The male paused, taking a quick glance around him. No more shinobi were going to attack? Didn't seem like it. Maybe he could finally advance towards his destination without having to swat at pesky flies zipping this way and that. Seriously.. Why were these shinobi so much more weak than usual? Well, it didn't matter. They wouldn't bother him for a while.
Peace.. At last..
Well.. Was there really such a thing as peace? Sure, there were times in which the wars slowed down, and people got to rest. However, even during these times of supposed "peace", new threats would begin their rise to power. Once these threats arose, the peace would quickly spiral downward until a new war broke out, and the cycle would be started once again.
This cycle was the same within wars. Shinobi would battle for their lives, triumphantly celebrating when they won a battle.. Hoping it'd finally be over.. But yet another enemy rises up to attack with slightly stronger force, ending the short moment of silence. Silence, meaning the times when there are no screams of agony. No shrieks of terror. No wails of grief. This cycle went over and over, never ending. Never pausing. Never showing any hints of mercy within the midst of the meaningless bloodshed.
Will this madness ever stop?
Tipping his head back in a small laugh, Madara felt like an idiot. Why should he be thinking about this question when he very well knew the answer? The Uchiha and Senju may have stopped fighting, but there were other threats out there, and he wasn't talking about the mixed feelings between the two clans. Who knows.. Maybe someone would actually manage to find a permanent solution to the fighting. Something that would finally bring peace to the tattered world.
Finally reaching his destination, Madara glanced over the home. Certainly fitting for the now leader of a new village.. Deciding to go in, the male approached the large building. Hopefully Hashirama would actually be there, so they could resume their earlier discussion on the development of the brand new village and examine the village's latest problem.
Before he had a chance to knock, the door swung open to reveal the face Madara wanted to see the least. The white haired male glanced at him disapprovingly, as if he were a child coming back from his filthy adventures in the mud. It was of no matter, however, because this was not the man he would be speaking to. Hopefully.
"Is Hashirama here? If so, I have need to speak with him about a slightly concerning, and possibly.. Sanguinary matter." Geez, what was that? Sanguinary? Could be not have thought of a better word than that? Whatever. As long as he got his point across and he didn't have to speak to Tobirama any more than possible. He made Madara feel so… Awkward.
"He isn't here at the moment, so leave. I do not wish to have an Uchiha loitering around my blood-free home any longer than needed." Tobirama went to shut the door, turning away from the other male. He obviously still held a grudge against Madara.. But that was no excuse to let danger hang around the village.
Catching the door, Madara took a step inside, refusing to let the white haired male keep him from speaking to Hashirama. "Alright, here's this. Would you rather let an Uchiha such as myself come into your home to speak to your brother, or would you rather this danger go unattended to, and end up possibly losing yet another family member.. or even your own life?"
This had obviously irritated Tobirama, evidence of the slight anger showing on his face as he narrowed his eyes. Was this a challenge? Maybe. Maybe not. Maybe Madara was just itching to get his fist buried in the other's face. However, challenge or not, Tobirama reluctantly let the Uchiha in, sensing truth being told. Perhaps he wouldn't be so bad after all.
Madara glanced around the tidy living room, his mind wandering. Tobirama had ordered him to stay in here after giving him a few glares of suspicion, and, not wanting to cause any more problems than necessary, the Uchiha agreed. It was not worth it to get even more on this man's bad side than he already was. Who knows, perhaps he could make a friend out of him someday, if he's careful.
The idea didn't seem too far-fetched, to be quite honest. Madara actually found the Senju to be quite humorous, with his stern glare and serious attitude. Sometimes it even seemed like there was a bit of a smile there, desperately hidden beneath that heavy cloak of solemnity. Would it be possible to lift that cloak, and reveal whatever was reserved inside?
Perhaps once the metaphorical cloak was swept away from the Senju, the seriousness would fade and divulge a more friendly, happy demeanor. Of course, the disclosure of this type of personality would make Madara quite the lucky man, remarkably because of the simple fact of which Madara was an Uchiha, and Tobirama was a Senju. The two clans had not quite overcome their past battles; Two from different clans could not possibly become friendly with each other while the blood of their malice was still fresh, could they?
He put his thoughts on pause as he caught sight of Tobirama peering at him from around the corner. How long had he been there, watching him? Probably longer than what would be considered comfortable. Was the male suspicious, or simply spying? Either way, Madara decided to confront him on the matter.
"Excuse me, but may I ask.. Why are you staring at me in that manner? I do understand that I am an Uchiha in a Senju home, but that is no reason to stand there and gawk." Was that the slightest spark of embarrassment he saw? Perhaps the male did not think he'd notice the not-so-discreet staring in his direction.
Tobirama's momentary embarrassment faded as quickly as it came, and he stepped around the corner toward the Uchiha. He looked as if he was about to tell Madara something, but he had stopped for a reason unknown to the Uchiha. Perhaps it was another one of his stinging remarks that he decided to not let escape his lips. Perhaps it was just an excuse to messily cover up his peculiar behavior. He would never truly know what Tobirama was going to say that day.
Sighing, Madara met the Senju's gaze. "Is Hashirama back yet?" He needed to speak to him soon, before the problem had the slightest chance to get worse. Although.. He had the strangest feeling just then, as if he wanted to stay here with the other male. Deciding to shake feeling off, he glanced up as Tobirama began speaking.
"Hashirama is not back yet, no. I apologize.." Tobirama trailed off as he realized he was apologizing to an Uchiha, of all people. Sighing, the Senju turned away from the male. Perhaps it was to hide the sudden tenderness in his gaze? Maybe he shouldn't be so mean to the other.. He had gone through his own struggles, right?
Just as Madara had, the Senju ignored the feeling. He hoped his brother would be here soon so the Uchiha would leave. Tobirama would not be able to take much more of these mixed feelings and confusing emotions. He hated Madara with a fiery passion. He was an Uchiha, after all. Yet, he could not help feeling bad for the male.
The two jumped a bit as the sound of the front door shutting rang through the home. After overcoming the initial disturbance, Madara walked out of the room to greet Hashirama. Finally, he could explain the newfound problem, and get away from the awkward atmosphere he and Tobirama had in the other room.
Hashirama seemed surprised to see the Uchiha rushing to greet him. Perhaps he didn't expect a visit from the other male. After the surprise faded from his gaze and Madara explained that there was a problem, the Senju guided him back to the living room to explain. He would never be able to escape Tobirama, would he?
"There are enemy ninja in the village- but that is not the problem I wish to discuss with you, Hashirama. These shinobi are much weaker than usual. It's not that their overall ability is less, it's just.. They all seem so drained. However, this is only a problem because I have been noticing our own shinobi suffering from the same weakness. You may insist that it is the stress of a brand new village, but I promise you.. This is something more."
Madara watched as a look of deep thought passed over Hashirama's face. "What could be causing this sudden weakness in shinobi? Madara, the only logical explanation is stress. I will keep an eye on things, but I really don't believe whatever you think this is will be a-"
"Come on, seriously! Hashirama, I've been keeping an eye on things, and they aren't looking too good. If you don't take action and figure out what this is soon, this dream you have of a great, peaceful village will be shattered, all because SOMEONE didn't believe whatever I thought this was would be a threat."
A bit startled by Madara's sudden outburst, Hashirama took a half step back. He knew the Uchiha wouldn't do anything to him, but still.. Perhaps it was just reflex to be a bit skittish around members of the opposite clan. He was raised that way as a child anyways, wasn't he?
As if on cue by Madara's words, there was a brisk knock on the door before it was bust open. Standing in the doorway was a cloaked figure. In the sudden shock that had been brought about in the three, Madara glanced sideways to find Tobirama clutching his arm a bit too tightly. When he noticed the Uchiha staring, he stiffly forced his fingers open and glared at him, as if he was daring the male to say something.
The cloaked figure wove a few hand signs, and almost instantly the room exploded into blue flame. Where was all of this chakra coming from- and why was it being used on.. Well, that question already had an obvious answer.
The room smelled of burning flesh as the flame engulfed the three males. Of course, they were three very important figures to the village. The village was brand new, therefore it was a bit weaker than others might be. It would be simple for a strong individual to take over it, with the right plan.
The last thing he knew that day was the faint fear in Tobirama's gaze and hot white flame searing his skin.