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Chap-47 Wild Dragon
🕑 Added 2022-03-02 04:17:54 +0000 UTCMadara watched their massive army starting to split up into three groups as they reached the crossroads point. He looked back and saw the distant silhouette of the Capital where they had left his Father, Daen Nara, and Sakumo Hatake in command of 10,000 men to defend their nation.
The remaining would march to war.
He had been initially surprised by his brother's decision to conquer the remaining elemental nations because his brother was not someone who craved for power like Tajima did. But Naruto had stated that as long as the nations remained divided, their isolation and conflicts would never end. He wanted to bring them all together so that a proper chain of command could be established that could keep ninjas in check and resources to be distributed a little more equally.
But the most dark reason behind this war was a simple fact that Naruto knew better than anyone else.
There were simply too many ninjas in the world. And as long as men knew how to fight and kill, they would never stop. Madara knew he himself craved for good fights, and there were thousands of shinobi who shared those feelings.
In simple but harsh terms, this war would change that.
It was a bitter fact that many ninjas, Samurai and civilian fighters were going to die in this war. Naruto knew this better than anyone because he had made this decision even after being aware of that fact. Madara and Tajima were the only ones who were aware of the King's plan if he won the war. To say it was logical to an extent was an understatement, but it remained to be seen if that dream would ever come true.
He angled his warhorse in the direction of his brother who was also watching his own force march in a different direction. Naruto saw him coming and wordlessly approached towards him with the fox right by his side.
Madara got off his horse and stepped before his brother. Sometimes it was still hard for him to see this man as a King rather than the little boy who used to run after Izuna. But those days were gone, they were not the same boys anymore.
But they were brothers and nothing in this world was going to change that.
It was why Madara saw through Naruto's outwardly calm and composed facade to realize the true feelings in the boy's heart.
"Are you afraid?" asked Madara bluntly,
Naruto gave a hesitant nod earning a grim look from his eldest brother as Madara placed a hand on the King's shoulder.
"Good. Because once you get into the fight, Win" advised Madara,
"I will" promised Naruto solemnly,
From the corner of his eyes, Madara saw Hashirama and his siblings were also saying their own farewells. Naori and Tajima had already did the same with him and currently his aunt was marching alongside the Kinsguard members.
Seeing that Naruto was still nervous, he decided to cheer up the boy one last time. Gods only knew how long it would be before they met and he could only imagine how his grim brother could survive that long with such gloomy thoughts. Gods, in some ways Naruto reminded him of Hashirama and he could barely tolerate one man of that kind.
"Next time I see you, I guess you'll be covered in gold" japed Madara, suggesting the riches Naruto would get once he defeated the other nations.
Naruto glanced at his own golden armor that Madara had given him years ago. It brought a tiny smile on his lips...
"It always did suit me" he retorted, earning a grin from his eldest brother.
The King's gaze shifted towards Tobirama who was now talking with Tsunade. He couldn't help but look at his brother seriously...
"Be careful" warned Naruto,
Madara caught his brother's gaze and snorted.
"It would be a cold day in hell before The Wild Dragon will be intimidated by the likes of him. Besides if he does try something, I'll crush his bloody skull!" said Madara darkly, a savage grin visible on his lips.
"I'm serious, brother" said Naruto with a frown,
"So are we"
Naruto blinked and found himself facing not just his former lover but also the likes of Tobi Shimura, Rei Namikaze, alongwith Ken and Kakashi Hatake: the two sons of Sakumo Hatake. All of them were brave and loyal Uchiha bannermen...
Watching them stand around Madara gave him the reassurance he desperately needed.
"See, I'm well protected" said Madara sarcastically,
Naruto ignored his brother and glanced at the people around him. His eyes were as cold as ice in order to make sure they understood his orders.
"Make sure no harms comes to him. From enemies and other parties..." commanded the King,
"Don't worry, my king. They all would have to go through me, my son Danzo, and every Shimura first before they can even touch our Hokage" promised Tobi fiercely, his intense eyes glaring at Tobirama.
"Can't let a handsome man like that to be harmed" teased Rei Namikaze, much to Madara's surprise as she winked at him.
Naruto raised an eyebrow questioningly at his brother when he saw the faint blush on Madara's cheeks.
I guess even wild dragons can be tamed...
"You saved our sister from the Yamanaka. We'll keep your brother safe, my king" promised Ken Hatake, earning a nod from his younger brother Kakashi as well.
Nodding respectfully towards Sakumo's sons, Naruto turned towards the last person of the group. Even now he couldn't help the stirring in his heart when he looked at her. But he had made a choice and he had to live with it, so he didn't let his inner turmoil be visible on his face.
"I am his sworn shield. I'll defend him with my life" promised Mikoto, as she gave him a strained smile.
"Thank you" he whispered,
They both stared at each other, their eyes not willing to part until a light cough from Madara brought them back to reality. It was then Naruto noticed that the other members of the group were awkwardly trying not to stare at him and Mikoto, was the tension that easy to see?
Thankfully, Madara knew just the right thing to break the ice.
"Farewell, My King" said Madara teasingly, and even went forward to give a short bow but his playful mocking eyes made Naruto well aware of his brother's amusement. It was certainly not missed by the others as they chuckled at the antics of the Wild Dragon.
"You too, Hokage" replied Naruto teasingly, with his own trademark smirk.
Both sons of Tajima stared at each other for a brief second before moving forward to embrace each other in a fierce hug. Naruto closed his eyes as he memorized this moment in his brain and he had a feeling Madara was doing the same. When they parted, they both whispered at the same time...
"May we meet again''
With one last smile, Naruto climbed atop Kurama as Madara and his comrades did the same with their horses. Sharing one last glance, both brothers galloped in the opposite directions never looking back.
"What the hell are you saying?" hissed Tsunade, her murderous gaze staring at her brother.
"Only what you cannot see, sister. I say it because I care about you..." insisted Tobirama calmly, but was disappointed when it enraged his only sister even more.
"I will do no such thing! Not only is it a sin but it will be a betrayal!" said Tsunade furiously,
"It is no sin nor a betrayal if you do not allow your womb to give birth to a dragon spawn" explained Tobirama patiently,
"No"
Tobirama felt his patience waning in the face of the sheer stupidity of his family members. First his brothers and now his only sister were blind enough to trust an enemy they had fought against for thousands of years.
"All I'm asking is you to not allow him to make you with child. I understand Hashirama forced you into this, but it does not mean that you have to sacrifice so much" said Tobirama heatedly, making her sigh.
"It is true that Hashirama forced me into this marriage and initially I was opposed to it as well. But Naruto is a good man, brother. He cares for me if not love me, I will not betray him by killing whatever children we may have in the future just because you think we should not trust him. I can understand not trusting the Uchiha, but I want you to trust Naruto atleast. For me..." pleaded Tsunade, taking his hands in her own and hoping to gods he understood her request.
Out of all her brothers, Tobirama had always watched out for her most. He could be overprotective and stubborn, but whenever she needed him he had always been there. The only reason this marriage had even happened was because when the decision was made, Tobirama was a prisoner of the Uchiha. She doubted Hashirama could have pulled this union off easily if Tobirama was there. Likely, he would have given Hashirama the most severe tongue lashing of his life and if he still persisted then Tobirama would have found some other way to make sure she didn't have to go through with this marriage. And she would have thanked her brother for it had she not come to know the kind of man Naruto was.
It was not ideal or the best, but she couldn't deny it was not a terrible match. Maybe in time they could hope to understand, trust and love each other...
Tobirama glanced at the King followed by few of his own supporters that were lingering nearby. What she was asking of him was a great deal, but after him Tsunade was the one in their family who hated the Uchiha most. She would not be blinded by emotions so easily, but if a person like her was vouching for the Kinslayer...
Had he been wrong in judging Naruto Uchiha?
He could not know for certain but he loved his sister, more than any of her other brothers ever did. If she was happy and hopeful...
"Tobi, please" begged Tsunade, and smiled in relief when his hard gaze shattered and he gave out a tired sigh.
"I will never trust The Kinslayer or the Uchiha. Not after what they did to my brother and our people, but if you are happy with him then I will let this go. But if he ever hurts you in any manner, I will kill him and his entire family" promised Tobirama murderously, gripping her hands fiercely.
Tsunade felt a chill run down her spine as she felt and saw the raw hate in her brother's eyes. The only thing stopping him from rebelling against this alliance was his love for her and his devotion to Hashirama. For all his faults, Tobirama had always been a loyal member of their family and had followed Hashirama's orders without question. But she could understood this alliance with the Uchiha and her marriage were too much for him to accept, but he would if she asked him.
It was why she loved him despite all his faults.
He relaxed in her arms as she hugged him but his next words made her heart skip a beat...
"I have quite a few of my supporters in your camp. The moment you feel you are in danger from him or anyone else, go to them. They will protect you..." whispered Tobirama, and Tsunade saw nearly a dozen men in Naruto's army give her a subtle nod when she looked in their direction.
Her brother's men, loyal only to him and not the King.
It troubled her and she was just about to protest when she caught Naruto and Mikoto staring at each other intensely. No words were exchanged between them but the look in their eyes was enough to make Tsunade feel betrayed. Her hands tightly gripped her brother's armor as she couldn't understand why this was happening after all the progress she and Naruto had made in their friendship?
He loves Mikoto and always would.
The traitorous voice in her head only seemed to break her heart even further until she remembered that Naruto had promised her that he would treat her as his lawful life and he would not cheat on her. She remembered how seriously he took his promises and the fact that he broke up with Mikoto to do his duty.
Duty.
Was that what she was to him? Was the kindness that he showed her just a way of him showing her pity?
Doubts started to plague her mind and she decided to stop them for now lest she go mad. Saying her goodbye to Tobirama, she mounted her own horse before joining beside her husband.
"Are you alright?" he asked, concern visible in his eyes as he glanced at the frown on her face.
"Yes" she answered monotonously, even if the true answer was buried deep within her heart.
I don't know...
(One Week Later)
Madara walked through his army camp observing the soldiers and ninjas were sharpening their weapons. It would seem word had spread fast that their enemy had been spotted and would be upon them by tomorrow. However, Madara was pleased to see it had not affected the men's morale, certainly not after the good news they had received yesterday.
Sasuke Sarutobi had emerged victorious in his campaign and had crushed the former Daimyo's nephew and his army to the last man. The fact that the majority of the former royals perished on the battlefield was another bonus. But then again, victory was assured on that front as Sasuke had nearly 8000 men with him while his enemy had half with only a quarter being ninjas. In crude terms, it was pure slaughter and now the Sarutobi host was marching towards the Land of Wind but they would wait for Madara to join them first before carrying on the campaign.
That victory had been much needed to be heard about by the men in Madara's army as it gave them the strength to face their first battle of this war. Unlike the host Sasuke faced, Madara's foe was Isshin Minamoto. The old man was the former Daimyo's uncle and an experienced battle commander who had twice destroyed attempts by Land of Wind to conquer the Land of Fire. He was a stern but fair man and skilled with the sword, the fact that he was the last living male member of his family only made his fight for survival more dire. The men following Isshin were roughly 6000 loyalists with more than half being ninjas from all over the world who had benefited greatly under the Daimyo's rule. It was fair to say these men would be fighting desperately in the coming battle and with twice the passion Madara's force could ever muster. Even if Madara had 10,000 battle hardened ninjas with him it wouldn't hurt to not underestimate his enemy even if the old man was a civilian general.
What made him more worried was the news that Naruto and his 22,000 strong host had crossed the Land of Fire and were now on their way to face the army of the Samurai Nation led by Hanzo Salamander and Mifune of the Samurai who nearly had 40,000 men under their command with more than 15,000 of them being ninjas. Even if Naruto had good fighters like Hashirama and a Biju with him, Madara couldn't help but worry for his little brother. He could only pray that Naruto managed to achieve victory, because if the boy lost then the ninjas following him would start having doubts about his leadership. And a doubtful ninja was very dangerous for he could attack anyone perceived to be a threat.
His eyes glanced at the group of young ninjas following around him in a protective circle which brought a small smirk to his lips. He had got the idea for this group after watching his brother's Kinsguard and their exploits over the years, to say he had high hopes from his own five battle partners would be an understatement.
The leader of this group was Mikoto Uchiha, a former member of Naruto's Kinsguard. She was a very skilled fighter and had aptly demonstrated her skills against Madara long enough to earn the Hokage's respect. Combine that with her recommendation from the King, she soon found herself appointed Commander of Madara's Personal Guard.
The next member was Danzo Shimura, son of Tobi Shimura. The boy was young but extremely skilled in ninjutsu and taijutsu, he also had a keen sense of observation and cunning. Most of all, he distrusted Senjus which would be helpful as the boy would always watch out from any kind of treachery and warn Madara beforehand.
The next two members were both sons of Sakumo Hatake. He had been very impressed when Ken and Kakashi had displayed their swordsmanship to Madara. Ken was a gifted Taijutsu master and adapt with ninjutsu, while his brother was a master of every ninja art. The fact that Naruto saved their sister Kiara from the Yamanaka's clutches not too long ago only made the boys more determined to serve their King's brother.
The last member of the group was Shibi Aburame, son of Shin Aburame. Unlike the others, he was not a great but an average fighter. However, he was a skilled long range ninja and his spying skills were off the charts which Madara had not missed. Plus, Madara couldn't resist awarding the Aburame leader's son a chance to earn glory for himself after their clan's loyal service to Madara's family for years.
Madara couldn't help but notice that except for Mikoto who was a servant's daughter, all the other members of his guard were high born noble heirs of important clans loyal to the Uchiha. Many more nobles from other Uchiha loyalists also wanted their sons and daughters to join and serve the Hokage, but for now Madara was content with the group he had assembled. It was better if he had few warriors whom he could absolutely trust than have an army whom he couldn't.
He bid them to stand outside his tent and they obeyed without hesitation. When he entered, his good mood vanished as he saw a very familiar person waiting for him.
''Tobirama" said Madara simply, making the Senju look up from the map on Madara's table.
"Lord Hokage" replied the Senju, his unnervingly blank eyes seemingly boring into Madara's very soul.
It still vexed the eldest son of Tajima that his brother had sent him this man to act as his second in command instead of Hashirama. While it was true that Tobirama was more sensible than most ninja lords, it was also a fact that the man had always unnerved Madara. There was something about him that just didn't sit right with the new Hokage.
Regardless of that, they were allies now and it was important that they crush a common enemy.
"The men are ready" reported Tobirama briskly, cutting through any unwanted pleasantries much to Madara's relief.
"Good. We cannot allow Isshin Minamoto to achieve any victory here. How do you propose we deal with him?" asked Madara straightforwardly,
Tobirama blinked.
"What?'' snapped Madara irritatedly,
"I never thought someone like you would ask a Senju for advice" answered Tobirama honestly, and was not surprised when Madara sighed.
"It's not my style but things aren't the same anymore. My brother made you second in command of this host, despite our enmity he sees something in you, Tobirama. I want to see what that is..." revealed Madara sincerely,
"Why did you and your Father even agree to this peace? Gods know you two hate my family..." said Tobirama seriously, earning a snort from Madara.
"Somethings are more important than revenge and old feuds" whispered Madara,
"What is that thing?" questioned Tobirama curiously,
"Family"
Tobirama had to look away in order to not meet Madara's gaze. One look at the Hokage was enough to show he meant what he said which only confused Tobirama even more. How could an Uchiha even understand a concept like that?
Thankfully for him, Madara was not in a bad mood and decided to explain if only to not have this conversation again between them.
"I know you don't trust us Uchiha including my brother. Well, the feeling's mutual. I'm not asking you to trust me or become friends, but your sister and my brother are trying to build something. I don't know about you but I love my brother, and if he believes we can live with Senjus then I can bloody well give it a try atleast. Besides someone like you should understand how this peace is beneficial for your family as well. True that the future kings will have the Uchiha name, but they will have the Senju blood in them as well" explained Madara honestly,
"I see" was all Tobirama said, before he focused back on the map.
His sister's plea for him to give this peace a chance passed through his heart. Hashirama and Itama had also wished for the same, Tobirama had seen it in their eyes. Whatever lingering hesitation he had was severely affected when someone like Madara expressed his own desire to give this peace a try.
Had he gone wrong somewhere? Would his actions actually place his family in harm's way?
He felt a stinging pain resonate across his head which nearly made him cringe. Thankfully, Madara was busy looking at the map and hadn't missed Tobirama's momentary discomfort.
No, don't trust the Uchiha. They killed your brother...
The voice in his head whispered ever so treacherously and even more insistently than before. He looked at his right arm and from the slight parting in his shirt he could see the area near his shoulder was starting to change. Where once the skin was pale like the moon, now lay a darkened layer that only seemed to spread ever so slightly.
The Senju medic he had seen had warned him that it was unlike anything he had ever seen before. He had asked the man to keep this to himself but it was only getting worse every passing day and Tobirama was running out of time.
"Tobirama?"
He looked up to see Madara staring at him with a frown on his face.
"Yes?" asked the Senju, hoping his voice sounded the same as ever.
"You're sweating and your hand is trembling" commented Madara, and Tobirama cursed himself for letting the Uchiha see a weakness. It didn't matter that it was out of his control, Madara or as a matter of fact no one else should be allowed to discover it.
"Just nervous about this war..." said Tobirama hesitantly, to his relief Madara actually accepted the answer but then again it was partially the truth.
"Good. It'll keep you focused and alive on the battlefield. Now tell me your thoughts on the strategy we should take against Isshin?" asked Madara seriously,
Tobirama controlled his pain and the treacherous whispering in his head to look at the map and the enemy position.
He might not like the Uchiha, but his family wanted peace. It was a bitter pill to swallow, but if someone like Madara could come to terms with this peace...then he had to try...
For me, brother.
Tobirama violently silenced the whispers in his head as the face of his beloved sister flashed before his eyes. He had not missed how happy she was this morning and how she wanted to believe in Naruto. He might never like the Kinslayer, but he had a duty towards his only sister.
The Uchiha aren't the only one who value family above all else.
His trembling hands stopped shaking as he felt strength return back inside his body. His fierce cold eyes glanced at the map as a plan started forming in his head as the whispers faded away.
"Here's the plan..."
By the time he was done explaining his idea, Madara was grinning savagely and Tobirama couldn't help but share the feeling even if he remained composed on the outside. He would give The Wild Dragon a chance to prove himself regardless of what his allies believed or wanted.
He would do it for her and not anyone else!
Tobirama stood at the outskirts of the Naka river with an army of 9000 men, all of them currently hiding in the forest just near the river. The sensor ninjas had already warned them of the approaching enemy and it had sent his forces in a frenzy to ready themselves.
He was more than surprised when Madara gave him command of their main force, the Hokage's reasoning being that Tobirama had the mindset to maintain order in the midst of battle while Madara was a leader who liked to tear through enemy lines with sheer force and unimaginable speed. When presented with an argument like that and how well it fit into their strategy, Tobirama had found no reason to deny Madara's idea. Certainly not when the Uchiha had actually agreed to go forward with Tobirama's battle strategy.
Tobirama felt the ground beneath his feet tremble and it was the first sign that something wasn't right. They had information that the enemy general had 6000 men under his command, with more than half of them being ninjas. But this was something different...
Quickly placing his finger on the ground he allowed his senses to span across the land far and wide.
"What's happening out there?" asked Tobi Shimura, as he and nearly everyone else felt the trembling of the ground beneath their feet. No small army could cause such shockwaves...
It was nightfall and the moon had been hidden behind dark clouds. Thin wasps of snow were falling from the heavens making the temperature even more cooler. Tobi Shimura narrowed his eyes when he saw Tobirama pale as he got up from the ground and look at their men.
"Our information was wrong" said the white haired Senju bitterly, as his fists clenched shut.
Before Tobi Shimura or any other commanders could ask the Senju another question, they were all silenced when they saw an endless wave emerging from the forests on the other side of the Naka river.
"Those crests..." whispered Hiro Inuzuka in alarm,
None of the other ninja lords missed what the dog-warrior was seeing with his own eyes. For there in front of them was an entire army of thousands and not all of them were civilian fighters. Majority of them bore the armor with emblems of a very feared and hated clan in the ninja world.
"Kaguya..."
Tobirama grimaced on watching nearly 3000 Kaguya standing in front of him with all of them heavily armed and savage grins on their maniacal faces. But what caught his complete attention was one strange looking person standing at the front of this army.
Unlike the soldiers, he was dressed in shimmering blue armor with an emblem that Tobirama didn't recognize. His hair was long and reached upto his waist but it was pale like the snow and so were his eyes. He carried with him no sword or gunbai, but a spear shaped weapon that was also white.
Judging from the way the bloodthirsty Kaguya's were not attacking outright and actually deferring to this man for direction only made Tobirama guess the man was the commander and not Isshin Minamoto who was standing with the remaining few thousand of his civilian soldiers in the rear.
Fighting against civilians and minor ninja clans was one thing, but the Kaguya were an enemy on a completely different level. They didn't fear death and only enjoyed murdering till they were killed, they were the most ferocious clan in the world and even the Uchiha avoided provoking them openly. Even a small force of Kaguya's was dangerous for ninjas to face, battling against thousands of those monsters...
The King's army shivered when the Kaguya's in a uniform fashion started banging their swords against their armored chests while giving out a thunderous battlecry.
The roaring continued to get louder and more ferocious with every passing second and more than one ninja on Tobirama's side trembled as the terrifying sound penetrated each and every cell of their body.
It would have continued if not for a single kunai that flew rapidly through the air and in one strike severed the head of a Kaguya warrior from his neck. The roaring of the enemy army stopped as they watched the headless body fall gracelessly at the river bank.
Nearly half of the river started to rise up high and high in the air making the Kaguya warriors take a step back in alarm.
A lone warrior in Senju armor stepped out of the forest with a lightning cackling sword in his hand. His eyes were as cold as ice and his one hand was outstretched controlling the rising mass of water. When he looked at the men behind him, they all saw nothing but cold fury in his eyes.
"SEND THESE MAD ANIMALS TO HELL!" roared Tobirama,
With that war cry he unleashed the amassed body of water right towards the enemy army. But before it could swarm the Kaguya's, that lone pale haired enemy commander walked forward fearlessly. Tobirama saw veins emerge around the man's eyes and his entire body glowed with pure blue chakra.
The strange warrior unleashed a tidal wave of pure chakra from his hands that clashed against the massive river water wave.
Steam and boiled weather flew across the riverbank making many across both armies dive for cover. With the initial attack neutralized, the pale skinned warrior gave out an unearthly battle cry and pointed his hand right at Tobirama.
At once, the Kaguya's charged.
Tobirama was rooted in his spot as he watched the unknown enemy commander freeze the entire Naka river allowing the Kaguya's to cross without any opposition. At the same time, a dark wave of arrows was unleashed from the rear by Isshin Minamoto and his civilian fighters.
Thousands of more battlecries joined the fray as dozens upon dozens of Uchiha charged ahead of Tobirama forming a protective formation around him.
"FIRE!" yelled one of the dragons,
Immediately all the Uchiha's unleashed their own volley of shuriken that soared high in the sky before it multiplied into an even large wave as the kunai were doubled thanks to the Uchiha's shurikenjutsu. With a mighty roar they clashed against the volley of arrows sending shattered metal pieces raining all over the river bank.
Despite the valiant effort, many of the lethal projectiles broke through the defense and several ninjas cried out in pain as they were sent crashing down.
While the Uchihas protected their leader, the Inuzuka had charged ahead ferociously with their battle dogs. Their clash against the approaching Kaguya's was heard by every man present as body parts and blood was sent flying everywhere.
Tobirama saw a large force of Kaguya charging towards him and the Uchihas around him.
"Combination!" he commanded, thankful that the past week had given them time to atleast familiarize their forces in working together. It was not perfect but at the very least they would not outright reject his commands.
"Fire Style: Fire Ball Jutsu!''
The Uchihas were joined by the Sarutobi warriors as they too unleashed nearly a hundred magnificent fire balls at the charging enemy. The enemy savages were not to be intimidated as hundreds of them retaliated in kind with similar attacks.
Dozens of men and women on both sides screamed in agony as the volley of fire balls started to be exchanged at a rapid pace even as a large force of Kaguya's clashed madly against the forces commanded by Tobi Shimura. To his credit, the Shimura leader was as vicious as the enemy and mercilessly started slaughtering every single one of his foes. The fearless persona inspired many others to join the fray against the Kaguya.
Tobirama grimaced when another volley of arrows was fired by the civilian fighters on the other side of the frozen river. What shocked him was the fact that this barrage rained down mercilessly killing Tobirama's fighters and Kaguya's both. However, for every Kaguya that died in the friendly fire, three more of Tobirama's fighters went down.
He was alarmed when one of his civilian commanders was literally pulverized on the spot by the pale haired enemy commander. The Kaguya's on the left flank led by their commander was literally butchering every ninja that tried to stop them.
Tobirama gripped his sword as he saw his Uchiha allies were pre-occupied fighting against the ferocious Kaguya's around them. How could you stop an enemy that didn't even bat an eye when you severed their limbs, killed their fellow comrades?
The Kaguya's were not just madly ferocious but unlike the allied ninjas who felt pain when they were injured, the mad bastards continued slaughtering and killing everyone around them without pause. For every Kaguya that was falling, three of Tobirama's men were the price.
The continued barrage of arrows from the civilian forces on the other side only continued to add more casualties.
That was when he saw the first silhouettes in the sky,
Tobirama couldn't help the savage grin from gracing his own lips as he saw an army of eagles emerge from the nearby mountain. On top of those birds was a figure whose power was felt by every fighter on the battlefield.
"BURN THEM ALL!" yelled Madara furiously,
Rei Namikaze who was commanding the newly formed Aerial Corps gestured her clan's summoning creatures to follow through the order. Mounted on top of the beasts were the most elite fighters of their army who were now all positioned exactly above the civilian army of Isshin Minamoto.
"Fire Style: Raging Inferno!"
Madara was joined by nearly a thousand of his elite forces who all unleashed the same attack from their mouths. Isshin Minamoto could only give out a terrible scream as he and his entire force were literally set on fire alongwith half of the forest on their side. Men screamed in horror and agony as they were burned alive, their skin gelding against their melting armor. Everywhere there was fire and death with no route of escape.
The Hokage unleashed his gunbai in a wide arc making the raging inferno spread across the entire forest consuming every living soul on the cursed land.
Even the mad Kaguya's faltered for a moment when in front of their very eyes, half of their allies were burned alive.
By the time the horror was over, the last of the Daimyo loyalists were nothing but ash...
Madara jumped from his bird and was soon joined by most of his 1000 elite ninjas who all now formed a single line right behind the Kaguya's.
Rei Namikaze and her clansmen still mounted on the eagle squadrons unleashed a devastating volley of explosives shredding the rear ranks of the Kaguya's. However, for the blonde ninja leader her surprise attack was disrupted when she saw a pure beam of chakra being unleashed from the ground.
It tore through the eagle carrying the Namikaze leader sending her and the few men with her flying away. Before the allied ninjas could even get over the shock, dozens of more such beams were unleashed striking several more eagles sending more and more Namikaze fighters to their deaths.
Madara gripped his gunbai fiercely and raised it in the air. His sharingan was focused on the falling form of Rei Namikaze, judging from her still form he could only guess she was injured badly and lost consciousness. Or worse...
Regardless of the dire scenario, he threw his famed weapon watching it sail through the air. Many ninjas on both side gasped as the hilt of the gunbai connected with Rei's shoulder and carried her straight towards the bark of a tree where she got stuck thanks to the gunbai lodged in her shoulder. The sound of broken bones was clear to hear but at the very least her brains were not splattered across the battlefield like the rest of her clansmen who were not so fortunate to gather Madara's attention.
The Hokage grimaced as he realized that one of his best commanders could possibly be dead. Rei had served his family faithfully and watching her get attacked like that ignited a murderous rage within Madara as he glared at the pale haired enemy commander who did this to her.
"No prisoners!" yelled Madara viciously,
Madara unleashed his sword and made a straight line directly towards the one who hurt his friend and allies. A dark smirk graced his lips as the enemy commander calmly walked forward as his Kaguya soldiers broke into two groups. One still battling against Tobirama's forces, the remaining smaller force began their attempts to stop Madara's elite forces.
The two armies again clashed in devastating shockwave sending limbs, heads and blood flying everywhere.
It was a savage massacre...
Rage was the only thing running through Madara as he beheaded two Kaguya's stupid enough to charge him. He gave a vicious roundhouse kick sending another dozen flying away. Blocking a horizontal slash from another enemy, he pushed the man back several inches through sheer force before his finely crafted sword broke through the enemy's weapon and buried itself in the shocked Kaguya's neck.
For all their savagery and ferocity, the Kaguya's felt the superior anger of The Wild Dragon rain down on them mercilessly.
Madara glanced at his sides to see his personal guard make a butchery of any enemy that tried to swarm him. Leading the charge was Mikoto herself and her sword was making a carving out of corpses. Joining her were the Hatake brothers and Danzo, while Shibi Aburame harassed nearby Kaguya warriors through his swarms of bugs.
He was brought out of his thoughts when he heard Danzo scream, looking forward Madara realized why...
Through the fighting, Tobi Shimura had managed to find a way to reach the enemy commander. The Shimura leader was swift and precise in his strikes but his enemy was easily evading the attacks as if he was fighting a child. The dance didn't continue long as the enemy commander made a horizontal slash with his strange weapon and it shattered Tobi's sword like it was made of glass. Many of the nearby Shimura warriors desperately jumped in to save their leader only to see a blur move around them.
The enemy commander started rotating sending large shockwaves of chakra that hit the Shimura warriors brutally. Madara cringed when he literally heard necks snap, heads burst and limbs fly as every Shimura was thrown away. Suddenly the circle of death was stopped and from its midst the enemy commander emerged to launch a brutal strike that connected with Tobi's shoulder making the man wildly flip in the air before crashing with a bone crushing thud.
The fall must have hurt the Shimura badly as he weakly moved on the ground trying to find his lost sword as his enemy moved in for the final kill but was forced to jump away when bolts of lightning rained around the position he was standing a moment ago.
Tobirama stepped between the enemy commander with his lightning sword in his hand as several Aburame dragged the Shimura clan head away from the battlefield. Madara was quick to join the Senju as they both now glared at the enemy commander who stared at them without a flinch.
"That's a dojutsu..." warned Madara, gesturing towards the enemy's pale white eyes.
"I figured as much. The fact that not a single strike has managed to hit him makes me believe it allows him to see in all directions..." suggested Tobirama,
"Never thought I'd face someone like that, certainly not with a Senju by my side..." said Madara with a smirk,
"How about facing a common enemy with an ally?" asked Tobirama with a small grin, earning a tiny nod of respect from Madara.
"I could live with that" agreed Madara,
"Together?'' asked Tobirama finally,
"Let's dance, Senju!"
Madara charged forward swiftly with Tobirama right by his side. The enemy commander flexed his stance as the two arch rivals closed in on him. When Madara tried to attack the man's legs with his sword, he was shocked to see his sword shatter to pieces when the spear shaped weapon of the enemy blocked the move. The same weapon was instantly raised upward to skewer the stunned dragon until the attack was blocked by Tobirama's lightning sword.
For the first time an emotion akin to shock passed through the pale eyed enemy commander and he howled in agony when Tobirama sent lightning coursing through the locked weapons hitting the man with several lightning sparks. Madara taking advantage of the opening moved to subdue the enemy but was forced to battle several Kaguya's who madly jumped in between to protect their leader.
They soon found out they had jumped to their doom.
Madara grabbed the punch of the first opponent and twisted the limb before punching his chakra coated arm right through the shocked Kaguya's armor. Before the dead man could even hit the ground, the Uchiha leader had already grabbed another Kaguya, slapped an explosive seal on his chest before throwing him at his comrades ending them all in vicious explosion.
Tobirama also moved forward slicing through Kaguya's left and right, his lightning sword Raijin no Ken carving through their armor like butter. So engrossed was he in his battle that he didn't see the surprise attack.
Madara watched Tobirama howl in pain when the pale eyed enemy commander emerged again only to land a swift strike to Tobirama's sword arm. The lightning sword fell to the ground as Tobirama's entire arm went limp and the Senju felt another palm strike heading towards his chest. Considering the fact that he just lost all feeling in his right arm made him brutally aware that if that blow landed, he was as good as dead. With his last reflexes he dodged the lethal blow, however it still connected with his leg making him fall to his knees To his relief, Madara picked up Raijin no Ken and sent a lightning shockwave that was blocked at the last moment by the enemy commander as he performed his lethal rotation technique.
The Hokage saw with his sharingan that the chakra nodes in Tobirama's right arm were blocked and damaged. Same was the case with his leg which made him glare hatefully at the enemy commander who looked at them calmly.
"You cannot avoid fate" whispered the strange man for the first time,
"Who are you?" demanded Madara, receiving a pitying look from the strange man.
However, the man was surprised when he watched Tobirama actually stand back on his feet with great pain.
"Impossible..."
"You bloody worm! I will end you right here!" warned Tobirama murderously, as he unleashed his entire killing intent making dozens of Kaguya's fall to their knees.
The enemy commander frowned and gritted his teeth on seeing the endless rage in Tobirama's eyes. Despite his wounds, the Senju was standing defiantly. Even Madara was stunned at the display of power...
Theirs is the fury.
The Hokage wordlessly handed over the Senju his sword and an unsaid message was exchanged among them. Both men lost track of the fighting around them and soon enough Madara unleashed his entire killing intent making every fighter tremble as the combined rage of Uchiha and Senju spread across the battlefield.
Madara charged forward getting close to the enemy commander and sent a strike towards his solar plexus. The pale eyed bastard saw the move coming and sent his own left palm but before it could connect with Madara's arm, the Uchiha twisted himself out of the way and sent a swift kick aimed at the enemy's ribs which was unfortunately blocked by the opponent through one of his own legs.
He's strong.
Madara was forced to go on the defensive when his enemy closed in on him sending a flurry of palm strikes at maddening speeds. If not for his sharingan, Madara would have been reduced to a pinch cushion but thankfully he had his famed dojutsu that allowed him to see the attacks coming and with years of battle experience, he was able to dodge the attacks at the last second.
Even as he fought for his life, from the corner of his eyes he saw Tobirama give him a subtle nod.
Deciding to trust the Senju on this gamble, Madara swiftly deactivated his sharingan and closed his eyes before jumping away.
"Lightning Style: Heavenly Flash!"
Tobirama's entire body was submerged in a nova of white lightning that soon exploded across the entire battlefield rendering every fighter blind. Many screamed but one yell was most painful than any other...
When Madara opened his eyes again, he saw the enemy commander howling in agony trying to shield his bleeding eyes.
He grabbed the holy sword that Tobirama threw at him before flashing right behind the stunned enemy commander.
Raijin no Ken sliced through the man's armor before plunging into his chest. The strange man screamed in horror and unbearable pain whirling around to deliver a brutal palm strike to Madara's armored chest sending the Uchiha crashing away. Whirling unstably he started marching towards Madara blindly as men started to back away after already seeing what the warrior was capable off. Madara coughed blood but painfully managed to get back on his feet and prepared himself for another fight, only to see Tobirama flash behind the stunned enemy and grabbing the plunged sword. Raijin no Ken emancipated another blinding nova of light rendering most fighters to cover their eyes. But they all heard the inhuman scream and when they finally managed to regain their vision, the Kaguya's were stunned to watch their commander dissolve into ash. Tobirama coughed blood and fell to his knees, the effects of the fight taking a toll on his body.
With great struggle he grabbed a kunai with his only functioning hand to fend off the pissed off Kaguya's closing in on him. To his surprise, Madara again came to his rescue and again Tobirama was reminded of the fact that crossing Madara Uchiha was a bad idea.
With their commander lost, the Kaguya's lost all sense of co-ordination and started attacking anything and anyone. Madara's personal guard stepped deeper into the battle and rallied the scattered allied ninjas. Long minutes of savagery and killing passed but soon enough the Kaguya's were cornered with allied ninjas surrounding them on all sides.
Tori Yamanaka was smart enough to trap the ferocious warriors in a barrier.
Madara stared at the remaining 900 enemy ninjas that were desperately trying to break through. Never once did he see in their eyes the desire to surrender which made him arrive at his decision.
He gestured to Tori Yamanaka who nodded in consent cementing Madara's resolve. With a dark grin, he looked at his clansmen.
"Uchihas, give them Fire and Blood" commanded Madara, and watched in satisfaction as his clansmen stepped all over the barrier's edges.
If the Kaguya's had any brain cell in their heads they would have formed a defense formation and fought as one which could have given them a chance of survival a little longer. However, when the barrier dropped the savage warriors tried to charge out only to hear the last words of their life.
"Fire Style: Pits of Hell!"
The Uchihas unleashed a tsunami of fire from their mouths that formed a raging inferno trapping the Kaguya warriors. Many tried to jump over but were cut down by precise kunai strikes of Sarutobi and Shimura ninjas. Slowly the inferno started to close in burning many Kaguya's in its path, yet the allied ninjas were again to be shocked.
Stepping over the piling mass of corpses, the last of the Kaguya's used the chance to jump over the inferno and try to take out as many enemies. Many exploded themselves with the help of explosive tags taking out dozens of Madara's ninjas in a flash. Few even tried to take out the Hokage but were mercilessly cut down by Madara's personal guard.
The inferno had trapped the last few hundred Kaguya so thoroughly that now there was no chance of escape. Still there was defiance and never ending bloodlust burning in their mad eyes...
Instead of begging for mercy they huddled closer to each other and grasped their hands. Many allied ninjas including Madara took this as a last act of their enemies choosing to die together.
Tobirama however felt the disaster that was coming...
"MADARA! SEAL THEM OFF NOW-"
The Senju couldn't finish his warning as he was sent flying away courtesy of an explosion akin to a Miniature Bijudama that erupted from the middle of the inferno.
Everything went silent.
After what felt like an eternity, Tobirama groggily regained the first of his senses. His head was throbbing, many of his muscles were screaming in agony and he definitely felt his leg was broken. When he first tried to open his eyes, all he saw were dark blurs but he didn't give up. After several failed attempts, he finally managed to look at the sky only to see it covered in dark smoke.
Rubbing his eyes, he managed to make himself sit upright and gingerly raised his only functioning hand to see something land on his palm. His breath stopped when he realized it was not the dark smoke that he had seen in the sky, but...
Ashes...
Horrified and alarmed, Tobirama wildly glanced around only to see a massive crater now present on their side of the riverbank. It was atleast thirty feet long and another fifty in depth.
It was then Tobirama heard the moans and screams. He felt something inside of him snap when he saw thousands of allied ninjas lying all over the battlefield. Half of them were so badly burnt or had parts missing that they were not even recognizable. Those who had survived soon discovered death would have been better as many were missing limbs, eyes, and many other vital body parts.
Tobirama heard another blood curling scream and saw Kakashi Hatake being desperately held back by Danzo and Mikoto. The reason for the boy's grief made bile rise in Tobirama's throat...
In order to save their sworn leader, Ken Hatake had valiantly placed himself between Madara and the suicidal chakra explosion unleashed by the Kaguya's as their final act of vengeance. In doing so, the now heavily bleeding Hokage was saved and so were Ken's comrades...
But...
Despite being a veteran of hundreds of battles, Tobirama had never seen a sight that he was seeing tonight and one which made him vomit the last of his meal on the ground.
For in front of him where once stood the eldest son and heir of Sakumo Hatake was a badly burnt skeleton that was still standing in a self sacrificing manner between himself and Madara. Every inch of skin, flesh, clothes and armor had been vaporized leaving only a husk behind.
A husk which soon turned to ash making any trace of Ken Hatake disappear from the world forever.
Tobirama felt his resolve break as he saw nearly a quarter of their army was utterly wiped out. Another large contingent of ninjas were so badly wounded that he doubted they would ever be able to fight again. Those that had managed to survive this devastating battle were numb with shock, horror and pain at what they just went through.
As the last of his strength faded away and darkness circled his vision, Tobirama fell to the ground once again...
His mind was so numb and his heart was still unable to believe what he just witnessed. As the last of his vision faded away...
He saw four figures with pale white eyes watching them from the forest across the other side of the riverbank...
