By the time Ami was six she was stronger than half of the other Senju or Uchiha I had ever fought against and she was more intelligent than any other child her age.. Which was both surprising and reliving because Kouta was known for making stupid decisions. Her sixth birthday was anxiety inducing for me because the day I turned six I was put in armor and shoved off towards a group of Hagoromo shinobi and told to take them down. Butsuma had fallen about a year ago so Hashirama had been put in charge but I knew rules were still rules and she was a necessity...I carefully tucked Ami in for bed and kissed her forehead before slipping out of her room and letting out a little sigh.

"I'm really sorry about this Naria.." Hashirama said almost as soon as the door had shut

"I know" I muttered back and he frowned sadly at me

"She will be fine, she can handle herself against Tobirama and myself.. She can handle a few Uchiha" He said and I smiled proudly

"I know.. But I hope you know that I will be by her side no matter what" I said and he nodded

"If my battles didn't end up... so destructive..I would say the same. I will protect her to the best of my ability" He said and I smiled and wrapped my arms around his neck.

"Thank you Hashi" I said and I heard him chuckle into my hair.

"Don't thank me until this war is over and she can grow up without fear of war" He said and I squeezed him a bit tighter. I had basically just moved in with them about two years ago because we spent most of our time with them anyways. For the past six years I had spent my time training Ami to be as strong as she could so when the day came that she needed to fight, she would be more than ready.. She knew medical ninjutsu already, she was incredible at controlling chakra, and she had inherited my ability to manipulate nature... the only thing I had to be worried about was if she just froze from fear in battle.

"How do you feel about joining us again" Hashirama asked as he leaned against the wall

"I'm kind of excited, I don't like waiting around to heal people when they come home" I said a little bitterly and he chuckled

"Yes, well we could definitely use your help" he said and he followed me as I walked back out to the main room where Tobirama was drinking tea

"Tajima Uchiha recently fell to a scouting team we sent out.. Which means by tomorrow Madara will be the leader of the Uchiha clan.." Hashirama said and I felt my stomach jump slightly

"Wait doesn't that mean you can just talk and form a treaty?" I asked, thinking of the black haired boy that spoke of peace so long ago

"Well no.. since that day at the river he has become more like his father.. It will take some convincing" He said and I nodded sadly

"We need to do what we have been doing.. At least for the time being.. I will deal with Madara as soon as the opportunity presents itself" Hashirama said tiredly and I frowned

"Are you alright Hashi?" I asked and Tobirama snorted

"He is exhausted, he hasn't had a good night's sleep in weeks" he said and my frown deepened

"Go to sleep.. You are no good to us if you are too tired to fight" I said and he looked disgruntled but he got to his feet and wandered off, saying a brief goodnight to us.

"How is Ami dealing with joining us?" Tobirama asked

"She is nervous.. But so were all of us so it can't be helped" I said, resting my chin on my palm

"Are you nervous to come back?" He asked teasingly and I rolled my eyes

"No way, I am actually kind of excited to fight again.. Healing is important and all but it's not a lot of fun" I said, absently drawing shapes on the table with the tip of my finger

"Yeah well fighting fits your personality" He said and I puffed out my cheeks

"Meanie" I muttered and he broke into a fit of laughter

"With Ami around your insults have grown weaker Naria" He said and I sighed

"Yeah I know.. I am trying not to swear as much" I muttered and he laughed and stood up from his chair to stretch slightly

"Yes well if you are anything like you used to be on the battlefield that will soon be changed" he said and a smile crept on my face as I looked up into his red eyes

"Well at least I'm not an evil snowflake" I said with a little giggle as he rolled his eyes and offered me a hand up. I took it and leaned my head on his shoulder

"I know I say it a lot but I really appreciate you helping me raise Ami.. you and Hashirama really make her happy" I said and I felt him wrap an arm around my shoulders

"I should thank you, coming back from war and being with her kept my sanity over the last few years" He said and I smiled

"Me too" I said as he unwrapped his arm

"Goodnight Tobi" I said as I opened up the door to my room which was right across from Tobirama's

"Night" He muttered and gave me a small smile before dipping into his room. I walked into mine and fell on my bed, hoping tomorrow would go well. When I woke up I wandered blearily to wake Ami up but she was already sitting up in bed and talking to Hashirama who was mostly dressed for the day.

"Morning" I muttered and Ami grinned at me

"Morning mom" She said happily as she clambered out of bed and wrapped her arms around me.

"Ami, I got you this" Hashirama said as he placed a set of armor on her bed. I had originally thought it was his own but now that I was more awake it was obvious it was too small for him

"But I thought red armor was only worn by the clan leader" She asked looking at the clean red plates

"Normally yes, but this way I can keep an eye on you easier while in battle" He said and I smiled up at him

"Thanks uncle Hashi" Ami mumbled into his stomach as she gave him a tight hug. He patted her head and looked to me

"I put a set of armor in your room as well, it's grey for the same purpose" He said and I smiled

"Thanks Hashirama" I said giving him a kiss on the cheek

"We leave in an hour so you should get ready" he said as he backed out of the room

"Okay, get on your sweats and black turtleneck" I said as I looked over the armor

"So I was thinking.. You know how you normally put my hair in a braid?" She asked as she walked to her dresser and started to change. I took a seat on her bed and ran my hand through my own hair to pull out the knots

"Yeah?" I said questioningly

"Well do you think you could put my hair in two pony tails.. I saw a woman at the market that had her hair like that and it was really cute" She said and her voice caught in excitement as she spoke

"You aren't fighting to be cute" I commented and I heard her let out a little huff

"I know but.. Please" She said finally and I laughed as she walked in front of me and gave me puppy dog eyes

"Yes of course sweetie" I said and she got a wide grin that forced her eyes shut.

"Okay so pay attention to how I put on your armor" I said as I pulled out the breastplate first.

"Wait wait" She muttered as she reached to the side of me and picked up her glasses and put them on

"Okay now you can show me" She said and I laughed quietly before showing her step by step how to attach her armor and what order to do it so it fit together properly. When I was done she smiled and looked down at herself

"Why are the collars on these so high? It seems a little weird and constricting" She said as she tugged at the armor

"So nobody can cut off your head" I said simply as I raised my hand to tap the metal that protected her neck

"Oh" She murmured and I let out a little chuckle

"Do you have your hair ties?" I asked as I sat criss cross on her bed. She nodded really quick and handed them to me before sitting in front of me. I ran my fingers through her dark brown hair that was probably only a shade off my own. I split it down the middle and started to pull up one said but she swatted my hand quickly

"I want to keep my bangs down" she said and I frowned

"It will impede your visibility though" I said but she shook her head slightly

"I have been training with my bangs covering my eye and I do well in sparring matches, I don't really want to change my visibility before I go to fight" She said firmly and I nodded even though she couldn't see me

"Okay" I said as I let her bangs drop in front of her face and tied up the rest of it in a pony tail. After I had done the same on the other side she hopped off the bed and looked in the small mirror in her room

"See it's so cute" She said bouncing up and down on her toes

"Sweetie you are always cute.. And you probably always will be" I said with a little laugh

"Go get breakfast I need to change" I said and she nodded, grabbing the cloth headband that had the Senju crest on it before running down the hall, no doubt to go show Tobirama her new hairstyle. I dipped into my room and quickly changed my clothes and started putting on the nice grey armor Hashirama had left for me. When I was done I tied half of my short hair in a bun and tied my headband around my head before walking down the hall. When I walked into the main room I broke into a loud fit of giggles seeing Hashirama sitting at the table and Ami holding two bunches of his hair in small hands. Hashirama got a little blush but grinned up at me

"It looks good Hashirama, I think you should wear your hair like that to go fight Madara" I said and I heard Tobirama chuckle as he set bowls of soup on the table

"Yes I think it would prove a good distraction to Madara" He commented and I giggled again as Ami let his hair fall back so she could eat her food. We all ate quickly as we listened to the sounds of people awakening and collecting outside by the main gate.

"Okay we have to go it's nearly sunrise" Hashirama said, glancing out the window

"Yes sir" Ami said in a voice slightly deeper than her natural one as she hopped down from her chair and made her way to slip on her sandals. I giggled slightly as I walked over and did the same

"You remember you stay by me at all times unless it's an emergency or I die okay?" I said and she frowned slightly

"Yes I know, but don't die" She said as she opened the door and took a few steps outside

"Don't worry about it she will be fine, we all were and I think she is stronger than any of us when we were that young" Hashirama said and I nodded

"I know.. Just different when it's your daughter" I muttered as I walked out after her. We collected with the rest of the Senju and we all followed Hashirama and Tobirama to the place where the battle would take place. When we got there I was slightly surprised when there was no ambush or anything weird.. It was just one group fighting another in a massive clearing. I went forward and stayed constantly aware of Ami as I fought. It felt good to be fighting again, if I was completely honest with myself, I enjoyed the clashing of blades.. However I didn't miss the strong smell of blood and the sounds of screaming. I was surprised to see that Hashirama and Madara immediately fought with high level ninjutsu, when last I had been around they stuck to kenjutsu. The thing that shocked me most however, was seeing my daughter murder someone for the first time. She didn't seem to find any great joy in it but she seemed to just be neutral as she pulled away her blade and fell into battle with another enemy. Ami held her ground well and in a total of eleven hours of fighting, I only needed to step into her battles four times. When the sun started to go down again we retreated back to our camp and I kept a close eye on Hashirama.. Both his spirit and his strength seemed to be waning.

About a week later I stood back to back with Ami, near where Izuna and Tobirama were battling

"Hashirama!" She called and I was so shocked to hear her call him by his full name that it took me a moment to realize I no longer felt Ami against the back of my legs. I quickly turned around and a shock of fear went through my body when I saw Hashirama flat on his back with his eyes half shut. The thing that made me choke on my breath was that Ami was standing three feet in front of Madara Uchiha with her arms outstretched to block Hashirama from his attack. His blade swung down and I quickly ran over towards them but I knew I couldn't make it in time and I just hoped for a miracle. I watched the glint of his blade and was slightly shocked when it stopped moving momentarily.. Just long enough for me to get there and pull Ami back against my chest, just getting her out of reach from Madara's blade.

"Pick on someone your own size" I breathed out as I shoved Ami behind me

"I was" He said, glancing past me at Hashirama who was still half conscious

"Ami heal Hashirama and watch your back" I muttered as I took a step towards Madara. This was the first time I had seen him up close since we were children and I got that same weird feeling in my stomach that I did when I first saw him. His hair was longer and his eyes held more pain then they had last I saw him. His voice was both stronger and deeper and it seemed to make my bones vibrate in... fear.. Excitement?... I got a odd feeling standing up against him and I knew for a fact that there was no way I could win this battle one on one.. He was at Hashirama's level and while I could hold off Hashirama for a long time, I could never beat him in a full out spar.

"Seems I have to fill in for Hashirama" I said as I pulled my blade from its sheath

"I have always been interested in how strong Senju women really are" Madara said as he lunged forward. I easily blocked his attacks but I was sure he wasn't going at his full strength. Our blades crashed together and while I knew it was great that he wasn't necessarily trying to kill me, my pride got the better of me and I let out an angry huff

"Don't underestimate me!" I roared as I added wind chakra to my blade and sliced straight through his robes, leaving a gash through the flesh of his torso. He was silent for a moment as he looked down at his chest and my breath caught when he looked up with his Sharingan blazing

"Fine by me" He said in a low growl as he came at me again.. But much faster and smoother than before. I was forced back several steps just to keep up with his precise swings and he moved so fast that I found myself suddenly without a blade and I heard it clatter to the rocks several feet away. In an instant I was flat on my back with the air knocked out of me and my wrists pinned while his knee dug firmly into my gut.

"It seems you were all talk..hmm what would get you riled up? What makes you angry..?" he said in a borderline teasing voice as if this was a game. I growled low in my throat and the response I got was his knee dug deeper into my gut

"I-I d-dispise a lot of t-things" I muttered and in that moment I wished the earth would open up and swallow me whole. His eyes widened in recognition and his mouth fell open slightly in surprise

"Arrogant assholes like you are what I hate the most" I growled, regaining control of my voice and cutting anything he was going to say off as I added chakra to my mouth and spat pollen out. He immediately backed up off me and staggered away, disoriented. I quickly got to my feet and kicked him in the chest, knocking him back on his ass as he tried to rid himself of my poisonous pollen. Unfortunately he recovered just as fast as Hashirama did with this jutsu and he was back on his feet before I could do anything else to him

"You are the girl from the river, the one that used to bring us lunches" He said and I shrugged slightly

"Nice to see you again... kinda.." I muttered as I made a few handsigns and water surrounded me, taking form as a dragon and shooting towards him. He quickly made handsigns of his own and shot fire at me, surrounding us in a thick white fog. I lowered myself to the ground and placed my palm on the rocks

"You made a mistake, a Sharingan user thrives in low visibility" I heard his voice around me but I smirked slightly when I felt his footfalls against the stones. I focused on the grass below the rocks and I heard him grunt as the grass wrapped tightly around his feet and up his legs to keep in his place.

"I see, you wanted me to believe I had the upper hand.. You are just like Tobirama" he muttered and I smiled as I walked towards where he was

"Well I learned it from him" I said as he blazing red Sharingan came into view through the mist

"Why are you holding back your full strength?" I asked curiously as the fog started to disperse

"I have no reason to kill you" He said simply and I frowned slightly

"We are enemies in war" I said

"From what I have been able to tell, the young girl that is currently healing Hashirama relies on you. I have seen too many children die already and I have seen many others left without their family" He said and a small smile twitched at my lips

"Thank you" I said quietly and his Sharingan turned back to black as sent out a burst of chakra to burn the grass that was still climbing up his body. Everything seemed to move in slow motion for a moment, there was a sickening sound followed by liquid pouring on to the ground. A look of horror spread on Madara's face as he looked over my shoulder and in an instant he was gone from in front of me. I quickly turned around just in time to see him catch his younger brother before he fell to the ground. The sound of liquid pouring on the ground was the steady flow of blood dripping from Izuna's side from where Tobirama had sliced through him.

"Hang in there I won't let you die" I heard Madara say and I saw Hashirama sit up quickly and look over at the two brothers. He got to his feet and moved in front of Madara to block his way. I took a few steps closer, waiting to see him offer to heal Izuna but instead he raised his blade. I was about to say something but Tobirama moved next to me and raised his slightly sweaty palm to my mouth to keep me from talking.

"Hashirama.." Madara said slightly sadly

"Madara you can not win against us" He said and I wanted to say that I wouldn't fight if his brother would die. I felt Tobirama shudder slightly in surprise as Hashirama threw his blade down

"Why don't we end this? If the two strongest clans, the Uchiha and the Senju join together, nations couldn't find clans strong enough to stand against us, the conflict will eventually die down... here" Hashirama said and I let out a little sigh against Tobirama's palm as Hashirama offered up his hand to Madara

"No big brother" Izuna choked out just as Madara was about to raise his hand

"Izuna.." Madara muttered, looking down at his little brother

"Don't let them deceive you.. They killed everyone" Izuna choked out and I quickly moved away from Tobirama to stand next to Hashirama

"I don't give a fuck if you join us right now, let me heal your brother" I said quickly and I saw Madara's eyes widened slightly but he stayed silent. I let out an irritated sigh and ran my hand through my hair that had long since fallen from its bun