Lost In Time: VoT Prequel

Bloodstained Eyes

Madara watched Hinata carefully, the jewel in his grasp. The jewel was slowly beginning to lighten, but as soon as it would lighten in color it would darken back down. This is how he knew she was in inner turmoil. He looked back up from the jewel to see she had vanished, however he knew where she had gone.

Izuna stood in the training field his target was a set of three trees, one had the name Tobirama carved into it's surface, the next had the name Butsuma carved into it, and the last had Hashirama carved into it. Blood mainly stained the tree with Tobirama's name carved into it. Izuna's knuckles were bruised and bloody, but he rushed forwards once more and continued his attack on the tree.

Hinata approached Izuna when he finished his second round of attacking the tree. “Let me see..." She says and he crammed his hands in his pockets. "Please, Izuna." She pleaded and grabbed his wrists.

Swollen red eyes continued to stay glued to the stone before him, the color continued to flicker and he frowned. He wanted to help her in her fight, but she was becoming distant with him and she was becoming closer to Izuna… he couldn’t quite understand the change, but he knew it was because of his father’s passing. He was furious as well, but unlike Izuna and Hinata, he had control over his anger.

He crouched in the tree and watched as Hinata approached Izuna and pleaded for him to stop. Eventually he watched as she forced him to let her see his hands. The concern in her soft eyes gave him the slightest twinge of jealousy, but he squashed it right back down because this was no time for that in the slightest. There was no reason for it either. He watched as she turned to  him and pinpointed his exact location.

He hopped out of the tree and made his way over to them. “Are you two alright?” he asked and Hinata nodded, but Izuna didn’t utter a single word. Izuna just continued to stare away from the two of them. “Hinata will you meet us at the compound? I need to speak with Izuna…” he said and Hinata offered a small nod before she set off for the compound.

“I’m not trying to steal her from you.” Izuna spat and Madara frowned at him. “I didn’t think you were trying. That isn’t what I wanted to talk to you about either way…” Madara said and Izuna looked up at him in confusion. “I thought you’d been avoiding me lately because she was always with me…” Izuna said and Madara frowned. “No, that wasn’t it at all, Izuna… I was… Avoiding her…” Madara whispered the last part, his regret seeping into his words.

“Why?” Izuna asked and Madara broke eye contact to look at his hands. “Those eyes… I couldn’t stand to look at them…” he whispered and Izuna frowned. “Understandable… how did you realize you’d been avoiding her?” Izuna asked and Madara frowned. “She was walking around with her eyes closed, she could tell that I couldn’t look her in the eyes.” He said and Izuna nodded. “I see… Well, brother… what is it?” Izuna asked and Madara frowned.

“I’ve received word that Hashirama has taken over the clan due to injuries his father sustained in our last fight.” Madara said and Izuna furrowed his brow, his lip twitching in disgust. “What are you saying?” Izuna asked, suspecting that his brother had developed a non-violent plan of action. “Well, Izuna…” he began, watching his younger brother to test his reaction.

“I say we strike when they least expect it. Hashirama is no doubt going to try and negotiate with us, and he thinks we are going to be mourning our father still, we should go and strike when they think we are out. But I think that we should leave the clan behind… they are starting to… disagree with our methods.” Madara said and Izuna watched him carefully.

“Of course, brother… I’m quite ashamed that I doubted your rage for even a moment.” Izuna said and Madara smirked at him. “They took our mother and our father… I think we should take their lives as payment…” he said, but froze when he felt Hinata’s chakra behind him. The color of the pink jewel flared red.