Chapter 16: The Calm Before the Battle

Authors note: How is the quality of this chapter compared to the past

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Raiden lay in his quarters, staring at the ceiling as exhaustion weighed heavily on him. His body was still sore from sparring with Hashirama earlier, and the mental strain of the day's events tugged at his thoughts. Every muscle protested each time he moved, but the ache was secondary to the whirlwind of questions in his mind. Slowly, sleep claimed him, and he drifted into a deep slumber.

Some hours later, a gentle shake startled him awake. Raiden's eyes fluttered open to see Hashirama crouched beside him, illuminated by the dim moonlight filtering through the window. The young Senju heir had a mischievous grin, his excitement barely contained.

"Raiden, get up!" Hashirama whispered eagerly. "I've got something to show you!"

Groggily, Raiden rubbed his eyes. "What time is it?" he muttered, still half-asleep.

"Late enough that everyone's asleep," Hashirama responded, grinning wider. "Come on, trust me—you'll want to see this."

Before Raiden could fully process what was happening, Hashirama had already pulled him from his bed. Sensing his friend's excitement, Raiden quickly dressed and followed him outside. The compound was eerily quiet under the moonlit sky, interrupted only by the occasional rustle of the wind through the trees. Hashirama moved with practiced stealth, and Raiden followed, both keeping to the shadows as they snuck past guards and patrols.

They eventually slipped through a small opening in the fence at the far side of the compound. Raiden's heart raced—he didn't know where Hashirama was taking him, but the thrill of sneaking out was undeniable.

After a long stretch of running through the dense forest, Hashirama finally slowed, crouching behind a large boulder. Raiden, tired but expectant, followed suit, his eyes adjusting to the moonlit landscape.

"Look," Hashirama whispered, pointing to a small clearing just ahead.

Raiden peered through the trees, and his eyes widened at the sight. Two groups of shinobi—Senju and Uchiha—stood facing each other in the moonlit clearing, weapons drawn and chakra flaring. The tension between them was thick, almost suffocating. Raiden's heart pounded.

"Are they about to fight?" Raiden asked, his voice barely a whisper.

Hashirama nodded solemnly. "It's already begun. We're lucky to catch this before it gets worse."

As if on cue, a Senju shinobi launched a fireball jutsu, the clearing briefly illuminated by the roaring flames as they sped toward the Uchiha. In response, an Uchiha warrior with his Sharingan activated dodged effortlessly, moving with precise, fluid motions as he retaliated with a kunai barrage aimed at the Senju. Raiden could barely keep up with the speed and intensity of the attacks.

The battle quickly escalated, transforming the clearing into a brutal war zone. Fire, lightning, and wind-based jutsu crackled through the air as the shinobi clashed, each side trying to outmaneuver the other. Raiden was captivated by the fluidity and precision of the combat—every attack was calculated, every dodge perfectly timed.

Raiden's gaze fixated on a specific pair—a seasoned Uchiha warrior and a skilled Senju shinobi, both locked in a deadly, high-speed duel. The Uchiha's Sharingan spun, analyzing and predicting each of the Senju's attacks, while the Senju warrior launched into a series of rapid taijutsu moves, fists and feet flying as he closed in.

Suddenly, the Uchiha formed a series of hand seals, and the ground beneath the Senju fighter cracked open as jagged rocks shot upward in a vicious earth-based jutsu. The Senju barely managed to leap back, twisting his body midair to avoid the deadly spikes. The sheer intensity of the battle left no room for error—this was a fight to the death.

Raiden's stomach churned. This was war in its rawest form.

"We should go," Hashirama said softly, tugging at Raiden's arm. "It's not safe to stay here."

Reluctantly, Raiden tore his gaze from the battlefield and followed Hashirama back into the cover of the forest. They ran for what felt like hours, the sounds of the fight growing distant as they finally arrived at a calm riverbank. The moonlight glistened on the water's surface, casting a serene glow over the scene.

Hashirama sat down near the edge of the water, his expression thoughtful and distant. "I come here sometimes," he said, voice low. "When things in the compound get to be too much. This place helps me... escape."

Raiden joined him, sitting on the soft grass as he gazed at the peaceful river. The contrast between the tranquility here and the chaos they had just witnessed made it seem almost unreal.

"Escape?" Raiden asked, glancing over at Hashirama.

Hashirama nodded, his eyes still on the water. "Yeah. From all the fighting... the pressure. Everyone expects me to lead one day, to be strong like my father. But sometimes I just want to... I don't know... get away from it all."

Raiden stayed silent, understanding the weight of expectations, though perhaps not to the same extent as Hashirama. The heir of the Senju clan, constantly surrounded by war and strategy, was already burdened with the responsibility of leading one day. Raiden could see why Hashirama sought refuge here.

Hashirama lay back, gazing up at the sky. "What do you think about the wars? The fighting everywhere?"

Raiden, caught off guard by the question, stayed quiet for a moment, carefully thinking about how to respond. He knew that Hashirama was a pacifist at heart, even if Hashirama shows that in the future the most. But Raiden's own experiences, both in this life and his past one, shaped his view of the world in ways that clashed with Hashirama's ideals.

"I think the conflict between shinobi... it's born out of greed," Raiden finally said, his voice steady.

Hashirama turned to Raiden, surprised by the blunt answer. His clan's pursuit of power—control over fertile lands in the Fire Country—was one of the driving forces behind their war with the Uchiha. The Uchiha, with their powerful Sharingan and warlike nature, were proud and unwilling to submit.

Hashirama sat up, looking at Raiden more seriously now. "Then how do you think we can stop this?"

Raiden sighed, knowing his answer wouldn't be what Hashirama wanted to hear. "There's no easy way to stop the conflict. The only thing I can think of is to unite the shinobi under one banner, against a common enemy, and use that unity to create a new order... or a country for all shinobi."

Hashirama's hopeful eyes dimmed at the unsatisfactory answer.

Raiden hesitated but continued. "Well, there's another way, though I doubt you'll like it."

"Another way?" Hashirama asked, his curiosity piqued.

Raiden grinned. "Conquer the world. Make them bend the knee to you."

The suggestion hit Hashirama like a hammer. His eyes widened in disbelief. Conquer the world? How could anyone—even someone like his father—hope to achieve something like that?

"Is that... even possible?" Hashirama whispered, shocked.

"Of course it is," Raiden said, a glint of ambition in his eyes. "All you need is absolute power."

Hashirama stared at him, dumbfounded. "You're insane," he finally said, though a small laugh escaped his lips.

Raiden's grin didn't waver. "Maybe. But think about it. If you could unite all the clans—by force if necessary—there wouldn't be room for conflict. You could create the peace you're always talking about."

Hashirama shook his head, still half laughing. "You're crazy. And how do you think you'd even get that kind of power?"

With a sly grin, Raiden replied, "Who said anything about doing it alone?"

Hashirama blinked, confused. "You're serious? Who's going to help you?"

Raiden fixed him with a confident gaze. "Just you and me. That's all we'll need."

Hashirama looked at Raiden as though he'd lost his mind. "Two kids conquering the world?"

Raiden leaned forward, gripping Hashirama's shoulders. "Trust me. I know it sounds impossible. But nothing in this world is impossible. You and I—we could change everything. Bring peace to the world in ways no one has ever thought possible."

Hashirama stared back at him, dazed by the sheer confidence in Raiden's voice. How could anyone be so sure of something so insane?

After a long pause, Hashirama finally nodded, a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Alright. I'll trust you. But don't let me down, Raiden."

As they sat by the river, Raiden felt a sense of clarity wash over him. This world—the Naruto world—was broken. But he had the opportunity to fix it, to rewrite history, to conquer in ways no one ever had. With Hashirama by his side, he could see a future where peace reigned—but not the way history had originally unfolded. This time, Raiden would take control of the narrative. 

Because Raiden finally knew what type of shinobi he wanted to be... A Conqueror shinobi.