Next update will be Thursday.
On appearances, there are a few inconsistencies between the manga and the anime and Tobirama's eyes are one of them: in the manga his eyes are dark, not light. Similarly, manga Tōka looks rather like a brunette Gwendoline Christie, while anime Tōka is more suspiciously Uchiha-esque.
Compass of thy Soul
The incense party goes as well as can be expected, given that it's hosted by Hyūga Hinagiku and seems mostly to have been set up to give said clan the opportunity to conclusively identify her. The rest of the guests are almost all women: two more main line Hyūga, a member of the Mizuchi clan about Kita's age who introduced herself as Tatsumi, accompanied by her older brother Koro –the only other man present aside from Madara– and three court ladies who probably have some kind of connection to the Hyūga. Sisters of women who married into the clan, perhaps?
It's kind of fun, even with the other eight people present being more or less formally allied to their hostess. Kita is presented with a small box of incense blends as a gift to take home afterwards, which she accepts politely and is privately confused by. She knows very little about the Hyūga, despite them being considered a sister clan to the Uchiha. In fact Kita knows more about the Mizuchi, but that's mainly due to them being a rather small clan with the kind of reputation that prompts civilians to withhold goods and form mobs to drive them out of an area.
Kita's never actually heard of any Mizuchi actually doing anything meriting that kind of reaction, but having met some she now sees where the civilians are coming from. They do have a certain air, like they don't care that you know that they think you might be edible. It's something about the eyes, Kita decides; gold eyes with vertical slits like that are distinctly crocodilian and there's something in the human hindbrain that knows when it's looking at an apex predator.
The chalky skin and almost unnatural fluidity of movement do not help there. Tatsumi was perfectly friendly though, so Kita is prepared to set first impressions aside. She knows how Uchiha can come across when they're being standoffish and defensive.
Murasaki-sama's ladies-only leaf-viewing event, held in her private garden, is rather trickier to navigate despite Kita having Inemi with her: it is when Kita meets Uzumaki Mito.
Uzumaki Mito attends the event alone, which implies she is the only woman in the Senju party, or possibly just that she feels perfectly capable of navigating a party held by the daimyo's wife without an ally at her back. Or maybe that she does not consider any of the other women that Senju Butsuma may have brought along to count as allies. It's impossible to tell, as Kita doesn't know the composition of the Senju delegation so can only baselessly speculate.
It's hard to tell or infer much at all; the redhead has impressively controlled chakra, a magnificent poker face and says very little. She also has what are definitely seal tags hanging from her hairstyle, so Kita is reluctant to get too close. The Uchiha have stories about the Uzumaki. All kinds of stories, many of which boil down to 'crazy redheads who don't know when to lie down and die' and 'we still don't know what that seal did.' She also remembers nothing of Mito personally to suggest caution is not merited.
Kita is polite when introduced, Mito is polite in return and they take care to sit on opposite sides of the group throughout the leaf viewing, where they can keep each-other in full view at all times and won't be required to interact too much. She has brought her embroidery, so ends up spending most of the event talking to Aburame Akitsu about moths and having several more drawn for her, life-sized and in colour, on spare sheets of paper. Kita is particularly pleased by the two moths that are a similar colour to her tensan as well as by the large and beautifully detailed picture of an Atlas moth that Akitsu-san has drawn for her, although of course the Aburame calls it something different.
Akitsu-san offers to write to her with more drawings of interesting moths, which Kita accepts. It's an odd basis for a friendship –and she suspects that to an Aburame, all moths are interesting– but it's not a bad one and this may well be the form Aburame Shijin intended for her correspondence over caterpillar care to take, so she will at least have somebody knowledgeable to talk to about eggs, hatching temperatures, leaf age and caterpillar illnesses and parasites now.
Inemi spends the event chatting to several of Murasaki-sama's ladies-in-waiting, presumably extracting court gossip. At the end of the leaf viewing Kita is invited to a Nagori-no-chaji in two days' time by Mekatsura-san, who is one of Murasaki-sama's nieces; Mekatsura-san's mother is one of the daimyo's sisters.
Mekatsura-san is much of an age with Murasaki-sama and is also married. Kita isn't sure who her husband is, although it's probably been mentioned; she will have to ask Inemi about it later, so she can be properly informed at the tea she may be attending. She won't be able to take Madara along to this one –it's another ladies only event– but seeing as another lady-in-waiting has extended a similar invitation to Mito-san, Kita suspects that everybody at court will be either holding or attending such events on the last day of the month. It is the end of the tea season after all –well the change of the tea season– so it is likely that Madara will have his own invitations.
Kita is suitably humble and grateful for her invitation, but does not commit. She will have to consult with Tajima-sama, in case there is some other tea ceremony he has invitations to that he would rather she attend.
Tajima-sama does indeed have other invitations, as well as instructions: they will be attending the Nagori-no-chaji hosted by the Akimichi clan, as Akimichi Mao has sent an invitation for Kita personally. Seeing as the Akimichi heiress is betrothed to the heir of one of the daimyo's most powerful allies, cultivating a personal connection with her is considered a priority; the daimyo's family has not taken wives from that lineage in several generations, so it is very likely that one of Mao's daughters or granddaughters will be married to the daimyo's son or grandson.
Kita can tell this is not a connection that Tajima-sama anticipated, but he is nothing if not opportunistic. She personally suspects that she is one of very few people outside the Akimichi who has not made disparaging comments about Mao's girth and weight; Akimichi are solidly built, whether they are trained in their clan's secret techniques or not, and being sturdy is not currently fashionable for court ladies.
Not commenting was however not a matter of personal virtue; remembering as she does, Kita has an unusual perspective and knows that thinness is not next to either godliness or virtue; bodies just are and each one is lovely on its own merits. Certain people may have specific preferences, but that is on them, not on whom or what they desire.
Mao-chan's a lovely woman; Kita would be very happy to write to her regularly. The invitation details that Kita will be personally hosted by Mao-chan –a great honour– and is invited to bring any other women in the Uchiha party. Seeing as Inemi and Asami missed out on the last Akimichi dinner, Kita is sure they will both be delighted. Asami especially; she will want to try and guess what it is the Akimichi do that makes their food taste so good.
Madara and Izuna have a similar invitation from Nara Shikari, and Tajima-sama has one from Akimichi Chōtai; the Yamanaka and Nara clan heads will doubtless be present at the chaji with the Outguard Head, just as Yamanaka Inosuke will be at Shikari-san's tea with Mao-chan's younger brother Chōkō. All very neat and mannerly, as in each case the Uchiha will be in the position of first guests. Kita knows already that they will have to reciprocate and that she will be hosting it.
"I have already invited the three clan heads to a Kuchikiri-no-chaji the Uchiha clan will be hosting on the seventh," Tajima-sama tells her; Kita spares herself a single second to internally bewail the necessity of performing the most formal tea possible before three extremely important guests before stiffening her spine and bowing her acceptance.
"Will Asami be available to cook, Tajima-sama?" Asami is a brilliant cook; something about trap fields and cookery having a lot in common. Kita couldn't possibly comment; she's not sure how Asami came to that conclusion in the first place. She does like cooking and is reasonably good at it, but she's not got an instinct for harmonious combinations like Asami does.
"Of course; Tsuyoshi will be accompanying her to the market the afternoon before. She has requested you provide a cold-box seal."
Kita ducks her head; of course she will. This talk of tea has given her an idea. An idea she has no authority whatsoever to carry out, but would provide a base to build more of Madara's dream of peace upon while also causing trouble for the Senju. "Tajima-sama, I have a request."
"Speak."
"I would like to host a chaji tomorrow and invite Senju Tobirama."
Tajima-sama stiffens at the mention of 'Senju' but going by the raised eyebrows seems reluctantly curious about her specification of Butsuma's younger son. "Why?"
Kita sits up and makes careful, steady eye-contact. "Having met Hashirama-san, I can say with confidence that he will be a dreadful Clan Head," she says flatly, "and that his father likely knows it. If Butsuma-san has any wits at all he will already be training Tobirama-san to take up the responsibilities of leadership, so that his clan will be well cared-for after his death. He cannot feasibly disinherit Hashirama-san, not when he is so personally powerful, but his firstborn's disregard for protocol and thoughtless acceptance of his brother's loyalty means that it is in fact possible for Butsuma-san to train up his younger son in all the practical necessities of governance without splitting the Senju down the middle."
Tajima-sama is paying considerable attention to her right now and it's deeply unnerving. Kita soldiers on.
"Izuna-kun speaks regularly of Tobirama-san and assures me he is a genius, and Madara has commented repeatedly on his preference for practicality over honour; as he rises to greater authority and power he will become an increasingly dangerous opponent, even if his brother does not allow him free rein on the battlefield. He will have control of the Senju finances and mission selections and that will allow him considerable scope to both strengthen the Senju and weaken the Uchiha." Kita takes a breath.
"I wish to drive a wedge between him and his brother and father. I want to make him question their worthiness of his loyalty and the merit of being enemies with our clan at all. I know we cannot trust Butsuma-san to uphold a ceasefire unless the daimyo is leaning on him, but Hashirama-san has been vocal about wanting to reduce hostilities and even if it does not last, such a thing would benefit the Uchiha, especially if we were able to keep ourselves from being the ones to reopen the conflict." All she knows of Tobirama says he is practical as much as that he loves his brother and clan with thoughtless loyalty. Well, it is time to make him actually think about how worthy they are of that rather than assume.
"You would make of the Senju boy an honoured guest of the Uchiha?"
Kita shakes her head quickly. "Second guest: Madara would be first, Izuna third. A formal environment to provide structure that cannot be challenged without causing insult, no expense spared on hospitality, the necessity of sharing food and making polite conversation with your sons so that he cannot help seeing them as more than merely enemies… and must drink the tea Madara stole from under his nose a few years back."
Tajima-sama chuckles. "An insult wrapped up in honour and formality, bestowing favour on the younger son to seed strife with the older. Very well, Kita; you may have your chaji. Take Madara down to the city to carry your purchases and explain your plan to him; I will see to issuing the invitation immediately and personally." He is visibly looking forward to it; delivering the invitation in person means that Tobirama will not be able to politely refuse, especially since being a second son means he's unlikely to have a more pressing engagement lined up.
"Thank you, Tajima-sama." Now she has less than a day to set up a formal meal; well this will at least make a good trial run for the Kuchikiri-no-chaji in a little over a week…
Madara cannot believe Kita has convinced his father to let her host a formal tea for Senju Tobirama. Cannot believe. He understands why she picked Tobirama –he's more predictable and there's the chakra issue as well– and resolves to sit on Izuna until he calms down and recognises what Kita's trying to do. Well, at least some of the things she's trying to do; his betrothed gave him a dizzying list of reasons she could have for doing this –if one were of a suspicious bent and didn't trust that she really does just want Tobirama to see them as people rather than merely enemies– while she was buying ingredients and rush-ordering wagashi from the Akimichi-approved bakery. It's a little scary how all those potential motivations ring true enough to be convincing; is this what being Homeguard Head does to a person's mind?
Once back at the guest house Kita vanishes into the kitchen with her ingredients, then emerges to demand all the scrolls, vases and ornaments that were brought along for this purpose. She then retreats to the bedroom with her hoard, leaving Madara to drag his incoherently raging little brother into one of the other bedrooms and sit on him.
"Just, why is she doing this?! Why is Father letting her do this?!" Izuna finally demands, flopping limply across the tatami. Madara doesn't let go; Izuna is sneaky.
"Father is letting her because she phrased it in a way that implies doing so will make life difficult for the Senju," Madara says bluntly. "Which it will, but that's not why she's doing it."
"Why Tobirama?! I hate Tobirama!"
Madara sighs. "Otōto, Tobirama is your age. He most certainly was not involved in any of our little brothers' deaths."
"That's not the point!" Izuna's voice cracks, indicating that yes, it is very much the point. Having ascertained that, Madara moves on:
"Practically speaking, Kita cannot host Hashirama; he never minds his chakra and she'd choke on it again. Also he's rude, which she doesn't want to deal with in a private formal setting. Also if she invited him he'd have to be first guest, so his rudeness would ruin the whole event."
Izuna huffs. "Fine, so she can't invite Hashirama. That does not explain why she is doing this at all!"
Madara shifts his weight, casually grinding his brother's face into the tatami. "Kita wants the Uchiha clan to be prosperous, which requires peace or at least a degree of harmony, and is doing everything in her power to achieve that," he says calmly. "She does not trust Butsuma to look past his avarice, does not trust Hashirama's various statements when he's never put a single day's work into building peace and is therefore seeking a third avenue. She is also cultivating more personal connections with the Aburame and the Akimichi; there are more clans out there than the Senju, after all, and lasting peace requires the involvement of each and every one of them. She does not know Tobirama except through us, and we have given her reason to trust his practicality and his adherence to protocol in formal situations."
"So she's inviting him because she knows he will be polite and wants to find out what the required circumstances are for him to consider the practicality of peace," Izuna grumbles. "Get off me, Nii-san. I'm not going to disrespect Kita-chan or dishonour our clan by being rude at a tea ceremony, even if I am going to have to share food with that Senju."
Madara gets off and offers his brother a hand up, which Izuna takes. "She's hosting the Akimichi, Nara and Yamanaka Heads on the seventh."
"Kuchikiri-no-chaji?" Izuna winces theatrically. "No wonder she wants a practice run." That will be a large event, no doubt held in the main room of the guest house rather than in the tiny tea room, and with all the Heads and heirs of all four clans present. That's ten people to serve meals to, ten people to serve tea to and all with the utmost precision and composure.
Kita gets terribly nervous about her tea ceremony. At this point Madara's sure his father makes her host them as punishment for causing political snarl-ups and surprising side-effects, regardless of how beneficial those things are to the clan. The thing is, she's not actually as bad at it as she thinks she is; Father wouldn't let her host if she was.
Not that she'd believe him if he told her that.
The next morning begins early for Madara, due to Kita waking up before dawn to go over her choice of scroll and tea bowl again.
"Have you picked a vase?" He asks, seeing all five of them lined up on her chest in the lantern light.
"I have to pick flowers first Madara," Kita scolds absently.
"Then get dressed and do that," Madara suggests; "they won't wilt in half a day."
"Point." Kita puts everything safely away, grabs her wash bag and slips out of the room; Madara leans an arm over his eyes and takes a deep breath. Today he is taking a big step towards peace. Today he is taking a public step towards peace; he knows better than to believe this has not already reached the daimyo's ears. If it shames Hashirama into actually doing something, all the better, but Madara is trying to be realistic there and well… he's not counting on it doing anything to spur his friend into action.
It might make a difference to Tobirama though, which would be just as good. Kita's right that he's probably going to be doing a lot of the detail work involved in leading the Senju after Butsuma dies. What shape that takes depends very much on how innovative Tobirama is; he may simply follow in his father's footsteps as he's been taught or he might come up with new ways to do things, which would no doubt be creative and difficult to counter.
Sighing, Madara abandons sleep and heads for the dining room. He can make breakfast today, just so Kita and the other women have one less thing to worry about. It won't be fancy, but he can grill fish and everybody knows how to cook rice. Chopping up pickles is straightforward too.
Okay, so he's watched Kita cook breakfast with his sharingan a few times; it still means he can do it now. Why have the rest of the Outguard never considered doing the same? Izuna can at least prepare more than just rice balls and tea now as well.
A chaji has a certain rhythm to it, one which Kita is by now fairly familiar with even though she has never performed one in a chashitsu before. The guests arrive –Madara in the lead as the main guest and her primary dance partner in the ritual that is a tea ceremony– and are greeted. Time is given to take off coats and she serves her guests a suitable infusion, a roasted barley tea in this instance. Not the most expensive possible alternative, but suitable for the season.
The guests then file out again to wait on the bench under the arbour while she prepares the tea room and makes sure that the food is all perfect; she can sense that while tense, everything is still peaceful outside.
Kita does not let her mind linger on what they might be talking about; she has to focus on hosting.
Walk out, bow to guests, allow guests to perform the ritual purification and let themselves into the chashitsu through the low door, walking around and letting herself into the tiny back room and waiting for Izuna –as last guest– to close the low door loudly, which is the signal that they are ready for her.
Enter the tea room, greet each guest in turn –Tobirama seems to be settling in the face of intensely ritualised formality– and answer Madara's questions about her chosen scroll and small additional ornament; questions he already knows the answers to, but is still required to ask. Kita then arranges the appropriate ash in the brazier –straw ash, as it is the very end of the brazier season– adds charcoal from the basket –Uchiha charcoal brought along for this purpose– and the tiny incense chips, then lights it with a simple chakra exercise that is an exclusively Uchiha addition to the tea ceremony; Tobirama tenses very briefly, but settles again as the scent of agarwood fills the room.
As the scent fades it is time to serve the meal, with its personal trays loaded with separate little bowls of soup and simmered vegetables and rice –cooked with chestnuts since they are in season– and a little plate of sashimi. Then there are the shared bowls, which are placed more centrally: a serving bowl of grilled fish, a pitcher of hot water containing more rice and a dish of pickles.
Kita has already eaten. The host does not eat and anyway, she needs to eat before doing something this long and formal or else she can't keep up.
When they have finished she presents the plate of small delicacies and the sake, which she drinks with them.
She then presents another dish as they finish what it on their trays, entrusting this one to Madara with a suitable phrase which he replies to, places the dish in the proper place and serves himself from it before handing it on to Tobirama with another ritual phrase. By this point Tea Manners are in full flow and almost automatic; Tobirama replies, accepts, serves himself and then hands on to Izuna, who does likewise. Kita serves another round of sake to drink with the food, waits for them to finish –and to serve themselves a little more rice and pickles– then offers Madara another dish and serves more sake. The process repeats itself.
Kita loses all sense of time; she is Hosting Tea, time is irrelevant. The fire in the brazier burns out; the meal ends. Kita changes the charcoal with more ritual words, then presents fresh sweets to Madara with a request that after eating them he retire outside. He accepts with the appropriate formula, serves himself a sweet onto one of the sheets of washi provided and passes the serving dish onwards to Tobirama. Once they have all eaten and the plate has been passed back, the three men return outside to the arbour so she can set the kettle on the brazier, tidy away the dishes, sweep the tea room, open the shutters and replace the scroll and ornament with a vase containing a suitably seasonal plant. Bamboo shoots in this case; this is a late autumn chaji and she is reaching the end of this year's tea. In theory.
Kita leaves the tea room for the service area and sounds a gong to call her guests back inside; again, she gives them time to purify themselves and examine the new decorations. Then the door is closed once more and she enters with Tajima-sama's tea box.
This is not her home, so she is allowed to bring the tea box into the tea room as it is and lift each item out of it in turn. She has already set it up so that everything is exactly as it needs to be for this specific ceremony. Then the next stage of the chaji begins, with more words and bows exchanged and then the smooth, precise ritual of preparing the thick tea.
Everybody in the chashitsu is utterly calm as she whisks the tea in the chawan. There is complete, almost meditative harmony with her, one-another and the ongoing ceremony.
Kita serves the tea; Madara bows with more ritual words to her, drinks a carefully calculated portion of the tea, responds to her question on the quality of the tea, takes another sip, wipes the rim of the bowl, and sets the bowl down to his left with a suitable formula addressed to Tobirama, who offers the suitable response –asking Madara if he's sure he doesn't want a little more– before lifting it to his lips and drinking himself.
There is no tension or hesitation as Madara compliments the tea on Tobirama's behalf after his first sip. Madara's ritualised follow-up questions on the name and provenance of this tea do elicit a faint stutter in the Senju's chakra, but Tobirama finishes his third of the tea without incident, wipes the rim with steady hands and sets the bowl down beside Izuna with the appropriate formula.
Tobirama will have put together the name and provenance of the tea with the tea merchants he failed to protect a few years ago; of course this is theoretically newer tea, but that it is from the same place and has the same name is in itself suggestive.
Madara then proceeds to ask questions about the sweets eaten earlier while Izuna is drinking his share of the tea, enabling Kita to reveal the Akimichi-approved establishment they were purchased from, then moves on to the flowers and the vase as Izuna finishes and sets the bowl back beside Tobirama, who moves it along to beside Madara. The bowl is then passed forwards with another suitable verbal formula so Kita can rinse it –briefly, this bowl is a very old Uchiha heirloom– and then Madara asks to be allowed to examine it more closely.
Kita dries the chawan, wraps it in the appropriate cloth and passes it back across the tatami to Madara, who takes a few moments to admire it carefully before setting it down so Tobirama can do likewise. The bowl makes the journey to Izuna as Tobirama quietly murmurs something to Madara, who relays the question to Kita: the age and provenance of the chawan. Kita answers that it is a clan relic inherited from the extinct Ōtsutsuki clan –knowing all these details is part of the tea ceremony so she has memorised little scripts for every such item the Uchiha owns– and then accepts the bowl back before announcing that she has finished for the time being.
The guests do not have to do anything at this point; she is simply making clear that she is about to make the thin tea, which will be served in individual bowls along with wagashi on individual plates, and that formality will soon be reduced. Kita rekindles the fire in the brazier to heat more water, leaves the room, returns with the sweets, announces her intent to prepare the thin tea and sets about doing so.
Once everybody has been served their own bowl of thin tea and sweet the formalities are suspended and the guests may talk among themselves. The conversation centres on Akimichi cookery, particularly their sweets; Kita suspects that is for the best. Once everybody has drunk their tea Madara states that nobody wants any more, which is her cue to offer assent and agree that no more tea will be served. The tea container and scoop are then admired as the chawan was earlier, handed back and then Kita bows her guests out of the building.
The chaji is over. Her guests will collect their coats and leave.
Kita needs to go lie down with a cloth over her eyes for a few hours. She cannot believe she just did all that without anything going wrong.
As they step out of the waiting room with their coats on and glance at the sky there is a sudden profound awkwardness as all three shinobi realise they have just spent four hours in each-other's company, eating and drinking tea together without giving a single thought to the fact that until now they have only faced each-other across the battlefield. Kita is truly a magnificent tea host to be able to impose such a strong sense of unconscious harmony on her guests.
Izuna cracks first. "I'll go help clear up," he mutters, turning and vanishing around the back of the tea room.
Madara turns to his guest –because Tobirama is still his guest, being in technical Uchiha territory– and bows, taking refuge in formality. "Please allow me to escort you back to the gate."
Tobirama murmurs polite thanks, seemingly as grateful for the structure as Madara is. The white-haired Senju makes it two-thirds of the way along the winding path out of the garden before speaking up again.
"Do the Uchiha really buy their matcha from the same supplier they once comprehensively sabotaged for a mission?"
Madara feels his lips twitch up into a smirk. "The mission was to 'dispose' of the tea so it could not compete for the annual contract to the temples and the daimyo," he says mildly. "Burning it all would have been a waste; it's not like you can buy ceremonial-grade matcha for anything less than its weight in gold." If fact it frequently costs more than its weight in gold.
Tobirama twitches, turning to stare at him. "It's the same tea?"
"Tea keeps remarkably well in seal-space," Madara says lightly. "Doesn't degrade at all."
"Was all this set up to remind me of that failure?"
Madara stops. "You can take it that way if you want to," he notes flatly, strangling his irritation at how dense Tobirama is being right now, "but Kita-san served it to you because it really is the best tea in Fire Country, and there's no reason for the clan to buy matcha when what we've got stored is better than anything else available on the market." Buying lower-grade tea just to serve to the Senju would have been an insult.
Tobirama bows shortly. "My apologies for insulting your betrothed; it was not my intention."
Good. Madara turns and leads the way to the edge of the guest house's grounds.
"Why would the Uchiha invite a Senju to a chaji at all?" Tobirama asks, pausing in the gateway. Evidently this is really bothering him.
"Kita persuaded my father to host you; it was entirely her idea. She purchased and arranged everything."
Tobirama's face does something complicated as he visibly reassesses his entire mental image of Madara's betrothed. The Senju does not ask why Kita invited him to the chaji; her choice of meal, tea bowl, scroll and other decorative elements were a clear declaration of intent for those with the wits to pay attention. Harmony, complete with proof that it is not only possible between their clans but well within reach.
Clearly Tobirama was paying attention. Well that's something.
Tobirama bows again. "Please pass on my thanks to Kita-san for a most pleasant tea." He leaves, vanishing quickly around a corner. Madara waits for a few moments more, then lets his glee surface and does a little victory dance.
Peace is possible!
Then he turns around and hurries back up to the guest house to change and set up the futon so Kita can lie down for a bit. The rush of having the entire event go off without a hitch has to be hitting her too.
No matter how formal and elaborate the ceremony, hosting the Kuchikiri-no-chaji for the entire Akimichi entourage and all the Uchiha with Akimichi Chōtai as first guest is actually less hard on her nerves than serving tea to Madara, Tobirama and Izuna in the chashitsu had been. Kita's not entirely sure why; maybe it's to do with Akimichi-sama being so warm even when he's being formal? Or is she just becoming gradually desensitised to the pressures of performing tea ceremony?
Either way, it seems to go well and Tajima-sama is pleased with the results, which is all she can ask for.
Kita hosts several more teas in the following week –just chakai, not chaji– for a range of different people, and attends the Minister of Sericulture's leaf-viewing party with the rest of the Uchiha. The Senju are not at that particular event –Tajima-sama is smug– but the Hyūga are, which is surprising and yet somehow also unsurprising. With all the white silk that clan wears, that they weave their own makes a certain amount of sense.
It also appears that Kita has accidentally started a craze for any kind of shinobi-made silk as much as for wild silk, which does go a way to explain the incense party and associated gift. During the leaf-viewing Hyūga Hinagiku introduces Kita to her husband and her father-in-law, which goes well enough. In that it doesn't go badly and Hyūga turn out to be even more entrenched in formality and propriety than Tajima-sama on his worst days.
Then she's invited to spend part of the day with Murasaki-sama –and the hints that the lady is leaning on her husband so that Tajima-sama will agree to remain in the capital for longer are somewhat terrifying– and gets some more embroidery done, as well as talking to the ladies-in-waiting about what might look good embroidered on her new red obi. That leads to more talk on fashion and symbolism, which is a reassuringly neutral subject and really makes the afternoon fly; she doesn't realise how late it's getting until Tsuyoshi shows up to escort her back for dinner.
Kita doesn't want to stay in the capital for longer; it's horrendously expensive, she misses Benten and she wants to have her birthday at home. Wants to be able to spend the day sitting quietly with Madara and eating yōkan with her sisters, not dolled up in her most formal kimono and having to smile politely at a parade of strangers showering her with meaningless trinkets to make her feel indebted to them.
She is an unambitious homebody and she wants to go home.
Of course, nobody here cares what she wants. Well Madara cares, but he's not in a position to do much about it; he's not leading their delegation and Tajima-sama is far less interested in her comfort than he is in her obedience. It's entirely possible that if she made her feelings known he'd order her to stay on specifically to remind her that she is under his authority.
Instead, that evening Kita mentions over dinner that she'd like to spend the following day working on some seal ideas. Tajima-sama inquires after her objectives –privacy seals that specifically block long-range sensing– and agrees she can take the whole day off to work on them.
She actually has those seals pretty much worked out already; they've just been sitting in her work box waiting for a good time to test them formally. Benten was her test subject –not that the five-year-old noticed– and oh. Benten is six now. Kita has missed her little girl's sixth birthday. It's not as significant as her seventh birthday –Kita already has an obi ready to give her for that– but it's still important. All birthdays are important when you can remember fewer of them than you can count on one hand.
At bedtime Kita reminds Madara of the pocky festival flyer and asks him to take her to see it. When he teases her about her sudden interest in a sweet he knows she doesn't much care for she admits that she wants to buy something special for Benten for missing her birthday and he immediately apologises.
"Of course we can go; Otōsama will agree if I ask, especially since it was the palace that brought the event to our attention in the first place." He squeezes her shoulder. "And honestly, I could do with a day away from the constant politics as well. Izuna's really interested in the subtleties and nuances, but I just find it all so irritating. Why can't people be honest and say what they mean?"
"Because if they came right out and asked 'what's in it for me?' you would get offended," Kita replies dryly, then squirms when he tickles her in retaliation. "Sorry, sorry! Stop it!"
Madara stops and very deliberately rolls on top of her, rubbing his nose against hers. "I know I'm impatient and unreasonable," he informs her with as much offended dignity as is possible when grappling in bed in the pitch black, "there's no need to rub it in."
He's heavy, a solid slab of muscle pinning her to the futon. Kita tilts her head up so she can kiss him on the chin. "I just want to go home," she confesses softly.
Madara rests his elbows on the pillows and shifts his weight a little so he's not squashing her anymore. "I would rather be at home too," he agrees quietly. "I miss my hawks." He pauses. "I miss being able to just wander into the house and spend several hours sitting with you doing nothing in particular; the past three weeks have just been expensive social event after expensive social event and having to be formal all the time with everybody."
As a clan, the Uchiha are not particularly formal. They all recognise that formality has its place and politeness is important for communicating respect, but amongst themselves –especially among friends– everybody is familiar. Particularly in the Outguard; manners aren't that useful on the battlefield and are entirely out of place when ten people are huddling together in a bunker that only sleeps five. Coarse humour goes further there, apparently.
"Then how about we go down to the pocky festival in casual clothes?" Kita suggests. "Nothing to say you're a clan heir or anything; just regular everyday civilian dress, two sweethearts out together."
Madara shifts a little; if it wasn't dark she'd be able to see him blushing, she can tell. "Is that what we are then?"
Kita grins. "Madara, dearest, you're lying on top of me in bed. Calling us 'sweethearts' is probably a significant understateme–"
He shuts her up with a kiss; Kita has no objections whatsoever to the change in activity.
Madara is not happy. The daimyo's son's Shichi-go-san was yesterday and they should be packing up and saying their farewells to the daimyo, but it's not happening. Father looks like he'd prefer that it were happening, but it isn't. That's not good.
Kita confided her fears about Murasaki-sama demanding that she stay at court for longer while they were at the pocky festival, and while Madara has done his best to comfort her, there isn't much he can do if the daimyo decides to humour his wife's request. Well, not much he can do that wouldn't rebound horribly on the Uchiha and create all kinds of trouble.
Madara suspects his father is also trying to think of something that will let him extricate Kita from Murasaki-sama's grasp without offending the daimyo, but evidently he hasn't come up with something yet either. It's terribly frustrating; he knows exactly how to extract a clansman from a battlefield, but this? This he lacks the skills and framework for. He's trying his best but he has no talent for it at all.
Izuna has a better idea of the layers and nuances, but that does not translate into having an exit strategy. Not unless Madara can turn Izuna's explanations into one himself.
"I think she likes Kita's honesty," his younger brother explains quietly as they sit on the engawa looking out at the drizzle. "Truth isn't really a currency at court, so that Kita is so honest is something of a novelty, especially since she's so polite about it; generally speaking, people use words to wound. Kita doesn't. I mean, I'm very sure she can because nobody can be that kind without knowing exactly what they have to leave out, but the point is that she doesn't do it. Everybody at court wants something from the daimyo and his wife, except, apparently, your betrothed. And that's…" Izuna frowns. "I want to say 'interesting' but that's not quite right. 'Fascinating' might be a better word."
"So the daimyo's wife wants Kita to stay around so she can find out what she wants, because everybody wants something at court," Madara summarises, "and not having an agenda is suspicious. Except that Kita just wants to go home."
"Basically," Izuna agrees, rolling his eyes. "Really, Father should have expected something like this after what happened with the silk."
"Why?"
Izuna huffs. "Idiot. Kita gave Murasaki-sama enough of her tensan to make a court robe, then didn't ask for anything in return. Of course that was going to pique interest. With the Minister of Sericulture we got good paperwork and financial opportunities out of it, so all business as usual by court standards, but Kita didn't request a counter-favour from Murasaki-sama. So Murasaki-sama is trying to work out why, or failing that to arrange one so as not to find herself having to provide a favour later. Except she doesn't know Kita well enough to have a clue what your contrary betrothed actually wants, so is trying to give her what other well-born young women want."
"Like extra time in the capital to be seen at court," Madara realises, feeling slow. "So Kita needs to ask for something?"
"Something not too large but personal," Izuna says firmly. "Not a clan thing, which is what's tripping Otōsama up." He sniffs. "Something Kita wants for herself but can't get, that Murasaki-sama can."
Oh. Well. Not easy at all, then. "Does Kita know this?"
"You tell her," Izuna mutters shortly. "Your betrothed, your problem."
"It's already turning into a clan problem," Madara points out sharply, elbowing his brother in the ribs. "The Senju are leaving tomorrow; the daimyo's already given them permission." He knows this because Hashirama ambushed him during the festival yesterday and babbled for some time about how he's going to be marrying his Uzumaki at New Year. Apparently Mito's actually two years older than him.
But hell, it really is a problem, isn't it? Kita doesn't just ask for things. Well she does, but they're little things. Attainable things. Things she might be able to get for herself, if she waited and put off other things she wants or needs more urgently. If there are things she wants that are out of reach, she certainly doesn't talk about them. Not that he's heard at least.
She talks about peace. What does it say about his beloved, that she sees peace as attainable?
His brother grumbles, not making eye-contact. Madara sighs, shoves Izuna off and gets to his feet. "I'll talk to her," he agrees, "but next time you see something everybody else has missed, you tell them."
Izuna mutters something inaudible under his breath, which Madara decides is enough to count as agreement.
Explaining to Kita that they're stuck in the capital until she can manage to be selfish enough to ask the daimyo's wife for a personal favour is both surprisingly easy and horribly hard. Kita listens attentively to his awkward, stumbling explanation, there's a split-second's pause and she bursts out laughing. The laughter turns to tears very quickly.
"Should have guessed," she mutters bitterly into his shirt collar as he holds her in his lap and hugs her tightly. "Nothing's ever free; not even the things that should be."
Madara doesn't know what to say to that, so doesn't say anything. He wraps his arms and chakra around her as she weeps her pain to numbness and hides her face as though the world will go away if she ignores it hard enough.
"Madara?" She asks eventually, forehead still pressed against his shoulder.
"Yes, Kita-koi?" It's a very new nickname, but he knows she likes it so he's going to keep using it, if probably only in private.
"Can you go down to the city this afternoon and buy me a very small quantity of the most expensive origami paper you can find, please?" She sounds so tired and defeated that Madara wants to hit something. "And a cheap instruction pamphlet with some models you haven't seen before."
"Of course." Generally speaking, the Uchiha tend to use their own hemp paper for origami –it is frivolous and wasteful but also fun and useful for teaching dexterity– since buying expensive paper just to fold up is a bit excessive. If an Uchiha wants coloured paper they talk to the clan's papermakers and pay extra for them to dye a batch.
"I will tell Tajima-sama that I am taking Murasaki-sama up on her standing invitation and visiting her tomorrow," Kita continues, "and that I am going to humiliate myself while bending the truth slightly, so as to give her an opportunity for generosity so she will hopefully allow us to leave."
Madara winces. No Uchiha likes humiliation; it rankles, prickling under the skin like stinging leaves and never quite going away. "I'm sorry," he tells her uselessly. He really wishes there was something he could kill that would make her stop feeling like this.
"Just, please buy the paper." She sighs. "And could you make me tea, please?"
Madara kisses her hairline. "Anything you want," he promises rashly. "We could have matcha." They have enough of it and having to swallow clan pride to let a pampered civilian lady like Murasaki-sama pity her is something Kita most certainly deserves the best possible tea for. The best possible everything for.
Kita chuckles, but it sounds like it hurts. "Will you serve me tea before you go, then?"
"Of course." He kisses her cheek; she tastes like tears and her eyes are red. "Want to freshen up while I lay things out?"
"Not a full ceremony, please," Kita requests softly. "Just tea."
"Just tea," Madara agrees. "Then I'll go down to the city and buy you the most expensive origami paper I can get my hands on and a few pamphlets of new models." And sweets. Fresh sweets. Kita most certainly deserves all the fresh sweets.
Kita bites her lower lip. "And, could you come? You don't have to listen when I'm talking to Murasaki-sama, but she did say I could bring you and I'd like you to be there."
"Of course I'll come." Madara feels he is utterly useless as backup in court situations, but if Kita wants him to be there he will be there. "Not sure what use I'll be though."
She pokes him in the ribs. "You are providing me with moral support, so I don't lose my nerve, and giving me an excuse to leave early if necessary."
Ah, so he's the exit strategy. Well that he can do; whatever she's got planned is definitely going to upset her, so once she's done what she needs to he can 'notice' that she's 'tired' and insist on bringing her back to the guest house to 'rest'. Playing the overprotective betrothed is a role he's very happy to take on.
Kita doesn't want to do this, but the world has never cared very much about what she wants. Madara is right, her thoughtless gift of silk did start this so of course she is the one who has to bare her heart and give the daimyo's wife the opportunity to feel generous and gracious towards the innocent little country bumpkin she has been cultivating.
It makes her heart ache, that people can't just accept gifts and move on. There's no obligation behind a gift; it's just a gift, given without expectation of anything in return! That's why it's a gift and not a transaction! But when gifts become expected they also become transactional, and it is expected to give the daimyo and his wife gifts.
Except that Kita did not give her gift in that context, but Murasaki-sama nonetheless feels indebted on some level and is trying to pay back what she feels she owes.
Taking Madara along helps. He knows what she's going to do, he'll be there to get her out afterwards and help her feel less dirty about doing this at all. And he has most certainly bought her the loveliest origami paper in existence. It has the most tasteful and intricate printed designs and they all have gold leaf on!
Sitting in the late autumn sunshine as beside her Madara sketches something –he's taken to art as a 'peaceful' hobby and is really surprisingly good at it– Kita carefully sets out her new origami paper to one side and gets a much larger sheet of used hemp paper out of her box, then starts dividing up the calligraphy practice sheet into squares. She is going to turn the pretty paper into an origami mobile, but first she needs to practice the new models on something that won't get ruined if she fumbles a fold.
As expected, the contrast of the pretty paper sitting in full view and the scrap paper she is folding with eventually attracts Murasaki-sama's attention.
"Oh, what lovely paper, Kita-chan!"
"Thank you, Murasaki-sama; Madara-san bought it for me."
"A man of taste," Murasaki-sama teases, fluttering her fan. "But surely such a gift is for using, not merely admiring?"
"Oh I will use it, Murasaki-sama; I just need to practice the models first, so I don't waste it."
"Waste it, Kita-chan? Origami's charm is in its ephemeral nature."
Kita ducks her head and glances at Madara, who of course notices; he knows he's here to support her, so that's primarily what he's focusing on. No matter how engrossed in his art he appears to be. "Might I fetch you tea, Kita-san?"
"That would be lovely, Madara-san." He sets his pen aside and gets up, crossing the room towards where a brazier is set up.
"Well, Kita-chan?" Murasaki-sama asks gently, having noticed that she didn't want to have this conversation with her betrothed in 'earshot'. Of course Madara can still hear them just fine; he has chakra. But Murasaki-sama probably doesn't know it lets him do that.
Kita fiddles with the carp she has just folded. "The Uchiha are a shinobi clan, Murasaki-sama; noble yes, but not truly affluent. There are few opportunities to enjoy the ephemeral, unless of course it relates to food or wildflowers. I enjoy origami, but to waste such lovely paper when I know it cost my betrothed so much… I couldn't do that. I'm going to turn the models into a mobile, so they can be enjoyed for longer."
"That's a lovely plan, Kita-chan," Murasaki-sama says warmly. "Do you do much origami?"
"Not that much," Kita admits, "but I am raising Madara-san's little cousin you see, her mother died and she's only just six, and it's something fun to do with her. It's also something to make use of old calligraphy practice paper." She sighs, eyes dropping. "We live on the edge of the mountains you see, Murasaki-sama, so the clan can harvest wood to make charcoal for steel and for ink. It means we can't make much washi, and to use it frivolously when there are shōji to repair and official letters to write…" She shakes her head. "Washi is for important things."
"So what would you do if you had more washi, Kita-chan?" Murasaki-sama asks coaxingly.
Kita smiles. "I would write more poetry, Murasaki-sama," she confides quietly. "My haiku make Madara-san laugh and he needs more joy in his life. I would also make origami and paper dolls with the coloured sheets, and write letters on marbled ones. I would paint more too; it's hard to paint on washi when the paper I'm used to behaves so differently. I would also write out some of the stories I made up for my younger siblings' amusement." She pauses. "I do love stories, especially the ones with prints illustrating them. Madara-san gave me his mother's book of folktales and it's so much fun to read. He buys me prints too, when he can find them."
"Such an attentive beloved you have, Kita-chan," Murasaki-sama teases as Madara returns with a pot and cups on a tray. Three cups, not just two.
"Would you also like tea, Murasaki-sama?" He asks politely, lowering himself to the tatami and setting the tray down.
"Really, so very attentive," she coos. "Tea would be lovely, Madara-san. Now what's this I hear about you laughing at poor Kita-chan's poetry? Is it truly so bad?"
Madara shifts awkwardly as he pours the tea. "Not bad, Murasaki-sama," he protests. "Kita-san's use of imagery is simply unconventional. Her writing is perpetually surprising and the allusions are often idiosyncratic."
"Oh?"
Madara glances at her –asking for permission– as he scoots her teacup towards her. Kita signs encouragement where Murasaki-sama can't see it before picking up her tea.
"She once wrote a haiku describing a tea bowl as threatening, Murasaki-sama," he says with aplomb.
Murasaki-san laughs behind her fan, bright and surprised. "Truly?"
"Oh yes." He glances at Kita again before continuing: "It had never occurred to me before that a tea bowl could be threatening. Then I remembered that when Kita-san was learning tea ceremony, her primary guest was my father."
"All becomes clear!" Murasaki-sama sounds delighted. "Your father is quite a stern man, Madara-san; perhaps even intimidating for a child to learn from. Oh, but what a delightful allusion! Idiosyncratic indeed!"
"Thank you, Murasaki-sama," Kita murmurs, knowing she has gone a little pink. She isn't fond of baring her soul to somebody who doesn't particularly care about her as a person; she is well aware that Murasaki-sama sees her more as a favoured amusement than as a potential friend.
"You are a good girl, Kita-chan," Murasaki-sama says warmly. "You miss your little ward, do you not?"
"I've been raising her since she was two, Murasaki-sama," Kita agrees, "and she has been solely my responsibility for over a year now. It was her birthday at the end of October."
"And you missed it, being here in the palace," Murasaki-sama muses. "I did wonder what had you so melancholy, Kita-chan."
"Well I have bought her a gift from the city, which will hopefully persuade her to forgive me," Kita said with forced lightness, "but I do miss her. She is a delight."
"Children truly are," Murasaki-sama agrees a little archly. "Well it really wouldn't do for me to keep you from your little girl, Kita-chan, not when she so clearly holds your heart. Perhaps I should buy her a gift too, so she will forgive me for monopolising your time?"
"Murasaki-sama?" Kita blinks, not having the slightest clue how to even start responding to that.
"You're a good, kind girl, Kita-chan," Murasaki-sama says fondly, "and you may keep your prickles well-hidden, rose-girl, but I know they're there." She bends down and kisses Kita's forehead. "I trust you will at least write to me; send me some of your poetry, perhaps." She smiles. "Madara-san, after the tea you should take Kita-chan to see some the Western Pavilion; I believe she would enjoy the wall paintings." She rises to her feet and sweeps off before Madara can answer, taking her tea with her.
Kita is not quite sure what happened there, but it seems they will be allowed to go home soon. Good. She feels a little bruised on the inside from that conversation, and knowing that it will definitely reach the daimyo's ears –and probably Tajima-sama's as well– really does not help.
Nobody talks about what Kita did to get the daimyo to agree they could leave –the very next day, which is even faster than Madara had hoped– or about the very expensive doll with its own miniature wardrobe that Kita is given at the audience the afternoon before their departure. Father seems balanced between being annoyed at Kita for achieving what he couldn't and being annoyed that she'd created the problem in the first place, so seems to have settled into being generally annoyed at her for the delay and vaguely pleased that she fixed her own mess in short order without his having to intervene.
It's a cold, wet and miserable time of year to travel, but they all run as fast as possible despite the slippery mud because the sooner they get home the better. Madara knows his father doesn't trust Butsuma to honour the cease-fire, not when the Senju Head knows the Uchiha's most powerful warriors are being delayed in the capital, and really anything could have happened.
There haven't been any summons bearing messages though, which is a good sign. Hikaku would have a letter sent if they were truly needed back at the compound, so as to give them an excuse to present to the daimyo and a reason to hurry.
As it is they're not running flat-out because the women wouldn't be able to keep up, not having Outguard training, so Father is taking the opportunity to quiz Kita on her new privacy seals. The supposedly sensor-proof ones.
"They only work on enclosed spaces," Kita explains in between sharp breaths. "Like buildings. But it doesn't matter if doors or windows are open. If you're outside the boundary, you can't sense what's inside, but if inside you can sense outside."
"Sensible," Father praises.
"I want to put them, on all the clan buildings."
Father frowns. "Explain."
Kita ducks her chin. "Right. Sensing. Not like seeing at all; more like smelling, or navigational sense; knowing where you are in relation to what's around you. Who's around you. People are like lamps; some brighter, some dimmer, slightly different flavour depending on chakra affinity. Also familiarity; easier to pick out people you know. Tobirama's a strong sensor; to him, the world probably feels like the night sky, uncountable pinpricks of light vanishing into the distance, but details discernible when attentive. Constant awareness. Large-scale movement easily perceptible."
She pauses to focus on the river they are about to leap across. "Constant lights are easy to adjust to; flickering lights though? Irregular flickers? So distracting. People stepping in and out of my seal is like that. Only half the picture visible, half the puzzle pieces, and which pieces changes every other minute." She grins. "Won't want to look at our compound. Will make an effort to tune us out, except when actually on watch duty. Distractions are dangerous."
Madara instantly grasps what she's saying; he's barely even mediocre at sensing but she's right, people abruptly vanishing and reappearing would be distracting and for a shinobi even a split-second's inattentiveness can be fatal.
"Be nice, not to feel watched, while sleeping," Kita adds under her breath. Everybody hears her anyway; well at least all the Outguard do. Madara certainly agrees there; the idea that Tobirama is constantly watching their compound, can see where they all are at all times, is really quite uncomfortable. Wait, does that mean Tobirama knows that he sleeps with Kita?!
"How much ink will the seal require?" Father asks, "And how obvious will the final design be?"
"Not much ink; draws on the existing building as a framework. Will be quite obvious, but looks decorative; kind-of sharingan-like at a distance, so can pass off as traditional building feature." She takes a breath. "Has to be painted directly on the building though."
"And if every building has one, there is no way to distinguish where the important buildings are or whether the design is truly relevant to the seal at all," Father deduces easily. "Very well, you have my permission. Can it be applied to tunnels?"
"Not sure," Kita admits. "Tunnels connecting buildings, maybe? Or tunnels with internal framing? Have to experiment. Definitely works on connected buildings though. Enclosed spaces; has to be, built into the seal."
"Why enclosed spaces?" Madara asks when it's clear his father isn't going to.
"Barrier seals are hard; need anchors. Can't put one around the whole compound; not enough walls, too many people coming and going. Be a trap more than a defence. Plus covering overhead and underground is high-effort. A building's basically a box; structure's all there already. Just have to repurpose it a bit."
"So it's a box-masking seal?"
Kita giggles. "Not quite. Inspired by a story; Koshuchei the Deathless."
Madara's never heard that name before in his life. Not that he's surprised; Kita knows all kinds of stories he's never heard before. "What's the story?"
"Koshuchei is a wicked, greedy and very powerful sorcerer, who piles up mountains of gold and kidnaps princesses, keeping them captive in his castle surrounded by gardens full of roses," Kita begins, "but he is very afraid of dying, so he removes his own heart and hides it in a chest. The chest he places in a fish's stomach, the fish he places in an egg and the egg he places in the nest of a goose, on an island in the middle of a lake full of hungry water serpents. Then, confident that no warrior will ever find it, he returns to his castle and continues his wicked ways. For even when stabbed through the chest, he does not die."
"So each house becomes a chest to hide our hearts in," Madara deduces; it's a fun story, one that could easily be stretched to involve any hero rescuing a noblewoman from the villainous Koshuchei. Although he's at a loss at how that name would be spelled in kanji. Does it mean anything or is it just nonsense sounds?
"Yes. Also make it easier to spot infiltrators if there're fewer people to sort through."
"Because only people working outside can be sensed, so it's easier to pick out people where they shouldn't be." Madara agrees; that will make things easier. Also safer; Senju breaking into the clan hall will not happen again. "What does it look like?" Because Kita's seals generally don't look like seals.
Kita giggles again. "Ink painting. Goose on a nest, three snake heads circling, trailing ripples."
She's right; it's going to look a bit like a sharingan and also completely innocuous. Everybody will ignore it entirely after a bit and any strangers will just assume it's an Uchiha thing, having art on their buildings that harks back to their bloodline manifestation.
"Not sure how I'd do chakra-masking for individual people," Kita admits, "not without suppressing their ability to use chakra. Going to take more time."
"Chakra suppressing seals would also be useful," Father says mildly.
"Couldn't use a tag though," Kita mumbles, clearly in a world of her own right now instead of just half there, as evidenced by the further change in speech patterns, "have to be painted on directly. Or at least transfer on. Also locked in some way; chakra-masking needs to be easily used and removed, preferably reusable." She sighs, shifting to a more formal register. "Tajima-sama, might we trade with the Hyūga for a detailed map of the chakra system? Knowing I won't accidentally kill people via chakra deprivation while experimenting would really help."
"Trade for what?" Father asks leadingly.
"Incense wood? Hinagiku-san gave me several incense blends as a gift, so the Hyūga must consider kōdō an important art."
The Uchiha aren't particularly interested in the Way of Fragrance, mainly because scent tracking is very much an issue and making your allies sneeze is impolitic. The Inuzuka are generally non-hostile towards the Uchiha, but Madara suspects showing up smelling like a spice shop would probably change that. The Hyūga care more about visual tracking –their eyes let them see people at great distances– and they still wear white, so they likely don't consider aroma to be an issue.
Then there are the Hatake, who are vaguely allied to the Senju –Butsuma's second wife had been Hatake– and favour summons that track by scent, so it is generally smarter to smell like something that will blend in with the forest, not stand out. Especially when taking missions in the northeast.
Scent bombs to disrupt tracking generally need to be rather more potent than incense; less pleasant essential oils and ground chillies are popular there.
Kita is so, so glad to be home. Even with all the work waiting for her –despite Ohabari-oba doing most of the Homeguard bits– and Benten being cross with her for missing her birthday, it's just wonderful to be back. The infant-sized doll from Murasaki-sama does placate Benten slightly –as does Kita's gift of a miniature tea set– and within the week everything is more or less back to normal.
Well normal in the work sense; having Madara around a lot due to the ongoing ceasefire is a very pleasant change, especially since it means she can get kisses at all hours of the day. He also helps her with the process of sealing every building in the compound, storehouses and animal pens included –all the better to annoy Tobirama with– by grinding the ink for her and carrying her writing box. He also suggests that everybody be outside a building when she seals it, so it won't be obvious who made the change or how. They also have Sannosawa-sensei with them, to further the deception that he is the Uchiha's seal master. They already know that Tobirama's sensory range covers the compound and is acute enough for him to notice unexpected movement in his sleep; he may not want to pay attention to every single chakra spike but he will track them –especially when they come from Uchiha– and he will hopefully assume that she and Madara are simply witnessing whatever is being done rather than participating in the process.
Her birthday comes and goes –Madara gives her a beautiful koto, so now she can stop borrowing Ohabari-oba's– as does Madara's birthday, followed by the New Year. A little over a week after the New Year Ohabari-oba gives birth to a daughter, whom she and Tsuyoshi name Yasakatone –a traditional Amaterasu lineage name for daughters, one Kita has seen a few times in the clan histories– and the plum trees start to blossom.
The flowers are really lovely this year, but don't disguise the rising tensions within the clan generally and the Outguard specifically. Kita writes letters to her new Akimichi and Aburame acquaintances, pens a suitably humble thank you note to Murasaki-sama for the three large lacquer boxes of high-quality washi that arrive with the plum blossoms –taking care to include a few poem cards with some of her haiku neatly written on– and leans on Izuna until he agrees to let her make a better coat for him. He had said when the fighting stopped, which right now it has. She had neither the time nor the materials to work while in the capital, but now she has both and would like to make up for lost time.
The Yamata-no-Orochi patchwork is going to take her some time, but the ceasefire is due to last until April and it's not even February yet. Even if somebody does break it early, she probably has until the beginning of spring.
By Izuna's birthday the tension is so suffocating that Kita sets her embroidery aside and challenges Izuna on whether he was really interested in learning to make seals with wire. He is –of course– but none of her stitched seals are offensive so mostly she teaches him the visualisation and focusing exercises, to project his intent and desire through the wire, then stands back and watches him enjoy himself forming kanji and grids and basket patterns. He modifies the exercise so as to selectively ignite the chakra over the wire –really clever actually– and then goes a bit mad working on redirecting the wire mid-flight without using shuriken to do so. To what effect she has no idea, but knowing his priorities it's probably intended for combat.
It certainly amuses the rest of the Outguard and gets more of them experimenting as well, which diffuses the general in-clan tension a bit. The tension of course does not dissipate entirely –the Senju are still out there and the politics within the clan are actually worse from having everybody at home to argue about precedence and influence and propriety– but even a slight reduction is good.
Right now the clan coffers are uncomfortably drained from all the expenses of their Heads living in the capital for a month, giving gifts and hosting parties, but once spring arrives the clan will be able to trade and take missions again and things will improve. They're much more self-sufficient now –this year the clan slaughtered two pigs right before the New Year and there was fresh meat for everyone, some of which has been salted or cured– and people are getting used to the associated improvements. Everybody likes eating better food, wearing less-darned clothing and having just a little bit more disposable income to buy books and toys and other small luxuries with.
Hopefully the clan will realise soon that persistent warfare with the Senju gets in the way of enjoying those luxuries, but it's probably going to take a few years for that to sink in. At which point they're going to have to choose between 'giving up' the luxuries and maybe considering a proper treaty.
Well, provided the Senju cooperate. Peace can't be one-sided after all.