Mentioned ocs:

Hyūga Mika: Sei's sister, lady-in-waiting and bodyguard. About seventeen years old.

Kyoko: Hashirama's house stewardess.

He promised the rescue would only take a week. For two weeks Sei waited patiently for Tobirama to return from his voyage. The moon and stars in the night sky gave her no indication of his hopeful return. She thought the worst. However she knew he would never die at sea. He after all had the soul of a water dragon.

After two weeks her brother returned home with a message containing the problems Tobirama was facing. He stated that Tobirama had encountered a scaled sea monster. Tobirama came up with plan to save the ship and his compatriots... He would be a decoy. She mournfully cried thinking again the worst situation. 'Tobira that damned autarchic fool! Could he have thought of me before he made such a decision?'

In cause to her fruitful state she was forbaded from looking after her father whom was wounded horribly by the onikage. Sei stayed in her chambers occupying herself with studies and pleasure reading. She blamed herself for her father's painful injuries. Nevertheless it would not be the lacerations that would kill him.

Two months had gone by without her lover's return. Nevertheless, The blazing sun of May offered many opportunities for upstarts. From down the hall she heard the ruckus of the young maid Mika running down the hall encroaching closer to her room. She opened Sei's chamber door without addressing herself.

"Lady Sei! Lord Madara Uchiha! He's here to speak to you..." She snuffles wiping her nose on her sleeve, "Brought several of his men with him... Quite scary."

Madara appeared shortly after Mika's warning. He stood there waiting for the teenage girl to finish. Sei's sleepy eyes shifted to Madara's dark figure. His stone cold expression reminded her of the first time she had seen him at the party.

She spoke to him, "What are you doing here? Mada? How did you get in?"

He answered entering her room,"Your brother let me in."

Sei stood up to meet him. She teased covering the smile on her mouth, "Oh, That's why..."

Madara's powerful gaze met her own. He stated frankly, "I will be to the point: I want you to marry me... You cannot hide it any longer."

She sighed caressing her forehead, "As blunt, the right time and persistent as ever... Though you are right... Thanks to blabber mouth Aikiku everyone knows of our affair."

"With your hand you will make me eat my own words."

"Fiery... I always knew you were turned on when I slapped you."

He smiled brightly amusing his next sentence, "You will no longer sleep alone for I will be beside you."

She caught onto his intent, "Ahh, A proposal."

"With these arms I shall embrace you during times of sadness." He continued holding Sei around her waist. "When you are faced with harm I shall shield you with my own body... I order you to be mine."

Sei giggled shaking her head. She found his proposal fascinating, "All this time I have made nothing but excuses and played with your feelings. I was new to how someone could be honest with me and affectionate in the same. There is no one that can make me loose my cool like you, Madara. However I'm not of your clan so you can't order me to do anything. I already promised to marry another man."

Madara sneered, "Damn it! Woman! I'm grateful of your confession but you must understand. I will not let that mutt carry out his vendetta against me through playing your strings... I can't get you out of my mind... I love you. I would remain in perpetual dusk just to be beside you."

Sei took his words to heart sulking, "I can't believe you still favor me after the way I treated you... I have felt ashamed of myself."

Madara mused taking her soft hand in his own, "Leave the past behind and cast away those useless feelings. Let your light shine anew. Know beside Madara no one would dare touch my beloved. You are a light amongst the philistines of this world."

Her cheeks turned red, she jeered, "You mean a goddess?"

The corners of his mouth lifted up, "Yes... However you..."

"Mada... You are such a stubborn goat... Nevertheless, If you really do want me as your own... You will have to face me in combat." She laid out holding his hand tighter.

He caressed her stomach with his other hand exclaiming, "You are four months pregnant... That is never going to happen."

She poked him on the nose jesting, "Tehe! Just kidding! Stubborn goat!"

"Certainly there are some who would not agree?"

Sei settled the proposal, "Like my father... He gave me the choice... I will give you a yes answer. You did after all barge into my family's quarters despite the possible dangers. I admire your determination to claim my hand. Make sure I don't slip away."

Madara finally got the answer he was looking for. He revealed giving her a kiss goodbye, "I will send you something special tomorrow."

He exited the home territory without much interference from her clan who watched him with suspicious eyes. At the exit he was met with the Hyūga entity whom called himself Sei's twin. Daisuke respectfully bowed to Madara thanking him, "Good luck, Lord Madara."

Madara showed him the same respect, "Cunning Hyūga Prince... Since this scheme went the way we had planned... You will be invited to our wedding... Bring something nice for your sister."

Dai bowed again as Madara passed by him, "Yes, Thank you. Lord stubborn goat." He gave out a throated laugh, "Father is going to hate this soo much... So far soo good."

Later that day Hashirama, Madara and Daisuke sat in Hashirama's office. Silent Kyoko poured the three men steaming cups of hot tea.

Hashirama mourned tears falling down his cheeks, "It's hard choosing your friend's happiness over your brother's."

Dai scoffed drinking his tea, "Tobirama is such an asshole and a buffoon. It will be awhile till he returns home. Enough time for everything to fall in place."

"It's about to get a lot more interesting." Madara alluded to stirring his tea.

"Yes," Hashirama held out Madara a scroll. "This is for you."

Madara took the scroll from Hashirama. He read the contents muttering words under his breath. "You want me to be... Hokage..."

"Yes, I have much on my hands concerning the revitalization of the Senju. I will leave leadership in your capable hands."

"My informal answer is yes!" Madara gave Hashi a thankful hug.

Dai jested clapping his hands, "Congratulations on your marriage."

Madara pondered ignoring Dai, "However, I do have a lot going on... A matter of indifference, This leadership process could take a whole year."

"True."

The next evening Sei sat at her vanity. She colored her lips a dark red color. A knock brought her attention to the main door of her chamber. She welcomed Mika and several of her maidens in. The Hyūga kunoichis brought several lacquered boxes.

Hyūga Mika announced, "Wedding gifts from Lord Uchiha, Cousin."

Sei opened the first box, "Mada, You overdo everything don't you?" She took out a supple black robe with the Uchiha crest. "I'm not wearing this... Maybe I will give it to my daughter for when she is older... Hphmm, Instead I might as well create a whole new crest to avoid backlash from our stubborn families."

Tora entered her room endowing Sei with a hug around her shoulders. She questioned her sister in law, "You are marrying Madara instead of Tobirama? You sure about this?"

Sei explained folding the robe, "I decided that I will not abandon my daughter... In fact I will raise her to be an excellent kunoichi... So forth, It would be unfair for Tobirama to raise another man's child."

"Not too long ago you were smitten with him but now..."

Seihana admitted smelling the flowers, "In our separation I realized I have caused him nothing but problems... I am not proud with the string pulling I have done."

Tora cocked her head speaking, "I understand... He might not take this well..."

"Tobirama is a resilient and understanding man. He claimed he would let me go if I'd be happy." Sei fanned herself with a circular hand held fan.

"Hopefully he stays with his claims." Tora nodded proceeding to take a small box. Opening the box she revealed a hair pin in the shape of a crescent moon with a pearl embedded in it's center. "Beautiful. Lord Uchiha has refined taste."

Sei beheld the pearl hair pin. She agreed, "Yes, He does."

Tora bedeviled her, "You never told me you had another suitor let alone did other things."

Sei hid her grin behind the fan stating, "Speaking about one's private life out in the open is indecent. Let alone affairs that seem taboo."

"I guess our kids will be the same age."

Sei replied, "You too? Tora?"

Tora rested her hands on her hips, "You are not the only fully functioning woman here."

"True. Maybe our children will be friends."

Hours later Sei sat alone in her pitch black room. She beheld a circular hand held mirror. She spoke gazing back at herself in the mirror. "I guess destiny never changes."

"You are wrong. My parents never got married." She heard a familiar voice speak from behind her. "You can consider this event unexplored."

"Now you speak to me Kūjōshi?"

Otherwise known as the onikage. He laughed; It had been a long time since anyone called him by name.

He appeared beside her in his usual raven robe. Kūjōshi commented fondly, "You look good, Mother."

She spoke to the shadow in the reflection, "With my eyes I have came to know my child is not you. It's a girl."

"Oh,"

"Sorry, You have came this far for nothing."

Kūjōshi solidified his word, "Not at all. A body is just a temporary reproductive host to bring the soul into the physical world. The soul is still the same."

She battled him with wise words, "Yes, But is it in your best survivals interest to seek to kill yourself? So far you are just a decaying body refusing the eternal slumber. Do you really hate yourself that much that you would not allow your soul a new beginning?"

Kūjōshi's pale eyes narrowed. His deep voice replied, "You only understand soo little of my existence yet you created me."

She exclaimed turning to face him, "I'm not your mother! Get that into your crazy head! I was your prisoner then the student!"

"You refuse to repay me?"

"When I returned home, Yes, I thought I would but now... I know what you taught me is not worth the life of my child!"

As their eyes met, He repeated, his gaze overpowering, "You know little of my existence. To understand the beginning of my life we must go back over nine hundred years ago. Before I was born there was my mother and my father whom were cousins -" Kūjōshi was interrupted by Sei.

She remarked disapproving, "Your parents were dallying cousins? Gross."

"It's no different now than then. You are descended from one of my mother's younger siblings. Madara is descended from my father and one of his wife's. I never told you any of this because it is useless information. Once I retrieve my soul I will end the eternal cycle of my father and uncle's hatred. I will kill every single living being whom shares father and uncle's blood. I have watched this endless battle for centuries... I am the only one whom can stop it... By my hand I will give father and this universe peace."

She japed, "Ah, The messiah complex... By sacrificing your own peace you believe you can give it to others. Massacring your own family to end an egotistical karma driven conflict. Certainly there must be another way of ending this hatred other than bloodshed. For someone who shares my blood I can't believe you could be soo blind."

"Cocky... You are very much like my mother."

Sei thought of a way to influence him. She spoke gently, "Kūjōshi... You live too much in the past... Maybe it is time to leave it behind. You don't need to suffer any longer... It pains me to see my child suffering."

Kūjōshi's voice faded into the blackness, "All lies."

Sei wiped away her make up and tears, "That is not true... I'm not your mother... That is a fact."

Into the void Kūjōshi left Sei alone. She promised touching her stomach, "I will give you peace and a new life."