"But I can say it won't reach chapter 12… that's for sure."
I regret to inform you… but I have now arranged things better.
The final chapter is twelve just like the shortest type of series. So practically, the announcement is wrong and thereby corrected.
Be with me… as we march down to the end of Madara's most dangerous path of his whole life…
But anyway, let's go on with the tenth chapter…
(I have to check my profile because I forgot the announced chapter title…)
PS. Read till the end to take away your worries…
Disclaimer: Kishi: I own Naruto no matter how hard you try to own it! ^_^ Unless you try and kill me. T-T
That means Rei-danna doesn't own it as well…
Warnings: I don't know what may come. Just remember I warned you about it.
…
—MEMORIES OF THE FALLEN—
…
Madara learns of the whole truth and he is pretty devastated about everything that had happened.
And now, one of his most life-breaking ordeals comes face-to-face, can he do this?
…
—MEMORIES OF THE FALLEN—
…
Strolling at the night streets in their all-black 'unfortunate one' hunting uniform, Hashirama and Madara seeks for the next target.
One of Senritsu's Shadow Cherubs has delivered a message and they are about to kill a not-so innocent…
Sharp shooter and professor…
"We're here again, aren't we?" Hashirama smirks bitterly as the two of them stand before the establishment's entrance.
"Let's just get down to business without anyone noticing." Madara whispers and they walk in the building without raising any suspicion despite their attire.
They inquire at the receptionist and she has led them to the room through a room number…
They ascend the elevator and Hashirama repeats the room number, "279… You think he's already asleep by now?"
"I would appreciate that…" Madara sighs and Hashirama starts to get wounded…
The impact has made its effects and now Hashirama feels talking to a…
"Madara, don't let those kind of things break you. You've gone so far and—"
"Hashi…" The spiky raven calls him and he sighs. He then faces the opening elevator, "The elevator is a good model."
Madara eyes at him. "It opens up."
The taller man takes the lead and the spiky raven follows him to the room of their target.
Hashirama peeks at the window and see the target resting at his bed, leaning at the bed which is at a 135-degree angle.
He opens the door and Madara closes it behind them after they have gone in. The man looks at them and…
Hashirama waves, "Hi, Sarutobi-sensei. How're you doing?"
Memories of the Fallen
Rei Haruno —Sakura no Imooto
Chapter 10: My Deathly Resolution
"Senju-san. Uchiha-san." The teacher eyes at them differently, Madara remembering that he knew the truth about the murders.
They're guilty and they're not denying it. However, they just don't care now.
Sasuke shifts his view from the two to the window, giving him a view of the beautiful and lively city lights outside that is oblivious of one cruel fate.
"Did you come here to visit me?" Hashirama glances at Madara. "Or to kill me?"
"…" Hashirama stays quiet and then Madara pulls the seat beside the bed and sits down, "I came to talk… first and then proceed to my real purpose."
"What do you want to tell me?" Sasuke looks at the spiky raven, "But I warn you, trying to deny things won't do anything."
"I'm not denying things. I did kill them." Madara answers and then he asks Hashirama, "Hashi, can you step out the room for a while."
It is more of a statement than a question… no… Hashirama squints his eyes and walks out the room even against his will…
Hashirama knows he's not commanding him…
He's begging him.
…
—Memories of a Fallen—
…
Hashirama is sitting alone at the nearest bench, waiting for Madara to come by or call him for the exorcism phase of the mission.
He just can't blame Madara for acting different and strange. Things had gone out of hand and he has very much affected by it.
Being dead, having his baby brother hostage, and now knowing that his brother could just sacrifice his only friends…
Madara's emotional defenses have been broken and for sure, he's suffering from too much pain.
But he seems to have arrived at a conclusion… a course of action… a resolution.
Hashirama leans on his back for a while and sighs. He closes his eyes and places his hand at his face…
He's just trying to figure out how they got there… how those so much enjoyable three and a half years with the Uchiha brothers has become such.
Just a week ago, everything's fine and good. Him teasing and loving the spiky raven, Mito doing her cookies for them, and Izuna cooking meals…
Madara is still contented with his life… secretly happy with things despite his complaints…
Just a week ago, Madara never thought of anything else but his damn thesis…
Just a week ago, he can still smile with Izuna… just a week ago, he's still Mada-chan…
Hashirama slowly drifts into slumber as he reminisce the 'normal' life they all once had…
In his dreams, everything seems to be undisturbed… everything is as it is…
No Kyoufu, no Senritsu, no memory orbs, no ghosts, no killings… nothing.
Just plain… life. Not death.
How he wished things are just left untouched…
No miserable past, no amusement park accident… nothing to affect the future.
But Madara's image is slowly fading, his voice vanishing.
Sooner or later, Madara will be taken by Senritsu and who knows if they would just have to go on without him…
Without the man he loves.
Waking up from his horrible dream, Hashirama hasn't moved from his position… busy thinking about worst case scenarios in his head.
If they get to exorcise Sasuke before the end of night, they will get to see Senritsu at her realm and dominion…
He knows they might be going home incomplete and the image of an incomplete picture haunts him.
It can be Madara, Izuna… or him and Mito.
Someone has a plan… Madara must have a plan. That guy always has something he thinks he has to do…
But it's unshared… also the consequences and the pain of accepting it is unshared by such a now unprotected heart.
Uchihas… why do they have to be like this?
"Hashi…" The voice of the desirable man comes to his ears… however, it is not the kind of voice he wants to hear.
Hashirama lowers his hand and sees Madara standing nearby… the gun firmly attached to his hand.
His eyes widen and Madara aims at his friend… the nozzle's hole acting like a black hole which eats up Hashirama's movements.
The taller guy freezes in his seat… as he gazes at the gun and at Madara's poker face…
His fingers move and readies the gun… a sweat drops from Hashirama's forehead…
The sounds vanish… time stops…
Bang!
…
Police sirens are heard…
…
—Memories of the Fallen—
…
Mito sighs as she stares at her untouched food at the table. The two has left without eating dinner and so she has to cook and wait for them to come back.
But it's been hours now and they haven't been home…
She again takes her phone from her pocket and calls Madara… but his phone picks up again and again.
A sigh leaves her lips and she gazes at the two empty plates before her…
She stands up and goes upstairs… only to hear a ringing phone inside the spiky raven's room. She opens the door and takes in the not-so inviting aura…
But she goes inside the room anyway.
She sits at the edge and picks the phone lying at the pillow, "He left his phone, huh."
Mito squints her eyes to control the developing tears… but she resorts to sobbing and covering her face with her full hands…
Giving in to the urge to cry completely.
Likewise Hashirama, Mito has been feeling unwell about everything that has happened.
The woman completely succumbs from all these helpless and bitterly feeling reigning her heart.
She shakes her head as if trying to deny what has become of her supposed to be happy college life that she has always loved.
She has no problems with anything aside from the thesis everyone is having difficulties with. Her life seems to be a total bliss…
Despite the fact that some women envy her for being with three handsome people, she never had a crush with somebody among them.
Those three had been her brothers and they have been her family for three and a half years now… even no one else has ever realized it just yet.
She first gave her teddy bear to Madara… so he can give it to Izuna after. The second is for Hashirama and the third is for Madara.
Right now, she cries for all the pain and misfortune that has come to them… slowly and brutally breaking them.
She knows Madara's been so hurt, more than she will ever be… the room itself is resonating the feelings of the spiky raven.
She stops and tries to contain her sobs, wiping her eyes with her hand and the phones with her skirt.
She then gazes around the dark-themed room, those three bears peeking from where they are kept.
She stands up and goes to them, gazing at them with endearment… envying that these bears have been consistent, unlike their life.
"…" The main door opens and then Mito throws the two phones at the bed, wiping her eyes as she go downstairs.
Madara is panting at the doorway, his chest rapidly inflating and deflating in exhaustion. Mito looks around, "Where's Hashirama-kun?"
Madara twitches and goes to grab her, "Just come with me, Mito."
The girl twitches for not being called by the usual Uzumaki… but squints in his avoidance. She pulls her arm that Madara holds, "What's wrong?"
"Let's just go…" Madara sharpens his tone and Mito winces as he pulls quite too hard.
She gazes at his other hand… the gun still in his possession. She pulls back harder, her voice breaking in sudden fear, "Why are you still holding the gun?"
Madara twitches and raises his other hand, only to push something to drop… the empty magazine to the floor.
But the action has terrified her more, "You're just supposed to use a few! Why—?" Madara let goes of her arm and covers her mouth.
Her eyes widen…
Bang!
…
—Memories of the Fallen—
…
Izuna is lying at the invisible floor, tears have flooded down from his eyes and his head is atop something soft and covered with a cloth.
After hearing what he has done before and what he is about to do, he is completely devastated like his brother… his most beloved brother.
He almost killed Hashirama and Mito without him knowing…
"But you see… Kyoufu seems to have told them about this already. Your brother must be up to a plan…" She kneels before Izuna who has crashed down.
"He might just hand himself over… rather than risk you and his friends…"
"Brother…" Izuna cries as he hangs his head down away from Senritsu's gaze, "Brother can't die. I don't want to lose my brother…"
She holds the bars again and pokes her head as she widens the gap between the bars, "I have to weigh which condition suits best for me."
She gets nearer, "So I probably have to wait for Uchiha Madara's offer. Until then, you are to be my slave…"
She gets in the cage and lifts Izuna's face with her small fingers, "Just like what your brother is to Kyoufu…"
She kisses Izuna but the younger raven has become irresponsive, crying over everything that he has done in the past.
She sucks in some more and her hold on his face tightens, making the younger raven wince within him.
She begins licking his teeth and she kisses him again with a loud smack. She licks her lips, "I love the taste of young lips."
"Sensu…" An unfamiliar voice for Izuna speaks and a little girl walks in out of nowhere. Senritsu looks at her with bored eyes, "Kyu-Kyu."
"Is she Kyoufu?" Izuna whispers, somehow back to his senses now. The girls look at him and then Kyoufu says, "Brother will be doing his sixth hunt."
"And?" Senritsu charges Izuna to pin him under her. He tries to take her off but the black babies hold him down. The kid starts licking him again.
"I told him I will take him here if he accomplishes it before midnight." Kyoufu walks in the cage and before the doll girl, "Meaning you will hear his offer…"
Senritsu stops moving, her tongue brushing against his lips and her eyes looking up at her sister. "Tonight."
"You must be thinking about your brother's offer." Senritsu strokes at his hair since his head is at her lap, "You must be wondering what he's thinking."
"He's probably mad at me… I killed Mother and Father…" Izuna whispers weakly, his throat and eyes dried up by now, "And besides…"
Senritsu hums as she gazes down at the mortal. "He is killing people and getting hurt because of me…"
His voice breaks somehow, "I don't deserve being saved… but I don't want to lose my brother."
"It's up to Uchiha Madara then. But expect a 'no' to your deal if you ask him…" She then smirks, "But if his conditions are not good enough…"
She leans down and whispers with excitement, "Prepare yourself… because when you come back, there will be two bodies to bury."
Izuna closes his eyes and Senritsu strokes at his hair again, "You have already dug four graves to empty his. No, make it five. Five graves…"
"Five?" Izuna echoes with uncertainty and the girl answers, "Your mom, your dad… your two friends…"
He gulps. "And yours."
He wheezes and she continues, "Keep on sacrificing and sacrificing… until your time runs out. That's what you have been doing, young one."
She stops stroking at his hair, "And now the time comes, your brother will be at the place in seconds. Now, which brother should I choose?"
…
—Memories of the Fallen—
…
"Why would you want him to go out, Uchiha-san?" Sasuke wonders and Madara looks at him, "Sensei. I'm sorry for what happened to your sister…"
He takes out the gun from his jacket, "And what will happen to you later."
Sasuke sees it coming and asks him, "Why are you doing this, Uchiha-san? What did we do to you?"
"I just wanted to save my brother. And I don't why they are choosing you people. I'm still looking for answers." Madara readies the gun.
The teacher slowly reaches for the pages but then Madara quickly places the silencer and shoots at Sasuke's hand.
He groans and glares at Madara who is now aiming at him, "I'm saving my brother from unearthly beings and it calls for desperate measures."
He shoots but Sasuke starts dodging and tries to steal the gun from Madara. But Madara can't just give it to him.
Sasuke is trying to waste all bullets so he's pushing the trigger at times possible. But Madara get to lock the gun from firing so they struggle to get it.
Madara suddenly unlocks it and aims at Sasuke's head… only to shoot and kill the patient right then.
He pants… and lets the guilt get to him for a while. The white smoke escapes from the body and goes out the room.
Madara follows it and then he sees Hashirama sleeping at the bench. He approaches him but the Sasuke ghost appears beside the other guy.
Madara glares at the ghost and calls the other guy after pocketing the real gun to get the toy one, "Hashi."
Hashirama looks at him and he aims at Hashirama's face… only to shoot at the side to hit the ghost's eye.
The ghost runs amuck and then the two prepare for action. Hashirama draws out his own toy gun, "I thought you're going to kill me, Mada-chan."
"You're calling me Mada-chan… again?" Madara says and they have been shooting the ghost until one hits its forehead.
Some nurses come to the scene to check out the sudden stop of Sasuke's heartbeat… only to see the two guys. They call police and security right then.
Madara grabs the memory orb that fell out of nowhere and the two makes the run for it.
Madara says to the other guy as they reach a corner, "Let's split up and meet me at the park. I'm coming back to get Mito."
"Why should we split up?" Hashirama exclaims and then Madara hisses, "I… Just do it, bastard. Just meet me there. If we split up, they will as well."
The spiky raven glances at the side, "I know another way from the house to the park so I'm getting Mito."
"Makes you think of another reason, huh. Okay then…" Hashirama cups his hand above Madara's free one and the other guy flings at him…
"I'll be waiting for you there."
…
"This isn't supposed to be a romance movie. Now move your ass and run." Madara hesitates to pull away his hand and they both run in different ways.
Since Madara has a real gun, he resorts to firing back at them… not caring if he hits someone… until he gets to their block and runs to their house…
"Now, are you still afraid of me?" Madara whispers angrily as he runs towards the park with Mito on his back.
The police has followed him to his house and has started with another fire. He has to grab Mito and carry her piggy back style.
"I'm so sorry, Madara-kun." Mito whimpers, feeling bad thinking so ill of her 'brother'. Madara responds, "I'm not that desperate… and I'm not insane."
The park gets into eyeshot and Hashirama gestures them to follow him into a deep place near the park… a warehouse to be exact.
He opens the door and lets the two in before closing it. Madara then collapses to the ground with Mito, "Damn it… you're heavy…"
"I didn't suggest you carry me, baka." Mito huffs and then whimpers, "Where are we?"
"Safest place we can find…" Hashirama helps her up and then they help Madara sit at least.
He then yells, "Kyoufu! I did what you want me to! Now take me to Izuna!"
"Impressive, Brother…" Kyoufu appears out of nowhere… with Senritsu by her side, "I've been notified… you will be claiming your brother, Uchiha Madara."
"Where's Izuna?" Madara stands up and the other two look at both girls. Kyoufu giggles, "I told you I'll take you to Senritsu… not to Izuna."
"It's fine, Kyu-Kyu… he has to go through me anyway." Senritsu says with her monotonous voice and Madara stares straight at her.
The spiky raven starts, "Give back my brother." The doll owner refuses, "I will not. What do you offer to change my mind?"
…
"I only have one memory orb to collect." Madara starts, "And I don't want my brother and my… new family to be in danger again."
Senritsu eyes at him as he speaks, "I know this may be hard for them, most likely to Izuna… but I want to end this now."
Kyoufu looks at Senritsu then to Madara. The spiky raven continues, "Senritsu… I beg you…"
Hashirama freezes in his place and Mito covers her face with her hands…
Madara glances at the two behind him… then to the two psychopomps before him…
"Just let me finish this thing with Kyoufu and then you can take me."
He speaks with his fist clutching, "If there's someone to die, it's me. I'm already dead to begin with."
[End of Chapter 10]
Hey, before you boycott me, promises are promises! It's not the ending anyway.
Some of you might have thought I killed Hashirama and Mito, huh. But nope… I didn't.
Yeah, well, unlike my DN, this is flowing smoothly… I just lack the time to encode this one. But here it is…
By September, this novel is already finished and I will be working on my new HashiMada fic and I hope you guys will continue to support me.
Thank you for things… I really wanted to thank you. ^_^
Things may be reaching the highest level… but Madara is just about to think of the most devastating decision he has to make…
Chapter 11: Peak of His Indulgence
Can he really take the last orb and pay for Izuna's sins?
(I chose the word 'indulgence' because it means the time given to someone to repay something based from my friendly dictionary…)