(( I do not own Naruto and its characters. ))
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There was a point where childish things had to be set aside.
Madara learned that lesson by the river on the day he got his mangekyo.
It's not like he regretted the months before that - skipping stones, sparring...playing with some mysterious idiot that he didn't want to admit was probably an enemy...
But their friendship ignored cold, hard reality, folding into idealistic daydreams of peace and reconciliation: A settlement to call their own, where kids didn't have to die before reaching their twelfth birthday…
He cast away Hashirama's foolishness long ago. Just because they wanted to reconcile and unite their clans didn't mean anyone else would. Pretending otherwise was fun while it lasted, though, and losing Hashirama's friendship was almost like seeing one of his older brothers die again.
Almost.
But life moved on in the way it always did.
In a similar manner, Uncle's death ceased to be shocking after a few weeks. It was obviously what the old man wanted, considering all the things he said and how dangerously he fought even after winning.
Losing would have lowered Madara's standing, but the way he won after Uncle's constant attacks actually made Madara seem stronger in the Clan's eyes.
That must have been the old man's plan all along. Or...at least, that was a plausible enough assumption, one that made it easier to focus on life and the future.
Grief and resentment was a heavy cloud that plagued every facet of existence, but there were certain things one couldn't linger on too long. Speculation over Uncle's motives was one of them. The overwhelming stress of being clan head without Uncle's guidance was another.
It was a heavy weight, one best left shoved aside and ignored. Things were only truly burdensome for those that wallowed too deep in their feelings. Letting time pass while moving ever forward was usually the best fix.
Sure, life was still dangerous and miserable. There was plenty to hate and mourn, but he knew better than to keep those emotions in the forefront, even if they were everywhere.
In fact, even though everything now rested completely on Madara's shoulders, he grew more comfortable with his new responsibilities every day.
Right now, he sat cross legged on the floor before his short desk. Lantern light illuminated his tent after a long day of planning, inspecting Clan operations, and training.
Leaning an elbow on his knee, he rested his chin on his palm.
A short stack of arranged marriage proposals sat on the left side of the desk, already gone through. Work was going quicker as he became more confident in his decision making.
As clan head, he had the right to veto any couple's contract, but, most were approved. None of them had an undesired political effect thus far, so there was no reason to annoy his subordinates by interfering with their decisions.
And now that he read over all these contracts and examined how the clan's dynamics might change within the next generation, there were no reasons to keep delaying his own plans.
At present, there were still no requests for Ayu.
That didn't mean some sort of negotiations weren't in the works, but if there were, nothing was finalized, which was...encouraging.
Pulling out a fresh sheet of parchment, he assessed the desirability of his choice one final time.
In a world where people could die at any time and clans needed to keep their populations steady, the legal marriage age was sixteen. They were fast approaching that age now, so it would be best to put forth his request soon, or hazard someone else taking his place.
Before, part of him secretly hoped Ayu would watch his succession battle. She of course opted to guard the camp instead, but that was consistent with her seeming inability to feel curious or impressed by anything.
Seeking anything else from her would have just earned an eye roll, or made her point out some previously unseen flaw in his fight, so it was just as well that he didn't insist on her presence.
She always called him Madara, with no honorifics and in a tone that clearly came from disdain, rather than familiarity. He couldn't expect reverence from someone like that.
Honestly, if she was incompetent, had no idea what she was talking about or caused consistent problems, she would be intolerable.
But, she wasn't. If anything, she actually earned the right to her behavior.
Women rarely fought on the battlefield unless there weren't enough men to counter the Clan's enemies. But in a land of endless war, camps still got attacked often enough. Girls weren't lacking in opportunities to prove themselves.
And Ayu did so, time and again, managing to be both intoxicating and infuriating all at once... At least in Madara's eyes.
Truthfully, skill and effectiveness mattered far more than kindness, which was why Madara's inclinations circled back to her, rather than one of the gentler women that were offered up in marriage proposals the last few months.
Those girls couldn't even stand up for themselves, much less their clan.
So, Ayu still seemed to be his best option. Now, there was just the matter of negotiating with her father and mother.
A few generations ago, their branch of the Clan started to estrange itself politically. They represented a reasonable portion of the Uchiha, so it would be nice to bring them back into the fold before they drifted away completely.
Judging from the support Ayu's parents showed him during Council meetings, they also loathed the notion of their branch trying to survive on its own. They were looking for opportunities to ingratiate themselves to the new leader.
'They won't object to my request.'
A smirk tugged at his lips as he pulled out an ink well and brush to write his proposal.
…
Madara sort of half expected a confrontation, which was why he tried to spend as much time alone as possible the next few days.
If Ayu was going to yell at him, he might as well get it over with and ensure the argument didn't happen in public.
So, although he didn't look forward to it, he wasn't surprised when she caught him outside his tent and shook the rolled up marriage contract in his face.
"The hell is this, Madara?!" She hissed.
Of course she wouldn't just accept it without question. She didn't like him much and was amazingly stubborn. Not to the point of stupidity - she still listened when need be. Certain orders were given for the sake of safety and success, after all.
But she wasn't given to flattery or respect for anyone. Not to her parents or even a clan head like him. Usually he tolerated that...with some annoyance.
Her attitude was probably part of whatever made her a good ninja, and everyone had aggravating opinions. Ayu just had the guts to state hers outright more often than not. Her behavior was probably just a blunt version of everyone else's.
In the end, she was merely another person to negotiate with. This would turn out well as long as he remembered that. All he had to do was stay confident and keep his goal in mind.
He gently pushed the document out of his face. "A marriage contract." Obviously that wasn't really what she meant with her question, but he couldn't resist highlighting her poor wording.
Then, a smirk tugged at his lips. "You're welcome." Oh, she'd hate that. Especially the insinuation that she should appreciate being engaged to him.
"I know what it is, but why?!" she snapped.
"Well, considering that your attractive traits are about as limited as your suitors..." His smirk threatened to turn into a grin.
Fury blazed in her eyes, and he didn't need to finish his statement because she spewed her anger at him, going on about how much of an idiot he was.
He smirked down at her and waited for her rant to stop.
He was taunting her, as usual, but she rarely came quite this unhinged. He was one of the few who had that effect on her...though he really managed to get a rise out of her this time. Served her right for all the times she aggravated him.
Then again, her expression gave him pause. Even if he was amused, he had to admit she was way more pissed than normal, which was reason enough to worry. If she tried, she could definitely throw an exploding tag at his plans.
Doubt wavered his confidence for a bit, but he kept it on a tight leash. Weaknesses weren't something to expose, especially around Ayu. No way would he let her get the better of him. She was the last person he ever wanted to lose to.
And yet...he still wanted her by his side.
It was stupid, honestly. He noticed other women, but Ayu incited the most inordinate thoughts in him, especially during training. She was attractive, but also never particularly kind or meek.
That was comforting in its own way, though. He wouldn't have to be nice to her, merely tolerable. And that was all he would expect from her in turn. Pesky as he was, he'd still be the last person to seriously berate her personality.
The chance to be completely herself while gaining power...that was something she'd have a hard time saying no to. He just...needed to show her that this union was in her best interests.
Ayu gained a decent amount of respect from the men, but that didn't mean they were lining up to court her. And nearly everyone was expected to have children some day, otherwise the Clan would die out.
"You done?" He asked when she paused for breath.
She clenched her jaw and glared at him.
"We all have to get married. And it's not like you had anyone else in mind." That was probably a slightly nicer way of reminding her she wasn't popular enough to have her pick of men.
Ayu made an annoyed, exasperated expression. "Madara-"
"You wanted power, didn't you? Now you have it."
With that, he stepped around her and left Ayu to ponder the situation on her own.
He wasn't going to beat a dead horse when his point was already made.
…
Light from the small oil lamp flickered over her arms in time with the flame. The camp outside was quiet amid the night, and Ayu glared at the roof of her tent, tossing a kunai in the air.
That bloody idiot…
She caught the weapon as it came back down, throwing it back into the air with a little extra force.
Madara...who the hell did he think he was, doing this out of the blue as if there was anything good between them?
Snatching the kunai as it landed, she paused, remembering.
So those rare, lingering, almost hungry looks during training hadn't been her imagination...
She scoffed and threw the blade once more, mainly to keep herself from stabbing it into the mattress. Maybe she should marry him, if only so she had the opportunity to strangle him in his sleep. But...
'You wanted power, didn't you?'
His words played in her mind, and she almost had to let loose a bit of spiteful laughter. Yes, that actually was what she wanted, and it was aggravating that he pinpointed and dragged out that desire so easily.
Power was, after all, the thing her family was swiftly losing as the years passed. If that wasn't remedied, they'd have less and less say within the clan until something tragic happened.
Annoyingly enough, Madara just handed her a chance that was far better than she could have hoped for. Before, she probably couldn't have been more than the head medic or leader of her family's branch.
So now she actually had to think about this, to decide whether to go along with it or not. The marriage was already arranged, but oh there were so many delightful ways to make Madara's political life a living hell... Eventually he'd have no choice but to call off the wedding.
That was definitely what he deserved, but there was still the fact of what this chance would do for her, her family and even the clan. That was what actually mattered, and she wasn't going to let an opportunity slip by just because she was angry.
If she married Madara and became matriarch in addition to head medic, then one of her little brothers would probably be in charge of their family's branch instead. But at that point she'd have no qualms with saying they could have it.
As the Uchiha matriarch, everyone would have to listen to her on some level. She would have the clan head's ear, and still help her family's branch, even though it'd be in a slightly different way than originally planned. Most of all, she would have the opportunity to sculpt the next heir of the Uchiha, which was not something to sneer at.
Hm... And, honestly, marrying Madara would be a mercy to the poor wench that would otherwise take her place.
Most other women would have a hard time coping long term, but she could handle Madara, just as she had for most of her life. She'd have to deal with him all the time regardless, considering their high ranks, and it wasn't like she had a current relationship for Madara's arrangement to interfere with.
Yes, this would still fit with her life's plan, just...in a slightly better way than she initially thought.
Catching the kunai a final time, she placed it in its sheath and set it safely behind her pillow. So that pest managed to get his way this time. That was...aggravating, but fortunately he managed to be useful in the process.
Rolling onto her side, a smirk crossed her face.
At least Madara wasn't half bad looking. The man already had enough downsides without being ugly.
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((Alright, not my best work, but I'm trying to be less of a perfectionist so I can finally get this story off the ground. This take on Madara certainly differs from canon, but it's been fun to explore and I can't wait to show you guys more as time goes on.
So, what do you think? Please leave a review to let me know! ))