Knight in Scarlet Armor (Madara Uchiha/Izuna Uchiha)

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Sooooooooo, I'm Sorry... I totally just realized now that I never actually published chapter 13 onto Wattpad. T_T I wrote this 2 years ago... If any of you are on Fanfiction, then you already read this, but if not... here it is. I don't even know what else to say. Hope you enjoy it.

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Akane couldn't get out of that tree-house fast enough. Her head pounded, her heart raced, her shoulders shook, her fingers trembles. If it weren't for the fresh air filling her suffocated lungs, she may have thrown up; what little she had in her stomach from the day before. Images of the bloody Senju flashed before her eyes momentarily, but she quickly shoved them away. It was not the time to be wallowing in her own fear. She had to find Izuna, he was in more pain than her, she was sure of it. Even still, she felt a bit of relief that the culprit was now dead. She had no doubt in her mind that the same Senju who had originally kidnapped her, had been the one to brutally kill the poor Uchiha inside the tree-house behind her.

Shaking her head once more, Akane tossed those thoughts aside for another time. Hazel eyes scanned the immediate area for the crisp white shirt that embroidered the familiar symbol of the Uchiha clan on the back. Izuna always seemed to wear the same white, blue or black shirt everywhere, and if it weren't for the single time he wore a kimono in front of her, she'd assume he didn't own any other clothing. Closing her eyes, she tried to find the warm and welcoming chakra that belonged to her dear friend. It only took her a few seconds, once she found him, she took off in the trees. He wasn't far, that much she was grateful for, Akane wasn't the best at jumping through trees, and she didn't want to accidentally fall again, especially since nobody was there to catch her clumsy ass. In the back of her mind, she made a mental note to practice her tree climbing when she got the chance.

It took her a few minutes before Izuna's white shirt could be seen just about fifty feet ahead of her. He sat, legs dangling over the edge of a thick tree branch; big enough to hold him and possibly two other people as well. He didn't react in the slightest when she landed beside him, her hand gently grabbing onto his shoulder to balance herself before plopping down beside him. This was unlike Izuna, the frown that stained his lips, the look in his once cozy gaze was now blank and hollow, as if he had lost a piece of himself. Akane glanced down at his hands that he laced together in front of him. His skin on his knuckles broken and bleeding, little splinters stuck out, but he didn't seem to care even the slightest. Judging by the sizeable dent in one of the tree, she figured he beat his knuckles raw. Seeing him like this, really put into perspective of just how much he cared and held dear, the members of his clan. At this very moment, Akane vowed to herself that she'd do everything in her power to keep him from looking this broken again.

"Izuna..." he didn't respond, but she watched as dark eyes flickered in her direction. "This wasn't your fault..." Akane hesitantly reached over to grab one of his bloodied hands, he didn't protest. It was quiet for a moment, and at first, she thought he wasn't going respond. That is till she heard his voice, hoarse, as if he had just gotten done screaming.

"It's our job to keep our clansmen safe, and I failed them." Izuna mumbled under his breath, clutching his fist that sat idly between Akane's soft hands. She shook her head, forcing him to relax his grip, as she began pulling out the splinters.

"No, Izuna, you and Madara are not gods, you cannot be in more than one place at a time. You are human, you can only do your very best, and sometimes even your best can't save everyone...." Akane frowned thinking of the many patients that died right in front of her. Izuna stayed quiet, listening intently.

"I've watched many people die before me, and I hated myself for a while because I couldn't save them." Akane pulled a small bottle of disinfectant from her pouch which she generously poured straight onto Izuna's wounded knuckles.