Twin Leaves in the Shadow

第19章

Hashirama was frozen in place, staring down the dark hallway. Madara brushed past him and rushed down the hall.

Finally coming to his senses, Hashirama started running after Madara to stop him.

"Madara, wait!" He called out in a panicked voice.

The Uchiha ignored him as he continued dashing through the halls. He had a look of panic on his face. Hashirama knew if Madara caught up, he would let his emotions take over.

"You don't even know if it's what you think," Hashirama expressed, finally catching up with him.

Madara stopped dead in his tracks. He was just steps away from being out in the village. He turned around to look at Hashirama, who was already walking towards him.

"They could have heard everything," Madara whispered.

"It could have been just one of the aides walking by. Nothing has happened since the first incident, either. Don't do anything hasty until we know something, okay?" Hashirama said, trying to sound comforting. Deep down, he was just as freaked out, but he had to remain calm for Madara.

"Maybe we shouldn't stay together tonight," Madara suggested sheepishly.

Hashirama grabbed his hand and intertwined their fingers. He forced a smile for Madara, hoping his facade would hold through.

"I want to be with you."

"We are getting careless," Madara sighed.

"I'm not afraid to be with you," Hashirama declared confidently.

"Aren't you worried? So much is at stake if we get caught-"

"I don't care if the whole world knows. I love you and I want to be with you," Hashirama interjected.

"But it's me, Hashirama. You don't understand what this could mean for you," Madara argued.

Hashirama looked sadly at the man in front of him. He was right. Hashirama didn't really know what would happen if they were caught.

"I don't want to dwell on what-if's. I want to live right now, with you. Nothing else matters to me," Hashirama said sincerely.

He pulled gently on Madara's hand as an attempt to get him to follow. Madara reluctantly allowed him to take the lead and followed him out into the village. He wasn't satisfied with their conversation, but he didn't feel like arguing anymore. The only thing he could do is let Hashirama learn the hard way. No matter how much he tried to express the dangers of people knowing, it just fell on deaf ears. He just needs faith that Hashirama knows how to fix any problems that may occur.

When they arrived at Hashirama's home, not much was said between them. They didn't waste time getting ready for bed and crawling into the covers. Hashirama wrapped himself around Madara, pulling him close to his chest. He could sense that he still felt uneasy.

"Try to get some rest, my love," Hashirama whispered as he gently rubbed his hand along Madara's back.

Madara could feel his eyes getting heavier as he relaxed under the touch of Hashirama. Within a few minutes, he was fast asleep....

"Hashirama?" Madara called out frantically.

He was standing so far away with his back facing Madara. It seemed like they were in a long, dark hallway. It was a place that Madara did not recognize. Madara reached out his hand and began running towards Hashirama, in an effort to try and reach him.

"Hashirama? Talk to me!" Madara called out again. His voice was shrill with fear.

Hahsirama remained standing and appeared to be unable to hear his cries. Madara tried running faster, but he wasn't getting any closer. His eyes scanned around frantically. He wasn't moving forward at all. The walls and floors around him were getting longer, keeping him away from Hashirama.