Chapter 85: Dreams and Departure

Title: Dreams and Departure

...

Three months had passed since the Village envisioned by Hashirama and Madara began taking form. At the center of the village, the Senju and Uchiha clan were built in close proximity to eachother.

Standing on the iconic mountain that would soon hold the faces of the Kages, Hashirama and Madara stood.

"Do you remember?" Hashirama asked. "How we used to talk here when we were brats?"

"Yeah." Madara replied as he caught a leave with a hole at its centre. "I thought we were just dreaming... Even though there really wasn't anything truly beyond my grasp, I..."

"That's what it is now. That dream is now becoming reality." Hashirama said. "Sensei believed in our dreams despite us being brats. He trained us for a full month, isn't that enough to make you realise?"

"Yeah..." Madara answered with a reminiscent smile. "He didn't particularly see eye to eye with that old geezer but he still enjoyed his company.

'Come to think of it, that illusion he showed us years ago...' Madara thought.

"I believe he was probably fighting an ancestor of ours." Hashirama said as if knowing what Madara was thinking.

"Perhaps..." Madara said but had a feeling that wasn't all there was to it.

"Other countries are beginning to copy our system, and I'm thinking of creating something. A leader, The Leader of Shinobi who protects the Land of fire from the shadow, the fire Shadow or Hokage. Well?" Hashirama asked.

"What's that?" Madara asked.

"The Land of Fire has requested that we select someone to represent the village." Hashirama answered. "I'm considering naming you to be the leader, our leader. The Hokage."

Madara kept his impassive stare on Hashirama, causing Hashirama to continue.

"You may not have any blood siblings left, but, I'd like you to think and see all of this villagers as your siblings. You will protect them all."

"Me, who couldn't even protect my own brethren?" Madara asked. His indifferent tone hiding the sadness he felt.

"There's no time to be weak-kneed right now!" Hashirama rebuked feeling his sadness. Spreading his hands rather dramatically he said. "For in addition to our two clans, it seems like the Sarutobi, and Shimura clams would like to join us as well."

Madara was shocked at this and was visibly surprised. "You're kidding... Are you serious?"

"And others as well. This village is going to Keep on expanding!" Hashirama explained excitedly. "We're going to need to come up with a name for the village too. Any thoughts?"

Madara thought for a few seconds before looking at the torn leave in his hand. Lifting it up to face level, he peeked through it and saw the newly built houses.

"How about.... Konoha-gakure? The village hidden in the leaves." He said.

Hashirama visibly became depressed at the name. "That's so simplistic. No spin or ingenuity at all. You called it exactly as you saw it, eh?"

"How's that any different from Hokage!? Huh!?" Madara shouted. "And you still have the habit of getting depressed rather easily!?"

"Huh!? At least Hokage sounds dope. What's Konoha-gakure? Why didn't you think of something doper? Huh?" Hashirama shouted back.

They spent a better part of the afternoon arguing like they used to when they were kids until they finally settled for the name.

"So you're saying the role of Hokage is to stay in the village and protect everyone?" Madara asked.

"Yeah, but that's only a small part of it. As our village building picks up, the Hokage will get busier too." Hashirama said as he placed his hands on his cheeks

"That's why I want to have your likeness carved into this cliff face at our feet." Hashirama said smiling. "As a symbol of our village's protector!"

Madara sweatdropped and looked at Hashirama weirdly. "You're kidding... Right?"

Hashirama not noticing his friends aversion to this, continued excitedly. "Though your visage is a bit too stern. So it'll need to be softened a little bit."

Before Madara could reply, sounds of footsteps rang and a voice came after.

"There you are... What are you dawdling around here for!? The Daimyo of the Land of Fire will be arriving any minute now for the conference."

"Tobirama," Madara turned and looked at the owner of the voice. His gaze emotionless as usual.

"...."

"...."

They both looked at eachother in silence without saying nor doing anything.

----

"For Hokage?" A loud shout couldn be heard from the Senju clan. "That's not your choice to make!"

"To propose Madara as a leader candidate is one thing. But the final decision should rest on the popular opinion of both the land of fire and our village. Along with a discourse with the senior members."

"These are different times compared to our fathers!" The voice harshly reprimanded.

"Haven't you learnt anything from the Tengoku island village?" The voice softened as he asked.

"But..."

"Plus... Uchiha Madara would never be selected to lead us. Everyone knows that you're the driving force behind this village. Even the Uchiha clan are willing to acknowledge that. Besides Which... Have you not heard the rumours about the Uchihas?"

"What rumours?"

"That the stronger their hate, the greater their ocular powers. That's the secret of the Sharingan. You can never tell what they might do. So for the sake of the village's future..."

"Quit saying those things, Tobirama... I should be asking you this. Haven't you learnt anything from that island?"

Tobirama seemed to react to that.

"What good would segregation and racism bring to this village while it's still in its early stages?"

"I would've expected more from you...-"

Creek.

A noise interuppted their talk as Hashirama stood up to check out the source.

"What's wrong?" Tobirama asked.

"I felt like someone was just here. Tobirama, you would know." Hashirama said with a frown.

"Nope. I'm not using my chakra right now. Don't change the subject Nii-san." Tobirama said.

"..!"

Hashirama had a shocked expression as his eyes caught sight of something.

The leave Madara was holding earlier today was lying on the ground outside the window.

Picking up the leave, he immediately realised who it was that was here moments ago and at that very moment, the leave broke in two, which alarmed him.

He may not be superstitious, but these was a sign, and it wasn't a good one.

"We're going to administer things democratically from now on. That's what I learned from the Tengoku clan system of government. Any disagreement?" Tobirama asked.

"No... That's fine." Hashirama said absentmindedly while looking at the broken leave.

____

Madara's POV

Idiots... The lot of them.

I was generous enough to put down my hatred for them to bring about this little moment of peace, and what does he have to show for it?

Complete contempt and disregard.

'They don't understand.'

Yes, they don't. They don't know what I see.

Democracy? That's the prelude to corruption. Giving authority to common people.

What do they even know. Wasn't the strongest supposed to be the one protecting them?

Hah... Following this train of thought, wouldn't the stronger one's kill off the ones with the potential to be as strong as them so as not to have competition in the future?

Wouldn't this just corrupt the people in power?

'Corruptiom. That's what will be bred here."

Exactly. Is this the village I hoped to create?

It was supposed to be one where the kids don't have to fight anymore, but who's gonna protect them if we aren't here

'Tobirama. They would never choose me even if Hashirama steps down.'

That's the issue.

I don't particularly need to rule, but getting what's supposed to be mine is granted right?

Ah... What to do now... I'm tired.

'Ah... The Uchiha tablet. I haven't checked it out since my eyes evolved. I wonder what I'll be able to read this time.'

That's a nice thought. I have nothing better to do anyways.

I then proceeded to walk towards the newly built Uchiha clan.

Why are people looking at me that way?

'Fear. Hatred.'

Why is that? Do they see me as some sort of monster? Hah. And I'm supposed to protect them? These fools who can't even see more than their feets length.

'Ridiculous.'

Truly. A farce even. But, I still have a responsibility towards the Uchiha clan at the very least.

'Nobody would understand.'

Probably. But they're still what's left of my family. Izuna would've wanted me to do that.

Arriving at the Uchiha compound, the atmosphere was lighter than it always was. There were people with smiles on their faces unlike before.

Now this is worth protecting...

As usual they all bowed as I passed them, why can't they be normal. Sigh.

Entering the now forbidden part of the Uchiha clan, I saw the stone tablet laying there in its glory.

One of our clan's oldest object besides the Uchiha fan.

The earlier part was just the procedure to follow to awaken the Mangekyou Sharingan. Thankfully, this stone was only made available to those who had gotten their Mangekyou Sharingan so as to alleviate their pain in knowing they were merely reacting to something greater than themselves.

Other than that, nothing else was readable but now, I could understand it a little.

"I see... So that's how it is. The Uchiha and Senju were all from the same source after all." I said out loud due to the surprise I got.

"Who would've thought a princess started all this due to her hubris."

Hmm, I guess I'll take sometime to properly decipher this language, after all, it seems to be the same as the ones that geezer once had.

....

That was, not knowing he was being compelled to do what he was doing, Madara spent his days trying to understand the writings on the tablet.

After doing so, he came to realize that he knew basically nothing about the world outside, so he went through the clans archives and read everything he could get his hands on.

Meanwhile, Hashirama had been appointed, or elected to be the First Hokage, his face had also been carved into the mountain as a symbol of the village's protector.

On this day, Hashirama decided to pay a visit to his oldest friend and was led to the basement of the Uchiha clan's Temple.

"How've you been Madara?" Hashirama asked as he came upon Madara staring intently at the Uchiha stone tablet.

"This stone tablet has been passed down within the Uchiha. It's never been shown to outsiders before." Madara said without taking his eyes off it.

"Hmm, it looks like the same language we saw in Sensei's house year's ago, right?" Hashirama asked in intrigue.

"The special texts is written as you've said, but it requires ocular powers to decipher." Madara answered.

"I see, no wonder I couldn't recognise anything. Maybe the Tengoku clan would also be able to decipher it?" Hashirama asked, thinking Madara was having problems deciphering the tablet.

"There's no need. I don't want to come in contact with those people yet." Madara said with squinted eyes.

"This is what it says as far as I am able to decode at this point.... 'One God, seeking stability, split into Yin and Yang. And it's these two polar opposites operating together that gives rise to all things in this world,'"

"It's a truth that applies to everything." Madara said as he levied a gaze at Hashirama. "In short, it states that true happiness can only be found when two contradictory powers cooperate together. However... It couldn also be interpreted differently."

"...?" Hashirama had a confused look as he maintained eye contact with Madara.

"Hashirama, do you really think that I don't know anything?" Madara asked.

"... You leave Tobirama to me. I can't do this without you. Keep working with me as the Hokage's right hand, and as a brother. The villagers will eventually recognise your merits. And then, I'll name you second Hokage." Hashirama reasoned.

"I suspect Tobirama will become the Hokage after you. And if that happens, the Uchiha clan will slowly be expunged." Madara smirked. "Knowing this, I reached out to the other Uchihas and called upon them to leave with me, to abandon the village."

Madara sighed. "But it seems not one person is willing to come with me. I couldn't protect my little brothers and it doesn't look like I'll be able to keep my oath to protect the clan either. I'm not even trusted by the brethren whom I want to protect."

Madara said with a forlorn look.

"That's not true!" Hashirama shouted. "I'm sure everyone will-"

"Perhaps, I should've only given the option of killing your little brother that day." Madara said as his expression hardened. "You call me your brother, but which of us would you Sacrifice for the sake of the village?"

"..."

"Heh. I'd like to think that I know you pretty well. I've had enough. I'm going to leave the village. I've found a different path, a different path." Madara said as a smirk showed on his lips.

"I can see it now, Only because we've shown our guys to eachother. Cooperation is merely a quieter form of conflict." Madara sagely said.

"That's not true!" Hashirama shouted again. "I won't let it be like that!"

"It's all in how you construe reality, Hashirama. But let's agree not argue about trivialities, it's much better to just see the world as entertainment."

"Are you listening to me at all Madara?" Hashirama shouted.

"You're the only one who's an even match for me." Madara said, them opening his Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan, he glared at Hashirama. "I'm looking forward to the battles we'll fight... Up until the time I achieve my true dream."

"What is your dream?" Hashirama asked. "I thought everything we've aimed for is here in this village!?"

"You can't just see it... What's even farther ahead. Dreams of the far future." Madara said mysteriously.

"..."

Hashirama kept quiet, not knowing how to follow that up.

"Then tell me about it. About your dreams of the far future. If it's linked to this village's dreams, I need your strength as a leader. As a senior member, and, as a friend." Hashirama reasoned again despite the already heavy atmosphere.

"Heh... There is no link. And you shall never reach it. That dream of yours. This village was already doomed the moment you let Tobirama take control." Madara said and then turned to leave the basement.

"It's useless to chase after me. You of all people know... That No One is capable of catching me from behind."

After saying that, his figure faded away as though he was an illusion all along.

Hashirama frowned deeply but released a sigh afterwards and left the basement too.

***

A/N: Alright guys, no judging, I did my best, read a lot of manipulation books but still came out clueless. As for the dialogue between Hashirama and Madara, I just did a copy and paste here and there while removing the unnecessary parts and putting a thing or two of my own.

Give me you honest review of this chapter ASAP, lemme know where I'll go from there.