A/N: lol lemon… but 'lemon' is consensual isn't it (isn't it?)? are you sure you're not asking too much of me? Hahahahaha, that cracks me up. I'm kidding…have patience, I'll surely give you what you want ;)


Till You Die

6 – The Hating Game


The air had been positively electric the entire course of the meeting. Did he think they wouldn't be able to perceive it despite his outward indifference?

"Madara," Izuna ran his hand through his raven locks, maintaining a neutral expression "there are plenty of women who would be ecstatic to share your bed for one night."

…They were brothers, yes, but Izuna suspected the only fact which saved him was that these men in the meeting room were the same ones who had accompanied Madara on his trip, and they already had the gist of things. If Madara had reacted to that provocation, he would only further confirm their suspicions.

And Madara was not someone who could be led so easily.

Izuna raised an eyebrow in question, in response to the cold, unappreciative eyes looking up from the map in warning.

…So it was only her, huh? For whatever reason, it was only that girl who had caught Madara's eye, and maybe even his interest. Too bad there were complications.

"Shall I teach you the proper way to court a woman?"

Definitely out of place in the meeting room, but no one would want to point that out to him, certainly not within this atmosphere.

"If you have time to talk about such useless things," Madara drawled coolly, straightening up and causing everyone else in the room to tense, "why don't you focus on your job as second-in-command?"

Izuna allowed a small frown to furrow his brows. "You are the one who brought her back. I don't approve of the example you are setting, clan leader."

There was the expression he had been waiting to see.

"…You don't approve?" Uchiha Madara asked lowly, quietly, lifting his hands away from the long table. He moved along the table's edge, on the opposite side of Izuna. Each person he passed by became rigid with the chill.

There was a damn good reason why Izuna was known as the only one who could go against Madara's word.

In one smooth motion, Izuna reached up and snatched the sheathed blade Madara had flung at him. He formed a small grin at the nostalgic feeling.

"Then talk to me with swords," Madara commanded him.


Loreli didn't know what was happening.

"This is the woman Madara-sama personally brought back, huh?" A snort. "And the one who got away with requesting him something in front of his men. I am in no hurry to die."

No, she wasn't dense enough to not have any idea, judging by the things they were saying, but…

A different person, scoffing. "He sounded serious to me. What, are you going to just disregard his order?"

Why did they leave her up in a tree? Did they seriously think that it would allow her a sense of security, being separated from their group? Or was it like a ninja thing?

"Tsch. Then what the hell are we supposed to do?" someone in the background snarled in response.

Voices. Interweaving.

"What did you say, bastard!"

Loreli heard, couldn't help but heard, and was experiencing difficulty in following their exchange. What…what absurd things they were accusing her of… And her head felt woozy, burning.

They were arguing amongst themselves. So hostile. Up till then Loreli hadn't known that shinobi of the same clan would treat each other with such aggression.

Disconcertment. To the point where one of them even pulled out a weapon.

"You are a disgrace to our clan," a voice, a steady and tranquil voice, rose above the meshing of voices.

A tall regal figure, agile build, accompanied by another shorter man, also wearing white.

At first Loreli had thought it would be Izuna, as all the other male members of the Uchiha clan seemed to wear black. It wasn't; the voice had been a notch deeper, but at the same time it lacked the harsh edge to Izuna's dauntless speech.

Restlessness stirred among the red-eyed shinobi. Undoubtedly that had been a particularly bad insult.

"Tsch." A biting retort, arms crossed. "This does not concern you, who are you to reproach us in this!"

Unfazed, unblinking, the white-clothed man gazed back at the one who had made that statement.

Coolly, unhurriedly, he replied. "I'd like to hear you repeat that to me the next time you receive a grievous injury in battle."

There were no further comments after that, although it didn't seem like they bothered to hide their animosity.

"Recent sharp drop in body temperature, no intake of nutrition in the past four days, fluctuating eye movements from lack of decent rest – fifty eight hours cumulative."

Loreli blinked down, realizing that he had approached her, observing aloud as if reciting from memory.

That was when she got her first surprise.

At close range Loreli was able to see that one of his long-lashed eyes was clearly blue, light blue in stark contrast to the red of his other eye.

"I will need to borrow her from you, men." Not a request. A statement.

"Wait," one of them spoke up, red eyes narrowing contemptuously, "she's-"

"The one who'd made more work than usual for the medics, I am aware," the tall man with the mismatched eyes replied calmly, not a shred of amusement present in his voice. He added, "And she's ill; in danger of entering delirium if I let her be."

The man gave an inclination of his head towards his assistant. "You go on."

An arm encircled her from behind, unexpectedly, startling her with his speed. Cool embrace. No compassion whatsoever.

"It'll only take a minute," he informed them. It wasn't that he acted superior; there was no arrogance in his demeanor. The man was simply ignoring their intimidations.

The next thing she knew, he had brought her down to ground level, his arm behind her back propelling her to walk.

"Stop here."

…Delirium.

A warm, uncomfortable feeling was bubbling up inside her throat. Maybe. Maybe it was. She was getting tired of being forced around, from one ninja to the next.

"Sit."

It was…not right. Not the same. She, having been on the receiving end of orders her whole life, not even she could endure living like this.

"That is unnecessary," Loreli found herself saying quietly, surprised at her own bluntness. "…If you want to ease my suffering..." Slowly, she peered up at him. "You have the ability."

No hesitation, no denial either. "Don't be so quick to throw away your life." Again, no emotion in his words. "Sit down," the man told her, "you will soon either way."

Her gaze did not waver. Perhaps it was owing to the fact that his eyes were different. He was the first Uchiha man she had been able to lock eyes with without flinching.

…Don't be so quick to throw away your life? …And then what?

That annoying, tickling sensation inside her chest. Bitterness.

"I'd never thought I'd receive advice on how to live my life from a ninja."

In answer, he brought his hands together for a brief moment. Her knees collapsed as soon as he laid his hands on them.

What-

Warmth. He started from her feet, the chakra from his hands working to relax and to send warmth into her tense muscles.

"You-"

"You are just a palace girl," he overrode her protest nonchalantly. "I wouldn't put on airs if I were you."

…Loreli pursed her lips.

She…couldn't find words to reply to that.

"Take a good look." Three fingers on the side of her head, gently but compellingly turning her to look back. "Every one of those warriors would know the true value of a life better than you."

…Speechless confusion. Enough that Loreli failed to pay attention to him carrying on his task.

"You sheltered people seem to think that you can know what life is without knowing what death is like, first." A condescending tone, if he had one. "Go ahead, cry about your pathetic excuses."

…An ice sculpture. That was what he was. Flawless and unfeeling.

And yet she stared as if mesmerized when he met her eyes, having received no response from her.

Cold simplicity. Dismissive words. Perhaps she didn't even reflect in his eyes.

His hair fell long and smooth past his shoulders, unlike the spiked stiffness possessed by the other males of his clan. If he had let his bangs cover up his red eye, he could've passed off as a normal person.

"What is your name?"

Loreli was surprised by her own question, and asked in such an informal tone. She didn't find it strange that he disregarded it.

A hand on her forehead, a cooling sensation pulsing forth.

It was irrational, terrible, insane…

It must be the disturbed state her mind was in. Loreli was unable to take her eyes off this man.

"Your stomach won't be able to handle anything other than warm liquids at this point. Aside from that, you will need rest." He might as well been talking to a wall, with such indifference. "Experiencing any more excitement may reverse the recovery process."

…That must be an easy thing for him to say.

…Was it so wrong? Was it so childish for her to be feeling this way after everything she'd been put through?

Loreli's eyes drooped. She spoke. "You think I'm a clueless girl who is ungrateful to be alive, and refusing your help because she wants sympathy."

He was ignoring her, at least until she retracted her arm when he tried to take her pulse.

A pause. He met her eyes, one red eye and the other blue.

"Why would I make such an assumption?" he asked her nonchalantly, disinterestedly.

It was uncanny, the way Loreli felt that she could tell what he was thinking despite his deadpan appearance.

"Because," Loreli replied with a faint, mirthless smile, "I am pretty."

He stared back at her blandly, steadily.

She waited for a response, knowing that one wasn't forthcoming.

"Pretty people get what they want too easily, so they are ungrateful for what they have, isn't that right?"

Why…was this… Before a complete stranger…

Words from her own lips. They shouldn't have affected her any.

"And you are mistaken if you think your tears will convince me otherwise," he told her coolly, getting up. "Take better care of your body, since that's the only thing you have going for you."

Wearily, Loreli reached up her hands to her temples. She couldn't believe herself.

…What was wrong with her?

"Well…" soft smile, her eyes closed "…you are right."

An emptiness.

A life without dreams, without goals of her own. Never living for herself. Never having to work hard at anything for her own sake. She had nothing she was proud of. She didn't even know what things she liked.

Maybe she had always been waiting for someone to say that to her face. To tell her that she was a hollow character.

"Izuna-sama-"

Loreli snapped her eyes open.

Uchiha Izuna blinked once down at her appearance and asked, "Which one of them was it?"

His question was directed at her, she realized. Puzzled, Loreli glanced around and found that the medic earlier was gone.

Izuna's red eyes slid over to the cluster of shinobi behind him.

"Izuna-sama, we haven't done anything to her."

Ah… That was what he meant. Loreli wondered just how she looked liked at the moment.

Izuna glanced back at her. "Is this true?"

Somehow, she nodded.

"Consider yourselves fortunate," Izuna told them coolly. "I'll take her back now. You may leave."

Their apparent unease paled in comparison to her horror.

"Izuna-sama, we have Madara-sama's specific order to not-"

Izuna arched an eyebrow. That simple gesture cut him off.

"Have you ever seen Madara raise a hand against his own clan?" asked Izuna.

Silence. A prolonged, restless silence.

A mysterious smirk twitched up the corner of his lips. "Can you say the same for me?"

Loreli stared, stunned.

He had sounded amused. Looked amused.

But every one of them had tensed up, on guard.

"Who do you fear more," Izuna asked, that same disarmingly gentle smile on his ethereal features, "Madara, or me?"

…This atmosphere…

One of them was brave enough to speak out. "But, Izuna-sama-"

It was quick, sudden. She had no idea what actually happened. There was a swirling sound of misplaced air, and the man who had spoken flew, skidding a good distance back, as if from an invisible impact.

The tomoes in his Sharingan winding down to a still, Izuna remarked authoritatively, "Wrong answer."

A glance to the rest of the men. "Any other objections?" he asked coolly.

Stunned. Loreli couldn't move the tips of her fingers.

…This was…Uchiha Izuna's true face…?

"No, Izuna-sama…"

They bowed and took their leave. She would have done the same if she were in their place. She didn't want…she didn't want to be left alone with this man.

"You thought I was the nicer brother," Izuna guessed, eyebrow quirked and an amused smile.

"Well…" He reached down for her, earning a jolt in surprise from her as he scooped her up in his arms. "You would be right. Except, I am also the second-in-command. The leader's name must remain clean."

"Liar…" Loreli said softly, trying to pull away, and he was content in letting her roll around in his arms.

Izuna frowned. "Which part?"

…Which part? He didn't give off an impression of being trustworthy as far as she was concerned.

Loreli gave up struggling, as it was futile. Instead, she eyed him warily. "…What kind of rumor have you been spreading about me?"

An appreciative smirk. "How did you know it was me?"

He was doing that again; messing with her just because he could.

Seeing that she had pursed her lips indignantly, Izuna took the initiative.

"I'll admit I've underestimated you. You've gotten me in quite some trouble."

…Even though Loreli knew what he meant by that, she wasn't about to apologize.

"If word gets around that you've fallen out of Madara's favor, I daresay you wouldn't be as lucky as this time."

That familiar knot of anxiety was back. "What are you-?"

"I'm saying, there is a way to get out of your current predicament," Izuna replied. Charming smile, eyes creased. Deceptively angelic appearance. "Become his woman."

He didn't release her, as she had hoped. Izuna simply turned his head to the side so that her elbow caught him on the side of his head.

A sigh.

"My type is actually the strong and feisty kunoichi, but, I guess it can't be helped."

Loreli stared at him incredulously. It was either he had lost his mind, or she had. She couldn't follow what he was saying. He couldn't, couldn't mean-

Izuna adjusted his arms, holding her upright. "It'd be a shame, someone so young and sweet. I'd need to defend your honor, wouldn't I?"

She paused. "…I don't understand." Or more like…she didn't want to know.

Slight grin, for he knew she understood more than she admitted. Nonetheless he put it into words.

"How about it?" Amused. "I'm the only one who's on par with Madara's influence. I can guarantee your protection, if you will become mine instead."

A false dilemma. Apparently this man liked toying around with her. Unfortunately, Loreli didn't find it very amusing. She wasn't going to give him a reaction he was hoping for.

"Hn. Looks like I can't win you over." Izuna decided to let that drop. "I don't see what's there to be so stubborn in this matter."

He didn't seem to care that many people were witnessing this scene, having brought her back to the center complex, with her renewing her struggling.

…It was that horror all over again. The ugly emotions which had somehow abated during her short exchange with the medic earlier came back at her with a vengeance, like a blow.

"It's not uncommon for a leader of a clan to keep a few mistresses," Izuna remarked. "It's not like I'm asking you for your life. The only reason why you've caught his interest is probably that you keep refusing him, hm? Isn't that how it works? Don't you think it's smarter to give in and wait till he gets tired of you?"

…Horrible man.

It didn't matter if he was still toying with her or not. How could someone say such horrible, horrible things?

No… She didn't-…she didn't want to be forced into such things.

"Help me!" Loreli begged the number of bewildered eyes as they passed through the hall.

Panic, gripping her in a painful hold.

"Please help me!"

Izuna blinked when two of the younger women intercepted his path with heads lowered in respect.

"Izuna-sama, your presence has been requested at the conference," they informed him.

A contemplative pause.

"I didn't want to resort to this," Loreli heard him admit, sighing, as he placed her down in front of him. Two fingers reached up to tap his cheekbone. "Look here."

She looked into his spinning Sharingan, unthinkingly, because her gaze had naturally followed the movement of his arm. She stilled.

…What…

"…What did you do to me?" Loreli asked when the black tomoes slowed to a stop.

"Calmed you down a bit," explained Izuna. "I will give you two days to think things over rationally." He gave a nod to the women. "I'll be back shortly. Don't leave her side and, if possible, keep her away from Madara, understand?"

"Yes, Izuna-sama."

Loreli placed her fingertips together, disbelieving. She really had stopped shaking. What kind of power…did all of them possess such ability?

"Then it's true? Regarding the brothers…"

Loreli looked to the two Uchiha women conversing amongst themselves after Izuna had left.

"That crazy stunt Izuna-sama wants to pull off? He said two days, just now."

Rather than inquiring into what they were saying, Loreli found her attention diverted to the figure across the hall.

"…That man, who is he?" she asked quietly.

Both women blinked and turned to look at the two men leaving the conference area. Then they glanced back at her knowingly.

"That's the head medic," Loreli was informed. "He really stands out doesn't he?"

It was true. She'd be able to pick him out easily among a crowd of other Uchiha men.

"You know," one woman's voice interrupted her thoughts, "the Uchiha bloodline does not cultivate exceptional medics. You can probably tell by his eyes that he is a special case."

"A mix blood," Loreli guessed.

"The word is that the mother was a medic-nin from another clan, but even so, something like this had never happened before. Normally one bloodline will dominate over the other, yet the twins were a perfect half, only able to awaken the Sharingan in one eye."

"His brother used to cover his non-Sharingan eye with his hair while he was alive. This one doesn't seem to care what the others think of him, however. Well, he's the head medic, after all; healing power from his mother's side, massive chakra and the Sharingan from the Uchiha. No other medics can match his knowledge and ability."

That one line caught her attention.

"His twin brother …" she trailed off.

"Died two years back. It was hard on him; he hadn't been the same ever since."

A tug of guilt. Loreli suppressed it.

"It's not like it's a secret," the other woman commented, albeit hesitantly. "Rather, it's a very well-known fact that it wasn't just any death."

Loreli looked to her in question.

"It was suicide."

Loreli reached a hand up to her mouth, involuntarily.

…She had said something inappropriate to him earlier.

"Ah?" they inquired after her as she moved away from them.

He saw her long before she neared him. It he recognized her or even cared, none of it showed in his expressionless, mismatched eyes.

If Loreli hadn't approached him directly up front, she suspected he might've gone past without a second glance.

"I…"

He came to a stop, a few feet before her. His assistant blinked and raised his brows in inquiry.

"I feel as though I should apologize for what I've said earlier," Loreli admitted tonelessly.

His eyes, half-veiled by his long lashes, did not even flicker at the implication of her words, holding her gaze.

After what seemed to be a moment of sizing her up, he responded.

"Don't be. It was never my intention to console you."

Loreli hesitated, watching him go around her to continue on his way.

A regretful feeling. What was wrong with her?

"Wait-…"

And she had called out to him. What was she going to say, then?

He glanced back at her. Loreli hesitated.

For a moment his eyes flickered over her shoulder, then back to her.

"Ingra."

She blinked.

"Ingra," he repeated in his deep tranquil voice, turning away. "Remember that name."

Remember that name?

Loreli stared after him. But it was unlikely that she'd forget.

Approaching footsteps.

"Izuna-sama," the two women who had followed behind her greeted their clan's second-in-command.

Izuna's strong arm encircled her shoulders from behind. Loreli glanced up at the shinobi beside her as he got her to walk.

"You can't befriend that man."

She tried to discern his tone of voice. It was difficult.

"…Why?" Loreli asked him.

His eyes closed, his smile gentle. It was impossible to read his expression.

The only answer Izuna gave her was a cryptic one.

"Not that one."


...

A/N:

Yes, this chapter is completely necessary. If you think this chapter is boring – grrr imagine me having to restart it three times in an effort to make it more interesting (but I don't blame you)! I had to delay the fun stuff till next chapter T.T

Eh, and out of all the potential guys, if Loreli falls for the ice cube, Ingra, I'm going to laugh – hysterically. But we'll have to wait and see...