Author's note: I'm having so much fun writing this! I need to think of a few more plot points.
Chapter 9: Search
"What a headache." Hashirama yawned, absentmindedly flipping through the reports before him.
"You need to take this more seriously." Tobirama scolded his brother. "You two had plenty of notice. It's an embarrassment that we're trying to prepare for this visit so late." The white-haired Senju shot an equally accusing glare towards the third man in the room. Madara met his gaze, silently challenging him.
"For heaven's sake." Hashirama grumbled when he noticed their staring contest. "Forgive me, both of you." The older Senju dramatically threw his arms and forehead against the table, mockingly reverent. "I take full responsibility for this blunder."
"That's an assuring attitude for negotiations." Madara said with a roll of his eyes. He slid the pages he had been writing on across to Hashirama. "These are my proposals for funding." Tobirama hovered over his brother, scoffing at the amounts.
"He'll never agree to these." he dismissed. "This is near double our need."
"I've inflated the numbers." Madara agreed. "We should start higher so we can compromise at an amount more suitable to our needs."
"You think the Fire Lord won't see through this attempt?" Tobirama pressed.
"You're right, forgive me." Madara leered. "The Fire Lord has a long history of ruling over—remind me—how many shinobi villages?" The younger Senju pursed his lips in anger. "The old fool knows nothing of our operations. We could ask for any amount as long as we include a half-convincing justification."
"Madara makes a good point. I'm inclined to agree." Hashirama finally spoke up.
"Tch! You—" Tobirama stopped when the door to the office swung open.
"Lord Hashirama, Lord Madara!" Kotaro huffed, leaning over to grab his knees to steady himself. "She's gone!" The vague sentence instantly clicked with the Uchiha man. It had been his greatest fear in sending Umika away. He thought he had planned for it adequately.
"You weren't watching her?!" Madara barked.
"S-she was asleep when I left her. We had guards all over the compound, but she slipped by them." Kotaro took a deep breath before straightening out. "We already checked the list of places you told us she likes to hide. She wasn't at any of them. We checked your home, and it seems like she already grabbed her belongings from there. She must have left the village."
"A defector the day before the Fire Lord's visit." Tobirama groused. "Wonderful."
"Send out a search party of sensory ninja." Hashirama said.
"They'll never find her." Madara interrupted, standing from the table "I'll retrieve her."
"The girl can completely conceal her chakra." Tobirama explained when he noticed the confused look on Hashirama's face. "That being said, I should be the one to go."
"Lord Tobirama, you have a courtship meeting as well!" Kotaro reminded him. "That is part of the Fire Lord's visit. Who knows how long this will take!"
"What is the alternative?" Tobirama asked, grabbing his cloak from the back of the chair. "Explain to the Fire Lord that one of the founders is missing because he had to go chase down a defector? Or risk his party overhearing about defection from our people during his first visit? Sensory techniques won't aid us in finding her. We have to search with our eyes, and I can do that much faster than anyone else here."
"Bring the girl back safe, Tobirama." Hashirama said in tacit agreement of the plan.
"Don't worry. I'm not Madara." Tobirama mumbled, exchanging a final glare with the Uchiha man on his way out. "Ready my bags."
Umika scraped at the bottom of her purse. Inn rooms were expensive. So was food. She had learned that the hard way on her first night away from home. She had just enough money to last her three more days. She sighed and tightened the strings, tucking the small bag into the safety of her kimono.
"I need a job…." she mumbled to herself, grabbing an apple from her bag. She chewed on it slowly, staring out of the window and trying to think of her marketable skills. "Nothing too public…." Surely, there would be a small search party sent out for her. The obligatory rounds would be done before they gave up and returned, empty handed. Her chakra was suppressed. There was no chance of them sensing her. All she had to do now was stay out of sight for the next week or so. If only she had enough money to stay locked behind the inn doors for that time. She took a few steps back from the window, drawing the curtains. She took another bite. "Maybe a farmhand…." The words came out as a distorted whisper between the noisy chews. She tossed her hair to the side and leaned back, falling onto the bed.
At least, that's what she intended. Umika stiffened when she fell back onto a person. Strong arms wrapped around her, holding her down on the stranger's lap.
"Or maybe you could come back to the village willingly." the man whispered in her ear. She screamed, spitting out half eaten chunks of apple all over his arms. He let go, and she tripped in her hurry to scramble away from him. She turned to face the intruder in her room, seeing Tobirama Senju wiping pieces of apple off his clothes with a disgusted look on his face. "Charming."
"W-what are—"
"You know we purposely picked a remote area for settlement, right? There aren't many inns near the village. And only about two you could've realistically traveled to in the time you had." He stood, checking the rest of his clothes. When he was satisfied that no food remained on them, he turned his attention back to her.
"How did you know which one I would be at?"
"I guessed. Got lucky. Grab your bags. We're going back to the Leaf."
"I'm not going back." Umika said, finally pulling herself off the floor. Tobirama stared at her, waiting for her to elaborate. She crossed her arms in defiance. He let out an annoyed sigh.
"Why? Because Madara kicked you out of the nest?" he mocked. She flinched at the portrayal. It was a callous understatement. "Grow up, girl. We all have responsibilities to our home."
"I don't have a home." Umika reiterated. "At least not there." He took a step toward her, and she closed her eyes, using every morsel of her will to stand her ground. "You can take me back, but I'll just run away again!" She held her breath, listening to his steady steps closing in on her. She peeked through her lashes when he stopped in front of her. Tobirama's eyes moved from her to the half-eaten apple by her feet. He picked it up and turned, walking to the waste bin by the door. The apple hit the bottom of the empty bin with a wet thud.
"I'm a fair man. If you give me a good reason not to return, I won't force you to." She took a minute to fully comprehend the proposal.
'J-just like that?"
"There's no one else out here looking for you." he stated. "If I stop, that'll be the end of it. You'll be free to go wherever you please."
"Not even Madara?" There was a pain her voice that he pitied.
"No, he and my brother are meeting with the Fire Lord in the morning." Tobirama sat down on the bed again. "I should be as well, but here I am. So, do me the courtesy of explaining yourself." The girl nodded, sitting on her knees across from him. She thought of how to begin.