12.
Madara turned his look away from the building engulfed in flames and looked over his shoulder. The number of casualties was low, but Madara wasn't pleased with the number of injured in the ranks. Madara's hand rose and wiped a few specks of blood from his face, only managing to smudge it on his cheeks. It was a successful battle, just like every other one. The clan hadn't expected an assault on them; the element of surprise is what brought them victory.
Madara sighed and turned away from the building. It was such a waste to see good architecture wasted like this.
"Back to the camp, and leave no one injured behind! If you can walk on your own then you can help a clansman!" Madara shouted to the men. Those who were closer passed the message on so it spread. Madara didn't stay behind to wait on anyone. There was some thought irking him, something was missing.
Ah, of course, Izuna. Where was his pesky brother that used every living moment to thoroughly antagonise him?
Izuna had disappeared at some point of the battle. Perhaps to pursue some personal goal. Madara didn't doubt his brother's loyalty and Izuna was able to take care of himself.
But his gut told him that something was wrong. Call it brotherly instinct if you may.
Madara didn't feel like he had won a battle, it felt like a loss. For the first time in years Madara was unsure if he had done the right thing. Everything about this situation was off, but he shook it off and carried on. This was not a moment to exhibit weakness.
His clothes were soaked with blood, none of it his. His sleeve had ripped from one place, and even that was his own carelessness. He got caught on a branch to be exact.
In the distance his eyes caught sight of the tents and cook fires of the camp that they set up a day before attacking. The few medics they brought along were already prepared and tending the first wounded. Madara didn't feel like they needed him there so he headed to his tent where a clean set of clothes, a bit of rice and some water waited him.
Sensing a familiar chakra, Madara looked over his shoulder and smirked.
"If you have time to stand there doing nothing then was there even a point bringing you along?" Madara said to a medic who was standing in front of his tent, probably trying to pack up his courage to see if their leader is alright. Surprisingly, he didn't flinch, for that he received some approval from Madara.
"Is Madara-sama unharmed?" He asked. Short and straightforward, no unnecessary levels of politeness. Madara's smirk melted to his usual expression of boredom.
"Not even a scratch on me." His voice sounded monotonous. He waved the medic away as there were clansmen who were in dire need of treatment and headed in the tent. Once inside Madara removed his shirt and used the water and the cloth beside it to wash off the blood. His thin eyebrows were in a displeased frown.
Usually the stubborn man knew exactly what was wrong, he could point out many things, but there was something that had eluded him. It was a feeling of uneasiness in his stomach, but the cause of the feeling was a mystery for him. His hands tightened on the edges of the cabinet, nearly crushing it. On moments like this he relied on Izuna's fresh pair of eyes.
The water calmed down and Madara looked at his reflection in the basin, the tips of his hair dipped in the water. Though his reflection was similar to Izuna, it could not provide the guidance he was looking for.
Izuna opened his eyes. It was most certainly a dream that he was in, but what was confusing was how he fell asleep. Well, better than being under a genjutsu, now that would be humiliating. The last thing he could remember was the battle. He most certainly wasn't killed because this wasn't how he imagined hell: too tranquil.
Izuna sighed and rubbed his temple, "Well that's certainly inconvenient..." he mumbled out loud.
He took a moment to take a look at his surroundings to gather some clues. He was still dressed in the same clothes, though the fabric wasn't infused with blood... Izuna took a step in the emptiness around him.
"What are you doing here?" Izuna heard a familiar voice. He turned around and for once didn't bother to put on the mask of politeness that always covered up his true intentions. It was just a dream so there was no need to please anyone.
What he saw genuinely surprised him. Yuna's voice didn't sound so close but she was just a foot away from him, dressed into a short black dress that was certainly quite revealing. Her long hair cascaded around her and she had a suggestive glint in her eyes.
Now this certainly isn't hell. Or maybe this is exactly hell?
There are worse people to spend and eternity with than Yuna, he had to admit.
"The Uchiha will take a might tumble unless you cover this up..." She said playfully, giggling girlishly. Izuna crossed his arms on his chest and tilted his head on the side.
"What do you mean?" he asked suspiciously, but he already had a few ideas about 'Yuna's' revelation. This experience was too lucid to be dream.
"What I mean is that the great general Madara made a miscalculation and slaughtered innocents, " Yuna took a few more steps back, laughing loudly, holding her stomach. This wasn't her body language. This person moved like someone much younger.
Izuna knew that this wasn't a genjutsu, but it differed from a normal dream as well. Standing in front of him was a man now with dark brown hair, but his back was turned towards Izuna, he chuckled.
"It was fun watching you destroy another clan. An innocent clan this time though, who was ready to pledge their loyalty to the Uchiha in exchange for protection. If you can't beat them, join them." Izuna frowned and wanted to pull out his dagger when he noticed that he was stripped from weapons. The man in front of him didn't look behind, not once.
"Tell your brother...tell Uchiha Madara that he failed this time, but I can't wait to see what he does next."
Without a glance the man began walking away.
"How did you manage to put me under a genjutsu? I'm going to rip your insides out, but I have to admit that I'm impressed nevertheless." Izuna's voice was dripping with venom, even though his face was completely blank. The man stopped and chuckled.
"It wasn't easy, if your fragile male ego feels unstable. You're probably my hardest target. I didn't dare to try my hand on Uchiha Madara himself, so I thought that you're easier, but I have to admit that I was mistaken." He admitted. Izuna snorted, that was something that wasn't seen often.
"You didn't answer my question. How did you do it?" He asked sternly. The man sighed. Izuna could almost imagine him closing his eyes.
"How does your Sharingan work, young Uchiha?" The man questioned mockingly before he disappeared into the dark.
Izuna woke with a startle. He scrambled up from the ground and checked all of his weapons. He was unharmed surprisingly, but there wasn't a sign of the mysterious man. Whoever the person was, they were good at mimicking movement. The sound of scorched bodies and wood reached Izuna, causing him to grin from ear to ear.
So Madara really decided to burn the place to the ground out of rage? It was a rash and childish thing to do though. Irresponsible and fairly flamboyant. Izuna didn't sense any chakras around him so the clansmen had probably gone back to camp.
There was no time to waste. He was tired but had more than enough stamina to rush to the camp. Madara had to be notified as soon as possible. Izuna saw the lights in the distance and sped up. He ignored everyone in his way, pushing through the crowds without a second glance. He caught sight of one of his favourite bowmen take his final breath, the first casualty of the wounded.
Izuna jogged to Madara's tent and didn't even announce himself. Madara was on the bed, but he looked up with an irritated look in his eyes.
"Where were you?" He asked. Yes, asked, not snapped. Could it be that Uchiha Madara was genuinely worried for his brother? Impossible!
Izuna sighed and sat down on the ground. Somehow the experience had zapped all of his strength from him.
"I was somewhere in the forest, placed under a genjutsu." Izuna admitted honestly. Madara shifted up from the bed, unsure whether to rush to Izuna or not.
"Would you explain?" Madara asked, as if Izuna was a kid who just got caught lying. Well, Izuna still got caught lying every now and then...
"Well at first it was your wife in a very small black dress...by the way have you ever noticed that she has gorgeous-." Izuna couldn't help it; he just had to say it to annoy Madara. It was sort of a way to let him know that everything was alright with him, physically and mentally.
"Izuna..." Madara warned through gritted teeth. If Izuna was well enough to joke then he could very well dodge!
"Well anyway she was laughing how everyone's going to hate us, after that she changed into a man who told me that we had killed the wrong clan. They were actually planning on offering their support to us."
Madara frowned and snorted.
"Why would I believe something that you saw in your silly dream?"
But his doubts were becoming a reality.
Izuna sighed, "It was a genjutsu and, whoever he is, he's strong for managing to put me under a genjutsu. I never sensed his presence, have no memory of how it happened."
"How did we slaughter the wrong clan? How is it possible? You saw the woman's memories whom we imprisoned!" Madara was raging. Izuna shrugged.
"Maybe she was put under the same genjutsu...the person could've made her see the things that would set the guilt on her clan. This could bring war to us if it gets out that we killed an innocent clan. This is no honourable way to go, but we have to pack up the camp and leave...You just had to torch the place, didn't you? It practically screams Madara!" Izuna's voice was quite serious, and even he couldn't turn this situation into a joke.
"Would the real culprits blame us?" Madara asked. His stomach was tied to a knot and he was quite sure that the first thing he's going to do after getting back is banging some random whore he picks up on the street.
Izuna frowned, "I doubt it, and they wouldn't do it like that because it can backfire, but they could anonymously manipulate other clans to blame us. That would give them time to cover up traces and would keep us busy at the same time." Madara cursed under his breath.
"Get out, I need to think and you reek like a dead animal. Go take a bath!"
Izuna smiled and got up and left.
Madara wasn't used to making mistakes, he never hesitated and his gut was never wrong.
Madara lied back down, but got up quite soon because he was too irritated to lie still.
The leader's life wasn't sunny. His wife was probably still missing and having sex in some other man's bed, his clan could be pulled into a series of battles and clashes with other clans because of his decision and his maids couldn't make miso like his mother did.
They were going to leave early in the morning. Madara was partially hoping that Yuna hadn't come back, because he getting her consent to sleep with her would be too complicated. Sleep would not come, and apparently no work either. Izuna was probably handling everything.
Madara stopped and took the water bowl and threw it out of the tent as hard as he could. The red water spilled all around, including on the tent. Making it look like someone just murdered him there. He didn't stop to listen if someone got hit, and he didn't really care. Those who couldn't dodge a god damn bowl weren't fit to be ninja anyway.