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Chapter Text

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It was way past afternoon and Yuki was currently in the family hall, which seemed as familiar and daunting as the weather today. She’d sought to make use of the weather to sit in silence and wait for her father to return from the meeting with the elders.

An ill-feeling consumed her mind & heart at the moment, and she wanted nothing more than to curl up in her bed, in the safety of her room.

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---   Meeting hall   ---

“We still haven’t come to a final decision regarding Princess Yuki.” Uchiha Kazuki pointed out.

“That’s right. Now that her reputation is beyond repair...” Uchiha Sako sighed, “Tajima, what do you plan to do with her?” 

Tajima moved his gaze towards his younger son, who’d remained silent throughout the meeting. “Izuna.The scroll.” 

Izuna didn’t know how long he’d been lost in his thoughts before his father’s voice dragged him back to reality. He shut his eyes to let out an inaudible sigh before composing himself to retrieve a scroll from his sleeve.

From the corner of his eyes, he noticed Madara’s gaze fixed on him. His vision trembled slightly before he hung his head down, sadly angling his eyes to the ground. He knew Aniki’s hidden intent behind this meeting.

Dismantling the council and rendering them powerless would help Madara pass new laws and act on his own accord. That’s one of the many unspoken wishes he’d accomplish while agreeing to the peace treaty.

. 

. 

‘The only way to make them stop is to snatch that power from them.ʼ

‘I will marry him once he accomplishes his promise.’ 

His calm demeanor slipped for a moment when his mind went to her. A weight had settled in his stomach as his thoughts continued to torment him. Izuna felt like he might suffocate if he thinks more of his siblings. 

His countenance darkened, but he showed no other emotion while putting forth the scroll.

Madara stared at the scroll. He hadn’t seen this one before, “What is that?”

Tajima shifted his gaze towards his heir. A hint of momentary annoyance flashed through his cold eyes. He knew clashes between Madara and the elders were inevitable, which is one of the reasons he wanted an alliance with the Hyuuga’s, who deemed power and authority at utmost importance—and Madara was exactly that. If tensions rose to a breaking point, the Uchiha leader would require every powerful voice on his side as possible aid, and Hyuuga’s would have served that purpose.

But seeing how Madara had almost convinced the council for this truce with those Senjus—to form a shinobi settlement, the alliance with the Hyuuga’s proved no longer essential.

“A request by the Senju leader. Since you are so adamant about accepting this truce. I and Izuna have accepted this offer to support your decision.” Tajima answered.

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The day dimmed into the night as Yuki waited for her father to come back.

The chilly night felt like it was haunting her. It was raining, slow and daunting. It covered the stars and the moon, leaving darkness behind. And she didn’t like the feel of it.

She had prayed hard in the morning to the deities and to the ancestors: To protect her family and her clan. It was something she did whenever she had this ill-feeling. 

But it didn’t help ease her agitation. For every time things took an unexpected turn for her—mostly for the worst.

As she drowned herself in her thoughts, she heard the sound of the front door sliding open.

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As the leader of the clan, Tajima had been raised to carry his duty without bending. And he had done exactly that... Until he'd met her—Uchiha Anko. The woman who showed him heaven... then left him behind in hell. 

Maybe it was because he was getting old that he often found himself reminiscing about the past. A time when he knew what happiness felt like. But it was gone, taking away a part of him. Leaving behind a failure of a man. 

He stood in the drizzling rain for what felt like several hours. Or maybe it was merely a few minutes that had passed, though the state of his attire implied the aforementioned. 

His gaze drifted at the darkness. The trees rattled their skeleton-like pale branches, and the black night sky was void of stars. It reminded him of  that day. 

【Flashback】

Drops of water ran down his face, like a hoard of malevolent warriors, that it was hard to know what was tears and what wasn’t, though the constant pain in his eyes made it clear they were there. 

A stone has risen from the ground. On the cold white piece of marble a name was carved. In there resided someone that had taken a place in his heart and now left a hole that could not be healed. 

“Why?” he asked to the black clouds above him, their massive presence remaining indifferent to his utterance.

“Why?” he repeated, his pain screaming to the higher power beyond. 

He brought his hands to his face and breathed unsteadily, before falling on his knees—on top of the dirt right above his wife, as if to come closer to her, to feel her warmth, to feel the love that he knew he didn’t deserve. He couldn’t protect his friends, his comrades, his brothers, now...his wife.

He had failed. Everywhere. 

“Forgive me, please”, he said to the dirt a few centimeters from him. His hands ached to start digging, to find his way to her. 

He wanted to die.

【Flashback ends】

The memories flooded him with grief. And soon a feeling of emptiness settled.

Sensing footsteps, his body willed movement. So instead of remaining frozen on the spot, he moved his arm, sliding the door open. 

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The evening, when her father returned, there was a hint of conflict in his eyes. While he removed his footwear, Yuki appeared with a towel.

“Welcome back, father.”

Tajima gave her a nod, accepting the towel silently. He didn’t miss the hint of anxiousness in her voice.

“I’ll set the tea out in the hall,” she announced softly, before leaving him to his privacy. 

Yuki could tell from the tightness around his mouth, the way his eyes were more sternly held than normal, that things weren’t going well.

Madara had been on bad terms with the elders for as long as she could remember. They held this meeting regarding the future of this clan, and she had a hunch how difficult it must have been for her father to mediate between her brother and the stubborn elders. 

Tajima settled down, his mind replaying the meeting he’d attended before. He knew the Hyuuga’s Council of Elders were as power-hungry and manipulative as the Uchiha’s. He also knew very well those Byakugan bearers had the most stringent rules amongst all clans. Which is why ever since he’d learned Yuki is no longer pure, he’d worried about sending her to them. It will be equivalent to mocking them and a life sentence to her, which he was sure would eventually jeopardize the future relationship between the clans.

But with the introduction of this ‘peace treaty’ and ‘shinobi settlement’ into the picture, it seemed as though Yuki’s supposedly dim future could be altered.

Last night, Izuna had urged with him to sign this scroll and give his permission as their Guardian to support Madara’s decision. In all honesty, Tajima despised this decision, but knowing how stubborn his firstborn could be and learning how his foolish daughter had gone and ruined herself, he had to take this step for the honor of his clan... And for her.

Yuki held in her breath as she seated herself beside Tajima. She poured hot water into the teapot while silence prevailed, with only her thoughts to occupy the time until the tea had finished steeping. Pulling her kimono sleeve out of the way, she poured the cup full. 

Before she could bow and excuse herself, her father spoke, “Sit down Yuki, I need to tell you something.” 

. 

. 

.

“Yes, father.” she sat opposite him. Silently staring at him. She had prepared herself mentally beforehand but could still feel cold sweat forming at the back of her neck. 

“You won’t be marrying the Hyuuga heir.”

He noticed the way her head shot up, hope twinkling in her gray eyes, contrasting against the newly acquired dark bags beneath. The striking resemblance she had to her Mother was painful to observe.

If only she had Anko’s personality as well... 

Yuki stared at father, dumbfounded. She had expected bad news by the appearance of his stern and rigid body language. But this was the best news she had heard in a long time! 

She felt extremely grateful and couldn’t mask the small smile forming at the corner of her lips, realizing there was no need to go through that humiliating inspection anymore! 

She wanted to reply, but she knew her voice would be too cheerful and that won’t fit with the tense atmosphere around her father.

Why is he... So displeased?

After a moment of thought, Yuki realized it wasn’t good news to Tajima. After all the time and effort he had put in to tie those Hyuuga into an alliance—it failed in the end.

She felt disappointed. Couldn’t her father be happy for her... For once?

“I see.” That is all she uttered.

Tajima took a sip from his cup of tea. A deep frown forming on his face, “The elders have decided to negotiate terms of the peace treaty with the Senju’s.”

Yuki couldn’t believe her ears! 

Am I dreaming?

She felt too happy to contain her happiness and broke into a smile.

Nii san kept his promise! He convinced the elders!

While she smiled ear to ear, Tajima let out an exhale, “The Senju leader has proposed a solution to the damage to your reputation.”

Solution? for my reputation?

Yuki doubted if her tainted reputation could ever be repaired. That will remain with her. Under any other circumstances, she would have been sad. But right now, it was for the best. Now, she didn’t need to make up excuses for remaining unmarried. She could stay with Madara. Forever.

“Last night, Izuna presented this scroll, requesting me to sign as your guardian.” Tajima took another sip, then continued, “Initially, I hadn’t agreed. But seeing how Madara had convinced those elders to accept the truce, I think this is the only way to pull you out of this mess that you’ve created for yourself and this clan.”

Izuna nii? Yuki felt a shiver down her spine for a second. 

But she was confident Izuna would never betray them. She’d even made him promise that he should never reveal her relationship with Madara to their father. 

Scroll? 

Which scroll is he talking about? 

She kept her gaze glued to the floor. Her stomach whirled, creating yet another wave of nausea. She tried to divert her unpleasant thoughts, to think positively.

Yuki reassured herself. Even though she was under a lot of heat from every side, but at least now she was out of the boiling kettle .

“The council will announce their decision soon. I feel they’ll settle for the truce, in which case your duty will be to aid in solidifying the agreement.”

Solidifying the agreement? She looked up at her father, puzzled. 

. 

. 

. 

“By engaging to Senju Tobirama.” 

What?

“Since this matter concerns union of two noble clans that bore deep hatred for each other for several generations, I believe the Senju leader must have proposed this as an official confirmation for the union of clans—to aid in facilitating the peace treaty and for the sake of fostering trust and solidarity.”

Her father’s words did not register in her mind.

How c-could Izuna nii betray me like... This? 

Betray us ? 

She felt as though she’d jumped out of the boiling kettle—straight into the fire.

His words reverberated in her mind. 

‘Yuki...Love is giving someone the power to destroy you.’ 

She was back there again, back in the darkness.

‘But trusting them not to.’

The darkness seemed to push in on her. The shackles biting into her mind and weighing down her thoughts, causing her throat to tighten. 

The next moment she could see the rays of light above her, feel the cold floor against her skin... the burning, the pain in her chest and her head, sounds of struggling breaths in her ear.

Then silence.

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