I Prefer The Stars
Summary: The Sun is the brightest star in our sky because it is the closest, but it is the far away stars, whose light we see despite such a great distance, that hold insurmountable possibilities and potential. When given a true chance to shine to their true potential, which is more beautiful? Which will lead the way?
Uchiha Madara was not an ordinary person by any means, no matter how you looked at it.
From the day he was born, due to the stupidity of a man a thousand years or so dead, he was different from others because his chakra was not completely his own. His soul was not completely his own, despite him being his own person. He had a leech, practically a parasite of an ancient man who had started his clan clinging to all that made Madara Madara, poisoning his soul with centuries old hatred and spite and rage he had no reason to feel on his own, even if he had been born in the longest standing blood feud and clan war in human history. Otsutsuki Indra's chakra - and fate - was intertwined with his own even if he had never outright used it unlike his descendant and the next transmigrate of Otsutsuki Indra's imprint.
Madara was doomed to carry that accursed imprint into the Pure Lands and to never find true peace as long as Indra sought to fight against his father's ideals.
Madara found it funny how all the Otsutsuki, from Kaguya to her creation to her son and her grandson, all thought that someone like Madara would ever allow for their family drama to drag his own into danger once he knew of it.
Honestly, the Otsutsuki were far too used to being revered as gods or god-like beings that they forgot how dangerous humans were. Especially people like the Uchiha, people like Madara. People who were ready to burn the world down for those they considered precious, those they called their's. They underestimated everyone who did not possess the same power as them, thinking the little chakra users spawned due to their actions on Earth could never reach the same level as them, that they could never overpower or outwit them.
Zetsu had made a big mistake in going after Madara, after the Uchiha. He had made a mistake he will not live to learn to regret this time around because he had chosen the one person in Indra's whole bloodline than would not accept the concepts of predestined fate or destiny, that will not leave the lives of his loved ones up as pawns for a game started by a fucked up family from centuries ago.
The Sage of Six Paths had made an even bigger mistake. Madara had never met him, but he was obviously of the impression that Madara was no different from Indra, having turned his back on Hashirama, Asura's incarnate. He seems to be of the impression that he was properly disciplining his child, too, which was bullshit, but Madara didn't care about the Otsutsuki family drama. He had no reason to. The cycle of transmigration ended with Madara, as far as he was concerned, because unlike other incarnates of Indra, Madara's power was fully his own. He had never relied on the chakra that belonged to Otsutsuki Hagoromo's unfortunate older son. He had gained all the power he ever possessed through hard work and his own ingenuity, from his most basic shinobi skills to the chakra that now coursed through his veins.
Madara didn't need the Sage to be powerful. He didn't need Ninshu or any of that Otsutsuki bullshit to shape the world.
He made his own fate, his own path, he walked down it and fought anyone foolish enough to stand in his way.
Including Otsutsuki Indra and his soul's foolish attempts to imprint his influence on Madara's soul. He may not be as old as his ancestor, but Madara had a strength of will considerably different from Indra's. His brothers were alive, his clan was alive and relatively safe, his clan's children were safe because he hunted the child-killers and bloodline-hunters. He had more than enough reason to keep marching forward, to make this world a better place, to not fall to the Curse of Hatred Indra and Zetsu had doomed the Uchiha Clan with for eternity. Uchiha Madara was not Otsutsuki Indra and it was time for all parties involved to realize and acknowledge that.
So Madara used the new power he now possessed and created a seal that allowed him to purge himself of all of Indra's influences, throwing the imprint of his ancestor's soul out and using one of the Uzumaki masks he'd stolen years ago to summon the Shinigami to drag that last part of Indra's soul into the Pure Lands and keep the stubborn Otsutsuki there. He found it amusing, though, that the Shinigami seemed rather scared of him when it was summoned. Madara honestly wasn't sure what had it so wary of him but if it meant it won't try to take his soul for calling upon it for its services, he wasn't complaining.
(He figured it was the Rinne-Sharingan that glared in the dark at the spirit. Madara didn't yet know its full capabilities, but he knew it was powerful, the final form doujutsu can take. He still has some exploring and experimenting to do.)
That taken care of, Madara was left to deal and plan for the ultimate threat to his loved ones, to his world, who was also, perhaps unwittingly, foolish enough to underestimate him. Otsutsuki Kaguya had never before been challenged by a single person before, especially one so considerably weaker than her in chakra reserves and vitality. Of course, she'd probably not even known he existed beyond him being a sort of vessel for her return. She could not have known that he would fight her, that he wouldn't let her take all she wanted from him, that he would take back. Madara was a stubborn bastard. He had evaded death twice before, he'd found a way to come back to life through sheer determination and incredible long term plotting. He'd been ready to do anything to see his brothers again, to give them a life and a world they deserved.
Kaguya had not expected that her vessel himself would be what ultimately weakened her enough for Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke to seal her away in a dimension far from their own.
Madara may have died for a third time and yet here he was again, living and breathing and running through Hi no Kuni's forests like he had never died in the first place, undoubtedly the most powerful being on this world, especially as he wasn't exactly dependent purely on power that was Otsutsuki in origin, one way or another. He'll probably have to inform Tobirama of that soon, but not yet.
For now, he had to keep an eye on Senju Kawarama and the Hagoromo that were approaching the patrol squad he was on. It would seem Butsuma was up to all of his old tricks again. Not at all surprising, given neither he nor Tobirama had truly tried to change their fathers' ways. It would draw too much attention to them and Madara had plans that he didn't want Tajima knowing anything about, not if he was still so set on peace for the Uchiha meaning the complete and utter destruction of the Senju.
Senju Kawarama was Madara's and Tobirama's greatest concern. They were practically at the time of his death from the last time and given that time and reality will try to bounce back and make things go back to how they used to be the first time around, the third Senju brother was in grave danger. Tobirama had alerted Madara the second he learned Kawarama was to be sent out on a week long patrol mission mere hours after they parted ways once Tobirama finally got his senses back in order from his chakra-sense drunk state. That was four days ago and Madara had had to make a rain-check with Tobirama for showing the Senju his little project that he was so insistent in knowing about, as this required his full and immediate attention.
He had Hikaku and Kikiyo to keep an eye on his brothers back home - and one of his own Kage Bunshin, of course - but Tobirama had no choice but to leave for his own mission a day after Kawarama left. Making sure Kawarama survived and stayed the fuck out of danger for the foreseeable future fell to Madara alone. It was a good thing he had a plan. He just had to wait for the right moment. He'd waited for four days already and finally, it was time to dance.
He didn't interfere with the initial clash between the Senju squad and the considerably larger Hagoromo group, though he stayed in immediate reach so he may act accordingly when he judges it to be the time. Madara had never liked the Hagorormo. For many reasons. The reason he was out tonight was just one of them. Child-hunting and killing had always disgusted him. Even for the sake of Tsuki No Me, when he had been mad and desperate to get his brother back, Madara had never raised a hand against a child. He could never kill children, not until the very end. He had died three times and the only child's death that was even remotely on his hands had been Obito's little crush and that could be laid at Zetsu's feet, too. Madara had neither made the enemy ninja seal the Yonbi in the girl nor had he have her commit suicide. Perhaps it wouldn't have happened if Madara had let Obito go back to the village, but 'what if's would only drive him mad once again if he pondered on them too much. Besides, he had more important things to worry about.
Like the fact that all of the adult Senju had just been killed and the very much adult Hagoromo were now circling Tobirama's younger brother, laughing in cruel mockery as they described all the ways they were going to hurt him before they finally took mercy and ended his 'pathetic waste of a life'. Well ...
If Madara was ever accused of going overboard when he rushed into the little clearing, using a single burst of Shinra Tensei to repel the Hagoromo with enough force that the unlucky bastards that immediately hit the surrounding trees broke in half as though they were nothing more than glass, he'd deny it to his death (hopefully, the final one, this time). Then, so as not to let whispers - accidental or otherwise - spread about the purple eyes only he possessed, he reverted back to the Sharingan and lit the night with a huge fireball, destroying everyone's but his own night vision. The Sharingan saw all, allowing him to move as if in broad daylight, taking down the remaining Hagoromo one by one with a variety of jutsu, none of which could be traced back to any single clan. There will be only one survivor in this clearing once he leaves, but he did not want Senju Kawarama realizing that his savior is an Uchiha and trying to fight him. The kid had average jonin reserves and probably won't grow by a considerable amount in the future, either. He wouldn't stand a chance and Madara was already going to temporarily main him so he would have to be taken off of the mission roster for at least a few months. Just until Madara was certain there would be no more attempts at a bounce back from the universe. And if there was, Madara would fight it.
This time, it would be different.
The Hagoromo were no more a match for Madara than the Shinobi Alliance had been and they hadn't put up even half as good of a fight. Which was a shame, as he'd really wanted to dance, but he figured he can entice Tobirama at their next meeting to be his partner. The savant had definitely been a better taijutsu fighter than Hashirama, who had long since focused himself on jutsu when he came into his massive chakra reserves and almost all his other shinobi skills became subpar by the time Madara came back with the Kyuubi to attack Konoha since he no longer had to train as much to keep pace with Madara. Madara had never stopped training. Tobirama, the decidedly busiest person in the village, had never stopped vigorously training. Hashirama had grown complacent, relying far too much on massive, overpowered jutsu that he would only ever even use against Madara. Hashirama mostly won fights with brute force or unnatural endurance that came with the Mokuton.
It didn't take long to take care of every last one of them. Even the sensor one in their team was more concerned with panicking than possibly helping his teammates - or himself - survive the encounter. Madara dispatched them in the most impersonal way possible so that it can never be traced back to him. However, once he was done with the bastards, that left him with an injured - not too bad, but it would still need treatment - and stuck between scared and grateful brother of his two favorite Senju. Madara absently flicked blood off of his blade as he studied the kid, only in seeing him in supernatural detail realizing that he still had his doujutsu active. Damn, there went his clan allegiance. But at least not his identity with it. Still, this was more than enough to put Kawarama on guard and in a panic, so much so that he ignored his injuries and clumsily lunged with his broken sword at Madara, as if hoping to surprise him enough to land a killing or crippling blow. He probably had no experience whatsoever with Sharingan users if he thought that would work. Had he not been the reason Madara was actually out here at all, he'd be dead already. Still, Madara humored him by sidestepping his lunge, catching his wrist, twisting with just enough force that he dropped the sword and a subtle crack could be heard as Madara near broke the now severely sprained wrist. He was impressed that the younger boy didn't cry out, his pain showing only in the ugly grimace he made, and Madara already decided that he liked him.
However, he thought the kid might have just a bit too much spunk for his situation - he didn't seem to care about his injuries at all which was just not done, no matter the situation - when Kawarama tried to twist out of his hold and sink a kunai between his ribs. He commended him in the desire to survive, but he clearly needed a lesson or five in self-preservation. He'll make sure to teach him those lessons once Tobirama actually insists on him meeting the second youngest Senju officially. For now, he knocked Kawarama down with his elbow with enough force to ensure he will stay down. The kid crumbled like a card castle but Madara caught him before the kid could give himself a serious concussion as opposed to the mild one Madara had delivered. That alone should keep him off the mission roaster for two weeks, plus the injuries he's already sustained. However, Madara needed him out of commission for much longer than just a couple of weeks. He needed Kawarama safe and alive until the date of Itama's death and then he needed Itama safe and alive until at least the time of the River Incident.
Therefore, Madara set to work. The kid was unconscious and Madara was a medic. He gave the kid cosmetic wounds that looked much worse than they felt and were definitely not nearly as dangerous as they seemed. A good healer would know this, though, so Madara put several layers of genjutsu to fool them and left all of the wounds that the Hagoromo had inflicted so that Kawarama would not feel like he can go out on missions, either. Itama will probably realize his intentions and will confirm what Madara wanted him to confirm, and so the middle Senju will be kept inside the compound, where Tobirama can keep a proper eye on him. Now, all Madara had to do was put a genjutsu on the place so anyone not Tobirama can't find the kid, though it was not as if Madara himself would be leaving the scene until a Senju comes to pick the heir up.
In the meantime, while he waited, Madara sent a clone to check up on his 'little' project. The genjutsu held, of course, and the area he had picked was a little murky on all the maps of this era. He still had a lot of work ahead of him, but the most important parts so far have been completed. If he hadn't been needed to concentrate on this little mission, he would have sent more Limbo Clones to continue working instead of just one and several Kage Bunshin. But the Limbo Clone has to return to him and he needs time for a 'cool down' before he can use it again, especially if he uses all four. They were efficient but the recuperation period would take more time than sending separate clones. The guard he had left in place was also dutifully watching over the site, protecting it, not that Madara would have doubted it. His summon was one of the many things he had missed in the many decades he had hid himself from the world and one of the first things he had checked on since he woke up with his memories of his past life. He idly wondered if he should introduce Tobirama with said summon any time soon, but just as he was contemplating it, he sensed the warning flares of Tobirama's chakra and immediately hid himself completely, chakra and body wise. Not three minutes later, a Senju platoon, lead by Senju Tobirama himself, broke through the trees, having come to the rescue of their clansmen. Madara watched them as they fluttered about, cursing and investigating and needlessly stabbing the dead Hagoromo every now and then, making Madara roll his eyes. They were all very decidedly dead, therefore such actions were unnecessary. They could be better spending their time getting Kawarama, the only survivor, medical attention.
He grinned when Tobirama, not a second later, snapped as much at them for it, too. Seriously, he and Tobirama were made from the same cloth, birds of a feather or whatever other nonsense people liked to spew about such things. (Which made their past life's tumultuous relationship so weird in hindsight, despite knowing all the things that had caused it to be as such. Different perspectives really made different impressions.) He'll have to tease him about it the next time they get to talk about not so serious things.
For now, Madara turned around and left, unnoticed by all except Tobirama, as it should be.
When he got home, he wasn't even surprised to find that Izuna, Hikaku and Kikiyo had snuck into his room and were waiting for him, his younger brother looking like he might fall asleep at any minute. Hikaku bowed his head respectfully - something Madara had given up on trying to teach his cousin out of, because Hikaku apparently respected him that much, even now - in greeting while Kikiyo arched an eyebrow at him. "You need to slow down every once in a while, cousin, before you overwork yourself. You can do only so much when utterly exhausted and we need you in top form."
"Yeah, Nii-san," Izuna said agreeably with a wide yawn that nearly cracked his jaw and actually made Madara flinch a little. "You always insist on us all being extra careful about our health but then you go and give us bad examples like this. We can learn from empty words only so much."
"Don't give me that sass, Izuna," Madara huffed, taking off his standard shinobi gear swiftly and checking his clothes for blood. He needed to throw those clothes out unless he wants the scent of blood to stink up his room. Not that he wouldn't be able to sleep with it that way - he was a shinobi, it was a familiar, almost daily scent - but he'd simply rather not have to. "I know you guys are worried, but there's simply no need. This is necessary and you're well aware of that. If we want to ensure the safety and happiness of Uchiha children and the actual continuation of our clan, we need to have a secure, secluded, secret settlement that no one knows about and, quite frankly, this is the only way without us actually leaving the planet."
"Not like that would be a problem for you, either," Kikiyo snorted and Madara rolled his eyes. While yes, he could, in fact, truly arrange for this new settlement they were talking about to be anywhere in the universe since he actually knows someone who can guide them to a safe planet where they can live peacefully, that was not the solution and he'd prefer not to make it one. That was literally their last option, or so he will ensure it to be, since there were other more convenient ways to create a safe place for his clan and any other clan willing to broker for actual peace. And since he's already almost got it done, he'd rather not have all of his work be for nothing. He'd spent quite a few sleepless nights to get that thing to the stage it is now and only a few more things need to be completed before it's officially ready for work on finer details.
He'd have preferred to have finished it completely before he brings anyone else to see it, but he's got a feeling Tobirama won't budge on this.
Hikaku seemed to pick up on something like that in Madara's expression because he immediately asked. "Is something the matter, Madara-sama? Could it be that something's not going according to plan?"
"Always so formal, Hikaku," Madara sighed in fond exasperation but answered anyway. "My Hatake friend seems to be insisting to see my project as soon as possible and I'm inclined to indulge him, given that I'd appreciate his opinion on if we might need anything else before we move onto the next stage."
"So you want to combine that and the meeting of our two families and take care of two annoyances with one swing," Kikiyo summarized, sounding half amused but mostly dead serious. "We don't mind, but are you sure you can trust this Hatake?"
"We have no grievances with the Hatake," Madara reasoned, but a glint in her eyes told him Kikiyo was as sharp as ever. Seems that they'll have to have a private talk soon about a certain white haired, red eyed boy wearing the Senju crest that she'd encountered not all that long ago on her mission. Preferably before the rest of their family meets said boy. "And we have no grievances with him."
Kikiyo had to nod at that, getting his hidden message. Tobirama could have ambushed her while she was undercover, when she could not defend herself unless she wanted the Uchiha Clan to suffer the consequences of her revealed identity, but he hadn't. Not because he wasn't there for the chance - Madara could put off the mission request only so much before it reached the Senju - but because he was doing Madara a favor by sparing his cousin. Kikiyo will soon be meeting the boy who had spared her and Madara wanted her and Hikaku, if no one else from his nearest and dearest, to come to that meeting with as little grievances and biases as he could ensure so no unfortunate, unnecessary fighting would take place. They were, after all, the rare cool-headed Uchiha, so few and far in-between for their temperamental clan.
They were also incredibly loyal, should one earn that loyalty and return it. It's why Hikaku had stayed by Madara's side to the end in the world-that-was-and-will-never-be. It had him tempted to share the burden of the truth with at least Hikaku, to make things just a bit easier, but he wouldn't do that. It wasn't fear of rejection from his most steadfast cousin that worried him; he already knew, vaguely, what Hikaku's reaction would be, after all. The man was a huge worrywart and Madara fears he may have elevated that trait to new heights in this life, considering he entered the active battlefield as a front-liner even younger than last time and that he seems to have decided to suddenly become almost suicidally reckless, which, of course wasn't true, but Hikaku still didn't know the full extent of Madara's power, let alone experience, so he fretted and worried.
Kikiyo did, too, don't get him wrong, but she also knew best just how much Madara took after his mother, so she was more willing to smother her own excessive worries. But Madara still wouldn't tell her about the truth of his current existence because he was sure even she, the ever composed and calm Uchiha Lady of Crane, would freak out and he really needed that.
He can't even imagine how his brothers would react.
So his burden of secrets and horrible truths will continue only being shared with Tobirama and him. Even if his initial reaction to what Madara had to tell him had been less than ideal and Madara had been forbidden from leaving his side until Madara could reassure him that Madara was fine, that he was working on being even better, that there was no more need to worry so much.
Madara will no doubt share some of his secrets with Nekomata, too, since he has plans of making a ... 'private' alliance with Sora-ku and its nekonin. Nekomata will no doubt freak out, too, so he'll actually probably find himself in a similar predicament as after he found out, only in Sora-ku this time and that was, at least, infinitely more familiar territory. And at least his brothers and cousins could be near.
The keeper of Sora-ku might be suspicious of the alliance, on top of all the other potential problems, but Madara was a well-loved individual in the cat-infested city, especially after Nekomata took a liking to him. He'll still need to think of some compensation slash apology gift for his future inevitable hosts. But he won't confide his secrets to the family living within Sora-ku as its guardians and guides. Even if they had remained utmostly loyal to him as an Uchiha and an ally in his past life, he'd rather not risk too many humans learning anything about any of this, lest the information spread and ruin his plans before he could even properly start them.
He needs to kick things up a notch, go into higher gear so the real important part of his many plans and schemes can begin. The safety of his loved ones was of paramount importance!
Which is why he needs to introduce Tobirama and the other younger Senju to his family as soon as possible.
"Our next meeting should be soon," he informed his siblings and cousins, earning nods from them to show they were paying attention. "We'll meet as we usually do, then I'll lead all of you towards the site so you can see my progress so far. I implore you all to study everything carefully when we get there and feel free to tell me your thoughts and criticisms. I need those in order to be sure I'm securing every possible blind spot and that it is all prepared for any possible situation and all the contingencies that go hand in hand with it. My friend will no doubt be doing the same, so try not to get offended if he says something you don't like." That was mostly directed at Izuna and the twins, his biggest fans, apparently. The three boys pouted and Madara had to resist the urge to coo at how cute they looked like that. "Is everything clear so far?"
"Yes, Madara-sama/Nii-san."
"Good. As I've said already, I expect you all to be on your best behavior. That means even temporary maiming is not allowed," he said with a pointed look at his first younger brother and female cousin, the latter of whom shamelessly arched an eyebrow back at him. He rolled his eyes at Kikiyo before bringing this little meeting to a close.
After all, his nearest and dearest were right.
He needed some fucking sleep.