Author's note: Thank you so much for your kind words, Dixi! Hearing from ya'll in the reviews and PMs really does keep me going 3 I'll definitely be pumping out updates on this more quickly. The shorter chapters are really manageable.
Chapter 6: Confessions
Four Years Ago:
The dinner table was uncharacteristically devoid of conversation. The sound of utensils scraping against plates seemed almost deafening in the looming silence.
"This is really good, Umi." Izuna spoke the first brave words of the night. "Bass?"
"Trout." Madara corrected under his breath.
"Trout." Umika confirmed with a small smile.
"O…tastes like bass." Izuna cleared his throat awkwardly, returning to his meal. The exchange died immediately. The three young adults took turns stealing glances at the elder in their presence.
"Umika." Tajima finally spoke up, keeping his eyes on his plate. "Your birthday is in a few days, isn't it?"
"Yes, sir." the girl replied nervously. Despite having lived with Tajima since she was six, Umika often found it difficult to read the man's emotions. He was both quick to temper and unrelenting in his punishments. In nearly fourteen years, she had never once drawn Tajima's wrath, and she intended to keep it that way.
"How old will you be?" he asked.
"Twenty, sir."
"I think it's time you stepped off the battlefield and focused on marriage." Umika opened her mouth to respond, but Izuna's sudden coughs drew all attention to him. The young Uchiha man beat his fist against his chest in an attempt to force out the grain of rice that had traveled down the wrong pipe.
"Get a hold of yourself." Madara hissed at his little brother.
"S-sorry!" Izuna sputtered out. Umika poured him a glass of water. She gently patted his back as he gulped down the liquid. When his breathing returned to normal, Tajima refocused on the girl.
"Do you know why the Uchiha are one of the most feared clans despite our small numbers?" Tajima asked. The rest of the table shook their heads. "Most clans keep their women off the battlefield completely. Their purpose is only in bearing children. The second they are of age, they marry and start their families. Our ancestors saw the folly in that approach. Our women fight alongside us in battle, even through their early childbearing years." Tajima stopped to take a sip of his water. "They sharpen their skills as warriors, and when they are twenty, they retire to motherhood. Children learn almost everything from their mothers. As fighters themselves, our women are able to raise their children to be apt ninja well before they ever step foot on the frontlines. Our mothers' sacrifice is so vital to the Uchiha's survival that even our patron deity is Mother Naka, a goddess that embodies these virtues."
"Who would I marry?" Umika lilted.
"That decision lies with the clan heads." Tajima motioned to Izuna and Madara with a nod.
"Who do you suggest, father?" Madara prodded, taking another mouthful of rice.
"Ryōta would be a fine choice." Tajima advised.
"Ryōta?" Izuna blinked in disbelief. "You're joking."
"What's the matter?" His father glared at the subtle insinuation that he may be mistaken.
"The fool that pissed his pants at the first encounter with Tobirama Senju?" Izuna challenged with a scoff. "She would be better off married to a guard dog. At least it wouldn't abandon her at the first sign of danger."
"He has grown considerably, Izuna." Tajima clicked his tongue in annoyance. "Not everyone will hold the same latent abilities as you and Madara. Show some grace." As the argument continued, Madara snickered at the truth unknown to his father: Izuna was just a boy in love. No partner Tajima suggested would be agreeable to Izuna because, in his little brother's eyes, no one else was worthy of holding Umika's affection. The elder brother's gaze passed over the girl. It was unclear if she was listening to the intense debate over her future. Her face held an unreadable expression. He could see her chewing on the insides of her cheeks, deep in thought, pushing around the last three peas on her plate with her spoon.
"What do you think of Ryōta, Umika?" Madara interrupted the bickering men.
"I don't know who he is." the girl admitted. "Never noticed him." A thin smile tugged at the corners of Izuna's lips upon hearing the confession.
Dinner came to an abrupt end when Tajima reminded the boys of their pending preparations for the assault in the morrow. At next dusk, the Uchiha would overwhelm the Sarutobi's camp, severing the Senju's main source of supplies. Then it would only take a few days of sustained effort to weaken the Senju and eliminate them. The brothers made their way to the weapons cache, helping sort the tools and sharpen the blades.
"Ryōta…." Izuna grumbled in disbelief, still upset from the conversation.
"You could always propose first." Madara suggested half-jokingly. Izuna sheathed the sword in his hand and stared off into the distance. He sucked his teeth, thinking hard about the implications of such a decision.
"Would you be alright with it?" Izuna finally asked. He scratched his messy black hair. "I mean, if I marry in the clan, then you'd have to take a foreign woman." Political marriages were common for clan heads. It was how alliances were built. The more children the head family had, the more potential allies they could make. The Uchiha also diverged from this tradition. They didn't like to dilute their strong blood. So, one child from the clean head's family would marry for politics, and the rest would marry in the clan to keep a strong lineage.
"It's fine." Madara shrugged. "There is no one so eye-catching in our clan that I would resign my little brother to seeing Ryōta strut around with the woman of his desires."
"A fate worse than death." Izuna said with a laugh. "Thank you, Madara."
"It means nothing if you continue to sit on your feelings. It's been nearly five years since your confession to me."
"I'll tell her after we return." the younger brother beamed happily. "I will this time. I swear it."