In the privacy of her rooms, Eiko Hyuga pushed the shoulders of her kimono down to uncover her collar bone and the top of her chest. She rubbed a bit of oil over her smooth white skin before unwrapping the waist, revealing her rounded stomach underneath. She placed her hand over her belly button, and felt a small foot press back from within. She smiled despite herself. The baby was growing quickly. She was having to wear bigger and heavier clothes by the minute to keep her stomach concealed.

Hiding this pregnancy had not been easy. Between her attendants, who were constantly attempting to be useful, and her duties as Lady Mito Uzumaki's binding seal partner, she barely made it half way through before she started to raise eyebrows.

Mito was the first to approach her about her unusual weight gain. Though she was certain it was Mito's husband, Lord Hashirama, who sent her to inquire.

Hashirama had been Eiko's closest friend since they were children, but as a married man, it would have been unseemly for him to have such a personal conversation with any woman other than his wife. And though Mito was currently Eiko's closest friend, both women were so formal and conservative in mannerisms that the conversation would never be initiated, unless Hashirama insisted upon it.

"You have been taking care of yourself and eating well?" Mito asked Eiko earlier that day as they sat across from each other at tea.

"Yes mi'lady." Eiko replied, sipping her tea delicately. As heir to the Hyuga clan, she had learned all of the correct mannerisms of the elite, but she was raised by her father alone without many women around. She grew up playing the competitive games of her male cousins and her closest friends, who were all boys and shinobis.

Eiko's long straight brown hair, delicate features, and brilliant white eyes, as well as her reserved and often shy demeanor, fit in well in Mito Uzumaki's tea room and gave the impression of sheltered privilege. But Eiko hated this time of the day the most. This was Mito Uzumaki's territory. The time that she and Mito spent training among the long eye kunoichi and juuken masters under Eiko's command was her territory.

"You and Tobirama have grown closer over the last few months?" Mito asked, still fishing.

"Ummmhmm." Eiko replied, still not biting. She could tell both Lord First and Mito were concerned that Eiko's hidden pregnancy was the fault of the younger Senju brother.

While getting her into trouble before choosing to shirk his responsibilities was not completely out of Tobirama's character, Tobirama had kept Eiko at an arms length ever since she broke off her betrothal to him, which their parents had promised when they were children.

Though the rejection had bruised his ego a bit, Tobirama was more than relieved to not have to marry Eiko or any woman. He was as much a wild and untamable spirit in life as he was on the battlefield. While growing up together, he neither considered Eiko delicate nor a woman at all, and he had often spilled details of his perverted adventures in front of her. Needless to say, if they had ever gotten married, her bed would not have been the only bed that he slept in.

"Is that a good thing?" Mito asked suspiciously.

"We've always been close." Eiko replied wanting to giggle at her friend's line of questioning and the pink tinge of frustration that was beginning to spread from Mito's ears.

"Lady Eiko." Firmly, Mito put down her tea cup and reached across the table to take the Hyuga's hands. "We've noticed…"

Mito paused as though considering her next few words carefully, and then she sighed, saying, "are you in trouble?"

Eiko looked down at her stomach, which was well covered with a thick bundle of cloth. She squeezed Mito's hands and smiled hesitantly. She knew if she admitted that she was in a motherly way, she would eventually have to admit to the father's identity. And she was not sure how anyone was going to take that scandalous news. Instead she remained silent. Since they were sealed, Mito could feel the nervous energy that churned inside of Eiko. And with the nine tails sealed inside of her body, Mito had gotten very good at sensing negative energy in general.

"When I first found out that I was pregnant, I was filled with fear." Mito stated, comfortingly. Her and Hashirama's first son was born just a few months ago. Eiko had felt Mito's feelings throughout most of the journey after being sealed to her. Often in waves of intense tenderness or apprehension.

Since finding out that she was pregnant herself, Eiko had tried to keep her own feelings, controlled and deep within herself. Mainly by ignoring the state that she was in. But at night, the dreams took over, sending her back to that passionate night that would prove to change her life forever.

Eiko had not even considered how restrained she had spent her entire life, until he unleashed the hidden fire that burned deep inside of her. Her life was not full of contained refinement like Mito's life. And compared to most women during her time, she had been afforded a fair amount of freedom being the leader of her clan. Being able to break a betrothal between clans, choosing not to marry or to be sealed to a man who she did not love, even though she was nearing the age of spinsterhood; for the most part, this had been unique to her alone.

But Eiko had spent so much time being in love with a man who did not love her in return, she never thought of things like lust, passion, or rashness. Everything that ruled his life.

Eiko lowered her eyes. Now that one adventurous night had landed her in this sort of trouble. Despite her wish to have the sort of brash boldness that would allow her to announce her pregnancy and dare anyone to question whose child she was carrying, it was just not in her. Quietly, she replied, "Yes."

Mito sighed, "I can only imagine what it feels like to be with child and alone."

She leaned over the table and lowered her voice further to ensure the spying servants could not hear, even if they strained at the door. "You are alone?"

Eiko looked up at Mito and stated, "It's not Lord Tobirama's child."

"Ok." Mito nodded her head, looking a little too relieved. Then she whispered, "Whose child is it? One of the Hyuga shinobi?"

"No." Eiko replied, cryptically.

"He's not a shinobi?"

"He's a shinobi."

"Which clan?" Mito pressed further. Now that she had dropped formalities, she seemed unable to help herself.

"Ummm." Eiko bit her lip, attempting to stall as long as possible.

"He's not an Izunaka is he?" Mito asked alarmed. The Izunaka clan was the only clan, where traditionally the women led and it was rare for a man to find any respect unless he was truly fierce. The Izunaka men were more like concubines used to produce children. And they often had to live with their birth families or outside the clan, after being run off by their wives.

Eiko only wished he was an Izunaka. At least her child would be accepted by his or her clan if no one else. "No."

Mito, however, did not subscribe to the matriarchal structure of the Izunaka clan and seemed more relieved than when she heard it was not Tobirama's child.

"Well don't tell me that he's an Uchiha." Mito laughed lightly as if the entire thought was completely ridiculous.

She stopped laughing as soon as she saw the look in Eiko's white eyes. Mito's own brown eyes opened wide and she began to choke on the tea that she just drank from her cup. "This… what… really?"

Though Mito Uzumaki was deeply in love with her own husband and thought he was the most handsome man in the world, she did have eyes. The Uchiha men tended to be very nice to look at… from their large muscular frames, to the long and wild black hair and the battle scars that almost always seemed to be in the most well placed spots. But that was about as close as any woman ever wanted to come to an Uchiha man.

Mito was not sure how the clan had not already died off with the amount of time and energy spent in battle. Love was never a thought and was actually considered a weakness. She had yet to lay eyes on an Uchiha woman, so she determined that they either looked exactly like the men or were meek pitiful things not fit for the light of day.

It had only been recently that the clan started to tame its ways. Ever since the last leader, Madara Uchiha turned against the village and was named a rogue ninja. Mito thought about that name. Madara Uchiha. She looked at Eiko, who was still avoiding her eyes. Madara and Eiko had a relationship of sorts when he lived in Konohagakure. She certainly would not classify it as a friendship, but for Madara, it may have been the closest thing.

He had asked Eiko to marry him several times before he left the village. Mainly as a political move against Hashirama since after the Senjus and the Uchihas, the Hyuga clan was the next largest in size and Eiko was their leader. But Mito had always had her suspicions that he harbored hidden feelings for her friend that no one was aware of... least of all, Eiko.

Mito also suspected that Eiko was just pregnant enough to have conceived right before the Uchiha leader left the village. "Both Hashirama and I care for you deeply Eiko. We will do whatever it takes to help you."

Eiko nodded.

Mito looked deeply into Eiko's eyes, radiating sincerity and concern. "Just tell me who the father of your child is?"

"Madara Uchiha. My husband."