Naruto 1. Chapter 1

**Family Business**

**This is pure fiction. I am not in any way trying to push my theory nor my characters into a role where she or it has no ground. Yes, I have let myself be inspired by multiple female figures when creating this character/ Characters, but I do implore my readers to take into consideration that I have in no way meant for these traits to dominate my original character.**

**There is always a reason for everything I write, so please, do not think of my character as some self-inserted Mary Sue, meant to take over a cannon characters role. Positive reviews are always highly appreciated as well as constructive criticism.**

**That is all, enjoy reading **

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Aiko Uchiha was born the second of December, a rather unusual night as it snowed heavily in an otherwise dry landscape. After twelve hours of labor the little girl was handed to her panting mother who took the child in a shaky grasp with a tired smile as the pink infant let out cries. "Myh…Myh Baby" she whispered putting the child to her chest to make the crying stop as the infant fed with a gentle suckling sound.

After about ten minutes, the screen doors were opened and closed quickly as to not let in any cold air as it was bad for the newborn. A tall man with bandages around his head and long black hair put in a simple ponytail and two boys surveyed the young mother, then the child gurgling. "Is the child healthy, Amaya?" the man asked looking at the infant who had come out a month to early.

"Yes, father, just a little on the tiny side" she said truthfully as the little girl in the dark blue blanket was a little on the tiny side. The eldest boy huffed, "It's a girl right?" he asked haughtily. "Yes, and she'll be your niece, Madara" the sixteen-year old Amaya answered not paying attention to the tone of her brother as she was too busy with her little bundle of joy.

"Whatever! It's a stupid girl and I don't want to take any responsibility for her!" he snapped and put his nose in the air. The younger brother on the other hand looked at the infant curiously. "What's her name?" the younger asked as the little girl continued to gurgle small bubbles from her small mouth. "Aiko" she whispered at this the middle child reacted again. "Love child? That's stup-OW!" his complaints were cut sort as their father hit him in the back of his head so he made a sour pout.

"Very well" Her father nodded, understanding the decision regarding his firstborn grandchild's name. Taking a step forward, Amaya handed Aiko to her father so that the elder could get a look at the child who now opened up her puffy eyes. "She has Hiro's eyes" the elder said looking into the dark blue. "Father…can I see?" Izuna asked, tugging at his father's robes the man leaned down so that his youngest child could see the blinking girl.

"Hehe…she's all pink and chubby" he laughed and poked her cheek so the girl shifted her eyes to him curiously. Madara looked at the baby as her eyes shifted to him as a hand reached out feebly and a small sob exited her lips as she was ignored, _Please…do not cry anymore. I am sorry! _That was all it took the middle child realized painfully a millisecond after his loving thought.

A bond forged itself at that moment and like the sharingan, it would activate and come to life when the newborn was old enough to understand the gravity of the fate she had no control over. "I wanna hold her" Madara said sharply. "Did you not just say you didn't want any responsibility of her?" Amaya asked dryly so that her little brother flushed. "Changed my mind! She's my apprentice now, even if she's a girl!" he insisted as his father gave the newborn to his son watching with odd fascination as his usually ill-tempered and haughty son seemed to mellow as he got to hold the child by himself who ceased her sobbing.

Madara continued to stare at the dark blue eyes, looking right back into his own and smiled at her and a certainty gripped his life-course. Aiko Uchiha, the daughter of his older sister was his in the sense that he would make her belong to him. Body, mind and soul were his and no one else's. As well as that innocence in her blue eyes…that was his as well. Of course, at the age of seven, Madara had no concept over "taking someone's innocence" and thought it meant something like taking someone part of someone's personality for themselves. But all the same, Aiko Uchiha was his alone.

"Come boys, we must let your sister rest" Their father said and put a hand on the middle child's shoulder as he kept looking at the girl. Madara was reluctant to let the infant go, but managed to when he thought that now that she was alive, she would not be going anywhere soon. Handing the child over to his sister who took the newborn to her, he frowned at her, "You're holding her wrong" he pointed out.

"No, I'm not" Amaya argued back holding the child to her bosom, but the tone of her voice told her brother that she was more than tired. "Hn! At least put her in a crib, if you roll on top of her during the night she'll be as flat as a pancake!" he said sourly but wasn't there to hear his older sisters curse when their father grabbed him by the ear and hauled him away.

As the doors closed, Amaya looked at Aiko who was near falling asleep again and smiled that smile all mothers do to their children. A smile laced with love and adoration at the fullest. "You have no idea how much I'll always love you…like I loved your father" she whispered putting her lips to the small head of the child who let out a small sound of comfort and put her small fist in her mother's long black hair.

Amaya stared at her child and couldn't help the tears forming in her eyes at the thought of her daughter's father. Hiro Senju had died on duty some months prior to the child's birth, leaving Amaya a heartbroken widow, but at the funeral where she had kept herself together for the sake of her own image as the first child of the clan-leader , she promised herself that she would love this child as much as she had loved Hiro.

Even her younger brother's, who had always thought of Amaya with a sour tone as she had acted as a mother for them when theirs died when Izuna was a year old. Which included spankings, curfews, and groundings and force-feeding of greens, saw her pain and promised her that they would be there for the child no matter what.

That had accumulated into an argument over who was going to teach the child what, as they thought it was going to be a boy. But it still warmed her heart that they would care for her, so that she would not grow up without any male role models. Putting the child beside her under the dark blue blankets, the baby gurgled softly and fell into slumber once more, Amaya on the other hand kept looking at her child with love until she couldn't keep herself awake anymore and fell asleep.

In the waking hours the screen door was pulled aside softly as to not wake Amaya who had just fallen asleep. Closing it quickly to not let in a draft, Madara walked on the edge of the room to not create any sounds as he walked carefully over to the crib. Peering over, Madara's expression of concentration softened when he saw the sleeping girl on her stomach.

Reaching his fingers out to her, they touched her chubby face with a newfound softness in them as the little girl made no noise. Anxiety crept up on him, so his hands felt her heart to make sure she was alive, and let out a breath of relief when he felt it beat under his fingers. She was so small and soft…he thought, wishing to pick her up and put her face to his.

But as he stood there, Amaya had woken up at once as she heard the doors open, being a trained kunoichi with a full sharingan this was expected of her. But as she listened to her brother's movements, she felt a sleepy smile curve on her lips. She always knew Madara could be a bit of a softy, even if he had made his first kill at the age of six did not change the fact that Aiko had melted his hard demeanor.

Madara continued to stroke the sleeping face with gentle caresses as he thought to himself, his affection, though not aware, started to slowly spiral to that of an obsession. When the child started to stir with a whimper, Madara was quick to pick the child up as he could justify his action should anyone ask. The child opened her dark blue eyes to look at his face and made a bubble on her lips as a greeting.

Wiping the spit of on her blanket, the boy pressed his cheek to hers while shushing her softly. The baby made a noise in comfort and settled into a sleep again when Madara pressed his lips to her forehead. "Am I seeing things or have you progressed in your genjutsu, Madara?" Amaya asked softly from her bed as she looked at the whole scenery. Turning around as quickly as he dared with the baby still in his arms, the new-baked mother smiled kindly at her brother who ground his teeth.

"She's hungry" he said flatly making Amaya raise her eyebrow at him with a smile. "Well, let me take her" she said and sat up of the futon. Again, Madara wanted to tell his older sister that, no, no, she was staying here with him. But, not wanting to be called a softie, he walked carefully over to his sister and kneeled beside her while she took her daughter into her arms and shrugged of her yukata.

"Have some modesty, Nee-chan!" Madara gagged, turning his pink face away from his older sister who smirked. "You're my little brother, we used to take baths together you and me, when you couldn't swim" she taunted as the little girl sucked softly. Turning from pink to red, Madara was about to yell but as he had drawn breath, he saw his niece and snapped his mouth shut. "S-Shut up! You're so stupid!"

"Yeah, yeah…be a dear and get Aiko's one-piece for me, Mada" she said, still smirking at her brother who got up with a muttered curse and went for the little closet with the unused baby clothes. Picking out a dark blue one padded with fleece and the Uchiha fan on the back, he put it beside Amaya as she was now done feeding her daughter.

After the burping part and the changing part, Amaya held the baby close to her with a soft smile. "Nee-Chan…" Madara began, also looking at the baby with a contained affection, much like that of an iceberg. "Mmm?" she hummed back, not taking her eyes of the child. "When she grows up…can I be her favorite uncle?" he asked, Amaya chuckled and gave her brother a disbelieving look.

"That's not really up to me, now is it? You'll have to earn a place in her heart for that" she explained. Madara frowned, "Can't I make her like me, without the moshy part?" he asked with a grimace now. Sighing, Amaya looked as Aiko had opened her large blue eyes and stared at her mother, "We'll have to wait to see how she turns out…I've already decided her to join our ranks" she added, remembering back to the discussion with Hiro and her father. It would only make sense for Aiko to be a kunoichi because of her strong line. And if she was anything like Madara and Izuna, which was a high possibility, she would be strong.

"Well, she's my apprentice so I'll make her strong…and Izuna will help too" he boasted with a huff. Reaching her slender hand out, she rubbed her brother's spiky head with a smile as the boy pushed the hand away with a sour pout. "Of course, I'm counting on you two to be there for her" she said and at this, even though it was rare, Madara smiled at his sister.

"I promise, Amaya-Nee" he said softly and stroke the infant's cheek with a careful move; he was wise too…anyone who dared talk bad about Hiro or dishonor him would face Amaya in battle. Amaya may not be as strong as her brother's would be at her age, but she was strong enough to wield devastating fire techniques.

It was two weeks later, that Amaya had a visitor from the neighboring civilian city of Oedo. An old, gray haired and bearded man, wearing light blue robes with a scarlet belt came to see the newborn. Toshiaki Fujita did not belong to any clan, but was rather an old acquaintance of Amaya and her father as well, he was an astronomer. Being an old friend and because Amaya was a little superstitious, she had him read Aiko's future.

As he came in, Amaya had just picked up Aiko who had woken up from her nap as the old man dried of his shoes before entering. "The snow has melted, it was a mess getting up here" the man said, his voice a little raspy from the wear of time. "I saw that, but the warmth is good for Aiko, I would hate her to catch a cold when she's so tiny." Amaya said bouncing the baby.

Toshiaki smiled as the saw the little bundle of joy reaching her chubby fist up into her mother's black hair. "So you've named her Aiko" he said as the daughter of the clan-leader took her seat on the floor near a soft plush carpet where she put down her daughter on a pillow. Taking his seat as well, the old man looked into the dark blue eyes of the infant who made a gurgle in greeting. "Yes, in memory of Hiro" she breathed, pained by the memory of her husband.

Putting a hand on hers, he gave her a comforting look. "When I looked into your future, Amaya, I saw love at its highest; I also saw death in your life-picture…but you are a woman of undying love and will be that until you join the stars" he said, tightening the grip on her hand as she sighed to collect herself. "Please, you're sounding more and more like the first son of the great sage. I will not deny the love for my daughter is great, but I think you know where I stand on the matter"

Nodding his head in understanding, he now switched his attention to the little girl with a wisp of black hair, who blew bubbles from her tiny pink lips. Pulling a stack of tarot cards from his sleeve, he laid held them out to Amaya an Aiko who stared at him with newfound curiosity…mostly for his beard which was swaying close to her fists. "Remember I am not to blame what the cards will tell about your daughter, if it makes you feel securer, I will have to stock and pick the cards" he handed the dark blue and seemingly old cards to the girl who took them carefully.

Stocking them, she looked at the man who smiled at the child, "What was it you drew for me…no one told me" he looked up at her, weary grey eyes shun with a secretive smile. "I cannot tell you, as you cannot tell Aiko…one should never know the future beforehand" Amaya nodded in agreement and put the cards above them so there would be no disagreement as to if they were upside down or not.

"I remember that for Madara, the emperor upright was drawn and the world upside down as well as the devil, sideways was it?" she asked him, remembering that occurrence when a wind had picked up the card their father was about to pick up and blown it sideways. "Yes, that was a rare occurrence, how are your brothers doing?" he asked, stroking his beard so it was out of Aiko's reach, much to the child's frustration.

"They're absolutely in love with Aiko, Madara won't stop pestering me about if I've fed her and whatnot. Izuna just wants to hold her and make her laugh" she said with a tired smile as it was just as much work looking after her younger siblings as it was looking after her child. The old man smiled a crooked smile at the young woman, but started to draw lines to the cards which had been picked out for her brothers at birth.

As he came to remember after a few seconds of mulling, both Madara and Izuna were to become great and powerful leaders, though they were both prone to sexual attachments and attachments in general. Izuna was adaptable to change whereas Madara was not. A sudden yank to the beard made him snap out of it, as the little girl had a fist full of grey in her small hands. "Oh Aiko" Amaya sighed, loosening the grip on the tiny fist. "She grabs everything she comes across, I have to wear my hair up when I hold her and my youngest brother had his nose squeezed" "Curious little child" Toshiaki cooed and rubbed his beard.

"Shall we start?" Amaya asked placidly, the old astronomer nodded and gestured for her to begin picking out of the 72 cards. Picking one at random, she held it up to him so Aiko could not see. "Upside down death" he said to her, Amaya paled suddenly as her black eyes widened in sudden terror. "Aiko will face changes which can be both pleasant and unpleasant, and sometimes periods of agonizing transition which may be in love or other. It will wear her out, both physically and mentally" he supplied with a concentrated face.

Amaya tightened her painted lips and put the card down beside her, "It is to be expected in an area of everlasting war…" she said to herself, mainly to comfort. Picking another up from the light wooden floor, this one far away from the death card, she held it up to him, again in a way that Aiko could not see once more. "Upright, lovers" "Oh?" she asked, feeling a bit better now as she surveyed the card herself.

"Aiko will have to make choices using her intuition not always about love but also about general decisions, and a test to commitments in her life which may lead to a struggle between two paths. Also, she will poses an internal harmony, union and a second sight" putting his hand on her soft head as he spoke, he felt the chakra inside of her and felt it different.

"Then her name is fitting, is it not?" Amaya asked, now reassured that her daughter would in the least be able to pass on the genes of her family when she had chosen the right path before her in the future. The child gurgled happily at the contact from the old man. "The last one Amaya" he nudged her.

This time, the mother picked one in the middle of the two she had already chosen and pulled it up for the last time. "The star, upright" "She will have influence over others, as she will also be vigorous and confident as well as a source of protection" with this said, he looked down into the depths of blue to survey the child. The cards seemed right…for there was something in those blue eyes which held their own mystique. "It is important to never tell Aiko any of this, her life is to come naturally to her regardless of what the cards say. But this you understand"

She nodded at him curtly, just then as she was about to ask another question the doors were opened and in strode Madara and Izuna. "What are you doing?" Madara asked, looking as his beloved niece was placed on a blue pillow in the middle and cards lay on the floor in front of her. He felt immediately suspicious. "Enforcing a small tradition, and take of your shoes your flooding the living room" she said the last words sternly as she eyes the dirt on their clothes and knew at once that they had been outside practicing with each other again and were coming inside for a small break.

Huffing, Madara tossed his shoes of sporadically as well did Izuna, the old man was not faced by this and smiled gently. "Hello boys" "Hi Mr. Astronomer!" Izuna smiled at him with a wave. Madara merely nodded at him and then walked over to Aiko who reached her hands up immediately when he came into her view. Picking her up, Amaya sighed in frustration, "She is not a kitten Madara, she needs her peace" she reminded him the way he was stroking her like one.

The middle-child shot his older sister and accusing glare, "I'm not stupid! Izuna and I just wanted to be with her, besides father wanted to speak with you" he snapped in her direction and when he turned to his niece he instantly softened. "Toshiaki, I'm afraid I'll have to go…I will pay you a visit in the near future" she promised with a look at her child and her brothers, where Izuna was making faces so Aiko laughed at them while clapping her hands. Amaya couldn't help but feel restless in their presence.

"Of course my dear, I'll be expecting you" he made a bow as the daughter nodded to him curtly. "You two will have to watch out for her, keep her warm an-""No harsh movements or gestures, we get it Nee-chan!" Izuna whined as Madara was hogging their niece to himself yet again. "Alright, try not to set yourselves on fire" she murmured to herself as she and the astrologer walked out of the spacious living room.

Once they were outside, Madara plopped down on the soft carpet with Aiko in his arms as he rocked her gently, sending her into a lulled state of mind. "She's still so tiny" Izuna said sitting opposite of Madara. "She was born a month before she was supposed to…or that's what dad says, I say that she was smart enough to fight her way out of Amaya" he stated his beliefs. "Yeah, being trapped in a stomach can't be nice" Izuna agreed stroking her chubby pink cheek.

"No…it probably isn't, so I think she was smart for just that" as he still was a child, both Madara and Izuna would come to understand later in life that Aiko might have been stillborn. "Well, she is related to us" the younger brother said proudly with a smirk as his older brother returned just that smirk. "Of course, and she's my apprentice!" "Nu-uh!" Izuna interjected quickly.

The older sneered at him as this was a challenge in ownership over this beautiful little creature in his arms. "Yu-huh! Amaya said so!" he argued back and made an emphasis by holding the child closer. Aiko liked the warmth from him and grabbed some of his shirt in her first and let out a small sound, "See! She doesn't want to leave me for you" Madara said haughtily and looked at the small child who smacked her lips at him.

Izuna glared hard at him and let it be, for now as Amaya would get angry if they made her daughter cry. Watching with thin eyes how his older brother lavished their little niece in affection made Izuna smirk at him, "You look like a girl with her like that" he taunted making his older brother snap his attention to him. "You're just jealous, now shut up! Aiko is about to go to sleep" he hissed and held the child up so his lips reached her small forehead, he would come up with a fitting insult later on.

"Sweet dreams, Aiko" he whispered softly as the infant closed her large blue eyes with a small grunt. "I'm as much of an uncle as you are, you can't hog her like that" Izuna protested quietly as Madara tucked the sleeping girl in the crook of his arm. "I can do whatever I want with her, she's mine" the older suddenly said in a dark voice so that his little brother blinked his black eyes in confusion at both the tone and the darkness of his voice.

"She's not a kitten" Izuna tried to argue, but Madara glared at his brother yet again. "But she is mine, she will always be because I'm the one who…" his words faltered a little bit as a pink blush rose in his cheeks. Even though his mentality was sometimes like that of a grownup, he had his boyish moments. Cocking his head, Izuna thought the sentence over again and then smirked broadly. "HAHA! You like Aiko-Chan!" He teased his older brother who grimaced but settled on shushing his brother.

"Shut up you twit! She just went to sleep!" he whispered harshly as Izuna muffled his laughter at the red face of his older brother who turned his attention back to Aiko. "I can't have you mess up my apprentice at an early age" he reprimanded his brother who suddenly grew tested again. "I want to also!" he demanded. "Ok, fine…you can help me train her when she becomes older" he rolled his black eyes. Settling on the matter in the warm living room, Izuna was called by one of the instructors and so left Madara alone with his little niece.

"You make it really hard for me, Aiko" he murmured quietly and stroke the tuft of black hair on her little head. "I don't really like any girls, they're all so stupid and weak…but you'll be different" he promised her in a smoldering warm voice as the child kept her eyes closed in sleep and a pale hand still on his dark blue shirt.

Madara felt his heart beat faster at the sight at the little girl and thought about how he had been the first to check on her when she had cried the first night. Amaya and his father had been annoyed but he didn't really care. It had just been an instinct to react at her screaming…he had been worried if something had been wrong. For he wouldn't allow anything that he hadn't approved to happen to her, if he had his way, the crib would be in his room. And the boy decided right then and there that that would be a reality. Out of security, of course.

He liked the smell of her, he didn't know what the smell was but it reminded him of honey and a type off wax. He adored her beautiful dark blue eyes and the way he saw potential in them and the returned affection he held for her. If he was to be honest with himself, he liked everything about Aiko as everything was perfect about her. And she and all that she was, was all his.

Looking around the room, he made sure in a paranoid way that no one would hear his words to his niece as it would always be between them in the warmth of the living room and in the arms of a loved one.

"I love you, Aiko"

The years went by so quickly after Aiko's birth. Before anyone knew what had happened the little girl was up and walking on her own two feet and talking like a running river. Her first words had been "Mama" though her second word had been "Mada" everyone thought it normal, after all Mama and Mada sounded much alike. However, her first steps had been into Madara's arms as he and his brother had taught her how to walk in the living room in some inane competition.

That's how much of Aiko's upbringing had been, watching her two uncles compete over everything they did. Much to Amaya's annoyance did this way of being rub off on her daughter, as her brothers would often quarrel over who she liked the most when there wasn't anything else to fight about. Unusually Madara would most times win Aiko's affection; it was just that she fell asleep faster on him than anywhere else.

But as change came to Aiko, the change also affected all of the clan. Madara and Izuna were recognized as prodigies of the clan as they mastered their sharingan at the age of twelve and eleven. Their skill grew at a ferocity which was almost scary. But the eeriness was never picked up on or paid much attention to as the clan was in need of soldiers to fend of enemies as well as fight for their employers.

Aiko was five when Madara went on his first mission as a mere thirteen year-old.

It was a lukewarm day in autumn; the colors of the trees had just changed to yellow and were barely hanging onto the trees. The air was crisp as the sky above was without a cloud revealing its light blue above. Small feet incased in dark sandals padded over a small timber bridge as fast as the small feet would carry the owner.

Shoulder length black hair flew behind her as she ran towards a small lake clad in a dark blue training yukata. By the lake a woman's figure stood alone, "Mama!" the girl called out. Turning around, the now twenty year-old Amaya smile at her daughter who came racing towards her, "You're a minute late, love…that's going to cost you a lap around the lake" she said. Pouting sourly, the mother made a gesture with her head for her daughter to start running, which she did.

Being a mother, Amaya had retired from the shinobi life and decided to teach Aiko all that she had learned. And now that Amaya stood in the autumn weather, watching her little daughter run as quickly as she could…the woman couldn't help but feel that she had made the right choice. Smiling softly as Aiko was halfway; the little girl had become so beautiful so very quickly. It was widely joked among clan members that once she had matured they would have to start to fend of the suitors as well. Her eyes were still large and round, her skin marble pale and a pair of soft pink lips.

As she came back, Aiko's little body was out of breath the way she panted heavily. "Alright, today I'm going to teach you your first fire technique…" Amaya stopped when a small look of dismay crossed her daughter's face. "Something the matter?" she asked. Kicking her feet against the yellow gravel Aiko sighed with a small pout, "It's just…uncle Madara said he'd teach me my first" she murmured with heavy blue eyes.

Blinking her black eyes, Amaya sat down on her knee in front of her daughter who looked at her mother. "You know how busy he is, love…he can't always be with you" she said softly and ran a hand through the identical coal black hair of her daughter. Looking sad, her dark blue eyes betrayed her wish to be with her uncle. "But I can always be with you" the mother assured the child gently. Aiko smiled softly at her mother and wrapped her pale arms around her neck. "I know mama…that makes me happy" she whispered into her mother's long black hair.

Putting her slender arms around her child, Amaya sighed lovingly. "Now, do you want me to teach you, so you can show off to Madara?" she asked with a small grin. Aiko giggled; "When you put it that way…" she nodded her head feverishly. Walking gracefully out on the pier, her red kimono trailing behind her, Aiko watched from the distance with utmost concentration as her mother preformed the seals.

"Fire jutsu: Great fireball!" with that, an enormous orb of red fire exploded with a roar from her mouth as it formed into a great ball of fire which evaporated the water into a thick mist. Holding it for fifteen seconds, Amaya extinguished it and turned back to her daughter who sat with an open mouth. "That's so cool!" the little girl squealed in delight and surprise.

Smiling, the woman put her black hair behind her ear and motioned for her daughter to come to her. Bounding over Aiko took her stance where her mother had stood just some seconds ago, "Tiger, monkey, boar, horse and tiger, right?" she made sure with her mother who nodded but thought that Aiko must have some help getting the scrolls as they lay on the top shelf of the living room. Madara or Izuna…of course. She thought with a bothered sigh.

"Watch mama!" Snapping her attention back to her child who performed the hand signs with utmost precision, Amaya raised a brow as Aiko drew her breath and released…nothing came out, but a little spark. "That's so cute" Amaya couldn't help her little laugh but Aiko did not find anything funny about it and let out a whine. "No! I wanna do it!" she whined childishly and tried again in spite. Nothing came out, but a little blue spark. "Mama! Why can't I do it?" she demanded.

Shaking her head, Amaya tried to sooth her sulking child. "Maybe you're not old enough yet" she tried calmly but Aiko knew her lie. "Uncle Madara and Izuna created one when they were four! I'm five!" she insisted loudly and stomped her foot in protest. Rolling her eyes at the childish display of emotions, Amaya calmed her daughter's tantrum by simply putting a hand on her daughter's head. "You mustn't push yourself just for an image…Madara and Izuna are special as they possess a high chakra reserve, you do too but not in the same way as they do"

Aiko's face contorted into that of sadness, but Amaya did not regret her words of truth. "So I can never be as strong as them?" the girl asked with a low pained voice. Sighing, heavily she rubbed her soft head, "There are so many ways to be strong, you are going to be strong in a way my brothers can never be" she tried to reconcile but Aiko just sighed heavily. "I wanna be strong the way they are…" "Well then you're going to have to practice until you get it right"

The little girl's face twisted out of its sad emotion into that of relentless determination as she turned back to the lake. Amaya took her seat with one graceful movement and brought out a book from her sleeve for herself as she didn't wish to leave her child alone without surveillance. Even if no one would dare to set foot on Uchiha grounds, Amaya didn't want to gamble on the safety of her daughter.

It quickly changed from noon to sunset and by the time Amaya had finished the book and Aiko had used up all of her chakra so she fell to her knees with a small thud. She hadn't managed to create anything and that had brought tears of bitterness to her dark blue eyes. "Come it's time we got home" Amaya said, rising again to pick up her daughter who protested at the way she was treated but didn't say anything as her body ached.

When they came into their home, the boys hadn't returned yet with their father from the mission but Amaya knew that when they did, they would demand something to eat. Being the only female and the only who could cook, she didn't have much of a choice. The kitchen was large enough to host the little family, with a stove just under the window so Amaya could have a view over the gate from her position. Also there were a couple of dark wooden cupboards with stone surfaces holding utensils and whatnot in the dark drawers.

In the middle of the room there was a dark wooden dining table when it was just the family that ate together, and so held five pillows. If they had guests from within the clan or allies, they would use a larger and more regal dining table in the dining room with more room for seats. Just now, Aiko was sitting on a counter, dangling her bare legs as Amaya prepared dinner with a hum. "Do you think they're going to be alright?" Aiko suddenly asked as she chewed on a carrot.

Looking up, the mother smiled, "Of course, your grandfather is with them" she assured her daughter while cutting some leek, but felt a little uneasy if something _did_ go wrong. "What do you do on missions, anyways?" Aiko suddenly asked again as she gnawed on the carrot. Sighing, the woman put the chopped up leek into a frying pan and added some garlic as well. "You do what the employers tell you to do, preferably without asking why, what and if" she explained dully, her mind taking her back when she had gone on her first mission.

"But how can you tell what you're supposed to be doing if you can't ask questions?" Aiko asked, befuddled at her mother's words. Smiling shortly, Amaya turned on the gas-stove with a click. "They tell you what they want done, you name the price and then you argue for a little bit and in the end compromise over a couple of things" Aiko was even more confused, but pretended to understand with a nod.

"My first real mission was when I was thirteen, I was going to escort the lord's daughter to her wedding because the girl needed someone to talk to on the way" she remembered back to when she had been young. Her daughter's interest perked, "How was it? Did anything happen?" she asked quickly. Amaya sighed; "We were attacked by the Yuhi clan halfway there, they were armatures and a quick fire jutsu got rid of them" Amaya told as she fried the greens over the blue flame.

"Wow…did you get them?" "Yes, they ran away rather quickly when I showed them what I was made of" Amaya couldn't help but boast a little to her daughter, as it was good natured. Giggling, Aiko tried feverishly to remember back to what clan had attacked her mother, "Yuhi…they're the wannabes with the red eyes, right?" "Where did you learn a word like that?" Amaya turned her head with raised plucked eyebrow at her child.

"Uncle Madara called them that" she smiled brightly, Amaya thought over her assessment of the clan and shrugged. Basically it was true. "Yes…yes it's that clan" she confirmed. "Did you go on any other missions?" Aiko asked, obviously interested in her mother who found it refreshing that her daughter was showing interest in someone else other than her uncle. "Plenty, love…I'm glad I did, because I often got to work with your father" she revealed and at this her daughter's eyes sparkled almost. If there was something which would captivated Aiko, it was when her mother spoke of her father.

"Did you go on adventures together?" the little girl asked, now very excited that she almost couldn't sit still. "Mmmm, sometimes there was just us on the mission and we would…" Amaya stopped in her words when her mind became blurred with vivid memories of Hiro, and what they would sometimes do in the dark of night when there was just them. "Talk, a lot…" Amaya said stiffly as a red blush smeared on her pale cheeks at a particular memory.

The child bought it with a nod, "About the mission?" "Yes! But sometimes we would just talk about anything that crossed our heads" Amaya explained with haste and prayed silently that her daughter wouldn't ask what more they did together in the tent. "Mommy…" "Yes, honey?" she asked with concealed dread "You're burning the dinner…" Aiko informed her mother dully as the greens had shriveled into black crisps in the pan. "Oh hell!" the woman swore and put the pan in the sink at once.

Aiko and Amaya ate dinner together as the older female talked about her time as a kunoichi and the younger listening to every word which was being said. The men didn't make it in time for dinner so Amaya put aside the leftovers on the counter so they could eat when they got here. "Can I stay up and wait for them?" Aiko asked hopefully as she helped her mother with the dishes. "No, you're going to bed" her mother said dismissively.

"But mooom" "But nothing, you're exhausted and you need your sleep in order to recover your chakra" she put her foot down sternly on the whining, and Aiko knew that what her mother said went and it was best to just obey. Besides, the faster she built up her chakra, the faster she could master the fire technique.

As they finished the dishes, the little girl washed her face and brushed her teeth and changed to her sleeping wear before trudging into her room with her mother. Aiko's room had various toys promoting her future life spread around on the floor, in which Amaya sighed in annoyance. "I thought I told you to pick these up" she said as Aiko got under the light pink sheets of her futon with a nervous smile. "I'll do it tomorrow, promise…" the girl yawned.

Amaya took her seat in front of her daughter and stroke her pale cheek gently, "Goodnight Aiko" she whispered and bowed down to kiss her daughter's forehead. "Goodnight mommy" she murmured groggily, her blue eyes fluttering before her entire body shut down in a matter of seconds. _"Every night…"_ Amaya thought with a little humor as her child was fast asleep.

Blowing the lights out, the older female walked quietly out of the room and let a small crack of light stream into the child's room should she wake. Walking slowly, Amaya was aware of another presence in her home but recognized it to be that of another clan-member. "Makoto, you should knock" she said lamely as she found a male about the same age as herself standing in the living room.

"I apologize Amaya-Sama, but I have been asked by your father that you come to the meeting scheduled in ten minutes" the man wearing a dark blue boat-neck shirt talked with respect to the woman as she was higher in him in stature. Her eyebrows furrowed down, "They are back?" she asked. "They returned a mere five minutes ago…" he paused, this time Amaya frowned at him. "Did something happen?" she asked, her voice holding impatience as well as worry, worry if something had happened to her siblings.

"No, no one is hurt…it's just a matter that the one in charge of the civilians should be up-to-date on" he calmed her. Amaya let out a small breath of relief and found the presence of her brothers in the kitchen, probably helping themselves with the leftovers. "Alright, ten minutes" she confirmed with a nod at the man who nodded respectfully back and walked out of the home.

As soon as he was gone, Amaya strode to the kitchen area and surely, found her brothers helping themselves to some food. Standing in the opening, they became aware of her presence at once, "Are you two alright?" she asked at once. "Yes" They both nodded, but seemed a little…different…Amaya thought with narrowed black eyes. "Alright, try to get some sleep after you've finished" she advised, but as she turned her back to get ready, Madara spoke up. "Where is Aiko?" he asked out loud.

"I just put her to bed" she informed him, and when their eyes met. Amaya understood just what had changed her two brothers. They had killed someone today, and they were now facing the stress and emotions of it. She knew she had also felt that coil when she had killed her first person. "Right…" Madara sighed, running a hand through his own hair with a sort of frown on his face.

"I have to be going, leave the dishes in the sink" with that said, the brothers heard that she had gone out of the house and just after a minute or two, Madara got to his feet and walked out the door which lead to the corridor. Izuna didn't say anything but continued eating and thinking alone. When Madara came upon the last door left slightly open in the long corridor, he slid it open quietly.

There in the dark, under warm protective blankets lay his niece, still as innocent and unspoiled as they came. Closing the door fully, leaving the two people in complete darkness and at this Aiko awoke with a small grunt. Blinking her eyes, she recognized Madara's chakra signature at once, "Uncle Madara" she said happily sitting up in her bed.

Smiling tiredly, Madara came over to her and fell to his knees before he enveloped her tightly in a hug. Blinking her eyes in confusion, Aiko did what felt natural and put her small arms around his neck and hugged him just as tightly. Madara didn't know what it was…maybe it was just a sense of belonging he needed to sooth his emotions. That there was someone in the world who would still love and cherish him, in the way he did even if he had killed tens of people today with his brother.

Izuna was different when it came to matters such as these; for he could talk to anyone about it…he was just that type of person. Whereas Madara was not, he could come to Aiko…for she would not judge him in the way his father and sister would. Aiko understood without being told and loved him regardless of what he had done. "Uncle..." she murmured in the dark when they had been embracing for a good minute or two.

"Sorry Aiko, do you want to go back to sleep?" he asked quietly and let her free of his embrace, his mind now feeling less heavy. She searched his face in the dark, and then shook her head slowly "It's fine…" she said quietly and climbed into his lap. Burying his face into the black locks, he closed his eyes and let himself meditate in his niece's calming presence.

Putting her arms back around his neck again, Aiko did not understand what was going on, but she chose to remain silent as her uncle only breathed calmly. Running her small hands through his spiky hair, Madara managed to justify his actions and put them to rest. One day, though he did not know when, enemies might know of Aiko and target her…and he needed to be the one to prevent it and to protect her. What use was he to his clan…to himself…to Aiko… if he could not take a life to insure the safety of those he loved and those who stood him close?

Hugging her tighter than ever, he whispered softly while kissing her cheek, "Thank you, Aiko…" he said against her soft pale skin of her face. Now Aiko was even more confused but knew that she loved this kind of affection and kissed his cheek back in return. "You're welcome" she replied gently and buried her face in Madara's neck so the boy cringed at the intimate contact.

He still loved her…more than anything he had or had yet to come across. "Have I told you that I love you, little one?" he asked like scorching breeze past her ear. Dark blue eyes found his in the dark as she shook her head at him, but then smiled at him. "You have now" she hugged him around his chest. Madara wished she was older, he fantasized, running a hand through her hair. So that she could understand the gravity of his words and return all those things he wished to do with her. Embraces, touches…kisses…caresses. Just so she would understand his true feelings.

He managed to calm his brain, now overrun with hormones in the nick of time. She was five and he was thirteen, it was sickly perverted to think of something like that. He reprimanded himself but those emotions did not leave his body as those twisted feelings were caged. For the time being.


	2. Chapter 2

Family business

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Chapter 2

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Aiko did manage the fire technique, with the help of her uncles who had stayed at home the next day to rest. However there was a significant problem which made itself known the second as fire spouted from Aiko's lips. Her flames were blue. Not the traditional red, yellow and orange. But rather that of ice blue. It had ended in mass hysterics, when she tried again and again to create something that of which was similar to her uncles. It remained ice blue no matter how many balls of fire she conjured.

It took hours of assurance and comforting by her mother and uncles until she calmed somewhat down. The clan medics had examined her chakra but had found nothing which pointed to any type of malfunction within. It was just her flames which happened to be blue, nothing more. She wasn't soothed and it only made matters worse when her grandfather had said something about blue flames being weaker than red.

Madara, Izuna and Amaya (who was tired of the discussion) had objected to her father and assured Aiko that her blue flames were just a simple mutation and that it was nothing to worry about. Their father had been angry with his children, saying plainly; "She will meet the same fate as her father or become a deserter like her mother" Gracefully, as always, Amaya stood up from the dining table bowed to her father, gathered her daughter who had turned pale all the sudden and walked out of the house with anger marring the woman's features.

Only few knew as to why Ichiro seemed to despise his granddaughter. He was widely known for his impressive skill with the sharingan, saying to have copied well over half a million jutsus. But most of all, he was known for his iron will and lack of remorse in battles. Madara and Izuna had been taught this by their father, and lived by it day to day "The world is dark and it is hateful, in these elements the only way is to be stronger than anyone else"

Therefore he disliked the little girl for bringing a small ray of light into his sons' life. He would glare at the child when she ran to hug Madara around the middle when he returned home from the field. But most of all, he was worried that his son treated the girl like a lover for he knew it was not his imagination overreacting. The way Madara picked the girl up and swung her about, kissing her cheek and when he thought no one was looking or listening in the dead of night, he professed as to how much he loved her.

It wasn't natural. It was sick, the way his son, when he wasn't training or honing his skills with his younger brother, obsessed over his niece. His fears became real when Aiko was ten years old and his eldest son was eighteen. It was a cold autumn night when Aiko was knocked out cold and kidnapped from her home by an opposing ninja clan.

They had gotten half way to the border with the girl tied up on their shoulder when they were stopped in the forest by a long dark haired male with his arms crossed across his chest. An angry scowl was on his pale features as he managed to identify a bruise on her cheek as well as her neck in the dark. They had attacked him and the one carrying Aiko fled towards the boarder in a flash.

It was then Aiko came to and noticed where she was and what was going on. Wiggling on the unknown man's shoulder like a freshly caught fish as he zoomed through the trees in the dark of night. Aiko managed to set the man of balance so he lost the grip on her and she fell with a thud on the cold hard ground next to a rock.

Twisting herself up into a sitting position the ten year old Aiko rubbed the rope against the sharp side of the rock to free her hands fanatically. With her heart in her throat, her mind listened feverishly for sounds of the man as the binds on her hands came loose and she undid the ones on her legs. Suddenly, from out of the dark a kunai swished past her pale cheek as she managed to dodge just in time so the kunai lodged in the trunk behind her and left only a small cut.

"You have good reflexes for one so young, brat!" his voice called ominously from the dark. Aiko glared around in the dark, her sharingan activated with its two black dots in the sea of red. "Come out and fight then, coward!" she egged him on, not acknowledging the fear she should be feeling but remembered her uncles words about keeping a mask up.

A thump behind her alerted her, "Careful with what you wish for brat!" A straight, flat hand, made an attempt at a jab at the girl's neck but Aiko jumped out of the way to put some distance between herself and her adversary. Seeing him in the dark, he had brown hair pulled back into a high ponytail and white eyes without an iris. She recognized his clan at once, "A Hyuuga huh?" she asked quietly, looking at the man in the grey armor, her legs shook a little but only because it was cold and she was only in her sleep wear.

"That's right, Uchiha brat! Scared yet? Are you going to cry?" the man teased with a wicked tone, taking her shaking for fear. Aiko narrowed her spinning eyes at him as her breath came out in small puffs of white air, "Of your pathetic excuse for a bloodline-limit? I don't think so" she fired back with as much distaste she could lace her words with, the man snarled at her as picked up a kunai and aimed it for her body this time.

Seeing this from afar Aiko bent her body right down to the ground with ease, getting up again Aiko jumped up on a branch while conjuring quick seals. "Fire jutsu, phoenix rain!" A number of small blue fireballs spouted from her lips as she aimed them at the Hyuuga who dodged out of the way. Making a small tsk sound, the girl thought it too dangerous to engage in hand to hand and decided to stay at a healthy length away from the man. However the Hyuuga knew his physical advantage over the young girl and used it.

"Is that it? I was expecting more of Madara and Izuna Uchiha's niece!" The man called as he came charging towards her up the tree, a kunai held high to slash at her. Grabbing the kunai thrown earlier, Aiko managed just to counter his attack with a clash of sparks. The girl's red eyes narrowed at the man as she predicted him to try to jab her in the face with the kunai.

Jerking her head quickly to the side, the man's weapon cut of a piece of her black hair and as his arm was outstretched. Aiko displayed her impressive cat-like flexibility and jumped up on the man's arm to place a hard kick in his face. The man was completely disoriented and vulnerable now as the kick had cracked his nose and left him bleeding furiously. Seeing her chance, the girl took the kunai of him and rammed it right through his neck so that with a gurgle through his blood, the kidnapper slumped to the side and fell out of the tree.

Panting, Aiko slumped to her knees and shook as the blood of the murdered nin oozed out from his cracked skull. She couldn't take her eyes of it in some morbid fascination, just then Madara landed in front of her and Aiko jolted with a little scream as she had not paid attention. "It's only me Aiko. Are you alright?" her uncle asked worriedly, it was the first time in weeks that he had displayed emotion. Aiko looked up at him with her now teary blue eyes as she shook softly; leaning down in front of her Madara's warm hand caressed her soft face before getting on his knees to envelop her tightly to him.

And made it all alright again.

Sniffling into his shoulder, the young girl grabbed his long hair for comfort as Madara murmured softly into her ear. "You did nothing wrong my love, you only protected yourself" he said rocking her gently. "But I-""You killed him yes, but he would have done the same to you had you not taken his life first…and you know how sad that would have made me" he added, half his mind waiting for the response to the last of his words.

Aiko thought only for a second before fresh tears pressed themselves from her eyes, "I know…because you love me, right?" she asked back, her voice hoarse with her tears. Madara stiffened a little and then tightened his grip around his beloved and then smiled. "Yes, love…I do" he said with ease as Aiko detached herself from him for a moment to press a kiss to her uncle's forehead.

Madara now understood how much she had grown up and looked up at her face, still a little childish because of the big blue eyes and the chubby cheeks. But those were starting to fade away and be replaced by something that would undoubtedly make her beautiful beyond compare. The prison in his mind started to crack and disintegrate as he felt her soft lips on his skin, like a small key.

Suddenly, the male took the girl by the shoulders and before Aiko could ask his smoldering lips, heated by the fire jutsu he had used, smashed onto hers. It was nothing like he'd thought it would be…it was _better_. The girl whimpered, scared at the sudden impact and broke away with a wet sound which sounded so loud inside her mind. "Uncle…what was…what?" she couldn't formulate her own words as Madara licked his lips, tasting her saliva but coming up with an excuse.

"Don't we kiss the ones we love?" he asked her passionately, a handsome smile on his flawless face. She was silent as her little mind worked overtime, loosing itself softly in the nets of confusion. "Yes…but, but…we are family" Her mind tried to resurface from the adhesive honey and the sticky nets it was sinking in with a tiny whisper.

"Yes of course we are, but does it change anything? No…it doesn't. It makes our love all the more purer and everlasting." his voice binds her reason and better judgment in chains laced with red ribbons. Aiko is confused, but near an edge her uncle can see…and decides to push her over it. "For you do love me, don't you Aiko?" he whispered, his arms still tightly around her little waist and black eyes boring themselves into her blue ones. "Yes…uncle, more than anything" she breathed out, her tears gone now.

A smooth hand runs through her black hair and he can't help the small breath of relief that escapes his lips as she hugged him tightly around his neck. He didn't need this questioning from her; he just needed her to do. "Kiss me, Aiko" he murmured into her hair, quiet in case someone was lurking around, but he had yet to detect anyone so they were both safe for the time being.

The girl didn't talk anymore and pressed a clumsy kiss to his lips, but found quickly…that she liked kissing her uncle. It was a sort of strange feeling that coursed through her entire body which was warm and electrical at the same time. But not uncomfortable, no…because her uncle wouldn't hurt her like an enemy would, her uncle who had always been there for her through her years.

If this was the love her uncle talked about…then she felt it too, no matter if they were family or not. As she detached her lips, Madara forced a part of his body not to respond to this as she was still an innocent…but only for the time being. As he picked her up from the ground, for they had to return home soon, he thought about the girl who smiled tiredly up at him.

Her innocence…still his.

Madara came home, finding his older sister in hysterics as she commanded every soldier at her disposal to find her daughter. "Amaya" he called to her as he came with his niece sleeping in his arms. "NOT NOW MA-AIKO!" Amaya's eyes found her daughters sleeping form and took her only child to her with lighting speed, hugging the disgruntled girl who woke at the sudden movement.

Searching her face, Amaya was furious when she found a couple of bruises as well as a cut on her daughter's face. Healing her quickly, because the child wished only to sleep now, Amaya called a small emergency meeting. "I demand to know who did this" she was feral now, the way her sharingan had activated all the sudden from her anger, revealing three dots.

"They were of the Hyuuga clan, a woman and two men" Madara informed his older sister who made a startled face. "Why would the Hyuuga administer a kidnapping? That is not their style" she asked, her red eyes sweeping over to one of their strategists for answers. "No, lady Amaya…you are correct" he coughed, uncomfortable under her burning gaze. "May I ask as to why the Hyuuga were able to sneak into Aiko's room? They should not have gotten so far." Madara suddenly asked angrily, his brilliant mind trying to find an answer to this situation.

Izuna voiced himself, "No guards were killed this night, so they must have had help from inside the clan as well as information regarding Aiko's room" The room went quiet for a second before Amaya sneered. "We have a traitor amongst us" the atmosphere turned tense very suddenly and the clan leader made a small grunt, "This was done by a few, must we drag our entire clan into this mess?" he asked.

Snapping their eyes to their father, the youngest of the siblings spoke, "If there is a traitor or more, we would be wise to put a stop to them as soon as possible" he said. Madara agreed, "We were lucky this time around, not only because she is able to defend herself now and that I ran into them at the opportune moment, but that they were relatively inexperienced. They were obviously lax"

Amaya narrowed her eyes which had turned black again, "So they were hoping for a relatively low risk, hoping things would go smoothly?" "No…more like counting on it" Madara said, his eyes looking to his father who sat without saying much. Amaya didn't even need to think before talking, "See that every ranking officer is questioned tomorrow, also, send a messenger to the Hyuuga that they had better watch their backs" with that Amaya stood up and walked briskly to her daughter's room.

As the woman settled into sleep with her daughter, the girl woke up with a small sound. "Mom…" she asked gingerly, the feel of her uncle's lips still playing on her own. "Yes, dear" she asked, comfortingly while running a hand through her soft hair, thinking that her daughter was scared. "What is love…like…for another person?" Amaya made a sort of snort. "Oh? Is my little Aiko in love with someone?" She asked with a small laugh, happy that her daughter wasn't shaken from the incident. She shouldn't be either, considering the teachings she had passed on to her daughter.

"Yes…" she replied with a small feeble whisper, knowing that she shouldn't say out loud who she felt these feelings for. "Well, I knew I loved your father since I was a little girl, we grew up together and did many things together later in life…my belief is that love is just something you know" she explained. Aiko's mind clicked in understanding and was relieved that that's what her mother thought it to be and that she wasn't the only one thinking that. "Oh…ok, thank you" she said sleepily and drifted to sleep so Amaya couldn't ask who she was in love with.

Next day, Aiko found that her favorite food had been prepared for her at breakfast and was even more pleased when both of her uncles were there. It was rare to see them for breakfast anymore. "Aiko how are you feeling?" Izuna asked when he saw his niece in her pajama. "Fine, tired" "Don't be, you're going to train with me today" Madara said offhandedly as he was looking down on some papers. About a month ago, he and Izuna had been named second-in command of the entire clan and thus there was a lot of paper work to be taken care of.

"Really?" she asked, her mood and energy rising as a blush covered her face. "Of course, it will be nice to spend some time with you" he said, a sort of discreet smile Aiko saw as she took her usual seat. "Where's mom?" she asked, taking a bite out of some calamari. "Interrogating everyone and everything which may have had something to do with the unfortunate events of yesterday" Izuna informed and passed the miso soup to his niece. "Oh…" she murmured a little glumly.

Just then the clan leader came through the door, a grim face plastered on as he saw the little girl who bowed her head in trained respect. "Hnh…so Amaya isn't done playing cop just yet" he said critically, taking his seat beside his eldest son who didn't bother looking up at his father. When his words were met without a response, his black eyes found Aiko who looked down into her food and ate nimbly. "And you, you shouldn't let your guard down. You stain my good name by being such an easy target" he snapped and helped himself to some food.

Biting her lips, she refused to let her bitter tears spill down her cheeks like she had yesterday. "I'm sorry sir, it won't happen again" she murmured, but then felt a hand on her knee, rubbing her bare skin gently in circles. Looking up, the gentle glint in her eldest uncle's eyes didn't go unnoticed by the younger brother who smiled secretively and the father who glared. "The next time it happens, I will not bother sending a party for you" he threatened before returning to eat quickly, leaving Aiko with chills down her spine and a coil in her stomach.

Sending a sideways glare to his father, Madara finished his breakfast quickly and urged his niece to do the same. "I'll join you later shall I?" Izuna called after them with a smirk. "Don't even think about it…" Madara grumbled mostly to himself but Aiko heard it and giggled to herself. "Dress, I'll wait for you down by training round number three." He instructed offhandedly and was just about to turn to the door when Aiko grabbed his long sleeve, "Wait…" she whispered softly.

Looking down at her, he was surprised when she tugged him down to her height and pressed her pink lips to his chastely. Blinking his eyes, Madara smirked and pressed back against her pink flesh and released with a quiet wet sound. "Be quick" he winked with a whisper and walked to the training ground with a smirk on his lips as his niece remained blushing in the corridor.

It took her three minutes to dress herself in a blue shirt, black pants and some sandals and to put her hair up in a ponytail until she was at the training ground where her uncle was waiting for her. They practiced smoothly together, though Madara being more powerful than Aiko, he was not above praising her skills and commented that she was exceptionally talented for a ten-year old.

"Secret fire style, savage garden" Madara narrowed his red eyes at his niece as her blue fire took the shape of a growling bobcat which launched itself at him. "Amaya's technique, huh?" he asked, dodging the feline with relative ease, but was on his guard at once again when the cat pounced from behind again. _"So she's learned to keep them together now…"_ he thought, bemused as he dodged the burning fire once more.

Being too preoccupied with the cat, he registered that Aiko picked up her speed and made an attempt for a close-range attack. Skidding under the cat that pounced onto her uncle at the millisecond, she nearly got close in but had to side-step when her uncle did a roundhouse kick and extinguished the fire by summoning some chakra to his fist and punching easily through it. Amaya's he knew would just materialize itself the second after it was punched or explode in his face. Turning his identical red eyes to his niece who awaited his move, he smirked while forming handseals at a neck-breaking speed. "Katon, great fire ball"

Bright flames were conjured from his lips as Aiko made the same seals with haste to block the intense heat with her own blue ones. The flames collided head on, turning the sand underneath to glass right under where the heat was at its strongest. The red and orange pushed against the blue with just a little effort as Aiko tried to keep her flames going even if her lungs were starting to get sore.

Giving it one hard push, she skidded swiftly to the side so that his fire shot past her and annihilated the trees behind her. He overpowered her quickly by testing her taijutsu and was pleased to see that her flexibility was still topnotch…and if not, a little arousing the way she could bend and twist without a single effort. Madara blocked a kick to the chin with his arm and grabbed her leg, thinking to throw her of balance but the little kitten took advantage of it and twisted her body up so she had enough ground to land a second kick in his face.

"Not bad, love…but…" he grabbed her tightly around the waist so she let out a wheeze of air and was suddenly hugged to her uncle's chest and a kunai at her back. "Not good enough to outsmart me" he said into her hair and kissed her head, as a sort of reward for doing something good. Turning to goo in his arms, she let out a breath as it seemed that her uncle would let her take a small break. "Again" he says seriously and lets her go out of his embrace. "But I'm-""An enemy won't care if you're tired, they'll take that as an opportunity. Again" he demands, attacking her head on so she has no choice but to respond.

They continue like this for two hours, until her chakra is at rock bottom and she finally slumps to the ground with a tired whine. Madara towers over her as his eyes turn from red to coal black, "You need to work with your savage garden and all of your fire techniques, but you're mastering your sharingan quite well than what your same-aged are doing" he gave her a few pointers and one compliment that made her smile as her three dotted eye turned back to blue.

"Well, we should probably head back, you're exhausted" "Can't we stay here? I don't want to go back if grandfather is there. And…you're probably going on a mission tomorrow and I won't see you again for a long time" she asked, her skinny legs shaking slightly as she stood up on her two feet, a pleading look in her eyes. Madara looked at her, finding those big blue eyes…harder to resist than any genjutsu. "Alright, I promised you I'd spend time with you" he walked towards an orange maple tree and took his seat so that they had a clear view who came down the path if someone decided to join or disturb them.

She joined him, her legs almost giving out under her when she took her seat beside him. "Why did they kidnap me uncle?" she asked him. "Because you are young and therefore vulnerable, you are also related to the clan leader. But they underestimated your skills and mine and paid a dear price" he explained and wondered if she asked because she was bothered still or because of what his father had said at the table.

Smiling shyly, Aiko leaned her dark haired head against his arm provoking an immediate response as he put his arm around her and tugged her closer to him. He was overjoyed…though grinning like a fool was never, nor would it ever be his style he let it show by a smirk. Her little body fit so perfectly against his in every way that it was almost too good to be true. Brushing his fingers up and down against her side, he noticed that she was still sad.

"What's the matter, love?" he asked. There was no use in trying to cover up anything with her uncle, he would always find out if she was lying or not. "Why does grandpa hate me so much?" she asked suddenly. Rolling his eyes, Madara pulled her closer to him. "That is just the way he is, he's seen too much war and death in his time." "Will you turn out like that…or Izuna?" she suddenly asked worried. "Why would you ask that?" "Because one day you'd stop being like this and be like grandpa and hate me"

Tilting her head up so that her large childish blue eyes looked into his he leaned closer to her face, "I won't promise that I won't harden over the years, because you know that is how the world is. But…I will never hate you. I can't hate you" he promised her, his voice a heated whisper as his overheated lips found their way to her slightly colder ones. He knows she is old enough to understand now…and to return, though just a little.

Pushing her down on the crisp cold grass, his warm lips still attached to hers, her small arms wrapped around his neck as he used his hands to elevate himself just above her. "My little beautiful…" he murmured against her soft lips, before claiming them once again in an inane need that he would not bother with keeping sealed anymore…not now that his need and want were returned with a growing one.

But she is too young he reasons…too young to be taken in body and soul at the same time at a tender age at just ten years. He needs it to be perfect, and he needs her to come to him when she can take it no more. For he would prod and push her, then mold her to be his forever. He opens his eyes and finds that her entire face has been smeared with pink and her eyes are shut tightly. Then Madara feels the approach of another, his brother…and Asuya.

Lessening the pressure, he drags her up again so that she lets out a tiny squeak. "Uncle…" "Aiko? Madara?" Izuna's voice calls out and Madara is pleasantly surprised when Aiko seems to take the hint. He gives himself a mental pat on the back for his good upraising skills. "What?" Madara calls out dully and stands up to his full, domineering height to see his younger brother and best friend arrive down the path.

Asuya has a rather peculiar shade of brown to his hair and it was always spiked, he was Madara's best friend besides Izuna and a man he would train with as a child and now went on missions with. He was, Madara's left leg and arm in combat. "Hey Aiko, you alright kid?" Asuya asked, his black eyes looking at his best friend's niece who nodded at him, trying to keep her blushing down. "Heard about what happened yesterday, your mom is tearing every last patroller to pieces" he chuckled, a little nervously at the vivid memory of Amaya sending roaring animals after anything that crossed her path.

"All for security, I guess… can't be too careful right?" she tries and the young man smiles and nods at her. "Right you are kid. Why are your arms all green?" he suddenly asked, looking at the greenery stain on her pale arms. Madara had a small panic attack on the inside and was afraid that Aiko would burst but again the girl surprised him ever so pleasantly. "Uncle Madara was mean to me during practice…" she pouted sending her uncle and accusing glare.

"Oh?" Izuna asked, raising a slender brow and then looking to his older brother who rolled his eyes. "Yu-huh, he threw me into the tall grass and now mom is going to be angry with me because she hates it when I ruin my clothes" "It's just clothes, get over it" Madara said dully but then looked at the two other males. "Was there anything?" He asked.

Asuya quickly wants to holm his skills with Madara and Madara can't afford to say no and tells Aiko that they'll meet for dinner as he does have a mission either tomorrow or the day after. "Fine… but what am I supposed to do?" Izuna is the answer and Aiko shrugs; spending time with her other uncle was just as great, for he was almost never at home either.

They talk for a while until he decides to coach her in her flexibility and agility, impressed that she's able to push her body like that without hurting herself. Suddenly it's four o'clock and Izuna takes Aiko to the neighboring civilian town of Oedo, mostly because Izuna needs to stock up on weapons and because Aiko was getting her first weapon that wasn't standard, of course she wasn't allowed to be brought into a weapons shop. Something about security applicable to both her and the weapons.

"Mr. Astronomer!" Aiko squealed as Toshiaki opened the door for the girl who was beyond happy to see him. "My stars how you grown, Aiko" the man chuckled as the girl looked up at him with a bright smile. "Izuna-sama, what can I do for you?" he asked looking at the young male who kept a straight face. "I need to fix a couple of things, won't take more than maybe two hours to do…could you just watch her?" he asked, rubbing Aiko's dark hair like a small kitten as he talked.

"No fair, you said that we would spend time together" Aiko pouted looking up at her youngest uncle who chuckled. "Life's not fair, I'll come back for you later" he kissed the top of her head and was of. "So you look up to your uncle, do you?" Toshiaki asked in a friendly tone as he walked back into his home. Aiko looked around and smelled the air, it was heavy with incense that wasn't burning her nose but made it rather comfortable "Of course…" The astronomer tower was painted dark blue on the insides, mapped with the stars of the sky and even the consolations that had been drawn to show their true form.

"I heard about what happened yesterday little one" he said as they walked up a spiraling staircase up to where a telescope was placed. Aiko grumbled, "That's so embarrassing" she said looking around the oval room with curiosity. The elder man walked to the stove where a pot of tea was brewing, "Nothing to be embarrassed about, you managed to fight your way out of your predicament did you not?" "Uncle Madara saved me…"

Toshiaki suddenly realized that it was not Izuna who she looked up to the most, but rather her older uncle, "I see" he brought out to cups now that he had a guest who was currently touching a sculpture of the Gemini twins. "Hey Mr. Astronomer?" "Mmm?" "Which sign am I? Uncle Madara says it shouldn't matter but when mom reads my horoscope it always seems correct" She rambled taking the cup of tea that was given to her by the old man.

Chuckling the old man sat down, "You my dear, were born the second of December and therefore you are a Sagittarius. Do you want me to do a reading for you?" he said taking a sip from the tea. "It's fine, I read mine some days ago" she nodded and the astronomer smiled gently at her. "I also understand that you have some sort of difference about you that you begged your family to never speak of" Toshiaki said, putting down his teacup and folding his hands within his sleeves.

Aiko blushed pink when she understood what the man meant, "Mom…" she mumbled to herself in realization. "Yes, your lovely mother told me that all your fire jutsus turns blue" he informed her of the information he had heard from an anxious Amaya some years ago who needed to know if this was some type of spiritual unrest within her daughter. "Grandfather says it's because my techniques are weak…" the girl said in a low sad voice as she drank some of the white tea given to her.

The old man cocked his head with a small smile as he looked around his blue room with only some inputs of red and green. "Did you know…" he began, stroking his beard in wonder as he looked at the constellations about the oval shaped room, fully aware that he had Aiko's attention. "That the colors blue as well as purple are the shades people often tie to magic?" he asked the girl who suddenly looked at him with a dry look as she held the purple teacup with both hands.

"Don't take offence…but I can blow fire from my lips and my uncles can make people see things that aren't there. And many people can do a lot more, isn't that magic?" she asked and the man was pleased that the girl was able to talk for herself, like her lovely mother. "I take no offence, little one. I do understand your argument, but yeas upon years ago these things which you describe was viewed as magic. Do you now understand that it is all just relative to our own understanding?" he asked, picking up his tea again to take a drink from the now colder tea as the girl just stared at him, when it looked like she didn't have another argument, Toshiaki continued to speak.

"You can breathe blue flames, just as your father's grandmother could do. A rare trait that should be cherished and not frowned upon, I know that your father would have been proud of you" Aiko's heart leapt at the words of her father, she had heard much about him but was sad that she would never meet him. But one good thing had come out of it and that was the love from her dear uncles…love…

"So am I magical?" she asked with a smile as she blushed pink. Toshiaki chuckled, his voice a little raspy from both age and smoke. "In every way, dear one" he replied with a nod as the girl seemed content with the answer.

Back at the Uchiha settlement Amaya sat down with a groan behind a desk, she had been at this since six in the morning. But wouldn't stop now, if there were traitors amongst the clan then they had to be eliminated. No one was to harm her precious daughter and she did not care for how close they were to her. Then, her father came through the door a critical look in his black eyes. Standing up, she made a small bow in respect and took her seat again when her father sat.

"Are you quite done yet, Amaya?" he asked crossing his arms over his chest. Wishing to grimace, she held her face straight, "No, there are still a couple of things I have to look into" she responded and kept her eyes in her fathers. Ichiro narrowed his beetle black eyes, "I will not have you exhaust yourself over so little a situation. You are also my daughter" he said and Amaya looked at him a little surprised.

"Father-""If Aiko was hurt or injured in any way that was critical I would have understood your need to pick the entire clan apart. But the girl is fine Amaya" her father said sternly, but at the age of 26 Amaya had grown out of her fear for her father as the almighty punisher. "There are traitors, father. Think of the risk if they are not caught" she pressed but couldn't help but shudder when his eyes narrowed at her.

"There are no traitors in this clan, my son has simply excelled in warfare and was able to take the kidnappers out. That is all there is too it, now stop playing the authority figure when you have no right to" his words stung Amaya's pride as she stood still, letting the biting words process in her head as her father walked out of her office. Tightening her lips, she noticed in the mirror that her sharingan had suddenly activated revealing her three comas, spinning in anger at her once beloved father who had suddenly turned so cold towards his family.

Deactivating her red eyes, she sat down yet again behind the desk and looked at the papers that held the night watch schedule. She had talked to the guards, more or less shouted but she justified herself, but they had told her that they hadn't let anyone in or at least that's what they remember. Her eyes widened suddenly in realization that it wasn't the guards who were the traitors…it was someone who was able to wield a powerful genjutsu and have the trust of the guards to get in close.

Looking out the open screen door she saw as a large maple tree stated to shed its leaves in the wind that was picking up softly. Then she suddenly looked back at the papers in a snap, and started to cross out names of several high ranking members of the Uchiha, all who were on missions were crossed out. Leaving but one who could have had the time and lacked the alibi, her brush sank as she looked at the name that stood as a beacon on the scroll.

Ichihro Uchiha was the only member of the clan who could control people with his sharingan and then later wipe the memory and the only one with an opportunity and the knowledge. With her black eyes wide, her mouth fell open as she wished it to be untrue. Why would her father have Aiko removed? What would he gain with that? Looking around, she saw that she was still the only one in this room and her panic had been on the inside.

And another thought crossed her mind. The punishment for betrayal of the clan was death or the removal of the eyes to render the betrayer useless. The reasoning was of course because of their bloodline limit, there was no room no tolerance for traitors. Then, Amaya's black eyes hardened at the thought, her father had to be justly dealt with for trying to take away her daughter. The only living memory of Hiro. But as she was just about to stand up and deal with her father, there was a devastating churning in her gut.

She take on her father alone? The leader of the clan? Biting her teeth together, she knew that if she was to take revenge on her father, she needed the help of her brothers. And killing their leader was a grave crime that could cost them all their lives if she was wrong.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"Aiko-sama! You're next!" A man said sternly, he had dark hair pulled back in a small ponytail, one look at his scarred face told any onlooker that this man had seen battle many times. Aiko, now wearing a high collared dark blue shirt with the Uchiha crest on her back stood up from her seat amongst her same-aged who watched her with anticipation. "Yes, Han sensei" she said respectfully as she walked past her sensei so the target dummy and she stood opposite of each other.

"Annihilate it" The instructor commanded the girl without turning around. Aiko made the hand seals quickly as she kept her eyes on the dummy. "Katon: Grand fireball" she thought as she took a deep breath and corrected her stance on the hard surface to release the trademark Uchiha jutsu, a blue ball was conjured from between her lips and shot towards the target. The target emerged from the jutsu, only half of it still standing.

"Pathetic, had that been an enemy he would have dodged it and remained alive" The instructor snapped at the girl who shrunk in embarrassment when she heard a muffled laugh from some boys sitting on the second row. "But he would have been injured" Aiko tried to correct and justify herself. "Are you talking back to me, girl?" Han sneered, his eyes falling onto her, she gulped. "No Sensei" she murmured looking at her feet.

"Sit down, your family have given you too much room for mistakes" he said, his grey eyes starring the girl down who moved out of his eyesight without looking up. Aiko sat down on the ground again with a sigh. A sudden hand in her lap brought her out of her brooding to look at a boy who smiled apologetically to her. "I think you did great, Aiko" the boy whispered, a pink blush covering his cheeks as the girl looked at him with a small smile. "Thanks Yusuke"

"Yusuke! You're next!" Han's commander-like voice made the young boy jump a little. "Yes Han sensei" the boy with the dark brown hair stood up from where he sat beside Aiko. "See if you can correct your little girlfriend's mistake" His harsh words made muffled laughter break through once again as a boy nudged Aiko in the side. Aiko glared over her shoulder at another boy, almost a year older than her. He had short black hair and black eyes, and when Aiko looked at him he just grinned at her when she had tried to look as menacing as possible.

"Knock it off, or I'll have all you brats run around the settlement until your little chicken legs break!" The man snarled while glaring at his students who all became deathly quiet and watched as Yusuke made the seals. "Faster boy! You'd be dead already if this was real-life combat!" Han reprimanded the young boy, hitting his bamboo stick against the dirt as an unspoken threat. "Katon: Grand fireball!" A spout of red flames emerged from Yusuke's lips, speeding towards the half burned target, obliterating the entire dummy in a ball of flames.

"To slow! Sit down!" Han hit the bamboo stick against the dirt again with a sharp sound. Yusuke almost scrambled back, but knowing that if he did the stick would find the back of his legs or his back. The brunette sat down by Aiko again who shot him a small smile so the youngster blushed pink, "Good job" she whispered as loud as she dared when their sensei called up another boy for testing.

As the sun started to sink and the air became too cold the Sensei dismissed his class with a wave of the stick. But as soon as Aiko was about to walk home, she was stopped by her friend Yusuke who put a hand on her shoulder. "Why weren't you here yesterday? I didn't have a partner" the boy asked. "Mom gave me the day off, because I-""Because she was weak enough to get kidnapped!" The same boy who had teased Aiko earlier called out from where he stood with his three friends who all laughed at his words.

Glaring at him for a moment, Aiko turned her attention back to Yusuke when he spoke, "Don't listen to him. I bet it was really scary though" the brunette said kindly to mellow the girl's mood. Shaking her head sharply and a glare still marring her face Aiko responded with a sour tone, "It wasn't, they were from the Hyuuga-clan. I wasn't scared"

"I bet you were though! Blueberry!" "Stop it Ryota!" Yusuke snapped at the other boy, a bad move seeing as Ryota was both stronger and taller than the brunette. "Oh yeah? What are you going to do?" the taller boy asked with a threatening glare as he folded his arms over his chest to look more intimidating. Balling his fists, Yusuke glared back at the older boy, "I'll do what Aiko did to that Hyuuga who tried kidnapping her!" he spat back.

Ryota's black eyes hardened, "And that is? Wait for your family to rescue you like her?" he teased so his other friends laughed and Aiko's face turned red with anger at the mention of that incident. "He says he'll kill you, idiot!" She snapped loudly from behind Yusuke's shoulder, Ryota suddenly lost some of his intimidation and his friends stopped laughing.

It became eerily quiet at a place where there was usually much noise; the only sound was Aiko's deep breathing. "Liar!" Ryota spat ending the silence, and pushed Yusuke out of the way so that he now stood glaring down at Aiko. "Oh yeah?" "Yeah! You're too weak! You couldn't even hit that dummy today!" The dark haired boy said looking down at the clan-leader's granddaughter who looked annoyed about being called a liar, and that she was a head shorter than him. "You don't hit any of them ever! That's why you always get hit with Sensei Stick!" Aiko reminded him with a teasing smirk, referring to their Sensei's bamboo stick that had been named "Sensei Stick" out of spite.

At this Ryota's friends suddenly laughed with Aiko at their friend who turned red with embarrassment. "You didn't kill anyone! You're too soft!" The black haired boy snarled at the girl, who really had no way to prove that she was telling the truth, until she thought about one great detail. "Then how come I have a full sharingan now?" while speaking, Aiko activated her red eyes, showing of her fully matured sharingan.

Ryota paled and lost his words as his friends and Yusuke pushed past him to have a look at Aiko's eyes and to bombard her with questions. "How did it feel like?" "Have you practiced with it yet?" "Can you do new moves?" "Is it hard killing someone?" "How did you kill him?" The boys and Aiko sat down on the crisp grass and when Aiko was about to answer the questions, Amaya came walking with brisk steps down the path towards the circle of children sitting on the green grass.

Turning around, the boys got to their feet to bow respectfully to the clan leader's daughter who ignored them all as her black eyes were set firmly on her daughter. "Young lady! What did I tell you about dinner?" She asked angrily, dispersing the small circle of boys who slinked quietly away mumbling their goodbyes to Aiko who shrunk in her mother's shadow. "Be home for it?" Aiko sighed.

"It's been on the table for fifteen minutes now, you are worse than your uncles!" Grabbing her daughter's arm, Amaya dragged her daughter after her who blushed pink in embarrassment in and Yusuke shot her an apologetic stare. "I'll see you tomorrow Aiko!" he called after her. "Bye Yusuke!" the girl waved with her arm that wasn't being held in a vice-like grip by her mother.

"Amaya, make dinner while we're outside cutting each other up!" the woman mimicked her brother's voice as she dragged her daughter up the path behind her and when they came home, Madara and Izuna were already seated by the table. "Oh gods, I've raised two wolves!" She groaned looking at how her two brothers were inhaling their dinner, spilling rice over the beautifully polished table.

Aiko took her seat opposite of Madara who regarded her and put down his dish and wiped his mouth on the sleeve of his shirt. "We have napkins in this house" their sister shuddered as she too took her seat. Rolling his eyes, Madara looked at is niece, "How was practice? Did you learn anything?" he asked casually, helping himself to more food. Aiko took a small bite out of her own dinner and shook her head, "No, Han Sensei just shouted at us the entire time"

Expecting some form of sympathy from her uncle, Madara glared at her. "Really? Because he told me that during todays practice you were barely there" Aiko's face looked very pained as her uncle's harsh words sunk in, what was happening? Why did her uncle sound like her grandfather so suddenly? "In what way?" Izuna asked, lowering his bowl ad his eyes now narrowed, thinking his niece had skipped her lessons.

"She can't hit a target at a ten-foot range because she has her head up in the clouds, like some airheaded Uzumaki" the last word was like a venomous snakebite to the heart. "Mom, I'm not hungry" Aiko mumbled, feeling her stomach tighten at the words of her beloved uncle. "Nonsense, eat your dinner. And if what your uncle says is true, then you're getting up at six tomorrow for extra practice. So you better stock up on food now." Amaya said, showing the same lack of mercy as her brother.

Whining loudly, Izuna shook his head as well, "You're not a child anymore Aiko, you have expectations to fulfill as we also did at your age" turning back to his dinner, the girl saw no use in trying to talk her way out of this one, but was still shaken that Madara had talked to her like that. He who had talked so softly to her yesterday…and kissed her, telling her that she was beautiful while doing so.

Had he changed his mind about her?

Aiko glared bitterly down into her dinner when this possibility passed her mind. If he had changed his mind, then she had too! Ichiro entered the kitchen, though he had taken a bath his skin and hair reeked of earth and burnt wood. "Father" Amaya nodded in respect as the man took his seat at the top of the table without a sound in return, putting an end to the talking.

Madara and Izuna finished their meals and dumped their dishes in the sink, leaving Amaya angered that they didn't even rinse the plates and bowls before returning outside again to test each other. "I'm going to my room" "You better, you have an early start tomorrow" her mother said sternly as her daughter rinsed her uncles dishes as well as her own. "I know" she sighed bitterly in defeat, stomping childishly out of the kitchen.

Aiko sat in her room, looking at herself in a mirror and became suddenly very much aware of how she looked. She was _skinny_, Aiko thought at once as she stretched her legs out in front of herself and then as she stretched her hands out to touch her toes, she noticed that her arms were also pitifully skinny. Her mother had told her that one day she would lose the figure she had now and have something similar to what she had, Aiko hoped that was true.

If it wasn't for the half long and slightly spiky black hair and her eyes, then she could have been mistaken for a boy if one looked at her from behind. Then as Aiko looks at herself in her mirror, she decides she doesn't want to be a "Boy", with unkempt hair and bulky armor, she wants to be a girl and still be powerful enough so that her uncle would like her again!

Because that had to be it, right? Aiko looked as her own face fell into that of a pained expression when she realized why her uncle had talked to her like that. It wasn't only because she was skinny, weak and because she looked like a boy; it was because they were _family_. _"We kiss the ones we love…because our love is pure and everlasting, because we are family…"_ his words echoed in her mind, and nothing, nothing Aiko knew of could answer the actions of her uncle.

Blinking her blue eyes, Aiko put a hand to her head and squeezed her eyes shut as his voice, her uncle's voice she had heard and cherished all her life, became too sweet and too blistering to be heard the same way ever again. The whole room was spinning, Aiko noticed now as it wasn't only the shadow of her uncle's voice that was burning her mind, her entire body had suddenly grown extremely warm all of the sudden.

She felt tired, her muscles were goings slack all across her body against her own will and little too late, did Aiko realize that someone had drugged her with sleeping powder. Slumping down on the floor, the girl was asleep and no sooner did her mother enter her room with a grey expression. The sleeping powder had worked, and her daughter had been knocked out until tomorrow morning so that Amaya and her brothers could talk freely without fearing that Aiko might catch wind of things.

Gathering her sleeping child, the woman put the girl under the covers and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead before dousing the lights. Letting herself out of the room, she knew that her father had gone on one of his night walks and would return in about 30 minutes, giving her enough to time to explain to her brothers what she had found out.

On her way out to the living room, Madara and Izuna stood leaning against the wall of the dimly lit corridor, Madara's hard eyes were directed at his sister. "What sort of mother drugs her own child?" he asked. Amaya caught onto the snarl in his voice but held up her hand in a gesture for him to calm down, he continued to leer at her, "I'm the only mother she has so I make the decisions" she responded sharply. Madara took this as a challenge and pushed himself of the wall to argue with his sister but Izuna interrupted. "Well, what is it that you so desperately needed to tell us?" he asked smoothly.

Clearing her throat she opened up the door to her room, "I don't have much time until father returns, so you two listen well" she said somewhat strictly, looking at Madara in the corner of her eyes as he followed with a clearly bothered face. She didn't know that he would react so badly to what she had done with Aiko, which was only to protect the child. It wasn't as if it had something to do with him anyways.

"We were wrong about traitors within the clan, for there is only one" she said, as she began to find the stored away documents in a thin, secret drawer where she had stored them earlier. Giving them to her brothers, Izuna spoke first "Why is father's name the only one that is not crossed out?" Izuna asked as he studied the paper and now looked at his older sister who kept a strange mask on her face. "Father is the only one who has the skill, the knowledge, the techniques and the time to execute something like this" Amaya answered grimly.

Raising a slender brow, the youngest of the siblings shook his head and put the papers back down on the desk, "With what motive, may I ask? I will admit to have picked up on the hostile tone towards Aiko, but father would not have had his only grandchild killed" Izuna argued back as Madara kept scanning the paper with thin eyes. "I didn't wish to believe it either, but who else could it have been Izuna? You know Madara and I have placed seals on Aiko's doors to prevent anyone from kidnapping her. They are only deactivated by the exposure of a fully matured Sharingan"

Blinking his eyes, Izuna looked at the papers and the names that were crossed out, "Unless you or your brother are the guilty ones, there is no other it could have been but father" her voice was leaking acid and Madara put the paper down and looked at his angered sister. "You do know what it is you are getting yourself into, Amaya?" he questioned with a frown. Looking down at her father's name she nodded, "I do, that is why I am sharing this with you two. We need to remove father"

Her angered and bitter words made the two of them surprised. Amaya had always had a good relationship with their father and now she was speaking of murdering him. But the two of them were not as horribly repulsed or shocked by her words as the two of them should have been. "And what if you are wrong?" "She isn't" Madara interrupted his little brother, a rare occurrence as the two brothers would often team up against her. "How do you know? You both know what's in store for us if we are wrong, and if we are right and manage to murder him our lives will be taken…as well as Aiko's"

Madara sighed drumming his fingers against the table, "It's risky and I have my doubts about the three of us managing to take him on and bring him down" Amaya said, her two brother's glared at the implication that they were not strong enough but she waved it off. "However, it is the only way. If we tell the rest of the clan, father will talk his way out of it no matter how strong our evidence is and have us killed as conspirers." The two brothers nodded and Madara spoke again.

"But if we let him go, he could orchestrate another betrayal that could affect the entire clan and not just Aiko…" he stroke his chin in thought, Izuna made a sound of agreement at his siblings' thoughts. "He needs to be removed with force then, but how? As much as it leaves a bitter taste in my mouth to say this, we are not strong enough to take father on in battle. He knows our moves for he has seen them and taught us them"

This was a hole in their plan as it only left them with one option. Get stronger or wait for another betrayal. "We need to get stronger, and fast" Madara murmured, his ears open for his father who would return any minute now. "But how?" Izuna questioned airily. "Tomorrow, we leave for the Uchiha hideout; there is a library in the basement containing techniques as well as records of our ancestors. There has to be something there which can help us" Amaya said finally.

Her brothers shot her irritated looks, "Are you going to have us treasure hunt like you did when we were children?" Madara asked dryly. Amaya's black eyes narrowed dangerously, "I was stationed there with Hiro for about a month, I know there is something of value there. But I won't leave my child here alone, one of you has to stay and watch over her tomorrow night"

"I'll do it, I have a short mission tomorrow, but I'll return at around ten in the evening if I can" he volunteered sharply. His sister nodded slowly, knowing that Aiko would be too overjoyed to ask questions if she woke up during the night and found her uncle. But still, she thought with an unreadable expression as she looked at her younger brother who spoke silently with Izuna. What was that tone in his voice? That tone which revealed an unearthly longing? Blinking, Amaya decided not to think about it.

It was decided that Izuna and Amaya would leave when their father went for a routinely border patrol at around midnight. They would have to be quick for he would return at four in the morning and the trip to the hideout took roughly about an hour and then there was finding the scrolls Amaya was talking about, then taking them while not being noticed by the guards and making it back without being question where they left to.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

**I am in desperate search of a beta-reader! **

**As you may have noticed, English is not my first language and therefore it takes longer to update as I desperately try to weed out all my errors. If you are interested, please PM me. It would mean the world to me!**

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"It's nothing to be ashamed of, Aiko..." Yusuke comforted the girl, who was silently crying for her aching hands. "Really, I mean…it's not because you think I'm weak or not up to your standards, because you aren't like that." He tried to reassure her after a hard day of practicing, which had been all about real-life combat. Aiko had refused to attack Yusuke, saying that she wasn't feeling too well which had to do with the aftereffects of the drug and the fact that she had been hauled up at six in the morning for practice. But the main reason for Aiko's unwillingness to do as she was told, was because of her uncle who had confused her beyond the borders of her mind.

Her unwillingness had earned her teasing as well as two harsh strikes to the back of each hand with Sensei Stick, leaving both her hands numb with pain. "It isn't that." Aiko managed to say with a shudder as she wrapped her arms tightly around herself. "Then what is it?" Yusuke asked gently, but refrained from touching her. She was the clan leader's granddaughter and someone as Yusuke, who was a length away from the main branch, should not touch her so freely.

"Because…if I do bad at practice, Han Sensei will tell my family, and then my uncle will hate me." she confessed as she wiped away her tears. The two of them had been sitting outside for a little while on a stone bench that stood nearby the training grounds, because Aiko was afraid to return home after what had happened today. "Oh…" Yusuke sighed softly as he looked at the dark haired girl, who was shivering from the late autumn cold.

The boy shrugged off his dark blue pullover and placed it over the girl's shaking shoulders. Her eyes snapped up to look at him. A dark red blush spread on the young boy's cheeks, as he quickly looked away from the girl. "Do you think I'll make a good kunoichi?" Aiko asked softly, as she wiped her face again. "You're better than all of us."

"Even better than Ryota?"

"Everyone's better than Ryota" At Yusuke's joke, Aiko giggled like a girl and a smile crept through her bitter tears.

The girl pulled the fabric closer around her and looked at her friend. "How long have we been friends for?" she asked.

"Probably about four years. We began training together when I was six and you were five" he answered and looked up at the darkening sky. Nodding her head, she noticed him gaze up at the sky and she sighed. "You can go home if you like. You don't have to sit here for my sake" she mumbled.

"It's fine, father is away on a mission and mom is just taking care of Takao anyways" the boy mumbled back at the mention of his own family.

It grew silent between them, but Aiko was quietly analyzing her friend. He was half a head taller than she was, with brown hair and black eyes, but a very strange and kind aura around him that Aiko didn't really pick up from any other males of her clan. "I wish I had a younger sibling" Aiko suddenly said to start the conversation again.

"Why?" Yusuke asked back dully.

"Well, if I had a younger sibling, my family could start focusing on him or her and I could be left alone" But her own words made her question her understanding of what her world was.

Because she knew that if she had to share the attention she had been given for over ten years, especially the attention she got from Madara, the center of her world would be removed or split. And it was just that what she felt when he had criticized her yesterday, that her entire being and reason disintegrated. "He cries every night and mom is so mad all the time, you can have my brother if you want"

"That's a horrible thing to say!" Aiko swatted playfully at Yusuke who rubbed his arm.

"It's true, one should always say the truth" Yusuke said proudly and at this the girl felt miffed all the sudden. "Really? But what if you're captured by an enemy and they try to press you for information?" she asked, feeling the need to test his belief. "Well then you lie, but when it comes to friends one should always be truthful and honest" he huffed and Aiko raised both her eyebrows but nodded all the same. "Yeah, I guess you're right"

"So, you really meant what you said about me becoming a good kunoichi?" she asked after another moment of silence. "Of course! Why would I think any different?" he replied quickly and Aiko felt a strange warmth rise up to her cheeks when he spoke with admiration and truth. She only thought this feeling to be possible with her uncle, this warm feeling that gripped her chest and cradled her. But this time around, the young girl noticed that the feeling didn't make her feel odd about herself and it didn't claw…it just gently brushed past.

Aiko shrugged in response and smiled softly at the boy, who suddenly felt the emotion from before creep back up on him with the same dark red blush on his face. "I think you'll make a great shinobi too" she complimented him. "Really?" "Mhm, you just need to do the hand seals quicker and master your sharingan and then you'll be the best of our year" she said confidently to the boy, who she didn't notice started too blushed deeper. "That means a lot, coming from you and all" he swallowed hard.

"Why?" she questioned him, knowing because she was a girl most of her words were often dismissed as something less important, even if she was the granddaughter of the clan-leader. "Well, you're Madara-sama's and Izuna-sama's niece, they're prodigies to begin with and you train with them almost regularly. Your mom is Amaya-sama who created a whole new fire technique and on top of that you're the clan-leader's granddaughter." He listed and now he noticed how strained Aiko's smile was when he talked about her family but didn't dare to comment upon it.

The two of them sat outside for a while, talking back and forth in fragmented conversations until they both decided to head back home and for Aiko to face her family and just have it out of her way so she could stop worrying about it. Yusuke walked her about halfway there until he took off with a bashful "See you tomorrow Aiko!" and then left muttering to himself as he kicked random rocks in his path.

Taking a deep breath through her nose, the girl opened the door with a gentle, "I'm home" and was surprised when she didn't see her mother waiting for her in the hallway with a sour expression. Treading carefully inside, Aiko closed the door and took off her shoes, and while doing so she noticed that her uncle Izuna was home, as well as her mother. That answered her question; she realized with a gulp and hid her bruised hands inside the sleeves of her sweater.

Aiko came into the living room, where she expected to find her family with criticizing glares, but didn't find anyone there but knew that they were home when she heard her mother's voice from her office. Aiko knew not to bother her mother when she was in her office, especially if she was with one of her brothers or someone else with a stature.

Stepping into the kitchen, Aiko found that there was some leftover food on the stove she could dig into. As she ate by herself, the girl thought about her friend Yusuke, which was a strange change in her mind as she usually thought about her uncle and what her uncle would have to say about her training today. What could he compliment? What would he have done differently? What did he think of her? Were her techniques up to his standards?

As she sat there thinking by herself as she ate some soup, her mother came out into the kitchen in fast strides. Thinking that she was in for the scolding of her life, Aiko braced herself for the oncoming tornado from her mother, but Amaya just looked at her daughter briefly. "When you're done eating, will you just scoop some out for your uncle Madara and do the dishes?" she asked as she put two dishes into the sink. It seemed as though her mother and uncle had eaten in her office…which was rather strange as her mother hated it when one in the household ate outside the kitchen. "Of course" she smiled brightly at her mother as she was still hiding her hands under the table.

"Thank you darling, and go take a bath afterwards and go to bed, alright?" Amaya said as she walked out of the kitchen leaving an oddly relieved Aiko by the table. "Alright…" she answered unsurely when her mother was gone. Expecting that she would return with anger any second, Aiko was on guard the entire time she was eating and doing dishes, it even continued as she was taking a bath. She was so sure that her family would come bursting in through the door at any given moment.

But none of her paranoid scenarios happened, even when she walked past her mother's office and expecting her mother and uncle to finally come out and yell at her. It didn't happen and Aiko soon found herself in her room changing from her towel into her grey sleeping wear, undisturbed and still in one piece.

Folding the white towel, she put it neatly in the laundry basket near her wardrobe. As she began to unroll her futon, she heard the door to her mother's office slide open and now she thought it was time for her punishment. The door to her room opened softly and Izuna stood there, with the calm face he so often wore, and regarded Aiko with eye contact who sat like a frozen statue, ready for his harsh words. "Did you do everything your mother asked?" he asked, his hands folded across his chest.

"Yes uncle Izuna" She said, hoping her politeness would save her hide. "Good, I think it's time you went to bed."

"Where is uncle Madara?" She asked instinctively as she had the last five years since he became fit for battle. "He'll be home around ten or eleven, so don't wait up for him" her youngest uncle said. He found her voice to be lacking a tone that had been there since yesterday, but was now gone.

"Alright, goodnight" she said with a tired smile, but was inwardly surprised at herself and how she could sound so calm; she wasn't even hiding her hands. "Goodnight Aiko, sleep well" her uncle said in his gentle voice as he doused the lamp near the door and closed it softly. When he was gone, Aiko sat down on her bed and took a small breath of relief; no one had said anything about her practice fiasco. It was that, or she had become a talented liar overnight and her family's senses had dulled.

Settling under her sheets, she raised her head to blow out the other lamp near her bed so her room became dark and filled with the sounds of a cold autumn night. She lay awake for a couple of minutes as she reflected over today. It had begun with her mother dragging her three hours to early out of bed as punishment for yesterday. Aiko shivered when she thought about what her punishment would be if they knew what had happened today. _"Trench duty…"_ her mind reminded her strictly of what sort of punishment could befall those who disobeyed orders. Everything from trench duty for an unknown amount of time, where you would be stuck in a deep trench fighting for your life every day and night until you were relived or killed.

Then of course, there was execution, to make examples of what happened to those who were disloyal to clan and lord. Spilling secrets about battle strategies, the sharingan or other clan secrets were punishable by death. Aiko understood why, even at her young age, that when you have such a feared power that most people would hunt you down just for your eyes; one must not go around and spill secrets on how to use them.

Finally, after what seemed like to be forever, her body couldn't stay awake anymore and brought her into a dreamless sleep. Only once was she roused when she heard her grandfather's voice near the entrance of their home. He was going out, and Aiko hoped with a tired but grudging mind that he would not return until tomorrow night.

Two rooms down, Amaya and her brothers felt their father's chakra signature becoming fainter and fainter. "Well?" Madara asked, raising a brow. Having just come home, his hair was damp from the humidity outside and he smelt of sweat, dirt and blood. Crinkling her nose, Amaya brought forth a map of the hideout, detailing the lower vaults that were usually not included in the standard maps.

"There are going to be a total of eight guards, all equipped with mature sharingans and a way of contacting other guards, should they notice us. There are also going to be traps along the floor, walls and I also suspect from above when we near the vault." Amaya said, pointing a slender finger to the map. "And if we are caught?" Izuna asked, his eyebrows knitting together as his eyes were still on the map.

"We tell them that we were sent by father. It's either that or we hit the guard with genjutsu and hope he doesn't recall anything" Amaya said sternly, tapping her fingers against the low table, a sign of her obvious nervousness about this plan. "I hope you know that if neither works, the two of you will be branded traitors" Madara said in an ice cold voice as he crossed both his arms across his chest.

Giving him a stern look Madara's sister was just about to open her mouth before he cut her off again. "Not to mention if father finds out what we are planning to do. Even if he is our father, he will not stand for this and have all of us executed."

"How can you be so sure?" Amaya asked with a slight sneer in her voice. "Because I know I would not have tolerated traitors of your caliber, Amaya" He said and gave his sister an odd glare that she could not identify.

"If we succeed you and Izuna will be the new leaders and I will simply go about my normal duties concerning the civilian life of our clan and the upbringing of my child."

"But you are aware that you are going to kill your own father?" Izuna asked as he also lifted his eyes to look up at Amaya who let out a heavy and bothered sigh. "I am willing to kill a traitor, regardless of who they are" she replied with an iron voice that surprised both Madara and Izuna.

"Alright, we should get going before we waste more time" Izuna said, when he noticed the tension that had built up between his older siblings. It was a sort of ice cold resentment that made him wonder what the two of them were silently saying to each other. "Of course" the woman said as she, too, got up from her seat. But as the youngest had exited the room, Amaya stopped in the opening. "Don't fall in love with the idea of becoming leader, little brother" she said in a low voice, her back turned to him.

"Hn, afraid that I will gain more influence over the clan, dear sister?" he asked, his voice disdainful towards her. But Amaya had been aware of that ever since their mother died, and even before that. "I am the first born-"

"Hold your tongue woman. If you were of any significant worth to the clan, I would have contemplated the thought of you becoming clan leader." His voice turned coarse and the female's fingers gripped the wood of the doorframe in silent but expertly concealed anger.

"But we both know that when Hiro died, and you had Aiko and settled for less, you signed your spot over to Izuna and me." His lips turned upright into a scornful smirk, his voice a notch darker than what it had been before.

"And when the three of us die, will you allow my failed blood to take up the leadership?" the woman asked bitterly, lessening the grip on the wood and the volume of her voice so she would not wake her daughter.

Madara chuckled and Amaya would call his new tone of voice, cruel and smoldering. "You need not worry, Amaya, my dear sister. I will take care of your precious little Aiko when you are gone tonight" he said meekly, his dark eyes drifting to his sister who looked like she wanted to say more. "See that you do, she's your blood as well." Amaya reminded him before she walked with silent brisk steps, leaving Madara smirking, as he too got up to take a well-deserved bath.

He heard his siblings get ready for the journey to the hideout in their rooms, and as he sat entertaining the thought of the two of them not returning, a small chuckle left his lips. He would not be the same again if Izuna died. Drawing a wet hand through his wet hair, Madara could be honest with himself. If Izuna died, he would not know what to do or where to go. Aiko was still much too young to have that full responsibility and the relationship between them was different. He _lusted_ and _yearned _after Aiko's body, soul and being, this much he knew. But Izuna, it was the company and the assurance of loyalty that made him so devoted and attached to his little brother.

Amaya on the other hand, the young man furrowed his eyebrows at the thought. She was older than Madara and had married Hiro, who should have been the next clan leader seeing as Amaya was the first born daughter. Madara had always resented the idea of his sister being his superior, because she was different from him when it came to almost everything. She indulged herself too much in superstition and talking, learning her daughter meaningless things about stars and tarot cards. _"Idiotic…_" Madara thought with a roll of his eyes and came to think about his mother, who he vaguely remembered to be of the same lot.

His sister's behavior was rubbing off on Aiko; he had talked to Han before coming home and it seemed as if his niece was starting to develop some of those traits Amaya had. It angered him and it also disappointed him deep down, that she was swaying away from him. It isn't supposed to be like that and he would be damned if he let her continue on this path.

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I can not stress it enough, if anyone of my lovely readers are interested. Please PM me if you want to be by beta-reader :)


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Finally a Beta-Reader answered my desperate call. So many thnaks to you, **akashi4.15kuroko! **

And now, the long awaited chapter 5

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"You disgrace me, your uncle Izuna, your mother and your grandfather…" Madara's voice was stone cold as he spoke to his niece.

Aiko sat on the hard wooden floor with her head bent in the respect he demanded. On her hands there was a large black and blue bruise from practice earlier this morning, the ones she thought she could get away with.

"You could kill someone a couple of days ago but now you won't even practice combat?" he demanded angrily as he stood leering down at her ominously.

"It's scandalous! What are you? A Senju?!" his harsh words made Aiko cringe visibly.

From what she had been taught in her ten years of existence, there were two groups of people who deserved death and pain in this world. The first was a traitor to the Uchiha clan and the second was the Senju clan of the forest.

"I'm not a Senju…" she defended herself weakly, not daring to look up into her uncle's eyes.

"Then what the hell is wrong with you, girl?" he snapped so viciously at her that the young girl cringed yet again. Noticing this, he shook his head criticizingly. He might be in love with her; he had come to terms with that a very long time ago. Nevertheless, he would not see one of his own blood fail in the field of combat and cower like a frightened rabbit.

As he had come to terms with his lingering emotions about his one-sided affection for her, he now understood his errors. He had been too soft on her and now he was the laughing stock for the entire clan to muse at. "You're weak because of your mother." he said, shifting the blame to his sister. That was where he would begin. "She spoils you because you are her only child, but let me tell you that that special treatment will end tonight."

The girl felt her blood turn into ice in her veins and a most uncomfortable prickling feeling dug its long claws into her heart. It was almost hard to breathe as his words of anger sunk into her. "I am the one who convinced _my_father to allow you to become someone worth mentioning within the clan."

It was a blatant lie but he did not care, for he knew with disgusting obviousness that she would believe his words no matter what he told her. He did not like her questioning him but he loathed the idea of her turning into some mongrel sheep.

"From now on, nothing but the best is good enough. You will aspire to become someone I do not feel ashamed over to love."

There it was again. Her stomach felt like it had twisted inside out and her heart was aching like an open bleeding wound. It was not because of her looks that his interest feigned… it was because she was not good enough. Then there was that word again; 'Love' it felt so utterly strange that he said it with that kind of meaning. It wasn't the same as it was with Yusuke who made her feel soft…but this 'Love' made her feel real and raw, and strangest of all was that she was able to feel her entire body, even the hairs on her body.

"I-"

"What was that? Are you going to speak up?"

Her voice was a small squeak of pent-up pain and fright but Madara's was like a roaring fire, burning her up. Aiko's posture started to crumble from all the pent-up sadness and confusion that weighed so heavily on her young mind so that her back and head slouched just a little. But Madara saw it and felt no need to get down on his knees and hug the girl to his chest and reassure her that he didn't mean it. It would make him just as weak and pathetic as his sister and he would never live down that personal defeat.

"There it is again, that absurd weakness which has no place within this clan and in which I can't comprehend the origins of." he glared down at her, knowing that she would soon either burst into tears or sit like that until she thought him to have mellowed.

"So where does it come from Aiko?" Madara asked darkly but received no immediate answer from the girl.

"Answer me! Or are you saying that you'd rather go on trench duty so you can rid yourself of this absurdity?" he suddenly asked loudly so Aiko flinched at his voice.

"No, I don't want that!" she answered back feebly at her uncle as she snapped her head up to look at him with pleading eyes.

What met her was a pair of abysmal black eyes showing nothing but anger and disappointment. It was horrifyingly real, those dark eyes which scorched the back of her head and closed up her throat like thick black smoke from a raging fire.

Narrowing his eyes angrily, which was the last warning he would give her, Aiko cast her own blue ones down into her lap again in a show of submission and apology. "Then why should I waste any more of my time on you? If you don't want to kill anyone then you're obviously not fit to be a kunoichi."

Aiko clenched her jaw as to not let her emotions take over her mind. "And, if you're that much a coward, then it is best if you quit now and learn how to do dishes and watch kids like the other girls."

Aiko's hands turned white when she clutched the fabric of her clothes in confined anger and sadness. "I just…it just-" "Speak up, what is the problem?" he snapped angrily at her, hoping that the girl would just understand what he wanted from her.

She didn't answer, like there was some block in her throat which hindered her voice.

"You're not worth my time or my affection if you plan on being a disappointment to me. You spoiled little brat." he sneered, knowing it to be half a truth on his part. He would not love her if she was just some other female, he would eliminate the thought of her if she did not meet his demands. It would be hard, but it could be done. "Get out of my sight, you worthless piece of garbage." he sneered scornfully down at her.

"You! It's you, uncle!" she suddenly screeched angrily back at him as she suddenly stood up in raw passionate anger from the floor to her full height. But no sooner did she clap both her hands tightly over her lips when she realized her own frightful words.

Madara stared at her horror-stricken pose as he chewed on those ghastly words of rejection for a second. "Me?" he asked slowly. Aiko was terrified when she couldn't detect a tone in her uncle's voice but her body couldn't perform the simple task of getting her feet to move her out of his way and as far away from here as possible.

"I am the problem?" he asked again, his voice an octave lower still not betraying his emotions. Her instincts screamed danger but she could not move.

There was no turning back time and her thoughts tumbled out from behind her quivering lips ."You kissed me! Family members don't do that, it's not right!"

"And why do you say that?"

Now there was a tone in his voice and Aiko's legs shook with fright when she heard it. It was black and sticky like tar but at the same time it was like the groan of an oncoming storm to which there was no escape from. She could not escape him now.

"It-it just isn't! I know it isn't! And you know it isn't either. It feels strange when you do it!"

"What sort of strange?"

"Everything! My body feels strange and twist-y like!" she shouted,trying her best to describe the hurricane of overwhelming emotions which should not be hers. Her voice was on the verge of sounding completely hysterical while her body heaved for breath like a wounded animal.

The young man didn't say anything but looked at his shaking niece with hard eyes; he did not need this, this unwillingness and her independent negative thoughts about him. Her mind should not be like this and he would not let it go on and spiral out of his control.

_Nothing_ would slip past his control, especially not her, and if she slipped past his net, he knew he would not be the center of her world like he was now. That was why she reacted as she did with this uncertainty and fear, her world was in complete unbalance.

"Aiko, we kiss the ones we love." Madara reached his hand out as he placed it on her shoulder, but the girl moved away from him with a harsh yank while she shook her head frantically.

"NO! I don't love you, I hate-"

**SMACK!**

Aiko's head snapped to the side as her uncle stood with his hand raised and an infuriated scowl marring his usual emotionless face.

"How dare you, you insolent little brat?" he snarled, his niece still in shock even if the pain of the hit started to settle on her reddening cheek. She remained completely frozen from the shock. Her world was collapsing in on itself as every comfort and safety she had ever known was now annihilated in the split second when the back of her uncle's hand had connected with her face.

"How dare you say such things to someone you owe your life to? Be grateful that I did not hit you with my fist." his voice did anything but calm her now; it ripped open her ribs and chewed her heart like some hungry wild thing. The first drop of tear emerged from her shocked eyes; first one, then another, and another, and then her tears fell freely and slid down her cheeks rapidly. Aiko choked out a pained sob and it was in that moment that when Madara looked and listened to her did he realize what he had done.

He was not sorry.

Reaching his hand out nonetheless, he could hear her traumatized sobs and he could see the frightened tears rolling down her cheeks. But it was because she had expressed such unfavorable emotions and had acted so grossly out of line. Her display of raw emotion had stirred him in a terrible way that he thought not to be possible yet, not when she was still so young.

"Pull yourself together, child…" Madara's hand caressed her uninjured cheek which was soaked in hot tears and then he grabbed her chin so that she looked up at him. But she backed away from him sharply because she knew what he was going to do. Madara just watched as she darted out of the room in some inane fear that he would soon strike her again.

Rubbing his temples when he heard the door to her room slam shut, Madara did not attempt to do something as childish and foolish as to follow after her. He was above such things and would not go out of his way for anyone, which included his niece as well. As ruthless as he was on the battlefield, he was perhaps even more ruthless in love, and it was just something his little heartthrob would have to come to accept about him. It was time for her to grow up and embrace the cold heartless world and all its unchangeable faults.

It was time for her to embrace him as someone else than just her uncle, she was still young and had no particular independent thoughts so there was still time. Though, what she had just displayed of thoughts and emotions made him think otherwise. _Maybe,_ he thought as he ran a hand through his thick hair,_ Maybe I've made her a little more mature than what she should be._ Because he tried to recall the last time he saw Aiko play any friendly games or with any toys.

His eyes narrowed when he realized that it must have been a year or two ago he last saw her act like a proper child on her own accord. Pushing the sentimental thoughts away, he agreed with himself that he had been somewhat unsuccessful when it came down to preparing her emotionally, but in the end that had never been his duty.

As a mother, Amaya had failed miserably in the emotional upbringing of her daughter. Never once thinking that she should educate her daughter about the real horrors of war and thus, Aiko was now bending under pressure of having these emotions recently shoved into her skull.

Resentfully, Madara slammed his fist against the wall and ventured out of his room; he sat down on the porch outside and didn't mind the crisp cold. He wondered just what he should do now. If Aiko truly meant her resentful and bitter words, he knew that he would be crushed and beyond furious with her. If he had wasted away ten years of his life on her, he would want those precious years back. If she did not love him, then she had no purpose for him and thus did not have a real purpose in life.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter six

Thank you once more to all my lovely reviewers and followers and favoriters and my beta-reader akashi4.15kuroko (You are my hero)

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Izuna has always viewed himself as the peacemaker within his own family, ever since he was about six years old and when the fights between his elder siblings became more noticeable. When Madara had stolen Amaya's diary, Izuna had been there to prevent his older sister from wringing her brother's neck. When Izuna had seen his sister's lover sneak out of her bedroom at some ungodly hour in the morning and his father had caught the teenager in only his pants, he came to the rescue and told his father that Hiro was merely there to pick Izuna up for early practice. When Aiko was seven and had accidently let out her uncle's favorite falcon, Izuna came to the rescue once more and told Madara that he had let the falcon out by accident.

Because of all these episodes in his life, Izuna had become two things. He had become a skilled persuader and a very talented liar. Of course, his sister was as well-spoken as he was, if not more. However, Amaya had always been very clear when she voiced her demands, and could seldom keep a lie intact for very long. Madara was also very clear when voicing himself, making no room for misunderstandings and certainly no room for arguments, and therefore, he seldom needed to lie because people usually bent to his will.

So when these two siblings clashed and argued, Izuna merely waited for the two of them to be out of firepower before he voiced himself.

"Because, not only are we talking about killing our closest, we're also talking about killing our own father!" Amaya argued strictly with her younger brother who narrowed his eyes critically at her.

"Listen to yourself. A couple of days ago you were all about finding a way to kill him and now you're scared of dirtying your already filthy hands, you cowardly woman." Madara sneered at his older sister, whose face looked ready to melt any second at the unnecessary insult.

When the name-calling started, that was Izuna's usual cue.

"If we could discuss this as adults, that would be nice." he began calmly, so as not to not set any of them off into a fit. When the two looked away from each other and at him, he started talking smoothly.

"I agree with Madara that we've come too far to turn around now and I support him when he says that this is not only about Aiko anymore." He began.

Amaya's lips tightened in anger but Izuna held up his hands to signal that he was not finished speaking just yet. "If we can gain more power for ourselves, we will not only deal with our father justly but we will also vastly empower our clan with this new technique and ensure that our clan thrives and prospers." he argued smoothly. Madara nodded in agreement and leaned forward to look at Amaya's contemplating face.

"And what do you say, sister?" he asked, mentally thanking Izuna for backup.

Clearing her throat, Amaya let out a tired sigh. "My only reason to gain this power is to protect my daughter. However, I will not support the prevalence of this technique amongst our clansmen if we have to murder each other for it." she said sharply.

Rolling his eyes, Madara kept an insult down when Izuna shot him a look.

"Do as you like, I do not care for your reasons."

"Then what is it that you care about?" The woman asked as she narrowed her eyes at Madara.

Shrugging, he looked down on the old piece of parchment with a small smirk, "I care about the survival of my clan and the opportunities this new power will grant me." he said coldly.

Shaking her head, Amaya looked at her youngest brother.

"And you?"

"The wellbeing of my clan of course, and the advantages we will gain over our enemies." The youngest said with an indifferent tone.

Smiling smugly at his sister, Madara spoke haughtily.

"Are you afraid that you may have to sacrifice your own daughter, Amaya?" he struck a nerve as Amaya suddenly rose from her seat in a fit of uncontrollable fury.

"That's enough, you wicked child. Remember, should I get married once more, your position in line for the spot of leader will be terminated." She reminded him briskly. Madara's smug smile morphed into a sneer.

Rolling his eyes at his siblings' behavior, Izuna spoke calmly.

"Then it is agreed, we will gain this new power as soon as possible."

Letting out tired and bothered sigh, Amaya nodded softly and Madara too gave a sharp nod.

"It's late, and father will soon be home. We should try to rest." The woman yawned, as this meeting had drained her completely. However, as she went to bed that evening, it was not done draining her just yet as she laid on her back, wide-awake, contemplating on whom she should murder for the sake of her child.

~* Amaya

The next day when Amaya woke, she did her normal morning routine which consisted of combing her long black hair and clipping it firmly back so it would not bother her. After that, she would get dressed in her informal wear and begin waking everyone up. First, her own daughter. Amaya got onto her knees in front of her daughter's bed and rubbed her arm gently to rouse her. When Aiko opened her tired eyes, Amaya told her daughter to get dressed because she would soon start breakfast.

When she was sure her daughter would get up without a problem, Amaya began waking her brothers up. She only had to say Izuna's name and her brother was up in an instant, although somewhat reluctantly. Then there was Madara who always laid on his stomach, snoring into his pillow and would always grunt sourly in affirmation that he was awake when Amaya told him to get up. This was only after he had ignored her for a minute or two. Then, of course, she roused her father by knocking gently on the door and informing him that breakfast would soon be ready.

All in all, it was a normal morning for the leader of the clan's family. However, Amaya noted that her daughter seemed distraught over something and didn't utter a single word to Madara while they were having breakfast. This behavior's been an ongoing trend for three days now.

Deciding not to comment upon it, she watched as her daughter put her dirty dishes in the sink and left for her lessons. Then, Madara suddenly turned away from the conversation he had been having with his brother and looked at his niece.

"Do well today."

Aiko suddenly froze and managed a hurried nod before she exited the house abnormally quickly.

"What was that about?" Izuna asked with a raised brow.

"Nothing, I gave her a lecture about upholding the honor of our family through hard work." He explained as he turned back to his food.

"I hope you weren't too hard on her, she's been a little bit sick these past few days." Amaya informed her brother.

Madara ignored her with a roll of his eyes and continued talking quietly with his brother. As soon as they were finished, they left the house to do whatever it was that they were going to do for the rest of the day. When they were finished, Ichiro would come into the kitchen and sit down to eat quickly but quietly as Amaya brewed her father some tea in silence. When the man was presented his morning tea, he looked up at his eldest child who was cleaning the table.

"Has Madara said something to upset you?" He asked while drinking the hot tea.

"Just the usual snippiness, nothing to be upset about." She answered nonchalantly, as she wiped the table clean. Nodding, Ichiro put down the steaming cup and looked sternly ahead.

"That boy has his priorities invested in the wrong places…" He paused, and again, he looked at his eldest daughter.

"Of course, he might be a tad selfish and eager to take over the reins of leadership. However, he is very determined and doesn't falter in his ways." Amaya said absentmindedly while cleaning the dishes.

"I trust your judgment Amaya, and if you were to marry then I will be sure that my clan is left in the hands of a respectable man when I pass." Amaya tightened her hold on the cloth she was using and held her anger at bay by breathing quietly out her nose.

"I will not remarry." she stated firmly.

"Let go of the past, girl. Hiro is dead and you will never see him again except when you look into your daughter's eyes." He said harshly, as he gulped down the rest of his tea and walked briskly away from Amaya who looked at his retreating back with spinning red eyes.

When breakfast was over and done with, Amaya would start her daily duties concerning the civilian population of her clan. These were usually women, children and the elderly who could not fight for themselves. She would go through the recent births and evaluate their weight and health so she could pass them on to the military leaders, and from there they would take care of the rest. Then, when that part was done, she would move on to the widows and orphans of the clan, making sure they got the support and money needed to continue on with their lives.

"Five died this week…" She noted with a pitiful shake of her head. Three of them were barely 19 and 16 and the two others had been well into their 20s.

Putting down the sheet, she rubbed her eyes and blinked tiredly.

'We lose so many sons and husbands that we soon have to expand our morgue or start burning the old corpses…' she thought as she drummed her fingers against the table.

When it was past noon, Amaya took a break from her work to do something she always did no matter the weather or mood. Under a peach tree in the graveyard stood Hiro's immaculate gravestone. Amaya would always make sure that it was spotless. Then, Amaya would sit down in front of her lover's grave and murmur about her own life, but would always talk about Aiko.

"And I only hope that you can forgive me and my actions when we meet again…" she finished murmuring and stood up, brushed the dead leaves of her dress and left the cemetery with the usual lump in her throat. Only this time, it felt like a rock.

On her way back to her work, she always made a point of walking past the training grounds to check in on her daughter and her progress. When she rounded the weapon-house, Amaya stayed in the shadows to watch her girl. To her surprise, her daughter seemed to be winning a tournament of some sort as the other boys were sitting side by side rubbing their heads and faces. Right now, Aiko was going up against one of the larger boys, and Amaya stayed to watch the fight.

Aiko wasn't physically strong and would never be, Amaya realized, as the girl dodged the fists of the young boy. However, Aiko seemed to be aware of that and would rather use agility and speed to get close and land more efficient blows. Her daughter had made her way past the boy's punches and landed a solid fist right up into the boy's chin. It was almost a knockout, but Aiko made sure to kick her opponent down to the ground when he tried getting up again.

Smiling proudly, Amaya continued walking back to her home where she continued to work, usually until five.

When it neared half past five, she would start making dinner and would make sure that it'd taste good if it needed to be reheated again. Looking out the kitchen window, Amaya recalled all the times she had stared through this very window while preparing food. Though, as she looked down at the cutting board, she knew that all those memories were just memories of when things had been somewhat simpler.

Dinner had become a complicated affair in the past years. She and Aiko would eat first and Amaya would ask about her daughter's day. Today's first unusual event happened today; Aiko seemed to be reluctant to answer even though Amaya knew that her daughter had nothing to hide. Her daughter's sentences were strangely short and synthetic, like the basic "Yes, mother." "No, mother." or "Very well, mother."

Straightening her back, Amaya gave her daughter a sideways glance when Aiko went to rinse her plate.

"It's alright if you want to talk, Aiko.." she said softly.

Aiko seemed to go rigid for a split second, before recovering.

"I just want to go to bed…" Aiko mumbled.

Amaya shot her a worried look. "It's only six, are you feeling ill again?" she asked.

Her daughter shook her head with a small frown on her face.

"I just want to sleep, leave me alone." she said, before walking briskly out of the kitchen, leaving her mother blinking by the table.

Dusk was approaching and Amaya sat in the living room, trying to read a book in peace, but her mind was consumed with an inferno of thoughts. Did Madara really tell Aiko that her own grandfather had tried to get rid of her? Was that the reason for her sudden change of attitude?

Exhaling through her nose, Amaya looked outside and listened. Her brothers hadn't returned yet, and since they were not out on missions, they must be doing something else.

Closing the book, Amaya put her hands on her lap to collect her thoughts for a second.

_'It has to be done today.' _she thought sternly to herself. _'Madara may not be right about everything, but we've come too far to back out of it now.'_

Putting the book back, Amaya strode into her own room, finding two kunais and her dark blue cloak. She put on her cloak and tucked the two knives away in the cloak's inner pocket before making her way over to her second cousin's house.

Knocking at the door, a dark haired woman sporting a small child on her hip looked at the young cloaked woman in surprise.

"Lady Amaya, what is it?" the woman asked, thinking she had come to bring ill news about her eldest son.

"Ine, I need you to watch Aiko for me." Amaya said sternly as she looked at the cloudless sky.

"But I-"

"That is an order." Amaya's voice suddenly grew icy towards the other female who gulped in slight fear before she nodded quickly.

"Yes my lady, right away." she bowed her head curtly, walked back into her house for a minute and came back out without the child. The woman followed the other as she led her into the house.

"May I ask-"

"You may not." Amaya interrupted again, when they entered her home.

"I will be back in about an hour or so, do not let anyone near my daughter, not even her own uncles." she instructed sternly as she pulled her hood over her head.

Clearing her throat uncomfortably, the woman nodded in understanding though didn't dare ask another question. "Understood, my lady." she bowed again as Amaya turned on her heels to walk out of the door.

Amaya arrived at the town in record speed. Looking around at the townspeople, no one seemed to recognize her with the cloak on. However, the woman was ever as cautious as she used the less crowded streets to make her way to where she was going. Shrouded by the night and avoiding the lights, Amaya walked soundlessly towards a heavy oak door.

Knocking softly, she pulled her hood back when the door opened with a creak.

"Oh, Amaya my dear, what a pleasant surprise." Toshiaki smiled, as a wave of incense billowed out from behind him.

"May I come in?" she asked politely.

"Of course. Come in, come in." he stepped aside and welcomed the woman in with a smile. Amaya forced a smile back when she made her way past him. However, the smile soon morphed into a grimace.

"So then my dear, what brings you here?" Toshiaki asked calmly when they had reached the top floor and both sat down with a cup of tea. The woman struggled inwardly to come up with a believable lie.

"I wanted to discuss my daughter's future, she seems to be…" Amaya had to grasp the right word, "Staggering lately." she finished her sentence.

"In what way? Your daughter is a headstrong child, just like your brothers." he furrowed his eyebrows in concern at this information.

"I'm fighting a losing battle, my dear friend. Not only is my future uncertain but my daughter's is as well." Amaya breathed out sharply.

The old man nodded softly and drank his tea calmly, gesturing for the woman to do so as well. When he put his cup down he leaned forward.

"Why is it uncertain, Amaya? The cards told your daughter's future, so why all this worrying?" he asked.

The woman shook her head. "Madara revealed a piece of information to her some days ago. Since then, she hasn't been herself recently and what's worse is that she will not tell me what he has said." Amaya put down the cup as she spoke.

"And what is this information? Surely there is nothing you're hiding from your only child?" he raised a grey brow at her.

Sighing, Amaya spoke calmly. "She does not know that her father and I were not married when I had her, meaning that she will only be clan leader at the mercy of Madara and the elders."

Toshiaki shook his head. "You and Hiro were married through the creation of your daughter, which should be more than enough, my dear."

The woman rubbed her temples when she felt the hilt of the kunai against her side ."My father seems to disagree, and he urges me to get married."

"Forgive me, Amaya, but your father hasn't been the same since your mother died. She was a lovely woman and he must not want the same life of grief for you… He cares for you."

Amaya's jaw tightened in anger as she snuck a blade carefully up her sleeve and into her hand.

"Aiko will have a safe future. Of course, she will meet bumps along the road but you will always be there." he said with a calm smile as he got up from his seat to walk over to the woman who to stood up from her seat.

"I guess… One will know true sacrifice when one has a child of their own." she said quietly as she took a silent breath of air when the man came closer.

Smiling, the man put his hand on the woman's shoulder silently.

"It is the eternal burden of a mother."

Amaya looked searchingly into his eyes before thrusting the blade right into his heart. Toshiaki's eyes widened in shock as he let out a small startled gasp before he slumped lifelessly forward like a ragdoll against Amaya's trembling shoulder for a second, and then onto the floor with a crash.

Her eyes stung with hot tears of guilt as she watched the lifeless body of her mother's dear friend…Her dear friend bleed into the red carpet.

"Forgive me… My dear Toshiaki… Forgive me, Hiro." her entire body trembled, as she whispered with a hand in front of her lips while shaking her head in disbelief.

It hurt, it burned, it stung and it chewed at the very inner core of her body. Toshiaki was dead by her hand, no, murdered by her hand, her mind reminded her. She could have chosen not to do this; she could have left him to live!

Choking back a sob, Amaya buried her face in her shaking hands, whispering a pained mantra of "Forgive me Toshiaki, forgive me Hiro.." over and over again, as her legs trembled.

She had seen the light leave his eyes the moment she drove that knife through his heart; she had felt its life-rhythm and then felt it slowly disappear to nothing but a haunting stillness. He had done nothing to deserve this; she had betrayed him by coming like a friend to his doorstep, seeking comfort from him. She had drunk his tea, listened to his wisdom and then she had murdered him.

Amaya couldn't describe it… This overwhelming feeling that felt like a hand that coiled around her heart and squeezed it with its long nails, forever reminding her that she had murdered someone who had meant something to her.

Nevertheless, Amaya felt a surge like no other within her head that spread like a wildfire through her brain. Blacking out for a split second, Amaya caught herself against the table just in time before the pain diminished and she was able to look up at herself in a mirror. Her eyes had changed, what used to be three comas were now what looked like to be a hexagonal (Six-pointed) black flower.

Though not only had her sharingan changed shape, everything was clearer and much brighter, and the pressure which had forced its way from the back of her head earlier was now completely gone. It dawned on Amaya that these eyes she now had come to possess, their power was limitless. She could feel their power hum through her very bones if she held her breath.

So this was her prize? Amaya wondered as she stared back at herself in the mirror. Blinking, she deactivated the eye without a problem, just like she had done with her previous sharingan. Casting one more glance at Toshiaki, she bent down and carried his lifeless body to a couch standing in the corner where she laid him down gently and closed his lightless eyes.

"Your sacrifice will not be fruitless, my dear friend." she whispered, as she wiped her tears away.

Amaya made it back to the compound without rousing any suspicion when she stated what she had been doing without a problem. Walking into her dark home, Amaya hung up her cloak and closed the door tightly after herself.

"Ine, you are free to leave." she called out quietly, expecting to hear the woman in the kitchen or living room.

But there was no response.

Furrowing her eyebrows, Amaya strode into the dark living room and found no one there. Poking her head into the kitchen, the woman was still not found.

"Ine?" She called out a little louder, in case the woman was in the bathroom or had fallen asleep somewhere. Walking out into the hall, Amaya gasped when she saw the unconscious body of her second-cousin sprawled out on the wooden floor.

Then, to her utmost horror, Amaya saw that the door to her daughter's bedroom was opened. Rushing past the unconscious woman, Amaya almost threw the door of its hinges in a fit of panic, just in time to see a tall shadow looming over her daughter's bed, holding a raised knife.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Finally I'm back in action! I am so sorry, but it took a long time to find a new beta-reader and I've been busy with school and exams and whatnot! Anyways, I want to thank all of you for being patient with me and that cliffhanger I left you all with.

Thank you TayMor for being my new Beta-reader!

* * *

Through his twenty years of living, Madara had seen four brothers buried in the ground. He hadn't understood much at the time, given that fact that he was still a small child, but had understood that he had lost someone dear and irreplaceable. Izuna had understood even less, because at that age one doesn't concern themselves about it. However, Amaya had understood the most because she had known them far better than what Madara and Izuna had. Therefore, she refused to speak of them or even the acknowledge their memory for a second.

Amaya angered Madara like no other, and not only because when their mother had died, she had just taken that role without any warning and certainly not without any permission. Then, when Amaya's last remaining older brother had died in battle, she became the successor. Or more precisely, the man she married would become the successor after his father died. It was ridiculous that Madara, who had been born special even by his clan's standards, was pushed in line behind a female who only had to drag a man to her bed to make him the leader of the clan.

Though, late at night when Madara settled in to sleep in his own home, he idly wondered in the far corners of his brain, if he hated her because he didn't really know her. He didn't know what to say to her at times, because she didn't often speak her mind so he never really touched ground with her. Madara couldn't make an alliance, so to speak, with her because she would seldom drop her calm façade and when it came to showing her true feelings, Madara could count the times it had happened on his hands.

Maybe that was why he was infatuated with her daughter, because Aiko had no difficulty showing him all of her emotions. Though some less favorable than others…

~* Madara and Izuna

"Thank you brother."

"For what?" Izuna asked quietly, looking at his older brother when they heard Amaya's bedroom door close.

"…For siding with me. Heaven knows when Amaya will listen to reason and not her unstable female emotions," Madara said with a small hint of anger as the two of them entered his room. Shrugging, the younger took his seat on the floor with his brother who looked deep in thought.

"Amaya is shaken. It's really no secret that she only loves Aiko… your comment didn't make this easier for her," Izuna said with a side-glance to his brother who frowned. "She's a likeable female figure I suppose. There has got to be some friends she cares deeply about?" he asked nonchalantly. Izuna shook his head.

"They're either dead, or she doesn't care for them anymore," he said and dragged a hand through his hair. Madara snorted.

"Oh? What about us then?" he asked, his voice dripping with sarcasm. Izuna chuckled quietly while looking at his brother.

"Come now, it's no secret that she has little to no love left for us … well, maybe she has some left for me. You however… she can hardly stand to be in the same room as you without looking immensely bothered," Izuna said smugly. Madara gave him a flat look.

"I feel so wounded that I don't know if my heart can continue without the love of my only sister," he said with a horribly faked emotion while putting his hand over his heart.

"Acting has never been your forte, brother. But on another note…" He became quiet and looked at his older brother who looked back. "Who, who will you sacrifice?" Drumming his fingers against the floor, Madara looked up into the sealing in thought.

"…I am still giving it some thought; I can't decide these things in ten minutes," he said quietly. Nodding in understanding, Izuna got to his feet.

"Madara…" he said on his way out of his brother's room. Madara looked at him. "If you plan to kill me, then tell me now," he said a low voice as he stopped by the door.

Looking down at his hands for a second, Madara then looked back up at his little brother. Kill Izuna? There had been many thoughts and ideas in Madara's head over the years, but he had honestly never thought about killing his younger brother. Letting out a tired sigh, the elder shook his head.

"No, I would never," he murmured with closed eyes. Izuna let out a relieved breath.

"I'm glad that I have you on my side, brother," he said before he left Madara in his room to change into his nightly attire. Blowing out the paraffin lamp, he settled under the covers with a tired yawn to sleep. However, he lay wide awake staring out into the darkness and tossed and turned under the covers.

Who? Just who fit into the role of "the person he cared deeply about"? If he killed Amaya, not only would he not have gained this power, but he would have killed his own sister. As a future leader, he imagined that that would not sit well with the elders of the clan. Izuna was out of the question. He had seen his other brothers' deaths; he would not see his little brother buried in the cold ground before him.

Shifting to lie on his stomach, Madara buried his face in the soft white pillow and let out a small groan. His body was tired, but his mind wouldn't allow him to sleep before he had worked out a solution to his desperate question. Who…who…who will I murder? Why won't these answers come to me from out of the blue?

Then, it dawned on him. Those adoring dark blue eyes he had known for ten years, held the answer. Taking a deep breath through his nose, Madara rolled restlessly onto his back with wide eyes.

"Aiko…" he mouthed her name silently up into the sealing while his mind remained completely blank at this solution.

The scroll had specifically stated that to gain this ocular power, one had to witness the light in the loved one's eyes go out. And Aiko's eyes were always filled with so much childish and innocent light. But to harvest that light by ending her life with his own two hands? Was he capable of such an act? He had always had a slight issue with killing children, because they didn't beg for their lives like adults did. Yet, he had done so tens of times and not once had it lingered longer than a minute. An enemy was an enemy, regardless of age or gender.

But to kill one of his own, who was not just a child and a female, but also shared the same blood as him? Though maybe most important of all, the undeniable fact that he wholeheartedly loved her. Madara lay wide awake for what felt like hours, thinking about Aiko and just who she was to him…because all the personal feelings aside, just who was she? And how strong was he really?

The next day when Amaya did her wakeup round, Madara felt like he had only slept for an hour or less.

"Madara, get up," his sister said for the third time, clearly annoyed and just as sleep deprived as he, though clearly managing to keep everything normal. Groaning, he scratched his head and finally lifted himself up from his warm futon after having ignored her for a couple of minutes. Dragging his feet along the floor, he rubbed his eyes tiredly but felt himself bump into something, looking down, Aiko's eyes widened in fear when her uncle looked at her with thin sleepy eyes.

"Move out of my way," he grumbled groggily. Aiko quickly sidestepped him and scurried of into the kitchen, "Safely under her mother's wing," Madara thought grudgingly as he slammed the bathroom door shut.

When he exited and entered the kitchen, he found that his niece was almost finished with her breakfast and that his sister was giving her child a concerned look. Ignoring it, he started his meal and only began talking when Izuna entered the room.

"Seeing as we don't have missions today, what say we hone our skills?" he offered while eating some rice. About to agree, Madara registered that Aiko was leaving the table in what he perceived as a hasty retreat. "Do well today."

It was a grim reminder of the incident that took place three days ago, and even if it hadn't left much of a stain on Madara, Aiko seemed terrified. She only managed a nod before scampering out the door. Izuna looked after her with raised eyebrows.

"What was that about?" he asked.

"I gave her a lecture about upholding the honor of our family through hard work," he dismissed and turned back to his breakfast.

"I hope you weren't too hard on her, she's been a little bit sick these past few days," Amaya informed her brother. Aiko wasn't sick; Aiko was petrified because she made him slap her and now she was playing the sad child act to gain his sentiment. "Over my dead body. She's weak for playing that card. She should know better," he thought sternly with the roll of his eyes before turning back to his food.

"We should leave; Father is coming," Izuna murmured quietly while Amaya was washing some plates. Nodding, Izuna and Madara left the kitchen listening to Amaya's frustrated sigh when the two of them left their dirty dishes on the table.

It was an ordinary day; no one was doing anything unusual or eventful or new to the eye. Madara and Izuna were practicing combat against each other and their sister was busy with her paperwork. When the two decided on a short break, Madara wanted to walk alone for a while.

Walking aimlessly, Madara couldn't think straight about anything. Everything was a messy tangle of personal emotions and the voice of necessity that battled over dominance. If he gained this ocular power, he would undoubtedly become the strongest shinobi in the world and with his rise the clan would also rise. The possibility of a stable world with him at the reigns would not be a vague dream he once had as a child.

"It really hurts you know!" A young boy's voice cut through his heavy thoughts so that he stopped and listened.

"Suck it up. I didn't hit you that hard!" That was Aiko's voice coming from around the corner. Madara raised a brow when he heard her voice, it had a new undertone to it he had never heard before. Deciding to listen in, he got down on his hunches and looked around the corner and found Aiko and another brunette sitting together. The boy was rubbing his cheek while Aiko sat quietly.

"Like seriously, you could have knocked out one of my teeth!" the boy complained. Shrugging carelessly Aiko began talking again.

"Extra points for me then. What really mattered is that I won and finally managed to prove myself," she said proudly, no doubt referring to the fact that she had been absent for three days.

"Yeah, you knocked Ryota right out, which was kind of cool," the boy complimented her.

"So practice went well today, Aiko," Madara noted.

"Where did you learn to move like that?"

"My uncles taught me," she answered shortly.

"Figures…. Well! It will come in handy when we get to go out on missions," the boy said kindly. Madara had a problem with this kid; he was talking to his niece in a way that wasn't his place.

"Yeah, so it's important to be on top all the time from now on."

"Mhm, and when we get really strong and my sharingan matures, we'll be an unstoppable team," the boy added enthusiastically that made his niece giggle. Madara evaluated Aiko's words and mood; because she seemed relatively untouched after what he did to her.

Then it dawned on him, that Aiko was still touched by the incident it was just that Aiko was extremely adaptable. However, Aiko was adaptable after his wishes; she had apparently pulled herself together and done well, she was telling others to man up and she was holding a mask to hide how she really felt.

All in all, Madara felt some pride for his niece but then, the boy spoke again.

"You were really amazing today…really," he said shyly.

"Thanks Yusuke, you're not too bad yourself," Aiko responded happily, not even noticing that the boy scooted closer to her.

"Thanks, it means a lot coming from you." He cleared his throat and moved another inch towards her, this time Aiko turned her head to look at him.

"Why?" she cocked her head at him.

"Because you're so good at what you do and I'm just mediocre-"

"You're so stupid for saying that. You're the greatest boy I know and with a little practice we can become strong and unstoppable together-mpf!" Madara's heart skipped a beat when he saw the scene before him.

The brunette had, like a knife out of the dark, made a sudden contact with an unsuspecting target that was his niece's lips. His mouth fell slightly open at the shock that first numbed his body, then after a second, tore at him with jealousy. He had been betrayed! His mind roared in anger as he gripped the wood of the house, causing dents because of his wrath.

Aiko had betrayed him for some little boy who had no purpose in life! Turning briskly away so he would not throttle the two of them, Madara stalked in the opposite direction of the two, not catching the fact that Aiko pushed the boy away and ran home.

Madara could not believe his own two eyes. The girl who had told him that she loved him only days ago, was now infatuated with some no-life! Gritting his teeth, Madara returned to his waiting brother who raised an eyebrow.

"Something wrong?" he asked worriedly.

"No, everything is fine," Madara snarled venomously, the betrayal of his niece digging in under his ribs, working its way into his heart, and reopening old wounds caused by previous betrayal.

His anger reflected in his combat and Izuna felt like his brother was keeping a secret from him. Though, it was not wise to pry…he thought while barely dodging a hard blow to the head. Something had upset Madara, and it was not this ordeal that his sister was in on to, this was something else and personal.

The time passed and when it finally became dark, Izuna and Madara parted ways to prepare for the inevitable.

"I'll see you around," Izuna said in a quiet voice as the two of them walked in opposite directions. Madara turned in the direction of his home, where he knew Aiko was now and his sister would not interfere with what had to be done.

When he pushed the door aside and stepped into his home, he was greeted by a woman.

"My lord," she bowed to him and Madara gave her a tested glance.

"What are you doing in my home?" he asked sternly and shut the door tightly.

"Forgive me, but lady Amaya wished me to guard her child while she was away," the woman responded. Her fright was very clear to Madara who took a deep breath.

"So Amaya has already gotten started then…"

"I see. You can go now," he dismissed her while walking past her and into the hallway where Aiko's room was on the end of said corridor.

"I'm afraid I cannot, lady Amaya told me to stay here until she returned." The woman followed after Madara who gave her a tested look of anger. "I was to remain here and keep unwanted people away from her daughter."

"Unwanted people? I am her uncle!" he snapped angrily at her so she cringed a little but remained resolute in her words.

"The same goes for you my lord, no one is to come near lady Aiko until her mother returns," she said sternly back, but took a step back from Madara nonetheless when he glared at her.

"Is that so?" he asked through gritted teeth, barely restraining himself to not break the woman's neck.

Nodding slowly, Madara towered menacingly over her before grabbing a hold of her arms and before the woman could scream for help she was knocked out cold by a genjutsu. Letting go of her limp body, Madara strode towards his niece's bedroom, a knife at the ready. He would not ever be betrayed again, not like this! And if this was who she truly was - a back-stabbing, lying, weak little girl - then he had no qualms with ending her meaningless existence, here, tonight!

But when he opened the door to his niece's room, the girl was already sitting upright in her bed and then, he noticed it.

"Uncle…" she whispered sadly to him across the room. Those eyes held no light. Madara didn't answer, but kept staring at her in the half-light, his hand still on the knife in his pocket. "Uncle, I'm so sorry…" Tears began gathering in her eyes when he didn't respond, most likely had she mistaken it for anger. He ventured silently into her room while keeping eye contact with her, trying to make sense of every mind-destroying thought in his head.

"Uncle I'm so sorry! I-I try and I want-" she broke down wailing and shaking while blubbering nonsense about how sorry she was about being weak and useless. However, when Madara put his hand on her soft head, her cries ceased and she looked up at him with confused eyes.

"Hush Aiko…" he murmured while stroking her hair lovingly. Drying her tears, she sniffed sadly and continued looking at him in the dark. "There is nothing to apologize for-"

"But there is!" she protested with a fanatic shake of her head. "Yusuke kissed me! I didn't move away and I-I I don't like him like that because I –I love you and I want to be worth your time!" she wailed loudly with a hint of panic and Madara felt a part of himself become soothed by her words.

"Do you now?" he asked with a quiet mumble as his niece clung to his leg.

"I did so well today at practice because I want you to love me again!" she confessed, no, more like begged. Madara realized and put a hand under her chin to tilt her head up so she looked at him with pleading eyes.

"I'll always love you."

It didn't even take a second between him activating his sharingan and Aiko fainting, before he realized what he had seen in that split second. As soon as those words had left his lips, the light in Aiko's eyes had returned at full force and that light could only be kindled by him. Madara looked down at her unmoving body in fascination, not realizing that he had drawn his knife and was holding it over his niece's body.

So this was what he had gained over these ten years? The ability to control the life, light and love of someone. Was this how strong he was? He was strong enough to control one person entirely and strong enough to make someone bend into the ground for him. Though, he realized he was not strong enough to rid himself of his Achilles heel.

"Move one muscle and you're dead."

Madara finally snapped out of his inner conflict when he felt a blade press against his neck and the fierce whisper of his sister in his ear. Dropping the blade with a clatter, he turned his head around to look at his older sister.

"So that's the fruit of your sacrifice?" he asked slowly when he saw the hexagonal pattern in his sister's eyes. Nodding sharply, she glared angrily at him.

"What do you think you're doing?" she snarled in a low voice.

"Trying to find a fruit," he said with the same glare, he didn't like the sour taste of the fact that his sister was stronger than him now.

"Aiko will not be your sacrifice, Madara," Amaya said with a stern whisper.

"And you will stop me if I decide against it?" he asked threateningly when Amaya's eyes spun in warning.

"No, I will kill you right here in my daughter's bedroom if you make one more ill-favored move," she glared; her knife was still drawn and pointed at his throat.

"Dangerous words from a housewife," he said snidely while attempting to bypass her but Amaya blocked him.

"Careful, you wicked child. Though you may be stronger than me, as long as I defend my child I will always win." Amaya's words made Madara almost want to laugh and tell her that her daughter was already won and she had lost this battle the moment Aiko was brought screaming into the world.

"Of course, I'll be on my way," Madara said calmly on his way out of his niece's room. However, when he reached the door he barely had enough time to react when Amaya's knife made contact with the wall right beside him.

"You don't have to be so dramatic…" he said in a low voice while resting his hand on the door. "No harm will come to your daughter by my hand," he promised on his way out. Amaya would never take that promise to heart.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

* * *

Madara emerged from the dark and dense bamboo forest with Izuna following him in dead silence. The night was eerily quiet with only the occasional interruption of the cold gust of the wind that made the leaves ripple and quiver and the full moon that illuminated the strangely calm scenery.

"Brother-" Izuna put his pale hand on his brother's shoulder.

"Not now Izuna…not now," Madara murmured as he closed his eyes for a brief moment and stomached the feeling of what he had just done while he shrugged his little brother's hand of his shoulder.

Swallowing, Izuna stopped walking and merely watched his brother's brisk steps back to their house. The two of them needed some time to their selves, to reflect and to calm themselves from this act of treason. For in that bamboo forest laid the corpses of their dear friends who insured not only the safety of their close family, but also insured a power which would bring them so much more than just some peace at mind.

Madara had just entered his dark home silently; however he felt Amaya's chakra stir at the littlest sound making him roll his wide awake eyes. It truly was strange, to feel his body being tired and yet his eyes were wide open, brimming with energy almost. Walking past his own bedroom, Madara entered his niece's bedroom for the second time that night.

Getting on his knees in front of his sleeping niece, he understood at once that Amaya had undone the genjutsu he had put on her and was now sleeping deeply. Madara looked at his niece's pale and unscratched face with somber eyes and gently put his large hand on her warm soft cheek, as if trying to absorb some of her innocence to soothe himself.

Running his thumb over her skin, he caught the figure of his sister standing in the door, no doubt glaring at him. Turning his head towards her, he saw her eyes glowing red in the dark; however it was not only a deadly warning but rather also a question. Madara's eyes shone a brilliant red color while his oddly shaped pattern swirled in answer. Recognizing who had the stronger pair of eyes, Amaya nodded at her younger brother and held three of her fingers in a gesture which meant that Madara had only three more minutes with her daughter.

Turning his eyes back to his niece, Madara was reminded of the times he had come here to soothe himself and just watch his niece sleep peacefully. It was a luxury the girl was taking for granted right now and Madara knew that very soon his niece would not have this comfort anymore and would wake at the faintest of sounds.

Putting his hand into her dark hair, he pushed some away from her face and he smiled at how her hair resembled his own in a way. 'Indeed,' Madara thought while smiling in the dark. _'It's reassuring she's taking after someone such as myself.'_ However, he thought back with an angry sneer to what he had heard that little worm say to Aiko before he had defiled his niece's mouth. Noticing that the grip on her hair had tightened considerably, he loosened his hold and regarded Aiko with a soft look.

It had not been her fault, Aiko had been innocent and just as caught off guard as he had been; her hysteric outburst an hour or so earlier had been proof of that. So he would give that little rat of a boy a lesson he wouldn't soon forget.

Aiko made a small noise in her sleep and her eyes barely cracked open and registered her uncle.

"It's alright, go back to sleep love," he whispered calmly. Smiling tiredly, Aiko was quickly asleep again and Madara chuffed slightly at how easily she could trust him, however, as long as it was only him she trusted so blindly, he could accept that. Pressing his lips against her brow, he felt a sort of peace wash over him that made the dull pounding behind his eyes wash away.

"You're mine, Aiko"

"Son."

Madara's eyes snapped over at the sudden sound that penetrated the dense atmosphere like an arrow in the back.

"Father…" Madara said, his arms still holding the sleeping girl.

"Come, we must talk now," his father said sternly, his eyes never falling onto the form of his sleeping granddaughter but rather bored themselves into his son's. Madara let his niece go and without a word, he followed his father outside and into the night.

However, he felt when the chakra of his siblings began to stir at their father's unmistakable presence and when they started to move about. Knowing that his father must have heard everything, he cursed himself for letting his guard down and knew he had to begin the conversation right now.

"Did you-"

"Hear and see that? Yes, all of it," his father said through clenched teeth.

Madara's stomach twisted in unease but willed himself to keep his head and tongue straight.

"It is a simple misunderstanding father," he said curtly while clearing his throat. They were walking into the dense bamboo forest, luckily a great deal away from where the body of Asuya lay with a broken neck.

"Do not think me blind or stupid!" he snapped.

"I would never," Madara said meekly and raised his hands as to signalize peace.

Suddenly, Ichiro stopped in the clearing of the bamboo forest and Madara was somewhat grateful that his father had considered the secrecy of his weakness. Breathing quietly through his nose, Madara lifted his black eyes up from the ground and looked directly at his father.

"I can only ask why, Madara," his father asked in a dead serious voice.

Madara made a quick decision that he would not bother with a long and heartfelt speech that would lead him nowhere, for he only needed to answer to himself on that point.

"Because that is the way of things, nothing can change it," he answered stubbornly. Clenching his teeth while he closed his eyes, Ichiro drew a deep breath.

"She is your niece," he ground out.

"I know."

"And this does not bother you?" Madara's father asked, almost bewildered at his son's flat and emotionless replies but managed to contain his own emotions through his strict training.

"No," Madara answered and shot his father a small glare when he noticed that his father was armed and he idly wondered what would have happened if he had not been in Aiko's room at the moment his father had come.

"Why?! Why do you remain so unfazed?" Ichiro snapped sharply.

"Because, I see no wrong in it," Madara said with a small shrug, knowing that the inevitable was just around the corner when he felt his siblings inching in on them.

"She is a child! She is ten!" his father argued feverishly back, not believing that his son was so carefree about this, about incest!

"Aiko won't remain a child forever."

At this sly and disgusting response Ichiro spluttered as his mask of professionalism crumbled between his fingers and left Ichiro Uchiha shaking his head in disbelief at what he was hearing. However, his face suddenly turned soft, a face Madara hadn't seen since he was a little boy.

"You're sick, my son," his father said almost kindly. Madara raised a thin eyebrow at his father.

"Come again?"

"You're sick my son, but I can help you." Ichiro took slow steps forward on the soggy ground while he stretched his arms out, inviting his son into an embrace. Madara remained stationary and just observed his father's sudden desperation and wondered why his father was acting this way. It couldn't only be his infatuation with Aiko, could it?

"These feelings of yours…" he paused when he was about three steps from his son. "They are unnatural, surely you know this, surely you see?" he whispered.

"Ten years begs to differ," Madara said in a flat voice and kept his hands folded tightly across his chest. Ichiro's eyes widened at this sudden revelation but managed to stop his emotions to spiral out of control.

"My son…what has happened to you?" Ichiro whispered softly through his clenched teeth.

"Nothing has happened, nothing has changed and nothing will ever change," he muttered and gave his father a thin look. He was one of the Uchiha's top ninjas and he had mastered a new and unknown technique. So why was his father persisting that he was unwell and sick? He was the best, and just because his love life was a little messed up did not have any direct effect on his career as a ninja. If it had, then he'd be a dead man long ago.

"Are you so possessed? Are you truly so blind that you do not see the wrong in what you are doing?"

"No."

There was a heavy pause between them when Ichiro's mouth opened slightly in shock and his black eyes widened when he saw his son's unfazed eyes. Then, his sadness was replaced by anger, not only towards his son but towards Aiko, whom he knew was in on this otherworldly perversion.

"Now let me ask you something father…why do you want your only grandchild dead?" Madara asked calmly now that his siblings were soon within hearing range.

Ichiro looked up at the full moon for a second before snapping his attention toward Madara who had yet to break eye contact with him.

"So you figured it out…" he whispered to himself before he straightened his back and gave his son a stern look. "To help you, my son…one needs to remove the root to remove the problem entirely," he murmured.

Madara's eyes became thin with anger; he wasn't in need of any help.

"So you would have your only successor murdered for my well-being…you never thought what would happen to your only daughter?"

"Amaya is still young and able to have more children, and so are you and Izuna," his father reasoned quickly, Madara knew that his plan had been well thought out and his goals well-reasoned. However, their conversation had now soon come to an end; Amaya and Izuna were close by.

"It doesn't explain your motivations, father," He shook his head, taking one last look at the man who had raised him since infancy and been with him on the battlefield. Madara couldn't help that sliver of emotion that grabbed onto his heart for a second; however he easily pushed it away and out of his life.

Ichiro took the last steps towards his son and put his hands on Madara's shoulders, giving his son an angry glare.

"I would rather kill my granddaughter than kill my own son."

What happened next, happened with such an unbelievable speed and accuracy, that what seemed to have been a battle that had lasted for hours for those involved was just the passing of three mere minutes. There had been blood and fire no one had ever seen before, but most of all there had been an overwhelming abundance of hate. Ichiro had not been caught completely off guard, and so had managed to dodge Izuna's decisive strike from above, however he had not been quick enough to dodge Amaya's blow from behind that had given him a deep gash in his left shoulder.

He had been sharp and quick enough to slice Amaya's arm so she had to back away though, giving Madara the opportunity to land a kick in his father's back so they had him in a circle. In that moment, there had been a sudden common understanding and the three activated their new eyes, and black flames emerged around their father, some spreading onto his armor. Those flames did not stop burning, no matter how much Ichiro patted on or slapped at them. An opening had just revealed itself while their father was busy trying to get the flames of him, and Amaya pierced her father right through his heart from behind.

And so, in the end, Ichiro Uchiha fell onto the ground, first onto his knees while giving his three remaining children a horrified look and then he slumped lifelessly forward into the charred ground. The three of them regarded their father without a sound, until Amaya spoke up while holding onto her damaged arm.

"Let's lay him to rest beside our mother after a proper funeral…and let us never use these eyes again," she said quietly, rubbing her eye.

The two brothers looked at each other in surprise, then back at their sister. Then Madara smirked and wiped the crimson blood of his face.

"Coward, you saw with your two own eyes what these eyes are capable of."

"This will bring the Uchiha into a completely new era of warfare," Izuna whispered in an astonished voice and put his finger just under his eye.

"Amaya, you may never use these eyes again but we will use them to bring the Uchiha clan the power and recognition that it deserves," Madara said with a triumphant grin. Amaya shudder at the sound of her little brother's voice. A monster was on the loose.

After the murder of their father and two other Uchiha, one would assume that the three siblings would receive a death penalty for their appalling crimes. However, due to the evidence of the previous clan head's treachery and the discovery of a new powerful ocular technique, their actions were pardoned. Shortly after, Madara became the new head of his clan with his little brother at his side.

Together, not only did the Uchiha rise quickly to power but they spread like wildfire in dry grass. At first they started to take over small farming clans who only had a few shinobi at their disposal. This was so the Uchiha clan had a steady income of food and money, and therefore did not need to grow much of their own food, freeing up men and some women to become shinobi instead.

Then, Madara began sinking his claws into other, more battle oriented clans. His form of rule was simple, he would first slaughter about half of their forces, go to their village and stand on a preferably small height telling them to lay down their arms and join the Uchiha.

They would have to pay tribute, share their shinobi with the Uchiha and govern themselves after the laws of the Uchiha. Other than that, they could continue on like they had done in the past with the same clan head and other laws they might have, but they would also have the protection of the Uchiha should anything happen.

If they refused or were disobedient and rebelled, Madara would slaughter the rest of the shinobi or any other hostile member and burn the village down to the ground. The survivors, he would distribute across the other clans, preferably the farming clans. Most clans were cooperative, though, and embraced this new form of rule; however it was mostly due to the fact that most clans did not stand a chance against the Sharingan-fuelled wildfire that spread at a terribly fast place.

The Uchiha clan however, grew rich, richer than what they had ever been before and the life expectancy for an Uchiha shinobi rose by five years. Aiko first noticed these pleasant changes when her mother began wearing finer clothes, finer makeup and finer jewelry, and also that their armor and weapons became better in quality and abundance. Never again did she or anyone else lack a combat weapon or a kunai.

However, somewhere down the road of abundance, wealth and conquest, Aiko grew up. It came as a shock for everyone, especially Amaya, who was so used to seeing her daughter's round face and innocent eyes by looking down at her. Nevertheless, at the age of sixteen, Aiko had grown taller than her mother by a few inches.

It came as a shock to both her uncles as well; a little girl with messy hair and who always sported greenery on her clothes had suddenly become a tall and ghostly pale girl. Though her hair still had the same shape and look, it was always pulled back into a high ponytail when she was out on missions to keep the thick mass of black hair out of her eyes. As for her personality, Aiko remained indifferent to most things.

As long as those things didn't concern her clan or appearance.

Or her uncle.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

**Hello everyone!**

**I just wanted to thank all the reviews and favorites and followers, it really gives one that extra push!**

**Also, now that Aiko is growing up, you don't need me to tell you that from here on out, there is going to be more adult themes. So don't come with your pitchforks and torches, because you know what you're in for. **

**ENJOY! ^_^ **

**Thanks to TayMor, for being my best critic :D**

* * *

"Ah, shit!" Aiko cursed softly when she painted the skin outside of her toenail a dark blue color. The girl was currently sitting on her bed painting the nails on her right foot while she had her other foot stretched out so it would not be in the way. Outside it was lukewarm and the month of May was drawing to a close, meaning that Aiko could have the screen door open to let some of the warm air in.

Being completely immersed in painting her toenails, Aiko's head only snapped up when she saw Madara in the opening.

"Oh, uncle. You're back early." Aiko smiled, missing her toenail completely yet again.

"Yes, there was a small problem up north, but nothing that couldn't be fixed," Madara said rubbing his shoulder as he walked into his niece's room. Her room had been completely transformed in the course of the years, where toys had been before, there were currently weapons and where there had been comfortable clothes there were her armor and combat clothes. Where there had been a child, a young adult now sat.

"What was the problem?" Aiko asked, screwing the cap back on the small bottle of nail polish.

"Senju influence among other unfavorable conspiracies," Madara said with distaste as he took his seat on Aiko's soft bed.

"What did you do with them?"

"What had to be done. We got rid of the Senju and sent the conspirators to the South-front as punishment," he said with a small glare before he looked at Aiko with a tired smile. Smiling back, she put her head on his shoulder and let out a small breath.

"You smell like burnt wood and dirt," she murmured while she crinkled her nose. Madara chuckled and leaned his head onto hers.

"How else would I smell after coming home from a battle?" he questioned and put his larger hand on her small one. Aiko shrugged and brushed some of her uncle's black hair away from her nose, as it was the source of the uncomfortable smell.

"You could have taken a bath before coming into my room, I only have that much incense left to cover the smell of you." She grimaced while picking out a small twig from her uncle's hair.

"Don't reject me, love," Madara said with a huff so Aiko let out a small sigh and lifted her head from her uncle's shoulder so that they looked each other dead in the eye.

"When have I ever rejected you?" she asked softly and put a gentle hand, which bore a small scar along her knuckles, onto her uncle's warm cheek. He closed his black eyes when she stroked the skin of his face with her thumb. With a masculine chuckle, he put his own hand onto hers yet again to hold it in place and his other hand on her waist. He then opened his dark eyes again and shook his head.

"Never, and you never will…" he murmured as he leaned in so their lips made contact. Aiko's immediate reaction was to flare up like a tomato when she felt her uncle's lips on hers, because to her, no matter how many times he kissed her or touched her, it all felt so raw and inconceivably real that it made her dizzy.

Pulling her tighter against him, Aiko had to move her arms to around his neck and tilt her head to the left to avoid bumping noses. Rubbing her back, Madara felt the all too recognizable heat blaze inside him and that part of him which had been suppressed for years was reemerging from the back of his mind.

He needed more, more of her…because if he could not have her, others would and that would undoubtedly reflect him as a powerless man. And he was anything but.

Squeezing her against his chest, Aiko made a small sound of discomfort and to her relief, Madara lessened his grip on her. When they stopped kissing, Madara regarded Aiko with a look.

"Well, is there any food around here?"

"So romantic…the answer is yes; it's in the kitchen," she said with a small shake of her head and a small smile of amusement. Madara nodded and got up from his seat on her soft bed. Aiko gave him a long look.

"Are we all set for tomorrow?" she asked suddenly, making her uncle stop in her doorway.

"You should know that yourself, team captain." Gulping slightly, Aiko licked her lips and gave her messily painted toes a sad look before she nodded and looked up at her uncle.

"My team and I will head out with your unit tomorrow morning, then we'll part ways half-way there," Aiko informed her uncle in a slightly military-like voice.

Madara nodded, then instructed her, "Make sure you have everything accounted for. I've given you this mission because of its great importance and because I know I can rely on you to do everything according to plan." Aiko smiled in complete happiness that her uncle was complimenting her skill level.

"Of course. I'll see you tomorrow morning."

"Dawn, Aiko. You won't have time to fix your nails or anything, so get some sleep," he advised her on his way out of her room. Aiko sat there looking after him for a second, before she shook her head and rubbed her lips.

"You shouldn't leave me hanging like that," she thought to herself with a small yawn.

It was the crack of dawn of the next day while Aiko was dressing, that her mother swept into her room with a warm cup of tea in her hand.

"Look at you…" Amaya sighed with a small hint of pride as she looked at her only daughter. Though Aiko's battle-wear didn't stand out very much from the crowd, it had been slightly fitted so her movements wouldn't become restricted - a vital key for someone who relied heavily on flexibility and speed to get any job done, though it was in reality just a smaller males uniform, that her mother had sewn in for her.

"Your father would have been so proud if he had seen you now," her mother said, handing her daughter the cup of tea which Aiko accepted with a tired smile.

"I'm just team captain for this one mission, it's nothing special." She shrugged and took a sip, feeling her body wake up at the strong black tea her mother had handed her.

"It is your first mission where you and your team will not be escorted by an experienced shinobi; it's all your responsibility now," Amaya reminded her daughter, but suddenly sighed and corrected her daughter's armor by securing it tighter.

"Mom!" Aiko whined when her mother began correcting small things such as hair strands and bandaging.

"I remember when I was team captain for the first time, well…your father was in second command and would try to outshine me, but I know you'll have none of that," she chattered on while going over her daughter's uniform and pulling Aiko's hair into a ponytail.

When she sighed in satisfaction and tilted her head slightly to look up at her daughter, Aiko raised a brow at her mother.

"Are you done?" she asked impatiently while putting the empty cup down.

"A mother's job is never finished," Amaya said clearly but then she smiled kindly at her child. "Go now, do well."

Nodding, Aiko headed out her door and met with her team near the Uchiha village's main entrance. When she arrived, it was still somewhat dark and one of her team members was fast asleep, clutching two duffle bags.

"Hey, Ryota! On your feet," Aiko snapped at the sleeping teen that let out a surprised snore at the sudden sharp voice that interrupted his sleep.

"So you're finally here, Blueberry…" he groaned while getting up from the ground and regarded Aiko with a small tip of the head. In the time that had passed, Ryota had grown out his straight hair to beneath his ears but now bore a deep scar on his right cheek, directly under his eye which had been the root of many tragic pickup-lines.

"That's Captain Blueberry to you, if anything," Aiko huffed and looked at her other team mates who were rubbing the sleep out of their eyes. There was Koichi, Ryota, herself and Yusuke - who was leaning against the gate. He too had grown from being a skinny boy to a good looking, well-built guy with his hair in a short ponytail and was by far the tallest on her team. He nodded at her with a small smile, Aiko smiled briefly back before turning the attention to her team.

"Alright, we're all here and everyone's clear on what we're doing and how we're doing it?" she asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Yes, the elders couldn't have been clearer," Koichi said while rubbing his neck, but there was no more time for checkups when Madara suddenly arrived when the first rays of light peeked over the mountaintops.

"Everything clear here, Aiko?" He asked, regarding her with a sideways glance.

Bowing her head slightly to her uncle, she knew the difference all too well between the private Madara at home and her uncle, the leader, out in public. It was like a mantra drumming softly in the back of her head, which had only been broken once when she was 14. Needless to say, it wasn't something they spoke about or something Aiko liked to remember.

"Yes, sir," Aiko and her team responded sharply.

They headed out quickly, for the most part in complete silence as the only thing you could hear was the sound of their clothes in the wind. Madara was in the front, with Aiko slightly behind with her team, however when they were nearing the crossroad, Aiko was called upfront.

"What is it uncle?"

"Like I said yesterday, I rely on you to do everything right. No provisions are to cross that bridge."

"Of course, Uncle."

"And did you account for the neighboring bridge?" he asked sternly.

"There is one bridge twenty miles from the one we're blowing up; it will take them a day or so to reach it and another day to reach their destination," Aiko recited in the same stern voice as her uncle.

"Good. Good luck and don't screw this up," he said just as Aiko stopped on a large branch in the middle of the forest, watching as her uncle and his unit zoomed past her.

"I love you…" Aiko whispered quietly to herself, watching as his figure became nothing but a specter in the morning fog. Clearing her throat, Aiko looked at her team mates who were standing behind her, watching their brothers and fathers continue on.

"Come on, we've got three hours tops," she snapped, drawing them back to the present as they continued to the east. Everyone was on high alert as they continued through the woods on their own. With Aiko at the front, Yusuke right behind her, and Ryota and Koichi pulling up in the back, no one said anything because they were either too tired to talk or overly paranoid about missing out on suspicious sounds.

They reached the bridge at exactly seven in the morning. The bridge in question was built in heavy stone and was about 15 meters wide, so no fire techniques they could conjure would be powerful enough to destroy it on time.

"Ryota," she called, motioning for her team mate to approach her, as he was the one carrying the bags with the explosive tags.

"Alright, everyone grab half a bag and begin pasting them to the bridge's main beam and outwards. Be quick; they may arrive earlier than we anticipated," she ordered and grabbed half a bag of neatly stacked explosive tags.

"Hey captain, when should we set them to blow?" Yusuke asked, following Aiko's lead.

"I'll take care of that. There only needs to be a little spark to ignite one and then set off all the others," she responded as she began scaling downwards to start working.

"What are they transporting anyways?" Koichi asked from the other side of the bridge.

"Weapons, clean water and food for the most part, to supply their brothers an hour or so from here," Aiko responded as she stuck the paper tags in thick layers over one another.

"And what are we supposed to do when we're done here?" Ryota asked from the far left.

"Head back home."

"What?! Is that it?!" Ryota groaned in discontent, making Aiko roll her eyes at his attitude. There was a reason he almost lost his eye at the age of thirteen, he was too brash.

"Yes. You didn't think they'd let us take on anything bigger than this did you?" Aiko answered back, almost done with her batch of explosives.

"Well-"

"We all start out small. We'll get more serious missions later if we don't screw this one up," Yusuke answered, noticing that his captain was beginning to get fed up with Ryota's childishness.

"Or else it's back to the battlefield we go!" Koichi answered with a small laugh, though Aiko didn't understand what he found so humorous in that. When they had seen the battlefield as 13 year-olds, Aiko hadn't slept at all for weeks and still had some nightmares about the wretched place to this day.

"Alright, I'm done. Let's wait for them in the bushes!" she called out after 30 minutes of intense pasting and began scaling up the bridge. Hiding themselves behind some dense bushes, Aiko had a perfect view over one densely packed explosive patch on the bridge. Murmuring a jutsu under her breath, she performed the hand-seals quickly to produce a small blue butterfly out of her mouth which fluttered by her shoulder.

They waited another five minutes, until Yusuke gave Aiko a mute signal that their target had arrived and was now beginning to cross the bridge.

Activating her Sharingan, Aiko sent the small and unnoticeable butterfly fluttering towards the bridge before diving down, landing softly on one of the explosive tags and as she released the hold on the butterfly, she covered her ears with her hands and-

BOOM!

The blast was so powerful Aiko didn't hear the yells of terror as the entire bridge crumbled underneath their targets, sending them plummeting into a 100 feet drop no one could recover from.

When silence had settled, and there were only the sounds of crumbling rocks and the smell of soot and sulphur, Aiko lifted her head to see her work. The middle of the bridge was all gone, resulting in the ends being cut back and the disappearance of over half of the reinforcements, leaving the rest too petrified to move on anytime soon.

"Let's go," Aiko mouthed to the rest of her team, as they snuck away quietly into the forest and not half way in, Ryota and Koichi let out a big whoop and chest-bumped, leaving Aiko and Yusuke staring.

"YEAH! WE DID IT! I don't say this often, but sometimes your girly technique comes in handy!" Ryota said with a grin as he clasped Aiko's thin shoulder.

"Girly technique? You mean the one that kicked your ass to the moon and back?" Aiko said dully with a raised eyebrow, although concealing a relieved smile that this was over and she had succeeded in her task trusted to her by her uncle. She wouldn't have to worry anymore about that stupid bridge that she had studied for weeks. Now she could finally relax with a clear conscience.

"So, we're heading home now?" Koichi asked, adjusting his armor a little.

"Yes, come on." Aiko motioned them forward and turned in the direction of her village, but was stopped when Ryota kept his hand on her shoulder.

"Not so fast, my brothers and father are up there fighting. I wanna see if they're alright."

"No, our orders were to blow up the bridge and go back," Aiko said sternly with a small, annoyed glare.

"Be that as it may, I want to check if they're alright. Come on you guys…" Ryota looked for more support from the two others where Yusuke was quick to take Aiko's side and Koichi was quick to take Ryota's side.

"Fine, I'll see you guys later then," Ryota grinned cheekily.

"If your stupid ass gets killed, they'll blame me for letting you be this dumb," Aiko snapped at the two of them as they began walking in the opposite direction.

"Well, then I guess you're just going to have to come with us, Captain Blueberry."

Shaking her head with an angry grimace, Aiko followed after her teammates and moved towards the battlefield up north. Up north where her uncles were.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

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One could always tell that one was nearing a battlefield by smelling the air and looking at the rapidly changing surroundings.

The first thing that anyone noticed was the monstrous black birds in the sky that cried out with terrible hoarse bird calls as they flocked to where the battle was taking place... making no room for any doubt about what state the battlefield was in.

The second was the smell. That awful putrid and bitter smell of human sweat and blood, not to mention the familiar smell of smoke and fire. It would attack one's nose, forcing its way in and make the lesser man gag.

Then, the third thing one noticed would be the voices and the screams of men battling for their lives and existence amongst the fire and smoke, all fearing to become bird food at the end of the day. That change was by far the worst one. Because everyone knew that the screams you heard could be a brother or a father, breathing their last breath of life.

And no matter how much you prepared yourself, or had seen the sight before. Nothing could ever prepare you for the sight.

"Oh God..." Koichi gagged right away when they looked out from the hillside and onto the blazing fields and heard the countless screams and voices.

The four of the remained staring for a little while, in a mix of horror and morbid awe, but no one said anything to each other until Ryota snapped out of it.

"I have to find my dad and brother."

"No," Aiko replied sternly and put her gloved hand on his shoulder.

"Why?" Ryota suddenly snapped and wrenched away from Aiko's grip.

"Because, if you get your dumb ass killed, guess who's going to take the brunt of it?"

"I don't care! My brother's only 14 and he's the only one I have left," Ryota argued harshly with the girl who raised one eyebrow at the older boy.

"Have care of how you speak to me. I will let you have your way once, but disrespect me one more time and I'll have you shipped off for trench duty," Aiko suddenly said in a clear but icy voice, which made the young man in front of her freeze for a second.

"Now, we'll stay for the outcome of the battle but we leave right after," Aiko understood the concern that Ryota held for his family very well for it had been but half a month since his youngest brother had been killed. Furthermore, Yusuke and Koichi also had family who were battling for their lives this very instant.

And not to mention, her uncles were down there too, leading the battle and their clansmen against the enemy forces.

The three others nodded their head in unison and followed Aiko quickly but silently down the small hillside to a large but flat rock where they could all hide but still get a good view over the battle.

Though no one would say it or acknowledge it fully, this battle seemed slightly but disturbingly different. The enemy was the same as it had been for some years now; it was the Senju clan of the forest. Yet somehow they seemed a lot stronger now than what they had been at the battle three months past. It was then that they all noticed the huge roots and plant-growth that seemed very out of place in a charred but previously yellow field.

"Do you guys see that too?" Yusuke asked with a sharp whisper.

"Yeah, do you think he's here?" Koichi asked in a voice which Aiko detected to be in some inane fear.

"Who?" She asked sharply, her eyes still scanning feverishly after her uncles in the thick smoke.

"What do you mean who? Hashirama Senju," Ryota answered with the same tone that his best friend had asked with.

The name sounded vaguely familiar to Aiko, she had heard it whispered in soft curses when her uncle had returned home from the battlefield late at night. Though sometimes, even if they were rare, Aiko heard Madara say it with some form of strange and alien admiration when he thought no one heard him.

Then there was all the silly and exaggerated rumors going about amongst shinobi. Though Aiko had a hard time believing something that resembled myths more than real and true facts. He might be a small phenomenon within his own clan, but he was nothing compared to Madara.

"Look at all the trees, I bet you he turned some of ours into plants." Koichi shuddered and gave the plants a wary look.

But just then, the four of them crouched behind the rock when duel was getting close to their hiding spot. A young boy with short black hair was battling for his life against an older boy, a deep gash was right across his forehead and blood was trickling down into his red eyes.

"AOI!" Ryota cried, leaping to his little brother's side at the blink of an eye, slashing the Senju right across the throat so the other boy gurgled with wide eyes before slumping forward.

"Yusuke, heal my brother!" Ryota was fanatic as he sat his panting and traumatized brother down on the ground against the rock. Yusuke was the only one with any medical training and so gently sat down in front of the trembling boy and put his hand against the bleeding wound.

"I need bandages." He said in a stern voice that betrayed his steady concentration, and took the clean bandages handed to him from Koichi. He wrapped them quickly and expertly around the boy's head.

Standing up, Aiko's blue eyes finally found her youngest uncle when the thick smoke finally cleared away. A small sigh of relief left her lips, both for finding one of her uncles and the fact that they had saved one of their own.

Squinting, she saw that her uncle was looking in a certain direction. Mimicking his actions, Aiko looked in the same direction -a few kilometers away from this battlefield - but wasn't exactly sure of what she was seeing.

However it looked like a burning, but moving, forest that was on fire. Aiko remained staring at it for a second or two, then her brain suddenly snapped her back to reality when she realized that Izuna could spot her at any given time.

Taking cover behind the rock again, she turned her attention back to the young boy.

"Where is Madara?" she asked sternly.

"He's-he's..." The young boy stuttered in fright.

"Speak up!" Aiko suddenly snapped impatiently at the child who bolted slightly.

"He's fighting Ha-Hashirama S-Senju..." The boy trembled and spoke like he had stared the devil right in his face.

"We should get out of here. I don't want to stick around if all the rumors I've heard about this guy are true," Aiko commanded, giving the direction her uncle was in another heavy look .

Even Ryota nodded in agreement this time, having just laid his eyes on the terrifying roots and pikes made out of wood and plants stick up from the ground. "Alright, lets get the hell out of here," he murmured and put a hand on his younger brother's shoulder, before he followed after Aiko and the others up the small hill.

Aiko had returned home at sunset, arriving just before dinner and surprising her mother who asked why she was home so late... in which case, Aiko had lied and told Amaya that the details had been a little off and they had had to wait by the bridge for a long time before their target had finally arrived.

The dinner was filled with Amaya's gentle voice telling her how her day had been and what she had accomplished today. Aiko wasn't necessarily listening to what her mother was saying word for word, but her voice was strangely calming. Especially after what she had seen today, Aiko had surprised herself and actually finished an entire meal, even if the images of charred and mutilated bodies were still spinning around in her head.

"And I was maybe thinking that maybe you could meet this young man sometime."

"Huh?" Aiko looked at her mother who raised an eyebrow at her only child.

"You didn't listen to me..." She shook her head disapprovingly and put down her bowl of rice while she folded her hands in her lap.

"I've had a lot to think about."

"As I was saying, the Hagoromo's leader has a son roughly about your age, he's very adept with earth jutsu and he's a very charming young man."

"Mom..." Aiko groaned loudly and shook her head, when Amaya cocked her head at her child.

"What? When I was your age, I was pregnant with you and making my family proud by securing our line."

"Yeah, but...you liked dad," Aiko defended herself awkwardly as a lump was forming in her throat at the thought about children and a marriage. It was making her flustered and annoyed that her mother was pressing her about such a trivial matter.

Laughing at her daughter's answer, she fixed Aiko with a smile. "It's your responsibility as the sole heir to the clan and as a woman to bring in the next generation."

"I'd rather remain an old and bitter lady than marry some loser from the Hagoromo clan," Aiko murmured in an angered voice as she took her dishes and dumped them in the sink.

"I'm going to my room," she stated in a clipped tone and began walking away from her confused mother who shot her a sad look when she was gone. About to go and follow her daughter, Amaya had to attend a boring meeting in Madara's stead concerning the financial stability of the Uchiha clan. Amaya sometimes wondered if her brothers conveniently planned their return accordingly.

After Aiko had taken a bath to wash of the smell, she was relaxing in her room reading a book while she let the warm air breeze through her room.

Looking up from her book, Aiko smiled kindly, "You don't have to stomp..." She said looking up at her uncle who regarded her with a warm smile, reflecting the comfortable air and season outside as Aiko got to her feet.

"I don't have to do anything," he murmured and drifted into his niece's room, quickly enveloping her in a hug which made Aiko's headache fade away like a smoke. Burying her face in her uncle's neck and closing her eyes, Madara gently stroke her black hair with a gloved hand while clutching her tightly to him.

"Are you alright?" she asked him, her lips touching the skin of his neck.

"You are the only one who asks me that..." Madara said in a low but tired voice, only glad to hold someone who made vaguely sense to him and who he could sink into. Someone who still loved him with her entire heart.

"Well? Are you drunk?"

"No, you know I don't drink when I'm on missions...and, I am just tired," Madara said in a low voice, hoping his niece didn't catch any of the lies in his voice. Lifting his niece's face to look up into his, Aiko noticed a hurt swimming behind her uncle's eyes.

However, she soon realized that his eyes were just as hers, as Izuna's and like any other shinobi's eyes. Just a constant tiredness and hurt that would never go away.

"Ok, uncle-"

"Hush, just kiss me..."

Leaning in without a single hesitation, Aiko pushed her soft lips against her uncle's slightly chapped ones and put her hands around his strong neck and melting into his tight and comforting embrace. That everlasting embrace which had been there her entire life, comforting her, loving her and reassuring her that everything was alright and that everything was as it should be.

Pushing his niece softly against the wall, Madara tilted his head so that he could go on and deepen the kiss. Making a soft sound against her uncle's lips, it made her feel so alive and real when she felt his tongue come in contact with hers. It made her toes curl and the hairs on her back stand right up when her uncle's hands took a hold of her slim hips, pressing them even closer to each other.

The color rose to her cheeks when her uncle moved his lips down her neck so she let out yet another soft sound which made Madara tighten his grip on her. Kissing her neck softly, he listened with one ear at how fast her heart was beating, revealing a staggering yet desirable attraction towards him.

Yet, it revealed a childish nervousness he was not entirely sure how he could get rid of or pacify. The way Aiko was shaking softly against him told him that she was thinking the same thing he had desired for many years. Kissing could only give him so much satisfaction, he needed her body to soothe himself and that uneasiness gnawing at him from the back of his mind.

"Ah!" Aiko suddenly squeaked when Madara bit her neck.

"Sorry..." he apologized softly, thinking that he had hurt his niece.

"No, no...don't stop," Aiko whispered in a heated voice when she felt the small surge of pain send a bolt of electricity through her which felt so incredible.

"Aiko, I don't want to stop...but not here, you're not ready yet," he murmured against her neck, before planting a firm yet loving kiss on her forehead.

Standing there with an open mouth and her body buzzing as her uncle turned around and at that exact second, Aiko felt the approaching chakra of Izuna and Amaya. Yet, he left her high off his lips, intoxicated almost, and she fought to not scream and beg him to come back to her and just let her mother and uncle find them.

But as she sank against the wall, Aiko knew, probably better than her uncle, that if they were to be caught, they could no longer be in love and have this small piece of paradise for themselves.


End file.
