were butter. They were annoyances, persistent and incessant just like the man forcing them to sprout to life.
They pressed the other to the next move. Countering and spinning Madara flipped and sped around the torrent of trunks and branches, all coiling towards him incessantly
Hashirama countered with precision and brute strength aiming to bash through Madara's defenses and offense with his ocean of trees. Using the barest footwork Hashirama swept around the ground twisting into Madara's guard at the last possible second.
Madara dived back, eyes narrowing as he grunted swinging from the side and upward in a tight curve, scything completely through one branch. Hashirama grunted pushing down with his full strength. They both clenched their teeth as they locked eyes glaring at the other. Madara sneered with malice as he pushed down against a branch that snagged his wrist slicing it in two, but Hashirama at the last second exerted more chakra, forcing Madara back as another series of branches coiled out towards him.
Madara swayed back just in time to miss his head from being gripped, but couldn't bypass the others as branches wrapped around his arms, legs, and torso fighting to restrain him."Damn it!" Madara seethed with a scowl.
"Madara!" Hashirama shouted, landing in front of him with a pained expression on his face. There was a steady flow of blood around his lip where Madara landed a solid punch at the last second. Seeing his branches and trunks doing their job-restraining Madara just barely, he took three careful steps, heaving for breath. "Let's stop fighting!"
Madara took advantage of the small reprieve subtly channeling his chakra into his eyes letting it gather.
"Get away from my husband!" The blast of invisible chakra and force shot towards Hashirama sweeping out everything behind him as it collided squarely in his torso launching him back into his forest with a loud clap and choked gasp from him. The ground heaved for a few moments are trees uprooted themselves from the force of the impact, tearing themselves free from the ground and tipping over with horrific force.
Mikito grunted loudly, landing on the massive branch before him and surged forward. Snapping both of her arms out, one fist collided with his bindings, chipping away some of it and rattling everything around them. "Raaaghhh!" She screamed colliding her fists, forearms, and elbows with his wooden bindings, splitting and tearing through them with ease sending debris flying every possible direction.
The ground around Madara quaked in protest, roots trembling down below as she continued to smash and bash through the coiled branches and trunks that restrained him, skipping hitting altogether and ripping them apart with her bare hands gouging into them with her fingers.
Madara was awestruck. Such... Ferocity. Such power... That look in Mikito's eyes... This woman!
"Are you okay?!" Mikito yelled, lifting him up to his feet by the collar of his shirt staring into his almost... Blank eyes. "Madara!"
"I'm okay!" He said, looking away from her as something... Strange bubbled through him. Seeing her eyes smoldering and so wide, filled with adrenaline and concern, the way she shrieked and busted through his bindings like they were just play things. "How are you? You were fighting Sasuke, Daiki, and Syrus."
"I'm still standing!" Mikito retorted. "But..."
"Long time no see, Uchiha." Daiki made his presence known with a malice sneer, pale eyes glowering as they set onto Mikito and Madara.
"Don't be so grouchy, Daiki. You won't be around long enough." Sasuke quipped.
"Looks like you brought them with you." Madara noted, a smirk tugging on his lips.
Mikito just nodded.
"Madara, just the person I was hoping to see!" Syrus shouted, riding on one of his tendrils as it shifted towards the ground, tilting forward just a few meters. "I would have been disappointed if you stayed behind."
"I am not a coward..." Madara's eyes narrowed.
Syrus's smirk widened. "I didn't think so..."
Hashirama having recovered from his mile long tumble winced slightly as he clenched his hand tightly, a fine cloud of steam dissipating around him. Armor dented with a footprint he narrowed his eyes directing his focus towards Mikito. What strength, if I wasn't able to heal myself so rapidly I'm certain most of my ribs would be broken... Slowly the ground cracked, one piece at a time, before the entire foundation was split. Overcome by the sheer potency of his jutsu, trees and branches sprouted from the gaping gashes carrying him towards his foes.
"Well, you can definitely take a hit." Mikito's eyes locked onto Hashirama. "And, your healing ninjutsu is just as they say." Guess I'll just have to take off your head.
The surrounding landscape echoed with sounds, reverberating through the earth and clashing against his ears. Swords wailed, jutsus hissed and hummed rocketing across the terrain forming several otherworldly shapes and designs before bursting outwards in turbulent waves crushing any shinobi that wasn't quick enough to escape and to no surprise mowed through a part of the expansive forest.
Hashirama noted that the strength behind Mikito's blow was much more than he'd previously anticipated. Much more. Did I hear her right? He thought back to before he was launched off of his feet. Madara... Is her husband, they're married...?
"Well, I must say this is somewhat unexpected, but this works well into my benefit." Daiki said-veins bulging from his eyes menacingly as he eyed all of the leaders present. "You made a mistake moving against the Dune! All of you! The damiyo has taken it as a sign of war, it won't be longer than thirty six hours until you all face the consequences!"
"Heh." Syrus chuckled with a small smirk. Daiki was always a bit too much, hubris fool. "Go for it, Hyuga."
"I'll handle you and your little veiny eyed force." Sasuke told Daiki with a steely gaze. "It is because of the Sarutobi that the Hyuga are here in the first place. Did you really think that your force could move so easily?"
"You little-"
"You're dead anyways!" To further his point Sasuke reached inward, crushing chakra into his chest. Katon! Kasai no ōkina nagare
"Mokuton! Chika nettowāku! " As the massive stream of fire sheered towards him Hashirama turned his focus upward, a network of branches tore free from in front of him as soared over the resulting collision of fire and wood, flipping and twisting as he came down for a landing, quickly breaking into a dash. He swept his gaze around spotting thousands of shinobi. Madara right on him. Mikito already on the attack, Sasuke and Daiki aiming to cleave through their flesh, and Syrus put himself right in the middle.
Hashirama sped through the paths of his forest, twisting to fend off Mikito's ferocious and vicious barrage only for Syrus to barrel into her carrying them both off. Sasuke, Madara, and Daiki chased after him attacking and defending Until he came across a cross section and lunged upward, planting one foot onto a branch flipping up to his feet.
Madara set his jaw, glaring at the trio as he bounded upward. Hashirama and him could never get on the same page. Shocked and even angered by his recent actions-running away he swarmed him in a frenzy of strikes and strokes. Razor thin and rapid flashes filled the room followed by the sound of screeching steel and wood being ripped apart as Madara twisted his blade just an inch from Daiki's side.
"Brat!" Daiki proclaimed darkly, batting aside a wide swing from him, turning sharply and deflected a well timed slash from Hasirama retaliating with a vicious swing smashing through his guard and sending him skidding back.
They charged again, spurred by emotion. Propelled by chakra. Intensified with grit.
Sasuke resisted their charge, scything his sword forward in a narrow arc, he was met with resistance, just missing cleaving into Daiki's neck. One. Two. Hashirama and Madara charged, chakra surging like wild waves, but he wasn't daunted in the least deflecting Hashirama's speedy and pointed barrage, and with the same measured efficiency deflected and dodged Madara's wild barrage
They all held their ground respective displays of strength while impressive didn't sway either of them in the least.
Mikito and Syrus tore through a horde of branches close by, throwing them back into conflict.
Mikito exerted her chakra out in crushing waves, ripping apart a segment of the forest as she shot towards Hashirama. She swung out with one hand, blade rocketing forward thirsty to sever his arm and spill blood.
Hashirama deftly sidestepped the attack.
Hashirama found himself hard pressed, stepping back from the assault Mikito swarmed upon him. While he was blocking and deflecting stroke after stroke, punch after punch, kick after kick, Mikito's attacks were ferocious and sporadic, but well timed and though he could heal himself with ease her hits hurt bad and made every contact point pulsate and vibrate.
She rocketed forward, swiping for his head, forcing him to pivot and swivel. Hashirama swung from just as Mikito's sheath tore forward, their weapons collided with a deafening pop, screeching and wailing, the two of them pushing against each other for supremacy.
Mikito broke the stalemate, darting forward slamming her forehead against his own, sending him sliding back across the ground away from her.
Hashirama eyed Mikito warily. A fine stream of blood strayed between his eyes, forcing him to blink. He focused for a moment, pressing chakra upward, the wound sizzling as it slowly closed leaving just a small streak of blood where it had been.
Mikito attacked again...
Hashirama anticipated the quick slash, rapidly deflecting it with a powerful swipe of his own, but couldn't block her fist from smashing across his jaw, threatening to break the bone in two and force teeth down his throat. He hastily shifted his footing, fist clenching as he swung back. Mikito quickly blocked it with another punch. Hashirama pivoted, using the quick motion to speed off to the side, before rebounding with a quick spring throwing himself back at Mikito and slamming a punch across her jaw.
He winced to himself.
They dodged and parried the other's frenzied and high paced assault. Countering each other just at the last possible second going back into a mad dash The sheer attack force and ferocity of Mikito battered into Hashirama's defenses, but didn't knock them aside no matter how furious the strikes were. He couldn't maintain defensive... Every strike he blocked jarred his bones, sending a dull pulse from the contact point, and every stroke of her sword and sheath he blocked sent shock waves through his wrists and arms.
Hashirama strained, teeth clenching as blood rushed from his busted gums. Ignoring the pain and sizzle of smoke, he exerted his chakra outwards in a gushing wave, clashing with Mikito blow for blow, strike for strike, stroke for stroke.
He swayed passed her sheath, taking advantage of the opening and slammed his fist into her face sending him screaming back.
Mikito quickly rebounded, in a flash she tore through the air with a corkscrew and with ferocity slammed her blade into his own, forcing his feet to purchase and teeth to grit. She smirked for a moment, slackiening her strength for the barest of moments and gripped him by the throat, ramming her knee right into his nose until there was a loud crunch and heaved him up with ease, smashing him through the hordes of branches right next to her sending up a plum cloud.
Daiki frowned, dashing forward, and as he predicted Mikito attacked first striking out with a tight swing of her saya. He narrowly ducked under it, sliding into her guard and stabbed forward. Mikito glided around him as he soared passed her left side, slamming into Madara, Sasuke, and Syrus.
"Why do you keep running?" Mikito demanded darting after Hashirama.
"I don't want to fight you. I don't make a habit out of hitting women, even if they are extremely powerful." He never hit a girl or woman, even if they were a kunoichi or shinobi-the terms could be gender specific but often specified in what one specialized in. Shinobi did general duties, fighting, etc, while Kunoichi were into seduction. A man could be a kunoichi by definition, and a woman a shinobi by definition. Though, the second was a rarity in this era. Regardless, though, he didn't make a habit out of hitting women. "Did you not get the message I sent you?"
Mikito growled, glaring at him. No wonder Madara resented Hashirama so much. Sanctimonious, priggish, self righteous little prick. She shifted her stance, bringing her saya close to her side as she leaned a bit more forward. Another message? What was it this time? Another vague thing, just meant to toy with her emotions... Hashirama enjoyed playing games, and she didn't enjoy playing games. "Why would I read that in the first place, you glib fool! You had your chance and you blew it!"
Hashirama winced, whether from the pain in his side, the gash that was split into his skull, the cut stretching from his bicep to his forearm which was healing, or her... Eyes, the look in them. He couldn't quite place it, but it made every hair on his body stand up. He still winced nonetheless. Wiping the blood from between his eyes. Was it too late now? "I wasn't vague this time!" He said in his defense, a bit hastily. "Mikito-"
"You keep making all of these risks and for what Hashirama? One man can only be so stupid!" Mikito glowered at him, heat rushing to her face. It wasn't tears, but fury. Rage. Pure and distilled. Did he think the world revolved around him, revolved around the Senju!? The fucking Senju!? Did he think he was impressive making stupid decisions? "What is it that you could want that you wish to speak to me, the 'Witch' about?" Very few people could be so... Resolved... Or stupid in their decisions and life. Not many people went out of their way to speak to her or any of her kinsmen. People always left them alone. Save for marriage proposals and the Shimura's recent escapade nobody was stupid enough to get near her or the Domou.
Here Hashirama was doing just that.
"For peace! For my dream!" Hashirama replied with finality, eyes glowing with conviction. "I admit I made a mistake, I shouldn't have been so vague, I was wrong to treat you in such a manner... I should have been honest... But, if you will hear me out I swear..."
For peace...Mikito fell silent as she let the thought pass. Hashirama couldn't be doing all of this just for the sake of peace... And, if he was, it meant that there was no person he would sacrifice to attain that peace... Whether it was his brother, wife, child, friend, even an infant... It didn't matter so long as there was peace, no matter how temporary.
Peace was impossible, there'd always be conflict... So long as everyone held different ideals they'd clash over them, argue over them, dispute them in a false sense of duty and honor...
But unity... Unity was true peace. Regardless of ideals held by everyone, regardless of their own thoughts there'd be a common ground, there'd be reciprocation...
Her visage becoming ghastly. Hashirama... Couldn't be so short sighted... Couldn't be so dogmatic...
Hashirama tensed, hairs all over his body standing up on end.
Tobirama shook the sand from his hair as he righted himself up turning with a light glare directed at his foe. Izuna. "Izuna..."
"I couldn't shake the stench of Senju..." Izuna said with a hateful expression. "You can't die soon enough, damn tree huggers."
"You Uchiha." Tobirama hissed darkly. He took notice of several small cuts marring his form, they weren't exactly deep more like little razor thin cuts, but their pain was nagging and persistent.
Izuna flourished driving Tobirama back from the beginning with swift strokes. He was known for his kenjutsu skills, dexterity, and could duel Madara to a stalemate and was in every sense his equal. His kenjutsu was marked with deadly precision, dexterity, and power But, Tobirama blocked each blow, two, three at a time dancing with Izuna.
One. Two. Two, one. Tobirama sped the tempo sweeping wide, Izuna shifted his footing parrying the strike arms already in motion blocking the second attack that followed near instantaneously after the first. Izuna retreated back with a back flip, trying to distance himself, but Tobirama was swift and closed the distance driving him back.
Izuna spun about, switching his grip seamlessly. Two razor concise strokes coming forward, one from the side which was deflected, the second Tobirama speedily ducked under, sliding through his guard evading the attack completely, however Izuna swiveled swiping his sword in one fluid motion, and Tobirama scarcely dodged the attack putting some distance between them.
"What was that supposed to be?" Izuna asked, his tone hold a mocking edge to it. Tobirama paid his words no heed, his focus only on his sword's movements as he blocked swiftly and fluidly, not letting Izuna break through his tight guard.
One. Two. Three. Four. Four steps.
Izuna closed their gap, taking a more conservative approach and stabbed forward aiming for Tobirama's side. Tobirama quickly dodged the stroke, shifting to the right and balanced himself, blocking another attack this time an overhead slash followed by another stab, each time his balance shifted by the smallest centimeter.
A smirk crossed Izuna's face. Shift an inch. Another inch. Half an inch... Little by little he positioned his blade towards his right shoulder, and he advanced forward with a quick wrist movement, the blade nearly tore Tobirama's shoulder bypassing his armor.
Tobirama shifted his weight from the side upward, skewing Izuna's stab by just a few inches-a few inches was all he needed. He shot forward, moving with a thrust, Izuna jumped away from Tobirama landing but a couple more feet away.
Izuna sprung forward, momentum spurring him off to the side just a few degrees as he tucked his knee angling down towards his foot. Tobirama easily evaded the attack, but was once again hard pressed.
Damn it... Tobirama observed, watching Izuna glide against his attacks, his speed just enough to overcome Izuna's dexterity. My attacks while refined and precise are anticipated...His Sharingan is reading all of my movements... He tensed, narrowing his stance as Izuna landed but a few feet away from him-there couldn't be more than two or so feet separating them.
No matter how precise and nonlinear his attacks were, no matter how he skewed them by the barest inch to change their trajectory, he Izuna was reading into them and anticipating them. He'd need to slip passed his guard somehow, or...
Damn the Sharingan. Damn the Mangekyo Sharingan.
"What's the matter, Senju?" Izuna sneered. It was filled with malice. "Losing breath already?
"Your arrogance will be your downfall." Tobirama said, there was a warning in his tone. His breaths were much faster than before.
"How like you, Tobirama." Izuna said darkly, exclaiming his point with a quick hack from the side.
Tobirama shifted his footing, blocking the stroke with the upper most part of his blade, gritting his teeth... His eyes locked with Izuna.
"Suiton! Tatsumaki!"
"Katon! Taika Dansu!"
Damn the Sharingan...
Carnage and mayhem swept through the landscape like a hell storm consuming and enveloping everything in its terrifying and unflinching embrace. Everyone traveling took note of the spiraling and jutting forest, the streams of fire, spheres of wind, and staccato of jutsus clashing sending ripples of force outwards; and halted in their trek finding the nearest village or safest place to seclude themselves until the fighting subsided. Pillars of earth and walls of lightning were completely destroyed the fragments of the monuments littering the ground, and spreading outwards in radical storms sending several large chunks of debris skittering across the ground tearing gouges in their wake.
Yuko sped through an explosion, On both sides of her were the bodies of hundreds of shinobi maybe even thousands. Their limbs severed splayed on the ground several feet away from the rest of their body-what remained of their body for some. More shinobi were pursuing her, and she didn't care to check which clan they were from.
The light thud of sandals tapping the once compact earth signaled another lunge for her head. She had killed several shinobi along the way here most of them either too hateful and resolved to even think of running away or they wanted all the glory. They were now corpses on the floor. It was the same down the board.
"Usagi, die you bitch!" Yuko whirled around upon hearing the name, spotting who had been lunging for her battling a few feet away from her. His blade was cut down the middle as he went for a stab, his posture seemed a bit off. He had a slight hunch. That's when she seen the unmistakable blade protruding from his back and a pair of jade eyes locking onto her.
"You have actually come here..." Usagi said with a low tone as she retracted her arm, blade squelching against flesh as it was torn free the shinobi's body thudding away carelessly as she set her sights on Yuko. "You surprise me, Yuko."
"Usagi..." Yuko acknowledged her with an incline of her head, expression hardening as she shifted her stance. It had been a while since she clashed with this short woman, and she wasn't going to drop her guard now. "Why is it such a surprise that I'm here?"
"You don't strike me as one who enjoys conflict." Usagi replied in an honest tone.
It was true. She didn't enjoy conflict or killing, but she had no choice. "Maybe you're wrong."
"It's all in your eyes."
Usagi focused for a second, chakra surging through her augmenting her strength and reflexes. She readied herself, body coiling like a snake about to strike, she lunged with a quick shift of her back foot.
Yuko slashed and stabbed forward skewing her trajectory by a few inches, Sharingan glowing as it anticipated and gave her openings, hoping to press Usagi back and force her on the defensive she increased her speed.
However, nobody took the art of kenjutsu as serious as Usagi, and it showed. she lashed out with a quick and precise stroke aiming high, her blade moving around her as if it was a barrier. Yuko, somehow attacked in total sync with her keeping Usagi's vicious assault barely at bay with carefully placed blocks, jumping away whenever the shorter girl managed to slide into her guard.
Yuko swung forward, pressing forward off the ball of her left foot. Usagi turned swiftly in a show of grace blocking the blow, gritting her teeth as she pushed forward both struggling against each other. Yuko jumped up and back avoiding the slash that came for her arm, snapping her hand out with brute force slamming her blade against Usagi's.
Usagi lashed out towards Yuko with a quick barrage. Yuko spun and twisted blocking the dizzying barrage that had her tomoes spinning furiously, countering with his own powerful slashes. However, Usagi's defenses weren't battered by the powerful strokes, she countered, blocked, and deflected blow after blow.
Yuko found herself stepping back from the assault. While she was blocking and dodging the other strikes raining on her from the shorter girl, Usagi was very very quick and her attacks never took on the same pattern as before.
Yuko swung forward just as Usagi''s blade skewed passed her face, their two pushing against each other, finally the stalemate broke sending both sliding across the ground in a shower of agonizing sparks.
They were vicious in their assaults as they tried cut each other down. Usagi was swift, moving seamlessly, while Yuko was versatile moving in tandem with the shorter girl. Defenses were tested with powerful hacks and slashes, both countering and deflecting. Usagi spun, holding out one arm as she blocked the blade skewing for her side and with a rapid flick of her wrist sent a stab forward.
As the minutes minutes dragged on feeling like hours, the fight was growing into a stalemate or so it seemed. Yuko continued to bash and batter at Usagi's tight knit defenses while Usago countered the vicious blows parrying, ducking, pivoting and swaying passed the ones that shaved too close. Yuko deflected the brutal strokes up and to the side, but the kinetic force behind the blows shocked her system.
Usagi would dive in, but Yuko's timely slashes and jabs kept her from seizing the moment and soon stepping back.
Usagi dashed forward with a two hand grip and swung down, Yuko easily evaded the strike, but didn't anticipate Usagi shifted rapidly again gathering power and sprung forward.
Yuko strained, turning against her.
"Ahiko..."
"Usagi..." Ahiko said in a low tone, deflecting the tip of her blade before it sunk into Yuko's chest. "I'm sorry to keep you waiting so long." She turned towards Yuko with a tight gaze. "Go."
Yuko nodded. She owed so much to her, so much she couldn't begin to fathom it. To give back for her patience, kindness, and teachings. She was beyond just her teacher, beyond a surrogate sister... She was like the mother she never had. The one person who backed her when nobody else would, who could read her thoughts without ever having to say a word, who would listen to her worries and gripes without ever complaining. She was always there, listening, smiling. And, now this was the second time Ahiko saved her skin, she would never be able to repay her...
"I got it!" Yuko said with finality before dashing away.
Ahiko set her sights on Usagi, shifting forward. "It seems Yuko has caught your fancy."
"She is quite skilled." Usagi said honestly, clasping her hilt tightly as she shifted her stance so it was more narrow.
"Of course." Ahiko grinned slightly. "I've trained her myself."
Usagi scowled for a moment, bursting forward great speed. Ahiko held the reach edge over both of them, she transitioned seamlessly, twirling her spear in a wild and elaborate fashion constantly pressing and keeping Usagi guessing never pausing too long.
Usagi batted aside the dizzying array of attacks countering with her own swiftness, surging kinetic energy and chakra forward.
Ahiko's eyes widened briefly. The gap closed, her instincts flaring as she dropped into crouch, hearing the tell tale cutting sound of Usagi's blade gliding above her. Now crouched, Ahiko let her chakra soar, one foot slammed into the ground as she extended in a heartbeat spear rocketing towards Usagi in one gleaming blur. Usagi spun passed the blitzing attack, wind and water gusting against the side of her face.
With deft speed and ferocity Ahiko pressed her attack without pausing swinging viciously and in elaborate patterns pressing Usagi to swivel and jump, but the shorter girl was quick and able to dodge them by the barest inch, battering the menacing spearhead aside. She ducked under another swipe, just avoiding the side of Ahiko's spear, lashing out violently. Still in mid move, Ahiko grunted shifting her footing and swiping down. Her shaft met Usagi's blade, halting its trajectory, forcing the shorter girl to jump back.
Ahiko finally mistimed a block. Usagi seized her moment scything forward, putting on a sudden burst of speed. Ahiko grunted, straining as her arms tightened and her muscles swelled. Violently she swung her shoulder to the side, glancing behind her as Usagi rebounded in a heart beat leaping up into the air with a dark expression marring her face.
Eyes narrowing, Ahiko turned his focus upward. Usagi was several meters above her, rocketing down dozens of miles per second. Her blade gleaming as she cut across. Usagi... With one lunge, Ahiko propelled herself upward, rain battering against her face and body. "HAAAHH!" They both shouted, Usagi swiping down with her blade, changing her grip so the blade was completely pointing down.
Ahiko swung her spear in a tight arc, sweeping upward with a small diagonal twist. She soaked in the sparks that showered around her, staring into those fierce jade eyes for a moment.
"Heh... Heh... You're as good as always..." Usagi's voice was chipper, it was taking everything she had to keep from smiling. "I wasn't going to kill the girl, I just wanted to test her again." She smirked once, eyes darting off to the side.
"Looks like we're needed elsewhere at the moment." Ahiko's eyes narrowed. More Sarutobi and Hyuga were starting to swarm around. "Let's postpone this, for now."
"So it seems." Usagi agreed with a small nod. "I'll be back for you, though!"
"I'm counting on it."
Upon their landing they were faced down with at least three hundred shinobi. Judging from their attire they hailed from the Hyuga and Sarutobi clan. There were Hageshii and Shainingu in the mix. Surging with they bounded forward still in their own conflict, sidestepping a rocketing orb of lightning with practical ease. The air itself hissed as the orb tore through the ground with vigorous pluck, their footwork clean and concise making short work of their would be attackers.
With another quick flip Souji cleaved through the attacking Hyuga's neck, sending his body down with a loud thud.
The ground erupted beneath him. Cracking slowly until it finally gave way completely clouding his vision with dense and rock filled smoke. Thanks to years of experience and extreme reflexes Souji lunged up with a powerful burst of kinetic energy just avoiding the violent torrent of lightning. Where he previously was standing shattered into thousands of pieces, caving in on itself and falling into the blackness of the fissure, clay and ground blasted out in every direction hurled by the velocity of explosion.
He searched for the attacker as he shot downward towards a rather large branch.
Now I got you! Haji charged forward with one leap, swiping forward. A low grunt escaped him as his precise stab was blocked swiftly by Souji.
Bodies augmented with chakra they dashed and spun around the other's sttacks over and through each other's strokes. Gracefully gliding as they dodge fire and water from nearby, deflecting the blades whenever it came too close. Using precise cuts and slashes Souji pressed, aiming to tear through his guard, scything his blade forward. Haji swayed passed the decisive attack, spinning a complete seven hundred and twenty degrees colliding with Souji.
Souji deflected the well times strokes, scything forward in blinding bursts, his speed making him appear as a black shadow blending in with the steady fall or rain. He slashed downward and was met with great resistance from Haji's blade.
Souji dodged and parried the savage barrage, countering with his own slashes and pressing the attack. The sheer attack force and savage pace Haji spurred forward was hard to deal with. Rather than getting defensive he got offensive, clashing with Haji in a vicious display of power and wills.
Haji let out another shout, slamming his blade against Souji's, the force driving both of them back and forcing their feet to purchase as a shock wave erupted between them pulsing through the air and ground. Haji dashed in once more with a stab, Souji spun away to the right, swiveling sharply and putting another burst of speed, swiping at Haji with his blade, which Haji deflected.
Souji grunted, closing the distance between them once again, throwing a blinding series of slashes and stabs, spinning and gusting against Haji, but Haji dodged and ducked under the attacks at the last second, spinning rapidly and swinging the back of his fist forward smashing it across Souji's chin. He completed her spin, snapping his blade down smacking away Souji's calculated swipe, but couldn't dodge the fist that slammed across the side of his face.
Souji surged forward, kneeing him in the center of his sternum, the force driving them both back. Haji was quick and landed a blow to his stomach with a quick punch, both jumped away from the other.
Haji shot forward, trying to overwhelm him, but Souji pivoted and spun around the blinding blitz of attacks, slamming his knee into Haji's stomach as his fist connected with his face.
Souji was already before him goingon the attack in an instant, already seeing the next attack come before it was even thrown. Haji dashed away from him once more, slamming his fist across Souji's jaw as his fist collided with jaw, snapping their bodies to the side as they went flying back.
Haji quickly flipped away from Souji, raising his leg just in time to block a thunderous kick, his shin vibrating from the started spinning and pivoting rapidly again, building power and speed. He dodged Haji's punch that would have slammed right into his nose, lashing out with a quick blitz of strokes in rapid succession. Haji held his ground blocking the blows that came too close, gritting his teeth as the impact slammed into his bones, shaking his head once as he halted Souji's blade from skewing into his neck.
"Come on, Souji!" Haji roared.
He dashed forward forward performing a series of rapid slashes and hacks, gliding into Soujis guard and ramming an elbow against his jaw chin, and followed up with a wicked kick to the side. He didn't let up his offensive tempo, pressing, and pressing, he grunted swinging his blade forward, Souji snarled slamming his blade into Haji's forcibly pressing the attack back.
"Is that all Haji!?" Souji sprung forward, already anticipating the attack,sliding under his arm and elbowed Haji in the stomach driving him back, ducking down to avoid the timely punch. He lunged forward again, dodging his dizzying barrage of kicks and punches tanking a few and feeling blood rush out of his mouth, he smirked swaying passed a vicious knee and smashed his fist into Haji's stomach.
"Not even close!" Haji growled out. Boar. Dragon. He firmed his stance, channeling his chakra like a torrential wave forcing it towards his hands until lightning shrouded his vision and crackled against his ear. "Raiton! Kaminari Yari!"
Souji hastily flashed through two hand seals as the burning streak of lightning shot towards him, tearing a gash into the ground as it arced towards him. Dragon. Bird. "Futon! Kaze no shōheki!"
"Is that the best you can do, Hashirama!?" Mikito demanded heatedly.
"I've told you-"
"Stop running away, Senju!" Daiki and Sasuke roared nearly in unison.
Sasuke sent a series of fireballs forward.
Daiki sent waves of lightning forward.
Syrus flourished driving Madara and Sasuke. His attack style was characterized wild attack patterns and acrobatics, something born out of chaos and honed to a fine point, it looked sloppy and like he was just making random motions, but everything led to the next in perfect order. He utilized this with deadly precision moving in a tight half hemisphere. But, Madara and Sasuke blocked each blow, two, ten at a time dancing around him as Hashirama spurred forward clashing with Daiki and Mikito. They all collided several times before dispersing as their battles took them across the terrain.
One. Two. Two, one. Syrus sped up his tempo sweeping wide and spinning on his shoulders, Daiki shifted his footing parrying the strike arms already in motion blocking the second attack that followed near instantaneously after the first and struck out with a chakra imbued palm. Syrus retreated back with a back flip, trying to distance himself, but Daiki was swift and closed the distance driving him back only to collide with Mikito and get tossed to the side like a rag doll.
He spun about, two razor concise strokes coming forward, one from the side which was deflected, the second Madara speedily ducked under, sliding through his guard evading the attack completely, however Syrus swiveled twirling around in one fluid motion, and Madara scarcely dodged the attack lashing out with his gunbai poised for Hashirama's skull.
"Surely you can do better than that?" Syrus asked, his tone hold a mocking edge to it. Daiki nor Madara paid his words no heed, their focus only on his erratic movements as he blocked swiftly and struck out fluidly, not letting them break through his guard.
Hashirama slashed sideways turning into his attack with poise the attack was extremely swift, aimed right for Mikito's kneecap. Mikito jumped off of the ground, chakra erupting around her allowing him to bound up several dozen feet easily, but Sasuke had been expecting as much, and snapped his hand out with a blade gleaming and poised.
Mikito had little time to react. Managing to scythe one arm up with her sheath clasped tightly before the impact slammed into her threatening to carry her off. She slammed a hard punch into his mouth, forcing a pain snarl to boom from the back of his throat as he swiped at her, fist colliding with her chin sending her rolling off to the side.
Madara's blade stabbed through where Hashirama had previously been standing, splinters flew overhead as branches and trunks caved in on themselves. The tan skinned Senju deftly leapt away as Daiki crashed into the trunks he had been standing on, a loud groan echoed around them. Madara easily yanked his blade clean from the contorted wood, evading Daiki's high paced barrage of palms.
Syrus sprung in his steps, wildly spinning around Mikito and Sasuke lunging onto his hands and quickly spinning about. Mikito's strength was titanic and her attacks were just too ferocious and elegant to clash against, especially at this close a range, and Sasuke's attacks while deliberate skewed off enough not to be totally linear. He could match her, he could force Sasuke back, making one small pivot, one wild spin, one sudden flip, deftly blocking or deflecting her attacks and raining strikes down on Sasuke before he could even take a breath.
"You shouldn't drop your guard!" Daiki sneered with malice, surging forward, clashing blades with Syrus as Madara and Hashirama stormed through both dispersing for reprieve.
"Ugh!" Hashirama staggered back from Mikito's thunderous punch to his chest, deftly dodging the shuriken that Sasuke had poised for his eye. He craned his head up, and once again dodged at blitzing strike from Mikito, sliding to a stop and slashing forward narrowly blocking her follow up attack.
He firmed his stance, maneuvering his blade with careful swings not using more strength or leverage than what he absolutely needed; Mikito attacked him from every possible angle and direction, but no attack could penetrate his guard, they battered his bones, shocked his nervous system, and forced him to grit his teeth but they didn't break through his defense.
"Do you think your little trees can stop me?! You underestimate me!" Mikito roared as she smashed through the sudden forest that surged her way, and braced as Hashirama collided with her, the impact driving them both back leaving trenches in their wake. Mikito violently wrapped her arms around his waist and flung herself back letting Hashirama go halfway down sending him crashing spine first through a nearby tree sending blood flying from the back of his throat.
Does she hate me? Hashirama wondered, painfully.
Syrus tested Madara, bashing forward and from the sides. His massive blade giving him a small edge with range and width turning simple strokes into battering smashes, each one drove Madara back step by step, but he maintained his guard batting aside the massive blade that would have leveled any other Jedi.
Madara didn't maintain a defensive posture, never expending more energy than what he absolutely needed to, keeping his movements precise and coordinated not going for anything over the top. "Haaa!" He exclaimed twirling about until he merged into a blur, his form shifting passed the massive blade, his blade carving trails in the air as it shot forward towards Syrus's neck.
Daiki reacted in an instant, not allowing Madara to fllow through with his attack, he spun around him, sword lashing out in rapid succession completing the other half hemisphere to Syrus's and Madara's other halves. His weight shifted, chakra surging through him he shifted his footing he continued pressing his attack and slashed up from his hip in a tight slanted curve. Syrus evaded with a powerful leap, while Madara simply jumped back a few meters.
One. Two. Three. Six. Ten swift steps and Sasuke bridged their gap, taking a more aggressive approach and stabbed forward aiming for Syrus's left arm. Syrus batted the attack aside, shifting to the right but quickly balanced himself, blocking another attack from this time an overhead slash followed by another stab, and deftly spun against Mikito as she slammed forward with one mighty fist destroying everything within a mile radius reducing Hashirama's trees to only splinters. "You seem a little vexed there, Mikito" His statement was punctuated by powerful thrusts throwing up sparks around them as their blades pressed against each other.
A smirk crossed Sasuke's face,he had them right where he wanted them. Shift an inch. Another inch. Half an inch... He advanced forward with a quick flick of his wrist movement, his blade skewing passed Syrus, but grazing into Hashirama's shoulder.
Madara shifted his weight from the side upward, skewing Dooku's cut by just a few inches-a few inches was all he needed. He pressed forward, moving with a thrust, Sasuke jumped away violently rebounding and darting right towards him.
Damn Sarutobi were persistent.
"What's the matter Hashirama losing your pluck!?" Sasuke said as he beamed forward, momentum spurring him off to the side just a few degrees as he tucked his knees to his chest angling down towards him, and swiped towards him.
Mikito surged towards him, taking a quick step, forcing Sasuke back. Sasuke went in for a swift cut right across the left shoulder, but Mikito easily smacked it aside with her sheath, moving her wrists with rapid succession her blade seemingly surrounding her as sparks danced against her skin. Sasuke copied her, aiming to outpace her.
Power would be needed of course, but he'd need more than just power. He needed finesse. He needed ferocity. Sasuke shifted his footing once again, pressing into Mikito's guard and heaved forward using what little leverage he gained, it was exactly what Mikito wanted. She spun sharply to her left breaking their pushing contest abruptly.
One. Two. Three. Four. Seven. Ten. Ten strokes in the span of a few seconds, Mikito blurred in and out of sight slamming Sasuke's defense with renewed vigor.
The first attack was blocked, followed by the second being blocked an instant later, the third one came arcing up from the Sasuke hip, Mikito deftly dodged the skin on her face growing cold, and just as quickly he attacked Mikito swept back in her transition effortlessly. Hashirama dashed in, an opening clear and visible-it was small but he'd be able to incapacitate Mikito hopefully.
"Too slow!" Mikito shouted, snapping one arm forward all the way. Hashirama braced himself for the impact, his bones jarring reaching their breaking point. Trying to ride with it as he was launched off of his feet, he clenched his teeth landing back first on the ground with a horrid thud.
"Is that all you've got, Hashirama!?" Mikito demanded, eyes narrowing and body shifting as the hordes of trees surged towards her with more velocity, ferociously trying to wrap around her. Teeth grit, focusing with all of her mental prowess and discipline, she let her chakra loose in a violent wave shredding through his attack with ease and mowing down the trunks he stood on forcing him to jump away.
Madara chuckled darkly, spotting an opening in Sasuke's guard, with his body still bounding, he swung around to his right, sickle darting through the air.
With a leap Sasuke flipped, sailing through the air and twisting out, Hashirama still free falling, Madara's sickle poised for his head. He grunted, the blade sheared through his flesh leaving a fine, shallow cut, lunging off of his left leg, Sasuke shifted against him, twisting his blade out and stabbed forward. Madara blocked the attack, slamming his blade into Sasuke's.
Sasuke smirked arrogantly, adjusting his footing, the small movement forcing Madara to shift back several steps.
"Why not fight me?" Sasuke goaded, halting Madara's march forward with some effort. It would come down to this, a test of superiority a test of wills and strength, where only the fraction of an inch would be the greatest factor-just as they both wanted it to be. Madara pivoted, swiveling his sickle forward at the the same time, knocking Sasuke off balance, while he staggered, Daiki took the opening and rammed straight into him-Sharingan anticipating the movement, and Syrus beamed into Sasuke shoulder first sending them both flying back across the terrain.
Hashirama was in mid attack when Mikito's stroke came, unexpected and surprised Hashirama shifted, the gleaming steel whistling passed him. His arm from the elbow joint would have been sliced off. He clenched his teeth, the pain bearable. His reflexes flared a second later, he dashed around her sheath, lashing out with a quick punch. Mikito smirked, ducking under the blow and smashed her shin clean across his ribs sending him into another one of his trees.
"Ngghh..." Hashirama strained, observing his arm which sizzled lightly, he felt little to no pain due in large part to his rapid healing, but the wound could have split his arm right down the middle.
He hissed-his ribs resetting themselves with a loud pop, and with wariness he turned to Mikito face contorting with concentration and observation. This was completely different than fighting Madara, while the Uchiha aimed to kill him, it wasn't in the same manner as Mikito. Her strength was titanic and she was so damn ferocious! She punched and kicked, kneed and elbowed, attacks came from any possible direction and impossible direction, her sheath and saya moved as if they were a part of her and nothing less. She was aiming to dismantle him completely starting with his fingers or knees, not just kill him.
He was hard pressed to not just defend, but to attack.. If he even took a breath Mikito would shove her blade down his throat and tear it back out. Every single time he blocked or collided with her strikes it sent shivers of pain up his bones, and though he easily healed himself these blows hurt.
No wonder Madara was so taken by her...
"What's the matter, Hashirama?" Mikito asked as she slid to a stop, halting her next attack almost on impulse. "Having a hard time with little ol' me..."
"I'll admit it..." Hashirama smiled lightly, nursing his side for a second as his ribs finished healing along with the rest of his wounds. "It's getting really rough."
Mikito smirked. "Let us continue."
Hashirama felt sweat dripping down the side of his face. If she managed to get a firm hold of him with either of her hands, she'd rip him in half like a piece of paper or rip him apart piece by piece. This is someone... He didn't want to fight. "But, I don't want to fight you!"
"Too damn bad!"
"Mikito!"
"Shut your fat mouth, Hashirama! Fight me!"
Mikito beamed forward, closing the distance that separated them, lashing out with a quick succession of strikes. Hashirama ducked and swayed under the blows, tanking a punch right to his mouth that split his gums. He grunted painfully, flaring his chakra and throwing himself away from Mikito with a quick lunge, at the same time Mikito parted her lips firing a quick spurt of about five dozen razor sharp spheres of wind.
Hashirama strained, dodging and swaying passed any that came too close, watching as his forest was leveled as each sphere exploded spreading outwards and towards the sky in wild cyclones.
Mikito let out an irate roar, slamming her forearm against Hashirama's own, the force driving both of them both into the ground as a shock wave erupted between them leveling the ground around them.
Mikito smirked and dashed in, Hashirama sped away to the side corkscrewing and looping away putting on another burst of speed, and sent a horde of trees her way, which Mikito bashed and smashed away with no effort once again, darting towards him with renewed vigor. Hashirama grunted, closing the distance between them in a heart beat, throwing a blinding cross.
Mikito glided passed the attack at the last second, spinning rapidly and swinging her sheath forward slamming it against Hashirama's blade, and snapped her right shin to the side smashing it against Hashirama's and halting his swift roundhouse kick-leaving an opening for an elbow.
She surged forward with a bountiful lunge, elbowing him across the face viciously extending her entire body as she made contact, but Hashirama was quick and landed a blow to her face with a punch, the crushing force exerted from their chakra and strikes caved the ground in forcing them both to away from the other.
Hashirama kneaded his forearms for a second, resisting the urge to knead his shin and focused his chakra towards the possibly chipped bone. "...You're really something else, Mikito. I've never underestimated my opponents... But, I may have underestimated you..." This is a lot more than I anticipated, but...
Maybe... Just maybe he could get Mikito to agree, or at least hear him out...
"Come on, Madara!" Syrus surged forward, the two clashing their blades against the other, pushing against the other to gain an edge. No matter how slight.
Madara angled her sickle downward, sweeping it to the side. Syrus jumped back avoiding the attack that would have cleaved into his ribcage, springing back towards Madara only to collide with Daiki as Sasuke swarmed Madara.
He lashed out with a barrage of brutal and swift attacks, hacking and slashing at Daiki's. The older Hyuga kept the assault at bay using the fast paced stabs and fluidity of his palm strikes to guide his own attacks skewing them off course by a few inches while also keeping an invisible barrier between the two of them.
Growing annoyed, Syrus surged more strength into his attacks slamming the precision of Daiki attacks aside, countering with a blitz forcing Daiki back. However Daiki wasn't easily daunted, surging chakra through his body he sprung and jumped over and around Syrus's brutal and fast paced barrage, deflecting the slashes when they came too close, and reared his blade towards Madara pale eyes glowering with hatred.
They clashed viciously Syrus continuing to go all out with his offensive attack trying to batter and smash through their tight defenses, Madara dancing and spinning around the fast paced frenzy finding rhythm in the chaos, and Sasuke and Daiki going back and forth before setting their focus back onto the two of them.
Madara gritted his teeth as he blocked the powerful blows-the kinetic energy not making him fall or stumble back.
Syrus jumped up and over Sasuke slashing down for Madara's head, but the Uchiha was quick and blocked the attack, shoving him aside with great effort. Soaring through the air Syrus flipped rapidly, slamming his feet on the ground and quickly kicked out with his legs using his stron arms to control and propel him across the ground. Madara scouted the attacks in an instant, swinging his blade down to deflect the massive blade of Syrus and swept out with a kick, battering it against Syrus's chin, gritted his teeth afterward as the full force traveled through him.
Madara was fluid yet powerful in combat, his sharp and dynamic footwork allowed him to push the tempo and dynamics of a the fight. He didn't have an erratic fighting style like himself but he was magnificent nonetheless. It was a true gift to see him in action. A true pleasure to clash with him, Especially now when he was surging with power moving in fractions of a second.
Nodding to himself Syrus went back on the attack. He dashed towards Madara, slashing down towards his neck. Madara slid to the side evading the blow, and Syrus sprung forward spinning one hundred and eighty degrees and stabbing forward. This time Madara raised his gunbai deflecting the stroke and jumped back and away forcing some distance between them.
Madara lunged forward, slashing down in a wide sweeping motion, analyzing Syrus very carefully. Madara waited until the last second to make his move, surging with power, he swept his legs around landing on his shoulders and violently spun himself around like a spinning top. Madara skewed his trajectory thrusting his sickle down towards him.
Strands of black flew over and around them as he cut through the left sleeve of Syrus's shirt. Madara drew his arm down to go on the attack once again. But, Syrus was already dashing inside his guard, slamming his shin across his chest, hard pressed Madara jumped back. On instinct Madara snapped his head to the side, growling as he felt the familiar heat and rush of fire shoot passed him.
"RAAAHHH!" Syrus screamed, swinging his blade downward, smashing it into Madara's gunbai and launching him back several feet. Madara grunted, struggling for purchase on the ground as his momentum didn't lessen. Sharingan glowing, he lunged back narrowly avoiding Syrus's blade as it gouged into the ground, tucking his legs, and extended them at the last second, he dug them into the earth forcing himself to a halt.
"Your style is something else." Madara said inclining his head as he spoke to Syrus, eyes darting off to the side where Mikito, Hashirama, Sasuke, and Daiki were locked in fierce combat. He flicked his eyes back onto Syrus, a smirk crossing his face. "However, you just tire yourself with so much unnecessary movements You know that as well as I do. I'll take a wild guess and say you're using random strikes to keep me off guard." He slowly set his jaw. Syrus's attack style was wild and crazy, it was one drawback of the Sharingan-it could predict and anticipate attacks with even the slightest muscle twitch, but Syrus's literally came from any and all directions. It could be disorienting.
"Heh..." Syrus chuckled, a small smirk crossing his face as he leveled a stare with Madara. "You are wrong about that one, Madara. Nothing I do is random, though it may look that way."
Madara narrowed his eyes.
"I say we're both beyond warmed up at this point..." Syrus's eyes gleamed, battle hunger and anticipation taking a firm grip. "How about you use that Mangekyo Sharingan and I'll use my Tochiton..."
Teeth clenched Madara analyzed Syrus carefully. His wild and long hair, his sharp features, those ghastly eyes, the small cuts and bruises dotting his form, the blood smearing his armor and splattered against his clothes.
The Mangekyo wasn't something to be used so rapidly, just activating it caused him unbearable pain, and then there was Susano'o which literally tore him apart... It wasn't pleasant, and he kept in reserve for when he was in a bind-normally when Hashirama managed to entangle him with his Mokuton. He wasn't so quick this time around with Syrus to activate it, the first time it was a direct challenge. He couldn't do it now. Even if he was tempted. He'd have no choice if Syrus started using his Tochiton, though...
"Syrus!" Hashirama landed beside him, eyes darting to Madara, and just as swiftly darted to Mikito as she landed next to him eyes locking onto his own.
"I'm fine." Syrus said with a clipped tone, glancing at Hashirama with narrowed eyes. The man looked worse for wear, with a long gash spreading across his skull leaking steadily with blood, there were a few cuts on his face, and several bruises dotted his body. The worst wound was the long gash, though it was slowly healing judging from the sizzling sound. "You're looking pretty beat up, Hashirama."
Hashirama nodded once, wiping blood away from his lips. "She's a lot stronger and tougher than I anticipated..."
"You made a mistake underestimating her." Syrus's tone was direct.
"I did..." Hashirama agreed. The pulsating pain in his bones was still very much prominent. He swore she must have broken at least four of his bones, for certain she broke his ribs at least twice now. At this rate, the land around here is going to be completely destroyed... It'd be best to pull back for now, but that may be too much to ask for... I'll just have to make an opening.
"Has he used his Tochiton?" Mikito asked Madara softly, eyes peering at Madara intensely as he observed the two men standing before them.
"Not yet..." Madara shifted his footing, tomoes slowly rotating counter clockwise. "But, he intends use it soon..."
Hashirama flashed through two hand seals. Tiger. Snake. The ground around him ruptured in on itself as he let his chakra soar, life force pulsating around him as powerful as his chakra, forcing trees and branches to rip themselves out of the ground coiling and twisting upwards before shooting forward rapidly picking up speed and density. "Mokuton! Jukai Kōtan!" His exclamation was punctuated by another forest that ripped across the terrain, fueled by his will and intensified by his chakra it shot out in every direction branches twisting and boles solidifying themselves as part of the earth. With this...
He's created an opening... Mikito noted silently, eyes scanning the forest that raced towards her with the same persistence Hashirama exuded. Tiger. Dragon. She sucked in her diaphragm, lungs filling and scorching as heat pitted itself in the belly of her core, rushing, churning, spreading, amplifying until it couldn't be contained any longer. It wouldn't be contained any longer and denied its glory.
Katon! Taika shawā! With a mental command, she parted her lips a fraction, letting the massive stream of fire bellow outwards from her core, slowly spreading itself out over a wide distance until it formed a massive wall sending several globs of flames spewing high above taking the form of oblong spheres.
BOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMM!
Their attacks collided with unfathomable force ripping the ground apart at its seams and sending waves of force billowing outwards from the point of contact forcing all of them back and away as the waves of force struck out without discrimination to who or what they hit, sending huge segments of the forest flying in every which direction scorching with bright red tails as they completed their trajectories ripping and gouging into the earth or being blasted to pieces by one of the oblong spheres.
Fire and wood mingled and danced struggling against each other; fire was ravenous and consume everything in its path without reprieve or thought. while wood was persistent and rooted, never budging but only swaying to maintain its posture.
Leaves were sent hurdling in dissipating clouds of ash as their branches and trunks withered against the omnipotent flames as the spheres crashed into them one after the next from above, splitting through their foundations and tearing the roots out from the ground forcing them to topple over against their superior force, spilling the burning remnants across the landscape sending some burning projectiles as far as ten miles high and four miles around before they dissipated into the rainfall leaving only smoking trails and a thick cloud of smoke and debris that wouldn't be shaken off.
And...
Just like shadows they all dispersed, blanketed in the cloak of darkness... Leaving only ruins, a burning forest, carnage, and devastation as the only signs of their presence.
Just like shadows... They vanished.