Over the next two weeks, Madara visited almost every single day. It became extremely normal for me to come through the front door after school and be greeted by him and either one or both of my parents.

Father told me a bit about him after that first night. Apparently, Madara was childhood best friends with my mother and became his friend, as well, once my parents started dating. He was even my dad's best man at their wedding!

He moved away shortly before I was born and hasn't really kept in touch. That explained the look of surprise Hiashi'd shown when he saw him on our doorstep.

"Madara, would you like more wine?"

I looked up from my dinner plate to see Masumi standing near our guest with an expensive bottle in her grasp. A bitter taste rose in my mouth as she blatantly flirted with him right in front of my father, who couldn't see it for what it was because he has such a high regard for his wife. The woman was wearing a low cut shirt and her cleavage was right in Dr. Uchiha's line of vision as she leaned forward to refill his glass.

Hanabi spoke and interrupted my thought process, "So, why'd you come back to Konoha?"

Masumi gave her daughter a warning glare, "Don't be so rude to our guest, Hanabi."

Madara raised a hand to calm her, taking a sip of his wine before replying with a friendly grin, "It's alright. I received a job offer from the college here that was too good to turn away."

He glanced over at Dad, who offered him a smile, "I also wanted to catch up with an old friend or two."

His dark eyes turned to me and I averted my gaze with a warm face. The man has been nothing but charming since his arrival, but there was something I couldn't put my finger on that made me uncomfortable.

"You're a very quiet girl, Hinata. Tell me, what do you plan on studying after your graduation? Perhaps you'll follow in your father's footsteps?"

I nodded and tightened my grip around my fork, more uncomfortable still now that everyone at the table had turned to look at me.

I felt my father reach over and rest an encouraging hand on my arm, "Hinata's a bit shy, but she'll come out of her shell once she gets to know you."

I wordlessly thanked him for saving me and Masumi spoke once more, "So, Dear, I hear that you've started a new area of research."

For once, I was relieved that she'd interrupted. We all looked over and he smiled, "Yes, that's correct. I've started research on a way to apply the cure we now have onto other forms of cancer. We're still in the experimental period, so my team and I are spending a lot of time at the lab."

A week or so later, I came downstairs in the middle of the night for a glass of water and froze at the bottom of the stairs when I heard some very unwelcome sounds coming from the family room.

My previously sleepy mind suddenly snapped awake as I lay eyes on Masumi. She was on top of someone, I assumed my father, and it was clear from the explicit sounds she was making what they were doing. My face warmed and I was about to turn and head back upstairs, only to freeze when suddenly Madara sat up underneath her so they could kiss.

My mouth opened in disbelief, only to snap closed when his eyes shot up to lock into mine. I thought he'd immediately stop and try to defend their actions, but instead he simply held my gaze as they continued. I felt bile rising in my throat as I turned and ran up the stairs, tears running down my cheeks.

I knew she was a terrible person, but I didn't think she'd go as far as cheating on him under his own roof while he was asleep in their bed upstairs. I have no choice but to tell Dad about this in the morning.

I had trouble getting back to sleep after that and when I came downstairs for breakfast the next day, my heart sank in my chest as I realized Father had left for work early.

Masumi tried to speak to me as I stalked past her, "Hey! Where are you going?"

I froze, feeling my anger rise as I turned to look at her. She gave me an annoyed look, while Hanabi was giving me a confused look by her side. I tried to bite my tongue, but couldn't control my temper, "Don't talk to me."

Her eyes widened before an angry look formed and Hanabi let out an amused laugh, "Ooh, someone wants to fight today."

Masumi raised a hand to silence her daughter, "What's with the attitude?"

I held her gaze for a moment before glancing over at my little sister and back to her, "I came downstairs last night."

The angry look on her face quickly evolved into one of panic. Hanabi looked between us with a confused grin, "What's that supposed to mean, Mom?"

The woman tore her eyes from mine before looking at her daughter, smoothing her hair out with one hand, "I don't know, Sweetheart."

I rolled my eyes and stormed out of the room. She doesn't even have the dignity to admit what she did. I walked in the winter cold to the college since it was a Saturday and I had no classes. There wasn't a lot of wind and it hadn't snowed, so I actually quite enjoyed the walk.

It took almost half an hour to get there and when the college came into view, my eyes widened in shock. A dozen emergency response vehicles were surrounding the entrance and the area was in the process of being marked off with yellow tape.

My pace quickened and I approached a few of the students that had been evacuated, "What happened?"

A boy answered without even looking in my direction, "The entire cancer research wing exploded. It was crazy!"

My blood ran cold and I wrestled my way to the front of the crowd of onlookers, only to be stopped by a police officer who grabbed my arm as I tried to pass, "You can't go in there right now, Miss. It's not safe."

Tears started to fall down my cheeks as I stared at the building. Smoke was still coming out of a few busted windows on the third floor, the floor Dad works on.

"Please! My dad works here!"

The police officer waved over another and the new arrival put a hand on my shoulder as he spoke, "What is your father's name?"

I gave them his information and he looked at a paper on his clipboard before pulling me past the yellow tape by my arm and leading me to one of the ambulance trucks. He gently led me to sit down and called over a few medics.

I looked around in a panic, "What's going on? Where's my dad?"

After whispering with the two medics, one of them turned to me and knelt down. She was a pretty woman with brown hair and my sobs choked in my throat when I saw the sympathetic expression on her face, "N-No…It can't be…"

She nodded, pulling one of my hands into hers, "I'm sorry, Sweetheart. Is there anyone you can call?"

I suddenly felt very faint and she rose to her feet, motioning for her partner to come over, "Oh! Take it easy. Don't overwhelm yourself. I know this is hard." I felt another person put their hand on my back to try and keep me upright before I passed out completely.

When I woke up again, I was laying on a cot in the back of the ambulance and I could hear my sister crying near me. My eyes opened and I saw she had her head buried in her arms as she leaned onto the cot. Just past her, outside the vehicle, I saw Masumi being consoled by a concerned looking Madara as a police officer spoke to them.

"N-No…" My voice croaked out as I remembered what happened.

Hanabi looked up at me, her face wet and puffy from crying, and for the first time in years, she moved over so she could embrace me. We both cried for what felt like ages before Masumi came to take us home.

I headed up to my room in a daze once we got home, ignoring everyone else and collapsing onto my bed. Tears continued to flow freely down my face and onto my pillows as I stared at the wall. What's going to happen to us now?

Days passed and Masumi was too busy with funeral planning to worry about her daughter or me, so we were spending more time together than we had in years. We didn't argue even once, but that's to be expected when neither of us could find the right words to say.

Finally, the dreadful day arrived and we attended our father's funeral, dressed in black both physically and mentally. Madara helped Masumi with all of the planning and let her cry into his shirt as the casket was being lowered. I felt Hanabi's hand tighten as she held my own. I looked over at her and for once she didn't look perfect.

Not a week later, I heard the door downstairs open and close in the middle of the night. I've been having a terrible time sleeping ever since Dad passed away and even if I could fall asleep, the slightest noise would wake me right up.

Anger boiled in my blood as I realized who it most likely was. I snuck down the stairs quietly, only to confirm my suspicions when I came face to face with Madara as he was taking his shoes off near the door.

I spoke in a hushed voice, worried that if Hanabi found out he was giving her mother late night visits just days after Dad's funeral, she'd be inconsolable. "What are you doing here?"

He looked up at me in mild surprise before relaxing and offering me a smile, "I think you already know the answer to that."

I was stricken with disbelief for a moment and he tried to walk past me and up the stairs to Masumi's room, but a surge of courage shot through me and I grabbed his arm firmly and caused him to turn and look at me. "We just buried our father! Don't you feel any shame?"

"What do you think you're doing, Hinata?"

Both he and I looked over to see Masumi at the foot of the stairs with her arms crossed angrily. I released Madara's arm and pointed at her angrily, my voice wavering with emotion as I tried to keep it together, "How can you do this to him?"

She dropped her arms and approached us, trying to pull me into a hug. She froze when I slapped her hands away with a look of bewilderment. She cocked her head at me before wiping at her teary eyes, "You can't possibly understand what I'm going through right now, Hinata. There are some things that help me cope and, "she gestured to the tall man beside us, "this is one of them."

Tears rose in my eyes and I shocked even myself by slapping her across the face. To my surprise, Madara quickly had both of my hands behind my back, but that didn't stop me from yelling at my step-mother angrily, "Just admit that you never loved him!"

She shook her head, tears still in her eyes, but it was obvious she was forcing them because they wouldn't fall, "I loved your father dearly!"

We heard footsteps behind her and my face fell when a tired looking Hanabi appeared at the bottom of the steps. When she looked up and took in the situation, she hurried toward me, "What are you doing? Let her go!"

Dr. Uchiha released me quickly and I moved over to my sister's side as she looked between her mother and him, "What's going on?"

It was too late to lie to her again, so I spoke with a venom I didn't know I possessed, "They're sleeping together."

It was silent for a moment as she processed that information and her mother spoke before she could react, "Hanabi, please! Let me explain!"

She reached out to touch her daughter's arm, only for Hanabi to jerk away from her. Her voice was barely understandable as she tried not to sob, "Mom, how could you!" She slowly took a few steps away from us all before shaking her head and retreating back up the stairs and, I assume, into her bedroom.

I took a few steps away from both of them, as well. It was finally sinking in that the Uchiha man had laid his hands on me and I was worried he would repeat the action. Masumi was crying again.

"Go to your room right now and don't come back out until morning."

I held her glare for a few moments before turning and doing as she said. If she was alone I would've argued, but the large man to her side was too intimidating.