Echoes of a Shared Past
Chapter 2: Echoes of a Shared Past
The sun was barely rising over the battlefield, where the swords and kunai still seemed impregnated with the echo of the last confrontation. Hashirama watched from a distance, his attention focused on a dark-haired figure that stood out among the Uchiha warriors. His heart was beating fast as he recognized Madara, although he maintained an impassive expression.
Tobirama, who was next to him, noticed the direction of his gaze and let out a dry laugh.
–"Why are you so worried about that Uchiha?"– he asked, with some sarcasm. –"Madara is just another beta. At least that's what the rumors say, if he's been lucky enough to survive until now."–
Hashirama turned his head towards his brother, not hiding his annoyance. –"He's one of their best warriors, Tobirama. Madara is not someone to be underestimated."–
–"Yes, yes, a formidable beta,"– Tobirama replied in a mocking tone, crossing his arms. –"But if he really was a threat, they would have eliminated him. You know what they say: the Uchiha kill all those who don't present themselves as betas. Apparently, they don't see alphas and omegas as suitable shinobi."–
Hashirama frowned, and a shadow of concern crossed his face. –"I can't believe they would actually do something like that… Madara was always… special."–
Tobirama looked at him, arching an eyebrow. –"Special? Hashirama, you can't let those memories of your childhood cloud your judgment. Madara is an enemy. And the Uchiha… well, their ways aren't our problem."–
Hashirama remained silent, but his mind was caught up in thoughts he never shared with anyone, much less Tobirama. Deep down, he had a hard time accepting the idea that Madara was just a beta. He had long feared that if Madara had presented himself as an alpha or omega, he might have been killed… and while the rumors were just that, his absence from public life for years reinforced that fear.
Finally, he sighed and said quietly, –"I want to end this war, Tobirama. We're not just kids in a field talking about peace anymore, but I still believe it's possible. That there may be another way."–
Tobirama let out a frustrated huff. –"Peace with the Uchiha? Brother, you're dreaming. They don't think like us. They live in a bubble of secrets and strange rules. They don't even allow their alphas or omegas to live. How are we going to trust a clan that doesn't even show who they really are?"–
Hashirama looked at him, with an unexpected firmness. –"Not all Uchiha think the same. If I can at least talk to Madara... He would understand. I know he would."–
Tobirama clicked his tongue, looking at him disapprovingly. –"You're still clinging to that idea of him, Hashirama. That figure you have in your head no longer exists. Madara is a warrior, nothing more. Just one more in the ranks of the Uchiha."–
Hashirama clenched his fists, his gaze fixed on the distant figure of Madara, who remained surrounded by his clan. Inside him, the idea of peace continued to burn, a dream he couldn't leave behind. He remembered the conversations they shared as children, those ideas of a place where clans would stop fighting.
"You don't understand, Tobirama," he said at last, in a barely audible whisper, "Madara is… my friend."
Tobirama looked at him in disbelief, but chose not to insist. Hashirama knew his brother didn't understand, that he had never seen in Madara what he had seen: the hope for a different future, a shared dream of peace. Silently, Hashirama made a decision. Perhaps, if he approached Madara once more, he could convince him to abandon the war and remember those days where they dreamed of a peace that went beyond the conflicts between clans.
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The next day Hashirama looked at the horizon, with the wind whispering through the leaves and the constant bustle of preparations in his clan. In his attempts at peace, every gesture, every word had to be calculated to the millimeter, especially when the name "Uchiha" was involved.
There were few memories he held as intensely as his days in the secret meadow with Madara. As children, before they knew the names of their clans, they dreamed of a different world, one where they didn't have to wield weapons. But now, those memories were hazy, almost like a mirage he feared fading away.
–"Why did everything have to change?"– he muttered to himself, with a sigh he could barely contain. –"Madara… if only we could go back to those days."–
Since their last meeting in that meadow, a couple of years had passed. The distance between them became an abyss, especially after his secondary gender was introduced, marking him as an alpha. In each encounter on the battlefield, Hashirama had found himself desperately searching for some trace in Madara's scent, something that could tell him that his friend was still there. But on each occasion, their pheromones were neutral, Just like the rest of his clan.
–"Beta,"– he repeated to himself in a low voice, almost relieved. However, he could not ignore the rumors that the Uchiha only allowed betas in combat, and that omegas and alphas were considered unfit as shinobi and silently eliminated.
–"Is it true…?"– he asked himself over and over again, with a lump in his throat. The lack of omegas and alphas in their ranks kept the suspicion alive. He clearly remembered the moment he saw Madara for the first time since that last meeting in his meadow. It had been in the middle of the battlefield, both wielding their weapons on opposite sides. For a second, his heart skipped a beat, grateful his friend was among the living.
–"Madara… you too…"– he barely managed to say at that moment, without anyone hearing him, but as soon as he perceived the faint neutral scent of Madara's pheromones, a part of him sighed in relief, reminding him that he was still there… although not as he expected.
A fellow Senju approached and brought Hashirama out of his thoughts.
–"Hashirama-sama, the council is ready for the meeting. They have heard about your intention of a treaty, but… they are not convinced,"– he informed him, with a somber tone.
Hashirama nodded, his gaze fixed on the ground. –"I know. But someone has to try to stop this senseless fight."– He took a breath before adding: –"If we continue like this, we will only bring more losses and pain. The Uchiha and the Senju… we are not so different."–
–"Aren't you afraid that they will reject your proposal? The Uchiha have been our enemies for generations,"– the other shinobi insisted, incredulous.
Hashirama gave a sad smile. “Maybe, but… when I was a child, I had an Uchiha friend. He also wished for peace. I find it hard to believe that he has forgotten those dreams.”–
Sighing, Hashirama approached his clan council, with the same resolve he had had since the day he lost his childhood friend. He couldn’t help but think of Madara every time he considered the possibility of peace.
Silently, he murmured, almost as if he were speaking to his absent friend: “Madara… I hope you still remember those days. And that you also want a place where we don’t have to kill…”
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Second parameter of my omegaverse world: shinobi clans do not let omegas fight in general. This statement has to do with the omegas' heats which are quarterly and which disable them 4 times a year (12 months between every 3 months = 4) unlike the alphas with their semi-annual heat which disables them 2 times a year (12 months between every 6 months = 2), betas do not go through heat or heat. The Uchiha have neither confirmed nor denied the rumors of killing all non-betas in their clan but an Uchiha omega or alpha has never been seen publicly.