Tsubaki. Tsubaki. Tsubaki.
The villages beautiful healer with gentle hands. The orphan child that came to their village unable to do anything of value. She had nothing. Asumi found no pity for Tsubaki. She was nothing more then a peasant and no man would marry a woman who had nothing. Asumi knew men wanted a woman with land and wealth. Maybe to Asumi to think such a thing, but what could Tsubaki possibly have that Asumi knew she did not have?
It was all her mind could think of. Tsubaki. Tsubaki. Tsubaki.
The healer had impressed Madara Uchiha, of all people. Tsubaki! There goes her name being thrown around in Asumi's mind. What could Lord Uchiha possibly want with that garden rat? She was more useful here in the village. Ugh! Why is she so damn special? Asumi paced back and forth with a slender delicate finger on her chin in deep thought. Her thin brows scrunched as she was concentrating on the floor and her steps coming to a slow pace.
Women were meant to be delicate. They are fragile and have to be the emotion behind a man. They have to be beautiful and obedient. She learned this from her mother before she passed on into the next life. A woman who was born into high society was meant to be proper. She will have to make use of her arrests to get ahead in life. For a woman born into wealth, she would have to find a husband whether they were in love it not.
To Asumi, she would do anything to know that she is loved. She had this fantasy that her lover would do everything for her. He would provide. He would protect. Such a notion of romance was for little girls who dreamed of being a wife. A marriage that would last until the end of time. Asumi was a grown woman who still believed in love. War may have its tragedy, but it has its hopes.
She wanted to be talked about. Women would be jealous of her for marrying the man from a very powerful clan. She was giddy at the thought that Madara would come to his senses soon enough. There was no way he could resist her for this long. She had everything no other woman in her village had… except maybe for the healing touch of that garden rat!
Ugh! There goes Tsubaki again. Making her way through her thoughts. Why oh why? Tsubaki was just no one. She has nothing to offer, Asumi keeps repeating in her mind.
Back and forth. Back and forth. She was going crazy. Her undying love for Madara Uchiha had to keep burning. She had to have him. She deserves him! She deserves love and everything the Uchiha village had. She was pure blood of wealth and status. It would do her father proud, because in reality Asumi rarely made him proud. This was her chance. This was everything she has dreamed of since she heard of the Uchiha clan.
She knew a woman's purpose was to bear sons: an heir and a spare, as one would say. Sons will bring status to a woman, especially strong and fearful son's. Asumi could give the Uchiha's strong sons who will have their fathers strength and power (even looks). The Uchiha clan would be a fierce foe for anyone daring to fight. So was life of a woman during times of war.
Asumi never cared for the prospects of her village. Never in her life has she had to work for anything. All she knew was comfort in her home and the servants making life easier. When she complained, She would make sure the world knew her anger. She was just spoiled.
Watching her pace around like a predator who lost their prey was Fuyuko. The poor woman was only checking on Asumi before she told her to sit down while she complained about whatever it was. She lost track After hearing Lord Uchiha's name for the hundredth time. If only she could roll her eyes and tell Asumi to suck it up, but Fuyuko could not do such a thing.
It will hurt poor Asumi's feelings. Fuyuko mentally laughed at her mistress. She was a hot mess. She looked like she hasn't slept and eating far too many sweets during midnight. Her clothing was fitting tightly around her bosom and Asumi's cheeks seemed to become chunky just a bit. How the mighty have fallen all because of some fantasy of fighting for love. Tsubaki was much more then some garden rat. A true woman of worth.
But who would say that out loud? Fuyuko silently observed with a glint of mischif in her eyes. If anything, Tsubaki was just a bystander in Asumi's made up riverly. Poor healer.
After the Uchiha brothers departure, Asumi was late to see them off. Once she got to the entrance of their village, Tsubaki was standing there with a smile on her face as she watched them disappear in a flash. Asumi was jealous to say the least, but won't admit to it seeing how Madara only had his focus on the healer.
What made matters all the worse was that it has been a week since the Uchiha brothers departed. She was hoping that Madara was not forgetful about the prospects of marriage, but with Tsubaki in the way of her plans, it made everything all the difficult. Asumi has to get rid of that healer somehow, but she was busy tending to a shinobi that appeared in the village in bad shape. He was blind for the love of the God's! The war was making all fight no matter their… challenges.
But what had pulled at Asumi's fragile heart was that Tsubaki seemed to have an Uchiha bodyguard by her side. Why?! It made her furious that she was stressing hard knowing what it can do to her youthful face. Her only hope was that Madara pulled through with the marriage.
She sighed in defeat and went to her knees. "Am I not worthy of a man's love that is not my father's, Fuyuko?"
The servant looked to her distraught mistress. In all honesty, She was acting like a loved struck teenager discovering what love is for the first time. In reality, Asumi has had past 'loves' come in and out of her life. Though her father has tried to marry her off to noble men, the war would strike them down before they had a chance to arrange a proper wedding. Thus is life, Fuyuko thought as she could see the woman thinking hard about something.
There was a silence before the servant could answer, but there was a light knock and Fuyuko stood up quickly to open the door and finding Koga standing there. Asumi looked to her father and stood up asking for Fuyuko to leave and so the woman did without having to answer her mistress.
"I believe you have heard." Koga said and Asumi tensed at his words. She could feel her teeth grinding against each other in rage.
"I cannot believe he sent one of his men to protect that healer. Of all people that needs a guard… a shinobi should be me." Again, with the childish temper tantrum.
Koga sighed heavily feeling a headache coming along. "I have told you plenty of times, Asumi. If you wanted bodyguards, I can provide them for you, but you've refused time and time again."
"No guard is stronger then a Uchiha, father. I want you to convince him to guard me and not that garden rat!" Asumi stated as she insulted every shinobi under Koga's payroll.
"He is taking to long with this marriage. I deserve to have the Uchiha name. I can bare him plenty of sons and you will have their protection. But with that… that… healer, I cannot leave. Why her? Why her of all people in this world?" Koga rolled his eyes at his daughters behavior. If he wasn't such a kind father, he would have smacked her or at least told her to act more of a lady, but he wanted use for her. A village needs to prosper by the marriage of a daughter.
"I will see to Lord Uchiha's decision in due time, but as you see our village grows and the wealth will come." Koga looked to Asumi as she smiled. Wealth. Money. Life away from war. What woman wants to get her hands dirty.
He watched her come in and out of the room. Bloody bandages on her hand and a concentrated look upon her face. Her hair disheveled and falling out of it's the as she quickly walked pass him in a hurry. Ikko was quiet as he kept his eye on Tsubaki, as ordered by Madara. Keep an eye on her and around the village. His mission seemed simple, like a guard, but it was filled with long boring hours of nothing but staring. This was not what he was trained for, but it was better then facing Madara's wrath.
That man had a short temper that could make mountains move. Ikko felt his skin grow cold just remembering how bad Madara's temper can truly become.
But he had a soft spot for Lady Tsubaki. He thought to himself.
When Ikko arrived to the village, Tsubaki was surprised, but it seemed she was busy tending to a critical patient by the blood caked on her hands. She looked tired, worn, but Tsubaki always kept a calm face. Folding his arms over his chest, Ikko say back with his back against the wall. Another boring day.
He sighed heavily as the halls of the healing house were quiet. Nothing much to do other then walk the grounds. Lord Uchiha sure has some fascination for Tsubaki, Ikko noticed. Even when he did not give away any emotion, Madara had a reason as to why Ikko was there in the first place. So far, there was no sign of the blind shinobi. Just chasing shadows and wasting Ikko's time.
"A Uchiha?" Said a smooth voice from right next to Ikko. "I was not aware you Uchiha would bring your war this far. But, it cannot be helped when the stretch of death lingers everywhere you go."
Ikko looked around to see where the voice was coming from. The halls seemed pretty empty and Tsubaki was in the room caring for her patient. He felt fur go across his toes and something sharp pokes his ankle. Not wanting to make anymore noise, Ikko looked down and saw a rather big badger looking up at him with dark eyes. Though, there was something strange about this creature. He had a pack of leaves and flowers on his back and was sitting on his hind legs with folded aarms
"I must be hallucinating." Ikko whispered to himself and tried to run his eyes. The badger twitched his eye on annoyance and smacked the shinobi with a flower hard against his shin.
"Hallucinating? My, if we were not in the healing house I would bite you so hard I would make sure some of your flesh will never recover." Ikko backed away slowly trying not to anger this animal.
"Forgive me mister badger, it's just been a long day." The badger sighed heavily and rubbed his head.
"Mister Badger? You humans are not in touch with nature you forget." The badger scuffed past Ikko and walked down the hall.
Ikko was confused and so followed the talking animal to his destination. In the kitchen, Tokiko was brewing some tea which the aroma of it calmed Ikko.
"I see you have met Po." Tokiko spoke with a smile on her face.
Po, the badger.
Such a strange name for a… cute cuddly creature.
Ikko smiled wearily as Po talked to Tokiko, leaving him in the dark about whatever they spoke about. From the looks of it, the badger was giving the older healer his flowers in exchange for a cup of tea. Ikko raised a dark brow and wondered how this has come to be.
"You might be wondering how our arrangement came to be." Po said as he sipped his tea. What a strange creature.
"I might be wondering that, master badger." Po scuffed at his words while Tokiko chuckled. No one has dared called Po 'master badger'. It just did not feel like it suited him to well.
"Call me Po or would you rather see the sharp ends of my claws." Po stated.
"I mean no offense. I am just being respectful as seeing that you and the healer have this business relationship." Ikko raised his hands in surrender.
"Do not be too hard on him, Po. The Uchiha knows not the art of healing, only war." Tokiko smiled softly at the furry creature, making him grunt in response.
Badgers were not kind creatures and they were rather tricksters. But this furry creature was something else. "I suppose it cannot be helped that only a Uchiha would not understand. Speaking of which, I have heard that Madara Uchiha was present within the village. Wounded from a serious fight."
Ikko could see the serious look on the badgers face. There was no doubt that Po was thinking. Tokiko did not say a word, maybe expecting for Ikko to say something about the matter. Word spreads far and wide it seems about what happened to Madara. This badger was smater then what he was letting on. Better be careful what to say around him.
"How did a badger come across this information." Ikko asked.
Po studied the Uchiha man with a look to kill. "Manners seem to disappear when you are talking to someone older then your clan. You are rather lucky I find your manners humorous young man."
Tokiko chuckled watching as both man and animal go back and forth. "Po knows many things that happens within his forest. Not only does he bring us herbs, he also hears and observes. Ikko, it might be wise to tell us what happened to Madara that day. I have seen many shinobi with deep wounds, but to have a man so powerful unable to recover quickly leaves us with worry."
Ikko knew he could not keep this information to himself. If what Tokiko says is true about… Po, and he is more then what meets the eye, maybe Madara will have his chance to hunt the blind shinobi. It could also bring warning to villages after what Ikko saw in the forest. The blind shinobi was dangerous and willing to kill anyone.
"What do you know of a blind shinobi?" Ikko stated.
She was watching his chest rise and fall underneath the blankets. Her hair messy and the clothes she wore were the same ones from a week ago. She was unable to rest due to her new patient being in such critical condition. Wounds seemed to bleed every time she placed a new bandage over them. Her green paste only slowed the bleeding, but she knew if he did not stop he could lose a large amount of blood. He was in worse shape then Madara.
Tsubaki yawned after finishing another round off cleaning and making sure the shinobi was comfortable. Since this man stumbled across the village in need of help, Tsubaki has kept herself busy. In and out of the room she would see Ikko (to her surprise the Uchiha was tasked with something that she dated not question) standing or sitting as the day came and went. They would have little talks, but with a patient in urgent care, Tsubaki would sometimes ignore him.
She wiped her forehead and closed her eyes. Her body was tired, in need of food. She forgot to eat again. She always forgets to eat when she was busy. Sleeping was never easy.
Seeing her patient, Tsubaki noticed something strange about him. When she opened his eyes to see if he would respond, they were a milky color. A sign he was blind. His feet seemed to have wear and tear from years of walking around barefoot. To see a blind man become a shinobi was unheard of. But where he came from was uncertain. His skin seemed to indicate he has come from the desert lands. He was far from home.
Her stomach growled for food and she could not ignore it. She would step outside for a moment and eat. Then she would come back to work. It was what a healer does. But her mind was always thinking about the solemn face of Madara Uchiha.
A/N: Another chapter out of the way. Again, I apologize for taking too long with updates. I am glad that you readers are there and it makes me happy to see that this story gets the attention I never thought it would have. As expected from me, and I apologize in advance, life is busy everyday for me. I know you don't want to hear about that boring aspect, because we all lead busy lives outside of writing. If anyone hasn't told you yet, it's okay. Your wonderful. Everyday might get stressful, but you have an outlet. Thank you all and I'll see you again in the next chapter.
