Warnings for mention of rape.
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They call a special meeting, just Hashi and a small coterie of Senju advisors.
"What is it?" Hashi asks. Her baby squirms, so she bounces the baby against her chest. The Senju advisors look nervously at each other.
"How goes your marriage?" one of the ministers asks. Hashi beams.
"It's going well!" Hashi says. The baby gurgles. Hashi pokes the baby's cheeks, smiling. "We're still not quite used to the whole not-sleeping thing, this cutie here really likes to eat!"
"Ah," the minister says, and the other Senju advisors glance at each other.
Something's wrong. Hashi shifts the baby to her other arm. "What is it?" she asks. The advisors' eyes dart furtively.
"We never gave our thanks," one of the ministers says. "You've done so much to protect our village. Even if you're not Hokage, you will forever have our gratitude."
"I'm happy to defend our village, and do whatever I can to keep the peace," Hashi says, frowning. "What is this about?" she asks. The ministers glance at each other.
"Hashirama-sama," a minister says. "It has to do with the timing of your baby."
"Eh?" The baby squirms. Hashi shushes her. "What about my baby?"
"Hashirama-sama," the minister says. "You gave birth only six months after the wedding ceremony."
"Oh." Hashi smiles awkwardly, "She wanted to come out, she just came early."
"Our healers agree, the child came out before the point of viability." The ministers frown nervously at each other.
"What the others are saying," another minister says, as he steps forward, "is that if we trace the child's birth nine months back, she would have been conceived around the time of your battle."
Crap. Crap, crap, crap, crap. Tobirama was going to kill her.
"Did he...did he force himself on you?"
Huh?
"Child, there is no need to pretend. We all know what you sacrificed in marrying him."
Hashi steps back. "What? No! It wasn't a sacrifice, elder. I love him!"
The baby starts to cry. Hashi shushes her, rocking her against her chest.
"You married him to protect our village," the elder says. "The Uchiha have formally denounced him. If not for your union, he would be exiled for treason."
"Indeed," the minister says. "We only wished to speak with you because there is precedent, Hashirama-sama, that if he forced himself upon you, and you married him because of your condition, that marriage can be annulled, and we can formally excommunicate him."
Hashi stares. "The reason why he attacked in the first place was because he felt the Uchiha turned their backs on him. Now you're asking me to annul my marriage and kick him out again?"
"He left freely of his own will after being denied a seat of power," the elder says. "We know the only reason why he hasn't razed our village is because of your political marriage. We only wish to tell you...if something were to happen to him...if perhaps the opportunity presented itself, and you were able to subdue him..."
"We are only saying, if that were to happen, you have the full support of this council, and those actions would be fully sanctioned."
"You're asking me to kill my husband?" Hashi says.
"We're only saying that we understand your hesitation, but the fact that you have a child need not bind you to him."
Hashi holds their baby tight against her chest. "If he goes, I leave with him."
"Hashirama-sama-"
"I have no intention of leaving my husband. Please do not speak of this again."
The elders fall silent, frowning at each other.
xXx
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Rumors spread that Uchiha Madara raped her at the Valley of the End. "I bet she was so ashamed, she had to marry him," they whisper. They look at Hashi sympathetically. "It wasn't enough to sacrifice herself for the village. The monster had to humiliate her, too."
"What?" Madara says, when Hashi tells him. "Do those imbeciles at the council not realize it is nigh impossible to beat you? I suppose I should take that as a compliment and read it as a reflection of my battle prowess."
"They said if it was rape, it could be grounds for the dissolution of our marriage."
"Do you wish to leave me, then?"
"Of course not!"
"Then there is nothing to worry about."
"They think I'm biding my time until I kill you," Hashi says.
"Well you are a woman, it would not be unheard of for you to do a honey trap," Madara says.
"How are you not bothered by this?" Hashi says. Madara shrugs.
"The stupidity of the council is beneath my notice," Madara says.
"There's more," Hashi says.
"Is there, now?"
Hashi bites her lip. "They think we have a loveless marriage."
"And?" Madara says.
"And?! And I was worried sick you'd hear those rumors and think that's how I really feel about you!"
Madara shrugs. "You are the mother of my child. Surely you don't think I'd be so dimwitted as to believe the flight of fancies of idiots over my own wife," he says, but he sees Hashi growing more and more upset, and he softens.
"I am used to this," Madara says, gently. "They said the same thing after Izuna died."
Hashi looks up at him, stricken. Madara smiles.
"It is better, this time," Madara says. He gently fans his thumb across her cheek. "At the very least, I have my wife."
Hashi clasps her hand over his, pressing his knuckles against her cheek.
"What about our baby? I told them she was just early, but they didn't believe me," Hashi says. Madara smirks.
"Perhaps you should just tell them we had sex in a cave, since apparently that is beyond their imagination."
