When Madara awoke, Sakura was still on the couch with her empty glass, staring at the fire.
"Good morning," he grumbled, walking over to retrieve a glass of his own, pouring himself some water.
"Good morning," she chorused, greeting him with a smile.
"I trust you sleep well," he offered between sips.
"I did. And you?"
"Not too bad. Just another day," he quipped, joining her on the sofa.
"Are you tired of fruit?" she questioned, her brow quirking up, as if hoping his answer would be 'yes.'
"Why?" he eased, voice laced with suspicion.
"I just thought we could grill up some fish today. Ya know, make it a barbecue?"
"You're just trying to get me out of this cave, aren't you?"
"Just wondering if you wanted to partake in something a bit more substantial, that's all," she pleaded innocently.
"Sure. Why not?" he sighed.
"It's decided, then. Today, we grill!" she raved, smiling brightly at the man's unamused face.
"I've never seen someone so excited over fish before," he said flatly, eyeing her with uncertainty.
"Oh, c'mon... it'll be fun!"
"We'll see..."
"That's the spirit," she laughed, slapping him on the knee. "Let's go, I'm starving."
Springing into action, she slipped her feet into her sandals, and grabbed the lantern. Inspecting the table of dishes, Sakura collected the grilling basket, a knife, chopsticks, and a couple of plates.
"You can leave that stuff here, we can just grill the fish we catch in the fireplace," Madara pointed out, nodding to the flames.
"Oh, right," Sakura giggled, dropping the items back onto the table.
She was somewhat disappointed that he did not wish to grill outside in the fresh air. She didn't wish to argue with him, she only wished for him to experience the campfire and the outdoors while he could. Sakura knew how fun it could be to barbecue under the stars, enjoying the ambiance of the fire and the closeness of friends, and she simply wanted to share that with him now. But, there was already a fire going, and it made sense to utilize it.
She watched as Madara slipped on his wooden geta and grabbed a netted fishing pole that was propped up in the corner by the entrance. The indifferent man seemed extra distant ever since he woke up, and his face showed no sign of emotion. Maybe he just wasn't awake yet, but deep down she hoped he would lighten up and enjoy the activity she had planned for today. If he didn't, she just might have to coerce him.
Catching up to him as he walked slowly down the hall, Sakura fell into step beside him, the lantern's glow guiding their way towards the stone staircase which led to higher ground. As they ascended in silence, Sakura kept stealing glances out of the corner of her eye, looking for any sign of enthusiasm. It was silly, but she desperately wanted to see that lazy smile of his. Frankly, any sign that he was looking forward to getting out of the cave would suffice, but Madara was devoid of any expression.
Sakura was so busy observing the man beside her, she forgot to watch where she was going. The steps were covered with a thin film of sludge in this perpetually moist environment, and as her sandaled foot slid out from beneath her, she gasped.
Falling backwards, she began to panic, the world spinning around her as flashes of skull fractures and twisted necks filled her mind. Instinctively, she threw her arms out, fingers clawing at anything to grab onto to prevent her descent and subsequent tumble down the darkened staircase.
Summoning a blast of chakra to her hands and feet, Sakura was able to grip onto the wall and stairs, halting her fall. With her feet firmly planted on the stone of the stairwell, she stood, panting from shock as she stared at Madara from behind. With a huff, she rejoined his side, eyeing him with a fair amount of disappointment. He didn't look phased at all as he calmly climbed towards the top of the staircase.
"Oh, no, I'm fine. Don't try to help me or anything," she sighed, brushing off her hands and pushing the hair out of her face.
"You strike me as a person that does not need any help."
"Oh, really?" she remarked flatly, "What makes you say that?"
"Just an observation."
While ruminating on his last comment, Sakura noticed the roar of the waterfall getting louder, to the point where she felt the vibrations all around her. The ceiling, floor, and walls all hummed with the force of the cascading water, and she silently wondered if they were in any danger being this close to it. She really hated being in the dark about these things, not at all at ease with being unsure of her whereabouts in unfamiliar territory.
As they finally reached the top of the staircase, Sakura could see a faint light at the end of the tunnel. Its glimmer danced around the far end of the tunnel they traipsed through, calling them forth like a beacon. The sound of the rushing water grew louder as they walked, cloaking their awkward silence, and by the time they reached the end of the tunnel, she was smiling.
She could see the waterfall itself, but they were not meeting it head-on, they were coming from behind it. Sakura watched as Madara stepped through an invisible wall, his image warbled from the other side as he motioned for her to follow. Hesitantly, she stepped through the thin film of ice cold chakra that was cloaking the entrance to the cave, making her skin tingle. Feeling as if she had just walked through a massive spider web, she turned and looked behind her, only to be met with stone.
There was no entrance... at least not to the naked eye.
Tracing her footsteps back to where she had just stepped through, she could only see a large wall of rock, its surface slick with water and clumps of moss. Turning around, she eyed Madara with surprise, astonished with his level of disguise. This was no genjutsu, nor a simple henge, there was no apparent shift glitch that what she was seeing was a concocted image. This was the real deal. It even felt like rock until you pushed against it, slipping through the stone as if dipping your hand beneath the water's surface.
Returning to his side, Sakura watched as he extinguished the lantern, no longer needing it in the daylight that permeated the cascading water. As they reached the water's edge, she stopped, closing her eyes, breathing in the fresh air, loving the fine mist that tickled her face with their close proximity to the falls.
"It's beautiful," she shouted over the rumble of water, watching him nod in agreement as they both took a minute to appreciate the pristine view.
After a moment of reflection, they hopped over a few stepping stones, making their way to the side of the falls, before leaping onto the grassy banks of the river that flowed away from it. Looking back, Sakura gasped, not believing where they had just come from. The waterfall, although much smaller than it had been years earlier, was still massive and absolutely breathtaking. Especially as the sun set behind them, bathing the waterfall and everything around them in bleeds of orange and pink.
When she turned to ask where Madara would like to fish, she noticed him staring at her, and could only smile as she shied away from his gaze. As if her feet were somehow suddenly fascinating, she stared down at them, her toes squirming as she tried hard to remember the words she was on the verge of speaking.
"C'mon, let's follow the river down to that bank over there," Madara pointed, "It's partly shaded and the water is much calmer. There are bound to be fish taking refuge there."
"Sounds like a plan," she grinned, following his lead over to the small bend in the river ahead.
When they made it to the bank of the riverbend, they made sure not to get too close, as their shadows were sure to give away their position. Instead, they sat and waited in silence while watching the sun slip behind the trees, the brilliant colors growing brighter just before being snuffed out by twilight. Out of the corner of her eye, Sakura caught a glimpse of Madara, his head tilted back as he inhaled deeply. Much to her surprise, when his eyes opened, there was a small trace of a smile upon his lips.
In the straggling rays of sunlight, she could better appreciate the details in his face. His skin, although light and porcelain-like, had some color to it and was not as ghostly as he looked in the cave. His hair, although mostly black, had a smattering of dark chocolate brown strands as well. The outer edges of his dark brown eyes seemed to glow a rich caramel color, and there was a single mole on his lower neck, just beneath the pulse point.
He was strikingly handsome.
Swallowing harshly, Sakura tried to reign in her attraction, averting her eyes and focusing on the water below. Hoping her hunger would stave off the fluttering of butterflies she felt in her stomach, she focused on the dinner plans they had for the evening. Her mouth watered at the thought of grilled fish, and she couldn't wait to enjoy something warm and substantial again. With her gaze returning to the man beside her, she hoped a warm meal would put another smile on that handsome face of his.
Without having to worry about their shadows giving them away in the waning daylight, it took no time at all to catch a few unsuspecting fish in their net. In just one attempt, Madara had caught a couple of sizable fish for them to feast on, and he was looking rather proud of that fact.
Net in hand, he stood triumphantly, as if wordlessly gloating about his fishing prowess. Sakura giggled at the sight, his proud stance reminding her of Naruto, and the smug look on his face reminding her of Sasuke. Choosing to ignore that last thought, she made quick work of descaling, cleaning, and gutting their catch with her kunai until she was satisfied they were ready for grilling.
Carefully, they made their way back behind the waterfall by lantern light. Sakura gave the starry sky above one last glance before disappearing behind the wall of water as they slipped soundlessly through the hidden barrier and back into the cave.
"Mind your step," Madara smirked as they made their way down the staircase.
"Don't jest," Sakura warned, "If I go down, so does our dinner."
"Well, in that case, you better hold onto me for balance."
"Oh, so now you care? I see the way it is," she snipped, feigning hurt feelings.
"Of course. I'm starving."
Sakura knew he was only teasing, but she didn't want to risk falling again and looking like she couldn't handle something as simple as walking. Granted, the stairway was slippery and poorly lit, but she wasn't sure if her dignity and self respect could handle another blow like that. He was a founder of Konoha, and one of the most talented ninja to ever live, surely she could handle a few stairs in his presence.
Snaking her free hand around the inside of his elbow, she locked their arms together as they made their descent. She felt his body go rigid from her sudden touch, but she was only following his orders. With both of his hands full, it's not like he could catch her if she did happen to fall again, so he would just have to deal with their closeness a bit longer as they neared the base of the stairs.
Letting the lantern guide them back into the subterranean dwelling, Sakura realized just how dark it was. With no sign of the fire that was burning when they left, she wondered what had extinguished it, finding it too odd for it to have gone out on its own.
"What happened to the fire?" she questioned, confusion written on her face.
"It's been a few days. We'll just need to start a new one," Madara answered matter-of-factly, setting the lantern down on the table so she could start preparing the fish.
"A few days?" she exclaimed, her mouth agape. "But we were only gone an hour or two?"
"Outside, yes. But within these walls, minutes become hours, and hours become days."
"That's so bizarre," she pondered, laying their fish inside the grilling basket.
"What's bizarre is someone like you staying here with me. Hopefully there aren't any nefarious motives..."
"Why is that so hard for you to believe?" she sassed, watching the man breathe life into a new fire.
"Intuition," he quipped, glancing over his shoulder, smirk upon his lips.
"I have my reasons," she defended, joining him in front of the fire, dinner in hand.
"There's more than one?"
"There usually is," she remarked, watching him as he slid the edges of the basket into the notches on either side of the hearth.
He made no retort, only watched the tips of the flames as they began to cook their catch. Taking a seat on the floor by the fire, he glanced down at the empty spot beside him and then back up at her. Taking the hint, Sakura joined his side, both eyes locked on the flickering fire. Soon, the aroma of dinner wafted over them, their mouths all but drooling while they patiently waited.
"So, I take it you're a medic?" he eased, making conversation while their dinner was cooking.
"Yep. I made Hospital Director last year, so taking care of people is my life."
"I see," he nodded in understanding, "So, that's why you like it here."
"Like I said, I have my reasons."
"You can't save me," he sighed, turning his head to her as he spoke.
"Who said anything about that?" she argued, throwing him an accusatory frown.
"I don't want you staying here so that you can fix me. If that is one of your reasons for staying, then you can leave right now."
"You don't know what you're talking about."
"Don't I?" he laughed, "You said it yourself, 'taking care of people is your life.' I can only assume your initial reaction to my inevitable demise is to try and stop it, but it is a wasted effort. It will happen. And when it does, you'll have to return to your life and face that which you have chosen to run from."
"I know," she admitted, guilt apparent on her face as her gaze fell towards the floor.
"But," Madara countered, lifting her chin up to face him, "That day is not today."
Their eyes locked as they shared a comforting moment. Sakura knew he was right, and offered him a faint smile, appreciating the fact that he was so honest with her. She had, indeed, ran from her problems, but would deal with them in time.
Currently, her focus had become the man beside her. He had returned her smile, and she couldn't help the small flutter she felt upon seeing it. There was something about the way a simple gesture from him felt like so much more. She couldn't fully understand it, but it made her feel at ease.
In a way, Madara was like the fire itself.
It was warm and inviting, but could also be destructive and deadly. If she wasn't careful, she might find herself burned by the flicker of its flame. But like all fires, he would one day fade and turn to ash, and she wasn't sure how she felt about that yet. Either way, she had to prepare herself. After all, just because the risk of losing something exists, doesn't mean you have to rob yourself of the experience.
"What are you thinking about over there? You look quite serious."
"Huh?" Sakura blurted, quickly turning to face Madara as she was pulled out of her daze.
"What's going on inside that head of yours?"
"Oh, not much. Trust me."
"Somehow, I do not believe that is true. You often zone out, sometimes biting your fingernails, or curling your hair around your finger. Why so anxious?"
"I'm not," she started, catching the contradictory look he shot her in her denial. "Okay, so maybe I am a little anxious. But wouldn't you be?"
"I'm not sure I follow... why would I be anxious if I were you? You're in no danger here, I give you my word. Besides, you're good company."
Sakura was a little shocked by his admission. She had been called annoying her entire life, yet, here was someone who actually appreciated her being around. It figures he would have an expiration date. But as they say, all good things must come to an end. She just wasn't sure if someone like Madara could be historically called a 'good thing.' Sadly, she thought it cruel that no one would ever know that he truly was.
In that way, she was lucky, lucky to have met someone like Madara, and lucky to spend some time with one of the Greats. It seemed like such a bizarre happenstance that their paths crossed again under such dissimilar circumstances, but Sakura was sure of one thing. It felt like it was destined to happen. Like she was meant to be here, no matter how bizarre it was.
She just wasn't sure why.
Her mother used to tell her that everything we experience in life is useful. That everything we learn along the way, will one day, come in hand. And that each lesson learned in the past, brings us that much closer to understanding the future. Perhaps this was one of those situations. Maybe being here, with Madara, is another one of those lessons.
Only time would tell, and as far as she knew, they had plenty of that down here in their cave of isolation. They were tucked away, hidden from the world of responsibilities, obligations, and expectations. She might as well enjoy it, and stop overthinking every little detail.
"I guess I am a little uptight," Sakura admitted, "I've just had a lot to deal with lately."
"I'm guessing it's not all work related?"
"No. Work is easy. No matter how hectic or stressful things get, I can always perform under pressure."
"Then what's the problem?"
"It's a long story," she sighed, watching in confusion as Madara stood and disappeared into the room behind the fireplace.
When Madara reappeared, he was holding a large ceramic vase in one hand, and two small ceramic cups in the other. He returned to his seat beside the bewildered woman, smirking at her puzzled face before sliding her one of the cups. Pulling the cork out of the bottle with a deflated pop, he generously poured the milky substance into each of their glasses.
"You looked like you needed a drink, feisty one. Join me."
"You think Sake will fix my problem, do you?"
"No, but it'll help loosen you up."
"Don't you think clarity will help me think things through more effectively?"
"Maybe clarity is your problem. Ever heard of hyperfocus?"
"Once or twice," she lied, inspecting the glass in front of her.
"Think of it as being so close to a painting, that all you can see are blurred lines and a random jumble of colors. Sometimes, all you have to do is step away from it. By putting some distance between you and the painting, all becomes clear."
"That... actually makes sense," she smiled, taken aback by his sudden wisdom.
"Of course it does," he smirked, raising his glass. "I've learned a thing or two in my lifetimes."
"I bet you have," she snickered, raising her glass to his.
"To understanding," Madara purred, his eyes locked on her emerald orbs that twinkled in the light of the fire.
"To understanding," she agreed, returning his burning gaze as they threw back the contents of their cups.
The liquid burned as it traveled down her throat, coating her stomach in a warm glaze. It was drier and thinner than anticipated, but had a sweet aftertaste, almost fruity and aromatic. Sakura wasn't one for drinking very often, never knowing if she'd be summoned in the middle of the night for some emergency situation, but she did enjoy the occasional alcoholic beverage. At least while she was here, she wouldn't have to worry about that happening, and could drink carefree.
Madara was a quiet person, but seemed pretty nonchalant most of the time, maybe enjoying a drink or two would offer her the same mellow outlook. She was comfortable being around him, it was the thought of her life back home that put her on edge. But like he said, she needn't think about those things, at least not today.
Watching as he flipped the basket in the fire over to finish cooking, her stomach began to rumble, growing more impatient as dinner was almost ready. The hunger quickly pulled her from the train of thought that was leading her down a track of realization. It was all his fault, really. It surprised her how effortless it was spending so much time with someone. It didn't feel like work and was ultimately a companionship, however unlikely, but one that was shaping up to be quite alluring.
"What about you?" Sakura asked, holding out her cup as Madara poured them another round.
"What about me?"
"Tell me something about yourself."
"That's a rather vague question. How do you even begin to answer something like that?"
"I don't know, surprise me. Tell me something that's not in all the textbooks."
"I'm in textbooks?" he questioned unbelievably, his eyes having grown wider.
"Of course, silly. Why wouldn't you be?"
"I don't suppose they are nice words, all things considered."
"They say the well behaved rarely make history," she skirted, not wanting to depress him with the truth. "It's mostly about your jutsus, techniques, and battle strategies. But, I want to know about you as a person, not as a shinobi."
"Being a shinobi is all I've ever known. It is a part of me as a person."
"Yes, but what else? I mean, what was your favorite thing to do as a child? Do you have a favorite past time or anything?"
"I was also a shinobi as a child. When you're thrust into battle at the age of six, you don't get much playtime."
"Six?" she coughed, almost choking on her drink.
"Yes. It was a different time. There were no villages to keep you safe. Only roaming clans, and all were at war with each other."
"I had barely started academy by that age," she reflected, her lips parted as she tried to put herself in his shoes.
"That was on purpose, you know. Children shouldn't have to fight wars. So when Konoha was founded, and the idea of a shinobi school was brought up, we made sure the little ones had time to be children."
"We? As in you and the First?"
"Yes. Although there were a handful of others that made decisions also, it was our dream to found a village where both our clans could finally live in peace."
"How did you guys manage to pull that off?"
"Now that is a long story," he smiled fondly, remembering his dear old friend.
As she sat and listened to Madara recall his days of youth, Sakura became enthralled by his tale. The way he described it, the array of emotions he went through while rehashing bits and pieces of his story, she couldn't help but be enamored by it all.
She considered herself very lucky to get such a first hand recollection of how her home village came to be. Sure, she had read details here and there in textbooks growing up, but to get a founder's backstory and perspective on one of his greatest achievements was priceless to her.
As they finished their meal, they continued to drink and share memories. Bellies full and mouths open, they talked for what seemed like hours.
Having long since moved to the comfort of the couch, they both sat on opposite ends, facing each other whilst reminiscing.
Swirling the fruity liquid around in the cup she held, Sakura felt her cheeks burn red. She could definitely feel the Sake coursing through her veins, enjoying the fading tension in her mind and body. It had, indeed, loosened her up, and she found herself becoming more brave with the man currently sitting across from her.
Instead of shying away from his watchful gaze, she returned it, often while letting her fingers graze his with every refill of her cup he was kind enough to pour for her. There was something churning in the air between them that evening, and Sakura found herself to be quite curious. The charming way he smirked at her while sipping at his Sake was pulling her ever towards him, as she hung on every word he spoke.
"What else?" she found herself saying, hoping to find out more about this mesmerizing man.
"Oh, I've talked enough about me," Madara chuckled, "I would like to know about you."
"What about me? I'm not that interesting of a person," she confessed, knowing she led a rather dull life in comparison.
"Well, I find you very interesting," his dark voice defended.
"Why?" Sakura chuckled, "All I do is work and sleep. Rinse and repeat."
"What about Sasuke?"
"What about him?" she sighed, her mood visibly changing at the mentioning of his name. "He's never around. I've seen him twice since the war ended. I wouldn't exactly call him part of my life."
"That's disappointing," Madara reflected, shaking his head in disbelief.
"You got that right. I've loved that man since I was a child. I've waited on him to return my feelings pretty much my entire life, and yet, we're to be wed soon... and I'm still waiting."
Punctuating her words by tossing back the entire contents of her cup, Sakura extended her hand for another refill. She couldn't believe she was even discussing this, but what did she have to lose? Perhaps this would allow her to get some things off her chest and make peace with the past. If someone like Uchiha Madara could do it, she should be no different.
"If you're not sure of his feelings, then why marriage?" Madara pried, pouring her another glass. "How do you know that he's the one?"
"I don't. But it's not like I have anything to compare it to," she huffed, biting her lip in embarrassment. "Like I said, I've just been waiting."
"Wait..." his deep voice interrupted, "So if you're still waiting on him to return your feelings, then you guys have never-"
"Nope..." Sakura added glumly, staring at the bottom of another empty glass. "Not a hug, not a peck on the cheek. Nothing. And that's exactly what I have to show for all my patience. Nothing. Meanwhile, I have to watch all my friends get married and settle down happily. They're talking about having children, for Kami's sake! Not only that, but going so far as to try and sync up their due dates so their children will be friends and attend academy together. Meanwhile, I'm just some virgin waiting on my absent fiancée to give me any sort of attention."
Grabbing the bottle of Sake, Sakura poured herself another generous serving, wanting to swallow it – and her words – as quickly as possible. She couldn't believe she just admitted all of that aloud, wanting to be swallowed up by the cave and not deal with such embarrassment. She was almost twenty, and had absolutely zero experience in the romance department.
How juvenile.
"See?" she pointed to the man who was still quietly watching her, "I told you I wasn't interesting."
"On the contrary, this makes you even more interesting to me."
"How do you figure that?" she deadpanned, leveling a glare in his direction.
"I find it interesting that a woman of your beauty and intellect would deny herself in hopes that one day some clueless idiot would magically give her exactly what she wants. How do you even know what you want if you've never experienced anything before?"
"What are you going on about, now?" Sakura accused, her eyes narrowing at his words.
"It's like saying your favorite food is something you've never even tried before. You keep building it up in your head, putting it above all other food, in hopes that one day you will have it, and it will be everything you've ever wanted and more. That it would have lived up to this impossible standard, and be well worth the wait. But, what if it isn't? What you fail to realize is that this is how people find out what they like, and what they don't like. The same could be said for anything in life. It's all trial and error."
"So you're saying I should just go out and "try" with a bunch of random people? Yeah, I'm sure that will make me happy."
"No. What I'm saying is, how can you judge if something is adequate, if there's no basis for your comparison?"
Although her head was slightly spinning, Sakura pondered over his words. Once again, Madara – and all his wisdom – provided valuable insight. The more she thought about it, the more his words rang true. Perhaps that is what bothered her so much.
She had no idea if Sasuke was the one for her, mainly because they've had little interaction over the years. It all came back to her and her own delusions. As if the looking glass had just shattered and fell around her feet, she was able to see reality as it truly was. For the first time, she knew her apprehension over the wedding was just a repressed fear of being completely ignorant when it came to the younger Uchiha.
She had no experience to bring to the table, whereas, he was well traveled and probably exceeded her limitations and level of expertise in all things physical or romantic. Who knew what he had been up to since he initially left the village. It terrified her that he would look upon her as some naïve juvenile the rest of her life, so she felt compelled to go off on her own adventure.
What else could she call what she was doing at this very moment?
Maybe Madara would be able to help her, after all.
"You're absolutely right," she breathed, setting her cup and the bottle of Sake down on the floor.
Crawling toward his side of the couch, Sakura kneeled in front of the man who raised a baffled brow at her. She could see he was still confused by her actions, but there was a playful glint in his eye that told her he might be willing to provide some assistance.
"Show me," she whispered, swallowing harshly under his intimidating gaze.
"Show you what, exactly?" he drawled with aching finesse, lowering his cup to the floor before returning his attention to her trembling lips.
"Show me what I've been missing all these years."
