Naruto, Madara is my girl.

"The morning sun's warm, huh-feels nice."

Akira Senju spotted Mito in the side hall. She sat under the sun, humming as she arranged flowers with precise fingertips. The light caught along her hands and the curve of her back. She looked relaxed and composed, unlike her usual energetic self.

Akira stayed where he was and watched her longer than he expected to. Her movements slowed, less confident, then wrong. One flower stem went in upside down. Akira felt his chest tighten at the same time hers did. She knew he was watching.

Her fingers stilled but she didn't look up.

"Pfft… Hahaha-"

His laugh cut off sharply. The playful noise stopped dead when that "well" mark bulged between her brows.

Akira froze mid-step. The way peaceful Mito could suddenly look murderous really caught him off guard.

Just as he opened his mouth to say anything, Mito exhaled and turned away slightly. "Never mind."

She didn't yell. That alone told him she knew he hadn't come without cause.

"How come you have time to come see me?"

"Uh… this thing," Akira began. He scratched his neck and looked away.

Ever since last night's talk, Mito knew what he'd be focusing on, Impure World Reincarnation and resurrection. Her tone had only been light because she sensed this visit had some weight behind it. Akira wouldn't walk in just to waste time anymore.

Seeing his discomfort made her smile just faintly. She stepped forward and took his hand.

"You and I are husband and wife, there's nothing wrong with talking about it, okay?"

Akira flinched at how gently she said it. The reminder made him realize again, he was no longer some tactician working alone in secret. They were married now. It wasn't strange to lean on her. Even if it made him feel like he was mooching off her, maybe that wasn't so shameful after everything they'd shared.

"I think…"

Movement caught his eye. The gardener crossed through the courtyard ahead without looking their way, but even that was enough to make Akira shift gears immediately.

He grabbed Mito's hand and pulled her fast toward the bedroom.

Thump-

Door shut. Window latched.

Safe inside, Akira finally exhaled once. The tightness in his throat didn't ease much, but at least they weren't being watched or overheard anymore.

Even so, he pushed her lightly against the wall.

His hand braced above her shoulder while nervous sweat collected on his temples, even though he had no body heat in this state. He stared into her face and tried to speak evenly.

"I think…"

Mito hadn't moved far, but already her breathing had quickened and sweat dotted her skin.

Akira frowned before asking, "Are you hot?"

He tilted his head slightly.

"You should change into thinner clothes," he added, completely serious. "Wipe down with cold water if you're overheating."

Mito's eyes widened, but she only flushed further and sucked in breath through her teeth as he continued talking through it as if it were medical advice.

"If you're too hot to stand here, take this off first-"

Her arms came around him without warning and she pressed into him tightly.

"What are you-"

"No, be gentle! Gentler!"

Her words stunned him into dumb silence.

Akira stood frozen with his arms around her back while she trembled slightly in his hold. She hadn't heard what he'd just said-or ignored it-and now she sounded completely different. Her eyes were foggy with emotion when she looked up again.

"I'll be gentle," he blurted stupidly-then realized what he'd just said out loud and cursed himself silently. That line had come directly out of-

His thoughts derailed entirely when Mito whimpered faintly into his neck and pressed her thighs together beside him in clear discomfort. Her hands slid up along his sides-not fast, not eager, but slow enough that it shook him from the inside out regardless of whether or not his dick could even get hard right now.

He wanted to fuck her right there, but couldn't do anything beyond wanting it.

"Mito, you misunderstood, I only wanted to-"

"Mm."

Her hum sounded completely different now. She leaned in closer again with the kind of look that demanded yes whether anyone said the word or not.

Akira's hands trembled uselessly at her waist as he cursed silently inside his own mind for being dead, useless, unfeeling where it mattered most right now because this wasn't fair.

Outside the room, someone called out:

"Mito-san? Where are you?"

It was Tsunade's childish pitch, which snapped the air between them apart in one stroke of sound and timing that neither could ignore now no matter how much they wanted to pretend they hadn't heard it at first.

Mito stumbled back slightly-catching herself-but nodded once with effort written on her face.

"I'm sorry, Brother Akira… Tsunade…"

"It's fine." He smiled faintly and waved her off without hesitation. "Go play with her. I'll catch up later."

"Okay."

Mito turned-but then circled around in frustration, searching through shelves and drawers nearby until she found what she wanted and rushed back over to him with that same sheepish but sly tilt of smile again across her face.

She shoved the shiny card into his palm without explanation.

"My supplementary gold card," she said quickly before Tsunade could get any closer from the hallway. "Take it-and go enjoy yourself out there today… Okay?"

Akira stared down at it blankly for half a second longer than usual.

"You're teaching me how to do things now?"

He winced the second the words left his mouth-but couldn't stop them either.

Mito just grinned without hesitation and shook her head once slowly.

"No, I just didn't want to scare Tsunade… she doesn't know about you being… what you are now."

Tsunade's footsteps neared fast and Mito moved to leave quickly after pressing one last kiss against the corner of his mouth and whispered:

"Come back tonight."

She rushed out the door before he could see how red her cheeks had gotten from running away so fast but he caught the little wobble in her legs anyway when she walked out past the hall divider visibily unsteady for half a step too long.

Akira looked down at the card again-and sighed.

"…Didn't think I'd become someone's gigolo someday."

His fingers curled over the edge of the card slowly as he turned for the door again after that-no rush in his step this time, but no reason not to move either.

"If she wants me tonight… guess I'll go back tonight."

His eyes shifted toward Hokage Tower as he thought for just another second longer-

"No lab work done. Might as well check on Hiruzen."

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