The Family

The Uchiha Clan was holding a meeting.

All the great members of the clan were sitting around a long table. Father, Tajima Uchiha, was at the head of it. Tajima Uchiha had had a long and distinguished career of burning villages. He'd sacked dozens of towns in his day and risen from youngest son to head of the clan by killing his brothers. At his peak, Tajima had been a brilliant war leader and a scourge of farming settlements.

Madara had since surpassed him, of course, by virtue of avoiding needless destruction. He'd mostly focused his efforts on things with an actual, long-term gain. Izuna knew it, across from Madara at Tajima's left hand. And so did all the other Uchiha looking on. Tajima himself knew it, though he'd never admit it to himself.

"The Senju are growing more powerful," said Tajima, looking over maps. "They've gained the pledges of loyalty from many other lesser clans—more than we are able to gather ourselves. Even as we speak, Hashirama is negotiating with many different factions. And despite my son's efforts, he is winning."

Winning and losing.

Tajima had a simple mindset. If the Senju won, the Uchiha lost and vice versa. It was fixation which was a major weakness for him. The universe did not revolve around their clans, however powerful they were. It was entirely possible for both of them to win or both to lose, depending on what other factions did.

Madara shot Izuna a look which said as much, and Izuna shrugged. Izuna would have much rather been back home with his wife and children from the looks of things. He'd deliberately kept them sheltered from the rest of the clan before now. Intelligent Uchiha parents never let their children meet relatives without an armed guard. "And what do you believe we should do, Father?"

"We must force a confrontation, and soon," said Tajima. "The longer we wait, the more dangerous the Senju will become. They are winning the diplomacy game, so we must switch to a different kind of contest."

Ah, the zero-sum game approach again.

As if the universe had a finite amount of points that could be awarded to factions. In reality, the number of points to be handed out could be increased. Or points could be destroyed by foolish actions. And the value of points could change depending on the situation.

Tajima had never been able to grasp this.

"Izuna," said Madara, "you could explain things to Father."

"Don't talk down to me, boy!" said Tajima. "I am the head of the Uchiha Clan!"

Madara remembered how his friendship with Hashirama had ended. It had almost come to blood because of Tajima. Just as his brothers had come to blood. "Very well, Father, I will explain it.

"In order to establish a stable power base, the Uchiha will need more than mere jutsu. We will need allies and individuals who we can count on to remain loyal. Unfortunately, this puts us at a natural disadvantage to the Senju." He looked around at the darkened hall, with banners hanging here and there. "They have a more... favorable history of dealmaking, as you have noticed. Some of our ancestors had a regrettable tendency for backstabbing. It has made our present negotiations fare more difficult."

"And why then are we continuing with a failing strategy?" asked Fugaku, some ways down the table. His hands were clasped, and he was one of Tajima's main supporters.

"Because Hashirama will never attack first," said Madara. "Not once has he ever done so. Whatever you think of him, he is obsessed with avoiding needless loss of life. He dwells in his own little dream world and invites others to live in the dream with him.

"So, any confrontation between the Senju and us will have us as the aggressors. That means we can choose the time and place of battle. So Hashirama gathering strength is to our benefit; he'll never use it. And none of them will act without his will."

"What of Tobirama?" asked Izuna.

"Of course, Tobirama is going to want to a preemptive strike, Izuna," said Madara. "But he will not be able to do so without getting rid of Hashirama. And if he succeeds in doing that, he'll cut his fighting power in half. Though I doubt he will make any attempt."

"So what is your plan, boy?" asked Tajima.

Madara was beginning to think that Tajima had outlived his usefulness. He'd let him stay on his throne so far because he wasn't interested in the position. But that was changing, and Madara was going to have to take a more active role. "Izuna, if you would."

Izuna sighed, this being a common way to get through to Father. "The Senju are growing in strength. And their reputation for honor has helped them. However, as they grow in power, they are inviting the jealousy of other powers.

"Madara and I have been keeping in touch with these powers. Many lesser clans are even now becoming concerned by the growth of the Senju."

"Which ones?" asked Tajima, who had never paid attention to such things. A good war leader, but not much else.

"The Yamanaka, the Nara and the Akimichi, for one," said Izuna.

"The former Jashinites?" scoffed Tajima.

"That was centuries ago, Father," said Madara. "None of them have worshipped that deity since the height of the Hyuga Dynasty. Hiashi Hyuga put an end to all that. The world was a very different place then, and Jashin is little more than a scattered cult."

"And without him, they are weak," said Tajima.

Oh yes, this common misconception.

The idea that having a Sharingan made you stronger than anyone who didn't have a Sharingan. Madara had become successful by never making that mistake. People were weak or strong because of who they were, not what they were. Powers were only a bonus. But, Tajima's statement had gotten some approving nods from others.

Idiots.

"If we were to have the Senju fight them in a series of one on one battles, the result would be unfavorable," said Madara. "However, the three clans together form a powerful triumvirate. And they are not going to fight the Senju in a series of one-on-one battles, so it is a moot point.

"Only a fool fights an enemy on even ground when he can make use of his environment.

"They are a threat. Or, potentially, an asset.

"They are also at arm's length from the Hyuga, who, regrettably, seem to be moving in the direction of the Senju. The same can be said for the Inuzuki and Abarame Clans, who are strong allies."

"You say that as if you weren't tasked with bringing them into the fold," said Fugaku.

"The Hyuga are mercenary in their devotion. Just as our allies are mercenary," said Madara. He was annoyed that Tajima seemed to think himself an expert. "The truth, Father, is that the Senju are only able to create this coalition because they have us as an archenemy. If the Uchiha or Senju were to die out, the other hegemony would die on the vine. All the lesser clans would cooperate to destroy the winner.

"It has happened many times in our history, as you taught me well.

"Victory would defeat us."

"Are you suggesting we give up our vendetta?!" said Tajima.

Ah yes, the vendetta.

The age-old hatred between Uchiha and Senju had been going for the past two-thousand years. Give or take. There were entire sagas of reincarnation and vengeance, all that. Madara had gotten rather bored with it all. He enjoyed dancing with Hashirama, but there were other partners to be had. Not that Tajima or the Clan would listen to this.

"I'm suggesting that fighting the Senju is not a worthwhile pursuit. Not if our victory would lead to our eradication," said Madara. "We have to time our moment to strike well."

"And when would you have us strike?" asked Tajima.

"It is simple," said Madara. "The Uchiha must gain a position of authority that cannot be thrown off by their allies. We must become indispensable and necessary to them. Once done, we must ensure the Senju become irrelevant.

"Once they are not relevant, no one will lose anything by their destruction.

"Then, we will set the stage for their former allies to eat them alive and take over in the resulting power vacuum."

"You would have others destroy the Senju for us?" asked Tajima, incredulous.

"I did tell you that our clan is cursed, did I not?" asked Madara. "I doubt the curse would be helped by a direct act of genocide. We have to take a long approach to this problem. One that preserves our remaining resources benefits our allies and does little harm.

"Otherwise, we'll only dig ourselves deeper. We-"

"I've heard enough!" said Tajima. "You speak like a Senju! I knew that you'd been affected by your association with Hashirama, but this is sickening! You are weak! Weak and blind!

"We will destroy the Senju now. Our armies will march. You will assist us or die with them."

Well, that was it then.

Madara was not about to let Tajima destroy the entire clan simply for the sake of a vendetta. He'd drag the entire world into hell for this. And it wasn't about avenging the children he sent to die or justice. It was about his ego.

Being the all-powerful war leader was too important to him. And he'd destroy the next generation before he let them fix his mess. "...I wasn't going to assume this title until after you got yourself killed in some fiasco. But seriously, that is your plan? Launch a full-blown frontal assault on the Senju? Now? At a time when it will push all the neutral factions into their corner?

"I think I've put this off for too long."

"Madara-" began Izuna.

Madara drew his sword, stood, and cut Tajima's head from his shoulders with one swift stroke. Blood spewed from the wound onto the banner of the Uchiha, turning the white and red fan just red. The body slumped to the ground.

"Consider this partial repayment for three brothers sent to die," said Madara.

He'd killed his own father. Wasn't there some kind of... law against this or something?

Madara had committed patricide. Technically it was a mortal sin, but among the Uchiha, the taboo seemed hypocritical. Father would have done the same to him if he'd regarded Madara as useless. What was the bond between father and son? Especially if the father regarded his child as a weapon to be honed? Was a weapon evil for being stabbed into the heart of the one who forged it?

Mother had died from childbirth, a result of too many pregnancies.

The rest of the clan was staring at Madara in vague disapproval and shock. All of them seemed to think that what Madara had done was wrong, but who were they to talk? After what they'd done to get where they were now? Most of them had killed members of their family. Madara had only started at it right now.

What did it matter if he made no secret of his murder?

So, what did he feel? Nothing. Should he do something? Ah, yes, there was one thing to be done. He'd hate to sit in a chair covered in blood.

Quickly Madara switched Tajima's bloodstained chair with his own chair. Then he sat down at the head, as he should have been all along.

"What have you done!" said Fugaku, one of the others.

"Saved our clan from certain destruction," said Madara. "I am now the Head of the Uchiha Clan by virtue of being the strongest. Does anyone want to dispute the fact?"

The Uchiha looked at one another and then at Madara. None of them really felt anything at Tajima dying. Most Uchiha had a certain lack of empathy for others. Becoming friends with other members of your clan tended to get you killed for a powerup. Madara had long suspected that some of his less talented siblings had been sent to die.

When Madara became friends with someone weaker than himself, they had a tendency to die. And Tajima was certainly sociopathic enough to kill off members of his family to power up others. Madara had been present to see him order the assassinations of some of his weaker cousins.

"...No," said Izuna. "No one will dispute you."

"Good," said Madara. "Then I'm going to make this plain to all of you. Our primary objective henceforth is to make sure the Uchiha Clan survives. To this end, all other priorities are secondary. From now on, no Uchiha will kill any other Uchiha for any reason. If any of you kill another member of the clan, I will cast you out, kill you, and take your eyes myself. Also, no more murdering your children's less useful friends." This got an actual reaction.

"How can you do this!" said Fugaku. "How are we supposed to ensure our children become strong without such measures!

"You're trying to prevent anyone else from becoming powerful enough to match you, aren't you?!"

"No, I'm trying to stop you from killing innocent children," said Madara with a sigh. He was beginning to see why the clan had been marked for death. "Do you know what ordinary people tell their children? They tell them to never acknowledge an Uchiha in any way.

"Because if you're cruel to them, they might snap and kill you. And if you become their friend, they might kill you for more power. Or one of their relatives might murder you to help their child grow strong. So even talking to one of us is akin to courting death.

"We're demons to them."

"Madara is right," said Izuna. "I know for a fact that many of you have encouraged your children to get past these barriers. To come and understand and be friends with others. So that you can then arrange for their friend to die tragically.

"And when it doesn't work, and the tragedy breaks your child, you throw them away! You send them on a suicide mission to make one of your other children stronger! Sasuke and Itachi, and Shisui all died in missions way above their level. And it made Madara and me very strong.

"What did you think the result of this kind of upbringing would be?"

"He killed his own Father!" said Fugaku. "And you're taking his side, Izuna!"

"Are you complaining about Tajima's death because you think it was an injustice?" asked Madara, looking at a hand. "Or because you're afraid the precedent might lead to you suffering a similar fate?"

No one had an answer to that.

It was all rather sick, really. Madara had only realized it because of Hashirama. He had given him a glimpse into how normal families operated.

Hashirama had lost his family in battle, and it didn't even enter his mind that his father might have killed them. The idea had been inconceivable to him, and rightly so.

Madara had spent years out in the field, becoming the greatest warrior of his clan. And in the end, he'd mostly done it to get away from his clan. It was a depressing realization, to say the least.

"Now, I think it is time we opened negotiations with Hashirama," said Madara. "We can't make any kind of formal agreement, of course. That would scare off both our allies. I want to set things up to end this feud."

"You'd end the feud with the Senju?! Why?" asked Izuna.

Madara sighed. "...Izuna, have you ever wondered why we're fighting?"

"Well, we've been fighting the Senju for generations," said Izuna.

"No, but why are we fighting them?" asked Madara. "If we killed all of the Senju tomorrow without a single casualty, what would we get?"

"Well... we'd have avenged all our brothers," said Izuna. Though, of course, Izuna himself knew some of them had died by design.

"And?" asked Madara. "What benefits would the Uchiha get from killing all the Senju?"

Izuna shifted. "...I don't know."

"Exactly," said Madara. "You don't know.

"No one bothered to ask that question. Because anyone who did ended up getting called a traitor. Well, I'm going to ask that question. I have no intention of wasting our limited resources without a good cause."

"So what is our strategy?" asked Izuna.

"Well, first we'll give Father a very nice funeral," said Madara. "Then we make some diplomatic overtures."

Madara looked to the corpse of his Father at his feet. Then he shrugged.

Later, Tajima Uchiha was buried in an unmarked grave. Madara did not pay for any priests or funeral rights, though he did say the other Uchiha could. The other Uchiha, of course, were selfish creatures and probably didn't want to risk offending him.

Their worries were unfounded.

Madara would not have cared if they had tearfully spoken the praises of Tajima Uchiha. Just as he did not care that they had not. Honestly, though, Madara thought it was all too good for Tajima.

Even so, Izuna and Madara stood there over it for a long time. Eventually, Izuna looked up. "...You know, I think my children might grow up without any losing any of their siblings now."

It was time for the Uchiha Clan to move forward.