Uchiha MC

by Lovestruckay

After finally being invited to meet the rest of Sasuke's family, the infamous Uchiha Motorcycle Club, Sakura leaves a lasting impression on the leader of the club and Sasuke's uncle, Madara Uchiha. As her and the MC president fall in love, Sakura is drawn into a hidden world where a secret war threatens to destroy the people she loves and her along with it. Biker AU

12. Obito

Obito wasn't a man who was easily surprised. More than that, he was a difficult man to impress.

He had lived what felt like a dozen lifetimes, despite still being young by most accounts. He felt as if the easily swayed, warmhearted boy he had once been was a distant memory. He had seen the best and the worst of what mankind had to offer and had even found himself on both sides of those polar opposite stations more times than he could count.

As such, Obito was difficult to surprise and nearly impossible to impress.

There was only one thing that had both surprised and impressed him over the past half year and that had, shockingly enough, been the newest "addition" to the Uchiha family: Sakura Haruno.

Obito remembered the first moment that he had seen Sakura, walking into The Dead End with the towering blond Uzumaki in tow. He had thought little of her at first, not thinking of her as a threat so much as an interloper. He had thought that she had no place being around his family, an opinion that had drastically changed when she surprised him by throwing herself into the bar brawl not even a half hour later.

He had been impressed at how she had protected Sasuke from men twice her size, not only doing so without hesitation but with wild success. She had caught Obito's attention then and, every time he had seen her thereafter, he had found himself further impressed and even more surprised by the unusual pink haired woman.

Obito had first been surprised by how the woman had so easily stolen the heart of the man he considered to be not only a brother but a mentor. Madara had taken Obito under his wing after the car accident that had taken his arm, his leg, his eye, and the love of his life. Madara had helped mold him into the man he was today instead of the tragedy he would have become on his own.

The younger Uchiha had the utmost respect for his president and his closest companion and, as such, was very familiar with how difficult it was for anyone to get close to the eldest Uchiha's guarded heart, especially women.

When Obito was still just a gangling teenager lurking around the clubhouse, Madara and Izuna had been the lookers of the club. The women who hung around the clubhouse would fawn over the two and neither man had to look far to find a bed partner. Izuna, being the smooth talker and being less rough around the edges, had always been the more sought after of the two. Although this didn't reflect a lack of attention on the elder of the two brothers as Madara's wild and warrior-like nature drew in a certain breed of women.

Izuna, even all these decades later, still sated himself by sleeping with whichever woman or women he chose to sweet talk into his bed for the night. Madara, however, had quickly found himself bored of the emotionless seductions. He had searched for an old lady among the crowds of hangarounds and found himself in poor company, always finding rejection, misuse, and betrayal in the women he had tried to find love in.

The eldest Uchiha had had a number of old ladies over the years although some could hardly be considered such with how short a duration they stuck around. The man had a terrible choice in women and Obito watched as this trend continued for years, leaving Madara dissatisfied and distrustful.

At least until Sakura came along.

To see Sakura so effortlessly make herself at home in Madara's guarded heart hadn't just surprised Obito, it had shocked him. He had wondered if his president had just been acting overzealous. If he had been overly excited that such a young and beautiful woman had taken a fancy to him, that a woman who didn't seem to care about his position of power had come into his life, or if he had just been lonely.

Either way, it had made Obito pay even closer attention to the young woman who had placed herself in the Uchiha family with such ease it had been as if she was just returning to a seat that had been saved for her.

Obito had been impressed when he heard the tale of how Sakura had knocked her attacker unconscious in the mosh pit at the Sound Four concert. How her and Madara had been the perfect battle couple, blowing away every patched in member of the club who had witnessed them brawl. How, shortly after they had won their fights and shortly after one of their cousins had taken the picture of them that hung in the clubhouse, they had disappeared together.

While Obito was less than interested in what they had done after running off, he was intrigued by how she had chosen to defend herself instead of waiting to be rescued.

When he had finally met Sakura face to face, the sergeant at arms had expected her to treat him the same as everyone else outside of the club did: with distrust, unease, fear, or pity.

He had been surprised, once again, when instead she had struck up a casual conversation with him about the MMA match on the tv in front of them. How those were her friends on screen and how she had spent her entire life growing up with some of them. How she had heard he practiced martial arts as well and her asking which style he preferred. She hadn't shown an ounce of fear, despite his reputation and intimidating outward appearance, instead extending a friendly invitation to conversation.

The scarred Uchiha could count on his one hand how many times someone had treated him like a person, and not like a monster or an invalid, after the accident. After months of distrustful curiosity, he had taken a liking to her.

Obito had since then been impressed by a number of Sakura's other traits: her intelligence, her wit, her unwillingness to be walked on, her kindness, her vast medical knowledge, her training in the martial arts, and even how easily she had won over every member of his jaded and distrustful family. But, even more recently, he had been impressed by Sakura graduating medical school.

More than anything, Obito was glad that she was finally through with her "study binge" as Madara had called it. The eldest Uchiha had been a menace to be around when he hadn't seen his old lady in more than a few days. The man had turned listless yet conversely overflowed with a directionless energy. The spars they had had during those days had felt more like a punishment than anything else. Having his president back to normal was a relief for not only Obito but for the other victims of Madara's excess energy.

When the club had first received the news that Sakura had passed her exams and now held the title of Dr. Haruno, it had been a unanimous decision to throw her a party at the clubhouse to celebrate.

A party where everyone had gotten far too drunk, where everyone had gotten her little gifts in congratulations (something that had thoroughly embarrassed the woman of honor), and where Sakura had inevitably been spirited away to the back rooms by the club's absolutely smitten president. Despite neither Madara nor the woman of honor having made a reappearance for the rest of the night, the party raged on until the sun was high in the sky and people finally began to find sleep in the various corners and crevices of the clubhouse like drowsy kittens searching for places to nap.

Obito was happy for Sakura. He was impressed with her achievements and he would even go as far as to say that he was proud of her accomplishments, in the way that one acquaintance was for another.

He knew that, if she chose to stay with Madara for the long haul, that he would gladly accept her as an equal in his family. She obviously made the man he respected more than any on this earth happy and if there was one thing that his president deserved it was a slice of happiness.

On a more realistic level, he hoped Sakura would use her skills as a doctor to help in their war with the Senju. Her skill would be incredibly useful for saving the lives of Uchiha who would die without her medical care. Although he saw little chance of that happening in the future with how soft a nature she had, even if she was smitten with his mentor. It would be a decision that she would have to make on her own since no one would go as far as to press her for her help.

Even though she did not offer herself to the club as their doctor to help in their war, this fact had little effect on how Madara felt for her and even less effect over his concern for her working at the hospital underneath Dr. Tsunade Senju, the cousin of Hashirama and Tobirama Senju. A concern which fueled the meeting that Obito sat in now, perched in his chair at the round table in the officer's meeting room in the clubhouse.

"Tsunade has maintained her stance on neutrality, without fail, for the past twenty years. The hospital has always been a safe place for as long as I can remember, she makes sure of that. I highly doubt that Sakura will be in any danger, just like she wasn't for the duration of her clinicals," Itachi explained from his seat at the round table across from Obito.

"That was different. Sakura had only just become Madara's old lady. I doubt the Senju are fully aware of her connection to the club yet and that was the only reason she wasn't bothered," Izuna argued, arms crossed angrily as he scowled at Itachi, "Don't forget, Tsunade is still a Senju whether she wears the patch or not."

Obito sighed silently, already exhausted by the circular argument that had been droning on for the past half hour. The argument over Sakura's safety as she began her residency under her chosen physician, Dr. Senju.

The club had been aware that Sakura had spent a brief period of time during her clinicals for medical school studying under the Senju. They were aware of her history with the woman, how the blonde had inspired Sakura to become a doctor after treating her, Naruto, and Sasuke following an attack when they were children. They were even aware of how Sakura had wanted her residency to be supervised by the Senju and how the new doctor would not be swayed even if she was dating the president of the Uchiha MC.

Tsunade was famous for her medical prowess and was a surgeon that any doctor worth their salt would do anything to study under. Not only was she famous for the miracles she performed in the operating room but she was even more famous for her reputation. She was a woman with an explosive temper, not unlike Sakura herself, who refused to be cowed by any organization in the city, including the MC her very own family operated.

Tsunade was not only the most renown doctor in the country, a surgeon who had saved thousands of lives in her career, but she was also the director of Konoha Regional Hospital. Tsunade ran her hospital with an iron fist and, when she had first ascended into power, she had laid down one unbreakable rule for every soul who entered her domain. A rule especially relevant to those who were a part of clubs or other organizations in the city. When you entered her hospital, you entered as an individual. You left behind your last name and, more importantly, you ignored those of others.

Tsunade's hospital was a place of healing and neutral ground. Everyone respected the brilliant blonde and nearly everyone had a family member who had been saved by her very own hands. Because of this, no one had dared to go against her one rule.

Uchiha and Senju, Fuma and Hagoromo, the Uzumaki, the Hyuga, the Shimura, and all of the other families in the city were all tended to with the same respect and the same dedication. Everyone became equal when they entered her hospital.

She had maintained this place of peace for over twenty years and had never failed in her promise.

Madara wanted to trust this woman, wanted to believe that Sakura would be safe under her supervision, but that didn't change the fact that Tsunade was a Senju and that didn't change the fact that Sakura was the old lady of the president of the mother chapter of the Uchiha MC. That Sakura was a very real target for the Senju MC and was in a very real amount of danger.

Everyone in the club, not just Madara, wanted to protect their pink haired friend, a woman who had taken care of Sasuke since childhood and who had stolen the heart of their president. She was an ally to them all and the Uchiha took care of those who won their way into their good graces.

"Then what do you suggest, Izuna? Should we go and threaten her? Tell the woman who has saved the lives of our civilian family members dozens of times that we'll, what, break the neutrality rule and kill her if something happens to Sakura?" Izumi hissed, glaring at the vice president.

"Something like that," Izuna growled in response.

"You're letting your hatred for the Senju blind you. We can't threaten this treaty we have with the hospital. It's not our asses who would be suffering for it, it would be our family members that aren't part of the club. They would be the ones in danger if Tsunade no longer protected them," Shisui argued, leaning onto his elbows on the round table.

Izuna scowled but remained silent.

"Tsunade is a reasonable woman. Not just that, but she has dedicated her life to preserving this neutrality to better take care of her patients. She never appreciated the war between our families…" Madara mused aloud, leaning back into his chair thoughtfully, "But she is still a Senju, her loyalty will always be to her family first. She's the only reason that some of the Senju we've faced in combat are not only still alive but not behind bars. She has been working for their club in secret to maintain this peace in her hospital."

"So we're looking for a way to ensure she will uphold her declaration when Sakura is in her hospital. Just in case Tsunade can be somehow swayed by her cousins to give up Sakura as a hostage," Izumi summarized, not missing how Madara's lip rose in a semblance of a snarl at just the thought of Sakura being abducted.

"What about an offering of sorts?" Itachi suggested after a tense moment of silence, his face the picture of neutrality.

"Care to explain?" Madara replied, arching a brow at the younger Uchiha.

"If the club delivers an offering to Tsunade, or rather a donation to the hospital, it could accomplish a number of things. On the outside, it would appear that the club is showing our support for the president of the mother chapter's old lady. It would reflect well on our club. Another show of support to our community after being inspired by Sakura's success," Itachi began, resting his elbows on the arms of his chair as he spoke.

The other members of the club leaned in, listening closely to their second youngest officer as he detailed his plan. The placid man was well known for his intelligence, many considering him to be a genius on par with Madara, and his strategies were well respected in the fact that they nearly always succeeded.

"However, it would also show Tsunade that Sakura is tied to our club, that she is under our protection. That as such, she is a target for the members of the Senju MC. And that our donation is a way of supporting her hospital and that her debt for our charity would be Sakura's protection," the young Uchiha finished.

"And I suspect that your plan involves donating the earnings from our annual charity bike auction that is coming up?" Madara guessed.

Itachi nodded simply. "That is the one."

"Have you lost your mind? That is our most successful charity run every year! I've spent all year working on those bikes, you would give our earnings from the auction to a Senju?" Izuna argued, openly glowering at his elder brother.

"Izuna has a point," Obito finally interjected, having been silent for most of the meeting, "We easily pull in a few hundred thousand dollars every time we hold that auction. That's thirty plus custom made bikes that we would be giving away just to hope Tsunade will keep your girlfriend safe at work."

The Konoha chapter of the Uchiha MC held their custom bike auction every year, a sought after charity event to raise money for an organization of their choice. The charity not only kept the police off of their backs but kept their presence welcome in Konoha. As long as they did more good than not and kept the darker aspects of club business under wraps, the citizens of the city allowed them to stay.

Last year the club had chosen the firefighters of Konoha, a donation which lead to the opening of a new fire station in a part of the city that had desperately needed it. The year before that, the club had chosen an organization dedicated to giving food, shelter, and work opportunities to the homeless in the city, a donation that had lead to a dramatic decrease in the homeless population. The year before that, their charity auction had donated its earnings to an organization dedicated to women's health, a donation that helped the women of Konoha get the birth control and access to health care that they couldn't afford on their own.

Being the chosen organization for the donation from the custom bike auction was a highly sought after position and giving it to the hospital just for the chance Tsunade wouldn't betray Sakura seemed insanely excessive.

"You act as if we would be placing the donation in Tsunade's hands. The money would go to the hospital, not the director. Sakura wouldn't be the only one to benefit from this arrangement, any of our family members who need hospitalization will receive better treatment. Not just that, but an improvement to the hospital is an improvement to the lives of every person in the city," Madara argued back, crossing his arms across his chest in agitation.

"The donation could even be seen as a show of good faith and appreciation for her continued neutrality and the care she's provided to everyone sharing our last name," Izumi tacked on thoughtfully.

"Not just that, but if Tsunade gives up Sakura, a woman under the protection of the club, it will mean an escalation in the war. It will lead to even more blood shed and there will never be a chance for peace," Itachi added, his voice calm despite the heated nature of the discussion.

"Hah!" Izuna mocked, "Peace with the Senju. What a laughable concept. You all know what they are. Don't you remember how they threw that treaty back in our faces? And you're all still vying for that pipe dream? We can't trust them and we will never be able to. They all need to die."

"We maintained an armistice for over three months after a century of nothing but war. They want peace as badly as we do, they just struggle - as you do, brother - to put the past behind them," Madara reminded, eyes narrowing at his younger brother.

"After what they've done to our family?" Izuna growled before adding, in a much more meaningful tone, "To us?"

The vice president's unspoken words were obvious to everyone sitting at the table. Madara and Izuna's parents and three of their brothers had died as a result of this war. Izuna wanted bloodshed, wanted revenge, but Madara still strove for peace.

"The Senju can say the very same," Madara replied sharply.

"So are we doing this or what? We've been up here for an hour, talking in circles. Let's make a decision already," Shisui grumbled, crossing his legs so he could fiddle with the bandages tightly wrapped around the still healing gunshot wound in his calf.

Izumi slapped his hand in reprimand, eyeing him in a silent threat. Shisui grunted in frustration before dropping his foot back to the floor and resisting the urge to pick at the wound he had received during the assault against the Fuma and the Senju a little more than a month previous.

"Very well. Let's put it to a vote then. All in favor of donating the earnings from the custom bike auction to Konoha Regional Hospital?" Madara declared, holding up his hand before stating, "Aye."

The trio raised their hands in unison, Obito following after, as they all stated, "Aye."

Izuna glowered at the group, a scowl marring his features, before he raised his hand and unhappily growled, "Aye."

"Then the motion passes. The donation will go to the hospital. Izumi, would you be so kind as to deliver the news to Tsunade herself? I believe that speaking with our treasurer will-" the president of the Uchiha MC began before being interrupted.

"I'll go," Obito interjected firmly, surprising everyone at the table.

All eyes fell onto him in shock, some filled with more disbelief than others.

"Uh, I think it would be a better idea if me or Itachi went, Obito. It would look too much like a... Well, it would look like a threat if we sent our sergeant at arms," Izumi explained gently, grimacing.

"Correct me if I'm wrong… but isn't that the point here? A subtle threat that if her trash family hurts Sakura that there will be hell to pay?" Obito returned gruffly, earning a glare from the youngest officer in the MC.

"It is an unspoken understanding. Subtlety will be key here. Tsunade is an incredibly valuable ally we can't afford to upset," Izumi argued, her temper flaring in response to Obito's foul attitude.

"And she won't be. Me going will kill two birds with one stone. I'll deliver the message for the club since I have something I need to say to the director anyways," the sergeant at arms explained vaguely.

Izumi and Shisui's faces both became pinched with confusion although Madara shot the one armed Uchiha a knowing look.

"What could you possibly have to say to her?" Shisui questioned with a quirked eyebrow, staring at Obito in disbelief.

"Alright, Obito, I believe you'll be a fitting messenger. Does everyone agree?" Madara interrupted, holding up his hand, "Aye."

"Aye," Obito and Izuna replied immediately, halfheartedly raising their hands.

Itachi also raised his hand, stating, "Aye."

Izumi gave Itachi a meaningful look, a gaze which he responded with a nod. She nodded imperceptibly back before raising her hand as well and stating, "Aye."

"Wait, I'm still-" Shisui started, still confused.

"Shisui," Itachi interrupted smoothly, leveling Shisui with the same meaningful stare, "Later."

Shisui gazed into his cousin's eyes for a long few moments before sighing deeply. He leaned back into his chair, flicking up his hand noncommittally, as he grumbled, "Yeah, sure, send the attack dog. Whatever. Aye."

"Very well then, everyone agrees. Our weekly meeting is adjourned. We'll have another meeting in the next of couple days to discuss the result of Obito's meeting with Tsunade," Madara summarized, standing from his seat at the table.

"More like to plan how we're going to deal with our family not being allowed at the hospital anymore…" Shisui grumbled, earning a cuff to the back of the head from Izumi.

---

Obito stood outside of the hospital, staring up at the sprawling, utilitarian building in front of him. His eye drifted across the rows of ornamental trees and the well manicured hedges and flower beds that were strategically planted around the walkways leading inside. His gaze rose to the top of the multi floor hospital and the handful of flags waving proudly at its peak. He watched as a constant flow of cars and buses picked up or dropped off patients and family members beneath the massive overhang which protected the front doors from the elements. He observed the groups of people, health care workers, patients, and visitors alike, all going in and out of the hospital doors as if it were the easiest thing in the world.

Everything before him was so incredibly orderly, so routine and non threatening. The calmness around him clashed with the unmitigated chaos within him. His heart raced frantically in his chest. His head pounded, the pain crisply centered behind his missing eye. The stumps where his limbs now ended ached, the scars littered across his body stung, and the fingers and toes of the limbs that were no longer there burned.

His hand shook as he stared at the all too familiar, sliding glass doors a short ways ahead of him.

Obito had arrived at the hospital over a half hour ago. He had parked his bike in the back of the acres wide parking lot, thinking that the long walk to the front door would allow him to gather the courage he needed to enter. Now, after a half hour of staring at those foreboding double doors, he had yet to gather the bravery to go inside.

He had thought for sure he would never return to this place again. He hadn't even seen the building in decades, a building that somehow hadn't changed in the slightest during his prolonged absence, and finally standing in front of the looming giant brought back all of the memories of his suffering.

This was a place where people went to die.

What was he even doing here? This was a terrible idea…

The thought of having to face his family, of showing them that he was too weak to do what he had promised he would do - what he had fought for the right to do - was the thing that finally spurred him forward. The thought of never saying what needed to be said, however, was what kept his feet moving, even as he felt more like he was walking to his grave rather than into a place of healing.

Obito wished he could wear his cut, one of the few things that brought him comfort. His family was all he had, the only thing he cared about and the only thing that cared about him. The weight of his cut on his back had always felt like the hands of his family members were on his shoulders in support. Heading into this dreaded place without it felt wrong.

The Uchiha felt as if had been losing his grip lately. The stress from the recent clashes with the Senju and being hyper aware of the inevitable fallout that was to come had been the start of it. Him and his club mates had killed nearly two dozen Senju and Fuma and he knew that they were planning a retaliation.

Obito was hypervigilant as he waited for the shoe to drop. He wondered who would die this time around.

Now, with this stress being even further compounded by entering the hospital, he felt like his racing heart would stop dead in his chest or that his mind would finally break beneath the weight of the war and the struggles of the past and the future.

As if he'd ever tell anyone how he was suffering...

Obito placed one foot in front of the other, forcing himself onward and forcing his escalating thoughts out of his mind. His heart pounded so forcefully that he could hear his heartbeat in his ears and not much else. He tried to focus on slowing his breath to calm his heart but the action succeeded in nothing but making him dizzy.

He strode past a group of nurses who all gave him a sympathetic look as he passed, their eyes lingering on his missing arm and eye. He passed by a family of three, the youngest of the trio, a young boy, tugging on his mother's sleeve and curiously pointing at the Uchiha only to be scolded. He ignored them all, the entirety of his attention swallowed up by the glass doors before him.

When he finally stepped through the threshold of the hospital, the glass doors sliding open automatically as he entered, he was hit with the sickeningly familiar scent of the hospital. The pungent burn of cleaning chemicals, the stench of sick, and the pathetic attempt at covering it with air fresheners.

The Uchiha's heart increased its pace in his chest so far that he felt like he was going to be sick. He wanted nothing more than to turn around and leave, to enter back into the wide open world with clean air and sunlight, but continued forward. He had come here for a purpose and he refused to fail. He refused to be defeated by bad memories.

Even as his will hardened, the pain in the stubs of his limbs, behind his heart, and in his head did not abate. The panic fueling his pain only increased as he entered further into the hospital, following the same footsteps he had hundreds of times before. The nauseating air of this place made him feel like he was suffocating more than the stench of blood or viscera ever would.

When he finally reached the familiar elevators leading to the upper floors, he found it was too much.

Obito slipped away down one of the side hallways, finding refuge behind a cart filled with clean linens. He hid behind the tall cart, halfway covered with a concealing tarp, roughly falling back against the wall as he tried to catch his breath. It was only when he brought his hand up to his heart that he realized how forcefully he was shaking.

He couldn't face Dr. Senju like this…

He needed something to help with this anxiety and the throbbing pain in what was left of his limbs. Something to help him find his bearings so he could speak to her without looking like he was a gentle breeze away from dropping dead. He needed to calm down.

Reaching into the front pocket of his hoodie, Obito pulled out a familiar bottle of pain pills. He popped off the lid to the plastic jar, bringing the container to his lips and tipping a couple, maybe a few, pills into his mouth. He swallowed them dry, the bitterness of the medication lingering on the back of his tongue.

He shoved the bottle back into his pocket, dropping his head and taking a deep breath. As he focused on his breathing, a useless attempt at calming down, his gaze caught on the stack of blankets on the shelves of the cart of clean linens. He reached out to touch the off white blanket and found that they were the very same as the ones he had once been wrapped in, the pattern on the thin fabric one that could only be felt instead of seen.

His hand dropped back down to his side as he closed his eye, overwhelmed by the memories of the time he had spent here.

Obito could still remember the moment he had woken up from his coma. He had been so hopeful, like he had always been. He was in the hospital after all and hospitals were supposed to be places of healing. He couldn't remember what had happened but he knew that, if he was here, then everything was going to be okay.

How foolish he had been…

A foolishness that he only first began to realize when he tried to reach for the nurse call button and found his arm was gone, severed halfway between his elbow and shoulder. He had frantically tried to rush out of his bed, struggling over the railings of the hospital bed, and had fallen flat on his face when one of his feet didn't touch the floor as it should have. His IV had ripped out of his remaining arm, blood gushing from the new wound, and he had painfully wrenched at the catheter which reached beneath his thin hospital gown and between his thighs.

An alarm on his bed and an alarm on his IV pole began to scream at him, only fueling his panic as he finally looked down and saw the stump that was all that remained of his leg. Two nurses had rushed in and found him on the floor next to his hospital bed, confused and frightened tears running down his face and blood slowly staining his gown as he stared at the scarred stumps where his limbs had once been.

The first words that had come out of his mouth hadn't been a question about what had happened. It hadn't been a demand as to why his limbs were gone. It wasn't even a call for help in getting off the freezing tile floor. All of that had been so incredibly unimportant in comparison to one thing:

"Where's Rin?"

If he had been hurt this bad, where was she? Was she okay? Was his best friend, the only person who had always been there for him, the woman he had been in love with for as long as he could remember, okay?

She hadn't been...

They had all lived, yes. Kakashi had been nearly unharmed, having walked out of the hospital after he had woken up on his own. Obito had been crippled for life, the car accident having robbed him of two of his limbs and one of his eyes. But Rin… She had gotten the worst of it.

Obito had been in a coma for a week. Rin would be in a coma for a year.

He could recall how Madara had been the only one to visit every day, the only one to take him to his physical therapy, and the only one to treat him like he was still human. Obito had never known his parents as they had died shortly after his birth. His grandmother, the woman who had taken care of him his entire life, had died just a year previous and he lived by himself as an emancipated minor. There had been no one else to take care of him and Madara had stunned Obito by becoming someone he could count on.

Obito could still relive how people began to look at him differently. How looks of amusement or friendly smiles had been replaced by stares of pity and sometimes even outright disgust.

He could still feel the burning jealousy he had felt when he learned that Kakashi had walked out of the hospital the morning after the accident with nothing more than some stitches and a missing right eye.

More than anything, Obito could never forget the sorrow. He had visited Rin every day to talk to her while she slept. The nurses had all encouraged him, telling him that she could hear him and it would bring her comfort. Looking back on it, he realized that they had all been lying. He could still remember the scent of lilies on Rin's bedside table and the sun shining against the jar containing her collection of seashells.

Through it all, Obito had remained optimistic. Even being crippled for life, he had held out hope. After all, everything would be okay once Rin woke up. He had so much to tell her. He wanted to tell her how his wild cousin Madara had strangely enough become his closest confidant, how he had been there for him through it all. He knew she would be proud of him when he told her that Madara was beginning to teach him how to ride a motorcycle with just one arm and one leg. Obito couldn't wait to tell her how Madara was trying to convince him (Him!) to join the club when he got older, despite knowing she would disapprove. Rin had never appreciated the outlaw club after all, but Obito had thought it was the thought that counted. The fact he was wanted somewhere by someone.

Obito had focused so much energy on learning how to walk again. He refused to be in a wheelchair when Rin finally woke up. He wanted to be able to take care of her, to help her, when she went through her own recovery. Every day when he was done with physical therapy, he would go upstairs to visit her while he waited for Madara to come pick him up.

It had been during one of these walks up to visit Rin that Obito had inadvertently overheard the five words that had stopped his heart.

"She will never wake up."

He had been in the middle of opening the door to Rin's room when he heard the voice of the doctor speaking with Rin's parents. He had paused immediately, his cheerful greeting words withering away in his throat as his feet rooted to the ground.

Rin was brain dead, the doctor had said in a tone more fitting a funeral than a hospital (weren't people supposed to get better here?). That she would never wake up because she couldn't. That the only things keeping her breathing, keeping her heart beating, her body alive, were the machines she was hooked up to.

The doctor had said that they could keep her alive using these machines but that it would be futile. Then the doctor had given them a recommendation to see one of the grief counselors in the hospital like she wasn't talking about the life of the most important person on the face of the planet.

The first time Obito had ran after losing his leg was moments after.

He didn't believe them. He had thought that there was no way it was true. There was no way that Rin would never wake up. She would get up any minute, any second now. Those beautiful honey brown eyes of hers would slid open, she'd look over at him sitting next to her bed, and she'd give him that smile she always gave him when she first saw him.

He would tell her everything that had happened. He would help her recover, help her get back on her feet and help her get back to normal. And then he would finally confess how much he loved her.

He was going to ask her to marry him.

The doctors had told Obito that he had died during that car crash, that his heart had stopped beating. That he had been dead during the life flight to the hospital and that he shouldn't have survived at all. He had been told that he had died but he knew for a fact that the day he actually died wasn't the day of the crash… It was the day that Rin's parents pulled the plug on the light of his life.

Obito had stopped going to physical therapy after they let Rin die. The hospital had become a place of death instead of the place of hope and of healing that it had once been.

He had confronted Kakashi after Rin's funeral when the silver haired man had not shown up. Obito had been furious that not only had Kakashi not had the decency to say goodbye but that he had never once visited her at the hospital. Even missing an arm and a leg, Obito had broken Kakashi's nose and thrown him to the ground. It was Madara, the only person who had been there for him, who had ripped him off of Kakashi's limp body. It was Madara who had brought him home. It was Madara who had wrapped him up in his arms when Obito couldn't stop crying. It was Madara who refused to abandon Obito at the lowest point in his life when all he had wanted was to die so he could be with Rin again.

And it was Madara who Obito chose to serve from then on. When the tears ran out, never to resurface since that dark day... When he had nowhere left to go but downwards but Madara kept pulling him back up… When he had no purpose to his life any longer, let alone the will to keep living it… Obito had turned to the club.

A place where the scarred Uchiha had once again found purpose. He had found respect and meaning with his family. He may have never found love again, his life may have still felt like a waste of time, but at least his hollow life had some purpose. At least he had his family.

Obito had never been back to the hospital until today.

His eye opened, his gaze once again met by the off white blankets piled on top of that cart.

He had never returned to the hospital until today but he had come here for a very important reason. He had something he needed to speak with Dr. Senju about. Something as important to him as Madara's attempt at protecting his old lady was to him.

Obito could feel as the effects of the painkillers finally kicked in. He felt as the ache slowly abated, instead replaced by a calming warmth that crept across his skin. He could feel as his racing heart slowed, his mind finally clearing like mist in the morning sunlight. He took a deep breath, dropping his head back against the wall behind him.

He was embarrassed to realize he had been hiding behind that cart for over a half hour but was thankful that he was finally ready. Pushing off against the wall, he finally stood on his own two feet and made his way over to the elevators that had once frightened him off. Charting his path based on the map on the wall and the list of names beside it, he took the elevator to one of the higher floors. Exiting the lift, he followed the signs which pointed him toward one of Tsunade's two offices, this one on the medical surgical unit.

He approached the door to her office, stopping before the heavy wooden door. As he made a fist, intent on knocking on her door, he recognized a familiar voice inside that nearly pulled a growl from his chest.

"-reason to be so upset!" the familiar voice of Hashirama sounded from inside.

Obito, trying to reel back the scowl on his face, discreetly leaned against the wall next to the door as if politely waiting instead of eavesdropping.

"I told you a thousand times and I'll tell you again! You keep your turf war the hell out of my hospital! That Uchiha is under my protection! Not only that, but they aren't involved in your pissing match between the MCs!" the voice of Tsunade boomed from inside.

"We were just checking them out, we saw the name plate when we came to visit and-" the equally familiar and equally infuriating voice of Tobirama chimed in only to be interrupted by Tsunade's roar.

"And what would you have done if they had been in the Uchiha MC? Not a fucking thing, that's what! I take care of all the patients that you send my way outside of the hospital to keep your dumb asses out of trouble. We agreed that because I take care of all the patients you can't patch together yourself, all of our family members that would be in the godsdamned ground if it wasn't for me, that you leave my hospital alone. Even the Uchiha honor this agreement!"

"We haven't forgotten our deal, Tsuna, we just-" Hashirama tried.

"Don't pull the Tsuna card on me now, Hashirama! You nearly betrayed my trust, betrayed our agreement! I can hardly believe it! If this was any other-!"

As Obito listened to the woman inside berating her cousins for considering an action that would have resulted in more bloodshed than the Senju MC president could possibly imagine, Obito caught sight of a familiar head of pink hair. His eyes flicked towards the familiar form of Madara's old lady, taking in her crisp doctor's coat and her nose pressed into a stack of files.

Obito calmly pushed off of the wall in front of Tsunade's office, not wanting to bring attention to himself, and walked down the hallway. He turned down a smaller hallway, one which dead ended into a couple of supply rooms, and concealed himself behind the wall. Listening closely to the activity behind him, he heard the sound of a door opening. He recognized the sound of Tsunade's growling voice, even if he couldn't make out her words at this distance. What he could easily make out was the clicking sound of Sakura's heels on the tile floor coming to a stop as well.

"Oh, you must be Dr. Haruno, Tsuna's new resident!" Obito heard Hashirama greet in a sickeningly friendly tone.

Obito's hackles rose instinctively, his entire body tensing as he restrained himself from flying around the corner and going to Sakura's aid. The kindhearted woman would have no idea the danger she was in. The fact that she was now face to face with the most dangerous man in the entire Senju family and a man who Madara himself considered to be his mortal foe: the president of the mother chapter of the Senju MC, Hashirama Senju.

Obito knew that his future actions could lead to the loss of the treaty with the hospital and him possibly going to prison but he would gladly kill the president and vice president of the Senju MC then and there if they even tried to hurt Sakura.

"I'm Hashirama and this is Tobirama, we're Tsuna's cousins. You're my wife's cousin's son's friend, right?" Hashirama continued cordially, a smile in his voice.

Obito listened closely, on alert from the Senju president's innocuous question. Did he know who Sakura was? Did he know she grew up with Sasuke? More importantly, did he know that she was Madara's old lady and that she was tied to the Uchiha MC?

There was a long pause before Sakura asked in a baffled tone, "I'm… I'm what now?"

"Er, damn, what's his name…" Hashirama thought out loud.

"Sorry, I think you're mistaken. I don't know any Senju besides Dr. Senju," Sakura stated, her hesitation obvious in her tone even if Obito couldn't see her face from his hiding spot.

"Oh, he's not one of us. My wife, Mito, she's an Uzumaki."

"You're thinking of Kushina's boy, Naruto," Tobirama interjected in an impatient tone.

"Ah, Naruto!" Hashirama declared, "Right! That's his name."

"Oh, uh… Yes. We're friends," Sakura answered cautiously.

"No need to be nervous! He may look a little scary but we're nice," the Senju president joked loudly.

"Shut up, you idiot," the Senju VP berated, "She's obviously a delicate woman. Just look at her."

Obito would have snorted in amusement at someone so grievously underestimating Sakura if he was anything less than furious.

"Ah, my apologies, little lady. Friends of the Uzumaki are friends of ours! Even if Kushina may not like us so much…" Hashirama continued before clearing his throat, "Her and Mito are still close though. Minato is a good man to."

"Yes, they are good people. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm quite busy. I have patients to see," Sakura dismissed politely.

'Good job, Sakura,' Obito thought with an internal sigh of relief, 'Get away from them quickly.'

When Tobirama spoke again, his words came as such a shock that Obito couldn't resist peering around the corner of the hallway he hid in to stare at the group.

"You wouldn't happen to be busy tonight, would you, Dr. Haruno?" the silver haired man questioned in a tone that sat poorly with the Uchiha.

When Obito gazed at Sakura, so incredibly small looking in comparison to the two Senju standing in front of her, he was able to catch the bewildered expression on her face.

"I'm sorry?" she responded, her face scrunched up in confusion as she gazed up at the silver haired man standing before her.

Obito couldn't see what the Senju VP was doing with his hands, the man's back turned to Obito, but he did catch the catlike smirk on his face as he handed Sakura a folded up piece of paper. Obito didn't fail to notice Sakura's dominant hand fisted at her side, hidden from the view of the two Senju, as if she was prepared to defend herself from these strangers. A reaction Obito was incredibly satisfied to see even if this entire interaction set off all of the warning bells in his head. He didn't trust that smile on Tobirama's face and it didn't look like Sakura did either.

"In case a lovely lady such as yourself finds herself in need of company... I promise us bikers aren't as intimidating as we look," Tobirama invited, the catlike smirk still stretched across his lips.

Obito narrowed his eye, nearly certain that this invitation was a trap. Tobirama must know that Sakura was Madara's old lady, that must be why he had given her an invitation to what sounded like the Senju clubhouse.

"Er… thank you…? I, uh, I really need to get going. Have a nice day," Sakura blurted out, spinning on the ball of her foot and leaving, her heels clicking against the tile floor loudly.

Obito hid behind the wall once again as the Senju brothers turned around to face the hallway he hid in. He turned so his back would face them as they approached, leaning against the wall with his shoulder and feigning nonchalance by pretending to stare into his phone. He heard their booted footsteps as they passed behind him and intently listened to their quiet conversation.

"Tobi, you dog! Hah! I told you you had a scary face! You made her run off," Hashirama teased in a whisper, his laughter louder than his words.

"Ugh, shut up, brother," Tobirama hissed.

"You're so cruel to me…"

"That's because you're an idiot."

"How will you ever satisfy a woman as soft as her with such a foul temper?" the Senju president continued to tease as they stepped into the elevator that Obito had abandoned not long ago.

"How did you ever find a wife with such a-" the VP began to growl back before the elevator doors closed and cut off his words.

Obito stepped out of the hallway after their voices disappeared, his gaze falling on Sakura standing a ways away at the nurses station. He watched as she pulled the folded up piece of paper from the pocket of her coat, her expression turbulent. Her sharp eyes narrowed at the content of the note Tobirama had given her before she forcefully balled up the piece of paper and threw it into the trash.

Obito breathed another sigh of relief as she stormed off. It appeared that he was right in thinking she would be okay to have around his family after all.

He approached Tsunade's office door, knocking briskly before her aggravated voice called him inside. When he entered and her calculating gaze fell upon him from over the top of the papers in her hands, he was not surprised to see the shock in her expression.

"An Uchiha, I take it? To what do I owe the honor?" she greeted sharply, dropping the papers she had been reading onto the desk she sat behind.

"Good evening, Dr. Senju. My name is Obito Uchiha, I'm the sergeant at arms from the mother chapter of the Uchiha MC," Obito introduced formally.

"And what business do you have here, enforcer?" she demanded, folding her arms across her chest as she leaned back in her chair.

"I've come to deliver a message from Madara Uchiha, the president of my chapter."

"What could the leader of the Uchihas possibly have to say to me?" she questioned, wariness in her gaze even as she stared the Uchiha down.

"The club has a donation for your hospital. Sakura Haruno, Madara Uchiha's old lady-" Obito didn't fail to notice how Tsunade's eyebrows shot up in surprise, "-has inspired the club with her recent achievement. We want to show her, and our community, our support by donating the earnings from our next charity auction to the hospital."

"Oh? How incredibly gracious of you all. And for my own precious little student no less," Tsunade replied, an edge still in her tone as she watched Obito with a new understanding.

"Indeed. Her accomplishments have impressed us all. We have been grateful to have her company and her commitment to my president. We all care for her a great deal. It would be a shame if anything were to cause her trouble while she was here."

Tsunade's eyes narrowed dangerously.

"And Madara sends his sergeant at arms to tell me of his charity as what, a threat? I will not be intimidated in my own hospital, Uchiha," Tsunade growled, her arms unfolding as she leaned forward in her chair in a way that reminded Obito of a lioness ready to pounce.

"Far from it."

"Explain."

"I doubted that you would remember me. It has been a number of years since we last spoke. And I certainly was a far cry from the man you see before you now. Although… I imagine you haven't gotten a more difficult case than mine since you found me in your operating room."

Obito leaned down to lift up the leg of his pants, revealing his prosthetic leg. Tsunade's eyes widened, her mouth falling open in surprise as her eyes flicked across his form with a new understanding.

"You… You're that Uchiha boy from the car accident twenty ago. The one with…" she gasped before cutting herself off and instead asking, "You joined the club?"

"I am. And I did," he took a deep breath as he pushed his pant leg back down, hiding his prosthetic, "You'll have to forgive me for not saying this sooner, Dr. Senju. I believe that you can understand the reasoning behind the delay, all things considered. But I came here today not only to deliver this message... I came because I wanted to tell you thank you for saving my life all those years ago."

The expression on Tsunade's face almost became pained as she slumped back in her seat, her eyes drifting to the surface of her desk. A self deprecating smile stretched across her painted lips as she slowly shook her head.

"All things considered, huh?" she huffed out a weak laugh, "That's a way of putting it, isn't it?"

"Then you understand the reasoning for my delay in giving you my thanks. And how this visit of mine is far from the threat that it seems," Obito prompted.

"I do. I…" her eyes flicked across his form, briefly lingering on his missing limbs, "I'm glad to see you recovered so well. Even if... "

She trailed off, not finishing her statement, but the unspoken words lingered in the air. The Uchiha and the Senju shared the same silence for a long minute, both of them weighed down by memories of the past. Tsunade's gaze returned to her desk, deep in thought, as Obito's eye scanned the degrees and accolades hanging on her walls.

"Have we come to an agreement, Dr. Senju?" Obito finally asked, breaking the silence.

Tsunade's gaze hardened once again as her sharp eyes shot back up to the man standing in the middle of her office. She straightened up in her seat, her elbows coming up to rest on her desk as she steepled her fingers.

"We have. Tell your president that there is nothing to be concerned about. There never was. I have maintained this peace for the past two decades. I will not let anything threaten it. And I will never allow anyone to lay a hand on my apprentice," Tsunade asserted, once again the indomitable woman who lead the hospital.

"Very well. I'll be sure to relay your message," the Uchiha replied, Tsunade's vehemence convincing him that she was being truthful.

Sakura would be safe here, under Tsunade's guidance.

The blonde nodded once, non-verbally dismissing the young man. Obito turned to leave but, when his hand settled on the doorknob, she called out to him.

"Obito Uchiha."

"Yes, Dr. Senju?" Obito questioned, looking over his shoulder at the elder woman.

"You may believe that you were the most difficult case I've ever had but you'd be wrong…" she spoke, her tone morose.

He watched as she opened one of her desk drawers and removed a metal flask from deep within. She turned the container over in her hand a couple of times, considering it for a long moment. She was unhurried as she unscrewed the lid and took a long swing.

She breathed out a heavy sigh as she stared at her warped reflection on the surface of her flask. The distant look in her eyes made her appear that much older and it was a tense few moments before she finally spoke.

"Leave her some flowers for me, would you?" Tsunade finally stated in a soft voice, not looking up from her drink.

Obito turned away, staring at the pattern on the wood of the door before him. He nodded once before opening her door and leaving without another word.

---

When Obito finally pulled up at the clubhouse, he had yet to calm. Him mind was a maelstrom and the chaos of his thoughts made him even more on edge than ever. The phantom pain in his amputated limbs had returned, a burning sensation plaguing the place where his fingers and toes should have been. The pain was only sharper where his limbs now ended, the ragged scars from the amputation only hurting all the more.

After turning off his bike, he reached into the pocket of his hoodie once again. Pulling out the familiar pill bottle, he popped off the lid and tipped a few pills into his mouth. He closed the lid as he swallowed them dry, the bitter taste still lingering on the back of his tongue as he dismounted his bike and headed inside.

He spotted Madara inside, sitting at the bar and having a friendly conversation with Kagami. The two were smiling, Madara's smile being one of amusement at Kagami's animated gestures and wide grin. Obito approached the two and was greeted with a nod and a smile. He glanced around at the small crowd of people gathered in the clubhouse before canting his head, indicating he wanted to speak with Madara privately.

Madara nodded in understanding, slipping off of his stool and gesturing towards the meeting room on the second floor. The two Uchiha took the short trip upstairs to speak in the privacy of the officer's meeting room.

"How did she receive the message?" Madara asked after Obito closed the door to the room.

"Well. She understood the meaning behind it. She wanted to convey that the peace she has fostered was never in danger," Obito answered before bringing up another tidbit of information from his mission, "I even had the luck of eavesdropping on her berating Hashirama and Tobirama for what could have escalated into an attempt on one of our own's life."

"In what way?" the president asked sharply, his eyes narrowing dangerously.

"She caught them doing some investigating on one of our own in the medical surgical unit. They said that they had noticed their last name and just wanted to check them out."

"A deadly move."

"And one that was prevented by Tsunade. She appears to still be adamant on maintaining her peace. Her actions are proof of that. Sakura will be safe under her guidance, something she asserted would have been the case even with her affiliation. Although she did seem surprised when she learned of her connection to you," Obito continued, leaning against the edge of the circular table.

"I suspect that her surprise translates to an ignorance on the Senju MC's behalf as well. One that will no longer be the case soon enough…" the Madara replied, folding his arms across his chest in an all too familiar gesture.

"Perhaps sooner rather than later," the younger Uchiha commented vaguely.

"What are you implying?"

"Sakura met Hashirama and Tobirama today."

"How?" Madara demanded immediately, his eyes widened in alarm.

"They stopped her to introduce themselves after their… meeting with Tsunade. It appeared friendly enough on the surface but Tobirama gave Sakura an invitation to their clubhouse. I can't be certain but, by the look on his face, I suspect it could have been a trap," Obito detailed, watching as Madara's expression became murderous.

"What happened exactly?" the wild haired man prompted, a barely concealed fury just beneath the surface of his collected tone.

"They all spoke briefly. Hashirama commented that she was Tsunade's new student and that she was friends with that Naruto boy, Kushina Uzumaki and Minato Namikaze's son. Sakura tried to excuse herself and Tobirama invited her to the clubhouse. Gave her a piece of paper, assumedly with some information. They left. Sakura threw the paper in the trash. That was it."

"Then it appears that delivering this message and offering to Tsunade couldn't have come at a better time. By what you've told me, she will be vigilant in keeping Sakura safe. And a part of that will be keeping her away from her damnable cousins…" Madara growled darkly.

"You better take care of that girl. She's loyal to the club, loyal to you. And she's in more danger than she knows," the sergeant at arms demanded, shoving his hand into the pocket of his hoodie and fingering the edges of the pill bottle.

Madara's gaze fell back onto the young Uchiha, his eyes lingering on the pocket of Obito's hoodie where he knew he hid his pills. His knowing gaze flicked up to Obito's face before he reached over to grip his shoulder affectionately.

"I appreciate you going to do this for me, Obito. More than you know…" the club president thanked sincerely before continuing in a more gentle voice, "Were you able to speak your piece?"

Obito shoulders relaxed as he deflated under the affection of his cousin. "I was."

"I'm glad to hear," Madara patted him on the shoulder once, his voice taking on a concerned tone as he added, "You come to me if you need to talk, alright cousin?"

Obito sighed, uncomfortable with expressing his emotions regarding his past, before nodding once. "I will if I need it."

"Good," the elder Uchiha replied before snaking his arm around Obito's shoulders and pulling him into a tight, brotherly hug. The scarred Uchiha returned the embrace, patting his closest companion on the shoulder twice, before they separated.

"We'll hold church tomorrow to discuss with everyone what happened. And how we'll go about organizing the charity auction," Madara commented as they exited the meeting room and made their way back downstairs.

"Very well. Is there anything that needs my attention tonight?"

"Not that I've been made aware of. Although Izuna should be back soon. I'll let you know if anything has changed."

"I'll stick around then," Obito's eyes flicked up to the front door of the clubhouse as it swung open and Izuna made his way inside, "Speak of the devil."

"Ah, good. I'll speak with you later tonight," Madara replied, making his way over to greet his brother.

Obito didn't bother to respond as he made his way to the seat at the bar that was farthest away from everyone else. Despite the conversation with Madara and the concern he had showed him, Obito's anxiety still hadn't settled. His pills had yet to kick in either so the pain in his missing limbs was still agonizing, like a hot stove he couldn't pull his hand away from.

Even worse, he could not stop thinking about Rin. The trip to the hospital brought back all of the terrible memories of when he was a young boy, memories of Rin's death that still haunted him, and having Tsunade bring her up as well felt like a knife in his heart that he still couldn't pull out.

He sighed deeply as he leaned against the bar.

"Hey, Obito! No Guren tonight?" Kagami greeted warmly, teasing the elder Uchiha about his brief fling with the blue haired woman from Oto.

"Shut the fuck up," Obito growled back, glaring at the cheerful Uchiha.

Listening to Madara and hooking up with that kinky psychopath Guren was the worst goddamn mistake of his life. Obito would cut off his other arm just to have something to throw at her to distract her with while he ran away.

"Rough day?" Kagami asked with a sympathetic frown.

"None of your business."

"Yeah, rough day. I know what'll help though," Kagami replied with a sagely nod before disappearing into the back storage room.

When he returned, he held a mason jar in one hand, a beer in the other, and a smile was spread across his lips.

"Here you go. The sisters made a new batch of their specialty 'shine. They're really enjoying the new stills they got so they've been getting pretty creative. This one is cinnamon flavored," the messy haired Uchiha explained, setting the mason jar down on the bar in front of Obito.

"Riveting," Obito deadpanned as he quirked an eyebrow at the jar filled with clear liquid sitting in front of him.

"I'll just leave the bottle. Sorry about your shit day, cousin. I'll play defense for you and keep everyone off your back," Kagami offered, setting down three coasters with the Uchiha MC's emblem printed onto them to protect the wood of the bar. He set a clean glass, also printed with the club's emblem on the side, on one coaster before setting down a bottle of hard cider onto the other.

"Thank you," Obito thanked sincerely.

"Any time," Kagami replied with that knowing smile of his, popping the cap off of the bottle of cider before going to tend to the others sitting at his bar.

Obito poured himself a glass from the jar of home brewed moonshine. He knew from experience that the liquor would be incredibly high proof and would have the kick to prove it but that didn't stop him from grimacing as he downed a sip from his glass. He breathed out a quick breath, as if to blow off the heat of the whiskey traveling down his throat. Through the harsh taste of the high proof alcohol he could indeed taste the cinnamon.

Those drunken ladies at the distillery sure knew their stuff.

He shook his head to shake of the last vestiges of the first sip before taking another. He drowned down the taste of the second shot with the more pleasant taste of his hard cider. He was pleased to discover that the flavors actually meshed well with one another and soon found himself taking another drink.

As Obito drank, his eyes flicked to the opening door and he watched as Sakura entered. She was still dressed in the clothes she had been wearing at the hospital, sans her doctor's coat. Her eyes met his briefly and she greeted him with a warm smile and a wave.

No one ever looked at him like that anymore…

He lifted two fingers from the edge of his glass in return, watching as she was distracted by Madara happily swooping in and scooping her off of her feet. As Obito listened to the sound of Sakura's gleeful laughter, he was reminded of Rin's laugh. Sakura was a lot like Rin... They both had the same kind eyes, the same compassionate smile, and the same warm presence. They both treated him like a person, not an orphan or then a monster or an invalid.

The scarred Uchiha downed another sip from his drink as his thoughts were once again plagued by Rin. He wondered what she would be like if she was still alive. She had always wanted to be a nurse or even a doctor, much like Sakura. He believed that Rin would have accomplished her goal by now. Maybe she would be one of the doctor's helping Sakura with her education?

He wondered what Rin would think of him now. Would she be ashamed of him? He had become everything she despised about the club. He was a glorified thug. He took the jobs that no one else wanted not just to save them the anguish of murder or torture but because he enjoyed it. He liked making the Senju and their allies suffer. It was their fault that Rin was dead, they deserved nothing less than to feel the agony he felt.

Rin would be horrified by him now. By the deep scars on his face, by the empty socket where his other eye should have been, by the stumps where his limbs now ended, by the number of people he had killed, by the blood that soaked his hand, by the stains on the knife in his boot, by everything he had become...

Obito continued to work on the already quarter empty jar in front of him, a desperate attempt to drown out the thoughts in his head. The painful memories of the woman he had loved, still loved, more than anything. He would do anything to see her again, even if just for a night. He had so much he needed to tell her, so much he needed to hear from her.

He wished he had just had the guts to tell her he was in love with her when they were kids. Then maybe none of this would have happened. Maybe she would still be there, maybe they would be married, have kids, a house. Most importantly, maybe she would still be alive...

Maybe he wouldn't have had to see her body being kept alive by all those machines, even after everything that had been her had already died. Maybe he wouldn't have had to go to her open casket funeral where he had gotten to see her corpse, frighteningly as lifeless as it had been in the hospital. Maybe he wouldn't have had to see them lower her coffin into the ground, never to see the light of day again...

The scarred Uchiha felt as a sickness began to develop in his chest. A sudden panic gripped his heart as his mind forced himself to relieve the most painful parts of his past. He felt as if he needed to get away, needed to get out of this room where people were suddenly speaking too loudly, where the lights were too bright, and where the room was too hot.

Obito stood from his place on the stool at the bar only for his leg to give out beneath him. He dropped to his knees on the floor, his one hand flying out in front of him to catch himself. He could hardly keep himself upright with his one arm and one functioning leg, swaying unsteadily from his spot on the floor.

The world spun around him dangerously, his bleary mind unable to make out the floor beneath his hand let alone the path to get to his room and ride this shit out. He tried to blink to clear away the blurriness but found that it didn't help. The floor continued to move underneath him, not allowing him to find enough purchase on anything to right himself.

He tried to move his hand, tried to get himself to stand so he could get away from this too bright, too loud, too crowded, too sickeningly hot room, but found that his fingertips were numb. His limbs didn't want to move him and his lungs hardly wanted to draw in breath.

Obito distantly realized, with no small amount of shame, that the copious amount of high proof alcohol, which he was just now feeling now that he finally stood up, had interacted with all the pain meds he had taken today. And on an empty stomach no less.

Crap… He really fucked up this time. And through it all, he still couldn't stop thinking about Rin...

Obito could hardly make out as someone knelt next to him, a warm hand settling on his shoulder. He tilted his head to look up at whatever poor soul had decided to try to help him. Even with his vision swimming, with colors bleeding out and with shapes blurry around the edges, he recognized her. He recognized the lines of her face, the swell of her lips, those beautiful, kind eyes...

He stared up at her in wonder for a long moment, his mouth falling open in shock. He released a broken huff as he fell against her, wrapping her up in his one arm.

"Rin…" he cried against her neck as he held her as tightly as he could.

She had come. He had no idea how she was here, but she was here. She was here and he would never be so stupid as to let her go again.

"Whoa!" Rin called out in surprise before continuing in a softer tone, "Hey now… Are you okay, Obito?"

"Rin… I'm so sorry..." he gasped against her warm skin as her hands tentatively settled on his sides.

"It's okay, it's okay," she assured, her voice sounding like music to his ears.

He had longed to hear her voice for so long. Even when they were kids and would be separated for the night, he would miss her soothing voice. When she had fallen into her coma, he had been desperate to hear her warm tone. When she had died, he had prayed that when he died, he would hear her voice again.

He had wondered if he would ever get to hear her again if he killed himself… But here she was.

"Alright, come on, Obito," Rin started, trying to stand and pull him to his feet at the same time, "Come on, let's get you on your feet."

Obito obeyed immediately, even though he leaned into her so heavily he was surprised she could still stand. His arm stayed tightly wrapped around her, unwilling to let her go.

"Rin, I'm ssso-I'm so sorry. I can't- I can't believe you're… I'm just…" he slurred heavily, desperately trying to speak coherently.

He had so much he needed to tell her but he was so intoxicated he could hardly get the words out. A fact that only became that much worse as he was pulled to his feet and the effects of his pain pills and the alcohol became more and more apparent.

"Hey, it's alright. Just come with me, okay? We're going to lie you down," Rin consoled, keeping him standing with her warm body.

"O-okay. Whatever you- whatever you want. Anything you want..." Obito mumbled against her shoulder, struggling to walk with her as she guided him somewhere. He couldn't care where, as long as he was still with her.

He clung to her desperately as she lead him away, drowning in her. The feeling of her warm body, the smell of her that was so much different than he remembered but still so familiar. He desperately wished that he had his other arm back just so he could hold her properly.

Suddenly, his world was jarringly thrown to the side as he fell onto what he thought was a bed. The sudden shift was sickening but the sudden lack of Rin's warmth was terrifying.

"Where-where are you? Don't leave, please come back," he called out desperately, weakly flailing as he tried to find some sort of purchase on the bed he was now sprawled across.

"Hey, it's okay, calm down," Rin soothed as her weight settled down on the bed next to him, "It's just me. I'm here though."

Obito reached for her, his hand finding her thighs. He dragged himself closer to her, dropping his head into her lap. His body was awkwardly knotted up on what he thought was his bed, his prosthetic leg slipping off as the fingers of his one good hand clung to her pant leg.

"I'm so happy you're here. There's ssso much I need to tell you… How-how sorry I am. I never should have-I should have focused better. Kakashi should have been driving. He wouldn't have-" Obito ranted drunkenly, his words slurring horribly and his thoughts going off track as he tried to tell her what he needed to say.

"Hey, it's okay, it's okay," she comforted, her fingers carding through his hair in a soothing gesture that immediately calmed him.

He wrapped his arm around her waist, burying his face against his soft belly.

"Rin…" he sobbed, tears building in his one good eye, "Rin, I love you. I've always loved you… Please- please don't leave again…"

"I'm not going anywhere…" Rin whispered, even her voice sounding like tears were beginning to form.

Obito slowly lost consciousness, tears running down his face from his one good eye for the first time in nearly twenty years. Even as he lost himself to sleep, he clung to Rin, terrified that she was going to leave.

He would never let her go again.

---

Madara had kept Sakura away from the darker side of the club the best he could, refusing to allow the woman he loved to be put in danger. Even so, she had become a normal face around the clubhouse. She would often stop by after work to visit him and the others or to meet up with him before they went to his home or her apartment.

She had easily won over everyone in the club, a feat in and of itself. Everyone had quickly grown to like her, some a little too much for Madara's comfort. People such as Shisui. Even Obito, the grouchy and aggressive young man he was, had softened up in Sakura's presence. Perhaps too much, if what he had just heard from Shisui was true.

After returning from a short, half hour talk with one of the Hagoromo outside of the clubhouse, he had found that Sakura was missing. He had been intercepted by Shisui who, in a tone that suggested he was helping Madara out, had informed him that Sakura had gone with Obito to his flop room in the clubhouse over fifteen minutes ago. That she hadn't returned and that, when she had gone into the back rooms with him, Obito had been clinging to her and pressed against her like he loved her.

Madara was going to rip Obito's other fucking arm off if he dared to touch Sakura.

Fury clawed at his senses as made his way towards the back rooms. Through the rage clouding his mind, all Madara could think was that Sakura was his old lady. She loved him and he loved her and no one was allowed to interfere with that. He would kill anyone who dared to touch her, to hurt her, or to try to take her away from him. Even if it was someone he loved, he would not allow anyone to lay a finger on his woman without losing a fucking arm.

He stormed into the back hallway, passing by the rooms of the other officers. The illicit noises coming from Izuna's room only fueled his anger that much farther, his rage only increasing at the sounds he was terrified to stumble upon in Obito's room. A situation he had found himself in twice before and one he was desperate to not repeat with the woman he was so deeply in love with.

Madara stopped in front of Obito's door, finding it cracked. No noise came from within. He pushed open the door with purpose, giving it enough force to swing open entirely but not enough to slam in against the wall.

Sakura looked up from her spot sitting on Obito's bed. Obito was passed out cold, his head in her lap and his arm wrapped around her in a way that looked less than comfortable. She was brushing her fingers through her hair, much in the way a mother carded her fingers through the hair of her child.

Madara's knee jerk reaction was anger although the sight before him brought confusion with it as well. His rage was only abated when she greeted him with that sweet smile of hers, his fury rushing away from him until only agitation and confusion remained.

He strode forward and allowed her to pull him down into a brief greeting kiss. Sitting down next to her on Obito's bed, he looked down at his apprentice. He was still pissed about whatever was happening here but the tears he noticed staining Obito's face finally chipped away at the last of his anger.

"What happened?" Madara asked, confusion coloring his tone, as he locked eyes with Sakura once again.

"I think he drank too much. I was chatting with Shisui when I noticed him collapse at the bar. I helped carry him to his room…" she explained, still carding her fingers through Obito's hair in a comforting gesture.

Madara frowned at the young Uchiha, concerned by the story. Obito never got that drunk, he never got so messed up that he would collapse. The only thing that had been different about today had been that he had gone to deliver the message to Tsunade and-

"Dara?" Sakura started softly, frowning as she looked down at Obito as well.

"Yes?" Madara prompted, his gaze returning to her worried expression.

Her eyes flicked back up to his as she asked in a soft tone, "Who is Rin?"

Madara dropped his head, folding his hands in his lap. He shook his head once, unable to bring even a bittersweet smile to his lips as shame overwhelmed him. As regret made it's presence unable to be ignored once again.

"No one to worry about, my love," he answered in a quiet tone, his eyes falling upon his cousin from beneath his long bangs. He stared at the tear stains on Obito's cheeks and how her clung to Sakura as if she was his lifeline.

It was his fault, once again, that Obito was in this much pain. It was his fault that he hadn't noticed the Senju lying in wait, the one that had tried to kill Obito but who had only succeeded in killing the love of his life. And now it was his fault that Obito was suffering once again since he had sent him to the hospital to deliver the message to Tsunade, to the place that had brought him nothing but suffering.

Gods, this was all his fault…

---

Obito awoke that morning alone and with a pounding headache clawing at the backs of his temples. He cracked open his eye with a groan, blinking rapidly to clear his vision only to be greeted with the sight of a garbage bin next to his bed.

He struggled to push himself up from his position laid out on his stomach, as if someone had positioned him so he wouldn't choke on his vomit if he threw up in his sleep. He slowly pushed himself into a sitting position, his confusion only growing when he set his foot on the floor and noticed his prosthetic was no longer attached to his leg.

He rubbed his throbbing temples with his one hand, his bleary gaze scanning the floor for his prosthetic. He located the specialized piece of equipment and leaned down to grab it, unhappily strapping it back to his leg as he tried to recall the events of the night previous.

At the very least, Obito was grateful he had woken up in his own bed and with someone obviously having cared about him enough to not let him die in his sleep. He quickly realized that he had gotten blackout drunk, something made exponentially worse by the fact he had taken so many painkillers. He knew better than to do that to himself. Combining his pain pills and alcohol was always a terrible idea as it always affected him so strangely...

The last part of the night was particularly blurry and took a long minute for him to finally recall pieces of it. His eyebrows furrowed in confusion when he finally remembered clinging to a woman who he thought was Rin. Someone who had taken him to his room despite him babbling nonsense about Rin into her ear...

Who were they? They were a small woman. They weren't Izumi. His cousin was nice, but not as kind as this woman had been. They had smelled like some floral perfume but there was an undertone that distinctly reminded him of the hospital and-

Dear sweet gods, what had he been thinking? Had he lost his mind? How could he have ever thought that Sakura, Madara's pink haired, green eyed girlfriend, was Rin?

Obito stood, perhaps too quickly if the pounding behind his skull was anything to go by, and made his way into the main room of the clubhouse. His gaze roved across the scant members of the club that lingered around, quickly spotting Sakura perched at the bar, nibbling at a bagel as she chatted with Kagami. It was incredibly unusual for Sakura to stay the night at the clubhouse but Obito didn't question it, or the fact Madara was nowhere to be seen, as he strode up to the pink haired woman.

"Good morning, Obito," Sakura greeted with a friendly smile, taking a bite out of her bagel as the painfully hungover Uchiha came to stand before her.

Why was she smiling so warmly after what he did?

"Sakura, may I speak with you for a moment?" he asked, his tone rushed.

"Yeah, of course," she replied, setting down her bagel on the bar as she slid out of her seat, "Back in a sec, Kagami."

"Take your time," he replied, sitting back onto the stool behind the bar and returning to his textbook on law.

She followed Obito into the back hallway but, humiliated as he was for what he had done the night previous, he refused to bring her back into his room. Instead, they lingered in the still public space of the hallway leading to the officer's rooms.

"Is everything okay?" Sakura asked, concern coloring her tone and her features.

Obito took a deep breath, closing his eye for a moment and dragging his hand through his messy hair as he tried to gather his thoughts. He had been so focused on finding her so he could apologize that he had yet to plan out what he would even say when he spoke to her.

"I am so sorry for last night. It was incredibly inappropriate for me to cling to you in such a way, especially since you helped me get to my bed. Even though I was drunk, I-" he apologized profusely before being cut off when Sakura slowly came forward and carefully wrapped her arms around his middle.

"W-what are... What are you doing?" He stuttered, holding his one arm far away from her as she hugged him.

"It's nothing to be ashamed about. I'm not upset in the slightest. I'm so sorry you lost someone who you cared about so much… I know it's not much, but I'm here for you if you need it," Sakura offered, the compassion in her words stunning Obito.

That was something Rin would say. This was something Rin would do… Forgiving someone for doing something so incredibly inappropriate or wrong just because they were hurting. Offering themselves as a friend and a confidant just because they felt it was the right thing to do.

Obito slowly deflated in her embrace, releasing a tension that strung through his entire body.

He may not have the love of his life anymore but apparently, despite everything he had done, the gods had decided to bless him with a friend. This bizarre woman who treated him like a man and not an invalid or a monster. Who, for some reason unbeknownst to him, cared about him.

He paused for a long moment before he slowly wrapped his one arm around her. He returned her hug cautiously, not sure if he was allowed to touch her even as the comfort from her embrace spanned down to his bones.

"I…" Obito muttered, "Thank you…"

He had never felt anything like this since he had lost his best friend and the love of his life. He had never felt this kind of warmth and care outside of the members of his family. This affection, so free of judgment or expectation, had taken him by surprise.

In that moment, he decided that he would take care of Madara's old lady. That, for as long as he lived, he would do anything in his power to keep this strange woman safe. Or, rather… he would do anything to take care of his friend.

Once again, Sakura had surprised him...

---

Later that day, after sharing a breakfast with Sakura and apologizing to a surprisingly sympathetic Madara, Obito visited a place that he hadn't seen in over two decades. A place that had one brought him some of the most intense sorrow of his life.

He stared down at the beautifully decorated tombstone before him, reading the familiar name and passage etched across its polished surface.

In everloving memory of Rin Nohara. To live in the hearts of those we love is not to die.

Despite the ache in Obito's chest, it didn't hurt as much as he had thought that it would visiting this place. He felt a longing in his soul but he didn't feel as if his heart would stop beating from the sorrow as he had thought it would.

He knelt in front of the stone marker, his voice quiet and hesitant as he began to speak. He finally told Rin everything he had needed to: Everything about his life, what had happened after the accident. How he had lost Kakashi's friendship but how he had found companionship in his club. How he did things that she would be ashamed of, that even he was ashamed of, but that he was content in helping those he loved. That he had found purpose where he thought he would find nothing and that was enough for him to live for.

He finally told her that he loved her.

When Obito left Rin's gravesite, he removed a bouquet remaining from another visitor and replaced it with two of his own. One for himself and one for the doctor who still felt Rin's death as Obito did.

---

A/N: I've been really excited to write this chapter because I have a soft spot for Obito. Well, damn, I have a soft spot for all the Uchihas. But Obito's character is one that I adore nearly as much as Sakura and Madara. I really wanted to show how Obito, who I have so far portrayed as this unfeeling murderer who only shows emotion when it's his fury with the Senju, has this broken side. How the death of Rin has deeply affected him but how Madara was able to (metaphorically instead of literally in the AU and without the, y'know, Infinite Tsukuyomi plan) save his life. I wanted to show that caring relationship between Madara and Obito. I also wanted to give Tsunade some screen time as she will unfortunately get very little in this fic.

Side note, Rin had a jar of seashells sitting on her bedside table in the hospital because her hobby in the canon universe was collecting seashells. I absolutely love Rin and wish she had gotten way more screen time.

I also brought up a very real problem in the world in this chapter and that is drug abuse. Specifically, the most deadly form of drug abuse in the United States: prescription drug abuse. Depressants, opioids, and antidepressants account for more overdose fatalities (45%) than cocaine, heroine, methamphetamine, and amphetamines combined (39%). Prescription drug abuse becomes exponentially more dangerous when combined with alcohol, something that can lead to people stopping breathing, people's hearts stopping, and so much more. Less known, opiate abuse can result in a variety of hospitalizible conditions, delirium, and visual hallucinations (as was shown in Obito when he thought Sakura was Rin).

Be safe, be careful, and there are people willing to help if you want it.