The Adversity of The Warring States
Madara's Private Study
Madara focused on the broken wood ink brush between his fingers, which left ink splatters on his kimono and across the table. Little flecks decorated the scroll that he was copying the contents on. As if right on cue, Izuna walked into the study.
Initially, when Mirai had been in the study with him, his urges pushed him to take her then and there fully. However, with Izuna's chakra lingering close by, he had let her go just in time. Had he not detected Izuna nearby, their interaction would have become a sight for his curious eyes.
Izuna chuckled at Madara, seeing the broken brush and splattered ink.
"Does something bother you, Nee-san?"
Madara dropped the broken brush and rolled the soiled scroll up.
"No, what brings you here at this hour?" Madara asked monotonously.
"The men want to spar in some time, came to get you unless you have something or maybe someone to tend to…." Izuna smirked.
Izuna made himself comfortable on the plush rug, not failing to notice a silk obi sash lying a few feet away from him and that the cushions were warmer than usual. Soon after that, his vision fell on a silver hairpin lying in the strands of the plush carpet. Picking it up, he brought it high enough for Madara to notice.
Madara's face had been masked as serious, but the remnants of his interactions with Mirai just moments earlier crawled through his mind. The younger Uchiha twiddled the pin between his fingers before tossing it to Madara, who caught it with his inked hand.
Izuna waited for his brother to divulge some information about the presence that had been in the study before him. Still, to his disappointment, Madara ignored his teasing behavior. Whatever had happened in the study before his arrival came off as scandalous, predominantly the undone obi sash lying a few feet away. Izuna wanted to tease his brother more but figured he would do it in Mirai's presence.
"Nee-san… the council will not be happy with your plan to pillage the Senju earlier than planned."
"Regardless, the council will oppose any plan for attacking the Senju earlier, but I have given the final word."
"One question still stands, though; will your wife fight alongside us… I've seen how they look at her. Is she not from our enemy?"
"Oba-sama stands against her going to war with her own people."
"Well, you are still newlywed. She does have a point. She would never approve of taking the new bride on a war tour. But if you brought her, she would bring down the morale of the Senju." Izuna stated amusedly as he twiddled the hairpin between his fingers.
"That can be discussed later. Let us head to the training grounds first."
Not a minute later, Madara had called a servant who brought him a fresh haori and wet towels to rid himself of the ink specks. Soon after, Izuna and Madara left for the training grounds.
Mirai & Madara's Chambers.
She could feel the residual wetness between her thighs as she breathed erratically into her pillow. She felt aroused and confused. She had never experienced such sensations where she felt pulled to his pleasuring touch despite her feelings towards Madara. Her body wanted more of what she had felt but felt ashamed and hated herself for it. Her first experience with him had been disturbing; he had forced her to perform certain acts against her will, which disgusted her. From what she had understood, he had wanted to put her in her place, yet Mirai was determined to equally not fall to his whims. Yet today, it had felt slightly different. He had focused on her and knew how to draw out her weakness instead of his brute force doing the work for him.
Sitting up from her position, her hand pushed her hair out of her face, suddenly realizing that she had left her pin in the study. 'I will not return there for some time,' she thought. She could not bring herself to face Madara after the incident in the study. Her eyes scrunched shut when thinking of his fingers pleasuring her womanhood.
She shot up from the futon, determined to walk to the bathhouse to cleanse herself. There, she was helped with her attire and bathed.
Mirai sat submerged to her neck in a large white marbled pool filled with hot water. She could smell the aroma of lavender in her bath with the steam that caressed her face.
Her mind went to the news Rei-sama had revealed to her during her sickness in the last couple of days. Mirai had learned that the Uchiha had planned a covert mission to annihilate all Senju through a surprise attack on the Senju Estates.
Mirai did not cringe away at the news. She still felt anger and betrayal towards Mito and Hashirama, along with her father, for putting her in the situation that she was in. She told herself that if the Uchiha had waged war on the Senju, then it was for the right reasons. They had attempted means to kill her and had no shame in showing up at her reception to face her. Mirai was disgusted with how Hashirama could have allowed such an attempt on her life. He was someone she had respected since she was young. For the Senju to stoop that low meant they did not care for her much. She had let her expectations down for them, yet her mind still could not accept that Tobirama would do such a thing to her. She was still stuck with mixed emotions after he snuck into her dressing room before her wedding.
Sighing deeply, she buried herself in the water, only to come out seconds later. Clearing her face of her wet strands, she stood up and reached for her towel.
Her trust had been shaken, whether it was her blood relationships or people she had considered close to her. She had no choice in the current matter.
Uchiha Stronghold
The day had passed rather quickly, and it was dinner time. Rei-sama was visiting the civilian districts of the Uchiha territory to raise support for the upcoming war. Her return was scheduled for the next day or so, which meant that it would only be Madara and Izuna at the dining hall.
This would be the first family meal that Mirai would have had with Izuna and Madara together.
Madara and Izuna had returned after sparring with their squads shortly before dinner. Mirai had stuck to her quarters for the rest of the evening with Sai to keep her company. Before dinner, Sai escorted Mirai to the dining room, and once again, Mirai had been dressed in the exact blue silk kimono from earlier, but with a different obi and her hair down.
As the Shoji panels opened to the dining room, Mirai bowed her head out of respect and looked up to see Izuna and Madara sitting cross-legged with their own small tables in front of them. From the looks of it, they had been waiting for her presence. Madara nodded at her presence without looking at her, and Izuna smiled at her – it was not a genuine smile.
Izuna had been waiting for this moment. He anticipated having fun during dinner time. He observed Mirai as she walked into the dining hall and briefly took her seat without making eye contact with him and Madara. He could sense the awkwardness between the couple, which led him to believe they had not willingly sought each other's company. Smirking, he cleared his throat and looked at Mirai.
"Mirai-san, it has certainly been a while since we have had the pleasure of being graced with your presence at dinner. I assume you have healed well from your poisoning ordeal?"
'Poisoning ordeal?' she cringed inwardly. Then, feeling Madara's gaze, she turned to Izuna to answer his question.
"Yes, Izuna-san, as you may already know, it was a severe case of arsenic poisoning. Had it not been caught in time, it would have claimed my life."
"Ah, I see. You have Nee-san to thank for his strong intuition, then."
Madara switched his attention to Izuna.
Mirai pursed her lips together. She could see that he was rather enjoying himself.
As if on cue, the kitchen servants brought out their meals.
Everyone began eating in silence as the maids served them.
Mirai held a bowl to her lips as she took a small sip of some warm broth when she heard Izuna suddenly relay instructions to a nearby maiko.
"Have the study on the second floor thoroughly cleaned and return any pieces of clothing found to their rightful chambers." Mirai choked on her soup so hard and broke into a coughing fit.
Izuna held in the urge to laugh to his heart's content. But he would not let his brother off the hook easily either. He had noticed the obi sash in the study earlier, but he had also noticed that his brother held a broken calligraphy brush in his hands with ink splattered across his working table and scrolls.
"Make sure to clean the ink off the table, replenish the ink, and replace Nee-san's broken brush."
Madara stared at Izuna like a hawk as he took a bite from his chopsticks.
Madara knew full well what Izuna was doing. He would pay for this during their upcoming sparring.
Noticeably losing her appetite, Mirai clutched a mug of hot tea. She needed not to be reminded of their earlier interaction; having Izuna put the pieces together was unbearably embarrassing. She rose, bowed her head towards Madara and Izuna, and silently left for her chambers.
Izuna, letting go of his tiny snickers, blew into a full-out laugh but suddenly dipped his head low enough to avoid a pair of sharply aimed chopsticks at his head, which now pierced the wall behind him.
"Kami, you could have killed me with that," Izuna called out animatedly, pulling out the sticks from the wall behind him.
"Perhaps that would have kept you from meddling," Madara replied.
"Oh, come on, both of you were asking for it," Izuna continued to snicker. "It was just so obvious, and you had made no effort to hide it. It was just too good of an opportunity," he called out.
Madara gave a low grunt.
"Might I suggest that you may have taken a liking to our new guest, ne?"
If looks could kill, Izuna would have dropped dead.
Madara suddenly changed the subject to their grandmother, but Izuna was not having it and interrupted him.
"Nee-san, was this truly Oba-sama's doing? I had never asked, and you have never said a word. We have taken such steps because we have been told these are our duties to fulfill as clan leaders. This is not like Takara's one-sided affection for you. You are in this for a lifetime. So, have you taken a liking to her?"
"Takara was foolish; this was determined long ago. If she tries to meddle further, she will be punished accordingly."
Izuna looked down and then shot him a sideways glance, "I do not disagree with that, but do you see Mirai as someone who would tie her loyalties to you or us?" suddenly remembering the incident on the wedding day when Hikaru had explained that Tobirama had walked out of Mirai's chambers before their ceremony. He had dared not reveal that detail to Madara, but he could still sidestep around it.
Madara was unsure of her loyalties, but he knew of her disloyalty on various occasions. Nothing could be said for sure. He had been tampering with her to see how she would unravel in situations, but she had given him nothing so far. She had behaved as if a man had never touched her, yet he knew of her past with Tobirama, which was beyond him.
For the rest of dinner, Izuna and Madara continued speaking about the potential attack day on the Senju, which was getting closer each day.
Mirai had stood still on the other side of the shoji panels to the dining hall instead of leaving. She could still hear them speaking. She had heard everything Izuna had said and felt his words burn her. 'Takara was still an issue, and they still did not trust her despite her union to Madara.' She thought.
Her nails dug into her palms as she swallowed her self-respect and decided to return to the dining hall, contend in this game of stubbornness, and be at par with Izuna.
The shoji panel glided to the side for her to walk back into the room. Izuna immediately looked up at her and gave her a sly smile. She had been eavesdropping. How sneaky of her. But he had said everything purposely so that she would hear it.
Mirai quietly sat back at her table as the maidens served her sweets with tea.
Madara, on the other hand, had observed her mannerisms. She had left the room as if she would not return, yet she chose to on her terms. He knew he had succeeded in showing her what she would beget if she acted entitled, yet her sheer will and determination intrigued him. Although his grandmother had interceded on her behalf and strictly condoned his aggressive actions toward the heiress, he was determined to let her see the perils of war that existed beyond the stronghold's safety and her privileged life beyond the walls. Therefore, he had decided to take her to the front lines against the Senju – another cruel game he intended to play with the emotions of the Senju.
Izuna looked at Madara's straight face and knew this look well. His brother was contemplating something. It could have been anything until he saw that Madara had flashed a glance at Mirai before standing up to excuse himself and leaving the dining hall.
Mirai stared after him as Izuna got up soon after and excused himself. Mirai fiddled with her sleeves and continued staring after them. Both had left in a matter of urgency, which had confused her. After sitting there for some time and nibbling on sweets, she left for her chambers.
Madara's Private Study
That evening, Rei Uchiha arrived shortly after dinner and went straight to the Madara's study. She had received a collective survey of what the Uchiha regions had thought of the war and found it necessary to report it to Madara.
Madara had sensed her presence as she had arrived at the stronghold.
Rei Uchiha made her way to the plush area beside Madara's table. Acknowledging his respectful bow, she began relaying what she had learned. "Madara… the districts are with the council's decision to declare war on the Senju, but I do not see this solving the issue. It would make sense to meet with Hashirama discreetly and sort out an arrangement before wasting the lives of our shinobi." she encouraged.
"The Senju began this, and the Uchiha will end it. I intend to raze his pathetic estate. And end it once and for all." His voice dripped with venom.
Rei heaved a sigh.
"Fight if you must, but I have a lone condition then. Mirai stays at the stronghold. Rei had read her grandson's intentions well before he had conveyed them. She knew his nature and that he intended to use the girl as a leverage point against the Senju, as did the council members."
"That is a selfish wish. You long understood that she is key in seducing the Senju to surrender. You oppose this war, yet the Senju have burned their bridges and attempted to hurt us. This union was a negotiation; she will be used for the exact purpose she was called for," Madara firmly stated.
Rei looked to her eldest grandson in despair. Perhaps she had been wrong in her upbringing methods. She had made him calculative and ruthless—a warlord. She felt responsible for him.
Her brows had creased with concern.
"My dear, treating your matriarch with kindness and concern would be wiser for you. The civilians have eyes and ears. If they notice something is amiss, it would be questioning your leadership capabilities and inability to deal with matters close to your own home and marriage. They speak and scandalize. I will not have you fall to such talk. If you guarantee that you would protect her as if she were a part of you, then I can be at ease and allow it." She etched on.
Madara looked at his grandmother's pleading face. He owed this woman his loyalty.
He reluctantly bowed to her wishes and briefly nodded in her direction before discussing his plans of anarchy against the Senju. It had been two weeks since the first council meetings had discussed an attack on the Senju, and the net would be cast out in the late hours of tonight. Izuna was prepped on short notice to lead the first battalion toward the Senju Estates to level grounds for the second battalion under Madara's orders.
After updating his grandmother on the current plans, he excused himself to see Izuna off.
Uchiha Armory
Izuna replenished one of his empty pouches with Kunai and shuriken, briskly tying the ends to seal it.
Madara walked into the armory just in time to watch Izuna draw a katana from the ranks of anchors in the wooden wall and tie it to his armored haori sash.
Madara handed Izuna the summoning scroll he had been working on earlier. It would allow him to carry other weapons as space was limited to what could be taken on a journey. Izuna's battalion consisted of a limited number of shinobi who were better at reconnaissance missions and had a solid offensive capability. His battalion was ordered to set up camp close to the Senju Estates so that when Madara's battalion arrived, things would have been set straight for an invasion. Hikaru was ordered to follow Madara's larger army.
Walking to the forest entryway, Izuna patted Madara's forearm before stealthily climbing a tree and following his men into the deeper parts of the forest.
Madara & Mirai's Chambers
Mirai had been dressed down and left in her chambers, where she soon fell asleep soundlessly.
In the late-night hours, Madara had made his way to their shared chamber after a final meeting with the council to finalize his invasion plans for the Senju and bidding Izuna farewell.
Madara slid the shoji panel behind and noticed the darkness with embers lit in the corner of the room. He saw Mirai's form lying under the covers, with her vast hair fanned behind her. Silver moonlight peaked through the velvet curtains behind the square bed, casting illusions on her facial skin. Changing into his white kimono, he meticulously tied his sash as he made his way to the futon.
Mirai stirred in her sleep, causing him to observe her, noticing her chest steadily rising and falling to a rhythm.
Oba-sama had strictly warned him of his treatment of Mirai. The old lady had forced him into an agreement where he had to concede to her wishes. Hence, he had leveled down on his interactions with Mirai but instead intended to teach her discreet obedience lessons if she so dared to disobey him. In terms of his bond to her, he had willingly not chosen to consummate his marriage to her. It was not something he needed so immediately because it entertained him to spin her as his pawn, observe her mannerisms, and discipline her. His mind was still bent on crushing her pride and bringing her off her high horse of nobility. Her delicate behavior would not have been tolerated if she had been from his ranks, yet she dared to challenge him without backing when she had first arrived. His interaction in the study earlier in the morning was to inform her of her own body's weakness against his touch. But otherwise, on the battlefield, he had intended to show her a world parallel to hers, where no mercy exists, and loyalty is all that is relied upon. Despite their union, for all he knew, she could have still been loyal to the Senju, which is why he intended to push her to the middle of this war to see where her loyalties really lay.
Lifting the covers, he slid into the warm futon, letting himself rest before preparing to leave for battle the next day.
Senju Estates
Hashirama's study remained silent as he smoked his wooden pipe and stared into the distance. Tobirama stood with his back to the wall with his arms crossed. He had just conveyed to his older brother the status of his wife and children, who had just reached safely into the Shimura clan territory, where they would take asylum until the threat of war dropped.
Tobirama had set his men in sections around their territories to monitor the situation. He had an ominous feeling about this ordeal. Meanwhile, Hashirama had been in talks with other clan heads. Some had supported them, and some had declined due to the risk of falling to unfavorable sides with the Uchiha.
They were as prepared as they could have possibly been, thanks to Hashirama's ability to read Madara's behavior patterns and Tobirama's sensory abilities.
After observing his brother wallow in his depressed state, Tobirama got off his back and left his brother's study.
He knew he would not catch any sleep tonight because of the imminent danger of the Uchiha army being closer to their grounds. He breathed a heavy sigh as he went to his chambers, attempting to catch some rest, even if it meant closing his eyes. As he got out of his blue armor, he could not help but think of Mirai and what she would have been doing now.
In his mind, he had tried to convince himself to let go of any sentimental connection to her, but he had failed. No matter how much he had tried to hate her, he knew she never had a choice. Her face, fear, and hurried movements had told him everything he needed to know. He had been testing his patience by ignoring her existence. He knew that it may have been the last time he would have had the opportunity to see her because matriarchs were kept in the safety of their strongholds and were not known to communicate much with the shinobi world.
He closed his eyes, pushing thoughts of her to the back of his mind. Indeed, he had many more dire things on the list of issues that he needed to focus on, but her image from that day in her chambers had kept haunting him for some time now. Sliding into the covers, willing himself to sleep, he struggled.
A sudden knock pulled him out of his in-between state. Getting up, he sighed, running a hand through his silver mane; he willed himself to open the door.
In front of him stood Touka, dressed down from her usual armor.
"You certainly look like someone just broke your heart, made a billion pieces, and ate them all in a gulp!" Touka mouthed, stating the obvious.
She knew of his liking of the Uzumaki princess but did not know their interactions or the real issue preventing them from marrying each other. Visiting him was her way of cheering him from his recent glum and silent state. He had not said much to anyone since the day he had arrived from the Uchiha estate looking rustled.
"Touka…" Tobirama grimaced.
"I am not here to hear your petty excuses, Tobi. I don't know what happened between you and the Uchiha, but you had better get yourself together," She warned him.
Tobirama rolled his eyes, "Touka, if you have not noticed already, we are ready to counter the Uchiha. You do not need to state the obvious. But the question is, why have you not left the Estate?"
"Why would I? There is no way I am giving up on the chance to support my two most favorite Senju! And in case you have not noticed, I will be going out onto the plains to assume posit–"
"— No, you are not." Tobirama cut her off.
Touka crossed her arms and gave him a stern glare, "And who gave you the authority?!"
"I am the authority, and I get to decide who participates. You have been on reconnaissance missions, but that does not make you optimal for war, Touka," Tobirama's voice lowered with each word. Touka looked away in annoyance as Tobirama continued his speech. "The battlefield is not a place for you. You are the only female left from the main Senju lineage, so you should focus on your daily pursuits and settle down."
As it had not already been painfully obvious, Touka was indeed the last female pure-bred Senju left, and that is why Butsuma Senju had willed Tobirama to marry Touka.
Touka took a step closer to Tobirama, breathing in his light scent. "I will fight alongside you and Hashi until my last breath. What made you think that I would abandon you both anyway?"
Tobirama sighed. She was stubborn, but he would need to let Hashirama deal with her.
"You were supposed to accompany Mito-san to the Shimura clan's territory. Anija will be hearing about your plans. If you do not tell him, then I WILL."
Touka looked at him contemplatively. "FINE, I will tell him my plans!"
"Good, you can leave now." He declared.
Touka stared at his straight face, ignoring his previous command. The same face she had adored over the years since they were children. Without a second thought, feeling strength in her calves, she pushed herself off the floor to catch his lips.
Feeling her arms encompass his shoulders into her embrace, his sanguine eyes tinged with complete surprise and frustration. Gaining his bearings, he pulled away from her with his hands on her shoulders.
"Tob—" Touka tried to clarify her intent, but she witnessed a sudden change in his demeanor before she could even try.
"Leave," Tobirama uttered in a dangerously low tone.
Touka felt the hair on her neck rise. She had played jokes on him when they were younger, tortured him physically, and played brutal pranks, but never had she seen him react as he did now. Before she could continue explaining, Tobirama's grasp on her shoulders tightened as he invited distance between them.
She had barely reacted when she felt her wetness slide down her cheeks.
Tobirama looked at her, alarmed and regretful.
Moving away from her and letting go of her shoulders, his expression turned cold as he walked away from her and back into his room.
She could hear her heart beating in her ears. She was hopelessly in love with a man who would never love her back. However, she had felt confident that she could have won him over; his reaction told her otherwise.
Slowly turning away from his door, she walked disappointedly towards Hashirama's study, knowing full well that she had injured her credibility before Tobirama.
Uchiha Stronghold
Mirai woke up to the birds singing and sunlight dancing through the aperture of the curtains behind her futon. Sitting up from her position, she noticed the bedding beside her ruffled up, indicating that a presence had been there earlier.
Feeling alarmed, she felt the spot on the opposite side of the bed.
It felt cold.
He had only been there briefly.
Pulling herself out of bed, she readied herself and made it to the dining hall before breakfast was served. Upon entering, she noticed that Rei-sama sat beside Madara. She quickly bowed to her, eliciting a smile from the elder as she seated herself beside her and watched the Uchiha maidens set their dishes on the tables in front of them.
Turning towards Mirai, Rei greeted her granddaughter-in-law.
"Mirai, my child, how have you fared so far in my absence? Of course, duty calls, which is why I had to leave unannounced to the civilian sectors of the land, but I presume that Madara and Izuna may have made the transition easier," She asked.
Mirai glanced briefly at Madara in Oba-sama's peripheral, then turned her vision away as he looked toward them.
How badly she had wanted to say that it had been quite the opposite. Her older grandson had physically assaulted her while the other played cunning games with her to embarrass her.
Mirai nodded hesitantly as she swallowed her rice with difficulty.
Rei observed the girl in front of her. She looked much better and less pale than when she first arrived.
"The civilians are in favor of this war despite my opposition. I will be staying at the stronghold with our council to observe. But as per Madara's request, you will be accompanying him to the battlefield – under his vigilance, of course." Rei paused briefly to see the girl's reaction.
Mirai felt like she had been hit with cold water. She shot a worried gaze towards the elder when she heard Madara interrupt her.
"Your medic abilities were a focal point when they promised you to this clan. You will join the Uchiha on the battlefield as a medic-nin and under my battalion's protection," Madara instructed soon after.
Mirai could not fathom being a part of his war with the Senju. She had been stationed in Uzushiogakure on the training grounds, utterly different from what Madara was implying.
Gathering courage, Mirai found her voice.
"I believe I would be useless in a war as I have no battlefield experience; at most, I have only dealt with a minor number of shinobi with non-life-threatening injuries based on spar training," She countered softly.
Madara turned to her, "Your father and elders praised your abilities and chakra control, which is more reason for you to be present for this battle." His tone almost felt like a mockery, as if he was egging her on to challenge him. She took the bait.
"My abilities and chakra do not encompass caring for a full battalion."
"Then this is your chance to prove yourself."
No matter how she evaded him, he led her back. She could see his searing eyes staring straight into her soul.
Rei-sama interfered in their contest.
"Mirai, my dear, although it is uncommon for matriarchs to maintain a presence on the battlefield, during my time, I, too, was at the battlefield with my clan and shinobi in solidarity. If you are unsure of your abilities, there will be other medic-nin present that will help you hone your skills in such situations. If you are present, it will bring up the morale of the shinobi." This, in part, was a true statement because the Uchiha shinobi would have seen the loyalty of their Uzumaki-bred matriarch.
Mirai bowed her head; she had decided that if this were happening, she would take it by choice and not force.
"I will go if that is what you think is best, Oba-sama," she replied, not intending to credit Madara.