"... What is your name?" Madara asked, she was an inquisitive child.

"Kaouru. Hyuga Kaouru. And yours?" She lit up.

He couldn't help but grow slightly irritated. How could she not know who he is?

"Uchiha Madara."

"W-w-wait... The Uchiha Madara? As in the guy that could kill you by just looking at you? The one who helped Hashirama-sama found the village?!" She flailed her arms helplessly in front of her face.

He sighed. "So that's what they say about me."

"You're actually not all that scary, y'know!" She jumped in front of him.

"Not that scary huh." Madara looked at her, with narrowed eyes.

"N-nevermind..." She scratched her head.

"The main household is right there." Madara pointed to the direction of the Hyuga clan's estate with his eyes. "I'm assuming you know where to find your way around." He stopped his treks, looking down at the little girl.

"Yes!" Kaouru jumped, "Thank you! I just have to find my little brother, but I think he's with Ayumi-sama. Ayumi-hime is great you know, she helps all the kids around with traini-"

Madara flinched at the mention of her name.

"Ayumi." Madara interrupted Kaouru while looking at the Hyuga household, then looking back at the little girl. It dawned on him... the brown hair, that girl resembled Kenzo. "What's your little brother's name?"

"Hyuga Kenzo." She eyed the Uchiha leader suspiciously, "Wait. Why! What do you plan on doi-"

"Nothing." Madara crossed his arms. It was coincidental to Madara how everything kept leading back to Ayumi. First it had been the scar on his abdomen, him coincidentally landing on her shinobi data, and now his short journey with the little girl. Everything was tying back to her it seemed. "I need to make a short stop to speak with your leader."

"Can you train with us too? Maybe we could see who's eyes are stronger!"

Madara walked. "Just follow me."

-

"Keep going." Ayumi dodged Tenzo's attack, "Keep going! Go faster!"

"Haaaa!" He leaped forward, trying to strike a blow of gentle fist onto Ayumi's torso, but she had anticipated it and dodged it, placing an elbow on his arm derailing his attack. Kenzo flew forward.

"Ugh!" He grunted, as his face hit the wooden floor.

Ayumi's eyes fell to the sliding shoji door to reveal Kaouru.

And... Madara, who was looking at Kenzo now. The hieress's eyes widened.

"Little brother!" Kaouru yelped, running to him. "Training hard huh?"

"Yeah." He wiped the sheet of sweat off his forehead.

"Madara." Ayumi met his eyes excitedly. "It's been a couple of days. I heard you've been swamped with work."

He nodded, he was not typically one to reiterate his daily course of events. "It can't be helped. The village is growing and the Uchiha are demanding more needs now as well."

"I understand." She smiled, "I was training Kenzo here. I see you've met his elder sister."

"She's quite curious." Madara's eyes flickered to the brother and sister consoling each other.

Ayumi inched a bit closer to her fiance, hoping to ask him if he had revealed the news to his clan councillors yet.

"So have you...?" Ayumi whispered shyly.

Madara averted his gaze to the other direction. "No."

She dangled her arms, itching her head. "Coordinating this is gonna be tricky, huh."

"I could speak to your father now about a proposal, since I am here." Madara looked down at her.

Ayumi's eyes flickered to his, with a childish blush spread across her cheeks.

But their conversation was quickly interrupted by the sound of a shuffling child.

"Ayumi-hime!" Kaouru ran up to Ayumi, "I want to fight Madara!"

"Now, you sure about that?" Ayumi crouched down to her level, "Between you and I, Madara's pretty strong. He can like, literally move mountains." Ayumi cracked the Uchiha leader a wink.

"M-mountains? Sugoi..." Kaouru was in awe, causing the Uchiha to look the other way.

"Enough flattery." Madara said, "How about your majesty and I mock battle instead? Maybe that way you can tell me who really is stronger."

"Madara..." Ayumi stood up, looking at him. She never really had fought against him before. With him, yes. But against...

"Heh. Let's do it." Ayumi rolled up her sleeves.

-

Madara and Ayumi stood on opposite ends of the sparring area outside of the household, while both Kenzo and Kaouru sat watching intently.

The princess was nervous, and she was apprehensive in a sense, she was sparring with the Madara Uchiha. There was no telling where this would lead.

Madara dropped his gunbai and his katana to the side, stripping himself of the maroon armor along with it.

"Oh? Not going to fight me with weapons?" Ayumi asked.

"No." He took his gloves off, while his eyes pierced mine, swirling into that signature red so many people were afraid of. "This'll be a battle of the eyes."

"Very well then." Ayumi adjusted her stance, "Byakugan!"

-

They had been going at it now for about an hour now. Madara was exceptionally strong, his moves were refined with such precision. His grip and his hits were fueled by a passion that surpassed anything she had ever seen before. Ayumi anticipated an opening soon, though, and a glancing blow would be enough.

Right near his torso. Perfect!

But before she could do that, Madara leaped in front of her staring right into her eyes, aiming to cast a genjutsu on her... until...

Ayumi gripped his arm and swung him, his rear completely unguarded. She was so close to landing a gentle fist strike that would immobilize him, but she was reluctant, instead looking back at how he tumbled across the soil.

Madara amptly regained his balance and stood up.

"My genjutsu didn't work on you." He stated.

Ayumi bit her lip. "The byakugan can repel Uchiha genjutsu. There's nothing I can't see with these eyes." She grinned, pointing at her pale orbs.

Madara grew concerned. How had she been able to do that? I have never heard of such a thing.

It was almost infuriating him. He had not occurred to him that she was capable of averting Uchiha genjutsu.

"How?" Madara stepped forward, his eyes were narrowed.

"When you cast a genjutsu, a stream of chakra is emitted from your eyes to your target. My gentle fist can slice through anything made of chakra, including that faint line of chakra you emit." She raised her palm, infused with chakra at her fingertips.

"'Taku." Madara frowned. He was going gentle on her, as foolish as it seemed, he did not want to frighten the children nor cause a ruckus. "You'll take the win this round. Next time I won't be so easy."

"Yeah." Ayumi rubbed the nape of her neck.

"Ayumi-hime!" Both Tenzo and Kaouru chirped, running to tug the leg of the princess, "You won against him! That's our leader!"

Madara chuckled lowly while he crossed his arms. He would let them have the victory for this time, he decided.

"No." Ayumi crouched down to their level, ruffling their hair, her hand rose to her mouth to whisper, "Keep it a secret but I think Madara let me win on purpose."

Kaouru sighed. "Madara's like, actually really nice you know? People say Madara-sama is scary but he's not so..." She looked up at him and took a big gulp at his daunting sharingan. "Yeah. Nevermind about that."

Ayumi couldn't help but laugh.

-

Ayumi had prepared tea which was set in between them, the couple both sat on the edge of her porch, watching the two children spar.

"Madara." She offered him a cup of tea, to which he took. She made it with her specially grown herbs, and watched for his reaction intently.

He took a sip, and his eyes rose just a tad bit.

"This is good." Madara said.

"My speciality." She grinned.

Madara looked down at her, and pushed the tea set behind them, inching closer to her now, their thighs were touching. She lightly blushed as she looked at him back curiously.

"We should cherish these moments while we still have them together." Madara said, his voice low.

"While we have them together...?" Ayumi reiterated, "Is there something I should know about?"

"Nothing worrisome." He kept his eyes set ahead of him. "I will be out on a personal mission. There's something I need to investigate, and it may be long term."

"Hooo?" Ayumi hummed curiously, hoping off of the porch and pouting. "Can I come with you?"

"Do you not have a clan to look after?" Madara spoke with his palm relaxed on his knee, the other bringing the cup up to his lips to drink.

"My father is here too, he can look after things."

"And those two?" Madara pointed with his eyes towards Kenzo and Kaouru.

Ayumi quickly glanced at them and then back at the Uchiha.

"You just don't want me to come with you, do you." She frowned.

"It's a dangerous place." Madara set the tea cup aside, "And my abilities alone should suffice."

Ayumi's jaw dropped to the floor. Madara couldn't be this dense.

"You-you're totally missing the point..." Ayumi's arms dangeled. Madara quickly scanned her defeated state, she really did want to spend time with him, a treatment he wasn't familiar with by other shinobi and villagers.

"Fine." Madara stood up, "Meet me tomorrow morning at the village's gates."