Chapter Text
The first thing Naruto noticed when he awoke was how light headed and heavy his limbs felt. The next thing he noticed were the multiple voices talking at just above a whisper somewhere off to the side of his bed. He did his best to turn his head, but all he could manage was just a small tilt before it felt as if that one simple action had sapped all of the energy from his body.
Who's talking? I can't understand them...
"Ka… shi… sen…? Gra... ny... Tsuna…?" he called out in a voice so small and weak that it was heard as nothing more than an incoherent mumble. It was usually at times like these where the first faces he would see would be that of his teacher welcoming him back into the waking world with his usual cool tone, or the Hokage scolding him the moment he opened his eyes. Instead, he was met with faces he never expected to meet again.
"Oh! He's awake! How are you feeling, young man? Are you able to speak at all? Does it hurt anywhere? What's your name?" The excitable voice of none other than the formally deceased First Hokage sounded loudly to his sensitive ears, soon followed by the cool tone of the Second Hokage.
"Brother! You're asking too many questions to someone that has just regained consciousness. The doctor specifically requested that we refrain from overwhelming the patient all at once."
And finally, the haunting voice of the man that would likely plague his dreams for years to come.
"It would also help if you didn't try to crowd him as well, Hashirama, you idiot."
Madara…. The Uchiha Madara….
Naruto could only manage a weak, regrettable chuckle and a few slurred words,
"Def-... inite… night…mare…." And just like that, he was out like a light and fainted.
"Well, I didn't think we were that ugly," Hashirama commented, and for that he received a good smack to the back of his head from his brother.
The next time Naruto woke up, he found himself waking up in a place similar to Kurama's cage, with said fox demon already present, and… Hagoromo?
"Great old sage? What are you doing here? Is there something more you needed to tell me?" Naruto asked with a small inquiring tilt of his head.
For a moment, the old sage said nothing, only staring at the ground thoughtfully, as if trying to find the right words to say. Naruto found this behavior strange and looked up at the fox demon for answers, but found that he too was looking away to avoid eye contact. The atmosphere was still and tense as though there were a thick, dark cloud hanging over them. Naruto gulped, he didn't know what to expect to hear, he had thought that the last time he saw the old sage would've been the last and that everything was done and over, but now it seemed as if something greater in weight was about to be said. And if the fox demon wasn't saying anything or poking fun at him, then this was likely very serious, and he dared not say anything. Then, after what felt like several long minutes, the silence was finally broken.
"Naruto," began the sage, "what is the last thing you remember?"
Naruto swallowed thickly and pondered over his memories. "Uh, I remember fighting Kaguya, and then… talking to my dad, then… I think something happened…"
The more he thought about it, the more his head began to ache. Then, there was an unbearably loud ringing in his ears and the intensity of the aching in his head increased, until suddenly everything stopped when he remembered…
"....Sasuke."
Just like that, everything came flooding back in an instant. Sasuke had wanted a revolution, he wanted to recreate the current system and unify all shinobi by replacing Madara and becoming the new public enemy. Then, in their final fight, he remembered pulling back at the last second, but somewhere in between life and death—in that mock Konoha warped like an ever changing ominous dream—he was finally able to reach him and pull him back from his lonely downward spiral. He really did it, he at long last saved his dearest and closest friend from themself, just like he always wanted—but at the cost of his own life. He remembered their emotional exchange, admitting their faults, regrets, desires, and laying out their inner demons, and how deeply and profoundly they felt each other's pain for the final time before… before….
…….
"I… died?"
Looking down at his hands, his body felt cold and numb at the realization, as if he was suddenly drenched in cold, icy water. When he finally glanced up, he was met with the dreaded look that told him everything he needed to know: sympathy, hesitation, and pity. "Indeed. You have died. Your death was caused by your split second decision to hold back in the final blow, for the sake of your desire for your dearest friend to live and realize the error of his ways," Hagoromo recounted solemnly. Naruto suddenly felt all sorts of feelings swirling within him in a torrent, until it all settled into one—acceptance. In the end, it would seem that he was the only one to be swallowed by that haunting dream-like scape. If that was so, then he was content with that, as long as no one else had to die for him, then this was a more than acceptable outcome. He placed his hand over his chest and felt it beat methodically against his palm. Somehow, even after being told he was dead it still didn’t seem real, he felt no different than before. Was this really death?
"Then… Then, what about Sasuke? Is he still alive? Will he be able to release the Infinite Tsukuyomi without me?"
"Why is his well being the first thing you ask?! Why should you feel any need to worry about that wretched brat after he killed you?!" Kurama shouted in utter disbelief, and wondered to himself, Does this dull witted boy have no pride?!
Naruto deflated at the fox demon’s reprimand and spoke meekly, "Because… I knew that if we fought, we would both die, but… I didn't want him to die. I wanted him to know that he was wrong, that he wasn't alone, and he didn't have to be. It’s kind of funny in a morbid way. I kept practically boasting that we would die together, but I couldn’t actually pull through in the end... I wanted him to have his life back, even if it meant I couldn't. Truthfully, I… I already knew there was a possibility that I was going to die if I held back, but to actually hear that I truly did die… is a hard pill to swallow. I guess I had it somewhere in me that I was invincible or something, since I usually made it out alive, but I guess not this time… I'm sorry I dragged you into this, Kurama… I’m so sorry…." the blond apologized sorrowfully. Looking at how crestfallen he was, Kurama couldn't find it in himself to be angry with the little blond. Besides, he had no intention of being sealed in anyone else but the blond jinchuriki, dying together was a much more favorable end to them both than just either one of them dying first and leaving the other alone. Not that he would ever say that out loud, of course. Just because he was dead didn't mean he still didn't have his pride.
"Whatever, I just can't believe this was your final decision, and all for that stupid, worthless, ungrateful brat."
"Hey! He's not any of those things! Don't be mean! Ungrateful, maybe… but he's definitely not stupid and worthless!"
"And you're still defending him after what he did!"
"Because he's my friend!" They pinned each other down with a challenging glare and Hagoromo couldn't help but smile. It was good to see that even in such a solemn situation, they could still lightheartedly argue like this together. However, it was only going to become more complicated from here on.
"Naruto, there's something you should know."
At that, Naruto perked up and pulled away from his glaring contest with the fox demon. "Hm? Yeah, what's up?"
"Listen, Naruto, although you may have died, you are currently alive."
There was a long beat of silence as it took time for the sage's words to fully register.
"Uh, what? Can you explain? I can't be dead and alive at the same time, unless… am I a zombie now?! Wait, isn't that just the reanimation jutsu? Have I been reanimated?!" Naruto exclaimed in both fear and bafflement. At such blatant purity and youth, Hagoromo couldn't help but chuckle at what he could only describe as endearing nativity.
"No, you have not been reanimated. Instead, your chakra and soul resides in another body. However, this body exists far into the past."
This actually made the blond even more confused than before. "I'm in another body from the past? So you mean to say that… I've then teleported into the past?"
"Yes; however, it is pertinent that you understand that this new body that you reside in once belonged to another.”
“Wait, wait, wait! Slow down!”
“I’ve only just explained three things so far.”
“No! That’s not what I mean! Why have I been thrown back in time? Whose body am I in? What’s going to happen to the world if I’m back in time?”
Hagoromo nodded, understanding that those were indeed valid questions and understood why he wanted him to slow down and thoroughly explain. “Then allow me to answer your questions. You have traveled to the past because I have made it so. This is a very powerful jutsu that I once created; however, I never used it, nor had I ever had the chance to test it so I could never truly know if it worked. But, seeing you in a different body now, it obviously works. I kept it to myself due to the possibility of how easily it could be abused and have destructive effects on time and space if used too often and by more than one person. In truth, I had not foretold that you would lose your life; however, I believe this to be a perfect opportunity to use this jutsu. I believe the world still very much needs you, Uzumaki Naruto. This jutsu cannot be used on oneself; therefore, I utilized this opportunity to transfer your soul to an approximate time where you can stop this future from ever occurring. However, with this jutsu, I cannot take your body with you, instead you must be placed in a dying body in close proximity to your current location.”
“Why can’t I take my body with me? And why are the conditions so complicated?” Naruto questioned with a frown.
“It’s complicated because you have traversed through time and space, a place where a physical form, such as your body, cannot cross unlike your chakra and soul. For this reason, you cannot simply exist without form, and must be placed into one. If there is no empty vessel close to yours within the approximate time frame and if pulled too far from your current body’s location and from where I am casting the jutsu, then your soul will be drawn back into the cycle of rebirth. However, as luck would have it, there was an empty vessel available. It is also the one you are currently possessing.”
Naruto jumped slightly in surprise and looked into the still waters below him and found that he did indeed look a little different. His eyes and face shape were a bit different, and his hair as well. His hair retained its original spikiness; however, it was a slight bit longer and with a side part on the left side of his bangs and only the right side was a bit longer than the other. Kurama took a closer look as well and lightly bumped his fist into his palm as if coming to a conclusion, “No wonder, I thought you looked a bit different. It’s certainly an improvement if you ask me, hahaha,” Kurama mocked, and laughed jauntily. Naruto immediately turned around and uselessly pounded his fists against the fox demon's foot in childish anger.
“Stupid Kurama, what do you know! Both my parents were good looking people, so I definitely got their good genes passed to me! Stupid! You’re the ugly one! And you have an awful personality!”
Hagoromo lightly coughed into his fist to interrupt them and draw their attention back to him before continuing. “Moving on. The body you possess once belonged to another; however, they have unfortunately passed on and perhaps have hopefully already entered the cycle of rebirth.”
“Why does this body look so much like my old one?”
“That is merely a great coincidence. It would appear that this body is a descendent of the Namikaze clan as well, as their clan is well known for their bright blond hair and vibrant blue eyes.”
“And the whiskers?”
“As long as your chakra remains intertwined with Kurama, his chakra will naturally affect your appearance.”
“Then…. Do you know how this person died?”
“.......”
Another beat of silence. If Naruto was going to be possessing some other person’s body like a malevolent ghost, he felt that he at least had the right to know how they died in order to properly honor them for it. It just wouldn't sit well with him if this body had died all alone in a place where no one knew or could find him and honor him after death.
“It would seem that they had taken their life out of their own volition,” Hagoromo informed in a steady and solemn tone.
Hearing those words, Naruto felt his body jolt. Suicide…. Just thinking of that word left a bad taste in his mouth. He always thought that that way of going out was truly the saddest of them all. It made him wonder, just how horrible and deep was their despair that they had to resort to such a thing? Did they truly have no one to rely on? Was there really no other option? What were they feeling in their last moments as they made that final decision that you could never take back? He would never dare ridicule or mock someone for doing such a thing, afterall he would be lying if he said he had never entertained the idea before…. However, thankfully he met people that changed that.
“I see…. Is it… is it really alright for me to just take their body?” Naruto asked in a voice awash with gloom and uncertainty.
“Yes, as I’m sure that they are on their way to a new and better life. From now on, this is your body, and you should think of it as such.”
“What about their name?”
“That I do not know.”
“So… what’s going to happen to the present now that I’ve been thrown back in time?”
Hagoromo lowered and shook his head shamefully. “That…. I also do not know unfortunately. Perhaps it continues without you in a different branch of time, perhaps it has been halted waiting to be slowly rewritten, or perhaps it has completely reverted; I cannot say for certain. Time and space is not something that I can easily and freely traverse across as I please. This jutsu has already consumed much of my chakra.”
“Wait, then how are you here if you can’t use it on yourself?”
“For the same reason Kurama is here. Because I exist within you; therefore, I too am a part of you. As long as you possess the chakra of all the tailed beasts, you will be able to meet me. However, I would prefer to silently watch from afar than participate in the course of history. A relic like me should remain as such, it is only in times such as the unsealing of Kaguya should I interfere.”
Naruto glanced down at his body and then to his reflection in the water and felt an odd sense of calm, as if he hadn’t completely assimilated that this stranger staring back at him was who he was now. “So, this….really isn’t my body?”
“No. This body doesn’t seem to have been trained as a shinobi prior to your possession; therefore, it appears to be in a somewhat malnourished and bad condition. However, with your chakra and that of Kurama’s, it should heal soon enough.”
“Am I still as strong as before?"
“Yes, the only difference now would be your appearance. However, because of this body’s weakened state and it not being that of your original, your chakra is currently in an unstable condition. Therefore, it may take some time for your chakra to adjust to your new body and so you may find yourself unable to use your chakra for a while, you will also experience bouts of fatigue and find yourself sleeping often.”
Naruto hummed in acknowledgement and nodded. “Alright, makes sense… So, what’s the plan now, gramps?”
To that he received a simple, mysterious smirk from the old sage. “That is for you to decide, my child.”
The blond jumped and immediately started babbling incoherently. “W-W-What?! Y- You’re not gonna help me? But you brought me here! You can’t just- just toss me buck naked to the wolves and expect me to fend for myself!”
“You are not buck naked and I don’t believe there are any wolves. Regardless, I understand what you are trying to say. To put it simply, there’s nothing for me to do, nor can I do from here on. This is all on you, kiddo,” The old sage said with an encouraging thumbs up. Naruto really wanted to smack his hand for that, but he wasn’t too keen on hitting seniors—especially if they were the Sage of Six Paths.
“Wait! Hold on! Okay, gimme a minute. So, the faces I saw were all real, right? They weren’t a dream?”
“Correct.”
Once the old sage confirmed his worst fears, Naruto staggered backwards into Kurama at the realization.
“Then, that means…. This is somewhere in the time between the founding of Konoha and the fight between Old-man First and Madara?! But, I don’t know anything about them! At least give me a brief summary of what happened during this time; I never really paid attention in history class!" the young man whined pitifully. Hagoromo sighed, but complied nonetheless; despite the blond's nativity, and his expertise in being somewhat of a clueless airhead, it was also part of his charm as well. Those characteristics gave him a sort of bright and innocent youthfulness and just made you smile in the end.
"Kurama, take notes for me, please. I don't think I could remember all this."
"You're an idiot," the fox demon grumbled with a roll of his eyes. Once the old sage explained the core issues of the current Era he was stranded within, as well as a few other things, the old sage bid the young blond farewell. But before they parted for what would likely be their last meeting, Hagoromo stopped the young man one final time.
"Naruto," he called, drawing the attention of the blond, "there is no going back from here," he warned.
Naruto appeared to stiffen at those words, but smiled nonetheless. "Got it," he said, before closing his eyes.
****
When Naruto blinked open his groggy eyes to the warmth of the bright sun cascading into his hospital room window like luminous curtains, he found himself alone and once again barely able to move. Well, it sucked that he couldn't move, but at least he was alone, that way it could give him some time to ponder over what to do next. He thought about simply lying and masquerading as a resident of this world; however, there was one massive downside to that….and it was that he sucked at lying. He couldn't even keep track of how many times he'd been caught red handed in a blatant lie. Whenever he was forced to lie, he always tended to seize up, sweat profusely from head to toe, stumble over his words, and avidly avoid eye contact. He also felt that if they knew the truth, it would honestly make so many things easier, but first he had to somehow get them to believe him which was the hardest step. Who would believe such an absurd story from a severely injured unknown boy? They would think he was delusional or crazy and believe that that was the reason why they found him dying in the first place! They would think that he was chasing aliens off a cliff or something! Maybe he should wait a bit before spilling the beans on second thought…..
Naruto turned his head to stare out the window and gaze at the ever blue sky and thought to himself, It's stupid, but I wonder why I expected the sky to look different. Thinking about the past, I guess I kinda thought it was always cloudy and gloomy or something, but it’s the same blue sky as the one I’ve always known and seen time and time again…. I wonder what Konoha looks like now.
He couldn't see much outside from his window due to the trees that partially blocked his view, but he could at least tell that there weren't many tall buildings around because the trees themselves only reached a foot above the window sill leaving an empty sky. At the thought of how much different this Konoha was going to be compared to the one he always knew, there was a small pin prick ache in his chest.
Why do I feel anxious all of a sudden?
Not too long after awakening, he heard the door to his room gently and cautiously slide open, followed by the sound of light footsteps. When he turned his head, he was greeted by a female nurse who was excited and happy to see him awake. She spoke to him in a soft voice, informing him that he'd been asleep for close to a week and that Hashirama—who was yet to be the first Hokage—would be visiting him later in the day, and once she finished with her check up she left him to ponder quietly.
One week… I've already been here for almost a whole week.
About an hour later after the nurse had left, the door to his room opened again, but this time it wasn't the kind nurse or the first Hokage. It was none other than the current patriarch of the Uchiha clan—Uchiha Madara. The man whose determination would span for several decades, affecting countless lives, and single-handedly shaking the entire world. And here he stood in the flesh, living and breathing. Without chakra or even a healthy body, Naruto was absolutely at the man’s complete mercy, and it scared him. There was nothing he could do to defend himself. If the Uchiha wanted to, he could snap him in half in a blink of an eye and he wouldn’t be able to do a thing about it. It did help a little that he didn’t possess the Rinnegan, which aided in making him look a little more normal and not like the maniacal mad man that attempted to dominate the entire world that he was used to. Regardless, he couldn’t help but shrink at the lofty man’s ever piercing and dark gaze, and he was forced to look away and instead out the window trying to find anything else to keep his eyes occupied. That gaze…. How could he ever hope to forget those terrible and haunting eyes that seemed to peer into his very soul and render him powerless, like a predator staring down its prey into submission. As much as he hated to admit it, Uchiha Madara was without a doubt a thing of nightmares. He was a perfect shinobi in every way; his power, experience, strength, influence, intelligence, fighting prowess, chakra, and determination was unparalleled. The only one comparable to him being only that of Hashirama, known as the God of Shinobi. No one else could stand even the slightest chance against him.
Even as Naruto laid there in silence and obviously ignoring the presence of the other man, the Uchiha patriarch remained quietly in place and practically staring holes into him. The young blond felt his skin crawl and had no other choice but to address the man.
“Um, c-can I help you?” Naruto asked in a soft, weak voice without sparing the man a single glance. There was a brief moment of silence before he heard the man approach, pulling a chair from a wall and seating himself by the blond’s bed. Naruto gulped thickly and could feel himself already sweating nervously.
What does he want? Why did he have to sit down next to me? I would rather you say what you need to and leave, please!
Unexpectedly, however, he received a haughty snort in reply, catching his attention.
“So you can speak after all,” he said in his deep baritone and arrogant voice. Naruto’s jaw tensed in agitation at his words.
That's all he wanted to say?! What an asshole! he thought in utter disbelief, and he finally turned to stare at the man in annoyance—only to find the dark haired man sitting relaxed with one foot planted on the ground and the other resting over his knee. His arm was propped up on his knee and his back was slightly hunched to rest his chin in the palm of his hand, his other hand seated in his pocket as he stared at the young blond in curiosity and interest. His long, black, and spiked hair cascading down his back and falling a little over his broad shoulder contrasting his pale but still healthy looking complexion, and his clothes were in the usual dark Uchiha fashion befitting of the current time period. However, even more so than the typical Uchiha, he was (begrudgingly) incredibly handsome. He’d seen plenty of good looking men in his life, and Madara was definitely up there, he would even say that he was better looking than Sasuke.
Stupid Uchiha’s and their stupidly good-looking faces! These bastards are always rolling jackpots on the genetic lottery! Handsome guys go die!
“What are you looking so peeved about? Do I annoy you that much?” Madara said in a lightly curious tone. At some point, without noticing, Naruto began to scowl hard at the Uchiha patriarch with a deep unhappy and childish frown on his face. After realizing this, Naruto immediately stopped and turned away again in a panic.
“S-Sorry…” Naruto admitted.
Madara didn’t respond for a moment, obviously observing the young blond’s every action before finally saying, “If you want to apologize, you should look at the person you are apologizing to,” in a seemingly bored tone.
Naruto felt his hair stand in irritation at his manner of tone and phrasing.
What the hell is his problem!? Is this how you talk to an injured stranger!? Naruto turned to face him once again and this time letting his displeasure be known in both his expression and voice. “I’m. Sorry. Better?” he questioned through clenched teeth.
Madara simply scoffed. "Could use more work, but it's doable I suppose."
This. Bastard.
As if a thread had been stretched thin to the point of snapping, Naruto finally had it with this man's awful attitude. "What the hell is your problem!? Did you come here just to irritate me?! Why do you think it's okay to-"
"Blue," the man’s deep voice suddenly interjected, taking the blond by surprise.
"Ah-, what?" Naruto asked, blinking in bewilderment and awaiting clarification.
"Your eyes. They're blue, like the sky," Madara stated simply and said nothing more. The longer Madara stared into the boy’s eyes, the more he realized how strikingly similar it was to the sky outside the window. It was almost like peering right through him and into the sky behind him.
"Huh? Oh, yeah, I think I've heard that before. Is that strange?" the young blond asked, his earlier irritation having seemingly dissipated like smoke. Madara quirked a brow at this, gazing thoughtfully at the boy in silence for a moment longer.
"You…. your emotions are rather easy to manipulate. You are quite the simpleminded one.”
“Wha-, are you serious?! What makes you think you can just come in here and be so rude?!” the blond demanded angrily, his hands balling into a fist and gripping the blanket over his abdomen. His hand was practically itching to slap the aggravating man in front of him right across his perfect face.
“Well, I was the one that found you in the river.”
The annoyance in Naruto was almost enough to fuel him into sitting up in anger, regardless if his entire body felt like limp overcooked noodles.
“So that means that you can just start insulting me for no reason?”
Madara shrugged uncaringly. “Perhaps, but at least you are a lot more lively now. Better than you cowering from my mere presence."
With that being said, his lips curved into a handsome smile and he looked as if he had achieved something great. The gentle glow of the sun from the window cast away all the shadows from his face and somehow made the atmosphere around him seem lighter and calmer.
And Naruto realized, this Madara was actually quite different from the one he was used to. This version seemed so normal and approachable, even warm and welcoming in a way that Naruto couldn’t seem to stop staring. What he felt in this moment for the man sitting by his side was indescribable. His mind was swirling in confusion around this man, and yet at the same time he felt something strange budding between them.
Was he the type to smile so easily?
Even Sasuke refused to show emotions so simply, and yet this Madara could smile at him so effortlessly. Then, without even realizing what he was saying, in a small corner of his brain, he thought to himself,
He has a nice smile…
"Do you feel more relaxed now?" Madara asked, jerking the younger man from his trance. "Huh? Oh, yeah, I do feel a bit more relaxed now."
"Mn." Then, Madara closed his eyes and appeared to be thinking. His behavior and expressions were so jarringly different that it actually made it easier to differentiate the past and future Madara's, and he found himself slowly and unexpectedly loosening up around him.
"You said… you were the one that found me? Th… Thank you, I really appreciate it..." Naruto was almost reluctant to thank the man, seeing as how this was the same man that would several years later bring an entire world war upon himself, kill countless people, and honestly traumatize him for life—but at the same time he had yet to do any of that.
Madara opened his eyes again to peer down at him and scoffed lightly. "Still wary of me? Should I insult you more?" he inquired with an arrogant smirk.
Naruto pouted childishly at him. "You have a terrible personality, you know that?"
"I've been told. How are you feeling now?" the older man asked somewhat abruptly. Naruto was completely stunned by how the man could just brush off whatever he wanted, moving at his own pace and steering the conversation in whatever direction he desired seemingly on a whim.
"I'm okay, my body feels like lead and I feel like I could sleep for a hundred years, but other than that nothing too bad."
“Mn, that’s good.”
Eventually, Naruto yawned and gradually found it increasingly difficult to keep his eyes open, his eyelids flickering every now and then trying his best to keep them open. Madara noticed this and lifted his hand he had kept in his pocket and gently placed them over the younger man's tired eyes, keeping them closed and submerging his vision in a gentle darkness.
"Go to sleep. You will need it to heal faster." Then, as if he'd been placed under a sleep jutsu, he fell asleep almost immediately at the sound of the man's deep, rumbling voice.
He has… a really nice voice….
When the young man finally fell unconscious, Madara removed his hand and watched the quietly sleeping blond for a while longer. For the past week that the young man had been hospitalized, he often found himself coming over to simply watch the young blond in his peaceful slumber. At first, he only visited to see if the young man had awoken yet, then he found himself staying longer and longer to just either watch him sleep or be in his company. The Uchiha patriarch knew that it was probably seen as incredibly creepy of him to visit everyday like clockwork just to simply watch and stay by the side of an unconscious stranger, but it was just habit by this point.
He had to admit, the young man was very much pleasing to the eye; he emanated youth, beauty, and innocence. The young man in his slumber, caressed by the soft glow of the sunlight as light particles seemed to dance around his sleeping form, appeared nothing short of a masterfully painted portrait of a spring god, and he found the youth even more appealing with his eyes open. Somehow simply sitting by the blond youth's side was oddly calming to him, and he couldn't find a conclusion as to why. When he finally had the chance to speak to the blond, he found the youth to be very amusing and couldn't help but tease him a little. It was no surprise that he would be scared of him in the beginning, everyone was, but he was glad the blond was rather easy to rouse and a lot more open to conversing with him than most others.
Madara stayed in that room, pulling out a scroll and quietly reading from it, since Hashirama wanted to visit the blond anyways, so he decided that he might as well stay and wait for the blockhead to get here.
Hopefully, the young man would be awake again by then.
****