Chapter 02 | The Preparations
Mio and Madara had been given strict instruction concerning their contribution to their forthcoming ceremony and it had been that they were to do nothing. Sachiyo had banned them from having an active role. Mio had appreciated her verdict and the readiness with which Sachiyo had decided to front the preparations, as Mio had known all too well that if the duty had fallen upon herself and Madara, they would have gotten nothing done. The others had been quick to offer themselves for different purposes with Sachiyo's approval.
Yayoi prepared for the Binding Ceremony—marriage as per the Motou clan's religious beliefs, which was considered the ultimate form of marital bonding. She had volunteered herself because she had refused to have the go-to Shinto priest lecture her again on her preferred religion. Also, they had apparently had a spat a few weeks prior to Mio's arrival, one that had escalated quickly from verbal to physical. Takuto had agreed to help Yayoi in her preparations when the priestess offered her services because he had wanted to integrate as many of the Kuronuma clan's marriage customs as possible.
The two spent the better portion of each day discussing the finer details of the service. The last thing Mio had gathered from their whisperings was that Takuto intended to procure a black-barked tree unique in that it flowered under extremely harsh weather conditions. She knew the tree's growth was of great significance regarding the couple marrying as a pillar that withstood winter's cruelty by surging to life while nature suffered, reduced to barren, long limbs. For several hours, Mio had wondered where the tree would be planted and asked Madara for his opinion.
"By the lake," he had answered promptly.
"Why the lake?" she had asked.
"There isn't enough shade and you like to fish, don't you?"
"Ah?" Mio's ears had reddened, though she should not have been so surprised by the thoughtfulness behind the suggestion.
"Well, you do."
She had not had the opportunity to indulge in any morning fishing due to the beginning of a new training regimen she had devised, but she had missed it, particularly fishing at the lake within the Uchiha clan's territory. She had developed a liking for it after fishing for hours on end in order to fill all of Madara's drawers with her catch. It had been for revenge, but she had forgotten what it was that he had done.
When Madara had noticed her reddened ears, her face had flushed and she had run off, leaving him utterly confused. Madara had later gone to share the experience with Izuna, who had scoffed and called him clueless, offering no resolution before he had abandoned him to his bewilderment.
The preparations for the wedding continued. Mio learned that Kana was in charge of the food for the celebration. The post-ceremonial festivities would include the attendance of both Kuronuma and Uchiha clans as well as several of their closest allies, like the Ito clan of the Waterfall Country, the Samurai Guild of the Iron Country, and the Hagoromo clan. With Sachiyo and Kana discussing other potential guests, the list had expanded to the point that Kana had hired seven new cooks to help in the reception.
Madara eventually complained about hiring new kitchen staff and Kana retaliated by exchanging the reception's menu to everything he hated. She refused to change it back until he apologized, which he through gritted teeth with Izuna having to hold his head down in a bow.
"You need to do something about this," Madara told Mio, shortly after that encounter.
"About what?" she asked.
"About those cooks. It's a waste. We have to stop her."
"Okay," she agreed nonchalantly, "but Kana won't listen to me."
"Just go."
Mio went to Kana for the three consecutive days to make a suggestion out of Madara's demand, but nobody was fooling Kana. As punishment for agreeing to do Madara's bidding, Mio was forced to help Kana gut fish for an entire week. Mio cried doing it, completely and utterly disgusted by the slimy feel of every dead tuna and salmon passed down to her, until Madara realized she was being tortured and swore he would keep his opinions to himself. Only then, did Kana release her to continue observing the others' collaboration.
Mineta Sako had temporarily taken up residence in Sachiyo's house after volunteering to do the decorations. She and Nako spent the greater portion of every day making paper lanterns. They informed Mio and Madara that they planned to have them hung throughout the compound, and when Madara told them it was excessive, Minako came to kick him in the back of the knee, dropping him on his face. Mio was too fascinated by their work on the bright red lanterns to realize Madara had gone after Minako in a rage after the humiliation or that Izuna was in the hallway with Yayoi howling in laughter.
As the second week of preparations ended, Taiki arrived from the Iron Country with a large group of their Kuronuma clansmen excited to see their Shugosha married. Kaori helped them set up their encampment behind Sachiyo's house where the sight of the clustered yurts made Mio nostalgic. She missed Mt Hyōga as she recalled it at fifteen, filled with houses seated atop snowy planes, their roofs covered with freshly fallen snow.
Shortly thereafter, Mio became aware that the attention several Uchiha extended towards her and the Kuronuma clan was filled with restrained animus. Rumor had reached her that the Uchiha clan did not view her as a suitable wife, as their clan would not benefit from an alliance to a group of pacifists. It had not come to her as a surprise, so she had decided to pay it no mind. However, word of mouth soon turned into Uchiha shinobi heckling Kuronuma shinobi and the rise of several one-sided squabbles over arguments of how she spelled doom to their clan after many barely survived the Artifact War. She understood their worries, particularly their protectiveness over Madara, whom they feared would inevitably be killed by his stance as an ex-Guardian. Madara and Izuna quieted the voices, but they could not stop the tension from existing between the two clans. She wanted to think the Uchiha simply needed more time to grow accustomed to the Kuronuma clan before they could accept them.
Following the third week of preparations, Mio had found herself overwhelmed by the events that had transpired, long after the rain subsided, but Izuna surprised her by bringing a kimono maker of generous fame to make her robes for the ceremony. Izuna sat in the room as Koike Tetsuo took her measurements and draped different fabrics over her clothes to find the one that suited her best. She enjoyed the distraction for what it was, particularly picking out the silk that would be constructed into her formal robes. Koike left after several hours of his service, promising to return within the next two weeks with his apprentice to do a fitting.
Yayoi had also commissioned new robes for the ceremony at Izuna's suggestions several months earlier, but had not gotten around to do her fitting because Mio and Madara had not been engaged then. The priestess would be traveling to the Tea Country where Koike's workshop was located to do her fitting, but she had an ulterior motive in going there personally. She wanted to meet Koike's cute apprentice.
Later that evening, Sachiyo asked Mio to sit with her for tea and requested that she find Madara to join them. Mio suspected she wanted to talk to them about the wedding, which was all but a month away, so she did as Sachiyo asked of her and hunted Madara down, catching him in the middle of a sparring session with his brother. She stood in wait for the match to conclude before stealing Madara away from a rematch after Izuna bested him in taijutsu.
Sachiyo frowned at the state Madara entered her sitting room. "Sit, Mio," she said, gesturing Mio to a cushion, but when Madara made a move to do so, she stopped him. "You stay on your feet."
Kana entered shortly with a wooden tray holding a steaming kettle and three cups. She poured green tea for the three and quickly excused herself.
When the door clasped shut, Sachiyo began, "I do not like you two doing nothing."
"You're the one that asked us to stay out of everything," Madara retorted.
"And I did well in doing so as everything is coming along nicely," Sachiyo said proudly. "However, you meddled with Kana."
"I see no reason to hire seven new cooks," said Madara.
"The ceremony is private, but the reception is not and there are many guests attending," Sachiyo remarked. "Kana cannot be expected to do everything with the two cooks we already had. We needed more. It was a necessary expense."
"And the excessive decorations?" Madara challenged.
"If I could, I would simply not invite you to the affair, but seeing as you are integral to the ceremony I cannot do this, so you must stop your complaining."
Mio looked from Sachiyo to Madara curiously as the tension between the two rose.
"Holding a lavish reception does us more harm than good," he argued. "Any one of our enemies could attack us and find us unguarded."
"I have spoken to Takuto and he has agreed that if such an attack should occur, the Kuronuma clan would provide us protection." Sachiyo informed. "They want to see Mio married badly."
Madara shot Mio a look, seeking her support.
"We can ask Yayoi to look into our pathways if it would ease your worry," she offered as his look turned into a glare.
"No, I would rather spare Yayoi the thrill of knowing more than she should," Madara said, turning back to his grandmother. "Why did you ask us to come?"
"You two have too much time on your hands," Sachiyo stated. "Which is why starting tomorrow you will be in charge of Minako and Yukimura, as well as the twins. Sako needs all the time she can get on decorations. There is much to do still and she cannot do it with two children."
Yukimura was Minako's little brother, a one year old boy with golden hair. Mio brightened, itching to become acquainted with Sako's son after a brief introduction. "Okay."
Madara eyed her in disapproval. He had enough grief with Minako running around with Izuna, both plotting away as they were known to do whenever his brother was home. And though the twins were more calm in nature, they liked to be carried everywhere, and because of the weighted clothes they wore as per Kuronuma training methods, they were a lot heavier than they looked as the girls were perfectly capable of running around as if they were carrying their body's own natural weight.
"You should view this as training for when you give me all the great-grandchildren I was promised," Sachiyo told them. "I expect good news shortly after your marriage. You are both young, but you are not that young. Most shinobi your age would already be dead. Starting a family now is not a terrible idea."
Mio and Madara exchanged glances because there were plans for children, but not anytime soon. They turned to Sachiyo, both speaking simultaneously.
"But I thought we might wait until Yuuka and Noe were older—"
"And we have the Sun Country to—
Sachiyo silenced them with a wave of her hand. "You have Sako here, she would be happy to care for your children while you are out fighting your wars. It is not going to stop you. I did it. Your mothers and fathers did it. There were five of you at once and that worked."
"Yes, but if Mio is carrying a child, she will be indisposed," Madara argued, indisposed being a better word for useless.
Bristled, Mio responded, "I can still work with a child in me."
"Do you understand the sort of dangers you would be facing in that condition?"
"My mother had been hurt badly when I was in her," Mio said, though she had failed to mention it had been a miracle Kikyo's pregnancy had continued without issue, as the wounds she had suffered would have caused a miscarriage. "I survived. And you forget that I have the Time Sphere. It protects me."
"You are not taking one step into a battlefield when you are with child, Mio, with or without the Time Sphere protecting you," Madara decided.
Sachiyo took the opportunity to leave them, not curious enough to stay throughout the argument to see who would come out victorious because she knew there would be no winning between them, and there wasn't.
Mio sought Yayoi out to ask about her pathways with Madara following her reluctantly. Yayoi was all too happy to delve into their conjoining futures after unfurling the giant, ancient scroll that was the Fate Sphere. The priestess peered into it after Mio offered her chakra to unlock her pathways to her. Yayoi set her hand atop the scroll and directly underneath it lines twisted together into a sturdy trunk that represented Mio's past pathways coming together with all the decisions she made. The top portion branched into hundreds and thousands of limbs representing all future opportunities.
Yayoi's eyes were shining with curiosity when she suddenly gasped.
"What is it?" Madara demanded.
"No, it was nothing," Yayoi said, the excitement leaving her face. "I thought I saw when Shinra was coming along. Sadly, I was mistaken."
"You mean to say my first born, Umiho," Mio corrected.
"Umiho?" asked Madara, eyes narrowed at her. "You picked out a name?
"All my daughters, yes," she answered. "Umiho, Ringo, Natsume, Momo, Anzu, Mikan, Ichigo, Suika."
"Those are all fruits," Yayoi pointed out.
"I like them." Mio looked at Madara. "I can keep going. I have a dozen more names."
"But you have a son named Shinra," Yayoi said skeptically.
"So, what do you see about the ceremony?" asked Mio, changing the subject.
"What?" asked Yayoi, and then looked into the scroll. She quietly analyzed it. "No matter what way I look at it, we chose a good day to have you two married."
Despite the priestess's favorable prognostication, Madara remained dubious. Setting aside her own feelings on the matter—she witnessed the work that had gone into the ceremony and had grown more and more excited for the day to arrive quickly (as well as nervous, she was extremely anxious about marrying Madara)—she decided to approach Madara seriously later that evening.
Mio searched for Madara after he slipped out of the house when Sako appeared to take Yukimaru and Minako from their care. She was certain he stepped out sometime during her conversation with Sako. Mio suspected Madara was unhappy, but she feared addressing it, dreading that it had something to do with herself or that he had changed his mind. She threw those thoughts from her mind because she wanted to avoid making assumptions.
She found him in the small building beside the barn where Sachiyo kept the birdcages for her messenger hawks and his falcons. Madara was feeding his falcon, the largest of the crop and the one he used often to hunt. She stepped forward, bracing herself to ask to know his true feelings and to stand next to the birds without fainting, but a hand clasped her shoulder, stopping her. She turned to see Izuna, smiling down at her, before he walked on ahead towards his brother. She hid behind the barn when she heard Izuna call out to Madara, her heart hammering as her nervous anxiety was stunted.
"Izuna," said Madara, a bit distant. "What are you doing out this late? I thought you would be resting."
"I should be asking you the same question, brother," Izuna said. "Why are you out here? Mio already went to bed."
Mio's eyes widened.
"Oh."
"Oh? What kind of reaction is that? Shouldn't you be with her?"
There was a lengthy silence in which Madara said nothing and it made Mio increasingly uncomfortable eavesdropping. She considered leaving, but she couldn't move.
"What's wrong?" asked Izuna, finally serious. "Is it the wedding, the ceremony, or the bride?"
"It has nothing to do with Mio," Madara defended.
"Okay, then why is it that you look this miserable?" There was some shuffling of wings before the clasp of a lock on a birdcage sounded in the quiet night. "Grandmother told me you were worried about an attack, but do you really think anyone would risk attacking us on your wedding day? Your name inspires fear in people, brother. Nobody would be that stupid. Not to mention Mio and the Kuronuma clan have made something of a name for themselves after the Artifact War. Many clans suffered at the hand of Mikazuki Gouki and when people learned Mio killed him, you should expect them to not be in such a hurry to challenge her either. Besides, Yayoi gave the okay."
"We are in no position to be celebrating anything," Madara said firmly. "We have been fighting for three years nonstop and have rarely had this much time to waste."
Mio felt a pang in her chest. Yes, it was all too peaceful. They had all been carried away by the idea of celebrating when they should have been focusing on the state of things. The Uchiha clan was in constant war with neighboring clans and serving distant daimyos in their disputes, not to mention their continued attempts to reach the Sun Country for the sake of Yayoi's Motou clan coming up short. The Kuronuma clan did not have the time either. She and Takuto had dropped by the Fire Country on their way from a meeting with the daimyo of the Swamp Country where they had been propositioned. As the Swamp Country often became the stage for its warring neighbors it met with many consequences, provinces filled with bloodshed and destruction as well as a rising death toll for innocent people, and because they did not boast the protection of any powerful clans, they approached the Kuronuma clan for protection. They were only able to offer their land as payment since war had stolen its riches.
Takuto did not make a decision because he wanted to take it to the rest of the Council of Elders. Mio believed they would agree to it as the Swamp Country leaders only wanted their protection, but since they came to the Fire Country, what was supposed to have been a short visit turned into the ongoing preparations of a wedding. She imagined there would be an engagement at best and that she would be able to return to dealing with the Kuronuma clan's decision, but Sachiyo surprised them by asking for a quick marriage. Mio did not want to deny her. Neither did Madara.
Mio lowered her eyes to the grass beneath her feet. If it was too troubling, it would be best to wait. She did not want Madara to grow unhappy.
"But," Madara continued suddenly, interrupting Izuna before he had an opportunity to speak, "but Mio is happy. I have not seen her this happy in years."
Her heart seized with emotion. She pulled her hand to her mouth to keep the feeling from presenting itself in sound.
Izuna sighed. "You are hopeless, brother."
"And for you to be here having to put up with all of this," he went on. "To stand here as Yayoi and Takuto go on and on about the ceremony, as that Uzumaki and Sako make decorations, as Kana discusses the menu with our grandmother—and you, Izuna, you brought her a dressmaker."
"Kimono maker," Izuna corrected.
"You sat with her as she picked out her silk," Madara said, undeterred by the correction. "I try to imagine how I would have dealt with this had it been you she was marrying. I would not have been here as you have. I would not have been willing to make the sacrifice that you have."
The guilt reared in and Mio's widened eyes filled with tears. Betraying Izuna by coming together weighed heavily on them, despite receiving Izuna's blessing.
"Watching her with Koike, I admit I was envious knowing that if our roles had been reversed, Mio would not have been that happy," said Izuna. "She would have smiled and obediently married me. She would love me, but never to the extent that I love her. And she would be happy because I would be happy. Yes, I am jealous that she picked you, but I prefer it this way. Mio is the only woman that can stand you and you're the only one that can make her this happy. So, stop making excuses and stop looking so miserable before Mio starts to misunderstand."
"Misunderstand? Oh, yes, she might." Madara paused. "Thank you, Izuna. For being a better man."
"Ugh, of all people, you see it," Izuna said jokingly. "Let's go see that Mio has not drowned in her tears. You make her worry too much."
Mio wiped furiously at her tears when Izuna and Madara caught her. Izuna grinned at them and left them.
"Mio," Madara called softly.
"I worried this was too much," Mio whispered. "Forgive me. I dreaded you might not want to…"
She sobbed, moving forward to wrap her arms around him. She felt him embrace her and rest his chin atop her head as he expelled a sigh.
"Don't apologize, Mio."
She clutched at his back, overcome.
"We should go back now."
She nodded, releasing him and walking back to the house as the cold winds picked up.
"How do you feel about a home of our own?" asked Madara.
Mio startled, glancing at him. "A house?"
"We could have one built."
"Can we?" she asked, curious.
"We should have our privacy."
Mio nodded. "Yes, let's."
"I will talk with someone tomorrow."
Mio and Madara stepped into Sachiyo's home through the back entrance and walked up the stairs quietly. The hallways were dark and silent as they crossed to their room, though Mio paused in the adjacent room to peer inside and check on Yuuka and Noe, sleeping soundly as she left them.
Madara was changing out of his clothes and into a plain robe when she entered. He set the futon, two side by side, while she dressed in her own. She braided her hair down her back and went to join him after blowing out the candlelight that had filled the room with a soft glow. In the darkness, she settled under the thick blankets, sidling against Madara who offered his arm to rest her head and drew her body closer. He kissed her forehead and when she lifted her face, he found her lips, pressing his mouth to hers fully but briefly.
Every time she closed her eyes, she feared she would not wake tomorrow.
Mio woke to the sound of Takuto's voice and it startled her to realize that she had slept deeply. She stared at him blankly and watched his face smooth with relief.
"It happened?" she asked quietly.
"No, but I thought it would," Takuto admitted. "It's late afternoon. I told everyone that I saw you wake in the middle of the night and leave the house only to return hours later."
"Thank you," she said, rising onto a seat. She did not want anyone to worry or for this to become the reason she missed her ceremony. "Has anything happened?"
"We received word from Saori," Takuto said, smiling. "She will be here in a few days. She is looking forward to helping in whatever way she can."
Mio was elated with the news.
"You should probably have something to eat," he suggested.
She nodded.
Takuto left her to find Nako and Mio dressed quickly. She went to the kitchen and Kana, as if she knew, gave her a bowl of miso soup and white rice with grilled fish.
"It's strange to hear you overslept," Kana said, observing one of the new cooks dicing vegetables. "You aren't hiding anything, are you?"
"Strange?"
"Like an announcement," the cook replied, shrugging. "Yayoi has been telling everyone that you can't keep your hands off Madara."
Kana smiled with a wink.
"Is that what everyone is assuming?"
"You will be happy to know that the Kuronuma clan has called this slander on your good name," she said, grinning. "They are convinced you are as pure as the driven snow."
Mio quietly stuffed her mouth, which made the cook laugh.
"They love you quite a bit," said Kana, walking away from the cook she was instructing and approached Mio. "What am I saying? They love you a great deal and it is so evident. I am happy you found a suitable home with the Kuronuma."
Swallowing her food, she said, "Me too."
"I did not think I would see you marrying Madara, though," Kana admitted. "Of course, Sachiyo was determined, though she did have doubts at times. Particularly when there was a rumor floating around saying you were betrothed to one of the Senju."
"I was betrothed to Tobirama," Mio said. "My great-grandfather wanted me to marry a Senju, but my grandfather wanted me to do what I wanted with my life."
Kana clapped her hands and offered the cooks a short break. All of them left the kitchen to them.
"I am a little shocked you decided on Madara. What is it about him?"
Mio stared at her blankly. She took a gulp of tea to ease the sudden dryness of her throat. "I like him."
"Yes, that is quite obvious, Mio."
"I admire him," she said softly. "He is beautiful in war." She lifted her eyes to the cook and she recalled the first time she kissed his lips to taste the blood and alcohol on his after he decapitated Motou Enki. "He brings me such peace. He makes it impossible for me to feel anything for another. He made me feel something. I did not think myself capable of this. I imagined my life completely different; marriage would be a contract because that is what it has always been. It is rare to see people like us marry someone they truly want. It is always what will bring more power. I believed Sachiyo would one day find a clan to marry me to, I felt the same with my great-grandfather later on. Madara is the first man I have ever wanted."
"Hmm." Kana was smiling. "So, have you thought about the wedding night?"
Mio ears went red as she nodded.
"Sachiyo has not told you, but she does plan to leave you both this house for a week and has barred anyone from approaching it until the week is done," Kana revealed. "She hopes you end up surprising her with great-grandchildren. She has gotten quite dramatic, hasn't she?"
Mio was starting to feel a little ashamed that she did not want to have children until she was certain she could protect them, and she had enough with Okimi's twins. She did not think Sachiyo would want great-grandchildren so quickly.
"You don't need to feel bad about it," Kana told her reassuringly. "You and Madara will likely be too busy to be in the same country at the same time and Sachiyo will understand that."
She nodded.
"I do hope that you finish whatever it is you have started, so that you can allow yourself to be happy."
Kana stood, excusing herself to find her cooks and put them to work. "Beware of Yayoi, she will no doubt pester you about your wedding night soon enough."
Mio expected it.
However, she did not expect it to come as quickly as it did. Yayoi had been searching for her everywhere until she found her with Takuto chasing Minako and the twins while Madara sat with Yukimura sleeping atop a bed of grass beside him.
Yayoi jumped her, knocking her onto the soft earth. Pulling herself up on her hands, the priestess stared down at her serious and with narrowed eyes. "We need to talk."
"About?"
Fully convinced Yayoi had tackled Mio to the ground as part of a game, Yuuka and Noe rushed her, knocking the priestess off her in a fit of laughter while Takuto shouted after them. It took Yayoi several minutes to recover from the blow and once she did, she dragged Mio upstairs to her room.
"We need to talk about the wedding night!" Yayoi stated.
"Why?"
Yayoi cried exasperatedly. "What do you mean why? Because it is important! You have never been with Madara before! This is completely new to you! I will tell you all about it!"
"Madara and I have been intimate before," Mio deadpanned.
"What?"
"We sleep together, Yayoi."
"In separate futon!"
"Sitting side by side."
Yayoi stared at Mio incredulously before shouting, "When? When did you find the time? You have been away from one another for three years! And you never stayed long here!"
"Were you not the one telling everyone that I could not keep my hands off Madara?" asked Mio.
"That was a bad joke!" the priestess retorted. "So, I want to know when?"
"That is not important."
"Yes it is, Mio! I want to know these things! That's what friends do! We talk about these things!"
Mio was thrilled with being acknowledged as the priestess's friend, not so much the subject, but Yayoi was quick to misunderstand.
"Tell me everything," Yayoi decided.
"What should I say?"
"What happened?"
"Did nobody ever tell you how it works?" Mio questioned, staring at her with an incredulous hint that made the priestess flush.
"I know where everything goes!" she cried. "I want to know about it!"
"We were intimate."
"Obviously, Mio! How did it happen? What was it like?"
"It just…happened."
"It doesn't just happen, Mio!"
"Madara was drinking—"
"You must be joking? He was drunk! That is the worst!" Yayoi cried. "Was he pushy?"
"He was not drunk. He was only drinking. We were talking and then it happened."
"Did he hurt you? Threaten you? I will kill him, Mio, I promise I will if he did! He should know better than act like an animal!"
When Yayoi made a move to jump to her feet, Mio seized her as her heart skipped a beat. "You are misunderstanding, Yayoi," she said quickly. "Madara was kind—"
"Stop!" Yayoi raised her hand. "I don't want to know! It's Madara! It would be too gross! I won't be able to look at him the same knowing he was drunk! The gall of that man."
Mio found it useless to try to correct Yayoi and allowed her to rant endlessly about Madara until she returned to her first subject. She wanted to offer her advice on intimate matters.
"What do you plan to do?" asked Yayoi.
Mio tilted her head quizzically. "About the wedding night?"
"Do you have something romantic planned? Like flower petals on the bedding? What about clothes? Do you have anything appealing? You could surprise him by wearing only a silk robe with nothing underneath! Just make sure it is short!"
She admitted to having a hard time following, so Yayoi started again and explained that wedding nights were supposed to be romantic.
"Do either one of you have the slightest idea what romance is?" she questioned. "Like does he buy you flowers—"
"I don't know how to take care of flowers."
Yayoi frowned. "What about you? Do you offer him massages after a difficult day? It is a wife's duty to take care of her husband and make sure he's comfortable."
Mio wondered how Yayoi would react knowing that romanticism to them involved morning runs through the surrounding forest, the occasional secret look, and time alone in silence where he was better known for working out the kinks in her shoulders. Yayoi would overreact, so she decided to stay quiet.
"You are going to have an entire week alone together, undisturbed. What do you plan to do with all that time?"
She had not thought about it and blinked as she processed the question. "What would you do in this situation?"
"Never leave the bed! I promise you that on the day I am married, my husband will be more smitten with me after our wedding night! We would have candles lit and flowers scattered throughout the house." Yayoi frowned. "But I have long ago come to terms that I will not be marrying, so I want to live vicariously through you while picturing an older, much handsomer man."
"Why? You are so close to meeting him."
"Who?"
"The man that will be your husband. You are going to meet him soon."
Yayoi's eyes widened. "What?"
"Do not throw away your dream of a romantic wedding night. You will meet your husband soon."
Mio stood, taking the opportunity to leave while the priestess stared off in awe, and quickly exited into the hallway where she breathed a sigh of relief.
"What was that about?"
She turned to see Madara as he stepped up the final stair.
"Yayoi wanted to talk."
"About?"
Walking past him, she said, "She wanted to talk of our wedding night."
"What?" he choked, pursuing her. "How is that any of her business?"
"I took care of it," she replied. "Have you heard of Sachiyo leaving us the house for a week?"
"She says undisturbed, but I don't believe Takuto or Yayoi are capable of understanding the meaning of privacy."
"She wanted to know if there would be flower petals all over the house, too."
"Who?"
"Yayoi."
"Why would there be flower petals anywhere? Is this another of her customs?" Madara's nose wrinkled at the idea. "Grandmother would have us scrub the house clean for the whole week for leaving a mess."
"She said it was romantic."
Madara peered at her curiously. "Do you want to do something in particular?"
Mio smiled, reaching to wrap her arms around his arm. "No, you alone will be fine."
She saw a slight coloring in his cheeks before he pulled her into the nearest room. The door slid shut behind him and leaned down with his hand pressing against her lower back to kiss her as she giggled.
"We have time for ourselves?" she asked, as his mouth moved to kiss down her chin and to her neck while his hands went to pull apart her obi.
"Yes," he said between kisses, "we have some time."
She recognized the emotion burning in his eyes and his cold hands smoothing along the curve of her waist awakened it in her. She nodded, surprisingly short of breath as her body warmed, and wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Dinner was served half an hour ago, where were you?" Kana demanded after Mio and Madara took their seats at the table.
Noe sprang to sit in Mio's lap while Takuto helped Yuuka drink her soup. Yayoi sat glaring at Madara to the point he had to ask her what she was staring at, which incited an argument, all as Mio apologized to Kana on their behalf. She did not offer an excuse.
Sachiyo eyed Mio with a curious glint in her dark eyes before she smiled, turning away to continue eating her dinner. Minako picked a fight with Madara shortly after, demanding he tell her where Izuna ran off to, while Sako apologized.
"Izuna went to fetch the kimono maker again, didn't he?" Nako questioned.
"We have business in the Tea Country apart from the kimono maker," Madara corrected. "He should be back soon."
Minako frowned, unconvinced.
"I'm sure Izuna will bring you a souvenir," Mio added.
"Fine."
"As if she deserves a reward, she hasn't been able to hit a moving target," Madara scoffed.
"I can hit a moving target!"
"Are you that proud then?" he challenged. "Why don't we see then?"
Minako jumped to her feet. "Fine! Let's go!"
Sachiyo, with a quick comment, forced them to stay seated and finish their food before running out. Minako shoveled her lunch down, despite her mother's insistence to eat slowly.
Mio stayed behind with Sachiyo after everyone rushed out to watch Minako prove she could hit a moving target. Takuto took Noe from her arms and handed her to Yayoi before the two scampered out behind Nako.
"You are wearing Madara's kimono," Sachiyo pointed out, taking a deep drink of her tea. "He wears the Uchiha crest on his back. You do not."
Mio grabbed at the clothes to realize she mistook his dark clothing for her own.
"The pain of wearing men's clothing," the old woman said. "You must have been in quite a hurry if neither one of you noticed." She smiled despite her tone. "I do hope you and Madara can be happy as you are now. I hope war does not take him from you too early as it did my husband and wish that you both have many years ahead of yourselves to help your clans thrive."
"I hope for the same as well," Mio admitted.
Sachiyo put her hands on the table, struggling to push her body up onto her feet. "Help me to my feet, child."
Mio quickly obliged.
"As for Izuna," Sachiyo began. "I am a little worried about that one. Madara has said he has been a little more reckless in battle."
"If I can, I will speak to him when he returns."
"Not now, give things time to settle," she told her. "I know he will listen to you." The older woman pulled a piece of string from her sleeve with a hint of disdain. "Let us pray you are with child soon. I do not have eternity to waste waiting for one. Not like you Guardians."
"Sachiyo-sama…"
"Grandmother," she corrected. "I think I have had enough with you calling me Sachiyo-sama like I am only your superior. We are family and soon you will give me a great-grandchild." She paused. "It would be nice if that child takes after you entirely. Madara was a difficult child to raise. I would not wish that feat upon my worst enemy. As a newborn he wailed entire nights, sleep was out of the question, and when it came to his brothers, he used to torture them all. He was always fighting, that one. Never at peace. You, on the other hand, were a docile child."
She smiled softly at the thought, despite the only childhood memory that remained in her mind was that of Mikazuki Gouki taking her parents' lives.
"Your grandmother, Chiho, told me. She took care of you up until her death, you were only three when she passed so you might not remember her," Sachiyo revealed. "Well, she always wanted to bring you here because she thought you would benefit from being around other children, but I was terrified Madara would torture you. He would have. Nobody was safe. You do not know how wrong I wanted to be, especially in that strange coincidence in which you two met in the compound."
Sachiyo's face filled with nostalgia.
"Eijiro wanted to see you and Chiho brought you in your parents' stead, as they had been busy with their missions as you know all too well," she began, her smile illuminating her face. "You were such a small girl…and Madara was a brute—what am I saying? He is still a brute—and I figured why not introduce you as I was there with him and his other brother. The first thing he did was pick a fight with you. He pushed you and you fell on your back. You cried and he lied about shoving you even though we were all there to see him do it." The two shared a short laugh before she continued. "Well, as it turns out, I found Madara crying outside a few hours later with Chiho healing his scraped knee while you were playing with his brother. Chiho then tells me that you both were about to leave when you ran away to shove Madara, he fell right on his face. She apologized endlessly, saying you were never like this with other children."
She did not expect to learn she and Madara had fought as children, though it did not surprise her much since they fought later when she came into Sachiyo's care, constantly.
Sachiyo sighed, shaking her head with some amusement dancing in her eyes. "Have I told you about the time Madara stole Izuna from under his mother's nose and hid him with the pigs?"
"Please tell me all about it."
She stayed telling her the story from start to finish and transitioning to another of his childhood stories, each more amusing than the last, but she soon grew tired of standing and Mio encouraged her to go, feeling a little strange herself.
Mio watched Sachiyo exit through the side doors that lead onto the verandah and noticed her vision start to blur before vertigo struck, making her sink onto her knees. Her heart rate quickened and her breathing shortened. She clasped at the black cord that held her Time Sphere. There was a pressure inside her, crushing her bones and radiating pain through her. She bit down hard to stay silent, knowing it would only last a moment before it passed.
When it did, Mio rose to her feet, tucking her hair behind her ears, and walked to the kitchen for water.
Kana put her hand on her forehead. "You're a little warmer than normal."
"I'm going to lie down for a bit," she said.
"Okay, rest up."
Mio went upstairs to bed. She raised her hands to remove her artifact, but dropped them. She sank into the futon and fell asleep quickly despite not intending to do so.
She woke an hour later to her amazement. She found a damp cloth folded over her forehead and Takuto sitting at her side checking her pulse.
"I know you haven't been using any Kuronuma Jutsu lately, so this is a little odd," Takuto said, setting her wrist over the blanket. "You just had an imbalance. I brewed a concoction. Ready to drink it?"
"Yes."
"Come, sit up."
Takuto helped her sit and handed her a bowl full of a special brew made of black water and aromatic spices. The taste was terrible—gag worthy terrible. The Kuronuma clan drank black water from the natural spring when they completed their four-step training regimen from children to adulthood. It helped the black water sink into their bloodstream where it remained and then they would learn to reproduce it with chakra to use Kuronuma Jutsu via blood. Drinking it was only done once in a Kuronuma's lifetime and it was always post-training because that made it stick.
Due to special circumstances, Mio drank the black water before completing her training, which resulted in the need to ingest it when her body ran low, as she was only capable of reproducing it with chakra it so many times before she exceeded the limit and needed to reset. She experienced symptoms because of it, most of it fever and constant vertigo with the inability to function outside of her most basic needs.
Mio tilted the bowl when it was at her lips and drank deeply, the thick liquid seared down her esophagus and warmed her stomach. She swallowed it all and scrunched up her nose in disgust. The aftertaste was the worst.
"That should do," he said, taking the bowl from her. "We'll keep this up until the fever breaks. How have you been sleeping lately?"
"Well enough."
"You overslept today."
"Yes."
"It's starting again. Maybe this was an indicator." Takuto pulled up his pack and took the bowl into his hands. "I'll keep looking into it. Just stay in bed. I'll come back to check up on you later."
"Thank you, Takuto."
"Someone has to take care of you." He rose to his feet. "Wait for me here."
"Where are Yuuka and Noe?" asked Mio.
"Downstairs with Sako. I'll send them up if you want, they keep asking for you."
She nodded, and waited in silence for Takuto to return after he left. She wanted this to be over quickly as she held her head in her hands.
Mio slept deeply for several days at a time. Waking and seeming in perfect health, she acted normal. She took walks along the Uchiha territory, played games with the white-haired twins she was a mother to, sat with his grandmother for tea and quiet conversation, and observed the preparations for their upcoming wedding with silent admiration.
There were no symptoms to show she was ill, nor was there confirmation that what she carried was weakness within her body. But something was wrong. It had nothing to do with her black water shortage. Takuto assured it.
Madara pressed his hand to Mio's warm face, brushing his palm across her soft, pale cheek as he guided his fingers to tuck her black hair behind her ear. He lifted the blankets over her shoulder, though he suspected the cold winds banging against the house did not faze her. Her body temperature ran higher than a normal person's did because of the training she received as a Kuronuma. They thrived in cold weather and had for many generations lived in Mt. Hyōga until their home had been irreparably destroyed.
He put out the light and exited into the adjacent room where Yayoi and Takuto sat around the square table. He sealed the door shut behind him and joined them, folding his arms across his chest.
Yayoi hauled the Fate Sphere onto the table's surface while glaring at Takuto. "Have you not been taking care of her?" she admonished, peeling apart the scroll. "Honestly, Takuto, you had one job!"
"Lower your voice," Madara ordered.
"He had one job, Madara," Yayoi pressed, lowering her voice to a harsh whisper. "If you planned to ruin everything this badly, you should have brought her here years ago. We would have done a better job watching her."
Madara admitted Yayoi was being unfairly harsh. He believed Takuto had done his best by observing how hard the Kuronuma worked to keep Mio comfortable in her current state.
Takuto lowered his gaze, his expression filled with guilt. "She is not ill."
"Are you certain? Because she seems ill," Yayoi told him. "All she does is sleep. Sleeping does not help her get the nutrients her body needs. If this continues—"
"This is not a recent development," Takuto interrupted, surprising the priestess. He spoke, despite his evident reluctance. "This started—it started after the Artifact War. It manifested slowly. She started to sleep an extra hour each day, failing to wake in the morning—and you know she is impeccable at this, so I found it odd, but I dismissed it. I saw her condition after the war…I healed her completely, so I imagined her body needed more rest to continue mending. However, after a time, she started taking naps, twenty minutes daily. It was normal. She was exhausted. She has been working nonstop. And, well, it eventually became what it is now. The longest she's ever slept has been five days, but it happens abruptly. There aren't symptoms. There isn't a way to know when she will sleep long. She has been fine for quite some time actually to the point that she's continued running at sunrise."
"But this is impossible," Yayoi said, unraveling her scroll. "The Artifact War was the link between her weakness and her fate. It should have been a transitional phase in her life in which she comes into power."
"Yes, but you have to understand that while she did everything that she was meant to do, she did it when she was not ready," said Takuto. "She ingested the black water without completing her training. She strengthened the artifacts when she did not possess the power to do so without giving up more than she could offer. The wounds she suffered inside the Universe Sphere. Everything took a toll on her body."
"That is the reason you were called here," Madara said, finding her condition odd. Knowing Mio had suffered her entire life because the priestess Motou Ayuka had been determined to see that she be too weak to interfere with her plans, it had been strange to see Mio this way. She had overcome her biggest adversary and had protected the artifacts from falling into the wrong hands. She had a new goal she pursued now. "Mio made you Guardian of the Fate Sphere, now make use of it. There has to be an explanation."
"Mio does not like me prying into her life," Yayoi said, adverse to the notion. "I do not need her angry with me."
"You will tell her that you had no choice in the matter," Madara stated. "Now start looking."
Grumbling, the priestess smoothed out the wrinkled surface of the blank scroll. The Fate Sphere, one of the eight remaining Kuronuma artifacts, allowed its user to peer into the many pathways in a person's life. In the past three years, Yayoi had been abusing its power to predict romances for women, though she had excused her actions as being a means to practice.
"Mio shut me out of reading her pathways," Yayoi told them, stalling. "Her future to my eyes is as blank as this scroll."
"Should you not mention this from the start?" Takuto asked, narrowing his eyes at her.
"You have the means to go around it," Madara stated, "Now, how much of my blood do you need to find her pathways?"
Yayoi rolled her eyes, extending her hand. "Just give me your stupid hand and something to cut it with."
Madara handed her a kunai and offered his hand. She took it and stabbed him in the palm, hard enough to make him clench his jaw. She turned his hand over as the blood started to spill and guided it to the scroll.
Yayoi pressed her free hand to the surface, feeding it chakra to activate it.
The scroll absorbed the blood pooling beneath his palm and begun to glow white. The light condensed under her command, becoming long thin strands that spread from the center, where his skin made contact, upward, branching out into several lines until Mio's pathways revealed themselves, resembling a tree.
The priestess peered into the pathways, her eyebrows drawing in confusion.
"What is it?" Takuto asked immediately.
"This does not make any sense," Yayoi said, voice painfully low. "I saw her pathways before and they…there should be more than this."
"What are you saying?" asked Madara, about to move his hand when the priestess tightened her hold on it. "What about before? When we went to you about the wedding date? You were able to see well."
"That was different. Mio showed me what I was looking for and only that. This is different."
"What is it then?"
"Something happened," she said. "Something changed the course of her pathways…rearranged them." She peeled back Madara's fingers before removing his entire hand from the surface of her sphere. Her hazel eyes brightened in realization. "Yes, look." She gestured to the many lines branching out and followed it with her finger to the center of the scroll where they all met. Madara's hand had been covering it. "The pathways are upside down and this would be the future, signifying the end of her pathways."
"Impossible," Takuto said, his shock genuine. "Pathways do not end unless—"
"Unless what?" Madara snapped.
The door slid open behind him and everyone stilled, the room growing colder than the windy hell outside. Mio did not need to make her presence known, it simply was, present and expanding.
Yayoi quietly began to roll the scroll closed when Mio appeared to slam her hand atop its surface, making everyone flinch to some degree.
"We have had this talk before, Yayoi," Mio said slowly. "You have been given free will of the Fate Sphere in exchange for my privacy. Do not make me blind you to everyone connected to my bloodline. You will find it rather difficult to continue reading love fortunes for all the women in the neighboring villages if I do."
The priestess swallowed hard, raising her hands up in resignation, but then Takuto opened his mouth.
"Just how many people are connected to you?" he asked, curious.
Mio faced him with a glare. "Everyone."
Takuto bowed his head in apology. "Forgive my insolence."
She rounded on him. "And you?"
Madara turned away, avoiding her wrath. "Yayoi insisted."
Yayoi made an audible sound in protest, but met with immediate silence when Mio shot her a deadly glare.
"I am taking the Fate Sphere," Mio stated, closing the giant scroll and pulling it into her arms to the priestess's dismay. "You will have it back when I know you cannot pry into my pathways again."
As abruptly as she arrived, she left. A lengthy pause followed her departure as they listened and waited for her footsteps to descend the staircase, unconsciously dreading the possibility her hearing ability was better than they assumed.
"If anyone did the insisting it was you two," Yayoi snapped, glaring at the two men in front of her. She turned her attention fully to the Kuronuma. "You are terrified of her. And you"—zeroing in on Madara—"ugh, what am I thinking? You are as terrified of her as this one is. You have to stay in her good graces if you want to have a room to sleep in."
"I can sleep in any room I want!" Madara retorted.
"You know your grandmother will side with Mio! You'll be kicked out of Uchiha territory if she so desires it and you'd rather avoid that!" Yayoi accused, childishly sticking her tongue out at him.
Madara ignored her, knowing it offended her more than any he could ever think to say.
"Do you think this is the aftermath of the Artifact War?" Takuto asked, changing the subject. "Or is this because she did everything too early? Because Ayuka rushed her?"
"No—I don't know." Yayoi frowned. "When Mio came to the Fire Country after, she only came to ask me that I don't look into her pathways. So, I tried to look because she told me not to, and well, everything was normal. As normal as one would expect. Something changed."
"Something changed or someone changed it?" asked Madara suspiciously.
"But who could be altering her pathways?" Takuto questioned. "Ayuka was the only one capable of doing it and she's been dead for three years. And she would not have been able to in the condition she was left. Especially without the Fate Sphere to guide her."
"So what does it mean when all pathways lead to a single road?" asked Madara, remembering the way her pathways had twisted and combined into one atop the Fate Sphere.
The priestess faced him, expression full of regret. "It means death."
Madara went searching for Mio at Yayoi's insistence after their conversation ended. The priestess believed he was capable of convincing Mio to return the Fate Sphere before her appointment that evening. He did not intend to oblige her, as it was Mio's artifact to do with what she wanted, but he did not want Mio angry.
He ventured outside and walked along the verandah that wrapped around the back portion of his grandmother's home. He found Mio seated on the porch with his brother lying beside her, his head resting on her lap, and the Fate Scroll sitting on the other side of her.
Izuna had gone to finish his business in the Tea Country and to bring the kimono maker to do the fitting for Mio's ceremonial robes.
"I did not expect you back so soon, Izuna," Madara said, announcing his presence.
Izuna lifted his head to have a look at him. "I returned a few minutes ago and wanted to see Mio because Sako mentioned she's been sick." His brother smiled up at Mio, who mirrored the gesture in appreciation. "I was asking if the weather had gotten colder."
Madara came to a halt by Izuna's legs. "You only need time to adjust after spending so much time in the Tea Country."
His brother settled back comfortably on Mio's lap. "That doesn't matter. Mio is plenty warm. I can barely feel the cold anymore." His dark eyes found Mio's face, staring deeply into it. "Are you feeling any better?"
"I feel fine," Mio answered, avoiding the subject of her health as persistently as she did the one of her future.
Madara walked around her and took a seat beside her, the heat radiating from her skin kept him from realizing the cold, autumn winds.
"Has Arata returned?" asked Izuna.
"He returned this morning," Madara answered. "We have plenty to discuss tonight."
"I invited the kimono maker and his apprentice to the reception and asked them to stay with us as we have many rooms available," Izuna confessed.
Madara knew his brother had become acquainted with the kimono maker's apprentice while trying to convince one of the Tea Country's lesser lords into remaining loyal to their clan after hearing he wanted to side with another. He wished he had asked about it.
"That is perfectly fine," Mio responded.
"Has Saori arrived?" asked Izuna. "I realized I wanted to see her on the way."
"No, she was delayed," Madara answered. "She should be arriving within the week."
"I'm making her clean after the reception," Izuna decided. "She promised to help—wah, ow, Mio!"
Mio bolted out of her seat, his brother's head dropping onto the floor with a loud thump, and she sprang forward towards the surrounding forest, her. Madara stood as his brother sat up, rubbing his head, and watched as a woman with short, chestnut colored hair emerged from between the rustling trees.
Mio ran straight to Ito Saori and embraced her. The two were moving about excitedly in each other's arms before pulling apart to look at one another.
Madara understood that Mio's relationship with Saori developed into a special one. Saori was the kind older sister she never had and Mio was there to help Saori overcome the loss of her younger sister. Saori was another of her Guardians, she held the Life Sphere, which was sealed inside a black gem. The Life Sphere was the reason Mio was able to sense the other spheres no matter how far they were.
Izuna quickly joined them, going up to Saori and hugging her. He gestured at Mio and pointed at his head, telling her about how she dropped him. Mio laughed and it made such a difference in her countenance that Madara wished he could see her laughing more often.
Saori came to Madara to congratulate him with a cheerful smile and he welcomed her to enjoy herself. Izuna stalked off to the other end of the verandah to speak to the young woman with white hair that fell an inch above her shoulders stood dressed in a navy kimono, looking as though she had been observing them in silence for a time. She shyly glimpsed in their direction and bowed respectfully, disappearing into the hallway.
Izuna pointed into the house and returned to Mio. "Koike is ready to do your fitting whenever you're ready."
Mio looked to Saori, who smiled.
"Want me to go with you?" asked Saori. "I would love to see your robes."
Mio nodded, picking up the Fate Sphere and putting it in Madara's arms. "You can give this back to Yayoi, ask her to stop snooping before I make you Guardian of this sphere."
He wondered if she was trying to punish him as well as he watched her go. Madara returned the Fate Sphere to Yayoi, who thanked him profusely with a bone-crushing hug.
"How did you manage this? What did you do? Did you promise her gifts? Are you going to buy her something? Madara, I know just the place! They sell beautiful necklaces with huge gems, and it's expensive, but she is going to love it!"
"Mio doesn't like wearing jewelry," Madara told the priestess.
"Every woman loves wearing jewelry, right?" Yayoi asked, looking to Takuto.
"Why are you looking at me?" Takuto snapped.
"You have a woman, don't you? She likes to wear jewelry, doesn't she?"
"I don't have a woman!" Takuto sputtered.
"Stop lying to me! I know you have a woman! Taiki is telling everyone you do!" Yayoi made an exasperated sound as the Kuronuma grumbled and she rounded on Madara. "Buy her something pretty!"
Madara walked away from her. He had better things to do like listen to what Arata had uncovered during his travels, than indulge Yayoi.
He found Izuna after little searching and asked him to accompany him to the compound where Arata would be waiting with Jouji. Arata and Jouji were waiting inside a small room upstairs; both greeted them with respectful bows as they took their seats.
"What did you find?" asked Madara.
"I found a lord in the Lightning Country that manages trade between islands off the coast and established contact knowing that he has been dealing with the presence of a group of shinobi that has been inconveniencing him for the past few months," Arata began, the youth was dark haired with sharp cheekbones and hooded eyes. Jouji had taught him everything he knew in the past three years before retiring. "The lord refused our help, despite my offering the Uchiha clan's protection."
"And you felt he would be willing to take us to the Sun Country?"
"Without a doubt, Madara-sama. Word has it that the Sun Country is receiving provisions from some lord in the Lightning Country and after a thorough investigation, I am certain that he is the one responsible," Arata answered.
"What do you know about him?" asked Izuna.
"He is a known pervert," Arata deadpanned.
"Something we can work with," Jouji rephrased.
Madara and Izuna exchanged glances.
"What kind of pervert?" Izuna inquired, leaning into the table with bright eyes.
"He has a weakness for young, beautiful women," Arata began. "He frequently takes women from a teahouse in the Lightning Country called The Thousand Cranes and keeps them in his castle until he grows bored with them. He has a complete disregard for authority and enjoys a challenge. He particularly likes conquests. I know that he took another lord's wife as a lover because she was said to be completely faithful to her husband and because he hated her husband."
"Does this man hate the Uchiha clan?" asked Izuna, curious.
"With a passion," Arata replied.
"I know this man. He is the lord of a coastal province, Eishirou," Izuna said to Madara. "I tried to kill him once. If he hates the Uchiha clan it is because of me."
"Working with the Uchiha clan is out of the question," Jouji stated. "We should look elsewhere, perhaps the Water Country."
"Would you say he hates you enough to disregard your claim on a woman from the teahouse?" Madara proposed, staring at his brother. Finding a route through the Water Country would be more difficult than coercing the Lord Eishirou to offer them safe passage on his ships. He preferred the latter, as he wanted to avoid encountering any shinobi clans from the Water Country if it were possible.
"In a heartbeat," Izuna said. "Are you saying we should bait him?"
Madara nodded. "Yes, and coerce him into lending us his ships. We can seize his castle."
"Yes, but where are we going to find a young, beautiful woman to tempt Eishirou?" asked Arata. "Sure, we can ask one of our spies, but she's probably not his type. And we can't keep presenting him with new women until we find one that is."
"We can use Yayoi, it is her country and her clan we are trying to help, she could do something," Izuna suggested.
"The priestess cannot attract an older man to save her life, we would be damned," Jouji responded.
"We have Mio."
Jouji and Izuna looked to Madara shocked that he would even suggest it, but if he trusted anyone with a potential infiltration mission it would be Mio. That and she had a penchant for attracting old perverts, sad to admit it, but it was the truth.
"You mean your betrothed, Mio?" asked Arata.
"Yes." Madara stood. "You should meet her. She could be very useful to you."
Jouji nodded. "She's a smart one."
Arata looked at Madara. "Can I meet her now?"
Izuna shrugged when his brother looked at him. "Well, it's not like she's doing anything."
Madara arched an eyebrow.
"Well, nothing that important."
"Come on," Madara said, gesturing for Arata to follow.
Madara took Arata back to his grandmother's house with Jouji and Izuna following close behind whispering about his suggestion, wondering if he would bring it up again. He heard Izuna call him crazy for even saying it.
Mio was in a spacious room on the first floor accompanied by Saori as the kimono maker, a stout older man, and his apprentice, the girl in blue, helped her out of a white kimono.
Mio noticed him, but made no move to approach him as she held her hair over her head.
"I have someone I want you to meet," Madara informed, holding her attention. "This is Arata, he is Jouji's student. I told you about him before."
"He has been looking for a way into the Lightning Country, yes," Mio said, turning to Arata. "Nice to meet you."
"I grew up with stories about your parents, Mio-sama," Arata spilled. "I heard they were the best at what they did!"
"You do me an honor remembering them for their accomplishments, thank you." Mio managed to leave the youth blushing with a smile and she looked at Madara. "So, have you found a way to reach the Lightning Country?"
"To an extent," Madara said, clapping Arata's shoulder. "Thanks to the information he's brought back, we might be able to leave to the Sun Country as soon as we are married."
"You should tell Yayoi, she will be happy to hear it."
Madara nodded. He excused himself and the others, ushering them out into the hallway.
"She will not be happy with this assignment."
"It is not something she isn't accustomed to," Madara replied. "She had enough experience with Enki."
"Yes, and then what happened?" Izuna asked.
"I killed him."
"Yes, you did, you killed him," his brother said pointedly. "You killed him because you did not like the way he was looking at Mio. That's why you did it."
"There were other reasons," Madara said in protest. "He was a despicable man."
"We don't need to kill any lords," Izuna said warningly, glimpsing at the young spy, who was too busy staring at Mio through the aperture between the shoji to pay attention. "You know how badly that upsets the daimyos. We are better off having someone else for the job."
"Who?" Jouji asked, noting Arata's dreamy stare.
Izuna pinched Arata's cheek, eliciting a complaint. "Enough gawking! That is the future mistress of your clan."
"I saw you staring at her too!" Arata argued.
"Yes, but she's going to be my wife when Madara is dead, I have special privileges," Izuna retorted.
Madara glared at his brother. "Who is dying?"
"It is a precaution," Izuna reasoned. "If something terrible happened to you and you died, I promise I'll be around to comfort Mio."
"Just stay away from her."
"If Mio is willing, then we can make this work," Jouji said, snapping his fingers to return the attention to the pressing matter. "We have her infiltrate the teahouse several weeks ahead of making our move against Eishirou, using the time to have her become Izuna's favorite. We make this known for when Eishirou visits and hope that her beauty and his hatred for Izuna is enough appeal to have her taken into his castle."
"And while Mio distracts Eishirou, we can seize control of his castle," Madara added.
"Mio is going to hate us for this," Izuna commented.
"Can you think of anyone that can guarantee us success other than Mio?" Madara challenged.
"Then it's settled," Jouji said decisively.
The problem with the decision would be asking if she would be willing to go along with it.
"So, when do we tell her?" Izuna questioned.
"After the wedding," came everyone's response.
"Good idea," Izuna said with a nod. "We should go think of a back-up meanwhile."
xl: Mio is going to be asking for a divorce as soon as that comes up in conversation. I joke.
Wedding is next chapter! It'll be exciting! It will also get us into the groove of things.
There will be a preview for chapter three posted on my livejournal by the time you finish reading this, so go off an read it! Have a glimpse into the future.
Thank you to everyone that added this series to their favorite/alert lists! I appreciate the following. I also hope you continue to enjoy the ride! Many, many thanks to these wonderful people for reviewing, I appreciate the feedback: Guest, Melissa Fairy, and Loteva.
REVIEW RESPONSE(S):
Guest: Mio is currently not pregnant. :) If she were, she'd more likely be an emotional mess.
- Thank you for reading!
Next update will be on DEC 31st, just before the new year. See you then!
And omfg, I forgot to wish you all some Happy Holidays! I hope everyone has a wonderful time! I sure as hell am enjoying not doing anything now that I'm on winter break. :)
