Red String of Fate

Chapter 17 - Yuji, Kiri and Shin

Hashirama panted heavily as barely dodged the water jutsu, his reactions were twice as slow as it was ten minutes ago.

"Anija, watch out behind you!" Tobirama, who was clashing with four Uchiha, used his sensoring skills to quickly warn his older brother. Feeling frustration overcame him as he tried to finish his battle faster so that he could aid his brother, yet he was clearly on the losing side right now.

"Damn it." Hashirama tried to move away but was too slow this time, the man's sword was stabbed straight towards him and pierced right through the center of his arm.

Hashirama winced in agony as he felt the sharp blade grind against his bone without mercy. Biting his lip hard in frustration, he grabbed the man's wrist in a death grip and released all the chakra he could muster up.

"It's not going to work." The man ridiculed in confidence, watching as Hashirama looked up at him and forced a smile on his face.

"Sh*t-" His opponent quickly jumped backwards just as Hashirama yanked out the sword from his arm and threw it at him.

"You're a persistent bastard, aren't you?" He growled, grouping back up with his two other companions.

"Wood Style..." Hashirama placed his hands together and was about to use a jutsu before he suddenly fell onto one knee, the blood leaking from his wound slowly decreased but there was enough to form a small puddle on the branch.

"Humph, took long enough." The man laughed as he slowly approached Hashirama, unsheathing his handy second katana.

Hashirama tried to stand up but could merely sway there weakly, forcing himself to stay conscious. Feeling a warm, metallic liquid come up his throat, Hashirama spat out a mouthful of blood, watching as his vision became blurred.

"Anija!" Tobirama tried to rush his way over to Hashirama but was stopped by the four Uchiha, the eight Sharingan eyes glaring at him unblinkingly.

"If you look away next time, it may be your last." One of them warned Tobirama as he grit his teeth, glaring back at them hatefully.

All Uchiha were the same. Selfish, uncaring, heartless, envious...

They will never change.

"Very well, I'll just cut you all down right here then." Tobirama declared coldly, tightening the grip on his katana as he charged at them.

"Yuji, don't kill the man. You've already exhausted him to the point that he got his own chakra network damaged." The largest man out of the three reminded him, Yuji walked up to Hashirama and rolled his eyes in irritation.

"I know that." Yuji grabbed Hashirama's hair and yanked his head up, meeting the ferocious eyes that glared up at him hatefully.

"I didn't expect this bastard to be so persistent though." Yuji scolded, waving the Senju's head around angrily.

Hashirama felt the blood gather up in his scalp as his head began to feel numb, his consciousness gradually slipping away from his body. Ah... have I lost?

"Yuji, I detect another chakra! It's coming here quickly!" The skinnier man warns, watching as Yuji was trying to work out what he'd just told him. Madara appears beside Hashirama in a silent flash, eyes staring unblinkingly at where Yuji was touching Hashirama. Before he could turn his head around, Madara's foot met his face and the immense force of the kick caused him to smash into a tree.

Yuji quickly came back to his senses and climbed out of the hole in the tree, jumping over next to his companions. The three of them drew out their weapons and stood cautiously on edge, not knowing who it was that had just arrived.

"If you lay another finger on him," Madara growled, his tone almost ferocious. He caught Hashirama gently as the man fell sideways, and glanced up at the three individuals bitterly.

"I'll kill you." Madara warned in a low voice.

"T-This is?!" The three of them, as well as Hashirama, watched in shock as Madara's eyes flashed a bloody red... One-tomoe, two-tomoe, three-tomoe, a Mangekyou Sharingan and it changed pattern yet again-

"Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan?" Yuji whispered in absolute cold sweat, Hashirama felt his consciousness slip even further as he desperately reached out towards Madara's face.

"Madara..?" The question remained unanswered as Madara caught the Senju's hand, placing the unconscious man against the tree and away from the fight.

"I'll be back soon." Madara promised, planting a soft kiss on the man's hand before flashing back up to face his three opponents.

"Who are you?" Madara asked, glaring down at his enemies with his Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan.

"Humph, my name is Yuji. That big guy over there is Kiri and the other one is Shin." Yuji said, pointing to the other two.

"Now that I've told you my name, I think it's respectful of you to tell me yours." Madara heard this and crossed his arms.

"Very well then. I am the Uchiha Demon, Uchiha Madara." He introduced, watching as the three men gradually turned pale, retreating a simultaneous step backwards.

Tobirama quickly pulled out his sword from the Uchiha's chest as he used the bloody katana to block the Uchiha's attack.

"Tobirama-san!" Gento fell from high up and landed next to Tobirama, drawing out his katana and blocking the attack that was aimed at Tobirama's blind spot.

"Reinforcements?" Tobirama asked, the two of them going back to back against the three Uchiha.

"Yes, but it's only Tadashi and I." Gento explained, Tobirama heard the boy's lack of confidence in his words and smiled.

"That's more than enough help." Tobirama reassured, Gento felt confidence seep through him.

"I'll try my best, Tobirama-san!" Gento and Tobirama both charged at each Uchiha just as Tadashi arrived at the battlefield.

"Madara-sama!" Tadashi, who held a big fan that had its chain connected to a kama, hurled it towards Madara.

Madara caught the fan's handle in his left hand and the kama in his right with ease, a small smile creeping to his face. It's been a while since he'd held Gunbai in his hands.

"It seems that you've somehow powered up those three Uchiha there?" Madara questioned.

"Yes, our master is loved by our God so if we do what he wants us to do, we will gain immeasurable power!" Kiri said with an ugly snicker, Madara glanced at the fight below. No wonder Tobirama was having trouble with a mere four Uchiha.

"Watch out for the large man's jutsu! He does something to your chakra!" Tobirama shouted up as he swung his sword at his opponent, Madara heard the message and turned to stare at Kiri.

"What's your jutsu?" Madara demanded, the three of them stared at him dumbly before smiling smugly.

"Since you won't be surviving after this, I guess there's no harm in telling you how we defeated the 'all-mighty' Shokai Hokage." Yuji said, Madara nodded for him to continue. These three are stupid, the ones who weren't going to survive after this is them, Madara thought.

"That white hair man was actually not far off. Kiri's jutsu allows him to block a person's chakra network with just a physical touch-" Madara dashed towards the three of them and threw his kama at Kiri.

They must've used something else besides that man's jutsu in order to wear out Hashirama, Madara decided.