It was a few months later, Ayumi had recovered and had decided to take Kawarama out for a walk. "Kaa-Chan, wait, I'll come with you!" Hashirama called as he came up behind her. The albino turned back to look at him, "Hashi-Chan, how are you?" she asked with a smile. The woman was looking a lot better than she had before, but still seemed a bit pale. "I'm fine Kaa-Chan, but I wanted to make sure you were alright" Hashirama replied. Ayumi beamed down at her eldest boy, "thank you Hashirama, you always take such good care of us" she said. She adjusted Kawarama in her arms, an extra blanket wrapped around him, "it's getting a little chilly for a baby, but we could both do with some fresh air I think" the white-haired woman said.

As the three walked through the forest they got farther and farther away from the Senju Compound. Soon they reached a small river. "Would you mind taking Kawa-Chan Hashirama? I want to get some water" Ayumi said. The brown-haired boy nodded and gently held the baby boy when his Kaa-Chan handed him to him. As the Albino woman knelt and scooped water up to her mouth, Hashirama frowned. There was something wrong. The air felt heavy and hot. Like an especially muggy summer day. But it was getting into winter now. Ayumi swayed from where she knelt, before falling forwards into the water. "Kaa-Chan!" Hashirama exclaimed. His mind felt like it was in a haze, but he fought it off. 'Genjustu!' he thought, flaring his Chakra and expelling the foreign one trying to invade his system.

The boy grabbed his mother with some difficulty and dragged her out of the river with his one available hand, feeling like he had pulled something in his arm in the process. Kawarama was wailing from the feeling of the illusional heat engulfing him. Focusing his Chakra into both his mother and baby brother, Ayumi jolted, and almost before she could do anything else, Hashirama was simultaneously trying to push her to her feet and pull her away from any danger, "come on Kaa-Chan, we have to move!" he exclaimed. The woman opened her mouth to speak, but suddenly ten fully armoured Uchiha appeared around them. Hashirama growled, holding his arms out to shield his family from any attacks that he could.

He wasn't disillusioned enough to believe that he could take them all on at once, especially given that he had no weapons of armour on him at the moment. But he could at last do something which that better than nothing. "Well, well, look who we have here, the Senju Matriarch, Senju Heir and a baby Senju!" one man said. Ayumi held Kawarama closer to her chest, shielding him as much as possible with her arms. "You stay away from them! Neither Kaa-Chan nor the baby are Shinobi! Your fights with me Uchiha!" Hashirama cried, not wanting to fight, but unwilling to allow his loved ones to die without even trying to protect them. Another of the Uchiha smirked, "Trying to act tough are you? I see you shaking. You're nothing but a baby yourself!" he exclaimed. The others all chuckled or laughed.

The long-haired boy narrowed his eyes, "why don't you run along, we'll deal with you next time little boy" the apparent leader of the group called. Hashirama lowered his head so that his eyes were shadowed, "Kaa-Chan, get down and cover Kawarama" he ordered. The woman did as asked and curled protectively around her youngest son. "Let's get them!" the group of Uchiha cried, running forwards. Hashirama's head snapped up then, eyes blazing with furious determination. He formed the Tiger, Ram and Snake hand signs, blazing trough them at such speed that even his Uchiha opponents blinked in surprise. When he ended on Snake, huge tree's suddenly shot out of the ground. The attacking Shinobi barley even had time to scream in terror as they were killed almost instantly. Hashirama stood, panting before the small forest that he'd created. "I *pant* I can't believe I actually *pant* managed to-" he began, only to cut off as he fell unconscious from Chakra Exhaustion not a moment later. Ayumi looked up after the exploding sounds had died down, only to gape in shock at the miniature forest before her, then she cried out in fear at the sight of her eldest face down on the ground before it.

Before she could move, multiple Senju Shinobi appeared around her, "Ayumi-Sama, what happened? We sensed several unknown Chakra Signatures in the area, then all of a sudden Lord Hashirama's Chakra flared up so powerfully that even non-sensor type Shinobi could feel it. We rushed here as soon as we could, is anyone hurt?" one of the men asked. But Ayumi was numb after everything that had just happened. In fact she was barely keeping herself from collapsing herself. This was supposed to have been a relaxing walk through the forest, not a battle to the death. Finally, she was able to force herself to speak, "Hashirama! Is Hashirama alright?" she demanded to know, attempting to move over to her oldest son, but body too weak from shock to move.

"Please calm yourself Ayumi-Sama, he is just suffering from Chakra-exhaustion, that's all" the man who had gone to check the boy replied. When the Senju Shinobi realised the mother was to shocked to speak, they escorted her and Kawarama back to the compound, while another Shinobi carried Hashirama back.

N/Ĥ

When the exhausted boy had recovered enough and woken up, he was taken to his Tou-San after the man returned. Ayumi was already there with Tobirama kneeling next to her and Kawarama in her arms once more. The woman smiled up at him with obvious relief, but had to wait while the boy knelt down before her husband. "So Hashirama, I heard that you have developed a new Jutsu" Butusuma said. Hashirama nodded, "hai Tou-San" he replied, keeping his face neutral. "Tell me about it" the man ordered. "Well, I call it Mokuton or Wood Style, as far as I can tell it allows me to create and manipulate trees and wood. It is a combination of Earth and Water Nature Chakra, and I awakened it what Kaa-Chan and Kawarama were in danger" the boy explained.

"I see, you have either developed a unique Bloodline, or it is an ability that can be passed on and taught, I don't know. After you have developed it some more I want you to try teaching the others this Jutsu, and if they can learn it, more power to us, if not, you will still be more powerful. Now, leave and begin your new training" Butusuma ordered. Hashirama clenched his teeth. Nothing about how he had saved Kaa-Chan and Kawarama? Nothing about how he had faced ten adult Uchiha by himself and not only survived but defeated them and protected his family members? Not to say that he liked killing those Uchiha, especially since, past or not, they were members of Sasuke's Clan. But still, he was three, and yes, while he may despise almost everything about the war and the man he now called father, he still had that craving for acknowledgement, especially from his parents, in whatever form he could get.

While he may loathe to be praised for killing, he still thought the man might care enough to admit that he might have done a good job protecting his family. "And Hashirama," Butsuma suddenly called out. A tiny flame of hope ignited itself in his chest as he turned to face him, "yes Tou-San?" he asked, making sure to keep his face carefully blank. "Good job taking out those Uchiha, we may be able to reinstate you into the regular forces sooner than I thought". Colour drained from Hashirama's face and he clenched his teeth and hands. "Now, leave. The sooner you finish resting, the sooner you will be able to continue your training" Butsuma ordered. The boy lowered his head so that his hair shadowed his eyes, "hai Tou-San" he muttered, throat tight. Then he left the room.

N/Ĥ

The Young Senju was alone in one of the Training Fields, practicing his Mokuton. He was so furious and needed to get some of this energy out the only way he could. Tears trailed from his eyes, but he fought them back. He would become stronger. He would become so strong that he could end this stupid war before it claimed the lives of any of his brothers. Not again. Not- suddenly Hashirama paused with his hands inches apart from forming the hand sign to activate the Justu. Images began to flash in his mind. Images from the Fourth Great Ninja War. Neji, stabbed through with wood spikes, dead in his arms. The boy separated his hands slowly. The picture of Neji's lifeless body refused to leave his mind. He remembered how he had killed those Uchiha before.

The two images continued to switch, faster and faster until he could see, in his minds eye: Ayumi, Tobirama and Kawarama, all stabbed through with wooden spikes. Wooden spikes from his bloodline. Hashirama collapsed to the ground, hand clasped over his mouth, before vomiting all over the ground. Her continued until his stomach was empty and tears were pouring from his eyes. What had he done?! He'd invented the very Bloodline that was used to kill one of his closest friends in the future. The boy sobbed and screamed, hitting the ground with his fists, not caring if his skin and clothes became covered in his own vomit. Hashirama clenched his head with his hands and squeezed his eyes shut, but the image wouldn't leave his mind. And not just of Neji's corpse, but all those Shinobi who had been killed during the Fourth Great Ninja War.

His cells had been a big part of everything. Madara, Obito, Kabuto, Kaguya. It was all his fault. His chest began to burn as his breaths grew shorter. He couldn't breathe. Why was their no air here? Why couldn't he breathe? Why? Why couldn't he do anything right? Black spots began to overcome his vision as the boy neared unconsciousness. The last thing he heard before he passed out was his name "Hashi Anija!"

To Be Continued