Author's Note: *hides* Sorry for the long hiatus. I've been extremely busy lately. Also, one of my grandparents recently passed away., so.. yeah. I know I said I'd update TSoJ (The Scent of Jasmine), but lovely writer's block ain't letting me complete it. But, I've gotten inspired recently so hopefully it should be updated soon.

Ahem. Anyway, this is my first time writing a Naruto fanfic. Please note that 1) I have not watched this series in a long time, and 2) this could be considered AU..-ish? I think. Anyway. Enjoy..? Speaking of which, if there's a demand for this to be continued, I might continue this. Maybe.

Summary: "Y-you…you can't be her. Sh-she died in front of me," he choked out, forcing himself to take another step backwards. MadaraXOC. Oneshot.

Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto.

"N…N-Natsumi?" whispered Madara as he staggered back in shock, eyes wide.

"Madara - " I began as I took a step towards him. I could feel it, sense it – the other shinobi's eyes watching us, taking in our every move.

But I didn't care.

"No! Don't come near me!"

He shook his head wildly, frantically as he put his hands together in a familiar seal and stepped backwards.

"Kai!"

Nothing.

"Kai! Kai! Kai!"

Why wasn't it working? Madara could feel himself starting to tremble, long-buried emotions starting to break through the dam. It couldn't be. She was dead. Gone. Buried. She had…she had been one of the so very few who….who…

The Uchiha swallowed, and for once in a very long time, felt at a loss.

"Y-you…you can't be her. Sh-she died in front of me," he choked out, forcing himself to take another step backwards.

Sharp inhalations of breath were heard.

"It was my fault. All my fault... If I just hadn't - "

My heart clenched painfully for him.

Oh Madara, how long have you been blaming yourself?

"If I just hadn't been weak. I..If I just had been stronger, I-I could have saved her," the words stumbled out. "They wouldn't have been able to torture her, to…. - " He swallowed, trailing off.

-XXXXXX-

Flashback

Mocking laughter echoed throughout the room.

"Let. Her. Go!" Uchiha Madara snarled as he fought against his bonds, struggling to get free.

A tall, broad-shouldered shinobi shifted his gaze from the naked female to the Uchiha, tapping his finger on his chin, "How about…no." A smirk crossed his face as he caressed one of her bare breasts, admiring the kunoichi's figure.

She glared at him and spat in his face, "Go to hell."

The tall shinobi calmly wiped the spit away and turned to one of his companions, "Kira, bring me a kunai."

"No.." Madara breathed out as he saw the gleaming kunai being carried over.

"No...no!"

-XXXXXX-

Tsunade never thought she would feel compassion for the Uchiha, but there it was.

Gone was the arrogance, the mocking façade as his memories took him and locked him in place.

As the tale stumbled out of Madara, she could feel bile rising in her throat. As he recited the torture the kunoichi went through – the knives, the poison, rape, his experience of watching her scream first-hand – she struggled to rein in her emotional turmoil. She could feel the horrified shock coming off from everyone else around her.

Subconsciously, her eyes flickered over to where the supposedly dead kunoichi stood.

It was no wonder Madara had broken.

First Izuna, and then helplessly witnessing her death. Not to mention them doing…things to her. In a way, Tsunade knew she was lucky. She may have watched her lover die, but it had not been as extreme as what words spoken had painted….

A low growl sounded beside her, and her gaze shifted to the source of the sound.

Her surrogate son's face had darkened, eyes almost narrowing into slits as each word tumbled out of the Uchiha.

-XXXXXX-

Kill.

Kill kill kill.

He wanted nothing more than to find them and rip them into pieces despite them being dead already.

He could feel Kurama rumbling in agreement as vivid descriptions of the sheer glee they had at torturing the two were given were sounded aloud.

"Naruto," Kakashi clamped a hand on his shoulder. "Control yourself."

Naruto glanced at one of his oldest teachers (the first being Iruka) defiantly.

Kakashi stared back, not backing down.

Still scowling, he reluctantly reined in his emotions.

-XXXXXX-

"Madara," I said helplessly as he fell onto his knees.

I took a step towards him.

Another step.

Another. And another. And another.

I wrapped my arms around him, pulling him as close to me as possible and buried my head in his shoulder, rocking us back and forth.

I didn't know how long both of us were there, and I didn't care.

"I'm sorry," he breathed out.

"It wasn't your fault," I mumbled back as his arms wrapped themselves around me.

"Don't say that. It was, it is – this," he helplessly gestured at the wreckage, the destruction around us. "Everything is my fault. Don't say I didn't want this. I did all of this, made this happen out of my own free will."

"I…I just thought if I had more... just more power - that I could bring you back."

Silently, I rested my forehead against his as he spoke, his tone bereft and lost as he struggled with his emotions.

A long, hesitant pause reined briefly.

"All I ever wanted for us was to have a future."

My heart broke.

"I love you, Uchiha Madara," I whispered as I took one of his hands and squeezed it tightly, twining my fingers with his.

"Don't say that. You should... How can you still - "

"I forgive you, you know." Using my free hand, I shook my head and pressed a finger to his lips, "Love… it just is. We just are. Love is… meant to be given. It can't be forced, Madara. I loved you then, and I still love you." He squeezed my hand back, as if he never wanted to let me go.

"It's not your fault. It never was. It was theirs and them alone."

"I know, love. I know that you would've exchanged your life for mine, just like how I willingly gave mine for you."

Silence.

"….I missed you."

"Me, too."

Finite