Whenever Karasu woke, he found Sen's note and furrowed his eyebrows. It was unlike her to be so secretive, but he shrugged and figured she had gone to Madara's. He stayed at her house for a while before going back to the Uchiha compound, as he was walking through the streets, he saw Madara but no Sen. He cocked his head and went over to the clan leader before greeting him and asking if he knew where the Hyuga woman was.

Madara replied that he didn't know and asked if he had checked her house. Karasu said that he stayed the night with her and had woken to a vague note. The older Uchiha face was puzzled for a moment, but then he gave Karasu a pat on the shoulder and said he was sure she was around somewhere.

The kid nodded but wasn't satisfied with just waiting around on her. He had an uneasy feeling deep in his gut, so he went back to the Hyuga compound and knocked on Sora's door. Surely he could find her with his Byakugan.

"Sora!" the kid shouted as the door swung open.

A sleepy Sora answered with a yawn, but didn't have time to reply before Karasu exclaimed, "Where's Sen?!"

Sora shrugged nonchalantly as he pulled his long hair into a ponytail and replied, "Her house, maybe?"

The Uchiha boy sent an annoyed look at Sora and shot back, "Don't you think I would've already looked there, Sora Sensei?"

"Fair point," Sora conceded before telling Karasu to go find Yama and Yuudai and begin looking around the village for Sen. He told the boy he would look around the outskirts with his Byakugan. Karasu nodded and darted off to find his friends.

Even with his eyes, Sora was unable to find Sen. He knew that as a sensor type Tobirama would be able to find her instantly; however, asking for the Senju's assistance would be his last resort. He continued looking around until he finally sighed in frustration after realizing where she probably ran off to. He then went to the Uchiha compound to speak with Madara.

Sora explained the situation to Madara, who looked at his pile of paperwork and considered declining the invitation to tag along. However, he immediately brushed away that intrusive thought. This was Sen they were talking about, and she certainly came before the damned village.

"Hn," Madara grunted quietly as he pushed away from his desk. He followed the Hyuga man through the forest, bounding through the treetops north of Konoha.

After a period of silence, Madara asked, "Why do you think she came all the way out here?"

"The place is special to her... And she may not even be here, but I have a strong feeling about it."

"Do you think she wants us to interfere?" the Uchiha questioned again.

Sora's face set in a bit of a grimace as he replied that while she probably wanted to be left alone, she didn't need to be.

Madara concealed it well, but he was worried about his lover. He knew she was under a great deal of stress and hoped there was something he could do to help her. As they traveled quickly through the countryside, he remembered their journey to Konohagakure, whenever the group had been confronted by those criminal shinobi. She had shown no fear, immediately using her Byakugan to assist Madara. He smiled at the memory and then pressed on harder, wanting to reach her as soon as possible.

"Madara," Sora spoke up. The man looked over to him before he continued, "My sister means a great deal to you, doesn't she?"

Sora noticed the smile that briefly flickered across Madara's face before he answered, "More than anything in this world, which is why I want to protect her from that bastard twin of yours."

"My twin..." Sora mouthed softly, "has become a stranger to me. I would say I wish to protect her from him as well, but in the past, it's been the other way around. Sen saved my life recently during a skirmish with Mizura."

"She's a strong woman. I would've never fallen in love with her if she wasn't."

"Why is it that whenever love is concerned, Madara, that hatred always seems to lurk below the surface?" Sora asked rhetorically, but he was also curious to see the man's response.

In an even voice, Madara answered, "Love begets hatred, Sora. The desire to protect what you hold precious juxtaposes the hatred you feel for those who dare harm your object of affection."

The Hyuga man nodded as they continued on through the forest. Neither spoke for the remainder of the trip, and as they reached the clearing, Sora used his Byakugan to pinpoint Sen's exact location.

He stopped and took a deep, even breath. Madara turned to face him and asked what he was doing, why he was stopping when they were so close to her. With a kind smile, Sora responded, "You can handle it from here, Madara."

His brows furrowed and he puzzedly asked, "Me? You know her better than anyone, Sora."

"That may be true," he nodded, casting his eyes in the direction of the cliff before adding, "she's my sister and best friend... but she's in love with you." His words were confident as he pointed his finger at Madara. He added sincerely, "Your words illuminate her in a way that mine never could."

Madara was silent. He drew out a long breath before sticking his hand out to the Hyuga man and thanking him for everything. Sora chuckled and said it was no problem helping a man who only wanted to see his beloved little sister happy. He added as he turned to leave, "Go on ahead. She's down the cliff face a bit. I'm gonna head back to Konoha and tell the boys we found her."

The Uchiha clan leader was then left alone, his heart thudding louder as he neared the edge of the cliff. It felt like both an eternity and mere minutes had passed since he was last here that drunken night, being with Sen for the first time. If only he had known then how precious she would become to him, he would've held her closer that night and promised from that moment forward to never let her go. Maybe if he would have done that, they wouldn't be in the mess they were in now.

However, he hadn't done that because frankly, he didn't expect the Hyuga girl to become such a key figure in his life. After that first night, he told himself that he only enjoyed the kiss so much because he was drunk; yet even then, he knew he was lying to himself. He had loved every moment spent with her that night, from the way her mischievous eyes raised to him when she suggested they leave the bar to the way her small body fit perfectly in his lap as they silently watched the stars.

Madara continued slowly walking to the cliff, and as he reached the edge and looked down, he saw her crumpled form silently gazing out at the sky. Her black hair fluttered around her and Madara felt his chest tighten as he took the first step down the rock face. His first step must have alerted her because she threw her head back to look up the wall.

Whenever she saw him, her eyes widened and he could tell that she had been crying. He swallowed the knot in his throat and begged his heart to slow down a bit as he opened his mouth to speak her name.

Her pretty face peered up to him, tear stains prevalent on her cheeks along with dark circles under her eyes. However, to Madara, she had never looked more beautiful. He smiled and continued walking toward her, salty tears brimming in the corners of his own eyes as memories of her ran through his mind at an astonishing pace.

Her brilliant smile and musical laugh.

Her fiery passion and stubbornness.

Her pale eyes and how they dazzled in the sunlight.

Her steadfast courage and determination.

Her ability to make the impossible seem less so.

Her entire soul and all the baggage that came with it.

All of the things that made her Sen Hyuga, he loved.

Goddammit, how deeply he loved her.

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