On a lovely summer day, I was practicing my sutures with Madara when Hashirama stopped by with a guest. Madara saw who it was, put two and two together, and promptly jumped out the back window to avoid meeting Hashirama's future fiancée.

Madara was in a "all girls are yucky and they give me cooties" phase where he actively did his best to avoid them.

Hashirama entered the home, escorting a young cherry-cheeked Mito who looked around in wonder.

"This is Sasori," Hashirama introduced Mito to me. Mito gave me a funny look as I put away the practiced sutures Madara was working on.

"Why are you wearing a boy's outfit?" Mito shrewdly asked. "You're a girl."

"Today I'm a boy," I told her.

She gasped. "You can do that?!"

"Sure."

"Wha—I wanna be a boy," Mito excitedly exclaimed. Then her face fell. "But I have to marry Hashirama-san and bear his children."

"You can always adopt," I answered with a shrug.

"Like in the tale The Wandering Hero?!" Mito and Hashirama practically squealed. Then when they realized they had said it in synch the two slowly turned toward one another, gaping.

"You know The Wandering Hero?" Hashirama whispered in awe.

"Know it? I have it memorized!" Mito bragged.

"It's the best tale of them all," they said together in perfect synch. Then they proceeded to squeal and grasp each other's hands.

"MY FRIEND!" Hashirama declared, pulling Mito in for a tight hug.

Mito's face turned red but she jubilantly returned his hug.

I cooed, "Awww. C'mon, Mito. I've got some spare boy clothes if you wanna try them on."

"Oh, yes please!"

Mito looked dashing as a boy. She changed her hair bun into a loose ponytail. She definitely could have passed as a bishie if she were older.

"Do you like to train?" Hashirama asked her after she came back out.

"I'm not allowed to," Mito admitted.

"You can do anything at Sasori's," Hashirama told her. "I hang out with an Uchiha here!"

"Aren't the Senju and Uchiha clan at war?"

"We were. Until Sasori," Hashirama nodded at me.

"Wow." Mito turned to me with stars in her eyes. "How? Even grandpa couldn't make peace between them."

"Blackmail," I admitted to her. "And peer pressure."

"Wow. Mom always told me to never give in to peer pressure."

"Easier said than done," I snorted. "Have you been taught to tree-walk?"

Mito shook her head.

"Let's start there, then. That's something everyone should know how to do, regardless of status or gender."

H̰̝̔̓͐ͧ̚e͙̫̭̣̭͑̒ͣ̚l͙̣̬̈́̃͒̄l̩̱̮ͅo̪̩͑ͯ̀ͬ,̩̖̬̜͐͋ ̬̥̳ͯd̪͂ͫȍ̺̩͓͔̮ ̘͒ͩy̆̒̑o̖̦̘ű̝͔̱̙̄ ͙̭̫͕͗͂̓̾r̜̟͇̠͌̐ͭe̱̺̺̝m̰̭ė̮ͤ̑̐̀mͮ̄b̪̟̭ͧͭ̇̓ͅẽ̯̤͕́r̖ͫ ̗͒̀̍̂̉m͉̜̊ͯ̃̒͆e̱͉̊́̉̇ͧͅ?̟̝ͬ̓ͥ͗͗ͅ

Mito was a lovely girl. She spent a few more hours with me before Hashirama had to take her back. She kissed my cheek as thanks, and I could hear the two of them merrily chatter with one another on their way out. I was happy that they could at least start off as friends.

Madara returned shortly after they left, climbing back through the window. His face was scrunched up. "Yuck. I'm glad my mother said I'd never have to get married if I didn't want to."

"And your father agrees?"

"Nope, but he listens to Mother more."

I chuckled. "Probably for the best."

"Yeah, girls are gross."

"And you'd make an awful husband," I teased, forgiving the previous comment.

Madara nodded in agreement, then realized what I said, and growled, "I would not!"

"You're cute, but that's really all you have going for you," I said with a shrug.

"TAKE IT BACK."

"Take what back?" I asked innocently. "Do you want to be a good husband?"

Madara opened his mouth to argue. His face scrunched up as he considered my question and he abruptly closed his mouth.

"I'm," he said slowly, pointedly, "good at everything I do. So if I ever did marry a stinky girl, I'd be the best at it."

"The best?"

"The best."

"Better than me?" I asked.

"A million times better than you," he agreed.

I grinned. "I'll remember that."

H̰̝̔̓͐ͧ̚e͙̫̭̣̭͑̒ͣ̚l͙̣̬̈́̃͒̄l̩̱̮ͅo̪̩͑ͯ̀ͬ,̩̖̬̜͐͋ ̬̥̳ͯd̪͂ͫȍ̺̩͓͔̮ ̘͒ͩy̆̒̑o̖̦̘ű̝͔̱̙̄ ͙̭̫͕͗͂̓̾r̜̟͇̠͌̐ͭe̱̺̺̝m̰̭ė̮ͤ̑̐̀mͮ̄b̪̟̭ͧͭ̇̓ͅẽ̯̤͕́r̖ͫ ̗͒̀̍̂̉m͉̜̊ͯ̃̒͆e̱͉̊́̉̇ͧͅ?̟̝ͬ̓ͥ͗͗ͅ

Kikyo Uchiha was the Matriarch of the Uchicha Clan. When picturing an Uchiha Matriarch I always thought of someone who embodied the Uchicha Clan. Namely cold and moody.

Kikyo was none of that.

She was a surprisingly bubbly young woman with a weak constitution and the heart of a romantic.

She was also one of the few people who knew my biological gender. I never revealed it to her. She took one look at me, and nodded resolutely to herself before she said, "You should use your hair to hide your face. You're too pretty, slavers might want you."

"Slavers?" I had asked her. I wasn't aware they were active in the Warring Clans Era. I knew they existed in history, but with the formation of villages the trade slowly died out.

The villages served as military force for the countries, and helped establish secure trade between the capital cities. The economy shifted accordingly.

I could vaguely remember encountering some wild pockets of slavers in my life as Naasica. Slaves were modernly used by nobles for... play.

"Nobles like anyone with a pretty face," she said. "Madara tells me you're strong, but you should still be careful."

I inclined my head. "Would it be better if I had a mask?"

Kikyo smiled. "If you don't mind wearing one. I find them suffocating."

"It's better than attracting needless attention."

I was strong–especially for my age–but I was not invincible. Regardless of my techniques, I had a cap on what I could do. My body was still growing, and my chakra reservers weren't impressive in comparison to other children my age.

My body was average, with my skillset arguably considered prodigal. No matter how good I was, my body would tie me down.

If I encountered a group of powerful enemies, there wasn't a guarantee I could protect myself.

"I agree," Kikyo concurred. "Why don't you talk to our craftsman? I'm sure he could get you fitted for something."

"Thank you."

H̰̝̔̓͐ͧ̚e͙̫̭̣̭͑̒ͣ̚l͙̣̬̈́̃͒̄l̩̱̮ͅo̪̩͑ͯ̀ͬ,̩̖̬̜͐͋ ̬̥̳ͯd̪͂ͫȍ̺̩͓͔̮ ̘͒ͩy̆̒̑o̖̦̘ű̝͔̱̙̄ ͙̭̫͕͗͂̓̾r̜̟͇̠͌̐ͭe̱̺̺̝m̰̭ė̮ͤ̑̐̀mͮ̄b̪̟̭ͧͭ̇̓ͅẽ̯̤͕́r̖ͫ ̗͒̀̍̂̉m͉̜̊ͯ̃̒͆e̱͉̊́̉̇ͧͅ?̟̝ͬ̓ͥ͗͗ͅ

I decided to only wear the mask when visiting places I hadn't gone to before.

Since I mostly stuck to my home, the village, or the compounds, I hadn't found much use for it.

Better safe than sorry, however, I always kept it in my pack.

I didn't have much need to travel outside of those areas. What I had was always nearby, and the village would receive a traveling merchant every couple months or so. On the occasions that the Uchicha or Senju summoned me to the battlefield, I scrounged up nearby herbs or seeds I wanted before I returned home via hiraishin.

I planned to, at some point, set up a hiraishin network. I didn't feel comfortable wasting my chakra to do so yet since who knew when I would be called for a medical emergency. Once I had built up enough chakra to save an entire squad from near death thrice over, then I'd spend the chakra.

It wasn't like I had much motivation to push for it. The only other person I knew born in that area that I had not met was Kakuzu and who the dilly dally heck knew where he was.

I'd find him eventually, but I wasn't in any kind of hurry.

H̰̝̔̓͐ͧ̚e͙̫̭̣̭͑̒ͣ̚l͙̣̬̈́̃͒̄l̩̱̮ͅo̪̩͑ͯ̀ͬ,̩̖̬̜͐͋ ̬̥̳ͯd̪͂ͫȍ̺̩͓͔̮ ̘͒ͩy̆̒̑o̖̦̘ű̝͔̱̙̄ ͙̭̫͕͗͂̓̾r̜̟͇̠͌̐ͭe̱̺̺̝m̰̭ė̮ͤ̑̐̀mͮ̄b̪̟̭ͧͭ̇̓ͅẽ̯̤͕́r̖ͫ ̗͒̀̍̂̉m͉̜̊ͯ̃̒͆e̱͉̊́̉̇ͧͅ?̟̝ͬ̓ͥ͗͗ͅ

Hashirama stuffed his cheeks with dumplings. He then swallowed them whole.

Madara was aghast. "Do you have something against chewing?"

Hashirama shrugged. "Not most days."

"Why is today an exception?" I asked.

"Because," he said brightly, "I'm going to go camping with my brothers starting this evening. We're starting Tobirama's survival training."

Madara let out an acknowledging huh...

"How long will you be camping?" I asked.

"Probably a week," said Hashirama, a boastful note in his tone.

Madara smirked. "That's nice and all..."

"Why do I hear a silent but?"

"Because while you're out camping, I'm going to the capital with Father.

"What?!" Hashirama gasped. "That's so amazing. I've only been able to a go a couple times."

I frowned. "What are you going there for?"

Madara's chest puffed out as he pridefully said, "What else? A mission. Father's going to personally handle the mission, but he's letting me tag along to see the city."

I had never visited the city. I wondered what it would be like. Even in the lives in the modern era, I had only sparingly gone into the city.

"Maddie, may I come with you?"

"Stop calling me Maddie and I'll say yes."

"I'll just follow behind you."

He punched me in the arm. "Don't do that, that's creepy!"

"Then let me come with."

"Don't call me Maddie!"

"FINE. Maddie-hime," I corrected.

Hashirama choked on the dumplings as he struggled not to laugh. Madara, on the otherhand, was thoroughly horrified.

For all of two seconds before that horror mutated into red-faced anger and he barrelled into me.

"I. AM. NOT. A. PRINCESS!"

I ̥̳s̿͆t̲̬̪̊ͫ͂̚i͌͊̚l̰͇̙̝͇̓̃ͫl̬̫͙̤͉̾͒͛͋̐ ͓̣͓̿r̝̮̰̙̽eͨͅme̯͖̭̲ͨm͍̮̖͕͔̈́͛b͙͖͎͖̈́̆ͭ͌ͪe̺̥̩͔͕̎r̪̬̝̔ y̘ͨ̍͊o̲͇̝̲̱̒̃͋̒̊u̗̮ͣ̎̏

Bi weekly updates. Every week I'll either update this story or my JJK story (Please Stop).

Answer: yan/tsun/maya

Question: What elemental affinity would you want?

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