Chapter 8 - Fires of the Sun

Aizen was ecstatic. His short exchange with Hashirama had confirmed to him that the Hokage was sympathetic toward hollows. Even if he ended up losing Harribel here, gaining an ally in Hashirama could be a potentially positive trade.

He had briefly chosen to clash with Hashirama in order to test the shinobi's strength, and was genuinely shocked at his zanjutsu skill. He had actually managed to put a gash in Aizen's haori with a Kunai of all things, before the captain activated Kyoka Suigetsu and left him fighting an illusion.

When he sensed the head captain's impending arrival with Unohana and Kenpachi in tow, Aizen had used his shikai to appear heavily injured before revealing himself to them. There was no need to rush things; he was satisfied that he could always find Hashirama again now that he knew about Konohakagure. All he needed to do now was bide his time and watch as events unfolded.

The captain commander had finally decided to take to the field himself. In all his years as a shinigami, Aizen had not been able to see the captain commander fight. Oh yes, he's sparred other captains in demonstration, but never in a fight to kill.

Aizen kept his excitement cautiously contained, though, as he put some distance between himself and the head captain. This Madara hollow was certainly strong, but every captain in the Gotei 13 knew that defeating a younger captain like Komomura was no indicator for even being able to last a few seconds against the monster that was Yamamoto.

He had seen the way Yamamoto schooled Zaraki Kenpachi in the dojo time and time again without even drawing Ryujin Jakka from its cane. For all he knew, Yamamoto could end the fight before revealing any techniques of note.

Madara stared down at the old man with the flaming sword, as well as the new arrivals. "Even more of you have come to capture me?" His chakra enhanced voice boomed from atop his perfect susanoo. "It's not that I don't enjoy these duels, but do any of you shinigami actually possess the mental faculties to at least have a conversation before trying to kill me?"

Yamamoto raised Ryujin Jakka toward the Uchiha; "I am the head captain of the 13 court guard squads, Genryusai Shgekuni Yamamoto. Does the name Kisuke Urahara mean anything to you, hollow?"

"Oh, this one chooses to feign civility while brandishing his flaming sword?" Madara sneered, before continuing, "But no, I can't say it does. I am Madara Uchiha, and I must admit that I have not been a hollow for very long."

"Then you are of no use to us. There is no point continuing this conversation any further," Yamamoto bellowed, appearing before Madara with a shunpo and bringing down Ryujin Jakka.

Madara's eyes widened at the old man's speed, and grimaced in concentration as he felt the pressure from that single strike reverberate through his perfect susanoo from head to toe. The absolute defense held, however, and Yamamoto stepped back, frowning. He flared his reiatsu, weaving through a cross slash of the susanoo's swords, and then went in for another strike.

"You are a powerful and unique hollow, Madara, but your soul will be purified today by the flames of Ryujin Jakka!" This time Madara saw him coming with his Sharingan and hardened the susanoo's armor around himself.

Ryujin Jakka came down once more upon the Susanoo's head, but with ten times more strength than before. Despite having braced for the strike, Madara's vision blurred at the sudden drain on his Chakra, and his knees almost buckled as he felt his susanoo stumbling backward at the force of Yamamoto's attack.

Blinking rapidly to clear his vision, Madara started in shock as he realized it wasn't his vision that was blurry, but that a web-like series of cracks had been inflicted on his perfect susanoo where his head was.

Such power, and from a single blow? Madara thought, as his blood ran cold. This old man was in a different league to the large canine captain he had just put down.

He manifested chakra swords in all four arms, but the head captain was too nimble for him to connect with something as slow as the susanoo.

Leaping into the air and exiting his susanoo, Madara channeled his chakra and roared: "Fire Style: Majestic Destroyer Flame!"

The crimson wave washed over Yamamoto, and Madara felt a cold sweat forming on the back of his neck even as he thought he saw the head captain smirk.

Nonetheless, he held the jutsu until the head captain had been completely engulfed.

"Reduce all creation to Ashes: Ryujin Jakka!". A rumbling voice rang out from the midst of the roaring inferno.

For the second time in mere seconds, Madara thought his sharingan were playing tricks on him. The Majestic Destroyer Flame he had enveloped Yamamoto with flickered, before an arc erupted back out toward him. He willed his armored susanoo into being around himself as the flames washed over it, singeing the chakra construct.

Madara panted for breath; the air was thick and hot, and Yamamoto's spiritual pressure had increased to a point where he felt as if his lungs were being crushed simply trying to expand and breathe.

He honed in on Yamamoto's silhouette amongst the flames and declared: "Amaterasu!" The head captain raised his eyebrows as black tongues of fire licked at his haori, but with a wave of Ryujin Jakka, they disappeared into his sword.

"Were it anyone else, that attack could have inflicted serious injury," Yamamoto lectured, Ryujin Jakka pointed toward Madara. "But my Ryujin Jakka is the strongest fire type zanpakuto in existence. All fire is under my control, even the black flame of Amaterasu. You can never hope to defeat me with fire." Even as he finished, he slashed forward and sent another wave of fire toward Madara.

Madara blanched as the head captain extinguished his highest level of fire release with a casual wave of his sword. Quickly using a substitution Jutsu, the Uchiha abandoned his armored susanoo and escaped back into the forest with a sonido.

I have to counter him with water jutsu, Madara thought. He considered the stream flowing through the valley where he and Hashirama had fought, and then remembered someone: Harribel! Honing in on her reiatsu signature, he took off toward the Espada.

Yamamoto stared coldly as Ryujin Jakka's flames broke down and consumed Madara's armored susanoo. He knew the hollow had gotten away. He had seen Madara's fleeing form darting among the trees and even now could feel his distinctive reiatsu. After a moment of hesitation, it made a beeline toward where Kenpachi was currently engaged with three opponents.

He sealed Ryujin Jakka so as to not burn the forest down, then gave chase with a shunpo.


Konoha Outskirts - Near the Village

Tiburon was heavy in Harribel's arms as she desperately parried another blow from Zaraki Kenpachi. She understood now why Tosen had ordered her to take him out first before he could unleash his full strength.

Just as her arms gave out, thick roots wrapped around Kenpachi's arms and wrenched his zanpakuto off target, biting into Harribel's shoulder instead of splitting her skull. Tobirama took the opening to grab Harribel by the arm and teleport them back to Hashirama, throwing an explosive tagged Kunai as he did.

The Kunai bounced off the mad captain's cheek with a clank before it exploded in his face, and Tobirama gnashed his teeth in frustration as the trio glared into the dust cloud. None of them believed for a second that Kenpachi had suffered even a single scratch from that attack.

Harribel was the only one among them who had the ability to even cut the squad 11 captain, but she was rapidly fatiguing, and was not his match in swordsmanship. She had already expended a large amount of reiatsu fighting Madara in Hueco Mundo, and then more against Hitsugaya. A part of her was seriously contemplating just opening a garganta and getting out of this mess, but she felt like she couldn't betray the Senjus' trust in her like that.

Hashirama growled in exertion as he summoned layer upon layer of spiraling roots to tangle their way around Kenpachi's legs before piling on top of the squad 11 captain. However, as the sound of splitting wood rang through the air and the dust settled, they saw that Kenpachi had slashed his way out of Hashirama's jutsu. "I can't hold him with my wood style, and his skin is as hard as Harribel's hierro. What in the world is this man?!"

"Hashirama, Tobirama, do you think you can keep him occupied for a bit?" Harribel asked, breathing heavily.

Tobirama frowned, "I don't think that water ability is going to work on this guy."

"I know. It's another technique; if I can hit him, I'm sure it'll put him down, but it takes some time to prepare," Harribel replied.

Hashirama nodded. "Consider it done." He had drawn two kunai, ready to engage Kenpachi when he saw the unconscious form of Hitsugaya lying not far from them, illuminated by a sliver of sunlight. "Tobirama. Go back to the village. Warn the clan leaders and anybody you see not to interfere with this battle. It's almost dawn and people are going to start coming here soon. It's far too dangerous for anybody else to join."

As the younger Senju nodded and teleported away, Hashirama summoned a wood clone to charge at Kenpachi, while he himself sprinted toward the downed squad 10 captain. Prying Hyorinmaru from Hitsugaya's still-firm grip, he dove toward Kenpachi just as his clone was cut down.

Hyorinmaru met the nameless zanpakuto of Zaraki Kenpachi in a clang of sparks, and Hashirama let out a breath of relief as his new sword didn't break. However, as he went on the offensive, his heart fell as Hyorinmaru was also unable to pierce the captain's skin. Kenpachi wore a bored expression on his face as he swung sideways at Hashirama, who parried it but was sent sprawling across the forest floor by the force of the blow.

"Trident!" Harribel shouted, and a yellow beam fired from Tiburon, crashing into Kenpachi. He staggered backward, catching it on his blade, but his arm was trembling with strain as he struggled to hold it back. Seeing her chance, Harribel lunged toward him with a sonido, preparing to fire a point blank cero and slice the captain in two.

Just as she was about to release her cero, she locked eyes with the glowing golden irises of Zaraki Kenpachi. There was no fear reflected in them; only something akin to resignation.

Almost in slow motion, he brought his left hand to the hilt of his zanpakuto, deflected her 'Trident' with a flick of his wrists, and lifted his arms for a simple, telegraphed overhead slash.

Harribel shifted her stance to block. She would catch the blow on Tiburon, roll with the momentum of his strike and then fire her cero sideways, parting his torso from his legs.

The two zanpakuto met, except she didn't roll with the blow. The ground beneath her feet caved as she was driven shin-deep into the forest floor with the force of the strike, before the muscles in her arms gave way. They may as well have been foam with how little resistance they put up under the devastating force of kenpachi's two-handed strike, and his jagged blade slashed down the entire length of her torso.

Hashirama watched in horror as Harribel crumpled to the ground limply, collapsing in an awkward position as her feet were still buried in the soil. Kenpachi stabbed his sword through her gut and kicked in her knees before violently yanking her feet free and hoisting her over his shoulder. Without even a backwards glance toward Hashirama, Kenpachi strolled away.

"Hashirama!" a familiar voice called as Madara touched down beside him. He had arrived just in time to witness Harribel's brutal defeat. "Damn it. Was he too strong for you guys, too?"

Turning to look at his old friend, Hashirama only nodded numbly. His world had been turned upside down since the arrival of the shinigami. He didn't feel any fear. He felt a rage that he had not thought himself capable of. Rage at the existence of such powerful entities that were so ruthless and blinded by prejudice.

Hitsugaya and Rangiku had the gall to act like noble arbiters of balance or peace, preaching to him how dangerous hollows were. Yet, it was the shinigami that had struck first every time as far as he was concerned, whereas he had reconciled with his old friend and rival-turned-hollow in Madara and made a new friend in Tier Harribel.

Hashirama rallied his chakra. "Wood Style: Wood Dragon Jutsu!" He shouted, as a pair of jaws burst forth from below Kenpachi. He dodged, but the wood dragon deftly but gently closed its jaws around Harribel and brought the wounded Espada to Hashirama. He knelt beside her, his anger increasing in intensity as he saw that the Espada, just like the soul reapers and humans, bled red.

He had just begun to mend Harribel's wounds before a wave of fire incinerated his wood dragon. He barely registered Madara's armored susanoo's protective aura enveloping the trio as he clasped his hands together, scrambling to summon a Rashomon.

The great gate seemed to hold against the inferno. He returned to treating Harribel, but snapped his head back toward his Rashomon as the heat around him increased, accompanied by the creaking groans of the thick metal gate. The Rashomon slowly bulged backward, glowing red-hot and threatening to melt.

Roaring in defiance, he slammed his hands together furiously, sage chakra swirling around him, as he located the source of the flames. "Summoning Jutsu: Quintuple Rashomon!" Four more mighty gates burst from the ground, in the path of Yamamoto's flames.

Harribel's eyes fluttered open as the flames subsided, and as they focused, she saw Hashirama leaning over her, a warm green glow emanating from his palms. She tried to get up but hissed in pain. Looking down, she saw herself covered in blood.

"Don't move." Hashirama ordered. "I haven't had enough time to close your wounds yet."

"Harribel, are you able to use that water technique again?" Madara asked.

The Espada grimaced; she could barely feel her own reiatsu, and she noticed the pool of blood she was lying in was gradually spreading outward. She was still in her Resurreccion, however. "I can use it one more time if I have to." She hoped she was right about that.

"Do it now. Give Hashirama and I access to as much water as you can. The man behind those flames called himself the head captain. He's a fire user, and we should be able to defeat him using water."

Harribel's heart skipped a beat, and she felt a strange combination of apprehension and excitement. Did she dare to hope that the Captain Commander of the Gotei 13 would fall today? She steeled herself, a spark of inspiration giving her an idea; "Hashirama; if you can share some reiatsu with me - as much as you can spare, I'll give you all the water you need."

The Hokage looked worried at that. "Harribel, we're close to the village. If you use that same technique as before but amplified by my chakra -"

Harribel shook her head; "No, not the same technique. I'll give you all the water you can use right there." She said as she pointed forward, toward the sky.

Hashirama and Madara shared a look and nodded at each other. "Very well. Get ready, then." Hashirama said, as he pushed his sage mode to the limit, splitting the nature chakra he absorbed between himself and Harribel.

The Espada fought her way up to a sitting position and raised Tiburon with a shaking arm. "…Hirviendo." She snarled, through gritted teeth.

At first nothing happened. Hashirama felt the drain on their chakra but there was no water to be seen. He then realized how hot it was, and he began to sweat. He shot a worried glance toward his Rashomon, and to his surprise noticed that the flames that had been assailing the gates had already subsided, yet the temperature just continued to rise.

Flashes of lightning tore through the starry sky, and a litany of thunderclaps followed closely behind. Madara looked above him. The atmosphere looked as if it was boiling; thick, menacing black thunderclouds rolled across the horizon, completely obscuring the rising sun. The refraction from the heat of the atmosphere gave Madara the impression that he could almost reach out his hand and touch the clouds with his susanoo.

Harribel collapsed back onto her side. "I've condensed and boiled the moisture in the atmosphere above the trees. You have your water."

"Thank you, Harribel. Rest now; we will take it from here," Hashirama said, tightening his grip on Hyorinmaru while summoning a bed of vines for her and protectively setting her behind them.

Senju and Uchiha stood back to back. Neither spoke a word, but neither needed to. The two had clashed a hundred times throughout their lifetime, from spars as children to deathmatches as their respective clan leaders. They had built a village together, ended the Warring States Era, fought to the death as bitter enemies and then reconciled their friendship beyond the boundaries of life and death. Both knew the other's Jutsu and capabilities almost as well as their own, and both knew that, working together, there was nothing they could not achieve.

Clasping his hands together, Hashirama roared a battle cry, exerting his remaining chakra to its limits: "Sage art - Wood Release: Veritable Thousand Armed Kan'on!" The Earth rumbled as Madara and Hashirama rose toward the pregnant thunderclouds atop the wooden Buddha's head as the colossal construct emerged from the earth.

Deciding it was not the time nor place to hold anything back anymore, Madara activated his own sage mode, drawing a surprised look from Hashirama: "Susanoo!" He roared, senjutsu markings appearing on his face, and the veins in his neck bulging in strain as he pushed his chakra as far as it would go.

Great blue plates of armor snapped into place around Hashirama's Thousand Armed Kan'on, and as the last plate fell into place, the two turned to face Yamamoto and Kenpachi below them. They were so far down that they looked barely larger than two grains of rice against the green-brown forest backdrop.

Rain had begun to fall. First a slow drizzle, but soon droplets the size of kunai rings were pelting down at the captains below. The last remnants of Ryujin Jakka's flames had been extinguished, and both captains were forced to bring an arm up over their foreheads to shield against the torrential onslaught.

Hashirama brought his left hand up, and Madara raised his right. Forming hand seals together in perfect, symmetrical compliment to each other, the two wove through the forty-four hand seals required to perform the ultimate water style Jutsu. The Susanoo clad Kan'on statue mimicked their hand seals, and, in unison, their voices split the sky - "Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu!"

The tumbling clouds began to form a spiral from horizon to horizon, as if the heavens themselves were spinning. From the maelstrom, wreathed in crackling lightning, a black dragon head roared into being. Reflected in the light of the rising sun, its orb-like eyes shone red as a burning ember of vengeance as it descended toward the captains.


A short distance away, Sosuke Aizen was rapt - in awe at the majestic sight before him. He was drenched, impressed and admittedly slightly alarmed that Harribel was capable of such an environment-altering ability. He could definitely not afford to lose her, now. Her reiatsu was barely detectable, but it was stable. She was alive, and Aizen found himself genuinely hoping she stayed that way.

Aizen's mind raced. Was it truly possible that Yamamoto himself could be taken out now? With the head captain out of his way, the final true obstacle in his way to create the Oken would be gone. His lips twitched in a smile, and then he frowned as a prick of pain danced upon his lower lip.

He reached up instinctively and wiped a sliver of blood from a crack that had appeared. He licked his lips, and his mouth dried as he opened it.

They felt parched. With a start, he realized his clothes were dry, and the uncomfortable film of sweat that had formed on his skin seemed to have completely disappeared.


Konoha Outskirts - Below the Canopy

Yamamoto stared intensely at the monstrous construct that had emerged from behind the five gates. As it became encased in the flaming blue spiritual armor of Madara Uchiha and started performing an array of hand and finger movements, the head captain readied Ryujin Jakka to fire at it. He admired these shinobi for their heart, but pitied their plight.

No matter how powerful they might be, any techniques based around wood of all things could never hope to stand against the flames of Ryujin Jakka.

And then the rain grew heavy; heavy enough for him to shield his eyes, the droplets stinging his skin. It was then that he realized their tactic; he couldn't see very clearly through the thick rain, but it was impossible to miss the the form of a great black dragon head large enough to comfortably fit Sokyoku Hill in its mouth.

Ryujin Jakka's flames had dimmed in the rain, and the rest of the thunderclouds were concentrating - coalescing - into the black dragon's body.

For the first time since fighting the Quincy King, Yamamoto knew that if he held back in consideration of collateral damage, he was going to die.

"Bankai: Zanka No Tachi."

The thick humid clamminess in the air was instantly replaced by a dry, parching heat. Every remaining leaf in the forest burst into flame for a brief moment before crumbling into dust. The bodies of every Konoha villager Chunin and below disintegrated into a cloud of ashes at the sheer weight of Yamamoto's released reiatsu.

Yet through it all, the water dragon continued its descent. Its thick, angry black thunderclouds had subsided to a calmer blue, but it forged on toward the earth, roaring defiance as Madara and Hashirama funneled their chakra into it.

The thunderclouds from Harribel's Hirviendo had evaporated by now, and as the dragon head broke past the remains of the forest canopy, only its snout still held its original form.

Jagged teeth of lightning opened to engulf the head captain, but before its jaws could snap shut, the water dragon finally evaporated.

In the face of the water dragon, Yamamoto had not moved. His zanpakuto was now the form of a charred, smoldering katana, and behind him, the first rays of dawn broke the horizon to a deep blue sky.

The only trace left of Madara, Hashirama and Harribel's combined efforts was a stubborn, solitary droplet that had made it past the fires of the sun, landing harmlessly on Yamamoto's forehead, before it too evaporated in a wisp of steam.


AN- Alright I hope I did all the main characters in this fic justice with their battles here. Was a little unsure about Kenpachi's kendo 1 shotting Harribel like he did with Nnoitra, but her Hierro is apparently weaker so why not

read and review please! Next chapter will be the conclusion of this first arc (3, possibly 4 arcs planned for this fic) and will respond to reviews and clarify some things at the end of the next one.