Chapter Text
Madara slowly descended the steps of the hidden passage in the outback cabin of his Father's old home. A small ball of flames hovering in his right hand illuminated the path ahead and emanating a faint warmth against the unnatural cold that seemed to permeate this place. The sent of mold. Dirt. Stale air and something faintly metallic clung to the space. As he reached the last step his eyes were drawn to a door at the end of the passage covered in rune's of containment and suppression. His brow furrowed as his mind raced with possibilities of what his father had trapped behind that door.
When his father had first begun to build the small cabin he had told him in no uncertain terms that he was Never to go near that part of the property ever again. The one time he had disobeyed. getting but a brief glimpse through a window of an empty room with a large box in the center. his father had grabbed the back of his neck with a bruising grip. pulling him away from the window and slapped him hard enough that he tasted blood as his lip split. His father had looked surprised at his own actions for a moment before anger had once again over taken his face. "I told you to Never come here! Get back to the house I'll deal with you in the morning," he'd growled, so I did. But not to wait for whatever the morning would bring but to grab whatever I could. By the time the sun rose I was long gone...
Tajima hadn't always been like that. He'd been a stern but kind father once. But after the raid by a group of unknown attackers 5 years ago that had resulted in not only the deaths of the entirety of the Uchiha branch family but Madara's mother and his little brother izuna as well, Tajima changed. He became colder. Distant. He would disappear in the early mornings leaving Madara alone in a silent house with nothing but the wind that seemed to echo with the sound of voice's long gone for company. Only to return late in the evening with no explanation of where he'd gone.
Madara had learned of his father's death 2 weeks ago and had finished the paperwork to takeover and move back to the property yesterday afternoon and had arrived this morning. After he'd placed his bags in his old room the first thing he had done was looking towards the forest behind the house. Where in hid the cabin and whatever secrets his father had hidden there. Which is how Madara now found himself standing in front of a sealed door wary of whatever he might find within. He took a deep breath before taking hold of the handle with his left hand and turning it slowly. The hinges creaked as the door slowly swung open revealing a medium sized dark room within.
He stepped into the shadows with. slowly lifting the small ball of flames in his hand as it grew brighter to illuminate the space. revealing the limp form wrapped in chains at the back of the room. But not just any chains. They were Cold Iron chains. covered in faintly glowing runic clusters meant to conceal. contain and sap the energy of the one wearing them. Creating a void of nothing to the senses of any who might look there. The figures head was slumped forward. Their hair falling limp and matted with dried blood in front of their face obscuring their features and exposing the delicate points of their ears. They were an Elf! Shock whirled through Madara at the revelation but he pushed it aside as the light pulled back the shadows from the elf's form. Their arms were pulled painfully up and over a metal Cross beam behind him and pulled down securely. Chains wrapped around the mans visible ribs and sunken waist holding him securely to the beam. chains connected from the floor to his ankles pulling them out to the side leaving him in an awkward position where he could neither fully stand nor rest his weight.
The rags of what might have once being a pair of fine pants clung low on his waist. Burns and dried blood peaked out from underneath the chains and cuffs. A few fading bruises on the ribs could be seen as well. Madara took another step forward as he called our quietly. "Hello?" There was no response. the elf remained still. For a moment Madara thought he might be dead. but then his eyes caught on the slight movement of the elf's hair in front of his face shifting back and forth just slightly every few seconds. he was alive! If only just. He walked slowly towards the elf. pausing just in front of him. He still hadn't moved an inch. Madara released the ball of flame to hover above them before reaching slowly. Carefully. To brush the hair out of his face revealing a blindfold across the elf's face and a gag secured so tightly that it dug painfully into the elf's mouth. But what caught Madara's attention the most. Was the single strip of white in the elf's hair. His hand froze.
It couldn't be....
"Hashirama?"