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Assistant: Title: Your Depth
        Author: MaysayV1 MaysayV1 
        Chapter: 23/45 
        Summary: Naruto dies in his final battle with Sasuke and suddenly wakes up in the past in a different body that looks similar to his own. There he has to understand the darkness that dwells within Madara and prevent him from completely losing himself and leaving the village much like his closest friend did once upon a time. Surprisingly, they get along better than anticipated, but will it last?
        Contents: Chapter 23: Rinako
    

    


      
        
          
          (See the end of the chapter for  notes.)
          
      
  

  
  
    
    Upon waking up to the chirping of birds calling forth the arrival of the new Spring, Madara felt the slow pull of wakefulness raising his back from the bed, and very soon became aware of the lack of a certain blond’s presence by his side—as well as the stiffness between his legs. He let out a low, shameful groan and slapped a palm over his forehead as he fell flat onto the futon with his arms splayed like a ragdoll. This was bad. His feelings were getting stronger, and even began invading his dreams! To think his own traitorous and barbaric brain would have the gall to dream up such an unbelievably lewd scenario and make the dream version of Naruto do such… incredibly… provocative things! It would have been fine if his dream had merely been of them out on a nice picnic and enjoying a beautiful day together, but… instead they… All of a sudden, the memory of a fox demon Naruto bound in red rope hovering on top of him flashed through his mind, causing Madara to groan once again and tug at his hair, wanting to just rip it out as punishment. Although, if he was being honest, even though he should be more ashamed of himself, he had to admit that he already spent a lot of time imagining himself doing countless sinful things to the youth on a daily basis as it was, so…. This was just another one for the vault. But, what was different about this dream compared to all of his perverse fantasizing was that it felt so… real, so incredibly real. It was as if he had truly been inside of that delicious velvety heat, and he could even still vividly remember the feeling of tingling warm skin against skin, that just recalling it sparked interest in his erection once more as if it wanted to go again.   Nevertheless, he still needed to take care of his current erection pitching a tent under the blanket… And so, using his speed and agility to its fullest capacity, honed over many years of hard work and training, he seemingly disappeared and then reappeared in front of the bathroom door and slinked in undetected.  To think I would be utilizing my skills in such a way… he thought shamefully. Then, after quickly stripping in the bathroom and turning on the shower, he got to work getting rid of his  massive problem.  It took about thirty minutes before the patriarch was able to leave the bathroom, and after getting dressed and making his way down the hall to locate his little blond, that was when his nose caught a whiff of miso soup and grilled fish coming from the kitchen. Without a moment to waste, he immediately followed the scent into the kitchen, and that was where he found the youth standing over the kitchen island and scooping grilled fish onto plates. When Madara laid eyes upon such a beautifully serene sight, he took that moment to quietly watch from afar as his lips naturally curled into a content smile. He never thought of himself as a romantic person before, nor did he ever see himself loving anyone in such a manner, as growing up in a war torn world had drained all the colors around him leaving only blotches of bl@@dy red in everything he saw. However, seeing the blissfully unaware little blond preparing breakfast in the early morning was truly a sight for sore eyes, as the warm light of the kitchen and soft golden rays of the morning sun filtered in through the window, he seemed to almost glow as if he were a heavenly being descending to earth just for him. Then, as Madara finally rounded the sliding door to greet the young man, Naruto flinched at his unexpected appearance and nearly dropped the hot pan in his hand. Lucky, Naruto managed to stabilize himself and quickly placed the pan into the sink before he could hurt himself. His heart thumped wildly as if he just ran from one side of the continent to the other, and it wasn't because he nearly burned himself. Rather, he had no idea how to face the man after last night. As the older man approached to stand at the young man's side, automatically placing his large hand over the small of the blond's back, Naruto couldn't help but feel a tingling sensation between his thighs as he remembered the feeling of the substantial girth rubbing within them and the hand that touched him erotically. Naruto slightly turned his head and thankfully had the longer side of his hair covering his face as he tried his best to school his expression and hide the bright blush on his cheeks. “You are awake rather early. Is it some sort of special occasion?” Madara asked with a blinding smile; however, upon hearing the question, Naruto bit his bottom lip and suppressed the urge to bolt away in shame. Then, out of the blue, an all too familiar booming voice resounded in his thoughts.“Oh, it's a special occasion alright,” Kurama commented mockingly.  S-Shut up! I- You- Were you listening last night?! Naruto mentally shouted at the fox demon, but Kurama merely responded with a nonchalant shrug of his shoulders. “Meh, only the first half, and then it got  weird. So, I dipped and closed the mental blinds so I couldn't hear you.” Wait, you can do that? the blond asked in utter surprise.“It would suck if I couldn't. Having to listen to you all the time would literally kill me, especially when you were still just a brat. You can shut me out too, if you wanted to. I'll teach you how to do it later.”
   Was I really that annoying as a kid? I don't- 
“Naruto?” Madara called out, snapping the youth back to reality. “Huh? Oh, sorry, Kurama was being stupid just now…” Naruto answered with a nervous little chuckle, in which the man responded by quirking his brow slightly. “I see… So, what is the occasion? Or perhaps did you not sleep well last night? Your eyes do appear to be a tad bit on the red side,” Madara inquired with obvious concern, reaching up to briefly swipe his thumb gingerly at the corner of his eye, and as Naruto gazed upon the worried look on the man’s handsome face that appeared so genuinely troubled, he felt as though Madara had taken hold of a thread to the center of his heart and pulled painfully when his touch retreated. Even in such a mundane moment in time, standing together in the kitchen on a cold early morning over a hot breakfast, all Naruto could think about was just how much he loved the man.But…Who did Madara love? He was clearly with someone in a very intimate way in his dream and even told them that he loved them…
   Madara… Who were you dreaming about? Who did you say those words to?... If I asked… would you tell me? And would it hurt me if I knew? 
However, Naruto refrained from asking the questions that haunted his heart, and merely shook his head as he responded with a reassuring smile, “It's- It's nothing, really. Um, I just had a weird dream and then I couldn't go back to sleep, nothing to worry about!”Despite thinking to himself about how much he envied the one in possession of something as precious as the patriarch's love…Madara, on the other hand, could clearly tell that the blond youth was hiding something from him again, and felt a tinge of disappointment. He didn't like it when his little blond was troubled and there was no way for him to know how to fix it. Still, he wasn't going to force it out of the young man, and all he could really do was continue to work his way towards building up enough trust between them so that there would no longer be any secrets between the two of them in the future. On the other hand… Could the blond be hiding that he was a fox demon? Maybe the Kyuubi’s powerful chakra had an effect on the youth and turned him into a fox demon! If that really was the case, maybe his dream was a premonition of sorts—but what would he do if the little blond did turn out to be a fox demon that ate humans? If humans could be switched out with animal meat, then that would be most ideal, but if not…. He'll have to figure out where to obtain the young man's meals… For that, he would most likely have to procure the meat from outside the village…Then, as Madara moved to stand behind the youth, leaning his lower back against the kitchen counter, he watched the blond observantly. While quietly scanning the crest of the young man's head, eventually going down to the small back and narrow shoulders, until they fell lower and lower to rest upon the blond's supple backside, he stared long and hard at the wonderful globes and honestly found himself wondering if Naruto might actually be a fox demon. Suddenly, his hands began to itch with the urge to fondle the young man's tailbone just to check, but ultimately resisted the sinful desire. The idea of Naruto being a fox demon was silly, but just to make sure…“Ahem, ah, Naruto…” Madara called a bit awkwardly, catching the attention of the youth. “Hm? What's up?” he asked, and turned to face the man curiously, in which Madara quickly averted his eyes so as to not be caught staring like the closet pervert that he was.“I just… wanted to let you know that if there is anything you want to tell me, I will not judge.”Naruto's heart nearly jumped out his throat upon hearing the out of the blue statement, forcing himself from flinching at the sudden shock to his composure. Did Madara somehow find out about the events of last night? If so, then did that mean he also knew about the crush he had on him? And if he was indeed awake, or partially awake, why didn’t he say anything?Several thoughts raced through his mind in one fearful torrent, and slowly he asked, “What… do you mean…?”“Nothing…” Madara said with a small shake of his head. “I simply thought I would let you know…”The blond youth quirked a suspicious brow at the unconvincing reasoning, but accepted the response nonetheless. “O-Okay… I’ll keep that in mind…”He noticed that Madara's posture seemed relatively relaxed, and his tone was somewhat nonchalant, although he did sense that the man was concealing something; however, for the most part it appeared that Madara knew nothing, so as long as that was the case, he was fine playing dumb himself. After then, they went about their usual morning routines, and by the time it had come for Madara to go to work, he turned back to the blond just before leaving out the door and said,“Come over for lunch?” Naruto smiled upon the man asking him to visit him at his office for lunch, and snickered happily, “Hehe, deal!” It felt as if the night had never happened and everything had returned to how they always were; however, as much of a good thing as that was, there was a sort of loneliness that accompanied the return to normality. Naruto didn’t quite understand why that was, but… it was bittersweet in a way. Maybe deep down, he wanted something to change between them, or maybe it was because he dreaded the conclusion of their story which would inevitably end in them parting ways…Whatever it was, it left a hollow space in his heart where the memory of Madara saying the sweet words he longed to hear, being said to someone he couldn’t see, lingered painfully.****As Rinako carried her tote bag of groceries, she decided to take a bit of a detour on her way home today for a change, and the path she had chosen eventually led her to pass by the official’s building. Despite the passage of time and already being dismissed from her failed mission of wooing the clan patriarch, she still often found herself passing by the man’s place of work in hopes of seeing him even if only for a second. In the beginning, it may have seemed as though she was only carrying out the orders of the elders, but in truth, it meant so much more to her. It wasn’t about the money, status, or influence; those were nothing more than a bonus because what she was really after… was the man’s heart. It had always been about winning his love, and that was because she truly did love him. She was in love with Uchiha Madara. Even as a little girl, her eyes never failed to find him in a crowd. She had watched Madara from afar for many years, seeing him grow from being an ambitious and dashing young teen, to a now handsome and capable fully grown adult. Of course, she was only one of many girls that deeply admired the man, but even so she never gave up. The only reason why she ever trained to be an assistant in the first place was always in order to be closer to the future patriarch of the clan. In fact, she remembered the very first time she ever laid eyes on him was when he was returning from a battle with the Senju, and he had just happened to walk by her on his way to be treated by a healer. Despite his disheveled appearance covered in blood, bruises, cuts, and dirt, he still appeared so stoic and noble as he stood tall and proud, shining brilliantly above all others. One could see it as a silly little girl's fantasy, but to her, it was her lifelong dream. She silently watched for years as the most beautiful maidens of their clan would approach the patriarch with the intention of marriage, but in all the years, none had succeeded in even bedding him. It seemed as though all he cared about was leading the clan and waging war on the Senju, and it only became worse after the death of Lord Izuna; however, even after the village was formed and peace was established at last, the lofty patriarch still took no wife. At least, until  he showed up.
   Namikaze Menma.  
Why? Why did it have to be him? Sure, the blond was mostly certainly a top-notch beauty, and whose splendor could be equated to that of a spring goddess, but he was still a man! A man! How could the lord pick a man’s body over a woman’s!? He couldn’t even have children! What was even the point!? She could understand if maybe the lord wanted to keep the blond around as a paramour to their marriage, she would have been at least a little more accepting of that, but it seemed as though the clan leader was truly intending to take the young man as his wife instead. She knew the elders were losing their minds over this matter, but everyone else appeared unfazed by the relationship between the two. Of course, homosexual relationships weren’t that uncommon as the hardships of war often brought male companions closer together, but this was the leader of the clan! He was expected to have children of his own and pass on his powerful genes to his offspring, and yet everyone was content having the lord marry a male wife. Surely the presence of peace must have everyone out of their minds!Then, while walking by the official's building, Rinako noticed an all too familiar mane of long dark hair from her peripheral, and as if her gaze were pulled by a string she turned her head to search for the clan leader. However, much to her displeasure, he was not alone. Standing by the handsome patriarch's side was the blond youth smiling and laughing without a care in the world as the lord rested his hand intimately upon his lower back, and gently guided him out of the building; most likely on their way to have lunch. And that was when she saw it—draped around the young man's shoulders was a beautiful white wool cape lined with silky white fur that shined in the sunlight, and she instantly knew it was more than likely an expensive gift from the clan leader himself. As they left the building, Rinako hid herself behind a nearby wall, clutching her bag tightly, and watching with deep envy in her eyes as the life she longed for walked away before her while dark clouds gathered overhead. When all of a sudden—“That is quite the lovely cape, don’t you think?”Rinako gasped, jumping away from the unexpected raspy voice of a man behind her, and immediately pulled out a kunai and went on the defensive; however, the man whose entire face and body was shrouded by a thick black hooded cloak merely laughed at her reaction, flashing his razor teeth that shined in the light, sending awful chills down the young woman’s spine.“Do not be afraid, young lady. I was merely asking a question,” said the mysterious man. He then turned his hooded head slightly in the direction of the Uchiha patriarch and blond young man, and reiterated once more, “That is indeed a fine cape, but… I think it would have looked better on you. After all, you are much prettier than that little blond tart.” Rinako said nothing to this as she continued to eye the shrouded man with suspicion and unease. Maybe it was his dark appearance that resembled an ominous silhouette, or the creepy sound of his hoarse voice like a lifelong smoker, but something about him was dangerous. She had never met this man before, nor had she ever seen someone like him. Who was this man? And why did he talk as if he knew what she was thinking?“I mean no harm, little lady. I was merely passing by and noticed how enamored you appeared to be with that cape, or perhaps… it is not the cape that catches your eyes, but maybe… that tall, handsome man?” He laughed once more, “The current patriarch of the Uchiha clan. Yes, a truly fine man, he is. Ah, but he appears to already be quite taken by that mere stripling. What an odd pair they make, it is indeed such a shame, don’t you agree?” He shook his head with visible disappointment as if to further showcase his disapproval to the young woman. “If only it were someone like you, I would wager that you and Lord Madara would be a much better pair, don’t you think so?” Rinako bristled with agitation at the most disingenuous remarks she had ever heard, and sneered at the strange man, “Enough with the chatter! What are you trying to get at, fiend?”The cloaked man only shrugged his shoulders with his wicked grin being the only thing she could make of his face. “Nothing, truly. I was simply musing to myself about how disappointing it is to have someone like the leader of the Uchiha clan, one of the most powerful and esteemed clans to ever exist, willingly bond with a low-born like  that. If only… he was no longer around, you may just have a chance at winning the heart of such a marvelous man.” The stranger mused in a way that made the remark seem thoughtless and almost harmless; however, it was anything but. The young woman pointed the tip of her kunai at the clearly scheming man and said angrily, “What are you trying to say? You want me to kill Menma? Do you have any idea what would happen to me if I so much as  touch  a single hair on his head?”The mysterious man shook his head and snickered to himself with twisted amusement, “Oh my, I have said no such thing. All I was saying was that if Menma had never appeared in Lord Madara's life, then I would have had no doubt that the one donning such a precious cape and standing by the handsome clan lord's side… would have been  you.”The more the stranger spoke, the more his words buried itself underneath her skin, and so she quickly turned around and left without another word to the creepy man.However, after that first encounter with the ominous stranger, she often found the man appearing behind her every time she left the house to continuously goad and mock her, and the stranger’s taunts would become even more unbearable whenever she would come across the clan patriarch and blond young man together. As she watched the loving glances of the two from afar, it was as though those moments opened up a big hole in her psyche for the stranger’s painful words to snake in and poison her mind, essentially repeating the same things over and over; always going on about how lonely she must have been, how it would have been better if Naruto never existed, how her rightful place should have been at Lord Madara’s side, implying that she was a failure as a woman to lose against a man, and that she would end up dying lone.She always considered herself to be a strong-willed woman with thick skin when it came to harmful and insulting comments from both men and women alike, as the moment she had developed as a woman she came to realize the challenges that came with it. She was used to being called ugly names and accused of awful things, so she assumed that this time would be no different, and she would ignore the stranger as she had always done to others.But this time, she found that she couldn’t. It went on for  days,  turning into  weeks,  where she was constantly harassed and tormented again and again. Unlike the superficial comments she had received in the past that were typically aimed at her appearance or the quality of her skills, the stranger’s remarks were personal and hit her where it hurt the most. She did try to attack him, but he was a slippery devil and always managed to escape her blade.Eventually, she suddenly stopped seeing the stranger all together, and she prayed that that would be the end of it; however, the damage to her psyche was already done. Even though she could no longer see him, she felt as if she could still hear his taunts whispering in every dark corner wherever she went, and cutting into her sanity. She even began to hear the shadowed man's neverending jeers echo in the darkness of her dreams, and she could hardly manage to get a peaceful night of sleep.It was driving her to the brink of insanity.All she wanted was to stop hearing the stranger's voice and hurtful comments in her head, she understood that at this point she was indeed a worthless woman that no one could love and that even Lord Madara could see it, and that was why she was never given a chance. She was unlovable. She knew that now.Then, one day, she came across the young blond on his way home after meeting with the Uchiha lord for lunch, and without realizing it she turned her heels and began to follow him. As the young woman quietly ambled along behind the youth a few yards away, her vision narrowed in on the unsuspecting blond as the taunts in her mind grew louder and louder, and she began to mumble almost incoherently to herself. And as her attention shifted to the white cape draped over the small shoulders, her eyes took on a wild look as she bitterly muttered under her breath,“You… You thorn upon my heel… That should have been mine… It should have been mine! If only… If only you never existed, then that garment would have been given to me! That cape is mine! You stole it from me! It’s not fair… I loved him first! You should just go away… You should have never existed in the first place…!” Her steps began to quicken with haste as her right hand began to lift and stretch towards the blond, almost as though something had taken control of her body, while her dark feral eyes focused on the back of the young man’s neck. 
   If only you would just disappear! 
All of a sudden, dark eyes clashed with bright blue as Naruto felt his hair stand on end when he sensed a spike of malicious aura directed at him, and upon turning around he found Rinako flinching hard and staring up at him with wide eyes. The moment her eyes met those calm and innocent sky blues, she stopped in her tracks and swiftly pulled her hand against her chest as if she had been stung, and slowly retreated after realizing what she was about to do.However, when Naruto carefully stared into her shocked gaze, he didn’t know what to think. Out of the blue, he had felt a malicious presence behind him, but when he turned around he found only what appeared to be a scared and lost girl seemingly shrinking away in fear. Was it really Rinako that emitted that moment of bloodlust? If so, then why did she look so terrified? “Rinako? Are you okay?” he asked in genuine concern, and as those pure blues seemed to stare into her soul, she felt the weight of her horrifying actions and thoughts fall upon her.She was about to harm him, and yet, he was the one asking if she was okay…What was she just about to do? Was she really about to try to hurt him? Why?Sure, she hated him, but that didn’t mean she wanted to actually kill him. Then, looking down at her hands, it felt as if she had been possessed by an evil spirit and was about to commit one of the ultimate acts of crime against the beloved of the Uchiha clan’s patriarch. “Rinako?” When she heard her name being called once again, she looked back up at the blond with big eyes and shrunk back as she shook her head. “I- I am alright… I just…”A wave of dreadful silence washed over them, and without being told, Naruto already knew where the source of the malignant aura came from and why. Then, as Rinako opened her mouth to apologize, Naruto cut her off before she could even begin, and said,“I know it’s been a while, and we didn’t exactly part on good terms, but I was actually hoping to run into you.”Rinako was immediately taken aback by this and looked at the young man skeptically. “You were wanting to meet me? Why?”At this, Naruto then rubbed his right hand over left arm as he struggled to smile naturally. “Yeah, so… I’ve been thinking for a while and… well, if you truly love Madara, I think you should tell him how you feel.”Upon hearing this, Rinako instantly became confused and even more suspicious. “What? Why would you want something like that?” she questioned with a bewildered look on her face, to which Naruto gave an innocent and simple shrug of his shoulders.“Well, you know what they say: there’s no time like the present! Besides… I was just thinking that… if I were in your shoes, I would wanna have the chance to tell the person that I was in love with how I felt… I think a lot of the time we think about all the things that could go wrong, when we should really be thinking about all things that could go right. So, if Madara were to accept your love, then that would be great, but if he doesn’t, then you’ll at least have the closure that you need to move on. So, I’ll be rooting for you!” and he gave a small pump of his first to show his support; however, Rinako only gazed at him with a not entirely convinced look on her face that was also a mixture of disbelief and worry.“But… you love him too…” she said out loud.Naruto flinched and his eyes widened in surprise as the world around him fell still with only the whistles of the cold wind being the only sound as it blew by. When the feeling of shock wore off, his gaze ultimately softened and he smiled a bit shyly, scratching the back of his head and laughing awkwardly in an attempt to relieve the tension.“Hehe, I guess it was pretty obvious, huh? Well, I’d expect nothing less from someone who’s also in love with the same man.” His hand dropped to his side and he stared at the ground with a sad and distant gaze as he said, “In the end, you were right… I’m not a woman, and I don’t have the ability to give Madara a real family… But… even if I am in love with him, I… I want him to be happy, no matter what form it takes… I love him a lot, and I just want his happiness. That’s all I want… So, as long as he’s happy, then there’s really nothing more I could ask for…”Rinako could clearly see that it took all of Naruto’s strength just to say these words alone and willingly give up the love of his life. She had never seen a sadder smile as he appeared so heartbroken and conflicted, and yet he still said it. This was when Rinako realized the harm she and the elders had done, and just how much Naruto really and truly loved Madara. If it were herself, she would have never given the man up and would’ve fought to keep him with all her might, even if he didn’t want her, but Naruto was willing to kill his love and let Madara go to find what he believed would be a greater happiness—and to her, this was the ultimate form of love. What he held for the Uchiha patriarch could only be described as genuine and pure… “What about you?” she asked softly, “Why do you not tell him how you feel?”Naruto gave a small smile that was as gentle as the arrival of spring, and replied, “I… I wish I could, but… I can’t… It’s like you said, I can’t give him a real family; therefore, I can’t do it… if- if he were to pick me, then he might realize later on that he wants what I can’t give him. Having a family is what everyone wants and expects, so… it’s better that he has what he’ll ultimately want later on anyways…”Soon enough, Naruto could no longer bear to go on, and so he hurriedly bid his farewell and left with haste. While Rinako stared at his back as he retreated, memories of the times she saw them together in passing flashed through her mind, and she remembered all the fond smiles and looks of absolute love in their eyes as they gazed at each other. Then, she recalled her memories of the clan leader in the past, and in each one she never once remembered seeing him smile so radiantly before.She had never seen Lord Madara so happy in all the times she had seen him… until he met Naruto.“...Idiot… What an absolute idiot… You are all that he wants…”And with that, Rinako turned her back and quietly walked away.****As Naruto trudged home silently, Kurama suddenly asked,“So, you’re just going to give up on him like that? That’s not like you…” Naruto gave a tired sigh in response and said to the fox demon within his thoughts,
   I know, but… this is a bit different from the situations I’m used to… Besides, it was the original plan in the first place… 
“Are you sure about this? You should take your own advice and tell him how you feel, or you might just regret it later,” Kurama said tentatively, but Naruto shook his head. 
   This… This is fine… Besides, I think it would be adorable to see a little mini-Madara running around, and I know that his wife will also be a total beauty with a great heart. I’m sure that when he has a son, he’ll definitely wanna name him after his brother…  
Kurama fell silent for a moment before asking, “...Do you really think that will make him happy?” Naruto nodded assuredly. 
   Un, I’m sure nothing would make him happier… 
“I see… I don’t know how you humans work entirely, but maybe you should save this plan for last and focus on the other parts. We still have plenty of time on our hands, so just… enjoy it while it lasts, I guess,” Kurama suggested tactfully. He didn't really want to upset his host any more as it was, as he still cared very much about him and wanted him to find happiness as well. Naruto thought about the fox demon’s words for a moment before giving a single nod to himself and said,
   Mn, maybe I will do that… 
****Since then, it took Rinako a few days of hyping herself up before she managed to gather enough courage to finally put an end to her many years of pining. So, one evening, Rinako patiently waited along Madara's usual route home, and when she finally saw the man coming down the street she began to feel as jittery as a june bug. Then, just as Madara approached, she hid herself behind a wall, placing a hand over her chest and took calming breaths to settle her nerves. Once the clan leader walked by, she jumped out from her hiding spot and called out to the man, “L-Lord Madara, please wait!”Madara halted in his steps and turned to look at her blandly, and when that cold stare landed on her, she felt her heart ache. She wanted the man to look at her with anything but annoyance and apathy for once, and suddenly found herself choking up at the last second as the words refused to leave her throat. When she abruptly fell silent, Madara merely brushed her off and turned to walk away once again, and as Rinako watched the man walk away from her, her eyes burned with hot tears as she fought desperately against her locked throat. This was it, this was the moment she had been waiting for for so long! If she didn’t do it now, then she didn’t know when she would ever be able to find the confidence to confess once again. She needed this. She needed the closure that this moment would bring to her life, and as she smothered the urge to turn tail and run away like a coward, she persisted—until she finally managed to fight back her nerves and shouted,“Wait- No-! Please! Please wait! I- I have always admired you, my lord! So please… please, don’t walk away…”Upon hearing this, Madara finally stopped in his tracks and turned to look at her again, but this time with an expression of surprise. When she at last received a look other than that of disdain, she felt a small budding sense of pride within herself and continued courageously.“I have… I have always been watching you from a far… even as a little girl… I dreamed that I would one day become your wife… I have admired you for so long and did my best and took every opportunity I could to be close to you… Please, please, understand what I feel, my lord… I have always been in love with you…”Madara remained in stunned silence at first, but when he saw the genuine look of desperation and admiration on her face, he eventually walked over to properly stand before her. As Rinako bowed her head and listened to the man approach until coming to a stop in front of her, she felt like her racing heart was about to burst out of her chest and flee—and that was when she felt a warm, comforting touch to her head. In the past, Madara would have turned her away without care, but now he knew what it was like to long for someone as well, and offered her a small consoling smile.“I see… Thank you, your courage to confess the depths of your heart is greatly appreciated, but I must apologize… My heart already belongs to another. I hope you will understand and find someone who will love you as much as you have loved me. I will not forget the love that you have so graciously held for me all this time.”Despite being rejected, Rinako gave a watery little laugh and respectfully bowed her head again to the patriarch.“Un… Thank you for listening…” she said with a slightly quaking voice.And as Rinako stared at his back as he walked away, it was like watching him completely walking out of her life—out of her dream—and solidifying that from here on there was no longer a need for them to cross paths, and that a future with them together would never be possible…Even when the man could no longer be seen, Rinako remained still as the wind carried the sounds of her soft whimpers and the ground before her feet permeated with salty droplets of rain, falling after one another again and again. Suddenly, she heard footsteps and felt a light rub to her back and turned her head—only to find that it was Ayaka, who was returning home after leaving a friend’s house, and coming to comfort her. “You will be alright. You finally did it, and that is all that matters.”Rinako pouted shakily upon seeing the woman and shouted, “Shut up! Stupid woman! What do you know!”Ayaka merely rolled her eyes at this and placed a hand on her hip. “Come now, will you relax already? I was only mean to you because I thought you were simply in it for the status and because the elders instructed you to. I had no clue that you had carried a torch for the lord for such a long time, but surely you must have expected this?”“Shut up!” Rinako shouted once more and stomped her foot. “I-!... I already knew I couldn’t win… after all… the way the lord looks at him…” She stopped as more tears began to fall uncontrollably from her eyes that trembled as they glistened from the streetlights like a rushing river of stars. “I already knew, d@mn it! But… I… Ever since the very beginning I have always been looking at the lord, but he had never once looked in my direction, and then that blond trout shows up out of nowhere and suddenly the lord can’t seem to take his eyes off of him!” She wiped her tears with frustration and sorrow, before dropping to her knees as she buried her face within her palms as tears pooled in her hands like water in a basin. “Lord Madara is intelligent, handsome, strong, faithful, and possesses everything a woman could want in a man! And- and… he looks at Menma as if-” her voice choked up as a memory of an adoring look on Madara’s face—one she had only ever seen in her dreams—as he gazed upon an oblivious Naruto flickered seemingly before her eyes, and she cupped her face once more, “as if he were the moon and all of the stars in the sky… as though every time he turned in his direction he was seeing sunlight for the very first time in his life… So, can you blame me for being jealous?! Where could I ever find a man like that again!” she shouted in tearful frustration.Ayaka crouched down and rubbed her hand in soothing circles upon the heartbroken girl’s back. “Come now, there is no such thing as a perfect person.”“Lord Madara is perfect! But-... but he doesn’t want to be perfect for me… because he already has someone else he wants to be perfect to…” Rinako wailed in sorrow with big fat tears rolling down her face in seemingly never ending streams. “That angel-faced troll! Why did it have to be him! Lord Madara loves him and… and he loves Lord Madara too...”Looking back on all the times the lord never paid anyone any mind, it was as if deep down he knew the young man existed out there somewhere and was waiting for him… It was here, she finally understood that it was never about whether a man or a woman was better, or who loved who first, it had always been about love—pure, unadulterated love—and there was no room for her…Now, she was merely left behind to say goodbye to her first love.****The cloaked stranger watched from afar and sneered venomously to himself, “Useless wench.” He then turned on his heel and muttered, “I will have to find someone else to finish the job,” before disappearing into a shadowed alleyway. **** 
  

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          The drawing is a scene from chap 21 when Naruto walked in on Madara~And I just wanted to let everyone know to get your baskets ready cause hard lemon season is here, and this is only the tip of the lemon!Anyways, hope y'all enjoyed that and lemme know what you think!Okaybyeeeee'
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