Archive of Our Own ^beta

Madara just really wanted to go around his day in peace.

If he got his way, he’d already be at Hashirama’s grave (same as every day), but nooooo... Instead, he has to resolve some clan dispute.

“I am really sorry, Lord Madara,” says the current clan head. Fugaku, was it…? “We wouldn’t dare to bother you, if it wasn’t absolutely necessary.” Madara sincerely doubts that. Young people LOVE to bother him with no good reason. “We are in dire need of your wisdom.”

Madara just shifts in his wheelchair. They are in the main hall of Naka Shrine. He is sited by the wall opposite the gate, with Fugaku on his right. The rest of the clan stands against the remaining walls, leaving an empty space in the middle.

The sooner he gets this over with, the sooner he can go to the cemetery. He looks up at the current head of the clan and just grunts in acknowledgement.

Fugaku nods. “Bring them in!” he orders.

The gates slide open, and two smaller figures are brought into the centre of the room by four tall musclemen. Madara has to squint and after a moment he realises that those small figures are a pair of some whippersnappers.

The taller one has the clan's typical black mane. He looks like he's just been dragged out of a hospital bed. He's propped up on a crutch, and bandages cover most of his body. Determination burns in his single visible eye. There's something familiar in his chakra… Something he hasn't felt in a while… it couldn't be… could it?

The second boy is definitely not an Uchiha. Silver hair is an instant giveaway. He stands proudly with his head held high, though his face is hidden by a mask and his eyes are blindfolded with his Konoha headband.

The first kid's eye glances nervously over the crowd (when it stops on Fugaku, the lad swallows loudly) until it lands on Madara's face.

“Gramps! You’re still alive!” he declares brightly.

This earns him a blow on the back of his head by one of his guards. The boy hisses in pain.

“You shall address Lord Madara with appropriate reverence!” announces the thug who hit him.

The brat rolls his eye when he hears it. “Look, I used to wipe his ass; I'll call him whatever I like!”

The other boy groans.

Now that the rascal mentions it, Madara actually remembers a certain kid who used to take care of him. He was probably the only one of his attendants who didn't treat him with veneration. Always calling him “gramps” or “old man” and babbling nonsense about the course of his day as if Madara even cared about it. If anyone else had tried to talk to him like that, they'd have been dead by now. However, the truth is, the boy’s honest obtuseness reminded him so much of Hashirama that he let it slide.

But one day, the boy stopped coming. Madara sometimes wondered what had happened to him. And now, he just might get his answer.

“Silence!” exclaims Fugaku and everyone in the room turns to him. “Lord Madara, this…” he points at the black-haired lad, “is Obito Uchiha, chūnin of our clan. Some time ago, he was sent on a mission under the command of Kakashi Hatake here,” he points to the smaller boy.

Hatake, Madara ponders. He should have guessed. The kid’s chakra bears signs of resemblance to the White Fang’s.

“While the mission goal was accomplished, Obito was crushed by a boulder,” Fugaku continues. “Thinking that this was the end, he gave one of his newly awakened sharingan to his commander, who had just lost an eye himself.”

Madara can see where this is going.

“It was a present for his jōnin promotion!” Obito interrupts.

“That’s not important,” the clan head cuts him off.

“It’s very important!”

The boy looks like he wants to argue further, but when the other pleads “Obito, please!”, he calms down.

Fugaku glares at the brat angrily for a moment before continuing.

“The procedure was performed on the battlefield by their team's medic. While Obito was presumed dead and the clan debated what to do with Kakashi's new sharingan, Hatake, along with the aforementioned medic and their teacher, Minato Namikaze, set out for a rogue mission: to search and retrieve the young Uchiha's body.” Fugaku hesitates. “However, they found him still alive.”

Now, that has got his attention.

“How?” he asks.

“We are not sure,” replies Fugaku.

So Madara addresses the boy himself, “How did you manage to survive?”

The kid adjusts the crutch nervously. “I honestly don’t know, gramps,” he shrugs. “One moment I’m a half-pancake under the rock, and the next my team is there to save me.”

“We found him on top of the rocks, not under them,” young Hatake adds. “We don’t know how he got there. Especially when most of his right body was bloody pulp.” He pauses and whispers, “We frankly weren’t sure if he’ll make it.”

Hearing that, Obito’s head turns to his friend. He struggles to lift his right hand and wrap it around the other boy's wrist. As if he was trying to reassure him of something.

Interesting.

“How by the Sage are you able to even stand after such injuries?” Madara questions the lad further.

With his hand still around Kakashi’s wrist, he just shrugs again with a dumb face.

Madara hears Fugaku shifting next to him. He leans towards him and explains quietly, “Lady Tsunade used Lord Hashirama’s cells to rebuild the right side of his body.”

Madara can't help but grimace. Of course. He told Hashirama time and time again not to give away his genetic material so willy-nilly. And especially not to women!

But that explains the brat’s chakra. With Hashirama’s cells, the kid one day may achieve the rinnegan... If he smartens up a bit, which Madara sincerely doubts.

“The point is,” Fugaku resumes his speech, “with Obito alive and back in the village, the matter of his sharingan returns. Most of the clan wants him to take it back.” He pauses and scowls at the boy. “He himself insists on letting the young Hatake keep it.”

Madara sighs. He has experienced first-hand the consequences of a fool's determination, and that is what he sees on Obito's face now.

“Why do you want him to have your sharingan?” he asks the brat.

“It was a present,” Obito repeats like it explains everything. When Madara doesn’t react, he adds, “You shouldn’t take back gifts.”

“You thought you were dying. I’d doubt you were thinking clearly at the time.” Or any other time honestly.

His hand tightens again on the other boy's wrist. “It doesn’t matter. A gift is a gift! Kakashi lost his own eye protecting me. This… was my fault! And an overwhelming feeling of desire to protect him is what awakened my sharingan!” He looks down as if he is ashamed of something. “Kakashi is strong. And smart. Really smart! Genius even. He… he deserves this sharingan. More than I do…”

Obito lets go of the other boy’s wrist, but before he can pull his hand away, Kakashi blindly grabs his palm in his own and squeezes it.

Ugh. Disgusting.

“Remove his blindfold,” Madara orders, looking at the young Hatake.

One of the musclemen raises his headband to his forehead. The boy immediately adjusts it so it covers his left eye. He opens the other trying to get used to the room’s dim light.

“Why did you do that?” Madara questions.

“I cannot deactivate the sharingan. If I keep it open, it will drain me of my chakra,” he explains calmly.

“Show it to me,” he commands.

Kakashi glances nervously at the other boy, who responds with a slight nod. Then, he raises the headband again and opens his left eye.

A single sharingan meets Madara’s rinnegan.

Two tomoe. Interesting.

“Has it change since you received it?”

The boy shakes his head.

Then, the idiot must have awakened the sharingan with two tomoe right away. His feelings towards the Hatake kid are indeed strong.

“You can cover it,” he instructs. While the boy does as he’s told, Madara adjusts himself in the wheelchair. “So. What do you have to say on this matter?”

“I will abide by the Uchiha clan decisions,” he answers politely.

Madara rises a single eyebrow. “You don’t want to keep the sharingan? Many shinobi would kill to get their hands on it. Yet, you are willing to return it if asked.”

The boy nods.

“Why?”

“I don’t want to cause any problems to Obito.”

“I’ve told you it’s not a problem, Bakakashi,” the other boy huffs.

Interesting.

“The sharingan could help you improve your skills as a shinobi. Especially now that you have one blind side.”

Kakashi shrugs.

“I know this, Lord Madara. But I maintain that it is more important for me not to cause trouble to Obito and the rest of the clan.”

“Before, Hatake had been adamant on keeping the sharingan,” Fugaku appends. “However, since Obito’s return, he has been willing to return it to him. It’s due to Obito’s refusal that we had to escalate the matter to you, Lord Madara.”

Just as he thought: a fool's determination.

“What did the Hokage and the shadow Hokage say about this?” he asks Fugaku.

“Lord Hiruzen said, it’s a clan’s internal matter, so he won’t interfere. And Lord Kagami… While wishing to remain neutral as the shadow hokage, as an Uchiha, he is of opinion that the sharingan should remain within the clan.”

“And you, clan head?”

Fugaku sighs heavily.

“While I agree with Lord Kagami’s sentiment… I am willing to let the young Hatake keep the sharingan, if you agree Lord Madara. He is a good shinobi, loyal to Konoha and his teammates.” He exhales and when he speaks again, he sounds exhausted. “We have just signed a peace with Iwa. I do not want to stir up new disputes within the village. And…” He pauses just to stare daggers at Obito, who glares back. “I do not have the strength to argue anymore.”

Madara glances at two boys, who still hold hands in the middle of the room. He thinks what verdict Hashirama would like him to make. The conclusion he reaches twists his face in disgust. But he knows Hashirama would approve of it.

“What's your decision, Lord Madara? We will obey by it,” Fugaku declares.

Obito swallows loudly, his hand tightening around Kakashi's.

Ah well. At least it’s not some pathetic woman.

“Let the Hatake heir keep the sharingan and make them marry when they are of age. Then both the brat and the clan will have it their way,” he proclaims.

The moment he finishes speaking, an echo murmurs around the hall.

The two boys stand transfixed. Madara sees the blush bloom on their cheeks and ears.

Finally, Obito shrieks, “What the fuck are you talking about, grandpa?! I can’t marry Kakashi!!!”

Someone screams, “How dare you speak like this to Lord Madara”, but he himself chooses to ignore it.

“Why not?”

“Well… Um… I… We…”

“Clan head, do you approve of this union?” he asks.

Fugaku tries very hard to stifle his laughter, but the expression on his face betrays how much he's enjoying this situation.

“Your word is law, Lord Madara. When the time comes, I will happily welcome young Kakashi to our clan.”

“Oh for fu… Now you too, uncle Fugaku?!”

“Even though you seem very opposed to the idea, you still squeeze your betrothed's hand rather ravenously,” the clan head mocks the embarrassed boy.

“He is not…” Obito pauses to let Kakashi’s hand go. “He is not my betrothed!!!”

“Do you want him to keep your sharingan?”

“Yes, but…”

“Then he IS your betrothed. You’ve heard Lord Madara. His word is final.”

“BUT…”

“Silence,” Madara speaks and everything falls silent. “We'll discuss the details once you're a little older. For now, I consider this matter closed.”

“Yes, Lord Madara,” the clan agrees in unison.

Obito looks like he's about to cry.

Kakashi stands still with his head down.

Madara clicks his tongue in disapproval. Pathetic.

“Everyone dismissed! Children…” he turns to the boys when the rest of the clan starts to leave. They both look at him with uncertain expressions on their faces. “I have a mission for you.”

“I can believe you've asked us to marry!” Obito declares outraged.

They walk down the graveyard road, Kakashi pushing Madara's wheelchair while Obito hobbles alongside on a crutch.

He honestly can’t listen to this anymore. The brat keeps complaining about a wedding that hasn't even happened yet; the thought of which makes him blush and glance nervously at his betrothed.

Hashirama, why are you punishing me from the beyond? Why you are asking me to relive our awkward moments?

“Don’t worry, Kakashi. I'll find a way to undo this somehow, so you can keep the sharingan,” Obito assures him.

The other boy is silent. Madara knows that he feels rejected, but refuses to voice it. And the idiot is blissfully unaware of it. If he hadn’t met him before he would've thought it's the side effect of Hashirama’s cells. But alas, this one was never the brightest.

They will have to figure it out on their own.

“But thanks anyway, gramps. You’ve bought us some time.” He chuckles. “Who would have thought you were kinda big shot.”

Kakashi halts mid-stride with his wheelchair. He looks at Obito in disbelief.

“You’re joking, right?”

“What?” The boy also stops.

“You know this is the First Hokage?”

Madara braces himself. He knows it’s coming.

The brat stares at them in silence with a blank face. When the meaning of these words dawns on him, he yells “WHAT?!” in shock.

“You can’t be serious…”

“How was I supposed to know?”

“How do you not know about this?! Madara UCHIHA. The First Hokage of Konohagakure. I would understand if an idiot like you had skipped the history of the village, but why not learn the legend of your own clan?!”

“I had no idea the First Hokage was still alive!”

“How many Uchihas are running around with the name like ‘Madara’?!”

“I DIDN’T KNOW HIS NAME! I’VE ALWAYS CALLED HIM ‘GRAMPS’, OKAY!?”

I take it all back. They are much worse than we were when we were young. Hashirama, please, take me to pure lands.

Obito glances at him first, then somewhere above. Madara assumes he is comparing him to his sculpture on the Hokage rock.

“He looks better in the stone…” he finally declares feebly.

Madara sighs. He told Hashirama he overdid it with beautification. That’s how I see you, he told him. Ugh.

“Yeah, ‘cause he was like 70 years younger when they carved,” Kakashi argues.

“Take me to Hashirama’s grave,” he orders before their quarrel escalates again.

The boys comply in silence. When Kakashi pushes his wheelchair to the front of the tomb, he asks them to leave him alone.

“Are you sure, Lord Madara?” young Hatake questions.

“Yes. I need some time alone with him.”

“He always does that,” Obito remarks. “I used to bring him here too, before. Then, he usually asked me to go for a walk while he talked to this grave,” he explains. “We should just leave him for a bit. In the meanwhile, let’s go on your dad’s grave. You have to show him your new cool sharingan!”

Kakashi hesitates for a moment, but eventually listens to Obito. They both leave to the other part of the cemetery.

Finally alone, Madara speaks up, “Are you proud of me, Hashirama? How I resolved this clan dispute?” He can’t help but smirk a little. “I hope you are. This idiot reminds me of you. Frankly, he has more of Senju’s character than Uchiha's. And I can’t even blame it on your cells… Ah well. There's a black sheep in every family. Hopefully, that Hatake boy will rectify him.”

Madara sighs and lies back in the wheelchair. He looks fondly at the tombstone. The engraving on it reads: Hashirama Senju. Founder and Shadow of the First Hokage of Konohagakure.

“I doubt I'll live to see their wedding, but it will happen. Sooner or later. Of their own free will. Even though they don't realise it yet.

“To give a sharingan to someone from outside the clan?! Voluntarily! Can you imagine? This would be unthinkable in our times.”

He pauses and smiles.

“But the times have changed… Thanks to you and me. We dreamed this dream together. And although I still haven’t made it fully come true, it is better than when we were children. We are no longer alone. Our vision is shared by next generations. Like those two.

“I hope you’re proud of me.”

After some time, Obito and Kakashi return for him and take him back to the village. They completely ignore him and just talk and argue about some trifles. But that’s okay. Madara is tired. It was a long day for him.

As he is falling asleep in his wheelchair, he thinks that he had done everything he could for these two.

The rest is up to them.