"Madara." She called to him from the bed.

He turned from the window," Hum?"

"Tell me how you lived so long, before, was it purely due to your naturally strong life force?" She asked.

Madara sighed, "No, not entirely." He walked over and sat on the end of her bed.

"After I was killed in the Valley of the End by Hashirama, my body was hidden so that it could not be used against my clan or taken for profit. I have always been a planner, I leave nothing to chance. In the event of my death, I scheduled an Izanagi to activate, changing reality. Like everything, it came at a price." He explained.

"What was the price?" She couldn't help but ask, it was forward but Madara had always been clouded in mystery, so few people of her time knew anything about him, even the Uchiha, Sasuke had admitted as much to her.

"My right eye's vision. I left a copy in place of my real body and went into hiding. I had taken some of Hashirama's flesh with me when I had been defeated at the Valley of the End and hidden it in my body. Toward the end of my natural life which was decades later, the cells took effect and activated my Rinnegan, returning sight to my right eye."

"But how did you live long enough to give your Rinnegan to Nagato, you must have been very old by then." She was confused by the timeline and he didn't seem to mind her asking, which surprised her a little.

"It was at the end of my life, I could feel my life force waning. Nagato was an Uzumaki, they too have a strong life force, strong chakra, he was a perfect vessel for my Rennigan. I was." He paused. "A different person then, I was under the influence of the curse." He sighed.

Sakura sat up in bed and took his hand. "I know the man you were then is not the man you are now, here in this time. Neither of us is the same as we were." She knew he felt guilty, could tell it weighed heavily on his mind.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, I just wanted to understand, to know you, what you were and well, I guess, who you are now?" She smiled a little shyly at him. "It isn't every day you get to ask a legendary shinobi of history what really happened or why they did what they did." She shrugged but kept smiling at him.

"I am flattered you wish to learn more about me Sakura." He said sincerely stroking her hand.

Sakura blushed, "Who wouldn't want to know more about the great Madara Uchiha?"

"Not everyone thinks of the word Great when they hear my name, most think I am a monster." He said quietly.

"You were consumed, by love and loss, but you were not a monster." She moved closer to him to take his other hand in hers. "You were trying to protect your clan because you loved them, you thought the only way to do that was to have power, you were perhaps, um, a bit obsessed, but you weren't a monster Madara."

He looked at her sitting there so close, a look of sincerity, of what was it...forgiveness? "How can you say such things, I am the reason all of your loved ones are dead. It is my fault, my lust for power, my foolishness, that took everything from you, how can you sit there and act like you forgive me?" He didn't understand her.

"I do forgive you. I didn't think I could. I didn't want to but, I see now, I think I understand and if I can understand, I can forgive right?" She smiled.

"You are a very strange kunoichi. Your heart, you wear it so boldly out in the open, it is very unusual." He said watching her face.

She huffed a bit and started to pull her hands away. A defiant look growing in her eyes.

"I didn't mean it was a bad thing, only an unusual trait for a kunoichi as strong as you, it is...admirable." He said caressing her hands with his thumbs.

"It is what I find most attractive about you, your kindness, your willingness to love." He raised one of his hands to her cheek and watched her eyes as they widened. "Love is most precious above all things to the Uchiha. I am no different, just as you said." He leaned forward and brushed his lips against hers.

"Madara, I." She started to say but stopped.

"I know." He kissed her one more time and withdrew his hand from her cheek taking her hand in his again, squeezing both of her hands with both of his. "We have things to do."

She tucked a stray wisp of hair behind her ear and nodded.

"Get some sleep love, I will leave in the morning to see if I can find Nagato and you need to see if the Hokage has come to a decision about the remaining Akatsuki members and what he wants to do about them." He tucked the covers around her and kissed her forehead. "I'm going to get some air, I'll be back." he looked down at her as he rose from the bed.

"Thank you, Sakura."

"For what?" She asked him.

"For not hating me for wanting to get to know me, the real me." Madara smiled and leaped to her bedroom window doing the hand signs for several different protection seals. He watched as they settled over her small apartment and then jumped to the neighboring rooftop and beyond till he reached the forest.

Madara stood on a tall tree looking out over the Uchiha district that bordered the forest close to her apartment. Was he making the same mistakes all over again? No, he said to himself, it is not for hate this time, it is for love. Did he not do what he did out of the love he had for his younger brother? He struggled with his thoughts as the wind blew the tree back and forth.

She doesn't know the cost of her affections, he knew. Would it change the way she felt about him, does he even know how he felt about her? He had never been in love before, the love for clan for family is a different kind of love than that of a wife, a woman. Wife. Could he have that, could he be happy here, now, with her? At what cost though, she wouldn't want that.

No, he told himself, he couldn't do it. If she knew the cost, if she knew the truth, it would change everything. He had hurt her too much already, he had taken from her everyone she knew and loved, would he do it again, could he be that selfish? No. Madara shook his head and made his way back to Sakura's apartment. He undid the seals and jumped through her bedroom window without a sound. Resealing the apartment he left her room to lay on the couch in the living room. He not only felt hungry again but also tiring. He would find another way. What if he could find a way to unseal his chakra from her seal the Rabbit gave her. Would his life force return to him? He closed his eyes and willed himself to sleep.

He had been dreaming of his brother and of Hashirama. They had been by the river and Izuna had brought their father. His father had lunged at Hashirama with the intent to kill. Blood exploded like flowers in the river. He woke to screaming. "Sakura!"

Madara raced into her bedroom and to her bed where she was twisting and turning in her sleep. "Sasuke! Naruto! Noo!" She screamed.

"Sakura! Love! Wake up, it's only a dream." He shook her, he held her to him, he patted her, he tried to restrain her arms that were flailing about.

Her breath came quick and uneven, she choked herself awake tears streaming down her pale face. "Madara?" She threw her arms around him, "Madara!"

She clung to him sobbing. "They are all dead. My boys, my loved ones, all dead."

He felt terrible. This is why he reminded himself. This is why I don't deserve her, I don't deserve to be happy. He held her in his arms and soothed her tears till she fell back asleep.

He rubbed his hands over his face as he lay back on the couch in the living room. He needed to focus, they had a job to do, he had promised to help her, he owed her.

Knock Knock Knock

"Sakura." Madara pet her on the head. "Someone is at your doors. I'm going to go now. I'll let you know if I find anything." He kissed her on the head and jumped out of her bedroom window.

Knock Knock Knock

"Coming!' She yelled as she smiled to herself. She stood for a moment feeling his chakra signature disappear from her apartment and the surrounding area.

Sakura opened her front door and was caught up in the biggest bear hug ever. "Na, Naruto?" She asked as she was enveloped in orange and black.

"Sakura!" He yelled in her ear making her wince. "I'm home!"

"Stop hugging her so tightly, you're going to squeeze the life out of her idiot," Sasuke said from behind Naruto.

"Sorry Sakura, it's just so good to see you, I missed you so much!" He smiled at her grin as big as she had remembered.

"Naruto, I missed you so much too!" She stepped aside to let them in.

"Shisui and Itachi will be coming soon too, Mom sent them to pick up some more groceries now that Naruto is back," Sasuke told her plopping down on her couch and putting his feet on her coffee table.

"Wow, Sakura, your place looks really nice. Where did you get all the cool furniture and decorations?"

"Sasuke's parents gave them to me, Shisui and Itachi helped set it up." She smiled, she liked her new place.

"So Naruto, how have you been, tell me all about your training with the legendary Sannin?" She sat down beside Sasuke on the couch.

"I learned a new Jutsu it's called the Rasengan! It is a ball of chakra that spins and I can push it through people and make them explode!" He grinned at her.

"That's great." She smiled.

"You don't seem impressed Sakura." He whined.

"I'm sorry, I just woke up, tell me, where did you go, did you meet anyone interesting?" She asked him.

"We met the other legendary Sannin Tsunade! In a bar! She is really short tempered but she gave me this." He pointed to a necklace around his neck. "It was the First Hokage's!" He said proudly.

She made sure to be much more enthusiastic this time, "Wow! Amazing!" She almost yelled and Sasuke stifled a laugh at her facial expression.

Knock Knock

Sakura went to open the door.

"Hey, flower." Shisui and Itachi walked in carrying a few bags of groceries and a bo staff.

"Hey nice staff, can I see it?" She asked Shisui.

"It's for you, from our Dad," Itachi told her. "For your new apartment. You get a weapon to protect the house when you first move out of your parent's since your parents are civilians my dad said we needed to do it."

"Wow! I'll thank him in person, but tell him I said thank you." She took the staff from Shisui and ran her hand down the length of it. Her apartment was too small but she would be going to the training grounds later today for sure to try it out. She had never used one before and wondered if Madara would show her.

"I can show you some basics later if you like Sakura." Itachi offered.

"Oh um, maybe." She smiled at him.

Itachi paused, he wasn't sure what to say, she had always jumped on the chance to be trained with a new weapon. He was surprised she didn't want to leave right now and go try it out.

Sasuke and Shisui gave her an odd look too. They had noticed too.

Naruto was rifling through the grocery bags, "Hey ramen!"

"Help yourself Naruto." She smiled at her friend, it was good to have him home.

Madara crossed over the border between Fire and Rain shortly after midday. He was making good time. He walked through the village after crossing the large lake that surrounded it. What a dreary place, it rained constantly. He knew from Obito that the Akatsuki used to have their base here. He followed the main road in a henge and looked up at the tallest tower. Pein's tower. He jumped from the ground to the first story then second, fourth and so on till he reached the top.

"You are either very powerful or very foolish to enter here." A deep voice greeted him from the shadows.

"Care to find out?" Madara asked casually a smirk on his face as he looked at Yahiko, one of Nagato's Pains.

"Who are you?" Pein asked.

"I am no one, but I am looking for someone. Tobi, is he here?"

"Tobi is no longer one of our associates, he left with another associate years ago, Orochimaru. What do you want with him?" Pein asked suspiciously.

"To save him. I owe him a debt." Madara said truthfully.

"A debt. An interesting choice of words for someone who will not show their face." Pein said raising his hand. "Universal pull!"

Madara sent chakra to his feet and legs, his body leaned but did not move forward.

"So, powerful, not foolish. What village are you from, surely you are a nin, are you a missing nin?" Pein asked Madara.

"I have no desire to join the Akatsuki. I mean you no harm but I warn you, your attempts to seal away the Jinchuriki will fail, everything you love, that you have left, will be lost." Madara turned to go but was stopped by Pein.

"Wait, how do you know what we want? Who are you?" Pein asked him.

"I am a friend. I owe you a debt as well as Tobi. I know you will not listen but I have told you what will come to pass, my debt is repaid." Madara jumped to the window and down so fast Pein wouldn't have seen it if he hadn't been watching him so carefully.

"Powerful," Pein said to the woman standing in the shadows to his left.

"What will you do?" She inquired.

"I will think about it." He replied.

Madara knew who Orochimaru was. He had heard of him during the fourth great shinobi war, had seen him on the battle field. Sakura had told him many unsavory disgusting things about the man. He knew Sakura wanted the man dead, he knew from watching him for a short time on the battle field she was no match for the man. He would do it. He would kill Orochimaru and try to save Obito.

First, he would let Sakura know that Obito was alive. He had promised her he would let her know if he found anything out. He set down in a small clearing once he had reached the Fire country again. Biting his thumb he called forth his summons. "Tell the pink hair of Konoha that I have found what we were looking for and am going to engage him in conversation. I will return to her in no less than 3 days' time."

The hawk nodded and Madara threw his arm into the air and watched him fly toward Konoha. He smiled as he resumed his course. It was nice to have someone to tell where he was going and when he would be back. It was nice to have someone to come back to. He frowned as he ran, no, that was bad. He couldn't help but feel the smallest twinge of guilt as he smiled again. She had been so beautiful this morning, asleep and warm in her bed. He had kissed her on the forehead but had wanted to crawl into bed with her and kiss her on her lips.

Madara let out a sigh as he made his way toward Sound, where Orochimaru was said to be.

Naruto had eaten almost all of the instant ramen Shisui and Itachi had brought with them and half of the popcorn she had just set out. Sasuke and Shisui had filled Naruto in on what he had missed while they were gone including what Sakura had told them. Oddly enough he wasn't as surprised to hear she was sent back in time from the future like the rest of them had been. He said it made sense. She had always known things no one else did, was always better at everything and she had always been nice to him.

Sakura smiled as she watched her old friend shove handful after handful of popcorn in his mouth. They were watching a movie together. Shisui and Itachi had left to go help Mikoto with something but Sasuke and Naruto had stayed to hang out and catch up with one another. Naruto was sprawled out on the rug in front of the TV and Sasuke was on the couch with her still.

All three of their heads turned to look at the window, there was a soft tap tap tap coming from her sliding glass door. Sakura got up and opened the door and a hawk flew in. A beautiful hawk the size of a large dog with golden feathers and silver eyes. "Sakura, the pink hair of Konoha, Madara says he found what he was looking for and is going to engage him in conversation. He will return to you in no less than 3 days' time"

"Thank you. Could you please tell Madara to be careful and I will be here when he gets back if I have not been sent out on a mission." She told the hawk with a pet on the head. He bowed to her and flew back out the window.

"He sent you a summons?" Sasuke asked after the hawk had left. "How is that possible, I thought he couldn't touch or grasp anything, like he was a ghost?"

"Things have changed, I don't know how but he can move more freely now and has a physical form." She told them.

"That part is incredible, a founder of Konoha your friend. He must have some really cool stories." Naruto was excited.

"He does. It is nice to hear how Konoha was from the original source. He told me how the civilians complained about the nin running across rooftops once." She laughed.

"But they're nin, they don't make any noise!" Naruto protested.

"That's what I said!" they laughed together.

"So, he lives here with you then?" Sasuke asked her.

"I guess. I think he slept on the couch last night. He isn't here all the time, as you can see." She said slowly. She hadn't given it much thought. He had always come and gone as he pleased, it didn't seem a lot different now than before.

"He eats now and sleeps, that is different." She told her friends.

"I think it is way cool, I can't wait to meet him!" Naruto smiled happily.

"You two might get along really well. You have Asura's spirit just like he has Indra's, like Hashirama, had Asura's spirit, and they were best friends. Like you and Sasuke."

"How can we both have Indra's spirit though?" Sasuke asked.

"Oh, I never thought of that. Kaguya knew when she was sending me, she knew you and Naruto would be here, that's why she did it. She told me to watch over you, to be the love that binds you." Sakura said looking from one of her boys to the other.

"And you have Sakura." Naruto smiled at her taking her hand.

"You have, I only wonder, where does that leave Madara, can we both exist here?" He asked.

"I have his chakra sealed in the diamond at the back of my neck, maybe that is how you can both be here at the same time." She guessed. "I'm not sure."

"Maybe you should ask Madara, maybe he knows," Naruto suggested.

"Yeah, that's a good idea, I'll ask him when he gets home." She smiled at Naruto.

Sasuke sat back down on the couch and patted the seat next to him for her to join him. She lowered herself back onto the couch thinking. He had said that he could have a physical form but it came at a cost and the cost was not for him to pay but her. He had a physical form now. Had she paid the cost?

Sasuke taped her leg and tilted his head in inquiry. "It's nothing, just thinking." She smiled at him.

"It looks like it is something serious, want to tell me?" He asked.

She shook her head," It's nothing, just something Madara said when I asked him if he could ever return to the world as more than a ghost."

"What did he say?"

"He said he could but it would come at a cost and I was the one who would pay it." She told him.

"Do you know what it is, what you have to do?" He asked her.

"No, and he didn't tell me, I don't know if he knows."

"Ask him when he gets back, like Naruto said, he might know." Sasuke tried to be optimistic for her sake but it sounded ominous.

"Yeah, you're right. I'm worrying about nothing." She smiled and turned back to the movie.

Sasuke watched her for a few more minutes. She was worried, he could tell. He was worried. Madara wasn't a threat before, he couldn't touch her, he couldn't do anything but talk to her, but now...by her own admission, he could talk and touch...and attack.

"Sakura." Sasuke said carefully, "Maybe he should move out, maybe it isn't a good idea for him to live here with you, now that he is, a man again."

"Don't be silly, we are good friends, he wouldn't hurt me. He cares about me, he warned me about Gaara's Shukaku." She pointed out.

"True." Sasuke decides to drop it for now.