Foxhunt
Without Fear
Summary: Despite old hatred and new grudges, Madara and Hashirama are forced by circumstances to put aside their resentments and search for the place Kyuubi is held. Pre Konoha
Chapter 1 – Scramble for the Bijuus
Uchiha Madara was sitting in the Uchiha Council room, where the elders and important persons of the clan held their meetings and arguments. The room was spacious, but stark and serious. The gray walls had the Uchiha insignia painted proudly and immaculately on it, spaced a few feet from each other. In the middle of the room, stood a lone, mahogany table under strong fluorescent lights that could have seated ten with comfort. Presently, Madara sat alone at the table, dressed in the black underclothes of shinobi, deep in his thoughts. His young, handsome face was focused, and his lips were thinned into a taut line. In front of him, there were two black ceramic jars and each of them was decorated with a red Uchiha fan, and a name beneath it. The one on the right read Uchiha Irie, and the one on the left read Uchiha Sousuke. Madara reached out his hands and picked up the lid of the jar that had the name Irie, and looked into the unrecognizable gray ashes with an expression of disappointment.
Deep disappointment, but not sadness.
"Madara," a voice cut into his thoughts. He did not turn to greet his visitor. This person took a seat next to Madara and looked the two jars, then up at Madara with a flicker of expression akin to sympathy. This man looked very much like Madara, with the same black hair and eyes, but his eyes were less hardened.
"Brother," said the man, "I have delivered the message and the bodies to Senju Hashirama himself."
Madara placed the lid back onto the jar and glanced at his brother. "Go on, Izuna," he commanded.
"He seemed shocked at the news," the man went on, "He wasn't informed about the assassinations. It seems his father made sure Hashirama nor Tobirama did not know what he was doing."
"Predictable," Madara said coolly, "If he had known, they would not be in these jars."
"That really puts a dent in all of our plans, doesn't it?" Izuna mused, "Especially Hashirama's desire to form an alliance. With this, both our clans will be very much against an alliance. The good image the Senjus have been building up for themselves will come crashing down when news of the assassinations comes out."
"Hm," was the only reply from the older brother. He caressed the left jar momentarily before pushing both the jars away.
"Also, Madara," the younger one continued, "Hashirama requests a one-on-one meeting two days from now at the Senju guest building."
"A one-on-one…" echoed Madara, "I already know what he will say."
"Should I send a message saying you declined then?"
"No," Madara responded quickly, looking at his brother with a roguish smile, "Don't. We do need to have a one-on-one, Hashirama and I. Send message that I will come."
"Of course." With that the younger brother left stood up to leave, but stopped before he exited the room. He turned around and asked, "Do you want to me to take those two jars and put them to rest?"
"Don't," Madara answered, not turning to look at his brother, "I have real doubts they are at rest. No, but store them safely in this house. I will give half their ashes to Hashirama, so prepare a second set."
"Alright." The brother came back to the table, grabbed the two jars and finally exited the room.
After the sound of Izuna's footsteps had faded away, Madara let out a tired sigh and slowly stood up. The last week had been an incredibly taxing week even by his standards. The morale of the clan was low and anger and hatred was high. It was predictable, but it took him a lot of energy to stop some of his kinsmen from launching an outright attack on the Senju Elder and getting themselves slaughtered. They were not angry because Irie and Sousuke were killed. No, they were angry because the assassinations wounded the clan's pride and embarrassed the Uchiha name. In the end, it is the pride that matters the most.
The Senju guest building was an indiscreet wooden cabin built a couple of feet off forest floor, and skillfully disguised by the great trees around the Senju compound. It was where the Senjus invited guests of other clans, usually in peace talks or alliance making, to have discussions. This was so their Senju Compound is not infiltrated by clans with questionable relationships to them. The Uchiha themselves had a guest building near their own compound, as did many other established clans such as the Hyuugas.
Just a little over a year ago, the Senjus had invited Madara into the compound itself, symbolic of their (mostly Hashirama's) hope of forming an alliance. It was the most progress the two clans have had in settling differences since their first divergence from ancient times. Now, with the meeting place moved back into the guest building by Hashirama himself reflected the current crumbling state of the clans' relationship.
Hashirama was already there when Madara arrived, sitting in the meeting room at the table. He stood up at Madara's arrival, wearing a distraught frown on his young face. He was as tall as Madara, with intelligent eyes and a rather handsome face framed by flowing black hair. He was also dressed in his full combat gear, complete with the adjusted maroon, plated breastplates and shoulder guards over the usual black shinobi layer.
The two of them have had many encounters in their lifespan of 22 years, ranging from incredibly hostile as enemies on the battlefield to respectful, but brief partnerships when the occasion called for it. Uchiha Madara detested him, yet had deep admiration for him, and it was not just for the great and legendary power the man possessed. No, Hashirama had charisma that even he could not deny. Everything about Hashirama was a challenge to him, not just in terms of strength and power, but in terms of personality and ideals. Hashirama's compassionate and charm contrasted with Madara's ruthless and harsh personality. They were friends, yet enemies, partners yet rivals. And sometimes, what he wouldn't give to wipe that calm, wise expression off of Hashirama's face, break his pride and make him vulnerable. However, Madara's admiration was stronger than the hate, but it did not make him any less hostile towards the Senju when he needed to be.
"Madara," greeted Hashirama with a slow nod, "I am glad you came."
"Of course," Madara replied smoothly, taking a seat opposite of Hashirama at the table.
Hashirama took his seat again. He sighed, closed his eyes, looking upset, as if he was trying to decide how he should start the conversation. He opened his eyes and said in low, pained voice, "I offer you my greatest condolences with Irie's and the boy's death. I did not know what my father had ordered."
"I know that," Madara stated coolly, "I don't blame you specifically. In fact, I think you are even more hurt than I am over their deaths."
Hashirama didn't reply. He looked upon Madara with an expression that the Uchiha could not figure out if it was of anguish or anger. Knowing him, Madara guessed it was both.
"I brought them," Madara said, reaching into a bag that hung at his hips and produced two small jars with only names on them, "Half of them anyways. I thought you'd like them. To remind you on how you far you are from your goals." Madara set them on the table and pushed them towards the center and Hashirama. The sliding noise the two small jars made was taunting and loud in the quiet room, and Hashirama almost seemed offended by it, or rather, offended by Madara's last words.
Madara was very bitter about the recent events, and it took him an incredible amount of self control not to retaliate with his men immediately. Instead, he was ready to grill Hashirama about the heinous act of murder by his own father. He wanted to rub it into the face of the noble, compassionate Hashirama, who sought to practice the ninja arts with more honor than his predecessors, that his clan has now claimed responsibility of the premeditated murder of an unborn child. It was an act that the Uchihas, even in their long list of terrible deeds done in history, did not commit. It was unfortunate for the Hashirama, for he was doing an amazing job holding the upright shinobi image, so much so that the Senju clan gained a reputation of being fair and upright in recent years. Many small shinobi clans joined with the Senjus, trusting in the clan's principled and courageous practices and mostly attracted to Hashirama's magnetic personality. However, that image was now cracked, and the Senjus were facing a dilemma.
He knew those last words he spoke hit a tender spot in the Senju. He leaned back in his chair, ready to rub salt into it.
"She was strangled," Madara began, making his voice as venomous as possible, "They bounded her, put a bag over her face, and strangled her. They put her in a bag and beat her like an animal."
Hashirama did not respond. He stared blankly at the two jars, almost too stricken to respond.
"Let me ask you Hashirama," Madara continued, leaning forward towards Hashirama with condemning dark eyes, "How could the morally superior Senjus be okay with a leader who would have his own pregnant daughter strangled?"
"We're not okay!" Hashirama exclaimed, his voice firm and even a little on the edge, "What father did was unforgivable, even after what she had done."
"Ah, right, she betrayed the Senjus. No, all she did was try to protect her son that your father ordered to abort, even though there were better ways to have handled this," Madara returned coolly, "So she would not be distracted in her newly given mission to assassinate me. But I suppose she would have no sympathy from the Senju's 'Will of Fire' dogma." Madara narrowed his eyes at the thought of the ridiculous 'will of fire' shit the Senjus recently adopted and spouted at the urge of Hashirama. It was one of many ideological rifts between Hashirama and Madara, one that could not be easily reconciled.
"I know this," sighed Hashirama, "I knew what father had ordered. She told me that day, before returning to the Uchiha Compound. She predicted it would be last I saw of her, and it was." The last words were full of regret and grief that even Madara felt a tug at his emotions. However, he had one more for Hashirama, one more to pick at his guilt.
"You knew," Madara said his voice quiet but with an accusing edge, "Yet you did nothing. You turned your back on her, your sister and your unborn nephew. I can only fathom as to why the usually proactive Hashirama hesitated."
A harsh silence followed. Hashirama bowed his head in defeat. The truth of Madara's words stung him, for he himself knew the reason why he hesitated, and the crushing guilt showed plainly on his face. Meanwhile, Madara was rejoicing inwardly—he waited for the day he could bait Hashirama in his morality, the day he could break his veneer of perfection and throw attention to the glaring faults of this man who the ninja world so admired and idolized. Madara was satisfied with what he drawn out of Hashirama. He knew he had gain an emotional weapon against him, and decided to save the rest of the artillery for other times. He let out a sigh, as to indicate he was done with this discussion and ready to move on.
"Where do we go from here?" the Uchiha asked, "That is what you wanted to talk to me about, I presume."
"Yes," Hashirama replied, still looking distressed. Before he could continue, he interrupted by a loud yell from outside. The two shinobis looked towards the closed door and stood up, readying themselves for an assault. They briefly glanced at each other then at the door.
The door opened suddenly and a panicked Senju shinobi came tumbling in and fell to the ground onto his face. A dark haired woman walked through entered the room with a rope in her hands.
The fallen shinobi looked up at Hashirama, face red with fear and embarrassment and sputtered apologetically, "I tried, Hashirama-sama! She was too much for us! We tried to stop her!"
Both Hashirama and Madara visibly relaxed, and the latter even seemed to be quite amused with the events. The woman looked to the man on the floor and barked, "You were the first one to run, you liar!" She turned to Hashirama and Madara and said, "I thought the guards of the Uchiha and Senju clans would be more competent than this."
"You can't blame them when the opponent is you. You don't have the nicest reputation," Madara replied with a slight smirk, "What's the rope for?"
"This?" she asked, lifting up the rope, face glistening with mischief, "This is for Mr. Runaway. I'm going to hogtie him and send him back to his family."
The Senju whimpered and looked up at Hashirama for help. The said man merely sighed and gave her a stern look. She paid little attention to him. Instead, she came over to the fallen man, grabbed a fistful of his hair and pulled him up into the sitting position, "Then his proud mother and father would know how so very brave their son is, right?" Before the man could answer, she pulled him to his feet and pushed him towards the door with curt, "Out!" She threw the rope after him and slammed the door shut.
"Midori," greeted Madara, "I thought the Uzumakis were in Water Country now. You're a long way from the tribe."
"No, they are in Wind Country now, dealing with the clans of the Sand, at least my poor brother is," she replied, the almost childish mischief she possessed before had vanished, replaced by a grim seriousness as she looked upon the Uchiha and Senju.
"What are you doing here then?" asked Hashirama, "Why are you separated from your tribe?"
"I heard," she replied curtly. She didn't need to say anymore; both men knew what it was she had heard.
"News flies fast," Hashirama sighed, taking a seat again at the table. It certainly did, for the assassinations occurred just five days ago,
"To me at least," said Midori, also taking a seat. Madara sat down at his old spot. "I just arrived an hour a go at the Senju compound. They said you were meeting with Madara in the guest building. So I came."
"I'm not even going to ask how you ferreted out the information that I was meeting with Madara," Hashirama said exasperatedly. He frowned at her, "What is it so urgent you needed to interrupt us like this?"
"You make me sound unwanted," she said, casting icy green eyes on Hashirama, "I want to talk about Irie and her son. I offer both of you my condolences, but I knew something like this was going to happen to Irie. Young girls whose sole purpose in life is to be a pawn of a political marriage never ends up happy." Hashirama wore that guilty look again. Midori noticed Hashirama's expression and gazed at the Senju for awhile before averting her eyes, which finally fell on the two black jars with the names on them. With a wry smile, she said, "I see, they're here."
"Is this the only reason you're here?" asked Madara, looking at the woman with slight suspicion, "It is not like you to ride here for hundreds of miles to theorize about Irie's life."
"Actually, she is why I'm here," Midori replied. She reached over to the jars and pulled them closer. "But not to theorize or cry over her. Not yet at least." She turned the jars so that the names faced her. Midori opened both jars, looked the ashes thoughtfully, smiling softly, and closed them. She pushed them back to the middle of the table.
"In fact," she said, looking at Hashirama then at Madara, "I came to offer you very important pieces of news from abroad." Hashirama looked at her interestingly and Madara quirked an eyebrow at her.
"Go on," said Hashirama.
"As you know, a little over a year ago when you, Madara," she gave Madara curt nod, "were let into the Senju compound and was given Irie," she paused momentarily at this and threw Hashirama a disapproving look, "Your common enemies shook with fear at the thought of the two great shinobi clans joining together. They thought that if they didn't create alliances and make themselves stronger, they will get crushed by a Senju-Uchiha alliance."
"Yes, we know of that," said Madara, nodding.
"They are formidable right now," Midori continued, "I have seen the forces with my own eyes. If things go right, I believe they can actually take on the two clans, and weaken them greatly if not destroy them. That is, individually."
"You are saying if our clans don't join together, we will each be crushed?" Hashirama frowned slightly, and looked at Madara, who was now considering Midori's words carefully.
"Spot on," Midori answered with a quick nod, "Now that this happened," she indicated to the jars, "I suppose the two clans have gone back to being enemies. This will be very troubling for you both. That is why you must finish what you started." She looked between the two, assessing their reaction and waiting for their answers.
"Even with your other alliances," she continued when neither said anything, "It would be difficult taking on these super alliances. They're more village-like—a lot of the alliances are even living in one place. It's funny what a common fear can do. And you two haven't even recruited all the clans in this area. For example, the Hyuugas."
"They are proud family," Hashirama said defensively, as if she was personally criticizing his recent failure to procure the Hyuugas loyalty to the Senju alliance, "They are not easily persuadable."
"No, they're not," Midori replied thoughtfully, "But I know for a fact that now they are more lenient to join with the Uchihas. Sympathy is high for the loss of Irie."
"Looks like Irie was useful even in her death," Madara murmured amusedly, receiving harsh looks from both Hashirama and Midori. He did not seem to notice, or perhaps care.
"Anyways, perhaps I'm being presumptive about the Senjus though," she said, now looking at Hashirama, "With the bijuu you had captured and sealed, the Senjus hold a great power that even a super alliance will have trouble with. Naturally, they are peeved that you have such power. There have been special teams to track the other eight bijuus, unseal them from their original resting places, tame them, and channel their powers."
Out of all the things Midori had told him, this last fact alarmed Hashirama the most. He was startled at this news, and even fearful. "Foolish!" he cried angrily, "If they release these bijuus without the power or knowledge to tame and contain them, they will only get themselves killed!" Madara on the other hand, was more intrigued than angry and a strange excitement was sparkling in his dark eyes.
"Not for most of the bijuus," Midori said thoughtfully, "Their sealing techniques they've developed are quite impressive, you know. They may not have to power to contain or control the bijuus, they have other was around it."
"But no matter how impressive their techniques are, they will never be a match for kyuubi," Madara said, resting his chin on his hands and smirking.
"Funny you should say that, it seems that they are most covetous of the kyuubi," Midori said, her eyes narrowed slyly as she looked Hashirama and then at Madara, "You two know where the kyuubi might be sealed?"
"Perhaps. The stories are passed on in our clans," Madara answered, casting his eyes upward in thought, "I'm not sure how truthful they are."
"That doesn't matter," grumbled Hashirama, "The kyuubi should never be unsealed. It is different from the other bijuus. It is a malevolent spirit of spiteful chakra."
"Yeah, that's the story," Madara added with a knowing nod, "It is said that while the other bijuus could be controlled by either the Senju power or the particular Sharingan eye, the Kyuubi must be controlled by both to be fully and securely 'tamed', or else there is always a danger of it running free. And it is the one bijuu we do not want running free."
"It is funny how two clans who hate each other can control something as powerful as the kyuubi together, isn't it," she mused, a wily smile on her face now, "Maybe there is a reason the clans can ever get along. Or, it could be an incentive to get along."
Neither man responded. Hashirama had a deep frown on his face, the news Midori brought them troubling him even more than the recent events. Madara was thoughtful too—he had never cared much at first for the bijuu the Senjus had in their possession—it was the only the nibi, whose power were little threat to the Uchihas. However, the having more than one bijuu would make any clan extremely powerful. The kyuubi itself would be enough to terrorize an entire country.
"Think about it," said Midori, finality in her tone, "You can't be so embroiled in your little drama forever and ignore what's going on in the world. I'm going to be in the area for a while; when you make your decision, tell me and I will tell you the rest. You know how to find me." She stood up and proceeded to leave when Madara grabbed her arm and pulled her back.
"That was the real reason you are here," said Madara, looking up at her with piercing eyes, "Not for Irie, but to convince us to go after the bijuus."
She returned a smirk, "Just a heads up to the both you about the current scramble for the bijuus. Methinks it might be good for the two of you to jump on the bandwagon. But that doesn't mean I don't care about the girl."
"Tell me Midori," the Uchiha continued with the same expression and strength on her arms, "Since you are telling us this against the interest of the other alliances, does this mean the Uzumakis have decided on their loyalties?"
An almost wicked mischief came over Midori's face, and she answered with a devious grin, "Never." She jerked her arms out of Madara hands and caressed it slightly, for it had reddened from the Uchiha's iron grip.
"Is this the choice of the clan," questioned Hashirama, looking up at her, "Or your choice?"
"Well, that is a good question, but not one I'm obliged to answer," was her reply, "Besides, I don't mind being both an enemy to all, and a friend to all."
"It is not the safest position," commented Hashirama concernedly.
"Yet the Uzumakis have survived for almost 100 years this way. We must be doing something right, although this probably flies in the face of your 'Will of Fire' ideology you've been spreading, Hashirama." She gave them both a good natured grin, "Well boys, men. Sleep on it." With that, she left the room, leaving the two men with more troubles than before.
"She was never the bearer of good news," Madara said with an amused chuckle.
"No, she wasn't," Hashirama agreed. He looked at the Uchiha, "What she says is true."
"Going after the bijuus?" asked Madara, "I think that's exciting."
"No, not just any bijuu—"
"The kyuubi," Madara finished for him, "The most powerful of them all."
"Madara, if any of us are going after it…" he trailed off, and now looked down at the two jars on the table, "I would need your help."
Note from the Author:
Thank you for reading it all! I would love to hear some feedback, constructive criticism or just plain opinions! Of course, pick on the grammar and inconsistencies as much as you want—sometime I miss stuff even after my 5th time reading it through. So, please review! :3
Writing fluffy cute stories (trying to at least) is really taxing on me. I need to write something a bit more serious.
Attempting another Hashirama, Madara and pre-Konoha story. The last story, In Blood We Paint Ourselves, lost my interest because the canon was totally different from what I had written and threw my plans into disarray. For a long time, I wondered how to tweak the story, but if I did that, then the later parts of the story won't make a lot of sense. If anyone actually read that fic, I brought in Midori again who was part of the two men's team. I never revealed her clan in Blood, but here I put it out in the open that she is an Uzumaki, and gave the clan a different dynamic from the rest of the shinobi clans. She is more extroverted in here than in Blood. The main reason I could not continue Blood was because, in my mind, there was a subtle shift in the dynamic between Hashirama and Madara, and since the storyline and characters all depended on the subltely of their relationship, I was put in a bind, so I decided to scratch it.
Right now, Madara and Hashirama are in a dilemma. The tragic even that took place before the story began is splitting the clan even more, but the threat from outside is looming over them. I love imagining their interaction, the young Hashirama and Madara when they were just forming their ideas. As I read this chapter myself, I feel as though there is jealousy in Madara towards Hashirama. Not in terms of power, at least not yet, but for the personality and popularity of Hashirama. Of course, Tobirama will be pulled into the story, so will Izuna, as they go on their 'bijuu hunt' or 'foxhunt'. Release the hounds!