Un-beta'd version


Meanwhile, on the other end of the Uchiha compound, a heated debate commenced.

"Oi, you little shit! I'm telling you, I get the money because, I won the arm-wrestling competition. I know you've been by the side, nagging me et cetera but I get the larger share!" Toka bellowed.

"You do realize we would have lost all the money if—"

"I'd have earned it back anyways!" Before Izuna could protest, Toka had already interjected.

"And who was the one to suggest an arm-wrestling competition the first place?"

"Screw you!"

"No, screw you. You're not only utterly devoid of logic, reason and intelligence, you're also selfish. Yes, I said selfish. Who's money was it the first place? Who actually showed a slight ounce of generosity when pretty much everyone else—sans you family perhaps—would have refused you flatly? Who stopped you from betting all your money at once when your loss is pretty much preordained?!" Izuna found himself yelling uncontrollably.

Toka stared at him, for the first time in perhaps their entire marriage she couldn't muster a word of rebuke. She opened her lips, muttered indecipherably, then stared at the ground.

"Okay," she said after a moment of silence. "You get the money. All of it. Take it all."

"Hey look I'm not asking for all of it," sensing her plunge in temperament, Izuna instantly remarked. "Let's share it fifty-fifty, how does that sound?"

Yet before Toka could utter a reply, the doorbell sounded.

"Hey let me in guys! Let me in!" Hashirama's voice ran from the other end, earnest and slightly agitated.

"I'll open it…" Toka murmured again and started walking towards the door, her usual tempestuous fervor vanished— out of the window, into thin air.

"There you are you two lovebirds!" Hashirama beamed whilst behind him, Mito raised a sceptical eye. "Have you guys seen Madara, I was knocking on his door and there was no reply so I was wondering if he had dropped by—"

"No," he was brusquely interrupted by Toka. "Now leave."

"But—but –"

"I said leave, that little shit's brother never dropped by, look somewhere else to find your lover boy!"

"Wait, what?" Hashirama was perplexed.

"Toka! My brother's not gay!" Izuna defended Madara loyally.

Toka frowned back at him.

Strange, Mito pondered. Those two usually seize an opportunity to argue at first chance… Something's off…

"Hashirama I think we should leave," she told her husband.

"But—"

"Those two were in the middle of a fight," she hissed in his ear.

"But they always fight!" He blurted out conspicuously.

"Hashirama, you're not supposed to say that out loud."

He drooped. Again. How very, very predictable.

"Wait actually, I do remember that my brother mentioned he's heading towards the lake to—well, actually I have no idea what he's going to do there," Izuna finished his sentence off abruptly.

Hashirama sighed and spoke: "very well…"

"Now are you happy?" Mito raised her eyebrows reproachfully.

"Alright let's go…"

Even after the two of them headed out of the house, both Toka and Izuna could still hear Hashirama's rather juvenile complaints (something akin to: "but they always argue"), followed by Mito's frustrated lectures.

Taking a deep breath, Izuna looked at his wife in the eye.

"Well, that was awkward."

She snorted in reply and, to his surprise, showed a slight grin.


A/N: Well.. I just wanted to take a moment to thank all of you guys for reviewing! 150 reviews? You guys are awesome! I started off not expecting more than 20 reviews but this... this is amazing. :)

On another note, many have expressed their adoration for Kagami and Tobirama- rest assured, the rest of the arc is focused on them... and Naori-ish. ;)

Question: Favourite moment of the story so far?