Twin Leaves in the Shadow

29章

"Hashirama? You need to wake up right now."

His eyes shot open to find an impatiently-waiting Tobirama standing at his door. Dread washed over him as he got up to meet his brother.

"Another last minute meeting, I presume?" Hashirama sleepily asked.

"Yes, actually. You are going to be meeting your soon-to-be wife," he specified.

Hashirama froze.

"Hurry up and get ready. I left clothes out for you," Tobirama rushed. He scurried out his room, leaving Hashirama alone to get dressed.

Oh fuck.

Hashirama wasn't mentally prepared at all. She came earlier than expected.

Why? Why would she come earlier?

Panic was raging through his body.

Where was Madara? Does he know?

He couldn't think straight. He had so many questions going through his mind. His hands shook as he pulled on the clothes his brother laid out for him. They were his nicest clothes, the ones he wore for his ceremony. They once held happy memories, but now they will be tarnished with bad ones.

Tobirama's voice carried through his door. "Are you dressed? We need to get going."

"Yes, I'm ready," Hashirama answered. But was he actually?

He exited his room and found Tobirama waiting at the door. He was also dressed nicely in all black. As he approached, Tobirama looked pleased to see him.

That's a rare sighting.

"Can I ask why she arrived earlier than expected?" Hashirama inquired, following his brother out of the house.

"Just so you know, her father is aware of the situation. He was getting impatient, so the Feudal Lords agreed for her to come earlier. It was decided yesterday." Tobirama explained. He continued guiding Hashirama through the village, towards their office.

"Why didn't anyone bother to tell me about this?" Hashirama chided, barely able to keep up with Tobirama's pace.

"I'm telling you now, aren't I?"

Hashirama groaned in frustration. He slowed down, walking a few steps behind his younger brother. His eyes looked around, seeing the villagers preparing for the day. Many would wave and shout "Congratulations!" They were all clueless. They had no idea of the truth behind this marriage. It was almost sickening.

"Please don't fuck this up, Hashirama. It's important that this goes well," Tobirama cautioned. "I know this isn't what you wanted, but it's for the best."

For the first time in a while, it actually sounded like Tobirama kind of cared. He sounded like his brother again. Though it wasn't ideal, Hashirama appreciated his sentiment.

"It's not me that you have to worry about," Hashirama sighed. He thought of Madara and where he could possibly be right now. He wondered if that's why he showed up last night and seemed so cold. But how could he have found out?

Tobirama glanced back at Hashirama. His eyes showed a glimmer of concern. "Madara is away on a mission right now. You don't need to worry about him doing anything at the moment."

The office was now in sight. Hashirama's heart was racing now. The palms of his hands were becoming sticky with sweat. He wanted to turn around and run away, but his body forced him to keep moving forward.

"Don't be nervous. We won't bring up Madara, and her father knows not to, as well. Mito doesn't know anything and we plan to keep it that way," Tobirama assured, appearing beside Hashirama. "I'll be right beside you."

"It's hard to not be nervous. I'm marrying a woman I don't even know," Hashirama remarked, cutting his eyes at Tobirama.

Tobirama forced out a laugh. "You'll be fine."

They stepped into the building and paced through the hallways. As they got closer to Hashirama's office, they could hear chatter coming from inside. Before they stepped inside the room, Tobirama stopped Hashirama. He straightened up his hair and clothes, making sure he was looking presentable.

"Ready?" Tobirama asked softly.

Hashirama didn't answer, and instead, opened the door to his office. The room was filled with strangers, but his eyes fell on the only woman that was inside.

She's beautiful.

Her red, fiery hair was pulled back into two buns, with tags dangling from them. It was held together by pins and three hair clips that held back her bangs. On top of her head was a headpiece that fanned across like a crown. She wore an elaborate, white kimono that draped onto the floor. At the center of her forehead was a violet-colored diamond.

She's a kunoichi, too.

Her eyes lit up when she noticed Hashirama had entered the room. The men around her stopped talking and brought their attention to Hashirama. Tobirama stepped beside his brother, coaxing him to step further into the room.

"Before we get started, I think it would be a good idea to give Lord Hashirama and Lady Mito some time alone," Tobirama informed, guiding the men out of the room.

Hashirama watched everyone leave the room until the door closed behind them. Now they were alone, and shit was becoming real.

"Lord Hashirama?" she called out softly. Her voice sounded so sweet and gentle to Hashirama's ears.

He spun around to face her, immediately blushing once his eyes met with hers.

"You can just call me Hashirama," he answered shyly.

She gave him a warm smile before turning her head to hide her face. He could tell she was just as nervous as he was.

The silence in the room was nothing but awkward. Hashirama wasn't sure what to even say to her. It's not like he could say, "Hey, sorry this is awkward! I'm being forced to marry you because I'm in love with an Uchiha man!" He racked his brain trying to find something to say, but his nervousness was clouding his mind.

"This is pretty weird, right?" she softly chuckled, looking up at Hashirama again.

Taken aback, Hashirama let out a laugh. "Yeah, a little bit."

"I guess I should formally introduce myself. I'm Mito Uzumaki, daughter of one of the leaders of Uzushiogakure," she beamed as she held out her hand.

Hashirama smiled and took her hand into his. "It's lovely to meet you, Mito. I'm Hashirama Senju, the first Hokage of Konohagakure."

"Oh, I already know about you," she quipped, flashing a cheeky smile. Something about the way she spoke led him to believe she might know more than just his name.