By the time Madara had reached the camp, morning was well on its way and the sun was out. Only one or two other people were out of their homes, greeting him tiredly as they passed him. He made his way to his house, stopping at the entrance to mentally prepare himself for anything he might see or hear next.

He entered the house, finally, surprised by how quiet it was. He could hear people moving, feet tapping on the floor, conversation here and there. He felt free to assume it was already over, and he wasn't completely sure if he felt bad or relieved. Having expected to be greeted by shrill screams, the silence was a pleasant surprise. Still, he wished he had been by the door to hear the first time the baby starts to cry.

Heading down the hall, Madara made way for Mego's bedroom. Before he had reached it, the door opened. A servant rushed out, struggling to carry a load of bed sheets all by herself.

"Is it over?" He asked.

She halted upon facing him, looking like she's about to be sick. She parted her lips to say something, but ultimately, just shook her head and hurried along, not even giving him enough time to stop her. For a brief second he stood in the hallway unable to decide whether he should chase after the servant anyway, or just hurry up and get to Mego's bedroom…

If she even was still there. Panic immediately started to take over him.

In the end, he decided on the latter and rushed over to the door. Breathing became hard as his throat tightened in worry, and he paused before daring to enter. You fucking idiot, he had to tell himself. After all he's been through, had he really just spent past months of Mego's pregnancy never considering that something might go terribly wrong with it?

His mind itself was hesitating to release the thought, but it crept out nevertheless… Is she dead? That would not be unheard of; Madara's own mother had died giving birth to one of his younger siblings.

Exhaustion from running, from the wedding, from life overwhelmed him, all at once, and he leaned his arm on the door frame for support. Now that he had considered the possibility, he didn't know whether he even should enter. What would he see?

Abruptly, as if frightened, he staggered back when the door slid open, producing Shime. The woman carried a white rag, turned pinkish from blood, still attempting to completely clean her hands as she walked. Her gaze softened into pitying one once she saw Madara.

"What…" He could barely decide which question to ask. "Is Mego…"

His eyes wandered the healer's unreadable face, his heartbeat quickening with every moment he was made to wait for her answer. He could almost hear the words 'She's dead', nearly tricking himself into believing he had actually heard them from Shime.

"She will be fine. But… The baby…" She finished by simply shaking her head.

"Can I see her?"

"Who?"

"What do you mean who?! Mego—" He went quiet then, locking gazes with Shime. Her. "A girl?" He slowly asked, unable to stop his voice from breaking. The woman nodded sadly.

"I already had an assistant take her to my tent. We'll bury her tomorrow."

Another thing Madara never bothered to think of was whether the child was going to be male or female; yet, at that moment, it seemed as if a little baby girl, Izuna's daughter, was simply meant to be born in their family… but, of course, just as her father, she was taken from them.

He sniffed, forcing back the lump in his throat.

"And Mego? May I see her?"

"I managed to calm her down and give her something to fall asleep. Don't wake her yet."

He nodded understandingly, and finally went inside.

The room was dark, as drapes were pulled over the window. Another servant was collecting washbowls and rags to take out; Madara waited for her to finish and leave. By then, he glanced over at the bed, and the one sleeping in it.

Just like when Izuna died, he didn't know how to approach her; how to speak to her once she's awake. Once left alone, he went to open up the window, then took a chair from the corner to sit by the bed and wait.

At least she shouldn't be all alone when she awakes, if nothing else. Although, he knew his presence was a pretty worthless consolation right now; even to himself.

….

Tobirama sat in his small library, studying a particular jutsu he wanted to work on. His fingers continuously searched for something to play with, be it edge of the paper, the desk, or his own hair. And his mind wasn't much better. He kept having to reread the sentences, almost ready to just give up.

His brother told him to stay home for the day, so he can spend time with his bride and make her feel welcome in her new home. Honestly, he would rather do anything but. If he felt uneasy around Uchiha Sumi during the wedding, after bailing on her on their first night, he didn't even have a word to describe his discomfort. Shame. Yes, shame cut it pretty close.

Exhaling tiredly, he wrapped the scroll and tossed it on a pile in the desk's corner. Leaning back in his chair, he looked at the ceiling, wishing his mind was as white and clear as it was.

Look, he didn't plan to just not go to Uchiha Sumi the previous night! He pondered on the matter over and over again, and during their entire trip he was attempting to bring together a proper way to address the problem to her. It was indeed his intention to talk to her about it! To try and explain why he couldn't just lay with the enemy so easily, and try and get her to agree. Maybe she even felt the same way!

But… When time came for him to join her in their new bedroom, he just… He bailed. He convinced himself it would be alright to just not appear. It's not as if she would tell anyone, when everyone in the house was a stranger to her. He simply… could do it. Yes, he had done it because he could, as bad as that sounds.

Quickly, he sat up straight upon hearing a knock on the door. For a moment he tried to remember if he had been expecting anyone.

"Come in." He called, turning his chair so he would face the person.

Tobirama suppressed a sigh when the door slid open, revealing Uchiha Sumi.

"I've been looking for you,…" It seemed she was going to address him, but didn't know how exactly. Unlike him, she wasn't trained to conceal every emotion she might feel, so they were pretty much displayed right on her. She swallowed her saliva three times already since she entered, her eyes blinked much more often than usual, her lips would produce a tiny tick while she was silent. Discomfort. He only knew it all too well.

"How may I help you?" Tobirama faked ignorance, hoping Uchiha Sumi wasn't actually confident enough to tell him off. She didn't appear that way, at least. But then again, he appeared stone cold and collected, yet…

She hesitated for a while, which led him to believe she indeed came to talk about last night. A little optimism sprung inside of him, and he was almost willing to bet she would just excuse herself and leave him alone. Uchihas weren't very lenient to their women, so boldness wasn't expected of her.

"I was told we would spend the day together, and you would show me around." She said, instead. Now, Hashirama obviously won't ask about her time in bed with her husband, but he surely will inquire about her day. And if she tells about Tobirama not doing his part in it, Hashirama would get involved; and then Butsuma would get involved, and then…

He didn't even want to think about what comes after.

Slowly, he got up from his seat.

"What do you wish to see?"

"Everything… I'd like to see shops, meet people…" She shrugged, looking up to face him.

"My sister Yuna could accompany you if you wish to shop—"

"I didn't marry your sister."

Something in the way Uchiha Sumi spoke, and the way her black eyes bore into him from below, made him nervous. This is one bold Uchiha woman, was what went through his head.

"Of course." He cleared his throat. "Let's get our coats and we'll go."

….

Sumi was trying her best to keep her brows from coming together in a frown, while leaving the house with her husband – who wasn't worthy of being called that! She was very angry, and despite her best efforts to be polite, she could tell he knew.

Last night, she let herself assume something held him back for too long, and in the morning actually blamed herself for falling asleep. She spent her first waking hours anxious, scolding herself for being a disappointment. She imagined Tobirama probably entered the bedroom, saw she had fallen asleep like an idiot, and left, as anyone would!

Then, however, he spent the whole morning clearly avoiding her. He never came by their room – well, her room, it seemed – never wished her good morning, never said a word during the breakfast she prepared for everyone after they came home and she completed the short custom with her brother in law.

All of the family in their own way had attempted to make her feel welcome among them. Hashirama, obviously, was very open and available. He had told her about ten times to talk to him if she needed anything. Butsuma was brooding, as he did during the wedding, but even he wished her a good morning and praised the food she made! Even their little sister, albeit all the while looking down her nose, offered her a compliment.

That was much more than she expected of any of them.

But, it was clear as day: Tobirama had no intention to bathe with her, he had no intention to sleep with her… Even just to get him to walk with her, she had to bare her teeth! In all honesty, she wasn't sure what to think.

If he felt strange, she could understand. They were basically strangers, but almost all the marriages around them started that way, and other couples dealt with it in some normal way. If he loved another, or simply wasn't comfortable with being close with her just yet, he could have just told her! But, no. He dragged her here, away from her home, for the purpose of his own plans, and now even had the audacity to completely ignore her!

Senju people passed them by as they walked, greeting Tobirama on their way; their eyes would linger on her for a bit, suspicious and curious, but most of them murmured out a short greeting for her as well.

It was evident they all had a lot of respect for him. Sumi took the chance to discretely observe him when she could. He was one of the clan's greatest assets, a great warrior, and apparently an inventor of different jutsu. Men of his reputation and stature usually came off as very intimidating. Having grown up as a handmaiden, Sumi had spent all her living years lowering her gaze before such men. They were simply too intense and scary to face.

So, she was left wondering why Senju Tobirama didn't make her feel that fearful reverence. She wouldn't go as far as to be disrespectful to him, but her view of him was mostly shaped by their first ever encounter: this great man sat chained and defeated in a cage, eating the food she gave him off the dirty cobbled floor.

All she did feel upon looking at him was anger because of his ongoing behavior. She may have been too intense with it, because Tobirama turned to face her, chuckling awkwardly when she quickly looked away, frowning.

"Would you like to eat sweets?" He asked, leaving her confused for a few moments, until she spotted a stand selling food behind him.

"Yes." Sumi replied in a slightly harsher tone than she originally intended. She couldn't help it.

Tobirama smiled and went over, taking a minute to finish the purchase.

They kept walking slowly, soon following the path that led through the gate and away from the camp. Thanks to working people and horses, camp ground was filled with mud puddles; while the meadow and nearby woods surrounding it were perfectly green and fresh.

Sumi tried to make as little sounds as possible while eating her pastry, as they both went on not speaking, nature being the only one to produce any noise around them.

A small smile involuntarily made its way to her face once they entered the woods. The smell inside was musky and wet, and the branches of giant trees let in sunrays in thin streams, painting the leaves and the ground golden where they landed. She's never been very far from her own camp, so she never went far enough to see any of these giant forests. She felt as small as a ladybug in there.

"There's a pond not far from here." Tobirama broke the silence, and she followed when he turned right, after a few minutes, arriving before the small body of water. She let out a sigh in awe at its beauty. If only they all lived in a better world, she could roam such places endlessly on her own.

She observed Tobirama while he removed his coat and placed it on a huge log by the pond. He motioned for her to sit, and she did, finishing her candy as she made herself comfortable. She half expected him to remain standing, given his unreasonable need to escape her, but he had joined her.

Well, she had asked to go around the camp, but this was way better anyway, so she let herself enjoy the view and scents of nature around them. Unsure whether Tobirama wanted to say something, Sumi kept silent too, even thought she felt his gaze on her. It was very strange to just sit around with him as if they actually knew each other.

"I will…" He started after a few long minutes, "I will treat you well. I just need some time."

Sumi faced him. He indeed looked burdened. She nodded. Their marriage had only begun, after all. All she needed from him was to at least be bothered enough to speak up about it.

"It's our first day, anyway. There is time." She shrugged her shoulders.

"Yes… And when I say I need time, I don't mean a few days, or weeks. I'm not even sure how long I'll need." He kept eye contact with her.

Sumi hesitated for a moment, before asking "Why?"

She wanted to hear whatever the reason was, in order to know what she was going to have to deal with.

"Why?" Tobirama shook his head, in disbelief. "You're an Uchiha." He pointed out as matter-of-factly, almost as if he found her question funny.

"And… Is that all? So? You're a Senju!" She couldn't help but find his reason slightly offensive. She went to remind him he initiated all of this in the first place, but he spoke first.

"I'll assume you never had to kill a Senju with your bare hands?" His tone lowered, making the words he produced come off as even more frightening.

Sumi swallowed her upcoming words at his question. Suddenly, she felt restless, realizing she's sitting centimeters away from a man who's killed probably as many Uchihas as she knew. Gods, she had completely pushed all of that to the back of her mind, focusing only on herself. He probably took note of the fear in her eyes, making her wince when he awkwardly placed his hand atop hers.

"That doesn't mean I want to hurt you, of course. Just… I need to get used to you not being an enemy."

"Alright…"

He nodded, carefully.

"Fine. Let's head back now."

….

When she opened her eyes, Mego was welcomed by a dark room. A bit of daylight sneaked in under dark curtains, but that was all. As soon as her sleepiness went away, she felt her throat tighten and her eyes itch with tears collecting in them.

With heavy breaths, she went to sit up, wanting to see how her body felt after childbirth. She sniffed, going to make herself comfortable since she realized there was no physical pain, except she felt lightheaded and slightly dizzy. Her breasts felt uneasy as well, and upon touching her stomach, she felt it was still nearly as big as it had been during pregnancy. She didn't know when it would go back to normal.

Suddenly, with the corner of her eye she caught a silhouette by the side of the bed. It didn't take long to recognize the discernible long, wild hair of her brother in law. He sat, leaning back in a chair, his head slightly turned left. He was asleep.

Mego was unsure when he returned. She last remembered seeing the clone he had left behind right when she went into labor. She felt her chin start to tremble when she thought how he must have felt when he heard the news. He waited for that baby more eagerly than anyone. Pulling her knees closer to herself, she hugged them, trying not to produce any sound. But, of course, it didn't take long for Madara to wake up to her sobs.

He looked up, still for a few moments, as if he was processing where he was. Abruptly, upon seeing her, he got up, knocking down the chair in the process, and came over to the bed. He sat on the edge of the bed, and Mego could no longer keep quiet, once she felt his arm around her.

Parting her from her knees, Madara pulled her into a hug, holding her in the crook of his neck and caressing her hair. He sighed heavily, as she kept on weeping.

"You'll be fine…" He whispered, leaning his cheek on top of her head.

"I know…" She choked out, parting from him. "But… Shime said she's healthy! How could it come to this? I never guessed—" Madara interrupted her with another hug. "I didn't want her, it's my fault…"

"For gods' sake, Mego…" She felt him shake his head. "You took care of yourself, you ate well, you went to Shime… You did everything right. It can't be your fault."

"Then why?!"

"It happens! For some bloody reason, these things happen!" He placed a kiss on her temple. "Stop making it worse on yourself."

"What will I do now?" She sniffed, pulling away yet again. She looked intensely into where she thought his eyes were; she couldn't tell clearly in the dark.

"What will you do…" He repeated her question breathily. "Anything, whatever you want! You are alive, and that's all—" He stopped talking for a while, as if he wished to say something but changed his mind. "You're alive, and you'll be fine." She felt his thumb grazing her cheek, and leaned into it.

Yeah, she definitely won't be able to do 'anything, whatever she wants', and he knew that too. But she decided not to contradict him any further, and spare both of them more heartache.

"I'd like some water." She finally said, wiping her tears, and slowly went to lie back down.

"Of course, I'll get some right away."

Madara swiftly got up, and headed for the door.

"Brother in law?" He stopped to look at her, waiting. "Open the curtain, please." He nodded, and did so.

Mego squinted her eyes a while before they got used to the brightness, then looked at Madara, now able to clearly see him; still in his traveling clothes, pale and red eyed. She almost started to cry again, but managed to hold herself together.

She stretched out her arm, and he smiled, coming closer to take her hand. He gave it a gentle squeeze.

"I'll be right back."

Somehow, she managed a shadow of a smile too.

"Hurry up."