There was no way to comprehend the timing, no shadows to follow, or sun to watch, but by measure of small days alone huddled in his apartment starving for food and wanting for the lock to be undone on his door; he could count the seconds, the minutes, easily, if he wished to. As it were, it had been an hour, filled only by the slight shift of his clothing when he wiggled against the stone walls to gain a margin more comfort on one of his sides, or from the oh-so-sudtle shift of chains. There was no sentence in his mind, no topic readily in his head, he expected nothing and had only come for the escape. Although, without his own rationality speaking excuses, he knew that he had indeed come to see the veteran in want for a type of company none else could provide. Even if it was within a silence between two persons who had no business holding each others' company.
"You seem to know things you shouldn't about Konoha in these modern times, being dead as long as you were." It weren't a question, not in truth, no answer need come. Still, it had been his want for understanding that made it slip from his lips; a man lost in a desert not conserving his water properly and drinking regardless. As his head leant against the hard wall, eyes closing and not bothering to leave despite emotional exhaustion forcing him down. There was a brief rattle of chains, one he could sadly recognize by now as that of the other man attempting to move his shoulder for a scrap of comfort in his arms.
"Men need to eat, I am no different. Guards pay no heed to those they think impuissant, there is much to learn when there are no further distractions, save straining the ear." Naruto near laughed for the phrasing, amused mainly for the fact that it was by some measure blunt and sarcastic in equal force. Smudges of disdain, distaste, tethered within the words as a tickling additive. Still, where the wording might have confused him before, he understood it now. He chuckled a little low in his throat with the knowledge presented. Not surprised, though wishing to some trifle percent that he could be.
"Do they say anything interesting?" It slipped away before he considered it properly, though he scoffed for the fact that he had no true care that it had. In response he earned a dry chuckle, coming almost as superior; as if the man were not in chains, beaten and bloody, by some manner- perhaps by intensity of his character, Naruto felt as if Madara held control.
"All manners. A pathetic exemplification of weakness within Konoha- shinobi are not to think any man, any woman, impotent. Yet, perhaps I am wrong, and no threat remains within or without Konoha for the 'unity' of your nations. For the safety in knowing there shall never be any traitor to the village, never a wronged man who will call forth for revenge and in so doing bring with him chaos once more." The words had him grasping at his knees and pulling taught into himself, head lowered momentarily in recognition of their truth- all knew such unity had been temporary, but it was an ignored fact for want of ignorance. With greatest threat gone, each nation would take to arousing themselves as that new power. Konohagakure being no different. Despite that fact even he could acknowledge, there was a margin of hypocrisy to the statement which riled at his ire, that meager portion of him which still managed anger rather then dull acceptance.
"Just as you did?" It was spat, with petulance, with a want to hold an upper ground, to be right, and proven wrong; proven that his village was not so flawed and that the man afore him would look back upon his actions and comprehend he spoke of himself. What he gained was a cold response, frigid.
"I never betrayed Konoha, despite what lies you may have read. The attack I inflicted was upon the governance. I did not attack the village directly, I did not leave as a traitor, nor had I any want to destroy my home- my grievance was for what it would become. I supported Hashirama's ascension onto the role. However, Tobirama was to become next Hokage- and as I held the mantle of Patriarch of my clan at the time, it was my responsibility to insure they were not harmed for a Senju's leadership. The man's prejudice against my clan was obvious to all, he made hardly a bid to hide, for in truth, his views were held by many. He saw us not as allies, not as founders, but rather as prisoners who were to be monitored and used for a power he, himself, feared. My fears were dismissed as a paranoia due to war, nathless I love my clan and I pushed for comprehension of my fears from them and Hashirama. It did nought. Tobirama, though, I admit, perhaps noblely intentioned; wished to lead Konoha as an army to be feared; rather then a symbol of the peace that could be. Entirely against the ideal myself and Hashirama fought for." There was no particular emotion lining his voice, it was sharply spoken, a jibe, an icicle of rigid fact. Yet, there was something edged within, and it was hard to ignore, least for someone knowledgeable unto the minuscule divits hidden with voices; sadness. Madara spoke with the lisp of depression just lightly pressing over his tone. None whom could not vouch under their experience as people could recognize, nor so much as hear the mist of it over his words.
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Two Leaf Fires (MadaNaru)
FanfictionIt was an era which one of them knew well. To the other, the ancient past. To both, a place wherein so much was familiar, similar, to what they had known, and yet, the differences were too large -too obstructing to ignore. In this: An analogous real...
