Returning to the battlefield

Time passed on with the Uchiha and Senju's ever growing conflict. Madara and Hashirama would meet on the battlefield and would always fight to a stalemate. Although Hashirama was stronger, he would always hold back the final blow as he still considered Madara a friend and had never lost hope in his dream. The other two that would most likely meet on the battlefield was Izuna and Tobirama, yet they were equal on the battlefield.

Days became weeks, weeks became months and months became years and Mukuro was now 15 years old. He was currently watching the conflict of Madara and Hashirama from afar. Hashirama was using his wood release to fight against Hashirama using his fire release. Mukuro had grown and all the immaturity on his face had disappeared. His onyx eyes seemed to contain the world as he gazed at the two fighting while a slightly evil, yet charming smirk plastered his face.

His hair was now long, and a part of his bangs covered his left eye. He had tied his hair into a low ponytail while a katana lay horizontally on the back of his waist. He was wearing the standard Uchiha clothing consisting of a dark blue mantle with a high collar and dark blue trousers that were wrapped up in bandages at the ankle. There were also bandages wrapped beneath his sleeve, around his arms, while he continued to wear a pair of black jika-tabi and a pair of black gloves.

His naginata was still same as it was a clan treasure, just beneath the Gunbai Uchiwa. The naginata was strapped to his back diagonally as he saw something amiss on the battlefield. Currently, the Uchiha and Senju clans were similar in strength so the losses were similar. Yet what caught Mukuro's eyes wasn't within the battlefield but rather just outside it.

A child had somehow stumbled upon the battlefield as it looked fearfully at the conflict in front of him. Men were dying left and right as the child started trembling uncontrollably. Considering the child's clothing it was clear that it was a civilian with no mastery over chakra.

Mukuro watched as the child slowly took steps back but tripped on a dead body. The child looked at what tripped it and saw the dead man's eyes devoid of life. The child's mouth opened and closed as tears started to reveal themselves at the edges of the child's eyes. For a short amount of time, the child could only breathe heavily as it didn't dare cry in case, he attracted the attention of anyone.

The child then carefully got back up and turned around, only to run back from where he came from. Mukuro saw this and paid no further attention, choosing to rather look at his brother's fight rather than a civilian child running away.

A short moment later, he got the sudden urge to look back in the direction of the child and he complied. He had thought the child had run away, yet he saw the child at the edge of the trees lying there with a kunai at the back. The angle the child was hit indicated that he wasn't targeted rather, the child was hit by a stray kunai.

Mukuro didn't know what he felt then, as it loomed over him that he was in a world of conflict. The past five years were spent in peace training in Ryuichi cave, yet he had returned to the horrors almost immediately. Various thoughts flashed through his head,

Should I have helped?

Yes, I should've saved the innocent. No, the child died due to its weakness

…

Conflicting thoughts raged throughout his head while a complex look was present on his face. Yet in the end he came to a conclusion, a conclusion that was typical for a shinobi, death due to weakness. If he was weak then he would have died way earlier. So, for him to not face the same fate, he would have to get stronger.

Once the battle had ended, the Uchiha and Senju retreated while Mukuro also left and met up with the former back at the clan's headquarters.

…

"Mukuro!"

"Mukuro-nii-san!"

Madara and Izuna ran to their brother with happy grins on their faces while Tajima followed. Although he didn't show it like the other two, he was still happy seeing Mukuro back. Mukuro had been gone for five years, which was a long time. Before he knew it, Mukuro was heavily breathing was standing on the training ground, in front of his brothers who were also heavily breathing.

"You've gotten stronger Mukuro."

Tajima looked at them with his sharingan active while Mukuro, Madara and Izuna also had them active. While Tajima, Mukuro and Madara had three tomoe, Izuna still only had two. As the three rested, Tajima asked Mukuro,

"So, I presume you'll be joining the battlefield soon."

Mukuro nodded as the image of the dead child flashed through his mind. After that was the image of all the Uchiha clan's children he saw just before flashed through his head. Hashirama wasn't yet the clan leader, nor was Madara. If something happens and went wrong there would be no way that the Senju would allow any survivors of the Uchiha clan, they would be annihilated.

…

The next day, Amadeus was armed and ready. He was wearing the same things as yesterday, except for a breastplate to protect his heart. He then picked up the katana that he carried, it looked like any other katana, with a black and gold handle and a simple gold handguard. It was the sword of Kusanagi, give to him by Ryuchi cave. Rather than have a snake spit it out, he preferred to carry it around with him.

Placing the katana at the back, above his waist, he then grabbed a belt with satchels containing all his ninja tools. Lastly, he grabbed his naginata and grouped up with his family before leaving their residence. Approaching the battlefield, Tajima started speaking,

"This is unlike yesterday; the battle will be held in the forest. So rather than fighting in large groups, it would best to do so in smaller ones."

Mukuro then spoke out,

"I'll go alone then."

"Then I'll do to."

With Madara following him, Izuna opened his mouth,

"Then- "

Before Izuna could finish, Madara's voice interrupted him,

"You would be with me."

Izuna pouted slightly but knew from Madara's tone that he wasn't going to take no for an answer. Tajima then looked at the three,

"Fine then, I'll go ahead,"

Saying that he disappeared while activating his sharingan. Mukuro did the same after turning to his brothers,

"Be safe."

Saying this he left the two and went in a completely different direction to his father. Going through the woods, he felt more closer to nature as his sensory abilities had a huge boost. He probably was the most talented sensor within the Uchiha clan right now.

He started jumping through the woods when he felt a couple chakra sources also approaching him. It seemed that the other party hadn't noticed him, so he tried to integrate with his surroundings. He literally became one with the forest as he slowly crept upon the two chakras.

Walking forwards slowly, he looked down and found two familiar Senju clan members vigilantly moving forward. It was Hashirama and Tobirama.

Throwing a pair of kunais at them he disappeared and reappeared in front of them.

The two sensed the kunais at them as they used their swords to deflect them. Hashirama shouted,

"Who's there?"

To reply to him some one, they saw someone around their age appear in front of them with a three tomoe sharingan. While Tobirama looked vigilant,

"Sharingan?"

Hashirama looked at Mukuro with shock,

"M-Mukuro…"

Hearing his elder brother say a name, Tobirama questioned,

"You know him, elder brother?"

Nodding slightly Hashirama replied,

"Yes, he's Madara's brother…I thought he was dead as there was no news of him in recent years,"

"Another one?"

Hashirama didn't say anything as he shouted at Mukuro.

"Mukuro, what are you doing here?"

Mukuro didn't reply as he smiled slightly. However, Hashirama continued,

"We don't need to fight. Have you forgotten our dream?"

Mukuro narrowed his eyes slightly,

"I've said it before, with our current selves it is nothing but a pipe dream,"

Hashirama felt calmer with the way Mukuro spoke. It seemed that unlike his brother, Mukuro had kept that dream.

"Then…"

Hashirama's happiness was short lived,

"But, currently, it doesn't change the fact that you're a Senju…"

Readying his stance, Mukuro held his naginata in one hand while he brought his other hand forward,

"…and I'm an Uchiha."

Saying this, it was like the signal for the beginning of a battle as both sides made hand signs. While the other two used both hands, Mukuro used one.

"Fire release, Great Fireball Technique!"

"Wood release, Deep Forest Emergence!"

"Water release, Great Waterfall technique!"

A ball of fire emerged from Mukuro's mouth as tree roots grew alongside Hashirama and water was shot from Tobirama's mouth. Mukuro never intended to confront the two with ninjutsu as he would just be in the losing end. However, knowing that Tobirama specialised in water release, he used his fireball jutsu to counteract it and create mist in the surrounding area.

When the techniques collided, the roots of Hashirama's tree caught fire, but the sheer quantity wisped the flame out. Another portion escaped the roots and collided with Tobirama's jutsu creating a mist like Mukuro intended. Although the two techniques converged in his direction, he was long gone.

The next instance, Mukuro appeared in front Hashirama and swung his Naginata. The blade was swung horizontally causing Hashirama to dodge by jumping backwards. Seeing this, Mukuro ended his swing and thrust forwards in one fluid motion. Before it even reached Hashirama, Tobirama appeared in front of Mukuro with his sword drawn and swung it at Mukuro's naginata, diverting its path. With Mukuro still going forward, Tobirama then swung his katana at Mukuro.

However, mid-swing, it encountered the naginata's handle. Mukuro had now held the naginata horizontally, blocking Tobirama's katana. At the corner of his eyes he saw Hashirama unsheathing his sword, so with one powerful swing, he threw Tobirama back while Hashirama jumped in. The two exchanged a couple rounds as Mukuro started using both ends of his naginata to keep up with the two brothers.