In a world torn by opposing powers with the capabilities to destroy an entire land's way of life and an oppressive system of government led by those who inherit the right to rule, what is the measly life of a single girl without the opportunity to hold power? Yet a man who dreamt of bringing peace to the war-torn continent, she was a safe haven, the flower who would welcome him home and would wipe the blood from his hands and the coldness from his heart.
Seated among his clansmen in the dining hall of Lord Toba, she had caught his eye. Perhaps it was the silent way she moved, not unlike the graceful movements of a bird soaring with the wind at its back, or perhaps her politeness despite the harsh words directed at her. Regardless of why he noticed, the fact that he did shocked even himself, let alone the domineering older brother seated on his left. Her dark brown hair, the color bordering black, framed the soft contours of her face, an ever-present light pink lining her high cheek bones and bringing color to the pallor of her skin. Wide golden eyes, so cat-like and intelligent watched their surroundings through thick lashes a shade darker than her hair and Izuna found himself drowning in their depths.
She was not perfect in appearance; her movements were far too hesitant to be mistaken for shyness alone, her form was always in a submissive hunch and the woman was rather short, the top of her head just meeting Izuna's breast plate on his armor when he stood at full height, too small to be attractive to a proud shinobi clan. Izuna was drawn to her nonetheless, even going as far as complimenting the fairy-like servant to the haughty lord with whom they met.
"Poor breeding, that one. Her mother was one of my concubine's many maids and when that woman passed away, I found myself beseeched to allow her daughter to continue living here, so I made her a servant. If it is a woman you are seeking, Uchiha-sama," he continued brazenly, his eyes glittering, "I am willing to give you one of my daughters, fine and beautiful young women with manners and excellent breeding, or even a court official's daughter, as there is no woman who would refuse a man with such a prestigious reputation."
"That will be unnecessary, your lordship. I was merely noting her beauty, nothing more," was the reply from the co-leader. Madara sipped his tea quietly, the irritation evident on his handsome face; Izuna was better suited for dealing with new contractors as the rich all had the tendency to overstep their boundaries and piss him off. His dark eyes searched the room for the beauty his brother had noted, surprising him as Izuna rarely took notice of women despite constantly berating Madara for being rude towards the fairer sex.
The meal passed slowly, much to the despair of the clansmen as the lord prattled on about his luxuries and his expectations of the powerful clan regarding the conquest of the lands to the south.
Crash.
The group jumped to their feet to apprehend the intruder only to find the haughty mistress of the castle screaming at the startled serving girl for her clumsiness; the younger woman had spilled soup down the front of her master's fine kimono, enraging the noble.
Slap.
Bowing in humiliation, the young woman endured the angry blows to her body from the angry mistress and tuning out her harsh words, listening intently for an order. Finally, a throat was cleared and the light, diplomatic voice of Izuna reminded the seething concubine of the present company. Smiling sweetly, she masked her rage and turned to the guests, bowing and giggling behind her elaborate fan in an attempt to redeem herself.
"Ah, honorable guests, I welcome you to our humble home. I must apologize for my behavior, but a servant who makes mistakes has no place on this estate," Itsami Kikyo said, her voice commanding in the now-quiet room. Light brown hair was piled into a tall bundle of twists atop her head, accenting her sharply angled face, green eyes muddied by flecks of brown and brimming with deceit. Her thick lashes were given the illusion of length from her painted eyes, the lips colored an unnatural pink to give the aging woman an air of youth.
"Gentlemen of the Uchiha, my prized Kikyo. And my dear, you need not apologize for punishing the servant girl; she must learn to be both graceful and careful or else she will no longer have a place in this palace."
The meal passed without further incident, the servant girl was not seen for the duration of the evening, and the men settled into their respective rooms without complaint, preparing to rest before continuing debates in the morning.
Izuna sat quietly in a plush chair, his feet resting on a table as he read perused the novel in his hands, looking up only to see the servant girl from earlier enter with a pot of tea and a cup. She caught his eyes and glanced away nervously, suddenly intent on not meeting his gaze. "Green tea, my lord, before bed," she said and mistaking his interest as suspicion, she quickly added, "If it is poison you are worried about, I can taste it for you."
He chuckled lightly, giving the woman an amused smile as he held out his hand. She quietly poured the tea and handed him the cup, careful to not allow contact between them.
"Your name, lady? Or must I give you one myself?" Izuna inquired gently, accepting the cup and enjoying the taste of the tea. "I have had many, my lord, and none are fitting to give to one such as you," was her nervous reply. He smiled in amusement and nodded at the chair across from his seat, much to her surprise. "Won't you take a seat, lady? I could use some gentle company and should the issue arise with your master, it is after all the duty of a servant to represent the hosting family with dignity."
She bowed in acceptance and sat awkwardly in the plush chair, her feet dangling over the edge childishly. "Can you read lady, or is this a place that raises uneducated servants?"
"Yes my lord, I can read, though it was my late mother who taught me the skill; the mistress does not appreciate an educated underling and so she refuses to allow the staff to learn such unnecessary skills, viewing them as nothing more than an excuse to slack off duty. Although if I may be so bold," she added quietly, glancing about as though in fear, "I believe she worries that a servant may prove more useful than she if one were to be revealed as both beautiful, for the lord does not accept the uncomely, and intelligent."
Izuna chuckled, finding amusement in her words. "Your mother was not born here?"
"Nay, neither my mother nor myself are native to this place. She gave me a name at my birth, but for the life of me I can not recall it."
"Where are you from, lady?"
"A land far to the north where the sun does not warm the ground and great caverns of ice house the cities, few as they are."
"A native of the north? I was under the impression that many had nearly white hair and blue eyes."
The lady nodded in understanding, a smile now gracing her face. "My father was a diplomat in the land, an outsider who rose to power and had been smitten with my mother. When he passed away, she took her young daughter with her and left the cold world she had grown up in and began to wander the warm regions here."
"Pray tell me lady, why did you not leave this place after she departed from this life? Why remain in a place where naught but animosity resides?"
Her smile dropped and her eyes became sorrowful, their golden depths captivating the Uchiha warrior. "Where have I to go, Uchiha-sama? What place will house a skill-less woman and not treat her as I have been since the time I was six?"
Izuna seemed to think for a moment and smiled at her, patting a small hand with his own large, calloused appendage. "Would you go with me should I acquire the power to whisk you away from your position of servitude, lady?"
She was startled by the question, that much was obvious in her wide, fearful eyes. "My lord! I-I know only this life, only the teachings of the servants kind enough to teach me to clean!"
A lie.
"You may fool the clueless nobles in the palace, lady, but you do not fool me, nor any of the men who accompanied me to this place, especially my brother. You are intelligent, but as to how you acquired your knowledge, that in itself is a mystery to me. You will find that a skilled shinobi can easily decipher truth from lie, and an Uchiha is impossible to deceive," Izuna replied coldly, his eyes narrowing at the woman before him, taking in once more the glimmering intelligence in her eyes.
A low bow from her seated position was the only apology he received, but it was enough to brighten his mood once more and Izuna found himself waiting in an anxious silence to hear her answer. Finally she spoke, her voice quiet and hesitant in the heavy silence, uncertain as to how her answer would be taken.
"If… you did indeed receive that permission my lord, I would follow you. But," she began, then faltered and stammered, a bright blush painting her snowy skin.
"But?" Izuna repeated with a raised eyebrow, curious as to what she intended to say.
"But what is my purpose to be? A servant bound by blood to your clan? A concubine to you or your brother, the esteemed Lord Madara, leader of the Uchiha clan and master of the Sharingan?" he didn't like the title she had given his brother, nor the reverence in her voice as she said his name. "I can not become a ninja in my late age, nor would I be accepted even if I had the capabilities. I would not be accepted by many and would fall prey to those with the ambitions of winning your favor. Can you guarantee my life and safety, promise a greater happiness than is found here? Would you allow me to test my capacity and become a more intelligent being, my lord? Or am I to be led to a strange place where I am depreciated and thrust into a life of nomadic warfare?"
Izuna paused for a moment, thinking of the best way to reassure the woman without lying, unwilling to leave a fragile creature in a place that intended to destroy her spirit. "You… will face many difficulties in a place inhabited by proud shinobi, but… I can promise you that I will protect you with the best of my abilities. I will give you room to flourish, a place where you can pursue your passions and enjoy your only life. You would become my companion, a house warmer if you may. You would not be forced to bear my children nor those of any man you do not want, and should someone come by… you would be free to accompany him home. Your only duty would be to nurse me when I am ill or wounded and to clean my room and cook my food. As for the nomadic warfare, you will stay in the Uchiha compound, lady," he added with a touch of amusement in his voice, eyes glittering playfully. "We are not so barbaric a people that we have no home to return to."
Voices approached and the round belly covered in fine materials belonging to the lord of the region burst in the doorway, his portly face reddened with fury at seeing a lowly servant converse with an esteemed guest. "How dare you disturb this man, and to act so casual with him no less! A good thrashing will do well in reminding you of your position," he yelled out as he cuffed her ears, signaling his guard to grab her and issuing an order to have her beat in the courtyard come the morn.
Izuna grabbed the wrist of one of the guards roughly, his previously obsidian eyes now crimson with rage. "To treat your underlings in such a manner… it is not befitting a proud leader, Lord Toba. I requested the pleasant company of this abused servant and she represented the house of Umashu with dignity, her politeness and mannerisms worthy of a woman born into nobility, more so than the display of uncouth rage your concubine displayed at dinner. Leave this woman in my care and be rid of what you consider a burden," he snarled, pulling the small woman against him protectively.
Umashu Toba scoffed indignantly, his eyes flashing with something similar to unadulterated rage before turning to fear as he turned and found a very-much amused Madara standing in the doorway. "Taken a liking to her already, Izuna? I hope you remember she is a human being, not a dog, so don't treat her like one," he chuckled in light amusement, his eyes soft as they focused on the content gaze of his younger brother as he held the young woman against him.
She looked terrified.
"This will not affect our negotiations any, Lord Toba, but do not expect Izuna to relinquish his claim on the girl unless you can pry her away from him," Madara stated tonelessly, having regained his composure.
"What is a measly servant girl to me, Madara-sama," replied the indignant feudal lord as he glared at the woman in the shinobi's arms, "But then again, what is she to that man?"
No answer was offered and the group left the room, Madara lingering to gaze at the strange couple who had caused the trouble.
Soon he too left, leaving the woman quivering in the arms of the deadly shinobi who took it upon himself to soothe her. "There, there lady, don't cry, everything's going to be okay. Shh," he whispered as he rubbed small, gentle circles on her back.
"Izuna-sa-," she was cut off suddenly by a long finger placed against her lips, his eyes soft and kind as they gazed into hers.
"You have no name as of yet and I am reluctant to give you one on spur of the moment, lady, so until I come up with a suitable one for you I do not want you to call be my name or title unless the situation calls for it, okay?"
"What should I call you, if not your name or title, lord?" she inquired curiously, suddenly feeling relaxed in his presence.
"Hmm… I call you lady, but lord sounds funny, so what about-"
"Warrior. A name that suits a man such as yourself," she interjected, earning a chuckle from the much-taller man.
"Warrior it is, lady. I will have a separate cot brought in and you may stay in here until we depart for the compound come noon tomorrow." She nodded, suddenly exhausted and as she looked up, the young woman fell victim to the hypnotic effects of the Sharingan, lulling her into a deep, dreamless sleep.
Izuna caught her small body before it hit the ground, chuckling as he placed her on the soft bed and pulled the quilt around her figure.
"Goodnight, my lady; pray that you never cease to intrigue me."
I have found that I enjoy writing about Izuna simply because we don't know too much about him aside from his extreme loyalty and love for his brother and clan and how much he hated the Senjus, so I have a bit of freedom there. I am well aware of the plot turns and further detail as to what had actually occurred during the Shinobi war, but I decided 'screw your plot, Kishimoto!' (not really, I'm just trying to give you guys an enjoyable story) So yeah, welcome to "To Giver Her a Name"!