Chapter: Chapter 2

Izuna strode quickly across the hall, just wanted to get into his warm bed and sleep.
He hurried, the hallway was colder than expected and it also chilled his feet.
With long strides he reached his room and bed, lay down under the covers as quickly as possible and tried to find his sleep.

But the Uchihas were not allowed to sleep for a long time.
A loud knock quickly roused Madara again and grumbled and got up.
He hadn't even slept an hour now and someone wanted something from him again.
The knocking got louder and louder and Madara opened the door annoyed.
Two of his clan stood in front of him, looking desperate and completely exhausted.
"Madara-sama, the children are gone."
"What! Those damn bastards", Madaras Sharingan flashed with a growl and he slammed angrily on the door frame. Who was so cowardly and attacked the children?

Izuna was startled from sleep by a loud crash, first looked around the room and then slowly padded down the stairs.
"Nii-san, what happened?" He wanted to know when he found his brother completely distraught at the door.

"Somebody kidnapped the children," growling Madara walked past his brother, grabbed his armor and put it on.
It was sure to be these Senju again. Those damn bastards and cowardly dogs.
It was always the same, as soon as someone called the Uchihas and signed them, the other side immediately took the Senju and it was the other way around.
They were the strongest clans and therefore condemned to always fight each other.
Madara quickly grabbed his fan and strapped it to his back.
He put the attached sword in its scabbard and put it in his belt.

Somebody kidnapped the children?
Izuna looked confused after Madara, finally stepped over to him in the living room and saw how he was already getting ready to look for her.
"A blizzard is raging outside. Don't you think it's pointless to look there?" He appealed to Madara's common sense and finally looked out into the cold night.

"I don't have to look, I already know where you are," replied the older Uchiha coolly and tied up the last parts of his armor.
The Senju were definitely at the waterfall, because there this Hashirama had an advantage over him.
"I'll be back in a couple of hours, do me a favor and heat the water again."
Smiling gently, Madara patted his brother on the shoulder again and then marched straight out into the cold night.

Heat up the water?
Did Madara not have any other worries?
Izuna was willing to say something, so opened her mouth and closed it again, as it didn't make any sense.
"Take care of yourself," he tried to smile and looked after his brother with a soft sigh.

Outside, Madara turned once more and looked his brother straight in the eyes.He smiled softly and just nodded silently and looked away again.
It was only a few steps and the raging snowstorm completely covered him and his companions.
He would return tonight, again with blood stained hands.
He would kill each and every one of them and let them die in a cruel death.
Nobody should ever dare to kidnap or kill one of their clans again.
The cold wind blew hard in his face and Madara said individual needles pierced him.
It was cold, it was storming and through the snow he could see the hand coming before his eyes.
Not even the Sharingan was of any use to him, it was just too weak for things like that.
But still Madara knew the way and stomped heavily through the ever-increasing snow.
Slowly he made his way through the thicket to the waterfall.
The otherwise flowing and raging water was frozen and simply remained in its current position.
"Senju, you cowardly dogs show yourselves."
Madara growled softly, activated the Sharingan and shortly afterwards knocked away some kunai with his fan.

Izuna stayed at the door for a long time, only closing it when he no longer recognized his brother and he had disappeared.
With his head bowed, he went into the kitchen, put on the water for tea, and put more wood in the stove.
Madara should be warm when he came back, if ... The emphasis was on if, because Izuna knew very well that they themselves had already lost some clan members.

But Madara was strong, the strongest of the clan and the Senju knew that very well.
If he were dead, the Uchihas would have lost a lot of power.
The storm had grown strong, and even if Madara stood there as if on a silver platter, it was difficult to see.
But he saw her, very clearly.
He could see their chakra, as they stamped for him as blue figures through the snow and surrounded him.
Madara giggled softly and was already lifting up his fan.
He would kill them all. His eyes glowed purple and he simply stormed towards the first enemy.
One blow was enough and the man lost his head.
Blood stained Madara and the next ninja lost his arm first before being split in half.
Blood stained the otherwise white snow red and the faint scraping of blades could be heard.
Muffled screams echoed and quickly fell silent.
The snow was red and soon it was covered again.
Madara walked slowly towards the waterfall and saw the youngest of her clan.
He growled and looked at the children, frozen to death less than an hour ago.
Madara screamed loudly and clenched her fists.
They had only been a lure, but they hadn't been up to the cold. Gritting his teeth, the Uchiha quickly made a few finger signs and bit his thumb. Blood ran down him and he pressed her to the ground.
A small circle with with letters formed and a large cat sat in front of him.She shook herself briefly and stared at Madara with her yellow eyes.
Without a word, Madara put the children on the animal and a little girl began to move. Amazed, Madara looked at the child and took off some of his clothes and wrapped the girl in them.
"Quick!" He instructed the big cat and she ran ahead, back to her village.
Madara followed her, feeling the biting cold and how his body slowly went numb.

Even hot water for bathing was available and after work, Izuna snuggled up under a blanket in the living room.
Sleeping was out of the question anyway, he was simply too worried and, above all, unnecessarily worried about his brother.
Every now and then he looked out of the window, watching the snowflakes as they fell to the ground and covered the earth.
He sighed softly, put his head on his knees and stared, as so often, in the direction of the front door.

It didn't take long and Madara stepped through the door, half frozen to death.
He was soaked and smeared with blood.
Even if he had not suffered a wound himself, he still looked badly bruised. Tired the Uchiha dragged himself into the house and slowly he felt his limbs again.

As soon as the door opened, Izuna jumped out of the blanket and towards his brother.
"Nii-san!"
Carefully he patted the snow off his shoulders, peeled it off his wet coat and led him to the fireplace.
"Have a seat, I'll get you some hot tea."
Izuna quickly went into the kitchen, got the hot tea and handed Madara a cup.
"Did you find them, the kids?" He asked quietly, wrapping himself up in his blanket on the sofa again.

Without a word of protest, Madara let his brother push her around.
He was too tired to growl and besides, his brother was only kind to him. As always. Thankfully he accepted the warm cup and took a long sip of the sweet tea.
He slowly thawed and he was relieved that he was finally back in the warm.
"Yes, I found her, but for four it was already too late. Except for Aiko, none of the children survived. And even with her it is on the brink", the Uchiha explained calmly and still clung to his wet clothes .
If only he had been faster, he could have saved the four too, but he was too weak.
Her father was right, he was no good, but he was supposed to be the next clan leader.

Izuna was shocked that only one child had survived and the rest was dead in the forests of Konoha.
He looked sympathetically at his big brother, put his right hand on his shoulder and sighed heavily.
"I'm so sorry, the children and their parents too. It will be tough getting this message across to them.

Something that luckily the older one didn't have to do.
And if he was honest, he didn't even want that.He was tired of bringing bad news all the time.
The news that one of them had fallen.
But what should they do, they had to obey him, because who they saw as their masters and that was the emperor of the fire kingdom and he was at odds with his own brother.
Quarrel with his own brother, something Madara didn't understand.
There were power struggles between him and Izuna, but never for such reasons.
They didn't care who was going to lead the clan, they would support each other.
Madara leaned tiredly against the younger boy and looked for something to hold on to. Here he was allowed to be weak, to show that he was tired and completely drained. With his brother he was allowed to be what he really was.
"Thanks, I don't know what I would do without you."

Izuna smiled barely noticeably at his brother, let him have his way, lean on and be himself.
Izuna took advantage of this and ran through his brother's long hair, feeling that it was still very wet and therefore he had to slowly take a hot bath.
Under no circumstances should Madara catch a cold now and he would tell him that in a moment.
But first he smiled again at the words and ruffled his black hair cheekily.
"If you didn't have me, you would be alone now and no one would admonish you to take a bath," replied sitting mischievously behind your neck and glaring at him mischievously.