The Fail-Safe

by Athe-spirit

Story Adopted: "In that small amount of time that he'd been here with us he put the puzzle pieces together and devised a a fail-safe, safety-net if you will inside of the girl" A Time-Travel Jutsu was their last resort to save the world. Sakura would need to make sure that changing Madara's life around would change the outcome of the war they had lost in her reality.

15. Chapter XV : Those That Align

Authors Note

This story has been adopted from the wonderful Forever Gypsy.

All characters belong to Kishimoto Masashi.

My apology is at the very end ...

Also make sure you have enough time to read this is nearly 40,000 words. ...

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Chapter

XV

... Those That Align ...

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"Yes Haruno-san?" She placed her hand down carefully. "May I be excused Umino-sensei, I've already been taught about the civil war so you won't have to stop in my absence". Umino-sensei sighed. "Very-well Haruno-san" She nodded her head then and slid out of her chair, the only other two students in the room watching her and she rubbed her arm nervously.

While their class was small and quaint and very quiet, the classroom next door was loud and rambunctious as the children laughed amongst themselves. The door was creaked open just a bit and she peaked in carefully. "Alright, alright, let's settle down now everyone" The instructor, Funeno-sensei whistled and hollered gathering all the children's attention once more. "Now that we're all introduced let's get down to business, as you all know we've got two very special children this year ... Yes Kobayashi-san?" She couldn't see who that person was but she heard very clear.

"Funeno-sensei, how am I supposed to be in the same class room as that demon boy? My Kaa-san and Otou-san were very clear that I'm not supposed to go anywhere near him or speak to him, he's a demon, a murderer!". Funeno-sensei sighed as he grumbled. 'Course they want to talk about the elephant in the room' He shook his head carefully. "Alright kids we've all spoken with your parents in regards to Uzumaki Naruto, per the Hokage orders, you all are to treat him like any other student in these four walls, studies will continue as per usual, and none of you are permitted to call him any names while here at the acadamy, I understand that this will be difficult, but we must remember that Hokage-sama has given us all a direct order, if you don't want to speak to him that's alright, but if it's about your studies, if he's your partner you will have to treat him like any other classmate, and your parents have been told such as well by Hokage-sama".

She heard the grumblings of the other children and she kneeled down. "Since the elephant is out of the way now, let's continue on, as you all know we've got another special student, Haruno Sakura, as she is the grandniece of Emperor Kuramoichi we ask that all of you try your best to understand that she comes from a very special family and that she may not grasp everything that we're teaching right away so if you all could be patient with her and the other civilian girl in your class we'll all be grateful. Haruno-san and her family have just returned from the capital after two years and Haruno-san lived a different lifestyle then all of us ... Yes Sarutobi-san?"

"Is Haruno Sakura a princess?" Funeno-sensei frowned. "... I cannot actually answer that, as she is a resident of Konoha she is required to train as a kunoichi, and as all Konoha civilians are allowed to ... step-down from active duty after there first year as chunin it is up to Haruno-san if she wants to return back to the capital and take on her duties and titles and not any of us. For now, Haruno-san is required to learn and train here in Konoha as she and her family are civilian residents, and as I was stating earlier we need to understand and be patient with her, with all three of them, you all should be grateful there's only three that don't come from clan's my class had sixteen, and it was a long four years, a very long four years". There was a whisper from another instructor that she couldn't see and she could barely understand but she watched as Funeno-sensei nodded his head and took on a grim expression.

"Alright class there's one more thing that were need to discuss, you know the Uchiha Clan was massacred by one of their own this past May ... After a long discussion Hokage-sama has ruled that Uchiha Sasuke will be re-joining us here at the acadamy this year, as such we ask that all of you refrain from asking him any question in regards to the massacre, and most importantly do not ask about or ever bring up his family, it's a tragedy what happened to the Uchiha Clan and we shall not force one of our own to relive such an event, The Uchiha clan was a great and Noble family of Konoha and as such we must protect the last child of the clan with all our might is this understood?"

"Hai Funeno-sensei"

"Haruno-san!" Her eyes widened and she spun around quickly to see that Umino-sensei was standing right behind her with his arms crossed and looking clearly unhappy with her.

Her mother was going to kill her when she heard about this. "Sorry Umino-sensei" "Break time is over Haruno-san let's go" She nodded her head.

Umino-sensei sighed then rubbing his neck as he looked back over to her. "How much did you hear?" She looked away when she felt the her face begin to heat up in shame. "Everything" Another sigh and he bent down to her height. "Alright Haruno-san, I can see that you have more brains that the entire lot in that room, so you need to understand that what you heard is ... Well you have to understand that these are clan children, shinobi's children, they're not accustomed to living in palaces and traveling the country, they live to endure and protect civilians and your family, to protect our good country, our home ... We have to ensure that they understand that you and other civilians come from a different world, it's not to hurt you or make you feel like you can't compete with any of them, from the sound of it, you probably know more than all of them, just bear with all of us okay".

"Umino-sensei, can I ask you a question?" "Of course", "Why is Hokage-sama allowing Uchiha Sasuke to continue on in his studies? If his entire family was massacred how could we be protecting him by putting a knife in his hands? ... I understand that he's a clan child, but he doesn't have a clan anymore and it doesn't make sense, if we want to protect something precious don't we protect it by caring for it? Shouldn't we instead be attempting to help him in a different way?"

"Haruno-san ... There's things that you won't understand until you're older and this is one of these things, we are protecting Uchiha-san with everything we have but ... We must do what Hokage-sama and the elders have ordered and they believe it's in the villages best interest that Uchiha-san return back to the acadamy".

"That doesn't seem right though" Umino-sensei looked away from her then and patted her on the head. "You're to clever for your own good Haruno-san, now come on, we still have to get through history class and we haven't even gotten to Nidaime-sama's tenor yet".

"Nidaime-sama is my favorite Hokage Umino-sensei, he's the reason why I'm even allowed to be here". "You're possibly the only person I've ever met who has claimed Nidaime-sama as their favorite of all Hokage Haruno-san".

"I've read that he created the entire shinobi system that every shinobi village uses during the Shodaime's time and he even sacrificed himself despite not even needing to, what's there not to like about him?"

---

"Izuna died ... again!" She pushed him away from her and looked down at his dark eyes. Madara blinked up at her then, his eyes having a glazed over look as he leaned up. His arms tightened around her then, squeezing her in a way that was too tight.

His kiss was rough, rougher than the ones they'd shared previously, hot and moist with a heavy presence of teeth. His grip on her was unbearable and her breathing was labored and she attempted to push him away from her only for him to move a hand from her waist to her hair and he pulled her closer into his body and kiss.

She attempted once more and pushed harder onto his chest. He finally let off on her waist and grabbed both her fist in one of his.

It took a single blink to where she was wrapped around him on his lap to him throwing her down onto her back with her arms pinned above her and a dangerous Jubi Jinchurriki on top of her.

There was only two ways that this ended, her literally fucked or her fucked in the dead sort of way, neither were very tempting especially considering she was still figuring things out with her bodies abilties.

"Madara". His lips moved from hers then and she took in a deep breath as he moved his lips down to her jaw and neck. A hand moving from imprisoning her own as it moved roughly down her body to her thigh, gripping one harshly and wrapping it around his waist while grinding sharply against her body, a thick moan escaping him as he did so. "Shh, do you feel that Sakura? That pull on our chakras, how yours sings to mine like siren to a sailor".

Letting go of her thigh then he reached up to her jaw tilting her up to his lips once more before lifting himself up a bit and reaching between them, his skin was scorching through the material of her bottoms and reaching passed her underwear. She gasped as his fingers rubbed against her and had he not had her pinned down she would have flopped like a fish from the feeling of someone touching her.

While it wasn't the first time having Madara touch her, it had never been more than kissing and grinding against one another fully dressed, actually touching genitals she'd been able to avoid, up until this point. Jinchurriki Madara was more direct then Madara in his prime. "Stop talking Sakura, stop thinking, let me devour you".

His chakra flared and clashed against her own, causing a haziness to overcome her and Madara let go of her fist, using both hands he removed her top from her body with a growl and tossed it, smoothing his hands beneath her back and caressing his way down and grasping her ass and pulling her further onto his groin, grinding against her with a growl. "Madara!" She gasped as his lips smoothed across her collar. A dizziness coming over her as he moved a hand to her front and back towards her, his fingers moving lazily against her clothed form, scorching her, branding her.

Hot lips descended upon the middle of her clavicle, a sharp nip that shot lightening all the way down to her clitoris causing that haziness to further itself onto her mind all she could do was gasp .

Another flare of chakra and instead of the thick black locks that she tugged at she find herself grasping moon-colored hair and a thick bone rubbing against her skin and her mind snapped.

"Get off me". Grey eyes, Rinnegan eyes, pierced her to her spot and she sucked in a breath as Madara stopped his movements. Like a lazy predator he stretched himself over her with a smirk.

"How far would you have let me go Sakura? All the way? Would you stop me before I could break your innocence? Or perhaps once the pain registered, maybe not until after the wonderful pleasures I've bestowed upon your virgin body?" Madara reached up, tilting her chin up, forcing her to face him, their lips touching. He smoothed his hands down then grasping her hands and pulling them up, grinding into her once more.

"I didn't come here so you could fuck me" He smirked "I'm not going to fuck you Sakura, I want more, I've always wanted more with you. Now though with you here and the Jubi raging inside me all I can think of is ripping you open and burrowing myself so deep inside. The two of us, me the Jubi Jinchurriki and you the Jinchurriki to the mother of all" He removed a hand once more from her imprisoned fist then and smoothed its way back down to her tummy, fingering the band of her pants.

"Madara let me go" His chakra flared and once more he was back in his human form. dark hair whipping around wildly. "I think not, you have the mother of all trapped in you and I have the Jubi, can't you feel it? Our chakras crying out for one another. I knew there was something different about you, could feel it in your chakra all those years ago, and now I see you were always meant to be mine".

"Is it possible for you to be even more delusional? You didn't have the Jubi sealed in you when we first met, ergo our chakras never cried for one another!" Madara rolled those dark eyes of his before rolling his groin into hers.

"The Jubi is only able to be sealed into that of an Uchiha, our chakra is ... Special".

Special? Another click in her mind. That's right, Indra inherited the Otsutsuki chakra ...

"Never mind that, I need to wipe that mind of yours free of all doubt, free of fear".

"And you think fucking me is going to do that?" Madara shrugged. "It's either that or torture you into insanity and hope you come out wanting only me ... This way I can ruin you for all men and it's much more pleasurable".

Clearly he's insane ... "Madara I said-" His lips descended on hers then and he flared his chakra, shifting back into the Jinchurriki form before he pulled away again and looked down at her. "You kissed me in this form once, be that brave witch I met nearly a century ago and except me in this form, you except the form of a man, but the monster has always been there, has always craved you, except him as he has you Sakura ".

Those grey eyes stared down at her and she felt her heart drop into her stomach, her brain trying to refocus but Madara moved before she could get herself together and she keened at he sucked and nipped and licked his way down her stomach while his hands caressed her leather bound breast.

His lips, his hands, hot, so hot that she melted like ice in his arms. "Feel Sakura, just feel, feel yourself letting go, that's it".

"Madara". His voice vibrated against her skin and her stomach tightened in knots, goosebumps rising against her skin as she felt his teeth grasp the band of her bottoms. His hands caressing their way from their breast, grasping and smoothing down her belly and hips.

He let go of her suddenly, a growl escaping him as he leaned up again steadying himself on his knees and pulling her up with his, wrapping her around his body.

The small relief from him gave her the opportunity to breath and she realized this Madara wasn't going to let her go, not unless she made him.

Moving her hand down his thick coat she felt him remove her sandals and she straightened herself up as she slipped a hand under the heavy material feeling his burning skin against her cool skin. "You want me Madara?"

Moving forward she took his lips with her own, giving him what he wanted, the brave witch, the witch that seduced him the last time. She took his bottom lip between her teeth and nibbled, she'd get what she wanted from him, even if she had to fuck him. There was no way he'd be allowed to keep the upper hand.

He groaned as she bit hard enough to taste blood, the wound healing instantly. Sliding off one side of his robe she steeled her nerves. The last time she'd seduced him he was just a man, this time ... This time he was the Jubi Jinchurriki, he was more than a man. ... Even less sane than he was the last time too.

Looking into his Rinnegan she pushed further. "You want my body? My mind? My heart?" Madara sucked in a breath as he helped her completely remove the heavy cloak revealing his matching moon-colored skin. "I want your soul Sakura, I want it all, every piece of you".

She nodded her head as she ran her hand up his bicep. His body ... His muscles ... "And you can have it all, I'll give you everything" She looked back up at him. "But I want something from you" She moved to take his lips and stopped as he leaned forward wanting her and she slid down, moving her lips down his jaw and neck, mimicking his earlier movements, of kissing, nipping and licking her way down his form.

Men in her time were not built like Madara was, with and without the Jubi his body was a work of art. Muscles bulging and tightening beneath her and pubic hair still in place.

She couldn't remember the last shinobi she'd seen with body hair, under Tobiramas reign shinobi appearance was reformed. Body hair a requirement to be removed. Seeing it on these men, real men, had her fascinated and her hormones singing for all other reasons other than the Jubi that lied within Madara. Licking the fine trail of moon-colored hair she grinned happily at the sight of his stomach muscles tensing beneath her.

"Sakura" She smirked. "Will you do it?" She raked her nails down his stomach only stopping when he grabbed her hands with his own and hoisted her back up to him. "As much as I appreciate the attention, last time I let you seduce me I woke up chained to a chakra-restricting pole, when I should have woken next to a thoroughly satisfied witch". He spun her around and held her against him with his arm over her neck while his other hand groped at her body till he made his way down to the band of her bottoms once more.

"I'm going to have you, we will be one, now either you can participate which I think will be much more enjoyable or I can chain you down and take you till I'm spent in every possible way of that word and I may even be tempted to rework your seals and then we'll really see how much fun we can have".

...It was one thing to threaten her, imprisonment hell she'd even take a raging beast ... Literal and metaphorical. Threatening to release Kaguya ... That caused her anger to rage.

Using his grip on her she used his weight to her own use and flipped him over, he allowed it. Gripping his cheeks with her nail, making sure to dig them into his skin, making him bleed.

They'd never been able to make him bleed when they'd fought him, the the deep red liquid forming beneath her nails made her feel powerful, deadly. "I'm done playing nice Madara, now tell me what happened". He leaned up and smirked at her, wrapping an arm around her waist, making sure to squeeze her just as hard as she was digging her nails into his.

"I don't know whether I like nice Sakura more than mean Sakura, they're both very ...edible". ... Edible ... The Jubi ... Using all the strength she could, she smashed his head into the ground, a crater forming beneath his white hair and skin. Wrapping his hair around her fist she pulled him to her again. "Once more Madara, tell me what I need to know".

He tilted his head, a brow arching. "What does it matter? He's dead, his body to destroyed to bring back and all because he was weak".

Gripping his hair harder she pulled it back revealing in his long smooth throat. "It matters to me and thats what's important right?" She watched as his Adams-apple bobbed and she held in the urge to lick that bubbled up ad she steeled her itch.

Kaguya was silent, but the urges, the need, was all completely her and all because of the extreme proximity of the Jubi. It was dizzying and causing a cloud over her mind, the want to tear apart Madara, to rip the Jubi from within him, to be one. It was terrifying and exciting all the same and she knew at the end of it all, when they were complete, that only pure carnal pleasure was waiting for her.

Madara's hands smoothed their way on her sides and she shivered. This wasn't right... "You can't change it, even if I told you, there's no changing fate, his destiny was always to leave me alone".

Talk, talk, talk, blah, blah, blah ... She rolled her eyes and smashed his head back into the ground, the crater becoming deeper beneath him, causing his neck to bend too high. If he were mortal she might have killed him by now.

He was laughing though, a deep laugh that had his entire body shaking, tremors wracking his body, echoing against her, luscious friction had her squeezing her legs tightly against his as she felt the deep throb that had her slithering up his body as his arms wrapped around her brought her down further. His grey eyes just as hazy as her head felt.

With every grasp of sanity a single turn had her back on her knees, pleading for him, to be one with him. Stop! She took a shuddering breath. "I changed fate once, because there is no such thing, the only thing that exist is my will"

Madara lifted his head as he spoke, wrapping his arms even tighter against her waist. "For you are god" She took in a shuddering breath at the realization. "For I am" Mother ... Kaguya ...

Releasing a small amount of chakra she watched as Madara closed his eyes, his body arching as his own chakra reached out for hers, for Kaguya's. "You will tell me ... Now".

Madara inhaled sharply and she lifted his head up, batting down the urge, the need, the want to tear into him. She lifted a hand up to touch the bone on his forehead. It was smooth, smooth like ... skin ... how fascinating ...

"Izuna, innocent Izuna, dipped his hand in the beehive and the stings killed him ... The idiot" ... Beehive? "I don't understand, are you being literal or metaphorical?"

He rolled his eyes. "He's an idiot, and now he's a dead idiot". "That's so very helpful... But how did he die?" Madara gritted his teeth together harshly. "Lost his heart ... Then he lost his head".

Getting him to tell her without speaking riddles was going to take too long. Madara sat up then, forcing her up as well. The hand that was wrapped around her moved to her stomach quickly, his brows pinching and a frown on his face. "Stand up" Wasn't she the one in charge? "Excuse me?"

He stood up with her then before setting her down carefully. "What are you doing?" He was on his knees then, pressing the side of his face into her stomach and she flinched, attempting to take a step back only for him to wrap an arm around her waist tightly. "What are you doing?!"

"Shh ... I need to focus". He brought up a glowing hand and she flinched once more, her heart pounding deep in her ear, echoing deep in her mind. "Madara, the last person that was this close to my stomach with chakra in their hands"

"Was the day Kaguya was sealed inside you I take it". She took in a deep breath as he looked up at her. His form shifting once more towards his human form, she breathed out carefully as she looked away from him.

His hands were hot as they smoothed across her tummy. "Your seals aren't complete, they're barely being held together by ... This life force feels familiar ... The Kyubi brat, wait ... there's another ...". He stood up then, his eyes never leaving her.

Madara reached up then, moving a hand over her chin. "Seeing you again, alive, it's been ... You can't be here Sakura, your seals I can't touch your seals ... The Jubi ... Our chakras need to remain separate or neither of us will survive. She's already taking up more space than she should be allowed, I can see it ... Feel it, you and her ... It should be impossible but the two of your are ..." He looked away from her. "You need to go back, the Uzumaki are alive and in abundance where you've come from and they would know how to fix your seals."

What was going on here? "I don't understand what's happening?" Madara closed his eyes, opening them slowly. "Your seals Sakura, they're not right, the Kyubi brat did them and didn't do them correctly. His life force is strong, but it's not strong enough to hold the seals together much longer ... eventually your body is going to choose the stronger one of you and because of the Jubi, I can't be anywhere near you".

He turned away from her then. picking up his coat and her top. "If Kaguya breaks out and the Jubi's right here, everything I've worked so hard for will be all for naught." He handed her shirt over to her. "The beast are just like there mother Sakura, they use their vessels emotions in order to break through, the negative emotions are the strongest and the easiest to break through ... As is childbirth ... But you know that don't you". The knowing look in his eyes was too much and she turned away.

"I ..." She couldn't even figure out what she wanted to say to that, but Madara did. "Don't know what I'm talking about ... I can see it Sakura, feel it, it's another reason why your seals are so weak, you've had a child, more importantly you've carried the physical form of Kaguya, it's why your life forces are so twined together now. The Kyubi brat didn't just seal her chakra inside of you, he sealed her life force as well, her very existence within you and he didn't do it the right way ...".

This was Madara, this man had figured out a way to seal the Jubi within him, Obito hadn't even been able to have a complete control over the Jubi as Madara did, so he would know. "How do I win? I can't let them take him from me, I need him".

Madara tilted his head at her then, blinking carefully, not looking really human in that moment. "... Sasori". He read her confusion on his face and he explained. "Aksuna no Sasori ... He was able to completely separate himself from his humanity, the one thing that makes us what we are, it gives us everything that we are and it's the very thing that the beast and Kaguya feed off of in order to break us, in order to take over us ... It's why the Kyubi Brat and the Hachibi are unique as they have ... had ... befriended their beast in a sorts ... You and me though, we are literal vessels, if we were to give our beast even an ounce of control they'd completely wipe us out".

She knew this, she already knew all of this. ... But Madara was looking at her expecting something from her, waiting for her to figure the pieces out for herself and the more she looked at him the more she realized what he was getting at.

"You separated yourself from your humanity as well didn't you?" He turned away from her then, slipping his coat back on as he did. "Not in the same way Sasori did ... But yes Izuna was gone and everything that mattered was taken, then the clan turned against me ... then Hashirama killed me ... then Hashirama was gone as well ... It was a gradual loss of my humanity ... Until it was just not there ..."

"I don't have that option though do I". He looked back at her with a smirk. "You could stay here and watch me work, watch what happens when our two beast finally overcome us ... It'll be a very wild ride I suppose ... don't know how you'd come out of it, but you wouldn't be the same afterwords, if you survived it at all".

... Tempting offer ..."I'd rather not" He turned away then, watching the dark sky. "Then I suppose you'd have to do it the way Sasori did it ... Although ... I don't know how it would turn out, you're body is human ... well nearly".

What does he mean? "Are you suggesting that I cut out my own heart?" He shrugged his shoulders. "It's either that or give into what the fates have in-store for you and your beast ... And if that happens it wouldn't really matter anymore if you had a heart or not would it? Kaguya would have your body and she'd destroy everything just like she and the Jubi did long before us ... And you going back into the past and doing all you did, the sacrifices that were made ... All of it would be in vain".

She looked away from him then and he turned back around towards her. "You want to save Izuna, the only way to do that is to save yourself first ... Either you get your seals fixed by the Uzumaki or you get rid of your heart and you need to make this choice immediately, you've held it off long enough either way, Kaguya will come back if you don't".

There was no way she could let anyone touch her, get rid of the last remaining vestiges of him, she already knew what choice she was going to make, it was to simple.

"Did you actually want to marry me? Back then? Or was it just because of the contract?" Madara looked away from her then and she knew what he was going to say. Of course she knew. "Sakura ... Back then ... I was doing everything in my power to avoid having a family for a reason, other than Izuna I didn't have it in me to put anymore innocent children through what I was put through ... And I wasn't about to let the Senju have any control over the Uchiha ... I don't believe in love, hardly believed in it when I was younger as well, even the Senju despite themselves being the clan of love ... even they didn't believe in love ... I'm sorry".

She shook her head, because she knew, already knew and so did Madara. "But I am not the Uchiha who you want to hear these words from". No he wasn't.

"It's the closest I can get ... I can never go back to them ... Even right now I can't, their not mine, they belong to another girls life ... a different girl".

"The weight of the world and none of us had ever known that a tiny witch held it all in the palm of her hands ... I could never imagine what it must be like being you Sakura, knowing what you know. You must be ... You must be so tired and I ... And now I see".

He moved then to stand next to her and caressed her face. "I see you Sakura". And it must be horrifying to see because she knows there's barely anything left of herself that she once knew. A corpse upon corpses she is.

Madara moved then, kissing her softly, chaste it was. When he pulled away she couldn't help but pull him back to her, her body felt uncomfortable, her skin to tight for herself and it burned and itched and his lips cooled it down, soothed her as he kissed her, devouring her worries, burning them away.

He pulled away again, holding her at arms length and looking down at her. "You need to leave" Because he didn't want to loose everything he'd worked so hard for and she could destroy it all if she stayed.

"Fuck". He brought her back to him then, his chakra flaring and his lips were back on her and she didn't want to fight him, not when he made everything bad go away. He let go of her again and looked down at her, a deranged look crossing his face. "I wonder, perhaps I could fuck you into the seals? Or perhaps have the seals done onto your body while I fuck you? Which would you prefer?"

"... You do realize you can't be anywhere near me when the seals are activated right? It would kill you ... You understand that .. Don't you?"

Madara shook his head, a dark smirk on him. "It wouldn't kill me, I'm not human ... not much human left anymore now at least ... If I were with you when you activated the seals I'd no doubt be sent back with you, which could cause a serious issues, possibly even cataclysmic". He cut himself then, right down the middle of his palm and she wrinkled her nose. "What are you doing?"

He kneeled down then, his lips descending carefully onto her skin and she felt those little butterflies fluttering in her belly at his touch, his white coat becoming dirty once more. "The seals you silly woman". "With blood?" He nodded his head. "Blood is the most purest form of our life force, interconnected so closely with our chakra that it reacts better than ink does" He circled a finger around her tummy then, smearing his blood as he went, kissing her skin delicately as he went. "How do you know this jutsu?"

He grabbed her arms then and began tracing more symbols on her. "My father worked on many kinjutsu himself, he left many unfinished jutsu's and theories ... When Izuna died I tried myself but couldn't find what I was doing wrong ... Left my work there when I left the clan, Kagami must have found it or been given it, he was ... amazing, it helped being what he was too. He must have realized that the only way to travel back was to have more chakra than even the Kyubi did in it's full form. To have pure chakra as the Biju did ... It also helped that he mentored under Tobirama".

Tobirama mentored an Uchiha? ... That doesn't make sense ... he had three genin subordinates, they make up the Echelon ..."Tobirama never had any Uchiha genin". Madara shook his head. "Not genin, jounin". ... that makes sense ... "I'm not going to tell you everything Sakura, somethings you need to figure out on your own, not to mention you've already changed things once, you might as well go back not knowing anything anyways".

"That's doesn't seem fair that I can't know everything, I need to know so that I can stop it all". "You can't stop Izuna from dying ... Even I couldn't".

"But you're not me". He looked up at her with a grim smile. "No I'm not". He unbuckled her pants then and she arches a brow at him and he mimics her as he speaks. "There's no possible way I can fit all the seals on a few limbs ... And really it's nothing I've never seen". ... Eww ... She shakes her head then and helped him remove her pants and then she was standing in only her leather bralette and underwear.

...In times like these she wished underwear had been prettier during the Warring Clans Era, but it wasn't something anybody really focused on.

Madara continued on with the seal work. "Sakura?" "Hmm?" He shook his head then. "Nevermind". She didn't like that. "What is it?" "It's nothing". She really didn't like that. "Madara just tell me". He shook his head. "It doesn't matter".

She sighed. "Turn around" His hands smoothed on her upper back, moving her hair to the side and continuing to draw the seals onto her. "Have you seen this?" She turned her head slightly to see him holding up the thick chunk of white hair and she looked away knowing that he already knew the answer.

"You understand what that means don't you?" Why was he insistent on talking about what she didn't want to talk about. He sighed before dropping the hair on her shoulder then. "Understand Sakura, that when you go back, if your decision puts Izuna in danger, I will kill you"

"I went back to stop it all, don't think I don't know what I'm supposed to do". She was spun around then to look at Madara as he stood up once more. "You are overly arrogant woman, your future is in my past Sakura, you can kill all the butterflies you want to but they have already flapped their wings-" She pushed his away, he was infuriating even in the future. "And I will control the tsunami's they've caused and protect and save everyone in their paths, I know what I need to do-"

"You know what you need to do but have you considered all the outside factors? There are somethings that you can never have thought to calculate ... You knew a past that was told to you buy the winners, but now, you wear the crown Sakura, you changed the rules of the game and you control the past, changing it to what you want it to be, my past is your present and future and nothing is what you were taught, because you're the winner writing history now".

He reached down and moved a chunk of her hair out of her face, his blood smearing across her face as he did so. "And those of the future will revere the little witch that had the strongest of human men on their knees and at her very mercy"

Madara dropped his hand then, and closed his eyes for a moment taking a deep breath before turning around once more. "We waited for you to come out of the temple that day and you never came out, after hours we raided it, you were nowhere to be found, but I always had a feeling if you were to come back you'd reappear their smelling like lotus flowers and henna dye ... Don't disappoint him".

---

A clone stood before them all, lilac-colored hair in a perfectly neat ponytail high above her head, her purple rhombus seal matching in color and standing proudly against her pale skin and her green eyes bright and cold, as they looked straight towards those that stood before her. All eyes watching every movement of her chest as she breathed in and out so carefully not intimidated in the slightest by all the eyes on her.

She stood proudly with a sort of dreamy-apathetic look on her face as if she had better things to do as if training all these physicians to heal wasn't important at all. She was back to wearing that white coat once more and it irked him immensely that he couldn't find a house with markings so similar to that, he'd gone through the Uchiha Archives for the familiar Tomoe symbol regarding clans but none actually claimed just the Tomoe like that.

He understood perfectly well that clans that used the Tomoe symbol did it for one reason, and there were only two clans that he knew of that were in the Uchiha Archives to understand it a little better. The Kohaku and Shirogane Clans were very, very, very distantly related to the Uchiha Clan. The linking of the clans were so far off that the birth registration for the initial clan members that married into the two clans hadn't even been in the Uchiha registry and bastards who married outside the clan had to be legalized and given the name if it came down to having to offer a bastard to another clan. Which could only mean that the Uchiha clan's birth registry hadn't even existed yet when they had married into the Kohaku and Shirogane clans, thus the reason those clans didn't have any Uchiha genetics to be shown in their current generation, it had already been bred out with the generations passed.

Sakura's traits though were nothing of either clan, he understood that she had already told him about her parents, but he had to wonder about her father. Sakura's coloring was very distinctive, even if she was coloring her hair, those green eyes of hers weren't commonplace. He'd searched the entire fire country and the surrounding smaller countries for eyes like hers and he'd never once found them on any woman for the last three years.

Wearing the tomoe was a tradition in the Uchiha Clan, for one it symbolized the worship of the universe as well as their proud link to being one of the first clans to have been taught by the Rikudo Sennin. ... And if Sakura was correct it would also symbolize the Uchiha's blood connection to the God of Shinobi as only he had ever worn the Tomoe as a clan insignia. ... So the stories went at least.

If Sakura's mother was an aristocrat then there was only one symbol for her to actually take if she was legalized and given a title, but if she was wearing the Matagama as an insignia then surely her father had to have come from a shinobi clan ... He'd heard about clans that went bankrupt and destroyed the main branch because of it, but while some clans had readjusted their positions and found their footings once more, others weren't so lucky, many of the women ended up either enslaved to larger clans or on the streets and the men usually ran off to marry a civilian to save face ... If that were the case it would be possible to outbreed any shinobi genetics and still keep the clan's cosmetic appearance if the clan's recessive traits were stronger than those of the civilians and nearly all cases of a shinobi having children with civilians resulted with the children taking the shinobi's traits over the civilians.

Hashirama cleared his throat then and he looked over Izuna to see that Hashirama was signaling him to pay attention and he looked up just in time to watch Sakura drop a curtain down with a complete and detailed drawing of two human bodies one male and one female with all organs, muscles, bones, veins and even chakra circulatory system. What's more, the sex organs were also very thoroughly documented.

As a child in a shinobi clan, one is required to learn about the human body in all its glory. One had to know their vital organs and pressure points and figure out where certain chakra nods were in order to survive into adulthood. What was not normal was learning about sex organs especially of the female variety, and Sakura had put them on display for every physician, Chief, and heir to see just then, acting as if it was perfectly normal.

Her bland look told him that she was not happy with the swift change that came over everyone as they took in the drawings and Hashirama fidgeted in his seat, leaning all the way back so that he could look behind Izuna and straight at him as he whispered harshly. "This is most inappropriate! We must stop this before she takes it too far!"

Tobirama pulled him up grumbling loud enough for the three of them to hear. "Sakura is the most knowledgeable healer we've ever come across, perhaps the reason she's more advanced than even the Senju healers is because she does push beyond normal boundaries that have been set upon us. If we want to have healers anywhere close to her level we must push the boundaries as well, besides by creating this village of allied shinobi we are pushing boundaries of what is normal thinking".

And he and Hashirama were not normal thinkers, less they wouldn't be in their positions and still alive. He decided it was alright to agree with the albino Senju heir. "He's correct Hashirama, she does know more than the best of any healers I've crossed, we shouldn't stunt her teachings, we'll only be hurting our own healers". Hashirama crossed his arms as he closed his eyes thinking it over. "Why do we need to know so much about the female body though? It's not as if we need to train people on how to kill women".

Sakura's voice rang softly towards them and suddenly all those black, brown and pearl eyes were now focused on them. "While that is a correct statement Senju-sama, you seem to be misled in your thinking".

He was used to having all eyes on him, but not like this, he felt as if he was being scolded by his nurse. Sakura took her long pointed stick then and pointed at his most familiar part of a woman's lower anatomy. "Do you know anything about the vagina Senju-sama?" Hashirama's face turned red then and his jaw dropped as Sakura continued as her pointer slid down to the clitoris then. "Did you gentlemen know that the clitoris has eight-thousand nerve-endings dedicated solely to pleasure? That's four-thousand more than the male penis, despite this I'm sure none of you have ever actually seen a woman have an orgasm before as that is not the matters that the male penis ponders".

... She didn't ... Izuna stiffened next to him slack-jawed and wide-eyed confirming that she just did. Sakura continued unaffected by the awkwardness that lifted in the room. "A woman could have the intelligence of a rock and still the only thing the male penis cares about is ensuring that all four-thousand nerve endings are thoroughly pleasured on its end, completely ignoring the fact that indeed there is another human that Izanagi himself ensured could receive double the amount of pleasure than that of the males that took after him. So please tell me Senju-sama why have you interrupted my lesson?"

Hashirama's could have resembled a tomato at this point. "Well", Sakura looked blandly over at Hashirama completely unimpressed. "Your recovery astounds me, now if you would I am attempting to teach your physicians as you've requested, please do not interrupt with mindless gossip back there, or the next time will result in you seeing what I can do with a pinky".

Hashirama squeaked. "Your pinky or mine?" Sakura lifted a brow. "Use your imagination". Another squeak. "Hai Sakura-sensei", Sakura corrected him. "Sama". "Hai, Sakura-sama". He rubbed his head, Hashirama had no backbone when it came to standing up to the woman. She had just made Hashirama her own little pet in front of all these physicians.

Sakura looked back at the diagram. "If anyone has any questions I encourage you not to ask at this time, there will be a class called sexual health and we will have a thorough discussion about the female body including the clitoris's nerve-endings as well as the female body's erogenous zones, these gentlemen are spots on the body that react most sensitively towards sexual stimulation ... Senju-sama, Uchiha-sama I do expect to see you at this class especially as we will also go over the many forms of contraception for both men and women as well as the myriad venereal diseases that can come of having unprotected sex with random persons and the other most popular consequence of unprotected sex with random women called unplanned pregnancy".

Well, she still had that bite of hers that was a fact. Guess whatever she did to herself wasn't capable of taking away her sharp teeth, a wolf was a wolf no matter if it shed its fur after all. Tobirama looked over Hashirama and Izuna at him with a lifted brow, the silent question of what had caused Sakura to bite so harshly at Hashirama, he shrugged not sure what was wrong with her.

For the past week, they'd studied and cataloged this new persona of Sakura's and determined that for the most part, she wasn't a threat. She had an apathetic stance on most things unless something tipped her off and her bite was something to beholden, Sakura no matter the personality had a bite that would have a grown man limping for days.

He wasn't sure how he was supposed to feel about Sakura talking to them in such a way, it was rather attractive that she was so commanding when she was teaching the physicians and taking charge, but when she belittled him and Hashirama he actually felt himself getting more than turned on than he should have been. ... Why was he so sick in the head?

The class went on for another twenty minutes before it was deemed officially over for the day and he sighed when he watched Sakura's clone disappear and he breathed out of relief. Looking over to Hashirama who immediately started to complain.

"Why do we allow her to talk to us like that again?" He glared at Izuna as he spoke words that nobody should have heard. "Because Madara-nii loses his tongue when she comes around". "What does any of this have to do with me? I was not the one who pissed her off".

They all looked over at Hashirama then who only huffed as he crossed his arms. "She was being meaner than usual, something must have angered her before she got here".

His body stiffened then as Ashina appeared behind them, patting him on the shoulder as he spoke up. "Haven't you all noticed? The physicians are constantly questioning Sakura's knowledge, dismissing her words entirely, so she's been extremely angry these last couple of days, I think Hashi-chan talking so rudely over her lit the flame, she'll calm down before tonight I guarantee it".

Tonight? Oh no he completely forgot about tonight, they were supposed to be signing the peace treaty in front of all the elders and chiefs, and Hashirama was bringing sake to the event. He rubbed his head. "I thought she had stated she wasn't going to be there". Ashina only chuckled behind him. "Oh that's what she'd like to think but I decided that I'm gonna get her out of that room today ... It can't possibly be healthy that she's locked her real body away in there while her clones run about".

... "You understand that she'll kill you if she figures out what you're up to right?" Ashina was quiet and he turned around to see that the man had already disappeared and he sighed. "That old man is gonna get himself killed tonight" Izuna decided to pop in his two-cents. "Doubt it Sakura-chan has a soft spot for him, unlike you and Hashirama ... Especially you, she's really got it out to want to kill you I think". With a lifted brow he deemed it necessary to let his brother know what he thought of his opinion on the matter. "Nobody asked you Izuna".

Tobirama shook his head. "It's like being with two years olds I swear I don't understand how I ended up in this position". He sighed as he tried to get back on track. "We need to devise a few precautions just in case someone says something that pisses off our healer". Tobirama lifted a brow as he traded in his own idea. "How about we let our clans eat her alive if she decides to get snappy with them? It'll teach her a lesson about her attitude and she'll learn what respect is"

That sounded like a good idea, throw the girl to the wolves. "And if that doesn't work?" Tobirama assuaged his worries. "It'll work, there's no way she'll just start snapping as she did today in a crowd full of Senju and Uchiha, Sakura's not an idiot, just a woman, and for that very reason it's the elders that we need to prepare for, the physicians are lower on the totem pole and have little say unless in regards to the health of the elders and Chief family, the elders on the other hand ... Many will have objections to a woman like Sakura ... and many may even attempt to treat her like a regular woman, which is far from what she actually is and she knows it".

Hashirama rubbed the back of his head. "What's that suppose to mean?" Tobirama's shoulders dropped as he rubbed at his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose. "It means that we should prepare reasonable objections on why they can't treat Sakura like a piece of meat, I trust that Sakura hasn't ever had the need to learn how to delegate a room full of elders and as that happens to be our area of expertise as we are the heirs and Chiefs of these clans than we need to step in when they begin to get a little unruly, I'm sure the Uchiha Clan will be well behaved as she is their official ward yes?"

He nodded his head, it had taken all morning to get the elders to calm down after he'd informed them that he wasn't interested in marrying Sakura anymore, but he still wanted to keep her around as their ward. All morning they'd lashed back at him and to his surprise they even went after Izuna for not making any moves elsewhere about marriage or children. One elder had even gone as far as stating they'd except a bastard child as the next heir at this point. They were desperate old men attempting to find a way to dig their claws into a child they could control like a marionette.

Izuna asked the question that the two of them had been wondering about all week since all of them agreed that Hashirama would be in charge of constructing the building since he could accomplish it faster. "Is the healing institution completed yet?" Hashirama nodded his head. "Yes, I had to make a few adjustments, everytime I asked Sakura-chan about it she kept saying it needed to be bigger, something about building a ...maternity ward? I think that's what she called it and private apartments were needed is what she said, every blueprint I had sent her she sent right back, this last one finally got her to agree".

A woman's word? A woman's ward especially for mothers? ... He'd figure it out soon enough, what was most important was completing the healing institution, they needed somewhere larger for the healers to train, the elders and many of his kinsmen were getting rather agitated that other clans were stepping into a holy sanctuary as that of their mausoleum and he had to agree. There was also the fact that they would need an area where they all could meet and discuss everything in regards to the village and the shinobi's of the clans.

"What of the other building have you finished that yet?" Hashirama nodded his head eagerly. "Oh yes, that was finished a few days ago, I've been having the servants decorate it, you all will really love how it looks". Tobirama glared at his brother as he questioned him. "Did you go over the budget?"

Hashirama smiled that fake smile of his as he rubbed his neck. "What budget? I didn't know there was a budget". Tobirama slouched, his shoulders dropping even further then as he shook his head.

He could understand the younger Senju's worry about Hashirama's spending, Hashirama had already gone through their clans money once because of his grandiose lifestyle, Sakura and Tobirama saved the clan just in time through Tobirama making a marriage contract with the Uzumaki and Sakura gifting the Senju the gold to fill their coffers enough to be on equal footing with most of the clans, and she did it with the understanding that she'd never see it come back to her either in any form, which said a lot about whom Sakura was.

She didn't need the gold or care about it much, but she used it to her advantage knowing others took it more seriously than she did.

Tobirama was angry, he could see it in his eyes then, the man was so angry that he didn't even want to talk with them any longer, he could understand he didn't very much care for the younger Senju much either. "We need to start gathering our clans for tonight, we'll speak with you tonight after the signing has been done".

Hashirama was grabbed by his ear then and dragged out, the older Senju looking at everyone his eyes could meet requesting someone to help him get away from his younger brother. Izuna turned to him then. "I've never been more thankful to have you as a brother, I don't know how either of them deal with each other".

Looking at his younger brother he nodded his head. "I cannot help but agree to that ... Have you heard from Oji-san?" Izuna shook his head. "Not since I last sent him off with his tail tucked between his legs like the good elder he is ... I've heard he's back but I haven't seen him and since he hasn't bothered us I don't see a reason to worry, he'll no doubt be at the signing tonight".

That was interesting. "You never did explain what happened to have him sent off". Izuna shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly as he spoke. "Oh you know, same old story, Oji-san was attempting to have me replace you".

Why did that not surprise him? Everyone seemed to think that Izuna was the better between the two of them and he could not figure out for the life of him why that was. One of these days they'd figure out how wicked his little brother is and not know what to do with him.

Izuna continued on. "I sent him off to get new fabrics, I hope there's something nice to wear, I don't want to be the clan that goes to the signing in their battle gear, we're supposed to be showing trust and there's no better way than showing you're not planning to kill them".

He couldn't help but chuckle at that, if Izuna hadn't been there it wasn't a doubt that he'd have made their kinsmen appear in their battle gear and would have not allowed the elders to appear at all. "Come brother, perhaps we should spare before we start getting ready, there's nothing like a good spare before we go off to meet our enemies".

Izuna rolled his eyes. "Former enemies".

---

"Why am I looking at this?" Ashina sighed as he rubbed his head while watching Sakura look down at the fabric swatches she had been given. "Because you need to decide what you're going to be wearing for tonight". Sakura's brows puckered in confusion. "Tonight?" Of course she wouldn't remember what was happening tonight, it wasn't something that was important to her as she'd already forced the Uchiha and Senju to sign the contract.

"Tonight the Senju and Uchiha will be signing the declaration of peace between their clans, Hashi-chan has planned a large feast for all the clans that will be there". Her brows were still puckered in confusion. "I don't understand what does that have to do with me?"

He breathed out carefully as he rubbed the bridge of his nose. "As the ward of the Uchiha you have the responsibility to represent the care that the Uchiha's have given you, appearing at social functions is a result of taking on the title of ward". Attempting to get this girl to believe what he was saying was very tricky, one wrong word and she'd outright refuse.

"That's such a ridiculous rule, and it even sounds sexist, have you spoken about this with Madara and Izuna?" she said there names so casually to. "Sama, Sakura-chan, you must use the title sama, as the ward of the clan you must use proper titles, at least in front of the rest of the clans, if you were to speak about the clans chief and heir so casually many would not approve of it". Sakura rolled her eyes. "I know this Ashina-sama, but considering I'm speaking in my private rooms I don't see the need to use their titles, and if anything they should be calling me Sakura-sama as I am in fact their master now".

This girl was really going to go there right now and he had never been so thankful that she had placed up silencing tags around her room. "I understand that Sakura-chan but as we are attempting to keep the clans from knowing the fact that they are in fact bound to you as that could result in them hiring out to kill you and that would make my job that much more difficult, something that is completely unnecessary as well, but you do need to remember that the Uchiha clan has in fact taken you in as a ward, whether that is a cover story or not we need to make the others believe that it is the absolute truth and you do that by showing the clan the respect they deserve. They are after all a noble blooded clan and do deserve the respect that they've earned, and you need to remember that when you're out there".

Sakura blinked at him clearly annoyed about this conversation and he crossed his arms. "You're going Sakura-chan, you must, the other clans need to meet the woman that has been teaching their physicians as well as the woman that will be attending any meetings amongst the other chiefs and heirs". Sakura frowned then, the faded lilac coloring of her hair clashing horribly with her longer Sakura colored roots as it swayed to the side heavily.

She was quick as always to make the handseal that he was becoming familiar with in order to make a clone of herself, one without the pink roots and keeping the wild lilac-colored hair. The clone was quick to leave the room and he followed it unsure what was happening but knowing it was better to see what the clone was up to.

Like herself the clone was only in a sleeping yukata that was two sizes to large on her, the Uchiha symbol bright against the black fabric. He rubbed his nose again, this girl was going to be the death of him, he had sisters, wives, daughters and even granddaughters and none of them had ever gave him so much trouble as this one tiny girl did.

She was quick on her feet as she made her way down the stairs and out of the house, he followed quickly watching as she turned the corner of the house, the Uchiha guards that protected the house and the main family watching on with quiet words at the odd girl that was living with their esteemed Madara-sama.

Around the corner Sakura turned and he stopped and sighed as he saw Madara and Izuna stop in their training and look over at the two of them. Sakura stopped where she was then and he bit his tongue.

Sakura was in a sleeping yukata, one he was quiet sure belonged to the Uchiha Clan Chief if the look she was getting from Madara was any indication of where the robe had come from and then there was the fact that Izuna and Madara were standing without any tunic or robes themselves save for their bottoms and sandals and looking over at Sakura like she was a delicacy. ... Openly at that, well Madara was, Izuna was blushing, the poor boy still uneasy by Sakura's ease of inappropriate clothing and lack thereof as well.

Madara acknowledged them carefully with a lifted brow. "Sakura-san, Ashina-sama" He looked over at Sakura again, licking his lips as he looked her over. Sure the girl was pretty but he'd finally seen how skinny she was it took the prettiness away quickly, especially since her entire persona changed in a single night. "Is there something we can help you-" Sakura cut him off quickly. "As the ward of the Uchiha clan am I required to attend social functions?" Madara looked over to him and he nodded his head behind Sakura, hoping she wouldn't turn her attention towards him and see what he was doing.

They absolutely needed to get Sakura out of her bedroom, she couldn't lock herself up the way she was doing. Madara took the cue and looked back over to Sakura. "Is there an issue with that?" Sakura breathed out carefully. "Would it be the same if I were a man? If I was a male ward of the clan would I be required to attend this event?"

Madara didn't hide his eyeroll as he gave her what she needed to hear. "Yes Sakura-san even if you were a male ward you would still be required to attend all events that I and the rest of the clan have requested you of ... As that is said, you should know that Kiyoshi will be attending as another ward of the Uchiha clan as his brothers are attending as wards of The Senju clan".

Well he had not known that, why hadn't he had known that, these men were always doing things and not keeping him in the loop, he supposed though with his job ensuring Sakura's protection it was hard to keep up with what was happening with the other two clans.

Sakura looked as if she still wanted to argue despite the fact that Madara had taken away her excuse of her claim of sexism. "Is that so?" Madara crossed his arms then and nodded his head. "It is". Sakura clucked her tongue then. "Very well then, I'll be going back to my room, I have much that I need to get done if I'm going to lose time going to this ... social event so I will see you all there".

She disappeared then and he sighed rubbing his forehead, she had a personal guard on her so he wouldn't have to get back to her too soon. Madara actually sounded sympathetic as he questioned him. "Has she been difficult Ashina-sama?" He nodded his head at the Uchiha Chief. "She left her room in nothing more than a sleeping yukata ... You're sleeping yukata Madara, if anyone else were to have seen her like that rumors would surfice more quickly than we could control".

Madara shrugged his shoulders. "The Uchiha clan has had rumors going around since before you were born Ashina-sama, we care little for what people think, if they wish to believe that Sakura and I are courting, it's a better idea, I can't have anyone marrying her so long as we're bound to her".

Madara would be the one to say it outloud. "Madara, she was in your robes". He nodded his head. "Yes she was, and I have to say they do look very good on her too". Izuna sighed as he crossed his arms. "Don't worry to much about that Ashina-sama, Sakura-chan stole it from Madara-nii the same day she locked him out of the house, she's not given it back since. If it makes you feel any better I've decided not to move out like I was originally planning to".

That made him feel slightly better, Izuna's innocence said a lot about his views of abstinence before marriage, something he'd never seen an heir do before, but it balanced the things he'd come to learn about Madara. While he himself thought he had a healthy sex life he realized that he had it pretty lame compared to the Senju and Uchiha Cheifs. Where Hashirama couldn't keep it quiet and wasn't particularly picky with whom he bedded, Madara on the other hand kept his voracious sexual appetite very quiet, very, very quiet, so quiet that had he not been spending so much time on the Uchiha's property he would have never noticed.

If Izuna was staying at the house then he knew that Madara would have no doubt had to keep his flings down to a minimum, with Sakura's bedroom across from his and Izuna's the next bedroom over even silencing tags didn't help the neighboring walls no matter how many were there and Sakura was no doubt not on the list of woman that Madara was allowed to touch. Which everyone knew the Uchiha Chief was itching to and may have already had a taste of the girl before the shift of persona's and may have been the reason why her persona changed in the first place. Madara claimed nothing happened but Sakura's attitude towards him had shifted so badly that it was better not to watch her tear him apart. Then again she did like to tear Hashirama's head off whenever given the chance and she did it so well too that he had to applaud her for how good at it she was.

"I must thank you, I've been thinking up ways to get her out of the room since she locked herself out, this is the only thing that I thought I might have a good chance at winning in an argument with her".

Madara and Izuna looked towards each other then and he watched as the two of them had a silent conversation before they looked back over at him, Madara spoke carefully then. "Ashina-sama ... Have you ever ... Does Sakura ever eat?"

Ah the question that even he had wondered since he'd met the thin girl. "She does, not much though, hardly, I know the servant girl ... Emiyo? She does try to encourage Sakura-chan to eat more than what she does, I don't know if Sakura-chan gets too caught up in whatever she's doing in her room to eat or if she doesn't like any of the food, but she does eat ... bits".

Madara as he'd come to learn was not shy about his thoughts, and he had absolutly no issue using interesting means to get what he wanted. "We've had the servants feeding her heavier meals and I've seen them put weight on men not shy of her size and within a couple of days at the least double, yet Sakura from what I can tell hasn't put any weight on at all, it's concerning and a part of me wonders if I'm going to have to force feed her until she comes to a descent weight".

That didn't sound like a very pretty scene truth be told and Madara sounded sincere about his concern and what decision he would come to if he was forced to but there really wasn't any other way. Sakura for some reason or another did not consume food as normal people did. It truly was a concern to all of them, he hadn't exaggerated when he said 'bits' Sakura could literally take two bites and be done with eating for the rest of the day. Thankfully beyond her kage bushin Sakura didn't do anything physical to exert unneccessary energy, had she he was positive she wouldn't survive off two bites of food as she was.

"Perhaps then Madara, you should tell your servant girls to try harder at getting Sakura-chan to eat, I can only do so much as I myself have important matters that need to be handled and cannot watch Sakura-chan's every waking moment".

Madara frowned. "Isn't that what she's contracted you to do?", "I am, I have guards watching her as well, but we are contracted to ensure she is not killed by anyone you or the Senju might hire to kill her, beyond that if the girl refuses to eat I have no power over her, but you have your servants and physicians near her more than anyone else, It would be wise to take advantage of them".

Madara rolled those dark eyes of his then. "Sakura would see them coming". It just occurred to him that Madara never used proper titles in regards to Sakura, it irked and intrigued him all the same.

"I'll see what more me and the Hyuga are able to do about Sakura's wellbeing, in the meantime we need to discuss who's going to be escorting her to the feast, since we've made it a point that she has to be there, we must make sure that we-" Madara rudely interrupted him then.

"Why is it that you seem to believe that we don't know proper protocol and procedure? You do understand that while we don't spend excessively as the Senju clan does and we don't have as large a fortune as you Uzumaki do, we do see an importance on putting every coin necessary towards our heirs education, the Uchiha are not barbarians as the rumors make others believe us to be".

Well he didn't think he was an idiot, more brain than Hashirama-chan, but he wouldn't believe they were anywhere near Tobirama-chan's intelligence, but perhaps he was wrong, after all the Uchiha had to put there money somewhere if they weren't spending it like The Senju did.

"Considering you're preferred daily activity one could question what ... books you placed your head between, seems I'm mistaken". Madara smirked. "Ah ... I've instructed Kanaya to escort Sakura, as he is an important member of my court he is required to attend the festivities as well and the servant girl Emiyo has been instructed that she is to see to Sakura's care for the foreseeable future as her personal servant".

Madara leaned forward a bit as he added. "What I'm trying to explain to you Ashina-sama is that I understand what is needed to make it look believable".

No he could see why Tobirama disliked the Uchiha Chief so much, beyond the blood feud, Uchiha Madara was nearly identical to Senju Tobirama in intelligence and arrogance, the only difference was that the Uchiha had much more personality than the youngest Senju, it all made sense why the two clashed so hard now.

Hmm, now he was very interested to see how things went today.

---

"Sakura-sama?" Again, the girl was interrupting her again, she opened one eye as she looked over at the shoji screen. "Yes Emiyo-san?" "I've brought your pants as you've requested".

She supposed since she had to play diplomat tonight she would have to look the part. "Bring them to me", "Hai Sakura-sama". The screen slid open then and revealed the young servant, she walked carefully into the room, her head down and her eyes focused on the floor all the while apologizing for something that was not in her power to control. "Forgive me Sakura-sama, they were still washing them when you made your request".

The pants were dripping wet and heavy in weight then. "It's doesn't matter Emiyo-san, let me see them". Emiyo nodded as she held out her hands with the soaked pants. dropping it onto her knees she picked up a side and tore open the stitching on the side pocket. She pulled out the only thing her father had ever treasured and entrusted to her then.

The small gold tikka chain looked dirty now and the single small diamond didn't gleam as brightly as it once did, this wouldn't do. "It's so pretty", She looked back over at Emiyo then and handed her the chain. "Take it to get cleaned, it must be done before we leave today" Emiyo nodded her head anxiously. "Hai, Sakura-sama, I'll be off then".

The girl turned away from her then and slid the screen back open giving her the opportunity to see across the hall and into the room across from her own. Madara was finishing getting dressed, his own servant girl waiting on him patiently as she stood off to the side awaiting his word.

The Uchiha Chief forewent the usual blue and opted for deep burgundy robes with long, billowing sleeves and silk-white under-robes. The colors giving him a more tan complexion compared to the usual paleness that the blue seemed to give.

Something about the look was off though, while the bags were gone and he looked healthier than she'd ever seen him, something about how he looked still came off ... wild. She stood from her position on the floor and made her way towards him, making sure to cast a genjutsu to cover her growing roots.

With the mirror facing towards her he could see her approach, not that he needed the mirror. She slid past the threshold of his room and only then as she continued to watch him, trying to discern what was wrong with his look did he acknowledge her. "Sakura, to what do I owe this pleasure".

His hair, that was it, it was his hair she snapped her fingers then as she addressed the young servant girl. "Girl, turn around" The young girl looked over at Madara then who only lifted a brow as he looked at her from the reflection of the mirror. "So we're understanding one another, this isn't some part of a weird sex fantasy of yours is it? While I don't mind voyurism, I do mind when others torment my servants, it's rather hard finding help these days".

It's was a shame she couldn't fix his mouth as well, pity that. "I need something from her". That brow lifted higher. "Do you now?" This was getting ... annoying. Madaras eye shifted to look at the servant then and nodded his head. The girl turned around, her shoulders tense and shaking. Reaching over she tugged at the girls hair and grabbed onto the leather hair tie carefully removing it from the girls hair. She pulled away then. "Grab me the stool there" The girl nodded her head anxiously. "Hai Sakura-sama".

There wasn't even a wait as the servant girl moved quickly and placed the stool in front of her. Standing on the stool she turned to Madara then, using her nails as a comb, he closed his eyes as she brushed his hair back and up. "Hadn't you told me you were going to start wearing your hair up more often?" She heard the servant girls intake of breath and knew that with his hair up it was hard to miss the attractive facial features that were hidden behind his wild hair, fixing his side fringe to a more appropriate state.

Once done, she stepped down from the stool, Madara frowned at her from the reflection of the mirror, she happily found that now he didn't look like a rabid animal and she could find relief and continue on with more serious matters. It was when she was nearly out the room that Madara decided to finally speak.

"You must have been eavesdropping Sakura, I do believe I told another that in private". Oh? "Is that so? Well then I do hope this other person will be attending the festivities tonight, I'm quite positive that your kinsmen will look forward to you introducing us to this woman that seems so important to you".

His chakra darkened then and sparked aggressively as he spoke. "It's most unfortunate but it seems she has disappeared, perhaps sometime you could help me find her". He was so easily riled, like a rabid dog. "That's a pity, but I'll make sure to inform the clans Nakōdo in order to help you solve this mystery, was there anything about this woman that could help us identify her better by?"

Madara's dark eyes burned her for a moment as he held her stare and he spoke in a tight voice. "Stunning, she was stunning". Stunning huh? She bowed her head. "Of course Uchiha-sama, I'll be sure to inform the Nakōdo when I see them". Madara looked away from her then and she turned back around and slid the screen shut.

Walking back into her room she saw that Emiyo had returned quickly from the jewelers and had clothes hanging on the ikou. "What's this Emiyo-san?" Emiyo looked back and smiled at her brightly. "I saw that you hadn't chosen what to wear for tonight, so I thought we'd see which ones looked best on you, I've made them all myself for you, I've been most excited to be able to dress you, especially with such fine fabrics, and I was even able to make some wonderful obi's from the scraps of your coat, such a shame that it was so damaged to I've never seen such a fine fabric as that one, even these don't seem to compare to it and I'm told Izuna-sama made sure to buy the best fabrics".

It was rather unnecessary really, tensions would be very high and nobody would really care what the others were wearing ... She doesn't remember ever hearing about a feast after the peace-treaty was signed. Had she changed history? She was sure that if sake was involved stories of Hashirama would have no doubt been told of what a fool of himself he'd had made and Tsunade would have said something, someone would have told Tsunade about her grandfathers idiocy there wasn't any doubt.

There was a knock then and Emiyo frowned as she walked over to the screen and slid it open. "Uzumaki-sama, forgive me!" Emiyo squabbled down onto her knees then, her head nearly touching the floor as she bowed. "Ah Sakura-chan there you are!" "Yes exactly where you last saw me". He chuckled as he stepped inside then and opened the screen further revealing a curious Madara that stood on the other side of the hall watching the Daimyo just as she was.

Madara spoke then, his voice deep as he eyed the attendants that walked into her room. "Shouldn't you be at the meeting spot? We're all to be meeting soon, it would be odd if our witnesses weren't there as well".

Ashina smirked then. "Yes, I'll be leaving momentarily I just wanted to ensure that Sakura-chan understood that she is required to physically attend, no Kage Bushins of any sort". He looked her up and down then. "Anywho I also wanted to make sure that you looked absolutely perfect before you showed up and who better than to help get you dressed than a Daimyo's personal servants".

Madara crossed his arms clearly offended. "She has a servant as you can see, I don't see why she needs more" Ashina smiled wickedly at Madara then. "These ones have a ... Magic touch if you must". She rolled her eyes. "If you two are done here, please leave, I have much to get done before I leave".

Ashina rolled his eyes as he grumbled and Madara turned and walked away, Ashina turned back around then and smiled that wicked smile at her. "See you there Sakura-chan, don't forget no kage bushins, and take down the genjutsu as well, they're gonna need to be able to fix that nest of hair". He slid the screens shut then and Emiyo breathed out carefully before she ran to the ikou and grabbed the bright white fabrics. "Here Sakura-sama, this dress is the one I thought would best suit you, I saw that many were dressing traditionally, but I remembered meeting a merchant once that said the women in the Emperors court don't wear kimono's like the rest of us, he sold me some patterns of the robes they were using and I've saved them for a special occasion".

The girl liked to talk a lot and she watched as Emiyo snapped her fingers at one of the servants Ashina had assigned to her for the night. "You there, grab me the white robe there, you begin setting Sakura-sama's bath and you will begin helping me with Sakura-sama's hemmings and you ... Stay where you are until I need you", the servants nodded their head and did as told. She couldn't help but be surprised at the servant girls sudden change of attitude. "Emiyo-san I've never seen you take charge like that, I'm very impressed". Emiyo nodded enthusiastically then. "You're a ward of the Uchiha Clan Sakura-sama, and I am a servant to the main family, and charged with your care, I have to make sure they understand that I'm in charge here, not any of them".

Interesting she hadn't thought that servants fought over positions, she supposed it made sense, nobody wanted to do the dirty work and living inside a nice big house would be appeasing for lower class that didn't have the same options.

"Sakura-sama" She looked over at Emiyo then who held up the robes for her. "If you would please". She nodded her head and began to undo her robes that she'd taken a liking to.

Another servant stood behind her and helped her remove the robe from her body and she removed her underwear and breast band. Emiyo blushed as she looked away and handed the robes over to her. "Emiyo have you never seen another woman's body before?" Emiyo nodded. "Of course, it's just that ... Well you're bodies a bit different than our own, I've heard that women from other countries remove all their hair, I never thought they removed it all though".

"Yes, where I'm from our village leader required most women and men to remove all their body hair ... Sweat tends to catch in the hair and creates an odor that other's can pick up on. Not a very good thing if you're paid to be invisible".

Emiyo like the other servants looked confused and she shook her head as she handed the robes to another servant and helped place the smooth material onto her body. "Your skin is so lovely Sakura-sama, these robes especially bring out how fair it is".

Emiyo then turned away and walked over to the chest that was kept in her room and pulled out her gold bracelet. "Why don't you wear this anymore Sakura-sama? It's rather lovely don't you think?"

"I suppose it is lovely, but I won't need it, nothing in me needs to be repressed when I have everything in myself well ... contained". Another confused look and Emiyo sent the other servants to prepare her bath while she and another began fixing the length of the dress. "Perhaps I should sew some weights on here, it's been rather windy lately and I wouldn't want your robes to go flying open ..."

"Sakura-sama?", "Yes Emiyo-san?", "Madara-sama told me that I have to attend the party with you, what color would you like me to wear? I made a few dresses for myself as well that I think would look nice enough". She really didn't care. "Anything you want, you could even choose one of the dresses you made for me with that fabric you seem to like so much, I don't see myself wearing any dresses after tonight".

"Oh no Sakura-sama, those are too fine for me, I could never", "I don't mind, you are my personal servant you may as well not even attempt an argument". The girl nodded her head. "As you wish Sakura-sama ... You don't worry about an outsider wearing your clan crest though?" What was she talking about?

"What do you mean?" Emiyo looked away with a blush as she left her spot on the floor and grabbed one of the robes and turned it over to show her the tomoe she had embroidered onto it. "It's your clan's insignia isn't it?" Not hers ... "So it would seem" She looked up at the servant girl with a frown. "If you are my personal servant you may as well wear the insignia, it'll allow others to understand your position better after all". Emiyo blushed as she placed the robes back on the ikou then.

"Here miss, Madara-sama asked that you wear it from now on". She looked down at the girl and frowned as she looked over at the girls outstretched hand with the golden bracelet on it as Emiyo continued on. "I don't understand Madara-sama's persistence though, it's not as if he'd be able to see your wrist with how long the sleeves are, and it would be most inappropriate to check your wrist for the bracelet, especially in such a public setting".

No, it seemed odd and she picked up the bracelet and added her chakra to it, forcing the material to lengthen in size. Looking back at the mirror she placed the now golden choker onto her neck and fixed it onto herself. "That was awesome Sakura-sama? Where did you learn that?"

"The Ninso who made this for me had mastered remolding gold with chakra ... He made it to where if I needed to I could reshape the bracelet by just adding my chakra, I suppose since Madara is insistent on my wearing it, as his ward I'm bound to doing as he says ... at least appearance wise".

The girls eyes widened then. "Oh you just reminded me Sakura-sama I had the jeweler make you something!" She shook her head as she left the room then and the other servants stepped in and started on her dresses hemming. They draped her in more robes and placed the obi on tight and she stared at the mirror off to the side to get a good look at herself.

She wondered what people thought when they looked at her, what they would think when they saw her. Wondered if they could see the missing part of her body? The fact that she walked around with a fake one, wondered if they could feel it, the difference in her? Or did they feel that she wasn't completly human like they all were?

It was a good thing she rid herself of her heart, she could only imagine how emotional she would have been if she had made it this far, thank goodness for Madara and Kaguya they sure knew how to make a person realize where their priorities were required.

There wasn't a time she had ever felt so good though, everything seemed so clear compared to how all the pressure and sorrow had began to close in on her and tear her to pieces. That was all over though, now there was nothing for her to concern herself with, she lived and breathed how she was needed to, the village, the future required her to survive, to stop Kaguya and Madara no matter the cost.

She had endured enough in these last years and had finally hit her limit, there had been nothing left of herself to give anymore, nothing that wouldn't have shattered her completely and allowed Kaguya to survive.

Now, now she didn't feel anger, didn't feel sadness, happiness, no longer did she need to question herself she felt ... like a feather belonging to a collective at one time and then flying off and into the wind no matter the destination but understood that it was part of nature to be lost in the wind.

"Sakura-sama your bath is ready now" She nodded her head as she allowed the servants to begin undressing her again, she did feel like a hot bath would do her some good, sitting down all day had made her muscles rather stiff.

---

Everyone looked as if they were walking on glass, acting as if at any moment someone would decided to pull out a hidden kunai and destroy the treaty they'd just signed. ... Not that they could.

Hashirama sighed next to him then as he reached for the sake bottle, Tobirama's arm shot out quickly as he grabbed it before Hashirama could, he felt the electricity between the two brothers and took in a deep breath as he continued to watch his elders look around themselves as if someone would slit their throats.

This was no good, perhaps when the entertainment started and the women arrived things would get less ... worrisome. Hashirama sighed again and he rolled his eyes before looking over at The Senju chief, his eyes were large and he looked down at the table with a frown as he used his pointer finger to roll a rock around.

How was Hashirama stronger than him? The oaf acted like a twelve year old, the Senju released another sigh again and he saw the food and entertainment finally arrive. "Thank goodness".

Hashirama stood quickly when he realized as well and began to clap ecstatically as he beckoned those that arrived to begin and he watched as the older Senju cleverly snatched the sake bottle out from under Tobirama's nose.

Izuna leaned closer to him as he spoke quietly. "Has anyone commented on the fact that Hashirama-sama has already started on the celebrations before the sake even arrived?"

Looking over to the older Senju he watched as the man sat down, nearly missing his seat as Tobirama quickly moved the seat before anyone would see the great Senju Hashirama fall on his ass.

Gods he was a hopeless mess, they'd have to get him straightened out before Sakura saw him and made a scene in front of everyone. "Forgive the idiot for right now, he's supposed to meet his future wife tonight ... It would seem someone still isn't ready to settle down and another hasn't beaten it into them".

Izuna leaned back then before sitting straight up again. "Never thought I'd be glad you haven't chosen my future wife yet". ... He didn't ... Looking over at his elders and then he looked over at the other clans elders realizing that none were paying any heed to them before placing a hand on Izuna's shoulder. "Do be careful with your words brother, we are surrounded by shinobi, one might hear and you know how anxious our elders are to get us married off". Izuna's eyes were just as wide as his then. "Forgive me brother, I must have misspoken". He nodded his head once more. "Don't let it happen again".

The band was loud and the sake and wine was spread all around the tables to all the clans, nobody passing up the opportunity to refill their cups immediately after drinking their first. Wives and daughters were brought in next and he sighed as the sake and the women's presense seemed to lessen the tension and as expected the women talked to other women in aligned clans calming the waters further and he took in a deep breath relived to see everyone beginning to settle down and relax if only just a bit.

Shinobi law denied women from dying by that of shinobi, it was the only reason any of them had thought this feast would be possible, there was no way that anybody would chance a woman dying in the crosshairs. It was too much of a risk.

Hashirama slurred a bit as he placed a hand on his head, his large hand almost petting his head, he took another deep breath to calm himself he would not hit the idiot in front of everyone. He would not! "Where's Sakura-chan? Shouldn't she have arrived with the other women?" He was going to hit him, he took in a deep breath and removed the large hand from his head. "I don't know where she is, it's not like I keep track of her, that's the Uzumaki's job". Izuna spoke up then. "Who dipped out right after the signing".

He turned to his brother and glared. "Not helping". Izuna waved him off as he took a sip of sake straight from the bottle. "Don't worry so much, Sakura-chan is coming ... eventually, maybe we'll be lucky and she'll come when all of this is nearly over and nobody will have enough time to introduce her and not have anyone speak to her".

Tobirama seemed to want to add in his voice then. "We would only be so lucky". Hashirama went for the sake bottle then and he pushed it out of his reach. "Seriously you people are being so cruel tonight!"

Tobirama seethed. "You're to meet your wife! I'd appreciate it if she didn't realize how horrible you were until after you've consummated the marriage".

He snorted at that. "Yeah make sure she can't run back to her clan when she realizes he's a drunken slut by trapping her with a child". Tobirama rolled his eyes as he crossed his arms. "Well what other way do you think we'll keep her?" Izuna popped in his two-sense once more. "Pray he's marrying a social-climber or gold-digger, I've heard those women will deal with anything".

He shook his head. "Izuna no one needs any more of you-" "Woah" His neck snapped over to Hashirama then expecting him to have finally fallen on his ass only to see that he was standing frozen in his spot, mouth wide open he looked over at Tobirama who only shrugged his shoulders and he looked back at Izuna only to see that he too was staring slack-jawed just as Hashirama was.

The entire woods seemed to quiet then and he looked over at Tobirama who looked just as perplexed before they followed the stares.

He felt his heart beating hard under his chest as he saw her there, looking like a painting, long Sakura-colored tresses, flowing white robes, gem-colored eyes surrounded by wisps of black lashes and perfectly glowing fair-skin, her dark circles seemed to have disappeared and despite the fact that she still looked small the robes and makeup seemed to cover and make it all disappear. She walked with Kanaya as if she were walking on air, her robes gliding across the floor, her long thick pink hair bouncing in healthy curls half-up in perfection with a gleaming tikka chain, and a golden talisman at her crown and a dazzling diamond just above her purple rhombus seal. Her golden claw bracelet no longer a bracelet laid tight against her small neck with another necklace just under it that looked a lot like a golden tomoe that dangled right between the top of her breast.

Sakura glowed with beauty, her cat-like eyes taking everything in with a calculated look, he could see the wheels churning within those large eyes of hers as she prepared to cause mass choas upon them.

She walked with grace and poise her head held up high, that haughty look that only aristocrats had perfected painted across her features and those pretty eyes of hers mystifying in their glow and seemed to paralyze all those that seemed to catch her eye, as if they were being paralyzed by the Sharingan itself.

Her robes were white as milk flowing airily around her and the traditional kimono's that the other women wore couldn't touch her and he was feeling as if he'd become a starved man. Desperate to get a taste, a touch, a look and he realized he was back at where he had started from the moment she'd first opened those gem-colored eyes of hers.

He felt helpless as she continued to make her way towards them and his heart beat horribly against his chest and he took a calming breath trying to get himself under control once more.

Hashirama grabbed the bottle of sake then and took a deep gulp as if it was water and dropped it back down onto the table. "And dare I say it I do believe that we are in the presence of a god". Sakura's green-green eyes met his dark one's then and he decided to follow the older Senju's lead and grabbed a bottle of sake and drank it down just as Hashirama did. Izuna tilted his head. "... She looks like a Yosei, like from the stories our nurse used to tell us ... Actually maybe she is one? I mean she's short like one and she basically brought me back from the dead".

"Didn't my servants do such a fabulous job?" He nearly choked as he turned to look back at Ashina who was wearing a deep smirk on his face and he felt himself coming back at that pretentious smirk. "They did, she actually looks presentable, though I know my servant girl had been slaving away preparing everything for today so I know it was mostly her doing, it's unfortunate though that you were unable to keep her hands away from the henna dye, it would have been nice to have seen her natural coloring for once".

Ashina's smirk seemed to get deeper, more than he thought was possible and his eerie purple eyes glowed conspiratorially. "That is her natural coloring". Hashirama choked on his sake then and he spit it out in the most ungraceful way possible and Ashina continued on. "My girls stripped out everything and that's what was left, I mean it helped that some of it was already grown out.

... Her hair was pink. ... Her hair was pink ... Pink. ... Pink like the Sakura flowers ... Oh ... He and the others seemed to have come to the same conclusion at the same time then. "Sakura". Someone's parents didn't seem to be that creative when naming her.

Hashirama decided to ask a question that was not appropriate for the occasion. "Are you sure it's natural? I mean ... are her ... foundations the same coloring as well? Did your servants see all of her?" He and Tobirama snapped then and smacked the older Senju on the head. "Ow".

"What has Hashirama-sama done this time?" His neck snapped and he looked down at the small fairy-like woman that stood in front of him then and he felt his tongue get stuck to the back of his throat as her pretty green eyes watched him like a cat preparing to pounce.

Hashirama thankfully decided to open his mouth then as he leaned his arm onto his shoulder, elbowing his neck and even that couldn't tear his eyes off of her, the oaf leaned forward and looked down at Sakura. "Wow Sakura-chan I barely recognize you! I was right you look mighty fine in a dress! Right Madara!" The big oaf used his other hand to clap his arm harshly and he had to look away from those green eyes as they moved to look over at him. "Yes" His voice was tight and he cleared it as he looked over at Izuna hoping he'd cut in.

"Kanaya-san". Izuna started and he sighed in relief as Sakura's large cat-like eyes turned into slits as she looked away from him and over at Hashirama with a inquisitive eye, hunting for something in her prey like the huntress she was. Izuna continued on "Allow me to take Sakura-san off your hands and I'll begin introducing her to the other elders".

Sakura held up her hand then. "Hold on there, what's wrong with this picture?"

She leaned forward ever so slightly towards Hashirama then and just barely stepped on the tips of her toes, her small nose wrinkling as she breathed deeply and she stepped down and took a step closer, glaring up at Hashirama. "You're drunk" She seethed, her green eyes turning venomous as she continued on. "How are you drunk? You're healing abilities should make it impossible to get drunk and you stink".

He sighed in relief she wasn't getting after him, he could barely breath let alone speak, he wouldn't have stood a chance against her and those green-green eyes of hers.

Hashirama stuttered then. "Uh... Tobi-chan help me out here". Tobirama crossed his arms over his chest and leaned closer to Hashirama glaring at him with his eerie red eyes. "How are you drunk? I've never seen you drunk before".

Hashirama turned to him then with large puppy dog eyes before Tobirama pulled him away and out of sight, Sakura and the rest of them followed, making sure none of the others followed them. Though he did feel the eyes of many a men and he knew they were all staring at the small sprite in back of him.

"Hold him down for me". Tobirama nodded his head and Sakura grabbed hold of Hashirama's neck, that wonderful healing chakra of hers was released and he felt relaxed like the last time he'd felt it and his mind was soothed as he watched her fill Hashirama's body with her chakra. "... This looks familiar ..." Tobirama was curious. "What is it?" "His healing abilities, his chakra is being attacked by a poison ... but not enough of it to kill him just slow down his chakra ... I've seen this somewhere before".

Uh oh ... It was to late to get out of there, her mind worked so quickly sometimes that it worried him. "Madara why does this look like the cocktail that you made when you stopped my healing abilities?"

"I'm unclear as to how he obtained it to be honest". As delectable as she looked her temper was something he wasn't going to be able to handle if she looked like that.

Sakura then started to search Hashirama's robes as Tobirama held him down. "Come on! Aren't I allowed to enjoy the celebrations too?" Sakura huffed then. "Not drunk you aren't! You're supposed to make an example for the other clans! Being a drunken fool is not the right example we need ... Ah hah!" She pulled out a small vile then and he closed his eyes waiting for her to go after him for Hashirama's stupidity.

"You're using this poison as a drug Hashirama! I knew you were stupid but I didn't think you were that stupid, have you not forgotten that we are around all the other clans, as much as I'd appreciate being able to trust that nobody is going to start some stupid fight I know for a fact that everyone is drinking and people are stupid and having the Senju Chief drunk because he's using a poison as a drug to slow down his healing is not going to help matters!"

Hashirama looked away then, "I just wanted to feel normal again". Sakura glared harder at him, her green eyes mere slits now. "Attempting to pull on my sympathy doesn't work Senju, now get yourself together, you're supposed to meet your future wife tonight and I can't have you smelling like the bottom of a sake barrel and acting like more of an idiot than you already are!"

He needed to get away from her, with her looking like something that had come from the heavens and tearing into Hashirama the way she was he worried he might actually do something as stupid as attempt to make a move on her. Sakura was too attractive when she was angry, with her ethereal features, fine robes and gem-colored eyes that were alight with wild-fire and he was nothing more than a weak man that couldn't hold a candle against her, he had never been more glad that he was wearing such heavy robes.

"Ne Sakura-san" She looked over at Izuna then her eyes glaring and ready to attack them if they weren't careful. "Yes Izuna-san?" Izuna shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly as he spoke. "Maybe you should get back, it's not appropriate you being here alone with us". Sakura waved him off though. "I already have a clone with Kanaya and Ashina-sama, we're already doing damage control as we speak, I just need to clean out his liver and then you all can figure out how to get him to stop smelling like a sake bottle".

She would already be making sure nothing bad came of this, Sakura seemed to always be on top of everything. Hashirama whined."I don't want to marry her though! I don't even know her! What if she's ugly?"

Sakura clucked her tongue. "Then close your eyes and think of your clan, you remember the clan who's money you wasted on pretty whores and gambling houses". Hashirama looked about to cry. "What if I don't like her?" He rolled his eyes then and watched as Sakura continued to tear into him. "You don't have to like her Senju just get her pregnant!"

And there were the waterworks, Sakura really had a way of tearing into a man, even he had to admit she was being particularly harsh with the oldest Senju. Sakura rolled her eyes clearly over Hashirama's dramatics. "Oh stop it, men don't cry remember!" This only led to more crying from Hashirama.

Sakura rubbed her forehead then mumbling under her breath, the diamond from her tikka necklace standing out more as it swayed from her aggressive actions, she glowed prettily in the green glow of her healing chakra, looking more ethereal and fae like than anything human and her pretty green eyes were something to behold in that moment.

Hashirama slumped into Tobirama further more and he could see that the elder Senju was already looking sobered up and extremely somber as he looked down at the ground. Sakura's healing chakra faded then and she glared down at Hashirama. "Now, get yourself cleaned up and get your act together, you can drink yourself into a stupor later on in the privacy of your clan's compound". She turned swiftly away from them then as she glided out of there and he took in a deep breath.

Izuna handed him a bottle of sake then. "Here, you look like you need this". He looked over at the Senju brothers and watched as Tobirama dragged Hashirama further down the darkened forest and he decided it was safe to drink now that Hashirama was out of eyesight.

"That was harsh". He nodded his head in agreement, hoping that his next words didn't sound so foolish. "I believe Sakura is trying to get Hashirama straightened out for when the village is built, on the chance that she doesn't get him to clean up his act ... Tobirama is the next heir and we both know that it is possible to replace chiefs and Tobirama won't have the Uchiha clan's best interest at heart if he becomes the new Chief and even if they don't replace Hashirama, if he doesn't get cleaned up Tobirama will take advantage of him and walk all over him, I'm sure Sakura see's it, why else would she be so harsh on him?".

Izuna looked up at the tree's then. "I suppose if that's the case we should be helping her". He didn't think Sakura needed help in any department.

The walk back was quick and they came to find things in better standings than when they had left, the food was being eaten, sake and wine drunk and passed around and clans were conversing with each other in a more diplomatic way while their wives and daughters laughed merrily as they eased the tension by gossiping with women from different clans.

In the mix of the five clans stood a single rosette glowing like a beacon to heaven as she smiled softly and bowed gracefully as Kanaye introduced her to the clan elders and their women. Everyone seemed to stare at her, as if she were a brand new shiny object ... and to the old bastards that's exactly what they saw her as.

Tobirama's deep baritone had him looking side-eyed at the albino Senju. "Now isn't that an interesting sight, she's charming them into believing she's anything but innocent, she was trained very well".

"Her mother was an aristocrat, of course she knows how to play politics, we should have expected as much". He turned his attention back towards watching Sakura, watching as she indeed charmed everyone with her soft smile, hypnotizing gem eyes, and exotic features. The three elders that were speaking with her laughed heartily at her playful wit and he was awed by her political gameplay.

Like a wolf in sheep clothing Sakura reminded him of the snow leopards he'd observed in his youth when he'd been given a mission to Yuki no Kuni. The guide that was helping them work through the terrain had called it aggressive mimicry, the evolved form where a predator was able to deceive their prey by blending with the scenery. None would believe that Sakura had the ability to tear into one as if she were a wild dog from the deserts of Kaze no Kuni and she had the same kill rate as them as well. Hashirama was proof of that.

"Someone paid a lot of good money in grooming her". He nodded his head as he continued to watch the rosette woman manage his elders. Tobirama continued. "Money that would be noticed by the Daimyo's". He knew what the younger Senju was getting at, he didn't care much right then though, he decided to move the conversation to something more alarming than Sakura's diplomatic abilities.

"She's been properly groomed, clan style grooming". Tobirama's neck snapped loudly then and he turned his attention to the surprised Senju. "Are you sure of this?" He nodded his head. "Before these last few weeks all it would take is a few questions and you'd see it, whomever was working on her had done a very intricate job, it's rather surprising, she's so headstrong that you wouldn't have thought it possible ... Such a delicate procedure would have had to be done on a massive scale, it makes me wonder if perhaps that's the reason for why she was so insistent on not wanting to marry. ... It would be against her conditioning to want to be with another man ... It could be also the reason for her sever personality change, she's conditioned to think a certain way, to love a single man because only he could love someone like her".

The words were sour on his tongue and Tobirama seemed to understand what he was eluding to. "You honestly believe that her friends and family would help encourage her grooming? That seems a bit far reaching even for you Uchiha" Not if he understood. "Some clans with kekki genkai's still do it, grooming the girls from a young age in order not to run, especially considering they could be marrying and bearing their father's, brothers, cousins child, incest isn't something that's on the romantic side, especially when death is highly possible at childbirth for both the mother and the child, grooming is the only way to keep the girls from running off with non-clan members".

Tobirama sighed carefully. "That's only clans with kekki genkai though, and Sakura doesn't have a Kekki Genkai". So she claimed. "There is the other reason for grooming ... extinction. Think of this Senju, if somehow the Uchiha clan were wiped out and only one member was left alive. The Sharingan is known world-wide, everyone knows how powerful it is. What I would do if I were this man, I'd find a safe place a civilian village or something like the one we wish to build even and I'd find the right woman, who's genetics wouldn't interfere with my own in order to get the closest version to that of a pure Sharingan. Those with recessive genes usually make good for that, once I found my safe place and the right woman I'd begin making sure that she was well adjusted, I don't want her to leave me for another man and the village understands that strength is everything and the Sharingan needs to be protected".

Tobirama scoffed. "There are other women in the world, you could take many wives as an Uchiha, I'm sure the Daimyo would grant you the permission to have as many as you'd like in order to rebuild your clan".

He rolled his eyes that wasn't the point. "Be that as it may, this is the Sharingan, the woman I choose to carry the next generation, the new generation of Uchiha, of Sharingan wielders has to be someone trustworthy, that won't betray me, that won't sell my children for riches or even attempt to kill me and I'd need her in the high echelon of the village, the higher her position the better for me and my children, to many risks involved to kill an important and loved woman, and if I have to take more wives ... We both have seen what happens when the wives get angry and jealous of one another, what women are willing to do to stay the first wife, what they're willing to do to become the first wife ... Conditioning is the only solution, if my wife believes that no other man could love her because of some trait I found as easy picking she wouldn't chance leaving me even if the first wife abused her or I abused her, she's used goods by then in her own mind despite not realizing how important she is to me, for me, not to mention, she'd have to be conditioned so well that she'd allow me to take my own child as wife after they've come of age, from what we've seen of the Sharingan bastards that are capable of awakening it have physical issues after, not many survive long enough, if I were to have a child with my own child who awakened the Sharingan, the chances of an even more pure Sharingan would be possible compared to that of a child that is not of Uchiha blood and I need my wives to be okay with me taking my own flesh and blood to my bed, grooming is the only way possible".

"Ah, and your positive that Sakura's been groomed". More than positive the more he thought on it. "Yes, she spoke of herself in such a way that it's the only logical explanation, not that it matters". Sakura caught his eye again and Kanaya began marching them over to him, looking annoyed at having to play politics with all the other elders that he didn't like.

Tobirama caught his attention once more. "I've sent a few men to Ka no Kuni, Hashirama refused to allow it, so in order to not cause any alarm he doesn't know that I set out lower branch kin, they should be back before tomorrow night".

That was good because he was itching to figure out that clan insignia, it seemed to familiar to him, other than being branded onto his Sharingan.

"We'll talk more about this later". Tobirama nodded his head in understanding. "Talk about what later?"

Her voice was soft and musical, light and feminine and he froze as he realized that she was now standing before him again, her complete attention on him once more.

Nervously he held onto the sake bottle as he suddenly felt extremely awkward as the silence seemed to engulf him as she continued to watch him with those green eyes of hers.

Heart in his throat, the uncomfortable feeling of it beating against his vocal cords washed over him and Sakura looked almost like a doll he'd seen the clan children playing with in her pretty robes and pretty face. He wanted to drown himself in the alcohol in order to build up some sort of courage and he chastised himself for seeming like a shy young boy that he once was and he desperately clawed himself back as Tobirama spoke up.

"Marriage proposals, I was thinking perhaps a marriage between the Uchiha and Senju would help decrease clan tension and animosity". Sakura's eyes moved sharply and she eyed the tall Senju skeptically, her obvious wariness of the man clear in her eyes.

Sakura was careful in her words. "The Uchiha Clan has no women in the main family as you know of and from what I've gathered since speaking to so many of the elders, many of their daughters and granddaughters have been promised to other Uchiha and I doubt they'd break an engagement for The Senju, well not anymore at least, everyone already knows that Hashirama is betrothed to a Uzumaki princess and considering that would make you the throw-away heir it doesn't seem very convincing for a marriage proposal, nobody would throw a woman to a branch family unless it was a lesser clan ... Are their female Senju that are of marriageable age in the main family or even amongst the elders female family members, it would be a great idea, the Senju woman that marries an Uchiha would be married into the main family and that's the most successful of arrangements, better though if it were two main families in a marriage agreement but one has to take what they can get I suppose"

He frowned, he didn't like how she was already considering marrying him off without his opinion on the matter. What more he was very surprised that Tobirama had taken Sakuras harsh insult to easily, even he knew how to play the game it seemed. "That is true, I'd have to confer with the rest of the elders on the matter of course and speak with Hashirama he'd only be too delighted with this prospect".

He took a drink from the bottle in his hands, Sakura's eyes flickering for a single second before going back to Tobirama and he decided to finish the bottle off. Even the likes of him didn't seem to have enough courage to speak to the woman before him.

"Where is Hashirama by the way?" Tobirama coughed. "Changing his robes, he's nearly done, I'll have him back before you know it". Sakura nodded her head before she shot her eyes over to him once more and he looked away not knowing when he'd turned back into a prepubescent child. "Very well then". She turned her back on them then and he breathed out a sigh of relief.

Izuna decided to put in his input once more. "To think your such a weak man, it's only Sakura, how is it possible that you can't speak to her anymore?" He rolled his eyes as he opened another bottle of sake. "I can speak to her just fine Izuna" Izuna smiled mischievously at him. "Are you sure about that because it seems like someone cut your tongue out".

Possibly her and her sadistic mental torture on him, what's more he enjoyed it, every moment this Sakura gave him was the closest he'd get to the Sakura that kissed him with raw lust and passion that sent him down a dizzying descent that landed in an explosion of fire and lightening. The woman who's every touch branded and enslaved him to her every whim all without him ever having bedded her at that.

He even missed the imaginative threats too, nobody had ever threatened him with bodily dismemberment like she had.

That Sakura was gone and he was left with a woman who's lips were cold and passionless. The pretty healer that seemed to small to be healthy with a soft heart had runaway and was replaced with a woman who looked and sounded like her, but was nothing more than an empty shell with harsh words that still seemed to know how to make him bend and now with her looking so ... feminine had him tripping over himself. So open with her soft smiles she was giving to elders and other women and her deep dimples that the other men were drawn to, just as they couldn't help being hypnotized by those magnificent eyes of hers.

"I was thinking". He took another drink from his bottle as he waited for Izuna to continue. "What if Sakura used a genjutsu on herself? Maybe she was working on a genjutsu and it went wrong?" That was a possibility...

Izuna continued his explantion. "If Sakura had been working on a new genjutsu without a spotter and something went wrong nobody would know except for Sakura and even then, you said yourself that Sakura's a genjutsu type, she might not even know what she had done either if she's as good as you've claimed her work is. It could account for her personality shift, it's not uncommon for people under genjutsu's to act off or altogether alter their personality's completely due to their altered perceptions".

He could feel Tobirama's brain beginning to click together then and he wondered if Izuna was onto something. Another drink, he didn't want to think about getting his hopes up so soon. He'd learned early on that nothing was that simple, and if Izuna was right, Sakura was a genjutsu type, by now she would have figured out what had happened and broken out, the fact that she hadn't would mean that she didn't want to come back.

That made a man drink especially once one considered he was the last person she spoke to before it happened and if she didn't want to come back it was because of him.

Izuna took the bottle from him then. "Do you really want to get drunk around her? You saw what she did to Hashirama". He rolled his eyes. "I'm not drunk".

"I'm sure Hashirama would have said the same thing if he'd been given the opportunity". He swiped his bottle from Izuna. "Izuna, shut up". Izuna crossed his arms. "Fine, fine, but try not to scare away the women".

He looked around then and saw that many of the women there were eyeing him, small smiles and flickers of flirty glances going his way. Tobirama decided to chime in then. "It's the hair, with the hair up you seem more approachable".

'You're an attractive man, you make yourself difficult to approach with all this hair covering your face', 'Would it make you happy if I put it up?'

Perhaps there was a brighter side to this all, the after festivities could be good if the elders women was looking his way as they were. "Don't even think about it Nee-san". He turned to look at Izuna who had crossed his arms. "They're off limits, they gave you your pick of the litter and we're not allowed to pick the precious girls from our main branch". He rolled his eyes, it wasn't as though he didn't know that, "It doesn't mean that I can't have my fun". Izuna shook his head. "Just go". Izuna stopped and nodded his head to the crowd of shinobi.

"Look, there's Oji-san ..." Izuna had a funny look on his face then and he turned in the direction he'd pointed at and indeed there was their precious uncle and he seemed to have brought a snack with him as well.

She was taller than Sakura, with a long torso and round face, her cheek bones were just high enough to give her that cut look but nothing like the rosette's, she had a small nose and dark hair, deep set amber eyes with slightly tanned skin and small plump pink lips, she was fairly attractive and nearly a century younger than their uncle, she had to be younger than Sakura by a few good years. Her kimono was a bright yellow that made her skin look bright and smooth.

She was pretty enough, she didn't look like an Uchiha with those amber eyes, he would have had her just for those eyes alone and from how Izuna seemed to not have been able to take his eyes away from the young girl even he would have noticed her as well.

Hachiro looked smug with the young girl on his arm and he knew that the old man was up to something, he wouldn't be escorting any woman tonight so she had to be someone special, but with how she slouched just a tad bit let him know that she was not an elders girl.

"Oji-san you're looking well tonight". Hachiro bowed at them, the girl doing the same, hers was not as straight, and he saw the slight squeeze of Hachiro's hand letting her know it was okay to stand once more. "Thank you Madara-sama", Hachiro showed the girl off as he brought her to the front and she bowed once more, this time a little better than the last without Hachiro's assistance. "May I introduce my wife". Wife ... That's not good. .."Uchiha Rini" ... Rini ... Someone's parents were too creative... "From the Kohaku clan".

The Kohaku clan? Now that was interesting. She blushed as he gave her his attentions, kissing her knuckles carefully, her palms weren't smooth and silky and her nails too short. "Of course, It's a pleasure Rini-san, I do hope you are enjoying yourself and that Oji-san has been treating you well, one would think the two of you would have decided not to come, nobody would object, after all a man's honeymoon is always the best reason to forgo social functions".

Sakura's soft voice made it's way to his ears and he froze once more in his place, he couldn't be around her. "So I should marry in order to avoid having to come to these things then". Izuna and Tobirama chuckled at her quip and he took a deep breath and looked over to the little ... Rabbit. She blushed softly and he mentally shook himself, he couldn't let Hachiro see that Sakura had any effect on him.

Winking at the blushing bride he tried to gather himself. "Perfect timing, Oji-san allow me to introduce you to our new ward, Sakura-san, my uncle Hachiro, he's the head of the branch family and one of my many esteemed councilmen". Sakura smiled softly and bowed gracefully to the man that didn't deserve even the fake act she put on for everyone. "It's a pleasure Hachiro-san, you must be excited about the prospect of lessening your responsibilities once Izuna-sama marries and takes over the branch family, especially once your wife has children".

That was an interesting bite she just took. Hachiro's frown was small, but well covered. "What a pleasure it is indeed Sakura-san and this is my wife Uchiha"
He was already using the name throwing to cover up his insecurities about losing his position eventually. "Rini, of the Kohaku clan". Sakura smiled that soft smile of hers and her eyes had a fire in them, a challenge and he was now rather happy she was around, Hachiro had never gone up against someone like Sakura.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Rina-san, you're so very beautiful, but pardon my rudeness if you will, you are not from the main family are you?"

Sakura did have a good sucker punch and even the pretty girl was shocked. Rini only smiled a small smile, clearly stunned at how easily Sakura had figured it out, he'd figured she'd come from a lesser clan, the Kohaku clan was lesser but not by much they were distant relatives, very, very distant. "How did you know? Are you familiar with the Kohaku clan?"

Sakura was a delegate by trade it seemed, charming everyone around her with her words. "The Kohaku clan isn't very distinct in their family colors and your eyes are just so pretty, that you couldn't have been from the main family".

When was the last time he'd seen a Kohaku clan member? He could barely remember what they looked like and now that he thought about it, it was possibly because like the Uchiha and Hagoromo Clans the Kohaku had the same coloring, dark hair, dark eyes and light skin.

The girl blushed softly at Sakura's compliment and he was just so taken with how superbly Sakura controlled the situation. "Oh I'm so happy I'm not the only new girl here!" She played everyone so well too.

Hachiro didn't look happy as he looked away towards another elder before turning his attention back to him and bowing. "Forgive me Madara-sama but I must speak with someone, Sakura-san perhaps you and my wife will be able to keep each other company, if you all will excuse me".

Sakura looked up at him with a lifted brow and he looked over at Izuna, a man ditching his new wife with his chief ... That never happens. "Izuna, go and introduce Rini-san here to the others". Izuna nodded his head in understanding and he worried that perhaps he should take Izuna's place instead. The boy had been quiet since the girl had arrived and Izuna was never quiet, did they know each other? No Izuna would have told him.

Looking over to Tobirama he frowned when he found that the Senju had disappeared once more, leaving him completely alone with the rosette woman. While he may have not been drunk, he knew better than to drink in front of others, he got rather emotional and got lost in his thoughts.

Grabbing a bottle from the table he opened it and took in the scent of plums, looking around he frowned, all the sake was gone leaving only the plum wine. It was taken from his hands immediately though and his frown deepened. "Your drinking to much, you should be talking to the other chiefs". She was so controlling and with her pretty dress and pretty face and those green-green eyes his knees were buckling and he took the bottle back from her and took a drink before handing it back over to her, he'd need some liquid courage if he was going to be left alone with her.

It was then that he saw Emiyo standing proudly behind Sakura, like the rosette the dark-haired servant wore billowing robes only hers were in a light blue that reminded him of the sky. She pulled out a chair for Sakura and he couldn't shake how graceful the green-eyed woman was just as how attractive she really was once she was cleaned up, especially with that pink hair of hers.

"You look very ... beautiful Sakura" She looked at him with those green eyes of hers. "Thank you, I know I'm not the most beautiful of women, but I can clean up rather decently". If that wasn't obvious enough. If neither of them talked then things would begin to get very awkward to where even alcohol wouldn't help them. He attempted, hoping it would clear the waters. "You're very good ... the way you're charming all of my elders, their hearts are going to break when they realize you're anything but". He shouldn't have drank so much. She smiled coyly at him and he knew that if they weren't in front of so many people then she'd have shrugged him off. "Didn't I already say that if they die from broken-hearts then we should rejoice by replacing them with people that could do a better job".

... She had said that and he still find her dark-humor charming, he wished he could effect her the same way she did him. The way she had, had she been the old Sakura he could have spent the entire night stealing moments from her with passionate kisses in the darkness that shielded them from everyone.

Something was still pulling him towards her, even though she wasn't the same, like the smoke from the fire he followed her knowing it was safe wherever she was. What they had, had been safe. What she was, was safety. Something he had never felt outside the walls of his clans compound.

"I'm glad to see that you're not wearing your battle wear, the red suits you". His mind was a whirlwind of emotions and he got nervous again, taking the bottle again from her hands he took a smaller sip feeling a lot better. "Thank you". He handed the bottle back to her and she chuckled softly at that. He felt the eyes of men and women on them and relished in their envy that she was giving him a moment where only the two of them existed.

"You should be out there mingling Madara-sama" Her voice was soft like a musical note as she spoke just barely above a whisper. "Why when all I want is to spend a little time with my beautiful ward" She rolled her green gems, looking carefully around the area as she spoke making sure no one was actually paying any attention to what she was saying. "Because Madara-sama, eventually you're dream will be built and no matter how much I work on helping to even everything out, you and Hashirama-sama could be making it much more simpler and you have a bigger foot in the door than even he does".

"Of course I do, all the men here would be willing to bend backwards for my ward". Another eye roll from her. "No, not even I'm that good, but you have a kekki genkai, right here, right now the clans with kekki genkai's outnumber the clans without, think about it simply there are four clans Madara-sama with kekki genkai and two normal clans, if my ... contract were to ever come undone and the Senju decided to ... It would be good to have more than just one other clan willing to aid you and right now, you have something that only one other clan could understand, something none of the others could ever grasp, and once you pull them in, the others will come a lot easier".

That mind of hers was incredible, especially when he hadn't ever thought about what she was saying till she had brought it up and now he was curious. "And what would that be?" She blinked carefully like a marionette and looked over to where the Hyuga Chief was speaking with the Namikaze chief. "The heartache one feels when they find their sons eyes plucked out of their bodies and the fear knowing someone would be willing to do anything and everything to get one of their children just to have their Dojutsu".

She held out the bottle for him this time and he took it carefully, she saw much more than any of them had ever given her credit for. "You're very perceptive Sakura-san" She nodded her head but he got caught up in the emptiness that shown brightly in her eyes. "I'm only ever trying to help Madara-sama".

He heard it then, the soft hooting of the female. Sakura looked up into the tree's then. "Did you hear something?" "It's a barrel owl" Sakura looked back at him then with an arched brow. "How do you know what type of owl it is?"

"Falconry has been a fascination of mine since I was a child, aves in general fascinate me, owls are just as aggressive of their habitats as falcons and are also solitary, as well as, they like falcons are monogamous for life, as long as their original mate doesn't die of course or doesn't leave their territory they stick with the same mate for life, that's probably what she's doing right now, looking for her mate".

"I knew the Uchiha clan were good at Avery, and that you had a bird summons", it wasn't a bird. "Falcon" Sakura smirked carefully. "Forgive me, I didn't know you had such a fascinations with the aves". She didn't stick around to know much about him did she now? He shrugged his shoulders. "All animals interest me, humans act like animals, which one they act like tells you a lot about the person"

Those green eyes of hers nearly glowed with the new information. "And what animal did you find me to be like Madara-sama?" He heard it the deep baritone of the male, he was still alive and most likely hunting.

"Sometimes you come off like a wild-dog from the dunes of Kaze, sometimes a snow leopard from Yuki and once I could even compare you to raven or a crow with that incredible mind of yours, perhaps more so a falcon ... No matter what you're always an apex predator Sakura, incredibly intelligent and incredibly deadly".

"I'm not sure if I should feel insulted or not for being compared to a wild-dog". He smirked, well at the very least she was still so interesting, even if it was all an act for the others. "Despite what you may believe they have the highest successful kill rate out of all large breed land animals. They're also intelligent and if I may be so manly to say they are adorable animals if you must know, the name name wild-dog doesn't do them any justice".

"No it doesn't... You know I always envied birds and their ability to fly wherever they wanted to, I haven't felt that in some time now". He saw a recognition of sorts pass through her eyes but he understood what she was saying, his fascination with the aves started from the same envy. How he had always wished he could fly away from all the horrors of the world they lived in, far away and taken his younger brothers with them to a safe heaven high up where no one would be able to touch them.

She nodded her head in a direction and he looked once more and this time watched as Izuna and Hachiro's new wife talked with elders, both of them glowing with youth. "They look good together don't they?"

He leaned back in the chair he sat in as he looked at Sakura, she was up to something. "It's unfortunate for Izuna but she's married to an elder, making her off limits" "He's a branch member though, I thought the chief and heir were allowed to have affairs with the whomever they want in the branch family".

He shook his head. "He's not a regular branch member, he's the representative of the branch family, and as such he's given a seat as an elder". Sakura looked to be thinking it over. "I don't understand, Izuna is long past of age how has he not taken up his rightful position?" He thought that would be an obvious answer. "Because I have no heir, no true-born or illegitimate and as such it means Izuna is next in line as the rightful heir, until I have an heir they have to respect that Izuna is a member of the main branch".

"And how is it that Hachiro was permitted to marry an outsider without the permission of you and the elders?" That was a good question. "I have no idea, but once this charade is all over I'm going to find out, they were only to quick to turn down my wish to marry you".

That got her attention. "They turned me down? ...I know I'm not the most attractive woman out there, but I'm better than some girl from the Kohaku clan's branch family". She was much, much better than all of the girls out there right then and she didn't even realize it. He shook his head. "Don't worry after tonight I'm sure they'll only beg me or you to try to make amends and marry, your working them too good for either of us and if you don't want the elders to force you down the isle then you should be more careful with that little ability of yours".

"They can try but I doubt that they'd get anywhere with their arms ripped out of their sockets". And there was that killer instinct of hers, the predator that wouldn't go down without a fight. "That's a shame, I was looking forward to shocking our future enemies with pink haired Uchiha's".

She chuckled. "That would definitely be shocking, but considering genetics it would be impossible, Uchiha's only have more Uchiha's, dark haired, dark eyed Uchiha's. You Uchiha have what is called the dominant gene, we could have a hundred children together and maybe five at the most would come out with any piece of my coloring" She looked contemplative for a moment before she continued. "Genetics are an interesting thing aren't they? You wouldn't know it but it's surprising I even came out with my coloring at all". What did that mean?

Sakura took on a glazed look before she shook her head and looked over at him while standing from her seat. "Come on, you need to start speaking with the other Chiefs". He didn't really want to, dealing with other Chiefs normally meant talking about marriage proposals and he wasn't about to push Izuna into anything without his consent.

Sakura grabbed his hand, so un-lady like even in her ethereal packaging and pulled him up with that hidden strength of hers, her hands were cold, so very cold.

Keeping face he straightened himself out, he could only imagine what the elders would say if he allowed her to drag him about. Placing her hand in the crook of his arm, he listened as she spoke as she began leading them towards a group of elders and the Hyuga Chief. Whispering carefully to him about all she knew of those around them. "I'm sure you're aware the Hyuga's are a proud clan and despite their barbaric practices they are a trustworthy clan" He nodded his head in understanding. "And if they propose marriage?"

"You can turn it down if you want, there's really no benefit if an Uchiha and Hyuga were to procreate, if the off spring were to have the gene they'd be born with one Sharingan and one Byakugan, I mean it's good but there would be a lot of strain on both eyes considering the amount of chakra one would have to use just to successfully use one let alone both, but the privileges are good on the other hand, the Hyuga are closely related to the Taketori clan, who if you are familiar with are the first clan of all in succession to the Fire Daimyo clan".

Now that he had not known, that was interesting, that would mean that all clans no doubt would be willing to align themselves with the Hyuga and from how many different clan elders were speaking with the Chief and his elders it would make sense.

"Madara!" Hashirama appeared in front of the Hyuga Chief and he rolled his eyes as Hashirama looked down at Sakura. "Sakura-san, so glad you could convince this sulking mess to get off his ass!" Sakura smiled that soft smile of hers and he chose to look over Hashirama's shoulder at the Hyuga who was watching them with a curiosity.

The Hyuga Chieftain was younger than himself and Hashirama, older than Sakura herself, giving him an age somewhere close to Izuna's, there was nothing specific about him either. The black hair, just a shade lighter than an Uchiha's and large pearl eyes and fair skin. Like his kinsmen and the Uchiha he was not tall, even shorter than himself but he held himself with such arrogance that you could forget that he was hardly a threat.

"Hashirama have you been annoying our guest?" Hashirama frowned and he step around him, guiding Sakura at his side towards the Hyuga.

Bowing towards the Hyuga he was surprised by how easy Sakura allowed him to take the lead. "Hyuga-sama", "It's a pleasure to finally meet the illustrious Uchiha Madara" He lifted a brow. "Likewise". The Hyuga looked over at Sakura then. "Sakura ... san, I see your working that magic ... on everyone."

Sakura curtsied prettily for the Hyuga. "Hyuga-sama, so nice to see you again". The Hyuga turned to him. "Uchiha-sama, Senju-sama has been telling me that your two clans have plans to build a village specifically for shinobi clans" He looked over to the Senju knowing that the taller man was waiting to hear as well what the Hyuga thought. "What exactly are the plans for this village?

"The plans are still in progress what we have agreed upon is that we must begin to start looking at this village of shinobi as a collective whole instead of separate entities by doing so our survival rate should increase dramatically but we are expecting to have everything figured out before we start considering looking to take in clans that are looking for the same ideals as us. Though our healing institute as well as our command office has been finished, we're still putting together a learning institute".

The younger man seemed thoughtful. "And whom will be heading the charge for the healing institute? It's widely known that the Uchiha aren't known for their healing like the Senju are and how can either of you be so sure that this won't ... backfire on everyone involved?"

That was a very good question. Sakura spoke up then, her voice soft and confident. "It can't backfire when everyone that joins the village all have the same goal Hyuga-sama. Everyone wants peace, everyone wants to live and to see their children survive, if all coming into the village can let go of their prejudices for the sake of the children and the village then all will get what they want".

The Hyuga smirked down at Sakura and he had to take a deep breath as he listened to her speak, about her past life. "I myself came from a shinobi village, everything was safe and children were free to dream about the future's they could make for themselves, we had the best healers as well and the lifespan of citizens reached well into the sixties". She stopped and had a far off look then. "Actually there was a seamstress that worked for our village leader specifically as I'm told that was well in her nineties, possibly even a hundred at the very least". This was surprising to hear, the only ones in the five nations that were capable of reaching such ages were the aristocrats.

"Many women in the village that weren't of a clan had the option to wait to have children, many waited until their were near their thirties and even main families to clans didn't have more than two children at the most, and the children nearly all weren't permitted to take on any missions let alone hold a kunai until they were twelve years of age".

Others were beginning to listen in and were very curious about Sakura's old world. A blonde man from the Namikaze clan had decided to question Sakura. "And where per say was this village?"

The Namikaze Chieftain if he was correct, he was a tall man like the Senju and was possibly the same age as them. He wore a bright red robe that allowed his chest to be shown and matched it with gold-plated sleeve and leg armour that matched his golden hair that was high up in a crescent shape on his head.

Sakura blinked carefully as she looked up at the taller man. "The south of Benisu-to". Benisu-to?

Some of the women that were listening seemed to laugh at Sakura's words and he felt the shift of all the others as they were now more curious as to who Sakura was. "Past the Nanmen Ocean is the beginning of another that is called the Arashi Ocean, outside the five nations of course. If you survive your travel to the Arashi Ocean then you'll see the shore called the Sea of a Thousand Ice because of the fact that you have to migrate around all the icebergs and the sea walls are covered in ice as well and surround the entirety of the Bay Area, I come from Boido no Kuni ... Getsu no Sato wasn't much, further advanced to everything here in the Five Nations it seems".

"And yet you're here" Sakura smiled softly at the blonde. "Think of it like this Namikaze-sama, If I were to give you a box and told you not to open it, wouldn't you be wondering the entire time what was inside the box? What you really should be focusing on though is not what is inside the box because for all you know it could be completely empty so what actually matters is what's happening outside the box and that's what is called tunnel vision, you don't really see because your too focused on something else. No one can ever be prepared for something that they never in a million years could have thought was a possibility.".

... He was completely lost and the memory of the map came back up and he remembered vividly the countries and seas and Sakura was speaking as if she'd already been there ... Had lived there her entire life. Was that where she'd actually come from? Or was this all just a blatant tale she was weaving.

Sakura was older than the other unmarried girls, and she was nowhere near the women her own age, all of them were married with children, if not widowed with children. With her looks and lineage it would be hard to imagine that someone in the Five Nations had looked her over, as it was he could already see the surrounding elders salivating at the sight of her. She was beautiful, not as beautiful as some other women he'd been with but with her fair-skin and green eyes she was exotic looking, different, and once they figured out she was a blue-blood she'd be more wanted by them.

"Anyhow" Sakura continued on. "I'll be heading the teaching in the healing institute, my own Shisou's Grandfather built and formed the foundations of our medical practices in my homeland and those teachings will give us a steep head over other countries by prolonging the life of our people, most importantly our military forces. Right now were focusing on the female body and childcare, I want to ensure that all the mothers and newborns are well taken care of, the healthier the pregnancy the higher chance of a successful and safe birth, after that we plan on looking over all the men of the clans, due to the countries position and from what I've seen, the active shinobi need to be at their best if they're going to continue to go on missions especially once we begin pulling the children from the ranks".

"That's insanity! Pulling healthy bodies-" Sakura cut him off "Children, they're children Namikaze-sama". The blonde glared down at Sakura and he debated whether or not he should step in. "If they're able to hold a blade Sakura-san, they're able to fight and good young bodies aren't easy to come by".

Sakura blinked again, her perfect mask holding in the heat of the conversation. "If their not old enough to legally drink, then how could they possibly be old enough to fight? A seven year old boy doesn't know what's between a woman's legs let alone is fully developed sexually ... Thus they are not men, therefore they should not be qualified or forced to have to go out and fight or take on missions they're to young to comprehend, and besides once the village is up and running, those children could be put to use inside the village, there will be plenty of things that they could do, like train more in order to be better prepared for when they do begin taking on missions".

Hashirama leaned over then as he whispered to him. "She used the sex word!" He rolled his eyes. Sakura had a good argument, something he wished his own mother would have tried in order to save him and his brothers. Sakura looked over at Hashirama then with a glare. "You're such a child". He couldn't argue with her on that either.

"What say you Uchiha-sama, do you agree with this? Taking out able-bodied men". He really didn't want to have this conversation but when he took a second too long to answer he felt Sakura hit her foot against his with a hard force and he bit the inside of his cheek while glancing down at her, if he were a lesser man he would have hit her. "Considering that once the village is up and running and we'll have all moved into it I can't see why we would require the children to take on any missions, only a third of the Uchiha military are made up of the younglings, the rest are fully-grown men ... If I were to assume the same for the other clans, then I would have to believe that our village would have a large enough military to compensate for the loss of bodies, and really if our plan works out as well as we know it will then our future generations will be stronger and more prepared and the numbers could be double that if they're able to survive past their first month".

"I see ... And you don't think that taking orders from a woman isn't anything to be ashamed of either then?". He chuckled, the man wanted his head cut off. "She has this ability to actually make sense, something that is entirely lost in this world".

Sakura pulled out a fan then and opened it, while turning her face with her nose up, he didn't think it was possibly but her haughtiness was entirely to perfect that only she could have done it. The Namikaze looked away then and over to the Hyuga who looked bored, seeming to have already known how Sakura would react. "Besides Namikaze-sama, with Sakura-san's plans for the physicians, if all goes accordingly then everything will be fine, the loss of men will no doubt lessen once all the physicians have caught up to her ways".

Sakura's haughtiness decided to put in it's two-sense then and he couldn't help but be attracted to her arrogance. "Or at least caught up to my maids skirts, I doubt any of them could really catch up to me".

A laugh caught him by surprise then and he sighed as he turned his attention to Ashina, the Uzumaki Chief finally had decided to appear. "Isn't Sakura-san just so cheeky! Don't you just love it!"

He could feel Hashirama's body tense without having to see him, and immediatly everyone in the conversation turned their attention to the Daimyo of the group.

"Madara-sama", He looked down at Sakura then and noted that she had a look in her eyes that told him she was not happy about something. "Where is Senju-sama?"

With a lifted brow he turned back to where Hashirama last was only to find that indeed he had disappeared and Tobirama did not look happy at all either.

"It seems, Hashirama has slipped past his guard dog, if you will Sakura-san" She bowed her head giving everyone a look at her perfect mannerisms and passed her off to Tobirama who gave him a look that told him he was even more unhappy than he was before.

"Uchiha-sama" He turned back towards the Hyuga Chieftain then, stopping as he watched the younger man make his way over to him. He felt Sakura and Tobirama's eyes on him and he breathed out. "What can I do for you Hyuga-sama".

The younger man moved his hand forward signaling he wanted to speak with him privately and he followed in the direction he was given. "If you will, a moment of your time".

"Of course". He wondered if Sakura had pressed a button of his and he wanted compensation for it, it wouldn't surprise him.

Going back to the table that had been set up for the two adjoining clans he pulled out his seat and gestured for the Hyuga to take the one that Sakura had been sitting in earlier. The Hyuga was all business thankfully and didn't want to meander about. "I want to get straight to it as your elders have not been subtle about a marriage agreement between our two clans, as much as something like this is favorable to the Hyuga, my younger sister married not two weeks before the witch came to us about you and the Senju's plans, had she come any sooner I would have gladly agreed upon my sisters hand joining your own but as it stands the only available female in the main family not currently already claimed for will not be of marriageable age for at least sixteen years, and considering you and your younger brothers considerable ages I doubt you'd wait around to marry anyone when you can find someone else, if you haven't already".

He waved him off. "It's fine Hyuga-sama, I promised my brother I would not marry him off unless he agreed upon it and as for me" "It's the witch right?"

Oh what a tangle weave they wove indeed. "Not that one" The Hyuga tilted his head carefully. "One would have thought with those wistful stares you keep sending her way ... I must have misjudged" It would be better if he decided to pretend he hadn't heard that. "It doesn't matter, you're in no position to offer a marriage proposal that wouldn't be breaking one of your kinsmen and I'm not looking to wed nor am I going to force my brother, although ... While I am unable to offer a marriage proposal, a companionship between our two clans is workable, despite our clans being very different we do have something more important in common that none of the other clans could ever understand".

The Hyuga looked intrigued. "And that would be what exactly Uchiha-sama?" Sakura was so very perceptive indeed. "Our children are very coveted and while a marriage agreement would be best to help instill our commitment to one another, and I've always preferred the more brutish way of getting what I want, I've been assured that we could come to some sort of agreement in a more civilized way, a sort of understanding where I scratch your back, you scratch mine if you will".

The Hyuga leaned forward then clearly interested. "Yes my own elders have counseled me as well, specifically my treasurer, while the clan is not hurting and we are rather comfortable, with this village being built and the assurance of more mouths to feed the Hyuga clan will need to create more of an income and as I said earlier marrying outside the clan will be a bit difficult at this moment".

He never thought of that, once he had a chance he would have to recalculate the rations and see how well they were prepared for the increase as well. "I see, what is it your suggesting?" "I understand that you breed the horses for the Daimyo and his courtiers and have created his guards weaponry, is there a possibility of handing over one of those jobs to the Hyuga? The income I'm told would be very beneficial and should not create a dent in the Uchiha coffers if you gave up on only one, I'm told your clan earns a large sum for those horses after all".

Well now this was interesting. "Hyuga-sama is it true that you are related to the Taketori clan?" The Hyuga Cheiftan nodded his head. "And If I'm not mistaken they own half of Sora-ku and the businesses that operate there".

"That is correct Uchiha-sama but I don't understand what your getting at, those business hardly make much". He shook his head. "I have blacksmiths, I don't need more, but in the event that the contract falls apart between the Uchiha and Senju we need to be prepared, as it looks now the clans with Kekki Genkai outnumber those without and that is nice, but it's also even nicer when we have enough weaponry to help in the event of course, what I want from you Hyuga-sama is to talk to the Taketori clan and see if they could make a place where we could store munitions in the event things go ... downhill if you must, and while they're at it, if they could convince some of their friends in the market to slip perhaps five percent of their own munitions in this ... storage area it would show a lot of trust between our two clans, you knowing about it and me helping you out by giving you the horses, and if things do work out we can possibly even make an agreement to sell the share between the two of us and increase our venue".

"And this is only in the case if the Senju decide to bare-down on the Uchiha and the likes". "Only that, the weapons would be no good for one man after all, and I can't afford to sell them and then not have them there if something does happen".

The Hyuga looked thoughtful before he stood from his chair. "I'll speak with the Taketori clan, I expect a contract written up and in my clans hands by the fortnight". That was easier said than done, and here he was thinking that he'd have to strong-arm the entire situation to get what he wanted when all he needed was Sakura's keen input.

"I'll speak with my elders immediately and have a contract by end of the fortnight". He stood as well and bowed towards the Hyuga, "Now if you will Hyuga-sama I must corral a certain Senju".

The Hyuga only rolled those pearl eyes of his.

Turning around quickly he followed Hashirama's chakra back to the river bank they had dragged him towards earlier when Sakura had arrived. He sat there, with a dark cloud above his head looking sullen and he sighed.

"You realize Sakura and Tobirama are fuming right now". Hashirama made no comment and he tried once more. "Do you want me to get Sakura to kick Tobirama's ass? It would cheer you up for sure". Hashirama only shook his head as he laughed grimly. "As great as that would be it's not about Tobirama".

Of course not, why else would he be sulking here if it was that simple. "Ah". "She's going to hate me Madara". He sighed. "I doubt it, everyone loves you". Hashirama snorted. "None of them are married to me". That was only too true.

"Hashirama the nakōdo is usually very thorough in her job, she would never match two people together if there was even a chance that this girl hated you even the slightest she wouldn't have been chosen". Hashirama sighed. "She'd eventually come to hate me if she doesn't already, you see Tobirama ... even my own father faked his death in order to kill me ... he even claimed to have paid others to kill me, Tobirama hasn't even told me what he's find out about that".

Probably nothing good if the albino hasn't made any sort of attempt to tell his brother what was happening. "You're probably the only person Tobirama loves ... That is if he actually does have a heart of course ... and as for your father ... well he was a prick when he was alive if the bruises on you when we were kids were any indication, and now he's a dead prick, there's no gain in worrying about a deadman's cares or whatnot".

"I worry that I'll turn into him you know". "That's not gonna happen, you're nothing like him, just like I'm nothing like my own father, not to mention you've got Tobirama to keep you on tract and me to kick your ass ... and if that doesn't help Sakura probably has a plan in that twisted little brain of hers on the just in case situation we do start becoming like them".

Hashirama groaned. "Fucking evil Keebler-elf, I don't know why she hates me so much, I get you-" "What do you mean? Why would she hate me? I haven't done anything to her ... Why does everyone think I'm so horrible?"

Hashirama blinked and looked at him with a lifted brow. "I know you Madara, I know you better than anyone else in this cursed world and I know that no matter what you say, something happened, you did something, she wouldn't be treating you like she does".

"... We're talking about you now". Hashirama smirked. "And I'd rather talk about you". And he'd rather talk about him. "Sakura ... Sakura ... I don't know what she did to herself but I know deep down she did it because of me ... I got into the house, realized that inanimate objects were capable of going in and out of the barrier without issue, I summoned a weapon, Sakura ... well she should have stayed in the hallway, instead she attempted to keep me from getting a hold of it, she came with my weapon to the outside. I flooded her body with enough of my chakra to confuse the barrier".

Hashirama looked up at him with wide eyes. "You didn't ... Madara you know what your chakra could have done to her had you gone overboard". He nodded his head. "She's strong, she's so strong, I've done that to very few but it ends up the same, with them dead, Sakura though it didn't even hurt her, weakened her but didn't even dent her and she's so much smaller than the other's I've done that too. ... She healed me, gave me my sight back ... I offered her everything I have, I offered her myself ... I even gave her the multiple chances to tell me no ... I wasn't lying, I didn't sleep with her, didn't rape her, in the span of seconds I went from kissing her, begging her to be mine, to waking up to the smell of blood ... There was a single moment before falling unconscious, that I had had her in my grasp, and instead I had stopped because I worried about hurting her, it was single second of self doubt that I've never had and instead it cost me. I'm not in love, I know I'm not, but I think if she had allowed me, if I hadn't worried, I think I could have cared for her, would have definitely done whatever I could to make her happy like a man's supposed to, but she's gone, slipped away like sand falling between my fingers and I'm living with a ghost, looks like her, sounds like her ... but she's not her ... Whatever happens between you and your wife Hashirama, I trust it won't ever compare to what's happened to me and the person that could have been. Your wife will be The Senju Matriarch, the most important woman and most watched woman in the fire-country second to the Daimyo's own wife because she will become a Senju and will die a Senju, the clan that fights and dies for love".

"The clan that sacrifices their children to win those wars and boast those claims". "No shinobi clan is innocent Hashirama" "And no Uchiha is second to a Senju ... I'm going to marry and have children and you will always be my best friend ... My brother, there's no way I'm going to allow you to live in misery if you're staying by my side".

"Well then, let's get you up ... I'm actually surprised I didn't find you drunk off your ass, I don't know who'd I prefer pissing me off Sakura or Tobirama ... It's so very hard to choose".

Hashirama snorted. "You my friend are a horrible masochist we both know you'd rather have Sakura fucking you up, she is after all so pretty all lit-up when she's angry"

"Oh don't I know it".

They walked back to the party as slowly as possible but the trip was short lived as the distance between the river bank and party was short, Ashina stood boasting happily amongst the other clans and he stopped as he looked to the side where he'd left the pretty healer and brooding Senju.

They stood out like two black eyes, so beautiful in their fine clothes and glowing youth, mingling and playing the clans like nothing anyone had ever seen. Two peas in a pod they were and they looked amazing together. Where his heart had been in his throat, it seemed to have dropped and he licked his lips rather disgusted at the sight. That was not how things were supposed to be. Sakura was not supposed to look so amazing on another mans arm, whether she was his Sakura or the other, she was his no matter.

"That's a scary site don't you think, they'd be a perfect pair if the two of us were to die, so attractive and so heartless, my elders are going to have a field day with me about talking to you about getting her for Tobirama you know that right?"

... Getting her for Tobirama ... Sakura and Tobirama ... Sakura a Senju ... Sakura... He breathed out carefully, he was going to have Izuna burn the image and thoughts out of his mind by the end of the festivities, there was no way he could live with them.

"Ah Hashirama-chan! Madara-chan! So good to have you two rejoin us!" Ashina was clearly drunk already, if there were any two peas in a pod, it would be Hashirama and Ashina, the two clans had intermarried so many times that the two men were cut from the same cloth metaphorically and literally it would seem.

Hashirama sighed. "Here we go", "If she's ugly we could always demand a new wife ... or you'd feel less bad when you sleep with other women at least". Hashirama chuckled emptily and loudly. "That's not funny".

Oh but it is. Ashina ushered them over to him and he smiled broadly as he waved his hands around. "Where is my granddaughter! Ah!" In a flurry of people a small group of women started to walk over to them, clearly Uzumaki.

The smallest one though seemed to be the most important, her long curly red hair was styled up prettily and high upon her head, her white robes fine and fitting , she was young though, so very young, she couldn't have been more than sixteen, she still had that baby fat on her cheeks. She was thin though, thin and pale and small. Smaller than Sakura and quiet possibly thinner than her and her large violet-colored eyes looked tired, happy, youthful but so very tired.

He felt tension begin to build all around him then and he knew that the others were seeing the very same thing he was. "Senju-sama" Ashina began as he took his granddaughters hand in his and pushed her forward carefully. "May I introduce you to my granddaughter, Uzumaki Kurva".

She bowed just as prettily as Sakura did with manners just a shy tad as graceful as Sakura's minus the one exception, her hand-maidens helped her stand carefully back up.

There was a darkness washing over all of them and he knew Sakura was about to have a tantrum, or Tobirama, possibly both. Hashirama put on his mask then as he smiled brightly. "It's a pleasure Kurva-san" Sakura corrected him. "Himesama". Hashirama smiled bashedly as he rubbed his neck nervously. "Kurva-himesama".

Her voice was soft and light as she spoke. "The pleasure is mine Senju-sama, I am honored to finally meet you". She turned to him then as she gave him a pretty bow as well, "Just as I am honored to meet you Uchiha-sama".

She was sweet and innocent and young. He bowed. "Uzumaki-himesama". Ashina clapped his hands together then as he grabbed Hashirama by the collar and pulled him over to the young girl. "Perhaps the two of you should take a walk, you have much to discuss!" The hand-maidens giggled then and Hashirama awkwardly took the lead as he walked out of the group of onlookers.

He didn't have long to wait before Tobirama and Sakura decided to pounce. "We had a deal Uzumaki!" Tobirama was quick as he grabbed the Daimyo and pulled him away from onlookers. He looked around for Izuna and saw that he was still entertaining the new Uchiha and not caring about anything else.

That one was trouble he just wasn't sure how to approach his brother about it, maybe he'd wait it out, after all Izuna was smarter than him and he would figure out that she wasn't worth the risk.

"Madara-sama". He turned to see Sakura waiting on him and he sighed as he rubbed his head. "Yes?" "Would you mind, we need to have a small discussion with Uzumaki-sama and we need a ... witness if you will".

Were those two going to kill Ashina? He wouldn't push it pass them, if things weren't fitting into their plans then they would certainly be the ones to say so and fix it, even if it meant killing someone over it. He knew that was exactly how Tobirama worked after all.

"Very well, shall we". He held out his hand and followed the Senju's chakra signature. They came to the commands center that had just been built and looked on impressed, it was large, as large and quiet certainly hard to miss in it's deep red wood and Hashirama's chakra was all over it. Sakura stopped then as she looked up, a look coming across her face as she spoke.

"What an odd sensation". "What do you mean?" "It's almost like coming home and yet I'm not ... it's a ghost of a past, present and future ... What an odd realization". She shook her head then and dragged him into the building.

He heard the two men arguing through the corridors, Tobirama's voice booming all across the walls along with his nasty chakra. "Are we killing him? I'd rather know now so I can manage a way to keep these robes clean, Emiyo worked so hard on these robes too". "We're not killing him!" Sakura looked very unhappy at him and he shrugged his shoulders. "I'm only making sure, why do you need me then if you're not going to kill him?"

Sakura sighed as she led him down a set of stairs. "Is this place on the schematics, I don't remember anything about underground rooms on the blueprints". "No one is to know about this except for a select few, the five of us, we're running operations and if there's a seriously important prisoner then we can't have regular people having easy contact to him. ... Don't worry Izuna removed the memories from the workers. Tobirama was supposed to report the actual blueprints to you and Hashirama, and seeing as you don't know about it I take it that Hashirama doesn't know either and I'm going to have to have another talk with Tobirama about his secret keeping".

"Somethings can't be changed Sakura", "I'm going to change them whether he wants me to or not". That was something Izuna would have said before he'd met Sakura, that wasn't good thinking either, that was the sort of thing that got one killed.

He stopped and grabbed her. "Are you feeling alright?" She looked at him skeptical as she pushed him away from her, her green eyes cold and hard. "I'm fine". Her mood swings were incredible that was for sure.

"Here". She pressed her chakra into a door then and he heard the locks and clicks, "Later on we'll put your chakra in so that you can have access as well", "If we're not going to kill him why are holding him in a hidden underground dungeon?"

"I didn't drag him here! That was Tobirama! I convinced him to give me time to grab you so we can settle this like civilized people!" She would of course be so very diplomatic too.

"And you couldn't have just pulled him into one of the offices while your at it?" Sakura shook her head. "Izuna is supposed to start up the tours of the facility, we're trying to be ... transparent". He snorted. "Last I checked the blueprints didn't show any hidden underground dungeon".

"Why must you be such a snarky man?" "I'm attempting to keep from laughing at the situation". Sakura glared at him "This snark needs to leave ... this minute". She pushed open another door then and held it open for him.

It was dim litting and easy on his slightly sensitive eyes, the room was small though and the table where Tobirama and Ashina sat across from one another looked to large for the small room and with four of them it was feeling a little too full for his liking.

"So good of you to make it back, now lets get on with this". Sakura held up a hand then. "No wait, you will not proceed further until things are explained". She turned to him then. "I need you to stand as witness for Ashina". Stand as witness?

"Fine, fine whatever you need Sakura".

She took a breath then and sat down across from the eldest man in the room. "Now Ashina-sama, you must pardon Tobirama for acting so foolishly and ... rather barbarically, we're all civilized adults here and I do believe we can handle this situation like rationalized people".

"Excuse me? Did you just insinuate I was barbaric? ... And Foolish?" Sakura glared at the Albino Senju. "You shut up, I'm handling this".

"The three of you understand that I am a Daimyo right? Holding me here and killing me is the worst thing you could come up with". Sakura rubbed her head. "Again Ashina-sama I do apologize, I hadn't intended ... And Tobirama acted rather brashly ... But it doesn't change the fact, the girl you've set up with Hashirama is sickly ... more than that I doubt she'll survive childbirth, that is if she even makes it past the consummation, this is a rather nasty way to show your view on marrying to The Senju clan, this marriage was supposed to represent unionization of clans especially right now". Ashina sighed as he looked over to him.

"Do you know what she's trying to do?" He had no idea, he shook his head. Tobirama slammed his hands down on the table then. "Get us another girl!"

Ashina looked down at the table himself then before looking up. "There are no other girls to marry him off to". ... How was that possible?

Tobirama growled. "What do you mean there are no others? I know that you only have daughters and granddaughters and more granddaughters! Give us one of them!" Ashina slammed his hands down then. "I can't!"

He couldn't believe he was going to be the rationale minded here. "What do you mean you can't?" Ashina sighed then. "The healthy girls are married already, I thought the Senju would go another generation before they decided to marry into the Uzumaki once more ... Unfortunately it didn't happen that way, usually we're told ahead of time and have an adequate amount of years to find a healthy girl ... Kurva-chan is the best out of the current litter of girls in the family".

Sakura groaned then. "Incest, this is due to incest! You've married your own to many times over! It's no wonder your women have such issues with children!".

"Does that mean you can't give me a son?" Sakura rolled her eyes. "What about bastards?" Ashina shook his head. "None that aren't already married, as I've said we've searched the litter, she's the healthiest of the bunch, you can take a look yourself if you want to make the trip".

Sakura stood up then. Her fingers pulling at her lips before she spun back around. "What about your siblings children? Nieces? Grandnieces?"

Ashina nodded his head then. "Mito-chan!" Sakura agreed. "Yes Mito!" ...What is a mito? Sakura blinked then as if something seemed to click in her head. "What is a Mito?"

She was so good at acting like she knew what was going on sometimes that he couldn't help but shake his head in astonishment. Ashina looked over at Tobirama then. "Uzumaki Mito, she's my grandniece, not a princess like you wanted mind you but she's healthy, very healthy, she's older though, but she's still rather pretty, not completely full-blooded, her father is from one of the other clans on the island, it's why hardly anyone has wanted to match with her, they want a pure-blood Uzumaki, a princess, she's not either ... But she's healthy very healthy and still virginal"

Sakura frowned. "I don't think we needed that information..." The albino Senju disagreed. "Yes we do". These two could drive a man crazy if left alone with them long enough. He shook his head as a thought suddenly came to him.

"Ashina-sama ... Why haven't you married her off to lesser clans? Obviously you made an agreement for her mother, but why not this Mito girl? What's wrong with her?"

"Madara!" He rolled his eyes at Sakura, she had no room to criticize him. "You and Tobirama pulled him into this creepy underground dungeon because the first girl is obviously ill, and you haven't wondered why this perfectly healthy one hasn't been married off when all he's been doing is handing all these Uzumaki girls off to whomever is willing to take a bite".

Ashina nodded his head. "It's okay, it's nothing serious really ... I mean, nothing physical ... or mental ... not exactly"

All three of them looked over towards the Uzumaki then, it was very interesting to see the proud Daimyo admit that his clan was not perfect. "Mito because many have turned her over due to the fact that she isn't a pure-blood and the years keep passing around her, I've been a bit easy on her. The poor girl's been rejected so many times that it's rather sad, I figured we'd hand her over to the convents eventually, the Ninsho are always in need of a woman to care for the orphans until there old enough to care for themselves". He wasn't sure where this was going and it seemed neither did Sakura.

"So what's wrong with her?" Ashina smashed his two pointer fingers together as he looked down. "... She's mean". That was it? She was mean? Sakura needed more clarification it seemed.

"What do you mean she's mean?" Ashina refused to meet any of their eyes "I mean she mean, it's not her fault really I mean men were turning down matches with her and I felt bad so I decided to train her and then more men began to turn her down when they found out she was in training". Sakura cut him off once more.

"What do you mean you trained her?" The look that Ashina gave her told them he couldn't believe her question. "In Fuinjutsu Sakura-chan, what do you think I meant?"

Sakura's perfect pink brow lifted then. "The question should be what do you think I meant you nasty old perv". Her lip curled in derision before shaking her head. "That's besides the point though, what does it matter if she's trained in ninjutsu?"

Ashina crossed his arms as he stared at Sakura with a skeptical look before turning his eyes on him and then away as he spoke. "Besides the Uchiha here" He then looked over at Tobirama. "And possibly this one, men aren't attracted to girls that are able to use ninjutsu, you're witches you see, can't be trusted, we're all raised to understand that women that are capable of using their chakra are ... dangerous, so dangerous in fact that for millenium we have been taught that women that are caught using their chakra should be burned at the stake, and we've followed the rules, until you come along".

Sakura rubbed her forehead then. "So you're telling me that men find woman who are able to protect themselves unattractive? How is that even right or fair for that matter?"

Ashina held up his hands. "I don't make the rules" Her eyes went wide then. "You're a Daimyo, you rule an entire island of shinobi saying you don't make the rules is a the worst oxymoron one could say!"

Ashina kept his hands up defensively. "I didn't make the rules, some old ancestor of mine made a pact with the emperors of what is now the fave nations, if we don't comply, the imperial guard that is still in existence today will take everything the Uzumaki have worked so hard to build".

Sakura looked bored with the conversation then, that same look crossed her face, the one she had when Ashina had mentioned this Uzumaki girl. It was a look that Kita often had when talking with people outside the clan. A look of knowing something she wasn't supposed to know but did. With few slow blinks of her long spidery lashes the look was gone.

"Ashina-sama ... Is this Mito, is she trained in the By- The Jinchurriki seal?" ... What is that? Ashina looked up at Sakura then slowly nodding his head. "Yes, of course all Uzumaki girls are required ... Why?"

Sakura shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly then as she stood up from her chair, white robes fluttering in the dank room. "No matter, just a curiosity of mine, Anyhow, I think we're done here, please make sure that everything is handled promptly, the Senju as I'm told are expecting to have a wedding within the next few months".

Like that her mood changed and before anyone could say anything to her she was already out the door. Ashina sighed loudly then as he banged his head against the table quickly stopping and looking up at Tobirama. "Did we have to involve her? ". Tobirama shrugged his shoulders. "Either that or things would have been more unpleasant, you should be grateful to her, at least for now". He looked back at the door then before heading towards it, his own less white robes flowing behind him.

"Do heed her words Uzumaki, have the girl ready soon, the Senju will not deviate from the original plans, give her a title as well, Hashirama will not marry some second rate when he is the Chief of the clan". Well wasn't he just a good brother... "What about Kurva-chan?" Tobirama shook his head as he opened the heavy door.

"Who cares about her, she's damaged goods". He walked out the door then and left the two of them in the room. He turned to the Uzumaki then and shook his head. "You didn't even check to ensure that the girl you were planning to marry to Hashirama was healthy? What sort of Daimyo are you?"

Ashina leaned his head on the table then, looking up at him by the corner of his eyesight. "I have others in charge of that". He scoffed. "Lot of good it did you, I'm sure if Sakura wasn't here to make sure things didn't escalate-"

"Don't think that I'm incapable of holding my own, I may be a Daimyo and I may be old but I am not incapable", He rolled his eyes. "I'm sure your not but against Tobirama, you're good but your no match for him, even if you were younger, Izuna wasn't so I highly doubt you would be, It's not an insult, you may take it as one if you must but it is only the truth".

"It's no wonder everyone likes Hashirama more, you're so terrible at making other's feel better". "I'm not here to make you feel better". Ashina rolled his eyes. "Of course you were Madara, why else do you need to be here? The two terror twins don't need help is scaring the shit out of people".

Terror twins? "I Thought Sakura and Hashirama were the terror twins? Especially considering that the two need to be guarded and watched at all times?"

Ashina shook his head. "No, no the two of them are just headaches, it's Sakura and Tobirama that are the true terrors when together, you never know what sort of reaction you'll get from either of them when together, doesn't matter anyhow, I need to figure something out with Kurva-chan, the travel from the island was hard on her body and I'm not sure what'll happen if she's forced to do it again".

... Kurva ... What an innocent child. Considering what the Hyuga had said earlier about more mouths to feed, perhaps it would be best to start considering new venues of revenue as well, just to insure that the coffers were never to reach an amount that was to ... unsuitable. From what he understood Tobirama had made a very good deal when he'd made the arrangement, her dowry filled the Senju coffers halfway when they were nearly empty, and now with the knowledge that she was ill, there was a possibility that if that were let out the Uzumaki would have to offer good money to whomever was willing to take her off their hands. Anyone that realized this wouldn't be marrying the girl for love of course, it was all about the money, the poor child would end up dead as soon as she signed her name away, that was a shame, she was so innocent. ...

"I understand that the Uzumaki have been attempting to marry into the Uchiha clan for quiet sometime now, what would you say to finally making it happen" Ashina's eyes widened then. "You would marry her?" He shook his head. "Not I, no, considering the fact that she's ill the elders would never allow her to marry into the main clan, but ... I do have a bastard brother, personally not someone I care for, but from what I'm told he's a good man, hasn't married and could be a good match, may even be able to love her in a way. And considering Kurva's own ailments, if she makes it to full term and her child is able to survive infancy I would consider a marriage for the child to someone in the main family so long as the child is healthy of course".

Ashina seemed to be thinking it over, a frown crossing his features and showing his considerable age, he stood up from the chair, smoothing his robes out. "Uzumaki, you should really take this offer, especially if you care about that girl. ... I can see it in her, her pure heart, we've already lost Sakura, it would be a shame to loose another innocent girl. I can ensure that no harm will come to her and she'd be well cared for".

"How much?" How much indeed ... "Double what you offered The Senju, the elders will shut up and accept the agreement once they're told of her dowry agreement".

Ashina nodded his head as he stood up. "Give me two moons, I'll need to get word out to the island to let them know about the new arrangement". He nodded his head. "So glad we had this talk".

"I don't understand Madara, no Uchiha has everyone considered diluting there bloodline as you have, first you chanced it with Sakura-chan and now your chancing it with kurva-chan".

"I already told you, it'd be a shame to loose another innocent girl and the Uchiha Clan, we care for kinsmen more than any other clan has ever, Kurva will be cared for as I said, the bastard is a goodman".

"So the big-bad Uchiha Madara does have a soft-spot after all, who'd have thought it would be women ... Soft-hearted women". "There's hardly any left in the world, may as well care for the ones that are left".

He was nearly out the door when the Uzumaki called out to him again. "He'll be good to her? You're brother? I could guarantee she would have been well cared for by The Senju, especially Hashirama considering he's so ... well it's Hashirama. The Uchiha though, well everyone has heard the rumors".

"She'll be well cared for with the Uchiha, the Uchiha are like all clans with Kekki Genkai, tightly stitched together, once she's married into the clan, she'll become part of the thread that makes up the Uchiha, she'll be an Uchiha. We care for our women as best as we can, they are the ones that carry the future".

---

Getting back to the festivities he saw that Sakura was having a conversation with Hashirama who wore a relieved face telling all that the news he'd gotten had been well received. He'd been slightly worried the Uzumaki girl could have been the one to have reigned in the wild Senju, it was unfortunate though that she was so sickly.

Looking over to where Izuna was last seen he found his younger brother frowning while looking over the Kohaku girls shoulder. He stopped as he followed his brother line of sight, cursing as he saw Kita appear then, the women of the Uchiha clan swarming her while gossiping in her ear. He hadn't expected her to be here, while she was of the main branch she never attended any socials so long as she knew Hachiro would be there.

What was even worse was that her sight was focused solely on Sakura, he would not be able to handle both of them if things got out of hand and Kita had a terrible habit of picking at people until they reacted as she wanted them too. He rubbed his head as he decided to avoid Kita until it was impossible and headed towards Sakura and Hashirama.

Hashirama's attention was not on Sakura completely as he blatantly stared over at the young blonde girl that was standing behind the Namikaze Chief, she was overtly attractive, with hair the color of wheat and skin kissed by the sun, her eye were bright blue-green and mysterious with thick lashes. She still had baby-fat in her cheeks that complimented the heavy pout of her cheeks and she was tall, taller than him and she was beautiful in her deep red kimono and drew as many stares as Sakura herself did.

Dark haired beauties were commonplace in the fire country seeing so many foreign women here had the men on edge it seemed. "Are you even listening to me?" He walked over to Sakura and Hashirama what Sakura was about to get after the Senju for this.

Her rosette curls swayed like silk in the cool nights breeze as she followed his eyes to where the young Namikaze girl stood watching the two of them as well, specifically staring back at Hashirama.

Of course a girl from a lesser clan would want to catch the attentions of the Senju Chief, they were an esteemed clan compared to some border clan. Though as he watched her blue-green eyes look away from then and she blushed prettily at the attention Hashirama was giving her he couldn't deny that the Namikaze seemed to have some coveted treasures.

"Gods your a pig". She reached up and grabbed him by the chin forcing his attention back towards her and he pulled away clearly annoyed at her manhandling of him. "There's no crime in admiring a beautiful woman". Sakura's glare was hot as wild-fire. "Girl Hashirama, she's a girl, not a woman".

Hashirama looked down at Sakura with a lifted brow. "She's of marriageable age, she's a woman and from the looks of it my attentions appear to be reciprocated" He placed a large hand on Sakura's head then and attempted to move her from where she stood in front of him. Sakura didn't budge and Hashirama frowned as he attempted again to move her only to find that Sakura was un-moveable. Sakura reached up then and placed a hand on Hashirama's own larger one and grabbed it. The sound of crushing bones went unheard by music the entertainers were playing and the women's joyous laughs.

Hashirama's dark eyes were narrowed as he took the abuse from the small women, his joyous facade showing for anyone willing to see.

"Just because you got out of one engagement doesn't mean that your permitted to give anyone else the idea that you are available because you aren't, the agreement with the Uzumaki still stands do I make myself clear?"

Hashirama nodded his head and Sakura let go of him and he saw the white haired Senju begin to make his way towards the two from across the festivities, seeming to have witnessed the same as he had.

He shook his head as he made took more steps towards the duo. "Sakura, do be a good ward and not make a fuss right now, Hashirama here was only having a little look, isn't that right Hashirama?" Hashirama looked over to him then and nodded his head. "As always".

Sakura rolled her eyes then and clicked her tongue before spinning around and walking away with Emiyo following closely behind and he sighed as he looked back at Hashirama.

"How bad is it?" Hashirama lifted his hand then, the large appendage dangled in a precarious way letting them both know that she had broken not only the fingers but the entire hand as well.

Sometimes he could only wonder ... "She has a considerable strength when she chooses to show it doesn't she?" Hashirama frowned, his voice low and deep as he looked away. "Your ward carries many secrets".

He could only nod his head. "That she does". Tobirama made his way over to them then, a frown on his face as he passed Sakura.

"Uchiha-sama, Nii-sama" Like Sakura Tobirama seemed to understand the need for appearance and played his part just as well as the pink-haired witch.

His red eyes looked down at Hashirama's hands then a white brow lifting at the sigh. "Should I be concerned?" Hashirama shook his head. "No, it's already beginning to heal itself, besides it was merely a misunderstanding between Sakura and I".

He felt her before he saw her and he frowned when he heard her voice. "I must say our new ward is even prettier in person" He looked to his side then with a nod of his head. "Oba-san". Kita bowed her head. "Madara-sama". He turned his attention towards the two Senju then. "Hashirama, Tobirama, may I introduce to you Kamei Kita of the Uchiha clan" There looks of suspicion told him that they felt it, the odd chakra that she gave off.

They then bowed their heads carefully towards Kita before sharing a look between themselves and directing it towards him. They'd figured out Kita's little secret quickly.

It was subtle but he could feel Sakura's attention on him then and he turned his head just slightly to see those green feline-like eyes of her watching them carefully- curiously and it suddenly clicked in his mind that Sakura was just as sensitive to chakra as Tobirama was, she must have felt the same thing that the Senju brothers had felt the moment Kita had released a bit of chakra.

She was heading in their direction then, white billowing robes and those green-green eyes of hers capturing the attention of those around them.

Sakura smiled a dazzling smile when she came up to them. "Madara-sama" He could only nod his head as he felt Kitas entire demeanor change next to him, she was fascinated with all that was Sakura and that wasn't surprising.

"I must say Madara-sama our ward is even prettier up close". Sakura bowed her head. "Thank you Uchiha-san" Kita smiled amusedly. Sakura didn't seem to know whom she was speaking with it seemed.

"Sama, Kita-sama for you Sakura-san, I suppose you wouldn't realize since you've locked yourself up in rooms" Kita looked over to him then, smirk on her face and Sakura didn't seem intimidated in the least.

"Sakura, allow me to introduce you to Kamei Kita of the Uchiha Clan, my aunt as well as the Uchiha's current standing Matriarch". Sakura bowed once more this time deeper. "What a pleasure to meet you Kita-sama ... Kamei ... that wouldn't be the former Prime Minsters clan would it?"

Sakura would know her politicians and Kita seemed very pleased with this if her smile was anything to go by. "Yes actually, that would have been my late husband" Sakura titled her head.

"Well now we know why the Kamei clan weren't capable of giving the Damyo's an heir". Kita's smile turned predatory then as she tilted her head carefully and looked down her nose at the smaller woman.

"You're much older than I had anticipated Sakura-san, when Madara-sama told us that he wanted to marry you I had expected someone much younger".

... These two women were going to be the death of him. Sakura smiled prettily at them. "I'm sure your elders would have preferred that as well. It is after all easier to bully and manipulate an insecure young girl, but I dare say I wouldn't go back to being a girl of fifteen any quicker than I would jump into a pool of sharks". Those green eyes of hers looked the older woman down carefully before meeting the dark haired beauties eyes once more.

"Besides unlike those younger woman I'm very comfortable in who I am". Kita frowned slightly. "Clearly" Her smile was back on quick as looked over to him.

"Madara-sama, you didn't mention that our ward was so capable". ... He wasn't sure if it was a good thing or a bad thing that Kita approved of Sakura ... It was worrying though there was no doubt about that. Kita never approved of any woman that the elders would have even considered a match for him or Izuna.

Kita looked back over to Sakura. "It is a shame that the two of you could not come to an understanding. The elders would never admit it, but the clan is in dire need of new blood, such a pity that things weren't able to work out".

Sakura blinked carefully, her movement more doll-like than human, her mask nearly falling out of place as if what was said wasn't able to comprehend what had just been said by the other woman. "I do apologize Kita-sama, right now I do believe my place is better helping Madara-sama and Senju-sama by teaching the healers what I know".

Kita nodded her head then. "We do what we must for the clan, no matter what it may be". Sakura frowned then. "The purpose of this village is to bring the clans together as a whole and protect that of our children's future ... If one is only to think of their clan's future you will further stunt not only yourself but the village as whole. The only way for this village to actually survive is if all persons living inside it see it as their own children and protect and care for it as a whole collective".

Sometimes ... Sometimes when she spoke she had this interesting ability to awe him, the way her mind worked, the thoughts that swirled inside that head of hers, it fascinated him like no other could.

Kita was fascinated as well it seemed. "Well that's all good for the future for now we must remain vigilant, but your young you'll learn quickly why we all keep to ourselves". She turned to him then. "It's getting late Madara-sama I must be off". He nodded his head. "Obaa-sama".

She turned back towards Sakura then who bowed once more. "Enjoy the rest of your evening Kita-sama". Kita looked back towards him with a small smirk on her face. "Do try Madara-sama to make sure this one is well cared for" She turned back towards Sakura once more. "Sakura-san".

They all watched as Kita walked away, her maids following closely behind her and he felt Sakura's attention shift back towards him. "I do hope you're going to explain sometime".

"Perhaps". He looked down at her. "Though, if you were to act more like one of the plenty of women here it may be sooner than I explain". Sakura rolled her eyes.

"Madara-sama, if you want a traditional woman then take your pick, there are plenty here that have been eyeing you as if you were a delicacy, I'm sure they would be positively thrilled to have your attentions, especially if their in the pickings for Matriarch".

"I'd rather a woman with a backbone that a woman that can entertain me with song". Sakura smirked as she looked up at him before looking away again. "Have you spoke with your clan's nakōdo? The more of what you know what you want in a wife the better chances she'll be able to find you the perfect match".

"I'd rather you help me find her, I know you can". "It's fortunate for me Madara-sama that I'm too preoccupied to worry about finding you the perfect Matriarch, besides your current standing Matriarch should be more useful in that aspect, it is part of the Matriarchs duties after all to ensure that the Patriarch and heir apparent have appropriate wives".

Kita probably would find someone just like herself and he didn't want to marry anyone like Kita. "Kita's got many responsibilities that she's better suited for".

"What duties could distract her from conducting her rightful duties as Matriarch?" Things he'd rather not have anyone else know about. "Things that you need not worry about my dear ward".

Sakura frowned, clearly unhappy at not being told what she wanted to know. "So if she's allowed to get out of her duties then I am as well".

He wished he could get out of his own responsibilities but it seemed futile most of the time to even try. "If I can't get out of these social functions then neither can you ... Especially now that I know you look so lovely on my arm".

Sakura's frown did not move and only seemed to deepen further. "If it wasn't for the fact that you need to attend this social functions then I would advise you skip them".

"And remind me again why I must attend?" Sakura turned away then. "To make you appear more approachable". Approachable, compared to Hashirama, it would be difficult.

He noticed then as he looked over at Sakura, her back turned towards him and her long thick pink tresses glowing in the candlelight. White hair, a thick chunk of pearl-white colored hair was nearly hidden intricately beneath the flowered-tone hair.

She didn't make a single movement when he moved closer to her, their bodies barely separated and he reached forward and grabbed the chunk of white hair, twirling it between his fingers.

"Who's that?" "Hmm?" He looked forward then over her small shoulder and towards the direction she was looking at. Sakura was looking towards another woman, long thick raven colored hair and skin as pale as the moon. Her oval face was perfect with smooth unblemished skin. Dark midnight-colored eyes watched the two of them like a hyena calculating whether it wanted to attack or not, her perfectly full lips pulled down into a frown told him all that he needed to know, she was not happy at the sight of how close him and Saura were.

The men around her watched her interested, eyes taking in her thick curves that she showed off with a maroon-colored loose-fitting kimono that was tucked in lower for her ample breast to stand out.

"Madara-sama". He looked down at Sakura's white covered shoulder, the extreme contractions between the two women did not go unnoticed by him.

He could not hide the groan that escaped him and he twisted more of Sakura's hair in his fingers. "That is Leiko", "She is beautiful". She truly was.

"Who is she?" He made eye contact with Kanaye then who only nodded his head before he made his way over to Leiko. "She's my whore".

Sakura turned to him then, their eyes meeting briefly before she turned back around. "And you invited her to what? Pleasure you in front of all the Chiefs and their unmarried daughters and sisters?"

That tongue of hers never ceased to amaze him. He watched as Leiko looked angrily at him as Kanaye attempted to walk her in a different direction. "No, I am as surprised to see her here as you are, only those from the main house and the head of the branch family were permitted to attend tonight".

"Well someone must believe that she's high up in the food chain to have the audacity to come here tonight without a proper invitation".

Sakura didn't sound please one bit and he knew without a doubt there would be a frown on her pretty face. "Not I, does it bother you that she's here?" "Of course it bothers me, if the others find out what she is and who she is to you ...Any attempts at finding a wife for you here will fall through".

"That failed a while ago Sakura, between my beautiful whore and my beautiful ward ... The women here tonight would have no doubt realized that their attempts to woo me would be hard pressed".

He looked over Sakura's shoulder once more and watched as Leiko argued with Kanaye, the heated argument catching many of those around them, he turned and made eye contact with a guard, gesturing with a head nod towards the two. He couldn't allow for Leiko to ruin the night.

Moving Sakura's hair from her shoulder he continued to watch as the guard moved over to Leiko and began to push her out discreetly, her anger flaring as midnight-colored eyes met his own. The fire in them igniting hotter than any flames he'd dare conjure himself.

"Who is she?" "I already told you who she is". Sakura shook her head. "Someone must think she's worthy of more so her pedigree must be something".

Sakura did know how to put pieces together. "Her mother was taken during a raid while heavily pregnant, She was born a bastards, bastard of the Fuma Clans main family. My father took Leiko's mother as a war-wife not long after she gave birth ... Originally the plan was that Leiko would marry either me or Izuna due to the fact that the Fuma and Uchiha's are cousins and it would be good to have them as assets ... Leiko had better plans and wanted to marry my father ... Her own mother sold her to the brothel not long after. Someone thought it was a kind gesture to bring her back when my father and Leiko's mother passed away, she's unfit for marriage though but does know how to warm a mans bed properly".

"How did her mother die?" Why would she care about that? "She was forced to choose to between going back to her clan or going to a covent... She made her own choice and killed herself".

"She bore him no sons?" "Why so curious Sakura?" She didn't make any move. "Making sure that there's no one that would be able to steal your position as Chief Madara-sama, the more I know the better I can prepare if things go wrong and someone challenging your claim could due a lot of damage ... or worse if your elders decide to replace you and Izuna".

"He's been dealt with already". "Meaning you killed him". He tugged the chunk of white hair carefully. "He's alive, his bastard half-brothers are a different story". What a tale they wove indeed.

He let go of her hair then. "Stop worrying about such trivial matters Sakura. I need your mind focused on getting my physicians trained to your standards ... I'll make sure this sort of thing doesn't happen again".

"You mean Kita will". He smiled, she was already figuring out Kita's role in everything. "Yes, that would be correct".

The party continued with happily fed and nearly drunk Chiefs and giddy wives attempting to form marriage alliances and gossiping like old drunken kings in a peasants tavern and the night was well and good.

When Sakura left them, the men watched with salaciousness and greed as Kanaye walked her out and the women watched with envy knowing they'd wouldn't be able to compete with her for his attentions. Hashirama mixed the poison with his wine the moment Sakura had declared she was leaving and Tobirama shrugged his shoulders not wanting to deal with any of it as he too disappeared not long after Sakura had.

A part of him became paranoid with the two leaving nearly exactly at the same time, but the way Sakura seemed to purposely avoid the younger Senju unless necessary told him that she didn't favor him one bit. A plus for himself as loosing Sakura too Tobirama would be a very bad thing.

As he came upon his house he stiffened, where Sakura's chakra was there it was the feminine energy that had him on edge. Leiko didn't need chakra to let him know she was there waiting for him, she was smart though to use the servants entrance, she was chancing things with Sakura though and he knew she was doing it on purpose.

Upon entering the hallway he saw Sakura's rooms were closed, lights off but Izuna was leaned against the wall next to them, arms crossed and looking straight at him, clearly not happy about something.

"She's been here since she was forced to return to the compound ... Threatened one of our servant girls with a knife when she was found in Sakura's rooms... You need to handle her brother she's getting out of control and if she's too much for you I'll make sure she finds herself back at that brothel they found her in".

Izuna was clearly unhappy, which said much considering he'd been in such high spirits tonight. "I'll speak with her" Izuna nodded his head before pushing off the door he looked back at Sakura's room then. "You better, or she might not be as nice".

Oh would Sakura have a field day if he let her handle Leiko, he was sure if she was as sensitive as to chakra as he believed her to be that Sakura would have figured out that Leiko had been in her rooms.

Opening the screens to his rooms he saw Leiko there waiting on the bed, she looked ready to attack him and he didn't turn away as she stood up from her position and he closed the screen doors behind him.

She ran then, battlecry on her perfect pink lips as she brandished a kunai at him. "You bastard!" She was so heated and angry that every nerve in his body boiled to take everything she had for himself. He grabbed her arm and took the weapon from her, pushing her back towards her bed.

"I don't remember telling you that you were invited tonight" Her glare told him she was angry, but the greed in her screamed back as well. "I am you-" "Nothing, you are nothing, no one, you warm my bed and only mine and that is all your here for. Shall I ever here about you breaking into my wards rooms and threatening my servants".

"Your ward is that what you call her? I heard that you wanted to marry her, her some nobody, she's not worthy! I've been with you since the very beginning I deserve to be your Matriarch!"

There she went again and he unwrapped himself from his robes. "You deserve what I give you". The audacity she had to assume he would make her his Matriarch ... He knew she was dangerous but it's what made her so attractive.

Throwing his robes onto the floor he lifted a brow. "Now get on your knees".

---

"My Kaa-san say's I need to be her friend", "So did mine", "She's so weird and her hair it's pink!", "Have you seen her father!", "Have you seen that forehead!"

She continued to look down at her desk trying to ignore the other kids that sat behind her, focusing on her calligraphy, it was only the first day of primary and already her fears were becoming a reality. Her cousins at the palace liked to make fun of her hair and forehead, she didn't know why it would be any different. Sighing she placed her brush down and held up her hand. Maybe she could hide away in the washroom.

Besides her mother had already gone over calligraphy with her she didn't need to go over it again, and she didn't understand why she was even in the classroom, but she supposed her father had his reasons.

"Yes Sakura-chan?" The teacher questioned as they focused their attention on her, she placed her hand down. "May I be excused?" The teacher nodded their head as they pulled out a hall pass. "Very well, be quick about it".

The whispers and giggles were hard to ignore and she felt goosebumps as the entire class focused on her. Her body was tense as she made her way towards the door and she closed it softly, sighing as she slid carefully against it.

"Now this is an unexpected sight". Her head shot up quickly as she looked up at the two dark haired shinobi that were looking down at her. Uchiha shinobi..

She stood carefully making sure that her body didn't cause the door to make any sounds so as not to alert the teacher. "Uchiha-san, forgive me I was on my way to the washrooms". The two young Uchiha shinobi looked over at each other before looking back down at her. One wore a soft smile despite how tired he appeared and the other smiled brightly like the sun that shown over Konoha.

"You must be Haruno-sama's daughter". She nodded her head. "I didn't know you were in Sasuke-chan's class, you must be the one that nearly beat Itachi-chan's entrance exam, not many could do that, even I wasn't able to do it, that says a lot".

Uchiha Sasuke, that boy with the dark hair and eyes that all the girls were giggling and fighting over. They were in the same clan as him. "Thank you Uchiha-san". The one with the short hair and bright smile frowned then before looking over at the other Uchiha he was with. "I'm Shisui, Uchiha Shisui, and this here is my cousin, Sasuke-chan's elder brother, Uchiha Itachi, you must be Haruno Sakura am I right?"

"It's a pleasure to meet you both". That frowned deepened. "You mother didn't tell you anything did she?" This time she frowned because she had no idea what he was talking about. The Uchiha rubbed his neck then. "This is awkward ... Well might as well then... I'm your betrothed".

... Betrothed? ... This guy? ... "I don't believe you ... Is this what you all call a prank?" Shisui looked aghast then. "I would nev-" Itachi snorted. "Yes you would", Shisui glared at Itachi then. "Not to a young girl!" Itachi rolled his eyes. "Yes you would". Shisui crossed his arms then as he continued glaring at the shorter Uchiha. "What are you even doing here? Nobody asked for you to come". Itachi smirked up at Shisui then. "Yes you did, you didn't want to come off creepy while looking in on your fiancé who happens to be in the same primary class as Sasuke-kun ... Stop trying to kid yourself, you need me".

Shisui looked away, his eyes closing and his nose high. "Well then if your gonna be like that!" She heard the teacher then. "What is going on out here!" She moved in time for the door not to hit her as she looked up at her teacher.

The strawberry-haired beauty stopped in her tracks as she took in the sight of the two Uchiha shinobi in front of her, her eyes glassy with hearts in them. "Uchiha-san! What can I help you with is everything okay out here? Is Sakura-chan bothering you all?" Is there anything I could do to make everything better?"

Shisui turned his attention towards the teacher and then down at her a smirk coming to his face. "Okay Sakura-chan, since you don't believe me I'll prove it" He turned back his attention to the teacher then who swooned as his dark eyes met her bright blue ones.

"Actually I came by to grab Sakura-chan here, you wouldn't mind would you?" The woman frowned then as she looked down at her and over to the two Uchiha. "You must joking Uchiha-san, I'll go get Sasuke-kun, I'm sure he'll be thrilled-" Shisui stopped her gently. "No, no joke I assure you, you'll find me under guardian".

The teacher looked at the three of them then before putting up a finger. "Could you just give me a minute". She walked back into the class and the two Uchiha took the moment to look into the room, Sasuke had his attention on something outside and seemed to miss the small smile that Itachi had and Shisui continued to peruse the class room before the teacher walked back to them with a folder in hand.

"I must apologize Uchiha-san, I had no idea, of course, I'll grab her a permission form just in case there are any questions". The teacher turned away from them then and she looked up at Shisui.

... This was amazing, the first day of school and she didn't like it and now she was getting pulled out of the aweful class. Shisui smiled brightly at her. "So what do you think dango or Ice cream?"

Itachi nudged him in the side then. "Is that even a question? Obviously we're getting dango's". Shisui frowned as he looked over to Itachi then. "I'm not taking you out for dango again, besides what if Sakura-chan doesn't like dango".

"Find a new fiancee" Shisui's eyes widened as his mouth opened ungracefully. "What are you mad! Look how adorable she is! ... And how rude!"

"... Me mad? What sort of child doesn't like dango? That's madness".

"I can't believe you're trying to hijack her turn". "Since when does she have a turn?" "She's six Itachi, of course she gets a turn".

... These guys were mad, she sighed as she looked over at Shisui who had by now crossed his arms, his nose high and pointed at the ceiling giving him a snotty appearance.

The teacher returned then and both boys quickly fixed themselves to appear well-behaved for her. "There you are Uchiha-san ... May I ask, will you be coming by to pick up Sakura-chan often?"

Something in her mind clicked and she realized then that the teacher liked Shisui and was wanting to see him more. Shisui seemed to understand her silent question as well. Instead he pretended he didn't understand what she was asking. "Eh ... I don't know ..." He scratched his head and the teacher frowned.

"Anyways" Shisui continued. "Thanks for this!" He grabbed her by the hand and pulled him to her. "Come on Sakura-chan let's get Anmitsu"

... She was beginning to see why the teacher seemed to like him between the two Uchiha boys, Anmitsu was one of her favorites. "I love you". Shisui looked down at her and smiled brightly once more. "Ah do you hear that Itachi-kun she already loves me!"

"She's six and your buying her sweets of course she loves you" Shisui frowned with watery eyes as he looked down at her again. "Is it true Sakura-chan are you just using me?"

"Once more Shisui-sempai she's six, I doubt she understands what you're even implying". Shisui sighed. "You're right ..." He looked down at her again, this time curiously. "Ne Sakura-chan what is your favorite dessert? Like out of everything you could chose to eat which one is the one you love the most?"

That was a very hard question to answer indeed, she did like dango, but umeboshi was very good to, well anything that was plum was very good .. but if she had to choose ... "I love Anmitsu".

Shishui brightened immensely then. "Anmitsu if my favorite too! Oh I knew I liked you kid! I think we're going to get along splendidly!" He looked over at Itachi then before looking back at her. "Personally I'm relieved you didn't choose dango, Itachi here will eat me out of the bank!"

"I heard that".

---

I am so sorry I didn't abandon this, I've been going through a bad bout of depression, my husband left me last month and months before that things were not as they should have been. Then I got a bad bout of writers block and finally I finished this chapter that I've been trying to finish for months now.

This story will not be abandoned!

Thank you all that have reviewed and favorited I appreciate all of you and hope you enjoy the next chapter

angel897

AmaneHikariUchiha

LittleWolfChimera

Alexia

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Uchiha Misaki

Thank you once more, and I can't wait to see you in the next chapter - Aethi ...