A lone figure standing while taking the important material into his study, remembering on how she suffered before he was able to encaged Sakura’s soul to prevent her moving on or remaining in earth as a ghost. Madara’s eyes turned as cold as a freezing lake, before he simply turned around and swiftly walked towards the entrance of the shrine where he preserved her remains in the magic bounds of Uchiha’s lair.
He never thought that death itself will allow him to continue to cheat and pull the strings into his own hand. His hand clutching into the cold surface of the opal necklace, where he wisely trapped her soul that he deliberately shattered and preserved into the dark object that he was holding, feeling the swirling sensation into his hands, he smiled coldly on how Sakura might be trying to escape the prison that she was being held. His crimson streak eyes went before her, observing her now, her complexion was pale, no life can be traced as she lay motionlessly in the tomb, dressed into rich coloured sapphire dress that contrasted her lifeless complexion, a diadem placed tidily into the crown of her head, and yet there she was as if she was only sleeping, the wounds that was implicated on her completely gone, her body was preserved through the use of the dark arts and ancient runes that came from his ancestors.
After four years, the first time he used Otsutsuki’s runes and old magic, one of the ancient Dark Wizards that was recorded in ancient civilization who committed murder to his brother Ashura, painstakingly remembering on how he patiently altered the Soul Shattering Ritual and thus he begun contradicting the complete destruction of the soul and body by using Indra’s Runes, the ceremony which will be completed once the leap year begun. Though Madara couldn’t help but to feel a keen sense that Sakura was experiencing painful strain on her soul as being held in the locket.
“You should have not contradicted me, look yourself my little witch, here you are lying here, unable to do anything,” Madara whispered, as he lifted her hand trying to warm the lax fingers that was cold to his touch. “I shall not allow your insolence of turning your back against me, if you dared to challenge me once again, I will not show you any mercy.” He added, there was little bit of doubt and desperation in his tone, but he couldn't help it. It was so far-fetched but perhaps… maybe unlike last time, this time Sakura will remain forever as his, since the moment they’ve met, he recently realized that deep inside him he decided that Sakura would remain forever in his side, his companion, his possession and most of his fascination. She was reserved solely as his, for him to mold, to possess, and even to destroy if he wishes to do so. “You’re mine.” There was still no response, Sakura remained still and lifeless, only sharp sensation coming from an ornament telling that she was half alive. He took a deep breath, his fingers trailing the contour of her cheek. After four years of her death, of course she wasn't going to response to him.
He thought about it for a moment before shaking his head and tightening his hold on Sakura’s hand. It didn't matter right now if she was not responding in her frozen state, he'd think about it later. What was important right now was completing the runes, which lead him the way to get her awaken. And she will awake in just a matter of time, tightening his hold again, noticing how fragile her cold fingers felt in his hand, he instantly relaxed his hold, as he turned to look at the hand in his to make sure he hadn't bruised the other's fingers. After a few moments of waiting, the time had finally comes where he can complete the ritual, the ornament he was holding finally stopped from its struggle to break free, it only indicates that the moon had reached its zenith, Madara recited slowly but surely the spells in old language, dropping his own blood for the purpose of creating key and at the time a barrier to open the underworld that held the other chain that was connected into her, ensuring that it will never took her away once the soul was freed and returning into its empty shell.
A black smoke from the gate covered her body, he noticed that it was encompassing the passage for the trapped soul, once he carefully placed the ornament into her chest; he heard a scream that was full of anguish came out from the opal necklace that held her soul before it completely emerged with the black heavy smoke that was surrounding her lifeless body, seeing the gates of the underworld and the death trying to take chance to embezzle the soul, Madara smirked at the powerless of the death itself, “You see, I find the situation very humorous, how ironically I used your brother’s method to cheat death not for once.”
When the soul completely merged, there was a loud scream of the guards of the underworld and the gate was closed into a hasty manner, but the Death who was also known as Indra in the legend left a warning, “You will pay thrice for what you have taken to me, Uchiha Madara.” He said in eerie voice, before disappearing completely into his sight.
Moments of silence came and his gaze now focusing into her, “It is time for you to wake up, Sakura.” he said in a commanding voice. Seconds felt forever, he impatiently waits for her eyes to open, noticing that her eyes remained closed, and her body was still cold as ice when he took hold of her hands.
----マダサク-----
It didn’t matter to her when was the time she let herself cry, with the serene and tranquil place where she was placed, Sakura still felt the pain whenever she tried to open the castle’s gate for possible escape. Numerous times she had tried, only unbearable pain seeps into every fibre of her being. The place was neither warm nor cold; she can only feel pain from time to time which made her felt the exhaustion and despair.
She was unsure of what to feel, every seconds that passed felt century in the realm that she knew she was being imprisoned. She was standing in the reeds of the riverbank, she slowly raises her head to look at the grey sky, it reminded her hollow which she was feeling in her chest, unable to decipher what was missing into her, Sakura raises her arm, as if trying to reach to the familiar voice that she was hearing from time to time. There was no other life in the place where she was held captive, and as far as her memories let her remember, the only time memory that she can vaguely recall was the warm touch in her hand, and the solemn voice that she loved hearing the most. Everything was familiar to her, the castle she was staying, the empty hall, and the large lake that she frequently visits to feel the ripples of water into her feet.
Sakura lifted her gaze again from the sky, small droplets of water started to fall from the hollow grey sky, closing her eyes she heard his voice, and allowing herself to fall into the water, slowly plunging into the dark deep abyss, unsure if she was breathing or not. Gradually, she allowed herself to be float in dark water just beneath the surface. Sakura didn’t try to break free from the water and get out of it, to breath and see and hear again, perhaps she was trying to find another way to end her imprisonment, and she felt the heaviness of the water, she couldn’t even move in it anymore, Sakura’s gaze remained on the slow drops on the sky, trying to sense the sensation that she was feeling. She was very tired; Sakura closed her lids letting the heavy water submerge her into the abyss, knowing that she might be able to find repose into the darkness that the depths provided.
“Sakura…”
The voice was calling her again, she could hear the soft, familiar voice speaking of things that mattered and didn't, about being his and disobedience. Usually the voice was accompanied by sensation of warmth, coldness, compassion and cruelty. On the other hand when she tried to speak back or clutch the warmth that encompasses her hand, it all seemed to fade away again and the dark depths of despair took her again. There was a part of her that was so scared of it because she felt the unknown fear that rose into her heart and secretly wishes to fade away and Hermione didn't know how to stop the anxiety, hopelessness and didn't know if she wanted get back to the surface again. It felt like the dark waters wanted to take her away forever and she would never be able to get back, providing her the answer to her empty wish, she wanted to sleep, and never to be awaken again, not wanting to feel the solitude that the cage had offered her.
‘He is waiting for me. I can't leave.’ Sakura thought and trying to find out who was the person who was patiently waiting for her, all the while she was constantly reminded of that excruciating emptiness back years ago. She remembered the first time she opened her eyes in the loneliness of that river side and how the sound of silence had been singing a mournful tune. She thought that it might be her own hollowed heart. There had been a wind, a soft breeze brushing through the reeds of the river bank. The water had been cold but not freezing as it had seeped through her clothing and straight to her skin.
The waters had felt wintry but gentle then. There had been barely any currents in the river and the hold of the river had been like cool, calming embrace. She had felt strangely comforted by it, when she had been floating in the water and one breath away from sinking under the surface. And she had, with a relief she had given into the depth. It had felt wonderfully, horrifyingly soothing, feeling that it was providing her the end of her isolation.
When the moment she reminisce the first night that she had been into her cage, flashes of memories flooded her mind, her skin felt burning, the coldness of the water didn’t let help to lessen the sudden gush of the memories into her awareness, but all of them were blurred, unable to see the face of the person who held her, and few moments it turned into nothingness, remembering the pain of death, and finally understanding the reason of her capture. Tranquillity engulfed her gently, closing her eyes once more.
Perhaps it was a mistake to enjoy warmth that the familiar voice provided her, but she hadn't been able to help herself. It had felt like sunlight after being in shadows for longer than she cared to reminisce. After all the cold years in her prison, she had forgotten tenderness… and then someone had reached for her.
It was him, the one who gently called her name; she can finally see his face, the person that caresses her cold hands. But she cannot recall his name nor who was he in her life.
The surface came closer again. Sakura never tried to arch up to meet it, to breach through it - to breathe - and she could hear his voice again.
“It is time to for you to wake up…”
After hearing his voice, Sakura fell into the consciousness, hearing and feeling no more.
----マダサク-----
Sakura struggled to open her eyes. She finally remembered who it was, and it was her Madara, he was so close by, if only she could get her eyes open she would see him… but her eyelids felt so heavy. The depth was calling her again, providing the comfort that she had longed for when she was imprisoned. Finally light had successfully breached the darkness. Sakura almost shut her eyes again to block the light out, it was too bright, but she fought the urge off. Now that her eyes were open, she was in no hurry to close them again. Instead she looked around and met the darkness of his eyes.
A gushed of sudden air filled her lungs. Instantly, she felt that she had been drawn out of the waters as she tried to grasp for more air, few seconds before her lungs adjusted into the humidity of the air.
A pair of unreadable red eyes is what she saw before memories flooded her mind.
“Finally, you have returned…”