Suggested by Karkatsbabe(Author)

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Phantom Lovers

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The air was stifling with the over powering perfume of noble women, all of them dressed in a flashy manner to attract a suitor or play thing. The men were dressed in suits and tuxedos, trying to gain attention.

Iruka didn't like the parties his parent's hosted. It was always uncomfortable and formal. He usually holed himself in the library as soon as he could slip away. He hadn't enjoyed reading when he was younger, but after learning to hide from his parent's guests he had found a love of it and now he was going to be a teacher.

The library was one of the warmer rooms, the atmosphere felt comforting, like meeting a beloved grandparent after not seeing them for a long time. The walls were covered in books and the tables had books open and piled. No one ever really went in this room anymore, only Iruka.

Iruka picked an old tome from a shelf, he had never read it before, and sat in a soft leather recliner. The book turned out to be a journal that used to belong to a man named Senju Tobirama. That was a peculiar name, but Iruka was of Japanese descent and couldn't really say what was wrong with it.

He opened it to read.

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December 5th, 1886

The clan was throwing another party. I don't see the point, everyone in this country despises us because of our ancestors and origins. I wish I could continue my training but, this stupid country, doesn't see ninjas as a "noble" occupation. All of these "noblemen" are slouches and urchins of the lowest regard.

Hashirama says to be more polite, and to write in this stupid journal, but I don't see the point to such meaningless things. I'm going to try for him anyway.

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January 26th, 1887

I finally found this idiotic thing, it took almost two months. How the hell did it get into the stables? It doesn't matter.

The last party we hosted was for a fellow family of nobles. Their daughter to more specific. She looked like the type to be a noble, all of the beauty and none of the brains. It turn out that she hates these formal things as much as me, which is nice. At first, I thought that she didn't appreciate what her parents and family were doing for her and feigned slight illness to get away from her obligations as the guest of honor, but she dislikes crowds and prefers open spaces. I have to agree with her since the women and men of this country wear too much fragrance to mask their body odors.

I escorted her to the gardens and we walked under the moonlight with only the night animals and the faint music to keep us company. We talked for a little while and I found that she isn't some stupid woman that would prattle about unimportant and unintellectual topics. She's quite knowledgeable, even about combat! She knew every move and technique I spoke of and even offered me ways to improve. She is a strange woman, but I can see tolerating her presence.

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February 1st, 1887

I met Morticia again, only it was at her home this time. Our parents were talking business, her shipping company could help our spice trade. We walked through the gardens at her home and sat beneath the weeping willow tree. It over looked a koi pond, which was very surprising, and when I said such she told me that she had it placed when she twelve. Japan has always fascinated her, even after her traveling there a few times, and she wanted to have a piece of it with her at all times.

I found that she is fluent in five languages, English, Japanese, German, Russian, and Latin. She also has a penchant for writing. After our travel in her garden we went to the library and she showed me some of the books she had written. She let me borrow the ones she wrote in Japanese since I would have an easier time reading those, and she wanted to see if I could find an error.

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March 2nd, 1887

The first book was captivating. The story of a samurai falling in love with a female ninja was one I had never read before, and probably won't ever again, it was astounding. The amount of detail was not over done and the emotions were just as one would expect from people denied such emotions. I find that I can relate to Kaede for his love of Hanako because, I fear, that I am starting to feel the same to Morticia.

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A couple brought Iruka from the journal, making him jump at the noise. Seeing as the two hadn't noticed him from their lip lock, he quickly fled to his room. When he opened the door he could have sworn that he saw a tall, white haired man sitting on his bed reading a letter, but the man was gone when he blinked.

"Strange." Iruka said, paying it no mind. He sat on his bed and continued to read, a little further than his previous spot.

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January 23rd, 1888. Morning

I have planned a picnic for Morticia and I, both of us requesting to spend time away from our families since we wanted to spend her birthday together. I have already asked her parents, they tend to try to agree on things of importance, for her hand. My stomach won't settle, it feels as though there are little creatures fluttering in it and I can't remember a time that I have been so nervous, not even when I asked Morticia if I could court her.

She seems fond of me, she has even initiated a few of our kisses, so I am sure she will say yes. If she does not then I will ask if I can ask her again when her feelings develop more, or, and I dread this, she tells me that she doesn't feel for me the way I do for her. I would understand, but I would be crushed.

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January 24th, 1888

Morticia told me yes! I have never felt so happy. It feels like I'm floating and at the same time I feel anxious. I know what happens between men and women, I can hardly imagine doing such with Morticia but we both wish for children.

It's not that she isn't attractive, quite the opposite. Her hair is a beautiful black that reaches her hips, her gray eyes shine with emotion and knowledge, her skin is a creamy white and her lips are a red that could put a rose to shame. It's hard to see her figure in the dresses of this country but I'm told that her figure can be associated with a pear, good birthing hips supposedly.

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Iruka wondered about this couple. It seemed like they had like, if not loved, each other a great deal. A relationship that had blossomed in one year, was that the normal thing back then? Iruka had always read that most of the noble marriages were loveless and usually for getting the upper hand on other nobles. These two must have had something unique and pure if this journal was true. It was nice to see something so true, even if second hand from a journal one century old.

Come to think of it, how did the journal end up in the library? Iruka's parent's had only bought the mansion a few years before having him, close to twenty years, and he wondered if this was the Senju mansion, or could it be Morticia's? What even was Morticia's last name?

As Iruka pondered this he walked to the garden, taking the familiar path that he often walked. He noticed a weeping willow, had that always been there? The bench under it was cast iron and looked old. The area in front was worn and, for a split second, he saw a beautiful woman holding hands with the man that he saw in his bedroom. He blinked and they were gone.

"Have I eaten anything weird?" Iruka didn't think he had, but why was he seeing the couple from the journal? Actually, what did Tobirama look like? "Ah!"

Iruka groaned from his place on the ground. He lifted himself up a bit and looked forward. And then he looked to his sides. Where the hell was he?

"What did I trip over?" He looked back and saw the edge of a something black sticking out of the ground. When he tugged on it, it came out out of the dirt without a problem. It was the size of a small shoebox, an old metal version. Inside was several old letters and a purple book. "Morticia Olivia Butler? Is this her name?"

The letters were from Tobirama. The oldest were just to keep in contact since their friendship was shaky and new. The topics were different for each letter, but mundane things, riddles, weapons/combat techniques and flower meanings were in all of them.

There was one that was from Morticia and had been returned to her. It asked about Tobirama's business trip to England and if they should have there wedding in March or April. A piece of paper, obviously not part of the original that was sent, was folded in with the letter.

" 'Tobirama Senju, accountant of Senju Spices and Botanical Gardening, has been hit by a runaway carriage and is in the hospital in critical condition. It was requested by the patient, when he was conscious, to inform his fiancee that he is in the Royal London Hospital recovering.' " Iruka read aloud. He scanned it again. The hospital logo was on the paper and it hurt to look at. They hadn't even been married yet and Tobirama had a near fatal, if not fatal, accident. Their romance seemed like it was taking a turn for the worse. Poor people from a different century. "That's awful."

It was.

This couple seemed to have found each other purely by chance and had a heartfelt romance that was probably one of those ones that was hard to look at because love just flowed in their every movement.

With these thoughts in mind he flipped to a random page in the purple diary and read.

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July seventh, 1888 (Tanabata)

I'm not quite sure when I started to love Tobirama. I've always had fond feelings for my little turtle, even when he accused me skipping out and being an airhead. It took him a few months to stop talking about weapons and martial arts, which are a fun topic but not what a friendship should be based off of, and finally talking about more personal matters.

I don't know why I like reminiscing about my life since I met Tobirama, I think that more than half of these pages have something written on them that involves him somehow.

While his colors are drab, even compared to the rest of the Senju, I like the simplicity of his style. I love his white hair and bright red eyes. He has a few scars on his face but the just make him even more attractive, and he's decently tall. He's also curiously cold, temperature wise.

Today my turtle is taking us for a small picnic, just the two of us, to celebrate the meeting Orihime and Hikoboshi. His clan is also holding a small festival, but he wanted us to sneak off and be like the two lovers. I like the idea. We may not have a magpie bridge, or the Milky Way, but I think we can bridge any gap that comes between us.

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Iruka had to stop ready for a moment, those statements made it hard to read. He could literally feel the love coming from them and see the soft expression on Morticia's face as she wrote the entry.

He couldn't force himself look back at the words, unlike with Tobirama's journal, this felt too personal. The very letters of the words were too heartfelt.

He got up from the ground, dusted off, and wandered further down the path. He didn't know where he was heading and he didn't care. If he got so lost that it took him days to get back home . . . well, he still didn't care.

A little further down the path there was a small pond with lily pads and few blooming lotus flowers. He looked up at the full moon. It was a very romantic view, and he decided to pull out his phone and play a song that was heartfelt with a tinge of sadness.

Iruka pushed the play button and waited calmly for A Kiss From A Rose by Seal to start playing. He might not be a huge Batman fan, but he had liked this song that was on one of the movies.

After the first few notes the shadowy figures of two people started to materialize. In moments the figures showed to be what was, probably, Morticia and Tobirama. They danced slowly to the music for a few minutes before heading past the pond and into a small path in the forest.

Iruka decided to follow them.

But if they start to be intimate I'll leave them alone. Is what the aspiring teacher thought as he followed. A few minutes of walking lead to a small clearing, where the couple held hands and smiled sadly at each other before shimmering out of sight.

Iruka looked at the ground where they had been standing, something was there but it was covered with grass. He moved closer to see stone sticking out of the ground. He crouched and did his best to clear away the overgrown vegetation. He was slightly shocked at what he saw.

A double headstone, and a smaller one next to it.

Morticia Olivia Butler Senju

Born January 23rd, 1867

Died August 11th ,1892

In memory of a daughter, wife, sister and mother to a child she died giving birth to.
May she rest peacefully with her siblings.

Iruka felt sick. He had tears budding in his chocolate eyes at the news that she had died in childbirth. But hadn't that been a fairly common occurrence back then? It hurt to see this, even if he hadn't been the one to love this mysterious woman.

He looked to the other inscription on the other side of the grave.

Tobirama Senju

Born February 19th, 1865

Died August 20th, 1892

In memory of a son, husband, brother, and father.
This proud man is said to have died of a broken heart after his wife and then daughter died within days of each other.
A man who can love so fully that he dies from being separated from his wife and child is a man that all can look up to.
May he rest peacefully with his wife and child.

Iruka was silently crying at this point. These two had been separated in such a way was heart wrenching. He did want to look at the tiny gravestone next to their's, he knew it would be the baby girl that had only lived a few days.

He forced himself to, he had to know the name of the child that was an outcome of such a love.

Obana Michoyo Senju

Born August 11th, 1892

Died August 13th, 1892

In memory of a daughter that hadn't had a chance to live.
She was brought into the world when her mother gave her life to see the babe had a weak constitution and did not live long enough to be the light in her families eyes.
May she rest in peace with her mother.

Gut wrenching sobs were coming from Iruka, loud and painful. He never knew these people, but he felt the loss of them as if it was his own.

He was too kind hearted to have found this sort of thing.