Chapter Text
The silence weighed heavy in the tent, all ninja felt solemn at the news. Previous hope shattered in just a split second.
“I did everything I could.. but his torso.. his torso was completely mangled and he lost so much blood. Too much blood. I’m so sorry Madara-sama. I’m so sorry..”
“You mean…”
“Young master, Izuna-sama has died on the operating table.”
——————
The world kept spinning. After the attack from the Senju, the clan elders ordered an emergency meeting with all family branches over the surprise ambush. A meeting Madara could not miss.
Madara sat on the blood soaked cot where their medics had laid his brother in an attempt to save him. His brother’s body laid over his lap, heavy and motionless. The open cavity no longer bleeding as he no longer had any more blood to bleed.
Izuna was purple. His eyes were unfocused and empty. And Madara’s tears landed onto his brother’s face as he sobbed. He cradled his baby brother’s head and brushed through his hair.
He rocked his brother, holding him tightly. This was his last one. This was his last family member right here. This mangled body was his brother.
There was blood everywhere, blood seeped out of the cushion from where Madara sat. The trail of blood from when they brought Izuna in. Izuna’s torn off clothes discarded on the floor along with gauzes and makeshift bandages. Completely soaked with drying blood.
If he were only faster..
“You were so scared of dying, I’m so sorry I wasn’t there to hold you. I’m here now. You’re not alone anymore. It’s always going to be you and I, little brother.”
Muttering small reassurances he hugged tighter. Refusing to let go of the limp brother. Caressing Izuna’s face and hair, spreading the caked up blood along the forehead.
Madara sobbed. Holding their faces close. His sharingan flaring wildly. Only to see his brother’s dead chakra system as well. Something so jarring and so wrong. Completely horrifying and disgusting. Something Madara should never see.
———
“You cannot come in right now.. hey-Hey! Lord Madara is in there with hi— hey!”
“Lord Madara! I’ve come with a message from the clan elders, your presence is needed in an emergency meeting regarding the attack. They want to spare no time.” Madara’s tears have dried, he only stared longingly at his brother’s face. Wiping it down, cleaning down to his neck. His lips tight in a tight deep frown. His breath was heavy. He was shaking.
“Leave, let me mourn! Tell the elders they can figure it out themselves! Do not bother me!”
“Ehh,, b-but my lord… ”
“I said begone! Leave me to grieve in peace!”
“Yes My Lord!! Forgive me!”
The young uchiha left in a hurry. Afraid of staying any longer.
——————
“I’m sorry for your loss, my Lord.”
“My Lord, I heard what happened to your brother. I’m very sorry to hear about what happened.”
“It’s a shame what happened to young master Izuna, he was a great warrior.”
“I’m sorry for your loss, I am here for you, Madara.”
“We lost another great one. He will be missed dearly.”
“Lord Madara—“
He was sick, he was sick of it all.
Madara wanted everyone to stop talking! To stop mentioning it! To stop moving! How dare everyone, no, how dare everything keep moving!? The clan elders, the warriors, the civilians, the children, the Senju. How dare they continue to move?!
He wanted to be left alone, to hide in a hole and rot. To lay with Izuna and never let go.
But the Senju don’t sit still and the clan elders don’t either. They won’t leave Madara alone and he has no choice but to return to his duties.
“I’m sorry for your loss, lord Madara”
Meeting after meeting, they have a moment of silence and there is always the considerate fool who gives their condolences. Madara is unfocused and grieve sickened.
He has not slept, not since the incident. And here he was, establishing who is to walk their borders at what times and who will be in the revenge attack on the Senju.
Madara wanted the world to go quiet and leave him alone.
“Lord Madara, are you even paying attention? This is essential for the coordinated counterstrike—“
——————
The meeting didn’t last. As Madara tried to escape, he was stopped by passing distant cousins who were within speaking distance.
“My lord, we are so sorry to hear the recent passing of your younger brother.”
Madara ignored them. He walked away and kept walking.
He couldn’t do this, not this. Anything but this. His soul was crying and the pain was unbearable. He needed to get away from everyone, get away from everything. This fighting. The fighting. It’s so unbearably agonizing. He wants to be left alone.
And he is going to have to continue, to confront and start fighting all over again. To plot and plan, to keep living the same story. He was so sick of it all.
He needed to get away, the elders, the loss, the constant reminders, the plotting and fighting.
Madara was sick and frenzied.
His feet had led him outside of their camp and with this revelation. Madara ran into the woods.
His sharingan flashed as he sprinted. Tears ran down his face as he pushed harder, faster. He sprinted through branches that whenever he stepped off, the branches cracked and shattered behind him. Madara screamed in his grief.
He needed to get away from this wretched world.
——————
Annoyed. Why was Izuna waking him so damn early with his little games? What did he want? Sigh, his little brother was always so easily amused when poking and prodding at his face while he slept.
Madara ignored his brother, falling back into his slumber once more when something salty and chewy slipped into his mouth.
In immediate disgust, Madara sits up and spits out a piece of cooked meat from out his mouth, eyes wide in confusion and sudden alert.
The culprit yelps and falls on their ass, taken aback by the sudden movement.
Madara is already ahead of him and has moved onto a crouched position, a single kunai in his hand.
“What the hell? I just cooked that for you! Stop wasting food!” The stranger yelled. Offended, not understanding the current situation.
“Who are you?” Madara took a quick glance at his surroundings, eyes locked back onto the stranger.
“Huh? I saved you, and I tried to wake you up but you weren’t. So I tried to feed you because maybe you were hungry..” the stranger answered, slowing down as the situation dawned on him that Madara was holding a kunai over him.
Madara glared down at the stranger. A young man, no older than 18 or 19. Naked apart from bandages and some briefs. And absolutely filthy. He looked like a stray animal.
Madara tsked. He didn’t want to humor the civilian boy that foolishly ‘saved’ him.
What the hell happened anyway? Madara realized he didn't know how he became unconscious..? Or how he fell asleep.. all he remembered..
He didn’t want to be with anybody.
He wanted to be alone..
The boy seems to get over the fact that Madara is standing over him with a knife and is just staring at him, perplexed.
Madara wastes no time in trying to leave. Getting up onto his feet and sensing around him. Frowning when all he senses is thick tropical forest from all directions.
Pulsing his chakra farther and farther. Only to map out a shoreline, seemingly in all directions.
The boy twitched at Madara’s pulse. Also frowning as if understanding what the older man was doing. “This island is completely uninhabited, it’s just me here.” He gets up onto his feet and dusts his ass.
Madara glares.
“What are you saying? Who are you and where is this!?”
The young man huffs and crosses his arms, “I said we are the only ones here! This island is empty except for the two of us.”
“You said it again! Said island!” Madara shouts back. “Stop speaking non-sense! How would I be on an island?”
Island? The only island Madara knew of were the islands of Uzushio, the land of the Uzumakis. But that’s impossible, how would Madara be at Uzushio of all places?
“I don’t know? I’m wondering how you got here too! No one is supposed to reach this place!” The young man responds. “Who are you anyway?”
Irked, Madara ignores his question and answers with his own. “Where is this? What island is this?”
“We’re in the calm belt, in the War lord hammock’s territories.” The man stated seriously. Madara only stared blankly so the young man continued.
“The grand line..? A bit away from the new world…?”
Madara decides he has had enough and takes matters into his own hands.
“Hey! Where are you going?”
“I am leaving this place. I do not belong here and I must return to my duties. Do not follow me.” The young man is already following closely behind.
“You’re leaving already!? But you just got here!!” He calls right after him.
“Tsk. What do you think you are doing? I said do not follow me!” Madara glares over his shoulder.
The scrappy boy pouts the biggest pout Madara has ever seen. Before deliberately ignoring him.
“I’m Monkey D. Luffy! And… uh.. what's your name?”
Madara frowns. Weird kid with a weird name that refuses to leave. Great. Everything just keeps getting worse.
Without hesitation. Madara leaps to the nearest tree and sprints in a random direction. Quick to put some space between him and the Monkey kid.
Satisfied that the boy couldn't follow. He sighs a breath of relief.
——-
After finding himself in a strange new place, you’d think Madara would’ve immediately began investigating his surroundings and began looking for a way to return to the clan.
Madara had thought of that, yes, but as he walked in the eerie silence of the jungle he couldn’t help but feel his grief plague him once more.
Izuna was dead.
And he died a horrible, slow death. Having taken a direct hit from Tobirama himself.
If Madara wasn’t so concerned about one-uping Hashirama. If he wasn’t so concerned about his own childish competition with the man, he would’ve seen what the evil younger Senju was doing.
Whatever jutsu that was, it was a deadly one. To be able to completely shred Izuna, one of their greatest fighters… Only someone so sinister as Tobirama could’ve come up with that. Madara needed to find out what the hell that was.
When Izuna fell, Madara held the Senju back as he called for retreat. He didn’t think that would’ve been the last time he would see his brother alive.
His mind replayed the memory over and over. Watching Izuna get carried away, while he took his precious time keeping both Hashirama and Tobirama back. Instead of comforting his younger brother who was actively bleeding out.
If he had been stronger, if only he had been strong enough to at least disable the Senju long enough to let them escape…
But he wasn't. Izuna died because Madara wasn't strong enough.
Madara laid in a random field. Next to a large, conspicuous tree. Staring up to the sky as he cried. Clutching his chest as it ached in pain.
He thought of Izuna. How he laughed and smiled. He thought about his eyes and the way his hair fell naturally to frame his face. He thought about how he would never leave his side for anything. Always lying on top of him in private.
An elder commented how they were like a pair of dual blades, always fighting together as one.
Izuna had made fun of that elder. He would talk about how they were so old style. And Madara would agree.
Izuna was there when their other brothers died. He had mourned with Madara when their father died. When their mother faded. When they had to send off their family members to a fiery rest to the other side.
They swore to each other that they’ll see out the peace together. That they’ll live long enough to witness it together.
They had cursed the heavens above when they lost friends, they drank after victories.
Izuna was so hyper focused on perfecting his kenjutsu. Always so peculiar about his blade and the state it was in. Madara would tease him endlessly about how Izuna was always late simply staring at the blade.
Though Madara never told him how he did the same with his own weapon, he was sure Izuna secretly knew.
The two talked about peace. Maybe a village or capital life. Where Izuna would be a normal person, with maybe a normal job. Izuna would tell Madara that it would be him that would be the more lax one.
Madara would deny and explain that he would most definitely be a skilled assassin that would work undercover for the sake of peace.
And Izuna would laugh, tell Madara that he didn’t have a single sneaky bone in his body. Way too brash and loud.
Madara played along. Adding more absurd ideas, how Izuna would be a dog sitter. And work at a candy shop for little kids.
They had laughed so much that Izuna gagged and almost threw up their dinner.
Madara had ignored Izuna and pretended to be innocent as others asked why Izuna was so teary eyed and red.
Madara remembered how at one point of their lives Izuna had a crush on a girl from a merchant clan that was passing through. A small crush had Izuna looking for good smelling perfumes and cooler looking clothes for a week. Madara didn’t say anything and had lent him his clothes without Izuna noticing.
Izuna had failed to impress her and like many things, she left. Breaking his brother’s heart. Madara never confronted Izuna about why he was sulking. Only comforted him in silence. Izuna recovered just fine.
But Izuna was dead.
Madara turned to his side and puked. Ripping grass from their roots. Trembling.
Izuna was gone. And Madara had to continue as if it’s nothing.
How could Madara continue this cycle? To return to work and lead when the one he was doing it for, who kept him going was gone.
How could the world continue to spin when Izuna was gone? Why do the Senju continue to plot when they already took Madara’s everything? What else did they want?
The world was cruel. So cruel. All he wanted was to live with Izuna in peace.
Hashirama knew how much Izuna meant to him. Madara wondered if this was the peace Hashirama once preached. If this was what he envisioned when they did talk about the future.
Madara felt betrayed. Was this what Hashirama schemed? Was this what he meant? To kill his enemy after lowering their guard? To take what they most cared about?
Madara knew that Hashirama didn’t mean this, but Madara felt like it did.
It was night time. A whole day has passed since waking up. Madara deems it enough alone time and gets up from his wallowing. He will return to his clan for the night and wish for peace through the next day.
What the young strange man had said did stick out to him. Claiming that they were on an island, one that is impossible for him to be in. Madara thought it was nonsense, but kept it in mind.
Using his chakra to sense his surroundings, Madara senses the jungle and within, strange beasts. Madara frowns when he senses nothing other than that.
Madara finally looks around, face dropping at his surroundings, strange vines and trees surrounding him. How the hell did he not notice prior?
It looked like a playground for wild animals, vines that looked like slides and trees that formed higher platforms. Holding their own ecosystem higher in the sky.
In the distance, two visible volcanoes smoked heavily, farther in the distance another trail of smoke rose.
What the hell?
Madara spreads his chakra farther, thinning it out in different directions.. no matter how far he spread it. In every direction, there was water, a shore.
The south, west and north were met with water, Madara stretched towards the east!
A shore.
Was he really on an island? That brat was not joking? Or playing around?
Activating his sharingan and sprinting back to where he originally woke up, his blood running cold as he finds that there is no way to leave.
He finds his once resting spot, the grass is disturbed from where he once laid.
There is a skeleton of what seemed to be a giant boar, and a fireplace that’s been put out. Presumably what the strange boy tried to feed him whilst unconscious.
Madara inspects his surroundings. Perhaps he was dropped off here? Someone has had to bring him here.
Alas, the surrounding area was undisturbed. As if Madara had collapsed right there from the sky.
The boy mentioned that they were the only ones here. Madara will be damned if he stuck around.
The boy rested deep in the jungle, Madara could feel him. He turned on his heel and took off in his direction.
Looking murderous, Madara arrived at the clearing where the boy slept. Sprawled among a group of giant gorillas and alligators.
Madara deadpanned.
Never in his life had he seen such giant creatures, were they summons? That would explain the gorillas, but there was an alligator too.
Madara stared in disbelief. The boy slept peacefully on top of the alligator's head, and the gorillas laid back on the alligator, over its snout, body and tail. Like if they weren’t natural enemies but a group of pals.
Madara’s guard was lowered enough for a lion to pounce from behind him, a lion the size of a summon, Madara is slammed onto the ground.
“ROAHHHHHRR!”
Activating his sharingan, Madara takes out his Kunai and is aiming at the lion’s face when an appendage snaps around him. Looping over several times before whipping him across the clearing.
“Nyop!” Madara slams to the boy's side, the scrappy boy grins a very gleeful grin. As if very pleased to see him.
Madara stares in absolute horror as he looks down at what is wrapped around him. The boy’s arm stretched around him several times, squeezing hard enough like a constrictor. Madara’s lungs struggle for air.
“I knew you’d come back! Shishishi!” The boy laughed, patting his head. The animals surrounding him have all woken and stared at him curiously. Absolute giants surrounding him. The alligator was awake as well.
“Let go..! “ Madara growled. The boy looks at him with wide eyes and hums. Madara watches as the boy's arm stretches again and unwraps from around him, snapping right to the boy's side as if normal. Madara falls on his ass.
Quick to try to put space between the two. Madara scoots away and moves into a crouch position. Madara was still keenly aware that he was currently on the alligator's head.
Madara was greatly outnumbered. Not that it’d be an issue killing them all, but if this boy was correct. He was the only other here, meaning that he needed him alive.
“I need to leave, you must know a way to do so.” Madara states as monotone as he could. He has now acknowledged that this boy is dangerous, whatever ability he just did— stretching his limb.
Taming these animals? Or summons. Whatever this boy did, he didn’t need to risk a fight.
“Leave?” The young man cocked his head to the side in thought. “Hmmm, you cannot leave, it's impossible.” The boy replied. Madara huffed in annoyance. This boy is useless.
“Is there land nearby? What direction? Do you know?”
“Hmmmmm,” the boy pondered louder. Irking Madara.
“Yes! There is an island, but Hammock will not let you in.. and it’s far..” the boy concluded after several seconds.
This damn kid.
“Hammock..? Quit playing games or I’ll kill you.” Madara flashes his sharingan as an intimidation tactic. Everyone in all the lands knew of the sharingan. Surely this kid will stop pulling his leg and give him useful information.
“Ehh!? Your eyes? A devil fruit user?!” The boy leaps to his feet and takes a fighting stance, the alligator hissed from below them and the gorillas around them took a step back in shock.
“Ey! Ey! I’m telling the truth! Calm down! You really cannot leave! They’re sea beasts surrounding the island and there are no ships anywhere nearby!”
“Who is this individual you speak of? Hammock?” Madara countered.
“We are in her territory! She owns this part of the sea! She's the only one that can get here!”
“I see.” Madara realizes there is a leader here. This will be troublesome to deal with.
“Which direction is this other island?” Madara questions, the boy frowns.
“I don’t remember. Even if I told you, old man, the island is women only. You will be killed as soon as you step on the island.”
Izuna would be howling at the nickname. Madara growls.
“Nee, what’s your name? How’d you even get here old man?”
Madara glares at the boy and his irrelevant questions. Madara thinks that he has stuck around long enough.
And true to Uchiha fashion. Madara disappears. Genjutsu style.
—-
Madara spends the next few hours running around the island several times. He is, in fact, on an island.
He rests after a while and has another panic attack whilst thinking of his brother.
Madara thinks that he might be in a genjutsu. So he stabs himself. Then when that doesn’t work. He burns himself as well.
Then he considers that he might be having a mental breakdown. So he meditated through the rest of the night until dawn. It did nothing.
Madara was exhausted after not sleeping for two nights in a row. He felt emotionally drained so alas, he jumped to the top of the trees and vines, finding a safe place to finally lay down.
——————
The next few days, Madara walks over the island's waters and sprints over the water for hours. The first few tries had Madara fighting for his life.
Sea monsters the size of tailed beasts leapt from below the surface, trying to swallow him whole. Madara was pressed, dodging and striking the beasts, each blow that he landed felt as if they were made of steel.
Each time he thought he had pushed through the barrage of attacks he was struck and sent flying across the surface of the ocean. Multiple times he scrambled to find his footing.
It’s only when he is swallowed whole and inside of the beast's jaw that he has a chance to finally kill one of them. Striking upward and breaking through its palate.
Although he managed to kill it, getting out of the carcass was another difficult ordeal.
He swam back to shore and laid for a good thirty minutes before trying again.
Madara ran for hours, killing the occasional sea beast to stand on them to rest. But true to the boy’s word. There was only more ocean.
Madara returned after the 4th day of no luck. Each day he ran in a different direction and there was nothing.
Madara began to fear for his clan. He’s been gone for almost a week and he didn’t know how to return. He needed to return, the Senju will not let them rest with just the death of Izuna.
—————
Madara spent the last two months drenched in saltwater. He was getting desperate.
The boy said that there was another island nearby, with a leader. But Madara cannot find it for the life of him.
He’s set up several camps on each side of the island. Rotating around each day in an attempt to find something.
The pain in his chest had not subsided. Izuna’s death still hung heavily in Madara’s mind.
He still mourned every night, losing sleep sometimes. Madara was forced to make a makeshift altar to pray, only then could he rest peacefully after a long day of searching.
The situation was turning out to be hopeless. Madara had never seen the open ocean before and now he concluded that he hates it.
Never before had he missed the tall thick trees of fire country as much as he did now. He just wanted to return home.
Madara feared for his clan, he feared what tragedies his absence would bring. Each day that he was away from his home could spell the end of the Uchiha clan.
Who would lead his clan in his absence? Maybe Hikaku could. He was one of his strongest ninja and one of his closest relatives, but he could never stand against Hashirama and Tobirama.
Living on this island has proven to be difficult as well. In the span of two months it has snowed, tornadoed and flooded, the equivalent of summer occurring before switching to fall and starting all over again.
The island must be cursed. Or a very powerful jutsu is causing the seasons to hyper speed through. Madara feared that this might mean that time passes by differently because of these anomalies. But he has no way of proving if it’s true or not.
Another thing he’s discovered was large patches of destroyed terrain. From what he could tell it seemed as if there were large scale battles littered across the island.
Sure, there are ruins of what seems to be a town or city, but Madara had found fresher and newer destruction.
Craters and ripped up trees. Entire fields of destroyed forest. Piles and piles of animal bones littered just about everywhere.
Madara is sure it’s the brat’s doing. There is no one else capable of doing such destruction. Why the young man did this was none of Madara’s concern.
However, destruction of this caliber would cause a lot of noise and Madara would undoubtedly have heard it .
Madara should be able to feel the man’s presence from across the island when they rampage and fight. However, in his radar, the boy’s presence was the same upbeat tempo.
It’s odd, the young man didn’t seem to use chakra. Yet somehow he managed to leave behind a trail of destruction. How could someone with unrefined chakra coils achieve such strength?
Like the ability to stretch his limbs. Something so disgustingly horrifying that Madara has purposely been avoiding interactions with the man just because of it.
Such disgusting kekkei genkai surely had side effects. It’s probably why the brat was a little off in the head.
Madara needs to get out of here. Everything is too weird.
Normally in uncomfortable situations Madara relied on Izuna to make light of it, make it more bearable. But Izuna was no longer with him. As a matter of fact. Nobody was.
Madara had never been alone for extended periods of time like this, he’s always had Izuna. If not, he’d be with another Uchiha either ninja or servant.
There was usually someone he could delegate domestic work too. Having to do it all himself was a hassle to deal with. The longest he’s been completely alone was probably four days. But here he is, raw-dogging loneliness. And going for two months.
Madara is sure he is going through some sort of depression or manic episode.
—-
Late at night, when his insomnia has sunk its claws deep, Madara thinks about what his family could be possibly doing.
What could they be doing in his absence? Were they struggling? Were they adapting to his disappearance? Did it even matter that he was gone?
Did his cousins step up as clan head? Surely they’d assumed that the Senju had gotten him too.
Those evil Senju. To think that Izuna was right all along about them. And here Madara thought that maybe.
Maybe peace was an option.
Madara wished he could return to unleash his wrath. To teach those wretched monsters to not mess with his clan once in for all. To have real peace.
It’s what Izuna would’ve wanted.
When Madara figures out how to return. He swears, he swears on the clan's name that he’ll exterminate the Senju once and for all.
Hashirama’s feelings and their friendship be damned. The bastard knew that Izuna was all he cared about and pulled the rug from up under the both of them.
Madara was so naive.
Too gullible to think that he and Hashirama saw eye to eye.
Madara replays the memory over and over in his mind. Each time he’s more and more convinced that Hashirama was grinning when Tobirama struck Izuna down.
He can see it. The way his grin twists evilly, how he keeps Madara away from his brother and occupied whilst Madara fights to return to Izuna. Madara can see it.
Rage and hatred bubbles. Of course it was all premeditated. They've conspired against them from the very beginning!!
How could he have missed it?
——-
Madara’s clothes are torn and dirty, his kunai set is down to 2, the armor he has is no longer serviceable, and he didn’t even bring his swords from back home.
Things are looking grim for him. Madara feels like he’s losing his mind. He’s worried about his clan and is itching to.. fix things! Do something! He’s getting no progress done!!
Never before had he had to endure such defeat, mother nature was a cruel mistress.
He doesn’t know what he’s doing and he’s getting exceedingly frustrated and anxious.
And he refuses to end up looking like the other guy. Covered in bandages, dirty and in his underwear.
————
Madara’s clothes are so torn, he has ended up with bandages, dirty and in his underwear.
He’s washing up both his clothes and himself in a nearby freshwater stream. Madara is currently sulking over his once tailored uniform. The uniform in question serves better as scraps than any article of clothing.
It’s been 4 months since he’s gotten here and Madara is adjusting.
He’s had a lot of time to think.
Dread, Madara is extremely homesick. He feels as if he’s trapped in a loop, the same day over and over.
He’s frustrated beyond belief. His swords are gone so he hasn’t been able to train as he wished, and he’s so incredibly lonely.
He’s run over the ocean’s surface in almost every direction. Even stayed overnight by sleeping over a sea beasts carcass to continue running the next day. He has had no luck.
Madara feels like he’s lost it. He’s feeling crazy enough to talk to the other humans on the island. The freak guy that can stretch his arms.
Madara shivered at the disturbing memory, the limb of the younger one unnaturally stretching several times around him.
Yeah, extending the olive branch can be the objective for another day. Madara ruled.
Now fully stripped off of every piece of cloth he wore, he strutted right into the water. His hair needed a desperate wash.
Madara washes every crevice, well, as much as he can with only water.
He got out after hours of bullshitting and decided that he was hungry. The food he had caught earlier that day should still be where he left his torn clothes.
After shaking himself dry and tying his hair with a stray cloth, he starts picking up nearby logs and sticks. Throws in the occasional bone in the pile, those things are everywhere. Madara wonders if the other person really eats that much to have piles everywhere or if the guy has been here for a long time. Bones to prove it.
Satisfied with the size of his campfire, he lights it up with the smallest fireball jutsu he can muster.
His calm demeanor screeches to a halt when he senses something flying straight towards him. Madara leaned back and watched a projectile slam into the ground in front of him.
“I can’t believe it!!”
Madara’s eyes widened, the projectile was no object, it was a person!
“You just did the thing! With the hand signs! That must mean..”
Madara gawks as the figure bounces straight. As if they hadn’t taken any impact from their plummet. He falls on his bare ass.
“You’re a ninja?!” The man exclaims. Madara is staring horrified at the gate crasher.
The younger’s eyes were gleaming with absolute adoration. He was trembling with excitement. Madara didn’t even get a word in before he excitedly kept talking.
“You just blew a fireball from your mouth, with hand movements before it! You did a ninja move right? A jutsu! Do it again!”
Madara threw a rock at the boy's face. The boy slams back and eats shit.
Madara stands up and looks down at the younger.
He doesn’t look any different than the last time he saw him. If anything he’s dirtier.
After sniffing the air, Madara kicks the boy into the river. The boy screams something about not being able to swim. Madara uses this chance to wrap his waist with his tattered shirt for modesty reasons.
When he looks over at the river, he sees the boy struggling, drowning in knee high water.
He struggles for a few more moments before standing up.
Madara isn’t impressed.
—
“What was that for?” Madara doesn’t look up as he’s cutting up the carcass from his breakfast meal. “I’m a devil fruit eater! I can’t swim!”
The guy is obviously pouting. Madara considers that the boy is way younger than previously anticipated.
“You smelled like shit.” Madara placed neatly skewered meat right onto the fire. The boy’s mood switched 180.
“Woah! Dinner time? Count me in!” The boy wiggled his fingers, Madara turns around and slaps the other’s hand away.
“This is my game. Go catch your own food.” Madara tsked. Who the hell did this kid think he is?
“I already ate everything else..” the boy solemnly said. Madara’s face dropped.
“I ate the gorillas and I promised the alligator I won’t eat him until Hammock returns.” The boy’s body physically melts and sags as the boy shows sadness.
Madara blinks.
This weirdo keeps saying weird ass shit. Devil fruits? Hammock? Talking to alligators?
He told the alligator he was going to eat it?
“You say the strangest things… You’re not eating my food.”
“Aww c’mon, we’re buddies-“
“We are not.”
“Gimme at least the parts you don’t eat!”
Madara lifts a brow. A true warrior doesn’t waste not even a piece of food. Alas he doesn’t think this scrappy boy knows that.
“No.”
And if in queue, the boy’s stomach growls loudly. The boy sulks and rubs his stomach. Madara almost laughs at the comedic timing.
Damn he wishes Izuna was here.
“… fine. You eat what I give you only.” Madara concludes. The other cheers.
“Yattaa! Thanks a lot!”
The two wait for the meat to be properly cooked. The younger one takes this opportunity to yap to the other.
“You’re a ninja no? So does that mean you can make clones and throw shuriken?”
“Essentially yes—“
“Do you train under waterfalls? There’s a waterfall nearby! Have you meditated under it?”
“Ehh—“
“Can you do that fire jutsu again? Do it again!” The boy yapped.
“I wanna seee! Aaaghh, you’re too cool!”
Madara sweat drops. It’s flattering, but the teenager is acting like those overly excited dogs of the Inuzuka breed. The ones that pee in excitement.
“You’re the first ninja I’ve met! Née, old man, are you on a mission?”
Madara chokes, coughs and bites his tongue. He glares at the younger.
“I’m not an old man!” He snaps.
“Sorry, sorry…. Umm, young.. man?”
“My name is Uchiha Madara, the clan head of the Uchiha clan.” Madara made sure to project his voice, pride seeping through his title as he spoke.
The boy had stars in his eyes, visibly shaking.
“You’re a clan head? So like the leader?”
Madara was the leader.
Madara sulks slightly, what a lousy leader he was. His people depend on him and here he was, gods know where. Partially nude, talking to an equally nude kid on an island.
He couldn’t protect the one who depended on him most.
He sighs, “yes. I’m the leader of the Uchiha clan.”
“Is your clan super strong? Do you fight bad guys all the time? Do you guys have epic jutsu battles?”
Madara’s posture stands tall, chest full of pride.
“My clan is the strongest of them all! We fight for the sake of peace and for our next generations!”
The boy beams.
“Is that so? That’s soo cool! My people are super strong too!”
Madara doesn’t ask what he means, perhaps his family?
“Ne, where is your clan anyway? How come you’re here?”
The boy gets right to the point.
Madara frowns, he sighs again and stares at the flames before them.
“I don’t know, I don’t know where they are or where I am. I’m not even familiar with any islands or ocean.”
The boy's face falls. He looks alarmed, confused, as if Madara had grown a second head.
“Ya don’t know what island you’re from?” The boy gawked. His jaw looked like it had unhinged with how far his jaw dropped.
“That’s super weird!! You’re lost!! That’s soo funny!” He cracks up, clapping as if it was the funniest joke anyone has told him.
“How’d you end up here? Did you wander off too far and got lost?” The boy continued laughing. Madara glared at him.
“I was in an emergency meeting with my clan’s elders! Discussing our next plan of action after the enemy’s attack!” Madara’s voice was tight.
That’s right. Madara had been in that meeting that entailed how they were going to retaliate to the Senju’s devastating blow. But Madara was so demented and deranged by Izuna’s passing that he wasn’t even mentally present throughout the whole ordeal.
Madara doesn’t even remember what chased him away from his clan’s grounds. All he remembered was the guilt and pain from it all, the pain that his clan was bringing him. He just wanted the world to end along with his brother.
Madara clicked his tongue in aversion. Trying to try to think of anything else.
“I.. I left my clan’s footprint and ran off into the wilderness. Next thing I know, I woke up in this foreign land.” Madara’s confusion and desperation are evident in his voice.
The boy’s laugh subsides and he holds his chin in wonder.
“Ne, that kinda reminds me of how I ended up here in the calm belt too. My crew and I were in a big fight with some marines. They were too strong for us and we were trying to get away. Next thing you know. This one bear guy touches Zoro and Zoro disappears out of thin air!” The boy looked serious, and his jaw was tight as he recounted the memory.
“One by one they disappeared because this guy had touched them with his fingers!” He held up his hand and pointed at his digits.
“I was the last one left and when he touched me, I was teleported through the air! I landed here! On these islands! Kinda like you did. But around me there was a big crater on the ground.”
Madara listened intently to the boy's story.
“..teleportation?”
“Yes! That’s what I was told it was! He kinda helped me escape the marines. But separated my crew and got us stranded all over the world!”
Madara’s knees wanted to buckle.
The world..?
The world Madara knew didn’t even pass foreign lands past the forest biome. His knowledge on the ocean didn’t pass anywhere past the islands of Uzushio.
“Though, when I found you, you weren’t in any sort of paw-paw crater or anything. You were sleeping on the ground like you laid down and took a nap.” The boy continued to ponder out loud.
Madara’s mind didn’t pay him any attention as his mind was reeling on what he’s learned.
The boy began to dig into their shared meal and Madara stared intently into the flames. His thoughts are going at a thousand miles per second..
Was this the Senju’s doing? Had the White demon created a jutsu that could send him miles and miles away. Casting him to the other side of the world?
Not only did he slaughter his brother, but he crippled the clan by removing him from the elemental nations!
Was this Hashirama’s plan to defeat the Uchiha? To bring his peace upon them once and for all?
His sharingan activated as he glared even harder into the flames.
“Boy. Tell me about this place. About where the hell we are!”
Madara had spent too long away, he needed to return as soon as possible.
“The island? Uhh.. the island is named something ruckisan..? Rusuia..? Rusukaina! And don’t call me boy! My name is Monkey D. Luffy! I’m gonna be king of the pirates!” The boy snapped before eating the remaining food.
“Tsk! Brat! You ate all my food!”
————
Luffy blinked owlishly at Madara.
“My ability to stretch..?”
Madara hoped the dolt didn’t question or take offense to him asking about his abilities.
Madara just wanted to understand who or what the hell he was trapped with.
“I ate a devil fruit! The Gum-Gum fruit. It turned my body to rubber, so I’m a rubber man now.” The boy pinched his cheek and stretched it. Madara inhales a sharp intake.
So disgusting!
“..rubber?” Madara gawked. To think his body worked like a living elastic—
“So you’re saying this is not genetic, not a kekkei genkai of some sort?” Luffy looked confused at Madara’s comment. He tilted his head and hummed.
“Nah, I’m the only gomu gomu man. It’s a devil fruit, not a… kekki genkai or whatever… is that what you have? Some sort of super cool ninja powers?!” Luffy beamed. The stars were back in his eyes as he leaned into Madara’s face with absolute adoration. Madara shoved him back.
The two have settled next to Madara’s makeshift campfire. The alligator came and the two were sitting against the creature’s body. Madara was still weirded out by the alligators' clear domestication. Hell, the animal knew it was just a future meal. What was it still doing here?
“Kekkei Genkai. It’s like a supernatural ability passed down through families. My clan in particular inherited the sharingan… the ability to see our opponents next move.” Madara explained after a one sided awkward silence, Luffy hummed contently.
A few words went over Luffy's head, but he got the gist of what Madara was saying.
Madara was hesitant to share his ability prowess, but Luffy’s eyes, so wide and adoring. Madara’s tongue slipped.
“Is that why your eyes turned red that one time? Sooo cool! So you can see what my next move is before I do it? Like a sort of future vision?” Luffy trembled in excitement. He hovered over Madara even though he pushed him away.
Madara feared the boy’s blood would run too fast and cause him to pass out. Kinda.
“Kind of.. I can’t say I’ve ever heard of a devilish fruit myself. A fruit with the ability to grant a life altering ability.” Madara said begrudgingly as he pushed the brat out of his face.
Luffy seemed to have no concept of personal space, something Madara wasn’t used to as people usually gave him wide berth so as to not offend him.
“Shishishi! Devilish fruits!” Luffy laughed at Madara’s silly way of pronouncing devil fruits.
“Devil fruits are really rare! There are three kinds. I got the Paramecia type. They're the kind that give ya superhuman powers or like body changing powers.”
“Yours being a fruit changed your body from flesh to rubber.” Madara thought out loud, the younger excitedly nodded.
Madara shuddered at the thought. He wondered if Luffy's organs were made of rubber. Maybe his brain was made of rubber and that's why he was such an airhead, a lack of brain activity causing him to be stupid.
That’s actually so sad... Izuna would laugh at him. He’d probably have a few jokes lined up.
Madara forces himself to have a straight face.
“You said three kinds, Paramecia is one of them. Such as the one you hold..”
“Yep! There is also Zoan and Logia too. Nee, Zoan fruits give you the power to change to an animal depending what it is.
No copies? If such amazing fruits existed how could there only be one of a kind?
“So you’re saying that someone out there has the ability to turn into a tiger? At will? And no one else can?” Luffy nodded excitedly again.
“And Logia types… hmmm.. they’re untouchable because their bodies turn into stuff. Like Smokey’s body can turn into smoke so you can’t grab him normally. Or um. Fire. You reach out to grab them but your hand goes right through them.”
Madara stared and processed what the boy told him. These.. devilish fruits grant just about overpowered abilities to whoever ate them.
“These abilities, they sound quite troublesome to deal with if they fall on the wrong hands. Who’s to say someone with a fruit's abilities goes rampant one day?”
Luffy laughs off Madara’s serious concern. “They do, everyday! That’s why there are Marines and stuff! They’re supposed to keep order.”
“But if you cannot grab a devil fruit user, then how do you stop hoodlums, or even put an end to them?”
“Shishishi! They’re plenty of ways to stop devil fruit users! All powers gotta weakness. I met a god with the body of lightning, but my gomu gomu power was his exact match! I punched him real hard for hurting my friends!”
“Then I met a sand-sand man, I threw water at him and he became solid again. I punched him real hard for hurting my friends too!”
“And there was this one time one of my crew members was taken by the World Government and a leopard man tried to stop me from getting to her. So I punched him really hard for taking my friend!”
Madara blinked. There seemed to be a pattern here.
“I think you’re the hoodlum that needs to be stopped—“
“But all devil fruits have the same weakness. We can’t swim! We sink like rocks! Shishishi!” Luffy laughed a full belly laugh, completely ignoring Madara’s comment.
“You cannot swim?” Madara gets it now. Why was the kid almost drowning when he kicked him into the river? Why hasn't the kid tried to swim to another island? Why the kid clearly hasn’t taken a bath—!
Okay maybe the lack of baths are a separate issue.. the boy was in the water just fine just now.
“Nah, it’s said the goddess of the ocean hates the devils in the fruits. So she drags them to the bottom of the ocean because she wants to drown us.”
“Goddess..” Madara thought out loud. Luffy mentioned fighting a god. It seemed like gods were a thing, like actual beings roaming among them.
Okay.
Madara felt like he was out of his depth. This complete idiot is having to explain a concept to him and Madara is barely grasping it.
Luffy makes it sound like it’s the very basics. Like it's normal. And Madara doesn’t understand.
“… you really don’t know anything..” Luffy mused after a long silence. Madara glanced at him but didn’t respond.
Luffy was able to read his forced poker face like a book. Madara felt fearful of what that meant, he ignored the feeling.
“It’s my first time hearing of such fruits. I’m going to be completely clear with you. I still don’t know what you’re talking about when you say marines and World Government. And what do you mean you fought gods?”
Madara didn’t mean to admit such shortcomings. Madara knew better to show weakness to somebody who could become his enemy at any second—!
“Shishishahaha! I’ve never seen anyone do a jutsu! Or ever met a ninja! And I’ve never heard of a genkai kekki either! It’s soo cool!”
Madara swallowed, before sighing and looking away.
He almost forgot. This guy was an idiot.
Madara wishes Izuna was here, he needed someone to help him.
———
Luffy eats a lot. Inhuman amounts of food. Enough food to feed entire armies, Madara is appalled.
It’s early the next morning, the tropical jungle covered in a thick fog. Everything is humid. Something Madara hadn’t seen before coming here.
“Those 3 hogs aren’t going to be enough for a snack, Urchin! I need 10 hogs for breakfast!” Luffy declared. He had a bloody stick in his hand that he had used to split the hogs heads open.
There was no way that brat was talking to him!
“What the hell did you just call me?” Urchin? Urchin??!! As in a -raggedy thief orphan- kind of urchin?
Sure, Madara might be raggedy… right now, but this brat is worse than him! He actually smells like shit! And he’s younger than him!
“HIYAAA!” Luffy used a giant tree to launch himself at a pack of wild hogs, using his body and stick to knock out the wild animals. Disgusting wet crunches were heard as his body and stick made impact.
Disgusting! Luffy used himself as an actual tool to hunt! Madara was intrigued and horrified.
That didn’t distract him from the nickname though.
“Hey! Monkey!”
Luffy didn’t even turn to look at him as he started hauling his breakfast.. irking Madara.
To be regarded so… casually. Madara felt a little bruising to his ego.
“I’m talking to you! Respond when spoken to!”
“Oh, Urchin! Help me with these hogs yeah? I got enough for breakfast for the two of us!!” The boy called over his shoulder gleefully.
Madara deflated a little bit.
Luffy began to sing a little jingle. Humming excitedly as he hit the hogs, making sure they were dead.
Madara was appalled as he stared at the boy. The nerve of this low born brat. To dare and bark orders at him as if he was his retainer. Did he think that he could command him as he pleased?
He stood in place for a few minutes debating if he should attempt to kill the brat for his audacity or continue to make his breakfast.
Madara decides against murder. He would rather eat his breakfast without a corpse at his side. He turns around and begins to set up an open flame.
Big enough for both of their breakfasts. But he is not helping Luffy cook.
“Hey! Where are you going? Help me with breakfast!”
“I’m going to make a campfire and I’ll be preparing my breakfast. Only my breakfast. Make your own food!”
“Oh. Sounds great! I’ll be right there in a second!” Madara wanted to blanch by Luffy’s headhardiness.
Who even eats that much anyway? For breakfast? All that food was going to spoil by the end of the day.
Madara scowls at the boy, he wasted resources just proving how incompetent and stupid he was.
That’s probably why there was little wildlife in the area. This numbskull brat probably left piles of meat to rot and killed for the hell of it. Disrupting the natural ecosystem.
To be around such a person irked him.
Luffy pulls up next to Madara with his hefty breakfast. Madara is already digging into his prepared meal, a single hog.
Neatly cut pieces, each piece on their own skewer, slow cooking under Madara’s watchful eye.
Madara eyes Luffy’s meal. Whole hogs on the stick. ‘At least they’re skinned and gutted, guess the idiot isn’t a complete savage’ Madara thought.
Luffy lined up all his hogs directly over the fire and kept muttering jingles.
“Food food food food! I love smoked hogs but they never beat Sanji’s cookin! I can’t wait to see them again! Shishishi!” Monkey sang before Madura tuned him out. Closing his eyes and eating his food quietly.
Madara relished the moment. Trying to appreciate the human interaction even though he wasn’t even enjoying it.
The longer Luffy sang his out of tune and rhythmless song, the harder Madara tried to remember how it sucked not hearing another human voice for months.
It was working. Madara began appreciating life for a moment.
Madara reached for the ribs he’s been anticipating and saved for last. They’ve been smoking over the flame for a minute, surely they’ll be the best tasting.
Madara imagined the tender food his retainers and servants made in the compound. Even in missions he was blessed with seasoning and spices to enrich his food.
Yet here he was, in the middle of nowhere, his mouth watering at gamey unseasoned hog meat.
Oh what he’d do to have his cooks cooking once more..
Without further ado, Madara takes a bite—
Or not!
His mouth doesn’t bite into anything, his hand is jolted and a single rib bone is left in his grasp.
Madara opens his eyes confused. Where did his food go?
“Yatta! I’m stuffed!”
It dawns on Madara what had just occurred.
Madara jumps to his feet, furious! Did this stinky peasant just do what he thinks he just did?!
“How dare you?! Did you just— you dare—?” His distress was so high, he didn’t even realize when his sharingan activated.
He’s appalled and offended. Never in his 26 years alive had he ever had anyone snatch anything from his grasps.
Luffy snatched the ribs right out of his hands, the tender meat slipping off the one rib Madara was grabbing onto. Leaving Madara with just the bare bone.
Madara’s peace gets killed in front of him every time. Every time!
Madara turns to glare at Luffy. He’s going to teach that wretched boy a lesson, his fury and pain overtaking him.
Madara felt HUMILIATED, reduced and treated as a commoner. His food was snatched from his hands, straight out of his MOUTH, just as he was about to take a bite—
Luffy burped and patted his stomach. About 4 times larger than he was 30 seconds ago.
“I over did it with the extra hogs! Phew! I should stick to the usual 10!” Luffy’s stomach was ridiculously huge. The boy looked like what Madara imagined the Akimichi would look like.
The sight was so comically sudden. It stopped Madara in his tracks and he just stared.
Was this the same lanky boy from earlier? Where did this morbidly obese guy come from?
‘This fattass ate my ribs!’
Overcoming the initial shock, Madara finally retaliates with a charged round house kick.
One filled with the fury that he has been holding down from within the deepest part of himself.
The unsuspecting Luffy is none the wiser as the kick hits him in the face and sends him flying. Literally like a bouncy ball.
Without getting a chance to react, Luffy bounces off a nearby tree and flies full force towards Madara.
The last thing Madara sees is a giant ball of fat flying towards him in slow motion.
Madara’s vision goes black.
——
Madara wakes up with a groan. His head was throbbing and the afternoon sun was blinding him. Madara raises a hand to block it to look around.
Instead, a shadow of a young man covered the sun above him. The person crouches over him, a deep and sorrowful frown covering his face.
The Monkey boy looked relieved that he was awake. Letting out a sigh, setting a hand on Madara’s head.
“Pheww, you didn’t wake up for a long time. It looked like you died..” the boy whined. Madara glared.
“You knocked me unconscious!”
“You’re the one who kicked me!”
“Because you snatched and ate my breakfast!”
“What does that have to do with anything?” Luffy yelled back.
Madara growled at him, the initial anger coming right back.
Luffy doesn’t continue arguing with Madara, he just huffs, seeming to get over it.
Luffy helps Madara up, wrapping his arm several times around Madara’s own. Hauling him up effortlessly and gently setting him down, before he pats Madara down.
Dusting off his shoulders, Madara’s loincloth, and patting his hair to get the dust off.
Luffy quickly looks him over before looking Madara in the eye.
Madara felt indignant at the treatment he received from the simpleton. Especially when he stared him down.
He was not used to people looking him in the eye. Only idiots like Hashirama had the guts to do so.
Most would avoid even looking at his face, the infamy of the uchiha sharingan was well known in his region.
“Shishishi! You’re really bratty! And kinda a snob! People like you annoy me! Shishishi!”
Luffy seems to have concluded that he doesn’t really hate Madara. He is just kind of annoyed with him. Madara blanched his mind short circuiting as he processed what the hell just happened to him.
How the hell is he supposed to react to that?
As a child the only people to call him brat or teased him, were his older brothers. After their deaths, he became clan heir and nobody dared to disrespect him.
Even Hashirama spoke to him with some level of respect.
Yet this brat, single handedly humiliated him. He even insulted him to his face.
If he reacted negatively, he fears that it would be seen as bratty.
The numbskull idiot would continue to wave him off, as if he was a pestering noble brat throwing a tantrum. And like hell he would be rubbing elbows with the imbecile.
Great. What was he supposed to do? He should put the idiot in a genjutsu, but that’s retaliation.. isn’t it?
Humbled and defeated. Madara didn’t respond. He just huffed and decided to walk away.
Which normally would’ve removed him from the situation, except Luffy followed him. Deciding that their conversation wasn’t done. Madara didn’t hesitate to pick up his speed, intending to leave the buffoon behind.
“Where ya going? You’re feeling better already? You were out for a long time..”
For the first time. Madara began to wonder about his future. His life now. Is this what he’s stuck with now? For the rest of his life?
It hasn’t even been a day and Madara is already regretting everything and maybe even debating suicide.
Maybe the gods will be merciful and reincarnate him back into the Uchiha clan. That way he cannot feel homesick again.
With a sigh, Madara leads Luffy away, they walk together and walk back into a familiar opening.
A single large tree in the center. A very conspicuous tree Madara remembers running into several times before. Out of anywhere else in the island, this area was completely untouched by the wildlife and weather. Even Luffy hasn’t laid a finger here.
Madara would bet this area is the safest. No damage of any kind has been done here.
“Oh! It’s the tree!” Luffy finally stopped following him and ran excitedly towards the daikon shaped tree. He launches himself and his arms stretch several times around it.
With a chance to finally be left alone, Madara tries to leave while Luffy is distracted.
Which doesn’t go unnoticed by Luffy, who quickly snatches Madara by the waist and slings him toward him
Madara yelps as he is snatched up and tossed like a rag doll, his body colliding against the tree.
Cursing and seeing stars, Madara clutches his head in pain and sits up. “What the hell? Don’t do that!” Meanwhile Luffy is clutching random articles to his chest.
“Look! Urchin-nee, This is my hat!” And from inside the hat, he pulls out a tattered piece of paper. Bloodied and crumpled up into a ball. He throws it Madara’s way before turning around and grabbing other things behind him.
Madara glares at Luffy before curiously opening the paper. He's confused when it's empty, turning it around and surprised at the face looking back at him.
It was Luffy! A very crumpled up, faded illustration of Luffy!
“……400,000,000 ₿..”
What..?
“Shishishi! That’s my bounty! Pretty neat huh?”
A bounty? This was a very serious number. If this currency was of any similar value to “ryo” this would suggest Luffy was a very nefarious criminal of some sort.
“Is this real? What is this?” Madara couldn’t believe it.
This wasn’t any of Madara’s business. Even if the guy was showing it off. Madara didn’t really care.
There were plenty of ninja running around with bounties on their heads. But that just meant that they offended a high ranking official or noble.
Those were the only people who had the funds to place a bounty.
He doesn’t want to entertain the boy more than he already is. What the boy does is none of his responsibility or business.
Especially after he disrespected him. Madara doesn’t want to associate himself with him.
Rolling his eyes, Madara drops the paper on the ground and gets up to escape again. He was still embarrassed and his ego needed to recover a little bit.
“Whatever, this bounty business is of very little importance to me.” Madara turns to leave, Luffy doesn't even hear anything he said, only yanks out some random old folded papers.
“Look! I found what I was lookin for!”
Madara turns, still walking away but his attention grabbed.
“Look look! Here! Ya wanna see what I did? It’s written here! Look! This picture is me!”
“What?”
“Lemme show you!”
Luffy luckily didn’t snatch him or manhandle him, Madara had the freedom to walk towards him out of his own accord.
Luffy sat on the ground, laying open some tattered old papers. The pages looked a bit water damaged but legible.
Or Madara assumed it was legible. Because as soon as he looked over the boy’s shoulder, he saw lines of characters that he was not familiar with.
Instead of kanji characters that he’s very much familiar with, the characters looked very foreign. Madara doesn’t even know what to even make of them.
His eyes wander aimlessly over the pages and land over the various illustrations etched on the page.
“Right here! This is me on this marine ship!” Luffy points at an illustration of a large ship, three silhouettes on the vessel. Pointing particularly at one silhouette.
Madara’s eyes scan over the illustrations.
The boy looked a bit solemn in the illustration, as if he was praying respects to someone. In the background there seemed to be ample destruction and men trying to attack him from behind.
But the figure beside that shocked him.
What was wrong with that man?
It seemed to be human but the man had large tusk-like teeth and just seemed quite odd.
Madara leaned in trying to get a better view of the man.
“What is that?” He asked, pointing at the illustration of Jimbei.
“Oh, that's Jimbei. He’s a friend of mine and a fishman.” Luffy cackled as he held up the newspaper while beaming with pride.
“A…a fishman?” Madada was confused by that statement.
‘How can a person be a fish? Would that mean the guy has one giant fish tail and fins?’
“This was me! Of course. I had to let the world know I survived and let my crew know when I was coming back.” Luffy laughed as he let himself fall back on the grass.
Madara takes the stack of papers and starts staring intently at all the details on the print.
These were very detailed illustrations, they looked like someone very skilled drew this. Madara was extremely impressed. He started going through the stacks of papers.
They seemed so full of information, Madara recognized the numbers at the top of the page as the date. Their calendar seems to be the same as his own.
Madara skimmed over the writing, staring intently at illustrations of destruction, illustrations of men dressed in white tailored uniforms. Flags with a strange cross design.
Turning the page, there was a line up of faces. Luffy’s was among them. Madara frowned.
“What is this? Is this a record of some sort?”
Luffy was apparently yapping about some nonsense. Madara wasn’t paying attention. Luffy cuts himself off to enthusiastically answer Madara’s question.
“The paper? You mean that? That’s the morning coo! The newsletter!” Madara’s perplexed face doesn’t change. Luffy sweat dropped and tried again.
“It’s the paper that the seagulls bring, they’re everywhere!” Madara’s frown deepens.
“You’re so dumb! It’s the paper that updates you on all the news!”
Madara growls, “Shut up, I’m just asking normal questions…”
He pauses for a moment. “So seagulls…”
“They bring this paper filled with information? What… What kind of information? And who is the one supplying that information?” he asks tentatively.
Were they some organized group that gathered intel?
This concept of sharing information was something he had never heard of or imagined being possible.
Back home the information would be skewered to benefit the people spreading it.
Even in his clan he had a group of specialized individuals who sorted and vetted information gathered by his field shinobi.
How could people trust this so-called Newsletter?
“How reliable is this?” Madara asked as he pointed at the paper.
Luffy cocked a brow. “Huh?”
“How can you trust that they aren’t lying or fabricating things in this-this newsletter?”
Luffy picks at his nose. “Robin and Nami use it to keep up with the news. So I guess it should be reliable.” He shrugs while flicking his bugger towards Madara.
Madara hissed as he dodged and glared at Luffy.
He pointed at a random column. Luffy grunted. “I don’t wanna. If you're so interested then read it yourself."
Madara stood there gobsmacked at the little runt's response.
How was he supposed to read it if he had never seen this script before?
“I don’t have my reading glasses, so I am unable to do so.” Madara responded by trying to trick the brat into reading the paper outloud.
Madara prayed he bought the lie, he’d rather die than to admit…. Anything to this idiot.
If this was news maybe it would mention his homeland. How reliable was this source?
“Hehehe, you use glasses? You’re such an old man urchin-nee.” Luffy laughed and Madara felt the urge to toss the brat into a pond.
‘I used to toss Izuna into the koi pond’
The sudden memory of his late brother being slung over his shoulder and landing in the Koi pond made him lose his sudden burst of energy.
Madara suddenly sulked, Luffy spared him a glance before looming over the column that Madara pointed at.
“Ehhh… uhhh… —the first son of the sea and ex-warlord Jimbei, managed to take over a navy ship and use this ship to escape the inescapable Impel Down prison.” Luffy stuttered a bit at the longer words and didn’t properly pause at the appropriate moments, his words sounding rushed and choppy. He kept reading anyway.
“Along with Okama Queen; Ivankov, ex-crew member of Gold Roger’s crew; Buggy the clown, Ex-warlord Desert King; Crocodile, the new upstart from the worst generation; Strawhat Luffy. Taking alongside them over 240 convicted criminals to Marineford headquarters.”
“Alongside various notorious pirate crews and White beard they lay siege on—” Luffy abruptly stopped and pulled away.
Madara turned to look at the boy. What the hell happened next?! Why did he suddenly stop?
What the hell happened with the King, Queen, War Lords and clown guy? 240 convicted criminals? Did they stage a rebellion towards their Damiyo?
No wonder this guy had an insane bounty.
He ordered plenty of assasination and led a few war campaigns, but he never directed his forces towards the Fire Daimyo and as the leader of a noble clan he was still considered part of their court.
Did they lead a siege? Broke out of an inescapable prison!?
“Is this true?” Madara asked and Luffy sighed.
“Yeah, I guess.” He huffed, dismissing the conversation.
Madara wondered if this is why Luffy resided alone on this island. He was most definitely in hiding, or maybe this was his punishment. Being outcasted in isolation.
Which was great. That would mean he’s imprisoned with Luffy. Madara quickly throws that idea away.
He let out a sigh, the newsletter didn’t seem to hold any information regarding his homeland. If stuff like this was in there.
“Its just old news. But- I’ll make a comeback soon enough. I hope those Marine guys are ready for the Strawhat Pirates to make a comeback! shishishishi.” He did a 180, cheering loudly.
That was reassuring. Whatever Luffy did isn’t going to stop Luffy from going back out there, he supposed.
Madara almost feared to ask, “How long has it been?”
“Nee, it’ll hit two years soon.”
Madara suddenly thinks he will be stuck here forever. The younger one has been hiding out here for two years already. Who’s to say how much longer he’s going to stay here?—
“See this mark here? This was a message I sent to my crew.” Luffy pointed at a particular close shot of himself. His shoulder in the illustration covered in strange symbols.
Madara recognizes the numbers thrown in there.
“When we first got separated, we agreed to find each other after three days. I did a ‘public stunt’ to make these newsletter guys post me with this on my shoulder. Shishishi, my master and my friend, Rayleigh and Jimbei helped me plan this!” Luffy pointed at the other silhouettes in the illustration. Madara now knows what the two looked like.
“Does doing ‘public stunts’ earn you a section on these news pages? In that case, nothing but the latest criminal would be on these pages.” Madara exclaimed.
“Yeah, that’s what the news Coo is, did I not say that?”
Madara could argue that he really didn’t.
“It is almost time for me to leave and reunite with my crew. And when I do, I'll make Sanji, cook a feast and we are going to throw a welcome back party!”
Madara suddenly doesn’t care about the fish man, war lords, prison breakouts or the concept of newsletters.
The brat had a way off this island?!
“You’re leaving!? How?”
Why the fuck didn’t he mention this before?
“Eh, on a ship?”
“No you idiot! What ship? Where are you getting a ship from?”
Luffy grinned widely at the thought of his friend, “Hammock! The person I told ya about!”
The younger had mentioned them before, Madara remembers that he told him they were the Leader of the nearest island. A Warlord.
“They’re taking you?” Did he have a way of contacting them? If the boat was lying around he would snatch it up and leave the godawful kid behind. Yet again he was a ninja not a sailor and he had no clue how to steer or man a ship.
“Do you know when?” Madara asked eagerly, trying to get the information out of the scatterbrained idiot.
Luffy put his hand on his chin, closing his eyes and thinking. “Hmmmm…” he obnoxiously hummed. Madara wasn’t even annoyed this time by Luffy’s annoying habit.
“Maybe three months. I have no idea what day it is..” Luffy frowned. He clearly has no clue.
“You said your rendezvous point day is in two years, and you don’t know what day it is?”
“I do know when it is! Boa is picking me up when it’s time!”
Luffy keeps name dropping so many individuals and Madara is keeping note of all of their names. How the hell would he know any of them are? He doesn’t know. But he’s so incredibly out of his depth here.
“So you’re saying it can be any day.. what the hell are you even doing on this island in the middle of nowhere?” Madara snapped.
This brat infuriated him. It was like there wasn’t a single thought in that rubber head of his.
“Eh, I am here to train and get stronger… Did you also come to this island to train and get stronger?” Luffy asked, completely changing the subject.
“No, what are you- ugh did you already forget? I told you a while ago.” Madara felt like his head was going to explode.
This was his ticket out. He refused to die on this forsaken island, and if he had to buddy up with this obnoxious idiot. Then it was a sacrifice he was willing to make.
“When you leave, take me with you.” Madara stated seriously.
Luffy stood there quietly for a moment. Did this mean he would have a ninja on his crew.
Stars seemed to fill Luffy’s eyes. “Hell yeah! You can join my crew! I have a singing skeleton, reindeer, a cyborg and now a Ninja!” Luffy cheered and Madara’s face dropped.
Wait…. He didn’t want to join this kids crew. He just needed a way out.
“No! No. No! I’m not joining your… group of criminals. I’m just traveling with you,”
“Shishishi! I’m so excited to introduce you to my crew, they’ll be so surprised when they see a ninja!”
“Hey, we’re clear that I’m not joining your— your crew. Are we clear on that?”
If Luffy is out here causing problems for their damiyos Madara wanted no part of that.
Madara wanted no issues with any kind of authority here, where he’s powerless. He doesn’t need to worry about any opponents trying to stop him. With their strange devil abilities or whatever.
“Whyyy? We could go on so many cool adventures!”
“I’m trying to get back to my clan, not play pirate with criminals. I am only asking for a ride off of this island. I’ll be out the way afterwards.”
Luffy gave him a look before turning around and muttering something into the wind that Madara didn’t quite hear.
“What was that?”
“Oh, nothing nothing…” Luffy looked off to the side and whistled. That brat was lying!
Luffy folded all his belongings back up and placed them right back under the tree, Madara was observing him closely, the brat definitely planned on keeping him in his little team.
Madara won’t let him!
Looking up at the sky, Madara realized it’s late afternoon, a whole new day of a whole lotta nothing. He spent the whole day with Luffy.
He needs to get back to his personal camp. He has spent the whole day away from the altar. He misses Izuna’s presence.
Madara gets up, his mood has shifted and he starts to leave.
“Wait for me, I have to put everything back up!” Luffy calls from behind, Madara turns around and stops Luffy from following him any more.
“No, no. I’m heading back to my camp now, I have personal matters to attend to.” Luffy furrows his brows at that.
“ A person’s matters?—“
“I have prior engagements that I need to attend to.” Madara dismisses Luffy, who just stands there confused.
Madara can hear him ask himself if there is another person on the island that he doesn’t know about.
He seems to process what Madara said before nodding decisively as he came to the conclusion of something.
Madara takes his time to breathe after leaving Luffy, the silence engulfs him once more.
He jumps off the ground and leaps onto the tree tops. Taking the long scenic route back to his camp.
The sky is golden colored when he lands back in a familiar opening. Madara found himself panting and sweaty after taking several detours and sprinting unnecessarily.
He kinda needed that.
He slows down, finally allowing himself to catch his breath and falls to his knees in front of a simple but very well maintained altar.
A white rock, a little on the shinier side. Madara etched Izuna’s name onto the center. A heartfelt epitaph written below. One that Madara adds to almost every few weeks.
He kneels at the altar’s presence for a while, this day was the most eventful day he’s had since he’s gotten here. And he’s learned a lot. Maybe he should’ve been in coalition with the monkey boy from the very start.
Madara is socially exhausted. If anything, any new revelations he’s learned today is something to fear, to be extremely cautious about.
Luffy was dangerous, and clearly has a big target on his back. He himself said that he’s been on this unreachable island for 2 years training for whatever reason.
If push comes to shove, and Luffy gets in a pinch that he cannot get out of, Madara is leaving him. He cannot afford getting caught up with the boy when his clan is waiting for him.
“Izuna, my dearest brother..” Madara began to pray. He told his brother all about the new information he got, and his concerns.
If Izuna was here, Madara wouldn’t be struggling so much right now. If only he had his younger brother here.
Madara felt frustrated, the more he thought about it, the more Madara wanted to curse out the Senju. Swearing up and down that they were somehow at fault for all of this.
Putting all the blame on the Senju out of hatred.
It really has been a long time and Madara cannot get over it, he just can’t.
Madara ended his prayer but stayed kneeled as he basked in the altar’s presence. If he meditated hard enough, he could pretend that Izuna was right next to him.