Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

The evening was calm, the leaves rustling in the gentle breeze, the soft golden rays of the sun as it dipped below the horizon line, animals and other living creatures slowly ending the day or stirring from their sleep, life coming to a halt for a moment before coming back to speed.

The peace of this moment was disrupted by the presence of humans in the quiet forest, shinobi who, even if, by instinct, blended in with the environment of the woods, stood out by their attitude and intent. Coming home from hunting was a tired habit, but they didn’t slow, didn’t truly rest, always listening and watching, even on their lands.

Uchiha Madara had risen as a leader with a bang, any of the reforms and policies he may have forced forgotten with the show he had put during his first battle as clan head, but some fools may still view the change in leadership, that had only happened a few months ago, as a weakness, especially with such a young leader.

So he stayed careful, his younger brother following his steps like a shadow, their eyes sharp even in the dying light of Amaterasu. As civilians, both would still be considered children, even if they’d already be working and helping their parents, they wouldn’t be thrust in a position of power at such a young age.

But they were shinobi, so at the ripe age of fifteen, Madara was standing as a clan head of the Uchiha, slightly older than when Tajima had taken the lead after his own father’s passing from a rough winter. The young Uchiha didn’t have this excuse, his previous clan head hadn’t passed naturally, and it was rough no matter the time of the year, even now as spring neared its end. Food was scarce and hunting necessary, their funds as low as their reputation.

Madara kept repeating to himself that it had been necessary, that Tajima was getting too old and mad, that he would have led the clan to its downfall if he hadn’t died.

“Aniki,” Izuna’s ushered voice snapped the older out of his thoughts and he slightly turned with a low hum to indicate he was listening “Can we train when we come home?”

The tense shoulders of Madara relaxed at the familiar question of his younger brother.

“Of course.” he answered, fondness bleeding from his tone. He caught Izuna’s face brightening from the corner of his eyes, a small smile tugging on his own lips, his dry thin skin cracking at the stretch and the wound on his lower lip reopening immediately.

He was about to add a comment when he sensed something strange nearby, making him whip his head in its direction, directing wordlessly Izuna’s attention on it too.

“There’s a disturbance, I’ll go see what it is.” Madara whispered, concealing his chakra and sensing Izuna do the same “We’ll go see.” the younger hissed.

They didn’t have time to fight about it, so Madara only sighed and nodded in agreement before leaping toward the strange chakra ripple, Izuna following suit.

It lead them to a small clearing well inside the Uchiha territory, the Naka river marking their shared border with the Senju not too far away.

There was nothing out of place, nobody to have caused the ripple. Madara frowned as he came out of his hide warily to approach the place where he sensed the disturbance, Izuna still sticking close to his side. “What in Amaterasu’s name?” he muttered as he noticed the light bending unnaturally at the place he felt the anomaly.

It was as if the nature of the chakra was different, wrong, and it disturbed the natural energy surrounding it, making every alarm in Madara’s brain scream.

This wasn’t right, and the Uchiha clan head was about to take a step back when Izuna reached out to touch the strange phenomenon, his eyes wide and gleaming with wonder.

Izuna, being younger by four years than Madara, was not as good a sensor as his older brother, even if he seemed to be bound to surpass him in that area with time. But now, it’s the twelve years old boy who’s reacting, not the grounded shinobi he needs to be when out of the compound.

Madara never had the heart to be as stern as he needed to be with him, he didn’t want to see Izuna’s childhood be ripped away from him so soon, he wanted his little brother to have the opportunity to be a child.

And, of course, this weakness comes to bite him right now, when confronted with an unknown situation and all his senses tell him to run away.

“Izuna, wait-!” he has barely the time to blurt out the words that a burst of energy erupts from the anomaly, pulling in Izuna and Madara as the latter caught his brother’s arm.

And, everything went black.

The Uchiha brothers woke up in the dark forest, on unfamiliar grounds, the strange glimpse of dissonance filling their senses completely to the point of feeling normal in this environment.

The change felt like a buzzing in Madara’s ears, but his mind was not panicking like it had previously.

“Where… are we?” Izuna’s weak voice brought the Uchiha leader back to the present, and he took ahold of his younger brother’s shoulder before scolding him “Izuna!” he started, his tone a mix of the lingering fear and irritation at the younger’s carelessness “What were you thinking, touching that thing without notice, what if this was a trap, we don’t even know where we are-!”

Madara cut himself from going further as he saw Izuna’s eyes glistening under the moonlight. He had raised his voice, just like Tajima, he had upset his last brother.

His expression softened as he moved his hands from Izuna’s shoulder to cup his face, feeling a silent tear rolling to meet his thumb, the younger’s face blank and features tight as Madara sighed “I’m sorry, Zuna,” he started with a gentle tone and Izuna looked away “I lost my temper because I was scared. I’m always terrified of loosing you, and with what happened…”

Madara shut his eyes tightly as flashes of Tajima’s red furious eyes, the way his hand went down and Izuna’s dead face appeared in his mind like a premonition, a vision, the crimson that had painted their floors that night made their way to him. When he opened his eyes, Izuna was looking at him again, his wide black eyes filled with concern and understanding.

“I’m sorry, Nii-san.” he whispered, and Madara smiled softly “It’s alright, we’ll be fine.” and pulled his brother in his arms.

Madara loved his clan, he felt the death of each member like his own personal failing, he grieved every fallen clanmates wholly, but he knew Izuna was a different matter.

If his last remaining brother died, he wouldn’t grieve, he wouldn’t see it as a simple mistake. If Izuna died, Madara would die with him, he would loose something fundamental to his existence, and the wound it would cause would never be able to close.

The only other person he felt he would suffer the same way if they were to pass was Hashirama.

He was a Senju, he became clan head a few weeks ago, but he was the one child who had understood him in a way not even Izuna could, in a way only Hashirama was able to.

They were prodigies that bordered on monsters, even as children, but even more now as adults, they had only each other as equals.

But now was not the time to think about such things, Madara thought as he pulled away from his younger brother.

Izuna probably had the same idea in mind as, when they locked eyes again, his were filled with determination. They had to figure out where they were, and how to get home.

They still had the unprepared dead animals they had gathered previously, kept in storage scrolls, they had to bring it back to the compound to clean the meat, skin the rabbit fur and store it for winter, set aside the guts for a stew and prepare the rest of the meat to be salted and dried.

Food was scarce and the animals they managed to catch were precious resources they needed to bring home as soon as they could and before it went bad.

Urgency flowing in their veins, the Uchiha brothers leaped into the trees to find out where they had been mysteriously transported.

After a few minutes, approaching a settlement they could easily sense from where they had found themselves, the siblings realised the massive amount of people nestled in this place, the number of different chakra signatures blending together comparable to the capital, except the signatures were overwhelmingly shinobi and only a small part civilian, even if seemingly dimmed by a field shielding the settlement from precise sensing and, presumably, intruders.

Both brothers were confused with the situation, even if they struggled to recognise the woods. It was clearly an area nearing the Uchiha compound, or at least, the warring fields were clans came to meet blades. But no such settlement could have been erected in that small time, or at least, it wouldn’t have gone unnoticed.

Everything felt wrong, the place, the chakra, the environment, it was as though they had been transported in another world entirely.

Izuna was similarly unsettled as he glanced at his older brother with confusion. They halted briefly to try to dispel a potential genjutsu, to no avail, asking each other question only they would have the answer to, making the option of being trapped in an illusion impossible.

It was only after half an hour of their search that they stumbled upon a clearing in the forest, stopping in their track, as they felt an unconcealed shinobi chakra signature, and went hiding in the vegetation to observe.

The source was a boy, probably around Izuna’s age if Madara had to guess by his build, healthy and well fed, training his shuriken throw, which was appalling, especially for his age.

Madara’s first thought was that the boy would die immediately on the battlefield, pity and sorrow swelling in his chest at the idea.

That’s when he noticed it, as the boy turned his back on them, which was a deadly mistake, it was surprising he wasn’t more wary of his environment and didn’t even try to hide his chakra as he trained. But more surprising even, was the uchiwa on his back, their emblem proudly dyed in bold, bright red and white pigment they could barely achieve anymore with their lacking funds, especially now that Madara had cut those to focus their finances on feeding the clan.

But here there was a boy, with an Uchiha chakra signature, the build of one even if healthier than any child in the clan, with the uchiwa branded on his back, but with a face Madara didn’t recognise and a shuriken jutsu proficiency that would get him killed if he made only one step on the battlefield.

That was impossible, Madara knew the faces and names of every clan member, every child, every teen, every adult, every elder, regardless if he liked them or not, he knew everyone, didn’t miss a name, he was the first one to notice when one of them had fallen or was missing.

He had recorded all of their faces with his sharingan, the images clear in his memory and mind.

And yet, this boy didn’t match any, and even if he did, he looked like he had three meals a day, which was inconceivable.

Madara was only lean muscle and bones, his muscle mass hard to maintain with his limited diet. Izuna was better, because Madara took the responsibility to feed the rest of the clan’s youth more, especially his younger brother, but his baby fat was already almost entirely gone, leaving his features to turn into sharp angles, not unlike his own.

But the boy looked well, his eyes bright with determination as he threw his shuriken, his clothes well fitted and a square of bright, shiny, orange… glass of some sort on his eyes framed with a gray material and secured around his head with a similarly orange stripe of fabric and ear pads.

It didn’t look like a hand me down, it wasn’t an old cotton indigo dyed yukata that was passed down for generations and that frayed on the edge like the one Madara wore for training at this age.

Izuna was in a similar shock as him, eyes wide in confusion on the training child before turning toward Madara with a myriad of unspoken questions.

After a bit of pondering, the older signalled Izuna to come confront the boy, signing instructions carefully.

He’d talk and Izuna would stay back as much as possible, they don’t know anything about their environment, and Madara doesn’t want to risk having Izuna out of his visual range at all.

After a quick nod from both brother to each other, they emerged from the vegetation quietly. Still concealing their chakra, Madara announced their presence as they walked to the boy “Hello.”

His voice was clam, steady, as he uttered the simple salutation, startling the boy who whirled around to face the newcomers.

Now that they were closer, Madara could note with a hint of amusement that the young Uchiha was taller by a few sun¹ than Izuna, who, if his scowl was anything to go by, also noticed the small height difference that forced him to lift his chin in order to properly meet the boy’s eyes.

It wasn’t surprising, the lack of food stunted growth in many ways, Madara’s development was heavily impacted by his low weight, and, even if less so than his, Izuna’s was also slowed.

“Who are you?” the boy took a defensive stance, one of the kunai he was about to throw earlier in hand raised in front of him. He didn’t recognise them either, it seemed, but he did have good enough reflexes. By how lax the boy was when it came to his location as he trained, Madara was afraid the boy lacked any survival instincts.

“We are Uchiha, like you.” Madara stated calmly, activating his sharingan to prove his point, and the boy’s tense shoulders went slightly down, but he still eyed them suspiciously.

“What do you want?” his tone was cold and his eyes squinted as he studied Madara, the act making Izuna snap “Is that any way to talk to your clan head?” he snarled, taking a step forward, the other boy bring his kunai back to his previous stance before Madara put a hand on his brother’s shoulder.

Izuna was defensive whenever someone doubted or questioned his brother’s leadership. Madara understood those people as well as his brother. Tajima hadn’t planned to die this young, as far as someone might plan when they are to pass. Madara was never meant to lead, even he considered himself unfit for the role. He hated having people in his back, what worse than having a whole clan behind you.

He wanted to be equal with his clanmates, and he was too prone to irrationality to take decisions for the whole group. But if he hadn’t taken the lead, it would have been a sign of weakness and having it contested a lack of unity. He couldn’t hand power to the elders, Hikaku refused to take his place, and Izuna was too young, so he had to do for the meantime.

He did his best, and he can see why Izuna wants to defend his honour, but he can also see where the adults of the clan might be coming from when they doubt the decisions of a fifteen years old who wasn’t properly trained for this role.

But this was different, Izuna was still confused by the whole situation, but it was clear that something was amiss, a fact that was only cemented further when the boy exclaimed in disbelief “What are you talking about, I never saw any of you, and you,” he pointed at Madara with his free hand “are not Fugaku-sama, you don’t even look like him.”

The boy wore a stubborn expression, as if he was challenging Madara to contest his claim, only for the older Uchiha to sigh wearily, rubbing the bridge of his nose as a migraine built behind his eyes.

“I do not know who Fugaku is, nor am I claiming to be him,” he started, brows furrowed and lips curving down as he thought before continuing “I am the Uchiha clan head,” the boy opened his mouth to protest but was cut short as Madara added “but, maybe not from this time.”

“What?” the boy and Izuna said in unison, the latter whipping his head toward his older brother and adding “What are you talking about, Aniki?”

Madara chewed on his lower lip and tasted blood, as he ripped the newly formed crust from his earlier wound, before explaining his thought as the two children looked at him as though he grew a second head.

“Think about it, Izuna.” his voice was even, calm, even as his mind was scrambling for a way to understand the situation at hand “You touched this disturbance and we were pulled in. And now, we are here, there’s a settlement bigger than any we have ever seen, the energy here is similar to the one from the anomaly but everywhere, and there is this child, who is an Uchiha, but who I never met, and who’s healthier than any of us!”

Without noticing, Madara started pacing, and the boy’s face twisted with concern and confusion, his kunai still in his hand, but his stance abandoned, both of his arms lax on his sides, while Izuna’s brows drew together as he seemed to try and think about it.

“And I’m supposed to believe this?” the boy finally said, throwing his arms up and waving carelessly his kunai in Izuna’s direction. Madara’s head snapped toward him and he snatched the kunai away before the boy could complain further.

“Don’t wave that around my otōto's face!” he scolded, throwing the kunai in one of the target perfectly without looking, hitting the core flawlessly.

“And to answer your question,” Madara continued, calmer “it would be understandable if you don’t, and I don’t even know if we are in the past or the future.” the thought made his stomach churn. He stated everything with confidence, but even he was not sure.

“We could go ask Nekobaa.” Izuna chimed in, and the boy turned toward him swiftly with wide eyes while Madara pondered.

“You know Nekobaa?” he asked and Izuna crossed his arms with a huff “Of course we do.”

Madara hummed thoughtfully before speaking “Nekobaa is a good option, but she may not live in Sora-ku anymore, or maybe she isn’t there yet? Anyway, we should ask your summon first, it should be quicker more reliable.”

Izuna’s face lit up “Oh! Good idea!” he exclaimed before taking a step back to use his summoning technique.

The young Uchiha ran through the seals before biting through the skin of his thumb with ease and shouting "Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"

Black lines drew themselves on the ground and a cloud of smoke errupted from where Izuna had laid his hand.

The white smoke dissipated to reveal one of Izuna's summon, a slender short haired white cat with dark spots, that seemed awfully thin and tired. Fuyu was Izuna’s first summon, hence the simple name, a cat he was gifted after their first trip to Sora-ku with their mother. Izuna only four years old when he got the small furball she was, not even a year before their mother’s death.

Fuyu was born the same day, albeit a few years later, as Izuna, and with the way cats clung to him, just like they did Madara, Nekobaa found it funny and gave the summon as a birthday gift.

She had wanted to give Madara a cat summon too, but with his contract with the hawks, that wasn’t a possibility, that was were Tajima drew the line.

He knows that, if it had been only a year later, he would have refused to let Izuna get a cat summon at all.

Seeing the elegant yet snarky cat in the state she appeared in was saddening, but her being there probably meant they were in the future.

Izuna’s mouth opened, probably to call her name, but was stopped by her snarling “Who dares calling me?”

She was facing the other boy, and squinted her eyes “Obito?” she spit the name like a curse and the boy, tense now, slightly jumped “I told Nekobaa I won’t take any other summoner, especially not a member of Konohagakure no Sato.”

The boy, Obito, apparently, took a step back, shaking his head and his eyes wide in terror “Why did you summon her?” he asked with a trembling voice, not leaving Fuyu out of his sight as she menacingly took a step toward the boy, her fangs bared.

Fuyu was an information gathering summon, she wasn’t very strong physically and the cats’ strength is not in frontline confrontation, and from Madara’s memory of her, she was pretty social, matching Izuna’s personality perfectly.

“Fuyu…?” Izuna’s voice stopped the lanky cat in her track, her entire body stilling in recognition.

She turned slowly to see the young Uchiha, his wide black eyes filled with confusion. She looked older and not in a great state, if Madara was shocked, then his little brother must be devastated.

“Izuna?” she whispered in disbelief as Madara walked to his brother, sensing his distress, and her eyes widened when he came in her view.

“Are you alright, otōto?” Madara asked softly, his eyes going back and forth between Fuyu and his brother, but Izuna’s focus was on his summon.

“Fuyu,” he started, crouching, stretching his arms in her direction and letting his chakra signature unconcealed for a few instant, but still relatively reined over “It’s me, I’m the one who called you.”

Fuyu looked at him up and down, as if she couldn’t believe what she saw, before leaping on Izuna. The sudden movement made Madara’s chakra slightly spike instinctively but he immediately calmed when he heard Izuna’s light laugh.

“It is truly you!” she exclaimed, rubbing her cheek against the young Uchiha’s face under Obito’s shocked gaze and Madara amused one “Younger, but it’s you, your chakra, your eyes! Am I dead?”

“No, you are not.” Madara interrupted half-heartedly the sweet reunion, making Fuyu still before she turned to face him, now half laying on Izuna’s chest, the boy still chuckling as he pet his summon.

“Madara-sama.” she called solemnly, Madara nodding respectfully as he sat down crossed legged before signalling the shock still Obito to do the same.

As the boy sat in an awkward seiza next to Madara, making Fuyu glare at him while the older Uchiha waved his hand dismissively, he cleared his throat before starting “Fuyu, from your reaction, I can only assume we are in the future.”

The cat tilted her head, her expression thoughtful, before sighing “I guess this is the only explanation for you two being here. Last time I visited your clan, it was when you announced me your last brother’s death, Madara-sama.”

Izuna stilled in his movement, his eyes drifting anxiously toward his brother as the latter’s breath hitched. “I died before Aniki?” his voice was soft and high, disbelief on his features and Madara’s throat constricting as she nodded low “You did. You were young, older than you are now, but barely twenty.”

Madara’s breath became heavier and his brother moved Fuyu from his chest to his lap as he sat upright, his brows twisting up in concern.

“When did I die?” Madara asked, and Fuyu took a bit more time before answering “Just before your thirty-fourth winter, Madara-sama. Your cousin, Hikaku-san, came to Sora-ku to announce your passing.” she paused, eyes cast down “But some might argue you died along with Izuna, ten years prior.”

A heavy silence fell, Madara’s heart pounding as he felt his eyes burn and a warm liquid run on his cheek. His chakra was getting hard to reign over and he could sense it get denser around him, sparks of fire coming to life.

“Nii-san!” Izuna’s sharp call snapped his brother’s out of his trance, making him focus again on him “I’m here, please, stay calm.” he added, his voice softer.

Madara stared at his younger brother before taking a deep breath and wiping the blood from his cheek “You’re right.” he muttered “I can still fix things.”

He raised his head to meet Fuyu’s teal eyes “What do you know of this time, what year are we?”

The white cat sighed once more, with a hint of a smile this time “It’s nice to see you together again, alive.” she softly said “Unfortunately, I am not aware of the current situation and I’m afraid our calendar might not align. I left the Uchiha clan as soon as Izuna died with your approval, I have refused any contract that was proposed to me ever since, even when Nekobaa tried to make me go with this pathetic boy to replace Izuna.” she bared her fangs again in Obito’s direction, the boy scooting back, but also closer to Madara, as if to hide behind him.

“But after that, I don’t really know what happened.” she went back to a calmer expression, licking absently her paw as she went on “Before Izuna fell, it was as you would expect, unending war and conflict, the Senju reaching a standstill with the Uchiha. I think you started working on a peace treaty with them at some point, the war was wearing everyone down, especially your clan.” Madara looked away, it made sense, if their financial situation wouldn’t change, and with his brand new reputation it would either go down even further, or capitalising on the fear now associated with his name, like he had already started, would make it improve, but not enough time passing for them to be at their best, they would certainly be cornered by the Senju, who bested them in everything that wasn’t battle.

“In the end, you built this Village,” she tilted her head towards the settlement “on the blood of Izuna, and I refused to be affiliated with it. You didn’t have much of a choice, Madara-sama, and no one can claim you went down without a fight. From what I’ve heard, you took head first, alone, the entire Senju clan with Senju Hashirama leading them. And you may be a prodigy or maybe something even beyond, but against this man and his troupes, you didn’t stand a chance, and he was nothing but stubborn, or so I heard.”

Madara was a bit surprised, he figured he wouldn’t ally with anyone after Izuna’s death and would probably step down to let himself die, and no better way to go than by the hand of his only equal. But then he didn’t die, and he even built the Village, alongside Hashirama if he understood well.

“Konohagakure, you said,” he muttered, it sounded like the dream he and Hashirama had when he was about Izuna’s age “Why did you refuse affiliation with it?”

“I wouldn’t be forced to live and work for the Village that keeps Izuna’s murderer alive and unpunished, if only by principle.” Fuyu sneered angrily, even if none of her ire was directed toward any Uchiha near her this time “He is dead now. I understand why you couldn’t kill him, Madara-sama, and I suspect he was the main reason you left in the first place. You defected during the Village’s infancy, and the Uchiha clan begged me to track you but I refused. They took the side of this man when you were at your lowest, the Uchiha didn’t deserve my aid now,” she then turned toward Obito, her slitted eyes narrowed “nor do they deserve it now.”

“I am still an Uchiha, you know?” Izuna teased, scratching her head, only for her to grumble that it’s different under her breath.

“Nekobaa will probably be more helpful to you than I.” she finally concluded “I can tell her of your return and she will send you an invitation with her location. She still holds you in great regards and didn’t forget all you did for us.”

Madara nodded softly before standing “Thank you for your help, Fuyu.” he said as Izuna set her down for him to get up as well, while was Obito still hiding and even griping the sleeve of his mantle.

“Don’t, Madara-sama, it is my pleasure.” her eyes were on Izuna as she spoke “I am still under contract with Izuna, and will help either of you whenever you wish. The rest of your summons will be delighted to see you two again, so you should contact them while you are still in this time.”

Madara smiled at that “Of course.” he answered. As they set for Fuyu to be dismissed and go send her message to Nekobaa, she told him one last thing.

“You may want to lay low, Madara-sama. Izuna died young and only few will recognise his name, but yours is known. You may keep it, but find a believable cover for you two, Uchiha Madara is infamous in Konohagakure no Sato, so it is best for them to believe you are still dead.”

She then stretched her neck to look at Obito “And you, boy, make sure they have somewhere to stay. I believe you are not dumb enough to still think any of them are crazy or lying.”

The boy nodded franticly, his eyes filled with fear, making Madara feel a bit bad for him. Amaterasu knows what kind of horrors Fuyu have made him live only for trying to have a contract with her.

Finally, she turned to Izuna, making him promise to call her whenever he needs and to tell her goodbye when he’ll eventually leave before the boy dismissed her to her realm.

“I can’t believe this is happening…” Izuna muttered after she disappeared, and Madara only nodded “I don’t want to think about it too much, for now.” he whispered as he wrapped his arms around Izuna’s shoulders, his hands crossing on his chest as he placed a kiss on the top of his head.

He let him go after a few instants, they needed to find a place to stay for the night. Izuna probably thought the same as he called for the boy who was standing still, eyes on where Fuyu had just disappeared.

“Oi! Obito, right?” the boy snapped his head in Izuna’s direction, nodding stiffly “Do you know where we could stay for the night.” Madara could picture Tajima rolling in his grave from how casually his brother spoke to the other Uchiha boy.

Obito walked over to them silently, deep in thought as he scratched his head, looking at Izuna, then Madara, before talking “I don’t think you will find your luck without any money, but I can let you stay at my place for the meantime, I guess.” Izuna was about to say something, his mouth wide open in a smile, before the other interrupted him, bringing a finger up as he exclaimed “But! It comes with a price, for my silence and lying to Obaa-chan.”

Madara narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms to his chest “And what may your price be?”

They didn’t have much money on them, even assuming the currency had stayed the same, but some of their belongings were stored in the scrolls they both carried, and neither of them would be willing to sell those. And of course, they had the animals they had hunted earlier, three rabbits and a deer, but Madara doubted it would interest the boy. A part of him also didn’t want to give up the source of meat that was meant for their starving clan, back in their time.

“I want you to train me.” Obito blurted out, and Madara’s brows went up as the boy started explaining “I mean, you seem strong, Fuyu said you fought many people and you are an old Uchiha clan head, but your not old. No one takes me seriously and Obaa-chan can’t teach me, so I thought, maybe, since your staying here, I could be, well, your… student?”

The confidence with which he had first asked seemed to have melted like snow under Amaterasu’s burning gaze when he finished, avoiding Madara’s eyes and fidgeting anxiously.

He seriously needed guidance for his shinobi training and eloquence matters too, it seemed.

Suddenly, Izuna burst in laughter “You are asking him to teach you?! You mean, Uchiha I’ve been kicked out of the common training grounds to stop focusing on the kids too much Madara? HA!”

Madara felt his face flush at the teasing. It was true he had been forbidden from there because he focused more on teaching other clan members, fixing their posture and giving them tips. Of course Izuna would find it ridiculous for Obito to ask this way for him to help his training when Madara was already planning on asking the boy if he would mind him coming to give him a few pointers.

“I would gladly help you train, Obito.” he muttered through clenched teeth and with a tight smile, Izuna dying of laughter on the ground while Madara did his best to keep reign over his chakra.

Breath in, and out, he thought, hoping the air around him didn’t become too hot as he was feeling his chakra ready to turn into bright flames and ruining yet another mantle.

“Really?! Alright, I’ll let you stay at my house.” He declared his eyes going back to Madara from staring at Izuna’s form, he didn’t seem to understand what the other boy was talking about.

With that, after Izuna wiped his tears, regained his composure, and Madara slapped the back of his head, earning himself an indignant yelp, they followed Obito toward his house.

Fuyu didn’t like the Village, it was clear by how she talked about it, but she didn’t distrust Obito, since she instructed him to guide them, even though she didn’t hold any affection for the boy either.

Madara wasn’t sure what to think of it, the concept seemed to be the same as what Hashirama had pitched when they were kids.

The settlement probably housed every clan of the Land of Fire to be this large, and the Uchiha clan was thriving if Obito’s appearance was anything to go by.

It warmed Madara’s heart to see an Uchiha child so healthy, even if he was not very talented yet. That was something Madara was determined to change. It also meant that children were probably not held to the same impossible standard they were in their era.

Izuna was what people would commonly call a prodigy, Madara was not. Madara was a monster, born with war drums pounding in his pulse and blood hot like the sun running through his vein.

Few were those who could dance with fire and had Amaterasu’s favour, and Madara was one of them. He had destroyed those standards, but he saw from his own place, the people he cherished struggle to reach him, and those who died before they could even reach what Madara had crossed effortlessly.

But Obito was alive, and he was thriving. He still had time to hone his skill, still had room to improve, and Madara would be able to guide him, with a safety net to fall in, and not the cruel harsh reality of their time where a missed step was a death sentence, a reality that claimed countless of Madara’s relatives and friends, but also all of his siblings save Izuna.

As they finally went inside the Village, they saw what seemed to be the Uchiha district, with their crest carved on walls and printed on banners proudly hanged in front of houses and shops. Some people greeted them, mostly Obito while ignoring them or just nodding in their direction with slightly confused expressions. The boy assured them their chakra wouldn’t cause an alarm since they entered from the Uchiha side and their signature wouldn’t be recognised as intruders’.

They blended well, but as they walked further and the district stretched in what Madara could only describe as a compound, bigger and wealthier than his and Izuna’s time’s small compound, he felt uneasy and a bit out of place. How many years passed for their clan to amass funds and riches enough to have the clan thriving after the way they struggled during their time, Madara could only wonder.

Finally, they reached Obito’s house, a strange building like every other construct in this village, and as they were about to follow him in, he stopped them.

“I need to warn Obaa-chan first, you can think of a cover story while I tell her I brought people over for a few nights.” he explained when Madara furrowed his brows and scowled at the way he kept them out. Neither brother thought they would feel like strangers in their own clan.

“I thought of something already!” Izuna happily exclaimed, his eyes on Madara “We can say,” he started with a low mischievous voice “that we are the lost children of a powerful Uchiha woman who fled the country.”

Obito stared at him, unimpressed, while Madara let out a low wince “And you father?” the other boy asked, only for Izuna to cross his arms and declare smugly “Don’t have one, better off without anyway.”

Madara sighed, bringing a hand to his face “Let’s stay elusive, Zuna.” his brother huffed pouted at that before Madara went on “We can simply say we were born out of the Village, that our parents were Uchiha by blood but left or were also born out if someone asks. If I left the Village, there might have been some other Uchiha who did the same before or after. It’s the most believable scenario for us, since we are both clearly Uchiha. We can say we were named after this time’s Madara and Izuna, to explain the name. But we have to give the less detail possible, our parents are dead, and don’t go around describing our mother to people, Izuna.”

Uchiha Taiyō, their mother, was known probably even beyond Hi no Kuni during their time, and if Izuna were to talk about her as if he knew the legendary figure she had probably become, it would blow their cover. Madara didn’t worry about him talking about Tajima, Izuna ignored his existence altogether as much as he could, not that he could be blamed.

Izuna glared at him at the last comment before turning his head and letting out a short “Hn.” in a half-hearted agreement.

With that settled, and Obito seeming a bit more convinced, he left them at the door to talk to his grandmother.

“You know we need to stay low, Fuyu was clear about it.” Madara tried gently, putting a hand on his brother’s shoulder. It was during moments like these he was reminded of how young he was, just twelve and yet having seen scenes most adults would dread to witness.

“I know.” he mumbled, his features softening before he leaned on Madara’s side, letting his older brother run his hands through his hair soothingly, like an angrily cuddly cat, the thought tugging a smile on Madara’s lips.

His brother’s affinity with felines was not surprising seeing how he acted like one.

Soon enough, Obito came back, a sheepish expression on his face, followed by an old woman with light gray hair and an aggravated look on her face. Her eyes fell on them and her eyes widened and an expression of pity washed away her sour features.

“Poor things!” she gasped as she gestured them to come in, the Uchiha brothers scrambling to take off their sandals as she nearly pushed them inside.

“Obito let you wait outside like that! I apologise on the behalf of my grandson.” she started rambling as she guided them through her house “He didn’t mention you two were in such state, he just told me some friends asked him to stay over for the night. Where are your parents?”

She finally pauses, waiting for one of them to answer, but her eyes lingering on Madara.

“It’s alright, Uchiha-san,” the words felt wrong on his tongue “we didn’t wait long and Obito-kun has been nothing but helpful. Our parents are dead-” Madara was interrupted by the woman letting out a high sound of pity before she repeated “You poor thing!”

The Uchiha brother were stunned as they were led to the table, one higher than what they were used to, made out of a simple but sturdy wood, and sat close to each other while the old woman walked out and shouted from the other room “You two can stay here as long as you need!”

She came back with a large container, still talking, but clearly more to herself “In Amaterasu’s name, such young boys, thrown into the world and without parents to help…” she handed a porcelain plate with white rice and stew to Izuna, who looked at the content with wide unbelieving eyes.

“I took Obito in after his parents passed, the war takes so many people, and when my son fell, I couldn’t just let my grandson alone. You two look starved, eat well, I’ll prepare futons for you and don’t you worry for a place to stay.” she declared while handing the dishes to Madara and Obito, the latter briefly thanking her for the meal before digging in while the Uchiha brothers looked at the food in disbelief.

She sat and followed suit Obito, Izuna and Madara muttering their own thanks before the latter instinctively transferred half of his share to his younger brother, keeping and eye on his chakra in case for poison.

It was unnecessary, really, the woman had no reason to wish them harm, but Madara was still uneasy after learning about Izuna’s early death. Luckily, she didn’t catch either action.

“So, who were your parents?” she asked gently, Izuna’s face brightening as he took his first bite, Madara still not having touched the meal, a twisted sense of guilt for eating a hot curry when the rest of the clan in their time was stuck with meagre rations of brown plain watery rice and, if they were lucky, some stew and berries, keeping him from giving in.

“You don’t know them.” he said “We are not from the Village, we were born outside and stumbled here after a bit, but we used to mostly mend for ourselves. They died when we were quite young, so we don’t know much about them.”

The old woman looked taken aback as she muttered another soft apology, before her gaze landed on Madara’s hands. “You can take off your gloves, hun.” she gently suggested.

Madara hesitated before shaking his head politely “I’d rather not.” he fidgeted with his chopsticks, avoiding the woman’s gaze in fear to have offended her.

“Nii-san!” Izuna’s voice made him snap his head in his direction, only to see his younger brother with curry smeared around his lips and his plate clean from any grain of rice, the only indicator his dish was full was the orange stain it bore.

“You want more?” Madara asked softly, ready to give some of his own food to Izuna and ignore yet again his own stomach’s protest, the dull ache cramping his abdomen like usual.

But Izuna shook his head, pushed his brother’s plate back to him “Try it, it’s real curry!” he explained, insistently pushing Madara’s plate in his direction as if it would make him eat.

He sighed at his little brother’s stubbornness before finally trying the dish, pushing down the guilt that knotted his guts.

Flavours exploded in Madara’s mouth, and he remembered the one time Hashirama had brought a bento when they met at the river and shared some with him, the taste of the spices so much more intense than the one they managed to make with the few herbs they got to buy when they had the means to.

The young Uchiha had to keep himself from finishing his plate in one go like he had done with his friend in the past, the memory of his eyes wide in surprise and his jaw hanging open after he ate in desperation the most consistent meal he had had in days, if not weeks, made his face flush in embarrassment.

So he ate slowly, his expression controlled to the best of his abilities, the portion he left himself. Izuna observed him with a smug cat like smile, Obito, who had already finished, looked at them both with confusion while his grandmother studied them both with a mix of amusement and pity.

Madara didn’t like to be pitied, but the woman had just fed them and offered them a place to sleep, it felt ungrateful and rude to point it out, especially when it stemmed from a well meaning intention.

She asked them if they wanted more, and Madara scrambled to decline, not wanting to abuse of her generosity. Izuna explained he had a healthy portion and didn’t want more, afraid he would throw up if he did “But it was delicious, thank you for this meal, Uchiha-san!” he added with one of his angelic smiles and the old woman chuckled “Please, just call me Obaa-chan, that’s how Obito calls me anyway.”

Izuna nodded, but Madara insisted to know her name to address her properly, so she finally told him as he helped her prepare the futon for him and his brother, after he also told her they could, and would sleep together.

“Thank you for everything, Sachiko-san.” Madara told her when they finished, Izuna taking a ‘shower’ in the strange room that replaced the traditional bathroom he knew.

“Don’t mention it, I am happy to help you and your brother.” she gently said, before casting her eyes down, her brows furrowing “I need to know, though, how did you stumble on Obito. He was vague about it, and he has this bad habit of going out of the Village’s periphery to train.” she grumbled, clearly peeved by her grandson’s tendencies, but also worried.

“We did find him because he was training without concealing his chakra in the forest. We recognised him as an Uchiha and he suggested we’d stay at his place. I am providing him mentorship to thank him, but I’ll do my best to look for a way to earn for me and Izuna and pay you back as soon as I can.” Sachiko made a tight smile when Madara mentioned taking Obito as a student, but didn’t tell him off.

“You don’t need to worry about paying me back, son. You are an Uchiha, we are family, and we help each other.” she told him with an expression the younger Uchiha recognised from parents who tried to convince a child from doing something that would put them in a dangerous position.

Madara offered her a reassuring smile, or at least tried to, and didn’t really achieve it from the slight recoil she had “I insist. You are the only adult in this household, and you are already taking care of yourself and a child. I will find a way to earn decently enough to at least help you, and leave when we can, as to not overstep your hospitality.”

She sighed “Very well. I guess you are nothing but stubborn. I think that the new ramen shop is hiring, so you might find your luck over there.”

Madara bowed and thanked her again, Sachiko ushering him to stop, telling him it was unnecessary for him to thank her for the bare minimum.

After Izuna explained him how the mysterious shower worked, Madara cleaned himself quickly and beelined to the bedroom where he and Izuna were to sleep.

As soon as he shut the door, he let himself fall forward, stumbling over himself as the ache and tiredness of the day suddenly awoke in his body.

Izuna lunged toward his brother to catch him before his body hit the floor, yelping his name as he did. “Are you alright, Nii-san?” Izuna’s voice was high, but his tone was calmer than it could have been, understanding.

Madara embraced his younger brother protectively, dragging himself and Izuna in the futon and only loosening his grip on the back of his brother’s yukata to pull up the covers on them.

Madara was holding Izuna as if he would disappear if his grip was any less tight, his brothers smaller frame against his chest, their legs tangled together, both having their arms wrapped around the other, and Madara’s face buried into Izuna’s soft hair.

The boy put it down before going to sleep, making his hair appear longer that they usually seemed, and both wore the simple cotton yukata they had in one of their scroll.

A good thing was that, before going away to hunt, they had taken the necessary to be out of the compound for a few days. The Uchiha did that in any case they would need to be away longer than expected on a mission or, in their case, if they would have needed to sleep out, usually to get game at the first rays or even during the night.

They also brought extra clothes to use as bags if they were to run out of empty scrolls.

They had weapons and most of the belongings that mattered to them, which was a relief in this unfamiliar environment.

“Nii-san…” Izuna started with a small voice “What are we going to do?”

Madara’s breath hitched, his eyes welling with tears “We’ll figure it out.” he whispered, willing his voice to tremble the less he could “At least, we’re at the wrong time, not the wrong place. If… when we manage to get back, we’ll be able to do so at the exact time we left and it should be fine.”

He tried his best to sound confident, but he himself wasn’t sure. He didn’t know how they got here in the first place, and he didn’t know if coming back to their time was even possible, or how it would affect their reality. They still weren’t even aware of when they were exactly, it was completely unknown territory.

And there also was the matter of Izuna’s death.

He didn’t want to think about it, but it was inescapable. There was a reality, a time where Izuna died before him, and he lived on ten entire years following it, even building a Village along with Hashirama and not even making his brother’s murderer pay.

It was unthinkable, Madara can’t imagine being able to move on like Izuna never existed, with his absence looming over him every day.

“But…” Izuna’s hesitant voice snapped him out of his thoughts “What about our deaths. I know it shook you, and mother used to say that an Uchiha shouldn’t bottle up their emotions, remember?”

Madara hummed, a silent tear rolling down his cheek “I know.” the words were choked out, his throat constricted and his gut knotted, everything they had learned coming back “It’s just… I needed to stay put together. And I won’t let you die. We’ll learn from this time’s errors and we’ll create a better future for ours.”

Madara felt Izuna nod against his collarbone and smiled weakly “Sleep now, otōto. I am here to protect you no matter what.” he whispered, letting himself sob and weep the most silently possible.

He could only look forward to seeing Nekobaa, and he would take out all of the conflicting emotion by training tomorrow, hopefully.