Hello, my dear readers! I decided that this story needed a big rewrite before continuing it. It is just so bad that I can't even believe that I posted it. The plot will remain untouched, but a few things might be changed. I would suggest rereading.
"Mother.." Madara whispered as he narrowed his onyx eyes to keep the tears from flowing down his cheeks. His mother was laying on the couch with one arm over her stomach and the other falling from the couch towards an empty bottle. He tiptoed over towards her, trying to remain quiet so that she would not wake. His nose wrinkled at the foul smelling liquid and he picked it up, placing it upright on the table beside the couch. He reached over her and pulled the blanket down to cover his mother up.
He peered inside his father's room from an angle that he wouldn't be noticed from. He was laying on top of the woman who his mother just referred to as his father's whore. He didn't know the woman's actual name, so he also just thought of her as his father's whore. It wasn't a difficult task to know when she was here, as the smell of liquor wafted up to his nose at her arrival and the sounds of lovemaking echoed around the large, empty house.
He turned and left the living room after covering his mother to check on his younger brother. It wasn't as if his parents ever kept an eye on him. He was less of an older brother and more of a father figure to Izuna, and he knew it. Once Izuna had told him this himself, but he warned his younger brother to hold his tongue in front of father. He could hear the shuffling of feet from outside of the door, so he knocked and walked inside. "Izuna, what are you doing? You should get some rest."
Izuna was peering out of the window, and he did not turn around when Madara walked in. "Father is.. I can hear him. And I don't like the way how that woman looks at me. It sends chills down my back, nii-san!"
Madara shut the door gently behind him and made his way over to his younger brother and began to console him. "There is no reason to fear her. She cannot touch you. I won't let her."
Izuna turned only his head, betraying the tears forming in his eyes. "I trust you, but nii-san, I wish she wasn't here. She's ruining everything!"
Madara shook his head and placed a hand on Izuna's shoulder. "I know. But it is not our place to tell father who and who not to bring into his home."
Izuna shook off Madara's hand and shut his eyes for a few seconds. When he opened them, he looked up at his brother through his eyelashes. "Would you say with me tonight? Please?"
Madara hesitated before shaking his head 'no'. "You know well that I'm not allowed to. Father doesn't wish for me to baby you."
"I don't care! I just want someone with me. I don't want to be alone while she is here. I won't be able to fall asleep knowing that she's even in the house," Izuna objected. His lip was quivering and tears threatened to fall from his eyes.
Madara shushed his yelling before giving in. "Okay, Izu. I'll stay. But only for tonight." Izuna didn't answer, he just wrapped his arms around him tightly. He did the same before they separated.
Madara lifted the sheets from his brother's bed and crawled inside with Izuna. He didn't object as his younger sibling snuggled up to him. He couldn't. He had done the same to his older brothers when he was frightened as a child. The previous time that he had agreed to stay with his brother, they both received an hour lecture about how Uchihas were supposed to be invincible with little emotion. Emotion weakened a person, so they needed to abandon them. Personally, he disagreed with his father on that subject. Without emotion, there would be no progress. He felt that he grew stronger from past occurrences and that they guided him to make better choices.
The next morning, he did not wake to the sun's rays falling over his face. He woke up to his brother whimpering and his father red in the face. He scrambled out of the bed and onto his feet. "What do you think you're doing?! You do not coddle your brother! He'll turn into a-"
His mother stumbled into the room, obviously just woken up from her slumber. His interupted him before he could finish. "Tajima, that's enough."
Tajima turned to her and snapped. "Do you want a faggot for a son?"
His mother frowned and her eyes turned cold. "That is quite enough, Tajima! Do not speak your crude words in front of the children! There is no need for it!"
Tajima just snorted and stepped aside. His left the room and stomped down the hall. Their mother's eyes turned into a softer expression as she faced her boys. "Why don't you clean up? I am going to visit your aunt today. You should come with me; she has been wanted to see her nephews for a while now."
Madara dipped his head. "I cannot. I have to train with father today. But you and Izuna should get out of the house."
His mother's facial expressions tensed and her eyebrows creased together. "You train everyday. You are going to wear yourself out. Why not take a break today? It is only for today."
Madara almost considered the offer but rejected it. "I can't. Please tell auntie that I said hello and that I will visit soon." It wasn't that he didn't enjoy visiting, but the last time Tajima beat him with a belt. It wasn't worth being in pain for a whole week.
He backed out of Izuna's room and walked over to his own. He unfastened his clothes and allowed them to drop from his shoulders and hips, leaving him just in his briefs. His opened his closet and was about to dress in his clothes meant for training but his father walked inside. "I have a meeting to attend. It was a last minute affair. We will train tomorrow."
He dipped his head respectively. "Yes, father, I understand." He changed outfits so that he was dressed in his casual wear. If he wanted to, he still had enough time that he could catch up to his mother and Izuna. However, he didn't want to upset his mother. He already knew that he was lying, and he didn't want to upset his mother any further. He ran a hand through his hair and waited until he heard the door shut downstairs.
Madara needed to time to decide on what he would be doing today. He already had a plan. He pulled a satchel from under his bed and started to stuff it with a few books, scrolls, and a pocket watch. He was going to go to his hideaway- his own secret spot in the forest. He shuffled around his room, gathering a few other items before shutting his door and scrambling down the stairs. His mother had obviously already made dinner this morning. He picked up a rice ball and started nibbling on it. He headed out of the side door and turned towards the direction of the forest. It was about a thirty minute walk from here, but it was completely worth it.
When Madara finally arrived in front of the forest, he checked that no one was watching him. When he was certain, he entered and walked under the shade provided by the trees. Once when he was much younger, he ran away. He had hidden himself in the shelter of the forest. His freedom lasted for three days before his father found and punished him for leaving. Needless to say, he had a difficult time sitting for the following days.
He gently touched the bark of the familiar trees and found the marks he was looking for. He could never be too careful, so he had marked the path by cutting into the trees to make sure that he was heading in the right direction. He had grown up in this forest, so he had never gotten lost before, but it was best to not try his luck. He followed the trail until he found what he was looking for.
It was a grove. Trees surrounded the perimeter, but it was clear in this one spot. At the right time of the year, when the flowers bloomed, it was even more beautiful. But it was started to turn cold, and the leaves were falling from the branches, littering the ground below. Several large stones were scattered and if you listened carefully, you could hear the splashing of the creek against the rocks a little up ahead.
He walked over to a stone near the opposite side of the grove and sat his satchel down. He sat down, leaning his back against the support of the stone. He opened his bag, pulled out a book, and began to read.
The peace lasted for an hour. Twigs snapped and leaves crunched, snapping him from his reading. He shut the book and shoved it into his satchel. He yanked the strap of the satchel of his head and pushed himself to his feet. He retreated to an extra wide tree and hid behind it, waiting to see who was approaching.
Madara willed his heart to stop pounding as a huge group of men came into sight. They were dressed in battle wear with weapons attached to their hips. "Today will be a victory for the Senju. We have the surprise tactic to our advantage. We will strike the Uchiha down!" He couldn't see enough to know who it was, but he had his suspicions.
Deciding to wait no longer, he started backing away. He stepped on a twig and tensed up, waiting for himself to be spotted. When no one noticed him, he silently thanked kami before turning and running. He had to warn everyone- they were in danger!
He fastened his pace and even when his chest started to burn, he didn't slow down. It would take fifteen minutes to reach his father if he continued at this pace, and that was the best he could do. He just prayed that he would be swift enough.
Once he entered the village, he didn't slow down until he skidded to a stop in front of the woman's home. He knocked viciously at the door and his father opened the door. "Father, the Senju are coming! I seen them, they're going to attack within the next fifteen minutes."
Tajima's eyes turned cold as he placed his hands on his son's shoulders. "I want you to fetch your mother and brother. Take them to our hide out. I do not want you on the battle field. Not today."
"But father, I could help," Madara started. His father tightened his grip on his shoulder until he cried out.
"You will obey me. So help me if you do not! Now go!" Tajima said. He released his grip on Madara, who stumbled backwards and held his shoulder with one of his hands. He tried to meet his father's gaze but ended up with a door in his face.
Madara turned towards the direction of his aunt's house and started running again, even though he was still winded from running all the way here. Whenever he seen one of the villagers, he barked at them to go to their hideouts under their homes. After the last attack that claimed his elder brothers, everyone had constructed a "safe-house" to store family, valuables, and food in case of an attack. They even had drills once a season so that there would be no surprise.
Once he reached his aunt's home, he seen his mother and Izuna outside with his aunt. "Mother! Izuna! Come, there is no time. Auntie, you must go into your hideout now! The Senju are approaching."
His mother's eyes held determination in them as she pushed herself onto her feet. "Izuna, come. We must take our leave." Their aunt fled inside her home to prepare herself and Madara left with his mother and Izuna. Their hideout was in the middle of town. As he heard battle cries not too far from them, he urged them to hurry. When he did, however, he noticed something different in his mother. Her belly was swollen, and she was wobbling on her face. Why hadn't he noticed before?
A kunai whizzed beside his ear, and he turned around to face his opponents. "Go. I will catch up," Madara instructed. Two Senju were in front of him. One with spiked up white-silver hair and the other with long, straight brown hair. "I have no time for you. Do not engage with me, Senju-scum!"
"On the contrary, Madara Uchiha, I have all the time for you," the brunet said. "I am Hashirama Senju." Madara's eyes sparked with realization. He remembered him. This was the boy he met in the forest so many years ago.
Madara's eyes flashed red with his sharingan. "Forgive me, Hashirama Senju. I have no time for you." He turned and fled, ready to find his mother. He was was currently unarmed and no threat other than his sharingan, so he could not hope to defeat Butsuma's two sons.
