"So Madara will be on the field tomorrow?" Hashirama rubbed his temples but nodded his head at Tobirama. Crossing his arms, Tobirama sighed from what could only be from exhaustion at this point. "I can only assume that you'll be going with us tomorrow?" He waited for the nod before attempting his second question.
"What about Rin? She's one of our strongest-" Hashirama stood quickly. "I don't want Rin anywhere near Madara or his brother for that matter. She's still not fully healed from her last encounter with Izuna Uchiha." Tobirama nodded his approval since, for once, he agreed with his elder brother. "Well who should we put together?"
The two began discussing those who they would be taking into, what they hoped would be a peaceful meeting instead of a battle. They only missed one thing, the woman standing outside where they were talking and from what she had just heard, she knew she would have to go and speak with one of her closest friends.
Madara puffed on a wooden smoke pipe and simply listened to the elders and his brother speak about the plans for tomorrow's "meeting" with Hashirama. He heard every word that was said about running a sneak attack on Hashirama by sending an extra force to attack from behind, it was a great idea except for one tiny thing. "Hashirama will be expecting this, he and I think alike when it comes to war. He will know it is coming and he will send in his brother, Tobirama." The silence in the room was almost instant after Madara spoke.
"Since I am leading this stupid meeting, I will make the decisions alone. If anyone needs me, don't." Madara stood up to his full height, above the rest of the war party, showing why he was the leader. Someone once said, "Yes, stand to your full height and you're Mr. Scary Sexy Uchiha Man!", had he not been walking out of a full room he would have smiled at that memory.
He walked at a fairly quick pace to the private bath he had had prepared for him. Madara knew he wouldn't be seeing his woman tonight so he opted to have a bath to relax all his muscles before he had to deal with his only rival tomorrow. If it ended up being a fight, he would need all his strength to beat Hashirama.
Madara just prayed that Rin wouldn't be out there tomorrow.
"Rin, are you awake?" "Hiromi?"
Pale lavender eyes peered into the mirror that Rin sat in front of. Rin smiled and stood to greet her long time friend with a tight hug. "It has been too long since you escaped the Hyuga compound! How have you been?!" Hiromi pulled back and looked at her friend with a grin. "I have been well, annoyed by my brothers as always." "Brothers, can't live with them but love them enough to tolerate their idiocy."
Hiromi's smile could possibly light the world with it's brightness, and it wasn't often that she truly smiled. She mostly smirked, she was by far the most beautiful Hyuga heiress.
"So I heard they are trying to marry you to my cousin Niro and unite the clans." Rin grimaced and nodded. "They are but I doubt very much if the man that I love would allow that." Hiromi sat regally on Rin's bed. "Tell me about this mystery man of yours. I want all details and his name so if I must hunt him down and kill him for hurting you I know where to go." "Well..." Rin rubbed the back of her neck and didn't look in Hiromi's direction. "He must be an Uchiha then." "You know my facial expressions too well." Hiromi raised an eyebrow. "Just how important is this man in his clan?"
"He's extremely important in his clan." Rin caught the look in her friends eyes. "I'm not saying anything else and I know you didn't come to just shoot the breeze." She smiled but Hiromi still had her world famous scowl on, that expression alone had earned her the name "Ice Demon". "Rin, I have to tell you something."
Madara looked upon the darkened battlefield, dawn had not yet broken but he could see the light on the horizon. Hashirama would be there within the hour and then the fight would begin, again. Madara withheld a sigh so Izuna, who just walked up from his scouting, would not hear his exhaustion. "Well?" "I didn't see anyone or feel anything, maybe they'll be too afraid to show up." Izuna had a cocky grin on his face but it vanished under his brother's glare. "Has Hashirama ever missed a fight with me? Ever?"
Izuna grunted and shrugged his shoulders. "There's a first for everything..." "Wait. What is that?" Madara saw a movement just within the trees across from him. Izuna motioned for scouts to go that way and check it out.
Almost the same second that the scouts reached the area, they were entrapped by what looked to be cages made of... "Lightning?" Madara knew it was a person that stood up and showed themselves, assuming it was a man, he was clothed in a black cloak that covered everything, and he wore a mask made of black and blue colors.
The masked ninja was quickly running towards him and Izuna, taking down every ninja that came towards him without actually injuring anyone. Just as quickly as he was running, he stopped in front of Madara about two arm lengths away, Rin's arms not Madara's. "Who are you?" Izuna spoke first, he was always quick to the punch, at least he wasn't striking first.
The stranger reached up slowly and placed a hand on the mask and the other hand on the hood, in one quick motion they pulled both down. "Lord Uchiha! I have come to put an end to this war." Madara stood almost dumbfounded as he stared at Rin, why hadn't she told him about this idea of hers? He would've tied her down to stop her. "Who are you woman?!"
Izuna aimed his sword at her throat as he questioned her. Rin's eyes stared directly into Madara's and she was almost afraid that after today he would never look at her again, but this had to be done. "I am Rin Senju, daughter to Butsuma Senju, youngest sister of Hashirama and Tobirama Senju! I have come to discuss a peace treaty to prevent anymore casualties."
"So Hashirama sent his little sister to do his dirty work?" Izuna questioned again. "On the contrary, Hashirama has no idea that I'm here." Madara stood there, his face ever stoic, but his mind was trying to process that the woman who stood in front of him, one that he held and kissed almost every night, was the sister of his most hated rival.
"You really expect us to believe that your brother doesn't know that you came here to talk about peace?" "Why would I lie?" Izuna scoffed as if her words meant nothing. "All you damned Senju lie!" Rin's eyes turned into a glare and were aimed at Izuna. Madara knew that look, she was about ten seconds from blowing her top, he knew that if there was one thing to not say to her it was something bad about her clan. They had a rule about talking about their clans, don't talk about the others clan.
"I'm sorry bird head, but I came to speak with Madara not his idiot brother!" Madara closed his eyes for the inevitable fight between the two. "You stupid woman! Just because you're sleeping with my brother doesn't mean you can insult me!" Rin and Madara both looked at Izuna quickly. "Izuna how do you know about Rin and I?"
"Oh please brother, I'm not stupid. I used one of the Hyuga scum to find out who you were meeting!" "You didn't think to tell me?" "Once I knew who it was, I knew we could use her to our advantage against her brothers." Rin growled at Izuna but was being pushed behind Madara, she knew it was a bad situation but with his hand on her arm she felt safe even though she knew he was angry with her at this particular moment. "Izuna, this is not how we do things." "No this is not how YOU do things, The Uchiha have always done this!" "Maybe that's why no one likes you!"
Izuna ripped Rin from behind Madara by her cloak and held at throat level. Madara grabbed Izuna's arm quickly to prevent him from harming her.
"Rin!" Hashirama used his quick speed to wrap a hand around Izuna's throat and Tobirama held a sword across Izuna's stomach. "Let. Her. Go."
