Glass Trinity, Chapter 15: Alliance
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Tobirama was sweating under the scorching, summer sun as he hid behind a tree out of sight. Even at this distance, the funeral pyre's heat reddened his face and seared his vision. But he looked on as the Uchiha gathered to send off their fallen. Bodies, those that had been recoverable and recognizable, were cleaned and dressed before ending up on wooden beds stacked around and on top of each other. The Uchiha always burned their dead, an efficient practice, and a beautiful one, if Tobirama was being honest. Izuna's body lay at the top of the pyre where only the smoke separated him from the clear, blue sky above.

Tobirama wasn't sure why he'd risked coming here. Hashirama had all but ordered the Senju to leave the Uchiha in peace as they sent off their dead. The fighting was over, this time for good, he insisted. But Tobirama wasn't here to fight.

"Thank you."

He rubbed his eyes, which stung with sweat that accumulated on his brow and slowly dripped down his face. Izuna's last words haunted him. He hadn't slept much since then, and the days seemed to blur together. He was supposed to be back at the camp finishing up preparations for the journey to Uzushiogakure, where the formalities of the alliance would take place, but instead he was here cooking in the sun and watching black smoke rise to the heavens, taking the last of Izuna with it.

Someone began to speak, probably Madara, and Tobirama decided he better leave now before anyone noticed his presence. He activated his shunshin technique and teleported back to his tent, where he'd left a kunai with the Thunder God seal for quick retreats such as this one. He wiped his brow on his sleeve and took a shuddering breath.

"Tobi, there are you! I've been looking all over for you." Hashirama let himself into the tent. He was carrying an armful of folded tarps, which he set down on the floor. "These're for your tent. We're gonna leave mine up until the last day, so you'll have to room with me until then."

Tobirama nodded numbly but didn't make any attempt to start getting to work.

"Hey, you don't look so good," Hashirama said. "Is that a sunburn?"

"I just came from Izuna's funeral pyre."

Hashirama frowned. "I thought I told everyone to leave the Uchiha alone for that. They deserve to mourn their dead in peace."

"I wasn't there to disturb them."

"Then why?"

Tobirama sank down onto his bed. He leaned forward over his knees and ran his hands through his sweaty hair. Hashirama took a seat next to him and put a hand on his back.

"It's not your fault, you know," Hashirama said at length. "You just did your job, like always. You couldna known Izuna was blind."

As appreciated as Hashirama's sympathy was, it didn't convince Tobirama in the least. "That's just it, though. Why the hell would he be out there in the first place fighting blind? He would've known I'd go all out. We always did."

"I don't know. But I do know Izuna wasn't one to let Madara fight alone, no matter what." Hashirama patted Tobirama on the back for comfort. "But in a roundabout way, his death made the alliance a reality. I wish it could be different and that he was still here, but I have to see the good in it all the same."

Tobirama got up and paced to the other side of the tent. "No, see, that's just the problem. The price for this so-called alliance was way too high. And honestly? I don't see much good in it knowing where we're all coming from. It's like... It's like Madara had no choice after what happened, like we coerced them into it. That's not a real alliance, Hashi, come on."

Hashirama stood up. His expression was somber and stern. "Tobi, we've been over this. The fighting is over, and the alliance is happening, just like Madara and I hoped it would one day. We always talked about the day when all the fighting would stop, and it's finally here."

"Yeah, and you were ready to kill yourself to make it happen!"

"Is that what this is about? You're angry with me?"

"Oh my god." Tobirama laughed bitterly. "You really never listen to a word I say, do you? All our lives, you've been the golden boy. The leader. But you know what? You can't lead anyone if you're dead."

Hashirama frowned. "But I'm not dead. Madara was never gonna let it happen."

"Are you so fucking delusional that you can't see what's going on?" Tobirama spat. "You were ready to take your own life to appease him! What the hell do you think would've happened to us after that? To me and Tōka? To the Uzumaki?"

"Tobi—"

"No, you're gonna listen to me now!" Tobirama had worked himself up, and fuck if Hashirama was going to brush him aside now like he usually did. "I'm sick of this hero bullshit you got stuck in your head. You can't keep doing everything by yourself. You know what happens to guys who operate alone? They die. No one's watching their back and they die. But Hashi, you got me. And you got Sasuke and Tōka and Mito. God, Mito chose to stay with you over Madara, and we both know what was going on there."

"Tobi, I don't—" Hashirama tried.

But Tobirama was not finished. "No, you don't get to interrupt me! You made a decision that would've fucked us all! You always do this, and I'm done, okay? I'm fucking done. You walk around like you're a martyr waiting to happen, like you don't have people who would seriously rather be dead than lose you, and you're the best of us, you always were. I mean, shit. Even Madara had Izuna. And Izuna, he... He just..."

Tobirama shook with emotion as he tried to compose himself. Hashirama was stunned into silence for once. At length, Tobirama took a steadying breath and clenched his fists to keep them from trembling.

"Izuna was trying to warn me. He knew I'd understand. That's why I went to his funeral pyre."

Hashirama shook his head in confusion. "What? What are you saying? Izuna tried to warn you about what?"

"Izuna, you know, he was so... Well, you never really knew him. Guess I didn't, either. But I listened, so maybe that's why he came to me. Maybe Madara never heard him, like you never hear me. He talked about a curse."

Hashirama placed a hand on Tobirama's shoulder. "Listen, I...think you better get some rest. You were in the heat for too long, and with everything that's happened lately, I think—"

"For once just listen to what I think!" Tobirama shouted. He wrenched out of Hashirama's grip. "Izuna talked about a curse, a curse of hatred. I can't explain it, but he always saw me coming. He always saw what no one else could, and I think he saw something bad. Really bad. He tried to warn me and Tōka, but it was too late. And damnit, Hashi, he thanked me."

"Thanked you?"

"When he died. His last words to me were 'thank you', like he was happy to go. And I just—" Tobirama ran his hands through his hair again and pulled. "I don't know, I think he didn't see another way out. A guy like him who saw everything, every little detail..."

"I do listen to you, Tobi. But you have to listen to me when I tell you that Madara wouldn't have let me die. This is our dream, and we're gonna build it together."

"Don't you get it? That curse Izuna was talking about wasn't just about him. It's something that affects Madara, too. Hell, probably all the Uchiha."

"They do have every right to hate us since we've killed hundreds of their kin."

"No, it's more than that. Izuna was different lately. I can't explain it, but I think whatever he thought this curse was changed him. Just like it's changing Madara."

Hashirama looked tired just listening to this. "Tobi, this is ridiculous. There's no curse. There's no such thing as curses."

"Oh yeah? And what if there is? What if Izuna was right, and it's only gonna get worse? He thought death was his only way out. Well, he's free now, but Madara sure as hell isn't. You saw how he charged in here like a goddamned hellhound killing innocent civilians, and you're telling me he hasn't changed? Wake up!"

Hashirama's eyes flashed with anger; he was about done indulging Tobirama's paranoia. "You don't know him like I do."

"Maybe that's your problem! You got this image in your head of Madara when you were kids before all this shit happened, but I got news for you: that's not the same Madara out there now."

"I can't believe you. I know you've always held a grudge against the Uchiha, but I thought you'd be on board for the alliance. For peace."

Tobirama was shocked that Hashirama still could not see the truth. "We're never going to have peace with the Uchiha! Why can't you get that through your thick skull? Father made a lot of mistakes, but he was right about that, at least. Izuna said—"

"I don't care what Izuna said!" Hashirama shouted.

Tobirama was taken aback at the uncharacteristic outburst, but Hashirama wasn't finished.

"How dare you try to jeopardize this alliance. Yes, Izuna's death and so many others were a steep price to pay, and I deeply regret that. But if you think for one minute that it was a mistake to go through with this, then you're blinder than Izuna was when you killed him."

"But Hashi—"

"No, enough! I've heard more than enough out of you! You've always been against the Uchiha, even now when they're willing to work with us. You think I do things by myself? You think I don't listen to you? Well, how can I when everything you say is an attack on everything I've worked so hard to achieve?"

Tobirama stared in shock at Hashirama, who'd hardly ever raised his voice to him or to anyone else in such a manner.

"The alliance is happening, whether you like it or not. And you will cooperate with the Uchiha, just like Madara'll make sure they cooperate with us. Is that clear?" Hashirama said.

Tobirama swallowed and his throat clenched. "Oh, your position's always been clear to me, Brother."

He stormed out of the tent.

Gendoru Uchiha looked on in silence as Madara and Hashirama stood before clan regent Ensui Uzumaki, the lordling Inari Uzumaki, and the lady Mito Uzumaki. The great hall in Uzushiogakure where the alliance ceremony was taking place was grand indeed, with hand-carved wall panels in cherrywood, mahogany, and ginkgo. Perfect for the gravity of this particular ceremony.

The Uchiha Generals stood to his left, all equally armored and stiff. General Yurima was looking especially serious today, no doubt still reeling from the shock of losing his soon-to-be son in law, Izuna. As a clan elder, Gendoru was obligated to witness any momentous political, social, or military event. Never in his sixty-seven years had he expected to oversee an alliance between Uchiha and Senju, though. He thought of Tajima and let his eyes fall.

I wonder what you would think of the runt of the litter now?

Ensui spoke of the hardships both Uchiha and Senju had experienced over the past one thousand years, of the chaos and bloodshed they had wrought upon each other seemingly without end. And, of course, of the new beginning ahead of them.

"You stand apart from your predecessors as scions of hope, prosperity, and peace for a future that is yours to mold," Ensui said. "I cannot say I know what the future holds or how it will unfold. But I can say that the Uzumaki will support you to the best of our ability."

General Goro was whispering something to General Risa. She frowned, but her hawkish gaze was settled on Madara's back. Gendoru averted his eyes before he was caught eavesdropping. He didn't need to listen in to know what they were saying. Everyone was skeptical of this alliance, of Madara's acquiescence. He'd lost his brother—was that the only reason they were here?

"My daughter once asked me why we must seek alliances with those we do not know, with those stronger than us. Sometimes, even, with our enemies. I like to think that my answer informed her later judgment in one such matter." He nodded to Mito. "I will tell you the same thing I told her that day. The sun may evaporate a single drop of rain, but it stands no chance against a mighty ocean. Hashirama, Madara. Together, you can command the seas and the stars. But alone, you can only drown.

"My daughter has been my eyes and ears in the battlefield with you. Through her, I have witnessed your feats and accomplishments, as well as your failures. And now I see two men, no different from myself, who are unafraid to stand together and ask for peace. Mito?"

Mito unrolled a thick scroll she had been holding and held it out for Hashirama. She nudged Inari, who suddenly remembered his job. He passed Hashirama a quill pen, and Hashirama accepted it with a small smile.

"With your signatures, you agree to always support one another through times of peace and strife alike, until the end of time," Ensui said.

Hashirama signed his name and passed the scroll and quill to Madara to do the same. Once signed, Ensui accepted the scroll and held it up for all to see.

"The Uchiha, Senju, and Uzumaki shinobi present here today bear witness to this noble act of bravery. Please show your respect."

Everyone took a knee. Gendoru sank down with a huff. The humid, summer air was making him sweat in his armor. Mito stepped forward with a thick, embroidered ribbon dyed red and gold, the Uzumaki colors.

"All that's left is to seal the alliance with a handshake," she said.

Madara and Hashirama faced each other. Gendoru peered at his young leader, but Madara's expression was difficult to discern from this angle. Madara and Hashirama clapped their hands together and shook. Mito laid the sash over their hands and wrapped it around them three times. She then lay her hand top theirs, holding them together.

"We thrice bless your union and pray for your future successes," Ensui said.

Risa and Goro were whispering again. Gendoru pressed his lips together but said nothing. The ceremony ended, and almost immediately Uchiha and Senju went their separate ways.

A hand reached down to help him up. "General Yurima, thank you, but I'm perfectly capable of standing on my own."

Yurima took Gendoru's hand in his slender one anyway and helped him up. The silver of Yurima's hair gleamed in the sunlight. "And I'm perfectly capable to looking out for an esteemed elder."

Goro and Risa had walked off together, still in conversation, and Gendoru watched their retreating backs. Yurima followed his gaze and cut in front of it.

"Allow me to offer you tea at my quarters," he said.

"Ah, that would be very good, thank you."

Gendoru fell into step beside the taller man, and they proceeded in silence until they were out of earshot of the rest of the ceremony's attendees.

"They're not alone, you know," Yurima said. "Others are concerned, too."

Gendoru frowned. He hated all this secrecy and political duplicity, but even he couldn't ignore what had been right in front of him. "It doesn't matter. No one will challenge Madara now."

They arrived at Yurima's quarters, which took up three rooms in the southern Uzumaki family compound. Yurima escorted Gendoru to a table on the balcony while he prepared a pot of tea.

"Whispers are much slower and softer than direct confrontation," Yurima said. "But even a slow death is still death in the end."

Gendoru scowled. "Don't know why you're tellin' me this. I'm just the trainer. I don't have any part in the politics, never have."

Yurima served the tea and sat down opposite Gendoru. "Because you've known Madara all his life, Tajima before him, and his father before that. You've been around the Uchiha longer than almost anyone. I wonder, what do you think of all this?"

Gendoru sipped his tea and took a moment to look beyond the balcony to the verdant gardens that covered the earth to the shoreline.

"We won't be overheard here," Yurima said. "I made sure of it."

Gendoru shook his head. "My opinion doesn't matter. Madara's the leader, and I haven't seen a better one in all my years."

"But good leaders don't always do good things. Look at the Senju. Hashirama's proven himself a capable leader, but that never stopped him from slaughtering our kind."

"Never stopped us, either. You're a general; you oughtta know."

Yurima smiled softly. Gendoru decided he didn't like that curling smile at all. "Forgive me. I, too, am pleased the fighting will officially end. It bores me so."

"Cut the crap. You know as well as I do the fighting will never stop. There's more than one way to skin a cat."

"Yes, I remember you taught that lesson well when I was under your tutelage. Still, doesn't it bother you a little that the Uchiha have the short end of the stick here? Decisions will now be made by assembly. Hashirama, Tobirama, and Tōka each have one vote, but only Madara speaks for the Uchiha. And the Uzumaki will always side with the Senju as long as Mito speaks for them. Four to one aren't the best odds, even for a shinobi with Madara's...unique talents."

"Like I said, I don't know much about the politics of it all, and I don't care."

"Father?"

A young woman emerged from inside, and Gendoru recognized her as Yurima's daughter.

"Kasumi, you look radiant this morning," Yurima said.

Kasumi wore a black kimono and a white obi embroidered with blooming, red flowers. Though her face was naturally soft and comely to any admiring eye, the dark rings around her eyes and tightly-wound bun holding her hair back spoke of sleepless nights and compounded stress.

"Lady Kasumi," Gendoru said. "Are you well?"

Kasumi bowed respectfully. "Forgive me, it is lovely to see you, Gendoru. I'm as well as can be expected."

"You're still in mourning," Gendoru said politely. "I imagine the last battle must have been difficult on you and the other women."

Kasumi averted her eyes to hide the flash of emotion that betrayed her feelings, but she only nodded.

"Excuse my daughter," Yurima said. "As you said, it's been a trying time what with all the shinobi and kunoichi we lost recently. Izuna, especially, has been a tragic loss for the clan."

Kasumi suddenly bowed low again. "Please excuse me, I did not mean to intrude."

Gendoru frowned at her sudden eagerness to leave, but Yurima dismissed her and she scuttled back inside behind closed doors.

"Your daughter grows more beautiful every time I see her. When do you plan on marrying her off?" Gendoru took another sip of his tea and savored the mild flavor.

"No time soon. What with this turn of events, I imagine I'll have some difficulty finding a suitable Uchiha shinobi still alive and worthy of her hand. Perhaps I should look among the Senju for candidates."

Gendoru choked on his tea and coughed. "You can't be serious."

"Really, old man, has going senile robbed you of your sense of humor?"

"That wasn't funny. And this senile old goat could still best you in a duel of swords."

"All in the name of peace, hm?" Yurima traced the rim of his tea cup with a pale finger. "You say you want no part of the politics, but I sense you won't have a choice for much longer, if you know what's good for you."

"Is that some kind of threat?"

Yurima chuckled. "Of course not. Think of it as a friendly warning. With Izuna and Hikaku out of the picture, Madara stands alone. He'll need capable advisors he can trust."

"Madara never trusted anyone but Izuna."

"See, that's where I'm afraid you're wrong. Now that we're all friends, Madara will be spending more time with Hashirama. You know the rumors, I'm sure."

"That they've secretly been friends all these years? I know them, and I don't trust them any more than I trust the Senju."

"Perhaps, but Madara's surrender was rather poignant. You should've seen it, how he all but begged Hashirama not to end his own life. And then there's Mito. Well, we all know what vexes all men, and Madara is no exception."

Gendoru did not much like where this was going. "What're you getting at?"

Yurima shrugged. "Like I said, just a friendly warning. So much hangs in the balance, and a little push in the wrong direction could mean the end of the Uchiha clan as we know it."

"Madara would never let that happen. I may not know much, but I know him. If there's anything I'm sure of, it's Madara's devotion to the clan and to protecting it."

"But who will protect Madara?"

Gendoru said nothing to that.

"Do you think Risa and Goro will? I'm sure they'd like the chance, but you know what happens when you give rabid dogs free run of the chicken coop. No, Madara will turn to the ones closest to him in his hour of need. You may not care for rumors and secret trysts, but I'm not willing to bet my life or my daughter's future on them. Someone has to step up before it's too late for all of us."

"I get it. And you think you're the perfect man for the job, is that it? What's your agenda? Become Madara's new right hand man until the Senju kill you, too? They seem to have a pretty good track record with that sort of thing."

"Why would the Senju kill the new champion of their cause?"

Gendoru leaned back as he processed what Yurima was telling him. "So, you'll go along with the alliance so long as you come out on top."

Yurima smirked. "Now you're thinking like a politician. If you can't beat them, join them and let them adore you for it."

Gendoru stood up. "Well, good luck to you. I'm sure you'll need it. I'll see myself out."

Yurima stood up and got in front of him before he could leave. "I can't convince Madara alone. He doesn't trust me."

"The last person he trusted is dead, so you won't get much help there."

Gendoru tried to get past him, but Yurima blocked his path again. "Perhaps, but even the staunchest skeptics can be persuaded. You said yourself that you've known him since he was a boy, before he became Madara Uchiha. That means something to him."

"I told you, I want no part of this." He muscled past Yurima.

"So you'd rather let the likes of Goro and Risa start a civil war that'll kill us all instead of doing your duty to the clan?"

Gendoru stopped in his tracks and lay a hand over the hilt of his sword.

"Because that's exactly what will happen if we let those jingoist buffoons gather support," Yurima continued. "They've already started, as you noticed. If we don't nip this in the bud now, there won't be an Uchiha clan to save. Madara may be the best of us, but he's only one of us. As a trainer of soldiers, you know best that numbers will always crush even the most proficient genius if he stands alone."

Gendoru glared back at Yurima. "I don't like all these games."

"Unfortunately, there's no choice in the matter. We play to win, or we die along with the rest of the clan when Goro and Risa get their way. What shall it be, old man? Die, or fight to live another day?"

The hilt of Gendoru's sword was little comfort in this moment. Death and war were familiar enemies on the battlefield with his sword to guide him, but in a game of shadows his sword would fare poorly against lies, secrets, and intrigue. But what choice did he have? Alone, even Madara was only a man. He had been the one to bring Tajima and Madara together. If not for Gendoru, they would not be here now. Perhaps, they would not be at all.

"All right," Gendoru said. "I'm listening."

Madara stood on the Uzushiogakure shoreline in sandals and his ceremonial kimono. The Uchiha fan was proudly embroidered upon the back under his loose, long hair, but his weapons were nowhere to be seen. The ceremony that sealed the Senju and Uchiha alliance had just finished, and after shaking hands with Hashirama, he'd been eager to get away from all the strange eyes. No one had stopped him, and he didn't wait to wonder why.

The ceremony had been fast but elegant, a courtesy he was sure he owed the Uzumaki overseeing the treaty signage. Mito herself sealed the handshake that joined the Senju and Uchiha clans. After that it was a bit of wax, a signature here, and the past was forgotten. Sort of. Even out here in a silence broken only by the sounds of breaking waves, Madara's head was a jumble of voices shouting for his ear and memories fighting to be heard. One rang out above the rest:

The Uchiha come first.

The treaty didn't put the Uchiha first, but Madara had known that from the onset. With their numbers slashed and the Uzumaki padding the Senju's headcount, the cards were not in Madara's favor. But he did have one thing going for him—a best friend and now brother in arms who truly only wanted the best for him.

"We'll become the strongest and make our dream come true!"

Was it worth the cost Madara had paid? For the dream he'd longed for his whole life?

"We'll do it together. Promise me."

Was a child's dream worth the life he still had?

"I'd like to see it one day. More than anything."

Mito's laughter echoed at the very edge of his memory, alive in this place that was like no other. It was in the breaking waves that soaked the rocky beach, the endless blue skies at the edge of the earth, the pale moon flowers and the lightning bugs glowing softly in the night's they'd shared here, a lifetime ago. Was it worth it?

Madara picked up one of the many rocks smoothed and weathered by years of ocean beatings. The sky was clear and endless blue, and gulls cooed high in the sky, circling and searching for food. The whirlpools swirled around dark, depthless centers to the bottom of the sea or beyond to worlds unseen. He squeezed the stone between his fingers and let it fly with all his might across the sea, where it skipped three, four, five times before it sank beneath the churning waves, swept away in the deadly undercurrents that weaved in between the whirlpools.

Madara closed his eyes, and he imagined the skipping stone's fall to the bottom, pulled and pushed along with the submerged eddies.

"This is the last time you cry, Brother."

"I'm sorry, Izuna," he said, giving in to the urge to cry all over again. "I couldn't help it."

Dark eyes followed the skipping stone's downward plummet as it sank deeper to a place even Madara couldn't follow. But the whirlpools continued to roar in their feral way, this way and that way. Always.

"I'll stay here in the shadows so you can fight in the light."

Was it worth it?

Madara shuddered and furiously wiped his stinging eyes.

"I thought I might find you out here."

The salt air was coarse and a little sour on Madara's tongue, but when he opened his eyes, the wind and sun filled his sight with endless, clear sky and the sun shining far to the west. He caught his breath and faced Mito and the answer that was so easy if only he'd let himself have it.

"You shouldn't be here," he said.

The last time they met on a beach, he'd found her. This time, she was the one wandering in search of something, and he was the one lost at sea. Her hair was tied back in a braided bun off her shoulders, and she wore a traditional navy kimono decorated with almond blossoms for the ceremony earlier. The Uzumaki crest was emblazoned upon her obi.

"This isn't your beach," she said.

Madara averted his gaze. She didn't say anything further or draw nearer. She'd learned something of him since their first encounter on a beach much like this one so many years ago.

"I came here to remember," he said.

Slowly, Mito approached and stood beside him. "What do you remember?"

"Everything. And I don't know..." He eyed her askance, but she kept her gaze ahead on the distant whirlpools. "I don't know if it's enough."

"I remember something about this place, too. And back then, it was more than enough."

The wind loosened her bangs and pulled short flyaways from her neatly wound bun. This close, he wondered what she saw in the eyes that weren't his.

"It's not that simple," he said.

"What if it is?"

He shook his head. "That idiot's rubbing off on you."

Mito's expression softened and she tucked some loose hair behind her ear. "The last time we were here, you helped save a lot of people."

"The last time I was here, I helped make a nightmare come true."

"Madara..."

"I've let a lot of nightmares run free chasing our stupid dream. And I just don't know."

She took his hands in hers and looked up at him. "Then let me show you. Do you see that?"

The island was small, but it was dense with trees, gardens, and dwellings. From the beach, Madara could see the outlying civilian houses built of stone. Nearer to the center lay the Uzumaki shinobi's quarters, wood-paneled houses interconnected by weaving gardens and natural tree tunnels. Even people were visible from the shore walking around, chatting, living.

"That's my home, and those are my people," Mito said. "When you fought off the Kyuubi, you saved them."

"That wasn't just me, and we didn't kill the beast in the end, in case you forgot."

She searched his face for something recognizable. "You just don't see it, do you? It's nothing to you because you think you failed. But it's everything to me because you tried. Because you helped Hashirama and me back then, just like you're doing now."

"It's nothing to get so worked up about," he said.

"It's not nothing, it's your dream. And you promised to show me one day."

She let him go, and he stared at nothing. By now, the skipping stone he'd thrown into the ocean may have reached the bottom. It would remain there on a lonely throne in the tidal abyss, somewhere the sun would never shine and even the whirlpools in all their quiet might couldn't persuade it.

"We'll show you together," Hashirama said. He was approaching from the direction of the shinobi dwellings where the treaty signage had taken place earlier. "What do you say, Madara?"

Madara looked between the two of them. "Two against one again, huh?"

"Nah." Hashirama put a hand on his shoulder. "You're not alone. You have us."

Hashirama held his gaze in silence as unspoken words passed between them.

Was it worth it?

"And hey, the three of us together are pretty much unstoppable," Hashirama said.

Madara slipped free and averted his gaze to the seascape. "No, we're not. There's always going to be something out there we can't stop."

"Well, then let's go get it."

"Wait, what?" Mito said.

"The Kyuubi, right? Let's finish what we started here, once and for all," Hashirama said.

Madara scowled. "It must be pleasant living in that cotton-stuffed head of yours."

"No, I'm serious. Our dream can wait a little longer."

"What exactly are you suggesting?" Mito asked.

Hashirama's expression was grim but determined. "Let's hunt down the Bijuu. All of 'em, not just the Kyuubi."

"Changing the future won't fix the past," Madara said. "No matter how noble your intentions."

"No, it won't," Hashirama said softly. "We're not ready to forget the past, and I don't ever want to. So instead of trying, I wanna do something for the future, something together. I'm not gonna let what happened here happen to the place we've been dreaming of building since we were kids. And I know that has to count for something even if it doesn't bring back the people we lost."

"To me, you come first," Izuna had confided in Madara that fateful night at the Naka Shrine.

"What do you say? Three against the monsters?" Hashirama said.

Madara set his jaw. Even here, Izuna's fatidic confession still echoed as though he were standing here with him. But Izuna wasn't here any more than the skipping stone Madara had thrown in the ocean was.

"You're sure about this, Hashirama?" Mito asked. "The last time we fought the Kyuubi, we barely escaped with our lives. And now—"

"And now we're the best. Together, I know we're the best. If not us, then who?"

Mito's expression softened as she thought about Hashirama's proposal. Madara's fingers curled around the empty space where the stone he'd thrown used to rest.

"I'll stay here in the shadows so you can fight in the light."

Even in the bone-crushing darkness at the bottom of the sea, the only way to go was up against the swirling currents laced with light. Was it worth it? Madara didn't have his brother's foresight to know the answer. All he had in this vast, lonely world now were the two people standing right here with him, the ones who had not given up on him and the dream they had yet to accomplish.

"Let's do it," Madara said. "We're the only ones who can."

Hashirama grinned. "Exactly! So, Mito?"

"You realize we could die out there, and then everything we've done up until now will fall apart," she said.

"I won't die," Madara said. "I still have something I have to do."

"We all do," Hashirama said.

She bit her lip and smiled. "I can't believe you two. But...I know you're right. You won't die out there because there's no way I'll let you."

Hashirama laughed and looped an arm each around Mito and Madara in an uncomfortably firm grip. "That's the way!"

Mito groused playfully as Hashirama laughed. And Madara looked to the sea, wondering. Was it worth it?

I still have something I have to do.

Hashirama's arm hung loosely around his shoulder, and Mito's eyes sparkled with the kind of possibility he'd never been able to grasp. He let them drag him back towards the the Uzumaki compound, apparently resigned to his fate that would always bring him back to them.

Madara's temporary quarters were nothing too lavish, but they had the advantage of being secluded from the rest of the clan. It was night and the moon was fat and full in the sky. Lightning bugs flickered in the garden outside, and waves crashed softly against the shore beyond. Gendoru sat across from Madara as Yurima pitched their proposal to him. He hadn't said a word as Yurima explained the possibility of conflict within the clan in the wake of the new alliance and how best to circumvent it. Madara was surprisingly silent and calm as he let Yurima speak.

"To be brief, I feel that Gendoru and I could be helpful to you as we make the transition from a single, nomadic clan to, well, this. I want this alliance to succeed as much as you do, and I would hate for anything internal to jeopardize that."

Gendoru watched Madara think, and his eyes were drawn to the eerie, red glow of Madara's Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan. They were unlike any Sharingan Gendoru had ever seen, and he hadn't seen Madara deactivate it once since he'd acquired it. Was it because he couldn't? Or wouldn't?

"What do you think about all this, Gendoru?"

Madara's sudden question startled him. Yurima was also looking at Gendoru expectantly. He cleared his throat. "Madara, I've known you since you were too small to pick up a sword. You know I don't like all this political nonsense."

"All the same, you're here now. I'll hear your opinion."

Gendoru shifted in his chair. "I've heard the talk of rebellion and civil war. It's nothing serious right now, but talk spreads like wildfire. If there's anything I can do to ensure the Uchiha's future, I'll lay down my sword and my life."

Madara leaned forward on the table and clasped his hands together. "I'm aware that the alliance isn't popular among many Uchiha. But they'll have to get used to it. This is the reality."

"Support will take time," Yurima reminded him. "But I believe with the right message, we can convince the rest of the clan to accept the peace you and Hashirama have created."

Madara peered between the two of them. Just when it looked like he might say something, he stood up abruptly. "I'm going away for a while."

"You're what?" Gendoru blurted out. "Why?"

"The Kyuubi. I have unfinished business with it. Mito and Hashirama will be accompanying me. I don't know how long we'll be away."

Gendoru was about ready to fall over in shock. "Madara, what're you thinking? The clan needs you right now!"

Madara smiled softly. "I think the clan needs a little less of me and a little more time to recover. Someone told me I was working them too hard, that I was... That I'd changed. Maybe I have."

"Madara, if you leave now, Goro and Risa could use your absence to rally support," Yurima said.

"Then I guess you and Gendoru will have to make sure that doesn't happen."

Gendoru got up. "If you're not here, there's no telling what could happen."

"You speak as if I'm leaving you all alone. The Senju will still be here." He looked between the two of them. "Don't misunderstand, I know exactly what you're up to, Yurima. If you want to prove yourself, then show me you can work with the Senju. My brother didn't die for some petty civil war."

Gendoru could only stare in shock. A game, huh? Once more, he wondered what Tajima would think of his protégé now.

"And what of Goro and Risa?" Yurima asked.

"Kill them if you must, I don't care. I don't want anything to stand in the way of the new peace," Madara said.

Yurima bowed to hide his smirk and excused himself. Gendoru, however, lingered.

"You're not a child anymore, and I'm not your training master. I'll respect your decisions as my leader without question," Gendoru said.

Madara looked at him expectantly. "Speak freely, old man. You never had a problem with it before."

"If you leave and Yurima and I can't get the clan under control, everything will be lost."

Madara smiled, but there was no joy in it. "If I leave and the Uchiha are lost, then I never deserved to be leader in the first place. It's not as if I can live forever."

"No, obviously not. But... Do you have to leave now? Can't it wait?"

Madara's gaze was far away. "No. I have something in me, something I can't explain, and I need to get it out. I don't want them to see me like this."

Gendoru sighed and, despite his wariness, he put a heavy hand on Madara's shoulder. "I'm truly sorry about Izuna. He was a good man and a better fighter. I suppose even you deserve to mourn in your own way."

Madara closed his eyes. "Thank you."

Gendoru nodded and turned to leave.

"Gendoru, don't let Yurima out of your sight."

Gendoru snorted. "Don't have to tell me twice. I wipe my ass with his type."

Madara chuckled, and Gendoru left him in peace.

In a week's time, Hashirama, Mito, and Madara were ready to start their hunt for the nine Bijuu. Ensui had prepared a barge for their passage back to the mainland. Once the rest of the Senju and Uchiha clans had recovered from the most recent battle, they, too, would return to the mainland and resume their lives as shinobi for hire until the day their leaders returned. All three clans had gathered to see the departure and wish them well.

Whispers among Senju, Uchiha, and Uzumaki about the Bijuu spread like wildfire. Was it even possible to tame the legendary beasts? Did they even really exist? What would happen once they were caught? Questions abounded without answers, and for the first time since the attack on Uzushiogakure four years ago, it seemed all were eager to engage with one another on the subject.

Hashirama had formally left Tobirama and Sasuke in charge, the former to keep the Senju under control and the latter to ensure Tobirama didn't do anything to antagonize the Uchiha in the process. They stood side by side now with Gendoru and Yurima, the appointed interim leaders of the Uchiha clan in Madara's absence. Gendoru only hoped Madara wouldn't be gone long.

Yurima looked as regal and unapproachable as ever with his silver hair hanging loose over his shoulders and his severe gaze following the barge as it sailed west.

"Quite the show of solidarity, wouldn't you say?" Yurima said.

Tobirama side-eyed him. "That's one way to look at it."

Sasuke grinned. "Well, if anyone can stop the Bijuu, it's those three. I'd say that's a morale booster for everyone."

"Indeed," Yurima said.

"Well, that's it," Tobirama said. "They're gone, and we're still here."

"Yeah, and why don't we all shake on it? We'll be seein' a lot of each other until they get back," Sasuke said.

"An excellent idea," Yurima said. He held out his hand to Tobirama.

For a moment, Tobirama looked like he might slap the man, but he reluctantly shook Yurima's hand. "I'm sure we'll get along just great."

"I'm sure we will."

Once everyone had had the opportunity to shake hands, Tobirama and Sasuke left. Gendoru and Yurima stuck around and oversaw the rest of the shinobi dispersing back to their assigned quarters.

"That could have gone much worse," Gendoru allowed.

"Yes, it could have. I think we have much to look forward to."

Gendoru walked with Yurima along the shoreline. The rocks crunched underfoot, a pleasant sound and feel. "I didn't see Goro or Risa in the crowd."

"I imagine they were otherwise detained."

Gendoru said nothing to that. It wasn't his place to question Madara's wishes or how they were carried out. Still, he gripped the hilt of his sword just a little more firmly. Midnight assassinations were not the Uchiha way.

Footsteps behind them drew his attention. Kasumi had run to catch up with them, and she was out of breath.

"Father, please, was I too late? Are they gone already?" she said.

Yurima went to his daughter's side and took her elbow. She was still in her mourning clothes, but her hair was loose and long as though she hadn't had time to put it up and rushed out in a hurry.

"The barge left, Kasumi. Why?" Yurima said.

"Oh no, I waited to long! I should've said something sooner. Oh no, oh no!"

Gendoru frowned at her distress. "My Lady, what's the matter? Did you have business with Madara?"

Kasumi was on the verge of tears as she clung to her father's yukata.

"Kasumi? What's the matter?" Yurima asked. "What's going on?"

"I..."

Yurima pulled her hands off of him and held her wrists in his hands as he searched her eyes. "Tell me. What are you keeping?"

Kasumi bit her lip and looked between Gendoru and him. Her tears began to fall. "I'm sorry, Father, I was so afraid, and I didn't know how to tell you. I wanted to say something, but I didn't know how."

"Kasumi, I order you to speak. Now."

She took a shaky breath. "I... I'm with child."

To his credit, Yurima didn't bat an eyelash. "Whose child?"

She averted her gaze, and he shook her by the wrists.

"Answer me when I speak to you. Whose child are you carrying?"

Kasumi looked up at him. Her bottom lip shook in grief and fear. "Izuna. It's Izuna's child."

Gendoru gaped in shock, and words were lost to him. The barge carrying Madara away was no bigger than a thumbnail against the horizon now. Kasumi was weeping and telling her father about how much she and Izuna had been in love, how he'd asked her to marry him, how she'd wanted to surprise him with her pregnancy after the attack on the Senju camp.

Her cries faded against the roar of the whirlpools, and soon Madara's ship was no longer visible on the horizon.