Hopefully you guys don't mind a longer Ch I'm preety happy with how this little arc turned out since I've been trying to be more than one dimensional with my characters and yeah Hiruko will be seen next Chapter I
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The man in the gray and white kimono sheathed his blade as he stood beside Hogoromo, surrounded by what could only be described as pure destruction.
The previous white space was lined with ominous pitch-black tears as the space seemed to be ripping apart at its seams.
Hogoromo, seeing the place he spent a lot of time on making sure it was perfect and to Sakumo's liking, could only sigh as a small tick appeared on his forehead.
'That idiot of a brute couldn't have done something less… destructive,' he complained inwardly, not daring to voice his opinions out loud.
"I can't believe Hiruko agreed to let you do this," Hogoromo couldn't help but whisper in annoyance as he glanced toward the man. The man, hearing what Hogoromo said, suddenly went rigid as a small bead of sweat trickled down his forehead.
Hagoromo, seeing this, felt irritation bubble up within him as he looked at Sakumo with a face that screamed, 'I hate you.' "He didn't agree, did he? Does he even know you're here?" Hogoromo asked,
"Cough, cough, my master is busy fighting the enemies of the future, so I took matters into my…own hands," the man said plainly, though Hogormo could tell he was just trying to sneak around the fact he did all this without permission.
"Well, maybe he'd like to know about your little excursion." Hogoromo muttered unhappily, only for the man to hear, and glared at the man, his eyes warning him he better not dare to tell Hiruko.
Hogoromo, seeing this look, could only reluctantly concede, "Anyway, are you sure this was the right decision?" Hogoromo asked, his gaze shifting to Sakumo, who lay slumped on the ground, seemingly unconscious.
A sliver of worry was evident in his voice; though he didn't particularly care for the kid, he knew who did, and who knows what hell he would unleash if he saw Sakumo's current state?
The man, seeing Hogoromo's worry, began to explain, "Don't worry, he's fine, at least for now. As you may know, we are in a sort of in-between the world of shinobi and the pure land. Meaning the Sakumo here is only his soul; his real body is currently lying in a hospital room." The man explained his gaze lingering on Sakumo's slumped body.
"That slash—it's the one you used against me in our fight a while back, and it's the reason he's like this, isn't it?" Hogoromo asked his mind, thinking back to the familiar, simple, yet overwhelmingly powerful strike the man used.
The man hearing this simply nodded as he began to explain, "Yes, it's a strike that usually targets the soul. I used it to make sure he felt the pressure and unmistakable feeling of death."
"But why?" Hogoromo asked, genuinely confused, what was the point of making Sakumo feel the weight of death and what did that have to do with his current state?
"Humans are unique beings; you should know you played a role in what we are today." The man said as he glanced at Hogoromo, who could only helplessly shake his head.
"Oh please, I stopped thinking that way when I saw Hiruko and the others. I can confidently say I had no role and no idea how you guys became as strong as you are today," Hogoromo admitted with a sigh.
The man hearing this smirked slightly before continuing, "Anyway, what makes us unique is the fact that our mind, body, and soul are all interconnected. The mind affects the soul, and the soul is a mirror of the body. Target one, and the other will effectively follow; very few have managed to surpass this rule, such as my master, that snake, etc. So by tricking his mind and soul into thinking he's been killed, I've trapped him into basically killing himself."
Hogoromo, hearing this, looked at Sakumo with a look of pure fear. 'Is he crazy? He's asking Hiruko to kill me,' Hogoromo thought solemnly, tears threatening to spill from his eyes.
The man seeing this chuckled slightly. "Relax, he can escape; he simply needs to overcome both his mind and body. When he does that, he only then needs to understand his soul and that he's not dead and his body will recover on its own."
"And how is he supposed to do something no one of his time has achieved, not even your grandfather? Something he has no idea how to do, let alone if it exists." Hogoromo asked the man, his voice holding both seriousness and worry.
The man matching Hogoromo's seriousness said, "He'll need to overcome and use the very cursed spirit that brought him to this place. If he can't even do that, he has no business standing beside my master. But… If he does achieve it and finds his conviction, he'll grow ten times stronger," the man said, his calm gaze drifting to his disappearing hand that looked as if it was flickering in and out of reality.
Hogoromo, hearing this, could only sigh and think, 'He's not wrong.'
—
A few moments earlier in what Sakumo sees
As Sakumo laid his head disconnected from his body, with his last few moments of life, Sakumo's thoughts were stuck on the sword style he'd been cut with.
'I would have done anything to perform a strike like that; too bad I—' Sakumo thought as he reflected on his death as he allowed himself one last dream before the end only to be interrupted by a familiar voice.
"Why lie to yourself? Even on our deathbed, you refuse to tell the truth." A voice said as Sakumo's vision shifted to a completely dark space, taking over as the wolf he envisioned impaling him returned.
Sakumo seeing this beast once again in all its glory in greater clarity due to no longer being in the trance he was in when he committed suicide.
'Aren't I supposed to be dead?' The thought couldn't help but raise itself in Sakumo's head.
"Souls tend to take longer to pass on, and we who are connected down to our very beings get to take this time to have a little conversation. So I'll ask again, why lie to yourself?" the wolf asked, his gaze unrelenting as he stared at Sakumo.
Sakumo was at a loss for words as his mind struggled to process the bizarre scene and questions, as he could only respond back with "Huh."
If not for the fact that Sakumo didn't know whether it was a huff or a sigh, he would have thought it was tired of him. "'I would do anything to perform that strike,' 'I will become stronger,' 'I'll do anything to support Hiruko,' 'I'll become strong enough to cut down all his enemies,' and worst of all, 'I'll become his sword, a sword worthy of him.'" The wolf said mockingly as he continued to look at Sakumo before saying his next words.
"All of these are lies you tell yourself but refuse to actually do what's necessary to achieve them. Just like your grandfather and those who came before you, cowards, who took the easy way out, turning their backs on their convictions. Yet you, Sakumo Hatake, are so much worse than those who came before you." The wolf said with a tone that carried both pride and disgust.
And it was this exact tone that Sakumo couldn't help but get upset at—the fact that those who came before him and the man who raised him and taught him the way of the sword would be talked about in such a light.
"Who do you think you are to talk about them like that, especially my grandfather, a hero who fought the likes of Madara Uc—" Sakumo started, his voice releasing an uncharacteristic fury, but he was soon cut off.
"Your grandfather is nothing but a murderer, a man who chose the path of his enemies, forsaking the conviction he fought for, the one built upon the death of his clan." The wolf chided before continuing, "And you are the worst of them all, the bane of your own existence, he who dreams of strength and power yet does nothing to achieve it and has nothing to show for it. Do you ever look at yourself? A man who really wishes for power will always find a way to get it. By any means, whether it be breaking every bone in his body if it meant one drop of the power he dreamed of." The wolf said, its words shocking Sakumo as the thought, 'Is it right? Do I not want it enough? Am I so weak because of my own hand?' slipped in, plaguing his mind.
"But…how?" Sakumo couldn't help but ask, his eyes meeting the wolves as he searched for answers his mind wouldn't give him, but it seems this wasn't the reflection the wolf was looking for because Sakumo's words only served to anger him.
"Here we go again with that word. You say you'll get strong enough to protect that boy yet waste time sitting here worrying about how to achieve it. A blade is meant to cut, not to fear, not to hesitate, not to think, because then it is only a liability waiting to fail." The wolf said, a sword appearing in front of Sakumo out of thin air, as it added, "And a sword like that has no business living."
Sakumo saw the gleaming blade, its silver calling to his hands as if begging him to grasp it.
His eyes once again going dull the voices filling his head this time even louder. Grabbing the blade, Sakumo grabbed it with both hands as he turned the tip of the blade toward himself.
"Tsk, still a failure." The wolf said seeing Sakumo get ready to bring the blade toward his stomach, but as he brought the blade down, Sakumo stopped the blade an inch from impaling him.
The memory of the day he first pledged himself to Hiruko forcing itself through his head
—Flashback start
"I, Sakumo Hatake, pledge myself and all I am to be the sword of Hiruko. No matter where he travels or who he encounters, I will be your sword and cut down anyone who attempts to stand in your way." Sukuna said as as his hand wrapped itself around his sword pressing with force.
"And as for me, my goal is to be the best swordsman worthy to be the epitome of all. And as your sword, I shall be the best and support you with that strength. This is what I wish and swear to uphold, so please don't reject me…Master!"
Sakumo said as he kneeled, blood pouring from an open wound on his palm that stemmed from a self-inflicted cut, a sign of his sincerity and pledge.
Hiruko watched this dazed before he gave a small smile, asking for Sakumo's sword and slitting his own palm.
"From this moment on I, Hiruko, accept Sakumo Hatake as my sword and right-hand man."
—Flashback end
'That's right. I am the sword and right-hand man of Hiruko, and I am the man who will cut down all who stand in his way. That is the vow I made,' Sakumo yelled in his hand as he shot up his sword, aiming for the wolf, who only for a fraction of a second seemed to smile.
"Good, but not good enough. Even now your blade is so dull. I stand between you and your conviction, so why, why do you still hold back? Why do you still think?" The wolf said as he blocked the strike.
"The day you promise to serve and be that boy's sword is the day you forsake the road of a child, so be a man and fight for your conviction and cut, cut all those who stand in your way, and when they are gone, cut again and again and again." The wolf yelled as he blocked another attack from Sakumo with its right paw while its left swung, threatening to hit Sakumo, who quickly dodged.
Sakumo, hearing the wolf's critiques, gritted his teeth as he swung harder and harder as his muscles ached and strained, but even then he refused to let up as he continued to fight, refusing to let up.
The same three thoughts filled his head as he refused to let anything else enter and distract him from his battle. One was himself, every move in his head, how he would execute this or how he would dodge that.
The second was his sword, its weight already familiar and safe to him as he swung it again and again and again.
And the last? It was his conviction the person he both fought for and was ready to die fighting for was Hiruko, the man he served.
Even if it meant forsaking his childhood, his humanity, or the very things that made him, he was prepared and would gladly do it with a smile.
"Well, well, well, you overcame your mind, but our time is coming to an end. Our fate has been sealed from the beginning, and as I see it, you're tired." The wolf said as it parried another one of Sakumo's hits and managed to get a hit in with its massive claws, forcing them into his arm before tossing him away like a ragdoll.
But even then Sakumo refused to drop his sword as he forced himself back up, balancing his body with the sword, which was connected to the ground.
His body was covered in cuts that didn't bleed and pain that still ravaged his body, yet even then Sakumo's eyes continued to burn.
"Just give up," the wolf said as it took in Sakumo's battered body as a sliver of respect filled his eyes.
"NO! I REFUSE." Sakumo shot back as he raised his sword, his body threatening to collapse without the support.
"Your body is dying, and there's nothing you can do. Be proud of what you accomplished," the wolf said with a sigh.
"NO! I refuse to give up and fall back onto the me of the past, and like you said, all I need to do is CUT!" Sakumo yelled, a manic smile slowly appearing on his face.
"And what is it that you plan to cut? Your death is sealed." The world chided, though a part of it was curious about what Sakumo would say next.
And Sakumo did not disappoint. "You, I'll cut YOU! DEATH! EVEN THE SAGE HIMSELF. BE IT GODS OR MONSTERS, ALL WILL FALL TO MY BLADE AS I CUT THOSE WHO STAND BEFORE MY MASTER."
Sakumo said as he laughed manically, a side known to none appearing before the wolf as the thrill of battle thumped like a drum in his veins.
And it was then when Sakumo pushed past the signs his body desperately sent out. That he refused to listen to the whims of his own body in favor of one more cut, that he had officially overcome his body and mind
Raising his sword, Sakumo, with his last bit of energy, propelled himself forward, his sword raised high, in his mind repeating one word: 'CUT.' The wolf, seeing this, lazily raised his claws, preparing to block and stop this farce.
'So painfully slow,' the wolf thought internally as he watched Sakumo run and drag his tired body across the space. But as Sakumo got close and was about to get swatted away by the wolf, spectral hands appeared, some pushing him and some guiding his blade as he swung his sword simply.
One hand was old and wrinkly yet held immense strength and a warmth that conveyed the love of a close one. This hand belonged to Ken Hatake, who carried Sakumo's blade.
Another was firm yet loving, unfamiliar yet so familiar at the same time; this hand belonged to Sakumo's father, who, along with Ken, guided his son's blade.
Another pair of hands pressed themselves on Sukumo's back; these hands, soft and delicate, belonged to Himari Hyuga.
The other young and rough one pushed Sakumo the hardest; these hands belonged to Kai Uchiha.
Another seemed to differ from the rest; instead of a hand, it looked to be a foot, one that wore orange training weights. This belonged to his greatest rival, Might Duy.
And the last was the hand that was the most reassuring, radiating a warmth that steeled Sakumo's will.
This hand was as pale as snow and soft as wool. This hand belonged to the man that he dedicated his body, life, soul, and heart to, Hiruko.
Feeling these hands Sakumo's smile continued to widen as he whispered, "Hatake true style form 0: Cut."
—
Sakumo stood over the wolf's dissipating body, his sword pointed at it as he listened to its parting words.
"Make sure to keep that same conviction because if you don't, I'll make sure to kill you again, and this time I won't fail. All I need is one gap, one time when you question yourself or are at your lowest, and I'll be there." The wolf said, its maw curling up with a smile as it disappeared.
Sakumo, hearing this, simply muttered, "I know," before he fell to the ground, barely clinging to life as his eyes closed.
—
Currently a red-haired woman sat surrounded by the figures of several people, but as she spoke, she was cut off by the sound of a door being forced open.
"It seems you're back and stronger than ever." The woman said with a smile of pure happiness, as she already sensed who it was.
As those words fell, several eyes turned to look at the source of the commotion, and in walked Sakumo, shirtless, his torso heavily bandaged. In his right hand was a simple sword bathed in blood, and in his left a decapitated head that wore a mask with the image of a wolf.
Arriving in front of Mito, Sakumo bowed as he stuck his bloodied sword within the earth, his gaze locked onto Mito.
"My lady, forgive me for my failure. I did not protect your son, my master, and that fault entirely lies with me, and I am ready to receive any punishment necessary, but this sword may humbly ask to be given another chance." Sakumo said his voice cracking under his plea
"A chance to get stronger, and I promise that I, Sakumo Hatake, will not lose to any man until I reach a strength worthy of Him. I am prepared to give my life, body, soul…and heart to Hiruko for as long as I live and die," Sakumo said as his head slammed against the floor as tears streamed down his face.
Suddenly on either side of him, two figures materialized beside him as the sound of a head slamming against the floor echoed. Simultaneously two voices rang out, "We two wish to serve and follow Hiruko, to ascertain strength for his benefit, so please allow it!"
As this happened, two vertical snake-like pupils watched with annoyance. 'Looks like I have three more idiots to worry about, but don't worry, Hiruko will be mine!'
Mito, seeing the three boys' sincerity, smiled. "I'm glad my son is so loved and to see them grow up so fast," she thought as she said loud enough for everyone to hear,
"Okay, I see your convictions, so as of today you three will have complete access to all the Senju clan's training materials and will be sponsored by me, so work hard, okay?" She said with a smile as she looked at the three boys who seemed prepared to go to war.
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S: forgive me the ending was a bit rushed by the way no specific reason but who do you prefer itachi or shisui