Day 93

It's been three days since Madara was no longer allowed to walk by order of Sakura who demanded that he rest. He had felt pain in his body after the fight, but nothing that was overwhelming. But no, Sakura demanded that he rest as much as possible, to the chagrin of Madara who had regained a taste for using his legs.

So today he was once again forced to undergo a medical routine. Not that the proximity of the young woman disturbed him, quite the contrary. He really liked to feel Sakura close to him, he still remembered her scent when she tempted him. Just thinking about it made him lose his means.

— No pain Madara-san ?

— No, I have no more pain.

— Straighten up.

The concerned complied with ease even if he had to do it slowly. When he had fought, he had put pressure on his body to make quick movements and that was what hurt his body. So in order not to upset Sakura and end up in bed longer than expected, he made slow movements.

— Always nothing ?

— No, I feel good.

— Well… sit down, said Sakura before crouching down. She helped Madara put on her sandals, as bending down was still a difficult movement for him. We are going to warm up all this before starting the rehabilitation again.

A broad smile appeared on Sakura's lips as she took Madara's hand to help her sit up, then walk outside.

— What will we doing Sakura-san ?

— Three days ago, when we fought, you proved that your body is recovering properly. However, the fight slightly delayed my schedule, because you must have made some sudden and quick movements... but it's settled, so we will be able to start running, slowly, but we will run.

Madara was really happy to hear this news. He considered himself very lucky to have this person by his side. He really wouldn't know what would have become of him without her... probably dead, buried six feet under or eaten by scavengers.

— So, I know that as a shinobi, we can force our body to high doses of stress, but since your body is still fragile, we are going to have to do some stretching, announced Sakura, who faced her patient. Do like me and do not go to the threshold of pain !

Madara imitated the girl in front of him, making gestures he had never suspected existed.

— What will it be used for ? Madara asked, stretching one of her legs.

— The chakra protects our body when we run, when we fight, when we jump or any other physical activity necessary for a shinobi. But before using your chakra, we need your muscles as well as your joints to strengthen. And if these aren't prepared by the warm-up, you could hurt yourself more than anything else.

— I understand, Madara said, observing her running partner's outfit. She was dressed all in black, like a boy. Trousers and a tight top, the simplest thing, except it showed off her curves way too much.

— Still no pain ? Sakura asked after ten minutes of various and varied stretching.

— No.

— Well on the way.

— Father would turn around in his grave if he saw me like this... Madara sighed to himself.

If ever her father was still among the living, Madara would likely have received a masterful punch in the face for daring to obey a woman. An Uchiha obeyed no one, a chieftain even less and especially not a woman. But Madara was not his father, and he knew how to recognize the strength of an individual when he saw her. And this woman was full of strength and maybe that's why he was listening to her.

As Madara began to run slowly behind the young woman, he recalled a sentence his mother had once said to him: * I hope you will one day find a woman who can fill your heart my son. *

That day, Madara was only fifteen, he had been trained to kill and did not understand the words of his mother. After all, he had had little contact with his mother, because as a future chieftain he had to be the least disturbed by female ideologies that might hamper his outlook. Except that after three months of being around a woman like Sakura, Madara was slowly starting to understand her late mother's words.

Her mother had married her father out of political obligation in order to strengthen the bonds of the Uchiha clan, but luckily for her, she was in love with the man before she had to marry him. Which was very rare in the Sengoku era and Sengoku seemed to want her children to experience this feeling as well. Because after all, a mother wanted only the best for her children.

But was what Madara was feeling deep inside him love ? Would this woman be the one to make him happy ? Because after all, Madara wouldn't even know how to recognize love if it was placed in front of him.

— Oyahô Sakura-san ! Lord-sama ! Hitomi shouted in the distance as she harvested rice in a paddy field alongside two other women,

— Ohayo ! Sakura shouted back in the direction of her friend.

Madara didn't bother with an oral greeting, he gave a very slight nod in Hitomi's direction and resumed his race behind Sakura. Time passed, deep in thought, answering questions from Sakura still worried about her health. He could feel the sensation of heat invading his body, sweat was starting to appear on it and he particularly enjoyed this feeling of physical effort throughout his being. He had missed it so much that a small smile appeared on his lips.

However, after a while, his hair disturbed him a bit.

— Sakura-san.

Hearing the dark-haired man calling her made her stop dead. She immediately thought he had reached his limit.

— Yes ? The young girl inquired as she approached Madara.

Both were covered in sweat after about 40 minutes of running down the road. Madara stretched her hand towards Sakura's head without taking her eyes off her eyes. She could feel the brunette's hand land in her hair to undo the red headband that was holding her pink hair back. It fell slightly in front of his face making it even wilder in the eyes of the dark brown.

— Could you tie my hair up, please. It bothers me to run, Madara asked in a deep voice.

It is therefore with a little blush that Sakura grabs her red headband from Madara's hand. She set about making a high ponytail at Madara. Except that he did nothing to help her, he was three heads taller than her and she had to stand on her tiptoes to reach her hair.

She had her face close to his as she completed her task and Madara took the opportunity to inhale her scent once more. He closed his eyes to take advantage of the feeling that came over him. This small gesture did not go unnoticed by Sakura's eyes as she saw her redness increase, even more when she saw what Madara looked like with her face completely clear.

— Arigato, Madara whispered.

Day 101

Madara was silently observing the young woman, she was shaking the main room. She had moved some furniture and set up a large easel in the center of the room. She placed two chairs near the cabinet before placing a large sheet on them. At first, Madara thought that Sakura wanted to paint, but when he saw what was on the big sheet, he understood what they were going to do.

It was a huge sketch showing an arm with a detailed chakra network. Many notes were transposed here and there.

— Is that what I think Sakura-san ? Madara asked, approaching.

— Hai, I have progressed enough in my technique that I will be able to start reconstituting your Tenketsu, confirmed Sakura before bringing an additional piece of furniture next to her chair. She put down a kit for Fuinjutsu along with a container filled with water and a folded towel.

— I guess it's going to be painful.

— I'm afraid, but it will be different from the pain in your back. It will be the same as a tattoo, but more painful... at least I hope so, Sakura confirmed as she arranged her supplies.

She moved closer to Madara and put her hands on the sides of her stomach. She put her hands under his tunic and gently climbed up to remove his clothes. Except that for Madara had once again felt like a caress that tortured him. Especially when the woman in front of him was looking him deep in the eyes. Once her clothes were removed, Madara had only one thought, and that was to respond to her urges. It had been over three months since he touched a woman and the one in front of him was driving him crazy.

— Sit, Sakura ordered oblivious to the effect caused to the brunette.

She settled down next to Madara before grabbing her left arm still in stasis thanks to the Fuinjutsu network. She took one last look at her notes before putting chakra on her fingertips and applying it to Madara's deltoid. It was painful, very painful, as painful as the pain felt in his back, except that it was concentrated in one point and not all over his body.

She didn't have Naruto Uzumaki's skill to regenerate what was destroyed, so she had to do this more slowly and that included touching nerves in order to recreate the main Tenketsu. Blood flow was her guide and the many burn marks she felt on the inside of her arm was the indication she needed. She took two cells and separated them from the other cells before applying an accelerated mitosis effect. She stayed like that for nearly two minutes unloading her own chakra and harnessing the physical energy of Madara cells.

— There... Sakura finally said after a while, making Madara release a sigh of relief. He had twitched throughout the process. The first Tenketsu is intact.

She had succeeded, she had succeeded in ensuring that no one before her had succeeded : regeneration.

— Is it going to take a long time ?

— Unfortunately yes.

— How many Tenketsu does an arm consist of ? Madara asked, slowly catching her breath. If he had to endure this pain every Tenketsu, it was going to be very difficult.

— More than a hundred... I'm going back ! Said Sakura injecting her chakra once more into Madara's arm who twitched once more.

— Why is it so painful ? Asked Madara who was not yet someone fragile, but the pain felt was very intense. Sakura did not answer immediately too focused on her task. Once the second Tenketsu was back in place, she allowed herself a response.

— Because I put your nerves on edge. It is for this reason that it is so painful when a Hyûga closes your Tenketsu with their Soft Fist technique.

Sakura grabbed a sponge which she soaked in water before wringing it out, then she erased some symbols from Madara's arm. His seals should not come into conflict with his new Tenketsu.

— How do you know the Soft Fist of the Hyûga clan ? Madara questioned surprised, because after all, it was such a secret clan as the Uchiha clan.

— I've had the opportunity to meet one in the past... be prepared.

— Humrfff... Madara growled, feeling this sharp pain again. It was as if his arm was white hot at one point and the temperature was increased more and more.

— Release.

— How did you survive a Hyuga ? Madara asked who knew the strength of this clan. From what the brunette had seen, Sakura seemed to be a specialist in Taijutsu and Fûinjutsu accompanied by some techniques of Ninjutsu. And hardly anyone approached a Hyuga, unless they wanted to die.

— It was a long time ago and if my Sensei was not there, I would have had serious problems, lied Sakura who could not say that she had grown up with a princess of the Hyûga clan as a friend. But I know what it feels like to take one of their attacks.

Sakura realized that little by little she was giving a little too much information about her past. Is it because she was starting to trust this man ? Did she ever want to confide in what she really was ? Because Sakura was well aware that sooner or later she would say something too compromising, and knowing Madara, he would become very suspicious. Or worse, he would understand... and face this man who will have caught you in the act of manipulating him.

— Madara-san...

— Yes Sakura-san ? Asked the shinobi after seeing Sakura stop her work and look down.

— Why are you asking me all these questions ? I know we are shinobi and information is vital... but why do you want to know so much about me ? Asked Sakura eager to know the bottom of the thought of the great Madara.

— Let's say that... you enliven my curiosity.

— In what way ? Sakura insisted seeing Madara plunge into her thoughts. He seemed to be searching for his words.

— Do you know how frustrating it can be to see the teachings of a lifetime thrown in the trash because you run into the exception to the rule ? I am in this situation Sakura-san. You are a woman ! You should be a weak person, not even knowing how to hold a gun, and only asked to be pretty and shut up. But instead, this same person who should be useless saved me from the clutches of death, healed me, and made me regain use of my body. This same woman is able to break a cliff and fight like a shinobi. So I'm certainly not sorry for being curious about someone like you.

But there was also something else about Madara that made him so drawn to knowing this woman. One of the rare phrases from his mother : * Pretty flowers are often covered with thorns. * And it was the first flower he met that had thorns... dangerous thorns! After such a speech Madara looked away in order to hide her present embarrassment, preventing her from seeing the blush on Sakura's face.

— Have you never had someone in your life Madara-san ? Sakura asked while preparing the next Tenketsu. She followed those close to the arteries in priority before thinking of doing those around.

— Humrg, the patient moaned slightly, feeling his Tenketsu reforming under the competence of the young woman. I've had many conquests already if that's what you're asking.

— I'm not talking about girls or courtesans.

— I don't believe in that... thing that you women used to call love.

— Why ? It's one of the most beautiful things life has to offer us, Sakura retorted with incomprehension.

— Because it makes you weak ! A man must be strong ! A clan leader must be irreproachable and crush his enemies ! The survival of the clan depends on it, my family depends on it, if I am weak my enemies will profit ! That's what that bastard Hashirama did ! Because I was weak, my entire clan is now in the pay of the Senju ! Madara got angry with the pain he had been feeling for almost fifteen minutes. So no, I don't want love that could be exploited against me !

After this fit of anger Madara pulled away from Sakura before getting up. He walked outside to calm down. It was a sensitive subject for him: remembering everything he had failed out of weakness. All this, because he had allowed the Senju clan to conclude a truce.

He leaned against the door opening and gazed out into the valley in the distance. Madara had never been so filled with doubt. Since his loss to Hashirama Senju, his life had changed completely, his outlook on life turned upside down, his understanding of people changed and all of that scared him. He was afraid of going the wrong way, of making a mistake and of doing more harm to his clan. He wanted for one of the rare times in his life, to cry. To cry with rage, with hatred, because of his own weakness. Madara was so immersed in his thoughts that he did not hear the young woman approaching, he only noticed her presence when she touched his hand on his. She faced him, her face charged with emotion.

— Madara-san... you are not weak.

— ...

— One day my sensei told me a sentence that I will never forget, said Sakura seeing Madara still in distress. A ninja who abandons his mission is no better than garbage, but those who abandon their companions are even worse than garbage.

Sakura allowed a few seconds to elapse so that her words would be heard by Madara before continuing.

— You failed Madara-san, but you never abandoned your family, your clan and you fought for them, for their integrity, for their freedom...

— Sakura-san...

— Let me finish please, said Sakura before putting her second hand on Madara's face to make her look her in the eyes. What you have done for your clan is proof of love. You fought out of love for your family and this is what gave you the strength to fight. For me, that makes you strong and not weak... because that day in the valley of the end you were fighting for others and not for your own interests.

Madara put her good hand on the hand of the young woman resting on her cheek. He loved that warm touch on his skin, he felt like he was understood for the first time in his life. He felt like

— So, I hope with all my heart, that one day you will find the one who will give you the strength to continue to move forward on this path... because it is the love for your family that made you the man who you are Madara-san, and don't be ashamed of the man you are, finished Sakura who was amazed at her own words.

* When you meet her, you will understand my son. * His mother's voice kept repeating in his head as he looked at Sakura in front of him.

— Arigato Sakura-san.

Madara removing Sakura's hand from her cheek after a minute. Keeping Sakura's hand in his, he returned to their previous place. After the young woman settled again next to Madara, she resumed her work of Iryô Ninjutsu.

The next hour passed in silence, if not accompanied by a few moans of pain from Madara. And after an hour Madara was starting to have choppy breathing, her body trembling slightly from feeling so much pain. He felt like he was being tortured and only the thought of knowing it was to heal him allowed him to endure it.

— It will be fine for today, the Tenketsu network on the main artery is put back in place. Will you lie down Madara-san, I'll get you some pain relief.

Madara walked over to her bed and lay down with great pleasure. He was exhausted and wanted only one thing right now: to sink into unconsciousness. Shortly after, Sakura returned with a glass of water and a small sachet of herbal medicine. She emptied the bag of weed into Madara's mouth and handed him the glass of water to quench his thirst.

— Sleep now Madara-san... Said Sakura before placing her fingers on her temple in order to put her to sleep with her chakra. But what is happening to me ?

Sakura wondered who did not know where she was anymore. She felt the need to help him, but she didn't know why. Was it because he somehow trusted her ? Or because for the first time in her life Madara confided in someone? Or because he was a most honorable man ? Sakura didn't understand this feeling or she didn't want to understand it for fear of finding out what was behind it.

She might deny herself that, but she wasn't stupid. She could see that she liked being in his presence, hearing him say that she was a beautiful woman, seeing him looking at her discreetly. It was very strange, but she liked it. Sakura didn't have time to question herself any longer than she heard her friend's voice outside.

— Sakura-san ! Hitomi cried as she approached the house.

Sakura covered Madara with the sheet up to her waist before finally stepping out to greet her friend. She wore a blue-gray dress that was three-quarters worn and faded, all accompanied by an off-white top contrasting with her long black hair.

— Ohayo Hitomi-san, Sakura exclaimed with a big smile at the sight of her friend.

— Ohayo ! Hitomi replied before coming to Sakura to hug her. It felt good for Sakura to have someone behave this way with her. She had lost everything and having reconnected allowed her not to go mad. She would love to confide, but Hitomi could not have understood the importance of her secret.

— What brings you ? Sakura asked, separating from the brunette.

— Just the pleasure of seeing you, Hitomi replied with a mischievous smile.

— I don't like that Hitomi-san smile.

— We haven't been able to discuss since that famous day in the village when you and the... Hitomi started saying before whispering, putting her hand in front of her mouth to cover her voice. And the magnificent Uchiha-sama,

Sakura couldn't prevent a slight blush from appearing on her cheeks at the comment.

— I have absolutely no idea what you want to talk about, pretends Sakura before opening the kitchen door and entering, at the same time inviting her friend to enter.

— Uchiha-sama is there ?

— He is currently sleeping, Sakura answered before taking a tea set and placing it on the table. As usual Hitomi ?

— Hai.

This one came regularly to visit her friend to discuss and especially so that she does not feel too lonely. She observed as always the young woman prepare tea and use her magic. She filled the teapot with water before placing her fingers on a symbol that lit up on contact. Then, after a few seconds, steam will escape from the container.

— How's the village ? Sakura asked, pouring the infused water into two cups.

— The village is doing well, people are talking a lot about you and what you accomplished last time.

— Hitomi-san sugar ?

A small smile appeared on Sakura's face. She had introduced Hitomi to sugar, which was a luxury ingredient that few could afford. She didn't even wait for her to answer to pour a spoonful of sugar into her cup and hand it to him.

— You know you don't have to.

— It's nothing to me and you know it, added Sakura before blowing on her own cup. I'm sorry Hitomi, I hope we didn't scare anyone in the village.

— We were all afraid... what you both did is a miracle, it's things that we only see in tales and legends, and yet, admitted Hitomi, thinking of the other day. Anyone would have been afraid

— And you know I will never hurt you Hitomi-san.

— Hai, anyway my son swears by Uchiha-sama.

— Is that so ?

— It seems common to you what you did, but for the children, they saw vigilantes, said Hitomi who must have spent the evening calming her son. The latter had not stopped recounting the event. Anyway, a big caravan passed today. They were going towards the capital and coming from Hi No Kuni.

— Really ? How big ?

— At least, easily a score of carts.

Sakura understood that the Daimyô had started moving and that the first caravans were back. He must have listened to Madara's advice and started harvesting and buying resources in other countries. We will soon have to visit the Daimyô and Sakura will inform Madara as soon as she wakes up.

— Otherwise, to come back to something more crisp, Hitomi began with a knowing smile. What is there between you and the handsome man ?

— Absolutely nothing, retorted the young woman a little too quickly, drinking her tea.

— Except I'm a Sakura woman. Unlike men who can't see beyond the tip of their nose, I can see the signs when I see them. And I saw your look Sakura... don't forget that I was younger too, said Hitomi, thinking back to her youth. Granted, she was still a beautiful woman to someone almost forty, but she couldn't compete with Sakura.

— I admit that I don't know myself... Confided Sakura, lowering her eyes, because she did not actually know herself what

— What does he represent to you Sakura ? Hitomi asked, removing the -san suffix because of the more serious conversation.

— I don't know... In fact, it helps me to forget but at the same time reminds me of the pains of the past.

— You know him from before ?

— It's complicated Hitomi...

— When you tell me this kind of thing, I have the impression of hearing one of her stories that Grandma Mia was telling me, about a forbidden love between two people because they were all opposed, Hitomi said before drinking her tea and enjoying the sweet taste.

— I don't like him Hitomi... said Sakura forcefully before finally lowering her eyes again and repeating this sentence. Maybe to convince herself. I don't like him...

— Saku ...

— Hitomi please, implored Sakura who especially did not want to face this now. I... I'm not ready for this.

— I beg your pardon Sakura... excused Hitomi who saw that she had perhaps crossed the limit. She might have been his friend, but she knew next to nothing about this woman. And even less in her past life, because for a woman to be so strong, she probably must have suffered in her previous life. I'm going to leave Sakura to you, the day you're ready to talk about it, tell me, I just want to see you happy Sakura.

— Arigato Hitomi.

Hitomi walked towards the exit after finishing her cup of tea, put on her shoes and turned around one last time before leaving.

— Take care of yourself Sakura... know that you too have the right to happiness.