Chapter 64
Kakashi and the rest of the guards that had come with the Kages had been pushed to the side by the attack from Pain, but due to some quick thinking by Ao and him, they were all alive and well and ready to help their kages.
"What the hell is that!" the young Kiri nin who had come with Lady Mizukage gasped, as Kakashi could not help but wonder the same thing as a giant was summoned out of the ground by Pain.
It was as massive a summons as he had ever seen, and dwarfed even the Jinchuriki in size, and Kakashi knew that they had to help the Kages.
"We have to go," he said, and just as he was about to jump forward, he found himself attacked mid-air, and it was only because of the Sharingan that he managed to dodge the large red scythe, as a loud cracklish voice came in.
"Where do you think you are going!" and he was pushed back, as three shinobi came and interrupted them all.
"That is not your fight," whispered the purple-haired girl known as the Angel of Death, and of all the Akatsuki members, she was the most enigmatic one whose powers were a mystery to everyone.
"I have never had such a dry spell," the scythe-wielding shinobi whispered, and so he had survived Hikari's attacks. The man was practically unkillable, and as long as his body could be salvaged, it was impossible to kill him.
"Perhaps it is time that I make a grand sacrifice to Lord Jashin," and he was Hidan, the undead. But still, the most troubling of the three was the masked shinobi who appeared out of thin air, and whose sharingan matched his own.
"I am afraid, you lot cannot pass," he was rather direct in his speech, and gone was the cheery nasally voice of before, as he showed them their true colors.
"Hatake," Ao-san from Kiri added, as Kakashi prepared himself for battle.
"We will have to see about that...."
0000
HASHIRAMA SENJU
Years ago, when he had first seen Tobirama's notes about this wretched technique, he had asked him to stop his work immediately, declaring the kinjutsu a crime against nature itself, for he had feared such a day.
Tobirama was smarter than him, but his brother could be so pessimistic that he was unwilling to entirely trust the next generation. In the end, he had refused to listen to him, and twice now Hashirama had found himself revived and forced to face old comrades and allies against his will.
Years ago, it had been Sarutobi, but the transformation back then had been incomplete, and Hiruzen was able to defeat them and seal their souls inside the Reaper Death God. Yet somehow the seal had been broken, and he found himself back in the mortal plain once more as he was forced to act against his will, yet this time the jutsu had been completed and though he was not as powerful as he had been in his prime, he was not that far apart.
A fact which entailed a rather troubling future for his enemies, for Hashirama knew of his strength better than most, and it was why he was surprised when he was forced to retreat, as his Five Layered Rashomon failed to stop that massive attack from the young Konoha nin standing infront of him.
"A Sage," he praised, as he grabbed his wrist and observed him up close, and those pale pupil less eyes were the Byakugan, and so the boy was a Hyuga.
"A Hyuga using senjutsu and ninjutsu," Hashirama praised, as the young Shinobi pulled away his hand and tried to attack him once more. He dodged the attack at the last moment, and yet he was fast and immediately spun on his heel as he refused to let him recover.
"Ninpo: KAITEN!" and that was the fabled Hyuga taijutsu, and yet his was more than that for he was not using simple chakra but katon natured chakra, which raised up a massive torrent of fire.
And one of his hands was burned as he jumped back, when suddenly a familiar face emerged from behind.
"You are done, brother," and he smiled at seeing his brother.
"Tobirama," and he had been revived as well, and yet somehow he seemed ot have broken out of his control seal.
His brother tried to attack him with a kunai, but using his sole functional hand, he made a handseal as a wooden clone emerged from his side, and replaced him as Tobirama's kunai tore through his clone.
"Extend!" and he recognised that new voice as well, as he was attacked from behind, and he spun in the air, as he pushed himself off the golden and black staff.
"So, you are here as well, Hiruzen," and finally, there was some hope for him, and yet, unlike before, he was at full strength.
"Tch, you dodged that. It seems like you are as strong as ever, Sensei," Hiruzen praised.
"I am afraid you will have to be much faster tha..." and before he could finish, the sentence another shinobi appeared behind him, and it was the same blonde guy who had rescued that Iwa captain.
"Fast," he could not help but praise and then in the next second a blue orb of concentrated chakra appeared in his hand.
"Hiraishin," and he was using Tobirama's technique.
"Rasengan..." and he plunged the great ball of chakra into his back, but Hashirama let himself spin in the air, as he kicked up his arm, and then simply reached for the orb of chakra and it reminded him much of a tailed beast bomb.
"Interesting," and with that, he coated his hand in his chakra and grabbed the spinning ball, and aimed it at his face.
"Block..." and before the attack could hit him, the yellow-haired shinobi vanished and was replaced by the Hyuga kid, whose short stature meant that the blue orb passed right over his head as he aimed a palm at him.
"HIKEN!" and what burst forth was a massive bursting green flame, and it was only his durability that allowed him to protect himself, but the attack tore up half his body and before he could counter, suddenly Hashirama found himself teleported as Tobirama and the blonde shinobi from earlier came at him from two sides.
"Ninpo:..." "Ninpo:..." and their palms reached his armor, before he could do anything, before a massive sealing formula spread all over his body.
"Unseal!" "Unseal!" and the next second, Hashirama felt the control seal controlling his body break, as Tobirama and the blonde boy both took a sigh of relief.
"Are you free, brother?" he asked, and before he could react, Hashirama had spun his fist right into his face, taking him by surprise.
"AGHHH!" and Tobirama was sent flying into a tree.
BOOOOM!
"Shit! We failed," and the Hyuga kid was infront of him again, aiming a strike at his face, and the blonde shinobi had moved as well, and yet before he could attack him, Hashirama grabbed his fist.
"Hiken!" and a bright green flame came and tore through his side as he looked him in the eye.
"Stand down," Tobirama's voice came, and the attacks finally stopped.
"But why?" the blonde shinobi asked, and Hashirama found himself impressed by his speed and fuinjutsu. He was even faster than Tobirama, and so was the Hyuga brat who had mastered the same sage jutsu as him at such a young age.
"The seal is gone. My brother is free," Tobirama answered as he pushed himself back to his feet.
"I warned you, didn't I, Tobirama," and by now the four attackers all jumped back, as he met his brother's defiant gaze.
"I told you that this technique was the work of the devil, and that you needed to stop working on it and burn away all your work," and yet he had not taken his warning.
Tobirama bit his lip for he knew that he had made a mistake, yet he was simply too proud to admit.
"Look at all the trouble that you have caused," and Hiruzen jumped down as well and joined them.
"Are you really back in control, Hashirama-sama?" he asked, and he smiled at his old pupil.
"Indeed, I am," and he saw their shoulders sag in relief, at his words.
"That punch really freaked me out," the blonde kid added, as Hashirama turned towards him.
"And who might you be, young lad. I must say that I am quite impressed by your speed. You are even faster than Tobirama," and the young lad smiled sheepishly as he turned his back to him and pointed towards the embroidered writing.
"I am the Yondaime Hokage, Hashirama-sama," and his mood rose up instantly.
"Fourth. Is that so?" and the man nodded.
"Yes, he is the fourth Hokage though he died before Sandaime-sama," and it was the Hyuga kid who answered. Now his gaze turned towards the boy, and he could not help it, and out of all of them, he was the only one who truly belonged here.
"That hitai-ate. You are a Konoha-nin," he asked, and the boy nodded.
"I am. My name is Hikari Hyuga," and so he was right. The boy was a Hyuga indeed.
"Hyuga huh. So, I was right. You have mastered the same senjutsu as I, and even that at such a tender age. You must be quite a prodigy," he praised, and Hiruzen nodded.
"He is," and so Hiruzen had met him before.
"That boy is even faster than the Yondaime. One could say that he is one of the fastest shinobi alive," Tobirama added.
"And strongest as well," Hashirama added.
"In all my life, no jutsu has ever managed to pierce through my Five Layered Rashomon Gates, and yet your technique was able to do that," and that made it even more powerful than a tailed beast bomb.
"Tell me, are you a Hokage yourself, Hikari-kun?" and the boy shook his head.
"I am afraid not. I am currently only a jounin. The village is led right now by the Rokudaime Hokage. He is one of Sandaime-sama's students, a teammate of the caster of the Edo Tensei, named Jiraiya the Toad Sage," and Hashirama could not help but smile at that title.
"Another Sage?" he asked, and the boy nodded.
"Yes, he was my teacher as well," the Yondaime added, and it seemed as if this was decreed by fate.
"I cannot think of a finer shinobi to lead the village," he added, and that was some praise, and it warmed his heart to see that the village was in safe hands.
"Though I must add that while he is the Rokudaime Hokage, the Godaime Hokage is still alive. After Sandaime-sama's death, it was your granddaughter, Lady Tsunade, who took on the mantle, but she was gravely injured during the fight against an enemy wielding the power of the Rinnegan, and has not woken up since," and that was a familiar name.
"Tsuna became a Kage!" and the boy nodded, and now he was worried about the village.
"Yes, but that does not matter. We have greater concerns on our hands," Tobirama cut in coldly.
And he knew that as well.
"Indeed," the Hyuga kid cut in.
"There is an organization named Akatsuki that is trying to destroy the Shinobi system and turn the world over on its head. They are led by a man with the Rinnegan, the same-eyed as the Sage of the Six Paths, who wishes to plunge the world into an eternal Genjutsu using the power of the nine-tailed beasts. We believe they are targeting the Five Kage Summit as we speak. We must go and help the Five Kage in putting an end to these plans," and now Tobirama was frowning.
"You think the Five Kage together cannot face one singular shinobi," and the boy sighed.
"If it were Pain alone, they could defeat him," the boy answered, and then why would they need to go and help them?
"But I believe that there is a hidden figure pulling the strings from the shadows. And if my fears are correct, then even together we would hardly be his equals if it came to war," and now Hiruzen added.
"You believe that there is someone behind all this," and the young Yondaime added.
"Indeed, and I believe I have met this person as well. Or at least one of the most instrumental pieces in this game, and the name he chose for himself was," and he looked to him as he finished.
"Madara Uchiha..." and the entire clearing became silent at those words, as Hashirama found himself at a loss for words.
"That is impossible," he raged.
"I slew him with my own two hands," he answered, and remembering that accursed night still pained his heart.
"Maybe we are wrong, but we need to go now. Only once we reach the battlefield can we know figure out the entire truth," and so be it.
"I will go with you, but before that, I need you to do me a favor, Yondaime..."
.
.
.
And so, slowly but surely, Tsunade Senju's eyes fluttered open, and she wondered if this was the afterlife.
"Grandfather," and her throat was dry, and she wondered why it was so if this was the afterlife indeed.
"I am sorry," and the man smiled at her.
"There is no need for that, my dear Tsuna," and his smile was as warm as ever.
"I think she thinks that she is dead," another voice cut in, making her frown, for it was another familiar voice.
"Huh! Really?" her grandfather asked, snapping his head to the side.
"Why not?" and it was Hikari Hyuga who stood there beside him, and his body had changed a lot, and there was a horn coming out of his forehead.
"She is staring at your face. You, who should be long dead," and he turned towards her.
"I am afraid death has not come for you quite yet, Lady Tsunade," and he pinched her skin as if to make her realise that.
"You are still alive...."
0000
As always, you can read ahead and support me through my Patre 0n. Your support and patr 0nage are what make all this possible. So, drop a sub if you can. It would help me out quite a bit.
www.Patre 0n.com/Drkest
Have a fantastic day!