I search my skin for the entry point (where love went in)
Chapter 3

"How are we going to deal with this?" Sakura asks, gesturing broadly to herself and both of the men. She refused to heal them and they look disheveled, so unlike the monuments to them that exist in her time. It helps keep her grounded in the moment, at least a bit. It helps too to be seated in her little apothecary; it's a space on her land that is private and hers alone. "The Senju and Uchiha are at odds with each other."

"We are not at war," Hashirama says, watching her with something close to reverence. It throws her off, being regarded as such by the God of Shinobi. "Peace has officially been declared between our clans."

Sakura folds her arms, unimpressed as she levels them with a gimlet stare. "Then why am I still treating people from both your clans who've been afflicted with very particular wounds?"

Both men are silent for a long moment, looking at each other. Finally, Madara sighs, turning to Sakura with a soft look in his gray odds. That softness, that vulnerability, is not what she expected either and it leaves her warm and confused. "An official treaty has yet to be signed. We've difficulty coming to terms."

"Well, you need to hammer it out quickly; you're filling far too many of my beds here," Sakura replies.

"I'd be happy to fill your-" Hashirama begins, only to cut off when Madara releases killing intent.

"Thank you," Sakura says to Madara, grateful but conflicted. It's odd to have someone she long considered an enemy of Konoha to come to her aid. It's odd, but she doesn't hate it outright. She pins a sheepish looking Hashirama with a look. "May we continue?" They both nod. "What will we do about these…" She wrinkles her nose. "Soulmarks?"

Madara's brows draw together at her tone even as Hashirama declares, "Celebrate them of course!"

"Celebrate?"

"Soulmarks are miraculous and rare; a sign that the fates regard you kindly," Hashirama says. "To actually find one's soulmate…" Hashirama's voice breaks. "Many spend a lifetime seeking the bearer of their soulmark, only to never find them."

"Oh," Sakura says, breaking eye contact.

She stares down at her still covered wrist and her hip as well, swallowing. She's always considered these marks a burden; another sign of how little she fits into this time period. She just doesn't have the same understanding of soulmarks and it often leaves her feeling alienated and isolated. But this...the obvious respect with which they regard her and the genuine affection already carrying through their actions; Sakura is cherished by them for something as simple as a few lines of script imprinted upon her skin.

And it doesn't make sense to her.

Still, she can see how much it means to them. It would be far too easy to shatter them with but a few words…

Instead, Sakura reaches for the bindings around her left arm, loosening them. She eyes Madara from beneath her lashes. "I am not the most accustomed to the traditions regarding soulmarks, but I am told that it is customary to bare them to one another."

"I…" Madara's throat clogs as his eyes burn, threatening to overfill. "Yes." He settles for as he watches her movements avidly. The fact that she is willing to do this, that she is initiating rather than him...he is not inadequate, not unworthy, in her eyes. Not yet at least. And he will do anything that is necessary to prove himself to her.

Anything.

Sakura peels away the bindings, blinking at the writing across her forearm. The script is now a brilliant, scarlet red, detailing Madara's proposition. She shifts her gaze back to Madara, surprised to find him smiling, eyes overbright.

"I do apologize for my coarse words," Madara says, "however, I find that the offer still stands."

Sakura flushes, the blush darkening when she sees how his smile widens in turn. He reaches out, callused fingertips ever so lightly tracing over the looping scrawl of the word "prostrated." He draws away soon enough, smile soft and gentle.

"Thank you for the boon, Sakura," Madara says. "I will cherish it as such."

Sakura nods, silenced by the awe in his gaze. Hashirama clears his throat, drawing their attention back to him. His smile is soft and excited, unbothered by Madara's actions.

"You know, sharing a soulmate will go a long way toward establishing true peace between our clans," Hashirama says. His eyes sparkle as he catches Sakura's hand in his own. "It might just be enough for us to settle a village together. Sakura, my dear, you are our answer."

#hashsakumada#hashisaku#madasaku#sakura haruno#madara uchiha#hashirama senju#soulmate!au#time travel!au#the boys are still walking disasters#but they're figuring it out#sakura is their answer#will konoha still be the name of the village?#well#if the boys have their way it'll be called haruno#but sakura will probably persuade them otherwise#my fic#anon#drabble#prompt