Juubi was about to unleash another monstrously large bijuu dama. The ninjas weren't prepared for another attack; the ten-tailed beast was too fast. Everyone watched the beast in despair. The smartest ninjas tried to come up with new strategies to slow down the attack. If they succeeded, they would have a few minutes to reorganize, but how long could they hold out?

The First Hokage's wooden clone continued to give his full support with his Mokuton and encouraged his new allies. Meanwhile, the original Hashirama watched over Madara, who had sat down waiting for a real fight with his old friend. However, it didn't look like his wish was going to come true. Not for the moment.

Tobirama, who was near the roots of the great sacred tree, assisted the Fourth Hokage and his son as they fought Obito. His mind was racing, devising all kinds of strategies. This new opponent was formidable. In a brief moment, he noticed a strange chakra. A chakra he had felt before, when he and his brother were still alive. He didn't have time to confirm his suspicion because the familiar chakra had already vanished. He found it impossible to explain how such an overwhelming chakra could disappear so suddenly and without a trace. Even for him, who possessed extraordinary abilities as a sensory ninja, it was surprising.

Someone camouflaging their chakra? he thought. No matter how many possible theories he considered, Tobirama only knew one person who had such skill.

“It can't be... It shouldn't be possible.”

His older brother and Madara also noticed. Their eyes looked to the side, searching for the bearer of the chakra. Such a familiar and distinctive chakra could not belong to anyone else. They had spent too many years together not to have that energy engraved in their hearts.

Juubi had already charged the bijuu dama and launched it. The battlefield turned dark, as if there were a black hole, stopping the large ball of energy. A large shadow swept across the ground, expanding its range. All the ninjas enveloped in this darkness shuddered. They couldn't see anything or move; they were paralyzed.

The black hole wasn't a hole as such; it was a fairly wide circular field with black walls that rose toward the sky, closing in on a dome. The ninjas at the edge of the circle could not see anything inside the field either; it was completely opaque black. They could only hear the cries of their frightened comrades calling for help.

That same field reached the roots of the tree, enveloping all the Hokage. It even reached the place where Hashirama and Madara were watching each other. This jutsu confirmed Tobirama’s, Hashirama’s and Madara's suspicions. Only that person could have performed this jutsu. Fortunately, they were not paralyzed, as they knew this technique very well. Even so, they were still blind. All they could do was wait.

At the roots of the sacred tree, Naruto grew impatient. Obito also stood still, confused.

“What kind of jutsu is this?! Did Juubi activate it? I can't see anything! My body... won't move! As if the constant bijuu damas weren't enough...” Naruto gasped.

“No. This jutsu belongs to a human” Tobirama interrupted. His companions turned their heads towards the Second.

“A human? Well, they must be incredibly strong. Blinding and paralyzing us is a terrifying power. If they're the enemy, we're at their mercy.”

“Don't worry, son of the Fourth. Just calm down and wait. It's an illusion. Your mind sends you danger signals as soon as you lose your sight, that's why you feel paralyzed” Tobirama explained with unshakeable composure.

“And if it doesn't paralyze the body, how is it possible that the bijuu dama hasn't already fallen on us?”

Tobirama was already mulling over the matter and the Fourth's son had also realized it. This boy was becoming more and more astute. The Second remained silent, unable to find an answer. “Maybe the technique has improved…” he thought.

“I don't know what the person who cast the jutsu is up to, but I'd bet my life that they're on our side.”

"Wow. You sure know a lot about this jutsu."

“That's because I've already faced this technique. And that's why I find it very strange that someone would use it in this age. The person who cast it shouldn't be alive...”

Naruto fell silent, looking toward where the Second Hokage's voice was coming from. Tobirama seemed very sure of what he was saying, so he didn't want to interfere. He focused on staying calm. He was already understanding how the attack worked, and just as he began to move freely, he saw a light in the distance.

Madara and Hashirama were still in the same place. It was useless to move for the moment, so the Uchiha sat back down on the ground and crossed his arms.

“Hashirama. You've realized it, haven't you?”

The older Senju let out a sound of affirmation. Both were surprised in their own way. Hashirama with concern and Madara with bloodlust, although it wasn't very noticeable. He preferred to savor these new feelings within himself.

A bright light streaked across the sky. A horizontal arc of light shot out. Immediately, another slash followed. This new technique had been cast by a mysterious swordsman. Their katana, glowing with chakra, had launched powerful slashes at the bijuu dama. The large ball of black energy which was suspended in the air was hit directly by the luminous slashes. The light was swallowed up inside the ball, leaving behind waves as if it were water. The bijuu dama immediately began to disintegrate completely thanks to the light.

The swordsman descended gracefully, his long kimono sleeves and long hair swaying in the air. His armor panels clattered against each other. As soon as they set foot on the ground, the field of darkness lifted. The light returned to the eyes of all the ninjas. They had trouble adjusting to so much brightness all of a sudden, but they quickly adapted.

Hashirama, Madara, and Tobirama felt the presence closer than ever.

“You are as perceptive as ever, Tobirama,” said a voice.

Tobirama was unable to react in time, and in the blink of an eye, he felt warm arms wrap around his shoulders, clinging to the soft fur on his armor. There was only one person who loved that armor as much as he did. Tobirama could touch the young woman's hair because she was pulling him toward her despite the height difference. The smell of her hair brought back sweet memories of his past. He didn't hesitate to tighten his embrace, burying his face in the swordswoman's hair.

At the same time, Hashirama and Madara turned their gaze toward her.

“Long time no see” said the woman in a playful tone to both brothers and the Uchiha. This was possible thanks to a light and shadow technique that only she possessed. She could create a copy of herself without being a variation of herself. It was her at the same time.

Hashirama wasn't expecting it either and was also embraced by this beloved person. Hashirama was much taller than her, like his younger brother, but she still did her best to wrap her arms around him with all her strength. She stood on tiptoes and tightened her embrace even more, pressing her face against his chest. She clung to him affectionately. Hashirama's heart nearly jumped out of his chest.

“Ikki...” the three of them said. They didn't know what to say next, they were speechless.

Ikki let go of the older brother and turned toward her other dear friend. Now they could see her clearly. Her hair was longer than the last time they had seen her, now tied back in a low ponytail. Physically, there was no noticeable change. However, her clothes were different. They were of exquisite quality. They were nothing like the humble fabrics she wore in the past. She wore a gleaming white kimono. Each sleeve was adorned with magatamas. She wore very practical black pants (as she would say) and ordinary ninja sandals. On her torso, she wore armor that seemed to have come from the same era as the founders. On her arms and the sides of her legs, she wore grayish-green armor panels that were tied to the center of the armor. They couldn't help but stare at her face. What caught their attention most was undoubtedly the black bandage that hid her eyes. This, of course, raised even more questions in their minds. Before them stood a person they loved with all their hearts, looking the same as always, and yet they felt she was a completely different person.

Madara remained seated, observing everything that was happening before him. His thirst for blood had been controlled. He couldn't stop looking her up and down. He would be lying if he said he didn't like seeing her after so many years. But he had so many questions... Just remembering it made his head hurt and, above all, his heart. The pain of the past kept coming back. Ikki was still a mystery. A mystery he couldn't solve. He was sure she was hiding something else, something very important. He could feel it in his bones.

And that bothered him a lot. Luckily, that hatred gave him the motivation to continue with his final plan.

Ikki approached Madara and crouched down to his level and also gave him a hug, a very delicate and tender one. She didn't hesitate to bring her face close to his cheek, rubbing her cheek against Madara's. She missed him so much. Madara couldn't help but feel the same way. In the past, they had shared many intimate moments with her and their old friend Senju, but he didn't let his sweet memories cloud his judgment. Ikki raised one of her arms and ran her hand through his hair. She longed for that man's wild hair and indulged herself by caressing it. Madara, on the other hand, stood still as a stone, his gaze incredulous.

“And even after death, you still lie,” he said in a venomous tone. Ikki shuddered in his arms and pulled away from Madara. Ikki's face turned sad, deep down, she had expected it. They hadn't exactly ended on good terms back in the day. But, she allowed herself to be selfish, she needed to feel once again the warmth of one of his greatest loves. No matter how fleeting it might be.

The man stood up and took a few steps back, his presence radiating hostility.

Hashirama swallowed nervously. One wrong move and this could escalate into something fatal. He prepared for the worst; when Madara was angry, he was worse than a hurricane. If he had to protect Ikki from Madara, he would not hesitate.

“You're right,” she replied curtly. Ikki raised her head to the sky. Her bandage remained firmly in place, revealing nothing beneath it. Madara examined it closely. Ikki stood up and walked to the edge of the rocks. The two men waited expectantly at her friend. She gently raised both arms bringing her hands to her head searching for the knot to remove it. The piece of cloth dangled from Ikki's right hand and with great resignation Ikki turned around. She was not prepared to face the reactions of her former friends. She kept her gaze down, her eyes still closed. At this point, it was inevitable, so she took a deep breath and opened her eyes with extreme delicacy, as if she hadn't seen the light in years. The confusion was palpable in the air. The two brothers were stunned, while Madara narrowed his eyes.

Ikki's eyes, which had once been black, had turned into a Rinnegan. It was clear, those grayish, wavy orbs were the Rinnegan.

“I'm sure you're dying to know why I have these eyes.”

“Cut the jokes,” Madara snapped.

“Wow. Talk about attitude...”

“Look who's talking… liar” he replied angrily.

“Madara!” Hashirama exclaimed.

“What's wrong with you, Hashirama? She's still a liar after all these years. She always has been. I knew something wasn't right from the moment we met her.”

Hashirama clenched his fists, angry at the hurtful words being directed at his dear friend.

"Leave it, Hashirama. It's true. I'm a liar. A coward who never let you really know me."

Ikki sighed. Her heart was racing. The time to tell her truth had come. She thought they would never find out, but fate was very capricious.

“This is going to take a long time to explain, but I think you need to know. My origins and my destiny.”

Tobirama and Hashirama just listened, so much was happening in this war that they no longer knew what to expect. Origins, destiny... They found it a very odd choice of words. Madara was tired of cheap explanations, but something inside him longed to know more about her. Maybe after all, he could get her to join his side. Now she wielded incomparable power.

“Do you remember when we first met? When I told you that I had lost my clan? It was partly true. My real name is... Ikki Otsutsuki.” Hashirama and Madara opened their eyes in slight surprise. They had heard that name before. It is the name of a very ancient clan. To this day, it was not even known if they still existed, except for the many clans that succeeded them.

“I belong to the lineage of one of the sons of the Sage of Six paths. My parents, for some reason I still don’t know, went to live on their own. Later, they had me. We lived humbly in a little house in the forest… Until the war broke out.”

"I was still young and didn't understand much, but it seems that there were people who recognized the name Otsutsuki. I suppose the stories about our clan spread among the people, like a fairy tale, but one of terror. The shadow of the Rabbit Princess was long and inspired fear. I am certain that some groups were more superstitious than others. Perhaps my parents were reckless in keeping their clan name, thinking that its importance had faded with the years." Madara was uneasy. Those stories were only told on the Uchiha stone. It was impossible for people outside the clan to know anything about this. Unless something bigger was behind it all.

“One day I came back from the forest, it was dinner time, my parents finished setting the table, and we sat down to eat. My mother started feeling sick shortly after, and my father started coughing up blood. They realized something was wrong and threw all the food on the table on the floor.” Ikki paused to collect his thoughts. “They were poisoned.” Hashirama gasped in horror.

"It all happened very quickly. Some strange beings entered my house and confronted my parents. They told me to run away, and I did. I hid in the forest, waiting for them to leave. After a few hours I returned home when no one was there. There wasn't a single light on, and the silence was overwhelming. I entered through the broken door and followed the trail of blood." Ikki paused. “Anyway, I found my parents lying on the backyard grounds. They were lying side by side. I stood between them and began to cry like crazy until a hand colder than ice caressed my cheek. My mother was still alive, and so was my father. I don't know how they survived in their condition.

“Ikki. Come closer” they said between gurgles of blood.

“My parents brought their hands to their eyes. They energized their palms with chakra and placed them on my eyes, one each. That's when I took their powers. One eye of light and one of darkness.”

“So that's why you had such extraordinary combat skills... I'm so sorry, Ikki,” Hashirama said. Madara said nothing about it.

“I buried my parents, gathered what few clothes I had from my father and put them on. I burned my house, in case those people came back again. And since then, I've wandered through the woods hiding my identity...” Ikki looked down. He recalled one of his fondest memories after so much pain.

“A few months later, I met you at that river. Hashirama and Madara. And later Tobirama. My life changed. Thanks to you.” Ikki let a small smile slip.

A deafening silence filled the space. The three men had heard everything. The truth had come to light, almost completely. Tobirama could still feel Ikki's hand on his forehead. That was how he had learned about their conversation with his older brother and his greatest enemy. His face softened, saddened by Ikki's story.

Madara stepped forward and broke the silence. “But how is it possible that you are still alive? And how did you get those eyes?”

“I believe my longevity comes from my Otsutsuki lineage, and I think my parents combined their life expectancy and gave it to me along with their powers... Or at least that's what the Sage of Six paths theorized.”

The three men sharpened their gazes after hearing such bombshell.

“What?! The Sage of Six paths?” Madara interrupted.

“How is that possible?”

“I don't know myself, but it happened on my last journey. Before you, Tobirama, died.” The white-haired man recoiled and opened his eyes wide, diving into Ikki's gaze.

Hashirama and Madara realized at that moment that Ikki was also telling his story to Tobirama.

“All those trips you took were to investigate your clan?” asked Hashirama.

“Correct.”

"At first I found nothing, but as I traveled farther, I felt a strange force watching me. And I also found Otsutsuki ruins. They were very well hidden and in very remote places due to the passing of time. Ikki continued to explain about his numerous trips.

"Seven days before returning to Konoha, the Sage appeared before me in some ruins of the Clan. I fell into a deep sleep, and that's how he contacted me. He explained that a change in the world had been foretold. The prophecy said that a child would save the world from a terrible fate. I think you already know who that is. That blond kid…”

The founders of Konoha were overwhelmed.

“And besides telling me about the prophecy, he asked me to watch over this world by awakening the genes of the Otsutsuki Clan within me. He granted me the power of the Rinnegan.”

The deceit and lies were over and the veiled truth was revealed.

Night fell upon the land, the moon illuminating the battlefield. It was a beautiful and dangerous crimson moon. Many hours had passed since they began fighting Juubi. The ten-tailed beast continued to roar and launch attacks left and right.

Ikki breathed in the cold night air. Revealing so much information had left her exhausted, and she needed time to recover, as she would now have to face her dear friends. Hashirama and Madara fixed their gaze on Ikki.

However, Ikki was not done speaking yet. She extended her left arm, pointing at Madara.

“Madara, you are a fool. You have crossed the line. I don't know where you're going with all this, but it has to stop.” Ikki activated her Rinnegan on him in an attempt to intimidate him.

"And why should I do what you say? I don't understand you. The infinite Tsukuyomi is the solution. It's the best thing that will ever happen on Earth. A dream where we will all live happily. I will bring true peace to the world, Me as the Savior. There will be no more suffering, no more pain. Remember the death of your parents, Ikki. Everything will make sense in the end. Your torment will not be in vain. What could be better than dreaming of what you desire most?" He was thirsty for power. Madness had already taken hold of him. Ikki was very distressed by the change in her beloved Madara. She couldn't hold back the tears.

Ikki walked firmly towards the Uchiha man and stood a few feet away from him, the tears still flowing. Tobirama on the other side was starting to get angry. He couldn't bear to see his beloved Ikki shed tears for that lunatic.

Like lightning, Ikki punched him hard enough to stagger the great legendary shinobi, Madara Uchiha. Ikki reached behind his neck and pulled his hair, lifting his head. She could clearly see that his face was even more broken. The blow had affected him quite a bit. But the reanimation jutsu quickly regenerated him. For a moment, Ikki wished he were alive just to see him bleed from the nose. She wanted to wipe away that defiant smile that the Uchiha, especially Madara, liked to flash so much. In the past, they had ended up fighting more than once because of that damn smirk. Ikki approached Madara, standing just inches from his mouth, their breaths almost intertwining.

“I already told you many years ago, Madara. By the river. I don't want any more death. I seek peace. And you… You’re not going to give it to us. You've killed and manipulated many people in pursuit of this crazy dream of yours. You have no right to decide over people's lives. That's why... we'll defeat you, whatever it takes!”

Ikki let go of Madara's hair and pushed him away, then walked away from the Uchiha.

“Hashirama, let's go. Our allies need us.” Hashirama looked back at his motionless companion. Hashirama was deeply saddened. How did we get to this point?

——————————————————————————————————

Bonus: (Tobirama fluff)

Ikki lowered her hand from Tobirama's forehead, deactivating the eye transmission jutsu.

“That bastard...”

“Tobirama, don't say anything. Relax—”

“Why? He keeps hurting you. At least let me be angry”.

“When are you not angry with an Uchiha, Tobirama?” Ikki patted him on the shoulder trying to calm the white-haired man's anger.

“I know not all Uchiha are like that, but that lunatic drives me crazy... especially when I—”

“Hey…! Who are you?” Naruto asked, suddenly pointing at Ikki. Tobirama stopped mid-sentence. He saw the boy’s insistence and saved his words for another time.

Ikki turned around and began to think turning her head from side to side with one hand under her chin (as she often did). Tobirama loved that playful side of Ikki.

“Let's just say I'm... a very ‘close’ friend of the founding fathers of Konoha” she said, clapping her hands together as if she had just had a brilliant idea. Tobirama, on the other hand, was stunned by the choice of “close” and the emphasis with which she had said it. “That boy is going to get the wrong idea, Ikki” he thought to himself.  She wasn't wrong though, but he preferred not to talk about it with a kid.

“Ohhh. And you're the one who destroyed the Bijuu Dama right now? Man, you're mega strong. Awesome!”

Tobirama put his hands to his forehead. You could read “Thank goodness...” on his face.

Ikki stared at Naruto dead in the eye.

“Huh?! What do you mean ‘man’ ? I'm a woman!”

“Ehhhhh! Wha—Really? From your appearance I thought you were. Many years ago I met a boy who, I swear, I thought was a woman. You reminded me so much of him that I didn't want to make the same mistake again. I’m sorry... miss. ” Naruto said, scratching his cheek embarrassed.

“Well, you've failed miserably, kid...” Ikki sighed exaggeratedly.

Tobirama suddenly started laughing out loud. Ikki, mortified, yelled at Tobirama to stop laughing.

"No matter how many years go by, the same thing will always happen to you, Ikki. Accept it. You look like a boy. A very cute boy, I must admit" Tobirama said without moving away from her. Ikki blushed like a tomato and couldn't bear to look at Tobirama. The white-haired man was satisfied with Ikki's reaction. She should have known by now that neither he nor his brother nor his greatest enemy cared about her appearance. Even so, it seemed that Ikki enjoyed these misunderstandings (secretly). (attenttion seeker)

Naruto was watching their interaction with considerable interest. He actually found it cuter to see the Second Hokage being so flirty in public, when his aura exuded seriousness and rigidness. Not to mention that the new ally, who, despite being so powerful, also brought out her sillier side and made him feel closer to her.

Ikki's appearance for those who are curious. I also have another fic of this Oc with the founders <-