Penance

Surrounded by emptiness, Madara's soul drifted across an unknown realm.

Without a tangible body, his formless conscience re-lived his entire life, taking on the role of the observer. Through this experience, that lasted for an unknown amount of time, he was finally allowed to reflect.

Seeing himself commit countless sins in the name of a fake goal, Madara finally started to understand Hashirama's words.

After dying next to his sworn comrade for the second time, Madara finally understood. The fog in his mind cleared up, and he could now see with clarity.

One more time, he closed his tired eyes.

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It was a splendid day. The eve of spring allowed wildflowers to grow all over Konoha's surroundings.

The winter cold was now banished and finally, the sun's rays etched themselves into the soil rather than being halted by clouds.

A warm, spring breeze refreshed the village's inhabitants, carrying a hint of the pleasant smell of the trees and flowers. The sun shone brightly and cool, mountainous winds caused small plants to dance along… It seemed that the mountains sang a song and the trees danced to its melody.

Konoha's cherry blossoms bloomed... as their meaningful, rosy hue marked the start of a brand new beginning.

Inside a small cabin, located around the outskirts of the Uchiha complex, a youth was lying atop a simple bed. He had flawless skin, which was like a sheet of well-done cloth… His eyelashes, which were under his dark, silky hair, fluttered in discomfort.

He had a high-bridged nose that rested among his two eyes, and his soft, but sharp lips were alluring, to say the least.

Next to him, an even smaller boy with similar looks was sitting on his knees, tears flowing like cascades out of his eyes. Grabbing hold of the attractive youth's hand, he tightly gripped it, refusing to let go.

"Aniki… Wake up... Please, don't leave me!"

Suddenly, as the small boy cried his heart out, the handsome youth opened his eyes.

Brusquely raising his upper body, he looked around in confusion.

"What…? Where am I… Wasn't I dead?"

"Aniki!"

Before he could find the answer to his question, the smaller boy pounced on him and tightly squeezed his abdomen, causing him grave pain.

Holding it in, he fiercely gritted his teeth and looked down at the culprit.

The kid was fair-skinned, with spiky, black hair that was tied in a ponytail. His bangs parted down the center of his face to frame both sides of it, and he wore the traditional, high-collared blue shirt of the Uchiha.

'That crest… could it be…?'

Interrupting Madara's thoughts, the boy raised his head and they made eye-contact. Seeing his face, Madara gasped in shock, his mind filled with disbelief.

"I- Izuna…?"

All sorts of thoughts were running through Madara's brain as he tried to make sense of the situation. The boy looked exactly like his long-lost younger brother…

"Izuna? Who's that... I'm your younger brother, Aito! Don't you remember me?"

Seeing the youth's perplexed attitude, Madara rubbed his forehead, unable to comprehend the situation. This kid looked similar to Izuna, if not exactly like him!

"What's going on… Where am I?"

"Oh no… Aniki... Did you lose your memory?!"

"I… I don't know…"

Touching his face, Madara noticed something was amiss. Getting a bad feeling, he abruptly rose from the bed and searched for a mirror, quickly finding one in the corner of the small room.

"Heavens…!"

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AN/ For those who don't know, Aniki is a Japanese honorable term for an older brother or a superior.