My Precious

Chapter Twenty-Five

Chapter Twenty Five:

"You! You're such a damn idiot!" Madara yelled at Hashirama the moment he re-entered the room by himself.

Hashirama just half chuckled, and rubbed the back of his neck. He wasn't laughing because he thought this situation was funny. No, he was laughing out of nervousness. Nervous that he wasn't sure how Madara would react once he saw Hashirama when they were alone, but he knew he couldn't avoid this forever. He had to face the music sooner or later.

" I'm so glad you find this so damn funny! I bet you wouldn't be laughing if this was your own child!" Madara seethed out, glaring at the other.

Hashirama seemed to get serious at the point. He dropped the smile, and walked over to his long time friend. He glanced at Kiayo. Madara really had no idea just how guilty Hashirama felt for all of this happening.

"My son was hurt too, ya know." Hashirama said simply, softly, glancing over at Madara, hoping to calm him down just the slightest.

There was a moment of tense silence between the two, both just staring at each other. However, after the few moments were over, Madara just scoffed, shaking his head. He adapted the scowl again, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Your son isn't laying in here right now. Your son isn't unconscious right now. Your son doesn't have poison running through his body. Kiayo is! She's the one whose in the hospital right now! She's the one with the poison in her body! You know, for someone who is supposed to be the all mighty "God of Shinobi", you couldn't prevent this from happening?! What was the point of this whole damn village in the first place if we can't prevent what happened to us as kids, happen to our own kids?!" Madara emphasized his point by pointing to Kiayo's body. Hashirama glanced back at her, a new wave of guilt coming over him. He swallowed the bile raising in his throat, and looked back at Madara.

"And as her teacher, you could have prevented this from happening!" Madara dropped his hand, but still glared at Hashirama."Kami! Why did he give someone with so little brain, so much power?! You could have prevented this!"

Madara was pissed at everyone and everything. He was pissed that this even happened. He was pissed that the counselors saw fit to give this mission to a bunch of children when there were plenty other capable shinobi in the village. He was pissed that Hashirama even accepted the mission when he knew better. Madara was even pissed at himself. He was pissed that he had those misgivings. That he had a bad feeling, and could have said something, but didn't say anything. He was angry that he felt like he was not fulfilling his promise to Izuna. He was angry that he was faced with the prospect of losing Kiayo, like he had lost his family.

A heavy, familiar weight weighed even more in his chest, making his mind race with a million worries. A million blames.

As the silence again fell between the two, Hashirama tried to find the right words to say. He was never very good with words, but with the Uchiha's anger so clear that it was practically palpable in the air, it made words even harder to come up with to say, but it gave Hashirama time to really think about what Madara had said, and with a startling clarity he realized that in some light, he had also agreed with Madara on some level. He had those bad feelings as well, and he supposed he could have argued more against the mission than what he did. He tried his best to protect the kids, and keep them out of site. He just never expected those shinobi low lives to do what the did...

"You don't think I don't feel guilty about any of this at all?" Hashirama finally spoke up, looking at Madara with a saddened look. The look seemed to throw Madara off for a moment, but then he quickly scowled, and shook his head as he looked back at Kiayo's still body.

"She could be dying! If she does, I swear, I'll...I'll..." For the first time in a long time, the words that Madara wanted to say caught in his throat. Why that was, he couldn't be sure, but Hashirama still caught on. His eyebrows furrowed together, scowling just the slightest.

"You'll what? You'll leave?" Hashirama asked firmly, now almost scowling. Madara didn't answer as he just continued to look at Kiayo with a scowl on his face. That was answer enough for Hashirama. Without thinking, he tentatively reached out to move a piece of fallen hair from Kiayo's face. Madara looked at him, scowled again, and smacked his hand away.

"Don't touch her! I swear, every time one of you damn Senju gets near any of my family, they die! You're like a damn poison!" Something in Madara's seething tone made Hashirama snap.

"You don't think I feel just as guilty, if not more than you?! I tried my best to protect them!" All of Hashirama's anger, guilt, and everything else about this situation just came flooding to him." I tried my best to get out of this, and they wouldn't budge! They thought it was a good idea for the kid to come along, and get experience! I am their sensei, you're right! I could have done more! But I tried my best! There's nothing we can do!" Madara just scoffed, rolling his eyes as he turned so he couldn't see the Senju anymore.

"Just leave me alone." Madara didn't even sound angry when he said this to Hashirama. He just sounded...Tired. Hashirama reached out towards Madara, wanting to comfort his friend, but Madara just scowled, and smacked his hand away."Leave me!" Hashirama paused for a moment, still torn about what to do, and then just sighed in defeat as he shook his head, and walked out of the room. What else could he do?