Some of them scream. Others can hardly open their mouths. Most of them turn and run. More still face me in courage and defiance, willing me into defeat. I will not stand for it. How dare they raise rebellion to me?

How dare they? How dare they!

Madara!

I flinch, cringing at the voice that rings past my defenses, but I do not have much more time to hesitate. I draw my fire-clad arm over my body to deflect the oncoming kunai, discovering the cling of actual steel hiding beneath the flames. Baring my teeth, I open my palm and stretch my arm out toward them. All I have to do is let the energy build inside me, a white hot coil of pure power that swells in my heart. It's as easy as breathing. It requires hardly any effort at all. I release the explosion of fury, and it rains upon Konoha fiercely, a shower of flames that lights the world ablaze.

The voice rings in my mind again, but it is subdued and weak. I push it from me with a shriek, nothing will hinder my power. A deliberate twitch of my newly born wings turns me toward the Hokage Tower. Faces gape at me from the topmost windows. I see the Hokage's grave expression, and a searing strip of agony runs from my heart and through my spine. A roar escapes my lips as I hurl another mass of flames at the Tower. The answering snarl of the fire as it consumes the tower satisfies my hunger enough that I pause to smile. It is beautiful.

"Madara!"

I bare my teeth at the voice tainting my name. My eyes find him below. Shika. The recognition makes me hesitate, the pain in my spine dulling to an ache. He is not angry or afraid. His eyes are wide, glistening with awe. He stretches his arms up to me, gesturing me to come to him. I feel the pull, the longing. All my armor, the pearls, have intensified the draw I have to him. He must feel it too. This burning need fueled by my power, awakened by this hunger.

My wings tuck to my back, and I dip down to the ground, catching myself just before I land. As I lower myself onto my feet, he approaches, not precariously or uncertainly. He comes to me with absolute knowing. That he is mine. And I his.

But he stops a yard from me, flinching. My smile drains, my muscles clenching furiously. He knows. Why does he stop? Why does he not come to me?

"I can't touch you, Madara," he says slowly, his dismay deepening the lines of his face. I recoil, but his answer strikes before I can. "The fire. I'll die."

I grit my teeth. Damn it. My exhale brings with it a billow of foggy black smoke.

"You want me to choose between you?" I hiss, the sheer enormity of my voice strangling the air's fragile stillness. Around us, buildings burn. People scream. No one interrupts us. "This is my power, Shika."

"And I'm not asking for it," he assures me, his low tremor like an affectionate stroke. "It's yours to keep, Madara. But while you feed it, there is no room for me."

I contemplate this. He speaks a truth I cannot ignore. Taking in a breath, I lift my fingers to the pearls' origin, where they first lay across my palm. I feel their essence shiver and clink at my touch.

Madara, no!

A wild screech peels from my mouth, as I grab my head and swivel, wings snapping frantically. Out of my head, out of my head, out of my head! No! I can't let them take it from me! This is mine! Mine!

"Madara, stop!" I jerk my head up, expecting to see Shika, but I know that voice, and the man who boldly grabs my wrists is blonde, not dark-haired. His strong eyes find me, his hands shaking against me. "Madara, come back. Come back to me."

The flames around me shiver in response, and then begin to sizzle, seeping into my skin, crawling back through my veins to my arm. They wind and spiral backward, the hot steel armor they forged within seconds crumbling to ash as the flames recede. I feel the pearls swallow the fire whole, absorb every bit of them until nothing is left but the string of black spheres wound carefully along my arm. I feel fuzzy, warm, and I collapse into his arms with a soft groan. His arms tighten around me; I can hear them coming. The footsteps of sprinting shinobi. We are doomed.

"Move any closer, and she'll activate it again," he threatens, and I shudder in his arms. A good bluff. They halt their march.

"Shika, obtain her!" I don't know that voice. It's angry.

"Don't even," he warns, enveloping me closer. "You know what will happen if we stay here, don't you?"

"Shika!"

"My loyalties are crossed," he murmurs; he is closer than I realized. His voice is soft below the prevailing chaos. "My power is not at my own will to give."

"Then Ame will take it," he whispers, just above my ear.

No. I want him to hear me. Do not hurt him.

"Ryu," I sigh, grabbing his collar. His eyes flash through my daze. "Don't… It's him… I know it. Him."

"I know," he assures me, and I feel one hand leave my body. A jerk. A single drop of blood falls upon my cheek. Another jerk. A pop. An explosion of smoke. And through my fall to nothingness, I hear its roar of fury.

It's you. You're him. We've been looking for you.

I understand now. It's my first thought as I sit up and look around our camp. It is impressive, considering we left Konoha with nothing; or so I assume. I'm wrapped in a thin sheet of cotton, made warm by my body heat, letting in gasps of cool air through its thin fibers. We are cooped up in a narrow hollow in a ravine wall. The river rushes sweetly a few yards away in the sunlight, and the steep wall of rock at my side casts a cool shadow over the camp. I'm lying on a makeshift bed of padding, which explains how well rested I feel, and the smell of cooked meat brushes my nose tenderly enough to summon a growl from my stomach.

As far as I can tell, I'm currently alone, but the bowl of rice and fish sitting just a foot away reassures me of my safety. I take up the meal and devour it quickly, only taking enough time to chew carefully before swallowing. When I finish, I slip from my cocoon and dart into the sunlight. Aside from the river, I see no movement, so I proceed and crouch by the bedside to fill the bowl with water. My throat is dry and raw, and it takes me five full bowls before my headache begins to retreat.

I squat by the lapping current, squinting my eyes up at the top of the cliff face parallel to the one sheltering the camp. Nope. Nothing. Absolutely isolated. Sighing, I return to the shade and plop back onto the inventive mattress. As I lay there, I finger the pearls around my arm. Subconsciously, I touch my pendant with my other hand.

Who knew Konoha would dig into my mind so much? It ended up revealing far more than I'd ever figured. Naruto Uzumaki. Koto. My parents' past. The Ten-Tailed Demon. Shika.

I roll my head to the side so I can watch the spray of the river as it cascades down the ravine. Shika, Shika, whose eyes are like rosebuds. A small frown tilts my lips. I suppose I miss him already. No surprise there, though. Of course I miss him. He's gone. Or I guess I'm gone, technically. He didn't go anywhere.

But I did. I just don't know where…

The air is warm, the sky clear, so I'm going to guess we're still in the Land of Fire, but there's no telling. We. Well, there's me. Now I just have to find the other one. The second part of "we". But it's too warm, and I don't really feel like getting up. I close my eyes and relax against the cloth; I can feel the ground beneath it. I'll just…fall asleep and pretend like I'm still recovering… He'll come back…sooner…or later…

It's a beautiful day in Konoha, like it always is. I can't remember a day when the world wasn't as pigmented as this fairy tale collage of vivid green trees, clear aqua skies, bold red house paint, glimmering silver hitai-ate. It all flashes by in a kaleidoscope containing a lifetime of memories. The blinding mirage of places, times, and people makes my thoughts whirl violently until the flashing stops, and it all comes into focus in front of me.

I'm in a large clearing I've never seen before. There's a wide lake and a ring of trees surrounding me. Not far from me, there are people. A young boy in a high-collared blue shirt with fluffy midnight locks framing his face. A girl with an impossibly bright smile and long, thick hair the color of cherry blossom petals. A man with strange silver hair, and a mask covering half his— A man I realize I know. It's Kakashi. Only far younger than the wizened shinobi I'd met a few days ago. I turn my gaze back to the little girl.

Large emerald eyes. Pink hair. Heart-shaped face and pale skin… Her hitai-ate tied like a ribbon in the part of her hair. It can't be her… No… This girl is too happy to be my mother. But even as I stare at her, the name burns through my mind like a familiar embrace.

Sakura.

Before my mind can process it, though, my eyes are moving of their own accord. To the boy. Just like with the child form of my mom, a name runs through me as though I already know it. Know him.

Sasuke.

I flinch at the name. Sasuke. Suke. It can be no coincidence. I cringe, try to turn away, but no, I'm stuck. Trapped in a body that isn't mine. Even as I struggle, I am faced with this perpetual image. This image that cannot possibly be real.

"Madara, wake up."

I open my eyes to find Ryu's already searching mine. We stare at each other, and then I sit up. He moves back as I do, but his eyes don't abandon me. When I realize he's still staring, I flush, bite my lip. But I don't look away.

"You were moaning," he says, voice softer than I'm used to hearing it. His eyes are solid, easy to sink into. "Are you feeling alright?"

"Of course," except I'm breathless at the same time. His sigh is soft. I can feel it on my mouth.

"Do you need water?" he asks. His voice is getting softer. Softer than I'm used to. I swallow, aware my throat is dry again.

"Please," is all I can muster.

I see him reach for his canteen, but his lips meet my mouth before the water does.

He's hot and hard and masculine, a force of raw strength pressing against me. I open my mouth as soon as he asks, and moan softly to him. My heart slams into my ribs as I feel him reach for me. But his hand does not meet my skin.

"Madara."

I open my eyes again, this time with an infuriated huff. Ryu leans over me, eyes passively watching me. And when I pull myself up, he turns without hesitating, away from me. He hands me water without glancing back.

"Here."

I take it without complaining, even though it's a tempting idea, and drink the canteen dry. When I lower it, he's watching me from the corner of his eyes.

"How long?" I ask, handing him the canteen without apologizing. He takes it without complaining.

"Only four days," he answers, just as he stands and walks to the river to fill it back up. I glare at him until he sits back down. He acknowledges my annoyance. "It's fine. Four days, but no one's found us."

"Any word from Ame?" I ask, stroking the pearls on my arm. His eyes flicker in the movement's direction, and he watches me silently until I stop.

"No," he finally says, and though he turns his head away from me, he asks, "What is that thing?"

"I can't say," I hold the string up to peer into each shiny black depth, but I can catch no glimpse of the inferno secretly harbored within. "A gift from my brother a long time ago. That was the first time that happened."

"Do you remember it?" he asks, and when I nod, his lips press together. "You completely lost it. You weren't yourself."

"I know," I sigh, leaning back against the stone. "I couldn't help it, though. I didn't even do anything. It acted on its own. Like it knew I was in danger."

"Well, whatever it is, contain it," he says firmly, his voice hard even though he hasn't raised his voice. I want to smile, but don't. "Because I'm not doing that again."

"Doing what?" I ask, but as my mind flickers, I can remember him grabbing me, my rage making me oblivious to the smell of burning flesh that's now potent in my memory. I look at his hands. Bandaged. White bled through. "Ryu… No, let me see."

I reach for him without thinking, and have to hide my surprise when he lets me take his hands in mine. My pull turns him in my direction, and I take my time gingerly unwrapping the cloth. When I've removed it all, a blackened mess of burnt, broken skin, blood seeping onto my hands from his, lays in my hold. The smell has faded, but the early signs of heavy scarring make my face pale. I don't want to say it, don't want to tell him. I take a breath and summon my chakra.

As soon as my chakra reaches into his hands, I know the damage is irreparable. It's festered too much, scabbed over and scarred. There's no infection, and my efforts stitch some of the cracks back together and offer him relief from the pain, but… Maybe if I'd gotten to him sooner…but without a seriously advanced medic, I can hardly make a dent in fixing what I've done. My vision blurs as I grit my teeth until they squeak.

"Madara," he says, so softly, I almost expect I'm dreaming again. But when he raises one of his mangled hands to wipe at my tears, I know I am not asleep. I jerk my head away and shake it determinedly. "Madara, it's fine."

"No," I argue, grabbing his hands again and forcing the jutsu to work even harder, mending tissue and muscle and blood. He gasps, and I can't tell if it's out of pain or relief, but my chakra is hardly helping. I break off in a sob, my technique dying. "We need to get to Ame. My mother can fix this."

"Madara, calm down," he hushes, taking my face in both hands. The skin of them is both raw and hardened, smoothed over with blisters and rough with crust and dried blood. Somehow, his eyes find me. "It's. Fine."

"But your hands…" I whisper, shutting my eyes around my tears. I have no right to cry.

"But you are safe," he says, urgently enough I must look at him again. "As long as you are protected, that is all that matters. You are precious to Lord Pain. Shinobi make sacrifices. To keep you alive and well, my hands are a small one."

I close my eyes again. Lord Pain. I am precious because I am a Jinchuuriki. Because I am a weapon. Nothing more. And for that, others will lay down their lives. I stare at the ground, pulling back my tears so he'll let go. He finally does, and I know I shouldn't, but I speak again.

"What about me?" I say, not even sure why he's being so strangely kind or if he even cares. "What sacrifices do I make?"

The water rushes like a chorus, and somewhere, I can hear a bird and the rustling of leaves or bushes. A stone clatters from the top of the cliff. Ryu reaches across and lifts my chin with a light tap to my jaw.

"Madara, your sacrifice," he says slowly, "is the greatest of them all."

"Good to see you're awake," he interrupts from the edge of our hollowed shelter. My head jerks up so fast, it slams against the rock wall behind me. As my visions clears, and I push past the screaming ache in my skull, Shika comes closer and settles down near us, creating a lopsided triangle. He passes me his typical, blank expression. "I was worried you might be dead."

Ryu is already shifting away from me, busying himself with packing. I gape at the both of them.

"What is he doing here?" I cry, wishing my voice didn't come out so weak.

"Kidnapped and held hostage," Shika replies with a shrug.

"You don't look like you're here against your will," I snap, bristling at his indifference. And Ryu's back.

"Looks can be deceiving, Madara," he says lowly, and I have an urge to reach out and claw at his face. His rosebud eyes.

"Madara, we're taking him back to Ame," Ryu says, wrapping his hands in clean bandages. He throws me a firm glance, a solid glance. A captain's glance. "You said this is him."

"It is," I mumble, pursing my lips at the ground.

"Is what?" Shika sighs, crossing his arms.

"The prodigy Lord Pain is looking for," Ryu explains briefly, tying the knot with a yank of his teeth. "Madara says you're him."

"Why do you figure that?" Shika asks me, eyebrow raised. I shrug.

"Same reason I think your eyes look like roses," I answer. They both look at me for a long moment. Ryu shakes his head and turns back to his task.

"We were supposed to meet with Toshi and Miyo yesterday," he says. "The checkpoint isn't too far, but they'll only wait so long. They'll either head to Ame or wait and send Ame a message. Now that you're awake, we need to hurry."

"I was asleep for four days!" I exclaim, scrambling to stand as he does. "You could have woken me up!"

"You needed your strength," Ryu answers, and I can't argue. He's already walking away. I growl, bend over and gather up the blankets.

"I didn't know you had someone like him," Shika says suddenly. I look at him briefly.

"What?" I question, eyebrow raised.

"A lover," is his answer. He says it calmly. Like it's no big deal.

"Ryu is my captain," I snap, stuffing the cloth into a bag and thrusting it in his chest. "Be useful."

I want to feel smug at the short flash of emotions in his eyes. I don't.

"They left," I announce as Ryu searches the checkpoint. He tenses where he's crouched, but he doesn't snap at me. "At least we're almost home. Look, I think it's even about to rain."

"Knock it off," he warns, and I suppose I understand. My behavior is quite uncalled for. I turn to Shika.

"It rains a lot in Ame," I inform him. He stares back with the same look that's been on his face for hours.

"I think we can catch up to them if we hurry," Ryu suggests, straightening and gesturing in the appropriate direction. "If we hurry."

"Then we should hurry," I agree, nodding vigorously. "They must be worried about us."

His sideways glare is more exasperated now than irritated. I decided I'll lead the way, so I plunge into the trees and rip through the brush. Someone calls out for me, but I giggle over my shoulder.

"You have to catch me," I sing, picking up speed. I smile, liking the way it sounds. "In the forest, through the trees; we're off to Ame, sing with me."

I giggle at my song. I'm not being a very good kunoichi.

"Where the sun is bleak and gray," I continue, "And rain comes down every day."

The birds around me stir to life and sing in reply, a glorious harmony as I raise my voice and go up an octave.

"If you wish to live much more, fly with us to Death's front door. And sing so sweetly that he'll say, 'Safe in Ame, we shall stay.'"

Ryu tackles me so hard, he knocks us both out of the air. I shriek and punch him in the jaw, before I throw my head back and laugh again. But hitting the ground blows the laugh right out of my lungs, and I'm gasping for breath instead. He draws himself up above me, eyes flickering like fire. I giggle some more, this time with a hiccup.

"Stop it, Madara," he hisses, but it's so funny I can't. The laughter keeps bubbling to my throat. I wonder if I could stop if I tried. "Just because we're out of the Fire Country does not mean shinobi aren't looking for us. Shut up."

"Only if you ask nicely," I scoff, drawing a serious look over my face despite the sporadic giggles still bursting from my throat. His eyes pour into mine. Which is silly, because his eyes aren't liquid. As I start laughing again, he dips his head down close, voice exhausted.

"Please, shut up, Madara," he groans, and something about it makes me silence. He glances back up at me, grateful and surprised. Shika emerges from the trees a couple yards away. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," I chirp brightly, but quietly. Out of respect. I grab his head and bring it down so I can touch my lips to his ear. "He's jealous."

He lifts his head quickly, and I'm not sure what he's thinking, but I bet he's embarrassed. Or irritated. As he stands, he offers me his hand and lifts me up in one smooth motion. Shika is still watching us warily, but Ryu doesn't look at him as he turns to trek toward Ame. I follow appropriately, quietly and obediently. Shika falls in close behind.

We stick to the ground, and as we walk, I gaze up at the road of branches above us in longing. I can vaguely recall the tingle of wings up my shoulder blades, of feeling so utterly weightless. It was a beautiful feeling.

I stroke the pearls, and sigh at their loving whisper. It is astonishing, that they have been with me for so long, and only now do I realize how they breathe, contracting sweetly around my arm, how they sing comfortingly to me in angelic voices. Their presence real and firm, and so alive. As alive as myself, and until they saved my life, I had not even known. I hug their precious little bodies to my stomach, shuddering as they flash warm.

Koto told me they were only for my most desperate moments. Did that mean, four days ago, I almost died? I don't know what drove me to such a bold move, only that it was a mere instinct, and I followed it. What might have happened if I hadn't? I look at the back of Ryu's neck, where his blonde hair rustles messily. Does he know? Does he know what they were planning on doing to him? I wonder how he escaped. My fire must have been a distraction.

I saved Ryu's life? I tilt my head and contemplate it, and think that's fair, because he's saved me too. Twice in just the past week. It makes sense I should at least return the favor.

The urge to sing creeps up my throat again, but I bite my lip and even stifle my smile. I don't want to make Ryu mad again. I'm not really worried about anyone finding us, though. As if such a thing could make me worry.

"We're hungry," I say out loud, and I think about the delicious bowl of fish and rice I ate earlier. Ryu swivels to stare at me with dancing eyes. I blink. "I feel like that was a perfectly normal thing to say, considering I've been unconscious for four days. Why are you staring at me like that?"

"Did you…" he pauses, eyes narrowing carefully. He looks both concerned and confused. "Did you just say 'we'?"

Did I? I look down at the pearls. I look back at Ryu.

"I meant 'I'," I say, shrugging. "I just must have mixed up my thoughts."

I can tell he doesn't believe me either.

Since we're walking, it'll take a longer time for us to get back to camp than we thought, so we have to stop for the night. We all want to keep moving, but traveling in unfamiliar territory with such invaluable cargo would be foolish, and we find a good place in a cluster of trees to stop and settle down instead. The forests that flourish in the Fire Country have long since diminished, and only rarely have we found shade like this. We can't light a fire, so I curl into a corner by myself and chew on bread. It's not that old, so I'm guessing Ryu hit a village while I was out. That would explain the fish and rice and the blankets. I miss my medicine.

Ryu and Shika are discussing something in low voices, and I know it's about me. I want to say I don't care, but I think I do anyway. Watching them will probably unnerve them if they notice, and I'm tempted to activate my Sharingan. Just for kicks. Instead, I settle into myself and close my eyes, sinking deep into my mind. It's second nature now.

The demon is waiting for me, his chakra pouring out in familiar greeting. I blink up at him and smile.

"We escaped," I tell him happily, even though he already knows. He snorts, and I'm surprised at his disapproving glare.

"You are sick, little Madara," he warns me lowly. I press my lips together. "You need your medication soon. And do not use the devil beads again. They consume you."

"They saved me," I argue, crossing my arms. His answering snarl makes me shrink. "Koto gave them to me…"

"As a last resort," he retorts, leaning in. "And unknowing of his ignorance. If you require power, use mine."

"Maybe I don't need yours," I snap, "I want my own power."

"We both know you cannot reach your brother's status on your own," he reminds me, deep and serious. "Without me, you would not be alive."

The reminder of that bit of truth makes me cringe and recoil. He's right. Or at least, that's what Lord Pain told me, when I was young. Without the demon fusion, I would have been still-born. It was his chakra that strengthened my frail body, and it was his power that kept me alive. We were not a parasite and host; I depended on him as much as he did me.

"Little human, heed my advice," he purrs, wrapping me up carefully. "The devil beads will torment your mind until you are no longer yourself. Already, they have taken over a part of you."

"I've been wearing them for half my life," I snap, resisting his hold. "Why would they hurt me now?"

"You awakened them," he snarls, chakra squeezing around me. "And after their sleep, they are hungry for you, Madara. You must force them back into comatose, seal their power from harm."

"No!" I scream. They're mine! "No, no, no!"

"Madara!"

"Madara, get a hold of yourself!" I feel Ryu shaking me again, jerking me from my meditation. My entire body is trembling, and my face burns of tears. They both glare down at me, and I try to shrink away, but Ryu holds fast and keeps me upright. "What happened?"

I whimper softly, close my eyes and curl. He jerks me harder, enough that I cry out, but before he can demand more of me, Shika is grabbing his arm. Their gazes clash furiously.

"Stop it," Shika warns. I've never seen him so intimidating. But Ryu's presence is like a god's, and he raises himself above Shika threateningly. The smaller does not budge, only narrows his eyes. "Don't assume you can scare me into submission. Madara is my concern more than she is yours. Let her go."

"Boy, I'd watch my mouth if I were you," Ryu hisses, so remarkably low and deep, I throw myself past his bruising grip and bury my face in his chest. He hesitates, in shock, but I feel his triumph as he curls his arms around me and holds me to him. "You have no idea what my role in Madara's life is. Don't assume to know it."

"Ah, I see how it is," Shika scoffs, and I feel him retreat. His tone makes him seem bored. Uninterested. "Does the pretty Jinchuuriki have all the Ame boys enthralled? How long has she had you in her possession?"

Ryu is pissed. All that keeps him contained is me in his arms, vulnerable and shivering. At least, I assume this keeps him from hurting Shika. Maybe he wouldn't hesitate to throw me off him to get to his enemy. I cling tighter, inching up until I'm nearly in his lap. Again, I feel his surprise first, but it ebbs the tension from his body.

"I wouldn't be so smug," he finally says, his fingers squeezing my sides so I gasp shakily. "She got you in just a couple days."

At last, Shika must give up and walk away, because all I hear is silence. For a sweet, long moment, Ryu holds me and lets me act like a scared child. I feel him everywhere, his muscles locking me in. He smells of heat and musk, and I want to lean forth and taste him desperately. But I remain a heap of silly girl clinging to him relentlessly. Eventually, though, he leans back and stares down at me. I don't dare look up.

"What is wrong with you?" he whispers, somewhere muddled between disbelief, anger, and sympathy. I continue to avert my gaze and he snarls. "Madara, stop it."

"I'm scared, okay?" I blurt, palming my eyes as though I can stop the tears. He says nothing , and I suddenly can't help it. "I'm confused and angry and scared. I don't know which thoughts and feelings are mine anymore. I…can't control myself."

"Your medicine," he sighs, and his disappointment is evident without having to see his face.

"They took it," I confirm, biting my lip. "And Shika… I don't understand why I feel this way. I don't want to feel this way. I don't…"

"Madara, it's just the jutsu, okay?" he hushes, hands finding my face and hair. A rush of heat makes me tense as he tilts my head up. "It's not you, or him. It's the jutsu between you… Damn it, I knew I shouldn't have let you go in alone."

"You knew?" I hiccup, finally meeting his gaze. "You knew the boy Lord Pain is looking for is… is a part of me?"

"He's not a part of you, Ma—"

"Then what is he?" I yell, so piercing, the birds around us flee. Ryu closes his eyes, but opens them again soon after.

"Can you wait until we get home?" he asks, as gently as he can force himself. I glower at him, and he responds by cupping my face lightly. I am aware of Shika's gaze as he leans close, foreheads brushing, as he whispers, "Come sleep with me. I'll explain when we get home. No more camps. Just Ame."

I consider it only vaguely before letting Ryu pull me to my feet and lead me to where Shika sits gloomily. I don't look at him. Instead, I place my head in Ryu's lap, so he can stay alert on watch, and curl up as he wraps a blanket around me. I fall asleep expecting to wake up.

And thinking blissfully that Ryu never denied being mine.

I am aware I am open for all sorts of mixed reviews about this chapter. o.O

But I hope that what you gathered from this is that yes. Madara is a liiiiittle crazy. Not all there, that one. Anyway, I hope you guys are sticking with me. This is probably my favorite chapter so far, actually, haha. I love your reviews. 3

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