Madara sat outside their house on the grass twiddling a leaf in his hands. It was early morning now, and he was adamant on getting everything essential packed by himself without Ayumi's help - she was pregnant, and Madara didn't want to tire her further. They would be preparing to leave, and Ayumi was wrapping up a few last minute details.

If they stuck to the schedule, they would be able to arrive to their new home ways from the village by the end of the night.

"Madara." Ayumi stepped outside of the home she had grown so familiar to. Madara's head chirped up towards her direction, and he stood upright dusting his clothing.

"You're prepared?"

"Ah." Ayumi nodded. She turned around to take one last look at place. "You did a good job with this home, I'll really miss it you know. So many memories."

Madara stared at the Hyuga crest embroidered on the back of her yukata. Madara felt horrible that he'd be pulling her away from building rapport with the village she supported so ardently.

"Ayumi," Madara took a couple steps forward, placing a hand on her shoulder. "I promise I won't disappoint." Ayumi turned around, and gave him a peck on the lips. Madara smiled smally.

"We should head out now. Hashirama knows we're leaving, which means.."

"Tobirama's henchmen, or what he now calls the "anbu" are watching us." Ayumi spoke.

Madara sighed. "Of course you'd notice. Yes. You're right." We're probably being watched right this minute. The thought crossed the Uchiha's mind.

"Well, we should keep sharp..." Ayumi placed a hand on her belly. It would be any time she'd give birth now. Madara's eyebrows clenched slightly.

"I'll make sure nothing happens."

Madara pulled out a sealing type scroll to place their belongings in. The pair started to take their leave.

--

It had been a couple of hours, and the heat was beginning to wear Ayumi. She rubbed her forehead, panting. Her pregnancy wasn't helping. Madara noticed as he stared from the edge of his eye.

"You want to rest?"

"No." She replied stubbornly. She didn't want to be the one holding them back.

"Ayumi, perhaps we should. You're stressing your body out." He warned.

"I'll be okay..." She grabbed a flask of water and took a couple of sips.

Madara sighed, there was no use in getting her to stop. It was quiet in the mean time between the both of them, the sound of footsteps hitting the the soil as they walked, and the peaceful rustling of the leaves.

Madara stopped suddenly in his tracks, snapping his wife a dark glare. His eyes swirled a deep ominous red.

"Ayumi."

"Mm." Ayumi quickly caught on. Byakugan!

"They're over there!" Ayumi quickly threw an air palm, dismantling the trees behind them. There they stood no longer hidden in plain sight. Madara stared at them intently, and he cast a genjutsu on the pair of anbu. One fell, the other man managed to deflect it.

Madara gathered chakra at his feet. "I can handle this man alone, can you go ahead and hid-"

"Madara!" Ayumi quickly darted to guard Madara from a triage of sharp arrows that was headed his way. The anbu had kept it invisible, but she managed to catch it due to a faint chakra signature.

Madara hitched his breath, knowing the fate that awaited his wife.

"Ayumi! Don't-!"

"Agh!" The thick arrows travelled through her flesh, she had taken the impact of the arrows to protect him.

Madara had been in a haze at what he had just witnessed, his eyes wide open. He was suffering from flashbacks from his brothers and their deaths. Ayumi dropped to her knees.

"I-I..." Ayumi couldn't breath. "Ma-da...ra..." Her hands dug the soil, coughing hard.

He snapped out of it. "Ayumi!" He yelled. Madara huddled over her, and snapped the Anbu man one hard stare.

Amaterasu.

Madara watched the Anbu burn to his death. He quickly turned his attention to his heaving wife.

"How dare you!" Madara shouted at her. "Why did you guard me! You didn't have to-!"

"Madara! I don't know! I wasn't thinking! My body just..." Ayumi dropped on her side, blood dripping from the side of her mouth. "I need... I need you to get these arrows out of me..." She clutched his hand, afraid of what was to come. Ayumi still had her Byakugan activated. She could see that poison was travelling through her system. She would not be shocked if this lead to a miscarriage.

Madara forced himself to remain calm. He grabbed her bridal style to a spot nearby, that had been more secluded. Here, he layed her gently on her side, on the grass.

She coughed a couple more times, earning a concerning look from the Uchiha.

"You need to keep talking, Ayumi." Madara sternly spoke, his voice wavering the slightest bit. He was no fool, he knew what fate awaited her. Although his visual prowess was not on par with the princess's, he could clearly tell her system was under dire stress. She had been poisoned by the arrows, that were still in her flesh. "I need to know you're okay." He added.

"Okay-y." Ayumi said, coughing. "I'll try my best."

"Just tell me how you're feeling." Madara fought the urge to cry. He could not deal with another passing. It would send him over the edge. He slowly began to pry one arrow out of her, leaking his own chakra into her skin to heal her at the same time.

"Ouch!" Ayumi gasped. "It hurts so much!"

"I know." Madara spoke. "Just keep talking. So that I know you're alright, okay?" Madara frowned, he hated putting her in pain.

"Ma-Madara..." Ayumi's voice grew weaker. She felt like she was dipping in and out of consciousness.

He stopped his motions. "Louder, Ayumi. I need to be able to hear you."

"Okay." Ayumi bit her lip in pain. "Ironic how now I'm the one on the ground." She chuckled. Madara remembered their coincidental incident as children.

Madara pulled one arrow out, he thought it would spare her some pain by acting quickly.

Ayumi hissed, shutting her eyes tightly. She thought she would change the atmosphere by bringing up past memories instead. "Remember when... when we'd always hang out by that ice cream shop in the evenings? Before we got married. I loved being beside you."

Madara nodded, remembering how he enjoyed being around her after a stressful day. "Mm." Madara hummed, slowly removing the next arrow. "With Izuna pestering me about paperwork shortly thereafter."

"Heh - ow." Ayumi hissed again. "You're really good at this eh?"

Madara kept quiet.

Ayumi could sense his sadness. It grew deeper this time around. She didn't have to see his face to even know. "How about that time we fought bandits around Konoha? We made a great duo you and I." Ayumi chuckled, albeit in pain.

Madara frowned underneath his mane of hair, but he forced himself to nod in agreement. Fighting meant nothing to him any more if it meant he would lose his loved ones. He continued prying the arrow out of her, but this one was tricky. It penetrated an important artery in her body.

Was this really how it would end? He thought sadly to himself.

"How about the time before the creation of Konoha, at the Uchiha festival your brother helped organize?" Ayumi forced herself to look up to Madara. "It was so much fun! All that food... and treating you to inarizushi." She spoke exasperated.

"You were always good at remembering my favourite foods." Madara spoke, fighting his urge to sob. His wife and his unborn child were dying, and there was nothing he could do about it. A somber silence grew now between them, as he continued to slowly pry another arrow out of her back.

"Madara..." Ayumi breathlessly spoke in pain. "It's useless."

Madara's arms dropped to his sides.

"You're not leaving me. You can't." Madara spoke, his breath hitched.

"Look at you." Ayumi coughed, her hand struggling to travel to her face to wipe all the blood around her mouth. "Giving orders even on someone's death bed."

Madara frowned now. "I can-"

"No. Just let it be, Madara." Ayumi accepted her fate. "I'll be waiting for you. On the other side."

On the other side...

That's what Hashirama and I used to say to each other. One day, we'll reach over to the other side. He thought to himself.

Madara gulped the ball that grew in his throat.

"Ayumi..." Madara sadly looked at Ayumi, they stared at each other until it was too difficult to bear.

"I... no... we... love you..." Ayumi placed a hand on her abdomen.

"Ayumi..." Madara spoke lowly, holding her hand.

"Protect my dreams. They're yours now." Ayumi clutched his hand tightly.

Madara nodded, while a tear travelled down Madara's cheek. That was her dying wish. Ayumi had never seen him cry before.

Her hand that was wrapped over his grew weak now, her arm fell to the ground. Ironically, it had began to rain hard, washing all the dirt, blood and grime off of her. Madara stared at her, holding her tight as the life eventually left her pearl eyes. Madara was crying.

She had just died. Ayumi and his unborn child, both gone.

Madara looked up at the gloomy sky. The rain that was rolling off his face masked his tears. He recalled his dream not too far ago.

I'm not fit to help anybody. Not my family, not my friends... nobody.