Smoke and ash.

She remembered how it ended. She was running away from the fire. She could hear the screams of the people in the village. War had come through and brought along death. She could feel her heart beating hard against her chest. Blood stained her hands, clothes, and hair. She was a mess, but she did not care.

She ran as fast as her legs could take her until she could no longer hear and smell the fighting. Her eyes we're blurred by tears and dirt. She was lost without any knowledge of where she was going. She just wanted to be somewhere safe.

She knew nothing of war. Nothing of death. She only knew of it through stories and passing shinobi. Tsubaki fell to her knees trying to catch her breath. Her body was shaking from the fatigue. Her breathing was hard against her lungs. Every muscle in her body wanted her to rest. She knew she could not risk stopping in case she were to encounter shinobi from a warring clan. She prayed to the Gods that she would be somewhere safe.

Fire.

The blood in her veins ran cold. She heard the sound of footsteps approaching her. Like a deer trapped by hungry wolves, she stood still. All life around her had silenced to the approaching danger. Tsubaki was trembling as she saw a dark figure walking calmly towards her. Her fingers clutched the ground picking small remnants of dirt between her fingers. She closed her eyes trying not cry as she knew death had come to claim her.

The figure was before her now. Hesitating for a moment before his decision to kill her. Opening up her blurry eyes, she looked up to see who her killer would be. Her body continued to tremble as she saw a man with cold black eyes staring down at her. His hair was long and waved gently against the breeze. She swallowed spit that was building up in her mouth.

This man. This shinobi. Madara Uchiha.

What was he doing here? She stood up on shaky legs with much question going through her head. He was staring at her without saying a word. It was scaring her that he spoke nothing to her. The flames surrounded them and ash stuck to her hair while Madara was unfazed by the power of nature. The smoke burned her eyes and stung her skin.

There had to be a way to end this misery. Tsubaki reached out her hand towards Madara, but he grabbed it roughly. Surprised, she was brought forwards to him. Her body crashing into his and then pain. An immense pain shot through her abdomen and she felt something warm cling to her clothes. Her eyes went wide as she looked down to see a sword embedded into her abdomen. Blood began to heavily stain her clothing as her heart began to beat slowly.

She coughed up blood. Tsubaki looked up to Madara but he was not before her. He had disappeared without explanation as to why he stabbed her. Tsubaki's knees finally gave out and she fell. The sword that was stuck in her body rattled causing more damage. She closed her eyes as the fire engulfed her in flames.

...

She awoke in a cold sweat. Her heart raced hard against her chest. Sitting up, she placed a hand on her sweaty forehead. It was only a dream. Just bad memories. She thought to herself. But Madara was there in her dream. He stabbed her and he held no emotion when he did it. Tsubaki closed her eyes to get the memory out of her head. It meant nothing. It was only a dream. She wasn't scared of him if that is what her dream was trying to tell her. If anything, she held a high respect for the clan leader. Sighing heavily, Tsubaki got up from her place of sleep and stretched out her arms. Bones popped loudly. Her muscles stretched with each movement.

Walking out of her room, she did not realize how early she had awoken. There was little light to lead her throughout the healing house and she cursed herself for not looking for light. She was in such a hurry to get into her daily clothing and her hair was tied behind her head, she did not realize that the sun was not yet up. Tsubaki continued on through the dark trying not to disturb the sleepers within the healing house. She was not the most agile person, but she made due with walking quietly.

There were patients within the healing house, which she was thankful for. She had a decent night sleep. It has been sometime since she was able to sleep through the night, but Tsubaki wanted to always be kept busy. Someone could come to them at any moment wanting help and she had to always be ready just in case something like that happens.

She found the herb room which was illuminated by a few small candles. Walking inside, she found a small pot full of leaves. The smell was refreshing. Waking her senses, she could feel her body starting to wake from its hazy slumber. Once she grabbed a couple of small leaves, she began to wander trying to keep as quiet as possible. No doubt the trained shinobi within the house are able to hear her steps.

She found the door that lead outside and she took a step out. The stars were still out. Shining bright in the Heavens. Flickering every so often as an illusion that the stars fade in and out of vision. Tsubaki breathed in the fresh air and enjoyed the quietness the village had to offer. She sat on the porch as she chewed a bit of mint leaves in her mouth. It's cool feeling had freshened her breath and she loved the taste of mint.

Chewing on the leaf, her mind had continued back to her dream. It has been sometime since she had the dream of her running away from the village she was born and raised in. She had no explanation on how it started only that she had to run. Her parents were dead. She had no choice but to live knowing they died. That part of her was pushed far back in her memory that she forgot what they looked like. Tsubaki looked up to the sky and wondered which constellation was showing itself tonight.

When the sun rises, she will go on the hill and pray in front of the graves. Once she finishes that, she will have to tend to the herb garden. It was time to make another paste to stop bleeding. She sighed. She was running low on the paste and it was a pain to make them. Taking a whole day just for one jar and God's know it goes out fast.

"Never knew you to be one to rise before the sun." She almost chocked on the leaf in her mouth. Coughing it up, she turned around to see Madara standing behind her with curious eyes and a raised brow. A small lantern illuminating light and casting a shadow that looked menacing behind Madara. His stature would have had most women's knees grow weak. Tsubaki could see that he always held a serious expression. Could a smile hurt him?

"Sometimes I wake before the sun and other times the sun rises with me." She said as she coughed up the last remnants of the leaf. Her throat burned and cursed herself for being surprised.

No wonder shinobi were deadly. You can hardly hear them approaching you.

"You are a strange woman." He said. His eyes looked at her with a small hint of humor behind them. Was he teasing her? Well, he sure knows how to talk to women.

Tsubaki could feel her eye twitch at the statement. Wasn't he the one that wanted her for a wife? She thought harshly to herself in so it of the man that sat next to her. She licked against the mint leaves in her hand and chewed on another. Something had crossed her mind as humorous.

"Why is it so strange for a woman to be up before the sun? I have my routine as do you and all others whom train to fight. And is it you that have asked me to be your wife?" She chuckled lightly at the turn of events within her life. A simple healer from a village. Tsubaki knew she had no riches to spare or even the beauty that could suite a clan leader. All she had was her healing knowledge, which Madara found to be of use to his clan. She knew nothing knew how to be a proper wife or even someone of noble blood. Fate surely had some humor. She thought bitterly as she felt the sting of her cuts on her cheek.

Asumi had left Tsubaki with a reminder of what she had done. Stealing a man that was never hers to begin with. Such a pathetic petty reason to go after her. Tokiko had a few words to exchange with Tsubaki about the way she handled the situation. Like a mother scolding her daughter, Tokiko found that if Madara wanted her as a wife she has the choice that not many women have. No one owned her and her mind was her own. Tsubaki always thought she would hear Tokiko be happy and tease her endlessly that she found a man willing to marry her.

She would have laughed if Madara wasn't serious about the situation. Seems like nothing will change his mind. Stubborn shinobi that he is.

"Then maybe I am the strange one to have asked you." He said with a slight shrug.

There was no humor within his voice. He was completely serious about the matter. Tsubaki looked up to the dark sky. What does he mean by that? She felt a bit insulated by his words. As if he had no other choice in the matter. He could have a nobles daughter and unite clans at his power, but he choose to be with a healer who had no power. Between life and death, yes, but power to unite was out of the question.

Tsubaki may have had a sense of mind to say no at any given moment, but there was a voice within her that said yes. She thought back to her dream for a moment. Maybe it was a warning that when she got to close to Madara she would be stabbed without hesitation. The question is, was he the type of man to do so.?

"There are clans that would want your alliance. To be on your good side and yet, here you sit by my side without having asked why I am here. One might say you are getting soft on a simple healer." She said.

Nothing more was said.

Both were in their own thoughts.

One thinking of her life and how far she has come and the man she lost who was buried on the hill.

One thinking of what the future held for him. The growing darkness that resided in his heart. Flourishing like the depths of a cave unexplored. A small flicker of light had shown him through, but he still had a long way to go.

They sat in comforting silence awaiting for the sun to rise. Tsubaki had a little smile on her lips feeling the comfort that made her want to fall back to sleep. She closed her eyes and yawned. It was only a dream. She told herself. It was something that meant nothing other then a reminder of where she came from.

She took a deep breath in. Feeling the embrace of the warm wind and the light from the lantern. She could not remember how, but her body moved closer to Madara. She placed her head on his shoulder and sleep took over.


He felt frozen in place. As if some strong pull was calling to him and the darkness fading back to the depths of his heart. No woman has made him feel this warm. He glanced down at the sleeping woman, seeing how she let herself feel unguarded. This felt a little too intimate for his liking. She felt serene. She felt like a missing part that he never wished to seek.

What would his brother think if he saw this scene? He might laugh and grin like a fool. There would be lots of teasing that Madara will never hear the end of it until he found himself at the bottom of a river. He let out a low sigh feeling foolish for making himself feel such a way. A hardened warrior that knew nothing but war and blood shed. Here he was, sitting with a stary sky above them and a woman he claimed, sleeping on his shoulder as if they were lovers. Maybe feeling something wouldn't make him feel guarded.

War.

War was something he knew and was good at. Killing the enemy and taking their life. If circumstances were different, maybe he would have been a better man. Someone who could give Tsubaki a better future without the constant fighting. He was getting sentimental about this profound feeling. Was there even such a thing?

She is right. He thought to himself. The way he treated Tsubaki was rather obvious. He held some feelings towards her. He wanted her as a wife and no other would make him feel safe from the darkness that was rising within his heart. The dream of him dying had replayed over and over. The blind shinobi was haunting him.

He placed his cheek on top of her head. She shifted beside him, but did not wake up. He let out a small sigh. What was he doing? He was letting emotion win. Nuzzling her cheek against his shoulder, Madara could not help but grin just a little. Strange woman.

He closed his eyes for a moment to listen to the calmness and feel peace for the first time in such a long time. Madara slowly inched his arm around Tsubaki, but decided against the action. There was no need to act like such a love struck fool. He had to harden his heart and keep from giving into emotion. It would render useless and most likely get him killed.

Like a calm before the storm.


His body.

It felt pain.

He opened his eyes with a heavy breath. Every muscle within his body felt sore and needed to be stretched. His wounds have healed, but will forever scar over. There would be many reminders of his past failures etched upon his skin. Story goes, the nomads always saw scars as a show of strength. Their war stories and accomplishments were worn on their skin.

Though, Saif may never have lived his true life as a nomad, he knew the stories. His mother told him every myth and legend. Even in death, he could still here her hum in the wind.

He stood up on his feet, feeling his muscles stretch and protest to lay back down, but Saif knew it was time to move on. It was time to finish his mission and claim what he had longed for since he was a child. Kakuzu watched him feeling the dirt beneath his feet. Feeling the chakra that flowed throughout the land finding his target.

Kakuzu was growing restless and wanted to find a new bounty. If Saif failed and died on this mission, he would have to do it himself. All those years of training would have been for nothing. It was of any wonder Kakuzu had the patience to deal with a blind man. His bloodlust was growing everyday, but Kakuzu was also always intrigued by Saif's fighting style. A style forever buried in the sands and on the blind shinobi is killed, their dance of blades will be lost and forgotten. The sands of time forever keeping its secrets.

Saif was like a predator. His slim body was lean with muscle. His dead eyes focused on what was before him. Kakuzu could see his fingers twitch as the flow of chakra captivated his senses. Saif was a true prodigy of his surroundings. It made Kakuzu wonder if his skill could be useful to him when he dies. Absorb his chakra and keep his heart. It could be useful. He thought.

"Are you certain you will accomplish your mission?" Kakuzu said. He might have been unsure of the possibility of a success. War was a bloody business. There was never any winner's in the events. Only vultures waiting to feed on the scraps. Winner takes all. Knowledge and power.

"I believe I will die trying to achieve much. You will not need to linger like my shadow as you have done so for many years." Saif responded. He knew.

"Not by choice." Kakuzu retorted.

Saif turned his head as he gathered his belongings for the journey. He felt sentimental for a brief moment. Kakuzu never shared his feelings or anything for that matter. He was a blank slate of nothing. Saif knew he would never admit that he saw Kakuzu as an older brother. They traveled together for years and Saif could feel that this may be the last time he and Kakuzu would see one another.

"When I die, there is something you can do for me. Find bounties and take my heart." Kakuzu watched as Saif disappeared. It was a promise he could keep without having to kill him himself.


AN: I feel like my last two chapters didn't cut it. Too forced and fast update. Hope this chapter is too your liking.