Hallelujah

Sakura sat quietly at her low table in her room fiddling with the quil for awhile. She drummed the fingers of her left hand along the tabletop, her legs tucked under her. She rocked the quil back and forth in her other hand with a frown. The paper beneath her hands was empty, and she wasn't sure how to fill the page.

Sakura sighed, turning her head to the side to look at the closed shoji door. Deciding she wasn't going to be able to find the inspiration to write the announcement and personal invitation, she stood slowly. Her legs were numb from the hours she had spent looking at the empty paper, and she wobbled slightly before adjusting her yukata gently, the material soft against her legs but heavy.

She walked forward across her room and she parted the door softly. The cool winter air drifted around her and she glanced around at the winter wonderland before her. Konoha that year had dropped several temperatures and the snowfall that came with it was unexpected. Sakura slipped on some geta before taking gentle steps onto the porch. She wrapped her arms around herself in an attempt to keep warm, her breath leaving in small puffs. Snow was drifting lazily around the grounds, covering the trees in thick layers.

Sakura stared in the dark sky, and was reminded of him. He was dark, mysterious. Cold in battle and strong. He was a force to be reckoned with. Easily demolishing foes without hesitation and precise in all he did. Despite all this, he was like winter; igniting a new ground for Spring to sprout. He lit new means for peace and tranquility. He had an internal flame of passion once ignited. Sakura sighed, her heart clenching and her chest warm.

Sakura mesmerized by the snow was startled when a warm body slipped behind her. Her hands clenched her biceps at the familiar scent and she forced her body to relax in his hold, his large hands settling on her upper arms.

"I hope you've taken better precautions than to stand out here for long."

"Hm. I haven't been out here long, Tobirama-San." Sakura responded with a click of her tongue, brows furrowing.

"Sakura-himi, what did I tell you about the formality? You won't need that any longer." He said lightly kissing the top of her head, his breath stirring the top strands of her pink locks.

Sakura blinked slowly, her eyes still trained on the snowfall.

"Forty-three more days." She whispered.

"Forty-three more days." Tobirama agreed, rubbing her shoulders with his palms.

He leaned back and she closed her eyes trying to hide how grateful she was for the action. There was a welcomed silence as they stood on the porch in the evening.

"Why don't you come inside and we can finish the invitations together?" He asked, the weight of his words liquid metal in her ears.

"I wish to stay out here longer." She responded, not bothering to look at his stoic face.

Taking it as dismissal, Tobirama entered her room, and shifted the shoji door partly closed. Sakura strained her ears to listen to his departure through the door on the opposite end of her room, and she tilted her head back once he was gone and sighed through her nose. Sakura's had to force herself to open her eyes, her mind drifting back to the man. She stood in the evening for quite some time until her bones were cool and her eyes no longer wishing to tear.

She looked down towards her feet, and a glistening caught her attention. The diamond sparkled, large and heavy on her ring finger, and Sakura fought back the sudden urge to sob. Her jaw clenched shut and she snapped her head up. Her hands fisted tightly against her biceps, and she spun herself away from her new personal winter garden.

Winter had begun long ago in her heart, and it would perhaps stay.

Sakura was sitting, her hands folded in her lap with practiced ease. Formal meetings were not her strong suit as she was designed for fierce battles and the adrenaline rush of saving lives. Clan politics and daughterly duties are what kept her from cracking the table with closed fists, and storming out on the elderly coons.

Tobirama handled most of the engagement, smoothly answering the questions of the Council Elders. Hashirama would interject easily with some suggestions on how to make the ceremony lively and the reception a longstanding event. Tobirama was not fond of his older brothers ideas, but Sakura found pleasure in supporting Hashirama much to Tobirama's obvious displeasure based on how his ruby eyes would flicker to her.

Sakura ignored those glares, and opted to smile politely at Hashirama when his boisterous laughter would echo in the meeting room. Her small joy was rubbed from her when suddenly his presence was made. His long black hair covering half his face, but the fierceness of his eyes still finding her. Sakura's spine snapped straight and her fingers curled in her lap.

The chatter of the Elders had abruptly stopped and all eyes were trained on the newcomer. He bowed low in his waist, no sound parting him as he entered the room with his brother in tow. The pair had sat directly across the table from her, and Sakura swallowed forcibly a lump in her throat. Tobirama beside her tensed instantly. His eyes narrowed in on the pair.

"You're late."

"Clan proceedings took more time than expected." The younger of the two men motioned with a hard face, tightness reading across his shoulders.

"Madara!" Hashirama shouted out with a gleaming smile and laugh, "We were just talking about aniki's upcoming wedding ceremony! Please, I'm hoping you could help!"

Madara's eyes were still focused in on Sakura, and she struggled not to fidget, heat blossoming across her cheeks and chest. Her heart swelled, and she could only hear the pounding in her ears. His sharp features had yet to soften the way she knew they could, and she knew he was putting on quite an act to stay stoic and firm.

"So the rumors are true." Madara's deep, baritone voice rang out, and Sakura felt the strings to her heart quake.

"Yes, Uchiha. Thirty days." Tobirama spat, his hands clenching his knees, knuckles white.

"Thirty days?" The Uchiha brother asked, confusion splintering his voice.

Tobirama turned hard ruby eyes to her. "Yes, you should have received the formal invite last week. Though I rather you not come."

Embarrassment flooded her and Sakura cleared her throat behind the sleeve of her expensive yukata. "I wanted to invite you both personally. Please excuse my absence of mind."

Silence drifted between them all. Sakura prayed her little white lie was easy masked. She looked at Madara through fluttering lashes, and she fought the frown slipping across her features when she was unable to read him. He was still solely focused on her, and she felt herself break when he turned his charcoal eyes to her betrothed.

"Then please accept our dearest wishes for you both. This union will bring you both prosperous arrangements and joyous bindings."

"Thank you, Izuna-San." Tobirama nodded slowly at the younger Uchiha, though it was restrained.

Sakura dropped her hands to her lap again when Madara made no move to engage the conversation. When the Elders regained control of the meeting, she settled into long thought while memorizing the man before her, her mind disregarding the cold man beside her.

"Sakura-San, thirty days will put your marriage on Christmas. Is that of a concern for you since most clans tend to have their own ceremonies and events?"

Sakura's emerald eyes clashed with Izuna's, and she retraced the question he had asked in her mind.

"She has made sure to write personal invitations to those of highest concern." Sakura this time did not hide her frown at Tobirama's interruption and when she turned to look at him directly, she was angered to see him blatantly staring down Madara.

The two continued in a staring contest, heat passing between them, and an unexpected rise of their chakra signatures had the air scorching around her. Sakura opting to take the high road, turned to Hashirama who was uncharacteristically studying the two men. Unable to capture his attention, she reached out to gently touch Tobirama's arm. She flinched as his eyes suddenly fell to her, and she brought her hand as politely possible back to her lap. Before her hand could settle, he was reaching to hold her fist in his hand.

Sakura caught Madara's burning gaze fixated on their interconnected hands, and she shifted her eyes away unable to stand the implication. She hated to see the disappointment and anguish in his charcoal eyes, and she tried to hold as much dignity as she could.

"Thirty days."

Sakura hadn't heard from the dark Uchiha clanhead since their meeting weeks ago, and her heart sank each time she thought of it. The meeting was heavy and had worn on her. Tobirama and her were to wed in an arranged marriage between the Senju clan and Haruno clan, their status an important union. It was a classic political testament, and Sakura couldn't bare the shame of letting her family down. She also couldn't bare the thought of losing Madara, but she already had when he left the meeting abruptly leaving his brother to handle any business matters.

She had seen the hurt in his eyes, and when she managed to return to her quarters, she sobbed brokenly until her cheeks were raw and eyes bloodshot.

Winter was at its peak.

Sakura touched the ornate white uchikake with lingering fingers. She looked herself over in the mirror with a frown. She was beautiful as a bride. Her hair was pinned atop her head delicately with a few strands framing her face. Her face was painted white and lips dusted red, and her cheeks lightly pinked. Her emerald eyes were rimmed black and her lashes curled and darkened with paint. Her headdress was big and bulky, covering most of her hairpins and forehead.

Sakura fidgeted nervously with the large sleeves, and she glanced back in the mirror one last time before standing. Her dearest friend, Ino, was beside her instantly taking ahold of her hand to help her slip on her geta. Ino was chatting away excitedly, but Sakura was unable to register any of the words parting her lips.

Together they exited her makeshift powder room to head down the hall. Sakura was thankful for how heavy and masking the material of her uchikake was as it hid her jitters. Ino, however, could tell. Her hand was tightly gripping Sakura and Sakura pursed her lips together. They took a few turns, and Sakura could see the faint outline of the guests gathered in the winter garden where she one stood. The snow was caked across the ground, but several Western styled seats were set up for guests to stay comfortable. The guests, unaware of her arrival were chatting quietly. At the far end of the garden stood Tobirama in a black kimono beside his brother who was addimently talking. His laughter covered most of the ground, and Sakura found thankfully that Tobirama was too engaged with his brother to notice her presence.

Sakura was frozen in time, and she felt her gut twist in dread. Her eyes scanned each guest and she perked up when she saw Izuna sitting towards the back. She grew nauseous when she realized he was alone. The empty chair beside him was labeled for Madara.

Sakura took a step back and her hand clenched around Ino's. Her other hand wound itself around the thick layer of her kimono.

"Sakura," Ino whispered softly, "You don't have to do this."

Those words set a fire raging in her chest and she reached up to grab her headdress. She dropped it unceremoniously before spinning away. Her hands lifted the bottom of her kimono and she darted away as quick as she could. Her geta clacked against the wooden floors, and guests suddenly were gasping.

Sakura felt her heart pounding erratically in her ears, and she pushed herself forward. Her feet led her far from the Senju compound, and she didn't bother masking her chakra.

She weaved in between trees and homes before she zipped past several guards, their shocked faces whipping to follow her. She jumped the wall of the Uchiha compound easily, and she zeroed in on the large chakra signature at the furthest edge of the compound.

Sakura was panting in desperation when she found him standing regally in the middle of his zen garden. She stopped just at the edge of the garden, her eyes begging for him to turn to her. Anxiety was clawing at her throat, and her chest clenched. Her fingers hurt from holding her kimono so tightly.

He was a picture of peace standing in the falling snow. His black hair resting against his back in thick waves, and his hands folded behind his back. His own dark kimono was a stark contrast to the whiteness of winter. He shifted towards her, and their eyes clashed.

"I thought you were supposed to be getting married." He asked heat passing behind his eyes.

"You weren't there." She whispered, panting softly from her excursion.

"You didn't come here just to drag me there to watch you, did you." There was no question in his tone, the richness of his tone burning infernos in her soul.

"No." She answered confidently.

The distance between them shortened with his long strides, and his hand was cupping her chin harshly dipping her head back. Sakura met his shifting eyes, the adrenaline stirring up his Sharingan.

"Then why are you here?" Madara demanded, anger rising in his voice.

"Why weren't you there?" She shot back, tears swelling.

Madara's face was softening slightly, his jaw working back and forth. Sakura held her breath in anticipation. The anxiety still hot in her throat.

"I couldn't watch you marry him."

"And I don't want to. I need you."

There was a moment where they both stood silently assessing each other. Sakura was vulnerable, her heart bleeding on her sleeve in waves, and she tried to push as much love and comfort in her gaze to convince him.

"Hallelujah."

HIs lips crashed into hers, and she melted in his grasp. Heat blossomed in her chest and she grabbed at his black coat in hopes of never letting go. His other hand tangled in the hair at the base of her neck, and he guided her tilt her head in an easier position to kiss her in. She moaned at the swiftness and precision in his motion, and he continued his assault on her, grip never loosening.

Winter was ending, and Spring was hot on its tail.