That temple had since then become the only witness of the encounter between the three ninjas from different clans. Many battles had there been between clans but for that night, the three seemed to be calm despite their nerves. The storm didn't seem to die down and their glares couldn't stop crossing each other.
Minato was the first to get up from the floor and walk towards the window to watch how the rain continued falling. Perhaps he thought or dreamt about what his life could've been—whether or not that rain could wash away part of his pain and sadness. Madara approached him but when he went to place his hand on Minato's shoulder, he stopped and noticed how he trembled.
"You should come closer to the fire," Madara said, throwing a glance towards the back where a few logs burned in the chimney.
"I'm fine," Minato replied.
"You're cold."
The tense silence was maintained. The Hyuuga didn't dare say anything in front of them. Madara felt there was an insuperable abyss between him and the blond; an abyss that no matter how much he tried to jump over, cross or climb it... didn't seem to shorten the distance. He thought about leaving and going back to the fire, leaving Minato to his own [space]. He had already turned around to excuse himself when he heard the blond's voice more alive than ever with a grand smile and an innocence [Madara] had never been able to imagine seeing in such cruel world of death and war.
"Snow," Minato smiled, watching the snowflakes fall on the humid earth on the other side of the crystal.
Madara observed the strange phenomenon. They had never seen snow before; the Uchiha dominated flame. Their village was set up on suitable land to avoid this kind of climate and so were the Namikaze who were too distanced from the mountains.
Only once had Madara seen snow and it was during a long, dangerous mission that took him to a most remote area of the country—a zone more elevated than the mountains. He smiled and did so simply because he remembered his own surprise when he had seen those cold flakes drop softly against the ground for the first time. Minato had used the same expression of surprise and enthusiasm—the same one that Madara recalled his brother, Izuna, making whenever he saw something new and beautiful.
Minato's hands touched the cold crystal, losing his gaze on the snowflakes that fell and froze everything in its way. He looked back, seeing how the two men were behind him, watching him with surprise.
"What's wrong?' Minato asked, scared.
"You've reminded me of my brother when he went with me on a mission and saw the snow. Perhaps you've also reminded me of myself. We were very surprised to see it."
"I've never seen anything like this before. They've told me about it, but... I suppose seeing it in person is much better. I didn't expect to see something like this. I always thought my competition would end soon."
"I wouldn't let anything happen to you," Madara said, grabbing Minato's cold face between his hands.
"Please... leave that for another moment," The Hyuuga intervened, making a face of disgust. "Don't [be touchy] in my presence."
"I had no intention of it." Minato said, pushing away Madara's hands from his face. "I'm going to sleep. I'll leave at dawn."
Without anything else to say, Minato marched off to one of the corners next to his horse to sleep. He covered himself as much as he could with the quilt his horse also had over him and closed his eyes as he was set to rest from the tough day he had. He should be as refreshed as possible because the race was coming to an end.
When Madara woke up the following day, he turned around towards the corner where Minato was supposed to be but saw how he was no longer there. In his place, he heard a neigh coming from outside. He quickly got up and looked through the window watching how Minato, dressed and armed, mounted his horse to leave. The first rays of the sun hadn't even been up yet.
"Shit!" Madara exclaimed, putting on his jacket and weapons to run out but when he was finally outside, Minato was already distancing himself from the place.
The Uchiha walked in with [the devil at his heels], grabbing his things quickly and preparing his horse. It was complicated catching up to that boy and even more when [Minato] had been the first out and possessed his speed. Even so, [Madara] had to try to catch up to him now that [Minato] didn't notice anyone following him because once his eyes caught sight of any other ninjas, that boy would run like the wind itself and [Madara] was sure he wouldn't be able to catch up to him.
"Where are you heading off to so quickly?" The Hyuuga asked as he woke up.
"After Minato. He just left."
"If I were you, I'd let him leave far away."
"You know I can't do that," Madara smirked.
"[Smitten lunatic]," Hiashi huffed. "That boy will bring you to your grave."
"We'll see," Madara grinned, finishing up with tightening the girth on his horse and mounting it to leave at full speed.
Despite his great effort to follow the blond, he couldn't find him throughout the entire day. He continued forwards towards the grand imperial city because he knew everyone would be heading there, including Minato. Everyone was looking to finish with that macabre race. However, when Madara was about to give up on finding Minato and could see the gates to the great city in the distance, he was shocked to see how Minato was on his horse a few meters ahead looking at an ice sculpture.
Madara approached him but upon arriving, he saw with the same fear Minato had in his eyes how this was no simple sculpture, but one of the competitors from the country of water. He was completely frozen in front of them. For a moment, he knew that something was going on in Minato Namikaze's mind. He tried placing his hand on the young man's shoulder, but the other pushed it away, showing his uneasiness.
"Don't touch me!" He shouted at him in fear. "Don't get close to me!"
"Don't start with that, Minato."
"Anything that gets close to me ends up dead, so get away!"
"You know I can't do that. I prefer dying knowing that I had you and was happy for a few seconds than to live knowing I lost you."
"Don't be romantic in a situation like this. Death isn't something you take so lightly. Look at him closely." He said, pointing to the cold sculpture. "He only tried to win me in speed. He just wanted to pass me and get ahead. He ran at my side when he was frozen."
"It's not your fault."
"Yes it is, damn it! Why do you not realize? Everyone dies at around me!"
"It doesn't have to be you!" Madara exclaimed.
"Of course it's me, look around you... I have this damned seal! I know very well what it is and I assure you it's nothing good."
"How can you be so sure?"
"Because I invented it!" Minato shouted. "I created this seal to avoid the greatest of problems—to trap a demon who left no village in its wake, to incarcerate him."
"What are you talking about?" Madara worried.
"I thought they had allowed me to invent it only to capture it; I didn't think they'd end up putting it in me. I don't even know how it even got to me but I know very well what I invented. The demon that the Hyuuga talks about... is me." Minato cried. "In the end... you'll have to kill me if you don't want any more people to die because of me."
Madara was shocked at such declaration, watching as Minato's tears slid down his cheek. His hand shook from the rage and impotence—it shook close to his kunai. Minato looked at him carefully, keeping his hopes up that [Madara] would finally dare inflict a definitive blow—to end with his existence—but instead of that, both saw how another horse passed by their side at great speed towards the goal.
"Fuck," Madara whispered, alarmed that the other ninja would win.
Both galloped behind him, momentarily forgetting the conversation. In this competition, there was no place for doubts; it was either win or die trying. Nobody wanted to fail the feudal lords.
The ninja turned his head, watching how those two were at his heels. Madara, on the other hand, moved his eyes from the ninja ahead towards Minato, trying to push away the blond's conversation out of his head—the one who was drying his eyes with the sleeve of his jacket without stopping his horse in the persecution. He looked to be determined to win at whatever cost.
The three rode in parallel trying to get ahead of each other. The goal was visible at a few meters ahead of them. The people who had gathered at the entrance of the grand city euphorically applauded and shouted as they waited for the winner.
They entered the last stretch, riding without stopping even for an instant. The road was too narrow for the three riders but neither of them wanted to let the opportunity of winning the competition escape. Minato was too immersed in keeping an eye on the finish line that he didn't even notice when the enemy took out some kunai and threw them towards him. To Madara, it was only a millisecond, as if everything were slow motion. He saw the kunai heading straight to Minato and not once hesitated to put himself in front of him despite Minato already having teleported to the goal.
The kunai was inevitably lodged in Madara's shoulder but despite his grunt of pain, he frustratingly watched how Minato crossed the line, earning the cheers of the civilians. He clicked his tongue, frustrated and angry at himself because he could have won but was more concerned on that blond than himself. Being in second place wasn't that bad, but... even still... he hated losing.
He looked at the other ninja and knew that if he didn't focus, he wouldn't come close to second place; he'd be third and that was something he would never forgive himself. He activated his Sharingan, forgetting about the pain on his shoulder, and created an illusion so that his opponent would stop in his tracks, giving him way towards the goal. His eyes met with Minato's at that moment... seeing in them the blond's guilt for having won against him; it was sadness but at the same time... he knew he had done the right thing because everyone here was there to win.
"Damn it," He exclaimed in a whisper.
Minato watched him from a certain distance. He owed everything to Madara. He had saved him countless times during the competition—he had helped him and even in that last moment, Madara preferred to be injured than to let anyone harm him yet Minato couldn't let him win. Perhaps he was selfish or it was simply the pressure his clan had placed on him, but there he was: disappointing the only man who had trusted him and had supported him.
"Madara?" Minato asked, trying to talk to him to know exactly what he could be feeling right now.
"Leave it," Madara said dryly. "Go claim [your prize]."
"I..."
"I said... leave it," Those were the last words from Madara before he left to tend to his exhausted horse.