I believe that I am getting somewhere with this. Thank you for everything. I'm so grateful... I think I'm going to cry... Sniff...sniff. Teehee! (I'm not Ryan Higa...), but anyways... Enjoy! From the depths of Hiroki and Rima's hearts, LOVE! Hum hum! Anybody like Vietnamese food? It's good. Especially Pho...I think... Meh. Continue to read the story... ;D

Chapter 7: God's Tears

"Get up." Hiroki thought she heard someone say something. She murmured quietly to herself and pulled the covers over her head, curling into a ball. She heard a faint sigh then felt the blanket being pulled away from her. She held on, and as a result, she fell heads over heels, bumping her head on the ground. Hiroki woke up with a jolt to find Madara staring at her impatiently. He held the blanket in one hand while his other on his hip, cocking his head to one side.

"Seriously, you sleep like a log! Get yourself ready, we're leaving in five minutes." Madara threw the covers on the floor and left abruptly. Hiroki stared after him in a sleepy shock. She looked out the window to see that it was still pitch black. Harumph. He should've woke me up gentler...But she remembered Hikaru often having to wake her up in such manners as well. Hehe! I guess I just sleep very deeply...She stretched and yawned, dressing quickly and gathering her items. She brought practically everything she owned, for it wasn't much. She went into the kitchen to find Madara packing a few food items for the trip. They were going to the edge of Fire Country south, to where the Sarutobi clan resided. Hiroki yawned again and grabbed an onigiri to eat, but Madara snatched it away.

"Ah, ah, ah! You can't burden your body with more weight. We'll eat when we're nearly dead with exhaust. It'll be faster as well. If we move fast, we'll get more than halfway there by nightfall." Madara said and Hiroki grumbled to herself.

"I'm hungry."

"You ate last night?''

Silence. Madara sighed and shook his head in disapproval.

"Why?" he asked.

"I don't know how to cook." Hiroki said shyly. Madara looked at her incredulously.

"Aren't girls supposed to learn that stuff?"

"My brother always cooked for me, and if he wasn't home, I went out to eat. Besides, I never had a mother to teach me, nor did I have the time to worry about such things. I had to worry about killing people." Hiroki said. Madara looked at her, still unamused. He sighed again and shrugged.

"Okay. But only one." He handed back the rice ball and she gladly downed it in two bites. Madara strapped his ganbai onto his back and he and Hiroki headed out. Izuna was still sleeping, so he couldn't see them off at 2:00 in the morning. The village was deadly quiet, and the only light came from the moon and the stars. Madara moved soundlessly, and Hiroki made an effort to as well. After all, she was trained to be as stealthy as possible. It wasn't long before they reached the trees. Running in between them was more difficult, so they scaled up a tree and hopped from branch to branch. They ran until it was light, and Hiroki could see the light peeking through the trees. During the trip, it was silent, Madara concentrated on getting there as quick as possible. Hiroki followed him, not saying much. When it was full morning and the sun shined through the treetops, Madara stopped to rest. They found a small stream and filled their bottles of water, which were made of hollow bamboo trunks. After catching their breaths, they began again, running past the trees until it was flat land. There were traces of rural civilization, with a few small cabins here and there. Madara did not stop to meet anybody. Finally tired from running full speed through the forest, Madara slowed to a walk past the trees and on a dirt road. Hiroki was in step with him the entire time, despite that she could get more tired easily than him. By the time they slowed Hiroki was panting slightly. Madara noticed.

"If you are tired, we can stop." He said, concerned.

"No, just short of breath, that's all. I'll be fine in a few minutes." She smiled. "Thanks for worrying though" She grinned and saw Madara's expression turn embarrassed. She giggled and Madara turned away, mentally scowling at himself. Hiroki stopped but still smiled softly, a gentle, carefree expression on her face. This reminded so much of her brother's and hers missions. He would make up funny jokes and riddles to past the time, and it would go so much faster. Hiroki thought it might work with Madara.

"Do you like jokes and riddles?" She asked.

"They're amusing. Why?"

"I thought we might past time with some." Madara said sure and smiled, thinking of a few. His eyes lit up. Hiroki thought of one too.

"I've got one!" they both said simultaneously. Madara, the gentleman said she should go first.

"Nah, you should." Madara frowned but accepted.

"Hmm. Riddles are better, the more trickier, the more you've got to think. I've got one. There are 32 white horses on a red hill. They mash and mush, with strength and force." Hiroki smiled and told the answer.

"That's an easy one! It's teeth! I've got one too. A box without a lid or hinges, but has golden treasure inside." Hiroki said. Madara thought a moment before he smiled with the answer.

"That's easy too. It's an egg!" He said triumphantly. Hiroki frowned and thought hard...

"Oh! Here's a hard one. If you break me, I will not stop working. If you touch me, I may be snared. If you lose me, nothing will matter." Madara searched for the answer in his head. He thought he heard his father say that one when he was little. It was something to do with...

"Ah! It's your heart!" he said, grinning in victory. Hiroki chuckled ominously with flashing eyes. She thought of a few harder ones up her sleeve.

" Now, my turn. Hmmm, this one's tricky too. What always runs but never walks, often murmurs but never talks, has a bed but never sleeps, has a mouth but never eats?" Madara said, hoping to get her. Hiroki thought for a while. She couldn't think of his answer. Runs? Murmurs? Bed? Mouth? They were terms at the one place...

"A river! It's a river! Ha! I've got it." Madara stared at the boisterous woman next to him.

"Took you a while, though!" Madara teased. Hiroki chuckled and they went on and on. Hiroki had stumped him a few times, and Madara had only got her 2 times. But she had to admit, his riddles were well thought of and had much hidden meaning. Soon, they reached a bustling town of people. It was a regular town without shinobi. People could tell they were shinobi by the Uchiha crest on their backs and their weapons strapped to them. Mothers hurried children behind their skirts when they saw them, people avoided walking in their path. Madara did not make an effort to hide who he was, he kept his head up and his eyes black and cold. Hiroki walked beside him, making sure not to brush the people beside her. She grabbed his arm and kept close to him. Madara looked at her and pulled her against him when passing carts and people would get too close.

"They are avoiding us like bad luck. And the looks." Hiroki said.

"I know. They are scared we'll hurt them. Just stay close." He said back and the two walked through the town. It was busy, so it was hard to walk faster around the streets. It had taken the whole day to get past the forest since there wasn't much civilization back then, the hidden village of Konoha wasn't erected yet. By twilight, they had reached the town, and was well halfway to the Sarutobi clan village. The twilight had faded, and Madara was searching for an inn. The streets were a bit less busy, but there was still plenty of people milling about. Madara and Hiroki entered a tavern which also had rooms. It was full of men and shinobi mixed together. Madara walked in and many of the men stared at them with suspicious eyes. They went to the bar to ask for a room. Hiroki's eyes flared up in surprise when he asked for one room only.

"We'll be sharing a room?" She asked. Madara shot her an impatient look.

"Deal with it. It'll cost less money." he said and Hiroki nodded. She silenced herself and proceeded to scan the tavern. The men glanced at her with wary eyes, occasionally whispering to the men next to them and taking a drink from their mugs of beer. Hiroki also noticed a small table of ninja. They were enjoying their meal, but were also surveying them, especially Madara. They eyed her with an interest. She recognized their symbol as the Mikazuki. They were not fond of Uchiha, if she remembered correctly. Hiroki leaned closer to Madara and whispered to him about their presence. Madara nodded slightly and was handed the room key. They strolled to a table close to theirs, and he sat down without sparing them a glance. Hiroki noted that his back was to them, even disgracing further. They ordered cups of tea. Madara wanted to let them know that he did not care about their being there, and they were no threat to them. Hiroki followed his example and sipped her tea casually.

"You should eat. You look quite haggard." Madara said and Hiroki shook her head.

"I'm not hungry much."

"Are you scared of those ninja?" Madara accused, a playful glint in his eye as he raised his cup to drink. Hiroki made a face and stared him down.

"What makes you think that? I'd kill them all before you could turn your head." she said. Madara scoffed. He smiled at her and leaned his hand against his face, his elbow on the table.

"Is that so? I wish we could do that without causing a riot. My, I do hate them staring at us with such loathing." Madara said, and Hiroki began to feel uncomfortable. Madara's tone was just a bit too loud, and she was afraid those Mikazuki would hear.

"Be quiet. They'll be offended." Hiroki said in a hushed voice and Madara grinned even more.

"That's because I wanted them to." He said and downed the rest of the tea with one gulp. Hiroki stared at him and felt the unease grow in her stomach. She flicked her eyes toward them to see that they were dead still, which probably meant they were very much listening to their conversation. Madara noticed her disturbed nature and his eyes softened.

"It's fine, right? You would kill them all, you said. Here, eat." Madara mused and handed her the bento box from the trip. It still had a few rice balls. Hiroki nodded and ate slowly, nibbling at the rice, her thoughts concentrated around the Mikazuki. Madara grabbed one and ate as well. He leaned against the chair, staring at Hiroki. Hiroki noticed his gaze and averted her eyes, blushing. He chuckled. Hiroki quickly ate and put the empty box away. She noticed his sudden change of character. He seemed more playful, as if he wanted to threaten the Mikazuki ninja. She could see the violent nature swirling in his eyes.

"We should rest early and get up early next morning. We could get there by a bit past noon." Hiroki said and wished to hurriedly get away from the ninja eyeing her and Madara. Madara shook his head, a sly smile still on his face.

"I don't want to right now. Stay here and talk a bit. After all, it seems the Mikazuki are quite scared of us, wouldn't it be proper to have a nice conversation with them?" he said, and Hiroki was absolutely sure they heard his every word. She stiffened and watched as their eyes flared and one of them lunged at Madara, who was still sitting there, a smirk upon his face. Hiroki shot him an aggravated look. Another one, she notice from the corner of her eye, jumped towards her. Hiroki and Madara swung out their weapons and turned to face them. Men around the tavern let out startled cries as they saw the Mikazuki try to slash Madara's throat from behind, only to be whacked across the head with a giant fan. Hiroki whipped out her katana, chakra blazing along its length and countered the slash at her. She knocked the blade out the attacker's hands and held her's up in a defensive position. They were both still sitting. The one who attacked Hiroki jumped back with a startled grunt, while the one Madara hit was recovering from being knocked to the ground. He snarled menacingly at them.

"How dare you say such words. I'll kill you for such ignorance, Uchiha Madara. At least the girl was smarter." He spat, his words icy. Madara chuckled and turned his head to face the speaker.

"It hurts to hear the truth, does it not?" he said, a strange smile on his lips. Hiroki shivered. This was the Madara in which she had always pictured to be. Menacing. She looked at the frightened faces in the tavern. They might get hurt. We should stop.

"Madara, cease this nonsense. This is useless bloodshed. The Mikazuki would probably strike back if we killed their men here." Hiroki pleaded to Madara, who glanced at her. He stopped to consider her words.

"All right. We'd best not do anything dangerous." He said and stood up. Hiroki stood up a well, following Madara, who walked with confidence past the Mikazuki to the rooms. The Mikazuki ninja gaped a them before growling maliciously and lunged at Hiroki, who had her back to them. This time, Madara reacted faster than Hiroki could, and he swatted away the kunai aimed at her like a fly, he stood in front of her, blocking it from hitting her. Hiroki turned around in surprise to see Madara standing before her. How did he get there? Madara's eyes were blazing with the sharingan as her stared down the man who threw the weapon.

"We'd say we wouldn't cause a fight. Now, we turn our backs and you attempt to kill her? What a coward." he said icily cold and quiet, his words dripping with acidity. The Mikazuki still snarled like a feral dog at him.

"You're the ones who started it." He said, his eyes burning with hatred, though he backed away from the advancing Madara, who had his fan still raised, his eyes burning red.

" How you sound so petty and childish, Mikazuki. So what if I said a few remarks to amuse someone? Now, I dare you to hurt Hiroki, or I'll rip all your throats out." Madara growled and whipped around, grabbing Hiroki by the arm and dragging her up the stairs into the rooms. The Mikazuki stared open-mouthed at the retreating forms of the two and stood up, unscathed, but with their egos wounded. All the men in the tavern were dead silent during the affair, and were now staring at them with accusing eyes, as if to say that they just ruined their night.

"I'll get you for this." He muttered angrily to himself and collected his teammates. They strode out in a storm, feeling rotten for losing at the hands of Madara and a girl. The Mikazuki disappeared into the night.

Hiroki shook herself from the death hold of Madara's hand once they got at the top of the stairs, rubbing her sore wrist. Madara let go, but turned to face her.

"Madara, next time, we shouldn't say those things. Thanks for saving me though, I guess." She said sheepishly. Madara's gaze softened.

"Hmph. It was their fault for attacking us. Are you all right?" He asked, looking at her for any wounds. Hiroki shook her head and smiled.

"What about you?" She said, even though she could see he wasn't injured either.

"Like I could get hurt by those weaklings." He scoffed and Hiroki laughed softly. Madara smiled as well and they walked to the room. They put their stuff down and stretched their sore muscles after carrying all the weight.

"I'll go get washed up first." Hiroki said and Madara nodded. Hiroki went into the washroom and closed the door, releasing a deep breath. She could still feel her heart racing after the incident, but it wasn't only because of that...she was going to sleep in a confined room, alone, with a man. Madara, to be exact. She couldn't help but blush. She looked in the mirror to see her face completely red. Gyah! What thoughts am I thinking to be this way?! So, perverted, you Hiroki! She thought to herself and tried to rub off the redness. She suddenly remembered Hikaru's words, "He'll take your innocence...".Hiroki blushed even more and began to think crazy thoughts. Madara...he'll...?! No...he's not that kind of person. Hiroki repeated to herself. She stripped and took a hot shower to try to calm her nerves. She wrapped a towel around herself and bent down to pick up her clothes. Realizing that she forgot to bring fresh clothes, she scolded herself and just wore her old clothes. She walked out to see Madara was sitting on the middle of the floor, half-asleep. He looked up lazily.

"Didn't you take a shower?" he asked. Hiroki looked at him questionably.

"Yes. Didn't you hear the water?"

"Oh? Then why are you still in those clothes?" he asked, still sleepy.

"Ah. It's because I forgot to bring fresh clothes in the bathroom. You can go in there now." She said and Madara grabbed his stuff to head to the shower. Once she was sure Madara was in the bathroom, Hiroki got out a clean robe and changed into it. She yawned, her limbs aching from the traveling and the little scuffle they had earlier. Hiroki lay back and thought dreamily of her brother. She forgot that it was Madara in the shower and thought it was Hikaru; they were on a trip to the Waves Country for killing some ninja of sorts. She drifted into sleep. Madara walked out of the bathroom to see Hiroki sound asleep on the floor, without any bedding. He smiled and sighed, walking over, laying down a bedspread, and gently picking Hiroki up to lay her on the bedding properly. Hiroki thought she heard Hikaru talking softly, he was picking her up to a bed? Ah, she must remind herself to thank him later... Madara pulled the covers over her and smiled, brushing aside the stray hairs on her face. "Hikaru..." Hiroki murmured, holding onto Madara's hand over her face. "Hikaru...don't leave...Nii-chan..." She thought she felt his hand stroking her head like when she was little. His hand was so warm. She felt it grasp hers tightly, filling her hand with its warmness. But then she pictured another face...it was fuzzy...a man. It looked like her brother. No, it was much more different... it was... Madara. Still sleepy, she smiled, thinking of the man that had entered her dreams.

"Madara." She said, still sleeping. Madara, who was still clutching her hand, heard it loud and clear. At first, he thought she had woken up, but then realized she was just murmuring in her sleep. He broke out a gentle grin.

"You think of me when you sleep? How perverted." he said amusingly. He tried to pry his hand off hers, but her fingers would not let go of his. Sighing, he grabbed a pillow and laid beside her, falling into slumber as well. He dreamed of a fragile face, one full of laughter and sunshine, smiling at him. One with black locks, pale porcelain skin, and a radiant smile. He grinned in his sleep as he realized it belonged to one beside him.

Madara woke up early on habit. He shivered. He had slept without covers and he raised his left hand to run through his hair when he realized it was still attached to Hiroki's. He nearly jerked it away in embarrassment when he recalled last night's events. He looked at the sleeping girl beside him. He shook her gently. Hiroki furrowed her eyebrows. "Ngh." She groaned and tried to roll away. But still had her hand around his, she was jerked back towards him. She woke up with a start and sat up fast. She looked at her hand and pulled away, gasping in surprise. Madara looked at her humorously as he saw the red creep to her cheeks. What was I doing last night?! Hiroki looked at Madara suspiciously.

"Did I get drunk or something?" Hiroki asked. Madara looked at her, surprised.

"No, why would you ask that?" He said, curious.

"Why would I hold your hand otherwise?!" Hiroki said. Madara looked at her and began laughing. Then he stood up and stretched.

"Hehehe...It was really strange. You know you talk in your sleep right?" He said, his eyes twinkling. Hiroki looked at him and began blushing even harder.

"Yes...I tend to talk in my sleep..." she mumbled.

"That's not all. You were saying my name. And you grabbed my hand and wouldn't let go." He said, grinning. Hiroki looked at him in shock. She turned away, her face burning red with shame. She stood up quickly and went to gather her items. After she strapped her equipment on and Madara did so as well, they headed out, paying the tavern keeper and bought a couple of dumplings for the trip. Hiroki tried to avoid conversation with Madara, as she was still mortified. Since it was early morning, the town was empty and walking past it was a breeze. The two set out on the trip once more. The awkwardness disappeared and the usual friendliness returned. They passed the time with more riddles. It was nearly noon when they stopped to rest and eat. There was a small clearing where they stopped.

"We'll be there in around 30 minutes to a hour. If you are tired, we can go slower." Madara said while they were eating their cold dumplings. Hiroki was also a bit out of breath, so she nodded. After the meal, Madara got up and stretched, and Hiroki did so as well.

"We'd better get-" Hiroki started but Madara stopped her. He motioned to be quiet. Madara tensed and put his hand on the handle of his fan. Hiroki grew alert and put a hand on her katana, chakra ready to burst. A person burst out of the trees and Hiroki drew her katana, ready to strike, as did Madara whip out his ganbai. The man half-screamed when he saw their hostile forms. Hiroki them noticed the clan insignia and Madara seemed to recognize him. Madara latched his fan onto his back and told Hiroki to sheath her katana. After she put away her weapon, the man relaxed and smiled kindly. He walked close to greet them.

"Ah! Madara-sama! I'm here to escort you and Hiroki-sama to the village. Daichi is expecting you. Nice to meet you, Hiroki-sama. My name is Sarutobi Kaito. I have heard much about you." The young man bowed and introduced himself formally. Hiroki smiled and greeted the man as well. He was tall and muscular, with light brown hair that fell in messy waves across his eyes. His light tan skin shone in the high sun and he wore a shinobi uniform with the clan crest upon his right arm.

"Hiroki is a bit exhausted, so we should go a bit slower." Madara said and Kaito nodded. Hiroki noticed Madara seemed acquainted with the young man. Hiroki assumed that if Madara saw him as no threat, Hiroki should treat him with the same friendliness. They entered the trees and followed him past the forest. It was a slow jog, but not fast running. After Hiroki regained her breath, she told them she could go at full speed. Madara nodded to Kaito and he sped ahead, Madara keeping up with him. Hiroki jumped and ran at full speed once more. After around 50 minutes, she could see a huge clearing, and the village coming closer. They stopped at the gates and they nodded them through. Hiroki kept close to Madara's side as usual and noticed the stares of the Sarutobi. They weren't hostile, but curious of Hiroki. She saw children run past and laugh, but they were also filled with the war as she saw in their eyes. She smiled at them and notice a few boys smile back. They whispered to each other after she turned her head. Madara elbowed her and told her to not converse with them. Kaito looked back to see the two disagreeing. He mused to himself that it might be a lover's quarrel. After a long walk to the back of the village, Kaito led them to a front of a magnificent building. It's grand door was large, with the gate towering well above their heads. Kaito turned around and smiled.

"Welcome to Daichi's Residence." The guards out front opened the gates and Hiroki walked into the magnificent courtyard. It was lavish, complete with a stone garden and flowers. She could hear the Whack! Shaaa of the bamboo water lever in the background. Kaito led them past the hallways and doors to a grand room at the end of the building. It opened out to the back and it was wide, decorated with furniture and rugs. Sitting at the back, staring out the backyard was a man, who was smoking on a pipe. He stood and turned to face them. Hiroki stared at the man. He looked exactly like the third hokage. Hiroki bowed respectfully and introduced herself, but the man stopped her midway.

"I already know who you are. My, you look quite fragile and young for all the rumors I heard about you. I never expected such a pretty young woman." The man said and smiled. Hiroki blushed and smiled, thanking him. Madara rolled his eyes.

"So what am I here for, Daichi-sama?" Hiroki asked respectfully and the man smiled.

"A very good question. For the past 2 weeks, Madara-san has been telling me of you. He says that you can predict the future. If that is true, then we will confirm the alliance. On one accord, the Sarutobi may ask to use your skills anytime we wish to. Do you accept?" He asked, his smile strangely inviting. Hiroki shot a glance at Madara. He told them about me knowing the future. Well, me predicting, not knowing...so technically he didn't reveal my secret. This would help the clan a lot. I'll do it for Madara. Hiroki felt confidence in knowing she had helped served him. She turned to Daichi with strength in her eyes. She bowed and kneeled on one knee, lowering her head in submission. He looked at her in surprise, but then satisfaction.

"Of course, Sarutobi Daichi-sama. It is my pleasure to help your clan in anyway. Madara-sama is correct, I can predict the future...though it is my will whether to share it with others. I have not use my advantage to aid the Uchiha or Madara yet, however. If I agree with you, then it is my first time using for the greater of others. I will accept that your clan may use my skills at anytime, but only if you must need to, and if I see that it is a liable claim." Hiroki said and raised her head. Daichi broke out in a grin.

"Of course. I will now accept this alliance, and my, you have such wise words for one so young. I might just consult you if I have a problem. You are smart to choose this decision. I hope what I hear from Madara and others is true, if not...I will be greatly disappointed. However, hearing you now, I believe in your word." Daichi smiled and he bowed to Hiroki, who stood and bowed back. She broke out in a wide smile and looked over to Madara. He nodded and smiled softly in approval. Hiroki felt her heart leap at his praise.

"Kaito will show you to where you will reside for the time being. If you need anything, I will provide it for you. Today is just one of many more matters to discuss. You can go now." Daichi said to Hiroki and turned his back to face the scenery out the doors. Kaito, who was standing in the background the whole time, now stepped up and smiled kindly to Hiroki. She smiled back as he took her heavy bags from her and led her around the magnificent house. She noted that Madara stared expressionless at the exchange and he turned to follow them. They went up the stairs and around many bends to stop at a intricately embellished door. It opened up and Hiroki was told it was her bedroom. Madara had his next door with the same amount of luxury. Hiroki entered to see a huge bed, with the most fancy bedding she'd ever seen in her entire life. It literally looked like golden sheets and pillows piled atop a field of a mattress. There was finely carved furniture made of high polished and gleaming mahogany. When she sat on a chair, it felt like she was sinking in silk and clouds. Hiroki grinned and jumped onto the plush bed. Ahhh, I could die here if I wanted to! The head of the clan lives like a king! I wonder how Madara's doing? Hiroki grew curious of the furnishings in his adjacent room and got up off the luxury item. She opened the door and stepped over to his. She knocked three times. No answer. Hiroki did it a second time, and a third. Still no response. Hehehe, I can just creep into it...he's not there...she thought mischievously and opened the door a crack to slide herself in. The room was as lavishly decorated as hers, with the exception of different furniture and bedding and such. She noticed that it seemed occupied by Madara for awhile; his books and paperwork sprawled across the desk, his chair with more of his equipment. Some of the overly lavish pillows and covers neatly tucked into a corner, his clothing was laid out on the bed. Suddenly, the bathroom door opened with Madara walking out. Hiroki gasped and turned to face him. Madara looked at her in shock and nearly screamed. Hiroki felt her face burning red. He was naked, with the exception of a flimsy towel around his groin.

"What the hell are you doing here?!" He finally managed to half scream half mangle out of his throat. Hiroki could not respond but just gape open-mouthed at his body with red ears and pink cheeks. Madara just watched dumbfounded as Hiroki forced her head to look at another object and hide her face in her hands. She walked out the door and mumbled incoherently to herself. Once she closed the door, Madara ran his hand through his hair, feeling his face go hot. He silently put his clothes on and felt embarrassed the whole time through, his heart pounding strangely. Hiroki walked out of the awkward scene and once she had closed his door, she grabbed her head in her hands and went to the wall, where she banged her head against it. What have I done?! I just saw Madara practically naked! He'll never trust me even glancing at him again! My eyeballs...they're scorched... Hiroki felt even guiltier as she noticed that she had felt somewhat pleased to look at him like that. Why am I so perverted?! She once again banged her head on the wall and wished every bang would erase a second of the situation.

"Stop it! You're going to break down my house. What may be the porblem?" Hiroki turned her still burning face to see Daichi looking at her in surprise. Hiroki felt herself grow even more shamed as she realized he was watching the whole time. My sensory skills...I need to work on them... Hiroki noted and turned again to face him once more.

"Ahh. It's nothing! I just wanted to relieve some stress. Yeah, you know, head-wall-banging is the way to go! Ow!" Hiroki winced as she pressed the lumpy bruise on her forehead. Daichi stared at her curiously before his eyes lit up and he smiled.

"Come down, I'll treat that wound, or you should since you know more medical ninjutsu than I, but I have a great way to relieve stress. It looks like you need another alternative." Daichi smiled humorously and Hiroki nodded, glad he had something for her to think of other than Madara's body... Daichi led her down to the same room they were in when they came in. He got out a small medical kit and said to help herself. Hiroki nodded gratefully and healed the bloodied tissue beneath her skin. Once she was done, she noticed she still had some swollen tissue. Argh. I don't know how to reduce swelling. I don't think they have Ibuprofen either... Hiroki commented to herself and put a bandage around it to try to press down the tissue. It looked and felt funny, but it worked. Daichi laughed at the funny headband and said to close her eyes. Hiroki did as told and she heard sounds. He's pushing something wooden over...Now there's something wooden that's heavy being put against it. She thought she also heard small clacking noises. Small wooden things being laid on top?

"Open them up!" Hiroki opened her eyes to see a set up shogi board in front of her. Her eyes widened and it brought back memories of her brother teaching her how to play the game.

"Hehe! It keeps your mind flowing...I love a good game once in a while or when I need it. You know...I'm very good!" He said and Hiroki smiled. She had lost nearly every game when she played with Hikaru... Still, just for the sake of getting things off her mind, she decided to put all her mind to it.

Madara paced around the room, trying to think of how not to make himself seem awkward. He flushed every time he thought of her red expression looking at him that way. He wanted to bang his head against the wall and just rip off his head. He frowned and resumed his composition. He took a deep and breath and walked outside the door. He acted casually and greeted everyone he met. Every time he passed a woman, she would shyly smile and greet him. The blushing girls made him think of Hiroki even more and he suppressed the urge to blush. He went past the room where Daichi often was and he thought he heard something. The doors were closed, but he could hear the voices inside. He recognized them as Hiroki's and Daichi's.

"Noo! Stop! You can't do that!" Hiroki cried out. The sounds were muffled through the doors, but he could hear it clearly in his head. He shivered at her outburst and leaned in closer to hear.

"Hehehe! Yes I can and you can't stop me!" he heard Daichi's voice. It suddenly sounded vicious.

"Gyah! I told you can't do that! Stop!" Hiroki screamed. She sounded frustrated, almost scared. Madara's breath stopped.

"Yes I can, and you can't do anything. Oh I told you I was good, didn't I? Hah! I've got you cornered and you can't move. Submit!" Daichi cackled and Hiroki let out a frustrated whimper. Madara's blood turned to ice. A million possiblities could be what was happening behind the doors, but the only thing that came to mind was Daichi hurting Hiroki. Madara, suddenly angry and protective, burst the doors open and began to charge at Daichi. He stopped himself just in time and stared at the scene before him. To his embarrassment, he was standing there like a fool, dumbfounded.

"What were you guys doing? I swear, I heard Hiroki screaming and I thought she was hurt or something. Seriously, Daichi you had me scared." Madara huffed and saw on the shogi board that Daichi was beating the crap out of Hiroki, who was miserably losing.

"Just playing Shogi! My, you have a very creative imagination Madara...fufufu." Daichi crowed and Madara flushed, embarrassed that Daichi noticed what he expected behind the doors. Hiroki, who was pouting at her pitiful game, didn't seem to notice what either of them said. Madara looked suspiciously at the bandage around her head.

"Hiroki-san! Aren't you so happy that your prince charming tried to save you from the power of Daichi's shogi? You look quite red!" Daichi said in a amusing tone and watched as Hiroki scowled at him then turn redder after a glance at Madara.

"Is there something I don't know between the two of you?" Daichi said once more and he smiled curiously at the two. After hearing the remark they both took in a sharp breath and turned even redder, Hiroki burying her face into her hands and Madara looking at the ceiling behind them.

"Could it be...love?" At that, Madara coughed loudly and Hiroki clenched her fingers tighter around her head.

"Fufufu...so it's true. Young love, how deadly it can be! I've had my own strange experiences, Madara-san. Well, I hope the gods are in your favor..." Daichi said and stood up to leave. Both their expressions told him that he shouldn't, but he smiled devilishly and left the two gaping at the retreating form. The loud thunk of the door confirmed that the two were alone in the room. Together. Hiroki mustered up her courage and spoke timidly.

"M-Madara...Eh...ummm. I-I...," Hiroki was going nowhere with this. So, she just shouted it out in hope it would drown out her embarrassment. "Madara! I'm sorry I saw you naked! It was an accident! I didn't know you were in there..." Hiroki said and bowed her head, trying to cover her tomato-red face with her hair. Madara looked at her curiously before smiling a bit.

"How amusing. I accept your apology. But why were you in my room?" He asked.

"I just wanted to see...uh...your furniture. And I guess...you." Hiroki said in a quiet voice, nearly a whisper. She clenched he fabric of her pants on her thighs and Madara said nothing for a moment. Then, to Hiroki's surprise, her walked over and sat next to her. When her reached out to move her hair so he could see her face, she flinched. Madara noticed and dropped his hand.

"Ah. I'm sorry. I must of scared you. Don't be awkward." He said softly and Hiroki raised her head, moving the strands from her face. It was relief upon her face and Madara also felt relief course through him.

"Yeah...thank you." Hiroki said and smiled a bit. Madara's eyes grew gentle as he smiled back.

"What happened to your head?" Madara asked about the bandage. Hiroki then realized she had put it there and chuckled.

"After the...scene...I felt so embarrassed I banged my head against the wall." Hiroki said and Madara looked at her amusingly. He thought he had heard some strange thumping noises coming from the wall.

"Let me see." Madara said and motioned for her to lean closer. She awkwardly did so and moved over so he could see. He unwound the bandage and saw the small welt protrude from her skin. He pressed it gently and she winced. He leaned his face closer to get a better look. Hiroki started to grow red from him being so close to her face... She could see his expression. Stoic, but gentle and soft at the same time. She traveled from his intent eyes to his angular nose to his lips and his pointed chin. Hiroki averted her eyes down when she passed his mouth. Madara had noticed her staring but made no move to stop her. He enjoyed it. He didn't feel anymore embarrassed about the earlier situation. When he finished examining the bump, he moved back to his position and Hiroki gladly got out of the close contact. They both stood up and exited, now more calm and collected. When they opened the door, they noticed Daichi waiting outside. Hiroki realized he must've heard the conversation... and the part about her seeing Madara half-naked. She resisted the urge to flush as she walked past him. Hiroki thought she saw Daichi smirk at her when she brushed against his arm. Hiroki looked straight in front of her at Madara's back. She concentrated on the insignia of their clan sewn onto the black fabric. The two headed upstairs to their rooms. But, when Madara was about to enter his, Hiroki grabbed the back of his robe. Madara stopped and turned his head.

"Yes?"

"Can I stay with you? I don't have much to do..." Hiroki asked quietly. Madara raised his eyebrows before smiling.

"All right. I'm no fun, though." Madara said and Hiroki smiled gratefully. Madara was the only one who knew her here and the only one she was close to. It was best if she stuck next to him. There was a grand window on the side of the room, you could even sit on the sill if you wanted to without crouching down. Hiroki circled the room and turned to Madara.

"So. What do you usually do?" Hiroki asked, looking around the room for any sign of enjoyable activities. Madara chuckled when he saw her looking.

"Ah. I usually do paperwork here, as you see on the desk. And if I finished it, I would stare out the window and think of Izuna or you. Sentimental, right?" Madara said and Hiroki glanced at the desk. The pile was significantly taller than the last time she saw it. Sighing, she slumped into an empty chair and watched as Madara tidied up the few belongings around the room. After he did so, he glanced over at the bored Hiroki.

"Since you're here, I guess I can play with you." Madara smiled mischievously and Hiroki looked at Madara in interest.

"What do you mean by 'play'?" Hiroki asked suspiciously. Madara chuckled deeply and smiled wryly at her. He took a step toward the chair. Then another. Hiroki leaped out of it and backed into a corner. Madara continued to advance and Hiroki continued to slide against the wall. Suddenly he jumped and yelled "Yah!" and Hiroki jumped up and yelled "bloody murder!". Madara began laughing and doubled over in a fit. Hiroki realized what his motive was and frowned. She went over and kicked him in the shin. Not hard, but enough to bruise it. He yelped and grabbed his leg. With a murderous glare, he tackled Hiroki from behind and sent her sprawling face first. Before she knew it, he was on top of her, pinning her wrists to the ground and his body sitting on her torso and legs.

"Got you now." He smiled wickedly and Hiroki scowled. She tried to wrench free or get him off but he was too heavy.

"Get off, Madara! You weigh like a boulder! Argh!" Hiroki yelled and struggled to get his hold off. Madara stared at her amusingly and smiled once again.

"Hehe. You said I had nothing amusing to do? Well, I guess you can be my new toy.." he said and Hiroki growled angrily.

"Are you ticklish?" He asked, but Hiroki didn't respond, just a small blush on her cheeks. Madara grinned knowing that the answer was yes. He took both of her wrists in one hand above her head and with the other he held threateningly in front of her face, waggling his fingers. Hiroki drew in a sharp breath.

"Oh god, Madara, don't you dare." Hiroki could barely say as he softly brushed his wiggling fingers against her side. Hiroki resisted the urge to laugh and just forcibly smiled, keeping her lips shut, but he increased the intensity and she burst out laughing doubling over, but he was still on top of her. She jerked her body in order to get the feeling off, but Madara grinned even more.

"Grrr! Damn...Oh God! Hahaha! Damn you Madara!" She burst into endless giggles and finally, with a smirk, Madara had loosened the hold on her wrists and she burst free. With a quick maneuver, she pushed Madara off of her and tackled him onto the ground.

"Are you ticklish? Well, looks like I got to find out!" Hiroki grinned devilishly and attacked Madara with flying fingers. He had a look of horror before be trembled with the tremors and jerked with the tickle fits. His laugh was loud and harsh, but hearty at the same time. Hiroki jerked her head into her neck as she felt his hands on her torso. She quickly got off of him realizing that the game had gone a bit too far. Madara sat up and let out ragged breaths, looking over at Hiroki. Her hair was disheveled, her clothes wrinkled and loose.

"My. You hold up quite a fight..." Madara mused and Hiroki shot him a warning glance, which shut him up. She stood up and walked to the window, where the rain now fell in soft beats, like a drum against the rooftop. Madara walked to her side and stared out at the downpour as well.

"Well that escalated quickly." Madara said amusingly and Hiroki nodded.

"You are too heavy. What do you eat? It has to rocks!" Hiroki joked and Madara chuckled.

"It's because I'm a man. Of course I have to be bigger than you. It would be interesting if it were the other way around." He said and Hiroki just smiled at his logic. Hiroki opened he window a bit and put her hand out to catch the rain. The droplets hung onto her skin like dew, falling off of it in tiny rivulets. Hiroki hung it there for a minute, feeling the soft raindrops pound her flesh. The pit-pat of the rain sounded soothing... like a sad melody. She retracted her hand back in and shook the water off of it. She smiled and remembered a saying her brother often liked to recite when it was raining.

"Hiroki, did you know..."

"Madara, did you know that..."

"...the heavens..."

"...are crying..."

"...when it's raining?"

"...when it's raining?"

The man beside her smiled and looked past the rain into the clouds, searching for the higher entity.

"Of course." was his usual return.

Chapter 7 END

Is it me, or nature has a way of mind-blowing us all? Seriously...it was raining when I wrote the rain scene! Cute, right? Plus, I just had to make everyone dirty in this chapter... ^ ^" Awww, Mada-chan is so perverted!

YOU SHOULD READ THE AUTHOR'S NOTE! IT'S FUNNY...BUT HAS INFORMATION!

Author's Note: Hey! it's Rima-chan! Again! Haha, but thanks to everyone who supported me so far! Especially to: xGuiltyXGigglesx03, lightningx94, LivingAnEverlastingDream,ChibiCheshire, Iinvalidzz, fanfiction2010, Nube2013, and to everyone who had supported me so far! May you hear and be happy. I thank my Mexican friend too. Please continue to! Also to all my inspirations, to the rain, the Yiruma's Kiss the Rain, to RainSound, to It's Raining Men by I forget who, and to Joe Hisaishi (You were all expecting another rain reference weren't you?! HAHA!) . Yes, my fellow musicians, I am one too (One heck of a pianist, violinist, and flautist!), but I have to admit, Joe Hisaishi makes my writing so much more sentimental with all his amazing music. Hiroki... I...I...I LOVE YOU! I know, like, I love myself...like...soooo much, man! Derp to making Hiroki sound like a blonde. Not to be Hair-cist, but just saying for the stereotypes. Now do you feel what it's like to be Asian?! HUH?! Yeah...I get asked so much like, what type of Asian are you? Like, where are you from? Naw, you definitely Chinese, man! You all look the same to me, sorry! Sniff...sniff. Yeah. Well GUESS WHAT. Sorry does NOT make up for it. Humiliation... Anyways... about the whole Hiroki and Madara scenes... I was just extremely bored, and felt REAALLY perverted. So...Sssss...yeah. It seriously escalated quickly though... sorry for that. One moment... Oh yeah, I seriously am so embarrassed to be around you now that you've seen me naked... but then... Oh yeah, let's have a tickle fight! "That's young love for ya!" -Daichi Sarutobi. Who thinks I should do a chapter about Izuna? Or... about the Mikazuki's interesting revenge?! PLEASE REVIEW! XD! Love, Rima-chan, who is NOT a typical Asian. P.S. I kinda am. ^ ^" "Dad! Look! I got Straight A pluses!" "Awesome! You grow up and be brain surgeon!" "No, I want to be a Pediatric Surgeon! Remember?" "Oh yeah! We proud of you!" That's seriously what happened though... EXCEPT... I got a B+ in English the last quarter. Yeah. My dad was not pleased. P.P.S. Here's a funny Asian joke: An Asian dad sees that his son got 3 C's and 2B's on his report card. He frowns and says," You no CCCCsain, You no BBBBsain, You an AAAAsian. Get it right!" HaHa! I think Madara's laughing too!