"Tough guys like you usually leave their blood all over this forest."
Anko Mitarashi
The battle had been drawing out for hours now.
Their battle was drawing out even longer.
The myriad of predators and prey that came barreling through the area were too numerous in number, and too frequent to even get a gauge on. They were huge, fast, hungry, and irate that there was so much commotion in their territories. So they got involved in the battle, tearing sinew and muscle, shredding skin and tendons, and crushing bones with the greatest of ease.
Screams echoed. Roars reverberated. It all blended in until it was a staccato of distortion and noise. The ground shook as mammoth beasts, teeth razor sharp, their might so immense they ripped trees clean out of the ground, quickly sought destruction. Several centipedes-hundreds of feet in length smashed their way through the dense walls of vegetation-fangs clicking with a sucking sound as venom dripped free.
Nobody was safe. Predator. Prey. Hyuga. Subatsu.
It was a battle for survival. Pride. Honor. Nothing mattered.
The blood between his eyes was but an after thought.
Through the first hundreds of thousands of sequences, Syrus realized Daiki had been holding something in reserve...Just as he, and everyone else-at least worth their salt, does. However, Daiki had been prudent enough to store his reserves in the early stages of this battle. He was witnessing Daiki's true ability. It wasn't just the Byakugan or the Sixty Four Trigrams-through training and dedication, Daiki was able to have no blind spot. He didn't have that one small blind spot that all Hyuga-Main or Branch, had.
He was able to defend himself and repel the Hyuga's assault, for all its fierceness the Hyuga's fighting style was still rather soft and focused on redirecting, as opposed to brute force and bone breaking power. The Hyuga's fighting style was also more evasive than most, they'd sway and duck, spin and twist, all the while striking pressure points and chakra points.
Daiki grunted in surprise when Syrus pressed him back, not once, but twice, then stepped back to regroup. He had came in hard and fast, all of his focus on Syrus's Tenketsu, expecting to end their battle quickly with a lethal dose of finger and palm strikes. Now he had to reevaluate his strategy. While Syrus's fighting style was something like chaos, his strength was horrendous and sometimes it was better to dodge his attacks than to block them.
Syrus lunged. The air crackled with the clang and cling, the boom and thud of blades and limbs striking several thousand dozen times in the space of two heartbeats.
Daiki would have been smashed and bashed had he tried to react to each move individually. Instead he simply shifted his footwork, flowing the chaos of Syrus's offense and defense, for every powerful swipe the wild haired man took at him he'd weave or sway-evading the attack by the fraction of a centimeter.
Daiki went on the attack, torso swinging round as his palms formed storms around his body. He drove Syrus back with furious slashes of his sword, and vicious swipes of his palms forcing the younger man into a frenzied offense, refusing to be backpedaled by his onslaught. He flipped back and out through the opening in a rock ledge into the path beyond, but Sytus was relentless and charged forward, coming within an inch of landing a crippling blow to the Hyuga's leg.
His strike was turned aside at the last second, but Syrus quickly followed it up with another series of spins and flips, his legs lashing out every which direction, his hands blurring from supporting his body to attacking and back and forth again. Daiki was forced to continue giving ground, pushed back by the intense tempo of Syrus's onslaught.
He changed tactics, switched forms, flared his chakra, but Syrus anticipated, reacted, and met him head on.
The battle rejoined, Syrus pressed himself back. Without proper training, even he'd unable to anticipate the unfamiliar sequences of the Hyuga's signature fighting style. His mind flooded with a million options of what Daiki may do, and he had more than enough experience to draw on to eliminate any of them. However, Daiki was vehement in his attacks, and didn't give him much time to do anything other than breathe.
The leader of the Hyuga was unyielding in his pressure. He seemed to wield sixteen arms rather than two. He attacked with a strange rhythm designed to keep his foe whipping his head from one way to the next, coming in with one blade high and his palm coming in low, striking out at odd angles. Syrus slammed his fists into the man's palms, and traded shin shots. He was fighting now with a single purpose: totally dominate and destroy.
Battling through the thick branches and plexus of vegetation that climbed as high as the clouds, they rounded a sharp corner-to bring them flying at one another. In the instant it took Daiki to recognize where they were, Syrus jammed his shoulder into the Hyuga's torso. He folded the man's body around him, and still airborne, threw him with both arms, smashing him right through a patch of rock and earth.
Daiki rolled out from the debris, dropped into a crouch, and faced Syrus.
He responded by using his own chakra to first knock Syrus backward. The fall would have broken his neck, or at the very least shifted a bone in his arm or a leg, causing it to protrude, but Daiki wrapped himself in chakra. Even so, when he made impact with the ground his shoulder was torn with a huge cut, and the wind was knocked out of him.
"I will never stop." Daiki said, voice growing low and dark. "The Byakugan sees everything, nothing can escape it, and it surpasses the Sharingan and Mangekyo Sharingan. I will kill you. Better to end it now."
"I agree." Syrus replied, hurling out the wave of pure chakra.
There was nothing subtle about his attack: the massive shock wave shook the very foundations of the great earthen structure beside them. The concussive blast had more than enough power to crush every last bone, and rip every last sinew in Daiki's body, but at the last possible instant he threw up a shield with a quick flourish of his arms.
BOOOOOOOOM!
Unfortunately, Daiki couldn't shield his surroundings, and the shield he had thrown up only caused more destruction, hastening the inevitable. The earthen exploded into great chunks of rubble. The lofty cliff collapsed in a shower of dirt, clay, and stone burying Daiki beneath tons of debris. A second later the rest of the structure caved in, drowning out the Hyuga's screams with a deafening rumble.
Syrus watched the spectacle of the earthen structure's implosion from the safety of the ground several feet away. Billowing clouds of dust, dirt, and pebbles rolled out from the wreckage and down the stairs toward him in long curling sweeps. His muscles heavy with lactic acid, and the slight tinge of burning in his lungs starting to set in, Syrus stood there until he was covered in a layer of brown powder.
He stood to his feet. Reaching out with his chakra sense, he sought after some sign that Daiki might still be alive beneath the mountain of debris.
"Today is the day you die by my hand! Syrus!" Daiki roared, just inches from Syrus's face. At the same time, the twenty white‐robed Hyuga rushed in from behind him and the sides.
Like all shinobi, one of the first techniques Hyuga learned was the creation of a chakra barrier. Channeling chakra, they could form a protective shield around themselves to negate the attacks of their enemies. But if an opponent was strong enough, a concentrated attack could still breach the barrier. The second technique was the cloning technique-a simple technique in nature, but more refined one wouldn't be able to tell the difference between the clone and the original.
Four of the Hyuga were stopped in their tracks, knocked across the ground as if they had run into an invisible wall. Syrus lunged forward to close the gap, a deep snarl reverberating from the back of his throat, and with brute force he punched a hole through one of his attacker's skulls, sending the blood splatter skyward. Five more were sent flying backward, with the sixth and seventh sent reeling into tree trunks close by.
As Daiki glided towards him in a single long, graceful gait; arm brimming with chakra. Syrus caught him by the wrist, teeth gritting as he kept the invasive chakra at bay.
"Is that all you've got...?" Syrus grunted through clenched teeth, starting to feel his foe's wrist bones buckle and creak.
The group of Hyuga fell on Syrus again, but instead of repelling them back with a defensive whirlwind, he slammed his hand into the ground, hard, turning himself into a physical maelstrom. He spun like a whirlwind, his blade and limbs seemed to be everywhere at once. hacking, slashing, swiping, rocketing, spearing, and slicing his enemies to ribbons.
Eighteen of the attacking Hyuga died from his ferocious attack, though one managed to land a single blow to his sleeve, leaving a deep cut, before his neck was split clear across. The wound so deep his head was already severed.
Once again he turned his attention onto Daiki.
"Slave!" Daiki yelled, holding his blade vertically before him as if it could hold Syrus at bay. His eyes flickered to several men currently engaged in combat, their movements just the faintest of blurs. "One of you get over here!"
Syrus chopped down with his own weapon, nearly severing Daiki's arm at the elbow, but the Hyuga twisted out the way at the very last second. Still, though, he came too close to receiving the follow up slash-he had been expecting it to come, but between his rebounding and Syrus's agility, he hadn't anticipated where or when it'd exactly come from.
His blade didn't rip through Daiki like he wanted it to, but another Hyuga's shinobi's torso-the armor bent like paper around his blade as it pierced through.
"You stupid son of a bitch!" Syrus roared, smashing right into Daiki.
The collision sent both of them reeling.
Daiki fell into a defensive posture, whirling his blade and hands about in an ever-revolving sphere. This wasn't like their usual battles. Syrus was now coming came at him with a speed and ferocity that he ever had to rarely face. Syrus was like an animal, raining savage blows down from all angles and directions, from high, low, flipping, spinning, turning, the strikes coming so fast it seemed as if he were more than just one person.
Daiki hissed, starting into a full retreat, desperately giving ground beneath the overwhelming assault.
He ducked under a horizontal cut, only to catch a swift kick in the ribs. He rolled with the kick, planting both hands on the ground and springing forward, narrowly avoiding the follow up barrage of Syrus's blade. He parried a sharp, spinning heel kick, gathered his feet under his torso, and launched himself backward, flipping back and twenty feet clear.
Syrus closed the distance hitting Daiki with a powerful elbow, sending him hurtling backward. If it wasn't for his block and deflection in unison, that blow would have broke his arm right along the long bone of the arm, causing it pop out from his skin.
He shot to his feet and flourished his palms before her, creating an impenetrable wall of defense. Instead of trying to pierce her guard, Syrus leapt high in the air, flaring his chakra until it shrouded him in a dark blue aura, the used the momentum to come down right on top of him. Daiki broke his sphere at the last second, deftly parrying his blade a second later, redirecting it to the side as he spun away.
But, Syrus had been anticipating the evasion and dropped low, core engorged with blood as his leg swung up, his entire body leveling off in a violent whip-like motion. His foot caught Daiki on the chin as he turned, the blow snapping the Hyuga's head back and sending blood flying overhead. His body went limp, his weapon nearly dropped from his numb fingers, and if it wasn't for his pride and experience he would have crumpled to the ground.
"I know Madara would have been able to dodge that, and Izuna would have never been caught by it in the first place." Syrus said, goading the older man to give into his rage.
"Shut up, wolf!" Daiki snarled.
"You Hyuga like to dance around a lot. Uchiha keep things straight forward and are fast."
"The Uchiha will never be able to match the Hyuga's might!"
They traded blows again, swords and fists, shins and knees, elbows and palms, heads and faces-Syrus had no reservations about using his entire body as a weapon, unlike Daiki, and once more Daiki was sent reeling back-this time skidding along the ground after blocking a thunderous strike with his forearm. The sheer power behind it made his bone vibrate for minutes afterwards.
He's too ferocious, I won't be able to keep up with him at all when he's in this state... Daiki realized, even as he clenched the hilt of his blade tighter and felt the veins around his eyes bulge even more. Both physically and chakra wise, Syrus was very powerful, and it was like trying to fight a force of nature if anything. Syrus didn't waver once, and rather than tiring-he just seemed to eclipse himself constantly and move faster, move with more strength and purpose.
"You make me sick, Daiki..." Syrus said, voice low and biting. "Sacrifice your own so easily. Branch Family. Main Family. You don't care about either, you only care about yourself."
"You speak dangerous words. Hyuga do things differently. We have secrets that need to be kept by any and all means necessary."
"You can make all the excuses you want. Doesn't change the facts. Your clan is divided. A clan divided is a clan that will never stand, you invite your doom and hasten your ruin. You've lost this battle, just like you'll always lose. Retreat and pull your men back, before they're all killed."
"You mean slaughtered by you wolves!"
Syrus shrugged, not in the mood to entertain it. "If you wish to be dramatic and lofty, call it what you will..."
Daiki sneered, eyes almost glowing a sickly white as he felt a burst of rage pulse through him. Even with all of his discipline and experience, he couldn't keep the emotion at bay or suppress it, and he found it leaking out of him-mixing with his chakra and causing it to flare outwards. He struggled to rein it in, his teeth visibly gritting from the effort.
Syrus would never be able to understand, because unlike him and his clan, the Hyuga had special eyes-and people would do anything to get the Byakugan. He seen it as enslaving and cursing, which it was in all truth, but it was necessary. If anyone outside of the Hyuga got the Byakugan, and managed to decipher all of its secrets; it'd lead to the annihilation and soon after, extinction, of the Hyuga clan.
Daiki shifted his footing, bringing his right palm up while keeping his left at his side. "You're mistaken if you think I'm going to turn tail and run away from you and your clan this time!"
"It's just not the Subatsu this time, but our allies the Mō clan." Syrus said pointedly.
Daiki took the time to observe the white haired shinobi and kunoichi flanking and collaborating with the Subatsu. The men were tall, easily standing at seven feet, and heavily built with muscle, easily weighing three hundred pounds. The women were all above average height, standing at five foot and ten inches, and were shapely, but muscular, weighing no more than one hundred and seventy pounds.
Their chakra was potent and overflowing-he could see the way it flooded through their bodies like a blizzard in the harshest night of winter. It was overbearing, biting, and borderline oppressive. But, it wasn't oppressive in the crushing manner, it was oppressive in the same sense as being pelted by snow, hail, and sleet-one didn't know which way was up and the only thing that one cared about was getting warmth and shelter.
"I see. In order to contend with us, you allied yourself with the Mō clan-those who can form blizzards and snow storms that rage for hundreds of millions of kilometers."
Before Syrus would have scoffed and lashed out. The last thing he feared was the Hyuga as a whole, the last thing he had on his mind was contending with the hubris, self important pieces of trash. The overwhelming fact that the Mō were allies, and steadily growing closer with the Subatsu and vice versa, it would have made his anger all the more potent.
But, he didn't give into his sense of pride or allow himself to be arrogant, allow himself to be so arrogant that he believed that only he and the Subatsu could run down the Hyuga.
It was very possible, but there was only so much one clan-one person could do. So, instead he accepted it. He could accomplish things, and things could be accomplished that couldn't be accomplished before just due to this alliance. There was no need to lash out due to pride, it was all folly and foolish. Daiki could make all the jeers and jabs just to save his own pride, but he was above such nonsensical things.
"They are a remarkable clan, indeed." Syrus said, lips pulling into a smirk.
"All is useless before my Byakugan."
"Yes, you keep telling yourself that. Whatever makes you feel good. You're so pitiful and fickle, you put Samurai to shame."
Daiki merely scoffed.
He was ready to make a retort, but his instincts flared-catching the sight of a glint just at the edge of his vision, and with a quick series of steps and a small flourish of his torso he evaded what would have been a cleaving blow. It could have easily cleaved into his side and break through his upper ribs, instantly causing death as his lung would have been torn to shreds.
Todou stood with an expression as icy and tundra-like as his homeland. His sword sang.
"Some of the Hyuga are starting to fall back. I figured I'd come over here and put the noose around the neck." Todou remarked, eyes set on the leader of the Hyuga standing tall before him, not on Syrus-who he was speaking to.
Shit! Daiki scoffed in heated anger, eyes darting to the Hyuga shinobi starting to fall back-the Subatsu and Mō chasing after them. Many Hyuga remained, fighting to the bitter end, but there were stragglers that were losing their nerve and retreating. Such cowardice and disobedience wouldn't be tolerated, whether it was from the Main family or Branch family.
Sensing Daiki's impulse to retreat, Todou lunged upon him and drove him back with a quick series of slashes-smashing through his defenses entirely and stabbing his eye.
Daiki's body disintegrated into a puddle of water.
"Water clone." Syrus mused, flicking his blade to the side before sheathing it in one rapid motion. "He's moving swiftly..."
Todou merely scowled, glaring at the puddle with disdain. "It's very well crafted, too. Daiki Hyuga...He's slippery."
Syrus nodded in silent agreement, not making a comment on Hajime and how he slipped through death more than once during that series of wars.
Every time someone thought they put that wily man down he came back with a vengeance, and there wasn't any person or place that was safe when he did come charging back. Daiki in comparison was just a small nuisance, he was every bit of strong and powerful, but he didn't have the same mindset and mentality as Hajime-what made Hajime so dangerous in the first place.
"Didn't give them the chance to start their taijutsu though, the plan worked to perfection." Todou finished, tone remaining the same as he sheathed his own sword, giving Syrus a dry look for a moment before turning his focus to his surroundings.
"We got a few stragglers." Tsugi approached them a few moments later with four men on his shoulder. He threw them to the ground without reprieve.
"Finish them. We'll head back after, finish off any stragglers." Syrus said coldly.
Tsugi nodded, stabbing each of the men through the neck. He had no love loss for the Hyuga, and he wouldn't hesitate to kill a single one of them. He wouldn't hesitate to kill anyone who encroached on his land, Hyuga were just ten times more of a target since they made it a point to always encroach.
Personally he preferred the Inuzuka over the Hyuga-unlike the Hyuga the Inuzuka sought destruction and mayhem-to such an extent that all children were in one, and the largest compound of the Inuzuka. The Hyuga wanted people to lower their heads and bow down to them, the Inuzuka didn't care one way or another, and didn't care about ruling over others.
He finished off several more with a quick thrust of his blade. Questioning them would be useless. The members of the Main family were too hubris to ever speak a word other than disdain towards anyone else-shinobi clan or not. The members of the Branch family would spill secrets, but with the curse seal on their forehead, members of the Main branch could kill them. Would kill them.
It left things in a stalemate-like this current situation. Hijikata had led numerous attacks, nearly wiping out all of the Hyuga in the end of it, and for years after that happened the Hyuga were all but silent. Now that they had numbers again they were going back to what they were doing before. The only way to secure a true victory over the Hyuga was to do what Hijikata did and drive them until they are a mere few dozen or less.
Syrus wasn't like that though, that would involve women and children being caught in the middle, and while he wouldn't lose any sleep over a Hyuga woman dying, a child was a different story. Syrus wasn't going to kill a child.
However, if the Hyuga were going to continue this...It was going to lead to something very similar.
"We could have questioned them." Todou finally said.
"Main family of the Hyuga never talk, and the Branch family while they are willing, never get the chance." Okita replied.
"The seal on their forehead." Kimie put it together, a frown marring her beautiful face at the realization. The realization that the Hyuga not only divided themselves so rigidly, but also branded their own, made her feel more than a pitch of anger.
"All it takes is a Main family Hyuga forming a hand seal." Syrus said, voice strangely soft.
His father said it was a mercy killing those of the Branch, but their sole focus should be on the Main family. He was more inclined to agree that it was a mercy to kill those of the Branch-they'd get to choose to live or die, to put all they had on one last attack.
His father wasn't so heartless and dogmatic-he was a man that could read hearts.
"I'm going to take Asuna, Nao, and Asuko. We're going to keep pushing them and pick off as many as we can. If we don't stay on them, they'll come back." Ryoku said, looking at Syrus for a moment before he turned his eyes onto Osen.
"I'll come with, too." Todou said, walking towards the group. "I'm not going to let the Hyuga get by with this."
Seeing that they were set, and the long battle was over, Syrus didn't object the slightest. "I'm going to send a unit out. Yamaguchi, you'll also be leading your own unit, you'll be leaving again so don't get too comfortable."
The big man merely nodded.
"Both units will be two minutes behind your group, Ryoku. Push them all the way into the Fire country, spare no one. Focus on the Main family."
Coming back to the compound, he wasn't at all surprised to see the gates open. The shinobi on patrol had already sensed his arrival, and made the preparations necessary to get the mammoth gates open. He could open them easily enough, but it required a lot, and it took too much time for them to open completely as opposed to half way. To add even more impact to the point, the doors would slam shut not even a second after force was dissipated, meaning one had to be on the other side.
However, he was surprised to see Haji and Usagi as the ones holding the gates open. In all honesty he wasn't expecting to see them for another day or two. The Hagoromo were a traditional clan, and whenever there were meetings that took place one had to change their clothes every few hours. For every different talk it was a different outfit, and he couldn't remember why it was the Hagoromo, and people in general do this.
"Hey bro!" Usagi beamed, eyes glowing in the darkness.
"Usagi-chan. I'm glad to see that you are well." Kimie said, being one of the first to approach the gate, even bypassing Syrus with her long strides. While everyone just about went into the confines of the compound, she along with Syrus, Okita and Tsugi stayed outside of the gates.
The short girl smiled for a second. "Don't need to worry about me, Kimie-dono. We made that promise, after all."
"Ah yes, I haven't forgotten."
"I intend to start early, so you will owe me sweets."
Kimie smiled a sly smile. "I'll just wager you then."
Haji looked at the two, raising an eyebrow at the sheer oddity of their conversation-as he couldn't recall them ever making a promise. But, he chalked it up to women being women, because Hitomi was crazy herself, and he knew it was all women that were crazy.
Though, the focal point of his focus was on Syrus, and everyone who came back-the signs of battle, and a long on at that, very prominent. From the dirt and grim to the blood and sweat. He wasn't oblivious-he could sense the Hyuga's chakra coming back here, and as he waited, he could also hear the howls and roars of the beasts and animals that stormed that very same battle.
"Did Daiki attack again?" Usagi asked.
"Yes, but we pushed him back, though. Ryoku, Nao, Osen, Todou, Asuna, and Asuko are pushing them all the way back into the Fire country while picking off as many as they can. Yamaguchi is flanking them with his own unit." Tsugi replied.
"I think he'll be back though, and I get the feeling he isn't going to be alone the next time." Okita mused, a small frown pressing between his brows.
"We'll finish them, very soon. I'll force that hubris shit to surrender." Syrus said in a low tone, hastily gesturing for them to follow after him or disperse. "We'll cross that bridge when it comes time, though. We'll talk in my office, Haji and Usagi. Kimie, Okita, Tsugi, the rest of you; get some rest."
The trip didn't take long. Entering the office, Haji and Usagi were both surprised to see Sadao sitting behind his own desk-a good deal larger than Syrus's own work desk, and they both watched as Syrus found his seat.
Haji and Usagi took a seat across from him.
"Daiki and a unit of his Hyuga attacked two children. They had an outpost near the ravine, there were thousands, and thousands more coming. We took them out. Forced them into a retreat, as you've heard from Tsugi and Okita."
Usagi clenched her hand into a fist, before allowing herself to relax.
"This is becoming too frequent." Syrus continued, tone growing cold.
"I agree, and they've crossed the line. However, the Hyuga bare no importance at this point in time." Sadao turned his aged eyes onto Usagi and Haji.
"The hell they don't!" Syrus snapped. "I'm thinking of raiding their compound right now!"
Usagi immediately tensed.
Sadao merely looked at Syrus with the driest and calmest of expressions. "You know that is a waste of time, as Daiki will merely escape. Again."
"I won't let him."
"Hyuga pale to the Hagoromo. How did things go with Hagoromo? Should we be expecting a war?"
Haji's expression didn't change, even as he thought back to the agreement he made with Izuna and Ahiko, with Shuji and Takeshi by extension, and the whole Hagoromo.
He knew the person who wouldn't be swayed at all would be his brother-everyone was growing tired of the endless wars and pointless conflicts, and the Subatsu were no different, and some, more now, have always longed for peace between themselves and the Domou.
However, it was about more than just the Subatsu and Domou coming together-after all of this time, as extraordinarily significant it was, there was something even more significant. The Hagoromo would be allies to the both of them, and in essence be the clan that seals both of them together like a sort of glue. There was also the clans both his clan and the Domou had ententes with-if the Hagoromo were to launch an attack, it'd throw that mutual, understood peace and harmony out of the window.
Shuji wanted a permanent solution, one that would last long after he was in his grave and just dust and bones. He didn't want something as fruitless as a political marriage, as trivial as having his eldest daughter marry someone, he wanted to seal an alliance. A coalition in a way. After Shin takes Usagi's hand in marriage, when they are betrothed-it won't just be the Domou and Subatsu, but the Domou, Subatsu, Hagoromo, and Mō clans.
It just left the one variable-his brother. He was almost certain Syrus would disagree, and he'd need to call a Council meeting, and then the decision would be made eventually. Depending on how it turned out, Syrus would just leave the compound and go in search of Mikito, and Mikito would do that exact same thing. Both of them, they'd never be able to...
There was also Arata and his dealings as of late...
"Well enough...Shuji wants a permanent solution to this." Haji said, careful with how he chose his words.
Sadao's eyes gleamed as he set his chin on top of his hands. "What of Takeshi?"
Haji recalled the foul tempered man, at least Takeshi had been foul tempered at that moment in time. However, he could understand why the man was so vexed, but as shinobi, one should always be ready for anything. Whether it came from within or without, from family or stranger, sometimes one's own worst enemy was really themselves. Takeshi was his own worst enemy, and he was dragging Hagoromo into it-if he wasn't careful he'd cause the clan to fracture.
"He is..." Haji wrestled for words. "A complicated situation."
"Arata is the leader of the second Uchiha group." Usagi replied.
Syrus blinked in disbelief, and traded glances with Sadao.
"One group went with Ahiko and the Domou, the other group relocated to the Lightning country." Haji supplied, for the first time in a very long time feeling weary. There was just so much information that needed to be said and put forth, and quite frankly there wasn't enough time to do that. "Arata has been in talks with Katsu Yotsuki, the Lightning damiyo, Hajime, and Tunoichi. Arata and Shuji almost came to blows before the former relocated with the rest of the Uchiha."
"That must have been the group Nagakura and his unit ran into. That would also account for the other ten or so dozen we've encountered, it also explains why I haven't seen Madara or Izuna at the helm" Syrus looked out the window, eyes dimming with thought.
"It is safe to say." Haji nodded.
"I suppose it was bound to happen. Uchiha have a history of division." Usagi commented.
Sadao sighed softly, leaning back in his chair. "Correct me if I am wrong...But, the Subatsu and Domou have ententes with more than half a dozen clans, and the Yamanaka and Nara are the newest with you, in addition to us. The Domou don't have an entente with the Hagoromo like you do, and the same can be said for the Uzumaki and you, despite the Domou being on good terms with them."
"That is true." Usagi answered without a second thought.
Sadao leaned forward, elbows on his desk, eyes starting to narrow. "So, that means if Shuji weren't able to control Takeshi and his followers, he could play the inept leader and allow the Hagoromo to go to war. But, in doing so that would draw in the clans you and the Domou have always had a mutual understanding. It'd lead to war, and because all of you are so powerful it'd only lead to your annihilation."
Usagi bit down her bottom lip to keep quiet. That is exactly what would happen, and if they went to war with the Furea, Domou, and Hagoromo it'd be bad enough, but it'd be more than just the Furea and the Mitibu, it'd be all of those clans. Nobody would survive in the end. Such a thing she didn't want to see, and it was coming close to that point all around the world-something had to give eventually. If the Hagoromo did make a move...
It would be a disaster.
How had Sadao put all of that together?
"But, Shuji wants to avoid doing anything along these lines. As we speak, Takeshi is probably arguing with him at this moment in time. However, the solution is a permanent one...Sister will marry Shin, in addition to this there will be Hagoromo-Domou and Hagoromo-Subatsu marriages. It is to ensure that even after we pass that our alliance and bonds stay rooted."
Usagi sighed in relief.
Haji saved them both.
"You could add my clan in there, too." Sadao said with a thoughtful expression.
"The Hagoromo will be relocating here. Tobirama or Arata are bound to launch an attack soon, and I hate to think that the Hagoromo would be snuffed out because of two men like them. In order for the Hagoromo to relocate here, the Subatsu and Domou have to be in an alliance, and stable."
"No."
Usagi, Sadao, and Haji looked at Syrus in disbelief.
"Brother..." Haji said in a low tone, his eyes narrowing dangerously. "Izuna and Ahiko have agreed to this as well, this is happening, and it has to happen. A shinobi village has been formed-Kumogakure. If we don't make our move now..."
"You didn't mention them being there! You didn't mention a shinobi village." Syrus erupted, eyes widening in pure anger.
"I left it out until now." Haji said bluntly.
Syrus crushed the table, his fingers like iron, his grip oppressive-the massive thing never stood a chance, and so it splintered to dust. "You're lying about Kumogakure. There's no way that damiyo allowed them to have land, funds, and everything else. And, even if the stupid noble did give them all of that-he still holds the power and the shinobi are bowing their heads. Arata shames the Uchiha name."
Haji fixed his elder brother with a sharp gaze, already seeing the depths of ferocity glowing within his eyes, so he slowly crossed his arms over his chest and met his brother's fierce stare head on. "I am not lying, brother. Why would I lie?"
"To make your proposition less absurd than what it is. You know I can't."
"You can't. Mikito can't. Members of both of our clans want the conflict to end. I want it to end. We've been on a crash course with each other, and it's getting to be that time where we arm ourselves to the teeth to go all out. I refuse to allow the bloodshed our parents and predecessors did in the same exact fashion. I can stop it from happening and I will."
"Gentatsu..."
"Brother...You have to move on."
"I will never move on!" Syrus screamed, losing all of his composure and restraint. His chakra billowed out from his pores, threatening to tear everything apart. "I will not move on! This rotten and wretched world, with rotten people-took him away!"
Usagi winced, her heart starting to sting. "If you feel so strongly about it..."
"No." Haji gripped her shoulder tightly. "You've resolved yourself to do this, it is for the greater good of everyone. Every single person and every living thing."
Syrus didn't have the heart to tell Usagi no. She had that look in her eyes again-where she'd drop everything for him and do her best to support him. She'd take on the most difficult tasks, never complaining or whining. She deserved to be happy, more than anything, she deserved happiness. He wasn't going to deny her. Him and Mikito were a minority among their respective clans-many wanted to have peace, but because of people like them and Tsugi the conflicts were taking a turn for the worse.
Haji had been plotting this for a long time, and it seems Izuna had been plotting something similar as well...Ahiko and Usagi hated fighting each other, so they wouldn't hesitate to put an end to it if it was well within their power.
He was destined to die in battle. Die by Mikito's hand, and if she couldn't kill him, then she would die by his hand.
That's as simple as it got.
"I don't like your tone, Haji. Maybe I should discard all of this weighted clothing and let my chakra go wild. I doubt the world would be able to handle me at that point." Syrus said with a low tone.
"You wouldn't dare to do that..." Haji all but hissed. "You know what happened the last time you did that!"
"I will and no one will stop me from laying waste to this rotten and wretched world. I will destroy everything and run through everyone. I've been meaning to pay Hashirama a visit anyways. I need to tell him that Senju shouldn't be scurrying around my territory like rats."
"Can't you just..." Usagi trailed off seeing pure fury in Syrus's eyes, and slowly she hung her head. "I want my children to know their uncle...I don't want them to experience the things that we did growing up."
Syrus merely shook his head, turning his focus away from everyone in the room and to the outside. "I stopped caring about this world when our siblings died...When Mikito's siblings died...When Gentatsu died with them. I don't care about this world, or most of the people in it..."
"Brother, please..." Usagi gripped the sleeve of her top. "Think of the future."
Syrus's eyes dimmed.
Haji sighed, pinching his nose. "We can't go on another crash course with the Domou, Syrus."
"You misunderstand, it isn't a crash course with the Domou-that will always happen. It is the Hyuga."
"Wouldn't it be better to focus on preservation?"
"Do as you wish, you've been contemplating this for a long time, Haji...I'm going to get Tsugi, Nagakura, and anyone else that is willing to join me. We'll be setting out by tomorrow before the sun reaches its highest point."
"Syrus, I don't understand what you are saying." Sadao looked genuinely at a loss.
"Simply put I won't be sleeping or residing here anymore..." Syrus made his way towards the door, opening it slowly. "My place...My destiny...Its always been to die out there-it should have been me. Not Gentatsu, and not my brother and sister, but me. You won't be seeing me anymore after tonight. I can't say the same for those who join me, however."
"You talk as if you are on your death bed." Sadao commented, eyes growing tight. "Have you gone mad all of the sudden?"
Syrus's response was a simple one.
He walked away.
He wasn't going divulge or say anything further than what he just did. Haji and Usagi made their intentions clear, and he wasn't going to go through with them. He wasn't going to be tyrannical and draw all the Subatsu into battle, he'd venture out there himself with two men he knew would support him.
"He's going to die." Usagi muttered, bitterness tinging in her tone as she kept her tears at bay. She wasn't going to cry here, but she would later in private, and tomorrow, when Syrus left the compound. "He's going to die. He has no intention of coming back here alive."
"But, Himeko." Sadao pointed out.
Usagi shook her head, completely miserable. "They spend a lot of time together but they're not married, my brother...He's one of the Subatsu that won't ever love in that way. He won't devote himself to one woman. He'll always be on the war zones first and foremost...Love isn't even in the back of his mind."
"I wouldn't be so sure about that." Sadao said, voice a bit softer.
"He won't allow war to break out between us and everyone we have ententes with and Mikito won't either...It'll lead to the extinction of all our clans. This is simply a matter..." Haji shook his head the slightest, wishing things would have turned out differently.
"That is between them. Only they can come to a resolution." Sadao finished, eyes dimming in a grim manner. "We can't talk him out of it either, he's dead set on this."
"The problem is their resolution is to kill each other." Usagi cut her hand through the air for emphasis.
"He'll have to be present for the marriage." Haji said. It was just a matter of Syrus being able to see the whole thing happen. He'd be alive, but if he'd even be on that mainland still was another question altogether.
"When that happens he'll have no choice but to concede with the fact. It's just not the Domou and Subatsu involved in this.
"Indeed." Sadao nodded, slowly rising out of his seat. "Let's get some rest. You two are going to give me a full debriefing first thing in the morning."
Usagi smiled at the simple word. Rest. Sleep.
Around this time of year, back at his compound, it was cloudy and cold. The stars nor moon were visible, and even their light didn't pierce through the heavy curtains like the sun could. However, the Uzumaki's island was very tropical year round, but this still didn't effect when the sun rose and set, and when the moon did those two same things, however it did allow him to just gaze up.
This was peace. Being able to just stand and gaze at the stars, without a care or worry in the world. No war. No conflict. No enmity. No manipulation. It was just him on the long canal, the river that flowed through the Uzumaki's homeland streaming beneath him-the moon's light reflecting off of its faint ripples. He let his chakra flow, remembering his desire to protect just not the Senju children, but all of the children in the world, and all the living things in the world. His desire to see war end, so that all things and people can live in peace.
The ground ripped open, a series of trees surging skyward, bending and twisting, contorting and shifting. They wrapped around each other until they were thick pillars, and the bridges connecting the pillars were really branches and vines woven together over a million times. It didn't cost him any chakra, and like the towers he'd been constructing for most of the day, this too looked over the horizon.
"Hmmm..." He sighed softly, a smile pulling on his lips. He didn't even need to form the Snake hand seal in order to construct these towers, his chakra flowed seamlessly, and his vitality was exuberant. This wasn't possible in battle, because he wasn't overflowing with serenity like he was currently, but with anticipation and adrenaline.
"I'm impressed. You're not even taxed." Hisao commented from the side.
Hashirama turned to face the older man, head in a slight bow as a show of respect. Something like this was simplistic, and in truth was what he preferred using his abilities for. Even though this was a construct for war-if it ever came, he had multiple gardens in the compound, and many of his bonsais were planted outside, as they grew to be so giant.
He wasn't sprinting across thousands of kilometers, using every ounce of his will, skill, and instincts just to stay alive. He didn't need to combat Madara, he didn't need to combat Sasuke, Koichi, or Daishiro, nor Hajime nor Daiki, and lastly he didn't need to face off against Mikito or any Domou.
"It's simple enough." Hashirama said with a small smile.
"To be able to do this without executing hand seals..."
Hashirama scratched the back of his head anxiously. It's not that he hated praise, it just always made him feel awkward, and he was very modest despite his great prowess. He could be a true terror and arrogant beyond arrogant, but he wasn't. He could do this in combat, but it was very straining, and could even dig into his reserves.
"I am a little hungry, now that you mention it."
"Eating food is the fastest way to replenish chakra." Hisao tossed him a green fruit. "You can just bite into it."
"This is really sweet." Hashirama said, swallowing slowly. He enjoyed the taste.
Hisao walked to the coast's edge, kicking off his zori and allowed his feet to get soaked. "Mito seems to be taken by you."
Hashirama immediately hid his face, staring at the sand as if it was the most interesting thing. He didn't see sand too often. Truth be told he never really thought about women too much. He respected them, appreciated them, and had a gentle love for them, but that is as far as it went. He didn't think he was cut out to be a husband, let alone a father...While at one point he did desire to have a family, it was before his hands had been drenched in blood...
His hands were too dirty to hold innocence.
Hisao chuckled softly.
Hashirama almost stumbled back in surprise, but held himself well. He wasn't sure if it was a good thing Hisao was chuckling after just mentioning that Mito basically holds affection for him. Honami-he couldn't remember her name as there had been so many people talking to him before, wasn't present, and she was Mito's mother, so she had to be scary.
"That's a lot more than I can say about her siblings. They're all so stubborn, as you've observed."
Hashirama nodded, wondering where this was heading. He had an idea, but he wasn't sure if he even wanted to entertain it. Anything like that was going to be fruitless, and he wasn't going to force himself, or Mito, to go through with it.
"I was a little taken by Amane's straightforwardness." Hashirama admitted.
"Yes, she is more like her mother than me. They are all at the age, and Eiji will be there soon enough, where marriage and children happen. Living in the kind of world that we do, steps must be taken in order to preserve..." He turned to the young Senju with a careful eye.
"You've battled Mikito have you not?"
"Yes."
"Fighting the Domou or Subatsu is a severe mistake. It is something that should be avoided...They're not bloodthirsty or violent, more reclusive, but don't provoke them. I can tell that you will be facing off with Mikito again soon...You worry about your compound."
Hashirama would be lying if he said he wasn't worried. He hated to be the paranoid type. However, Mikito wasn't like anyone he ever faced off against before, and she wouldn't hesitate to barrel right through the Senju compound and ram him through the ground like a ragdoll in the process. She could easily come through such a way that no children would be harmed, or even around them. But, he knew that if Mikito was present, all of the Domou would be present, and he wasn't foolish enough to think...
"Yes, that is true."
"You don't need to worry about her blitzing your compound...She wants to keep this fight between you and her." Hisao said, nodding once.
"How can you be so sure?"
"Have you not felt it when you clash with her and the Domou...Every time you meet blades, meet each other's eyes, they are reading your heart. More importantly, they are not just swinging their swords or attacking. There is the saying that shinobi often speak through their fists, but my clan, the Domou and Subatsu have something that is lost to the rest of the world, ever since Rikudo passed away...They can understand each other without having to speak a word. When we step onto a battlefield..."
"You're burdened, even if you don't take a life."
Hisao waved his hand around with some speed. "But, moving on from that stiff talk. You're concerned about what will happen after this conflict. Your death doesn't worry you as much as what will happen to the Senju children. I have a proposition that will hopefully bring peace between your clan and the Domou in the future, as this won't happen overnight or even in a few years."
"I couldn't ask you to-"
"Hashirama, if you truly intend to form a village remember this...You can't shoulder the burden alone."
Hashirama shook his head, almost desperate. "If anything happened to the Uzumaki or Domou because of me..."
"You don't need to concern yourself with that...What happens between us stays between us." Hisao said, staring at Hashirama will full intent.
"Amane and Miyuki will marry someone hailing from the Domou clan, if Airi or anyone wishes to marry I won't stop them, but in order to seal this for good my two daughters will marry. You will marry Mito the same day."
Hashirama sputtered.
"Mikito won't interfere or try to disrupt the unions that will happen between my clan and her own. Domou and Subatsu take marriage very serious. That also means she won't interfere in your union with my daughter, Mito. Through the Uzumaki, the Domou and Senju can finally be at peace, even if it is unspoken in some ways."
Hashirama didn't want to doubt the older man-there was just something assured in the way he spoke. Well, he did know Mikito and the Domou better than himself, and chances are Hisao actually knew her parents and grandparents. However, he couldn't let himself become something of a symbol, and in turn cause a war to spark between two allies.
The Senju got involved once between the Domou and Uzumaki, he didn't want it to happen again. This time the Domou were in unions with the Uchiha, and unlike the Uzumaki they wouldn't break those bonds just to maintain peace-the Uchiha would fight tooth and nail to keep those bonds.
"How can you be so sure, Hisao-dono?" Hashirama ventured.
Hisao sighed softly, allowing himself to plop down roughly on the sand. "My daughters were good friends with Heisuke's and Karei's children-Heisuke and Karei were Mikito's mother and father, by the way. Mito and Mikito grew very close in a short amount of time, while the others grew closer as well respectively. Eiji wasn't born yet. Heisuke and Karei are the names of Mikito's mother and father, and she used to have two more siblings-a brother and sister."
"I had no idea..." Hashirama furrowed his brows, wracking his brain for a sign. A sign that he seen Mikito lost siblings-there was always a dead giveaway especially if one was the eldest of the siblings. Madara had the look, Syrus had the look, and...He couldn't remember if Mikito had the look, and that is because she was all over him like flies on shit.
But, when they had gotten into that argument back in the next region underground...For a moment he felt like he...
"My point is...Mikito and the Domou are on good terms with us. They're not going to do anything to disrupt what is set in stone by our ancestors. I will ensure that relations grow better between us...It's been many centuries since an Uzumaki married a Domou, or anyone outside of our own blood. There is a lot at stake here, and it goes beyond clans."
Considering the older man's words, Hashirama drifted off, if a bit mildly. If this really happened, the marriages would seal peace between the Domou and Senju. He'd still have to battle Mikito at the first bloom, but as far as long waged battles go between their respective kinsmen-well that wouldn't be happening at all.
The Uzumaki weren't going to be pulled in one direction or the other, and so this forced his clan and the Domou to hold the line. It'd be smart to include Senju in marriages, however he wasn't sure if any-man or woman, would want anything to do with the Domou.
Their battles were always long fought, tooth and nail, and right down to the bitter end. Mikito or her brethren didn't attack wounded Senju, didn't attack the medical camps full of wounded Senju. Every single time they fought they went right after the fresh and non-wounded, Mikito came right for him like a bolt of lightning striking. It was a matter of respect, of honor, on just not Mikito's part-but the Domou as a whole.
The Senju didn't see it this way though, and thought the Domou to be nothing but monsters. They were just too powerful. Their lifestyles were different. Mikito would never sacrifice anyone for her clan, for a village, or for the world. But, the Senju would gladly sacrifice one or two if it meant that the Senju as a whole would live on, depending on the severity of the attacks, and if they are a series, there will be a few dozen that are tossed aside.
But, if they could just be side by side and observe each other...Perhaps things will be different. The Domou while similar to the Subatsu, weren't like the Subatsu in some aspects. If the Domou could have a rapport with the Uchiha, then certainly they could have a rapport with his own clan, and certainly members of their clans could marry just the same, and learn to love each other. They could have children, and in time live in peace with each other.
The Senju women really wouldn't be a problem, save for just a few. It was the men that were going to be a problem.
"...Senju should marry Domou as well, but it'll just be the women. And, Senju should marry Uzumaki as well. I shouldn't be the only one. It'd keep all of us in line and make us hold a standard." Hashirama spoke after a drawn out silence, his eyelids pulled down by lead weights.
Hisao mulled it over, one hand rubbing his chin musingly. "Senju men tend to be too prideful, the women are more demure. It'll be a problem if the men enraged the Domou women. I agree with your statement, this will indefinitely keep all sides in check. If there are any more clans, they too will be involved in marriages."
Hashirama's heart raced. "Even the Uchiha?"
Hisao laughed heartily. "They are a complicated clan, but even this will hold them to a standard. Married or not."
Perhaps he had been going about this the wrong way the entire time. He had been trying to get through to Madara repeatedly ever since that day they turned their backs to each other at the river. Every battle, every encounter, every sighting-he literally went blue in the face, and it turned to something similar, but different with Mikito. Had he just proposed a marriage...Maybe things would have been so much more different.
Marriage was the only true way to seal an alliance, and everyone shared this thought from the average people, to the shinobi, to the nobles. Alliances were forged and tarnished, destroyed and engulfed in the flames of chaos and war, but if a legitimate marriage was involved, and both people in the union truly loved each other; then there'd be peace between them.
This was true since even after so many centuries the Domou and Uzumaki have never come down to blows. They weren't marrying and having children like in the long past, but they weren't at each other's necks.
And, then he realized with a glaring clarity. It shook the marrow in his bones. It made him sweat. It made him pant. It was unspoken, but it was an undeniable truth.
At one point the Domou and Senju had an alliance, were having children together, but he was willing to bet that the leader of the Senju then ruined it.
It seemed that everyone who came after Ashura fell extremely short. The man was peace loving and kind, even in a world of endless war, with his brother going on a warpath, he never once raised his hand in battle.
Only to prevent Indra from destroying everything and throwing the world into war-and his entire body was disintegrated in the final conflict-his spirit and soul passed on, but his chakra and will-his feelings and resolve remained.
Could Mikito have very, very distant Senju blood in her?
Maybe it wasn't the village itself...But, the people and clans that come together within it, that makes the most difference...Not the village itself.
"I just don't want children to be killed anymore." Hashirama's eyes dimmed while he sighed, focusing back on his main priority..
Hisao clenched the young man's shoulder with an iron grip. "The Water country clans, and the damiyo will attack. I know many clans, and more as we speak, have abolished this practice. However, those clans haven't. You can't reason with them, you can't speak with them, even the Yuki are a barbarous clan. The Water damiyo is a tyrant as well."
Hashirama clenched his hands tightly, inhaling sharply. No. He wasn't going to even think of harming a child. If those clans sent the children out then he'd just have to take them in as Senju, there was no other way.
He wasn't going to allow any Senju to raise arms against children.
It all just made it clear that conflict and war was still going to reign supreme...However, here on this island, and series of islands, the Uzumaki would be safe and sound from the chaos and destruction. But, there was a chance they'd be attacked, and this is why he constructed so many towers and other things of the nature in anticipation of that threat.
Hisao's idea was something similar to a tree falling. The ground shook for minutes, and the boom was deafening. Even if conflict came, which it would, they'd be more than ready. And, maybe he'd be able to fight alongside of Mikito, instead of facing off against her.
"I'll have to deal with them when the time comes, but I am not going to kill a child." Hashirama remained stubborn, and to his surprise Hisao nodded in what seemed to be agreement.
"No life is worth a clan, a village, a country, or the world." Hisao said, eyes dimming in solemnness. "You will do well to remember this, Hashirama."
"Hisao-dono, I would never-"
"I know you won't, now. However, that doesn't mean you won't come to the decision in a few years, maybe three decades from now."
"I have a question." Hashirama ventured after a second, really hoping to take the focus off of him.
Hisao nodded, eyes remaining critical.
"The monster Mito talks about...Is that the one that you fought?"
"Yes, however..." Hisao trailed off, picking up one, tiny grain of sand. "That monster is nothing compared to the Kaiju that I must keep at bay at all times."
"Are you saying it's that small in comparison?!" Hashirama rarely rose his voice, but this was a good time to do just that. Either Mito had no idea this monster existed, or she was just ignorant to the facts of the whole story.
"Indeed." Hisao clenched his fist with a vice grip. "Something like this can't be killed, it is impossible. I'll say it'll even devour the Bijuu, even if they'll tear and blast their way out from its stomach."
"However, I will be able to live without worry once this succeeds. We are in a fragile and delicate time, Hashirama. The entire world is changing and everyone in it, some are going with the change, and others are resisting."
Hashirama bowed his head the slightest. He knew Hisao imparted some wisdom onto him with that statement, but he couldn't pick up any of it in the statement itself. Perhaps that was the older man's intention.
"But, we will have certainty in these uncertain times. With this."
Hashirama nodded, feeling a little numb.
In any case it only cemented the fact he had to work ten thousand times more hard than he had been-bridging the gap between the Domou and Senju was going to be the most difficult thing he's ever had to do. Explaining this to Tobirama and the Council, as well as the entire Senju, was also going to be something so lovely that he could already feel the ache in his jaw.
He just couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was going to happen.
He was tired of thing going bad...