Arrival of Madara

Hurried breathing could be heard as Hinata had Mukuro's arm over her shoulder. Various shinobi could be seen giving chase, as a series of kunais were hurled in their direction.

Hinata stopped and put Mukuro down as she got into stance,

"Eight trigrams palm revolving heavens."

Hinata started spinning at incredible speeds as soon as the kunai's got close, deflecting them for that brief moment. As her spin came to a halt, she went back to help Mukuro up only for him to suddenly strike. Hinata felt the wind brush past her face as she instinctively closed one eye. A grunt was heard behind her as Mukuro's naginata was pushed further into a shinobi's throat.

"Never let your guard down…"

Hinata put Mukuro's words to heart as she prepared to help him up to which Mukuro just waved off.

"No need, it seems they've arrived."

As soon as he said that they were surrounded by the Homura clan shinobi, but the smile never left Mukuro's face.

"Took your time."

Mukuro didn't seem to be talking to them, when another voice was heard behind them.

"Sorry for being late."

The Homura clan shinobi looked behind them only to see figures on trees littered with sharingans looking at them. Hinata didn't sense them as her byakugan wasn't activated but she visibly relaxed seeing reinforcements. The Homura clansmen didn't get the chance to speak when the Uchiha shinobi moved and dealt with them with one strong blow.

Upon killing the final shinobi, Madara quickly came next to Mukuro to check up on him. He didn't mind Hinata next to him as Izuna had already told him about what had happened. The other Uchiha shinobi were ordered to leave as the group consisting of Senju and the rest arrived. Izuna was just like Madara in how he came to check up on Mukuro while the group from the future checked up on Hinata.

Sakura came and started using her healing jutsu on Mukuro which was more potent that Hinata's. She was a medical shinobi, so it was rather obvious. Mukuro didn't care but he could feel himself get slightly better.

As Mukuro started to rest, Hashirama and Madara seemed to talk about something but Mukuro could see that Hashirama had a helpless expression. It seemed that Hashirama was still trying to convince Madara. While this was happening, Mukuro dug out a seal and summoned his kiseru as he started smoking.

Taking a puff, he watched the smoke rise and Madara come next to him,

"I doubt you're going to sit this one out…"

Mukuro just smiled as he got up prompting Sakura in stopping her healing jutsu.

"You found any leads?"

"Yeah, we know where Obara Taisho is."

"Where?"

"Kurosaki manor."

Mukuro had a raised eyebrow as Madara continued,

"And you know the interesting part? It seems that they have hired the Homura clan…"

Mukuro's smile widened as he started putting dots together. A groan attracted their attention as Naruto started waking up,

"Wasn't the Homura clan's leader's son…"

Not minding him Mukuro continued,

"…plagued with a certain, well, fetish."

"That's what the rumours say, but it seems that their hands have extended towards our clans."

Shinobi were people that sold their loyalty to the highest bidder. With the current world in the state of war, shinobi were hired to fight. With both sides doing the same, enmities were naturally created, Uchiha and Senju being the prime example. When one client hired the Senju, the opposing one would hire the Uchiha, being the strongest, only they could go against each other.

They wouldn't care if they kept to themselves, but when they started targeting the clan, it pushed a few buttons.

"It seems he got courage with that Obara Taisho."

Mukuro nodded as Hashirama came forward,

"You okay Mukuro?"

Giving another nod Mukuro put his hand out and his naginata flew towards him, as he gave it a few spins. Earning a raised eyebrow from the Senju, Mukuro turned to Madara,

"It seems this is the first time the two of us are heading to battle."

"When you think about it, you always do your missions alone."

"Ah don't forget about me."

"Indeed, it seems we haven't ever fought side by side."

"Hn"

"Hn"

"Listen to me!"

The two older brothers clearly ignoring the youngest brother and the latter's antics brought a smile to the surroundings as the Senju were looking rather surprised at their interactions. It was human, the complete opposite of the machines they met in the battlefield.

The two brothers laughed and Mukuro ruffled Izuna's hair bringing out his rebellious side as he escaped it with a blushed face.

"Well, wanna come?"

"Ah, yeah, he also kidnapped Senju children…"

After asking Hashirama, Mukuro looked at everyone present, it seemed that everyone was ready to go.

"Well then, the plan is simple, the rest of you will look for the children and Obara Taisho while me, Madara and Hashirama will distract them doing what we do best…"

"Rather simple isn't it?"

Madara looked at Mukuro to which he replied,

"It's enough."

Kakashi looked at the line up as he sighed, it was indeed enough.

- Kurosaki manor -

A three-storey pagoda stood erect within the middle of the wilderness as only a single path reached it. Surrounded by tall walls, various armoured soldiers guarded it while the Homura clan shinobi kept an eye out.

"Any news from the others?"

"Nope, nothing yet."

The man who spoke first sighed perking the other up,

"What's wrong?"

"Is what we are doing right?"

"I don't know-"

Before the first man knew it, his partner stopped talking and the sound of the body hitting the ground was heard. The man only reacted when he saw the blood all over him and the kunai stuck to the man's throat. As soon as everything clicked in his head, he immediately shouted,

"Enemy attack!!"

Bells started ringing and everyone moved to attention, trying to find the attackers. The Homura clan started hiding as they waited for the attackers. Everyone was on alert when they heard the sound of projectiles. Looking up they could see various dots litter the sky only for them to get bigger.

"Brace!"

Shields were lifted up as the numerous kunais rained down onto the compound. Some were able to react while some were luckily full of holes by the end of the rain. As silence descended once more, the sound of wind rustling was heard. The Homura clan shinobi stayed in their shadows as they waited for another attack, but it never came. As they started to investigate, their sensor shinobi got to work. More and more came out, when a sensor shinobi suddenly paled,

"Enemy!"

"Hu-"

Three kunais suddenly exploded into a cloud of smoke and the nearest shinobi were the first to go down. Hashirama appeared wielding a katana, Madara with the Gunbai Uchiwa, a large fan and scythe connected with a chain and Mukuro his naginata.

Looking at the shinobi appearing in front of them, Madara turned to Mukuro,

"Will you be ok?"

Mukuro rolled his eyes,

"A bit late asking now…"

Mukuro spun his naginata around as he entered sage mode,

"But yeah, I will."

He felt he could last, the last time he coughed up blood while being chased was because he got careless and was struck. His body couldn't keep up with his reflexes, so he was late to reacting to an attack. Now he was in sage mode.