A Thousand Years

The Princess

As Hashirama and Naruto approached the scene of the battle, two ever so familiar people came into view. Above their heads, the dark clouds circled angrily, spitting out bolts of lightning. Naruto would have eagerly leapt towards the pair had the chakra presence not been as heavy as it was, it almost made him question whether or not he should interfere. Apparently Hashirama had been thinking the same thing and both of them stopped a good distance away from the center.

"Pity." Madara commented mockingly. "Lived a thousand years only for it to end by your own hand." He smirked.

Nina remained silent, he could practically see the chakra rolling off of her in waves. No doubt, this would be her last attack.

"Madara." Nina emerged from behind, stepping to stand beside him. He gave a hum of recognition. "Why did you agree?" She inquired in her usual tone.

He didn't need to ask to know what she was referring to, after all, it was just a few days ago when he had finally agreed to join forces with the Senju.

"I've been asking myself the same." Once upon a time he would never have imagined he would give in to Hashirama's persistent talk of peace, but recently he'd been doubting himself. Perhaps the Senju, as annoying as he was, had a point. "If this village is successful, it could lead to a better world for the children who live in it. They won't have to know pain, they won't grow up in war like you and I did." He stated, gazing over the empty field where their village was soon to stand.

"I never knew you cared so much about your clan." Nina commented, an amused smile on her face.

"Woman, do not test me." His tone lowered, earning a chuckle from the woman.

"You are much kinder than you make yourself out to be." She mused, turning to leave before he could snap at her again.

The static in the air slowly grew thicker and thicker, so much so that, combined with the immense presence emitting from the two, it would have felt nearly impossible to breathe.

Both shinobi readied themselves for what they knew was coming.

Nina sat cross-legged on the roof of the newly completed Hokage Tower, underneath her hundreds of red tiles gleamed in the afternoon sun. It was an excellent vantage point to oversee the village. From this angle, she could see compounds that were both completed and in progress, she could see people who were moving their belongings into their new homes, she could see the nearby stream rushing about as it always did.

What else did she see? Well, for one, there was a rather foul-looking Uchiha stomping through the village. It wasn't much of a mystery anymore, he would often come out of meetings with the same bitter face when something didn't go his way.

Even from a distance, their eyes locked and she beckoned for him to come. In an instant, he appeared beside her, glare still in place.

"What do you want?" He questioned impatiently.

The woman only patted the spot next to her.

Taking a deep breath, he lowered himself down and sat on the warm red tiles.

"Did you and Hashirama have another disagreement?" She asked, eyes still focused on the passerbys below.

A grunt confirmed her suspicion.

"The Senju wants the training fields by the Uchiha compound to become public once the village begins to grow." He stated with clear disapproval.

"And you want it to be reserved for your clan." She sighed. "Madara, you really must learn to compromise. Things will be much better within this village if its leaders don't argue over everything."