There, in all his glory stood Tobirama Senju clad in a black haori and hakama.
His silver mane fanning his symmetrical temples, and his pale skin glowing with his magenta markings. His sanguine eyes stared at her knowingly before he took another step towards her.
She reprimanded herself and looked away.
"Mirai…" he called out solemnly.
Different from the usual name that he would address her with. But then again, why would he address her casually after the situation between them.
"Why?" Her voice shook.
His eyes bore into her.
"I know what you have suffered through," he continued, " but there is still a chance to fix things..."
Her back was against the mirror. She could feel the heat building in the five layers of her kimono, and with each passing moment, the kimono felt tighter.
In response, she looked at him perplexedly.
He had meant every word of what he had said. He would need to get her out before anyone noticed.
Mirai shook her head slowly and pushed into the mirror behind her. Tobirama felt her hostility and fear, and he could only imagine why she felt that way.
He did not waste another minute and appeared in front of her with his inhuman speed.
He was glad that he had erected a barrier around the room earlier to prevent any spikes of chakra from being detected. He felt like the scum of the earth in front of her while she appeared to him as a celestial being. He took a deep breath and reached out for her elbow to pull her away from the mirror before she could knock it over with her weight.
He felt her wince as he touched her.
"Don't…" she choked.
She pulled her arm away from him and turned her back towards him, now facing the mirror.
She bit her bottom lip and stared at him in the reflection, placing a degree of separation between them.
"I do not know what prompted you to come here and try to reason with me Tobirama… the procession is taking place downstairs, and I will be put into play due to the selfishness of you all." She said hesitantly, unsure of how to react.
She could feel herself loosing the battle of holding herself together. Her chest ached, and her throat felt parched.
"Mirai… you must understand that the situation called for my retreat for the sake of the Senju. Innocent shinobi would have been killed if I did not listen to nee-san's warning of not intervening. What you do not understand is that you are a pawn in this game of the clans and they have you surrounded. You are not recognizing who the real enemy is. It was the Uchiha who sought to tarnish your honor and they bargained with your father. The situation escalated ten folds when they mentioned me in the process. I know that Ashina-sama is enraged at the Senju, that's why he has not asked for any advice on the matter from us." He said regretfully.
"Pawn or not, at this moment, I know that what you are trying to do is wrong." She slowly made eye contact with his reflection. "Do you think I will dishonor myself a second time? What was I to you…? I will not allow you to play with my emotions with this charade any longer!" she raised her voice slightly as she said this.
He slowly took her by the shoulders and turned her to face him.
"So, you are choosing to defend the current situation?" he questioned as he tried to search her face for answers.
She could sense the hurt and vulnerability in his voice.
"Your brother could not protect us, and he is THE KAMI NO SHINOBI. YOU could not protect us, and my half sister could not protect her own kin. What makes you think running away would lead us to be protected by any shinobi, let alone a clan. This is just another war waiting to happen. The lives you worked so hard to protect, according to you… will all be in vain… no? I know you would not let it all pass because of your Senju pride." She paused momentarily, "As with myself, I carry the weight of Uzushiogakure on my shoulders and can not play with the Uzumaki alliance any longer because of selfish reasons. Breaking of an alliance will mean betrayal, and my people will bare the brunt from the distrust because I chose to run away."
She could feel wetness form in the corner of her sapphire eyes as tears ran down her rouged cheeks, causing her kohl to smudge at the corners of her eyes while she stared at him, surprised at herself for saying what she did.
"We cannot go on like this, and I will not allow this to spiral out of control again" She continued bitterly.
Tobirama drew his hand to her cheek and gently rubbed his thumb over the streaks of tears.
Her pale skin glistened in the light, as the encrusted rubies in her diadem and earrings contrasted against her skin and eyes.
"And this is what you really want…?" His concern visible.
She felt suffocated by her own feelings. She inhaled deeply and caught his minty scent which did not help.
Tobirama could not fathom the different emotions he felt stir within him. Seething anger at the Uchiha, or his brother who could not protect anyone, or himself because he could not handle the situation. She was right, they would be fugitives for the rest of their lives if they ran away from here. But then again, she had just refused to elope with him which pointed to her hostility towards him. He caught onto her reference towards Mito-san and immediately felt that the Senju were on the opposite side of the spectrum for her.
He was her weakness right now, but she held onto herself despite breaking from the inside.
A sudden knock on the door startled her, and Tobirama immediately stepped away from her.
"Hime-sama." They both turned in unison towards the direction of the door.
Outside the Guest Quarters
He had been stationed to guard the second floor until the processions had started. The superiors had felt that he was the most capable man in the stronghold for that task.
However, something which could have only been picked up for a fraction of a second did not escape him. He had felt a miniscule change to the environment surrounding the guest quarters. Anyone would have assumed that it was probably just the atmosphere because of the intermingling of chakra's present at the stronghold, but not for Hikaru Uchiha.
The ace, stood by the entrance of the guest quarters, following his instincts. Just waiting for the moment to catch onto the slightest hint of foreign chakra. However, he was also hesitant.
The future matriarch was in the guest quarters.
He had felt the blip in the atmosphere, and as quickly as it had appeared, it disappeared as well. He was unable to identify the chakra signature in the brink of exposure which lasted just a short moment. His only choice was to confirm the safety of the Uzumaki heiress. However, it would be deemed improper for him to walk in and invade the privacy of the Uzumaki Bride if there were no threat. So, he proceeded to call upon her title, and masking it with a motive so to not to startle her.
"Hime-sama." He called out.
Inside the room, both occupants froze.
If Tobirama were to be found in her quarters, it would be the scandal of the century.
Mirai hesitantly moved closer to the door, "Yes?" she replied a bit too quickly.
"Hime-sama, I have been instructed to escort you to the procession." He followed up, testing her.
"I will be out momentarily. Thank you." She replied discreetly.
To her relief, she heard the footsteps move away.
Tobirama's ability to enact barriers and erase his chakra signature was the envy of every shinobi, and in this case, she was thankful for that. His sensory prowess was beyond compare, and it had worked for them in the moment.
Tobirama took a step away from her.
"…" She was still speechless at what had just transpired between them.
Tears still streaked down her face as her eyes begged him to not jeopardize everything. Her hands were balled into fists by her side as her body shook on the inside.
He looked at her momentarily, his eyes hardening. Taking in her form and weakness.
He felt as if the next time they would meet would be on the battlefield. He was utterly perplexed because he was a man of pride and principles, and he felt as if he had gone against his principles in meeting her and thinking that he could pressurize her into abandoning the situation. In fact, he had felt disgusted with himself. He had hoped she would agree to elope with him, but he had completely blind sided the consequences of their actions in her pursuit. He now knew that he would have to let this procession take place. If this is what she truly wanted, and if it ensured everyone's security.
"Very well then." His voice hardened. He had hoped that they would not meet in the situation he had envisioned earlier. He could not fight her in a war even if he were required to.
He looked her in the eye and finally said what he should have said earlier, "I will not apologize for my feelings towards you, and neither do I approve of the current circumstances. But know this, these were not my intentions… may peace find you Mirai if this is what you truly believe in." He said firmly with his final resolve.
He had told her the truth. He would not apologize for his feelings towards her. If he had taken the decision to not intervene in the past, then she had taken the decision to not intervene now, which to him, neutralized their actions towards each other.
She watched him form hand seals for his Hiraishin no Jutsu, as her breath hitched in her throat, and in an instant, he had completely disappeared from her vision.
She now looked to the empty space in front of her as she collapsed to the floor in a heap.
She had paid the ultimate price.
A knock resonated in the room.
And another one followed due to her lack of response, until the door finally opened on its own. Mirai did not waste another minute, she got off the floor and quickly turned towards the mirror, pretending to fix the Kohl in her eyes which was slightly smudged.
Her hand maiden immediately walked to her side and assisted her in fixing her appearance, finding it strange that the Hime was initially hunched over on the floor.
Based on her knowledge, leaving home had affected the Hime. So, it must have been hard for her to pull herself together. Besides that, her only sister had not come to her wedding processions. She pitied the Hime because she had heard the rumor's about her preference for someone else but not exactly knowing who, and then being betrothed to Madara afterwards. However, it was all still rumors and carried no substance.
They quickly finished the final touches of her ensemble, as she was required to make her entrance any moment now.
Ceremonial Hall
Guests fluttered throughout the great hall located on the ground level of the Uchiha stronghold.
The hall was a stark white in color with golden ornaments hanging from the ceiling around the popular glass chandeliers that were the talk of the town. White floral arrangements covered the walls and were also placed at a slightly elevated ceremonial platform at the front of the hall.
There were various combinations of guests who met as acquaintances, allies or sworn enemies amongst themselves.
It was an awakening into this strange world of shinobi and nobles.
On certain occasions, they had all faced each other in numerous battles as allies or enemies, but such a crucial occasion had brought them all together under one roof.
How could they not deny the invitation?
Uchiha Madara was to be wed to the Uzumaki Mirai in an elaborate ceremony which would impact the dynamics of the shinobi world. Just as the previous treaty which took place two years ago between the Uzumaki's and the Senju had. This was a good opportunity to scout decent alliances and confirm deals with other clans.
Ofcourse not all guests held a similar opinion about the union.
'Ashina Uzumaki is a smart man' some had said. Others commented that it was the biggest mistake of the Uzumaki patriarch. 'His daughter would serve as a sacrifice for his political mistakes in the past.'
Every clan looked to the other clans like hawks, trying to figure tensions and alliances.
Ashina Uzumaki and Rei Uchiha made sure to greet each clan individually as the hosts while the Uchiha elders remained close to the front of the procession where they spoke to the priests in charge of the afternoons service.
Izuna was required to direct the security around the stronghold to guard from any possible threats. They had learned their lesson with the attacks on the stronghold during Madara's engagement ceremony and had heightened their guard ten folds.
In a large crowd, stood Hashirama Senju in all his valor. He conversed with clan elders and different leaders as Tobirama stood by him pretending to listen. Tobirama's mind was off in a different direction, thinking of all that had transpired between Mirai and him, and he could feel himself aching internally. Despite what had transpired earlier, he knew that he would not be able to tolerate her walking towards the alter. He grit his teeth, knowing that if he was to act recklessly, it would be a disaster.
The grand doors to the procession hall suddenly opened to welcome Madara. People cheered and flocked to him in an instant.
His physical allure was enough to draw the attention of many females present there. He was dressed in a royal blue silk Sokutai with white underlayers and white trousers. His long and silky tresses were tied into a high ponytail and his black arm guards could be seen under his sleeves.
A pair of dark eyes observed his arrival in sadness. Takara shook her head slightly, she did not approve of what was to come, yet she sat there in support of her only love and leader. She had tried to confess her loyalty and feelings to him earlier, but he was as cold as ever. Cho gently rubbed her sisters back in sympathy as Takara looked away from his handsome form. It was complicated.
Madara walked towards the ceremonial alter towards the front of the hall as Izuna followed closely behind him. As they walked, nobles stopped pay their regards with little bits of conversation.
"Nee-san, last chance to back out." Izuna whispered humorously. In response Madara looked away from the guests and smirked, he was not planning to.
Madara could see Hashirama standing in a crowd of nobles as he gave a hearty laugh. Madara's eyes then travelled to Tobirama who was standing behind his older brother with a nonchalant expression. Tobirama feeling a distinct pair of eyes observing him, turned to face the direction of the intrusion. Their eyes met for a split second before Tobirama felt his shoulder being pulled on by Hashirama.
That instance of eye contact built a whole mountain of tension in the room. Earlier, Hashirama had observed Tobirama's line of vision to see that Madara had momentarily made eye contact, but purposely, Hashirama had pulled on Tobirama's shoulder to distract him. He was aware that conflict could ensue because of Tobirama's unease of the situation.
Madara continued to walk towards the alter, passing the Senju elders in the process. Everyone now awaited the bride.
The hall doors opened for a second time and people began to settle on their cushioned matts.
Everyone's eyes were greeted with a transparently veiled figure walking in slow elegant strides.
Mirai's hands were folded in front of her with her head held high. She refused to look down and accept being the victim. If she was going to do this, she would do it with self regard. Her orange and gold kimono caught light from the filtering veil on top of her head, making her form glow. She griped her hands tighter under the pressure of the many eyes staring at her. Her Kimono trail swayed behind her in ripples, and she could see the alter nearing her vision.
Hushed whispers could be heard, as she became a sight for hungry eyes. Everyone had been curious for a glimpse of her.
Tobirama eyes focused solely on her at that moment, and his breath hitched slightly. Mirai paused momentarily in her steps to see Tobirama's form in the corner of her eyes who was seated beside Hashirama to her right side.
'Move move …. Keep moving damn it' her mind panicked as she stopped her strides to the alter.
Izuna Uchiha who stood by the front of the procession with the priests, eyed her critically. He was trying to figure out why she had paused in the middle of her walk.
As if on cue, Ashina Uzumaki cleared his throat awkwardly urging her to catch the signal.
She exhaled a bit too hard, but she was glad that the veil concealed her head, so not many could make out her facial features.
She felt the disconnect between her mind and body at that point where her mind was ordering her to move and her body would not listen. Madara noticing the slight hinderance slowly turned to face her in the distance. Almost immediately, her form started to move on its own. Madara watched her veiled form slowly make its way in front of him. As per custom he would be the first to see his bride as he carefully lifted the corners of her veil.
Their contrasting eyes met each other's unwaveringly.
The audience was taken aback at the friction between them, as if sparks had flown in all different directions.
Mirai could feel the pull of him lifting her veil and removing it as she looked up at him. She observed his sharp pointed nose, his high cheek bones, and wisps of loose hair from his high ponytail framing the sides of his face. It almost became a staring contest had it not been for the priest clearing his throat awkwardly.
Her face flushed as she realized that she had observed him for a bit longer than she had realized.
She averted her eyes to the priest and proceeded to sit at her designated spot. As Madara prepared to walk to his seating, for a brief moment, he critically stared at the Senju royalty before settling in front of Mirai. Hashirama felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up as he felt Madara's chakra hit him. He tried to sit still and shake off the uncomfortable feeling, but his gut told him otherwise.
The energy was ominous.
Both Madara and Mirai sat facing each other as the priest began the sermon.
He looked straight at her, studying her mannerisms. He had become aware of many things about her in the little time he had known her, and in the moment, he could pinpoint a few reasons connected with a certain silver haired brat.
It did not bother him to see her hesitation or the fact that Tobirama had shown up. He had won the wager regardless.
If the message were not already clear, he did not appreciate her loyalty in pieces. Unbeknownst to her, he was entertained that his late father had picked a spitfire who was 8 years his junior. His wife to-be would soon learn what it meant to build an allegiance to only him.
He could see her glimmering in hues of golds, oranges, and reds with a solemn expression before she was handed a scroll to read from.
The couple was required to recite certain matrimonial quotes from the Uchiha sacred texts followed by the chanting of marital hymns.
Ceremonial tea was made for them so that they could share tea from the same ceramic cup.
Mirai drank from the warm cup before offering it to Madara, whose fingers slightly brushed hers in the process. She did not fail to notice his stern behavior during the ceremonial process. Next, they stood up as the priests handed them their individual offerings to place at the Uchiha shrine. Everyone in the hall ensued prayer position and bowed their heads in respect.
Rei Uchiha watched her grandson and could sense the discord between the couple. The girl was nerved, and her grandson was stoic. But regardless, she still held faith in Mirai. As of now, she was Uchiha progeny.
The couple returned to their respective seats after presenting their offerings to the alters, and soon after, strong incense was lit in a gold dish which was then placed by the couple as its fumes slowly penetrated the atmosphere.
Mirai refused to look to the audience, afraid that she would catch Tobirama's line of vision. Instead, she chose to look at the holy relics in front of her. Madara on the other hand was concentrated on the priest's sermon about their couple-ship and alliance.
"Our dear brethren, as we honor our ancestors, and those who are with us, may Kami bless this union. May Uzumaki Mirai serve as his sheath and may Uchiha Madara be her sword. May this union bring about fruits of prosperity to both clans. By the power of the divine Kami, through blessings from his messengers, and in presence of all witnesses, we join Uchiha Madara and Uzumaki Mirai together for the rest of eternity and into the afterlife." The priest stated without conviction.
The couple turned towards one another, their eyes meeting briefly before bowing towards each other in respect. Tears lined the inner corners of her eyes as she raised her head and sat from the prostrated stance. She was now bound to him for eternity.
As she looked up, she saw Madara getting up and slowly making his way in front of her. He extended his hand out to her to help her up, but Mirai felt dumbfounded at his gesture. No one had ever held hands at the alter during their ceremonies before. However, without further contemplation, she extended her hand and set it in his palm as she blinked away her unfallen tears.
His hand felt warm in comparison to her cold ones as his slender fingers enclosed around her smaller ones.
Tobirama witnessed the affair and his mind boiled over. He knew this presentation was specifically to shove his sentiments down his own throat on purpose. 'This bastard … ' he grimaced.
Mirai followed Madara's lead and let go of his hand before bowing to their guests.
The crowd went wild with encore as banter broke out. Many had already left their seats to congratulate the couple. Mirai was surrounded by heaps of people who chatted away, as she followed behind Madara. He was greeted by many clan heads and elders who profusely wished them well. She silently observed him as he spoke seriously to people, almost humbly yet it was devoid of emotion.
From the corner of her eyes Mirai caught sight of Takara leaving the procession as Rei Uchiha made her way towards the couple and hugged Mirai and Madara.
"Welcome to the Uchiha clan my child, Madara and you have brought a unique happiness to my heart that I could have not experienced before. Now, let us go to the adjacent room to discuss a few small details, shall we?" She instructed.
Mirai cautiously nodded her head.
She was led by Rei-sama and her father into a dimly lit small room which had ancient scrolls packed away on shelves along with many bookshelves housing thousands of books. A few scrolls were drawn out on a table with Elder Mikoto, and Elder Hatori standing behind it.
"We will need you to draw your seal to sign this agreement in alliance with the Uchiha. There are a few small formalities with special clauses which we will sign after this main document here." Elder Hatori explained as he pointed to the unraveled scrolls.
Mirai suddenly felt alert with these new agreements. Some clauses on the scroll looked and sounded ridiculous. She understood loyalty to the Uchiha, yet she felt surprised with the hidden distrust.
There were clauses such as if she were unable to conceive offspring, Madara would have to take a surrogate wife. Furthermore, she could not ask for a divorce at any point in time, and she would have to stay with Madara for eternal companionship where a follow up clause dictated that if he were to pass away under unexpected circumstances, as the Uchiha matriarch, she could not marry anyone else in order to preserve Madara's legacy. Few other clauses invaded her vision where she would get to have the Uchiha seal and would have a say in many of the clan's decisions. She would also secure a place on the council and could decide to accompany Madara at war if she preferred. There were other clauses which worked in her favor such as if she were to pass away under unbeknownst circumstances, Madara could not remarry anyone else if they shared offspring's or even the fact that she could now take part in the governance of the stronghold.
Ofcourse, some clauses felt suffocating, like the ones binding her to his being permanently, but others sounded in her favor where she would hold some reign over the clan.
She held her ink brush tightly and in her calligraphic style, she signed the assumed prenuptial agreement. Madara looked to her back as she signed the final documents.
She was now his.
The group walked out of the tiny room and Madara left immediately to change out of his Sokutai for some reception wear. Meanwhile, Mirai was escorted to her guest quarters to fix herself before their meeting in the lobby for the grand reception.
As soon as Mirai had stepped back into the guest chambers, she found a mat in the corner of the room and she and sat down without any exchange of words with anyone. She just needed some time to sit. To think. To reflect over everything before she could walk down to the reception. Her hand maidens followed in behind her and without a word began to organize her belongings in the room to be packed and sent for her final quarters. She felt a lot calmer and steadier than earlier in the day now that the wedding ceremony had taken place, but other things now revealed themselves on the horizon.
The thought of Tobirama grazed her mind and she felt that an eternal painful boundary now lurked between them.
She sighed and slowly steadied herself. Her appearance was fixed once more to mostly calm the stray hair.. She had decided to honor Hiroyuki for his beautiful work and had decided to keep the one main wedding kimono as her primary reception attire.
Mirai was once again escorted outside of the guest quarters and down the grand staircase to the main lobby of the stronghold. The reception was being held on the side grounds of the Stronghold which consisted of outdoor seating with grand tables and chairs under a makeshift tent which was transparent. Ornaments hung from the ceiling of the tent, along with several slabs of heated marble panels surrounding the reception area to support the cold atmosphere of the rough January winter.
As Mirai walked down the grand staircase, she could already see Rei-sama, her father and the elder's panel from both clans waiting for her. Madara's eyes never left her form as he observed her glowing form in hues of gold and orange, and how the diadem clung to her dark lustrous locks. Mirai on the other hand looked ahead of her, careful not to step over the hem of her long kimono but from her side vision she could see Madara.
He was dressed in a white Haori with the Uchiha crest on his back, and a navy blue Hakama. His arm guards were still in place, but his hair was no longer tied up. His pale face took in all her movements.
She was no ordinary woman; she was now the matriarch of the strongest clan in history.