"Wait!" Izuna interrupted, planting a hand on top of the mission report Madara was trying to read. "So you're adopting her? She'll be an Uchiha?"
Madara scowled and slapped away the offending hand before responding. "No. All I did was to suggest we make my offer of protection a formal one through a contract."
"You really think a bloody contract is enough to stop a paranoid clan as the Hyuuga?" Izuna scoffed in disbelief. "You might as well just marry her and give her our name to ensure they'll not have any chance."
Madara dropped the scroll he was holding and gave his brother a sharp look. "Did you not hear me earlier? The reason Hinata refuses to return to her clan is because she wants to avoid being given the seal and being forced into marriage. Now you're telling me to do the same?"
"Nii-san, you do understand the plight of the women of our time, don't you? Especially those from clans with bloodline limits?"
Madara huffed. Of course he knew. He's witnessed plenty of times how women were treated mostly as nothing but pawns and broodmares to strengthen and increase the influence of their families or clans.
"So long as Hinata remains unwed and carries the Hyuuga name and the byakugan, she'll always be theirs. No blood contract will change that. A marriage to one of power, prestige and position like yours is the only way and even then it might still involve trouble," Izuna pointed out calmly.
"The Hyuuga are arrogant but surely they aren't stupid. They wouldn't dare move against me. Especially not if Hashirama gives his support."
Izuna gave him a cynical look. "I get that you trust Hashirama. How about his sly bastard of a brother? Remember Tobirama now knows Hinata is from the future. What if he secretly works with the Hyuuga? What if the Hyuuga Clan asks for her return as one of their terms in exchange for joining the village we're all trying to create?"
"This peace is Hashirama's most fervent dream. Tobirama will not do anything to jeopardize it," Madara reasoned. His voice came out sure and even but mentally, he agreed that his younger brother did have a point. Peace may now be in the works but that didn't mean that clans wouldn't try to grab any advantage they could put their hands on.
"So you say," his younger brother said, still looking unconvinced. "Nii-san, you're already twenty-three. The elders are getting concerned. When do you plan on getting a Lady Uchiha and start making heirs?"
"Whenever I want, dammit!" Madara retorted, feeling his irritation start to rise at being reminded of the annoying concern the clan elders have been pestering him about as of late.
He's Uchiha Madara, for heaven's sake. He'll not let anyone pressure him or treat him like some kind of a stud to be married off and used to breed some woman just because he needed heirs.
He wanted what his father had with his mother. He wanted someone who'll not only make a worthy Uchiha Matriarch and mother to his heirs but one who would also give him passion—fire. Someone who'll make him burn.
"And when would that be?" Izuna challenged, arching his brow. "At eighteen or twenty, you should've already gotten a wife and should have already fathered a child or two by now. But so far, no woman has caught your interest. Not until our dear Hinata-hime, that is."
"I am not—"
"Deny it and I'll call you a liar!" Izuna cut him off once more, making his irritation mount even more. "I am not blind. I, too, have the sharingan and can see everything just fine with my own two eyes. Not only do you find her beautiful and desirable, you also admire and like her qualities—her kindness and goodness. You want her."
Madara took calming breaths.
It's true. He did like Hyuuga Hinata. Not only did she possess the qualities of an ideal matriarch for a clan like the Uchiha, she was also a strong kunoichi in her own right. Her unique and potent chakra as well as their spar has proven this.
That same spar has also demonstrated just how strongly attracted and responsive his body was to hers. Her soulful eyes which turned fierce when she activated her byakugan had made his blood rise. Her alluring scent and the sight of the silvery sweat that dripped from her temples down to her chin left his mouth feeling parched. Her soft, white as milk skin made his tongue and incisors tingle with the want to lick and bite and leave marks.
And the enticing ways her body moved! The beautiful arch of her spine and long neck, the strong but graceful stretch of her arms and legs underneath her clothes—all captured and stored into memory by his sharingan. Even the thought of her deadly fingers touching his skin excited him. And her flexibility. Dear gods!
Had she been any other woman, he most likely would've already propositioned or seduced her to his bed. But he refrained from doing so for important reasons.
For one, Hinata was far too innocent. It's clear she's a maiden. Untouched by any man. He didn't want his base desires to be the ruin of such purity, especially not when he held her in high esteem for what she's done for his brother and his clan.
Next, she's made it clear that she didn't want to marry and he's already given his promise of protection. He has no plans of going back on his words.
And the last, weightiest reason? Her situation brought a lot of complications. The Hyuuga Clan and her bloodline limit aside, there's also the time-traveling situation to consider. Who in their right mind would marry and have children with someone who could just disappear without a trace one day, never to return?
"Izuna, I only care about her safety because she saved you. And what does it matter if I do like some of her qualities? It won't change the fact that she's a Hyuuga. She has the byakugan. What if her blood overpowers mine and our children don't manifest the sharingan? What would become of the Uchiha line of succession?"
"Seriously?" Izuna snorted and waved a hand dismissively. "Uchiha blood clearly runs strongest in your veins. I say it's got more chances of overpowering hers. With her bloodline and strong chakra, any child you'll have is guaranteed to be strong. They might even have an entirely new, even more powerful doujutsu. Are you not in the least bit intrigued of the many possibilities?"
Madara heaved a sigh, feeling a headache starting to form. "Of course it's intriguing. But it's a huge risk, Izuna—one that will have long term repercussions and as I pointed out earlier, Hinata doesn't want to marry."
"There's a difference between not wanting to marry and not wanting to be married off to—a choice. One that might be forcibly taken from her once the Hyuugas find out of her existence. I think you should speak with her more," Izuna responded, clearly dismissing his concern about blood lines and the consequences of mixing blood.
"Why are you pushing this topic anyway? You've never pressed the issue of marriage and heirs with me before," Madara grumbled while pinching the bridge of his nose in exasperation.
"You're not getting any younger, Nii-san. You're physically aging real fast. You already look like you're in your thirties. Who knows what you'll look like in the next five years? I just don't want your children to suffer having a really old man as their father," Izuna said with a snicker, prompting Madara to scowl and throw a scroll with deadly accuracy at his brother's face only for the younger man to deftly dodge it with an irritating laugh.
"And what about you brother?" he retorted. "I seem to recall you always taking the chance to flirt with her. Why not offer to marry her yourself instead?"
"Because I know you can either be dense or an emotionally constipated bastard at times, so I'm giving you the chance to figure things out," Izuna responded with a shrug, lips curled up into an infuriating smirk before standing up and leaving the aggravated Clan Head alone in his study.
…..
It has been decided that, for the sake of fostering trust and solidarity amongst previously warring clans, the many rounds of peace negotiations and planning for the village soon to rise would be conducted in different clan territories.
The first was conducted at the Senju Clan's territory and now it's Madara's turn to play host.
The peace efforts have gathered momentum and now involved major clans such as the Aburame, Akimichi, Inuzuka, Nara and Yamanaka and other minor clans like the Hatake, Kurama and Shimura. Each clan was represented by their respective heads along with two or more guards, leading to the Uchiha Main House becoming almost filled to the brim.
To Hinata's relief, the Hyuuga has not yet sent an envoy to join any of the talks and thus she was free to move about the compound. It also allowed for a private dialogue with Senju Hashirama regarding Madara's proposed blood contract. But to her consternation, both Izuna and Senju Tobirama insisted to be included in the discussion. And because neither one of them would be deterred, she was put in the painfully uncomfortable position of airing out her problems to more people than she would've liked.
"Hm…I'd be glad to throw my support behind your decision Hinata-chan. I can call you Hinata-chan, right?" the future Hokage asked then continued after she gave him a nod. "I just want to understand. You clearly are a Hyuuga. This contract of asylum and protection from Madara and the Uchiha Clan will certainly cause complications in the near future. Wouldn't it be more beneficial for you to return to your clan?"
"I…" Hinata trailed off and swallowed awkwardly. She truly didn't want to bother people with her concerns but she's left with no other choice now.
It's all messed up. She's already done too much. Changed too much. She could no longer predict just what the short-term and long-term repercussions her actions would have and how they'll impact the future and it's practically an act of betrayal against her clan but they must know. Senju Hashirama and Madara should know the truth behind the Branch House seal. They're the founders of Konoha and the leading figures of all the negotiations taking place. Perhaps they could do something about it. She hoped, at least.
"You know of the Hyuuga's Main and Branch Houses, don't you?" she asked the Senju Clan Head.
"Yes. But I'm afraid I don't fully understand the situation. As far as I know, due to both having doujutsu-based bloodline, the Uchiha and Hyuuga have been unspoken rivals for so long. What exactly is your issue with your clan that you would rather seek protection from the Uchiha? " Hashirama inquired, his expression that of someone genuinely wanting to know more to better understand the situation. It's a look that made her feel more at ease.
"The Cursed Seal—it's not just a means to protect the byakugan from being stolen. It's also a tool of subjugation that takes away the will of its bearer. It's meant to…It's used to keep the Branch House under the control of the Main House. To punish them and sometimes even kill them," Hinata divulged quietly, chest feeling heavy with the memories of her Uncle Hizashi and Neji and the rest of her family who, for so long, have suffered under the Main House and the cursed seal branded upon their brows.
The information she shared garnered almost similar reactions. The Senju Head's previously friendly face turned grim with every word she spoke. Tobirama's impressive jaws clenched and unclenched. Both Madara and Izuna's handsome faces turned dark complete with grimaces.
"Oh…How horrible indeed," Hashirama murmured before reaching for his cup of tea and taking a long sip.
"It's not just horrible, it's fucked up!" Madara remarked harshly before turning to stare at her with intense, narrowed eyes. "You didn't tell me the seal was for subjugation or that it can be used to kill its bearer," he bit out harshly after a while.
"Now, now. Don't be harsh Madara, I'm sure Hinata-chan has a reason for doing so," Hashirama calmly reasoned out with a wave of his hand.
The Uchiha Clan Head ignored the words of his friend and rival, his dark orbs remained pinned on her. There's something in the look in his eyes. Something Hinata couldn't put her fingers on that for some strange reason caused her heart to beat faster.
She cleared her suddenly parched throat before addressing the unspoken accusation. "Details regarding the curse seal are not really something members of the Hyuuga share with those outside of the clan. I'm almost sure it's considered an act of treason to divulge such information during this time period."
She watched a bit engrossed as the severe look on his face disappeared to be replaced with a softer, more understanding one. His eyes though remained intense and intent on her.
"You don't have the seal so you're clearly from the Main House," Tobirama spoke next, making Hinata turn her gaze from Madara to the younger Senju. "What exactly is your position in the Hyuuga Clan of your time?"
"I am firstborn daughter of the Clan Head," she reluctantly shared, causing the males to perk up in their seats.
"You're an heiress then?" Tobirama asked with piercing red eyes.
"By birthright, yes, but it was never made official."
"Why not?" the Uchiha brothers asked at the same time, both looking baffled.
"Another fucked up Hyuuga issue?" Madara followed up with a scowl.
"I am…I was deemed unfit to lead the clan," she said softly, a feeling of shame rolling in the pit of her stomach. It's been many years and she has already conceded that her best just wasn't good enough, has accepted that Hanabi would make a better Head someday. But it still smarted. It still stung whenever she thought of it.
"Even still, that doesn't take the fact that you're from the Main House. Should that not help with your situation?" Hashirama asked, the look on his face turned more optimistic.
Hinata shook her head. "No, Hashirama-sama. My being firstborn of a future clan head won't help change things. Power in the House of Hyuuga lies in the hands of the Council of Elders who are all from the Main House. The clan head and their immediate family members are, by all rights, just puppets of the Main House. If you don't know yet, the younger children of the head family are also branded—so the Elders have control. The clan leader is only allowed to make decisions approved by the council," she truthfully disclosed in an even tone while her hands curled into fists on her lap.
"Tch!" Izuna scoffed, his face twisted in disgust. "Almost all clan politics are normally complicated but I didn't know Hyuuga politics and power plays could be this dirty and twisted."
"That cursed seal," Madara grumbled. "It's far too powerful a tool. I must say the Hyuuga have outdone themselves when they created and implemented it. Though for how long can they keep it? The hatred and resentment of the Branch must be reaching boiling levels by now."
"It seems to me the Main House is quite successful in making use of it. After all, the practice still exists even in the future Hinata came from," the younger Uchiha stated.
"Alright Hinata-chan, you have my full support," Hashirama declared. Then, with a look of fierce determination so like Naruto's plastered on his face, he continued, "We should also do something about that cursed seal. Perhaps we can discuss and have it addressed during the negotiations when the Hyuuga finally decide to join us?"
"It's not going to be easy, Anija," Tobirama spoke out, "Have you forgotten? All the clans already joining the peace talks are demanding that non-interference on clan matters be one of the foundational laws to ensure the village leadership is kept from overreaching. The Hyuuga, without a doubt, will do the same and justify the use of the seal as part of keeping their techniques secret and their bloodline limit safe."
Hashirama's shoulders slumped. "I don't feel good thinking of that seal becoming part of the village," he muttered, visibly upset.
"We might not have a choice but to be careful and wait things out," Tobirama responded bluntly. "If we act blatantly and try to interfere with the Hyuuga's curse seal, the other clans might see it as nothing but the beginning of deliberate attempts to wrestle control on our part. That might lead to complications that could blow up in our faces and impede the plans of forming a village."
Hinata closed her eyes and lowered her head.
She felt disappointed but…What Tobirama said—she expected as much. She knew that the issue of the curse seal was a complicated one and something that could not be resolved immediately. She'll have to extend her patience. Plans of abolishing the seal would have to wait. The Hyuuga must be part of the village first.