forward, always

It was early the next morning that Madara found Sakura working in her makeshift greenhouse. Dirt had clawed its way up her arms to her elbows as she repotted plant after plant and cut leaves for her teas. She was just starting to weigh the pros and cons of creating a small garden of her own just outside her little hut when Madara knocked softly on the open door. 

“Good morning!” Sakura greeted with a bright smile. “Is it already time for breakfast?” The sun had barely begun peeking out against the horizon and usually the cook wasn’t ready with their first meal until it was halfway risen. 

“No, there’s still some time before that.” He reached out his hand, “Come spar with me.”

Sakura blinked and her hands froze where they were inside a large sack of soil. “What?”

“Come spar with me,” he repeated, a hint of a chuckle on his lips. “There’s still some time before we need to be anywhere.”

Dusting her hands off on her yukata as best she could before taking his hand, she couldn’t help but ask, “Is this because of what happened yesterday?”

After the altercation with Tobirama, and the confession by Madara, the two of them had spent most of the night together in Izuna’s room. Madara hadn’t told his little brother what had upset him so much, and Izuna hadn’t pressed, but the younger Uchiha could very easily tell something had happened and had stayed up far longer than he had in recent months in order to keep him company. The three of them had whiled away the day playing shogi, menko, and reading a few of the books Sakura had squirreled away in the room until well past midnight. And every now and then, Sakura would reach out and tug at Madara’s sleeve or place a hand on his shoulder or lean into him while they sat side by side, just to remind him that she was still there. 

Madara squeezed her hand and led her towards the treeline, further from the house. “In a way,” he admitted. “It made me realize that I am unaware of your full capabilities and as clan head, that was thoughtless of me. A good leader should be aware of all the resources available to them.”

Bumping her shoulder against his, Sakura found herself snorting. “So this is a test then? To see what I can do?”

“If that’s what you’d like to call it,” he shrugged. “But also,” he brought them to a halt when they reached a large clearing that was filled with all the classic trimmings of a training field. “It would make me feel,” he paused to look upwards as he considered his words. Sighing, he shook his head and brought his gaze back down to here. “Perhaps if I know exactly what you can do, I would feel more comfortable letting you out of my sight.”

Madara could have given her a thousand and one more reasons to gauge her abilities, and Sakura wouldn’t have needed them. If this practice gave him some peace of mind, she’d gladly follow through with his request. 

“Well, I’m more than happy to show off.” She grinned at him, all teeth and bite. 

Madara, it seemed, had planned for everything. He handed Sakura a change of clothes for her to spar in. The pants and shirt were too small to belong to him, and Sakura wondered if these belonged to a younger Uchiha or if he’d gone digging through old clothes kept somewhere deep in his home for something that would properly fit her. And fit her they did. Sakura was impressed that Madara had been able to so easily gauge her size. That was no easy feat when yukatas and kimonos were involved. 

Tying her hair back–it was getting too long, she’d have to cut it soon–she readied herself for a fight. Looking down at her bare fists, she wondered if she’d be able to find a pair of gloves in the market or if she’d have to try and make them herself. She sincerely hoped not. Sakura might be able to perform open heart surgeries on the battlefield, return someone's insides after they’d fallen out, and create an antidote while simultaneously extracting the poison from a person’s body, but she couldn’t sew for shit. 

It had been a while since Sakura had properly fought anyone. The assassin all those months ago didn’t really count. She hoped she wasn’t too out of shape. Although she didn’t need to do regular workouts to keep up her impressive, chakra enhanced strength, she did need to regularly sharpen her other skills. It was easier said than done, though, when pretending to be a civilian. 

“Just tell me when you are ready.”

“I have one question,” Sakura asked as she stretched her arm over her chest and took in their surroundings. Lots of trees and open fields surrounded them this far into the forest. “How much damage can we do out here?”

Madara raised a brow. “The gardeners are well equipped to handle any level of destruction, and there’s Hashirama now, as an added resource.”

Sakura nodded, then widened her stance and raised her arms. “Alright, then. I’m ready.”

“Good,” Madara smirked before disappearing before her eyes. 

Knowing time wasn’t on her side, Sakura didn’t bother trying to find him. Pulling her arm back, Sakura launched her fist into the ground with a thunderous crack that split the earth in two. 

A wave of boulders and jagged stones pulsated out around Sakura’s point of contact, blocking Madara’s path and forcing him to slow down as he dodged the debris. Madara was out of her league. This wasn’t news to Sakura. If she had ever wanted to best him in a real fight, she would have needed to use the element of surprise. So to see the pure shock on his face and the activation of his Sharingan brought Sakura a special sense of victory. She may not beat him, but she’d sure as hell keep him on his toes. 

Madara, ever the genius, adapted quickly and threw a barrage of kunai at Sakura. Kicking up a layer of shale as a wall of protection, Sakura didn’t stick around to hear the impact of the weapons. She needed to move, to put space between her and Madara. With his speed and katon jutsu, distance would very much be needed if she was going to draw this fight out longer than a few minutes. 

Pushing chakra into her legs, Sakura sprinted away, finally skidding to a halt in a copse of trees. Her fingers flew through the hand signals, and not a moment to waste, either, as Madara appeared behind her like a bat out of hell with a fist aimed at her head. With a puff of smoke, the Sakura before him turned into a log. He turned his head just in time to see the real Sakura taking a swing of her own, but with the trunk of a tree instead of a fist. 

Madara dodged. 

There was a shift in the air, and Sakura felt the temperature rise just a second before the fire appeared. Hissing, Sakura leaped out of the way of the giant fireball behind her and straight into Madara’s path. Veering as quickly as she could–but definitely not quickly enough–Sakura braced herself for a barrage of attacks. The kick had been expected, it came fast and made the bones in Sakura’s arms rattle as she blocked it. The elbow to the temple, however, was a shock. 

Grunting as she flew back into a tree, Sakura sent a surge of healing chakra into her skull and spine to heal any fractures or bruises the blow had caused. Before she could blink, Madara was on her again. Ducking beneath his punch, Sakura grabbed onto his shirt and threw him hard across the field.

Taking advantage of his surprise, Sakura pursued Madara’s trajectory, pulling her arm back and ready to hit him with a fist full of chakra. Her first knuckle was just inches away from his face, she was going to get him–and then he slid just out of reach. Her fist connected with a tree. An explosion of a million splinters rained down around her. 

Chest heaving with exertion and excitement, Sakura couldn’t help but think about how fun this was. Madara thought so too, if his laugh was anything to go by. “Trying to widow yourself before we’re even married?”

They exchanged another round of hits, and Sakura grinned. Both their faces were flushed and shiny with perspiration. “How else would you take me seriously?”

Slamming her fist into the ground once again, this time just with enough force to cause a tremor instead of a fissure, Madara’s footing turned unsteady. Sakura closed in on him. Her first hit just barely brushed against his jaw as he hurried to get away from her, but on her second swing, Madara used her momentum against her. Grabbing her bicep, he pulled her off kilter and swung her onto the ground. 

Kunai pressed against her neck, he smiled down at her triumphantly. “Got you.”

Sakura huffed out a laugh. “Always,” she teased. Madara’s eyes–still red and alight with adrenaline–softened. Catching sight of a nasty bruise already forming where her knuckles had glanced off his jaw, Sakura grinned, “Looks like I got you, too.”

Madara pulled his kunai away to let her hands reach up and heal him. A soft sigh escaped his lips and his eyes fluttered shut as he relished the feeling of her chakra soothing his hurt. When he reopened his eyes they were back to their normal black. “You are a wonder, Sakura.”

Grinning widely, Sakura took Madara’s offered hand and helped herself up. There was something just so terribly romantic about being seen, about being appreciated. “Does that mean you’ll be okay with me going off on my own every now and then?”

Madara’s lips pursed in thought. Sakura gave him the time to form his response. She knew this wouldn’t be easy for him, but he was trying to not let his worries and anxieties control him. That was all she could ask for, really. 

“You’re stronger than most shinobi I’ve met,” he admitted easily and Sakura’s chest puffed out with pride. “And while within the Uchiha territory, I have no issue with you going where you please and with who, but,” he paused and it almost felt like a wince, “I would still appreciate it if you had someone with you when going into the village. At least until it is more properly secured.”

And until he feels he can trust Tobirama not to ambush her again, went unsaid.

It wasn’t exactly what Sakura had wanted to hear, but she could accept it. For now. 

“I can do that,” Sakura nodded. Looking around her then, she took in the wrecked landscape. It wasn’t as bad as it could be, but there were several crispy trees off in the distance and a giant crater where their fight began. The gardeners were going to have one hell of a project on their hands in order to set things to rights. “Think we could do this again sometime?”

Madara grinned, coming up to tuck a lock of hair behind Sakura’s ear. “Of course. In fact, I was hoping we could help each other improve on a few skills.”  At Sakura’s tilt of her head, he continued, “I’d like to work on your speed, for example.”

She had always been lacking in that, which was a shame considering who her teammates had been. Sasuke, as an Uchiha, had been naturally gifted in that area, and Kakashi’s speed was nothing to snuff at, either. Even Naruto had been faster than average when they were genin and after training under Jiraiya he’d grown even faster. Tsunade had been a great teacher, and one of the first things she had taught Sakura as a medic-nin was how to dodge hit after hit–especially her hits–but she had never tried to increase Sakura’s speed. 

“That makes sense,” Sakura nodded slowly. She was still a bit confused though. “But what skills am I supposed to help you with?”

Madara blinked, his brows raising high on his forehead. Waving an arm around them, he gestured to the obliterated forest and said, “Sakura, you did all that with just a few punches. I’ve never seen anyone do that before. Not to mention that you healed yourself mid-battle.”

A blush burned its way across Sakura’s cheeks. She didn’t think he’d notice that.

Gently taking her hand in his, Madara raised it to press a kiss to her knuckles. “There are many things I would like to learn from you. If you’re willing to teach me.”

Intertwining their fingers, Sakura nodded. “I’d like that very much.”

Slowly, the weeks turned into months, and spring turned to summer, which edged into fall. Sakura spent most of her time working with Izuna and her plants, but there were a few newcomers to her home grown clinic as well. It was almost a weekly occurrence now that one of the younger clan members would show up asking for her help. Apparently it was all thanks to Izanagi that younger shinobi were seeking her out for medical care instead of the Apothecary. Word had spread quickly about Sakura’s surgery on Izanagi’s leg and how she had saved both it and his life. 

It hadn’t been immediately after that people began to seek her out, the Uchiha were much too cautious for that, but those that had heard the story directly from Izanagi became curious, and that curiosity grew and grew until they could bear it no more. The first that came was a pair of preteens that had scuffed each other up pretty good during training, the next a gaggle of five that needed help with old bone fractures and new, then a solo shinobi who’d burned the inside of his mouth trying to learn a new jutsu. 

Sakura had treated each of them quickly and efficiently, and like a steady leak in a faucet, the younger generation of Uchiha returned time and time again. Sometimes alone and sometimes in groups, sometimes with a flower or baked goods, but always with a please and thank you. With the young ones drifting over to her side, Sakura knew it was only a matter of time until the older generations followed. 

It was nice to see her time filling up with something besides her research or journaling. Her days still weren’t nearly as busy as they used to be, but the occasional break in the monotony was refreshing. What wasn’t refreshing were her and Madara’s biweekly meetings with the chief priest. 

Meeting with the chief priest always took its toll on Sakura. It’s not that the subject matter of her upcoming nuptials was tiring, or even the small details that came with planning a clan head wedding that got to her. It was the chief priest himself. Uchiha Kame was an old, arrogant man who always somehow found fault with Sakura’s ideas or opinions. It was obvious that he didn’t like her and was only barely acting civil with her for Madara’s sake. 

“I’m afraid I’ll have to refuse once again, Haruno-sama,” Kame said with a shake of his head. “No, no, snapdragons would be most unacceptable for your wedding. Chrysanthemums would be much more appropriate.”

“Perhaps they’d be more traditional, Kame-san, but those are not the flowers that I would prefer.” If this were someone from her own time that was trying to strong arm her, she would’ve already punted them out of the shrine. It was her wedding! Hers and Madara’s. If she wanted snapdragon flowers then she was going to get them. 

She had already had to fight for a summer wedding instead of a spring one. Sakura was not about to be married amidst a sea of cherry blossoms in bloom, thank you very much. All that pink would be way too overwhelming. She’d practically blend in with the background! Apparently spring weddings were more common in this time period, which made sense with its overall symbolism of rebirth and new beginnings, and the cherry blossoms were beautiful. But summer weddings weren’t unheard of, and the green landscape would compliment Sakura’s coloring much better. 

It would also time out better with Izuna’s recovery timeline, which was the reason she’d given to Madara and that had won his support. 

Still, Kame hadn’t been pleased and had pushed back, leading to a compromise landing them on the first day of summer. There would still be some cherry blossoms sprinkled about, but at least they wouldn’t be everywhere. 

“Perhaps we could decorate using both,” Madara suggested, a bit distractedly. Before they had entered Kame’s home, one of his hawks had delivered a scroll from Hashirama which he was currently reading over. 

Sakura and Kame shared identical looks of disdain, neither wanting to submit to another compromise. “Let’s return to this at another time,” Kame decided, then pulled on his own scroll to move onto the next subject. His lips pulled down into a frown. “As for guests,” his eyes flickered up to Sakura’s, a mean glint hiding behind the dark orbs. “I assume you have no one to invite, Haruno-sama.”

Sakura looked away, wanting nothing more than to wring Kame’s stupid neck.

“I sincerely hope, Kame-san,” Madara said slowly, his voice low and dangerous, “that you are not trying to make light of my betrothed’s circumstances.” His eyes were no longer glued to the scroll in his hands, but were instead solely fixed onto Kame. 

“No, no, no, Madara-sama,” Kame tried to laugh away the clan head’s glare. “I would never disrespect Haruno-sama in such a way.”

Madara nodded, appeased, but barely. “Good. I would hate to have to go through the trouble of finding a new chief priest.” Setting his scroll aside, he pulled out a small piece of paper from inside his haori. “I will, though, of course. If need be.”

“Of–of course, Madara-sama.”

Sakura bit back a smile. 

“Here.” Madara handed Kame the piece of paper. “More requests from Izuna.”  

This time Sakura didn’t bother to hide away her smile. Izuna and his demands were ridiculously delightful in number. It was as if the ideas were nonstop in his brain. It was an almost daily occurrence that he shared new thoughts on the wedding with them. Honestly, he should be the one sitting here planning this thing with Kame. 

“Ah, Izuna-sama has such wonderful taste.” Kame took the note and hummed. “Yes, yes, this is all quite wonderful.” His eyes glanced up at Sakura. “And you have no objections to any of this?”

“I do not.” Izuna was always sure to run his ideas over with Sakura before writing them down. Even if he didn’t, she trusted his judgment enough at this point. If Izuna thought it was a good idea, then it was a good idea. 

“Very good,” Kame nodded. He inhaled, readying himself for the next topic on his mind, and then stopped short. “I see that we are out of tea. I will make some more and return shortly.” Bowing to them both, Kame took the teapot with him and disappeared into another room. 

Looking over at Madara, Sakura found his nose once again buried in the scroll from Hashirama. Nudging him with her shoulder, she jerked her chin towards the paperwork and asked, “What has you so captivated?”

Grimacing, Madara threw Sakura a guilty look. “I’m distracted, I’m sorry.”

Sakura shrugged, “I don’t mind.” It wasn’t like he wasn’t paying any attention. He had noticed Kame’s nasty comment earlier, after all. “Is everything alright?” 

Relief filled his eyes but his mouth tensed at the same time. He sighed, and the action reminded her of a balloon deflating. “Some of the clans are butting heads about territory. Hashirama and I have already spoken at length with them about why their land allotment is the way that it is, but they’re persistent. Stubborn, too. And we need to start earning revenue soon. Tobirama has gone off to speak with the Fire Daimyo. We’ll need him on our side if we want Konoha to prosper. I wish Tobirama hadn’t been the one sent to draw up an agreement, but with Hashirama so busy creating infrastructure, and me handling the clan disagreements, it was the best option we had.”

Worrying her bottom lip with her teeth, Sakura felt a ball of apprehension form in her belly. Madara had been working so very hard these past few months. Not only was he trying to start an entire village, but he also had the wedding to deal with.

Placing her hand atop of his to gain his full attention, Sakura offered a potential solution. “We can postpone the wedding, if it’s all becoming too much. We can push it back a few more months until things with the village settle down, or even another year if that’s better.”

Sakura didn’t even see him move. One second he was looking at her with no small amount of awe in his eyes, and the next his lips were on hers. This was the first time he’d been the one to initiate a kiss. It wasn’t unwelcomed but it was definitely surprising. 

Madara’s lips were hot and hungry on hers. It was a sloppy kiss, once filled with desperation and yearning. 

It made her ache for more.  

When he pulled away, his chest heaving just as much as hers, there was a heat in his eyes that Sakura had never seen there before. “We’re not postponing anything.” His voice was rough and made goose flesh rise across Sakura’s skin. “If Izuna was well enough, I’d marry you today.”

Kame chose that moment to return with a fresh pot of tea and Sakura had to hide her ridiculously lovestruck smile behind her hand. It wouldn’t do for Kame to see either that or her bruise-kissed lips. Thinking about Kame helped sober Sakura a bit, at least enough for her to push some chakra towards her mouth to mask any signs of swelling or redness. 

“Where were we?” Kame asked no one in particular as he poured the tea. Reviewing his scroll and notes, he nodded. “Ah yes, back to the guests, then. As the village border and most of its buildings are scheduled to be completed before your wedding date, and since Madara-sama is a founder of Konoha, this will be one of its very first social events. With that said, I believe it will be necessary to open the ceremony to the public. Of course, we’ll need to send personal invitations to all clan heads as well as any other important officials. I’ll create a list of people and make sure we’re not overlooking anyone.”

Any bit of leftover joy from Madaras kiss had left her body. A social event? The whole village? That was too much. Surely, that was too much. She looked over at Madara and found his hands balled into fists in his lap and his mouth pulled into a tight scowl, but he nodded and went along with what Kame was saying. 

“Does it really need to be such a public event?” Sakura asked, hoping that might spur Madara into agreeing with her. “I wasn’t expecting this to become such a large scale affair.”

Tutting, Kame shook his head. “I’m afraid there’s no getting out of it, Haruno-sama. Madara-sama is an important member of the community. His wedding needs to reflect his elevated status. Or would you rather he, and by extension the Uchiha, not receive due recognition?”

“Enough, Kame,” Madara said before Sakura had a chance to respond. “That was not Sakura’s intent. It is only natural for there to be some apprehension to the sudden change. And we Uchiha are not known for being ostentatious.”

“That is true enough,” Kame marked something down in his journal. “But an exception is needed in this case.”

Madara nodded, “Of course.”

It was obvious she wouldn’t win on this score, which was unfortunate, but at least would give her some leverage the next time the topic of flowers was brought up. 

“Very good, let’s move on then.” Dragging his index finger down to another point in his scroll, Kame hummed. “Ah, yes, why don’t we take this time to revisit the topic of your dress?”

Sakura’s eyebrow twitched. “We’ve already discussed the dress.”

Kame hummed. His lips thinned into a straight line and his eyes squinted as his face twisted into what was supposed to be a smile. “Did we? I’m not so sure about that.”

Mentally listing all the ways she knew how to kill a man without getting caught, Sakura mimicked his smile. “Fine. Let’s begin.”

Two painful, painful hours later, Madara was called away on village business, and Sakura was finally freed from the clutches of the awful chief priest. Instead of returning back to the main house though, she meandered through the Uchiha market collecting ingredients for her dinner with Masaru and Miyoko. 

Dinner between the three of them had become a weekly occurrence. Masaru wouldn’t stand for anything less once she had called him uncle. Sakura would pick up the ingredients, Miyoko would make the meal, and Masaru would regale them with tales of old and local gossip. Sakura was thankful for the routine. It gave her something to look forward to that didn’t have anything to do with medicine. She also appreciated Masaru’s humor and lack of deference towards her. It helped make her feel normal. 

“Ah that Kame bastard.” Masaru slapped his hand atop the table. He and Miyoko had listened diligently as Sakura turned herself blue in the face ranting about the insufferable man.  “He’s always been so self righteous, ever since we were little kids. The only reason he became chief priest is because his father held the title before him, and his father’s father before that. Bah! You know, Sakura,” he pointed directly at her chest and narrowed his eyes. “If I’d had just a bit more chakra, I could’ve become a priest as well. Would’ve given Kame a run for his money–would’ve shut his mouth up, too.”

Sakura frowned, confused. “What does your chakra level have to do with priesthood?”

Miyoko placed a few pieces of umeboshi onto her uncle’s plate, then said, “The priests are trained in ninjutsu like our shinobi are, to a lesser extent of course. When we’d go to war with the Senju or other clans, the priests would stay behind to defend the rest of us.”

“That’s a laugh,” Masaru scoffed. “Kame’s never fought a real battle a day in his life.”

“Even so,” Miyoko said gently, raising her tea to her lips. “If he had to fight, he could.”

Masaru harrumphed, but didn’t say anything more on the matter. He popped an umeboshi into his mouth instead. 

Shaking her head, Miyoko took the lull in conversation as a chance to change the subject. “Have you found a seamstress for your wedding kimono yet, Sakura-sama?”

“Not yet,” Sakura sighed. “Honestly, I haven’t even tried looking for one.” Stabbing a bit of fish with her chopsticks, she muttered, “Why bother when they’ll probably be chosen for me, anyway?”

“Now, now, don’t get so down,” Masaru patted her hand. “Madara-sama knows what he’s doing. He knows his people and their capabilities well. He hired my niece to look after you, after all. And did you know, Miyoko’s mother, my sister, served as his mother’s handmaid before she passed away?”

“Really?” Sakura looked between the two of them. That was interesting. “Is that why Madara hired you?”

Miyoko nodded. “My mother served his well, and he knew that my mother trained me as a lady’s maid.”

“Madara is a good leader, surly though he may be.” Crossing his arms over his chest, Masaru nodded solemnly. “He never wastes talent when he can find use for it. Never forgets a kindness, either. He won’t lead you astray, Sakura. You can rest assured of that.”

She knew that. She did. Madara hadn’t shown himself to be anything other than dependable and respectful of her thoughts and feelings. She was just frustrated by Kame and felt like everything with the wedding was slipping out of her control. 

“Mah, Sakura,” Masaru sighed as he patted his full belly. “Are you very busy tonight?”

Miyoko, who’d begun clearing away the table, tutted at her uncle. “Sakura-sama has already done us a favor, Uncle. We can’t keep trespassing on her kindness.”

Masaru made a face and waved her off. “Who says I’m trespassing on anything? She wants to help. You do, right?” He waited for her confirming nod. “You see! If Sakura wants to help, then we should help her do so.”

Sighing, Miyoko grabbed the last of the dishes. “Don’t feel like you have to do any more than you already have, Sakura-sama. Please.”

“It’s okay, Miyoko.” 

She did want to help after all, and at this point she doubted there was any request Masaru could make that Sakura would deny. 

Looking at Masaru, she asked, “What do you need, Uncle?”

Preening ever so slightly, as he did whenever Sakura called him such, Masaru explained, “A cousin of ours is with child. She’s only a few months along, so far as I can say, but it’s her first baby and all. Would you mind checking in on her on your way home?”

“I don’t mind,” Sakura said slowly. “But would she?” She really didn’t need a repeat of her Apothecary visit. 

“Of course not,” Masaru said easily enough, his smile a bit too wide for Sakura to completely believe in his nonchalance. “Just tell her that I sent you and there’ll be no problem.”

Sakura hummed. “I’ll hold you to that, old man.”

She left not long after that, confirming that she’d return again next week as well before doing so. The street was alight with a golden glow from the descending sun. Sakura loved this time of year. The days were becoming shorter, the hot summer temperature had moved on, and the leaves on the trees were slowly changing colors. 

It was almost unbelievable that in less than a year she and Madara would be married. Touching her lips, she thought of the kiss they shared earlier at the shrine. She was glad Madara had turned down her proposal to delay the wedding. She couldn’t wait either. 

Her heart clenched tightly, as if someone had grabbed it in their fist, when she thought of all the people that wouldn’t be there. That couldn’t be there. Naruto, Ino, Kakashi, Tsunade . . . none of them had even been born yet. Her mother and father. All of her precious people would be absent. 

Shaking her head roughly, Sakura tried to stop the spiraling of her thoughts. It wouldn’t do her any good to focus on any of that anyway. Masaru had given her a job to do. She couldn’t be distracted. 

Walking up to the house Masaru had directed her to, Sakura knocked on the front door and waited. A few moments later the door opened, revealing a very pretty young woman with long, dark brown hair and eyes. A pair of deep shadows had bloomed beneath her eyes and the skin around her mouth seemed tense, but other than that she looked healthy enough. Sakura knew from experience though that looks could be deceiving. 

“Oh.” The woman said in lieu of a greeting. “You’re Haruno-sama, aren’t you?”

Regardless of the usage of her last name, Sakura smiled at her. “Let me guess, my hair gave me away?” When the woman didn’t laugh at her joke, Sakura suppressed a grimace and tried again. “You’re Kaede-san, right? Masaru-ojisan asked me to look in on you.”

“Uncle?” Kaede blinked. She blinked again, then one more time for good measure as she thought about what to do next. “Ah, I mean, yes, of course. Please come in, Haruno-sama.”

“Please, just call me Sakura.”

“Very well, Sakura-san.” 

Sakura swallowed a sigh. It was closer than she’d ever gotten with Miyoko. Following Kaede into the home, she noticed the dwelling was newer than Masaru’s home but decorated similarly. Another thing Sakura noticed was that they were alone. 

“Would you like any tea?”

“No, thank you. I’m fine.” She’d be fed and watered plenty thanks to Miyoko. Plus, she didn’t want to stay too long, in case it made Kaede uncomfortable. “Masaru told me about your pregnancy. Congratulations. You and your husband must be very excited.”

That got a smile, small though it may be, out of the woman. “We are. He’s off on a mission now, but should be home well before the baby comes. Would you like to sit?” She motioned towards the living room. 

Sakura nodded and once they were comfortable, asked, “Has anyone been helping you while he’s away?”

Kaede looked away, a small blush appearing on her face. “My sisters check in on me from time to time, but they have their own children to look after. And there’s Uncle, of course.” She looked back at Sakura and gave her another small smile. “Thank you for checking on me, but it’s really not necessary. Uncle’s a bit of a worrier, you see.”

“Oh?” Sakura cocked her head. Although she’d only known the man a short time, a worrier was not how she’d describe him. “In what way?”

“One of his sisters died in childbirth years ago,” she said while her fingers twisted around each other in her lap. “He gets like this whenever anyone in the family becomes pregnant.”

It was an unfortunate truth of the time that death was a very real possibility for pregnant women. The mortality rate in the warring states era was roughly thirty percent. That meant that one in three women wouldn’t survive the experience. It was actually safer to be a ninja in battle than a woman about to give birth. 

“Well, why don’t we do a quick exam and put his fears to rest, shall we?” Sakura motioned for Kaede to hold out her hands. “I’ll do a quick scan with my chakra, alright? It will feel a bit funny, but it won’t hurt.”

Kaede lips pursed, but she didn’t argue. The scan took barely any time at all, and told Sakura that Kaede was just past seventeen weeks into her pregnancy, and that the baby was perfectly fine and healthy. Something that did concern her though was the slight burn in Kaede’s esophagus. It was a side effect of vomiting, which was common with morning sickness, but this amount of soreness was above the normal limits. 

“How many times have you been throwing up?” Sakura asked, pulling her hands away. 

Kaede’s eyes widened. “Honestly?” She tucked her hair behind her ears and gave a shaky laugh. “I’ve lost count.”

“But it’s not just happening in the morning?”

“No. I thought it would taper off once I passed the first few months–that’s what my sisters all told me–but it hasn’t.” Sighing, Kaede’s shoulders slumped and the look she gave Sakura was wholly unguarded. “It feels like it’s getting worse. I’m worried I won’t be able to eat enough for the both of us.” She wrapped both her arms around her stomach. “I’ve been losing weight.”

If Sakura knew her better, she’d try to offer some physical comfort. A hug or holding her hand, maybe. But they were strangers, so she refrained. Instead, Sakura went into medic mode. “Well the good news is that your baby is perfectly fine right now, so that means we get to focus entirely on you. Do you have any ginger tea?”

“Ginger tea?” Kaede’s brows furrowed. “I think so. Isn’t that just for stomach aches?”

Sakura nodded. “It’s mainly used for helping to settle stomachs, that’s true, but growing a baby is kind of like having a nine months long stomach ache.” This time her joke triggered a reaction from the other woman, who huffed out a laugh. “I have some other remedies at home that I’ll gather and bring to you tomorrow, but for tonight and tomorrow morning I want you to drink some ginger tea and eat some rice. I could come back around mid-morning, if that works for you?”

Kaede’s lips had pursed again, and the air turned thick with hesitation. Sakura wondered what facts and figures she was tallying up inside of her head. Would her distrust of Sakura return? Would the health of her child sway her decision? Did the social climate of the Uchiha and their general opinion of Sakura make any difference? Only time would tell. 

Eventually, Kaede nodded. “Mid-morning works just fine.” She paused again and then added with a genuine amount of sincerity, “Thank you.”

Sakura smiled, “You’re welcome. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Wait!” Kaede stood up with Sakura and walked her to the door. “We didn’t talk about payment–for the exam or the remedy.”

Having thought of this situation before entering the home, Sakura shook her head and said, “Don’t worry about it. Uncle paid for it all already.”

“What?” Kaede’s jaw dropped. “I can’t possibly let him pay for all that.”

Sakura gave a wave of her hand. “It didn’t cost him anything once we applied the discount.”

“The discount?”

“Mhm,” Sakura said with a single nod. “The family discount. It’s available to all Uchiha who ask for it.” Laughing at the pure confusion on the soon-to-be mother’s face, Sakura gave her a wave goodbye. “Have a good night, Kaede. Don’t forget about your tea!”

“That’s it, just take it slow,” Sakura encouraged Izuna as he leaned against the walker Sakura had built for him. She stood before him and walked backwards as he walked forwards. By the furrow of his brow and the clenching of his jaw, Sakura could tell the younger Uchiha was becoming impatient with his progress. He’d graduated from broths and soups to soft foods like tapioca and plain noodles, and he could stay awake for much longer now, but for Izuna it wasn’t enough. He’d only been using the walker for three days and already he expected to be free of it. 

Sakura wished Izuna could better see the progress he was making. The first day with the walker he’d only been able to go a few feet before his limbs began to shake with exertion and now he could almost walk the entire length of the engawa. Truly, he was doing a wonderful job, but he wanted to throw the walking aid away and run as he once did. Sakura bit her tongue from giving him any praise, though, having learned early on that Izuna didn’t appreciate such words and would mistake them for patronisation. 

“Tell me something,” Sakura said instead as she noticed the beads of sweat starting to form along Izuna’s hairline. Exhaustion was creeping in, frustration never too far behind. This called for distraction. “Something I don’t know about you or the Uchiha.”

Dark eyes flashing up at her for a moment before darting back down to watch his own feet’s progress, Izuna grunted. “When I was a child I tried to befriend a wild fox I’d found in the forest. I’d named him Yako.” He shared a small smile with Sakura. “Not very original, I know, but it was the best I could come up with at the time.”

“I didn’t know you liked animals.”

Izuna nodded. “I would’ve brought him home if Father would’ve allowed it. I used to steal an extra serving of fish from the kitchens every morning to bring to him.” He chuckled, and Sakura watched for any signs of pain on his face from the action. “And every morning he was waiting for me. Greedy little thing.”

Sakura grinned as she imagined a small Izuna–which, if she were being honest, looked an awful lot like a young Sasuke in her mind’s eye–playing around with a wild fox, all innocent and tender. “Did anyone ever notice your thievery?”

“Just Arata.” Izuna’s smile grew as he locked eyes with Sakura. His eyes were bright as an old memory flashed into his mind. “He was the second eldest, behind Madara, and was the cleverest of us all.” Sweat trailed along Izuna’s jaw and down the curve of his neck, dampening the collar of his yukata, but for once he didn’t seem to notice that or the slight tremble in his hands. 

“One time, Kazuya–he was the middle child and mother’s favorite–misthrew some shuriken during practice and broke something.” He shook his head and blinked rapidly as he tried to remember. “A vase or a statue–something like that–and we knew father would be furious, but Arata had the brilliant idea to bury the pieces deep in the forest where no one could ever find it.”

Keeping an eye on his breathing, Sakura asked, “And no one noticed the item was missing?”

“That was the best part,” Izuna chuckled, his breathing just a bit too shallow. “Arata blamed it on the Senju. Our father took it at face value, didn’t even think to question it.”

Sakura laughed with him and helped Izuna to turn around, hoping he’d be able to make it all the way back to his room. 

“What about you?” Izuna asked after a few seconds of just walking. He was looking back down at his feet again, but the way he was worrying his lip told Sakura that it was more because he wanted to avoid her gaze than ensure his body was moving properly. “Did you have any siblings?”

Sakura wondered if he felt guilty, asking her about her family when he knew her people were gone. If he did, his curiosity must’ve been all the more greater for him to have actually asked. She didn’t mind though. She doubted she would have minded even if she had lost her loved ones properly, and not just through a strange time jutsu. He’d shared with her about Arata and Kazuya, two of his three deceased brothers. Sakura was more than happy to pay him the same compliment. 

“I was an only child.” A lot of her classmates had been, now that she thought about it. “But I had this one friend, Ino, who was like a sister to me.” Sakura laughed as she thought of the antics they used to get up to in their youth. “We even had a pretty intense rivalry for a few years.”

“Oh?” Izuna’s eyes were back on her. “What about?”

Sakura snickered. “A boy. It was silly but we even got into a fist fight about it.” Technically they’d been paired up against each other in the chuunin exams, but their shared crush on Sasuke had been a factor in that match just as much as anything else.

Izuna whistled. “A fistfight against you? According to Madara, that’s a pretty dangerous endeavor. Unless,” he titled his head, “did everyone in your clan know how to break the ground apart with a single punch?”

“No, only a few of us could do that.” Specifically, only she and Tsunade could do that, but that would get too complicated to explain. Or perhaps too revealing. “But it wouldn’t have mattered, we fought before I learned that technique anyway.”

They were only a few dozen or so feet away from Izuna’s room now. His breathing was heavy and he’d need a change of clothes and a quick bath, but he was doing very well and Sakura had no doubt that he’d make it the rest of the way without any help. 

“And this boy?” Izuna asked, a teasing smirk cutting across his face. “Do you think he was worth all that fuss?”

“Definitely not,” Sakura told him immediately. Looking back, Sakura wished she had prioritized her friendship with Ino over such an immature crush, but she’d had a different mindset back then. Back then, every little girl their age liked Sasuke, it was almost like a rite of passage. And every story or fairy tale or movie she watched had told her that two women after the same man were rivals, never friends. It had taken Sakura a long time to unlearn those lessons, and she was grateful that she and Ino had been able to rebuild their friendship. 

“Do you miss him?” Izuna asked, a bit softer this time. 

Sakura felt a bitter smile pull at her lips. “I miss who he was. Not long after my fight with Ino, he–he ran away.” That night was forever burned into Sakura’s memory. The Sandaime had just died. No one was paying enough attention, or maybe they didn’t see the signs. Or maybe they didn’t care. It didn’t matter. The Sasuke that Sakura knew died that night. It took her a few more years to figure that out. “It caused a lot more than just a fuss to track him down.”

Clearing her throat, Sakura needed to lighten the mood. “But if you’re asking me if I still love him, the answer is no. The only man in my heart is your brother.” Clasping her hands together, she dramatically batted her eyes at him and let out a wistful sigh. 

Izuna laughed, and together they paused outside his room. “That’s what I like to hear! Can’t have you breaking my precious brother’s heart, now can we?”

“Definitely can’t have that,” Sakura agreed. “Now, come on. Let’s get you washed up and changed. I’ll make sure some lunch is ready for you after your nap.”

“Let me guess, more porridge?”

Sakura laughed but didn’t correct him. He was right, after all. After helping him back into his room, she called on Miyoko to collect his soiled yukata. While they waited, Sakura left him to wipe himself down with a clean rag while she found him some clean clothes. By the time she returned, his eyes were drooping and he looked like a mild breeze might knock him over onto his bed. Izuna’s head barely touched the pillow before he fell asleep. 

“Sakura-sama?” Miyoko knocked softly on the door. When Sakura exited the room, the handmaid continued, “I noticed you were out of sewing thread. I needed to go into the market to pick up a few things, would you like me to buy some while I’m there?”

“Thank you, Miyoko, I’d appreciate that.”

With a kind smile and a promise to return soon, Miyoko left for the market, leaving Sakura alone with her thoughts. With Izuna asleep and most of the house attendants out running errands or busy with other tasks, Sakura knew she needed to find something to keep her busy. Her choices were between tending to her plants or adding to her journal notes. Since there wasn’t much left to do in her greenhouse for the moment, Sakura sighed as she entered her room, trying to think of what new medical procedure she could write about today. 

Barely an hour had passed before a loud bang caught Sakura’s attention. Time had dragged on slowly, making that one hour feel like three as she struggled to find motivation to work on her journal. Even though the initial noise, which was quickly followed by a series of thunderous stomps, was concerning, it was also far more interesting than anything going on inside her room. Stepping out into the hallway, Sakura saw a few attendants scurrying into rooms and out of the way of their clan head. 

Madara was in a foul mood. He barked at anyone unfortunate enough to be in his way as he stormed towards his room. He called for a bath to be drawn and fresh clothes to be brought to him immediately. His behavior was hot headed and brash, and Sakura watched from afar, wondering what had gotten into him. 

Knowing it was foolish to confront Madara as he was–there was no reasoning with an angry man—Sakura crept through the house until she was just outside his door.  The sounds of water splashing told her when he entered and exited the bath, and she hoped that his long soak had been time enough, and relaxing enough, to make him approachable. The footsteps she heard now were not nearly as forceful as before, as he walked around his room changing into his fresh set of clothes. 

Sakura waited until she heard Madara’s footsteps stop and for the room to quiet before she opened the door and slid inside. His clothes were strewn across the floor and watery footprints led Sakura to the engawa just outside Madara’s room where he sat in a clean, white yukata with his wet hair bleeding into the fabric. Looking around for a towel and a comb, Sakura found her tools and got to work. 

Gently, she placed her hand on his shoulder, careful not to startle him, and tugged at his locks. “May I?”

Not taking his eyes off of the horizon, Madara nodded. Doing her best to wring out as much water from his hair as possible, Sakura tried to think of what could’ve caused such a bad temper. Ordinarily, she’d suspect Tobirama had something to do with it, but the younger Senju offended Madara practically daily at this point and had never extracted this level of a reaction. She suspected it had something to do with Hashirama, or perhaps Konoha, but didn’t want to assume in case it made him angrier. 

Just as she had done the day Hashirama had come to visit, Sakura waited for Madara to open up on his own time. Placing the towel aside, Sakura picked up the jade comb and methodically dragged it through the raven locks. This was new for Sakura, brushing someone else’s hair. For something so mundane and simple, it felt extraordinarily intimate in this moment. She wondered  if Madara felt the same, or if he was still too deep in his thoughts to notice. 

A half hour passed, maybe more. Madara’s hair was only a little damp now, and even though there were no more tangles, Sakura continued her ministrations. 

“Hashirama has been named Hokage.” He told her suddenly, his voice flat and empty. 

Sakura’s hand paused for just a moment as she digested the announcement. Quickly getting back to her task, she simply hummed to let him know she was listening. 

“It was going to be me. It was supposed to be me.” He leaned his head back and sighed. “Hashirama wanted to give me the title, but Tobirama convinced him to call a vote.”

It must have stung, to once again be cast into Hashirama’s shadow. Perhaps it was made even worse by the knowledge that the person who was named as the village leader had tried to give the title to him originally. 

“Who all voted?” Sakura asked. It wasn’t like there were village elders yet, and no one had stopped by to ask the Uchiha’s their vote.

“All the clan heads currently in the village were summoned to vote. It was practically unanimous.”

Placing the comb atop the towel at her side, Sakura wrapped her arms around Madara’s shoulders and pulled him flush against her chest. “I’m sorry,” she told him softly. “For what it’s worth, you would have made a great Hokage.”

Leaning further into her, Madara’s voice was thick with suppressed emotion as he told her, “Thank you.” He released a humorless laugh. “It’s inane. I never even thought about being Hokage until Hashirama said it should be me. Then, it was as if I’d never wanted anything more in my entire life.”

Sakura pressed a kiss to Madara’s temple. This village had been his dream since he was a child, he’d worked just as hard to see that vision come to fruition as Hashirama, and yet it was the Senju that kept receiving all the credit. It must’ve been incredibly frustrating. Still, Sakura couldn’t help but think about Tsunade and how sleep deprived and pressed for time she always was. Sure, she was also in charge of the hospital, but the bulk of her attention was taken up by Hokage related paperwork and politics. 

Feeling as though she was sharing a secret, Sakura asked, “Can I tell you something selfish?” Her voice was so quiet that she doubted he’d have heard her if her lips weren’t right next to his ear. 

Reaching up to squeeze the forearm around his neck, Madara told her, “Of course.”

Hiding her face in the crook of his neck, she confessed, “I’m glad you won’t be the Hokage.” She held her breath, waiting for his anger to flare up again at her words. When it didn’t, she tried to explain. “The village is so new, it’s practically a newborn. The care and attention needed to see it grow will be unending. There’d be no time for anything else.” Her arms around him tightened briefly. As clan head, Madara already had enough on his plate. Taking on the role of Hokage would practically guarantee that she’d never get to see him. “I’d miss you.”

Twisting in her arms, Madara looked at her with concern evident in his eyes. “Are you lonely here, Sakura?”

Leaning in, Sakura pressed a kiss to Madara’s lips. “Not when I’m with you.”

Madara watched her, his eyes darkening. In a flash, Sakura’s back hit the floor and Madara crushed his lips against hers, his mouth moving hungrily. They were chest to chest now, with one of his hands cradling her neck and the other twisting into the fabric at her hip. Without thought, Sakura shifted her legs to better embrace his weight. Hands buried in his hair, Sakura wrapped her fingers around his locks and gave them a sharp tug, eliciting a growl of pleasure from the man above her. 

Tentatively, as if testing the waters, Sakura opened her mouth to gently lick at Madara’s lower lip. He gasped, allowing her access. The touch of their tongues sent a spark of lightning down Sakura’s spine. She may have initiated the contact, but Madara soon retook control of the kiss, making Sakura’s body tingle all the way down to her toes. 

Just as quickly as it had begun, Madara ripped himself away. “I’m sorry,” he rasped, his breath fanning across Sakura’s face. 

Playing with the hairs at the nape of his neck, Sakura asked, “For what?” 

“I shouldn’t have—that was improper of me.” Even still, he didn’t try to move away from her. Instead, he moved even closer by pressing his forehead against hers. He kept his eyes closed as he tried to regain his composure. 

Sakura knew that a normal girl from this time would blush and politely excuse herself from the situation, never to speak of it again, but she couldn’t help herself as she pressed a kiss to his cheek and whispered into his ear, “I don’t mind. Not if it’s you.”

His entire body stiffened as a low moan escaped his throat. “You’ll be the death of me if you say things like that.”

Fire burned in her heart and spread throughout her veins. The sensation didn’t burn her, didn’t make her feel like crying or shouting out in pain as it might have done once. Now it was nothing short of a pleasant warmth that made her feel so light and alive that she could burst with the golden rays of the sun. She wanted to share that feeling–that wonderful, beautiful feeling–with him.

“Brace yourself then,” she told him, a horribly giddy smile stretching her lips. Placing her hands on either side of his face, she told him, “Look at me, Madara.” He obeyed without question, his dark eyes so endless Sakura could imagine herself staring into them for all eternity. She brushed her thumb across the curve of his cheekbone. His eyes fluttered shut briefly before he reconnected their contact. 

“I love you.”

Madara’s breath caught in his throat, his body stilling like that of a statue. Sakura made sure not to so much as blink as she watched him process her words. Black orbs bled red as his Sharingan activated, the ultimate weapon of the Uchiha shimmered with the early signs of tears, but he didn’t try to hide the intense emotions taking over. It was gratifying, to see him so vulnerable. 

“Again,” he whispered. “Please.”

Pulling him back down so that his breast met hers, so that she could feel the rhythmic humming of his heart, Sakura said those three words again and again, until her voice turned hoarse and they were both satisfied. 

The next morning, Madara had a surprise for Sakura; an invitation to join him in the village. 

“Really?” Sakura asked, her eyes wide and her mouth slightly ajar. 

Madara’s eyes took on a teasing glint. “Of course, unless you don’t want to go?”

“I want to go,” Sakura said immediately. She’d been dying to see how Konoha’s construction had been coming along. Madara gave her updates regularly, but to see all the progress for herself would be amazing. 

“Good,” Madara smiled. Leaning in, he pressed a kiss to Sakura’s forehead. Once, and then a second time for good measure. “I’m sorry if I’ve been neglecting you,” he said quietly, just for her to hear. “That has not been my intention.”

“You’ve been busy.” 

“That’s no excuse.” Madara sighed. “I know my clan has not been making life . . . easy for you here and I should have put more effort into making you feel welcomed.”

Leaning into him, Sakura reached out and took his hand in hers. “You do make me feel welcomed. Izuna, too. I don’t mind being patient while everyone else warms up to me. It’s just–” Sakura bit her lip, not quite knowing how to express her feelings. 

Madara looked at her as if he could read her mind, as if he understood her perfectly. “You’re lonely.”

She thought of how she spent her time. Izuna, who she was coming to love as a brother, was great company. When he was in a good mood, at least. Saburo and Miyoko, too, were the closest things to friends she’d had in a long while, although their insistent use of her honorific did keep her at arm’s length. And she had Masaru now, too, who she’d come to see as family. 

In the end, though, it was true. She was lonely. She was used to always having someone around, always having something to do. When she was traveling alone, she hadn’t allowed herself time to think about things like this, but now. . .

“It’s silly,” she tried to say.

“Not to me it isn’t.” Madara squeezed her hand. “Not if it’s about you.”

Her eyes burned and she had to close them before she started to cry. Emotion clogged her throat, cutting off her ability to thank him for his words. Madara might not have said he loved her last night, but she could feel his love and affection for her all the same. 

“Shall we?” Madara asked softly.

Inhaling deeply, taking in his scent of embers and pinewood, Sakura felt herself turn steady. “Let’s.”

It was amazing to see the village.  Everything was so fresh and new. All her life Sakura had seen these buildings as rustic, with their rusting roofs, peeling paint, and cracked decorations. To see it now, all bright and shiny, made Sakura feel like a child in a candy shop.  

Madara led Sakura down the main road, but was happy to follow her down side streets and offshoots so she could properly explore the area. As they made their way towards the village center, they met several new citizens of Konoha. They met three Akimichi members preparing for the grand opening of their restaurant. Already they could smell their delicious food cooking in the kitchen. Sakura vowed then and there to be one of their first patrons. 

Next, Madara was dragged into a conversation with a Hyuuga who had an air of superiority that cloaked him like a blanket. Sakura worried she’d choke on it. Thankfully, Madara got them out of there quickly enough with his dour face and blunt, no-nonsense answers. 

A short and stout Inuzuka woman walked by with a mother dog and her pack of puppies. The little ones waddled around sniffing everything in sight and Sakura couldn’t help but ask to pet some of them. The woman smiled widely at her and nodded with approval. They got to talking–mostly small talk about the dogs, the weather, families–and before Sakura knew it half an hour had passed. 

“Sorry to take up so much of your time!” 

The woman laughed, “Don’t be! It was lovely to meet a new neighbor, especially one who has the proper appreciation for ninken.” With a wink to Sakura and a bow to Madara, they parted ways. 

Soon enough the Hokage tower was within sight. Its red walls were hard to miss and the rotund shape of it hit Sakura with an overwhelming feeling of nostalgia. There was one thing missing though, and really, she should’ve seen it coming. Instead, she stopped dead in her tracks as she stared up at a bare faced mountain. 

“Sakura?” Madara asked, his brow furrowing with concern. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing!” She said, a touch too cheerfully. Wrapping her arm around his, she pulled him forward. “Show me where you work.”

Madara didn’t push the matter further and brought her into the building. They found Hashirama and Tobirama in a large meeting room. At their entrance, Hashirama’s face lit up with a brilliant smile. “Madara! I didn’t think you were coming in today. And Sakura, what a lovely surprise.”

Tobirama scoffed over in his corner. 

“I wanted to show Sakura all the progress we’ve made.”

“As you should! This project is a source of pride for all of us.” Clapping his friend on his back, Hashirama pulled Madara over to his desk. “I had a marvelous idea last night. Come, let me show you.”

Sakura’s gaze met Tobirama’s. She offered him a polite smile, which he returned with a glare. Wonderful.

Looking away, the first thing she noticed was a map pinned up on a cork board. Pressed into the paper were dozens of pins varying in color. The colors designated what level of completion each section was currently in. The Uchiha district, which would stay as is and just integrate into the village proper in a few short weeks, was one of the few locations ready to go. The Nara clan too wouldn’t need much in terms of new buildings since the border walls would just be built on the outskirts of their forest. The homes for the Hyuuga were marked as partially completed, same for the Akimichi and Aburame clans. The land quartered off for civilians was nearly finished, as were the designated training grounds. It looked like Konoha was coming along quite nicely. There was just one small thing . . .

“Where’s the hospital going to go?”

The conversation between Madara and Hashirama came to an immediate halt over her question. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Tobirama stand a bit straighter. 

Looking at her with a large pair of dark, doe-like eyes, Hashirama asked, “The hospital?”

That did not bode well. Sakura tried to think back to when the hospital in her time had been built and found herself drawing a blank. It was one of those things that had always been around for her, so she’d assumed it had always been around, period. 

Trying not to let out the world’s weariest sigh, she tried to explain, “For when the shinobi return injured. Where are they supposed to go to be healed?”

“Oh,” Hashirama let out a weak, almost nervous laugh. Rubbing the back of his head, he continued, “I just thought the injured would return to their clansmen to be treated, much like we do now.”

“Right.” Sakura’s eyes slid over to meet Madara’s as she thought back to Izuna and Izanagi and how, if left to the hands of his clan, they would be dead right now. Trying not to throw her own soon to be clan under the cart, Sakura thought up a safer approach. “I’m sure that works well for the Senju, but not every clan is going to be able to provide the same quality of care.” Biting down on her lip, Sakura hesitated only briefly before adding. “It would also lend more credence to the village above the clan philosophy.”

It was a strategic blow. One that Sakura knew would tug at Hashirama’s heartstrings and idealism. It was true though, if any of these men before her wanted all these people to put Konoha before their own clans then they needed to ensure that their shinobi would be taken care of in return. 

“Of course! What a wonderful idea.” Punching his fist into his palm excitedly, Hashirama rushed over to the map and began placing new markers on it. “We should have thought of it before. My, Madara, what a brilliant woman you’re marrying.”

Madara turned his face to look out the window, but not before Sakura caught the light blush blooming across his cheeks. 

“Now, Sakura,” Hashirama wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her beside him. “Tell me, where do you think is the best place for the hospital? How many floors should it be? Spare no detail in describing your dream building and I will see to it myself that it meets your standards.”

Needing no more encouragement than that, Sakura happily began to describe the hospital that she knew like the back of her hand. Going a step further, she also explained an idea that’d been rattling around inside her head since well before Pein’s invasion. She explained her desire to have at least one medic–preferably two to three–stationed at each gate to help with triage and to stabilize severe wounds before moving the injured ninja to the hospital. 

Sakura had wanted to suggest her idea to Tsunade, but never got the chance before everything went to hell. It just made more sense. Tsunade had worked hard to convince Konoha’s shinobi that if they just made it to the hospital, there was a chance of survival. Sakura wanted to expand on that idea and increase those odds. 

“We don’t have enough medics for that.” Tobirama said, bluntly interjecting. Face as unmoving as stone, he kept his distance but made sure to lock eyes with Sakura. “What you’re suggesting is too unrealistic. The Senju barely have enough medics to see to our own clan. There’s no way we’ll have enough manpower to operate that frivolous hospital of yours.”

Several things happened at once. Madara’s eyes flashed red as he took an aggressive stance towards the younger Senju. Tobirama, in a snub, didn’t take his eyes off Sakura or even shift his body towards the danger that was only a few feet away from him. Hashirama’s hands flailed about in front of him as he quickly tried to dispel the sudden tension in the room.

“Tobirama, don’t be rude.” Hashirama chastised. “We are lucky to have Sakura’s insight and expertise on this matter. And even you can’t deny that it’s a good idea.”

Walking over to her betrothed, Sakura broke eye contact with the future Nidaime to focus her attention on someone much more important. Sliding her hand into Madara’s, Sakura wrapped her free arm around his and pressed herself close to his side, reminding him that she was safe and sound. 

It took a few seconds, but soon the tightness in Madara’s muscles bled away. His hand squeezed hers as he said, “Hashirama is right. You are lucky, but if you do not appreciate what my betrothed has to offer, then you obviously don’t appreciate what the Uchiha have to offer Konoha.”

“Now, now Madara,” Hashirama began, “don’t be so hasty—”

“What this village needs are realistic goals.” Tobirama cut in, his voice easily drowning out that of his brother’s. “I won’t support half baked dreams that will only serve to distract us from what we can actually achieve.”

Before Madara could bite back at Tobirama, before Hashirama could try once again to intervene, Sakura spoke up. “And if I could convince you of this dream?”

Three sets of eyes snapped to her. Madara gave her hand another squeeze and Tobirama raised a brow.

“Impossible.” He said dismissively.

Raising a brow of her own, Sakura truly wondered how one brother could be such an optimist and the other such a pessimist. “Give me two weeks, and I’ll present you with a proposal for both the hospital and the gate guards. Complete with a timeline, budgetary needs, and staffing requirements.” 

The same look she’d seen in his eyes that day in the field passed through him again. Eyes narrowing with calculation, he asked, “And if I still find this idea unobtainable?”

“Then I’ll drop the matter entirely.” 

Tobirama smirked, “Deal.”

There was a long beat of silence in which everyone processed what had just happened. Feeling how stiff he was beside her, Sakura knew that Madara’s patience was at the end of its rope. His protective nature didn’t appreciate the way Tobirama stared at her like a puzzle to be solved. He made her feel precious and treasured, but more importantly, by letting her handle Tobirama herself, he made her feel respected. 

She felt confident in this bargain she had struck. Two weeks was more than enough time for Sakura to create a proposal for both her ideas. Truly, it’d be no different than when she helped Tsunade draft proposals for the village elders or the Fire Daimyo. The only major differences were that she’d be doing it all on her own this time and that there was a small chance that Tobirama would reject her ideas out of pure spite. All her studies had told Sakura how level headed the Nidaime was, how logical and pragmatic. The books never mentioned his immense bias against the Uchiha. They’d glossed over his suspicions, sure, but that had mainly been focused on Madara, not the whole clan. Sakura knew there was a chance that he’d reject her just because of who she was marrying.

 If that ended up being the case, though, then she’d be prepared for it and find an alternative way to achieve her goals for the village. There was more than one way to skin a cat, after all. 

“Well then!” Hashirama clapped his hands together and smiled brightly. “Now that’s all been decided, how about some lunch? You know, Madara, I’ve been meaning to ask you how you met Sakura. Tell me how you proposed!”

Sakura and Madara exchanged a look, a blush dusting both their cheeks. 

“Ah, yes. Well, it’s a long story.” 

Hashirama, however, wouldn’t be put off. “Then it’s a good thing we have plenty of time”

What an exciting day this was turning out to be.