The glimmer in the cage
Uchiha Aoi sat by the window, her gaze through the delicate lattice at the Senju Clan's grounds, a scene distinct from the Uchiha's. The courtyard was expansive, the architecture solid and imposing, a stark contrast to the refined and secretive Uchiha Clan grounds she had known since childhood. This was a separate courtyard in the heart of the Senju Clan, more of an ornate prison than a residence. She, Uchiha Madara's younger sister, was held hostage here as a "guest."
Over a month had passed since she'd jumped off a cliff and been captured. Her physical injuries had largely healed thanks to the Senju clan's exceptional medical ninjutsu, but the wounds in her heart remained fresh, aching with every breath. She was allowed to roam within the compound, but the gates were always guarded by Senju ninjas. Her every move was under strict surveillance.
There was a gentle knock on the door, then it opened. A maid entered with lunch and silently set the dishes. Aoi didn't turn around, still staring out the window. She recognized this maid. Her hands and feet were nimble, but her eyes were wary, more like part of surveillance than a service.
"Madam, please have your meal." The maid's voice was flat and calm.
Aoi nodded slightly, still not moving. She heard the maid's footsteps retreat and the soft sound of the door closing. The room returned to a suffocating silence.
This silence was broken in the evening.
A guard's respectful greeting echoed from outside the courtyard gate, and then a familiar, cool presence appeared. Senju Tobirama, the man who had single-handedly pushed her into this situation, would come every few days as a "routine."
He didn't knock, but simply opened the door. The afterglow of the setting sun poured into the room as he pushed the door open, casting a long shadow behind him. He was still wearing the dark blue uniform of the Senju clan, his silver hair meticulously combed. His red eyes, like gems stained with frost, swept calmly across the room, finally resting on her back.
"It seems that you are not interested in the books they sent." His voice rang out, breaking the silence in the room. His tone was as if he was stating an objective fact, without any concern or sarcasm.
There were indeed a few books placed on the low table in front of Aoi. He had sent them there a few days ago. They mostly contained records of the Fire Nation or collections of classical literature, a rare diversion during her confinement. But she hadn't opened any of them.
She slowly turned around, and for the first time since he arrived, she met his gaze. Her face was still a little pale, but her eyes had regained their usual calmness, but beneath that calmness lay a layer of ice that was difficult to melt.
"Lord Tobirama is busy with all kinds of affairs. Why bother coming here in person to inquire about a hostage's pastime?" Her voice was soft, but with a clear sense of alienation.
Tobirama walked to the other side of the low table and knelt, his posture impeccable. "You are the Uchiha princess, and Madara's sister. It is necessary to ensure your condition." His answer was still formulaic, as if he was confirming the condition of a valuable asset.
"I'm fine." Aoi lowered her eyes, staring at her slightly curled fingers placed on her knees. "Don't worry."
A brief silence stretched between the two of them, as if an invisible string was stretched taut in the air.
"Then, regarding my last request to communicate with the Uchiha..." Aoi spoke again. This was a right she had tried to fight for many times.
"At this stage, it's not allowed." Tobirama's refusal was crisp and clear, leaving no room for maneuver. "The situation is not stable yet, and any transmission of information may cause unnecessary misunderstandings."
Kui's fingertips dug into her palm. She knew this would be the answer, but every time she heard it, the disappointment and powerlessness in her heart deepened. She felt like a bird with broken wings, trapped in this tiny place, completely isolated from her people and her brother.
"Let's eat." Tobirama didn't seem to want to continue the topic, his eyes sweeping over the untouched food. "Maintaining your strength is also one of your 'responsibilities'."
The implication of these words made Aoi feel humiliated. It seemed that the meaning of her existence was only to be used as a bargaining chip at the negotiation table one day in the future. She picked up her chopsticks and began to eat silently. Her movements were mechanical and the food tasted like chewing wax.
Tobirama didn't leave, but just sat across from her, watching her quietly. His gaze wasn't one of scrutiny, more like... observation? Aoi couldn't quite put it into words, but she felt like every bite of food was harder to swallow under his gaze.
"Are there wisterias planted in the Uchiha clan's land?" He suddenly asked an irrelevant question.
Aoi paused in picking up the food and looked up at him in surprise.
Tobirama's gaze drifted out the window. In the corner of the courtyard, there was indeed a young wisteria. It wasn't blooming yet, and the leaves were lush and green. "A few days ago, when planning the village's greenery, someone suggested planting wisteria extensively. I remember the Uchiha seemed to have a preference for it."
His tone was calm, as if it was just a casual remark. But Aoi's heart was stirred. Had he noticed Uchiha's preferences? Or was he testing something?
"Wisteria is resilient and full of vitality, able to climb and grow even in harsh environments. Its blossoms form a waterfall, a curtain of flowers, capable of concealing many things," Aoi replied softly, hinting, "The Uchiha admire its resilience, but also... need its protection." The last sentence carried a subtle bitterness. The Uchiha's Sharingan needed to be hidden, and so did the Uchiha's secrets.
Tobirama turned back and looked at her deeply with his red eyes. He did not comment on this sentence, but just said lightly: "It is very suitable for Konoha."
Another moment of silence passed. Aoi finished her meal and put down her chopsticks. The maid came in at the right moment, silently cleared the tableware, and then left again.
Tobirama didn't seem to want to leave immediately. His gaze fell on the window Aoi had been staring at, and he suddenly spoke, his voice a little deeper than before: "Thank you for that day at the cliff."
Kui was startled, almost thinking she'd misheard. She looked at him, his face still tilted to the side, his hard features blurred in the afterglow of the setting sun. Was he thanking her? For bandaging him at the bottom of the cliff and not stabbing him with the hairpin?
"...No need." Aoi lowered her head, her voice barely audible, "I just...can't stand by and watch someone die." Even if the other person was an enemy, the culprit who had caused her to fall into this situation.
"Even if it's me?" Tobirama pressed on, his tone devoid of emotion.
Aoi was silent for a moment before she slowly said, "Those are two different things." The hatred was familial and based on stance, but at that moment, facing a seriously injured and dying person, her human instinct outweighed her hatred as an Uchiha.
Tobirama seemed to chuckle, so soft that it almost dissipated into the air, carrying an indescribable meaning. "The Uchiha's pride and kindness coexist. It's very interesting."
It was hard to tell whether this was a compliment or criticism. Aoi didn't respond.
He finally stood up and prepared to leave. When he reached the door, he stopped and didn't look back. "Tomorrow, I'll have some new books delivered. If there's anything you'd like to see, please let the guard know."
"...No." Aoi replied.
Without saying anything more, Tobirama opened the door and walked out. The last rays of sunset were blocked out as he left, and the room fell into darkness and silence again.
Aoi sat alone in the gradually darkening room, a mixture of emotions welling up in her heart. This meeting seemed different from the previous ones. He was no longer just the cold, imprisoned one. That abrupt thank you, that question about Zi Teng, seemed to have struck a subtle crack in the ice.
But what does this crack represent? Is it a strategy? A test? Or... a trace of true, personal emotion belonging to Senju Tobirama?
She had no way of knowing. She only felt that this cage was no longer the pure darkness and despair it had been at the beginning. A faint, perhaps even fleeting, light had briefly shone through.
The days that followed continued with the usual routine of house arrest. But Aoi keenly noticed some subtle changes. The books she received had a wider variety, occasionally even including a miscellaneous book or two on herbal medicine or tea ceremony, something she personally found more interesting. The meals occasionally included some sweet snacks, and it seemed she only unconsciously took a few extra bites of a particular sweet dish during one particular meal.
He noticed? How could Tobirama Senju, who seemed to be indifferent to everything and only focused on the overall situation, notice such a detail?
He still appeared every few days, and his conversations were brief and restrained. Sometimes he'd ask about her health, sometimes he'd tell her some insignificant, "let her know" details about the progress of the peace talks between the two tribes. He never revealed crucial information, but he also no longer completely isolated her from all information as he had at the beginning.
Once, when he arrived, he carried a faint smell of blood and gunpowder. Although he had dressed up, there was a trace of fatigue between his brows that was hard to conceal. He seemed to have just finished a battle or a mission.
That time, he sat in silence for a long time, just looking out the window at the dark night, almost without saying a word. Aoi also sat in silence opposite him, and the air was filled with a strange, not completely contradictory calm.
Finally, as he left, he only said, "The area outside our clan has been a bit unsettled lately. Keep your windows closed at night."
Was this a reminder, a hint of... protection? After he left, Aoi walked to the window and looked out at the pitch-black night. For the first time, she felt a complex feeling about the world outside this cage. The danger came not only from the Senju, but also from outside. At this moment, this cage was, in a sense, a kind of shelter.
Another time, due to the continuous rain, her old injury was aching slightly. Although she tried not to show it, her face looked worse than usual. When Tobirama arrived, his eyes lingered on her face for a moment.
The next day, a renowned medical ninja from the Senju clan came to examine her and left some specially prepared soothing ointment. The maid said it was Tobirama's order.
These subtle, almost imperceptible gestures of "care" were like pebbles dropped into the frozen surface of Aoi Heart Lake, stirring up faint ripples. She began to wonder what kind of person Senju Tobirama was. Was he the "speediest ninja in the ninja world," known for his ruthless and calculating tactics on the battlefield, or was he the man who, even in the smallest details, revealed a touch of care, almost clumsily, a sense of responsibility?
She thought of him at the bottom of the cliff, who was seriously injured and fragile and needed to rely on her to survive; she thought of him who was calm, sharp and unyielding at the negotiating table; she also thought of him at this moment who would send her books and snacks that she might like, and would call a doctor for her old injuries.
The images overlap, becoming blurred and complex.
She still couldn't forget the death of Izuna's brother, nor could she let go of her hatred for the Uchiha. But the concrete figure of Senju Tobirama was no longer just a flat symbol of hatred. He became three-dimensional, contradictory, and... even more elusive.
This realization didn't bring her relief, but rather a deeper burden. If the enemy remained an enemy, hatred could be pure and unwavering. But when the enemy showed a human side, or even showed a hint of kindness (regardless of their motives), hatred became less justified, and she fell into a deeper struggle.
That night, Aoi dreamed of Nan Hechuan again, a dream of nothingness. When she woke, her pillow was slightly damp. She sat up, hugged her knees, and buried her face in them.
The cage remains, the barriers remain, and the family blood feud still lies there, like an insurmountable chasm.
But something was indeed quietly changing. Like a tiny stream of water beginning to surge beneath the ice. That faint light, though faint, stubbornly persisted, illuminating the interior of the cage and revealing a shadow of confusion and hesitation deep within her heart, a shadow that even she herself hadn't fully grasped.
She knew the road ahead was still shrouded in mystery, for her, for the Uchiha clan, and for the entire ninja world. And the relationship between her and Senju Tobirama, which began as a distorted intersection of imprisonment and hatred, seemed destined to slowly develop in an unknown and difficult direction.
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