Mi Ho pov:

I sighed for the millionth time. Why did it have to always be the middle of the night? Losing sleep, walking around in my night clothes through the squishy mud and the biting cold.

Yeah, the weather had gotten cold lately. It was the onset of winter; cool breezes and an overall chill was constantly in the air. I had to stay in my nightclothes, unfortunately shorts. I was wearing a shrug that wasn't enough against this cold. I wasn't sure of what time I would get back to the village because of this uncalled for meeting. If Ryoshi found me in clothes other than my night clothes, he would obviously find it fishy. So right now, I was pretty much freezing as I walked through the forest.

Unlike last time, I didn't have an escort. I was worried that I would lose my way in the darkness of the forest. I stayed on the worn down path that winded through the forest, occasionally tripping over loose rocks and tree roots because it was too dark to see them. I cant even count the number of times I cursed at my situation. My feet were probably badly scratched and I was starting to find it hard to walk now. Maybe I should have got a torch or something....

Wait, where am I supposed get a torch from to begin with?

I sighed, slowing down my pace to save myself from further injury to my poor feet. It took me another ten minutes to get to the persimmon tree where I was asked to come. When I was some distance away, I looked up and stopped walking. My heart seemed to skip a beat and I felt a tightness in my chest.

There, leaning against the persimmon tree was Madara. Clad in red armor that I remember always seeing him in, he had his eyes closed and his arms crossed on his chest. Obito was standing with him and he watched me carefully as I walked closer to them. When I was barely a few feet from them, Madara opened his eyes to look at me. I felt uncomfortable seeing his eyes though. They weren't normal like other people.....the portion that was supposed to be white was black and the contrast of his sharingan with the black wasn't very comfortable to look at. Oddly, his skin was kinda cracked too....like he was a clay sculpture made badly.

Besides, I could tell that he was much much stronger than he was before. He was taller too, he had grown at least another three inches and I felt really short in front of him. "Mio." I jumped, slightly startled when he called my name in the dead silence. It had been a really long time since I had heard his voice and it felt....strange.

He narrowed his eyes at the way I reacted to him. He pushed off the tree and walked to stand barely a foot from me. He was so close, I could feel the heat from his body and I shivered suddenly feeling the cool breeze around me. I wrapped my arms around myself and then glared at him. Okay, I was done being surprised by him popping up with this appearance, but now it was time for some questions and answers.

"So you finally decided to appear?" I asked coolly and he frowned. "You still haven't changed the way you talk to people, I see. I saw the way you greeted all the Akatsuki members and your reaction to Hidan's insults were rather amusing. Obito tells me he's been pissed ever since, having a b**** call him a b****." Madara was smirking now and my eyebrow twitched. "Don't you dare call me that unless you want me to make a snide remark to you like I did to Hidan." Madara lost his smile at that. He sighed. "The same loud mouth." He muttered and that hit a nerve.

I stepped back a bit and he watched me curiously. I just had to get it out my system and I fisted my right hand and punched his face upwards as hard as I could. It didn't seem to affect him much because his face was just turned up and he hadn't budged even a bit. He raised a brow as he watched me amused. I clenched my jaw hard, pressing my lips together as I scrunched my face up. My hand trembled as it stayed in contact with his jaw.

I pulled my hand away, jumping in place and waving my hand fast as I could. My knuckles hurt like crazy at the damaging contact I had intended to makes with his oh-so-pretty face. "JEEZ!!! What the heck is your face made of?!! Stone??!!" I yelled at Madara who was now watching me with a smirk of amusement. Obito looked like he didn't know how to react to the situation but he didn't seem too happy about what I did just now.

I cradled my right hand, looking at my red and burning knuckles. "Aah...that's going to leave a painful bruise..." I said controlling a groan of frustration that wanted to escape. I was hoping to get a good hit on Madara but it looked like my plan backfired. I was the one who got hurt instead. But seriously! How come his face was so hard?! Was it because of his revived form or had he become so strong that my level of punches didn't affect him in the least?

"No one asked you to try and punch Madara sama. You're responsible for your own suffering." I deadpanned at Obito who started with a lecture. When he saw the 'I'm-not-buying-that' reaction on my face, he frowned. "Seriously Obito, you haven't known me long enough. These kinds of talks don't work on me. At all." I said and Madara chuckled. "That's right, Obito. Her skull is just too thick and impermeable to such sophisticated common sense."

My brow twitched again and I glared at Madara. "Hey!! You're one to talk! Who's the one who's always getting hyped up about everything for no reason?! You sure gave me a lot of trouble when we used to be in the Uchiha compound." "But you didn't mind it." He tried to win this battle with smart comment but I'm so not buying it.

"Uh huh....I'm the only one who knows how unbelievably impossible you are to be around." I crossed my arms, turning my head away from him with my eyes closed. "I never heard you say that before." He didn't sound too happy when he spoke. I looked at him again and rolled my eyes. "Oh please. Like I was going to tell you that and risk having my tongue cut off or my body maimed."

"Are you saying that I don't have anything else to do besides slicing people up?" His tone was challenging. I noticed that Obito had disappeared in the midst of our bickering and I shrugged. "Well, from what I've personally experienced and what I've heard since a couple of days, that's what anyone would assume. Including me." "Mio, are you trying to test my temper? After knowing what its like to challenge me?" His eyes were narrow as he walked closer to me.

I was starting to lose the initial courage I had when I started to speak to him because I could feel his chakra slowly increasing to a level that was rather frightening. But just as most people say, I'm just too thick headed to back down silently. "I'm not doing anything so careless, oh great Madara sama!" I teased with a hint of annoyance as well.

"Oh? I can tell that you know how powerful I am now. your chakra is turbulent, and yet you speak to me this way. I hope I don't frighten you, but I am at a level where I can easily destroy a whole village as big as Konoha in less than five minutes." He was trying to intimidate me. That I was sure of. And it would be wrong if I said I wasn't starting to get slightly nervous, even more so because of what he said in such a cool and confident way. But, me and my big mouth.

"Heh! So what? If I wanted to, I could have just kicked your butt a hundred years ago." I never learn do I? Pushing in him like this wasn't a good idea but I just have to do it, don't I?

"Is that so?" Now he was just a step away. I was about to take a step back and put some distance between us before I collapsed under the pressure of his chakra, but I was yanked forward by a tight grip on my wrist. I collided painfully with Madara's armor and my eyes went as wide as dinner plates as our lips were crushed together.

Madara brought an arm around my waist, crushing my body to his armored one in an iron grip and I shivered as his scent hit me like a ton of bricks. I couldn't focus for more than five seconds and I lifted my arms, wrapping them tightly around his neck as I fell into the heated kiss instantly.

I grabbed fistfuls of his hair and I parted my lips as he ran his tongue across my mouth. He tilted his head deepening it and making me go even more lightheaded than I had ever been before. He parted his lips as well, kissing harder and it almost felt as if he were a wild beast devouring my lips as his prey. The worst part was that, it felt so good, so warm despite the intensity and beastly way he was kissing me.

The way I was crushed up against his armor was hurting my ribs, but at the moment, I didn't care. I tried my best to keep up with him but I always seemed to be a step behind. His hair fell around his face messily, tickling my neck and face; I moved it to the side gently. I caressed his face with one hand tenderly as our intense moment slowed down to a gently passionate yet deep kiss. Now it was us just enjoying this blissful feeling we felt together as we drowned in it....at least I did.

I had missed him a lot. There was no way I was going to say something as embarrassing as that out loud, but yes, I had missed him. I had missed his dangerously strong embrace, his surprisingly soft and sweet lips, the feeling of his hair in my hands; I had missed him. My eyes stung slightly; I shut them tighter as I nipped at his bottom lip to make sure I showed him no weakness.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, he pulled away. I was left breathless and I stared at his eyes. He wasn't panting like me but I could still feel his warm breath on my lips just as surely as the way he felt mine. Our noses were barely touching and he had a look of victory dancing in his eyes.

I couldn't help but laugh now. I shook my head and stepped back as he let me go. I felt tipsy, which I'm sure was an understatement. Because the minute Madara let go of my waist, my knees buckled. He caught me and I grabbed his upper arms as I steadied myself. "Oh? This is the first time I've seen you so affected by me." He was teasing me; I could hear the smile in his voice next to my ear. But I rolled my eyes and made him let go of me again.

"Pshh, please. Like that'll happen." I retorted with a smirk myself making him chuckle. "Still a hard head." Madara nudged my head and I yelped as it hurt. I gave him a playful glare while rubbing the sore spot on my head and then I sighed. I watched him silently for a moment before speaking again.

"Madara?" He looked at me a little suspicious at my softer tone. "I missed you." I said with a small smile that reflected the warmth that filled my heart right now and he raised a brow. "That's very abnormal coming from you, Mio." He smirked and crossed his arms. I gave him a pout which he seemed a little surprised to see too. "Hey....stop being mean for once, will you? Just because I usually bicker with you, it doesn't mean I can't say stuff like this. I am a girl after all."

I smiled again and walked to him. I leaned up and pressed my lips against his in a light kiss again. He didn't deepen it, but he held me against him and nibbled on my lips gently before pulling away. Just as I had observed from afar, he was a little taller than before. I had to stand on my toes and turn my head up almost 90 degrees to reach his lips. In fact, it wasn't just me stretching upwards, he had to hunch a little too.

He really had become a different person, chakra and all.

I had my hands on his chest now as I looked at his eyes. I sighed and looked down, making him let go of me as I went to touch the leaves of the persimmon tree that hung low. "So....are you going to tell me what's going on?" I turned back to him with a smile. "What is it you want to know?" He questioned back making me chuckle. I shook my head and walked to him. I linked my arm with his and pulled him closer to the persimmon tree. I pulled him down so both of us were sitting comfortably to talk. I cuddled slightly into his side so I could keep myself warm on this chilly night.

"I'm sure you know what I want to know....about the war, the Akatsuki...." I looked at him. He leaned back against the tree with his eyes closed, ignoring my question. I sighed and let go of his arm. "Madara, what is going on? I heard many things about you; things that happened after you made me leave. Is it all true?" I looked back at him, expectantly. I really wanted answers.

He didn't look like he wanted to answer though. "Do you think its true?" He asked back and my eyes stung as I looked away from him. "I don't want it to be true." "Too bad it is." His words were like ice, stinging me like knives pierced and digging painfully through my heart. I bit my lip as I stared at the ground covered by leaves and dry persimmons.

"So the thing about you trying to destroy Konoha, fighting Hashirama till the death, killing other innocent people is all true?" I asked softly to confirm. Honestly, I was hoping he would say that he was just messing with me and everything wasn't true. Despite what I was hoping for, I knew the truth even before the answer left his mouth. "Yes, its true." I closed my eyes at the cool unaffected voice he spoke with.

Taking a deep breath, I looked at him. He hadn't bothered to open his eyes the whole time and it made me angry.

"Madara, what is it that you want to achieve from this war?" He looked at me this time, returning my hard stare with one of his own. "Mio, are you interrogating me? Are you trying to lecture me again?" He hissed out in anger but I stayed firm. "I want an answer, Madara." "Tch! You're so annoying when you act like this Mio! Why cant you just shut up for once and just follow my lead?" He asked annoyed as he got up and walked few steps away from where we were sitting. I got up too, not changing the glare I was giving him.

"Don't talk like that to me, Madara! First it was for your clan, then for your pride and now....you're going overboard. Its not good to be too greedy, Madara." "Shut up!" He turned to me, his sharingan glowing in the darkness of the night. I flinched; this was the first time I had flinched when he looked at me this way. I truly was starting to get intimidated in his presence. "You don't know anything! Your only job is to use your abilities for me to win this war! So just be obedient and don't poke your nose into my matters!"

I just shook my head, watching him unable to believe how things were turning out. My eyes stung again, but I was more angry than hurt. "This isn't about me, Madara. This is about the world. What do you plan to do after you take control of the world? What will you aim for next?" I asked again. He seemed confused at my question and he frowned.

"What do you mean, Mio? Enough beating around the bush!" He was annoyed now. But he was right. I should stop beating around the bush. I took a deep breath, easing the slight tightness in my chest. I pushed back the tears of frustration that wanted to escape and I cleared my throat to make sure I didn't stutter.

"When will you be satisfied, Madara? Where is the limit to what you want? When will all these crazy stuff end? The way I see it, what you want has no end at all. You're like a bottomless pit that cant be filled no matter what." I paused, shaking my head. "And I don't want to be with someone like that." As I said this, my voice was soft. I knew he wouldn't like me saying that, but it had to be said.

"What did you say?!" His voice was threatening as he walked closer to me. I had to tilt my head up to look at him. His red eyes seemed to bore holes through my golden brown ones; it was almost intolerable. I winced as he took a painful hold of my jaw and crashed his lips against mine trying to show me that he was in control. I just lifted my hand, putting a good amount of pressure in the soft spot in his shoulder below his armor and he stiffened. I pushed him off rather easily after that and he looked angry.

"I already told you....I've been trained to fight too. I know all the weak spots in the human body." I told him confidently. "Mio." He said in a low voice again. I closed my eyes, holding my hand up for him not to speak. "I think its time you thought about your decision again, Madara. Just as much happy I am to see you alive and well, I absolutely do not support your plans. You can take a day or two to decide and then send me a message to meet up again. I'll wait for that."

I turned around deciding I had spent enough time here. There was no point talking to Madara about such things for longer than necessary. He was the kind to be rash if he didn't think long enough so expecting an answer now wasn't a good idea. I was barely a few steps away, but I stopped on the spot when he said something I wasn't expecting him to bring up.

"The two men, the woman and the child who were at your house earlier today....it would be rather easy to track them down." I didn't turn to look at him. I knew what he meant when he said that; he was trying to threaten me by putting others in danger. I wasn't so surprised at his approach though, even if it was slightly petty for him to use blackmail. He was powerful enough to just tie me up and make me obey him if he wanted me to do so. I clenched my jaw, turning halfway so I could see him.

He was watching with a narrow unhappy gaze but his eyes flickered with victory. I huffed out an amused laugh making that look of victory disappear instantly. "Madara, one of them is the person I'm staying with. He helped me get into the village after I escaped from Iwa. The others....he is my brother, his wife and their son who live in Iwa. I gave you the details so you don't need to track them down." He looked slightly surprised that I was giving him information even when he had threatened me.

I turned away from him again, glaring at the road in front of me instead of him. "You wont touch a single hair on their head." My words were strong and laced with threat too. "If you do, I don't care even if you kill me; I will never forgive you. And I will never let you use my abilities. Do you understand?" I turned only my face this time, my eyes narrow showing him that I really meant what I said.

I was almost sure I saw shock in his eyes, but he covered it up quickly. I turned back around away from him. "Since we're done talking and having a heartwarming reunion, I'll be heading back. I hope you think about that I told you. And don't forget what I said either." I didn't bother hearing his answer and I followed the path back to the village.

The whole time, I had a million thoughts going through me and I kept tripping over loose rocks and roots even more than when I was coming to meet Madara. Whatever it was, I was both angry and sad at his decision. I was angry because he was being selfish and stuck up; I was sad because he was hated by the entire world and he still looked as insecure as he had been when Izuna died. I didn't know what I could do to help him and make him stop this madness. In fact I was pretty sure that there wasn't anything I could do.

This was something that he had to solve on his own. The only thing I could do was try and guide him through my 'annoying' lectures. If he even considered listening to me, that it.

No matter, I had done what I had to do. Now it was up to him to decide what he was going to do. And I just hope that he wouldn't choose the wrong path. I wanted to be with him but if he went the wrong way, there was no way I was going to let him hurt the people I love for his selfishness. He knew that too and I had made it clear to him that I wouldn't back down even if he was the one to kill me when I stood in his way.