"N-no! Please stop!" My body shaking, my voice stammering. I was only six years of age, but what I had witnessed within just a morning of wartime was far beyond any experienced man.

My cries were useless, merely vanishing into thin air. A young boy's body was flung mercilessly to my side. A quick look to his back revealed the Uchiha insignia.

"Where are your powers now? Those eyes you rely on so much?" The tall intimidating man spat out condescendingly, pointing his katana at me. He hadn't had a scratch on his armor. "You see, child. This is your fate as a shinobi," Pointing at the young boy who had just been thrown like his life was so valueless. "Be ready, for some day it just might be your turn." And he vanished.

Why did he spare me?

I quickly shuffled to the boy, he looked to be about my age. I flipped his body over with what little strength I had left, revealing a disheffled face, tattered and bruised here and there. His chest irregularly rose up and down. I cried and I cried, feeling an irregular pressure building up to either sides of my temples. At least he's alive! Calm down! My hands were violently shaking, but I somehow managed to summon the courage to rip his shirt, applying basic medical ninjutsu on his chest, meanwhile sobbing like the child that I was. He had a large gaping wound that was proving to be fatal, judging by the amount of blood.

"Tou-san! Ka-san!" I yelped. Oh where were they when I needed them most!

"T-te-tell my brother.. I.. " He tried to speak between raspy breaths. He was struggling, wincing, eyebrows furrowed. I panicked even more.

Heat surrounded my eyes, involuntarily clenching, and I felt what were veins sticking out of my skin, pulsing, providing me with such accurate vision it made my shaking freeze. Could this be mother and father's power..

I have to hurry! Someone could kill me for helping an Uchiha boy!

The healing chakra at my fingertips dwindled. This was all I was capable of, but his breathing had seemed to stabilize. I need to go!

I got up on my two legs, running and running, not even sure to where, but to some resting place, when suddenly, a kunai flung at my feet stopped me in my tracks. Shoot!

"Princess Ayumi! Get on my back!" A Hyuga screamed by the looks of it, but before I could take one more step, everything turned grey and then into stars. Everything became a pitch-black daze. I could no longer hold myself up, my legs buckling onto the blood-soaked soil beneath me.

—

I slowly stirred awake inside of a dark musty room, taking note of how the steel cold floor felt against my back. "K-ka san... Tou-san..." I ached through gritted teeth. My body instinctively tried to free itself from these shackles.

"Enough! Stay still." My father yelled. I looked to see the Hyuga Eight Trigrams Restoration technique was being used, characteristic of the chains my limbs were clinging to. I sighed in relief due to the familiarity. My father scolding me, ironically, made me feel at ease.

I quickly panicked, remembering what had happened before I blacked out. I wonder if that boy was okay? Did my healing work on him? I mentally scolded myself, I wish I had gotten his name. Had I not been so shocked, maybe things would have been different. But there was no use dwelling on that for now. "Tou-san, How long will this take?" I spoke, wincing in pain.

"I said, keep silent child. And stay still." Father retorted. "I see you've awoken your byakugan. That's my daughter." He spoke with his chest risen, proudfully.

I sheepishly frowned, wishing I had been more powerful so that I would not have to be here in the first place. What good was awakening my byakugan if I didn't even get the chance to use it? Ugh - no Ayumi! Stop being tough on yourself!

"You've suffered many internal injuries, Ayumi-hime. We need you to stay still. As a Hyuga your chakra network requires a bit more of a complex approach. I hope you can be patient with me." The Hyuga Clan's most talented medic spoke, Tsuna Hyuga. She had a reassuring voice, one that made this pain somewhat bearable.

"She has no other choice but to be patient. Come back to my study once you've finished here, Ayumi." Father ordered sternly. "And I had firmly reminded you earlier not to be next to any Uchiha. Have you no shame?"

"What was I supposed to do? Watch him die? There's enough despair in this world as it is!" I yelped, frustrated by this damned fate.

"Watch your tone." Father crossed his arms.

"Yare yare..." I said hopelessly, sighing.

—

*MADARA'S POV*

"Damnit. Damnit!" I yelled, smashing my fist against the wooden floor. It creaked, but not loud enough. I was going to be bestowed as the Uchiha's leader some time soon, for Kami's sake. Yet here I am.

"Oi! Aniki, you need to calm down. If it weren't for that person that saved you, you would not be here right now!" Izuna, my brother, exclaimed. A layer of grime and sweat had covered his face. Part of me felt relieved that he had been here, alive and well, uninjured.

"Eeugh!" My hand instinctively flew to cover my abdomen. "What is this pain! I've never been in such pain! Those damn Senjus! I'll obliterate them with my hands!" My frustrations were penting up. I had had close to enough with these games.

"What did I just say, Madara-yo..." Izuna's head dangled in dismay.

I looked to my other side, much to my surprise, seeing my father, Tajima, observe us from a distance.

"You had a close brush with an elder Senju. You need to be less reckless in your fighting son. Or else you'll end up like your passed clan mates." He pressed the last part as it begrudgingly rolled out his tongue.

Again, a seemingly endless rush of anger flew through me. I smashed another fist. "Do not remind me!"

"Oi, we really need to do something about that temper. You'll burst those stitches the medic-nin worked so hard on. Take it easy, aniki." Izuna leaned forward.

I spared him a glance. He was right. I had to play this smart. In order to take down the Senju, I needed to recuperate. I stared at the ceiling in deep thought, and I felt my eyelids slowly close as the drowse inducing medicine took its course. A sudden memory of the girl's face that had healed me appeared in my mind. I wonder who she was. Oh well, it didn't matter any more. She had probably died. The only thing that takes precedence now is to exterminate the Senju.