Warning: Possible trigger warning for panic attacks and suicide ideation.
Izuna had been acting oddly as of three days ago, despondent and full of worry.
It had started shortly after Madara brought up the matter about writing an armistice to send to the Senju during the meeting with his newly established council. As they had all been in agreement that day, Izuna's abrupt change of behavior was highly suspicious.
On the outside, Madara feigns ignorance. However, whenever Izuna looks away, Madara would scrutinize him with sharp and attentive eyes that flicker crimson ever so often.
Today, only the two of them were present for dinner, as Hikari was under 'room arrest', Ryouta was away on an important mission, and the twins were on patrol duty with Hikaku and his team as official tagalongs; novice soldiers (genin) that were ordered to observe and learn rather than to actively participate.
Since they were alone, it was as good a time as any to confront this odd behavior of Izuna's.
Removing all outward traces of worry and concern as to prevent clueing Izuna of anything, Madara set his chopsticks aside and cleared his throat. Izuna turned his attention to him not a second later, his little brother's pools of onyx eyes unusually flat despite the curious quirk of his eyebrow and the soft smile playing on his lips.
It was unnerving.
Izuna was emotive and tends to split his lips into a playful grin or a smug smirk. Never a soft smile. Not without reason, at least.
The nauseating familiarity made Madara nervous. And no matter how much he tries to clear his mind to start his questioning, the anxiety was clawing up his throat and causing his lungs to constrict painfully. Forget speaking, he felt it hard to even breath.
What if-
("You can't trust them, aniki," His remaining little brother whispers into his ear, his voice as sweet as honey and his face devoid of any emotions even if his lips were curled into a soft smile.
Madara allows Izuna to wrap his slender, calloused hands around his glove-clad ones, tenderly prying the quill he was clutching against his chest and taking away the missive Hashirama had sent - words of an alliance and peace between their clans - and the unfinished reply he had been writing up until a second ago.
"But..." He tries to explain to his brother that Hashirama was not a liar, that he could be trusted to stay true to his words, that his dream was to stop this pointless war between their clans; just like Madara's - but Izuna was already shaking his head, the grip on his hands tightened to an almost painful degree.
"No, aniki. You can't trust him. His words are all too good to be true. He will bring the Uchiha clan to ruins. You can't accept this alliance, aniki. Please. Trust me. I only want to protect you and do best for the clan. Don't you trust me?"
There was a moment of silence. And then there was a soft exhale, full of resigned acceptance and dolefulness.
"... Ok. I won't. I trust you, Izuna."
"Thank you. I assure you that your trust is not misplaced. I love you, aniki," His little brother crooned, lips lingering on Madara's cheek as arms snaked loosely around his waist, thumbs rubbing ticklish circles onto his hips.
He should've felt warm at his brother's show of affection. But all he felt was a chilling sensation crawling up his spine. He felt an incredulous urge to push Izuna away, but at the same time, why would he want to do that to his remaining family member?
This was Izuna. His beloved younger brother. A person who would never betray him. A person who looks at him and see Madara as a human, not a monster.
So he ignores his instincts and returns his brother's affection, hugging back and burrowing his face into Izuna's shoulder to hide the sorrow and unease he was feeling. He didn't miss how the shadows flickered in his peripherals, causing his gut to clench in anxiety.)
No. No.
Madara has been alert, hypervigilant even, for any unwanted shadows that might lurk in their house, in the Uchiha compound. There have been no sightings of Dokuzetsu even till now. But what if that entity had slipped through his defenses - his seals, his chakra pulses, his five senses? It has always been sly and stealthy in its deceit.
"Aniki?"
His throat tightened and his eyes stung from the many memories of how oddly Izuna had acted prior to his little brother's death. In the way Izuna would smile so softly, of how his eyes were always so empty, of how his touches would linger so affectionately that they became chilling-
"Ani-"
His fists were clenched tightly to prevent any outward signs of his unease, head bowed forward to create shadows to hide his blanched face from view.
Madara recalls every single image, sound, and action with perfect clarity thanks to the properties of his Sharingan and his inborn eidetic memory. It didn't help that the majority of those recollections were distressing; as he often uses his clan's dojutsu for damning purposes.
"-niki?"
He didn't realize he was hyperventilating, bordering on hysteria and someone was touching his shoulder and everything felt like it was too much stop touching him don'ttouchhimhecan'tbreathe -
Madara slammed his palms against the table and pushes himself to his feet, away from those lingering touches and away from the cause of his anxiety. He might have or might have not excused himself properly, but he couldn't focus enough to recall his words or actions as he retreated into his room and crawled pathetically into his wardrobe.
It was foolish to think himself safe just by hiding in such a place. But. But.
Madara scrunches his crimson eyes shut, covers his head with his arms, and subtracts seven from a thousand and continues even as he fades in and out of consciousness.
"One t... thousa... nd... minus se... ven... Nine hun... dred... and... ninet... ty three... m... mi... minus s... seven... Ni... ne... hundr... dred an... and eight... ty s... six...-"
This was all he could do to prevent himself from slipping away from reality. Not yet. Not yet. Not yet. He has far too much at stake to succumb to his shortcomings. He can't. Not yet.
Izuna slammed his forehead against the tabletop and viciously scolded himself for how stupid he had acted. He then glared at his hand, furious that it had betrayed him. If Ryouta had been here, his younger brother would've bitch-slapped him until his face was swollen like a pig's, all the while calling him all sorts of synonyms for idiot.
Not that he didn't deserve to be scolded by the mother hen of their family.
It was shinobi rule 101 to withhold any outside stimuli when someone was experiencing a panic attack as they could react violently (especially if that someone was of Madara's calibre). But, fuck, it had been too painful for Izuna to just sit back and watch as his invincible, unrivaled big brother choke on his breath from a past memory that was, without a doubt, traumatizing.
(What had triggered it? Had it been something he said? Something he did?)
With worry and concern bubbling inside his chest, he suppresses his chakra and silently ran to Madara's bedroom. His hand was hovering hesitatingly over the handle of the door, knowing that Madara has meticulously drawn protective seals inside his room that would no doubt cripple anyone whose chakra signature wasn't registered into the wards.
From his knowledge, those seals had been pretty recent (after that bitch had gotten pregnant). And Izuna hasn't been to Madara's room since then. However, when he recalls the sheer distress in Madara's dazed eyes, Izuna scowls at his own cowardice.
Fuck it.
He would take the risk.
Although he didn't know how to exactly provide comfort, Izuna would learn, dammit. He would not leave Madara alone at such a time (even though it was unlikely, he hopes that Madara has cooled down and was already fine, not needing clumsy Izuna for comfort).
With determination in his eyes, he carefully slid the door open.
The second he planted his feet into the room, it was as if he had just passed through a bubble of sorts. The surrounding sounds disappeared instantaneously as if he had just entered a sound barrier.
When he heard a soft thump from inside the wardrobe, he tilted his head in confusion, scanning the furniture with wary eyes before he shook his head and went back to searching the bedroom for his big brother (now was not the time for Izuna to be curious about the skeletons Madara have hidden in his closet).
When he found no one, Izuna turned on his heels and prepared to leave the room, intending to search the whole house if needed. However, this time, it wasn't just a thump he heard coming from the wardrobe; there was suddenly muffled sounds as well.
It was then did his brain connect the dots.
His blood turned cold at the chilling realization that it was Madara who was letting out such distressing sounds. For someone like Madara to find a sense of safety inside a wardrobe - just like how Takumi found safety in Izuna's futon whenever there was a lightweight storm - was unsettling.
The shock, however, soon turned into protective fury. It spreads from his chest, down his limbs, and Izuna felt a burn in his eyes; the Sharingan spinning to life as his jaws clenched painfully, the veins on his neck bulging.
Izuna has always presumed that Madara has impeccable mental strength, as Madara had never truly broken down in front of him before. Madara was always so strong in front of Izuna and the rest of their younger brothers, always looking unfazed by their world's evils.
The masks he wore completely fooled Izuna, causing him to overlook the burdens and trauma his older brother must be carrying on his shoulders, always suffering in silence. Now he knew better.
He shouldn't have trusted his brother's lame, "I'm fine"s; especially after a confrontation with that bitch Hikari or after Tajima's cruel words and painful abuse - he stupidly believed that nothing could faze his astounding big brother that was Uchiha fucking Madara.
But he should've known better than to allow hero-worship to blind him to this extent. Ryouta was right; why was Izuna so fucking stupid? Madara, despite everything, was still human, for Sage's sake! Why did he forget that crucial fact?!
He had known ever since he was sent to the frontlines by Tajima that Madara had suffered considerably; enough for the average shinobi to break. And the signs, fucking Sage, the obvious signs; the lack of sleep, the lack of appetite, the sheer exhaustion etched onto his features, the refusal to use healing jutsu on himself, the unhealthy fixation to compartmentalize and train and train and train-
Izuna couldn't help the loathing he feels for his pathetic self at ignoring how sickly Madara's mental health was.
He stood frozen with his head bowed in front of the wardrobe, unmoving as he anxiously listens to the muffled sobs and rasps subtractions. He didn't know how to proceed with this. He had been trained to kill, to survive, to follow orders - he had not been trained to offer someone solace.
Ryouta was usually the one who takes care of everyone when Madara was indisposed or on a mission or at the frontlines.
Izuna was terrified right now. He was scared to fuck up. What if with his presence, Madara's mind broke further? From prior observations, the trigger was somehow linked to him. He didn't want to take such a risk, no matter how painful it was for him to stand here and do nothing.
Madara was too important to him - to all his little brothers. Izuna would not be able to forgive himself if his stupidity causes Madara more misery. He could only leave it to Madara to overcome this by himself. Izuna would, however, remain here just in case.
Ryouta had told him, once upon a time, that Madara had taught him a method to counter torture and/or interrogation (to calm down from a panic attack). In order to keep sane, in order to stay mentally strong and wait for reinforcements to show; subtracting numbers was a way to keep a person's mind from being consumed by despair.
It kept the mind thinking, distracted, but never far from reality.
("Anija said that if my mind ever takes a nosedive to escape reality, it would be best to contemplate suicide since I would be near my breaking point, and thus, will be as malleable as sheeps awaiting slaughter. Anija says that the best time to brainwash someone is when they're on the borders of despair. Do you want to learn, nii-san? The best method to control someone is to use the darkness in their hearts - and if there is none, anija said that I'll just have to make it. By then, I'll have loyal minions under my command. Anija was even kind enough to give me a couple of subjects to experiment on before we shipped them off. It just proves how fragile the human mind is."
Izuna wisely kept his silence, sweating heavily when Ryouta began laughing wickedly, 'kufufufufu's leaving his lips. Izuna just patted his not-so-innocent little brother on the head before finding an excuse to change topics.)
For Madara to resort to such a method, Izuna trembled - from rage or distress, he didn't know.
Had Madara been tortured before? Had Madara been held captive before? Had Madara experienced such despair before that he created such a technique to prevent himself from falling into insanity?
Many such questions were revolving inside his head. However, the one that stood out was; when had such a likely scenario happen?
Ryouta had been taught this technique when Madara was still a teenager - still in the midst of puberty.
And that realization was nauseating.
Had it been Tajima all along? Had their former clan head abused Madara, physically, emotionally, and mentally, to such an extent? And if so, why had he not told Izuna anything? Did Madara not trust him to bear such a burden with him? Or was it because Madara lacks self-care?
Madara, as Ryouta and Izuna have noted, tended to forget that he, too, needed to eat, to sleep, to care for his health just as much as he cares for his little brother's.
It showed just how incompetent Izuna was at protecting his beloved older brother.
And Izuna being Izuna, was not good at taking care of someone - it has always been Madara who was their rock, the person who raised them, who glues them together, who keeps them safe from their nightmares and their fucker of a father (he wishes he knew a jutsu to revive the dead; just so he could kill that bastard again).
With clenched fists, nails biting harshly into his palms and teeth sinking deep into the flesh of his bottom lip, he ignores the welling blood and places his forehead on the wardrobe's door, angry and hateful tears rolling down his cheeks as his Sharingan continues to spin and spin and spin and spin-
Madara pretended that yesterday did not happen and all was well.
Come dawn, after he woke up from a restless sleep inside his wardrobe, he cleaned himself thoroughly and left his bedroom with his usual expression of indifference, clad in his typical attire that - with the exception of his face - showed no visible parts of his skin.
And if his hair was covering more of his face, shadowing the exhaustion from being seen, well, his untamable mane performs such feats on its own sometimes.
"You're up early, otouto," Madara moved past Izuna and sat on his usual zabuton at the kitchen table. The younger Uchiha only looked at him with bleary eyes, as if not yet awake enough to do anything but blink.
Seeing that the sun has only just begun to rise, Madara had been prepared to wait for hours for Izuna to wake up. But to his surprise, Izuna - a person who prefers to sleep in - was already awake and the table set, the food still warm. As soon as Madara took his seat, Izuna automatically and absent-mindedly pours a cup of tea for him.
"Thank you," He murmured with a smile, albeit faintly.
"Hn," Izuna grunted, yawning not a second later.
Directly after Madara began to eat (the food tasted like ash on his tongue and bile at the back of his throat), his little brother lethargically made a grab for his chopsticks and immediately started to shovel rice into his mouth after he manages to hold the wooden utensils properly.
It was their family tradition, of sorts, that his little brothers would only eat after Madara has taken a bite. And it was Ryouta who had started such a practice. Izuna went along with it after much grumbling, whilst the twins grew up thinking this was normal.
At that time, Madara had just looked at Ryouta with unconcealed pride at his little brother's devious manipulation, knowing that Madara's primary weakness was his brothers - the loveable brat had found a way to force Madara to eat without actually acting upon the desire.
("We won't eat until you eat, anija," Ryouta didn't even bat an eyelash as he slapped the chopsticks out of Izuna's hand, ignoring the outraged cries their middle brother let loose at his audacity.
"What the fuck, Ryouta?!"
"Quiet, nii-san. The adults are having an important discussion right now."
And much to Madara's amusement, Izuna looked ready to jump across the table and strangle Ryouta with his bare hands.
"Who the fuck are you calling a kid you cocknose motherfucking ass badgering fuckwit of a fuckbucket cunt shithouse-"
Madara truly wishes to know who the fuck taught Izuna such words so he could kill that knobheaded bastard with a dessert spoon.
The youngest at the table ignored Izuna's amazing repertoire of cusses to turn to the eldest, a shrewd glint appearing in those pair of onyx eyes, contradicting much with his gentle expression.
"What are you waiting for, anija? You better eat if you don't want us to starve. I don't care even if it's a small portion - I want you to eat before you collapse."
Izuna scrunches up his nose, "We're playing chicken with aniki now? Oh, great." Turning to Madara, Izuna was quick to push his chopsticks into his older brother's glove-clad hands, "Hurry up, aniki. I wouldn't put it past Ryou-teme to actually starve ore-sama to death. Our oh so 'adorable' otouto doesn't give two shits about me, after all."
Madara only huffed out a chuckle, amused at Izuna's grumbling and Ryouta's smug smile. With eyes filled with admiration, he brought the rice to his lips and finally ate after a few days of refusal. Surprisingly enough, he was able to taste the flavor of the food and not blood or ash on his tongue.)
It started from that day forth, and this tradition was viciously enforced by Ryouta. Izuna may whine at times, but in the end, even when Ryouta was not home, he would follow the 'rule' and glare at Madara until the older Uchiha ate. The twins followed their examples like ducks to water.
Shaking his head to rid himself of the nostalgic memory, Madara discreetly scrutinizes the younger Uchiha, his eyebrows furrowing in worry at what he saw.
Izuna appeared worn out, his skin color a shade paler than normal and there were even stress lines between his eyebrows. For someone who cares religiously about his own appearance, his little brother seemed to have changed overnight, his hair was disheveled and he looked as if he had a terrible burden placed upon his shoulders.
Madara did not like it, not one bit.
Izuna was not supposed to be like Madara; always withdrawn, constantly exhausted, and consistently dour. Izuna was supposed to be his opposite; always grinning, always playful, always filled with energy and cheer. Madara was unable to accept this sudden change of demeanor.
So Madara became the first to break this unsettling silence, his voice conveying his concern even if his face was impassive, "What has your head in the clouds, otouto? You are not usually this quiet. Should I be worried?"
Izuna was too much of a shinobi to flinch, but Madara did catch the telltales of surprise and unease; as if Izuna was caught off guard by his question or was uncomfortable with Madara's penetrative eyes that were digging holes into the side of his face.
"'m just tired is all, aniki," The younger Uchiha avoided Madara's gaze by focusing on his breakfast, that nerve-racking soft smile making its appearance once again, "What with all the damage control and public relations that I'm doing."
There was an offer to shoulder those burdens for him on the tip of Madara's tongue, hating that his reformation of the clan was affecting his brother's sleeping schedule, but before those words could leave his lips, he swallowed them down. It wouldn't do to continue babying Izuna despite how much Madara wants to.
Izuna was already eighteen, going nineteen years old. Not to mention that he was an outstanding shinobi who holds the title of the Uchiha clan's heir. Madara should not interfere unless the younger Uchiha asks him for help, nor should he take back the tasks he had assigned to Izuna - tasks that played to his younger brother's strength, at that.
His offer would only insinuate that his brilliant younger brother has no ability to handle clan matters. It would be insulting for both of them if he proposed such a thing.
"Are they going well?" Was what he decided on. Perhaps Izuna had encountered a difficult problem, hence all the brooding. Madara wouldn't mind giving out a few bits of advice if that was the case.
"No complications as of late. Although tension is still running high and everyone is fearful after losing so many of our clansmen in one night... don't worry, aniki, I'm working on it."
"Hn. Is there no other issues to report?"
"Well, our civilians are beginning to get restless. It's been quite some time since we've put the whole compound on lockdown, aniki. I think we'll need to give them some kind of news or time duration, or they'll likely start finding ways to avoid the patrols just to get some fresh air."
Madara placed an elbow on the table and rested his cheek on a fist, brows furrowed as he listens to Izuna's report. The reason for why the Uchiha compound was currently on lockdown mode was because Madara wanted to prevent leaks. News of the Uchiha clan undergoing a reform would bring danger to their doors.
Although Madara was confident that he could repel even a battalion, he did not want to risk the lives of his people since there would no doubt be collateral damages.
"Announce that the gates will be open within a week from tomorrow. That should be enough time to tie up any loose ends. What of our soldiers? Do you believe that they will engage in mutiny?
Izuna has long set his chopsticks aside, now rubbing his chin in thought.
"This may come to a surprise to you, aniki, but the younger soldiers all worship the fucking ground you walk on, no joke. I know this because we often go out for drinks whenever we can afford to - and I forbid you from drinking with them, aniki. They're dangerous... for many reasons that I won't elaborate - they seriously look up to you. Especially after you've pulled out those who are below fourteen from the frontlines and allocated them to the mission roster rather than the army.
As for the majority of the older soldiers, they are wary. They revere your strength, but at the same time, they fear you would turn such power against them. They wouldn't stand a chance. Again, I'm still working on changing their opinions, but to answer your question... The chances of an uprising are low."
Madara, whilst looking at his little brother as if he was crazy, wonders if he should really trust Izuna's judgment on this.
He earnestly doubts that any of his clansmen 'worship' Madara for being Madara. The proof of how disliked he was were the streets of their compound. The crowd would always part as if his body contains a plague and people would begin whispering behind their hands as he walks by - and as of late, they would even avoid his gaze.
Deciding that he would give his younger brother the benefit of the doubt (a very, very minuscule amount), he slowly nodded.
"Anything else to report about?"
"Yeah. A few more."
"Are any of them urgent?"
"No, not really. Just fucking annoying."
"Hn. Then just place them on my desk."
Unexpectedly, Izuna suddenly raises a hand and rubbed at his face angrily (once again, there was that damnable soft smile on his face). Madara quirks a brow, tilting his head to the side in askance.
"Izuna...?"
"Is it ok if I just give verbal reports for now, aniki? I'm kinda tight with my schedule right now. I don't have the time."
All expression fled from Madara's face, and his body language showed that he had distanced himself from the overly indulgent big brother persona of his. Izuna seemed to straighten his spine, probably shooked by the abrupt change in demeanor, and lowered his eyes, as if not daring to look Madara in the eye.
Guilt. Nervousness. Stress. Unease. Indecision.
Those were the emotions Madara could pick out from Izuna's body language alone.
No matter how much of an exceptional shinobi Izuna was, Madara has decades worth of experience on him. Apart from the bijuus and the summon bosses, Madara was, mentally, one of the oldest living beings on this planet (even older than Kakuzu).
Furrowing his brows - Madara compartmentalizes to ensure that he would not have a repeat of yesterday - he activates his Sharingan, unwilling to miss out on any subconscious tells Izuna would let out as he probes his younger brother for answers.
His paranoia of Zetsu possessing Izuna was debilitating, therefore he would keep those feelings in a tight box in his mind and push it into a corner for now.
"What are you hiding from me, Izuna?"
A barely visible scrunching of the nose, the slight quickening of his breath, the increase of heartbeat, and the way his muscles bunched up - as if wanting to escape.
The harsh beating of Izuna's pulse was almost deafening in this silence.
After five minutes without a response, Madara stood up (ignoring the way the younger Uchiha flinches), circled around the table, and reached out to pinch Izuna's chin, forcing his brother to look him in the eye. Izuna looked as if he wanted to turn his eyes away from Madara's fully matured Sharingan, but fortunately, he didn't.
Madara would've truly lost his temper if he did.
"Is this about the treaty?"
Izuna's lips were repeatedly opening and closing as if he wanted to speak, but was too nervous to actually do so. However, he didn't need to. With the help of his Sharingan, it was easy for Madara to discern a person's response in a closed-ended question. Micro-expressions, eye movements, and body language were telling.
Izuna's answer was a no. But Madara didn't allow himself to feel relief just yet. He needed to probe deeper. So he shot question after question without waiting for Izuna to verbalize his responses.
"Are you distrustful of the Senju?"
Yes.
"Do you believe that they would not uphold their part of the agreement after an alliance is signed?"
Yes.
"Is it due to your hatred for them?"
No.
"Is it because you are wary of them?"
Yes.
"Was your vote to an armistice with the Senju influenced by another's?"
Yes.
"Is that person on the council?"
Yes.
"One of the elders?"
No.
"One of my advisors?"
No.
"Me?"
Yes.
"Have you been hearing any voices in your head as of late?"
No.
"Other than my eyes, have you had the feeling of being watched as of late?"
Yes.
"Is it inside the compound?"
No.
"Is it during missions?"
Yes.
"Have you seen any dark, humanoid shadows flickering just at your peripherals?"
Yes.
"Is it during missions?"
Yes.
"Does it happen inside the compound?"
No.
"Does this worry you?"
Yes.
"Is that shadow the reason why you have been acting out of it starting from three days ago?"
No.
"Is it about the tasks I have assigned you?"
No.
"Is your change of behavior due to a clan matter?"
No.
"Is your change of behavior due to a family matter?"
No.
"Is your change of behavior due to a personal problem?"
Yes.
Madara releases his grip on Izuna's chin and returned to his seat across from his brother. His tea has long gone cold, but with a simple manipulation of his chakra, he heated the liquid and brought the cup to his lips. Izuna was giving him a kicked puppy look with a mixture of bafflement.
It was cute.
Turning away from Izuna, Madara concentrated on the bitter taste of his matcha tea whilst pondering on the answers he has received.
From the short interrogation, he has concluded that Izuna has not been influenced by Dokuzetsu (thank the Sage).
The shadow sightings were troubling... However, the seal Madara has sneakily placed on all of his little brothers seemed to be working properly. It was a seal to prevent mental intrusions, inked just at the base of their head, out of sight and covered by their thick mop of hair.
For the short term, whilst he was busy with figuring out which plan he should use to lure out Dokuzetsu, he would assign Izuna more duties that could be completed within the compound. The twins, as well, since they were more vulnerable than anyone else in his family.
Dokuzetsu's plans were usually distasteful (like Madara's), so it was rather easy for him to place himself in that entity's shoes.
If he was Dokuzetsu, killing the twins and pinning their deaths on the Senju would definitely be the go-to option. It would be too easy to hire some random, no-name shinobi mercenaries, get them to wear the Senju headband, and give them intel to plan a successful ambush on the twins.
The alliance would be shredded even before it could blossom.
Madara would also be susceptible to manipulate if he was blinded by anger, grief, and hatred.
As for Ryouta... Well, there was no need to worry about Ryouta.
"Aniki...?"
At Izuna's tentative call, Madara set aside his cup and gave his attention to the younger Uchiha.
"What is it?"
Izuna studied him for a moment, and after confirming that Madara was back to normal, he slouched forward and dropped his elbows loudly on the table. Izuna didn't even bother to hide his sigh of relief as he wiped his sweaty forehead with the sleeve of his kimono.
"What was that about, aniki?"
"... You worried me."
He decided to be (somewhat) honest.
Madara felt extremely bad for using such an intimidating method to scare the answers out of Izuna. But he also felt that it had been a necessity. He dared not take any chances when Izuna fell into such a familiar pattern. After all, he has already lost Izuna to Dokuzetsu's plots before.
When Izuna only looked away, his hair shadowing his features, Madara drooped.
"I'm sorry, Izuna. I didn't mean to frighten you."
This time, it was Izuna who stands abruptly to circle the table and drop to his knees in front of Madara.
Before he could react, Izuna wrapped his arms around Madara's shoulders and nuzzled against his chest. Madara didn't hesitate to pull Izuna closer, burying his nose into Izuna's hair and closing his eyes as he inhales his brother's comforting scent.
"Baka aniki. You should've just told me that from the beginning. I hid my problem 'cause I didn't want to upset you. If I knew you would react so negatively, I wouldn't have done something so fucking counterproductive. I'm sorry, aniki. Just... Next time... Just tell me, ok?"
"Nn," Madara's lips curved into a smile, relieved that Izuna wasn't upset with him. It would be devastating if Izuna started to fear him.
"Do you trust me?"
("Don't you trust me?")
Madara scrunches his nose at the sudden appearance of that memory.
He hated how this would occur sometimes. His mind would play tricks on him, forcing him to hear voices that were long gone or from another lifetime. This would happen whenever he lets his guard down, the memories of his past life would haunt him, just like how the red moon constantly hangs over his head.
Barely batting an eyelid, he stuffs the memory into his mental box that contains most of his darkness.
"Of course I do."
"Then... can we talk about what happened yesterday?"
Madara tightened his arms around his precious little brother, voice soft as he responded, "Another day, otouto. Another day."
"Ok. I won't force you, aniki. But, just remember... I'll always be here if you need me. Whenever. Day or night. Okay?" Madara nodded, patting the Uchiha heir's back twice before letting go. The brothers separated from their hug, but Izuna did not move far. He sat back on his haunches, narrowing his eyes at his clan head. "You questioned about hearing voices, being watched, and shadows. How did you know I've been feeling eyes on me and seeing shadows?"
Madara's face was impassive, giving nothing away, "How long have they been going on for?"
Izuna pouted, "You can't answer a question with another question, aniki!"
"I just did," He drawled.
"Tch," Grumpily crossing his arms, Izuna clicks his tongue, "It's been about a month since I've felt eyes on me. The shadows, however, was only once. During my last mission outside the compound. Now can you answer my question?"
"Hn. I see. Tell me, Izuna, why have you been behaving oddly over the past three days?"
"What the fucking Sage, aniki. Seriously?" When Madara blinked his eyes innocently, Izuna threw his hands into the air and groaned, "I'm so telling Ryouta on you! He'll continue to pester you until you answer all our questions!"
The older of the duo only smirked, causing Izuna to grit his teeth at how infuriatingly smug it looked. It took a few moments to pacify Izuna enough for his little brother to wind down, but after he did, Izuna went back to being nervous.
"You know how I de-stress, right?"
"Drinking alcohol and visiting prostitutes. Yes, I know." Madara answered frankly, not caring to sugarcoat his words since Takumi and Yakumi weren't here. Izuna, on the other hand, choked, looking at Madara in horror.
"I visit prostitutes to gather intel, aniki! Intel!" Izuna all but shrieked, cheeks and ears aflamed as he covered his face with his hands, looking beyond mortified.
"Mhm. If you say so," Madara calmly takes a sip of his tea to prevent himself from cooing at his younger brother's sheer adorableness.
As soon as Izuna was calm enough to talk without exploding into a bundle of embarrassment, he poured himself a cup of tea before continuing, "There's this pub I visit whenever I go out to have a drink. I met someone there."
That made Madara's eyebrows shoot towards his hairline.
"You have a lover?"
Izuna was quick to wave his hand back and forth as if he was shooing off a fly, voice extremely dry, "No. We're not in a romantic relationship. She has a partner."
"Get to the point, Izuna."
"Ok, just. Let me... ugh fuck."
Izuna raked a hand through his hair in agitation, clearly trying to find the right words to describe their relationship. Madara was extremely curious. If they weren't lovers, then it should be friends, no? What was so hard about admitting to that?
"I, uhm, I get invited into their bed a lot."
Madara did a spit take.
Izuna, completely unprepared for that response, was drenched from head to toe in matcha tea. The two brothers stared at each other in silence, equally too shocked to do anything but that. As soon as Madara regained his bearings, however, he quickly set his cup aside and began to apologetically wipe his younger brother's face with the sleeve of his mantle.
"That..." Madara hesitated, unsure of how to ask his question. And frankly, it was downright embarrassing to have such a conversation with his younger brother, "You're a grown man, Izuna. I don't wish to tell you what to do and what not to do. However, do you think it is wise to have an affair with both parties? Or to partake in homewrecking?" He could see how this would affect Izuna's behavior if that were the case.
"No, no, aniki! You got it wrong!" Izuna quickly denies, half-heartedly swatting at his brother's hovering hands to keep them away from his face, "They're in an open relationship." At the utterly confused expression on Madara's face, Izuna kindly elaborated, "The both of them gave each other the ok to have sex with another person. So it's not considered cheating. Because when I'm having sex with one of them, the other is there too - either to watch or to participate in a threesome. And I don't mind either way 'cause I kind of like being watched when I fuck someone and it feels good... so..."
By the end of Izuna's short explanation, Madara's face was hot enough to cook eggs on (he did not need to know that Izuna was into exhibitionism, thank you very much!). Despite being over a century old, Madara was something of a prude. Or rather, due to his avoidance with anything sexual, he was oblivious to such matters. So it was a shock for him to hear that such a relationship could exist.
He knew of men having concubines and multiple wives, of threesomes and foursomes and how many other somes, but even then, it was frowned upon to engage in adultery. To have sexual relationships after vowing to stay faithful. Hence, it was completely unexpected for Madara to hear that this couple Izuna was acquainted with went ahead and sought other people to be their bedmate.
He felt that his understanding of human relationships was inadequate when compared to his sybarite of a little brother. And as if his brain was malfunctioning, the image of Tobirama suddenly appeared, a smirk playing on the albino's lips as the Senju laughs at his naivety-
"O-oh," He cleared his throat, suddenly uncomfortable, "I suppose it's alright if it's consensual... It is consensual, right?"
"Yeah. All three of us agreed to it verbally. And I even told them that at any time they wish for me to stop touching their partner, I would back the fuck off." Izuna reassures, his eyes softening slightly as he gazes at his fidgeting older brother.
"Alright. I understand. What I don't understand is the connection between your odd behavior and your sexual endeavors?"
Izuna laughed, scratching the back of his head sheepishly, "I kinda knocked them up."
What.
"I beg your pardon?" All his embarrassment fled at the face of sheer disbelief, "Did I hear you just say you've impregnated someone?"
"Two someones, actually," His idiot of a little brother corrected needlessly.
What.
"What?" He deadpanned out loud.
"The couple that I've told you about...? They're both women. So... Yeah... Pleasedon'tbemadanddon'tkillme?" Izuna's voice trailed off into a meek squeak.
"Uchiha Izuna," Madara scowled, his baritone stern and chiding, "What did I say about the art of bastard breeding?"
"Not to?" Izuna laughed sheepishly.
"And you went ahead and mastered it anyway. Wow. Amazing."
The sarcasm made Izuna wince.
The older Uchiha suddenly smiled.
The younger Uchiha blanched and broke out in cold sweat at that smile.
"Uhm, aniki? You're giving out Ryouta-vibes."
"Uchiha Izuna. You have three seconds to come up with a satisfactory reason for me not to disembowel you. 3."
"B-Because you love me...?"
Izuna cautiously pushes himself to his feet, onyx eyes flicking about as he calculated the best escape route to use.
"2."
Madara's onyx eyes had a deadly glint to them.
"1."
Izuna bolted out of the house as if the devil was at his heels; which was somewhat true as, not a second later, Madara was chasing after him with a chopstick in hand, brandished like a weapon, and yelling obscenities that would make even a sailor blush.
As soon as he catches that fucking brat, Madara would hang him by his toes and give a five-hour lecture about safe sex.
A/N:
I'm glad that many of you did enjoy Itama's POV (´∀`)! Hehehe. All of those comments made me really happy. As a result, I've actually prepared a whole chapter dedicated to Itama's training. Are you guys interested in reading about the suffering Itama will have to endure in the hands of our sadistic Uchiha patriarch ʕ￫ᴥ￩ʔ?
Now then... I'm proud to announce that Chapter 22 is officially the end of the first arc of The Moon is White. The Konoha Arc commences the next chapter. I can't thank you enough for all of the support you, my dear readers, have given me m(；∇；)m. Seriously, without all of your feedback and encouragements, I would have never gotten this far. So, really, thank you (ღ˘⌣˘ღ). To show my gratitude, I made this chapter extra long and pumped them full with feels and silliness *⌒ヾ(-ε・*)
Current age of the main casts:
Madara and Hashirama are both 21
Tobirama is 20
Izuna is 19
Ryouta and Kawarama are both 16
Itama is 15
Takumi and Yakumi are both 10
The ages are not wholly accurate. I've calculated the events by the year rather than the months. So, technically, Madara hasn't actually reached 21 years old because his birthday is on the 24th of December, which means he's 20.5 years old right now? Hahaha (ﾉ≧ڡ≦).
Madara's recap of the events thus far:
Died, woke up, and activated his new body's Mangekyō due to the bombardment of traumatic memories.
Age 5 - Ryouta's birth.
Age 6 - Began collecting and indoctrinating pawns. Began training carrier pigeons. Began making discreet and deliberate changes to improve the Uchiha clan's quality of life.
Age 8 - Started low-key conditioning his younger brothers to distance themselves from their parents. Inculcate clan loyalty and ideas of peace to younger brothers.
Age 10 - Established a spy network.
Age 11 - Become acquainted with Tobirama. Takumi and Yakumi's birth.
Age 13 - Saw Hashirama for the first time. Izuna's first time at the frontlines against the Senju.
Age 15 - Saved Itama and became his shishou. Began Ryouta's T&I training.
Age 17 - Arranged marriage. Gave Tobirama his facial tattoos.
Age 18 - Became acquainted with Hashirama at Sora-ku.
Age 20 - Talked to Hikari about cohabitation. Hikari's betrayal. Butsuma's death.
Age 21 - Killed Tajima. Purged 1/4 of the clan. Reformed the council. Enacted new regulations and policies and discarded many outdated traditions and laws. Made preparations to form an alliance with the Senju. Found out that Izuna has mastered the art of bastard breeding.
End of 'Childhood' Arc.
P.S. I'm taking a vote! Tell me, my dear readers: Would you prefer Madara to have a daughter or a son? Don't worry about this affecting the plot╭( ･ㅂ･)و!
P.P.S. Idk why my plot-bunnies inserted a lot of babies into this fic when I don't know a single thing about raising children ┐( -"-)┌