AN: I don't own them.

Chapter 2. Dancing in the wood I

Ten years later

Because, they lied to us in history book, they lied to us in textbook, they lied to us in our lessons, they lied to us to put us under slavery…

She was dreaming of the dream... again.

The cliff was first to come. And a tree.

Then a woman with long light colored hair that touched the ground. Most noticeably were two horn like protrusions which stuck out from her head. Her right arm was outstretched to the tree, obviously trying to get to its fruit.

The view changed. Burning. The world was burning. A brown creature titanic in size was savaging everywhere.

Then the woman again. She was laughing. Laughing at the butchery. Reflection of the destroyed lives were in her evil white eyes. The woman's laughter echoed through her mind, sending a chill through her soul. Once again, and as she always did, she tried to grab her stinging consciousness to escape from the nightmare and hastily jumped into her own mindscape.

There had been sew and cage when she'd been Uzumaki Naruto. Kyuubi had been there, inside the cage, welcoming her with snorts and growls. Now there's none of them. She was Uzumaki Naruto no more. Her body wasn't Uzumaki Naruto anymore, the body which had held bijuu's power and muscles to destroy her enemies. It was gone long ago. There's nothing inside her now. Nothing but a deep deep darkness.

Or.. Everything.

It wasn't a darkness. It was a Universe. Planets, stars, galaxies, the space, the smallest subatomic particles, and all matter and energy were there. The universe was inside her. Her consciousness kept on swimming and swimming amidst. Countless stars were singing, loud, too loud that she couldn't hear them.

Get out from there. now. A voice whispered to her. Or you'll be lost in your own mindscape.

She pulled her consciousness once again, trying to escape from her own mind. Her mindscape was stubborn. It was as if the universe was trying to swallow her forever.

Now! The voice whispered again. She managed to yank her consciousness to the edge of her mind. Her mindscape closed slowly behind her subconsciousness.

She lifted her eyelids with a start, feeling cold sweats streaming over her face. Blue eyes registered with a horror stared up at the ceiling. Morning sunlight was leaking inside through the paper window.

She was back to reality, back to Senju Kazuya.

"Stop sniveling."

The sound didn't stop.

"I said stop fucking sniveling."

The boy sobbed even louder.

"You fucking girl." Tobirama's hotheaded and foulmouthed most of the time. Especially on these days.

Hashirama sighed, giving up his sweet nap and getting up from his futon. Yusuke, one of his cousins was sitting curled up at the corner of his room, sobbing pathetically.

Tobirama was standing beside almost threateningly, glaring down at their cousin, continuously cursing him.

"What's wrong with him?" Hashirama asked.

"Uchihas killed his brother." Tobirama growled.

"Oh." Shrugging, the elder of the brothers rose. "My father's sons died every year and now there're only me and Tobi left. Stop crying."

"Yeah, before I sew your fucking mouth and throw out of this room." Tobirama growled again.

Poor Yusuke buried his head between his legs, muffling sobs.

"It's your fault that you're there and just watched when they killed your brother." Speaking nonchalantly Hashirama pulled his shirt over his head.

"I'm going to kill all Uchihas!" Yusuke roared abruptly, causing Tobirama to mock loud. "Wooes for the Uchihas! Save their bitches though."

"You're speaking as if you've seen any one of them." Hashirama commented.

"I did when we attacked their camps at the red mountain. You weren't there, bro."

"At their camp? So Uchihas bring their girls to fuck during the battle, eh?"

"Naturally. We have something to learn even from our enemies." Then the brothers chuckled, letting their cousin's sob flow behind them like background music.

Suddenly Hashirama paused forawhile. It took him few seconds to realize what was wrong. Someone was eavesdropping them, clinging to the large paperdoor of the room..

"Oh yeah," grinning he turned around, Darting to the door. "Kazuya!"

Indeed, a girl with long silver hair started to run swiftly, laughing, causing him to chase after her chuckling as well.

"You naughty littlel-"

"Catch me, nii!"

They ran through the wooden corridor, had few more rounds of chasing at the main yard till Hashirama finally grabbed his sister by waist and locked her tight between his arms. "Got ya, dear." He then tabbed her nose. She laughed again.

The air was cool, the red afternoon sunlight was shining upon them. Together they slowly collapsed to the ground, still giggling like kids.

"So much about Uchiha girls?" Kazuya teased, supporting her head with one hand and looking down at him, her sapphire eyes twinkling playfully.

"Ah, just forget it. Tobi thinks suck bluff makes him look manly."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, most boys are idiots like him. and he's virgin, most importantly."

"How about you nii-san?" She drew closer to him. He smiled, grabbed few strands of her silver hair and began to play with it. "I'm leaving for another battle this evening. Both Tobi and I."

"Huh? You haven't answered my-"

"Will you miss me?"

"Yes."

"More than you do to Tobi?"

"Maybe. So how long will it be this time?"

"I don't know.." Frowning he pressed his sister's soft plum lips with a finger. "I don't want to leave you here."

Her blue eyes twinkled again. "You want to take me to your camp like Uchihas do?"

"Yes. No, I mean not for that purpose!" Face flushing, he roared up and pinched her cheek. "Stop teasing me, imouto!"

"Aww- If you promise me one thing!"

"Promise you what?"

"Promise me that you'll take me to Yato town when you're back."

While the siblings were playing in the yard tangled to each other, there's another pair of eyes watching them, contemplating the scene with flaring dark eyes.

Sounding of thundering footsteps and shoutings echoed everywhere. Every capable and well-trained male was busy currently, wearing his armor suites, taking his weapons and packing extras. Servants were busy as well, taking their orders as fast as possible. There'd be a big battle between Senju and Uchiha at alongside the valley of moon forest. No one could predict how long it would take. Or how many of their clansmen would come back alive_ as usual.

Amisdt all of this there's a certain disturbing noise from somewhere.

Hashirama shut the door roughly as he entered his room, confronting his younger brother who're already in his own armor.

"What the hell is this sound? Why is everyone crying today?"

Tobirama shrugged. "It's Mika."

"Who's that?"

"Our cousin. Our aunt's daughter." Then the white-haired boy opened the door slightly and yelled to the servants. "Go and tell her to stop fucking crying! It's ominous!"

Grinning helplessly the elder brother started to put on his own armor. "Why is she crying?"

"You're the heir. Be more concerned of your relatives." The younger grumbled. "She's leaving tomorrow forever to wed with Uzumaki clan boy."

"Ah, the redhead clan. How old is she?"

"13. Our father wants to keep our friendship with Uzumakis solid! Same will go for you soon, bro."

"I only saw her once."

"What does it matter? She's your fiancee anyway."

Hashirama nodded, then lost in thoughts for a while: His fiancee was Uzumaki Mito. The daughter of Uzumaki clanhead, a perfect match for the son of Senju clanhead... indeed, he had seen her only once few months ago. Butsuma had taken him along on his visit to Uzumakis. On that day the two clanheads had agreed on their firstborns' marriage. Mito's pretty in a plain way, smiling all the time. Perhaps what made her look beautiful was that smile. She had been trying to talk with him eagerly, but he'd hardly reacted. He had been obsessed with thoughts of his sister; His sister didn't need a smile to get attention. She could make almost every male in the clan to turn his head to look at her even with a frown.

Rapping shurikens within a cloth Tobirama spat as if he'd read his mind. "It's gonna be same for Kazuya. She's 12 already."

"Don't, Tobi."

"It's gonna happen anyway. Our father wants alliances, she'll be a great gift."

"I'm NOT going to let it happen to her.. when I become the head of our clan."

"Hah! We don't know when it'll be."

"Of course." Hashirama grinned in all nice way.

The concept of 'book' in this era was totally different from that of Konoha's. What guys here called 'book' was a scroll made of very thin papers, words written using ink and brush.

Senju Kazuya was in her own chamber, sitting in front of Kotatsu where the piles of scrolls were top of it. Most of the scrolls were about history of ninja, chakra and bijuu.

There's nothing much she could do here usually. Senjus didn't train girls to be ninjas. Most of the clans in this era didn't have kunoichis among them. And she was careful enough. She's well aware of what had happened to the females with extraordinary power born in 'wrong' era. They'd been called Witch. Youko.

The world will be full of powerful women soon. She thought. She recalled the memory of Tsunade. Of so many other kunoichis who'd contributed so much to the hidden villages. of her rookie friends... Then she shook her head to put the images away. She didn't have to think of them now. She wasn't even sure if any one of them would exist in the future here.

Kazuya wasn't living in Konoha now. She would wait for the right time. So she made herself a hobby of reading. Yes, that was it. Sitting and reading. It wasn't that bad.

She snapped the scroll shut, alerted at the sudden noise from outside the door.

Now now what's this?

When a certain familiar white-haired woman entered, Kazuya was still sitting on a cushion keeping her posture.

"You don't even salute?" Senju Hanayo glared down at her contemptuously."Didn't your mother ever teach you right courtesy?"

Kazuya considered for a while whether she'd stand up or just stay sitting. She felt tired of this woman. She had been tired of both her 'mother' Ako and this woman, till Ako died few years ago. Ohh.. hateful women.

Before Kazuya made up her mind, Hanayo came close with a mocking smile on her face and held the young girl's face with her long, predatory white hand.

"You're so pretty." She spoke, in undertone, "And your eyes... It's very rare color for us. You don't have any resemblance with Butsuma-sama or even Ako. I really wonder if you're really his child." She caressed the girl's rosy face for a while, then suddenly slapped hard.

Aw. That hurts.

"I should have known..." Hanayo continued, her dark eyes blazing with an enormous hatred and her body shaking with her own rage. "How dare you try to seduce my heir son..You dirty little whore! If I see you seducing my heir son one more time, I'll strangle you while you're sleeping!" Then she stormed out from the chamber.

...

Shaking her head and heaving a sigh, Kazuya picked up a scroll again. Pathetic woman.

Moon forest, Senju alliance encampment

An encamp, stream of soldiers roaming around tents like wandering pumas. Smells. Smells of fire and burning corpses. Sweats and ashes. Sounds. Sounds of yells, cries, cynical laughter.

Standing close to the cliff Tobirama studied their surroundings. Vast open grass plain. Few trees dotted the horizon. The sun at the middle of the sky, the air cold. No fog. In the far distance, he made out the silhouette of a battered mountain village. He gaped, staring at the sight, the smokes from the piles of ruined cottages, several corpses sprawled around the area.

"Job of Uchihas." His elder brother's voice explained. "That village belongs to one of our side's daimyo."

"..too wild."

"The Daimyo seeks a vengeance. We're going to do the job." Hashirama sighed. "Daimyos are riding us ninjas like they'd ride their whores."

"For Fuck's sake..."

"We're shinobis anyway. We're not castle soldiers or samurais. We don't have any honor."

"Yeah, backstabbing assassins."

The brothers chuckled for a while. As they're about to go back to their tent, someone came into their way.

"Excuse me, Hashirama-san." Saluted a boy around the brothers' age. There's an embroider of spiral upon his shoulder, and his ragged hair was as crimson as Tobirama's eyes. "I'm Uzumaki Muta."

"Oh." Hashirama smiled. He now recognized the face of Uzumaki clan heir. "What's up?"

"Just wanted to greet you." The redhead grinned at him. "You'll be marrying my sister soon. And I'll be marrying yours, too. So we're so much like brothers already."

Tobirama grimaced at this. What? Butsuma had never mentioned about it...yet. He quickly looked at Hashirama. The Senju heir was still smiling politely.

"Excuse me, I don't understand." The Senju heir responded in a dangerously calm tone.

The Uzumaki heir blinked confusedly for a moment but soon grinned again. "Oh, you're not informed yet? My father suggested it to your father. Butsuma-sama was positive about it. Anyway, now you know and we can call each other brother."

"Have you ever heard of fragging, Muta-san?"

Muta frowned little at the abrupt question. "Fragging..? What's that?"

Wrapping his arm around Muta's shoulders as if they're close friends, Hashirama whispered: "It refers to the act of murdering members of the force during the battle: Often happens to the leaders, but who cares? Do you understand?" There's a flame beneath his warm brown orbs, burning with a murderous intent, sending a chill down to Muta's spine. "Call me a brother one more time and you won't ever go home."

Two weeks later

Pale moonlight glowed over the long blood red mane. Below the red hair set a pair of peculiarly shining crimson eyes.

She stretched her arm to the creature. "Kurama." She called, her own voice echoing from faraway. "Kurama."

Her fox neither responded nor moved. He just stared at her, standing under the moonlight, his crimson eyes looking strangely...sad.

"Come to me, Kurama." She called again, this time taking a step toward her old companion, her hand still outstretched. "Come back to me!"

Where am I? Thought Kazuya as she lifted her eyelids. Her vision blurred little before she shook her head to clear her vision. Soon she recognized the candlelights and wooden ceiling. Reality came back to her.

She was in her own room. Yes, of course... at least it wasn't that dream again.

12 years. It had been 12 years since her rebirth by yoko.

She wanted to look for the fox eagerly, but there's no way. When would she meet her fox again? How long should she wait more?

She looked to the window. It was still dark. The torch light was dimmed by the cold, and the mirror was reflecting pale moonlight.

She knew something was wrong the moment she sat up from the futon. However she feigned a complete ignorance and laid back, waiting for her brother to break the silence.

"...Who's Kurama?"

"Kami!" Feigning a surprise Kazuya screamed, sitting up again. "Nii-san? When did you come back?!"

"Whileago. Your maids said you went to bed early, so I ordered them not to wake you up."

"You should have woke me... I'm so glad that you're back! Is everyone okay?"

"Tobi and Tou-san are fine."

Then silence fell.

Staring at the dark figure Kazuya knitted her brow. Something was wrong. Hashirama was acting very unusual. Everytime he'd came back from the battle, he'd always...rushed to her room first of all and talked about everything that had happened. Now he's standing at the corner of the room, hiding himself shrouded by a shadow, obviously in a serious mood.

Instead of asking what's wrong, she beckoned: "Why don't you come here?"

"Tell me who's Kurama." He demanded, unmoving from the shadow.

"It's the Kyuubi."

"Kyuubi? You met a Bijuu in your dream?"

"Yes. He was small and furry. Now are you going to come here or just get out?"

Finally the boy appeared from the shadow, walking slowly toward her bedside. She quickly grabbed his sleeves and made him sit.

"What's wrong with you?"

His eyes gleamed faintly in the dark. His breath was wild, as if he'd been suffocating or pressing a strong emotion. He ran his hand through his short dark hair, bit his lips for a while, as if he's preparing for a...

"Nii-san, I'm scared."

He flinched. His eyes now stared at her as if he'd just woke up from a dream. "I'm sorry..." He muttered, softly caressing her silver hair which was shining against the moonlight. "I was just, eh, angry."

"Did I make you angry?"

"No. It's just... Tou-san wants you to marry Uzumaki heir."

"What! really?"

"I don't want you to marry him."

"Me too!"

"I don't want you to marry anyone."

...

Silence fell once again.

Kazuya's blue depths fixed at the Senju princeling. Her mind waved like a whirlpool. Now all of sudden their past interactions were put to a new perspective.

She took a deep breath. For a moment she questioned herself if she'd been aware of this. Had she? I was mesmerizing him. She realized. I was mesmerizing him whole time. Did she have any right to be disappointed with him, the boy who'd grow to become a saintly legend? Wasn't it her existence that had stained his soul? Did she have any right to judge him? No. Then why should she feel disappointed with him when it's all her plan? She'd intended this whole time. Senju Hanayo wasn't overimagining: The Senju Prince was infatuated.

"Nii-san." Her hand caressed the boy's face softly. "Nii-san. Look at me."

Hashirama slowly turned his eyes to her, his dim brown orbs licking her whole figure in a calm and orderly way: Long, silky silver hair which's disheveled provocatively. Large, sparkling blue eyes. soft creamy skin of her neck, the inviting curve and incline of collarbones peeking out from under the hem line. Almost half-revealed breast, her beige yukata was loosely opened. She was a very early and fast bloomer.

Silence continued. It was as if some kind of strange spell was looming around them. The moonlight was fading, a breeze picked up through the window, blowing feathery kisses on their cheeks.

By the next moment Hashirama sprang on his feet, his shoulders rigid as if someone had put lead over it.

"Maybe I should come back by morning." His voice trembled. He whirled around quickly and headed to the door.

Instead of calling him, Kazuya laid back to her futon, stretching her one leg little up and asked:

"Am I ugly, Nii-san?"

Hashirama froze. His one hand was holding the knob and the door was almost half-opened. Slowly he turned, his eyes beaming in the dark almost looking... angry?

"You pretty little fool." He sighed.

Kazuya stretched her hand in the air. "My hands...are ugly. They're so big."

"Your hands are pretty." He muttered softly. "None of you is ugly."

"You can take a look and say that again."

...

Few seconds passed with another silence till he moved at last. First he closed the half-opened door..and strode back to her.

Languidly Kazuya stretched her arm, letting her brother's callous hand to hold hers hesitantly. His hand was dry and callous, yet burning with a heat. Their fingers tangled to each others shyly, spreading heats and forming sticky sweats between palms.

"It's tiny.." He whispered. "So frail..."

"I don't know..." Long lashes dropped over sapphire depths. "Come here." She grabbed him by collar with her other hand and yanked, causing him to drop onto his knees and prostrate beside her.

"Are you gonna just watch me wed with Uzumaki boy?"

"It's not happening." He replied firmly, drawing closer to her. Their faces were just an inch away now. He could smell a scent of fruitcandy from his sister's mouth.

"Are you sure?"

"Just believe me." His eyes dimmed in the dark as if he had a fever. "No one can deprive you from me."

Their lips were close now, only about a half inch of space was in between. Simultaneously they closed their eyes and...

"Hashirama-sama?" a voice of a servant caused the brother and the sister to get off from each other quickly.

"Hashirama-sama?"

"What a timing.." Giggling Kazuya sprawled herself over the futon and cocked her head little to look up. "Maybe Otou-san is looking for you."

Hashirama was already on his feet, still with a dazzled look on his face. "Uhm, yeah, maybe. I should go."

"Okay."

"Yeah. I mean, uhm, okay. Yes." Stammering, he scratched the back of his head. "So I mean.. See you in the morning."

"See you." She shook her hand.

Hashirama heaved a sigh, turned his heels, opened the door and closed it behind him.

End of chapter 2.

Hi guys, it's been a long while. I'm sorry. My last year of college was a madness.

I fixed few settings in the previous chapters, like the characters' age. Currently Kazuya_Naruto's 12, Hashirama's 17, and Tobirama's 16.

If you can, please write a review to this story. I'm really looking forward to know what you really think of it, and also your suggestions.

If there is any grammatical or vocabulary mistake, please understand, since I'm not a native speaker.