A/N: Since we know very little of what happened during this time period, how things were, etc. I headcanon (this you already know) that The Senju had The Uzumaki as their allies while The Uchiha had The Hyuga (it's a weird thought but bear with me please). We know Konoha has four noble clans. I'm thinking that when Hashirama and Madara agreed to join and form a village, they brought their allies into the mix. The Uzumaki, having had their own village, declined respectfully but in order to honor them, the whirlpool is on every ninja flat jacket. So, that left The Hyuga. There had always been some 'friendly competition' regarding which dojutsu is stronger but after Madara went and forever tainted the image of The Uchiha Clan, things got cold between the clans and what was once a harmless rivalry turned into resentment and desire for superiority. The Hyuga were too traditional and strict, in their opinion, The Uchiha were formidable but lacked discipline and their fiery outbursts as well as cursed eyes were something they no longer admired, not like they used to. In return, The Uchiha felt betrayed. Once more, people revered The Senju. As you will see in this chapter, The Nara resemble Switzerland. They are neutral, always have been, always will be. Both sides can admit they are much too valuable to drag in a war. When Konoha is build, The Nara see the potential, so they join because they want to and believe in the cause. The Yamanaka and The Akimichi had once stood on opposite sides but if The Senju and The Uchiha could overlook years of bad blood, so could they. The Aburame is actually a clan that migrated and because of their input regarding nature, environment and of course, their terrifying abilities involving bugs, they were given the honorary title of Konoha's Fourth Noble Clan. The Inuzuka hadn't been a clan at first, just scattered people, enjoying time with their dogs. When other clans from different lands (think the future Kiri. Suna, etc.) attacked them, it became personal and thus they were the last to join Konoha but their loyalty was unquestionable. In a time of need, the village had opened their gates and so had The Inuzuka, their hearts.
I hate Council Meetings. Miya decided in a span of less than five minutes. It was her first time attending one of those but lack of experience didn't blind her. If anything, it sharpened her vision. Whatever childish awe the prospect had instilled in her once, it disappeared the moment she walked inside. Annoyance was quick to replace it. The Uzumaki were known to be blunt to a nearly painful degree. Most couldn't be bothered to lie for the sake of keeping up appearances. They were nothing if not truthful.
Or at least that's what she used to believe. Reality was far uglier to the point it made her wonder where she fit in all of this. This charade. These stuck-up hags can't be the same heroes I admired and looked up to. Cowards. Cowards surrounded her. And the Senju weren't far behind, she suspected. Hashirama was young and the fourth son. He wasn't groomed for leadership and it showed. The elders doubted him but, Miya had to admit, even their rock-like stubbornness trembled when faced with his booming voice and tremendous power. And though she respected that, it wasn't enough. Brawn and unwavering confidence won battles, true, but it took brains to end a war.
Huh, maybe some good had come out of being forced to spend time with Shinki.
The Nara was the only impartial clan in this long-lasting feud. They never took sides, merely observed. Always there. Always watching. Waiting. For what? Miya didn't know. A winner, perhaps? An opportunity? It was hard to tell. Politics were a different kind of battlefield that she had little experience in. Her father was simple-minded. An idealist and often sought out the elders for 'wise guidance'. His strength lay with the people, not with the lifeless pawns of shogi. He had something the hags didn't. The love of the people. As did her soon to be brother-in-law.
Still, how well would they fare against Madara?
This deep-rooted concern was the sole reason why she accepted her mother's request to spend time with a suitor. Miya figured that she might as well choose the smartest one. She had lots to learn and finally found somebody willing to teach. It helped that Shinki wasn't particularly interested in her as more than a friend. In his words, she is "far too troublesome to marry" but less so than other potential wives. She got his parents to stop nagging, he got hers to stop nagging. It was a win-win situation. He also showed her another side of war that she had overlooked as well as dismissed.
"There hasn't been any kind of fighting in months." one of them quipped hopeful.
"Could this mean peace?" another massaged his beard.
"As if the Uchiha would ever..."
Ryuji scoffed. "As if we would ever..."
Usui-san mused "Two different clanheads..."
"Mean horse shit." Everyone's eyes widened. "Pardon, Uzumaki-sama, Senju-sama."
Miya's father laughed, his eyes dancing with mirth. "No, no, go on."
Hashirama gave a curt nod since he was the one insulted.
"Clanheads have risen and fallen. Did we ever stop crossing blades?" Nobody spoke. "I fail to see how it's any different now." Yojima said flatly.
Miya rose from her seat, attracting everyone's attention. They didn't expect me to speak-up. Good, all the more reasons for her to do it.
"Claiming that all clanheads are the same is a horse shit offence." she paused. "Where I come from, at least." The youngest men to attend the meeting snickered. The old hag reddened. "The Uchiha respect strength above all. I think we are more than capable of showing them what mass destruction looks like should we have no other option. We stand united unlike our ancestors." she reminded them. Hashirama and Mito's engagement did that. "Is it too farfetched to believe the same for the Uchiha? Perhaps. But we won't know unless we try. There are other threats coming, shinobi, clans that don't plan to join a side but to crush us instead." It was a well-guarded secret that she had just spilled. She wasn't supposed to know that people from different lands desire theirs.
"With all due respect, Lady Miya, how did you come in possession of such knowledge?" Usui-san required.
"Kami knows I can spend hours, days on horseback. A journey to the border merely confirmed the suspicious I already had." her lips curled upwards into a smirk. "Us, Uzumaki, aren't exactly known for being subtle."
She had them exactly where she wanted.
"Damn right we are not." Ryuji grinned as he glanced at her. "I assume you want to propose something, Miya-hime?"
The smirk died off her lips. "Drop the hime and I might."
He laughed and turned to face his father. "Can't I marry her instead of Ebina?" Ryuji got a slap on the back of the neck for that but it only made him more cheerful.
"Your proposal." a neutral voice reminded her.
Miya's eyes widened slightly. Shinki rarely, if ever, spoke in a crowd. He couldn't be bothered to. The Nara assisted meetings of both sides but kept to themselves, save for a dry comment in passing. It was a surprise, though not unpleasant since he turned everyone's attention back to the task at hand. She cast him a grateful look.
"I propose negotiation. Equal terms. Equal grounds. Who is in favor to raise their hand."
Silence filled the room. Some agreed, some didn't while others refused to vote. Hashirama and her father were last.
Both rose their hands.
Please let me be right. She silently prayed as one by one people left the room. Her father, Isao, kissed her forehead before he took his leave. "You did good."
Her worries ceased to exist. She dreaded his reaction, feared that she had gone too far, crossed a line that she shouldn't have and upset him. That was the last thing she wanted. He must have known that there was little she shied away from saying. Despite that, she was allowed to attend meetings that only men did.
As long as I have tou-chan's approval...
She didn't care about anything else. Hashirama, though, had a different outlook and stayed behind to voice it.
"You shouldn't have done that."
Miya whirled around to face him. "You were getting nowhere. I helped make a decision."
The easygoing boy she had grown-up playing besides was gone. In his stead, stood Lord Senju that she suddenly found slim respect for. "Isao-dono allowed you to attend..." he abruptly stopped.
"And look pretty but not talk, is that what you wanted to say?" she finished sharply.
Hashirama heaved a sigh and rubbed at his face tiredly. "Don't come with us when the negotiations take place."
Her nostrils flared. She didn't recognize him anymore. "My father..." she began.
"Sees in you the son he always wanted but never had. Truth is, you are not and you will never be, no matter how much steel you wear or how good of a warrior you become, Miya. We will turn to blows and jutsu when words will inevitably fail. I know Madara. Pride alone would never let him settle for a truce. I never stopped reaching out and I won't do it now but you will get caught in the crossfire. War is messy and ruthless." he replied. "Let it go."
Half of her didn't condemn him for worrying. However, he was in no position to tell her what she could and could not do. Miya didn't get this far and work this hard only to be a bystander.
She was a whirlpool and whirlpools stopped for no one.
"Did Mito put you up to this?"
Hashirama didn't speak but he didn't need to. His silence said more than enough.
A humorless chuckle went past her lips. "Of course she did."
"Mito wants what's best for you. Training and fighting aren't the same thing. Killing changes who you see when you look in the mirror."
The redhead fought back tears and let anger drive her forward. "That's who she has always been. A coward. A quitter. A diplomat who hides behind silks and courtesies. Had it not been for me, you two wouldn't have gotten close. I pushed her out of her damn comfort zone. The least she can do is let me expand mine without having you or anyone else order me around. I answer to no one." she snapped. "To be alive is to be in danger. It can come from anywhere, anyone, under any form. We all pick some sort of poison. I just happened to choose mine a long time ago."
Miya noticed Shinki hadn't left but witnessed the entire argument. He had an unreadable expression on his face until his eyes narrowed. Gone was the sleepy air he always had about him. When Hashirama reached out for her, his shadow stretched and bind him. "Recognize a losing battle." he inclined his head. "I'm not talking about me. As far as I am concerned, you could overpower me easily. Miya's troublesome will? Centuries won't erase it."
He released Hashirama and turned on his heel.
"If you cared about her, you'd agree with me."
Miya tugged on Shinki's arm when he stopped. She didn't want his belief in her to waver. Or for him to reconsider. He glanced at her, noticing the tears she struggled to hold back.
"What she chooses to do is not my business. Your feud with the Uchiha isn't either." he paused. "But hurt her again and it will be."
They left the room, arm in arm. She won. Then why did it feel as if she already lost?
.
.
Days passed by in a blur. Miya did what she always did. Woke-up, trained, spent time with Shinki, fell asleep and repeat. Hashirama tried to make amends and Mito sought her out but she had brushed them off.
When a crowd gathered in the Great Hall, she coughed. "Step aside." They made room for her to get through and see what caused the commotion. There was a box with a head inside. Her father stared at it grimly as he wrapped an arm around Yume. The sight of blood bothered her mother like nothing else.
"Who is he?" somebody asked.
Yojima, the boldest of Isao's advisers, stepped in the front, jaw clenched. "The messenger Uzumaki-sama sent to negotiate peace." he spat the last word.
No doubt that was addressed to her. Miya bit her lip so hard she tasted blood. With slow steps, she kneeled beside the box and pulled out a small sheet of paper. The kanji for "war" was written on it. Her hand trembled slightly but she caught herself and made it a fist.
"I believe you got your answer, Lady Miya. War is what the Uchiha desire." Yojima added, further twisting a knife in her ribs.
Why does it have to be this way?
She didn't, couldn't understand when had darkness overwhelmed him so. When did hate took permanent residency in his heart? When did Madara allow fury to cloud the fair judgement that she knew he had?
It doesn't matter. She forced herself to think. Miya gripped the paper in her hand and ripped it apart with her wind chakra until nothing remained. She lowered herself to the ground, humble in a way that she had never openly been. "Forgive me, tou-sama. I made a mistake."
Her father puts his strong arms around her shoulders and silently urged her to rise. "No child of mine will kneel." he sighed. "And there is nothing to forgive. You are still young. I wanted to believe in peace with the Uchiha as much as you did."
The doors to the Great Hall burst open and Hashirama walked inside with sure, loud steps. He looked at the box regretfully but said nothing to her. Half of Miya expected him to rage and burn but knew that wasn't who he was. "If Uzumaki-dono consents, we will march in two days."
Isao agreed and ordered them to prepare.
.
.
Miya stood in her garden and sharpened her dual swords. Shinki stopped by once and said nothing, only watched her. She looked up at him. "I was naive."
"Hopeful." he argued.
"Isn't that the same thing?" she glared, furiously scrubbing at the hard steel.
He sat beside her and pulled out a kunai, holding it close to one of her swords. "Both can hurt but they aren't the same."
"Why didn't you stop me?" she whispered quietly.
He gave her a pointed look. "Would you have listened if I tried?"
Miya had nothing to say to that. She knew she wouldn't have. "There is more to this. I think you agreed with me."
"It wasn't my business." he retorted.
She snorted. "Of course not."
Shinki pressed his back against hers as he had done so many times before. His presence was calm in a sea of chaos. She appreciated that. "I don't think you are wrong." he admitted. "War is..."
Miya couldn't help but roll her eyes. "Troublesome?"
He was quiet for a while. "Sad."
They felt the same about that. However, little, if nothing at all, could be done to change it.
"Despite that, many voted against negotiation..." she mused out loud before her eyes widened. That's it! Miya stood up so fast that Shinki nearly fell over.
"And here I was silently praising you for staying still." he groaned.
She ignored the jab, too excited that she just read underneath the underneath. "Promise you won't think I'm crazy?"
The Nara cocked an eyebrow. "You mean more than I already do?"
"Shinki, this is serious." she exclaimed and proceeded to explain when he nodded. "The ones that voted against negotiation could have locked up our messenger for a few days and killed him only to send the head and make it look as if the Uchiha rejected our offer when in fact they didn't even get to hear it."
He stared at her for a full minute then shrugged.
Miya's eye twitched in disbelief. "That's all? You have nothing to say?"
"Had you connected the dots a little later, I would have been forced to spell it out for you." Shinki replied and it only made her want to strangle him. He grasped her forearm and pulled her on the tree bark beside him. "If I told you, there wouldn't be any sense of accomplishment in here." he placed her hand on top of his heart.
Amazing. She had never felt a heartbeat before. Other than her own, of course. What stunned her was the quick-paced rhythm. On the outside, Shinki looked cool as a cucumber.
Could it be that...? Maybe they could...
No. It wouldn't be fair.
Because every time she closed her eyes, it was Madara she wanted. Madara she longed to see again and fight with and talk to. Before adulthood, darkness, and grief, before the cold-hearted lord and the fearsome warrior, there had been a boy who showed her the world and told her she could have it. Madara had carved himself a place inside her heart with the same ease he fought with and try as she might there was no changing that.
Miya took her hand away and laughed. "Only you can get a sense of accomplishment out of doing nothing at all." she wrapped her arms around him. Tomorrow she was leaving to join the battlefield. Depending on how things went, she might never see him again and though Shinki could never replace who Madara had been to her, still is, her traitorous heart whispered, he was her friend. "Thank you." she whispered fiercely then rose.
"What will you do about the councilmen?" he asked.
"At this point, I'd only make a fool out of myself if I started pointing fingers at random." No, she had embarrassed herself and Isao enough. The redhead knew she had to tread carefully. Men her father trusted were at fault and betrayal was a difficult dish to digest.
War was already looming on the horizon and Miya knew for a fact that she couldn't just flee from home and march alone inside enemy territory. Madara might not kill her but before she reached him, others would reach her without doubt.
"What other option do you have?" Shinki, the Nara he was, either played dumb or he simply couldn't fathom the alternative.
Miya didn't want to find out which.
"Planning ahead is not my forte. I like to treat stuff as they come." More like jump headfirst into them with all the cautiousness of a five-year-old.
Miya had waited for this her entire life. Today, she won't be in the palace, hiding with the other women as she always did. Today, she was the men's equal. She had to be more than strong, however. She had to be smart. She had to be resourceful.
Enduring.
Otherwise she would do nothing but prove Mito, Hashirama, her mother and the hags right. Men had been given their place in the world.
If women must fight for theirs, so be it. Count me as the first female warrior from many to come.
Truthfully, she was a bundle of nerves at the moment but she refused to let it show. Steady. Miya gripped the reins of her horse. At ease. She took a deep breath. Confident. The girl stubbornly lifted her chin up as she glanced at Hashirama who had just said his farewell to Mito. He met her eyes and sighed before mounting his own horse.
Her sister watched her, a frown etched her forehead. She mouthed. I'm sorry.
Miya arched an eyebrow, as if saying. Are you, really?
The eye-contact broke when their mother approached. Never one for open displays of affection, this greatly surprised her. Yume took her hand and left a vial in it. She didn't understand at first. Poison was the coward's way and she refused to be a coward. "Men get killed but there are worse things fashioned for us. Don't give them the chance."
Miya gripped it. She didn't need a detailed explanation of what her mother meant. She would have liked telling her that she better takes it back because she won't need it.
She couldn't. The probability of getting herself captured was high enough without going after Madara himself. Miya nodded and squeezed her mother's hand. Then her lips curled upwards into a smile. "Tou-sama and I will be back before you start missing us." she assured her.
Yume kissed her knuckles. "I already do, child. Be safe."
"You have nothing to worry about, Lady Uzumaki. The Uchiha won't know what hit them." Ryuji spoke from her left, interrupting a heartfelt moment.
Miya let a spike of wind chakra slip from one of her fingers as she grasped his sleeve. "Perhaps I ought to show kaa-san a preview."
His eyes widened as he bowed his head. "Forgive me, Yume-sama. I spoke out of turn."
"She is making fun of you, Ryuji. Raise your head." her mother demanded and true to her word, Miya was fighting an amused smile.
"Could have fooled me." he retorted with a chuckle.
"Excuse you? I already have!" she protested before turning serious once more as she faced her mother. "Thank you."
Yume let go of her hand as she took a step back. "Go now."
With a determined nod, Miya cast one last look at The Land of Whirlpools, knowing it might be the last time she sees it. Then she kicked her white mare, turned her back on home and fell in line with the shinobi. It was an unspoken rule, a silent agreement between the two sides. No fighting would ever be done close to the civilians. That was the only shred of honor in a ninja's blood.
Contraire to popular belief, she was not as oblivious as people thought she was. Thus, what Hashirama and Ryuji were trying to do was fairly noticeable. They had flanked her, one on each side, her tou-sama at the front. Miya was certain that if she turned her head, there was someone watching her back as well. She fought the sudden anger that threatened to take form and stumble past her lips. Patience. Be patient. They won't be able to stick to the formation once the fighting starts. She told herself in order to stay quiet. Miya sensed his chakra before she saw him. It was restless, powerful but most of all?
Dark.
A shiver ran down her spine at the sheer intensity of it. She had thought Madara would be at the back but even as she thought it, the idea seemed laughable. Hashirama disappeared from her side in an instant. Predictable. The two gods took off, to exchange blows and fists away from their armies. Left to their own devices, The Uzumaki and The Hyuga faced one another while The Senju and The Uchiha fought.
The heavens bled that day.
And the day after that, and two days later and so on and so forth. Miya got to experience what losing a comrade feels like and how killing leaves a permanent mark over your psyche. There were corpses everywhere she looked and the smell of iron and death was something her nose would never forget. She had buried her horse at night, crying as she did so. Her body was beginning to feel the strain, as did her soul.
The sun rose and so did she. Miya's hold over her sword tightened. Her chakra needed more time. She had so little of it. What had once seemed easy, had now become hard. Training and war were two very different things indeed. She wiped the blood away from her mouth. If I look back now, I am lost. Go forward. Move, Uzumaki. Her eyes widened when she felt a sudden mass of chakra increase. Turning around, she spotted two Uchiha hiding and a couple of her clansmen right in their range.
It'd be the fourth time such a thing happened.
Miya didn't think. She just ran and pulled out a brush. Her hand moved quickly as she drew the kanji on the ground. "Sealing Barrier." she murmured and watched as the two shinobi took the full blast of their own fire jutsu. She let out a breath of relief and carried on fighting. It wasn't until she saw a boy, younger than her even, barely dodging lightning attacks. I'm already at my limit. She thought as she glared at the Uchiha. I should have followed Hashirama and gone to meet with Madara.
That wasn't who she was, however. She couldn't just look the other way while her kin needed help. Having made up her mind, Miya sprung ahead, hands already forming the necessary hand signs. Tiger - Snake - Rat - Snake - Tiger. The fact that there was no water source available meant she had to put in even more effort. At her best, the Water Wall she had created would have been unbeatable. Now though...the force of her defense was smaller than intended. "Run." she screamed at the boy before she took the brunt of the lightning jutsu.
The shock caused her body to tremble and drop to the ground.
"I've captured the Uzumaki princess."
More voices followed suit.
"Captured? Shouldn't you have killed her?"
"Baka, we are talking about Isao's offspring here."
She was vaguely aware of what was being said around her. Captured. The world left a bitter taste inside her mouth. She would have spat it if she could. The jutsu had caused some damage to her nerves, enough to render her incapable of moving.
For now.
Apparently, they knew it too because in the following second she was lifted off the ground and taken away from the battlefield. By the time they stopped, it was already night and Miya discovered that she could move her fingers, though only barely. Just enough to take the poison and end it all. She mused as she watched the Uchiha men debate her fate.
"We should keep moving until we reach our camp."
"Don't you think she should eat first?"
"And gather her strength back? No."
"For Kami's sake Daisuke, she is covered in wounds."
"Have you ever seen a Uzumaki heal before, Isumi? Because I have." the man spoke icily as he shot a kunai and hit a tree right in the middle of its bark. "I was told killing on the spot is merciful but I didn't care about that. I was curious so, I captured one and I tortured him. I inflicted wound upon wound then watched how long it took him to heal. At some point, I even spared him any kind of torture for three days. And then, I released him and lost my eye because of it. He hadn't eaten anything in some time and yet he still managed to do that." Daisuke paused as he glanced at her. "We might be more powerful but they..." he pointed with his thumb. "...they endure more. They heal quicker. They are as unpredictable as the whirlpools they pride themselves with. If given the opportunity, they'd crush us."
Miya bit her lip so hard she tasted blood. She spoke before she could have stopped herself.
"Torture? Is that The Shinobi Way? Are you proud of yourself, idiot?" she screamed.
They faced her, stunned, though they hid their surprise under carefully constructed masks of indifference.
"And what would you know about being a shinobi?" Daisuke demanded as he grasped her chin. "A woman fighting alongside men. I've lived to see it all."
"It's unfortunate that you won't survive to see us outsmart and beat you at every turn." Miya paused. Once upon a time, she would have given anything to be a man. Now, now she felt proud not to be one. "Woman." she chuckled. "Was that supposed to hurt my feelings? Here is a reminder, Daisuke. You came in this world through a woman. Before you could protect yourself, she protected you." Miya smiled. "Now tell me again, why should I feel offended when men have relied on the strength of women since the very beginning?"
Silence reigned for a few minutes during which nobody spoke.
"Well, she has got fire. I like it." One of them chuckled as he shifted closer to her. In contrast, Daisuke let go of her chin and walked away. He stopped. "You can have your way with Lady Uzumaki, but don't break her...too much." he smirked at her. "Women have served us from the very beginning, you were right about that."
Miya willed herself not to show any disgust or fear. That's what they expect from you. Fear. Weakness. She remembered what her mother told her. "I was told this would happen." she murmured as she reached out and opened the tiny bottle. "I don't want to get pregnant by the likes of you." she lied then drank the content.
And they were dumb enough to buy that.
"Clever." another mentioned wryly.
Miya ignored him, ignored the rest. She kept her eyes solely on Daisuke. "You saw how much a Uzumaki could last when in pain." she arched a brow. "Aren't you curious to see how well we can fare when pleasured?"
For a second, she thought he wouldn't take the bait. He seemed the smartest, the most reserved.
When he signaled with his hand, the others took hold of her arms and legs, pinning her down. He was suspicious but the wrong kind. "The better question isn't how long I can last...but how long can you." she added, for good measure. Daisuke was on top of her now and it took every ounce of self-control not to struggle. He glared. "You talk too much." then he kissed her roughly.
Miya naturally fought it but even so, her plan had worked. He had a taste of the poison she drank earlier. When he released her lips, she smiled.
"And you just fell into my trap. I lied. What I just drank wasn't what you thought but poison and unless you don't take me to Madara, you will die before the sun comes up."
Daisuke was fuming. "How do I know you are not lying now?"
One of the Uchiha picked up the vial from the ground and sniffed it. "She tells the truth."
They released her at once and Daisuke rose from the ground only to punch a tree in his anger. "Poison? Only cowards use it."
Miya stood up on shaky legs. "For me to use it on you, first I had to take it myself. And you were right about one thing..." she grinned. "I could never be a shinobi. Men are shinobi. I am a female ninja. A kunoichi." she approached him and whispered. "You better remember the term because you are going to hear it a lot more often from now on."
"I could kill you right now. You don't have the antidote."
"No, but if the poison doesn't kill you first, Madara surely will for ending the life of a valuable hostage."
Isumi who happened to hear her frowned. "Kami help us if women become ninja too." he remarked.
Miya laughed only to start coughing. Damn it all. The poison is spreading quicker than I thought it would.
"Someone will have to carry me and the brooding male over here." she sang.
.
.
Miya woke-up with a big headache. The last thing she remembered was gaining the upper hand over the Uchiha. She was wearing the same clothes but multiple bandages covered her wounds. Amazingly enough, the paralysis effect on her nerves was gone and so was the poison. If she focused, she could recall puking in a bowl over and over again while someone held her hair back...
Madara.
Her eyes widened. She didn't imagine it, did she? Eager to find answers, Miya abruptly stood up from the bed, swaying a bit. Right in that moment the tent curtains drew and there he was, taller and more intimidating than last time she saw him.
No longer a boy. She mused as her limbs slowly relaxed. I've done it. I nearly died but I've done it.
"You shouldn't be already on your feet." he glared at her.
Miya glared right back as she struggled to find some sort of balance. "Why does everyone like telling me what I should or shouldn't do?"
"Perhaps because you make terrible decisions." he supplied as he picked her up against her will. "And stop kicking me."
"Why? Does it hurt?" she asked excitedly.
He scoffed. "It hurts you, yes."
Miya was fuming. She only proceeded to kick him harder. "I will have you know that I fought tooth and nail to get here and if you think I'm still the same girl I used to..."
"I know." he cut her off as he lowered her down on the futon.
Her eyebrows pinched in confusion as she looked up at him. "You do?"
Madara smirked with all the smugness of his younger self. "I watched you these days. Brave, but foolish." he poked her forehead.
Miya withdrew her head, glaring at him. "I believe the term you are looking for is strong."
The smirk was gone and the look in his eyes changed. Actually, scratch that. His eyes... He was focused on her bandages. "You were nearly dead when they brought you."
"I don't know what the idiots you command have told you but there were only two options. I chose my dignity, I chose my freedom and..." You. I chose you.
Madara refused to move his gaze anywhere else. "A sword wound. Two kunai injures. Chakra levels low enough that alone should have killed you. Paralysis from lightening jutsu and poison." he curled his hand into a fist, his knuckles almost white from the pressure.
Her eyes softened and though everything in her screamed not to, Miya grasped his chin. The Sharingan stared right back at her. She didn't understand why, they were not fighting. "I'm alive, though. I knew what I was getting myself into the moment I asked you to train me years ago. It won't be easy and who knows, I might not live to see this war end for good but at least I would have done something no other woman ever did. And I have you to thank for my victory and for being alive."
Madara's eyes returned to its normal dark color as he seemed to gain back his iron composure. "I did close to nothing. Had you not been the way you are, you wouldn't have achieved anything." he took her hand and kissed her knuckles, much like he had done on the day they said goodbye. "You are almost healed which is remarkable. Most Uchiha would have still been unconscious and in pain by now."
"How long was I asleep?"
"Two days." he replied.
Miya made to stand once more. Two days... Kami knows what happened to her tou-sama, to Ryuji during these days. How many others have died... "If you are here, then the battle ceased, for now. I need to get home."
He pushed her back into a sitting position. "I said that you are almost healed."
"Almost is good enough. The poison is gone and so is the paralysis. I barely feel the kunai wounds and the sword one won't be much trouble. Just give me some food baka."
"Yes, to the matter of eating, no to leaving." he argued.
Miya bit her lip. "Am I your prisoner now?"
Madara didn't answer but his jaw clenched and that was all the confirmation she needed.
"Fine, prisoner for a day until I tell you why I risked my butt to come here."
He better not have anything to do with the messenger' severed head. She thought.