"Even Hell runs on money. I'd be just fine."
Kakuzu
Daishiro smirked, inclining his head in a condescending manner-as if to look down on Mikito. It was a goading gesture, one that drew a vicious glare from his opponent. "Tch, you think you're going to stop me? There's no end until the Wind damiyo unifies all of these countries and villages under his banner."
"I've already told you!"
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
The two danced and dashed around each other, swords glaring and slicing between them if only for a second. Mikito's attacks ferociously quick and holding a keen grac; aiming for the head, legs, arms anticipating to see blood gushing from the severed limbs as they fell pitifully into the sand. She didn't just want to defeat Daishiro, she wanted to maim him, inflict unbearable pain before she pulled the curtains down and stabbed him right through the throat splitting his body down vertically. Or, smacking her steel saya right across his skull, cracking it like an egg.
Daishiro expected this, anticipating that the witch would come at him with all intents to rip him limb from limb, it didn't matter if it was with her bare hands or with a weapon the result would be the same. He parried and blocked the furious and well timed sword strikes narrowly evading them when they skewed too close to his neck or face, the glinting gleam of the blade followed by that ghastly glare in the woman's eyes kept him on the move, pressing the tempo.
His parry was crisp, no single flaw was evident as he shifted passed the blade poised for his neck and struck out with a quick counter strike, teeth gritting against his mouth as Mikito blocked the strike shoving him forward and striking out once more, if possible with more fury and vehemence than before. Just as he expected. Again he blocked the vicious strikes, retaliating with quick and sweeping slashes watching as she glided around the slashes or avoided them altogether.
There wasn't a single wasted movement on either's behalf. Mikito's attacks swift, ferocious erratic and sporadic constantly changing and shifting like the winds themselves. First she was kicking, then punching, then throwing quick elbows and palms, to spinning on both hands as he kicked his feet out from under her spinning like a corkscrew.
It was nothing short of a frenzy-controlled chaos.
Hiss attacks were the total opposite of the ferocious and swift frenzy of Mikito. Precise, cunning, concise, and pointed he pressed the tempo every chance he got slamming his shin's into Mikito's when a kick came too close, parrying a vicious slash when it neared his cranium, dodging a series of spinning kicks and backhands that came from every possible direction and trajectory.
Every movement was thought out and executed with nothing short of perfection. He couldn't match the ferocious and pwerful attack style of Mikito, but he didn't need to match it, he flowed with the rabid tide spotting moves well in advance and hastily dodging the next four that followed in rapid succession.
Their steps met just as their blades heaved against each other, wrists bracing against the impact that threatened to shatter their bones. A test of strength was well in order.
Again and again, they twisted. They pivoted. Swords screeching against each other.
They bind against each other, blades rattling against the continued pressure, finding reprieve as they cried against each other sending sparks flying around as they separated.
They met on the battlefield several hundred if not thousands of times now, each time their battles were furious and fast paced lasting only a few hours to a few days at best, they knew what the other was thinking and what moves would be used in retaliation. It was always the Shimura pushing their limit, trying to tread closer and closer before they were snagged and things erupted. Trying to come onto the Domou's land.
Daishiro let his chakra boil, fueling massive fireballs with his oppressive chakra, forming one into several dozen rapidly without a second's notice. His clan was known to be extremely powerful, could master many elements, and were born with more than one affinity. His ninjutsu was just on a whole other level completely.
He launched them forward, not one after the next, not two at a time, but all in unison. The orbs of vicious flames crackled and sizzled against the torrential rainfall sending up steam clouds for several feet, tearing their way through the sand in a restless manner, spurred on by Sasuke's confidence and anticipation they couldn't be stopped.
With a quick hand seal. Horse. Mikito slammed her hands onto the sand at his feet, gritting her teeth as she allowed her chakra surge out around her forcing mounds and pillars of earth to tear upwards out of the sand. They jutted out in every direction as they tore themselves free, spiraling towards the barrage of fire, growing more vast as they ripped towards Daishiro anxious to coil and constrict him, rip his limbs clean off as if they weren't reinforced with tendons, chakra, muscles, and ligaments.
BOOOOOOM!
BOOOOOOOOOOOM!
BOOOM!
The reverberating shock wave ripped through, both of them bracing with all they had against the tremor that ripped its way out around them. In a menacing display of power, bright debris and slabs of earth were sent soaring skyward dispersing their flaming tails to wither away. The rest of Mikito's jutsu shot across the landscape slamming into hordes of shinobi, cyclops, and the three Bijuu driving them all into the ground one after the next.
One after the next the destroyed remnants of her jutsu collided with the earth borrowing their way several hundred feet deep kicking up mountains of wet and coarse sand leaving it to trail off like waterfalls shrouding everything in a grainy mist.
"HAAAA!" Daishiro shot at her, but she grabbed him out of the air swinging him into the ground.
"Got you now, witch!" Hajime dashed in from the side only to be met by a fist.
Daiki charged from the side as Daishiro came from the front. Mikito jumped over Daiki, watching him slam into Hajime and Sasuke and Madara, their battle taking them across the landscape.
She hastily slammed her elbow against Daishiro's forearm. He darted away, explosive tags detonating, only alerting Mikito of the Shimura's next attack. She sped passed the shock wave, swinging her sword hard to the side, watching with satisfaction as he slid uncontrollably away from her before grinding to a halt.
"Are you going to persist?" Mikito eyed Daishiro, a flinty glare in her eyes. "I've already killed thousands, you keep this up the Wind won't have a military left."
"How like you Mikito." Daishiro smirked at her, leveling his sword carefully. "Always wanting to avoid massive and unnecessary bloodshed. If I didn't know any better I'd say you and that Senju Hashirama are twins."
"I am nothing like that glib man!"
"It doesn't matter, the Wind has vast reserves, and the monks have been sent out." Daishiro grinned a cunning grin.
Mikito grunted, dashing forward and going on the offensive. Daishiro strained matching her blow for blow.
"Both of you are bleeding hearts!" He goaded as she darted from the side swinging her sheath forward, he blocked the powerful stroke grunting, driven back across the ground until there were two little neat trenches.
He snarled, reacting quickly and swinging his blade up, just skewing Mikito's from tearing into his scalp.
Daishiro slid into her guard aiming a punch for her stomach.
Mikito swung her leg up planting her foot into Daishiro's chest sending him back with a loud clap.
But this gave him an opening, and he slammed his knee against Mikito's side.
She staggered back, swinging an arm forward and slammed Daishiro face first through a mound of earth, splattering the ground at its foundation.
Daishiro appeared on Mikito's side slamming a fist into her cheek before she could move.
With a feral snarl Mikito lashed for him, but he dodged, springing forward again with a kunai in hand and let it fly, of course it had no effect. Mikito just batted it aside with ease.
She strained, latching onto one of Daishiro's ankles and with half of a scream she heaved him up over her head and threw him down into the ground, pressing the attack she swung down with her foot, stomping right on his stomach shattering the ground around them. Both of them skidded back and away from each other, and away from the hole they made.
"Daishiro..." Mikito set her jaw.
Daishiro smashed Mikito into the ground, crushing a fist against her chest. "I don't want to hear any of your stupid warnings!" He roared flinging his hand from side to side leveling the debris as he plowed Mikito through them. Mikito hissed as her face smashed through solid rock. "There's no sense in giving out warnings!" his voice trailed off into a pained shout.
Slowly, he rolled over, staring at the blood that was blinding him.
Mikito stood where they previously were, one hand extended and clenched, dripping with his blood. "If that's how you want it..." As she trailed off, her chakra began to erupt more than it had been prior, forcing her to clench her fists. "So be it, I'll kill all of you then!"
"Fine!" Daishiro replied, smashing an elbow against Mikito's face, but not before she rammed he elbow right against his chin, forcing his head up a few inches. "I never wanted or need your fucking mercy!"
Mikito shot towards him, springing in seemingly eight different directions all at once, eight multiplied into a thousand times. It was dizzying. She accelerated, beaming in from the right side, slamming her fist right into his jaw.
He turned, smirking darkly. She let out a snarl as she pulled her arm back, smashing her fist into his face again, and this time his head shot to the side, accompanied by a splatter of blood from his mouth.
He was quick to retaliate slamming his forearm against her neck sending her tumbling across the ground.
"The Sand country is the only country still resisting." Daishiro let out a light laugh, slowly twisting his head to the side until he got a loud crack. "Is this really what you want Mikito? All of those people to die because you don't know when to surrender or give up? Even the Dune and Dunes will fall shortly, you can say goodbye to those pesky Hyuga and Shainingu. The Sarutobi will be retreating shortly after this battle is over, I've made sure to focus on a large portion of their force."
"You're only wasting your ti-" Daishiro couldn't finish. Mikito drove the point of her elbow into his forehead, dazing him. She spun following up with a kick that sent him flying for several dozen feet, finally crashing into an earthen structure.
"Now, I know your objective!" Mikito sprinted right towards him, foregoing it completely and leapt a mighty lunge. The riddle from before!
"I wonder how you will fend off more than five clans all at once..." Daishiro snickered, his lips stretching into a grin as Mikito bristled.
Mikito's eyes flared with unbridled rage, her killing intent leaking out in torrent waves. She could feel herself trembling from distilled fury. Your real target is the Domou's homeland, the Subatsu's homeland...The West...
"You may think you know my objective, but you don't. That's not my target, rather I'm trying to steer clear before the Shimura are struck."
This battle was getting nowhere fast, every strike thrown was countered, every slash and stab was evaded or deflected, it was turning into a stalemate where there'd be no clear winner or loser. Daishiro definitely had the numbers edge, but that could be negated, Mikito had the ferocious and swift fighting style which couldn't be anticipated.
"Do you know what they are saying about Hashirama Senju?" Daishiro towered high above Mikito, standing atop the head of his Earth Tyrant as it let out a bellow of power.
Mikito didn't even respond, she only lunged at him trying to take off his head and bash his tyrant to pieces.
"He wants to create a village and desires peace." Daishiro said in quick breaths, hard pressed to attack and defend. "I think it's just a matter of time before Sasuke and those monkeys join up with him. What do you think will happen to the Uchiha when the Senju and Sarutobi join hands? Hashirama may be patient, but Sasuke is not, he will decimate the Uchiha population if it means coming closer to whatever their goal is."
"Why would the Sarutobi and Senju join hands?" Mikito asked sharply. The thought never escaped her mind, but Sasuke was far too hot blooded and hot tempered to get on with Hashirama and his ideals of peace. Hashirama was a pacifist, and Sasuke while not a warmonger had a fierce streak of pride and hostility. Quite simply it wouldn't work, fundamentally the clans were similar, but vastly different.
"They're far too similar, and there have been many times in history where the two clans found a common ground."
"The same can be said for the Shimura and Sarutobi."
Daishiro would shrug if he could, but he settled on bracing himself as she destroyed two of his tyrant's arms. "Make no mistake, while that may be the case, Mikito, our reasons for finding a common ground were different. And, we Shimura always betrayed the Sarutobi in the end-unlike the Sarutobi and Senju who mutually bring the common ground to a demise."
Mikito kept her eyes pinned on Daishiro, ears listening to everything he had to say raptly. She could never trust him fully, Daishiro was just too manipulative and dark to trust anything that came out of his mouth. It'd be foolish on her part. "Is there a point to this, Daishiro?"
"I just think you should consider the Shimura's strength and prowess. Things have been changing rapidly, and you can see it, I can see it, everyone can see it. But things are about to undergo a more drastic change. I'm covering all of my bases before that time comes, naturally."
"You want..." Mikito didn't even dare say it, but the words left her mouth before she could stop them.
"I really couldn't care less about the Uchiha...I can get passed their Sharingan, my men get passed their Sharingan, and I can combat the Mangekyo. However, I can't say the same for the Domou. Your physicality can't really be matched."
"What are you preparing for?" Mikito didn't drop her guard, but slightly relaxed.
"The subjugation of clans that don't want anything to do with this village bullshit. Your clan, the Subatsu, the Shimura, and many more are on this list." Daishiro said darkly, locking eyes with the woman he had come to respect through their years of conflict. She was a bleeding heart, too much for his taste, but that one quirk about her could be his ace in the hole at this moment.
"Despite us being fierce enemies, we both know that we'd never join such a farce. The clans come together and form villages, and then the villages go to war under the premise of free rights and expansion. Shinobi continue to be dogs of the damiyo, nothing changes. Things go from being based on merit, strength, and skill to just a person's title and honorifics. We are expected to sell out our own flesh and blood, for a little village, that is true madness."
Mikito bristled, having no retort.
She did say something similar to Hashirama, after all.
"It's only a matter of time before Hashirama pulls on more strings of people's hearts and makes them step in stride with the Senju...You know how influential they are...But, we both know the damiyos will be behind this movement since they own and control the land after all, more importantly it could be the damiyo who propose it in the first place."
"Impossible!" Mikito skidded to a stop, flashing through a series of hand seals, sending arcs of lightning crashing forward. "The damiyos would never advocate such a thing, the lords of the provinces and the local lords would essentially lose their power, and that's not including the damiyo would have to split their power down the middle with the leader of the village. The damiyo will stay at the top on the power chain, the leaders of villages would be nothing more than puppets. Two faced and glad handing."
"So, you should know that this will be happening."
She wasn't sure if it was denial, but she didn't want it to happen. She didn't want it happening. She didn't want to believe Daishiro. If it happened Hashirama's dream would come true, the farce would be set in place, and many clans would subjugated. More importantly Hashirama would control the world, his village would reign supreme over the rest being the first to be established, and being the key part of the village system the known world would be his completely. It wasn't even a question in her mind.
She didn't want clans to be subjugated...
The only clans that would survive down the line would be those affiliated with a village...
She didn't want clans like the Hagoromo, Fuma, Red Mist, Furea, and many others fading away with time.
"Just surrender." Daishiro eyed her carefully, keeping an eye on her feet for just a second before flicking his eyes onto her sword and hands. "I will have my wife send a message to your compound with more details concerning this."
"The Domou don't surrender, we don't bend our backs, and we don't bow our heads." Mikito said sternly, almost glowering at Daishiro. Where did he find the nerve to tell her to surrender? To submit before him and the Wind, to submit before the Shimura. "I'm not going to let that noble subjugate the Sand or its citizens. He's shattered what gentle balance has reigned in this region for centuries, he will profit the most from this war. I am here to keep fools like that away and in check." She started flashing through a series of hand seals again, slamming her hand onto the ground.
"Don't think you're slick." Mikito said through clenched teeth.
"Well, the offer is still on the table. I suggest you take it before the Senju and Sarutobi join hands." Daishiro chuckled softly, preparing for her charge. "By then, it could be too late to take action. Keep this in mind, Mikito."
Madara battled Daiki.
He battled Sasuke.
He battled Atsushi.
He battled Tunoichi.
He battled Hajime.
He battled Kenzou.
He battled Saburo.
He was in the process of battling Koichi, the leader of the Hatake clan.
The Hatake clan were quite a mysterious clan, in comparison to other clans. They all had that same bone white or silver hair and predominantly dark beady eyes. They were versed in all chakra natures, but lightning and earth seemed to be their forte over anything else. They were amazingly talented, and were the best trackers out there-coupled with their usage of the ninja hound summonings; they could be even more troublesome than the Inuzuka.
Strength wise, he would place them around the middle spectrum. They all had very well above average chakra levels, though there were some like Koichi who had tremendous reserves and tremendous chakra to the point it was absurd. He crossed paths with them naturally, growing up and learning on the many battlefields that plagued the mainland like sickness. Like disease. Like a cancer. The Hatake were a canny and very sharp clan-underestimating them meant death.
He sidestepped the cutting edge, and put on a burst of speed before the lightning could imbue him, flashing away from Koichi as he stuck the ground sending cracks out. "Sharingan saved you again."
Madara shifted forward swinging his sword at numbing speeds. Koichi ducked under the wide swipe, feeling the air whoosh above him and kick his hair to the side, deftly he jumped back, distancing himself from the Uchiha.
Madara was in front of him as if he teleported, snapping his leg out in a quick side kick. Koichi shifted passed the strike, teeth grit as he just blocked the curved edge of the Uchiha's sickle, his feet driving back into the ground. He prepped to strike, but the gunbai charged in from the side, thrusting forward, skewing just passed him.
Koichi was in Madara in the next second, darting in an elaborate pattern as his blade cut through their gap. It'd be dazzling to onlookers, hypnotizing even, but for Madara it was a lethal dance, and he loved to dance. The blade arced through the gap between them, clipping him on the forearm, leaving a small cut on his form.
Hard pressed Madara jumped back. There was a lot of speed behind those swiping blows, he could feel the air rushing passed her, as if it was overwhelmed by the sheer velocity the blade traveled. Even with his Sharingan, Koichi was unbelievably fast. He couldn't let him get a decisive blow at all.
He pivoted forward, skewing the Hatake's trajectory by just a margin, forcing energy into his legs Koichi shot back evading what would have been a decapitating blow as the sickle came looping around, feet skidding for purchase.
Koichi shifted away, the foot he seen darting for his chest pushed him back, but the follow up with the gunbai is what made him press his speed a bit further.
He dodged the blow, taking the Uchiha's opening and threw his right fist out aiming for the his chin. Madara seen the blow coming-she figured it'd be a right cross, he turned to the side dodging the punch by inches, completing his turn, and springing back slamming a kick into Koichi's side.
His powerful hips absorbed the impact of the blow.
Madara dashed forward gunbai already skewing forward-this would connect! A flash of white snapped her to the side, and he just avoided Koichi's attack. He hit the ground feet first, sliding back, teeth grit as he felt anger starting to bubble in the pit of his stomach. He had no time to growl, as Koichi was upon him jabbing and stabbing his blade for any flesh.
There was no sense in staying distant-this would be an up close battle and he was not afraid to take a few punches. Madara ducked over one stab, throwing a blinding right cross, Koichi raised his knee aiming to strike the Uchiha under the chin-their attacks met head on with horrible force, shaking the ground. They broke their stalemate, lashing out with a quick array of strokes, both pressing their opening.
Knuckles collided, blades flashed, and shins smashed as the two moved at super speeds, blurring into flashes of black and white. Their attacks resounded with a loud clap-deafening them momentarily. Madara forced more energy into her arms, speed easily tripling from before as he aimed high and low, pressing Koichi, but the older man threw his knees and shins up blocking and stopping the strikes that would probably knock his head for one hundred yards.
Madara flipped to the side, evading a streak of lightning, spotting the follow up charge and deftly lunged back, sliding across the ground until he came to a stop naturally. His foe shot forward, pressing his attack, his entire blade imbued with lightning and rammed it into the ground, just missing Madara by a fraction of a second. He extended his arm forward, lightning already beaming across the terrain.
Madara recovered faster than he expected and sent a ball of fire forward-blinded by the resulting explosion.
Going blade to blade wouldn't be an option with this man anymore, and if he even got within range he was going to suffer the effects of that lightning. Koichi knew this and persisted against him, tearing the landscape apart with his lightning imbued sword. He'd simply evade the Hatake and send a barrage of fireballs forward, forcing the older man to dart back and away.
Knowing he'd suffer from the effects of the lightning even from a relative distance, he remained in his spot and continued to pelt the Hatake with fireballs, subtly changing the aim and course of his massive flaming orbs, slowly but surely starting to make the Hatake rein back on the defensive.
They were about to resume their battle, but a loud shout forced them to a halt.
"The monks have arrived!" A soldier of the Wind country announced.
There was a collective pause in all activity, and almost in unison everyone turned their eyes onto the monks steadily approaching.
"Kill them!"
Madara flashed his eyes back and forth until he spotted several dozen men striding slowly towards them in the close distance. Their hands were pressed together, and their heads were pointed downward with their eyes closed. From here, he could see their mouths moving slowly and in unison-they must have been chanting something of some sort.
"What in the hell is that?" Koichi hissed, entire body going rigid. "It's a...Monster..."
Madara growled lowly, legs immediately bending as he got into a more defensive stance. Along the inside of these monks were tall...Muscular gray things...They looked humanoid, but their skin was full of mile long gashes that had healed, their faces were absolutely grotesque punctuated with dripping saliva and razor sharp teeth, their eyes pitch black and wild. They all stood at least eight feet tall, some even taller at ten feet.
These damn things made Atsushi look like a lightweight.
The monks stopped chanting.
Everything went to shit.
The things attacked, throwing people aside like rag dolls and severing them in two with giant axes.
"We'll have to postpone this, Uchiha Madara." Koichi sprinted away from him, honing in on one of the beasts; lightning around his sword growing even more violent.
Madara watched with horrible shock as one of the beasts just slammed its forearm into Koichi-losing the limb in the process, but sent the Hatake flying for several hundred yards. He swore he could hear loud cracks, bones breaking. This repeated itself, Hajime was slammed spine first into the ground, Sasuke was batted away as if he was nothing more than a pest, though he came back for more, several Akimich were just thrown aside, Saburo was thrown aside, Kenzou was flipped, Daiki was sent face first through an earth jutsu, and thousands of shinobi and Imperial soldiers-even from the Wind were sent packing as the beasts advanced through the battles.
He tensed, not out of fear, but readiness as one turned its eyes onto him and let out a savage growl before stomping its way over. The ground shook, and the damn thing left it huge footprints in the terrain itself. It had to weight two thousand pounds, if not more!
He met the beast head on, sword and gunbai flying, bashing against the giant steel ax the brutes used. He danced and weaved around the body severing swings, but he couldn't match it with brute strength-every single hit felt bone breaking, literally, and it took all he had just to hang onto his weapons. Every cut seemed to have no effect, even cutting it across the temple did nothing.
The beast three lashed out three times, bellowing as their strokes collided. The area where they stood quaked, as sand flaked, shooting up hundreds of feet over them as the monster pressed its attack, his muscles were burning with unbearably, his bones jarring as he pushed against the beast with all he had for total dominance.
There was no holding back, only a furious collision, his will and beast's strength Neither were willing to give an inch.
"RAAAHHHH!" The ground exploded under him, legs barely bracing against the force, his strong core keeping his torso from slamming into the sand.
He jumped back lunging forward with a new burst of speed, kicking the beast in the ribs, but it grabbed him by the ankle and swung him around into a falling earth pillar.
The beast was so damn tall and strong, that its lack of technique and finesse didn't have any effect on its capability to fight. Madara jumped to the side, before shifting and darting in for its neck using the element of surprise, and swiped across his line of vision. He didn't expect it to dodge at the last second and allow his glistening blade to tear clean through its collarbone all the way to its gut.
The thing just roared, furious.
That thing doesn't have intelligence, but it seems a bit smart... Madara narrowed his eyes, that would make this all the more complicated. Even this had no effect on it, is that thing...?
The beast swung forward with all of its might, one meaty hand sending the ax forward like screaming death. The collision of the weapon leveled just about everything behind him, and for those unlucky enough, severed them without any issue. It left nothing but destruction and bodies in its wake.
Madars shifted forward, one foot slamming into the ground before he flashed out of sight. Sickle squelched into its flesh, cutting into the already wounded torso and lodging itself in midway. Blood splattered onto the ground, almost pitch black in color, but the beast didn't even seem fazed as it grabbed him by the throat and heaved him up smashing him right into the ground.
Blood flew out from his mouth, slobbering against the back of his throat.
"RAAAGGGGGHHHHHHH!" Saliva flew into his face along with disgusting drool as he barely held the monster at boy, annoyed with his persistence, the simple thing could only roar in rage and bare its teeth. He realized with slight horror that he couldn't overpower this thing, He stabbed its arm and side hundreds of times with a kunai until he was drenched in the putrid black blood but it did no good. Being where he was that was the only possible way to kill it since bleeding it out wouldn't do anything.
Clearly this thing wasn't human.
"ROOOUAAGHHHH!"
Its hand gripped even tighter, nearly bulging his eyes from his head.
"Ngghhh..." He clenched the massive wrist of the monster, eyes darting up to its free arm as it raised a chunk of debris. The rock was dull under the lucid sunlight, glaring down at him with nothing short of hostility. I don't want to have to resort to that, those flames can't be controlled! His teeth grit hard down on each other, jaw aching from how hard he was biting down.
Another one stomped near his head, ax already swinging.
Four more charged in.
"Madara!" Souji shouted, eyes practically glowing as he appeared from the side, swiping off the beast's head with one blinding swing.
Isamu stabbed through the second's skull before it could connect with Madara, sickly twisting his blade out.
Isami and Masa tore through two's skulls in the same gruesome fashion.
Chiasa and Hiro skipped over this and split them right down the middle.
Madara got back up to his feet, careful to avoid the growing rivers of black blood and ripped his sickle free from the corpse coughing hoarsely as oxygen forced its way back into his lungs. He resisted the urge to massage his neck, and glanced at the massive axes...It had to be as long as he was tall, longer than Hashirama, and even Syrus.
That was going to be severe bruising around his neck for sure.
"Demons..." Chiasa hissed, any of her usual exuberance gone. "This is what they must mean about the monks keeping the peace..."
"They just control these things." Hiro surmised. "We'll need to take off their heads, anything less won't even faze them."
"There's about nine dozen of these things." Souji growled, swiping his sword clean before sheathing it swiftly and taking a firm hold of it. His dark eyes flinty, focusing on the beasts rampaging around, and a few set their sights onto him bellowing in fury seeing one of their own without a head and dead at his feet. "Isamu, Isami, Masa, Hiro, Chiasa; we're going to divert their attention and lead them towards Aito, and Bunji, take out as many as you can. Their fire jutsus will take down the ones you're unable to."
"Are you sure?" Madara asked, keeping his tone neutral as possible as he watched the five charge right towards the rampaging beasts with zero fear. Domou were just something else entirely.
"Those things have horrendous physical strength..."
"We'll handle those demons, you just get to my sister." Souji said, staring his brother in law in the eye for a few seconds. "The only way to defeat these things is to cut off their heads, or stab through their skulls."
Madara shook his head in disbelief, but he wasn't going to argue. He had no desire to face off against whatever those things are, he never felt such horrendous strength before.
Never seen blood that was pitch black...
"Mik-chan!"
Alerted by the sudden shout-Mik-chan? and the rapid influx, she swiveled against the unseen force whipping one arm out and forward with brutal and unyielding force, hearing the deafening screech of a sword rupturing into her ears as her eyes captured Sasuke, Hajime, Madara, and Koichi.
They slid apart from the collision, feet tearing trenches as they struggled to purchase against the slick surface, finally halting a few feet apart.
In Koichi's case the lightning on his sword carved a wide berth in the ground.
"Madara." Mikito looked in her husband's direction. He looked worse for wear, but the usage of a nickname really caught her off guard. "How are things on your end?"
"Good. Souji is going to handle the rest" Madara said simply, looking her over for a moment before turning his eyes onto his foes. He glanced up at Daishiro's towering tyrant, and Sasuke's earth human. They were both as massive and towering as before easily dwarfing everything in the surrounding landscape.
Hajime and Koichi shot away from them, resuming in one of the thousands of battles across the landscape. If they were going to crush each other, why even stop them?
"I've got something to settle with you, Daishiro!" Sasuke snarled, eyes glowing with pure rage.
"It's high time you monkeys get out of here." Daishiro spat. The Uchiha and Domou ran them out once already, and Sasuke literally shoved his way back into this region and took a piece of large land in between all of the territories-Koichi and Hajime were not exempt from this and their clans did the same thing. "You Sarutobi are as annoyingly persistent as those lying Senju."
"Mikito." Madara glanced at her carefully, focusing chakra into the base of his eyes. He should have done this before when he was facing that monster, now he was going to need to use his Mangekyo again. This time he had to considering the two monstrosities that were staring down at him. His Susano'o would be able to combat them easily enough, though Daishiro's tyrant had a lot of brutish strength in comparison to his Susano'o and Sasuke's human-like monstrosity.
He was just a little worried about Mikito-she could handle herself, but compared to him and the other two she miles well be a bug in sheer size. He didn't need to worry about her, but he'd feel better if she was floating within his Susano'o along with him.
"I can float in your Susano'o?" Mikito gave him a quizzical look. She deduced a few things about the Sharingan, other than its most basic perks. Well, more of it's drawbacks. If the Uchiha couldn't keep up with the opponent's physical movements the Sharingan really wouldn't make a difference, if the Uchiha can't see their opponent, well naturally the Sharingan is a moot point. It can't copy Kekkai Genkais or Kekkai Totas either. But, the Mangekyo was highly advanced and she could only theorize its complexities. But, the fact remained if they can't see their opponent or match their physicality it really was a moot point.
Floating inside of his Susano'o was one possibility, in essence.
"Of course." Madara let his chakra roar gloriously, eyes spiraling rapidly until three tomoes morphed into three thick circles interconnected with a ring. His Susano'o skyrocketed, heaving the ground beneath it as its legs surged into being and two hefty feet slammed onto the ground. He easily floated up into the center of the chest, followed closely by Mikito. "As long as I will it."
Mikito hid her amazement well. She could feel Madara's brassy chakra all around her-it was touching her skin, touching the very hair follicles her hair grew out of, she was breathing it in practically! She was awed with just how potent and brassy her husband's chakra was, it wasn't weak by any stretch of the imagination, and it forced her to take notice without any reprieve. "Can I execute jutsus within it? Or would it actually be executing the jutsus through my actions? Can I coalesce my chakra with it? Would it get bigger or stronger if I do coalesce my chakra with it?"
Madara smirked for a moment. The thrill of power was always euphoric for him, it was so glorious! However, Mikito's inquisitive nature proved to be more than stimulating for his entertainment and otherwise. Here she was talking about executing jutsus through Susano'o. coalescing her chakra with Susano'o his own chakra in essence, to strengthen Susano'o or even increase its size. He hadn't ever considered the possibility of this. Would his Susano'o get bigger-Mikito had a lot of chakra in that body of her's, it could be possible.
Or her chakra would strengthen it dramatically, and make its attacks a thousand times more destructive.
This was about to get really entertaining.
"Find out for yourself, Mikito."
Ahiko wearily realized that things had taken a steep turn. Her own clan was stubborn, extremely stubborn, but the Uchiha were...They were Uchiha, nothing could possibly describe it other than that. The first steep turn was for herself. The Uchiha has slaves and servants, some of these slaves and servants were actually fellow Uchiha but obviously in the lowest class forced to do whatever the 'royal' for lack of a better term Uchiha told them to. She had never heard so much screaming and chaos in all of her life except on the battlefield. Needless to say these Uchiha were going to be the first not to resist her and follow her without any issue.
She seen an Uchiha male pulling on a slave's hair...
"What are you doing?!" She snapped, swinging him off to the side by the collar of his shirt like a rag doll, and pulled her arm back, backhanding the taste buds right out of his mouth putting him right on his ass a few feet away from her. "You do not do that to a woman! Are all Uchiha men so disparaging!?"
Izuna stayed a few inches back, a bit shocked.
Fuck! Ahiko hit hard!
And, she was fucking powerful, that Uchiha shinobi had her by a good few inches and at least one hundred pounds, but she just swung him around like he weighed nothing.
"What's it matter? She's a slave!" The Uchiha man barked.
"She has the same Uchiha blood flowing through her veins as you do!" Ahiko barely kept her voice down.
"I am a warrior! She is a woman, a peasant woman with a weak bloodline!"
Ahiko smashed her fist across his face, knocking out two of his teeth and sending him sliding across the ground until he finally came to a stop several dozen feet away.
She was patient and loving, but she would never tolerate abusing women or making them slaves. She wasn't going to tolerate division and supremacy! Never!
"You do realize this is Ahiko, sister of my brother's wife and the matriarch of our clan, Mikito, and sister of Souji." Izuna said with narrowed eyes, watching the Uchiha man look at the curly haired girl with wide eyes before darting them back onto him. Yes, it was so shocking that Ahiko would rush to the aid of a slave, she's allies with the Uchiha so why care about a slave? It was the mentality he couldn't stand within his clan. That slave had the same Uchiha blood as he did, yet she was, like the rest, treated poorly.
"Are you okay?" Ahiko asked, ignoring the Uchiha male who marched off with blood trailing down his chin, spitting out handfuls at a time.
She gently smoothed out the girl's hair.
"I'm...Fine." She said softly, not looking her savior in the eyes. "You shouldn't have done that."
"Nonsense." Ahiko said sternly, gently grasping the girl's chin so she could look her eye to eye. "A woman is a treasure a man doesn't do any harm to." If Uchiha could treat each other like this...Make their women slaves, make a strict caste system so there was so much division, and there were slaves. What had kept them from being wiped out ages ago? A clan divided is a clan that can't stand, her parents taught her that. The Uchiha didn't put being together above everything else like her clan.
For them it was revenge...Hate...Power...
No wonder Izuna wanted things to change so badly. This wasn't right.
The Uchiha would doom themselves to oblivion with such a single, narrow minded mentality and mindset.
"You're going to stay with me, and if anyone has anything to say about it they're going to deal with me. And, as you've seen they don't want to cross that bridge." Ahiko said without pause, looping her arm into the woman's and hauling her up onto her feet.
"B-But-"
"These hips." Ahiko smacked the hips with both her hands, startling her. She kept her hands on her hips. "These child bearing hips have a lot of power, with proper technique you will have destructive power perhaps greater than a man's."
"Y-Yes, Ahiko-san."
Ahiko nodded, it was enough to silence the girl. She wasn't going to hear any type of excuse, she knew why the girl said she shouldn't have interfered. Because that Uchiha man would come back later and give her hell. He and the rest like him that shared the same mentality were sorely mistaken. There wouldn't be anyone left they could treat with such malice. Give this girl had six months in the Domou compound and send her back she'd snap that man's neck with a flinch of her hand. "The rest of you, that goes for you too." She pointed at every man and woman, before stomping her foot on the ground. "I am not going tolerate this. Let's go."
They all flinched at her childish gesture, not ignoring the foot sized crater now in the ground.
Izuna stepped in stride with her, a bit awed with her performance. Ahiko never exhibited such anger or resorted to hitting people-she had one powerful punch that is for sure. She also didn't order people around like she just had, she guided them, and would offer advice if they needed it, but she would never take the reins and pull ahead. That was something Mikito or Souji would do, something his brother would do. They were natural born leaders.
Ahiko preferred to be in the background and not deal with all of the nonsense.
The loving and patient Ahiko just knocked two teeth out of a man's mouth-he only seen Madara do such a thing.
"You really got angry back there." Izuna noted a bit cautiously, looking her over, hoping she didn't turn her fists onto him next.
"Nice little crater you left. I know your sister and brother go on rampages, but I didn't think you had it in you." Izuna quipped, trying to lighten the mood.
"There is no slavery in the Domou, it's forbidden. There isn't a caste or social class system either. If a Domou man had hit a Domou woman like that she would have ripped him apart, we don't tolerate such brutality. Our men have respect and appreciation for us women, and us women have respect and adoration for our men." Ahiko grated out, her jaw starting to ache from how hard she was clenching her teeth. Granted, this girl didn't have the monstrous strength she and the rest of her kinsmen did, but if a Domou man ever tried to step out of line, the Domou woman was more than prepared to whoop his ass.
He'd have a whole pack of Domou men on him, though, that was the last thing anyone wanted to do in her clan. The last thing they would ever think of doing.
"This is why we're doing this." Izuna clapped her on the shoulder. He could never stand the sight of seeing such things...The way the Uchiha divided themselves with a caste system and even made their own slaves was nothing he'd ever understand. More often than not it was women who became slaves, and they weren't even taught the basics like the rest that were lucky enough to escape such a cruel fate. "I was right to put my faith in you, Ahiko-san."
Ahiko hid her shock well behind her mask of justified anger. Izuna was concerned about the clan, most definitely, and wanted to do everything he possibly could for the clan. But, now she realized what his true objective was. He wanted to free these slaves and servants from their oppression, oppression forced onto them by their very own kinsmen, and give these slaves and servants a chance to be something more. Give these woman a chance to be something more. He wanted to separate one crop of Uchiha from another, and for some get them the hell out of here as fast as possible.
It wasn't until a half hour later and with the entire sum of the slaves and servants trailing behind her that Ahiko made it to what she could only assume was a stage. It was large, wide, and towered above everyone present. Talk about garnering attention-Uchiha were so ostentatious. People were completely surrounding it. There were elders, men, women, children, and teenagers all packed into the area chattering among themselves. The only other thing that wasn't present would be infants, which made complete sense. Judging from the noise level one of the elders must have spoken, probably Daichi, as there were nods of agreement.
She became incredibly nervous, there had to be the entire Uchiha population present!
Norio took the stage and everyone silenced themselves. They waited for him to speak with baited breath. "You have all heard elder Daichi speak his piece, and you have heard me speak my piece. Now, I ask all of you to give young Ahiko your same devotion and attention. Everything that she says you must take to heart. Just as you've taken everything elder Daichi and I have said to heart."
"Izuna-san, maybe you can talk instead." Ahiko trembled just slightly as Norio began to leave the stage.
"I''ll stand up there with you, but you have to speak your piece." Izuna said, slowly massaging the small of her back. She was trembling, and he got the feeling because it was the fact she had to speak to this many people...It didn't help they'd all be staring at her, and she'd be the center of attention. Ahiko tended be the center of attention, but it was unintentional, now she would be watched by thousands, and heard by thousands. He'd never guess she had a fear of public speaking, but everyone had the same fear sooner or later. "Just say what you said to the Council back there, everything will be fine."
"But...That'll cause panic."
"You worry too much."
"You don't worry enough, Izuna-san!"
"Come on. You all have a choice to make." Izuna said, nodding to the slaves and servants to remain in place while pushing Ahiko towards the stage.
"Are you afraid of public speaking?"
The tenseness of Ahiko's body spoke enough.
"I'll be right up there with you, don't worry." Izuna assured. It was kind of cute Ahiko feared speaking in front of large groups.
Ahiko stared at black heads and black eyes, through there were a few brunette and brown eyes in the mix. Her heart drummed in a frantic rhythm, she never did like public speaking. She could talk fine with a few people, but when there were a few thousand present and all of those eyes were transfixed on her, well she couldn't quite shake the fear that consumed her. Maybe it was childish on her part, but she didn't like the feeling of all these eyes on her. She could never be a leader for her clan just for that reason.
But, she couldn't say what she said to the Council to all of these people present. There were were women with children, and women pregnant. The last thing she wanted to was spread panic around the compound, and she'd do just that if she was dead honest like before. The Rot was nothing to say so flippantly, or at all for that matter, it had to be the worse disease one could possibly catch with just a few surpassing it.
The women would be the first to panic, and then the women pregnant would be the next to panic which wouldn't be good for the bundles growing inside of them and the bundles holding onto their hands at the moment. The children would panic next naturally, because being sick meant that they'd have to be around needles or take medicine, and no child enjoyed getting either of those things. They'd just be scared to die, and rightfully so, many weren't even ten years old.
But, the good majority of these Uchiha have to know or at least guess that what she has to say is important, or is of high importance.
Right?
"I am relieved you will all lend me your ears and attention for just these short few moments." Ahiko found her voice, steeling her courage as she stepped a bit more towards the front. She couldn't afford to be scared at this moment, the Uchiha would only doubt her more than they already do. She couldn't understand why, and a lot of that doubt revolved around their Sharingan and her wanting to take the Sharingan for herself and the Domou wanting it for their own gain. The Domou didn't need the Sharingan, and she was more than content in her own skin.
There was no way she'd be able to turn back after this. When she mentioned the Rot, there was no way she'd able to take it back. "It has come to my attention that the Uchiha are faced with a grave problem. You are not reproducing fruitfully, and there's been a spread of disease and famine. Every measure taken to find a solution has yielded little results..." She took a deep breath. "I am here to tell you all that you are infected with the Rot, or will be infected with it very soon. For the women pregnant and children, it is urgent you all get taken care of because you're most at risk for catching this disease. I don't need to go into the details of Rot, but the signs are all there. I do have a solution..."
"All of you must move to the Domou compound as soon as possible and get clean food and water in your systems so you can work it out. It's going to take time, but I will do all I can to speed that process along. Again, this is most imperative to the women pregnant and the children...I understand this is sudden and many of you will be angry about this event, but for now this must be done if the Uchiha want to see another generation grow and be born into the world. Think of your children and unborn children for they are all treasures that should be cherished, and will carry on your legacy."
"I will create a vaccine for all of you to take, that will wipe this disease away in short order. I may even have something in storage. But, the women pregnant and the children must be taken care of first and that's where my priorities are-seeing to it they get what they need, immediately. The men and teenagers are also at risk, and it's better if you all get the proper treatment before it advances into its later stages-by then it'll be too late. You all may be skeptical of what I'm saying, but for several months the Uchiha's water has been contaminated. Around this time there has also been a steady decline in fertility and birth rates, I will not demand any of you to come with me to the Domou compound, nor will I beg any of you to come...But, for the sake of your children...Your unborn children...The next generation, I ask you in the most humble of manners to follow me. To come with me. Come with me to the Domou compound."
Ahiko took another deep breath, exhaling as she finished her piece and was met with relative silence until the Uchiha began to murmur and talk among themselves. She didn't care to sort it all out at the moment and went to stand beside Izuna, who was he support for lack of a better term through this whole thing. The Uchiha would have to decide among themselves; make a conscious choice to remain here and eventually rot from the inside out, or to go to her compound and get the treatment they need.
She couldn't force them, that'd only incite resentment towards her and more distrust, the only thing she could do now was let it play out and help those who didn't resist her.
"That was quite the speech, Ahiko-san." Izuna rested a hand on her shoulder with an easy smile. "I'll be right back, I've got to take care of something quick."
"Izuna..." Ahiko massaged her forehead.
"Just a few minutes!"
"I agree, that was a fine speech." Norio said, walking up behind her with a very small smile on his face. There were many times, like with Daichi prior to this, that the speeches were self centered and completely selfish. It was only about the Uchiha remaining pure and strong, keeping their bloodline strong, never once did Daichi speak for the children that were dying...For the babies that were dying before they could be born into this world. Nor did he speak for the women that were going through such a horrible event, but Ahiko did that and so much more. "I've heard better, I'll admit. But, they didn't have half of the sincerity that you do."
"Thank you, Norio-dono." Ahiko said softly.
"I think the line of divide is clear, but we will see what they choose. As you've said it is imperative those who need help the most get it, and I am in agreement with you."
"Yes...Sir." Ahiko murmured, resisting the urge to wring her part of her haori.
"I shall be leaving with you, young Ahiko." Norio said.
She couldn't hide her surprise. "Norio-dono!"
"The Uchiha's clan's longevity is my priority, this clan has been in a vicious cycle of love and hate for centuries. Only focusing on war, we hardly have an agricultural system, we just plunder and raid farms as well as smaller villages."
"I...I understand."
The elder walked to the front of the stage, gesturing for her to follow, and Ahiko did so with reluctance. "You have all heard young Ahiko speak her piece on this issue that has plagued us for months with no end or relief seemingly in sight. So, I will make this simple for everyone gathered..." He put both of his arms out to his sides, on his left was Ahiko, on his right was Daichi and the rest of the Council. He was the only one taking a stand like Ahiko was. "Those who are leaving form a line on the left, and those who are staying form a line on the right."
Norio went right to the left.
It took several dozen minutes to complete, but after quiet arguments, hostile glares, outraged expressions, and contemplation every Uchiha went to the left or the right and stood in the formed line.
Many of the grown men and teenagers-the teens mostly boys, but quite a lot of girls as well stood on the right, though there were some on the left, that took heed in Ahiko's words and her silent warning. Many women and children stood on the left, because a woman would always put their child's safety first above everything else. The Uchiha clan could take a shit for all these women were concerned, their babies were most important.
It was clear some of them came to terms and resolved they'd have to leave their husbands, who obstinately went to stand in the line on the right after much discussion and dispute among themselves.
Those who didn't awaken the Sharingan stood on the left as well, surprisingly, in addition to all the slaves and servants. She could only assume most of the Uchiha had to be the medics, or just those who didn't awaken the Sharingan.
Did the Sharingan have to everything to the Uchiha? Why treat them any different from those with the Sharingan awakened?
What a prideful and hubris clan... Ahiko couldn't shake the surprise or the despair she felt, seeing it with her own eyes. She didn't want to split families apart...She didn't want to split the clan apart.
That is the last thing she wanted.
The only thing she wanted to do was help, but the Uchiha couldn't prioritize between war and longevity. They would rather be prideful and remain here, in a compound that is nothing short of a cesspool for disease, rather than leave with her and get the help that they need. Shinobi could get sick, they could get paralyzed, even with their Sharingan the Uchiha would still succumb to disease if the proper methods for taking care of them weren't seen through.
They weren't immune to anything, they were still human!
Izuna said these men would just move on, and well a good deal of them weren't faithful to start with...It stung her. She thought the men would actually go with their wives and children, but many didn't. She really honestly couldn't care about what ire the man was going through. The only thing that worried her was these women and children, and how they were going to live the rest of their life without that precious person there. The Uchiha were divided and blockheads, but they had a sense of family.
They could love so intensely, but they suppressed it completely. It was almost like they shut themselves off.
"Back." Izuna's voice made her jump out of her skin.
"Don't do that!" Ahiko rounded on him, resisting the urge to smack him upside the head. "Where did you go anyways? You left me here all by myself!"
"Norio-dono was with you."
"Izuna-san!"
"Just copied everything in our archives, library, records, and all of that good stuff. I even copied the writing on the Uchiha tablet." Izuna didn't bother hiding his smirk. He knew his own clan too well, and when the Uchiha left to live with the Domou that were leaving, the Uchiha remaining here would try to be stingy with all of the information. He was serious when he said he copied everything, even the documents on the Mangekyo and the intricacies of the Sharingan. The tablet would remain here, no need to spark a war.
"I see things are wrapping up here quite smoothly, only thing left to do is seal them in that scroll." Izuna said after Ahiko refused to reply back to him.
"Izuna-san, you have no idea..." Ahiko shook her head. There was far more to do than just sealing them in the scroll and running off. Her Council needed to be informed, and they wouldn't be informed, which would only cause disagreements, and she wasn't going to argue. Mikito and Souji could do that, they were better at it, she just didn't want to hear it at all. "I swear, I'm going to pulverize you. Let's just hope my siblings and your brother finish soon, we're going to need them here to smooth all of this over in addition to settling it."
She was going to need to take a forty year nap after this, and if anyone even thought of opening her door she was going to kick them in the shin or send them flying back with a no hand seal wind jutsu.
"Muu! You just can't be quiet can you, Izuna-san?!"