When she awoke, it was still dark, but the thunder had subsided. It was silent, the sound of her breathing being the loudest noise in the room. Not even the fire was burning, the only remnants were a pile of gray ash, with bits of red embers that were still smoking.
With no other light in the room, and beginning to feel the chill of the unforgiving stone surroundings, Sakura stood and approached the fireplace. Feeling around, she was able to locate a pile of dried wood on the right side of the hearth. Using one small piece to move the pile of ash out of the way, she made quick work of stacking a new pile for burning. Unfortunately, she couldn't find anything to light it with. There were no matches, no flint rocks, and the smoldering ashes weren't enough to get it started by themselves.
Defeated, Sakura sighed as she made her way back to the sofa and under the warmth of her blanket. She assumed the man was still sleeping, and didn't want to bother waking him up for something like this, but she was beginning to miss the warmth and light of the fire.
"Where are the matches?" she eventually asked into the darkness.
When no response came, Sakura assumed he was still asleep, or was ignoring her. Asking a bit louder the second time, she hoped to rouse him from his slumber, or at least get an answer. But unfortunately, it didn't even cause him to stir.
Fine. I'll do this the old fashioned way.
Throwing off the covers, Sakura rolled up her sleeves, kneeling in front of the fireplace. Grabbing a small twig, she used the kunai from her thigh holster to sharpen one end. Satisfied that this should do the trick, she placed her kunai on the floor while she used both hands to place the pointed end against the dried bark of a larger log. Rubbing her hands together, she twisted the smaller branch back and forth, applying pressure downwards against the bark to create friction. After a few minutes of trying, all she could muster was a measly puff of smoke, but nothing would catch.
"Light, damn it!" she exclaimed, frustrated with herself.
On the brink of giving up, she heard approaching footsteps from behind her. Grabbing her kunai, she turned around and waited, noting they continued to get louder, as if coming down a long hallway or staircase. Closing her eyes, she sent out a wave of chakra, surveying the approaching form, dropping her kunai as she realized it was the same man.
"Having some trouble?" he commented smugly, as if enjoying her failed attempt at something so fundamental.
"I couldn't find the matches," she pouted, turning to face the voice behind her.
To her surprise, the man was carrying a lantern in one hand and a basket in the other. The dim light of the lantern didn't offer much light, but at least she was able to see something. She could tell he was quite tall and lean, wearing only a simple cotton yukata as he made his way over towards the center of the room. The way his body moved, as if he was gliding across the room, pulled Sakura into a trance. She was in awe as the man who appeared to be the epitome of confidence, approached her. He was far from the image she had held in her head while under the veil of darkness. Just being near someone like him, sent a tingling chill down her spine.
He carried the lantern low, his face shrouded by shadows and an unruly head of hair, which seemed to have a mind of its own. The way the choppy layers of his locks fell into his face, over his shoulders and down his back was an unexpected sight, to say the least. She secretly wondered what shampoo he used, as it looked full and voluminous, and not dingy and matted as would be expected of such a cave hermit.
Watching as he set the basket and lantern down on top of a bookcase beside the couch, she was shocked to see such an extensive collection of books. She hadn't even noticed it was there before the lantern cast its light upon the shelves, each one packed full of books and scrolls.
I guess that's how he passes the time...
"I don't need matches," the man revealed, interrupting her thoughts as he knelt beside her on the floor.
Bringing a hand up to his lips, he made the partial seal of the Tiger, making the woman beside him cock her head in fascination. Blowing across his fingertips gently, a small and steady blaze streamed out from his mouth, instantly setting the pile of logs and branches on fire. As the flame kissed wood began to flicker and burn brightly, she stared at the man's profile, her eyes fixated on him. As if sensing her gaze, he turned towards her slowly, completely unfazed as she leaned closer.
Without thinking, she lifted her hand, fingers pushing the long bangs out of his face, hoping to get a better look. But what she found, was a familiar face, one that made her blood run cold.
"You..."
As if she'd seen a ghost, she froze, eyes wide with horror as she suppressed a tremble. Inhaling sharply as his strong hand caught the wrist that was still dangerously close to his face, her lip began to snarl as her reflexes kicked in.
With her left hand free, she swung straight for the man's face, her body lunging forward as it followed the force of her fist. Leaning forward, and under the kunoichi's body, he used her own momentum against her, flipping her petite body over his head with ease. Flopping harshly against the floor with a painful thud, Sakura flinched as her back made contact with the cold slate. Before she had time to jump up and regain her footing, he was upon her.
He made no offensive strike against her, choosing to disable her with his own body instead. With a foot digging into the insides of each ankle, he kept her knees locked and her legs apart so she could not kick him away. His hands supported the rest of his body weight, trapping her wrists against the floor above her head, as he hovered over her splayed form.
"I take it you remember me now?" he rasped, watching her fixedly.
"Madara? I... I thought..." she stammered, her mouth unable to keep up with her brain. "But, how? We saw you..."
"Die?" he interjected, his face remaining calm as this was no surprising feat to him.
"Yes," she panted, emerald eyes watching his darkened orbs intensely.
"That's because I did," he confirmed evenly, letting his eyes drift slowly down to her parted lips, his gaze lingering too long for comfort.
"How are you here right now?" her voice demanded, ignoring the urge to push him off in hopes of getting answers.
"That is a long story, feisty one," he quipped at the tempting woman sprawled beneath him.
"Something tells me you've got the time."
"Be that as it may, why should I tell you?"
"I distinctly remember you trying to kill me, asshole," she spat acidly, "You could at least enlighten me."
"You lunged yourself onto my blade. Don't blame me for that."
"You started a war! What were we supposed to do?!"
"It was a war to end all wars. I only wanted the world to finally know peace."
"What a load of bullshit!"
"I wouldn't expect someone like you to understand. You know nothing about me," he seethed, his eyes narrowing as he spoke. "I grew up knowing nothing but war, forced to endure watching everyone I'd ever known, die. My plan was to finally unite humanity in a world that I molded myself. A world without hatred... A world of only victors... a world of only peace. But none of that happened. My plan was ruined!"
"That peace you thought you created, was only an elaborate illusion. Peace only has meaning if it is created in reality," Sakura scolded, her voice cracking under the strain of yelling.
"Wake up! This is reality! Nothing ever goes as planned in this accursed world. The longer you live, the more you realize that the only things that truly exist are pain, suffering, and futility."
"You're wrong," Sakura whispered, her lips quivering as she looked at the enraged man above her.
"Excuse me?"
"You... are... wrong," she punctuated tersely, glaring at him in an act of defiance.
The heated argument had given her a rush of adrenaline, her blood pumping through her body with renewed vigor. It was enough for her to lunge at him once again, the crown of her head connecting with his face swiftly. Judging by the crunch that followed, the quick hit must have broken something, as his grip faltered and she was released. Using her legs to spring herself into a kick up, she was back on her feet and in position, should he choose to retaliate.
But as he sat on the floor, face in his hands, she wasn't sure if he would do so. His crumpled form was almost laughable. Surely one of the strongest shinobi to have ever existed could take a headbutt, especially one that wasn't laced with any chakra. With her kunai back in her hand, Sakura observed the groaning man cautiously as he raised his bloodied face to her. However, instead of a counterattack, she was met with a sinister smile. The dark chuckle that followed was unsettling as it echoed through the cavern. Sakura could only look on silently, her face twisting in confusion, struggling to comprehend what was happening.
"You're quite the spitfire," he smirked, spitting the blood that had pooled in his mouth into the fire. "I like that."
"You're one sick bastard," Sakura admitted, shaking her head at the man who simply shrugged in response.
"What can I say? You're more intriguing than I thought, kunoichi."
"It's Sakura, by the way. Sakura Haruno."
"For now..."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"You said you were to be married, correct?"
"Oh... yeah."
"Uchiha Sakura. Has a nice ring to it, if I do say so myself," he offered, standing to collect a towel from a dresser on the far end of the back wall.
"I guess so," she agreed with obvious anxiety.
"Don't tell me you're having second thoughts about him?" Madara teased, wiping the blood from his face.
"I hardly think that's any of your business."
"True," he agreed, rummaging through another drawer in the dresser, "But who else would have better insight into the mind of an Uchiha?"
Choosing to ignore his comment, Sakura busied herself with scanning the more visible layout of the cave. On the far wall, where Madara was shuffling through the contents of a wooden dresser, was a simple bed and pillow. Beside the bed was a wooden table with a washbasin and a smaller bookcase, this one was sparse and only contained a few bound notebooks and one dried flower of some kind.
Across from the simple living quarters, Sakura could see a small archway that led to somewhere even further into the cave, but with the light of the lantern not permeating that far, she could only assume it was a bathroom, or at least a primitive version of one.
Turning around, she faced the front of the cave, noting that it was a long hallway of sorts that led to a set of stairs, perhaps connecting to the outside. Wherever they were, she knew it was far from the light of day, as there was no semblance of sunlight. Along the wall just before the hallway, she noticed trickles of water, the slate surface slick with moisture as it dripped from the top of the cave down into a single pitcher for collection. Perhaps they were near the waterfall or river, which surprised her, remembering she was no where near this particular area when she dozed off.
"How did you find me?" she pried, turning her suspicious gaze back to the man who walked towards her with a folded cloth in one hand.
"I was out gathering food when I heard screaming, followed by rumbling. Naturally, I was curious."
Stopping in front of her, Madara smirked, eyeing her closely. Sakura, swallowing the lump in her throat under the intensity of his stare, tried not to look affected by his close proximity.
"Here," he offered, holding out the item for her to take. "Figured you might want something more casual to lounge in if you're going to stay. Wouldn't want your precious dress getting ruined."
With a slight hesitancy, she eventually took the item of clothing, whispering a quick thanks for the oddly kind gesture. Holding it up, she unfolded the item, realizing it was another yukata. Part of her couldn't wait to get into something more practical, something that didn't remind her of the impending vows. But there was a small part of her that wondered why she would need it. If the storm had passed, wasn't she free to go?
"Why would you assume I'm staying?"
"Well, the fact that you haven't left yet is a pretty good indication."
"I was waiting out the weather."
"The storm is gone, so I can only assume you're not exactly in a hurry to return. My guess is you're running away from something, or perhaps, someone."
"Look," she began, leveling her gaze at him, "I'm not here to be interrogated and judged by the likes of you."
"Really?" he chuckled, leaning closer to her, "Then why are you still here?"
Her mouth opened to speak, but her words escaped her. This was a question Sakura couldn't answer for herself, let alone for someone else. Her brain was telling her to go home, to run, and never look back. But, she couldn't will her feet to take her in that direction. There was some unseen magnetism keeping her here. She couldn't help but feel a nagging suspicion that this was where she was supposed to be right now.
"Your nose is bleeding," she blurted, not having an answer for the prying man.
With his tongue slipping over his top lip, swiping away the dripping blood, Sakura's eyes followed the muscle's every move until it retreated back into that smirking mouth of his. She knew this man's name to be Uchiha Madara, but the man standing so closely to her now, was not the same man she had met on the battlefield years before.
He seemed more relaxed, and less hellbent on destroying the world. His powerful presence still commanded respect, but there was something very out of place about the person he was now. His intensity was dark and intoxicating, but instead of being frightened, she was intrigued.
"So it is," he smiled, "Better change before it drips onto your dress."
She flashed the obnoxious man a snarky smile, before disappearing behind the fireplace to change. Carefully, she untied the delicate rope belt and obi, folding and placing them on the bed as she unsheathed the heavy cocoon of fabric from around her body. Taking in a deep breath, she felt the chill of the air around her naked body and shivered, feeling instantly liberated.
Letting her hair down, she ran her fingers through her long cotton candy tresses, her scalp instantly relaxing as it was freed from the tight up-do Ino had created during her fitting. With the ends of her hair tickling the skin of her lower back, Sakura felt her skin prickle with goosebumps, and reached for the soft cotton robe she had been loaned. Slipping into the yukata, and tying the belt around her waist, she rejoined the man who was standing in front of the fire.
He was wincing as he held a rag up to his nose, doing his best at trying to stop the bleeding. The pain written on his face elicited mixed emotions from the medic. She was proud that she had landed such a hit on Uchiha Madara, a man who deserved so much worse. But Sakura also felt guilty. This man was a far cry from the man he once was, and had been nothing but kind and generous to her. Even when they were fighting, he never made a strike at her or used his eyes to trap her in some heinous genjutsu.
Sakura was initially terrified when she realized just who the man was, knowing she could not win a battle with someone who was so powerful he had been referred to as a "God" in all the text books she had ever read.
There was no doubt he could end her, but end her, he did not. And for that, she was grateful.
"Here, let me take a look," she offered, removing the bloodied rag from his face.
"What's to see? It's just a bloody nose."
"Sit," she commanded, her hands clasping around his shoulders as she pushed him back until his legs hit the couch.
As he sat on the couch, he looked up at her, confused by her request. Stepping between his knees and pushing the hair out of his face, she could better asses the damage. With her hands glowing brilliant green, she placed them on his swollen cheek and nose, letting her cooling chakra enter his body to take a better look at the interior of the injury.
"Are you okay?" she questioned, seeing how tense he had become. His spine had stiffened beneath her touch as his eyes clenched shut.
"It's just... it's been a while since I've let anyone touch me."
"Shouldn't take much longer," Sakura confirmed, frowning at the sadness of his statement.
"I don't mind... it's rather nice."
"Well, I've got some good news and I've got some bad news," she sighed, removing her hands from his face.
"Let's hear it, then" he huffed, missing her cooling touch.
"The bad news is, your nose and cheek bone are broken."
"And what of this good news?" Madara questioned, raising a brow as he looked up at her, admiring the soft features of her face in the lantern's glow.
"The good news is, I can have you fixed up in just a few minutes," she beamed, offering him a small smile.
"Well then, go on," he nodded, giving her permission to begin.
"First I have to reset your nose, then I can heal the fractures. It will hurt a lot more before it'll feel better. Are you ready?"
"Do it," he commanded, his voice low in his throat as he stared into her jade eyes.
Placing her fingers around the end of his nose, she gave a quick jerk, moving the broken piece back into place with a sickening crunch. In the pain of the moment, she felt large hands clasp onto her legs firmly, as if needing something to hold onto. Ignoring the flare of heat she felt from being so close to him, his hands upon her outer thighs, Sakura poured her soothing chakra into the thin spaces of the fractures. Slowly, but surely, they began to close until all was repaired. With the bones whole again, she worked on reducing the swelling and bruising that had begun to set in.
With the swelling receding and his color returning to normal, she admired her work, taking the time to fully explore his exposed face. He seemed astonishingly familiar, as if striking good looks ran in the Uchiha family. His nose was similar to Sasuke's, but his face was more battle-worn, small scars dotting the porcelain skin of his cheeks and chin. The faint lines beneath his eyes made him look mature and wise, but not nearly as old as he should be. Madara was sinfully youthful in his appearance, making Sakura's cheeks flush as she felt the flutter of attraction.
Before she expanded any further on the ideas plaguing her mind, she removed her hands from his face, their glow fading. Using her sleeve, she dabbed at the corners of his eyes. After she reset the bones of his nose, his eyes had watered from the piercing pain he was no doubt feeling, and she felt the guilt swell in her chest once again. She had felt bad about headbutting him, but she couldn't blame herself, she couldn't afford to be careless around someone as powerful as Madara. At least now he was free from the throbbing pain of facial fractures, and could go on about his day.
"There, all better," she comforted, moving his chin to each side, checking the alignment of his nose in profile. "Everything looks great."
"It certainly does," he agreed, his piercing gaze roving over her features as if committing them to memory.
"So," she reflected nervously, clearing her throat as she stepped out of his firm grasp around her legs. "What's in the basket?"
"Food. I thought you might be hungry."
"Famished," she agreed with a genuine smile, all too happy to focus on something other than his beguiling smirk.
There was no denying it, the tiny particles in the air were practically bristling from the charge between them. It was almost intoxicating, this heady mixture of feelings she couldn't quite define. Like a smoldering heat, the atmosphere of the cave crept inside her, as Sakura felt her cheeks flush and the air become dense and fog-like. Her mind was in a tizzy, thoughts bouncing around with no rhyme or reason, as she felt rattled by this man.
She still couldn't shake the feeling that she had entered a wolf's den, standing vulnerable out in the open while she heard the footsteps in the shadows encircle her.
