compromise
That night, the candle in Uchiha Aoi's room burned brightly. She sat alone by the window, letting the cold moonlight bathe her body, like a jade sculpture bereft of its soul. Outside, all was silent, save for the rustling of the wind through the bamboo grove in the courtyard, like countless tiny sighs, hammering at her already tattered heart.
In my mind, two voices were fighting fiercely.
A voice, filled with fear and resistance, screamed to escape this horrific fate: marrying off to the Land of Thunder, into a completely unfamiliar family renowned for its strength and ferocity, marrying a man whose face and nature she knew nothing about, forever separated from her homeland and her only brother. It was like jumping into a dark, unending abyss. Personal emotions, yearning for freedom, and any glimmer of hope for the future would be completely crushed.
The other voice was cold and realistic, carrying an irrefutable weight: the increasingly tense and oppressive atmosphere in the Uchiha clan, the exhausted but still struggling figure of Brother Madara at the training ground, the occasional whispers among the clan members about the shortage of supplies and the increasing number of wounded, and the elders in the meeting hall's heart-wrenching words, the heavy burden of the clan's survival and her brother's life... If her refusal really led to the deaths of more clan members, and caused Brother Madara to be finally crushed and killed in battle... then she would live the rest of her life in unbearable guilt and pain, which would be another form of abyss.
She recalled her childhood, when her father was always extremely strict, punishing any slackness in training. Back then, it was always her brother, Madara, who rushed to her defense, stubbornly bearing their father's wrath for her. Once, she was bullied by some mischievous children from the tribe, who stole her only relic left by her mother—a small magatama pendant. It was her brother, Madara, who, without a word, beat the children until they cried for their parents and retrieved the pendant. Although he was later punished by his father to kneel all night, he secretly made faces at her, telling her, "Don't be afraid, I'm here."
Warm memories now pierced her heart like needles. She had once been protected with all her might, and now she finally had a chance... to protect her brother just once? Even if the method was so cruel, so against her will.
"Brother Izuna..." She silently called out to the void, the brother who always smiled gently but ultimately died fighting for the family. "If it were you, what would you do?"
The answer emerged almost instantly. Brother Izuna would choose his family and his brother without hesitation. He even sacrificed his life for it. From the earliest stages of life, the children of the Uchiha clan were instilled with the belief that family was supreme, their fates already bound to the family's rise and fall.
The sky gradually turned pale, the faint light of dawn dispelling the darkness of the night, but it couldn't dispel the gloom in her heart. The bloodshot eyes betrayed a sleepless night, but as the first rays of sunlight streamed into the room, her expression grew strangely calm, a resigned calm bordering on despair. The struggle was over, the weight finally tipping in favor of her family and her brother.
At breakfast, the maids carefully brought her a delicious meal, but she barely touched a single bite, only reluctantly taking a few sips of water. Then, she sat before the mirror, picked up a comb, and meticulously combed her waist-length black hair. Her movements were slow and determined, as if she were performing some important ritual. The girl in the mirror was pale as paper, her eyes a deep dark hue, but within those dark eyes, a cold, resolute fire burned.
She knew that once she took this step, it would mean personally killing all her fantasies and expectations about the future, sacrificing herself on the altar of family interests. But she was also more aware that she couldn't afford the price of rejection, and neither could her brother.
"Brother...this time, it's my turn." She whispered a vow to herself in the mirror.
In the morning, the summons arrived as expected. Stepping into the oppressive meeting room again, her mindset was completely different. Yesterday, she was the panicked prey, forced to endure; today, she was the sacrifice, seeing the trap of fate clearly and deciding to step into it. She wanted to secure a last shred of protection for herself and her brother.
The hall was even more crowded than yesterday, with nine elders present, clearly determined to see a successful outcome today. Uchiha Kagome remained seated at the head, his expression even more solemn than yesterday, his hawk-like gaze fixed on her, imbued with an undeniable sense of oppression.
"Ms. Aoi, after a day of consideration, I believe you have made a decision." He went straight to the point, eliminating all unnecessary pleasantries.
Aoi didn't answer immediately. She slowly raised her head, her gaze calmly scanning the faces of each elder present. She saw the calculation and determination hidden in Uchiha Hikari's eyes, the anticipation and subtle impatience on the faces of several nearby elders, and caught a glimpse of the faintest glint of pity in the eyes of a younger elder in the corner. There were even one or two others whose eyes flickered, as if they didn't fully agree with the move, but chose to remain silent.
Finally, her gaze fixed on Uchiha Hikari's face again. At that moment, a force that could not be ignored seemed to burst out from her slender body, making her no longer appear frail and helpless.
"I have one condition." Her voice was clear, steady, and even a little cold, which surprised even herself.
The elders clearly hadn't expected her to propose such a condition. They exchanged surprised glances, and a low hum of discussion filled the hall. Uchiha Hikari's brows furrowed slightly, but quickly returned to normal, nodding slightly. "Oh? Go ahead," his tone held a hint of scrutiny.
Aoi took a deep breath and spoke fluently, words she had rehearsed countless times in her mind. "Marriage is fine, but I need to ensure my own safety and value. I want the elders to immediately allocate one-third of the Uchiha's weapons reserves—including detonating tags, shurikens, kunai, and katanas; and one-third of the medicine reserves—especially hemostatic ointments, antidotes, and precious wound medicines."
When these words were spoken, everyone in the room was shocked!
Even Uchiha Fire Core, who had been sitting as steady as a mountain, suddenly contracted his pupils!
"Ridiculous!" An impatient elder immediately slammed the table and stood up. "One-third of the weapons and medicine? Do you know how much that is? That's the family's strategic reserve! How can we leave it to you alone?!"
"Miss Kui, your request is too much!" Another elder said in a deep voice, "What do you want all this for? Don't you trust the guards arranged by the family for you?"
The hall was suddenly filled with voices of questioning and opposition.
Aoi had anticipated this reaction. Undeterred, she faced the numerous disapproving and scrutinizing glances, her voice calm yet undeniably rational: "Elders, I am not coveting these supplies, nor do I distrust the family guards. Precisely because I am representing the Uchiha clan in the marriage with Yeyue, I cannot present myself as a mere weakling, begging for protection!"
She paused, looked around at everyone, and continued, "The Yeyue clan values force and strength. If I were to marry into the clan with nothing but the empty title of 'Uchiha Madara's sister,' I might receive some courtesy initially, but over time, I'd inevitably be looked down upon, perhaps even treated as a mere appendage to be manipulated at will. My own safety would be uncertain, so how could I ensure the stability of the Uchiha-Yeyue alliance? Wouldn't the significance of this marriage be greatly diminished?"
Her words made some of the elders fall into deep thought.
"If I had a significant amount of weapons and medical resources, the significance would be completely different." Aoi's voice rose slightly, revealing an insight beyond her years. "First, it would demonstrate the Uchiha's respect for me and their recognition of my abilities. It would demonstrate the Uchiha clan's heritage and sincerity, something Yeyue wouldn't dare underestimate. Second, these supplies themselves are hard currency. Whether used to manage relationships, recruit confidants, or protect myself in critical moments, they would give me a certain degree of initiative and a network of connections, allowing me to gain a firm foothold more quickly and truly contribute to the alliance. Third, both weapons and medicine are treasured by all ninja clans. Wouldn't giving these things to me as a dowry better demonstrate the Uchiha clan's sincerity and strength than ordinary gold, silver, and jewelry? Wouldn't it also show the Yeyue clan our importance, thus further facilitating the formation of the alliance?"
Her logic is clear and every sentence makes sense. She starts from the perspective of maximizing interests and even cleverly changes the concept, packaging what may have been regarded as "selfish" demands as necessary investments "to make the alliance more stable."
A momentary silence fell in the meeting room. The elders exchanged glances, clearly caught off guard by these words. They had expected her to cry, resist, or silently surrender, but they had never imagined she would so calmly propose such a seemingly outrageous, yet upon closer inspection, reasonable, condition.
Uchiha Hikari looked deeply at Aoi, his gaze for the first time filled with genuine scrutiny and assessment. This girl, always seen as needing protection, even somewhat transparent, seemed more complex than they had imagined. Her request had indeed struck a chord. Furthermore, her final words were deeply provocative—using weapons and medicine as a dowry—a gesture that would truly demonstrate the Uchiha's arrogance and strength, and perhaps even more appealing to the warlike Yoruzuki clan than any treasure.
More importantly, Aoi thought to herself: Since her brother had insisted on sending her out of the Uchiha clan for safety even when Izuna died, there's no way he'd agree to let her return for a marriage alliance. And the Uchiha clan elders had secretly brought her back for a marriage alliance, surely without Madara's consent! Does this also mean that Madara's control over the Uchiha clan isn't absolute, and is to some extent constrained by these elders? By agreeing to a marriage alliance, she could acquire a third of the elders' weapons and medical supplies, effectively weakening their actual control and indirectly increasing Madara's future resources... This might be her last, and only, way to truly help her brother!
Uchiha Hikari was silent for a moment, then exchanged a quick glance with the other core elders. They saw the hesitation, the weighing of considerations, and the ultimate decision in each other's eyes. Compared to the immense benefits of facilitating the marriage and securing Yeyue's support, sacrificing a third of their reserves was painful, but not unacceptable. After all, giving these things to Aoi was, in a sense, a way of "keeping the meat rotten in the pot," still being used for family strategy and ensuring the maximum effectiveness of the marriage.
"Ms. Aoi..." Uchiha Fire Core spoke slowly, breaking the silence. "Your request is indeed... unexpected, but not entirely unreasonable." He selectively ignored her possible selfish motives and considered only the obvious interests. "To demonstrate the Uchiha's sincerity and ensure the smooth completion and long-term stability of the marriage, we agree to your request."
He glanced at the elder who was in charge of material management. Although the elder looked unhappy, he still nodded.
"We will take inventory as soon as possible, sort out one-third of the weapons and medicines, make a list, and send it to you for review and confirmation. These will be part of your dowry and will go with you to Yeyue." Uchiha Huohe finally made the decision.
The conditions were met. Aoi felt no joy in her heart, only a sense of cold, settled peace. She took a deep breath, suppressed the sob in her throat and the trembling in her body, and with all her strength, uttered the words she had prepared long ago, yet they weighed a thousand times:
"Then I...promise."
After uttering those three simple words, she felt as if all her strength had been drained from her body, as if a part of her soul had died and sunk into a bottomless abyss. But at the same time, a strange, painful sense of determination kept her from falling.
Upon hearing this, the elders' faces lit up with relief, exchanging satisfied glances. Uchiha Hikari's tense face finally cracked into a faint smile, his tone softening considerably. "Very good. Miss Aoi is a man of integrity and considers the greater good. The clan will surely remember your sacrifice. As for the Yeyue Clan, we will secure the most favorable terms and the highest possible treatment for you."
Aoi said nothing more. She simply bowed deeply and formally to the elders, then turned and silently left the meeting room with an unusually steady yet stiff step. Her figure, against the backdrop of the empty hall, looked exceptionally frail, yet carried a resoluteness that would not tolerate humiliation.
Leaving the meeting room, the afternoon sun was fierce and glaring, blinding her eyes and nearly bringing tears to her eyes. She looked up at the sky, a few white clouds drifting leisurely across the azure sky. The world was still bustling and beautiful, but her connection to it had completely changed from that moment on.
In the distance, a familiar figure, with a chilling aura, rushed towards the meeting room—it was Brother Madara! He had obviously just received the news, and his face was filled with shock, unbelievable anger, and deep-seated guilt and heartache.
Their eyes suddenly met in mid-air. Madara's steps suddenly stopped, and those eyes that always contained great power and pride were now filled with a complex storm, staring at her intently.
Aoi looked at her brother and, with great effort, forced a smile. It was an incredibly complex smile, a mixture of tears, despair, farewell, and reassurance. Then, without waiting for Madara to react, she quickly turned around, quickening her pace, almost as if fleeing, heading towards her own residence, never looking back.
She traded her own compromise and future for a slim hope for the family, weakened the elders' power, and secured a potential resource for her brother. She put herself in a heavy, almost suffocating shackle.
But from this moment on, she is no longer just the Uchiha Aoi who is carefully protected by her brother. She chooses to step into the vortex of fate and fight in her own way for her family and her only brother.
This road is destined to be full of thorns, leading to a bleak and uncertain future. But she has made her choice, and can only force herself to move forward resolutely, no matter what lies ahead, whether it is a mountain of swords, a sea of fire, or an endless hell.
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