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Mito dug her nails into Hashirama's shoulders and moaned in arousal as she received his seed.
Hashirama was soaked in sweat, exhaustedly lying on top of her in the darkness, as he tried to catch his breath.
It was the couple's wedding night, which they were spending in an enormous estate with an impressive garden that Hashirama had had built for them. They had been showered in gifts and were looking forward to their married life and the children that Mito would gift him with.
Hashirama rolled off Mito, sighing contently. He felt like he was in paradise and savored it, stretching his limbs and smiling at the ceiling, his eyes closed. He felt Mito's naked body pressing against his own and pulled her closer, kissing the top of her head.
He was convinced they would live a happy married life with lots of children.
But as it seemed, the heavens were not as convinced as he was, and so they were waiting and waiting for a child in vain.
They tried their luck time and time again, but the child kept them waiting still.
They did not have a child in September, neither in October, and the same in November. As much as they desired and expected it, they did not have a child at all.
Convinced that it had to be her fault, Mito started consuming herbs and taking pills, prescribed for her case specifically. She also tried lighting candles at a specific time of the day and praying. It was all in vain.
Hashirama had the sneaking suspicion that it might be him who was the problem, and so he called an expert to get him checked up.
Mito was waiting in the next room nervously, while Hashirama, who actually had been terrified before his check-up, was being examined by the doctor. She chewed on her lip and her nails, twitching in her seat, and she did not know what to hope for. If everything was fine with Hashirama, they would not know what else to do or try. Mito knew that some couples just could not conceive a child, while being able to do so with other people.
Mito winced in surprise when the door suddenly opened, revealing Hashirama, followed by the doctor. Hashirama was as pale as snow and had his eyes lowered to the ground.
His facial expression was an indicator for bad news. Mito prepared herself mentally to receive an unpleasant message.
Oh no, she thought, wishing to sink into the floor forever.
The doctor, a short man with a high forehead, sat down, facing Mito, while Hashirama took the seat next to his wife. He still looked like he had encountered a ghost.
The doctor cleared his throat to draw Mito's attention, before saying: "I thoroughly examined your husband, but unfortunately, well…" He looked at Mito compassionately. "His semen seems to be infertile, mistress."
His work routine consisted of delivering such messages to his male patients and their wives, but informing the God of Shinobi and his consort about the impossibility to create a child demanded everything of him.
The doctor's words echoed several times inside of Mito's head, and then her chest went up as she took a deep breath. She got goose bumps, and her trembling hands turned into fists. "Thank you for your visit," Mito said monotonously.
She generously paid the expert, forbidding him to talk to uninvolved people about this matter unless he wanted to get acquainted with her wrath.
As soon as the doctor was gone, Mito went back inside the room where she had received the doctor's message.
Hashirama was still sitting there, paler than before; it seemed he did not move at all.
"Dear husband," Mito said with a hoarse voice. She could not say more than this. Instead she sat across from him and investigated his facial features. Hashirama looked like he had lost his sense of life. He was sitting there gloomily with his gaze lowered to the table.
"Dear husband," Mito repeated weakly, trying to hold back her tears. It hurt so much to witness his current state.
"Mito," Hashirama said unexpectedly. "Dou you still want to be my wife?"
"Of course I want to!" She wanted to be his wife from the bottom of her heart, but they did not have any other choice, anyway. Their marriage had been political in the first place. A divorce would be fatal, and when someone got to know that the God of Shinobi could not have children on his own, Hashirama would lose his face. "Hashirama, we're a married couple. This means that we'll face any difficulties together and search for a solution."
"A solution?" Hashirama looked up. Suddenly he was holding such a grudge against his own self that he jumped up. "Mito, I can't grant you children! My semen is infertile! I had been afraid of old age so long, now I know that there is something worse than that." He felt silent. "Can I even call myself a man?" He was ashamed of his dysfunction.
"Of course you can," Mito replied indignantly. "Please sit down. I'm going to see my trusted doctors and healers and ask them for advice. They're wise men and women who have seen and heard a lot, they have done a lot, and since there are pills and herbs for women, these things must exist for men, too." She tried to smile at him cheerfully. "We'll make it, together."
On the surface, Mito presented herself full of hopes and left no stone unturned, even though she had the feeling that nothing would help her husband.
After having tried out numerous pills and herbs, they both gave up.
With the passing days Hashirama became more and more aloof. He spent days as well as evenings inside of the Hokage tower. Sometimes he came home to persuade others that he simply had lots of work to do. He greeted Mito as if they were just friends, same with bidding her goodbye. They neither shared the marital bed nor the room as such.
"No kisses anymore, no caressing," Mito sobbed while having tea with her friend.
She was by no means an egoistic human being, but she could no longer hide her desire for her husband's tenderness and attention. Furthermore, Mito did not want Hashirama to be in such a trist state. There was no way she would cheat on her husband even though she knew that there were women that had done this before. Besides, sooner or later the escapade would come to light. Most probably Mito would feel miserable, leading to unusual behavior or a confession.
Hashirama was trusting and naïve. However, if she suddenly declared pregnancy, it would result in mistrust.
It was early winter. There was no snow yet, but it was very cold. Mito felt miserable than ever under the sky's everlasting grey. If her friend Emi had not come, Mito would have probably hung herself.
Hashirama suffered from depression, while Mito suffered because of Hashirama's woeful mood, but she also suffered because of the people's questions.
"When's the first baby due?"
Sometimes Mito wanted to send her decency to hell, to throw her arms in the air, screaming: "There won't be any children!" But whenever a villager or a relative asked her, she told them: "It will arrive soon."
"I even thought about putting a pillow underneath my clothes to make it look like I'm pregnant." Mito sighed heavily, brushing her tears away. "Dear God! Those people are curious, and by no means dumb enough to fall for such a hoax." Especially her father could not be fooled; he was the one whom she dreaded the most.
Emi thoughtfully sipped her tea. She had known Mito for a long time, and she did not want her friend to be this concerned and unhappy. Therefore, she thought of a possible solution, frowning. "Mito, listen!" An idea had crossed her mind which made her eyes shine brightly. "Your husband has a brother, right? I know that the following won't help with Hashirama's depression, but at least you won't lose your faces; ask your husband if you could sleep with his brother."
Mito looked utterly aghast. "No," she said firmly. "That's out of the question."
But after Emi had departed, Mito started secretly thinking about this suggestion, day after day while Hashirama cluelessly kept working.
On a sunny Sunday, Mito sent for Tobirama. She had not spoken to Hashirama yet.
Tobirama knew about his brother's dysfunction. He also knew about Mito's struggle, and he also knew what the absence of heirs meant; disgrace.
Tobirama liked Mito. But not in the way one liked his sister-in-law. However, he was very good at hiding it from his brother as well as from Mito. After all, their marriage had been arranged, to bind Uzumaki and Senju closer together. Tobirama refused to destroy the harmonious relationship between the two clans because of some woman. Mito was strong and beautiful, though, and as she and Hashirama had been receiving the elders' blessings, Tobirama was feeling envious.
There are plenty of fish in the sea. One day Tobirama had decided to live according to this saying and to forget about Mito.
The table had been set for two. Mito had ordered to cook Tobirama's favorite meals since important decisions were better made on a full stomach.
"Tobirama-san," Mito started speaking after he had eaten fish and had been served with hot tea. "I wanted to see you because…" She tried to expel the insecurity fron her voice and limbs but failed. She had sounded very insecure; her hands had been trembling while pouring the tea into their mugs, and now she was fiddling with her kimono's fabric. She closed her eyes, gathering herself. "Because there's something important I want to talk about."
Somehow he had been sure that she had not invited him for no reason. Tobirama waited patiently for her to go on. It had to be a serious matter, considering her odd behavior. He was not used seeing her hands shaking and hearing her voice being soaked with insecurity.
"Your brother can't have children, and you know about that. After some thinking I came to the conclusion that I need to ask you for help." She bowed towards the table until her head met the surface, her red hair following her movement, covering her forehead and eyes which were squeezed shut tightly. Her breathing was heavy and her heart pounded just as forcefully against her ribcage on which her hands rested in a hopeful gesture.
Tobirama froze with the tea mug in the air. She did not have to explain in detail what her words meant; she wanted him to have intercourse with her. He had wanted to get over her, starting loving her like a family member and not as a woman a man desired. But now he was thinking about taking her hungrily.
"I'd never cheat on my husband, you know that." Mito started crying. "Don't think of me as an honorless wife. I'd never do this without Hashirama's permission. And that's why I beg you to participate in conversation with me and my husband," she pled.
Tobirama was silent. He was puzzled, feeling hot and helpless. Minutes passed, each of them feeling like an eternity. She wanted an answer within the next few days. This clever woman knew that Hashirama would need more time to overthink such a suggestion. But she also knew that they did not have lots of time.
He looked at the tea mug, then at Mito's face. Tobirama's throat felt dry. Finally he closed his eyes. "I'll think about it, Mito-san."