Sen dreaded entertaining the Senju again; however, Mizura and Lady Hyuga insisted, and after a tense dispute between the siblings, Sen conceded for her mother's sake. She was now patiently standing beside Sora and watching as Tobirama and the clan elders walked up to the house.

"Where's Hashirama?" she asked Sora under her breath. He shrugged and kept his eyes forward to the approaching group.

Sen noticed one of the men who had insulted Mina was with Tobirama, and she felt her jaw set in anger as the two met eyes. There was thick silence in the air as the group joined the Hyuga's for dinner.

"Sora," she whispered as she pulled her brother to the side. He lent an ear as she spoke in a hushed tone, " I have a bad feeling about this dinner. You don't know why we're having it? Mizura said nothing to you?"

The man shook his head and looked over his shoulder before quickly turning back to Sen and saying, "I'm sure it's some kind of formality. I mean, our families were on the verge of a marriage alliance. Mizura is a politician, above anything. There's some reason for this."

"That's what I'm worried about," she replied through a deep sigh.

Sora gave her a reassuring pat on the back before joining Mizura, who was calling for him. She stood there and bit on her lip, unable to shake the uneasy feeling.

"How are you, Sen?" Tobirama asked as he joined her along the perimeter of the room.

She looked up to the tall albino man and replied that she was doing fine before asking how he was. He said that he was doing about the same. Silence settled between them for a few moments before the Senju asked another question, a darker tone in his voice this time, "Do you abhor me?"

"No," she spoke. "Am I mistaken in doing so?"

His face subtly flinched with a grin at her words as he chuckled lightly, "Not at all. I was just gauging where we stood with one another. If you were curious, I don't hate you either."

Sen bobbed her head and looked across the room to Mizura and Sora, who looked to be having a serious conversation. Keeping her eyes on them, she asked Tobirama uninterestedly, "And if I wasn't curious?"

"Then now you know," he responded, suppressing a chuckle at her cutting remark.

The pair parted ways with a respectful nod and took their places around the table before beginning their meal. Friendly words were volleyed across the table between the two clans. They spoke of past exploits, opinions on the village, and things to plan for the future. Sen quietly watched with her attention only half there and prayed the night would end soon. She wanted to be at home with her boys and her lover, not here entertaining the Senju.

As dinner ended and plates were cleared away, Lady Hyuga asked Sen to retrieve the tray of tea from the kitchen. The girl did as asked and sat a teacup in front of each person. She felt all of their eyes on her as she worked her way around the table. She sat the final cup at her empty position before taking her seat again.

Mizura thanked her before a cold smirk pulled at the corner of his mouth. He cleared his face with precision and wore a somber look as he began speaking, "As everyone here is aware, my family recently suffered the loss of the eldest daughter, Mina Hyuga..."

Heads bowed in respect and nods circulated the room while Sen's eyes were glued to the teacup in her hands. Mizura continued, "It is a tragedy to lose such a member. Mina was a remarkable daughter, sister, fiancée..."

Anger began to boil inside of Sen as she listened to Mizura continue to ramble about Mina. He didn't give a fuck about her; he had made that much obvious through his past actions. It infuriated Sen as she was forced to sit her cup on the table due to her shaking hands.

"Our clans were set to be bound together as family by the ties of matrimony. There has been discussion between the elders and leaders, and we have come to the decision that this alliance is too important to simply dissolve; therefore, it has been decided that as the remaining daughter, Sen Hyuga will now marry Tobirama Senju."

It felt as if the air in Sen's lungs had been crudely forced out. Her chest tightened and her eyes remained locked on the teacup in front of her. All of the room's attention was on her as Mizura's announcement ended.

She couldn't have heard him right. Right? Surely not even Mizura was so cold-hearted to treat Sen as a commodity to replace her older sister. However, she knew the truth was that Mizura was indeed that evil, and probably more so.

Her head raised slowly, pale eyes burning with anger as she stared at her older brother. Mizura's intense stare was bearing into Sen as well. Neither spoke, only radiating glares from down the table.

After what felt like an eternity of silence, Sora stood slammed his fist on the table, stating that Mizura couldn't do this. The clan leader snapped his head to his twin before a harsh tone laced his voice and he replied, "I find it difficult to see where this is your decision to object, Sora."

Her teeth were gritted together as she turned her head to Tobirama. He looked indifferent as his scarlet eyes evenly surveyed her. He could tell how angry she was from the chakra she was indiscriminately leaking.

"And you're okay with this, Tobirama?" she asked almost too calmly.

Tobirama replied that he thought it would be in both clans' best interest to establish ties. Sen refrained from rolling her eyes as she spit back quietly, "That doesn't surprise me, you're just like him."

"Sen," her mother quietly pleaded from beside her. She wanted her daughter to stop causing a scene, but Lady Hyuga knew the girl better. Sen was far too strong-willed and independent to allow something like this to go on. It had been the main reason the late Lord Hyuga never attempted a marriage with the girl.

Sen's mind was blank. She looked to Sora, whose face was red with anger. Her body felt frozen as the world began crumbling around her. Her heart was pounding and a tightness was present in her throat. Nevertheless, she also stood and faced Mizura with an indignant expression and growled, "You're a fucking bastard."

Lady Hyuga reached for Sen's arm to pull her back down to her place; however, Sen harshly ripped her arm away from her mother. She shot a sad look to the woman, hoping it would suffice as an apology. Sen then asked in a cold voice, "How dare you, Mizura?"

Instead of waiting for a reply, she stormed out of the room and into the chilly night air. Snow fluttered down onto her, sprinkling her hair and face with little white specks. The few tears that leaked from her face grew cold against her cheeks as she continued through the compound.

She was unsure of what to do or where to go, so she just kept moving. She wanted to distance herself from this whole mess, hoping the space would help ease the weight she felt crushing her chest.

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