Chapter 97

Read extra Chapters on my Patre@n at patreon.com/JoshRichie2 for Vol 3... 100+ Chapters ahead. It's just $5. Also, I just began Volume 4. Which is Naruto Arc. In a couple chapters, I'll be finishing this FF. Stay tuned.

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Title: Narrow Escape

....

Swish.

Tobirama flashed behind his team with ragged breath as he tightly clutched the pitch black weapon in his hand. He couldn't let go of this weapon, not after he had experienced first hand, what it could do, both to the weilder and the receiver.

He dreaded to imagine this weapon up against anyone from the leaf.

"Hokage-sama." The all ran up to him while surveying the surrounding quite professionally.

"How come you guys are still here?" He asked in mild anger.

Kagami Uchiha spoke up. "We were ambushed by several other Jounins after you cleared a path for us, we still managed to defeat them all and continue our retreat."

Relaxing the scowl on his face, Tobirama said. "I see. Well, I've delayed them long enough, we should have some time on our hands. Let's continue."

"And the treaty, Hokage-sama?" Hiruzen asked.

"Sigh." Sighed Tobirama. "I don't think it will be possible any longer. If the other one is as strong as the one I fought, there's a slim chance of the Raikage surviving."

"Isn't that good then?" Danzo asked confused.

"How so?" Tobirama's gazed toward him in curiosity.

"This way, Kumo would be embroiled in a civil unrest. We just have to watch and then swoop in to dominate them when they're weakened." Danzo offered his candid suggestion.

"I see... Interesting proposal." Tobirama simply said and turned away from him.

Immediately, something entered his sensory field. "Shit, they gotten closer." Bringing out a kunai, he handed it to Hiruzen and then Sealed the sword in a scroll.

Coming to a halt, he placed his fingers on the floor and sent a chakra wave into the ground. "We're surrounded... there's... Twenty of them this time."

With his eyes still closed. "Judging from their skills as well as those two, they must be his remnant squad from the Kinkaku Unit."

We're only Seven including you Hokage-sama, were outnumbered." Homura said earning him Koharu's ire. "Homura, stop being such a coward." She said.

Turning to the ground she continued. "Alright, the enemies has not yet pinpointed our exact location, so we should wait and ambush them, and then break through to escape."

"No that's not gonna work." Kagami said seriously. "The only way is if one of us draws their attention."

"A decoy, huh?" Torifu muttered. "That's suicide. Who's it gonna be?"

There was a moment of silence amidst them, no matter how well trained they were, in the face of certain death, even the strongest men would hesitate.

At this moment. 'Sarutobi. What are you thinking right now?' Danzo thought looking at the resolute gaze of Hiruzen. 'Do you have that kind of resolve? I'm saying it. Say it. Come on.'

He thought to himself but unfortunately, the words wouldn't come out. 'Why? I want to do it, so why?'

"I'll do it." A voice said causing his eyes to widen in shock. 'Damn it, I'm a coward! Somewhere in my heart right now... I'm relieved.'

He gritted his teeth in both shame and anger.

Tap. A hand tapped his shoulder. "I'm leaving everyone to you Danzo. I'm sure you can..."

"Shut up! I wanted to raise my hand. Stop acting so cool all by yourself! I'll be the decoy!" Danzo shouted at the smiling Hiruzen.

"Danzo. You're always competing with Saru about something, aren't you? But what we need right now is to unite as comrades in order to work together. Don't mix personal affairs into this. The truth is, you decision was too slow. You must take a calm look within yourself to find out who you really are, objectively." Tobirama said.

"Right now, you'll just put everyone at risk." Said Tobirama, and without skipping a beat. "I'm going to be the decoy obviously... You are the young flames that will continue to burn to protect the village with your will of fire."

"You can't!" Protested Danzo. "You're the Hokage. There's no greater Shinobi in the village than you!"

Not paying him any mind, Tobirama stood up. "Saru... Protect those who love the village and those who believe in you. And take care of those whom you will entrust the next generation to the same way I have done to you."

"Starting tomorrow, whether I make it back or not, you'll become the Hokage." Declared Tobirama to the shock of the others, especially Danzo. "Saru... I'm leaving Konoha in your hands." Sai Tobirama, his voice softening at the end.

"Yes Sir!" Hiruzen bowed and said solemnly.

"Take this with you and return to the village. Hand the sword over to Mito as soon as you get back and have her seal it away. As for the kunai, in the unlikely scenario that I survive, I'll be teleporting to your side." Tobirama ordered.

'Sarutobi! You're always one step ahead of me. Why! Why!?' Danzo thought in animosity.

"Go now!" Tobirama said to which the six looked at him one last time before Flickering away.

Turning back to the incoming Shinobis, Tobirama formed asome handsigns and then spat out a large amount of water which spanned a while 20 meters before exploding.

Directly dismembering those Shinobi late to respond. Various body parts splattered around the area but that didn't seem to affect the survivors moral.

Suddenly, a massive Chakra signature registered in his senses. This one, unlike Ginkaku, had a much more malevolent feeling to it.

The other Jounins gave way as someone who looked like a beast approached him. In his hands were two weapons. A fan and a Rectangular Sword.

These were the Bashōsen(Banana Fan) and the Shichiseiken(Seven Star Sword). Two weapons of mass destruction on par with the Zanka no Taichi he had just given to Hiruzen.

"You killed my brother, you deserve to die." The rabid beast said and immediately rushed at Tobirama who pulled out his Raijin no Ken and blocked the Shichiseiken which pushed him back.

Whether it was because he had lost his reason or just because he didn't know, Kinkaku didn't bother cursing Tobirama but just used the two weapons brutishly.

Seeing Tobirama being pushed back, he waved the fan towards him and an enormous sea of flames raged towards Tobirama who formed handsigns and covered himself in a dome of water, before Transforming it into dragons to attack the nine tail look alike.

Creating a clone, he armed him with a Chakra sword and attacked the man-beast rushing at them. As the man-beast swung his sword down, the clone blocked it and said. "You're strong... But I'm sorry, there are two of us to take care of you now."

Instantly, Tobirama appeared behind Kinkaku and swung his sword in a beheading motion. 'Got i-' Tobirama thought victoriously only for him to see a sight that was beyond him.

Kinkaku who was entangled with the clone turned in an ungodly motion and managed to dodge the swing while also disengaging from the clone.

"Really!?"

Kinkaku landed and rushed at the real Tobirama and brought down the blade on him, which he expertly parried, but as if expecting it, Kinkaku followed the flow and swung at the clone who blocked it but was still thrown back.

'These movements...! They're nothing like what a human body could physically perform...!' Tobirama thought hey blurting out. "This guy..." Only for Kinkaku to attack once more. "You've gotta be kidding me. Is there seriously no exhausting your chakra?"

Clang!

The sound of metal hitting metal rang out as the clone's swipe at his back was blocked by the sword. "We have to make sure we don't think of him as a human opponent." The clone said.

At that moment, Kinkaku turned and waved his fan at the clone, releasing bursts of lightning at the clone. "Humph." Tobirama snorted and substituted with his clone to receive the lightning with his sword before stabbing it into the ground, redirecting it into the ground.

And as if in sync, the clone stabbed at Kinkaku with the intention to skewer him only for him to twist his body in an unholy manner once more.

"That's the second time you've done this trick, and that's one time too many." The original said and twirled in the opposite direction while using the Raijin no Ken to increase his acceleration.

As they clashed, their movements were slowed to a halt which the clone had already anticipated and immediately poured as much chakra as he could muster into the sword and swung it at Kinkaku's neck.

[Raiton: Thunderous Strike.]

In one swift motion, the sword pierced the nine tail Chakra cloak and made contact with his neck and thanks to the lightning chakra added to it, Kinkaku's neck was separated from his body.

Huff. Huff. Huff. Tobirama took in deep breath as he regulated the breath he didn't know he was holding. His clone already dispelled and the feedback added to his fatigue.

Looking at the other Jounins spectating their fight, he wasn't in the mood to stay and fight to the death. His village still needed him even if he was already old. He still had a family to protect.

Gathering whatever dreg he could from his Chakra pathway, he initiated the Thunder God Flash and disappeared only to appear in the midst of a moody team.

"I...made it." He managed to say before collapsing. Before his collapse he heard the worried shout of his students. "Nidaime-sama!"

Aah... He sighed and gave in to the darkness.

....

Shun's POV

"Well that's a bummer." I said as I observed Tobirama appear in what was Konoha's camp.

Hiruzen had just delivered the news of Tobirama's sacrifice and the Shinobis were all sullen but what got my attention was the fact that Tobirama managed to incapacitate Ginkaku and then went on to decapitate Kinkaku.

That puts a lot out of context. I know he did say Hiruzen would have the power of the Hokage but with him being alive, I doubt Hiruzen would have the full control he was meant to have.

Why don't I give him a boon by making Tobirama incapable of involving himself anymore?

"Now that's cheating dear. You wouldn't do something like that, yes?" Hinami's incarnation said beside me.

"Far from it dear, far from it." I replied instantly. Wouldn't want to get on this lady's bad side.

"I see. For a moment I thought you still had it out for him."

"What!? I'm as old as his very ancestor... Why would I hold a grudge against what his actions would lead to in the future?"

Granted... The root cause of nearly all the bad things that happened in the Canon was all as a result of his policies but I know he had..has good intentions but the people that came after him didn't share his goals.

Well, I guess this is what will bring an end to the first Shinobi World war.

Funny enough, the cause wasn't due to any form of Treaty but merely because all five Kages were killed.

Mu and Gengetsu would be offing themselves soon which I had zero to no intentions of interfering. Shamon would be assasinated due to his reforms affecting some party aka, the Daimyo and then we have Tobirama and The Raikage being offed by the twins.

Sigh, what pitiful people. They only managed to hold their office for less than 4 years. Truly pitiful.

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That's it for the first Shinobi World war. Next up... The Sanin childhood and tutelage under Hiruzen.