Chapter 4

Over the next two weeks, Madara visited almost every single day. It became exceedingly normal to come through the front door after school and be greeted by him and one, or both, of my parents.

Father told me a bit about him after that first night. Apparently, Madara was childhood best friends with my mother and became his friend, as well, once my parents started dating. He was even my dad's best man at their wedding!

He moved away shortly before I was born and didn't keep in touch. That explained the surprise Hiashi'd shown when he saw him on our doorstep.

"Madara, would you like more wine?"

I looked up from my dinner plate to see Masumi standing near our guest with an expensive bottle in her grasp. A bitter taste rose in my mouth as she blatantly flirted with him right in front of my father, who couldn't see it for what it was because he had such a high regard for his wife. The woman was wearing a low-cut shirt, and her cleavage was right in Dr. Uchiha's line of vision as she leaned forward to refill his glass.

Hanabi interrupted my thought process, "So, why did you return to Konoha?"

Masumi gave her daughter a warning glare, "Don't be so rude to our guest, Hanabi."

Madara raised a hand to calm her, sipping his wine before replying with a friendly grin, "It's alright. I received a job offer from the college here that was too good to turn away."

He glanced at Dad, who smiled, "I also wanted to catch up with an old friend or two."

His dark eyes turned to me, and I averted my gaze with a warm face. The man has only been charming since his arrival, but something I couldn't put my finger on made me uncomfortable.

"You're a quiet girl, Hinata. Tell me, what do you plan on studying? Perhaps you'll follow in your father's footsteps?"

I nodded and tightened my grip around my fork, more uncomfortable still now that everyone at the table had turned to look at me.

Dad reached over and rested an encouraging hand on my arm, "Hinata's a bit shy, but she'll come out of her shell once she gets to know you."

I wordlessly thanked him for saving me, and Masumi spoke again, "So, Dear, I hear that you've started a new area of research."

For once, I was relieved that she'd interrupted. We all looked over, and the man smiled, "Yes, that's correct. I've started researching how to apply our cure to other forms of cancer. We're still in the experimental period, so my team and I spend a lot of time at the lab."

A week or so later, I came downstairs in the middle of the night for a glass of water and froze at the bottom of the stairs when I heard some unwelcome sounds from the family room.

My previously sleepy mind suddenly snapped awake as I lay eyes on Masumi. I assumed she was on top of someone, my father, and it was clear from the unmistakable sounds she was making what they were doing. My face warmed, and I was about to turn and head back upstairs, only to freeze when suddenly Madara sat up underneath her so they could kiss.

My mouth opened in disbelief, only to snap closed when his eyes locked onto mine. I thought he'd immediately stop and try to defend their actions, but instead, he simply held my gaze as they continued. Bile rose in my throat as I turned and ran up the stairs, tears running down my cheeks.

I knew she was terrible, but I didn't think she'd go as far as cheating on him under his own roof while he slept in their bed upstairs. I have no choice but to tell Dad about this in the morning.

Getting back to sleep after that was difficult, and when I came downstairs for breakfast the next day, my already sour mood worsened as I realized Father had left for work early.

Masumi tried to speak to me as I stalked past her, "Hey! Where are you going?"

I froze, feeling my anger rise as I turned to glare at her. She gave me an annoyed look, while Hanabi gave me a confused one at her side. I tried to bite my tongue but couldn't control my temper, "Don't talk to me."

Her eyes widened before an angry look formed, and Hanabi let out an amused laugh, "Ooh, someone wants a fight today."

Masumi raised a hand to silence her daughter, "What's with the attitude?"

I held her gaze momentarily before glancing at my little sister and back to her, "I came downstairs last night."

The angry look on her face dropped into one of panic. Hanabi looked between us with a confused grin, "What's that supposed to mean, Mom?"

The woman tore her eyes from mine before looking at her daughter, smoothing her hair with one hand, "I don't know, Sweetheart."

I rolled my eyes and stormed out of the room. Masumi doesn't even have the dignity to admit what she did. I walked in the winter cold, to the college since it was a Saturday and I had no classes. There wasn't a lot of wind, and it hadn't snowed, so I quite enjoyed the walk.

It took almost half an hour to get there, and when the college came into view, my eyes widened in shock. A dozen emergency response vehicles surrounded the entrance, and the area was in the process of being marked off with yellow tape.

My pace quickened, and I approached a few of the students that had been evacuated, "What happened?"

A boy answered without even looking in my direction, "The entire cancer research wing exploded. It was crazy!"

My blood ran cold, and I wrestled my way to the front of the crowd of onlookers, only to be stopped by a police officer who grabbed my arm as I tried to pass, "You can't go in there right now, Miss. It's not safe."

Tears started to fall down my cheeks as I stared at the building. Smoke was still coming out of a few busted windows on the third floor, the floor Dad works on.

"Please! My dad works here!"

The police officer waved over another, and the new arrival touched my shoulder as he spoke, "What is your father's name?"

I gave them his information, and he looked at a paper on his clipboard before pulling me past the yellow tape by my arm and leading me to one of the ambulance trucks. He gently guided me to sit down and called over a few medics.

I looked around in a panic, "What's going on? Where's my dad?"

After whispering with the others, one turned to me and knelt down. She was a pretty woman with brown hair, and my sobs choked in my throat when I saw the sympathetic expression on her face, "No…I-I-It can't be…."

She nodded, pulling one of my hands into hers, "I'm sorry, Sweetheart. Is there anyone you can call?"

I suddenly felt faint, and she rose to her feet and motioned for her partner to come over, "Oh! Take it easy. Don't overwhelm yourself. I know this is hard." I felt another person put their hand on my back to try and keep me upright before I passed out completely.

When I woke again, I was lying on a cot in the back of the ambulance and could hear my sister crying near me. My eyes opened, and I saw her head buried in her arms as she leaned onto the cot. Just past her, outside the vehicle, I saw Masumi being consoled by a concerned-looking Madara as a police officer spoke to them.

"No…" My voice croaked out as I remembered what had happened.

Hanabi looked up at me, her face wet and puffy from crying, and for the first time in years, she moved over so she could embrace me. We both cried in silence before Masumi eventually came to take us home.

I headed to my room in a daze once we got there, ignoring everyone else and collapsing onto my bed. Tears flowed freely down my face and onto my pillows as I stared at the wall.

What's going to happen to us now?

Days passed, and Masumi was too busy with funeral planning to worry about her daughter or me, so we spent more time together than we had in years. We didn't argue like usual, but that's to be expected when neither of us could find the right words.

Finally, the dreadful day arrived, and we attended our father's funeral, dressed in black, physically and mentally. Madara helped Masumi with the planning and let her cry into his shirt as the casket was being lowered. I felt Hanabi's hand tighten as she held my own. I looked over at her, and for once, she didn't look perfect.

Less than a week later, I heard the door downstairs open and close in the middle of the night. I've had a terrible time sleeping since Dad's funeral, and even if I could fall asleep, the slightest noise would wake me.

Anger boiled in my blood as I realized who it most likely was. I snuck down the stairs quietly, only to confirm my suspicions when I came face to face with Madara as he was taking his shoes off near the door.

I spoke hushedly, worried that she'd be inconsolable if Hanabi found out he was giving her mother late-night visits just days after Dad's funeral, "What are you doing here?"

He looked up at me in mild surprise before relaxing and smiling, "I think you already know the answer."

I was stricken with disbelief for a moment, and he tried to walk past me and up the stairs to Masumi's room, but a surge of courage shot through me, and I grabbed his arm firmly and caused him to turn and look at me. "We just buried our father! Don't you feel any shame?"

"What do you think you're doing, Hinata?"

He and I looked over to see Masumi at the foot of the stairs with her arms crossed. I released Madara's arm and pointed at her angrily, my voice wavering with emotion as I tried to keep it together, "How can you do this?"

She dropped her arms and approached us, trying to pull me into a hug. She froze when I slapped her hands away with a look of bewilderment. She cocked her head at me before wiping her teary eyes, "You can't possibly understand what I'm going through right now. There are some things that help me cope, and, "she gestured to the tall man beside us, "this is one of them."

Tears rose in my eyes, and I shocked even myself by slapping her across the face. To my surprise, Madara quickly had both hands behind my back, but that didn't stop me from yelling at my stepmother angrily, "Just admit that you never loved him!"

She shook her head, tears still in her eyes, but she was obviously forcing them because they wouldn't fall, "I loved your father with all my heart!"

We heard footsteps behind her, and my face fell when a tired-looking Hanabi appeared at the bottom of the steps. When she looked up and took in the situation, she hurried toward me, "What are you doing? Let her go!"

Dr. Uchiha released me quickly, and I moved over to my sister's side as she looked between her mother and him, "What's going on?"

It was too late to lie to her again, so I spoke with a venom I didn't know I possessed, "They're sleeping together."

It was silent momentarily as she processed that information, and her mother spoke before she could react, "Hanabi, please! Let me explain!"

She reached out to touch her daughter's arm, only for Hanabi to jerk away. Her voice was barely understandable as she tried not to sob, "Mom, how could you!" She slowly took a few steps away from us before shaking her head and retreating back up the stairs and, I assume, into her bedroom.

I took a few steps away from both of them, as well. It was finally sinking in that the Uchiha man had laid his hands on me, and I was worried he would repeat the action. Masumi was crying again.

"Go to your room right now, and don't come out until morning."

I held her glare briefly before turning and doing as she said. I would've argued if she was alone, but the large man to her side was too intimidating.