Akane flew to her feet as Izuna and Madara appeared in the clearing, Sharingan activated. Tobirama took a few steps back, as Izuna grabbed his sister by the arm and pulled her behind him.
"Izu… Madara wait!" She cried as Madara charged at the younger Senju.
Izuna held her back, believing he had just saved his younger sister from a painful death. In one fluid movement, Tobirama's hands created multiple seals, and in a torrid rush, the calm water of the lake became rocky. A massive amount of water rose as a snarling dragon, its malicious eyes focusing on the approaching Uchiha. With a roar the dragon attacked. Madara plunged his fan into the ground, effectively blocking the water jutsu. Akane put her hands in front of her face to block the water that splashed nearby.
"Madara!" Izuna cried as suddenly numerous Senju reinforcements jumped from the trees.
Madara jumped back to Izuna and his sister, eyeing the reinforcements warily. Hashirama stood at the front of the group, looking disapprovingly between Tobirama and Madara.
"Madara," Hashirama said calmly, his brow furrowed.
"Hashirama," hissed Madara in reply.
Suddenly more Uchiha came from the trees as a tense standoff began. Izuna muttered to one of the men, who nodded and gently grabbed Akane's arm.
"Lady Akane, I'll be taking you back to the compound."
"Wha…no!" She sent a desperate look to Tobirama, who only stared at her with some unreadable emotion.
Just as the Shinobi pulled Akane away, a battle broke out. The clash of metal, the smack of wood and water and the burn of fire filled the air, but the sound drifted away as the man whisked Akane back to the Uchiha Compound.
The compound was in a frenzy, men were quickly tossing on battle gear as they made their way out to help Madara, Izuna, and the rest of their clansmen against the Senju. Women ushered children back into their homes, eyeing the distance blazes and smoke with worry. Akane's heart pounded, she never meant for this to happen, she should've known Madara and Izuna would come looking for her. She should've just left and ignored Tobirama's questions. Tobirama, she suddenly wondered if he was ok. She then scolded herself for worrying about a Senju before her own brothers.
The Uchiha men came shuffling into the compound with the sunrise. Looking tired and forlorn, many quickly made their way to their respective homes. Akane watched desperately, waiting for her brothers to appear, but her heart stopped when only Madara came into her sight. His eyes were filled with bitter hatred and anger. Her eyes scanned the stretchers that held casualties of the battle, men's bodies covered in white sheets. She hurried over to her eldest brother. His eyes were different, and not just the emotions that were within them.
"Madara….your eyes…."
Suddenly she noticed the disdainful looks some of the other Uchiha.
"M…Madara….where's Izuna?"
Madara glanced at her, his eyes holding a new sadness, "He didn't make it."
"W…what do you mean he didn't make it?" She said, her heart pounding violently.
"He is dead. That Senju bastard killed him…."
"What Senju?"
What came from Madara's mouth next was something Akane had not wanted to hear, "Tobirama."
After the funeral, Madara had promised Akane that he would kill Tobirama, that he would do it before her to avenge their lost brother.
Akane sat alone at her garden, hands covered in dirt that had started to become mud from her tears. Her heart ached so badly she thought she herself was going to die. Hands fisted and kneaded dirt, an attempt to throw her emotions into something else. Her tears fell to the earth, quickly being absorbed by the dry dirt. It had been a week since Izuna's death, and Akane had cried every single day. Madara had all but disappeared, only showing his face one to check on Akane. She had learned that Izuna had given Madara his eyes, and then continued to fight blind until Tobirama slain him. However, most of the other Uchiha believed that Madara had stolen Izuna's eyes to save his own eyesight.
"Izuna…." His name came out as a broken whimper.
Akane pulled her knees to her chest, letting her sobs echo through the courtyard. She wiped at her leaking eyes, leaving small trails of dirt on her angelic face.
Tobirama stared at his brother indignantly.
"You would deny that you care about that Uchiha woman? If that is so, why did you continue to go to that meadow even though I warned you against it?"
Hashirama was not normally so serious and stern, but because of his brother's actions, more Senju had been lost to battles. That was not even the most serious offense. Hashirama had been planning to suggest a peace treaty to the Uchiha within a week's time, but now he was certain the Uchiha would have none of it. Tobirama had killed their second-in-command.
"Do not scold me brother, I am not child," Tobirama said lowly.
"You are ignoring the question. Would you deny that you care about her?" Hashirama asked, squeezing the bridge of his nose.
"I am merely interested in her, that is all."
"If you say so brother, our plans have been put on hold, but I have a feeling Akane will play a bigger part in this."
"Do it again," Madara said frowning.
He resumed his training of Akane, and was becoming increasingly frustrated
"I can't!"
"Then you will die!" Madara shouted, glaring fiercely at his younger sister.
"You think just because you teach me some flashy jutsu that I would survive?! Izuna was trained his whole life and look what happened to him!" She screamed back, tears prickling at her eyes.
Madara had not been the same since Izuna's death. He had become harsher, crueler, even to his last remaining sibling. Madara said nothing, turning on his heel, he left Akane in the very same meadow where that dreaded battle had taken place.
It held none of the same beauty. The once lush grass was now scorched and dead, the water had dirtied with blood; it was a dead land now. Akane felt anger boiling up in her stomach as the tears fell freely down her face. Taking a deep breath the familiar warmth of fire filled her body, and to her surprise when she exhaled, a large flaming ball of chakra shot out, making the water sizzle before the waterfall but the fire out.
"Madara-sama?"
"We're going to find Tobirama" Madara growled, "And I'm going to kill him."