There is a mature content warning in this chapter.

The Adversity of The Warring States

The council debated amongst each other on whether it would be wise to send a summons of war to the Senju. Elder Mikoto, Rei-sama, argued against a declaration of war. However, at the end of the meeting, they had determined that war was the only course of action they could take since the Senju had played such a sinister conspiracy with the Uchiha. They wanted to annihilate the Senju clan for good.

Some eyed the new matriarch suspiciously.

She was from the Uzumaki clan after all. A clan that had formed an alliance with the Senju through marriage, producing children who had both Uzumaki and Senju blood.

A summons had been sent to all shinobi divisions on Uchiha territory to support war with the Senju clan, and to Mirai's surprise, every summon had been returned with a positive response over one day.

'This clan has a natural affinity to war' she thought to herself while keeping her breathing in check.

Things were already complicated with her vendetta against the Senju and Uzumaki clans. But after what she had experienced last night, she could not distinguish between the greater evil which came down to the failure of her sister's inability to protect her from this hell, the Senju clan's betrayal, or the fact that Madara had a twisted mind.

He had established eye contact with her for a mere second during the council meeting in the morning, yet she could still feel the haunting chill from his dark eyes lingering on her. She shivered slightly from the cold winter draft that crossed the hallway leading to her chambers. Earlier, towards the end of the council meeting, the advisors, Madara, Rei-sama, and Izuna had moved the meeting to Madara's private study to sort out the logistics of the matters leading up to their proposed war on the Senju, and she was dismissed.

She pushed back the shoji panels to her room, revealing Uchiha women scurrying the premises like busy bees as they changed the sheets and scrubbed the floors. She had arrived earlier than expected, so they wrapped up their cleaning rituals and headed out discreetly.

Mirai collapsed onto the elevated futon in exhaustion from the two hours of sleep she had managed earlier. She drew the soft blankets over her cold frame and rolled onto her side. She inhaled the soft scent of lavender on her sheets, allowing her to unclench her shoulders from the stress that she had been carrying on for days. She could still feel chills radiating through her body and her mildly damp hair did not help the process of warming up quicker. She felt strange in her own body as she drifted into a dreamless sleep.

Senju Estates

Hashirama had been in deep thought as he slowly paced the dark wooden floors of his study, feeling deeply betrayed by the actions of the Senju elders after they had confessed to their secret scheme of trying to assassinate Mirai before her marriage to Madara. They had ridiculed his authority and his honor. Tobirama and he had arrived home in the early hours of the morning to a concerned Mito. News had traveled fast of the rift between the Senju and the Uchiha at the reception.

Hashirama had been displeased with the outcome and knew that this war would drag out a long and bitter hatred between the two clans. He also knew that Mito and Mirai initially had been used as bargaining chips for the two strongest shinobi clans, and whatever the result would be, one or the other sibling would suffer grave consequences.

In another secluded space within the stronghold, Tobirama leaned his shoulder against the edge of an open shoji panel facing a private koi pond. He had still not consolidated his thoughts about Mirai despite leaving her with his ultimatum before her wedding ceremony. He had not been able to catch an ounce of sleep since his arrival at the Senju estates. His insides felt displaced, and a restless feeling presided over him. All he could think of was the many ways Madara would have had his way with her by now. If his intent could kill, Madara would have been dead by now.

In the innermost part of the stronghold, Mito sat in the nursery as she watched over the twins in their wooden bassinets, a courtesy of Hashirama's wood style. She had heard about the full spectacle from Hashirama when he had arrived bloodied, and disheveled. A trial was announced for all those who had dared to conspire against Hashirama's knowledge, and if found guilty, they would be punished by death. Hashirama had spared no other option because their actions had now risked war and the precious lives of his fellow Senju civilians.

Hashirama had never been fearful in all his life, but that morning, Mito had seen true fear in his usually warmth-filled eyes, not for himself, but for his clan.

"He will burn and destroy everything in his wake," he said quietly into the distance.

Mito stared at his solemn face and tried to search for the lost hope he once carried.

That's when Mito understood the true nature of the Uchiha. If they loved, then they loved fiercely, and if they hated, then they hated with a full passion.

Earlier, she had seen an unreadable expression on Tobirama's features as he had excused himself from their company. She had been truly concerned for Tobirama because she could see the turmoil within him that could have possibly tipped him over.

Uchiha Stronghold

Mirai woke up to a dark and dimly candlelit atmosphere. She could feel something cold resting atop her forehead. She squinted as her vision came around, she could see a make-shift fireplace in her room. A sturdy metal box carrying cinders of coal was placed in the corner of the room and warmed up the entirety of the frigid room.

Her fingers reached to her forehead only to feel the cold cloth pressed to her forehead.

An Uchiha handmaiden sat on the floor beside her bed and replaced the cloth on her forehead briefly after she felt it.

"What happened?" Her voice croaked, clearly thirsty.

The girl ladled some water out in a bowl for her to drink, as she explained the circumstances.

"Hime-sama, you have been resting for quite some time now. You had retired to your room earlier in the morning, and then never came out for any of your meals."

"How long have I been like this?" Mirai questioned, clearly confused.

"We are in the late hours of the night now; the head physician spoke of a possibility that you may have been poisoned the other day."

Mirai cringed inwardly. Everything had been so ill-omened surrounding her marriage. The outbreak of war, her being poisoned, and the scrutiny towards her.

"Madara-sama was not too pleased with the news" The maiden added, hoping to have answered Mirai's question more in detail.

Mirai slowly sat up, feeling tired and weak. She was glad that her room was warm, and that someone was there with her. Someone with neutral intentions at least.

Through the night, the handmaiden, whom she now knew as Sai, took care of her needs. She was fed a bowl of warm broth, and tea to restart her stomach. She was then given a dose of ground-up bitter green powder of herbs to calm her fever and draw the effects of the poison out.

In Madara's private study, his grandmother sat gracefully on a tatami mat, as she faced the large glass wall facing the Uchiha forest. It was in the late hours of the night, as they discussed the sudden onset of events.

Earlier in the day, Madara had been seated for breakfast after the council meetings. He had waited for Mirai to attend their customary first breakfast together, however, she had not shown up.

He finished his meal in silence and continued with his daily tasks. Towards noon, he was served his lunch in his study without her presence once again. Earlier, his grandmother had informed him that the couple's breakfast, lunch, and dinner would be served together on their first day. He had paid no heed and continued with his routine until it was time for the final meal. His grandmother, Izuna, and he sat patiently, as they waited for Mirai's entrance, but again, she failed to show up.

Finding her lack of attendance disrespectful, he stood from his place on the floor and made his way out of the dinner hall sternly.

Izuna stared after Madara's brief exit and felt that things had not fared well for the couple during the previous night.

As Madara entered his dark chambers, he could see her under the covers. He walked closer and noticed that she had not stirred to the noise of the shoji panels or the sound of his steps. He lit a candle on her side and lowered himself to the edge of the futon. Perhaps she needed a run-through of the consequences of disobedience towards the schedule of his stronghold. Pulling the covers back, he noticed her taking labored breaths and visibly shaking. Her usually flushed face appeared slightly blue.

As he observed her unruly appearance, taking his dexterous fingers, he traced a faint line down her perspiring neck. He already knew by the color of her face, that she was displaying signs of poisoning and now through his touch, that she was perhaps running a fever. Not long after, the head physician had appeared with her maidens in tow. From a distance, he observed them pulling her sleeve back and drawing blood. When enough of her ichor poured out in a flask, they dropped three silver balls into the sanguine liquid. When the tiny silver balls were retrieved, they were no longer silver. Instead, all three had turned black.

"Madara-sama, she has indeed been poisoned." The head physician announced as she turned to him.

They had deduced that they would need to reduce her fever before anything. He watched them briefly tend to her sweat-clad body, before nodding to the head physician and leaving the chambers.

In his study, he explained Mirai's absence to his grandmother, who was visibly concerned with the news.

"They do not rest for even a day, do they?" She contemplated. She had been against the war from the beginning. But she never knew that the Senju would have stooped this low.

At that moment, Izuna had walked swiftly through the study doors, with a questionable look on his features.

"I just heard; the Senju, I take it?" he asked.

"There is a high possibility," his grandmother replied.

"We will leave the stronghold in two weeks since our Senju counterparts desire to see us so urgently" Madara's tone hardened.

Izuna raised his brows, "Nee-san, earlier today, the elder's council had agreed that it would take a few months before we carry out the infiltration of the Senju Estates."

"Our formidable foes have left no stone unturned in their grand scheme against us." Madara relayed, as he turned to face the glass wall with his arms crossed. "Be it now or later, there is nothing left for Hashirama to atone for."

Izuna and Rei-sama held their silences as dense moonlight peeked through the glass wall, bringing a bluish-grey tint to the room. It looked like a scene from romantic poetry, except, there was nothing romantic about the current circumstances. It just felt like the calm before the storm.

There had been a sinister plan brewing between the Uchiha council and the higher-ups.

They had planned to send out Uchiha shinobi in two battalions. The first battalion had the aim of pinpointing every Senju and massacring them with a surprise attack at the Senju Estates. The second, and smaller battalion would guard the surrounding areas, preventing any escape or survivors. It was a plan of chaos and total annihilation. Madara would have let their trespassing's go unpunished, had they admitted to their treachery. But he felt undermined by Hashirama and the Senju Elders who had dared to go against him in the vile manner that they did. In the past, their battles had always been fought on the battlefield with the display of their strengths, but this time, they had taken issues on a personal level.

This upcoming war was an unconventional way of attacking a clan, especially as all clans were mostly ruled by the Daimyo's. This war would be the first of its kind to have a clan attack another clan without the orders of the Daimyo or the interference of any other clans or rulers. Furthermore, his wife was kept out of the loop because of the distrust that the Uchiha felt towards her and her Uzumaki blood.

Senju Estates

Hashirama sat in his study, going over some papers, as a cup of hot tea had been placed by him. Mito sat across from him in his study with Soujiro soundly asleep in her lap. It had been a tense set of days mostly because Hashirama had an ominous feeling in his gut. Whatever happened at the Uchiha stronghold a few weeks ago did not sit well with him. It was expected for the Uchiha to openly retaliate now. He knew Madara would not rest until the Senju would pay their dues.

He pinched the bridge of his nose, thinking of all the consequences the Senju would have to suffer. As a precautionary battle strategy, the Senju clan had been ordered to fortify their walls and protect the surrounding areas. Escape hatches and tunnels were ordered to be dug in a short timeline in case the Uchiha decided to invade their lands in retaliation.

Hashirama's haunch had been that the Uchiha would try to massacre the Senju clan. He knew of Madara's animosity, and now that the Senju council had been convicted of running their plan of killing the leader of the Uchiha and their matriarch, redemption was barely a concern. No one would believe him if he was to explain that he did not know about the plan of his very own council without undermining his authority as the clan head.

Mito walked towards him, placing her hand on his shoulder. He turned to her and buried his head into her midriff. "It was such a stupid mistake, and a momentary lapse in my judgment" Hashirama clenched his jaw "my council betrayed me and threw us to the mercy of another clan. Am I even fit enough to lead this clan with my ideals of peace?" he further scrutinized himself.

In that instant, Tobirama flung open the door to his brother's private study quicker than usual.

"Anija, there is urgent word that the Uchiha army has begun moving our way."

Letting go of Mito, Hashirama stared dead into Tobirama's eyes.

"We will never be able to evacuate the clan in a matter of 2-3 days. The underground tunnels have not been completed yet," He reasoned.

"They took two weeks to devise an invasion on the Senju, knowing that we would not be able to plan for it. But even for them, this should have taken months," Tobirama contemplated.

Everyone in the room had tensed considerably. They now had a warlord on their tails who had brought his whole army to massacre their clan.

"This is going faster than planned. We always knew that they would strike, but now of all times?" Mito questioned.

In response, Tobirama took charge of the situation, "Time is of the essence in this case. We have disposed of the convicted Senju council members, and unfortunately, we do not have a functional council now. I will gather my most capable shinobi to form a makeshift council to put their knowledge and power together for strategy purposes. But for now, my men and I will help evacuate the civilians as fast as possible. I will have my battalions guard the surrounding territories'. You must summon the nearest neighboring clans for their help and summon the barrier corps to form a strategy."

Hashirama nodded to his younger brother.

Both brothers had their capabilities when it came to their reputations. Hashirama was Kami-no-Shinobi. His strength had excelled beyond all greatness in the shinobi world, and his ideals of peace had grounded and balanced his massive gap in power with the others. And then there was Tobirama, the interim leader of the Senju, and general of the Senju army. He was the brain behind the clan, was a well-rounded shinobi, and had drawn the clans' respect and attention.

Uchiha Stronghold

It had taken Mirai some two weeks to relieve her exhaustion from her wedding processions and the arsenic poison in her system where she barely left her room for any event or meals. She had barely seen Madara during this period, assuming he had preferred to sleep in separate quarters than her.

Rei Oba-sama would visit her at least once a day, filling her with events around the stronghold to make light of the situation. Mirai could see that she was trying to compensate for the absence of Madara. Her maid: Sai, had been her main point of contact for the most part, and she indulged her in the happenings around the stronghold. She came to know that the Uchiha were about wage a secret attack on the Senju Estates so that they could massacre them beyond repair. Madara and his men were planning to depart in the next few days.

The news caused strange feelings to stir within her. The massacre would mean that the Uchiha wanted to kill everyone in their wake for the betrayal they had faced earlier. They would be annihilating every Senju.

Mirai looked over at Sai, who sat on the floor as she folded piles of linen.

"Sai, where did you last see Rei-sama?" Mirai contemplated.

Pushing the linen aside, Sai looked to her matriarch. "The last I saw her was at the first-floor private study. Will you be joining them today? If so, I can help you."

Mirai nodded to her handmaiden.

Sai had been a pleasant companion for her. She carried the typical female Uchiha features, with her standard 5'3 height. Her dark doe eyes stood out from under her front bangs, along with her small, rounded nose. They were around the same age which helped with the understanding of Mirai's current predicament at the Uchiha stronghold.

The weakness in her body had dissipated, and Mirai felt a new vigor in her body as if she was ready to begin her tenure as a matriarch. Quite contrary to her feelings where she felt squeamish, and weak during her wedding processions. During these two weeks, she had a while to think about everything. She had wanted to steer clear of Madara for the most part. To her, Izuna was more approachable but also very political, and dangerous if she did not watch herself. Her allies in the stronghold were either Rei Oba-sama or Sai, whom she trusted the most so far.

For the first time in two weeks, Mirai was dressed in a colorful silk kimono that rippled behind her, secured in four warm and snug underlayers, the last layer being high collared. The stark blue silk matched that of her eyes. A silver obi was secured around her waist, and her hair was whisked into a high round bun. A single silver ornament was placed sideways through her bun.

She left her quarters on the secluded third floor and headed to the lower floor where the study was with Sai trailing behind her. In the process, she passed by many people who had recognized her. They bowed their heads and cleared the way for her.

Sai pushed open the double door to the study, allowing for Mirai to walk into the room. Mirai noticed the dimmer atmosphere in the room compared to the hallway. The clouded cold weather from the large windows reflected into the room, causing the room to look darker without any candlelight in the afternoon. The room was as she remembered it from the day of her wedding. The low working desk in the corner, with a large plush rug in the middle of the room with many large cushions. To her right, she could see the many built-in shelves with volumes of books and scrolls.

Sai immediately moved to the side and out of her line of vision to reveal not Rei Oba-sama, but instead, Madara who had been sitting cross-legged on the plush rug with a scroll in his hands. Moments earlier, Mirai had just mentally prepared herself to face the stronghold after spending two weeks recovering in her chambers. With him sitting in the center of the room, she fought the urge to turn around and leave as fast as possible.

Sai could see Mirai's eyes widen a fraction to Madara's presence.

Madara looked up from the scroll to see Sai and a flustered Mirai behind her.

The situation had gotten awkward very quickly, Mirai could not have just walked out without addressing him, and the worst part of it had been that they had not been alone with each other since the episode on the night of their wedding.

Moments passed, and Madara laid his scroll to the side to stare at the pair attentively. His slightly wet and long hair fell around his face and cascaded down his back, while his body supported a loosely tied white kimono. She was certain that he had just visited the bathhouse recently. She could also see that a pot of incense had been lit close to him as he basked in its essence.

Madara dismissed Sai with his gaze, as Mirai slowly willed herself to walk towards the large rug where he sat.

The large double doors closed behind Sai as she left.

Mirai gave a brief bow and stood still in his presence. He could see her clenched fists in her sleeves.

"Is there something you require?" he questioned.

The question took her by surprise. The wording was a bit off, and since when did he inquire about her needs?

She cleared her throat slightly before shaking her head from side to side.

"I was searching for Oba-sama." Her voice nearly whispered lowly as she stared at her feet.

"Send a summons before venturing out and you may end up finding the person you are looking for," He advised calmly.

This interaction was alarming for Mirai. It almost felt as if he was trying to create a sociable environment for her on purpose. But after what had transpired between them in the past, she could not trust his nature.

"Have a seat," he ordered. She took notice of how stern he was, and how he avoided saying her name.

"I think I am fine; I will be leaving as Rei-sama is not here." She finally found her voice and replied sternly.

Had she obeyed him, he would have let her off the hook easily.

His coal eyes met her sapphire ones, catching her in a moment of contemplation. In an instant, he stood up, causing her to suddenly flinch and move back. Stepping in front of her, he grabbed a hold of her waist and pulled her dead against him. She struggled against him and pressed her hands to his chest.

"Does this not suit your convenience?" his eyes bore into hers.

She bit her lip, reminded of how it was two weeks ago. She shook her head slowly, feeling bitter towards him.

"Now that we have an understanding…" he trailed off, whispering into the shell of her ear, sending shivers down her spine.

She did not fail to notice his hardened state, with his fingers already hooked onto her obi sash which instantly slid down causing the layers of her robe to hang loosely. Eyes wide and speechless, she looked at him, but he did not seem phased in the least. When she did not move from her spot, he moved his face closer to hers, and to avoid his face, she stepped back further, stepping on the long layers of her silky robes and tripping on them. His fingers gave a slight nudge to her shoulders.

She fell backward, half expecting to have an impact on the hard ground. But, instead, her form was greeted with thick pillows resting on the plush rug. Her robes fanned out and splayed open around her as she lay there. Using this opportunity, Madara knelt beside her.

She was not going to let the past repeat itself. Using her elbows to secure herself up, she found newfound strength to retaliate.

In a louder voice, she called him out on his assault, "I will not be a slave to your wishes if that is what you have assumed. I will not be subjected to your humiliation!"

"Fearless indeed, I was beginning to think that you had suffered a loss of hope." He smirked, mischievously toying with her emotions.

He traced her cheek with his digits, causing her to draw her face away sharply, and grabbing onto his wrist to stop his ministrations.

"Perhaps we have not learned from the last time."

His body moved on top of hers, legs on either side of her, straddling her hips. His face was a mere inch from hers, feeling his arousal grow with her rebellion. There was a moment of thought before he brought lips down to her, sucking on the soft flesh of her lips. Her elbows gave out in a mere moment, causing her head to hit the surface as his hot breath mingled with hers. Electricity pulsed through her, as his actions continued to make her breathless.

At one moment, she was willing to fight him and, in another moment, she now lay helpless to the way he kissed her.

His hardened member pressed against her, as he trailed his lips down her chin and to the nape of her neck. His lips teased the sensitive spot as a hand went to her hair, swiftly untying the bun and fisting her hair while the other hand trailed down her stomach and slipped between her thighs over her lower garment.

Over the last two weeks, he had not seen much of her. She had fallen ill suddenly with arsenic poisoning, and at the same time, much of his men required him to train with them for the upcoming war. He was mostly away with Izuna and his battalions at the Uchiha training grounds.

During this period, his Oba-sama had called on him for a brief meeting on some concerning matters which had reached her ears. The matter was of utmost importance to her that he had not consummated his marriage to the Uzumaki Heiress, and the fact that the marks and bruises on her body had not gone unnoticed the next morning. She strictly opposed his actions, causing him to avoid Mirai for the time being.

Earlier, when she had walked into his study unannounced, his mind suddenly shifted to his primal instincts.

She now lay under him with eyes wide, lips parted, and breathing erratically.

He paused to look at her flushed face.

Her sapphire eyes looked up at his sharp features. His eyes had been focused on her lips for some time. She felt his fingers caress her womanhood through the thin fabric of her undergarment. His thumb pressed down on her sensitive nub, causing her to inhale sharply. Her eyes shut on their own, and her body squirmed in his stronghold.

His fingers moved in a slow pattern, circling and teasing her nub at first, but then he took it a step further, seeing that her body had begun responding to his touch, he moved his fingers past the damp garment. He could feel her supple skin under his touch, as she jerked to the movement of his fingers.

He observed her facial features, seeing her bite her lips as he ran his fingers closer to her entrance with each stroke. She felt herself getting wet and sticky by his intrusive touch. She drew her knees together, observing that she could not move much because of his weight on top of her which kept her in place.

Madara found it entertaining to tease her and rile her up. Her hands had slid into the plush rug behind her, clutching the strands hard as he traced her entrance repeatedly with his dexterous fingers. She cursed at herself in her mind. How could her body betray her so much to the point where her body felt immobile? She felt undermined by his authority, especially after what had happened on their wedding night two weeks ago. She was avoidant of him, yet he had fixed her in this situation where her body felt this unknown sinful pleasure.

She could feel the peaks of her breasts harden under her top garment as the surrounding cold draft caressed her body. Perspiration slowly began making its way to her forehead and around her body. Slowly leaning down to her, "tell me, princess, do you want me to continue?" Madara whispered into the shell of her ear as he rubbed her pearl.

It was alarming to see him asking her what she wanted, but she also sensed that he was playing with her. She was becoming a slave to her own pleasure through his touch. When she failed to answer him, he pressed his finger against her entrance, breaching her a little. She bit her lip hard, causing her to hold in a pleasured moan. His intrusive gaze looked at her face, almost smirking at her reaction. Her hips bucked into his hand unintentionally, without conscious thought.

Taking this as a sign, he raked his hand in her hair and pulled her head to him, kissing her fiercely as his digit pushed into her forcefully. His thumb rubbed against her sensitive nub with an increased speed at the same time. The action caused her eyes to roll to the back of her head. For some time, all she saw was white, as her lips gave out a guttural moan, unable to control her reactions any longer. Her knees squeezed together hard, and letting go of the carpet, her hands held onto the eri of his loosely tied kimono. Her knuckles turned white in the process of gripping so hard.

Her mind felt blissful, and her body felt as if it were floating. She had scrunched her eyes shut, as warm liquid squirted from between her folds, causing her body to shake uncontrollably.

Unknown to Madara, she had climaxed for the very first time.

She slowly opened her eyes from the high and looked at him dazed. He stared back at her, causing an uneasy air. She realized that she had been gripping his kimono, and suddenly let go. Her face carried a deep red flush, as she became speechless.

Madara withdrew his hand, still looking at her. Raising the hand coated in her juices, he rubbed it across her abdomen slowly. Showing her how he had satisfied her with just his finger. Lifting himself from her, he stood up to his full height.

Picking up the scroll he had been observing earlier, he turned to her briefly, "Oba-sama will be making her return tomorrow," he informed her.

Mirai became very conscious of herself and suddenly got off the ground, holding her robes to her exposed body. Her hair hung loosely around her, and her feet felt unstable on the ground. She could not fathom her experience and steadied herself. Instead of waiting for him to say another word or acknowledging what he had said, she clutched her robes close, and half ran out of the study.

He stared after her sharply until the doors had closed.

Madara made his way to his floor table, copying the contents of the scroll on a separate writing surface. As he sat, he could feel his needs expanding and consuming him, and the pulsating sensation of his nether regions grew more noticeable with each passing moment causing him to press onto his ink brush and breaking the writing utensil in the process.

Mirai & Madara's bed chambers

Mirai hurriedly shut the shoji panel behind her, locking it in place.

Cupping her heated face in her hands, she fell forward onto her bed, wanting to disappear.

She felt multiple emotions together. Her body signaled otherwise.

She was glad that she did not run into anyone during the sprint to her chambers. Her kimono hung off her shoulders as she shuddered at the thought of how Madara had pleasured her, and the fact that her body derived pleasure from his touch.