Ayumi grunted in pain, her eyes slowly opening. The first thing she felt was the rain hitting her face, but it had also been hitting her exposed wounds.
Why am I in the middle of the forest?
Ah, that's what happened. She thought to herself. I blacked out just a bit after fighting him.
Byakugan!
Tenji is dead.
And this isn't good, I lost a lot of blood.
Madara, where are you? Ayumi looked up hopelessly into the sky. She didn't have an ounce of energy to move a limb.
She began to hear faint voices from a distance.
"Ayumi!"
"Ayumi."
"Ayumi-sama!!"
"Ayumi...!!!"
Four shinobi surrounded her, and she saw Koniko, Kaouru, Kenzo, and lastly... Madara. Ayumi hesitated to meet his eyes, she was mentally preparing herself for a scolding.
"I'm okay." Ayumi managed to speak, perking herself up by her elbows. The movements took every ounce of her willpower. "I'm fine, really."
"Incredibly stubborn." Madara sighed, annoyed. "I'm carrying you whether you like it or not." He lifted her, one arm under the crook of her legs and the other supporting her back.
Koniko chuckled.
"Hooo!" Kenzo eyed Ayumi's dangling arm. "A ring?"
"Hm? Oh." Madara looked away, walking forward nonchalantly. But Kaouru was inquisitive and she put two and two together rather quickly.
"Ew! They're... together." Kaouru flung her arms.
"Baka! Have some respect!" Koniko nudged Kaouru.
"But he's so scary! Like a monster. Didn't even know he was capable of that?!" Kaouru pointed a finger at Madara, who only kept his eyes on Ayumi's.
"Beats me! Dunno who'd love someone as ugly as the missie over there." Kenzo
"Kenzo!" Koniko pulled his ear.
-
They had been in Madara's cottage now, and Koniko had been tending to the two children meanwhile Madara focused on wrapping, and stitching Ayumi's wounds. The procedures had been all too familiar with him, as this was how he'd treat Izuna and himself after strenuous battles.
"I can do it myself." Ayumi mumbeled, looking away, but he paid no attention to her complaints. it stayed quiet between the two as Madara worked. He didn't mind taking care of her in this way, in fact he'd have trouble trusting her life in any one else's hands.
"I know you're expecting a scolding of some sort from me." Madara admitted, wiping dried blood away from her inner upper arm with a hot cloth. "But I think you fared quite well. He was older than the both of us combined."
Ayumi stayed silent for a moment, slightly shocked. It would take her some time to get used to his acknowledgments. "I appreciate that Madara." She smiled, her eyes travelling to her bandaged arms and torso. "And this too. But I couldn't stick to my oath of not killing." She winced as Madara had placed alcohol on a deep cut near her under arm.
Madara could see that she was disappointed in herself. Ayumi kept thinking that surely Uehara had been looking down at her sadly from the heavens.
"That is the shinobi world after all. Nothing ever goes as planned." Madara placed a hand on her lower back, and the other held her wrist to help her stand on her two legs. "We'll speak to the Raikage before leaving."
Ayumi nodded her head. "Good idea."
-
"Raikage-sama, you have two important guests waiting for you outside."
He waved his hand in the air. "Well, let them in."
His dull eyes peeked up once he saw a familiar raven-headed Uchiha and a Hyuga right along his side.
"Uchiha Madara." He got up, pushing the chair backwards, "And Hyuga Ayumi. On what occasion are you both here?"
"It's been a while, Shodai Raikage." Madara crossed his arms.
Ayumi bowed. "We came to inform you of a debt collector named Tenji."
"That bastard." The Raikage scrumbeled a piece of paper in his hands, "I already have a team after him. What happened?"
Madara decided he'd leave the discussion for Ayumi, as he glanced at her.
"Tenji killed my clan members and set their house on fire back in Konoha." Ayumi grew tense. "He not only committed murder but also trespassed. I think you know what happened next." She stepped forward, "You can tell your team to go rest. He's dead along with the men that work for him."
The Raikage heaved a deep sigh as he sat back on his chair.
"My apologies for any trouble he's given you." The Raikage eyed her wounds. "Please visit a hospital, there's one not too far from here."
Ayumi waved her hands. "No need. But we'll be taking our leave back to Konoha."
The Raikage eyed a glimmering stone on her finger, and then his eyes travelled to Madara's.
"Spare Hashirama my thanks. I can offer you two a complimentary stay if you wish, at a private suite or some sort." The Raikage rubbed his chin thinking of ways to compensate them.
Madara sighed and Ayumi's jaw dropped, she blushed red.
"N-no! It's okay..." She yelped.
Madara looked at his blushing fiance. "Hm." He wrapped his fingers around her wrist. "I might just consider it."
"Oi! What's this about considering?! We're not even married yet for Kami's sake! Embarrassing me like this!" She mumbled so only he could hear. But he paid no mind to her as he held her hand and walked to the exit door.
"You're too much fun to tease." Madara retorted, and all she could do was follow him sighing and puffing.
The Raikage heartily chuckled.
-
"Raikage-sama is so cool, summoning lightning just like that. Can Misses ugly do the same?" Kenzo teased her.
"Kenzo! What's that about ugly?!" Ayumi tugged his ear, "And I can use lightening too!"
"I bet it's nothing compared to Madara-sama's fire style." Kaouru retorted.
Ayumi huffed as she walked, her fists in the air. "Their tongues are getting longer the more they age!"
"Hm." Madara hummed, walking. A few moments of silence passed, as both Ayumi and Madara watched the two children and Koniko race ahead of them.
"Ayumi, there is something I need to tell you." Madara said as his eyes were fixated ahead.
"Yeah?" Ayumi grew concerned.
Madara looked at the ground and then at her, a malice growing in his gaze.
"I'll be frank. The only reason you're alive is because of that marking on your palm. It seems to be sparing you chakra from some source once you go near death, and a hunch is telling me it's from the moon. That's not too far off given your knowledge and relations to the Otsutsuki, is it now?" Madara spoke unhesitantly, now looking at his fiancee from the corners of his eyes.
Ayumi looked at her palm, but as she grew day by day the marking became fainter.
Ayumi had no reason to hide or lie about it though. "Yeah. You're right."
"So you've noticed." Madara adjusted his gunbai. "That's one of your abilities."
"I suppose so." Ayumi rubbed her chin. A healing technique. "And it's only highly taxing on my chakra when I impose it on someone else, Izuna for instance. But on myself it doesn't seem to put a dent on my stamina."
"I suggest you do more research about it." Madara looked ahead, and she nodded.
-
It had been morning time now, and the five finally reached Konohagakure's gates.
"A dip in the hot springs sounds amazing right now." Kenzo yawned as he stretched his arms.
"Here." Ayumi took out a bag of money, "You three deserve it." She eyed Koniko, Kaouru and Kenzo. "Go treat yourselves."
"Don't have to tell me twice!" Kaouru skipped on her feet grabbing the bag of money. "I'll see you later Ayumi-hime!"
Ayumi turned on her feet once the three had scurried off to meet Madara's eyes.
"I have to drop by Hashirama and fill him in on what happened." Madara said as he walked past her.
Ayumi nodded. "Mm. Ja ne."
-
AUTHOR'S NOTE
Am I writing Madara out of character?! Please let me know!