The Uchiha´s debt
When Madara looked at Kitsune and saw his old friend the world seemed to freeze for just a moment before realization hit him like a particularly hard blow to the face.
It made sense. A horrible amount of sense.
The carelessness and friendliness radiating off of Kitsune in waves, the same lack of hesitation when looking into an Uchiha´s eyes, the same vast and dare he say warm chakra, the same words, the same philosophy and the incredibly similar feeling they both seem to give him. That strange pull that Madara had always blamed on their shared dream of peace, but something that might be so much more than he thought.
They were so uncannily similar when at the same time they were also different.
Unlike Hashirama, Kitsune seemed to be aware at all times. Not tense, not suspicious or fearful, but simply calculating. Cataloging everything and choosing his words carefully where Hashirama would otherwise speak freely. And yet, despite the clearly chosen words spoken with every bit of intent and punctuated by the wave of chakra that so clearly projected whatever the man was feeling, none of it felt forced. In fact, it felt like Kitsune´s words could never be anything but genuine.
When Madara thought back to the entrance at the gates, the moment before they shook hands, he could faintly recall the look on the man´s face – too hard to read as it had passed too quickly and was mostly covered by his mask. Madara would have had an easier time pinpointing the feeling crossing over his features at that time had his sharingan recorded the moment – like Kitsune had looked at him and expected something. Something else.
Which, in all honestly, was not that much of a surprise. Many people look at him with their own expectations behind their eyes. It comes with the duty of being a clan head more often than not. The expectant gazes of the elders that urge him to make a decision they would be proud of, looks of clansmen looking to him for guidance, merchants that have only heard of his bloodlust and expected him to snap.
Depending on his reaction, their reactions varied from various degrees of surprise.
There has only ever been two people outside of his family who have looked at him expectantly, but then took whatever Madara offered in stride. His prickly attitude that he knows very well ticks most people off, but no one can ever do anything about it out of the fear for their lives. His mocking tone that both of these people had simply brushed off and met with smiles and laughs.
Had Madara not been sure enough to swear it on his brother´s life that Hashirama had neither any more living brothers aside from Tobirama nor had any spawn – “I´m going to save myself for when I have a wife!” “Gross, why would you tell me that?! I didn´t want to know that!” “Don´t tell me you never think about the future? Imagine having kids! They´re always so adorable! I wanna have kids when I grow up!” “Shut up, moron! As if I want to have children. They´re demon spawn. They cry all the time, why would I want to take care of that?!” – then he might have assumed that Kitsune was related to him in some way.
Madara´s thoughts pause and he spared a look towards Izuna, who was idly chatting with Kitsune, picking up their conversation from where they left off before Kagami had interrupted.
Izuna despised Hashirama. Be it for the suspicion he carried within him, his general disdain towards Senju, the incompetence of the man that he showed most of the time or the fear of Hashirama someday not carrying that pretense of peace with him anymore and finally landing the blow that will kill his older brother. Izuna despised him.
But for some reason, he seemed to have taken a liking to Kitsune. Granted, there was no history of slaughter between the Uchiha and Kitsune as far as they knew, no records of Kitsune ever appearing hostile towards them, but Madara suspected it was for a different reason. The way Kitsune minded his words often times, the way he seemed overbearing with his chakra and his words and less with physical affection, mindful of respecting boundaries while also crossing them without making anyone uncomfortable.
Madara thinks it´s those nuances in their way to behave towards others that make Izuna accept Kitsune, despite the many, many similarities between him and the Senju Clan head.
Hell, Izuna might not have even noticed the similarities just yet.
But Madara did. And it was Madara that couldn´t get the words out of his head and the pictures of his friend out of his mind whenever he looked at Kitsune.
The realization settled heavy in his gut and despite the light atmosphere, Madara found himself wishing this would end soon.
Feelings. Always so incredibly complicated.
This precisely was the reason why out of the two, Izuna was the most equipped with dealing with situations like this. Unlike Madara, Izuna possessed the necessary emotional intelligence to understand and comprehend this sort of situation.
It wasn´t until he felt a hard nudge against his lower back that Madara was snapped back into the conversation. He blinked twice, careful not to let it show in his features that he hadn´t been mentally present before levelling an annoyed look at Izuna. Instead of the scolding or teasing look he was expecting on his brother´s face from the lack of attention he was paying, there was only concern and confusion.
Ah, well. Seems like really nothing passed by his little brother´s notice.
His attention turned back to Kitsune when his voice rang out, tone also laced with genuine concern and something that sounded light uncertainty.
“Perhaps you would like to reschedule, Lord Uchiha. If you´re not feeling well or if you would like me to leave, that´s fine.”
Despite the fact that Kitsune was probably just trying to be considerate, Madara felt himself bristling at the implications that he couldn´t handle a situation. Not only that, but there was a certain condescending voice in the back of his head, sounding suspiciously like his own father, sneering at him. “Look at you, lacking in discipline. Esteemed clan head of the Uchiha, and yet you´re inattentive. Careless.”
When he imagines the owner of the voice choking and falling into silence, the only thing he feels is vicious satisfaction at the quiet in his head.
“There is no need,” he said instead, answering before he once again gets lost in his thoughts one more time. There´s been many instances in his life where he felt unsettled by his own feelings, but never quite like this.
“Something important simply came to mind that I will have to take care of later.”
He could tell that Izuna knew he was lying. He could also tell, by the raised eyebrow and the light touch on his lower back, equal parts reassuring and reprimanding, that this topic was not over. In the privacy of their own home, Izuna would surely bring this up again.
Madara suppressed a sign at that.
Wonderful.
Kitsune simply tilted his head to the side and there was no telling whether or not he believed Madara´s words. Those blue eyes that seemingly stared deep into someone´s soul, at the very core of their being, pinned him with a look for a second before the intensity vanished and the air lightened again.
“Of course, I understand.”
One thing was for sure. Madara was going to have a whiplash from the way this young man in front of him was manipulating the atmosphere around them. Judging by the ease with which Kitsune was doing it, there was no telling whether or not he was doing it subconsciously either.
.
For the entirety of this whole meeting up with Kitsune, Izuna has felt so incredibly out of place that it was almost concerning.
Starting with whatever strange tension between Kitsune and Madara at the front gate, up until the conversation between Kagami and Kitsune, somehow everything ended up revolving around the masked shinobi. And it seemed to happen so unintentionally on Kitsune´s part at least. There was simply something about this man that had seemingly everyone pulled towards him, or reacting to him in some way that was unmistakably uncharacteristic.
Take his older brother for example.
Never, in the presence of friend or foe, had Madara been this distracted. Not since Izuna remembered him coming back from long nights outside when they were young, smelling like forest and walking around the compound with his head in the clouds. Not since small, ten year old Izuna remembered his older brother smiling stupidly the entire time, denying it if anyone were to ever point it out, and twisting pebbles in his hand.
This might seem different, but at the same time it wasn´t. Madara was lost in thoughts like he was back then, except this time it didn´t seem to be much of a pleasant experience. At least not entirely if the slightly changing expressions between creased eyebrows and faraway eyes was anything to go by.
Izuna tapped him on his back again, touch grounding and easy in order to pull Madara out of whatever was going through his head. He had been the only one ever allowed so close behind Madara´s back. Only Izuna has ever been trusted enough to put a hand on Madara´s most vulnerable part of himself. And each time Izuna did, the younger could feel Madara lean into the touch all the more.
The clan heir was thankful to Kitsune throughout all of this. If the man had noticed – and Izuna was sure he did. For all the blonde seemed playful and sometimes oblivious, Izuna had not a single doubt that he had a clear eye on this situation and knew, to some degree, what was going on – then he had been kind enough not to point it out at all. In fact, Izuna could feel a distinct warm feeling in the air the entire time, like it was filled with a soothing sort of static. Izuna had felt it with Kagami before too, but hadn´t been sure at the time if it really had been Kitsune.
When Kitsune suggested that they reschedule if Madara felt unwell, Izuna felt both relieved and slightly disappointed. Disappointed because he didn´t quite want Kitsune to leave, but relieved because this would give him a chance to take Madara somewhere else. After all, Madara would always be his first priority.
But then Madara had declined and Kitsune had once again been considerate. Sage bless the patience this man has been gifted. Sometimes Izuna wondered how he did it.
The easiest part about this meeting was quite literally Kitsune. Despite all the strange things happening, the young man had absolutely no trouble keeping up light conversation, filling silence and stepping around landmines and things that might set off people who were more sensible than them. Kitsune was good at manipulating a conversation into the direction he wanted it to go. The effort was definitely appreciated.
“Oh, tell me more about that! That´s incredibly interesting!”
And strangest of all was that Kitsune sounded genuine as well. It wasn´t just the practiced lines of a manipulator, capable of saying the right things at the right time.
No, Kitsune was interested in what they had to say. He was attentive, tilting his head to the side like it helped him listen better, a very animal like trait that perfectly suited his name, and in no way condescending or mocking.
After Kagami had left and Madara had gotten lost in his own world, Kitsune had kindly asked about what most would deem senseless. Small talk maybe. But Izuna indulged in it, because why not? So he told Kitsune, about adventures and missions, senseless things with no names involved because the clan heir wasn´t about to tell Kitsune anything that could be used against them, and in return Kitsune told of his stories and associates.
Kitsune never mentioned any names, but going from the way he spoke about them, the way his eyes shone brightly at their memories, Izuna could tell that they meant the world to him. Meant, because it was clear from the way he talked, that those people were not by his side any more.
Loss.
Truly a tragic thing to experience, but an unavoidable necessity when fighting in a war. Every shinobi knew of loss.
So why did Izuna feel the need to sympathize with and comfort Kitsune, when it happened to everyone?
Another strange thing about this particular shinobi. You felt for him. Whether you realized it or not, sooner or later you feel for this man on a personal level.
“I´m glad our missions have brought us together like this, Lord Izuna.” Kitsune says, gaining the attention of both Uchiha brothers.
Izuna felt himself shift as he was ripped out of his musing and focusing back on the blonde. His eyes narrowed slightly in confusion. If anything, Izuna was glad that Kitsune had been on that mission. Sage knows what could have happened to Hikaku, to Izuna or the entire team otherwise with that ambush waiting for them.
So why?
Izuna could feel Madara shift with him, confusion evident in his face only for those who were fluent in reading Uchiha-Madara-barely-any-face-expressions.
“You are?” Izuna asked, straightening a bit.
Kitsune simply nodded, and once again Izuna could guess from the crinkles at the corners of his eyes that the man was smiling.
“Of course I am. I knew both you and Lord Uchiha,” his head turned to Madara, almost tilting in his direction to emphasize the point, “were good people, but confirming it like this is reassuring. There´s hope for the future, knowing this clan is led by the two of you. And I´m not saying this simply to flatter you, mind you.”
And Izuna doesn´t know where Kitsune is going with this. Nor does he notice the way Kitsune almost relaxes in relief.
And so while he analyzed the meaning behind those words and behind the man´s demeanor, it is Madara who asked, “What do you mean?” His face seems cold, as does his voice, but that´s Madara´s default setting with people. Kitsune seemed to have realized this from the very beginning, since he didn´t seem put off at all.
“What I mean, is that people and their prejudices and rumors are stupid. So knowing that there´s still shinobi who want to fight for the end of the war is reassuring in a way.”
“And that is what you do? Fight for the end of war?”
Sage, Izuna was asking himself that as well, but really Madara, there were more delicate ways to ask questions than this.
“Among other things, yes.”
Izuna can tell that by now Madara was standing at full attention.
When Izuna had entered Madara´s study to find the man frustrated over not knowing anything about Kitsune, his motives or his allies, he could tell the kind of toll it took on his elder brother. Izuna also knew, logically, that his request wasn´t the only reason Kitsune was here. Madara had looked at the situation, considered it an opportunity to learn more about this enigma of a person and invited him to the compound.
But with all those strange emotional reactions Madara has had ever since Kitsune´s arrival and Izuna being preoccupied by stopping his brother from getting lost in his own world, then the interruption of Kagami, neither Uchiha brother had really had the time to actually dig for this man´s motives. Not in the way Madara had wanted to do, that was for sure.
But now here they were. Senseless chatter having somehow evolved into something that could give an insight on the masked shinobi and Madara was jumping at the chance offered to him.
Personally, Izuna thought there was an appropriate time and place for everything, and inviting Kitsune because of gratitude certainly wasn´t a good time, nor place to find answers to Madara´s questions, but if it ever came down to it, then Izuna would never be able to stop Madara from doing what he wanted. His requests and his certified little-brother-looks would only get him so far sometimes and Izuna acknowledged that Madara was one stubborn bastard whenever he truly wanted something.
Once again, Izuna sighed, thinking silently to himself as Madara and Kitsune looked at one another, he felt really out of place.
.
“Among other things, yes.”
Whatever that meant, Madara was finally getting hints of the answers he had been initially looking for.
Curse this entire meeting and his own inability to stay focused for whatever reasons. He should have been more on alert. Should have been asking questions from the start, but with everything happening it had been confusing.
Not allowing himself to dwell longer on excuses, Madara recognized the bait for what it was and took it.
“What else do you fight for then, Kitsune?”
The blonde seemed to pause for a second, contemplating his answer. No, rather contemplating how much he wanted to reveal. Interesting, but certainly not unexpected. As open as this young man before Madara was, he too was, at the core, a shinobi. Having secrets, suspicion and paranoia in spades was part of their profession.
Sage, this man wore a mask. His identity, the very core of who he was as a person, is a secret, despite being open with everything else. It´s not hard to believe that he keeps many other things close to his chest and simply chooses to make it look as though he doesn´t. The man is like a contradiction – an open book, but with script in other languages hidden behind he pages on display.
After few seconds of silence, instead of answering Kitsune simply hummed and leaned back a bit, looking Madara directly into the eyes.
“If there was a chance of peace, a promise of a better world, would you take it, Lord Madara?”
Madara felt more than he saw Izuna tense slightly at his side. Whether it be because of Kitsune directly calling Madara by name, or because of this incredibly stupid question, Madara didn´t know.
What he did know however, was that he certainly wasn´t imagining the red coloring the edge of his vision, creeping at the edges and threatening to paint the image of Kitsune sitting in front of him in sharingan red. He wasn´t imagining the sharpening of his vision and his mind, the way his eyes zeroed in on the entirely relaxed figure of the blonde, and then right into his eyes. He wasn´t imagining the deep blue eyes, freckled with specks of red and violet, holding his glare evenly and waiting for a genuine answer, as if that was even a valid question.
Would he take the chance of peace?
Would he?
That´s all Madara has ever been fighting for.
Ever since the day his younger brother had been born. Since the day he lost his other siblings. Since the day life has gifted him with love and he had decided that he would do anything to create a peaceful world for those he called precious. Ever since abandoning his friend on the river bank and making the choice of leaving behind what could have been a closer friend, maybe even something like a brother in all but blood, in order to fight for his clan in hopes of creating a better world for his youngest and only sibling left alive.
And Madara was about to throw that in Kitsune´s masked face. Was about to explain to him exactly what he might be implying asking that sort of question. His temper has always been short, but pushing the right buttons could make Madara vicious.
But he never got to answer, because Kitsune spoke, voice so damn understanding as if he could read exactly what was on Madara´s mind and had intentionally caused his temper to flare.
“Because if you would, then we fight for the same thing.”
“Do not imply to know what I fight for.” Madara bristles, eyes narrowing in on Kitsune.
“I´m not implying anything,” voice placating and even, however not even the slightest bit condescending, “I´m stating a possible scenario and telling you our goals might overlap should this scenario apply. Nothing more, nothing less.”
Before Madara even had the chance to answer to that absurd statement, Kitsune was already letting a heavy sigh escape him. He seemed disappointed somehow, for what reason Madara didn´t know, but disappointed nonetheless.
“Well, whatever the case, I doubt that this is the time and place to talk about our ideals, is it?”
If nothing else, Izuna at least liked the way Kitsune deflected the conversation, because his little brother looked up with relief in his features and a smile on his face.
“That is what I have been thinking just now, Kitsune. After all, as interesting as this talk about peace and ideals might be,” Madara isn´t fooled by those words, because the small downward tick of the corner of Izuna´s mouth was telling, “this is indeed not the reason you have been invited here for. Aren´t I right, Madara?”
Izuna was looking at him now, closed into sickle moons and a tight and warning smile on his face. Madara might be emotionally constipated, but he was indeed capable of reading between the lines whenever need be.
“As much as you want to know about this, brother mine, do pull yourself together and stay on topic.”
Well, Izuna might be right, but that didn´t mean Madara had to like it. Besides, if he insisted on being a brat and sending him disguised hints like this as though Madara wasn´t perfectly capable of having a conversation himself, then he would have to show Izuna that his behavior had consequences. The pond was already waiting for Madara to toss his sassy little shit of a brother in after this meeting, but for now he supposed he could follow Izuna´s request.
“I suppose,” the clan head conceded, still not happy about the chance to learn more slipping out of his hands.
No matter, however. If the course of this talk remains the way it is, chances are high Kitsune and Madara will cross oaths once more.
Suddenly, Kitsune clapped his hands together, startling both Uchiha brother´s out of their musings. Judging by the crinkles at the corners of his eyes that could be seen behind the open slits of Kitsune´s mask, the man was grinning. The air was vibrating in anticipation not his own and Kitsune seemed eager to continue their talk in another direction.
“Now, seeing as you did admit to owing me a favor, I allowed myself to think about your offer and came up with something that I would like to have. Nothing of great importance I assure you, nor anything that would come to harm to your kinsmen. Just a promise and the chance to seize an opportunity for great change.”
Madara wasn´t surprised, but he was indeed intrigued. Not surprised because the man hardly seemed like the type to want anything materialistic, but intrigues because Madara can´t imagine what sort of promise he could possibly want that would be within reason.
Protection? Hardly, Kitsune was more than capable of protecting himself. An alliance? As tentative as it might be, due to the fact that Kitsune had saved Izuna´s life there already was a semblance of an alliance between the two of them, or rather the fact that the Uchiha were in his debt. A life debt, one as grave as this one, is not as easily dismissed, nor is it forgotten simply because of one repayment, whatever that might be. It is obvious that for the foreseeable future, Kitsune and the Uchiha will not act out against one another, and that is as good of an alliance as Kitsune can hope to get.
So yes, Madara was indeed intrigued what a man who already found himself in the good graces of such a prestigious clan, a man who had no need for gold or such things, could possibly want.
Izuna perked up too now, interested and perhaps a bit eager. Madara knew his brother well enough to understand that Izuna, as much as he might like Kitsune, did not like being in someone´s debt. To his little brother, fulfilling the end of the promised bargain is a duty and not just a simple transaction.
“What I want,” Kitsune began, voice going quieter and more serious as he speaks, “Is unrestricted access to parts of your library and the history of your clan.”