"She saved my life, brother. If I had been left there, then I would have perished either by the fire or the enemy!"

"No matter, she is a Senju and we do not show mercy to our enemies. Mercy is a weakness. You must stop worrying over a woman that will soon be put to death."

"Brother!"

"That is the truth of her situation! The elders will ultimately decide her fate, it is not for us to discuss."

"You can influence them! They fear you! We could use her a hostage of some sort to negotiate, they would probably take that!"

"She is no one of importance. The Senju will not relent over some woman idiotic to get herself captured!"

Izuna couldn't feel more frustrated than he does right now. As soon as they arrived back at their homestead, the girl that had helped him was taken to the prison ward while he was treated by their own medical professionals. He had tried to reason with them then that she had helped him, and therefore they should be lenient with her. But, so far not even his brother is convinced by his words.

"How do we know she isn't someone of importance!? Have you looked into her history? Did you ask her about her family? We do not know anything yet!" She had saved his life, and she was going to be repaid with death. How cruel is that?

"Tsk." Madara feels just as frustrated as his brother. The moment that he knocked out the woman that he thought was hurting his brother, he came to realize that it was the opposite. He feels grateful towards her, of course, but there is little to be done once the elders have their minds set on something. He could not have left the young woman there, otherwise she would have died regardless, and as Izuna mentioned, she could be valuable. "I can ask that we look into her history, but I cannot promise anything. In the end it will be their decision."

Izuna sighs in defeat. He knows that Madara is right, in the end it would be the council's decision that mattered. He just couldn't accept that fate. She had been kind to him, she showed him mercy when no other Senju would likely every do the same. It's not like they were setting the standard for how they treat other prisoners! Sparing one lone woman wouldn't ruin them!

"If they decide to spare her, what will you do?" He asks his older brother, confronting him yet again.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, what will you do? She saved my life, we owe her a debt, and-"

"All debts must be repaid. I'm well aware." Madara heaves a heavy sigh. "As I said, I cannot promise anything. If they decide to use her a hostage then I will use what power I have to bring her under our care, if I am able. If they disagree with that notion then we will have a whole other battle to fight, one that might not be worth it."

"It would be worth it." As Izuna says this, Madara takes a moment to really look at his brother. He's determined. He cares about the girl. Damn.

"Then be prepared for a fight, little brother."


Hanako's body is shaking as she sits up against the concrete wall of the cell she had been placed in. There's an Uchiha crest against each of the four walls in the room, letting her know where she is and how dire her situation has become. She woke up a few hours ago, groggy and with a slight headache. Ever since then she has just been sitting here, waiting to see what her ultimate fate would be. Hanako has been told plenty about what they do to young women in her position. They torture, rape, and then, after making sure they are broken mentally, they kill them and throw their bodies back to their clan. It's war, they have to play dirty to make the enemy falter.

That didn't stop her from feeling this fear. If anything, knowing more about what could happen to her here made her want to vomit. She isn't sure how long she has been out, but she knows that is extremely thirsty and hungry, so it's been more than twelve hours, if not more than a day. No one has come into the room since she woke up, but she has the feeling that could change at any moment. And it does.

The metal door to her prison slowly creaks open as a figure appears in the doorway. Hanako's body freezes up completely. He knees are pulled up to her chest with her arms wrapped around herself, hugging herself into a ball to make herself appear as small as possible. The man shuts the door, gazing upon her with red sharingan eyes that make her heart race. His hair is long, like Hashirama's, but instead of being straight it's curled and wild. It only makes him appear more dangerous.

Madara stares down at the girl. She does not try to attack him, nor does she move from her spot. Instead, her eyes are locked on his. It's a stupid move in retrospect. If she were trained at all then she would have been told to never look into an Uchiha's eyes. Regardless, he doesn't plan on torturing the girl. No, he's here to get his questions answered. Madara leans casually against the wall.

"What is your name?" He questions. The moment that he speaks her body jolts a little - the poor thing is terrified of him. Good, she should be.

"I-I'm sorry?"

"Your name, what is it?" What is this, an interrogation!? She thinks back to everything that she knows about interrogation from Tobirama's stories, but nothing comes up for this situation. Yes, they do interrogate civilians, but why would names matter? They know she's a Senju already, the emblem has been sewn onto her clothes just likes theirs is to their own.

"Hanako." What harm would it do at this point? Tobirama and Hashirama both told her that it's best to cooperate in these situations. If it meant she avoided getting hurt, killed, or worse, she must cooperate. "Senju, Hanako."

Hanako, huh? Madara cannot remember that name ever coming up before.

"You aided an Uchiha man on the battlefield. Why? What are your motivations?" His voice is deep and gruff, straightforward and to the point. He reminds Hanako much of her younger cousin, actually.

"He was injured." This is when the Uchiha before her narrows his eyes, making her sink further back. "A-And my cousin taught me t-that all life is precious, even the e-enemies. So, I helped." Hanako attempts to keep her composure, but those eyes are brilliant and frightening. She cannot look away from him.

"Your cousin?" Madara's brow rises as she nods her head. "And do tell, who is your cousin?" This is where he can see her face visibly pale. She couldn't tell him that. If they found out that she was related to Hashirama, then they would for sure use her to hurt her family, hurt her clan. She couldn't do that.

"S-Shinji."

"Liar."

"I'm not lying!" Hanako's voice squeaks a little as her voice raises. In what seems like the blink of an eye, the man across the room is suddenly kneeling before her, his hand wrapped tightly around her throat. Those eyes are piercing into hers, making her whole body shake once again.

"It would be in your best interest to tell the truth when answering my questions. Do you know who I am, woman?" He adds more pressure to her neck, making her gasp for air as he leans forward. Madara's lips brush against her ear as he speaks. "Uchiha, Madara."

When Hanako hears this name she can feel her heart drop. This is Madara. This is the man that Hashirama could never stop gushing about, even though they were rivals and enemies. This is the man that Tobirama claimed to be calculating, cruel, an absolute beast on and off of the battlefield. He's the biggest threat to her clan. Suddenly, Madara releases her throat and pulls away from her fragile body, looking into those green eyes yet again.

"Now then, tell me about your relation. It is the only way that you will walk out of this cell alive." Is he telling the truth? How would Hanako be able to tell? Hashirama always claimed that he was a man good at heart, but has been forced to make tough decisions that have led him down a path of darkness.

"I..." She coughs a little from the pressure that had previously been on her throat. "Hashirama... Tobirama... They are my cousins." It's not as if she was their sister or anything like that, she is merely from the branch family. Her mother was the younger sister of Butsuma, their father. That is their relation, nothing more. And yet she was raised alongside them as a sister, she grew with them and came to love them as a sibling should.

"Cousin?" Now that's something I can work with. "That explains a lot." Such as why she would have helped an Uchiha in the first place. She mentioned that her cousin taught her to respect others, even enemies - that sounds like something that idiot Hashirama would put into her head. Madara shuts his eyes, and when he reopens them the sharingan has faded away. "Do you have any proof of this?" Still, Madara has to be sure that she is not lying to make sure she is safe.

How would she prove to him that she is related to Hashirama? He already told her that it makes sense, so he must believe her at least a little. And his sharingan is gone now, so perhaps he's willing to help her. Or, perhaps this is all some farce to trick her into trusting him.

"Hashirama once told me that he thought you were truly good at heart. You two wanted to create a village together, a place where everyone could live together in peace and no more children would be sent to war. Tobirama does not believe in you the same way Hashirama does, but still... I believe my eldest cousin." Otherwise she would already be dead.

The room falls completely silent for a moment. Hanako would like to say that she has gained some more confidence in this situation, but really, it just looks like it's a matter of time before her fate is decided. She doesn't know if it's going to be him or someone else, but she's sure that whatever they decide it isn't going to be good.

"That Hashirama..." Madara clicks his tongue, shifting his gaze away from the young woman. He shouldn't go spreading around their childhood dreams to others, though in this case it would save his cousin from death. It's enough information for him to vouch for her life to be spared. "That will be all for now. You will be staying in this room until we decide what to do with you. Hang tight." With that, he turns on his heel and exits the room, leaving Hanako alone once again.

That was it? Hanako surely thought that he would try more intimidation tactics to get more information out of her, but he only asked for her name and relation. Did he believe her? She would like to think that he did, but she can't be sure. She won't know until he comes back, or until they decide what to do with her.


More time passed. Twice now a guard has come to give her water, but no one has offered her any food. No one will speak to her. No one will look at her. Madara visited her over a day ago, if she's counting the time right, but she can't really tell. Other than the small lamp being kept in her cell, there is no light entering the room. It could be day or night and she would never be able to tell. She has not slept since she woke up yesterday, too afraid that someone would enter and take her life.

She can always hear the footsteps from outside, though, and has estimated that they do a shift change every four hours or so. That's the easiest way for her to keep track of the time as it passes. This time, though, she can hear several footsteps coming down the hall, making her more alert. The door creaks open to reveal Madara yet again, but this time he is accompanied by many other Uchiha men. Thoughts are rushing through her mind as she instinctively goes on defense, but his next words make her stop.

"Your trial is to begin momentarily. Come." Madara beckons the young woman forward with a finger. Realizing that this is a command, not a suggestion, Hanako is wise enough to follow the order. She shakily raises to her feet and walks towards the horde of Uchiha men, all of whom have their sharingan activated with eyes on her. Did they really need to guard her this much? She knows some women become shinobi, but it is not often.

They walk through the concrete prison and out into the night. So, she must have woken during the night or evening yesterday. But, why hold the trial this late? Hanako knows that she should not question the way that the Uchiha do things, but now that she's here she finds herself asking more questions that she will likely never hear the answers to.

The Uchiha dwellings are silent. All of the lights have been turned out for the night, but Hanako can still see some people peeking out from behind their curtains to get a view of her. Her capture must be widely known throughout their clan, then. That's not very discreet.

"Stop looking about. Keep your eyes forward." Madara snaps at the girl, who quickly obeys. She's lucky that she isn't already dead at this point. Madara vouched for her during the meeting today, just as he told Izuna he would. The elders took her status into consideration and seemed to change their tune about her after meeting Madara's intense sharingan gaze. They do fear and respect him, but would that be enough to save her life?

The procession starts to slow as they reach two wide, red double doors attached to a small building. As with all of the buildings within their settlement, there are Uchiha symbols painted on the sides. They really do have pride in themselves, don't they?

Madara guides her through the double doors, placing his hand on her lower back. Hanako tenses at the contact, but does not move away. She does not know what he would do at any act of defiance on her end. The rest of the men remain outside of the dwelling as they enter, the two doors shutting silently behind them. Candles are the only light that exist within this room, but they are enough light to illuminate the faces of many prominent figures in the Uchiha Clan. Madara does not move from her side. Does that mean that he is truly going to help her?

While Hanako has some hope, Madara is trying to play the tough leader that he is. If they know that he is serious about his request to keep the young Senju woman as a hostage piece in their war, then they will relent. If they believe that it is too risky to keep her within their walls, they will oppose his will.

"This is the woman?" An elderly woman is the first to speak. Her hair is mostly black with streaks of gray running down from her hairline. Her eyes squint down towards the young Senju. "She hardly seems a threat."

"Yes, most women hardly seem to be a threat. But, some of us men know the truth." There are several chuckles resonating throughout the chamber.

"In all seriousness, though, this is the cousin of Lord Senju?" The elder next to the old woman speaks up now. He looks very similar to her, which makes Hanako think that they are likely siblings.

"Yes. During interrogation I was able to receive specific details about her cousin from her. She is definitely related, and therefore a valuable piece in this war." Madara answers, though Hanako cannot help but think that the interrogation wasn't really an interrogation. He might have been rough with her and left a light bruise on her neck, but he did not threaten to kill her or rape her if she didn't answer. Not to mention his questions were innocent enough, given the situation.

"She must be close to them, then, to have such specific details. Are you sure she is not one of their wives?" At the mere suggestion of being married to either Tobirama or Hashirama, Hanako's face turns sour.

"I would say not by the look on her face! Do you find your cousins that repulsive, woman?"

"No!" She's quick to answer, and a little too loud. Hanako is quick to quiet her voice and clear her throat to answer more appropriately. "I mean, they are... Difficult at times." She has to say and do whatever she can to get out of this predicament alive.

"I have to agree with her. If they are so difficult on the battlefield, then I imagine they are the same at home." Madara's words get some chuckles from the old bags. Good. They're starting to soften up a little bit, which works in his favor. "She also saved my younger brother's life. Despite being a Senju, she has risked everything to aid someone who should be her enemy. I believe that should lessen the severity of her treatment." The elders already know what he wants, so they are not at all surprised by his words.

"It is true that she saved one of our clansmen, and since Izuna has become a vital member of this community it is an even greater compliment to her personality. But, other than becoming a bargaining chip for this clan, what does the woman offer? How else could she be of use?" This is a question that Madara is not able to comprehend. The elderly woman, Yokumi, is the one to pose this question. She has always been the quiet one amongst the elders, a woman that works in the shadows. It is why her opinion, when spoken, is very valuable.

"If you are insinuating that we throw her in a brothel, I would have to oppose." When Madara states this, Hanako can feel her hands begin to shake and her heart begin to hammer in her chest.

"No, she would not be very useful as a whore. If we lessen her value than the Senju will be less likely to surrender." Another man speaks up, this one much younger, likely around Madara's age. He has a large scar stretching from the left side of his face to the right, and there is an eyepatch over his left eye. His hair is shorter than the rest of the men's hair, only at about shoulder length, and he has a very muscular build.

"Then what would you suggest?" Madara would just like for this trial to proceed and end quickly. It unnerves him that the council has clearly been discussing the issue behind his back.

"You are in need of a wife." At these words, both Madara and Hanako tense.

"Come again?"

"Lord Madara, we know that this fact is not lost on you. You are twenty now, you have been our leader for almost four years and you have yet to take a wife. Send word to the Senju leader that you intend on making his cousin your wife, and that any attacks against this clan will also be against her. If they do not believe this, then you merely need to send proof. We will host a ceremony and invite neutral parties - word will spread like wildfire." Madara clenches his teeth, then opens his mouth to argue. But, Yokumi is faster than him. "If this displeases you, then make it an act - a believable act. The Senju men may hesitate if it means harming their family. Hesitation is weakness."

"If that is your goal, then why not just force her into prostitution?" Hanako looks at Madara in disbelief. Perhaps he isn't really trying to help her after all.

"Because it is as Kaido has said, it would lessen her legitimate value as woman. They will come looking for revenge, it will fuel their fire and will to fight to save her. Force her into a marriage, and suddenly she becomes an Uchiha, one of our own. Hurting us will hurt her. Defeating us will mean returning her to a clan that will look upon her with scorn, because she will have married into their enemy clan. Does anyone oppose this plan?"

"I oppose!" Madara snaps, glaring down each and every one of them. "I have no need for a wife, especially a lowly Senju! She has saved my brother, and that is all - I wish to allow her to live as our bargaining chip, not as the woman who will stand by my side!" Every word is laced with hate and malice, making Hanako flinch back. He truly does hate her clan, doesn't he? The thought of marrying him, of becoming the wife of Uchiha Madara strikes fear into her heart.

He may have tried to help save her life, but everything the elders is saying is true. Her clan will hate her if they beat the Uchiha, they will never welcome her as one of their own. Hashirama and Tobirama will want to save her honor, not destroy it. They will hesitate. And if they do, then the Uchiha could move in on them and end this war quick. The thought of that makes her sick to her stomach.

"Everyone else here seems to be in agreement on the matter, Lord Uchiha. It is either this, or death. Make your choice." They are putting him in a corner. Either Madara agrees to marrying this woman, or she dies. Izuna would never forgive him, and he could not forgive himself. Debts must be repaid, in life and in death.

"Stubborn old..." Madara grumbles something under his breath, but Hanako can't hear it very well. "Fine then! We will go through with the marriage, on one condition." He straightens himself, gazing upon the influential faces of the clan with contempt. "Everything from this moment forward goes my way. I will take primary command of the actions concerning this war, and this woman, from here on out. Agreed?"

There are whispers throughout the chamber, all while Hanako is thinking that her life is over regardless of what is decided here. She is going to be Madara's wife, an Uchiha, the Uchiha. She feels as though she's going to vomit right here and now.

"We are all in agreement, then. Lord Madara, you will take this woman as your wife and hold command over her life and the war from here on out." Everyone nods, and with that, the deal is sealed.

Hanako and Madara were to be wed.


Author's Note:

Just so everyone is aware, I do post both on here and on another website called Quotev. I do this to reach a larger audience, so if you see this on that website then it is also me! Hello!

I've written both of these chapters in less than twenty-four hours and I start a new job tomorrow, so I probably won't write too much again until next week... Unless I continue to feel this inspired. Who knows? Anyways, hope everyone is having a good summer!