Part 3 : Betreyal and Trust
A horde of ninjas was bearing down on me. With my shuriken clenched tightly in my hands, I fended off their attacks simply by brandishing my metal weapons or dodging. Whether it was fireballs, blinding bolts of lightning or gale-force winds... I managed to counter all their attacks by moving quickly and reacting at just the right moment.
All in all, at a rough guess, I'd say there were well over a hundred opponents. And not just any opponents. Ame was renowned as an extremely powerful village, one of our most dangerous enemies, if not the most dangerous.
In any case, I had to hurry and stop these enemies, even if they were extremely powerful. If ninjas from Konoha discovered what was going on, it would cause panic amongst the people, which would only make matters worse and weaken the village even further.
As if he'd read my mind, Fuyugu then said to me:
— Don't worry… I've told the Konoha ninjas that you're training here and that they mustn't disturb you under any circumstances. We should be left in peace… so I can kill you.»
— Oh? So you've got an excuse ready for my sudden death after you assured me I was 'training'?!» I retorted, between dodges.
— Erm... Don't worry. I've got it all sorted. That traitorous Hokage who wanted to sell us out to Ame – I had no choice but to take him out. Unfortunately, I was then forced to ally myself with Ame to prevent the village from being destroyed, which would have been your fault. That sounds pretty good to me, don't you think?»
That man was simply despicable. At least I was certain of one thing now: under no circumstances must he become Hokage. Lying to the people to win them over... It was completely contrary to the principles instilled in us by the First Hokage. It was also contrary to the very idea of Konoha, which was founded on an alliance of trust between the Clans, the Senju and the Uchiha.
— You'll never become Hokage.» I blurted out one last time.
He had underestimated me, and he had underestimated Konoha. Now he was going to pay for it.
This time, I wasn't going to shy away from it. So I puffed out my chest.
«Katon! Infernal Dragon Blaze!»
A massive wall of flame surged towards the ninjas around me. I had channelled a huge amount of chakra into this technique, so much so that the heat of the flames had intensified and they had taken on a whitish hue.
The numerous ninjas nearby immediately fled. If the flames touched them, they would suffer serious injuries or even be consumed entirely. Some instinctively cast Suiton barriers, whilst others erected Doton walls, which shattered, leaving them at the mercy of the flames.
I had already eliminated a good number of my attackers, even though there were still well over a hundred of them left.
— This is what happens when I try to fight even half-heartedly.» I said «I advise you to run away.»
Some fled, but only a few. Then the fighting resumed. To get it over with more quickly, I'd create clones.
«Doton! Multi-Shadow clone jutsu!»
An army of around a hundred earth clones had appeared. Just enough to deal with each of my attackers individually. Each of my clones was unleashing a series of techniques to overwhelm the enemy, whilst I, the original, had already chosen my target.
— Fuyugu Shimura, it's time to put an end to this.» I growled.
I threw myself at Fuyugu.
«Raiton! Flash of lightning!»
The aim of the attack was to blind Fuyugu whilst forcing him to dodge the lightning. That way, all I had to do was launch a second attack, anticipating his dodge, to take him out.
But the moment he was struck by lightning, Fuyugu vanished in a cloud of smoke.
It must have been a teleportation technique! So... If I'm not mistaken, he must have been... Looking up, I then saw him high up in a tree, performing mudras. He was preparing a new technique!
«Invocation!»
Suddenly, the ground shook beneath my feet. I leapt onto a branch to dodge it.
A huge wooden coffin emerged from the ground. I recognised the technique... No... It couldn't be...
— You're surprised, aren't you?» Fuyugu sneered «Say your goodbyes, Hiruzen!»
A single tear rolled down my cheek. If I were right... This technique was my master's legacy... A technique he had, in fact, forbidden because it was deemed too dangerous. This wasn't just any technique... This one transcended the very rules of the human world!
«Edo Tensei! The reincarnation of souls!»
— You bastard!» I growled. «Where on earth did you learn that...?!»
— What do you reckon? Who else but you knows where the Scroll of Forbidden Techniques is? To be honest... It took me ages to learn it, and even longer to master it. It's not as powerful as Tobirama's, but I reckon it should do the trick...!»
Then the coffin lid began to move. Then, with a loud crash, it fell flat to the floor. Inside the coffin, I saw him... The man Fuyugu had just brought back to life.
It seemed so unreal... How could my master have devised such a technique? So he had truly discovered... the secret of immortality. The ultimate technique.
Standing before me now was Master Tobirama. He stood motionless, his eyes glassy and jet-black. His skin was cracked in places, as if it were nothing more than a broken carcass or a form of matter verging on immateriality.
Suddenly, two gleaming pupils appeared in his dark eyes. He was staring at me.
— Hiruzen...»
He turned his head towards Fuyugu.
— But I did say that this technique was never to be used again... What on earth is this?!»
— It's his fault! He betrayed Konoha! He wanted to sell us out to Ame!» Fuyugu shouted.
— What?! But that's completely untrue! It was he who...!» I wanted to protest.
— Fuyugu... I thought I'd made myself clear. No excuses will be accepted. Especially since I placed my trust in Hiruzen; that was my decision. Are you bringing me back to life only to ask me to betray my own choices?!» Tobirama roared.
His gaze had turned dark. His eyes flashed at Fuyugu. A blue aura then surrounded him. He struck the ground.
— Wait... Calm down, Hokage-sensei!» cried Fuyugu «It wasn't aimed at you... It's Hiruzen...»
— I know full well when you're lying. In fact, I'd already sensed your thirst for power before. It's partly because of you that Sasuke died... And now you're turning on his son?! The one I myself appointed as Hokage?! The one in whom I placed my trust?!»
I sensed a change in Fuyugu's expression. He was suddenly overcome by panic. Then he pulled himself together and regained control of his emotions.
— You can't hear me... Anyway, you can't stand up to me. I'm controlling you with Edo Tensei. So you're going to obey me, right n...»
— Huh! Huh! Huh!» my master chuckled.
He struck the ground again, and it cracked.
— What?!» cried Fuyugu, shocked. «I didn't... How did you break free from my control?!»
Now he was truly panicking.
Unfortunately for him, the secret of immortality wasn't so easily attained. I knew this all too well myself, having seen Master Tobirama use the technique. The colossal amount of chakra he used to maintain control, and the mastery of chakra that it required… It wasn't something everyone was capable of.
Even I couldn't pull off the same feat as Master Tobirama. He had far more powerful chakra thanks to his Senju heritage. By contrast, although Fuyugu was one of the village's most powerful ninjas, he wasn't on the same level as us.
«Shunshin! Instant movement!»
Master Tobirama quickly reached the tree branch where Fuyugu was sitting. He then grabbed a kunai from Fuyugu's pocket and pressed it against his temple.
— It's over, Fuyugu. You should never have underestimated me...» he pressed the kunai a little harder against his victim's temple «What's more... Honestly, even if you'd played your cards right, even if you'd managed to control me, you couldn't have brought me back to my full power. Hiruzen was more than capable of defeating me. You were too impatient... You miscalculated your move.»
So in a flash, with a swift movement, he slit the throat of his terrified enemy.
My master's speed was incredible; even I couldn't move that fast. It had always impressed me.
Tobirama then leapt down from the branch and found himself face to face with me. All around us, the enemy had either fled or been defeated by my clones. Fuyugu's plan had failed.
— Do you still know the mudras to recall me?» Master Tobirama asked me.
I nodded in agreement.
— All right, then go on. The dead must stay dead. I don't belong here.»
— I know that... But... Master... May I ask you a question?» I asked him.
— Yes... Of course.»
— Why... Why did you choose me to succeed you?»
At first he was taken aback, then he gave a slight smile.
— It's certainly not a responsibility everyone can handle.» he admitted «I can understand why you're having doubts… But you should know that I genuinely believed you were the best choice. Of all my students, you were the most talented. You were always one step ahead of the others. And not just as a ninja, but as a person too. I've known you since you were a little boy, and I know who you really are deep down. I trust you completely.»
— But... You could easily have chosen someone else... couldn't you? Fuyugu, for example... He was a trusted man...»
— True, yes. But Fuyugu was dangerous. He always acted in the village's best interests, but he doesn't fit my vision of a good Hokage. My brother's ideal was far too utopian, that's for sure... That is why my policy created a middle ground between his ideology and that of Madara Uchiha, who wanted more regulations, just like Fuyugu. Beyond that, I hold the same ideal as my brother... I am simply more realistic. The one who was to succeed me had to be the same: someone who loves the village above all else, and who would sacrifice their life for it... Not just for its survival or mere safety, but also for its freedom and happiness. And I think that fits your profile better than Fuyugu's.»
— Are you... Are you sure?»
— You know... You remind me a lot of my brother. You're a bit naive at times, and you hesitate. But there's never just one choice; you always have to hesitate. Above all, stay realistic... But trust your heart too. My brother passed on something essential, which I've drummed into you time and again...»
— The Hokage's flame of will?»
— That's right.» he then looked me straight in the eye «If you have that will, that determination and that love for this village, then I'm not worried. You'll make mistakes… That's for sure. We're not perfect. But I'm certain you'll make an excellent Hokage. You, too, must find your own ideals, and strike a balance between them—that's all.»
— But... I'm not sure I can manage it...»
— I think you can achieve a lot if you put your mind to it. It's just that… you need to learn to believe in yourself. Otherwise, you'll never be able to rise to the challenge.»
I hung my head. He was right, of course... By worrying too much, I wasn't doing my job properly... How had I not realised that?
— Now, perform the breaking technique.» Master Tobirama ordered me.
I obeyed, and shortly afterwards, my master vanished in a cloud of smoke.
My heart sank. I felt as though I were reliving his death all over again. But I didn't let my emotions get the better of me. I had to stay strong, for the future, for the village. I had to stop asking myself all those questions; the important thing wasn't whether I was capable or not, I had to make sure I helped Konoha, using my abilities to the full, even if they weren't enough.
I clenched my fists.
I shall do my utmost to live up to your legacy, Master Tobirama, Lord Hashirama.
📖To be Continued...📖