The Senju Guardian [Slow Updates]

| Chapter 6 |

Time flew by and Madara had watched the ex Hokage for quite a while. He must admit, that watching Mito, occasionally Kagami or Hiruzen, throw Tobirama into a bath tub is quite entertaining.

Then watch them all come out soaked and Tobirama's normally smooth yet fluffy fur plastered onto him made his day. He would have laughed out loud if he wasn't worried about getting caught.

That would just ruin all his plans, even tho humiliating the Senju would certainly be entertaining. He settles with watching them so far, it was also pretty funny to see him acting more like a cat, well he was one now. But that didn't stop him from almost falling off the tree branch he'd been sitting on when he heard him purr. He also barely stopped his laughter when Hashirama's granddaughter tried to get him to chase a toy mouse she had attached to a string on a stick.

His expression was priceless, it was very similar to those Tobirama gave Hashirama when he did something stupid, which was almost all the time.

Well back to the topic at hand. Madara watched him for a while, not daring to get too close when around others or inside the village, but when Tobirama snuck out to his training area

he would occasionally, flare his chakra, just a tad bit, like before.

He loved the way it made the Senju alarmed.

He kept this up for a week until he thought he gathered all the information he needed. His water affinity was just as high as ever. His chakra control was slightly off, he couldn't perform high ranked techniques he used to, the ones he created. He also seemed to lose his ability to use Hiraishin, well he was able to teleport a very short distance, but it was obviously taking a toll on him and it was much slower. He, however, didn't seem to lack his usual speed. It was fascinating to watch him run laps around the outskirts of the village, his new form seemingly making him even faster.

But no matter how much interesting is to watch him he has to go now. He took one final look at the once man, who was panting by the pond in his personal training ground and flared his chakra just a tad bit more, a smirk tugging at his lips as it made the overgrown cat fall over and look in his direction with wide, fearful eyes.

This time he wasn't as hidden, this time he let his chakra flare long and strong enough.

He stared into those wide crimson eyes for a bit, before giving a large bloodthirsty grin and with a shushing motion with his finger in front of his lips, "shhhh" he vanished in a swirl of flames, leaving a slightly trembling and very much shocked Senju behind.

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Tobirama was shocked, to say the least, that, of course, wasn't the only thing he felt. The moment he felt the chakra which had been following him around whole week, or maybe even more, flare again he was alarmed, this time however it was slightly stronger, not strong enough for anyone from the village to sense, but strong enough for Tobirama to know exactly who it belonged to.

'Not possible.' He thought 'HE is dead.'

'It can't be-'

He got his answer when he quickly turned to the source of the chakra. His eyes widening to the size of dinner plates, he couldn't stop the way his fear and utter shock entered them at the sight of him. Red stared into onyx, it felt like an hour before Madara gave him a bloodthirsty grin, hand moving, his index finger in front of his lips.

"Shhhh"

And with a flicker of flames, he was gone. That evening he didn't feel eyes watching him, he didn't feel a flare of chakra, yet he couldn't shake off the paranoia. He probably never will. He really hoped it wasn't real, he prayed, because if it was they were all doomed.

He didn't tell anyone when he came back, acting normal until night hit and he was alone. The gesture, the simple gesture for silence was an obvious threat. He is too vulnerable now. They all were. The only person strong enough to fight Madara was his brother. But he is dead. Word would get quickly if he told anyone. He can't afford to say anything. As cowardly as he sounds he doesn't want the village to face Madara again so soon. He doesn't want to face Madara so soon.

He'll have to settle with silence.

After all, there is still the possibility of it being simply a hallucination. The possibility of it never happening, his exhaustion and paranoia playing tricks on his brain. He doesn't know.

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He never felt eyes on him nor a flare of chakra ever since then.

Maybe it just wasn't real. Maybe he was right about his brain playing tricks on him. Perhaps he finally went insane.

He will never know.

Or perhaps just not yet.