Chapter 4: Home
When Kazue arrives in the dining hall, the advisors are seated around the long table chattering amongst each other, Madara sits at the head of the table with his chin resting on his knuckles. So as not to disturb them, she takes careful steps around the least crowded side and settles at Madara's side. He glances sideways to catch a glimpse of her, he wasn't disappointed. Certainly she was not beautiful in the ways the women he shared his bed with were, though it's not that she isn't beautiful at all. Kazue catches Madara's eyes which are already on her when she turns her head in greeting. She grimaces a smile. He was probably thinking of some comment to express his dissatisfaction with her appearance. The advisors spend more than two hours discussing the guests, the seating, the ceremonies and the social appropriateness of certain customs and such. Kazue is call upon several times for her opinion and preference by Madara. If her future husband wasn't an unpredictable control-freak, she would imagine he found it all to be just as boring and mundane as she did. Here and there, she would hear Madara grunt or make some gesture of acknowledgement and the advisors would begin scribbling furiously on the parchments in front of them. The great Madara Uchiha, having to choose between ivory and crème as wedding décor schemes. She bites back a laugh she knew she could regret. The sky is tinted with dark blue outside when the meeting finishes, Kazue feels hunger twist in her stomach. Soon after, to her relief, maids enter the room with plates of hot food. They begin eating, the fact that they were the only two in the huge meeting room makes Kazue self-conscious, though she keeps eating, chewing as silently as possible.
"What were you discussing with Tobirama, this afternoon?" Madara's deep voice issues from beside her,
"N-nothing important. I was informed of our moving permanently from Konoha only recently, I had matters to discuss with my sister. That's what we were speaking about." She says. Kazue found it curious that he made no comment on her seeing him train, though she was grateful for it.
"It wouldn't seem to an observer that you were simply speaking." He replies
"Tobirama-san and I have known one and other for a long time. We trained together and he is a good friend to me. I wouldn't expect an observer to understand the depth of our relationship at a glance." Kazue focuses on keeping the irritation out of her tone
"You realise you're to be married soon, do you not? Does it not cross your mind of the implications of your actions when you behave intimately with another out of wedlock?" his repetitive rhetorical questions spark rage in the Uzumaki who stands,
"I do. I also realise that you think I'm perfectly and entirely incompetent. I understand why my Father sent me here, I moved away from one nagging parent just to end up with another." Kazue shakes her head.
The sharp sound of glass shards splintering against the plastered walls makes Kazue flinch. Madara stands across from her, his eyes with a fearsome anger behind them. How many times would they reach this kind of conflict? Surely someone was keeping a tally of how many times they locked horns this week.
"He must have kind words for you. Although I will remind you in every way I must, that you are to be my wife, and will not condone the way you behave so carelessly." He raises his voice only slightly but the emotion behind it is clear.
"Am I not allowed to speak with anyone but you?! Is that the kind of life I am to live? You should have left me to die!" Kazue stands her ground ignoring the trepidation in her shaking body.
"And let rogue-nin gain intel on Konoha? It was a decision I was willing to live with, despite how much I feel I should regret it now." His voice takes on a cruel edge, the words hurt her though she knew she shouldn't let them.
"You're nothing like…" Kazue trails of before he can hear the thickness in her throat
"Like Hashirama? Like Tobirama?" He snarls, "I'm nothing like them and I hope you didn't, in your dizziest daydreams, expect me to be."
"No you're exactly how I expected you to be. Cruel and hateful, arrogant and tyrannical. Hashirama-ni-sama and Tobirama-san will become leaders you can never hope to be." She states, gulping back a sob,
"Then go and marry Tobirama. Return to Uzushiogakure and explain to your Father and your people why the Uzumaki-Uchiha alliance has been nullified." He snaps, the anger in his chest was becoming uncontrollable. If there was someone who had found how to irritate Madara Uchiha in every possible way, this girl had done it.
"I'm continuing with this alliance for my people. Not because I want a husband. I was to be a leader too, but for them I gave that up to make sure they'd be safe from you." Kazue's voice breaks once. Though not for long, Madara's eyes linger on the woman in front of him. Tears glisten in her brown eyes, her words were genuine and the quiet sobs she desperately hides make the Uchiha pause before he speaks quietly,
"And I am continuing with this alliance for my people." Madara steps around the glass and towards Kazue, "I don't want you to speak with Tobirama alone before the wedding. That is final."
"Why do you feel the need to control me? Is it because Tobirama-san is the only one who's looked out for me since I got here? Kami forbid I have anyone to support me." Kazue looks up at him in sheer disbelief. In a swift movement that any normal person would have mistaken for a passing breeze, Madara steps to Kazue's side, her small frame shadowed by his square shoulder, their chests touching. He runs a finger gently across her cheek, trailing down her neck to her collarbone before he tugs the material of the yukata loose at her neck. Kazue stiffens and yanks it back into place before her chest can be seen. An angry crimson blush blooming in her cheeks.
"I see." He pulls back for a moment only to push her scarlet hair aside and lower his lips to her ear, "You're a virgin, aren't you? I would have thought as much, no wonder Tobirama is so eager to gain your trust... No wonder you're so willing to give it." The warmth of his breath at her neck is gone, the cool atmosphere of the room washes over her. Kazue sinks slowly to her knees and blinks several times before the tears spill without break from her eyes and drop to her thighs, wetting the fabric of the yukata as his steps fade outside.
The night outside is icy when Kazue steps into the courtyard. Shrugging her yukata tighter, she walks briskly to her room. The cold of the atmosphere allowed for a clear night, there is a stark contrast between the pinpricks of white stars against the blue blanket of the night. The luminescent moon outshines them all, full and pure. It distracts Kazue from the murkiness of her own feelings. Settling into the unfamiliar softness of another foreign bed, exhaustion fills Kazue who gives into the droop of her heavy eyelids before sleep rolls over her.
The full moon illuminates her body as it clings to his. The light glints off the sweat on their backs and the tangle of body parts, his hands move to her breasts as she straddles his hips. No matter how much he tried to immerse himself in the woman in front of him, tonight, Madara's mind remained focused on Kazue. The look on her face, the confidence in her words earlier. To an extent he courage was impressive, though at times it was sheer stupidity and it irritated him beyond imagination that he let a girl like her rile him up and spark his temper. The image of Tobirama's lips on Kazue's forehead sears through his vision like the unpleasant sting staring directly at the sun would cause you. Rage and annoyance bubble through the ninja though he quells it slowly. For the first time in a while, Madara feels impatient and eager to send the woman under him on her way. Her moans and the feeling of her arms pulling him closer seem to blur into static noise in his ears. In a single movement, he shifts her under him and hitches her leg in the crook of his arm. His hips roll deeper against hers, a low grunt escaping his lips as her nails dig into his muscular shoulders. Shaking away the thought of the Uzumaki, he moves faster, pulling out of her before reaching the edge of his climax. Almost as soon as he rolls away from the woman and onto his side, the thought of his fiancée floods his mind.
"Something is on Madara-san's mind tonight." She traces circles on his shoulder, her fingers feel like sandpaper to him now
"Marriage is even more of a hassle than everyone makes it out to be." He grumbles
"Marriage doesn't make you happy, it makes things work for you. That's why you have me, someone to make you forget about your boring and inexperienced wife." The woman's words have a profound effect on Madara who feels the need to physically restrain himself from throwing her off the bed.
"Get out." He spits
"M-Madara-sama I don't under-" the woman's confused pleas annoy him further
"I won't repeat myself." He warns her quietly, she doesn't query further before she gathers her clothing and leaves.
Since she arrived in Konoha, Kazue couldn't recall a single night she had slept well. Last night was no exception. Kanako is flitting through the room when Kazue lets her eyes open to bear the brunt of the morning sunlight's assault. Her body feels stiff and tight though everything had more or less healed. She focuses on the Uchiha maid who is still gathering items from here and there in a neat pile. That's right. Today they were to make their way to the Uchiha estate.
"Good morning, Kazue-san!" Kanako chirps a little too happily
"Good morning, Kanako. Please tell me I don't have to meet or smile or speak to anyone but you today?" Kazue croaks
"My lady, your voice? Are you catching a cold?" she rushes to the bed
"No, no I'm fine. I just had a… late night."
"If I dare ask, did you and Madara-sama have a disagreement?" Kanako pats her thigh
"Y-yes, we did unfortunately. How did you know?" Though a disagreement was an excessive understatement.
"I'm sorry to hear that, he hasn't been in the best of spirits lately. Well Madara-sama usually trains very early in the morning, he woke later than usual and has been training for more than a few hours now… he tends to do this when there are many things on his mind."
"I see." Her thoughts sift through the cringe-worthy events of the previous night. An involuntary blush appears on her cheeks when she remembers Madara's confronting, yet accurate assessment of her innocence.
"On the other hand, most of our day will be spent travelling so there aren't any social commitments!" she smiles
"Thank you, Kanako." Kazue chuckles.
The sway of the carriage sends Kazue off to sleep. It's close to mid-afternoon when the carriage stops and Kazue is ushered outside. She struggles to hide her grimace when they stand at the gates. These were at least twice as big as the ones in their Konoha residence, the Uchiha symbol painted boldly across the wooden planks. Kanako and the other servants seem to sigh in relief as they stare at the doors. When they open, a magnificent courtyard of green greets them, grey pebble pathways lead out from a gazebo in the centre near a tiny stream that runs through the property. The veranda loops around the gardens in a square and everything looks brand new. Breathtaking, it was like a gigantic villa with nature in it's centre. Kanako leads her through room after room and corridor after corridor. Each servant bows deeply in greeting as they pass. The colossal estate seemed never-ending, according to Kanako, Madara and his brother, Izuna, had built the framework of the house themselves. One space in particular, catches Kazue's attention. This room was at least three times the size of any other and it was shelved from floor to ceiling with endless rows of books. She had never seen anything like it. She wondered how long it could have taken to amass such a collection… or how long it would take to read such a collection. She knew she would return to find out when she had the chance.
As Kanako continues, a gust of air almost pushes the two women aside following a small figure which leaps over them and lands in the middle of the compound. Kazue sees a small boy, barely ten years old, jump from balcony rail to balcony rail. Amidst the silent and serene atmosphere, the child's laughter brings a smile to Kazue's face for the first time that day. He runs carefree, managing to dodge the maids around him, a grin on his face and his feet bare. It was as if Kazue was looking at a younger version of herself.
"Haruo-sama, please get down! You'll fall from there!" Kanako scurries to collect the laughing boy who is now swinging from the roof support beam above them. The sight of an exasperated Kanako yelling at a mischievous black haired boy, makes Kazue chuckle. "Haruo-sama!" Kanako screams as the wood in his hand crumbles into splinters before the boy falls from above. Kazue turns and feels the muscles in her legs contract sharply and forcefully. There is no impact. Kazue sets the boy down several steps from where he would have landed. Kanako and the boy stand speechless around her.
"Are you a ninja, nee-san?" the young one asks finally,
"Mhm." She smiles,
"How did you move so fast?" he chirps in amazement,
"Lots and lots of practise." She winks at him, the boy blushes and beams a smile at her as if inspired before he runs away chattering to himself in an excited tone.
"Thank heavens, you saved him, Kazue-san! That was incredible." Kanako sighs in relief,
"He's an active one, isn't he? Though it's nice to see someone younger than me, I must say." Kazue and Kanako laugh together
"He is a cousin of Madara-sama on their father's side."
"I see. Does the entire extended family stay here?"
"Oh no! Most are in Konoha. Many are visiting for the wedding, Izuna-sama and a few others remain here most of the year."
"Now that I think of it, I haven't met with his brother yet."
"He is returning from a month-long mission tonight, so I'm sure he will be eager to meet you when he is recovered tomorrow."
"I certainly hope so. I'm praying we get along better than his brother and I."
Most of the afternoon and early evening is spent packing before they eat dinner, Kazue hadn't seen Madara the entire day though her pride held her from enquiring further about it. She wasn't quite sure what to make of the situation between her and her future husband, she decides it isn't worth the debate today. Her fingertips hover at her door before her gut tells her to turn around.
The main gates open for a moment, before someone pushes them closed. On the pebble path in the garden stands a figure, which Kazue can only make out thanks to the light and shadow caused by the moonlight. It stands with a hilt and sword behind its back, grey armour covering the torso. Though at first, she imagined it to be Madara, this man's hair is cropped shorter, his black eyes are focused on her. Adrenaline washes through her, was this an intruder? Surely the Uchiha compound would be well guarded at this hour… He starts walking forward, Kazue's hand drops to the kunai firmly strapped to her thigh as she picks up speed and runs at him.
"Hey, hey, hey. Relax I won't hurt you." The man manages to slow her momentum and steadies her, holding her wrists, "My name is Izuna Uchiha. Sorry to scare you, you must be my sister-in-law to be, it's a pleasure to finally meet you, nee-san!" in the moonlight, Kazue sees a wink and a warm smile on the young man's face. Without meaning to let it, her mouth falls open.
"I'm so sorry again, for accosting you, I hope your first impression of me isn't completely traumatic." Kazue grimaces, offering Izuna a cup of tea. After he had introduced himself, Kazue had apologised profusely to the friendly ninja who had patted her on the back and smiled the whole time. The two sit down in the gazebo in the courtyard with tea, it seemed Izuna was perfectly happy to spend time with Kazue, although it was late in the evening.
"Not at all. I can imagine you were concerned, it's reassuring to know how courageous you are." He chuckles
"I'm impulsive… Although I'm sure your brother will tell you that when you meet him." She sighs in dread, "We haven't gotten along since I arrived, we tend to reach conflict in every conversation we have."
"He is one to talk about being impulsive. Don't mind him, if he truly thought you unbearable, this wedding wouldn't be happening." He laughs, "And if you were any normal woman he would have driven you insane by now." though she's shocked at his casualness, Kazue finds herself comfortable enough to laugh with him. "On a more serious note, I can imagine you miss home." His tone softens
"I do. Very much. Though there's so many things going on at the moment I guess my mind has been occupied." She admits
"I see." He replies sympathetically.
As they chat about the wedding and the events to come, it strikes Kazue that she felt more at ease around a shinobi she had just met, who had a sword on his back and tea in his hands than her future husband. It was laughable. Izuna is shorter than Madara and his hair cropped just above his shoulders. His similarity to Madara is uncanny, though he radiates anything but cold and domineering. Based on personality alone, Kazue wonders how the two ended up as brothers. They bid goodnight and depart to their respective rooms, Izuna shrugging off his armour as he saunters down the halls. Kazue slips into her sheets and welcomes sleep as it comes, this wouldn't be so bad, as long as she had some sane people around.