It was two days after the fiasco. Hashirama felt guilty about what he said to Sei. Being drunk wasn't an excuse for such behaviour. He pondered during work at his desk what he could do to make it up to her. What he could do to make it right.

Madara seemed to notice. "What's bothering you, Hashirama?" Madara was filing out paper work for a new project.

"The way we behaved to Lady Hyūga is bothering me... We have to make it up to her somehow..."

"Apologize?! To that she-devil? She kicked me... My manhood was numb for two days..." Madara replied bluntly.

"Numb? I thought it would be something worse? hahahaha! Permanent testicular damage?" Hashirama made a nuisance of Madara.

"I felt a slight discomfort after she kicked me then seconds later it stopped... Other than the temporary numbness she did not injure me..." Madara spoke rolling up the edict scroll. "I never heard of a Hyūga using a technique that numbs the body... That Hyūga vixen interests me in many ways. In mind, body and spirit."

Hashiramaembarrassed the Uchiha even more, "Peeing must have been awkward for those two days..."

Madara returned boldly, "Shut up! Hashirama!... If you must make it up. Invite her to dinner, give her flowers of forgiveness... Something that a woman would like."

"Yes, We should invite her to dinner." It was Mitō who agreed placing a cup of hot tea on Hashirama's desk. She sat in his lap.

Hashirama requested from both of his companions, "What does a woman want?"

Madara guessed smiling in Mitō's direction, "To be treated like a goddess."

Mitō spoke the truth chastely kissing Hashi's cheek, "Us women want everything... Love, power, understanding, peace and a partner who is honest, playful and understanding."

"Pour some tea for me, Goddess?" Madara blithely flirted with Mitō knowing her answer would be no.

She mocked looking down at him, "You can pour it yourself."

On the balcony Seihana watched her two younger siblings Raikō and Suzume practice on dummies outside in the verandah. Tora leaned on the railing smiling down at the two children. Lady Sei had been unusually quiet for the last few days. Judging by her facial expressions and antics something whatever it was effected her emotionally in a longing way.

"Sei... You are in love?"

"Where were you two nights ago?" Sei inquired.

"Oh... I went to a bar with those two guards. They're brothers twins to be specific."

Seihana lectured her, "I hope you didn't make a scene. The Hyūga elders don't approve of young Hyūga maidens seducing young pages that are not of the Hyūga."

"Hah! You're one to talk! Where were you two nights ago? By the look on your face, you're just as guilty as me." Tora simmered.

Sei blushed insinuating, "A man you would never expect told me he was entranced by me and embraced me."

"Hahaha! Let me guess he's a guy you just got to know better than before? And you're head over heels already? Aw, Sei... Life is not fair for us; Hyūga women. Our lives and marriages are already planned the day we are born." Tora sarcastically mourned.

"I'm sorry you are engaged to my asshole of a twin brother..." Sei gave her a sympathetic frown.

"It's none of your fault. Even your brother is not a complete jerk. Alas, you suffer the same fate as me." Tora sighed resting her chin on Sei's shoulder.

Sei clenched at the thought of her fiance. The first time she had met him was when they both were children. Though, she remembered his lion like overconfidence and his pudgy cheeks. Yoshiyuki Hyūga the now man she was promised to those many years ago. Seihana disliked Yoshiyuki Hyūga as a child because of his need to always be the center of attention of everyone and everything in the universe. The fact that he bullied her. She purposefully forgotten him during her training with the Akuma-kage. She had hoped with all the warring clans he had somehow perished in the chaos. Knowing that he was still alive rebirth in her loathing for him.

"Yes... My fiance; Yoshiyuki Hyūga." To admit it, agonized her.

"He's quite the shinobi. Absolutely an improvement from being a chubby child." Tora stated bluntly about her cousin. "During, our clans skirmishes he gained considerable prestige... Five years ago he left on a ship to adventure in foreign lands... Alive or dead... I don't know."

"Hopefully he doesn't return." Sei chuckled shaking her head.

"So... Who is this secret lover?" Tora requested making Sei smile brightly.

"You would never guess and if I reveal it... Please keep it a secret from our family." Sei gave Tora a platonic hug.

"Likewise, If you don't tell me I'll find out anyway." She asserted forcefully.

She divulged dolorously, "I calmed the currents of his raging his soul. The pain and sorrow... Perhaps, he is entranced by my ability..."

"Name your paramour..."

"He is a Senju..."

Tora began to laugh from the middle of her gut. She spoke, "Him? How did you bewitch the younger Senju brother? That cold-hearted-stern bastard? Hahaha!" Tora burst out with even more laughter.

Sei quickly closed every single door to her room, She demanded, "Shush! Hyūga elders have spies everywhere!... Good thing Hyūga do not have superior hearing."

"Please tell..."

Sei hinted at, "A little foreknowledge, a soothing touch and a little sway can bring out the vulnerability in any man."

"Oh... You didn't?!" Tora alluded to something lewd. "Your father would have you disinherited from the clan. I hope you haven't done anything you'll live to regret."

"Of course not!" Sei blushed and admitted with a snicker, "That doesn't mean I don't have my own fantasies."

"Oh, Lady Sei don't do anything impulsive! If you are disinherited I will never be able to look upon you or consider you my sister in bond." Tora cried wiping tears from her eyes. Sei held her as Tora wept. "Even as your brother's fiancee... I do not want to see that shit faced gambling fool as head of Hyūga."

A knock on her door brought the two from their former conversation. Sei allowed, "You may enter."

"Lady Mitō is here to speak to you, My lady." A servant foretold bowing to her.

Seihana and Tora met with Mitō Uzumaki in the lounge room. Who spoke about her husband's proposal.

'Lady Mitō is so graceful and intelligent.' Sei thought as Mitō spoke.

Mitō bowed to her slightly, "Lady Hyūga, I have letter from my husband Hashirama. He would like to invite you to dinner as an apology." Mitō took a letter from her white kimono and handed it to Sei. It was from Hashirama. He had written a rather short letter to her.

ᴅᴇᴀʀ, ʟᴀᴅʏ sᴇɪʜᴀɴᴀ ʜʏūɢᴀ

ɪ ᴀᴍ sᴏ sᴏʀʀʏ ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ʜᴏᴡ ɪ ᴛʀᴇᴀᴛᴇᴅ ʏᴏᴜ ᴛʜᴇ ʟᴀsᴛ ᴛɪᴍᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ᴠɪsɪᴛᴇᴅ ᴜs. ɪ ᴡɪsʜ ᴛᴏ ᴍᴀᴋᴇ ɪᴛ ᴜᴘ ᴛᴏ ʏᴏᴜ ᴀɴʏᴡᴀʏ ᴘᴏssɪʙʟᴇ. ᴀᴅᴅɪᴛɪᴏɴᴀʟʟʏ ɪ ᴀᴍ ɪɴᴠɪᴛɪɴɢ ʏᴏᴜ ᴛᴏᴍᴏʀʀᴏᴡ ᴇᴠᴇɴɪɴɢ ғᴏʀ ᴅɪɴɴᴇʀ.

sɪɴᴄᴇʀᴇʟʏ, ʜᴀsʜɪʀᴀᴍᴀ sᴇɴᴊᴜ.

"I'll accept his invitation." Sei accepted bowing to Mitō.

"Thank you. This situation has been agonizing my husband for the past two days. He is such a sensitive man." Mitō chuckled thanking Sei.

"I do not hold anything against him." Sei claimed with mercy.

Drawings and scrolls were littered about his desk.

Tobirama sat writing a letter. A lively Aikiku rushed into his room. She announced excited at the prospect, "Brother Tobirama! Brother Hashi is inviting Lady Sei over for dinner!" She hugged him from behind. "Oh, Who you writing to? Who are these drawings of?"

Tobirama accidentally (on purpose) tipped over his ink pot. It's contents sullied the letter and the drawings. It's written substance unreadable. "I'm sorry, Tobira! I will help you clean it." Aikiku yammered as she used her handkerchief to clean the spilled ink. But only stained her handkerchief and hand in the process. She noticed the drawings had an uncanny semblance to Seihana Hyūga and Nanase Uchiha the woman Aikiku only knew as Tobirama's first secret true love. Aikiku gave her the elegant title: Lady of the Ephemeral Horizon.

He acted unsurprised, "Lady Sei is coming for dinner? Why?"

"She's coming for dinner вєcαuѕє brother feels guilty about how he treated her that's what he told me. He wants to make it up to her. We have her as a guest! Again!" She resumed hugging his back yet a bit tighter. "Aren't you excited too? Lady Hyūga is coming here?" She questioned burying her pouty face in Tobirama's shoulder.

Her brother grasped one of her dainty hands from his abdomen. He avoided her inquiry.

"Sister, your hands are stained with ink...Go wash your hands." He demanded scrutinizing her ink stained hand.

"You did not answer my question!" She pulled her stained hand away.

At first, Tobirama did not know how to respond. Aikiku's persistence was irritating. Althrough lashing out at her might be more trouble than it was worth.

"Yes, I am excited." Tobirama said sarcastically. "So much so I'm having an argument with my little sister about it."

"Hilarious, Tobira... Madara and Izuna are coming too! It will be great!" She beamed at the thought of seeing her beloved Izu again.

"Your boyfriend and his brother... Hashirama must be excited as well." Tobirama chuckled putting the paper letter away.

"Oh, Kami... Izu is just an adorable dummy who loves a spunky klutz... Alright?" Aikiku pleaded faking tears.

Her elder brother claimed coldly, "If he breaks your heart... I will have to rip out the one in his chest."

"You already tried to kill him once! For my sake no more!" Aikiku shrieked nudging her face into his back.

"I promise you nothing, Sister."

During the dead of night Aikiku and Izuna met outside the village in secret. Under the cover of the trees they embraced each other closely. She informed him, "My dearest love, It seems our plan is going astray. My scary big brother Tobirama has fallen smitten with our 'Lady Sei of The Reflecting Moon'. What shall we do?"

Izuna smiled and said, "Doe's it feel like there is anything amiss?"

She thought for a moment and spoke, "Sei does look a lot like Nanase Uchiha, My brother's deceased lover... You know how unhealthy this is for him... I don't want neither of them to get hurt."

Izuna nodded, "Sei will find out eventually..."

"My brother loving a dead woman when he is with a living one... That's disturbing..." She scowled hiding her face in his chest. "We have to do something about this."

"Even now our plan could still work." Izuna reminded Aikiku.

"How? Sei kicked your brother in the pants... He probably hates her now." She digressed putting her cold hands inside the chest fold of Izuna's dark robe.

"My brother has odd taste in woman. He covets Mitō because he knows he cannot have her. When it come to Lady Hyūga his attraction toward her is of different sort."

"Your brother is a masochist?"

"No, He likes her because she stood up to him and put him in his place." Izuna explains giving her a kiss on the cheek. "My brother likes goddesses not demure maidens."

"Am I a goddess or a demure maiden?"

"No, you're something entirely different."

"Oh, Izu... If I am not a goddess or demure maiden what could I be? An Enigma?"

Izuna kissed her on her lips saying, "You are more than any goddess and demure maiden. You are the breath and beauty of life."

"My beloved Izu... You are trying to get some fun time? Aren't you?" She asked kissing him in return.

"What!"

The next evening Sei sat at her vanity finishing her hair and make up before moving on to her clothing. She looked through her wardrobe for the most comely robe possible to wear to Hashirama's dinner party.

"mєw, wєαr ѕσmєthíng вlαck, mч míѕtrєѕѕ." Kuroichi suggested resting on her pillow.

"So I would look like you? I was thinking of something red." She twirled around in a rouge robe.

"Red? Why the color of passion and lust?... Unless you are looking for exactly that..." Kuro purred stretching out lazily.

"You know the color red? I thought you were color blind?" She inquired doffing off all her alabaster robes. Continuing, in the nude, opening her wardrobe chest.

"I can see through your eyes, mistress." Kuro reminded her licking his paw.

"Yes, Maybe I am feeling a bit passionate today."

"Passionate about anyone in peculiar?"

"Ah, Kuro a lady does not share such information with her bedfellows."

"The aqua shinobi? He can keep his suiton far away from me." Kuro's fluffy tail twitched at the thought.

"Yes, You are quite hydrophobic."

"Mistress may I come along? I can be you're eyes and ears?" Kuro requested brushing his side against her leg.

"Yes, But stay to the shadows." She agreed petting his head. Then there was a knock on her chamber door.

"Yes? You may come in..."

"My lady, I have a delivery for you..." It was Sei's young Stewardess Mademoiselle Hoshimi Hyūga. She handed Sei a hand held folding fan and a light paper wrapped package.

Sei unwrapped the parcel revealing her clean smelling old clothing and an encyclopedia of herbs and a note.

Lady Hyūga Seihana,

I hope you find these useful. Also, please send my kimono back to me. Thank you.

Tobirama Senju

Sei blushed remembering, she forgot to return Tobirama's kimono that she had worn. She faced Hoshimi who waited patiently for herself to be excused. "If you get anything like this again please give it to Tora or myself. No one else shall receive my mail not even the other maids, my younger siblings, twin brother or father."

She bowed compiling, "Yes, My lady. At your discretion."