A/N: I know I promised a Harry Potter update for this but I just HAD to take this idea out or I was afraid I would lose it. Nothing much to say. Enjoy
Those Mistakes we make.
By Ran Mouri
Chapter 1: Uchiha Madara
The first time Uchiha Madara saw what would become his most cherished destiny, he was four years old. His father, and the Uchiha leader at the time, was discussing an alliance with a very well known clan of the Wave Country in order to defeat their mutual enemies, the Senju Clan.
Seeing the boy staring curiously at him, their guest gave Madara a wide, tender smile and offered him some treats. Madara had been very happy, and decided to stay and help protect their guests during their stay in their camp. Uchiha Masaharu laughed at his first-born son and continued to discuss the terms of the alliance, a little upset that his red-headed guest stood firm on his terms.
"Masaharu-san," the man said, his gentle smile still in place. "While I don't doubt of your honor and your family's I do need to make sure the Uchiha Clan will provide the same protection to my clan as the one we will give."
"Etsuji-san," the Uchiha Leader nodded. "I understand your concern, but a blood bind is a little too much, how can I assure my people that your family won't turn on them if they accept? A little unfair, don't you think?"
The man nodded seriously.
A red haired woman by his side placed a pale hand onto Etsuji's arm.
"Perhaps not a loyalty bond, then," she said softly, her blue eyes full of merriment. "Let's bind our blood-line limits. Should any of us cause harm to an Uchiha, we will lose our abilities, and the same shall happen to you if you harm us, you will lose your precious Sharingan,"
Etsuji smiled at his wife, kissing her cheek softly.
"I think it is a good idea, Masaharu-san, we both know our blood-line limits are the ones that keep us at the top, to lose them would be… unpleasant, to say the least."
Madara nodded, shuddering at the thought of Uchihas without their hard earned sharingan.
Masaharu seemed to think for a moment, his eyes hard.
"I would think you have a deal, Etsuji-san, Makio-san," he smiled finally, his eyes light.
By the time the scroll had been drawn and the terms agreed to, Madara was nodding off, tired of all the boring chatter he could not understand. Makio-san had somehow felt pity on him then and had taken him into her arms, letting him nap at his leisure. Madara would remember her scent for the rest of his life.
Then his father had taken a kunai and stabbed his fingers with it before placing them on top of the scroll. Madara's eyes stung and teared in pain, his little body convulsing under the onslaught of chakra coursing through his body.
Later on he would discover that there was a little seal on top of his Sharingan.
The one binding both clans together.
He found out, though, he did not mind one bit.
Uchiha started to flourish with their allies by their side. Wars were won easily, and enemies surrendered just by seeing them approach. Madara grew up in this glorious golden era, standing proud by his father and Etsuji-san.
Then Kyousuke and Naruse Uchiha killed each other in battle.
Masaharu was shocked that his clan would perform such devious act. Specially when he asked Naruse's comrades about the incident, he almost felt sick as they shrugged and explained that such duels were getting terribly common among the young.
"Duels?" he hissed. "What do you mean by duels?!"
The jounin shrugged his shoulders, unconcerned.
"Since the foreigners joined the army," he explained simply. "One of the guys falls in love with one of them, then another challenges him on it, they fight, they die. Happens a lot more than one would think."
Madara had blinked then, not really understanding why his father's face paled and his hands shook. In seconds he had teleported to Etsuji's tent, demanding answers.
The redhead had the decency to look surprised before he poured scroll after scroll from his room and immediately started researching, such reaction could not be normal.
Madara listened attentively as Etsuji-san explained that the demonic nature of Sharingan had corrupted the seal into an almost deep-rooted, obsessive behavior from the Uchiha towards their charges instead of the brotherhood and loyalty that the contract made the others feel.
"We can break the contract if you want," Etsuji suggested meekly, ashamed of his mistake. Masaharu shook his head quickly, not really wanting to end his connection to such a beautiful man like Etsuji-san. He was unaware that the seal in his Sharingan was affecting him already.
"The contract makes us powerful, we are in the middle of war. I'm afraid we cannot let our guard down at the moment," Masaharu said firmly, his hand grasping Etsuji's.
The redhead nodded.
"Still, I guess we should separate each other from your Clan for a while, maybe gain some independence, until the contract calms down?"
The older Uchiha narrowed his eyes, his hand unconsciously tightened around the other man's. Then, as if realizing what he was doing, he let go and blushed.
"I guess you are right," he mumbled, ashamed.
"We'll keep in contact, though, should you ever need our aid, my Clan and I will be here in seconds, we are brothers now," Etsuji said, his hand caressing Masaharu's black hair. Maybe the contract was affecting them both.
Madara's eyes teared as he saw the man stand and leave, he didn't want them to go! He liked Etsuji-san and his wife!
By the end of that week Etsuji had written to Masaharu, telling him all about the little village they had formed. Whirlpool, they called it.
Masaharu died in battle a few years later. He never asked for help from his allies.
The thought of putting Etsuji in danger was too much for him to bear.
Madara understood that the Whirlpool clan was a dangerous one, the ones that could control his heart and the rest of the Uchihas with one a gentle smile.
He distanced from them as he became Clan Head.
But in his heart the gentle shine of Makio-san's blue eyes remained.
Maybe, one day, when he destroyed the Senju Clan, he would go to Whirlpool and claim one of his allies as his wife.
After all… both clans could easily become one, with the appropriate leader.
And he would be that leader, he swore it on his father's grave.
Years passed quickly.
Peace was signed with the Senju Clan.
Konoha was born.
Hokages came and went.
He had gone into hiding.
Uchihas forgot about their Whirlpool allies and assumed the lingering longing inside of them was because of their hatred for the Hyugas and the need to surpass them.
Madara started plotting.
He would take over Konoha and destroy all opposition.
A girl was found by the gates, her hands were almost crushed, she had almost bled to death.
She was rushed into the hospital at once, where Tsunade of the Senju Clan had saved her life. Madara hated the thought of that woman being a hero.
The injured girl woke up two months after her arrival, crying out in despair that she wanted more than anything to belong to Konoha, for her clan had an alliance with it.
Sarutobi and the others were skeptical Fugaku, the current Uchiha Head, raised an eyebrow.
His wife, Mikoto, could hardly take her eyes off the red haired woman.2
"My clan was slaughtered," the girl whimpered. "Ninjas from the Cloud came, they first slaughtered our children in their sleep, then our civilians. Shinobis were the last to go, I managed to escape because of my father, the Clan Head."
Madara stood frozen by the window, his whole frame shaking as he heard the woman's tale.
Her blue eyes and long red hair reminded him so much of his dearest Makio-san.
She couldn't be lying, Madara knew. The Clan back at Whirlpool had been annihilated.
"What's your name?" Asked a blond boy that had managed to slip by undetected. Madara knew him quite well, he was their current prodigy.
Namikaze.
The girl blushed a little staring at his face.
"K-Kushina," she said. "Uzumaki Kushina."
Namikaze grinned a little and offered his hand.
Sarutobi and the Council decided among themselves that Kushina should stay where she could be protected while she was installed as a shinobi of the Leaf. Fugaku suggested she staid at the Uchiha complex, Namikaze pointed out that his home was right in the middle of the village and conveniently close to the Anbu quarters.
The Hokage grinned and patted the boy's head.
Kushina moved in with him as soon as she was dismissed from the hospital.
Madara grew bitter, his clan could not protect the Uzumakis from extinction. He could not save the Uzumakis. And now the sole survivor was with another clan. The Namikazes could not take care of little Kushina like the Uchihas could.
He was sure of it.
Mikoto became entranced by the red haired beauty, she wanted to be by her side often, Madara could see. And her son Itachi managed to create thousands of opportunities as he often would wonder into the Namikaze household to "train" with the young foreigner.
Then, one day, as Madara slipped into the compound to stare at young Kushina, he found five year old Itachi crying into his mother's lap, his little fists clutching at her kimono tightly, his face hidden in the silk.
Mikoto caressed her son's hair, but Madara could actually see she wanted to cry too.
Mikoto suddenly raised her teary eyes, staring directly into Madara's own, of course she would have known he was there.
"She's getting married to Namikaze," she whispered brokenly. Itachi cried harder, not really understanding why the news broke his heart.
Madara growled, his eyes narrowed.
He disappeared without a word.
Far south, he had heard, an hermit had discovered the way to summon one of the tailed beasts. It might take him years to find the hermit and acquire the knowledge, but Namikaze Minato and everyone in Konoha would pay the price of stealing the last Uzumaki heir from the Uchihas.
He would make them pay.
To Be Continued.