That man was sick.
She shuddered as she recalled every single moment with that monster. He was smart. He knew there was more to her eyes than what she said. The cruel bastard forced her to keep her Sharingan activated, threatening the life of King Vegeta should she disobey him. Even though the man meant absolutely nothing to her, she found herself giving into Frieza's demands much to his amusement. He didn't deserve to die simply because she was unwilling to obey an order of a galactic tyrant that could easily destroy her. She'd rather be Vegeta's prisoner.
So she dealt with his sick pleasures, her cursed bloodline recording every sensation of pain and defilement. She remembered every moment where he let her escape, playing with her mind and letting her think she could evade him. He always found her, pounding her into the ground until she couldn't move and spitting upon her pride. He knew how to torture her physically and mentally. He knew how to degrade someone until there was nothing left but an empty shell. She was grateful that there was no anatomical way he could destroy her purity, leaving her with that victory at least. But all the other things he did…it was despicable. He haunted her nightmares, being the very demon that personified all her greatest fears. He delighted in watching her suffer, knowing full well he'd never keep any promises that slid off his lying tongue. She knew he'd kill Vegeta without a second thought.
She desperately craved Gine's kindness and Bardock's crudeness, even Vegeta's royal pompousness. If there was ever a time she needed to vent her inner thoughts, it was now. She could only attempt to subdue her raging emotions and trembling body as she snuck through the halls of the massive ship she was stuck on. She had gotten lucky and placed Frieza under a genjutsu, planting false memories of him torturing her until she died a miserable death, allowing her a slim chance of escape. She kept her chakra under control, hoping to the Rikudo Sennin that she wouldn't be discovered by any of Frieza's men. Those damnable scouters would detect any trace of power, no matter how miniscule. One wrong move and she'd be found and brought back to Frieza. If that happened, she had no doubt that the bastard would kill her. He had had his twisted fun, so she was no longer of any use to him. People without use were scrapped like common trash in this world.
She had to tell someone about Frieza's fear. If anything, it could spark someone's interest and cause them to train harder to achieve such a level of power. But then again, what if there was no reliable proof that a "Super Saiyan" even existed? She wouldn't know until she asked. Thoughts of King Vegeta entered her mind, her resolve strengthening. He would know. If anyone did, he would.
Putting every experience as a shinobi to good use, she crept through the halls and headed towards the ship bay. With any luck, she could commandeer a ship back to Planet Vegeta. She was getting sick of the artificial lights of Frieza's ship. She was also tired of seeing grotesque soldiers talk about their completed objectives. If only she was stronger, she would make every single one of those monsters pay for what they have done.
"Frieza…I'll make sure that you burn one day," she silently swore, her Sharingan blazing in the darkness. "By my hands or by my bloodline, you will perish. I can promise you that."
Steely eyes focused on their path forward. She had to escape. She had to go back to Planet Vegeta. She wanted to get away from Frieza.
Get away. Run, little plaything. Run like your life actually has meaning. And do me a favor, would you? Don't break right away. It's more fun for me if you suffer.
She trembled as the memories replayed in her mind like a broken record. Every punch felt like Black Zetsu's hand stabbing through her body. Every whip of his tail struck like lightning. Every time her blood spilled, he enjoyed the sweet taste of it. Man or woman, it didn't matter to him. They were all his pawns and he could do whatever he pleased to them.
A creature far worse than the Tailed Beasts. A demon more wicked than Black Zetsu. A power-hungry tyrant far worse than Kaguya. How could such a monster exist?
"Naruto…Be grateful that your definition of evil was me, for I have seen what true evil really looks like," she bleakly thought. "And to think, the Saiyans and so many more have been dealing with his rule for years…"
Her hands clenched, feeling smaller than she had ever felt in her life. She knew there was another thing she'd need to ask Vegeta for when she returned. So many warriors knew how to shoot energy blasts and could fly. Was it possible for her to learn those techniques? If so, there would be a chance she could fend for herself. If not…she'd have to reluctantly rely on someone who could to protect her. The very thought disgusted her. Her pride would never allow it.
She inched around a corner, peeking into the ship bay. There was only one lackey there, currently snoozing on the job. She grinned at her luck. Stealthily, she crept towards the fool until she was right in front of him. She tapped him lightly, waking him from his nap. The instant his eyes opened, her Sharigan burned into his vision. With the greatest of ease, she commanded him to show her a ship that would be sent to Planet Vegeta. As soon as the coordinates were set, she once again planted false memories so that he wouldn't remember helping her specifically, but a fellow PTO member instead.
As the stars zoomed past her, she thought of happier days. Anything to get her mind off of the traumatic experiences she had with Frieza. She dreamed of Izuna, greeting her home after coming back from meeting with Hashirama at the Naka River. Her thoughts of Hashirama drifted into fantasy, imagining a world where she had confessed when she should have. She would have been content then. Anything he asked, she would have done for him. Even the terrifying thought of childbirth had nothing on the love she felt for him. Her hand drifted to her stomach, sighing at her childish thoughts. Such delightful fantasies were nothing but lies and distant memories now. She could lament about the past as much as she wanted, but it would never change. She had her chance and she let it slip away. Her life was nothing but a steady stream of disasters. If anything, she'd be dooming any offspring she had to a life of equally disappointing failures. She couldn't handle that guilt.
"Gine…you don't realize how lucky you are…"
"How…Just…HOW!?"
"Do me a favor and don't ask, Bardock."
"You escaped from a galactic overlord without having anyone follow after you! That's fucking unbelievable! How can you expect me not to ask how you did it?"
Madara glared kunai knives at the man, signaling that she was done talking about the matter. Gine looked worriedly at her, running a soothing hand across Madara's back. Madara had told her everything that had transpired on the ship. If anything, it made her respect the inner strength that Madara possessed. Just when she thought there was no possible way for Frieza to be even more corrupted, he proved her wrong once again.
"I've worked as an assassin before. We learn to be silent or else we die. Simple as that," was Madara's curt explanation. "Now stop asking me about it."
"Why were you working as an assassin in the first place?"
"It was all I knew. I grew up in a time of war. It was kill or be killed. Strength was all that mattered in those turbulent times. Even now, strength is what makes you useful or dead weight."
"Still—"
"Bardock, I think that's enough," Gine announced. "Let her rest now. I know I would need it after an ordeal like that."
Bardock scoffed, gruffly turning his back to the women. He eyed Madara as the female stood up, an unreadable emotion glimmering in their depths. She quickly thanked Gine before rushing out. Gine gave him an accusing look.
"What!?" he yelled at her. "I didn't do anything!"
"At least try to be a little sensitive. She's been through so much," Gine said. "Other than us, there's no one she truly trusts. It wouldn't kill you to be nicer instead of being a crude ass all the time."
"That's not my problem. You're a bunch of softies; the whole lot of you!"
Madara sighed as the arguing behind her escalated. She focused on the path forward, finding comfort in the eerie red color of the earth below her feet. The stars sparkling in the black night sky, complementing the pristine white of the palace towers. The closer the looming building came to her, the faster her pace became. Within a few minutes, she was sprinting towards the castle. Rushing through the grand hallways, right towards the throne room hoping to see the person she wanted to find. She thrust the doors open, adrenaline flowing through her body and slight smile on her face. Her spirits diminished when she saw that there wasn't a single soul in the room. Her frown deepened, walking up to the mighty chair. Letting out a sigh, she collapsed to the ground. Did Frieza's men get to him already?
"You!?"
She straightened up, looking over her shoulder to find the Saiyan King well and alive. Her worry diminished instantly. She stood up, turning to face the man and giving him her traditional smirk.
"Did you miss me?" she snidely asked.
"You…HOW?!" he immediately demanded.
"I simply waited for the right moment for Frieza to play into my hands. Nothing more."
"You're not getting off that easy this time," he growled. "You're going to tell me the specifics and you're going to tell me right now. What happened?"
Her smirk disappeared. "I've lived through hell. I've seen the evil of men, but Frieza is beyond redemption. He tortures you, taking away the things that make you who you are and tainting them beyond recognition. He's beaten me down, destroyed my pride, and toyed with me to satisfy his sick fantasies. I have never feared anyone in my life…until now. His power is terrifying. No one can stand up to him…"
Vegeta's glare hardened. She could see bubbling anger behind his black irises. She blinked at the visible rage the king was showing. Since when did he care so much about what happened to her?
"Vegeta? Do you know what a 'Super Saiyan' is?"
He raised a curious eyebrow. "Yes. Why do you ask?"
"I peered into Frieza's mind, if but only for a moment. His greatest fear is that a 'Super Saiyan' will be born and overthrow his rule. I wanted to know if there was any truth behind this claim."
"The Legendary Super Saiyan…" he began. "He was a Saiyan of unparalleled might that lived a thousand years ago. It was said that he could only retain this magnificent power in a transformed state, but his strength was beyond comprehension. In fact, his power was so great it inevitably destroyed him in the end."
"Do you believe another Super Saiyan could arise in the future?"
"If anyone has the greatest chance of achieving that level, it'll be me or one of my descendants."
She smirked. "Ever the overconfident one. Knowing how karma works, a third-class Saiyan will achieve it first before your ostentatious heirs ever do."
"Preposterous!" he scoffed. "None of the lower class dogs even come close to my power."
"Don't underestimate the dead-last. One of my strongest adversaries was once a complete failure. Through sheer determination and faith in his comrades, he overcame his limits and achieved great power. If your sons are anything like you, I pity them."
"…I don't…"
She blinked. "Come again?"
"I…don't…have any sons."
"You mean to tell me you're a king without a queen?" she guessed, genuinely surprised. "There are plenty of strong females on this planet. Are none of them worthy enough for you?"
"Exactly," he crossly answered. "Not a single one has the potential or the power to possess such a title."
"I suppose I can understand that. A queen should represent the ideals of her people as strongly as her king does. She should be the epitome of what every Saiyan female should strive to be."
"Odd, that a stranger to our ways should understand that the most."
"I've dealt with royalty before. I'm familiar with how their minds work. You are no different from the daimyo back home."
"You certainly have your secrets, don't you?"
"Tell you what, Vegeta; I'll make a deal with you," Madara said, her challenging look gleaming in her eyes. "If you can train me to become stronger, I'll tell you what you want to know. I know you're still curious about my Sharingan and even more so about how I escaped from Frieza."
He crossed his arms, finally giving her a determined smile that meant he would accept her challenge. "Very well. Let's see if you can even last a day under Saiyan training regimens, Madara Uchiha."
And so, over the next several months, Madara spent every moment she had on training. Utilizing energy was far different than manipulating chakra. Instead of using hand signs to mold chakra, the energy could simply be focused in the hands or eyes and expelled all at once. Her apparent control despite her lack of understanding of the topic stunned Vegeta. He had no idea she had been trained since a very young age to master chakra control. Bringing out the energy was a simple task once he told her what to do. It was the execution that she struggled with. Summoning forth energy attacks was taxing on her after a few tries.
Vegeta had been a relatively patient sensei, if he could be called that. He had dug into the deepest recesses of her past in return for the lessons he gave. It was when she began telling her story that his attitude slowly changed. It wasn't long before he knew of her greatest failures and her deepest pains. He knew about Izuna, Hashirama, the violent betrayal of Zetsu, and her pitiful death at the end of the Fourth Shinobu World War. He knew about the Curse of Hatred and the tainted bloodline she was damned with. He knew about the Mangekyou Sharingan and the Eternal version that she now possessed after losing her brother. He knew about the Uchiha Clan and their eventual downfall, understanding she was once their leader. He knew about her escapade from Frieza's ship and all the agonizing actions he committed on her.
He listened to it all, never judging once her or her past. He let her spar with him, giving her the chance to vent her frustration and anger. He complemented her audacity, teasing her that she'd make a good foot soldier if she got lucky enough to land a punch to his face. She always responded with a well-aimed hook that never made contact with its target. Madara came to enjoy their spars and she could only assume that Vegeta was relishing the chance to mock her.
Whenever Madara told Gine of the happenings between her and the king, an annoyingly wide grin would spread across her face. When asked what she was smiling about, Gine would simply giggle like a schoolgirl crushing after her senpai. Bardock knew about as much as Madara did in terms of what was going through his wife's head, so she hadn't asked the man.
"Madara? What was this…Hashirama like?"
"Why would you ask that?" Madara asked, eyeing the man suspiciously.
"Mere curiosity," he replied, crossing his arms. "I can't see a weak-hearted fool catching your eye."
"He was a weak-hearted fool," she answered with a chuckle. "But he was strong; much stronger than I ever was. Despite his naïve ambitions, he still managed to unite thousands of different people together towards a common cause. He was kind, never once letting the dark nature of war destroy him."
"I see…"
"I don't know how I fell for that idiot…I wish I never did. He chose another in the end, joyfully living with her. He gave up on our friendship for his duties towards our home; his duties towards her." She traced the scar on her chest, hiding behind her clothing. "That day he left me for dead…made it painfully obvious that life is unforgiving. I wanted to change the world so no one would have to go through what I went through. The rest…you know."
"He was unworthy."
She snapped her head up. "Excuse me?"
"He was unworthy," he repeated himself. "If he could not see the blatantly obvious, he had no right to claim you as a mate. Someone like you deserves far better."
"Why, Vegeta; is that a hint of sympathy I detect in your voice?" Madara slyly asked. "That won't do for the great and ruthless Saiyan King. We wouldn't want you going soft on one of your subjects."
"Don't get used to it."
"I wouldn't expect anything less."
Yes, Vegeta had acted strangely that day. She had enjoyed his company from that point onward, much to her confusion. When Gine heard, her giggles turned into boisterous laughter. She was onto something that Madara clearly couldn't comprehend. She was a shinobi, not a Saiyan. She could only guess what Gine was planning on doing with her newfound knowledge.
"Madara. There is something you must know."
"What is it?"
"I want you to be my mate."
She stared at the man as if he had grown a second head. For a moment, she thought she had misheard the Saiyan. Was Vegeta serious or was he teasing her again? He couldn't be. She wasn't even one of his people. She was nobody; a failure.
"I'm sorry, but I must respectfully decline," she told him. "I'm not worth it."
"Perhaps I need to rephrase it: you will be my mate."
"But I already—"
"Listen before you say anything," he interrupted. "We Saiyans mate for life. Once a Saiyan male chooses his mate, his decision is final. Nothing will change his mind, not even at the prospect of a stronger female."
"…Why me?"
For a moment, she saw it. Behind the fiery will and heart of steel that made him a Saiyan warrior, there was a glimpse of the tender soul that was hidden underneath the royal mantle.
"I've asked myself that question numerous times. I suppose it began when Frieza took you. I felt a rage unlike anything I had felt before. When I learned of the things you were forced to endure by that blasted Arcosian, it awakened…something. I felt a growing need to be beside you. It wasn't long before I realized what everything meant."
"I'm touched. But—"
"I'm not finished," he said. "I can't replace Hashirama. I know that and I don't care. I will show you that your life is worth more than what you believe it to be. I'll beat it into you if I have to."
"Vegeta…If anyone discovers this, your rule will be put in jeopardy. You know that, don't you?"
"No one of importance knows that you're not a Saiyan."
"Brash as always. I'm not surprised," she sighed, smiling at him. "You've been too good to me. I'm going to miss having you threatening my life for insulting you."
He stared at her when she gave him a small kiss. That was a more concrete answer for him and she knew he was secretly relishing his final victory over her. Somehow, during their time together, she had gotten close to the Saiyan King. He did not scorn her for her gender, acknowledging her strength alone. He respected her pride and she respected him, understanding the burdens he had taken upon himself to keep his people content and to protect his home. He wasn't Hashirama…but he had his own perks that drew her in like a moth to a flame. She knew she could trust him.
She knew he wouldn't abandon her…like Hashirama did. At least, that was her hope.
Eh...I still have issues with this chapter. I feel like it may have been too rushed. And I apologize if I don't get characters personalities down right the first time. I don't know DBZ as well as BLEACH or InuYasha, animes I frequently return to in my free time and write stories about constantly compared to my sparse involvement with DBZ. I will try better in the future to not make that mistake.