Umekiyo had turned her head a little when she heard the odd noise.

She was near the cave she loved to frequent. It was a peaceful alcove in the forest, hidden by bushes and long vines. You'd miss it if you didn't know it was there. She loved the serenity it offered. She always had.

She brought her bucket closer to her as she stood, narrowing her dark eyes.

The noise was almost as if something injured had found her peaceful haven and was trying to stay hidden.

But the scraping noise wasn't from any animal.

She slowly approached, thinking.

It was possible someone had been wounded and wanted to stay hidden to nurse their own wounds, but the only ones that had been in the area lately, or that she was aware of, were her own clan.

And the Senju.

Umekiyo bit her lip as she slipped out a kunai and glanced around, noting the blood at the very edge of the entrance. She heard shallow breathing and a grunt of pain as she carefully entered.

The supplies she kept in there were now being rummaged through. She shifted the bucket closer to her body and tilted her head to keep her dark hair off her face as she eased in.

Her heart was pounding, but she ignored it in favor of focusing on the shadows and keeping her steps quiet as well as her breathing.

A loud hissing noise sounded, making her pause again.

For sure, someone was injured.

But if it was someone from her clan, they wouldn't be trying to hide away in a cave when they knew they could safely call for help.

Which meant

She gritted her teeth, forcing her hand steady as a loud clang noise sounded.

She debated on what to do. She'd never killed anyone before, she'd managed to keep her hands clean of that for the sixteen years of her life, and she wasn't planning on changing her mindset anytime soon.

She may have been forced on the battlefield after her awakened kekkai genkai, but she still didn't have it in her to kill.

Not even a Senju.

And she was punished for it.

Repeatedly.

Umekiyo bit her lip and turned to the entrance. She could let them be and pretend she didn't notice a thing and then feign innocence of having such knowledge.

But that meant leaving this unknown stranger to fend for themselves and possibly die of either starvation, infection, fever, or thirst.

Or…all of it.

Umekiyo took a deep breath, clutching the bucket to her, she eased the kunai back into it's hidden compartment under her kimono and turned the oval corner of the cave wall.

Shock was the first thing that came to her.

Her eyes went wide, her body froze, her mouth opened, and she felt her brain just stop.

The intruder had been heavily leaning against the wall, heaving as he tried to stay on his feet, despite the obvious fever he was in, and the pain the obvious wound caused him to bleed from under his armor.

That was at his feet.

Blue…armor…

White fur…

Umekiyo was frozen stiff and she watched, terrified, as his dirtied white head turned sharply to her, an angry scowl on his pale and handsome features as he stared at her with red eyes.

Red striped markings decorated his pale toned cheeks and chin.

Umekiyo knew who she was staring at without any introductions necessary. After all, he instilled an odd type of hatred and terror among her clan.

And not only that, but she had seen him on the battlefield multiple times herself. Along with his brother.

He growled at her low in his throat, his red eyes heated as he did his best to steady himself despite the painfully apparent fever and large amount of blood loss.

Umekiyo gripped the bucket to her and quickly roved her eyes around the cavern before turning her head to the entrance again.

She turned back to him and hesitantly sat down the bucket, she shook her head slowly at him.

She watched him narrow his eyes on her and she hesitantly sat on her knees.

Shit…she thought as she bit on the corner of her lip, worrying the flesh between her teeth harshly. Shit, shit, shit, SHIT!

She let out a deep breath and, knew if she could have, she'd scream in frustration.

As it were, she couldn't, not since…she shook her head and slowly made her way over, closer.

He looked like he was two seconds from dropping and she knew if he'd have it his way, he probably would rather die than let her touch him.

But she needed to get him out of his clothes, at least his top. Staunch the blood, clean and dress the wound, keep him hydrated, possibly force feed him…

Get his temperature down.

She inched closer and stilled when he spoke in a deathly calm voice that, did she not have eyes and see what his current state of being was, held absolutely none of the pain one single bit. "Any closer and I will skewer you where you are, Uchiha."

Well, great.

She frowned at him with furrowed brows as she changed tactics.

She could attack him, but that would hardly be any great help to him or his state or this situation she's found herself in. She could wait it out, but then he might die out of pure stubbornness.

Men… she thought bitterly as she turned her head towards the crates. She edged to one and slowly stood, still not getting even a millimeter closer to him. She vaguely wondered if he'd seen her before, but if he had, either he didn't care or he'd forgotten.

Then again, it wasn't like her role was to be on the front lines, exactly. He probably either didn't know she existed until just a few moments ago, or he never heard her name being called.

She pulled out what she was searching for finally as she looked back to him, still only able to stay upright because of the cave wall.

She started to pull more out, lowering her gaze from those burning eyes. Just looking at them made her want to curl into a ball and hide away under the ground somewhere far far away.

Though…she glanced back up through half lidded eyes as she closed the crate slowly, placing the items down, I have to admit…I wouldn't be particularly happy if our positions were switched. But I'd like to imagine he wouldn't cut down a helpless woman…

She blinked at that and sighed.

She held up the bandages and salve in her fingers as she rested her chin in her other hand, leaning forward on the wooden box with her elbow, staring at him blankly.

She was never more happy with herself as she was right at this moment that she started to squirrel supplies away in here.

It was getting way too dark to see soon anyway and she needed to light some torches. Everyone in the clan seemed to know this was her second home.

And avoided it like the plague.

She watched his eyes narrow to slits as he regarded her.

After all, what person in their right mind willingly healed an enemy. And not just any enemy, but one of their most powerful and notorious ones. One of their most hated and feared ones.

Umekiyo continued to stare at him with that bored look on her face.

His arm was starting to shake now and she knew it was only a matter of time before he crashed to the ground.

So he slumped to the wall instead as he slowly allowed his body to slide down the wall, not once removing his glare from her.

She finally moved her chin from her hand and cautiously picked up the items she would need, including the rags, and took a hesitant step towards him.

"Make it quick and get it over with."

She paused, head tilted.

And then let out a sad sigh as she shook her head and knelt down beside him. She cautiously moved her hand to his sweat plastered forehead.

And hissed at how just searing his flesh was and dumped her items to the ground unceremoniously as she rushed to the bucket still full of water and hastily made her way back to him, all the while cursing his foolishness.

She needed light.

She knew exactly where her torches were and lit them easily with her fire jutsu.

She turned to him again and flinched at the sight. His other side, which she now found herself at, had been where the injury was located, judging by the slice of his clothes and flesh.

She glanced to his fierce eyes and quickly used her kunai on his shirt, ripping down the side to allow her access.

The amount of blood, both dried and new, horrified her. She roughly grabbed at her healing items and roughly shoved the part of his shirt she'd sliced open right onto, into, the wound.

He gave a hiss of pain and she pushed her shaking hands harder into his side, fresh blood staining her hands now.

She could tell, though, this wound was far deeper than she would have liked to know.

She gritted her teeth and glanced to her bucket, if only his own brother was here…

She shook her head at that and started the painstaking process of staunching the wound. Once she was sure no more blood was going to seep out, she reached over him to grab her needle and thread.

I need to also get this damned fever down, she thought frantically.

His trembling hand tightly gripped at her wrist, stopping her from reaching the items.

She sent a dark glare at him.

He's too pale, she thought, her dark eyes picking up any cue she might need. Too clammy, his lips…

"Why are you….an Uchiha…" his breathing was shallow, his eyes, though, caught hers, "doing this?"

She wrenched her wrist out of his grip, he was far weaker than she'd originally thought and she didn't have the time for his questioning.

It was his life, here.

She worked meticulously and carefully.

He was in and out of consciousness, but at least he was fighting.

Umekiyo slowly wiped at her brow with her arm as she eyed the stitching he'd had to endure without medicine or alcohol. He'd hiss here or there, but other than that, he didn't make a sound of pain. She had managed to gently maneuver him onto a futon she'd laid out just below him.

His fever hadn't spiked or gotten worse, which was in itself a relief, but it hadn't gone down, either. And that was now her main problem.

Oh, aside from him being Senju fucking Tobirama.

She hesitantly grabbed her bucket and silently made her way out into the small forest. It was early morning, she realized, and made her way towards the river, washing off her arms first. Glad I put extra clothes in there, too. Never did I think I'd need it for this.

She filled her bucket with clean water and then splashed more on her face.

She had to return to the cave first.

Then she'd make her way towards the clan. They might be ready to send out a search party, at this rate.

She gritted her teeth as she hastily stood, taking the bucket filled with water with her.

She eased into the opening carefully and knelt back down beside him, where she dipped a fresh rag into the water and placed it over his forehead.

A sigh was heard from him as soon as the cold rag hit him and she watched his roving eyes under his lids and hesitantly started to clean out his hair in the hopes that the gentle ministrations would help ease his slumber.

She sighed wearily as she brushed out the dirt from his white strands.

It's surprisingly…soft and fluffy. Just like…She thought with slight amusement as she glanced at his blue armor where the white fur was stark against the surroundings.

She waited until she knew he was fully asleep before finally moving from him and, after dipping the rag into the water again and placing it back over his brow, did she gently cover him with a few layers of kimono.

You would never know, just by looking at him like this, that's he's responsible for many of my people's pain and hatred.. She looked down at him again sadly, Then again…how many of your loved ones has this clan taken from you and your brother?

Umekiyo turned on her heels, leaving behind a ladle near the bucket and a few pieces of bread, in case he woke up before she could find a way to return to him.

Or for someone else to.