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~Tobirama's POV~

"You all can certainly do better than that! Put your backs into it!" Niyo yelled at the ten women she was sparring with. I told her yesterday to refrain from practicing so hard since she was still recovering but she didn't listen.

"Niyo-sama, maybe it is time to end for today..." I raised my eyebrow, impressed that a young woman was able to speak those words to the fierce woman she was sparring with.

"It ends when I say it ends." The brown-haired older woman said through clenched teeth. She didn't know I was there in the tree watching her since it was still time before our regular ten-day meet-up, today was the second day of that. "The day when I will no longer be here is coming sooner than any of you can become strong enough to defeat me, so learn while you still can. I will not forgive anyone on whose watch Morinome is endangered. Now, draw your weapons." Niyo hissed lunging her broadswords at the group again. Her form was flawless and it would be a lie to not admit that the grace with which she wielded her weapons.

The women she was training finally got serious when they all decided to use teamwork to at least get a hair on Niyo's head but they still weren't able to bring out their true potential since it was Niyo who was their opponent. It was perhaps out of respect and some fear associated with that respect that prevented them. I was busy admiring Niyo's moves that I almost didn't notice Hiruzen come up beside me. Almost.

"It's not like you sensei to spy on a woman and get so very lost in it. Do you watch her undress too?" He sniggered.

"Why are you here?" It was Hiruzen's first time being in the forest so it must be some urgent matter someone would have him relay.

"Hokage-sama sent me to get some instructions from you." I averted my eyes from Niyo and looked at my disciple.

"What instructions?"

"He said you'd know..." He panicked when I raised my eyebrows, clearly oblivious as to what anija must have been thinking sending Saru here without a purpose.

I kept quiet and readjusted my gaze on Niyo but something seemed amiss, her eyes were clouded and so was her focus and sensing her chakra, I found out it was not at all calm as it always was with her. Something was not alright with her and that rendered her ineffective in her battle, unable to detect the five blades coming at her from behind. The Niyo from ten minutes ago would have no problem deflecting them but the Niyo right now...

"That's enough." I jumped from my tree and stopped all five blades with my arm-pad, standing behind Niyo whose one knee was on the ground and back to me. All the women immediately took a few steps back and bowed.

"You finally got bored of just watching?" Niyo commented, smirking and getting up in the process.

I cloaked my chakra especially so she wouldn't be able to detect me but she did and here I thought I could get away with it. "You are tired."

"Not a reason to stop training them." She answered in a low voice, gesturing to the women who had all formed a group away from the two of us.

"For today, it is."

"No. Don't try to control me." I didn't know how to respond to her after that. My first impulse was always to bend things to my will but Niyo was not a 'thing' and she certainly was not any less skilled a warrior than myself so it was often times hard to remember that I was not supposed to control her and that with her, it was supposed to a collaboration effort rather than a comprising effort.

"Forgive me." I said which caught her off guard. It physically pained my chest whenever she got shocked or surprised at my apologies or change of mind so that it would suit us both equally, it always reminded me of the many times she hadn't received any kindness, so much so that it made her turn into cold-hearted woman as the world would put it. "I have an idea."

"Okay..." She still looked out of it and it was beginning to worry me a little. I never thought I would find such a woman who could evoke this emotion in me. I called Saru from the tree and he bowed to Niyo.

"Did you know he was peeping on you?" I hit Hiruzen on the head for such a comment. Niyo chuckled, which had us both master and student surprised.

"Yes, I knew. He's your teacher, where do you think you got it from?" That shut him up. "So what's your plan?"

"Have Saru spar with them, he is skilled and he knows how to teach as well. Someday he might even be called a professor." Niyo pondered for a moment and looked from her students to mine.

"Gather up you all!" She called all the women. "This is Sarutobi Hiruzen, Tobirama's student. He will be training with you for the rest of today."

"Yoroshiku." Saru bowed. The women looked hesitant and reluctant even to agree to spar with Saru, Niyo sensed that and sighed. She pulled Saru and in a headlock and ruffled his hair with a serious look and spoke the next words in an equally serious voice.

"He was watching from up there in that tree and having perverted thoughts about you all. Beat him up and don't forsake your pride as respectable women." Niyo said and as a result all the women scowled at Saru and tightened their grips on their weapons and just as she kicked him on his back towards the women, they became dead serious in bringing him down. "Well that worked."

"That was an excellent strategy. I am impressed." I commented walking with Niyo where she was leading me which I soon found out was her cabin.

"Yeah and thanks for offering Sarutobi. They were pulling their punches with me." We went inside and I saw Niyo pull another shirt from her closet. I closed my eyes and let her change into it. "Come on."

Niyo established the rule that we would go to the springs for our regular talks and I agreed to it since that was a serene place that gave us privacy as well. She opened her hair on our way and shook her head. My eyes went to her arm and shoulder that was exposed by her sleeveless shirt. The blue mark left by her brother's poisoned sword made me angry.

"Ugh, I am going to cut my hair!" Niyo mumbled under her breath and pulled her hair up again in a tight bun.

"No, don't." The words were out of my mouth before I could register them. Niyo gave me a raised eyebrow. "Lo-long hair suit you." Damn it I stuttered. I looked away to hide my slightly pink cheeks when Niyo laughed at me.

"Alright mister if you agree to take the responsibility of washing them and tying them up for me every day, then I won't cut them." She elbowed me. Such a behavior was very new to me. Mito-san was mostly shy and reserved when she first arrived in the Senju compound and all the women for that matter, in my experience, have not been one to speak up and so sassily at that. Niyo was bold enough to joke around me without her voice wavering and that was something... Even yesterday, she was talking with the old lady about things related to marriage and I was the only one who was a little embarrassed by the conversation when I had always seen women being embarrassed at such topics.

"I will take the responsibility, but you do know what 'washing them for you' means right?" I took this stance to observe Niyo's reaction and to see if such a strategy would work against her bold remarks. Sure enough it worked in my favour. Niyo stopped in her tracks and her eyes were slightly wide, fixed on me, her face noticeably red. I smirked. So embarrassing in return works.

"Oh hell I know what that means, why else do you think I suggested it?" She bounced back from her timid reaction. I would have to up my game. For now I decided to change the topic to something I noticed earlier.

"You lost your focus during training." An audible sigh from the woman was enough of a confirmation that it really was more than it seemed.

"Is there any chance you would let this go without me having to spill my guts?" Niyo asked sitting down under a tree near the spring. She sighed again when I shook my head. "I was thinking about when I burned my brother alive and the pain in my shoulder briefly distracted me. I don't know what it is but whenever I think about Takumi, this shitty thing starts hurting." She glared at the blue mark on her shoulder and upper arm. I took a seat beside her and waited for her to finish telling me everything. "And I sort of...don't like it that I burned people alive even if they were bad... so I will let you be the first person to know that I am thinking of getting my elemental chakra sealed."

"What?"

"Yes. I can't find peace since that day and it horrified even me that I am capable of such a... if I was able to wake my fire chakra then it means I can use water, wind and earth as well and I don't even want to think how powerful that will make me and what kind of monstrosities would follow that power... my father only wants me back because he knows I can use oil and if he found out that I am one of the rare Tanogata who can use the four elements plus the kekkei genkai, how big an army would he sent, can you imagine?"

"You clearly have thought this through."

"Yes, I don't act on half-baked ideas and thoughts. What do you think about all of this?" I was astonished that I was asked for opinion and maybe it was obvious on my face. "I have chosen to marry you, so of course I consider you worthy enough and allow you to voice your opinions and suggestions and advices about decisions that can and will affect me. Don't look so surprised, this is what you are signing up for as well." Once again she taught me something new.

"Alright... I do not think it wise to seal your chakra, it will affect you negatively."

"And?"

"And if you decide to take my advice, I will do my personal best to prevent any situation for you like the one that got you started on this self-loathing thought process." Niyo looked at me with a straight face. I was unable to detect what she was thinking.

"Don't react negatively to what I am about to do." She gave me enough time to mutter an ok before putting her arms around my neck in what was an embrace. "Thank you." I put my arms around her waist and noticed that it was thinner than before and by before I meant the time when I first hugged her in the Senju compound. "We might literally be oil and water but I would rather form a team with you than let my bad experience with men rule me."

"By team you mean marriage?"

"Yes, what else is marriage but team-work."

"Not many people understand that."

"Not many people are us." She broke the hug but kept her arms around my neck and looked at my hitai-ate. "Can you take it off? It kept hitting my shoulder when you talked."

"Will you resume the hug if I do?"

"Why else would I ask you to take it off?" Niyo rolled her eyes but smiled. It warmed me. I retracted one of my arms from her waist and took off my hitai-ate, placing it aside on the grass. "Why must you cover your forehead with that..." She mused and to my surprise, lightly kissed the said area before putting her head near mine again and relaxing in my arms.

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Phew! A long chapter! <3 XD I surprised myself! XD

Niyo is me regarding hair XD 

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Itachi_Warrior desu~ ^/_\^
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