A/N: This is going to be a novel length fic of what would happen if Sakura ended up with Madara's soul and mind sealed inside her. The plot I have thought out for this is pretty epic and will start sometime shortly before Itachi's death in the manga and follow the basic story, though it will end up as AU around the war arc. Since I work full time and have other real life commitments, chapters will vary in length from around 1k words to over 2k. Most chapters will be over 2k+ words, and some will be even longer than that to accommodate key plot points. I usually update once a week unless I'm sick or something comes up. Please review if you like the story, it would mean a lot to me to hear what you think, even if it's a short note. This isn't beta read at all, so forgive any grammar errors.

Summary: Madara was never the type to put all his eggs in one basket. In the event that Obito failed, he set in place an alternate method of resurrection. Sakura really did have the worst luck with Uchihas, but nothing prepared her for sharing her mind and body with one, especially one that was supposed to be dead. Eventual MadaSaku, slow burning romance with a touch of humor.

Note: Give it a couple chapters if you're a new reader. My writing has gotten better as I put out updates.

Rating: T for now, M eventually.

Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto and related franchise.

Starting next chapter:

Sakura speaking to Madara in her mind.

Madara speaking to Sakura in her mind.

-The Beginning-

"Now... move..." the elderly Madara wheezed, as the tubes connecting him to the Gedo Mazo, the only reason that had remained alive for years, severed and dropped from his back. Ignoring a wide-eyed Obito, he fell back heavily into the wooden throne, his body quickly growing weak, death swiftly approaching. He felt satisfied he had properly instructed the Uchiha boy on how to act in his stead, and that he would be brought back to life at the right moment.

Black Zetsu would ensure that Obito would remain on the right path. In time, that Nagato brat would eventually gain enough mastery over his eyes to perform the Rinne Tensei, and then he would take over from Obito and enact the Eye of the Moon plan, saving the world from its wretched self and bring happiness and peace to everyone. "Until my revival..." he told the boy, "You are... Madara Uchiha."

As darkness clouded his vision and it became increasingly harder to breathe, his mouth pulled into a faint scowl. He never liked only leaving himself one option. Obito was fully committed to the role of Madara and would faithfully act in his stead, he was sure of that. Even now the boy had a determined look in his eye. Yet he hated not having even a contingency plan in case events did not play out the way they were meant to. One could never be too careful.

He focused the remainder of his fading chakra into one hand and pressed it into the seat of his throne. A complicated seal briefly flared under his palm before fading into the wood, a barely distinguishable pattern all that remained of his hastily enacted back-up plan. That act took that last bit of life he had. As his last breath escaped in a shuddering groan, he felt the harsh tug of the jutsu pulling him from his aged body, and he knew no more.

-Years Later-

Sakura was having a really bad day. It had only been just over a week since Naruto had killed Kakuzu, Hidan had been buried in a thousand different pieces, and they had scored a major blow against the Akatsuki. She had only been able to rest for one day after getting back from that battle, before her Shishou had sent her out on a mission to a remote village that had urgently requested Konoha's help dealing with a contagious disease. It had been a long and grueling task with very little sleep involved, but she had developed a cure and healed all the sick.

Unfortunately, on her way back to her home, it had started raining, well... pouring cats and dogs would be a more accurate description. Sakura was shivering, soaked to the bone, and running low on chakra. She desperately needed some sort of shelter to wait out this storm. By sheer luck, she came across an opening to a cave. A quick scan with her senses told her that it was empty and therefore probably safe to go inside. So she did. That was the first mistake she made.

The tunnel leading from the entrance soon opened up into a large cavern. It was dry and dusty, clear signs that no one had been here in years. The one oddity that stumped her was the fairly big wooden chair at the back of the cave. As soon as she caught sight of it, she stilled, on high alert for any sign of danger. When it became apparent that yes there was just some random chair in this random cave, she relaxed, but only a little. There was a large patch of ground behind it that looked like something huge had once occupied that space.

Sakura cocked a curious eyebrow at the scene, baffled that she was even looking at such a thing, but given that it wasn't a threat to her life, she decided it was worth investigating. Plus the wooden seat looked wide enough for her to lie down on to rest up. She made her way across the cavern to the object of her interest. Who the hell would build a chair in this place? Some sort of bizarre Cave King... or something. Fuck it, she didn't really care anyways. She rubbed her arms, trying to warm up. Her clothes were still dripping wet. With a sigh, she plopped down into the seat. Sakura did not notice the small seal activate when she sat down. That was mistake number two.

A blinding pain seared through her and she screamed. It felt like her mind was tearing and shattering apart over and over. It was far worse than the agony she'd experienced the time Sasori had impaled her with a poisoned blade. She clutched at her head as her trembling body collapsed. She screamed again and curled up into a ball on the chair, trying hard not to break down into sobs. Was she dying...? A tiny thought in the back of her head whispered mockingly that death would be better than enduring this agony for another second... and then the pain was gone and she was standing in open blackness. Somehow she instinctively knew that she was inside her own mind. Sakura could not explain why she knew this, she just did. There was just one problem.

She was not alone. In front of her stood a man with long, spiky black hair with bangs covering the right side of his face. He could have been mid-twenties, early thirties at the latest, she figured. He was wearing red armor. It looked old and somehow familiar, like she had seen it before somewhere. His arms were crossed in front of him and he was giving her a critical look, as if he was judging her for everything that she was. As she processed all this, he huffed and rubbed the bridge of his nose with two fingers, a frown appearing on his face. Sakura didn't know what to make of this situation.

The man's arm fell back to his side and he glared at her with a dark eye. The hell was he giving her that look for?! This was her mind, and he shouldn't even be here! She held his gaze and glared right back. She bet he was responsible for this whole mess. The chair in the random cave, the pain, whatever the fuck was going on now... she knew it was his damn fault and she fully intended to beat the crap out of him. Her fists clenched and her mouth pulled into an angry sneer.

He cocked his head at her slightly, and the corner of his lips turned up just a tiny bit. Was he fucking mocking her?! She narrowed her eyes in response, a clear challenge. A single black eye closed for a second, and when it opened again, a cold rush of alarm and twinge of fear shot through Sakura. She tensed, the thought of beating him up morphing into one of self-defense, given the outcomes of her past experiences with this matter. She was now looking into a very familiar red and black pattern. An Uchiha...

"This isn't exactly what I had hoped for," the Uchiha said in a deep baritone voice, sounding somewhat exasperated, "But I suppose I'll have to make do with you."

Next Chapter: Madara attempts a take-over. Sakura has other ideas.