"Shizuko no Mori"
"Butsuma's Perspective"
Butsuma Senju realized within a millisecond after the explosion that it was time to retreat. Turning around, he saw Tajima Uchiha also halting and turning back. Butsuma understood that there would be no better chance to destroy the Uchiha elite. Yet, he accepted that this was not the moment for such plans, as no one could predict what the enraged toad, which had not moved a single step throughout the battle, would do.
In his mind, he pleaded with Hashirama not to dwell on defeat and to flee from this cursed place where the toad had met someone and seemed to bid them farewell. Deep inside, he cursed the person who had made this place so significant for the Sage. If it hadn't been for them, he would have undoubtedly claimed this land for himself.
Suddenly, the instincts of a seasoned warrior screamed of imminent danger. Trusting them completely, Butsuma turned back and saw only a small sphere moving toward their group. Understanding that any attack from this toad could harm even those beyond grandmaster level, he quickly reacted. Anchoring his feet to the ground with chakra, he began analyzing the sphere's effects.
The sphere quickly reached them, and as the others stopped near Butsuma, they began observing its behavior. Tajima Uchiha noticed something and said:
— This sphere is attracting small pebbles.
Moments later, the sphere changed its pull, drawing in not only small stones but large chunks of earth that moved toward it faster and faster. They began to feel the pull of the sphere themselves. Reacting first, Butsuma shouted:
— In less than thirty seconds, the sphere will pull us in and bury us with other debris!
Everyone quickly grasped the situation, and Hashirama said:
— We need to hit it with our strongest techniques. Don't worry about accuracy; the sphere will draw them in.
The six began preparing their techniques. Hashirama finished first, throwing a seed into the sphere:
— Hungry Seed!
When the seed entered, it quickly began absorbing the chakra inside and growing. Massive trees sprouted from all sides of the sphere, significantly weakening its pull. However, no one had the chance to assess the effect, as three fire annihilations, enhanced by wind techniques from the Senju Leader and the Elder, struck the sphere.
The sphere, barely holding itself together due to the growing trees, nearly collapsed. Unfortunately, the trees were highly flammable. The fire, capable of melting metal into vapor, burned through the stone and the tree roots, reaching the center of the sphere and destroying it from within.
No one waited for the result. As soon as they felt the pull weakening, they rushed toward the exit. Since the exit was a completely demolished wall, the group split into two. Thus ended this brief but remarkable alliance.
"The Sage's Perspective"
As soon as she found herself in an unfamiliar place, she extended her chakra as far as possible but achieved nothing, unable even to find its end. Suddenly, she felt a familiar sensation. Turning around, she saw a man, tiny compared to her, floating in meditation.
She froze in shock, unable to say a word. The elder wore a white kimono adorned with tomoe symbols on his back — twelve in total. The edges of the kimono were gilded. His wrinkled face radiated calmness, and his posture was so imposing that Gamamaru felt tears stream down his face. Stretching out his arms, he embraced the elder.
The elder opened his eyes and said:
— Gamamaru, don't cry. You're a thousand years old, and you're crying? Was I really that dear to you?
Gamamaru, who had shown himself as a wrathful ruler before the elite of the strongest clans, now revealed his softer side.
— I see you have much to tell me. There's no better time than now, so let's discuss everything over some sake.
In the real world, the toad disappeared, reappearing in the same space, with Gamamaru's soul returning to his body. Without hesitation, she summoned several barrels of sake and two enormous guinomi, filling them with sake and saying:
— This will be a long story.
"The Masuroboshi Clan"
The clan leader quietly walked toward the home of the three elders, where the light always burned.
Takeshi no longer resembled the clan leader, a mighty warrior, or even a father. He looked like an ordinary man. His face was covered with wounds he had inflicted on himself, tearing his skin with his nails. His hair, once always tied in a kanmuri, now hung loosely down the sides of his face. Wrinkles had formed on his face, and dark circles shadowed his eyes.
He walked with great difficulty, his feet dragging against the ground. When he reached the door, it took all his strength to knock.
A few seconds later, footsteps were heard, accompanied by the grumbling of the elder. When he opened the door, he didn't immediately recognize Takeshi in the darkness, his face marked with scars. However, after scanning his chakra, he realized it was him.
In a normal situation, he might have joked about the mighty head of the Masuroboshi clan, Kuu Mono, visiting the house of a weak elder. But Tanaka simply opened the door wider in silence, letting in the former clan leader, now just a tired friend.
As Takeshi entered the hall, he was noticed by Hirate and Satsuki, who were playing go. Without a word, they gestured toward an empty seat with a freshly prepared cup of tea. Takeshi sat down quietly, observing the elders as they made their moves. Tanaka, knowing his tea would be taken, went straight to the kitchen to brew another pot.
When he returned, he found a serene scene before him: two elders were playing chess, while Takeshi, clutching a cup of tea, had fallen asleep while sitting. Tanaka quietly sat across from Takeshi and continued watching the elders' game. Their match seemed endless. By the time Tanaka had finished his fourth cup of tea, he realized the elders were repeatedly returning the chessboard to the same position, as if it was both their starting point and endpoint.
What amazed him even more was that neither elder had spoken a single word since Takeshi entered. Their moves were rhythmic, like the ticking of a clock. Tanaka understood that they had lulled Takeshi to sleep without saying a word.
They continued their silent game for another hour until Takeshi suddenly jumped up, knocking over the chessboard. Glancing around, he saw the elders calmly looking at him with serene expressions.
Recalling what had happened, Takeshi clutched his head, dropped to his knees, and, weeping, said:
— They're dead.
The silence became even deeper; even the wind stilled. Everyone understood something tragic had happened. Piecing everything together, they assumed Takeshi's wives had died on a mission. They knew there was no way to undo it and only asked:
— Is the information reliable?
Takeshi only nodded.
The three elders might have shown some reaction, but they didn't. Instead, they simply reset the table and resumed playing, their figures tapping rhythmically on the board.
Takeshi wasn't naive or delusional, nor did he wear rose-colored glasses. He was a realist. He had known this was bound to happen and simply accepted it. He sat back down at the table with the elders. He knew there was no point in shouting at them, for they grieved too, though they understood this was inevitable — such was their way of life. These three had lost far more than he ever had.
Takeshi quietly watched them play, gradually calming himself. He knew he still had sons, who would soon go out into the field. They had to be ready to carry the burden of being heirs to the Masuroboshi lineage. Closing his eyes, he began planning a training program for them.
«Unknown Place"
"Unknown Who"
The humanoid creature watched as the two clans dispersed. Their clans had decided to establish a truce for a month to regain their strength and perhaps become even stronger.
Soon, leaves sprouted from the creature's shoulders, and its body began to transform into a plant. Its arm turned green. The creature tore off the leaves and said:
— This body will soon fall apart; I need to change it.
The humanoid creature turned around and ran in the opposite direction from the two clans. When it arrived at a village, it pulled its hood over its face and quietly blended into the crowd.
Reaching a bar, it entered and sat in a corner.
It quietly began to think about what to do next.
"First, I need to reduce the number of clans, as their history is hindering my ability to capture pieces of *****. I can start with the Masuroboshi clan, Kuu Mono.
The Uzumaki clan has begun to show significant activity, so perhaps they can help me with this. I need to ensure they form an alliance with the Uchiha and Senju clans. The latter are already allied, and it's only a matter of time before this becomes a full-blown alliance. As for all the other clans, I'll have to put in some effort.
A smile appeared on the unknown creature's face as it said: I think I know who my next target will be."
With these thoughts in mind, it ordered a steak and sake.
After all, they know how to make sake. Such thoughts echoed in its head as it left the bar.
When it left the village, it ran toward the Uchiha clan, where it could have some fun.