They didn't have to turn around to know what it was. But when they did they were surprised. Long red kimono, long outer robes colored in different shades of red, orange and pink, with the Uchiha Clan Crest on each of her long sleeves. Certainly a lovely kimono for summer time but not for a war settlement. A few meters away from them, was the elder, Nadeshiko, her long black and grey hair up on an updo, her face old but beautiful held a glint of knowing exactly what Madara needed. "But it's not my place to tell you of course" she said. Sadako turned her head between Madara and her, feeling out of place. Madara sighed deeply and turned his eyes to Sadako, then to the elder.
"What are you talking about Nadeshiko-sama? ". Ignoring his heavy eyes she found a small chair, put a cute white napkin over it and proceeded to sit in a way that would make most noble woman stare and awe at." Oh nothing Madara -kun, just an old lady talking to herself ". She shifted her eyes to Sadako. Oh what a disheveled look for such a interesting girl."Child I understand you came from the front lines earlier but you could have at least cleaned yourself properly, you are not easy to eyes right now and the stench of dried blood is surely not helping your... friend, here ". Sadako only lowered her glance, not that she felt ashamed, she was used to this and no kimono was better for her than her training clothes, but she knew her place, she might be on nearly familiar terms with the clan head but she knew that the elders were beyond her grasp. And her level. Nadeshiko-sama shouldn't even have to talk to her.
"She's fine as she is, she is a kunoichi who returned from the front lines only to rest a couple hours and keep on healing. "MADARA retorted, looking quite annoyed at the elder in front of them. Regardless of the fact that he was above her in ranks he still couldn't shake the feeling of being less than her, and he didn't want that perfumed woman to lower her gaze on Sadako and talk her down. "Oh Madara-kun don't think wrong of me. I am just saying, she could make the effort and you know, not make the main family look bad"
"SHE IS NOT MAKING THE MAIN FAMILY LOOK BAD" He screamed, his sharing an coming ablaze, his sweaty skin making him look raw and animal. "Madara please you -" said Sadako trying to make him regain his posture, "NOTHING, I DON'T NEED THEM" He tried getting up but only failed when his left leg gave upon his weight, he looked at his leg and punched it with all the straight he could put on his muscles. "No Madara please you're going to hurt yourself."The damage was done, he opened his wound, although not that deep and certainly damaged something else, as she made her way to him Nadeshiko-sama started laughing
" Oh my, oh my. What a reaction. I didn't want to believe Toko-san " With that she got up and left walking as if nothing had happened and she only had sat down to have tea and cookies.
Sadako cursed in her head, Madara's stupidity had gotten him once again. She wasn't used to such angry sprouts from him in first person but she knew these were happening more and more, she didn't want to believe it since she was used to a rather hard headed and dense but not violent Madara, but it seemed that the pressure was cracking him.
He didn't say anything, she healed him and found no broken or splintered bones luckily, if she had she would have to call a higher ranked medic. She could heal him but a higher ranked medic would make his leg work as usual and get him ready for tomorrow, but in turn she would have to explain to this medic what had happened with would just make everything worse.
"Madara you have to say what's wrong "She lightly glared at him" The pressure is cracking you ". He looked at her and for the first time in his life he wished she had been born in higher position, so that she could understand him like that time, many years ago. He needed her to understand him but at the same time he did not want to explain al the nonsense going hough his head, he didn't want to show fear to her, he did not want to show her his fears, or dreams. He only wished to make and do, for his claim, for Sadako and Izuna. "Nothing is cracking me, this people are just annoying me". She looked at him it something akin to resentment and wished he could say more, tell her the truth. "I will take your word only this time because I know you and I know you have a thick head and think too much of the future for your own good. But sometimes you need to see clearly what you have in from of you and stop pretending you have no fears or regrets ". With that she and Madara kept silent, after she finished healing him she got up, gave him a small pat in the head and left the tent.
He smiled at her retreating back. She still understood him. He laid on his bed and slept away all his fears.
The Uchiha army was walking through the forest, a few kilometers away from the complex, so close to home yet there laid the upcoming grief of seventy two families. Tajima closed his eyes and turned to his second in command. He looked sour, sad. And most of all angry. One of the seventy two had been his older daughter. A skilled healer and mother of one small child. Too young to die at the saddening age of twenty-one. He understood him. Oh he did.
But he could not understand the grief of loosing a son and seeing his own grandchild suffer from the loss of a parent.
He looked at the sensor shinobi up front. When they sensed their leaders gaze they turned around and made a gesture to indicate that no enemy shinobi were in their range. Tajima nodded and directed himself to his eldest son.
Madara looked sick but much better than yesterday. His skin had regained some color and he was walking normally. He had been healed by one of the top medical shinobi available and restaured full use of his left leg. He should be walking close to the injured so the others could keep him safe in case someone attacked them. But he refused and walked right beside his father. Looking at something far away.
Tajima knew why but he didn't want to press the issue.
Madara had provably had an argument with Sadako.
Since madara had been aware of his son and Sadako's friendship, he understood that regardless of Madara's rash self and tendency to be a hard head, he always listened to her. Whenever they had an argument, usually caused by Madara, she would just start at him with emotion in her face and then shut him up with a small sentence and leave the room. Madara would stand there looking lost, then pensative and then would run out to train.
Late at night they would usually make amends and take some sweets from the main complex's kitchen and eat them together next to a fire in the winter, our outside in the hot summer nights.
Sometimes Izuna would join them and the three would fall asleep together in some place.
As they grew up they would still make amends but no sweets or late talk nights involved, they just forgave each other, and his son turned into a reclused young man for a few hours.
As he is today. He can tell Madara is pressured by his imminent ascension to clan head. There have been talks. The elders and some parts of the clan are not happy with Tajima's ruling. Everything had been going downhill since the Senju started gaining power in the land of fire, gathering more clans men from different places and taking more official damyo jobs that were paid highly. Everythibg went down hill. And they were blaming him.
The elders were getting too caught up in their own power. They were trying to get someone else as clan head. Someone that is not Madara. Some said it was one of the leaders of the other Uchiha lands, some said it was one of the elders. No one could tell him exactly who and where that person was. But Tajima was ready to quench all their fool ideas. He would name and crown Madara when the elders turned their heads to other matters but not in a too far away time. It had to be done soon.
But he didn't know it Madara was ready.
He was strong but could still grow. The boy was unparalleled, Tajima knew that but he still feared his boys age. Too young, barely rational when annoyed. Against the entire Council and part of the clan.
Even though the majority of the clan would be in Madara's side. After all most families had a member in the army and knew of Madara's battle prowess and leadership straight. Tajima was still doubtful. Anyone could claim a million things to show how unsuitable Madara is at the time.
Young, his father's posición in a bad place, strength driven, few friends, no descendants in at least a few years. Tajima sighed and Madara looked at him. Still walking at his side but now his eyed were at the present time looking at him as if he knew what Tajima was thinking.
With a small smirk, Madara turned his gaze to the main complex walls, closer with each step.
This was a sour day in the Uchiha Clan. From the kitchens Hikaru could see the crying families that screamed in the entrance of the complex, obviously having just heard of the death of a loved one. This day the screams of sorrow were more than ever. A small tear fell from her eye. She lived their deaths as se lived her own father's. Turning away from the window she went back to cutting up onions for the soup she was making. The onions only making her cry more and more. The door opened and Hikaru turned to see a disheveled Sadako, smiling almost apologetically to her. "I'm sorry Hikari-san, that you had to see the families".
Hikari smiled sadly and removed some of her tears with a small napkin she kept in her pocket. She could still remember Sadako worrying about her health for lo reason at all, just worrying, like one would of a family member. Se never knew why this kunoichi was so nice to her, but Hikari found her pleasing to be with, to small talk even making her try new recipes. She out her tear stained napkin back in her pocket.
She liked to make a small but delicious meal for Sadako every time she came back from the front lines, like she used to do for her father. She knew the damages the soldier pills and bad food made to a person's stomach and that they needed time to let their stomachs get used to heavy foods again.
Today she had not finished the soup, but she was glad thst Sadako had arrived safely.
Chakra depleted, bags under her dark eyes, which were red from all the dirt on her eyes and not blinking, looking out with her sharingan for enemies.
"I am sorry Sadako-San the food I mean to prepare for you is not ready yet-she smiled, more happy this time - but it will be done soon so please take a seat. " her smile reached her eyes for once and Sadako smiled back. Looking deeply at her.
" I will clean up first, I don't want to stench the kitchen. "Hikari smiled and laughed softly." of course of course Sadako-San " and waved her hands in her nose, jokingly signaling her stench of sweat and blood.
Walking to the common bathhouse in the eastern side of the compound Madara crossed many weeping woman in his way there.
He kept looking in from of him but could not evade a small apologetic look to a small girl sitting next to a huge vase crying. He stood a few meters away from the woman's bathhouse and waited for her.
Still thinking about their small argument. He felt bad. He did. He always did. He couldn't help it, she was the closest thing to a confident he had and ignoring her request me him feel awful.
Since they were young, he couldn't help to give in to her wishes. Of she wanted to talk they would. If she wanted to train they would. If she wanted to la in the grass and breath the sweet smell of forest, the would. Together.
He was angry. He had heard the rumors going around.
That they were in some weird long relationship since they were children and that some people approved to it whole others through badly of her heritage and rank.
Madara had ignored it, but now he knew the stupid rumours had reached the council. She could be in danger soon.
Woman came in and out of the bathhouse but no sight of Sadako. He knew she was there. That odd cheerful girl in the kitchens Sadako frequents told him as much. Too cheerful to be real, thought madara of the kitchen girl.
He stayed there up until dinner was served and only Sadako's recovering chakra could be sensed from the bathhouse. He rolled his eyes and made his way in. Locking the door from the inside he made his way to the woman's dressing room where Sadako's chakra could be sensed. He made his way inside and saw her sitting there towel around her body and hair, arms crossed and glaring at the wall.
He sat next to her.
"it's unusual for you to evade me "
" I... I just don't feel like talking to you right now, or anybody really, don't take it personally". She kept herself perfectly still but something alarmed him
He could smell faintly of blood.
"Sadako are you - "" Don't say anything, please " And she began to cry. As usual quietly so that no one would hear her, and in his presence. He couldn't understand what was happening.
" Sadako "He began sternly," If you are injured you should heal yourself and if you can't just tell me, I'll force someone to heal you. "
She looked at him as if he had three heads."Um..." she began.
She sighed. "Are you really that oblivious?"
"Huh?! " He said, face 's crunching to trying to understand. She almost smiled, boys.
"Madara I am not injured, I am just having-and with that she broke down again - my time of the month".
Madara stilled and turned red as a tomato. He looked at her not knowing what to do and if this crying fit was normal.
"... ". No words.
She stopped crying after a few minutes.
" I'm sorry you don't have to be here, the is nothing you can understand "
" no but, I need to know what's wrong you always do that for me " He finished.
She doubted for a few seconds."I might be fifteen but this is actually the first time my monthly blood has appeared, and - she sniffed- I am afraid this will put my worth on the battlefield in question".
Red as a tomato as he was , Madara couldn't believe her words.
"I doubt such thing happens, why should it affect your there are plenty to of woman older than you on the battlefield yet none have been thrown away into kitchens for having womanly... Something, we'll... This you know what. "He finished almost making sense .
"it hurts." She looked at him "Badly".
Looking as red as a tomato Madara was sitting next to Sadako, looking red as well, in the healing room waiting for a healer. Her lower stomach hurt quite a lot and madara insisted on her getting checked. She agreed, having no real idea of what medical ninjutsu could do to her in this situation.
Finally a middle aged woman can through the doors and called them. After explaining, she made Madara go away, not without some bickering on his part, and then the check up proceeded.
Everything was normal. Apparently it was hormones making her hurt.
The woman then began to tell Sadako all about woman, which made Sadako feel a little ashamed of having do little knowledge over her own body. The medical her look and told her that it was normal for kunoichi to forget they were normal woman too.
After giving her some medicine for the pain, the medic let Sadako go and she and Madara made their slightly embarrassed and silently way to the kitchens, to see if they could get some of the dinner they missed.
The splashing if blood against wood floors, the dismemberment of body parts quickly. Putting them in a bag. Leaving the scene, no trail left. Only blood.
Hikari's blood.