I woke up to the steady beeping of a mission and I sighed, recognizing the smell of ointment.. I felt a strong warm hand in mine and I expected to see Hashirama or Tobirama when I opened my eyes but I was met with a spike of black hair that I didn't expect. I let out a little, hoarse squeak of surprise and moved up in my bed taking my hand from his to steady myself in the process. His head lifted from the side of my mattress and from the look in his eyes he was asleep.. Or trying to be..

"Naria I'm sorry" he said immediately and I relaxed slightly against the pillows with my knees pulled tightly against my chest as I looked into his tired eyes.

"Where are Ami and Masura?" I asked, ignoring his apology

"Asleep" he said, nodding his head towards the curtain and I quickly got to my feet, feeling the unpleasant, cold tiles against my heels as I moved the curtain. Ami was laying flat on her back and Masura was curled up at her side with his head laying on her stomach. I closed the curtain and looked at Madara who was sitting at the side of my bed still looking up at me

"What happened?" I asked

"You blacked out and Hashirama brought you here then took me to speak in his office.. When I got here it was midday and they were already asleep" He said and I glanced out the window seeing it was nearly sunset again.

"Shit.." I murmured as I brought my hand up to rub my neck

"Where did you go?" I asked looking over at him and he frowned slightly

"I never stayed in one place long.. I went all over" He said and I nodded stiffly looking at the man I used to trust with everything

"What brought you back.. It obviously wasn't us" I said as I walked back to the bed and sat cross legged facing him

"To battle Hashirama... To destroy the village that failed to protect my brother" He said and I nodded

"Well at least you get points for honesty" I muttered as I let my face rest in my hands. It was silent for a minute and I glanced at Madara's hands through my fingers and saw that they were shaking slightly

"Why are you here?" I asked, looking up at his still frowning face

"I just told you" he said and I shook my head

"Why are you in this room.. Why aren't you out destroying the village" I asked

"You" He said simply and I nodded thoughtfully

"I don't want to destroy the village anymore.." He said after a minute

"That's good to hear" I said awkwardly and he reached out to grab my wrist loosely, I looked at him as he wrapped his warm fingers around mine, gripping my hand

"Naria I'm sorry" he said again and I nodded

"You don't have to keep saying it.. And I don't know if you expect me to forgive you right now" I said and his eyes saddened

"I don't care as much that you nearly killed me" I said and he narrowed his eyes confusedly

"You destroyed Ami when you left" I said

"I couldn't even tell her that you left.. For two years I kept the lie that you were on a mission and every day we would wait for you at the gate" I said and he bowed his head to look down at the mattress

"Masura spent the first five years of his life without a father and no matter how hard Tobirama and Hashirama try, they will never replace you.." I said, my voice wavering slightly as I spoke to the man I had wanted to talk to every day for nearly six years. I felt his hand grip mine a bit tighter, and I could no longer tell who's hand was shaking or if it was just both of us.

"I can't forgive you for how you affected my children.. But I can forgive you for what you did to me.. You will have to make it up to them yourself" I added quietly and his head snapped up to look at me

"You mean?" He asked hoarsely and I nodded

"I won't keep you from Masura, he is your son.. But you have a lot of time to make up for" I said and he immediately stood to his feet and wrapped his arms around my shoulders tightly. I sighed into his shoulder and wrapped my arms loosely around his waist, feeling a warmth spread through my chest as I smelled charred wood.

"Mom?!?" I heard Masura whine and I let go of Madara to move the drape again only to have Masura almost fall into me. I quickly caught him before he hit the ground and his eyes opened, freeing him from whatever nightmare he was having.

"Mom? Hey you're alright" he said as he wrapped his arms around my neck

"Of course I am" I said as Ami rolled onto her side and opened her eyes

"Did you two stay up all night?" I asked and Masura nodded

"That was silly, you should have slept" I said as Ami leaned up and gave me a kiss on the cheek

"I tried to tell him that you would be fine but he was adamant about staying up to look after you" She said with a yawn but her pleasant smile turned into a scowl as her eyes landed on Madara behind me

"You would think they wouldn't let the person who put you in the hospital near you" She muttered as she got to her feet

"Play nice Ami" I said as she slipped on her shoes.

"Oh yes I love this situation" She muttered and I glanced back at Madara and gave him a little shrug

"Let's go have dinner.." I said as I hiked Masura up a bit more on my hip and walked out the door

"Why is Ami so mad?" he whispered in my ear

"I will explain later" I said and he nodded

"That's my dad?" he asked and I nodded

"He seems really mean" He said and I frowned

"Give him a chance sweetie, I will explain more of what happened later tonight" I said and he nodded, resting his head on my shoulder

"Not such a big boy now huh?" I asked with a little giggle

"I am too a big boy" He muttered as he wriggled free from my arms and landed on his feet

"I am completely fine and awake" he said as he started to walk and I laughed as I grabbed his shoulders and faced him the way to our house

"Yep, you seem really awake" I said as he started to walk towards our house. We followed behind and I noticed a anbu agent following near us and I sighed slightly as we got to our door

"Hey kid come out" I called and in an instant a boy in a Anbu mask appeared, kneeling in front of me and the others

"I am sure Hashirama had our safety in mind but we are fine, you don't need to watch over Madara he isn't going to do anything" I said

"Lord Hokage ordered me to ma'am" he said and I rolled my eyes

"Can you go tell him that I don't like being followed and that if Madara tries to leave Ami is sure to subdue him.. If he still wants you here then I won't complain" I said and he nodded, disappearing from in front of me

"Guess your on duty" I said, patting Ami on the shoulder as I walked in the door past her

"This is so dumb" She muttered walking in after me, followed by Masura and Madara.

"Uh left overs okay? we have a bunch of stuff from yesterday" I asked and I heard hums of agreement. As I started to heat up the food I sighed hearing no conversation from the other room and I rested my head against the wall

"This is going to be tough" I whispered to myself. Once I was done heating the food I dished it out and brought the plates to the table, setting them in front of everyone. I sat down and took a few bites, trying to avoid the awkwardness of this situation. Ami let out a sigh and stood from the table and started to walk to her room

"Ami sit down" I called and I heard a thump as she kicked the wall

"Why? Why are you even letting him in our house he nearly killed you" She asked and I frowned

"Because he is Masura's father and important to our family" I said and she let out a dry laugh as she started to walk away again. I quickly threw my fork into the floor right where she was about to step and she turned to look at me as I stood from my chair

"Masura is acting more mature than you and he is five, stop being a brat and eat dinner" I snapped and she narrowed her eyes at me

"Or what your going to make daddy enforce your rules?" She asked mockingly. In an instant I was in front of her and I grabbed her by one of her pony tails

"I don't need him to, I have been enforcing my own rules for years" I said but I felt my feet get swiped from under me and I landed harshly on my back. I felt a bit of anger looking up into her eyes as she leaned over me with an angry look coating her normally happy face

"Learn your place Ami" I whispered and I quickly raised my foot to kick her in the chest, hitting her a bit to hard and sending her through the wall behind her. I walked out through the splintered wood and saw Ami getting to her feet

"Really?" she muttered, dusting off the wood from her shirt and I shrugged

"You obviously forgot that I am your mother, you don't talk back to me" I said

"What kind of mother lies to her child for two years" She growled as she jumped forward but I side stepped her attack and moved away from the house

"I payed my dues for that Ami" I said as I dodged another sloppy punch

"You let me sit at the gate like a fool waiting for someone who would never come" She whispered and I raised my hand to catch her fist

"I was waiting too, we were both fools" I said and I felt her chakra rise as she pulled her fist away and swinged towards me again. I raised my own fist and aimed towards her stomach

"Stop it!" Masura yelled and I immediately let my fist drop and closed my eyes as Ami's fist crossed my cheek, pushing me to the ground. I saw Ami's eyes go wide under her glasses and she let her arm fall limp at her side as she looked down at me

"I'm sorry mom" She said quickly and I sighed as I rolled onto my back and looked up at the sky

"I deserved it" I said back and I heard her grunt

"Ami don't fight your mother because of me.." I heard Madara's voice from near the house and I glanced down as Masura came over to me. I felt him place his hand on my cheek and I smiled slightly as he healed the bruise that was no doubt already forming

"Thanks Masura" I said and he gave me a sad smile

"You are lucky she even let you back into our lives Madara because what you did to her was ten times worse than any pain I felt.." She growled in a borderline feral tone as she beckoned Masura over to her. He looked at me questioningly and I nodded, sitting up and watching as he went over to Ami.

"I'm going back to bed" She said as she started to walk towards the house

"Hey mom, go to your garden it always makes you happy" Masura said as Ami pulled him by the hand

"I will thanks baby" I said as I got to my feet

Madara's Pov:

I watched as Naria went through the treeline and Ami walked with Masura back to the hole in the house

"There is no use in following her, she doesn't let anyone in.. she says it's not ready yet" Ami said as if she was reading my mind and I frowned slightly as she pressed her palm to the wall and mended the hole. I walked through the trees following Naria's chakra and I came to a massive bush that was nearly twice my size. I walked around, looking for an opening but quickly realized it was a large square and I pulled out a kunai and cut my way through the bush. I never really took time to appreciate nature, I loved outdoors and I enjoyed the smells around but normally I had other things to do then go around and smell or appreciate flowers.. That being said, I was dumbstruck when I looked around. There were trees and flowers I had never seen before in colors I had never imagined all around me. It seemed like something from a story and I turned quickly when I heard something behind me but saw that it was just the bush mending itself.

"You shouldn't be in here.. It's not done" Naria said and I looked towards where her voice came from and saw her figure sitting in the middle of everything.

"It's beautiful.." I said as I walked towards her

"Did you know that with my jutsu I can mix flowers and create new ones" She muttered and I watched as my feet were surrounded by blood red flowers that had heart shaped petals wrapped around the bud like a rose

"It's a rose and bleeding heart" She said quietly and I carefully stepped over the flowers and walked up to her.

"Naria" I started but I honestly couldn't think of a single thing to say.. Suddenly I found myself looking at the woman who had haunted my dreams for years but she was now the mother of my child.. I had never felt so inept and weak in my whole life and I hated the feeling that spread through my body, making my legs slightly shake as I stepped closer. I got close enough to see her shoulders shaking slightly and I carefully crouched behind her and wrapped my arms around her stomach, pulling her to her feet. When she made no movement to refuse I turned her around and felt my heart hurt seeing the tears that ran down her tan cheeks. I reached up and wiped under her eyes carefully and caressed her smooth cheek

"Why are you crying?" I asked, trying to think of something to say to get her to speak to me

"That's what I do here..." she said and I frowned

"But Masura said you always come back happy" I said and she nodded

"I do.. This is the place I allow myself to be sad.. Outside of here I am a mother and a strong Senju woman" She said and I frowned slightly as I pulled her into my chest. Her hands wrapped around my waist and I leaned my head into hers and realized how much I missed this while I was gone. I felt a warmth spread through my body at her touch and I hugged her a bit closer trying to figure out what power this woman had over me. I nearly choked on my tongue when I realized that this awkward and uncomfortable heat was something I had refused myself for years. I realized that I would do anything to take back what I done and that I just wanted Naria to smile again.. I would have died for her in this moment and that was something I only would have done for Izuna. I loved Naria.. More than I could comprehend and my head hurt slightly at this realization. In the past I had said I had loved her but it seemed more of a reflex to say the words when they were said to you.. I had definitely had a place in my mind for her and I could even say I adored her but I would have never said I truly loved her.. But as she quivered slightly against my chest I realized that I did and there was no way I was going to let her slip away from me.

"Naria I.. I love you" I whispered letting my head lean against hers more as I hugged her closer to me.

"I won't leave again and I regret missing out on so much.." I said in an oddly weak voice and I felt her hands fist in the back of my robes

"I never stopped loving you" She muffled against me and I felt my heart skip a beat as I kissed the side of her head. I checked behind me for any flowers and when I only saw grass I fell back, still holding her to my chest. I prepared for a jolt but instead I felt tendrils of grass rise from the ground to cushion my fall and bring me down to the ground slowly. I raised one hand to the back of her head and ran my hand through her long hair, not wanting to let go of her for an instant. Soon enough her shaking stopped and I simply listened to the leaves swaying with the wind around us.

"We should go back" She mumbled and she sounded as though she had a head cold from crying. I moved my hand so she could pick her head up and she she did I instantly pressed my lips to her soft ones, enjoying the sweet taste of her before pulling back. A small smile twitched at her lips and I felt my heart clench seeing her eyes shine with happiness. She carefully got up and offered me a hand up and when I looked around I was surprised to see several new flowers around us. Instead of the dark colors that had surrounded us before the flowers were bright and vibrant, swaying slightly even though there was no wind. She morphed the bushes so we could leave and when we were out I watched as the small branches wove themselves back together.

"When did you start working on that?" I asked curiously and she frowned slightly

"The day you left" She said and I let out a little breath as I reached out and grabbed her hand tightly in mine. We made our way back to the house and she led me upstairs to her room.

"I have the stuff you left at your house here.. Another couple moved in a bit after you left so I cleared it out" she said as she walked over to the closet and opened it showing me the robes I had left behind and a few weapons.

"Where is my cloak?" I asked, mostly out of curiosity

"Masura's room, he wanted it" she said and a small smile twitched at my lips. I looked around the room and my smile turned into a frown as I looked at the bottles of sake on both night stands

"Have you taken up drinking?" I asked and she glanced to where I was looking

"It helps me sleep" She mumbled as she walked over and snatched the bottles off the nightstand that used to be mine, throwing them in the bin

"Sorry, don't really get visitors" She said as she tied her hair up in a bun and grabbed a new set of clothes from a drawer

"Good" I said absently and I heard a little, musical chuckle escape her lips

"Ami tried very hard to get me to date a few other men" She said and I felt a spark of anger in the pit of my stomach

"And?" I asked, trying to not show my annoyance as she walked to the bathroom with the clothes

"Well you know how pushy she is" She said and I frowned at the door

"But none of them were really dates.. I normally just went for the free meal but I always turned them down... wasn't really in the mood for love" She finished as she came out in a pair of sweats and long shirt

"She did try really hard to get me a date with a few Uchiha men but they all knew about us and none of them wanted to risk you coming back and killing them" she said thoughtfully and I smiled, feeling my chest swell

"What about you?" She asked and I chuckled as I changed my own clothes. When I had pulled the clean shirt over my head she was already laying in bed

"I was constantly on the move and I kept my head down to not tip of Hashirama of my whereabouts... you are the only woman who has caught my interest" I said and a smile tugged at her lips as I walked over to the bed. I took the picture from my pocket and opened the drawer at the side of the bed only to see the other half.

"You kept that?" She asked curiously and I nodded as I pulled the only other content of the drawer out. I put the picture down with its other half and looked at the locket in my hand

"Ami took it off when she found out you left.. It's been in there ever since" She said and I frowned slightly at it before setting it back in the drawer

"I'll make it up to her" I whispered and I heard Naria hum

"Good luck with that.. She has gotten stubborn with age" She said and I nodded

"Well I was able to get to her in the past.." I said thinking of the little girl that used to sneak away from her house to come see me

"Well you can start tomorrow" She mumbled and I looked at her as she sunk down in the bed. I slipped under the covers and let out an unintentional sigh feeling the smooth sheets and squishy mattress under me.

"Do you realize you are necessary here?" She asked and I felt my breath catch in my throat at her words

"No.. I have never been a necessity" I mumbled truthfully and I felt her eyes on me and looked into her beautiful brown eyes

"You were the leader of your clan" She said questioningly and I sighed