There was a brisk rain storm during the night. Bringing in a cool wind and a sense of relief to the village. Rain storms would come and go and each time they arrived was like a blessing to the farmers and their crops. Tsubaki smiled as she listened to the rain outside while she was mixing herbs into a green paste.
It has been one day since the Uchiha brothers left their village. Madara was well enough to travel, but he had to restrict himself or else risk further damage to his wounds. Tsubaki had did her job as a healer and saw it best that Madara limit his fighting, but who was she to tell a skilled warrior what he can and cannot do? If anything, Madara would just do as he pleases regardless of what she said anyway.
'He is by far the most stubborn man I have ever had the pleasure of meeting.' She thought as she placed the green paste in small jars. Her smile at the thought of the eldest Uchiha brother had filled her with some amusement. He was someone whom had come into her life by a random chance, but she was glad that he was able to recover under her care.
During that time, it seemed both adults had come to some understanding. But Madara Uchiha was a man of mystery and danger. The life of a shinobi was dangerous, that Tsubaki knew. Most of her patients were ninja coming from the front lines. Most struggling to survive their wounds. Tsubaki was very hopeful that Madara made a full recovery, making her more confident in her works. A healer could look to her past mistakes and make up for them in the next patient. Though, there was something about Madara that made him different from her patients.
Tsubaki wiped the sweat from her forehead and sighed heavily. The paste had to set for an hour if she wanted it to maintain its smooth and gooey texture. Her hands were colored a light green and feeling a bit sticky, which she was used to after so many years. Right next to her was a pitcher of water and bowl for her to use. When she cleaned her hands and the table, Tsubaki looked to the empty vase that once had one lone flower occupying it.
Her heart fluttered mad and her cheeks felt warm to the touch thinking about where the missing flower went and the meaning behind such a plant.
Flowers came in all shapes and colors, and each had a fragrance that was not like the other. Tsubaki would find a flower that fit the personality of her patients and she believes that Madara fit one particular flower: gladiolus.
"The meaning suited him well." She said to herself with a small smile. Did I just think that?!
"Flowers always have meaning much like what herbs have when used in a person's body." Tokiko spoke as she entered the room.
Tsubaki chuckled lightly to herself not knowing that the older healer was standing by the door. More then likely she heard what Tsubaki said when she thought she was alone.
"That may be true, but whatever you are thinking old crow, that flower had a different meaning then what you may think." She turned around to see her old mentor with a basket full of clean cloth in her hands. The older woman held a smile on her aging face.
"It may not be so hard to believe that you had admired the Uchiha leader. Everyone in this village has been speaking loudly about you. My Tsubaki has made some kind of impression on the strong and ruthless Uchiha leader." Tokiko teased making Tsubaki till her eyes.
When she found out that Madara wanted to take her to their village to be their healer, Tsubaki was willing to go on her own will. It was flattery really, but could be considered an honor to heal one of the strongest clans in the land. But when Madara returned to get Izuna, he said that in time he would request for Tsubaki to go to his village. It confused her but she acknowledged Madara's words. Either way, he was healed and ready to return to the fight.
"I was only doing what you taught me you old crow. If you think there was something more between us, you can go jump in the cold river." Tsubaki walked towards her and grabbed the basket.
"Is it rather hard to believe that Lord Uchiha has high respect for you? It is an honor for him to request for you to travel with him. It might make him realize that you may be the one." Tokiko chuckled at the thought. A grand marriage. A beautiful Tsubaki. Grandchildren!
Tsubaki twitched an eye at the older woman's fantasy and threw a piece of clothing at her. Of all things to talk about, Tokiko wants to continue to be match maker.
"Can you stop trying to make something out of nothing?" Tsubaki sighed as she placed the basket in the table. Her mind racing at the thought which she could not deny Madara to be a rather handsome man. He was her former patient. There was a strict rule that Tsubaki could not cross, at least not again. The last time hurt her and she was not going to make that mistake again.
"Can you try to be happy with life? When I was your age, I was the best healer and I had plenty of lovers." Tsubaki gagged knowing well that Tokiko liked to talk about her escapades as a younger woman. All the lovers she had, the many proposes, and the prospect of marriage. But, there was no man who could be with Tokiko.
"Madara is a man who is not bound to one soul." Tsubaki stated. She is not one to gossip or to talk very much about men, but there was something special of not stranger about Madara Uchiha that she could not stop talking about. She mentally scolded herself that she was talking about a man like a teenaged girl would talk about a boy they had a crush on.
Stop it, Tsubaki. You are not thirteen again.
"Lady Asumi believes she can get her hands on him. But so does her father." Of coarse, that spoiled brat of a woman.
"She blames me for Lord Uchiha's sudden leave. What was I supposed to do for his current status? Leave him to die? The nerve of that woman." Thinking about the village leaders daughter had left a bad taste in Tsubaki's mouth. When the Uchiha brother's were walking out the gates, Asumi was too late to say her goodbye. Tsubaki had giving Madara a flower in hopes it brought him strength and Maybe remembrance of her, but she could not hold the shinobi in such a high regard.
Asumi was frustrated and took her anger out on Tsubaki. Unfortunately, for Asumi, Tsubaki left her again to wallow in her own woes. She had other patients to care for and no matter what Asumi shouted to her was only water under the bridge.
"Lady Asumi is only jealous of your bond with Lord Uchiha." Tokiko was truly grabbing at straws.
"There is nothing between us nor will there ever be. Now, can we bring these clean clothes to our patients. I am sure they will love a fresh smell."
Tokiko shook her head at the unwillingness of Tsubaki's heart. She knew deep down, Tsubaki missed the stubborn Lord Uchiha.
But like every light hearted moment that seemed to bring a sense of clarity, a dark looming cloud would bring a sudden thunderstorm. What Tsubaki could not have imagined with all her life was to heal a man that has much blood on their hands as Madara Uchiha.
"Lady Tokiko! Lady Tsubaki!" Shouted Ami as she entered the room, startling the two women.
"Come outside, quickly. We have another wounded shinobi!" Ami was breathing hard, her hands covered in blood. Tsubaki looked to Tokiko and knew that life as a healer does not stop, no matter how much her heart yearns to find love.
Shinobi were meant to show no emotion in the face of the enemy. Everything was meant to be calculated. You had to be a step ahead or else risk failing. Dying was an aspect of war and casualties were expected in the coming looming days. Their hearts were meant to be hardened by perfected skill and years of training. Shinobi could not risk a simple slip of a nerve in their face. The rules were difficult to follow but with correct teaching, the shinobi could master a stoic face.
One could say Madara has perfected all the shinobi training in his young life. A master who only wished to become stronger then the God's themselves. He was skilled, powerful, and dangerous. Maybe it was the reason many of their clansman looked to Madara for guidance and support. Izuna always looked up to his only elder brother, because of those traits. Through long training sessions and having days where training would be done with, Izuna could see that strength in him. A true master of the ninja art, but Madara was holding something back from him. In the following days since he was left to recover, Madara seemed occupied. Around strangers in another village not their own, he let himself feel reserved.
Izuna cared deeply for his elder brother. He knew the blind shinobi had yet to leave his mind. If anything, Madara would hunt him down like a wild animal. But, there was something else that made Izuna curious.
The love and strong bond between them had pushed both Uchiha brothers through unthinkable odds. That one encounter with the blind shinobi had scarred Madara in many ways. Its such a tragic sight to think that Madara was at the level of the God's. Izuna and those who have fought him knew the true natural power possessed by him. Being struck down in the battlefield could have a heavy toll on a shinobi's pride.
Walking to a stream, Madara and Izuna stopped to rest. They knew how far their village was and how long it will take to get there. With Lady Tsubaki's healing, Madara still had to keep himself from getting seriously hurt. Tsubaki's words Izuna knew that Madara had taken Lady Tsubaki's words to heart, even if he won't admit it.
"How are your wounds, brother?" Izuna asked.
Madara bent to one leg in front of the stream. Dipping his hands in to catch water to drink, Izuna waited a moment for his brother to feel refreshed. "I am fine, Izuna."
"If you say so." Izuna watched his brother's back while his ears were attentive to their surroundings. Being out in the open required cautious and fast instinct. Ambush was definite in such a place. Shinobi had to choose their rest stops and not stay their for long periods of time.
"Do not place your concerns on my wounds." Madara spoke. Even though he did not want to speak it, the pain in his side was growing. It frustrated the skilled man that he was left to stop and rest his already trained body. No man should have to stop for anything when they were in great haste.
Izuna knew better then to counter his brother. Madara was still the oldest, but his body seemed to want to give out any moment. Maybe a moment's rest is what they needed. They were close to the Uchiha compound and there, both brother's could be among their own.
"You know the elders are going to ask you about the village we occupied for your recovery." Izuna spoke, watching Madara take another sip of water from his hands. "And about the shinobi that attacked you- attacked us."
Madara's blood boiled at the memory. "They will ask many questions. They always do. The shinobi that made me feel weak will be found and killed."
Izuna smiled, but could not help but wonder about something. "The shinobi was blind. One would think not to put him in the middle of a war, not even the Senju's. That shinobi is more then what we saw there."
"That shinobi will die by my own hand and nothing will come from his death." Madara breathed in slowly. The fresh cool air filling his sore lungs as they expanded.
"Did you not listen to what I just said brother? I know you fear him or at least he has effected you in some sense." Madara glared back to his brother. Izuna stated hard not backing down from his brother's intense red eyes. His sharingan ready to battle over wounded pride.
Izuna spoke out of line, but it was the truth. Not that Madara would admit to it. Fear? That shinobi was one of so few that could even touch Madara let alone wound him. It wasn't fear. It wasn't fear! It was something more. It was finding the answers as to who and why the shinobi went after him.
"Forgive me brother." Izuna began to speak, but Madara grunted turning away.
"Sometimes I wish I was the only child in our family." Madara said. "But, after losing our other siblings, I am proud to have you Izuna. I should be the one protecting you, but it seems you always are the one protecting me."
Izuna grinned at his elder brother. "Going soft, are we Madara? Lady Tsubaki must have had some effect on you."
Madara flicked some water towards his younger brother in a playful manner. Madara will not admit to it and maybe will not admit it to himself as well, but Tsubaki was in his mind for some stranger reason. Either way, both Uchiha brothers were closer to home now. All will be right and soon enough Madara will have Tsubaki in his village one way or another despite what Koga says.
"Let us leave now before we are ambushed." Madara said making Izuna nod his head in approval.
Sometime later in their journey, both Uchiha brothers came across a bloody scene. Bodies rotting away in the heat of the sun. The stench of death lingering in their nostrils. The vultures swooping down upon the dead, feasting away at decaying flesh and bone. Both brothers could see a battle occurred between two opposing sides.
Madara inspected further into the battlefield. He was trying to see who these men belonged to. There should be flags of their clans, but it seems there was nothing to identify them. It was nothing more then a graveyard of unidentified men from clans fighting among each other.
Izuna wanted to get away from this stench or else he would be smelling it for weeks. His eyes scanned every body or at least what was left of it. The human body can decay rather quickly due to nature herself. But something else wasn't right about this scene. Izuna just could not put his foot on it.
"We found this battle scene not to long ago." Bother Izuna and Madara held their defense at the voice.
"Forgive me Lord Uchiha, I did not mean to come from the shadows and close to death." Ikko raised his hands in the air as he walked out of the bushes. Madara was not pleased by being snuck up on. His anger and chakra levels rose causing Ikko (and Izuna) to look with caution at the Uchiha leader.
"Why did you hide yourself, Ikko. Speak quickly before you end up as one of the dead." Madara spoke with heavy venom in his words.
"This scene was from two low level clans. But that was not what we found that interested us." Ikko looked behind him and two shinobi from the Uchiha clan came out from hiding with something that made Madara tense for a split second. A blade that was curved and one he has seen before.
"That shinobi was here and that is not what else we found, Lord Uchiha. There are bodies of Senju ninja that we recovered. Whatever happened here was between the blind shinobi and the Senju. Tobirama Senju was here." Madara would have split the earth with his rage hearing Ikko's report.
"Why?!" Was all Madara could say out of anger.
"We…We do not know Lord Uchiha. We only came upon this scene not long after the battle. The blind shinobi and Tobimara Senju are not among the dead. But we have the blind shinobi's sword, which you are not pleased with." Izuna threw a warning glare at Ikko who smiled like a sly fox.
Izuna sighed heavily and walked towards his brother. There was no telling how long it was going to take to calm him, and it seems Madara was trying to hid his pained expression on his face. Madara just could not miss a fight between his enemies. But, knowing that one of the blades from the blind shinobi was within their grasp was not a victory. He was still out there and knowing how strong Tobirama was, he had to be injured. Though, Madara wanted to land a blow on him, it was enough for Izuna to know that their enemy was injured and recovering somewhere.
Could he have found his way to Lady Tsubaki? Izuna looked to Madara who seemed to have thought the same by the look of his face.
Ikko looked between brother with a confused and relieved look on his face. He could never understand what the two brother were thinking. It was like they shared a mind! But he froze when Madara looked to him with a stern and cold state. This isn't going to be good.
"I have a mission for you, Ikko."
Shit.
Author's Note: Oh my! I am so sorry for the late chapter guys. My life is rather hectic and trying to get a chapter out seems to be impossible to do. Adult life can be sucky sometimes, but believe me when I say this that I have not abandoned this story. It has been on my mind for a couple of weeks when I am working and even doing workouts early in the morning. Believe me when I say that life is super, super hetic. So here is the newest chapter for you lovely readers to enjoy until... Well... A few weeks? I don't know, but it will eventually come your way.
Thank you all who have this story on their alerts and favorites. You guys rock! If anything, drop a review for this story because I thank you so much for your time to read this story. It really means a lot to an author. A very busy author. :D
