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The Legendary Sage of Six Paths, Chapter 4;
'So does anything come to mind, Hagoromo??'
Time had already gone rapidly by since I arrived at this cave on the top of the Three Wolves' Mountain, and despite the time I had spent there, I still felt like I hadn't been able to get the answers I was looking for. Walking over to the table standing in front of the wizard, I supported my arms on it as I pondered on how I was going to lead this conversation forward from here.
Still though, there was something about "That meeting back then" that had intrigued me, as vague memories of the past started to slowly come back to me. 'Well if that was really you back then, I suppose you really are able to read the future?' I simply said, without much of a thought. But I wasn't done there; 'Back then, you acted like nothing happened, but you did have an ulterior motive after all. Why don't you take of that helmet and show yourself, to prove if what you say is true? I would certainly recognize that face, if it so belongs to you.' I was testing him. Now it was his time to come up with something to say. 'If I do that, the future will forever be altered.' He simply put it. At this point, I was already starting to get impatient. 'So the light that emerged between us when we shook hands, which you claimed to not have seen before you hurriedly went on your way?' I replied. At this, the wizard went up to me as he too came over to the table. Reaching out for the candle he then picked it up and held it in front of me. Silence filled the air as he looked upon me, with his blue eyes ever present from within the two small holes in his helmet. He then said; 'That sword on you back is what binds us, what rules the fate of this world and forever in the light guides us. Although I am not its creator, I was once a wielder of that sword too...' What exactly did he mean? 'The Master Sword has been in the position of many a man, you are one in eight, and you are also the last in line to fulfill the prophecy. To bring on a new dawn, of "Shinobi."' 'Shinobi??' I asked. 'Yes, I'll tell you more about the sword and its former wielders some other time. Come...'
Turning his back on me once again, the wizard then proceeded to go over to two items that laid on the ground in a corner. On his way over there, he added; 'I suppose you've been wondering where Yukimura got that cover name he gave you from?' What? Did he mean... And how did he know Yukimura? 'It's not by share coincident that you were given the name Uzumaki Naruto to hide your real identity... Let's just say a little bird whispered that name to him.' At this I could only pondered further, in which the wizard told me that Yukimura had never spoken to him in person, at least not in the way I was speaking to him right now. He then followed up by saying that even though that name might seem random to me at first, it would become quite important in the future. Once again, he mentioned the future. 'In the future??' I asked, this time more persistently. 'Yet another story, for yet another time.' He replied.
Was there really any real answers to get from this man? 'You still haven't told me what or who you are...' I pressed further. 'Don't worry yourself, I am indeed human and I am indeed on your side. If you like to divide it into sides, into good and evil, that is. There are really no sides to be picked in this world however, as only the path of peace can truly move this world forward. It's always a matter of what choices you make, and often times, who you are destined to become... But there's more to the history of this world than we have time to focus on right now. Here...' Picking up two items from the ground, the wizard then handed them over to me. 'And I'll use these two items to do what exactly?' Puzzled, I quickly followed him as he went over to the table once more. 'You are here for answers, isn't that right? In all your life, ever since that fateful day where you were forced to journey across the land until you came upon the Sacred Sect, ever since that day have you wondered... You've felt it too, haven't you? That deep down inside of you, something great dwells, something different yet unique... You've been troubled in your dreams about this moment for years, that is why you set out for this mountain?' If he was indeed human like he claimed to be, he had to be dealing with some high level sorcery, and that was probably the only thing I was certain of at the time. In fact, I didn't even need to answer his questions anymore as he already knew what I would say and beat me to it. Either that, or he simply ignored my possible response.
'One of the first things I told you when you first arrived here was that, in this mountain, rests a treasure... 'Wisdom,' for those who have the 'Courage' and the 'Power' to seek it.' He then pointed at the two items I now held firmly in my hands. 'But you never came here for any treasure, did you? You came here for knowledge... What do you want to do with your life? What are your true goals and motives. What path would you walk if granted the powers to seek them out? The path of a Saviour, or the path of a Tyrant?' I knew his tone had changed. It was no longer the same playful mood from before, it had now finally turned serious. Perhaps now was the time to seek out the answers I was looking for? 'I want to end the ever-lasting, never-ending war. To create peace and harmony across the land, to join everyone as one, in complete understanding of each other.' He looked at me. Those words... He had heard them somewhere before, hadn't he? Was that the answer he was hoping for, that I would give him? I looked once again at the two items he had given me. In my right hand was some sort of an old dusty book, while in the other, was some form of a wicked staff I had no idea what to do with. 'The 'Founding Book of Jutsu,' and the 'Staff of Fortune & Destiny.' That is the two treasures I bestow upon you. Use them well.' Laying his right hand upon my shoulder, he then continued telling me that the Founding Book of Jutsu was something he himself had written, something that would teach the reader the basic of Ninshū and Ninjutsu. To combine them and awaken true power. For within my blood rested a power known as 'Chakra,' something which I had inherited from my real family. 'My real family?? What do you know about it??' I asked. 'All in due time.' He quickly added. With the book, I would be able to access and acquire god like powers, and with the staff, I would be able to change fate and destiny, and create anything I wanted. As of now though, I simply didn't know how to awaken that power just yet, but in time, as you know, I would be able to move even the mountains. This was where it all began, at this very moment. The founding bricks had been laid...
I had to remember to be careful what I used them for though, he assured me. He then said; 'You seek power to restore balance to this world, to bring on true peace to the bloodstained land. With what I've given you, you will be able to do so and change this world forever, in time. However I must warn you... Use these new powers for anything else than the benefit of the people, to use them for selfish desires, will bring on disaster to not only those you care about, but to the fate of the world as well. Use these powers for anything else than that purpose, and that purpose alone, and the land will be cursed forever to witness war, death and cruelty in a never-ending Circle of Hate. There won't be any way to go back if the Curse is born...' He wasn't joking around either. It was as if he had placed the fate of the world in my sole hands. 'With this, I will take my leave.' As if finishing up, the wizard then turned towards the exit of the cave as he now set his eyes upon leaving. I still felt like I needed to know some more answers before he left though, so I shouted out to him, asking him to wait. Halting temporarily, he said; 'With what I've given you, the answers to the rest of your questions will come in time. I have a feeling that we will meet again some day, and when we do, I'm sure you are a different man than the one that stands before me now. I am but a guide, so the path is for you and you alone to walk.' I couldn't accept that. I simply had to know this one last thing before he would disappear. 'But what about my real family, great wizard?! The one you spoke of!' I shouted out... I wasn't expecting any more answers from him at this point, but to my surprise he then turned around as he said; 'Both your real mother and your brother are alive. However, their current whereabouts are still unknown, even to me. I suspect that they have gone into hiding, awaiting their time to return. Your real father however... Was never known. In time, once you are ready and have awakened your birthright powers, you will meet them again, and only then will you learn the history of your clan and your true purpose. The fate of the world will then be decided...' With that, he was gone like the wind. Thirsting for more answers, I knew I just had to do with what I had been given. Laying the staff on the table and opening the book on the first page, I spent the entire night reading.
As the first rays of the sun snuck inside and lit up the cave around me, I had already begun to grasp the initial control of what the book had taught me. After that day, I was never to be the same again. I had awakened the affinity for chakra and all that comes with it. I struggled to raise my head up from the table as I had fallen asleep for what seemed like at least an hour while reading, or so I thought. I swept the drool away from my mouth as I tried to stand up to my feet. Suddenly, it felt like I had slept for days and nights, and that a new energy was surging up from deep within me. This definitely had to be it, the chakra that the wizard had talked about. I felt totally restored, like a new man all together. It was time to set my eyes on returning to the Sanada clan's camp, to my home. I had to tell Trea about this meeting, and I had to tell her fast. Grabbing both the book and the staff, I was off and on my way before I knew it.
Even though I had to get used to this new feeling inside of me, I simply couldn't stick around to wait for it all to sink in first. I had to reach out and grasp it for myself head on as I raced down the mountain at tremendous speed. It felt like I could do anything, like no limit now stood before me. I landed swiftly on my feet from what seemed like a 40 feet drop or more, and both surprisingly and satisfyingly enough, my body could take it without much trouble. It was almost Inhuman... As I raced across the field, I was certain that I would be able to shorten the three days and three nights' trip I had used to get here, to less than half a day on my way back. I ran for hours nonstop. 'Do any of you believe in fate or destiny??' Those were the firm words Yukimura had asked us all at the first training lesson we received after arriving to the Sanada clan, and by now, I finally begun to understand what he meant. With the Founding Book of Jutsu under my left arm, and the Staff of Fortune & Destiny in my right hand, I continuously sprinted on until I finally could see familiar land again. The Sanada clan's camp laid right up ahead, with its main gate being the first thing to come to view in front of me. Night had already fallen upon the land by then.
The camp, or rather, the fortress was divided into four sections; The main gate with the Samurai encampment to the West, the Recruit encampment with the training grounds to the East, the Headquarters to the North, and the Supply Depot to the South. The Sanada clan's ranks counted around a 1000 warriors these days, which only seemed like a fading star in comparison to the good old days. Still though, the Sanada clan was considered the currently second strongest clan in the Empire, only rivaled by the great Oda clan. That was probably the main reason to why the Sanada clan had held on for as long against the Oda clan as they had, and also how they had practically avoided open war for the past twelve years that I had spent there in the process. Beside those two powerful clans were also the likes of the Tokugawa Clan, the Azai Clan, and also, the Takeda Clan, among others. And it had been the Takeda clan who had requested the aid in a battle against the Tokugawa clan, in which Yukimura had taken a handful of his best men and set out to respond to. This all happened at around the same time as I headed out for my own journey, almost four days ago, and by now, a lot of things had already happened. To aid the Takeda clan, that had been Yukimura's important mission, but behind all this, laid something much more elaborate and cunning. War was upon every clan in the land, and it was only a matter of time before total chaos would claim it...
What followed was a short lived battle where the leader of the Takeda clan, Shingen Takeda, had been assassinated in the middle of the night by the notorious assassin known as the "Devil Hanzo." His real name was Hanzo Hattori, and he was a loyal servant of the Tokugawa clan and its leader, Ieyasu Tokugawa. The battle was a disaster for the armies of the Takeda clan, almost even to the brink of total annihilation. Their forces were scattered, their chain of command was broken and in total disarray. As for Yukimura and his men, there was a different story to be told. Having to draw a swift retreat, Yukimura and his men were riding horseback as fast as they could to get back to the Sanada camp. They had learned something in that battle against the Tokugawa clan which had set Yukimura on high alert. A great scheme was indeed on the horizon, and it was only a matter of time now before it would be deployed.
The Tokugawa clan and the Oda clan had long been allies, and together, their might seemed unstoppable against any army that stood against them. The Oda clan was also on the move following this battle, and this time, no one would stand in their way, not even the noble Sanada clan. Having sent his mightiest general, and probably also the strongest warrior in the land to aid the Oda clan in this task, nothing but victory would seem likely for the joint armies of the Oda and the Tokugawa clans. "The Warrior who surpassed Death itself..." That general was one of Ieyasu's most trusted men, and his name... Was Tadakatsu Honda. What the Oda clan was scheming for now however, was still unknown, but sure as the night, and while the Takeda and the Tokugawa clans were busy breaking off from each other, with the brave Yukimura and his men retreating as fast as they could, the Oda clan made their move.
I on the other hand, knew nothing of any of this, as I came before the main gate, holstering the Staff and the Book on my back with a string, tying them neatly together before I proceeded. Two guards were standing guard as I greeted them. In contrast to normal procedures, they seemed to be slacking, and they both seemed to have been equipped with the wrong size armor. They didn't seem to bother much about checking who I was, whispering to themselves as I passed by. I let it slip, thinking they had recognized me. That was and should have been something that normally had caught my attention. Big mistake. As I was walking through the Samurai encampment, I had already decided to ease on my pacing a bit. After all, I had been running for quite some time and I was starting to get tired. As I came closer to the center of the camp, it finally hit me. 'Why was it so quiet around the Samurai encampment, and why hadn't I spotted a single person out walking?' I stumbled upon this for a second, thinking that they had to be inside their tents or houses. Ignorance was sure bliss that night, or so one would think. I continued on my way when I suddenly started feeling an urge from within me. It was as if this chakra I had awakened finally started to act out of control, on its own. I clutched my head as I tried to gather my senses, and it was then that it happened. I could easily hear it from a mile away... Incoming footsteps, rustling noises, blades carefully being drawn from their holsters. I looked up as I saw at least a dozen men dressed in full black attires come charging in at me from all directions. I now finally realized why the guards seemed so carefree back then, something had indeed happened and they were probably not even part of our clan! I was surrounded, and the only way out was to fight.
I quickly drew the Master Sword as I parried the first strike, only to see a second blade cut deep into my left arm. I almost lost the grip of the sword due to this, but I barely managed to retain my balance as I rolled over and swung around, cutting two of the apparent assassins down in the process. I then felt one blade scratch my body, then another. I quickly parried even more blades coming in at me as I retaliated with all my might, and I fought, for my very life, using everything I had learned to my advantage... This was what all the training had been for. I woefully kept going, cutting my sword deep into the neck of the final assassin who stood before me as I shouted out in rage. Flashbacks of the past quickly swept past my mind as I saw images of my former friends and family get slaughtered. I let all of my anger out. Why did my past always have to catch up to me? Who were these dark assassins that sought to kill me? I fell to my knees shaking as I was scrambling my thoughts. My left arm had been cut, my right leg had also received a serious scratch. Somehow, someway, I still managed to keep going, as if life was flowing through me like never before. I managed to push myself back to my feet as I quickly looked around, still with a firm grip on my sword. My immediate reaction was to get out of there in an instant, but then it hit me like an arrow in the knee. Trea!!!
I picked up the pace, I ran faster than I ever had. As I ran down the road towards our home now stationed just between the Recruit encampment to the East and the Headquarters to the North, I saw countless unknown samurai come charging in at me from both sides. I now finally understood what really had happened, but there was no time to analyze it all or to think about the consequences. Unnumbered dead bodies were scattered all over the place before me as I ran, the ground was soaked in the redness of their blood, and the sky above had also mirrored the land below with its dark red color. I had no time to check on anyone, I knew they were all dead just by looking. And if I was to stop here, the incoming samurai would definitely slaughter me... They probably numbered a 100 or even more at this point, but even with this in mind, I didn't care... I had no other choice, I had to make sure about Trea's safety first, that was my primary concern. There were no allies to be seen, nor any sign of any ongoing skirmishes either. Just when had all of this happened, and how long had it been going before I arrived? I let the thought slide. I could see my house now as I jumped over the head of a samurai standing just outside of our home, following up by piercing my sword through the stomach of another, and then turning around back to the other one again as I sent his head flying with a clean cut. I was faster now, more mobile than before, but the 100 or so samurai who had come chasing after me had already caught up. There was no time to think, no time for worst case scenarios, or even time to map out an elaborate plan of escape. This was probably to be my final hour, so at least I had to see her face one last time before then. She had to be still alive, I just knew it. I ran through the door as the more robust dark dressed samurai quickly followed. Not even a single person to see inside, the moment of truth had come. I came into our main room and it was then that I saw it...
An intense pain started surging up from deep within me, followed by an agonizing scream. My sight started getting blurry as I cried to my heart's content. What I had feared was true, and I was definitely way too late. I fell to my knees in devastation as I dropped the sword on the ground. I reached my hands out and grasped her lifeless body which laid before me tightly. Her white clothing was soaked red in blood, her eyes were all blank. Not even a single reaction nor sign of life to be found. I tried shaking her to get a response, but there was nothing to be had, she was long gone. She had already passed on without me, but I refused to acknowledge that at the time. Behind me, several samurai forced their way in as they packed up around me. They all readied their swords. This was to be the end, and I knew it. I couldn't care less, it was all over. Raising their swords, they were all about ready to hack loose on us with their deadly blades, but I just stared intensely and motionless into the ground in front of me, clinging on to Trea's cold body. I refused to let go no matter what. It was then that another samurai entered the room, stopping right in front of me as he reached his blade out, tilting my head up with the tip of it to get a better look. 'What is your name?' He asked. I did not answer... 'You belong to this clan, don't you? Do you know who Hagoromo Otsutsuki is? The Oda clan would like to get a hold of that man...' Once again he pressed on with his questions, but I still wouldn't listen. Reaching his hand out, he was just about to try and pull Trea away from my grasp, but I stared it down as he made contact. Just like that, his entire arm was gone, as if melted away in an instant. He fell backwards in agony as blood gushed out from his shoulder. The other samurai once again raised their blades to deliver the defining blow, not having the slightest idea of what happened to their general's arm. The blades dropped towards our heads, this was it, the final moment. 'Her name... Was Trea.' I muttered. That was to be my final words. Now, I could join her in the afterlife. In any other circumstance, that would have been the end and I would have been dead too, but suddenly, something happened. All I saw then was a flash of bright light followed by a mist of blood, as my entire body started burning in pain with my chakra acting on its own.
The whole house exploded as everything crumbled around me in an instant before my eyes. I saw the faces of my nemeses, the horror and the pain in their eyes, as they were melting away before me. They all withered to ashes, and all traces of their existence was terminated. Not only the ones in the house, but everyone who had stacked up on the outside as well. I didn't think nor reason with what happened before me. I just accepted that it did. Looking down, I realized that Trea's body was going through the same treatment, as she too slowly turned to ash in front of me. I tried to stop it, but I couldn't. She was gone, and I had nothing. My home and my wife, were no more. I looked at my own hands as they were shaking tremendously, I tried to look around but all I could see were shattered rocks and blood. No bodies were present, not from where I sat. Beside me laid the Master Sword, the only thing not to get obliterated, or at least the only thing I could see. I still had the Staff and the Book tied on my back somehow, but I did not notice. I tried to pick the Master Sword up, but as soon as I did, I lost my grip on it as it fell to the ground in front of me, getting all covered up in blood. I looked at it, then, I just stared at the ground ahead. Just like that, I was gone into a trance, a deeper one than I had ever been before.
I probably sat like that for a day. I didn't move, I didn't think, I didn't do anything. I just stared lifelessly on the red dusty ground in front of me, still on my knees. It was then that someone approached me, but I didn't care. If it was an enemy out to finish me off, then so would it be. I didn't even look up to see who it was. I heard what was said, and even though I was able to grasp it, I didn't care for it. Nothing could change what had happened here, nothing could bring her back, nor the clan. I had lost everything. If I hadn't traveled to the Three Wolves' Mountain, I could have done something to save her, to stop this massacre. For all my life had I ignored the state of the world, blissfully living a lie of peace. For all my time in the clan, had I ignored their affairs and struggle. My resolve hadn't been strong enough, I had to do something about this world, and that was the only thing I could reason with there and then. But still, I wanted nothing to do with neither Fate nor Destiny, if I was to walk that path utterly alone. 'We have a survivor over here, Yukimura!' I heard a man scream. I could see their shadows reflected on the ground now as they were increasing in numbers. I still refused to alter my eyes' direction, so I had no idea what they looked like. The name Yukimura got my attention though as a man suddenly came down to me with a hand landing on my shoulder. It was with that tap that I finally managed to break my deep trance as I somewhat snapped back to reality. I looked up, and I realized that it was Yukimura himself who stood in front of me. A familiar face, not out to kill me. His armor was bloody and damaged as if having been in a battled. His gaze immediately told me that it belonged to a weary man.'Hagoromo, what happened here?' I had lost my tongue. I simply shook my head, and it was as if he understood me. Then came another samurai towards the group who now stood gathered around me as he shouted out; 'Report! The whole camp has been overun. We've looked through everything, and there's not a single survivor left except for Hagoromo here.' 'So my father and brothers?' Yukimura asked with a tiny crack in his voice, as if expecting the worst. Turning his head towards the samurai, Yukimura only got a head shaking in return. He realized that there was no hope.
Standing up to his feet, Yukimura then looked at the sky as tears were present on his face too. 'So this is what it has come to then... It was as I had feared.' Leaving a deep sigh, he then almost fell over as one of his companions had to catch him from falling. Asking him if he was alright, it was quickly discovered that Yukimura had suffered a wound in the battle, and as he was forcing himself up to his feet again, another samurai spoke; 'The Oda samurai we encountered and captured on the way over here... He told us that the Oda and the Tokugawa had planned this all along to draw us out to aid the Takeda, and while the Tokugawa kept us busy, the Oda clan launched their entire army upon our camp. No wonder they didn't stand a chance here.' 'How large is our group?' Cutting him short, Yukimura pressed his question. 'What do you mean?' Not understanding what he was on to about, Yukimura had to repeat himself; 'How many horse-riders, how many of our best men did I take with me to aid the Takeda? '250.' Was the answer. '1/4 of our army then.' Yukimura stuttered. Even at full force, the Sanada had trouble fending the Oda off, and with the entire Oda army launching an attack with Yukimura and a huge part of the Sanada army away, the defeat was certain. 'The Oda samurai also said that Tadakatsu himself was amongst the Oda army's ranks.' At this, Yukimura could only sigh more, not even sure what to say at this point. 'What will you do with the prisoner? Keep him alive?' The samurai asked. 'Behead him immediately.' Yukimura countered. He then turned his attention back towards me as he reached his hand out. After thinking about it for quite a while, I finally accepted it as he helped me up. Having finally been able to retain some of my mind, I also made sure to pick up the Master Sword as I tried to clean most of the blood off before holstering it on my back. 'Now, Hagoromo, if you could give me some details...' Asking me what happened, I laid out the details, or at least the amount of it that my heart could bare to share. 'I see.' He simply said, as if not even the slightest interested in how or why I was able to survive. 'Be on alert, Hagoromo. We're going to depend on you from now on.' I couldn't imagine what would happen next, but I saw no reason not to. The other samurai then looked to Yukimura to find out what to do next. 'But we're only 50 horse-riders left, what are we suppose to do?' Asked one of them. 'We'll head for the Azai.' Yukimura stated. And indeed, they were our only hope now.
Arriving at the Azai not long after, we were warmly welcomed. Not only was the Azai clan a decent and dependable clan, but together with their allies, the Asakura Clan, they actually packed a punch. It was here that I would start preparing for the decisive moment of true war. And one of the key figures to this puzzle, was Nagamasa Azai, the leader of the Azai clan, who quite ironically was married to Nobunaga Oda's younger sister. This political marriage had thus established peace between the two clans, but with the current events unfolding, it would now only be a matter of time before that peace was broken too. I had lost Trea, and Yukimura his father and brothers. And all of us had lost a clan, a family, and our home. We had nothing more to lose, as we set our eyes upon seeking assistance from the only clan we knew we could. What I did not know at that time was that one of the Oda samurai had managed to witness what had happened to me and had quickly returned to his camp to tell the leader of the clan. At hearing about the mysterious events unfolding before him and that one man obliterated over 100 samurai in a blink of an eye with some sort of a fiery trick, turning them all to ashes, now that was a man Nobunaga would like to meet. Gathering his armies and meeting up with the Tokugawa clan, the two of them then marched on the Azai. And thus, the most decisive battle of the 1000 years' war was about to begin.
Fun Facts & Author's Note:
1: The first meeting between the Wizard and Hagoromo, is actually something that I've "saved" for Recollection of the Past where the scene originates from, so it's not something that you have missed or something I won't go into details of. You will understand more (if you remember this chapter by then) when the time comes.
2: The plot for this chapter regarding Hagoromo's meeting with the wizard, have been written in the way I originally had imagined it when I mapped out the background-story for the Sage back in TLSoK Returns in 2012 I think. If you go back to one of those chapters, you will see that most of what is said here, is exactly the same as the Jubi told it to happen once Naruto sealed it inside of himself. Fun fact of the day! Oh, and I wrote this fact before I posted the hints towards the entire plot in the last chapter, which some of you might already be acquainted with.
3: I've decided to make up for my long wait with this chapter by stating two things. First and foremost, since I decided to split my first intended 3rd chapter into two, I've finally been able to move past the "1st phase" of the Fic, meaning that from this point onward, things will really start to heat up and move at a quicker pace. Next, I've decided that since this story also relies heavily on Samurai culture and the Sengoku (Warring States) period of Japan, I figured it would help to show you guys a quick "refresher" on what exactly this historic period is about. I found the following installments to be quite interesting, although reading from some of the comments it does indeed seem to be containing some minor mistakes. However, being that my fic is loosely based on this period, it's more about the characters and the battles than anything else. Here's what I'm talking about:
4: Next chapter is titled; " Showdown ."
Be sure to look for it when it arrives
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The Legendary Sage of Six Paths, Chapter 4;
As Destiny had Foretold,
the First Jutsu Emerges:
the First Jutsu Emerges:
'So does anything come to mind, Hagoromo??'
Time had already gone rapidly by since I arrived at this cave on the top of the Three Wolves' Mountain, and despite the time I had spent there, I still felt like I hadn't been able to get the answers I was looking for. Walking over to the table standing in front of the wizard, I supported my arms on it as I pondered on how I was going to lead this conversation forward from here.
Still though, there was something about "That meeting back then" that had intrigued me, as vague memories of the past started to slowly come back to me. 'Well if that was really you back then, I suppose you really are able to read the future?' I simply said, without much of a thought. But I wasn't done there; 'Back then, you acted like nothing happened, but you did have an ulterior motive after all. Why don't you take of that helmet and show yourself, to prove if what you say is true? I would certainly recognize that face, if it so belongs to you.' I was testing him. Now it was his time to come up with something to say. 'If I do that, the future will forever be altered.' He simply put it. At this point, I was already starting to get impatient. 'So the light that emerged between us when we shook hands, which you claimed to not have seen before you hurriedly went on your way?' I replied. At this, the wizard went up to me as he too came over to the table. Reaching out for the candle he then picked it up and held it in front of me. Silence filled the air as he looked upon me, with his blue eyes ever present from within the two small holes in his helmet. He then said; 'That sword on you back is what binds us, what rules the fate of this world and forever in the light guides us. Although I am not its creator, I was once a wielder of that sword too...' What exactly did he mean? 'The Master Sword has been in the position of many a man, you are one in eight, and you are also the last in line to fulfill the prophecy. To bring on a new dawn, of "Shinobi."' 'Shinobi??' I asked. 'Yes, I'll tell you more about the sword and its former wielders some other time. Come...'
Turning his back on me once again, the wizard then proceeded to go over to two items that laid on the ground in a corner. On his way over there, he added; 'I suppose you've been wondering where Yukimura got that cover name he gave you from?' What? Did he mean... And how did he know Yukimura? 'It's not by share coincident that you were given the name Uzumaki Naruto to hide your real identity... Let's just say a little bird whispered that name to him.' At this I could only pondered further, in which the wizard told me that Yukimura had never spoken to him in person, at least not in the way I was speaking to him right now. He then followed up by saying that even though that name might seem random to me at first, it would become quite important in the future. Once again, he mentioned the future. 'In the future??' I asked, this time more persistently. 'Yet another story, for yet another time.' He replied.
Was there really any real answers to get from this man? 'You still haven't told me what or who you are...' I pressed further. 'Don't worry yourself, I am indeed human and I am indeed on your side. If you like to divide it into sides, into good and evil, that is. There are really no sides to be picked in this world however, as only the path of peace can truly move this world forward. It's always a matter of what choices you make, and often times, who you are destined to become... But there's more to the history of this world than we have time to focus on right now. Here...' Picking up two items from the ground, the wizard then handed them over to me. 'And I'll use these two items to do what exactly?' Puzzled, I quickly followed him as he went over to the table once more. 'You are here for answers, isn't that right? In all your life, ever since that fateful day where you were forced to journey across the land until you came upon the Sacred Sect, ever since that day have you wondered... You've felt it too, haven't you? That deep down inside of you, something great dwells, something different yet unique... You've been troubled in your dreams about this moment for years, that is why you set out for this mountain?' If he was indeed human like he claimed to be, he had to be dealing with some high level sorcery, and that was probably the only thing I was certain of at the time. In fact, I didn't even need to answer his questions anymore as he already knew what I would say and beat me to it. Either that, or he simply ignored my possible response.
'One of the first things I told you when you first arrived here was that, in this mountain, rests a treasure... 'Wisdom,' for those who have the 'Courage' and the 'Power' to seek it.' He then pointed at the two items I now held firmly in my hands. 'But you never came here for any treasure, did you? You came here for knowledge... What do you want to do with your life? What are your true goals and motives. What path would you walk if granted the powers to seek them out? The path of a Saviour, or the path of a Tyrant?' I knew his tone had changed. It was no longer the same playful mood from before, it had now finally turned serious. Perhaps now was the time to seek out the answers I was looking for? 'I want to end the ever-lasting, never-ending war. To create peace and harmony across the land, to join everyone as one, in complete understanding of each other.' He looked at me. Those words... He had heard them somewhere before, hadn't he? Was that the answer he was hoping for, that I would give him? I looked once again at the two items he had given me. In my right hand was some sort of an old dusty book, while in the other, was some form of a wicked staff I had no idea what to do with. 'The 'Founding Book of Jutsu,' and the 'Staff of Fortune & Destiny.' That is the two treasures I bestow upon you. Use them well.' Laying his right hand upon my shoulder, he then continued telling me that the Founding Book of Jutsu was something he himself had written, something that would teach the reader the basic of Ninshū and Ninjutsu. To combine them and awaken true power. For within my blood rested a power known as 'Chakra,' something which I had inherited from my real family. 'My real family?? What do you know about it??' I asked. 'All in due time.' He quickly added. With the book, I would be able to access and acquire god like powers, and with the staff, I would be able to change fate and destiny, and create anything I wanted. As of now though, I simply didn't know how to awaken that power just yet, but in time, as you know, I would be able to move even the mountains. This was where it all began, at this very moment. The founding bricks had been laid...
I had to remember to be careful what I used them for though, he assured me. He then said; 'You seek power to restore balance to this world, to bring on true peace to the bloodstained land. With what I've given you, you will be able to do so and change this world forever, in time. However I must warn you... Use these new powers for anything else than the benefit of the people, to use them for selfish desires, will bring on disaster to not only those you care about, but to the fate of the world as well. Use these powers for anything else than that purpose, and that purpose alone, and the land will be cursed forever to witness war, death and cruelty in a never-ending Circle of Hate. There won't be any way to go back if the Curse is born...' He wasn't joking around either. It was as if he had placed the fate of the world in my sole hands. 'With this, I will take my leave.' As if finishing up, the wizard then turned towards the exit of the cave as he now set his eyes upon leaving. I still felt like I needed to know some more answers before he left though, so I shouted out to him, asking him to wait. Halting temporarily, he said; 'With what I've given you, the answers to the rest of your questions will come in time. I have a feeling that we will meet again some day, and when we do, I'm sure you are a different man than the one that stands before me now. I am but a guide, so the path is for you and you alone to walk.' I couldn't accept that. I simply had to know this one last thing before he would disappear. 'But what about my real family, great wizard?! The one you spoke of!' I shouted out... I wasn't expecting any more answers from him at this point, but to my surprise he then turned around as he said; 'Both your real mother and your brother are alive. However, their current whereabouts are still unknown, even to me. I suspect that they have gone into hiding, awaiting their time to return. Your real father however... Was never known. In time, once you are ready and have awakened your birthright powers, you will meet them again, and only then will you learn the history of your clan and your true purpose. The fate of the world will then be decided...' With that, he was gone like the wind. Thirsting for more answers, I knew I just had to do with what I had been given. Laying the staff on the table and opening the book on the first page, I spent the entire night reading.
As the first rays of the sun snuck inside and lit up the cave around me, I had already begun to grasp the initial control of what the book had taught me. After that day, I was never to be the same again. I had awakened the affinity for chakra and all that comes with it. I struggled to raise my head up from the table as I had fallen asleep for what seemed like at least an hour while reading, or so I thought. I swept the drool away from my mouth as I tried to stand up to my feet. Suddenly, it felt like I had slept for days and nights, and that a new energy was surging up from deep within me. This definitely had to be it, the chakra that the wizard had talked about. I felt totally restored, like a new man all together. It was time to set my eyes on returning to the Sanada clan's camp, to my home. I had to tell Trea about this meeting, and I had to tell her fast. Grabbing both the book and the staff, I was off and on my way before I knew it.
Even though I had to get used to this new feeling inside of me, I simply couldn't stick around to wait for it all to sink in first. I had to reach out and grasp it for myself head on as I raced down the mountain at tremendous speed. It felt like I could do anything, like no limit now stood before me. I landed swiftly on my feet from what seemed like a 40 feet drop or more, and both surprisingly and satisfyingly enough, my body could take it without much trouble. It was almost Inhuman... As I raced across the field, I was certain that I would be able to shorten the three days and three nights' trip I had used to get here, to less than half a day on my way back. I ran for hours nonstop. 'Do any of you believe in fate or destiny??' Those were the firm words Yukimura had asked us all at the first training lesson we received after arriving to the Sanada clan, and by now, I finally begun to understand what he meant. With the Founding Book of Jutsu under my left arm, and the Staff of Fortune & Destiny in my right hand, I continuously sprinted on until I finally could see familiar land again. The Sanada clan's camp laid right up ahead, with its main gate being the first thing to come to view in front of me. Night had already fallen upon the land by then.
The camp, or rather, the fortress was divided into four sections; The main gate with the Samurai encampment to the West, the Recruit encampment with the training grounds to the East, the Headquarters to the North, and the Supply Depot to the South. The Sanada clan's ranks counted around a 1000 warriors these days, which only seemed like a fading star in comparison to the good old days. Still though, the Sanada clan was considered the currently second strongest clan in the Empire, only rivaled by the great Oda clan. That was probably the main reason to why the Sanada clan had held on for as long against the Oda clan as they had, and also how they had practically avoided open war for the past twelve years that I had spent there in the process. Beside those two powerful clans were also the likes of the Tokugawa Clan, the Azai Clan, and also, the Takeda Clan, among others. And it had been the Takeda clan who had requested the aid in a battle against the Tokugawa clan, in which Yukimura had taken a handful of his best men and set out to respond to. This all happened at around the same time as I headed out for my own journey, almost four days ago, and by now, a lot of things had already happened. To aid the Takeda clan, that had been Yukimura's important mission, but behind all this, laid something much more elaborate and cunning. War was upon every clan in the land, and it was only a matter of time before total chaos would claim it...
What followed was a short lived battle where the leader of the Takeda clan, Shingen Takeda, had been assassinated in the middle of the night by the notorious assassin known as the "Devil Hanzo." His real name was Hanzo Hattori, and he was a loyal servant of the Tokugawa clan and its leader, Ieyasu Tokugawa. The battle was a disaster for the armies of the Takeda clan, almost even to the brink of total annihilation. Their forces were scattered, their chain of command was broken and in total disarray. As for Yukimura and his men, there was a different story to be told. Having to draw a swift retreat, Yukimura and his men were riding horseback as fast as they could to get back to the Sanada camp. They had learned something in that battle against the Tokugawa clan which had set Yukimura on high alert. A great scheme was indeed on the horizon, and it was only a matter of time now before it would be deployed.
The Tokugawa clan and the Oda clan had long been allies, and together, their might seemed unstoppable against any army that stood against them. The Oda clan was also on the move following this battle, and this time, no one would stand in their way, not even the noble Sanada clan. Having sent his mightiest general, and probably also the strongest warrior in the land to aid the Oda clan in this task, nothing but victory would seem likely for the joint armies of the Oda and the Tokugawa clans. "The Warrior who surpassed Death itself..." That general was one of Ieyasu's most trusted men, and his name... Was Tadakatsu Honda. What the Oda clan was scheming for now however, was still unknown, but sure as the night, and while the Takeda and the Tokugawa clans were busy breaking off from each other, with the brave Yukimura and his men retreating as fast as they could, the Oda clan made their move.
I on the other hand, knew nothing of any of this, as I came before the main gate, holstering the Staff and the Book on my back with a string, tying them neatly together before I proceeded. Two guards were standing guard as I greeted them. In contrast to normal procedures, they seemed to be slacking, and they both seemed to have been equipped with the wrong size armor. They didn't seem to bother much about checking who I was, whispering to themselves as I passed by. I let it slip, thinking they had recognized me. That was and should have been something that normally had caught my attention. Big mistake. As I was walking through the Samurai encampment, I had already decided to ease on my pacing a bit. After all, I had been running for quite some time and I was starting to get tired. As I came closer to the center of the camp, it finally hit me. 'Why was it so quiet around the Samurai encampment, and why hadn't I spotted a single person out walking?' I stumbled upon this for a second, thinking that they had to be inside their tents or houses. Ignorance was sure bliss that night, or so one would think. I continued on my way when I suddenly started feeling an urge from within me. It was as if this chakra I had awakened finally started to act out of control, on its own. I clutched my head as I tried to gather my senses, and it was then that it happened. I could easily hear it from a mile away... Incoming footsteps, rustling noises, blades carefully being drawn from their holsters. I looked up as I saw at least a dozen men dressed in full black attires come charging in at me from all directions. I now finally realized why the guards seemed so carefree back then, something had indeed happened and they were probably not even part of our clan! I was surrounded, and the only way out was to fight.
I quickly drew the Master Sword as I parried the first strike, only to see a second blade cut deep into my left arm. I almost lost the grip of the sword due to this, but I barely managed to retain my balance as I rolled over and swung around, cutting two of the apparent assassins down in the process. I then felt one blade scratch my body, then another. I quickly parried even more blades coming in at me as I retaliated with all my might, and I fought, for my very life, using everything I had learned to my advantage... This was what all the training had been for. I woefully kept going, cutting my sword deep into the neck of the final assassin who stood before me as I shouted out in rage. Flashbacks of the past quickly swept past my mind as I saw images of my former friends and family get slaughtered. I let all of my anger out. Why did my past always have to catch up to me? Who were these dark assassins that sought to kill me? I fell to my knees shaking as I was scrambling my thoughts. My left arm had been cut, my right leg had also received a serious scratch. Somehow, someway, I still managed to keep going, as if life was flowing through me like never before. I managed to push myself back to my feet as I quickly looked around, still with a firm grip on my sword. My immediate reaction was to get out of there in an instant, but then it hit me like an arrow in the knee. Trea!!!
I picked up the pace, I ran faster than I ever had. As I ran down the road towards our home now stationed just between the Recruit encampment to the East and the Headquarters to the North, I saw countless unknown samurai come charging in at me from both sides. I now finally understood what really had happened, but there was no time to analyze it all or to think about the consequences. Unnumbered dead bodies were scattered all over the place before me as I ran, the ground was soaked in the redness of their blood, and the sky above had also mirrored the land below with its dark red color. I had no time to check on anyone, I knew they were all dead just by looking. And if I was to stop here, the incoming samurai would definitely slaughter me... They probably numbered a 100 or even more at this point, but even with this in mind, I didn't care... I had no other choice, I had to make sure about Trea's safety first, that was my primary concern. There were no allies to be seen, nor any sign of any ongoing skirmishes either. Just when had all of this happened, and how long had it been going before I arrived? I let the thought slide. I could see my house now as I jumped over the head of a samurai standing just outside of our home, following up by piercing my sword through the stomach of another, and then turning around back to the other one again as I sent his head flying with a clean cut. I was faster now, more mobile than before, but the 100 or so samurai who had come chasing after me had already caught up. There was no time to think, no time for worst case scenarios, or even time to map out an elaborate plan of escape. This was probably to be my final hour, so at least I had to see her face one last time before then. She had to be still alive, I just knew it. I ran through the door as the more robust dark dressed samurai quickly followed. Not even a single person to see inside, the moment of truth had come. I came into our main room and it was then that I saw it...
An intense pain started surging up from deep within me, followed by an agonizing scream. My sight started getting blurry as I cried to my heart's content. What I had feared was true, and I was definitely way too late. I fell to my knees in devastation as I dropped the sword on the ground. I reached my hands out and grasped her lifeless body which laid before me tightly. Her white clothing was soaked red in blood, her eyes were all blank. Not even a single reaction nor sign of life to be found. I tried shaking her to get a response, but there was nothing to be had, she was long gone. She had already passed on without me, but I refused to acknowledge that at the time. Behind me, several samurai forced their way in as they packed up around me. They all readied their swords. This was to be the end, and I knew it. I couldn't care less, it was all over. Raising their swords, they were all about ready to hack loose on us with their deadly blades, but I just stared intensely and motionless into the ground in front of me, clinging on to Trea's cold body. I refused to let go no matter what. It was then that another samurai entered the room, stopping right in front of me as he reached his blade out, tilting my head up with the tip of it to get a better look. 'What is your name?' He asked. I did not answer... 'You belong to this clan, don't you? Do you know who Hagoromo Otsutsuki is? The Oda clan would like to get a hold of that man...' Once again he pressed on with his questions, but I still wouldn't listen. Reaching his hand out, he was just about to try and pull Trea away from my grasp, but I stared it down as he made contact. Just like that, his entire arm was gone, as if melted away in an instant. He fell backwards in agony as blood gushed out from his shoulder. The other samurai once again raised their blades to deliver the defining blow, not having the slightest idea of what happened to their general's arm. The blades dropped towards our heads, this was it, the final moment. 'Her name... Was Trea.' I muttered. That was to be my final words. Now, I could join her in the afterlife. In any other circumstance, that would have been the end and I would have been dead too, but suddenly, something happened. All I saw then was a flash of bright light followed by a mist of blood, as my entire body started burning in pain with my chakra acting on its own.
The whole house exploded as everything crumbled around me in an instant before my eyes. I saw the faces of my nemeses, the horror and the pain in their eyes, as they were melting away before me. They all withered to ashes, and all traces of their existence was terminated. Not only the ones in the house, but everyone who had stacked up on the outside as well. I didn't think nor reason with what happened before me. I just accepted that it did. Looking down, I realized that Trea's body was going through the same treatment, as she too slowly turned to ash in front of me. I tried to stop it, but I couldn't. She was gone, and I had nothing. My home and my wife, were no more. I looked at my own hands as they were shaking tremendously, I tried to look around but all I could see were shattered rocks and blood. No bodies were present, not from where I sat. Beside me laid the Master Sword, the only thing not to get obliterated, or at least the only thing I could see. I still had the Staff and the Book tied on my back somehow, but I did not notice. I tried to pick the Master Sword up, but as soon as I did, I lost my grip on it as it fell to the ground in front of me, getting all covered up in blood. I looked at it, then, I just stared at the ground ahead. Just like that, I was gone into a trance, a deeper one than I had ever been before.
I probably sat like that for a day. I didn't move, I didn't think, I didn't do anything. I just stared lifelessly on the red dusty ground in front of me, still on my knees. It was then that someone approached me, but I didn't care. If it was an enemy out to finish me off, then so would it be. I didn't even look up to see who it was. I heard what was said, and even though I was able to grasp it, I didn't care for it. Nothing could change what had happened here, nothing could bring her back, nor the clan. I had lost everything. If I hadn't traveled to the Three Wolves' Mountain, I could have done something to save her, to stop this massacre. For all my life had I ignored the state of the world, blissfully living a lie of peace. For all my time in the clan, had I ignored their affairs and struggle. My resolve hadn't been strong enough, I had to do something about this world, and that was the only thing I could reason with there and then. But still, I wanted nothing to do with neither Fate nor Destiny, if I was to walk that path utterly alone. 'We have a survivor over here, Yukimura!' I heard a man scream. I could see their shadows reflected on the ground now as they were increasing in numbers. I still refused to alter my eyes' direction, so I had no idea what they looked like. The name Yukimura got my attention though as a man suddenly came down to me with a hand landing on my shoulder. It was with that tap that I finally managed to break my deep trance as I somewhat snapped back to reality. I looked up, and I realized that it was Yukimura himself who stood in front of me. A familiar face, not out to kill me. His armor was bloody and damaged as if having been in a battled. His gaze immediately told me that it belonged to a weary man.'Hagoromo, what happened here?' I had lost my tongue. I simply shook my head, and it was as if he understood me. Then came another samurai towards the group who now stood gathered around me as he shouted out; 'Report! The whole camp has been overun. We've looked through everything, and there's not a single survivor left except for Hagoromo here.' 'So my father and brothers?' Yukimura asked with a tiny crack in his voice, as if expecting the worst. Turning his head towards the samurai, Yukimura only got a head shaking in return. He realized that there was no hope.
Standing up to his feet, Yukimura then looked at the sky as tears were present on his face too. 'So this is what it has come to then... It was as I had feared.' Leaving a deep sigh, he then almost fell over as one of his companions had to catch him from falling. Asking him if he was alright, it was quickly discovered that Yukimura had suffered a wound in the battle, and as he was forcing himself up to his feet again, another samurai spoke; 'The Oda samurai we encountered and captured on the way over here... He told us that the Oda and the Tokugawa had planned this all along to draw us out to aid the Takeda, and while the Tokugawa kept us busy, the Oda clan launched their entire army upon our camp. No wonder they didn't stand a chance here.' 'How large is our group?' Cutting him short, Yukimura pressed his question. 'What do you mean?' Not understanding what he was on to about, Yukimura had to repeat himself; 'How many horse-riders, how many of our best men did I take with me to aid the Takeda? '250.' Was the answer. '1/4 of our army then.' Yukimura stuttered. Even at full force, the Sanada had trouble fending the Oda off, and with the entire Oda army launching an attack with Yukimura and a huge part of the Sanada army away, the defeat was certain. 'The Oda samurai also said that Tadakatsu himself was amongst the Oda army's ranks.' At this, Yukimura could only sigh more, not even sure what to say at this point. 'What will you do with the prisoner? Keep him alive?' The samurai asked. 'Behead him immediately.' Yukimura countered. He then turned his attention back towards me as he reached his hand out. After thinking about it for quite a while, I finally accepted it as he helped me up. Having finally been able to retain some of my mind, I also made sure to pick up the Master Sword as I tried to clean most of the blood off before holstering it on my back. 'Now, Hagoromo, if you could give me some details...' Asking me what happened, I laid out the details, or at least the amount of it that my heart could bare to share. 'I see.' He simply said, as if not even the slightest interested in how or why I was able to survive. 'Be on alert, Hagoromo. We're going to depend on you from now on.' I couldn't imagine what would happen next, but I saw no reason not to. The other samurai then looked to Yukimura to find out what to do next. 'But we're only 50 horse-riders left, what are we suppose to do?' Asked one of them. 'We'll head for the Azai.' Yukimura stated. And indeed, they were our only hope now.
Arriving at the Azai not long after, we were warmly welcomed. Not only was the Azai clan a decent and dependable clan, but together with their allies, the Asakura Clan, they actually packed a punch. It was here that I would start preparing for the decisive moment of true war. And one of the key figures to this puzzle, was Nagamasa Azai, the leader of the Azai clan, who quite ironically was married to Nobunaga Oda's younger sister. This political marriage had thus established peace between the two clans, but with the current events unfolding, it would now only be a matter of time before that peace was broken too. I had lost Trea, and Yukimura his father and brothers. And all of us had lost a clan, a family, and our home. We had nothing more to lose, as we set our eyes upon seeking assistance from the only clan we knew we could. What I did not know at that time was that one of the Oda samurai had managed to witness what had happened to me and had quickly returned to his camp to tell the leader of the clan. At hearing about the mysterious events unfolding before him and that one man obliterated over 100 samurai in a blink of an eye with some sort of a fiery trick, turning them all to ashes, now that was a man Nobunaga would like to meet. Gathering his armies and meeting up with the Tokugawa clan, the two of them then marched on the Azai. And thus, the most decisive battle of the 1000 years' war was about to begin.
~ End of Chapter 4 ~
Fun Facts & Author's Note:
1: The first meeting between the Wizard and Hagoromo, is actually something that I've "saved" for Recollection of the Past where the scene originates from, so it's not something that you have missed or something I won't go into details of. You will understand more (if you remember this chapter by then) when the time comes.
2: The plot for this chapter regarding Hagoromo's meeting with the wizard, have been written in the way I originally had imagined it when I mapped out the background-story for the Sage back in TLSoK Returns in 2012 I think. If you go back to one of those chapters, you will see that most of what is said here, is exactly the same as the Jubi told it to happen once Naruto sealed it inside of himself. Fun fact of the day! Oh, and I wrote this fact before I posted the hints towards the entire plot in the last chapter, which some of you might already be acquainted with.
3: I've decided to make up for my long wait with this chapter by stating two things. First and foremost, since I decided to split my first intended 3rd chapter into two, I've finally been able to move past the "1st phase" of the Fic, meaning that from this point onward, things will really start to heat up and move at a quicker pace. Next, I've decided that since this story also relies heavily on Samurai culture and the Sengoku (Warring States) period of Japan, I figured it would help to show you guys a quick "refresher" on what exactly this historic period is about. I found the following installments to be quite interesting, although reading from some of the comments it does indeed seem to be containing some minor mistakes. However, being that my fic is loosely based on this period, it's more about the characters and the battles than anything else. Here's what I'm talking about:
4: Next chapter is titled; " Showdown ."
Be sure to look for it when it arrives
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