A/N: Hi guys! Thanks for taking the time to read Euterpe!
This is my first Naruto fanfic to be up on ! I have been in this fandom for a really long time like seriously though...it's been like ten years since I first stumbled on Naruto. I like cried when it ended. Naruto is just a genius piece of work and don't you dare disagree with me!
Anyways, I got really hooked into the warring era of Naruto and I decided to write a story about it! I had multiple ideas, but this idea stuck with me the most. It was really easy writing the first chapter, which to me shows that I will be able to carry the story out. Usually the first chapters are difficult to write, so if I get past it, it's a winner.
Just saying, but there may be a few mistakes here and there...I didn't take as much time to edit and revise this chapter because I'm sick and I really wanted to stay on schedule...Oh yeah, I almost forgot! PLEASE NO FLAMES! I do not appreciate bashing or flaming my works because that is just a let down. I am open to grammatical corrections and whatnot, but do not put me down. It isn't right to do that to any author even if their writing style isn't to your liking. Many authors here upload their personal works because they want to! Please give authors some respect. If you don't like the storyline by all means I don't care, but you don't need to be rude about it.
Sorry I tend to go of on tangents at times...I hope you guys enjoy this story! The main pairing is TobiramaXOC, but there will be one-sided IzunaXOC. The first chapter doesn't have any Tobirama in it, but the next chapter does, so please give this story a shot!
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto...I think that is a given, buuut doing it just in case. (I might forget to do so in later chapters :3)
Chapter 1: "I would like to court your daughter."
She straightened her back and winced as she felt a slight throb forming near the small of her back.
The girl had been wiping almost all of the floors of the huge Uchiha compound on her sore knees without taking a single break. It was inevitable that her body would suffer from the continuous labour. However, she didn't want her chores to pile up and wanted to finish them as quickly as she possibly could.
Dishes still needed to be washed, dinner had to be ready, tea brewed, medicine prepared for the ill, and she still had to lay out all the futons for the upper clansmen.
The girl looked outside and saw that the sky had a nice gradient of blue and orange, alerting her that it was almost evening. She would have to cook dinner first.
She put away her rags and rushed into the kitchen to see her mother, Hio Yoshika, and a few other elderly women washing the dishes for her.
"Yoshihime!" her mother called out to the girl. "We will take care of the dishes. Start preparing the food."
"Thank you, oka-san and everyone." Yoshihime smiled gratefully to her mother and the other women.
"No problem, dear." The kind elderly woman beside her, Keiko smiled to the young girl. "We just feel so sad to see a young girl like yourself work so much to serve the clan."
"It is my pleasure." She answered kindly as she gathered all the ingredients. "I am honoured to work for the upper clansmen."
"You are such a sweetheart, dear." Keiko patted the girl's slim shoulder. "Would you like me to help with dinner?"
"If it isn't a bother." Yoshihime smiled ruefully to the elder. "Tajima-sama requested soba noodles tonight, so it won't take too long."
"Of course! I would be more than happy to help, sweetie."
The two women proceeded to prepare dozens of soba noodles for the elders, Madara, Izuna, and Lord Tajima, while talking about each other's laborious days.
"Thank you so much for your help, Keiko oba-san." Yoshihime bowed after they had finished preparing dinner.
"You don't need to bow to me, dear." Keiko smiled at the girl. "But it was my pleasure to help such a pretty young girl as you."
"You are too kind." She laughed as she gathered a tray of soba noodles that had been set on a table nearby. "I am in charge of serving Tajima-sama and his sons tonight, so could you please get my mother to serve the elders?"
"No need to put your mother to work. I will just serve the elders. I know a lot of them anyways, so it won't be burdensome for me."
"I thank you again, oba-san." Yoshihime smiled as she inclined her head slightly before carrying the tray to the clan head and his two prodigious sons.
She was slightly nervous tonight as it was her first time meeting Uchiha Izuna in person. She had heard rumours of him and saw him briefly a few times a month, and didn't really know what to expect from the youngest son of Lord Tajima. His oldest son, Uchiha Madara didn't really associate himself with lower clansmen like herself, and he possessed an intimidating and stern demeanor.
She knocked on the door a few times and entered only when she heard Lord Tajima call her in. She walked into dining room with her head low as she uttered a soft, "Good evening, Tajima-sama, Madara-sama, and Izuna-sama."
"Good evening, Yoshihime." Lord Tajima greeted the young girl back as he studied the tray of noodles on her hand. "The food looks delicious as always."
"Thank you, Tajima-sama." She smiled appreciatively as she set the soup bowls before each man. "I hope the food is to all of your liking."
Yoshihime was aware of Izuna's gaze on her and understood why he was studying her. It was their first time seeing each other in person and she wasn't so sure if he was aware of whom she was. However, she couldn't help but feel irked by the man's intense gaze.
She silently set down the noodle trays, avoiding eye contact with all three men. The Uchiha clan had taught her to not look the upper clansmen in the eyes, as it was a form of disrespect. It meant she thought of herself as an equal to them. And she was well aware that she wasn't.
"You are very beautiful, Yoshihime-san." Uchiha Izuna spoke up as he watched the girl set down their chopsticks and spoons.
She almost halted as she set down the spoon in front of the youngest son, but recovered and put it down beside the chopsticks. "Thank you, Izuna-sama." She murmured before she stood up to excuse herself. "If you will excuse me, I shall be back with tea."
Yoshihime tried to not quicken her pace as she walked out of the dining room to the kitchen. She wasn't exactly pleased with his comment.
Uchiha Izuna had just complimented a servant.
She was very surprised and thankfully managed to mask her surprise well in the dining room.
Yoshihime had heard rumours that Madara and Izuna were not interested in women and paid no special attention to them. She was aware that the slightest interest they showed meant something.
While the compliment was sweet and innocent in nature, she couldn't help but feel a sinking sensation in her stomach.
Her hands were trembling slightly as she put the cups and teapot on the tray. She straightened her sore back before she exited the kitchen to serve the three men tea.
Yoshihime steadied the tray in one hand before she lifted her free hand and knocked on the door.
"Enter." She heard Lord Tajima beckon her into the room.
She slid open the door and closed it behind her before she walked towards the three men.
Her stomach broke out into butterflies as she felt all three men study her carefully as she set the cups down and poured each of them the same portion. She felt uncomfortable with their scrutinizing gazes all on her at once. She wanted to get out as quickly as she possibly could without seeming rude.
"If you will excuse me, I must tend to the ill." She bowed to them before leaving the room to complete the rest of her chores and escape the presence of Lord Tajima and his sons.
Yoshihime hastened her pace as she put her tray in the sink and made her way to her and her mother's room.
She sat at her small table as she opened up a small scroll that had the names of the ill, the medicine they required, and the illness they endured. She immediately set to work and brewed medicinal tea for her patients.
After she finished preparing medicine, she rushed around the compound to give her patients their medicines and sang for them.
She sang them all the same song, called Whiteout.
"Grasslands are being dyed by large, pure white snowflakes
"In a place I cannot see anymore, where I cannot return
"Ah, far away, these memories have quietly warmed me
"Now, enveloped in cold ice, they are being shut away…
"In a place that gently bonds us forever
"Ah, these feelings were so close, yet they couldn't reach
"Now, enveloped in cold ice, they are going to melt…
"I will feel them, always
"Ah, so far away, these memories have quietly warmed me
"There is no need to see them, as they are enveloped in cold ice
"Standing still even now, snowfall piles up…"
All her patients had heard Yoshihime sing different songs before, but most of them always requested the same song. Most of them requested Whiteout.
The song was sad in nature and Yoshihime understood why they all requested the sad song. Her patients that were chronically ill were the ones who always requested the song. She had watched her patients as she sang to them, and saw their eyes glaze over in distance memory. Some of them even shed tears in front of their med-nin.
Yoshihime possessed a rare and foreign kekkei genkai that had ran in her mother's clan. They had called it the Iryo Uta, the medical song that healed people when the user chose to sing for healing sake. Yoshihime could still sing normally without the healing affects, but it was a useful and rare kekkei genkai nonetheless.
To her wounded and sick patients, she often used the Iryo Uta to nurse them back to health. To her chronically ill patients, she just sang normally without the kekkei genkai. While the Iryo Uta was a form of medical ninjutsu, it was not invincible. It could not cure things that regular medical ninjutsu could. Granted, the Iryo Uta healed a lot faster and could heal a lot more than the every day medical ninjutsu med-nins used.
Because of the rarity and strength of the kekkei genkai, she kept the Iryo Uta a secret from the clan. The Uchiha put any kekkei genkai to high regard and often used those who possessed any kekkei genkai for the clan's benefit. This manipulation often led to a path in darkness that she did not want to walk down.
Yoshihime quietly hummed Whiteout to herself as she lay out Uchiha Izuna's futons. She had finished laying out the elders, Lord Tajima, and Madara's, while she got lost in thought about her patients and her clan's dark ambitions.
She patted down the futon and neatly folded the blankets on top of it, before leaving Izuna's room.
"Are you Yoshihime-san?" she heard an unfamiliar voice ask her as she walked down the corridor.
Yoshihime hesitantly turned to see an unfamiliar boy around her age or younger, looking directly at her. "Yes, I am Yoshihime." She nodded politely.
"Izuna-sama requests your presence."
She froze.
"It isn't anything bad." The boy assured her, mistaking her tension for fear of getting in trouble. She knew she didn't cause any trouble, and was merely surprised and worried what he wanted from her. "Izuna-sama is awaiting your presence in the gardens."
Yoshihime nodded slowly before dipping her head in a deep bow. "Of course. If you will excuse me."
"Nonsense," he stopped her. "I am to escort you to Izuna-sama."
She felt very weird at the very thought of getting escorted somewhere. As a servant, Yoshihime was used to making her way around the compound by herself even on the rare occasion of being called for.
"Very well…" she murmured as she walked alongside her escort.
The two walked in silence as they made their way to the gardens. Yoshihime did not feel uncomfortable with the silence and was well accustomed to it. She often worked in silence and enjoyed moments of peace and silence when she had time to herself.
"Here we are, Yoshihime-san."
Yoshihime looked up to see Izuna waiting for her ahead. His back was turned to her.
She turned to her escort. "You don't need to call me Yoshihime-san. You can just call me Yoshihime. I am merely a servant, so I am probably of lower class than you."
"Very well, Yoshihime." The boy smirked a bit.
"Thank you for escorting me...I apologize, but I don't recall catching your name." She admitted sheepishly with an apologetic smile.
"Your welcome, Yoshihime. And my name is Ryosuke." He nodded good-naturedly as he smiled assuredly back at her. "Enjoy your time with Izuna-sama."
"Goodbye, Ryosuke-san." She bowed slightly as the boy walked away from her.
Yoshihime silently turned on her heal and entered the gardens.
"You requested for me, Izuna-sama?" she quietly asked as she bowed before the Uchiha patriarch's son.
"Ah, Yoshihime-san," the tall Uchiha smiled at her. "I'm glad you could make it."
Yoshihime straightened her posture and studied at the Uchiha in front of her. He was certainly taller than her, but he wasn't incredibly tall. His long ebony hair was tied back in a low ponytail and he was wearing casual clothing that still looked regal on the man.
She felt like she paled in contrast to the great Uchiha Izuna. She was still wearing the clothes she wore all day completing her chores in and she worried that she reeked of sweat and food. She could only hope that he only requested her to do a chore or task rather than staying in his presence.
"Did you need something, Izuna-sama?" she inquired politely.
"No," Izuna answered her. "If I were to be honest, I was captivated by your beauty at dinner and wanted to see you again."
Yoshihime felt her palms get clammy with sweat as she got the same sinking sensation in her stomach that she had earlier. She felt that her reaction was wrong. There were so many women in the clan that wished to marry either one of Lord Tajima's sons, and she was getting almost repulsed by the idea.
"Thank you, Izuna-sama." She bowed once more. "You are too kind."
"I am not normally very kind to women." Izuna admitted before he offered his arm to her. "Would you like to go on a stroll with me?"
Yoshihime forced a smile and linked her arm with his. "I would be honoured to."
Izuna glanced at the girl on his arm and smiled. "You truly are beautiful, Yoshihime-san."
"Thank you, sir. But I will have to apologize for my appearance. I wasn't expecting to spend time with you and didn't prepare well enough for the occasion." She grimaced as she looked down at her clothes.
Izuna looked down at her clothes as well. "I didn't notice, so you don't have to worry about it, Yoshihime-san. I apologize if you feel uncomfortable though. I did tell Ryosuke that you were to be brought immediately."
"Not at all." That was a lie. She felt as though she should have dressed properly if she were to be meeting any upper clansmen for personal inquiries.
"I am relieved." He smiled at her. "I want you to be as comfortable as can be. Perhaps the next time we meet, I will let Ryosuke give you time to dress."
"Next time, sir?" she echoed in slight shock.
Izuna smiled impishly. "I will not lie, I am interested in you, Yoshihime-san. I would like to court you."
Yoshihime didn't know why she was shocked. She had anticipated it, but she didn't expect things to escalate quickly. "C-Court, sir?"
He frowned. "Do you not wish for me to court you?"
"No, I would be honoured to!" she protested. "I was surprised that is all. But Izuna-sama, I am not a full-blooded Uchiha nor am I of high status. My deceased father was an Uchiha and my mother is not from the Land of Fire. And I am a servant of the Uchiha clan." She didn't want to marry the clan patriarch's youngest son. She wanted to marry out of love.
"I am well aware of it all." Izuna stated. "I had asked my father and brother about you during dinner. I had expressed my interest in courting you and they granted their permission. Father does not care of me marrying someone who is not an upper clansman. My blood and status will be enough for the elders to comply with my wishes."
"I see…" Yoshihime nodded. "I will have to speak with my mother and let her know that I am getting courted by you, Izuna-sama."
"Of course," Izuna answered with a short nod. "I wish to speak with your mother as well."
"Would you like to speak with her now?"
He thought for a few moments before nodding. "Yes, I suppose we can cut our day short and talk with your mother."
Yoshihime felt slightly sick as she led Izuna to her mother. She had always wanted to marry out of love like her parents. She didn't love Izuna and she didn't know if she was ready to get married to anyone. Of course, many girls her age got married, but she was in no rush to settle down. She had always believed that love would come naturally.
Perhaps she had been naïve.
Because Izuna was the son of Lord Tajima, the Uchiha clan head, she was in no position to refuse Izuna's proposal whether she liked it or not.
"Oka-san," she called for her mother as she slid open the door to the room that she and her mother shared.
Her mother had been reading on the small table Yoshihime had brewed tea on earlier. "Yoshihime," she smiled at her daughter before noticing the clan head's son behind her. "Izuna-sama! What brings you here?"
Yoshihime sat before her mother and Izuna sat beside her.
"I came to speak with you about your daughter." Izuna spoke in a clear tone.
"Did she do anything wrong?" Yoshika asked worriedly as she glanced over to her daughter.
"Not at all." Izuna laughed. "As a matter of fact, it is the opposite."
"The opposite, Izuna-sama?" Yoshika echoed with confusion etched on her face. "I'm afraid I do not understand, sir."
Izuna glanced over to Yoshihime and smiled gently. "I would like to court your daughter."
Yoshika looked at the pureblooded Uchiha with wide eyes. "You would like you court my daughter, Izuna-sama? Wouldn't there be complications like her status and blood?"
"No, I spoke with my father about courting your daughter, Hio-san." Izuna replied. "My father and brother both gave me their approval, so there won't be many complications to our courtship. The elders will not be able to have much of a say in this as my father granted his permission. I am also not next in line as clan head, so it doesn't really matter who I marry."
"Very well." Yoshihime's mother nodded. "I have no objection to this courtship. I approve as well and wish you and my daughter both happiness."
A smile spread across Izuna's handsome face. "Thank you, Hio-san."
"It's not a problem."
"I shall deliver the good news to my father and brother." Izuna stood. "I will get Ryosuke to escort you to the gardens again tomorrow, Yoshihime-san."
"Of course." She nodded as she stood as well to bid her lover goodbye. "Have a good night, Izuna-sama."
"Thank you. You have a good night too, Yoshihime-san." He smiled at her before sliding the room door open. "Good night, Hio-san."
"Good night, Izuna-sama."
Izuna smiled at the two before sliding the closed.
Yoshihime waited for his footsteps to fade before she faced her mother.
"Do you wish to court him, Yoshihime?" Her mother asked sadly.
"I should be honoured to court Izuna-sama, but I do not want to." She answered in an equally sad tone. "I wished to marry out of love, but this feels like an arranged marriage. While he did ask to court me, I am in no position to say no."
"Perhaps you will find love in this courtship, dear." Yoshika comforted her daughter. "While marriage is the ultimate goal, he didn't ask to get married right away. Izuna-sama was courteous enough to ask to court you before marriage."
"Maybe I will." Yoshihime nodded. "It is just so sudden."
"Of course, it is." Her mother nodded. "Why don't you sleep, Yoshihime? I'm sure it has been a long day for you."
"Sweet dreams, oka-san." She murmured as she lay down on their futon and pulled the blankets over her head.
"Sweet dreams, Yoshihime."
And she drifted off into blackness.
A/N: So did y'all like it? If you did please leave a review, favourite/follow this story for future updates! I forgot to mention earlier, but Euterpe will be updating every Fridays unless something comes up.
Just a side note, but I think it is kinda common knowledge that back in the day, courting led to marriage...Just clearing it up just in case you guys get confused why marriage is brought up in this chapter.
Thanks again for giving Euterpe a shot! I hope you guys liked this first chapter and I will see you guys next week!