A man's Greatness.

"The greatness of man, lies in his decision to be stronger than his condition."

-By Albert Camus.

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"Beautiful, isn't it?"

Yuki turned towards the source of the voice. A pleasant redhead Uzumaki walked towards her "Mito san." she greeted.

"I brought these flowers from my homeland, I still have some seeds. Would you like to have them? You can plant them when you go back home," Mito smiled.

"Thank you Mito san, you treat me so kindly."

Uzumaki Mito was a pleasant woman, with her attractive red hair and mature demeanor. She was a lady that anyone would come to respect. Yuki admired Mito. Not only because Mito adored and treated her like a sister, but also because Uzumaki Mito, being a powerful fuinjutsu user, didn't need beauty to be respected. Yuki hadn't expected to get along with anyone within this Senju abode, but somehow she befriended Mito. She didn't even do anything, the curious Uzumaki just kept approaching her and soon they started talking informally.

"I hope your stay here is comfortable, if you need any help, don't hesitate, just ask me okay?" Mito assured Yuki, patting her shoulder.

"It's alright. Hashirama Sama told me he'll take care of the essentials. Thank you for such consideration, Mito san." Yuki replied, hesitatingly. Mito didn't know of Yuki being an Uchiha.

Hashirama had told her to call herself 'Yuna' of the 'Nakamura' clan as long as she's here.

"You don't need to be so formal to me, Yuna san, we are friends, remember?" Mito smiled.

Yuki nodded, then fixed her gaze back on the garden. It felt good... To have a female friend. Ever since she could remember, she could only have acquaintances. Her father never liked her befriending girls of lower status. So she always ended up interacting with older females who never actually 'talked' or 'listened' to her since they were busy advising her all the time. There were few unmarried girls her age, but she never got close to them, mostly because they were too busy drooling over her brothers.

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'I love you, Yuki.' She flinched, remembering Madara's confession.

Yuki couldn't help but doubt what exactly is the feeling of pure love or hatred?

Perhaps, this world isn't filled with hate... Maybe It's filled with love...Love for/of things, person, sex, food, money, power, attention, acceptance, and all the things that make this world a hateful place to live in.

'Then is love... a kind of greed?'

She recalled the jealousy she felt when she learned that Mito Uzumaki is the fiancée of the Senju leader, Hashirama. But she knew she could no longer dream of a normal romantic relationship... Not after what she'd done. How can she fancy another man when she'd already slept with her own brother? And how can she fancy a Senju? Even if she hadn't slept with her brother, she knew she still couldn't get together with Hashi.., for he's a Senju that her clan despises.

She lifted her hand to touch one flower, stroking the petals as her mind strayed. "Do you have any hobbies, Mito san?"

"I like a lot of things. Growing flowers is one of them."

"Hmm," Yuki frowned.

Seeing the ravenette's sudden change in expression, Mito enquired "Why? You don't enjoy growing flowers?"

Yuki knew planting and growing flowers, and flower arrangement, were part of a Lady's etiquette lessons. Even though she learned them properly, she never took much liking towards those lessons. "They are useless. Other than its beauty and breed, it doesn't have much significance." Yuki mumbled sadly. She felt most herbs were better...at least they could aid in healing.

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Mito looked at the young girl beside her, wondering why she had such a blank look on her face.

Mito had first noticed Yuna on the day she arrived at the Senju's estate. It would be hard to not take notice of such a beauty. The young girl had an air of nobility to her, an elegance and feminine charm that could make anyone adore her. With her doll-like appearance and attractive figure, Mito was sure the girl could seduce any man if she intended to. But she was also sharp & agile for a normal lady...At first, Mito had suspected if she's a Kunoichi. So she had approached her to see if she had any intention of harming or seducing Hashirama. Since Mito was used to the gossips and troubles that would be created just like all the times it had in the past, she was being cautious this time. Hashirama, being an oblivious person regarding such matters, would never notice, but the people would-which would simply create needless trouble between the clans.

But her worries were for nothing. The girl was quite innocent and kind. It was surprising the way Yuna even avoided her several times. At first, she thought the girl must be arrogant but later realized that she was just... Distant. Mito could sense a kind of conflicted sadness in her, a kind of loneliness, that made her want to talk to the her.

─∗ ⋅◈⋅ ∗─

"It's not pointless, Yuna san," Mito replied, "This world is so full of pain and hatred, it needs something to appreciate, it needs beautiful and pleasant things. Things that can move one's soul to create art and meaning."

"Art?"

"Yes, art... It's important. Don't you think so?"

"It's pleasant I guess... but ...?" Yuki mumbled, skeptical.

"Art is important, my friend. It is the backbone of a society."

Yuki followed Mito's gaze. She was looking at children playing in the garden. Soon her gaze shifted from the cheerful children to the men training nearby in the training ground, then fixed her eyes back on the flower in front of her.

With one swift motion, she plucked the petal off of the flower.

The rumors she'd overheard about Senju's, about how cruel and barbarous they were... Seemed so blown out of proportion and exaggerated now. Just living here for a week, Yuki came to realize that they are just... People. Turns out, these people think of Uchiha's the same way... actually, even worse- they think Uchiha's have horns and worship devils. She had heard the servants gossiping about her clan. To her luck, no one knows that she's an Uchiha. Yet.

As they sat in front of Hashirama's compound, Yuki watched the servants rushing around for preparing lantern lightings. People and children's seemed to be in a festive spirit, cheerfully chatting around and playing. It's as if they don't even remember about all the constant battles and bloodshed anymore... For a moment she wondered if she could too forget about her situation and just be free and happy like them.

But as a hostage in disguise, she felt out of place here. In fact, she'd always felt out of place everywhere. Yuki was mindful of her 'avoidant' self - as Mito often put it, being glaringly obvious now, which is perhaps why Senju Chiharu asked her to lose up a bit and just enjoy herself- with her nephew of course.

I wonder...how would it feel to be truly free? How would it feel to live in a world like that?

But Yuki felt hopeless. War, even though avoidable, was something humans tend to seek- be it within oneself or with the world around. Death was indispensable to make meaning out of life. Such concepts of ethics and morality were just created to paint a pretty picture of an otherwise glaringly dark reality of life and meaning.

Because there is no meaning. You just create one while you live.... that's it.

[Flashback]

A 10-year-old Yuki peeked out of the window, watching her clansmen carry dead and wounded shinobi's back through the gates. She still couldn't understand why war was necessary. Why 'killing the enemies' was the only way to have peace?

Something like this...that brings so much misery, pain and death shouldn't be a solution.

"Just like that, the Great warrior defeated the evil king and saved the Princess from his clutches." her grandmother read out to a group of little children who sat around her, curiously listening to the story. It was the same old fairytale story that the old woman used to read out to Yuki when she was little.

"Then what happened?" one kid asked.

"Then they lived happily ever after since the evil was gone from the world."

"How could everyone be happy? What about the family of the people who died while fighting the king's army?" asked Yakuma Uchiha. He had recently lost his father.

"They will be remembered for their bravery by everyone. Their family must be proud," Replied another kid.

Proud? Will I be proud of my father or brothers if they died fighting the Senju's?

After the kids were gone, she sat near her grandmother "Granny...can I ask you something?"

"What is it, child?"

"What does it mean to be a 'great' man?"

Her grandmother looked at her, "Hmm, Why do you ask?"

Yuki looked back at the window "You called the warrior great for defeating the evil king, right? But that doesn't feel right to me..."

"And why is that?" the old woman smiled.

"Because...because the king was such a sad person....he was sad and lonely. He suffered his entire life, which made him so cruel..."

"But that doesn't justify his cruel actions. Does it?"

"No..." she looked down, feeling sad.

"My dear child, some people travel so deep into the darkness, that they get lost in it. Eventually, they accept the darkness as their reality."

"Still! It's so sad," Yuki pouted. "Was killing the king the only option? Couldn't the warrior help him?"

"Maybe, or maybe not. Maybe that's how the world works in that story."

"What? So that's it? The world works that way so one must be evil and the other must be good? Who decides this?"

The old lady laughed at her fuming face. "The one who writes the story... and the readers as well."

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Still not convinced, she inquired "Granny...how does one decide for sure who is evil and who is good?"

"My dear child, People are not black or white. They are both."

Yuki looked at her grandmother, confused. She felt somewhat irritated. Her grandmother never gave direct answers and always had a habit of speaking in such ambiguous ways, making her ponder over things too much.

"Hmm, let me put it this way. The warrior had suffered his entire life too, just like the evil king. And he became someone everyone respects. But then he killed the king." she paused, studying Yuki for a moment, then resumed, "So tell me, dear, do you think he's pure and white when he bloodied his hands? Did you not wonder why he didn't turn out to be 'evil' in the story?"

"That's what I don't understand granny...why is everyone calling him great for killing the king? He killed a person, then he's a murderer too! Why that law and rule doesn't apply to him too?"

"Because He's considered great in that society."

"Huh? So he's considered great for killing the king...I see." Yuki frowned. Even if that king was 'evil' ...it didn't feel right. This didn't sound any different from what was usually occurring in her world right now, where people were great and powerful for killing most 'enemies'. She felt disappointed. As a little kid, she had always thought that the world of fairytales were different.

The old lady studied her sad face and smiled "My dear child, He's not being called 'Great' for just killing the Evil king."

"Then why?"

"Remember this, Yuki. A Man's greatness...lies in his decision to be greater than his conditions."

[Flashback ends]

"Say, Yuna san, How old are you?"

That question pulled Yuki out of her train of memories.

I will turn 18 this month... "I'm turning 18 soon."

"Ah! So you are 3 years younger than me, huh? That's nice. I always desired a younger sister," Mito smiled. "Wait! You are of marriageable age, right? Don't you have a fiancé?"

"No..." A heavy feeling consuming her once again. She didn't want to venture into this topic. It always brought back unpleasant memories.

"Huh? That's unexpected! You are so beautiful! I'm sure most clans would have asked for your hand in marriage."

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"My brother.. Doesn't want me to get married...." Yuki finally mumbled, feeling glad at least she spoke truthfully for once.

"Hm... I see. They must love you a lot, huh?" Mito smiled.

"Yes..."

"So, what kind of man would you like your husband to be?"

What kind of man?.... Husband? It whisked her back to those carefree days of the past when maiden girls would discuss the spouse they fancy. Back then, she had described her dream man to be Hashi san, which of course she couldn't tell Mito. "Someone... Strong and Loyal," she answered, just for the sake of answering.

"That's so vague!" Mito complained.

"I guess it is." It didn't matter what type of man she liked to marry. Because no one would ask her opinion or agreement for that matter. That is...If I could ever marry.

"Hmm, Yuna san, What do you think of the intelligent type? Those cold-hearted warriors that most maidens swoon over?"

"....."

Yuki wasn't new to this subject. She knew unmarried girls her age were all crazy for the 'stone-hearted man who would melt only for that one woman' type of fantasy. This was also one reason she had such a hard time being friends with them. Because her brothers fit the description of such men. And she had no intention of hearing the romantic fantasies these girls spewed regarding her brothers.

From the corner of her eyes, she saw Mito scooting closer to her "Hey, keep this between us, okay? Tell me, what do you think of Tobi?"

Yuki blinked twice, the question perplexed her "Tobirama...s-? What about him?"

"Eh? I see, you are just as dense as Hashirama." Mito sighed.

Yuki just stared at the redhead.

"I think Tobirama fancies you," Mito smiled, gleaming.

"..."

-Silence-

"um... Yuna san?" Mito called out, wondering why the girl became silent.

"What makes you think he fancies me?"

"well... it's evident! He keeps stealing glances at you from time to time. Keep making excuses to be near you and even asked me to keep an eye on you! He cares for you."

"...."

Yuki just sighed. She's mistaken. It sounded more like that Senju was being cautious of her since he knew she's an Uchiha.

─∗ ⋅◈⋅ ∗─

Tobirama stared at the girl seated alongside Mito. He was training his comrades and had just taken a break, but to his dismay, his eyes fell on that girl. Again.

He had told Mito to keep an eye on her. Instead, it turns out they became 'friends' in such a short time.

"Hey... Tobirama san" Hanzo called out.

"What is it?"

"um... Well... That's... I..." Hanzo mumbled. His face as red as a tomato, which kind of irked Tobirama.

"What?"

"It's about Yuna san!"

Tobirama narrowed his eyes. He knew what Hanzo was going to ask. He will be the 7th guy to ask Tobirama about the mysterious beauty of the Nakamura clan.

"I-I would like to know i-if she's promised to someone?" Hanzo mumbled, his face getting even redder.

Tobirama sighed. Not this again.Turns out, men were drawn to her like a moth to a flame. Not one day would go by without his men asking about her.

"She's not. And I advise you to keep some distance from her."

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Hanzo looked at him dumbfounded "So... It's true?"

"What's true?"

"That you like Yuna san... I couldn't believe my ears at first."

Tobirama clenched his teeth, irritated "Where did you hear that from?"

"Tobirama san, I'm happy that you have finally fallen in love!" Hanzo smiled.

"That's not true."

"Even though I like Yuna san, you are my friend and senior! I will always cheer for you!"

"SHUT UP. I DON'T LIKE HER."

"Don't worry, I will help you convey your feeling to her." After saying that, Hanzo ran away.

".... What in the world?" Tobirama just stared at his receding figure. 'Did that guy even listen to me?'

Even though he hated to admit it, he indeed had some feelings for Yuki. It was a mix of hate, lust, suspicion, and curiosity, which made him disgusted and confused. He didn't know how or why, but he always found himself around her. It was as if he was getting pulled towards her. He had convinced himself that he was monitoring that Uchiha. But he knew deep within that... He was keeping an eye on her not only because she's an Uchiha.

He wished to see her. He wanted to see that rare smile on her face that she only showed to Mito.

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