Redeemer's Cross

1

"The longer you live. The more you realize that reality is just made of pain, suffering, and emptiness." -Madara Uchiha, the Apostate, and abandoner of dreams.

::

Quiet. So very quiet. A thick blanket of fog shrouds a great forested space and layers it in damp mystery. There is a river just ahead, and beside it several round stones smoothed by the currents and sand that are pushed aside to the riverbed. He thinks that he can hear the river gushing but the sound sounds far off like a distant echo. It's faint. There is no rhythm to the river, he realizes, and the river isn't flowing. It's simply a long winding road of still unmoving water. Still. Frozen. Timeless.

Quiet.

He never liked the quiet before but after years of constant chaos and destruction and violence...yes, the quiet is welcome. He finally has quiet. It feels rather peaceful. Despite the tranquility, he can't help but feel the ache of loneliness. Where is his brother? Where is his family? Why, he even searches for the idiot Hashirama. There is no one to be found and that unnerves him.

He doesn't remember his first death so he isn't quite sure what to expect with his second. (He has 'died' three times and this time he plans on staying dead.)

He doesn't think himself to be a good person, but if he were still alive then he'd try.

Ra-ta rata-ta-ta dura-dura rata-ta-ta!

He hears the light belting of a small wooden drum and spins to face its source. Bemusement fills him as he finds himself face to face with a pistachio green haired toddler holding a small wooden drum.

"Kon'nichiwa." The little girl smacks her drum twice. She has a large silly smile on her face and big bright round eyes.

"Kon'nichiwa." He murmurs lowly in response. His dark eyes searching the child's face. A sad thought fills him. Has this child died as well? Plenty of children die everyday but that doesn't make it any less tragic.

The girl twirls around and waves a hand through the veil of mist. She fails to catch it and the water particles slip through her fingers. She frowns a little bit and turns back to face him.

"You lost, dura-dura?" She tilts her head curiously. (Pronounced "d-ra", almost like a heartbeat.)

"No," he shakes his head firmly, "I am where I should be."

"You sure, dura-dura?" She asks dubiously.

"I am." He tells her flatly.

She doesn't seem convinced but says nothing.

He sighs and eventually asks for her name.

"Taiko's name is Taiko!" She squeals as she strikes a happy pattern onto her drum. "You have name, dura-dura?"

He looks amused while he answers.

"I do." He drawls, stretching his words lazily. "My name is Uchiha Madara."

"U-chiha Ma-da-ra." Taiko tests as she plays the rhythm of his name to her drum. "Pretty!" She squeals.

He quirks a brow. People have said many things about his name. Some cursing it, others blessing it but never has anyone called it pretty. Uchiha Madara was feared and hated and...pretty? Really? (Inwardly he wholeheartedly agrees. He was pretty.)

"Why Ma-da-ra-sama here, dura-dura?" Taiko inquires.

"I am dead."

"No!" She protests vehemently.

Madara sighs at her troubled expression and calmly crouches down to her level.