26. A Far Away Place

Rating: T

Verse: Omake to Veil Over Their Eyes

Idea: me

AN: This is an omake to my story Veil Over their Eyes. It takes place between chapters 1 and 2, but, in contrary to the fic itself, from Madara's perspective. I believe the knowledge of Veil Over Their Eyes is necessary to understand this drabble.

He set up another camp. Same set of movements, set order of actions every evening. Chose the place, clear space for fire, gather the wood, pile it up, start it with Katon. Unpack the bedroll, prep whatever meat he got that day.

Familiar routine. It brought him peace. Many things were bringing him peace recently. The sole act of breathing for example. The feeling of sunshine on his skin, on his closed eyelids.

He had been in the far south already, and into that western part on the Land of Sand, where he had a hideout for some years. The heat and colours of the desert surprised him to no end despite seeing it so many times already. He never perceived them with such an intensity before.

The Land of Fire, which he travelled next, was greener. Green was ringing in his ears, invading his dreams, green was everywhere. Were the trees so green ever before? The world around him was absorbing so much of his attention that sometimes he thought he didn't need any events in his life anymore, that the perception alone would suffice until the end of his days. Had Zetsu been numbing him so much throughout those years? Was it actually the reason why he managed thirty years of isolation in the cave? Or was his current heightened perception caused by the fact that now he didn't pursue any goal and was simply able to notice more – not filtering out anymore only the information that would be significant for The Plan?

After the trek across the Land of Fire there were the mountains on the border to Stone. His cave – a sobering experience. Was it really him who lived there? Yes, it was him, Madara had to accept it. He was capable of much, and the cave was another testimony of it.

Then it was the plateau on the border to Lightning. Then traversing the sea. Now he was on a small, sparsely inhabited island in the Land of Water, the previous seat of Kaguya Clan, after spending some time in the Hidden Mist. That was as far as he would go. Zetsu must have gotten him so early, maybe when he became the leader of Uchiha Clan, maybe even earlier. He had to return now, face his deepest past. He went so far, so damn far and everything felt new, felt brighter, more vibrant, almost too much.

Every single thing, a view over the bay from the cliff where he was now sitting, clamor of birds, wind on his cheeks - was so intensive, touching his very self just by being there.

And she was also so intense to him. Good that their interactions were so subdued, good that she wasn't talking much, because he didn't know if he would have managed her otherwise. Because he enjoyed her presence immensely in the same time. Just another person next to him. Being, breathing, occupying the space. It was a most profound experience.

After the end of the war people were avoiding him like a pest. People were running away from him, hiding children (what was with the children? Why would someone imagine he would want to grab some random brat?), screaming for help… Nothing significantly different from the situation on any foreign territory in the times before Konoha founding. Only now the scale was different, as he was known all over the world. He didn't really mind being alone, but when she came along and asked if she could stay… Someone suddenly seeking out his company was… well, shock was a wrong word, how could something so benign as her plea for letting her stay by the fire be called a shock? It was just something he never even considered a possibility.

And then right away, when she stated her reasons, there was a pang of pity. Or maybe compassion? It was also a new thing – a pity for a singular fate. The pity for humanity was his motive, but he never considered individuals. And this girl – she bared her entire heart in front of him. Madara shifted his gaze from the horizon to his hands encircling his knees. Her asking to stay wasn't a shock. That was. That was a strange form of courage, but courage nonetheless.

She seemed so damaged on the inside. She didn't even know the extent of it herself. Maybe as damaged as he was after Izuna. Or maybe more. Or maybe it wasn't even a good comparison.

But what he saw in her was a will to survive. Not to lash around, not to destroy, not to change the reality as it used to be his impulse, but to pass through, to emerge from the other side of the tunnel. Earlier he would dismiss such attitude. Now it was attracting him.

She didn't assume that the reality was flawed just because her fate turned out to be less than fortunate. She didn't blame the world.

And then, when they were travelling to the ferry, she admitted to the strangest thing – that he had given her something that she was lacking, the kind of companionship she desired and wasn't getting from another. He brushed it off back then, responding with pointing out her issues. But it struck him to the bone. He never provided any comfort to another person; he was absolutely sure of that. What a weird feeling. What a good feeling.

And when she asked him how he had seen her, she forced him to formulate his experiences. It was not only that he was perceiving more about her than before. Before it was just an estimate of her strength (negligible), the type of her abilities (a medic always gave a certain advantage to the opponent) and otherwise he was only registering where and at what speed the pawn that had been her was moving. After Zetsu was gone, he saw her – her facial features, the details, how her hair moved in the wind, how she squinted her eyes against the sun. Noticed the timber of her voice. But in that very moment, when she asked him – it was hard not to think about the fact that he simply liked what he was seeing in front of him.

He was looking forward to seeing her again.

Madara examined his hands. On some level he knew it when they parted ways. He just never verbalized the thought. But now he was coming back and it was time to face not only his past, but also his future.

He didn't even know her name… What a peculiar state of affairs – not to know the name of a woman with whom he intended to spend the rest of his life… He probably should have asked – it would make thinking about her easier. More normal, more ordinary… Well, he'll find out soon enough.

He looked at the bay again - countless flocks of birds, some on the mudflats, moving in synch in a giant, random ballet. Duck waddling in the shallows, flocks of swans in deeper water. Even further, some smaller, completely black birds, he couldn't quite tell what they were even with the Sharingan. Gulls circling overhead. Sounds, sounds, a cacophony of sounds everywhere.

Madara leaned back on the steep grassy slope.

She didn't want to challenge the world, and neither did he, not anymore. World was beautiful. And it kept turning with or without them. He once almost managed to stop this turning. He almost managed to stop this all. Madara looked at the flocks of birds.

Maybe it was better that he didn't. Yes, it was better.

And he remained himself. Even despite so many years of Zetsu's influence, he sits here, and he is himself.

Just to live out your life, just a normal life. Live out your time, as the part of this world.

Suddenly the flocks stirred. The started to move, all heads turned there where he was sitting. Swans gathered into tight circle. Wings flapping, smaller birds set of into air, some right away, some gaining speed paddling on the surface of the water.

From over his head an eagle glided, not moving his wings. Right into the bay. The birds flattered in panic. The eagle took rise beating his wings heavily. Madara could see the effort. Flying isn't always easy.

Make this one, very last event in his life. This very last effort.

How crazy it was? Was it crazy? He never thought he would do something like that.

There would be a great turmoil in Konoha, and a great turmoil in his heart. And who knew, maybe also in hers? But this was the way of life.

The birds calmed down as the eagle was tearing apart one of them; some even swam already closer. Just a moment of unrest and everything was back to how it had been.

AN: I tried to re-created the vibe of Veil (which I liked so much!), please tell me if I succeeded!