He awakened with the press of gentle water against his cheek, cold and soothing, though the obvious sound of crunching stones by his head disturbed his memory of having been alone; and he drew upwards pushing himself back while drawing a kunai from his back pouch. Already prepared for an attack within his village boundaries- it would not be a single occurrence. However, in opening his eyes he found a towering figure staring down upon him under a recognizable curtain of endarkened black hair and imposing glowful irises, instinct had him lower his weapon slightly for the sight as familiarity came upon him drawn from their conversations.
He wore a pair of simplistic trousers as he did within Konoha's cellar, no shirt; highlighting the obvious burn marks from chains upon his wrists with some scars behind, cuts still bleeding red from the mistreatment of his jailers. Although he wore no sandals there was no indication on his face from discomfort, he stood straight with a rested stoic expression firmly bearing down upon Naruto's uncomfortable figure as the genin forced himself to stand- still wary that he may be attacked from the powerful man. Finding himself far shorter than anticipated in conjunction with the Uchiha; and this was in comprehension that he had fought Madara previously- he knew how he had stood in comparison during the war, had he shrunk?
Nonetheless, he pushed away the selfish want to be tall and made a brief glance around the area he had found himself waking up within- criminal Uchiha and all. It remained the riverbank nearby the training field by all simplistic appearance, however the training logs which had once stood as if in a reminder had disappeared. The sun shone bright down onto the both of them, and in looking about his eyes flinched against the bright light in unwant as he desired the calming darkness which the rain had brought with its clouds and soothing rhythms.
Naturally, by intergained caution he kept most his attention upon the man afore him, who had done nothing in action, only continued to evaluate his own movements as if in a judgement of character. They ended up staring at each other for want of comprehension or so it was made to seem by the swift in their environments from a cause unknown unto both shinobi. Yet, Madara made to sigh has hand firmly arrested upon his hip and the direction of his gaze placed firm in undermining Naruto's very position before him.
Naruto felt his gaze fall to the ground once more, pity and clogging uncertainty taking his mind. He had chosen his course as it were, there was no way to return, no reason to do so. Yet, glancing around at the unfamiliar terrain and knowing it to be that of a different time entirely had his instinct grasping at a thin thread and pulling tight. His posture shifted, a sense within himself not at all birthed from rationality had him wishing to run. "Only a weak man runs from a better life; be there any consequence."
The aura around them was solem, obscured into a heavy atmosphere by the knowledge of where they were, and in the presence of one another. It were unexpected even unto himself, yet in the grasp of such a aura- Naruto felt the gripping similarity of his childhood need to lighten an area with the most optimism he could- it warmed at the depths of his chest and the curvature of his cheeks as he grinned upon automatic influence. "Ha!- well since I'm not leaving I guess that means you just called me a strong shinobi!" It came frothing from the same joyful optimism he had possessed in his youth- that same feeling of childhood which he did not know he still held; bubbling as foam within the pit of his abdomen in a glee he had almost missed expressing.
Still, even as he made the joke he saw Madara still in his movement, before he skipped the rock he'd chosen against the water and it clicked soft against the shore of the other side; Madara turned to face him then, however wavering from the firm stoic express Naruto had expected Madara wore a smirk which stretched to his eyes nearly appearing as a smile upon a man so typically reserved in emote. "Sounds like a compliment!" He let himself finish, grinning as he did so.
YOU ARE READING
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...
