Chapter 01 | The Proposal
Motou Yayoi lifted her face from the giant, opened scroll sitting atop the squared table. "Aren't you being a little paranoid?"
The priestess was tall and lean, with bone straight, raven hair that fell to her lower back with a fringe that covered her forehead. She was dressed in white robes trimmed with gold and wore several pieces of jewelry: gold necklaces, studded earrings, a diamond ring among a medley of other gems in rose clusters and simple bands, and bracelets that clanked with the slightest movements she made.
Uchiha Madara would not deny that he felt a smidgen of paranoia since Uchiha Mio gave him that weird handshake weeks ago during a brief visit. His brother, Izuna, knew the context revolving around his alleged search for a wife, understanding that it was coming from the new advisers within their clan suggesting he make a good alliance with a worthy clan. There were several clans in suggestion, but Madara did not want to pick one. He wasn't interested in marriage. However, he knew growing up that any good alliance benefitted from a marital bond to set a friendship in stone, quite like the Uchiha and Hagoromo clan. The Elder Eijiro had married the daughter of the Hagoromo clan's leader in his youth and it had helped solidify their alliance.
Madara glowered at the priestess.
"Well, what exactly do you want to know?" she asked, sounding a little exasperated. She would have normally gone down to the nearby village to set up shop for a few hours, reading love fortunes for anyone willing to pay her, but he had kept her from leaving and she had grown impatient.
Madara told her to open the Fate Sphere and look into his pathways, but did not specify a reason. Truthfully, he wondered that himself. He didn't have an answer. Mio's handshake and the words she spoke turned him pensive.
"Madara," Yayoi called. "Is this about Mio?"
"Why does it have to do with Mio?" he asked, affronted.
"It's always Mio," she said matter-of-factly. "If you want to know anything about her future, you won't."
"Why?"
"Mio gave me a little bit of advice concerning the Fate Sphere: the first being that I would never be able to see my own pathways, the next being that I should never intentionally dig too far into one's pathways because it messes with nature's outcome, and three, to avoid looking at her pathways unless it can't be helped. I hope you know that means never look into her pathways. She hates the future. You know that, I know that, everyone knows that." Yayoi leaned over the table, staring down at the glowing lines that had branched out from the center of the scroll. The lines signified Madara's pathways, the many outcomes of his future that were determined by the decisions he made in his life. "Mio put a block on her pathways. I can't look at them, but I can see her through yours."
Yayoi paused. "Is this about Izuna telling her you're looking for a wife?" His long silence gave him away because the priestess smiled mischievously. "Did she say something to you?"
"Only that she wanted to talk when she returned."
Yayoi's face brightened, as if her wasted time was suddenly worthwhile. "I bet she's jealous!"
He snorted. That sounded absurd. What reason did Mio have to be jealous?
"What?" she asked. "You don't think she is capable of jealousy? If you are, she is too. I mean, the last thing I would want is for the man I'm in love with to be searching for a wife elsewhere. The level of disrespect, Madara, is shameful on your part."
"I am not—"
"You're not, maybe, but what about Shoukou? He is literally searching high and low for suitable women," Yayoi interjected. "Did you know he consulted me about a list of women? Yes, he literally asked if I could delve into your pathways and these random women's pathways and see what marriage would benefit you."
"And? Did you show him?" he asked, a bit accusingly.
"No," she said snappishly, "it was an invasion of privacy. So, I told him he would have to ask for your permission."
Madara had been under the impression that Shoukou, one of the new advisors, had requested an audience with him that evening to discuss news concerning the Sun Country as he had been overseeing all new information they learned alongside Jouji, the man in charge of all of the clan's spies. Now that he knew Shoukou wanted to discuss potential brides, he felt irritated.
"Of course, I went ahead and looked," Yayoi admitted.
Madara rolled his eyes, wondering why he expected any better from her. She snooped whether one liked it or not. He considered asking Mio to put a block on his pathways to stop her from looking, but he doubted that would make a difference.
"It's not quite as interesting as I thought," she continued, "but I suppose with the right decisions, you'd have your—"
Madara and Yayoi turned to the door, distracted by the sound of heavy footfalls coming towards the sitting room. The doors were pushed apart by Uchiha Minako, the daughter of the deceased Uchiha Taiga who once served as Guardian of the Vision Sphere. She was a small girl with mousy hair bundled up into a knot atop her head.
"Madara!" the girl shouted.
"What is it, Minako?"
"Izuna came back. He's outside on the porch moping," Minako told him. "Granny wants you to see what's wrong with him. She also said that if you couldn't fix him, you should drag him inside the house."
Madara found it peculiar that Izuna had not found him upon arrival.
Izuna had made it a habit of meeting him whether it was dawn or the wee hours of the night to discuss the results of his negotiations.
After Taiga's death, Madara and Izuna had inherited the full responsibilities of being leaders of their clan, and for several months, they had struggled to find the natural balance they had accomplished under Taiga's sound counsel. Taiga had taken care of maintaining the clan's alliances to other clans, as well as their relations with many lords within the Fire Country and those in several neighboring countries, along with a daimyo or two. When the responsibility had fallen to the two of them, Madara had assigned a youth called Arata that their retired Head of Intelligence, Jouji, had recommended, but everything had gone disastrous and they ended up losing one of their benefactors to the Senju clan. Madara had taken over for a spell, but all the journeying that it required had detracted from his other duties.
Izuna had come to volunteer after a year of lost contracts, more war, and many struggles, admitting that he hadn't before because he enjoyed watching him suffer. Madara had his qualms about having his brother fronting the negotiations and Izuna had not made it any better when he said, "I will do my best to be as persuasive as Taiga, so that I may return to continue doing nothing while you do everything." That had worried him terribly as Taiga's methods of persuasion had been rumored to be nothing short of shameless; though believing his brother would not turn to such methods would be a naive thought. Izuna loved the Uchiha clan and would do everything for it to endure the war that plagued the world.
Despite his worries, Izuna had succeeded and had been journeying from country to country, from castle to castle, addressing all the lesser lords and many daimyos as an envoy to renew or establish new treaties to protect and serve them in their conflicts in return of a fee and goods. The Uchiha clan had flourished since the Artifact War's conclusion, though the amount of conflicts against the Senju clan and other rival clans had risen.
However, that had been the least of his worries since he had made the decision to help the priestess, Motou Yayoi, reassemble her clan and reunite with her brother. The problem was that the Sun Country had been closed off to the world since Motou Ayuka had gone there to die post-Artifact War. Izuna had been tasked with finding a way to reach the island as no port or sailor had been willing after a rumor spread that Mikazuki Rikuto had been sinking all ships that had come near it three years ago. This had Izuna going all over the Lightning Country in search of a new partnership along the coastal provinces.
Madara expected to hear news, good or bad, as soon as Izuna entered their territory, but his brother had not made it past their grandmother's home. Izuna had remained outside their grandmother's home in the countryside and had only been around to greet their old relative, who had been sitting outside tuning her samisen while enjoying the autumn leaves scattering in the wind according to Minako.
Madara approached the verandah where his brother sat at the steps. He took the seat beside him, breathing in the crisp air. Apart from the exaggerated gloom on his face, Izuna was without a scratch on him, which relieved Madara.
"I saw Mio again," Izuna blurted.
"Since she last visited?" Madara made sure his face was neutral like his tone.
He nodded. "I was nearby, so I went to see her."
"The Tea Country is not nearby."
"It only took three days to get there."
Madara grimaced, but curious, asked, "How was she?"
Izuna turned to him, disgruntled. "I kissed her."
"What?" he asked. He didn't think he heard that correctly.
"You heard me, I kissed her," Izuna repeated, half-shouting.
Now he needed him to shut up. "You did what?"
"Like you've never done it!" his brother defended, leaving him flabbergasted. "I bet you kiss her all the time!"
"I don't!" he snapped defensively. "So why are you doing it?"
"Why not?" Izuna jumped to his feet, whirling around to face him. His eyebrows were drawn together. "I wanted to kiss her, so I did! You obviously weren't doing it!"
Madara stood abruptly, seizing his brother by the shirt on impulse. "Mio is—"
"What, brother?" Izuna challenged. "What is Mio to you? Three years have gone by and neither one of you has made the effort to be together! You cannot expect me to have Mio tell me that you are her future and then drop it like none of it ever happened!"
Madara flushed, emotion boiling in his blood, and he released him. "That's—"
"I wasn't angry that you wanted to be together, but I will be angry if you decide to be too much of a coward and not do anything about being together. If you are serious about Mio, marry her!"
He stared at Izuna, stunned into silence.
"And you better be serious about her, brother, because if you are not, I am not giving up on her until I make her my wife," Izuna promised. "And you know how hard that will be."
Madara clenched his jaw to keep himself from punching him when Izuna grabbed hold of him. There was more to be considered than his brother had, as they were still sorting through their guilt. Hearing his brother practically goad over how easy it would be to make Mio his irritated the hell out of him. It wasn't a lie. Mio had been willing to marry his brother before knowing she could not love him romantically because she would be doing it to see him happy. Now, if they didn't do anything about their current relationship, Mio would become his sister-in-law.
"Is that what she was? A one-time passion?" Izuna spat after their lengthy stand-off.
Madara punched him, making him stagger backward. "She was not!" he snapped. "I would have never betrayed you if I was not serious, if I did not—"
"Then stop being a coward!"
The mere suggestion that Mio was just any woman, to be enjoyed briefly and abandoned, infuriated him to the point remembering the accusation made him want to hit his brother a second time. As he was about to, he heard the sound of Yayoi's shouting seconds before she grabbed hold of his arm to stop him, but he jerked it away.
"What is wrong with you?" Yayoi criticized, directing the question to both of them.
Izuna wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth before hitting Madara in retaliation. Madara stood his ground despite the hit making his face throb in pain.
Yayoi cut in between them a second time to prevent another exchange of blows.
"Stop!" Yayoi shouted.
Izuna shoved past her. "You are in love with her, admit it! Everyone knows!"
"Who knows?" Madara blurted.
"Everyone!"
"Why are you fighting over Mio? I thought we were done with this!" the priestess cried. "How stupid are you?"
"This does not concern you!" Madara and Izuna barked in unison.
Affronted, Yayoi used her body as a barrier to prevent the fight from escalating. "Do you know how ridiculous you look fighting over a girl?"
"I told you to stay out of this Yayoi," Madara shouted.
"Go read love fortunes for the village!" Izuna added.
"The only way you'll get me to leave is to remove me by force!" Yayoi challenged, looking to both of them and daring them to try. "You both look stupid! Sit down and talk about this like people!"
Stopping Madara and Izuna would be an impossible feat, which Yayoi learned quickly as she found herself screaming at them in the background after being shoved there. Her protestations came to an abrupt end around the time Madara criticized his brother for breaking one of his ribs. In fact, the priestess was no longer standing in his field of vision like before.
"So? You broke my nose!" Izuna shot back. True to his claim, his nose was a little off and there was blood flowing from it, staining his shirt.
The two were standing before one another, catching their breath, though doing so proved quite painful for Madara as he held a hand to his chest, covering the bruising area above the fracture. He glanced around him briefly, but did not catch sight of the priestess.
"Where's Yayoi?" Madara asked breathlessly.
"She probably went to…get—"
"I'm behind you!" Yayoi's voice came from the rear, followed by the sound of fingers snapping.
Madara and Izuna both turned to the shocking sight of the priestess standing near with a small group of people fronted by the woman who was the reason for their childish bout. Uchiha Mio stared upon their bruised, bloodied states with a somber look. Born to Uchiha parents, she was light-skinned with dark, wavy hair that fell past her shoulders braided loosely over one, with strands framing her face. She wore a sleeveless, turtleneck shirt that molded to her body under a loose kimono top tied by a sash with the Kuronuma crest, which resembled a string of smoke twisting into two semi-circles coupled with a pair of small dots above the smallest curve, on her back and a pair of pants underneath.
"Don't stop on our account," Uzumaki Nako said. "It was just getting interesting."
Nako's red hair had grown from the boyish cut she sported three years ago and it was held in a high ponytail that fell past the nape of her neck. Her green eyes danced, full of life. She was dressed in a white kimono shirt with a patterned collar tied together in a pink sash with white trousers underneath and a white haori that bore the Uzumaki's crest, a spiral in black, wrapped about her waist. Compared to her traveling companions, she wore the most layers, better suited against the crisp autumn winds.
"Now is not the time for encouragement, Nako," Kuronuma Takuto said, making the Uzumaki concede with a pout. Takuto, the clan's leader, towered over every person present at six feet and five inches. The Kuronuma tended to be of similar coloring, olive skinned with stark, white hair and eyes of different shades of rose—ranging from the lightest pink to the darkest red. However, Takuto was blond and was a little slender in comparison to other Kuronuma males, though it was not a drawback in his strength. He possessed the same physical ability that set the Kuronuma clan apart from other shinobi, but he devoted his strength and intelligence to medical ninjutsu.
His shaggy hair fell a little above his chin, half tied up and half down. It did not surprise anyone to see him dressed in a pair of short trousers and a sleeveless kimono top with the Kuronuma crest sewn underneath the back of his collar.
Mio moved to stand before Madara and Izuna as they composed themselves, despite looking at her shamefully. She went to Izuna first and reached out to hug him, squeezing him hard on purpose until he patted her back continuously.
"Okay, okay, Mio, I'm sorry!" Izuna cried.
She pulled back, staring at his broken nose. "Let me get your nose."
"No!" Izuna ducked out of the way. "Takuto can do it." He slithered out of sight. "Takuto!"
Mio walked to Madara. "Can we talk?"
"You should have Takuto heal that rib of his!" Izuna shouted, before cursing loudly after Takuto set his nose back. "I got him good, serves him right!"
"Shut up!" Madara snapped.
"Hold this to your nose," Takuto advised. "You'll bleed for a bit. If it doesn't stop, I'll give you something for that."
Takuto told Madara to sit at the edge of the verandah where he proceeded to alleviate the pain of his chest, while Yayoi escorted everyone inside having been asked to do so by Mio, who wanted privacy. Takuto was the last to enter the house, sealing the shoji screens behind him. Everyone's overlapping voices drifted further into his grandmother's home before they seemed too far to follow.
Madara and Mio were left alone, engulfed in an uncomfortable silence. He did not expect to see her, not so abruptly. She never came unannounced, impulsive as she was. She made it a habit to send word days in advance. That was something his grandmother had ingrained in her when she was training under her.
Mio walked forward, pressing her warm hands on either side of his face. Her touch, though gentle, made him wince as his brother had done a wondrous job at punching his face. She noticed and hesitated, but he reached to take her wrists reassuringly, keeping her warm touch in place a moment longer.
She pulled her hands from his face.
"What was so urgent that you made this trip without sending word?" he asked, hoping it had nothing to do with anything Izuna confessed.
"Izuna came to the Iron Country," Mio answered.
Madara scraped his palm down his face. "I sent him to the Tea Country, how did he end up in the Iron Country? How does he always end up in the Iron Country? I hope you know what he is doing?"
"I know exactly what he is doing, but that does not mean I was not the least bit curious," she replied. "So, I came to speak to you about options."
"Options?"
"For wives?"
He inwardly cursed that it was about the wife business. "I have received offers from other shinobi clans desiring to start an alliance, but I informed them I was not interested in marriage," he responded. "I am not taking a wife. Izuna should not have told you I was searching for one when I am not."
"Izuna told me about the clans attempting to correspond with you and I found one to be particularly suiting, talented shinobi, admirable leader with a beautiful daughter," she said seriously. "I understand your refusal but—"
"You should not believe everything Izuna says," Madara said, annoyed. "He would like to see me married so that he can marry you."
"I know that and we spoke about it—"
He bristled. "You considered it?"
"Izuna has always been my first choi—of course, this is about you," she said, quick to correct herself as his glare intensified. "Izuna and I discussed it and we found someone we could agree on. She comes from a powerful shinobi family. Izuna has seen her and deemed her of appropriate beauty—"
"What does that even mean?" Madara interjected. "This is ridiculous, Mio. I am not interested—"
"Listen!" she cut in, seeming nervous. He wondered if he was imagining it, but her ears were starting to redden. "I was not done. You see, before I tell you about this wonderful woman, I wanted to tell you about a more reasonable choice. She is…far from being a suitable wife, but she does hail from an old clan. However, you will find that you cannot rely on that clan's strength, which would make for a poor choice, but they can give you protection."
An old clan unable to provide their strength, but capable of protecting them, made him realize she was speaking of the Kuronuma clan.
"And the woman?" he asked, curious to hear her answer.
"Are you interested in marriage now?"
"Perhaps."
Mio lowered her eyes, smiling weakly. "I understand that the Kuronuma clan is not ideal," she said. "We are a formidable clan, but we worship peace. We have a terrible reputation in the shinobi world. We have strange power, but no intention of using it." She did not leave him opportunity to interrupt, though he opened his mouth to do so. "I can offer you nothing that could benefit the Uchiha clan," she admitted, finally looking at him, "but I want to marry you."
It surprised him to hear her say it, unsure she would ever come to accept an offer he had given only her. He caught himself staring at her like a fool, recovering quickly before words escaped him. He tried to keep a level head.
"Do you?" he breathed.
"I do," she said strangely, as if her voice had been wrung from her throat. "I want to marry you, but…but I have conditions."
"Did you hear that?" Yayoi asked critically, the sound of her voice drifting to his ears dampening the mood. He should have known better than to trust anyone in that house to respect privacy. "She has conditions."
"Shut up, Yayoi," Nako whispered harshly.
"Yes, some of us are trying to eavesdrop unnoticed," Takuto added, equally low. "Do you know how hard that is with Madara? His sensory skills are insanely difficult to circumvent."
"Yes, but we all know Mio kills his sensory skills dead," Nako remarked. "He needs better discipline."
"Shhhh! I can't hear them anymore!" Yayoi complained.
"That's because they're not saying anything," Takuto said.
Madara and Mio stared at one another. The silence that passed between them conferred their determination to ignore the eavesdroppers in the room beyond the verandah. The idiots had no sense of what whispering was. They were practically shouting at one another.
"The union has to solidify a permanent alliance between the Kuronuma clan and Uchiha clan," Mio continued. "No matter what, there must be no conflict between any of our clansmen. Ever."
"Can you make that decision?" asked Madara.
"I am making the decision on Takuto's behalf," she responded. "The Kuronuma clan needs the protection of a clan like this one. In turn, you might find use in our resources to arm yourselves against future attacks."
"Can she do that?" Yayoi asked skeptically. "You let her make these decisions for you? Are you what they call a…pushover?"
"I am not a pushover," Takuto protested.
"You are a pushover," Nako whispered. "You do everything she says. You should have just let her become leader."
"She didn't want to be leader!"
"What is your next condition?" Madara continued, trying to ignore their ongoing chattering.
"The Kuronuma clan is not to be expected to be active participants in any of your wars," she said, earning a frown. "It we are provoked, we will attack, and if we see one of yours in danger, we will protect them, but we will not kill others simply because they are your enemies. Our clan was born on the foundation of peace and protection. Not to mention your worst enemies are members of the same collective you once served. My clan will not raise our blades against them."
He would not win this particular argument, so he agreed with a curt nod.
"Next, I want children," she stated. "Many of them." She gestured towards the house. "Enough to fill this house."
He did not believe it possible to fill the entire house, but he would not deny her children if she desired them. She deserved to have the life she wanted and he would give it to her if he could.
"Any others?"
"I want all of them to be girls," she deadpanned.
Madara felt his eye twitch.
"Impossible," the eavesdroppers said in unison.
"You are aware your firstborn is a boy called Shinra, are you not?" he asked, watching her face change in indignation. "Or are we completely ignoring the Artifact War we fought because of him?"
"No, that definitely happened, but I have a plan," she said, and he groaned inwardly. A chorus of complaints could be heard behind him. "Do not make that face, the plan is perfect. We will have daughters."
"That condition is idiotic," he snapped. "You cannot decide you are having a litter of daughters—"
"Do not call it a litter, I am not an animal!"
"Doesn't it feel like all is well in the world?" Izuna's chimed in. "Madara and Mio are fighting again. When is the last time you heard them raise their voices at each other?"
"Three years," a chorus of familiar voices answered.
"It's been boring, they're overdue for some suspense," Yayoi remarked. "We need drama. Izuna, we need more drama!"
"I agree," his brother cheerfully responded. "More drama!"
He should have known his brother had lingered with them to instigate such a conversation. He had reason to suspect everyone had crammed themselves inside the small sitting room to eavesdrop on the conversation after they pretended to leave.
"It only is when they are having these stupid arguments," his grandmother's gravelly voice answered. "A litter of daughters, puh." The old woman laughed heartily. "Daughters would drive him mad. He won't last a minute."
There was laughter overlapping with his voice and Mio's.
"You are the one that wants a lot of children!" Madara yelled.
"And you are opposed to that?" she retorted.
"No, but you cannot decide a child's gender," he responded. "This isn't a market! We are not buying a child! Are you an idiot?"
"I want daughters! We have the Fate Sphere and I will make it happen!"
"Fine! Then we will have them!"
Behind the shoji, he heard the women giggling.
"Good!" Mio said, breathing deeply.
Madara huffed, regaining his equanimity. "Is that all?"
She nodded firmly.
"Good," he said. "Then, we should marry."
Mio smiled. Her hands were shaking and her ears were a bright red. Madara covered them, amused that she looked down embarrassed, and kissed her forehead. For a minute, they were able to forget everyone was eavesdropping on the most intimate conversation they had in years. There was a lot more to say, but it would not be right to discuss it now. He wanted to enjoy the moment, knowing Mio would be his. Only his.
"So, when do you think they will marry?" Uchiha Kana, his grandmother's caretaker, answered.
Just how many people were crammed in that room?
"We should ask them," Nako suggested earnestly.
"No!" Takuto and Yayoi protested.
"We don't want them to know we heard everything," Takuto whispered.
"We need privacy," Madara whispered, leaning forward so their foreheads touched.
"We should surprise them," Mio suggested.
He nodded.
Mio stalked up the stairs of the verandah and pulled apart the shoji to expose the roomful of culprits, who nonchalantly pretended to have gathered to enjoy tea together as Kana, a brown-haired woman in an apron, distributed sweets to go along with it.
"Oh, Mio? Would you like tea?" Takuto asked cheerfully.
"I expect a quick ceremony," Uchiha Sachiyo said sternly, and everyone made a sound in protest. His grandmother shot them a scathing look. The aged woman was white-haired, wrinkled, but stout with a proud mien. "Silence, children, I have but a few years left in me and I want to see this litter of daughters that these two plan to have."
Madara saw Mio visibly bristle at the word litter.
"Isn't it proper to host an engagement ceremony beforehand?" Kana asked, looking to the older woman. "Especially with the clan expectation. There should be some forewarning to the clan's advisors."
Sachiyo waved her hand dismissively. "The clan's advisors acted on their own when they decided to search for a bride when Madara would undoubtedly decide on Mio. It was only a matter of time." She stared at them directly. "I am, however, grateful that you decided to do so before I died. I am quite hopeful in the prospect of great-grandchildren." She zeroed in on Mio. "I remember your great-grandmother had a wealth of children, so I have no doubt that you will do your duty and give this clan an heir quickly. So, do not slack off."
Mio's ears turned a bright red, her embarrassment palpable.
His grandmother looked to Madara next. "And you," she started, "I expect you to do right by her. So, marry her quickly and give her as many daughters as she wants. Don't ask too many questions, just do it." She left her cup of tea on the table and stood on shaky legs. "Come, Kana, take me to my room."
"Yes, madam." Kana gathered the round, wooden tray she brought with her before accompanied Sachiyo out of the room, congratulating them as she went.
Mio remained at the door glaring at the thinned group. Madara waited, staring at each of them as they returned his glares with quizzical looks.
Izuna left his seat before the others and stood in front of Madara, placing both hands on his shoulders. "See, not difficult at all, was it?" he asked, smiling. "Even though it took my kissing Mio for us to get this far."
Mio snapped in their direction, perplexed. "What?"
"It was a little white lie, Mio, nothing to worry about," said Izuna, waving his hand to dismiss it. He turned to the others. "I think we should leave them to enjoy the moment."
"Is that the reason you are both in this state?" she demanded.
"You saw them fighting, did you not?" Yayoi asked, a hand on her hip and a scowl on her face. "Why else would they be fighting over?"
"We assumed it was something stupid," Takuto commented, glimpsing at Nako, who nodded.
"We never imagined it was this stupid," Nako added.
Mio stared at them disappointedly. Izuna smiled, guiltless, and Madara's frown deepened. Knowing his brother as he did, he cursed himself for failing to see it had been another of his ploys. However, he would not deny that there wasn't an inkling of truth in Izuna's threats. He would marry Mio if Madara didn't.
Kana appeared at the doorway several minutes later, snapping her fingers to break the silence. "The kitchen staff prepared food, those two other Kuronumas and the kids are already eating, so you should all go have something to eat. I'll have someone prepare rooms for you upstairs. Come on."
"Let's have something to eat, Mio," Takuto suggested. "We should introduce Taiki and Kaori, too."
Mio nodded. She was the first to leave the room, following Kana to the dining area with everyone else following close behind. Kana slid apart the shoji for them and they entered one after the other. Two square tables sat connected to one another and they were laden with several platters of food.
The two Kuronuma adults that had accompanied Mio were in the middle of fighting with the white-haired twins that refused to eat. Mio pulled one of the four-year-old girls into her arms, a child with her white hair plaited down the side of her round face. Takuto took the shorthaired twin with big, heavily lashed eyes that were a light shade of pink.
The twins lost their parents when the Mikazuki clan invaded Mt. Hyōga four years ago when they were infants. As their last remaining blood relative, Mio had taken them into her care when she returned to the Kuronuma clan and Takuto had helped her, the two having become parents for the two.
"We started without you, Shugosha, Takuto-sama, Nako-san," the female Kuronuma said respectfully. She was a petite woman with pale hair tied in a knot atop her head and magenta-colored eyes. "I hope you don't mind."
Mio gestured to her, introducing her as Kuronuma Kaori, then waved her hand in the direction of an enormous man with the look of a Kuronuma male—towering over six feet and bulging with muscles—who wore his white hair combed back neatly and dubbed him Taiki.
"They are members of the Council of Elders," Mio revealed, smiling.
"We are the youngest members, all three of us," Kaori corrected, referring to herself, Taiki, and Mio. "The rest are over fifty and fastidiously grumpy."
Madara welcomed them into his house as Izuna moved forward to greet the two, having met them in the Iron Country during one of his many visits. His brother took his seat and served himself a bowl of rice to start his meal. Nako took the opportunity to do the same, pulling food onto an empty plate.
Yayoi cooed over the girl in Mio's arms. "Who are these lovely girls?"
"Yuuka," Mio introduced. "She is the oldest."
"And this would be Noe," Takuto added, holding up the youngest twin for Yayoi to fawn over.
"Are they yours?" Yayoi asked, looking onto the Kuronuma elders who scowled in disgust at the thought of being considered a couple.
"They're ours," Takuto said, wrapping an arm around Mio.
Clearly misunderstanding, the priestess gasped. "You shameless harlot!" she cried at Mio, and then rounded on the blond man beside her. "And you! You oaf! Feel some shame! How dare you put your filthy hands on her? Madara just asked her to marry him!"
"Well, the Shugosha did do the proposing," Kaori remarked, earning a look that left her stumbling for words. "I mean, that was the plan, was it not, Shugosha?"
"Kaori-san?" Takuto called, smiling.
"Yes?"
"Just stop."
Yayoi's outrage continued. "How could you do this to him, Mio? I believed in you! I always thought you were strong enough to resist the call of a handsome man, but I was wrong! I am—"
"Why are you shouting?" Izuna cut in. "They are Okimi and Enya's children."
"What?" Yayoi snapped. Her face twisted in confusion. "Wait, who are Okimi and Enya?"
"Okimi was my cousin," Mio clarified, setting Yuuka on her feet. The small girl frowned up at her in objection.
"Oh? I had no idea you had a cousin," Yayoi said, nodding. "So where is she?"
"Okimi and Enya died on Mt Hyōga when Mikazuki Rikuto invaded," Madara replied, stepping past them to take his own seat.
"Mikazuki Rikuto?" Yayoi blinked in acknowledgement. "Oh, I remember him."
"You probably wanted to have his children," Izuna teased, laughing at her horror.
"That's absurd!" Yayoi sputtered, her face burning bright red proving the truth in Izuna's words. "I would never think that of any of Ayuka's children."
Madara felt himself choke on his tea, snapping his attention to Yayoi. "What? Ayuka had other children."
"What?" Izuna questioned. It was news to him, too.
"She had two sons, Gouki and Rikuto," Mio answered.
Mikazuki Rikuto was the reason they were unable to enter the Sun Country. Learning of his relation to Ayuka helped him understand why he would have gone through such lengths to forbid entry after the priestess's death. However, the new information beckoned a whirl of new suspicions.
"How do you know that?" Madara asked.
"I know everything about all of my potential enemies," she said laxly, "but I doubt we'll have to worry about him. He's too docile."
Taken aback, Izuna asked, "Docile? What's docile about a man that sinks ships left and right?"
"He isn't that bad," she said, waving her hand dismissively.
"Did he sink your boat, Mio?" Izuna demanded. "You said you went to make sure Ayuka was dead, didn't you?"
Mio turned to stare at Madara with intensity. "You told him?"
"He tells me everything."
Her glare intensified.
"I don't tell him everything," Madara said quickly. "He was the one eavesdropping."
"I would never eavesdrop!" Izuna said, scandalized.
At that, both Madara and Mio faced him, their expressions begging him to lie himself out of that one. There was not one person in the house that did not eavesdrop and they had proven that when they overheard their conversation turned proposal from start to finish.
"I might have been walking by," Izuna conceded. "Might have."
"He sank my boat," Mio admitted.
"Docile? Really, Mio? Docile?" Yayoi shook her head, going on a rant on every reason Mikazuki Rikuto was not compliant, but Mio remained unfazed by the argument. "He sank your boat! You're afraid of water!"
"He apologized for it."
"And that's enough? So if I try to drown you in the lake and apologized, you would forgive me?" Yayoi challenged.
"If you were sincere I would."
"Madara! Talk sense to her."
"I'm going to talk with Sachiyo," Mio said, standing. "We can talk sense into me later."
Yayoi and Izuna both stared at him expectantly, but Madara shrugged. Talking sense into her was the same as teaching a wall to talk. He was not going to waste time on it because it wouldn't work.
Madara found it hard to imagine anyone related to Ayuka as docile, especially when they managed to garner a reputation for sinking ships, whether they carried innocent people or shinobi. Somehow, he didn't fully trust Mio told him the whole story concerning her secret trip to the Sun Country three years ago, but that argument was better suited for another day.
xl: We are definitely starting light.
I considered having Madara and Mio marry later on in the story, but figured they wouldn't have the time to do it. They are going to be super busy. So, I figured I might as well, since I wanted them to go on with it. I think the chapters fit with the month, too. Since there's Christmas, if you celebrate it, and New Year's. I never thought about it before.
The next chapter goes up on Dec 24. Since I posted the story on Mio's birthday, I figured I might as well post the next chapter for Madara's. So, I'll see you then!
Thank you for reading! :D
P.S. There is a preview for the next chapter available at my livejournal.