#severed ties

Izuna didn’t mind playing into Madara’s needs. They didn’t have anyone but each other. Despite the six year age difference they had always been close anyway. He could already see madness behind his brother’s eyes and did everything he could to ease it or at least keep it at bay. They had to be a united front for the Uchiha clan. A strong leader and strong clan to stave off another clan attacking them.

The only downside to Madara’s paranoia was his excessive use of his sharingan- more precisely the Mangekyo sharingan. Three years of excessive use. Madara had the chakra to keep it activated when needed but having it activated during times of rest was taking its toll. He was going blind. It was a devastating draw back to the powers of sharingan. The constant flux of chakra to his eyes was straining the nerves and muscles to the point that it couldn’t handle it.

“You can’t keep hiding this.” Izuna hissed. They were alone, safely behind the walls of their own home and for once Madara’s eyes were black and unseeing.

“I can and will. And as my younger brother you will not say anything.” He said firmly. Izuna only sighed. Madara always pulled ‘I’m your older brother’ or ‘I’m your Clan Head’ when he was losing an argument. Though lately it had been the same argument.

“They will find out.” He pointed out. “Please, at least hold off using it. You only need it on the battlefield.” He tried to reason. He understood without the sharingan Madara couldn’t see much anymore. “Let me be your eyes.” He whispered, squeezing Madara’s hand. “Let me do this for you.”

Madara sighed, leaning into Izuna feeling weary already. “You’ll be at my side?”

“Always, Madara.” He swore. Izuna meant every word, he’d be at Madara’s side until the world ended.

——

“IZUNA!” Madara turned away from Hashirama. It was like watching everything in slow motion. The steam dissipated from around them, showing Tobirama still standing while Izuna fell to his knees. Blood pouring from the wound at his side. And his sharingan had it imprinted into his mind. For a moment all he could do was see it over and over again. Barely dodging the next attack, Kuro’s sword was almost forgotten on the ground but was quickly sheathed. Madara rushed from his battle with Hashirama to gather Izuna into his arms.

“Hold on.” Madara whispered, ripping a piece of cloth from his own clothes to wrap it around the wound. “Hold on- RETREAT!” He called out much to the surprise of many of his men. Even the Senju seemed surprised. Stopping a battle for one man was ridiculous. Absolutely unheard of. But the Uchiha’s did not waste a moment, many retreating, and others taking guard around Madara and Izuna as they fled.

“What- what just happened?” Hashirama asked, approaching Tobirama’s side.

“I don’t know, brother.” Tobirama held his sword weakly. Looking down to see it gleam with blood. “It was a fatal blow … but why would they all retreat?”

Hashirama had no answer for it.

——

“What do you MEAN!” Madara yelled, punching a hole into the wall near the healer's head.

“My my lord, I we’ve done all we can.” The man squeaked out.

“Madara-“ Izuna started to speak.

“You’ve done SHIT ALL! Do more!” He yelled, gesturing to Izuna. Izuna was lying there, dying and he could not have that.

“Yes my lord!” Toyashi said, pushing the first healer out of the way and began to work on Izuna. Fresh hands and chakra working to stop the wound from worsening. Toyashi was an old healer, used to his mother, Ruby’s hot temper and now Madara’s.

“Madara.” Izuna sighed as he watched his brother pace, it was beginning to make him dizzy so he closed his eyes.

“Shush save your strength.” He said, kneeling at Izuna’s bedside. “Just lay here, let the healers work. You will be fine.” He said combing Izuna’s hair back. Madara felt frantic, he had to do something to keep himself from panicking more. Petting Izuna’s hair as if he was a child was the best thing he could do. The only thing he could do and not get in the way.

Izuna sighed and let Madara fuss over him. He knew there was nothing they could do. It shredded him and for some reason it wasn’t healing. Probably some property the White Demon had added to his blade. It had been a clever attack, caught Izuna off guard and laid him low.

——

Madara didn’t leave Izuna’s side, not unless he absolutely had to. The compound held its collected breath waiting for what would come. It had been over a week since Izuna had nearly been cut down. While his condition was mostly stable, it seemed to wobble back and forth between life and death.

“Madara.” Izuna gripped Madara’s hand. For now things seem to be getting worse. A fever had taken over while the wound at his side was no longer oozing blood. If it wasn’t his wound something else seemed to want to take him to the afterlife.

“Hush, you’re heating up.” He said softly, pressing the cold towel to his forehead. “Let me take care of you, as your Clan Head and your older brother, that's an order.” He said weakly, offering Izuna a small smile.

“Okay.” Izuna said softly, his hand squeezing Madara’s. He didn’t have the strength to fight in any way. Plus when was the last time anyone had cared for him in any way? Probably when he was a child and sick with a cold or something. It was kind of nice to have all of Madara’s attention and fussing over him.

“Everything will be fine. Remember? You promised to be my eyes, to be at my side always.” Madara said softly, laying the cool cloth over Izuna’s forehead. He began to brush through his brother’s hair. Looking down, he was reminded how much Izuna took after their mother. “I plan to hold you to that.”

“Hm I did promise you that.” Izuna said softly, his eyes closed and mind a bit hazy. It wouldn’t be a hardship for him to fall asleep at that moment - cool cloth over his warm forehead, one of Madara’s hand’s in his hair, and his other hand holding Izuna’s. If this is how he went, he would be okay with that too, as sad as he would be to leave his brother behind.

“So you have to rest now, so you can continue to be my eyes.” He said softly, squeezing Izuna’s hand back, hoping it was reassuring. “Shall I even sing you a lullaby?” Madara teased. He didn’t have much of a singing voice. He had certainly tried when his brothers were younger, trying to mimic their mother. He had made them cry instead.

“Madara.” Izuna’s eyes popped open, realizing something. He hissed and blinked as his eyes were assaulted with the bright light. He didn’t know why it had taken so long for this to come to him. “Madara, you need to listen to me.” He turned his head, feeling frantic as he reached out and grasped Madara’s shirt.

“Izuna you must rest. Talking will only agitate your wound.” He said, shaking his head and tried to ease Izuna’s hands from his shirt.

“No, this is important. This is essential to the clan.” He said firmly. “Look at me, Madara.” Izuna was not going to let this go.

“Yes?” Madara sighed. Even ill as he was, he had never met anyone quite as stubborn as Izuna.

“Turn your sharingan on, you will need it.” Izuna said softly, waiting until he saw his brother’s eyes turn red and focused on seeing again.

“What is so important?” Madara asked, pulling the cloth from Izuna’s forehead, turning and dipping it in the cool water at his bedside.

“Madara, I am dying-“ Izuna reached up and covered Madara’s mouth with his hand. “No, I am, we know it. The healers are keeping me alive but it can’t keep going like this. I won’t live like this, Myoko couldn’t and I can’t.”

“Shush, first off you don’t even remember that situation. And this is completely different from Myoko.” Madara huffed, resting Izuna’s hand on the bed. “Your body needs to heal. The healer's chakra is doing that.”

“That’s a lie.” He snapped. “And you’re not a very good liar.” He added.

“Stop, Izuna we are not having this conversation- if I can even call it that.” Madara sighed, rubbing his face. “It’s taking time, it will take time to heal. We will wait.” He said firmly, he wasn’t just going to give up without exhausting every possible option available to them.

“We cannot wait.” Izuna groaned as he strained to move.

“Enough-“

“No!” Izuna growled. “I am dying and you must take my eyes before I do.” He said firmly, his voice louder.

“What?! What are you talking about?” Madara asked, feeling a bit hysterical. Take his eyes? What sick nonsense was that. “Izuna you’re not thinking correctly. It’s this fever, you need to rest.”

“I read in a book that with the mangekyo sharingan is certain to cause blindness but if one can receive the eyes of another mangekyo sharingan user you can achieve what is called the eternal mangekyo sharingan.” Izuna said quickly before Madara could stop him. “It will give you the power of the mangekyo sharingan without blindness! It’ll cure your vision-“

“Stop. Stop, I am not taking your eyes. This fever is giving you strange ideas and thoughts.” Madara shook his head. “And you are not dying.” He said giving Izuna a hard glare as if it would keep him alive.

“This is how I can be your eyes.” Izuna said, grasping both Madara’s hands. “This is how I can be your eyes and be with you always. Let me do this, please.” He said just over a whisper.

“Don’t, don’t use that against me, Izuna. That’s not fair.” Madara squeezed his eyes closed. Something about this made sense, something about it rang true inside him. But he wouldn’t just give up. “Stay strong. If, and it's a big IF, I find this passage, and find this true … and there’s truly nothing the healers can do.” He trailed off, unable to finish the sentence. He couldn’t imagine a world without anyone at his side. Without Izuna at his side.

“I’m a shinobi, we’re trained not to fight fair.” He pointed out, a small smile on his face. “It’s in our room.” Izuna said. “It’s in a tome, not a scroll. It’s a thick leather brown book. It’s towards the end of the book, it goes over the activation of the sharingan and its properties.” He explained.

“We’ll see.” He rolled his eyes as Izuna snorted at the phrase. “Do not do anything stupid. Rest, I will send in a healer while I look for this so-called information.” He said firmly.

“How can I? You’re taking all the stupid with you.” Izuna seemed to relax back into his bed.

Madara called the healer Toyashi to watch over Izuna so he could go to their shared room. Toyashi was the only healer he could trust, the rest had practically given up on healing Izuna. At least with Toyashi he knew his brother was in safe hands.

——

“I hate you.” Madara said, taking a seat beside Izuna once the healer had left. He had, like Izuna said, found the passage. Reading over it many times before reading through the entire book.

“No you don’t …” Izuna said softly, reaching out to take Madara’s hand. “Help me sit up.”

“What will I do without you?” Madara asked, his voice strained as he eased Izuna to sit up.

“You won’t be without me, I’ll always be your eyes.” Izuna said softly, activating his sharingan.

“It’s not the same and you know it.” Madara growled, activating his own. He couldn’t even look at his brother at that moment. This felt so wrong. Taking someone else’s sharingan felt wrong.

“Just close your eyes, don’t think about it. I’ll be your eyes and help you okay?” Izuna said softly, taking Madara’s hands.

“Please no.” Madara choked. “I’m not ready yet.” He did finally look up, his red eyes glassy from tears wanting to be shed.

“It’s now or never Madara. We have to do this.” Izuna said softly, bringing his hands to his eyes. “You have to do this okay? For me.” Izuna wasn’t exactly chomping at the bit to do this either but he understood it was now or never. They couldn’t wait until he died, he had no idea how his death would affect his eyes.

“This feels wrong, Izuna.” He said softly, curling his lips in.

“I know, but we both know this has to be done. For you and for me.” Izuna said firmly, he had to be strong for Madara one last time. “Just breathe with me, in and out.” He said trying to control himself. Crying now would do no good- not for Madara or himself. “Let me do this one last thing for you.”

“I love you so much.” Madara choked out. “I love you so much Izuna.”

“I love you too, Madara. This is why I have to do this.” Izuna said softly. “Let’s be strong together, one last time okay?”

——

Madara stared at himself in the mirror, ignoring the horrified talking of the healers. His dark eyes, seeing once more, took in his face was caked with dried blood, his hands could still feel the squish of it all. Between the moments of taking out his eyes and then pulling Izuna’s from his head. Having to carefully hold them to keep from ruining the last thing he had of his brother. He had no idea when Izuna had actually passed away. Just at some point after he removed his brother’s eyes he passed. Madara hoped it was at least peaceful.

“Get out.” He said looking over the healers as they kneeled at Izuna’s body. “Please just, just leave.” He didn’t want anymore people to see what had happened. He didn’t want anyone to see his brother.

“Why? So you can take other-“ Madara slapped the man so hard he fell back to the floor.

“You know nothing.” He seethed. “Get out, I will get him ready.” No one spoke, looking between each other before they scrambled out the room. Kneeling at the bedside, Madara pulled the wash basin closer. He carefully began to wash Izuna’s face, closing the empty eye sockets.

“Please forgive me.” He said softly, sobbing as he continued to work. Until the warm water turned cold and pink.

——

Madara prepared Izuna’s body for his funeral. He didn’t want anyone else to see what had happened. And he couldn’t explain it to them. The knowledge they had found was not something anyone needed to know-hell he was tempted to burn the book and die with the knowledge it held. He had Toyashi check over the book Izuna had found and then over himself. But his now perfect eyesight without the sharingan was proof it was true. But he needed at least one other person to understand now that Izuna was gone. The old healer had given him a look, Madara couldn’t quite understand if it was pity or an apology.