Unexpected || MadaSaku ||

Captive

|| Mito ||

"Darling, it's time we talked," I softly placed my hand on his shoulder as he refused to tear his gaze away from the map of the current war front. His notes and small etchings showed how much time he had dedicated to trying to implement peace in the land. Peace that the Uchiha couldn't ensure.

"Yes, dear? What would you like to discuss?" Hashirama finally placed down his ink and brush, taking my hand and giving is gentle kiss, offering me that sweet smile he often gave to me.

"Madara left camp the other day without Sakura and informing you or our other clansmen. I was reluctant to tell you since I assumed you'd go after him, but this isn't about Madara. As you know I don't care much for the Uchiha and especially Madara at that, I tolerate him because of your friendship, but Sakura does. And last night she chased after him. I'm worried for her. Madara left for a reason and that was for his Clan. I want to keep her safe, I want—" I rambled on, slightly at ease as he tightly held my hand. My furrowed brows and worries began to settle.

"It's okay. I understand. If it puts you at ease, I'll send Tobirama to retrieve her. You know my brother will bring her back safe and sound," he cooed, bringing me into his lap, brushing my hair with his thumb.

"Thank you," I said, praying to the gods that she would be alright. 

|| Sakura ||

As much as I attempted to prepare myself about confronting Madara, I knew when the moment finally came, I'd be blindsided—completely and utterly void of all reason and thought. That's how it usually became when I was around him. Like my girlish tendencies would overtake me and I would be nothing but putty in his hands. Although I knew my inevitable journey home would happen in the following days, I couldn't force myself to leave, especially when there was still so much that had gone left unsaid. My sense of loyalty and pure affection for my family and friends back home were what kept me motivated to find a way back. But with Madara, whether it was the fan of the Uchiha Clan fanning the flames or just pure lust, I can't help but be pulled towards him. Like some twist turn of fate had led me to him...but it was childish to think that way, wasn't it? Something was so familiar about what we shared, an instantaneous spark that kept igniting. Even if that were the case, I kept putting out the flame, keeping it from warming my heart and heating my body in what I could only describe as passion. I remembered that day: the day Madara unhesitatingly reached for my hand, the way he didn't speak a word but told me everything he had felt with his eyes, how we stood there for seconds that turned into minutes entangling our fingers between one another's. 

I lightly graced my fingers across my lips, recalling the sweet nothings of an almost kiss. I pulled away from him that day, I wasn't sure if I regretted it because at the same time it felt right. I shook my head in disbelief, trying to push away the thoughts once more. I laid quietly on the patchy ground, listening to the world, trying to find enough peace to fall asleep. 

As quickly as I had fallen asleep, I had woken up instantly. Something had punctured the back of my neck. The sensation of pins and needles had taken over my body.  As my vision blurred and my limbs felt heavy, I forced my arm behind my head, yanking a small dart from the back of my head, "Damn it..."

|| Izuna ||

My lips couldn't help but curl to the thought of that woman's capture. Madara could finally focus on everything that mattered to us, everything our clan entrusted us to achieve. There was a whole infantry of faithful men who were counting on their safe returns to their families as victors of this war. Madara was no doubt older than I was, but he was far more easily corrupted. Even as children he trusted more than I had, our fateful enemies at that. We had lost too many men at the hands of the Senju, it was far too late to wave a white flag of surrender. Surrender was for those who couldn't succeed, for the weak and unprepared. And I'd be damned if a woman was to bring my ruthless brother to his knees, a woman whom I suspect to have ties to the Senju. The moment she entered our camp, I knew there was something off about her. She even held striking and un-doubtful similarities to Mito Uzumaki. Blind faith in a stranger was not a mistake I was willing to make. 

Although I was glad that Madara had returned without Sakura clinging to his side, his mind had departed. He was distracted. I have to get him back, to get him motivated once more. I need him to be the fearless brother he had been prior to their meeting. Speaking of, "Come in."

"We completed your request, sir," One of the men I sent to retrieve Sakura had confirmed.

"Excellent, did you place her in the underground cell?" I inquired, raising my eyebrow as expecting him to have followed my direct instructions.

"Yes, sir."

"Perfect, there's no room for error. And be sure to keep this to yourself," I turned away from my subordinate, gesturing him to leave with the small wave of my hand. 

|| Madara ||

As soon as the sun rose, my heart quickly sank. It was only a dream. A reminder of what I had truly left behind. But as distracted as I was, I couldn't let my Clan dismantle at the seams. I was a part of an endless feud between clans that would only be resolved by bloodshed. And she didn't belong to this time or even to me. Every part of me wanted to be selfish with her, but that would mean taking away her life with her daughter, her husband. 

The sound of snapping twigs and crushed leaves slowly grew louder as they approached my tent, halting at the entrance, "Madara, we need to talk," Izuna spoke unrecognizably. The tone in his voice, lower and less prominent than it typically was. 

"Come in," I beckoned him. He seemed clearly conflicted. "What's this about? Can it not wait until our briefing this afternoon?"

 "Actually, it can't...Madara I'm not exactly sure how to even begin to say this, but Sakura—" He paused for a brief moment, my eyes widened at the sound of her name. "As you know, you left her under the Senju care. It appears as though they found out about our infiltration. Brother, Sakura was killed without a second thought. They viewed her actions against Hashirama and Mito traitorous."

In a fit of rage, I drew my arm violently across my nightstand, watching as the lamp broke into a thousand pieces. I had barely any thoughts except that there was no way this could be true, "You're lying to me," my nostrils flared and eyes became estranged as I immediately gripped Izuna by his throat, raising him the floor until his feet point straight down. He didn't bother to pull away from my grip but stood there as I stared intensely through him. 

"Ma-Ma-Madara, I-I'm not-t—," he breathlessly attempted to speak, but I refused to believe that was true.

"I told you to stop lying to me!" with even more rage coursing through my veins, I forcefully— with every bit of pain I felt—propelled my brother out of my tent, sending him hurdling into a tree. He coughed up the slightest bit of blood, wiping it from his lips. "Hashirama wouldn't—"

"Wouldn't what, Madara?" He shouted back at me, both angered by reaction and understanding to my denial. "You think after all this time, Hashirama wouldn't betray you? He has before, and he still is now by continuing with this war. He'd rather see us fall than rise to power. He chooses his clan over you time and time again. Why would this be any different? Tch, because you cared for her? I even saw that; it gives you a weakness. It's like father always taught us, weakness is not for the Uchiha. The minute you showed them the slightest bit of fragility, expose to them your kryptonite, you might as well welcome failure and loss. They saw her as a traitor, and she was treated as one. The Senju sent us a lock of her hair as proof, as a warning."

He pulled those same familiar pink strands from his pocket, letting them trickle down from his fingers to the dirt. Collapsing to my knees with my eyes fixated on those small pieces of hair, I knew this was over as soon as it started. "Order the infantry to engage in a full-frontal attack against Senju forces. We'll be there waiting for Tobirama and Hashirama. This ends now exactly where it began." I ordered, as my blood boiled beneath my skin, gritting my teeth in complete disdain. 

Oh my goodness you guys are patient. I'm sorry about my absence. Lots happened in the past year or two, but I'm back and ready to write! This fanfiction is coming to an end soon, so strap in guys, it's getting real!

-TemariBlossom