Sakura hadn't slept well, and when she woke up, she was unsettled to find the sun still neatly tucked beneath the horizon. The world around her was still and dark the way it never was in the city no matter what time of day or night it was.

She was awake at an ungodly hour again and it didn't look like she would be able to fall asleep again anytime soon, which was terrible because she was exhausted from too many things yesterday and needed the rest. But her brain was took hot and running on too many ideas to slow down enough for a deeper sleep, so she tossed and turned in her bed and beat her pillow in an attempt to make the bed comfortable enough to fall asleep in, even though she knew she wouldn't be dozing anytime soon.

If anyone asked, she would tell them it was because she wasn't used to sleeping in an unfamiliar place, but the truth was something else. In all honesty, Itachi's confession refused to quit replaying in her mind and all she could think about was what that meant for her. It didn't seem fair, that someone she was supposed to try and see as family was changing the rules in such a way.

Shisui caught Madara on the end of the porch, one foot bend under his knee while the other dangled free off the edge. It was the middle of the night, but neither male seemed suited to sleeping just yet.

"You don't go near her tomorrow," Madara spoke, before Shisui could even sit down.

The elder Uchiha's tone was soft but short. He wouldn't repeat himself. His words were to be heard and understood the moment they left his lips. It was the tone a leader wielded, and not one Madara exercised often. Too many elders had concerns about the heir Uchiha, the one that blood decided should be the next clan head. He was too untethered, too emotionally violent, too wild.

Madara turned to glance back at Shisui and the glare of his near red eyes made Shisui think the elders were on to something. For a moment, Shisui contemplated playing dumb and asking 'who,' but Madara's temper was rare and legendary for a reason, and Shisui dared not risk it while on Uchiha grounds.

"I am not the one you have to worry about wooing our dear sister," Shisui teased, sitting himself down on the edge of the porch a short distance away from Madara.

The elder Uchiha might have growled. "I will deal with the other in their own time. You are too sly to ignore. Don't think I didn't hear about how you bullied Sai out of his room so that you might be closer to her. The aunts were gossiping about your kindness, to downgrade from such a nice room all for the sake of you bastard brother." Madara finished with a weighted huff of breath that conveyed how much stock he put in the women's words. No, Shisui was many things, selfless was not one of them.

"Yeah, well that may be it, but I wasn't the one that snuck over last night and made a big deal about wanting to date. I doubt she'll see any of us as brothers now."

"Hn."

It had only been a few months, but after their mother remarried and took on a new husband and daughter in law, the Uchiha brothers had said they would make their best attempts to bring Sakura into their family fold as a new sister, no matter where her blood came from. And to their credit, no one would be able to say they hadn't been kind or caring or considerate towards the newest family member, but in the end it really was too much to ask them to see her as a sister.

For Madara and Shisui, that request had been impossible long before their mother and Sakura's father had met. Madara especially, had been too far gone to start seeing her as family. But, that was to be expected after months of following her through the blond's youtube channel and other social media platforms. Sakura hadn't been a huge star, but the youtube channels she graced did have cult followings that Madara easily fit in with. Shisui had been the only other one to know of Sakura before the marriage of their parents, but Shisui's feelings were (arguably) nothing in comparison to Madara's.

"I'll worry about Itachi later," Madara finally admits. "Tomorrow, you don't go near her."

"And only tomorrow?" Shisui's tone is doubtful.

"Tomorrow is my day. Do what you can any of the rest of the days were are here. Tomorrow is mine."

Shisui doesn't say anything at first, but keeps his thoughts to himself least he speak them and provoke his older brother. The only one that could really get away with doing that would be Madara's favorite brother, Izuna. All the other brothers might as well be no closer than cousins for how those two doted on one another, subconsciously.

"What are you going to do with her?" Shisui finally asks. He doesn't count on getting an answer that will make sense, but he's glad to have asked it. They will be on vacation for seven or eight days more. One day is no so big a deal.

"Hn."

"…Should I keep the brothers from going anywhere they shouldn't?" Shisui sighs, making his tone as dissatisfied sounding as possible. "Any places on the Uchiha lands we should stay away from?"

"None of the brothers should be prone to wander."

"You think keeping Itachi restrained is going to be easy, you've never tried that on top of Sasuke and Tobi. That kid has attachment issues with her already. Give it a month and he'll be refusing to sleep if anyone other than Sakura puts him to bed. Kakashi will be devastated."

"What would you expect of a child with no mother figure in the picture? Sakura is good for him, just like she's good for the whole family." The hand Madara had been resting on the knee of his lap clenched. A fist spoke without words, and right now his body movements were screaming. "Do not traverse past the Indra shrine tomorrow."

"After tomorrow you wont' be able to intimidate me any more. It's fair play after that."

Madara chuckles, and it sounds like the moans of an old house. Next to his knee there is a sake cup, low and wide. It's been empty for a while. "As if there is anything fair about this… " He says. "No, one day is all I can manage with so many elders fearing my return. They're worried I might find happiness out of this and become fixed enough to return to a seat of authority among them."

"A lot of them want to see you back too. Don't forget how traditional Uchiha can be."

"As if they would let me."

Shisui hums along. "There are a lot of things the Uchiha can be, but I don't know of a people who treasured love more than our own. To the point where it's become near a curse, the Uchiha have many faults, but being unfeeling in family isn't the one we need worry about. They already love her too much to let her go. She's family to them already."

"And so it is," Madara hums in agreement.

Shisui leaves and Madara finds a few hours for sleep before the dawn.

He looms, there is no other word for it, outside her door with a held breath. Thoughts run through his head, over and over like broken records. Has she awaken? Is she properly dressed? Will she want to go with him? Will his words be enough? Will he be too late? Will the words of a different Uchiha sway her? Will he be left alone with just the thought of her while someone else, someone not him, steals away that dream.

'She's a person, not a dream.'

But that's a lie he tells himself, because she's both to him. She's become too real to him over the time she's spent in their home, cooking for them, watching Tobi for them, playing with them. He's known parts of her for so long, that her coming into his life felt like an incomplete puzzle left underwater with pieces floating down from the surface. They were so close to connecting, he just needed to…manipulate them a bit more.

The door slides open and she's awake and dressed and alone. She blinks once up at him and he notices her toes, bare and curled into the bamboo mats. She's what he would call short, barely tall enough for his shoulders when he uses his posture, but that's nothing negative.

He tries to breath again.

"Madara?" She asks like she's still in a dream. Her eyes are a little fuzzy too and her hair is still a mess. She yawns once more and takes a half step back. It's not an invitation. "What are you doing here?"

"Warning you mostly. You don't sew do you?"

Sakura stilled, eyes widening. "Oh God, no. Wy do you ask?"

Madara eases into a soft sort of sympathetic smile and shrugs. "Apparently it's a trait good housewives should have and I think Itachi's favorite aunt wants to teach you. Do you have any other plans for the day?"

He can see her internal panic in the way her lashes fluter and strain around her wide eyes. "I was going to go exploring with Tobi. Is he up?"

"Kakashi's already taken him into town for something they forgot. I think it was too much for him yesterday and Kakashi is trying to let the kid breath a little easier in a place where he doesn't feel so…" Madara lets his words trail off on purpose. Whatever she uses to finish the sentence will be better than anything he can come up with.

Sakura jaw locks up and the wideness of her eyes reduce. She's not a startled little girl anymore. "Ah."

In less than a word Madara is convinced she understands, and what's more, she agrees with Kakashi's idea. She doesn't need to know this is something Madara bullied Kakashi into last night. One day is all he needs. Just one day.

"Would you like an alibi?" She looks up at him, hearing his words. Madara tries not to sound hurried. "I was thinking of getting away myself. Some of the relatives have already…ah, you would think I'd be used to it by now. But there are some lovely parts to the property worth exploring."

"Are you inviting me out before I've even had breakfast?" Sakura asks in a tone of voice that dangerously sharp. She's smart, no one can say otherwise. Maybe Madara wouldn't be trying so hard or suffering after every dream if she wasn't so perfectly cunning.

"Not at all." He reaches down to pick up the basket he left by her door. "I packed to go."

She eyes him easily, stare heavy on the side of the basket. He can see her thoughts circling. She's deciding if he's worth it.

"There's crepes and dorayaki in case you were wondering."

Her eyes are a bit more interested. "Oh?"

"Yeah, and there's dango for desert if you want it. You interested?"

He tries to sound casual, he tries to sound like he doesn't care. He does his best to look the part of a lightly interested friend that want's nothing more than to take a walk through the woods with food and company. If the dango doesn't do the trick, he's screwed anyways. She hated sewing and domestic chores that kept her body seated and her mind empty. It would drive a girl like her crazy, and she's said as much in her videos.

"…Let me get my shoes."

"Closed toe would be best," he said, stepping back and keeping his posture relaxed. There was a nervous sort of energy he kept to himself as he waited for her at the threshold. When she appeared a moment later, his nervous energy was merely abated.

"Ready?" he asked.

Sakura nodded and then waited for him to move first. He turned towards the end of the hallway, but kept his pace measured for fear of leaving her behind. He wanted her time beside him to be easy, effortless. He wanted her to want more of it. When she yawned or slowed he noticed.

"Did you not sleep well last night?"

Sakura looked up at him before flushing a shade and looking down at her converse. "Nah, not really. New environment and lots of stuff to think about. Not a good mix for the brain right before bed."

"Sometimes physical exertion can help with that. When I was getting ready for University, I think it was in my senior year that I broke from the main clan, I would go on walks all the time and not come back for days, and I actually kind of hate walking."

Sakura waits a moment, letting silence stretch out between them as the earth makes sounds around them. They were never truly in silence. "What happened in your senior year?" She looks up suddenly, as if surprised she even asked that. "I mean, you don't have to say. It's a bad question, sorry."

"No, you're fine," Madara chuckled, enjoying her flustered appearance. "It's when I was being pressured to take up duties as the clan patriarch. They wanted me to be more than just the heir at such a young age and I wasn't ready to lead anything. I'm way past that age now and I'm still not ready to lead anything."

"I thought you ran your own company."

"…W-well, work is sort of different," Madara stuttered. "Jobs I can do, work is fine for me to manage on my own or with a business partner." He sighed an ran a hand through the long mane of hair he kept tied at the nape of his neck. But clan duties are so messy. The way you live your life is questioned, who you married is nit picked. It's like living under a microscope, but what's worse is how you have to do that to other people. I didn't want to be that sort of person. There are a lot of things I don't agree with when it comes to my clan. I don't want to be a negative force."

"So you left."

Madara shrugged. "I tried to. Family is hard to leave behind. This is the compromise."

"I can only imagine," Sakura said.

"After I broke, they tried their best to get me to come back and the only thing we could agree on is this halfway house deal. Soon after, others joined me and Izuna."

Sakura hums once more and then doesn't say anything for a while aside from the occasion grunt or hum as she follows Madara deeper into the Uchiha grounds where forests replace sidewalks. The trees get older and fatter the further they trespass, and soon it feels like Sakura is caught in between times in a space where magic isn't an impossibility. The leaves are impossibly green, and the sky is impossibly far above her. There are things singing that don't have bodies, things other than birds and butterflies.

Sakura's caught in the spell of the forest while Madara is content to remain caught in her. The way she watches the world, taking in all the sensory details like it might just overload her, gives him more delight than anything he could find through a screen. Sakura is real and she's beside him and she's adorable.

"Here," he whispers, touching her arm and moving a bit off the path. There's the sound of running water and he leads her down a slope to where the stream is a ribbon of transparent water without ripple. It's so clear Sakura can see straight down to the pebbles at the bottom without issue. Without disturbance, the stream makes only a mummer.

"What is this place?" Sakura asks on a baited breath.

"It's a safe place for me, a favorite place," he tells her.

Madara sets their food down on a stone and then kneels down next to it. Sakura follows and he begins to unpack the food, dividing it between her and himself. Her stomach churns a low grumble and she blushes. It's too cute for him not to laugh at, much to her embarrassment.

"And the dango?" she asks, moving the crepes to her mouth to take a bite out of it. Her cheeks suddenly become filled and Madara finds it hard not to kiss her.

"All in good time."

Sakura narrows her eyes and it's almost comical when paired with her bloated cheeks. She stuffs too much food into her mouth and swallows too little. "Did oo 'ow I 'ove dango," she asks around the food in her mouth. Some of her words came out distorted or shortened, but Madara got the message.

"Did I know you like dango? There are few who dislike out Uchiha made dango. You won't be disappointed."

"It's my favorite, though."

"Is that so?" He doesn't look at her face.

"But you knew that, didn't you?"

"What?" he looks up now and she's watching him too closely. Her food is a mess, parts left on her fingers.

"These are some of my favorite foods. And the walking idea, it's sometimes I've been wanting to try for a while now. And this place is ideal." She leans back but doesn't look away. "I'm going to ask you a question and I'l appreciate if you tell me if I'm wrong or not."

He tries to make his voice calm. "Why would you think I'd lie to you?"

"You've watched my youtube videos, the ones with me in them, haven't you?"

They technically weren't her videos. Ino was the one who uploaded them to her account and ran the show, but Madara knew what she was taking about as well as she did. He also knew honesty was the best course of action with her.

"Yes. I've been meaning to bring that up in a less awkward way, but…"

"There is no not awkward way to bring it up." She shifts forward, resting her elbows on her knees. "So, that means you know about my dad and my history and all the other stuff I've said in the videos." It wasn't a question. She knew.

"I apologize for how this must make you feel, but it was long before I knew you were going to be a part of our family. I can imagine how this must feel for you." The words taste dry and hot on his tongue and he instantly wants to take them back. He leans forward, hands raised defensively. "No, no, I can't, sorry. This-ugh, I'm sorry. I'm real sorry. But-I never thought less of you for anything you've said or even really disagreed with your views. It was the reason I started watching in the first place. Are you mad, please don't be angry with me?"

Sakura holds his stare for a moment and the world stills, but then she rolls her eyes and huffs and the earth resumes her tilted rotation. "Yeah, sheesh. Don't panic. I had a feeling something like this would happen sooner or later. Isn't the first thing you do when you know you're going to be living or working with a new person is google them?"

"I didn't use Google."

"Same difference. I would have asked Ino to take the videos down if there was anything in them I didn't want people knowing. It's fine, actually, it's nice to know that someone's seen them. It's a weight off my shoulders I don't need to worry about anymore." She shifts forward. "Is that how you knew to pack dango."

Madara offered up his palms in mock defense. "I may be guilty on that account. I noticed Ino would bribe you with them for some of the videos."

"Yes, my weakness." She turns and looks back at the stream. Her shoulders drop. "Yeah, I think it's better when someone knows. It was…nerve wracking to hold it all in. I didn't realize it until now. I think it's better this way." She glanced backwards. "Still, don't go mentioning it to the others. I don't want to be teased."

"I've kept quiet this long, but not because I think they would tease you. They may be…unusual, but they're a good family. "

Sakura stood and took a step towards the water. She reached down to undo the laces on her shoes and slip out of her socks. Madara watched as she left them behind and stepped towards the waters. Madara watched with bated breath as she hesitated on the edge of the waters. Then, as if she had decided something, she moved stepped forward into the stream, sending feathers of ripples out on all directions.

It was as if she had stepped over into a different world. Once in the water, she was severed from him and his reality. It made Madara think of the stories of girls trapped on the other side of a fairy's glass. It made his chest seize and then stutter.

But then she turns back to him and her eyes are wide and alive and he's safe. "What is that?" she asks.

"What?"

She moves down the stream and then pauses again. "Is there a waterfall nearby?"

His grin is suddenly mischievous. "Shall I pack this up for us so I can show you?" All he needs from her is a nod before he does just than and stars the trek up the riverbank on the side to where the water pool and drops.

Sakura steps into faster waters and the level goes from her knees to the edge of her shorts before she can catch herself. She laughs and then wades a bit more, testing the depth before moving towards the bank. Madara has set their stuff down an is reaching for the dango when her shirt lands next to his hand. He freezes. Stiff as faulty clockwork he looks up. Sakura has her hands around the waistband of her shorts and with w wiggle, those are off too, leaving her in a sleek steel gray one piece with deep cut outs on the side.

She catches his look and smirks. "I had planned on going swimming with Tobi and Kakashi anyway."

Madara swallows, brain malfunctioning. "You…had…?"

Sakura rolls her eyes at his behavior. She's comfortable in her one piece, and swimming is one of her favorite summer activities. Turning her back on him, Sakura wades back into the water till it's to her neck, and then she slips beneath the surface to swim into the middle, right under the falls that are barely worth writing home about. Madara watches her poke her head out and then swim back down over to the opposite side to climb out on the bank. Her tones track dirt, but she reaches for the rocks and climbs up the modest structure to the top.

"That's not a steep drop," Madara warns her.

Sakura just grins before tucking her knees in and going for it. She splashes down in a squeal and resurfaces looking just as triumphant. Hair sticks to the side of her face, but her grin is so wide it threatens to split her face. Madara feels weightless. She's too stunning for him to look at directly. Like a shard of light, she's warm and illuminated with life in a way he's only dreamed of. It's humbling, since he's never seen her so happy in all the time she's been in the house with his family. She's been pleased and at peace with Tobi, happy around the other brothers, and even relaxed in their group company, but this was something else. Her smile, her laugh, her squeals of joy from the jump, they all were something else; something Madara wanted to protect.

"Alright, that's enough hogging the water." Madara approaches the edge, slipping his shoes off along with his socks. Sakura doesn't see, or maybe she does, but she swims close enough to reach the bank before turning sharply, like a seal onto her back, and kicking swiftly. A wave splashed up and knocked Madara's knees and he pretended to be upset. "Those were good pants."

"Hn," she muttered back, dipping back under the waters.

Madara was worried his heart might bruise with how much extra straining it was going through.

"That's it."

He lost the clothing that wasn't swim worthy and waded into the pool, taking his time. Sakura was already on the other side of the pool and climbing out to get ready for another jump in. She doesn't pause to look back, but she does slow down, so Madara makes an effort to reach her. By the time he's at the other side of the pool she's already out and climbing. Madara chases and makes it halfway before he hears her splash and then laughter. He feels young again, making the climb. At the edge he pauses only a moment to make sure the coast is clear and that Sakura is still in the water before he pitches forward.

Madara knows a part of the reason why Sakura smiles so big after over a month of reserved smiles. The water rush over him in a whoosh. There is a storm around him, and thunder is in his ears as the rest of his skin tingles. With a kick off the pebbled bottom, Madara surges back upwards and breaks the surface. He almost laughs, but the smile falls off once he catches sight of the riverbank.

"And here we thought we wouldn't be able to find you," Kakashi murmurs, setting Tobi down to run to Sakura. From behind him, Itachi is already removing his shirt along with Sasuke and Shisui.

Madara glares hard at Shisui, but the brother just grins and his lips are crooked with all the broken promises hidden inside them. 'All's fair in love and war.'

"Sakura!"

Tobi squeals, jumping for her with his clothes still on. Sakura laughs as she catches him and it's almost enough for Madara to forgive his lying brothers for their interruption. But then Sakura catches sight of Itachi and her chuckle dies down as her eyes avoid his. Her ears are dusted with a flush to match her face and Madara feels the agitation for his brother clearly.

Tobi wriggles and Sakura drops him into the water, after which he is content and happy to swim away. Sasuke jumps in soon after, followed by Shishu. Itachi is content to stroll in. He takes his time, cupping water up over his shoulders to cool them before each step. Madara doesn't miss how he watches her for reactions.

With a muffled growl, Madara reaches for her and tugs Sakura close before remembering how particular she is about stiffens and he back up slightly. "Sorry," he whispers, drawing her eyes up towards his. She isn't watching Itachi and he isn't about to waste it.

Bending down his hair is a curtain around them. "If you can hold your breath, there's a cove under the grotto. He won't see you there."

She looks like she's considering it, but then her eyes harden. "No, I'll be fine. Thank you." She smiles at him and reaches out to squeeze his arm in thanks. It's not much, but it's a big deal for someone like Sakura, making Madara feel all the more blessed.

"Itachi has a sour face!" Tobi sings before launching off of Kakashi's shoulders towards the older brother.

Madara laughs at Itachi as he struggles to manage the youngest Uchiha, while Sakura swims to the side, content to climb out and jump in again. Sasuke is following her and she says something teasing over her shoulder that turns his face red.

It's past noon when they get out to dry and eat what Kakashi packed of their picnic lunch, but when the bulk of the group turns around to look for Sakura, she's not there, and Madara is nowhere to be seen as well. Beyond their eyes, the pair dry off inside the cove, lounging against the rocks with a plastic, waterproof container of fruit salad and one more of melon bread.

"It's a shame," Madara murmured to himself, picking his fingers. Sakura watches as he drags his thumb across his teeth. "I was willing to be so civil with them about it too."

"About what?" Sakura asks.

Madara turns back to her and grins. "Love and war, the usual stuff, love."

He doesn't notice the slip, but she does. Her grin stretches wide and he stiffens. "What?" Madara asks.

Sakura just shakes her head and bites into the melon bread. "You Uchiha brother bring out the best and the worst in each other, I believe."

AN: It's been forever, right? Yeah, I know. Sorry guys! This is a part of the Madasaku week celebration I'm participating in over on Tumblr. Speaking of which, I've been writing a lot over there. A lot of it is stuff I can't post here because of the rating thing and the smut ban (yes, I'm writing Sakura smut now), but some of it is pretty nice. Check it out if you're in favor of that sort of stuff. Also, the rest of the week I'm releasing a Madasaku story every day.

Exciting,right?