Red String of Fate

Chapter 19 - Waking up to Reality

"Pay attention!" Tadashi warned, forming hand signs and blowing a fireball towards them.

"Watch the blade, Karu." Minami warned, as the two jumped aside to dodge the fireball.

Tadashi tugged his ninjato backwards and the blade that rested in the tree was yanked out, swinging towards Minami, who was still in midair.

"Damnit, it's fast." Once Minami was close enough to the ground, he placed his hand below him and bounced himself back into the air, the blade narrowly missing his arm.

"It gets a lot faster than this." Tadashi said, running at them and clashing swords with the both of them. He blocked Minami's sword and threw his second blade at the other Uchiha who was running towards him.

Karu blocked the heavy blow and flicked it up towards the air, holding his blade ready as he watched it fly back down towards him at a blinding speed.

Tadashi slashed down at Minami, yanking out three kunai and threw one at Karu, throwing the other two towards the side.

"Watch out, Karu!" Minami warned. Tadashi took this opportunity to aim a low kick at the Uchiha, watching with narrowed eyes as Minami began to fall backwards.

Karu jumped back and deflected the kunai with his katana, whilst the other two kunai on the side bounced against each other and changed the trajectory. Minami was helpless as he continued to fall, watching as a kunai shot towards his teammate from the side.

"Don't look away." Tadashi whispered, Karu barely dodged it and gained a deep cut upon his arm. Minami heard Tadashi's words... but what could he do if he was in midair?

Tadashi's ninjato impaled straight through Minami's chest and the Uchiha spat out a mouthful of thick blood.

"Karu!" Minami gripped onto the hilt of Tadashi's blade and watched as Karu ran over, swinging his katana down in hopes to sever the chakra line that connected the two blades together

"Argh." Karu dropped his katana in pain as lightning flowed through the chakra line.

Minami looked at this in shock before his hands finally fell by his side limply, the blade flew back into Tadashi's hand and the Uchiha approached Karu.

"Is this the extent of your power?" Karu asked weakly, cautiously backing off with each step Tadashi took towards him.

"No, I still haven't used my special attack." Tadashi admits, Karu heard this and grimaced, cold sweat running down his face.

"What Minami and I are doing is for the Uchiha Clan's good." Karu started saying, but was interrupted by Tadashi's drawn out sigh.

"You mean by getting revenge and ruling the world?" Tadashi asked.

"You make it sound so terrible, but in reality, you just don't care for the Uchiha-" Tadashi suddenly slit the man's throat mercilessly, wiping the blood on his blade upon his sleeved arm with a grave expression.

————

"Who is your master? What do you mean by God? Are there others?" Madara bombarded the dangling man with questions, shaking him around with impatience.

"I will never betray my master!" Yuji declared with much difficulty, Madara heard this and swapped to gripping his collar instead.

"Then I will force it out of you." Madara said ominously, glancing into Yuji's black eyes with his red ones.

After a few seconds of silence, the light from Yuji's eyes entirely disappeared and he opened his mouth to speak.

"My master goes by the name Jiro. Master Jiro is very powerful and is gifted power from the White Haired God. If we follow Master Jiro and do what he tells us to do, we are rewarded with power. We were the only other ones remaining in the group." Yuji answers in a monotone, eyes lifelessly staring into Madara's Sharingan.

"What does Jiro look like? What are his abilities? What is his motive? Why does he want that Uchiha's eyes?" Madara proceeded to ask.

"I don't know." Yuji answered, Madara made a noise of annoyance.

"Where and when are you meeting Jiro?" Madara asked, Yuji went silent for a second before opening his mouth once again.

"In three days' time, at one in the afternoon. At the edge of this forest... towards the West..." Just after Yuji finished saying this, Tadashi landed next to Madara, a smile on his face.

"Thank you for before, Madara-sama." Tadashi thanked as Madara released the genjutsu and exerted strength into the grip on the man's neck.

"It's alright, Tadashi." Madara smiled and ruffled the boy's black hair, throwing the lifeless Yuji towards the side, his smile fading away instantly.

"Madara-sama, we need-" Tadashi began saying but was startled as Madara suddenly took off.

Hashirama...

Madara landed next to the Hokage and gathered him up in his arms, setting off towards the village's hospital as fast as he could.

In less than two minutes, he arrived at the small hospital. Kicking the doors open mercilessly, he walked up to the front desk. Without needing to explain, the best medical ninja was summoned and there was an eruption of panic upon seeing their beloved Hokage in this state.

"Follow me." The woman said, rushing over to the freshly prepared room, a worried Uchiha following her closely behind.