To Take A City By Storm IV
Chapter 52 To Take A City By Storm IV
Yamanaka Ino knew she was in way over her head. The Ichibi was a tailed beast and despite having the least chakra of the nine, it was one of the strongest when it came to fighting normal shinobi. Fortunately she’d been forgotten in the general chaos. Gaara had focused in on Naruto and Satsuki which left her to observe the situation and what she found was hopeless.
‘What can I even do? What can any normal person do here? Even Satsuki is helpless.’ Ino thought as chakra burned in the air and her skin itched painfully. Burns covered her back where the flash from Naruto’s attack had scalded her. She knew what the other blond was, not that she hadn’t always suspected the truth but now there wasn’t even a shadow of a doubt. ‘I’m just a genin!’ Ino wanted to run, knew she’d be unable to land any solid blows against Gaara in his current state and yet she couldn’t bring herself to flee. Not while Naruto and Satsuki stood their ground.
Looking to the two members of Team 7, now atop a giant toad, Ino grimaced and latched onto the tree she was hiding within. She wouldn’t leave them, because while she wasn’t on Team 7, she was their comrade and Yamanaka Ino refused to abandon her friends when there was even a ghost of a chance they might need her, even if it was just carrying back the news of their deaths.
***
Sakura watched the battle of titans overhead and came to a stop high in the trees. Wind lashed at the forest, ripping branches free as the two giants fought. Air bullets flew from Shukaku’s mouth, slamming into massive water bullets from Gamabunta. The resulting explosions unleashed momentary squalls of wind and nearly solid walls of rain which left her exposed skin stinging from the impact. Distantly, her mind registered the continuous impacts as being akin to jumping into a river belly first.
‘We’re going to need another soldier pill.’ Inner observed and Sakura grimaced as she pulled a second pill from her pack. Two would have side effects, three could be fatal. Even so, Sakura slipped the pill under her mask and crushed it between her teeth. Her chakra, usually well behaved and orderly, buzzed frantically through her network. Her fingers trembled while her shoulders shook and Sakura felt her heart begin to beat painfully fast in her chest.
‘This sucks.’ Outer whimpered internally even as she brought her fingers together and ran through the seals for her summoning jutsu. Shisui was already out in the village but without his sharingan he would be useless against this threat so Sakura’s hands were forced.
“Kuchiyose no jutsu!” Sakura’s voice was drowned out by the detonations of wind and water overhead but the massive pillar of smoke and the electric snarl of the Byakko’s chakra was impossible to miss. The legendary tiger looked out over the battlefield, lightning blue eyes moving from Gamabunta to Shukaku before a tempestuous huff lefts its mouth.
“Quite the fight you have walked into.” Byakko’s voice was thunder as lightning arced through his fur. Sakura stood atop the tiger’s head and felt the hair on her arms and legs stand on end. Static crackled across her gray ANBU breastplate and her eyes swirled, three tomoe in each taking in the world with painful clarity. “It would seem you are finally ready for our teachings. When this fight is over, come to our domain. We will train you.”
“I will but first, can you help me? My students are in danger.” Sakura asked and felt the Byakko’s answer through his gathering chakra as the beast roared its ire. Both Shukaku and Gamabunta paused their fight, turning to face the newcomer as the massive white tiger stalked forward, paws crushing trees with ease.
“Huh? The hell do you want tiger bastard?!” Shukaku screeched as Byakko came to stand next to Gamabunta. The toad boss eyed the massive white tiger warily and Sakura could feel the nervous chakra rolling off the summons.
“I am here on behest of the rightful empress, tanuki. You trespass in her domain, leave or face the consequences.” Byakko challenged and Sakura could feel Naruto and Satsuki’s eyes on her. Focusing on her chakra sense, the rosette noticed Temari and Ino hiding in the trees nearby, near enough to be in danger. Temari wasn’t an issue, the wind user could not have a hope of interfering but Ino was a comrade and Sakura wasn’t going to leave her to be trampled underfoot.
Bringing her hands together in the distinctive cross of the shadow clone, Sakura felt her head swim briefly as the clone popped into existence and flickered away without even a hint of smoke. Fortunately, Sakura had already spent the necessary chakra to summon both Shisui and Byakko and anchored herself to her summon’s head as Shukaku let out an angry wail.
“Rightful empress? Ha! I’ll kill you both!” Shukaku screamed and the fight was on.
***
“Hello Ino-san,” Ino nearly shrieked as an ANBU materialized next to her. The same ANBU that just summoned a tiger as larger as the tailed beast and giant toad that had been, between the two of them, changing the weather forecast from bright and sunny to apocalyptic monsoon. “Let’s get you to safety, okay?” The ANBU chirped and Ino realized she knew that voice, it belonged to Satsuki’s pink haired sensei.
“I’m not abandoning them.” Ino didn’t expect those words to come from her mouth, nor the insane determination burning within her. The ANBU tilted her head, the eyes of her tiger’s mask were black voids that drank in the brilliant sunlight and Ino found the breath pulled from her lungs as they focused on her. “I’m not,” Ino breathed out with the last air she had left, her head swimming and vision going blurry.
“Fine, but you will not leave my side.” The ANBU ordered and Ino felt an impossibly strong hand grip her shoulder before the world transformed into a smear of color accompanied by the sudden sensation of movement. Ino crashed into nothing, her body held perfectly still as the motion stopped with the same sheer spontaneity it had begun with. There was no acceleration of deceleration, just movement and then she had arrived, atop the head of the massive tiger, fur brushing her knees as the Byakko fought with the massive sand tanuki.
Ino watched in awe as a fight of legends unfurled before her. Neither Naruto and Satsuki nor Sakura engaged directly and Gaara was motionless atop Shukaku’s head. Even so, the power of the summons and tailed beast had transformed the forested training grounds they were fighting on. Puddles of boiling water sent up columns of steam while the smoldering timbers of shattered trees littered the area. Craters from the wind bullets caused momentary flare ups which were quickly drowned by the blasts of water unleashed by the giant toad.
Lightning flashed, blindingly bright even under the midday sun. Thunder rattled Ino’s teeth in her skull and knocked the breath from her lungs. The Tanuki’s insane screams were met by the furious tiger’s roars or the distant but surprisingly audible insults courtesy of one Uzumaki Naruto. Despite the carnage, no reinforcements dared approach and Ino could see columns of smoke rising deeper within Konoha. She wasn’t a fully trained sensor yet but she could feel the massive novas of Konoha’s elite clashing with the invaders even from this distance.
‘I have to do something.’ Ino realized and looked at Gaara. No attacks had made it through to him and she knew that Shukaku had appeared when he fell unconscious. IF she could wake him, or at least possess him, she could end the fight or perhaps stall long enough for Tora, Sakura, to end things permanently.
“I have an idea.” Ino said, voice steady and eyes focused on her goal. She could see Sakura shift uneasily at her side but she didn’t need the other girl’s approval. She just needed Sakura to catch her when she fell unconscious.
“And that is?” The ANBU demanded. Ino was beyond sure this was Satsuki and Naruto’s Sakura-sensei at this point, despite the height difference. “Well?” Sakura asked as lighting crackled through her white and black hair.
“I’ll possess his body, the demon appeared when he passed out so if I take control it should be suppressed.” Ino knew this was going to be the hardest body possession of her life but her reserves were full and she’d trained like the world was ending for the third exam. She would not be made a fool of a third time, not after her last two matches.
“Can you manage it from this distance?” Sakura asked and Ino looked at the massive demon as it staggered under the force of a titanic sphere of water that had snuck through its defenses. Ino’s lips pressed into a thin line as she realized the shot would be nearly impossible, but there was a chance.
“If I miss, you won’t have to deal with me for a while but yes. I can manage.” Ino felt the ANBU’s hand latch onto her back with chakra, fingers spread to provided better control. The girl’s chakra was cool and minty, and the smell of a deep calming forest full of mist and medicinal plants danced across Ino’s senses, lulling her into a sense of peace. “Wow.”
“Don’t get swept away by my chakra.” Sakura’s voice was amused and Ino knew the other girl had just shot her a sly grin. Unbidden, Ino’s mind conjured images of the pink haired jounin, her mind creating the expression and the blond felt her cheeks flush as she brought her hands up.
“I wont.” Ino glanced at Sakura and met the eyes of the other girl’s mask. She could feel the familiarity in the chakra, the false calm and peace, a kind soul that hid its capacity for violence well. Like an untouched wilderness, breathtakingly beautiful and deceptively lethal. “Just get me a shot and I’ll take him out.”
“Byakko-sama?” Sakura asked the tiger which let out a challenging roar. Shukaku turned to face the tiger, only to be hammered by a pair of water bullets. The tanuki screeched angrily, unleashing a volley of wind towards the toad as the massive white tiger charged. Claws wreathed themselves in lightning, turning sand into molten glass and shattering the wall that Shukaku had raised to defend itself. A second paw rose into the air before tearing into Shukaku’s side, sending a spray of molten slag raining down onto the ravaged forest below. The bijuu’s head jerked downwards, giving her a clear angle on Gaara and her fingers wove through the seals for her family’s signature jutsu.
“Shintenshin!” Ino barked out the name of her clan’s jutsu, forcing her chakra into a cohesive bullet of yin release and launching it at Gaara. Her mind cut out, her sight vanishing briefly before she slammed into the walls around Gaara’s mind. Crashing through the barrier that separated souls, Ino exploded into Gaara’s mental landscape and immediately reached for control.
“You dare?!” Ino saw the towering form of Shukaku in Gaara’s mind and grinned. The beast was held in place by chains and within Gaara’s mind she had plenty of space to maneuver outside of his reach. “I’ll kill you! Die! Die bitch!”
“Would you just shut up?! Aren’t you like a thousand years old? Stop screeching like a child!” Ino shouted back as she avoided a wave of sand, moving in ways she’d never manage in the real world. Within the domain of the mind, Ino’s imagination was her limits and she had quite the active imagination after the fight she’d just witnessed.
“Die you blond monkey!” Shukaku howled, straining against the chains of his seal as Ino reached outwards, framing the beasts form with her hands and squeezing them together. “What are you doing?!”
“Shoving you back into your box.” Ino replied, imagining that she was pushing the tailed beast’s mind back, deeper into its seal. Shukaku thrashed and fought but with a conscious mind now in Gaara’s body the seal was aiding her efforts. For a brief moment, the two forces were balanced, then Ino felt a sudden give and Shukaku weakened rapidly, shrinking until he was little more then smoke and killing intent, wreathed in chains.
Sensation flooded into Ino’s world and she stood atop a massive but rapidly eroding pile of sand. She could feel the dregs of Shukaku’s chakra in the grains below her and Gaara in the back of her mind, awake but held in place by her jutsu. Satsuki and Naruto both stood atop Gamabunta, battered and stunned while Sakura remained impossibly impressive in her ANBU mask atop her tiger.
“Hey, have anything to suppress his chakra or are we going to T&I?” Ino called out, flashing a victory sign to her comrades. A distant but audible barking laugh reached her ears and she saw Sakura jump, the currently white and black haired girl arcing through the sky before she landed on the rapidly crumbling sand tanuki, scooping Ino up.
“Nice work, I’ll certainly put it in my report.” The relief in Sakura’s voice was audible and Ino tried and failed not to glow with pride. A the two summons vanished in puffs of smoke and Sakura rode the wave of sand to the ground, reuniting Ino with her currently unconscious body and former classmates. “I’m going to put a chakra restraining seal on you, it won’t stop your jutsu but I just wanted you to be aware.”
“Alright,” Ino watched as Sakura pulled a seal from her pouch and placed it on Gaara’s forehead. “It didn’t block it all.” Ino’s words were answered by another five seals, which seemed to stifle the rest of the redhead’s immense reserves and Ino felt his body grow weak, her eyelids becoming impossibly tired. “Not good, he’s exhausted physically and in a lot of pain.”
“Can you hold out until we get to T&I? The fighting is dying down.” Sakura’s voice was commanding and despite her exhaustion Ino managed a nod. She’d make it, she had to, she was a kunoichi of Konohagakure after all and nobody was going to forget that fact ever again. “Alright shinobi, let’s get moving.” Shinobi, the amount of pride that one word put into Ino’s heart was utterly unreasonable and the three youngest members of Team 7 were treated to the largest smile to ever grace Gaara’s face as they made their way back through the forest and onto the ruined streets of Konoha.
***
Sakura stumbled away from T&I along with an exhausted Naruto, Satsuki and Ino. The group were battered and bruised but victorious. They had taken down an impossible foe, done their best to protect their village from a potentially crippling attack by a bijuu and the Senju compound was calling. A spike of chakra announced an incoming shunshin and Sakura turned, kunai flicking into her hand as a masked ANBU materialized beside her.
“Code black, follow me.” The ANBU stated and Sakura felt her blood flash between burning jubilation and freezing cold fear. Sarutobi Hiruzen was dead.
“Understood,” Sakura replied and turned to her teammates and tag-along. “I have to leave, Satsuki you’re in charge if anything happens. Do not assume safety until you’re back home.” Sakura focused her chakra presence on the Uchiha heiress, impressing the seriousness of the situation before flickering away with the other ANBU.
Touching down outside one of the main entrances of ANBU’s tunnel network, Sakura had a split second to react as she felt a pinprick on her arm. Turning, she saw a blank masked ANBU and snarled, eyes whirling into sharingan under her mask before her vision cut out. She was unconscious before she hit the ground.
***
Madara awoke with a start. Above him was the roof of the Inn that the Uchiha were currently using as their command center within Hikyo. Sweat beaded on his forehead and his throat was painfully dry as he swallowed and wiped a sleeve across his face. The room around him was silent, save for the steady breathing of Izuna. ‘Sakura?’ Madara looked around, realizing the girl hadn’t appeared. The thought sent a frisson of fear through him.
Pushing the covers off, he looked out the window and saw the sun climbing towards late morning. A pulse of chakra ran through the seal on his palm and he felt the world drawing in towards the room, natural chakra rushing inwards before a shimmer of light lit up the dim interior and Sakura materialized in a flash of chakra. She looked exhausted and she staggered, nearly slumping to the floor before she caught herself.
“Sakura, what happened?” Madara asked, unable to keep his fear from his voice. He had just lost his father and he could not lose Sakura as well. Her eyes were glassy and it took her a moment to register his presence before her hands lit with emerald chakra and she raised them to her head. Her complexion slowly improved as she healed herself until finally she let out a shuddering breath. Fear saturated her chakra and her arms shifted to hugging herself as Madara sat down next to her. “What’s wrong?”
“I was taken again, by the Shimura.” Sakura whispered and Madara felt an ice cold rock form in his stomach. The last time that had happened, he’d nearly lost her but at least Tajima had been there to provide guidance.
“You can escape.” Madara felt his eyes burn to life as he gripped Sakura’s shoulders tightly. The rosette took a deep breath before nodding, her eyes hardening. “You’ll escape.”
“Yeah, I’ll manage.” Sakura answered shakily and offered a weak smile. Her chakra had recovered somewhat from its fear and he could feel her mind beginning to weave a plan even as she refocused on their current situation. “I’ll manage so, the Senju?”
“I imagine we’ll be getting informed soon.” Madara answered as a sharp wrap of armored knuckles echoed into the room. A brief flare of chakra that he recognized as belonging to Ryuko preceded the deactivation of the security seals as the woman slid open the door. The Uchiha councilwoman gave a brief nod, gaze sweeping over the recently awoken members of the room, her eyes gleaming with naked excitement.
“The Senju are on their way. The other clans are reacting as well. Butsuma isn’t waiting for them but if we stay here after fighting off the Senju we may end up at war with everyone.” Ryuko stated and despite her situation back home, Sakura managed a truly fearsome grin. Madara smirked beside her and Izuna let out a small sigh from his bed.
“Then we’ll just have to crush the Senju and send a message to the rest.” Madara drawled confidently as he offered Sakura his hand and pulled her to her feet. “Get your armor on, we’re going to hit them hard and fast.” Madara couldn’t contain the excitement his own words lit inside of him. The flames of war burned bright in his heart and he smiled at the thought of imminent revenge.
Getting equipped and then leaving the city with a decent guard of trained up ashigaru, the Uchiha army made good time as they moved towards the incoming Senju column. The Senju were moving slowly, scouting for traps and seals like they had encountered during their assault on Sora-ku. Madara watched the Senju move, his sharingan and Sakura’s perfect chakra control allowing him to observe the army with perfect clarity even from several miles away.
“The Senju are spread out, the bulk of their clan is in a heavily dispersed chevron for scouting head of the column of trained ashigaru.” An eagle Madara had summoned announced as the bird landed on his shoulder, confirming what Madara was seeing. The Uchiha head hadn’t wanted to risk a larger eagle, wary of alerting the Senju to the impending ambush. They had left their ashigaru behind precisely to maintain the element of surprise and would supplement their fighting force with summons rather then sheer numbers.
“Butsuma is at the head of the column, behind the safety of the scouting party. We’re really going to have to hit them hard. His heirs and spares are with him.” Sakura cast a quick genjutsu on the ground so everyone could see what she and Madara were witnessing in real time. The Uchiha had no shortage of sensory nin but chakra control determined both range and general sensitivity; and since nobody had better chakra control then Sakura, her awareness of the battlefield was unmatched, making her the Uchiha’s most effective scout.
“They’re approaching the minefield.” Izuna observed and Madara’s smile became a twisted vicious thing as his sharingan spun to life. He added his own illusion to Sakura’s, layering the minefield over the illusory terrain and marking Butsuma, Hashirama and Tobirama on the map.
“Kurou’s scouts will harass them on the minefield’s northern flank.” Madara began and knew Sakura had already picked up on his plan. The rosette quickly projected the route the Senju army would take in response. They’d skirmish back of course, but swing further south since it would be the more direct route to the capital. They wouldn’t want to head further away to the north, chasing what would be an obvious diversion.
“They’ll move south, exposing their flank to the minefield. They’ll cover that flank of course but we won’t hit them there immediately.” Sakura grinned as she created a blocking force of Uchiha on their map. The council all watched the plan, impressed by their young but clearly talented clan heads. To layer so many illusions effortlessly, while thinking up battle plans was unheard of. Usually aids did the projecting to free up concentration for those giving orders.
“The main two armies will clash. Butsuma’s forces will be unable to spread out to the north because of the minefield holding down that flank and we’ll have our southern flank guarded. We’ll clash here and leave an elite, hard hitting force in the trees, ready to attack on my signal.” Madara knew exactly who was going to be in charge of that assault force. A look to Sakura to confirm she was well enough to fight got him a nod of reassurance.
“My reserves are full so I should have enough to call in a large summons and fight.” Sakura wasn’t sure how soldier pills would interact with her body between time periods. She’d had two before arriving and wasn’t sure if her body actually perceived time passing or not. If Sakura were to guess, time did in fact pass since she had to have cleared most of the toxins from her body for her to even be awake, after all her kidnappers had knocked her unconscious with a sedative.
‘Better safe then sorry.’ Inner grumbled, her other self’s tone distinctly bitter. Sakura couldn’t blame her, the entire situation was miserable but at least she’d get her shot at revenge.
“Sakura will lead the strike group. They’ll move through the minefield once the battle lines have fully locked and crash through the Senju lines to hit Butsuma. I’ll watch from above on an eagle once the fighting starts and when Sakura reaches Butsuma I’ll look for an opportunity to drop in and join the fight.” Madara radiated a constant stream of killing intent as he finished explaining his plan and turned to his field commanders. All of them were wearing eager expressions and nobody raised a word against his plans.
“It will be as you say Madara-sama.” Akihiko’s smile was a twisted vengeful thing, her sharingan burning bright even under the morning sun. She slammed a fist into her breastplate before flickering away to take charge of her unit. Ryuko gave Madara a nod, turning to gather her troops while the three heirs of Tajima remained behind.
“I’m going with you.” Izuna looked at Madara, determination burning in his eyes. He might be two years younger then his brother and Sakura but he was not going to be left behind. Not today, not when his father’s murder was to be avenged.
“I wasn’t going to stop you.” Madara admitted, after all it would be safer for Izuna to ride on an eagle with him then risk the open battlefield. Madara was not going to lose any of his loved ones today and he would try to minimize the casualties his clan took while hitting the Senju where it would hurt. Butsuma was going to pay for all the deaths he’d caused and the misery he had unleashed.
“Thanks,” Izuna brushed his shoulder against Madara’s side, a silent gesture of affection before Madara turned to face Sakura. The rosette had admirably recovered from what had happened in her village and though her chakra was still uneasy, Madara was confident it wouldn’t distract her in battle. She was of the Isles and nothing could pull her mind off violence, for better or worse.
“Sakura, bring as many of our kin home as you can.” Madara knew he wouldn’t normally need to say anything but forcing Sakura’s full attention onto planning before kunai started flying was for the best today. The rosette gave him a nod and a flash of shark teeth before she flickered away to assemble her team. “Izuna, let’s go.” Madara quickly wove the hand seals for his summoning jutsu and with a small nick to his thumb, they were in the air, soaring atop a large eagle.
Below, he could see the battle lines forming and Madara directed his summons to fly to the south, obviously scouting the area and within line of sight of the Senju army, though too far away to reach with any jutsu. Below him, the Uchiha moved out, Kurou’s forces advancing up the flank to skirmish while the main army moved south. Sakura’s group were practically invisible among the trees, their chakras hidden and further obscured by the explosive seals that reflected and refracted the natural energy in the area.
‘Time to meet your fate Butsuma.’ Madara thought, smirking as the battle began.
***
Tobirama knew something was off. The wind was wrong, chilly and harsh for such a sunny summer day. The flickers of chakra in the forest ahead had stopped the advance and the appearance of Uchiha skirmishers was proof they’d set up a minefield. After Sora-ku, they couldn’t afford fighting another costly battle and so his honored father, Senju Butsuma had ordered the army south, marching around the forest even as their flanks were harassed by Uchiha skirmishers.
“They were expecting us.” Kawarama whispered, as if that was some great surprise. The Uchiha had lost their primary trade city, not that they’d actually become unable to hold Sora-ku but with the damage done to its infrastructure and populace it would take decades to recover. Any attempt by them to take another trade hub would draw in one of the neutral major clans so they’d gone for the seemingly impossible option, the one city everybody had thought invincible.
“Of course they were.” Itama replied, his chakra already going cold as his emotions were numbed away. The Senju’s blessing was strong in Tobirama’s siblings, with the annoying exception of Hashirama who insisted on acting like a common hooligan. Tobirama’s bloody eyes turned skyward as he felt a familiar but distant chakra signature.
Sure enough, Uchiha Madara’s eagle soared through the endless blue expanse, the two Uchiha heirs standing atop the bird with the notable absence of their youkai. Memories of teeth clacking together inches from his throat sent a shiver down Tobirama’s spine and he tried to numb away his fear. Burning crimson eyes spun wildly, a mad smile stretching far too wide and showing off teeth that could only belong to a demon flashed through the boy’s mind.
‘Maybe she won’t be here.’ Tobirama hoped, turning his attention towards the forest to their flank. The Uchiha had chosen this battlefield. Under normal circumstances they would never have challenged the other clan to such a fight but today was different. Hikyo, the capital of Hi no Kuni had fallen to the Uchiha. They had done the impossible and stood poised to claim dominion over the entire nation. If that came to pass, the Senju would be exterminated so they marched into a battle they knew the enemy had planned.
“Sons, keep your wits sharp. The enemy will be upon us soon.” Butsuma ordered as they ran long the paved road. Behind them, the ashigaru forces marched at a fast clip while ahead the Senju clan were spread out to provide a buffer against any surprise attacks. A flare of brilliant, fiery chakra was the signal for all hell breaking loose and suddenly Tobirama’s senses were alive with jutsu. The roar of flames filled the air as the Uchiha met their advanced elements and the battle was on.
The Senju army was ill positioned for a fight. They were in a column with their forces blocked in on one flank by the minefield and the Uchiha were already sweeping around the other flank, trying to trap them in.
“Ashigaru push them back, sons with me!” Butsuma barked out the orders as he charged forward, joining the fight on the front line. Tobirama moved to follow, Hashirama at his side. His brother’s eyes constantly darted towards the sky overhead, looking at his supposed Uchiha friend, as if the vile clan were capable of such things.
“Focus Anija,” Tobirama warned as they neared the fighting. The clash of blades rang out around them and kunai whistled through the air. Overhead arrows flew and the searing touch of flames occasionally forced Tobirama to dodge as he engaged the Uchiha. He could feel their chakra burning with rage, hatred and excitement. They were beasts, demons in human guise and only the Senju had the strength to oppose them. They would burn and rage so long as any of them remained. The war wouldn’t end until they were all dead.
***
Sakura could feel her target’s chakra and grinned as her group moved through the trees like ghosts. The din of battle was a constant refrain in the distance and Madara’s chakra overhead a steady reminder that she was just one piece in a larger picture. The Uchiha and Senju clans were both hurting after the battle of Sora-ku but this was going to definitively shift the tides of war once and for all.
Gripping her scythe, Sakura felt the hammering of her heart in her chest and grinned. Seals were carved into the spirit wood haft, the results of her studying in the lead up to this battle. She didn’t have the time to majorly improve her skills, her body had already been in peak condition and her chakra reserves were being expanded as fast as humanely possible. Her fuinjutsu however had grown by leaps and bounds and today she’d be able to fully deploy it.
Sakura let her sharingan spin to life as they neared the edge of the forest. A hand came up and she flicked her fingers forward, unleashing her contingent upon the unsuspecting Senju. Butsuma was no fool and he had left guards to defend his flank. It was obvious the forest could potentially be used by the Uchiha to launch an attack and a line of Ashigaru mixed with Senju stood ahead of Sakura, however today they simply would not be enough.
Sakura let her eyes flex and warp, her mangekyo blossoming within them as she flickered forward, leaving behind an afterimage that ran alongside her soldiers. For a second time, Sakura felt the sudden rush of emotions slam into her. She could feel the hearts of those around her, knew when a kunai was being aimed her way or a jutsu being woven. She could feel the terror and fear of both sides, the elation of cutting down a foe and the pain of a fallen comrade.
It was a cacophonous storm of sensation. Life and death, a tempest of humanity beyond imagining and Sakura was at its heart. Her scythe flew from her hands, chakra pulsing through its seals as a ghostly blue glow surrounded it, light bending around the weapon as it spun through a line of enemies as if their armor was little more then tissue paper.
‘Inner!’ Sakura reached out for her other self. The two beginning to dance around each other as they balanced the burden of so many emotions radiating towards them. It was like using ninshu to communicate, except it stretched across the entire battlefield. All around her was suffering and pain, that she had helped bring about.
‘I’ve got this.’ Inner replied and Sakura reached out her hand, recalling her scythe which ripped through everything in its way as it returned to her. Blood splattered her armor as she grabbed the weapon and swung the hammer side into a man’s chest with her full strength, crushing his breastplate and then hurling him across the battlefield, over the heads of his kin before he crashed into the dirt dozens of meters away never to move again.
‘We have to kill her!’ Sakura heard the desperation and her eyes snapped to several men bearing down on her. They were going to try and overwhelm her with a storm of ninjutsu and ax blades in an attempt to kill off one of Tajima’s heirs but Sakura could see their intent and hear their thoughts as their chakra resonated with hers. She stepped to the side, her scythe’s half glowing briefly as it cleaved through the first man’s chest, the seals allowing it to cut as well as any sword.
‘Flee if you want to live.’ Sakura let her killing intent boil over and pushed it through the strange resonance she was feeling. The men facing her paled and hesitated even as she came crashing down upon them a second later. The second died instantly, split in half by her scythe’s blade and the rest broke and ran. Raising her hand to her mouth, Sakura bit down and slammed her palm into the blood stained dirt beneath her.
“Kuchiyose no jutsu!” Sakura called out, not reaching for Byakko, she didn’t need the boss summons for this fight, though it mattered little in the end as a tiger the size of a large hill appeared on the battlefield, its roar a physical thing that sent men flying as lightning curled and arced over its talons.
A familiar chakra crashed into Sakura’s awareness and she immediately pulsed her chakra, a burning white rib-cage flaring into existence around her as a volley of boulders crashed into where she’d been standing. Sakura felt the brief drain on her reserves as she dodged the barrage of ninjutsu, her horribly incomplete susanoo taking the rest of the hits. She kept it close to her skin, instinctively using her mangekyo’s second ability to manipulate her chakra beyond what even her perfect control would usually allow.
A Senju ran towards her and Sakura felt the other child’s chakra flicker with hatred. It felt like Tobirama’s, cold and stony, muted and cool like damp earth. The child wasn’t a threat, not truly so Sakura swept him aside with her scythe, sending him into the dirt. A second Senju appeared before her and Sakura ducked under his blade, her eyes locking onto Butsuma.
‘Above us!’ Inner called out and they felt Madara’s rage singing a song of war overhead. A fireball sprang into existence and Sakura’s fan unsealed as she charged forward. The Senju head family scattered as the fireball came crashing down towards the earth and Sakura could feel both Madara and Izuna’s chakra within it. Sakura swept her fan and caught the chakra enhanced flames in her gale, redirecting them towards the Senju leader.
Sakura felt the man’s response and charged forward into the inferno. A wall of earth had risen ahead of her, protecting against the blaze and Sakura easily crashed through it, her fist turning the stone to powder as she was met with a barrage of water needles. To her back, Tobirama was charging Izuna along with one of his brothers while Madara was locked in a fight with Hashirama. Grinning Sakura reached out her chakra and yanked, switching places with the Senju coming up behind Izuna.
Tobirama’s eyes widened in horror as Sakura appeared where Kawarama had been, the pink haired kunoichi’s lips pulled back into that horrid smile while her eyes were twisted patterns of black and red. Sakura flicked a kunai at the white haired Senju even as she charged back towards Butsuma who was grim faced as he stepped through the hole she’d made in his wall.
“You’re going to die here, like your father.” Butsuma growled, though with only one hand Sakura very much doubted that. The man’s use of jutsu was impressive considering his disability but he’d been slow to raise the earth wall and he’d only caught her off guard because of her excitement.
“Sakura, kill him!” Madara shouted, trying to beat his way past Hashirama but the two were evenly matched. Hashirama’s chakra was full of worry bordering on panic, his eyes darting to Sakura briefly and earning him a thing cut across the cheek as Madara nearly broke his guard. The two boys stepped apart from each other and Hashirama let out a shuddering breath.
“She killed my brother.” Hashirama whispered and Madara’s lips twisted downward. The Uchiha knew that pain and Madara met Hashirama’s eyes.
“Your father killed my sister before we met. I didn’t hold it against you.” Madara’s reply ripped through Hashirama who looked on the verge of tears even as they recommitted to their battle. Sakura knew the two couldn’t bear to kill the each other but the same could not be said for Tobirama who was trying his best to end Izuna. The white haired Senju’s chakra was cold and level, nothing but frosty anger and scorn within his soul.
“Getting distracted Uchiha? I suppose that’s to be expected of beasts. You’re little more then animals, driven but your raging emotions. Your family are a blight upon this world, wretch.” Butsuma drew his sword, holding it with his only remaining hand and Sakura sealed away her fan, gripping her scythe tight.
“Better to burn with love for my family then to have a heart of stone Senju.” Sakura answered, tension building between them as Butsuma released his chakra. His presence was immense, but lesser then Sarutobi or Orochimaru. The man was powerful, a rightfully respected force on the battlefield but compared to the foes Sakura had seen in her own time he couldn’t intimidate her. Not anymore. “Let’s dance Senju.”
The two shot forward and Sakura flickered at the last minute, leaving a clone behind. Butsuma slashed at it, even as her scythe hooked his chest, blade burning with chakra. Butsuma substituted immediately with the corpse of his son and Sakura felt her vision go red at the disrespect for his own flesh and blood. Kawarama might be dead, but he’d been the man’s child.
‘I need to save father!’ Sakura barely caught the thought as she ducked under Butsuma’s katana and spun her scythe around her body. The chaos of battle was becoming overwhelming, the crashing of emotion far too personal to drown out and she could feel her own chakra beginning to reflect her killing intent back into her. The roar of waves began to fill her head as the drums of war thundered in her chest and Sakura blurred forward.
Butsuma ducked under her slash and Sakura immediately let her scythe slam into the ground behind him, flipping over a kunai as her fingers came together in the tiger seal. Brilliant blue flames left her lips and she shot a ball of compressed fire straight towards the Senju head while raising her hand and recalling her scythe. The man charged forward, ducking under the blade and slashing at Sakura’s breastplate. Seals lit up over her armor as the sword rebounded while a second blade sparked off Sakura’s shoulder. The rosette let the impact of her scythe slamming into her palm spin her, its edge arching through a throat as she spun it back around towards Butsuma who was still alive.
“Shame it wasn’t Tobirama.” Sakura hated fighting children and Butsuma had no compunctions about hurling his own sons against her. The man’s eyes were still cold as ice, wrathful but frozen over as his chakra remained utterly stoic. He was hard to read but not impossible and Sakura focused on him, blocking out the battlefield’s chaos as she met his eyes.
‘She’ll be off balance from killing Itama, the Uchiha are too merciful for their own good.’ Butsuma’s thoughts filtered through her mind as he flickered forward. Sakura could feel his intention, her eyes showing her the path he would take and every action she could use to counter. She hurled her scythe as Butsuma drew close, her hand gliding to the kunai hidden under her gauntlet as she leaned forward, into Butsuma’s slash and caught it on the upper edge of her breastplate. Her kunai came free and drew a bloody crescent as it sailed through Butsuma’s throat.
For a moment, the world was frozen. Butsuma’s fingers trembled on his sword as he thrust it forward and Sakura brought up her arm guard to deflect it, pushing the blade away from her throat before he could skewer her while she hooked his leg and delivered a solid punch to his breastplate, laying him out on the grass.
There were no screams of rage as Senju Butsuma hit the dirt. Sakura could feel the pain radiating off Hashirama through the boy’s chakra as he stepped away from his fight with Madara. Tobirama flickered away from Izuna, escaping their fight and landing next to his older brother. Madara quickly moved to Sakura’s side, Izuna joining a half moment later as the three Uchiha met the two Senju brothers’ gaze.
“Pull your troops back Hashirama, Hikyo is ours.” Madara looked at Hashirama who was pale faced but still managing to keep his composure. The Senju forces were a solid fighting machine but in a battle where they were so thoroughly outmaneuvered they couldn’t bring their strength to bear. The Uchiha had them nearly surrounded and they were losing clan members rapidly. The ashigaru meanwhile had been ravaged by Sakura’s summons before it had run out of chakra and dispersed.
“Madara,” Hashirama began, tears glistening on his cheeks as they finally fell. Two of his brothers had died in under a minute of fighting. Countless cousins were being killed as they spoke. Hashirama wasn’t as talented a sensor as his brother but he could feel the deaths through nature in a way few could.
“Pull your soldiers back Hashirama, or more will die.” Madara pressed and the Senju heir nodded, eyes moving over the battlefield before he pulsed his chakra, giving the order to retreat. Beside him, Tobirama scowled, blood colored eyes focused on Madara before shifting to Sakura then Izuna. His chakra was cold as ice, steady and stoic but that didn’t diminish the hatred within it.
“Tobirama is going to be a barrier to any peace plans we forge.” Sakura said softly. Around them, the Senju began retreating, none daring to engage the three children who had crushed their clan leader and butchered two of his sons. At their heels, the Uchiha surged forward, only stopping once they reached their clan leaders and forming up a new battle line as Madara held up a hand, ending the pursuit.
“Perhaps, but Hashirama will see reason eventually.” Madara turned his attention to Butsuma whose corpse lay motionless ahead of them alongside his sons. “The man was a bastard but his sons deserve a proper send off.” Madara loathed the idea of honoring Butsuma but he wouldn’t desecrate the bodies of children. “Gather the corpses from the battle, we’ll burn them properly.”
“The Senju bury their dead.” Izuna said as the soldiers began to retrieve the dead and dying. Sakura was already leaving their side to begin healing the wounded, leaving Madara and Izuna alone amid the organized chaos.
“I suppose I’ll send a letter to Hashirama then, see if he’d be willing to collect their dead. It could be a chance for establishing relations.” Madara loathed the idea of burying the dead. It wasted land, left behind bodies that their enemies could scavenge from and invited disease. Still, if that was the way of the Senju he’d at least give them the chance to recover their dead.
“I don’t think it will work, but I’ll support you either way Aniue.” Izuna’s doubts would no doubt be shared by the rest of the clan. Madara knew he wouldn’t just be fighting against the Senju if he wanted peace. Every member of the Uchiha knew someone killed by the Senju, mothers fathers, brothers, sisters, sons and daughters, a death toll one thousand years in the making. Still, nobody wanted the war to continue so perhaps if good intentions couldn’t win out, exhaustion might at least carry the day.
“It’s worth trying. The wars will never end if we don’t try to stop them. Whether that’s by winning or by talking, I really don’t care.” Madara was lying. He didn’t want to kill the Senju, the sight of Sakura killing two children, younger then Kagami had been, had shaken him and he knew it had hit his friend even harder. She hadn’t processed it yet, the moment too fresh and the need to push through her feelings so she could heal the wounded stopping her from breaking down but it would happen, the moment she was done healing. “I’m going to go keep an eye on Sakura.”
“Good luck Aniue, I’ll uh, find Akihiko.” Izuna shifted uneasily, eyes darting around. Madara knew his brother wanted to join him but Izuna would give him some time alone with Sakura.
“Come join us in a bit.” Madara said finally, earning a grateful look from Izuna before the two parted ways.