With her maids' help, Mito dressed herself with a comfortable kimono and adjusted her – now gray – buns to receive a very special guest: Kushina, the next Kyuubi's jinchuuriki.

Her husband was already dead because of his old age. Mito, however, had great longevity due to her Uzumaki blood.

Her distant relative from the Whirlpool Village had arrived, and the child was visibly horrified with the idea of having the spirit of a wicked fox inside her body. But Mito, with kindness and tranquility, comforted the child, explaining that being a jinchuuriki wouldn't be a problem if there was love to balance the beast's hatred.

Her advice, so, was simply... to love. Being full of love would tame the kyuubi.

That was what Mito did, loving Hashirama, the kid who she had with him, her grandchildren Tsunade and Nawaki (who unfortunately died at his twelve's), the people from the Leaf Village and the Whirlpool Village and also… Never forgetting the man she loved the most: Madara Uchiha.

Hashirama knew Mito's feelings for him would never have such strength, but it was enough for him that, in her own way, she learned to love him, accept him as a husband and live in peaceful terms until the end.

The Uzumaki was hoping from the bottom of her heart that Kushina could live a love that neither she nor her granddaughter could; Tsunade lost her fiancé, Dan, during the war.

After talking about being jinchuuriki, Mito talked about lighter subjects with the little redhead; when she was gone from the house, the elder woman went to the garden to appreciate the flowers.

"Should I have told her about our weak spot, the childbirth? No... She's too young to know this… But I'll be sure she will know it when it's time", she thought, remembering the shock she went through while giving birth, because the seal weakened and the beast almost escaped; it was lucky that Hashirama was there to maintain the seal.

She swam through her memories, remembering how happy she was when she took the baby on her lap and saw it was alright, until Tsunade suddenly arrived indoors.

- Grandma... I need an advice.

- Make yourself comfortable, my angel. Come, sit with me there.

The blonde looked really embarrassed.

- What's wrong?

- Um... – she scratched her head, nervous – It's... Well... You know Jiraya?

- Yes, I do...

- He has a crush on me ever since we were kids and-

- Now tell me some news.

- Grandma! – she exclaimed, blushing.

- Haha, I'm sorry, I couldn't resist... Keep on.

- So... Um... I... I was wondering if... If it would be a good idea to give him a chance. You know? To see if... I fall in love and forget Dan. – Her countenance had the sadness that was already usual in that broken hearted youth.

Mito knew that feeling very well.

- Tsunade... I don't think it's a good idea.

- Why?

- Because you still love Dan very much... And you can hurt your friend. You will pressure yourself to love him, but the chances of this happening are few. I think you should enjoy the fact that you can freely choose who you will date and marry with, instead of being held on a relationship like that.

- But-

- I understand your pain, sweetie. But think: would it be right to give such hope to Jiraya? Only get involved with him if you're really feeling something for him, even if it's small. But never do it for pity or to replace someone.

- Grandma...

- Yes?

- Did you love grandpa?

Mito thought this wouldn't be the question.

She couldn't hide the shock in her gaze.

- Why this right now?

- It's that... You always seemed to me more like friends than like a couple, I don't know. Not that it's a bad thing, but... Anyway.

Mito smiled gently.

- Let's say that... We were a 'couple of friends'.

- Were you forced to get married with him?

- In a way, yes. As an Uzumaki, it was my duty.

- And did you… Love someone else?

She still smiled, but she lowered her head.

- Tsunade... Only your grandfather knew that, but… Yes.

- Grandpa knew it?!

- Yes, he did. But he knew how to deal with it, and I had to learn to as well. The circumstances on that time lead us on that situation. It could go wrong, but it ended going right. But you... – she gazed at the young woman again – You don't need to risk yourself like that. You have the freedom of choosing. You don't need to fulfill any duty, unless the one of being happy with the one you love.

- What if... I can't love anyone but Dan, not even in the way you loved grandpa?

- I don't know... I just know that you shouldn't feel bound to do anything, because you don't need to. If you can't forget Dan, keep that feeling with you. But don't avoid being happy in the other areas of life. As a medical ninja, for instance; you have a great talent.

She didn't answer. She just hugged her grandmother and, in her lap, allowed herself to cry – a thing she wanted to do as soon as she stepped her foot inside the house.

"Pretending to be strong must be inheritable...", Mito thought as she held her tears while comforting her granddaughter.

To state the truth, she was so used to helding them through the years that it was no longer a hard attempt.

But there wasn't a day she didn't remembered Madara.

When Tsunade stopped crying, they had a snack together and Mito took her to the house's gate.

The blonde woman had already stepped out when she turned and said on a mischievous accent:

- I forgot to mention Jiraya got friends with a ninja candidate from the Academy, Minato... And he told he's charmed with the new girl from your village, grandma, Kushina! She came here today, right?

- Yes, yes. She is really cute.

- I wonder if the two of them will work out…

- Now that you said it, I have a wonderful feeling about this.

- Right? I have it too!

- Hehe... Let's hope they do.

Then, they waved to bid farewell.

Mito came back to the garden, gazing at the blue sky, with the wind carrying the clouds away.

It would be crude and even ungrateful to say she was regretful of the life she had. But it was unavoidable to miss Madara.

Sometimes, in her crazy moments, she wondered if he was really dead and if he would come back and ask her to run away again. Even knowing that she, once more, would refuse it.

However, in her thoughts, she would imagine that she would give up everything to be at his side, even as a renegade. How would it be, to live in such adrenalin?

She would never know the answer.

But her advantage over this was the possibility of imagine a thousand landscapes.

It was her secret entertainment, as it once was to unveil Madara's mysteries and ending up falling in love with him in the development.

She'd remember the night where one tried to use the other, each one with their purpose.

In her thoughts, she concluded that both ending up using each other for the same reason: to give themselves to the one they loved. Even if it was the first and the last time.

At least they could experience this feeling.

So, this is the end of my Madamito fanfic. ;_;

It was hard to think about the last lines. Nothing seemed good enough, and it still doesn't, but heck, one thing it would have to end, huh? ):

I wanted to write a story with a beautiful melancholy, something sad and poetic at the same time, the same thing that the sad love remembers. The inspiration for this fanfic was so big that it turned the supposed one-shot to a longfic that, for starters, would have 4 chaps + epilogue and ended up having 6 + epilogue because I simply felt like it. lol

I admit that I got so involved with this ship that for me it's already canon HAHAHA but if Kishi shows something, it would surely be just one sided, by Madara. Well, better than nothing, right? 8D

Thank you to everyone who kept up with this story I liked to much to write! X3 I see, from the reviews, that you guys could really understand what I wanted to pass on! I get really happy! And flattered with the praises :'D

P.S.: I hope you liked the MinaKushi and DanTsu fanservices, I couldn't resist haha.

Translator note (bonus!): Hey guys (and Mari)! Sorry for the wait. It was both life and my lazy ass who kept me from translating sooner, but at least it's finished! Sorry for any mistakes too. I wanted to leave a note to Mari because even though it was somewhat hard to translate and adapt (finding expressions to fit the language, for instance) it was fun and I could even learn more english! :D

My favorite chapter is this one, the seventh, due to two reasons. First one, the small fanservices. X3

Second one, I really liked the way Mari wrote how Mito views her relationship with Hashirama and also how she advices Tsunade. I saw some situations that happened with me there, and I find it really, really nice to see it expressed in words. I believe that it's possible to have a friendship with a person you love (even though Mito couldn't love Hashirama with such depth, like it's written here lol), and I also think that forcing someone into a relationship it's not healthy and can prejudice both sides. Sometimes it works, but well, for me it wouldn't, lol.

Anyway, hope you guys liked it! :D

~kurohyacchan