The Flames Spread
Chapter 56 The Flames Spread
The mood within the Senju’s war room was tense. Hashirama’s usually tan face was still gaunt and pale, the death of his younger brothers weighing heavily on the young lord. At his right stood Senju Touka, the girl’s sharp glare and custom crafted armor more than making up for her young age and short stature. Across from the two stood Tobirama and the rest of the elder council, chakra cold and faces set in grim masks as they faced down their new clan head.
“We have to negotiate peace! What’s the purpose of continuing this war otouto? We can’t win and if this keeps up, we might very well be wiped out! We lost a third of our forces in the last two battles! Dead, not injured! Our brothers were killed because father insisted on dragging children to the battlefield! We won’t have a clan left in a few years at this rate!” Hashirama’s voice broke the silence that had gathered between the two groups. The boy’s chakra erupted from him, a crushing current that shone with light despite the Senju’s dour nature. Across from him, Tobirama’s eyes narrowed, his chilly chakra buffering the council from his brother’s ire.
“The Uchiha have suffered heavily as well. Their numbers are far less depleted but their elites are dead and you are stronger than Madara and his demon.” Tobirama’s voice was as cold as the energy coursing through his veins. His bloody eyes were narrowed in a perpetual glare and his arms crossed. “I will tolerate your foolishness in allowing females into our ranks.” Tobirama spat the words, his disgust with Touka palpable and the girl’s killing intent spiked, though her stance remained rigid and controlled. “But we cannot negotiate with the Uchiha. They are animals Anija, they cannot control themselves. Your so called friends killed our brothers and if it wasn’t for Chichiue, the demon would have ripped my throat out with her teeth.”
“But, we’re at war Tobirama! If we just talked with them-”
“Enough! You may by the clan head but if you continue with your foolishness, you will be replaced.” Senju Hideo interrupted Hashirama, his brown eyes narrowed and lips curled with obvious contempt. “The Uchiha are our enemies and must be eliminated. They are demons hiding behind human guises and their recent addition is just more proof of that. They have usurped the Daimyo and will no doubt declare their clan head Shogun any day now.” Hashirama opened his mouth to protest but he was silenced by a wave of Tobirama’s hand.
“We will call upon our allies and strike. The Shimura will answer the call and the Hyuga cannot tolerate an Uchiha lead Hi no Kuni. The tripartite alliance will remain neutral but the Aburame will likely side with us if we offer to reforest their territory.” Tobirama, unlike his brother, had a mind for war and knew how the balance of power in Hi was shifting. He could see the web of connections and alliances, the chain reactions unleashed by the Uchiha’s latest moves and how it would all play out. That the clan hadn’t yet attacked was lucky, though that would no doubt change. “We should strike as soon as we can secure additional forces.”
“And what about the bodies they returned to us? That means nothing?” Hashirama asked, though exhaustion was clear in his voice. Several of the older Senju scoffed at the question and Tobirama simply looked at his elder brother in disbelief. “Never mind, forget I asked.” Hashirama wondered if Madara was facing the same kind of opposition, as he was all but excluded from the planning that followed. Troops were allocated, offensives were planned and the reduction in numbers were accounted for. Despite finally being at the head of his clan, Hashirama felt like the end of the war was farther away then it had ever been.
***
Steam spilled from Madara’s lips as his chakra boiled within him. The boy’s chest heaved as he took massive breaths, his rage making his brain pound angrily within his skull as he leaned against the wall of his room. The days following the battle of Hikyo had been a nonstop parade of funerals and the hatred within his clan was burning white hot. The Senju, despite losing over a third of their clan itself and a third again of their total forces, still would not negotiate. The offer of peace and the bodies of the dead that had been returned were scoffed at, the messenger barely surviving with his life.
‘Hashirama, is this really what you want?’ Madara asked silently, pressing his forehead into a palm and tightening his fingers around his aching skull. The pressure was soothing but it ultimately did little to relieve the pain. A growl slipped from Madara’s lips and he slammed a fist into his table, cracks immediately racing through the wood as he lifted his fist up and grimaced. Sakura’s chakra had flashed through him briefly, still granting him her perfect control, though it was utterly, terrifyingly blank.
‘Sakura,’ Madara could still remember the fear on her face the last time he’d seen her. In the darkened room she had confided in him, explained her situation and he had told her it would be alright. That she would escape. ‘I won’t fail you, if you really are with the Shimura there is a simple enough solution.’ Madara knew that nobody in his clan would forget her appearance and everyone knew what to do with an Uchiha captured by the Shimura or Yamanaka. The Shimura clan’s brainwashing was perfect but the sharingan could undo their work given enough time and effort.
‘I’m going to burn that miserable clan until not even bones remain.’ Madara decided and rose to his feet. With every breath Madara’s sharingan spun faster, steam spilled from his lips and twisted, inhuman chakra roiled around him.
“Aniue, get a hold of yourself.” Madara hadn’t even noticed Izuna’s arrival and the younger brother’s voice drew him from his internal spiral. Madara met his brother’s eyes to find sharingan spinning in them and pain twisting Izuna’s face. “I miss her too, but you are the clan head. You have to pull yourself together. The curse is burning its way through the clan, I can’t do this. Not without you.” Izuna’s voice cracked and tears began to fall from his eyes. The sight hit Madara like a bucket of ice water and instantly doused the flames of his temper.
“I’m sorry brother, I…” Madara let out a trembling breath, his own eyes blurring with tears he refused to let fall. “I just feel like I failed her. I told her it would be alright, that she’d escape. The Shimura have her.” Madara spoke softly and felt Izuna’s fingers grip his shirt as his younger brother buried his face in his kimono.
“It’s not your fault,” Izuna spoke through tears, his breath hitching with every other word. “I miss her, I want our father.” Madara reached up and held his younger brother, shame now simmering where rage had been. Gently, Madara stroked his little brother’s hair, trying to sooth some of the pain he was feeling.
“We’re going to make this right, Sakura will return to us. The gods aren’t that cruel.” Madara didn’t believe his own words, but he’d ensure they came true. The Shimura were still going to burn, but he had to remember why that was important. It wasn’t for revenge, it wasn’t because his hatred demanded he lash out. It was to protect his clan, his loved ones, his most precious person.
When Izuna had finally calmed down and cried himself to sleep, Madara tucked him into his bed and prepared himself to face the clan. Once he was washed and cleaned, all traces of his tears hidden, he pulled on the hakama that marked him as the clan’s head and stepped out of his room. He could feel the chakra throughout the fortress was tainted with hatred and emotions were running hot. Spies had confirmed that the Senju were gathering allies for a counter attack and the Uchiha would have to strike quickly or prepare a defense.
Ninshu was not like jutsu. It could not be initiated with hand seals and a quick twist of chakra. It was a difficult, unconscious thing that took years of practice to perfect. Learning to connect with one’s chakra and then use it as a medium to speak with the souls of others directly, to allow for true understanding was not easy. You could not hide yourself and your motives while using Ninshu, you were your honest, truest self and learning not to shy away, not to fear your own faults and deficiencies was only the first hurdle in wielding the ancient art.
Madara had never been talented in Ninshu. Facing himself, his fears and anger, the rage that was only kept away by Izuna and Sakura’s presence terrified him but for his clan, he could and would face himself. Focusing, he centered himself around his chakra and felt a shiver run down his back as he pushed outwards, letting his chakra blanket the area and brush up against his kin.
Ninshu was closest to free form genjutsu, but that was a gross oversimplification. Rather then attacking and inserting shards of malicious chakra, it was about weaving connections, forming bonds and creating a community. It was a sacred art and the only way to pull back those souls lost to the Uchiha’s curse. Slowly at first, Madara felt his kin react to his presence. Their chakra, the essence of their souls sought him out, their anger and pain sending bolts of agony through his mind and threatening to rekindle his own rage but instead he pushed back his love, his care for his family and desire to see peace.
The mood in the castle didn’t lighten immediately, it would take days of constant, soul bruising effort but for his clan, Madara would find a way to manage. The job had gone unattended since Tajima’s death, Madara, Sakura and Izuna all so caught up in their own revenge and grief they’d lost sight of their purpose. Silently, Madara resolved never to forget his duty to his clan again, they were the Uchiha, those who tended the flames and as the clan head it was his role to guide his people and ensure their fire continued to burn bright.
***
“The Senju are mobilizing for war again. They’ve sent out envoys to the various clans, they’re trying to gather allies.” Kurou informed the room grimly. His scouts and the clan’s crow summons had been tracking the activity. It hadn’t come as a surprise, the Uchiha themselves had been reaching out to the various clans in Hi to cement themselves as the defacto rulers of the nation. A unified Hi no Kuni would finally bring an end to the wars, at least within the nation and it would give the clan room to breath for the first time in living memory.
“We’ll have to do the same. Reach out to the remaining Hagoromo and Fuma clans. The Hatake and Inuzuka as well.” Madara ordered and got a curious look from Ryuko. He glanced at the woman and raised a dark eyebrow in question.
“It is unexpected you would mention them over the tripartite alliance.” Ryuko replied and Madara nodded in agreement. The Yamanaka, Akemichi and Nara alliance was the strongest group in Hi besides the Senju and Uchiha. The problem was, they were strong enough as an alliance to be a third power block, not as strong as the other two but even so they could stand on their own which made it unlikely they would bow to either the Senju or Uchiha until a clear winner was about to be decided.
“Perhaps, and we should send word to them however they won’t move until they have to. We should make it clear we don’t intend to conquer them, but if they side with our foes that will change. If we can get the Inuzuka and Hatake, perhaps the Yuuhi as well, then we can defeat the Senju and their allies decisively. Once our war ends, the rest will fall in line.” Madara looked at the map of Hi and then paused. It would take time for the Senju to gather strength, a week at the earliest and then they’d have to mobilize. If the Uchiha could hit the Shimura before that.
“In addition I have something else to discuss.” Madara stated, earning several curious looks. None of them batted an eye at Madara’s handling of the meeting and though they were all aware he was still young, still a child, they would treat him as an adult until he behaved otherwise. “I think we should launch a surprise attack on the Shimura. They have consistently allied with the Senju and many of our worst battles were against the combined forces of both clans.”
“My scouts are exhausted. If you intend to infiltrate the Shimura’s stronghold, we can’t do it immediately.” Kurou informed the young clan head. Madara gave the man a nod, quickly going over what resources they had before smirking.
“I doubt we’ll need to. They don’t know that isn’t an option so we’ll bait them into an open battle and then use the sealing trick that Sakura deployed against the Senju to wipe out their main force.” Madara couldn’t hide his satisfaction at the idea and a vicious smirk graced his features. Sleep deprivation and nightmares about Sakura’s fate, fueled by her blank chakra and absence, had left him with bags under his eyes which combined with his expression left him looking crazed. “And while I might take pleasure in the destruction of the clan, it’s also important we limit the Senju’s options immediately. I do not know when Sakura will return to us and without her and her summons we will be at a distinct disadvantage once our current supply of seals runs out.”
“Strike while we still hold the advantage and hope it’s enough to secure victory then?” Ryuko murmured, considering the situation before giving a short nod. The rest of the council looked over the map before a tentative plan was drawn up and a target selected. The Shimura were in the northern reaches of Hi and that meant their farmland was comparatively scarce. This late in summer, their fields would be full of vulnerable grain and any march on their territory would force a response.
“We’ll ensure it’s enough to secure victory.” Madara firmed his resolve and let his conviction overpower the other emotions roiling within him. He had to be better, he couldn’t afford to give in to his curse or to his many anxieties. He had a clan to lead, family to protect and someone precious to rescue. He would not fail any of them.
***
Thousands of chakras illuminated the darkness of Madara’s closed eyes as he focused on his chakra sense. Sakura’s blank chakra sharpened the image until it was nearly as clear as the sharingan but with far greater range thanks to her perfect control. The entire battlefield was revealed to the young teen and he watched as the Shimura broke up into strike groups, preparing to fight a desperate series of hit and run engagements. It was a smart strategy and with their suppressed chakra, it would usually prove effect but today it wouldn’t be enough.
“They’re coming, we’re going to smash then and once their forces are broken we’ll blast our way into their citadel with the explosive notes. We’ll burn their keep to the ground and send a message none will forget. Our allies will be protected, our enemies raised to the ground.” Madara projected his voice with chakra and felt the wave of fiery determination that spread through the Uchiha and their retainers. The clan was ready for war, they held Hikyo and the Senju were a day away, unable to provide assistance in time for what was about to happen.
Smirking, Madara began to send out orders to his troops. Crows relayed the messages, carrying death on their black wings as he began the process of guiding the Shimura into a trap. Sakura had made thousands of explosive tags over the years and the Uchiha had a stockpile of them at this point. Not a massive one, but more than enough for today’s show of force. Besides the goal was to send a clear message, the Uchiha could not be defeated or defied, they were the masters of Hi and the sooner everyone realized that, the sooner there would be peace.
“Shou’s group has engaged the enemy.” Madara announced and quickly a flight of birds flew through the trees, carrying messages to nearby times. “Akihiko’s group are pushing too far forward, have her pull back.” Madara continued, noting several injuries among his soldiers and nicking his thumb before slamming his hand into the ground. The burst of chakra that accompanied his summons momentarily blinded his senses but it cleared quickly. “Please ferry my injured clansmen to Katsuhito for healing.”
“Very well Madara-sama.” The eagle rumbled, its piercing eyes holding no signs of irritation at being used as an ambulance as it flapped its wings and took off.
“Aniue?” Izuna asked, wondering when they would take to the battle. Madara just shook his head and focused himself. Normally this task would be left to Sakura who could sense chakra and split her focus between the battlefield and her surroundings seamlessly thanks to her Hagoromo bloodline. It made her the perfect battlefield commander, able to keep track of the chaos that was a pitched battle between two hyper mobile armies while remaining a potent combatant.
‘Almost there,’ Madara grinned as he felt the Shimura chakra signatures begin to coalesce. The Uchiha had met them in kind, forming small kill teams rather then a more cohesive block and with their superior numbers the results were obvious. Madara’s grin was a terrifying sight as he gave the order to fall back, his chakra sense carefully watching his kin fall back and the moment they were clear he pulsed his chakra.
In the distance a series of explosions went off, echoing over the battlefield a heartbeat ahead of a titanic blast that consumed the Shimura formations. Madara could feel the heat of the detonation from where he was standing and marveled at the destruction wrought by mere ink and paper. Sakura might consider herself weaker than him and Izuna, and in a duel she’d be right, but when it came to the clashes that shaped the course of history, her seals were in the same class as boss summons and bijuu.
“Push up, eliminate any survivors and take their dolls prisoner if you can!” Madara knew that if Sakura was in this formation, she wouldn’t have fallen victim to the trap and his kin would die to recover her. Her fate hadn’t been announced but the Sarutobi were an easier target and yet the Uchiha had moved on the Shimura. Many had drawn the obvious conclusion and the rage at the idea that one of their own had been taken fanned the fires of hatred in the soldiers’ hearts as they swept across the Shimura’s province.
The shattered remnants of the Shimura army couldn’t resist them and where brushed aside with easy. Towns and villages were were left ablaze, their fields set alight and the dolls guarding them subdued by sharingan genjutsu, the sheer weight of numbers making it easy to crush even those with genjutsu resistance into the dirt.
The Shimura clan fortress was an open goal, the seals and defenses pathetic in comparison to Hikyo and most of the citadel’s defenders were gone. Madara laughed as he summoned Fujin, the massive bird letting out an ear piercing cry as it called down cutting blasts of wind and scorching bolts of lightning. Madara could feel the sudden panic in the defenders as the Uchiha scaled the walls before they could react, their wards blown to shreds by a barrage of explosive tags.
Flames quickly began to race through the citadel, the homes of the Shimura clan going up in a blaze while the barracks of the doll soldiers fell silently but just as swiftly.
“A good hunt, the prey never saw their deaths coming.” Fujin rumbled from beneath Madara and he met the bird’s glowing eyes. Madara straightened his back and did his best to hide his nerves at being under this particular eagle’s gaze. Fujin’s chakra was vast and standing atop the eagle king’s feathers he could feel it blanketing him entirely. The bird could end him with a thought and they both knew it but Madara refused to be cowed. “This is for your mate.”
“Sakura isn’t my mate.” Madara hadn’t found the courage to ask if she saw him the same way yet and besides they were too young for such things. He didn’t even understand romance and the beginnings of puberty were confusing at the best of times. Izuna and the clan’s expectations would have to wait, Madara wasn’t going to risk what he had on what Akihiko affectionately called puppy love.
“Yes, I suppose you still have your pin feathers hatchling.” Fujin replied, amusement briefly audible in the mighty bird’s voice as it banked away from the blazing citadel. “Join your kin, your comrade isn’t in these lands and that seal on your hand would vanish if she died. She will return to you given time.”
“Thank you for the news.” Madara tried not to feel the hope that came to life within him too strongly. Sakura could still die, the Shimura of her lands had her, but that begged the question, if these weren’t the same Shimura, where was she?
***
Flames and screams filled the air and explosions rocked the earth. The blue skies that had dominated the morning where now dyed black by thick, inky smoke that blotted out the sun. The whistle of kunai, screams and the horrible sound of blades rending flesh were everywhere. Among the chaos, Shimura Nao dodged and fumbled. His left side was scorched and his breath came in ragged gasps due to his cracked ribs.
The Uchiha had come out of nowhere, no news from the battle had reached the citadel before they had appeared like a divine catastrophe. Jumping down the outer walls, Nao dodged a kunai and sent out a volley of shuriken before flickering forwards and more importantly away from the Uchiha. He could feel them pursuing him, but with every yard he put between them, their intent lessened until they finally broke off.
Nao knew better then to stop running and pushed his wounded body hard. The Uchiha were likely rounding up the dolls, likely intent on re-purposing them for their own ends. The sharingan would have made the conditioning process so much easier but there was simply no way to steal the legendary dojutsu. Nao grit his teeth and ignored his waning chakra, filling his body with the vital energy and upping his speed as he moved across the countryside. The remaining Shimura soldiers that had been sent to the Senju needed to know what had happened. They no longer had a home, their crops were ravaged and their weapons pilfered by their enemies.
They could no longer afford to fight alongside the Senju in open war. The survivors would have to rebuild if the clan had any hope of surviving. The main family were gone, Nao saw no signs of them as he moved through what had only hours before been Shimura lands as he crossed into the Senju border. Almost immediately Senju patrols diverted towards him, leveling their swords at him as he surrendered without a fight.
They would bring him to Hashirama and then he could start planning the Uchiha’s demise. Even if it took his whole life. Even if it took generations, the Uchiha would perish. This Nao swore.
***
“You know this changes things.” Touka stated grimly as she sat on a cliff overlooking the sea of trees that stretched endlessly before the Senju’s main fortress. Hours earlier news had arrived of the Uchiha’s advance on the Shimura. The response teams had been assembled but before they could even clear Senju territory word had reached them that the Shimura’s citadel had fallen. “We can’t rely on numbers, only skill and even that could be taken out if the Uchiha are prepared.”
“Or I could change the battlefield.” Hashirama replied quietly, looking at the trees far below. They would answer his call, if he only asked. Nature was his to command, the mokuton requiring one third the chakra of a normal jutsu and his reserves were immense. “I could probably defend our soldiers against Sakura’s explosives.”
“We need to take her off the board but I’d rather not…” Touka fell silent and shook her head. Her emotions ran cold, much like the rest of the Senju but she didn’t let them dull completely. She let her heart guide her, even when it made her life difficult. She refused to lower herself like the other women of the clan. They had numbed their emotions, dulled their bitterness and pride, letting themselves be treated as nothing more then broodmares. Touka would never accept such a fate, even if it meant rejecting her clan’s blessing entirely.
“I’d rather not kill Sakura-chan.” Hashirama agreed and gave Touka a grateful smile. Years had passed but the pair still hoped that friendship could triumph over the hatred that bound their clans. Clearly Madara and Sakura felt the same, or they wouldn’t have returned the Senju dead. It wasn’t an insult but rather an olive branch, not that Tobirama or the council saw it that way. To them it was an insult, a mocking boast of how many Senju had been killed, though Hashirama knew better.
“I’d rather not kill Madara.” Touka added and returned Hashirama’s smile before letting the expression drop. Her brown eyes scanned the forest and a warm wind swept over the world, the trees swaying and the forest itself shifting and moving. The smell of life was all around them, even as their minds dwelled on death. “We’re going to need to respond, even if we don’t want war. The council would depose you in a heartbeat and Tobirama would replace you. He wouldn’t kill you but…”
“But he’d lock me up for my own good and force you into going rogue.” Hashirama knew Touka, the woman would never accept a political or arranged marriage. She’d told him as much the very first day he’d returned following Butsuma’s death. It had been a blunt declaration, she was to decide her own fate or she’d leave the clan, come what may. Hashirama respected Touka far too much to force the issue so he’d agreed and now they sat side by side, the only two sane souls in Hi no Kuni, though perhaps Madara and Sakura would count. It had been years without any real contact.
“So what now? I’m not really one for politics.” Hashirama was grateful for Touka’s presence. The woman lacked his immense chakra reserves but her brilliance, fine control and uncanny battle instincts more than made up for any physical deficiencies and she was wickedly skilled with a tachi.
“Well, now we’ll have to fight. The council won’t allow a ceasefire and the Uchiha won’t surrender so it’s war.” Touka slapped her hands onto her thighs and then stood up. The kunoichi stretched her back and rolled her shoulders, her easygoing behavior offset by the grim twist of her lips and the hard look in her eyes. “And if you really want to see peace, without killing off the Uchiha, you’re going to need to kill off the council and put people in place who will agree with us.”
“Us?” Hashirama asked, looking at Touka within open surprise. Touka smirked at him, even though her eyes remained cold and determined.
“I can’t let you go off on this adventure alone. Gods know what kind of trouble you’d get into without my help.” Touka flicked Hashirama’s forehead and then offered him her hand. The Senju head smiled and accepted it, letting her pull him to his feet. “We’ll need like minded allies, that won’t be an easy task.”
“I’m good at making friends, if nothing else.” Hashirama replied and Touka chuckled and shook her head. The two returned their eyes to the forest, the trees swaying and birds chirping happily. It was a beautiful day, one ill suited for discussions of war and death. “Is it strange I’m not angry at them?”
“Perhaps, but they were kind to us, even though Madara’s older sister had already been killed by our clan.” Touka admired the dead Uchiha, even though the girl had never even made it to her teenage years, her story had left an impression on the Senju kunoichi. Everyone had known the name Uchiha Kagami and had come to associate it with power. Had the girl still been alive, Hashirama had no doubt the war would be even more grim for the Senju then it currently was.
“I never realized or rather I guess I just never thought…” Hashirama let out a sigh and trailed his fingers through the dirt. Grass sprang up and coiled around his fingers affectionately, flowers blossoming despite the time of year. “It’s so easy to think of this from the Senju point of view. If only they’d listen to us. If only they would forgive. It’s hard to remember that the same thing applies in reverse but I suppose that’s just human nature.”
“Humans stand above nature. We have the right to chose when to listen to our instincts and when to deny them. That is what separates us from beasts. It might be hard but if you want to be more then just a beast, chose well.” Touka’s words were exactly what Hashirama needed to hear and he bumped his shoulder against hers. The girl smirked and jostled him back before nodding towards the clan compound, the message obvious. Now that Hashirama had cleared his head, they had business to attend to and elders to misplace mid-battle.