I do not own Naruto.
Ino grabbed Sasuke by the shoulder and forced him to look over to the pile of scrolls that hadn't done anything for months now. The one sitting at the bottom of the pile was glowing brightly and rattling the entire pile. She rushed over and grabbed it to keep the rest from scattering across the floor. She unravelled it to see that just as last time, the writing was vanishing from the paper. This time it was coming back, it was someone else's writing. Ino gripped the paper tightly as tears trailed over her cheeks. Sasuke took the scroll from her gently and furrowed his brows.
"Miyu Otsutsuki?" he asked and Ino motioned for him to keep reading. He got to the point where it said she was impaled by the woman and had fallen in the battle. He frowned at this, she couldn't have died... not like this. He kept reading, seeing as Ino had been caught up on that part. They were pulled away from the scroll by the sound of thunder, but he didn't think it was honestly thunder. They walked outside and the thunderous noise continued, only louder now. Off in the distance they could see a plume of dust rising from the valley of the end.
They ran to go see that other people were gathering now. However, none of them seemed too concerned with the destruction occurring across the way. They took off towards the valley and once they got there, all of their classmates from the academy were standing there with them, watching as the carved stone fell to the ground below. He looked back to the village to see that life was carrying on as usual. Were they not concerned with what was happening?
His eyes widened slightly as he realized that the only ones there with them were all of the ones who had touched the scrolls. The entire group of them were looking from one to the other, trying to figure out what was going on and why no one from the village seemed to be concerned. "Naruto..." "Yeah... I've noticed too." The blonde said, knowing exactly what he was going to say without having to say it. He looked back to the large sculpture that had been crumbling and his eyes went wide.
It was rebuilding itself from the ground up, as if rewinding time to change its shape. When the rumbling stopped, a new statue stood in place of the old one. The smooth features of her face seemed ever so calm, so gentle even in stone form. Her eyes were closed, but he knew who it was. Her hand was extended outward and his eyes widened once more, the small carving on the palm of her hand standing out. Naruto looked over at him once more as if asking him a silent question, and he nodded in agreement, they both knew what that was.
They all turned to see that the statue of Madara had changed as well. His palm was held out to hers, although there was no marking in the palm of his hand. Ino gripped his hand tightly and he looked over to her. Not a single one of them understood what was actually happening, but it seemed like everything was going well. Judging from the sole fact that the scrolls kept changing and things kept changing in their surroundings. Whatever Hinata was doing, she needed to continue because they had started seeing faces around that they new were people who had died.
Sasuke didn't understand it, but he knew that eventually he would get to see his family once more. His brother... he wanted to see his brother once more...
:-:-:-:-:
Hinata's eyes fluttered open and she looked around her. She was sitting atop a dark lake that rippled with her every movement. She couldn't find any discerning detail of the walls around her, so she had no idea of where she truly was. She looked down to see that the blade was still protruding from her chest and she frowned. Was this death? She jerked her head up to look around the moment she hear water droplets hitting the surface of the water before her. She jumped to her feet as she watched where the ripples were coming from. "Who's there?" she called out softly, only for a white haired man to appear from the darkness.
"Princess Hyuuga." The man greeted, only to motion for her to return to being seated. She did so and he sat before her, just watching her at this point. "You'll have to forgive me, my daughter was not supposed to be unsealed." He said and she offered him a small smile. "It isn't your fault." She said and he shook his head. "You misunderstand me. It is my fault, I had hoped she would change her ways after being sealed for so long, but she just wants to combine all the chakra and become the next Kaguya." He said and Hinata frowned.
"Do you know the story of her?" he asked and Hinata nodded. She knew the story; however she had never known that Kaguya could be revived. "As you know, she was revived. In the time you are originally from, she was brought back by Madara." He said and Hinata stared at him in shock, seeming to realize she hadn't known this he continued. "Yes, dear princess... I forget you died before that happened. Forgive me, time is a fickle thing." He said with a sigh and she furrowed her brows at him.
"I am everywhere, in all places, in all times... all at once. I sometimes forget where I am, especially since Benzaiten has been pulling her own strings lately." He sighed and Hinata blushed lightly. He only chuckled at her reaction. He folded his hands neatly in his lap as he looked over his shoulder once more. The sound of water dripping signified someone else was coming. "That woman has to have her hands in everything, bending the laws of time and space to make things happen.
The gentle strumming of a lute reached her ears and she looked over Hamura's shoulder to see a beautiful woman making her way over to them. Hinata closed her eyes and just listened to the woman as she played. "Princess Hyuuga, I plan to help you with Miyu." He said and she looked at him once more. "You have to help Madara and Hashirama, thanks to a certain someone relations between my nephews have never been better." He said and Hinata looked to see the breathtaking woman sit gently atop the water. Her long ebony hair flowing out behind her across the surface of the water. Nothing about the woman said she was weak in any way, even though the woman was small in frame and delicate in appearance.
She seemed to radiate strength from her very pores. Her half lidded red eyes landed on Hinata and she felt the absolute urge to look anywhere but at the woman. Those eyes traced in gentle black liner bore into her soul and fear crept up into her being. The smile that crossed those lips of hers, however, made her feel like she was a mother proud of her children. The combined strength of the two divine beings before her made her feel less than worthy to be graced by their presence. She leaned forward touching her forehead to the surface of the water out of respect.
"Raise your head, young Hyuuga. You were chosen as my descendent to receive my power." Hamura said and she peered up at him from the reflection of the water, only to then turn her gaze to the woman beside him who only smiled. "You owe us nothing, young one. Raise your head." The woman said and Hinata's voice lost itself as she looked up to the woman. That voice... she was the one she had seen in the water that day. Lady Benzaiten was the one who had faith in her when she hadn't had it in herself.
"My lady..." she began and the woman only released a laugh. Hinata wasn't sure what to do here, these two divine beings watching her ever so softly. Like parents watching their children... "Young Hinata, you have much to learn." Benzaiten said softly and Hinata looked over at her. "I wish to assist you as well, however instead of granting you power as Hamura is... I wish to show you what you and Madara will grow to be." She said and the woman stopped strumming at the lute to touch her, but Hinata scooted away from her hand. This caught the goddess off guard, something that even Hamura found amusing.
"I d-do not wish to see our future together... forgive me." Hinata stammered, something that irritated her greatly as she thought she had overcome it. The woman only stared at her in shock, surprising the goddess was an unexpected feat she supposed. "I had assumed that since you had fought my binding of the two of you, you would like to see a reason not to fight it any longer..." she said and Hinata offered the woman a smile. "I appreciate everything you have done for me... giving my cousin another chance at life, bonding me to someone as strong as Madara... I know you mean well, but I am not fighting it anymore." She said and the woman smiled, beginning to strum at her lute in silence once more.
"Would you happen to have a question for me then?" she asked and Hinata furrowed her brow in thought, only to smile once more. "Yes..." she said and red eyes landed on her once more. "Why did you bind Izuna and Tobirama as well?" she asked and the woman held up a hand to her mouth, trying her best to stifle her laughter as best she could. Hinata was confused by this because she was genuinely curious. When the goddess finally managed to reign in her laughter she looked over to Hinata, that mirth still burning in her eyes.
"Oh my dear... I wish I could only take credit for that one. Those two are such a wonderful pair." She said and Hinata's eyes went wide at this. No wonder the woman thought it was so funny, she had absolutely nothing to do with it. "Then... why?" she asked and Benzaiten only smiled a little wider. "I thought... for the longest time... I thought Tobirama was trying to flirt with me..." Hinata said with a blush, eliciting another laugh from Benzaiten, and another sigh from Hamura. The two were polar opposites.
"Oh dear, I do believe he genuinely was. I just know he was already head over heels for Izuna and denying it with everything in his being. It's hard being in love, you know." She said and Hinata felt the jab of her words go right through her. "I see..." Hinata sighed, catching sight of the blade once more. She had completely forgotten the offending object was there. "Can we please get back to the issue at hand? My daughter is currently returning Madara's favor, but towards the others. They cannot do this without you." Hamura grumbled and Hinata nodded rapidly. How could she let herself get so caught up in the moment like that?
Hamura held a hand out to Hinata and she nodded as she placed her hand against his palm.
"Now that I have transferred my gift, let me explain how to use it. It will be easier to seal her, but you also have the power to kill her now as well. Look for the seal and you can do it."
:-:-:-:
Madara looked over to where Hashirama's roots were chasing the woman down, she had already killed off one of her creatures to consume it and whatever power it held. Madara rushed over and lifted Hinata into his grasp gently, feeling her wrist for a heartbeat only to not find one. His fingertips trailed up her neck to feel there as well, but he felt nothing. His entire face scrunched up in his rage and he released a yell of anger, only to gently pull her closer and remove the blade from her back. The woman was dancing away from every one of Hashirama's hits now and he gripped Hinata's sleeve tightly, before resting her against a tree and rushing towards the fight once more. His felt the change in his eyes this time.
The woman's eyes went wide as he descended on her and sent her flying to the side with a kick once more. He was going to kill her, and not swiftly either. She rolled her feet and rushed at him once more. He flew through hand signs and released another fireball at her, this one stronger than before. She still burst through it though and reared her head back to headbutt him. He sneered at her and jerked his head back to do the same. Their foreheads connected and a bright flash of light clouded his sight momentarily, only for blood to trickle down over his forehead.
He looked up to her and saw that one of her horns had crumbled and broken off. They rushed at each other once more, Hashirama and Tobirama joining in from his left side. Izuna and Neji rushed at her from behind, but she jumped up out of their reach. She held both hands out and fragments of bones shot down on them like a barrage of kunai, however Neji's massive rotation sent them flying away. She seemed even more frustrated by this and lunged for them once more.
She was engaging all of them in hand to hand combat at the same time summoning bone swords to counter every one of their hits, and whenever one would use a jutsu she would shoot off the bone fragments once more. They couldn't get in close to hit her anymore, but they also couldn't really attack from a distance either. The veins around her eyes were bulging outwards, stating she could also use the byakugan. The five of them all exchanged glances, each of them stood around her forming a pentagram.
None of them knew what to do here honestly.
Madara looked over to Tobirama, who was watching the woman for any sign of movement. Her gaze seemed to be locked on Hinata's body, however. Madara shuffled more to the side to keep Hinata out of her gaze, if there was something she wanted from her even though she was dead, he was going to make every effort to stop her from taking it. All of a sudden her eyes went wide and she began screaming incoherently while clutching her head. The only word they could discern from her ramblings was the word pure.
Tobirama was the first to look away from her, and she sent him flying with a kick to the stomach; which caused Izuna to fly into a rage and launch himself at her, one of her bone blades in his grasp. He lunged for her and she whirled on him clapping her hands around the blade to stop it. Izuna yelled as he forced himself forward anyways, sending the blade through her abdomen. She screamed and headbutted Izuna, seemed this was something she was used to doing. Her other horn crumbled away as Izuna stumbled backwards from the hit. She screamed once more as a slit ran up her forehead only to open upward into an eye.
A red eye with a series of rings and a small pupil at the center. Madara grit his teeth as she rushed at him now, wanting to get him out of the way so she could get to Hinata's body. His Susanoo formed around him and he smacked her backwards with one of the arms. She lunged for him once more, all the while dodging the roots Hashirama sent her way. She was somehow even faster than before, which caught him off guard as she smashed through his Susanoo once more, only for a root to grab her by the ankle and sling her into a tree. Madara looked over to Hashirama and nodded at him to thank him. He still felt the edge of her blade against his neck.
"You can't do anything to me!" she snarled as the roots gripped tighter around her form. Madara hit his knees and had to just breathe for a moment. He looked over to where Tobirama had made his way over to Izuna and helped him to his knees. The white haired man never once took his eyes off the odd woman captured in the roots. Just as they all seemed like they were going to be able to regain their bearings, the roots started to shatter and the woman got an arm free. Hashirama flew though hand signs to make more roots to cage her within, but despite the sound of her bones cracking echoing around them. It didn't seem to phase her in the slightest.
The sound of crunching bones stopped, but Hashirama continued to squeeze her with the roots. All of their eyes went wide the moment she shot out of the top of the roots and hit the ground nearby. He heard Izuna throwing up across the way and honestly, he didn't blame him. It was a disgusting sight to see, her body rippled as she forced her body to create new bones from nothing. He felt the disgust riding within his being as well, but he didn't show it. the plant-like creature off in the distance only seemed amused by their shared disgust.
He stood and rushed over to her to try and end her before her bones could all reform. He ripped the blade Izuna had managed to get her with, out of her to use against her. However, before he could finish the down swing he had started, he looked down to see she had gotten him first. The blade dropped from his grasp as he tried to hurry and get away from her before she could land another hit. He backed up to the tree he had laid Hinata under and leaned back against the tree, cursing his every move as blood dripped from between his fingers that were holding the wound closed. He looked to see that she was standing up once more and he cursed about that as well.
As if right on time, another group landed around them. He looked up to see his father in his armor that he hadn't worn in years, his mother standing right beside him, her hair pulled back into two braids that started from the front of her forehead and trailed around the top of her head like a crown, only to flow down her back. She too wore her armor. His mother hadn't fought in a very long time, so it was a shock to see her there. He glanced over to see the Akane and Butsuma standing there as well, each in their own armor.
His eyes trailed around to see that more people were showing up to help. Bright red hair and traditional robes, insects chirping through the air and the growling of the large doggish beasts. A smirk crossed his lips as he forced himself to stand once more. One of the Uzumaki ran up and placed their hand to his stomach and the wound instantly began healing. "Tobirama, you glorious bastard." Madara managed and the white haired man smirked at him from across the area.
As more and more clans made their presence known, he felt more relieved than he had when it had only been the few of them. "Couldn't let you little shits take all the glory of a battle like this..." One of the inuzuka rumbled joyously and he chuckled to himself, but his humor was short lived as he looked behind him to see Hinata once more. One of the Uzumaki made their way over to her, but the sad look in their eyes confirmed what he had been fearing. She was gone.
That rancid laughter began to escape the woman before them once more. "You think that all of you can kill me? I am a GOD!" she snarled and rushed at the first group of shinobi that surrounded her. Hashirama began calling out what to watch out for and with a resounding echo of "Alright!" they all began their attacks once more. Madara wanted nothing more than to go check on his brother, but the fact his parents were now fighting in this made him hold off. A large poof of smoke caught his attention, and he turned to see some of the clansmen being thrown about. "Get back!" he yelled and they all started scrambling to get away from the creature.
It was a large white wolf with flames circling its body. The summon began running rampant and taking out the shinobi wherever it could. Madara narrowed his eyes as he scanned the area for the woman who seemed to have vanished. He felt chakra pulse behind him and he whirled to see that she was holding Hinata's body up by the throat. Before Madara could even make a move to attack her, those all too familiar lavender eyes slipped open and Hinata's hand reached up to touch the woman's face. The moment Hinata's hand reached to touch her, Miyu released a scream only for Madara to lunge and try and plant the blade in his grasp through the back of her skull.
He missed and the blade implanted itself in the tree near Hinata's head, but she didn't flinch in the slightest. She just smiled at him before shoving him out of the way to spin into a rotation, deflecting the oncoming projectiles away from them. He opened his mouth to ask her a question, but she only shook her head. She was right, now was not the time. Her chakra blossomed out around her like a beautiful lavender flame and he just watched her in awe. Her eyes pulsed and she lunged forward, her gaze meeting his in an unspoken command as she flew past. He lunged after her and they landed in the midst of the fighting, the other clans trying to contain the wolf, Uzumaki sending out the golden chains all over.
The twin lion heads formed over her hands and she rushed at the woman once more, Madara jumping in to attempt to land a hit where she couldn't. Hashirama's roots covered overhead, leaving shadows for the Nara clansmen to use against the woman. She broke free from most of the bindings, and continued to run from them. She was done fighting now, struggling to get away from them. Hashirama rushed after them as soon as he noticed that the woman was leading them away to get them away from the clans that had joined in the fight.
It was at this point where he was grateful for the other clans coming in to help, as hundreds of the plant creatures were now making their way into the fight. Hinata paid them no mind though as she struck them down with ease. He supposed she had seen these things before with how she seemed to ignore them. He glanced back at Neji, who was fighting them off as well, the same unaffected look on his features. He looked back to see both Hinata and the woman fighting once more. He did however notice that she was trying to desperately to touch her with the same hand that she had tried to touch her with before.
Roots rushed up from behind him and without even a second glance, he hopped up onto them and ran with them. He managed to get above the woman and land a hit on her once more, however he felt his ankle crack the moment it made contact with her head. He had forgotten that she could not only remove her bones, but harden them as well. He yelped in pain, only for the woman to kick Hinata away and jump to land on his leg with both feet. He felt the bones crack once more and he cried out in pain once again, only for roots to chase her away from him.
Hinata rushed over to him and held a hand out to him, he looked at it but took her hand. His eyes slipped shut as that all too familiar bond made itself known. His pain ebbed away and he looked to see his leg was still broken, but it no longer hurt. He knew she couldn't fully heal it, but the resounding crack of her setting the bone made him curse once more. "Hinata... this power..." he began and she only smiled slightly, before she whipped her head around and saw that Hashirama had managed to capture her within the roots once more. A shadow snaked across the ground and was able to hold her there momentarily as Hashirama began pinning her down with the sacred gates.
Madara looked over to see that the Uzumaki had finally managed to get that summon under control and sealed away. He looked over to see that the other clans were now making their way over to them, signifying that the plant creatures had been dealt with as well. Tobirama was running full speed at the woman encased in the roots, one of her bone blades in his grasp. He flickered from sight, only to appear behind the mass of roots and gates. The woman released one more scream before the head fell from her shoulders and rolled down to the ground below.
Hinata released him at this point and rushed forward, the chakra bubbling up around her arms once more. The veins around her eyes bulging once more. She was looking for something, he had no idea what though. Hashirama made his way over to him and hefted him up onto his shoulder to help him stand. "You're heavy Madara." Hashirama groaned and Madara sneered at him. "Sorry your physical strength equals that of a rat." He growled and Hashirama scowled at him. Hashirama opened his mouth to say something, but he noticed Hinata had grabbed a sword from a random clansman and rushed ahead. She lunged forward and pinned a man to the tree, causing all the different clans to cry out in anger.
Hinata slapped her hand to the mans forehead and his image began to distort and turn into that of the plant creatures. A black inscription that read "Miyu" was scrawled across the creature's chest. The moment Hinata placed her palm on the marking, both the creature and the decapitated head screamed out in agony. Both began to crumble away, the white haired woman's head crying out for her father as her body desintigrated.
All the bodies of the other creatures began to crumble and fade as well, and Madara breathed a sigh of relief. That relief was short lived as Hinata hit the ground once more. Tobirama rushed to her side and lifted her up, only for him to sigh. "She's ok, she's just asleep. Perhaps whatever ability that was took too much out of her to use." He sighed and they looked down to her palm, where a black crescent resided. They watched as it faded from sight, hopefully never to return. Tobirama pulled her up onto his back and Madara sighed he could only hope that whatever this was... was over.
He looked down to his leg and sighed, he was going to be out of commission for a minute while that healed.
:-:_:-:
Hinata sat on the edge of the bed, just watching him as he grumbled about his leg. She couldn't help the small smile that crossed her lips as he tried his best to use the crutches Hashirama made him. She stood and made her way over to him reaching to place her hand on his leg to attempt to heal it a little more. She couldn't heal it fully in one try, but she could make the process easier by healing it little by little. She looked up at him to see a small blush on his cheeks and she couldn't help the smile.
The door whipped open and someone said something, only to sputter and slam the door back. She looked up at Madara, only for the amusement dancing in her eyes tell her everything she needed to know. Izuna had seen her bent over before him and assumed they were doing some funny business. Ah yes... the usual. Hinata stood up and rubbed her brow as yet again the door whipped open, this time a wooden spoon came flying in. Hinata snatched it out of the air and rushed after the sputtering and embarrassed woman.
"Kaa-chan!!! We weren't doing anything!" Hinata called after her helplessly and the woman stopped running and looked at her with squinted eyes. "Are you-" "Yes, I'm sure. I was trying to help heal the break once more. If you need to be worried about anyone trying anything, it should be Izuna and Tobirama." Hinata grumbled and a series of thumps proved her point as both of them came crawling out of Izuna's room like dogs with their tails between their legs, well at least one of them did. Izuna was cowering before his mother while Tobirama just had a devious smirk on his lips, the two of them couldn't keep their hands off one another and the latter found it amuse to embarrass the young Uchiha.
She made her way back to the room to see Madara had thrown his crutches back into the corner, only to have curled back up in the bed and drifted off to sleep. She crawled across the bed and pulled back the covers gently to curl herself into his side once more. She reached up and brushed the hair from his face, a small smile on her lips as she placed a kiss on his forehead. "Thank you... for everything you do for me, even if I never knew." She whispered and tucked her head up under his chin.
He wrapped his arms tightly around her in his sleep and she smiled, that was until his tears began as well.
"Oh... my dear... please don't cry... I'm not going to ever leave you... I promise you... until we die I will be right here."