one_long_mission | [open] a way to beat the cold

Tajima knew he was never meant to see his sons grown now. It was without remorse that, as countless clanmembers did before him, he gouged out an eye. He could hear the desperate voice, but he knew it was hopeless...

Butsuma wa coming down on him with the wakizashi, and he hastily directed the short blade to his other eyes, but then... then, he could see the knife point, and a small, young hand stopping his strike in a steely grip. The wakizashi had gone through him. From the angle, it had gone through him, and so very near his heart, and yet... yet he had not budged, and held the tanto's handle back even as he suffered.

It was then that the words hit Butsuma, as he stared down.
"No more... fathers... have to lose their sons... or... or sons... lose their fathers..."
"Tobirama...." he did not have to ask why... He stared at the scene, feeling his blood going cold. His son. His son had jumped--no, teleported somehow to save an enemy...

On the battlefield, the fighting stopped as the blood the young Senju coughed mingled onto the Uchiha leader's...

Hashirama, who had been running to stand in front of the now very, vulnerable Itachi, nearly fainted at the sight of his own brother sacrificing himself.

"T..tobi?" he squeaked.

As soft as it was, it echoed in the deafening silence.

"...someone... do something." Butsuma did not even want to try moving at this point. "Do something! I don't care who!" his voice did not even sound like his own. One hand was still on the handle of the katana that he had driven through his enemy, and in his other... the weapon that had slid too magnificently into his son.

"Why isn't anyone moving!?" he yelled into the still battlefield.
With his single eye, Tajima could see the tremor of life within the young Senju, thinking that the same could certainly be seen in himself.
"..these. may be my last words.." he could feel a little hand claiming his, its grip somehow reassuring, as if... telling him to hold on, and maybe telling him that if he did pass away, he wouldn't be alone. "...as.. the Head of.. the Uchiha clan I..." he coughed again, wheezing. "...I demand... that you bring... parchment.."

Hurriedly, Butsuma produced a scroll, trembling.
Having let go of the tanto, he reached over, dipping fingers in his own blood, and drew a symbol that looked like a leaf, then signed his name. He could do nothing more than draw that symbol. He did not expect to have long to be awake.
"..peace... treaty.." Tajima's voice was weak, but he had to see this. "....please..."

No one was moving, but that didn't mean the message wasn't getting through. Somewhere, in the cave, the clone turned toward the medic.

"Go. Now... They need help." it whispered before disappearing completely. Itachi couldn't hold it for much longer.

There was nothing else he could do, unfortunately, except put his arms around Hashirama and comfort him. There would be no more bloodshed after this, no more war, no more fighting. There would be peace... at long last, peace...

It was as if time had stopped.
A peace treaty. Minutes ago, the Senju were winning. The Uchiha could be slain, and now everything had turned and twisted but somehow ended up like this.

It was not a pretty situation, but it was perhaps the best that could have happened.
Tobirama could feel his body growing cold, clinging to consciousness. He saw his father also sign the document, and then... then he settled in and felt his eyes slip closed.

Renji arrived minutes later, a strangled cry escaping as he crouched by Tajima.
"Save them, please.." Butsuma pleaded.
"I... I can't." the medic knew no one that could do such a feat, particularly not himself. "I can't save both."
"..then.." Tajima breathed out the words. "...save him." and then, his body relaxed, eyelids slipping closed.

The next Uchiha heir had not been chosen, but still the treaty would hold. He could not even argue.
Ren cursed himself. He cursed his own physical weakness for being unable to fight. If he had been able to fight, he could have been on the battlefield with the man he had always seen as a brother.

...but he had been too late in coming here, and the clan head's last instruction were to save this boy.
Ren could only hope for a miracle as he began pouring chakra to numb the area where the sword stuck through the young boy. If only Renji had been there as well.
"...don't you Senju have medics?" he couldn't believe this situation.

None of them dared move, except for Hashirama. The last words of the man he'd grown up fearing the most were an order to his own medic to heal Tobirama instead of himself.

"I'm learning..." he meekly rose his hand. His medical jutsu wasn't anything to brag about yet, not really. He was still very young, spent more time daydreaming than practicing. But his dreams had just become reality. And that meant, he had to as well.

Itachi let go, and Hashirama ran toward the Uchiha clan head.

He poured healing chakra into the wound, and for a moment, he thought he might actually be able to save the man...

Even as he healed Tobirama, Ren proffered part of his knowledge to Hashirama, directing him into better ways to use the chakra he had. The boy was not all that skilled, but he did have heart, and if somehow he could keep the clan head hanging onto that thin thread... just long enough while he took the Senju out of mortal danger, then it would be worth it.

Ren instructed salves to be made, thankfully the forest around them was abundant in ingredients. It was a whole tense hour before Tobirama was finally out of danger, and he thought their work had been in vain when he took over from Hashirama. Tajima had grown a few shades paler, and had stopped breathing... but then as if by some miracle, without Ren giving up, sweating even as he tried for hours to feed the man life again, it paid off. He resorted to consuming a chakra pill when he felt it was all he could do, not caring for the side effects. He would save them both. It was his duty.

Butsuma held Hashirama close to him, even as he wept onto his son, asking for his forgiveness.
Hashirama, after all. had told him about peace so many times... and all these times he had hit him.

Peace. Senju helping Uchiha. Uchiha healing Senju. It was the most rewarding thing Itachi had ever seen.

It was about that moment that he realized he actually HAD seen it. He could see it. His eyes... He thought the Susano'o had all but blinded him, and suddenly, he could see more clearly than he had in a decade! There were tears on his cheeks, but he didn't care. He was going to die soon, but he didn't care. Senju and Uchiha both were staring at him, pointing in complete disbelief, but he didn't care. This moment - the long-estranged brothers as a family once more - was worth the cost of his life.

Eventually, Hashirama tugged on his father's sleeve.

"Papa... Look! The man I told you about. The one we found at the river. The Uchiha was the Sage of Six Paths!"

Just as the others looked up, Itachi collapsed.

"Niisan, niisan!" a voice broke though suddenly. "It's nearly closing time. Wake up." his brother had never slept for so long. The boy had to ask an attendant to move him, and he had stayed with him all this time. It was not only Itachi, but at least Sasuke had been able to take Madara out of the water too.
Madara at least finally did shift, but there was no waking just yet.

The attendant was concerned, and rightfully so. Clearly, they had been in the water too long and gotten quite overheated.

He helped move them to a cooler, air-conditioned room, but left them without clothes. He'd put a few ice packs around Madara's neck and gave Sasuke a basin of cool water that he could sponge on. It wasn't long before he started to stir.

Itachi, though, was still out cold. His breathing was very shallow, his pulse was fast and his color was definitely off. The fact that there was an oxygen tank with his clothes was a godsend, and the attendant went for it immediately, along with ice packs for all the vital, blood-rich areas. Of course, he did all of this after sending a fellow attendant to fetch a medic from the clinic across the street. You can never be too careful!

The boy was reminded of that time when his body grew older and he was scared for his brother. So very, very scared... but now he was scared for two people. His brother was not waking up, and even though Madara did stir, he had yet to open his eyes or be more responsive.

Thankfully, the medic did reassure him that in time they would both be up. Even though he was lauded for getting them out, he still thought he should have done all that sooner.
"...are you blaming yourself?" the medic inquired, pushing his glasses back up his nose, before patting the boy's hair. "I know that expression. You're too young to look like this."
"But... niisan.." he bit his lip.

"He will be all right."
"..and Madara..."
"Both your big brother and your friend will be all right. Their bodies are cooling down now." The voice that drifted to Itachi's ears may be somewhat familiar.

Edited 2014-01-25 16:17 (UTC)

It did take some time, long past closing time, before they woke up. (Madara first, Itachi... Quite a while later.) The attendant stayed with them, even though it meant getting hime late. There was a stern warning to not take any trips to the onsen for the next few days, especially for Itachi, as his temperature regulated itself again. But there was still no blame.

"Easy now..." The attendant helped Itachi sit up while the medic looked him over. "Almost gave yourself heatstroke there. If you're going to fall asleep like that, do it on a pallet upstairs."

"Niisan!" Sasuke hugged his brother, sniffling lightly. He had been scared, but with his brother awake, things were looking better. "Thank you so much, mister!"
"Renji. If you need me again, I have a clinic nearby." a pause. "...although it might be too far for you to usually get to any quickly." If Itachi could see, the man was the spitting image of the one he had seen in his dream.

Madara gave a light groan, rubbing his forehead. He was still feeling the side-effects, but that was normal.
"You both should get some more rest whenever you can. Since this place is closing down, how about borrowing some beds at my clinic?"

Itachi nodded wearily. He was still dizzy and a bit confused. He was likely a bit dehydrated too. He wasn't going to be able to walk back home. "Think... That's a... good idea... Ren...Renji..."

That name... It sounded so familiar. As did his chakra, though Itachi wasn't completely sure why. The dream, like most dreams, had already broken into pieces. Some, like the feeling of satisfaction and pride as the peace treaty was signed, were so very clear. Others, like the faces of his ancestors, were already starting to blur.

The attendant had already fetched their clothes, folded neatly in little piles. Itachi and Sasuke certainly weren't strangers to him.

"Please, take care."

Madara, usually somewhat skittish about being touched, seemed not to mind as the medic wrapped him in a towel and picked up his clothes. In fact, the boy fell back asleep, soon murmuring 'Izuna' or 'Tou-san'.

Sasuke helped his brother get dressed, and after waiting and assisting them, Renji thanked the staff and led them to his clinic.
"The beds are as comfortable as I could make them... but they still do keep all the standards the profession needs." he apologized for the flatness, discomfort and height, placing Madara down into one, clothes on the chair beside the bed, and brought the thing blanket over the sleeping child's torso.

Renji insisted to run a small check-up on Itachi, in order to hopefully administer what he may need... although he knew much of this condition seemed it may never improve.

Itachi was too exhausted to care about the comfort of the bed. He'd passed out on far flatter things before, and he almost passed out a few times on the short walk over. Sasuke wouldn't let him. He kept talking to him, encouraging him. The winter weather did help cool their body temperature, but Renji was concerned of how much a shock it had been on their system too.

One thing was clear, though. From the way this medic laid his hands, he was using chakra. He didn't seem to be a full ninja medic, but he did have some training in medical jutsu

"You're... shinobi... Like us?" (Well, to varying degrees.)

"...ah.. well, I have not received any formal training." the medic shook his head. "My grandfather was a shinobi. All I know is that an illness took him away. The same that claimed my father..." he took a deep breath. "I am an Uchiha by blood, though." although he was never told the clan's history or seemed to possess a sharingan.

"What did you say your name was?" Madara blinked, eyes wide. "Renji? Renji Uchiha? You're the spittin image of someone from my clan!"
"I must apologize. I was born here. This may be a simple coincidence."

Itachi could sympathize with that. He could hear his little brother's voice saying those things about him one day, and that always touched a bit of a chord. But to find that they had family here, family that they didn't even know existed, was rather exciting. (Sharingan or not, blood diluted over time, it didn't matter. He was an Uchiha.)

"I've only been here... a little more than a year..." He replied. "Sasuke and Madara, less... This world, it brought us here. Much like it... probably brought one of your relatives... years and years ago... It's nice to know... that some get the chance to live... their entire lives here. Though, I am sorry... for your loss..."

There was a fleeting thought in Itachi's mind as he spoke - if their condition was anything like his, if this man's interest in observing them stemmed from that which he feared may be his own future. What if this was something that plagued at least a few other Uchiha, but only late in life, at an age few Uchiha really ever reached. What if there was something that could be done? What if...

He was too tired for what if's.

"...yes... I am glad for my life here, even though my occupation limits my travels within the village. I try and remain within reach of those who need me."
"Wow!" Sasuke exclaimed. "So we got a medic in the family!"
Renji gave a chuckle, reaching out to pet the boy's hair. "You certainly don't look like you'll need a medic, boy."
"Nu-huh! Cause niisan needs all the medics he can get. He's better off than he was months ago! "

"I am certain what you meant was 'medications'. The number of medics will never change anything. In a few cases they may even complicate matters. Some may have ways to deal with the issues that others would frown upon even though perfectly valid, but--- ah. I digress." he shook his head and slid his glasses back up his nose. "You must wish to rest soon as well, right?" he lifted Sasuke up to another bed.

"Niisan's gonna be okay?"
"I promise he will be better tomorrow." he gave a nod before stepping back, near Itachi's bed. "I do wish to run a few tests overnight... if you would give me permission."

Sasuke was so healthy and happy. It made Itachi smile to watch their interactions. He knew his little brother had hopes of learning medical ninjutsu. Perhaps this could be someone who could help make that dream come true.

Itachi gave his permission, but it wasn't until the middle of the night, when both kids were sound asleep (Sasuke surprisingly asleep in his own bed and not draped over his niisan) that they began to speak of more serious topics.

"There's... something about what's wrong with me... that interests you..." he whispered. It was less of an observation, more of a probing question.

"Yes. There is." the medic admitted. "Both my father and grandfather died of this." he murmured. "The same degenerative condition. My father was reportedly affected first on his kidneys. My grandfather had respiratory problems that were unable to be properly diagnosed and yet from the records were frighteningly similar to yours."

Madara gave another light whimper in his sleep, murmuring out his brother's name occasionally.

"I have noticed your heart is failing. It is a big operation, but within a week, if you wish, I could be able to take it on." Renji offered.

Itachi gasped. There were others, other Uchiha that had the same condition, even if they were originally from another universe. The fact that he was offering solutions to the other things that had been plaguing him paled in comparison to that.

"Are... are you sure?" he stuttered in surprise, trying his best to still keep his voice down. "They really had... something like this?"

A similar condition that affected the small blood vessels of the body, an autoimmune disorder with such a widespread inflammatory response... Could there really have been some kind of genetic predisposition to it? It certainly couldn't have affected all Uchiha, or his disease wouldn't have been such a mystery, especially after encountering dozens of Uchiha from other timelines. It had to be only a small handful... but that alone was frightening. More importantly, was Sasuke at risk? Were any of the Sasukes at risk? And what of Madara?

"What do you know... about it so far?"

Renji gave a light sigh. "I cannot be certain, but perhaps a few individuals have predisposition it it. Our inbreeding may actually have irremediably doomed a few individuals and their subsequent progeny." he shook his head slowly. "I am not certain if we were all simply unlucky, but with my grandfather having this, as well as my father, and..." there was an awkward pause. "... I wish to improve the current treatments and drug that are used. I wish to find a cure... someday."

"I understand..."

Itachi did understand. There was no doubt about that.

"If I can help... I will. I can share... what the medics who have treated me have done... It's not a cure. But it is a treatment. If it wasn't for that... well..."

There was little need to say they wouldn't be running tests right now. Itachi probably wouldn't have even been alive.

"Yes. I can continue the treatments if you wish. I hope I can also be able to improve, even if a little..."

Madara whimpered again, shifting and calling out Izuna's name.
Renji moved to Madara's bed, gently placing a hand upon his shoulder. When the boy all but clung to his entire arm, he simply sat on the nearby chair, letting him do so.

"..ah... don't hesitate if you wish for a drink, or feel hungry." he seemed available at any hour of the day or night, even though it was unclear how many hours he had been up.

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(yes the medic is who you think of)

Renji!!

Yup~

Well, it does pull from all worlds. Or perhaps a reincarnation?

Maybe a descendant from one Uchiha that came there ages ago

Hehe, shinobi blood

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