"Madara, what should we do?" Ayumi pushed the curtain aside, looking at the heavy rainfall outside. "If we keep him here for longer the workers will get suspicious."
"I'll seal him into a scroll for the time being." Madara grabbed a scroll, unravelling it while drawing his own blood upon it. Madara rubbed his chin, looking at Konosuke who was unconscious now. "I need to face him alone."
"Alone?" Ayumi mumbeled. She frowned. "Fine. Just don't be reckless."
-
The Uchiha stood outside a forested area not too far from the inn. It was still raining heavily. Madara crouched onto the soil, weaving the signs to summon back Konosuke.
"Kuchiyose no jutsu."
"Awake, I see." Madara eyed him closely, as the silver-haired male poofed back into reality.
Konosuke gave him a violent glare. "I know what you're after." He frowned. Madara thought he'd spare him a chance to speak before casting him under a genjutsu to extract information.
"Oh?" Madara's eyebrow raised.
"How to cast the Infinite Tsukuyomi." Konosuke snapped.
Madara inquisitively narrowed his eyes at the Otsutsuki, now standing up right from his crouched position. "Seems like you'll save me the trouble from casting you under an illusion."
Madara crossed his arms, growing more hauty. "... But I'll still have to do something about you since you've troubled my wife."
"Why are you looking into such a wretched jutsu?" Konosuke wriggled in his spot, trying to undo the rope tying down his wrists. His attempts were proving futile.
"Wretched?" Madara crossed his arms. "It is a jutsu that restores true peace. No such thing as it being wretched. Hashirama built the village on a paradoxical basis. It will crumble eventually. The Infinite Tsukuyomi will grant everyone true peace, a genjutsu world where all their dreams will come true, where such things like war and hate will no longer exist."
Madara thought of his passed brothers, and his eyes sadly cast to the ground for a split second.
A dream world where they will finally be able to exist. Madara thought to himself.
Konosuke eyed him weirdly. "The hell you sounding so delusional for? Do you know what that jutsu actually is used for?"
"It's purpose is inscribed into the Uchiha stone tablet." Madara spoke sharply.
"No." Konosuke spoke through hitched breaths, he looked as if he was traumatized by something. "I was ordered by Otsutsuki Hamura to come to Earth since he had a prophecy that some time there would be a shinobi like you to come along. It's meant to originally amass a large amount of chakra that can be used to summon her, Otsutsuki Kaguya, back, all while individually using the people's powers who fall to the genjutsu. You mustn't think of it, Madara!"
Madara was slightly taken aback. Had he been fooled by the signs all along?
"How do I know you're telling me the truth?" Madara briefly thought of all the times in the past he fell into despair. Had it all been for nothing?
Konosuke looked at the Uchiha pleadingly. "You don't. A leap of faith that you've got to trust me. If you don't, you'll lose Ayumi-"
"Shut up." Madara drew his sword to his neck. "My wife's way is more... gentle than mine. I would kill you right now if it weren't for her."
Konosuke looked up at Madara more seriously now, his eyebrows furrowed. "You can kill me if it means you won't go through with it! Don't go near the power of the moon!"
Madara looked up to the rainy sky, then back to Konosuke. There was one way Madara could confirm what Konosuke had been saying is true. If Konosuke indeed had been right, he didn't want to compromise the safety of his betrothed and his only little brother left.
Madara undid the rope binding him down, and released the blocked tenketsu that had been inhibiting his movement. He spared the Otsutsuki a violent glare.
"Get out of here and never come near us again."
-
*AYUMI'S POV*
I was in the suite looking right up at the moon. I stared at my pulsing palm.
Why was it glowing? Did it have to do something with Konosuke? Did Madara kill him?
"That Madara." I mumbled underneath my breath. He was getting difficult to predict.
It was going to thunder again, I could tell by the way the rain was getting heavier. I wondered about his safety for a second. Could he have been in danger? No way. It's Madara for Kami's sake!
Suddenly, I heard a weird shuffling in the corner of the room, only to be welcomed by a black-like figure with a golden eye. I was scared - it was unusual. I rubbed my eyes, thinking I must have been hallucinating. But no! It was still there, looking at me so weirdly.
"What the hell...?!" I yelled. "Get out of my room!"
"Thanks to you, I must rewrite destiny." He said in a deep raspy breath. I launched a kunai but before it could land, he faded away reabsorbing into the wall.
Destiny...? What the hell?
-
"Madara!" The Hyuga shuffled quickly to the shoji door. She was patiently waiting for his return. She looked eagerly up at him, his hair had been drenched in rainfall. Madara quickly walked passed by her, removing his clothing to dry himself. Ayumi averted her gaze, granting him some privacy. He threw on a yukata, and she heard shuffling and creaking on the floorboard now. She glanced at him. Madara looked bothered.
(AUTHOR'S NOTE: just imagine him wearing that with no swords!)
Madara was now sitting on the edge of the bed, his fingers furrowed in his hair.
"Madara." Ayumi sat beside him, with a comforting hand on his shoulder. "What is wrong?" She didn't know if she should pry, but she knew he could use the support.
He snapped her a violent glare, his sharingan froze her in her spot. She felt like she couldn't breath.
"I let him go." Madara broke the tension, now looking away. He wouldn't let his temper get the best of him in front of her, he promised himself that.
Ayumi frowned, her eyebrows raised. "What do you mean? Like you killed him-"
"No. I let him go." He repeated.
"Well..." Ayumi slumped back, "Did you get the information you needed at least?"
It stayed silent for a moment, the sound of ribbiting frogs in the background filling the room through the slightly open window.
"That and more. Exceeded my hopes even." Madara bit his tongue. He still couldn't fathom that the jutsu was a farce, a guise of peace. Was there really nothing he could do to be in world with all his brothers?
"We should take our leave tomorrow morning." Madara glanced back at Ayumi. His face seemed softer now.
"Okay." Ayumi smiled.
Madara looked away, crossing his arms now, closing his eyes, thinking to himself for just a moment. He wouldn't let something good slip right away from his fingers again. "Then I'll inform our families of our relationship." He spoke nonchalantly.
Ayumi turned beet red, she still couldn't believe it. She had been lucky enough to be with him, and him vice versa.
"Mm." Ayumi hummed, excitedly leaping back onto the bed, until a loud sound of thunder cracked through the sky. She pulled the sheets up to her chin.
Madara looked back at her. She looked like a child scared for her life. He couldn't help but chuckle.
"What's so funny!" Ayumi muffled.
"I still can't understand how you're afraid of lightning." Madara admitted.
"Well, I am." Ayumi turned around, covering herself completely with the sheets.
Madara got up to close the lights, and hesitated whether or not he should accompany her again throughout the night. He stared at the empty spot next to her.
Madara decided he would.
-
Ayumi suddenly woke up, it was daylight now, and Madara was nowhere beside her.
"Madara?" She croaked his name, clearing her throat.
"Hm?" He popped out the corner nodding his head slightly towards her. He eyed her, while he was folding some clothing.
"Packing. Right." Ayumi got off of the bed. They were going back to Konohagakure now. "Here, I'll help."
"I'm nearly done any way." Madara moved their bags to the door. He eyed Ayumi for a second, there was something that was different about her in the mornings. Madara oddly liked it, he decided. Her hair was slightly ruffled, and her cheeks were puffier, and she smelled sweet. Ayumi offered him a small smile while she was tidying the bed.
"Are you... hungry?" Madara spared her a glance while attaching his gunbai to his back harness.
"... Sort of." She eyed her grumbling stomach.
"We can get food on our way out. On me." Madara put his gloves on.
Ayumi's eyes perked for a second, she ran up to the Uchiha, playfully grabbing his arm. "Is that a date, big guy?"
"Whatever it means to you." Madara closed his eyes. "Short stacks."
"S-short... stacks..." Ayumi's arms dangeled, sweat dripping down her temple.
Madara looked down at her and chuckled.
"Let's get going."
-
"... The Infinite Tsukuyomi project, huh..." Ayumi sadly let her arms hang.
She looked up at Madara, a solemn expression bore all over his face. He was still mourning the passing of his brothers even after all this time. She admonished herself for not realizing any sooner.
Ayumi had been able to pry Madara about the hassle he gave the Otsutsuki earlier, but she wasn't sure if she was happy about it now. She neither regretted it nor was excited by it.
Imagine if Konosuke had not been sent down by the Otsutsuki to warn Madara, what would have happened to the shinobi world and its entirety years down the line?
She couldn't help but feel a sadness and despair build up in the pit of her stomach. She only felt this way when Uehara died.
"But why, Madara?" Ayumi lifted her palms up in the air. "Why?"
It stayed silent for a moment between them, both of them staring at the dirt below them as they walked.
"When an Uchiha comes to know what love is, they will go to extremes to protect that love." Was the only explanation Madara could fathom to give her. Because it was the truth.
The Uchiha feel a deep sense of love. Ayumi's friend once had told her. Eyes that reflect the heart.
Ayumi sadly looked up at Madara, wishing she could hug him, or comfort him, or do something to perhaps pull him out of his grief.
Madara continued his tracks, eyeing Ayumi from the corner of his eye. "I think you'll come to understand that some day."