"Well, I can almost say I'm excited for your marriage." Hisa joked, dragging a warm, wet rag across Madara's back. "At least I won't be the only one cheating here."

"Aren't you an optimist?" He reciprocated her irony, closing his eyes to enjoy the moment. Her house was finally empty again, so they took a chance to spend an evening there, and bathe together. "But get this, it's almost like destiny: you've been given to a man twice your age and I, to a girl. Our ancestors have some sick sense of humor."

She placed a warm, wet kiss on his shoulder, and he felt a breezy smile tugging at his lips.

"My turn," She whispered in his ear, her husky voice crackled like fire, and he felt his skin cower. They repositioned so that her back was turned to him. "And please, let's change the subject."

"You started it."

Before washing her back, Madara removed few stray strands of wet hair from the back of her neck, and licked his way up, smiling against Hisa's skin as she shuddered. The rag she passed to him was dropped back into the water, as he wrapped an arm around her upper torso to pull her closer, grazing his fingers over her breasts.

Gods, he didn't want to go back home, not when he had to greet the Senju's and seal that sad arrangement they made. He just wished to stay right where he was: warm, lustful, happy. Was that too much to ask?

….

As help ran all around the house, brining food and drinks to the table in the receiving room, and a maid fixed his robe over and over again - although he didn't see anything wrong with it - Madara couldn't help but think back to the day Izuna was engaged to Mego. A wave of sadness overcame him. His brother would surely have something encouraging and witty to say about this situation.

"Brother in law!" Mego carefully moved between the other people, as not to hurt herself, making her way over to him. "I just wanted to wish you luck before it begins."

"Thank you." He nodded. He wished she could be by his side, at the very least. But she was still considered unlucky, so she was unwanted. "I am sure Sumi will keep you very well informed about everything that goes down." He tried to smile.

"Oh, yes! She will be helping."

"I know you would like to stay with us…" He blurted out, unable to leave her behind without even bringing it up. Weddings, coupling, all of the sleazy stuff was something she enjoyed. And she didn't get to enjoy much since she had been widowed.

"It's alright. You aren't marrying the one you want, anyway. There's nothing to be seen." Her tone was darker than he was used to. She wasn't wrong there, he admitted.

"Yeah…" Though, whenever she would make her innocent little assumptions about the romance he was involved in, he'd feel a special sting of guilt. He had gotten used to the idea that he slept with the wife of a family friend, and even to the idea that he slept with her despite being promised to another. But this perfect idea of romance seemed to get to him.

He, too, knew it's a wonderful thing, to find real love and give yourself only to those you truly care for, while minding social norms and honor. In theory. In reality, however, it was seldom possible.

"I am sorry, brother in law! I only made you sad now." Mego whined, proceeding to face palm, anxiously looking for right words to tell him. "I am sure the girl will be lovely. Izuna didn't know me either, and we were so happy!"

"I know, I believe so too." He lied. So what? He was already a cheater. Lying didn't hold a candle to that. That made him smile. I am such a bastard, he thought.

….

Tobirama frowned, staring straight at Madara's face. Why is this bastard so gloomy? He demanded silently. Not only was he being given their sister, but he had the audacity to not be happy about it? She was way more than he could dream to deserve.

His brother, however, didn't seem to mind this. Hashirama led the conversation while the rest of them, Tobirama, Madara and their fathers failed to be as jolly. He still found it unbelievable that Yuna would marry this man, that cursed Uchiha Madara would get to lie with her.

Funnily so, he still held a certain dose of hope for the things turning out differently. Especially since Madara was looking pretty unhappy with everything. True, it insulted him on one side, but he'd much rather be insulted than have Madara lay a hand on his sister!

He took a shot of his drink, getting nervous as the meeting proceeded. How Madara felt really didn't matter at all – he had to face the reality, his palms sweating. This was an arrangement, and one he could not refuse or they would be obligated to terminate the whole ordeal with the treaty. No matter how sad a fate of being an Uchiha's wife, being rejected would be considered a slander to Yuna's honor.

They would have to end all of this…

There is no hope, he thought to himself bitterly, waiting for his cup to be filled so he could take yet another shot.

Then, a ray of hope did appear before him, when he looked up at the girl pouring his drink. Tajima's voice was becoming less and less audible to him as he focused on her. What was her name? He was sure he had heard it back in the prison… It was on the very tip of his tongue.

His mind raced, trying to bring some kind of plan together. Whatever he came up with sounded incredibly stupid in this last-minute situation. Still, he couldn't imagine not taking the chance. He wouldn't get another one.

Could he bring her up? What if she's already taken?

Quickly enough, he was pulled back into reality, as his father and Tajima were rising their cups to cheer.

"We agree with those terms. It will be an honor to welcome your daughter to—"

"I have a different proposal to make!" He managed to blurt out before Tajima was done, trying to stand up so fast he was left in an awkward position between sitting and standing for a few moments as the others' eyes bore into him. With his peripheral vision he took note of the girl, who was just leaving the room, getting lost behind the door. Good, it would be pretty strange if she stood right there. Not that it would stop him.

"What?!" Hashirama asked, his kept his voice barely above a whisper, not even trying to be subtle. "Brother, we are about to bring our clans together. What better proposal could you offer?"

He looked to his right to face his brother. Yeah, the next time they spar, he was going to bite the dust, for sure. But that was a sacrifice he was willing to make.

"We may yet bring them together." He made a small pause, for the sake of being dramatic and not to appear too desperate. "There is an Uchiha woman I would marry."

The others were quiet for a few long moments, exchanging confused glances among themselves.

"Do you even know any Uchiha women?! Stop trying to sabotage—" Hashirama was cut off, by none other than the groom himself.

"Name her." He said simply, pretty much expressionless as he always was, but a little less sulky than before, Tobirama noted.

He took a deep breath. Here goes. He, Senju Tobirama, would ask for an Uchiha woman's hand. Gods really liked to play games with him and his sorry fate.

"Suni."

Slight confusion was replaced with a ghost of a smile on Madara's face.

"Sumi?"

Fuck. He knew it didn't sound right. But what to do, he had only heard the name once.

"Of course, that's what I said."

"Of course." The bastard smiled again.

"We would have to speak to her guardian… But, neither we, nor she will deny you, I am sure." Tajima added slowly. "What do we do about our current arrangement, though?" He looked at Tobirama's father.

"Uh… Let us wait then. If the girl and her guardian agree to my son's proposal… I suppose we don't need both arrangements for the sake of our treaty?"

"No, we don't." Madara was quick to agree.

"I'd like you to stay as our guests until tomorrow. We'll make sure to make different preparations as soon as possible." Tajima added. And that concluded it. Sitting back down, Tobirama realized he had been holding his breath, sighing to release it. Glancing across the wooden table, he made brief eye-contact with Madara. To think the day came when the two of them shared common intentions.

….

Sumi slowly landed on the nearest chair in the kitchen, not even looking Madara's way as he continued to tell her the news. Good or bad, it was up to her. He was, personally, overjoyed.

"But… How can I… Why me?" The poor girl didn't even know what questions to ask. Not because of anything you have to offer, he thought, but decided against being vocally mean to her. The wench moving away was another thing to look forward to, he realized.

"You must have met him at some point? He did know your name."

"Where would I… Oh." She looked up at him, recognition written all over her face. "He was imprisoned here. He's the big one, with white hair?!"

"Yes, that's Tobirama."

Usually, he would have pressed her to tell him what in the world she was doing in the prison, but at the moment, it really didn't even matter. Nor did he have the time to chat with her. Hashirama awaited him still, they were going to go have a drink.

At the door, he was met with Mego's worried expression.

"Oh—Brother in law, Sumi! What happened?"

"Uhm… Sumi will explain." He petted her hair gently and went to meet the Senju. He didn't want to make the man wait upon all else. Hashirama didn't even attempt to hide his disappointment with the chain of events.

"Don't look so grim, Hashirama! It's not the end of the world." Madara offered consolation, but tried not to appear too happy, himself. If Tobirama hadn't grabbed all the attention earlier during their meeting, Hashirama would have noticed how easily Madara agreed to cancel his betrothal to their sister. "Senju and Uchiha are still coming together."

"Yes, but I wanted us to be family! You wanted that too, right?!" The man wouldn't let it go.

"I did, naturally."

"Then, let us marry you and Yuna anyway! If that Sumi girl caught Tobirama's eye, so be it. But you—"

"Hashirama." Madara interrupted. "Tobirama is your clan leader's son, same as you. Him marrying any Uchiha woman is good for our treaty. Not to mention what good family Sumi originally comes from."

"I know that, fine. But we could share blood if you were to take Yuna!"

"Look, your sister is still very young. I'm sure this change of events will not make her unhappy." While Hashirama was trying to think of yet more comebacks, Madara took the chance to remind him they were going out to a tavern, hoping to change the topic, at least for the evening.

Finally, at the mention of gambling, he succeeded.