Thank you for the love, readers, here's the new chapter. Hope you like it!
I do not own Naruto, nor any of its characters.
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The news traveled through the complex in record time. One of the cooks had been murdered. No body left behind, but the blood splattered on the wood floors and the disappearance of Uchiha Hitomi was enough for people to understand.
Grief and misunderstanding of why would anyone kill her were big. She was a lovely girl with a bad past, way too sickly to fight but always there to feed her clans men. She was of no worth to kill, no one particularly hated her, she had no family to pay a price for.
She only had herself.
Some people insisted on having the help woman be released of their duties for a while and investigated, questioned about their whereabouts and relationship with Hitomi.
The women in the kitchen refused to stop her work and continued making meals for everyone. Arguing that they were already too little woman to feed an entire compound.
The women had a great sense of duty and whoever did it would not come out quickly. Izuna knew that. He was smart for his age but he understood why his father allowed them to continue their duties.
Less time to hide something.
Although if what they wanted to hide was the body, they had already done so. All rooms had been searched in the complex. No signs of blood or a body could be found. Her unresolved death would have probably been of little importance a few years ago, but not as important as now it was for his father. Although Izuna didn't exactly all the details, he could see where his father was going but not why. All he knew is that his father had taken a close watch of this issue and wanted it resolved, fast.
He continued washing his body, and when he was finished he slowly got up and dressed. He still couldn't shake Sadako's face from his brain. She was sad. She didn't cry though. And she never showed up for training. Madara tried to get her out of her room but he only made it two steps inside when he quickly came out and told him that she needed space.
Sadako for her part didn't know, or rather didn't want to admit why the death of this kitchen girl who could barely be called her friend, had shaken her up so much.
She knew through. She knew that she talked to this girl; she then talked to Madara and had a somewhat important relationship with the main family. She was trying not to admit this possibility of the girl being killed to send a message.
The odds were against her theory. She wasn't that important and it's not like Hikari had a friendly relation with Madara. She didn't even knew him much and addressed him as 'Madara-sama' whenever they spoke to each other. Also she hadn't heard of anyone within the clan wanting to hurt the main family, but maybe those weren't subjects Tajima wanted to make her aware of. If he hadn't then these subjects didn't exist or weren't threatening enough for her to be warned. But maybe.
Besides her inner ramblings, she still felt bad. She was the closest thing to a girl friend she had, after all Sadako never had been good with the same sex, usually finding herself more comfortable talking with men. She was a lovely girl and Sadako was really sad about her after her father died. She had known him and he was a great shinobi but with a huge spot in his heart for his daughter. He talked a lot about her.
He said she and Sadako would be good friends if they ever met. After hearing the news of his passing she had some sort of guilt trip that made her try and befriend Hikari, or at least be a company for her. Both had settled in some sort of exchange friendship where Sadako gave her an ear for her to talk, and Hikari gave her a plate of food and removed some guilt from her heart.
She did it because she felt somewhat guilty that a young girl with no possibilities of making a name for herself in the clan, had turned an orphan.
Sadako certainly wasn't emotionless like she should be.
But she tried to be a good friend.
She didn't even go back to the kitchen to have that soup
Grief was long gone and then Sadako was just plain sad .
Hours later Madara came in, smiled at her softly and left.
She didn't smile back but in her mind, she thanked him for letting her have some time for herself.
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Her head pounded from the lack of food and water of that day. Regardless of the fact that she skipped training, and would surely be lectured for it, it was a hot day and she had been sweating lightly through the day, loosing water.
Late at night she made her way to the bathhouse and cleaned herself. After coming out she decided to check if there was some food left and found some onigiri that looked fine enough for her, although these weren't Hitomi's onigiri, and then sat down outside the woman's quarters to eat and have some water.
Some hours had passed and Sadako was still there, now lying down her dark hair around her head making her head look like a fan, eyes closed but not asleep.
Suddenly she felt a presence to the west and sat up quickly only to see Tajima staring at her, probably having the same idea of taking some air outside. He looked at her with something akin to worry. She only stared back.
A few minutes passed until the turned around and made his way back inside.
She stared at the place he had been standing in a few minutes and then turned around and went to bed.
She couldn't sleep. At all.
All day in bed and no training to tire her body had her moving and rolling around. That and the annoying heat made Sadako sigh and get up. It was almost morning anyway.
She wanted to talk.
To him.
He understood.
xxxxxx
She stated at his door. Not sure if she should wake him up. Regretting herself already, she knocked the door and waited for a response.
Nothing. She waited.
The door opened a minute later.
"Sadako" He staed at her. Looking sleepy, with his hair everywhere. She smiled at him " You know you look very funny when you just get up". Smiling with sleep in his face he let her in and closed the door behind her.
She stated at the floor.
"So... ". He began, after two minutes of Sadako staring at the wooden floor.
"Give me time I don't know how to phrase this. "
He looked amused, but let her gather her thoughts in silence. He sat down in his bed and patted the place next to him for her to sit. She ignored him but eventually sat down when she seemed to be a little more confident in what she wanted to say.
As she sat down Madara could smell onigiri and he suddenly got very hungry.
"I think that Hitomi's murder in connected to us. I think, but... There's no real proof is there". She looked at him, worry in her eyes, looking for some sort of agreement in his.
He smiled "And here I thought you were going to confess to me"
She face palmed herself. But looked amused. "Where do you get those ideas?".
"Oh well. A lot of people seem to think we are together. The elders think so too. It's just a rumor going around. That's all I can think of. No one would kill an innocent woman because they think the next clan head is courting someone they deem not worthy".
She didn't look amused now.
"I see we are very interesting to the clan"
"Oh well, they can think what they want after all, you do sneak into my room at wild hours of the night ".
She sighed deeply "Are you trying to make me laugh because this is not the time nor are you succeding".
He smiled softly: "A little. I really suck at this. "
She nodded.
"To tell you the truth, there are some people not happy with me becoming clan head. But they would have left something behind if it was for the main family. A message, a threat, something. Yet the person who did it left nothing. I don't think it's related".
"Ah. Now I now know what was bothering you ".
" Yeah, it was that, I know you want to chock me but you are so well behaved you won't. I just... Needed time to put things together I didn't want to make you feel unsafe around me or Izuna, or even father. We won't let any harm come to you. ". He stated at her, almost staring into her soul.
"Idiotic man you are". And gently slapped his arm
He smiled. She smiled. All was good.
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She left before anyone could see her leave and make more rumors. She was already quite annoyed the people in the clan had been making up stuff about her person and her annoyment only grew with the elders, who were supposed to be above this, also fueled the rumors about her and Madara.
They saw each other less than an hour later during breakfast. When she got there Madara was viciously eating onigiri.
Lady Reiko wasn't in a good mood. Well she never was.
She had lost all good things about herself when the birth of her first son went wrong. Or at least something did, because there was never a baby among them.
Everybody though the baby had died. But for some reason a small glare in their direction shut Sadako, Madara and Izuna up. She knew the brothers still wondered about what had happened to their half brother or sister. Madara hadn't been happy when he found out about the pregnancy, for obvious reasons, but afterwards he warmed up to the idea. Thanks to Sadako and Izuna obviously.
Izuna was the most exited one, daydreaming about what would be like to not be the youngest one. He however understood right away something was not going well in the birthing room, and although years later he still doesn't know, he kind of understands, but not, why his father hid the details from him and his brother.
Some in the clan still wonder.
Things were sour in Lady Reiko after the incident.
Tajima had been very angry and out of character for a year until the waters pacified again. Lady Reiko on her side never really made it through. She always looked permanently sad and angered. Today was one of those days where she was sad, angry and utterly annoyed by the smallest things.
Everybody tolerated her though. She wasn't herself but from time to time she showed her old light. Maybe by smiling softly to Izuna, or gathering flowers and putting them in a gaze by the window and sighing lovingly.
Taboo topics were Taboo topics.
Life continued.
Xxxxxx
Everything went back to normal for Sadako that day. Training, food, more training, quick bath, training with the brothers, another quick bath from all the dirt. Sitting around with Madara and Izuna (where she fell asleep sitting against a tree after all she hadn't slept at all the night before), dinner and bed.
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The room was freezing. Not because of coldness, or because of the late hours this men and women were meeting. The suffocating coldness came from the anger radiation through the room. Coming from the clan head Uchiha Tajima-sama himself.
His sharingan blazing staring at them as if he knew something they didn't.
He was clan head for a reason.
Although a good father and a great warrior. Tajima had his faults. Some bad decisions. Some good but mostly of them were shadowed by the state of the clan in these last few years.
Regardless of what everyone through of him. There was something no one dared to put in doubt.
This man inspired fear.
When angered he wouldn't slash at you but just... Stare. As he was in this very moment, to those around him in the oval table in the meeting room close to his quarters.
The elders didn't make a noise. They were aware he knew stuff and they were aware that beyond everything this man in front of them was clan head.
He could throw them out.
He wouldn't though. He knew Tajima could not show such disrespect to the clan so hastily. He wanted tough. The air was dense and no person inside could evade the feeling of Tajima's killing intent.
"I need answers" he said slowly.
Nadeshiko smiled softly at him, for once disregarding the usual amusement in her eyes and instead looked at him with determination in her eyes. "Tajima-sama, I am afraid we are not on the same page." he blinked but said nothing, barely lifting a corner of his mouth.
"What has caused this late hour meeting and this sour mood you are in" She asked, suddenly gaining some confidence.
"You know what" He said not missing a beat.
She opened her eyes a millimeter larger than usual.
"Are we discussing this kitchen wench who died two days ago? Because if we are then I am HIGHLY angered by this. I am NOT going to lose my precious sleep over a DEAD GIRL in the KITCHENS. She was NO kunoichi worth to the clan". The council man Uchiha Tengu said, and screamed. Tajima only looked at him, still slightly amused. Tengu had a way with people, or at least tried to have. He liked to appear shaken and angered whenever something was not on his favor. Or when he simply wanted to be the strongest voice of he council. Shouting random words as if he had been possessed by some wild banshee, his face accompanying his voice whenever he screamed.
"Tajima-sama, are you suggesting we are involved?. Please don't think so bad of us, this could get away and people might think there is some kind of fight of power going around the clan head and us, some might even take this chance to revolt, and we are in no condition to face such things, what if we are being spied on or-"
"Shut up Kotomo, for the love of the gods and all that, Shut. Up" Akihito said. His eight-decade age showing in his body and face but not his mind. The eldest of the council said. "Your ramblings are eternal, I can't stand you, please drop dead and let me live my final days in peace"
Probably too fast for his age, he turned his body and head to Tajima.
"I have to agree with that witch, where is this going?"
He stared at Tajima, seconds passed and he pushed his back against the wooden chair and threw his long white beard to his left shoulder.
"You know where this is going, old people"
Suddenly disgusted by being called old, Nadeshiko turned her head to the left corner in the darkest part of the room. From the darkness, Madara emerged, full in battle gear, and stared at her with his sharingan.
"You little disrespectful-" Tengu began, but he was shut down by an increase of the killing intent in the air.
Nadeshiko turned her eyes from Madara to Tajima, recovering herself, she sat down elegantly and smiled softly to herself.
"I see we are being accused". Getting a small box from her robes she put out a pipe and after lighting it up, the smell of tobacco filled the air.
"I must say I am surprised by your presence, Madara, or should I call you Madara-sama?. I didn't expect you to be messing with clan head matters so quickly"
"He is going to be clan head after Tajima what do you expect witch". Snarled Akihito. She slightly glared but refused to make further comment.
Madara made his way to the oval table and stood besides his father.
"So, are you involved or not?" Madara said, a smug look on his face.
No one answered.
Tajima smiled.
"ANSWER ME" Said Madara and smashed his fist on the table, wood breaking and splintering upon the contact.
Nadeshiko jumped right out of her chair, falling disgracefully on the floor. Tengu only stood, while Kotomo, cowered away and stood close to the wall in the direction Madara came from.
Akihito just ignored everything, only making a move to grab his wooden cane before it fell to the floor.
"Why in the world would we kill a stupid kitchen girl" Nadeshiko spitted, getting up from the floor, her sharingan blazing now.
Tajima who had been smiling to the scene, got up from his chair and circled the broken table.
"Well there are several reasons. First you are not happy with my leading skills, second you despise the fact that Madara is going to be clan head and you can't do nothing to evade that, and thirdly-he suddenly turned to Nadeshiko- you can't get over the fact that I became clan head and your son did not"
"How dare you mentioning him, you are not worthy" .Snarling, she approached him. "You should not have been clan head, you were not…not him, you weren't. Your ruling has only brought disaster to a once prideful clan and I certainly don't want your wench-fucker boy to-"
Slap.
Madara slapped her.
She glared at Madara, grabbing her cheek but continued.
"Certainly don't want him ruling the clan, but why in the worlds, would we kill a girl who has no importance whether alive of death, to show our opposition". She finished.
"All you mentioned is enough to sentence you to death for going agains the clan" Madara snarled. His anger more controlled than earlier, but by not means less deadlier.
"Slapping an old woman, what a DISGRACE" Tengu said.
"Really? Because I tough you loved raping woman" Akihito interviened. Tengu gasped. "Those rumours have NOT been proved. EVER"
"Yeah well, shut up for once and let the boy speak"
Everyone looked at Madara. "Well boy, you certainly have your points but I can see there is something you want to say".
Madara looked at his father, and upon receiving no opposition, he continued.
"Besides the fact that we call kill you from what Nadeshiko said, we have enough proof you have been knitting a plan to take the clan head position away from me. Our spies in the other compounds already got word of who you were going to put in my position and disposed of him" Tengu swallowed.
"But what I want to say is not this, it's not about you, you can be disposed of, you have been against the main family for years and only now managed to find some way of hurting us without the chance of loosing against us.
You killed the only female friend of Uchiha Sadako"
Too fast to see, Madara grabbed Nadeshiko from the neck and smirked at her. "Whom by the way is no wench and has shown herself to be more trustful in her fifteen years of life, than you have in all your sad and pathetic life".
Releasing her neck and turning back to the other elders he continued.
"You knew that you had no chance against my father, against me, or even Izuna. You knew that Sadako was close to us but you didn't dare to make a move on her. Too obvious.
So instead, you choosed to kill that girl and plant the doubt of her death being a message or a simple assassination"
There is a question I need to ask and it's not why, because I can clearly see why you did this, but."
Madara turned around from them, smirking slightly to his father, and slowly turned to them.
"Why would you put your pathetic lives in the line? Who are you serving?"
Komoto massaged his hands and slowly took a few steps towards the broken table.
"Madara-sama, I just can't understand why you think we did this, we-, uh, we are faithful to the main family and have been since we were awaded this position and for our entire lives we have been faithful to the Uchiha and-"
"You know, Kotomo-san, my son never asked you if you were faithful to the clan"
Kotomo paled. Madara and Tajima smiled.
Suddenly Tengu made his move, doing a few familiar hand signs for a smoke cover he brought his hand to his mouth tlo execute the jutsu before being kicked in the head by Madara with a roundhouse kick. Never seeing the young man coming, Tengu felt the entire force of the impact, flying to the wall to his right and smashing into it with a disgusting sound.
He didn't pass out though, he looked at Madara angrily with his weakened Mangekyou but kept his place in the floor, he knew his body couldn't handle a fight with broken bones like he used to when he was young. And his eyes…
Nadeshiko rushed to his side, suddenly finding herself alone against a wall. While pretending to check for life threatening injuries, he passed him a small vial, hiding her hand under her long sleeves.
Kneeling next to Tengu, she looked up to both the current clan head and the apparently inevitable next clan head with anger.
She knew her hours were counted.
But she had an escape plan.
Suddenly laughter was heard and everyone looked at Akihito who was apparently very amused with the situation.
"Damn good kick, he had it coming" He said and threw his beard towards his right shoulder. Then his face changed, he suddenly looked very serious, an expression almost odd on his face and looked at Madara. "I still don't find explanation to why are we having this conversation. You could have clearly killed us when we stepped foot in the room, yet you didn't, are you doubting your own story?"
Madara stared at him, and then Tajima spoke "He is not, or rather we are not doubting anything. I was ready to kill you myself, I've been ready since I found about Uchiha Hikari, but my son, he decided otherwise" Looking at Madara, said young man continued.
"As my father said, I have other plans. I wanted to take this matter in my own hands because I want to make you and thus all the people involved in this orchestrated plan understand what I am about to say"
Smiling at them, he made his way to Nadeshiko and Tengu, and kneeling down to their level, he continued:
"You don't fuck with Uchiha Madara"
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
When Sadako woke up, she could feel woman running through the eastern compound in the direction of the main grounds of the complex. Voices where heard, saying different things with no sense to her, naming Madara, the elders, clearly a commotion had aroused during the night.
As fast as she could she dressed herself in her usual clothing, grabbing her katana in the process, just in case, and made her way to the main gardens, where hundreds of Uchiha, man and woman, shinobi or not alike, stared at the small scenario that had been prepared.
Making her way through the people she saw Izuna standing in the front, full in battle gear, and stood next to him, a little out of breath from the sudden running.
"What is happening?" She asked him looking worried, Izuna smiled and said. "Brother and Father found who killed your friend Hikari, they are about to show who did it, I don't know much more, but my brother told me to be in full battle gear, and why are you not wearing your armor? He left a note next to you when you were sleeping"
"I never saw it, I woke up from all the movement I could hear, I came here as fast as I could".
"Well, apparently your are just in time"
As he finished saying that.
Madara, followed by Tajima, made their way up the scenario and looked at the crowd in front of them.
"My clansmen" Began Tajima. "During the night, me and my successor, were made aware of a plan to take us away from power"
People gasped, some were already murmuring while some just looked around as if someone had the answer to a non-existent question.
"A meeting with the council took place, where we found the real masterminds behind all this." A pause. "As you know three days ago, a young kitchen girl names Uchiha Hikari, disappeared. All that was left behind was a pool of blood, her blood. " He made a sign to a group of shinobi and they brought the four elders on top of the scenario.
Sadako gasped, so did many people in the clan.
There, upon them, were the four elders of the clan. Clearly something had been going on, Nadeshiko-sama and Tengu-sama were injured, while Kotomo-sama and Akihito were only being handcuffed and guards were keeping them from moving .
Seeing all of them standing there, made Sadako feel something in her stomach, almost like puking but not, a feeling of a weight being dropped in her stomach and someone pushing it more and more against her middle.
Izuna looked at her and grabbed her hand.
He knew this wouldn't sit well on her. She already knew after all. He could tell.
She turned her eyes to Madara. His hair more disheveled than usual, his stance rigid, hands at the side of his body, hands in a fist and eyes deeply into Nadeshiko's own eyes, his stare was strange for Sadako, he had never seen him look so out of himself whenever not in battle.
Only and anger she saw whenever he fought…him.
"What is the meaning of this?!" someone from the back screamed. Tajima only lifted his hands, and made a gesture for Madara to come forward.
He did so slowly, only removing his eyes from Nadeshiko once he made it to the middle of the scenario.
Turning his sharingan off to stare at his people. He began.
And Sadako couldn't stop shaking.
Treason.
She knew.
"This people tried to shake the very foundations of this clan, and they deserve the most severe penalty"
People gasped again, some agreeing, some weren't saying anything, the shinobi understood, but those who were not used to the battlefield had forgotten a little how things worked, after all, they were safe inside the complex, most of them never having seen an enemy attack to the complex.
"If any of you have any words" Said Tajima.
"I do" Akihito said.
Everyone looked at him.
Sadako tightened her grip on Izuna.
"First of all, I want to apologize to the soul of this poor young woman, that died at the hands of this horrible woman who has been standing at my side in the council for what I believe is too many years. Secondly, I want to apologize to my clan. We were supposed to make the right choices. And last night, I realized we didn't.-he looked at Madara-and so, I apologize to you Madara, because I thought you were too busy with young love-she stopped shaking and snarled-to take care of clan issues, to become clan head. I now know you are worthy, but this changes nothing from what I have hidden and done behind your father. Tajima, I am sorry, not only for this, you know for what else. And to finish, I want to tell you who else was involved: Nadeshiko obviously, was the mastermind,-returning to his usual self-she is a witch after all, she convinced Uchiha Hidemasa, the leader of the compound most close to the Senju's settlement, that if he could stop the Senju from invading his compound every once in a while, he could totally be clan head. Oh that idiot. Stop snarling at me you witch you know it's as bad as it sounds!" He said suddenly turning to look at the furious Nadeshiko, her long grey and black hair out of its usual arrangement and face showing more years than she had. "Also most of the higher up generals in the other compound were involved, although I doubt they are still alive, since you Madara, said you had your people take care of Hidemasa, I suppose his followers were taken care of too. Well, I've got no more words for the young, but I can say, without lying, that I made this for the greater good". With that he finished smiling.
Everyone stared. No one blinked. Seconds later the clan began talking again.
"WAAIT" Akihito said, suddenly remembering something.
Madara lifted an eyebrow.
"Stupid lowsy Kotomo had no knowledge of the murder of the girl having been done by the council." Finally shutting up.
"You?" Asked Madara, snarling at Nadeshiko.
She smiled. "Yes" Looking at the shinobi holding her she said in a commanding tone "Take me closer to the people"
"We only take orders from Tajima-sama and Madara-sama" Snarled the one holding her by the right shoulder.
She growled lowly. Looking at Madara, sarcastically said "Oh, Uchiha Madara-sama, could you please ask your lovely man you take me closer to my clansmen?"
"You are already way too close to my people for my liking, you are standing there, if you cannot lift your voice to talk then I will ignore your turn altogether" Turning from her he left to stand next to his father.
The crowd stared at him, he knew it, he knew his brother and Sadako were there too, staring at him.
He needed to make this place safe for them. No more would come.
"My people…"Nadeshiko said, exhausted, as if she had been arguing with two boys all night.
Madara searched for her. There she is.
She is not looking at him.
"I will not shake from me the accusations that have been made against my person. But I will tell you why these, these two…can't stay in power"
Her right hand holding Izuna, and her left her katana.
How fitting.
"Tajima ruined this clan, and his son will eradicate it from earth. We can be stronger without them, we can do this, we don't need them. Their line should not, be in power.
It is not their birthright"
He searched for something in her eyes, but they were vacant, pools of darkness staring at nothing in particular.
"My son, was to become clan head, before that illness brought him to his knees"
Izuna looked at him and smiled. He felt his father's hand in his shoulders.
"They are not worthy to stand before you and hold power, their blood is tainted, my sons blood, my blood, was ancient, a powerful line of powerful shinobi"
She looked pale, her left hand tightly gripping her katana, as if thirsty for battle.
"Their line began with Tajima, a boy out of hundreds, who only by chance, was born with the right chakra and at the right time "
She knitted her eyebrows. Madara liked this look on her, but not the reasons that were causing it.
"Who says that his son, beyond the might of his promising power, can hold a clan together and rule it "
Her eyes snapped to look at Nadeshiko. She released her hold on Izuna.
"After all it is his father who can barely hold it together right now"
One step forward. Izuna tensed.
"He left his own just born daughter be taken away!"
Blood.
A cough.
Her eyes shaking, slowly made her way to grab the Katana that made its way from her chest to her back. Gripped it tightly looking up to her murderer.
Eyes crimson, full of hatred.
Nadeshiko was scared.
Madara Uchiha stared at her centimeters away, with an expression only reserved for him.
Jaw tense. She grabbed her by the arm and brought her closer to the crowd.
"THIS. THIS IS WHAT DEMOLISHES THE CLAN, THIS IS DIRT ON OUR EMBLEM, THE UCHIHA FAN FULL OF DIRT BECAUSE SOME OLD LADY WITH A DEATHWISH CAN'T UNDERSTAND WHY HIS SON WAS NOT CLANHEAD" He released her and she fell on her knees, sideways to the crowd.
Sadako and Izuna glared at each other. He had stopped her.
Madara continued her wishes.
He paced on the scenery and then suddenly turned to her. Sour expression. Way beyond his years.
"You dared to attack my own clansmen, to endanger my people. You killed all your love for the clan for some sick vengeance. "
He turned to the silent crowd.
"I can't offer you anything right away. But when I become clan head, things will change. I will remove the roots of evil from our clan, I will fight for you, with you, I will shoulder any hatred that might bring.
I will destroy our enemies and cleanse you of the terror of having to sleep with an eye open, thinking we might be attacked, our kids killed, I will change things.
Because…" He looked at Sadako and Izuna. For you.
"I will protect you!".