Enjoy!
Disclaimer: Naruto does not belong to me.
Chapter 10: The Moon
"Bro…ther…"
Madara quickly turned towards a familiar, high-pitched voice. He found himself in a dark vast forest, all alone, but wasn't sure how he got there.
"Brother… help me…"
Madara turned again. The voice sounded like that of one of his younger brothers, but he couldn't see anyone. "Shio?" Madara called out.
"Brother… help me. Am I going to die?"
Madara kept looking around as his chest grew heavy and his heart raced, desperately searching for where the voice was coming from. Shio sounded like he was in danger. His voice was weak, pleading. Where was he? Where was his voice coming from?
"Brother… please, help me. I don't want to die," the fearful voice echoed through the dark forest.
"Shio? Shio!" Madara yelled as he started running through the dark forest, weaving through trees and running through bushes, desperately searching for his younger brother. But no matter how far he ran, how many turns he made, and how many bushes he rummaged through, his younger brother was nowhere to be seen.
"Brother…"
"Shio! Where are you? Tell me where you are!" Madara's voice grew louder and louder as panic started overwhelming him.
"Brother! No, no, please. Leave me alone. I don't want to die, no!" The voice's plea was followed by a piercing shrill that rang in Madara's ears.
"SHIO!" Madara's heart sank at the sound of his brother's scream. His breath grew heavy as his anxiety skyrocketed. He ran around what felt like an endless forest without any luck in finding his younger brother. Madara continued to desperately call out to him.
"Shio! Shio! Where are you?! Shio! Shi—"
"Bro…ther…"
Madara paused at the sound of a different familiar voice; it was deeper, more mature. And Madara could easily tell it was Izuna's. He slowly turned around, his heart pounding, and was terrified at the sight before him: A bloodied-up Izuna with a sword piercing his chest.
"Izu…na…?"
"Bro—" Blood gushed out of Izuna's mouth and he began to sway.
"Izuna!" Madara immediately started running toward Izuna, but it felt like no matter how long he ran, he wasn't getting any closer to him. He kept frantically calling out to his younger brother as he watched Izuna slowly fall backward until his body hit the ground.
"Izuna! Izuna! Izu—" Madara tripped over his own feet and fell to the ground, a grunt escaping his lips. He quickly looked ahead to see Izuna's lifeless body, his eyes devoid of any spark. Madara's eyes widened, and his breathing grew uneven. Izuna was dead. He was dead and Madara couldn't save him.
"Izuna…" Madara's voice quivered. "Izuna! IZUNA!"
Madara quickly woke up, panting. His heart was pounding and his body felt extremely warm, with sweat beading on his forehead. He found himself on the floor and propped himself up, quickly looking around to see that he was in his living room and surrounded by books he had recently checked out from the library.
"It was just another nightmare…" Madara whispered to himself. He looked over at his window to see that it was nighttime. He figured he must've fallen asleep while reading his book. Madara sighed and leaned back against his couch, steadying his breath in hopes that his heart would stop racing. As he sat in silence, Madara closed his eyes and tried to forget his nightmare until he felt a sudden gnawing hunger. Softly groaning, Madara realized he hadn't eaten all day, which was starting to become a really bad habit.
Madara pushed his body off the floor and slowly walked over to his kitchen. He opened the fridge to see there was barely anything in it: just some water and a half-eaten carrot. He then opened his pantry and cabinets, but no food, just soy sauce and other spices. Madara groaned. "Hashirama's cooking would be so good right now," he thought. However, he quickly shook that thought away. He needed to get food, his body felt so weak.
He reluctantly made his way to his front door, slipped his gloves and shoes on, and walked out to get some food for him to eat. But as soon as he left his house, he froze. He felt eyes on him. He felt like someone was watching him. No, he was sure someone was watching him.
"Huh?" Madara turned towards his right and looked up towards the roof of a distant building. It was dark outside so it was harder to see everything, but Madara could sense that there was definitely someone there watching his every move. He swiftly arrived at the top of the building and stood behind the crouching shinobi, startling him when he turned around. Grabbing him by the neck, Madara slowly raised him off the ground and glared at him, flashing his Sharingan.
"Who sent—" Madara paused when he realized it was a Konoha shinobi, Fuji, who specialized in tracking/spying. His eyes slowly widened, and his throat tightened as he processed what was going on. Meanwhile, the shinobi frantically grabbed at Madara's arm as he grunted, struggling to breathe. His swaying legs trembled at Madara's threatening presence and his vision began to blur.
Madara locked eyes with Fuji and finally asked, "Who sent you?"
The shinobi remained silent, refusing to share the details of his mission. This was a mission Lord Tobirama had just assigned to him that day, and he was ashamed that he was caught this quickly. He continued to squeeze Madara's arm, hoping he would let go. But Madara was so frustrated and confused that he didn't realize he was strengthening his grip around Fuji's neck, further cutting off his circulation.
"I said, who sent you?" Madara asked again, now more demanding as his Sharingan slowly transformed into the Mangekyou Sharingan.
This instilled great fear in Fuji because he knew if Madara really wanted to, he could kill him in an instant. But he at least wanted to put up a fight. Fuji gathered chakra in his hand and attempted to strike Madara, but Madara quickly grabbed his wrist to stop him.
"Fuji Hyuga, you don't want to make me angry," Madara said with a threatening tone, his eyes narrowing.
Feeling terrified and defeated, Fuji quickly confessed, forcing the words out of his tight throat. "L-L-Lord… T-Tobi… rama…"
"Tobirama?"
As the color slowly left Fuji's face, he began to feel light-headed, and his vision slowly began to fade while his byakugan slowly deactivated. He mustered up the last of his energy to plea, "P-Please don't kill me… I h-have a f-family… P-P-Please…"
Madara's eyes widened when he realized what he was doing. He quickly let go of Fuji, causing him to fall to the ground. Fuji took a deep breath and exploded into a coughing fit, trying his best to fill his lungs with air. Madara slowly backed up as he felt a lump develop in the back of his throat. Killing Fuji was not his intention, but he couldn't help but feel rage course through his veins. He looked down at his gloved hand before turning his gaze back to the struggling shinobi on the ground. Madara stared at him with sullen eyes, reflecting on how the village's distrust toward him was becoming more blatant. But does this mean that included Hashirama as well? Is Hashirama also giving up on him? Did Hashirama order Tobirama to send Fuji?
Madara slowly walked towards Fuji and crouched down. He asked, "Did Hashi… did the Hokage order this?"
"I-I don't know… my orders came directly from Lord Tobirama himself."
"I see…" Madara did feel a bit relieved, but just because they came directly from Tobirama, didn't necessarily mean Hashirama had nothing to do with it. Madara tried to make sense of it all. Could Hashirama be pulling away because he was starting to distrust him like the rest of the village and the Uchiha clan? Is that why he's been acting differently lately? Is Hashirama becoming just like everyone else?
Suddenly, Madara dropped his head and stared down at the ground before erupting into a low and menacing chuckle. Who was he kidding? Why did it even matter? Madara remembered he had already found his new purpose, his new goal. So why would it matter if Hashirama trusted him or not? If anything, now Madara was probably giving him a valid reason to distrust him. Madara slowly stood up as his chuckle transitioned into thunderous laughter that echoed in the air around him, sending chills down Fuji's spine.
As he laughed, Madara thought to himself, "That's right, none of this matters. I'm the savior. Hashirama this, Hashirama that. Forget him. I don't need him, and he surely doesn't need me. And you know what? That doesn't matter because I'm leaving! No one wants me here anyway. But they'll grovel at my feet once I show them the answer to true peace!"
Madara's laughter abruptly stopped when he heard Fuji drag himself across the ground. He quickly turned around, startling Fuji. Madara walked towards Fuji, however, Fuji continued to drag himself backward, afraid of being caught. This continued until Fuji reached the edge of the building and suddenly, there was no ground below his upper body. Before he could fall, Madara grabbed his shirt and bent over until their faces were close. Fuji's eyes widened; his upper body was suspended over the edge of the building while his legs were still planted on the edge of the roof. If Madara really wanted to, he could drop Fuji—and that thought frightened him.
Madara pulled Fuji in closer to him and sneered, "And make sure you tell that bastard Tobirama that if he has a problem with me, he can come to me himself and settle it."
Madara then pulled Fuji toward him and tossed him fully back onto the roof of the building to safety. He stared at Fuji for a moment and sighed. "Fuji, aren't you supposed to be one of Konoha's best spies? How disappointing. Train and get better so you don't run into trouble and make a fool of yourself. The next person who catches you may not be so forgiving as to let you live. Didn't you say you have a family? Don't leave them behind," he lectured before beginning to walk off. He then thought to himself, "Tch. Even Hashirama could probably do a better job than that."
Fuji's eyes widened at Madara's words. Though his words sounded a bit harsh, Fuji could sense a hint of empathy and care in them. He quickly got up on his feet and bowed. "Yes sir!"
Madara clicked his tongue in irritation. He shoved his gloved hands into his pockets and walked towards the edge of the building, jumping off and landing gracefully on the ground. He started walking out of the Uchiha district, now focused on getting food and going back home. As Madara strolled, he kept his head tilted down to avoid eye contact with any passersby. Despite this, he could still feel the cold stares of his clansmen and still hear their subtle whispers. It was foolish of them to think Madara couldn't tell what was going on. Did they really not know he could feel them looking at him that way? And after what just happened, Madara was already not in a good mood.
As he made his way into the busier streets of Konoha where most of the street vendors were, he felt like he was walking through what felt like a sea of hostile eyes. He wasn't sure if that was really the case, but that's how it felt. He was surrounded by the chatter and laughter of the villagers but could hear the occasional pauses whenever they passed by. However, Madara chose to ignore them. He just wanted food, that's all he came out here for and he didn't want to do or say anything else. He stopped whenever his eyes landed on a street vendor selling yakisoba. That'll do for now. Madara placed his order at the stand before going to lean against a nearby light pole to wait for his food.
As Madara waited, his eyes wandered the area around him until they landed on the moon above.
"A full moon… what I'll use to cast the Infinite Tsukuyomi. The moon… huh?" Madara whispered to himself. He found himself getting lost in the sight of the moon for what felt like forever.
"Order number 79!"
The sudden loud call slightly startled Madara. He averted his gaze from the moon and went back to the food stand. Madara grabbed the to-go bag of his yakisoba and started heading back home. He kept his head tilted down to avoid the stares. He swore it felt like he was getting more than usual. What has he done to deserve such treatment? He wished they wouldn't look at him like that. He wished they would accept him. He wished his clan didn't betray him. He wished he didn't lose his brothers. He wished Hashirama loved him. He wished he was happier. He wished there would be true peace. He wished things didn't turn out the way they did. The longer he walked, the sharper the pain in his chest felt and the heavier his body grew.
"Stop," Madara thought. "Stop it, stop looking at me like that. Stop, stop, stop, stop, sto—"
"Madara!"
Madara stopped, and with slightly widened eyes, turned around toward the familiar voice. It was Hashirama. He watched as Hashirama approached him, noticing the flowers and food in his hands. They must be for Mito.
"Hashirama…" Madara whispered once Hashirama joined his side. Initially, he was a little relieved to see Hashirama, but that relief was slowly replaced with hurt when he remembered the incident with Fuji earlier. Was Hashirama really turning on him now?
"I'm glad I ran into you here!" Hashirama looked down at the bag of food Madara was carrying. "Oh! Is that yakisoba from Mr. Nakamura's food stand? They're the best!" Hashirama flashed a smile.
Madara hummed in response. He continued to walk, not really in the mood to interact, not when he felt like he was losing Hashirama too. Hashirama glanced at Madara, noticing that he seemed more gloomy than usual. This worried Hashirama, because usually Madara was pretty good at putting up a front. Hashirama couldn't help but think about his meeting with Tobirama and Isamu Uchiha earlier that day. Their suspicions… What was on Madara's mind? Hashirama wondered how he could get to him. He fiddled with the bouquet of flowers in his hand as his mind raced.
The two men continued to walk in silence a little longer until Hashirama finally decided to break it. "So… how was your day?" he asked.
"It was fine," Madara responded softly not breaking his eye contact with the ground.
Hashirama waited to see if Madara would say anything else, but no words. "Just fine?" he asked, hoping Madara would expand.
"Mhm."
"Well, how are you, Madara?"
"I'm fine."
Hashirama's eyebrows furrowed with concern. "You're not fine, Madara. Tell me the truth. How are you, really?"
Madara sighed. "Hashirama, I'll slit your throat and throw you into the river if you keep asking me these questions."
Hashirama flinched. "Okay, he seems angry. Maybe now isn't the best time to probe," Hashirama thought. He nervously chuckled and looked straight ahead. But why was Madara angry? Hashirama glanced at Madara again and asked, "Madara… did something happen?"
"Did something happen, Hashirama?" Madara asked.
"I-I don't know, that's why I asked…"
Madara walked in silence for a moment, debating on whether he should bring up the incident with Fuji. But he then figured there was no point. Whether Hashirama was involved or not, it was clear that Madara wasn't wanted in the village at all anymore. He responded, "Nothing happened."
Hashirama stared at Madara for a few seconds before reluctantly moving on. He looked for the right words to say to get Madara to open up about what's been going on without asking him probing questions. "Okay… You know, I had a meeting earlier today with Tobirama and Isamu." As soon as those words left Hashirama's lips, he could feel an intense aura radiating from Madara. He glanced over and noticed Madara's clenched jaw. He continued, "And you know… Isamu was pretty worried about you."
Madara couldn't help but scoff. "Do you really think I would believe that that bastard was actually worried about me?" Madara thought.
"What?" Hashirama asked.
"Nothing. I'm not interested in the contents of your meeting, Hashirama."
"But—"
"I said, I'm not interested!" Madara snapped as he glared at Hashirama. His face softened when he realized he had come off a little cruel. He then turned his gaze back to the ground ahead of him and remained silent.
Hashirama flinched, clearly taken aback, before he finally responded, "...Very well then..." They both walked in silence for a few moments, the sound of the bustling streets fading slowly as they made their way into the more residential areas of Konoha. Hashirama occasionally glanced at Madara during the walk before he finally looked up at the full moon and smiled.
"The moon looks lovely tonight, doesn't it?" Hashirama said.
"The moon?" Madara whispered as he slowly looked up at the moon. Ah yes, the moon. Madara stopped walking and stood still, as he felt himself getting lost in the sight of the moon again. It was beautiful, it was bright—bright enough to cast a dim light in the night sky. Despite how dark everything around it was, the moon still shone, illuminating what seemed like an endless vast dark blanket. Ah, so there can be light in the dark, huh? The more he stared at the moon, the more he could feel the walls around him break down. The grasp on his bag of food slowly loosened, and his eyes slightly widened as his brows furrowed. He was reminded of his life, his nightmares, his losses, his loneliness, and his despair. But like the moon illuminating the dark night, is there hope in his dark fate?
Hashirama paused when he noticed Madara was no longer beside him. He turned back to see Madara staring up at the moon with a saddened expression on his face. Hashirama's eyes slightly gaped, and his chest felt heavy.
"Madara… whats wrong…?" Hashirama asked, very concerned.
Madara slowly tilted his head down and locked eyes with Hashirama. "Hashi…" he muttered, his voice sounding weak. "Do you think… do you think there can still be light in my dark fate?" Madara said in a barely audible tone.
Hashirama could barely hear what Madara was saying, he walked towards him to hear him better, "Hmm? Do I think…?"
Madara didn't have it in him to repeat the question. Who was he kidding? Of course there isn't. Madara believed he wasn't destined for happiness. And the only way he could challenge his fate was by becoming the savior of the world and casting the Infinite Tsukuyomi. Madara looked away, hoping to move on from it. But he couldn't help but keep thinking about the incident with Fuji earlier.
"Hashi… Do you trust me…?" Madara asked.
"Of course I trust you, Madara! Why wouldn't I?" Hashirama answered immediately, with full intention and sincerity.
Madara looked up at Hashirama once again, examining his face, looking for any hint of deceit. But his words were unwavering, his facial expression serious. Madara couldn't sense any lies in the words that left Hashirama's lips. Madara felt a little relief but still hesitated to trust. How could he trust? No one wants him here.
Hashirama waited to see if Madara would say anything, but nothing. He shifted the food and flowers to one arm and attempted to place his free hand on Madara's shoulder, but Madara swatted it away.
"Madara, what's going on?"
"Nothing, forget about it," Madara mumbled before turning away toward a nearby street.
"Where are you going?"
"Home."
Hashirama watched as Madara walked away. He wanted to go after him but remembered the flowers and food he had in his hand, reminding him that he was on his way to check in on Mito. He wanted to prioritize Mito, but he couldn't just let Madara walk away after that. He wanted to drop by Mito's before it got too late, but Madara was walking away from him. Hashirama felt a little anxiety rise as he looked between the food and flowers in his hands and Madara. After looking back and forth for a few seconds, Hashirama finally made his decision.
"Madara, wait!" Hashirama called out as he went after Madara until he caught up by his side again. "I'll walk you home," he added.
"I don't need you to walk me home," Madara mumbled.
"Well, I want to."
"Don't you need to get home?" Madara asked as he glanced at the flowers and food in Hashirama's hands.
"Home… can wait," Hashirama responded with a smile.
"Hmph. Whatever."
The two slowly walked alongside each other on their way back to Madara's place. Madara stayed relatively quiet while Hashirama tried to keep a conversation going, though receiving pretty minimal feedback from Madara—mainly just one- to two-word responses or a brief sentence. Hashirama was worried about Madara's lack of engagement, and the way he kept his head tilted down the majority of the time, his long black locks covering the sides of his face.
When they finally reached Madara's front door, Madara opened it and stepped in, turning around to face Hashirama to say his goodbyes. Hashirama looked at Madara, trying to read his face and look for any changes, but it was still the same solemn expression. He wanted to hold him in his arms and tell him that everything would be okay. He wanted to touch him. Just… touch him so badly.
Madara tilted his head down breaking eye contact, unsure what to say in the moment. But he was taken aback when he felt a warm palm on his forehead. Madara slowly looked up and locked eyes with Hashirama, who was staring at him purposefully.
"Hmm… good, no fever. I was worried you might've been sick," Hashirama said with a smile, leaving his hand on Madara's forehead. He lied. He didn't think Madara was sick but wanted an excuse to touch him and get him to look up.
The warmth from Hashirama's hand made Madara feel like his body was floating. He could feel butterflies form in his stomach and his heart race. He didn't even think of moving Hashirama's hand. He wanted it to stay there, and he wanted to lean into that warmth, lean into his touch.
Hashirama then asked, "So, since you're not sick, then Madara, what's wrong?"
Madara stared into Hashirama's eyes, unsure what to say or how to say it.
"I…" Madara's voice quickly trailed off.
But Hashirama was prepared to listen, waiting in anticipation, not moving an inch or planning to remove his hand anytime soon. He softly sighed and closed his eyes, leaning forward until his own forehead rested on the back of the hand he had on Madara's forehead. Their faces were barely far apart enough to keep their noses from touching.
Hashirama whispered, "I wish I knew what was going on in that head of yours." He then raised his forehead from his hand and looked into Madara's eyes. "As I said not too long ago, Madara, I don't think I can just make everything okay, but I know I can try. Again, I can, and will, do my very best to listen to you and address what's bothering you because I care about you and want to be there for you. I don't want you to suffer alone in silence… Talk to me."
Madara could feel his throat tighten and his chest ache. The butterflies ran rampant in his stomach from how close Hashirama was, the genuineness in his deep voice, the warmth radiating from his hand, the pink and plumpness of his lips. Madara caught a glimpse of the moon behind them. The moon. The bright moon that illuminated the darkness. Could there be light in Madara's dark world too? Could Hashirama be his light?
As Madara gazed into Hashirama's eyes, he could feel this sudden desire to claw himself out of the dark abyss. To reach out towards the light. He thought, "Hashirama… help me… help me… help me… help me…" Madara slightly parted his quivering lips, trying to bring his thoughts to words.
"Hashi… Hel—"
"Hashirama!"
Hashirama quickly turned around and removed his hand from Madara's forehead, his eyes landing on Tobirama, who was approaching him. He was confused about what Tobirama was doing all the way out here and why so late.
"Tobi? What is it?"
"I received an urgent message from the Daimyo of the Land of Fire. We need to discuss this at the tower," Tobirama responded as he approached, stopping to leave a good amount of space between him and Hashirama and Madara.
"An urgent message? What happened?" Hashirama asked.
As the two brothers talked with each other, Madara stared at the back of Hashirama's head, tuning out their conversation. Interrupted again. It was like the universe was laughing at him. Madara figured he should've known that this was how things were meant to be. That no one can do anything for him. That he truly is all alone in this accursed world. And why would he even entertain the idea that Hashirama could be his light? For the moon is only bright because of the sun, and Hashirama was the sun. Where there is the darkness of the night, there is no sun. Therefore, Hashirama's light was too bright for him. It was never meant for him and his dark fate. As the realization sank in, Madara could feel his chest grow heavy once again, no longer lifted by the lightness of Hashirama's warmth. His eyes traveled down until they landed on Tobirama.
Tobirama.
Madara could feel his blood begin to boil as his eyes narrowed, staring Tobirama down. It took everything in his power not to lunge at Tobirama and kill him. And after that stunt, Tobirama wasn't even looking at him? Madara clenched his fist, causing the bag of food to shift and release sound, catching Hashirama's attention.
"S-Sorry, Madara, I—" Hashirama paused when he noticed a shift in Madara, from sadness to anger. He saw how Madara was glaring at Tobirama. He looked at Tobirama and then back at Madara. Did something happen?
"Hashirama, this can't wait," Tobirama demanded.
"Right, let me just say goodbye—"
Madara sucked his teeth, closing the door before Hashirama could say anything else to him. Hashirama knocked, prepared to stay until Madara reassured him he'll see him tomorrow.
"Madara? I'll see you tomorrow?" Hashirama asked. But silence remained on the other side of the door. He could still sense Madara right there though. "Madara?"
"Brother!" Tobirama called out.
Ignoring Tobirama, Hashirama continued with a grin, "Madara, don't make me break your door again. This time, I might not fix it."
"Don't you dare break my door," Madara finally responded.
Hashirama softly chuckled, "So, I'll see you tomorrow?"
No response.
Hashirama sighed, "You leave me no choice." Hashirama grabbed the doorknob and twisted it.
"Fine, fine, fine! I'll be around. Just… leave me alone."
Hashirama smiled, "I'll take your word for it."
"Hashirama," Tobirama called out again.
"I'm coming, Tobi, I'm coming. Jeez," Hashirama responded as he walked away from Madara's front door.
Leaning his back against the door, Madara listened as the sound of Hashirama's footsteps slowly grew further and further away from him until it eventually dissipated. And there he goes. Madara sighed and tossed the bag of yakisoba onto his dining table, no longer having an appetite to eat. He went to his living room where all the books lay on his floor and grabbed the current book he was reading before collapsing onto the couch. Any attempts to read were ruined by his racing thoughts, as he found himself skimming the same sentence over and over again.
Madara tightly gripped the edges of the book as frustration built up inside of him. He thought it was foolish of him to even entertain the idea that there could be light in his dark fate. It was foolish of him to think that anything would ever change, that things would just look up for him. And he hated, hated the way Hashirama made him feel. He could still feel the warmth from Hashirama's warm palm on his forehead and couldn't get the thought of Hashirama's smile out of his head. He couldn't stop thinking about those longing black eyes, and that gentle voice.
The universe was laughing at him, wasn't it? Madara's shoulders slowly started to tense. Ultimately, Madara felt betrayed. How could he feel this way when even Hashirama might've turned on him? How could he feel this way when the village turned on him? How could he feel this way when his clan turned on him? At the thought of the Fuji situation, Madara clenched his jaw as anger settled on his face. He needed to get out of the village. He needed to leave.
Meanwhile, a black creature, who went by Black Zetsu, stealthily stood outside of Madara's house, peering into the window with a menacing grin. He made sure to mask his presence, which he was very good at, so that no one could sense him, not even Madara. Black Zetsu quietly chuckled to himself as he watched Madara.
"Yes, Madara Uchiha. Get angry, despair, hate. Hate and despair so much that you have no choice but to leave and work toward casting the Infinite Tsukuyomi. Mama… I'll be able to resurrect you soon," Black Zetsu whispered to himself, very amused at the path Madara was slowly going down. He was satisfied with the progress thus far and couldn't help but chuckle. Watching Madara fall deeper and deeper into despair was exhilarating. Soon, he believed Madara would reach a point of no return, and do all the work to get Black Zetsu closer to fulfilling Kaguya Otsutsuki's desire.
xxx
Hashirama and Tobirama walked together on their way out of the Uchiha District, discussing the message the Daimyo of the Land of Fire relayed to them.
Hashirama digressed. "By the way, Tobirama… did something happen between you and Madara?"
"What do you mean?" Tobirama asked.
"It's just that… Madara seemed more off than usual this evening. And then when he saw you, something shifted… He glared at you."
"He always glares at me like that."
"This was different, Tobi. More intense."
Tobirama shrugged his shoulders. "If something did happen, I have no knowledge of it."
Tobirama wanted to avoid any suspicions from Hashirama given that he didn't tell Hashirama that he went against his wishes and assigned Fuji to keep an eye on Madara. Now that he thought about it, Tobirama couldn't sense Fuji around the area at all. It's either Fuji was very skilled at concealing himself, or he got caught. Tobirama was hoping it was the former rather than the latter.
"Wait, before I go back to the tower, can I drop these off for Mito really quick?" Hashirama asked.
Tobirama glanced at the flowers and food in Hashirama's hand, wondering why he hadn't done it already. "I thought you were already on your way to do that when I last saw you."
Hashirama flashed a sheepish smile and chuckled, "I was! I was! But I kept running into people, and then I ran into Madara and decided to walk him home."
Tobirama softly sighed. "Fine. Has she even spoken with you yet?"
Hashirama was immediately overtaken by his habitual depressed demeanor. "No…"
"So, are you just going to keep going there until she does?"
Hashirama immediately perked back up and responded, "Of course! She's my wife."
"For now."
Hashirama was, once again, immediately overtaken by his habitual depressed demeanor. "Mmm… don't remind me…" he responded with a moping tone. "But I don't want to just leave her alone. She might be ignoring me for now, but I don't want her to think I don't care about her, because I do. And I just want her to know that I'm still here and still want to talk things through. Actually, I really want to force myself inside the house, but I know her… I know she needs space, so I don't want to disrespect her boundaries. But at least—"
Hashirama immediately paused when he felt a familiar, heavy feeling throughout his body. A menacing presence. The same one he felt not too long ago.
"There it is again."
Hashirama immediately dropped the flowers and food in his hands and took off towards that presence, leaving Tobirama behind without warning.
"Wait, brother! There what is?" Tobirama called out, subsequently running after Hashirama.
As Hashirama ran further and further into the Uchiha district, he tried his best to focus on that presence he felt. However, the feeling quickly disappeared again, and he found himself near Madara's house. Hashirama relentlessly looked around, searching for what could be the source. But nothing.
Tobirama finally caught up. "What is it, brother?"
"It was here, I could feel it. It was around here somewhere. But now I can't sense it."
"What was here?"
"I don't know what it was, but it didn't feel human. It was the same thing I felt a little while ago. The thing I asked Isamu about earlier," Hashirama responded as he surveilled the area.
Tobirama quietly watched as Hashirama looked around. Judging by how determined and focused Hashirama looked, Tobirama knew he wasn't playing around. He kneeled, placing his finger on the ground and focusing on whether he could sense anything unusual nearby.
Hashirama glanced at Tobirama. He hoped Tobirama would be able to catch it since he considered him to be a much better sensor than he was.
"Well? Anything?" Hashirama asked.
Tobirama shook his head. He didn't sense anything.
"It was here…" Hashirama insisted. "I swore it was here and now it's… not… now I can't sense it anywhere at all…"
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, Tobi, I'm sure."
Tobirama thought to himself for a moment. How did he miss it? How come he wasn't sensing it? Tobirama sighed. "We already have ninjas looking around the village, but they've only just started, and I haven't gotten reports from them yet. I'm going to swing by the barrier team to see if they've noticed any suspicious activity in and out of the village. I'll meet you back at the tower."
Hashirama nodded in response and watched Tobirama take his leave. He stood around the area for a little longer, waiting to see if he could sense it again. He activated his sage mode to improve his sensing, but nothing. And if there was something, it must've already gotten out of the sensing range of his sage mode. Hashirama sighed. What was it? Hashirama looked around one last time until he realized something: he sensed this near Madara's place last time as well. Was Madara okay? As the panic quickly settled in, Hashirama ran to Madara's front door and started banging on it.
"Madara? Madara? Are you okay?"
After no response, Hashirama started banging on the door harder. "Madara?! Madara?! Mada—"
"WHAT?" Madara yelled as he swung the door open.
"Are you okay?!" Hashirama questioned, anxiety very evident in his voice.
"What? Hashirama, what's wrong with you? Why wouldn't I be?"
Hashirama paused, taking a good look at Madara, up and down, for any signs of possession, struggle, or injury. Madara seemed okay. He could feel his anxiety slowly starting to fade.
Madara started to feel a bit uncomfortable under Hashirama's investigative gaze. "Why are you looking at me like that?"
"S-Sorry! Nothing, I just… I'm glad you're okay. For a moment, I thought… I don't know, I thought you might've been in danger, but I guess it was a false alarm…"
"False alarm?" Madara raised an eyebrow and then sighed. "Don't do that ever again. You scared the shit out of me. I almost choked on my food." And just when he finally managed to get his appetite back.
The thought of Madara choking on his food made Hashirama burst into laughter, triggering Madara.
"Huh? You think that's funny?"
Madara's reaction only made Hashirama laugh harder. Hashirama responded through his laughter, "That would've been… an awful way… to go…"
"I'll show you an awful way to go! You better count your days, Hashirama," Madara rebutted as he waved his fist at Hashirama.
"I'd like to see you try," Hashirama goaded with a teasing smirk as he laughed.
Madara and Hashirama went back and forth with their banter. Hashirama barely managed to eventually calm down his laughter as he enjoyed his time with Madara.
Hashirama thought to himself, "Thank goodness… Thank goodness you're okay." The thought of Madara in danger really scared him. The panic he felt was similar to the feeling he had when he thought Madara left him not too long ago. As he teased Madara, he couldn't help but appreciate the sight of him. Though Madara looked irritated, he was still so cute. Madara could be quite expressive with Hashirama during moments like these, and his teasing smirks were always so alluring. Hashirama wanted Madara… He wanted him so badly, and it took everything in his power not to pull Madara closer and halt his words with a kiss, carry him to his bed, and show him how much he wanted and loved him. He would do anything for him, drop anything for him. He wanted so badly to unlock his heart. And sometimes he couldn't help but think about a future with Madara: living together, getting married, raising kids, dying old together. God, Madara had no idea…
Hashirama softly chuckled, bringing his palm to his face, and accidentally whispered, "You have no idea how head over heels I am for you."
Madara's eyes widened. "What?"
Oh crap. Hashirama didn't mean to say that out loud. He quickly responded, "N-Nothing! I said I have to go meet Tobirama at the tower. Oh! And that reminds me, before that, I also have to stop by… home. I have to stop by for Mito. Yes, I should do that as soon as possible. Oh, it seems like I must've misplaced the flowers and the food so I should go find that. That's not good. S-So, I'll see you!" Hashirama rambled before dismissing himself.
"Right…" Madara responded as he watched Hashirama take his leave, thinking about what Hashirama whispered to himself. Did Madara hear him correctly? The words continuously echoed in Madara's head.
"You have no idea how head over heels I am for you."
What did that mean?
Tobirama waited at the tower in Hashirama's office, tapping his foot as he waited for Hashirama to arrive. How long does it take to drop off some flowers? But then Tobirama figured maybe Mito finally decided to talk to Hashirama. Regardless, now wasn't the time to get caught up in such affairs when Tobirama and Hashirama had something very important to discuss as soon as possible.
Before Tobirama got to the tower, he checked in with the Konoha barrier team. They didn't notice anything wrong with the barrier, nor did they notice any suspicious activity. Tobirama was having a hard time understanding what was happening, and why Hashirama could sense it while no one else could.
Suddenly, Fuji appeared, kneeling before Tobirama.
"Fuji? Do you have a report for me?"
"Lord Tobirama. I apologize, but not long into my mission, I was caught by Madara Uchiha. Words cannot describe how ashamed I am of my failure."
Tobirama sucked his teeth in irritation. Damn it. He didn't expect Fuji to be caught this quickly. Perhaps he did underestimate Madara, even after Hashirama warned him. He realized Madara must've been glaring at him so intensely because he had already caught Fuji by then. Tobirama grabbed his chin with his hand and began thinking about what to do next. Should he find someone else to watch him? Who else could be skilled enough to not get caught? Maybe a ninja from the Aburam clan? They can be quite stealthy with their bugs. Or should he have random villagers reporting any suspicious activity? How about the clansmen of the Uchiha clan? Would Madara suspect them? Hashirama was very close to Madara, so Tobirama thought maybe he could convince Hashirama to actually watch him?
Tobirama refocused on the shinobi in front of him and asked, "Were you able to gather anything, Fuji?"
"No sir… When I started, he fell asleep while reading a book, and then slept for hours. When he woke up, he left his home and that's when he caught me. But judging from the way he checked his kitchen before he left, it seems like he was on his way to get dinner."
"Hmm… true, that's not much to go off of."
"But I will say… he did seem… unstable," Fuji added as he remembered Madara's random, chilling laughing fit.
"Unstable?"
"Yes sir, after catching me, there was a moment when he asked about the Hokage and then laughed out of nowhere. It was… unexpected."
Tobirama hummed. "Unstable… Could he be falling victim to the Uchiha curse of hatred?" he thought to himself.
"A-And…"
"Hmm?"
"He told me to tell you this, and I'm just quoting, but he said that if you have a problem with him, you can come to him yourself and settle it."
Tobirama sighed. "Thank you, you're dismissed. And disregard this mission. It seems we both underestimated Madara Uchiha."
"Yes sir," Fuji responded before dismissing himself.
Tobirama grew deep in thought, processing the information he just gathered. If Madara really was falling victim to the Uchiha curse of hatred, then all the more reason to worry. There's no telling what he'll do as a result. But for now, Tobirama opted to just focus on the current situation at hand—the matters that needed to be settled after hearing from the Daimyo of the Land of Fire.
Tobirama waited for Hashirama with crossed arms as he leaned against the desk, tapping on his arm faster and faster while slowly losing patience. Finally, he snapped, "Where is he?!"
Hope you enjoyed! Tune in for the next chapter ^_^!