Madara loved his brother more than he loved peace.
It was surely an absurd idea for the rest of humanity. What idiot could pass a single life over a billion others?
Madara could.
If he was one thing, he was an overprotective big brother.
Even when confronting Hashirama on the battlefield, half of his attention was directed to the battle of his little brother a few hundred meters from him.
Madara loved his little brother more than he loved his own life.
And that's surely why he knew. In his blood, in his whole being, he felt the moment of panic from Izuna, he saw out of the corner of his eye the too thick mist ... In a thousandth of a second, he grabbed his little brother's chakra and replaced him .
A blade sliced through his lungs.
It was his end.
*
The battlefield was not a place for silence and yet, in this very precise moment, there was only silence.
Each fight had stopped, each expression had frozen.
On the ground, in his brother's arms, the lifeless body of Uchiha Madara.
Hashirama was the first to break this strange time freeze. In the twinkling of an eye, he was kneeling next to his (former) friend, green hands pulsing from the healing chakra, eyes wide, tears running down his cheeks.
Nothing.
Izuna was the second to react, blood flowing from his eyes, pain hitting his chest, hatred taking hold of his mind, the second form of the Sharingan settling on the Senju (too close)
" Do not touch him. Do not touch him. "
"Izuna ..."
"I said, don't touch him! "
The black flames burned, Hashirama pushed them aside with his Mokuton but had to move back ten meters.
Hikaku was at his side, he approached him as one approached a wounded wild animal.
"Izuna-Sama, call the retreat. We have to take care of Madara-Sama. The words were sweet, so sweet ... but strict too. Hikaku was an intelligent man, he could already see the dark future looming on the way.
Izuna, unlike Madara, will never consider peace. Izuna will send them on the path of war and misery. Izuna will fight until the last drop of his blood has left his body.
He exchanged a look with his friend, Naori. Her sad eyes saw the same path as him.
Hikaku never bothered to have blood on his hands ... but he never would have thought and he will regret it forever, he will have Izuna's blood on his hands.
He hoped that Madara could forgive him.
They brought Madara-Sama's body back to the Uchiha complex, greeted with pure shock and despair.
Even the youngest children knew that without Madara… there was no hope.
Izuna did not let go of his brother, even laying on the stake, they had to force him aside, holding him through tears and sobs, and cries of rage.
Even the youngest children knew what it meant ...
When Izuna passed out from the shock or lack of chakra or perhaps even the sadness that struck his heart, each Shinobis of the clan turned to him.
"We will go to the battlefield one last time ... Izuna-Sama deserves this. When… ”He closed his eyes, remembering the little child who always gave him the most playful smiles. "When he joins Madara-Sama, I will ask the Senju for peace. "
They all agreed.
Mercy Uchiha. They knew when one of theirs no longer belonged to the living.
Izuna belonged to the dead now.
*
Hikaku stopped in his fight, a little surprised his opponent (Senju Touka, Kunoichi of talent) followed his example. Naori did the same and so on. The battlefield had stopped again except for Izuna who was striving on Senju Tobirama.
Even Hashirama did not take part in the battle, a bit on the side, not knowing what to do without Madara to face him and never wanting to annihilate the Uchiha clan, he looked like a sad spectator.
The fight was uneven, messy on the side of Izuna. He no longer knew how to use his saber or his Ninjutsu or his Dojutsu. He howled and cried and Tobirama faced each attack head on, but even the White Demon seemed lost when faced with this lack of meaning.
Hikaku remembers a small child who mock the illogical side of some fighters. This poor child will be terrified of this. He passed Touka. She looked at him without understanding.
He knew there were other eyes on him. Those Uchiha and ... Those of Hashirama.
He met them and found fright, then understanding and sadness.
Tobirama's eyes fell on him, the same logical sequence was undoubtedly done in the brain of the White Demon because all of a sudden, he stopped and stepped back.
Izuna turned around, but it was already done.
Hikaku's Katana passed across his heart.
He remembers a small child who dodged by sticking out his tongue.
The shock. Sadness. And a nod.
Hikaku fell with Izuna.
"You are going to be with Madara-Sama now. » Naori who had approached, whispered, caressing Izuna's cheek like a child's. The onyx eyes fell on her, no hatred or anger.
"I miss him..." Izuna murmured, short of breath. Hikaku could feel the heartbeat slowing down. Naori leaned over, kissed Izuna's forehead, she had kept him when he was a very small child. When Madara was not there to do it, she was the one who kept it.
"Your Nii-San is with you now. » She activated her Sharingan, an illusion. A smile on Izuna's face.
He was gone.
"Forgive us, Madara-Sama ... He no longer belonged to us. » She whispered, tears streaming from her face.
Hikaku stood up. Hashirama was there, outstretched hand.
He took it.
*
Konoha grew up, from the Senju clan and the Uchiha clan, but especially from Senju Hashirama and Senju Tobirama.
Konoha grows and welcomes more clans.
Konoha grows and the Uchiha clan flourishes. Legends are made and names are forgotten. Uchiha Madara and Uchiha Izuna fall into oblivion of the clan, the example not to be followed, too much love brings nothing but desolation.
Hikaku and Naori never told their children about it and the youngest forget what they had seen.
But two remember.
Two remember that it was possible to love someone more than to love the rest of the world and that it was not bad.
Senju Hashirama remembers, he understands, he whispered to his granddaughter about a love so powerful that nothing matters anymore. A drift of the Will of Fire or perhaps all of its power. To give everything for one in our village, he says, is to give everything for everyone.
Senju Tobirama remembers and honors it in his own way. He gives his life for the future generation, gives his life for his dearest students, all despite their faults, despite the fact that his life could prevent another war ...
The two remember a brotherly love more powerful than everything else.