A/N: There is a good reason for disturbing you, dear reader. All 200+ of you who have this story on your follow list.

I'll apologise right away that this is not an extra sequel or a new chapter…More like the entire story has been transformed into an extended version of the original.

The thing is, I had to finish modifying this story. I've found myself unable to write anything new with the same amount of dedication because it dawned to me that this story wasn't finished. I had to go over every chapter, trying to eliminate contradictions.

Needless to say I got quite carried away, doing a proofreading marathon this week despite the exams. I woke up at 9 AM today…and it is nearly 9 PM and I'm glad to say I managed to get through nearly 20 or so chapters during those twelve hours. I wanted to get this done, get this out of my system so I could truly relax and say that this story is complete.

I changed some plot points, added dialogue, fixed typos and grammatical errors, added character development…Basically made this more readable and erased what the 15 year old me considered okay in my naivety. Especially toning down Madara's violence in the earlier chapters.

Basically – the story has been quite thoroughly examined and I think that reading it now will be a better experience for future readers as well.

41.

Guide this one to where the traveller never tires,
the lover never leaves, the hungry never starve.
Guide this one, Kalahira,
and she will be a companion to you as she was to me.

Mass Effect 3

A woman in her late thirties was picking cherries in her garden, quietly humming a melody to herself. She had two large baskets next to her that were close to overflowing. This summer, for some reason, she had harvested considerably more.

The wind blew, causing her light blue dress to whip around her ankles. She sighed and turned around sharply, with a cunning grin to find a boy, no older than five behind her with his pockets filled to the brim with cherries. The boy shrieked and tried to run away but the woman was faster and she lifted the boy up by his collar.

"Now, Daisuke Ono, give me a good reason why I shouldn't go and tell your mother about this? Didn't I teach you anything about stealing?"

The boy looked down sadly and mumbled something inaudible.

"What?" asked the woman playfully, "Speak up I can't make out a thing you're saying!"

"Yes Yuriko-san. You told me that stealing is very bad…"

A smile crossed on her lips and she put the boy down and crouched down to her level. Small traces of early wrinkles were already etching into her skin, her blue eyes glittering warmly. Any random onlooker could tell that in her youth she had been quite a beauty.

"Daisuke, if you want cherries then you have to ask first. I am not a hoarder and am quite capable of sharing…But now as a punishment, you have to help me pick the rest."

The boy groaned audibly. He wanted to take the cherries to the neighbour's daughter.

"If you do that, then I won't tell your mommy what you did and I'll give you one basket as a reward!"

The little boy peered into Yuriko's blue eyes, trying to see if she was tricking him again, "You really mean that?"

She smiled widely and ruffled his hair, "Of course. Be careful when you're climbing. The higher you get the more fragile the branches become. Only pick the berries that are lower and let me deal with everything else."

Daisuke emptied his pockets with pink cheeks, "Yuriko-san, why don't you have any kids? You are way better than my mommy who is always just nagging on me…"

Yuriko pushed her hair away from her face, tying the brown mane into a manageable bun, "Your mommy does that because she wants you to become a decent man in the future, instead of a prick."

Daisuke snorted.

"As for kids of my own…I don't have any kids because my husband died in war before we could have any. All I have left from him is this," she said and showed the boy a silver necklace with a red, tear-shaped ruby in the middle.

Usually she kept it away from prying eyes, but for once she was ready to make an exception.

His eyes went wide as he stared at it, "It's so pretty Yuriko-san! It looks like a cherry!"

The nostalgic look from her eyes vanished before she straightened up, "Back to work now, before I change my mind!"

The two worked the entire day, filling two and a half more baskets before Yuriko called a break during late afternoon.

Together they shared a cold drink and ate some inarizushi. It was something that Yuriko could make very skilfully. Truthfully, her cooking skills were pretty limited because she only had herself to feed, unless Daisuke was sent to her every now and then when his parents had to leave for town.

The couple had moved there from Konoha years ago after Uchiha Madara fought the first Hokage and lost his life, claiming that the city life is still no place to raise a small child.

They finished the light meal and Yuriko cleaned up while Daisuke looked around her house. There was still enough left for supper, saving her from cooking again.

He picked up random books, trying to find illustrations in them.

"Yuriko-san your books are boring! There are no pictures…"

She looked over her shoulder before giggling, "How about you draw some pictures and we can stick 'em between the pages, so it's almost like a picture book!"

Yuriko finished the washing-up quickly before motioning Daisuke to follow her.

"Let's go home, it's getting late and you were of great help today."

She beckoned the boy to follow her outside, "Your mom will be worried otherwise."

She picked up one of the baskets and together they walked down the road toward Daisuke's house. Here in the countryside they only had farmers who all traded with each other. So no one had to worry about money there, or visiting the city. Yuriko could give away a basket of cherries for a bag of rice and cotton and she grew some vegetables in her yard as well.

They rarely had any foreign visitors, once a week Konoha border patrol swept through to ensure that everything was in order before the little village was left on its own devices.

Because they walked slowly, it took them about forty minutes to reach Ono's farm. Daisuke ran ahead of Yuriko, opening the door wildly while shouting about cherries.

Her mother came out and they exchanged some pleasantries and news before Daisuke's mother smacked her forehead, "I almost forgot, your friend is coming to visit tonight right? I'll give you some vegetables. We're drowning in them!"

Ah yes, and this one foreigner friend that Yuriko had. Once a year, during the summer, he would always drop by and stay for a day or two.

Before Yuriko could protest that she had already prepared a meal, a huge bag filled with tomatoes, carrots, zucchini and what not else was pushed in her hands.

She thanked the woman before heading back home. Soon the sun would start to set and her friend would arrive.

They met at that time through a frightening chance. He came stumbling to her door, body covered with wounds, asking for her to allow him to stay a night.

Yuriko was too afraid of him to refuse and offered her to bandage him up. She knew how merciless rogue shinobi could be and was hoping to gain his sympathy in the process of helping him.

Surprisingly, he had proved to be a pleasant fellow. A bit of a prick at times, but they talked throughout the night and he promised to come again next year.

She didn't think he would, and frankly the first year Yuriko had forgotten all about him.

He never missed a year, for nearly fifteen years he came and they always stayed up talking.

Yuriko got home and stared at the other three cases of cherries that needed to be carried away. She bent down to pick one up when a pair of gloved hands beat her to it.

Yuriko straightened up and smiled to the masked man. He never took off the swirled orange mask with one hole, claiming that he had some bad burn wounds and it was easier to move around like this, without everyone pointing at him. So she had dropped the issue with no complaints.

"Women shouldn't carry such heavy things," he said and picked up another one, leaving the lightest one to Yuriko.

"Aren't you suave and early this year. I was just about to fix something up for you." She shifted the vegetable bag to her left side and picked up the basket and followed Tobi inside.

"Walk to the end of the corridor and turn left," she instructed him. After everything was set away Yuriko began working at the kitchen while Tobi sat down on the sofa, stretching his muscles.

"Can I help?" he offered, but Yuriko snorted and forced him to sit back down, "Oh please, I can practice customary hospitality only once a year! Red or green tea?"

Tobi chuckled and complied, "Red will be fine."

"Do you want your brown dumplings now or later?"

Tobi stifled a laugh, "It's still called sushi and I'll have them later with you."

A book caught Tobi's eyes, it was one that Daisuke had left on the table, while listening to the rhythmic chopping coming from the kitchen.

The Complete Biography of Uchiha Madara, by Oohashi Haruki

"I didn't know you were interested in history!" he exclaimed, skimming through the book until he reached the chapter for Kunisada massacre. There were a few brief mentions of Madara's first wife, only curt sentences to explain her significance.

…his wife died there, while loyally fighting by his side. She suffered multiple stab wounds and died the same day. Unlike the rest of the casualties her grave isn't found because the Uchiha couldn't bury her to their graveyards, so her body was incinerated and her ashes were scattered into a nearby forest. After the glorious victory…

Yuriko looked up for a second to see what he was reading before she shrugged, "Well not really, but the man seemed interesting. I heard that they call him the ultimate shinobi, irreplaceable, but the book seems a little biased. The writer isn't an Uchiha, but somehow has access to the innermost sources. This book is written on a very personal level. Unless the writer was actually there next to Madara I would say that the Uchiha clan is not very good at keeping their secrets."

Tobi muttered something inaudible before putting the book back into the shelf and sitting back down.

"How about we go on a trip this year? You probably have never been out of the countryside…"

Yuriko laughed, "You silly man! I can't just run off like this. Maybe for a month this December? I'd really like to see the snow. We don't get it here… Tobi have you seen snow?!"

She could already tell when he smiled under that mask, "Where I grew up it snowed sometimes. Only a little bit though."

"Well it's settled then! Come pick me up on the first of December and we can get drunk on New Year celebrations together."

"Silly woman…"

He kept coming every year, bringing gifts or valuable pieces of new with him.

While Yuriko grew older he never wavered and remained youthful as always. Every year the wrinkles spread further around her face like spider webs and her hair went whiter. The only thing that didn't change were her eyes, they still retained that cheerful glimmer.

"What's your secret Tobi? You're a prick for hiding the fountain of youth from a woman." She whined once.

Tobi merely chuckled at that, "It's just a shinobi thing…I guess my body is just more durable."

The only change in their schedule was that he took her away for a month every December, always to a new place. It didn't matter if there was a war going on somewhere.

She saw snow, the wide deserts of Suna and the mountains of Cloud.

Each year when Yuriko returned home she shared the tales of her endeavours with Daisuke.

Until the boy grew old enough that he wanted to see the world himself, not listen to an old lady's ramblings.

On their last December together, when Yuriko was nearing eighty five Tobi took her to some place less extreme and close by.

Together they visited the Valley of the End. He patiently helped her climb down the steep falls, after she stubbornly refused to be carried, "Don't treat me like any old hag!" she said and began walking down.

"Valley of the End, you're a real prick Tobi," snapped Yuriko, "Despite your blatant hint, I have no plans of keeling over any time soon."

He followed her closely, "Well, it's not like I had any say in the name. Beneath this waterfall Madara and the first Hokage Hashirama exchanged their final blow. You probably read that he was stabbed to the chest."

She chortled, "From that biased book? Most likely a blatant lie!"

The old lady was about to add another acerbic response, but she suddenly halted.

Her eyes were glued to the stern statue of Uchiha Madara with utmost surprise. Tobi glanced at her carefully, "Yuriko?" he asked before the old woman began to laugh.

" …Pity he had to die at such a young age, I would've considered remarrying if a man as handsome as him had showed up at my doorstep…At least he got to see his wife again in the afterlife."

"Yes…he did," Tobi mumbled quietly in front of him.

"Do you even believe in the afterlife?"

Tobi chuckled, "I think this may be it."

"That's idealistic…You shinobi should find another profession."

He began visiting Yuriko more often after that. Her health was waning and despite her protests, he stuck around, helping her around the house when the elderly lady couldn't move around that much any more. She kept trying to tell him to go and enjoy his everlasting youth instead of 'taking care of this sack of flour like me'.

It was her heart that was growing weak.

That year they didn't go anywhere in December, because Yuriko was down with a high fever that showed no signs of going down. Tobi stayed by her side the entire month, constantly checking her pulse and temperature. He sometimes went away for an hour or two and then came back as suddenly as he left.

"It's like you teleport yourself," joked Yuriko.

Tobi shook his head, "Silly Yuri, save your strength instead of talking to me."

"You should catch some shut eye, it's bad for your health. Don't forget, you're just as old as I am!"

The fever went on until the night of the twenty fourth of December.

When she usually got out of the bed to take a short walk to the garden and back again, she discovered that morning that getting out of the bed was proving to be an impossible task.

"I guess this is the end for me…" muttered Yuriko. The red necklace on her neck was growing hot.

Her ears caught a strange cracking, until she felt the crystal against her neck grow hot and shatter.

Tobi removed his mask, and for the first time in years the pair finally reconciled for a few brief seconds.

"Madara…" she whispered, a knowing smile crossed her face and she closed her eyes.

Tobi wiped away the tear on her cheek and tucked her in properly, making sure that her hair and clothes were perfect, before planting a final kiss on her forehead before he left her side. The Ono family discovered her body two days later and Tobi never returned.

He still had one more promise to fulfil, to take over the world with those eyes.

THE END

Three years, and after promising you so many times that I will finish this properly I did. You have been the coolest readers ever, providing me with simple joy when I felt down and now we're finished.

It's a little silly but when I finished typing I got all teary because...well this story is three years of my life after all. I thank you all with a very deep bow for sticking through this and...Hopefully you will enjoy what I write in the future (:

To those future readers who don't know, Tobi is Madara in this story because when I started it, I planned this ending. When it was revealed that Madara is still Madara then I didn't want to twist the ending, so it bears the tag of AU now

THANK YOU ALL !

Lilyholics