Being a bastard had to be hereditary. At least in the male population of the Uchiha, Madara wasn't a bastard - well she was crazy, really crazy - but she was far from the norm, while most women kept their heads down, Madara's kept hers held high. Few seemed willing to challenge the aura of leadership she displayed in her every action.

Unfortunately, the one that did challenge her was a loud and obnoxious bastard among bastards.

"I cannot allow for you to parade this lesser ninja around town!" Sanosuke shouted, his face was red and growing redder as he continued to kick and scream like a child that had his toys taken away. It was subtle but the crowd was slowly taking sides, those that favored Sanosuke were mostly old men, Madara's was every woman and a host of young warriors in all she outnumbered him a great deal.

If she cared about any of this was known only to her. She held up an onion bouncing it on her palm a few times. "You will be cooking tonight, this onion is good can you make use of it?"

Yes, Sanosuke was shouting at her and the village looked ready for a civil war Madara was shopping for ramen ingredients. One that apparently he will be cooking tonight. It was his own fault really because he said her stew growled at him - it really did - and he kept talking about ramen.

"Uhh, I think we can have an onion slice with it if you want." It was normally in his ramen at Ichiruka but it wasn't the first or last thing he went for. She placed it into the brown sack that had seen better days on top of the noodles and other ingredients.

"Excellent, that is everything is it not?" She dusted her hands off as though to be rid of the task. "We shall drop this off and then you will-."

A sword fell between them so that he stared at his own reflection for a few moments. A silence that not even death would disturb followed, growing louder and more annoyed with each passing moment. He looked to Sanosuke who's face was one of pure rage, in contrast to the amused smile that he could see growing on Madara's. She was enjoying this way too much.

"Madara this has gone on far enough! I demand you surrender the role of leader or you take my hand in marriage!" Sanosuke growled. Whispers spread among the Uchiha, most in shock, but a few joined Sanosuke. Those that supported Madara were silent. "If you will not do either, then fight me for the right! I will decide which once I-"

A sharp laugh erupted from Madara, she clutched at her side with one hand resting on her sword hilt - he was starting to understand why she carried that with her -, the laugh was one of pure joy and amusement, and the smile that followed was the most joyful smile he'd ever seen an Uchiha make. Even if it was coated in a layer of bloodlust and pride so thick he could feel his blood coagulating in his veins.

The laughter died into the silence once more but the smile remained. "You make demands of me Sanosuke? You wish to control me? To control me simply because I am a woman you disagree with?" She stepped towards him, disturbing not a pebble, making not a sound. "Do not assume my respect for my sister as weakness, you do not control me, and you will never control the Uchiha. You cannot challenge me."

Her every word carried with it a dare, begging Sanosuke to try something, anything, he did not deliver.

"I see," Madara turned her smile - small, prideful, filled with mirth - towards him once more a single eyebrow raised. "Come now Naruto, there is much I to accomplish today."

All eyes were on him now, and all of Sanosuke's fury. The man's face was stuck in what he considered to be basic Uchiha emotion number three, pure unadulterated rage. His Sharingan was activated, every tomb promising a new and interesting death if he didn't watch his step. Why couldn't every Uchiha be the kind of Murder happy/crazy that Madara was?

Not that he swung that way.

"Uhh, I'm with uhh her." He made it about half a step before there was a sword at his throat once more, instead of a really hot lady at the end of it there was a bastard. He preferred his crazy to at least be mildly attractive.

"You don't belong here outside," Sanosuke's every breath was a growl, his steps dragged across the ground. "I will slay you for influencing our leader."

Wasn't he trying to influence their leader? Madara stood with her arms crossed, that damn mocking smile on her face. There was no way she was going to help him was there? "Uhh, Madara? What should I do?"

That smile twitched and she shook her head, her hair falling over her shoulder for just a moment. "Do as you wish, just make it quick."

Saw that coming.

"If I fight you will you go away?"

Judging by the sword sticking out of his stomach the answer was no. Felt like his uhh, what was the organ called again liver?

Pancrease.

Righ, that thing was cut. Man why that thing? Even after it healed his piss would still smell funny. And where was he aiming? Why not the heart? He was standing still, he could have gone for the throat or even the heart, something that would actually do damage. Maybe he was trying to prove a point. Wait, was the bastard monologuing right now?

Nope just glaring and smiling at him. Big surprise.

Oh wait, he was supposed to be fighting right? What was that tactic that Sakura liked to use? Overwhelming force and awe. Or something like that. In less than a breath, he gathered the Natural chakra and mixed it with Kurama's own strength.

And Rasengan'd Sanosuke into the dirt with a chakra arm.

The crowd was in shock, a few were even smiling now. But Madara's smile had vanished. Did he go too far? He pulled out the sword and left it next to the still breathing corpse of Sanosuke and left it there. "Look, I'm sorry, I didn't want to fight you."

Madara's gaze followed him like the frost of winter. When he was a step away she turned, maintaining the same one and a half step she favored, he was alright with it as well as it gave him just enough room to stare at her ass, hidden though it was beneath her clothes.

She was silent on their way back to her home, and her stance was aggressive.

"Umm," Her head snapped towards him, glare sharp. "I didn't upset you or anything did I?"

"You allowed yourself to be injured?" Her voice carried a barb he hadn't heard from her before, and she stopped moving. "Why? To prove a point? To make me laugh? To show how strong you are?"

"No, I didn't mean to let him stab me." He held up the groceries he was still holding. "I was still holding these."

She growled, and he saw the smallest flash of her steel. "When I said you were mine, I meant it. That means the only one that gets to stab you is me. Do you understand?"

"I'd prefer it if you didn't stab me." That seemed like a reasonable request, especially since they were in a relationship. Even if it was the weirdest relationship he'd ever been in, well it was also the only relationship he's been in, but he was fairly certain this wasn't normal.

Her smile returned and her hand was off her sword once more. "As would I, in the future you will refrain from injuring yourself unless I say otherwise."

That sounded more impossible than the fact that he was back in time and having sex - fantastic sex - with a smoking hot female Madara. So actually possible. "I haven't gone a day without getting hurt since I showed up here."

"Then you will learn."

XXXX

After the food had been dropped off, and a few clones were left to cook - a mistake as Madara ordered two more in order to clean her home - she led him away from the village, following the same path they had taken to the village.

"So, where are you taking me?" He asked, trying to read this woman was like pulling teeth, especially when she was this quiet, it was a lucky guess that he found out she was angry with him. Thankfully she was actually mature and didn't just pretend like everything was fine.

Wait how old was she? Should probably find that out soon, not that it mattered too much.

"You will have the answer once we get there, in the meantime silence." She didn't turn back to look at him, her gaze focused on the path ahead of them, her hands were still.

She led him through the wilderness, across the river, and up a cliff, not a single animal disturbed the silence that Madara desired, even the river seemed tame at her passing. It was on a cliff that overlooked a valley filled with trees and a large lake did they finally come to a stop. A lone tree with pink leaves dominated the cliff, standing in defiance to the elements that threatened to push it off.

At its base sat something he knew all too well, a grave. Etched into the stone was the name 'Izumi'

Madara kneeled before the grave and placed her head against the ground for a moment.

He shouldn't be here. This was a private matter. "I shouldn't be here."

Saying nothing might have been better.

"No," Madara's all but whispered, lifting her head up. "Stay, I desire your presence."

Biting his lip he kneeled down beside her, doing everything he could to show proper respect for someone he did not know.

"This is my sister Izumi, killed by Tobirama Senju in battle," Madara said softly, it took all he had not to reach out and try to hold her. "My father, Tajima was also killed by the Senju, many in my village have also been killed by the Senju. I will not lie and say that I did not hate them for the longest time. Then, one day, this tree appeared here, it had to be that fool Hashirama. Only he would think that a simple plant would make up for my sister's death."

"But it is because of this tree that I began to consider the peace that he desires. He showed respect to the dead even when he did not need to. What's to say he could not show respect to the living." She lowered her head once more and silence followed again.

The shadows grew long before she sat up once more. "Thank you for your company Naruto, it shames me to say this but it hurts less when you're around."

He stood, offering his hand to her; for once she took it. Her touch lingered, the roughness of her calloused hands burned into his mind. Who knew she had a soft side? Especially one that she was willing to show him. "You're welcome, but why did you bring me here?"

"So that you understand what Konoha demands of me. It demands that we Uchiha change and lift the curse that plagues us." Her smile appeared once more, "At least for a few generations."

"What about you? Do you still have hatred?" He asked, she drew close, pulling his arms around her for a moment. He was hugging Madara.

"Make no mistake, I'd go on a murderous rampage if they killed you, but you might be able to lift my curse."

Dammit! Why the hell was she so sexy, cute, adorable, into him, and drop-dead gorgeous, but also really crazy?

AN: say it with me now, D'awwwww

Anyways, fair warning NaNoWriMo is coming up soon and I'd like to try working on an original fiction... which means I'll try that for like a week give up and write fanfiction nonstop for the rest of the month.