March Wordcount Tracking

Total March Wordcount: 6776 words

Posted: [laughs in tax season] almost... there... \ORZ


IN PROGRESS:

There’s a place I’ve seen where the soul burns clean: 3449 words

Self-indulgence Sandbox fics: 3327 words


Sneak Peeks:

>There's a place I've seen where the soul burns clean <

Madara let Izuna pull himself upright, pointedly not saying anything at the awkward catch in his motion as he aggravated his injuries and had to work to regulate his breathing. "You will tell me if you have any suspicion that the healer is not adequately treating you," he told him.

Izuna barked out a startled laugh at that, ending with a groan through gritted teeth and a hand pressed to his side. “Do you think I’d cover for her?” he sputtered, headbutting Madara in the chin as punishment for making him laugh.

Madara absorbed the blow without even moving and gave him a searching, narrow-eyed look. "Good."

> Self Indulgence Sandbox fics <

Hashirama walked a little closer to the water’s edge, feeling Madara’s eyes get sharper on him as he got closer. “I’m sorry about your brother,” he said.
 

Madara’s scowl didn’t budge, but his eyes were thoughtful above that, so Hashirama didn’t think he was actually as mad as he looked. “Thanks,” he said, voice rough. “It’ll be okay, though. I’m oldest now, so I’m gonna watch out for the rest of us for Nii-san so he can rest peacefully. I’m strong, so it’ll be fine.”

 

Hashirama’s heart squeezed again, and on impulse he skipped across the water to stand not far from Madara. The boy fell into a ready stance as soon as Hashirama hit the water and didn’t sink, and he was definitely getting sized up now.

 

“So you’re a shinobi too, huh,” Madara commented, still watchful but standing back at his regular height when Hashirama just rocked back on his heels and grinned.

 

“You too?” He bounced a little on his toes, dancing from foot to foot. “Wanna spar?”

 

Madara frowned, looking like he was going to brush Hashirama off.

 

Seeing that look, Hashirama was seized with a sudden need to not let him do that. Maybe it was just the novelty of getting to talk to a shinobi kid his age that wasn’t already a cousin or something, but the idea of them just going their separate ways and maybe never seeing each other again was distressing in a way that he couldn’t articulate, even to himself.