Disclaimer: Naruto and its characters do not belong to me, they belong to Masashi Kishimoto

-Chapter Six-

Wife

As Madara came flying towards her with a high kick, Sakura hit the deck to dodge. She had originally asked for his help because he was the only one she thought would teach her. What she hadn't expected was for him to be so invested in the training. Honestly, after knowing him for so long, she really should have anticipated that he wouldn't give her special treatment.

The Uchiha, while certainly not going full strength with her, wasn't letting up. His blows rarely connected but when they did it was always a very gentle touch. Knowing this gave her the chance to lower her anxiety and observe his movements. Mostly she just attempted amateuristic avoidance maneuvers, which always irritated the man. He wanted her to fight, not to run. Retreating at the wrong time got people killed.

It had been a few weeks since the girl first requested this of him and the first was spent showing her the correct form. Something she completely lost track of in their wannabe spars. Once in a while though, she'd fall back into defensive and offensives positions quite naturally. Several times he could have sworn there were stances she went into that he had yet to teach her.

Even more rare was when she would suddenly stage an attack that, if performed with proper technique, would have pushed him back or landed the hit. It was almost as if her mind knew what to do but her body couldn't keep up. Those were the instances that worried him the most. A short time after they started training, one such incidence occurred and it scared him to death.

Sakura had been trying to land a hit that day with mounting frustration. Madara was just having fun moving away from her pathetic excuse of attacks. Then it happened. The girl, with hands on bent knees, attempting to catch her breath, raised her head and stared right at him. Her eyes were glowing a fierce green, holding a new determination.

Smirking, she jumped backwards, crossing her arms as she did. Translucent metal strings attached to her wrists were hit by a ray of sun, lighting them up. Tracing them, he realized whatever they were attached to was behind him. He whirled around, though he heard the kunai whizzing behind him before he saw them.

Turning back around, he darted forward to avoid the weapons coming at him from both sides. As he did this he wondered where she'd gotten the wire and the kunai. More importantly, he wondered when she had the chance to place this trap.

A trap.

His eyes narrowed as he realized what this was. He'd moved towards her just as she shot forward in his direction, with her fist raised high. All she wanted was one hit. Her determination had become so intense that it transformed into killing intent.

Madara responded to this as he always had, with his own killing intent. He blocked the blow with his arm, forcing her hand upward, and pushed his other hand against her chest with enough force to break a grown man's ribs. The child went flying until her tiny body slammed into the tree their swing hung from. He heard a sickening crack on impact and the branches swayed from the collision.

He was horrified.

Attacking had been such a natural response to him, he hadn't even hesitated in taking her down. Had he killed her? The girl's sudden gasp for air relieved him. He rushed forward to check to see how much damaged he had inflicted.

When Sakura saw the man's attack connect she felt something inside of her break. Time slowed as the force threw her off her feet. She noticed right away that she was heading for the tree behind her. This might be the death of her.

Fear pumped adrenaline through her system, along with something else. Her energy levels spiked and she didn't feel exhausted anymore. The pain inside of her was also gone before her back hit the tree. She didn't scream in pain but she could feel that something had happened to her spine. The hit winded her for a moment but she gasped greedily for air. Seeing her friend approach, seeking comfort, she reached out her hand to him.

Taking the hand offered, Madara started to check how badly she was wounded. Pressing against her ribs, he observed her reaction. She didn't even wince. Nothing broken there. Next, he examined her head, no blood, dents, or feelings of dizziness. The crack hadn't come from there. That left…it couldn't be that.

As if a heavy weight had landed on him the Uchiha went from crouching next to her, to kneeling before her. One of the worst injuries a shinobi, or anyone for that matter, could suffer from was a spinal injury. In one move he could very well have ended her life.

With growing trepidation, he reached out to touch her legs. She hadn't moved them yet, but if there was even a little sensation left in them he would do everything he could to get her help. Even go to the Senju.

As disgusted as the Uchiha were to admit it the other clan just had more and better healers. He would put his gunbai down in front of Hashirama and beg him for help if needed. Even more than ever before, he was realizing how precious Sakura was to him. After all these years she was still innocent, capable of bringing a bright light to his dark world. And he'd crushed that with his bare hands.

Madara's fingers were almost touching her leg when he saw it twitch. His head rose and he gazed down into her face. The pinkette stared back at him questioningly. Swallowing the dryness in his throat, which didn't help at all, he asked her, "Can you stand?"

Blinking, she nodded slowly, as if confused at his question. "Of course." Then she tried to stand, he gawked at her as she pushed herself up from the tree. Her knees buckled halfway but her legs were working. His relief was palpable.

Trying again, she made it to her feet this time. Staring up at her now, the twenty-one year old shinobi with crumbled up brows, circled his arms around her waist. His face was pushed up against her stomach and although the Senju girl would have sworn her shirt was getting a little wet, maybe she was still a bit dazed.

After the man did a few swipes of his face against her shirt, she was then pulled onto his lap without warning. He moved to her neck, nuzzling into it. She could feel the leftover tension in his body so she rubbed at his shoulders, trying to calm him. "I'm okay. Strong as an ox, you know." He laughed lightly against her neck, squeezing his arms around her to bring her even closer.

Shivering, Sakura shifted a bit. His laughter caused his breath to come out in a strong burst beside her neck and it did funny things to her stomach. She was suddenly more aware of the body against her own. There were hands on her hips, holding her in place with a tight grip. Her own hands were crushed up between them. Moving them slightly, she was able to press her palms on his chest. She didn't push him away. She felt safe like this, enclosed in his embrace. It never felt like this when Hashirama hugged her.

That day, tightening his hold on her, Madara swore to himself that he wouldn't hurt her again. He was more aware of himself now, making sure he never entered into a serous battle mentality. After that incident, she hadn't summoned enough killing intent to jar him again. Occasionally, her determination would morph into something more deadly, but he was always careful with her.

She was getting frustrated again today, having become more upset that he'd allowed her to hit him a few times. It was to show her that she needed to work on her physical strength as much as her technique. As of late she was being caught up with the logistics. She didn't seem to care why he was doing it though, just upset that he was letting it happen at all.

Her irritation levels were rising higher and higher. She knew she was weak but now he was sticking her nose in it. Finally, as she came at him ready to punch, he didn't show any intention to avoid it and she snapped. An inner voice screamed out 'crush him' while she yelled out, "Stop messing around!"

Madara's black eyes widened and even without his sharingan activated he knew he needed to move. Dodging to the side, he watched her stumble forward, her hand knocking into the tree. The tree seemed to rock in its roots, but he paid no mind to that.

Right as the girl's fist connected with the tree, her body froze in place, unnaturally still. She stayed like that for a moment, until a slow shiver overtook her body. The young man approached her cautiously, unsure about what was happening. Then her shivering turned into full on shaking. Her body couldn't hold itself up anymore. She started to fall to the ground, forcing the Uchiha to catch her. That's when he saw that she had begun to foam at the mouth.

"Sakura!" He didn't know what this was, but he couldn't just leave her like this. Whatever sort of attack this was, it was serious. Picking her up, he made sure to keep her face turned to the side so she wouldn't choke on her own fluid. With one swing of his gunbai, Madara ripped through the vines guarding their secret place. Outsider or not he would take her to his clan's healers. Even if he had to threaten them at gunbai point, he'd make sure she got the help she needed.

He left so fast that he didn't notice the small crater Sakura's fist had made in the tree.

Her whole body hurt, as if someone had used her as a battering ram. The worst pain was radiating from her chest. It felt like she'd been pierced by something. Prying her eyes open, she realized that she had been stabbed. There was something white going right through her body. Following the cord like material, she traced the source back to a pale woman that stood before her. She'd been impaled by her hair.

There was no warning before she was suddenly pulled out of what felt like a too large body and then forcibly shoved back in for a new situation. All she got to see this time was her brother's proudly standing side by side, emitting a feeling of strength. Standing beside them were two others, an older man and a young blonde man.

After witnessing that, she was yanked away again, only to come face to face with the woman from before. This time she was in her own body. "It is not time to remember, or come to the Shinigami." Claw like hands gripped her shoulders, digging into flesh. "You have not stopped anything yet. Go back." She was suddenly pushed backwards. Pushed into a body that felt like it was dying.

When Madara made it to Uchiha grounds, carrying a limp body of a pink haired pre-teen he got some attention. His yells for a healer brought even more eyes onto them, including his brother's. The younger Uchiha heir followed him to his room where he placed Sakura on his futon. Her shaking wasn't as violent as earlier, but it was still going on.

Glancing at Izuna, who was staring, mystified, at the oddly colored child, he ordered him to fetch their most knowledgeable healer. Nodding, the teen ran off to do so. Leaving that to him, Madara settled down next to Sakura, grabbing hold of her hand.

He was afraid. It had been so long since he let this emotion overtake him that he didn't have any idea of how to deal with it. Lifting her hand to his face, he pressed it to his forehead. Bowing his head, he prayed to any god that would listen to let her live.

That is how Izuna found him, and the sight unsettled him along with the healer he had kidnapped. One of the very few who utilized chakra instead of traditional medical practices. "Brother…"

Madara raised his head slightly, only to set his scrutiny on the healer. Disturbed by this, the older woman spoke up, "Are you injured, Madara-sama?"

Standing up, he gestured to the child in his bed. "Help her."

Shocked, the shaman backed away slowly. "But she is an outsider! I can't help her." She was appalled at the prospect. "Your father would kill me."

Grabbing the woman by the front of her worn out dress he snarled in her face, sharingan activated. "And I won't?!" Faced with the choice of angering a man out of his prime known for his brutality, or the young Uchiha heir whose legends on the battlefield have reached even her ears, she chose to confront the known.

"I'll do it!" Still annoyed with her, Madara threw her down onto the futon. Scared, the woman quickly got to work. Soon after her glowing hands touched Sakura, the shaking stopped completely. He kept his eyes on her though, making sure she didn't try anything. While he watched the healer, Izuna observed him.

His older brother had never acted this way before. Once in a while he would break a rule of their father's, but never to this degree. He brought an outsider onto Uchiha land. Into their home. The likelihood of him being forgiven was slim.

Who was this child to his brother for him to risk so much for her? And she was a child. A petite little thing in a dirty dress. Nothing about her screamed special besides that odd hair of hers. Yet it was obvious how the older Uchiha felt about her. Sighing, he sat down on the opposite side of the kid from the shaman. Madara decided to stand to retain an air of supremacy around him.

A short while later the healer removed her hands from the girl. "I'm done. It was a seizure brought on by recent chakra exhaustion. There is no discernible lasting damage. She could wake at any moment." The healer warily turned her head to look at the Uchiha heir. "May I go now? Please, before your father finds out I'm here." The only response she got was a nod from Izuna when his brother didn't answer.

She swiftly scurried off. That left only the two brothers and an unconscious child in the room. For a lengthy stretch of time they sat there in silence. It was clear what his brother had planned for the girl. The only thing he couldn't understand was why he hadn't acted on it yet.

The brat was at least twelve or thirteen. Already at marriageable age for females. With her looks she'd make a fine concubine one day. His brother should have already claimed her so that no other could. Once he declared her as his property, she would be able to live lavishly in Uchiha territory. There was no need to wait. He didn't have to do anything until she reached an age that he found her physically desirable at.

Suddenly, sharp eyes turned on him with the utmost seriousness. "Izuna, let me ask you this; if you had something you wanted right in front of you, what would you do?"

Mirroring his sibling's look he answered him. "Take it. Would that not make you happy then?"

"Ah, I would be happy. Yes."

He gestured at the kid on the futon. "And yet you won't with this girl." The sudden smile on the other man's face was bitter.

"I can be very selfish, just not with her. I'm not sure why either."

With a gentleness he'd never seen in the older Uchiha before, he caressed the sleeping child's cheek. Izuna bit his lip, speaking softly. "…They say, when someone changes in such a manner, that they are in love."

Madara's hand halted, still against Sakura's face. Love. A simple word with an enormous amount of complexity behind it. Was he in love with her? He had thought she would make a good partner in life. He hadn't thought about how he actually felt about her beyond a yearning to be around her light. She offered it rather carelessly to him after all. There was no reason not to take what she was giving.

Though what she didn't give to him was love so he hadn't thought about it. He supposed that was of no consequence. She was a merchant's daughter, much easier to wed than some heiress. That's when it dawned on him that marrying her was his plan all along. It seemed like such an obvious outcome that he had given it no real thought at all.

Sakura was the only female he had ever shown any interest in. Most women were weak and bothersome, but not her. Though she might have physically been weak, she was mentally strong. She never cried at his verbal abuse. From the start she understood he didn't always mean what he said. She accepted him and to him, that was the most important aspect of a wife.

As he was thinking about all the ways he could propose this proposition to her, the door to his room slid open. Back lit by the sun, his father stood at the opening. Behind him, standing in the yard, were curious onlookers. He made a motion to suggest he wanted to be followed, then walked off, leaving the shoji door open. The servants scattered as he walked their way.

Madara pushed Izuna, who had been rising to his feet, down by his shoulder. "Stay here." While he was gone he needed his brother to stand guard over the child. Bare feet gliding over the tatami mats, he went to join his father. He made sure to close the door when he left.

The two men met in the clan head's office, both looking like they were prepared to come to blows. Tajima was the first to speak. "Who is she?" His voice boomed in the confined space, but his son did not flinch.

"My choice of wife, the future matriarch of the Uchiha clan." A killing intent that nearly put his own to shame surrounded the older man.

"I think not." He shook his head as if to show what a ridiculous idea it really was. "That is a position only for an Uchiha. She may be your mistress if you want, but she may never have a position of power." He glared at his son, trying to keep his dominance of the situation.

Madara kept his face as stoic as possible. "And if I don't wish to listen to your arbitrary rules?"

"She will die." Suddenly the room seemed to warm several degrees. A heat like no other was wafting off of the young Uchiha in waves. He didn't even need to move to make the threat of bodily harm apparent. It was only now that he realized that they were now the same height. The boy also had more muscle then he did. They had come to stand on equal footing without him even noticing.

Thinking of all those battle his son had fought with Hashirama Senju, he backed up until he was against the wall. No, they weren't on equal footing. His oldest had long surpassed him. Before he could activate his sharingan, Madara had him pinned to the wall by his throat. "If you as much as look at her, I'll rip your eyes out."

With that threat hanging in the air, he released his father and flash stepped across the room. Hand on the door, he glanced back with his sharingan spinning in his eye to make sure the warning held. Then he exited the clan head's office and started back towards his bedroom. Danger leaked off of him as he debated what to do.

Tajima Uchiha never took being ordered around well. He'd worry over his words until he inevitably decided they were a bluff. Then he would go find Sakura. He couldn't have his father doing that.

Shortly after Madara arrived back to his room and dismissed Izuna, Sakura woke up. Her eyes opened slowly, the fading light in the room seemingly hurting her retinas. Flinging her arm over her face, she attempted to block the light. "Sakura…"

The girl popped up when she heard him, eyes racing to his face. "Madara." She felt something tighten around her free hand. Peeking down, she noticed that he was holding it. A bright blush covered her cheeks, but she didn't attempt to remove his appendage. A matching hue seemed to color his own before he turned his face away from her.

"It's time for you to be getting home. I'll bring you." Maybe then he could express to her father his willingness to marry her. Unexpectedly, the girl appeared to panic. Her eyes darted around the room like she was searching for something to change the topic of conversation. Nothing came to her.

"I can get home on my own." Red eyes glared down at her but she wasn't intimidated. "I can do what I want." He crossed his arms and intensified his stare but it did nothing. "Okay, you can take me as far as our base."

Thinking that this was enough of a concession for now, he agreed. He'd convince her of the rest later. Slinging her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes, she made a nose of indignation. He flash stepped outside of his room and jumped over the barriers surrounding the Uchiha complex. It didn't take him much time at all to reach their base at full speed.

Once they were there she attempted to climb out of his arms, but he didn't allow this. "Hey! Let me down."

"No. Tell me where you live, I'll take you there. I won't put you down until you do."

Not willing to be blackmailed and unable to let him walk into the Senju compound, she stubbornly refused to disclose where she lived. "If you don't let me go, I'll never talk to you again."

"You brat! I'm just trying to help you out." Grumbling to himself at her silence, he mumbled, "Like you could really remain quiet." She huffed, and turned her head away from him. From there they were both silent for a good twenty minutes.

Both of them suffered as his arms were beginning to get tired from holding her and she didn't like the soundless environment. She didn't cave though and it quickly became evident that she never would. It dawned on him that she was stubborn enough to stop seeing him completely. There were just some things she would never give up and this appeared to be one of them.

Sighing to himself, in disbelief that he was actually giving in first for a change, he set her down. Pointing at him rudely, a trait that reminded him of Hashirama, she ordered him not to give chase. "If you follow me I'll never come to see you again." Then she raced off into the distance.

He had planned to follow her. There was a chance he could still do it to. He'd never taught her to sense chakra, she wouldn't even know he did it. Just the possibility that he could be discovered was enough to keep him in place though. Ultimately, she had a tendency to surprise him that he couldn't chance. "Damn it!"

A few short weeks later Tajima and Madara were coming back from a battle by themselves when they were ambushed by Hyuuga. It was unmistakable that the Byakugan users didn't know who they were. There were only five low powered shinobi. They must have come upon them on a scouting mission and thought two lone Uchiha would be easy to take out. Their mistake cost them their lives.

Tajima was flicking off one of their bodies from his sword when Madara came up behind him. "You have been looking for her."

An intense heat flared at his back, a manifestation of his son's rage. He didn't question who the boy meant. "Did you really think I wouldn't? Of course I need to see if she is fit to be my daughter-in-law."

A snarl came across the younger Uchiha's face. "You were planning to kill her!" Realizing that this was serious, Tajima spun around and attempted to kick him in the sternum. He'd already been prepared for this with his sharingan spinning in his eye. It was easy to catch his leg and spin him back around, grabbing his sword away from him as he did so. "That is something I can't let you do, Father."

The jab of his own sword into his heart killed him before he could say anything else. It pumped twice more after the penetration, squirting blood once Madara removed the weapon. He jumped away as not to get any on him. His story of a Hyuuga sneaking up on Tajima and getting the better of him in his old age would be more believable that way.

Watching his father die on the forest floor wasn't as pleasing as he thought it would be. All he could think about was Izuna. If his brother were to find out what he had done, he'd never forgive him. He didn't do this with forgiveness in mind though. This wasn't something he just decided on a whim, it was the only feasible option that allowed Sakura to live. The other was him letting her go but he was much too selfish for that.

He wondered if he could be sad over his father's death. It didn't really seem proper for a killer to be dejected over the body. Tears did not come to him, but his eyes felt...different.

Like that Madara became the next head of the Uchiha clan and the first to ever achieve the Mangekyo Sharingan.

There will be another time skip later on as there are still several more years before Konoha is formed.