"My master entrusted me with a lot, from big things to little things. It's the same for you an unlimited number of things, don't you think it's about time for us, to be the ones who entrust not the entrusted, it's a pain in the ass but I can't say that. Someday you'll be the one to treat others to ramen and you'll be called Master Naruto... We can't stay kids forever, like Asuma and Jiraiya, I wanna be as cool as them."
Shikamaru Nara
Madara slowly began to adjust. The bark was grinding into his back, and while it normally wouldn't bother him the bark was starting to dig into a part of his spine. The cool wood had offered much needed relief to his steaming body hours ago, but at the moment it was starting to become a source of discomfort rather than comfort itself in its purest form.
He rolled over to his left. Still not comfortable, he laid himself on the grass. He sighed when it brushed against his skin, some blades flicking between his arm and against his ribs. If he was a child, he would have laughed because it tickled, but because he wasn't a child, he merely adjusted himself once again so the feeling passed away as quickly as it had come.
Sleep was evading Madara and it began to grind on his nerves. He thought he would pass out from exhaustion like he had before, but that just wasn't the case. His body was prime with energy. He could feel it swirling around, filtering into his veins, tethering itself to his nerves and marrow. He had never experienced such a thing before in his lifetime. It was almost like his chakra wanted to rip him apart.
It wasn't lashing out or erupting, it wasn't even surging. It was calm and lucid. Still, it felt as thought it wanted to tear him apart. To be free from its physical container that was himself. Free from containment so it could spread throughout the entire world like the wind. Like seeds being carried by the wind itself. He took a moment to ponder why he was feeling this way. What made him feel this way.
He had no real answer and couldn't find one. He chalked it up to advancing to a level he hadn't achieved before. His prowess had grown to such an extent he was unable to calm the storm brewing deep within him.
"Madara..."
Train of thought derailed, Madara turned towards Mikito. It was very pleasant that she had chosen that moment to speak to him. It didn't matter that he must have stirred her from sleep. He was just happy she said his name. Speaking to her would be more pleasant than wrestling with his thoughts and questions that were starting to swarm him.
Perhaps he could speak to her about their experiment, if she didn't ask what was on his mind. If she didn't ask or tell him to sit still so she could sleep. If she didn't prod like she always did, and get him to open up. Their experiment was the best choice in his mind. He had discovered something new. The Sharingan and Mangekyo was beyond just their generic abilities. There was so much more to the eyes, and this place, and Mikito helped him see that.
Madara brushed his fingers across her neck, staring into her eyes. There was a haze there, thin, but still visible. Sleep had taken her under into a blanket of bliss, and he was envious she had been smothered in that bliss. So envious, he wanted her to have the waking clarity that he had for the last several hours. He thought about his next move, whether it was smart to do it, and he nodded to himself. He kissed the side of her neck, and trailed to her nape.
Mikito shifted and then she jolted. Her eyes widened, and all at once she clutched onto him. Madara savored the moment. He savored seeing her taken so off guard and surprised. He savored the fact he wiped the haze of sleep from her eyes, and in that haze's place was the full clarity of reality. No longer was she half in and half out.
"Madara!" She nearly screamed. "You're going to get me a riled up!"
He smirked down at her, dark eyes glowing like the moon above them. He didn't offer a response right away. He merely stared at Mikito, pondering if she could advance more and get her aroused, or if this was enough. Maybe having a release would allow that blissful darkness to smother him and take him out of reality for a few short hours.
Mikito seemed to read the intent in his eyes, and she pushed his chest. She tapped his nose with her index finger, cheeks a little flushed.
"You're poking my nose." Madara stated. "Why?"
"You are pushing all of my buttons."
Madara sat himself up and leaned back on his elbows.
Mikito stared at him for a few seconds before she rubbed at her eyes. She rubbed them for a few minutes, covering her mouth as she yawned. "I was having the nicest dream before you did what you did."
Madara arched a brow. "Oh? What was it?"
Mikito sat herself up, palms pressing into the grass below her. Her arms supported her weight. They were a little close together, and her bosom became more pronounced because of the small shift in motion. "I was naked swimming in ice cream."
Madara snorted before he laughed. He tried to stay quiet but the sheer idiocy of her statement nearly made him bellow out loud. He could only remember one other time somebody said something like that to him. He had been about to turn fifteen and he was in the Stone country for a few months to recover from a battle. Izuna had gotten drunk and began to spout nonsense.
Izuna had said his poop came out weird because he ate so much ice cream. He had went into detail about it. Madara had told him to shut up after about five minutes of rambling on about his poop. While Mikito wasn't talking about how her poop looked because she ate too much ice cream, or how her poop had come out because she ate too much ice cream, he couldn't help but draw a similarity between the two events.
"You were swimming in ice cream? Naked?"
Mikito nodded without a second thought, tilting her head. "I was in a big bowl of it. My sister makes the best ice cream."
"Ahiko was in your dream?"
"No. But, her ice cream was. I even got to lick myself clean when I got out of the bowl."
Madara wasn't sure if he wanted to entertain it, but he was going to ask the question anyways. "How did you do that?"
"My tongue was ten feet."
"Seriously?"
Mikito huffed. "It was a dream, Madara. They aren't supposed to make sense. Anyways, what is on your mind?"
Madara arched his brow again. "What makes you think anything is on my mind?"
"Your eyes?"
"What about them?"
Mikito punched his chest gently. "You can't pull the wool over my eyes, husband. Either something is on your mind, or maybe..."
Madara kicked his right leg on reflex alone. Mikito's hand grasped his length but she made no move other than that. It seemed she was content to just keep it grasped within her hand and stare at it. He struggled to keep his blood flowing to his brain, and not between his legs. Leave it to Mikito to be so direct and bold about it that she would just latch onto him.
"Mikito..."
"Hmmm?"
He gripped her by the hair, gently pulling her head back. "You are...Pushing me..."
She wasn't bothered by the hair pulling. Madara wasn't being a savage brute or boar about it, when he very well could be. He had left bruises on her hips from gripping her so hard and intensely during their lovemaking. He hadn't pulled out any of her hair, yet, but maybe this would be that time where he lost complete control and pulled out some strands.
She could indulge in the tomfoolery and stroke him, or she could be the mature woman and get to the bottom of what was bothering him. She could indulge in her less than savory thoughts and turn Madara into her personal playground, or she could be his pillar and wrap her arms around him while he told her what was keeping him awake.
Mikito sighed, slowly, reluctantly letting go of his length.
Madara slowly let go of her hair.
"So, tell me..." Mikito murmured, resting her hands on his chest. "What is keeping you from sleeping?"
"My chakra." Madara muttered.
Mikito nodded in understanding, feeling the pulse of his heart. She could feel his chakra flowing through his body. It wasn't lashing out or surging, but it was definitely not the same as before. "Meditation will help. Your chakra stores are growing at a rapid rate."
Madara clenched his hand into a fist and could feel the strength surge through him. Like iron. Like steel being pounded upon. He slowly relaxed his hand from a fist, knowing it would start to shake if he continued to be so tense. Mikito was right. Meditation would definitely help. Centering his mind and thoughts. Focusing on his breath and heart beat. Focusing on the flow of his chakra. It would all help.
But, his mind was also swarming with thoughts and fears. The shinobi villages, the turbulent time they were living in, the turbulence that was to come. What the shinobi villages symbolized. The danger they posed. The partnership between village and country-between shinobi clans, between shinobi clans and damiyo-it all weighed on him.
It tied around his neck like a noose and it would take just another thought to send him plunging down a steep platform. It would take another doubt to jerk that noose and snap every bone in his neck. Madara didn't know why he wrestled with it all, why he couldn't accept it, nor why all of the thoughts had come in the first place, and at this point he didn't care. He just wanted them to stop.
Mikito noted how Madara was slowly starting to stare off into space, and knew that he was drowning in his own thoughts. She dared to say he was brooding. Madara had always brooded, but it was in private. Usually she was away or bathing herself when he just let himself go in his thoughts. She was a brooder, but she always did it for certain people to see. Ahiko and Souji knew when she was brooding, Izuna did, and Madara had learned certain patterns she'd show whenever she was brooding.
To say what was going through his mind was complicated. She had several guesses. She didn't want to guess, honestly. Madara had been someone she could never quite gauge or put her finger on. He was unlike Sasuke. He was unlike Hashirama. Truth be told-there wasn't another man in the world that was like Madara. Proud but sensitive, strong, but still compassionate, inept, but very perceptive. He had a bad temper, but the times she actually seen him lose his temper were few and far between.
"Madara?"
He stared into her eyes, slowly coming out of his thoughts. He couldn't help but be enamored by Mikito's eyes. They captured him. They held him. They were as powerful as the Sharingan. "I was just thinking."
"About?"
Madara turned away by a fraction, but he could see that small turn was enough to capture Mikito's attention. Nothing got by her.
"Madara, you can tell me. You are my husband, if I can't be a pillar you can lean on in times like this...If you can't speak your mind to me, I would have failed in my duty to you."
He wanted to shake his head, but that would be disrespectful. It would be disrespectful to Mikito who did nothing but follow her duty as a wife to him. He couldn't disrespect that, and he would be a fool to do so. She was right. If he couldn't lean on her in moments like he was enduring at the moment and if he couldn't speak his mind to her, she would have failed in her duty. Just the same if he couldn't trust her enough to lean on her, have enough faith in her to speak his mind, he would have failed in his duty.
Madara pressed his back into the tree, sighing when it began to dig into his spine. Before it had been a source of discomfort, but now it was becoming a source of stability for him. It was a reminder that he had a spine.
"I was thinking about the shinobi villages..." Madara's voice was oddly soft.
Mikito leaned back, pressing her palms into the grass behind her. They easily supported her weight. "What about them?"
"Everything."
Mikito frowned for a brief second. "Could you be more...Specific?"
Madara turned his gaze to the moon for a second. "Everything about the shinobi villages..."
Mikito opened her mouth, but then closed it. She pursed her lips, humming softly. Madara could be vague when he wanted to, and it seemed, this was one of those times where he was vague. Everything about the shinobi villages gave her a lot to go on, or gave her close to nothing. Only two shinobi villages were founded at the moment. She knew three had to follow, at least, but she had no idea how long that would take.
If Madara was thinking that far ahead-then he was thinking of a time where they would likely be dead. Their descendants would be alive. There was a chance they would live to see that day, but those chances were slim. By that time there would be five shinobi villages. They would be the powerhouses. There would be smaller villages, but they wouldn't hold as much clout.
The big five villages would all be distinct. They would have their positives and negatives. The names of the villages would be as important as the villages themselves. The names represented the nature of the village-the people, their ethics, and how they handled things. Clans mattered, but so far into the future, the idea of clans would be somewhat...Outdated.
Perhaps Madara could be pondering about the Uchiha clan as well. Would they continue to disperse into sub groups, spreading to each major village overtime? If that were the case, that dispersion would start during this era.
She sighed, gently raking a hand through her hair. Mikito had no idea where to start. There was a high chance the Uchiha in Kumogakure would disperse. Those Uchiha who left would go to Konoha. The Uchiha who became dissatisfied there would go to the shinobi village in the Earth country or Wind country. The chances of them crossing the ocean and settling in the Water country's hidden village was extremely slim. Maybe an Uchiha would found a hidden village in the Earth country or its close neighbor-the Stone country.
After five minutes of mulling it over, Mikito stopped. It wasn't getting her very far. She pondered deeper on her husband's words. Maybe he was thinking about the nature of the villages themselves.
She shook her head, taking a deep breath. "What is your main concern?"
Madara rubbed his chin before he raked a hand through his hair. "Konoha."
"The village Hashirama founded."
Madara nodded.
"Explain." Mikito said, trying not to sound snappish.
Madara focused on a leaf several feet away. "When you see a tree-you see its bright green leaves. The splendor. One doesn't really focus on the fact the tree has roots, and those roots are in the deep darkness. The roots nourish themselves on anything that they can, and the end result is those leaves we all see being a brilliant green."
Mikito nodded slowly.
"I am not...Entirely sure if all shinobi villages will be a threat to us. But, I am getting the feeling that Konoha will be a severe threat to us."
Mikito's eyes widened.
"If Uchiha join Konoha, Tobirama will ostracize them. Whoever takes the mantle of Hokage after him will back the Uchiha into a corner. They will have no part in the policies or infrastructure. In time the Uchiha will rebel, and they will be wiped out in order to avoid civil war. The Uchiha would be nothing but nourishment for Konoha, the village will suck them dry before disposing of them."
Mikito was silent for a few seconds, careful about her word selection. "Do you want those Uchiha that leave Kumogakure to come to us in order to avoid that?"
Madara's eyes darkened, Sharingan flashing. "Nothing can prevent that from happening. Uchiha will disperse, and the ones that go to Konoha will eventually meet their end."
Mikito was almost grasping at straws. It wasn't often Madara was indecisive or just let things happen. He took control. He gripped every situation with an iron vise, and he twisted, he yanked, he pulled, and he pushed. He never allowed anything to just happen under his nose. He steered things in the direction he wanted them to go, he wasn't one to just go with the tide.
But, at this moment...Right now...It was like he was conceding with something. He was going with the tide. Truly, trying to get those Uchiha back with them was a waste of time. If they had wanted security for the future, they would have went to the Domou compound. Instead, those Uchiha resisted, they hated, and they turned their backs to them.
Nothing could be done about it now.
And, just the same...They couldn't stop these villages from being founded. There was no way to stop that. The only thing they could do in get into contact with as many clans as possible that wanted nothing to do with the shinobi villages. They could only bring those clans into their fold, or try to bring them into their fold. If those clans weren't brought into the fold, they would be wiped out, or die out in a few generations.
Perhaps the weight of it all was finally crashing down on Madara. Now he understood the full gravity of the situation. The endless list of doubts, fears, and possibilities was starting to constrict him. It was squeezing him to death.
"Madara."
"Hn."
"You...You don't want Hashirama to die, do you?"
Madara's breath caught. It felt like he had been punched in the gut or had fallen so hard and fast onto his back that the wind was utterly knocked out of him. He didn't know how to respond to that question. He didn't know what to think of that question. Hashirama had been his friend-a person who was as naive and foolish as he had been. Someone who desired peace. Who desired for everyone to come together and drink together. In their dark world-Hashirama had been a piercing light in the madness.
He turned his back to Hashirama. He took their dream that they shared and shoved it aside. They had been too weak, too young, and too naive at that point in time. Uchiha and Senju were warring. Other clans were warring. They were all killing each other. A disease that humans called war, but was nothing more than mindless slaughter. He had been young and naive. Hashirama had been young and naive. As they had been at that point in time-their dream was a fallacy and they had no means to see it through.
He chose Izuna over that dream. Over peace. Over stability. Nothing was worth Izuna losing his life. He had lost all his brothers before that point. They had laid down their lives with pride and dignity. They had no fear nor regrets. They were born and bred warriors-fierce and tenacious like all Uchiha. Madara envied them. He had always desired no war-for them, as children, not to be put on war zones. Not to witness death.
Madara scoffed lightly, struggling not to laugh bitterly. "I don't even know. I don't fucking know."
If Hashirama died and Tobirama became Hokage...That would spell doom. Tobirama wasn't like his brother. He was a militant, pragmatic, stupid little piss ant that was better off getting his throat crushed. At least Hashirama desired peace more than anything. At least Hashirama wanted to break down boundaries between clans. Tobirama wasn't that far ahead in his thinking. Instead of breaking down barriers he would put more up. Instead of treating the Uchiha right, he wouldn't.
Hashirama would plead with Tobirama, even as he is facing death, to not mistreat the Uchiha. But, Tobirama would do the opposite of Hashirama. It was only in the man's nature. As much as he would strive for peace as Hashirama had...The policies Tobirama would put in place would only crumble down what Hashirama cemented. His fears and doubts would crumble the open atmosphere Hashirama tried to create.
The more he thought about it, the more it annoyed him.
Hashirama, Tobirama, and then one of their students would take the mantle of Hokage. He would be an idealistic fool. He wouldn't be able to run the village right, he wouldn't be able to make those hard decisions, and most of all he wouldn't be able to quell the irate Uchiha who had been mistreated for generations. He would order the Uchiha to be wiped out, he'd play the role of Hokage, all the while his own squad of shinobi would wipe out the Uchiha.
No...It would be an Uchiha that would wipe them out.
"If..." Madara swallowed, feeling a great pressure on his chest. "If Hashirama dies, everything will go wrong. In Konoha, and the Elemental Nations."
"Is that what you are really worried about?"
"The world will be his. His blueprint for what is right and wrong will take hold. If he lives, he remains in control, and even if he dies, he will remain in control. It makes me sick just thinking about it." Madara bit out.
Mikito held his hand, struggling to understand where he was coming from. "What is right and wrong is right and wrong, Madara. We know that killing an infant is wrong. We know that feeding the poor is right. Nothing will ever change that, not even the ideals of a foolish man who doesn't know his own ass from a hole in the ground."
"I know."
"Then why are you so worried?" Mikito asked slowly, tone getting lower and lower with each word.
"Hashirama wanted to create a village so children weren't sent off to war. To prevent the slaughter of clans and children. But, what if a child attacks his village. Will he forgive that child? Will he not raise his hand against that child? Or...Will he not forgive that child and raise his hand against that child?"
"I would say it is the second choice." Mikito said, tone dry.
Madara snapped his focus onto her. It was odd that Mikito could say that so dryly without any emotion in her tone. Given how she was when it came to children and them being killed, he thought she'd howl at him and bang his head through the tree. Instead, she was calm. There wasn't a flicker or minute grimace in her expression or body language.
It was eerie. It was almost like Mikito had come to some conclusion and wasn't going through the turmoil that he was at this moment. She already knew the end result, and she was just waiting for things to escalate to the point she would have to unleash her rage and fury and leave nothing but carnage and destruction in her wake. More importantly, she's already come to a conclusion about Hashirama, Tobirama, Konoha, Kumogakure, and all the other shinobi villages that would follow in due time.
None of it should have really surprised him. Mikito always thought far ahead. She didn't make any moves in advance, but she thought very far ahead. She could see the way things were going, would go, and how they would most likely end. Predicting the future was impossible, but anticipating and predicting other people's actions wasn't impossible. Through people, one could glimpse into the future, if only to see a vague, foggy window before them.
But, one thing didn't make sense to Madara. If Hashirama wanted a village for children to grow up without needing to battle or go to war, why would he not bring himself to forgive a child even if that child attacked his village? It was a mere child. He could produce forests that would make the child look like a flea in comparison, and yet Hashirama wouldn't be able to forgive that child...?
His priorities would be twisted. He will worry about the village itself and put it above every single person. In that case, he would very well kill children, if it meant that his village would prosper...
Mikito watched Madara have the same internal battle she had long ago when she first met Hashirama. When she first heard him speak. When she first battled him. When she first heard that he wanted to found a village for peace. It had been hard and turbulent for her. She had nearly yanked some of her hair out thinking about it, but then she remembered Hashirama was a shinobi. Shinobi were good at lying and deceit. Senju shinobi always talked too much and felt they were right.
Her internal battle had been a short, but violent one. It seemed Madara wouldn't have a short internal battle. This was something he was going to wrestle with for a very long time. She couldn't interfere in the battle at all. Madara had to come to the conclusion himself, and what that conclusion would be, she couldn't begin to guess, but she had to leave him to it.
"Madara?"
He shook his head, realizing he was getting lost in his own thoughts again. "What?"
"Do you want me to put a target on Hashirama and Tobirama?"
Madara blinked, confused. "What...Do you mean by that?"
"I will tell everyone in the compound to kill them on sight. If they even hear about those two, they will follow it to the source, and if those two are there, they will do everything in their power to run them through."
Madara was almost at a loss. He didn't know what to say to that. The prideful part of him wanted to face Hashirama in battle, one on one, and defeat him. The thought of a thousand people cornering Hashirama and running him through almost left a bad taste in his mouth. He couldn't care less about Tobirama. That prick could get cornered and run through a million times over...But, Hashirama was different.
He wanted to best him. He wanted to be stronger than him. He wanted Hashirama to admit defeat.
Madara knew how the Domou handled things. There wasn't a one on one. There wasn't a grand battle. Often times it was many against a few or one. A thousand Domou would gang up on two or three people, even one person. There were times it was many one against many. Fools made the mistake of trying to play the numbers game against a Domou an they came up short.
"I will send out the order when we return." Mikito finally said.
"No." Madara said, nearly jumping up to his feet. "Don't do that."
Mikito stared him in the eye. "Why not? Are you so proud?"
Madara couldn't meet her gaze. It wasn't pride talking. It wasn't pride compelling him to say no. He wasn't sure what made him say no, but he said it. He said it so quickly that he had shot up to his feet, and was now standing over Mikito. Her gaze was something between confused, searching, and surprised. He wasn't sure why her gaze made him feel strange, but it did.
Maybe he just needed to get laid. Izuna spent most of his time yapping, but maybe his yapping had some merit to it. He shouldn't have talked about his feelings and fears. He should have indulged in his more carnal emotions and let Mikito ride him until he couldn't release anymore, and during that last one, she just pushed down on him with everything within her being.
Instead, he had been mature.
Being mature was very overrated.
"I just want to beat him, you know? I want him to admit defeat to me. Ever since we were children Hashirama was stronger than me, but I want..." Madara trailed off, biting his lip.
He was an emotional man, but he kept those emotions under wraps. He could feel heat behind his eyes. He could feel tears wanting to burst forth. He kept them at bay with a silent snarl. The thought of forever being inferior to Hashirama pained him. The thought of never achieving a victory over that man pained him. It made Madara want to cry. The thought of being second to Hashirama made his blood boil.
"Madara?"
"I am not weak." Madara said, tone low. "I am not weaker than him. He skipped the fucking stone across the river before me, but I am not weaker!"
Mikito inched back a fraction, wary of the emotion fuming off of her husband.
"I will not be second to him...I refuse. Hashirama will see me as an equal, he will treat me as an equal, and I will not be satisfied with anything less than that."
Mikito felt the desire to wrap him up in her arms and whisper love in his ears. It wouldn't do any good right now. Madara was raw his shell was shattered. He was baring everything to her, and as much as she wanted to hold him, it wouldn't do any good. Madara wanted to best Hashirama in combat, he wanted Hashirama to tremble in fear before him, he wanted Hashirama to see him as an equal...Not weaker.
She could sympathize with that, but...When it came to battle she and the Domou didn't adhere to that silly code of honor. Whether they were against one or one million, they charged them. They cornered them. They chased them down. They didn't show mercy. They all carried the burden, no single person was doing the killing, they all did the killing. Together, they handled that burden.
"Death without victory, and victory in name only." Mikito said.
"The code..." Madara mused, eyes widening a fraction.
"No single person kills, Madara. We all kill. We all bear that burden, together. We move as one unit, as one mind. I understand if you want to face Hashirama one on one and defeat him, but don't adhere to a silly code of honor. There is no honor or victory in war, there is only death. Only sorrow. Souji, Shinpachi, Ahiko, Daishiro, I, and everyone else in the compound, and those who will be in the compound later...We will be there with you in battle, and we will run Hashirama through. We will bring him to his knees and one of us will cut off his head."
Madara smiled for a second, taking a deep breath. The oppressive weight that had been pressing down on him slowly went away, and he felt as light as a seed being carried off by the winds currents. When he had been leader of the Uchiha-only he could confront Hashirama. Only he was capable enough, next to Izuna. But, he was no longer alone with Izuna fighting the world. He had Mikito, and thousands of others with him.
He no longer just carried the burden alone, and he couldn't. To insist on carrying the burden alone would be foolishness of the highest degree.
He took a deep breath, slowly letting it out. "You're right."
Mikito tilted her head. "I...Am not sure what to say to that, sorry."
Madara shook his head, slowly taking a seat. He crossed his legs, and crossed his arms over his chest. "I was getting too immersed in my thoughts."
"You brood. Just like me." Mikito blinked, tilting her head.
"Thank you, Mikito..." Madara murmured. "You always help me see things with more clarity."
Mikito shook her head, even more confused. "I don't understand, husband."
"That's okay."
Mikito blinked owlishly. Madara had always been somewhat of an enigma to her, but she thought she had somewhat got a grasp on him. Evidently she had been a little wrong in believing she had a grasp on him. Just when she thought she understood him, he went and said what he just said. How could it be okay that she was confused and didn't understand why he just said that?
She wanted to understand. She wanted more clarity. She didn't like being confused. Confusion was indecision. It was a pit trap that would have one sinking and sinking and falling at a million miles. Before one knew it, they would be so consumed and tumbling that the confusion would lead to death. Their minds would wander about aimlessly, even in those critical moments.
More than anything, it was weakness in her eyes. She despised weakness. She despised the thought of being weak. Weakness had no place in her life or thoughts. She purged it, long ago. To be weak meant to be subservient. To be subservient meant to bow her head to another. To bow her head to another meant that person was superior to her. They loomed over her. Shadowed her. And, the very thought made her nostrils flare.
"Mikito?"
She turned her eyes on him, struggling not to narrow them. She could feel rage burning within her, subtle, but very real. If she latched onto it and didn't let it pass, she would scream or try to punch Madara's face in. He had done nothing wrong, but whenever she was experiencing rage and fury, she had to vent it all, or else it would just linger. She would only bottle it up.
"What?"
Madara got closer to her, carefully running his hand through her hair. "I'm sorry to disturb your rest over something so silly. We both need it, badly."
"You didn't answer my question, though." She shook her head, pushing away her rage and confusion. Madara's touch was the only thing she focused on.
Madara looked at her carefully, eyes searching. "I want to face him alone. However, if he becomes a serious problem...If anyone becomes a serious problem..."
"You mean face him alone, and when he is completely exhausted..."
Madara nodded.
"Are you sure?"
"At that point Hashirama won't let go of the Uchiha, we will have to deal with Tobirama as well. Perhaps we'd have to strike him down first."
Mikito didn't quite relent, but she tried to keep an open mind. "That is too hard to say, Madara."
"Rebellion will happen." Madara said, tone borderline uncompromising.
"It can be quelled by Tobirama. Some Uchiha may leave, but they will stay."
Madara didn't move or blink. "You're wrong. The Uchiha in Konoha will be unsatisfied. It just won't happen once. It will happen soon. It will happen again in forty years, and then ninety years. The Senju will forever try to oppress and subjugate the Uchiha because they fear our power."
Mikito felt an intensity she rarely experienced.
It was coming from Madara.
How he said those three words.
"You want to capitalize on that resentment they will hold for Konoha." Mikito pondered.
Madara nodded. "Every other village will give the Uchiha due respect. Konoha is the problem."
"Truth be told Konoha is a problem. Kumogakure and Iwagakure will also be a problem. I doubt the Earth damiyo will ever agree to form such a village. But, the Stone damiyo will definitely agree."
Madara met Mikito's gaze, completely serious. "You're talking about a war. Shinobi who wish to found a village in the Earth country, and those shinobi that wish to found it in the Stone country. Shinobi who want no part of it. Rogue and ronin. If my line of thought is correct, Konoha and Kumo will get involved, and help Iwagakure be founded."
"Now, the question would be..." Mikito paused. "Where does that put us?"
Madara nodded, neck going taut.
"I believe the Earth damiyo will contact us, or the Subatsu. The objective is going to be simple. Kill or arrest any and all shinobi, rogue, and ronin."
Madara gripped at his bicep, struggling to calm himself. Things had finally just shimmered down because of the winter, but like clockwork, conflicts would erupt at the first bloom of spring. But, everything would be changed. It was going be bloody. They already had a lot on their plate. It would be simple enough to implement a plan, but kinks would have to be worked out.
If what Mikito just said was true-they would be cutting down, many.
"We will meet Hashirama again. He will be our enemny...And, yet..." Mikito paused. "You don't want Hashirama to die."
Madara remained still, almost like a statue.
"Obstinate to the very end." Mikito laughed softly.
"You are thorough." Madara groused.
"Am I wrong?"
"It's better than Tobirama being Hokage. The problems are going to start when he takes the mantle. Hashirama has good intentions with Konoha, and he won't treat the Uchiha any differently than any clan that decides to join, or that has joined. You told me before that Tobirama wanted the Uchiha to be some sort of police force, you said it was a way to isolate them from the infrastructure and politics of the village."
"I will not deny that." Mikito said, tone strong.
She had no problem admitting it.
"You really love your kin, Madara."
"I owe it to my father, and all the Uchiha who died. When things turn sour..."
Mikito nodded, staring at the ground. It looked so comfortable. "I have no arguments."
"Maybe...We should implement a contingency for this. We have like one hundred and eight of them in total. We can add another one."
"Madara..."
"I fear the Uchiha in Konoha will be wiped out in due time. I will not let happen, and Izuna won't either."
Mikito looked Madara in the eye. "Domou aren't sociable."
"True as that is. You never denied someone in need."
"If they want to join, I will not object. As long as they follow our code and ethics, you know that. That is all I will say, Madara. I can't just add a contingency for that.I'll have to make a contingency pertaining to all of the villages. Konoha isn't the only village that is going to be a problem. Kumogakure and Iwagakure will both be a problem as we talked about. I am not worried about the possibility of Sunagakure or Kirigakure. Those villages will be more insular. The Water damiyo and those clans remain a problem-if we can get the clans to join... We need many clans to join."
Madara set his jaw. "Fair enough."
Mikito stretched. "You know, Madara..."
"Hn..." Madara nodded. "We can start moving first thing in the morning."
"Or...We can sleep in..." Mikito ventured, eyes almost pleading.
"For another two days?" Madara joked.
"A week!"
Madara shrugged, finally laying down. "Let's see how it goes. We only have this part of jungle left, then it's the desert."
"But if we rest a lot, we'll be able to trudge right through it."
"Funny."
Mikito awoke early and drank a lot of water. The heat was starting to pool in around her. The plants and vegetation offered little shelter from the heat itself, even if they provided copious pockets of shade. She had slept soundly, her mind stirred into a semi groggy state before she remembered the last thing she had been focused on.
Madara had a knack for making her think on things more deeply. Madara's concern was Konoha and the mistreatment of the Uchiha that was only inevitable to happen once they joined. She was more concerned with the overall picture, the way in which the tides were moving and the wind was blowing. It was only inevitable, and there was no way they could stop it.
Mikito understood that Madara had known this fact, and was still wrestling with it. For him, it was the fact Konoha was actually founded. It could be due to the fact he wasn't involved, like he and Hashirama had envisioned when they were younger. Naturally, feelings like that could exist. Or, it could be something deeper. Perhaps, Madara knew that if hidden villages become powerhouses, half of their world will burn, and the other half will be utterly consumed in conflict and turmoil.
The province and providence lords would not give up their power or land, the lesser lords wouldn't give up their power or land. The Feudal lords wouldn't give up their power or land. They were all vying for power and supremacy as it was, and samurai clans, and shinobi clans were thrown into the mix of it all. Not all shinobi clans will not be part of a hidden village.
I suppose. Mikito thought, shaking her head with a grin. If I think like a kid, I guess there will be peace.
But, the road to that was anything but noble or grand. Even when the door is opened, those who cried for change will object it, others will be afraid, others will not be swayed completely and will not trust. Ambition, greed, lust, guilt, suspicion, fear, none of those things go away. So long as there is peace in the world, there must be conflict. Like day and night. One can't exist without the other.
The more I think about it now...That framework is doomed to fail and will give rise to darkness and despair.
"Mikito."
Madara realized a second late he exactly managed to startle her. She had been quiet. Silently brooding for hours. He had caught some lizards and fish, cooking them to the best of his abilities. He wondered what exactly was keeping her at the moment. For a long while they had spoke about things-very personal things and aspects of their ideals. He wasn't sure what Mikito could be brooding about.
Ah. It's that.
The Earth damiyo and the Stone damiyo. The war. Iwagakure.
She was coming to grips with the fact they would be detaining, arresting, and killing any and all shinobi, rogue, and ronin. They would be killers, pure and simple. They were all killers, even Hashirama, for all of his ideals, his hands were covered with blood. But, the point wouldn't be more glaring until this happened. Mikito's foresight and insight were always sharp, and maybe...It was her own worst enemy.
Those who go in the Water country will be spilling blood as well. There's no way around it going there, that place is always hostile.
Mikito never liked killing.
Madara knew the sentiment, but he had resolved long ago that he would kill.
"These are uncertain times..." Mikito mused, not tearing her gaze from her feet.
"Yeah." Madara agreed. "All we can do is move forward and never look back."
Mikito smiled, feeling relief. "It's all or nothing."
Madara nodded, offering her some fish. "We'll eat as we move. I'm feeling a little anxious."
Mikito offered no objection. "Make sure to let loose this time. If you hold back, you'll need to burn off some chakra."
"You bring up the rear." Mikito said.
Madara crossed his arms, but nodded. "Fine."
Mikito moved with slow precision, her blade sliced through everything in her path. She was methodical in her movements, always observing everything before she as much moved. She trudged on, wiping at the sweat gathering on her. It was cooler where they were, but the heat was still suffocating. Madara's eyes flashed every so often, picking up the slightest of movements or the traces of a beginning of movement. Nothing escaped his vision. Chakra faded in and out, moving with speed, growing closer and further.
The creatures weren't close, but they weren't far either.
There was no noise, save for the rain.
Crimson flashed again, again, and again. Every centimeter that they stepped was punctured. Nothing was actively preying on them or stalking them. Everything kept their distance, for the most part. Madara wasn't fooled by the calm facade, it could turn into bloody chaos within the blink of an eye.
"Remarkable." Mikito said after a moment of observation. "I feel like your Sharingan itself has gotten stronger."
Madara grunted, but nodded in agreement. He increased his stride, cutting wide swaths now. Mikito watched him. His movements were so fluid and precise, it was like he was gliding. She was used to him seeing him dance with his gunbai and sickle combination, but his kenjutsu was quite extraordinary as well.
Just ahead of her, Madara froze. He was halfway into a stance, half relaxed but still ready for attack or defense. He turned his focus forward, taking slow, but quick steps. He moved towards clearing in the jungle. There was a massive pool of water, fed by the nearby rivers, streams, and lakes. It would likely be one of the last of its kind that they would encounter.
Its surface was remarkably still, and was spotted with large trees, clumps of moss, and knots of grass. There was an island in the middle, scattered with branches, old boles, and grassy ferns. Birds of amazing color and size flew back and forth from the island. Giant masses of butterflies moved as one super organism, shining blue and indigo across the surface of the water.
Madara watched one dig into the ground, and crunch down on a fleeing beetle about the size of his arm, including his forearm.
"Madara?" Mikito whispered.
He only shook his head and pointed at the island. Mikito took a closer look, and spotted no movement. Larage sagging leaves floated across the water's surface, every so often sending small small ripples, tipping anxious frogs.
The terrain grew more treacherous, and soon the massive pool of water was lost in the jungle behind and under them, it rose and fell, plants and other vegetation grew thick and spiked outwards. The landscape began to open and ascend and descend, all at once in some areas. Madara worked hard to clear a path, growling with each swing. He was using chakra now to clear his way through.
Some of the plant life he recognized, much of it, he didn't know where to start. He knew of the carnivorous plants in the area, and knew there were a lot of species that trapped and digested insects. There were others that trapped and digested massive animals. But, there were some plants here there were oozing something, and he wasn't sure what.
It was about a half hour before they came upon one that was beautiful. Its petals were the color of clouds, and the streaks of yellow were like sunlight. They had to be eighty feet wide, forming huge circles. Madara approached it carefully, looking inside of it—noting there were dark spots. Mikito looked at the stem, hand twitching, her eyes remained fixed on the flower itself.
Beautiful, but deadly.
"It looks like a flower, but it is..." Madara growled grabbing the stem.
He knew what would happen.
The flower's contents would be spilled across the ground. There would be several birds,centipedes, scorpions, lizards, hornets, and probably the massive long necked beasts that spent all of their time grazing. All of it would in varying stages of decay.
"I wonder.." Madara ventured, then shook his head. "I don't think it'll work."
Mikito looked at the mess, eyes hardening. Madara wanted to use the plant's acid, probably put it on his blade. It wasn't a bad idea. But, there were better options. Souji had quite an array of venom from spiders, and other creepy crawlies. It wasn't to say the acid wouldn't be effective, it would be, just not as effective as something else.
Madara scratched at his head, noting Mikito's observant gaze. "What?"
"I'm just thinking. If you want to use the plant's acid, there are better alternatives."
Madara considered it.
They moved side by side after a few moments, remaining alert. They would stop every half hour to rest and keep a read on their surroundings. Sounds and smells assaulted them. There were so many sounds coming from so many different creatures it was a maddening staccato. But, there was a rhythm to it all, and it grew in fever.
"I'd say we're okay for the time being." Mikito ventured, looking around.
"It's been quiet up until now." Madara agreed.
Madara stopped on sheer reflex alone, halting his next step. He wouldn't have usually done it, but something was just off. He looked left and right for several minutes, not moving from his spot.
Mikito had dodged out of the way at the last second, going down into the horizontal splits. If she hadn't, she would have walked right into Madara.
"Madara?" She asked, hand gripping her sword even tighter. She looked around, hissing. "What is it?"
"It looks like something..." He muttered, not entirely confident. "Something changed the landscape, I'm not sure how, but..."
Ahead of him was the path he had been cutting through the vegetation and undergrowth. Trailing vines and creepers dripped and oozed sap. Several feet ahead of his path, was one much, much, much bigger. It looked the exact same, but parts of it were...Excessive. Boles were contorted and ripped, branches cluttered the ground forming into trees themselves, chipped and broken. Leaves and twigs were strung about, still flying through the air. There was depressed foliage and the ground itself seemed to have been caved in.
Mikito stepped through the narrow path Madara had created, clearing away the excess and stepped out into the open with a steady stride. Her brows were drawn together and her eyes were narrowed as she became hyper focused. Her focus shifted back and forth, until they landed on an oddity.
"Footprint."
"What could have made that footprint?" Madara muttered, teeth gently clenched.
He could fit inside, easily. Whatever it had been weighed a lot, because the ground was caved in. He couldn't begin to imagine what creature did this.
It looked like someone decided to wear roots for shoes, and just stomped into the ground.
"I get the feeling we're going to find out..." Mikito trailed off, looking around briefly.
Madara smirked. "Let's not waste time in that case."
Madara led them down a valley that spread into a canyon. Crumbled bones covered the ground every few feet, and every time they took a step, their feet crushed down on them, turning them into fine dust. There were trees and other vegetation spotting the ground, spreading for several dozen feet, but slowly, it seemed to be getting thinner.
Mikito inhaled sharply spotting a group of lizard-birds resting on a giant skull, their head remained craned down. Never once did they tear their sharp eyes away from them.
She felt a sense of gloom as clouds of steam began to increase. She moved with caution, sweeping her sword left and right. The steam looked familiar, like it was mixed with something else. Fumes.
She shared a gaze with Madara.
They passed an extremely long, giant rib cage. There were shorter rib cages close by, some much larger, others smaller. Madara took point, stepping through the hollow space that once housed a creature's insides. He went towards a dip, the dip beyond remained secluded until they reached the edge.
They hadn't bee able to see them from a distance, but close up the giant ape's, lizard's, and other creatures' skills were even more overwhelming. One lizard's skull was three times larger than one of these ape's skulls. A skull from a feline creature was half buried in the dirt. There was another skull, two long fangs ripped the ground in two. Madara had to wonder what might be capable of killing such giant creatures.
There was something like a bear and wolf mixed together, several of the skeletons were scattered about. The long neck of another creature stretched halfway across the landscape-its spinal bones looking like spiked fangs piercing the earth. Beyond them were more skulls, smaller, larger, scarred and dented. It appeared like some of the skulls had been caved in, a sign of repeated force.
Mikito looked around carefully, feeling, sensing, searching for what could lay beneath them in silent wait. Her instincts were nudging her more and more, danger was close. Madara could only look around in wonder and dread. Some leg bones were separated-like something had squeezed and squeezed until the bone popped in two pieces.
Whatever did that...
"Cover!" Mikito whispered harshly.
There was a low growl. The sound came from all around at once, confused by the surrounding landscape and mist, Mikito turned her focus around in a quick circle, sword held close by her side. She and Madara ran together, crawling inside the largest skull they could find, a little over a mile away from their last location, and peeked from a jagged wound in its side. The bone was smooth and clean, and there was no odor. Whatever had been left to decay, had rotted away ages ago.
Madara gripped Mikito's arm, feeling himself start to shake in anticipation. He pointed. A shadow moved through the smoke, swirling it into wild and jagged shapes, whirlpools of fumes surged and then a monster appeared. It had been a very long time...Too long, in fact. Madara almost forgot what seeing this creature was like. How it made her skin prickle, and her blood run cold.
It was a horrendous merging. Its scaled skin was scarred from numerous conflicts, smothered with green and red feathers. Its mouth almost appeared to be a beak, but the sign of teeth and a different jaw were obvious signs it actually chewed. Spines protruded from its backbones, some snapped off in old battles. It claws were the length of the landscape, easily…
The creature made them look like ants.
Mites.
So tiny and insignificant.
It was the size of the landscape, if not bigger.
Madara never felt so small in his lifetime.
Its mouth unhinged, jaw dislocating. Its tongue spat out, long, dark black, and scarred. Its stomach clenched and heaved, sides pressed in one moment, and the next, they were fanning outwards like gills. It gagged, and juices began to squirt from its mouth. Yellow and green, and putrid. A heavy drumming sound accompanied the movement.
Skeletons, bones, ripped apart, but skulls and spines still intact, came oozing out. They hit the ground with a sickening, wet splat. The skulls were stripped clean the flesh melted from the faces and hides by the monster's stomach acids.
Mikito slapped her hand over her mouth, biting down on her palm.
Madara grimaced, taking a deep breath.
He set a hand on Mikito's back, and kneaded his fingers.
It took thirty seconds, but it no longer appeared she was going to copy this monster.
"I almost forgot there was another area like the one around here. Damn, they're disgusting."
Madara suppressed a laugh. "I thought you would be used to it."
The monster shook its head, splattering spit, blood, and bile across the ground and ruins. It slowly stalked away, disappearing into the mist with earth shaking steps. Gone as quickly as it had come.
"Let's go." Madara said quietly, emerging from cover. Mikito moved alongside of him. They moved with increased strides, adrenaline starting to pump through them. They grunted, Madara's chakra cracking out faster than a whip, slicing through vegetation with ease, Mikito swept her blade behind him, forming a small perimeter the deeper they got in.
Madara stood tall, glaring at everything to ensure that nothing was stalking them. His eyes settled on Mikito, and skulls at her feet, and Mikito blinked. Madara's blade was drawn, a piercing glow coming from the blade as light bounced from it.
Mikito nodded once, and moved into the mist. Madara kept close to her side, sword remaining drawn. He was confident in his sword-drawing skills, but shinobi didn't focus on battojutsu or iaijutsu, strictly.
She tried to catch Madara's eyes, but he was staring ahead.
Her breath caught, vanishing while it was still inside of her. She couldn't gasp, nor could she open her mouth to speak. A shape appeared over them, blotting out the mist and the sweltering heat. It had got to them, without making a sound.
Madara traded a glance with Mikito, both remaining still.
The monster's wide dragon-toad head tilted sideways, as if to get a good look at them. Its twenty eyes blinked and moved. It moved violently swift for such a giant creature. Flipping itself over a skull, and over its hind legs, end over end, scooping up boles and trunks with ease, turned onto its back, and crunched into the massive boles with savage persistence.
"Mikito!" Madara shouted, grabbing Mikito and lunging across the bone ridden ground/
It was a shock to their systems, after the deathly silence that had passed over them for the last few dozen minutes.
Madara's eyes flashed, faster and faster, until a haze began to form from them. The creature was moving violently swift, keeping its movements short and to a minimum. It was barely visible in the haze, flashes accompanied its wicked movements. Every time his vision sharpened on it, the creature would evade before it would shatter like the earth it had been taking cover behind.
Blasts thumped at the ground as Madara continued his assault on the driving monster. As relentless as his attack was, he was barely grazing this monster. It was the size of the landscape, and it was no exaggeration either. A mere fire jutsu wasn't going to be enough-even his most powerful. He needed more! Blasts of force and fury pounded into the creature, sending it toppling backwards.
Madara took a deep breath, surprised.
The creature mounted itself back up, and the landscape itself began to attack it. He was forced to flee. Even when he got distance the collision of monster and nature nearly swept him up in its carnage. The waves of force were unreal, he had endured explosions, and more, but feeling the earth literally giving way beneath his feet made his heart sore.
From the corner of his eye, he spotted the creature that was responsible for surprising the monstrosity before him and take a chunk out of the looked like a Stone Guardian. A combination impenetrable granite and stone with thick vines and creepers, boles were like its veins. The vines twisted and coiled around the creature becoming like muscles and veins. Madara smirked for a brief second, knowing he had the advantage. The creature's body was so heavily armored and shielded that its extremities were all vulnerable.
Looking at the golem that was like the forest and landscape itself, Madara couldn't help but feel Hashirama was similar. Impenetrable. Even if he destroys all of his forests, by the end, Hashirama would ensnare him. It was always attrition between the two of them. Hashirama always won. But, the next time would be different. This time was different.
This time, he wouldn't lose.
"Looks like a wood puppet." He joked, pushing chakra beneath his body-taking flight.
Mikito joined him, eyes locked on the two monsters. "A crude joke."
Madara thrust his arm out, palm all the way open. Power contorted his fingers, forcing them to flex and bend-heat gathered, condensing rapidly. Red and orange swirled before igniting. Madara could feel it now, his entire arm was about to shake, overcome by the power of his strike. He locked his eyes onto the forest golem, and focused his palm right towards it.
"Disappear!"