A chapter ends and a new one begins. What will the future depart our fav OC?
Love in marriage is a luxury in this place. She has known it since she accepted this path as salvation from the hands of a stubborn Daimyo. That is why Karen stopped being irritated with the decision and Tobirama's clarification about her duties as a wife.
He won't force her, and she's sure he doesn't even care.
So, it matters little to her when Kaori and Mikami, as part of her representatives to the clan as she is a foreigner, have been in charge of the entire engagement process while she sinks into the final preparations for the move.
Many have already moved. Spaces where houses were once located are now covered by trees by a focused clan leader, who has removed any evidence that they were once there, erasing their past... and presence.
"You should have a tall, white headdress," Mikami assures on one of her visits. The house is so lonely, and the patio looks big white they are sitting, noting the scrolls of preparations.
"It must match the yukata," Kaori adds with a soft tone. "Lady Kyoko has been keeping an eye on this, and you haven't gone to take your measurements."
"I had a meeting with the council and Hashirama," the civilian snorts with a slight frown. The numbers do not stop, and more and more missions arrive along with sealed scrolls with strange symbols on them. Hashirama is sure they are clans, but he asked her not to open them.
Then, why is she receiving them?
"I know that work is important, but your engagement to Tobirama-sama is just as much," the old woman scolds pursing her lips, like a grandmother disappointed in her lack of interest.
How to tell her it is a facade? ...Right, she can't.
"I'm sorry... I know I must pay attention."
"It even seems like you do not want to get married," Mikami sighs lightly. At least Matsuo is with his parental grandmother, in such a difficult agreement with the family of her rapist. A closed and taboo matter between the two that they want to touch.
She still feels it's unfair.
"It's not that I don't want to," she lies. She has a façade to maintain with a clumsy smile. Karen is bad at this, but she must be convincing if she doesn't want to raise suspicions to whoever is watching her steps. It feels bad to lie to them, but it's the only way so as not to make this a mistake. "I just... there is so much to do."
"That is why we are here," Mikami laughs. "We helped you and that has made everything easier."
"Uh..."
"Not many Senju have gotten married lately," Kaori states.
"I know Touka-san will soon," Karen reminds subtly.
"I know, she will get married right after you," her friend comments obliviously looking at her own affairs. "So, it must be beautiful. After Hashirama-sama's wedding, of course."
"My engagement is not here yet. Don't jump straight to the wedding that quickly."
"I know, but there is a lot to work on. Besides, I know that Tobirama-sama is desperate for you to get married," Mikami comments as if it were nothing, making her choke on her own air.
"Really?"
"Yes, he is aware of everything despite his work. Very different from you," the young woman says without a second thought.
"Uh... I didn't know."
"I know. I just wanted to tell you so you could see the commitment. I never thought that someone like Tobirama-sama would be so in love." Misunderstanding a lot, Mikami starts talking about things she doesn't want to hear. She smiles and pretends to work at the moment Kaori gives her a piece of her mind too.
At the end of it all, the old woman saw them as children. She was sure that their mother would be proud to see her two sons get married.
Seeing how trees grow out of nothing is exciting. She can't help but think that this skill would be so useful to combat pollution and global warming quickly. So, she watches how vegetation floods a space previously occupied by a family that just moved today.
Hashirama looks calm sitting in the middle, surrounded by nature.
"I never get tired of seeing that," Karen comments, smiling at who blinks twice. He smiles... he always does, but she notices a certain apprehension in his gestures that she doesn't question.
He's probably nervous about his upcoming wedding.
"Me neither," the leader says with a double blink, standing up as if nothing had happened to look at her lightly. "Is there something wrong?"
"No, I was thinking about how useful it would be to grow trees like that in a second," the girl shrugs. "Can you also make flowers?"
"Of course," the man adds amusedly. "Although I don't do it often."
"Uh... it would be good in the new clan, right?"
"You are already thinking about changes, aren't you?"
"I am a civilian. I spend a lot of time between numbers and papers, I deserve a nicer place than the beautiful patio I had."
"Suggestion?"
"Yes," the girl answers without a second thought, causing the man to laugh for a few seconds.
"I like your suggestions. They tend to be pretty, like the edges of the new compound."
"We have to give it a cozier touch, right?"
"Yes."
"By the way, I already finished the numbers. The income was high this month. And another sealed letter has arrived."
"Another?"
"Yes, with a different seal," the girl explains, handing over said parchment with ease, which makes the man get excited and he does not avoid shining as always. "What?"
"It's not the Hyūga clan. It's the Nara clan that contacted me."
Karen tilts her head, knowing that she should seriously study about the clans a little more.
"It's another clan, one focused on strategy and a formidable enemy," the Senju says with emotion. He smiles and does not avoid lifting her up with an excited hug that frightens her. "I'm sorry... I just got excited."
"Uh..." she manages to say when she feels the ground and her partner's enthusiasm. "I noticed," the woman accepts without a care with a long sigh, until someone coughs behind her revealing a cold Tobirama next to her. Hashirama lets go of her to laugh stupidly at whom just arrived.
"We have a little from the Nara clan," he begins, cutting the strange atmosphere that formed between the two. Karen simply watches the exchange, amused that this is beginning to spread since she thought only the Hyūga clan and another clan whose name she does not remember had contacted the leader of the Senju clan, wondering: Is Madara being contacted as well?
She doesn't know... she hopes so, because this dream belongs to both of them, right?
When it is her turn to move, it is a cold autumn morning where the trees have replaced almost 80% of the old land, being the last to see that old home with nostalgia and mixed feelings that, although they hide, she can notice them in the Senju brothers.
It is difficult not only for the elderly and that is something she has realized during this time.
Change is not something that is faced casually.
"...It was a good place, right?" Karen tries to break that strange feeling, placed in the middle of both brothers in what was once the house where they had kidnapped her. Just like them, she doesn't know what to express in this moment, because she feels uncomfortable saying it when she doesn't have many pleasant memories of her first two years.
When she just arrived.
"Yes," Hashirama comments with an absent tone.
"... "Tobirama remains cold and imposing like a statue without feelings. Those red eyes that she once feared reflect nothing but sadness.
A very subtle and adverse one.
"You know, when I arrived, I didn't think I would miss this..." she comments to calm her anxiety a little more about this seriousness. "But I imagine that it is different for you, and for many too."
"It is necessary," Hashirama assures. "For the future."
"A new beginning."
"..." Tobirama sighs to shake his head.
"I'm sure it will be a good one..." the girl chuckles amused, starting to walk to take one last look around. So many good and bad things have happened and although she is still getting used to the traditions, she no longer feels so strange.
Despite receiving reality checks and that her world will change when she marries a shinobi.
Although falsely, the nervousness is still there.
"When we found you in the forest... I didn't think this would be thanks to you," the Senju leader comments while looking at her from a distance.
"I wasn't the only one."
"You made the bases."
"..." Karen was never good at receiving praises, but she just looks at the sky a little absently.
"It is time to go." Tobirama is already at her side with a firm order not to continue with the nostalgia that is contagious. She blinks subtly to sigh, accepting being carried easily.
"You know, you can express yourself too. It was your home..." Karen assures, seeing the features of her future fiancé up close.
"That does not concern you."
"Come on, we are partners."
"Do not say that."
Karen snorts indignantly at his comment, ignoring Hashirama's soft look.
"I will reach you as soon as I finish," the leader states with a low tone. Tobirama looks at him to nod, being the prior warning to suddenly find herself in a tall tree. They wait as the wood creaks due to the magical technique and the trees emerge quickly.
The last place being hidden... a home that has been through so much across generations...
Leaving a bitter taste in her mouth that she didn't think she would feel... to begin a new one.
Karen will witness it.
Author's notes:
A short one to say present, marking the beginning of a new home with the move and all that. Things will be a little faster or slower depending on the inspiration I have, but it is making its way to be pure civilian pov.
The clans have been monitoring the steps and although two have already contacted them, the others remain attentive to the progress and rumors that spread.
Karen only sees much of the shinobi contact from the third person pov, but she has made it clear that she will help in any way she can, even if it is just bureaucracy.
Thank you for your comments and kudos.
Author-chan out!