Chapter 18: Sober
"This has gone on long enough! We haven't gained any ground since the death of the Uzumaki leader. You were supposed to kill his daughter during her week there."
"Her death would have caused an uproar, Captain. Madara, Hashirama, Mito… the three of them alone would wreak havoc on you all in the blink of an eye, let alone the Uzumaki, Uchiha and Senju clans." The figure in the shadows snarls
"You let her go! Even capturing her would have given us an advantage." He replies, several others nodding in agreement
"Could you have contained her? The last couple of times have been laughable failures."
"You smug bastard-" before he can throw a punch in its direction, a mass of black slams into him with audible force. The others watch on in horror and shock as the substance expands on him, leaking across pale skin like ink on paper. Barely a scream escapes him before threads of liquid drip over his mouth and eyes, sealing them shut. A yellow circle replaces the area where his eye was and a crude white smile plasters itself across his face. Their comrade, now an unrecognisable black silhouette steps forward with a tremble before it speaks in a fearfully familiar voice.
"I think you need new… leadership."
"What did you do to the Captain?! What are you?!" one of them manages to say,
"Don't sulk now, your former captain still stands before you as a part of me." It smiles, "You're all forgetting why we need the Uzumaki. She is the key to unravelling Madara Uchiha. She will cause the downfall of the Uchiha clan and trigger the abolishment of the Senju's rule. We must be careful with our actions. I expect you all understand what needs to be done." It says, though the others feel their skin crawl, no one contests.
Hashirama rubs Mito's shaking shoulders as the meeting adjourns. Madara himself looks weary and deprived of sleep. Tobirama blinks several times, unable to process the information they had received.
"This entire calamity is my fault. If I had not coerced Kazue into doing such a thing, forcing her to lie to you all because I held personal interests…" Mito's delicate voice breaks twice, "What have I done?"
"Mito, Kazue had personal interests as well, I should have spoken to her about this. It was in my care that she was attacked. I failed to protect her." Madara murmurs blankly, Tobirama takes note that his eyes lack their usual alert intensity. It was unlike Madara Uchiha to speak so passively.
"No, this cannot be blamed on either of you." Hashirama frowns, "I myself am trying to gauge the motives for such an attack. They had the chance to but did not kill her, yet they took her memory, specifically memories from a certain period of time in her life. What is for certain, is that we cannot spiral into self-doubt. I suspect the motive is to damage our psyche."
"What can I do to make this easier for her?" Madara's expressionless face shows desperation. Tobirama stares in surprise at an expression he'd never seen the Uchiha make before.
"We need to explain what has happened, and inform her what she has experienced in the last few months she has forgotten. She's disoriented and her emotions reflect only the experiences she's remembered so far." Hashirama observes the resign in Madara's eyes, he places a firm hand on his shoulder, "My friend, with what you both have been through I don't believe it possible for a jutsu to erase the bond you share. We will restore her memories."
Madara takes his leave shortly afterward, Mito leaves to begin packing for the Uchiha residence immediately while Hashirama raises a brow at his younger brother.
"You remained quiet the entire time. Isn't this the twist of fate you'd hoped for?" Hashirama crosses his arms and frowns
"You see Madara as a brother." Tobirama gives an empty chuckle
"Whether or not I see him that way, it doesn't make you any less my brother, does it?" he sighs, "Are you coming with us tomorrow morning?"
"If I go, there can only be more conflict. I've been through that once and Kazue chose him. When she remembers again, I get a feeling she'll come to the same decision." He stands with a sigh and leaves the room. Hashirama's eyes soften, Tobirama had always been the more emotional one, though he tried extremely hard not to show it… Particularly when he held conflicting emotions that he couldn't recognise. Hashirama could read the silver-haired man like an illustrated book, though he knew Tobirama had to come to his own conclusions about his feelings.
"They say Kazue-sama only remembers events until just before the wedding."
"I heard that Tobirama-sama intends to win back her affections now that the situation has changed."
"Another marriage between the Senju and Uzumaki would be beneficial and the people would accept it."
"Perhaps she's only pretended to return Madara-sama's feelings."
"Tobirama-sama would be a better match for her."
"I hear he's leaving for the Uchiha residence tomorrow."
Liquor splashes like light rain across the main street of Konoha, unable to contain itself in the green bottle in Aida's shaky grip. Her footsteps shuffle two steps forward and one step back each time she manages to coordinate her movements. Her vision blurs into a mixture of colours and shapes with no clear outline. The cool air swirls over her bare skin, the soles of her feet enjoying the crunch of leaves and mud underneath them. She saunters past the windows of several closed shops, her lips open into wide smile that distracts her from the wetness in her eyes. Her body walks to a familiar place, numbed and warm in the blanket of alcohol. Inside her mind, emotions rage in a never-ending storm, flitting from despair to exhaustion.
Tobirama.
Tears stream down her cheeks in an endless flow as she falls, her throat is thick with something that won't go away. One name plays on repeat through her ears, eyes of brown red seem to stare at her from somewhere, a deep voice calls her name like the only sound in a world she was deaf in.
Tobirama. Tobirama. Tobirama.
A clatter of glass catches Tobirama's attention as he sits on his balcony, quietly setting down the text in his fingers he leaps onto the roof to investigate. Scanning the village centre, his eyes fall on a dark shape sprawled near the gazebo behind their residence. Recognising her immediately, Tobirama jumps in one bound toward the scene, at an inhuman pace.
"Aida?!" he shouts, she groans in response before sitting up and managing to stand with a few wobbles. His eyes widen in shock when he sees her. She had no shirt on, only a thick white bandage covered her chest and her plain khaki slacks hung dangerously low on her sharp hip bones. Her hair is ruffled but pushed to one side in a way that it exposes her defined jawline, her eyes are out of focus and the green bottle smashed on the ground beside her informs Tobirama what had happened. "Aida, what the hell do you think you're doing? How long have you been here?"
"Mmm is it t-truee that you're going to l-eave?!" she stammers and curses her fast metabolism, if she could form sentences, the alcohol was slowly wearing off.
"What are you talking about? And would you care to tell me why you're barely dressed and wandering around drunk at night? Have you lost your mind?!"
"I w-want tooo."
"Do you have any idea how unsafe it is right now?! Kami, Aida what if something happened to you?" He massages his temples trying to remove the 'worst-scenario' thoughts from his mind. "I'm taking you home right now and you're going to stay there." He pulls off his yukata, drapes it across her now shivering body and ties it tightly over her
"I don't wan- Don't want to go ho-me." She sinks onto her bottom and resists his hold, "Just want to be al-alone."
"Alone? Like hell." He grumbles, scooping her into his arms. Aida stares at him in disorientation as he starts walking. The muscles around his strong jaw are tightly clenched and the irritation radiates from him in waves. His soft silver hair moves with the night breeze and his eyes are fixed on the path ahead, for a moment. Aida feels herself sobering.
"T-Tobirama, please- please put me do-own." She mumbles, he ignores her and continues. Aida feels tears threaten to form in her eyes, they manage to overpower her will and leak, "Please…" her voice breaking makes Tobirama stop immediately,
"Ai…" he frowns in serious concern. He can tell something has compromised Aida, something strong enough to make her drop her guard and leave herself vulnerable. "Please talk to me."
"I- I thought I could stay away fr-from you." her lip quivers, "But it still hurts just as m-much to hear you're re-turning to her."
"What?" he exclaims in confusion before he pieces it together, "Aida… is this about what's happened to Kazue?" he asks, she doesn't respond. "I'm not going."
"Wh-what? Why?!"
"I thought about it for a while. But I believe destiny doesn't change, even if the circumstances do. I don't want someone who wants me only because they have lost a part of themselves." He looks at Aida, her brown eyes are wide with slight disbelief.
"But y-you love her."
"Do I? Did I? I'm not even sure what I feel or if what I felt was ever what I thought it was." He laughs in exasperation as he sets her on her feet, making sure to hold her waist as she stands shakily
"I-I'm sorry you're in s-so much pain." She splutters, feeling a headache coming on
"Me? I can't imagine my anguish is anywhere close to the hangover you're going to have tomorrow." He smirks, "You never did handle your alcohol well, Ai."
"D-don't rub it in." she grumbles
"Come, I'll carry you home." He offers his hand
"No, I- I don't want to go home. I just want to sit a-at the gazebo for a while." She begins her wobbly walk back to where they came from, Tobirama catches up with her and grabs her before she trips over. Tobirama's eyes soften, even when she was drunk off her face, she was stubborn and he knew he had no hope of convincing her otherwise.
"Let me join you?"
"I don't want p-pity company."
"Who said it's pity company?" he chuckles, "I can't sleep anyway.
Aida feels the breeze become colder as the liquor filters out of her system though she is still extremely intoxicated. Tobirama helps her sit down in the gazebo and flits off to find a blanket when she starts shivering. Wrapping it around them both, he savours the familiar warmth of her against him. Eventually her body leans toward him, tired and weary.
"Are you going to tell me why you drank so much?" he murmurs
"You k-know why." She whispers
"I'm sorry." He replies without any other words. Without knowing it, they both find their eyes locked together, pupils dilated to take in each ray of light the lanterns reflect on each other's faces. As if drawn by an unseen force, their faces move closer until their lips meet gently. When they part, it's as if the air around them has become icy. Tobirama lets his tongue find hers as they intertwine their fingers together, his arm pulls Aida on to his lap. Their kisses seem to burn, their bodies electric when in contact. Something about their proximity felt so natural and irresistible that neither can form any logical thought.
"Ai, I don't want to do this when you're drunk." Tobirama suddenly pulls away with great difficulty, being close to her had always felt intense, though he struggles to remember a time that could compare to the pull he felt toward her tonight.
"There's no one else I'd want sober or drunk, so it's okay." She murmurs, her words send a stab of guilt through him
"I can see now that I've hurt you badly." His hand tucks a strand of hair behind her ear
"It's okay b-because I'll forgive you." Her slender arms loop around his neck, tears moistening her eyes. "Will you spend the night w-with me?"
Tobirama frowns with guilt. What had he done to her? In all the time he had taken to figure out his own feelings, Aida's had been crushed. She was vulnerable and she needed him. He can't help but wonder if she was what he needed all this time? His arms wrap around her waist in answer, their bodies begin moving in synchronisation, each one's action a reply to the other's thoughts. Her hips roll rhythmically, albeit clumsily, against his erection. The hardness of him making her melt against him. He sets the blanket down on the floor of the gazebo and lays her gently over it, still wrapped in his yukata. His kisses trail down her collarbone to her breasts, her hiccups and moans give him confirmation to continue. He unravels the white bandage covering her voluptuous chest. Her fingers twist through his hair as his mouth takes in her breast. Moving back to kiss her, he rubs his erection slowly and deeply against the wetness between her legs. He pulls away her slacks and his own shirt with a chuckle when Aida tugs at it in impatience. Aida struggles to stifle a moan when his tongue falls on her bare sex, he lifts her thigh up and angles her hips upward making the sensations intensify. Tobirama finds a smile play at his lips when Aida bites her index finger, it was a tell-tale sign she was close to coming. He moves back up and switches their positions. Aida seems slightly wobbly at the sudden movement but eventually settles at his muscular abdomen, feeling the heat of his erection on her lips. His head tilts back in a moan when her tongue runs along the length of him. His eyes fixate on the dark brown strands of her hair bobbing up and down, tickling his stomach occasionally.
"Ai, you sit on top." He murmurs, helping her straddle him. This way she could control how deep he went, the last thing he wanted to do was hurt her in the heat of the moment. They were used to having slightly rougher sex, although he wanted this night to last forever. "Are you wet enough?" he asks with a frown, she nods.
Aida lets herself rub against him several times before she pulls his shaft to her opening. The initial tightness makes Tobirama groan in pleasure as Aida lowers herself slowly, exhaling as he fills her. In the moonlight, Aida is truly beautiful, as she always is, he smiles up at her eyes tightly shut in concentration. She picks up the speed slightly and he feels his hips buck up involuntarily in response, he feels her tense and clench around him for a moment.
"It's been a while, hasn't it? I'm sorry, I'll slow down." He smiles, kissing her forehead and rolling them onto their sides. His hands grip her hip bones and pull her backwards into him, her hand moves behind her to hold his hand. His forehead rests on her shoulder as their bodies grind slowly against one and other.
"T-Tobi-" she gasps, her hand grabbing his buttock
"Mm?" he kisses her neck, letting his thrusts go deeper
"T-top, I want y-you-" before she finishes, Tobirama is already laying her on her back.
"You always go for my butt when you want me on top." He winks as she scowls, "I'm teasing, Ai."
Her arms wrap around his neck as he thrusts into her faster and harder. Their eyes meet as the pressure between them grows. He feels her tighten around his shaft, his own climax drawing closer. No more verbal words are exchanged between them as their eyes bear into each other, an invisible connection rendering them unable to look away. Their perspiring foreheads press together, as their climaxes shake through their bodies. Remaining connected for several moments, Tobirama kisses her cheek as she smiles up at him in weary elation. When they manage to separate, the two of them lie in each other's arms observing the fading stars above them in the lightening sky.
Aida's eyes close, giving in to the pull of sleep as the sun rises. Tobirama gathers her into the blanket and leaps back up to his room to set her down on his bed. He brushes the hair from her cheek before settling into the sheets himself and drawing her small body against his. It strikes him that he hadn't thought of Kazue once the entire time he was with her… no… even before that. Even before they were told of Kazue losing her memory, he had stopped thinking of her, in fact, he felt as if she was an acquaintance by now. In the time he was away from Aida, he experienced more anxiety and unhappiness than Kazue. He had thought the cause was his feelings for Kazue… someone who had become a stranger, but with Aida… it was as if he'd lost a friend, a lover, a part of himself. He had never experienced this feeling… A feeling of being so anchored, so grounded, so bound to someone else.
The chirping of a flock of birds brings Aida to her senses, her eyes open to see her surroundings but all logical thought is interrupted when a sharp stab of pain shoots through her temples. Clutching her head tightly, she manages to sit up. Just how much had she drank last night?! The only thing she can remember is leaving the bar tipsy, with a full bottle of liquor in her hand. She curses herself for paying any mind to the rumours she'd heard, it was obvious that Tobirama would return to Kazue now that the situation had changed. Getting drunk to drown her sorrows had initially seemed like a good consolation, although she regretted drinking herself senseless now. Her body almost creaks with effort when she tries to move, now that she thought about it she wasn't sitting in her own bed. There was too much light and too many stacks of books everywhere. Her eye catches movement beside her. A large muscular back faces her, a mop of silver hair on the pillow above it. Her eyes widen in disbelief. No way in hell… The red scratches on his back and the stiff feeling in the muscles around her hips confirm her worst fear. Her hands fly to cover the gasp in her throat, as she slides cautiously out of the bed. Oh Kami what had she done?! Her feet pad toward the door, still covered in a yukata she didn't recognise.
"Where are you going so early? Come enjoy the morning with me for once." Tobirama's husky voice calls out from the sheets,
"I-I don't know what happened last night but I wasn't in my right mind…" she stutters, a deep red blush across her cheeks
"You were entirely drunk." He chuckles, "But I felt you were much more honest with me."
"No, you should forget what ever happened last night, I don't even remember any of it. I was drunk and emotional and must have said stupid things I didn't mean, I'm sorry for causing you any inconvenience." She bows,
"You don't remember any of it?!" Tobirama's eyes narrow in disbelief, is memory loss an epidemic at the moment?! First Kazue and now Aida?
"I can only remember up until I left the bar last night, nothing more. I was emotional and foolish, I'm sorry for wasting your time. I wish you and Kazue-sama the very best." She makes a run for the door only to be intercepted by the Senju who holds both her shoulders in his hands.
"I'm not going anywhere. I'm staying in Konoha, Kazue has Madara, I've made that peace." He tries to explain, resisting the urge to yell at her for forgetting.
"If that's what you wish, then I'm happy for you. I must take my leave now-"
"Dammit would you stop pushing me away and look me in the eye for one second?!" he shouts, Aida's eyes shoot up to his immediately, "When you were drunk I saw life in you, I saw passion and we had the most beautiful sex and now? Now that you're sober, the walls are back up and you behave like an emotionless robot! I hurt you, Kami knows I hurt you, but you won't even look at me." He curses at the moisture stinging his eyes
"I'm trying to make this easier for the both of us. You've said yourself many times that you don't know how you feel. If it truly was something like love, you would recognise it immediately. Your hesitation is like a defence mechanism, your gut telling you I'm not the one." Her eyes stare at the ground as she lowers his hands from her shoulders, her voice is sad but resigned. She had convinced herself many times before that he didn't love her, any argument he gave was surely out of pity. "I have to go now, Tobirama-san, it is better this way and you'll know it when you find the one you're truly destined to be with."
Tobirama stands speechless as she leaves, unable to comprehend how defeated she sounds. The feeling of confusion and inability to fill the void she left in him whenever she pushed him away. He could tell now, that this hurt him more than the sadness he'd felt when Kazue chose Madara. He had to get her back. He knew the word he had to say to make her believe him, and he was ready to use it.
Madara and Izuna sit in silence in the courtyard as Hashirama, Mito, Haruo and Kanako speak with Kazue. Apparently, Mito thought it best that Izuna stay out because Kazue hadn't met him yet and Madara stay out because… Kazue can't stand him yet. A part of Madara was relieved Tobirama hadn't accompanied them, another part was upset to see the disappointment on Kazue's face when she was told. He'd forgotten how much he hated that.
"Ni-san, if you continue focusing so hard you'll burn a hole in the wooden panels under us." Izuna's remark snaps Madara out of his thoughts
"What if this is permanent?" he murmurs
"I agree with what Hashirama-san said. No jutsu can erase a part of someone forever."
"Whoever is responsible for this is going to suffer a great deal." Madara grits his teeth at the thought of crushing the criminals' throats.
"Don't lose your composure, ni-san. Try to remind Kazue who she is, why she loves you. She'll resist and she'll fight because she's in the dark right now. But if you give up and lose yourself, the battle is lost." Izuna frowns at his brother
"A part of me thinks, you'd make a greater leader than I." he chuckles
"No, my job is to stand by your side and guide you. So listen to me sometimes."
Kazue protests as Mito hugs her tightly. Haruo sits on Kazue's lap as the others explain events that she had never heard of before. News of her father's death shattered the concentration she had maintained so far. Though a part of her felt as if she had already mourned and cried for him until she could not anymore. It shocks her that she had experienced so many things with Izuna and Madara, and yet they were strangers to her. Though every fibre in her body urges her to hate Madara Uchiha, Hashirama and Mito's words exude nothing but trust and respect for him. Even Kanako and Haruo ask her to speak with him.
"Look, alright. I trust what you've told me, and I think we need to get to the bottom of who we're dealing with. I didn't even know I had the ability to summon the Triple Rashōmon… but if I did something very dangerous is in the works." She frowns absorbing the information, Mito clears her throat, "Yes, and I'll try to be around him."
Izuna and Kazue's meeting goes perfectly fine, their comfort around each other is instant and evident much to everyone's relief. The two spend an afternoon chatting and discussing. Madara can't help the annoyance he feels at his brother's approachability and social flair. Kazue remains at the balcony overlooking the compound as Izuna takes his leave. Izuna nods at Madara to signal Kazue has agreed to meet him. Feeling anxious, Madara exhales and steps out onto the veranda. The breeze seems to sift through Kazue's scarlet waves, the filtered sunlight occasionally reflecting off them. Approaching cautiously, Madara can't take his eyes off her.
"The weather has cooled down so quickly, it seems to confirm how much time has passed since what I remember." Kazue sighs,
"Time is cruel like that, isn't it?" Madara carefully rests his elbows on the balcony rail beside her, Kazue feels slight apprehension which is overcome by curiosity.
"How much did we quarrel after the wedding before we started getting along?"
"Quite a few times." He chuckles, "We couldn't stand each other at several different points in a single month."
"That doesn't sound humorous in the slightest." She sighs
"We were both stubborn." He shrugs and turns around to lean his back on the rail and face her. Kazue finds a light blush tinge her cheeks, the proximity making her nervous. "I've missed your blush." He smiles a genuine smile, Kazue loses her track of thought for a moment as she takes in the sight of his light-hearted expression on his porcelain skin. Madara reaches forward instinctively to brush a crimson tendril of hair from her face.
When his fingertip contacts her cheek, vivid colour rips through Kazue's field of vision.
"Kazue?!" Madara's voice calls from somewhere.
Before she can respond her eyes are looking upon a furious Madara Uchiha inches away from her. Fire flashes through his fearsome eyes before she feels a sharp impact to her face, knock her to the ground. Blood smudges on her fingers as she touches her lip.
"Kazue, what's wrong?! Send help here now!" Madara's voice calls again, firm arms hold her shoulders to keep her upright as she sinks.
Again, she's flung from the present to another place. "You belong only to me." She recognises Madara's voice as her hands are held above her, his hands running along each part of her body as she struggles against him.
"Kazue?!" this time Izuna's voice calls to her, snapping her out of her nightmare.
"Izuna?! Kami!" Kazue bursts into tears in his arms
"Kazue, what happened?" Madara's hand rests on her shoulder, she recoils and slaps it away to his utter shock,
"Don't you dare! Don't you ever touch me again!" she screams.
The fear in her eyes is easy for Madara to recognise. Stepping backward, Madara distances himself from her. How could he have been so foolish? If she regained her memories, she would regain all of them. For the last few days, he had never felt more helpless. There was nothing he could to calm her or make this easier for her, all he wanted was to be close to her though he knew she hated him.
"Kanako?" Madara calls as he passes her in the halls
"Yes, Madara-sama? Where are you leaving to with your armour?" Kanako blinks in surprise
"Training. I won't be back for a day or so, please take care of my wife."
"We await your return." She bows, sad to see the pain in her leader's dark eyes.
A/N: Thank you for bearing with me through the dry periods. I hope to write a little more regularly now! I'll be honest, it makes me sad writing about this part of the story as everything seems to be going south for my favourite characters. Please continue reviewing, I like to hear your thoughts and advice is much appreciated! xx