Alright, so…Apparently, the medicine stuff got its own chapter anyways. Well then.

In my defense, Madara starts talking, and just won't shut the fuck up. Says a lot about me, and my writing style, doesn't it?

Knowledge, Herbs, and Fondness

"I know of the different parts of the body," Ma-kun started, after a few moments of consideration.

"Oh…?" came Asa Uchiha's mild reply.

"For example, the head," he starts, "has the eyes, nose, lips, chin, cheeks, forehead, ears, teeth, tongue..." As he lists these parts, he points to each and every one. "And all these have even more compl'cated parts to them. Each is has a unique make-up."

The old woman nods, taking a drink of her tea. The young man goes on.

"There are many different systems of our body. For example, our chakra systems run parallel to our circ-u-la-tory system, which holds our blood. The main point of our chakra systems is our hara, which sits within our stomachs, and helps create and fuel chakra throughout our chakra points. However, the main organ for the circulatory system is our heart, and the second-most import'nt part is the brain.

The heart is a fascinating thing, you know. It has four chambers, with one a-tri-um and vent-ri-cle for each function. The left atrium receives the oxy-gen-ated blood from the lungs, then passes through the left ventricle to be pumped to different organs of the body. Oxygen, nu-tri-ents, hormones, and plasma are carried through the blood, helping nourishing our bodies and fight diseases.

Hmmm…And oxygen is taken in through our mouths, of course. From the mouth, to the pharynx and tra-ch-ea in our throats, down to our lungs. The actual process of in-ha-lation starts from the diaphragm, though— a muscle in our abdomens. It contracts, our ribcage expands, creates pressure in our chest, like a pump. Air goes in to our lungs, then air goes out.

Ah, and the brain is over-all a very important part of our body. The ruler of our nervous system, helping send signals from it to different sections of our body. It has mult'ple areas to it: like the hi-ppo-campus to store memories, the amyg-da-la that fuels fear, the ce-re-bellum for our balance, and the frontal lobe for our con-scious thought and functions. Our brain is the reason we feel pain, form thoughts, move our limbs, can see and process, have memories, etcetera.

The heart may fuel our body, and the lungs pump oxygen to help, but the brain is what makes all living beings live, rather than useless bags of flesh."

The reincarnated soul finally takes a few deep breaths. That long stream of word-barf winded him, as well as how tricky some of those words were to pronounce, in the mouth of a three-year-old body. He idly picked up his tea, and took some sips, to combat the dryness of his parched throat.

The old woman stares at him. She'd set down her cup at the start of his long-winded explanation; if she'd still been holding it, when he finished, there's a good chance she would have dropped it.

"You…You've given your own titles to the Blood, Breath, and Thought Paths?" she asks, voice faint. "And you have innate knowledge of their major functions, including what creates the vital organs?"

Ma-kun pauses. Then curses internally, when he sees his mistake.

He's forgotten that in these times, they don't actually have scientific names for the systems of the body. Nor do they really know much of how these systems works, other than the fact that the heart pumps blood, the lungs help you breath, and the brain is very important.

He'd just started talking, and couldn't help but keep babbling on and on. His inner nerd and respect for teachers simply fueled him to show how much on the subject he know.

…Whoops.

"Uh…" he trails off, cringing slightly. "Maaaaybe?"

The room is silent for a good minute. Ma-kun tries not to squirm in discomfort, as he stares down at his tea.

"Child."

The reincarnated soul looks up, hesitantly meeting Asa's eyes. They almost seem to shine.

The old woman reaches out, clamping a hand on each of his shoulders. She leans forwards, over the table, to stare at him. The look on her face is akin to someone witnessing a miracle before her very eyes.

"Tell me more."

It swiftly becomes a daily ordeal. During the lessons, Asa teaches the young lad about different poisons and herbs for the first half. The second half is reserved solely for Ma-kun to explain how the remedies would work.

Usually, the boy goes off on tangents. He will go from how the remedies functioned, to how certain parts of the body function. When pressed, he will go in-depth in his explanations.

"I see. And how would this poison travel through the blood, Ma-kun?"

"Ah. Well, it really depends on where it is in-jec-ted," the lad starts, looking above in contemplation. "If int-ro-duced using a blade, and if it hits certain points…Well, it all depends on luck, and—"

"How would it travel, if started from the beginning? For the sake of clarity," the old woman carefully interjects. If she lets him, he will babble, using terms that he does not explain, and Asa will never understand his brilliant trail of thought.

The boy flushes, sheepishly raising a soft hand to scratch at a rosy cheek. "I…Yes, of course, Asa-obaa-sama. May I…?"

The boy gestures to the scroll and calligraphy set that sit innocently on the table. With a knowing grin, the old woman nods, approving him to use the tools.

Ma-kun slides the materials towards himself, carefully setting his tea aside. He flicks open the scroll with a practiced movement of his wrist, dips a small brush within the prepared inkwell, and begins the process of drawing a diagram, to supplement his explanation.

"Well, I'm not the most certain of how it would look. But I b'lieve the easiest comp-a-ri-son is to think of it in a form of a tree, with branches and twigs," he starts, a sea of lines blooming upon the stark, blank surface. A tree does, in fact, seem to appear under the young one's brush.

"Blood goes through the circulatory system. The first stop is the a-or-ta—a massive and thick-walled ar-ter-y. It is essentially the trunk of the tree. The aorta arches and branches into the major arteries. They are the thick, supportin' branches—or, a large stream— within the system."

The young one carefully writes off the odd terms in careful hiragana. His penmanship is still shaky and sloppy, of that of a child, ink dripping and splotching, lines arching too deep or too thin.

She is not proud to say, but Asa Uchiha will often have a lapse in judgment, when it comes to the boy. She can forget that Madara Uchiha is still, in fact, a three-year-old child. The way he speaks and acts is more of that of adult—if not, an elder.

"Arteries branch into art-e-ri-oles—think of them as regular branches—before they become cap-i-llar-ies. Sticks. Capillaries become veins— the twigs of the tree. The veins are the finest part of the circulatory system. Like the cracks to glass, or the web of a spider, they are the farthest-reaching of the network."

The lad sets down his brush. Then he lays his hand on the table, upwards, in front of the old crone. "Those blue webs that show b'neath our skin, seen most prom'nently in our wrists? Those are veins. Since they're easy to see and feel, they are the best points to draw blood from."

To humor him, the old woman lays down her weathered, wrinkled hand, besides his upon the table. Her own veins show much more starkly than the young lad's—they arch up, amongst her wrinkles, bulging.

"Do you know why they are much prominent in my hand than that of yours, Ma-kun?" she asks, merely on a whim.

She should not be surprised that he has an answer for her. Yet, she is still bemused and impressed, when the child instantly responds.

"There is a thicker layer of tissue under the skin in children, making it of'en di-ffi-cult to see their veins. Our skin also becomes thinner, with age. The amount of me-la-nin in our skin is also a fac-tor, since it controls the pigment—color—of our skin."

Asa Uchiha cannot help but consider Madara a reincarnation of a medicine God. It is the only explanation she has, for the sheer amount of knowledge the boy holds.

Many of the things the boy speaks of, are not held in any medical texts. The old crone should know; she has read all those that are present within the compound, and has even written a few of them with her own hands.

No doubt, Madara will become a great medic-nin and healer. If he was not Tajima's heir, Asa would snatch the boy up and spirit him away, so that he may focus on such studies.

Ma-kun finds that it's surprisingly enjoyable, to talk and spend time with Asa Uchiha. The hour he spends with the old woman is the most enjoyable part of his days.

Asa Uchiha is one of the few people in the Uchiha Clan that he can show his true self. She doesn't judge him. She just lets him talk.

Of course, most of what he talks about are his musings over medicine, since that's what the lessons are about. It's actually pretty fun. He gets a lot of reactions from her, every time he reveals something new.

He's being very blatant in his knowledge, he knows. But he can't exactly find it in himself to care. Medicine is something he needs in this blood-soaked world, and she's always willing to listen.

It's ironic, that the reincarnated young man has never actually practiced medicine, in his last life. Most of what he knows is from self-study or science classes from public school. He's never had the time or money to become a doctor, like his parents always wanted from him, despite his mild interest in the subjects.

He's grateful for the break his lessons with the midwife, in his stupidly, painfully full schedule he has. He enjoys spending time with the elder. But…

But he still misses seeing Fumiko and Byakuya.

Three weeks have passed, since the start of the lessons the medicine woman has bestowed upon Madara.

He is ridiculously advanced. He speaks of methods and medicines that she has never heard of. Most likely, they have not even been invented, at this time.

Madara Uchiha's ideas when it comes to healing are revolutionary. The crone can feel this deep within her bones, a conviction that will no doubt be known to all, in due time.

Why, often, Asa feels as if the lessons are more for her own benefit. That she is the student, and Ma-kun is the teacher. His innate understanding of the human body has helped her in diagnosing and healing her clansmen much more efficiently.

The boy is getting distracted, however, as the days go by. He is always ready to thank Momo-chan for the tea, is patient and very invested in Asa's lessons. He appears to have full clarity about himself, yet when he begins to ramble…His eyes are unfocused, he pauses in longer intervals, and more oft than not, the subject diverts to babes and pregnancies.

It would not take a genius to find what is his preoccupation.

"What do you know of ginger, Ma-kun?" she asks, setting down a small, wrapped bundle of the root in the middle of the table.

"It's…a root? And also a food," the boy starts, a pout of confusion upon his chubby cheeks. "It can be made into a tea, and in-cor-por-ated in other dishes."

"That is all true," she hums. "However, ginger is an herb that can also help in relieving nausea and vomiting. It may reduce inflammation, and rouse digestion, as well."

The boy tilts his head to the side slightly, like a small dog. "What are the risks?"

"You believe there are risks?" Asa asks, one of her brows rising.

"There are risks to everything, Asa-obaa-sama. Even a healthy herb, if taken in large enough doses, could be lethal," Ma-kun refutes, giving a shrug of his thin shoulders.

How wise of him to realize this. "Large amounts of ginger may effect the circulation of blood," the old crone confirms, a smile twitching upon her lips.

"So, it can cause blood thinning. It may not be good for women to have large doses, as it could irritate their men-stru-al cycles," the boy muses, looking into the depths of his tea. "Hmmm, and it may cause abdominal dis-com-fort, would it not? Too much fiber from the root would effect digestion, makin' going to the bathroom become loose and painful."

"All valid points. In fact, I did not consider the consequence of such bodily functions. I suppose it is logical, to consider an herb that is useful for digestion have an averse effect," the old crone chuckled, at the boy sheepishly rubbing his neck.

"Ah…What other herbs would you like to teach me, Asa-obaa-sama?" the boy asked, in lieu of speaking more on the subject.

"Dandelion leaf and root are bitter, but are nutritive. They do well for hormones, liver health, and digestion. Parsley helps in menstruation. Cinnamon improves circulation, and reduces menstrual bleeding," the midwife goes on, tapping a finger idly against her tea cup.

"Yes, but can't Parsley also cause mis-carr-iage, if large doses are consumed? And too much Cinnamon is toxic to the liver, as well," the child babbles, before pausing. He squints at the old woman, making the edge of her lips curl upwards.

"Asa-obaa-sama," he starts, voice deadly serious. "I feel that there is a distinct pattern to these herbal remedies."

"There is," the old crone replies, a twinkle in her eyes. "I feel that you are mature enough to help me in my midwife duties, Ma-kun. Thus, the overview of herbal remedies that do well for pregnancies."

Tajima's heir stares at her with wide eyes, mouth agape. His eyes shine, as he grips her hand with his small, porcelain ones.

"I would be honored," he says, tears budding in his hopeful eyes.

The very next day, Asa takes him to Byakuya's nursery.

Sitting there on the couch— looking pale and tired, but still full of warmth and fondness—is Fumiko Uchiha. Besides her sits Byakuya, all of seventeen months, playing with a stuffed animal.

Ma-kun doesn't even care that the wet-nurse and servants are in the room, tidying up the nursery and readying a meal for Byakuya. After shaking himself from his stupor, hovering in the doorway, he runs over to his second life's mother and brother.

"Kaa-chan!" he exclaims, voice nearing a wail. He tackles the woman from the side in a hug, careful to not jostle her large, pregnant belly.

Ma-kun instantly buries his face in the crook of Fumiko's neck, breathing in the scent of jasmine tea and clean silk that the petite woman radiates. He's feeling so overwhelming happy and safe, that he can't stop the tears that slip from his eyes.

"Ma-kun…?" his mother—his mother, who's okay and still the in flesh—asks. She sounds a bit baffled from his sudden presence.

He sniffs, wiping his damp eyes on the shoulder of her kimono, before he ducks his head up. A smile curls up his lips. "Asa-obaa-sama's letting me see you. For my lessons."

"Nii-san?" Byakuya calls, grasping at the young man's sleeve, and tugging hard. "Me too!"

The reincarnated soul laughs openly, turning to the little boy. He bends down, scooping up his little brother carefully, hugging Byakuya to him. "Don't worry, I haven't forgotten you, otouto."

In the background, he can hear the servants coo and sigh. He hides a smirk into Byakuya's dark, messy hair. He's also missed them coddling and cooing over him; it had been fun, while it lasted.

Not-Madara sets his younger brother down carefully. He beams at his second life's mother—who's looking rather overwhelmed with emotion.

"I'm helping you with your new baby, Kaa-chan. Asa-obaa-sama says I'm ready."

"But…What will Tajima say?" Fumiko murmurs in bewilderment, eyes wide like a doe. She looks from her first son, to the servants, to the midwife.

"Well, Tajima-sama—" Asa drawls, the honorific sounding sarcastic "—never specifically prohibited Ma-kun from seeing you or the Honorable Second Son. He simply filled Ma-kun's schedule, so that he did not have spare time to do so…

He never one said that Ma-kun could not visit, during lessons, if his teacher allows it," she finishes, a sly smile on her face, her eyes crinkling and twinkling impishly.

Hell yes for loopholes…!

Asa Uchiha is the coolest damn grandma in the universe. It's official. No contest. Everyone else, go home.

The maidservants and wet-nurse started to titter amongst one another.

No, that wouldn't do…Those women were large gossipers, and gossip spread amongst the servants like wildfire. If word got to Tajima through them, he'd close that loophole. Maybe he'd even cancel Asa's lessons.

He'd have to take this into his own hands, then.

Not-Madara turned to face the servants, looking up at them through his lashes, eyes wide. 'Think defenseless kitten, think puppy-eyes from a puppy, think baby pandas, think defenseless doe,' he chanted to himself, trying to muster as much cuteness and innocence as he could, until he could fine-hone it into a deadly weapon.

"You…You won't tell Otou-sama…Right?" he asked, voice purposefully halting. It made him sound small, hopeful, and pleading. He clasped his hands in front of him, bashfully and demurely scuffing the floor with one of his feet.

As if one entity, the women visibly softened.

'Almost there,' he thinks. 'Too easy.'

"I…I just want to help my Kaa-chan and otouto," he goes on, voice meek, manifesting the look of a kicked puppy into his voice. He easily wills tears to burn his vision, from simply thinking of Fumiko's eyes becoming glossy and empty. "I really enjoy my lessons with Asa-obaa-sama, but…But if he finds out, then…Then…"

His voice goes high and wobbly, and he scrunches his face for maximum impact.

The response is near instantaneous.

Faced with their sweet, three-year-old heir apparently ready to burst into tears, who was just reunited with his mother and younger brother in the first time in weeks…Well, the servants couldn't find any other way to proceed, other than to comfort him.

"Awwwww—"

"Honorable Son…!"

"Please don't cry!"

"We promise not to say anything!"

"Oh, poor boy—"

"We won't tell a soul!"

Ma-kun sniffed his tears back down, biting his smile down, making sure it staid small and pitiful.

"Really?" he asked them, tilting his head to the side and poking his index fingers together.

"We promise!" the maidservants chorused.

Ma-kun put a hand on his heart, giving them the biggest, most genuine, heartfelt smile he could muster. "Thank you."

The end result was a lot of cooing and fussing over him by the servants, as the young man gave a pleased smile. He shot a cheeky look over to Asa, who merely shook her head, and let out a long laugh.

"Kaa-chan, Kaa-chan!" he crowed, squirming out of the servants' grasps and bouncing over to Fumiko. He took her hands in his, and grinned warmly at her. "How are you feeling, Kaa-chan? Anything I can help you with?"

The petite woman blinked, giving a bemused shake of her head.

"You being here with me, my son, is anything I ever needed," she responded sweetly, passing a hand over his head to smooth his hair down.

Ma-kun gave her a soft smile in return, feeling overwhelming fondness for her.

In the background, he heard the servants sigh as one at the apparently heartwarming sight. His grin widened. "I'll try my best to help."

Madara Uchiha is apparently a charmer, even at this age.

The boy has the female servants wrapped around his finger, completely and wholly ensnared.

The lad managed to convince the servants to hold their tongues and not gossip about him visiting Fumiko-sama. All through the use of his innocent looks, a bit of truthful emotion, and a manipulative streak.

Young Ma-kun genuinely cares for others. It is one of his greatest traits, the old woman believes. Seeing the boy manage to move the servants so artfully and convince them so well, is only proof of that.

When the boy had shot her a cheeky look, as he was surrounded and coddled by the maidservants, Asa Uchiha couldn't help but laugh.

The boy will have no problems in getting others to follow him. He is rather charismatic, despite his young age—or perhaps, it is because of it…?

The midwife watches the young boy fret over his mother and younger brother, and believes that her decision to allow him to assist her in caring for Fumiko-sama was indeed a fruitful idea.

She has never seen the boy smile so much.

Being able to see Fumiko and Byakuya an hour a day has been…Good. Great. Fantastic.

He gets to be the son and older brother, again. He gets to care for his mother, and look over her. He gets to do something he cares about.

Time passes all too quickly.

Fumiko is getting further on with her pregnancy. She becomes paler and paler, frailer and frailer. Ma-kun and Asa give her many different teas and herbal remedies, but there is always an air around the Clan Head's wife that isn't…right.

And it seems like every time Ma-kun closes his eyes, he imagines her shrieking in pain, and her kind eyes going glassy.

The worry he has for his second life's mother makes him wake up in a cold sweat, heart leaping up in his throat. He's starting to get nightmares, unless he trains himself hard enough to the ground to simply limp into bed and slip into a deep, dreamless sleep.

He's not learning fast enough, he thinks frantically. None of the herbal remedies are helping. He won't be able to help her. He won't be able to help her, and she'll die, and—

Letting out a shaking breath, Ma-kun digs the heels of his palms into his eyes, as he sits up in his bed, awake from another nightmare.

Fumiko is only two weeks away from giving birth.

…He needs to talk to Asa-obaa-sama about this.

It has been six weeks since the start of the lessons with Ma-kun. It is entering the second week of February, the looming due date of Fumiko-sama's third child.

The young lad seems to become much more frantic and scattered in thought, when the birth of his young sibling looms ever closer. The heir's skin turns ashen, there are bruises under his eyes from lack of sleep, and he is very… twitchy.

The boy seems to be wilting, shriveling, dying—like a delicate flower upon the bombardment of frost-water, during the winter solstice. Even when he is sitting calmly within the study-room, poring over herbs and texts she has provided him, there is…an air of dread and melancholy that surrounds him, despite the brightness he shows when studying.

It is mirroring the deterioration of Fumiko-sama's health much too closely. It is worrying.

It is during one of their lessons—as the old woman and the young boy are seated under the kotatsu—that the crone decides to broach the subject of young Madara's worsening state.

"Ma-kun…Tell me, why did you want to study healing?" she asks once more, voice soft and low, an inkling of suspicion and knowing within her stomach.

The boy jolts, turning to stare at her with wide, haunted eyes, rimmed by black from lack of sleep. He opens his mouth to speak, but the words do not seem to come.

He closes his mouth, swallows loudly, licks his dried lips, and manages to make words bloom upon his tongue.

"To…Save my mother. She might…She might die in childbirth."

A shudder wracks through the young one's body, despite the warmth of the kotatsu. The shudder makes his entire body tremble for a few heartbeats. It as if the weight of such a thought is leaving him, now that he has voiced it aloud.

The crone gravely nods in acceptance and understanding.

"That is a fine reason, my boy," she tells him, voice gentle and weathered, as she thinks back to all the times she has witnessed a mother or child die during childbirth.

…This poor boy. He has such a noble, kind heart…

Just like Fumiko-sama.

The reincarnated young man jolts awake, when someone knocks on his door.

He scrambles in his bed, throwing the covers off himself. He rolls, and is instantly on his feet.

His legs wobble, and he's still disoriented from the lack of sleep. But he bounds towards his door, and slams it open.

One of the servants—Momo, the woman who always fetches tea for his and Asa's lessons—is standing on the other side of the screen. Her face is pale, and she is panting, her simply yukata ruffled. Like she just ran here.

"Y-Young Master," she chokes out. "Asa-obaa-sama has asked for your presence."

Ma-kun stares up at the young woman, his entire body feeling like it's freezing over. Although, it could most certainly be because he's shoe-less in the middle of February, but it's something more. A coldness bone-deep, a shiver going down his spine.

Something's wrong.

"Do you know why?" he asks her quickly (demands, more like it).

Momo gulps, nodding her head quickly, causing hairs so slip from the messy bun that she's arranged it in.

"Fumiko-sama is in labor."

"…FUCK."

Ma-kun slides around Momo, hitting the hallway's wall, and propels himself forwards, feet pounding hard against the wooden floors, chakra fueled into his legs to give him the needed speed.

Fuck, fuck fuck fuck—

This was a week too early!