Chapter 17: The Iron Fist of War
Dangai - Precipice World
Madara took a deep breath, bringing his hands before him in readiness to fight. However, neither Aizen nor any of the Espada moved to draw their zanpakuto. None of their spiritual pressures even increased, so he released his breath and relaxed slightly. On some level, seeing Harribel gave him a measure of relief; she had opened a garganta for him during their exit from the Soul Society, after all, and was likely not here to kill him. The same could not be said for the others, though.
Aizen spoke again; "I must apologize, Madara Uchiha. I had put you under the complete hypnosis of my Kyoka Suigetsu because I mistakenly assumed it would be easier to bring you up to speed later. You must understand… No being has ever broken free of Kyoka Suigetsu on their own before. I could not have anticipated the chaos that my oversight would cause."
Madara looked thoughtful at that; he had seen through the Genjutsu when Captains Unohana and Kurotsuchi were leading him out of the Muken. Even if he hadn't released the Genjutsu, though, he would still have been surrounded by Yamamoto as well as ten Captains of the Gotei 13.
"So a dramatic exit with the entire Gotei 13 as your audience was not your original plan, Aizen?" Madara asked, semi-sarcastically. The man oozed arrogance even more so than himself. He wouldn't put it past the former squad 5 captain to have enjoyed the attention.
Aizen chuckled softly. "No. Harribel was meant to keep the Captains interested during the interrogation by providing bites of information that they could not ignore, while I went and slaughtered the Central 46. Once the government was dead, I would have made a Seireitei-wide announcement reporting the deed, and that would have drawn Yamamoto and at least a few captains away."
Madara nodded; it made sense. "And then that would leave myself, Harribel, Gin and Tōsen…"
Aizen smiled. "Exactly. Even without knowing that you still had access to your unique abilities through the Sekkiseki bindings, Harribel, Gin and Tōsen would have been able to take care of any remaining captains - especially with the advantage of surprise. I would have then had plenty of time to retrieve my artifact from Rukia's soul. Then, we would have rendezvoused at Sokyoku Hill earlier than we actually did, and the captains would not have made it in time."
Madara allowed himself a small smile in return; it was a well thought out plan. If he had been unaware that Harribel was armed and that Aizen was not present in the room, he could see it having succeeded... But a small whimper from behind him returned his attention to more pressing matters.
"Suppose I take your word with all of that; why did you send Ulquiorra after Orihime here? Where does a human girl factor into your plans of overthrowing the Seireitei and creating a peaceful world for Arrancar?" Madara challenged.
Aizen answered him: "Orihime possesses an extremely powerful healing ability… So powerful, in fact, I am not even sure it can be called 'healing.'"
Madara nodded; he had experienced her Soten Kisshun firsthand, but he remained silent as he waited for Aizen to continue.
"If such a resource were in the hands of the shinigami, they could send wounded combatants - even ones on the verge of death - to her, and they would be able to rejoin the battle in minutes. Our enemy, especially the Captains, having access to that level of sustainability would quickly become overwhelming - even more so if Orihime were to heal the likes of Yamamoto or Unohana, and give titans of the battlefield like them a second wind."
Orihime was feeling more and more self-conscious as Aizen spoke. On one hand, she felt indignant at being described as a mere resource, but he was also speaking of her as if she were some kind of powerful healing goddess. She needed to clarify Aizen's perception of her abilities; she was not that strong. "What are you talking about?! I'm nowhere near as skilled at healing than the squad 4 members. Especially compared to Captain Unohana or Vice Captain Isane."
Aizen raised an eyebrow. "No? Perhaps a demonstration is in order, then."
As he spoke, a distant rattling began to reverberate through the Dangai. Ulquiorra looked behind him, before stepping forward. "Lord Aizen. The Kototsu is swiftly approaching inbound."
"Thank you, Ulquiorra," Aizen replied, before opening a garganta with a tap of a finger. "Come, Madara, Orihime. I invite you both to my palace in Hueco Mundo. Las Noches does not have much to offer in the way of luxuries yet, but I promise you will be treated with the utmost hospitality."
Madara narrowed his eyes. "You are either much more naive than you let on, or think me a fool."
Aizen waved off Madara's accusation; "No. I am merely being pragmatic. Time passes faster here in the Dangai, and the distortion increases in the vicinity of the Kototsu. We need to leave immediately. Perhaps we can come to further mutual understanding in Las Noches."
Orihime backed away at that. This was Sosuke Aizen, the man who wanted to take the place of the Soul King and rule over existence itself. This was the man who had almost killed Rukia when extracting the Hogyoku from her soul. No good could possibly come of walking into his palace deliberately. "N-no, we can't-"
Madara considered his options. He knew from his experience against Ulquiorra that his large-scale abilities were disadvantaged in the confined space of the Dangai. He also knew that he could not go back into Karakura town, especially with so many captain level shinigami present. Did he dare open a garganta to a random realm? Or even back to the Elemental Nations? He had intended to take Orihime to Konoha now, but he did not want Aizen and his Espada following him there.
"Fine. We will go with you until our questions are answered," he finally relented, trying not to look at the expression of betrayal and hurt on Orihime's face. "But I have business with Orihime. She will be leaving with me afterwards."
Aizen inclined his head. "Very well," he said, stepping through his garganta as his Espada followed. Madara and Ulquiorra took one last glance at the approaching Kototsu, before also joining them.
Karakura Town Outskirts - Chibaku Tensei Landing Site
Isshin Kurosaki touched down beside where the sphere of condensed grass and dirt had fallen. It was as large as a city block, and Ichigo was at its base, throwing Getsuga after Getsuga into it in a mixture of rage and despair. Yoruichi, Urahara and Tessai were all observing from a distance; none of them quite knew how to approach the boy, given the situation.
Whatever that hollow had done, it was clearly some form of gravity manipulation. Thankfully, the technique was released when he escaped into the garganta. It appeared to Isshin as if the hollow was trying to trap all the shinigami into it, and smother them with more and more debris as the sphere grew in mass. He shuddered to think how large the hollow could have forced it to grow. Could he have sucked up all of Karakura town into that thing…? He thought as he approached his grieving son.
"Ichigo," Isshin said firmly, intercepting Zangetsu with his own Engetsu. "Stop. You're overexerted enough as is."
Ichigo pushed against Engetsu as his father's eyes focussed on his own. "...Dad? You're a…Shinigami…Captain?" He asked disjointedly as his eyes fell upon the white Haori tied under Isshin's left pauldron.
"Yeah, I was. It's a long story, Ichigo, but my powers have only recently returned."
Ichigo nodded slowly, a blank expression on his face.
Isshin swallowed a hard lump in his throat. His son was in shock; that much was certain. His reiatsu was drained to its last dredges, and he had suffered immense physical and emotional trauma. The only thing he could do was keep talking and try to put the boy at ease however he could. "I was staying in the clinic to protect your sisters. Yuzu and Karin are having their afternoon nap, but when I sensed your reiatsu disappear and turn into that hollow, I came out here to help." He grimaced, looking around him. "Looks like I was too late."
"He took Orihime…"
"I know… I saw. Was he one of Aizen's Arrancar?"
"No." It was Urahara who answered, having decided to join them now that Ichigo was no longer blindly firing off Getsugas. "His name is Madara Uchiha; he is a new threat that has emerged in one of the realms the Seireitei have recently started monitoring… A hollow that forced Captain Commander Yamamoto into Bankai and survived a full incantation Kurohitsugi from Aizen himself."
Isshin's eyes bulged at that, as Yoruichi and Tessai joined them, carrying something in her arms. "There are strict 'do not engage' orders from Yamamoto for anybody below Captain ranked, and to only attempt capture in teams of three captains or more," she explained.
"I can see why," Tessai continued, grimly, dumping a large wooden log on the ground before them. "He somehow replaced his body with this log after I cast both parts of my Bakudo #99 to bind him." He kicked the lump of wood. "As far as my analysis can tell, it is, quite literally, just a wooden log. I don't even know where it came from."
"And these Sekkiseki restraints somehow didn't suppress him completely," Yoruichi interjected, motioning with her chin toward her arms. She was holding what Isshin now recognized as a pair of severed hands and feet bound in Sekkiseki. "Despite sealing his reiatsu, it somehow did not prevent him from using either high speed regeneration, or some other extremely potent regenerative ability to regrow his limbs and regain full function of them quickly after cutting them off."
Yoruichi sidled up to Urahara. "They give off a very strange energy signature…" She mused, handing her baggage over to Urahara. "Think you can do something with these?"
Urahara inspected the gruesome spoils, before smirking, a glint in his eye; "You do remember that you're talking to Kisuke Urahara, don't you?"
Ichigo interrupted them, then. He did not want to see Urahara and Yoruichi start flirting at a time like this. "So what are we going to do about Orihime? When are we going after her?"
Shinji and Hitsugaya approached them in time to hear his words. "We don't even know where he's taken her. We don't even know where to begin looking. Plus, there is the matter of those Arrancar in Aizen's army. They did not look like they were on friendly terms. I say we leave the girl and let Madara and Aizen duke it out," Shinji said, earning a hard glare from Ichigo.
"I am not abandoning her-!"
Before Ichigo could say any more, Hitsugaya interrupted; "Actually. If Madara was after Orihime for her healing powers, I think I might have an idea where he's headed."
Hueco Mundo - Las Noches Throne Room
"Welcome to my palace, Las Noches," Aizen said casually, while gesturing his arms around him in a sweeping motion. He slowly elevated himself atop a rectangular platform and sat down upon the white, marble throne at its center.
Madara scoffed at the grandiosity of it all. "That can't be comfortable."
Grimmjow smirked, and Harribel narrowed her eyes. Ulquiorra remained expressionless, but it was then that Madara noticed there were others present in this throne room. Barragan was there, as well as a tall Arrancar with an eyepatch and long, flowing black hair. He appeared to have some kind of oblong white headdress that extended out from his clothing. In the shadows, leaning lazily against a pillar, another Arrancar lounged with his arms crossed. He sported messy, shoulder length brown hair as well as the remains of a hollow mask in a thick choker around his neck.
Aizen remained silent for a moment, then rose and lightly touched down before Madara again. "No, it is not comfortable," he admitted. "But nothing great was ever achieved in the embrace of comfort. I sit atop the throne of Hueco Mundo to prepare myself for the even greater demands of presiding over the Soul King's Palace. The task ahead of me is monumental, which is why I would like to extend my hand to you once more."
He held out his hand toward Madara, but the Uchiha did not take it this time.
"You would ask me to trust you, after trying to put me under your 'complete hypnosis?'" Madara asked, shaking his head in disbelief at the audacity of the man.
"Of course not. When did I ever speak of trust? I have many subordinates; many who have pledged themselves to me-"
"And I will not be another," Madara interjected.
"Please, Madara, let me finish," Aizen chided. "I did not say you would be. In fact, I distinctly recall agreeing with you to work together toward our shared goal of peace. Do you still sincerely wish to bring peace to your village, as you said to me a few weeks ago in the Muken?"
Madara narrowed his eyes. "I do."
"Then I ask for your allegiance. Just as I have asked for the allegiance of everyone else present in this room. Those you see around you are my top six Espada. The most powerful individuals in my Arrancar army."
Grimmjow perked up at this, and Aizen turned his gaze toward the former sixth Espada with a wry smile.
Madara remained silent, considering his words.
"Which brings us to what I was saying before our conversation was unfortunately interrupted by the Kototsu…" Aizen trailed off, turning to Orihime.
"Orihime Inoue, is that correct?"
She nodded pensively, taking a step closer toward Madara.
"If you don't mind… I would like you to try to heal Grimmjow's arm."
A faint murmuring washed through the room as the Espada each expressed some form of surprise.
"Have you lost your wits, Aizen?" Barragan's gravelly voice boomed. "Grimmjow's arm was reduced to ash by Tosen's kido. It's gone."
Aizen didn't move his gaze from Orihime's eyes. "Well, Orihime? Would you humor this silly request of mine?" He asked again, his voice bordering on an almost sweet tone.
Orihime looked toward Madara, who gave her a shrug, and then back at Aizen, who was still smiling softly. She finally settled her eyes on Grimmjow, specifically on his left arm that had been crudely severed at the shoulder.
Of all the Espada present who were shocked by Aizen's request, there was none more so than Grimmjow himself. As the orange-haired, innocent-looking girl walked toward him slowly with a determined expression, he could not help but back away a few steps. His mind was racing. This was the girl he had taken great pleasure in tormenting Ichigo with, and he had made a point to treat her as roughly as possible without actually injuring her. There was no way she would simply forgive him for everything just like that. Seeing her approaching him without any fear in her eyes, he was certain she was up to something.
"W-wait. Don't come any closer," he stammered. "Don't you dare try anything funny, girl, or I'll kill you where you stand." Grimmjow raised his right hand as well as his spiritual pressure threateningly.
Orihime stopped, looking toward Aizen as if asking for permission. The Lord of Hueco Mundo nodded lightly, lazily turning his eyes toward Grimmjow; "You will do no such thing, Grimmjow. Now take a seat and behave yourself." As he spoke, a titanic tsunami of reiatsu flooded through Las Noches's throne room, radiating off of the man. Aizen himself looked as if he was basked in holy light; he was emitting a searing, blindingly white glow from every fiber of his being.
Madara's eyes widened at the sheer force of Aizen's reiatsu. Even though it was directed toward Grimmjow, just the peripheral force of it was enough to overshadow that of the captains in Karakura town. He was not surprised, then, when the former Sexta Espada was forced to kneel under the weight of the onslaught.
Then, as soon as it had begun, it subsided. The room was deathly quiet aside from Grimmjow's ragged breathing as he remained on his knees. He was bent forward, dripping sweat and supporting himself with his remaining hand.
"Please continue, Orihime," Aizen said, encouragingly.
The girl's face was flushed, and she was taking quick, shallow breaths, but she nodded. Madara saw with his Rinnegan that her heart rate had doubled in the last few seconds. As she made her way stiffly toward where Grimmjow knelt, she stumbled once, and Madara could tell that her legs were shaking with every step. She was doing her best to hide it, but his Rinnegan saw it all. Orihime was terrified out of her mind at Aizen's display. Sosuke Aizen… Just how powerful are you, really? I must not antagonize him until I have a better grasp of his abilities, Madara thought, as he watched Orihime place her hands around where Grimmjow's left arm used to be. Her hair clips flew out, encasing the area in a warm, dark orange hue.
The entire room watched in awe as Grimmjow's arm seemingly materialized from thin air, connecting seamlessly to his shoulder as if it had never been severed in the first place. He flexed his fingers experimentally, mouth agape, before slowly making his way back up to his feet. "Hey, Orihime…" He said, sounding uncharacteristically polite. "There's a scar on the right side of my back… Can you heal that, too?"
Orihime wordlessly obliged. As the same orange glow enveloped his back, the scar smoothed out, and a tattoo of the number "6" took form in its place. Anything Grimmjow was about to say or do was interrupted when Aizen let out a hum of approval.
He nodded knowingly. "As I expected, Orihime. Your restorative ability far surpasses that of simple healing. You have the ability to completely reject the occurrence of events within that orange boundary of yours. Your healing works by undoing the original damage itself."
Madara walked toward Orihime. "As fascinating as all that is, I have a business of my own to attend to, and will be needing Orihime."
Aizen turned to face them directly, taking a few steps closer. "I don't believe you have given your response to my earlier offer of allegiance."
Madara clenched his jaw. Aizen had placed himself between the two of them and the throne room's exit. Between that, his earlier display of power, and the six Espada in the room with them, they may as well have been hostages. Madara inwardly fumed for allowing himself and Orihime to be put into such a situation. Fighting his way out was definitely not an option at this moment.
"You are a devious bastard, Aizen," Madara growled, clenching his fists.
"I do not deny it," Aizen replied smugly. "One must be prepared and willing to pull out all the stops in order to create a force capable of crushing the Gotei 13. I meant what I said, Madara; I want your allegiance."
Orihime finally mustered up the courage to speak. "Do I get a choice in this?" She whispered. Her tone was devoid of hope.
Aizen shook his head. "You will be providing support from the back lines, healing our injured. Unfortunately, I cannot allow you to fall into the hands of the Shinigami."
Madara made his decision. "Sosuke Aizen. My first condition for our allegiance remains the same as before - I will work with you, but not beneath you. My second condition is for Orihime to accompany me. It is my understanding that your Espada all have fraccion… She will be my first."
Aizen raised an eyebrow, but saw no immediate problem with this. "I had thought to place her under Ulquiorra, who also has no Fraccion, but no matter. Very well… She is your responsibility, Madara Uchiha."
Orihime turned an accusatory glare toward Madara, but held her peace. She was beyond helpless in her current situation, and she understood that very clearly.
"Now, Madara, if you accompany me to the Hogyoku room, it will help you evolve into an Arrancar, and bestow upon you a zanpakuto, shaped from your very soul," Aizen said, beckoning them toward a corridor behind his throne.
"Wait. I have my own methods of obtaining further power. I would prefer to go about this my way, first," Madara countered, stopping Aizen in his tracks. "I could use a zanpakuto, though. The weapons I have access to seem far inferior to these shinigami swords."
Aizen frowned at this. "You want a zanpakuto but are unwilling to become an Arrancar? I'm afraid you ask too much of me, Madara Uchiha." He shook his head, gesturing at the Espada around him. "As I said, an Arrancar's zanpakuto is the manifestation of their hollow powers, derived from their very soul. Each Arrancar only owns a single zanpakuto, and there is no…" He trailed off, thoughtfully. And then his eyes widened slightly. "...Perhaps you are in luck, Madara Uchiha."
Madara scoffed. "Something that wouldn't break upon contact with another zanpakuto will suffice. I do not require anything special."
Aizen nodded; "Yes, I believe I have something in mind that will more than suffice. Harribel, would you be so kind as to show our guests to one of the spare rooms? I will meet you there soon with Madara's new zanpakuto. Nnoitra, come with me to Szayelapporo's laboratory."
Las Noches - Harribel's Estate
"So you made it out alive," Harribel began, leading Madara and Orihime through a walkway. None of the palace's spare rooms were currently outfitted to host guests, so she had decided to bring them to her mansion instead. Her Fraccion always kept things tidy, and she prided herself for having the most liveable quarters out of all the Espada.
Even Starrk, who spent more hours sleeping than not, only had a mountain of feathered pillows dumped in the middle of his own Castle's audience room. With that thought she was reminded of just how barren Las Noches really was. She couldn't wait until the entire hollow population became Arrancar, and the palace was bustling with life.
Madara grunted. "Yeah. You have my gratitude for trying to leave me a garganta. I couldn't open one myself because of the sekkiseki." He smiled when she made to speak, preempting her question. "The old man got to it first, but I have my fair share of tricks. Maybe I can show them to you in a spar at some point?"
Harribel nodded in approval, humming thoughtfully, before sparing a glance at Orihime. "I hear you gave Ulquiorra quite a workout in Karakura town."
Madara scowled. "Is that what he told you? I suppose he's justified in saying that. I am going to need to develop some techniques to enhance my dueling." He chuckled, then. "You and Ulquiorra are both too fast to catch up with my regular abilities. In the Elemental Nations, the only person I fought seriously was Hashirama, and all we did was end up developing larger and larger jutsu to counter each other."
"Yeah, I could imagine," Harribel agreed, thinking back to the monolithic Rashomon gates Hashirama had summoned to protect her from Yamamoto's flames. "I told my fraccion about you and Hashirama. Especially about that thousand-armed Kanon thing you coated with your blue chakra being. They were quite sad at the prospect of not being able to meet you, but would be overjoyed if you could spare them a visit sometime?"
"I suppose there is no harm in doing that."
"So what's the story with Orihime? Do you need her powers for Hashirama?"
"Yes. I did not have very long to analyze the damage, but just a cursory glance with my Rinnegan eyes told me that Hashirama would likely be crippled for life from Yamamoto's attack. Orihime is his only hope of recovery."
Orihime joined in their conversation, then. "Um… So forgive me for asking, but do you two know each other or something? And who exactly is Hashirama?"
They had arrived before Harribel's room, and she let them in. Her bed was made perfectly, like usual, by one of Barragan's many servants that Aizen had commandeered. It was a large, queen-sized marble frame fitted with the highest quality mattress and pillows that could be procured in Hueco Mundo. To the right of the spacious room was a long sofa of similar make, with three generously sized cushions. Normally they were meant for accommodating her fraccion's visits, but today, it was perfect for the trio. She sat on one side of the sofa, and motioned for Madara and Orihime to join her.
The three sat, and Orihime was treated to the wholesome tale of Madara and Hashirama's friendship, the inception of the 'Village Hidden in the Leaves', as well as Madara and Harribel's adventures from Hueco Mundo, to the Land of Fire, and ultimately the Soul Society. She had no doubt that they left some of the more gruesome details out, but Orihime was in awe at just how much these two had been through in the last few weeks, while she and her friends were training to rescue Rukia. As she listened, and became increasingly more at ease, she felt her eyelids grow heavy. Before long, she had slumped back, drifting off into the comforting embrace of the sofa.
Seeing the events of late finally catching up to Orihime, Madara noticed suddenly that he was also fighting against some heavy fatigue. It was a familiar feeling. He had spent decades embroiled in war with the Senju clan, and when that was all he knew, fatigue had been his friend. Fatigue told him that he was doing his work. It told him that, at the end of the day, his chakra and energy had been spent ending the lives of his enemies. More importantly, it told him that he was still alive to do it again tomorrow. Even pain had been his friend, because pain, also, meant he was still alive to feel.
But now he felt a strange comfort with the fatigue. He had never sat somewhere as comfortable as this sofa. Despite founding Konohagakure with Hashirama, the hard, feudal life of the shinobi had stuck with him. He afforded himself no more than the basic necessities in his office in the Uchiha district, as he thought it exuded a sense of toughness. I need to renovate my room when I get back… Order a few luxury items like this sofa… were Madara's last thoughts as Harribel's words stopped making sense, and he, too, drifted off to sleep.
"...So that's when Sun Sun decided it was a good idea to…" Harribel trailed off as she felt Madara's reiatsu mellow, and grow tranquil. His breathing grew deeper, and his head slowly fell onto her shoulder, even as a faint snoring filled the air. Gently picking him up bridal-carry style, she shifted Madara's sleeping form into her bed, and lay Orihime on her back on the sofa. The two had been through a lot, and it was the least she could do to allow them some rest.
A few hours later…
Harribel was reading a book, sitting on the edge of her bed, when she felt the unmistakable approach of Aizen's reiatsu. Waking Madara and Orihime, the three of them had a few minutes to gather their senses before Aizen opened the door to Harribel's room, letting himself in.
They all stood, but Aizen waved them down. Especially turning to look at Madara and Orihime, he said, "Please, do not rise on my behalf. I could sense that you were very tired. In fact, I almost turned away to allow you more rest before Harribel woke you."
On his left hip, the dark green hilt and black scabbard of Kyoka Suigetsu rested as usual. In his hands, however, he held another zanpakuto. It too, had a green hilt, although of a lighter tinge than Kyoka Suigestu. Down the middle of the hilt was a column embedded with white diamonds. It had a four-pointed, bronze crossguard and rested in long scabbard of similar, light green.
Harribel sucked in a breath as she recognized the sword. "This is…" She started.
"Gamuza." Aizen finished for her. "It was the zanpakuto of our former Tres Espada - Harribel's predecessor, before she suddenly vanished one day, many years ago. This sword was found by Nnoitra Gilga and Szayelapporo Granz. It has been in the safekeeping of the latter ever since. I believe her release command was… Declare, Gamuza."
Aizen paused, as if waiting for something to happen. When the zanpakuto did not respond, however, he shrugged, walking forward and laying it in Madara's upturned palms. "Play around with it, Madara Uchiha. See if it is to your liking. It will not be able to be released by anyone other than its original owner, of course, but it will stand strong against any shinigami blade."
Madara felt the weight of the zanpakuto. It was as long as Unohana's. Definitely not his first weapon of choice, but it exceeded his expectations in terms of what Aizen could procure for him on such short notice. It was undoubtedly an elegant sword, if slightly too feminine for his tastes. The soul it was crafted from must have been a beautiful one, indeed.
"You have my gratitude. I will accept Gamuza as a token of our allegiance, then," Madara said. He felt more well-rested than he could remember being for a while. "My next course of action is to go back to Konoha, and have Orihime heal Hashirama from the wounds Yamamoto inflicted." He purposefully left out 'by your illusion', but it was implied in his tone.
Aizen raised his eyebrows. "Hashirama? I had actually intended to recruit him into my forces as well. He expressed sympathetic sentiments toward hollows. Do you think he would be interested?"
Madara nodded without hesitation; "Yes. Perhaps even more so than me, Hashirama is a man who has been chasing peace his entire life. Our definitions of 'peace' may be slightly different, but I have no doubt that he would side with us against the shinigami in pursuit of it."
Aizen could not suppress the smile that spread across his face; two very powerful pieces that he had not even dared to dream of were dropping upon his chessboard one after the other. "Then you have my blessing to go and obtain his cooperation."
Madara steeled his gaze, clasped Gamuza to his hip and nodded, opening a garganta to the outcrop overlooking Konoha that he and Hashirama often frequented.
"Wait," Aizen said. "Harribel, accompany Madara and Orihime. Hashirama sent his brother to help you against Zaraki Kenpachi in the forest that day, and even attacked me on your behalf when I tried to give chase. He may be further persuaded to our cause when he sees not just Madara, but also you, alive and well."
Harribel looked taken aback, but recovered quickly and nodded. "Yes, Lord Aizen."
Madara had no issue with Harribel accompanying them, so with that, they stepped into his garganta.
Land of Fire - Konohagakure
The first thing Madara noticed was the distant clanging of steel; fearing the worst, he focussed his Rinnegan, but frowned in confusion as he saw row upon row of Konoha shinobi engaged in sparring drills. It was deep into the night, and the crescent moon was high in the sky. What are they doing training at a time like this? He thought, confused.
His spirits rose when he sensed Hashirama's chakra at the fore of the congregation, leading the drills. The Hokage's chakra was actually recovered to an amount that could rival the average Jonin. Madara shook his head, cracking a half-smile, awed at just how powerful Hashirama's natural regenerative ability was. He had thought the man's chakra crippled for life.
He turned his senses to the rest of Konoha. Where is Tobirama? Madara thought; he could not sense the younger senju anywhere, though he wasn't bothered. He and Tobirama never got along, anyway.
"Come, I see Hashirama," Madara said as he hopped down the cliff. Harribel flew with her reiatsu, and Orihime used Shun Shun Rikka to create a small platform to glide on. As they approached the congregation, many of the shinobi stopped in their drills to look at them. Madara recognized a few Uchiha clan members in the midst. Nobody wore their clan headbands, instead, each shinobi's metal insignia upon their brow was what looked like a half-formed rinnegan with a beak in the corner. Is that…supposed to be a leaf? Madara thought incredulously. What is going on here?
"Hashirama!" He called out, once the trio was nearing the Hokage. The next words died in his mouth. 'Good to see that you are well,' he was about to say, but Hashirama did not look well. His hair was greasy, dirty - as if he hadn't showered in weeks. His eyes were sunken within dark, shadowy circles, below which hung large eyebags Madara did not remember the senju having had previously.
He was leading the drills, but his expression was empty, as if his heart was not in it. A concerned-looking Mito was beside him, eyeing the approaching group cautiously.
Madara was ignored. Suddenly, a vicious-looking Hiruzen and Danzo appeared on either side of Orihime, each holding a Kunai to her throat.
"Not another step closer, girl. What business do you have in Konoha? You would dare approach the Hokage uninvited?" Danzo demanded.
"Huh?" Orihime was frozen in surprise, before she realized; "Madara! They can't see you and Harribel because you're hollows!"
At the mention of Madara's name, the two young shinobi immediately flinched, but quickly regained their composure.
Madara was mentally kicking himself for forgetting that simple fact. Hashirama could only see them the first time because he had gathered the reiatsu from the environment using sage mode.
"Orihime," Madara said, "Say these words exactly; 'Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo Shimura, Madara is going to use his wood release to create a plaque, and he is going to communicate by writing on that plaque.'"
Orihime obliged, and Hashirama's eyes widened as he saw a wooden board rise from the ground. It was undoubtedly his wood release. A spark of life flickered in his dull eyes as he walked down to greet the girl, waving his two bodyguards away. "My deepest apologies, girl. I am Hashirama Senju, the Hokage of this village. What is your name?"
"Orihime Inoue…" Orihime replied. Up close, Hashirama looked positively haggard. He was thin, and his overall demeanor just reminded her of a starving alley cat. Nothing like the man she had conjured up in her mind at Madara and Harribel's descriptions. "I'm here at Madara's request to heal your… chakra points?"
She now had the undivided attention of everybody who heard her words. As Hashirama watched, the words; 'She will engulf you in an orange barrier, and you will be restored, old friend' appeared on the plaque. Hashirama dashed forward and took Orihime's hands; "Is this possible?"
Orihime laughed nervously, before nodding. "Yeah. Just give me a moment," she said as she enveloped the Hokage in Santen Kisshun's light, and his chakra levels steadily rose.
When she finished, Hashirama was dumbstruck. He slowly brought his palms together and concentrated. Mito's cry of joy was the first, but soon the entire Konoha congregation was cheering as the sage markings appeared upon Hashirama's face, and they could feel their Hokage's chakra return to its former glory.
Hashirama opened his eyes, and now saw Madara and Harribel beside Orihime. Tears welled up in his eyes, and he leaped forward toward Madara, embracing him in a tight hug. "Madara, my brother. I thought you were dead," he whispered.
Madara was caught by surprise, but gingerly returned Hashirama's hug. "What happened to you, Hashirama? What is going on here? Where is Tob-"
"Tobirama is dead."
Madara's heart skipped a beat, and sucked in a quick breath of surprise. "What," he said dumbly. It hadn't even come out as a question.
"I called the Five Kage Summit in Konoha, asking for a combined effort against the shinigami if they were to reappear," Hashirama explained darkly; "But the Raikage took advantage of my…condition, and ambushed us at the edge of the forest. Tobirama gave his life to buy us time to escape."
Madara did not know what to say. He had wished the younger Senju dead on more occasions than he could count. Even now, a part of him was glad that Izuna could finally confront his killer in the afterlife. But seeing the effect it had on Hashirama left him conflicted.
"What is all this, then?" He asked, gesturing to the platoons of shinobi around him. "Why is everyone training in the middle of the night?"
"We are going to war. I declared war upon the Hidden Cloud after they killed Tobirama, and the Hidden Mist has since made an attempt on Mito's life for the Nine Tails. It's only been a few weeks, but word is spreading fast. The shinobi world is going to war, Madara."
Madara was taken aback. He grabbed the Hokage tightly by the arms, shaking him. "Hashirama. Are you mad? We created this village as a sanctuary for peace! We created it-"
"-To protect our brothers, and now they are both dead, Madara!" Hashirama roared, spittle flying onto Madara's hollow mask.
Madara flinched.
Hashirama wrenched his arms out of Madara's grasp. "And everybody else who needed protection here in Konoha is dead, too. Killed by Yamamoto's Bankai all those weeks ago in the forest." Hashirama clenched his fists, looking up at the moon.
"We have thought long and hard about this, Madara. Everybody has been given a chance to leave the village, if they wanted to, but the only people we have left are warriors. Chuunin, Jonin; veterans of the civil war. There is nothing left to protect!" Hashirama was trembling. He had spread his sage chakra across the village so every shinobi could see the hollows.
Madara looked around him, and he saw resolute determination reflected in every pair of eyes he met.
A young-looking shinobi stepped up, placing a hand over his chest; "I fight for my sister. She was innocent… born right as the civil war was ending. She was turned to ashes where she sat, studying for her preliminary literacy exam…"
"I fight for my wife…
"For my son."
"For the Sarutobi elders…"
"For the…"
Madara could no longer keep track of the voices, as they all blurred together. But one uniting sentiment was obvious; everybody left in Konohagakure had something to fight for, and they were out for blood.
Of all the things that could have occurred to him, it was Tobirama's discriminatory label toward the Uchiha that leapt to his mind. Madara shook his head. "Hashirama… This is the curse of hatred Tobirama warned you of. You must not fall prey to it."
"Tobirama is gone. Konoha is gone," Hashirama ground out between clenched teeth; "There are barely any women left, and we have nearly exhausted our supplies in preparation for war. The village cannot sustain itself as it is, anyway. With or without you, brother, we will march for the Hidden Cloud in two days," Hashirama declared with finality.
AN: I lied - next chapter will be the conclusion to this arc. there was too much more to fit in and this is already the longest chapter of this fic at almost 7k words, heh. Won't be too long 'til the next one is out, anyway.
So we finally make our return to the land of fire, and this is the beginnings of the 1st Shinobi world war...or is it? :P
Responding to reviews:
Greer123: I am trying to write Madara more like what he was in the flashback with his childhood/development with Hashirama, not jaded, died-of-old-age and revived 4th Shinobi war Madara, so he will be more tolerant. But he's still Madara Uchiha, and has his limits
MisterShah - Thanks heaps! While your idea with Konoha and the quincies definitely does make sense, I'm taking this story in a slightly different direction as it is still going to be years until the quincies actually show up in canon. Not sure if I will get to them in this fic, but if I do, i'll be sure to continue certain story threads that are planted earlier.
Awwal - heh, yeah it is a little fast paced, but this chapter is another bit of a breather. Next one, too, maybe.
ToLancer - thanks for your support!
MadaraLimboClone - I just did some reading up on Madara's limbo clones and heh I guess you're right with their powers. They will definitely play a part at some point :P
Spedyalarm - hmmm maybe, and maybe. guess you'll just have to wait and see :P
