If it was day or night did´nt matter anymore. All possible hours where used for training and preparation. Indeed, the hard work paid back, reading all scrolls you could, learning about what a shinobi had to be, clans, jutsus, rituals, it was like a break, even when it was work, but still you were more exhausted through the training lessons with the brothers. The first day your training started, you felt like it could be impossible, to survive only one minute, when both stood as partners against you, but it was mostly that one watched carefully and the other trained or fought with you, after that they analysed everything, giving you advises about how to do this better, or avoid that. After a few days, it became a routine and you were even excited and liked that, but you always had in mind, that it was all serious and no play time. Madara told you from the first day, that he had his plans, when you developed like you should. All in all, the hardest of all parts of the training was to unlock your special ability when you wanted it to happen. Izuna had Ideas how it maybe could be trained, but two methods already showed no effect. It took you already some hours. You sat on a rock, near a waterfall and tried to go deep into you, focusing on yourself. The meditation you actually tried since 2 days, but after sitting all these hours every day, you had the urge to move, also it was´nt easy to be not distracted by everything that was around you. Your eyes closed, breathing deeply and having your eyes closed, you suddenly hear some footsteps coming closer, as you opend your eyes, you saw long flowing black hair and red eyes starring at you. You used his appeareance as a good reason to stand up and strech. Madara looked at you with a solem expression.
„How is your traing? any results?", he asks boldly.
You sigh, „Unfortunately no... when you mean my special ability."
„Sure I meant that.", he sighed and crossed his arms over his chest. „It is a shame, that you seem to be stuck at that point... all your training could be useless, when you can´t awaken your ability if you want it to... The next fullmoon is not far away... there will be a gathering of clan heads of our enemies. I was sure I could use you to get information at that meeting, but now I have to rethink about that.", he said and wanted to walk away.
You go after him a few steps: „Wait... give me a bit more time, please! I promise you I will succed with my training!", you say with determination in your eyes.
he turns to you and watching you closely: „Fine... 3 Days... the next fullmoon is in 5 Days...", he said and added „...and remember to concentrate on the feeling."
„which fee-", you wanted to ask what he means by that, as he pushed you with to hands and much force, away from him, making you fly over the edge of the waterfalls cliff. You were shocked and try to turn into the fall, but even when, with that speed, you fell, it would feel like smashed on a rocky ground. You closed your eyes and concentrated.
stay calm! ... and stop!... stop... STOP! or I will die! - , you thought while falling.
You saw the sparkling water surface coming closer and closer. „I ... will survive!", you pushed your doubts away and suddenly, you felt that something was diffrent. You fell slower, and slower and slower. Everything around you seemed to happen in slow motion. You concentrate now on this feeling and breath in deeply. You are landing on the water surface, standing on it, as if you would only making a step. After that You could see Madara, he was also in movement, but still much much slower than usual, running above the water surface in your direction.
- is he running to me, to stop my fall?... but I alrea- ... yeah... the time, I feel my chakra beeing used alot... - , you thought and concentrate on the flowing chakra, to reduce it, with that, the slow motion effect went of. Only a second later Madara stoped his run before you. „So... it worked right?", he asked, „you fell with a lot of speed, I was not sure if it would went out, as planned. So I came to rescue you, in the worst chase, but suddenly I could´nt see you, or better it was a strange feeling, like you moved faster then me..."
„Faster than you?... no... everything was just slowed down, I saw you running like you would move only an inch per minute or so... I can´t discribe it really... but the time did´nt stoped this time."
he looked around. „Father told me something like that... he said, some people of the _ clan, could manipulate time, like it was nothing... but only a view, and in the end, they lost because of beeing rekless with that ability.", he looked at you again, deactivating his sharingan. „by the way, he asked me if your training works well, he is not so sure if a woman can handle that ability.", he grins at you.
You cross your arms over your chest.
„Times change, tell him that! I think I learned a lot of stuff, for a „woman"...", you say, grining back at him.
He nods: „I have to admit, that you are right... but I hope I don´t have to bring you in uncomfotable situations, everytime... that your training development works.", he said and changed his pose to a more relaxed one. „We should go now, dinner is prepared.", he said while walking back to the shore, taking the way home. You look after him and follow, walking faster to catch up with him.
„How is Tajima-san?...", you ask while looking forward.
„Still alive, I´m from his blood, don´t think we die so easily.", he says.
„You don´t need to putting it out like this, I know that you worry about him."
he looks at you for a moment, in the corner of his eyes: „mmhh, seems like you slowly learn to analyse characters, right?"
„I don´t need to train that... I´m good in this. I saw enough fake people..."
„Yes, I remember... Hime-sama.", he says mockingly and looking, with a winning grin over his face, forward to the houses of the uchiha village.
„Don´t look like you had won our little talk.", you say, but smile slightly.
Izuna and Tajima were already eating, as you arrived. You were a bit surprised, as Madara went to his House of Birth, and not to the Uchiha-Leader house you knew so well.
Both men looked at you, as you came inside the room. Izuna gave Madara a curious and questioning look. Madara knew what he wanted to know as there eyes met. „the blockade is over.", he just said, while taking a bowl of food and begun to eat. Izuna grined and looked at you.
„I was sure she can do it!", he said with enthusiasm.
Tajima watched the scene silently and ate up: „Not many days left, till the meeting is hold... I hope all your plans go well. If it works, the Uchiha could get a lot more intellegence about the things going on, we maybe can stop them before they think about an alliance or something like that.", he said and look at you, „I hope you can image, how much weight is on your shoulders... even when you are not part of our clan... my sons trust you, don´t loose this fragile bound... I won´t be here for long, my days are counted... I don´t want to die, seeing the Uchiha loose some of there pride and glory."
You listened to his words and nod. Madara looked at his father.
„You know, I always have a backup plan, if things go wrong... you might set her under to much pressure, when you say things like that... today she only made a small step forward. I think the next 3 Days will be the hardest she ever had.", he looked at you and drank some of the Sake, that stood before him.
Izuna watched the scene: „we did´nt had such family dinners, in a long while.", he smiles satisfied.
„Family dinner...", Tajima said with a weak voice, „we will see, if it is one."
- why does he and Madara often speak in such criptical ways? ... must be run in the family, at least Izuna speaks without these hidden meanings... I´m glad about that -
Izuna looked at you: „She feels like a sister to me... somehow, even when I don´t know how it is to have one.", he said. Madara and Tajima exchanged glances after he said that.
Tajima sighed: „I rememeber you saying that as you were small... you wanted a little sister.", he looked at Izuna. Madara nodded:
„Yes, I think I remeber, too... but I think he wanted a sister, that he does´nt have to worry about her as much as he would worry about a little brother."
You sat there with a smile, feeling slightly honored about what Izuna said. „thank you, Izuna.", you said still smiling.
„You only belong to this family when you take your training more serious and when you show me your worth, in 3 days... understood?, Madara suddenly said to you, after he saw Izuna and you smiling at each other.
„nii-san, how you mean that?", Izuna asked and than widened his eyes: „will you...?", he begun a question. Tajima looked irritated and a bit like he was´nt sure, what Madara meant.
As Madara felt all eyes on him, and even your irritated face expression, he begun to explain: „When everything goes according as planned... and you proof yourself as a trustworthy and good shinobi... then you might get the chance to wear our clan sign.", he said, crossing his arms again before his chest and closing his eyes for a moment.
„Really?", Izuna and you said at the same time. Tajima coughed a bit as he choked while drinking his tea, looking at Madara a while, but only sighed slightly.
Madara looked at you: „Only when every single condition is fullfilled... I think woman always need some kind of reward, to do what they should do."
„The last sentence was a waste of your breath.", you only said and decided to overlook it and don´t start a war of words.
He only smirked slightly: „I know.", was his reply to that.
- That man is a book written in many languages... no wonder that he isn´t married - , you thought and decided to ignore that, enjoying the evening together with these 3 men.