"Thank you for letting me be your mother, and for letting Minato be your father. Thank you for being our son. Thank you...Thank you!"
Kushina Uzumaki
Hashirama could say without any hesitation he was happy.
Happier than he's been in a very long time.
He couldn't hide his jubilation.
The whole meeting with the Domou siblings didn't turn out how he expected it would, and it was in more good ways than bad. Which was just more than splendid if he had to say so himself.
The first and best thing was the fact Mikito wasn't gunning for him and Souji wasn't gunning for Tobirama-it was also a plus that the entire Domou as a whole weren't stampeding about to destroy everything in their line of sight and leaving just valleys of bodies behind. The second was Mikito and him didn't get into a verbal dispute like they had back in the Desert country, though it could be credited that Disuke pissed her off majorly with being so spiteful, and he stepped over a line when he tried to speak to Ahiko so casually despite her being married.
That was something he should have never done, and he'd never be able to correct that mistake.
All in all he wasn't the least bit disappointed with the turn of events. Mikito didn't try to snap his neck and didn't go on a rampage, and Souji didn't try to run his sword through Tobirama the first chance he got-even when they clearly disagreed on just about everything. Nor did he go on a rampage. However, he was more than a little worried with Mito's statement about sealing Bijuu inside of people-if anyone could do it, it was definitely the Uzumaki their skill in sealing was peerless.
However, he didn't even want to consider doing such a thing.
"Mito-san..."
Pausing in filing away the last of the disheveled paperwork, she put all of her focus onto Hashirama. "Yes?"
"You weren't serious about what you said before?"
Mito hid her eyes, turning away from him for the barest of seconds. If she had to be honest she was serious, dead serious. The Uzumaki would be able to formulate a seal that would imprison the Bijuu inside of a person, though it was a taboo now to even consider doing such a thing, they still had the peerless skill to do it. If it came down to it she'd seal a Bijuu inside of herself, as long as it meant that she was helping Hashirama and the village at that point in time.
Her fellow Uzumaki would be infuriated she ever did such a thing, however...
"I was." Mito answered with a soft tone, meeting the Senju's dark eyes.
"Souji was right. The only person to ever do such a thing was Rikudo and that's because he had to as a last resort. There was no other way."
"But, we have to consider it..."
"I refuse." Hashirama said with a stern tone, resisting the urge to clench his teeth. If he was to even consider doing this then it would be no different than sending children off to war, because even a child wouldn't be off limits to having a Bijuu sealed inside of them, and there was no way in hell he would ever condone such a thing...Or even worse, and he didn't dare to entertain that train of thought.
"What if I seal it inside of myself?"
"The Uzumaki would be furious I ever condoned such a thing, and the alliance we have had for centuries would literally go up in smoke. There would be war, and I will not allow that to happen. More importantly, the other villages would copy off of our actions and start sealing Bijuu inside of people, things would go from bad to worse." He was going to remain firm on his decision not to do this or even allow it to come into discussion when he did found the village of his dreams, and other villages started popping up.
"You are a kind man, Hashirama-san." Mito smiled in resignation, knowing full well he wouldn't budge on this decision now or in the future. She had just merely stated a plan of action should the time there is ever a power struggle between villages to avoid all out war. It was naive to think the founding of villages would lead to ultimate peace between everyone-there'd be a period of peace, but there would be antagonism in time and that peace would shatter.
There would be war, but it wouldn't be like it is now...On the minute basis.
She was just planning for the future.
"Doing something like that would only incite resentment and sew the seeds of war." Hashirama said, looking out the window with an intense expression. If anything he'd take the burden of sealing the monster of chakra within him, but that would bring the problem of who would take his place when he died since the beast would be free again, and quite frankly he couldn't make that choice-wouldn't allow anyone to make that choice. But, the choice would have to be made because if it wasn't the beast would rampage for being imprisoned against its will.
It's why he wasn't going to consider it in the first place.
"What would you do then?" Mito blinked, tilting her head.
Hashirama sighed softly, standing up from his seat-careful not to move too suddenly otherwise he'd knock down the completed paperwork. He kept his eyes pointed out of the window, watching the Senju children play without a care in the world-they had no fears of the wars that plagued the land, didn't care that one day they would have to fight, the only thing they were concerned with was shoving each other into the snow mounds and running away from the adults that just finished fixing the last avalanche.
There was no sense on focusing so far into the future, for now he'd just focus on the present, protect these youngsters, and ensure they had a good life. A life he didn't get the chance to have-instead having to 'grow up' early on the war zones. The village would be founded, and he would ensure it was one way or another.
"For now I'm just going to focus on the present. I will fight Mikito once the first bloom begins, so I have to prepare for that. I also need to get you back to your homeland, you've been gone far too long and I'm certain your siblings are just dying to see you." Hashirama said with rare solemness, turning to gaze into Mito's dancing eyes.
He found himself mesmerized by those vibrant eyes of her's. Senju had every eye color from sapphire to ruby like his brother, some even had pumpkin and yellow eyes, but what set them apart from Mito was that there was so much life in her eyes. They danced with liveliness.
Mito smiled, touched by his kindness. Hashirama, he truly put the needs of everyone else ahead of his own needs. A selfless man.
"I don't mind staying here until the snow melts. I'm enjoying helping you with all of this paperwork." Her eyes shined with mirth, and a playful smile slowly made its grace.
Hashirama struggled not to sulk-he got the feeling she enjoyed depositing ten tons of papers right on top of his head like she did before she sent the letter to Yamanami Domou. Thus sending him crashing to the floor and burying him.
Yes, it was hilarious.
"I insist, Mito-san." He'd hold off on his sulking for the moment, and focus on getting her back home to her family. "You're always welcome here, though."
"Oh?" Mito gently crossed her arms under her breasts, her smile widening.
"W-Well, only if you want. I won't ever deny you or the Uzumaki access." Hashirama scratched the back of his head, unable to meet her gaze fully, overcome by a bout of nervousness that it even took him off guard.
He was never good with women, and as a boy he was absolutely clueless when it came to girls.
They'd always pick on him and shove him in the snow or pelt him with snowballs.
There was even a few times they shoved snow and ice down his pants.
Of course even back then Tobirama called him an idiot-well it was actually moron.
You are a kind but dense man. Mito kept her smile up, eyes vibrant. "Well, I can't refuse now can I...But, first, how about we go outside?"
History repeated itself.
This time there were hundreds of hyper Senju children in addition to Mito pelting him relentlessly.
This time he wasn't going to scream-even if the snow was cold, he was going to retaliate with exacting and brutal force.
Though, it was awkward considering Mito did shove the snow right in his trousers before the children ganged up on him.
Madara walked in silence back to his living complex that acted as his office of work, silently fuming over the most recent series of events. How dare those fossils even think of resenting the choices he and Izuna made. It was well within their rights to advise and even disagree, but they couldn't disagree for no viable reason, nor did that mean they could resent the choices made by the leader and second in command-himself and Izuna.
He was so furious he didn't even tell them about Yuko's Mangekyo and had no intention of doing so at all. They could continue to be so prideful over their normal Sharingans, that was perfect actually. Telling them about her Mangekyo would be nothing short of a mistake-they'd only try to take it, and he was certain Mikito would snap their necks if it came to that, and he wouldn't allow it to get that far. More importantly they'd try to obtain the powerful eyes for themselves, and would go to extreme lengths to get it.
All in all they could remain as they were at the moment-stagnant. If they awakened the Mangekyo, or the Uchiha that resented him and Izuna somehow awakened it, it'd be nothing short of a disaster in his opinion. He could already see the fools killing each other-as if that would awaken the Mangekyo in the first place, which was totally off kilter, and Souji made that abundantly clear.
It wasn't enough to see a loved one die-they had to feel that emotion, be totally consumed by it that they'd be blind to the reality around them, they'd have to be so consumed by emotions that this reality would cease to exist. And, it certainly wasn't enough to kill, no it wasn't enough to murder a loved one in order to awaken it. The only thing that could bring was senseless bloodshed and drive the Uchiha into more darkness, anguish, and hatred than they were currently drowned in.
And, that's one thing he couldn't allow...Uchiha murdering Uchiha just for power-there was nothing more absurd, nothing that could define madness more than this. It was one thing to kill others for power-people did all the time, but to kill your own flesh and blood for power.
That was the definition of madness.
He sighed, pushing the thoughts to the back of his mind with as much force as he could muster. This could be what Izuna was trying to prevent, working tirelessly to ensure that it never got to that point. His feet guided him up the stairs, but he wasn't conscious of his movements, still too caught up in his thoughts, but was pleasantly surprised to see Izuna cooking away in the main kitchen just a few doors down from his office.
His brother didn't greet him with his usual cheerfulness.
Madara scowled.
He realized that things had taken a steep turn, for the worst. The Uchiha were beyond stubborn...They were beyond obstinate. They were beyond single and narrow minded. They were Uchiha, nothing could possibly describe it other than that. The first steep turn was for himself. There were Uchiha that resented Izuna for the choices that he made, and by extension they resented him because he married Mikito, thus making this alliance permanent.
He never seen anything wrong it, sex aside, Mikito was a wonderful wife and was always sensitive to his needs. The Domou were extremely powerful, and they didn't hold back the Uchiha-he didn't need to babysit the Domou or ensure that they were up to par to just not the Uchiha's standards, but his own standards. They pulled their weight, the Uchiha pulled theirs, and they reciprocated through their trials and hardships on the many war zones. Uchiha and Domou were even marrying each other-the marriages weren't arranged either to boot.
"Are you hungry, brother?" Izuna asked casually, setting down the array of food he prepared for the both of them. There was broiled fish, grilled fish, Madara's Inarizushi, vegetables, and more than enough white rice to mix with everything.
Madara looked at him, a bit perplexed.
Was Izuna depressed?
No, that couldn't be possible-it wasn't in Izuna's nature to be depressed. Izuna could get angry, sulky, and enraged.
He didn't get depressed though.
"I'm starving."
"Make sure to eat then! I even made your awful Inarizushi." Izuna offered a small smile.
"Not everyone can be a carnivore like you."
Izuna snorted. "I eat vegetables too, I just hate tofu."
They both each took some of everything-Izuna avoiding the fried tofu like it was the plague while Madara took more than two helpings.
"Izuna...Are you okay?" He wasn't very good at being sensitive or anything like that, he was blunt, had no sort of tact-according to Izuna, and had a bad habit of scowling-according to Mikito, but he knew when his brother was severely troubled. He wasn't good at being sensitive, but that didn't mean he wasn't sensitive-he was always sensitive, it's how he knew something was wrong with Hashirama that one day at the river.
Izuna would either glare with the fire of hell in his eyes, teeth grit-he could get very stormy, or he'd just remain silent like he is at the moment.
He stuffed his mouth with food, pitching his gaze onto Izuna every few seconds waiting for an answer.
"I'm fine." Izuna said softly, looking his brother in the eyes before plopping a few carrots in his mouth.
"Nonsense, I'm not stupid."
If Uchiha could treat them like this...After everything they've done-was there any hope left? Honestly? After all they made their women slaves, made a strict caste system so there was so much division, and there were slaves-that were Uchiha. What had kept them from being wiped out ages ago? A clan so divided would surely fall apart, it was so obvious a person as ignorant as Hashirama would be able to see it.
The Uchiha didn't put being together above everything else like the Domou, and it was becoming increasingly clear.
For them it was revenge...Hate...Power...
Izuna wanted things to change so badly.
It wasn't right they resented him.
The Uchiha would doom themselves to oblivion with such a single, narrow minded mentality.
They have doomed themselves.
He used to live by the same mentality, but now he could see that it was wrong-severely wrong, and it needed to be changed.
"Yes that is all true. But, what can we expect at this point...They're all so lofty because they have the Sharingan-but we have the Mangekyo Sharingan." Izuna said without pause, tearing pieces of the fish off before dipping them in soy sauce.
"I guess when you put it like that..."
"These eyes." Izuna said, gritting his teeth lightly. "These eyes have a lot of power, have a lot of destructive power, but they are cursed. From the day we Uchiha activate our Sharingan we descend into darkness, slowly, but surely. They say the Sharingan and the Mangekyo see the truth, but that couldn't be further from the truth-the only thing they see is red before darkness. The more we use the Mangekyo..."
"Izuna..." Madara paused, setting his bowl of rice down so he could fix him with a stern gaze.
Izuna met his gaze, it was enough to silence the elder. He wasn't going to let Madara try to sway him or console him. This needed to be said, because it was a long time coming. For too long have the Uchiha remained self important, lofty, and hubris. There was a fine line between pride, arrogance, and hubris-and the last one was having the first two excessively.
"But, it's only because of the indoctrination that we're subjected to growing up-our eyes are the eyes of emotion, the eyes of the heart. Whether the feelings are positive or negative, the Sharingan will awaken, mature, and advance into the Mangekyo through these emotions...It's just we've been choosing to hate instead of love, choosing darkness instead light. Suppressing our emotions instead of showing them. If anything suppressing our emotions is detrimental to us."
Madara kept himself composed, but on the inside he was shaking...Souji said something similar.
Too similar...
But, the Uchiha were the polar opposite of the Senju. The Senju love and so they hate, the Senju desire peace and so they desire revenge, the Senju think of love as the greatest strength, and so the Uchiha think jutsus are their greatest strength, the Senju believe cooperation is the key to victory, and so they believe that power is the key to victory.
It is what made the Senju-Senju and what made the Uchiha-Uchiha.
It is why they were oil and water, and would always be oil and water.
"We need to take this clan in a new direction...I want overcome this hatred and overthrow this darkness that has plagued us since our ancestor Indra's time. Imagine if all the Uchiha have the Mangekyo. Men and Women. Even gifted children. The three tomoe Sharingan would just be a stepping stone and nothing more for all of us. We would be onto bigger and better things." Izuna mused.
"That is ambitious..." Madara muttered, but had to entertain the thought.
If all the Uchiha had the Mangekyo there would be little that could stop them-even without using the Mangekyo's three techniques, the visual prowess and acuity the eyes granted would be more than enough to not just wipe out entire armies, but entire countries. Nothing would ever be the same, again. But, with all of this power there would be Uchiha who would flaunt it and try to show that they were superior..
Rather than just being concerned about themselves, they'd be more concerned about what others thought.
They'd want to prove that they were superior.
Foolish.
"I'm surprised the thought has never crossed your mind, brother."
"I won't say it hasn't, but..." Madara trailed off. Awakening the Sharingan was something very unlike an Uchiha. Not only did they feel emotion, but they were utterly consumed by it. They showed it without any fear, and when that happened the Sharingan would take form. Unlocking the Mangekyo was a thousand times more intense, and like Izuna said-it could drive an Uchiha into darkness, forever.
But, it was because of the indoctrination that they were subjected to.
The Curse of Hatred is very real. Seeing friends and loved ones being cut down-blown to pieces, that scene forever burned into memory because of the Sharingan. It goes on and on, more death, more destruction, more loss and the Uchiha would never forget any of it because of the Sharingan. It makes them bitter, it makes them hateful, and it makes them resentful-they go from caring about the clan to just caring about proving they are superior. So, in other words they lose their minds, what little sanity they have left, and forget what is most important.
"The Domou...And the Subatsu...They put being together above everything else. That is their true strength, their true power, it is what makes them indomitable. It is what makes them invincible. It is why they can't be bested. I want the Uchiha to have such a mentality, we can't go on like we have remaining divided and so hubris. We've almost lost an entire generation of Uchiha children because of our pride. If Ahiko didn't do what she did when she did it..."
Madara swallowed the remainder of his food, slowly coming to a realization with Izuna's last statement. This is what Izuna wanted. He wanted unity to be their source of power, their true source of strength. Not the Sharingan. Not the Mangekyo. Not their jutsus. the Sharingan and Mangekyo would follow as a result of that unity built through love. The Uchiha would love, and the Domou would return the love without reservations, through this reciprocation...Uchiha would unlock the Mangekyo.
Through this power they'd advance the Sharingan.
The Sharingan would merely be a byproduct of the love and emotions the Uchiha, Domou...And Subatsu, reciprocate.
He was also correct in his statement that they almost lost an entire generation of Uchiha children-if Ahiko didn't do what she did when she did it, there'd be a whole generation just...Gone.
Gone...
No wonder those fossils and these wretched excuses for Uchiha resent him so much...My brother wants to transcend the clan, vanquish hate, and get rid of the darkness that has plagued us since Indra's time... Madara looked at Izuna carefully, one sharp brow raised as he let the thought come and go.
Without hate the Uchiha wouldn't be Uchiha. Without darkness the Uchiha wouldn't be Uchiha. Transcending the clan as a whole-no Uchiha would have such a thought. The clan was everything. It wasn't every single person in the clan-Uchiha would gladly sacrifice one another if it meant the clan would live on and be superior.
But, the Domou and Subatsu...It was every single person, old and young, boy and girl, man and women. They didn't sacrifice anyone.
It was nothing short of obscene...Sheer madness, what Izuna was proposing. What he wanted. It went against everything the Uchiha stood for- went against what they prided themselves on for centuries.
They'd be Uchiha still, of course, nothing would ever change that.
But...
At the same time they wouldn't be Uchiha anymore.
Izuna was going against what Indra set into place centuries ago.
What every Uchiha has followed since that time.
"You want an alliance with the Subatsu?"
"I do, but in due time." Izuna didn't find it necessary to hide this.
He could reject this and be no better than the Uchiha resenting Izuna, or he could support him completely and take the Uchiha that came along with them in a new direction. Take the Uchiha at the Domou compound in a new direction-but things can not go on as they have. Madara knew that much for certain.
"I do enjoy battling Syrus, he gets my blood boiling even more than Hashirama does at times. He wouldn't make a bad sparring partner, though." Madara conceded grudgingly, sipping on his tea. Though it wouldn't be a battle to the death-which was more enjoyable in his opinion, he would get more than a challenge going toe to toe with Syrus.
But, for now he could have the real deal fight, what exhilarated him the most.
What exhilarated Syrus the most as well.
"That's why I said in due time." Izuna said humorlessly, clicking his tongue in morbid amusement. "I just...Hope they listen. I worry for their future. Things are starting to change..."
Madara sighed softly.
He hated seeing Izuna like this.
Not being annoying.
Not being cheerful.
Not being a royal pain in his ass.
But, he knew they wouldn't listen to any reason at this point-if they couldn't get over themselves to save their children, then there was no hope left. That's why all the children were at the Domou compound with their mothers, because their fathers were too fucking stupid to see the writing on the wall, too prideful to put their children's lives before their own pride.
"You're worried they're going to ally with the Senju or accept their ceasefires." Madara pieced it together without much effort. It was an increasing view among some Uchiha that they should stop fighting the Senju, stop resisting the Senju's attempts at peace, and accept the ceasefire. There were still Uchiha who wanted to fight, who still had pluck and resolve, but they'd start to become few in number.
"I guess there's not really a difference between the two, though. One leads to another and Senju have always been too slick with their mouths." Madara muttered as an afterthought.
Izuna was harmonious. He never sought out conflict, it was only when someone was encroaching on their territory that he'd use brutal force to get rid of them. He never provoked anything or sought to cause chaos. Every time he killed the Senju it was because they were coming onto the Uchiha's territory-he wasn't going all the way to their territory and hunting them down just for sport.
He was the opposite of Tobirama-who was pragmatic.
Izuna was peaceful.
Tobirama was abrasive.
Izuna desired harmony.
Tobirama desired order.
It was why they would never be anything more than enemies-fundamentally they were different people-it was beyond just being Uchiha and Senju. Beyond being rivals and mortal enemies.
As people. As human beings they were totally different.
"If they do that, in time...They will be wiped out." Izuna muttered, anger lingering in his tone, but he sounded absolutely certain.
"I know you dreamed of founding a village with Hashirama, so we don't have to fight anymore, so nobody has to fight anymore. I've always admired that sensitive and thoughtful side of you, brother. You used to drive father crazy, every single day of the month with that when we were younger. But...I know you won't become leader of this village, and in time you will battle Hashirama for leadership, and I will in turn battle Tobirama for leadership since Hashirama would pass leadership onto him. The Uchiha would lose their standing-I don't care about being superior, but we'd just be marginalized in the grand scheme of things. Uchiha would fight to take leadership from the Senju oriented infrastructure in due time, and they'd be done away with. The village will be rotten with nepotism and corruption long before it gets to this point."
"Izuna, is that why you've pushed for this alliance with the Domou?" Madara struggled to maintain his composure.
He was afraid of the same things Izuna just pointed out-but the biggest one would be the fact...Regardless of co-founding the village they would still be feared and they wouldn't even be considered co-founders. He wouldn't be considered a co-founder, and the worst part of the whole thing was the Uchiha wouldn't realize this until years later and by then it'd be too late.
The Senju would have already tightened their control of the infrastructure.
It would be a bleak situation.
"I know certain Uchiha will not listen to reason, they won't listen to me, and they won't listen to you. They didn't listen to Ahiko when she made it clear her priorities are saving the children and women pregnant. They didn't listen when Ahiko made it clear she wants to save the Uchiha yet to be born. But, they will listen to Hashirama. They are going to step in stride with the Senju-with Hashirama. I want to save as many Uchiha as I can so we will not be extinct in a hundred years."
Madara shook his head, beyond exasperated and shocked. It made perfect sense now why Izuna pushed for this alliance in the first place, too much sense in fact. Izuna knew from the very beginning that Uchiha would start to be swayed by prospects of peace, that were being swayed at this very moment by prospects of peace, and in time they'd turn their backs to them and scratch and claw to have that peace.
The Domou and Subatsu couldn't care less if the entire world went to shit-the only they cared about was each other and their land. Nothing more and nothing less. They didn't seek to influence others, subjugate others, oppress others, or anything else along those lines like the Senju. They never flaunted their powers or boasted about them claiming to be superior like the Uchiha. Their only focus was on themselves, their training, their families, their children, and their land.
They put being together above everything else...Above power. Above hate. Above love. Above revenge.
"Even if no Uchiha here come with us, the ones at the Domou compound right now will be more than enough. We have a whole generation of Uchiha that will transcend the old."
Madara just nodded, struggling to comprehend why he hadn't noticed Izuna's severity of this whole thing from the beginning.
Surely, he couldn't be that oblivious...
He never cared for the subtle and small things like Mikito and Izuna did.
How could he be so uncaring...?
Madara stepped in stride with Izuna, noting that there were no Uchiha out and about like usual-there were no children running around and laughing. No children throwing snow at each other. No mothers chasing after their children. If he had to be honest it was more than depressing not seeing their bright eyes and bright smiles, their carefree attitudes and innocence in a world that was rotten with bloodshed and hatred. They were the reason he fought so hard.
He was still worried about Izuna though he tried to keep his stoic mask up. Izuna never exhibited such depression-he had one a hell of a temper. If he was pushed, Izuna could be more stormy than him easily.
Izuna preferred to be in the background and not deal with all of the nonsense, or just negate the nonsense as fast as possible.
"Izuna..." Madara noted a bit cautiously, looking him over.
"I'm fine. I'll be okay regardless of how this turns out, as long as I have my family." Izuna said, trying to put his brother at ease.
And, he wasn't lying-as long as he had Yuko, Madara, Mikito, Souji, and Ahiko he would be okay.
They were the only family he had now...
"If they even think of-"
"As much as I appreciate your abrasive nature, brother, now will not be the time to indulge."
Madara almost snarled. "I won't let them regard you in such a bad light after everything you've done! After all the sacrifices you've made!"
"As long as they know I'm doing this for the good of the clan-for the good of the children that's all that matters. If they try putting me in a bad light then that just means they have their own bullshit to sort out-that has nothing do with me or you, brother. It has to do with them."
"I am not going to allow such transgressions to take place, they will pay if they even dare to do it!" Madara snapped.
He would start knocking out teeth if people got too slick at the mouth.
"Brother, I really appreciate it, but we'll just have to leave them to their dogmatic mindsets."
Madara glared at the ground, opting to remain silent.
It wasn't until a half hour later that they both made it to the grandiose stage. It was large, wide, and towered above everyone present. If possible it was even larger than the stage used before when Ahiko spoke her piece. People were completely surrounding it. There were elders, men, and teenagers all packed into the area chattering among themselves. The only people that weren't present were infants, servants, medics, slaves, children, and the majority of the older women. Which made complete sense considering they were all at the Domou compound getting treatment.
Judging from the noise level Daichi must have spoken, as there were nods of agreement.
Madara scowled, hardly restraining himself from activating his Sharingan and paralyzing the old bastard with a genjutsu. Out of all the elders Daichi had to have the most influence-everyone including his father heeded every single thing that he'd say, and in turn agree with it. The only person that was on par with him in that regard would be Norio-who wasn't present.
Hayate took the stage and everyone silenced themselves. They waited for him to speak with baited breath. "You have all heard elder Daichi speak his piece, and you have heard me speak my piece. Now, all of you will listen to your leaders speak. Carefully consider your choice after this-there are many Uchiha who have left, that will not be returning-they've betrayed us and have forgotten their pride."
"This is a waste of time." Madara mumbled, already seeing the signs of rebellion in the gathered Uchiha's eyes-no matter what he and Izuna said, they wouldn't side with them.
"We have to speak our piece." Izuna said.
"Look at them...Whatever we say they're going to reject." Madara clenched his teeth for a moment.
"Even if that is the case, we must speak our piece. Generations from now, when this crop of Uchiha shinobi are resentful of us, they'll look back at this moment and realize it was their own doing."
Madara snorted at the idiocy of that statement-even if it held a lot of merit. They would not be taking responsibility.
Both brothers stared at black heads and black eyes, through there were a few brunette and brown eyes in the mix. Their hearts drummed in slow, but powerful rhythms.
"I won't take your time for long." Izuna said, stepping more towards the front.
There was no way he'd be able to turn back after this. When Ahiko mentioned the Rot, there was no turning back then. "The Uchiha are faced with a grave problem. We are not reproducing fruitfully, and there's been a spread of disease and famine. Every measure taken to find a solution has yielded little results...This is because we can't prioritize between war and longevity. As you know many were infected with the Rot that are no longer here, getting treatment, but there are those of you that stayed behind that will be infected with it very soon. However, that is not what is on my mind."
"We Uchiha have divided ourselves, allowed slavery, and have allowed supremacy to reign for far too long within our clan. For too long have we chose to hate instead of love, to descend into darkness instead of embracing light, and to suppress our true emotions instead of showing them. We've always been told that it is to advance the Sharingan, that it gives us strength. This is the indoctrination we've all been subjected to, the same dogma. I want to vanquish hatred and overcome darkness, I want our strength to be unity and not the Sharingan. I want us to reveal our true emotions, not suppress them in a vain attempt to increase the Sharingan's power. I desire to do away with this dogmatic mentality and inherit the Domou's mentality-and their strength, putting being together above everything else."
"You are all proud. My fellow Uchiha, pride isn't bad to have, but there must be merit and caliber to justify that pride. There must be strength to give reason to have such pride. Many of you are proud just because you've awakened the Sharingan and have advanced it to its three tomoe stage, regardless if you have any merit and caliber to be so prideful. We have to transcend this dogmatic mentality that we have, that we continue to cling to, then and only then will we have true power. Only then will we be indomitable. Our strength lies not in the Sharingan, but in our unity. The Sharingan would just be a mere stepping stone-we will go onto to bigger and better things."
Madara took a deep breath, exhaling as he finished his piece and was met with relative silence until the Uchiha began to murmur and talk among themselves. Some directing glares at both of them.
Neither of the brothers didn't care to sort it all out at the moment and went to stand near the back of the stage. The Uchiha would have to decide among themselves; make a conscious choice to remain here and eventually rot from the inside out, or to go to the Domou compound and get the treatment they need. More importantly they'd choose to be consumed with hate and blinded in darkness, or vanquish both and discover what true power really is.
Once they overcame the dogma, only then would they awaken the Mangekyo...
He couldn't force them, that'd only incite resentment towards him-Izuna more so and more distrust, the only thing he could do now was let it play out.
"That was quite the speech, brother." Izuna rested a hand on his shoulder with an easy smile.
"It wasn't all that great, I sounded like a fool..." Madara massaged his forehead. He could give a speech before they went out to battle, coordinate several units swiftly, but when it came to something like this-speaking to a large audience, not going into battle, he'd always find himself feeling a little foolish.
"You've never been one for things like this."
"I think the line is clear, but we will see what they choose. I am in agreement with you, brother. I shall be leaving with you. My main priority has always been your safety..."
"So, you're not going to have kids with Mikito?"
"Be quiet."
Izuna simpered. Madara could be so prudish.
Madara shook his head at his brother's question, focusing on his current line of thought. He couldn't shake the feeling that this crop of Uchiha that didn't come with them were going to do one of three things. The first is attack them and the Domou. The second ally with the Senju. The third ally with the Senju and from there...
However, Izuna meant everything to him, Izuna was his world, and he'd go wherever Izuna went...He'd never leave him behind or turn away.
Maybe worrying about their foolish decisions was foolish on his part, but he was always prepared for the worst.
Daichi, Jiro, and the rest of the elders walked to one side of the stage. Madara and Izuna walked to the opposite side, but remained at the very front like the Council.
"You have all heard us say what we have to say. So, I will make this simple for everyone gathered..." Madara put both of his arms out to his sides, on his left was Izuna, on his right was Daichi and the rest of the Council. He was going to stick with Izuna, support him in all ways possible with this, and wouldn't resent him. "Those who are leaving form a line in front of my brother and I, those who are not form a line in front of the Council."
A few hours later Madara and Izuna departed-Madara wearing his black haori and Izuna wearing his bright green haori. Uchiha and Domou crests billowing proudly in the wind and sincerity beaming in the sunlight from their foreheads. Madara had his gunbai and sickle latched on his back and side, Izuna had his multitude of swords resting under his obi.
They departed alone.
Yuko found herself busy despite not being on a mission. She always wanted to be useful, and worked diligently so she couldn't really complain that she was so busy at the moment.
However, she was so busy healing Uchiha. A lot of these Uchiha-not so much the children, but the women scorned her way back when she was a child for being a half blood, and continued to even when she was no longer a little girl. She would never forget those hateful sneers. It goes without saying some of these men who were no doubt of the warrior class, who were very few in comparison to the latter also scorned her.
She never did believe in karma. If karma truly existed a large portion of the people in the world would all be dead, including herself, for all the killing that they've done. Many would be suffering agonizing deaths for taking the lives of children, but those clowns are alive and well-continuing to kill and plunder like they have been for years, so it was extremely hard to believe in karama when those fuckers are still running around.
If there was a such thing as karma, this would be in it full effect. These Uchiha that once scorned her were now on the verge of death, relying on her and the Domou to make sure they could live just a little longer. She wouldn't dare laugh at the turn of events, even if it was fitting, because there were children horribly ill-and regardless of what the older Uchiha did, the children were still innocent.
With that said healing physical injuries...Broken bones, sprains, and so forth were much easier. Of course it took a lot of focus, and it could hamper chakra, but it was still simple enough to do.
Healing a disease on the other hand wasn't so simple, and she had no idea just how to do it. She remembered healing the fish her father would take out the river, the way she'd push her chakra into it and start to feel every single inch of it from the inside out, and the awareness of sorts she'd experience as she was healing those fish. This lesson was helping her by leaps and bounds, because she could feel something coursing through the blood of those she healed to the best of her abilities.
It was like a heavy boulder just blocking off a river-it wasn't enough to hamper its flow, but it was still clogged to the point it couldn't flow as freely as it had before. In this case what Ahiko was calling the Rot was the boulder inside of these Uchiha's bodies and it was hampering everything to an extremely lethal point. There was also traces of lead in their blood, and it wasn't doing them any favors. Their hearts were waning in strength gradually, and while they were beating with vigor, it was merely something to keep the body stabilized.
To prolong their lives just a little longer.
"Yuko!"
Pausing in her meticulous healing, she turned towards the person who shouted her name and immediately stood up.
She couldn't even get words out of her mouth.
Ahiko yanked her along with urgency.
An Uchiha mother was weeping.
It didn't take long to see what causing Ahiko's as well as the mothr's distress.
"What's happening!?" Yuko asked hastily, terror taking a grip as she shoved her way through the chaos as Ahiko jerked the kid's head straight and kept it elevated. There was saliva gushing from his mouth, sticking along the sides, his eyes were wide, and tears were brimming out of them without any reprieve in sight. There were three Domou medics surrounding him, one had her hands on throat, and the other one had his hands near his clavicle.
"He's paralyzed and his respiratory system is failing. Fluid is building up in his lungs." Ahiko surged her potent chakra without any caution for those close by, her hands glowing a radiant blue as she put them on the boy's chest and heaved downward.
Yuko did the only thing she thought of spare of the moment, and shoved her hands right onto the boy's chest letting her chakra invade his body. If there was ever a more fitting thing to be called chaos, it was this. A healthy body was robust, it was lucid and gave off nothing more than a small hum. However, this was the total opposite, the body felt like it was withering, it wasn't lucid but turbulent, and there was a loud buzzing in place of the hum.
Hang on! Hang on! Please! Yuko pleaded silently, teeth gritting as she held tears at bay. She seen grown men die, cut them down without any mercy, but she never killed a child. She never seen a child die. She didn't want to see such a thing, ever.
"How's that fluid!?" Ahiko directed her gaze onto the woman Domou medic.
"I'm getting it out, but there's just so much! Why didn't they get this taken care of right away!? It's already into its later stages!" The young woman looked distressed about the entire thing, but kept her focus.
"It doesn't matter why, we just need to take care of it! Shinji, help her! If that fluid isn't all gone within the next two minutes he's going to be in critical condition! It's already in the lower regions of his lungs! Yuko, come here and keep his throat clear, do not allow his windpipe to close!"
They did as they were told without any hesitation or response, orders were orders and they were given swiftly by the normal bubbly girl. Yuko strained to keep the glow around her hands, hurrying towards the boy's throat and clenching her hands around it gently. She ignored the wet slobber that graced her ivory skin, now was no time to care about her appearance or the fact she was getting drenched, she just had to save this child!
Hang on! Hang on! Yuko chanted the mantra relentlessly.
"Guagh!" Saliva gushed from the child's mouth as it gaped open even more, spilling down, his chest heaving as it rose and fell.
Yuko breathed out audibly, falling onto her knees.
"Child, can you hear me?" Ahiko kept her voice soft, stroking a hand through his spiky hair.
He nodded.
"You're going to be okay, I promise. Trust me, okay?" Ahiko gently pushed his hair back, massaging the sides of his neck.
He nodded.
"Is he going to be okay?"
Ahiko turned towards the rightfully distraught mother. "He will be okay, but I need you to give him space and us space to work."
"But-"
"If you want him to live then listen and give us space!" Yuko snapped, patience finally running out.
"I need you guys to work on his paralysis."
Ahiko left the rest of the work to Shinji and the other woman medic, hauling Yuko from her knees and moving to the other side of the room. The boy was no longer in critical condition and he wasn't drowning in his own fluid anymore, so she didn't need to worry too much.
The scenario repeated itself more than two dozen times, and Yuko could feel her resolve waver just slightly each time she seen the fear in the children's eyes. Their bodies were literally shutting down one piece at a time, first it was their nervous system, then their respiratory system, then it was their circulatory system-which had to be the worst since their blood began to clot and their hearts became frantic. It was nothing short of horrible, and even horrible couldn't properly describe the entire experience.
But, as time progressed everything went smoothly, they were stabilized, their paralysis was taken care of, and thankfully none of them died.
Though there were a lot of close calls, none of them died.
Too close...
"How are you feeling?"
Yuko struggled to maintain her composure shoving sweets into her mouth to fight the fatigue-there were so many Uchiha women weeping, Uchiha children wailing, all of them clinging to each other and shedding their tears without any hesitation-it was starting to drive her crazy! "Can we get these women out of here or leave?"
"I'm going to be straight with you, Yuko. A lot of these children were suffering from the same thing, and some were a lot worse. My medics handled it all in stride, but this was really bad. I can't stress that enough, there were too many close calls." Ahiko didn't dignify her answer with a response. Yuko was right to be annoyed, and the mothers were right to be so distraught, the Uchiha children were right to wail, and the last two were right to be clinging to each other and bawling their eyes out.
Ahiko pulled her off to the side into an empty room. "Yuko, I need you to be completely honest with me. Whatever you do don't lie to me or blend the truth."
The red haired girl tilted her head, confused. She'd never lie to Ahiko. "Okay..."
"I know the Uchiha are crap when it comes to healing, and anything having to do with medical arts, but how are they when it comes to poisons?"
Yuko felt another spurt of confusion that didn't relent. Poisons were a part of the medical arts, they were a bit more complicated, one could even say esoteric, and one really had to know what they were doing otherwise they'd die messing around with the wrong stuff. Strictly speaking the Uchiha didn't focus on the medical arts, focusing all of their attention on things aimed for killing, but that didn't exclude poisons from that since they could very well kill.
Her father was pretty knowledgeable when it came to poisons, letting her know what plants she could be near while others she had to steer completely clear from.
"Well...I'd say they're proficient at the very least. They know enough not to go near certain plants, and not to touch their leaves because what they secrete." Yuko mused, struggling to comprehend why Ahiko wanted to know this now of all times.
Ahiko narrowed her eyes, mulling it over for a second before shuffling it away.
Surely, the Uchiha...Wouldn't...
"Thank you for your honesty. Since all of the children are stable now, we're going to be helping the pregnant women."
"I'll do everything I can." She may be annoyed, but she wasn't going to let that interfere with her duty.
The pregnant women were in the next room across from the one they were currently in. It wasn't any less chaotic, but the Uchiha mothers to be were doing their best to remain calm-because worrying would only make things more severe.
"Please, you have to help me!"
Yuko felt her head swim as she was bombarded by at least three hundred mothers all at once.
"Please, relax." Ahiko said, gently bringing them all back to the center of the room just barely keeping them all even. "Worrying will just make things worse, I need you all to remain calm."
Some looked a bit disgruntled hearing that statement, but they didn't dare to retort, because they knew full well that Ahiko was one hundred percent correct. Even if they didn't like what was said, they'd put the safety of their children over their own pride.
It took a long time, but eventually all of the pregnant Uchiha were taken care of and were relaxing the best they could, nursing their stomachs gently.
"I'm glad that none of them..." Yuko couldn't even finish her sentence partly due to exhaustion, and partly due to abnormal fear-if they had went through what that child did she would have lost her shit, completely.
"As am I, Yuko. Thank you for all of your hard work." Ahiko said sincerely, about to yank Yuko into a tight hug, but stopped seeing a few Uchiha mothers walking up to her with worry clearly all over their features.
"Will my baby be okay? I'm seven months along..." One asked, bowing her head, eyes slowly starting to tear up at the prospect of losing her bundle before she could even give birth.
Tears started falling.
Ahiko gently set her hands onto the woman's swelling belly, slowly rubbing it with the tips of her fingers, feeling the little flare of chakra within. It was strong. "You don't have anything to worry about, none of you do. We've taken care of the problem before it could reach that point-you will all be mothers. But, just to be safe there will be daily check ups."
There was a chorus of cries and Ahiko, as well as Yuko found themselves enveloped by the emotionally charged Uchiha mothers. Their tears were overflowing without any reprieve, their hands clenching against their white coats as if they would die if they let go-as if their growing bundles would die if they let go. They praised the two girls, praised all of the Domou medics for their hard work.
"Thank you!"
"Thank you!"
"We're indebted to you, Ahiko-san!"
"We are!"
"We are thankful!"
"You needn't thank me. Children are always my main priority." Ahiko gently refused their praise, but still held onto them with the same vigor that they were holding onto her with. She was just happy that their bundles would be okay, that they wouldn't need to give stillbirths, that they wouldn't suffocate to death while their bundles were still growing. She was happy to be able to help them.
"But, we must! Without you, Yuko-san, and the other Domou medics..." A mother trailed off, tears still spilling out profusely, and she choked on a sob unable to get her words out.
Ahiko embraced her.
Yuko could only remain silent and return their embraces. She was exhausted, physically, mentally, and emotionally. She was worried about the children in the other room and if they would survive this whole ordeal. She was just worried in general and worried that she'd never see Izuna again. It was absurd to have such a thought, but she couldn't take anything for granted after witnessing all of this. Children were choking, their lungs weren't working, their lungs were filling up with fluid, their kidneys were failing, their windpipes were closing, their blood was clotting, and they were paralyzed the entire time unable to do a thing.
She slipped out of their embraces, allowing Ahiko to smother them all and vice versa as she went to the nearest corner and sat down struggling to come back to even.
The war zones were a cakewalk in comparison to this.
"U-um, excuse me..."
Yuko suppressed her sigh-it was all dandy to say thank you and be grateful, but she had no need for either of them, especially from those that scorned her. She was only doing her duty. She wouldn't allow children to die just because of her dislike for her own Uchiha kin. Her eyes narrowed as she turned her focus up onto the woman that wished to speak with her-ivory skin, a curtain of black hair with some spikes in it, and shining onyx eyes-the typical Uchiha traits. "Yes?"
"I'm Aya..."
Yuko looked at her with more focus, silently willing her to continue.
"I...I'm so sorry for scorning you like all of the others did, Yuko-san. I'm sorry for scorning you for being half Uchiha, I'm so sorry! I've had two miscarriages and I thought this time it would be the same. I had to leave my husband because he wouldn't put our child's life before his own pride...But you, Ahiko-sama, and the Domou have all helped me-helped us Uchiha mothers while wanting nothing in return, and now I can finally be a mother!" Aya fell forward, overcome with raw emotion, and it was up to Yuko to catch her before she fell and bounced her head off of the wall.
It wasn't Aya's fault...If she didn't scorn her chances are she would have been exiled, or her husband just would have left her. Men were the rulers in this era, and that applied to a great deal of clans as well. If the husband was gone, the women and children had nothing-they didn't mean anything. They would most likely starve to death, just because there wasn't a man in the picture. It was a tragic fact.
Yuko awkwardly held onto her, returning her fervent embrace with one of her own. "It's not your fault, you were only thinking of your children like any mother should."
Her mother cared about her more than anything-even more than her father.
Aya shook her head, unable to restrain her tears. "My children all died in the wars, except for one, who later died due to this disease. I was afraid that I'd be exiled from the clan, I was afraid I would be put to death if I strayed from the norm thought. I was afraid my husband would leave me to starve and without a home. I was so selfish! I couldn't have my own property because I'm a woman, it doesn't matter if my husband was of the warrior class-I'm just a woman. I just would have been left to die...And, my growing bundle."
"I...I forgive you."
Aya stared at the younger girl with misty eyes. "W-what?"
"I forgive you. What is most important to me is that you can now be a mother, what every girl dreams of growing up and what every woman has a right to when she comes of age. I'm just happy you will give birth to a healthy child. Whether it's a boy or girl doesn't matter, the only thing that matters is that it will be healthy and happy. You're going to be a mother, Aya-san."
"I am! I am!" Aya could only wail.
Yuko looked off to the side, noticing that Ahiko was crying with all the other Uchiha women, all of them bracing against each other for support.
They all came by her, and Yuko could feel what little restraint she had left just evaporate.
"We're sorry too, Yuko-san! Please forgive us!"
"Please forgive us for being so scornful!"
"I'm sorry!"
"I'm sorry too, Yuko!"
Yuko surrendered to her emotions and let her tears fall, holding onto them for dear life.
She had no idea why she was crying, no idea why Ahiko was even apologizing, but everyone else was and she couldn't take it!
"I'm sorry too!"
They wailed holding onto each other for dear life.