Save me | yandere! (various uchiha) x reader

Thirty-Seven

The car doors shut with a sound that felt heavier than it should have.

I settled into the seat beside Madara while Arata was lifted effortlessly into his arms. My son barely stirred, already half asleep from the noise and lights of the venue. Madara adjusted him with care, one large hand resting at Arata's back, the other steady against his legs. It should have been comforting to see. Instead it made my chest tighten.

The city blurred past the windows as the driver pulled away. Streetlights streaked gold across the glass, disappearing just as fast as they came.

No one spoke. Not Madara. Not Izuna. Not Shisui.

The silence pressed in until I could hear my own breathing.

Arata shifted and tucked his face into Madara's shoulder. A soft sound left him, something between a sigh and a hum.

Madara glanced down at him and for a brief second his expression softened. That look was dangerous. It made you forget everything else.

I looked away.

Izuna sat across from us, one arm resting along the seat, his gaze fixed on me like he was counting something I could not see.

Every time the car slowed, his eyes flicked to the window, then back to my face. Shisui sat beside him, relaxed in posture only. I knew better. His attention was everywhere at once.

No one asked if I was okay.

No one needed to.

The image of Tobirama's eyes kept replaying in my mind. Sharp. Assessing. Like he had seen through layers I had spent years building.

Hashirama's voice followed after, warm but weighted, like a hand placed gently on a bruise.

Maybe they could help?

Madara shifted beside me and the movement drew my attention back to him. His arm tightened slightly around Arata, protective in a way that felt deliberate. He was thinking. I could feel it in the stillness of him.

"You did well tonight," he said finally.

His voice was calm. Controlled. Like this was just another successful business dinner.

I nodded once. My throat felt tight.

Arata murmured something in his sleep and reached blindly for me. I leaned closer without thinking, brushing my fingers through his hair until he relaxed again. Madara watched the movement from the corner of his eye. I felt it like a touch.

"We'll be home soon," Shisui said, almost casually.

It was the first normal thing anyone had said all night. It only made the tension worse.

Izuna's gaze shifted to Madara. "The Senju were bold."

Madara did not look at him. "They always are."

No anger. No surprise. Just fact. I could tell by the short comments that they would have a long conversation about it later.

I stared at my hands in my lap, twisting my fingers together slowly. Every instinct in my body was telling me something had changed. Not loudly. Not violently. Just enough to matter.

The car slowed as we turned into the private drive. The gates opened smoothly, the mansion lights already glowing in the distance. Safe. Controlled. Watched.

Arata stirred again as Madara adjusted him, preparing to carry him inside. The driver parked and stepped out first, opening the door with a respectful nod. As I stood, Madara's hand brushed my lower back, guiding without asking.

It felt like a reminder.

Inside, the halls were quiet. Too quiet. The kind of silence that followed decisions being made elsewhere. Shisui peeled off down one corridor, Izuna another, leaving Madara, Arata, and me alone in the elevator.

As the doors slid shut, Madara finally looked at me fully.

His eyes were dark, thoughtful.

"We'll talk tomorrow," he said.

Not a question. Not a threat.

The elevator began to rise, and I held onto Arata's sleeve as if letting go would mean losing more than just balance.