Life was rather pleasant since Sakura arrived in the village. Some of her students progressed efficiently enough to return to Uzushiogakure with Mito, whom she never got to see much of anymore. She had to return to speak with her grandfather about the wedding ceremony and when returning to the village she would bring more medics for Sakura to train. It worked out and helped with the alliances so Sakura didn't mind the work.

The hospital was running smoothly since she got in up and running, in half the time she had anticipated. It wasn't used much since there wasn't many injures aside from long term illnesses, training mishaps and the occasional births. She had been trying to advance her own medical skills in different fields so she could keep herself busy when she was bored and she had nothing else to do. Being in charge of her own hospital and having peace was nice but she did miss having missions.

She was able to talk with Hashirama and find out more about what he wanted her to do, which basically included keeping Madara company. He eventually believe control was needed in order to maintain peace and the Senju leader hoped between the two they could change his mind. It was a start but she figured he had other plans to back it up just in case.

The day was coming towards the end and Sakura made sure to check the last few new students who were staying late. Once she rounded the corner towards the entrance, there he was as usual. Madara stood there waiting patiently, glaring at the crack on the ceiling. She wondered if it bother him just as much as it bother her.

"What took you so long?" he asked glancing towards her.

"Had to take care of some things before I could get ready to leave. It is a hospital after all," she replied as he opened the door for her.

"Have you heard?" he asked as they walked towards her place.

"Heard about what?" she asked letting her hair down and out of the ponytail she had.

"The Uzumaki are returning in a week. Hashirama also informed me that the wedding will be in two weeks from that time," he told her, moving her hair behind her ear once again out of habit. It was a sweet gesture she had gotten use and didn't mind.

"Finally. I was wondering if Mito-chan was actually going to return. It's been lonely without her," she said crossing her arms.

"Well I guess my presence doesn't matter then."

"You know what I mean." She gave him a look while he grinned in return. "How have things been going with the academy?"

"We finally have things established, so it should be up and running within the week," he explained.

"How did you fair overlooking it with Tobirama?" she said trying to hold back a grin.

"First it is not funny..." he said gritting his teeth. "And second, we managed."

It was fun to tease him because she knew she was able to get away with it. She really could push her limits before changing the subject and found his tolerance impressive yet amusing. Her home was now in sight and so was Hashirama, who was waiting for the two with his usual goofy smile. It was nice hanging around them, it was like having her old team back.

"How long have you been waiting?" she asked, opening the door and inviting them in.

"Not long. I didn't realize I was going to be here on time," he commented walking in.

"I had issues at the end of the day. You should know what that's like," she said as she made her way to the kitchen to start making tea, the other two seating themselves at the table.

"I do. It can be so difficult, especially with messaging."

"Do you send messages to anyone other than Mito?" Madara asked, crossing his arms and leaning back a bit.

"Of course. Tobirama makes me," he said in an upbeat tone. As soon as he said it Sakura almost dropped the cups, holding back laughter. The way he said things sometimes was easily amusing to others.

She watched the two as she placed the cups on the table, thinking about the village. It was so peaceful and different from what she had been use to. Not too much changed over the years she had noticed. From what she learned from History and from Hashirama himself, aside from Madara's attempts to attack the village there really wasn't much war going on. Not until the First Shinobi World War.

She brought the rest of the things to the table, pulling back Madara's chair as she did which caused him to fall back with it. Hashirama burst out in laughter as she set things on the table. She sat down then moved her leg under the front of his chair and swiped it, causing him to fall back too. It was always fun having them around.

"Ow./The Hell?" they exclaimed.

"Never leave yourself open. Especially leaning back in my chairs," she commented while pouring tea for the two as they got up.

"You can be cruel," Hashirama said as he fixed his chair.

"You both should know," she said with a smirk with Madara chuckling in the background.


The evening was quite pleasant, the three just chatting and doing nothing more. She enjoyed hearing the stories about what they did as children, imagining how interesting it would have been to end up in that time. It was actually a horrifying thought at the same time. But she wouldn't have minded seeing their younger selves. Sakura shared her own stories, knowing where to leave information out, replacing it or modifying it.

"It would help if you didn't punch every person you knew," Hashirama commented for obvious reasons. She didn't punch everyone but the stories she told did consist of Naruto or Sai saying something that had them in pain.

"You do have a bad habit of doing that," Madara added on.

"Hey they deserved it and so did you two. Then again we were at war," she said looking at Madara before turning to Hashirama. "And you... you deserved it."

"You are beyond cruel," he said, his head hanging low.

"You know some perverted people," Madara said crossing his arms.

"They're just morons."

"That reminds me..." Hashirama interrupted. "We have another interested in joining the village."

"Really?" Madara asked curiously.

"How does talking about morons remind you about that?" Sakura asked pouring more tea in their cups.

"Just a thought that popped in my mind that I forgot to mention," he defended.

"Go on," she smiled, having fun teasing him.

"The Akimichi Clan. It seems since the village has been established even more clans have been interested," he nodded to himself.

"The Akimichi huh?" Sakura whispered, a small smile appearing on her face. It had been a long time since she had heard that name.

"We will need to expand soon," Madara added, thinking to himself.

"I didn't think we would have to so soon. Especially all the smaller Shinobi families who have started to settle here," he smiled.

"I have noticed more people around. I'm guessing that is because of the new homes that have been built?" she questioned, pouring herself more tea.

"Exactly," he nodded.

Just as he said it there was a knock on the door. Sakura groaned and got up, Hashirama sighing as he did the same. She opened the door to see Tobirama standing there, waiting for his brother. She wanted to make a smart comment but left it alone, deciding against pissing him off tonight.

"Where is Hashirama?" he asked, as if he didn't already know.

"He's here," she said, ignoring the glare.

She let the two out, Hashirama starting a conversation with his brother as they left. When he was excited and starting talking, it was difficult to get him to stop. She gave a smirk to the man, making him even more aggravated. She had to admit, it was fun to mess with such superior people she learned about growing up. Even if it did cause her own temper to fume at times.

"I should be leaving as well. It was a nice evening," Madara commented as she held the door.

"It was," she agreed. "See you tomorrow?"

"Most likely," he said walking out the door.

They waved before she shut the door, letting out a heavy sigh. This was the first time she was able to enjoy herself without Mito around. She had learn quite a bit about them and that made things even better. Before she forgot, Sakura made sure to clean the table off and grab something to make a quick snack before she headed off to bed.

Hearing about the village expanding was a bit exciting, now that it was getting close to the size she remembered it. Things were a little bitter sweet when she heard such familiar names. It made her uneasy when she heard about a small Shinobi family with the name Yamanaka who came into the village. It took her time to get use to it all. In the end she tried to go with it. Allowing events to play out the way they were suppose to and just doing what she had to.


Everyone was getting along so far which was a bit shocking to Madara. Once the village was officially established, they came together with less hatred than he anticipated. There were a few who showed how much they did not care for the alliance or the village but at least they gave things a chance. It seemed as if the presence of the Uzumaki actually helped bring a few of those people together.

One Uzumaki in particular could could convince, or frighten, them into giving things a chance. He respected Sakura with her strength and impressive skills but it seemed as if there was more to her. Once she was away from a crowd, she would avoid people as much as possible. It confused him greatly since her social skills were normal, considering she always had something to talk about or teach yet she didn't interact with anyone if she didn't have to.

He sighed as he sat up, rubbing his forehead. The evening went rather well but it still didn't keep his mind from thinking about various things in the village. People seemed to try to ignore him and keep their distance from him and it was irritating. It was times like these he missed Izuna the most. At times they would spar and it helped clear his mind.

He jumped down from the roof before starting to walk through the village, lost in his thoughts. They finally built the village but he still could not get rid of the guilt he had for not finding a way to save Izuna when he could. It all seemed pointless without him. No matter how many times Hashirama told him to think of the villagers as his brethren, it would never happen.

Hashirama himself was a handful to deal with. He wondered how Tobirama was able to keep calm whenever the man said something stupid or had an idea that did not make sense. Then again he dealt with being around Hashirama as a child so his patience with the man was also questionable. He envied his friend more than he would ever envy anyone for the fact he still had his brother. Madara never realized how much it hurt to be without Izuna.

"You seem lost in thought."

He looked ahead with surprise, seeing Sakura standing there with her simple green yukata. She must have been wandering around like he had been. Seeing her there actually made him feel better, just a bit. The only normal person he could talk to and hold a conversation with was Sakura, which wasn't as bad as he thought it would be. Especially after the first day.

"Why are you out and about?" he asked, crossing his arms.

"I have a lot to think about and I need to clear my mind," she replied walking up to him. "Besides, wouldn't hurt to get to know the surroundings of the village better with it expanding."

"True, but you seemed to have known your way around well enough already."

"I'm just good with direction," she smiled. "Why are you out and about?" He smirked as she quoted him.

"I have things on my mind and cannot seem to clear my head," he said with a sigh.

"Looks like we both have too much to think about," she said with a light laugh.

"Walk with me?" he suggested, catching her by surprise.

She nodded in response, both walking side by side. He watched her look around at the tree that began to change color. She seemed content and relaxed, a smile starting to form from her lips. He moved her hair from the side of her face and tucked it behind her ear so he could look at her better. She looked up at him, moving away slightly.

"That reminds me..." he started, grabbing something from around his wrist. They stopped for a moment before he took her hand. "Since it was unable to be fixed properly, I did something so that you would still have it."

He tied the ribbon bracelet around her wrist. It was the same ribbon he had cut off from her hair, only braided with a string to tie it on each end. She looked up at him, her eyes starting to water and turn red. She was speechless as she started to move it around, inspecting it.

"Why.. how did you..?" she said, unable to question him.

"I found it after the battle. I knew it had to mean something to you. Considering you snapped after I had cut it off," he said with a smirk, causing her to giggle lightly. "I had to do something with it so I did the first thing I could come up with."

"Thank you," she whispered after a moment. "Miyo gave it to me the first day I arrived with the Uzumaki. It reminded me of my friends so it held more sentimentality than anything."

"How long have you been with them? It is quite obvious you are not an Uzumaki," he noted.

"Two... maybe three years. They are the only family I have an I feel guilty for being here," she said before realizing what she had admitted.

"What happened to your family?" She never did explain too much about her life before the Uzumaki accept for a few stories concerning her comrades. It left him even more curious than he had been before.

It wasn't everyday the Uzumaki would let a wandering Shinobi into the clan. Especially with how swiftly she was given her surname. Most of the time those who were saved were civilians who got caught in the crossfire and would end up dead at the hands of Shinobi clans. Sakura didn't just learn what she knows over night, meaning there was more to the story than what he already knew. She seemed reluctant to say anything though.

"It is hard to explain," she started, trying to find the words. "Someone believed that in order to create peace you needed to take control yourself. He started a war between himself and people I knew long before I was even around. In the end he got the power he wanted but ended up only being a tool for someone else."

"What happened?" he asked, watching her.

"Everyone I knew, my parents, my friends, my comrades, ended up losing their lives because there was nothing we could do. I don't even know what happened to my team," she said, swallowing the lump that was forming in her throat. "My team was like my closest family and I don't even know what happened to them. Hashirama was able to save me but I wondered if it was worth it."

He never realized she had lost more than just her family, understanding just how much she had to be hurting. He wrapped his arms around her and held her close as she started to sob. She attempted to move away but was too upset, even though she tried to stop her sobbing. Sakura may not have told him everything but it was enough for now. He stroked her hair to try to calm her as she started to cry harder.


She couldn't help it. She knew she shouldn't be showing weakness like this but telling Madara anything was the hardest thing she ever had to do. Especially since it was his doing. It was a bit ironic, he was the cause of it all yet here he was comforting her in the past. It was never going to be the same and the ribbon officially set her off. Every once and a while her emotions got the best of her and she would cry.

She started to calm down, taking deep breaths. They were embraced for a long time, though she did not mind. It was nice having someone comfort hurt. She looked up at him, swallowing hard. He seemed really concerned about her well being, which was still strange to her. Sakura wiped the tears from her cheeks, looking away to avoid eye contact from slight embarrassment.

"Sakura, look at me." Madara grabbed her chin and made her look at him when she refused to even move. "You are here now. And no matter what happens, with your power here you can protect your new friends and family. That is also why you have been training the Uzumaki from Uzushio isn't it? So that they can return and help others."

"Hai," she replied, looking at him.

Out of instinct she hugged him tightly. Madara wrapped his arms around her and held her for as long as she needed. He didn't seem to mind it either as he rubbed her back gently. She let her mind wander on other things to try to calm down completely and sighed.

"Thank you Madara. I haven't really told anyone anything and it feels good to let it out," she said.

"No need to thank me. I know what it is like to lose those you love."

"Hashirama told me you lost someone before the battle," she looked up at him, mentally noting just how short she was.

"My otouto..." he said with a sigh. "Izuna was injured by Tobirama in one of our battles against the Senju. He ended up hurt worse than our medics predicted, thus he ended up dying from the injury. Hashirama had already asked me to join him but Izuna did not trust the Senju and it stopped me from taking his offer. If I had just taking his offer then Izuna may have been able to be healed."

He had so much regret in his eyes that it was no wonder he went down the path he did. His brother meant everything to him and she could see how much pain it caused him. Hearing it from him had more of an impact than hearing it from Hashirama. She could tell how much Madara missed his brothers company.

"Same thing you just told me. You have many people here who are now your family and you can protect them," she told him softly. He seemed to think on it for a second, as if he hadn't expected to hear his own words. "And even if he is a handful you always have Hashirama, he thinks of you as his own sibling so you should do the same."

"Unfortunately I couldn't do that. Even if I really wanted to Tobirama would be too much to deal with," he grunted. She rolled her eyes at his statement. Tobirama was hard to deal with due to his attitude but he did mean well. Probably just needed an attitude adjustment and she was pretty good at doing that.

"Well you still have me here. How about that?" she grinned, trying to lighten the mood.

"That sounds better," he smiled. "I think it be best if we got some sleep. I am sure we both have much to do tomorrow," he said as he let her go.

"Unfortunately." She didn't want to go home yet, but knew they both needed to part. "Thanks for the comfort."

"I should say the same," he smiled before kissing her forehead. She could feel the blush build up as he did. It was inevitable, she had never really had any type of affection like it before.

"Night," she said, reluctantly leaving.

"Goodnight, Sakura-chan."


Author's Note: Sorry for the late update. Was suppose to update yesterday but my brother and sister took over the computer and I had no time to finish writing, even today. Sorry for the short chapter but the next will be longer..Promise! Anyway thank you all for reading!