Chapter 16: Back In Time [5]

By the time, Madara had gotten back, the sun was setting. Since Madara made it on time, he decided to get some training before he went inside. During training, Madara noticed everything about him was different. His skills skyrocketed in such a little time that Reiner didn't need to teach him much anymore.

Madara surpassed Reiner's strength in just a few months. Reiner knew that Madara would grow up to do great things.

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Morning soon came around and the kitchen looked as if a tornado came through. Last night, Reiner tried to teach Madara how to cook, but he couldn't crack an egg correctly. He was using too much strength when doing so.

Then, he tried to teach him how to cook a piece of meat, but he ended up either burning it or it was undercooked.

If your wonder why Madara didn't use his Sharingan to copy Reiner's cooking skills because he wanted to make memories to look back on.

If Reiner wasn't there for him, he would've been lost and most likely weak without guidance. It was as if he saved him from drowning in despair for a second time. Madara couldn't help but be thankful and show gratitude toward Reiner.

When Madara woke up, he woke up with his neck, shoulder, and back aching from sleeping in a weird position. Madara realized that he had fallen asleep in the kitchen atop of the counter.

Madara stood up and stretched, behind that stretch was the sound of bones cracking. Madara then brushed his teeth and went outside. When Madara walked outside, the sun was just rising which surprised him because he had never woken up so late before. He would always wake up before the sun would rise, and Reiner would be up earlier than him.

As Madara went outside, he could see that Reiner's face was slightly purple and he looked as if he were in pain.

"What's wrong with you, old man?" Madara asked as we walked up to the man.

"Nothing, just feeling a little nauseous. Your cooking really sucks!" Reiner said as he forced himself not to throw up.

After hearing his reason, Madara felt disrespected by his comment so he decided to help him. Madara punches Reiner in the stomach just like he would do him a few months ago.

The force of the blow made Reiner drop to his knees as he threw up whatever he was holding in. After he finished, he stood up as nothing happened and looking like he had a very peaceful night.

"Thank you, I needed that. No matter what I did, it wouldn't come up so thank you," Reiner said with a smile as the painful feeling on his face disappeared.

"I could put you in an endless dream, you know that right?" Madara said trying to scare Reiner.

"With your sharingon?" Reiner said pronouncing it wrong on purpose to get Madara angry.

"It's the Sharingan, you doing that to piss me off, aren't you?" Madara asked getting visibly annoyed.

"GOOOOOOOOOOON," Reiner yelled at the top lungs to further piss off Madara, but when he said that sweat began to roll down his face.

Thinking about weirdo made Madaras' stomach churn. He was standing there with a nervous expression on his face. Madara was having flashbacks of an anime he watched in his previous life.

"You look nervous. Did that trigger something?" Reiner asked thinking he found a nerve to strike.

"No, just had a sense of familiarity when he said that," Madara said as he started doing push-ups.

With each push-up, seconds turned into weeks, weeks turned into more months, and months turned into years. Exactly eight years had passed, and now, Madara was twelve, and a little bit tall for his age. Standing at 1.62m.

In eight years, Madara mastered using water and fire abilities, well, with the ones he currently had. He was also able to copy wind and learn a few spells from Reiner's grimoire.

Also, Madara had been taking food to Hage village. Some would think he was trying to know what friends were like but in all honesty, it was to see, sister Lily.

Nobody would know that because he usually spent his time around Yuno and Asta. Madara figured that they had their talk, and now, Yuno was acting coldly toward Asta.

Also, whenever he came to the church, Madara sensed envy from Yuno. Was it because he could fly or does he know he can't beat Madara?

Most of the time while he was at the church, Asta would go on and talk for days, then declare Madara as his rival. Madara re respectfully declined which didn't stop Asta from saying so.

Another thing was Yuno would always ask to spar with him but always lost. Madara didn't use any magic, he simply used combat techniques. And, with one punch Yuno would be knocked out.

Madara would often take off his shirt around sister Lily and make the excuse that it was hot. When he took his shirt off, you could see his lean but muscular body. He wanted to be able to move fast and hit hard so this was the way he built his body.

You wouldn't be able to notice them because Madara still wore Reiner's dead son's clothes that were a little big for him. If anything, some would say he looked a little chunky.

Mostly, Madara would coldly state to Asta that if he kept working out with no breaks, he would be short forever. When Madara would tell him that, Asta would shout and says he doesn't know anything, but when he came back the children would always say that Asta stopped training for a while.

If he wasn't taller when canon started he just has bad genetics. All in all, Madara got acquainted with them, he wouldn't call them his friends because he didn't need any. But visiting, two or three times a week seemed like they were friends.

"Old man, I'll be back before nightfall," Madara yelled as he flew off with immense speed.

Traveling back and forth, greatly improved Madaras' speed and control on the air.

"I'm sorry, Madara," Reiner said as his flesh started to turn purple.

Madara spent a couple of hours at the church not bother sister lily because he had to mix it up a little. He found out in anime that if you always chase the girl, you'll never get her.

But if you chase her and ignore her for some time she'll come to you. And, Madara could see his plan was working because occasionally sister lily would come and 'check on us'.

After hours of talking and training, Madara sensed it was going to rain soon so he decided to leave. On his way back, droplets of water started to fall on him. Madara had a bad feeling all day and the rain steering the feeling.

Once he got back home, he noticed that Reiner wasn't in the house. Madara was going to track him by scent, but it was raining so it would be no avail.

Madara then used mana sense, but the mana he sensed was nothing compared to Reiner, but it had a sense of familiarity. Madara then noticed that the mana he sensed was draining fast.

So, Madara flew to the mana without getting his sword in case something happened. As Madara was flying, he found out that the mana he sensed was Reiner.

"Why is he out here n the rain? And, why is his mana feel so meager?" Madara asked himself as he was closing in on Reiner.

When he saw Reiner he was standing atop the small mountain and looking at the river. There was an area where the rocks were flat so you wouldn't lose balance.

"Reiner? Why are you out here?" Madara said before he saw the purple marks on his body.

"Madara, just listen!" Reiner said keeping his back turned.

"When my sons were killed, it wasn't long after my wife and their mother died. So I was left in a place of darkness, resentment, despair, and pessimism. I had thoughts of taking my own life to be them again, but you came along. You pulled me out of that dark place. Though you reminded me of them brought me happiness and joy, but also some memories Id would have rather kept buried," Reiner said. Madara could see his face but he could tell he was smiling.

Madara didn't have anything to say so he stayed quiet and listened.

"They would still be alive if it weren't for my selfish act. I didn't want to use a skill that my father taught me because it brought up memories of my troubled child of my father's relentless beatings. If I would have put my past trauma aside they would be alive. I watched as they were killed when I had the power to stop it," Reiner said as tears started streaming down his face.

"That day when we fought the two people that tried to kill us? When he used that wolf technique, it slowly started to deteriorate my body. Since my body would naturally heal itself, it prolonged my life until now. Ever since I've been quietly suffering to not worry you. I didn't tell you because I didn't want you to worry while I stayed in a hospital to end up dying anyway. So I spent the last eight years with you, making memories to look back on them right now," Reiner said as he looked up into the sky.

Madara knew where this was going, but couldn't help but feel a sense of anger, anguish, and guilt. He felt anger because Reiner didn't tell him when he could've gotten help the day he found this out.

Madara felt anguish because he looked at Reiner as his grandfather that he lost in his previous life. In both lives, he wasn't able to do anything to help. Madara could feel his cheat tightening and his throat going dry.

He felt guilty because he felt like Reiner was in this state because of him. If he didn't show off and raise his mana so high those people would never come after him. He felt guilty because he saw signs of Reiner being ill, but never spoke up because Reiner seemed fine.

"Now, I know what your thinking; " It's my fault for not noticing or it's my fault for attracting them." No, it's not your fault, either way, I would've died of old age. I just want to let you know that the past eight years were some of the best years of my life," Reiner said as he turned to face Madara.

"Madara I have to ask you one more favor. End my life," Reiner said looking Madara in the eyes with a smile.

Madara dreaded that this day would come. Not only is Reiner going to die, but by his hands. With anyone else, he didn't have a problem with staining his hands, but the one who took him in taught him how to fight, and gave him a hot meal every night.

"I'm asking for a lot, I know, but consider that payment for taking you in," Reiner said chuckling to himself.

"You selfish bastard! you knew what this was going to do to me and you still did. You narcissistic piece of shit! I'll gladly fulfill your favor," Madara said as he lowered his head, not showing his eyes. He unsheathed his sword and walked toward Reiner.

As Madara walked up to Reiner he could see water dripping from his face, but it was the rain he was shedding tears. Reiner only smiled and gave him a head pat.

"I'm sorry, Madara," Reiner said as Madara pierced his heart with his blade. Blood spewed from his mouth as it landed on Madara. Madara removed his sword as Reiner's body dropped.

Madara looked at Reiner who had a smile on his face and Madara with tears in his eyes. Seeing his dead body and his hands stained with his blood, Madaras' eyes began to morph into the Mangekyou Sharingan.