Story Summary: Madara, because he's not an idiot, takes about four seconds to realize he's been turned into a furry beast. Looking at his shaking legs, the black fur bristled up in agitation, he understands that he has no idea how he got himself into this mess. MadaTobi Fox!Madara, SEMI-GRAPHIC VIOLENCE.
Story Warnings: Graphic violence, cursing, blood, amorality, war, death, the consumption of human meat by animals.
fourth chapter is here! after looking at the outline, there should be 8 more chapters after this one!
shi-bi no kitsune
iv.
Madara feels lost.
He knows he's in shock, can distantly acknowledge that his body is shaking severely, that he feels dangerously cold, and that his vision is swimming as he experiences vertigo. His mind can't concentrate as he stares blankly ahead, a whimpering sound rising out of his pained chest. Warm arms wrap themselves around him and he's gently lifted off the ground, brought to rest against a sold chest. Madara vaguely registers this, knows it's happening in the back of his mind, but he can't focus on it; can't wrap his mind around anything that's physically happening to him.
All he can see and think about is that Kaguya shinobi and the fear in his eyes as Madara opened his mouth and devoured.
Madara wants to vomit, badly, but his stomach feels content and not even close to nauseous. It isn't like the last time when he only let some blood trickle down his throat, when he was able to make himself sick at the thought of doing something like eating human flesh. Now, with the beast inside him awake and sated, he can't ignore anything. He ate someone willingly. He was lost in the primal instincts that now plague him, but he still did it. Even now he is satisfied deep down. He realizes that he is scared of himself and these new urges that he now realizes he isn't strong enough to combat.
The motion of Tobirama's stride changes slightly, jolting Madara slightly. He finally blinks, his eyes dry after staring for so long. He warily looks around and he is surprised to see that they're dashing across a large body of water, the foggy image of an island off in the distance. He watches as they grows closer, his body slowly subsiding from the shivers he was experiencing. His fur is growing damp from the moisture in the air, the cool wind chilling him to the bone.
"We're almost there," Tobirama mutters to him, pulling him more snugly against him. Madara isn't proud of it, would stab anybody who called him out on it, but he burrows into Tobirama's warmth, desperate to stay cocooned somewhere safely.
He knows he can't stay in the younger Senju's arms forever. He cautiously thinks back to his fight with the Kaguya nin, careful to ignore all thoughts to the after, and instead focuses on the before. Madara had been terrified that this was the way he was going to die, stuck in the body of an animal, no one knowing what had truly happened to him. He had felt defenseless and weak, hatred for his vulnerability rising up within him. That was when he had felt that first solid spark in his gut, when the chakra he knew he must of had started to boil in his veins. The icy shards of frost had burst forth from his very skin, engulfing him in a sky blue inferno that burnt cold. He had felt slightly chilled at the time, though it hadn't bothered him the way it had clearly effected the Kaguya shinobi. The fire had been so cold, Madara remembered suddenly, that the Kaguya nin's fingers had almost instantly turned black and dying when he made a grab for Madara's hanging form.
Swallowing thickly, Madara cuts of his memories there. Focus on the mysterious combustion, he tells himself. Then you can think about-after.
He has definite proof that he is some type of supernatural powered kitsune. He has powers that he knows nothing about. As far as Madara can remember, kitsune spirits are usually associated with warm fire and not whatever icy hell Madara had been putting out, so he can admit to being a little stumped. Tales of kitsune tricksters were told throughout oral history, so Madara is passingly familiar with the concept. Most stories involve beautiful women and tricks, however, and not a human being turned into a dark kitsune. Because, quite frankly, Madara has to be a darker spirit. He consume human flesh, he admits to himself. Tobirama nailed in on the head when he said that it was what demons did. Madara doesn't linger on it, knows he'll panic if he does, so he looks at it objectively instead.
Demons consume human flesh. Check. They usually come in the form of dark animals with uniquely odd traits. Check. If Madara follows the logic, there should also be other features of his supposed demon hood that he hasn't found yet. Some demons can telepathically communicate, others can shape-shift, and some can even teleport. Madara can't do any of those things, but he will have something to further signify his status. With a huff, Madara leaves his train of thought and once more focuses on their surroundings, watching as the Uzumaki islands come into full focus. Madara can see the deftly built structures from here, fascinated at the bright red hair he can see dotting the towers on the shore.
Tobirama brings them to a stop once they make it a few feet into shore, the chakra being channeled to his feet cut off as the move forward, Tobirama's body sinking slightly into the lose grainy sand that covers the beach.
"Halt! Speak your purpose," a loud feminine voice shouts from one of the towers.
"Senju Tobirama," Tobirama announces, speaking up so the woman could hear him. "I came to try and find the clan members who were missing."
"You know where Harikēn-sama's house is, Senju-san. Please proceed," the woman responds after a moment of silence.
Tobirama makes his way past the guard towers, moving through the foliage with a familiar destination in mind if his easy footsteps say anything. They pass several other Uzumaki clan members, easy smiles and warm greetings thrown their way. Most of the Uzumaki only give him an interested look before they go on their way, no one questioning the midnight black four tailed fox in Tobirama's arms.
They eventually find themselves breaking through the chest high foliage and into a purposely cut clearing, a large collection of huts present. Tobirama makes his way to the biggest one, flaring his chakra slightly when he stops right in front of the reed door.
"Tobirama! Come in," a boisterous voice yells from inside.
Tobirama does just that, adjusting Madara to one arm as he uses the other to prop the door open, making his way into the softly lit hut. "Harikēn-sama," he replies softly in greeting.
"Now none of that, itoko," the man chastises with a teasing grin. "I've told you a hundred times, call me Hari!"
"Yes, Harikēn-sama," Tobirama replies dryly, moving to take a seat across from the laughing man.
The man has the typical red Uzumaki hair, but he's incredibly tan, much more than the other Uzumaki they had passed earlier. His eyes were a deep indigo and his smile sat across a strong, square jaw. He was a rather burly man and there were several dark black patterns inked into his skin.
"I'll get you to lose that formality one day, itoko," Harikēn teased his supposed cousin, laughing loudly at Tobirama's raised eyebrow. "Now then, I trust Hashirama told you of our missing clansmen?"
Tobirama shifted, folding his legs and gently setting Madara onto his lap. A frown creased his face, a gentle pity in his eyes. "I'm afraid I've already found what happened to them."
This sobers the smiling Harikēn, the man's grin wiped from his face as a frown forms. He watches Tobirama with weary eyes, a sigh dragging itself from his barreled chest. "I was afraid of that," Harikēn said softly, sighing again before he motioned for Tobirama to continue.
"While on the way here, my companion and I happened to run into three shinobi. I'm not familiar with their clan, but the two I fought were rather chatty. One mentioned keeping an eye on 'those island savages' and the other dismissed him, stating that they had a little time to 'play with some food.' I dispatched one and I knocked out the other. He's currently unconscious in one of the sealing scrolls you gifted me."
Harikēn looked grim at the news, his knuckles white as he gripped his own knees harshly. "And the third man?"
"My friend Shi-san took care of him," Tobirama answered, glancing down at Madara.
Harikēn did the same, finally acknowledging Madara. He studied him with curiosity, taking in his four tails with a raised eyebrow. "Where did you find such a handsome friend?"
Tobirama huffed at that, rolling his eyes in response. "He helped me out of a situation."
"A nogitsune helped you?" Harikēn asked in surprise, a curious tilt to his head. He studied Tobirama this time, humming under his breath. "You must have done something spectacular in a past life."
Tobirama shrugged, simply lifting his head to lightly pet at Madara's head.
"Well," Harikēn said after a moment, the man once more serious. "It seems I'm going to need help with an interrogation."
"Where is Mito this fine evening?" Tobirama asks, his hands gliding down Madara's back. It's rather distracting, Madara thinks hazily, arching slightly into Tobirama's warm hand.
"She should be home," Harikēn responds. "Would you mind getting her? I'll take the scroll and get him set up."
Tobirama shifts slightly, his hand reaching down and then handing off a scroll to the larger man. "I'll leave Shi-san with you," Tobirama says, glancing down at Madara's blissed-out form. "He doesn't look like he's up for walking around right now."
Tobirama sets Madara down on the hard floor and quickly exits, going to search for whoever the Mito woman was. Madara pouted slightly, upset at no longer being in Tobirama's comfortable embrace. He shook his head, letting his fur fly everywhere, and he yawned, his jaw growing wide.
"You really are a beautiful beast," Harikēn informs him with a chuckle, making Madara blink. "I've met a few kitsune in my day, but I've never had the pleasure of meeting one as imposing as yourself. You're rather intimidating, you know," he laughs, making conversation as he unbinds the scroll in his hands. "All that black fur and those eyes! Truly a sight to behold."
Madara, much to his shame, can feel his skin grow hot at the compliments. He huffs, sniffing loudly and turning his head to the side in a gesture of dismissal. Harikēn just laughs in delight, cheerfully laying the scroll out on the ground. Tobirama appears in the doorway, a young woman following in his footsteps. She is rather pretty, Madara notices. She is dressed in the same guard armor that the others on the island had worn.
"So we think these shinobi are responsible for Arashi and Raiu's disappearance?" Mito asks as she closes the door behind her, her attitude business like as she addressed her clan head.
"That's what Tobirama believes," Harikēn agrees, motioning for the two shinobi to move forward. Madara watches on curiously, head tilting as he watches the three surround the open scroll. Madara has seen seals before, though they're usually the crude work of tradesman who had gotten their hands on Uzumaki made seals. They were never as elegant or efficient as the island made seals, always too sharp or too crooked to be effective. Seeing the elegant sprawl of the writing on the scroll is an incredible opportunity and it makes Madara wish he still had his Sharingan, simply so he could activate it and memorize the useful seal.
"He should still be knocked out, but just to be careful, arm yourselves," Tobirama addresses his companions, drawing a kunai out of his pouch.
Mito draws the sword from her side, hand steady as she watches the scroll intently. Harikēn simply slaps his hands together with a grunt, the chakra level in the hut rising abruptly, before he slams his hands down on the ground, a thick puff of smoke following quickly afterwards. There is a moment of silence before there's a slick sound and a harsh grunt, and then Madara is greeted to the sight of the Kaguya shinobi, who is very much not knocked out, attempting to stab Mito through the eye with a sharp bone jutting out of his palm.
"Mito!" Harikēn shouts in alarm, the man's gaze flickering with anger as he growls at the attacker.
"Quit yelling and start helping!" Mito snaps back, grappling with the hissing man.
Madara looks at the man, sees his snarling face, and a burning anger from deep inside him rises up. This isn't like the hunger from before, where he wanted to stuff himself full. No, this is an intense feeling of loathing, like the man reminds him of someone that he wants dead. Far more comfortable with this volatile hatred than with the hunger from before, Madara springs forward and latches onto the man's ankle, digging his teeth in until bone crunches. The man yowls, surprised, and Mmito successfully punches him in the face, making him drop. Harikēn is there a second later, inked seals on paper applied to the man's wrists, a blue glow alighting for a moment before disappearing. Tobirama does the same thing to the man's ankles, waiting patiently for Madara to extract himself. Once the man's wrists and ankles are bound, the three shinobi take a step back and look at their struggling victim.
"Now," Mito says, a cold chill falling into her voice as she stares menacingly down at the whimpering man. "Tell us what we want to know and we'll kill you swiftly."
The Kaguya nin simply whimpers, the white of his eyes growing red as tears start to stream down his face. He looks shocked, like he can't believe he's as scared as he is, struggling futility as he's glared at by three armed captors.
"Fine then," Mito scoffs, returning her sword to her sheath and instead pulling out a rather thin kunai from the bag around her waist. "You will die slowly, spilling the secrets of your clan."
Madara watches on, morbidly fascinated by the proceeding bloodbath.
mito is Scary™️. so madara is dealing with his trauma, trying to figure out his superpowers, and realizing that there's more than just a hungry beast waiting inside of him; theres something far more sinister lurking beneath his rather bodacious fur.