Chapter Text
It was a quiet sunny day in Konohagakure no Sato. Well, as quiet as any Shinobi village could be.
The two strongest men in the world were sitting opposite each other, with only an oaken table separating them in a huge, sparsely decorated oval room. Behind Hashirama was an open window that looked upon the beautiful Village Hidden in the Leaves.
"I don't understand the point in me doing this" Madara spat out. "Sending me on this mission is unnecessary and you know it."
"I would have preferred to let the border patrol or anyone else handle it. Tani has been provoking us by sending squads of their shinobi to their deaths. Even though it results in nothing more than a few casualties for us and much more for them." Senju Hashirama replied in a grave tone. "It hasn't deterred them from their folly. This has gone on long enough and it's time to send them a message. We haven't met in battle for years now, they seem to have forgotten about the might of the Senju and Uchiha. I want you to remind them by putting an end to this. Permanently."
"This seems very unlike you, Hashirama. I had imagined that you would go for a softer approach, but you do seem to have some fire left in you." Madara mocked good-naturedly.
"You and I both know that is not true, Madara. I will protect the village no matter what it takes. Protecting the village means protecting the people, Shinobi and children." As he spoke his voice became more serious and his gaze harder. "I will not tolerate any who seek to harm this village, be they friend, brother, or even my very own child."
Madara was sure that this was not an empty promise. Hashirama would do as he claimed and it made him smile. Their childish dreams would not remain a dream.
Hashirama and Madara looked out from the window of the Hokage's office into the ever-expanding village below. Memories of their discussions and their hopes as children sprung to his mind. It had been an impossible dream for so long that he had given up all hope at it happening, but now that it was real, he would see to it being protected at all costs.
"It could also give you a chance to fight a proper battle again, Madara; after all, it has been a long time since we last sparred. Does your blood not sing for a fight? Do you not desire to dance once more?" His serious tone had morphed into his usual childish ways.
"Hmph, these are vermin. No more than a mere nuisance that any seasoned group could defeat. They aren't worthy to face even a fraction of the power I wield."
Although I would like a good skirmish or two to stretch my legs before our annual spar.
Fighting excited him and it had been a while since he last felt his blood pumping and his heart singing in battle. It wouldn't do for him to let Hashirama know that though. He had a big enough head as it was.
Hashirama sighed. "I want you to go because you are Uchiha Madara. Your name will give pause to these skirmishes, assuredly so if they know that you are back on the battlefield. I do not want this conflict to go on any longer than necessary"
Madara smirked as he stood from his seat. "Very well then. I shall go take care of this mess, Lord Hokage"
Hashirama watched his friend leave with a faint smile before turning around and looking back out at the village.
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Shirotsu POV
It was progressing just like their leader had envisioned. They had been tasked with taking a minor village that lay on the border of the land of fire and the land of rivers. Their commanders had promised that it would be a simple mission since the only protection the village had was a garrison of samurai from the land of fire who were no match for shinobi. They had set out with four teams of three, each comprising a jounin, a chunin, and a genin.
Things had been going smoothly until a patrol squad from Konoha came upon them. It was only a three-man squad and as such, it should have been an easy fight for the much bigger team. Unfortunately for Shirotsu, the Uchiha in charge of the team was a powerful Kunoichi. They'd heard tales about the strength of Uchiha since they routinely clashed near them during the era of the warring states. This woman would not do her clan a disservice, Shirotsu would give her that, though he and his teammates were hardly pushovers. They did lose a Jounin and a couple of chuunins to the Uchiha, but they killed one teammate and injured the other.
The fight seemed over when they finally cornered the Uchiha and her injured teammate when suddenly, in what seemed to be an act of desperation, the Uchiha channelled even more chakra to her eyes. The world seemed to distort around her as a skeletal body formed to protect her and her teammate.
What the hell is that?
"Ho, is this all you have left... A defensive Jutsu? Are all you Uchiha this cowardly? If so, then we shouldn't have had anything to fear from your clan," Azumi, the de facto leader, mocked the woman, a sneer creeping across his face.
She seemed to be on her last legs and the Jutsu looked to have taken all she had left, though there was no doubt she still had a fire in her.
"I won't allow filth like you to harm my village. If I must give my life to protect it and my people, then so be it. I will take you with me to meet the reaper." The woman barked out with a sanguineous gleam in her eyes.
Shirotsu smirked. She had the arrogance of the Uchiha, all right. It would be a significant advantage to Tani to get their hands on the Sharingan, so he would have to deliberate this later with Azumi, the other remaining Jounin. They might just have stumbled upon the best find of their lives. It wouldn't do for Konoha to notice, though. However powerful Tani was, they all knew that a war against Konoha would end with their village being reduced to little more than a crater.
"We can't seem to break the shield, captain." The four shinobi tasked with breaking the barrier reported back to Azumi and Shirotsu.
It was... surprising to Shirotsu, that a barrier this powerful could be held up by someone who was, very clearly, at the end of their rope.
"Then the only option is to either wait her out or to use a combined water Jutsu," Azumi replied.
"And since waiting it out is not an option as reinforcements from Konoha can arrive at any moment, we must attack it together."Shirotsu agreed with Azumi and the nine remaining Tani shinobi prepared to fire their combined water Jutsu- of varying levels of power- at the last remaining foe that was preventing them from completing their mission.
"Focus on speed, not mass! We'll crack this shield and finish this damn mission as soon as possible."
Their Jutsu were sent out like crashing waves- obscuring the sight of the Genin- and he knew that if the force alone didn't crack that shield, then the sheer volume of water would.
Instead of the predicted impact, the torrent of water began to swirl and muddy up as a cloud of dust plumed where the Kunoichi had been cowering. The water washed away in rivers of its own making and an ethereal blue light glimmered ominously off its surface.
He looked up. The turquoise shield that had been standing strong was now nothing more than a dim background to the monstrosity that replaced it. He gulped, knowing the battle had been lost from the start. He swallowed deeply, and now he understands that things had never been meant to go their way.
Blue light glints from red armour.
Two equally vicious eyes peered down at him, no, through him, and he feels fear, far stronger than he ever had before.
MADARA POV
Madara had been on his way to the border when he felt it. He wasn't a good sensor and he knew it, but the chakra was too familiar. Potent, dark,- definitely Uchiha. It had been many years since he felt such power coming from anyone but himself. Not since Izuna. Madara shook his head to clear that thought, it wouldn't do to get hung up on the past in the midst of a mission. The chakra was wild and uncontrolled from the heaviness in the air as he approached. Another Uchiha had likely just awakened the Mangekyō, so things were desperate. After a breath, Madara sped up his pace. He had to get to them quickly and if it meant cutting through a few hurdles, then so be it.
He reached the clearing just as the shinobi from Tani deployed their respective Jutsu. A partially formed Susanoo was all standing between the girl and the rushing waters of the Jutsu. Her attempt was seriously lacking, he knew. The ultimate defensive move of the Uchiha clan would normally withstand any attack but it was the first time that this girl had used it. Her inexperience with Susanoo and her weakened state would lead to Susanoo failing.
He moved in front of the Jutsu and channelled chakra to his eyes and brought out an arm of his own Susanoo rendering all the attacks meaningless. Madara smirked. It would take someone of Hashirama's calibre to break his Susanoo.
As soon as the attack ended, Madara turned back to his clansmen and her injured teammate. She seemed to be in a state of shock. Her hair was in disarray and her eyes were bleeding. No doubt it was a result of using the Mangekyo for the first time. He would have to teach her the ways of the cursed eyes. It would not do to have her go blind.
She quickly recovered and addressed him in a remorseful tone, "Lord Madara, I am sorry for not being able to defeat them. Please let me atone by assisting you in putting an end to these nuisances."
Madara wasn't surprised by her words. Even though she was not in any state to continue fighting, her desire for revenge and pride as an Uchiha blinded her. He had seen this before in his clan members. Regardless, he could not allow her to put herself in danger when he could easily wipe them out. It would not do to let pride deprive the clan of a Mangekyo.
"You are in no state to fight. Your chakra is almost depleted and you have sustained injuries that will need to be looked at. Retreat now. I shall deal with the trash."
"But I can assist-" Tsuki started when Madara cut her off with a glare that was accentuated by his Mangekyo.
"That is an order by your clan head. Retreat now."
She bowed her head to him but not without showing her clear displeasure at the order which amused Madara. It was not every day that someone tried to defy him.
By the time their conversation was over, the aftermath of the Jutsu was clearing and the smoke and dust were settling. Madara was getting excited, he was going to enjoy this dance.
The looks on the Tani shinobi were quite enjoyable. It seemed his face could instil fear in the hearts of his enemies still.
It was a shame that he couldn't play with these roaches for a while. His clan member and her teammate were in need of medical attention and it wouldn't do for him to be selfish here.
He looked at the soon to be dead shinobi who had not recovered yet from his appearance as they were still cowering. These vermin weren't even worth taunting. He sighed, held up the tiger sign, and kneaded large amounts of chakra in his chest and converted it to fire and expelled it in bursts.
Huge explosive fireballs shot at the enemy shinobi and they scampered to put up defences. It was a futile gesture from the enemy.
The Fire Flower was strong enough to overpower most defences and would power through the water walls that the Tani Shinobi had hastily put up.
His jutsu collided with the water walls, and a great cloud of steam billowed upwards.
The smell of burning flesh wafted through the air. It was thick and unpleasant, but to Madara, it was soothing. It truly had been a while since he had experienced the rush of battle.
He could see the results with his Sharingan and, much to his surprise, two of them did survive. Impressive, he thought. It wasn't every day that someone could brag about surviving being on the receiving end of Uchiha Madara's jutsu.
Unfortunately for the survivors, who were both half burnt and in no state to try to retreat or go on the offensive, Madara was not in a forgiving mood. These vermin had killed one of his shinobi and almost succeeded in killing another as well as one of his clan members. They would suffer, he would see to it. Tobirama's new unit of Black Op's shinobi didn't sound so bad now. He would let the ANBU deal with them. He could sense their muted chakra and gathered that a team had been sent to take care of the "loose ends".
Madara turned to his clansmen and her surviving squad member who was gawking at him. The boy had never seen the legendary Uchiha in battle and having witnessed him kill seven people and injure two with a single jutsu had put him in awe. Certainly, it was an impressive feat for the everyday shinobi.
He looked at his kinswoman, who still looked unhappy at losing her chance at vengeance, and sighed. He understood her emotions, he truly did, but it wasn't every day that an Uchiha unlocked the cursed eyes. They would have an effect on the woman's psyche and it wouldn't do for him to leave her uneducated and uninformed about the dangers of the Mangekyo. He would call on her at a later time to discuss it in detail and instruct her on how to use them.
"I know that you are frustrated at being denied your revenge, but understand that you were in no position to do so and neither was your teammate." Madara began in a strict voice.
"Your chakra was depleted and you were standing on your last legs. There are times when the safety of yourself and your teammates should come before your revenge." He paused for a moment. "Above all else my orders are absolute and I dislike it when my subordinates disobey me."
She looked abashed and bowed her head. "Forgive me, Lord Madara, but they killed Hikaru and almost killed Shin. I - I wanted to see to their ends personally my lord, but I understand that it was wrong of me to disobey you. I shall endeavour not to in the future"
Madara looked at her for a while and nodded. "See to it that you don't. I may not be as understanding in the future. Now take your teammate and get to the hospital. I shall see to the cleanup."
She nodded and picked up her teammate, who had fainted due to his injuries. After sparing a glance at her fallen comrade, they flickered away.
Madara surveyed the area. Craters filled the landscape and there were burnt bodies spread throughout the open field. The fallen samurai from the Land of Fire and the Konoha shinobi were all spread out. The survivors were still unconscious.
"I am going to report to the Hokage. Clean up and get rid of the bodies, see what you can get out of these two." He said while gesturing towards the two survivors.
The four ANBU agents dropped down from the trees and nodded in acceptance.
It had been an eventful mission, Madara decided on the way back to the Hokage tower. It wasn't every day that a Mangekyo user emerged into the fold. He would have to handle this delicately though. The general populace was still unaware of the Mangekyo; those who did know-didn't know about its consequences. He would have to deal with this after reporting to Hashirama.
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The air was crackling with excitement, as the festival's lively sounds filled the air. Konohagakure no Sato, the first of the Shinobi Villages, founded by the joint efforts of The Uchiha and The Senju Clans, was celebrating another year of its existence.
All the village's citizens were enjoying the festivities loudly, laughing, singing and dancing. Only one person was completely calm and withdrawn, merely watching the many people-shinobi and civilians alike-mingle.
Madara sat observing the villagers enjoy themselves without any worries, blissfully ignorant of the conflict that happened earlier in the day. He hadn't wanted to attend the festival but Hashirama had insisted that one of the founders had to be present. He had also made Madara promise to not wear his armour to the festival. Apparently, it wouldn't fit with the mood and intimidate the people.
Hmph! He was Uchiha Madara. The mere mention of him sent enemies into a flurry. As if he needed armour to be intimidating and it wasn't like he only wore the armour. He preferred a casual blue kimono for everyday use. Even so, Hashirama hadn't relented. Apparently, a casual kimono wasn't enough. The man was stubborn to a fault.
Still, what he was wearing now wasn't too bad. A black and blue Kimono made him look very fashionable with an Uchiha crest on both shoulders. He quite liked it, though he would never admit it to Hashirama.
Madara sat quietly, observing the festival, nursing a saké. He wasn't one for drinking, drink dulled a shinobi's senses and that would be a deadly mistake on the battlefield. Tonight though, he allowed himself some luxuries.
"I never would have imagined that you of all people had a sweet tooth, Madara-sama." A soft voice spoke coyly with feminine laughter following the surprising words.
Madara's eyes darted towards the voice and found a beautiful woman standing next to him. The bright colours of her kimono stood out against her fair skin and her long inky black hair was twisted up into a beautiful style, glinting hairpins adorned with a moon and little stars holding it all in place. Her face was round, yet aristocratic, but her most unusual feature was her eyes.
They weren't black or dark brown, as was most often seen in their Clan, no, her eyes were a dark, smoky grey, nearing black. As the lights danced off her eyes, they flashed light grey and silver, like the moon.
This woman who he'd seen using cursed eyes earlier in the day, didn't look out of place in the busy festival. The last time he'd seen her, she'd been caked in blood and dirt and looking every part the shinobi that was expected of a member of the proud Uchiha Clan.
He took a closer look at her visage. Her dark grey eyes were gleaming from the festival lights, but she was unguarded and that is something he was unable to shake off.
Madara couldn't put a name to the face, however. Try as he might, he didn't recognize her as anything more than the woman he'd stepped into rescue and then proceeded to lecture about her reckless behaviour. Maybe he should spend some more time with the clan after all. A woman with the potential to awaken the Mangekyou was always something to assess closely.
He took a bite of the mochi. "And one would think that Hashirama wasn't a gambling addict, yet here we are"
She blinked at him with wide, shocked eyes. "E-excuse me, Madara-sama? Did you just say that Hokage-Sama is a gambling addict? "
"Yes". he said matter-of-factly, "He is. Much to the consternation of Tobirama, Mito and others close to him. Although, it does help that he has the devil's luck. Whatever you do, never bet against him lest you want to lose everything that you own."
The woman laughed. "That sounds like you wouldn't want to play against him."
Madara shook his head. "With the luck he has, the entire Clan would go bankrupt to the Senju in a single night. I would be a bad Clan Head, if I let that happen, no?"
"I suppose that is true." She agreed with a smirk.
"What is your name?" he asked.
She smiled and dipped her head. "Tsuki. Uchiha Tsuki."
A fitting name he supposed. She was radiant like the moon after all.