Doubt

12.

Five years later.

Hashirama:

"Mr. Senju!"

"Mr. Senju, over here!"

A comment for the national news, please, Mr. Senju."

It was all insane. The journalists. The photographers. I declined them all, seeing as the hearings took place behind closed doors.

"You're a star now, Mr. Senju", my assistant who walked next to me murmured. I smiled at her lopsidedly.

My career had skyrocketed last year when I'd been given the job of acting a lawyer for one of the greatest drug cases in the history of the country. The case was extremely complicated, involving trafficking of women and children and sneaking drugs into their meals. I was the lawyer of the accused gang, a trio of men I felt little love for, but I was doing my best in doing my job, trying to make sure the sentence they got was the right one. The trials had been ongoing for a year now, and I was beginning to see the light in the tunnel. They were continuing next week with the most nerve-wrecking part yet, which was the women and children coming to court to testify. They would need one helluva good lawyer... It was all very good material for media, which was why the interest not only hadn't died down, but had rekindled for this part of the trial.

"Go home and get some rest", my assistant said warmly, and I thanked her.

"Home" was now a modern cottage out in the woods. I had bought it one year after graduation, yearning after a place where I could isolate myself from the hectic world that was now my reality. After graduation I had quickly become a highly sought-after lawyer, enabling me to work for the most prestigious companies for the most prestigious clients, and soon I'd had capital to buy this house.

I loved it with all my heart. It wasn't small, but not too big either, two stories without a basement, with light birch wooden floors and beams, white walls and large glass windows. I had one fireplace on each floor, a large bedroom for me with a huge en suite, two guest rooms and one other bathroom. The kitchen was modern and clinically clean with a kitchen island. Whenever I came home, I relaxed. Especially now, when all was covered in snow and the scenery looked like a winter saga.

My dream was to adopt a golden retriever to hold me company here. But for now, I was entirely focussed on my career, and wanted to be better settled down before taking on such a great responsibility. I wanted to take some time off to get to know my new dog-best friend and establish them, especially since they would be adopted and probably would have had some trauma beforehand. But adopting a golden was a goal that kept me going through my everyday life, alongside all the work, reading and training I did.

I sat down on the couch after having lit the fireplace, put on Pluralone's latest album and took hold of the lates book I was reading. I thought about my court case and how well I'd done it. Of course, the women would be given justice, but I was certain I could make the case for my clients in such a way that the penalty they would receive would be exactly what I wanted. It was the toughest part of my job, speaking for those I knew was in the wrong, but it was also my strongest side that had made me a name in newspapers nations-wide. I knew I would be on the news tonight, and in the papers tomorrow.

Would he see it..?

I shook my head, trying to force the thoughts away.

Was he following the case..?

I hadn't seen Madara since that day in Katie's bedroom. It was agony waiting for him to walk past me in the corridor at university, but it never happened. One day, Hannah came up to me.

"Stop looking for him, you idiot", she said. "Stop craning your stupid neck after him. He switched universities. He got a better offer somewhere else and left." Tears welled up in her eyes.

I swallowed. So that's how it was... There as only one university more highly regarded than ours when it came to law, so he must have moved there. Would I ever see him again? "Was it... because of me?" I couldn't help but ask.

"Oh, go fuck yourself", she said, and walked away.

I graduated with the highest marks, but that didn't matter to me because I was friendless. It had taken me a long time to build myself up again. And Madara would have graduated now as well... He must. He must be following the news. There is no way he has missed I'm on them.

Did he miss me as I missed him?

He would be twenty-eight now, and I was thirty-two. I wondered what he looked like, how he was, how he was doing. As so many times before, I took my phone out of my pocket. And as so many times before, my thumb hovered over his number. He has probably changed his number by now. It's been five years. And yet... YOU haven't changed your number, have you? What if he hasn't either

It always ended up with me sighing and putting my phone back in my pocket.

"Mr Senju, how does it feel defending traffickers?"

"Mr Senju, any plans on how you will try to lower the penalties of the traffickers?"

"What would you say is expected of the lawyer of the women?"

I stopped and looked into the cameras.

"I am not defending the traffickers, nor have I any plans on lowering the penalties. My job is to ensure the penalties are exactly right for the crimes they have committed, and be knowledgeable about the law texts to make a just case for my clients. The lawyer of the women needs to be extremely skilled and knowledgeable as well to have any hope of changing any of the outcomes I desire. It's a very complicated case, and I'm a very good lawyer." I smiled a little at this last part. I knew some people saw me as awful, hated me even, for taking up the case on the side of the traffickers. But it needed to be done by someone, and I knew I was just. Even if I, personally, was 100% on the side of the women and children who had been the victims, I felt sorry for their lawyer. There was no way they could go up against me.

I entered the courtroom on the side of the prosecuted. The prosecutors had not yet entered. I got my papers together and had sat down together with the judges, the jury and the women there to bear witness before the door opened and their lawyer entered together with two guards.

It was a tall man, and even from here I could see he was handsome. I had never seen him before, which was strange as I had expected an at least somewhat well-known lawyer. Hehh... I smirked. This would be easy. He wore a black suit that sat perfectly on him under which he'd donned a crisp, white shirt that was immaculate, but no tie. His black hair was cut short but was quite grown-out so it covered his ears and half of his one eye. He had styled it fiercely with wax so it sprawled neatly around his head, making it look very expensive. He wore black glasses that lifted his face to the heavens. He took his place without even acknowledging me. Wow... This is going to be interesting...

"All stand up!"

We stood.

"Welcome to today's hearing", the judge began. "On the prosecuted's side we have lawyer Hashirama Senju making the case."

I nodded my head.

"And on the prosecutor's side we have lawyer Madara Uchiha."

An electric shockwave pulsed through my entire body in the fraction of a second.

My breath caught in my throat.

I looked over at the short-haired man in glasses and a black suit and this time, I instantly recognised him.

It was Madara.

I had to sit back down on my chair even if the judge had not yet given her permission.