Authors Note: If you were interested in joining my discord for this fic, I'd love to talk and discuss it with you! Here is the link for the server if you missed it before: /bhkz2mv5Vj
Weeks passed since Asami woke up, and as soon as she was cleared by the healers for light exercise she didn't waste time getting back into shape. She had made a steady recovery and even felt well enough to begin active duty again.
Others thought she should wait longer so as to not risk it (others, meaning Izuna) but she was aware of her body and knew when it was operating as normal. There was a hump for her to get over after spending over a month allowing her body to rest, but once she was past that, she was up and running.
Asami stood by the pond at the edge of the compound doing her katas, the spring sun beating down on her. While it was still spring, the sun was starting to feel more like late summer as sweat ran down her back, her face feeling hot. Her cheeks probably resembled a tomato, her bangs sticking sweatily to her face.
It took a lot for Uchiha to overheat because of their natural fire affinity, but she was starting to feel the effects of the high temperatures.
The changing of seasons was evident especially today, as the air didn't feel crisp and fresh like it did in early spring, the sun merciless as she trained. The only relief was the gentle breeze, but even then it didn't do much against her high neck, long sleeve yukata.
It seemed as though she would need to start wearing sleeveless yukatas or something of the like if the weather continued this way.
Asami breathed heavily, pulling her long hair over her shoulder and twisting it. She pressed her hair against the back of her head, exposing her neck to the breeze as she caught her breath to cool down. She turned to look at the pond, basking in the quietness.
It was quite peaceful. She enjoyed moments like this when she could just be in nature without any other disruptions. They weren't moments she got often.
The quiet didn't last long though, as the sounds of loud shouts and laughing came closer.
Asami looked over her shoulder, brows arching in amusement at a group of young boys wrestling with one another as they came over to the pond. They were probably around twelve or thirteen, a few out of the five of them shoving one another and putting each other into a playful headlock. She couldn't hear what they were saying from where she stood, but she could assume they were coming over to the pond to train.
The pond was a common place for shinobi to train, especially the young ones. The large area of water made it safe to practice their Katon away from any forests or buildings and was often where young children were taught to water walk too.
Asami learned how to water walk on that pond just like many others before her, though her experience was probably more traumatizing than most. Thinking back on it was amusing, but at the time it wasn't funny at all.
She remembered it pretty vividly too. Asami flat out refused to step onto the pond at first. She knew she was going to just fall in and had no desire to step onto the water to get all wet. Even if she knew it was a vital skill, she stubbornly stood by the pond as Izanami glared daggers at the girl for not complying. Nine-year-old Asami had put her foot down, absolutely refusing to even attempt it.
Izanami wasn't having any of that, so the woman grabbed her by the back of the shirt and tossed her into the water, shouting something about how if she wasn't going to get into the water herself, she was going to just throw her in until Asami learned to do it.
It wasn't a particularly effective method to get her to learn to water walk, but it got over the hump of Asami refusing to get wet to practice.
It also got the point across that if Izanami told her to do something, she was going to do it. There was no refusing anything her sensei told her to do, and if she did refuse, Izanami would find a way to make her do it anyway.
The group of boys quieted down as they came over to Asami, though two out of the five of them were still messing around, hitting each other and shoving. It wasn't like she hadn't seen before though. Shinobi children didn't exactly play gentle.
Asami's eyebrows raised even more so with her increased amusement, though she still didn't say anything. She let go of her hair as she turned to face them, it falling down her back it stopping at her waist.
The tallest boy at the front, who she guessed was the oldest, gave her a polite bow as soon as they came closer. "Asami-sama, I hope we are not intruding."
Asami couldn't help the amused smirk pulling at her lips, eyes trialing from the fighting boys to the one who was speaking to her. "No, in fact, it seems I am the one intruding on you."
The two boys were oblivious to the conversation at hand as they continued to fight with each other. Their friends weren't impressed with their behavior, staring at them with deadpan expressions as they waited for them to catch on.
Neither one of them noticed though, the boy crying out in frustration as he was smacked across the face. He pounced on his friend in retaliation and pulled him into a tight headlock, the other boy pulling at his hands and aggressively thrashing about in his arms as he tried to get out.
Another boy who stood beside the tallest looked over his shoulder with a sharp gaze. "Would you two stop it!"
The two boys froze mid-wrestle, the boy still trapped in a headlock, his friend's face beginning to swell with the beginning of a bruise. They both blinked, looking at their friend, before their gaze drifted over to Asami, their faces becoming increasingly red as they realized who they were making fools of themselves in front of.
Asami wasn't offended though, she thought this was positively amusing.
She didn't interact with the young shinobi often since she was usually running missions and didn't get to spend much time just lounging about in the compound. These boys looked as though they were all about Mei's age, so they couldn't have been older than thirteen. She found their flustered faces kind of cute.
The boy scrambled out of his friend's grasp and bent into a bow, his friend following suit as they muttered their apologies.
"It's quite all right," she said, still amused at their antics. "I was just about to leave anyway. Are you here to train?"
The two boys stood straight, their faces still tomato red. Neither one of them seemed as though they wanted to respond, so Asami looked to the tallest boy since he seemed to be the one who felt the most comfortable speaking to her. The others still stared at her idly as though they were trying to figure her out.
Asami didn't think she was an intimidating woman, but it was times like these when she was reminded that she didn't look very friendly, which was probably why they were acting this way. Her tall stature and thin face usually set into a frown or look of displeasure was not the most inviting, especially compared to many other women of the clan who were much more… attentive and warm.
"We are," says the boy. "Madara-sama said we will be attacking the Senju and Uzumaki within the next few days since you're better. We're all going to be part of the attack, so we're practicing to prepare."
Asami could feel apprehension in her chest at hearing this, the boy much too young to be faring against Uzumaki and Senju who were more than likely twice his age.
Too often did ambitious boys his age charge into battle and return dead or not even return at all, their mangled bodies left on the field, too difficult to find amongst the blood, gore, and the remains of their enemies.
While only sixteen, Asami had seen enough weeping mothers crying at the loss of their young boys to last a lifetime. Their cries were heartbreaking, mourning their baby who had gone to join the rest of his siblings, father, and uncles who too had fallen to the war.
She hoped this fight wouldn't bring more sorrow, but that was only wishful thinking. People were going to die, just as they always did. She couldn't do anything to stop it.
These boys were fighting and playing amongst themselves as they should be. They should be allowed to play all the time like they were today. They shouldn't be faced with the fear of death or be forced to fight tooth and nail to stay alive in the face of men much older and more skilled than them.
It was a battle of the odds where few were skilled enough to come out on top as most ended up dead.
"I see." She said, going to keep her sour feelings to herself. "We shall be fighting side by side then. What's your name?"
The boy seemed to straighten at the attention, lifting his chin and puffing his chest. "My name is Yutaka, Asami-sama."
Asami smiled at him, walking closer to the group of boys. She placed a hand on his head, ruffling his short black hair, his cheeks flushing at the action. "Very well then, Yutaka-kun, train hard and I shall see you on the battlefield."
She gave the group a friendly smile, before allowing her hand to drop from his head and walk away from the pond.
The group of boys was in a hush as she walked away, but once she was at what they deemed a safe distance they erupted into loud shouts and boisterous laughter. Asami looked over her shoulder, smiling in amusement at the group that was now hounding Yutaka, his face a deep red as his friends pushed him around and teased him, ruffling his hair and pulling on his clothes.
Maybe she had put the poor boy through a world of teasing, but she found their reactions far too cute to care.
After heading home and washing up, terribly sweaty from her training, she put on a black half sleeve, high-neck yukata. She was grateful for the change of clothes, the shorter sleeves bringing a bit more relief with the Land of Fires heat.
Asami walked along the engawa, running a brush through her drying hair. It was still quite nice out, the distant chirping of birds and the sound of clan children playing in the center of the compound bringing a small smile to her face.
She was going to bask in the feigned feeling of peace while she still could, the battle between against the Uzumaki and Senju looming overhead.
At dinner the day she woke up, Asami came to find out the last Uzumaki Kousuke was battling against got away. He didn't think it was worth it to chase after him when Asami was bleeding out on the floor of the Uchiha hideout, and Asami couldn't help but be thankful for Kousuke's choice to prioritize her life.
There had been no retaliation against the Senju for sicking the Uzumaki on them since most efforts had gone to repairing the Uchiha hideout. There was still the intention to use it as a rendezvous point, but the building wouldn't be of any use with a giant hole in it. So fixing it had been a priority over the course of Asami's recovery.
Madara also wanted to wait till she was better so she could show up to the battle and revel in how she kept her life after killing three of the Uzumaki sent to ambush them. She found it amusing and a bit unnecessary, but Madara had always been prideful. If he wanted to shove it in the Senju's face, then so be it. Asami wouldn't stop him.
Asami was about to round the corner when she heard hushed voices and the sound of soft feminine laughter. It made her stop in her tracks, brush paused halfway through her hair as she listened.
Now that was unusual… there were never any women around unless Asami had them come over with her, and Asami had no female friends. The last woman she invited over was Mei, but the girl was twelve, so she didn't really count as a grown woman anyway.
She furrowed her brows, taking a step back to lean against the side of the house to remain out of sight.
This was very curious, and Asami was feeling nosy. She was rounding the house about to pass Madara's bedroom, so perhaps he had… a female friend over? This was becoming even more strange, as she had never known Madara to entertain any woman. In fact, he seemed to steer clear of the opposite gender if they were revealed to have those kinds of intentions.
She had to know who was in his room or it was going to drive her mad.
Slowly, Asami peaked around the corner, blinking as she tried to see if there was a glimpse of this woman. She saw nothing, though, her face falling into a disappointed grimace at the lack of any clues.
Their voices were quiet, but she could still hear soft laughter, followed by Madara's gentle chuckles soon after.
It seemed Madara hadn't sensed her chakra outside his room, probably because he knew she was close by, but couldn't place exactly where she was. She spent most of her time hanging off the engawa of her room, so she didn't blame him for not paying it any mind and dismissing it.
"Asami, what are you doing?"
She looked over her shoulder, hissing at the sight of Izuna coming over to her, holding a sheathed sword in his hand. She didn't pay his question any mind though, shaking her head and grabbing ahold of his wrist, placing a finger over her lips to make him be quiet.
Izuna gave her a strange look but didn't say anything again, complying with his younger cousin's instructions just to humor her. He stared at Asami for a moment, thinking she was going to explain herself, but the sound of more feminine laughter did all the explaining she needed.
Izuna's face settled into one of confusion, blinking as his gaze trailed over to the wall that Madara's bedroom resided on the other side of. He stared at the wall, before looking back to Asami, eyes wide and jaw slack.
Asami nodded her head in agreement, already knowing what was going through Izuna's brain. Her cousin had a woman in his room. Her grumpy, introverted cousin, had a member of the opposite gender in his room.
Still holding his wrist, she pulled him down the hall and into her own room, shutting the door behind her.
Once inside, Izuna stared at the wall, still processing what he had just heard. He was just as shocked at hearing that as she was if not more so. He was probably stunned at the fact Madara seemed to be entraining a woman, whereas Asami wanted to know who this woman was.
Asami crossed her arms and looked off to the side, racking her brain for who that woman could have been.
It was possible there was some Uchiha civilian he had begun courting and decided to keep it under wraps to save the girl the formalities. Her eldest cousin was always a private man, but she couldn't picture him with a gentle civilian woman anyway, so she found the possibility unlikely.
"Was that a woman in his room?" Asked Izuna, in a daze as he still stared at the wall.
"Yes," Replied Asami easily, hand held to her chin as she continued to think on it. She shook her head and walked over to her vanity, setting her brush down on the tabletop. "Who would Madara-nii be interested in like that?"
"I have no idea," Izuna looked down at the sword in his hand, staring at it for a moment. He glanced back to her, holding the weapon out to her dumbly, brain mush as he tried to process that his brother had a woman in his room. "This is… for you."
Asami hummed, walking over and taking it from him, Izuna's hand dropping to his waist.
"I don't know what it is with people having secret relationships," mused Asami, rolling the sheathed weapon in her hands as she gave it a once over. "Is it normal to run around and date behind people's backs?"
Izuna furrowed his brows, not understanding what she was talking about. "Hm?"
Asami unsheathed the weapon, the long, straight blade of a newly forged chokutō revealing itself. She held up the weapon, squinting as she looked down the length of it. "Well, Hikaku-san mentioned something about Izanami also being in some secret relationship on our mission to the Fuma. It's so bizarre to me. Why be with someone you have to hide?"
"I didn't know Izanami-chan was in a relationship," Izuna looked as though his head was going to explode at the new information. "Who is she with? How does Hikaku know about it?"
Asami shrugged, turning the weapon over in her hand. "As I said, it's a secret. Izanami doesn't tell me anything, claiming it's 'adult' business, never mind the fact I'm old enough to marry now if I really wanted to. My guess is sensei wasn't careful enough and overly observant Hikaku-san took notice of something."
She gave her cousin a knowing look. "I highly doubt she told Hikaku-san anything by choice. He is not particularly fond of her."
"I didn't take Hikaku to be someone to gossip…" Izuna blinked slowly, eyes still trained on the wall.
"He isn't. He just got mad because Izanamai was teasing him about Suki-san." Asami slid the weapon back into its sheath, laying it against the wall beside her vanity. "I'm assuming this chokutō is to replace my last one?"
Izuna nodded. "You're right. Hotaru-san brought to my attention that you'd probably be needing a new weapon. Kousuke-kun had been nagging his father about how bad he felt knowing you lost your chokutō in the explosion."
Asami felt her face drop at the mention of her precious sword. It was so sad that she wouldn't be able to fight with that weapon ever again. Even Kousuke knew how much she loved that chokutō.
"Oh well, this will have to do," she turned to face Izuna, giving him a mischievous look. "Thank you for this."
"Of course." He replied, giving her a cheeky look. "We can't have one of our best kenjutsu users charging into battle without a sword. The moment we passed a chokutō into your hands we should have known you would become a menace with it."
Asami rolled her eyes, knowing he was talking more so about when she and Izuna would practice with one another than when facing an enemy.
Izuna helped her with most of the basics in the beginning when she first began her kenjutsu training, but she picked it up quickly and soon enough was making slices at her cousin that came much too close for comfort.
She could still remember the look on his face when she narrowly chopped off the end of his ponytail. Madara didn't let him live it down for days after.
Izuna's playful expression became perplexed again, tucking one arm under his elbow as his opposite hand came to rest on his chin. "I still don't know who that woman was. Just who is Aniki messing around with?"
He frowned, hand falling from his face. "And why would he keep it from me?"
Asami hummed as she came over to her cousin. She gave his shoulder a few pats in consolation, unable to help the feigned look of thought that crossed her features. "Who knows? Maybe he thinks his cute baby brother will tease him relentlessly for it and wants to save himself the trouble."
She shrugged, closing her eyes. "Or maybe he just thinks you won't understand his romantic interest in someone since you haven't pursued anyone romantically yourself."
Izuna's cheeks turned pink at the mention of his lack of romantic endeavors. "That isn't true! I've flirted with women!"
"No need to get so flustered, Izuna-nii, just coming up with suggestions." Asami gave him an innocent look, though he remained unimpressed, cheeks turning an even deeper shade of pink as he scowled at her.
Izuna looked away from her with a huff, shrugging off her hand. Asami closed her eyes and smiled, folding her hands against her front as she continued to feign innocence.
It was so entertaining sometimes to poke fun like this. Izuna got worked up easily when it came to Madara, always taking such offense when his big brother decided to keep something from him or wanted to maintain a little privacy.
Asami was curious about who this woman was too, but she was going to mind her business until Madara felt comfortable telling her. While was going to mind her business, it didn't mean she couldn't have a little bit of fun.
"You are insufferable." Izuna scowled at her, annoyed at how he knew she was causing mischief and allowed her to get under his skin anyway.
Asami opened her eyes and tilted her head to the side, hair swaying. "Whatever do you mean, dear cousin?"
Izuna scoffed, waving her off like she was an annoying fly, "Whatever."
The fun times spent wondering who her eldest cousin was courting and teasing Izuna didn't last long though, as a platoon of Uchiha left the compound to attack the Senju a couple of days later.
Chokutō strapped to her waist and dressed in a navy blue high neck yukata, Asami crouched next to Izuna in a collection of bushes, Uchiha spread out throughout the forest as they lay in wait miles from the Senju compound.
They were waiting for instructions from Madara for their attack, but she doubted they would get to attack the compound itself.
Senju Tobirama was an infuriating sensor, something she learned after telling her cousins how he attacked her before she even got to unleash her fireball on the camp in the last battle.
It would have been nice to know, but apparently, her cousins thought it was common knowledge and had no idea she would be right by the Senju clan leader and his younger brother anyway. That little detail would have been appreciated in hindsight.
Asami thought she just wasn't discreet enough and that lead to being spotted, but it turned out even the most experienced shinobi wouldn't be able to hide from him when lingering on a branch from above.
When taking into consideration his abilities, he probably knew the Uchiha were close to the compound and were preparing to meet them with their own men. The Senju on watch wouldn't be stupid enough to attack on their own against such a large platoon of Uchiha. That was if there were even shinobi tasked with looking out for threats.
Asami assumed there were shinobi who patrolled the Senju grounds or at least kept a lookout from the compound walls, but it was peculiar how they hadn't met any of them in the surrounding forests.
Did the Senju only rely on Tobirama's sensory abilities to keep an eye on the compound? That was a lot of faith in one man's skills, but as they hadn't seen any Senju in the surrounding forests or hanging out a distance from the compound itself, it was probably the case.
Regardless, she wasn't sure how she would feel about attacking their compound anyway. She assumed there were Senju who were not trained in combat, and the thought of murdering innocent civilians who got caught in the crossfire left a bad test in her mouth.
Asami brushed her hair over her shoulder, the top half pulled back into a braid, the rest loose down her back. She glanced at Izuna, his eyes red with the Sharingan as he looked up into the trees at his older brother.
Madara stood on the overhanging branch, gunbai held in his hand, the other pressed against the trunk of the tree. He overlooked the open clearing that stood between the forests and the Senju compound, waiting for any glimpse of a Senju or Uzumaki before they attacked. The tall grass swayed with the aggressive wind, the sky beginning to darken with grey storm clouds.
Asami glanced up to Madara, before turning to attention back to the open field again, grimacing.
She didn't understand why the Senju had an open clearing surrounding their compound. It left them wide open to enemies and gave no cover. Comparatively, the Uchiha compound was surrounded by thick forests, the Naka river running steadily not too far from the compound walls.
The Uchiha used nature to protect themselves, so why didn't the Senju? It would be easy for Senju Hashirama to grow a giant forest for protection, wouldn't it? She found the openness bizarre and plain stupid.
Shaking the thought from her head, her gaze narrowed in on the sudden appearance of men coming out of the compound and crossing the clearing. They waded through the tall grass with ease and not with any urgency, the strong wind blowing against the vegetation.
Asami looked back up to Madara, but he didn't make any calls for them to attack, eyes narrowed in on the Senju crossing the clearing.
She furrowed her brows, confused at his lack of instruction.
Was this not what they were waiting for? Why were they not running at them for an attack?
She glanced to Izuna, his brows also furrowed as he looked up at his older brother.
He was also confused at Madara's lack of action. Both Asami and Izuna were under the impression they would be attacking the Senju the moment they showed their faces, but that didn't seem to be Madara's intention after all.
Izuna looked to Asami, meeting her gaze with a perplexed expression. Asami only grimaced, turning her attention to the Senju closing the distance between them.
She hoped Madara knew what he was doing.
There was no urgency as the Senju crossed the grassy field. Why were they not charging to defend themselves against the Uchiha on their lands? They had a calmness to them that was unnerving. Their weapons were not drawn, but she could see some of the shinobi following behind their leader were apprehensive.
She could see Senju Hashirama and Tobirama at the front now, Uzumaki visible in the crowd behind him. Hashirama's face was set into a distinct frown, Tobirama's expression impassive.
Hashirama stopped walking once he reached the center of the clearing, his men halting behind him. He crossed his arms, eyes scanning the collection of trees the Uchiha hid in.
No one made a move, the harsh wind pushing against the tall grass, the tops of tall trees bending and groaning in protest. Bright lighting clapped in the angry storm clouds, the distant sound of thunder rumbling overhead.
Hashirama's hair blew in the wind, his arms crossed as he stared out into the trees, his booming voice barely audible over the beginnings of the storm. "Madara! Come out of the trees and show yourself so we can delegate this! No battle has to be fought!"
Asami couldn't help but scoff, unable to believe what the Senju clan leader was saying. No battle had to be fought? She couldn't believe Hashirama was so delusional to think the Uchiha would let the Senju and Uzumaki stomp all over them and not retaliate. They had plenty of reasons to fight them. The men slaughtered at the Uchiha hideout by those Uzumaki were proof enough of that.
Asami didn't consider herself to be a particularly vengeful person, but those men deserved justice for their deaths. That man was used as a human bomb to be discovered by allies, a disgusting and despicable way to kill an opponent.
He along with the others who were mutilated and dealt a bloody, violent death deserved to rest easy knowing the Uzumaki and Senju would pay a heavy price for their actions after their attack on the Uchiha hideout.
Madara looked down at Asami and Izuna, the silent instruction enough for Asami and Izuna to disappear with a shunshin.
The three of them reappeared a little ways from Hashirama, Asami and Izuna standing on either side of Madara. The army of Uchiha slowly came out of the trees, looking at their Senju and Uzumaki opponents with focused gazes, eyes red with the Sharingan.
"Speak then," Madara looked at Hashirama with an even expression, lips pressed into a firm line. The bottom of his gunbai rested on the ground, his hand wrapped around the handle as he met Hashirama's gaze.
Asami glanced to her cousin, grimacing at his willingness to hear the Senju clan leader out.
She didn't understand why he was wasting his time to hear what Hashirama had to say. They were going to fight and nothing he said would change that. The Uchiha were already itching to get a hit on the Senju after they were driven off of Uchiha lands, but the attack on the Uchiha hideout only fueled the desire to inflict pain on their enemy clan.
The Uchiha hideout had never been attacked before, so the devastating damage and slaughter of the men on rounds there was core shaking. The Uchiha wanted justice for the deaths of their clansmen.
"Remember when we were children and we spoke of peace?" Began Hashirama, eyes softening as he looked upon her cousin. "Both our fathers our dead now. We are in control of what happens and how this war goes from here. Please, Madara, my friend, we can do what we always spoke about. We can put an end to this."
"I am not your friend," Madara said gruffly, Hashirama's face settling into a deep frown at his response. "You have killed numerous of my clansmen, attempted to attack my compound, used an Uchiha man as a human bomb, and you call me your friend? You are ignorant, Hashirama."
"It was only retaliation against your attacks, Madara. I have no desire to cause senseless deaths." Hashirama appeared offended at Madara's list of accusations, but Asami couldn't understand why.
Why did Hashirama keep calling Madara his friend? Discussions of peace from when they were children… what was he talking about? None of this was making any sense. Asami was becoming more confused as the conversation went on.
Comparatively, Izuna didn't seem confused, only wary as he looked between Madara and the Senju clan leader. His hand rested on the handle of his katana, gaze settling in on Tobirama, distrustful of the man when standing so close to him.
Asami seemed to be the only one who was out of the loop with whatever Hashirma was talking about.
The way Hashirama seemed to think of himself as some kind of saint when talking about the conflicts between their clans brought bubbling frustration to her gut. The man spoke of peace as if he was a crusader and everyone was against him.
He didn't want to cause senseless deaths? There was no way he was that ignorant to the people he had killed and ordered the deaths of already.
"You don't believe that, do you?" Asked Asami incredulously, attention turning to her as she broke the silence following Hashirama's expressed desire to not cause death. She couldn't help the look of disgust that crossed her face. "The Uchiha blood you and your people spilled won't be wiped away just because you wish for peace. Claiming you don't want senseless deaths doesn't do anything about those you have already killed."
"Are you claiming you haven't killed any Senju or our allies?" Tobirama spoke up, staring Asami down. He thought she was trying to claim innocent here, but in fact, she was doing the opposite.
"No," Asami wasn't shy underneath Tobirama's burning gaze, her eyes drifting back to Hashirama again. "I'm not pretending to be some kind of saint, unlike your brother here."
Cries of outrage came from the crowd of Senju at the blatant disrespect for their clan leader. The sound of scraping metal sounded as the men began drawing their weapons, mentally putting a target on her head.
She had rocked the boat with her jab at Hashirama, but she didn't regret it at all.
Tobirama continued to stare at Asami after she averted her gaze, trying to figure her out. He recognized her from their previous fight and knew she had to be of some high ranking to be standing at Madara's side, but there were no further clues to who she was.
She was an Uchiha woman who suddenly showed up on the battlefield one day with no prior mention, displaying herself as a force to be reckoned with, faring well against himself and killing the Sarutobi heir. The rumors about her ripping people's souls from their bodies with her Sharingan were unnerving enough on their own.
She was an enigma since she began making appearances in their fights.
Izuna looked amused at Asami's comment, smirking at the group of angered Senju. Madara didn't give any reaction to her statement, though, only glancing at her momentarily before looking at their enemy again.
Hashirama gave his brother a sharp look for his commentary. Tobirama pressed his lips into a firm line and directed his attention to the Uchiha in front of him, refusing to acknowledge his brother's distaste for his words.
Hashirama met Asami's gaze, the most serious she had seen him throughout the encounter so far. "I am not claiming to be any kind of saint. I just wish for this to end so more Uchiha do not die by my hand."
Noises of anger came from the Uchiha behind them, drawing their weapons much like the Senju and Uzumaki had moments ago.
Hashirama saying such a thing only implied the Uchiha were weak enough to fall to his power. The man was strong and most wouldn't even try to fight against him, but to say that outright was a literal slap in the face. The Uchiha were a prideful clan, so he should have known better than to say that.
"We're not going to come to any agreement are we, Madara?" Hashirama appeared solemn as he looked at her older cousin.
Madara set his jaw, eyes narrowing. "I already gave you my answer. You are delusional, spouting off empty promises of peace and claiming you don't want more death. It means nothing. I do not trust you."
Tobirama drew his sword, glancing at his brother before he set his sights on Izuna in front of him. "I told you this would be worthless, Anija."
Hashirama didn't pay his brother any mind, still looking at Madara with a distraught expression, hopeful for a last-minute change of heart.
Madara only continued to stare him down with an even gaze, not a twitch in his features to contradict what he had already said. He picked his gunbai out of the ground and held it up in a defensive pose as he prepared for a fight. He didn't say anything more, his actions enough of a response for Hashirama.
An Uzumaki stepped forward from the crowd, finger pointed at Asami as he glared at her with a burning hatred. "You're the woman from the hideout!" He quickly drew a Kunai, holding it up as though he was preparing to throw it at her. "You're the woman who killed Akane!"
Asami turned her attention to him, not recognizing the man. He must have been at the hideout for him to recognize her so easily, but she only stared blankly, still having trouble placing the face.
"You must have been the last Uzumaki to escape the hideout," Izuna said, glaring at the angry man. His gaze flickered to Asami, "You may have gotten away before, but he won't make it out alive this time, will he, Asami?"
Asami drew her chokutō, eyes narrowing on the Uzumaki as her Sharingan spun to life. "No, he won't."
The harsh wind blew through her hair, making many of those on the battlefield squint in discomfort. Thunder rumbled overhead with a quick flash of lightning, casting shadows across their faces as they prepared for someone to make the first move.
The brewing of a storm made for an eventful battle to come, the unpredictable lighting clapping across the sky. Even so, it didn't put out the determination in her bones to serve that poor Uchiha man justice and all the others that had been slaughtered in the recent battles.
Hashirama may have been against the fight, but it was going to happen no matter his protests. The Uchiha had been battered and bruised far too often as of late to stand idly by and allow themselves to be attacked again.
"Is this what you want, Madara?" Asked Hashirama, holding his arm up to prevent the furious Uzumaki from charging at Asami to cut her head off.
"I never said it was what I wanted," replied Madara, looking at him from over the top of his fan. "But it's the way things are."
Hashirama stared at Madara, gaze unwavering as he waited to see if he would change his mind again. Madara didn't move, staring at Hashirama over the top of his gunbai still.
"Very well then," Hashirama frowned. "You have made your decision."
He dropped his arm, the Uzumaki letting out a cry of fury as Hashirama gave him the go-ahead, throwing the Kunai at Asami without any hesitation. She flicked the knife away and swiftly charged at the man, slicing at his midsection with her chokutō. He leaped back, narrowly missing the precise swing of her blade with grit teeth.
As soon as that first Kunai was thrown, all hell broke loose, Uchiha running across the clearing to meet the Senju who were also closing the distance between the parties. Loud battle cries and screams of anguish already filled the air, the clang of metal mixing with the roar of thunder from overhead.
The wind blew in Asami's face, making it hard to see as the Uzumaki swung at her with a kanabō he had pulled from seemingly nowhere. He was swingingly it widely and Asami was avoiding actually meeting her sword with it. It was sure to snap in half if he brought it down on her and she didn't want to break her new chokutō when she had just gotten it.
She swiftly dodged another swing, this time the man going for her ribs. Asami didn't even want to think about how much damage a heavy smash from the club would bring to her chest if it landed.
The Uzumaki let out a loud shout, swinging the club over his head and bringing it down in her direction. She quickly sidestepped, the club landing in the dirt, chunks of grass and mud flying up as it made its purchase in the ground.
He tugged on the weapon, but it had become lodged in the dirt from the sheer force he brought it down with. His insane amount of strength in his attack seemed to backfire on him as he struggled to get it out, grunting with gritted teeth. His sweating palms made it hard for him to get a grip on the handle, his hands sliding down the handle of the weapon as he struggled.
Asami moved to take advantage of his compromising situation, Sharingan spinning as she swung her chokutō toward his neck.
Right before she could land a hit on him, he tore the kanabō from the ground and swung it at her, chunks of grass flying into the air. The attack caught her off guard, the club slamming into the side of her head and sending Asami sending tumbling into the tall grass.
Bloody and battered, her head barely recognizable as she laid on the ground, the Uzumaki stood over top of her, breathing heavily from the fight.
The Uchiha was dead at his feet. He had gotten the revenge for Akane, just as he swore he would the day he fled from the Uchiha hideout as the last living member of his squad.
He raised his weapon above his head, ready to bring another blow down on the dead Uchiha just out of spite, but before he could, her body seemed to waver, the figure of her bloody frame melting into numerous black blobs. The sight was disturbing, the black sludge replacing her unlike anything he had ever seen.
The Uzumaki man stared down at her body, stumbling back as he tried to make sense of what was happening.
Was this some strange genjutsu? What was happening to her body? He saw the club slam into the side of her head and spill her brains out across the field, so there was no way she was still alive. He couldn't have been in a genjutsu—he never looked into her eyes once!
The black sludge suddenly turned into numerous crows, the birds screeching as they flew at him. What seemed to be hundreds of birds swarmed the Uzumaki, slamming into him and screaming in his ears, the kanabō tumbling from his hand and onto the ground.
He screamed, placing his hands over his ears as the birds pushed him every which way, their talons scratching into his skin and pulling at his hair. Even as he covered his ears and yelled, he couldn't find any relief from the screeching of the birds. It was as though the crows were in his head and tearing him from the inside out, blood beginning to dribble from his ears and down his chin.
The Uzumaki fell to his knees, gasping and curling over as he continued to scream in agony, the screaming of the birds unbearable. His head felt as though it was going to explode, tears running down his cheeks as he pleaded for any form of silence.
Suddenly, his pleas were answered as it all went silent, the man not able to hear the sounds of the battlefield or the raging thunder from above. There was only silence, overcome by the feeling of exhaustion as he slumped on his side, staring vacantly at the sandaled feet that came into view.
He stared dumbly at the bottom of what looked to be a traditional, navy blue yukata, his brain mush as he tried to process what was happening. Slowly, his gaze moved up, eyes bleary as he met the red, spinning tome of the Sharingan, Asami staring down at him.
"You should know that to be put under a genjutsu, you don't have to look into an Uchiha's eyes," she tilted her head to the side, wet black hair swaying. "Not that it will help you now, since you won't live to tell anyone else."
The man couldn't hear anything besides what the Uchiha was saying. Was this another form of torture? He would die hearing the voice of his killer in his final moments, unable to find the strength to defend himself and deafened by her genjutsu. How was that even possible?
There was a distinct flash of lightning, casting shadows across her face as a black crow identical to the birds tormenting him moments ago took its perch on her shoulder. A feeling of fear never experienced by the Uzumaki before settled in his gut as he looked upon her.
Asami plunged her chokutō into his chest, the Uzumaki gasping as she killed him, the spinning tomoe of her Sharingan and distant cawing of a crow the last thing he witnessed before succumbing to darkness.