"First off this fanfiction still has MadaraXMitōXTōka, He married Nanase cuz it is his duty to marry an Uchiha woman. Sadly tragedy will fall into Madara's life. We all know reality was never kind to Madara."

- Desertsunoracle

Chapter 6:

Don't Fear The World

Kawakana had always been an imaginative child, but she never really understood the words on a page. Every other day when Madara got home from a mission or from a battle, he would sit with Kawakana for an hour, reading to her and asking her to read to him.

Madara encouraged Kawakana every step of the way. Having the patience of a mountain he never got upset when she made mistakes. He'd simply laugh at her and correct her.

Her favorite stories were of princesses, noble princes, myths, Oni, and love. After all, it was the simple things that made the world beautiful. Or more tolerable. He'd find the books with only very flowery words so she could enjoy them more. He'd search for books with beautiful pictures of brave heroes and heroines, books with different creatures such as dragons and gigantic snakes, and most of all, he'd look for books that contained true love. These topics were all Kawakana wanted to read about.

"This is the best book I've ever read!" She announced. Madara chuckled at her enthusiasm. He would rather see her excited than scared especially with what happened earlier.

"Please, tell me more about Princess Hikari, who must save her people from the clutches of the wicked kitsune, Tamamo," Kawakana requested.

Madara nodded, grinning. "Of course, Princess."

Together, Kawakana and Madara read about the brave Princess Hikari and her exploits against the kitsune Tamamo. They laughed at the story's humor, smiling at the burgeoning love between heroes.

"What will you read me next, Madara?" Kawakana asked.

Her elder brother looked at the book on the shelf. "I'll read you a story about a powerful divinity the water dragon."

With a smile on her face, Kawakana snuggled into her brother's lap. Excitement filled her as she opened the book and gazed upon the page. "The Water Dragon," she breathed, repeating the words to herself.

Madara read aloud, his voice painting a vivid picture of the dragon's many adventures. The journey always ended the same way, with the dragon returning home to his castle in the depths of the reef. But one adventure took a different turn when the dragon discovered a barren, lifeless lake with a dry waterfall. The lake called out to him with a sorrowful voice, and the dragon could feel the cold wind lifting his heavy scales like little banners.

As Madara told the tale, Kawakana listened intently, her eyes locked on the book's pages. The dragon wept for the first time in a long time, and the lake turned out to be nothing more than a dream. The dragon searched the world for the dark lake in his dreams, and eventually found it near mountainous crags to the south east. The dragon settled down there for a time, swimming up river to the lake and resting. The sun goddess followed behind, and together they restored the land, making the now-fertile clear and blue waters of the lake shine in the sunlight.

For a moment, silence filled the room. Madara looked down at his sister, expecting her to be asleep, but she was fully awake. Her eyes held the same reflection of their mother's, a mirror image of her soul. Kawakana waited for Madara to finish the story, her anticipation palpable.

"The dragon knew it was the perfect place for him,"

The dragon's words filled the room, and Kawakana listened with rapt attention as her brother read. The sun goddess and the dragon had struck a deal, with the dragon becoming the guardian of the lake and the sun goddess offering her light. Every year after the rivers and lakes flowed with abundant life, the light reflected on the water as a blessed sparkle.

Madara finished reading and closed his eyes for a brief moment before patting his sister's forehead. "That is the story," he said softly as he gently lowered her onto the pillow.

As Kawakana slept, Madara hugged her tightly. "I will guard your dreams until you are no longer scared," he whispered. But her dreams brought on a nightmare, and she squirmed and cried out in fear. Madara shook her gently and she woke, tears streaming down her face.

"I will keep you safe," Madara soothed, placing his hand on her back. "Do not worry. I will always watch over you." He kissed her forehead and stood up, watching as she drifted back into a peaceful slumber.

"I won't leave your side. You have nothing to fear," he whispered as she lay back down, snuggling into the covers. "Promise me, Kana. Promise me you won't go back there again."

"I promise," she whispered back closing her eyes, clutching his hand tightly.

"Good... Sleep well." Madara said, kissing her forehead once more.

As she drifted back to sleep, he watched over her until his mother Maaya entered the room with their younger brother. Izuna slept peacefully in her arms, and she placed him beside Kana where they snuggled together.

"Madara, what happened?" Maaya asked.

"Kana saw the horrors of war and was overwhelmed with fear," he explained. "I comforted her as she cried, I'm worried about her."

Maaya smiled wryly as she observed her sleeping children. Sleeping together like little kittens, "Thank you, Son." she said, kissing Madara on the cheek.

"Please teach Kawakana everything you know," Madara requested, looking from his sister to his mother. "I need to be sure that Kana will be able to survive."

"I already planned to," Maaya replied with a nod.

As she left the room, Madara felt a weight lifted off his shoulders. He knew he could trust his mother to take care of his sister. Maaya nodded, "Rest well, Madara," she said, kissing him on the forehead before leaving the room.

As he settled into bed, the sound of his sister's giggle filled the room. "I heard everything, Big Brother," she whispered.

"Shhh, you'll wake Izuna," he cautioned.

Kawakana poked Izuna's nose, but the little one remained fast asleep. "Small Izuna sleeps well," she observed.

"Time for bed," he said, smiling as she laid into her own bed beside Izuna.

As he closed his eyes, Madara couldn't shake the worry for his younger siblings safety. He was determined to do whatever it takes to protect them and prepare them for the harsh reality of the world.

With a sense of purpose, he eased his mind and fell into a deep slumber.

Morning found Izuna and Kawakana sitting in the sun, teaching Izuna new words. She excitedly praised her little brother's new-found intelligence, and her face shone as she proudly announced, "I'm telling Madara."

"Tell me what?" Madara asked, hurrying down the halls with a sheathed sword in his arms.

"Madara, I taught Izuna how to say dog but he keeps saying doggie." Kana explained, smirking as she hugged Izuna.

"Doggie?" He asked, not surprised at all. He turned to Kana, a dark look in his eyes.

"Yes, Madara." Kana said, tensing up slightly. "I'm frustrated because he can't say the word properly." She explained, biting her lip.

"I see." He said, half-heartedly.

"Wanna play or something?" Kana asked, trying to keep the excitement out of her voice.

"I'm busy, Kana." Madara said, "I'm going with father and the twins Tenma and Jin today."

She asserted, "Please protect those two clowns, Mada."

"Will do."

Izuna and Kawakana looked up from their game as Madara left through the door, walking to the clan war room. Izuna looked up with a frown, narrowing his eyes at his sister. She stood up, grabbing Izuna and making a run for her own room, slamming the door behind her. Kawakana looked down to Izuna, and with a sigh, said, "I guess today it's just you and me... Maybe not! We will go see what Hikaku is doing!" She exclaimed excitedly, bouncing up and down. "Maybe he will want to play with us."

Izuna's frown deepened into a scowl. He pouted, "No!"

"Come on! It will be fun!" She cheered, grabbing Izuna's hand and dragging him from the room, outside.

They entered the forest, a small chuckle came from Kawakana's mouth. Izuna looked at her questioningly, and she leaned down, pushing him into the brush, Both hid in the brambles.

"Hikaku trains not too far from here. We are going to see what he is doing! Maybe practicing his jutsu. We must move quietly."

Izuna rolled his eyes, but he couldn't deny that he was curious. He watched as Kawakana carefully crept forward, her eyes fixed on Hikaku, who was deep in concentration. Izuna followed her lead, staying low and silent as they got closer.

As they drew near, they could see that Hikaku was practicing a new jutsu, one they'd never seen before. Izuna felt a thrill of excitement shoot through him - this was exactly the kind of thing he loved to see. He held his breath as Hikaku unleashed the technique, and they watched in awe as it exploded in a burst of fiery power.

Kawakana turned to Izuna, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "That was amazing!" she whispered. "Let's go ask him to show us how he did it."

Izuna hesitated for a moment, but he knew deep down that he couldn't resist the chance to learn something new. Together, they approached Hikaku, eager to learn his secrets. As they drew closer, Hikaku turned to face them, a look of surprise on his face.

"What are you two doing here?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

Kawakana beamed at him. "We saw you practicing that awesome fire jutsu and we wanted to learn how to do it too!"

Hikaku hesitated for a moment, but then a smile spread across his face. "Alright," he said, "I'll teach you both. Don't loose focus now."

Izuna and Kawakana nodded eagerly, eager to begin their training. As Hikaku began to show them the technique, the three of them were completely lost in the thrill of discovery and the joy of learning. For Izuna and Kawakana, it was the perfect way to improve themselves - and the perfect way to deepen their bond with each other.

Hikaku warned Kawakana, "You know you don't have to sneak around. This is Uchiha controlled territory. I could've mistaken you for an intruder, Kawakana."

"I am not worried, You know me too well." Kawakana laughed, her gray blue eyes twinkling with joy.

Her charisma got the better of Hikaku, he complied, "Fine, You are such a knucklehead." Hikaku's eye twitched as he adjusted himself, "Just watch out, I don't want to accidentally hurt you."

It was the gentle teasing that Kawakana and Izuna needed. Hikaku returned to the lesson, "Fire ball technique is our clan's signature jutsu. However Before that I think it's best if you both focus on controlling your chakra excretion. This requires hours of meditation and focus."

She gave him a grateful hug, "Thanks! Hikaku, Did Daifuma teach you?"

He tilted his head, Replying gently, "Yes, He did. Today I will be fighting besides the general in battle."

She expressed her concerns, "Make sure not to die in battle! It would be soo lonely around here without you."

"All right. I promise not to die." Hikaku only half-stopped to smile at her.

Kawakana was beaming, "I really hope you don't. We need you sooo much!"

Hikaku replied, "I won't." Hikaku looked back at the group, "Follow me."

He was leading the three of them into the outskirts of familiar land. It was darker, smelling of smoke and ash. Kawakana knew they were in family territory, this particular part of the forest was barren as a cause of the Uchihas use of fire jutsu. A long way from the other parts of the forest, where plant life was abundant, this was purely scorched earth.

The whole area was dark, nothing but shadows and smoke shading the expansive landscape from the rays of the sun. Kawakana dared not to look below her in fear she would see the images of her nightmares. The corpses of fallen warriors. It still haunted her. This was the battlefield. The one place where she was sure she would die. There would be no escape.

This horrible scene was in passing to their true destination.

Hikaku lead them to a small clearing near the center of the forests. It had the most magnificent orange flowers blossoming in perfect unison. The trunks and leaves of trees were covered in vibrant reds, oranges, and yellows, giving it a mystical aura. The group was silent, it's a wonder to Kawakana why she had never noticed this before.

Hikaku cleared his throat turning to siblings Kawakana and Izuna, "This is your training ground." Hikaku began walking towards the sunflowers.

He plucked a flower and placed it into Kawakana's hair as a sign of his acknowledgement of her distress.

"My sensei says; These sunflowers are commonly found on the front lines where warriors travel. They are a sign of hope, faith and the sun. Please keep hope in your heart for better days, Kawakana."

"Thank you, Hikaku." She nodded, "You are a great friend."

He gestured with his left arm as he spoke. Hikaku motioned to a a pond. "This is where you will practice everything I teach you."

He taught by example. Taking a deep breath, holding in the hot air in his mouth and lungs Hikaku gestured the appropriate hand signs for the fire ball jutsu. He released air casting a fireball into the confounds of the water.

The siblings looked on amazed by their friend's feats. Hikaku turned to Kawakana, "As you are the eldest you must practice this skill first."

Kawakana nodded. She held her palms up, gesturing the same signs, a serious look on her face. With steel determination in her eye she took a deep breath and exhaled a flame towards the water.

"As long as you keep practicing you will become better."

"Yes, Of course."

Izuna piped up, "Can I try too?"

Hikaku chuckled, "Of course, Izuna. But don't get discouraged if it doesn't work the first time, it takes practice and patience."

Izuna eagerly stepped up to the pond and attempted to mimic the hand signs and breathing techniques. A small flicker of flame shot out, but quickly fizzled out.

"Keep it up! Izuna!" Kawakana encouraged her younger sibling.

The group spent the next few hours practicing their jutsu and honing their skills in the serene clearing. Eventually, the sun began to set and Hikaku deemed it time to return to the main house.

As they made their way back through the forest to home, Kawakana felt a newfound sense of hope and determination.

"You did great, Kawakana." He complimented her first try.

"I put myself fully into everything! No half-measures!" Kawakana claimed making Izuna gleam with admiration.

Kawakana couldn't help but feel a sense of gratitude for the moment of respite. The seriousness of the shinobi world could weigh down even the strongest spirit, but sometimes it was the small moments of joy that kept them going.

As they reached the main house, Kawakana felt a sense of accomplishment. The hours of practice had left her exhausted, but she knew it was worth it. With each day, each step, she was becoming stronger and more capable. She knew that with enough practice and guidance, she could become a kunoichi who could survive this chaotic world.