Senshiyu ichizoku no botsuraku
-千手一族の没落-
(The Fall of the Senju Clan)
Part 4 : The Hagoromo Clan intruder
The sun was shining in Konoha. To the north lay the lair of the Hyuga Clan. It was a sort of small village within Konoha, where you could find various temples where each family lived.
Still to the north was a small temple with a milky-white roof. This was where Himana lived, alone. Unlike other clan leaders, she didn't have the most imposing or beautiful home. Living alone, she hadn't wanted to monopolize a large territory to allow larger families more space.
To the north, she still had a great view of the other temples. This was useful for keeping an eye on the members of her clan, so she could go directly to them in case of danger.
But today, she wasn't in the mood. She was tired. Not only because of her three-day escapade, but also because of her interview with Tobirama, which had once again upset her. What's more, she was in no fit state to look after her own.
She was in her bathroom, naked in her bathrobe. Her legs were folded over her arms, and her head was lowered a little, her gaze lost in the water.
— Damn... That bastard... He always thinks of the same thing... The village... Always the village...»
Her furrowed brows and clenched teeth spoke volumes about her emotions at that moment. She was mad with rage.
Suddenly, there was a small noise in the bushes outside, near her bathroom. She stood up and looked outside.
She saw a shadow pass quickly by her window and disappear instantly. She was startled. She hadn't even detected its chakra, despite her sensory faculties. Was it him...?
She walked over to the window, sticking her head out, slightly hiding her chest in case anyone else was there.
— Tobirama? Is that you? Don't play this kind of trick on me...»
She then felt a presence close to where she was. Analyzing the chakra she detected, she managed to sense a colossal mass of chakra, although she couldn't determine its nature.
Not surprisingly, it was impossible for anyone to detect the nature of Tobirama's chakra, which masked her brilliantly. It was already an enormous feat for her to be able to partially detect the presence of his chakra.
— Tobirama... I know it's you. You know it's... You pissed me off earlier... Well, then... I'm not really in the mood for fun. Please, just... show yourself. Don't leave me standing naked waiting for you... It makes me look ridiculous.»
Suddenly, she felt a presence close to her. He was behind her. She shivered.
— Stop staring at my ass, it's not funny.» she grumbled.
Turn around and let me see the rest of it.» sussed a high-pitched voice behind her.
That voice... It had a Machiavellian, perverse tone. It certainly wasn't Tobirama. Especially as his voice was much deeper than that.
Himana began to blush, from embarrassment, shame and fear. She'd let herself be fooled so easily... Her emotions had really thrown her off balance.
In one swift movement, she picked up her towel, which was lying on a cupboard opposite the wardrobe, and put it in front of her, hiding her private parts, then abruptly turned around and punched the intruder in the face.
— You pervert! Get out of my bathroom!» she growls.
The man collapsed to the ground and landed with his legs spread and his arms supporting his staggering body.
— Well, well, well! You're fast!» he laughs «I've hardly seen you move!»
— What are you doing here?! Who are you?! What do you want here?!» Himana shouted, red with anger.
The man got to his feet, trembling slightly, and cracked his neck with his right hand to pull himself back into place. He smiled broadly.
— All this... Don't look at yourself.»
He pulled three shuriken from his jet-black jacket and threw them at Himana simultaneously. She reacted swiftly and jumped to the bathroom ceiling to dodge, while holding back her towel with her left hand, which was dangling in the air.
— To the... From above... From a certain angle... I should be able to see...»
The man was looking in the direction of Himana's pool. It was an unhealthy strategy, staring at her private parts, trying to play on her modesty to throw her off balance.
But Himana was quick, jumping from the ceiling, twirling her towel around to tie it around her body, and landing on top of her opponent, both legs on her shoulders.
He had no time to react as she delivered a violent spin kick that sent him stumbling to the ground.
His enemy was down. She clenched her right fist and prepared to give him a huge punch in the face, but he managed to escape her arms and legs, which were holding him down. He jumped and landed on the other side of the room, near the front door.
— You're really fast... And strong... For a woman.» he remarked.
— Just because there are fewer female ninjas doesn't mean we're weaker. The day male supremacy ceases, you'll see that I'll no longer be an exception among women.» Himana replied.
— Tsss... Ridiculous... His words... You sound like the world's biggest moron!» sneered his opponent.
Suddenly, his face changed. Strange signs appeared around his eyes.
«Axolotl Sage Mode!»
This technique... Himana would have recognized it a mile off. The Sage Mode. It was a power that boosted its user's abilities and gave him new options. It was a technique mastered by Hashirama Senju, but was most common among members of the Hagoromo Clan.
Suddenly, the man landed opposite Himana and tackled her to the wall with his left arm, pinning her neck. He had become much faster... It was the effect of his technique.
He then took his right hand, directing it towards Himana's lower body, continuing with his strategy.
Suddenly, a bolt of lightning flashed behind him. A kunai was quickly thrust into his back.
— Aaargh!» he moans.
— It's cowardly to attack someone like that.» growled the one who'd just arrived.
He withdrew the kunai from his enemy's back, who turned around. Then he saw who was facing him.
— Tobirama Senju...»
— If you must know, I wrote the speech on the supremacy of man.» Tobirama said «Do you mind?!»
The man then jumped to the other side of the room. He spat a small trickle of blood onto the floor and then stood up, ready to fight.
— It's an honor to face one of the most powerful ninjas in history...» he chuckled «Well... Not for much longer. I'm going to strip you of your rank.»
Tobirama analyzed his opponent. He possessed Sage Mode, and was probably a member of the Hagoromo clan. What's more, he had a colossal mass of chakra, even greater than Tobirama's coupled with his technique. He wasn't just anyone.
No doubt about it, if he'd kept on fighting Himana, even if she was fighting at full power with her byakugan, she probably wouldn't have won. The Hagoromo Clan was very powerful, and he perhaps much more so than others.
— What does the Hagoromo Clan want from us?» Tobirama asked.
— What makes you think I'm here on behalf of the Hagoromo Clan?» replied his enemy «And... How do you know I'm part of it?»
Tobirama suddenly disappeared and instantly reappeared behind his opponent, a Kunai close to his throat.
— Earlier, when I planted a Kunai on your back, I took the opportunity to mark you. Now I can teleport behind you whenever I want. You're at my mercy.»
The man huffed, annoyed.
— Tsss... I knew it... Maybe I shouldn't have come alone.»
— Go ahead. Tell me everything you know.» ordered Tobirama.
— Tsss... You're dreaming!» replied the other.
Suddenly, he liquefied and sank to the ground. Then his body reformed and he found himself face to face with Himana.
She instinctively activated her byakugan. When he pounced on her, she leapt to the ceiling and landed on him, hammering him on the stomach.
«16 palms of the Hakke!»
Himana inflicted sixteen successive blows on her opponent, targeting his weak points, which she detected with her Byakugan. But she didn't have time to get to the 32 palms, as the man managed to free himself.
«Suiton! Water Dragon!»
At the same time, Tobirama had conjured up a huge water dragon from his mouth. It charged at the enemy with lightning-like speed. The man tried to dodge it, but Himana took advantage of the situation to launch successive blows from behind.
«32 palms of the Hakke!»
The surprised man coughed up blood. Then the dragon hit him right in the abdomen.
— Gwaaargh!!»
He finally collapsed to the ground, cornered. He tried to get up, trembling. But Tobirama instantly landed on top of him.
— No matter how strong you are, between the two of us, you're easy to handle. So now you're going to talk!» he growls.
His opponent groaned in pain under Tobirama's weight, combined with the impact of all the blows they had taken.
— Arf! No one told me you were so powerful... Or that your ally was too... I've been tricked...»
— Because you didn't come on your own? Are you taking orders from a superior? Who's your superior?» Tobirama asked.
— Oh... Believe me... You'll soon find out...» he chuckled.
— What are you insinuating?!»
— Here it is... In the village of Konoha...»
Tobirama opened his eyes wide in surprise. The enemy... was already executing his plan?! Or was he just insinuating that the enemy was actually internal to the village?
He didn't need to think much further. The answer came to him...
BRAOOOM
The explosion echoed throughout the village, shaking the temple where Tobirama and Himana were standing.
This destination... She was coming... From the center of the village. That was where the Senju Clan's residence was located.
— Oh no!» exclaimed Tobirama «Hashirama!»
*****
The storm raged. Lightning flashed across the sky, which was now plunged into deep darkness.
All around the buildings of the Senju clan, flames danced. Ninjas were fighting, forming a bloody melee. In the center, on the roof of the Hokage building, stood a man dressed in black.
He laughs with pleasure.
— This is it... The fate of the Senju Clan... Has begun!» he shouted in ecstasy.
This time, the storm didn't stop, but intensified, transforming the sky into an immense white expanse. Explosions echoed all around. It was chaos.
The territory of the Senju clan... was on fire.
— Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!»
(...)
📖To be Continued...📖