DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN NARUTO OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS/PLOTS. I ONLY OWN MY OC'S.

I love you, even if there isn't any me, or any love, or even any life.

I love you.

Zelda Fitzgerald

Marriage

"Mito-sama, it's a pleasure to finally meet you." Izumi bowed her head towards the newly married Uzumaki.

"Please, stop with the formalities Izumi-san." Mito said with a smile. "We've met a few times in passing but I believe that is about it."

"I think so too." She smiled. "How does it feel to be married, Mito-san?"

"It is...weird. I've been told that I met him as a child but I don't remember much of it. The only other timebut to see him grown into the man that he is today..."

Izumi nodded her head and looked at the group of men surrounding him. "He is a good man." She gave the new Senju Matriarch a comforting smile; it wasn't a fake one meant for just meeting someone, it was a genuine smile that seemed to ease the worry for Mito. "You're in capable hands."

"Yeah! Hashi-nii is awesome, he's so cool and he plays with me." Kagami suddenly said, tugging on Mito's kimono. "He even puts me on his shoulders like Tobi-nii does too."

Mito smiled at the young boy before Izumi pulled him away. "I'm sorry, he doesn't listen-"

"Are you...close with the Senju brothers?"

Izumi's eyes widened with surprise. "I guess it could be said as close-"

"What are you talking about Izumi-chan?" Hashirama suddenly put his arm around her. "You're practically family!"

"W-What?!" She spluttered, turning red. "I highly doubt-"

"We are!" He moved away and stood next to his new wife. "If you ever need anything or anyone to talk too, just go to her." He pointed to the embarrassed Uchiha. "She'll help you."

"O-Okay." Mito agreed. Hashirama then smiled and left to go back to the group of men.

"Well, I guess your answer was answered." Izumi said awkwardly, breaking the silence.

"What about Tobirama?" Mito asked.

She turned to the red-head. "What about him?"

"Are you close with him?"

"Well-"

"Yes! Izumi-nee and Tobi-nii are super close!" Kagami suddenly shouted. The only thing she did was groan, slightly frustrated over being interrupted twice in less than a minute. "They're always together and sometimes they k-"

"Okay, that is enough little boy." Izumi quickly slapped her hand over his mouth before looking at Mito. "I guess you could say I'm close with the brothers."

She laughed. "Oh really?" A mischievous glint was in her eye, slightly scaring Izumi. "I don't know, it seemed like your nephew here was about to say kiss-"

"W-What? No, of course not. He was going to say…um… kicking! Yeah, kicking." She lied, but it was so painfully false Mito couldn't help but laugh.

"I absolutely love talking to you Izumi-san. Do you think we could meet up again?"

"Just Izumi is fine and yes, I would love to talk with you more."

Kagami pushed Izumi's hand away and looked up at Mito. "If you're married to Hashi-nii, does that make you my aunt?"

"Kagami!"

He started tugging on her kimono. "Of course Kagami-kun." Mito kneeled down and tweaked his nose. "I would love to be your aunt."

Two week later

April

Izumi opened the door to the Hokage's office, carrying a sleeping Kagami. "Hashirama, has there been any word on Kazuyo and her group?" The Hokage, looking as tired –maybe even more than her– shook his head.

"I'm sorry, but I haven't gotten any word."

She carefully put Kagami down on the small couch in the corner of the room and walked over to where he was sitting. "I'm worried, this mission isn't supposed to take this long."

"I know, it's worrying me too."

Izumi just sighed. "Well, it's getting late. Mito's asking for you to get home."

"I wish I could but-"

"Hashirama, go." She closed the blinds on the windows. "We're walking in the same direction anyways."

"I'm not going to win this, am I?"

She just smirked before turning back to Kagami. "Of course not-"

The door suddenly slammed open, startling the little Uchiha from his sleep. "Hokage-sama, Team Uchiha just came back but there's been several causalities."

"Are they at the hospital?"

"Yes, Hokage-sama. However, only one is conscious and able to speak at the moment."

"Alright." The Shinobi bowed before leaving the room. "This doesn't sound good at all. Their mission was near the border but I didn't think anything bad was going to happen. I need to talk to them."

"I'm going with you." Izumi walked over to where Kagami sat. "I'm sorry, we're going to be taking a little detour back home, okay?" The boy sleepily nodded his head, yawning. She kissed the boy's forehead before carrying him. "Come on Hashirama, who knows how long that person has."

It didn't take them long before they reached the hospital; Kagami was once again sleeping in Izumi's arms, not understanding what was happening at the moment. She was worried, this team was the one Kazuyo was on too. She just prayed to Kami that she was safe and unhurt.

"Excuse me, could you watch my nephew? He'll be right here." She asked the nurse manning the desk in one of the waiting room.

"Of course Uchiha-sama." She gave the nurse a grateful smile before gently laying Kagami down on the chairs.

Quickly catching up to Hashirama in one of the rooms the conscious Shinobi was staying, Izumi's hands were shaking. "Hashirama?" She asked, peeking into the room.

"Izumi, come in." Pushing the door open, she was able to see the man on the bed. He was an Hyūga judging by his eyes, but one of his arms was in a cast while he had a bandage wrapped around his head and one eye. He recognized her name and his one eye widened. The Hyūga started pulling his blankets off and made a move to get out of the bed.

"Hyūga-san, you're not supposed to move-" The man brushed off the nurses warning and stood up, wincing at his wounds before kneeling on the ground. He then placed his head on the ground with his hands positioned flat on the ground next to it.

"I am so sorry Uchiha-sama." He said.

Izumi took a step back, completely shocked at what the man was doing. "Wait-"

"I was saved by Kazuyo. She took an attack meant for me, saving my life." Her eyes widened before she turned pale. She started shaking her head in denial. "You have no reason to forgive me."

Izumi whirled her head towards the door and back at the Hyuga. "Don't say it, please."

"I am sorry Uchiha-sama, because of me she is dead. I am very sorry."

She ran out the room, denial ringing throughout her head, but she didn't even make five steps out the room when she collapsed onto her knees and hands. "No… no no no..."

Kazuyo couldn't be...dead. She couldn't, her friend was as stubborn as a rock. She was as strong as one too, she couldn't be...dead.

No, it's not possible, it can't be.

"Izumi-nee?" Her head quickly looked up, only to see Kagami looking at her with sleepy looking eyes. "What's wrong?"

"Kagami..." She choked out his name before moving her hands and sitting on her legs. "Oh Kami..."

"Izumi-nee, I'm scared. What's wrong?" Izumi shook her head before grabbing Kagami so that she could hug him.

She buried her face into his hair. "I'm so sorry Kagami. Oh Kami I'm sorry."

While Izumi was getting control of herself and her emotions, Hashirama was helping the Hyūga back onto his bed.

"Hokage-sama, it's my fault-"

"It's not. Just...tell me what happened."

The Hyūga recalled everything that happened. The moment they got to one of the villages on the edge of the border, they were ambushed by Kumo-nins. The enemy-nins quickly killed almost half of the members, only leaving about five Konoha-nins. They made way to retreat but was ambushed by another village shinobi, the Iwa-nin's.

Hearing all of this caused Hashirama to worry even more than usual. Ever since that Kage Summit, there were more casualties with all their missions.

"Thank you Hyūga-san. Please, rest." He left the room and saw Izumi hugging Kagami. "Izumi?"

Hearing his voice brought her back down to reality. She let go of Kagami and looked at Hashirama. "Do they even have a...body?" He looked down and shook his head. Izumi let out a strained gasp before squeezing her eyes shut. "Of course." She didn't say anything after that.

They all stayed in the hall for a good five minutes before Hashirama noticed Kagami was still slightly confused and tired –not a good combo for a toddler.

"I'll take you home." Hashirama grabbed her arm and pulled her up before picking up the now motherless boy.

Two month later

July

Izumi blew out the last candle in the room before picking up her stuff and leaving. Today –like every other day– all she did was sign paperwork. It wasn't helping that her headaches were getting worse and that her eyesight was starting to go bad. Things she used to be able to see from a distance before were slowly starting to blur with every week that passed. She consulted with Hashirama and even the best iryo-nin in his clan but they said they couldn't do anything about it, that there were no treatments. There was one method she knew of, but that would mean to take someone's eyes and that was just something she would never do.

In all honesty, Izumi was scared. She was the one who was now raising Kagami. She barely knew anything about raising a child! And her poor nephew, he was still a little too young to fully comprehend what had happened, all he could understand was that his mother wasn't coming home.

She let out a tired sigh. With Kazuyo's death, having to suddenly raise a young child, and Izuna's meinichi yesterday, Izumi was about ready to collapse. Of course Tobirama was being just an angel because he was also helping her with taking care of Kagami –a word she'd never thought she'd associate with Tobirama because, well...it's Tobirama. But without him, she would have snapped long ago. He was there for them when Kagami broke down crying in his bedroom, he was there for Kagami's fourth birthday; he was there for both of them and Izumi just could not figure out why. He didn't have to help for obvious reasons; Kagami was an Uchiha and wasn't related to him.

Despite Izumi being an Uchiha she still knew Tobirama didn't like her clan members very much –not that she likes everybody in her clan too because putting it quite plainly, some are just straight up assholes that need to remove the stick up that's shoved up their asses. She didn't blame him, how could she? Growing up in their war torn environment against each other, she wouldn't be surprised if other members of her clan hated the Senju.

Tobirama didn't tell her but from hearing stories from Hashirama, he believed that many Uchihas had a so called "Curse". Izumi thought it was ridiculous at first but after looking at some of the members and her own brother, it didn't shock her when she realized that what Tobirama said may have been true. The Curse of Hatred; when an Uchiha loses someone close to their heart all those emotions turn to hatred. That was the mirror image of her brother, of Madara.

Yet...here Tobirama was, with her. She's lost plenty of people close to her heart; her father, Izuna, Kazuyo, even Madara. All those people, Izumi still loves. Does she reflect some of that Curse? That Hatred that is so famous for the Uchiha to possess?

Shaking her head to rid of her thoughts, Izumi opened the door to her house only to smell something cooking from the kitchen.

"Izumi-nee, you're home!"

"Hey Kagami-kun." She ruffled her nephew's hair before placing her stuff down on the living room table. "How was your day?"

"It was boring. Usually during lunch time, Momma would have come down to eat with us." He answered in a dejected tone. Immediately, a wave of guilt and pain passed over Izumi. She knew Kazuyo would always do that on her lunch breaks, it was one of the many things she looked forward too whenever she was helping with the Uchiha Council. Izumi tried to maintain Kagami's daily schedule, making sure almost nothing changed with before because she remembered reading somewhere that sudden change wasn't good for a young child. So she pushed down her anguish, her anger. She pushed them so far down in her heart that it was almost nonexistent at the moment. All for the sake of her nephew, her last family left. Everybody Izumi grew up with was dead besides Madara, but he's probably cut her from his heart. So she needed to protect Kagami, even if it would kill her.

"You know what, how about I eat lunch with you tomorrow."

Kagami perked up at hearing Izumi's suggestion. "Really?" She nodded her head.

She pushed down her tears, her cries of why. Seeing his smile didn't remind her of joy like before, it only served as a reminder to her that Kazuyo wouldn't even be able to see them anymore. "Yeah. Come on, I'm pretty sure Tobirama's finished making dinner."

Two hour later…

11 PM

Kagami was already asleep in his bed when Izumi was helping Tobirama put the dishes from their dinner away.

"Tobirama."

He turned his face to her but his hands kept washing the dishes. "Yeah?"

She took a deep breath and steeled her resolve. She would ask him, she had too. "Why me?" Not expecting this question, Tobirama stood a little straighter and moved his hands away from the water. "I'm an Uchiha for Kami's sake. I know you don't like my clan and Hashirama tells me you think many Uchiha have a curse." Izumi avoided his eyes but her hands were shaking so much that Tobirama noticed. "So why me? I'm not pretty, I'm not the nicest person. I have so much emotional baggage and I just-"

"Izumi."

"Why me? I notice all the other Senju women looking at you, I notice how they're 'proper'. They haven't killed anyone, they don't have so much emotional shit like I do. They can probably care for a man while I don't know anything about doing things like that." She looked at her shaking hands and noticed them starting to blur because of the tears that were building up. Then suddenly she felt a warm, sturdy hand grabbing her own. She looked up and saw Tobirama looking down at her with...understanding in his eyes. With his other hand he placed it on her cheek and wiped away the tears that escaped from her eye.

"Because Izumi, I love you."

Hearing those three words broke whatever barrier on her emotion. All at once, the emotions she had withheld in these two months flooded her body. Her tears and gasping wouldn't stop, they kept on coming.

"W-Why does everyone I love leave me then? You'll leave me one day, Kagami's going to leave me one day; it's no different. Look at it; Izuna's gone, Kazuyo's gone, my father's gone, they're all gone."

"I haven't left you yet and I don't plan on doing so." Tobirama placed his bare forehead on hers. "I love you and I won't leave you."

"But youwill, just like everyone else!" Izumi started crying even harder. With Izuna's meinichi just yesterday, her emotional control was shot and Tobirama knew that; she was like this every year around this time.

"I won't Izumi."

"How? You can't promise something like that, yet alone prove!" She fell to her knees and Tobirama did too. "Izuna promised the same damn thing and look at him! He's dead." They both sat on the floor, silence in the room. The only sounds were Izumi's crying and his quiet breathing.

"Fine then." He suddenly said. Moving his head away from hers, Tobirama tightened his grip on Izumi's hands. "Marry me." He said as serious as he could.

Izumi, shocked at those two words, suddenly stopped crying and looked up at him. "W-What?"

"Uchiha Izumi, I want you to marry me." She was left speechless. Her mouth opened but then closed, unsure of what to say.

"W-Wait, me?" Izumi started shaking her head. "No no, you don't want me-"

"I do.

She must have looked so pathetic. She had dark bags under her eyes because of all the stress and she knew she was skinnier than ever. She was too pale and…just pathetic.

Izumi sure as hell didn't feel pretty, why the hell would she with all the crap that's been pushed onto her in the past two months?

"Izumi, I really do. You don't have to change your last name, you don't have to change anything."

She looked down. "Is it really okay for me to say yes? Do I deserve this kind of happiness with all things I've done with my life?" Tobirama placed a hand on her cheek and raised her face to meet his. "Is it okay for me to even love you?" He didn't answer, he gave her an understanding smile.

"You deserve happiness in your life Izumi, especially with everything you've had to deal with."

"...Do I really? Izuna was able to propose to Kazuyo but he died before they got married." She closed her eyes and felt a tear escape. "I feel like...I'm betraying him if I do say yes."

"I don't know Izuna, I've never met your brother but I do know what it's like to have a brother, to be a brother." Tobirama gently grasped her hands. "I think he'd want you to be happy, that he wouldn't want you to hold back because of his death."

"Really?"

"Yes." He pulled Izumi up and looked at her straight in the eyes. "So will you do me the pleasure and marry me?"

"Y-Yes, yes."

A/N: GODDAMN IT. THIS WAS SO FRICKEN HARD TO WRITE. You see, I had a horrible horrible writer's block but for some unknown reason at four in the fucking morning it went away.

At four.

So I am typing this at god knows what time because I have too.

I'm sorry that this chapter's a little shorter than usual because of the obvious reasons, but I hope that the angst and the ending make up for it! Now, there's going to be a pretty big timeskip next chapter because I need to start the preparations for the First Shinobi War and Madara and Hashirama's fight, which Izumi will have a great part to play in.

So, what do you guys think about this chapter? I really want to know because quite honestly, I think it wasn't that good but I did like the way I wrote the bottom half.

And that is about it. There really isn't any more to say because I really don't know what to say lol.

I recommend Paper Towns by John Green, lol. The only reason is because I'm in the middle of reading it and it's like so good and I love it!

So leave a review and a follow/fav. if you haven't already!

Until next time!~

Oh yeah, I also forgot, meinichi is basically Death Anniversary in the literal translation to english (from Japanese)!