Chapter 11: Childhood
A/N: Thank you to everyone who is supporting this story and giving me feedback! It's been super helpful and I'm trying to plot further, I keep getting stuck here and there but I appreciate your support.
To Blue Jean2: Thank you for your detailed reviews and taking time to write them! Definitely interesting to read the points you've made. I've been trying to create characters that don't always think or act the way I agree and don't always make the right decisions even though some choices appear simple, this characterisation has been hard for me because I have strong morals and standards haha! Honestly, I was going to wait several more chapters before they even kissed! But I wanted to remove my emotion from Kazue altogether (I'm begin a little bit rebellious). Also, emotions and sexual frustrations in the characters are kind of at a strange high right now (though they haven't quite gone all the way yet)… Between Izuna, Kazue, Madara and Tobirama, I think they all struggle to empathise with the other and they have difficulty understanding themselves. As for the village incidents, you might be onto something… *winks* I have some plans that are going to unfold!
PS: I honestly wish I could bring Madara to life right now so you and he can have a sass battle hahaha
Too hot.
Burning.
Screaming.
"Kazue!"
A voice rings from far beyond the rocky hills around her. Somewhere, her name is being called over and over. She wants to run to it, to the sound of help. Her world begins to shake, the fiery remains of the chaos of war beneath her blurring into a brilliant orange and red haze. Another voice, a weaker more strained one, issues from the scene of battle, amidst the scattered bodies that cover the earth as far as the eye can see. He stands before the gates of her home.
"Toh-san?"
Fire spreads through her body as her chakra begins to spill, the hiss of the heat startles her. Her eyes blink open to take in the large room she's in, her body is drenched in sweat and the nausea in her stomach makes her queasy. Fatigue threatens to have her flop back onto the bed were it not for strong arms holding her upright. She looks up.
Madara.
His arms and chest are red with superficial burns but he seems focused on her, his brows furrowed in concern. Kazue's eyes widen in shock as she instinctively begins to heal him. He holds her back for a moment before speaking.
"Kazue what happened?" his tone is even and calm
"I'm sorry I hurt you! I didn't know my chakra would-" she gasps and thrashes about in his arms in a panic before he holds her still at arm's length
"Never mind that, you've never been like this after a nightmare. Talk to me." He cautiously moves closer to his trembling wife.
"M-Madara… Something is wrong! I need to see Mito- Please!" she stammers
"Kazue, it was a nightmare. Tell me what happened?" Madara scans her face in concern
"It was too vivid! We need to go to Konoha now! Something is terribly wrong, I know it!" she shakes her head adamantly
"Kazue, take a moment to calm, talk to me."
"M-Madara please? I can't shake this feeling in my stomach, I know in the marrow of my bones that something is wrong." Panicked tears overflow from her brown eyes and stream across her cheeks, Madara wipes them away and takes a measured breath. It's true he hadn't seen her wake from such a violent dream, she'd screamed and her chakra had near charred the sheets.
"I'll tell Izuna to see to my duties. Get dressed, we'll set out at dawn." He tucks a strand of crimson hair behind her ear and stands.
"I'm not leaving you alone." She asks quickly, Madara nods and she starts to dress.
"You're the one that needs protection right now. I'm not leaving you alone." He sighs, keeping an eye on her.
"Oh Kazue! I knew you felt it too!" Mito rushes to embrace her hysterical sister as she arrives at the village gates, Hashirama and Madara exchange solemn looks. Both leaders look weary and concerned at the sight of their distressed wives.
Once inside the Senju residence, Mito and Kazue hold one another tightly, their small shoulders heave with sobs. Hashirama wraps a blanket around them and sets tea for them before ushering Madara aside.
"I've never seen Mito this way." He says, the worry evident in his tone
"Kazue's had nightmares, but none as bad as this. Her chakra flowed out." Madara glances over at her
"Chakra?! Are those burns on your hands and face?" Hashirama's eyes pop
"Yes, they're mild so they'll heal, she woke before it got any worse. It's never happened outside of a battle situation as far as I know."
"Mito's chakra is riled up as well. We have to send for news from Uzushio."
"I have a feeling it concerns her Father." Madara frowns, Hashirama's expression becomes grim.
"Your father, Uzumaki-sama, is no more." The messenger bows his head.
Mito sinks to her knees with her head bowed, her kimono bunching in a heap of colour around her on the earth. Kazue's eyes close slowly but tightly, her bottom lip quivers as she takes a heavy sigh. Madara finds his own chest tighten at the sight of her tears, streaming without break over her cheeks as she too moves to kneel on the earth in front of her sister, their foreheads press together. Hashirama himself, feels tears sting his eyes at the sight of his distraught wife before him. Madara grasps Hashirama's arm when he tries to go to his wife, warning him not to interfere. They both knew what it was like. To lose who you loved, one by one until you could count on a hand the people you had left to protect. They knew the feeling of fear that being alone could bring. Kazue and Mito needed their own time now to accept that they only had each other, something neither he or Hashirama could help with. Madara's thoughts shift to Izuna. How many times had he vowed to protect his only brother? How many times had he lost sleep over the thought of ever losing him?
Kazue and Mito hold each other for support, their bodies tired from staying upright. Could the body run out of tears? Could your chest be too tired to heave with sorrow? It didn't seem possible to either sister as their tears continue to flow and their throats sting from the crying that won't cease.
Soon after, their grandmother, an elder of the Uzumaki council arrives following the messenger. Mito and Kazue's sobs had silenced into muted shaking, Hashirama sets a blanket over the sisters and ushers in tea before he lets them know their elder had arrived. The woman is short in stature and small in frame, her silver white hair brushes a metre down her back over a black kimono. The way she carries herself, poised yet commanding, reminds both Hashirama and Madara of their own wives. She settles beside her grand-daughters and wordlessly pulls them to her chest, the three seem tense at first though soon their arms entwine and their heads come together.
"What is the state of the villagers of Uzushio, Oba-san?" Mito is the first to speak, Hashirama starts at his wife's even voice despite the raw redness around her brown eyes,
"They are grieving for the loss of their leader. Regardless, there is unrest about who will succeed Uzumaki-sama." The elder nods, her own voice heavy with sorrow
"What can be done?" Kazue asks, wiping her tears away
"The council will oversee Uzushio in your absence, though all executive decisions will be run by you before being made. One of the you will go each month for a week to observe and implement any new laws or practises."
"I'm wishing that the back and forth won't strain relations further. Have we confirmed what happened?" Hashirama intejects
"I suppose there is no other choice but to tell you lest it be too late. Your father was murdered, trying to keep the village safe and dispatch the enemy." She sighs deep and with sorrow, Madara and Hashirama stare at each other in shock. Mito and Kazue, though both weary, show expressions of horror
"No normal ninja, even a group of them could topple Uzumaki-sama." Hashirama begins
"They were not normal ninja, Hashirama-kun. My son summoned the Triple Rashōmon to block their attack, and it still was not enough. No mother wishes to outlive her child." The elder shakes her head, almost unable to believe her own words
"Impossible?!" Madara interjects in astonishment. The Triple Rashōmon Summoning is an ultimate defensive jutsu, cast by such a strong Uzumaki, it was hard to imagine it losing.
"This attack was no ordinary one. It was significantly compromised by the Triple Rashōmon and the village was not harmed. Though it was only a diversion to capture our leader."
"What motive would lead to this? We have no known enemy!" Kazue frowns in confusion
"The rogue-nin." Madara answers. "They've been banding together as of recent. There's something about their activities that seems too coordinated… too organised."
"I had the same suspicions." The elder narrows her eyes at the Uchiha
"If Father couldn't defeat the enemy, what can we do to protect Uzushio? We're defenceless." Mito murmurs in grief
"Child, we are the Uzumaki. We endure. Seals and barriers have been put up, sensory ninja are gathering intel and the villagers reside in the stronghold of our temples. Until another leader is found, we cannot do more."
"Even if one of us returned, it wouldn't be enough to match Father." Mito purses her chapped lips.
"We can't leave them vulnerable, Oba-san-" Kazue begins, tears welling in her brown eyes before her grandmother pulls the two sisters into her frail arms.
"Kazue-chan, remember that we are strong people. For now, you both must rest... experience your grief and accept it. Tomorrow we will discuss further." The elder strokes each sister's head before rising. "Hashirama-san, Madara-san. This situation is indeed grave, I would appreciate your presence at our meeting tomorrow."
"Of course." Madara and Hashirama agree and bow when she takes her leave. Hashirama turns to the sisters, still seated on the floor, huddled under a single cover.
"Let us retire for tonight. It's too cold out here." He suggests receiving no response, Madara taps his shoulder and nods his head to the door. There is nothing the two of them can do at this point to comfort them. No one but they know what the other is experiencing.
"They'll come to us when they're ready." Madara says as they shut the door behind them
"I feel like I can't reach Mito, as if I'm helpless to comfort her at all. Tell me you don't feel that way for Kazue?" Hashirama sighs
"I do. We both know what it's like to lose family. Put yourself in their place."
"I never thought I'd get advice on this from you. But you're right. I'll wait the entire night if I have to."
The two bid goodnight before heading to their respective rooms. Hashirama had set aside a bedroom for Madara and Kazue near the east end of the residence. Madara settles into an unfamiliar bed and stares at the pale white ceiling, illuminated only by the moonlight outside. Trying to phase out thoughts of his wife's grief, he focuses on the crickets chirping outside and the quiet swoosh of a stream nearby. Though he'd played a calm, collected and logical façade around Hashirama to console him, Madara himself feels anxiety sweep through him. He understands Hashirama's attempts to reach out to Mito, he's afraid to lose her to the sadness she's experiencing. Such abnormal events had occurred in the last months that everyone had been put on edge, even Madara finds himself fearing for his people.
Kazue steps into the room as the sunrise begins, introduced by an orange hue filtering through the blue of the night. Madara sits up in the bed, not having fallen asleep since the night before. The two stare at each other for several moments, Madara notices Kazue's eyes are swollen, red and exhausted, her small frame shivers in the cold room. Without a word, he holds out his arms to her, Kazue wanders cautiously to him, settling herself against his chest as he wraps the blankets around her tightly. He grimaces as her freezing body touches his, how could she have let herself suffer in the cold so long? She'd get herself sick. Madara decides not to say anything, rather, he slides over so they both descend under the covers, her chattering teeth eventually settle after he pulls her body up against his. The two stay awake a while longer without saying anything before sleep finally beckons. Kazue tucks her face into Madara's neck and under his chin as the yellow sunrise washes over the morning sky. She hadn't said goodbye. Her mother and now her father, she hadn't said goodbye to both her parents. Neither of her parents got to lose their lives to old age. Everything began and ended, that was the way of life, she had accepted this. Yet, this feeling of safety, of something wholesome and empowering… she never wanted to lose it.
Barely several hours pass before Madara and Kazue rouse. Madara first notices Kazue's breath catch before her eyes blink open. The two stare at each other, Madara lets himself drown in a sea of brown surrounded by crimson waves over the sheets. Kazue lets herself stare at her reflection in Madara's dark eyes, her hand splayed across the rise and fall of his broad chest. They both memorise each feature on the other's face, letting their minds remain nowhere but the present moment. Madara closes his eyes when her fingertips run gently over his eyelids.
"Will you show me your Sharingan?" Kazue murmurs, pressing several strands of his obsidian hair between her fingers
"Why would you want to see it?" Madara frowns, taken by surprise
"They say the Sharingan can see the future, that it can see through the heart. I want you to tell me what you see, Madara."
"Kazue…" he holds her back to examine her expression,
"Can you tell me how many more loved ones I forget to say goodbye to before it's too late?" her words dissolve into muted sobs before she can finish. Madara's arms, ropy with muscle and scars, tighten around her. He tucks her head into the crook of his neck as her body heaves with tears.
Later in the afternoon, the Uzumaki elder concludes the meeting and discusses funeral preparations. Hashirama and Mito appear as weary and fatigued as Madara and Kazue, though all four remain stony faced throughout. Madara sends word to Izuna, extending his absence to attend the funeral in Uzushio. In addition, Tobirama had been summoned to oversee Konoha's affairs in Hashirama's absence. Despite Mito and Kazue's protests for their husbands to remain in Konoha, it is decided their protection is also at risk should they travel alone.
"Having all four leaders in Uzushio and away from their respective territories will present a precarious situation. The rogue-nin may see it as an opportunity to attack." The elder sighs in exhaustion
"Tobirama and Izuna will put their people before anything else in our absence. I trust in their ability whole-heartedly, they will cooperate where it counts. Madara?" Hashirama replies
"I'm also concerned for my people. Though I must trust they will step up as leaders in the time we are away." Madara agrees, deep in thought. Though he didn't like the notion of leaving Izuna and Tobirama as leaders and in constant contact, they are the only capable ninja to lead. Yet the memory of Izuna's bloodied body in his arms remains vivid and startlingly clear in Madara's mind. He shakes away the thought before Kazue notices his unease. He had another life under his care too, the life of Kazue Uzumaki. He had almost jeopardised it twice, twice as careless as he once was.
They set out with a team of jonin to Uzushiogakure the next night. Every now and then Kazue and Mito would find tears stream down their cheeks at random, without any warning. Their grief had a while yet to go before it subsided. It strikes Kazue, once they reach the gates of the whirlpool village that she hadn't returned to her home in months, not since before her marriage. Charred black marks cover the walls of the village border, an indication and reminder of the struggle that had ensued not long ago. The bittersweet air of salt water and forest greets them as they arrive. Mito and Kazue glance at each other in recognition of one and other's emotions before they lead the way into the citadel.
Home.
Home.
Home.
Kazue's head drops, her teeth clench and her eyes squeeze tightly shut in a futile attempt to prevent the unstoppable tears from falling when she looks upon the courtyard of the home she grew up in. The Uzumaki crest on the mansion walls overlooks vast and beautiful gardens of green and multi-coloured flowers, to the west side, a sandy training ground for sparring remains almost unchanged since their childhood. The glistening oceans whir at the base of a hill behind the manor. Her whole life, Kazue had thought Uzushio to be a colossal area. She recalled her house to be huge, in returning, it only seems cozy and comfortable… small enough that she knew every turn and hall within it. A thought which comforts her.
"I can almost hear our voices yelling from one room to the other. Mother and Father scolding us for staying up to train too late. It's nostalgic, isn't it?" Mito's delicate hand comes to rest on Kazue's shoulder, bringing her attention back to the present.
"I wonder how I ever took this place for granted." Kazue gives a small smile
"You didn't, Kazue. We can never understand what home means to us until we've left it."
"There's so much regret, Mito…"
"I know, I feel it too. But we cannot change the past. We can protect the future. He was our father and we were his daughters but we are also leaders now. We must stay strong for the people of Uzushio, they look to us now." Mito's tone is sad but firm
"I want to be strong, Ne-san. I just wish I could stop these tears." Kazue shakes her head
"Let them come out. We must cry when we are hurting. But once the tears stop, you have to promise you'll lead Uzushio with me."
"Of course." Kazue's voice breaks though her tone is adamant.