Hanako stood at the edge of the forest on the next day that the two boys met up. Something in the air... felt very wrong. Madara and Hashirama... both of them... were entirely too tense. Neither was smiling. What was the source of bloodlust she sensed on both sides of the river?
"I know it's right of the bat, but... how about we just skip stones instead of exchanging greetings?" Madara suggested.
"Yeah..." Hashirama replied. Both boys reached into the folds of their clothes and retrieved their respective stones before simultaneously skipping them across the river and catching the other's stone in their hands. They looked at each other and then looked at the stones before tensing further.
"Hashirama..." Madara began, "Sorry, I can't stay today... I just remembered something I have to do."
"O-Oh Yeah? Then I'm going to head home." Hashirama replied. The anxiety in Hanako's heart grew. What was going on?
Suddenly both boys dashed off, but in an instant two figures passed each of them. Two men and two younger boys faced each other on the water, the crest of the Senju Clan on the foreheads of those who had come from Hashirama's side of the river and the crest of the Uchiha Clan emblazoned on the backs of those from Madara's side.
"Seems like we're on the same page, huh? Senju Butsama." The man from the Uchiha remarked.
"And Tobirama, I believe." The child beside him added.
"Indeed, Uchiha Tajima." The Senju man, Butsuma replied.
"And then, Izuna, right?" The younger boy from the Senju asked.
Both pairs of father and son dashed toward each other at the same time.
"Stop it!" Madara and Hashirama both called desperately.
Butsuma crossed blades with Tajima as Tobirama crossed blades with Izuna. Suddenly both men jumped back and simultaneously threw weapons at the head of the other's child. A metallic clang rang through the air as both Madara and Hashirama used their skipping stones to deflect the projectiles and protect their respective brothers before both jumped in front of their families.
"I'll never forgive anyone who tries to hurt my younger brother, no matter who it is!" Madara declared.
"Same for me!" Hashirama replied.
The two of them stared at each other for a moment.
"Hey, Hashirama..." Madara began.
"What is it?"
"Maybe it just isn't possible for us... to reach that... pipe dream of ours..."
Hanako couldn't watch anymore. She couldn't afford to get caught up in a battle between the Uchiha and Senju, and it was clear to her that after today, the carefree days she had spent with the two boys would never return. With tears in her eyes, the young girl turned and fled into the forest.
Hanako considered what she should do. Going straight back to her clan might be too dangerous. She had no guarantee that there weren't other Uchiha in this forest. Going to a civilian village was presumably safer, but... She made up her mind. She would go to the Forest of Death. She still needed to get the herbs for her patient, who couldn't afford to wait much longer, and she no longer had someone she could ask for help nor... much to lose anymore.
I wander a darkness without end, searching for only a true miracle
Abruptly, a wire wrapped around her ankle, causing her to lose her balance and fall. The young girl screamed as she hit the ground and turned to look over her shoulder to see who had attacked her.
"Did you think I was going to let you escape, little byouninja?" Tajima asked as he stood over her with his sons.
"Father, why are you...? She has no connection to the Senju." Madara said, trying to not to let his concern for Hanako show.
"I'm aware of that." Tajima replied, "When I checked into Hashirama, I also checked into this girl. She was telling the truth when she said that she earns a living by treating civilians. That said, this girl can be useful to us. Having a skilled medic will mean fewer deaths among our people." He looked at Hanako as she freed her leg from the wire. "I wouldn't advise trying to run."
"I don't intend to." Hanako replied, "If I run, I'll just end up making things worse myself, and if I try to fight, I'll wind up dead. Even Izuna-dono is probably stronger than me. Beyond that, my clan has nothing to offer you in exchange for my freedom. I'm not so important that they would break our ancestor's decree to rescue me. It's obvious that my only option is to do as I'm told to."
"Hm, you're a smart girl." Tajima said with a smirk, "Then as of today, your abilities as a medical ninja belong to the Uchiha."
"Yes..."
Tajima stepped toward Hanako. "Before we go, hand over any weapons or ninja tools you're carrying."
Hanako nodded and carefully handed over two kunai, five smoke bombs, and some wire.
"That's it?" Izuna asked incredulously.
"To avoid drawing the attention of other shinobi, the members of my clan only carry the minimum amount of tools necessary for self-defense. If you're seen as openly armed, you may be deemed as an enemy." Hanako told him, "Two kunai are sufficient for defending against projectiles and swords, smoke bombs provide an opening to escape, and when needed, it's easy to set up traps using only wire and your natural surroundings. That being said, any byouninja worth her salt is capable of immobilizing an opponent or even running through somebody with her bare hands if she has to. I try to avoid that though. By nature, I'm a healer, not a killer."
Tajima smirked in amusement, "Well never let it be said that byouninja are not formidable in their own right."
誓い
As she had said, Hanako made no attempts to escape or resist as Madara and his family led her back to the place where their clan resided. Upon arriving, Tajima told his two sons to wait for him at their house before leading Hanako to a small building.
"This will be your dwelling." He told her, "You'll be provided with everything you need. Know that this house will be kept under twenty-four hour guard and you will not be allowed to leave without an escort. When needed, you will be escorted to the battlefield or wherever your skills are needed."
"I understand." Hanako said quietly, silently entering the building when Tajima opened the door for her and clenching her fists as she heard it being closed behind her.
If I am here, then I will not be able to see the future once again
Later that night, Madara came and brought some food to her, since she currently did not have any of her own to cook. He found the girl curled into a ball in the farthest corner of the room. With a heavy sigh, he set down the food tray and knelt beside her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean for you to get wrapped up in all of this."
Tonight again, the moon is calling to me, but I am still unable to voice words.
"What about my patients?" She asked without looking up, "There are people who need me."
"Even if you were allowed to go to them, you'd be required to have an escort. Showing up in the villages with armed Uchiha at your side would only draw trouble to them." Madara pointed out.
"This whole thing is ridiculous..." Hanako replied as she slowly looked up, "According to the stories of my clan, the younger son of the Sage of Six Paths originally came to the Land of Fire to try and reconcile with his older brother. But the elder son was unwilling to forgive his younger brother, and so the two of them clashed each time they met. Eventually, the younger son passed his quest of reconciliation on to his own son, the father of the Senju, but the elder son passed on a very different quest to the Uchiha... a quest to erase the descendants of his brother from this world." She shook her head slowly, "But now... even the Senju don't wish for reconciliation. No matter how many times both clans clash, no matter how many lives are lost, the fighting never ends! And for what?! What are you even fighting for at this point?!" She demanded of Madara.
"The Senju killed all of my younger brothers except Izuna. You know that." Madara said calmly. If it were anyone else, he might've lost his temper, but he knew that at this moment, Hanako was rightfully upset about her situation.
"And the Uchiha killed Hashirama's younger brothers!" Hanako pointed out. "So what?! You're just going to keep killing each other until everything is destroyed?! One person's relative is killed, so their family avenges them, and the killer's family in turn decides to avenge them! An eye for an eye; a tooth for a tooth... you'll run out eventually! Can't you see that?!" She sobbed as tears began to flow down her cheeks, "I don't even know who killed my parents, nor do I care... I grew up without anyone at all, and because I had nobody to protect, where everyone else saw honor and pride and love... I've only ever seen hatred, destruction, and foolishness." She sniffled as she wiped her tears and looked up at Madara, "Don't you see? At the end of it all, this is all about an older brother trying to kill his younger brother. Don't you think that's tragic in its irony?"
Yet deep within, my heart is still crying out!
"...I understand your point, Hanako." Madara said after a moment, "But we can't change the way things are."
"What happened to 'We will decide our own futures'?" Hanako asked.
"That was before Senju Butsuma threw a kunai at my brother's head." Madara said bluntly. "...But you're different." He added after a beat of silence, "If you earn my clan's respect, you'll be able to marry a member of the Uchiha." Hanako blushed at the unspoken implication there. Madara was still trying to give her hope in the form of a sliver of the future they had so innocently wished for. "I'll help you with your training again tomorrow. Although the general idea is to keep you away from actual battles, you may still have a need to defend yourself. For now, you should eat and get some rest. You need to keep your strength up."
"Okay..."
The feelings I was hiding are now giving a clear voice to the certain vow that I'm holding in my hands
"Hey... Madara-kun?" Hanako said anxiously as she heard him turn to leave.
"Yes?" Madara asked.
"Didn't you once say to Hashirama that... achieving your dreams would require holding onto your ideals, no matter what?"
"How did you...?"
"I overheard you. After all, that was the day... that we first met."
Madara sighed, "I did say that to him, but... I was just a fool who didn't know what he was talking about."
"Then... holding on to what you believe in is foolish?" Hanako asked him.
"It is if you insist on continuing to do so even after seeing that it's impossible." He told her.
"But you don't know that it's impossible!" Hanako insisted. "Certainly, right now, with your father and Senju Butsuma leading the way, it cannot be achieved but... someday, you and Hashirama will be the leaders! When that time comes, you'll have the power to change things!"
"It's not that simple. Stop thinking like a child, Hanako. Do you think that clan leaders can simply pursue their own goals without taking the feelings of their clansmen into account?" Madara asked her. "If you don't want to continue to be disappointed, then grow up and gain some wisdom. Otherwise, you'll just be crushed over and over again..."
Madara exited the house quietly and Hanako hugged her knees closer. For some reason, she could imagine Hashirama having a similar argument with his brother Tobirama right about now. Certainly, Madara and Hashirama were alike, but also very different in terms of personality. For that reason, in her mind, she could almost hear Hashirama insisting, "If that's what it means to be wise, then I'm fine with being a fool the rest of my life!"
She smiled a little at that thought. Hashirama was like a brother to her, and Madara was the one that she loved. From the day that she first saw them together, she felt like the two of them were brothers themselves; not through blood, but a connection of the heart.
"You're wrong... Madara-kun..." Hanako said to herself quietly. "I know that even after today, Hashirama won't give up, so I won't give up either. I'll work hard and become stronger, just like you said. I'll become someone to whom you can entrust the lives of those you love. And then, someday, Hashirama and I will prove you wrong, change your mind... and then... the three of us will create our own future... the future that we dreamed of... together."
After this, if I could become just a little stronger, then I
Would resolve to fly across this sky that is lying right in front of my eyes
From this point on, I will reach out my hands to grab hold of the future
As with Indra and Ashura/Madara and Hashirama/Sasuke and Naruto, the stories of Haruka and Hanako are both unique to that of Sakura's, but still have common elements. Also, Haruka's hair is a deep shade of pink. It's not bubblegum pink like Sakura's, but it's not red either, because that would make her look like an Uzumaki. XD Her eyes are the same deep shade of green as Sakura's mother.
