Chapter 2

The sun would just be starting to shine over the horizon warming the waking planet with its rays. Some found this time a good one for training, Madara being one such person. He would be practicing in a self made training area a decent distance from his home. A slight pant paired with dampened skin goes to show he had been here already for a while not that he needed it, he was strong, but even so that was no excuse to allow himself to get sloppy. Deciding it time for a break he would sit on a nearby fallen tree pulling out some water and taking a drink while thinking. Long ago he would have company for this routine but now it was just him, oh how he missed that company. Before he could get too melancholy Madara decided to pack up loose shuriken on the ground and start to head back and get ready for the rest of the day.

Now emerging from a quick shower and getting dressed Madara would go through the provisions he had left. He appeared to be low on food, and since he was not exactly welcome in any village this meant he would have to go hunt later on. Confident this would not prove too much an issue he would not be worried. Just as he was getting ready to turn around though a bag of food was dropped in front of him, as to who had dropped it he was now looking at the culprit eyebrow raised.

"I saw you were running out of food last night so i thought i would pick this up for you." Akari said answering the unspoken question before adding a bit nervously, "I hope that alright".

"It is fine you saved me the trouble of hunting later, as well as gave me more variety than i would get from doing so," Madara stated looking over what was brought. He would begin putting the items away Akari moving to help him with the task.

"Sorry for disturbing you last night Madara-san, I was just upset by something earlier that night but shouldn't have bugged you."

"By what?"

"Hm?"

"What upset you?"

"Oh, nothing you should be bothered by, just ran into an old friend… and it didn't exactly turn out happy times is all"

"You sure this will not cause problems later?" Madara asks suspiciously, Akari seemed tense.

"It shouldn't, I do not plan on seeing them again anyways." she would reply to him a slight pitch of her voice seeming abnormal.

Madara did not believe her, not entirely, but it was her business not his, until it affected him anyways. They silently finished the task Madara then pulling out and old book and looking through it as Akari went to a corner of the room pulling out a knife and piece of food starting to whittle it a bit both a pastime and way to calm herself. This went on a few hours before Akari abruptly stood catching Madara's attention momentarily.

"Well it is dinner time, I think I will go cook for the both of us." She said in a noticeably happier mood.

Wait, dinner time? Madara looked over to a clock, forced into his home a few weeks ago by none other than Akari herself, and sure enough it was. How he lost track of time this badly he did not know but nevertheless he found a thin cut piece of fabric he decided to use as a bookmark and put his book away going to watch the woman as she was preparing their meal. By the ingredients she appeared to be preparing a stew, it had been a while since he had one he typically setting for just cooking whatever he had till edible nothing more nothing less.

"Why are you cooking for me, and why didn't you alert me to how late it had gotten sooner?" he decided to ask.

"I felt like it and you seemed to be really into whatever you were reading" she stated not losing focus from her own set task of preparing the stew, "You do not have to watch me you can go back to your book, not like I am going to poison you or anything, " she adds with a slight giggle.

In fact he knew she wouldn't she was just acting curiously for him, the scene as well amused him a bit she looked like a wife cooking for her husband. However considering she brought it up, even if jokingly, she probably did not like him watching her as such and so he did go back to his book until she called him over for a bowl. The meal went by fairly quiet and peaceful until.

"Hey Madara-san."

"Hm?"

"So I heard of a festival taking place in Konoha later tonight."

"Your point?"

"I was was wondering if you…," her cheeks would start to get a red tint and she would twirl a strand of her hair as she tries to get out her words, "if you would go with me maybe?"

"You do understand I am not exactly welcome there."

"So we could disguise you or you could even use transformation, pretty please." Akari begs.

Madara would take a moment to study her, she seemed nervous but determined at the same time and so with a sigh he finishes his food then stand and performs a few hand seals. A cloud of smoke appears and just as quickly dissipates to reveal a child version of Madara in a dark yet still festive kimono looking at Akari with arms crossed. Akari of course was looking at him in shock. To her he looked adorable, she does love kids, so it was taking all her willpower not to rush over and squeeze him in a hug. Although Madara was getting slightly irritated by the staring and decided to break the newly found silence.

"Shall we get going if we go now it should be started when we get there." he says in a less deep and more childlike voice than Akari had ever heard come from him. Nodding quickly she would rush to put on her own kimono which she had apparently brought with her at some point. 'Wonder how long she has been planning this' madara thought to himself heading to stand outside the front door to wait on her. The wait was not too long, she emerged in her kimono, dark with a floral pattern, as well as her hair pulled up in a bun with a hairstick matching her kimono used to hold it in place, he had to admit it looked quite lovely on her but he would nonetheless turn and start heading to the village.

"H-hey wait," she'd say with a bit of a pout though it was no effort to catch up to him in this moment.

"If we wait we may miss something, i assumed you wanted to be there to see everything did you not?"

"Well it'd be nice but I am happy to well, to just spend the night and have fun with you."

Madara would quirk an eyebrow to this but let it slide, he honestly doubted he would have a good time. The last time he had been to a festival and had fun his brother had been there with him, his brother who is now sadly dead due to a battle with the Senju long ago. That said he also knew it would not hurt him to leave his base, not to mention since it was in Konoha he could perhaps get intel on the Kyuubi's jinjuriki, and if he didn't come Akari would be pouting for a while to come and this was easier.

An excited squeal breaks these thought and he looks up to see they had made it and the festival has indeed just started. The chatter was near unbearable already with the different conversations going making it impossible to get decent intel.

"The festival is grand this year!"

"I think I ate to much."

"Mat did you hear about the game?"

"Blame you know who..."

"M-Madara-san?" He was startled at just hearing Akari's voice cut through the crowds. "Madara-san are you ok?"

"Yes, I was just a tad overwhelmed by everything, I have not been to a festival in awhile," he says to reassure her, "I am fine now, also its best you not use my name while we are here."

"Well what should I call you?"

"I do not know, maybe Takashi or something?"

"Alright, Takashi-kun," she says with a slight giggle, "Well what would you like to do first?"

"Again, I do not know maybe the kingyo sukui?"

"I do not trust the goldfish to live too long with you watching over it but ok." she responds with a giggle grabbing his wrist and pulling him towards it.

"I do take offense to that" Madara responds with but allows her to pull him, it looked more natural that way like a parent or older sister meaning less people are likely to get suspicious. Oh he hoped to have this festival over quickly, especially cause it took him an embarrassingly long time to actually get a goldfish. The one he did get was Black in coloring with a rose colored patch on its head, but since Akari was cooing over it he decided to give it to her as they walked. "You said it won't live long with me anyways so there." he says simply.

They stayed at the festival for a few hours which, to the surprise of Madara, he did wind up enjoying. They played games together, bought matching kitsune masks from a mask stand, and overall just enjoyed themselves. Only one woman had stopped them and was was simply to ask how they were related to which Akari had pulled him into a tight hug and said they were siblings. Madara was disappoint however when the hug was broke off not that he would ever admit it but now they were heading inside his base laughing of all things. Madara would be quick to undo the transformation, him now back to normal in his plain black kimono he had had on prior during the day, although opposed to his normally emotionless face he would be smiling and look rather at ease in this moment his eyes back on Akari taking in her view now again and starting to appreciate it.

"I guess I should get going now and leave you at your own thing now," she says stepping back slightly not used to having his attention like this, "Besides i need to get Rosie the fish in a proper tank."

"Or you could stay for the night," Madara would say in a tone of voice Akari had never heard before, "It is quite late at the moment."

"I do not want to bother you Madara-san"

"It is no bother to me." Madara would say stepping closer to her and leaning in laying a soft kiss on her cheek. "You allowed me to actually have an enjoyable time tonight, this is the least I can do."