Spring of Year 24
The winter had finally passed. For over two weeks, Uchiha Madara had not attacked the village.
Senju Hashirama began to hope that perhaps Madara had finally let go. But Senju Tobirama, correctly sensed that Madara was scheming something far worse.
Konoha exhaled in cautious relief.
Until night fell
***
At a forested mountain range near an abandoned temple located in northern part of Land of Fire.
Uchiha Madara steadily took his step through the shadows. His crimson eye was locked onto the colossal beast before him.
"Nine-Tails,"
An orange titanic beast loomed while its colossal nine tails swayed like thunderclouds. The most powerful of nine chakra beasts.
"You are but a momentary life, a temporary existence of coalesced energy… energy that once was a single, ultimate form!"
He raised his right hand forming a seal with his index and middle fingers as he began to activate his dojutsu.
"An unstable force, lacking in intelligence or purpose. You require a guide. That guide is the Uchiha! The tailed beasts are but slaves to those with these blessed eyes. Obey!"
The nine tailed fox's red iris with vertical pupil now bore the three tomoe of the sharingan.
***
The sky burned red, as if the sun itself were settling the heavens ablaze before banishing behind the horizon.
Madara stood at the edge of Konoha's vicinity, releasing chakra into the air. It was an invitation to his old friend.
Senju Hashirama.
Madara's eyes gleamed with a clarity and determination he hadn't shown in years. This was no longer a dance. It was the beginning of the final battle. The path to his True dream.
***
"Hmmm?!"
Hashirama sensed the familiar chakra signature. He donned his armor and scrolls, but frowned at the direction. Northwest.
'Madara….. we always fought in the Northeast forests. Why now? Why this late?'
"Anija!"
Tobirama clad in his blue armor rushed into the Hokage office with a flash of Hiraishin.
"There is something strange about today. Be careful!"
Hashirama smiled warmly. Tobirama's paranoia about Uchiha was well-known among the Senju clansmen, but his love for his brother was even more well-known.
"Tobirama, don't worry. Madara and I are just going to stretch a bit. HAHAHAHA!"
But as soon as he left the village, Hashirama's face turned grim. He felt it too; today's Madara was different.
***
"?!!!!"
Another figure stirred.
Fukashi felt Madara's chakra. He whispered to himself, voice heavy with resolve.
"Sensei…... this time, I must reach you no matter what."
Fukashi began preparing to leave when Shinichi called out.
"Dad! Are you going out?"
Fukashi hesitated, then turned.
"Son… there's someone I want you to meet."
"your Sensei?"
"??!!... Yes. My sensei."
Fukashi was stunned – not by the question, but by how easily Shinichi had deduced the truth. His son's intelligence had always been exceptional. Something that can't be expected from a five years old child.
"Okay. Let's make it quick. There's a hidden passage between buildings. We'll exit from the south then head Northwest."
"????!!!!"
Fukahsi's eyes widened. Shinichi hadn't just figured out his plan – he'd improved it.
"What are you waiting for, Dad? Let's go."
Shinichi tossed him a black cloth large enough to conceal and adult. Fukashi smiled bitterly, then hurried to follow his son into the night.
***
"Madara."
"Hashirama."
The two old friends stood facing each other in a small valley, just beyond Konoha's reach.
"Madara… Have you thought it through? Are you willing to return?"
Hashirama already knew the answer. The Gunbai. The war-sickle. Madara's stance was obvious. However, the red armor that reminded of their friendship, compelled him to ask anyway.
"Hashirama… you naïve fool." Madara stated in a calm and cold tone. "I told you before… Before I reach the True Dream, I will enjoy my dances with you…. Now is simply the time to end this farce. Kill me, or I will destroy Konoha today!"
Madara erupted with strong battle intent and momentum as his obsidian eyes turned into crimson sharingan.
And just like old times, they began with shurikenjutsus.
Shuriken Kage Bunshin no Jutsu 手裏剣影分身の術(Shuriken shadow clone technique)
Shuriken Kage Bunshin no Jutsu 手裏剣影分身の術(Shuriken shadow clone technique)
Hashirama, was shocked by Madara's last remark and did not have any time to formulate a response. He quickly returned the same jutsu back to Madara. And distanced himself from him.
The valley echoed with clash of steel. Shurikens collided midair, scattering across the ground.
Madara moved first, weaving through series of hand seals.
Katon Gokakyu no Jutsu !! 火遁・豪火球の術 (Fire release : Great Fireball Technique!)
A fire ball about a size of the Hokage building roared towards Hashirama.
Looking at the size of the fireball, Hashirama widened his eyes and quickly formed the serpent seal.
Mokuton: Mokujōheki 木遁・木錠壁(wood release: Wood Locking Wall)
The wooden wall rose, but the fireball – no, the fire meteor – burned through it.
"Oi! Oi! Madara, are you serious?! You call that a fireball?" Hashirama shouted, half-joking.
Madara was already upon Hashirama with the war sickle slashing down on him. Hashirama blocked with his own blade.
"Shut up Hashirama! Get Serious!" Uchiha Madara glared at him.
The two exchanged blows with their weapons and taijutsu before leaping apart.
Madara bit his thumb and slapped it on the ground
Kuchiyose no Jutsu 口寄せの術(Summoning Technique)
With a large puffing sound, a smoke large enough to cover the entire valley, and perhaps even half of current Konoha, engulfed the surroundings followed by a roar splitting the sky.
The Nine-Tails appeared, its massive form dominating the landscape. Its tails swept the terrain clear.
Hashirama's eyes widened in shock and pride, congratulating Madara's strength and growth.
'Madara, to think that you would even tame the tailed beast. You have grown stronger.'
Mokuton: Jukai Kōtan 木遁・樹界降誕(Wood release : Deep Forest Emergence).
Trees erupted, entangling the beast. Hashirama unfurled a scroll atop a branch.
Kai! 解! (release!)
With a puff of smoke multiple great swords, shurikens, Kunais, and halberd towering over Hashirama appeared imbedded on the tree branch.
Hashirama grabbed onto the hilt of his sword once more with his right hand and with left hand he formed a simple seal. The mokuton branches than grabbed on to the hilts of each weapons and launched a barrage.
Madara already leaped off from the wood tangled Nine tails' head and leaped toward Hashirama. Both Hashirama and Madara knew that Jukaikotan alone will not restrain Nine tails much longer.
Madara's Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan rapidly scanned the battlefield, reading the movements of each branch striking against him. Not wasting a single ounce of energy, Madara efficiently dodged, deflected, and reabsorbed the strikes with his war sickle and Gunbai.
The strikes he cannot block or dodge, Madara used his dojutsu to reverse the attacks and pressed forward.
As Madara closed the distance, Hashirama threw a shuriken and leapt forward.
Shuriken Kage Bunshin no Jutsu 手裏剣影分身の術(Shuriken shadow clone technique)
Watching the barrage of Shurikens chasing after him, Uchiha Madara raised his Gunbai before him with practiced ease.
Uchihagaeshi! うちは返し!(Uchiha Return!)
The shurikens reversed course. Hashirama guided a Mokuton branch to intercept.
They clashed midair with sickle, sword, and Gunbai. Their faces inches apart
"Hashirama!!!!"
"Madara!!!!!"
The Nine tails continued to wrestle with the jukaikotan stumps with little effort, until it suddenly used its tails to snap all the trees around it, followed by a roar of sound waves that disintegrated every single tree branch and root on its path.
Madara and Hashirama broke off from the stalemate and returned to their original positions.
Until now, Madara only half-heartedly controlled Nine tails. He wanted to fully enjoy the clash with Hashirama up close before they both start using their grand scale jutsus.
The duel resumed.
Mokuton: Mokuryū no Jutsu 木遁・木龍の術(Wood release: Wood Dragon Technique)
The branch next to Hashirama transformed into A massive and long wooden dragon with yellow glowing eyes and started to entangle the Nine-tails restraining it.
Madara's Sharingan began to spin ominously.
Nine tails held on to the neck of the wood dragon with its hand and opened its mouth wide gathering chakra – Black and Red, Yin and Yang – into a massive sphere.
Bijūdama 尾獣玉(Tailed beast bomb)
*correct translation should be tailed beast ball as d(T)ama 玉 means ball, but I decided to use bomb because it sounds better than Tailed beast ball and it is literally a chakra bomb. *
The massive chakra sphere fired off directly into the wooden dragon's face, instantly obliterating it as it continued to bulldozed through the wooden serpentine body and made its way towards Hashirama.
Mokuton: Mokujin no Jutsu 木遁・木人の術(Wood release: wood human technique)
The branch beneath Hashirama transformed into a towering bipedal wooden golem. Its hands caught the Bijudama mid-flight and redirected it towards the Nine-Tails and Madara.
Madara immediately summoned a half-body Susanoo, its twin blades crossed in front.
The explosion engulfed the valley. It left 2 km radius incinerated, 10 km flattened.
Isō: Susanoo 威装・須佐能乎(Majestic Attire Susanoo)
Mokuton: Hōbi no Jutsu 木遁・榜排の術(Wood release: wood expulsion technique)
The explosion and the mushroom cloud dust began to settle.
Madara Uchiha stood atop the Susanoo-armored Nine-Tails.
The mask closed over its face as he scanned the crater and found a wooden bunker.
"Hobi no jutsu…. specialized against tailed beast's chakra…."
The wooden bunker split open, revealing unscathed Senju Hashirama standing with a smile filled with admiration and recognition.
'Madara, to coat the Nine tails with Susanoo… What an amazing jutsu.'
Nine-Tails raised its Susanoo sword and struck toward Hashirama but its blade was intercepted by giant wooden hands.
"I can read your sword strikes!"
Hashirma clasped his hand and then spread them open like a book with both palms facing towards Madara. He rotated his arms so that his right palm will be spread on top of his left palm.
Mokuton: Hotei no Jutsu 木遁・皆布袋の術(Wood release: Laughing Buddha Technique)
Madara quickly moved his eyes to scan the surrounding chakra fluctuations.
Five massive wooden hands erupted from the crater's edges, encircling Madara and Nine-Tails.
However, Nine-Tails swiftly swiped the surrounding areas with its Susanoo Chakra sword, Decapitating all of the massive wooden hands and the surrounding mountain ranges.
The sword strike sent massive shockwave that tore through the valley, destabilizing the ground, and sending Senju Hashirama somersaulting through the air. He quickly recovered mid-flight using flying debris to propel himself farther from Konoha.
'At this rate, the surrounding lands will be completely obliterated. We must move the battlefield… to the waterside.'
Hashirama quickly shunshined northward, toward a great lake nestled between distant mountain ranges.
"I won't let you escape!"
Madara chased after him, controlling the Nine-Tails with ruthless precision. The beast formed another bijudama, but this time, Madara stabbed the Susanoo blade into the sphere detaching the hilt and hurled the spinning chakra sphere towards Hashirama. Madara learned his lesson and did not repeat the same mistake only for Hashirama to take advantage of it.
Isō: Susanoo: Jūrindama 威装・須佐能乎・獣躙玉 (Majestic Attire: Susanoo: Trampling Beast Balls)
"Try catching this!"
The bijudama equipped with Susanoo blade spun like a compressed tornado, annihilating everything in its path as it bulldozed towards Hashirama.
Hashirama's eyes widened. He was certain. He couldn't dodge and he couldn't block it with Mokuton.
Hashirama bit on to his thumb and slammed his hand into the earth. Black calligraphic drawings spread out in circle.
Kuchiyose: Gojū Rashōmon 口寄せ・五重羅生門(Summoning : Quintuple Rashomon)
Five demon-faced gates erupted in succession, each one a different color and shape.
'This should change the trajectory'
'You decided to change the trajectory….'
The bomb tore through all five, its trajectory was altered, but not stopped. It flew across the lake and struck a mountain on the opposite shore.
'It reached the far shoreline…'
The explosion dwarfed the previous Bijudama, tripling the size and tripling the devastation.
Hashirama now stood with the lake behind him. He realized extending the battle would only favor Madara. The Nine-Tails was feeding Madara chakra, replenishing him endlessly.
"Hashirama…., it has been a while since we fought so seriously. You should have realized by now that I am not the same as before."
Hashirama clasped his hand and stood motionless as he gathered the natural energy.
"Madara, are you truly going to throw away all that we have accomplished until now?! Are you going to make our efforts into nothing?! We will achieve nothing from battling like this! This fight will only hurt the village and the people. This is nothing more than insulting our siblings and our friends!"
Madara's eyes flared with rage.
"You know nothing about me and my– "
"I don't want to kill you Madara."
"…Are you implying that you could kill me at any time?"
"No! I am trying to say that we are still friend! And a Brother!"
Madar's fury reupted. To speak of brothers – when he had none left – was unforgivable. Especially when Tobirama was still alive.
"I have already reached it!!!!!!!"
'the stone skipping dream… the True Dream.. it was within reach.'
*referring to stone skipping they did together as teens at the river during Sengoku era*
"Then there is no choice."
Hashirama closed his eyes. Natural energy surged. Balck markings formed on his face; double circles on his forehead, pigmentation around his eyes and cheeks. His irises turned golden.
His eyes were no longer filled with hesitation.
Only determination to win filled them now.
Senpō! 仙法! Sage Art!
Mokuton: Shin Sūsenju 木遁・真数千手(Wood Release: True Several Thousand Hands)
A titanic Buddha statue emerged, dwarfing even the Susanoo-clad Nine-Tails. Thousands of tailed beasts-sized hands formed a dome behind it. Five elemental buddha heads circled its forehead. Atop its crown stood a wooden golem entwined with a dragon and Hashirama stood on its head, looking down.
"Here I come! Madara!"
"Bring it on! Hashirama!"
The two giants charged, reshaping the terrain with every step.
Chōjō Kebutsu 頂上化仏(Top Transformed Buddha)
Thousands of first detached from the Buddha's back, raining down like meteors.
Kyōsō Enbu 凶騒円舞(Chaos Dance)
Madara retaliated by firing Jurindama from the Nite-Tails' tails and mouth in rapid succession. But the barrage couldn't match the sheer volume of wooden fists.
Explosion went on for full minute long.
The collision decimated a nearby mountain ranges, leaving only one peak standing.
Smoke cleared.
The Buddha's back was bare. The Nine-Tails' Susanoo armor was half-destroyed.
Hashirama guided the Buddha to detach its circular backplate and used its hand to capture the Nine-Tails. He was sweating now, exhausted for the first time since becoming clan head.
Madara discarded the remaining Susanoo armor and absorbed the last of the Nine-Tails' chakra. Then, he leapt to a nearby vantage point.
He had achieved his goal.
Regardless of Madara's action, Hashirama leapt from the Buddha's crown, riding the wooden golem. He spread its arms. On its palm bore the kanji 座(Za : sit).
Kakuan Nitten Suishu 廓庵入鄽垂手 (Kakuan Monk returns to society and spreads Enlightenment)
"You are too powerful Nine Tails…. Go to sleep for now!"
Nine-Tails finally regained control over its body but found himself in imprisonment again by a different captor. It roared in defiance, but the wooden palm reached its forehead, draining its already depleted chakra and lulling it into slumber.
Hashirama turned to chase Madara.
Still in Sage Mode, but fading.
His breath was heavy. His body weary.
For the first time, Senju Hashirama felt the weight of mortality.
Madara, by contrast, was calm. Collected. He had still underestimated Hashirama. He did not expect that Hashirama also mastered Sage mode, but the outcome was exactly as he'd planned. The Nine-Tails had served its purpose as weapon and chakra battery. Even captured, it had exhausted both Hashirama and itself.
"Madara… Can you reconsider… for our friendship."
"HAH?! Friendship?! Didn't you say that you can kill me anytime you wanted?!"
Hashirama hadn't said that, but Madara's interpretation was twisted by pain.
"Are you still clinging on to this bond and relationship because of the armor that I wear? Then I will sever that bond for you!!!"
"!!!"
Madara tore off the red armor Hashirama had gifted him after Konoha's founding. He felt freer without it. After all, he had spent more time on battlefields without the armor than with it.
"..."
"Wake up Hashirama! Accept reality! Nothing goes as planned in this world! The longer you live, more you will realize that only pain, suffering, and futility exists in this reality. As long as there exists a concept of victors, the vanquished will also exist. Just like how Uchiha lost to Senju and I lost to you…. And Izuna… to Tobirama."
Madara's voice trembled with rage.
"Victory and defeat, light and darkness. They're two sides of the same coin… To protect something… another must be sacrificed. I gave up my revenge for Izuna because I did not have enough power and accepted our lost friendship…hoping that this hole in my chest could be filled back with something. But I was still drowning myself in a non-existent concept such as hope."
The rage in his voice disappeared followed by a unnerving tranquility and calmness. There were no emotion there. Only void.
"One thing I learned from Konoha is that concept of hope is nothing more than giving up. It is a word that holds no true meaning."
Hashirama patiently listened to Madara's monologue with a heartache. How did he not notice his friend's pain and despair for so long?
"Madara... If our bonds and friendship mean nothing to you. Why do you bother to explain all of this to me? Deep down, you still believe in Konoha. In our dream and our friendship and Brotherhood! None of this can be so easily severed!"
Madara closed his mouth for a moment and stared at Hashirama with his Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan.
"... I am only wasting some time so your Senjutsu Chakra will dissipate."
"Madara…. It is easier to gather Senjutsu Chakra when I remain immobile..."
"…"
"…"
"Hashirama!!!!!!"
"Madara!!!!!!"
As if triggered by those words, they moved.
Hashirama acted first, squeezing the last of his Sage chakra
Senpō: Myōjinmon 仙法・明神門(Sage Art: Gates of Gracious God)
Seven massive tori gates crashed down, binding Uchiha Madara to the ground in a kneeling position.
"HASHIRAMAAAAA!!!!!"
Madara roared in defiance, his Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan spinning violently. Blue chakra flickered as he summoned Susanoo, its form shifting erratically between its skeletal, human, and armored forms. His chakra burned away. The senjutsu chakra of the Tori gate seeped inside him, disrupting the chakra flow.
Hashirama, too, was fading. His Sage Mode was nearly gone. He wasn't sure he could win.
Madara burned through his chakra to discard the natural energies that penetrated through his system and broke free with a half-formed Susanoo. He swiftly formed a single-handed tiger seal.
Katon: Gōka Messhitsu 火遁・豪火滅失(Fire release: Majestic Demolisher Flame)
His Susanoo mirrored the seal and unleashed a torrent of flame.
Mokuton: Mokujōheki 木遁・木錠壁(wood release: Wood Locking Wall)
Hashirama summoned a massive dome, but the flames and Susanoo blade crushed half of it. He tried to retreat, but stumbled out of exhaustion.
KWUANGGG!!!!!
Smoke and debris filled the area of impact.
….
Whoosh!!!
Through the haze, a figure hurriedly fled.
Madara, having overexerted himself, dispelled Susanoo and gave chase.
Madara also over exhausted his chakra from expelling the invasive Senjutsu chakra. He quickly dispelled his Susanoo and chased after escaping Hashirama to prevent him from recovering.
***
Under full moon.
A mountain range had been flattened into a valley. A stream of fresh water trickled through the new terrain.
At the valley's base, two figures stood – separated by the stream.
Madara, in his high-collared mantle, held his war sickle and Gunbai. Hashirama, in crimson armor, stood opposite – his left arm burned and exposed, steam rising from rapid healing.
Both men were panting.
They locked eyes, obsidian meeting obsidian, and remembered their youth.
"This time… it will be you who falls."
"!"
They charged.
Madara blocked Hashirama's sword with his Gunbai and slashed his shoulder with the sickle.
Hahirama stumbled from pain and fell on the stream.
Madara stood with his back exposed proudly towards Hashirama with his clean Uchiha clan emblem in full view as if declaring his victory.
In a split second decision, Hashirama's eyes gleamed with determination and quickly formed a final hand seal within the stream.
Madara turned slowly.
"The last to stand is me…...
…...it is the opposite from that time."
Senju Hashirama gasped, bleeding
"EUK…. Huff! Huff!
… I
Huff!
…...I wanted to protect. the dream we've just reached.
Huff! Huff!
…. Anymore than this is…"
Uchiha Madara stared down on fallen Senju Hashirama.
"…It seems you are quite desperate… I guess it is not an act this time?"
Hashirama stared back at him in defiance.
Hashirama slowly recalled the conversation and interaction they had since their youth until they created Konoha together.
[If people can reveal their guts to each other, then maybe we can truly understand each other. But that is impossible]
[If we don't want to lose our dream than we must gain power! Then the adults might listen to us.]
[Let's make our villages here!]
[Where there is a will there is a way…. I….]
[Now our dream will become reality]
Senju Hashirama opened his eyes as he made his final resolve.
Puchii!!!
A sword pierced Uchiha Madara's back.
"…!! … A Moku Bunshi…."
Madara stuttered in disbelief.
"To think I'd get caught off guard… from behind at that..."
During their last clash, Hashirama had substituted himself with a wood clone, knowing that Madara's chakra was too drained to detect it, much like himself. Hashirama then quickly gambled to substitute his body through wood clone release escape while Madara's back was still facing him.
"I will protect our…. No, my village. …No matter what. I still believe that protecting the village is the best method to safeguard the people… ninjas and Children. Even if that means that I might have to face against my friend, brother, or my own children. I will not show mercy to anyone who threatens the village!"
Madara was truly shocked by Hashirama's words.
"You've changed…. Hashirama…"
Madara fell forward into the stream his face did not show any signs of disappointment but only determination and confidence as he stared at his target inside the water.
"… You are putting the wagon before the horse now…. Hashirama…
That… will become the darkness… of the village... one day yo–"
Madara's body sank.
As Hashirama felt Madara's life completely extinguish, he suddenly felt a deep pain in his heart. As if indicating that his goal or his purpose has been achieved, Hashirama fell on his knees.
Then–
"NNOOOOooooooooooo~!!!!!!"
he heard few rushed footsteps heading towards them followed by an outcry filled with despair like none other.