I'm sorry I haven't updated this for a while. I was slacking off and lazy, I finally mangaed to make it now though. But homework just love to stack up! And I just love to push homework into the last minute, so I squeezed this story in between (kina awkward 'cause the story name is also In Between). Anyway, hope you enjoy it. And I'm sorry if it's not really good 'cause I didn't write this part on paper, and I don't really reread :3

Chapter 4

"Madara!" shouted a voice from around the corner of the garden. Izami eyes widened a bit as she tensed in instinct, at hearing the sound of a voice. Madara noted this, but paid no heed to it as he turned his head to look over his shoulders at the direction the voice was coming from.

Almost a second later, a boy even closer to Izami's age round the corner and entered the garden part of the big Uchiha house that stood before it. Izami's eyes narrowed nervously at newcomer while wondering what to do. Not that she had forgotten that she's actually the new comer.

"Oi, Izuna, what's up?" the boy before her called to the other boy that just entered Izami's view. He was saying it in a rather familiar tone, unlike the way he had talked to Izami, an intruder. And considering that the boy that stood before her, Madara, is a caution type of person from what she have observed, the other boy must be close to him. A friend? Izami observed the other boy carefully. He has coal black eyes and black bangs that framed his face. His dressing was mainly black as well... quite similar to the boy that stood less than 2 feet before her... Her eyes quickly moved back to scan over Madara's appearance. The two were quite similar in fact. A family member?

Izami's vision turned back to the other boy as he began to speak. He was panting a bit, but not nearly out of breath.'He must be a shinobi, too.' Izami noted to herself when she realized that he must've ran some way to get here, but isn't laying on the ground panting like normal civilian would. She knows because that's what always happens to her when she's on the run, though instead of laying on the ground panting, she was kneeling on the ground panting. "I heard from outside... that the Senju clan... is here... someone intruded into... Uchiha property... they're searching... for the person...Heard that it's another...Senju... Currently at the entarance..." the boy made out, trying to calm his breathing. He crouched his body over and held his palms at his knees with his face towards the ground as he began taking in breaths of air.

Madara nodded. He pretty much understand the whole situation without much of an explanation, considering the "intruder" herself was actually before him and all the ruckus that occured when she crawled through the hole. Her reaction pretty much tells him everything as well, so even if Izuna hadn't come to tell him what's going on outside, he'll figure it out himself soon enough.

"Madara," the boy said.

"What?" Madara asked him.

"Who's that person?" Izuna asked as he pointed. Now that he had fully regained his breath and raised his head, he noticed that there's actually someone standing behind his brother. 'Behind' might not be the right word though, considering that Madara turned his head to face him and his back is not toward the girl, it couldn't be considered literally as 'behind.'

Madara turned back to face Izami and she flinched a bit now that the attention was aimed at her presence. She held still and pretend that her presence is absolutely usual and that she's no one suspicious. But that doesn't really help because she's never seen around here, and to add to that, Madara smirked and jerked his thumb at her as she turned back to face his younger brother. "She's the so-called 'intruder' here," he said.

"Eh? Her?" the boy asked. Izami tensed as he observed her for the first time. "Now that you talk about it, she doesn't look Uchiha-like."

"That's the obvious," Madara stated. "We Uchiha have black eyes while she has glowing kind of blue eyes, not exactly, but you can tell from afar that she's not a full fled Uchiha soley based on her eye color."

"But blue eyes aren't a Senju trait either and the intruder is a Senju," Izuna retorted.

"There are exceptions to things. She's one of the outcasts of the clan," Madara explained briefly.

"Heh," Izuna observed again. Izami's fists tightened as she willed herselfnot to shiver from fear. She would not permit herself to look afraid in her present situation and state. But in truth, she's really fearful on what might happen to her know that Izuna had found her out. "Boku wa Uchiha Izuna. Anatawa namae?" he asked politely.

He doesn't seem like a bad person was what Izami believed, but growing up the way she did, she had known better than to judge a person simply by their manners. He might be mannerful, but that doesn't mean that he's going to be harmless. But Madara himself is deemed both mannerless and harmful to Izami for "attacking" her.

Madara folded his arms when she didn't answer. "Are you going to answer?" he asked. 'Yes, he's absolutely mannerLESS.' Izami thought to herself as she attempted to glare at him, which to tell the truth failed uduly due to her current state of contained fear.

"Se-Senju I-Izanami," Izami stammered. Once the words exit her mouth, she could feel the fear that's overwhelming inside her taking over her physically as she began to shake slightly. She tried to steady herself and mask her shaking only to shake more. When she realized that she couldn't contain herself anymore, she voiced her fear. "What- What are you guys going to do to me now?" Izami questioned as she bit her lip in the end. They'll turn her over. Why not? This was a Senju, it was none of their business anyway. And the Senju and Uchiha had been rivals for a while, lossing lots of lives in both sides, so why bother to keep a source that could end up causing more battle and bloodshed between the two clans when the Uchiha can simply turn her over to the Senju to pervent such a thing?

"Are you afraid?" Izuna asked her as he got within three foot of her range.

"Why would I be?" Izami replied with a question of her own, though her shaking had already prooven her wrong. She is afraid. But she would not amit it in her mouth even if her body did with a language of its own.

"If you don't want to, we won't turn you over," Izuna said.

"Why would you do that? It's none of the Uchiha clan's business anyway. If you guys just turn me over to the Senju clan, you'll be able to pervent a lot of bloodshed, you know. You might even become heros for doing that."

"We're not interested in the 'hero' of your sort," Madara cut in before Izuna could say anything. "Besides that, the Senju and Uchiha had been enemeies for a long time. Even without you, there'll still be bloodshed as long as there's a battlefield for the two clans." Madara turned to face her from his previous sky-view. "Are you sure you're a Senju?" he asked skeptically. "Study your history."

"You-!" Izami said.

"But if all depends if you want to go back or not. No ones' here to stop you from going back to the other side. It's your choice afterall. So decide what you want." Madara said.

Izuna only smiled. He doesn't know what exactly is going on, but he have a clue on what it is and he believe that whatever his elder brother is doing, it is the right thing to do.

"What-" Izami literally couldn't believe her eyes. Did he just tell her to choose? She must amit that she's somewhat shocked. She had never been given the decision of a choice. Most of what she had lived her life so far was entirely a one way road. Either you life or you die. If you don't want to die, you use the only road to living and that's what she did. There's no more road besides that. But here, it seems as though another road had just opened up for her. A new road.

She clenched her hand over her fist. "Pl-Please don't turn me over." Asami muttered out, bangs covering over her eyes that's becoming wet. "Onegai!" her eyes were dripping tears onto the dust and rocky ground below as she said that. If there's another way out, she'll definitely take the road as long as it's possible.

Madara merely spared her a glance out of the corner of his eyes. She might end up being quite troublesome. She's crying already. But she did say that she's a Senju... she might proof to be of some use... In addition, he might be able to piss off some of the Senju. He smirked at the thought.

=.=.=(-Time/Space Skip-)=.=.=

"We don't have such a person in our property," the clansmen said. The clans member were currently arguing with the persuing group of Senju clansmens that are trying to search for a member of their clan.

"We're sorry, but we must go in and search. Just in case the person we're searching for just 'happens' to be in here," one of the persuing members argued back. "We would like to solve this peacefully with the Uchiha clan with raging a battle in between the two clans. We have lost enough lives in the battlefield and we hope to prevent from lossing anymore than we have. By allowing us to searching inside, we'll be able to solve this conflict without any problems."

"How do we know that you're actually searching for someone and not simply thinking of an excuse to infurate our territory. Just as you said, there has being already a lot of conflicts between the two clans. For all we know, the Senju clan might just be trying to rid of us, so that they won't have anymore enemies to rival them. We shall not fall for such deceivings," the clansman at the front of the crowd argued. He had an eyepatch over one eye and a scar on one side of his cheek. He seems to be a man in his fourties and a very wise person in the Uchiha clan taking on a leadership kind of figure in the group of gathering clansmen. A cheer ran through the crowd.

The persue group looked at one another. They were almost a hundred percent sure that the girl was inside. But if they won't let them in, they won't be able to do anything about it. Surely the girl would not walk out and come with them obeiently. They tsked as they continued to try persuading and convicing the Uchiha clans member that stood before them, backing their way so that they can't enter. It's pretty obvious to them that if they try to fight their way through, thing would go bloody and it won't be to the persuing group's favor either. There's a difference in number and environment.

"Would you mind going back already?" a voice came from the middle of the crowd. The voice was recognized and the crowd immediately make way.

"Madara-sama," they all greeted. Even the adults greeted him by the name and nodded their head forward for their respect towards him.

The Uchiha walked to the front of the crowd and before the persue group. "Madara-sama," the head figure greeted.

Madara nodded his respect to the wise clansman, "Jiryou-san." He turned his attention to the Senju group. "The person that you're looking for is not here."

"Until we search and determine for sure that she's not here, we-" one began, only to be cut off by Madara before he finished.

"Are you suggesting that you're going to search the Uchiha property for a mere girl?" Madara asked emphasising the words 'Uchiha property' and 'mere girl.' The emphasis gave the meaning that the Senju group was invading the Uchiha property which was more than an offense, and to add to that, they are searching for a 'mere girl'. So if she is in there, his statement says that the Senju clan is incapable to keep track of a brat and let her get away from them. In other words question their offense and power.

The persue group growled. They can't get inside. They can't persuade or convince. Nor could they fight. They were entirely trapped and stuck. They have no choice but to retire the mission and leave. The boy's words had got them.

"I guess we should retreat for now, sorry for troubling the Uchiha clan with our matter," the leader of the squad growled while bowing his head to pay respect when he doesn't want to. It's simply a matter of courtesy.

Madara smirked in remark as the Senju ninja retreated into the woods back into their territory. They had been force to forfeit their mission of retrival.

=.=.=.=

Izami was sitting at the corner of the garden with her knees pulled up before her. Her arms embraced her legs and her chin rest above it, mouth pulled into a tight line. She was staring hard at the tiny pieces of rock and dust on the ground, when she opened her mouth to speak, her eyes were kept on the ground so that she don't need to meet the other boy's eyes. "...Is it really okay for me to stay here?" Her question was directed toward Izuna, the only one that's with her at the present.

Izuna was sitting on the porch that reaches out to the garden from the house, he snapped out of his daze and turned to look at Izami when she spoke. But seeing that she's still looking at the dusty and rocky ground, he looked at the wall across from the porch and said, "I don't know."

Izami head snapped up to look at her. "'I don't know?'" How could he not know?

Izuna shrugged. "It's Madara's decision afterall. I'm just supporting his choices."

"You're not helping," Izami depanned. He isn't easing the slightest bit of her concern at all.

"Oi!" he said. "Is that the way to talk to someone who just answered your question?" Izuna questioned, feeling that's he's being brought to a low level by the girl.

"Hmph!" Izami said turning her head away, deeming that he no longer hold her interest. "You're answer is useless anyway."

"Grr!" Izuna growled while trying to contain his cool to launch at her for her obvious insult toward him. It'll be shameful for him to launch an attack on a defenseless -pam- girl -pam again. He willed himself to sit back on the porch as he gritted his teeth. "...I'm sure that Madara knows what he's doing," he said as he crossed his arms and closed his eyes.

Izami's pupils rolled over to him to look at the younger Uchiha brother without turning her head to him. That response doesn't help much, but she suppose that it's a bit more satisfying than the previous one.

Silence took over after that.

...

"...Madara..." Izami began, trying out the name for the first time. "Are you guys close?" she mumbled looking at Izuna, attempting to break the silence between them. The silence makes her unease come back and it's uncomfortable.

"Eh?" he said, not hearing through her mumble.

"Nothing!" she said. If he didn't hear it, it's too bad. There's no way she's going to repeat what she said. It's too embarassing. Being polite doesn't fit her. Not that she's exactly polite just by saying a person's name.

Silence continued after that. Izami was not going to break it again this time and say something out of character. Meaning saying something that's not outright rude, which she had developed a habit of doing.

Izuna was too stubborn to break the silence himself, so it just continued.

Finding nothing to do, Izami focused her gaze on the setting sun over head. The orange blub setting its way behind the forest trees. The sky gave a pinkish orange color. By this time, she would've been going back to an abandoned alleyway that reaches up to her cracked up apartment. Her apartment wasn't always cracked up, in fact it was pretty nice to began with, at least for her it is. But when people found out where she lived, she was used to it being trashed almost everyday. Even though some people tried to avoid her, there's always some that purposely come to attempt on destroying her home. Most of them went during the afternoon when they knew that she's out, but there's also a couple that came in the evening and thought that she's not there when she witnessed them throwing stones through her window behind another building. She would always go home early in order to tape up her broken windows everyday to prevent the chill of the night. That usually took an hour or two to make sure the pieces of the windows doesn't fall out the other side and make sure all the parts are connected and intact and apply layers of tape so that it would close up every hole to avoid most of the wind from passing through. The head family had provided her with just enough food and a small amount of money every month. But she couldn't aford to buy new windows because it'll just be broken up the next day anyway. So she ended up using it for tapes instead. The extra leftover money that she would save up would be used to stock her clothes. She was slightly thankful to the head family for helping her just a little bit to survive, even though they don't actually like her just like most of clan.

There was someone that acknowledged her in the clan though. The person she called 'Hira-nii'. He was part of the head family. The heir in fact. But he was unlike other people. He accepted her and tried to help her by doing whatever he could. He used to make occassional visits to her to help her fix up her home through the attacks of other clan members and educate her on what he learned through his tutors, though it was usually too difficult for her to comprehend. But she was grateful for his presence. However, as of recently, he had begun to stop showing up.

Izami was taken out of her thought when Izuna spoke up. "Madara, you're back," Izuna greeted.

The older boy nodded as a reply. Izami stared at him from the corner of her eyes. 'He actually managed to get them to go away?' Izami thought skeptically. Her head dropped down in thought. There weren't anymore voices of the Senju... could they really be gone?

Her thought was interrupted when Madara called to her, "Oi, come with me."

Izami gave him a confused gaze.

=.=.=.=.=(End of Chapter)=.=.=.=.=.=

Review please?