2: He Dies Defying Fate and Destiny

"Shikabane Hyuga," a man with long, spiky hair stood atop a boulder with his arms crossed. "I must admit, you were a terrible enemy."

Shikabane looked up, his mouth dripping with blood. He laughed, causing more of his blood to spill. "What's your name, boy?" He asked with a grin.

"Madara Uchiha, remember it," the man spoke, his eyes changing from black to the famed Mangekyo Sharingan. "After Hashirama Senju, you are the most powerful man I fought."

"Hashirama... Senju," Shikabane chuckled. It's been years since he heard that name. "The wood wielding boy?"

Madara frowned. "Yes, him."

"Ah, I remember now," Shikabane glanced at the sky, closing his bleeding eyes. He was nearly blind, and his mangled body wasn't making it any better.

"You were the boy who took him from me."

Madara scoffed. "What if I was?" He scowled as though the memory was something unpleasant.

"You took away my fun," Shikabane opened his eyes, revealing his byakugan activated. "So you must return it!"

"Hmph, what gives you the right, you old fossil?" Madara formed a hand seal. "Die and stay dead. Fire Release: Majestic Destroyer Flame Jutsu!"

"Gentle Fist," Shikabane weakly raised his arm and crouched, wincing as his blood was drained from him. His body, riddled with countless deep cuts, slowly glowed green. "Fate... Reversal."

Shikabane thrusted his palm forward, and with his Mangekyo Sharingan, Madara frowned at the sight. Then, he saw Shikabane's chakra forming a thin palm which faced his jutsu.

Looking at it, it was like a mouse facing agaisnt a tsunami, but when the tsunami fell.

"?!" Madara held his gunbai and swung it agaisnt the flames that were deflected toward him.

FOOOSH—A massive gust of wind devoured the fire, quickly dispersing it as Madara overloaded the simple jutsu with chakra. In an instant, the forest was drowned in silence, with a massive scorched ground separating Madara and Shikabane.

"What a remarkable jutsu," Madara praised, showing off a smirk. "It seems you're not dead yet, old—"

"Kids are so noisy," Shikabane groaned and suddenly appeared in front of Madara, who raised his gunbai to block. "Gentle Fist: World Breaker."

Shikabane's palm struck Madara's gunbai, and like a cannonball, Madara flew back!

CRASH!

Crawling out of the crater he was buried in, Madara glared at Shikabane with his Mangekyo Sharingan. "Genjutsu: World of—"

"Gentle Fist," Shikabane's voice echoed behind Madara's ears. Madara turned around, eyes wide as Shikabane's palm neared his face.

"Dawn of Destiny," Shikabane said as his palm neared Madara's face. His chakra pushed out of his palms, and through his eyes, Madara saw the surrounding chakra merging with Shikabane's chakra, enhancing it more and more in just moments!

Madara held his breath, launching a jutsu in desperation. "Susanoo."

ROAAR—

The giant blue monster silently roared, just as Shikabane's palm touched the chakra armor.

BOOOM!

Madara flew back, his susanno dragging across the ground as cracks formed on its surface.

"The Susanoo was damaged?" Madara reached out with his hand, having a hard time believing his eyes.

"A bigger toy," Shikabane coughed up a few giggles. "Let me show you a cool... trick," He wheezed.

Madara blinked, and on instinct, the Susanoo raised its arm to block something. Before Madara's eyes, Shikabane appeared in front of the Susanoo with his palm facing him.

"Gentle Fist: World Destroyer," Shikabane said as his arm stretched forward, striking Madara's Susanoo. Madara weaved handsigns, inventing a crude jutsu on the spot as his Perfect Susanoo crumbled before his eyes.

"Earth Release: Endless Earth Walls Jutsu," Madara barely spat out before rousing his chakra in his body. Then, he flickered away, just in time as the last Earth Wall in front of him pulverized into dust!

BOOOOOM!

Madara wiped the sweat on his forehead. "What a monster," he grinned and looked st Shikabane, who was falling fron the sky. "He broke my Perfect Susanoo, and instantly shattered hundreds of Earth Walls at the same time," Madara smirked.

"I'm curious who would win between you, and Hashirama!" He yelled, but Shikabane didn't answer. Then, he watched as Shikabane fell on the ground, his body splattering everywhere. Madara frowned.

"You're dead already?"

No one replied.

When Hashirama came into view, all he saw were bloodstains on the ground and his best friend carrying a bloody sack.

"What happened?" Hashirama asked, adjusting his Konoha forehead protector.

"Shikabane Hyuga," Madara said and walked toward his friend. Then, he gave the bag to Hashirama. "Give him a proper burial. Away from those blind Hyugas."

Hashirama, dumbfounded, simply nodded. "You killed him?"

Madara shook his head. "He killed himself."

He said and left. Originally, he was just training on the desolate forest when he found Shikabane coughing up rivers of blood and scratching his byakugan. His eyes were already bleeding then, and one of them was punctured by Shikabane himself.

When Madara, who didn't recognize him at first, approached, Shikabane attacked and his wounds rapidly healed. Thinking it was a trap, Madara quickly tried killing Shikabane, but even then the latter survived his assault.

It was only then that Madara recognized the infamous Shikabane Hyuga, who's name itself was forbidden to talk about.

After all, no one wanted to hear the name of the man who eradicated dozens of clans during the Warring States Era, who killed many nobles and daimyo, as well as the man who nearly wiped out the land of Wind on a whim.

"What a shame, such a man died today," Madara had to admit, he wanted to fight Shikabane during the man's prime. Because of the ban on Shikabane's name and achievements, he knew little about the man.

"They said he was deranged and acts like a beast, but all I saw was a sick man that needed healing," Madara sighed. "If Hashirama found him instead of me, would Hashirama manage to heal that man?"

Madara looked at the red moon. Then, he shook his head. "What am I thinking? I'm starting to grow soft," he chuckled.

Meanwhile, deep inside Konoha, a man with spiky white hair wearing a white and green kimono sat on a chair, holding a scroll. However, his gaze was elsewhere.

"Brother... no, that chakra signature belongs to that man," Tobirama narrowed his eyes, watching from afar as Hashirama buried a dismembered body near the Senju Clan compound.