𝘛𝘏𝘌 𝘉𝘌𝘋𝘌𝘝𝘐𝘓𝘌𝘋 𝘓𝘌𝘎𝘈𝘊𝘠 | ⁿᵃʳᵘᵗᵒ

To Sit at a Man's Table

TO SIT AT A MAN'S TABLE

✧

The Fuma left the next morning, Asami, Madara, and Izuna walking them to the edge of the compound for their departure. It was a quick goodbye and thanks for supporting the Uchiha in battle. Nothing major occurred, but she had wished that the exchange had lasted longer since she knew what was going to come after.

The meeting with the Uchiha Elders.

Asami looked off to the side, not saying anything as Osamu and Ryuta, the two male Uchiha elders who sat across the table from her, prattle on about something. She sat beside Izuna, Madara at the head of the table. The room felt stuffy, Asami wishing they could open a door or something. The two annoying, middle-aged men across from her did not help the atmosphere at all.

"It's embarrassing we had to call on the Fuma for aid in the last battle." Condemned Osamu, his small, sharp black eyes narrowing in on Madara. He tipped his chin up with a huff, the arrogance wafting off of him almost smothering. "We are Uchiha, the mightiest clan in Fire Country. Why must you make us look so weak by turning to the Fuma for help?"

Asami frowned, a bored look in her eyes as she watched the exchange.

They always said stupid things like this. Both Osamu and Ryuta were seventy-five, an impressive feat for their time when most children didn't make it past twelve, and most were lucky if they got to watch their children take their first steps. Death came soon for those born into shinobi clans, and the fact Osamu and Ryuta lived that long gave them special privileges, along with their reputable performance on the battlefield.

It didn't make them any less arrogant or stupid, though.

Asami sometimes wished it was acceptable to throw something at them. They had a habit of asking the most annoying, meaningless questions that had obvious answers if they would have taken the extra second to think critically or from an outside perspective.

"The Fuma is a close ally of ours," replied Madara easily, his composure cool. "We were to fight three clans in total, including the Senju. We may be skilled, but there is no reason to make stupid, reckless choices."

"Are you saying my suggestion that we should have attacked on our own is stupid?" Osamu asked, offended.

She could tell Madara was trying his best not to sigh and pinch his nose in frustration. "No, I'm merely saying that it was better to have more bodies to handle the forces we were facing. We would have been drastically outnumbered."

"That is meaningless now," spoke up Ryuta, the man pulling his long, graying ponytail over his shoulder. "We will go after the Senju now, alone. This time we will be on the offense. The amount of times we have been on the defense lately is shameful. We are not a clan that lays in wait for someone to slaughter us."

"We were on the offense against the Senju and their allies in the latest battle." Pointed out Izuna. "We ambushed them."

"Yes, well we wouldn't have needed to ambush them at all if it weren't for them setting up camp miles from our compound, now would we?" Sneered Osamu, quick to turn his sharp gaze from Madara to Izuna. "They should have never been allowed to come that close."

Izuna glowered at the older man, but didn't say anything more.

Asami resisted the urge to close her eyes and sigh, their attitudes bringing on a major headache. She always hated these meetings.

"I told you already, we will be attacking the Senju." Replied Madara easily, though Asami could tell he was also getting annoyed with their prodding. "After our meeting has completed Asami will head out with Kousuke to the Uchiha hideout to make sure supplies are in order. It will be a point between our compound and the Senju should anyone need immediate medical attention or a resting spot."