Time Heals All Wounds

Summary: The day Tobirama died happens earlier, during Hashirama's time as Hokage when they are at war with almost every new village but years after Madara's death. Only he didn't die. He somehow ended up in a time not his own and met a familiar face he though gone forever. Can he get back? And what of his new friend?

Madara rolled his shoulders after taking off the red armor Tobirama had given him, putting it neatly away on the stall he had been given in the tent set up for him in the 'neutral grounds' that the peace talks will be taking place on. The other Kage had called for a ceasefire before Madara and Kurama could even show off, much to his foxy companion's displeasure. But Kurama overall seemed glad that he could just stop pretending to be something other than himself, finally letting all nine of his beautiful orange tails to be seen and leaving his eyes in their natural red color.

Madara found he rather liked him better as himself than pretending to be a slightly more intelligent beast.

He also found himself immensely grateful that one of the memories that returned to him after the battle was how he met his fury friend the first time around.

It was raining, a proper storm one would usually not see outside of Ame no Kuni, the world drenched with the tears of heaven. Or its piss, as far as a disgruntled Madara was concerned. The only thing he found he missed about Konoha on a daily basis was perhaps having a roof over his head and a comfy bed to lay on at night, but as sleep evaded him while he was in the village every night, sleeping out in the forest and actually getting some sleep from it had been a relief.

The only problem with sleeping outside was that he had no shelter from the elements. And that usually wouldn't be a problem, as Madara's own chakra kept him warm, even at freezing temperatures and in the snow - he'd woken up more times than he'd like to count in winter with a big patch of empty ground around him while snow covered the rest of the world. But tonight, the heavens had opened and dumped all of their shit on humanity and Madara refused to sleep in the mud.

He spent a good hour trying to find shelter and only now, nearing midnight, had he come across an old temple, deep in the forest, hidden up in the mountains. 'Odd. I never knew there was a temple here before.' He could only hope it had at least one room with a proper roof over it to use for sleep and to wait out the storm. He was in no hurry to get anywhere. He had nowhere in particular to go in the first place. He's left Konoha almost a whole two years ago, sick of the judgement and the fear and the hypocrisy of the village he had named and helped build and would die for, sick of the loneliness while he was surrounded by hundreds of people, and he's been roaming aimlessly ever since.

Returning to the old Uchiha Compound on his ancestral lands was out of the question. He'd just recovered enough from Izuna's death to sleep peacefully again at night and not see empty sockets weeping blood even as his near death brother begged him to take his eyes and protect their clan. He'd rather not go back to that and seeing his little brother's grave might just lead him to slit his own throat. He'd mourned all four of them and just barely got over each death once already. To see those four graves, the graves of his parents and all of his other fallen kin, would break him beyond repair. And he refused to end his own life like a coward.

Not when Izuna's eyes saw the world only through him and thus Izuna still lived on in some semblance.

He'd stayed the first two months since he left the village in Sora-Ku, though, where he was still welcome and would probably always be welcome, but he knew his clansmen would eventually reach out to see if he was there and he would rather not come into conflict with them. They may no longer want him but they were still his and he would never harm them. Even those who had turned traitor in the last weeks of the war, he had never sought retribution against them, never labeled them traitors.

(How could they then call him a monster?)

So he had roamed and he'd never stayed in one place for longer than a week. He was a good hunter and he'd grown up in a forest, so he was never in want of water or food or shelter. He was a shinobi. He didn't need much. Just his weapons and a will to survive. (He'd given up on living long ago.) He'd seen many things on his travels but this is the first time he'd come across a shrine he'd never heard of before. Unlike many of the other clans, the Uchiha had kept to tradition and upheld the respect for the old gods. They knew each shrine in Hi no Kuni by heart.

Excitement and curiosity surged through him for the first time in years and he was eager to go inside.

But his survival instincts and his sensory abilities warned him of danger. Inside, there was something deadly, something ancient. Not that powerful things have ever kept Madara away. A small surge of chakra into the seal he hid in his gloves had his gunbai appearing in his hand and Madara activated his Sharingan as he entered the shrine.

He had expected a boss summon or a powerful shinobi.

Hell, he'd expected a legendary artifact or weapon, a container of great power or something with otherworldly chakra like the star in that small village in the Land of Bears he'd visited last year, Hoshigakure.

He did not expect to find a dozing biju.

Nor for it not to be homicidal upon waking up and finding him there.

Kurama and he had spent two whole weeks waiting out the storm, chatting and sharing stories, generally getting to know each other until the rains finally let up enough that Madara could continue his travels. Kurama had told him he was always welcome back in the shrine that had been his home for the last thousand years and that he expected Madara to return at least once more before he died. They had said their farewells and that's all Madara remembers.

He doesn't remember how Kurama and he could have possibly ended up decades into the future, long after Konoha and the shinobi world were gone, him with no memories and Kurama forced to pretend he was nothing more than an instinct-driven, normal, forest animal. The Kyuubi knew, of course, but seemed unwilling to tell him, whether it was because he didn't have complete, concrete information or because he deemed it unsafe to just tell Madara remains to be seen. Madara didn't try to push him in fear of pushing him away. Two years, Kurama had been his friend and just because he only now knew the other could indeed talk back did not mean those two years were meaningless. Kurama had been a comfort to him when he had had none, had been his support when no one else was. He deserved all of Madara's respect for that, if nothing else.

The teen sighed as he headed towards the exit of his tent, smiling ruefully at the Kyuubi standing by the flaps. Kurama returned his grin with one of amusement, stepping out after him so they can go to the main tent for the peace talks. Kurama had decided to take on the size of a hunting hound, so he was considerably larger than when he was pretending to be an ordinary fox and was, as such, much easier to spot. They both found amusement in how various shinobi literally jumped and scrambled out of their way, though the whispers of 'monster' remains to be seen at whom it's aimed at. Neither of them cared. Ih the two weeks after they'd first met, while waiting out the storm, they had exchanged enough stories to know they'd been given pretty much the same treatment.

Once their strength was admired and they were hailed as protectors, then one day, it all turned around and they were feared and hated and were called monsters. They had too much experience ignoring such whispers to care.

(Madara had half a lifetime to get used to being pointed at and whispered unfavorably about. It was nothing new. He was used to negative comments following him wherever h turned. His school life had ensured as much.)

He cared even less about the way other shinobi were looking at him in fear when he caught sight of Tobirama, out of his usual black clothes and instead dressed in more formal wear of this time period, standing with his arms crossed and a scowl on his face as he argued with the long haired brunet man standing with him. Hikaku was there, awaiting Madara's return with Kagami all but glued to the albino's side. Madara still didn't have enough memories to figure out what that was about but it was clear that they were close. Perhaps master and disciple? No, more like teacher and student.

There were also two ladies with them, the fierce looking ones he'd glimpsed before when he'd come back to Tobirama's side for Kurama and his gloves. The red hair of the noble-looking one and the thick muscles of the more warrior-like woman tugged at his memories, but he has yet to have a proper time to process them all and he wonders if he ever will. Uchiha remember. That much he himself remembers now. Every second of his life, especially after he activated his Sharingan - which was from a very early age, mind you, when his first younger brother died - was perfectly preserved in his memory and that meant a lot of memories to go through, even for the fragments he has now, as every detail found itself a home in his conscious memory. He's not sure how long all of this will take but he knows he needs a bit more time.

For now, he settles for relearning his old life one moment at a time.

And for now he settles on greeting his friend with a smile and watching that impressive scowl soften on the sight of him.

He doesn't expect to be assaulted by the brunet, though.

Madara yelps as he's grabbed by strong arms and all but hauled into the air, the brunet man sobbing into his lower chest and all but wailing his name and how he was glad that he was okay and that he's alive and that he was back. The noise was near deafening and it was garnering too much attention for Madara's liking And he was not a god damned stuffed toy! "Get off of me, you log-brained idiot!"

Unexpectedly, the noise cut off like a switch had bee flipped. There was a long moment of silence in which Madara saw that everyone of Tobirama's group, including the albino himself and the man holding him captive, were staring at him in pleasant surprise. Then the waterworks were back and no matter how much Madara struggled to get away, the idiot would not let go. "Snowflake! Get your juboko brother off of me or, so help me Sage, I will set him on fire!"

"You remember! You remember! Oh, I knew you would remember me, Madara! I am so happy! My best friend is back!" The brown haired Senju - becasue Madara could tell by his chakra signature that he was related to Tobirama and that was going to take some getting used to; it had felt perfectly normal in battle but now the skill stayed with him even out of it. It was comforting in a way, this awareness of his surroundings beyond what the eye can see; definitely needs some getting used to - kept crying and Madra managed to wriggle a hand free, grabbing a fistful of his hair and yanking.

"I do not! I have no idea who you are and would appreciate it if you would let go!"

As soon as his words registered, the reaction was instantaneous. He was let go in favor of the man dropping to the ground in a crouch, hands hugging his legs and face hidden in his knees as a dark cloud of depression descended on the idiot. Madara blinked a few times, not believing his eyes as the brunet started muttering about how life wasn't fair. Had that really just happened? Because that was quite a mood swing right there. Madara made sure to take several cautious steps away from the sulking man lest he latch onto him again and instead went over to Tobirama. Kagami immediately latched a hand in his long mantle and held on tight enough to wrinkle the material, as though afraid Madara might disappear if he lets go. Hikaku also moved around until their shoulders were all but touching and they were charing body heat. He smiled to his cousin and let a hand card through Kagami's messy locks even as he spoke to his friend.

"How, exactly, are you related to that?"

Tobirama snorted, shaking his head, much more relaxed now than before Madara had come, even though he looked somewhat wary of Kurama sitting at Madara's feet. "I think he was dropped on the head as a baby."

"More than once, no doubt," he grumbled into his high, wide collar and the brunette warrior woman snorted, which drew his attention to her. He disliked how he was only taller than Kagami in their group. He also disliked how easily every would start staring at him. "What?" He asked somewhat snappishly. The woman did not seem perturbed.

"Oh sweet chakra, how did I never notice you were so cute as a teen?" Said teen couldn't help but flush a deep red at that, completely taken by surprise and even more so when she actually reached over and poked his cheek. Like, what the hell!? "I always knew you were good looking - a common trait among the Uchiha - but I never really took notice of how noble your features are! And here you are now, between your usual handsome and the childish cuteness you've not yet grown out of! How is this fair?!"

"Toka, don't tease him," Tobirama rumbled beside him but he sounded amused, the bastard. Madara mustered up a glare for his friend, who didn't even seem to notice.

"She has a point," the redhead said with a serene smile as she nodded at Madara. "Hello, Madara. This must be all so confusing for you. Just in case you don't remember me yet, I am Uzumaki Mito, Hashirama's wife," she pointed at the sulking man still crouched on the ground in his own depression. Madara wondered if he'd really befriend someone so clearly disturbed and what would make him do something so stupid. Like, was he desperate or something? Though, surely the man didn't act like this all the time. He was the Hokage! Maybe he'd just gotten overemotional since he said they were best friends and Madara didn't remember him? 'Somehow, I really doubt it.' One of his regained memories was of a boy with a hideous bowl-cut hairdo acting much the same. So, an idiot.

He looked back to the polite, elegant, regal redhead and just had to ask. "Are you being held against your will? Or blackmailed?"

Toka howled with laughter, startling the already jumpy surrounding shinobi, Hikaku snickered and Kagami giggled. Tobirama had to put a hand over his mouth an cover his snort with a cough and even Mito's smile turned into a mighty amused one. "I fear my husband has stolen my heart, whatever that may say about my sanity."

"Oh, yeah. It's definitely good to have you back, Uchiha," Toka said with a grin coming in between him and Tobirama to throw an arm around his shoulders. He felt a bit inadequate when he felt her biceps.

"We should go inside now," Tobirama, bless him, always seemed able to gather himself the fastest and divert an embarrassing situation back on track. "The meeting's about ready to start. I feel that everyone's in there now and we're the only delegation in wait."

"Are you sure you want me in there, though?" Madara asked even as he watched the younger Senju haul his brother to his feet so Hashirama could focus on getting the peace he so craved for. Or at least a ceasefire, though he somehow doubted anyone would be suicidal enough to attack Konoha between Hashirama, Tobirama and himself, especially now that they had the Kyuubi on their side. "People usually don't take it well when a teenager trounces their troops. And they're usually much less agreeable when said teenager is at a ceasefire meeting. Bruised pride and all."

"The last Kage summit was a right disaster and it was because Anija is an idiot," Tobirama said as he and Hashirama, now just pouting, led the way in. Tobirama kept trying to drag Madara in line with them but he kept his pace behind the Senju with Hikaku, before Mito and Toka. Madara knew politics enough to know that his presence won't exactly be welcome at peace talks when he had just won a war all by himself against these same people and had even taunted them with the difference in their power. "And right now, they're all high strung and offended and are going to be a pain to deal with, so of course you're going to be in here with us. One look at you will be reminder enough why Konoha is not to be messed with."

"Tobirama, we're not trying to threaten anyone into peace," Hashirama scolded, but the younger man just glared at him.

"Shut up, Anija. The adults are talking." Madara despaired for Konoha if this was their leader as he watched Hashirama fall into a sulk again.

"I think Kagami would be a better negotiator than him," he whispered to Hikaku in fear of Hashirama getting even worse if he overhears that comment. His cousin nodded and Madara wondered how this was his life.

Hashirama at least got his act together for when they came to the meeting 'room' itself, looking like the proud Hokage he should be. The other four Kage of the bigger villages were seated at a pentagonal table with a seal left for Hashirama, their advisers standing besides or behind them, depending on their status. Madara made sure to stand as far back as he could. He may have been as much a founder of Konoha as Hashirama was and he may have named the village - also recent memories, which was good, as he needed to know his position in the village - but he had practically decimated these men's armies not two full hours ago. Better not incite them from the start.

Unfortunately, his presence did not go unnoticed. The teen from the battlefield that had yelled about not looking directly into his eyes was actually a young adult and the second his eyes landed on him, he was up and out of his seat - the Sandaime Tsuchikage, eh? Already? Konoha still had their first leader. Weak - a finger pointed straight at him in the most rude and childish manner Madara had seen since Asama tried to tattletale on him for breaking his bones all those years ago, as if the bastard hadn't been asking for it when he started it. Though he had to wonder what this guy had against him. Madara's memories were far from complete. He only just barely recognized the guy's features.

"You! What are you doing here, you fiend!? How dare you show your face in here!?"

The other Kage instantly stiffened when they noticed that, indeed, Uchiha Madara had come in with the rest of the Konoha delegation. How they had not noticed him with his huge, scorching chakra signature, Madara will never understand. But he did not bow his head nor allow himself to be chased out when his presence was insisted on by his friend. He could even see why. These people, while obviously great shinobi, were snobs and, more importantly, they feared him. A reputation and status-quo he'll do his best to keep.

So Madara held his chin up high and arched a fine eyebrow at the ill-mannered brat. "I am here as support to my Hokage and my village in these peace talks, Fence-Sitter Brat." The reaction was immediate and glorious, even if Madara had absolutely no idea where the insult came from. He's also not sure why the 'Fence-Sitter Brat' seems to hate him so much to be so eager to launch himself at him. There are shouts all around even as the offender's fist is caught by Madara, who had felt and saw chakra stirring and had his own hand reinforced by it, which was a good thing as there was no way he would have survived a hit by what might as well be a boulder. A standard Iwa technique, a part of his mind said, even as he casually threw the Tsuchikage back at the Iwa delegation.

"What is the meaning of this, Hokage!?" The Kazekage yelled at Hashirama. "These are supposed to be peace talks! Is this how Konoha makes peace?! By attacking the other party?!"

Madara scoffed as Hashirama began to flounder and more and more people began yelling, which successfully drew all attention to himself once again. The Iwa delegation started accusing him of wanting to restart the war they and their little compatriots had begun in the first place and Madara only answered by taking out a kunai and throwing it with easy precision into the center of the table, making everyone flinch back and fall into silence at the sharp twang of the weapon embedding itself into the wood. Right in the middle of the five hats of the Kage office.

"Let he who wouldn't react the same way to someone attacking them pick up and throw the first kunai." Not the most accurate quoting, but it worked well enough when no one even looked at the weapon. Madara nodded, leaning back against the support of the tent casually. "That's what I thought. Now stop squabbling like children and get to the actual peace talks."

The Tsuchikage seemed to be seething at how he was treating them all but the Nidaime Mizukage only laughed, apparently amused. "Your brought it on yourself, Onoki."

"Now is really not the time to tease your old rival's disciple, Mizukage-sama," the man's main adviser said in a hushed reprimand and Madara rolled his eyes. 'Dear gods, they are children.'

At least the meeting started moving in the right direction.

For about five minutes.

"Enough of empty platitudes, Senju!" The Raikage thundered - Madara tried not to snort at his own pun - slamming a hand against the table and glaring at the confused Hokage. Tobirama, at least, seemed more ready to jump to his brother's defense should the other man attack them. "I want my ninja back!"

"We don't have any Kumogakura ninja in our possession, Raikage-sama," Hashirama replied respectfully, but the Raikage only got more railed up for it.

"It is a well known fact that the Kinkaku forces were sent to engage your brother and they never returned. Yet here your brother is, with a supposedly dead man fighting your battles for you, and you expect me not to think he's not done something nefarious to my shinobi!? Do you think me a fool, Hokage-sama?"

"I think you an idiot," Madara helpfully supplied before the addressed man could respond. He boldly met the Raikage's raging gaze and the man flinched back when he realized what he was doing. Madara wondered if he should just keep his Sharingan active and let these idiots work themselves up into a coma or something. But he figured he wouldn't be just scaring them. They'd accuse him of controlling them or something equally as stupid. It's still nice to know his gaze was intimidating enough even when it was perfectly black. A part of him that he suspects belongs to his past self even wanted to puff up like a proud hawk for how far his reputation preceded him. He refrained simply because he was not a barbarian. "You are aware you've just admitted to attempting to assassinate the Hokage's younger brother, right?"

"It was war," came the not at all thought out response and Madara rolled his eyes.

"Yes, yes it was. What makes you think Senju Tobirama can't justify his own actions in the same manner?"

"He's well known for his kinjutsu, the Edo Tensei. The bastard probably turned them to zombies." The Raikage then dismissed him - or more likely found he could no longer face up against a teen that had wiped the floor with him and his fellow Kage - instead rounding up on the albino Senju brother, who stood unflinching under his enraged gaze. Tobirama just arched a white eyebrow at him, which made the man even more agitated. "I want to know what you've done with my men, Senju, and I want their bodies back!"

"Oh, you think Tobirama did something to them!" The Uchiha exclaimed with mock realization, political strategies and intimidation tactics already flying through his head in an uncomfortably familiar fashion. It would seem past Madara loved making his point by showing everyone else how little they can touch him. That's a good impulse to be aware of. So he can monitor and possibly control it, of course. Not use it for his own amusement. "You should have said so, I would have immediately corrected that misconception."

"What are you talking about?" The Raikage's second in command asked cautiously and Madara smiled very politely. He'd never seen anyone recoil from a simple smile that fast. Another note to self, it would seem

"Oh, those two brutes almost killed Tobirama, twice, but I was around for the second time. You know how it is," he waved them off, letting their imagination do the rest for them. Predictably, more than one person in the room paled. Hashirama and Toka looked ready to shake the answers out of Tobirama and his friend was glaring at him for the betrayal of telling his overprotective, ridiculous family.

"They carried the power of the Kyuubi! I refuse to believe a pipsqueak like you could have defeated my greatest weapons!" The Raikage glowered. Madara arched an unimpressed eyebrow at him and casually pointed to where Kurama was 'sleeping' at his feet, completely unbothered by the silly antics of humanity and just listening in for the amusement factor.

"And I can command biju and have the power of the Susanoo, which rivals them in strength. What good are your little pseudo-Jinchuriki that don't even have any real power of their own?"

"What did you do to them, you monster?"

Madara gave a haughty sniff at that, waving a finger in a tsk-tsk manner, smirking when it only got the man angrier. "That is not diplomatic, I must say. But in the spirit of diplomacy, I will answer your question in order to avoid accusations of hypocrisy. Tobirama, do you happen to have the scroll on you?" Tobirama nodded, a bit wary of where this was going but willing to play along out of curiosity for the final results. Madara smiled politely again and did not understand the recoil this time around any better than the first. He'll need to research his past self's reputation, it would seem. "Would you mind opening it?" He asked as he came to stand next to the man even as he took out the scroll in question from one of his tattoo seals on the underside of his wrist, hidden by the long sleeves he usually wears. He leaned down until his mouth was almost level with Madara's ear, voice quiet in a whisper.

"What are you planning?"

"To get these children to behave long enough for some actual peace talks to take place. If I need yo use fear as a tactic to shock their heads right out of their asses, then fine. It's better than the headache they'll cause if we continue at this snail pace."

Tobirama snorted but didn't say anything against his plan, instead just opening the scroll and channeling a small amount of chakra into the right storage seal to allow the Legendary Tools of the Sage of Six Paths to be released with a big pop and a bit of smoke. The Kumo delegation flinched back when they saw them and Madara casually leaned on the Kohaku no Johei, wondering where his knowledge of the Tools came from and finding himself determined to study all possible Uchiha scriptures for any knowledge of them. If there were any written records about them, it would be among the Uchiha.

For now, he smiled yet again at the horrified expressions all around the room, even on Hashirama's face. "Is this a good enough answer of their fate, Raikgake?"

The rest of the meeting went without a hitch, everyone coming to an agreement before dawn-break and scuttering off of the neutral lands as quickly as they could move their armies, no one willing to test the legendary Uchiha's patience.

(Tobirama knew it was a good idea to get Madara into this.)

All in all, it was a good first day back for Madara.