There was no disruption of any kind from the Uchiha at Hashirama's wedding, nor were there external enemies. The entire ceremony took place without a single mistake or delay, lasting smoothly into the dark of evening.
Akira and Mito stood out, not for their formality but for ignoring it completely. The two of them drank and ate everything in reach, laughing with their mouths full as they messed with each other over seats and platters. At one point, they nearly started grappling over the same chicken leg across the banquet table.
No one tried to stop them. Their playful shouting only made other guests lean closer in amusement. Everyone could tell it wasn't a fight, just two people having a little too much fun together.
For the Uzumaki clan, it was nothing new. They had long grown used to Senju Akira's behavior and knew exactly how lethal he could be when serious. Nobody from among their ranks believed the Uchiha would dare come tonight, not while Akira was grinning mid, bite over a slab of roasted pork ribs.
Senju's allied clans weren't so relaxed. Though adorned in celebratory robes and smiling on the surface, they had already formed quiet positions throughout the venue, most of them watching the door with subtle glances every few minutes. The moment a single Uchiha dared to appear, they would've drawn blades before dessert was served.
It split the gathering visibly in two, one side fully immersed in laughter and indulgence, the other half alert and rigid as if attending a military strategy meeting rather than a marriage ceremony.
And while Hashirama bore every greeting and formality from start to finish, it wasn't him who had it worst that day.
Tobirama looked half, dead by sunrise.
Between managing internal affairs and preparing for an anticipated Uchiha ambush, and keeping watch over both Hashirama's recklessness and Akira's unpredictable nature, he'd burned through the entire night without rest. By morning, the bags under his eyes looked deeper than half the guests' sake cups.
His white hair made it worse, next to Hashirama's black, it exaggerated just how drained and old he looked by comparison.
When he caught his brother looking at him with that familiar "see? I told you" expression, Tobirama slammed his hand on the desk beside them.
"You knew the Uchiha wouldn't attack?"
"Yes."
Hashirama spoke while pouring tea into cups like nothing serious had just been said.
"Why didn't you say anything?"
"You didn't ask," he replied casually. "Besides, the bet between you and little Akira already started. I couldn't interfere."
Tobirama's face went stiff for a second before narrowing his eyes in understanding.
"You're telling me last night was part of Akira's plan too?"
"Possibly," Hashirama said with no hesitation. "Or not. Either way, it worked."
"So you want me to admit defeat already?"
"Well," Hashirama offered with a shrug and half a grin, "it doesn't look good for you so far."
"Absolutely fucking not." Tobirama's tone turned to stone. "I don't surrender, never have."
"Suit yourself," Hashirama replied as he downed the rest of the steaming tea in his hands. "Either way, I win."
After slamming the empty cup down on the tabletop, Tobirama stood up fast enough for the chair behind him to scrape loudly against the floorboards.
"You're married now," he snapped without looking back at Hashirama. "I've been up patrolling through your wedding night while you played host. You'll handle document approvals for a while."
"Wait, don't go!"
Hashirama nearly dropped his cup trying to stop him, but Tobirama was already walking toward the door, arms crossed and pace unchanging.
"I was only refereeing your stupid bet! I wasn't part of this mess!" Hashirama called after him in vain.
"Oh," Tobirama shot back flatly without turning around again.
Hashirama watched him go in silence for a few seconds before sighing heavily and slumping into his seat again. After a long sip from what little tea was left in his cup, he tapped one finger against the wood repeatedly while thinking out loud.
"How about I sneak over to Akira and get information out of him…"
Tobirama stopped just outside the corridor, but gave no reply other than an unamused glare over his shoulder.
"I'll go now!" Hashirama raised his hand lightly in surrender and gave a little wave to emphasize it. "Promise!"
With Tobirama finally out of sight and his workload postponed at least until sunset, Hashirama smiled and left through the opposite hallway with quick steps.
"If I want information from Akira… I should go through Mito first."
His pace sped up slightly then, clearly pleased with himself for coming up with a plan that required neither force nor paperwork.
-----------
Madara Uchiha stirred under a mountain of blankets almost twenty, four hours after falling asleep cold on her scroll, covered floor.
Her first thought wasn't about war or strategy, but food.
She yawned deeply as she sat up and rubbed her neck with one hand. The sound of someone flipping parchment nearby drew her attention immediately, and she spotted Izuna sitting cross, legged on the floor halfway through reading another scroll from the pile she'd left unrolled beside him.
"Izuna?" Her voice came out hoarse from sleep. "How long have you been here?"
"Ah, "
Izuna stiffened under her gaze. He clutched the scroll tighter as if caught with contraband, then looked up sheepishly from behind unkempt strands of hair that hadn't been brushed since morning, or possibly since yesterday afternoon.
"Sister, you're awake?"
"This is my room," Madara said dryly as she stretched her arms overhead again. "Why are you here?"
Only when she asked did Izuna remember he hadn't left once since stepping into her room yesterday morning. He lowered his head quickly and cleared his throat before standing up straight again with purpose in his eyes.
"Sister, I have to ask."
"What?"
"Where did these scrolls come from?"
Madara stared at him for half a second before raising an eyebrow lazily and scratching behind her ear.
"A friend gave them to me."
"What friend?"
Izuna leaned closer this time with none of his usual caution. He ignored how disheveled Madara looked after sleeping for so long, or how off, guard she seemed right now, and focused only on what he wanted: answers.
Seeing how insistent he was getting, Madara felt a twist crawl low in her gut at the thought of what else might be hidden in those scrolls, like one of Akira's many ridiculous love notes slipped between diagrams and theory pages.
She quickly replied with a shrug:
"Just a regular friend."
"Just… regular?" Izuna narrowed his eyes at her answer, and immediately frowned.
"Fine then, invite him here," Izuna said plainly. "And if he refuses? Drag him here."
"That's not…" Madara winced slightly. "It's not that simple."
"It is," Izuna said firmly as he paced in front of her now. "Whoever wrote these scrolls, he understands war better than anyone I've ever read from before."
"Some of these plans directly target Senju forces, even strategies tailored specifically to break Hashirama's hold on the field."
"If we follow this guidance carefully… we may actually win next time."
"And not just that, if we win once, just once, every clan currently riding Senju coattails will back off immediately."
He stepped forward again now, face full of fire Madara hadn't seen in years.
"We end their momentum now, and we might end this chaos entirely."
"So," Izuna concluded without blinking, "you must bring your friend here, even if it costs us everything."
Madara turned her head away slightly, but that faint heat she'd tamped down after waking started creeping steadily up her neck again when she remembered Akira chasing her around years ago saying he'd marry her someday.
"…Tch," she hissed beneath her breath without thinking. "Little bastard would love that."
"What was that?"
"Nothing."
She shook her head once, and then shut down any trace of personal sentiment with a single cool breath back through her nose.
"We'll test it in battle first," she said plainly as she stood up from the futon and walked toward the door past Izuna without slowing down once. "Use those tactics in our next clash with Senju."
"If they work, we'll talk then."
READ 45+ ADVANCED CHAPTER AT MY P@TREON!
at [email protected] /Zaneninjacat