Uncertainty !

Day 93

It had been three days since Madara had been forbidden to walk by Sakura's order to rest. And it was justified since he had felt some pain in his body after fighting, but nothing that was insurmountable. But hey, Sakura was demanding that he rest as much as possible, much to Madara's chagrin as he had regained a taste for using his legs.

So once again he was forced to undergo a medical routine. Not that the proximity of the young woman bothered him, quite the contrary. He really liked to feel Sakura close to him, he still remembered her perfume when she had teased him. Just the thought of it made him lose his nerve.

— "No pain Madara-san ?"

— "No, I'm not in pain anymore."

— "Stand up straight," Sakura ordered as she stepped back.

He complied with ease even though he had to do it slowly. When he'd been fighting he'd put his body under pressure to move quickly and that's what was hurting him.

— "Still nothing ?"

— "No, I feel fine."

— "Well... sit back down," Sakura said before crouching down. She helped Madara put on his sandals, as bending down was still a difficult movement for him. "We'll go warm this up before we start rehab again."

A wide smile appeared on Sakura's lips as she took Madara's hand to help him up, then headed outside.

— "What are we going to do Sakura-san ?"

— "Three days ago, when we fought, you proved that your body was recovering properly. However, the fight delayed my schedule slightly, because you had to make some quick and sudden moves... but that's settled, so we can start running, slowly, but we'll run."

Madara was really pleased to hear this news. He felt really lucky to have this person by his side. He really didn't know what he would have become without her... probably dead, buried six feet under or eaten by scavengers.

— "So, I know that as shinobi we can put our bodies under a lot of stress, but since your body is still fragile, we're going to have to do some stretching," Sakura announced as she faced her patient. "Do as I do and don't go to the point of pain !"

Madara imitated the girl in front of him, making gestures he had never known existed.

— "What good will that do ?" Madara asked, stretching one of his legs.

— "Chakra protects our bodies when we run, fight, jump, or do any other physical activity necessary for a shinobi. But before using your chakra, we need your muscles and your joints to strengthen. And if they're not prepared by the warm-up, you could hurt yourself more than anything else."

— "I understand," said Madara.

— "Still no pain ?" Sakura asked after ten minutes of various stretches.

— "No, I'm not."

— "Well, let's go."

— "Father would turn in his grave if he saw me like this," Madara sighed to himself.

If his father were still alive, Madara would probably have been punched in the face for daring to obey a woman. An Uchiha didn't obey anyone, least of all a clan leader and especially not a woman. But Madara was not his father, and he knew the strength of an individual when he saw it. And this woman was brimming with strength, and maybe that's why he listened to her.

As Madara began to run slowly behind the young woman, he remembered something his mother had once said to him: *I hope that one day you will find a woman who can fill your heart, my son.*

That day, Madara was only fifteen years old. He had been trained to kill and did not understand his mother's words. After all, he had had little contact with his mother, for as a future clan leader, he had to be as untroubled as possible by female ideologies that might interfere with his vision. Except that after three months of being around a woman like Sakura, Madara was slowly beginning to understand the words of his late mother.

His mother had married his father out of political obligation in order to strengthen the bonds of the Uchiha clan, but luckily for her, she was in love with the man before she had to marry him. This was very rare in the Sengoku era and she seemed to want her children to experience this feeling as well. After all, a mother only wanted the best for her children.

But was what Madara was feeling deep inside him love ? Would this woman be the one to make him happy ? After all, Madara wouldn't even know love if it was laid down before him.

— "Oyahô Sakura-san ! Lord-sama !" Hitomi shouted in the distance as she harvested rice in a rice field alongside two other women who were also waving.

— "Ohayô !" Sakura shouted back in the direction of her friend.

Madara didn't bother with a verbal greeting, he nodded ever so slightly in Hitomi's direction and continued running behind Sakura. Time passed, deep in thought, answering Sakura's questions still worried about his health. He could feel the warmth invading his body, sweat was beginning to appear on it and he was enjoying the feeling of physical exertion in his entire being. He had missed it so much that a small smile appeared on his lips.

However, after a moment, his hair bothered him a little.

— "Sakura-san."

Hearing the dark-haired man call her name made her stop dead in her tracks. She immediately thought that he had reached his limit.

— "Yes ?" The girl inquired as she approached Madara.

Madara held his hand out towards Sakura's head without taking his eyes off her. She could feel the dark-haired man's hand land in her hair and undo the red headband that held her pink hair back. It fell back slightly in front of her face, making her look even wilder to the dark-haired man.

— "Could you tie my hair back, please ? It gets in the way of my running," Madara asked in a deep voice.

So with a small blush Sakura grabbed her red headband from Madara's hand. She proceeded to pull Madara's hair up into a high ponytail. He was two heads taller than her and she had to stand on her toes to reach his hair.

She had her face close to his as she performed her task and Madara took the opportunity to smell her once more. He closed his eyes to enjoy the sensation that washed over him.

Of course, this small gesture didn't go unnoticed by Sakura, and her blush increased... even more so when she saw what Madara looked like with his face completely clear.

— "Thank you," Madara whispered.

Day 101

Madara was silently watching the young woman who was turning the main room upside down. She had moved some furniture and was setting up a large easel in the centre of the room. She placed two chairs near the piece of furniture before placing a large sheet of paper on top. At first Madara thought Sakura wanted to paint, but when he saw what was on the large sheet he knew what they were going to do.

It was a huge sketch of an arm with its detailed chakra network. Many notes were transposed here and there.

— "Is this what I think it is Sakura-san ?" Madara inquired as she came closer.

— "Hai, I've made enough progress in my technique that I'll be able to start reconstructing your Tenketsu," Sakura confirmed before bringing an extra piece of furniture next to her chair. On it she placed a Fûinjutsu kit, a container of water, and a folded towel.

— "I assume this is going to be painful."

— "I'm afraid so, but it will be different from the pain on your back. It'll be the same as a tattoo, only more painful... at least I hope so," Sakura confirmed as she laid out her equipment.

She moved closer to Madara and placed her hands on the sides of his stomach. She ran her hands under his tunic and gently moved upwards to remove his robe. Except that for Madara it was once again perceived as a caress that tortured him. Especially when the woman in front of him was looking deep into his eyes. Once his robe was off, Madara had only one thought, and that was to satisfy his urges. It had been over three months since he had touched a woman and the one in front of him was driving him completely crazy.

— "Sit down," Sakura ordered, unaware of the effect it was having on the brunette.

She sat down at Madara's side before grabbing his left arm still in stasis from the network of Fûinjutsu she had applied in the past. She took one last look at her notes before putting chakra on her fingertips and applying it to her patient's deltoid.

It was painful, very painful, as painful as the pain in his back except that it was concentrated in one spot and not all over his body.

She didn't have Naruto Uzumaki's skill to regenerate what was destroyed, so she had to do this more slowly and that included touching the nerves to recreate the main Tenketsu. Blood flow was her guide and the many burn marks she felt on the inside of his arm were the indication she needed. She took two cells and separated them from the others before applying an accelerated mitosis effect. She stayed this way for nearly two minutes, discharging her own chakra and tapping into the physical energy of Madara's cells.

— "There," Sakura finally said after a moment, causing Madara to release a sigh of relief. He'd been tensing up throughout the whole process. "The first Tenketsu is intact."

She had succeeded, she had achieved what no one before her had managed : regeneration.

— "Will it take long ?"

— "Unfortunately yes."

— "How many Tenketsu is an arm made of ?" Madara asked, slowly catching his breath. If he had to endure this pain with every Tenketsu, it was going to be very difficult.

— "Over a hundred... I'm going back !" Sakura said as she injected her chakra into Madara's arm once more and he tensed once more.

— "Why does it hurt so much ?" Madara asked, he wasn't a fragile person, but the pain he felt was very intense. Sakura didn't answer right away, she was too focused on her task. But once the second Tenketsu was back in place she allowed herself an answer.

— "Because I'm getting on your nerves. That's why it's so painful when a Hyûga closes your Tenketsu with their Soft Fist technique."

Sakura grabbed a sponge and soaked it in water before wringing it out, then wiped some symbols off Madara's arm. She didn't want her seals to conflict with his new Tenketsu.

— "How do you know about the Hyûga clan's Soft Fist ?" Madara asked in surprise. After all, they were as secretive as the Uchiha clan.

— "I've met one in the past... get ready."

— "Humrfff," Madara grunted as she felt that sharp pain again. It was as if his arm was being heated to white hot in one spot and the temperature was being raised higher and higher.

— "Release."

— "How did you survive a Hyûga ? Madara asked, knowing the strength of that clan. From what the brown-haired man had seen, Sakura seemed to be a specialist in Taijutsu and Fûinjutsu along with some Ninjutsu techniques. And hardly anyone went near a Hyuga unless they wanted to die.

— "That was a long time ago, and if it weren't for my Sensei, I would have been in serious trouble," Sakura lied, unable to say that she had grown up with a Hyuga princess as a friend. "But I know what it's like to take one of their attacks."

Sakura realized that she was slowly giving away a little too much information about her past. Was it because she was beginning to trust this man ? Did she ever want to confide in him about who she really was ? For Sakura was well aware that sooner or later she would say something too incriminating, and knowing Madara, he would become very suspicious. Or worse, he would understand... and confronting this man who had caught you in the act of manipulating him was something very risky.

— "Madara-san..."

— "Yes Sakura-san ?" The shinobi asked after seeing Sakura stop her work and lower her eyes.

— "Why are you asking me all these questions ? I know we're shinobi and information is vital... but why do you want to know so much about me ?" Sakura questioned, eager to get to the bottom of the great Madara's thoughts.

— "Let's just say... you're piquing my curiosity."

— "In what way ?" Sakura insisted as she saw Madara deep in thought. He seemed to be searching for words.

— "Do you know how frustrating it can be to have a lifetime of teachings thrown away because you meet the exception to the rule ? I am in this situation Sakura-san. You are a woman ! You should be a weak person, not even able to hold a weapon and only asked to look good and keep your mouth shut. But instead, this same person who should be useless saved me from the clutches of death, healed me, and made sure I had the use of my body again. This same woman is able to break through a cliff and fight like a shinobi. So I'm certainly not sorry for being curious about someone like you."

But there was also something else about Madara that made him so drawn to knowing this woman. One of his mother's few phrases was : *Pretty flowers are often covered in thorns.* And this was the first flower he'd met that had thorns... dangerous thorns !

After such a speech, Madara looked away to hide his present embarrassment, preventing him from seeing the blush on Sakura's face in the process.

— "Have you never had someone in your life Madara-san ?" Sakura asked as she prepared the next Tenketsu. She followed the ones near the arteries first before thinking about doing the ones around them.

— "Humrg," the patient groaned slightly as he felt his Tenketsu reform under the young woman's skill. "I've already had many conquests if that's what you're asking."

— "I'm not talking about whores or courtesans."

— "I don't believe in that... thing you women used to call love."

— "Why not ? It's one of the most beautiful things life has to offer," Sakura retorted with incomprehension.

— "Because it makes you weak ! A man has to be strong ! A clan leader must be above reproach and crush his enemies ! The survival of the clan depends on it, my family depends on it, if I am weak my enemies will take advantage of it ! That's what that bastard Hashirama did ! Because I was weak, my entire clan is now in the Senju's pay !" Madara snarled at the pain he had been feeling for almost fifteen minutes. "So no, I don't want any love that could be exploited against me !"

After this outburst Madara pulled away from Sakura before standing up. He headed outside to calm himself down. This was a sensitive subject for him : remembering all that he had failed out of weakness. All because he had allowed the Senju clan to reach a truce.

He leaned against the doorway and looked out over the valley. He had never been so filled with doubt. Since his defeat by Hashirama Senju, his life had been completely changed, his outlook on life altered, his understanding of people altered, and all of this frightened him. He was afraid of making a mistake, of making a mistake and of doing more harm to his clan. He felt like crying for one of the few times in his life. To cry with rage, with hatred, because of his own weakness.

Madara was so deep in thought that he didn't hear the young woman approach, and he only noticed her presence when her hand touched his. She stood in front of him, her face full of emotion.

— "Madara-san... You're not weak," Sakura whispered as she stroked the brunette's hand with her thumb.

— "..."

— "My sensei once told me a phrase I'll never forget," Sakura said, seeing Madara still in distress. "A ninja who abandons his mission is no better than trash, but those who abandon their companions are even worse than trash."

Sakura let a few seconds pass so that her words could be heard by Madara before continuing.

— "You failed Madara-san, but you never abandoned your family, your clan and you fought for them, for their integrity, for their freedom..."

— "Sakura-san..."

— "Please let me finish," Sakura said before placing her second hand on Madara's face to force him to look her in the eye. "What you did for your clan is a proof of love. You fought out of love for your family and that is what gave you the strength to fight. To me, that makes you strong and not weak... because on that day in the Valley of the End, you were fighting for others and not for your own interests."

Madara brought his good hand to the young woman's hand on his cheek. He loved the warm touch on his skin, he felt like he was understood for the first time in his life. He felt like an open book to this woman and he didn't know how to react to this situation.

— "So, I hope with all my heart that one day you will find the one who will give you the strength to continue on this path... for it was love for your family that made you the man you are Madara-san, and don't be ashamed of the man you are," Sakura finished, not believing her own words.

His mother's voice kept repeating in his head as he looked at Sakura in front of him : *When you meet her, you'll understand my son.*

— "Thank you Sakura-san."

Keeping Sakura's hand in his he returned to their previous place. And after the young woman had settled back down at Madara's side, she resumed her Iryô Ninjutsu work.

The next hour passed in silence, if not accompanied by a few groans of pain from Madara. And after an hour, Madara's breathing was beginning to become ragged, his body trembling slightly from feeling so much pain. He felt like he was being tortured and only the thought of knowing that it was to heal allowed him to endure it.

— "That will do for today, the Tenketsu network on the main artery is back in place. Go lie down Madara-san, I'll get you something to ease the pain."

Madara walked over to his bed and lay down with great pleasure. He was exhausted and wanted only one thing at that moment : to sink into unconsciousness. A short time later Sakura returned with a glass of water and a small bag of medicinal herb. She emptied the herb packet into Madara's mouth and handed him the glass of water to quench his thirst.

— "Sleep now," Sakura said before placing her fingers on his temple to put him to sleep with her chakra.

— "What the hell is happening to me ?" Sakura wondered as she became confused. She felt the need to help him, but she didn't know why. Was it because he trusted her in some way ? Or was it because for the first time in his life Madara was confiding in someone ? Or was it because he was a very honorable man ? Sakura didn't understand this feeling, or she didn't want to understand it for fear of finding out what was behind it.

She may have denied herself that, but she wasn't stupid. She could see that she liked being in his presence, hearing him say that she was a beautiful woman, seeing him look at her discreetly. It was very strange, but she liked it. Sakura didn't have time to wonder any longer as she heard her friend's voice outside.

— "Sakura-san !" Hitomi shouted as she approached the house.

Sakura covered Madara with the waist length sheet before finally stepping outside to greet her friend. She was wearing a blue-grey dress that was three-quarters worn and faded, along with an off-white top that contrasted with her long black hair.

— "Ohayô Hitomi-san," Sakura exclaimed with a big smile at the sight of her friend.

— "Ohayô ! Hitomi replied before coming over to Sakura and hugging her. It felt good to Sakura to have someone who acted like that with her. She had lost everything and having reconnected with someone kept her from going crazy. She would love to confide in someone, but Hitomi couldn't understand the importance of her secret.

— "What brings you here ?" Sakura asked as she broke away from the brunette.

— "Just the pleasure of seeing you," Hitomi replied with a mischievous smile.

— "I don't like that smile Hitomi-san."

— "We haven't been able to talk since that famous day in the village when you and the..." Hitomi began to say before whispering, putting her hand in front of her mouth to cover her voice. "And the beautiful Uchiha-sama, if you know what I mean."

Sakura couldn't help a slight blush from appearing on her cheeks at this comment.

— "I have no idea what you're talking about," Sakura feigned before opening the kitchen door and stepping inside, inviting her friend to follow her at the same time.

— "Is Uchiha-sama here ?"

— "He's sleeping now," Sakura replied before taking a tea set and setting it on the table. "As usual Hitomi-san ?"

— "Hai."

Hai came regularly to visit her friend to talk and especially to make sure she didn't feel too lonely. She watched as always as the young woman prepared the tea and used her magic. She filled the teapot with water before placing her fingers on a symbol which lit up on contact. Then, after a few seconds, steam escaped from the pot.

— "How's the village ?" Sakura asked as she poured the brewed water into two cups.

— "The village is doing well, people are talking a lot about you and what you accomplished last time."

— "Sugar Hitomi-san ?"

A small smile appeared on Sakura's face. She had introduced Hitomi to sugar, which was a luxury ingredient that few could afford. She didn't even wait for her to answer before pouring a spoonful of sugar into her cup and handing it to her.

— "You know you don't have to."

— "It's nothing to me and you know it," Sakura added before blowing on her own cup. "I'm sorry Hitomi-san, I hope we didn't scare anyone in the village."

— "We were all scared... what you two did was a miracle, it's something you only see in stories and legends, and yet..." Hitomi admitted, thinking back to the other day. "Anyone would have been afraid, but you protected us and never hurt us."

— "And you know that I would never hurt you Hitomi-san."

— "Hai, in any case my son swears by Uchiha-sama."

— "Is that so ?"

— "It seems commonplace to you what you did, but to the children, they saw vigilantes," Hitomi recounted, having to spend the evening calming her son. "The latter had been telling the story over and over again. Anyway, a big caravan passed by today. They were heading for the capital and came from Hi No Kuni."

— "Really ? How big ?"

— "At least, easily twenty carts."

Sakura understood that the Daimyô had set off and that the first caravans had returned. He must have listened to Madara's advice and started harvesting and buying resources in the other countries. The Daimyô would have to be visited soon, and Sakura would take it upon herself to inform Madara as soon as he woke up.

— "If not, to get back to something crunchy," Hitomi began with a knowing smile. "What's going on between you and Mr. Handsome ?"

— "Absolutely nothing," the young woman replied a little too quickly, sipping her tea.

— "Except that I'm a woman, Sakura. Unlike men who can't see beyond the end of their noses, I can see the signs when I see them. And I saw the look on your face Sakura... don't forget that I was younger too," Hitomi said, thinking back to her youth. Sure, she was still a beautiful woman for someone over forty, but she couldn't compete with Sakura.

— "I confess I don't know myself," Sakura looked down, she herself did not know what she wanted.

— "What does he mean to you Sakura ?" Hitomi asked, removing the -san suffix because of the more serious conversation.

— "I don't know, actually it does, it helps me forget but at the same time reminds me of the pain of the past."

— "Do you know him from before ?"

— "It's complicated, Hitomi."

— "When you say things like that to me, I feel like I'm hearing one of those stories that Grandma Mia used to tell me about a forbidden love between two people because they were so opposed to each other," Hitomi said before drinking her tea and enjoying the sweet taste.

— "I don't like him," Sakura said forcefully before finally looking down again and repeating the sentence. Perhaps to convince herself. "I don't like him..."

— "Saku..."

— "Hitomi-san please," Sakura pleaded, not wanting to face this right now. "I... I'm not ready for this."

— "I beg your pardon Sakura," Hitomi apologized, seeing that she may have crossed the line. She may have been her friend, but she knew almost nothing about this woman, let alone her past life. For a woman to be so strong and capable, she had probably suffered in her previous life. "I'll leave you Sakura, the day you're ready to talk about it, tell me, I only want to see you happy Sakura."

— "Arigato Hitomi."

Hitomi walked towards the exit after finishing her cup of tea, she put on her shoes and turned around one last time before leaving.

— "Take care of yourself Sakura and know that you too have the right to happiness."