The Tragedy of Madara Uchiha
I've always wanted to try my hand at writing a one-shot, so here it goes. Just decided to write for twenty minutes and see what came out. This is the result. Hope you enjoy.
I-I
He was a child born into the era of warring clans. The children of today, they would never understand. They lived, surrounded by allies and fortified behind great walls to keep enemies at bay.
He and his kin on the other hand, had nobody but one another to rely on.
An era of warfare and strife, entire families were put out onto the front-lines. The elderly, the children and even the pregnant mothers, all for forced to fight, not for their village, nor for their pride, but for their lives.
It was in this era that Madara Uchiha was born into and it was into this era where he lived his entire life.
If you were crippled, you were killed, simple as that. The clan had no use for useless soldiers and those who fit that bill were thrown away like garbage.
He and his brother quickly rose to the top of the food chain, gaining power quicker than anyone else in their clan. They were the great leaders of the Uchiha, the two whom all others looked up too. They fought valiantly together for their lives and the lives of their loved ones.
Against the Senju, against the Nara, against the Yamanaka, against the Akimichi, against them all, they fought and they shed tears of blood. They always emerged victorious.
For his family, he and his brother killed their crippled best friend, gaining the ultimate power of their doujutsu. For his family, he fought and killed without remorse, even those who were unable to fight back. For his family, he took his mother's life when she wished to stay behind to live a more peaceful life. For his family he took the eyes of his brother to lead his clan, even as it left his brother blind.
Those eyes, the cursed eyes of the Uchiha clan. It blessed them with perfect vision, but it cursed them to bleed tears of blood. It gave them their ability to see through any genjutsu but it left them blind to the very things in front of them. It granted them control over mystical forces, but it left them helpless to help themselves.
His brother, even once freed of the curse of his eyes, still was subject to its fate. He fell in battle against the Senju, a smile on his face as his death led to the death of a notable Senju clan member. He was proud to give his life for the benefit of his clan. Even blind, Izuna Uchiha fought like a caged animal, a true shinobi.
Then, four months later, his clan was approached by their enemies, the Senju about a venture that would create the Hidden Leaf Village. Naturally he was against it, after all, how could they trust those Senju dogs? But in a massive betrayal, his clan defied him. He, who had given more than any other for the sake of his family, and now, the first time he needed their support, they turned their backs on him.
In a fit of rage, he fled, on the way out, attacking the First Hokage, the man he respected and hated above all others. He was unable to kill the man, further cementing that hatred.
For decades he drifted and plotted. The eyes, the curse of his siblings eyes keeping him alive. Making him remember every face he killed and every drop of blood he had shed.
He had a plan to change the world. They all would bend before his power, and they all would finally stop killing each other.
All was required were the nine Tailed Beasts and the legendary Rinnegan. That was easy enough to accomplish.
He released the Nine Tails on the Leaf, hoping to crush the village before he regained possession of his pet fox.
The plan failed; once again he was defeated by the man called, Hokage. The young Fourth was a man that reminded him of the Senju dogs. Without a doubt he was one who had inherited their "will of fire."
Even with this defeat, he was not deterred. It was but a minor setback and for one who had seen the horrors he had, time was nothing.
Year later, he orchestrated the massacre of his remaining traitorous family and once again was forced to re-live the horrors of turning on kin. In the end it was worth it, his pride was restored and never again would he be played the fool.
Soon, only a couple decades later, he had all but one of the tailed bests as he declared the Fourth Shinobi War. HA, as if those previous three conflicts could compare to the war of his era. Once again, it showed that the children had no knowledge of what war was really like. The damned toad sage, Naruto Uzumaki always set back his plans. Getting the Eight Tailed Ox was easy enough, all he had to do was black-mail him with his brother, the Nine Tails however was harder.
Then, in a fit of childishness he never had known himself to possess, he marched all of his assets into battle, keen on ending this once and for all. It was a mistake.
Who would have thought the Nine Tailed would become so strong. Who would have thought he would carry the Senju will. Who would have thought he was so powerful.
He never did.
Madara stared into the yellow eyes of the blond haired man who was glaring at him, even as he felt his life force leave him.
His eyes dimmed into black.
And then, something amazing happened.
For the first time in his life, he felt free. His eyes stopped blinding him and constricting him.
And taking his last breath, Madara Uchiha gave a smile, his body giving out, and his sprit leaving the earth.
Perhaps the world would be able to right itself without him after all.