The Secret Scroll

IV. Rumination

║Rumination ║

Mid-morning

Uchiha Village...

...

Madara finally finished his training along with other trainees; both children and adults. He dried his heavy drops of sweat on his skin from face to his neck using his small size of a soft-white towel. Minutes after, he stops moving as he slightly jerked his head that reminds him of something that he almost forgot. Then turned and facing at the wide opened-slide door as he stares the outside of it.

'It's time..' Madara thought in stern determination. This is the time where he has to meet with that boy named Hashirama at the specific location of the river banks.

Then, he walked out quietly, making sure no one noticed him. He instantly went to the room and change his clothes. Later on, he quickly jumped out of the room's window until he landed on the ground as he immediately hides into the bushes. He scanned his eyes around to make sure if the coast is clear. When it does, he expeditiously uses his speed, then sneaking into the wall, and jumped away, scanning his eyes around until he reaches the southern gate.

Madara checks around the area again just making himself sure and runs at the wall quickly as he could. He leapt away outside the Uchiha gate.

His father knew that he sometimes went outside their clan's village to contemplate and train himself alone so he has no problem if Madara doesn't ask his father's permission.

Without Madara's noticed, his father, Tajima Uchiha activated his sensory skills as his Sharingan activated even before he left. Inside his office, he sat in front of his wooden table as his eyes glanced at the closed door, focusing his son's movements.

Tajima permitted his older son that he could go whenever he wanted. However, he became more suspicious after he distinguished his son's arriving home often times late unlike before. Because of that, he knew there's something been going on due to Madara's odd actions.

Moments after, when he couldn't sense Madara's chakra, he looked inward at the right side as he stares at the other door.

"Izuna." Izuna enters the room right after Tajima summoned his son. Izuna went out from Tajima's right side. He walked in front of his father and he kneeled formally. Izuna glowered at his father ready to pay attention to his mission.

" Sir!." Izuna responded to him. Tajima forbiddingly stares at his younger son.

"Begin my order as what I had told you last night. Make sure he didn't notice you tailed him. Understood?" He commanded his youngest son strictly. Izuna then nodded without hesitation.

"Hai! 'tou-sama."

...

...

...

After his strenuous crept moments from a nanosecond back from his clan village, Madara sighed of relief and continuously travels into the woods. Promptly, he widens his eyes and remembered something when he came across a specific location of the forest where he first spotted Sakura. Due to that, he paused on one of the branches.

'Why am I... think of her all of a sudden?' Madara frowned as he pouted his mouth. His face changed to a stern look. His thoughts admitted that there's something familiar about her. But he couldn't remember if he did meet her before to any market places or perhaps, just only his thoughts.

...

...

A few minutes later, Madara finally reached the river bank. He disembarked on the ground and stomped in a few steps on it.