"Shut up! I killed Sasuke Uchiha! And you're next, you art-hating sack of wrinkles!"
Deidara
She chased after him, uncaring of the distance between herself and the Sand country. She sped and glided, swinging passed the earthen tendrils as she kept her eyes locked onto Syrus. It was like a laser, her eyes completely honed in on his form, and despite the fizzling and noise that the chakra signatures around her swarmed her senses with she kept her focus all on him. Where do you think you're going!? She roared mentally, lunging forward with blindingly fast steps, pivoting to her left and launched the tip of her blade right towards him, her sheath skewing just a few inches behind.
He dodged the stab, deflecting the sheath with a violent flourish of his forearm.
"Syrus!" Mikito grated out.
"I got all these other fuckers!"
"Don't give me that horse shit!" Mikito snapped, making a mad dash forward once again, slamming her fist straight against Syrus's ribs before he could react. He dodged the next barrage swiftly, flipping away on one arm...Much to her anger. "Fight me! Right now!"
She swung her left leg forward twisting sharply in the same movement, smashing it against Syrus's forearm.
"AAAAAAAAAH!"
He hastily dodged and blocked the swift and ferocious assault. "Rnngghhhhh!" He grunted in pain, dashing in, and snapped his fist out. Mikito dodged it at the last minute gliding away and springing from him.
Syrus frowned, lunging away from Mikito as her fist slammed into the spot where he previously stood forcing it to indent on itself and spread outwards. Mikito shot back around, swiftly drawing her sword in one motion and launching a quick series of strikes. Syrus sprung back, eyes narrowing as he began dodging her strokes that were to swift to be deflected, swinging his sword up from his left hip. He stepped forward trying to push through her guard with brute strength.
Raagghhh..." Syrus pushed further in, swiveling Mikito's blade off to the side, leading with a high kick a second later. Mikito ducked under it, swiping forward with her sheath in one hand, blade skewing a few inches behind it. Syrus spun and flipped around the strokes, hastily deflecting one that came too close, and pushed away with a small flare of his chakra.
She looped after him, darting around to his side of , launching a vicious kick, which he blocked with a strong forearm driving his feet into the ground.
He pressed forward now...Following up with a cross and deftly stab, Celera swayed away from the cross, and with the deadly grace swung her blade up driving it forward and blocking the wicked slash with it.
Syrus snarled slamming two punches across her face before she could think to block, and quickly followed up with a wicked knee which Mikito blocked with her own knee, gritting her teeth as the impact tore itself from around them, sending them sliding away from each other.
"Slowing down!?" Syrus taunted as surged forward, closing the distance between them in a heartbeat, lashing out with his gleaming blade. Mikito glided off to the side just as it was about to connect, flaring her chakra and throwing herself away from Syrus with her powerful legs, at the same time Syrus threw both of his hands forward and into the ground firing a quick spurt of about five dozen tendrils. "Are you running now, Cel!?" Syrus shouted, dodging passed her blinding kick and deflecting her stab. They flipping and dancing around each other, moving and twisting, nothing but blurs of steel and force.
Syrus let out another shout, slamming his forearm against Mikito's before it got the chance to even extend, the force driving both of them back as a shock wave erupted between them pulsing through the air and ground. Cracks surged throughout the ground as it caved it against its will.
Mikito scowled and dashed in once more, Syrus sped away to the side, jumping off the ground and corkscrewing putting on another burst of speed as Mikito's form flashed just under him.
He smirked, shooting downward, closing the distance between them once again. He flashed into motion, arms and legs twisting, knees shifting, hands and wrists shifting with his weight. Punches, kicks, and knees came from every possible angle but Mikito dodged and ducked under the attacks at the last possible second, spinning rapidly and swinging the back of her heel straight ahead, slamming it across Syrus's forearm. She completed her spin, hips pressing against his strong arm as she snapping her left hand down, rotating rapidly and kicking out.
She surged back, tucking her legs into the center of her sternum.
Come on! Syrus shot forward, his chakra roaring out around him, trying to overwhelm her with brute force and speed. Mikito glided and spun around the blinding blitz of attacks, slamming her fist across his jawline just as his fist connected with her stomach. Syrus pressed his attack, already seeing the next attack come before it was even thrown, he pressed. He dashed towards Mikito once more, slamming his fist across her jaw just as her foot collided with his ribs, snapping his body back as she went flying back, tearing across the ground.
Both took a deep breath, wiping away the streaks from their mouth as they kept their mouths slightly gaped grasping oxygen.
"Why are you leaving?" Mikito questioned, slowly straightening her posture keeping her sword and saya both clasped tightly. "Why?! Why now?"
"Hashirama and I couldn't see eye to eye..." Syrus said slowly, trailing off. He had been wary from the very beginning, but a part of him had been naive or optimistic enough to believe there could be some even ground. There wasn't, and honestly he was tired of Hashirama and that prick Tobirama, he didn't need them. "In fact, we were never on the same page...The Subatsu don't need the likes of the Senju."
Mikito clenched her teeth, not at all satisfied with the answer. Few things could drive Syrus to such extremes, very few things. "So...You're just going to leave? What about us!?"
"Well, I'll tear a rift as I leave." Syrus corrected a bit arrogantly. "We'll clash again, Mikito. You don't need to worry about that."
Mikito was shaking from rage.
"That's unfortunate to hear!" Atsushi roared, tearing across the ground they stood on.
Mikito quickly flipped away from Atsushi, raising her leg just in time to block his shin. "You will pay for what you've done, and then I'll crush you, Subatsu wolf!" She dodged Atsushi's punch that would have slammed right into her nose, leaving Syrus to collide several blows with the tall and burly man before she lashed out with a quick blitz of strokes in rapid succession. Atsushi stepped back steadily blocking the blows that came too close, gritting his teeth as the impact slammed through his bones, he lunged forward, crashing into Syrus and the instep of Mikito's foot.
Atsushi speared forward forward unleashing another series of brutish and mountain crumbling punches, forcing his way into Mikito's guard and rammed his elbow against her chest, and followed up with a wicked punch, that Syrus violently deflected returning two for good measure. She didn't let up her offensive tempo and didn't let her two foes dictate it. Swinging her arm forward without reprieve, Syrus could only smirk as he slammed his blade against Mikito's. the impact shattering a tall rock slab close to them throwing up a huge cloud of smoke.
"The Akimichi had no qualms with the Domou or Subatsu!" Atsushi sprung forward, giving into his rage and elbowed Syrus in the stomach driving her back, leaning back to avoid the timely swipe Mikito had poised for his head. He lunged forward once again, dodging her dizzying barrage tanking a few blows an deflecting several strokes as the feeling of blood rushing out of his mouth took a firm hold. "Now you're all as good as dead!"
"Come on then, you fat fuck!" Syrus snarled.
He smirked swaying passed a vicious knee from Syrus, slamming his palm against Mikito's leg and forcing it down, retaliating with a violent punch. Mikito ducked under his fist, almost swirling out of form and rammed her fist into Atsushi's stomach until a loud wail resounded around them.
"Graagghh!" Atsushi cried out hoarsely, bouncing across the ground three times before making himself stop, sliding on both legs with a hand dug into the ground. Damn it... He hissed mentally, slowly trying to right himself. I think she just broke one of my ribs... He gauged his injury, taking a slow but deep breath. The sharp pain was prominent, but not overbearing. No...But, she did come close to breaking them...If she had just pushed a bit more.
Syrus appeared in front of Atsushi swinging a leg forward. Atsushi blocked the muscular limb slamming his fist across Syrus's face twice in rapid succession, rewarded for his efforts with a sharp knee to the chin that sent him flying back and crashing through a thick bole.
Syrus and Mikito crashed together again, exchanging blows at blinding speeds. Syrus increased his speed at the last second, swiveling passed her stab, and slipping through her defense sending her skidding back with a knee to the sternum. He dashed towards her only to collide with the point of her elbow. Pushing through the pain, Syrus twisted around her, ramming the point of his elbow into the soft of her back, drawing a loud gasp out of her.
"Well..." Syrus said, wiping sweat from his brow, taking a good look at the blood that smeared over his arm. Mikito got a blow in that was crisp against his jawline, naturally he returned it twice fold, but her strike did its damage. "Fighting you has always been a pleasure, Mikito...I won't be so angry now that I'm leaving...I got to blow off some steam and clash with you."
She put on a sudden burst of speed, spearing ahead like a spear, rocketing one fist forward. Syrus blocked the blow with his forearm, teeth gritting as he slid back struggling to bring himself a halt. "Nggghhhhnn..." Syrus snarled, shoving her back with vehemence sending them both darting across the ground as their battle commenced limbs thrashing and colliding, rattling the forest around them sending several branches plummeting.
Mikito turned sharply, instinct and lightning reflexes alerting her to another attack. Her eyes darted away from the blade as she easily dodged it, locking onto dark orbs that she could recognize anywhere... "Daishiro!"
Mikito narrowed her eyes, dodging the vicious uppercut, that would have no doubt make her bite her tongue off, and swiveled away from the swift kick that followed, Syrus pressed his attacking swaying down towards the two of them, and lashing out with a horrendous straight aiming to knock either of their heads off, but Mikito hastily blocked it with her raised forearm, snarling as she slid back against the ground.
"What's the matter, Mikito!? Are you that surprised to see me again!?" Daishiro tanked her punch to the stomach and chest, powering through with sheer fury and willpower, smashing his palm clean against her jawline sending her skidding back. Her feet tore trenches into the ground. "We've got a score to settle last time I recall!"
"Get the fuck in line!" Syrus shouted, shooting right towards the two of them, tearing through the air and forcing a loud boom to clap across the area as he surged through the gap he forcibly created. Using his momentum he rolled forward, turning rapidly on the axis of his shoulders. Daishiro smirked meeting him head on along with Mikito, both striking, sending a loud pop through the air. The three of them struggling to batter through each other's defenses. Three punches collided in unison, forcing the three bitter foes to slide apart. "She's mine!"
"We finally meet face to face once again, Syrus..." Daishiro growled, eyes narrowing to slits as they found their target. "It's been awhile since I've got the two of you at the same time." He halted his next sentence, twisting passed Syrus's dizzying series of strikes, the man;s body twisting and corkscrewing wildly. He grunted smacking his foot to the side and rammed his shin forward, only for Mikito to slam her own knee against his. It was enough for Daishiro to strike once more, slamming the tip of his elbow right on center of Syrus's chest plate and a hard shin against Mikito's side launching them towards the ground. "I should thank you for driving the rest of those annoyances away..."
"You're in my way!" Syrus snarled.
Before Mikito could raise her guard, Daishiro took advantage of the brief pause, slamming his elbow into the center of her stomach. She coughed hoarsely, staggering back, Daishiro sprung forward, only to be met with a punch to the mouth and an elbow to the face that slammed him into the ground forcing him to roll off to the side and through a series of branches.
Feeling blood gushing from his mouth, tearing through the back of his throat, Daishiro sprung forward. "You two working together now?!"He appeared again, swinging one fist forward. Mikito blocked his punch, returning two for good measure. hundred of kicks from the side, hundreds of elbows from above, over a hundred punches from every direction, a hundred strokes. Six elbows. Another punch. Another hundred strikes. This continued for forty long minutes between the three of them, Mikito appearing in a flash and pressing her attack, Daishiro popping in and out like a shadow, Syrus barely visible as he spun and corkscrewed rapidly returning vicious blow after blow.
The trio slammed into each other again shattering the trees around them. Daishiro's slash deflected by Mikito's sheath while Syrus held back her fist with one hand, teeth gritting as they pushed against each other again. Time to put an end to this! Daishiro slid to the side, driving his knee into Syrus''s sternum and gouging his elbow into Mikito's stomach.
Syrus slammed his shin against Daishiro's jaw sending blood flying from his mouth.
Mikito shot towards them sheath already swiping through the air, but Syrus was quick to react, swiping one hand slamming his blade against Mikito's, Daishiro surged between them slamming his knee into Mikito's face snapping her head back, following through with the movement he slammed his forearm across Syrus's jaw in mid-turn launching them both across the ground.
"You're mine now, witch!" Diashiro howled in fury, shooting towards Mikito like a kunai bolstered by immense chakra, smashing his shin against Mikito's, drawing a pained grunt out of her.
"Get the fuck out of here!" Syrus yelled, throwing away all restraint as he sent Daishiro rocketing down with a stomp. He shot down after him, honing in towards a patch of forest with blistering speed, tearing through the air and leaving a shock wave behind in his wake. "Know your place, Daishiro!" With a savage yell, he heaved once, slamming his forehead into Daishiros, sliding under him and gripping him around the waist with both arms.
"RRAAAGGGHHH!" Syrus roared savagely, blood and spit flying from his mouth as shot off high into the sky forcing his chakra to propel him skyward, then letting out another yell, he rocketed down towards the earth propelled by his chakra, paying no heed to Daishiro's enraged and nasty elbows or Mikito's blitzing strikes.
Syrus roared smashing Daishiro down into the forest with a thunderous slam, his back and head smashing the point of impact into dust and pieces as the rest of the trunks cracked and shattered devoured by the impact that rocketed through them and the earth.
Daishiro groaned, coughing up some blood that mixed in a salty and thick metallic liquid. He easily stood up in the crater that was left behind. A sharp pain erupted in the soft of his back, and he already knew it was blood, something bright edged into his hand as he gave another cough. "Heh..." He chuckled as he landed on the surface, both eyes locking onto Syrus and Mikito before they darted towards some newcomers. "Well, isn't that sweet..."
Madara and Souji landed close to Mikito followed by Izuna. Haji landed close to Syrus, eyes darting onto Souji.
He closed the gap with the Souji.
They were at each other's necks. Their battle raging across the landscape.
"It's been a while..." Ajo said lowly as he landed next to Daishiro another man right behind him. Eyes narrowing, Ajo set them on Syrus, then Mikito, and lastly Madara and Izuna. "This time things are going to be different, Uchiha brats. I'm going to rip your eyes out from your skulls!"
"Like hell you will!" Mikito snarled, barely restraining herself. It would be a cold day in hell, and the world would have to flip itself over before she let his grimy, filthy hands ever come into contact with an Uchiha. "You won't ever..."
Madara's eyes widened breifly...Taken by palatable rage and distilled fury that gushed from every pore and strand of hair on Mikito after hearing Ajo's remark...He knew she practically detested-despised Ajo, but that rage and fury...It was soaking the air.
"I see you haven't changed one bit, Mikito." The slightly dark skinned man behind Ajo spoke up for the first time. He stepped forward a few steps, his dark eyes glimmering calculatingly like every Shimura. His hair was spiky and fell over his eyes and to the soft of his upper back giving him an even more dark appearance, his attire was just like Daishiro's consisting of a dark top, dark pants, sandals, and armor covering all of his vitals.
"I see the rumors are no longer just rumors...The Domou really have entered a permanent alliance with the Uchiha." He traded a gaze with Daishiro before allowing a smirk to cross his face. "I'm not...Surprised, after all your clans are just made for each other bloodthirsty and ferocious...I'm surprised you haven't allied with the Subatsu despite them being your greatest rivals and enemies..." He chuckled. "Then again that Senju Hashirama wants peace with the Uchiha and to create a village where we can all live peacefully." He sneered. "What a joke that is!"
"And, the day that happens you are going to regret it. I promise you that, Kosuke." Syrus said in a ghastly tone. Such things were faraway to him, at one point, but Hashirama's nonsense was at least good for something and opened up his eyes and mind just a bit more. The chances of their clans coming together...but if and when it did happen...
It would send shock waves through the entire world and bring everything to its knees. Because, there wouldn't be a damiyo involved-and that was the most frightening part for some. For so long the shinobi have been lapdogs for the pompous nobles, but it was how they survived and prospered, plus the damiyo own the land-their Imperial armies vastly out sized many shinobi and mercenary clans. The shinobi lived on their land...Except in the west where everything was too large and entangled to navigate. Nobody want to encounter any summoning there either, it was an assured death. "I didn't think you were so free with your mouth and long winded..."
"Don't get the wrong idea... You Subatsu Wolves..." Ajo sneered with malice, drawing the sword from his waist in one flashing movement. "You, those monsters, and the Uchiha with those cursed eyes will all be dealt with in short if it ever does happen. The same goes for that fool Hashirama!"
Mikito shifted her footing ,eyes glinting in a ghastly Uchiha were always...Sought after in a huge sense because of their Sharingan, and if one could get over their fear and hope to reap their rewards...They'd have a ton of secrets, it was a reason-a major reason why the Uchiha were very reclusive and didn't associate well with outsiders...But, Ajo and this man...They were just too damn persistent. And... "You should be wary of what you say...I've heard just about enough of your mouths, all of you damn Shimura!" She narrowed her ferocious glinting eyes.
"I agree." Izuna said, voice steady. "Besides, if you think you could ever go against the Uchiha...The Domou...And...The Subatsu...Completely unified, than that is beyond just simple arrogance." The thought of their three clans unifying was enough to make Tobirama and Hashirama shiver, and he knew that for a fact...Tobirama had to already be extremely wary of the Subatsu...
Hashirama liked to play the boisterous idiot, but he wasn't as stupid as he let on and knew it would be a disaster if the three of their clans got on the same page-it was bad enough his own clan and the Domou were on the same page.
But...He knew Madara, somewhere deep down wanted peace with the Senju...
Truthfully it nauseated him. Too much blood was spilled between them...And Uchiha and Senju were like oil and water...It would never work... Maybe just maybe in the beginning it'd work out, but eighty years down the line...It'd fail.
The Senju talked too damn much and were too good with their mouths...Battling with ideals and notions, instead of strength and merit.
That's why he knew it was just another tactic on the Senju's side-the Uchiha were the Senju's greatest enemy and this village was just a way for them to watch the Uchiha, put the Uchiha under their thumb...The Uchiha's reputation wasn't nearly as great as the Senju's-as it was in some aspects. They actually had a lot of notoriety They hated each other, and no one even knew where it came from or began-it was long before their time and they were trapped in the perpetual cycle.
The truth of the matter was...Hashirama would more than likely become the leader of this village...He was charismatic...
Madara was very charismatic, but it was in completely different sense...It wasn't in the same loud and boisterous sense as Hashirama. They'd end up fighting for the title-naturally. Tobirama would be the next to fall in line, being Hashirama's younger brother-and then he'd battle Tobirama for the title-naturally, because he was just as qualified and wouldn't let the Senju start to totally influence the infrastructure...The Third leader would be one of their respective students, if it was Tobirama's and Hashirama's student the village was going to take a severe twist for the worst.
The Senju were crafty. Too damn crafty.
The ghastly snarl of Syrus tore him away from his thoughts, but flashing steel made him jolt around in an arc.
Ajo lunged towards him, flashing through three seals. Horse. Bird. Boar.
"You slight my clan..." Syrus growled out, eyes beaming straight onto Kosuke. "I'm going to rip off your face, Kosuke!"
"Go for it!" Kosuke lunged right for him.
Everything imploded.
Tobirama didn't often worry. He could be wary though, it was in his pragmatic nature. But, seeing the effects of the battle raging in the distance was enough for him to want to lunge straight over.
He couldn't.
He had to hold down the fort, and also make the necessary preparations for the coming battles. Hashirama in addition to saving Hisao's daughter was drawing all the attention away from the village at the moment; his division arrived safely looking worse for wear but otherwise oay. The damiyo's entire force was ready and organized with his own smaller force.. One of his clones was currently handling organizing the rest of his division in with the rest-Kenji Senju, the leader of the division was handling the bulk of everything.
When the minute signs of confrontation were shown...They'd be more than ready to attack.
This time it wouldn't just be facing off against shinobi clans...But, Imperial Armies as well.
Now since that was well on its way to being done and taken care of, he formed several hundred clones with a quick hand seal-index and middle fingers together, one hand in front of the other facing the fingers horizontal.
Hashirama would try to talk to Madara...He knew this all too well. It was just in Hashirama's nature...Despite everything...He still considered Madara his friend..They shared the same dream...But that didn't matter now, Madara turned his back on that dream and threw it away...Yet, Hashirama still couldn't bring himself to cut down Madara...
His clones made contact, and a few were swept up.
He could feel Syrus's chakra in the distance as well, like a crushing and oppressive force leering above him, moving at tremendous speeds. His brother could be too trusting, too naive, too good natured...It was just how Hashirama was as a person, but it still made him wary and a bit annoyed. If anything, Hashirama was kind, and put the needs of others before his own-in this situation his first priority would be to get back here with Hisao's eldest daughter. He'd encounter many obstacles, and have to fight, but he'd make hast to return.
Image and memories came back in quick flashes. It was like static and a high pitched siren piercing through his entire skull. However, it was a slight drawback of this particular technique-so much information.
The devastation of the raging battle was beyond prominent even from the far distance he stood...He could see several Cyclops, and thousands of Akimichi-having used their Expansion Jutsu battling. Forests, tendrils of earth and stone, and mountains were formed only to be destroyed by wind and fire. It was getting vicious and extremely intense...The ground was literally quaking, reverberating from each strike, each collision that took place...and while some of the Cyclops had been slain, there were a few that continued to rage about or took the chance to retreat, squashing anyone that got in their way and battering into the giant Akimichi...He swore he saw two Bijuu...Five Tails and Four tails.
The Akimichi tried valiantly, but several were tossed aside and had their necks snapped or heads smashed by the wicked clubs, but it didn't stop more of them from barreling into the one eyed beasts and beating their heads into the ground. Only to be pushed and thrown off and have the beasts raging towards them with all intents to kill and using those clubs with brutal force.
Some of the debris as well as his brother's forest was going as far as his location, streaking with fire and crackling Desert country was just an out of the way place, in the middle of nowhere and barely habitable.
From his fallen clones' memories he knew it wasn't even a fraction of what the damage truly was-in the center of the battlefield was a crater so large and vast it seemed almost uncomprehending, and the landscape was scarred with craters every few dozen miles. The remnants of forests and spiraling masses of earth towered above nearly everything else save for some of the cyclops and Akimichi.
It was all clever on the Shimura's part he could admit that much...But, he already knew they'd be displaying a show of force...The damiyo would show force this time around...He took this open chance to get a few steps ahead of everyone else...Ahead of the Uchiha and Domou.
Once the battles took a shift, they'd be more than ready.
He kept himself composed just barely as Satoshi came sprinting into his vision, his ruby eyes widening briefly before they narrowed critically observing Satoshi's form smeared and caked in dirt, blood, and grim. He looked like he just got done spearing his way through a battlefield, and that wasn't very far off.
Hashirama followed shortly, looking in even worse condition. He cast a wary glance in Tobirama's direction, giving a small but firm nod. "We should head down."
Both were panting vigorously, as if they couldn't get enough oxygen.
Tobirama put their appearance out of his mind and focused on the objective. His brother seemed okay enough, though his panting was very furious, and while there was blood on his form-the wounds themselves were healed for the most part. "Where is she?" He asked, waiting for Hashirama to elaborate further.
"In a scroll." Satoshi answered, slowly regaining his breath. His eyes were wary, but focused as he explained it as succinctly as he could.
"Let's go." Satoshi said after a second. "There's quite a bit of...Privy information."
"I'll send a message to Hisao-dono." Tobirama looked at Hashirama directly. "As for this privy information tell me everything..."
He led them towards the underground city.
Hashirama nodded, rarely thankful for his brother's pragmatic nature-this was one of those times.
As he took a much needed bath in the underground city's estate for lack of a better term, and let the Senju healers tend to Mito's less grievous injuries... His mind was rushed and jumbled with thoughts...Buzzing. He felt frustration and something close to regret. He knew it was possible...But...He was the farthest place from his dream-their dream. What did he need to do...He was trying and failing.
He had never really...Not excelled at something...Everything he did he excelled going beyond just simple leaps and bounds...But...He put everything he had into it...When he did learn these things, and practice them relentlessly-he put a part of himself into each stroke, every single strike, the simplest of movements...He put everything he had into it.
Now...There would be full blown war and the bloodshed...It was going to get much worse.
And...He couldn't stop it...
He was trying...Trying as hard as he could...
He couldn't do it alone though...
There would be full blown war, and the chance of any truce at this point was void.
Now...He was going to need to use his massive scroll...
The advanced Mokuton jutsus that were extremely taxing on chakra-even on his own...He couldn't underestimate the drawbacks of using such massive scale techniques.
There was no other way he was going to combat Madara...Sasuke...Hajime...Daiki...These Cyclops and the Bijuu...Syrus...Mikito...
And...While he did hold back against Madara, and couldn't bring himself to kill him...He couldn't hold back against Mikito, Ajo, Daiki, Sasuke, Hajime, Atsushi...If he didn't come at them with everything he had, he was going to get hurt, severely. Even killed. He couldn't hold back against the Bijuu...Daishiro...These Cyclops...Syrus.
It was all or nothing...Full power from the very beginning...
Hashirama sighed softly as he dumped a huge bucket of water over his head, washing away all the remaining dirt and blood while soaking the rest of him. He could rest. For now at least, but it didn't do anything to ease his mind...
Daishiro moved passed the damiyo's soldiers without sparing another glance in their direction. They would be departing in just several hours, in a show of the Wind's oppressive force they would be on every single border within this region ready to strike. Now, they had more than enough reason and leverage to display their strength and with force-if a village or country hadn't been pulled into this battle, they put themselves into it.
However, he already anticipated as much, save for Syrus and the entire Subatsu force taking their leave...Tearing a rift and leaving a trail of bodies and destruction as they went. It presented an opening-a crucial opening he needed against the Desert country and the Senju...They would be troublesome on their own, naturally, but without the Subatsu backing them things would be a bit different.
Had he anticipated Syrus taking his leave he could have taken this opportunity to deal the Senju a lethal blow...Their clans were polar opposites, and honestly they would never be able to get on the same page, but out of necessity the Senju and Subatsu joined together and some actually got along. Hesui and Toka both got married, and they were both prominent members in their respective clans. He should have predicted something like this would happen, but he had to go over every single variable and possibility, and the chances were that the Subatsu and Senju would stayed allied out of necessity.
He smirked for a moment as he headed towards the dingy room that woman was cooped up in. It wasn't a serious loss on his part. With the Subatsu gone, a major obstacle was out of his way, and knowing Hashirama...Well, things could continue to go well into his favor.
Ajo was the only shinobi who flanked him, caked in sweat and blood, dirt stained every part of him and was even trenched into his hair.
He pushed the door open, expecting to see the haughty and arrogant red head that was starting to grate on his nerves, but was greeted with an empty room. An empty. Clean. Blood free. Room.
"Ajo..."
"I'll check this side."
"I have the rest."
Ajo walked towards the window, eyes narrowing as he looked for any oddities. He hardly noticed Daishiro going about the room, inspecting it with his hawk eyes that pinpointed every detail. That woman couldn't have gotten away...Even if she was as stubborn as they came, she wouldn't have been able to get by the Shimura still within the walls. There would be a trail of blood leading them right to her, and it would be steady and copious.
There were few clans that could slink into this village unnoticed. The Hatake-who were in the area, were one of those clans. They were a smaller clan, not as massive as his own clan, but it didn't make them any less troublesome. But, the Hatake wouldn't have made a move against the Uzumaki without any reason-there was nothing they wanted from this woman so she was off their radar. There was the Akimichi, but the blatant signs of their presence would be right before him. There was the off chance it was a Nara or Yamanaka...But, the Yamanaka were a peaceful clan and avoided confrontations. The Nara were well...They didn't make a move unless they had to.
To have the skill to be stealthy, elusive, as well as cover up any small oddities... Ajo's eyes narrowed to gleaming slits. There in the side of the window pressed against the wooden edge was small strand of dark hair. To sneak in here without any suspicion and leave behind just this as evidence...
The clan with a thousand skills...
"Hashirama was here...With one of his subordinates." Daishiro's cold tone brought Ajo out of his train of thought. The leader of the Shimura hovered over a spot, where that woman had been when he stabbed her. He had chosen the location specifically since she'd have to press her back against the wall so she didn't slump, let alone move. It was also right under the window, and if there was to be someone who entered, or if she tried to escape the collateral damage would be prominent. Part of the window would have broke, and anything close by would have been scuffed. "Those little Senju, always so crafty."
Hashirama must have came in through the door, but he had help in getting this far.
"They must have disguised themselves as servants..." Ajo glanced outside carefully, able to feel the Syrus's chakra even from the far distance it was at now and steadily moving away. "Was Syrus's attack just a diversion..."
The chances of that weren't as slim as he would like to think. After all, Syrus agreed with Hashirama's truce with the Chibana clan, Tachibana clan, Hageshiii clan, and Shainingu clan. It wouldn't be much of a stretch if Syrus was pulling off a diversion, one last favor of sorts to Hashirama, but there was a higher chance that Syrus and his Subatsu force were simply going down their list of foes to kill before they leave completely. Either way, if it was intentional or not, didn't matter the slightest now. Hashirama saved that woman and was in the Desert country by now.
The chances of that are very slim, Syrus owes Hashirama nothing. Ajo concluded silently. Those two were never going to see eye to eye, and the notion that Syrus somehow went out of his way to help Hashirama with this stupid task was nothing short of laughable and absurd. The Subatsu and Uzumaki never liked each other. Looks like our move was able to bare more fruit than I thought before.
"It doesn't matter. This has just shown...Proved that we now have the upper hand..." A callous smirk slowly creased across Daishiro's face. "The Senju have shown their true colors."
"In saving her...Their alliance with the Subatsu ended, but more importantly..." Ajo smirked himself. There was always opportunity, a moment to gather and then capitalize. On one hand, the heiress of the Uzumaki clan was out of their grasp. On the other. Hashirama and his subordinate had slipped through the village and slunk their way into the damiyo's estate. All just to save one woman, a heiress to the Uzumaki, but still only one woman...And, with the turmoil that was consuming everything in this region, surely he wouldn't have gone out of his way for this woman...But...He did. "Hashirama...The Senju...If it comes down to who cares more about people..."
"Looks like the Desert country will be in our grasp sooner than we anticipated."
"Indeed..." Daishiro nodded slowly. "We'll deal them a blow before that happens, though." The damiyo was starting to grow restless as they days dragged on, and it was starting to get extreme. The need to prove his superiority over everyone else was starting to grate on his nerves, his pride and ego were starting to blind him, and he was looking to flaunt what he had and what he could do. He still had his uses, for now. "Send word to Danzo, immediately. He is to attack and cut off the south route to the Sarutobi's outpost and deal them a fatal blow if it is possible. Avoid the Subatsu at all costs, they are not to be confronted..." He placed heavy emphasis on the last statement. The only thing that was going to result from that was Danzo and his men getting mowed down and left in pieces. "Consult with Kosuke and tell him to meet me in the usual room, we've got a war to prepare for."
"It will be done." Ajo looked towards the horizon...Slowly smirking.
Now...The real fun was going to begin
Izuna barely kept himself together.
The battle. Those damn Cyclops, and then those two Bijuu that continued to rampage...
He wasn't close to snapping by any means. He was just running high from the battle, and his senses were still stretched and flaring. It was like coming down from a long high, that was slow and deliberate.
It was also the reason he didn't have much patience.
He considered himself to be more patient than Madara...Madara was so impatient he would often cut him off, and everyone else for that matter, off when they were speaking.
He just couldn't deal with these civilians.
The Sand village wasn't in chaos, but upon their return with their respective divisions they were met with glares and scathing remarks. Some citizens took a step further and were outright saying that they should leave, of course some tried to get in his way, and likewise he pushed them aside. They should consider themselves lucky he didn't draw his sword, a shinobi would kill for much less.
The damiyo's soldiers ended up quelling what turned into a protest, successfully pushing back many citizens so the Uchiha and Domou were clear to enter the castle and weren't harassed or slighted. The chain reaction of the recent events, and the biggest-the raid of the tea house was coming back around ten fold...The damiyo had told them to be on guard for any rebellions and protests, and if there were any to quell them immediately and bring it to his attention so he could personally deal with it.
More soldiers filed into the streets.
However, it didn't stop the citizens from showing just how unhappy they were...And when people were unhappy they could be persistent and vehement towards what caused their anger. This was no different. They wanted the Uchiha and Domou out of the village, believing they were just bloodthirsty, while some couldn't care less, and others actually supported the two clans, the wide majority resented them and were visibly starting to show it.
He went to his room and quickly changed out of his bloodstained and tattered clothes, putting his armor off to the side of the room and slipping on a black high collar shirt and black pants. He hated to ponder on Hajime's plans-the true depth and extent of them...He just didn't know how people would react, and how to get their emotions stirred...he knew how to sway their hearts...He was manipulating them to suit his own need, and they were perfectly unaware. He couldn't be surprised the civilians fell into play with it, it was only a natural reaction on their part, and emotions were always dangerous...His clan was proof of that.
However...The current situation aside...Their divisions had slowly began to settle in with the rest of their force, it was quite hectic but Mikito and his brother directed everything showing signs of extreme agitation-he wasn't sure who looked more so between the two of them in that moment, and had the assistance of Hikaku, Yuto, Ahiko, Masa, and Souji. He wasn't exactly sure how things would proceed at this point on. The force that was with them, respectively were getting along much better, but now there were more shinobi and kunoichi and if the line drawn from the last time was anything to go by...It would be unpleasant.
He wasn't heading towards the two division leaders who were with Mikito, Souji, Ahiko, and Madara...Even though he should have been, there was a small amount of time to spare. He had one objective in mind, and he needed to complete it before too much time passed. With the way things were going he may not even get the chance to go through it in the near future since most of his time was going to be consumed by the coming battles. Things were going to take a drastic shift, and it would impact everything positively and negatively.
Izuna took a small breath, setting the current affair of the country out of his mind, the recent battle, and the battles to come. All that mattered at this point was seeing something through, and he would see it through to the very end.
He stopped in front of a familiar door. There was a small pulse of chakra coming from the other side. "Yuko."
"Yes."
It wasn't surprising that she stood at attention, more over gave him her undivided attention. He was equal to his brother, and while he wasn't as...Madara-ish, he still wasn't exactly known to be very kind. He wasn't ruthless, but he wasn't going to mince anything. "What is that in your hand?" He slid the door shut, pointing at the piece of parchment that she clutched a bit tighter upon hearing his question. Yuko had always interested him, and she was proving that she was more than capable...She had come a long way from where she had been nearly a year ago, but..
"A mission. Souji-sama and Madara-sama assigned it to me." Yuko explained a bit lightly, tracing her gaze onto Izuna's eyes. His gaze was as steady as before, but scrutinizing in a way, but let it float over her head after awhile. Izuna always looked at her with such an intense and unwavering gaze, she should have been used to it at this point, but she never did quite like being stared at so intently by others. "There's a Sarutobi outpost and Shimura outpost around the borders of the Fire country and Wave country, Kagami and Shin are coming with me."
That's what Souji and Madara had told her. There was an outpost for the Shimura and Sarutobi on the borders of the Fire country and Wave country-somewhere between that radius. Kagami would be coming with her since he was familiar with the area, having already been in a confrontation with the force of Shimura and Sarutobi respectively several weeks prior. Shin would be coming with since he was familiar the area around the outposts, and his versatility would be invaluable for this mission. There were finer details on the piece of parchment, those small things that one didn't say, because one could or would forget. "I accepted it."
Izuna looked her over carefully for a long moment. She began to fidget under his gaze. Finally, he nodded letting out a small breath. She was set on it, and he was beginning to learn when Yuko set her mind on something it was better to stand clear. "When are you leaving?"
"Tomorrow morning."
"So soon?" Izuna raised his brow.
"They both said it's better. After some thought, I agree with them." Yuko replied, glancing in his direction for a moment before turning her eyes away. He had that same unwavering stare, and she was starting to feel a little uncomfortable under his scrutiny. She wasn't quite sure what importance it had other than the Shimura and Sarutobi outposts being her targets, Izuna had vested interest in it, but not quite to this extent. His focus was primarily here. "Do you need me for something, Izuna-sama?"
"You could say that."
Yuko looked him over without reservations for a few long moments before halting herself from packing her bag with more sealing scrolls. "What can I do for you?" She always respected him and Madara, though fear was always a good motivator-a reason she'd always address Izuna with the suffix of sama even if he said it wasn't necessary-and didn't want her to address him in such a manner. She would because it was only right that she did, he was after all much stronger than she was. It was only natural she addressed Madara with sama, he didn't tolerate disrespect of any sort...But, it didn't exactly have anything to do with using proper honorifics. But, she was raised with manners.
"I should actually be with my brother, Souji, and Mikito right now...speaking with our division leaders." Izuna said with a small smile, his eyes crinkled just a bit. Yuko's expression was what he expected-shock and close to outrage. It was well known Madara didn't have any patience, and he was trying on the thin and minute thread already...She was going to get the verbal scathing for it, and she wouldn't just be able to blow it off and retort like he would. And, sometimes he couldn't, because Madara was well...Madara. "But, I had to come here and speak to you, my timing couldn't be better."
"Or worse..."
Izuna looked Yuko in the eye.
"I see, you have a sense of humor." Izuna smirked for a second.
"I'm sorry, go on." Yuko cleared her throat softly. It really wasn't a joke-his timing couldn't be any better or worse. She had just got herself under control from the last battle and steady, and here Izuna was once again throwing her off of her steady footing. There was nothing she could do other than deal with it. because Izuna was stubborn and wasn't going to budge.
"We're going to get married tonight." Izuna told her bluntly, holding up his hand, gently halting anything she had to say. No doubt there were going to be a million things firing from her lips, and a trillion more swarming through her mind and heart. He was serious, and meant every word of it. He anticipated that time was going to start crunching, and his moment to do this was growing more and more narrow. There was also the fact Yuko would inevitably find out the truth...Before he dealt with that backlash he was going to need to square this away.
"Can we?" Yuko felt like she was flying, and it wasn't in the most pleasant of ways. She hadn't forgotten about it-unlike that one time when Izuna tried to sound so scandalized. He had his nerve! So much had been going on back then, and so much was happening now, a lot more, but things were also starting to get more complicated...It was just too much and then there was the fact Syrus and the Subatsu were taking their leave...It was a good thing, but strange...They weren't the type of clan to just leave like this, Syrus wasn't the type of person to walk away from a fight and had quite literally smashed into Madara and came close to doing it to Izuna several times before Tobirama came along.
Of all the things that came out of her mouth...
To leave her delicate lips...
"Of course we can." Izuna would have scoffed, normally. If he wanted to do something there wasn't going to be anyone that would get in his way, and that included Madara. However, Yuko was right to pose the question since the whole thing could take quite some time-he knew from his brother's wedding that it would be at least a good three hours. "Besides, nobody is going to try to attack us now so soon after this last battle, and Syrus and the Subatsu are drawing the attention of everyone in this region. Nobody is going to be focusing on us until tomorrow."
"Okay." Yuko beamed, beaming as if she were a sun on her own and not like it. Before...She wouldn't have considered marrying Izuna-of course she felt something for him, kissed him, and was very much attracted to him. But, marriage was something else entirely-it wouldn't just be her thinking about Izuna like she did and having something akin to a crush on him. They'd be bonded and joined in marriage. They would live together, and eventually they'd have children. She wasn't entirely sure if she wanted children-someday, naturally...But, anything could happen, she learned that...and...And...She didn't want her children growing up in such an era...She didn't want to them to soil their little hands with blood.
They deserved more...A stable home, where they wouldn't need to worry about her or Izuna dying one night because all hell broke loose.
Silence.
Izuna tilted his head slightly, observing the woman that had captured his attention. He wasn't sure what he could have said to warrant such a look from her...She didn't look mad, and not quite hurt, but it was distinct. It could have been the way he was putting everything, but Yuko knew the way he was and how he acted, even if she wasn't quite used to it-certainly she adjusted and knew him well enough. Then again, she was never good at hiding her emotions.
"You should go, Izuna-sama."
Izuna nodded. "You're right."
He left her room silently, sliding the door shut. He couldn't help but feel a bit heavy as he traversed the halls towards his brother's location. He had always been good at pinpointing Yuko's emotions and thoughts-it was one of the reasons he could fluster her so easily...But, in that singular moment, when she looked so far away, he couldn't register what was on her face let alone pinpoint her emotions. It couldn't be anything good though, Yuko never slacked in giving him an answer, and she had all but froze this time.
Scowling, he shuffled the thought away. He couldn't fret about that now. The door looked the same as before, but the chakras inside are what gave this room prominence, and without any hesitation the ponytail clad Uchiha slid open the door and slipped into the room. The first set of eyes to beam towards him was Madara's or Souji's both of them moved so fast he couldn't tell. Mikito looked in his direction, much more calm than the two men had before smiling softly. They all had yet to change out of their tattered clothes and armor like himself...The air was filled with a powerful odor.
"Izuna, you made it just in time."
Izuna didn't miss the glare Madara was shooting at him.
"I had a few things to take care of, and had to change out of those clothes." Izuna's explanation was smooth and concise.
Souji was the one to break the silence, surprisingly. "Be more prudent next time, Izuna." His voice was calm and even. It wasn't a reprimand, or even scolding. Souji was just simply telling him. "Now...Where we left off before Izuna entered the room..." He flicked his eyes onto his division leader and the Uchiha's division leader. Both of them looked away from him. "Introduce yourself."
"My name is Hayami Domou." The curvy and firm woman said in a smooth and soft voice, casting a glance in Souji's direction for a second. Her appearance was characterized by her long and silky black hair that fell to her thighs and was kept in a high ponytail, a few of her longer bangs came to fall over her eyes and frame the side of her face and stark violet irises that seemed to glow whenever light beamed onto them. They contrasted sharply with her hair. Her skin was a light tan, not nearly as dark Mikito, but still a bit darker than Ahiko.
"It's nice to meet you, Hayami-san." Izuna gave a polite smile and bow.
She merely nodded. Izuna noted she wasn't as pleasant or chipper as Chiasa and Masa.
"My name is Arata Uchiha." His appearance was like every other Uchiha and didn't vary greatly. He had the fair skin that was without a single blemish, and spiky black hair that framed both sides of his face and reached the soft of his upper back. His eyes were onyx black with a keen glint in them. His body was strong and proud, not very muscular or large, but more lean and robust.
"What's the problem?" Izuna asked. After a moment of thought he sighed, remembering it all too well. Uchiha and Domou could fight like cats and dogs.
"This woman nearly took out a third of my division." Arata's tone was gruff and accusing.
"Only because you and those Uchiha made the mistake of underestimating me just because I'm a woman." Hayami retorted. "If you all hadn't been so obstinate I wouldn't have had to prove I'm stronger than the majority of you nor would I have had to slam four of you at the same time. Let that be a lesson to you."
"We can-"
"Let's skip to round seven." Hayami cut Arata off before he caught his stride.
"Okay, now listen..." Madara cut through the banter like an arcing knife. Pointed and deliberate. The Uchiha were real blockheads if he had to be blunt, and some were just beyond any sort of reason. The Domou were blockheads and extremely stubborn, and while they could be reasoned with they wouldn't be inclined to see the reason. Truthfully, the last thing he wanted at this point in time was them going back and forth-the Uchiha and Domou that have been here were getting along well after a long time. He didn't want all of that to go to waste. "The Uchiha and Domou that have been here with us for months have been getting along very well, and it's taken a very long time to reach this point. I won't let either of you, or the shinobi and kunoichi in your divisions to disrupt it."
"More importantly..." Mikito looked at the two of them sternly. "We need you both on the same page. I'm sure you're aware of the situation in this region. Being two division leaders, we're going to need you both...Need you working together..."
At this point she felt that she needed to verbally stress her point. Before she would have waited for them to reciprocate and grow to respect each other through the trails they faced like the other Uchiha and Domou. There wasn't any time for that, and it wasn't realistic or practical for them to bond over fighting every single time their kinsmen meant each other. Their Councils couldn't fight like the youth, and she dreaded the day the fossils got together. "We have found unity and rapport in our time here. Hayami. Arata. Don't disrupt it."
Seeing the intent stares of Mikito and Madara, and the unwavering stares of Izuna and Souji, Hayami sighed softly before setting her hands on her lap. It wasn't technically her fault the whole thing even began-Arata and the Uchiha started it with their big mouths, Domou woman weren't going to be slighted or insulted at all, so it was only fair that she finished it and shut their mouths. But, Mikito was her leader and Madara was her husband, so she just had to concede on this one. But, she wasn't in the wrong for beating some of the Uchiha until they couldn't move, no matter how outraged Arata tried to sound. "Fair enough."
"I concede." Arata said after a moment, nearly locking eyes with Hayami before he thought better and turned them away from the woman. No woman in the Uchiha clan was on the battlefield except for very few, and one of those woman was Yuko. The Uchiha didn't believe it was a woman's place to be on the battlefield-if they were strong and talented than there was always an exception to be made...In the past Uchiha women were allowed to fight, but with death tolls and the clan's expectancy at risk they were forbidden for lack of a better term...Though, there would always be those who rose above and beyond.
There were distinct differences between the Uchiha and Domou, and he was starting to see it was more than just at the surface.
The Domou were so austere and ascetic...They did not fuck around, and were very severe.
The Uchiha were disciplined, uniformed, and militarized...But, they weren't austere and ascetic like the Domou.
However they would be allies, comrades now...Their alliance was permanent.
He was going to have to deal.
"I'd like you both to come with me." Souji said, his deep and blunt tone vibrating through the walls around them, and cutting off any thoughts which happened to be circulating at the moment. He wasn't like Mikito and wasn't going to tolerate the tomfoolery between their two clans, he wasn't like Madara and was going to tell these two get along, and he wasn't like Izuna and wasn't going to wait to see how it all played out. These two were going to get on the same page or there were going to be severe problems.
"Where to?" Arata questioned a bit too hotly, stiffening as Souji's stony glare beamed onto him.
"Arata..." Madara practically growled out in warning.
"Don't try my patience, Arata." Souji said in a low tone. Hayami was already familiar with him, and knew not to push too far when it came to certain things, or outright question him...
But Arata didn't...And, some of the Uchiha had this streak of pride that bordered on hubris, and quite frankly he wasn't going to stroke egos or think of himself any lower. Arata and these prideful Uchiha were going to learn very soon if they hadn't already. "We're going to speak with the damiyo and organize our forces with his own, after that you are going to start patrolling the village with a unit. Bunji and Shin will be coming with you. The units within this village should be ending their shifts very soon."
"And, what of the outside?"
"I think you've seen the stakes already." Izuna said quite plainly. It could be credited to why there was so much fear and resentment surrounding them now. The stakes went clear to the borders. And...Perhaps it wasn't the best choice. "This meeting is finished. We'll meet tomorrow."
Arata nodded after a moment, following after Souji and Hayami.
Silence.
Madara surprisingly broke it.
"Syrus and the Subatsu are leaving the region..." The wild haired Uchiha said almost musingly...It was almost a shame that they were, he always looked forward to facing off against Syrus. With them gone he lost a worthy foe, a man he had come to respect mutually and grudgingly. However, Hashirama-his singular target, was still present. "That leaves the Senju with a gap in their strength, we won't need to worry about the Subatsu..." Because, truthfully, they were just savage and didn't hold back, period. It was a bloodbath. And, then there was Syrus's Tochiton to combat...
Izuna sighed softly, nodding his head just the slightest.
True, they didn't need to worry about the Subatsu anymore, for now at least. The Senju were still very formidable on their own, that went without even saying, however their would be a noticeable difference and how they fought-there wouldn't be any collaborations on their part, like Usagi's and Tobirama's lightning shrouded dragon. They wouldn't have the blitzing and spearing ferocity the Subatsu exuded. That combined with the Senju's hammering approach made them nearly unbeatable. The tables have now turned, however... "Brother, I need you to get cleaned up, you too Mikito."
Madara practically bristled, as if he'd surge his quills like a porcupine.
Mikito just gave Izuna a quizzical look.
"I'm getting married...Tonight."
He expected many things...
But, not the silence. Prolonged and suffocating.
It stretched on and on.