31.
Blood dripped from the blade of Yuna's kunai that was still loosely clasped between her fingers. When it fell, Yuna couldn't hear it hitting the ground.
She sighed; sweat, mixed with her own blood dripped from her forehead. The battleground reeked and she wanted to leave as fast as possible.
The opponent this time was a bit tougher than her own clan was, even the Uchiha lost quite a lot of ninja.
It was unusual but not unheard of.
She slowly started walking to where everyone was gathering. This time she had put more effort into fighting, anything to make it easier for Madara.
Speaking of which, she had to find him before anyone else did. She cringed at the sensation of blood flowing between her toes every time she took a step.
Far ahead Yuna caught glimpse Harue who was selflessly helping the sensor ninjas find those who were still alive, despite the gashes in his skin.
Madara was nowhere to be found. Something inside of her said that it was intentional.
Her clothes were sticking to her body because of the blood. It made her want to rip them off. She stopped a man who was walking aimlessly, looking a little confused.
"Have you seen Madara?" She asked, surprised that her voice came out so fragile. The man shook his head before he left her.
Yuna couldn't summon enough chakra or willpower in her to try to find him. It would look suspicious; after all it's not her job to be glued to Madara's side in the eyes of the public.
Yuna was quite sure that the man was hiding somewhere, trying to cope with his new situation, even though a proud man like him will never accept it.
Part of her didn't want to go back because all hell would break loose. Izuna and Madara have to trade quickly and either make up the most elaborate lie mankind has ever witnessed, or reveal what happened.
She sat on the untouched bed of grass that was away from the battlefield. Yuna leaned on her palms and her head was tilted on her right. Her lips moved just slightly while forming words of a song she used to sing as a child.
It was about a lark that lost its way home. It never found its way back.
"Yuna, are you okay?" Her eyes snapped up to Harue's worried face. She formed a smile and rose from the grass, not bothering to brush off the dirt.
"I forgot myself, are we finally moving?" She asked and Harue nodded. His eyes moved to the small wound on Yuna's forehead worriedly, the cut was noticeable because her hair was pulled back.
"Yes, Madara finally showed up. He only told us to gather everything and start moving back home. It's too cold to treat the wounded here, and we lack provisions."
The clouded look in Yuna's eyes disappeared. She thanked Harue quickly before hurrying to Madara, who was isolated from the group.
He was standing near the edge of the field with his back facing everyone else. Madara's hands were tucked in his pockets to keep them warm.
It felt like an eternity, but finally Yuna was right next to him. She closed her eyes so she wouldn't have to witness the sight of dismembered and mutilated bodies.
"How are your eyes?" She asked quietly. Madara's finger twitched and his lips were pressed into a thin line.
"It feels like they're burning…it feels like someone is stabbing them with needles." He muttered, "but I've had worse headaches," he added.
Yuna noticed that he hadn't suffered many injuries, only a few light cuts while she had a gaping wound on her arm, a small cut on her forehead because one of the enemies hit her head with the handle of his sword and some small cuts on her legs and torso. She wasn't sure if her head was bleeding anymore or not, she was hoping for the latter.
She didn't question him further. Madara was tough; he could handle physical pain, but she didn't know about his mental durability.
Those who weren't carrying the injured were already heading back as one group.
"You reek of blood," noted Madara with a dazed voice. The frosty wind brushed past them, sharply stabbing their cheeks.
"It's nothing," she assured him, "but let's go back, or you might catch a cold."
Yuna's fingers softly and discreetly directed Madara, but it remained unnoticed to the others.
He sighed before conjuring a blank expression, it was the best he could do in his position. There were seven men in critical condition, one of them died on their way back.
The men in front of them chattered cheerfully. It was their way to retain sanity after the atrocities they had committed.
They completed the job, which meant that the winter was going to be a pleasure for the Uchiha.
"Was it worth it?" Yuna asked quietly. It was a question that was bugging her.
She didn't sound sad, not even disturbed, merely curious above everything else.
He didn't want her of all people to pity her; Madara didn't want anyone's pity.
For the first time in many years, Madara found himself lacking the words to answer.
True enough, they were financially secure until springtime for now.
He could smoothly talk himself out of any situation with a few well picked words, but he couldn't lie to himself or Yuna.
The corner of Yuna's lips twitched. She felt so disgusted with herself, because she knew that Madara was in pain and a small part of her couldn't wait for Izuna to give up his eyes.
Anything was fine if it made Madara better, made him better and fixed him. That was all she was asking for, because this time she wasn't enough.
Making him feel alive fell short when it came down to giving him a life worth living. He would never settle with a disability, would never agree to figure out ways around it.
Yuna bit her lip and dug her nails into her palms. She needed a distraction, anything to give her time to bury those thoughts.
"Are you hurt?" Madara asked suddenly. Yuna smiled, forgetting that he can't see.
"I only have a few cuts here and there. I'll have someone look at them when we get back." She assured him.
Madara sighed and nodded his head. Yuna wanted to touch him so badly, just hold his hand and run her fingers through his hair.
She saw her vision blur from the corners. Yuna tried to hold back the tears but if was useless. They streaked her face and fell onto the ground where they disappeared into the thin layer of snow.
"You know that I will always be here for you, right?" She asked Madara with a shaky voice. Yuna had to stay strong for Madara's sake.
A small smile appeared on Madara's lips.
"I know."
Those words were followed by a dull ache that remained in her chest.
"You must know something!"
Yuna's eyes didn't shift from the teacup in her hands. It was steaming hot and it hurt a little to hold it. Even then, it was much more riveting to her than Chinatsu at that moment.
"No, I don't know about Madara's whereabouts and plans. Why should I know?" Yuna replied calmly and placed the cup down when the burn grew too much for her to handle.
Her head was wrapped with gauze and her cuts were cleaned and stitched.
Madara returned with everyone and disappeared moments later and suddenly Izuna had some business to attend. That left…well no one to keep everything running.
Chinatsu's lips twitched.
"Don't give me that look. You know everything about him!" She was almost shouting already.
It really must've bothered Chinatsu. Yuna wasn't sure if the woman felt hurt or annoyed about Madara.
A smile wanted to creep on Yuna's lips. She wouldn't be lying if she said, "I don't know about Madara's current whereabouts and plans."
Yuna could only guess that they maybe went to her residence. It's secluded enough for the pair to have privacy and the last place anyone would look for them.
"To be honest I know nothing about him. Madara's complicated…I'm not sure if anyone besides Izuna can truly understand him." Yuna's voice was quiet and her lips moved slowly.
What she wanted was sleep but ended up in Chinatsu's room to be grilled for information her mind does not possess.
Chinatsu sighed, suddenly her entire body relaxed.
"Go, sleep…you look like you're about to faint."
Finally, Chinatsu gave up.
Yuna thanked her for the tea politely before leaving the room hurriedly.
She closed the door and rubbed her eyes that were threatening to seal themselves shut. Yuna's mind was slowly shutting down already. She didn't want to hear or see anything anymore.
Slowly, dragging her feet behind her, she shuffled through the cold corridors. With each step, her bed was coming closer. That's how you live, one step at a time to reach a goal.
"You look tired."
Yuna was too tired to even yelp when Harue suddenly picked her up. She went limp between his arms and rested her head against his chest.
"Stupid… put me down..." She muttered weakly. Harue stopped and put his forearm against Yuna's forehead. She welcomed the coolness of his touch. He held it there before sighing.
"No I won't, you're burning up. What you have to do is rest."
Rest meant sleep, it sounded wonderful for Yuna. Sleep meant escaping to a world she could rule. There would be nothing in there besides the deep blue sky, soft green grass, white clouds and a breeze. The only sound she could hear would be the wind.
And Madara, he would be there.
Quietly she dozed off. Harue sighed and opened the door of their room with his foot.
He laid Yuna under the covers and tucked her in. Though he was exhausted like her, he still left and came back with some cold water and gauze. Team leader's instincts, probably.
He put the wet cloth on her forehead and watched how she muttered in her sleep when the unwanted object touched her skin.
Harue chuckled and shook his head before he kicked off his shoes and lay down in his bed. It took the captain only a few seconds before sleep consumed him.
He also had a nice dream, a dream where he was sitting in the Uchiha gardens.
It was spring again, but the cherry blossom trees hadn't bloomed yet. Harue didn't understand why, but he remained motionless on the ground.
"What are you doing here all alone?" Asked a familiar voice. Harue didn't hear Yuna coming or moving but in a split second, she was right next to him. A smile was on her pink lips and her eyes had a cheerful spark in them. She was barefoot and dressed in a light pink yukata.
Harue smiled nervously before answering, "I was thinking about you actually," he replied shyly, carefully watching her reaction.
Yuna looked surprised for a moment and her cheeks turned red, something Harue witnessed for the very first time, and he had to admit that she looked cute.
She smiled softly, "I'm flattered," Yuna said before she leaned in cautiously. Harue relaxed when her lips touched his. They were as warm and soft as he imagined…
"Harue…" he heard someone call. No, he didn't want to wake up just yet. Yuna pulled away and sighed. Her finger softly caressed his cheek, "You have to wake up," she whispered.
"Harue!" The man woke up with a jump. He instinctively looked to his left where Yuna was still sleeping peacefully. Someone knocked on the door again. Harue sighed and got up quickly and opened the door to find Shinjiro there.
"Sorry to wake you up, but the news is being passed around that Izuna has gone blind. I suggest you tell Yuna when she wakes up."
Harue was astounded, Shinjiro didn't explain it further and left hastily.
This piece of news seemed like fiction, when sprung on him like that; Izuna seemed just fine when he last saw him.
Everything around was quiet, and dark. He could only guess that it was past midnight already.
Harue closed the door and went back to Yuna and changed the gauze on her forehead. He stopped for a second and shook his head.
Having a dream like that was not allowed. She was Madara's and only his.
It was just an idle fancy, nothing too serious. With that established he could go back to sleep.
The rest of his night wasn't so calm anymore, and that nice dream from before showed no signs of returning.
After a few days, Yuna was already feeling better. She was moved from her room to the hospital ward just in case her fever was caused by an infection.
Luckily, that was not the case and all that the woman needed was some peace and quiet.
They released her in the morning a couple days later after she had eaten her breakfast under their watchful gaze.
Yuna went straight to her room and stayed there. She sat under the warm covers, trailing the pattern on the sheets with her finger. She hadn't heard anything about Madara or Izuna yet and she was afraid to even leave the room to find out.
Harue was sent out on a mission the day before. He notified her before leaving, so there went her reliable source of information.
Snooping in Chinatsu's past seemed secondary now.
She spent the rest of the day in bed, not moving and inch and keeping warm.
Yuna wasn't ready yet, she wasn't ready to face the world so soon. Just one more day of peace and she would be fine.
Madara on the other hand was overloaded with emotions that he tried to suppress.
He could see again, better than ever. It was clear, and as painful as it was, they found a solution to the fading light.
He placed the candle on the table with a shaky hand. Izuna was still sleeping, recovering from the pain he insisted on.
Madara figured out the day before that they were located in the Kunisada residence. He didn't feel the urge to explore the lonesome, abandoned corridors. It was grim and cold already, any warmth that may have been here left with the owners.
He had brought some blankets for Izuna from other bedrooms because starting a fire would betray his location.
The place was isolated from the rest of the world. It was a perfect place to hide in and to sort out thoughts.
They never managed to formulate a proper lie to cover this up.
Izuna insisted on telling the truth because it was voluntary, his choice, while Madara demanded to come up with a story and cover this up because even if Izuna says that he wanted to do this, there will be people who'll think otherwise. Madara's position wasn't shaky yet, after all, they were on good terms with the Senju.
Not to mention that there might be people desperate enough to steal someone else's eyesight.
Madara cursed under his breath, he had completely forgotten that he had left Chinatsu in the compound, without any explanations or a 'goodbye'.
What pained his heart the most was Yuna. He wanted to let her know that everything was alright. Know her, she was probably panicking somewhere, wrapped in a blanket.
Madara sighed and rubbed his forehead worriedly. This was going to be a huge mess once he got back.
Izuna moved in his sleep and mumbled something. For a second Madara thought that his brother was stirring, but he remained motionless under the covers with his face obscured by bandages.
It was strange to see Izuna without his mischievous grin and childish jokes. Madara couldn't see Izuna recovering from this one hundred percent, but he wasn't one to give up that easily, he would learn to fight even when blind and would remain in his position.
A small part of him hoped that Yuna would sneak out to visit him, but she was prohibited to leave and that made it unlikely. There will be time once he got back.
Madara counted the passing seconds, becoming more restless with the passage of time. He needed something to do, something to punch.
The thought of destroying one of the rooms in the house was appealing, but he didn't feel like it would do any good. He needed something real to punch, something that wouldn't be completely destroyed with the first hit.
"Could you find me something to eat and tea" came a grouchy voice from under the covers, "and maybe some candy if they have any. Kunisada were too sour and dour to enjoy life."
Izuna had a small smile on his lips.
He didn't regret anything, it was his decision and he sure as hell wasn't going to back out now.
Madara couldn't help but to grin and shake his head, "I'll see what I can find," Madara replied, "You stay here and don't move."
Izuna waved his hand nonchalantly, "Yeah-yeah, but can you at least tell me what room is this?"
Madara didn't think long, he often had to remember buildings after just catching a glimpse and this one wasn't any different, "Second floor, right hand hall and the third door. It was probably a dining room."
Izuna nodded and yawned, "Copy that, if the food in the kitchen is no good go to the basement, they had some stuff there as well last time I checked."
"So you carried out pantry raids here?"
"What? That's natural!"
Madara closed the door and walked downstairs wondering how often Izuna came there.
In the past few weeks, Izuna had the habit of disappearing, but now it made sense. Madara found the kitchen without any problems, the only thing that disturbed him was how dirty everything was.
He started to look through the drawers to find anything that's remotely edible. Madara couldn't suppress his amused smirk when he found a cup that had Yuna's name on it.
It was written by a child; the kanji were crooked and looked just a little sloppy. He placed the cup back into the shelf carefully as if it were his most prized possession.
After a few minutes, he managed to find a teapot and some dishes for Izuna. Madara left everything on the table and walked to what he hoped to be the basement door. He tried it, and found it to be unlocked.
It felt strange, almost abnormal, to see so well in the dark. He lit a candle by the door and looked around to find some dried meat, green tea and, much to his shock, candy as well.
It didn't take him long to harvest some water, boil it and make tea and get everything to Izuna.
Madara snorted when he found Izuna walking around the room, stretching himself.
"You get back in bed; I found everything you asked for." Madara ordered sternly.
Izuna mockingly mimicked his brother before sitting down on the pile of blankets. Madara placed the tray next to Izuna who touched the edge with his finger before going straight to the candy.
He put one in his mouth, enjoying the taste. Madara watched all of it carefully, taking in every detail because he was frightened that any moment from now his eyesight could disappear again.
"Hey Madara," Izuna grinned, "take over the world with those eyes for me."
My last day of freedom…I'm happy to let you know that I've finished the 32nd chapter and already mailed it to my precious Dantella to beta (: I hope that you enjoyed this chapter and I hope your 2012 started with a bang.