Blinded

The tension was now covered by a total silence after the owner of the voice shook both side's ferocity. They remained on that position for awhile. A lady, particularly with red hair held her breath by covering her mouth using both hands. Her brother who ias standing beside her almost dropped his jaw watching in awe. Never in their whole life they witness such fine moves given that those three people in front of them were definitely not ordinary shinobis (they just arrived with some men at the back beside the open wooden door). One was the hokage, Hashirama, who jumped to defend someone from his brother's rage.

"Tobirama? so that's Tobirama..." Mito whispered knowing from Hashirama's call that it was his brother. But why was that man so angry that he wanted to slash somebody? His sword were wrapped by his elder brother's jutsu the Mokuton, fully stopping his movements, preventing to clash with someone behind the Hokage. She then turn her attention to this someone, who is he protecting? who is this...

She scrutinized Hashirama's and saw a girl. The person was in fact a female and Mito can deduce that she's a shinobi. The female shinobi was on the position of defending herself gazing at Hashirama's back and look annoyed as hell, she's wearing a dark colored clothes, her bangs almost covering half of her face. Whatever Mito just observed from the three people, it bothered her so much.

"B..Brother," Tobirama stuttered, surprise at his brother's sudden arrival.

Everyone in the room including the visitors made different reactions; there's huff, quirky movements, panic and whispers. Hashirama sighed and was absolutely sure he cant get a proper rest, not after he solved this commotion.

"Now," his voice deep and dead serious, the mood Tobirama was unable to go against. He grunted in disapproval, knowing his brother was ordering him to put his sword away and calm down. But upon realizing there were unknown people or much like visitors behind them (that these people's eyes are watching them all along) slowly but unwillingly, he moved the sword down, gritting his teeth and glaring at a certain girl. Mito watched them carefully from every movements more especially, that girl behind him.

Hashirama kept the mokuton vines active but wasnow detached in Tobirama's sword, he then made an eye contact to Toka (the poor Senju girl panicked but came back to herself after the eye contact. He muttered an apology to the Uzumaki group (the visitors) after he deactivated the mokuton. Toka did the same and asked everyone (the visitors) to follow her outside the room. Jiro on the other hand was the more hesitant one, not long after Madara waved her hand as an order to get outside.

"You too, Tobirama.." the Hokage said asking him to get outside the room.

"Why?!" His albino brother protested like a 6 year old kid not having a cookie after dinner.

"I'll meet you later, just let me and Madara.." The older Senju continued.

"Madara ?!" in Morito's thoughts.

"Madara-sama?" in Mito's.

Both Uzumaki were in the process of getting outside on that moment.

"Well what's new?" the younger Senju threw his arms upward as if throwing a nag, sounding unconvinced.

"Just like what you always do, listening to that girl before me, your own brother!"

Madara kept quiet for a very long time now, she just observe the whole scenario and rolled her eyes at Tobirama's rage

"Tell my brother what you did." he pressed his line as if challenging Madara. The visitors were fully out in the office and the door was finally closed.

Hashirama shifted his attention to Madara, his second in command. She stood, glaring at the Senju brothers.

"What happened here?" Hashirama asked simply, it looks like Madara didn't want to answer so Tobirama did the pleasure.

"Kiri declared a war against us."

-xXx-

A long silence.

Tobirama walked out of the room with anger and frustrations. He had been a good adviser to his Hokage brother, he had been a well disciplined shinobi, he had been responsible. And with those he can never understand why his brother doesn't seem to hear him out first before her. On that, the Senju stormed out after Hashirama begged him to calm down and they'll be talking later, of course the younger one cannot find the word "calm down" on his vocabularies, not on this time. Exasperated, he left the room.

The two founders were left alone inside. Deafening silence conquered every corners. Hashirama broke the extreme quietude. He smiled upon tuoching the crystal jar placed over his table.

"How are you?" the Senju asked using his normal voice, far from what he used before. Her eyes shot an inimical glance at him. Obviously he was talking to her, but he's looking at the crystal jar so it looks like he's talking to the flower. How is she? really? that's all he wants to ask? after his brother told him what awaits the whole village?

"If you want to ask me something, go ahead." The Uchiha stepped going in front of him face to face, between them was the table itself. Madara's eyes pinned through his. Hashirama placed the jar back to its original place, he then handed the scroll which contains the declaration of war from Kirigakure.

"..what happened ?" back then, when he sent the Uchiha to have peaceful negotiations with the Village Hidden by Mist when she accidentally.. (no, it wasn't an accident, but as the news spread widely around Konoha, it was delivered as 'Madara accidentally killed a Kiri hero' just to lessen and covering up the Uchiha head's hostile actions that can affect her image to the people, of course, Hashirama knows the truth). The Senju asked, patiently waiting for response.

"Heh, you really think I can have peaceful negotiations with them?" The girl remarked with unfavorable tone.

"As if you don't know them." She made a serious face, the one she makes on battles.

Hashirama sighed, she has a point. He knew from his past experiences that these Mist people cannot be trusted, more especially their current Mizukage. Kiri never had a close ally village before, they keep distance on every outsiders and remained reticent so far. The Hokage then remembers the summit and the Mizukage as he hold grudges against Madara.

"But Madara we should at least try to..." then he cut off when the Uchiha's eyebrows met. The Hokage exhaled, it will be a very long argument again and this time it's gonna be tougher.

"Madara, what I'm trying to say is we should at least try to have negotiations with them in a fair way."

Fair way. That word piqued her tremendously. "Fair?" Madara, shocked in Hashirama's choice of word.

"There is no fair in war Hashirama! what do you expect from those low class traitors? to change their ways of thinking if I ever talked to them FAIRLY like you want to?"

"But Madara.." he paused then think for a moment how can he clear his point to her without putting the Uchiha's skyrocket pride down.

"I just want you to make it up with them, to clear your name."

Oops

Madara flinched and stared at him as if he was asking both of her kidneys, like he's the most idiot person in the entire continent.

"Excuse me?" she hastily said "...clearing what?"

Hashirama gaped at what he said and now having the urge to slap his face for saying things that will provoke her more to extend their argument.

"...and to prevent the war.." he quickly added.

"Are you saying that I'm a criminal that needs to clear a name?" The Uchiha said curtly.

Before Hashirama opened his mouth again to defend or keep her calm (no one knows), Madara grunted.

Why does it have to be like this , said by Hashirama in his thoughts. Well, he never win an argument except the girl exit herself in the room and refuse to talk to him for weeks. He's been always incapable of winning against her in battles like this.

"I'll settle this." He said with a heavy finality in his voice. The Hokage pulled out a blank scroll from the drawer and handed a pen, writing a letter in settling dilemmas with Kiri. Madara sighed and marched outside.

"Mara," he called but as usual she continues walking away "Madara,"

The girl bit her lower lip, displaying her dark attitude. "Do what you think is right, I'm doing what I MUST." she turn her head glancing at the kage and left the room.

When she walked out fr omthe Hokage office, all (malicious and non malicious) eyes were pinned through her. Some of them back offed and stepped away when she starts to move passing to these group of unknown people. They were foreign in her eyes (except Toka and Jiro on the other side) she rose an eyebrow upon noticing all of them have red hair. When she 'hnn-ed', these people almost got killed by her like they fear her stare more than death. Madara did not hear them said one syllable nor their breathing, heck they didn't even move a single centimeter when she walked. But a certain redhead girl have the courage to maintain a gaze at her. The Uchiha's eyes are majestic, it's one of a kind, so beautiful. And if Hashirama is to be asked, it will be difficult for one human to disregard that fact. Hers were tempestuous, shaped by glory and the deep onyx color addend the intensity of her gaze which was quite rare.

Madara was a little amused by this redhead girl, maybe her age was closer to her or Hashirama's or maybe they at the same age. Either way she was only amused by her because she's the only one who is fearless in maintaining a gaze at her when everybody were tamed before her presence. But there was something on that stare and Madara as an experienced fighter, a shinobi no less, was knowledgeable of. Though Mito's eyes showed pure innocence.

"Interesting."

-xXx-

After the incident (or whatever you call it, a small war, commotion or everyone's lack of oxygen because the author described all scenes like that), the Shodai called an abrupt meeting which includes the temporary settlement of the representatives of Uzushio in Konoha. Hashirama didn't say a word about what happened (and gladly no one have the courage to ask) though he made it clear and informed the Uzumaki that Kiri and Konoha were having 'little misunderstandings' but assured them to settle everything as soon as possible. The visitors nodded, completely put their trust to Hashirama. He's a great speaker and his positive outlook shone in the meeting room as if there wasn't been a problem lately.

However, Toka was worried of the uncertainty between two villages and that they must somehow, tell the visitors the real situation. She leaned closer to the sitting Hokage (since she is standing on his side all along the meeting) regarding her concerns, but the Hokage smiled (the ever shining smile) and promised he'll clear things with Kiri. The meeting was adjourned after he asked the Senju girl to accompany the Uzumaki to their respective guest houses. He wanted them to feel the warm welcome and hospitality from Konoha just as he and his group were treated way back in Uzushio.

"Let's go Mito...Mito?" The guests left the room once again, Morito carried a large scroll (the one from their village and the scroll is human size) ready to follow Toka outside the Hokage building together with their members when he noticed how his twin sister was observing the Hokage peeking from the half-closed door.

Mito has a worried expression, watching as the Kage plopped his hands over his head, staring on a blank scroll on his desk. His expression was far from what he showed them on their meeting. He's frowning (which it was the first time she saw him on such state) and looking very problematic. The Mito gently close the door after closing her eyes with deep thoughts in her mind.

"Mito, If I were you, I will refrain from giving the Hokage that look." Morito sighed.

His twin sister spun her heels "What look?" and horribly stared at her twin brother.

"That." Morito smirked, putting the giant scroll at his back "People here might accuse you in plotting to kidnap their Hokage.'" he added and to walked away, Mito blushed and panicked at her brother's comment.

"We are twins after all." Again, Morito turn around and smirked, this time he gave her a very mocking smirk and she knows the meaning of it

"Morito-niisama!"

He loves teasing his sister.

-xXx-

He's in a hurry, he doesn't want to keep things unsettled before dawn. He sent two hawk flying in the sky, sending a very important message to the Mizukage. After that, he rushed at the Senju compound to dump the things he used from their journey. Though he can ask someone to do things for him, Hashirama personally wanted to bring his armor and weapons back to their room plus, he's not the kind of man who's fond of asking a small favor like carrying his personal things to his place. He just lived a simple, normal life and though he's the Hokage, he doesn't want to be treated like an aristocrat.

Some Senju members noticed how much in a hurry their leader was when he left the compound once again after changing his clothes (normal clothes without Hokage robes, dark blue trousers and white long sleeve top). Hashirama didn't fail to ask (or plead, describing Hashirama's way) one Senju woman to bring Senju styled tempura dish at their home, the woman patted the Hokage's shoulder, begging him not to kneel before her.

Tobirama loves tempura.

The older Senju knows his brother wont go at his office for ages after their argument and after he cooled his head, their home will be the only place for him to rest.

Hurriedly, after thanking the woman, he spun his heels going south of the village where the Uchiha clan resides.

Two middle aged Senjus watched his departing figure, one was the woman he asked to cook tempura which was holding a watering can to water her flowers in a small garden, anotherwas her husband who was holding pile of woods (placing the large woods on his back again because after he greeted Hashirama he needs to put those down). Both threw a meaningful glance at each other.

"Hashirama-sama cannot wait til morning huh?"

"I thought he was going to ask me to pick some of our flowers"

"As his present?"

"What more,idiot. Just what you did to get me!" the wife continued on watering the flowers and chuckled.

The Senju people remained quiet on what they had observed on their leader mainly because many of them didn't want to react negatively nor positively on such matters.

Little did Hashirama knows about all of these small talking inside their compound.

-xXx-

The Hawk landed gracefully on a shinobi's arms and sending it to fly again after getting the scroll inside the bottle it carried.

A smug appeared on his face while reading the entire contents of the scroll. The message contains a request for the Mizukage to have a conversation personally with the Hokage with respect of their declaration of war , signed by Hashirama Senju the Hokage.

Using a boil release jutsu, he destroyed the scroll as if it never existed and in one throw of a hand, killed the second hawk that contained the same message using a destructive technique.

"That's for you, Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara."