Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.
Kibana watched as the Senju leader frantically roamed the village, and she could only smile at his antics. Izuna, Tobirama, and Kibana had fallen back from the Akimichi and Senju maids, and were content with watching Hashirama and Ayame make a large fuss over where the celebration should be held.
They had visited many large buildings already, all unoccupied oddly. Kibana frowned slightly. If this is a Cherry Blossom Celebration, should the festivities not be held outside? She thought to herself with a shake of her head.
"You are right, Chikushou." She heard Tobirama say beside her, and she looked up to him with a raised eyebrow. What... Kibana flushed red, and tried to hide herself in her palms. She had spoken her thoughts aloud, how lame!
Izuna, noticing her expression, and began laughing at her. "It's fine Ana-chan, sometimes you need to voice your thoughts and not just keep them to yourself." He advised, and Kibana nodded at him glumly. Still, she was acting idiotic in front of the most influential people of the village without a care. I need to be more careful, she groaned mentally.
"Brother! Stop this foolishness and come here." Tobirama yelled through the street. Hashirama immediately halted in his steps with Ayame, and the two moved towards the small group, while the maids stayed ahead and talked amongst themselves.
"What is it, Brother?" Hashirama asked with a small tilt of his head. Ayame and the older Senju were looking at the three expectantly.
"The Chikushou made a point a few moments ago. We are celebrating a seasonal event, and we believe that the celebration should be held outdoors where we can watch said event." Tobirama said with his detached voice. Hashirama's eyes widened along with Ayame's and the two looked to Kibana and Izuna for their opinions.
"I do not see what is so surprising about this, Hashirama." Izuna said with a nervous smile. "The Uchiha's often have dinners and such outdoors when it comes to watching the Cherry Blossoms." Kibana nodded with him, agreeing with his words.
"Is that not a regular custom?" She questioned, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Ayame and Hashirama shook their heads, and then looked to each other in fascination.
"However, having the celebration outdoors... makes a lot more sense." Ayame admitted. "The Akimichi normally only spend an hour or so outside, before we would all gather in the dining hall for a clan meeting and a meal."
Hashirama nodded his head. "Same with the Senju."
Kibana and Izuna sweatdropped and looked to each other with blank expressions. "That sounds really... detached." Izuna spoke. Hashirama and Ayame put their fingers to their chins and thought for a few moments, before nodding and agreeing with the Uchiha male.
"I suppose you are right. I assume the Uchiha will be comfortable outdoors, but... I do not know how our clans will react to the change." Hashirama said, while Tobirama nodded in agreement.
"Well, why not make the celebration a all day, all night event? Ana-chan was talking about that this morning." Izuna began, and everyone watched as she flitted around him waving her arms, her face flaming red, and he simply ignored her to continue. "Have stalls and other entertainment set up along the roads, and have a nice viewing area where everyone can sit and relax. I suppose for the Senju and Akimichi you can have your meetings and the like at home, or we can find a place for them?" Izuna said to Kibana's horror.
Izuna looked around to find Kibana sulking behind him, hiding herself. He ignored her in favor of the others response.
"That... sounds lovely, actually. We would be having ourselves a civilian celebration! That would surely raise our citizens spirits, ne?" Ayame cheered. Hashirama nodded along with her, and the two joined hands to cheer.
Tobirama pinched the bridge of his nose, but agreed also.
"Alright, so today we will scout out a viewing area, and tomorrow we will begin setting up! Ne, Izuna-san, would you mind bringing a few fire-nature shinobi tomorrow? I know of a place that we can set a grand hall for the Akimichi and Senju, but it is covered in deadwood." Hashirama explained, and Izuna nodded with a smile.
"Sure thing, I know of a few Uchiha who would not mind tagging along tomorrow."
Tobirama and Ayame watched in amusement as Kibana sunk to the ground in depression, seemingly knowing exactly who the man was talking about.
"Then, let's go!" Hashirama shouted as he joined the maids once more to explain what they would be searching for.
"Come on, Kiba-chan, just a small flare?" Hikaku asked from Kibana's side. She shook her head adamantly.
"Hikaku-kun, you know that you are not supposed to use your element without reason, you will only be wasting your chakra." Kibana explained as if she were talking to a five year old.
"Yes, but, I would like to show off for you, Kiba-chan." Hikaku said with a flirty smile. Kibana's eyebrow twitched.
"You do not need to show off for me, I already know that you are an exceptional shinobi along with Izuna-kun and Kagami-kun."
"Hikaku! Leave Kiba-chan alone, you are making her flustered." A dark haired man spoke, as he slyly wrapped an arm around Kibana's waist and pulled her to walk between himself and Izuna. This would be Kagami Uchiha, one of the few Uchiha with such wild curly hair. Kibana giggled silently to herself at that thought.
"You just want her all to yourself, Kagami!" Hikaku accused with a pout. Izuna rolled his eyes at his two friends antics, and pulled Kibana away from Kagami's grasp, placing her on the outside beside him. He held his arm out to her, and she gladly hooked her arm through his.
"That is wrong, Izuna." Kagami and Hikaku shouted at the same time, both glaring at him playfully.
"I am sorry, how is it wrong?" Izuna asked, a small smirk gracing his features. Kibana smiled slightly at the expression, she could not pinpoint why, but whenever the male smirked, she found him to be devilishly handsome.
The two men found themselves tongue-tied, and had to talk to themselves to regroup as they walked closer towards the Senju gates, where Hashirama and Tobirama were already waiting along with a few maids.
"Ah! Good morning, Izuna, Kibana-chan." Hashirama greeted as he bounded towards them with his hand out. Izuna used his free arm to reach out and shake the mans hand.
"Good morning to you as well, Hashirama. These are our fire-nature's for the day, Kagami Uchiha, and Hikaku Uchiha." Izuna introduced. Hashirama reached out to grab the two mens hands, and they shared their good morning greetings.
"And Kibana-chan? Are you a fire-user as well?" Hashirama questioned, as Tobirama moved to stand next to his brother.
"Ah, no... I am a water-nature, Hashirama-sama." Kibana said with a small duck of her head. Izuna frowned at the girl. Everyone could hear him muttering under his breath to her, but no one could understand exactly what he was saying.
Kibana narrowed her eyes at him, and he smirked, pulling her closer to himself.
"She is still a bit of a novice, truthfully." Izuna supplied much to Kibana's annoyance. She huffed and removed her arm from his to cross them over her chest.
"It is not often that Madara-sama brings me a water scroll, Izuna-kun." She pouted, her nose turned up and away from the man, and her eyes closed.
"It is rare for a Uchiha to hold a water-nature." Tobirama said bluntly. Everyone looked to him, their eyes widened slightly, except for Kibana, who looked to him indifferently.
"Believe me, I know." She said, her expression finally changing to a frown.
Izuna laughed at her openly, and rested his arm across her shoulders. Hikaku and Kagami's eyebrows twitched. He sure is very touchy today, is he not? They frowned.
"Father had her learning fire manipulation for at least four years before she finally put her foot down." Izuna explained much to Kibana's dismay. "If it were not for Aniki, she would probably still be attempting at learning it."
"Madara? How?" Hashirama asked suddenly.
Izuna shrugged. "I don't know what it was, but he brought a piece of paper home with him one day and forced Ana-chan to use it. It was kind of weird, the paper got wet and ran down her arm. Ever since then though, he will bring her a water scroll whenever he finds one for her level."
Tobirama and Hashirama's eyes widened.
Tobirama remembered the day that Madara and Hashirama had met on the battlefield, it was one of the events that caused Madara to look for the Senju after he became head of the Uchiha, to begin making a peace treaty.
Hashirama had offered the Uchiha a piece of chakra paper; it was a rare find that Hashirama was quite proud of and he wished to share it with his long time friend. Madara had at first turned his nose to it, and it seemed he was about to leave and not accept the gift.
However, Madara had taken the gift, thanked Hashirama, and then left. Hashirama would not forget the excitement that Madara had in his eyes that day.
So, he took the chakra paper so that this girl may use it? Tobirama thought, his eyebrows furrowed slightly.
The Uchiha understood the relationship between the Uchiha brothers and Kibana, however to the Senju... it was an anomaly.
"Good morning!" They heard a feminine voice cheer, and everyone turned to see Ayame and a small group of Akimichi maids make their way forward. Izuna smiled and waved at the female head, while Kibana bowed with Hikaku and Kagami.
"Good morning, Ayame-sama." Kibana spoke for the other two, who did not know the woman's name, only her status.
"Yes, good morning, Ayame-san." Hashirama greeted as he reached out for the womans hand. They shook hands briefly, while the Akimichi maids melted themselves into the group of Senju maids.
"Alright! Today, we will be clearing out space for the grand hall, while Ayame-san and the women go and spread the word to the citizens. Throughout the day we will check back here, and help Ayame-san organize what stalls will go where, and the like." Hashirama said. Everyone nodded in understanding.
Kibana moved to join the maids, but was stopped by Hashirama, who was chuckling slightly.
"Where are you going, Kibana-chan? Do you really trust your clanmates to not start an uncontrollable fire?" He said jokingly, but watched in amusement as Kibana quickly moved to stand next to Tobirama.
Izuna, Kagami, and Hikaku fell into a small depression at that. She did not even hesitate.
"While they work on the fire, Chikushou, I will show you some more advanced water jutsu for you to work on." Tobirama said, as he moved to fall into step with his brother who was now leading the way towards the site.
Kibana's eyes widened, before a large smile over took her features, and she nodded, moving to join the Senju brothers.
She walk alongside them for quite a time, before hearing her Uchiha clanmates complaining behind her. She looked over her shoulder to stick her tongue out at them, while Izuna jokingly called her a hussy.
We will all just agree, that Izuna had entered a small rain shower that everyone else avoided, and it was not caused by a water jutsu performed by a certain Chikushou and Senju. The Senju and Akimichi maids stared in wonder at the soaked Uchiha, but otherwise kept silent. They were more enthralled with the smug expression that the white haired Senju wore.
Madara is in the lead, and Izuna is a close second. (:
I will start writing chapter 12 in three days, so get those votes in! Madara will still be absent for atleast two more chapters though.