"OH NO!" I jumped back from the sink and shrieked in panic. I fingered to the patio door, a glass sliding entrance that led to the hot spring and training arena. Blizzard was outside pawing at the door to be let in from the pouring rain. I had let him our earlier to go hunting for his meal, but I had specifically instructed him to prowl inside the woods. Apparently the cub had selective hearing.
Blood, from the animal in his mouth, covered his face making him look like a rabid beast. He left diagonal marks on the glass patio door from his soiled bloody paws; it looked like a serious crime had been committed on our doorstep. Oh, and who was the victim? It was none other than his surrogate father's favorite Hawk Chariot.
Jonathan had heard the screaming from the other room and without hesitation ran to my side to shield me from whatever lurked outside the glass door.
"OH, GOD… NO THAT WAS DADDY'S!" I was hysterical as prophecies of my husband's reaction surged my senses. "He did what? Come here you little fucker, I'm going to kill you!"
The doctor chuckled once he realized it was only my furry little naughty kid. He let in Blizzard who proudly spat out the dead bird on to the white tile floor. That little tiger smile of his reached ear to ear, flashing every single one of his blood red fangs. "Maaa Maaaaaa." (I killed Daddies Hawk for you, that'll teach'em.)
I covered my mouth in shock as Jonathan picked up the heavy decapitated hawk by its nearly detached wing. It was stone cold, undeniably dead; no way of bringing it back, not even by a Jutsu. "Oh… Bliz… That's so sweet of you… but he's going to kill you now."
Jonathan examined Chariot with an objective eye; he studied the female hawk like a sculptor did his clay, glancing at every angle to see its advantage. "Well that's one form of revenge… Not that I'm condoning it or anything."
Grandpa squinted from my husband's chair at the head of the table, "Chicken, how wonderful. I love Chicken!"
I gave my doctor a hesitant look, and he shrugged with a faint expression of humor. "How's Chicken Ramen sound, Yutaku?"
A glow of excitement enlightened his foggy eyes. "Good, make it immediately!" He slammed his wrinkled fist on the table making it jolt slightly from the opposite end. Man he's strong. Jonathan laid the bird on the counter and spread out its body. It was a very large bird, about the same size as Blizzard. I was honestly surprised he could take her; talons and a beak vs. claws and teeth, sounded like an equal match to me.
"That was his favorite bird." I blanched. He's going to throw a fit when he gets home.
Jonathan plucked the feathers out of Chariot and dissected her with surgical hands, ever so often throwing a scrap in Blizzards direction. "Well Madara should have gotten a better lock on the cage, now we get to have Chicken a la Chariot." He laughed, how macabre.
I looked out the window to the backyard and saw the hawk's inhabitants brutally invaded and on the ground with the lock chewed up several meters away. That wasn't just a coincidence, Blizzard wanted that bird dead. The metal bars had been pried open by strong arms and feathers were scatter around the yard as evidence of a brutal and relentless assault. "I don't think any lock was going to keep him out of that cage."
Jonathan had zero sympathy for Madara or the bird. He was up in arms in how my husband had left me. It almost looked like he had sicked Blizzard on the bird by the way he praised the little tiger's actions.
"May, you silly klutz. You've stained your clothes again, My God woman, I don't buy you clothes to ruin them." I jumped slightly at Grandpa's blunt and insensitive remark as it snapped me out of my accusatory thoughts. I looked down at my white skirt and saw just behind me, on my derriere, there was red spotting.
My eyes grew wide and immediately I became frenzied, "Jonathan!" I alerted loudly to the man who was just inches away. The man lurched forward nearly chopping his finger off with the bird leg.
"What, damn Bell. You can't do that when I'm in surg-um-cooking." I turned around for the man and highlighted the point of interest for the man. It was embarrassing to be so open about something so feminine, but in my panicked state I hadn't another choice.
He dropped the knife and came up behind me in an instant. He took the cloth in hand and examined it, "we need to get you to the clinic. I need to give you a thorough examination." My heart dropped as his urgent tone startled me.
Everything went numb inside, I wasn't a doctor- nor was I going to pretend to be. All I knew was blood was bad during a pregnancy, especially a high-risk pregnancy. I was falling through the floor and down into a catatonic state as thoughts of what it meant unnerved my already sensitive state.
Jonathan washed his hands quickly in the sink while Yutaku came to my side loyally. He was still in a delusional state, but somehow grasped the situation unfolding in front of him. I heard my husband's voice amplify over the old mans tired drawl, "take my arm." If I had closed my eyes at that instant, I would have thought Madara was home.
The deep masculine voice did something to my nerves, calmed them in a way. I felt my paralyzed state loosen as my arm became cloaked with his. Jonathan guided us out of the house and I instructed Blizzard to "Be good," although I didn't truly expected the little scoundrel to obey me.
Grandpa and I, drenched in rain, walked into the medical office which had not moved. Madara is such a liar. All the nurses were huddled in the garden gossiping as they packed up supplies and herbs to take with them to war. Shouldn't they be gone already? Apparently the medical unit was running behind schedule.
Jonathan put up his blinders and disregarded their slow pace and went immediately to the triage station. He essentially threw everything on the table to the ground in attempts to clear the busy area quickly.
Grandpa and I stood awkwardly in the middle of the messy clinic, and I instantly noticed how underfunded the hospital was. There were no walls to separate the wounded- only curtains that barely gave a hint of privacy. A receptionist desk was in the front, but it was absent of an attendee and looked like no one had ever used the area for more than storage. A voice inside of me screamed a certain question but I was too afraid to ask; how do they recycle the medical utensils.
Grandpa tightened his hold on my arm to a constricting grasp- nearly cutting off my blood flow in the embrace. He was focusing on a woman across the room. "Bella," Jonathan called for me. Before I could introduce myself to the ornery lady Yutaku was dragging me in the opposite direction towards the impatient physician.
Jonathan held the curtain open for me to enter the cleaned off area. "Bella, lay down." He directed me coercively.
Yutaku released my arm and backed off to the opposite side of the curtain. The doctor held no tolerance over my dawdling and pushed my back down on the cold leather table and immediately foreboding shivers were sent down my spine, how many people have died on this table?
Jonathan grabbed the blue fabric curtain and pulled it to cloak my privacy once again. I only got a glimpse of the outside area, but for what I could tell, on the other side of the curtain Yutaku and the mean looking woman were in a tense standoff. "Back off, Roku." Grandpa warned her, he was obviously still in his delusion and interpreting her as a man he once knew.
"Close your eyes, May. Count backwards from ten." I faced a large man with blue and yellow Shinobi wear on. He held my shoulder intensely and a sword was pointed at my abdomen. His brown eyes wearily watched mine, they were hesitant and reluctant but excited at the same time.
"Roku, please don't do this." Through his eyes I saw my reflection. White long hair, fierce orange eyes, and tears pouring down my cheeks. Why am I crying?
"Bella?" Jonathans hand made brief contact with my cheek. He flicked the skin and I suddenly woke up from a slumber I didn't recall falling under. He had taken his glasses off during my time unconscious and he was sweating profusely.
I rubbed my eyes, "I'm sorry- I… fell asleep."
He wasn't convinced, "do you often 'fall asleep?'"-I honestly nodded to the man.- "You're an anomaly…" The dithering facial expression increased as he pondered over the paradox. I almost apologized but resisted the urge. It wasn't my fault that there was something extraordinary misconfigured inside of me. Apparently one of God's angels forgot to read the instruction manual.
Jonathan replaced his glasses and adjusted his spectacles up his nose. My sense of self had been regained and I noted that the fabric of my blouse had already been pulled up by the doctor, and it appeared I had been asleep throughout the examination.
"You need to lower that blood pressure, Bella."
"I know." I whimpered. "It's just… it just hasn't been easy lately."
He knew that, but it wasn't an excuse anymore when it was threatening my child's life. Jonathan placed a heavy masculine hand over my belly button. I could feel the palm shake unsteadily over the tight skin. He mumbled something under his breath, a chant perhaps to calm his nerves. "What's your favorite thing to do in the whole world?" His tone immediately changed and he was looking cheerfully over me.
"Uhm?" I was taken off guard by the question. "I really like to paint and play music. I haven't really done any of that in a while though so I'm rather rusty." My step mother banned me from art…
A bitter frown shrunk his amusement and brought his hands back to shaking, "W-Well, I own an art easel actually. You can use it if you want?"
Oh wow, an easel! In this clan that must be a rarity. "That sounds wonderful, Jonathan. Truly. Where is all of this coming from though?"
He gave a relieved sigh. "You're blood pressure was 150 over 99. You were in hypertension before."
I had once read a large book of medical diagnoses, although I hadn't gotten very far in the book due to my hypochondriac paranoia. Although, I did get to hypertension- and for what I understood it was bad.
"Am I ok, is the baby?"
"For now, but you can't do this anymore." He proscribed me. "The best thing Madara has done since impregnating you, was leaving." I mouthed an immediate oh, as my doctor burned my husband."He's done you no good, and certainly been a hindrance on your health. You're only two months pregnant and he's on a sure path of aborting your child." My wide eyes drew the doctor out of his fit of rage and brought him back to his sensitive side that I so enjoyed. "Don't mind my rambling, Bell." He laughed it off. "My testosterone is getting the better of me. Your baby is doing beautifully, and in a couple months I'll be able to tell you the sex. All you have to do is keep the temperature on the oven down so the bun doesn't get burnt."
"That is a perfect analogy, Doctor."
"I know, right?"
Jonathan helped me off the table and pulled the sheet back. Grandpa hadn't moved an inch, he was still glaring at the intimidating woman who also hadn't moved from her corner in the room. Jonathan grimaced, "You should have been out of here hours ago, Hana."
So this is her? I re-examined the woman who had been delivering me death threats with her eyes since I walked in. She apparently already knew who I was. The tall ebony haired woman was perfectly described in one word, Uchiha. Dark eyes, dark hair, pale skin and an attitude- exactly how every single one of the Uchiha were.
"Yeah, well I would have been on the road hours ago if I had more help here! But, no! You're too busy playing babysitter to help us pack." A couple giggles resounded from the garden. The nurses quietly encouraged her assault from afar.
Jonathan shot a menacing look to the gossiping pansies and without a hesitation they turned around and stuck their noses back in their packaging. "You stand in the corner of the room and blame your lack of productivity on me? Woman, you have plenty of other things to do than dream up ways on how to put the blame on others."
"Uh!" She shrieked. "Excuse me, I've been working all day- I'm on break."
I shouldn't have done it, but I couldn't resist the urge to get my stab at my husband's ex. "Looks like you've been on break all evening." I showed her!
Jonathan and Grandpa laughed, not exactly at the bright red flaming woman, but at my mild affront and my complete satisfaction in it. "Bella, you're absolutely too much." Jonathan gave me a proud shake to the shoulder.
"Look, Bitch!" Hana simmered causing a whiplash of emotion to strike my mood. "You have no right to speak to me. Just because you have a fucking ring on your finger doesn't make you any less of an outsider! Madara will throw you away once he's bored of you, you're nothing special!"
I hadn't thought that this woman would be so bold as to personally criticize my relationship, especially to my face. I looked at Grandpa who appeared to have fallen deep into his subconscious. Jonathan was hanging back a bit uneager to confront Hana in her current state. It appeared Hana was used to getting exactly what she wanted, how she wanted it; must be Madara's type. She reminded me of Beniko, and I wouldn't take another one of those in my life.
"I don't remember anyone asking you for your input on my citizenship in the Uchiha. Don't make the mistake of labeling me as Madara's possession that he can easily throw away. My right to being here is beyond a marital decision, your ex-bedmate couldn't rid me of this clan if he tried. Not that he'd want me to, since I'm with his child." Why am I so excited to put this woman in her place? I never really thought I was the jealous type.
Hana froze with her jaw hanging slightly open and her eyes glazed over in confusion. The gossiping nurses looked at each other and back at Hana waiting for her to say something but she was simply crippled with overwhelming fluster. After several moments she recovered, "WHAT THE FUCK!" Hana screeched. Her anger had peaked as she found herself trapped in reality, finally understanding that I was here to stay. "AH! Why, why you?! Fucking, UH!" She swung her arm out and swatted a tray of surgical equipment across the room. The nurses quickened their packing speed ten-fold and attempted to ignore Hana's outburst. "You stupid bitch!" She barked wildly at me.
I flipped my hair over my shoulder, letting her know that her attempts at hurting me were fruitless. "I know you are, but what am I?" Ha, let's see how you take that, lady!
The tone drained out of her face as she cocked her head at me in confusion. "What?" She asked absently.
The corners of Jonathans lips twitched as he casually turned his head to examine whether I was real or not. He blew a light stream of air out of his mouth in a lazy sigh and patted my back gently as if to say "good try, honey."
"Do you want me to kill him?" Grandpa whispered.
My head wobbled in astonishment, "What?" Great now everyone's confused.
The old man smiled, revealing several missing teeth in his grin. "I want you to consent for me to kill him. I want you to want it." I felt a ring of Déjà vu echo through my mind.
"No thank you, Grandpa." He hmphed in frustration and took my arm to drag me out of the clinic with the doctor behind to close the doors. The rain had finally stopped, and I suddenly realized, I felt a lot better.
My baby was ok, I had a couple of loving sponsors at my side, and a feeling of glee had suddenly overcome my spirit.
It was short live. I could hear the smoke blowing out of Hana's ears as the temporary penalization had vanished. She fumbled out the doors of the clinic to chase after my company and I. "He sleeps with you when he's home, but when we're off at war- I am the one he fucks! Me, I am, that's the way it's always been! Hell, maybe while we're making passionate fucking love he'll impregnate me!"
A rumble of thunder coursed through the sky and the rain came down again. I rolled my eyes at the woman, "Have fun. I hope he destroys your curtains too!"
Hana screamed in absolute uncontrollable fury and fled back inside the clinic, slamming the door as she did.
Yutaku scowled at the falling wet droplets. "May, I told you to stop changing the God-damn weather. I can't train in the rain!"
Jonathan took my wrist in his hand to feel for my pulse and immediately sighed in frustration. "Complacent on the outside, complete mess on the in. I'm not even going to ask about what's going on with the weather, but it's a pretty clear indicator that you took that far harder than you let on. I suggest you find better ways to vent than… whatever you're doing."
I nodded in agreement sadly, as much as I pretended Hana didn't bother me, I felt a blunt sharp knife pointing at my back ready to plunge deep into my back. I wanted to trust my husband wouldn't betray me, but I honestly didn't know him all that well. I had married a man I didn't know, and the effects were starting to show.
So far all I knew of my husband was that he always thought he was right, was firmly aware of how much stronger he was than the typical person, intelligent but enjoyed the physical far more than the mental, did NOT enjoy sharing, always had a plan- and a back-up, and he knew when to say he was sorry. I hadn't an indicator to know whether to trust him or not, and due to his lying this past month- well I hadn't a reason to trust him.
The sharp sound of metal clashing against metal in a fervent sword fight; high cries breaking through the heavy wind, mixing in and dissolving into the atmosphere. Oh, and that vivid heavy smell of blood and death so intense that you could taste it in your mouth and feel it in your bones. Not to forget my favorite part, the scenery. A canvassed landscape with deep trenches buried and filled with carcasses and blood baths with high mountains built from the earth type Shinobi. War was my passion, and I was deeply in love with it.
Izuna to my side and the reinforcement behind us, it was our time to back up our allies in the battle against the Wind country and its Shinobi.
"Brother, do you sense that?"
"Yeah I sense it. Senju…"
A dark chuckle from my brother caught me off guard, "yes that… and… the medical unit is coming up behind us."
About damn fucking time! "That's good, hopefully we won't need them."
Izuna put a friendly hand on my shoulder, "hopefully you won't need them, you mean… Oh, here comes Hana." I shifted around quickly in responsively but saw no one but our brothers in war behind us. My little brother hunched over in a deep bellowing surge of laughter, "Oh man, bro. Good luck with that. Sincerely man, good fucking luck." He lurched forward and jumped into battle behind our enemies and wiped out a squad in one swoop.
I grimaced deeply, I can't believe he got me…. I can't believe I reacted like that. Fuck, we're going to be at war for at least six months, six months of celibacy…
I stayed back as the men jumped into battle with my brother. My hand dug for a pad of paper inside of my pouch and a pen to write with. I was in a hurry to join the battle but I remembered I had promised in my letter to write my wife once I got to the battle grounds.
Dear Bella. I scratched it. Too romantic and crap.
Bella, I scratched it again. Far too insincere.
My wife, … Yah… Scratch. She probably doesn't want to be reminded right now.
I had no idea how to start a letter to my wife, and honestly she probably wouldn't even read it anyway. I wanted to know if she and the baby were ok though. So I made an oath and I swore it would be the last awful thing I'd do to my wife.
Jonathan, tell Bella I'm here.I wrote her physician instead.
"Why is Grandpa getting sick?"
"Well he's old, Bell." I looked over at the man who sat solemnly eating his dead bird stew. His wrinkles creased over his eyelids and down his cheeks making him look either extremely tired- or really mad.
I took the wet dish from Jonathan and dried it, placing it neatly in the cabinet. "Well obviously, but what all is going wrong?"
Blizzard sat on the floor below Grandpa and looked up at him with giant blue sad eyes. The elder looked down at the cat and grunted at him, "Shoulda named you scraps." He threw the tiger a chunk of meat, and he caught it easily in his mouth.
"Cataracts has had its way with him, his kidneys hardly work, I have no idea how he even still has a liver, and his lungs are filled with tumors. Benign tumors, but they're making it hard for him to breath."
I felt sorry for the old man, although it was his time. He had been on this earth for a long time, I just had problems with letting people go. "What about May? Who was that? I don't really understand that whole story." I had those vague images that went in and out of my mind once and awhile, but none of the visions I had meant anything significant. Who was May, and why was she so important to him?
"I really couldn't tell you first hand, all I really know was she was his first wife and a Senju Princess. He killed her when ordered to do so by the previous elders. He's been a bitter bastard since. If you want to know more, ask Grayson. He was Yutaku's student during the elder days- he'd know more."
"What about Haruko?" I heard he's mean, mean people usually know a lot. That's why they're so mean.
Jonathan chuckled, "Hey Yutaku…" The man looked up as he heard his name being called. "Haruko."
"BACH!" He immediately blared. Completely confused as to what had just happened I just watched my doctor in complete dumbfounded confusion.
"Ha-" He teased the geezer.
"BAAAA-"
"Ru-"
"AAAAA"
Quickly Jonathan shouted, "ko!"
"BACH!"
Still completely confused I waited patiently. "They don't like each other."
"Yes, I see."
"Like hate."
"Understood."
"Like, I'd kill you if you weren't my brother… and If I could get away with it kinda hate."
"Oh!" That's perfect, they're brothers! "So he'd know everything."
Jonathan didn't appear to approve of the plan I was conjuring up behind my eyes and was about to verbally disapprove of it, but the temptation to mess with grandpa more took over him. He shouted abruptly at the nearly slumbering man, "HARUKO!"
"BAAACHHHHHHHHHH" The old man roared frightening Blizzard enough to make him piss on the floor and run under my skirt for cover.
"I JUST CLEANED THE FLOOR, DAMNIT!"-
"Hello, Hashirama." I smiled kindly at my old friend.
He saluted me from across the battlefield and approached cautiously. "Madara, it's good to see you- nice haircut, it makes you look younger!" I tugged at the ends of my black hair, they reached just below my jaw line now.
I looked up at the man and sighed, "wasn't done by choice." Hashirama and I were friendly to each other every time we met in battle. Our pasts were so close that it felt rude to fight him without at least a greeting.
"Oh yes, a little birdy told me you got married! Congratulations, my brother!"
A piece of my inner calm fractured as that little complication from earlier came back to haunt me. "How'd you find out about that?" He kept his silence and pleasant smile on his face as I cursed that damn defector.
"I bet she's beautiful, and no doubt she must be patient if she married you."
Is he trying to get under my skin? "She is definitely something special," I mused at the thought of her. "What does it matter to you?"
He shrugged underneath his red armor, "I have a wife, you have a wife- how about we get our wives together. I'm sure they'd enjoy a night out on the town- I actually know this little restaurant on the edge of the-"
"-Cut the crap, Hashirama. I'm not agreeing to your ridiculous truce, not that it's even my decision in the first place. My father's still the leader."
The old friend placed his hands on his hips and sighed deeply. "It was only a suggestion, hopefully one day when you become leader we'll be able to make a compromise."
"I sincerely doubt that'll happen." I reached for my Katana, done with pleasantries and such. Even though I was ready to fight on the outside, inside I was swarming with thoughts that begged me to go home and protect my family.
Hashirama took his stance in return. "Don't worry about her, Madara." He sensed my anxiety. "You are my brother at heart and she is your wife; that makes her my family as well."
I was relieved, but it wasn't any grand revelation to me. I knew all along that he'd never order my wife's assassination; he was too honorable to muddy his hands in innocent blood. "Enough talk, fight me and don't hold back. I've been eager for this fight all day."
Hashirama lost his smile and reluctantly drew out his sword. "Alright, you win. I'll solicit you later about the treaty."
"There won't be a later." I came at him in full speed with my sword cocked at a 90 degree angle.
He dodged my first attempt at taking his head off. "Confident as ever, are we?" Let's see how long you keep that smile.