Reborn in a daimyo's court-Naruto SI

"Do not talk to me about sins, boy. You here to gloat, then gloat," he challenged.
...
"Because I want you to accompany me on this trip."
Translation: "Oh, I have no intention of gloating. Instead, I'm giving you front row seats to the brown-pants level threat I've been working my entire life to prepare for. A threat your stubborn, pathetic and short-sighted beliefs and actions have not just let you ignore, or pre-empted my warning you, but have actively been helping all this time. A threat not to just your enemies, but also your own villages and people. A threat so serious that I can't even find an ounce of joy as I rub your faces in the truth, just simple pity and exhaustion. No, your punishment is to die fighting this threat, or the outcome of our collective failure. No winners here, but you definitely have lost."

That's what I felt him thinking in that scene.
 
Chapter 71-And the World Gathers!
Chapter 71

JIRAIYA-The Toad Sage


There was a time when the world seemed to be going in a circle. The times of war and peace followed each other like seasons and seemed to be becoming the new norm. Peace, the very purpose of creating the Hidden Villages, became a pipe dream as conflicts of clans turned into conflict of villages, and though this time there was no ever-present conflict like during the warring state era, the Great Ninja Wars were just as deadly.

And yet, that era was about to change once more. And Jiraiya was set to witness that change with his own eyes, as the whole continent was set to be carved into a single shogunate, a feat thought impossible but one that was becoming a reality with every passing day.

And yet before they could do this, they had to overcome one major challenge. A relic of the by gone era, trying to reshape the very world. Madara Uchiha. When he had first been told about the true enemy hiding in the shadows, he had dismissed it all, considering it nothing more than a conspiracy theory.

But with Tsunade herself supporting their Daimyo's word, he had no choice but to investigate, and in the end, the truth was even more shocking than he had thought. Madara Uchiha was alive and seeking to return to his prime, a very dangerous prospect that they had failed to stop.

Now, their only hope lay in defeating the Uchiha legend, a feat not easily accomplished.

"So, are you ready, Kushina," he asked the kyubi jinchuriki, the first one who had managed to tame the nine-tailed beast. That one thing had transformed Kushina Uzumaki from an S-ranked nin to an SS-ranked nin, making her one of the strongest people alive today.

"I am," the redhead answered, and they found themselves standing on of the Hoage faces, ready to carry out the task they had been entrusted with.

"Still, do you really think it will work," she asked him, and he shrugged.

"We will have to find out," he replied. The truth was he had been trying to find Orochimaru for years now, trying to locate his old teammate so that he could bring him to justice for the crimes he had committed against the village.

Yet to this day, all his efforts had failed him, and if he was to trust their daimyo's words, then it might have been because of Madara Uchiha. And now, with the council set to happen, he believed that Madara might be distracted, allowing his old teammate to give out a signal.

"I am still quite bummed, though," Kushina added, and he raised a brow.

"At what?" he asked.

"At being excluded from the whole Council thing," she baled out as she turned towards him.

"I cannot believe they left me here with you and took that Green Spandex wearing weird Genin," she balked out, and he laughed.

"Yeah, that was a surprise," he replied. Akihito Shirahoshi had four shinobi accompanying him. Three were the obvious choices: Tsunade, Fugaku, and Minato. But the problem came with the third.

It was a shinobi named Might Dai. An older shinobi who had the rank of genin, because he could not use any genjutsu or ninjutsu. All of them had argued against the decision to include this rather unique but powerless shinobi in the lineup, believing it to be a waste of space, especially when there was a high chance that they would be attacked by Madara during the summit.

But the young lord had persisted, going so far as to comment that the green spandex-wearing shinobi was his true trump card.

"Well, yeah, that was a surprise. No one can tell what goes on in the mind of our little daimyo," he replied. Wasn't that the truth?

"Yeah, he could have taken Lord Third. Or anyone else for that matter, yet for some reason, he chose that genin. Gods, I just hope it all works out," she sighed out and he nodded.

"Yeah, me too," and with that, he stretched his arms before he unbuckled the straps and unfurled the massive scroll tied to his back.

"Come, let us begin," he said as he unfurled the giant sealing formula. Kushina walked forward and settled down in one of the sealing arrays while he did the same in the other.

"Given that I alone was unable to find out the bastard's location using senjutsu, the daimyo-sama believed that combining that sensory technique with Kyuubi's specialized sensing may help us locate Orochimaru.

"Yeah, yeah. Let's get on with it," and with that, she plopped down, and he saw her chakra shift. In an instant, the red in her hair was gone, and so was her regular shinobi outfit. Only to be replaced by an orange chakra hue that covered her from head to toe as her eye transformed into slits.

And even as she sat beside him, the presence and chakra radiating off of her was something he had never seen. He doubted that even in his sage mode he could defeat her, and to think that Madara's clone had toyed with her in this state told him just how powerful of an enemy they were dealing with.

"Damn these youngsters," he cursed as he plopped down and closed his eyes, and began to absorb the natural chakra in the air, and soon enough, he felt his senses shift as he entered the sage mode. The two years of the war had given him time enough to master the technique, with the daimyo putting special emphasis on senjutsu, believing it to be their best weapon against a Madara Uchiha armed with the legendary Rinnegan.

As soon as he entered the sage mode, he felt his senses expand; they merged with Kushina's sensing abilities, and he began to feel more of the world than he ever had. The sheer volume of information coming to him was maddening, and only the tranquillity provided by the sage mode helped him siphon through all of it as he scanned the world for a sign.

And they sat there, for how long he did not know, until he felt it. A small blip, yet that was all he needed to recognize that chakra and presence, and in an instant, he opened his eyes and stood up.

"That's him," he said. He watched as Kushina rose from her position as well. He looked to the skies and saw that they had turned black and that night had fallen.

"You have his coordinates," he asked, and she nodded as she put her hand on his back.

"Let me give you a little push."

0000

FUSHIO SUZUKI


Fushio and his retinue were running a bit late, given that they were waiting for someone rather special. On Akihito's instructions, he had called out the elite of the elite from the Kiri nin, or more specifically, the more hinged of the elites in their ranks, for even after two years of relative peace, Kiri nice, especially the elite, ended up being rather unhinged.

However, that did not matter much given that he had their Mizukage ready to whip them into line whenever they got a bit rowdy, and according to her, the stability in the last years aided by the relative peace had allowed their nin to get settled, and ease into life. Now, even as he looked at the whole spiraling village infront of him, he found it rather lively and joyful rather than the gloomy and desolate place he had overtaken nearly three years ago.

"Will he really be here?" he asked Terumi Mei as he stood there on the roof of the Kage building.

"He will be. A letter came from him earlier showing his willingness to come to the summit," she told him.

"Is it really wise to take a jinchuriki with you, knowing that you are probably springing a trap?" she asked, and he nodded.

"Akihito is doing the same thing, and so will Kumo and Iwa. It is good that Utakata has volunteered. Kiri cannot lose its prestige by not bringing a jinchuriki to play their role in this great battle," he added, and at that, the other kage guard stepped forward.

"Why cannot we just get on with it?" he spoke as he joined them from the side, his white hair falling down on his face, hiding his eyes, and his sharp teeth speaking of just who he was.

"You promised me that I would get to fight an opponent unlike any I have ever seen. I just want to get on with it," the young shinobi continued.

"Behave yourself, Mangetsu. Do you know just who you are speaking to," Terumi mei raged, but he had gotten used to the young nin's attitude. He had been one of the Third Mizukage's vanguards, a shinobi believed to rival even Mei in his prowess.

A prodigy unlike any seen by Kiri. The true Seven-Headed Deamon of the Mist, with mastery over all of Kiri's seven Ninja Swords. Kiri's penultimate devil, Mangetsu Hozuki.

And then suddenly, the boy perked up and turned to the side, his expression loosing the nonchalance.

"I think he is here," and at that, he suddenly found a few bubbles falling out of the skies, and frowned before suddenly he saw a rather large bubble flying towards them, inside which was a shinobi dressed in a blue kimono with a flute-like an object in his hand.

"It's him," Mei told him as the bubble landed and exploded, and the shinobi walked towards them.

"I apologise for the delay, Mizukage-sama, Daimyo-sama. I had to find a chaperone for my student in my absence," he gave a small bow and nodded.

"Let us waste no more time." With that, Kiri's retinue began its journey to the summit.

0000

Back in, Ame Hanzo watched the three nin gathered infront of him and marveled at the progress the three had made in the two years as the orange-haired kid wore the white haori of a kage with that signature kage hat.

The boy gave him a nod and stepped forward as he walked out of the main building and through the large crowd of gathered Ame nin as they left for the summit.

The shinobi saluted them as they walked through them until they reached the edge of the city, and at that, Yahiko turned towards his friends.

"Let's go."

0000

In Suna, the Third Kazekage found himself staring at the two of his most elite shinobi, ready to escort him and their daimyo to the summit. Suna's jinchuriki's age made him unsuitable for the journey, and so he stayed back, but that did not mean Suna would let the other villages overshadow them.

"Are you sure you are up for this, Chiyo?" he asked the old puppet master, and she smiled and nodded.

"Maa, Maa. I don't know what you are talking about. I am still quite young, you know," and as his eye twitched at her answer, he shook his head, taking it at face value.

"Let's go."

0000

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Chapter 72-Wake up to Reality!
Chapter 72

AKIHITO SHIRAHOSHI


The journey to the land of Iron was quiet and contemplative. Each person in his retinue knew of the danger that lingered for them, knew of the war set to happen, and though Maito Dai was rather unique in trying to cheer up the mood, even he had given up rather quickly, realising that this was not the usual kind of crowd.

And say what you will of the eternal genin; he was strong. Akihito had been surprised to find the man alive, yet after one small talk with him, he knew that this was the man who had created the legendary technique that would become a beacon of hope for the allied shinobi forces against the indomitable Madara Uchiha.

It was cruel of him to use him this way, to bring him along as such a destructive and self-sacrificial shinobi. But Akihito was tired of playing fair, especially when it came to a shinobi who should have died. If Madara Uchiha did not care about playing fair, well, he could only reciprocate.

This was the final bout. The final battle. The Battle to end all battles and if they emerged victorious in this, all the sacrifices would be worth it.

"Is it wise bringing the two of them along," Minato asked me, as he pointed towards the carriage at the back carrying the two captured kages. And he had thought much about it, but the truth was that none could deny the strength of Ohnoki and Unruly Ay, or their influence for that matter.

If the alliance was to succeed, both Kumo and Iwa needed to see it for what it was: an alliance rather than an occupation. Both Ohnoki and Ay had been treated as per their station. He had strictly prohibited any torture, and other interrogation techniques and had made sure that they were treated well for they were still kages, and commanded the respect of thousands of shinobi.

"They can be useful assets in this fight. Assets that can help us bring our ties with Kumo and Iwa closer. It is a risk indeed, and I have been cautioned against trusting both of them by many men, but what can I say? I am a hopeless romantic," he said with a smirk, and Minato reciprocated and chuckled as he shrugged.

"As always, I will trust you. After all, you haven't led us astray yet," he said, and he nodded.

"And I am grateful for your trust, Minato-kun. None of what we have built and achieved today would have been possible without you. You made this all possible as much as I," and it was rare for both of them to have such a face given their rather bust schedules, and most of their communication would often be done through Tsunade-san, who was currently watching over their two prisoners.

And then he felt it, as a message arrived from Kurama.

And he closed his eyes, immediately.

"They have begun their search for Orochimaru," he added suddenly and saw Minato's eyes nodded.

"You still believe that the Snake-sanin is involved in this somehow," he asked and he could understand why the man would doubt him. Apart from those zetsu remnants there was nothing tying them both together, but that was enough for him with all he knew.

"Yes," he answered.

"And that he could be turned to our side," he added, and at that, Akihito shrugged.

"Orochimaru is a proud man. He is as brilliant and as conniving as a shinobi can be. If there is anyone who can make a failsafe while working for Madara Uchiha, it can only be him," Orochimaru of the Sanin was not like Kabuto. He was not blinded by ambition. He was a calculating, heartless monster.

By now, the man must have seen through Madara's intentions and realized that if the man achieved his goal, then there would be nothing left for anyone in the entire world. It would mean the end of civilization as we know it.

And in that case, he had no choice but to ally himself with us.

"And what will his cooperation cost us, and can Konoha even bear it," Minato asked.

"We will have to," he said as the carriage came to a stop as they reached their destination.

Akihito looked out the window and saw the massive spiraling city infront of him, as a retinue stepped forward.

He himself rose form his seat and stepped out of the carriage and was surprised to see the person who had come to welcome them.

"It is an honor to meet you, Lord Mifune," Akihito began, and the older samurai nodded and bowed.

"The honor is all mine, Akihito-sama," he said with a smile.

"Come let me lead you to the main castle," he said, and Akihito nodded. He joined the man, and they began to walk through the Land of Iron.

"Have the rest of them arrived?" he asked, and the older samurai nodded.

"Yes, the rest have gathered and preparations for the Grand Council are complete," he informed him.

"Then let us not waste any more time," and with that, he roused his chakra as the old man did the same, and then, in a single push, he jumped up and fell down through the hole in the rooftop and laded in the Hall where the rest of the daimyos and lords had gathered for the meeting.

As he landed slowly, he saw the two guards associated with each daimyo step forward to protect him. He also saw several familiar faces.

Fushio Suzuki was smiling at him as Utakata and Mangetsu stood infront of him. Darui and Cee stood infront of their own daimyo as a young Rasa and Chiyo did the same for theirs and so forth.

But one person had no guards there. He sat there, looking at him. Half his face was covered by the mask, and he raised a brow.

"So, you are finally here boy," he said as a greeting and Akihito nodded as he began to walk towards his seat, right at the head of the gathering on the platform raised.

"Let the Council commence."

0000

FUSHIO SUZUKI


The atmosphere in the Council room was tense as Akihito took his seat. His entrance was as flashy and unorthodox as his whole personality, breaking the mold of a stuffy politician.

Akihito's strength lay in his strangeness. His ability to cut through norms and anguishes so deeply rooted in their world, his ability to see beyond his circle of influence and into the whole wide world, set him apart from everyone else in the world.

And now they were all going to hear that vision.

"More than half a century ago, a similar Council was held," he began as he addressed them all, and not just them but the kage's sitting beside each one of them as well, while as a showcase of his own prowess Akihito did not have any of his own shinobi behind him.

"It was called the Five Kage summit, for its five participants. A gathering called by Hashirama Senju as he sought to put an end to the hatred of the era we now call the Warring State Period. And yet, even in that meeting, concerns were raised at the disproportionate power possessed by Konoha by virtue of it being created by the alliance of the two strongest clans of that era," he began, and it was all well-known history.

"Hashirama Senju sought to remedy that going on a campaign, as he gathered the Nine-Tailed Beasts, and then distributed them to the villages, as fail-safes, to protect their lands, and yet we would go on to make a mockery of that, mockery of all that effort and reject the very idea of peace," his voice grew louder.

"We let our conflicts grow, we fought war after war, only adding onto the mistake of Hashirama Senju as we killed millions, in the pursuit of what! NOTHING!" he roared.

"All of us gathered here are creations of that man's era. And yet, none here ever tried to live upto his dream, tried to further his dream of peace as we slaughtered one another for our greed and ambition," he continued, rising from his chair.

"And yet, now it is time for us to put an end to the era of Hashirama Senju. It is time for us to step forward and create our dreams and era. We need to correct his mistakes so that we may bring forth a better future for our children. For how long will we all continue to slaughter one another? How long shall we rejoice at the suffering of our neighbor," his tone became soft?

"I have not come here to make you submit or to make you bend the knee. I am here to welcome you into a new era, one where we shall strive to leave the world a better place. To make sure that we do not repeat the mistakes of our past and have it so that we need to send children to war. We can be better than that. We are better than that," he said as he stepped forward.

"For we may divided by borders, by color, and by so much more. But we are united in the love for our children, in the hope for their future, and so let us bring an end to this era of wars and danger and step forth into an era of peace and prosperity for all!" and many other joined him in the cheer and yet he did not miss the snarling faces of many in the crowd.

The new Earth daimyo specifically had his fists balled up and so did Kumo's as Akihito continued.

"And for all those who cannot find it in their hearts to let go of their hatred, and pain. Let me be the carrier of that burden, put it one me, your hate. Your Pain! I shall bear it as a badge of honor, I shall bear it all with a smile for I am no longer the daimyo of Fire Nation. I AM THE SHOGUN, AND I SHALL CARRY YOUR BURDENS FOR YOU!" he roared, his chakra leaking as it sent waves, cracking the very floor as he raised his fist into the air.

And then he felt it. That presence and immediately Mei was infront of him, and so were the rest of the Kages, all except the Hokage, who stood behind Akihito as a voice interrupted their gathering.

"You truly are worthy of that title, Akihito Shirahoshi," the voice rippled across the room. He looked towards the source and saw him standing on the roof, looking down at them.

"And yet you are as naive as Hashirama," he gulped as his throat dried up and Mei whispered.

"It truly is him," she gasped, and he nodded. He had seen only drawings of the man, and they could do no justice to his sheer presence as he jumped down and began to walk toward Akihito.

"Who are you?" Lord Mifune, the Samurai Lord of the land of Irons, stepped forward, as did a done or so samurai, their hands on the hilts of their blades, yet the man with the wild mane of hair was unbothered as he looked straight at Akihito.

"Wake up to reality!"

0000

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Chapter 73-Stacking the Deck!
Chapter 73

MINATO NAMIKAZE


After Akihito's revelations about their real enemy lurking in the shadows, Minato looked up all he could on the man known as Madara Uchiha. He was taken aback by the man's sheer fear. Minato Namikaze was strong. He was amongst the few shinobi in the world who had achieved the SS rank in the bingo boon, the only shinobi alive who had this rank.

And yet if the reports he had read about the man were anything to go by, Madara Uchiha was a shinobi in a class of his own, one shared by only the God of Shinobi, Hashirama Senju himself.

And yet all he currently knew, he had read about the man. Yet now, as the man stood infront of him, he realsied that words could hardly do justice to the monster who stood infront of him.

Now, despite being a kage, being hailed as a genius, and having spent the last two years preparing for this very eventuality, he still found himself gripped with dread as those dark orbs landed on their daimyo.

"You truly believe that you. A mere samurai, a politician, could do a better job than Hashirama," the man snarled as sheer fear gripped the hall. He saw the clattering teeth of many daimyos even as their pages shielded them, pages who had their faces pale at the intervention, with nearly all of them recognizing that iconic mane of hair.

"You criticize his work and his accomplishments while the peace you enjoyed was obtained through that man's sacrifice," he continued to ask as he looked Akihito-sama in the eye, and the young lord did not back off.

Despite knowing the danger and prowess hidden in those irises, he looked up straight into the man's eyes as he began.

"Hashirama Senju was a great man with an even greater dream. He dreamt of peace, of a world where no children would have to go to war," and his voice was slow and melancholic as he said those words.

"And he did not dream this future alone; he dreamt it up with a friend. With someone he considered a brother, someone who would help him achieve his dream and usher in this new age we now live in. And yet, for all his grandeur, he was not a God. He did not consider his work the ultimate achievement of his vision. He knew that it would take time, and here he made his only mistake," he smiled as he raised his hand and let the bijuu chakra cover it.

"In his attempt to buy that time, he tangled with powers he did not understand. He rushed to a conclusion and trapped sentient beasts inside humans, turning the very instruments of peace left to us by the Sage into weapons of warfare and destruction," and at that, the bijuu's chakra wrapped around him, coiling around his arm as a blue flame lit up.

And he saw Madara's eyes narrow as he saw that display of control over bijuu chakra.

"So that is your vision," he began, and Akihito-sama nodded as he closed his fist, extinguished the flame, and looked Madara Uchiha in the eye.

"Indeed. I wish only to push forward the change begun by Hashirama Senju and build upon the foundation he left us with in the best way I can and to believe as he did," he smiled.

"That those who shall come after me, after us, shall have a Hashirama of their own. One who would break the Mold and take up and correct the mistakes I make," and with that, there was silence.

"And what if you fail? You shall entrust the future of millions into hope. A blind hope. You have experienced the carnage that ripped through this world because of Hashirama's failures. You would let that cycle continue," he asked Akihito-sama shrugged.

"There is no such thing as absolute peace. People fight, they kill, they hate just as easily as they love one another. Wars will happen after me, maybe even in my own lifetime, there will never be a time when the world shall be free of war and conflict, for peace is only the respite between these conflicts. What we can hope to do is to shield the most downtrodden amongst us, to continue to believe in the generations to come to do better, to dream better," he finished, and Madara Uchiha's face twisted as he shook his head.

"You are just as naive as Hashirama then," finally Hanazo the Salamander rose from his chair. His eyes widened with shock as he looked at him.

"You! It really is you," he gasped out, and he saw Madara glance towards him.

"Salamander boy," Madara Uchiha smiled as he looked on at the man.

"WHO IS THAT MAN!" "GET HIM OUT OF HERE!" the Wind and Lighting daimyo snarled, ordering their pages as Madara Uchiha chuckled.

"I am afraid that even with all of us here, that would not be easy," Lady Chiyo spoke as she stepped forward, her face marred with worry.

"For that man is the one of the two who can be credited with creating the shinobi system as we know it. He is amongst the strongest shinobi ever produced in these lands," she answered and Madara Uchiha.

"It seems my tale is quite as forgotten as I thought," and with that, he turned to face the rest of the councilmen, turning his face away from him and Akihito-sama.

"As pure as your shogun's intentions may be, he shall face as Hashirama Senju did," he began, his voice booming across the room despite being barely louder, for that was the nature of the silence that gripped the room.

"Nothing ever goes as planned in this accursed the world. The longer you live, the more you realize the only things that exist in this reality are merely pain, suffering, and futility. Everywhere you look, where there is light, shadows will be found as well," and his words gripped the room as he stepped forward, basking in the moonlight, which illuminated his face as he raised his hand.

"As long as there is a concept of victors, the vanquished will also exist. The selfish intent of wanting to preserve peace means there will be war. And hatred is born in order to protect love. These are causal relationships that cannot be separated. I want to sever the fate of this world," he broke forth as he raised his hand.

"A world of only victors. A world of only peace. A world of only love," and sweat dripped down his face as he saw him proclaim his vision.

"I will create such a world. One where I shall take away from you your very will to war. A genjutsu, so strong that it would envelop the whole world in its embrace, taking away all your worries and ending this whole cycle of war," he finished, and he saw many pale at those words.

"J-Just—who is he?" the Lightning daimyo gasped out with a pale face as the man smirked.

"I am the Ghost of the Uchiha, the only man here who stood to shoulder with the one called the God of Shinobi," he finished with a smirk.

"Madara Uchiha," and with that, the whole room gasped as many denied those words. But the older generation of shinobi present did not do that, for they felt him. Felt his prowess and recognised him for who he was.

"And you, boy," at that, the man turned towards Akihito-sama.

"Pure as your intentions, maybe you are as naive as Hashirama. He would have liked you; pity though that he is no longer here to stop me," he said, and Akihito-sama smirked.

"I do not think I am much like the man you speak of, and more importantly at that," he saw Akihito-sama's face shift as he looked the man in the eye.

"I am far better prepared than you would think!"

At that, the floor of the council room cracked as four shinobi appeared from right below the man and encircled him with their attacks ready.

"CHAAAA!"
"KONOHA SENPUUU!"
"LATERAL BOLT OF PAIN!"
"EARTHEN GOLEMMM!"



"...ALMIGHTY PUSH!"

BOOOM!

0000

JIRAIYA-The Toad Sage


Kushina's little push helped him traverse nearly half of the country, and the rest he had been able to cover for himself as he rushed towards the subtle chakra signal, he had received earlier.

As he arrived, he found himself standing outside a decrepit cave, one covered by seals. Orochimaru's work he easily recognized. He had broken through many such seals when Konoha had been investigating his friend's work and research over the years, and the horrors he had seen inside shook him to this day.

And as he broke the seals, after all, Orochimaru's shoddy work was no match for his own, and began to walk towards the cave until he suddenly stopped as he felt a chakra coming out of it.

And then he watched as a silhouette appeared and walked outside, and his eyes narrowed as he snarled.

"Orochimaru," he snarled as he watched his once friend, turned traitor, walk outside, and yet he was not his friend in whole, for half his body seemed to be covered by a black shadowy object, obscuring his chakra.

"It has been quite some time, old friend," Orochimaru smiled, and he snarled.

"Don't call me that," he raged as stood tall. His sage mode gave him an ominous feeling about the dark thing covering Orochimaru.

"We are not friends, not after what you have done. You did not just betray Konoha, you have betrayed the whole of humanity," he raged and Orochimaru smiled.

"So, you know," he asked with a narrowed gaze and he smiled.

"We do," he replied and saw his eyes glint.

"You mastered it?" he asked, and he nodded as he brought together his hand.

"Surrender, and I will make it as painless as possible," he replied, and then suddenly Orochimaru's body changed as he brought together his hands, and another voice, this one much more gnarly, came out.

"I am afraid he cannot do that just yet." And with that, he put down his hands.

"Did you really think I would miss out on your little signal, Orochimaru," he heard another voice snarl as Orochimaru's chakra roared forth.

"Summoning Jutsu!" He jumped back and felt an ominous chakra appear.

"I know of all your slippery plans, you snake-faced bastard," he heard this other voice continue, and he stilled as he saw exactly what had been summoned by Orochimaru.

The daimyo-sama had mentioned it and propped up the idea, yet it seemed farfetched at the time. And yet it was happening, the forbidden technique created by the second, a kinjutsu unlike any other that broke the very rules of reality.

Edo Tensei.

And right now, he found himself staring at the recreation of the body of the greatest shinobi to ever grace these lands.

The God of Shinobi-Hashirama Senju.

He stilled as he saw the man open his eyes. His sclera was dark, and his skin was pale. It had cracks in it as if formed and held together by clay as Orochimaru put up his hand.

"ATTACK HIM!" came the order, and he felt the immense chakra of the first Hokage rile up and despite being in Sage mode Jiraiya felt fear grip his heart as he felt the man's gaze lock up on him.

"ATTAC...."

And then he saw it blur, and before he could even react, a massive explosion shook the entire area.

BOOOOM!

And then, through the debris, all he could watch was the Hokage gripping Orochimaru's body by the neck and holding him against the wall.

"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?" the foreign voice gasped, and then he saw it, at the neck of the first Hokage—Orochimaru's seal and now, as the man opened his eyes instead of the dark irises, there were golden eyes with snake-like slit staring back as a cruel smiled appeared on the man's face.

"You think too highly of yourself, you damned creature," Orochimaru's voice snarled out of the first Hokage's mouth.

"You!!! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!" he said, watching as Orochimaru's body began to turn into rock, a clear indication of natural chakra overload.

"Teaching you what it means to go against me!"

00000

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Hot damn. On one hand that was a Pro-gamer move the snake bastard did. On the other, Orochimaru's jutsu library in Hashirama's Senju body is really scary.
 
Chapter 74-The Great Battle I
Chapter 74

AKIHITO SHIRAHOSHI


For as long as he could recall, it had been years since Akihito had truly felt fear grip his heart when facing an opponent. He had always faced any opponent head-on, and his meticulous nature allowed him to plan and plot against any ability and plot.

And yet, as he felt Madara Uchiha's chakra appear on his radar, fear gripped his heart. Despite all the preparations he had done, all the shinobi at his disposal, he felt fear grip his heart as he felt the man's eyes land on him, and yet he persisted.

As the opportunity arrived, he gave the signal, and immediately, the ground beneath the man's feat cracked as four of the chosen ones appeared around the man in an instant, launching their attack on him.

And yet he saw it. Those eyes shifted as the red in them vanished, only to be replaced by a deep purple as a wave rippled through the whole area.

"Almighty Push," he heard the whisper as he let his bijuu chakra cover him, and a massive explosion rocked the area.

BOOOM!

The explosion transformed the whole building into rubble, and yet, as the debris cleared up, he stood there; he reached for his sword and cut across the debris and stones that threatened to cover him.

"Ninpo: Wind Cleaver," he whispered, and his chakra roared forth, cutting across the stone and giving him a path to the surface. He jumped up and found him standing there, his hands still folded over his chest as he raised a brow as others apart from him appeared out of the debris one by one.

None of them were injured too heavily as a Madara raised a brow.

"So, this is what it was. A trap, one set for me," he asked as he looked him in the eye, and Akihito nodded.

"You planned all this," he asked, sounding impressed as the rest of the kage, their guards appeared out of the debris.

"Your time is over Uchiha Madara. You are outnumbered," he said and watched as the guard units began evacuating the other daimyo's and yet the kage's still stood, looking at Madara Uchiha ominously as the man stood in the centre of the crater watching them all impassively.

"You are not the only one who prepared for this, Shogun Akihito," he said as his hair rustled and a massive summoning formula appeared right under his feet.

POOOF.

And then an instant, he watched as several bodies appeared right around the man, all of them pale skinned with cracks in their skins, and he heard many a gasp at that for these were the bodies of previous kage's and other great shinobi.

"Impossible." "Lord Second." "Father"

And so forth, and at the center of them stood Madara Uchiha, his Rinnegan, looking at them like pests as he looked at him.

"You don't seem surprised," he said with a frown.

"I expected nothing less from a shinobi of your calibre, but I am afraid we cannot let go so easily," and with that, he felt Minato appear infront of him, and then he was joined by the other kages, one by one.

"I am ready," he said as he raised his kunai, and Akihito nodded, riling up his own chakra.

Terumi Mei jumped in first, and then the Third Kazekage, and then Ohnoki, and then Ay.

"Leave him to us. Handle these other shinobi while we take care of this relic," Ay snarled as his cahkra cloak roared. Both of them glanced back at him and gave him a nod.

Akihito reciprocated as he felt Matatabi release all the natural chakra she had gathered, and immediately, he felt his senses turn sharp, expanding all over the area as he felt every shinobi's fear, his apprehension, and the sheer wrongness of all the reanimated shinobi.

"Even you!" Ohnoki seemed surprised as he saw his eyes change. A black marking appeared underneath them, and a circle was on his forehead.

"Damn! You are an interesting man, Shogun," the Third Kaze Kage added as his magnetic sand began to coat him.

"Do it," he said and Minato raised his hand and formed a tiger seal as four shinobi appeared around them at marked signals, as he felt the air shuffle.

"NINPO: FOUR PHOENIX FLAME FORMATION!"

And then, four giant walls went up around them as Madara stepped forward.

"Let me show you the difference between our powers," and with that, he cycled through set of hand seals.

"You think these walls protect you. No, they only imprison you. Let me show you what it means to be a true shinobi," and with that, he felt his chakra build up, and it was massive as everyone perked up at

"KATON: MAJESTIC FLAME DESTROYER!" he spewed a massive torrent of flames straight at them, and he watched the eyes of the kage widen as they perked.

"Go, leave this to me," he ordered. As he stepped forward, he took out his blade and began to push his chakra into it.

"B..."

"I said go!" he ordered, looking them all in the eye. And they all vanished as he raised his sword in the air. Suddenly, it began to gleam an ominous red as he raised it and swung it down swiftly as the shinobi around him blurred away.

"Ninpo: World Cleaver!" and then he brought it down in a single swift motion and the massive torrent of fire was cut, cutting a path straight for Madara Uchiha who shielded himself as a blue skeletal figure began to form around him.

And yet the rest of the Kage's engaged him as Tsunade Senju appeared behind him.

"Is this really the only way?" she asked, and he nodded.

"It is. Even while being outnumbered, we truly do not stand a chance against him. The only way to win against Madara Uchiha is to exhaust him, to throw so many bodies at him continuously that we tire him out, because despite the firepower we have ending this battle win one swiping attack is simply not possible," he replied before he turned to look towards the Senju Princess.

"The heaviest toll will be on you, Tsunade-san. Will you be fine?" he asked, and she bumped him on the head and smirked.

"Who do you think you are talking to, you brat," she scolded him as she turned to look forward with a grave expression.

"I am ready, though I think you are wrong," she said as she sat down cross-legged, and a sealing formula expanded from underneath her.

"You are underestimating us quite a bit," she said, murmuring as he felt her chakra roar. He turned to look forward.

"Against him, it would be criminal not to."

"Grand Summoning Jutsu!"

0000

HIRUZEN SARUTOBI


Back in Konoha, Hiruzen sat in the Hokage's office once more tired and impatient as the Jonin commander joined him. They were among the few people totally aware of what was set to happen at the Grand Council Meeting, and if their recent visitor was any indication, their worst fears had indeed come true, and their daimyo's fears had been proven correct.

"Do you really think his plan will work?" Hiruzen asked Shikaku. The man was the smartest shinobi he had ever known, a sentiment echoed by their daimyo, who seemed rather fond of the man and had called him to his own castle to discuss a most secretive plan.

"It is the best bet we have," Shikaku answered as he sighed.

"One would think, that given his achievements, our daimyo would be a rather bold person yet I found him to be rather cautious, one who would much rather play the long game, and the plan he made is a perfect amalgamation of that," and he had noticed it too.

Given that the young boy was set to become the Shogun, he had believed him to be proud and headstrong, and he was anything but that. He was prone to doubt and often made elaborate plans.

"Madara Uchiha, I cannot fathom facing a monster such as him again," he said, for he might have to if things did not go as planned. He was ready, even now with Minato's seal resting around his neck, ready to summon him to the battlefield if necessary.

"Let us hope that it does not come to that," Shikaku sighed, and he could feel the man's apprehension.

"Was it truly wise letting her go though?" questioned Shikaku and he shrugged.

"I couldn't really stop her now, could I," Hirzuen replied. The next generation had long surpassed them all, achieving heights they had not thought possible, and Kushina Uzumaki was one of those very people who had changed the game completely.

To this day, no shinobi had been able to master the Nine-Tails Chakra to become a complete jinchuriki, and yet she had done just that. Mastering the Nine Tails's chakra unlike any of her predecessors, becoming a full jinchuriki, and adding to that her own skills, she was one of Konoha's strongest shinobi, putting her on par with their very best.

"All we can do now is pray for their victory and believe in them," he said as he picked up his pipe and began to smoke to calm his nerves.

"Indeed."

0000

.

.

.


Back in the Land of Iron, Madara Uchiha stood in within the chakra cage that had been made for him, his armor now showing some marks of wear and tear, a few bruises and cuts across his skin, making it seem that he had come out of a spar.

And yet a huge Bluish hollow covered him, one holding two glimmering blades in its hands as he looked down at the five bruished and battered shinobi infront of him, hailed as the best amongst their villages.

"Didn't I tell you earlier, boy?" the man addressed the so-called Shogun who had yet stayed behind, protecting their so-called healer.

"Even the Five Kage are no match for me," he snarled, thinking it an insult that the boy thought he could defeat him.

The battle had lasted about half a day, and though they were strong, they were no match for him.

"Will you finally join in now?" Madara Uchiha could feel the boy's chakra, feel it in its magnanimity and the bijuu's chakra that had mixed with it. The boy may not be a shinobi, yet he was capable, and of those markings around his eyes were an indication he had mastered Sage jutsu as well.

"I am afraid my time has not yet come," the boy answered, still standing strong in his defiance.

"And I am still not done," he felt it suddenly: the Edo Tensei shinobi, the ones' summoned by that pesky little snake, began to vanish as his own body began to unravel.

Yet not like them. No, he felt it become hard, turn into stone as he felt a foreign chakra invade his own and he realised it for what it was.

"That damned snake," he snarled as the Susanoo vanished, and he looked at his hand and saw the tips of his fingers harden.

"Natural energy, this damned pesky thing," it was a technique he hated from the bottom of his heart. It had brought his defeat when he had faced Hashirama all those years ago, and even now, it troubled him.

And the way the boy was smiling, this was his doing, somehow.

"So, you think this can defeat me," he asked, and then he closed his eyes, locating the damned seal pumping his body full of natural energy, and he found it. And in an instant, he reached for his kunai and cut off his arm, not even flinching at the pain he felt, as his arm fell to the ground.

"I don't need two arms to deal with the likes of you," he added. He saw their eyes widen as the Edo Tensei shinobi vanished. Then he looked towards the limping bodies of the Five Kage and brought up his sole hand, molding his chakra.

"Katon: Majestic Flame Destroyer...."

And none of them had the energy to stop his attack, and yet they did not make a move as suddenly, he felt their chakras vanish, and he heard another whisper.

"Suiton: Great Water Wall!"

00000
 
Chapter 75-The Great Battle II
Chapter 75

OROCHIMARU-Snake Sanin


Madara's little pet's identity had always bugged him, the chakra he had sensed from it told him that he was not who he claimed to be. This was not Madara's will, not it was something far more sinister, something that may or may not have been manipulating the whole world for centuries.

And as it clung to its body, he knew that there was little that he could do that would evade his eyes, and so he had to rely on something he had made before being trapped in this cave.

Cursed seal Orochimaru perfected his seal as he worked to make a body for Madara and then implanted it on the body that he had used to Reanimate the First Hokage, hoping that it would hold, allowing him to carve out a body out of the man's chakra.

"You really thought you could control me," Orochimaru snarled. His consciousness shifted from his body to the Shodaime's body.

"You dare defy master Madara, you cur...."

BOOOM!

And the chakra roared. The first Hokage's chakra roared forth with his emotions, and his own body was slammed into the rock as the black shadowy creature shook, unable to escape from the grip of his hand, as he looked it in the eye.

"I see through your lies!" he snarled and felt the chakra of the body stiffen.

"You are not Madara's will. No, you are something else. Something far more sinister, more ancient," he smiled as he felt his chakra quiver with anxiety. Then suddenly, before he could do anything else, he felt his consciousness get dragged down, and in an instant, he found himself face to face with the man known as the God of Shinobi.

"That chakra. It is the same one I felt all those years ago," he heard the man speak as he stared him in the eye. Orochimaru was absolutely still; his body could not move as he found himself awestruck by the sheer chakra he felt.

He had placed a control seal inside the man so he could control him, but the Shodiame had broken it with his chakra, rendering his control useless.

"You snake shinobi," the man addressed him suddenly, and Orochimaru looked at him in the eye.

"I think you have had enough fun," and with the first Chakra roared forth.

"I am going to need my body back," and with that, he felt himself getting pushed out, as he felt his whole body getting pushed out of the cursed seal on the man's neck, as the reanimated First Hokage stood infront of him, pinning the black shadowy creature to the wall.

"That chakra," he heard his old teammate gasp, as the forest around them became alive, and he saw the flowers blossom all around them as the man opened his eyes, which now had black marks under them.

"Now, tell me,"the First Hokage's voice rang out in the clearing as he held that black shadowy figure against the ground.

"Just who are you? " A second later, he saw the figure twitch suddenly. Yet the first Hokage crushed the whole stone wall with a single push, his chakra roaring as his eyes narrowed.

"Do not even think about getting away. Answer me, you creature, what are you!"

And then he saw that creature's lips turn up as he heard his own voice come out.

"Do you really wish to know the answer to that Asura's incarnation!"

0000

TERUMI MEI


In all her years of life, Terumi Mei had never felt pain like this before. Every part of her body hurt; her clothes had blood soaked into them, and her chakra was so severely exhausted that she could barely even stand.

Facing Madara Uchiha was no easy task, even for the Five Kage. They had fought him for hours, days, and getting injured, nearly dying only for Leaf's Tsunade Senju to heal them, and yet the man had remained unmitigated. Parrying away everything they had to offer, as if it was nothing.

His eyes saw through their attacks, his defences did not buckle an inch at their efforts, while it took them nearly all their strength and power to parry a single strike from the man.

Only now did she realize that Akihito Shirahoshi was right to be so afraid and why the young Shogun had been so meticulous in his planning when it came to the man that was Madra Uchiha. For he was no man. He was the devil itself. An unkillable devil.

And when all hope had seemed lost and she and the rest of her kages had exhausted themselves to the bone, Minato Namikaze had teleported them out of the sealing formation.

"Gods," she gasped as she watched steam fill the entire four-walled prison that had been set up to entrap Madara Uchiha, and as she tried to stand up, she was stopped.

"You should not move," Tsunade Senju's slug-like summon added as the soft hum of the healing chakra began to close up all of her open wounds and bruises.

"You have severe internal bleeding, and your chakra reserves are exhausted. Please stay still and let me give you first aid," the summon added, and she nodded as Minato Namikaze sat there beside her, bruised and battered.

He was the most powerful shinobi she had known. His sage mode put him above and beyond any kage present here, yet even he failed to do any considerable damage to Madara Uchiha.

"Just what kind of a monster is he?" she gasped out. The rest were all blacked out by now, and only the two of them were still left standing.

The Reanimated Shinobi had now all begun to collapse as the mist cleared up to reveal the form of one Hanzo Hattori and the kage of Amegakure, along with two more shinobi standing in between Madara Uchiha and their Shogun.

"So this is your plan?" Madara Uchiha's voice rang out as those eyes landed on her, and then the Shogun-sama, who stood there with an undaunted blade, struck the ground.

"He has finally figured it out," Namikaze gasped out as Madara smirked.

"You plan to trap me here and keep sending bodies my way using that blonde's teleportation technique," Madara Uchiha reasoned out as he stood there, with only his arm, and yet she was not delusional to think that he was at any disadvantage.

"That technique of his reminds me of that white-haired monkey," the man continued as his eyes narrowed.

"That would mean that there must be a sealing formula right here," and at that, he closed his eye before his lips turned up as Minato clicked his tongue.

"He figured it out," The Yondaime Hokage clicked his tongue as Madara Uchiha chuckled.

"Hahahah, I see now. You have it. You are bear teh sealing formula," he said as he chuckled, his eyes looking at the Shogun-sama, and now it all clicked together.

"This was why he stayed inside," she asked, and Minato Namikaze nodded.

"Yes, if Akihito-sama falls, then this whole thing falls. Any other solution we might have used would have been taken out by the man. I offered to bear the seal myself, but all this would have fallen apart the second I was incapacitated," he added, and she realized that they had planned it all in depth.

"Is this why Tsunade-sama is in there as well," she asked, and he nodded.

"She is the failsafe to both protect Akihito-sama and to heal those who engage Madara. Today, Tsunade Senju is going to live by her own three major commandments of an Iryo-nin," he added. She knew of the three famous commandments, something she grossly ignored.

"You truly are courageous, Akihito Shirahoshi. Risking your life like this, I, Madara Uchiha, declare you worthy of your title. You truly are as meticulous as you claim to be," he roared as he raised his hand.

"But you are still no match for me," and with that, she felt the ground shake as Madara Uchiha opened his mouth.

"Mokuton:..." and as she heard those words, she gasped, much like the blonde beside her.

"Impossible." "No way"

"....Grand Forest Emergence!"

0000

And then days, if not weeks later Madara, a battered and bruised Madara Uchiha, stumbled forward as bodies upon bodies of battered, bruised and dead shinobi lay around him, and he halted as he came upon the battered body of one Akihito Shirahoshi.

"You fought admirably until the end," Madara Uchiha complimented; his reserves had not fallen so low, his body so battered unless his opponent had been Hashirama.

"Alas, you were faced with me, or otherwise you would have won," and at that, he picked up his gunbai and raised it.

"But now this ends. You have failed, Shogun Akihito Shirahoshi..." and with that, he brought it down.

CLANK!

At that, Madara Uchiha looked up and found the all-too-familiar face of his oldest and only friend and rival staring at him. He had sensed that chakra before and thought it all a ruse, but he was not mistaken.

It was really him.

"This is enough Madara," Hashirama warned, as Madara smirked.

"So, you are finally here, Hashirama," he smiled as a fire raged inside his heart.

"I have been here for quite some time," he replied, making him frown.

"Then why didn't you interfere? Why didn't you try and stop me as you did all those years ago," he asked, and Hashirama's face softened as the presence finally registered. The presence of an army, and he looked up and found himself surrounded by shinobi on all sides, shinobi of different uniforms and colors and nations.

"Because I was waiting for them," he replied as Madara looked all around him as Hashirama knelt down and placed his hand on the head of the young Shogun, and the wounds of the boy began to vanish.

"Our time is long gone, Madara," Hashirama began as his face softened, his lips turning up into a smile.

"This is their time. Their era. We old fools have lived our lives, made our choices, our mistakes. It is time to let them make theirs," he said, and he snarled.

"How can you say that!" he raged.

"Look around you! Look at them! They are weak! Weaker than we ever were! I alone toyed with them, the so-called best of this generation, and even together, they failed to stop me!" Madara raged, and Hashirama shook his head.

"Are they really so weak?" he questioned. He looked around and saw many of the shinobi he had put down struggle back to their feet. The blonde medical ninja did so as well. Her whole body was littered with cuts, and her skin hung over her bones as she looked up at Hashirama.

"...Grandfather..." she gasped out.

"..It really is you..." and Hashirama smiled.

"Rest now, Tsuna," Hashirama said as he placed his hand on her head.

"You have done well," and with that her eyes closed as Hashirama once more looked at him.

"Are they really weak? No, they are just as we were, even better for they have shared with each other their pain. That they desire to move forward, to make the world a better place as we once did," he said, and he raged.

"I refuse. I refuse! There is no such thing as peace in this world. It is but the respite between conflict! No, I refuse to accept this! I will not accept such a false world!" Madara snarled as Hashirama's eyes hardened.

"Then you leave me no choice," and as he tried to make a move, Madara jumped back.

"You are exhausted! Even at your best, you failed to conquer me! As you are now, you have no chance of defeating me," Hashirama Senju challenged as he put himself in between Madara Uchiha and the so-called Shogun of the land, who had now risen to his feet.

"Rest well, Akihito Shirahoshi! I will handle him," Hashirama said to the young boy with a reassuring smile, who was looking at him awestruck.

"You....You are the Shodaime," he gasped out, and Hashirama smiled.

"Indeed I am," he replied as Akihtio Shirahosi looked around him and saw the army gathered around him.

"Did yo..." and the Shodima shook his head.

"No. I did not. I just led them here," he said.

"Each and every shinobi, here volunteered to come here of their own volition, knowing just the kind of monster they would be facing," he said. And few would ever have the courage to face death, for that was what facing Madara Uchiha was. Death.

"Thank you, for showing me that I was not wrong, that humans could indeed one day understand each other and make peace!" Hashirama continued before he softly.

"..and for righting my mistake with the bijuu. I never really understood the true nature and purpose of the bijuu and made a grave error along the way. I am grateful to you for making amends for my mistake," he added.

"I REFUSE TO ACCEPT THIS FALSE REALITY! THIS FALSE PEACE!" Madara snarled as he brought up his sole hand, and his chakra roared forth, sending ripples across the clearing as Hashirama stood forth.

"What is he doing!" he asked.

"I may not be able to defeat you here, Hashirama!" Madara raged, as his Susanoo burst forth, four-faced and eight-armed each making a hand seal as Hashirama felt a surge of chakra unlike any other he had ever felt—and that was something incredible for a man who had faced the Kyuubi.

"But I can still reject this world!" and with that he felt a huge shadow overcome him, and with a thumping heart every shinobi in the clearing looked up and found themselves staring not at the skies, but at meteors heading there way.

"Ninpo: Tengai Shinsei," Madara uttered as he collapsed to the ground. As everyone gasped, many fell to the ground.

"Impossible." "Even after all that, he still had this up his sleeve!" "Just what kind of a monster is he!" "Is this even real?"

"Is this the Power of a GOD!"

"EVERYONE!" and Hashirama Senju was surprised as he saw Akihito Shirahoshi step forward, his voice booming across the clearing.

"WHAT WILL YOU DO NOW AKIHITO SHIRAHOSI! WILL YOU ABANDON THIS COUNTRY! ABANDON YOUR PEOPLE! YOUR IDEALS!" Madara raged.

"Have you lost your mind, Madara? Do you have any idea what you are doing? You would destroy the world rather than admit your defeat!" Hashiramra raged.

"Show me that I was wrong! Show me that your so-called peace can survive this!" Madara cackled as Akihito Shirahoshi stepped forward.

"We will," and then his face changed, his eyes turned into slits, as dark markings appeared under them once more, as chakra burst forth from him, chakra so ancient, so ominous that it made the very ground shake.

"This chakra!" Hashirama Senju gasped, as the rest of the kage struggled to their feet as well, bruised and battered, they rose along with their guards and their men as Akihito Shirahoshi's body began to morph, his skin turned porcelain, as a cloak of white appeared over him six dark orbs appeared behind him.

"Impossible!" Madara Uchiha gasped as he saw a red circle appear on his forehead, as all teh kage roused their chakra as well.

"We will not let this end. Not like this!" the Raikage snarled as his lightning cloak burned black, as the rests began to mold their chakra as well.

And then they all jumped forth, alongside many other shinobi as they attacked the meteors, and none amongst them fled as the Shogun of the land raised his blade, and in that moment, chakra from all nine bijuus radiated off of him as his blade lit, up.

His feet ascended from the ground, as he drew his blade as he raised, as it cracked and turned to husk.

"Ninpo: Zanka no Tachi..." and fire raged on, shooting up into the skies, flames of orange that turned to blue and then white, before they vanished as he swung his blade back, and the sword cracked up.

"...KYOSITUJIN!"

0000

~The End~

And the main story comes to an end. There are two epilogues that will be uploaded soon enough!

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Chapter 76-Epilogue I-A teacher's Tale!
Chapter 76-EPILOGUE!

{A Teacher's Tale}

ITACHI UCHIHA


The world had changed much ever since Itachi Uchiha had donned his hitai-ate to become a shinobi of the Hidden Leaf Village, for he was part of what was now termed the 'new era' or 'Shogunate.'

Many years ago, after getting tired of the violence and the deaths of their loved ones during the warring state era, two people, two shinobi belonging to two clans with great animosity between them, joined hands to usher in a new era, the Hidden Village era.

And yet peace would still elude the world, wars between clans simply turned into wars between Hidden Villages, with each fighting for dominance, fear, and hegemony. The world would see four great ninja wars, in the span of a little over half a century, with deaths tolling into the hundreds of thousands.

That was until the last war, the Great War. One that had begun with an attack on the Fire daimyo by Iwa and Kumo as the young lord was set to formalize an alliance with Kiri and Water country, Iwa and Kumo would attack the peace talks, planning to kill the young lord to cause mayhem in Konoha and Fire country, to whom they had both just lost a war.

Their attack would fail, and though the young lord would be severely injured, he would survive and make a claim for a shogunate, calling for 'Crimson Sky,' something that had not been done to this day.

And yet few knew of the true intentions of the young lord, and Itachi Uchiha was amongst those few. His friendship with Shisui Uchiha allowed him an insight into the happenings of that time that few would ever be privy to.

Ten years had passed since that day when he heard those sirens go off, signaling the start of another war. He had thought then that he would much likely participate in that very war, yet such a thing would never come to pass. And though he trained daily as he had since his father had first taken him to the battlefield, he did so, no longer carrying the burden of trying to end all war, for his dream had already been fulfilled.

By the man whose statue now stood infront of him. A state the kids infront of him were watching with surprise and amazement, the grand statue that had been erected in remembrance of the day when the world had changed once more.

"And now, can anyone here name the monument we are standing infront of," he asked, the cabal of students gathered infront of him, each of them looking at the statue around him with awe and adoration, for these people were legends, people who had set forth the foundation for the world they lived in today.

Many hands went up at his question, and he pointed out a student.

"They are called the Shogunate foundation," the boy from Kiri answered, and he shook his head.

"I am afraid not," he corrected gently, and the black-haired girl frowned.

"They are called, 'Pillars'" another voice interrupted them, and he looked to the side and found that all too familiar face of his brother answering with a small scowl,

"These include the Seven statues, six for the pages of that time, and the seventh one for the Shogun who each cut down a meteor with the help of a thousand shinobi and protects everyone," he answered, as a dutiful student.

"That is correct, Sasuke-kun," he praised, and his brother's cheeks turned rosy at the praise as another student chimed in.

"Hey! He didn't ask you duck, duck-haired idiot," and he could feel the headache coming as his brother rounded off on the blonde.

"Shut up, you blonde idiot. It's not like you knew the answer," Sasuke challenged, and though Uzumaki Naruto was a brilliant student, academic and bookish knowledge wasn't really his forte.

"What does it matter if I know the name of a statue or not? I am still going to be a better shinobi than you," Naruto challenged loudly as their usual classmates sighed helplessly while those from Kiri and Kumo began to watch each other's faces nervously, clearly not used to the usual banter between his brother and the son of the Yondaime Hokage.

"And not just that, I am going to be the greatest shinobi that ever lived!" Naruto claimed boisterously.

"As if you fool. You cannot even beat me, and you think you can be a better shinobi than big brother, let alone all the kages," Sasuke scoffed and before Naruto could go on another tirade, he knew he had to step in.

"Naruto. Sasuke. Enough," he said and saw them both perk up at that.

"I believe both of you have the potential to be the greatest shinobi," he complimented and encouraged them, as was his duty as their teacher.

"See, even Itachi sensei believed that I could surpass him," Naruto claimed as Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"We must move on. There is quite a lot of ground to cover," and with that, they entered the massive garden-like building, where flowers from all parts of the continent were planted to show unity, with the six statues of the kages placed around the garden each, acting as a pillar holding up the roof of the building.

"Sasuke was right, though. This whole monument is called the 'Pillars' representing the people that act as the pillars holding the weight of this changing and peaceful era," he added as he pointed towards the greatest statue placed constructed in the centre of the building of the man who had made this all possible.

Akihito Shirahoshi, the Shogun, and unlike the rest he held the roof up with a single hand, the other holding a sword, which was probably the most well-recognized blade in the entire continent.

"The name of all the shinobi who participated in the final battle are inscribed on the walls, while the roof has the names of all shinobi who died during the First, Second, Third, and Fourth Great Ninja war, symbolizing that we must not forget the sacrifices of our forefathers, and that we must carry on the burden of their sacrifices, their failures and their victories on our shoulders," he added as the students all looked around in awe and amazement, not truly understanding the significance of those names, and the sacrifices that had been made.

And yet it did not really bother him. They had all grown up in an era of peace and prosperity, where the world had changed greatly.

And then they came upon the final monument, one not built. It was a single sword, a katana which had cracks in it, as it stood there, stuck in the ground. This was the blade that had cut the largest of the meteors set to destroy this whole country and bring ruin to the world.

This was the blade of their Shogun.

"And this is the..."

"Shogun's blade," another voice cut in and he looked up and found his Kiri compatriot joining them once again. Yuki Haku was a member of the Yuki clan of Kirigakure, a clan that was famous for its Ice release Kekkei Genkai.

This trip was a coordinated effort that included the second-year academy students from all the villages, and such was the shift in the era and time that amongst the villages, many had not even deigned to send a representative with their students trusting the other's him and Yuki Haku to care for their students as they would for their own.

"It is a samurai katana, crafted by Sakonji Hagakure, a renowned bladesmith from Fire country though two very special people took part in its making as well," he asked, as he joined him with a nod.

"Can anyone name who they are?" he asked, and he saw many students frowning until someone finally added.

"Namikaze Minato and Kushina Uzumaki," and it was a Kiri student with fine razor-sharp teeth, showing that he was probably from the Hozuki clan.

"HUH!" Naruto and the rest of the Konoha students seemed surprised by that.

"Tou-cahn and Kaa-san," Naruto gasped as Haku smiled.

"Indeed, the blade was made with their help, for they provided the sealing formula inscribed near the hilt of the blade. A formula that was inspired by one of Kiri's infamous Legendary Blades, the Kubikiribocho," Yuki Haku added.

"And makes Kubikiribocho so special?" he asked. And when no answer came, he decided to answer it himself.

"The blade has the ability to reform itself by extracting iron out of blood," he added. He saw many students getting impressed by this as he turned towards the blade.

"The Shogun-sama chose to leave the cracked blade as it was and stuck it into the ground to mark the end of the war. As a symbol that there had been enough bloodshed, that it was time to put down the blades and embrace peace," and though there had been hiccups at first, the world had indeed changed.

"And now, to this day, this monument marks the beginning of the new age and the Shogunate."

"Ok, now hurry along we are going to have lunch and then we are all going to go see the Chunin exams."

.

.



.

.

.

Later on, he found himself in the booth watching down the genin gathering for the chunin exams when he felt another presence behind him, one he was rather familiar with.

"So you are finally here, Shisui," he greeted his fellow Uchiha shinobi, who smiled as he greeted him and shook his hand.

"Yeah, the Guardians get rather nervous whenever Shogun-sama comes to the land of Iron. The nightmare from all those years ago is kinda imprinted on the captain's head now," he said, and why wouldn't it be?

"Chiryuu-san still did not want to let me go, but Akihito-sama helped me get away," and it still surprised him that his childhood friend was so close with the most powerful man on the continent.

"So, he is here," he asked, and Shisui nodded, looking towards the main building.

"Yeah, he is up there meeting with all the kages and the daimyo's," Shisui replied, as he joined him in looking over the arena, where thousands had gathered to watch the chunin exams, and yet unlike the tense atmpshphere as it had been years go, the air was almost joyous.

People were huddled together, booths were set up with merchandise, banners were hung around, and he even spotted a few cheering squads.

"Man, chunin exams these days are a far cry from what we experienced," Shisui added, and indeed, they were—more for Shisui than himself.

"You were a wartime promotion though, right?" he questioned.

"Yeah, but one of my teammates had been to one. He says he can hardly believe that they have turned into a festival at this point," Shisui added with a bit of longing. And indeed, they had. Stricter rules had been applied, mortal wounds were banned, and it had been nearly seven years since any candidate had died.

The focus of the exams was now more on creativity and unorthodox application of chakra, as each village made to highlight its skills.

"It is a good thing, though," he added softly, and Shisui nodded.

"Definitely," and with that, he leaned forward.

"So, any outlier from our side this year," Shisui asked him, and he shook his head.

"I am afraid I cannot say, though I did hear that Hatake-san failed his team this year as well," he added, and Shisui groaned.

"Again," he nodded along.

"Damn, that man is harsh, but he is the youngest ANBU chief for a reason. You don't become an ANBU chief before twenty unless you are special," and that was a compliment. Hatake Kakashi was the leaf's biggest rising star, one that lived up to the fame of his own teacher, the Yellow Flash, the yondaime.

There was a time when it was thought that Shisui could be his equal, but the Guardian Twelve had taken up his clanmate, and though he doubted that Shisui's growth had stagnated. It was true that his actions were not highlighted, unlike those of Hatake Kakashi.

"Have you thought about joining the jounin teacher unit?" Shisui suddenly added, and he shook his head.

"I am fine as an academy teacher," he replied. He had found his calling, helping young kids traverse through their youth in a meaningful way as he led them and helped them along as they searched for their own way in life.

"Man, you would make a killer sensei, and with Naruto and your brother coming up. I don't think anyone other than you could handle those two," Shisui added, and he shook his head.

"Sasuke and Naruto do have a rivalry," they both butted heads continuously, pushing each other further, and were at the top of their class.

"Even Akihito-sama thinks that," and he perked up at that.

"Akihito-sama?" he questioned, and Shisui nodded.

"Yeah, your name came up a few weeks ago, and he showed a rather keen interest in you. When I told him about your career choice, he had some strange words for you," Shisui began as he looked him in the eye.

"He said it was a career that suited you and that you would indeed make a damn good sensei," Itachi narrowed his eyes, trying to sense the lie, and yet he found it not.

"You are not lying," and Shisui shook his head.

"I am not. I can take you to him right now," he offered, and Otachi shook his head.

"I would not like to disturb a man like him, " Shisui chuckled.

"Nah, he wouldn't mind. Damn, he might even challenge you to about as he did me all those years ago," Shisui began turning around, leaning against the railing.

"You have told me that tale many times," Itachi cut in before his friend could ramble on as Shisui wilted.

"Such callousness," Shisui whined as the noise in the arena died down, and a single figure emerged from the topmost booth, clad in a blue and black kimono. He stood there, with the Six Kage standing behind him as he raised his hand into the air.

"Let the Chunin exams begin!"

And as he looked at the man who had changed the world as he knew it, he thought of Shisui's words as he whispered in reply.

"A jounin sensei...I will think about it."

0000
 
Chapter 77-Epilogue II
Chapter 77-EPILOGUE II

MINATO NAMIKAZE


Minato Namikaze sat in the highest booth for the Chunin exam, as he looked down at the vast arena down below and the thousands of people from all parts of the arena sitting around the arena celebrating joyously as if at a festival. A much contrast from the chunin exams of his time, and he could not be more prouder as he saw both participants and the populace laughing and smiling as the exam began.

And it was at such moments, that he could scarcely imagine that such a scene would have been completely unimaginable just a bit over a decade ago, that this peace was not even as old as his son, and that it was something that he had helped achieve. Something that he had helped build.

It was the proudest achievement for him, for a man who had achieved too much while not even being in his thirties yet.

"It is surreal, isn't it?" the only other occupant of the room added, joining him on the balcony as they watched the first stage of the exams begin down below, one that was basically a race through the forest, but to be run without touching the ground even once.

"It is," he replied. It was a test of chakra control over large distances, a skill rather important for a shinobi, yet there would be no bloodshed. Teams were allowed to force other teams to the ground, using any means necessary, but it was now an unwritten rule that fatal force should not be used.

There were proctors stationed inside the forest, trained ANBU's looking over everything, ready to intervene if anything went wrong, though they rarely had to. The kids in the forest had none of the baggage of his generation. They had been born into a peaceful, united world, one where there were no Grand wars to fight.

"I doubt anyone would have imagined such a thing a decade ago that we would be having chunin exams like this," the man beside him added with a chuckle. Apart from him, he was a person who had accomplished more in his life than any other man in history.

For he was the person who had made all this truly possible. He was the Shogun of the continent—Akihito Shirahoshi.

"I doubt even Jiraiya sensei would have been optimistic enough to think up something like this," he added with a chuckle.

"And yet it is a reality," the young man added, and he nodded.

"One that we must strive to persevere. We must continue to move forward and not linger on our past."

"Indeed," and he couldn't be more proud to have made this possible. But his work was done; he had served as kage for over a decade now, and though he was young and still considered to be the strongest kage alive, he believed it was time for him to put down the mantle.

"That is why I made the decision I did," he added. Being a kage was his and Kushina's dream, and he had achieved it and much more. But now he had a family to think of. He had his children—the young Naruto and Makimo and the one that was set to arrive in a few months.

So, it was time for him to hang up the mantle and pass it on to the next generation as he had done for himself.

"Have you decided on a candidate?" he questioned, for though the man beside him was the Shogun, he was yet also the daimyo of the fire country, the one who oversaw the Hokage appointment, and though the ministerial duties that came with it were mostly seen after by his lady wife, the Lady Miyuki he knew that when it came to ninja affairs, few had an insight like their Shogun.

"The list you sent was rather exhaustive and young," the man added, and Minato shrugged.

"I consulted my council, and most of them believed that with the world as changed as it is, it is better that we pass the torch to the younger generation, trusting them to build upon all this. And look at Iwa and Ame. Both their kages are rather young, and I have heard rumors that even Mei-san from Kiri is thinking of retiring and passing on the torch to her apprentice from the Yuki clan," he argued, not that he needed to. For he knew the man beside him cared little for age. After all, he himself was younger even than Minato and was the strongest person in the continent.

In Iwa, Ohnoki's student was set to take the mantle of the Fourth Tsuchikage in a few years, while Yahiko no Akatsuki Ame's kage was younger than him. Then there was the Situation in Kiri where Mei Terumi had a whole slew of options to choose from.

"Call it what you will, but it will be odd to see someone else in the Hokage chair," the young daimyo added, looking towards him. The youthful features from their first meeting were now long gone, and he stood even a head taller than Minato as his raven black hair fell down his back.

Even now, he stood here dressed in a black and red kimono, with one of his arms resting in its fold, covered in bandages; even a decade later, the wounds from that day had never really healed.

"You will get used to it. Plus, I am only retiring from being a kage. I do hope that we will remain friends," he offered, and the young Shogun nodded.

"Of course," and with that, he sighed as he looked up.

"The truth is that had I not been threatened by your lady wife with severe bodily harm, I would have rejected your resignation," he added. Minato chuckled nervously, already aware of Kushina's letters to the man.

He could only thank the Gods that Akihito was as good-natured as he was. Otherwise, that could have been trouble.

"But I have made my decision. Of course, the person is rather young and will need a few years to come into his own, during which I expect you and the Council to help him along," and he nodded.

"Of course," he added quickly, which was expected. But he was rather curious about the man's choice.

"So, who is it?" he questioned, only for them to be interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Come in," Akihito-sama ordered, and the door to their booth opened to reveal rather familiar figures. Both of them had black hair and were dressed in simple black trousers and a shirt, along with a jounin flask jacket.

On their shirts was a single symbol highlighting their heritage: a gunbai split in half, red in the upper part and clear white in the lower one—the symbol of one of Leaf's founding clans, the Uchiha Clan.

"Hokage-sama, Shogun-sama," the shinobi with curly hair spoke rather causally, even as the one beside him glared at him and gave a proper salute.

"Shogun-sama, Hokage-sama," Itachi Uchiha greeted them both, and he saw the glint in Akihito's eyes and realsied that this was his choice. Itachi Uchiha was his choice.

And once more, Minato was rather impressed. The young Uchiha scion was hailed as a prodigy unlike any and had taken it upon himself to reform the Konoha's academy system, something he had done rather well.

His name had been on the proposed list, much like the shinobi who stood beside him. Uchiha Shisui was a shinobi that needed no introduction. His fame reached every corner of the world where many young shinobi aspired to follow into the footsteps of the clandestine 'Teleporter.'

"At ease, Itachi-san, I have called you here as my guest," Akihito-san welcomed the young Uchiha boy as he motioned for him to join them.

"Come join us. I have always wanted to meet you, Itachi Uchiha," the young Shogun said, and there was genuine appraisal in his tone.

When had he even learned of the boy? But did that really matter, though? He had made his choice, and it was rather fine.

"I would be honored," Uchiha Itachi replied rather stiffly as he joined him and Akihito, even as his childhood friend bumped him on the shoulder.

"Don't be so stiff. You are his guest," said one, handing the message to Uchiha's guardian; he was rather looking for the punishment if any of his current antics were leaked to Chiryuu-sama.

"I have heard much about you, Itachi-kun," Akihito smiled, and the boy frowned, not realizing the source. And he was rather curious as well.

"I do hope you remember Karin-kun. She would often regale me with tales of your greatness when she would come to visit her mother," and it all clicked together: the Uzumaki girl was Itachi's classmate.

"How is Karin-kun?" Itachi questioned as his eyes slightly widened.

"She is fine. She is in Ame currently working with her mother, trying to trace out any other Uzumaki clan members," and that was one thing that Kushina wished to do as well, but with her own children growing up, she had little time for.

But still, the Uzumaki clan was seeing a revival. In the decade since, they had traced out around ten members, and though that was a far cry from the thousands of members it had once, still it seemed that the Uzumaki clan was not as dead as they had thought it out to be.

"That is good," the boy smiled genuinely.

"She did tell me that it was her dream to find more of her family," and it was heartwarming to see this made possible.

Then the boy joined them as they made small talk, and he could see this for what it was—an interview. He suspected that midway through it, the boy caught on as well, even though he suspected that he had no inkling of its purpose.

Shisui Uchiha, as nonchalant as he may seem, picked up on it as well and was looking rather curiously at him.

"Do forgive me, but I read your academy file once, Itachi-kun?" Akihito-kun suddenly began, and he saw that the Uchiha boy was taken by surprise at that claim.

"It was years ago, for reasons I will not divest, but I found myself rather intrigued by the words written inside it," the young lord continued as Uchiha Itachi frowned.

"Which words, Shogun-sama?"

"Your dream," he continued, and the Itachi Uchiha's eyes narrowed as the shogun-sama looked him in the eye.

"I found it rather fascinating, such clarity of thought from a boy so young. A dream that mirrored my own," he complimented as he turned towards him.

"It was the very thing that we dreamt Minato-Kun all those years ago," he said before he looked out the window as Minato nodded.

"It is a dream of idiots, the dream of wiping out all warfare from this world," and at that, he turned towards Itachi Uchiha, who had grown serious as he asked him.

"Tell me Itachi Uchiha. Do you still pursue this dream?" the boy thought about it for a second before he looked Akihito-sama in the eye.

"I do."

0000

And so, the tale comes to a close. It was a small idea that expanded as I wrote it, and here it is. Hope you guys like it.

There will be a bit of surprise coming in a couple of hours. So, keep an eye out for that

Please leave your thoughts.

Drkest out!
 
It was truly an Amazing Story. I loved every moment of it. Thank you.
 
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