A/N:Too many revisions makes Mersea a slow updater :(
I take it a good sign that people are sympathizing with Madara. I thank you for all your reactions. I look forward to more shocked expressions in the future!
cheeky half-demon: That's a rhetorical question, right? I don't have to answer it? ;)
Nisroc:Physical torture? Patience dearie.
Giraffe:Haha, I agree; Loreli likely scores a 98 out of 100 on the Mary Sue scale. I have no excuse, other than admitting that things haven't turned out the way I quite expected them to—but things never do go as planned for me anyway. During the course of writing this story, you see, I came to realize that Madara would never drop that patronizing attitude towards her if he cannot come to respect her first. No easy feat while up against someone like him, mind you.
And since I hold a very feminist point of view in literature, I will not allow my heroine to be treated like crap by the hero for the entire duration of a story AND to still call it a romance. NEVER will you see me portray Stockholm's Syndrome in my stories unless it is purely intentional! end rant.
Just wanted to make my standpoint known because I know the early chapters may have been deceiving ;)
Till You Die
20 – His Galatea II
"How long have you known?"
Balanced precariously on the two hind legs of his chair, Izuna glanced up from the account book he was examining and returned him with a look that said, 'Are you seriously asking me that'?
Madara arched a long, thin eyebrow in mock question. "It is precisely why you have summoned the council to witness, is it not?"
"…Hn. You wouldn't tell me anything," Izuna reminded him with a casual, amused quirk of his lips. "Did you think I'd tie you down to a random woman you brought back without doing my own research on her first?"
Madara reclined himself to one side of his seat, asking Izuna coolly, "Yet you thought better than to inform me?"
"I know you," Izuna replied good-naturedly, eyes creased up in a smile. "You never did like having your dominance challenged. Had you known she was such a strong, capable woman from the start, I dare not imagine what you would've done to try to coerce that poor woman completely under your control. Her apparent defenselessness held you back." A knowing grin. "Moreover, need I remind you that you did not have the best impression of her back then?"
A fist slammed against the desk.
"So I would have lost her either way!" Madara stormed in anger.
Izuna's relaxed expression remained constant. "Hn… Let's just say, I had underestimated the extent of that woman's effect on you; to the point where merely the notion of losing her can cause you to lose composure."
He had no reply for that. Madara ran a rough hand through his long ebony bangs.
He'd lost her anyway.
Perhaps he deserved to lose her.
He was a beast where she was concerned. And he dared to request for her heart?
…
"…Damn it!"Madara gritted out between clenched teeth.
Izuna let out a chuckle, successfully feeding to his brooding rage. "What will you do, now, Madara?"
What will he do now? What can he do now? …Aside from throttling the younger man for not even bothering to hide his blatant amusement.
"Well," Izuna said, marking down the page he was on before closing the book and tossing it aside, "In any case, have you hit her, aside from that one misfortunate incident with the serpent?"
Madara tensed and jerked his head away to one side, recalling bitterly, "You should have learned of the way she came into my possession by now."
…But that was before. Before he—
"Then have you ever taken her with no regard for her pleasure?" Izuna asked, raising a questioning brow.
Madara looked to him silently, eyes slimming in suspicion. "Izuna," he said in warning.
Both Izuna's dark eyebrows flew up. "Then you have?"
"No!"
"Hmm…" Sporting a thoughtful expression, Izuna inquired, "Have you ever attempted to force her obedience by the use of threat towards her loved ones?"
He had an inkling where Izuna was going with this. Nonetheless, Madara asked with a mocking eyebrow, "Are you suggesting that I should have?"
"Oh my. I take back what I said before," Izuna told him, chuckling. "You do have a sense of humour."
Dark scowl. "Not now,Izuna!" Madara snarled in exasperation.
Izuna went up to his feet with a spin of his chair. "You want to know what I think?"
Bluntly. "No."
As expected, the younger man went on regardless. "Have you ever wondered why that is, my brother? The great Uchiha Madara from before would have had no qualms subduing an outsider using any means necessary. Yet you were surprisingly lenient on her, were you not? …Could it be…?"
His arms crossed casually before him, Izuna leaned over. "That you had subconsciously wanted her to remain with you out of her own will?"
Masking a scowl, Madara returned Izuna's smug look with one of arrogant scorn. "Is that what it looks like?"
"Let me tell you something," Izuna responded with a knowing smile. "A woman who's gentle yet fierce, brilliant yet self-aware, willful and yet genuinely cares about others, only comes around once in several decades. I don't know whether it's pure dumb luck or if you knew it intuitively, but it seems that the only one you have ever brought back to the clan…" Izuna's smile slid up to a rare smirk "…is just such a woman."
Madara didn't reply. He was picturing the timid and hesitant girl who had balked at coming anywhere near him. He was seeing the shrewd and confident woman who hardly blinked in meeting his eyes, now. Who would've known that they were one and the same? Had he known? But then, why her…?
"Hn… I'll tell you something else you should know," Izuna suggested, straightening with his arms crossed leisurely. "All rest of the clan was aware that you have a very tender spot for that girl. You were just too proud to admit it while you still believed her to be beneath your notice." Izuna rested his elbow on the backrest of Madara's chair. "You get it now? Madara."
"That's the reason why they were all silent on this matter before," observed Izuna. "There is no reason they should keep their silence, now. Everyone is expecting you to make appropriate amends to your sweet wife."
Sweet? Madara's eyes slimmed as he recalled the cruel, whispery twist of her lips; a promise of returning her pain to him tenfold. She could be anything but sweet to him. Anything but forgiving.
"Heh." It was a mocking look Madara slanted up at his younger sibling. "And you?" he asked, arching long, arrogant eyebrows. "What kind of outcome are you expecting?"
"Oh ho." Izuna sidestepped that question with an infuriating grin. "Well then," the younger man chose to comment instead, "If it's true that you haven't done any of those things I mentioned, then it means you haven't done anything…irrevocable-…yet."
Pause.
"But," Izuna added casually, "If there is one thing that can be certain when it comes to women," quirking an eyebrow "it's that you don't try to reason them out of their anger."
Madara rolled his tongue inside one cheek, absently listening with a restless and impatient demeanor. Trust Izuna to know exactly what he had attempted to do.
"She has admitted her flaws before," Izuna pointed out. "I find it hard to believe that she is normally such a self-righteous person. Wouldn't be surprised if her recent…defensiveness had spawned from your inability to do the same for her."
Again his curled fist met the surface of his desk. Loose items rattled.
"I haveadmitted the error of my ways!" Madara positively bellowed with rage.
"But have you actually apologized?" Izuna asked, quirking questioning eyebrows. "I'm sorry, my dear; I was wrong and you were right…Will you not forgive me if I beg for forgiveness on my knees?"
"WHAT!"
"You can't mean to tell me that you've forgotten our little agreement," Izuna said amusedly. "Wasn't there something about…" with feigned remembrance "…Then I suppose I have it in me to-…ge-…"
His words were choked off as he was grabbed by the high collar of his white shirt, meeting two furiously spinning Sharingan eye to eye.
…
…Izuna reconsidered his options, amending, "…-Then I suppose I have it in me…-to get Izuna to let me handle this on my own."
"Oh, her waist is small, so small…!"
…With trembling fingers, Loreli grasped the side of the wooden drawer which stood before her.
Just because her waist was small didn't mean they should try and make it nonexistent.
"There. All done!" A pat was felt on the back of her obi belt. She was turned around by the shoulders.
Three sets of skeptical expressions crowded her vision.
"Hum… Something's not right."
All of a sudden, her hair was being gathered up none too gently, the skin stretching back from her eyes.
…Ah, she had already lost a lot of hair in the past week, and now they were trying to pull off what was left of it.
"How's this?" she heard one woman ask to her companions, finishing up with the hairpins. "Doesn't she look livelier, now?"
…Ow.
"Don't close your eyes!"
Her eyes snapped open in startlement.
"You lose sight of your surroundings, you're as good as dead!" the yell rose over a torrent of further, more distant voices and sounds of weapons and jutsu colliding.
…
…Breathing out a slow breath, Loreli gradually relaxed, leaning back against her boulder. Right, that's right. She had come to the training grounds to allow her shinobi guard some exercise, but it made her head spin if she tried to keep up with any of their movements with her eyes. Really, she had wanted to sleep for just one more day.
"My lady."
She blinked a few times, suddenly recalling that a few of the women had accompanied her.
"You're not looking over at the training field?"
"…No."
…Watching the Uchiha ninja learn new techniques was fine. Watching them spar one another was an entirely different matter. It could pretty much be summed up as always having one stronger shinobi beating down a weaker one while exclaiming, 'Still alive!' whack 'Dead now!'
Aha. The only thing which held her interest at the training ground was the routine rounds the medics did. She had yet to figure out why the very people who did the bandaging and the mending for the injured were the ones who were on the receiving end of the greatest amount of hostility from the men.
"My lady."A near-whisper this time. Loreli glanced up with a raised eyebrow, too lazy to actually lift her head.
"I meant to say," the Uchiha woman whispered, "You should be looking over at the field."
Vaguely curious, Loreli twisted her upper body around to look. And immediately regretted doing so.
Their leader, Uchiha Madara, had arrived at the training fields, and was presently speaking to one of the trainers. She should have known that would be the only reason why the women were so excited. Perhaps if she could get them to stop staring so expectantly in his direction…
It didn't seem like she had to worry. Without as much as a glance her way, Madara had dismissed the other man and was heading back towards the buildings with his brisk, powerful strides.
Didn't notice or didn't care for her presence.
Could she hope…?
…
Several long moments passed before she chanced another glance to make sure he was gone.
Her heart arrested inside her throat.
Oh…oh, no.
The tall, long ebony-haired shinobi leader hadn't left the training grounds after all. She had not realized what—or rather, who was there on that side of the field.
Uchiha Madara was pulling off his black leather gloves, speaking calmly to the resting Murata; words which she couldn't hear.
He couldn't be-
But he was. She knew it even before Murata rose to a quick flick of his bare hand; a beckon for him to get up. She had known it the instant Uchiha Madara had discarded his gloves to one side and his crimson red eyes had looked up to seize her full attention.
"Why? He-"
Those words were barely out of her mouth before the first blow was thrown. In one continuous motion Madara had sidestepped the fist, and the next thing she witnessed was an earth-shattering impact as he smashed Murata down headfirst to the ground by the fabric of Murata's high shirt collar. A small gust of dust dispersed to reveal that his opponent had replaced himself with a log of dead wood at the last possible instant.
Madara stepped to the side, shifting his stance right before lifting up one arm to block Murata's knee. What followed was an exchange of blows too quick for her to make sense of, both on land and in air. What she did make out was the pause in between where both men appeared to be suspended in space, each repeatedly phasing out and reappearing above the other, vying to be the one on top when the final blow is delivered.
Slam.
"Oh," Loreli could just hear the wince in the other woman's voice as it announced, "He's got him."
The dry earth cracked and shattered beneath Uchiha Madara's elbow as Murata again replaced himself out of harm's way.
It wasn't until she felt two hands on her shoulders, pressing her back down, did Loreli realize that she had unconsciously risen up to a stand.
"Relax. Murata is not known to be second only to Izuna for no reason. And besides," she was told, "Madara-sama is holding back."
Holding back? Loreli thought incredulously. The feudal lord's men back at the castle, when they practiced with one another, they were holding back; working with pure techniques and precision. But this. Anyone who was blind enough to miss the intent behind each hit could surely sense it.
Bloodlust.
…Not for honour, for the ninja clans operated without loyalty. Not for glory, since the common people would only acknowledge them as replaceable mercenaries at best. This was the difference between those who depict war as an art, and those who have devoted themselves to it as a way of life.
She blinked, brought out of her daze by the sight of Murata tumbling up to a kneel, crossing his arms immediately to shield his head. Madara broke through Murata's guard by a powerful up-aimed side kick, his long mane flaring around him, and followed it by a back spin kick delivered straight to the neck at blurring speed. The blow was fortunately blocked in time by Murata, who had to reinforce that blocking arm with his other hand.
Loreli felt her body work up a shiver at the sickening sound that impact had made. If these were just average human beings, there was no way that couldn't have snapped a bone.
Ah, she was restless watching him. Her lips were dry, the entirety of her focus on his battle stance; a half-crouch, head half-slanting forward and red eyes locked onto his opponent, hands unfurled and at the ready on either side of him. His arm movements were clean and precise, borrowing their strength from the hard muscles of his chest and lean abs. His footing was quick and secure, his long powerful legs supporting the weight of his entire body against the harsh blows of his opponent's attacks. Each time one of them landed a hit she felt her breath stifle and some inner part of her shrink in cowardice.
An elbow came down to rest on her shoulder, giving her an unpleasant startle.
"Which one are you watching?"
Loreli darted a glance at the woman in shock. "Hum-?"
Fingers gripped her lightly behind her ears. The Uchiha woman chuckled knowingly as she turned Loreli's head back to face the direction of the two tireless shinobi.
"You should be watching him," the woman leaned forward to say next to her ear. "His form is magnificent."
…Pursing her lips, Loreli found that she could grudgingly admit that much.
"That is the strongest Uchiha in the clan, a next to impossible feat for one so young."
Loreli made no response. Quickly, she jerked her gaze away when she found her eyes inexplicably drawn in by his monstrous demonstration of superiority.
…Monsters. The earth was trembling and sighing beneath her feet. She recalled rather suddenly that Murata had already gone through two matches prior to this one. If this goes on, what will become of him?
"…He is making a punchbag of my assigned bodyguard right before my eyes. Am I wrong to presume he is trying to tell me something?" Loreli inquired in monotone.
A hand clapped her on her back.
"Aww, don't be like that. Is it so unfair for him to examine the caliber of a man who is going to be held responsible for the life of his wife?" she was asked. "Well, Murata isIzuna-sama's right hand; Madara-sama likely never had an opportunity to play with him before."
Loreli didn't heed that comment. Her attention had been snatched by a handful of young kunoichi, perhaps no older than herself, who had stopped on their way back towards the buildings to watch their clan leader spar with Izuna's best man. But as soon as one of the women noticed her gaze, a few words were exchanged among them and they left, two of them tossing baleful glances back over their shoulder.
…
"My, Madara-sama has his share of jealous admirers," Loreli mused aloud, tilting her head lightly to one side as she studied his figure in the distance. "Why am I surprised?"
A chuckling. "My lady, surely you can't mean that. Even as a youth, Madara had drawn eyes" pause "…although that might've been because he was always being involved in one fight or another."
Loreli arched a skeptical eyebrow, though she didn't turn around, nor bothered to comment.
"But in a clan where even siblings were brought up in hostile competition against each other, Madara was a rare kind. The girls knew that whoever could be on the receiving end of the same kind of affection Madara had towards Izuna, she'd be a very fortunate woman indeed."
'Fortunate,' Loreli thought. If you'd count getting the wind knocked out of you each time you cracked a joke about him; that kind of affection as fortunate.
She glanced back.
"They liked him?" she asked of the women. "A troublemaker like he had been?"
Nods.
After a thoughtful pause, Loreli asked, "…Enough to kill whomever Madara-sama ends up choosing?"
Several wide-eyed expressions met her stare.
…Loreli nonchalantly turned back to her original posture. "…Just wondering."
"My lady," a feminine voice spoke up, the hesitancy evident in her tone.
"No," Loreli pondered aloud, "I don't suppose the culprit's intention was to kill me. But that is what is curious about it, don't you think?" A smooth pause. She lowered her eyes, smiling a little wry smile to herself. "No matter how I think about it…A person who had access to the women's quarters without rousing suspicion…And a stab at poisoning two lovers' relationship at the cost of her own life…Looks to have been an act of jealousy."
Silence from behind her.
"…My lady, something like that is-…" the voice trailed off.
…Something like that was the reason why Uchiha Izuna, a shrewd shinobi who valued subtlety, had felt the need to station someone of Murata's caliber at her side, was it not…?
"…My lady," someone finally said in an apologetic tone. "Please…do not make a hasty judgment based on this."
Hasty judgment…? On what…?
"Perhaps," the woman continued hesitantly, "it is best to inform my lady of the unsightly side of the clan's history not mentioned in text."
Loreli blinked.
"My lady has probably learned that the ninja clans, when they first formed, were originally loyal to their respective feudal lord or master, and only later on broke off and became independent."
"In truth, the Uchiha, as well as any other clan with bloodline limits, were persecuted as demons ever since the beginning. And admittedly, not without good reason: entire towns have been known to be devastated by someone with 'superior genealogy' losing control."
"Though try as they might, no one had been successful in exterminating all the so-called demons. It was a vicious cycle of vengeance, a dark and chaotic age."
"Then came a foreign monk who happened to pass by this land on his travels. It was he who had made a proposition to the feudal lords he visited, a proposition which would create the ninja as we know it today."
"In exchange for a place to live and for supplies, a selected clan would swear loyalty to its feudal lord and become his own secret army. They were trained by the monk in basic techniques, on which they would later adapt into their own styles."
"That isn't to say the feudal lords didn't take precautions," the Uchiha woman added. "By conventional agreement, it is established that no ninja clan across all the nations is permitted to own land, to establish trade, or to be hired for any job. All of this was to ensure that no clan, for the sake of livelihood, would leave the service of its master."
"It was a functional system in theory," she admitted. "But in reality, the lords exploited the opportunity to rid themselves as many bloodlines as possible. After all, they could always foster the stronger clan once their own had been defeated."
"Yet there were clans that never fell before an opponent, ones that grew continuously stronger each battle. And the more power these clans gained, the more wary their patron lords became. Our clan, the Uchiha, was one among the many to become distrusted by its own employer. It would eventually lead to the tragedy that would once again reshape the shinobi world."
"The First Great Shinobi War," Loreli said quietly, following the timeline of events.
"Some of the ninja were suspicious," the woman replied approvingly. "But what was there to do? They had sworn loyalty to their lord and must carry out his orders."
Loreli pursed her lips, staring impassively ahead of her.
"In the end, they were…horribly betrayed."
"It was a death match, in simplest terms. Many feudal lords facing the same dilemma had pitted their ninja against each other, keeping the women and children as hostage back home with their samurai armies."
"It was the clan now known as Senju Clan of Forest that had eventually attempted and succeeded in putting an end to the suicide mission."
A familiar name. That was the dominant clan to the East, said to contain members who have mastery in either ninjutsu, taijutsu and genjutsu, all three. Rumour has it that they have never lost a war.
"The original Senju and several other clans banded together at some point during that battle. The rest of the fighting came to a standstill. Remaining clans knew that it was futile attacking a force much greater than their own, and to continue battling other clans would only exhaust themselves before their final foe."
"Thus, the first and bloodiest battle in First Great Shinobi War ended with an uneasy stalemate."
…But the women and children? Loreli wanted to ask.
"The feudal lords weren't as senseless as to kill the hostages straight away. They hadn't expected so many to survive, and after learning that the returning ninja had cut through their fully prepared samurai armies, they were quick to reconsider their options."
"Some clans played cautious and negotiated for their freedom, while others took theirs in cold-blooded vengeance. Desperate to keep their lives, many lords let their ninja go without putting up resistance. They figured that, at the very worse, things would only revert to the way it was before for the ninja clans; ostracized from society and hunted down by others. And there were right."
"Except there was one major difference this time. No longer were we defenseless beings who were chased from one place to the next. No, they have…terribly underestimated how strong the ninja have grown."
"The War had not come to an end with just that. As the war raged on, it became increasingly obvious that only a ninja clan can go up against another ninja clan. All of a sudden, it was the ninja who have become the dominant militaristic power across the nations. The mercenary system which you see now has its roots grounded firmly from the vicious demand for hired ninja back then."
"Even so, those, and the decades that were to follow them, were harsh times," the woman informed her. "For the first time Uchiha females who were able to awaken the Sharingan were encouraged to fight alongside the men. Even so, our military prowess was dwindling fast."
"We had several leaders in quick succession. None were able to gain absolute authority, and thus, no vital decisions could ever be made fast enough. Once or twice the clan divided amongst itself…with dire consequences."
"There was great turmoil within our own ranks. The Uchiha had gone through its fair share of losses and of betrayals. Some wanted to give up the war. Others wanted to merge with another clan. And still others suggested going back to the protection of a feudal lord. None of these options pleased the proud and self-respecting Uchiha warriors, of course. As a result, several shinobi began to abandon the clan, causing further the loss of a few capable men."
"The answer came forth in an unlikely form: a young boy who, more than anyone, hated to bow down to others."
Loreli blinked, recognizing the person whom they were describing.
…Madara.
"Even as a child, that had been painstakingly apparent: Madara hated being taken pity upon." A headshake. "Ay, your husband was born with that arrogant disposition that you see now. The few times that boy had accepted help was when it had something to do with his little brother. "
Born with it…? Slowly, Loreli rested her chin back into the palm of her hand. Her thoughts drifted back to what the head medic had told her, but she did not comment.
"Needless to say, that kind of attitude earned him a lot of trouble back then. What's more, Izuna had often been picked on by instructors and trainees alike. Madara…" A soft sigh was heard. "But no one helped that boy with his troubles."
"But that is the harsh truth of the matter: The Uchiha had a shortage of supplies, and considered it pointless to keep those who are unworthy alive. The little Izuna, who had an unusual aversion to violence, was labeled as one of those, yet his brother would not give up on him. After all, 'the offspring of a failure will never become anything great,' or so they thought."
A failure. Loreli found that her mouth had gone dry. The head medic, Ingra, had told her that the brothers' father hadn't been a very competent shinobi. But to be labeled a failure…She didn't think-…
"And in the same way no one tried to stop the harassment and the teaming up on Madara when he was young, no one tried to stop him when he was strong enough to retaliate."
"It was almost as though he were hiding his full potential all along. It got to the point where not even the mentors could handle him once he got serious. After one particularly violent incident where he severely injured a trainer, Madara left, taking Izuna with him."
"He had seen fifteen winters by then. Izuna twelve. No one knows for sure how they spent the next three years of their lives, aside from bits and pieces."
"When he returned, Madara was no longer the rowdy, antagonistic boy he used to be. He had become a fine, charismatic man of eighteen with his own ninja techniques, and had already made a name for himself in the shinobi world. Izuna was no longer the quiet-voiced little boy who paled at mention of war, but a lethal shinobi who can tell his enemy to 'please die' while wearing the pleasantest of smiles."
"And the reason for their unexpected return; to put a permanent halt to the merger the councilors had planned with another clan, the Sorairo."
"…Is it true?" Loreli asked, a bit too softly for the woman to hear her clearly.
"Pardon?"
Loreli blinked. "Is it true that…Ingra-san's mother was one of the Sorairo clan's medics?"
"Ah. You've heard of that, my lady?"
"The Uchiha had allied Sorairo once in the past. Our military prowess and their healing power are complementary to one another. Out of all the clans in the vicinity, Sorairo was the only one we might've been able to trust."
"But, while the Uchiha suffered setbacks from the continuing war; Sorairo, with few enemies and many allies in need of their medics, prospered. In actuality, the merger was to insure that Sorairo would cease to be an imminent threat to the weakened Uchiha."
"Madara, need I say, did not approve of this. Not many did approve, but what could be done? The councilors did not listen to Madara's argument, claiming that he was just an arrogant young upstart who had not witnessed enough wars to accept the rationality of the decision. But Madara's influence had persuaded several young shinobi to his side of the argument, and the councilors were pressed to give concession."
"They set Madara up for an impossible task. In one month's time, before the meeting to finalize the merger, he is to find and retrieve each and every one of the Uchiha shinobi who had defected from the clan. Only then will the councilors reconsider, reasoning that they needed the manpower. The catch? The defectors have to be persuaded to return willingly, else they will be sentenced to death, whereby bringing things back to square one."
"Unimpressed, Madara chose to leave Izuna behind to keep an eye on the councilors, and left by himself on his quest."
"When the appointed day rolled around, there still had been no contact from Madara. Izuna didn't appear worried whatsoever. He sat by himself in one corner of the room, aware that all the attention was converged on him."
"When the messenger came to inform us that there was no need to send anyone; that representatives from Sorairo had come to us instead, the councilors turned to Izuna and asked the boy if he had any objections. After a brief pause, Izuna reopened his eyes and smiled, 'No'."
"It was at that moment that the doors to the Gathering Hall swung open and Madara entered, followed by a group whose faces we'd never thought to see again. The number of highly talented men who have lost hope in how the clan was run and have abandoned the clan, have returned to it by Madara's side. It is these very men who are even now Madara-sama's high councilors."
Loreli gasped, her mind spinning in an effort to keep up.
"Shocked and uneasy at how this had turned out, the councilors were quick to point out that he was a little too late. The representatives from Sorairo were heading over, and to reject them now was a supreme insult that would lead to war."
"Madara listened to their desperate attempts to defend themselves. Then he gave a small smirk, as though it amused him greatly."
"'You don't get it yet?' Madara had asked with a lightly raised eyebrow."
"The so-called representative from Sorairo. It's me."
Blinking rapidly a few times, Loreli gave a light frown in confusion.
Seeing that, the Uchiha woman explained with a laugh, "Not only was Madara able to convince the Uchiha defectors to follow him within the time allotted to him, he and his new followers had independently brought the Sorairo to their knees. The councilors realized what this meant, and had nothing more to say. To think that just these few warriors' strength alone had far outbalanced the rest of the clan…Madara's influence was by then irrefutable."
"Amidst the eyes of all, Madara went over to where Izuna stood, then turned back to face those present and gave what was probably the shortest but most powerful speech in our clan history."
A dramatic lowering and lengthening of her voice.
"I hear you, lost warriors: your hearts cry out for recognition."
"Surrender your powers to me, and I will carry out your wishes."
Chuckling. "I don't suppose we need to tell you the rest?" the woman said with a smile.
"Madara-sama," the woman told her, "is the symbol of the new clan. Like an idol. We've always thought that if he ever were to wed, it would be to a strong and fearsome kunoichi who could rival him in ninja skills."
An apologetic tone, explaining, "You must understand, my lady: The Uchiha clan's proud kunoichi who had long fought alongside the men have not taken well to being told to remain at the stronghold and to take up their traditional role as homemakers. And now, Uchiha Madara, their much revered leader, had taken a wife who is the embodiment of how an Uchiha woman should be under the new clan laws. The kunoichi are unhappy. They must have taken some offense."
Loreli averted her gaze, a sigh escaping her lips. She hadn't realized that she had been holding in her breath.
"Ah, but my lady," someone was quick to reassure her, "those are the young and headstrong kunoichi. Not everyone is discontent with Madara-sama's choice."
Loreli straightened slightly and steeled herself for the forthcoming lecture. "…Un."
"My lady, us women who inhabit the center complex are the most docile. That, and because we sympathize since we know you best. But if one of those disgruntled kunoichi were to find out how my lady is behaving towards Madara-sama…"
"…Then perchance she will attempt to sway his affections?" Loreli asked blankly.
That earned her quite a number of unappreciative stares.
…
Loreli pursed her lips, growing solemn. "You…all of you…are under no delusions. So why…" she trailed off lightly in her question.
With a gentle smile, one replied, "Because we genuinely believe you and Madara-sama are compatible."
The hardening of her own expression, Loreli felt.
"My lady," the woman said hurriedly, having interpreted the reaction correctly, "have you not already proven yourself before the clan? Madara-sama has all the potential to become a great man, but it does not change the fact that he is still young. And aside from Izuna, my lady is perhaps the only other person whom Madara-sama-…"
The woman was interrupted when Loreli rose slowly to her feet.
…Ah, Loreli could hardly believe what she was hearing…
Did they want her to act as some kind of mediator?
Aha…
...
A cool breeze brushed past her skin. Loreli relinquished in it, allowing herself to regain some of her calm.
Yet despite her best efforts, it seemed she wasn't able to keep the bitterness from surfacing in her tone.
"…You are right. I have the ability to make him a greater man. A much greater man. I have already decided that, should I ever devote myself to somebody, I will give him everything that I possess."
Her lashes drooped over her eyes. A slow, drawling question. "But what can he give me?"
"My lady-"
Loreli shifted her body so that she faced them, smiling gently. "I will not delude you women. Unlike you, I have no such loyalty to the clan. And the fact remains that I am a woman; I will not have many opportunities to change my mind. So tell me," with a small cold smile "Tell me one good reason why I should make that kind of sacrifice for your leader, Madara."
"But, my lady," a woman replied hesitantly. "You are already aware that Madara-sama has grown attached to you, are you not? I'd even venture to say that he-"
"…Just because one man shows me a bit of kindness, I should switch my loyalty to him?" asked Loreli. Just because he decided to spare her life, then by some unwritten rule, she should return his interest? What…was she some kind of pet?
She… hated it. when people tell her that.
Worried expressions were crossing over their features now.
"…My lady…" someone asked anxiously "…you are not-…you don't find Madara-sama an impressive man?"
A moment of silence.
Loreli pursed her lips, finding herself forced to admit, "Great man." A small, wry smile. "Lousy husband."
She went on in the same breath, "And what is that, I ask you?" Using her arms to emphasize her question, she mimicked, "'I will make it up to you the rest of my life!' What makes him think there is anything I should want from him?"
Oh, she should stop. She knew she should stop. She was just so upset that these very women who had been nothing but kind to her were telling her such things, and she didn't want to hate them.
"So I ask when he's planning on getting me that annulment, and tell him if he's agreeable I might come around to play. He snarls—snarls at me, 'Over my dead body.' Would it be too imprudent, I wonder, if I had asked to know when he plans on dying?"
Expressions of horror.
"And," Loreli was about to continue, before it dawned on her that those horrified looks were a little exaggerated.
"…And…" she trailed off. A wave of cold swept up her back, chilling her bones.
…
…Loreli smoothed down her sleeves, righting her posture. All at once back in her cool and composed demeanor, she asked nonchalantly, "And he is behind me, isn't he?"
She felt him then. He leaned forward, over her shoulder, causing an unpleasant sensation to creep up her neck and ear.
"My dear," Uchiha Madara's soft, smooth voice said mockingly next to her ear, "If that is what worries you, then you may rest assured."
Then in a tone she could categorize as vengeful; the tall, arrogant shinobi told her,
"I shall never die."
...
A/N: There is a very high chance that I will be proven wrong when they decide to add fillers for Madara's real past into the canon plotline.
…But it's a risk all fanfic writers take.