A/N: More and more like a comedy =))))
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Uchiha Hikaku claimed to be someone who controlled his emotions very well, but there had been three times in his life when he couldn't keep his cool.
The first time was when his mother passed away; the Uchiha elders ignored Hikaku's pleas and buried her next to his detestable father who had always abused her. He placed his mother on the funeral pyre and cremated her with Fire Release in front of the elders, then scattered her ashes at sea. Because of his act of defiance that day, he was thrown into the dungeon and tortured. When it seemed like he was on the brink of death, Lord Izuna arrived just in time to rescue him.
The second time was when he saw an injured Uchiha Aoko, drenched in blood, collapsing into his arms. She said that they could never be together and urged him to let go of their feelings. Promises of the ends of the earth, vows to build a home together—these were nothing more than childish words not worth mentioning. Aoko said that, but Hikaku did not give up on his childhood friend and the only girl he had ever loved.
The third time was at the moment when Lord Izuna passed away. Hikaku, in a fit of rage, took up his sword and, on the eve of Konoha's founding, took advantage of a lapse to deliver a deep cut to Senju Tobirama's arm.
These three instances of losing his composure marked turning points in his life. The first time he defied the Uchihas for his mother, the second time he resisted the Uchihas for Aoko, and the third time he nearly shattered the dream of peace for Izuna...
And this might be the fourth time. This time it was for his own feelings.
At the moment Hikaku was seeing off the Uchihas, walking around his stable, and seeing the blue omamori amulet lying exposed on the ground, his heart seemed ready to leap out of his chest.
The amulet that Aoko had given to Uchiha Madara so that his daughter would no longer be afraid of him.
Since that day, Hikaku had never seen his clan leader remove the amulet from himself.
Now it laid there, covered in mud and dirt.
He had been here.
Hikaku felt dizzy and shivered—What had Madara heard? How much had he heard? Where was he now? These questions were like a hundred ropes tightening around his brain, temporarily paralyzing it—he couldn't bear to imagine what that man would do after hearing their discussion. He had to act, or else...
The amulet was a warning.
The young Uchiha clan deputy urged his trembling legs to run as fast as possible from the house—he needed to find Madara, he must find Madara before it was too late and everything became irreparable... He ran like mad across rooftops, dropping down into narrow alleys, overturning every place his clan leader might have gone, with his Sharingan spinning. The surroundings were quite quiet, with the only noise coming from the Sarutobi compound, which was brightly lit and bustling with a grand birthday party, but he didn't think Madara would be there. Hikaku exerted all his effort to scan the surroundings, but he couldn't detect even a trace of the clan leader's chakra; perhaps he was too far away for Hikaku to sense. At that moment, he cursed himself for not being a super-sensory like Senju Tobirama—someone who could know what was happening throughout the Land of Fire if that bastard was in a good mood.
Hikaku tried to breathe deeply to think things through. Perhaps he should go to the Sarutobi compound to find his wife, who also had excellent sensory abilities. Although her range was not as broad as Tobirama's, Aoko was impressive in her own right, capable of "showing her skills" within Konoha and extremely adept at detecting even the smallest sources of chakra. It was best to move quickly—if Madara took action, no one could stop him in time.
And this could not alarm the Hokage, or else the Uchiha clan would not have peace, and his dream of becoming clan leader would...
Clutching the amulet tightly, Hikaku rushed out of the alley towards the Sarutobi compound but nearly collided with something—another person moving at high speed like him. Both managed to brake in time to avoid a collision, startled, they looked up, and their eyes met. Snow-white hair, blood-red eyes, a tall, imposing figure, and a straight, elegant neck which Hikaku was certain that the court etiquette teachers would be very impressed by. Under the full moon, this person looked like a proud and dangerous snow wolf staring directly at him. In fact, he had always had this impression of the bastard, but tonight, under the moonlight, it only reinforced his belief. This cunning snow wolf was also somewhat different from usual—he was soaked in the ridiculous moss-green kimono of the Senju.
"Uchiha... Hikaku?" The wolf's red eyes looked at him with suspicion. "Are you late for the festival?"
"Senju Tobirama...!" The name escaped Hikaku's tongue with bitterness. "I'm not... I'm... looking for my wife... Aoko."
"Your wife?" Tobirama raised an eyebrow. "She's probably in the tea room."
"Is that so." Hikaku blinked. "Thanks for the tip." He glanced into the bustling Sarutobi compound, feeling his heart tense up to the point it reached his throat.
There probably isn't enough time to go inside and search now... Damn Sarutobi, why did they build their house so big and complicated! Would it kill them to live simply?
A brief silence fell between the two men. They were mortal enemies on the battlefield, and even though they had been allies for a while, it still felt too forced for them to talk to each other politely and casually like neighbors. Not to mention, Hikaku never forgot that Tobirama was the one who took the life of his Lord Izuna. He looked down at the right arm of the white-haired man covered by the kimono—the scar from the slash he had given him surely still flared up occasionally. As for Tobirama, he didn't look at Hikaku; the snow wolf's red eyes fixed on the blue amulet in his hand.
"That... Madara usually wears that..." the white-haired man suddenly said.
Oh. Kami. Amaterasu.
Why didn't the gods temporarily take this guy's memory away? With so many things to do, he still remembered such trivial details?
Besides, Madara and this guy rarely met... remembering the amulet on him was quite impressive.
"Oh, well..." Hikaku replied with difficulty. "He dropped it, and I..."
"Where is your clan leader?" Tobirama inquired. "I don't see him at the party."
"He... he's not feeling well..."
The classic excuse, an effective fallback.
Hikaku had never seen anyone resist this tactic.
As he had guessed, the red eyes withdrew their suspicious gaze. "I see. I won't disturb you from enjoying the festival any longer. I'll go ahead."
Was that all?
What he didn't expect was that Senju Tobirama didn't ask anything more?
He didn't understand why he suddenly shouted when he saw the white-haired figure about to jump onto the rooftop. "W-Wait!"
Time was running out. Madara might be about to go berserk, and he wouldn't find him before he--
Senju Tobirama. The snow wolf.
For some reason, he did not pursue the matter of him having wounded him while they were allies.
He wouldn't be grateful for it, but Tobirama's reaction was surprising.
This cunning man... The Senju maggot...
The one always biased against the Uchihas in the council room.
The one who always clashed with Madara.
The one without a heart.
Tobirama halted, slowly turning to look at Hikaku. "Is there something else, Uchiha deputy?"
This was also the one who... placed Konoha above anyone else.
"I want to ask you something."
Right now, this was the only person left.
In the worst-case scenario, if Madara concealed his chakra, only Senju Tobirama, with his renowned ability to sense "almost invisible" chakra, would be able to find him.
Could he...?
Tobirama raised an eyebrow, his arms crossed in front of his chest as if waiting for him to speak.
Hikaku reluctantly took a deep breath. "Why did you... place flowers on Lord Izuna's grave that day?"
The young Senju clan leader didn't respond immediately, just stared at him, his shoulders slightly tensed.
"You... came to pay your respects to him," Hikaku said very quietly.
Tobirama remained in the same position, his face as cold as ice, and his red eyes, as usual, revealed no hint of emotion. The silence prompted Hikaku to speak more.
"We shinobi are like that. Sometimes we find ourselves missing our lifelong rivals. Some members of our clan even remember their rivals' preferences better than their own wives', which has caused quite a few family rifts. When our rivals die, we can lose our way for a while..."
"Do you even know what you're saying, Uchiha deputy?" Tobirama began to lose patience, interrupting him with a tone that made it sound like a terrible day for anyone who has ears to listen.
Hikaku did not falter because of that. "I don't believe you visited Lord Izuna's grave without a reason, Senju."
"I also don't believe you understand what it means to feel pity or regret after battling with Lord Izuna for nearly all of your youth."
"I'm not foolish enough to think you did it just to provoke Lord Madara."
Tobirama stared at him without blinking. "Do you understand now?"
Hikaku widened his eyes. "Understand what?"
The white-haired man sighed. "About why there are shinobi rules like prohibiting alcohol. The more the festival, the more it should be banned. You're drunk, Uchiha."
"I'm not drunk." Hikaku glared, thinking that this person must believe he was in the crowd having a few drinks early on near the Hokage's office. "Don't take this as the ramblings of a drunkard. Senju, why are you so concerned about Lord Izuna's grave? Why did you meticulously revise the problematic documents when Lord Madara approved them, instead of using it as an excuse to push him out of the council... You... you haven't become Hokage. Everyone thinks you're plotting something."
"Uchiha Hikaku, you're not drunk." Tobirama's expression darkened. "Then we need to call a medic-nin to check if you have some sort of illness, like a concussion. It seems to be quite severe. I don't have time for idle talk with you, my nephew..."
"Wait, Senju!" He shouted as the white-haired man was about to disappear from sight again. "Stop! Listen to me, I need your help with something! It's about Madara!"
The name of the Uchiha clan leader acted like a switch; just calling it out made Tobirama stop in his tracks. A strong gust of wind blew by, lifting Hikaku's ponytail, and he stubbornly focused on the figure in the moss-green cloak.
Senju turned back to look at him with a deep, solemn gaze. "Madara? Didn't you say he was unwell?"
Hikaku felt as if he had just made a terrible mistake, but he gritted his teeth, knowing he had to follow through. "Indeed, he is unwell."
"Is he seriously ill? Has he been examined thoroughly, what's the prognosis, how many months does he have left?" Tobirama asked with a blank expression, the snow wolf had a hint of... mischievousness about him.
"He isn't suffering from a terminal illness, so stop asking as if you're wishing him ill." Hikaku said with a wry smile. "But right now, he's not very stable... mentally."
"Has he ever been stable in that regard?" Tobirama looked at him wearily.
"You—Senju, you don't understand, he's very, very unstable right now!" Hikaku raked his fingers through his hair in frustration. "He's falling into a crisis. While we've been talking, he might be about to... destroy everything! I need your help to find Lord Madara! We must stop him before Konoha turns into ashes...!"
It was a rather abrupt way to inform him. Now, Senju Tobirama's shoulders were tensed to an alarming degree, chakra suddenly surged like crashing waves throughout the space, compressing the atmosphere. The Senjus and their damn habit of unleashing immense amounts of chakra when they were angry or emotional—it was completely counterproductive. Hikaku truly felt breathless, his legs unsteady under the pressure of the chakra. His eyes immediately turned bright red with three tomoe spinning in response to the danger.
"Senju Tobirama!" Hikaku shouted as he saw the terrifyingly furious expression on the other's face. "Lower your chakra—are you looking to fight right now?!"
"You damn Uchiha, what is your clan leader planning to do to Konoha?" Tobirama asked quietly, his eyes filled with menace. "I need to inform the Hokage and put the village on high alert."
See, now it's time for the tantrum and swearing, and I don't trust you, you deceitful Uchiha.
Hikaku maintained his composure under the pressure of the chakra, his tone firm. "You mustn't inform the Hokage! Just... just help me find Lord Madara. I'll handle the rest. This time, he's lost his temper because of me... I'll talk to him. If you inform the Hokage now, either we won't reach him in time, or my clan leader will immediately be classified as a traitor..."
"How did you and him fall out?"
"Essentially... family conflict, you don't need to know the details." Hikaku said with frustration.
"Family conflict," Tobirama said in disbelief. "And he's going to attack the village."
"Listen, Senju," Hikaku said urgently. "I'm just worried. It's very possible Madara might only be upset and not do anything. I need you to help me find him; whatever can be resolved peacefully, we should try to use it. No rebellion. No attack. Don't escalate the situation."
Uchiha Madara was actually just a bit down; he just needed to visit a therapist and have some sweet candy to soothe his troubled soul. After saying that, even Hikaku felt embarrassed by the exaggeration, let alone Tobirama. The Uchiha man would not be surprised if the Senju man was preparing a mocking, hearty laugh for him.
"Are you in your right mind, Uchiha? Of course, any attack or intention to harm Konoha would be considered rebellion." Instead of mocking, Tobirama also started to tug at his own hair. "He's Madara, Uchiha Madara. Everyone is celebrating the festival right now; if he attacks at this moment..."
"Senju, if we work alone, neither of us can stop him. But if we work together, we might be able to. Don't escalate this; we can still salvage many things." Hikaku was determined, his crimson Sharingan glaring directly into Tobirama's eyes. The Senju shinobi met his gaze unflinchingly. "After all, you know very well the influence Madara has on Konoha, don't you? You've done everything to fully exploit his presence. From manipulating votes to grant power to our clan leader, all those actions were to appease him, because you have accepted living alongside him. You know very well that if Konoha wants to dominate the world, it needs a war god to protect it during sensitive times like now. Moreover, continuing to confront him is like putting a noose around your own neck. The late Hashirama-sama, and now Madara-sama, Konoha needs such power so much. The four great nations are stirring up, building shinobi villages, expanding their influence, and preparing for war—there are so many dangers." He said with a light tone. "If the shield called Uchiha Madara is labeled as a rebel now, and our alliance falls apart, your grand dream of Konoha won't come true either."
Silence.
No more time.
Silence.
Hikaku would gamble.
Silence.
Madara was an indispensable pawn in Senju Tobirama's eyes. Madara was crucial for the long-term development and prosperity of Konoha. Without value in his clan leader, who else in this world had any value?
The cold wind began to subside.
Chakra levels decreased, restoring the atmosphere for everyone.
Four eyes met, both red.
Tobirama suddenly sneered, looking very at ease. "Hey Uchiha Hikaku, that story was quite something. I was just thinking, why don't you quit being a shinobi and switch to writing novels? You could make quite a bit of money. But you're right; we don't have much time left. I'll use the Flying Thunder once I sense him."
"Please."
He gambled right.
"You'd better convince Madara before he actually turns against us." The white-haired man threatened with a smirk.
"There will be no rebellion at all." Hikaku, unafraid, repeated with a smile. "We just invite the Uchiha clan leader to the Sarutobi clan's festival."
Sometimes Senju Shani was also extremely surprised by his own actions. Without weapons, without strength, and not even afraid of death, he still hid behind the bushes with the crazy intention of tracking Uchiha Madara.
What was he planning to do there?
He needed to look more closely.
Madara's face from this angle was obscured by his long, messy hair, but the clearest thing was the hand seal. Standing by the Nakano River, he formed hand seals at an unbelievable speed and then slammed his hand onto the ground.
"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"
That... was a summoning jutsu...?
But after that, nothing happened. No summoned creature appeared from the air, unlike what Uncle Sasuke did with the monkey Enma.
He had to stifle his breath as he heard Madara mutter, "The contract with the Nine-Tails was indeed canceled. Just as expected of Tobirama, he's quick."
The contract with the Nine-Tails?
Shani was stunned; that was the Tailed Beast that had caused his dad's death. Adults often talked about it like that.
Could it be that Madara intended to--
The young master of the Senju clan could never fully comprehend, as a hand from somewhere grabbed his throat—gloved and terribly cold, encircling his delicate neck—and lifted his up as easily as lifting a stuffed animal, his feet dangling away from the ground. Instinctively, Shani wildly struggled to make the attacker release him, kicking and thrashing with all his might, but the opponent was too strong; his efforts were utterly ineffective against him.
"L...let...go..." With his throat constricted, Shani's vision blurred, and his hands fumbled to find the attacker's wrist where the glove didn't cover, desperately scratching and clawing.
The person choking him coldly said, "I was wondering who it was; turns out it's this little rat. Scaramouch, I've spared you many times, yet you still don't know your place."
Uchiha--Madara!
He was just... by the riverbank?
Shani was so frightened he felt his spirit leaving his body; the man's terrifying chakra was tightening around his breath, and his hand showed no sign of loosening. Hanging suspended between life and death, tears welled up at the corners of the Senju young master's eyes. It hurt so much, it hurt— Tobirama-jichan--
Mom!
Tobirama-jichan!
Help me!
"It's not much of a loss," Madara sneered. "Just by looking at you, it's clear what you'll become in the future; growing up won't change that. I've encountered many like you. In this era, there's no place for useless trash like you!"
No! Don't!
His mind screamed.
He couldn't die here!
He hadn't... surpassed Hiruzen yet...
He hadn't... become number one in Uncle Tobi's eyes yet...
He hadn't... hadn't made Mom proud yet...
He hadn't... hadn't brought glory to Dad yet...
But now, his body was exhausted... his arms and legs no longer had the strength to struggle.
Shani's vision was fading, his whole body went limp, slumping as if his neck were about to snap, his hands weakly ceasing to claw at Madara.
Madara's voice came softly, "I don't want to lay a hand on children either. But you are different. If you're going to blame someone, blame why you're the child of Hashirama and yet so useless. You will be my sweet welcome for the traitors."
It hurts so much... it hurts so much... Dad...
Shani's hand fumbled into the cloth pouch...
Dad, is this death?
Such uselessness, Senju Shani.
"This child has none of Hashirama in him!" The harsh words of his mother echoed in his ears once again.
The orange-brown scroll with the character for "Heart"...
Could... could it help escape Madara this time?
"Struggling against death?" the man about to kill him mocked.
His only chance at survival.
Please.
His fingers touched the scroll and, with all his strength, pulled it out of the pouch.
Please.
"A scroll?" Madara's voice came with skepticism. "What do you intend to do with it?"
Even Shani didn't know what he planned to do with the scroll.
Throw it at Madara's face?
A bad idea.
But he couldn't breathe anymore... no time to think...
Please.
"Little brat..." Madara, losing patience, moved to snatch the scroll from Shani's hand with his other hand, but he was faster.
He threw the scroll into the air, while at the same time forming hand seals with both hands:
"KAI!"
That was when both Shani and Madara felt something strange happening.
The scroll hovered in mid-air, the character for 'Heart' split in two, and a beam of light shot out from it, illuminating both their faces.
Then, an explosion.
Before Shani could gasp as Madara's grip on his throat loosened, and before Madara could react and leap away, the scroll exploded, sending both the Uchiha clan leader and the Senju boy flying in their panic.
Then Senju Shani was hurled, flying straight into the Nakano River at an unprecedented, terrifying speed. He could feel the earth cracking, the trees shaking, the sound shattering his eardrums, blood flowing uncontrollably from his nose and mouth, and Uchiha Madara was thrown along with him, bleeding just like him, his eyes shut from the impact, his large body unable to move. They were thrown so high by the explosion that it seemed as if they could touch the moon, then they plummeted straight down into the still Nakano River, crashing into the water as the earth rumbled one last time in the shattered cracks that tore apart the riverbanks, creating a scene of desolate ruin.
And then, as if by the gods' design, beneath the dark water, the souls of both automatically departed from their bodies.
"Senju… Tobirama, what do you see?" Hikaku anxiously chased after the figure of the man who was moving quickly. "Hey Senju…!"
Never before had he seen Tobirama's face look so dazed as when the Senju clan leader knelt down and touched the ground with two fingers. Over the years, the lack of facial expression and emotion had been characteristic of the white-haired bastard, so he wasn't used to seeing his fingers tremble slightly, his pupils shaking violently as if their owner was terrified, and then, without saying a word, he sped away.
Hikaku told himself that Tobirama didn't know what fear was; he must be mistaken.
"Senju, what's going on? Did you see Lord Madara?" The Uchiha clan deputy tried his best to keep up with Tobirama's speed. "Slow down a bit!"
Unexpectedly, the white-haired bastard turned his head and threw a line at him: "Uchiha Hikaku, shut up."
At that moment, Hikaku thought to himself whether he should draw his sword and skewer the insolent bastard, but before he could get angry, he saw Tobirama's figure had already disappeared.
All of it happened in the blink of an eye. Senju had left Hikaku behind.
This was the Flying Thunder God Technique.
The same technique that had killed Lord Izuna.
He had no choice but to try and channel chakra to sense where Senju was.
The birthday party for Hokage Sarutobi's son was lively and joyful but suddenly turned into a chaotic disaster.
First was the incident involving Senju Mikatsuki, a girl who was thrown into a pond by a group of unidentified children, and then awakened Wood Release to protect herself. This news alone was enough to shake the world, but it was perhaps nothing compared to the second incident.
Clan leader Uchiha Madara and the boy Senju Shani were found drifting in the Nakano River, both unconscious and covered in blood.
The moment Senju Tobirama appeared at the clinic's gate using the Flying Thunder God Technique, carrying the limp bodies of his nephew and Madara, and shouted for the medical ninjas to help, it felt like Konoha had been hit with a punch to the face.
This situation had a widespread impact on the village: the Uchiha-Senju alliance was at risk of breaking apart, the people were panicked and fearful, and the Konoha administration found itself in a difficult predicament. Hokage Sarutobi Sasuke stayed up all night answering letters from around the world, trying to keep news about Uchiha Madara and Senju Shani under wraps, being careful not to reveal anything more. The treatment process for both was kept secret, with daily updates stating that they were recovering well and the village was fine. However, for some reason, even the Land of Fire's lord sent a concerned letter asking if the village was about to cease operations so that he could build a new army.
"In this situation, the Uchiha clan leader is unconscious, and the young Senju heir has also been harmed. With both clans in turmoil, be honest with me, Hokage-dono—how long until it collapses?" The Land of Fire lord wrote in such a threatening manner, and the Hokage had no way to swallow the words of the sovereign.
"Am I supposed to reply that Konoha won't collapse until after you've died of old age?" Sarutobi Sasuke cursed inwardly, tossing the lord's letter out the window. At that moment, a figure in the gray uniform of ANBU appeared in the Hokage's room.
"Nidaime-sama, it's not good. A group of Senju youths has gathered at the Nakano Riverbank, and together with the Uchiha youths, they are demanding a showdown!"
"What?" Sasuke stood up abruptly. "What's the scale of the forces?"
"Each side has about fifty or more people. The Uchihas have at least awakened their first-level Sharingan, while the Senjus..."
"Lord!" Another ANBU, wearing a mask shaped like a bull, descended. "The Senju clan members have taken to the streets to protest and have encountered the Uchiha crowd who are submitting complaints to the processing office. Both sides are about to clash!"
"What do you mean by protesting and complaining?" The Hokage frowned.
"They are demanding the government explain the condition of the clan leader and their heir. The Uchihas are not reassured that our hospital will take good care of Madara and are demanding that we not hide any information about his health. They are alleging that this is a scheme by the Senjus to harm their clan leader. Meanwhile, the Senjus are calling for a thorough investigation, claiming that the Uchiha clan leader attacked their heir!"
Sasuke's left eye twitched as the third ANBU rushed into the room and knelt before him. "What now?"
"Nidaime-sama, I just returned from the small nations. I don't understand how their lords found out that Young Lady Mikatsuki has Wood Release. While I was working as a spy there, I received orders to 'capture Senju Mikatsuki by any means necessary'!"
"Damn it!" The Hokage clenched his fist, and his rage caused his chakra to surge throughout the room. The ANBUs swallowed nervously, trying to maintain their composure in the face of the immense chakra, but they were startled when they saw another figure appear, standing next to the Hokage.
Sasuke turned to look at the figure and growled, "DON'T TELL ME IT'S... AH, TOBI." The Hokage immediately lowered his voice and his expression softened.
Senju Tobirama, the second advisor, looked unwell, with dark circles under his eyes as if he hadn't slept for many nights, but he still maintained a calm demeanor as he spoke to the Hokage. "Calm down, each issue will be resolved one by one. Right now, Uchiha Hikaku and I have already dealt with the group of youths by the riverbank. Your news is too slow."
"Really?" Sasuke was surprised. "You two are quick... In that case," the Hokage took a deep breath. "Increase the troops at the border, tighten security, and add inspection teams to trade activities. Quickly investigate where the information about Wood Release originated and how it spread. Also, send ANBUs to protect the Senju girl closely."
"Understood." The three masked ninjas replied in unison and quickly left the room.
"Let Toka handle the lord's letter," Tobirama said. "Now, about the protest..."
"Understood." Sasuke's eyes were resolute, no longer reflecting his usual lightheartedness. "Now, Flying Thunder me to the protest..."
"Wait a moment," Tobirama interjected. "Don't forget to bring Uchiha Hikaku. He has the most influence among the Uchihas, and if we want to quell the protest..."
"I almost forgot," Sasuke said solemnly. "If the members of your two clans cause chaos, it will be like a prehistoric forest riot. Missing one of the clan leaders means losing a crucial source of support."
"Have you prepared your speech well?" The Senju clan leader tilted his head, looking at the Hokage's reliable face.
"It's going to be very touching; Mito will probably cry," Sasuke replied with a smile.
"Oh, no need to hear your Hashirama-style speech to quell the riot." Tobirama sighed. "She's already been washing her face with tears for days."
"Definitely, Tobi." The Hokage's eyes burned with intensity. "Mobilize all our medical staff. By any means necessary, within two days, Uchiha Madara and your nephew must wake up!"