As the rogue shinobi stood still, waiting for them with an intense, focused glare, Hashirama and the group stopped in their tracks.
Noticing this, the rogue shinobi started walking forward, keeping his eyes locked on them.
Seeing him approach, the group immediately resumed walking too.
In response, the rogue shinobi halted again, clearly taken aback.
When the group stopped once more, Hashirama face was threatening to smile, and Madara's lips curled into a smirk.
The rogue shinobi, now visibly irritated, started forward again, quickening his pace.
But once more, the group moved just enough to keep the rhythm of stops and starts going.
Finally, Hashirama couldn't hold back any longer and burst out laughing, causing the others to join in, their laughter echoing down the road.
The rogue's eye twitched, his face turning red as veins planted on his forehead. Clenching his fists, he took a deep breath, then surged forward, chakra swirling as he sprinted straight toward them.
He stopped a certain distance away, glaring daggers at them while they continued laughing.
After what felt like an eternity, their laughter subsided, and he spoke through gritted teeth. "Are you finished?"
Hashirama, still chuckling, wiped a tear from his eye and took a deep breath. "Y-Yeah… Oh, my Kami, that was hilarious." Composing himself, he finally asked, "So… you're here to kill us, right?"
The rogue ninja fell silent, his face grim, then finally spoke. "Hashirama Senju, First Hokage of Konoha. You've got a nice price on your head."
Hashirama tilted his head curiously. "Oh? How much?"
"Fifteen million ryo," the rogue replied, a smug look crossing his face.
Hashirama turned to Madara with a playful look, but Madara's grin was already growing. "And you, Madara Uchiha of the Uchiha clan… seventeen million ryo."
Madara's eyes gleamed as he cast a smug glance at Hashirama. "At least I have more than you, Hashirama."
The rogue shinobi turned his gaze to the next in line. "Izuna Uchiha… six million ryo."
Izuna raised a brow in disappointment. "Six million? Isn't that a little… low?"
The rogue's eyes flickered as he gave no response, clearly not wanting to waste time on this.
Hashirama nudged Tobirama, chuckling. "Hey, what about my brother?"
Tobirama gave a dismissive wave. "I doubt there's a price on me; I never participated in the war."
"True, true," Hashirama agreed, nodding sagely.
Kūga grinned, stepping forward with a twinkle in his eye. "Alright, freak-eye, what about me?"
The rogue narrowed his gaze at Kūga. "You? The White Apocalypse of Konoha… a very nice forty-five million ryo."
"WHAT?!" they all shouted, heads snapping toward Kūga, who merely flashed a wide, proud grin, visibly pleased with himself.
Madara pointed accusingly at Kūga, practically sputtering. "Hey, that's not fair!"
The rogue shinobi, ignoring Madara's outburst, smirked darkly. "Before you all die, my name is Kakuzu, and I'm going to be FUCKING RICH."
.
As Kakuzu tensed, ready to spring into action, Hashirama quickly raised his hand and shouted, "WAIT!"
Kakuzu halted mid-motion, glaring suspiciously.
Hashirama turned to the others, pulling them into a huddle and resting his hands on their shoulders as he whispered something.
From Kakuzu's view, the five of them looked like they were strategizing… about him. Murmurs could be heard from their side, but he couldn't make out a single word.
Finally, after a solid minute, they turned back to him, faces perfectly neutral and professional.
"We've come to an agreement," Hashirama declared. "You are permitted to fight… my clone." With that, he summoned a wood clone, which stepped forward and gave a friendly smile.
The veins on Kakuzu's forehead pulsed as his expression darkened. "You… you dare look down on me?" he growled, anger rippling through his voice.
With a fierce battle cry, he launched himself at the group, speeding toward them with killing intent. But just as he closed in, the wood clone casually slapped him across the face.
As Kakuzu staggered to his feet, his eyes narrowed with fury.
The wood clone in front of him gave him a calm, almost mocking grin. Kakuzu clenched his fists, activating his Earth Grudge Fear threads to reinforce his body, making his muscles bulge with extra strength and resilience.
He lunged at the clone with blinding speed, his fists moving like pistons.
The clone swayed to the side, letting Kakuzu's punch brush past its shoulder, then countered with a swift backhand aimed at his jaw. Kakuzu twisted his neck just in time, the backhand skimming past him, but the clone followed up instantly with an uppercut.
Kakuzu blocked the strike, crossing his arms in front of his face, only to feel the shockwave from the blow rattle his bones.
Without wasting time, the clone brought its knee up, smashing it into Kakuzu's midsection with a thud that made the ground tremble.
Kakuzu skidded back, gritting his teeth in anger, but quickly recovered.
Glancing over mid-battle, Kakuzu caught sight of Hashirama and the others, chatting amongst themselves, barely paying attention.
The clone sighed, feigning boredom as it dodged Kakuzu's attacks, then shook its head and smirked. "To be honest, I'm getting kinda curious about what they're talking about."
Then, with a snap of its fingers, it created a second wood clone and gestured toward Kakuzu. "You can handle this guy, right? Have fun."
The first clone casually strolled back to the original Hashirama, who was discussing something with Kūga, Madara, Tobirama, and Izuna, joining in their conversation as though nothing was happening.
Kūga look at the fight then gave Kakuzu a thumbs-up. "You got this, Kakuzu! Show that wood clone who's boss!" he cheered, clearly amused by the situation.
Kakuzu's face twisted with rage, veins pulsing as he charged the second wood clone.
Immediately, the second clone shot forward, planting a firm palm into Kakuzu's chest. Kakuzu felt the blow echo through his ribcage, sending him sliding back several feet, but he held his ground, seething.
Pissed off, Kakuzu threw himself forward again, throwing a relentless punches. Each punch was packed with chakra, his fists whipping through the air with purpose. The clone ducked, dodged, and sidestepped, weaving through Kakuzu's assault with grace.
One of Kakuzu's fists finally grazed the clone's shoulder, and he used that opportunity, snapping his leg up in a roundhouse kick aimed at the clone's temple.
The clone raised its arm in a smooth block, the force of the kick sending tremors up its wooden arm. In a counter move, the clone twisted its arm, grabbing Kakuzu's ankle in a vice-like grip.
With a flick of its wrist, it yanked the green-eyed off balance, flipping Kakuzu through the air and slamming him into the ground. Kakuzu growled, his threads lashing out to cushion the impact as he twisted himself upright, snarling with frustration.
"Enough!" he roared, his hands blurring into a series of seals. "Fire Release: Searing Migraine!" Kakuzu's mouth opened wide, spewing a massive stream of fire straight at the clone.
The wood clone didn't even flinch, raising a hand and summoning a wooden barrier that absorbed the inferno in seconds. The fire smoldered out, leaving the clone untouched, barely a scratch on its wooden defenses.
With a furious growl, Kakuzu manipulated his threads to lash out from his body, each one crackling with different elemental chakra. He fired off a series of jutsus, one after the other: Wind Release: Pressure Damage, sending razor-sharp winds; Earth Release: Earth Spear, hardening his fists to rock-like density; and Lightning Release: False Darkness, shooting lightning spears toward the clone.
The clone responded in kind, weaving together Wood Release barriers and counter-jutsus that deflected, absorbed, or neutralized each attack.
The fight went on, their movements became a blur, the sound of clashing fists and shattering wood echoing through the trees. The clone's defenses were unbreakable, its taijutsu far surpassing Kakuzu's strength and speed.
In desperation, Kakuzu summoned his threads, stretching them out to surround the clone and bind it from every angle. The clone paused, eyeing the threads as they closed in, then darted forward, dancing through the gaps with precision and speed.
Finally, as Kakuzu's stamina began to run out, the clone saw its opening. It lunged in, closing the distance, and unleashed a devastating combo: a gut punch that folded Kakuzu over, an elbow strike to the back of the neck, and a final uppercut that sent him sprawling backward into the snow.
Kakuzu's vision darkened, his body numb, as he collapsed to the ground, finally unconscious.
The clone stood over him, shaking its head with a look of mild boredom. "Well, that was a bit of fun," it muttered before dispelling itself in a puff of smoke.
The original wood clone stretched, yawning as it looked over at the others. "Well, that was a bit of fun." It dispelled itself, vanishing into a swirl of chakra.
The group approached Kakuzu's unconscious body, with Tobirama giving him a critical glance. "So, should we kill him now?"
Hashirama shook his head with a chuckle. "Nah, no need to waste our time. Besides, we should set up camp soon… I'm hungry again."
.
The sun was setting so the campfire crackled softly under the rising moon, casting a warm glow across the small clearing they'd set up within the borders of the Land of Iron and Land of Fire.
Each of them sat around it, the silence filled with the occasional clink of eating utensils and the night's distant rustle.
Madara, with a lingering look at Kūga, finally broke the quiet.
"By the way," he began, gaze fixed on Kūga, "about what you said earlier…"
Kūga, casually finishing a mouthful of food, raised an eyebrow. "Yeah?"
"You said there are things in this world we don't know of," Madara continued, his tone edged with curiosity. Hashirama, Tobirama, and Izuna perked up, now all ears.
Kūga wasn't known for spinning wild stories, so anything he chose to share was worth listening to.
Kūga glanced around the campfire, a small smirk on his lips. "Well… it's a long story."
Hashirama, with a mischievous gleam in his eye, turned to Tobirama, who immediately stiffened at the implication. "We've got all the time we need," he said lightly.
Tobirama's eyelid twitched, but he didn't argue. The others chuckled under their breath as Kūga leaned back, settling in.
"Alright," Kūga began, "where do I start…"
Fireflies danced across the place as he spoke, making it story telling all ambient.
"Before people wielded chakra, before shinobi clans even existed, there was a single, humongous tree called the Shinju tree. And on it, grew a fruit. Just one." He paused, looking into the fire as if seeing a distant vision.
"This fruit was said to hold incredible power, but it remained untouched for ages. Back then, wars were more common than today, and there was no chakra. People fought with weapons, tools, and artilleries."
Hashirama and Madara exchanged a curious glance, while Kūga continued. "Then came a woman, a stranger of this planet… Kaguya Ōtsutsuki."
"Kaguya…?" Izuna repeated, brow furrowing. The name alone seemed to carry weight, foreign yet somehow familiar.
"She wasn't like anyone they'd ever seen before," Kūga went on. "She wielded an unexplainable power. People were in awe of her strength. But, even Kaguya wasn't immune to the simplicity of human life. She fell in love with a man named Tenji."
Kūga's gaze shifted, and he suddenly felt a subtle shift in his Aether. He grinned slightly, understanding something unspoken.
He kept his expression neutral, resuming the tale. "They were happy for a while, and she bore him two sons—Hamura and Hagoromo. But Tenji began to notice something... strange about her. Her power was unlike anything he'd ever seen or understood, and it scared him."
Madara and Hashirama leaned in, captivated, while Tobirama listened intently, his analytical mind processing every word.
"No one really knows why," Kūga continued, "but Tenji eventually turned on Kaguya, ordering her assassination." Hashirama's eyes widened in shock.
"In response, Kaguya did what she thought was her only option… she ate the Shinju fruit and gained unimaginable power. She wiped out anyone who opposed her, including Tenji."
They were silent, while Kūga continued, his voice calm but compelling. "Her sons, Hamura and Hagoromo, grew up with this... power in their blood. But over time, Kaguya's mind grew twisted. She began leading innocent people to the Shinju tree, turning them into mindless corpses to serve her. Her power consumed her."
Kūga paused, glancing at the moon hanging high above them. "It finally reached a breaking point. Hamura and Hagoromo were forced to turn against their own mother. Together, they fought her in a battle that tore the earth and sky."
"Due to the nature of the fruit, Kaguya transformed to a monstrous beast. However, Hamura was able to fend her, allowing Hagoromo to seal her chakra within himself. After that, they imprisoned her body within layers of stone and and it became… the moon." He pointed upward at the full moon, its silvery glow catching their gazes.
All of them looked up in awe, silent as they tried to grasp the scale of what they'd just heard.
Madara finally broke the silence, his voice low with disbelief. "If that's true… how does that connect with the clan wars?"
Kūga smiled knowingly. "We'll get there."
The fire flickered as Kūga continued. "Once they defeated their mother, the two brothers went their separate ways. Hamura set out a personal mission to the moon, to guard his mother's husk with his descendants for all eternity. Hagoromo stayed here, in the lands we know, and he taught his knowledge of chakra to others. This art of energy control, known as ninshu, became what you now call chakra."
"Ninshu…" Tobirama murmured under his breath, mulling over the term.
Kūga nodded. "Yes, Hagoromo was known as the Sage of Six Paths, or the Rikudou Sennin. As he grew older, his wisdom and strength became well known. He was celebrated and honored among his people, and he too had children, two sons that were named Indra and Ashura."
"Indra… Ashura…" Hashirama repeated, his voice filled with anticipation. "Never heard those kinds of names."
"Indra was a prodigy," Kūga explained. "He inherited Hagoromo's eyes and intellect. Ashura, on the other hand, inherited his body and his boundless chakra. The two brothers were close in their youth, but they grew apart in their beliefs."
Hashirama, Madara, and Izuna all listened intently, leaning closer as Kūga continued. "When Hagoromo grew older, he tasked both sons with protecting the world. Indra believed power alone could achieve this, while Ashura advocated for compassion and unity. When the time came, Hagoromo chose Ashura as the head of their clan."
Tobirama, with an intrigued glance at Madara, seemed to piece together where this story was going.
Kūga's words hung heavy in the air as he pressed on. "Indra's pride and his desire for power ignited a deep conflict with Ashura. That conflict eventually spread to their followers and clans, and they fought—a battle that became the origin of the Senju and Uchiha clans."
Hashirama's eyes were wide with shock, while Madara clenched his fist, as if feeling the weight of his own lineage's history for the first time.
Kūga leaned back, letting his words sink in.
The five of them sat in silence, the firelight casting shadows across their faces as they processed the ancient saga.
Finally, Madara spoke, his voice softer than usual. "So… the Uchiha and Senju feud goes back to Indra and Ashura themselves?"
Kūga nodded slowly. "The rivalry we know today is a continuation of the same struggle, a legacy of that ancient conflict. Indra's descendants became the Uchiha, and Ashura's descendants are the Senju. But it goes even deeper, and it's tied to chakra itself—a gift or curse, depending on how you see it, passed down from Kaguya herself."
They all fell silent once more, the weight of the story settling heavily over them. Eventually, Hashirama broke the silence, his voice contemplative. "I always thought we were simply born into these clans, into this rivalry, without really knowing why."
Kūga chuckled. "Many things are hidden, even from us. Some stories you have to see for yourself to understand."
"If all of this is true..." Izuna sat down at a more comfortable area and placed both his arms on top of his knees, "How do you know all of this?"
'Now how do I lie without getting caught by two sharingan users and a sensor...' The white-haired stayed silent for a minute, then remembered the slight distortion on his aether that wanted to interupt. "Well... we got a living witness right here."
Kūga flicked his wrist, summoning a faint shimmer of aether, and in a flash, a struggling, dark figure appeared suspended in mid-air.
The creature thrashed wildly, eyes blazing with hatred.
"You fucking bastard!" the creature spat, its voice a twisted hiss. "You think you can ruin mother's plans?"
Hashirama and Madara's eyes widened in recognition.
Hashirama scratched his head. "Isn't that… what's his name?"
Madara gave a small nod. "Zetsu. The one that almost managed to sneak up to me."
Kūga nodded with a smirk as Tobirama stepped forward, his expression fierce. "What the hell is that? Just looking at it makes me want to kill it immediately."
"I also get the urge to behead it on the spot." Izuna's Mangekyo Sharingan flared, his eyes narrowing as he inspected Zetsu.
Kūga laughed, finding humor in their aggressive reactions, while Hashirama and Madara chuckled at their brothers' antics.
Just then, Black Zetsu broke into a sinister laugh. "Aether user!" it sneered. "Do you think I don't have countless plans to revive my mother? You're dead wrong!"
Kūga's smile turned dark as he manipulated his aether to split Black Zetsu from White Zetsu with ease, the two halves dangling in mid-air.
He raised his hand, and with a calm but intense voice, said, "Aether: Sunstrike."
A searing beam of energy descended from the sky, obliterating White Zetsu with a brilliant flash, leaving nothing but the charred scent of burnt air.
As the smoke dissipated, Kūga glanced back at Black Zetsu, his voice steady. "You really think I don't know you have multiple copies of yourself lurking in the shadows?"
Zetsu only grinned, defiance flashing across its face. "So what if you know?" it sneered.
"You don't know if there's one, two, three, or even hundreds of my clones. My mother's rebirth will happen, whether you like it or not, Kūga Seiryu. You're not safe."
For a moment, Kūga's expression went blank.
His silence made Zetsu's grin widen, but that triumph was short-lived.
Kūga's eyes hardened, and a sinister, bloodthirsty smirk crept across his face, his blue eyes were glowing in intensity. Leaning in, his voice dropped to a low, threatening tone.
"Oh, I don't care how many of you exist," Kūga said, his voice laced with a chilling confidence.
"In fact, I can't wait until your mother revives. I'll make sure you watch every moment as I tear her existence apart, until all you know is despair, and she's erased completely from reality."
Kūga's smirk deepened as he casually sealed Black Zetsu back into aether, as if the exchange had been nothing more than a trivial matter.
He dusted off his hands and relaxed, his usual carefree attitude settling back over him like a second skin.
"W-What was that, Kūga?" Hashirama asked, looking comically nervous as he scratched his head. "It's like… you're the one that needs to be sealed, not Kaguya."
For a split second, the group fell silent, the gravity of Kūga's power was palpable. But then, they all burst into laughter, unable to contain themselves. Even Kūga joined in, with his laugh being rich and unbothered, like nothing had happened at all.