AHAHAHA! Vibration is back! And by that I mean I've got a creative flow again now and I'm SO happy. :) More chapters for you guys, eh? Ah...So much to cover now. I don't even know how long this arc will be yet. XD Did I mention Minoru has a theme? Minoru has a theme. Made Out Of Nothing (All That I Am) by C&C. Why? Just that line "It eats us like cancer we're searching for something maybe an answer..." makes me think of him.

Chapter Title: The Crowing by Coheed & Cambria

Disclaimer: How Lovely You Burn In The Fllllllame of Error...Oh that's that song about how I don't own Naruto but own my characters and plot. (Btw That's first part is a future title chapter)

Chapter Thirty-Eight

With The Rise And Reform.

The hastily thrown together celebration banquet was just as impressive as an organised one. This time, though, there was drink, sweet sake that took away all of Yukiko's niggling doubts about Madara and Izuna for the moment.

"Yuki-chan, I did say I never had you down as a drinker but you're quite the expert, eh?" Izuna teased, nudging her slightly.

"Just because I don't do the silly things you Uchiha men tend to do doesn't mean I can't drink like one, Izu-kun," she sharply retorted before smirking and taking another sip.

"Never said you couldn't, but I'd be worried about you and Madara drinking at the same time," Izuna laughed, leaning forward to glance at his brother who was pouring himself another cup.

"How comes you're not drinking?" Yukiko asked, aiming the question at both Izuna and Atsuko. "It's not a good celebration if you remember it,"

"I'm on antibiotics and Atsuko doesn't like the taste," the Ginhana rolled her eyes at this.

"No one likes the taste at first, Atsuko," she advised, handing the bottle in her hand to the maid. "Try it," she sighed as Atsuko refused. Yukiko decided to lean against Madara; her eyes shut as if she was trying to sleep but instead she was trying to get rid of the feeling that she was spinning however shutting her eyes only seemed in intensify that feeling. "Madara-sama, we should go find a river,"

"No, we shouldn't," his eyes narrowed as Aoi came walking down to their table. "Aoi?"

"It's regarding my mission," the sensor stated bluntly. Madara glanced down at the steadily getting drunk Yukiko, knowing he'd probably join her in that state soon. But for now…

"Go on,"

"They're going hunting for rabbits," Aoi told him coldly. Yukiko opened her eyes and stared at him.

"You can't hunt rabbits; rabbits are beautiful, smart creatures. Who'd hunt a rabbit?" she asked, slightly slurred. "Other than Madara-sama's bird," she added suddenly.

"Yuki-chan's right, rabbits are beautiful and smart and I'll think you'll find, Aoi, they're also very difficult to catch, let alone kill," Izuna chuckled; she glanced between the two shinobi and then looked at the serious expression on Madara's face.

"Madara-sama, you can't celebrate sober and you definitely can't celebrate with a face like that," she offered him her bottle and a gentle smile.

"She's right, Nii-san, rabbits are a matter the Council will deal with, right Council?" Izuna asked the four present members and then nudged Atsuko. "Where's Genshi?"

"He'll be on his way down here soon, Izuna-sama," she quietly informed him. She still wasn't used to this idea of being Izuna's eyes and nor was she happy about it however being Izuna's Confidant was a role she quite liked.

"I don't feel very well," Yukiko groaned, placing the bottle of sake in Madara's lap.

"That'll be because you're drunk, dammit," Madara hissed in her ear yet she shook her head at this.

"No…that sort of not well. I don't usually feel unwell I just feel happy usually. Where's Minoru?" she asked, looking up at Aoi. "I don't think he's a spy…Well he was a spy but he's not now. I think I need to see him,"

Aoi switched his gaze from the Ginhana to his leader. "Shall I go get the healer, Madara-sama?"

"Fine."

Minoru stood on top of the bench, looking out at the world beyond his cell. All the guards were gone and Madara's sight was back, from what he'd heard, and yet Minoru hadn't tried to escape.

Footsteps echoed down the corridor, dragging his attention from the world beyond, to the world within.

Aoi looked at Minoru, his stare as cold as ice.

"Something you need me for, Uchiha?" Kiyomizu asked with an arched brow.

"It's been requested you join Yukiko-san at the celebration," was all he said, opening the cell door. "I warn you to be careful; a room full of drunken Uchiha is not the sort of room you'll want to be running your mouth off in,"

Minoru hardly wanted to 'run his mouth off' in front of Madara, keeping his head down as he entered the grand hall, it was noisy, plenty of shouting and talking and, as Aoi had suggested, plenty of drinking as well.

"Yukiko!" he called to the hazy looking woman, still leaning on Madara.

"Minoru…I'm sorry about the spy thing. I know you were one now but…"

"I abandoned the Senju as being allied with them meant I couldn't do research on the Sharingan like I had wanted to. I'd finished analysing Hashirama-san's cells," Minoru explained before giving her a curious look. "You feeling okay, Yukiko?"

"No…I'm not feeling okay, but I'm not drunk! Well, I am a little drunk, but I'm not…I'm not usually this stupid drunk and I feel really sick and sleepy," she moaned, barely being able to keep her eyes open.

Minoru knelt down opposite her, about to press the back of his hand against her forehead when he glanced at Madara.

"May I?" Madara scoffed and nodded. Minoru's eyes widened in shock for a moment as he felt the heat on her forehead. "Yukiko, what bottles have you been drinking from?" No answer. "Yukiko?"

Madara interjected at this point, handing Minoru the bottle in his lap. The healer unscrewed the top, sniffing the contents.

Aoi looked over his shoulder all of a sudden, and then took off out of the hall.

"Poison." Was all Minoru whispered, Madara called over several of Genshi's squad from a nearby table.

"Go follow Aoi. Now!" he barked. "Hayate!" he ordered the guard over.

"Madara-sama, would you like me to take Yukiko-sama to your quarters and escort Kiyomizu-san there?"

"That's exactly what I want you to do. We'll try and make sure none of the other men realise what's going on," Madara replied, getting up. "Izuna, you're in charge,"

"Tch, aren't I always, Nii-san?"

Aoi took a sharp turn left before slamming the door to his sister's room open.

"Raimei!" he bellowed, glaring around the room. "I'm a sensor, Raimei, I know you're in here!" he approached the bathroom cautiously though.

"Look…The perfect son showed up," she teased, opening the door. "Father's special little boy…Member of Madara-sama's handpicked Council now as well,"

"What did you do to Yukiko-san?" he asked, ignoring all of her comments. He'd heard them repeated before.

"You're so quick to blame me!"

"You told me you were going to assassinate her!" he snapped angrily. "What's the point in all this?"

"She took what was mine," Raimei hissed. "I was engaged to him,"

"You were deluded into thinking you were engaged. What's grandmother said to you? Kill off Yukiko-san and he'll leap into your arms? He'll fucking kill you! You stupid sister! How could you?" Aoi couldn't keep check on his temper anymore, slapping Raimei. "You'll die. Let go,"

"Nii-chan…"

"Shut up, Raimei," a cold deep voice growled from the door of the room. Madara strolled in; the look in his eyes told them he was ready to kill someone.

"Madara-sama, forgive me for running however I would like to deal with my sister myself," Aoi bowed, praying that this would be one of the few circumstances Madara would show mercy.

"Get out, Aoi, go check on Yukiko," Madara ordered. The other Uchiha hesitated for a moment. "Now, Aoi,"

Aoi swallowed his pride and left without saying another word.

"Who do you think you are, Raimei? I understand you're angry but how dare you even think about trying to kill her," Madara snarled as soon as the door was shut and Aoi was out of earshot.

"You think others haven't considered it? How could you possibly be sat up there with a woman who isn't even from this country at your side and just tell us we need to accept it!" Raimei swiftly countered as she attempted to keep her voice down.

"You'll accept it because as your leader, that's what I'm telling you to do,"

"Rabbits don't belong with hawks, Madara-sama," she snapped, Sharingan activating on its own.

"Neither do snakes, Raimei. I suggest you keep your nose out of my life before I exile you on grounds of treason," Madara hissed as he took a step closer to her. She backed up against the wall, not able to control the fact her body was trembling slightly with his close proximity and the burning rage in his eyes. She'd been hit by Madara before, countless times and it wasn't something she wanted to experience again.

"Why her and not me though, Madara-sama?" she asked him quietly.

"Because you're repulsive, Raimei. The sex was great but you…as a person? I could never trust you to run the Stronghold, to listen to what I tell you…In fact I could barely talk to you at all nor did I particularly want to," he explained callously, a tiny smirk crossing his lips now. "You just don't have any real uses now ask me to tell you Yukiko's,"

Raimei swallowed hard before gaining the courage to talk. "What about hers?"

"She's not a manipulative little girl who throws a tantrum when things don't go her way, now if you have a problem with me or her keep it to yourself and if you don't…"

"It's not just me!" she interjected. "There are more. You can threaten me but you can't threaten them," Madara's hand was instantly gripping her neck.

"And you can't threaten me, if there are people willing to kill her I'll have a guard by her side every second I'm not with her until I find these people and remind them just who it was who took out our dear previous leader without even breaking a damn sweat," he relinquished his grip and left the room, snapping more orders as he did.

Raimei trembled, placing her hand where his had been. She immediately headed down to the cells to report to Yoshi and her grandmother, Fuuka.

Yukiko was panting in her unconscious state, sweat beading on her forehead as her temperature skyrocketed.

Minoru sat beside her grounding up several tablets and leaves he'd taken out from his bag. Hayate stood watching him cautiously constantly asking what he was doing and how it'd affect Yukiko.

"Hayate-kun, I actually like to work alone…So please stop the questions or I may inject you with a poison and then string you up for Madara-sama to see what a failure you truly are as a guard," Minoru snapped bluntly.

"I'm an Uchiha guard, I'm not a failure. Besides, Yukiko-sama has been nothing but kind to me and Atsuko-san,"

"If you don't mind me asking, wouldn't Yukiko have been the target of assassination with this new announcement?" Hayate gave him no answer however he was suddenly feeling very nervous. The healer smirked. "So why wasn't the almighty Uchiha guard not checking every substance and nook and cranny until they were assured she wasn't in harms way? That's what I'd do in your situation,"

"Because no one would dare defy me," Madara growled as he entered the room. "Go on, Kiyomizu, what kind of poison?"

"It's a good thing she got you to call on me, I suspect she must have thought she had been poisoned and that's why she did. We must remember that Yukiko is…" he trailed off for a moment, staring at her intently.

"Is what?" Madara interrupted his trail of thought.

"She's a poison expert," he muttered in reply, getting up and glancing at the bag on the floor. "I've been working to stop the poison, I've pumped her stomach but unfortunately alcohol gets in the blood stream, it isn't digested so it was just a precaution. Is this her bag?" he asked suddenly.

"Yes it is," Minoru grabbed it, placing its contents on the bed. Photos of her father, a few books and then in one of the pockets of the bag a whole set of various bottles in a variety of sizes.

"Poison antidotes, no doubt made in case she got poisoned by her own kunai or sword and perhaps for you as well, Madara-sama. I'll just need to," he began opening the bottles one by one and smelling its contents.

"You can tell what kind of antidote from the smell?" Hayate inquired, still very nervous and pondering whether he had made a mistake as Yukiko's guard as Minoru had told him.

"Each one will have a core element I'll be able to smell above all others then determine what sort it is…Ah…This is it," Minoru grabbed his own bag and pulled out a syringe, drawing up some of the liquid into it. "I'll place it straight into the artery in her thigh," he warned them; mainly so Madara didn't strangle him again as he pulled back the bed sheets. "Erm…I had to remove her kimono myself, Madara-sama, it was incredibly heavy and would have worsened her fever,"

To his surprise, the Uchiha leader didn't say anything, watching carefully as he injected the antidote and pulled away placing everything back into her bag, lingering for a moment to look at the photo of Yukiko and her father.

The healer stood up and placed the bag back down on the floor carefully before being caught off guard with a punch around the back of the head by Madara.

"I'm warning you, next time you damn well touch her I'll kill you," Madara snarled. "Get out; I'll deal with her myself. Hayate, lead him to one of the nearby rooms, but not too nearby," he ordered, the guard and healer quickly vacating the room.

Madara sighed, sitting on the edge of the bed, his head in his hands.

He had the Uchiha's backing now but that still wasn't enough, he couldn't shake this awful, sickening feeling of guilt. He got up, opening the drawer to his desk and pulled out one of the many bottles of sake he'd had to confiscate from Yukiko over the months.

He sat on his bed, his back leaning against the wall as he heaved another heavy sigh and unscrewed the bottle, raising it in the sleeping Yukiko's direction.

"To drink…And someone to share it with," he downed the entire contents of the bottle, throwing it on the floor once he was done and placed his hand on Yukiko's head, pleased to feel her fever was going.

He was still angry. Angry at what had happened to Izuna and that he'd been careless enough to think that this would never happen to Yukiko…His guard had been down. Izuna wasn't even holding a grudge and yet Madara was holding one against himself.

No! Bad thoughts…He got up, taking a page out of Yukiko's book, trouble afoot? Drink. He grabbed another bottle.

"Don't think your influence has gone ignored," he muttered to her, quickly drinking the next bottle before lying down and stared at the ceiling. His vision was perfect, even though it was now dark in the room; he glanced at Yukiko, being able to see her perfectly. "Can't you just stay out of trouble for once? Everything goes from bad to worse and then back to bad with you," he carefully ran his hand through her white hair, smiling to himself. "There's almost a sweet irony to a poison expert getting poisoned,"

He laughed, honestly at first but then found it difficult to stop himself, turning his back to her as his hysterical laughter turned to something he hadn't done in a while. He could feel tears forming, not from laughter or some semblance of happiness but from despair. He would rather Yukiko had still looked at him with disgust, who else was going to?

"It's these damn defective eyes," he wept, wiping his tears away. "Must've got it from Izuna, he cries too much for his own good," he reasoned but they simply wouldn't stop.

Yukiko's eyes slowly opened and before she said anything she realised what was going on with Madara. She opened her mouth to say something but couldn't quite decide what…Finally, after a few minutes, she chose them.

She gently grasped at a few streaks of his ebony mane and moved closer to him whispering to him. "Soft Madara-sama…Thank you,"

"Thank you?" he hissed back, not feeling confident enough to face her.

"It's called remorse and it means you're not a monster. As long as you feel remorse, you feel human," she moved closer still, her chest pressed against his back. "Why am I undressed?"

He sat up at this point. "That damn perverted healer undressed you and said some bullshit about it affecting your fever. Even if it's true, your body is mine and I've already told him if he does it again I'll kill him,"

"You realise he's my distant cousin, don't you, Madara-sama?" she asked, trying to hold in her laughter.

"Your clans were once related, you barely know him and I can tell he's after you," Madara scoffed. She rolled her eyes, hadn't he been crying moments earlier? She wondered if she'd done too good a job at cheering him up.

"Did you find out who poisoned my sake?" she sighed. "That's a good bottle wasted and you know I hate wasting drink, Madara-sama,"

"No, but you'll have a guard with you all the time while I'm not with you…Two guards actually. Hayate and Aoi," he noticed she was giving him a sceptical look. "That's an order as well,"

"I don't mind…" she yawned. "An order is an order,"

"I may be slightly drunk…" Madara reasoned, his head in his hands again.

"You shouldn't drink so much," Yukiko joked as she shut her eyes.

"You know damn well that you drink more than I have ever done," he purred, nuzzling into her neck.

"You're not well, Madara-sama, whether it's the alcohol or not, your emotions are all over the place, go to sleep," she gently advised but couldn't keep in a slight groan. "Please, Madara-sama,"

He began hungrily sucking and nipping on her neck though, eager to mark her again, instinctively she gripped his hair although she was slightly attempting to pull him away.

Content with the deep purple mark he'd left her with, he laid back down on his back and pulled her towards him, she placed her head on his chest like usual.

"Madara-sama, I think we'll be okay," Yukiko mumbled.

"Not if you let other men take your clothes off we won't be," Madara teased, feeling playful all of a sudden, his arms wrapped around tightly. "How many times must I remind you that you're mine?"

"Never, I've not taken your bracelet off at all, not even when I was…I was considering leaving you for a moment," she admitted sadly, her hand running up his toned chest.

"I told you that your feelings for me would stop you leaving or betraying me and I was right, like usual," he arrogantly told her making her gently laugh.

"Like usual, Madara-sama, that mouth of yours will get you in trouble one day, will you be back to normal tomorrow? Training and preparing for war…"

"I've been slacking and I'm aching for a fight. What's the point in having these eyes if I don't put them to good use?"

Yukiko woke up groggily the next morning; she could hear a running tap from the bathroom. Groaning, she covered her eyes from the morning sun and slowly got up, noting the bathroom door was open. She threw on some clothes and then checked the bathroom.

Madara stood, running his hand under a tap.

"Something wrong, Madara-sama?" she asked him, her head was feeling very hazy and the last thing she needed was Madara doing strange things.

"I cleaned up that mirror you broke," his voice was solemn as he glanced back over his shoulder to talk to her. "I cut my hand on one of the shards, go back to sleep, you look terrible,"

"I…" she wanted to tell him he sounded terrible but didn't quite know how to word it without seeming rude. "I'm sorry about that, I was just frustrated,"

"Don't do it again."

That's all she was getting from him? No mocking and no scolding?

"Yes, Madara-sama," he turned off the tap, throwing on one of his black shirts and putting an arm around her waist.

"There's paperwork in the office for an upcoming battle, make that your priority. You've got your own office now so take it up there," he kissed her and left.

Yukiko was very confused however didn't have time to chase after him and ask what was wrong, Hayate and Aoi came into the room immediately.

He'd been serious when he'd told her she'd have two guards with her at all time then.

"I get Hayate…But Aoi-kun?" she asked, finding this day was becoming more puzzling.

"Madara-sama thinks I'm too easily manipulated into going against my orders by you," Hayate informed her, his head hung low in shame.

"That's probably true…So where is my own office?" she asked Aoi, who didn't even speak but led her out of the room.

"C'mon, Nii-san! It's time I get used to fighting blind!" Izuna called to him from the training field, Madara couldn't help but laugh and wonder if his brother would ever grow up.

"Fine, Izuna, but you better realise I'm not going to go easy on you," he told him sternly.

"Oh please, Nii-san! Like I'd ever offend you like that,"

Atsuko rolled her eyes from the sidelines but deep down, she liked watching the brothers fight…There was something relaxing about the pair of them enjoying themselves so freely when Madara was usually the type of person to hide away most of his emotions.

She had worried the brothers relationship would change with the taking of Izuna's eyes but apparently neither of them was willing to let go of the other.

"Birds of a feather…" she muttered to herself before laughing softly.

Yukiko worked tirelessly, despite her hangover and getting over the poison, she had sorted all the squads and handed a set of papers to Aoi.

"Can you go and give these to the squad leaders?" she asked him with a smile.

"I'm afraid I can't, Yukiko-san, remember neither of us can leave your side," he pointed out. Her eyes narrowed.

"Aoi-kun, please go. I'm not going to be attacked in my own office and Hayate is here," she said quite sternly. This arrangement hadn't annoyed her up until now.

"I wish I could, Yukiko-san,"

"Then can you go get…Oh forget it, we'll all go!" she stood up and stormed out of the room, praying that Madara dealt with this situation quickly.

After Yukiko was done handing out all of the plans herself she made her way back to Madara's room, her guards trailing behind her.

"Yukiko-sama, I'm sure Madara-sama will think about this arrangement if you talk to him," Hayate offered.

"I'm not annoyed…I'm just not feeling well," she sighed, standing outside of Madara's door. "And I'm not sure what's going on, I realise Madara-sama wants me safe but I can't help but feel patronized. I used to run a clan myself; I don't need him protecting me,"

"It's just because he cares,"

"Scram!" Madara yelled from the corridor, surprising the trio. "Yukiko," she moved out of the way of the door before following him into the room.

As soon as the door was shut though, Madara was chuckling to himself.

"You seem better now," she pointed out as she gazed out of the window.

"Of course I do, 3 hours of training and I feel much better and now I know I don't have to worry about Izuna," he told her from the bathroom.

Izuna…?

"Why's that?"

"Because he nearly beat me," he said, coming out of the bathroom to grab some fresh clothes. "So now I know he can actually continue to fight alongside me in the next battle,"

"Oh…Wait, what? Izuna-kun's going to war?" the idea actually repulsed her a little, turning from the window to look at him with her stunned expression. "But he's blind…"

"Yes he is and he's also an Uchiha," he stated, laughing at her shocked look. "It'd be a shame to lose our strongest captain, don't you think?"

"I think you've been at the sake again, he's blind, Madara-sama and…And…" flustered she stamped her foot on the floor. "Now I need to go and do my battle plans all over again to include Izuna-kun," she ran out of the room.

Izuna entered moments later.

"You teasing Yuki-chan again?" he asked slyly.

"It's good exercise for her besides, she needs to stop just assuming things," Madara pointed out yet he couldn't help but smirk.

"I still think you're being mean. She's already annoyed with her guards, I think,"

"Izuna, she's a woman. She'll be annoyed by everything, that's how women are, although now I have my eyesight back she's surprised me," the elder brother sighed as he started running a bath.

"You're going to say something horrible now, aren't you?"

"No…She looks a lot better to me now," Madara countered. "But either way, I'm going to exhaust her whether it's running around the Stronghold or by other measures and that why she'll have no energy to go get nearly killed again," he continued.

"So…You're going to make her tired to protect her, you realise now I think you've been at the sake, don't you? Besides I think you say these things sometimes just as an excuse to satisfy your own sex drive," Izuna scoffed as he sat down in the bathroom by the door.

"Taken the maid yet?" Madara asked trying to sound casual.

"No…What's that got to…"

"Then don't come to me talking about my relationship," he cut his younger brother off swiftly however Izuna had a comeback.

"It's a relationship now, is it?"

"You make it so easy to kill you sometimes, Izuna," Madara scolded. "And what else would it be? I'm hardly sleeping with anyone else and it's gotten complicated."

"Complicated, you say? As in feelings have gotten involved," Izuna whistled after this before adding. "That's a tough one for you, Madara,"

"No as tough as not strangling you. Why're you here?"

"I'm keeping you company…I won't peek, I promise," he joked, touching the bandages lightly. "I'm thinking of making them black,"

"It'll match the bruising I'll give you in a minute…"

"Minoru!" Yukiko called, finding the healer outside the infirmary.

"Yuki…" she immediately smacked him, remembering what Madara had told her the night before. "Right…So he mentioned it,"

"Hard not to when I woke up practically naked, come with me, I've got jobs to do," she beckoned, feeling as though she'd have the whole army on her back following her soon enough. "What kind of poison was it?"

"I didn't find anything in the infirmary so I was going to check the forest again, I think I'm onto something. It must have been someone who left the Stronghold last night though for the poison to have been fresh enough to be that potent," Minoru explained in a whisper to her.

"I wish I could shake off these guards, and then I could do this all so quickly," she hissed back. "But I like Aoi-kun and Hayate,"

"Talk to Madara…Sorry Madara-sama about it then," she shook her head at this suggestion.

"No…Me and you will do this, he's been through enough already. I refuse to put Madara-sama into anymore stressful situations that I can deal with myself. We'll shake them off and do this, Minoru, okay?" she asked him, desperately making sure Aoi and Hayate couldn't hear them.

"Ah, Yukiko, I love it when a woman takes commands,"

I like this Minoru guy, he's cool. He is cool...But still...He's touching my fox! Kai, she's not yours, she's Mad's. I don't care! I hope Madara burns him! If I'd undressed Yukiko I'd be dead! You are dead. YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN! So you did have feelings for her? Yes, I did. *sniffles* Now I have to read about her sex life with Madara, it drives me mad! Itachi-san! Help me...This guys gone nuts *leaves* You're not being supportive, Kagi-kun. Fine. Question.

Who else is behind this assassination mission?

Next chapter: I Bless The Hour That Holds Your Fall!