A special mention for those who took the time to write reviews! :D

Arianna Le Fay: There is so much more character development left for Mirai, and other characters. Rest assured though, she will definitely show everyone what she can do!

DeathToAvocados : I assure you, this is my own story line with my own characters and plot. (Besides those of Masashi Kishimoto from Naruto) :D

owgaga: You will have to keep reading to find out what happens between Madara, Mirai and Tobirama! xD

This chapter has been reviewed for better quality purposes, happy reading! :)

The Adversity of The Warring States

A stream of blood trickled down from the lips of the second captured and now enslaved Kurama. "You see, Nee-san was too lenient with your counterpart over in the other cell, but know this, I am not as tolerant of your bullshit." Izuna stated sternly as he cracked his knuckles.

Partial of what he had said had been true. With great power came responsibility, and Madara avoided killing unnecessarily especially with enemy intel sources. He had preferred to keep them alive in order to excrete as much information as possible. Keeping in mind the living conditions, shinobi health, and hygiene which were not always the greatest, they would all eventually end up dying. Madara was patient with his kill, but at the same time, cruel.

The Kurama spat out blood as he stared viciously at Izuna. He had been punched repeatedly in his gut, and Izuna may have even broken a rib or two in the process, but it did not hinder him in the slightest. The prisoner carried the standard appearance of a Kurama. Deep red hair and eyes which reflected a deep violet hue. His grey uniform had been soiled with blood in comparison to Izuna's crisp dark blue crested Uchiha apparel.

"So tell me, what has that greedy leader of yours been up to lately, as he tried to sneak you rats in here." Izuna questioned, seemingly entertained. The Kurama struggled to breathe but held onto his consciousness.

"…"

"You know, I could always use my doujutsu to rip your mind to ribbons, and it is not likely that you will survive in this situation." Izuna pushed his agenda further. Izuna and Madara had acquired many doujutsu techniques while growing up with their sensei's. However, acquiring and skillfully controlling the sharingan had been a process which took years.

Madara was the only one to awaken his eternal mangekyou sharingan. It was on the day their cousin had died while protecting him during an intensive crossfire between a neighboring shinobi clan. It had turned into a horrible incident which killed their only remaining older cousin. He had taken it upon himself to protect young Madara with his life but sadly, he could hold onto his own. Afraid that his eyes would be stolen for the wrong reasons, he begged Madara to end his life honorably for he knew he would not survive much longer. Madara, who was in his mid teens had performed the deed and awoke the potential of his mangekyou sharingan soon after.

Having the mangekyou sharingan meant eternal light and more precisely, extended fighting abilities and access to many jutsu that the average Uchiha's could not perform. At the time, both brothers had felt the emotional trauma because they had lost all their brothers to war, followed soon after by their older cousin. Perhaps that was when they had lost their hesitance to kill, and became murderers of many.

"Y-y-you c-cann e-end my l-life now, you dirty bastard, but d-don't expect me to reveal a thing. You dirty Uchiha, you m-make me sick. That whore of a mother of yours gave birth to you dirty lot, a-a coward w-w-who hides behind his brother," he struggled to speak but managed to get his point across.

Izuna smiled.

That was all the indication he needed. His eyes turned crimson, and willfully, he stared at his prisoner. He was not as patient as Madara, and currently he was not feeling generous with the Kurama and his dialect. However, as soon as he had activated his visual prowess, the prisoner smirked.

It was exactly his plan.

Being from the Kurama clan meant that everyone had a tagged jutsu inserted below their skull at birth. This was a preventative method used for many generations due to the exploitation of Kurama shinobi for their paralysis jutsu knowledge. Incase their minds were subjected to penetration directly by another doujutsu, the tag could be activated by the enemy's chakra which would cause internal chakra poisoning. In the end, it was suicidal death.

Izuna could see the shinobi's flesh wither away with smoke at the use of his sharingan, and he stared at the now burnt skin and carcass of the deceased shinobi.

Sighing, he looked the other way.

'Nee-san will not be pleased with this,' he thought, feeling disappointed.

At the stronghold

Mirai's visual senses were greeted with well decorated room. Red walls with a large beige square plush carpet in the center.

Situated on the left side was a low laying table supporting piles of paper, and an ink bed with writing utensils. The right side of the room supported bookshelves which were built into the foundations within the walls. The plush carpet in the center carried various cushions and pillows for a comfortable seating area. It seemed so customized as opposed to the standards in Uzushiogakure where everything was set in a conventional setting. The Uzumaki were in fact traditionalists whereas, the Uchiha's were traditionalists who carried a modernist perspective.

Mirai walked in with her ladies in-waiting behind her. She was asked to spend the afternoon with Madara and have lunch, and then have a private audience and dinner with Madara's grandmother in the evening. She had four days left out of her week long trip, and a month and three weeks were left until her wedding.

She could see Madara standing directly in front of her in a crisp white haori and dark blue trousers. He was definitely in a more relaxed state than when she had seen him at the engagement. Behind Madara was a large glass panel which covered the whole back wall of the room, giving off a stellar view of the village and stronghold. The sun shone through the glass panel, giving off a rainbow prism. Surprisingly, the warmth was comforting due to the autumn climate.

"You are dismissed," they all heard him say.

Mirai focused on Madara's command, feeling confused. His eyes rested on the two young ladies behind her. Both women felt uneasy as they looked to Mirai for instructions. When an instruction was not given, one of them suddenly interceded on everyone's behalf.

"With all due respect Madara-sama, we serve as chaperones to Mirai-sama. It is imperative that we stay as per the elders orders," uttered the first woman.

"Do you struggle with comprehension, or would you prefer more discretion? Madara cocked his head to the side a little, his stern tone had startled everyone in the room.

Mirai had felt uneasy meeting him despite being engaged to him. Originally, she had refused for lunch, had it not been for her father's orders.

"Madara-sama, as per customs, unescorted interactions were not negotiated." Mirai answered to his taunt. Madara now shifted his focus to Mirai, his eyes bore into hers.

He had never looked into them in the past. In fact, he had treated her as an unacknowledged part of his future. It amused him that she actually had the courage to speak to his face. His dark gaze dared her to defy his command. One of her ladies in waiting, sensing the immense tension, quickly tried to rescue the scene.

"Madara-sama, we humbly apologize for the misunderstanding as we were not informed. For future meetings, we shall adhere to your following. We bid you both a fair afternoon, please inform us of any assistance." Both ladies in waiting had now taken steps further back than to challenge his authority. They silently bowed towards Madara, and nodded at Mirai and turned to walk out the door.

The doors had finally made a clicking sound, indicating their closure. Adrenaline shot through her veins as she stared at the now attentive Madara. Despite the negative starting, she held her composure. She felt insulted by his actions and prepared to bite back.

"This will only create un-necessitated trouble for you." She pointed.

"So, you are implying that I cannot see my future wife without the help of two defenseless women?" he eyed her wearily.

"It is protocol for the nobles," she bit back harshly as she kept her tone low.

"Your clans' people have been foolishly swinging around under your father's leadership thinking they can outperform their purpose, but I assure you, your Uzumaki pride will not commemorate you here princess. What I state here is law, and you do not carry the privilege to exempt yourself." he said, his tone soft and lingering.

"Perhaps I was foolish enough to agree to this union, when really, I should have been searching for a way out." she replied as she pondered facedly. This was not what she had expected. 'First, he dismissed her ladies in waiting, and then proceeded to call her clan foolish, did his clan not want the same things?' she thought.

And then she heard his smooth voice resonate in the most calculated way. "Your imprudent father thinks he is bargaining for peace by offering his spoilt daughter to the Uchiha. You have no core values that resonate with the Uchiha yet my father saw potential in breeding with your lot. Mito would have served better for the purpose, yet we scramble to get seconds now."

Mirai mentally recoiled at the thought of him and Mito. She couldn't decide if she'd felt more disgusted than insulted.

"Do you Uzumaki really think that this stops the Uchiha from reenacting against the Senju and Uzumaki truce?" he smirked.

"If the idea of peace does not faze you in the slightest, you can always call this arrangement off. And also, if you were hoping to take a chance with Mito, she would have never agreed. Plus, you should have thought about making your move ahead of Hashirama-sama, who had made his made his intentions clear two years ago and actually wed her." Mirai stated clearly, slightly mocking him in the process.

Madara chuckled and took a step forward. She had no idea why he had agreed, but something told her that he definitely knew his long-term goal.

"And despite this arrangement, you adhered to your nobility protocol and thought it would be adequate to present a token of your undying loyalty through defiling yourself by seducing a Senju, so to prevent this from happening?" he questioned coolly, sarcasm dripping from every word.

He knew the answer already, however, he was toying with her mind. His signature smirk planted on his lips as his obsidian eyes glared at the slender woman in front of him. Mirai felt startled at his comment and could swear she felt the ground move beneath her feet.

She was already paranoid about her reputation amongst the Uchiha, and about the past she and Tobirama shared. She had only hoped that it was all a well kept secret now, but things were further from her hopes.

He took a step closer, appearing directly in front of her.

Her senses felt alarmed at how close he stood. He raised his hand, his fingers now rested on her tomoeri, which he pretended to be interested in. His fingers gently traced the hem around the collar as he maintained eye contact with her. "You played a vixen with that little tryst of yours with Tobirama Senju," He said in a soft and low tone as his eyes still glared at her

Out of instinct, Mirai pried his hand away and took a step back. "What do you think you're doing?" she scowled in shock and disgust.

Her chest hammered past its capacity, leaving her breathless. Taking her by the arm, he pulled her back in with one swift movement. Her back pressed against his front, but thankfully, the obi served as a cushion between them. he brought his face close to the side of her face as his nose slightly grazed the back of her ear. She could feel his hot breath caress her skin. "You are behaving undignified for your caliber." She managed to whisper a bit too loudly. And in a very low but threatening tone, he told her what she would have rather not wanted to hear.

"Undignified, caliber?" he chuckled, "And if you had any dignity left in you, you would be begging for forgiveness with your nose dug into the ground. If you partook in debauchery with the Senju, then you have clearly not understood who you are dealing with." She struggled a little in his grip, feeling violated by his words.

"I operate on firm principles, and your etiquette has displayed that of a harlot. I would take satisfaction in knowing the fact that my wife to-be has not opened her legs to the contending clan. On the contrary, I should parade you unclothed in this stronghold for the loss of your innocence to that Senju," His hold tightened as he said this. Internally, she burned from the embarrassment and anger from what he had said.

This interaction was getting out of hands and his mockery of her innocence was baseless. She fought back against his hold, and planned to use his faults against him.

"If it is honor that you speak of, I am sure you would know if Takara was brought into this equation, then we would definitely get to know whose honor was lost to who." She spat out. She had just thrown oil in the very fire she was hoping to extinguish earlier, and knew she had struck him with her discovery.

Madara released her arm and nudged her forward. Had he held on longer, he would have snapped it in half easily. Mirai immediately took a step away and lifted her sleeve to reveal a dark bruise forming on her forearm. Her narrowed eyes were rimmed with pink, and the rest of the extremities on her face were flushed as she tried to calm herself. He could have seriously injured her had it not been for his self-restraint. However, still, he seemed to be toying with her to see if she would drop her façade and confess the nature of her affair openly.

Mirai turned and stared at him loathingly, "it is entertaining to see that you would be swayed so easily despite not knowing the extent of my involvement in an affair that you seem to call the common talk of your village." She paused to look at him critically, "but now I do not wish to deny or confirm anything."

The blow to each others pride and ego was irreparable now. She made her way to the entrance and as she pulled on the door to leave, she heard his bone chilling tone resonate throughout the whole room.

"I do not recall dismissing you my dear," his voice rung in her ears.

That dangerous low tone again which had made her fearful earlier. She was not sure if she was too scared to leave or too angry to ponder the situation. She could still feel the pain from when he had held onto her arm and the silence was deafening as she hesitantly released the door handle and slowly turned around to face him. She could feel the tension in the room as he made eye contact with her again.

This time it was a warning.

She hesitantly decided against leaving the room incase he lost his patience with her. He made his way to the area in the middle surrounded by the cushions, and proceeded to sit with his legs crossed. "Oba-san has requested that lunch be served here for you. Disrespect towards her wishes will not be tolerated. You may leave shortly afterwards." He instructed nonchalantly.

She now got a feeling that this meeting of theirs would not be over as quickly as she had anticipated. Cautiously she made her way to the middle of the room and sat with her legs neatly tucked behind her at a safe distance away from him. The room had begun to feel warmer than usual despite the cool autumn winds. As if things could not get more awkward after their confrontation, they now had to sit in the forceful company of each other.

'Why was she even here again?' She tried to reason.

This whole meeting, the contents of it… they were so unconventional. She did not understand why she feared him so much. She did not belong to him, and even if she did, she would not lay herself down for him. With the revelation that her sister had been chosen first by the Uchiha elders had left her stomach churning. As if right on cue, the entrance gates pushed opened and in walked two male servants carrying serving trays with refreshments.

The trays were served with different flavors of a traditional sweets called mochi. They were a delicacy made from rice flour and flavored with fruit essences. Along with mochi, there was another tray filled with Inarizushi; types of sushi rice ball. However, as the last tray was placed by her, she was surprised to find a porcelain flask carrying sake and two drinking cups. Alcohol and her were not the best combination, and at the moment, the churning in her stomach had made her feel nauseous. She felt the need to empty the contents of her stomach somewhere.

She would have to push herself to drink the sake now, amongst other things she would be forced to do. She set her goal to avoid being intoxicated in case she was pushed to drink the high content alcohol. As quick as the servants had walked in, they'd left as well.

"Despite your controversial reputation, your past cannot be a part of your future duty as the Matriarch of my clan." He laid down the rules firmly.

She stared at him as he poured sake from the flask into the choko. Such as task did not suit his masculine personality, yet it surprised her that he knew the art of serving. The air around him still hadn't changed. She'd still sensed the suffocating chakra.

"I was not asked for an approval when this began." she answered him.

"As most heiresses of your clan are not, since your clan represents alliance-based marriages. Do not expect to be provided an explanation at this point in time." He replied.

She swallowed down on the feeling of nausea. He chose to go straight for the sake in the presence of food. Mirai picked up the filled choko, and swallowed internally. She was not on cordial terms with Madara to drink with him in the first place, and it would be beyond embarrassing to come off as intoxicated with a small cup.

Madara being a well-seasoned drinker, downed his sake in one swig. On the other hand, Mirai stared at the contents in her choko. She was too stubborn to back down but hesitant at the same time. She placed the cup to her lips and took in the full contents of the cup. The instant heat in her throat urged her into a coughing fit, but she tried to hold it in, causing her face to flush.

She looked up at the ceiling to prevent herself from coughing. The feeling had ceased after a few seconds, however, she had drawn his attention. He observed her strange mannerisms.

"You will get accustomed to it." He said firmly, already onto her. He refilled their cups, however, this time, they both sipped on their cups whilst staring out the window collectively. He had chosen to mostly ignore her presence during this time, preventing him from accidentally carrying out another rash decision of being physical with her. Despite his firm, and cool demeanor, he was internally enraged at her pre-marital affair, and his jaw clenched at the thought the thought of that Senju rat. Her letters had originally been found by Hikaru, and the contents were revealed to Madara personally. If she thought he would forsake her, she was gravely mistaken.

"Takara" she could now feel the effects of the sake, "she is fiercely in love with you, why had you not fancied an Uchiha?" Madara turned his head and stared at her whilst analyzing her sudden prying nature which seemed to be influenced by the alcohol.

He took her empty cup from her and placed it down. His temperament lacked tolerance for taking care of an intoxicated woman in his chambers which would only be scandalized. She kept staring at him for an answer, unaffected by his action to rid her of her sake cup.

"There is no significance for such trivial matters." He replied discreetly as he looked through the window panel.

However, it did not change the fact that Takara was deeply in love with her Clan leader. She was chosen to marry Madara at a young age because of her chakra capabilities and noble lineage. Takara's father had served as an Uchiha general during the time of Tajima Uchiha, and she had been trained to become a kunoichi from a young age. She had gained Madara's respect over the years, but her feelings of infatuation had been single sided. Madara and Izuna had mostly kept to themselves as they grew older, mostly living life through conditions of war. Eventually, the elders had annulled the agreement due to the clan's wishes to extend their borders and create alliances in war.

Other clans were securing their marks with establishments and alliances to other clans during that time, and The Uzumaki clan had fit the description perfectly. The Uchiha elders had tried to assemble a proposal for the elder heiress; Mito, but the Senju had made their move to secure an alliance before anyone else could. The proposal for Mito was also partially inspired because of the small age gap between Madara and her. However, when the Uzumaki- Senju alliance had been announced, the Uchiha's turned their focus on the younger one despite her being Izuna's age mate.

Madara angled his head slightly to the side to notice hat she was clearly under the affects of the alcohol in her system. Her blue eyes were blurred in thought, but her posture was still upright. The apples of her cheeks were flushed along with her neck. She was the oddest looking Uzumaki he had seen from the moment at Hashirama's wedding. The dark hair and blue eyes, certainly representative of another clan he could pinpoint.

There was a gentle knock at the door before it opened. Madara's attention shifted to his new visitor; Izuna. He walked up to Madara and whispered close to him.

She could feel the intoxication building upon her empty stomach as she made out the situation in front of her. Izuna had discreetly walked in, and from Madara's hardened features, she could tell that he was displeased with hearing something. Madara instantly stood up and walked over to his table to pick up his gloves as he proceeded to leave.

Before opening the door, he angled himself sideways and addressed her.

"Izuna will be accompanying you for the rest of the afternoon until Oba-san announces her arrival" leaving her in the company of his younger brother.

Mirai, still being under the influence of the two cups of sake she had chugged down, stared at the now empty space where Madara once stood.

Izuna Uchiha.

A little shorter and leaner than Madara, now stood in the presence of the estranged Uzumaki. He was indeed the driving force behind the older Uchiha, however, more conspiring than the elder one.

"I apologize on behalf of Nee-san. A matter of urgency was raised-"

"Its alright, we were finished with everything anyway." She replied a little too quickly, cutting him off.

"I presume you have reached an understanding with my brother?" Mirai observed his appearance. Izuna was not as intimidating as Madara but still carried crushing chakra that radiated off him. He wore a high collared dark blue top with the Uchiha symbol on the back with grey trousers. His long hair was tied in a ponytail at the nape of his neck, and his forehead was covered with stray hair which framed his face perfectly.

He walked over to Mirai and took a seat beside her as Mirai shifted uncomfortably.

"Pardon my intrusion, but it seems that you have drunk past your capacity." he chuckled jokingly

"I simply did not know how to refuse politely." She stared away embarrassed, not knowing why she trusted him enough to reveal her predicament.

"Quite a circumstance, it seems almost criminal to keep you here." he replied

"And your intentions?"

"My intentions? Ha, you have been forcefully thrown between two clans. Not that its not an orthodox situation, but you should be immune to it, no?" He pried.

She'd need to be receptive to him before he could unravel her.

"No, not really, its crippling." She confessed. She did not understand why she was confiding in him. Even through protocol, she was not supposed to have this sort of an interaction with Izuna. It was the Sake speaking.

"Most women would, if they were put into your shoes, I am sure." He played the sympathy card. Mirai's intuition peaked with Izuna. She could sense that he was being soft with a purpose. Being exposed to Uzushiogakure politics at a young age, she was aware of the behavioral cues. Especially the way Izuna was lining his sympathies with her as opposed to his brother.

"Izuna-sama, pardon me. I'm not fully under the control of the sake, but I do understand that you are not fully sincere with your attempts to tamper with me." He frowned inwardly. He had wanted to know the contents of what had transpired between his brother and her. He quickly put his fraudulent smile on and stared at her.

She was a sharp tool even when under the influence of alcohol. 'Perhaps her Uzumaki tolerance?' He thought sarcastically.

"You misinterpret my intentions Mirai-san. Being on good terms can be beneficial in this stronghold."

"My matriarchal duties place me at a decent level of advantage I presume." She replied.

If she was here regardless of preference, then she was not going to make it easy for them. Her deep blue eyes now gazed straight into his coal ones, trying to convey her message.