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It had been a fair afternoon with the sun’s rays peeking through the thick canopy of the trees Chiaki had been tasked to collect sap samples from. The bark was thick, which made taking anything from the druid much more difficult than what the Fusae woman had anticipated. She was nibbling on her lower lip in concentration as she carefully coaxed a few droplets of the sticky substance into a vial she’d been given earlier that morning. Closing the tube, the vertically-challenged kunoichi stored it away in the satchel she kept secured around the cloth keeping her deepish-purple yukata in place.
This specific specimen of tree had only begun growing in the Fusae territory in recent years, and the Fusae immediately started research on them to make sure they at least weren’t invasive to their area! The idea of being useful was why Chiaki had volunteered for the task of studying the druids instead of the alternative chore of washing clothes (which she just found dreadfully boring), or doing literally anything that required her to be inside. The daunting activity of having to hand wash wasn’t nearly as exhilarating as expanding her intellect.
Even though women were technically never allowed to do this sort of things by themselves, Chiaki was an exception to the rules of her clan. While not a seasoned fighter the little firecracker had proven herself capable, and perhaps that was why she was granted the access to collect samples without much fuss from practically anyone.
The natural humidity from living in fire country had traces of sweat beading up on the surface of her fair skin, and Chiaki had to wipe the back of her hand across her nape where her thick, even though she was primarily sheltered from the scorching sun. Her lightish-black curls had grossly absorbed a majority of her sweat, and Chiaki made a mental note to tie her hair up next time to prevent the issue again. Having studied (and obtained) enough sap from her leafy companion, the young woman chose to take a break. An ‘interval of freedom’, as the Fusae member liked to call it.
Chiaki ended up zoning out during this down period. She wound up so engrossed amidst her daydreaming (and going over her agenda for the day!) that the Uchiha’s own heir had wandered over into the Fusae’s territory and had been monitoring her from a nearby branch for an embarrassingly long length of time. The branch he was purchased on hung low enough that Chiaki could’ve easily spotted him if she’d been paying attention.
The camouflaged, and studious, Uchiha had shamelessly ventured into occupied territory a handful of times throughout the duration of his friendship with the mousy woman. It certainly wouldn’t be his last time moseying over, either. Madara had been visiting Chiaki ever since the truce between their clans had become solidified somewhere closer to her fourteenth birthday (with Madara being a year older!). Allying with them gave him the underlying relief that any possible future where he’d have to take Chiaki's life was practically obsolete. Over time he’d grown rather fond of his friend, and having to think about her corpse in his hands only left him feeling nauseated and off-put.
Blinking away the nasty thoughts, Madara peered from gaps between the leaves and his charcoal pits moved with Chiaki every time she made movement. They stayed glued to her until she finally chose a spot upon an enormous root that jutted up out of the ground and settled there to relax. Chiaki was… stunning!
although Madara would rather soon die than admit that aloud!
Whatever mischief he initially intended to cause when he located Chiaki just ended up with him admiring her from a distance.
Chiaki wasn’t daft, though, she could most definitely sense the eyes that had been surveying her for some time now. Chiaki could almost giggle aloud if Uchiha Madara thought he was capable of catching her by surprise. The chakra signature that Madara was blessed with was similar to the static charge right before a massive thunderstorm. No amount of masking that energy could prevent the Fusae woman from detecting it.
”Hide and seek, Madara- what are you, a child? .. or am I just some type of prey for you?” Chiaki teased, her voice sweet like honey as a devilish grin etched itself onto her face. Her taunts were directed precisely towards the Uchiha’s location with the intended purpose of riling him up. The comment was light, but coming from Chiaki it caused the sensitive hot-head’s eyes to narrow with displeasure.
His lips pulled down into a hard frown, and the mockery she was doing didn’t go without its repercussions. Madara was sincerely grateful Chiaki couldn't see his indignation over the matter, otherwise he was certain he would've never heard the end of it. The audacity Chiaki had to smother a chuckle at his humility had Madara's chest tightening with the foreign sensation of embarrassment over being called out. Having had far enough taunting at his expense, Madara expertly maneuvered through the thick canopies until he silently came down to stand dangerously close behind his friend. It was his way of deliberately attempting to turn the tables, so to speak.
The hackles of Chiaki’s stood at an almost painful attention as goosebumps began to pepper along her arms from the proximity at which Madara unabashedly invaded her space. Even if he was a long-term friend of hers, the tiny space between them still only served to make Chiaki uncomfortable, but not in the typical way that one would experience discomfort. It was an awkward, unpleasant sensation one gets from basking in the presence of something you liked without having the courage to touch it.
An intimate detail Madara had picked up on at some point!
The Fusae heir stood from her sitting position in an attempt to not let Madara be in complete control, although she chose to remain facing away from him as though this method was going to mask the fact Chiaki liked him where he was, enjoying his timed movements as he made them.
Madara's presence demanded attention and respect. It was a stark contrast from when they’d first met as preteens and she’d scoff at him when he’d overreact to something she said, or did. The older they got the more calculating and possessive the Uchiha gradually became with her as well. Chiaki wasn’t dim, though, the Fusae’s heir was exceedingly aware and acknowledging of Madara’s gradual shift in his behavior with her. Chiaki, in her own way, encouraged the attention from him and was willing to submit to the more domineering role the bullish man wanted to have with her. It wasn’t as though she didn’t reciprocate! it was always exhilarating when they had these encounters, and this was her personal way of exhibiting it.
”You worry too much about what I’m doing, and not enough about the compromising position you’re in.” The inky-haired shinobi’s rich register coming out like smooth butter as he intentionally took his time mocking Chiaki right back, “What will you do now that I have you from the behind?” The amused Uchiha leaned down and murmured to his friend. The shudder the Fusae tried to resist didn’t go unnoticed by him, either, and neither did the gulp she took.. but if he spent all day taking notes of all the way’s Chiaki’s body responded to him; his self control wouldn't exist.
Chiaki could vividly feel the fever of the blush that painted her face and smattered her chest. The flustered feeling she was internally coping with was too much to handle and made her swivel around to start playfully swatting at Madara’s chest. Her swats were meek in comparison to the straight-up stab wounds he’d receive if he’d been acting foolishly on the war-front. ”Stop doing that, stop being weird- Uchiha!” Chiaki prattled, expressing her discomfort in a rather animated way- just about the only time the woman wasn’t trying her best to be ‘lady-like’.
Even if Madara Uchiha couldn’t stand when women babbled, it was cute coming from Chiaki… and only Chiaki!
One of his raven brows quirked over Chiaki’s transgressions against him, and an amused twinkle danced within his eyes as he permitted Chiaki to continue her ‘assault’ against him. If it’d been literally anyone else their wrists would have been shattered, without question or remorse. Perhaps it was something a bit more complicated with the spunky Fusae that he actively chose to ignore her feeble attempts at making him stop his own nonsense. Besides, somewhere within the depths of his subconscious Madara liked it when they came into contact; no matter the form he had to take it in.
In fact, the young man specifically took his sweet time making Chiaki feel even smaller when his crimsons flickered over the pleasant figure Chiaki had developed as she matured. This elicited an even more frenzied outburst from the already overwhelmed Fusae with her arms coming up as if to create a barrier between them. Taking a step back to obtain some level of comfort, the frantic Fusae would’ve fallen back off the root they were standing on had Madara's eyes not detected the incident about to occur and countered it before Chiaki could make any mistakes.
Gripping one of Chiaki’s forearms, Madara gave her a tug forward and unintentionally launched her into him altogether. The momentum of having to propel her in his direction would’ve had her snug against him, regardless, and the Uchiha's heir contained the excitement he was feeling excellently. He didn’t even crack a smirk after having elicited such a satisfying reaction out of the rattled Fusae.
Madara didn’t even falter when his favored scent of Chiaki’s wafted up and into his nostrils where in lingered. It was floral with the hints of honeysuckle and vanilla that the volatile Uchiha had grown rather fond of. Without much to really further prompt Madara, he made the decision to amplify his games with Chiaki anyway, ”All wound up with nowhere for it to go? Heh, honestly, all this fussing and you have the nerve to call me weird!” The cocky Uchiha taunted once again, not even concealing the way he liked the smooth texture of Chiaki’s skin while he still had her forearm in his grasp.
Chiaki withdrew her arm swiftly, her blush deepening to resemble a tomato from being humbled so bluntly. Realizing that Chiaki was, essentially, in a stalemate against him she mustered the biggest pout she could make and huffed. Exhaling a sigh of annoyance through her nostrils, Chiaki submitted once she could feel the burning in her cheeks blazing like a roaring inferno and the humiliated Fusae turned back around to hop off of the shared platform...as if this singular act was going to give her a portion of her dignity back.
”Whatever, act ignorant and obnoxious all you like- this isn’t over, Uchiha!” Chiaki fired back in response to Madara’s taunting. Madara chuckled over the notion of Chiaki making an essentially empty promise, and the blatant chortle he gave over Chiaki's bluff caused the riled Fusae to storm away altogether, ”Over? Now what would give you the idea I ever wanted to stop dancing?” Madara called out to Chiaki, knowing full-well she was still within earshot to catch him talking shit one last time,"I will be looking forward to it, woman!" Madara finished, knowing Chiaki could barely catch what he was saying at the distance she was already at anyway.
Left alone in the glade where the equanimous Fusae had just been, Madara kept a watchful eye over Chiaki until she was a speck in his vision. The woman truly didn’t realize the precise extent to which he deeply cared for her, and maybe that was for the best. Nothing in life had ever been fair to him, and the Uchiha's heir had come to accept in the time he’d come to grow fond of Chiaki that he was certain that she was precious to him. That he'd lay down his life for her should the circumstances ever arise, and that he'd always be coming up with new ways to test her boundaries with his own form of personal attraction for her.