I really feel like this chapter is missing something, but here you go!

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Madara awoke when he felt someone weakly shaking his arm and he grumpily opened his eyes. He'd rather keep sleeping. After talking until a few hours after midnight, both Madara and Asami went to bed. Now, he was being awoken early in the morning.

Usually, a few hours of sleep would be enough for him, but so much happened yesterday. Yelling and getting yelled at, talking things out after yelling; it was tiring.

''Daddy?"

Madara rubbed his temple and looked to the side, seeing Kouta pull at the sleeve of his shirt. ''What's wrong?'' He muttered, sounding quite hoarse.

Kouta took hold of Madara's arm and pulled once again. ''Kei is here.''

Madara frowned and sat up, feeling Asami's warm feet rubbing up against his. He could still remember her falling asleep with her back turned to him, but now she was lying right by his side. He glanced at her, seeing if he had woken her up, which he hadn't.

After turning his gaze back to Kouta, he slowly got out of bed and ushered him out of the room. When the both of them were in the hallway, Madara closed the door and looked down at the little boy. ''With Kei, you mean Keiji?"

Kouta nodded.

Madara sighed and scratched the back of his neck. Why did he have to come so early? Walking past Kouta, Madara stepped over the cold tiles to the stairs. "Let's greet him then." He muttered.

Kouta followed the older Uchiha as he went down the stairs. While Kouta went down putting both feet on each step before proceeding to the next step, Madara even skipped some steps.

"Daddy, wait!" Kouta whined as he tried to go faster.

Madara turned around and grunted when he saw Kouta almost stumble. "You'll fall." He said. "Just go slower. I'll wait."

Kouta already went down more carefully and he also took the time he needed. Madara watched him closely. He had called him 'daddy' several times before. He couldn't get used to being called that. He wasn't even used to having a son yet.

When Kouta reached the ground floor, they went into the living room. This time, Madara was the one that followed Kouta.

Keiji was just taking off his jacket when Kouta ran into the room, leaving Madara in the hallway.

"Kei!" Kouta exclaimed happily, running to his side.

Keiji smiled and ruffled his hair. "You're back already." He grinned. "Did you bring Asami-san?"

Keiji looked up when he heard the door close, and he frowned when he saw his leader approaching him. "Madara-sama?"

Madara didn't respond and shifted his gaze to Kouta. He seemed happy to see Keiji. It was already obvious that his bond with Keiji was much better than Kouta's bond with him. It bothered him, but it was understandable. They knew each other much longer after all.

Keiji grinned again and put a plastic bag on the table. He understood now why Kouta called him by his name now. "So the real daddy is finally here, huh?"

Madara furrowed his eyebrows, sending him a questioning look. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing~" He spoke, and then he looked down at Kouta. "Will you let me talk with your father for a few minutes?"

Kouta nodded and went to the other side of the room, where he left his plushie on the couch yesterday before he fell asleep.

Madara grunted and sat down on one of that chairs at the table. Keiji sat down on a stool on the opposite side of the table. "I was already wondering where you had gone when you weren't at your place yesterday," Keiji said. "So you've come back here after all."

Madara crossed his arms over his chest. ''So?"

Keiji shrugged and began to tap his fingernails on the table. ''Took you long enough.''

Madara sighed, and decided to talk about something else. Keiji had been nagging him the whole time about having to go back, and now he finally was back. Madara knew that he was going to keep bothering him with telling things like 'I told you so' or 'you should have listened to me', so he decided to change the topic. ''Any news?"

Keiji pursed his lips and started tapping more nervously, which didn't go unnoticed by Madara. ''Nothing from Konoha, but.. Well..''

''Spit it out.'' Madara grunted impatiently.

Keiji stopped tapping. ''I think I'm being watched.''

Madara clenched his jaw. ''Were you followed?"'

Keiji shook his head. ''I'm sure nobody saw me when I left, but I can't be reckless. I thought that maybe it'd be better if I can by less often.'' He suggested, and he turned his gaze to Kouta, who was sitting on the couch with his stuffed animal. ''It's better and safer for the both of us, right?''

Madara nodded. He didn't want to risk anything. Being discovered would mean having to fight and flee after. Not only that, but it would also endanger Asami and Kouta. He didn't want that. He didn't want to ruin things once again.

He couldn't fail. Not this time.

''Keiji-san?''

Madara looked over his shoulder and saw Asami standing in the doorway. Her eyebrows were furrowed and she looked quite confused. Seeing the two of them together, talking so easily made her suspicious. This obviously wasn't some sort of reunion. "What's going on?" She asked slowly.

Keiji opened his mouth, but when he realized what Asami actually wanted to know, he closed it and looked at Madara.

Madara sighed. They just patched things up and now it was going to be a mess again.

Asami clenched her jaw and strode across the room. She felt like crying again, but she already lost so many tears yesterday. There just weren't any left. Not for anything like this.

They already talked things out yesterday, so starting another argument would be pointless. Asami was angry, she was sad, she felt so troubled and betrayed, but she also understood their motives; the reasons for their actions.

And she was willing to forgive them.

Asami sat down on the chair at the head of the table, an Uchiha on either side of her. Madara watched her closely as she crossed her arms, put them on the table and then put her head on them. ''You're so cruel.'' She muttered, and Madara saw her clench her fists.

Neither Madara nor Keiji replied. There was a long silence, and even Kouta noticed the growing tension in the room. He held onto his stuffed animal as he tried to understand was exactly was going on, which he couldn't.

''I can't believe I was deceived so easily.'' She continued. ''When Keiji-san said you were dead, I didn't want to believe it, but after some time passed, I did believe you, Keiji-san. I believed every single word, even if I didn't want to accept it.''

Keiji looked away. He felt guilty, but he simply did what his leader ordered him to do. Even if Asami was an important person to both him and Madara, he never told her the truth. He kept loyal to Madara, even if it wasn't the right thing to do.

Asami let out a deep sigh and sat upright on the chair and ran a hand through her hair to remove the strands that were covering her face. ''But I was the only one who didn't know anything.'' She whispered. ''I fell for your act so easily.''

Keiji put his hands together and pursed his lips. The guilt was almost crushing him now. He already endured this feeling for three years, but being confronted like this made it worse, ''I'm sorry, Asami-san.'' Keiji murmured. ''I really am.''

Asami smiled meekly and shook her head. ''You don't have to apologize.'' She said softly. ''I understand it.''

''Mommy?''

The three adults turned their gazes to Kouta, who now stood right next to Asami's chair. None of them had noticed him coming to them. They were all too engrossed in their thoughts.

''I'm hungry.'' Kouta said, already speaking before Asami could reply to him calling her.

Asami smiled and got off her chair, lifting Kouta into her arms. ''Let's make you something then.''

Before she went to the kitchen, Asami sent the two of them a last look. It wasn't an apologetic or accusing glance, but an understanding one. Even if she disagreed with their methods, she understood why hey did it.

Keiji felt relieved. A weight had been lifted from his shoulders. Sighing in exhaustion, he turned back to Madara, who was still looking at Asami. ''Madara-sama?''

Madara looked back at him, leaned on the table with his arms and hummed in response.

Keiji hesitated before speaking, so there was s short pause before he finally said it anyway. ''..You are going to stay here, right?" He asked slowly.

Madara looked to his side where Asami was putting Kouta on the counter so he could see what she was doing. The both of them were laughing, obviously enjoying each other's company. Asami noticed Madara looking and smiled at him. She opened her mouth to say something, but Kouta pulled at her shirt and she turned her attention to him.

''Madara-sama?''

Madara looked at Keiji, who was still waiting for an answer. ''It is my intention to stay here.'' He said. ''But we never know how things might turn out.''

So for now, this was his home.