Several days passed before the date of Sasuke and [Name]'s engagement party began approaching, and soon, she was being whipped away by Mikoto to personally invite her friends from school, none of which had any idea about what happened to [Name]. They'd been told by the principal, and by [Name]'s family, that [Name] had simply transferred to a private school without a single word of goodbye. [Name], knowing her friends, knew that they wouldn't believe such bullshit, and wanted to clear things up with them first and foremost. She had three close friends who she planned to tell everything to- Mei, Fuyu and Emiko. She wanted them to know everything so that they wouldn't be creeped out by the fact that one of their closest friends was getting married at the age of seventeen. Under Mikoto's instruction, [Name] had gotten a hold of her phone and sent out a text requesting a meeting with her friends at the Fortuna, a cafe where they would often hang out at before and after school. She'd instantly been bombarded with responses, and a time was set to meet up with her dearly missed friends.
"I don't see why I can't come." Sasuke stood with his arms crossed, a look of dislike plastered across his face as he watched [Name] and his mother yapping as they left his room. He'd been woken up by their yapping from downstairs, discussing one thing or another.
"Because, this is a strictly girls day out only," Mikoto said, shooting her son a glare as she ushered [Name] out of the room. "Try not to get too wound up about it."
***
"...you're fucking joking me!"
"Are you serious?!"
"... well I'll be fucked."
[Name] sat with her friends at a table in Fortuna, hidden away at the back as she dissected tales of her journey so far to the three awestruck girls.
"So you're getting married... and you're asking us to be your bridesmaids?" Mei asked, brow creased as she struggled to come to terms with the thought. [Name] grimaced, and nodded slightly, often shooting glances out of the side of her eye to keep watch on Mikoto, who was sitting at a nearby table with her own cup of coffee and keeping a very close ear on the girls.
"Basically."
"But that's so fucking stupid!" snapped Emiko, slamming her palm on the table and glaring at [Name]. "You shouldn't have to do that! Who the fuck do those people think they are?! They have no right to-"
"Emi, please," [Name] pleaded, seeing Mikoto rise and approach the table. Emi furiously shook her head and stood up.
"[Name], that's so fucking stupid, like seriously?! Why haven't the cops been called in?! Why haven't the authorities been alerted?! This is a violation of your rights, and your family's safety! Why haven't-"
"Is there a problem, ladies?" Mikoto's voice cut over Emiko's, cool and clear. Emi growled and clenched her fists, sliding away from the table.
"Dandy!" she snapped, storming her way out of the cafe. [Name] sighed, and Mei exchanged a look with Fuyu, who got to her feet.
"I'll take care of Emi. Text again soon, okay, [Name]?" said Fuyu, an apologetic look on her face. She bowed at Mikoto before rushing after Emiko, leaving [Name] alone with Mei and Mikoto.
"Right! Shall we get going, then?" Mikoto beamed, clasping her hands together. [Name] grimaced and looked at Mei, who still looked stunned.
"You don't have to come if you don't want to," she said gruffly, pushing her seat back and getting to her feet. Mei stuttered and got to her feet.
"No, I want to come!" she said hurriedly, making her way to [Name]'s side. "After all, we're friends. I'll always have your back, [Name]."
Mikoto smiled at the two.
"Hop in the car and I'll take you two to a place where you can both explore more about our family's culture," she beamed. After getting the two adolescent girls into the car, Mikoto took a winding, fifteen minute drive until they reached their place of destination. [Name] and Mei exchanged looks- the area around them was rather derelict and old, with tagging and vandalism covering nearly every inch of wall they could see. The place they were going to was a small, rather grubby looking shop, with a metal rolling door half drawn, revealing only the bottom half of a display window and door. Once Mikoto had parked her car right outside the little shop, she looked over her seat to the two girls sitting in the backseat.
"We're here."
She got out of the car and strode confidently towards the shop, uncaring about how much she stood out from her surroundings. [Name] and Mei quickly got out, watching as Mikoto ducked under the metal and made her way into the shop.
"Teyaki-ji! I'm here!" [Name] heard Mikoto call, as she and Mei followed suit. When they stood up, they found themselves in a tattoo parlour, with multiple designs and photos plastered on the wall. They knew it was a tattoo parlour from the bench sitting in the middle of the small room, and the array of equipment that lay alongside it. Mikoto had since disappeared into a door which led into another room, bringing out an elderly man as she returned. He was rather large, with a wideset mouth, a mop of grey hair, and a kind smile. He looked nothing like the tattoo artist he was meant to be. He was dressed in a plain brown yukata, and [Name] could see tattoos adorning what visible skin he had.
"Hello, girls!" he greeted in a booming voice, making his way over to [Name] and Mei's side of the room to shake their hands. Once they hesitantly did so, he urged them to take a seat on the couch behind them, neither of whom had seen it on their way in. He pulled out a chair on wheels from underneath the bench behind him, and Mikoto joined [Name] and Mei, carrying papers in her hands. She beamed especially at [Name] as she sat down, crossing one leg over the other.
"So, [Name], Mei, this is our uncle Teyaki. He and his family have been in charge of the art of tattooing members of our clan ever since Madara-ji formed the organisation. Right, Teyaki-ji?"
"Right." The old man clasped his hands together and leaned forward, squinting at [Name] with a look of concentration on his face. She awkwardly smiled at him, exchanging a side-wards glance with Mei.
"So you're Sasuke's bride to be, huh?" he asked, rubbing his chin as if in thought. [Name] gulped and nodded, uncomfortable. He looked at Mikoto.
"Sasuke's got a koi, doesn't he?" he asked. "Maybe a matching koi would be nice?"
Mikoto shrugged.
"It would be nice, but I thought [Name] here would like to choose her own design, a unique one. And maybe one for her friend here, too," she added in a joking voice. [Name]'s blood ran cold as she stiffly stared at Mei, who looked just as dumbfounded as she did.
"S-sorry, what?" [Name] managed to pipe out.
"Let me tell you something, [Name]. Only those who have managed to go through an undeniable amount of challenges and pain for the sake of the clan can receive tattoos as honourary as these. Mikoto here has them, Fugaku has them, Itachi and Sasuke have them. Even Shisui has them, which is kind of a surprise since he's the stupidest idiot I've ever met in our clan. If you're not from the clan and you get approval to receive tattoos like ours, well, it's kind of a big deal. You get it?"
"But I haven't even done anything for your clan!" [Name] exclaimed, slightly confused. Her mind flashed back to Sakura. "Besides, didn't Sakura have a tattoo?"
"Sakura's clan have a different way of doing things, but her design is not that of an Uchiha," said Teyaki gravely. "And according to Mikoto, you've done great amounts for the Uchiha."
"But-!"
"Mikoto here is the first woman to have received such an honour in our clan," Teyaki butted in. "Only recently, her cousin Naori received her patch. You, my dear, are an extraordinarily lucky one."
"But I don't-"
"Every person has their own unique design," Teyaki cut in once more. "Fugaku has a dragon, Itachi, a weasel. Shisui has a raven, and Sasuke, a koi fish. Mikoto here has a swan, and I believe Naori got an eagle. Right?"
"Are you talking about the tattoos on the back or alt-"
"So, [Name]! What do you choose?" Teyaki beamed, completely ignoring [Name]'s attempts to question. Mei patted her thigh and gave her an apologetic look.
"I don't want one," she mumbled, slapping her hands to her face.
"Of course you won't be getting it now, my dear, but after you and Sasuke are married! Have any ideas?" Mikoto said encouragingly, making [Name] groan. "Mei here could a little tattoo of her own, as a trinket, you know?"
"No thanks," Mei laughed nervously.
"Can we talk about it later?" [Name] asked, knowing that she was going nowhere with Mikoto or Teyaki. Mikoto sighed, shuffling the papers in her lap, which she then handed to [Name].
"Here, take a look. Talk it over with Sasuke, and then come back to me when you're sure of what you want."
[Name] internally groaned and threw her head back in agony.
I don't want a fucking tattoo!