The air was thick with tension as Hashirama and Madara stood on the familiar stone platforms, their hearts racing with the knowledge of their fathers' impending confrontation.
They had skipped stones with messages, hoping to warn each other in time, but the looming presence of their clan members made that plan seem increasingly futile.
Before they could receive any response from their stone messages, the Uchiha and Senju clans began to assemble.
Tajima Uchiha strode forward, flanked by his loyal warriors, his expression fierce.
Butsuma Senju followed closely behind, his eyes scanning the area for any sign of their shared ally.
"Madara, Where is your little friend?" Tajima demanded, his voice like thunder, reverberating through the valley.
"Hashirama, where is this brat you call Kūga?" Butsuma echoed, his tone equally menacing.
Hashirama exchanged a glance with Madara, both of them keeping their expressions neutral.
"He's... not here," Madara stated calmly, a slight smirk tugging at his lips. "You should be thankful he isn't here."
"Right," Hashirama added sheepishly, his tone light but his heart pounding.
Their words ignited a fire in the clan leaders, who stepped closer, fists clenched.
"What!? You will bring him here now!" Butsuma ordered, his patience wearing thin.
"Or else what?" Madara replied, raising an eyebrow, a hint of challenge in his voice.
Before they could escalate the situation further, a familiar presence filled the air. From a high vantage point, Kūga with a dead rabbit on hand floated down, a wave of energy radiating from him.
His aura was overwhelming, pressing against everyone present, including the clan leaders, who staggered slightly under its weight. "I just went hunting a little bit, and got so many guests."
"Why are you disturbing this place?" Kūga asked, his tone light and almost teasing. "This is a good spot for camping."
The atmosphere shifted as Tajima narrowed his eyes, suspicion flickering across his features. "Are you with the Senju?"
Butsuma immediately interjected, "Or the Uchiha?"
Kūga's gaze shifted between the two leaders, a bemused expression crossing his face. "None of your clans have the same hair and eyes as I do, right?" He paused, letting the silence stretch.
"What makes you think I'm related to any of you?"
The seriousness of the situation hung in the air, but Kūga's light-hearted demeanor seemed to catch everyone off guard. Hashirama and Madara exchanged glances, sensing a shift in the tension.
They stood firm, a little influenced by Kūga's nonchalance, the rivalry between them momentarily forgotten in the face of the leaders' anger.
"Do you think you can just walk into our territory?" Tajima's voice dripped with contempt.
"Whose territory, Tajima?" Butsuma snapped, his hands itching for confrontation. He looks at Kūga and furrows his brows. "You better get away from here before I kill you myself."
Kūga remained unfazed, smirking at the two elders. "Your threats are amusing, but unnecessary. I'm not your enemy."
The atmosphere thickened with uncertainty as Hashirama and Madara prepared for anything. They could feel the energy in the air, the anticipation building.
As the clan leaders' frustration grew, Hashirama took a step forward, raising a hand. "We don't need to fight. Our clans—"
"—don't have anymore reason to die needlessly." Madara cut in, his voice steady.
But the clan leaders were too engrossed in their fury to heed their sons' words.
Sensing the volatile intentions of their fathers, Madara and Hashirama exchanged a resigned glance.
"I'm sorry," they said in unison, just before the leaders could make their moves.
In a swift motion, they stepped in, their bodies forming a barrier between their fathers and the inevitable clash. The clan leaders halted, their faces contorted in disbelief and anger.
In that moment, the valley felt like a battleground, not just between clans but between ideals. The three of them stood strong against the mounting pressure, ready to face whatever would come next.
Meanwhile, Kūga had made himself comfortable on a small boulder he shaped with his aether. He leaned back, casually observing the scene with an amused smirk, his relaxed demeanor very much contrasting the tension surrounding him.
Madara and Hashirama shot him a frustrated glance, but they knew better than to address him in this moment. His nonchalance irked them, yet they remained silent, aware that Kūga's presence has already shifted the balance.
"Madara! How dare you block me!?" Tajima Uchiha spat, eyes narrowed at the two brothers.
Butsuma Senju echoed, "Hashirama, Are you siding with the Senju or the Uchiha!?"
But both clan heirs exchanged uncertain glances, feeling the tension swell but also seeing how unfazed Kūga was by the looming threat. This realization steeled their resolve, both vowing silently not to act against each other amidst the chaos.
With the clan leaders caught off-guard by the unexpected alliance and Kūga's overwhelming presence, the tension simmered just below the surface, ready to explode at any moment. But for now, the boys remained unmoving.
The air crackled with anticipation as the clan leaders took a step closer, their hostility palpable. Tajima's voice was a low growl. "You're a threat to my clan, boy. I cannot allow you to roam free."
Butsuma's tone mirrored that of his rival. "What do you want with our sons? Speak!"
Kūga, still unbothered, stretched his arms lazily, relishing the moment. "I'm not here for any of you. I'm just enjoying the view. This place has been a sanctuary for us, and you're ruining it with your bickering."
"Stop the nonsense," Busuma Senju stated, "speak the truth, boy!"
The white haired teen sighed and looked at both Hashirama and Madara, "I really don't want kill anybody..."
The atmosphere hung thick with tension, but Hashirama took a breath, trying to bring some sense into the chaos. "Father, we should go home. This isn't the place for this."
Butsuma's eyes narrowed, disbelief etched across his face. "You want to walk away from this? Have you grown so cowardly, Hashirama?"
"Please," Hashirama pleaded, his voice earnest and strained. "We can resolve this without more fighting. We have to think about our clans."
Madara, standing resolutely beside Hashirama, turned to his father, his eyes piercing with a cold intensity. "We're not here to engage in pointless bloodshed. I suggest you return and think about what's truly important."
Tajima Uchiha felt the weight of his son's words but remained conflicted. Madara's demeanor cut through the air like ice, leaving no doubt about his seriousness.
The clan leaders exchanged looks, ready to move and kill each other right then, but both of their sons were in the way. They almost made the place a battlefield, yet something about the small unity between Hashirama and Madara, and especially the White-haired's relaxed confidence, made them hesitate.
Tajima Uchiha narrowed his eyes at Kūga, a threatening edge in his voice. "You're lucky, kid. I'll let you live for now. But if I catch you anywhere else, no one's stopping me."
In response, Kūga let off a surge of his powerful aura, causing a shockwave that rattled the very air around them. It was so intense that even Hashirama and Madara felt the impact, their breath hitching as they struggled to remain grounded.
The energy radiated outward, and everything around them trembled under its weight.
"Don't come back here ever again. Both of you only got to live because of your sons," Kūga warned, his voice strained against the overwhelming pressure.
As the aura dissipated, the clan leaders gasped for breath, with their bravado gone.
Hashirama and Madara exchanged glances, astonished by the sheer magnitude of Kūga's power—this was something new, something they had never encountered before.
"Thank you," Hashirama breathed, while Madara added, "Yeah, thanks for that."
Kūga turned to them, a wide grin spreading across his face as if nothing had happened. "Anytime, guys. Just doing my part!"
.
~~Senju Compound~~
As the sun dipped below the horizon, Hashirama and his family made their way home, the air thick with tension after the confrontation in the valley.
Upon entering their compound, they found Tobirama waiting for them, his brow furrowed with concern.
"Did anything happen out there?" he asked, his voice low but urgent.
Hashirama smiled warmly at his younger brother, grateful for the bond they shared. "Just some... family discussions. Nothing we can't handle."
But Butsuma, Hashirama's father, stepped forward, fury etched across his features. "You've been hiding something, Hashirama! Do you have any idea how serious this is? You've let that boy from the Uchiha influence you!"
Hashirama's expression faltered, but he stayed silent, his heart heavy with the weight of his father's accusations. Butsuma continued, his voice rising with each word, "You've neglected your duties! Do you think this is a game? The Uchiha and Senju has been at war for generations, and you're treating it like a trivial matter!"
The relentless berating fueled a fire within Hashirama.
He felt the pressure building inside him, and suddenly he unleashed his own chakra, the aura surrounding him dominated his father's. The room fell silent as the intensity of his power filled the air.
"I don't like the clan wars, Father! I don't like watching my brothers die for the sake of hatred rooted in the past! It's all meaningless!" Hashirama's voice echoed with conviction, his frustration spilling over.
Without waiting for a response, he turned and stormed out of the house, leaving everyone in stunned silence. Tobirama hesitated for a moment before following his brother, determination etched on his face.
The two brothers made their way back to the Valley of the End, the familiar landscape offering a sense of solace. When they arrived, they found Kūga waiting for them, a spread of food laid out on a table that had been set with care.
"Just in time for dinner!" Kūga called out, his tone light and welcoming, as if the chaos of the day had never happened. He grinned at them, ready to lift their spirits.
Hashirama let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding, feeling the weight of the day begin to lift. "Thanks, Kūga. We could use this."
"Yeah, it's been a long day," Tobirama added, grateful for the distraction.
Kūga motioned to the food. "Dig in, guys. I've made your favorites!"
.
~~Uchiha Compound~~
Madara's heart was a tempest as he made his way back to the Uchiha compound, the earlier confrontation weighing heavily on his mind. The moment he stepped inside, he was met with his father, Tajima, whose face was twisted with anger.
"Madara! You've been consorting with that Senju filth, haven't you? Do you have any idea what you're doing to our clan?" Tajima's voice thundered through the hall.
Madara clenched his fists, his Sharingan flaring to life, the crimson hue glowing with intensity. "What I'm doing? I'm trying to save us from the never-ending cycle of hatred and war!"
His aura surged, spinning rapidly around him, creating a palpable tension in the air. The atmosphere thickened as if the very space around him was charged with his anger.
Madara's focus was locked onto his father. "If your life is destined to lead the Uchiha into more war and death, then what's the point of living?"
His voice was low and cold, the implication hanging heavily in the air. "You should probably consider ending it if that's all you're fighting for."
The words struck like a blade, and for a moment, Tajima faltered, the weight of Madara's conviction cutting through his anger. But Tajima quickly regained his composure, rage boiling anew. "You will not speak to me that way! I am your father!"
Madara didn't respond. Instead, he flickered away from the Uchiha compound, leaving his father and Izuna behind, the air still crackling with tension.
He appeared in the Valley of the End moments later, where he found Hashirama already seated at a table, enjoying a meal.
"Hey, Madara!" Hashirama greeted, looking up with a warm smile. "You're just in time! Kūga made a feast for us."
Izuna trailed behind Madara, glancing back at the Uchiha compound one last time before sitting down beside his brother. "What did Father say?" he asked quietly, a hint of worry lacing his tone.
"Same old, same old," Madara replied, his demeanor softening as he settled down at the table. "But I'm done with it. We can't keep fighting over things that don't matter."
Kūga, ever the bright presence, looked up from his cooking. "Food's ready! You guys look like you could use a good meal."
Madara felt a flicker of warmth at Kūga's enthusiasm, grateful for the distraction. The weight of the day began to lift as they shared food and laughter, the bonds between them growing stronger, even amidst the chaos surrounding them.
.
As the night deepened and his companions drifted off to sleep, Kūga found himself alone beneath the beautiful sky, a blanket of silence enveloping the Valley. The moon cast a silver glow over the landscape, making Kūga admire the rare scenery.
He sat on a large boulder, legs crossed, lost in contemplation. Each moment spent with Hashirama and Madara felt like a thread woven against the flow of fate, altering the timeline in ways he could only begin to comprehend.
Were his actions leading to a brighter future for their clans, or was he merely setting the stage for an even greater tragedy?
Kūga pondered the bond he was fostering between them, the strength they were gaining together.
He could feel the momentum shifting, the possibility of breaking the cycle of hatred that had defined their families for generations. But with every step forward, doubt crept in. Was he truly doing this for the greater good, or was he just playing god in a world that had its own path?
His gaze drifted to the stars, distant and indifferent to the struggles of those below.
"Maybe I don't need to think about it at all," he mused aloud, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "I just want to live my life. I should be able to do whatever the fuck I want."
With a heavy sigh, he reclined against the boulder, the cool air brushing against his skin. For now, sleep invited him, even if he didn't truly need it.
As his eyelids grew heavy, he surrendered to the embrace of slumber, letting go of the weight of the world, if only for a night.