like blood upon the snow

by sco_ot

Summary:

Senju Tobirama had a plan. Granted it wasn't a very good plan - but it was a plan. Heal Uchiha Izuna and then disappear so that his brother and his clan could finally have peace, without the White Demon there to ruin it.

One problem - he hadn't accounted for Uchiha Madara or how stubbornly he would pursue him.

Notes:

hello! this little idea sparked after reading through most of KeanBlade's tobimada works (highly recommend their works btw, they're wonderful) and blackkat's "As Is the Sea Marvelous" also highly recommended, which inspired me to write a what-if scenario of what would happen if tobirama hadn't been caught and instead managed to escape into exile. i wanted to explore the repercussions this would have for both clans, the peace and the building of konoha.

Chapter 1: in which tobirama has a plan

Summary:

Faced with Hashirama's anger, Tobirama ponders his actions and what repercussion they could have for his brother's plans before coming to a startling decision.

Notes:

hello! this little idea sparked after reading through most of KeanBlade's tobimada works (highly recommend their works btw, they're wonderful) and blackkat's "As Is the Sea Marvelous" also highly recommended, which inspired me to write a what-if scenario of what would happen if tobirama hadn't been caught and instead managed to escape into exile. i wanted to explore the repercussions this would have for both clans, the peace and the building of konoha.

27/06/2025 edits: i'm fixing up some mistakes and changing some sentences/formatting bc my writing style has changed a bit and this makes the read smoother

Tobirama fought the urge to flinch, faced with Hashirama's furious face, bending at the waist he sat seiza in front of his clan head - prepared to face the lecture he knew was coming.

"How could you?" Hashirama asked, his face impassive and tone cold, so different from his usual over the top dramatics "How could you cut him down knowing what he means to Madara? What he means to my peace efforts. Are you trying to ruin my plans Tobirama?" His voice had grown steadily louder as he continued talking. "Answer me." He demanded, and Tobirama swallowed, trying to push back memories of their father and the punishments that followed when he spoke in that tone .

"No anija." he whispered into the still room, bowing his head to his clan head and praying that he hadn't angered him further. Anija had never punished him like Butsuma had, but then again Tobirama had never angered his brother this much before. Hashirama gazed at him from behind their father's heavy ironwood desk for several moments before opening his mouth "Do you understand what you have done?" he questioned before raising a hand "No, don't answer that." He continued, not letting Tobirama get a word in to defend himself "Izuna was vital to my peace plans, Madara and I created our plans to keep our younger brothers safe, AND NOW THAT WILL NEVER HAPPEN! WITH IZUNA GONE THERE'S NO WAY MADARA WILL AGREE TO PEACE! YOU HAVE DOOMED US ALL, YOUR STUDENTS WILL BE FORCED ONTO THE BATTLEFIELD JUST AS WE WERE!" He roared.

Each word landed like a blow on Tobirama's shoulders and he fought desperately not to let it show, keeping his face still. "Why brother, why could you not stay your blade just this once? Why could you not show mercy?" Hashirama's voice was quiet and tired, his shoulders slumped and his face drawn.

Tobirama opened his mouth to explain but he was interrupted again, "Don't" his anija whispered "Just don't, leave please, I can't stand your presence, or your justifications. It's clear that my peace is impossible with you around."

Tobirama raised his head, reeling, the words hitting him like a kunai to the heart, to look at his brother's defeated figure. Nodding once he stood and bowing low to his clan head he left the room, not daring to look back.

He walked slowly to his quarters, his face and body language impenetrable, a mask he had worn for years before his father now used to not fall apart in public. Only once he was in his bedroom, with his seals fully activated, humming with power, did he allow himself to fall apart.

Anija was right, he was a monster, the heartless demon his enemies claimed he was, after all he knew about Hashi's hopes and what it was like to lose a brother. The pain of Kawarama and Itama's deaths still hasn't faded after all these years, he still felt the absence of the boys he raised and trained no matter how much time passed, and yet he would inflict that on another? On Madara, strong, uncompromising Madara who would do anything for his clan. Who's chakra Tobirama had curled up in after long days and hard missions ever since he had first felt it at the Naka river as a child. How could he do this to him? Already he could feel the Uchiha's chakra go cold and hard with grief as Izuna's flickered - barely holding on.

Licking his dry lips Tobirama hardened his resolve, Izuna was still alive, and while the Uchiha iryo-nin couldn't save him Tobirama could.

Rising swiftly the albino Senju started removing his armour, wincing at the sight of the minor stab wound he had received - he had planned on healing it later but he would need all the chakra he had for this to succeed, so he wrapped his ribs with bandages and hoped that it would do. For such a mission to succeed he would need speed and stealth - his bright blue armour would just slow him down. Dressed in fresh mission blacks he gathered his bags, stuffing them with clothing, the extra medical supplies and weapons he kept in case of emergencies. Double checking to ensure that he had all the necessities, he hesitated before his crowded desk, wondering if he should leave a note. He knew that he wouldn't come back from this, either because he was caught and killed by the Uchiha or if a miracle happened and he came out of this alive - he would have to go into exile to ensure that his brother's dream worked out.

The Uchiha wouldn't trust the White Demon after all. Sighing he grabbed a stray note page and scribbled a quick explanation for Hashirama. Nodding decisively he pricked his finger with his Hatake sharp eyetooth and applied the drop of blood to the hidden compartment in his desk. He hesitated over the papers in the drawer, ceasefire and peace treaties, and down at the very bottom plans for his brother's village. Gazing down at them he knew that it was the right thing to do, he may not be physically present but he could still help with his brother's dream, reaching into the drawer he pulled out the carefully sorted stacks of paperwork and thumped them down onto his desk, closing the drawer with a sharp snap he placed the note on top of the stack of papers.

After a moment of hesitation he added an encrypted message for Touka - an explanation and a reminder that he loved her. While he wished that he could tell her in person, he knew that she would notice that something was wrong and try to stop him. He couldn't let that happen, the clan's future depended on his success, and should he see her, he knew he would fail.

Lastly he grabbed his happuri - the last gift his brother had given him before he was killed, smoothing a hand down the well worn vajra before attaching it to his head with chakra, blinking as the seals activated and his vision sharpened.

That done he shunshined to his lab, activating the seals on the door with a swipe of his bloody finger he entered. Mindful of all the bubbling liquids and delicate seals he crossed the room to the seal array, circling it and checking everything to ensure that there were no mistakes.

Just as he finished a flash of white caught his eye and he cursed, stopping his inspection to approach his desk. Lying there on top of his notes for hiraishin was his fur.

It was an heirloom from his Hatake mother, made from her summons' shed fur, embroidered with seals to keep it clean and secure its wearer's protection. She had given it to him on the eve of his fifth birthday - to celebrate his first kill in the traditions of her clan. He knew logically that he should leave the fur in the lab, as the huge white mantle would give him away in the dark, but he still hesitated. The fur was as integral to his identity as his bone-white hair and the tattooed seals on his body - it was the only thing he had left from his mother after Butsuma had her things burned with her body, decreeing that a shinobi had no need for mementoes.

Sighing he took the fur and stashed it into one of his black mission bags, hoping that he wouldn't regret taking it with him. Before exiting his lab for the last time he looked over the seal arrays once more and took a few liquids off the seal powered tables - putting them in stasis seals. Satisfied that everything was in its place he locked the lab with a drop of blood and regretfully added the seal that would make his more dangerous experiments self-destruct should the worst happen to him.

That done he steeled himself and started running towards Uchiha territory - and his likely death.

Chapter 2: in which tobirama executes his plan

Summary:

Tobirama races against time to save Izuna, risking life and limb to save his childhood rival (and if he basks in Madara's lovely chakra while he's at it, well, no one needs to know)

Notes:

hello and welcome back, i edited the previous chapter, adding somethings to make it flow a bit smoother, this chap is once again in tobi's pov but dw madara will make his opinions on things known soon enough

27/06/2025 edits: i'm fixing up some mistakes and changing some sentences/formatting bc my writing style has changed a bit and this makes the read smoother

Soaring through the thick mokuton-grown trees of the Senju lands Tobirama ran through his plan one more time.

Slowing down as he grew closer to the Naka river that separated his clan's lands from the Uchiha's, he focused his sensing, seeking Madara's powerful, comforting blaze before pinpointing Izuna's weakening lightning sharp spark. Frowning, he sped up, leaping from tree to tree like his summons as he tracked the various other Uchiha in the compound. Almost all of them were buzzing with worry - and some were thick and heavy with grief.

Focusing on the centre of the compound, he located what must be the healing halls - where he could feel a few tired iryo-nin monitoring the patients, some of who's fluctuating chakra convinced Tobirama that they wouldn't live till dawn.

Absently body-flickering Tobirama focused on the addictive star that was Madara - who's chakra was buzzing with worry and already losing some of its usual warmth to the dark tinge of grief.

Coming to the Naka, Tobirama was forced to stop and focus his sensing on the various patrols running through Uchiha lands, mapping the route he would have to take to avoid them. As he planned, Tobirama started crossing the river, waterwalking over the calm surface as gracefully as he would have walked on land. Observing the fluctuating chakra in what he was sure was the Uchiha's healing halls, he calculated how much chakra he had, and whether it would be enough to save the dying Uchiha. He bit his lip, wincing at the sting as his sharp canine bit through the delicate flesh, and resolved to at least try to heal them. It could only help his brother's peace plans and maybe soothe some of the worry in Madara's gorgeous chakra.

Reaching the river bank Tobirama lept up into the trees again, masking his chakra and stretching his sensing out to make sure that he didn't run into any patrols as he sped toward the Uchiha compound, using Madara's starbright presence as his main guide.

Racing through the night, swerving occasionally to avoid the patrols, Tobirama thought about what to do if he was caught. If it was before he could heal Izuna, he would offer - get down on his knees and beg, vow on his sword that he was only here to heal and pray that they believed him, and if that worked - he would heal his rival and then activate the suicide seal on the roof of his mouth.

He may have failed his brother, but he refused to fail his clan, at least this way he could die knowing that he had succeeded in healing Izuna and with him dead they wouldn't get any information about the Senju. Couldn't torture a corpse into talking after all, he thought morbidly to himself.

If it was after Izuna was healed then maybe he could convince them to let him heal the other Uchiha, depending on how much chakra he had left. After all he would have proven himself by healing his greatest rival - so there was nothing to lose, if he couldn't convince them then suicide seal. Yes, he thought decisively, this was a good plan, with Izuna alive and him dead Madara would probably be receptive to at least a ceasefire, if not all out peace.

As he ran he absently wondered if maybe it was better to get caught - after all in exile he would still pose a threat, if the Uchiha knew he was dead then Hashirama's peace would probably be easier to achieve. But he discarded that plan - too selfish to throw his life away so quickly, after all if he lived he would still be able to feel his loved ones safe and happy. Even if he couldn't physically be there to enjoy peace or Hashi's future village, he would still be able to sense it if he remained within Hi no Kuni's borders.

Besides alive he could be useful and convince some of the other clans to join. He was acquaintanced with the Nara heir with whom he played shogi, and if he could convince him he would have the Trinity clans for his brother. The Hatake were kin through his mother and would join if he asked, bringing the Inuzuka as their sister-clan . The Aburame could be brought in as their clan head owed Hashi a life debt - while the Kurama and Sarutobi were vassals of the Uchiha and the Senju respectively so they would follow them. Naturally the Sarutobi would bring their allies the Shimura. The most difficult would be the Hyuga, who despite being cousins to the Uchiha had feuded with them almost as long as the Senju had.

A pulse of Madara's chakra jolted Tobirama out of his musings, his sensing focused on the Uchiha clan head as he approached his enemies' compound. Circling west away from the entrance, he planned the easiest route to get to Izuna - who he could feel cloistered in the clan head's house, Madara a thick cloud of worry, grief and rage, pacing in what must be the clan head's office with a pair of anxious iryo-nin.

Biting his lip again, a bad habit of his, Tobirama scaled the burned ironwood fence around the compound, the wood so dead not even Hashirama's mokuton could coax it back to life - a smart tactic, likely done to avoid that exact scenario. Carefully slipping over the spikes at the top of the fence and jumping onto the nearest roof, he scanned the way and cursed as his wounded side twinged with pain. Fortunately his slip up went unnoticed - as most Uchiha were in their houses, recovering after the day's battle, and only the patrolling shinobi and the guards at the gate were out and alert, their chakra signatures bright flickers against his senses.

He exhaled carefully, on one hand this was good for him as it increased his chances of success exponentially - on the other hand it worried him, as if he could sneak in, then so could others. Kekkei genkai thieves weren't exactly uncommon, and the Sharingan was too powerful a tool to be allowed to fall into foreign hands. If for instance a Kaminari no Kuni clan got a hold of one it would be a disaster.

Noiselessly leaping over the tiered rooftops Tobirama concentrated his sensing on Izuna's fading sparks as he edged his way closer to the clan head's imposing traditional manor.

Jumping onto one of the manor's many tiered roofs, he shimmied across, climbing the levels until he reached the upper-most one - where he felt Izuna's dimming spark.

Carefully he shuffled to the window, checking once more that Madara and the iryo-nin were distracted before flipping a kunai and using it to pick at the window latch until it clicked open. Cautiously he slipped into the dark room, squinting his eyes until he saw the lump that was Izuna sprawled upon his back on a futon in the corner nearest to the door.

Reaching out his sensing he checked for traps and not finding any he approached the prone shinobi, lowering himself carefully - mindful of his wounded side. Slowly removing the covers on Izuna, Tobirama started unwinding the bandages on the Uchiha's side, wincing as he saw the depth and severity of the cut he had inflicted. It was inflamed - the edges burnt from his Raijin no Ken technique, and he could see that someone had stripped away the mesh armour shirt that his rival had been wearing - a shirt that had partially fused with the wound, making healing it that much more difficult. A side effect that had Tobirama using the jutsu often despite how draining it was - which now made his job that much more difficult he thought with a wince as he flexed his chakra. Still, the difficulty was irrelevant - he came here to fulfil a mission and he would do so or die trying. Raising his hands coating them with a thin layer of chakra, he applied them to his injured enemies' side, ignoring the Uchiha's flinch.

Bracing himself he started directing the iryo-ninjutsu through the injured flesh, ignoring the flickering green light of the technique as Izuna's wound started to close, his cells multiplying at unprecedented rates under Tobirama's careful monitoring. Tobirama didn't know how much time passed as he knelt before Izuna's bedside, channelling chakra to save him as the wound slowly closed - until finally all that remained of the fatally deep cut was a faint scar, marking where Tobirama's blade had pierced Izuna.

 

Rising slowly and flinching as the bandages on his ribs pulled, Tobirama gazed down at his enemy, observing as Izuna's face smoothed, the tight, pained expression easing and making the young man look peaceful and oddly kind in the moonlit room.

 

Sighing, Tobirama was reminded again just how young he was, how young they both were - and how ready to lay down their lives in this meaningless conflict.

 

As he looked down on his dreaming rival Tobirama lifted his hands to his happuri, taking it off and wincing as the world lost its clarity and his vision worsened. Gazing down at his clan's vajra he considered his next steps.

 

He should leave a message of some sort, to make sure that Madara knew it was a Senju that did this, and that they were genuine in their wish for peace, and what was more Senju than his happuri? Made by one of the sons of the main line and worn by the clan heir - it couldn't send a clearer message. Besides anija had made it clear with his words that Tobirama wasn't welcome anymore, and with his clan head all but banishing him did Tobirama truly have any right to wear the clan's symbol?

 

Ignoring the painful sting of his brother's words Tobirama knelt once more and placed the happuri next to the futon - by Izuna's head where it couldn't be missed and rose, clutching at his wounded side.

 

He checked his chakra, wincing as he realised that he had less than half left and flicked out his senses to ensure that Madara and the iry-nin were still occupied before focusing on the healing halls. By his count there were three shinobi that would die without his intervention. Considering his options carefully as he snuck back out of the window, Tobirama pondered what to do.

 

Slipping across the roofs the albino calculated if he had enough chakra for his plan to succeed, before deciding that he could heal them all but not fully - that way they would live and he would also be able to escape.

 

Nodding decisively to himself the Senju began the careful trek to the healing halls, keeping his senses open to make sure that no one could sneak up on him now that he had left his happuri - and the seals etched into it that allowed him to see properly, behind as a message.

Landing on the roof of the healing halls Tobirama deftly swung down from the parapets to the third floor, where all three fatally wounded shinobi were located - watched over by a lone iryo-nin whose chakra flickered tiredly, buzzing worriedly with a dark tinge of grief.

Silently jumping through the open window he leaped up onto the ceiling, sticking his feet with chakra before the kunoichi could notice him, he waited breathlessly to see if he had been caught. When several minutes passed and nothing happened the albino allowed himself to relax slightly. Squinting, he snuck across the room to the nin, pausing directly on top of the tired woman he dropped down behind her and flicking a finger on the pressure point on her neck, knocked her out before she could raise the alarm.

Catching the exhausted nin in his arms, he placed her carefully onto a spare futon, ensuring that she was truly unconscious before approaching the first of the dying Uchiha.

As he knelt before the wounded nins bed, hand glowing with a diagnostic jutsu he noticed Madara's chakra moving on the edge of his senses, the blazing star approaching Izuna's peaceful spark. Cursing quietly Tobirama tore the covers off the injured shinobi, focusing his chakra on the severe burns covering the kunoichi's left flank, not healing fully to conserve energy. As soon as he saw the ruined flesh peal off to reveal healthy pink skin he ceased, covered the now peacefully sleeping nin and moved on to the next futon.

Diagnostic jutsu at the ready he identified the deep wound in the man's skull, and frowned cursing quietly, head wounds were tricky - but Tobirama would try his best. Coaxing his depleting supply up Tobirama placed his hands on the back of the shinobi's head, carefully searching out the lesions and healing them as delicately as possible, monitoring Madara's chakra as it reached Izuna and froze.

Desperate now Tobirama moved on to his last patient, falling to his knees before the futon and blinking down in horror, because that was a child. A child who was covered in bandages, breathing heavily, their chakra a weak whisper against Tobirama's senses and he couldn't, he couldn't let this Uchiha, who couldn't be older than seven die, he couldn't fail again. Not like he had failed Kawa and Ita.

Bracing himself Tobirama called up what little remained of his chakra and started healing, he would not fail again he vowed - this child would live and their chakra would grow strong, unlike his brothers, whom he had felt flicker and die.

Gathering the last of his strength the albino focused, ignoring everything except the injured child before him, not paying attention as Madara's starfire chakra expanded to cover the whole compound, curling around Tobirama curiously, forcing the exhausted Senju out of his haze with a jolt. Checking over the child one last time, Tobirama winced - he had spent more chakra than he intended, but it was worth it if it meant that the child would live. Focusing, Tobirama felt Madara's chakra leave the clan head's house and head towards him, so he rose and almost stumbled from the chakra drain. Cursing the albino gathered himself and dashed towards the window, leaping out of it and onto the roof.

Not bothering to be quiet now that he had been discovered the albino sprinted madly across the rooftops, tracking Madara's blazing heat as he neared the healing halls, radiating confusion, fear and relief.

The Senju realised that the other must still think he was in the building, the imprint he had left as he healed the boy strong enough to mask his meager signature - and sighing in relief he dimmed his chakra, tripping onto the last roof before the compound wall in his distraction and stopping as the wound in his side twinged with pain. Catching his breath, he felt Izuna's sharp prickle, now strong and awake, the iryo-nin's relief and bafflement as they examined the healed clan heir and the guards' at the gate alert flares, all almost covered by their clan head's overwhelming power.

It was over, he thought deliriously as his chakra curled longingly towards Madara's wonderful hearthlike heat one last time - hopefully now anija would be happy, Tobirama thought as he jumped over the compound wall and disappeared into the darkness of Hi no Kuni's forests.

Notes:

poor tobi's been put through the ringer, pray for him
next chap will be from mads pov, so we'll see what's going on behind that ridiculous cloud of hair

Chapter 3: in which madara wonders

Summary:

Finding four of his fatally wounded clansfolk healed, Madara wonders who could have healed them and why.

Notes:

gentlereaders may i present to you uchiha madara in all his floofy haired glory

27/06/2025 edits: i'm fixing up some mistakes and changing some sentences/formatting bc my writing style has changed a bit and this makes the read smoother

Madara seethed, pacing before Taiho and Enka. "There's truly nothing you can do?" he questioned, his voice thick with grief and rage. "Forgive us Madara-sama but the wound is too deep, had we managed to copy the Senju's jutsu we could save him, but we don't have it, and our own techniques are insufficient for a cut of this severity."

Madara snarled wordlessly, and resumed pacing. His brother, his last living sibling - the only direct family he had who was still alive, and he would be gone in a matter of hours. Already Madara could feel his chakra fading if he stretched his senses.

He didn't know what to do, his otouto lay in bed - mortally wounded and Madara was conflicted. There was still time, he could go to Hashirama and agree to peace on the condition that Izuna be healed. But if he did this then Izuna would never forgive him, and there was the White Demon to think about. Madara doubted that the albino would ever consent to peace - not with how ardently he fought against the Uchiha.

Choices, choices - save his brother and agree to peace, knowing that it could all be a trap and place his clan in danger, or let Izuna - his precious younger brother die and keep fighting in this senseless war, send out more of his clan's children to perish?

Madara didn't know what to do, sighing heavily he bade the iryo-nin to go to bed and decided to check on Izuna. He would decide at dawn, hoping that Amaterasu- omikami would shed some light on the right path.

Ascending the steps to his brother's room Madara couldn't help but wonder if this was all his fault. If he had agreed to Hashirama's screeching peace offers then Izuna wouldn't have been on that battlefield, wouldn't have faced the White Demon, and wouldn't have fallen beneath his blade. But then again, could he trust Hashirama? Who for all his promises had never sent a ceasefire request, never asked to meet together to discuss their clans' futures not even after their fathers had died and they became clan heads.

The only sign his old friend gave that he remembered their shared dream were his shouted please as they fought and his refusal to target any of Madara's kin, and the Uchiha didn't think that was enough proof of Hashirama's good intentions. Not with the way skirmishes still happened with alarming regularity at the borders, not with the constant interfering in Uchiha missions - and not with the way Senju Tobirama haunted the battlefields like a vengeful ghost.

Madara hesitated before his brother's door, overcome with guilt before steeling himself and entering. He approached the futon quietly, not wanting to disturb his brother's pained rest. He knelt down before his otouto, going to smooth the covers he must have thrown off only to freeze in shock.

Izuna's skin was smooth, the perfect creamy tone marred only by a thin white line where before there had been a devastating, fatal cut.

Madara stared in disbelief "Kai" he uttered, flaring his chakra, but the image didn't change. Terrified and hopeful in equal measure Madara activated his Sharingan, gazing in awe at his serenely sleeping brother, whose chest rose and fell evenly, his breathing unencumbered.

This was no genjutsu.

"Izuna" he said gently, reaching out a hand to shake the younger Uchiha awake "otouto wake up, you need to wake up...please" He hardly dared breath as Izuna grumbled in protest, wiggling away from his hand to hide under the covers - just like he had when they were young and he wanted to sleep in instead of train. Madara huffed in exasperation before grabbing his sleeping otouto and dragging him towards him, hands careful on his previously wounded chest. Izuna blinked blearily at him, before opening his eyes in shock and bringing a hand up to his chest "Aniki what?" he asked blinking at his unmarred chest.

"I don't know Izu" replied Madara tiredly, looking at his unharmed sibling in awe "I came in and found you like this" he said, pointing to the soiled bandages on the floor before pausing. There was something there - a glint of metal.

Reaching around his brother Madara held up a seal inscribed happuri with the Senju varja engraved on its face. "Tobirama " hissed Izuna hatefully, face screwing up at the thought of his greatest rival. Madara silenced him with a hand, face not straying from the beautifully crafted face plate in his hands, as his mind ran restlessly through the possibilities.

Izuna had been healed by someone who had to have snuck into the compound, as no Uchiha had the techniques needed to heal such a wound, but the Senju were well known for them . This person managed to sneak in, heal Izuna and leave the happuri without being caught.

Freezing again Madara pinged out his chakra - enveloping the compound and checking to ensure all his kin were safe. Nothing seemed to be wrong, his clanmates' chakra flickered peacefully in sleep, only the guards at the gate and the iryo-nin in the halls were alert.

Nothing, nothing and THERE, flickering weakly, a suiton user's cool, clear chakra, so different from his clan's katon, on the third floor of the healing houses concentrated around...no, no, NO KAGAMI!

Cursing wildly Madara jumped to his feet, happuri still in hand, yelling for Enka and Taiho - waiting as the two stumbled out of their temporary rooms, he bade them stay with Izuna and ensure that he was truly alright before dashing out of the window, into the cool night.

Rushing across the rooftops Madara focused on Kagami's summery spark, noticing absently that Seika was in the room though her chakra was banked, indicating unconsciousness. Guren and Arabi's chakra was also still present, and no longer tainted with pain.

Hurrying along Madara realised that the suiton user's startlingly lovely clear chakra was no longer in the healing halls, and cursing the clan head wondered if it was better to chase the intruder or check to see if his clan's most vulnerable were safe.

For while Madara longed to satisfy his curiosity and see if Izuna's mysterious healer was who he suspected, the clan head in him demanded that he ensured his kin were safe before haring off into the night after a shinobi who seemed to have done no harm. So curling his chakra curiously around the suiton user's one more time Madara let go reluctantly and focused on his clan.

Leaping onto the terrace of the healing halls third floor he burst in, ignoring Arabi's surprised snort and making a beeline towards Kagami's futon.

Gently the Uchiha knelt at the child's bedside, turning down the covers and gasping in awe at his baby cousin's smooth back. Just like Izuna the only remainder of the debilitating injuries were some thin white lines, indicating where the Hagoromo had hit Kagami with their poisoned whips. Madara's Sharingan flickered on, bringing up the memories, the horror of finding Kagami - tiny and helpless, covered in whip marks, foaming at the mouth from whatever vile concoction the Hagoromo had laced their weapons with. The terrified run to the compound had been a blur, as were the iryo-nins desperate attempts to draw out the poison.

Blinking back tears Madara rose and went to check on Guren and Arabi. Guren seemed fine, his face still in sleep, and when Madara ran his hand over the back of his shaved head he felt only scabbed over flesh instead of the horrific lesions that were there hours ago. Moving over to Arabi he noted that she too was mostly healed, instead of the delibitating third degree burns that covered her whole left flank - received from a katon incident, she had healthy pink flesh, and while it was scarred, it wasn't so debilitating as to impede movement. She could still fight if she chose to.

Pinging his chakra once more Madara stretched his senses - seeking out the sweet cool chakra of Kagami's saviour and startling to find it moving swiftly towards the Naka.

Curling his own blaze around the suiton user's, Madara noted how drained and weak it felt compared to earlier and wondered if that was why the shinobi hadn't healed Guren and Arabi fully. Not because of a lack of time - but because they had run out of chakra. Tracking the faint whisper as it steadily swerved around an Uchiha patrol Madara deduced that the shinobi must be a sensor, what with how accurately they were able to avoid the patrols and find the wounded.

Frowning Madara followed the other sensor until they reached the Naka, shivering in shock and delight as the other nin pushed against his power gently, blinking at the soothing feel of the other's sweetly clear, cool chakra against his own star bright blaze, before the other retreated and winked out as they crossed the Naka and left Madara's range.

Startled by the loss, Madara crossed the room and looked out of the window towards the Naka, where he last felt his clanmates' mysterious saviour. A saviour that had risked much in coming here - if Madara's suspicions on who it was was correct.

But that would make little sense - after all what reason would Senju Tobirama have to heal four of his clan's enemies. Turning away from the window, Madara decided that it didn't matter why he did it, a life debt was a life debt, and he was determined to fulfil all four.

Sighing heavily Madara smirked, it looked like he had to write to his old friend - maybe they would have peace after all.

Notes:

poor mads is quite confused, unfortunately his old friend won't be nearly as helpful as he had hoped in helping his confusion, if anything he'll make it worse

Chapter 4: in which tobirama suffers

Summary:

Tobirama, wounded and exhausted makes for a hideout described by his cousin Touka, where he can hopefully tend to his injury and rest before leaving Hi no Kuni.

Notes:

welcome back gentlereaders, this chap is once more in tobi's pov, and boy does he suffer quite a bit
i'd say i'm sorry but the hurt makes the comfort so much sweeter

anyway, enjoy!

27/06/2025 edits: i'm fixing up some mistakes and changing some sentences/formatting bc my writing style has changed a bit and this makes the read smoother

Tobirama bolted through the forest, wretchedly ignoring the loss that had carved itself in his chest when he had stepped out of Madara's range and his safe, warm chakra had ceased touching his.

His wounded side burned, and his chakra coils were almost completely drained, but still he continued. If his plan were to succeed he would have to be out of Hi no Kuni by nightfall of the next day - else he risked getting caught and being brought back to anija in disgrace. And Tobirama couldn't bear that, to see the cold disappointment on his elder brother's face - so similar to their fathers.

Usually Tobirama could handle it, could be the strong, unfeeling blade that kept their clan's enemies at bay, but not now - he was too wounded, too raw.

Feeling Madara reach for him had almost felled him, and if he were to stop now he knew he wouldn't get up again. He would curl up in that warm, safe chakra and stay there, uncaring if someone found him - and that was dangerous thinking for a shinobi. After all Tobirama's life didn't belong to him, but to the clan and if an enemy found him then they could cause untold harm.

They could torture information out of him, and if they blocked his chakra he couldn't activate the suicide seal, or they could ransom him back, forcing the clan to waste money they couldn't afford to lose, or in the worse case - they could hand him over to the Uchiha for favours. Tobirama couldn't have that, he couldn't face Madara anymore than he could face Hashirama. If he saw the hatred on that beautiful face, the disdain in those ebony eyes, felt that lovely chakra recoil from him in disgust he would shatter into a million pieces, he was sure of it.

So Tobirama continued - ignoring the pain in his side, and his screaming chakra coils as he forced himself northward, if he could reach Tetsu no Kuni he could seek refuge with the Hatake. His mother's kin had always been good to him, accepting him despite his strange colouring and mannerisms, hopefully, they would allow him a few days to rest among them before he would be forced to move on - to continue with his plan.

He had considered going to Uzushio and begging for sanctuary, but the Uzumaki were too closely allied to the Senju to take that risk, word of his whereabouts might get back to Hashirama, which couldn't happen. And while he may long for Uzushio's warm seas and warmer people - miss getting lost in its dozen libraries and discussing seals with Mito, he couldn't afford to return there.

So he laboured on, soon he would reach that valley on no man's land where he could stop and rest, maybe even sleep a little before continuing his journey.

Already he could see the break in the trees, indicating that he was close, and just in time too. Dawn was near - and with it would come an increase in activity, making his discovery more likely.

Just a little more he told himself, if he could just reach the valley he could rest - curl up somewhere and sleep, maybe even stretch his senses out and bask in Madara's warmth, pretend he was safe with the older man instead of in whatever little cranny he ended up taking refuge in.

By Ame-no-Uzume he was tired, his eyelids felt like they weighed ten tons and he had already tripped thrice, the last time almost falling out of the tree and onto the ground below. He could already see the fire rock cliffs that faced the valley, which he knew had secret tunnels that desperate shinobi could use to rest and recuperate.

Touka had spent seven days in one, hiding from a patrol of enraged Hyuga after she had intervened with their mission by killing their client. In her defense the woman had stiffed the clan, so Touka had been sent out with orders to either retrieve the rest of their owed ryo - or kill her as a warning to others.

As this woman had a particular...fondness for young boys, and had made Tobirama uncomfortable with her attention when she had visited the clan to commission them, Touka decided it would be more convenient to just end her. Tobirama was always grateful to his older cousin for that particular deed, he may be a shinobi, but he had never been sent on honeypot missions - too distinctive with his white hair and red eyes.

Not to mention the fact that he wasn't traditionally attractive, not like Hashirama was, exotic at most with his china-pale skin and tattoos - but his looks were unique enough that the risk of being recognised was too great. His father knew this and preferred to keep him for assassination missions, so Tobirama was unused to the attention the client had payed him and didn't know how to rebuff her without causing offense.

Shaking his head to reorient himself, Tobirama stopped himself at the treeline, squinting through tired eyes, trying to reduce the blurriness enough to check if the coast was clear. The albino rarely relied on his eyes when his other senses were by far superior, but right now, on the verge of collapse he didn't dare try deepening his sensing. His passive range was impressive - but it couldn't sense masked individuals and by now Madara must have figured out he was a sensor. If there were pursuers after him they would surely be masked.

While the Senju was observing the valley, the sun had risen, spilling light over Hi no Kuni's forests and illuminating the fire rock, making it emit a subtle reddish light. Unfortunately not even the daylight could provide much help for Tobirama's failing vision, if anything it worsened things - as his photosensitive eyes and pale, delicate skin always suffered beneath the sun's merciless rays, weaknesses his father had disdained and tried to train out of him.

Left with no choice the albino concentrated, ignoring the blooming headache and the overstimulation as the world came to life around him.

Breathing deeply he scanned every plant, and animal around to see if they were henged before moving on, checking on the Senju and Uchiha first before moving on to the other clans. Nothing - there was the usual early morning activity as patrols returned to compounds and guard rotations changed, but it appeared that Madara had chosen not to follow him and Hashirama had yet to notice his absence.

This was good, Tobirama thought to himself, ignoring the stinging in his eyes and the hollowness in his chest - if anija didn't know he was gone then he would have more time to make his escape.

The thought was an empty comfort, never mind that it was common that he disappeared after a battle - overwhelmed after the battle and tired from assisting the iryo-nin, he would usually pass out for at least a day from the chakra drain, but the thought that his anija didn't care enough to check...it hurt.

Closing his eyes, Tobirama called back his range into its usual passivity, desperately ignoring how even that grated and made his migraine flare up. Not stopping to catch his breath the albino jumped down from his tree and ran for the cliffs. If he was lucky he would find a nice dark cave and sleep until the pain went away.

Keeping to the treeline to avoid the sun and how uncomfortably visible the open valley made him, Tobirama ran to the cliffs, if he remembered right Touka had mentioned an opening, high up on the left side of the rockface, obscured by vines and easily defensible.

Turning left sharply Tobirama left the relative safety of the trees to race towards the cliff, scanning the amber stone for the vines that Touka had described. Panting from the exertion and the pain the shinobi searched desperately, nothing, nothing, and there! Finally, bracing himself the albino leaped, and upon landing automatically stuck himself to the cliff with chakra, moving his hands along the vines, feeling for the hollow opening that marked the entrance to Touka's cave.

Sliding along carefully, Tobirama checked each vine methodically before moving on, and even then, exhausted as he was he almost missed it, because of how covered it was in dense foliage. Just about weeping with relief the albino grabbed two of the sturdiest vines and used those to pull himself up and into the tight darkness of the cave.

Fixing the vines as best he could Tobirama fumbled with his black mission bag - dumping the other two on the ground, he grasped for the nin wire in the back pocket. The nook may be hidden, but he would still set traps. Better safe than dead as the shinobi saying went. Clutching the wire in one hand Tobirama began unspooling it and weaving it between the vines where it wouldn't be visible, so that any intruder trying to grasp them would cut their hands and if they were especially incautious - lose fingers.

Traps set to his satisfaction, Tobirama felt along the wall until he reached the back of the small crook, shifting his bags to the wall, he took out his mother's fur.

Laying down carefully Tobirama winced - suddenly and violently reminded of his injury. Awkwardly feeling along his side, he was horrified to find his hand come away wet with blood. Shifting Tobirama reached and fumbled into his black bag once more, pulling out a torch and some bandages. Activating the torch with a lick of chakra he could barely afford, the albino flinched as the light assaulted his sensitive eyes, forcing them closed.

Tobirama counted to ten, dimming the torch slightly before reopening them - better, that was better, not good, not by a long shot, but at least he could see somewhat.

Placing the torch on the ground the Senju attempted to lift up his grimy top, recoiling every time the movement pulled on his open wound. Having had enough the shinobi steeled himself and yanked the top off, chocking from the pain he curled into himself, clutching his sides as the cut pulsed. He stayed like that for several minutes, uncurling when the pain had faded to undo the wet bandages around his ribs.

Freed from the confining fabric Tobirama cursed upon seeing the angrily oozing cut on his side. While not fatal by itself the wound was in a bothersome position and too much movement could aggravate it - causing infection. And infection could lead to sepsis.

Grimacing the albino reached into his bag's innermost pocket and grabbed the small tube of ointment, clutching it, the Senju carefully cleaned his ribs with water from his canteen before smearing the pungent medicine onto the cut. Taking a new roll of bandages, the exhausted albino wound them around his ribs tightly - hoping that that would keep the wound from aggravating while he slept.

At this point his migraine had become truly unbearable, so Tobirama was forced to dim his torch, put his supplies back in the bag, and pray that the medicine would be enough. Closing his eyes the albino wrapped himself in his fur and allowed himself to seek out Madara's chakra - blazing strongly even when Tobirama's range was passive.

Sighing deeply the Senju cocooned himself in his enemy's lovely warmth - his last thoughts before he drifted off were of vague hopes that he would be able to wake up.

Notes:

fic writers be like omg i love this character, they're my lil cinnamon role, before proceeding to torture said character in like fifty different ways

...it's me, i'm fic writers

the idea abt there being tunnels behind the hokage monument came from "Wolves of Fire Country" by Midnite_Republic, a rlly good fic with an interesting plot, highly recommend

anyway idk when i'll be able to post next bc i'm going to the mountains with my family, but next chap will be in the logs pov

Chapter 5: in which hashirama realizes

Summary:

Hashirama receives an unexpected missive and meets up with an old friend, who asks uncomfortable questions - which lead to a horrifying realisation...

(PLEASE SEE AUTHOR'S NOTE AT THE START FOR CW)

Notes:

CONTENT WARNING: this chapter depicts graphic violence, a character attacks another in anger and threatens them. If you wish to avoid it the altercation starts at " No amount of distance" and ends at " Rising slowly" (i also put asterisks at the start and the end to make it easier to avoid.)

hi folks, i decided to add a cw, just in case. i also want to add that i do NOT support such actions in real life, but this is a fic abt ninja who started as child soldiers, so i figured that they would probably attack first and ask questions later. that said, if you feel that this may trigger you please keep yourself safe and don't read it.

27/06/2025 edits: i'm fixing up some mistakes and changing some sentences/formatting bc my writing style has changed a bit and this makes the read smoother

Hashirama stared at the hawk outside his window in shock, while the bird stared back - unimpressed. It was a gorgeous specimen, enormous, and its plumage was the same colour as its owner's hair. Well trained as well, considering how still it was. Getting tired of the staring, the hawk let out an ear-splitting screech, forcing Hashirama to rise and open the window, before it did something worse than just screech - like try to break in. Sighing fondly Hashirama let it in. Trust Madara's bird to be just as impatient as him.

Reaching out a hand Hashirama waited as the bird untied the message scroll on its leg and passed it to him - knowing better than to try to take the scroll himself.

Messenger birds were vicious in protecting their missives, and Madara's hawks were specially trained, better wait till the animal did its job than risk losing an eye. While waiting for the bird Hashirama couldn't help but wonder what his old friend wanted. After all - he and Madara hadn't communicated since the day their brothers betrayed them, and revealed their friendship to their fathers. It couldn't be about Izuna, could it?

Maybe Madara had finally come to his senses and was willing to trade Hashirama's healing skills for peace. Or maybe, it was the announcement of Izuna's death and a declaration of the blood feud's renewal.

Sobering up at that thought, Hashirama realized that he hadn't seen Tobirama in a while - which while not unusual after a battle, worried him, especially with how they parted. Looking back the Senju realized that he had been wrong to yell at his otouto like that, after all - they were feuding, and if Tobirama hadn't cut down Izuna, then the Uchiha would have killed his brother, and many other Senju.

But he had been so scared and angry, remembering the horrified look on Madara's face - that he had taken it out on the one person that had always supported him.

No matter, when Tobirama crawled out of whatever hole he had hidden away in Hashirama would apologize and things would go back to normal.

Nodding decisively Hashirama thanked the hawk absent-mindedly when the animal gave him the scroll and flew away without not waiting for a response. Ignoring that ominous sign, Hashirama broke that the uchiwa-bearing seal and unrolled the scroll. It was tiny and only had one sentence on it.

“Tree, tomorrow at dawn, the usual place.” It was written in Madara's elegant scrawl, and there was a small stylized uchiwa drawn beneath the sentence to further confirm that he was the writer.

Exited now, Hashirama couldn't help but perk up - surely it couldn't be bad if the Uchiha wanted to meet face to face! The Senju wondered absently if he should apologize to Tobi before going, but dismissed the thought. If Tobirama didn't want to be found then hunting him down was damn near useless, his lab was sealed to the high Heavens and he rarely used his room after an argument so he wouldn't be there. Better wait until Tobi finished licking his wounds, then explain and apologize.

Plans established, the Senju decided to celebrate by taking the rest of the day off - the paperwork could wait after all, he had a meeting with his best friend to plan.

 

**************

 

The next day - sunrise finds Hashirama on the banks of the Naka, jittery with nerves.

The shinobi had barely slept that night, his mind too restless - trying to figure out why Madara wanted to meet now, after all these years and whether or not it was a good thing. Eventually he had given sleep up as a lost cause and snuck out of the clan compound two hours before the agreed-upon meeting time - not informing anyone of where he was going for fear of interference.

Ame-no-Uzume knew what Tobirama would do if he learned that his clan head was once again meeting with the enemy.

No - it was better this way, maybe without interruptions Hashirama could finally convince Madara to agree to peace. And if it was a trap or an attack, then the trees would warn him - besides he was more than strong enough to fend off just about anyone in the Ninkai, and if for whatever reason Madara did choose to attack, Hashirama was confident that he could fight him off.

Humming happily as he waited, he decided to create a seating area, so they could talk in comfort. Concentrating and forming the snake seal, the Senju reached deep into himself, feeling that green bud in his chest breath and gain awareness. Focusing, he dedicated his attention to a creaking old willow tree - connecting to the plant, he carefully pushed some chakra into it and twisted until it began to grow.

Moulding it carefully he formed two identical seats, engraved with the vajra and the uchiwa of their clans, checking them over carefully, to make sure that they were on the same level and facing each other, so as not to cause offense.

Satisfied with his work, he pulled his chakra back, halting the willow's growth and skipped over to his chair, flouncing onto it, he decided to bask in the weak morning light while he waited for Madara to arrive.

It didn't take long for his friend to join him. Not bothering to mask his imposing chakra, Madara landed before Hashirama soundlessly, observing their seating arrangement with the same unimpressed expression his hawk had the day before.

Clearly exasperated the Uchiha sat down with an eye-roll, before reaching into his haori and pulling out what seemed to be a happuri. A familiar happuri. The happuri his last living brother had worn every day since he had received it. The one that was their little brother's last gift before his death, engraved with seals to allow Tobirama to see.

Face pale, hands shaking Hashirama grasped the face guard before turning to his old friend “Where did you get this.” he whispered, terrified.

Madara looked at him evenly, before slowly reaching over and reclaiming the happuri from his limp grasp, “I found it” he deadpanned “In my little brother's room...Along with my alive brother, who seemed to have been healed - with a Senju technique.”

As Hashirama stared at him mutely, Madara frowned muttering “You didn't know, did you? And if you didn't know then you couldn't have ordered it.” Hashirama didn't answer him, too busy staring at on his otouto's happuri and trying to understand what Madara was telling him.

“What happened?” he asked at last, still fixated on the face guard.

Perplexed, Madara responded “Two nights ago, a shinobi snuck into my clan's compound, a suiton user by the feel of their chakra, as well as a sensor. Interestingly enough they harmed no one and took nothing. The only thing they did was heal four of my fatally injured clanmates, including Izuna, and disappear - leaving this.”

To emphasize, Madara lifted the happuri so that the sunlight glinted off the engraved vajra, and highlighted the many interconnected seals on its back. Madara stared at it curiously, before shifting his gaze to Hashirama, lifting an eyebrow and leaning forward he drawled, eyes flashing red. “So Senju? I'd like an explanation.”

Sighing deeply Hashirama rubbed his temples, “I don't know what to tell you Madara, the happuri is clearly my brother's, no one else in my clan wears one and it can't be a copy because of the seals. The skills you described can also be attributed to my brother, he inherited his suiton affinity from our Yuki grandmother, he's a natural sensor and most of our iryo-ninjutsu techniques were his inventions. So if you are asking me if it was he who healed your injured, the answer is most likely yes. If you are asking me if I ordered him to, then no.” Here he hesitated, licking his lips, and flicking his gaze to Madara's Sharingan red eyes he continued. “Tobi and I argued. Well, I say argued, but in retrospect, I basically called him into the clan head's office to yell at him.”

Hashirama flinched, remembering the lost look in his little brother's eyes while he lectured him.

Madara squinted at him - suspicious, before asking slowly “What did you yell at him for?” And Hashirama shifted, guiltily. “Well I,” he stammered out, “I yelled at him for what he did to Izuna.” The Senju forced out, ashamed.

At this Madara's eyes widened in shock, flickering, “You WHAT?!” The other shinobi demanded, enraged “Senju, we are feuding! Had your brother not felled Izuna, my brother would have gutted him and paraded his head around all of Hi no Kuni, crowing about how he'd killed the White Demon!”

Wincing Hashirama nodded, acknowledging Madara's words - knowing they were true “I know, it's just that at that moment all I could think about was our dream, how we wanted peace so we wouldn't have to bury anymore siblings.”

He knew that it was a poor defense, but still he felt the need to explain himself, but seeing the look on Madara's face he knew that he'd failed.

The Uchiha was staring at him incredulously before his face darkened and he stood up to start pacing. Hashirama watched anxiously as Madara opened his mouth several times, only to close it again, speechless with fury .

After several minutes of pacing Madara finally turned to him, declaring “You're a fool Hashirama. Our dream of peace was about our brothers, yes, but not just about their survival. It was about their happiness. I wanted a world where Izuna could sleep in and play instead of training constantly, and you wanted one where Tobirama could invent and teach to his heart's content - without your father and the feud there to force him to fight. The fact that I remember this and you have forgotten is absurd old friend - as is your treatment of your brother, who was only doing his duty to his clan. I don't know how things got to this point Hashi but you need to apologize.”

Hashirama stared at Madara, silent and guilty during the other's speech. When Madara was done he rose, frowning, before admitting “You're right Dara, I'll apologize to Tobi and find out where he was two nights ago. I'll send you a missive as soon as I know and we can meet here to discuss it if that's alright with you?” The Senju looked up, expectant, and Madara grumbled before agreeing.

“Fine you insufferable log, we can meet again, but I don't know when. I'm busy creating new patrols and defenses, so that no one else can get into my compound, and my elders are causing problems. Stirring up trouble, saying that we should strike now and avenge Izuna, never mind that the brat's fine." Grimacing at Hashirama, he held out the happuri, “I'm gonna need this, I've been using it to try and convince the elders that we need a ceasefire. So far it's been working pretty well, after all - if the White Demon could sneak into our compound all these years and the only time he did it was to heal some people and disappear then you must be sincere in your peace offers.“

By the end of the explanation both Madara's hands were wrapped around the face guard and the stubborn tilt of his jaw suggested that he wouldn't be giving the happuri back any time soon. Hashirama was torn, on one hand, an opportunity to convince the Uchiha elders could not be wasted, but on the other hand Tobi's precious happuri - Kawarama's last gift, and his most treasured item apart from their mother's fur.

With pursed lips, Hashirama reluctantly consented - after all, Tobi must have left the happuri for a reason, and he usually knew what he was doing.

Nodding in thanks Madara placed the happuri into his haori “I'll keep it safe until it's returned to him” the Uchiha promised before turning and heading for his compound. Pausing at the treeline he glanced at Hashirama and called out “I'll be expecting that missive, loghead” before jumping up into the trees and fading from view.

Chuckling at the quip Hashirama turned towards his own compound, flicking a wrist to return the willow to its prior state - he too leaped into the canopy and made for home.

As he neared the compound Hashirama pondered on how best to apologize to his otouto.

The first step would be to find him, usually not a difficult task, but Tobirama would always disappear to lick his wounds after a battle and his hiding places were many.

Sighing Hashirama decided to start with the healing halls - where Tobirama usually tended to the wounded after a skirmish. First destination decided Hashirama nodded to the shinobi on gate duty as the seals enscribed in the clan fence let him in with a pulse of chakra - and made for the center of the compound.

Reaching the doors of the halls Hashirama slowed down and knocked carefully. Tobi always hated it when he was loud in the healing halls, saying that it disturbed the patients, so Hashirama had learned to tone it down.

Bouncing on his toes, the shinobi waited until a blearily blinking Touma opened the door. Squinting into the sunlight the iryo-nin gazed at Hashirama for several moments before jumping to attention “Hashirama-sama what are you doing here? Is everything ok?” Blinking amusedly at the exhausted shinobi Hashirama chuckled, patting him on the back.

“ Nothing is wrong Touma-sensei, I was just looking for my brother, have you by chance seen him?” Touma frowned and responded “Not since two evenings ago Hashirama-sama, we had assumed he'd gone off to bed. Poor man had just performed a tricky surgery, saved Midori's life, so he was pretty drained. Anyway, he left after healing a few others and we haven't seen him since.” The iryo-nin shrugged apologetically to his clan head, and Hashirama just sighed, internally squirming with guilt.

He had yelled at his exhausted brother - who had not only fought a difficult battle that day but had also spent hours healing the wounded. His apology would have to be extra special, maybe he could give Tobi a few days off?

Smiling at the nin Hashirama replied “That's quite alright Touma-sensei, thank you for the help. How about you head home now and I'll send for Saiko to replace you.” Wanly returning his smile Touma agreed and stepped out of the healing halls, letting the heavy door snap shut behind him and heading home while Hashirama wondered where to check next.

The lab or Touka? The lab was usually where Tobi went when he was upset, but was he in the shape to invent or check up on his experiments right after a battle and numerous healings? No, Hashirama decided, Tobi wouldn't go to the lab - not when he could cause an accident if he wasn't careful.

Besides he almost always went to Touka if he was tired or hurt. She was his safe haven. She guarded him while he slept and ensured he wasn't bothered by nosy clanmates, and she talked him through his problems or trained with him if he needed to let loose. Yes, Touka was his best bet, decided Hashirama, but he wasn't looking forward to the beating she would give him if she learned he had hurt her baby cousin.

Jumping onto the roof Hashirama started leaping towards the clan head's house, dreading having to explain to Touka why he needed Tobirama and what her reaction would be. Well, there was nothing for it, as she wasn't going to tell him anything without an explanation, and would probably insist on being there for his apology to make sure that he wouldn't muck it up.

Not that he wouldn't deserve it, he had treated Tobi horribly, summoning him to their father's office where he had endured dozens of lectures and punishments.

He hadn't even checked if his brother was alright after the battle before ripping into him, no wonder Tobi was hiding from him! And if he truly had gone to the Uchiha compound to heal Izuna, Hashirama would never forgive himself.

He imagined his otouto stumbling through the forest at night - exhausted, chakra drained, and possibly injured, risking discovery and death to sneak into an enemy compound and heal a man who wouldn't hesitate to kill him, just because Hashirama had shouted at him. He should have known better, remembered that Tobi hated shouting after a childhood under their tyrant of a father, he should have waited until they were both rested and discussed it like an adult instead of throwing a tantrum like a child.

Too little, too late he thought landing on Touka's wing of the clan head's house and knocking, hopefully, she knew where Tobi was and if he was really lucky she might even help him apologize. Brightening considerably at that idea he shuddered in horror, hearing the wild cursing and threats coming from behind the door.

Gulping, he carefully moved back. He'd forgotten how much Touka hated mornings. As an assassination and infiltration specialist, she could usually sleep in when she didn't have missions - as she was too valuable to waste on patrols.

The only exceptions she made for waking her were Tobi and battles.

People always assumed that Tobi was the warmonger in the family, but they were wrong. His otouto would much rather be researching in his lab or teaching the clan's children than spilling blood on the battlefield. He fought because it was necessary, not because he liked it.

But Touka - Touka loved battle, nothing stirred her blood like a fight and it showed, she had the second highest kill count in the clan after all. So, rightfully wary of her vengeance - by the time she had slammed her sliding door open - Hashirama was on the steps of her porch, out of immediate punching range.

Getting straight to the point before she could start yelling, Hashirama blurted out “Have you seen Tobi?” Hoping that the subject of her favourite cousin would improve her mood. Thankfully it did, and blinking at him in suspicion she replied “Not since right after the battle... Why?” Chuckling nervously Hashirama wondered if it would be safer to lie, but on second thought better not, she'd kill him when she found out. And she would find out - she always did.

Taking another step back and bracing himself he admitted “I need to apologize” Hearing those words Touka's gaze sharpened, and she shifted - purring “And why, do you need to apologize Hashirama?” The emphasis she put on his name made the Senju flinch. Shifting awkwardly he dared another step back, and focusing on the floorboards he forced out “I may have yelled at him...for cutting down Izuna.”

*
No amount of distance could have saved him from the debilitating kick she delivered to his privates. Falling to his knees, he didn't defend himself when she grabbed his hair and used it to yank his face to hers. Sneering down at him she hissed “Then I hope that you have a speech planned for when you beg for his forgiveness you log-head! He kills one of our most powerful enemies, saving countless of our kin's lives, and you dare lecture him over it! Where did you get the audacity Hashirama? You better give him a week off work for this stunt. Or I will personally make sure that you can't pass your selfish idiocy onto the next generation.” To highlight how serious she was she dropped him, disgusted. Delivering another, harsher kick to his sweet spot she turned and headed to Tobi's lab.

Wheezing in pain Hashirama tried to blink back the black spots dotting his vision, circling his chakra desperately he sighed in relief as the pain abated.

*
Rising slowly, he followed after his irate cousin, questioning why she was heading to the lab. Daring to voice his confusion he asked “Won't Tobi be too tired to work in his lab after the skirmish?”

In response Touka snorted, before replying derisively “He won't be working. He keeps a cot there, he uses it more often than his bed in the head's house after battles. Doesn't feel safe enough to sleep there when he's vulnerable thanks to your charmer of a father.” She said these things like they were obvious, and Hashirama wilted. Here was another way in which he had failed his otouto. Maybe as part of his apology, he could build the other a house? One in which his brother could sleep soundly - whithout being haunted by painful old memories.

Making a mental reminder to talk to Tobi about this later, Hashirama followed Touka to the outskirts of the compound - where his brother had set up shop years ago.

Approaching down the overgrown path, both shinobi were tense, knowing instinctively that something was wrong. Instead of the ever-present humming of powerful seals everything was eerily still and silent.

Throwing concerned glances at each other the two cousins sped up. Stopping at the door, the two inspected the heavy-duty seals inscribed into it, noting that there were more than usual and one appeared to be...”Blood” Touka confirmed with a frown. “Somethings wrong, Tobirama doesn't blood-lock his lab unless he thinks he won't come back.”

Hashirama didn't answer her, fixated on the delicate concentric circles at the center of the door, and how they reeked of old iron. “Hashirama” Touka snapped, drawing his attention away from his baby brother's blood.

“Do you know if he's taken any missions since the battle?” Hesitating slightly beneath her worried gaze, Hashirama haltingly relayed what Madara told him. He hadn't finished before she cursed wildly and rushed off towards the clan head's house, not bothering to look back to see if he was following.

Frightened by that reaction, Hashirama gave chase, catching up to her as she forced the door to his brother's room open, only to freeze in shock at the mess that greeted them. Tobi's usually immaculate room was a disaster. His armour, usually meticulously cared for, was strewn across the floor with his mission blacks, his closet was thrown open and looked like it had been raided by bandits, his weapons stand was empty and his desk was so full that you couldn't see its surface.

Carefully pushing passed a shocked Touka, Hashirama went to pick up his otouto's armour. Pausing as the strong stench of iron reached him.

Dropping the armour Hashirama grabbed his brother's black top, paling as he spotted the cut on its front, which was crusted with blood. Judging by its length the wound couldn't have been deep, but still, the ribs were a delicate area, and with such an injury Tobirama should have been taking it easy - not gallivanting off to their enemy's compound to heal their shinobi.

The smell of blood seemed to jolt Touka out of her shock, and she joined him on the floor. Observing the fabric she noted the same thing he did. Sharing a worried look the two rose and went to investigate different parts of the room.

Hashirama took the dropped armour and arranged it on its stand, vowing to polish it later.

Picking up the ruined mission blacks next, intent on getting on fixing them - only to drop them again, distracted by Touka's cry.

Turning around he found her staring at the wardrobe, and she turned to him with a stricken expression “His mission bags are gone.” She whispered.

Joining her he could see that she was right, but what was worrying was the fact that it wasn't one or two bags missing. No. It was all of them. This was bad, this was very, very bad was all Hashirama could think. Tobi wouldn't take all his mission bags unless he planned to leave for a long time.

Maybe there was a reasonable explanation, thought Hashirama desperately, clutching a mute Touka. Tobi wouldn't have done this out of the blue, he must have left some sort of explanation, a note...A NOTE! Turning towards the overcrowded desk, Hashirama dragged Touka behind him, noting with interest the huge pile of documents that he had never seen before. Documents that looked suspiciously like “Ceasefires” Hashirama whispered in shock, as his eyes greedily drank in the dozens of treaties, written in his brother's cramped scrawl.

The only thing that was more interesting than the beautiful tower of documents were the two notes on top of it. One written in some sort of cipher - which was snatched up by Touka, and the other was addressed to Hashirama himself.

Carefully unfolding the note Hashirama read through it - not understanding.

Shaking his head in denial he feverishly reread the note, hoping that he had read wrong, misunderstood, anything, anything other than what was written on that tiny, tear-stained scrap of paper.

Hashirama was brought out of his haze by a choked-off sob from his left. Meeting Touka's furious face he finally understood - Tobirama was gone.

Notes:

so here we have the tree's pov, and the appearance of touka, my queen. and no hashirama isn't getting that happuri back, dw tho madara will keep it safe and sound for tobi.

i wanted to let you know that this will probs be my last update this year, as where i am there's no wifi, and the hotspots kinda meh. ty for all the kudos, comments and bookmarks and happy (early) new year!

Chapter 6: in which izuna is torn

Summary:

Izuna awaits his brother's return while thinking about his pale rival, his confusing actions and what repercussions they will have for both their clans.

Notes:

hi and welcome back,
ngl this chapter was hard, esp bc i've been unwell, but still i think it turned out decent.

as you've probably guessed from the title, it's from izuna's pov and mentions the battle in which he was wounded, i didn't add anything graphic but did mention that he was stabbed, idk if that merits a cw but i thought i'd mention it in case it made anyone uncomfortable

that said, enjoy the chapter folks

28/06/2025 edits: i'm fixing up some mistakes and changing some sentences/formatting bc my writing style has changed a bit and this makes the read smoother

Izuna was not sulking.

He was just...worried, yes worried. Aniki had gone to meet the tree again, despite Izuna's many warnings that it would probably be a trap, and he'd left Izuna in charge while he was gone.

Glaring broodily down at the new patrol schedules, he mentally cursed Senju Tobirama once more. Damn the pale bastard - it wasn't enough that he had bested him in combat. No, the asshole had to rub in his superiority by sneaking into Izuna's compound and healing him, and three others. The audacity!

Not that Izuna wasn't happy to be alive, and grateful for his kin's recovery. It just...grated - that his rival could have come into their compound all these years, doing untold harm and he never did. It made it hard to hate the icy bastard, especially with the way he'd treated Kagami fully - despite having little chakra and less time, according to Madara.

Rubbing his eyes, Izuna checked the new spring-driven clock in the corner - a gift from Minamoto Anahobe-hime for saving her only son. Blinking in surprise at how much time had passed, he rose biting his lip distractedly. Exiting the clan head's office he descended the stairs, planning to go outside and clear his head.

It was two hours past dawn and Aniki should be back by now.

Exiting the engawa, he kept the sliding doors open and approached their father's koi pond. Gazing at the colourful fish, his hand unconsciously rose to his chest, rubbing against the thin scar that remained.

Closing his eyes, he thought back to that battle. The thick scent of iron, the screech of steel against steel and the pained cries of the dying, the bright flashes of jutsu, and the muddy ground beneath his feet. And in the midst of it all, the White Demon, dressed as always in blue, white fur over his shoulders and an engraved happuri adorning his head. With his steely determination, overwhelming speed and hate-filled blood red eyes.

Looking back, Izuna thought that maybe it wasn't hatred that he saw - but regret. Flaring his Sharingan, he returned to that moment, that blinding flash of light, and the burning pain that followed as the blade pierced his chest, knicking his lung and assuring him a slow, painful death.

A fate that he had escaped only thanks to his rival's mercy - a thing he had believed to be non-existent.

Turning his Sharingan off, the Uchiha wondered why the Demon had healed him. After all their rivalry was secured early - at the Naka, when they had both betrayed their brothers' trust and broken their friendship. He still remembered that day, the horrified expression on Madara's face, and his Senju friend's desperate attempts to calm the situation down. How Tobirama had stood behind his enraged father, expressionless but for the faint tremors in his fingers as he clutched a sword that was much too big for him.

Even then he already had his tattoos. They had always fascinated Izuna - thin red lines that didn't seem to be decorative.

It had taken him years to figure out that they were seals - and it happened coincidentally, during a disastrous mission in Kaze no Kuni, when the pale bastard saved both their asses by accident. The delicate, red seals were connected to his eight gates, and Izuna would never forget the damage he caused when he released them. Izuna was fairly certain that if he ever returned to the canyon where the Omezo clan heir had trapped them - he would find the crater Tobirama had left when he had released his tenketsu.

Shuddering in horror at the memory, the Uchiha couldn't help but be glad that the release of such power took such an obvious toll on his rival - if he had such strength available at all times then Izuna could have been dead ten times over. So the fact that those seals were only used in life-or-death situations gladdened him. Though he wondered why they were needed, as strong shinobi could open their gates with enough training and dedication without outside help. So the fact that the Senju had had those tattoed seals since Izuna had known him intrigued him.

Absently picking at the moss covering the boulder on which he sat, Izuna pondered over his rival and his confusing actions. The Senju had no reason to heal him, or his dying clanmates, and didn't seem like the type to regret his actions, so maybe he was ordered to by his brother? After all Senju Hashirama was always shouting about peace while they fought, so it wouldn't be out of the realm of possibility that he would order his brother to heal his enemy - as a way to prove his sincerity and good intentions.

Neither of which Izuna believed in, the Senju could very easily be luring them into a trap, declaring peace, and then attacking them when their guard was down. After all - it had happened before.

Besides, that would be incredibly cruel, Izuna couldn't imagine his aniki forcing him to help his rival, who he had fought to defeat so hard and for so long, especially in such a risky way. Right after a battle - tired, chakra drained and injured.

Because the Demon was injured, Izuna remembered knicking the albino on the ribs as he fell, and while it was not a deadly injury like his own had been - it would still have been painful. So even if the bastard had gotten it healed, which could have happened, he had still snuck into an enemy compound exhausted and low on chakra.

Lost in his musings, he didn't register his brother's presence until he was in front of him. Jolted out of his thoughts Izuna gazed up at his aniki's frowning face, as the other clutched an engraved happuri.

Concerned, Izuna rose, greeting his brother with a hug. “So, how did it go?” he enquired quietly, not wishing to disturb the peaceful atmosphere, or let any listeners know what they were discussing. Madara glanced around uneasily before muttering, “Not here.” Nodding once Izuna followed his elder into the engawa, not speaking until they had reached the heavily sealed clan head's study.

Flouncing down onto the wonderfully soft couches, put there for his comfort when aniki had taken over, he raised an eyebrow at his brooding brother - impatient for answers. “It wasn't ordered,” mused Madara, staring out of the window, still clutching the happuri “though it might as well have been.” Startled by the anger in Madara's voice, Izuna straightened. “How so?” he asked, perplexed, both by the vagueness of the answer and his aniki's unusual mood.

“Hashirama is an idiot.” Madara began, raising a hand, somehow knowing that Izuna was about to interrupt despite having his back turned, “After the battle, Tobirama was called into the clan head's study, where Hashirama claims they argued, though he later admitted that he called for his brother specifically to chew him out.” Rising to join his brother by the window, Izuna thought what he said over, confused.

” That makes no sense,” he said finally “The battle went well, there were few fatalities, and the bastard finally succeeded in taking me down. Why the hell was he lectured?” Madara snorted at that, pulling him closer as he gazed out into the garden.

“He was angry at the fact that he cut you down,” The other started, stiffly, bristling with anger. At this Izuna turned in shock, meeting his brother's flinty gaze.

“You're joking right?” he interrupted, enraged. Ducking out from under his brother's arm, the Uchiha began to pace, clenching his teeth, breathing deeply to gather himself he began. “Had I been in his place, you would have congratulated me, and the whole damn clan would be celebrating. What the hell is going on with the Senju, that they're getting lectured for taking down enemies?”

Madara gazed at him and gently placing the bastard's happuri onto the desk, he gestured to the sofa with an expression that promised that no further explanation would be forthcoming until they were both seated. Glaring sullenly, Izuna plopped down, curling close to his brother's heat and demanding he continue.

Sighing deeply, Madara began, and the more he spoke, the more indignant Izuna felt before finally, he sprang up - unable to bear it anymore. “What the fuck! “ He yelled, resuming his pacing.

“ I may hate the pale asshole, and think that he deserves a slow, painful death by my hand, but I would think that Senju Hashirama would treat his kinsfolk better. You know, lead by example with this whole peace thing, not act like a complete twat to his last living brother!”

Grinding his teeth furiously Izuna couldn't help but pity his rival. For all that he was an unfeeling block of ice, he had proven himself skilled in battle, and much as Izuna hated it, he owed him a debt. Not just for himself - but also for Guren and Arabi, and especially for little Kagami, who they all thought lost. So he would refrain from killing the bastard the next time he saw him - as thanks.

Madara gazed up at him lazily from his place on the couch, amused before drawling out “That's exactly why he was mad, foolish otouto.” Stopping short at that, Izuna threw a glare at his brother, the other knew that he hated that address, and when he was being cryptic.

Madara only smirked back at him in answer, filling his kiseru with the calming herbs the Yamanaka had prescribed him. Izuna frowned, knowing that he wasn't getting a straight answer out of his aniki. While the Izuna pondered, Madara went to the window, leaning out in a way that none of the smoke would reach his brother, the elder lit his kiseru, taking a dragging pull as he waited.

Finally Izuna spoke, “He did this for peace, didn't he.” As he said it, Izuna stared down at the floorboards, disbelieving, “Which means he's sincere about peace...if he's willing to risk his brother's life like that."

Frowning deeply, Izuna felt another stab of unwanted pity for the Demon. What must it be like, he wondered, to know that your own brother valued peace and a friend that he hadn't spoken to in years - more than your own life? Izuna wasn't sure of many things, but he knew with certainty that should anything ever happen to him, Madara would lose his mind trying to avenge him.

It must be a terrible thing he decided - to not have that certainty, to know that your aniki, who was meant to protect and guide you, was willing to throw your life away like that. No wonder the White Demon was always so cold and unfeeling if this was how he was treated in his own compound - where he was supposed to be safe.

Suddenly cold the younger Uchiha turned towards his brother, burrowing into his soft, thick hair and banishing all thoughts about the pale bastard and pity out of his head. Shitty home life or no, the Senju was still his enemy and they were at war - there was no space for compassion.

Puffing away at his kiseru Madara made a considering noise that made Izuna freeze up. Sighing deeply he began “Nii-san, no,” but his brother didn't let him continue. Extinguishing his pipe, the elder turned and Izuna's stomach dropped as he heard those dreaded words...

“I'm considering a ceasefire.”

Notes:

istg, hashirama u know u fucked up when even izuna is judging you're treatment of his rival...

on another note. i prefer to keep things realistic in my fic, bc when i'm reading something in say a medieval setting it rlly irks me to see elements that obviously don't belong, and i'd prefer to avoid that .

so this is an explanation abt the clock that izuna consults at the start. the warring states period in naruto coincides and is based off of the sengoku period (1467-1568). we are currently approaching the end of the warring states period in naruto, with the creation of konoha and other hidden villages bringing the local clans together and creating stability.

in japan, also towards the end of the sengoku period, in 1551 a daimyo was given a mechanical clock by european missionaries, so we know that clocks were made and used in this period. back to naruto, the uchiha are a noble clan who i headcanon often deal with nobles so it wouldn't be out of the realm of possibility that the clan head's family be given a clock as thanks for their service, esp if it's an extra one to what they were originally hired to do.

ofc in this case the clocks wouldn't be given by europeans, but naruto technology is very progressive so i headcanon that clocks were invented in Iron and were spread across the elemental nations, but being a fairly new invention they're expensive and only nobles can afford them.

also ik that tobirama didn't actually have his markings as a child, but i have a specific hc abt them and why he has them that'll be revealed later, so in my fic he had them as a child.

Chapter 7: in which tobirama has trouble leaving

Summary:

Tobirama tries desperately to reach Tetsu no Kuni, and the safety of his mother's kin, but there are obstacles in his way and he's running out of time.

Notes:

hi, and welcome back to another chapter of tobirama suffering horribly! dw that'll be over soon...

i realized that i made some mistakes regarding the supplies that tobirama took. since he isn't planning on coming back he probs would have packed more, forcing him to take more bags, something that hashirama notices in the prev chapter. so i went back and reworked somethings to keep things consistent.... and cause more problems for tobi.

29/06/2025 edits: i'm fixing up some mistakes and changing some sentences/formatting bc my writing style has changed a bit and this makes the read smoother and also fixing some plot holes/inconsistencies

Tobirama woke up shivering.

Shifting slightly, confused, he gasped as the simple movement made his ribs burn with pain. Blinking back tears, the albino tried to figure out where he was - but his head throbbed and he could see nothing.

Feeling along what seemed to be a rough stone floor, he grasped for his mission bags, rummaging through the nearest one desperately and sighing in relief when he found his torch. Lighting it with a whisper of chakra, the Senju saw that he was in what seemed to be a narrow fire rock cave, whose opening was covered by vines.

Disoriented and in pain the shinobi tried to figure out what he was doing here, away from the compound so soon after a battle...THE BATTLE!

Gasping, Tobirama tried to keep track of his thoughts with the haze that the fever brought. Breathing deeply he listed the important happenings of the past day to orient himself. The battle - fatally injuring Izuna, Hashirama's rage, sneaking into the Uchiha compound to heal Izuna and three others, almost getting caught by Madara while escaping and finally using Touka's instructions to find a secure place to rest before leaving Hi no Kuni...Leaving - he had to leave.

He didn't know how much time had passed, and whether his absence was noticed, it shouldn't have been, no one would bother him so soon after a battle unless there was an emergency. Except for Touka - but she usually isolated after a battle to de-stress like he did.

Still, it was better to leave sooner than later, unfortunately, his wound was putting a damper on those plans. The fever, nausea, and pulsing pain indicated that the poultice hadn't done its job - the cut had gotten infected. Lifting himself cautiously Tobirama poked at the bandages, wincing when he saw the wet stains. At this point, even if he had enough chakra, healing it would be useless. He needed to draw out the infection before he could heal himself, and he didn't have the necessary tools to do it.

There was no choice, he would have to flee and hope that he had enough strength to make it to his mother's kin. He only prayed that he could make it.

It was summer right now, so most of the clan would be dispersed along the trading lines or on missions that Minoru-obasan would be overseeing. If he was fast he could catch up to her before she went too far west and beg for sanctuary. She was too filial to let her younger sister's son die, and she wouldn't ask too many questions - unlike Madoka-obasan.

This way was safer, as it would mean he wouldn't have to travel far north to the compound while injured - or face Madoka-obasan's rage. The Hatake clan head had long despaired over the Senju's treatment of him, and he knew that if she ever learned of this it would likely splinter the two clan's relationship beyond repair. Something that he couldn't allow to happen - anija needed the Hatake trade lines, as the Senju were a very productive clan, but couldn't afford to send out too many of their shinobi because of the feud - a problem that the Hatake didn't have.

No matter, at the end of the day whether he made it or not was irrelevant - he would still be out of the way.

Dead or exiled to another clan, he would be no threat to anija's peace efforts, but if he wanted his plan to work he would have to hurry up - already he could tell that he had slept longer than he planned to.

So Tobirama methodically undid the bandages over his ribs, wincing in horror as the enflamed, pus-filled cut was revealed - this was bad, very, very bad. An infection this severe could mean blood poisoning, which could down even the strongest shinobi if left untreated. If he didn't reach the Hatake he would die.

Struggling he reached into his bag, rummaging for two new rolls of bandages and the poultice, he treated the cut, biting his lip to silence the desperate sobs as his wound stung sharply under the applied medicine. He rewrapped his ribs tightly, using both rolls so that the pus wouldn't seep out. He should drain it - but he had neither the time nor the tools to do so safely, so it was better to leave it be and hope he reached help soon than try to treat it, risking making things worse.

Staggering, he rose to his feet, holding his blazing side he reached blindly for his supplies and mission bags, chucking the poultice into a side pocket, he wrapped himself in his fur for comfort and prepared for the pain. Clutching his side for support the albino heaved his bags onto his back, gasping as this pulled on his wound. Leaning on the rough cavern wall to not fall, the albino waited for the searing pain and nausea to abate.

Closing his eyes to fight the dizziness the shinobi breathed deeply and reminded himself that, one way or another it would all be over soon.

Once the pain had faded to a dull ache Tobirama stood, adjusting his bags as he neared the vine-covered entrance, he stopped remembering the wires he had woven and sighing, carefully began untangling them from the vines and re-spooling them - it would be a waste to leave them here, especially since he had no plans to return.

Satisfied, he patted down the vines before cautiously poking his head out to check for threats. Wrinkling his nose he retreated, panicked.

It was night, and he had no idea how much time had truly past since he had let himself rest - it could be hours or if he was truly unlucky - a day past the time limit he had given himself to be out of Hi no Kuni, and worse the air was so humid that it could only mean one thing.

A storm approached.

Terrified, Tobirama debated on what to do, to stay would mean a higher chance of discovery and risk of his infection getting worse but to go...Summer storms were no joke, and while this one would cover his tracks and assure that no one pursued him - it also led to risks. His already terrible vision would get worse, and the gales would blow him off course and make tree travel unsafe, if he couldn't escape the rain then he would get sick - his immune system was pathetic even on a good day, add an infection and a stint under a thunderstorm and the results would surely leave him bed-bound for weeks.

And that was only if he made it out on time.

Biting his lip the albino analyzed each option carefully before making a decision, he had no choice - he had to go. By now someone would have noticed his absence, and if they hadn't they would definitely do so during the storm - when he wouldn't join the children to keep them calm as he usually did.

Stealing himself the Senju checked his passive range, with weather like this no one should be out, but it never hurt to double-check. Nothing, except a returning patrol of Hyuuga, but they were far enough away not to bother him and unless there was a sensor among them, they wouldn't notice his presence.

Shifting his bags to avoid straining his wound, Tobirama took a deep breath and leaped out of his little nook, bracing himself he landed lightly and immediately dashed under the cover of the trees. Nimbly bounding up, the shinobi calculated how long it would take him to get to the border.

On a good day, if he ran straight without stopping he could get there in six, six hours and a half, alas today was not a good day. Taking his wound, moderately low chakra stores, and the looming storm into account Tobirama estimated that he would get there in eight hours if he was frugal with his breaks. Nothing for it though - he was too low on chakra to risk hiraishin, and the summoning realm was out of the question. Even if he did manage to reverse summon himself in his condition, he could end up stuck there permanently and his leopards couldn't treat an infected wound.

So Tobirama had no choice, picking up speed the shinobi hurtled through the foliage, not bothering to stop and conceal his tracks - the storm would take care of that for him. Mindlessly jumping from tree to tree Tobirama kept a careful hold on his sensing, tuning it out enough that his migraine wouldn't flare up again, but not enough that he wouldn't notice if something was approaching him.

He travelled this way for two hours before the strain on his coils became unbearable and he needed to stop and rest, by then a light drizzle had started, but he knew that it was just a prelude for the downpour that was to come. Soon the heavens would open and he needed to be on the road by then, leaning against a steady oak Tobirama couldn't help but despair.

If only he had acted differently he could be safe with his clan, surrounded by the delicate, curious chakra of the children. Kami the children! He would probably never see them again - never experience Momoko's delight as she perfected another jutsu, never guide Hatsumi through another experiment or correct little Toji's form, he was alone, well and truly. Clanless and adrift without his kin, if he couldn't be there for them then what good was he?

Just a weapon, his father's sword against their enemies. Nothing but a cold, emotionless tool - to be disposed of when he no longer performed as he should.

Clutching the tree to not collapse Tobirama wept, knowing that no one was around to see his weakness - his shameful tears being cleansed by the rain. After what felt like an eternity, he managed to stop and compose himself. He should eat but the nausea from before had returned and the crying had left him too raw and wrung out to do so. His cursed red eyes sensitive and his lip bitten bloody.

Rising slowly, he checked the perimeter and was alarmed.

The Hyuuga were close - much closer than they were when he stopped, and they were approaching him alarmingly quickly. Cursing he picked up his bags and slung them onto his back and ignoring the warning flare from his wound, he ran.

With the storm picking up the trees weren't safe, the branches slippery even if he fixed himself with chakra, and the risk of lightning too great. So he ran, the soft, mulchy ground giving easily as he ate up the miles, sensing tuned fully to the pursuing patrol. There were six of them, and one of them had to be a sensor - the Byakugan couldn't see so far, nor could's sight pierce the heavy rain that was now falling.

Just as he thought that two of the signatures peeled away, heading west. A pincer move then - they were trying to trap him.

Despairing, Tobirama thought desperately about what to do, the Hyuuga were clearly following him and he had no idea why - their clans weren't feuding and he had done nothing to warrant this as far as he could tell. He had intervened with no missions taken by the Hyuuga, nor had he harmed or killed any of them - he wasn't even on their clan territory!

Exhausted, wounded, and drained Tobirama wondered if maybe it was worth the risk to try hiraishin. If it failed then the consequences would be disastrous - but if it worked then he would be that much closer to his goal.

Failure would mean getting caught by potentially hostile shinobi, wounded and chakra drained, likely immobile from the pain of a failed seal. They could torture him, or sell him, bringing danger to his clan and kin. No, he thought terrified as they gained ground. Failure was not an option, if he failed then anija, the children, Touka, his clanmates - they would all be in peril.

So slowing, he gathered his chakra, and palming at the sealed dagger he always kept on him, he prayed that he had enough.

And just as the two Hyuuga burst in from his left, the woman crying out “Wait Tobirama-sama, your brothe-” he flashed!

The world was a confusing twist of colours as Tobirama fell, his senses going haywire at the disjointed feeling of the chakra around him. Fighting not to puke the albino held on for as long as he could, his chakra draining impossibly fast until finally it became too much and the world stopped.

Jarring, overly bright light greeted him as he fell with a harsh thud.

Head screaming and wound blazing he finally lost control of the contents of his stomach. Vision darkening, he whimpered, terrified, his chakra completely gone.If anyone was near he wouldn't know - oh kami he was blind, blind, BLIND!

Feeling foreign hands on him he thrashed hopelessly, crying out as his wound screamed.

His last sight was a pair of horrified dark eyes.

Notes:

poor tobi, i rlly put him through the ringer in this one. welp hopefully he can rest and recover now without anyone (cough, hashirama, cough) causing problems!

i got the distances between countries and how fast shinobi travel from a reddit post and maths has never been my best subject so please bear with me on this if it seems far fetched. it's not easy calculating how fast the average enhanced humans can travel, let alone tobirama, who is meant to be the fastest in his gen.

 

also i had so many problems deciding on hatake names T.T, istg i went down the rabbit hole w research for this one, bc both sakumo and kakashi's names are derived from agriculture and hatake literally means farmland, which is cool but doesn't rlly work with my idea for the clan pre-konoha, but i wanted to stay with the theme from canon so i was so conflicted.

 

also i love the headcanon that tobi is stigmatized bc he's albino, but unfortunately in the naruto world i don't think it would make sense, as unusual colouring is common (the only exception in this case i think would have been his eyes bc of the feud). but what is stigmatized is weakness, so i hc that tobirama as a child would have been his father's shame, bc due to his albinism he has poor vision and delicate skin (i also headcanon that he was born prematurely) and his passive sensing would have caused problems (migraines, nausea, overstimulation, ect) before he learned to tune it out. all of this would have impeded his training and brought shame upon butsuma as a shinobi and a clan head. so these weaknesses and his father's disapproval would have isolated him in a clan of shinobi at war, in which there's a strict heirarchy and children are sent out on missions so being strong is necessary to survive - this would only last until he proved himself, not bc the senju are cruel but bc in such an environment getting attached to someone you know will likely not survive is a bad idea, so he'd probably have had problems bonding with people as a child and by the time he proved himself capable enough to survive the damage would already have been done. i think that he probably would have been close to the healers - bc of his experiments and efforts in the halls, and the children/their parents but his status and childhood will have kept him isolated from the average clan shinobi compared to hashirama - who's role as clan head and natural exuberance would have lead to closer bonds with more people in the clan.

as always thx for all the kudos, comments and bookmarks!

Chapter 8: in which madara gets pissed

Summary:

Madara gets an urgent message, urging him to bring his brother along to a meeting with Hashirama, curious and distrustful, he does so and what he learns confuses and infuriates him in equal measure.

Notes:

hi, srry if i it's been a while, life's been kinda hectic what with the holidays ending and all

anyway this chapter is madara's pov, and it's kinda long ngl, some parts came to me rlly easily, while others not so much lol.

29/06/2025 edits: i'm fixing up some mistakes and changing some sentences/formatting bc my writing style has changed a bit and this makes the read smoother and also fixing some plot holes/inconsistencies

Madara frowned down at the letter, wondering what the hell the tree was up to now and if he should be concerned.

The letter had arrived at dawn, delivered by a harried-looking pigeon, who had two other messages attached to its legs. The poor animal had barely paused to drink before taking off again in a flurry of feathers. Perplexed Madara had looked over the scroll - noting the ink stains and how unevenly it was rolled. Opening it the Uchiha had blinked in disbelief at the illegible, ink-splattered kanji and questioned whether Hashirama had been drunk while writing it.

The writing was definitely Hashirama's - and it looked like his calligraphy hadn't improved whatsoever over the years, though the lovely tree hastily inked at the bottom as proof of authorship had evidenced that he had kept on painting. However what confused Madara wasn't the writing, but the contents. It seemed to be an impassioned plea to meet urgently at the Naka, and for some ungodly reason to bring his brother along!

And while Madara wanted to trust his friend, this whole thing stank of a trap, and alone he might have consented to spring it out of curiosity - but he refused to endanger his brother.

Hashirama had promised to write when he found out what happened, and clearly, he had discovered something, though for this to be his reaction Madara doubted that whatever he had learned to be good, and while Izuna was involved in the whole situation Madara didn't think that his otouto would have any useful information. So why the hell was his presence requested?

Sighing, Madara rubbed his temples, it wasn't even past nine and already he could feel a tension headache building. Extinguishing his kiseru, the Uchiha rose and went in search of his otouto.

This early in the morning Izuna was usually practicing his kata in the garden. So Madara headed there with the missive, his brother could read it and then they would decide on what to do together. As expected, Izuna was on their father's koi pond slowly going through his kata. Hurrying over, Madara made sure to make noise so as not to startle his brother - ordinarily the elder would love nothing more than to see his spluttering otouto struggle out of the water like a wet cat, but this matter was too serious to ignore, so such pranks had to wait.

Sensing his presence, Izuna opened his eyes and stepped off the water, and down to the pebbled walkway - his expression curious.

Wordlessly Madara passed him Hashirama's letter and waited to see his reaction. Izuna's face scrunched up in confusion, his eyes narrowing and his mouth thinning, “It's a trap” he declared scoffingly. Madara merely hummed at that, having suspected much the same, “And what do we do about it?” he queried, wondering what his brother would propose.

A few days ago Izuna would probably have proclaimed that this insult couldn't be born and that they must punish the Senju for it. Now though he was less hasty - Senju Tobirama's actions and Madara's own convictions had shaken his world view and he was more open to the idea of a ceasefire, if not outright peace.

Pondering the younger replied “I think we should spring it, I doubt that your friend," amusingly he hesitated over that word, baffled at his brother's choice in associates, before rallying himself and continuing “would be part of this, he's been screeching about his village so incessantly that even I doubt it's a ruse. But every clan has its inner conflicts and I doubt that all the Senju are pleased by his ideas, it wouldn't be out of the realm of possibility for something to be arranged, handwriting can be copied after all.”

Pleased by his brother's deductions Madara nodded, “Then we should head out now,” he declared, before fixing his brother with a serious stare “on one condition otouto.” Izuna gulped, but Madara could see the resignation in his eyes, “You will stay behind me at all times, and I will approach first, you can only intervene once I have assured myself that it is safe or if I am attacked and need help.”

Madara knew that Izuna would chafe under the restrictions, but he wouldn't budge - he had already had too close a call and Madara refused to put him in unnecessary danger.

Having assured himself of his brother's agreement and that he would keep his word, he went in search of Hikaku - who would be in charge of the clan during their absence. The man was their first cousin through their mother's line, the son of their deceased uncle, who lived in the main house with them as their closest relative. He was responsible and trustworthy, and wouldn't bend if the elders tried something. Madara usually left things in his hands if he or Izuna were unavailable and he had never failed him before.

So, finding his cousin doing paperwork in his office, Madara told him that an emergency missive came and that he and Izuna needed to answer it in person. Explaining that they would not be gone long, he left Hikaku with strict orders to send a flare immediately if anything happened at the compound and help was needed. Nodding seriously his cousin accepted the tasks given to him, and promised to keep their absence a secret so the elders can't intervene.

Relieved by the support Madara can't help but be thankful to the White Demon for healing Kagami and changing Hikaku's mind about the Senju. While the younger shinobi had never been as overt in his hatred as Izuna, he had lost his mother and two younger sisters to the feud - Kagami was his nephew, and had he died then Madara and Izuna would have been Hikaku's closest kin.

Descending into the armoury where Izuna awaited, Madara armed himself, not as heavily as he would going into battle - but the mesh undershirt and sword would serve handily if this was a trap. Ensuring that he had everything Madara checked Izuna carefully, ignoring the other's protests, seeing to it that his otouto was well-armed and protected.

Satisfied, the Uchiha led the way out of the main house, reducing his chakra he used the path he had discovered as a child to sneak out of the compound. Carefully avoiding anyone who might see them leave, and report their absence to elders Metsukeishi and Kasai. Those two could do untold amounts of damage without Madara there to control them.

Hikaku was skilled, but he had neither the power nor the authority to stop the two if they decided to cause trouble, their influence may have waned since Madara became clan head - but they still had a small group of followers that would complete any orders given to them if Madara wasn't there to dispute them.

So to ensure that the clan stayed in order the two would have to be fast. Checking one last time that no one was around, the two shinobi leaped over the compound wall and into the cover of the trees.

Hurdling through the canopy with his brother behind him, he cursed the fact that it was summer. Last night's storm had been fierce, knocking down many branches and uprooting trees. Stretching his senses as far as they could go, Madara checked the area. At his back he could feel his clan's thriving, burning chakra, everyone safe in the compound after last night's hellish storm.

His reach was considerable enough that from his position he could also feel the Senju, a tangled mess of chakra signatures - lacking the unity of the Uchiha. Their habit of taking in foundlings and clanless shinobi had earned them the name 'clan with a thousand skills', an apt descriptor and a deadly advantage on any battlefield - though the Sharingan's copying abilities kept the Uchiha on even footing or even ahead of their enemies.

Carefully sensing along the Naka, Madara only found two signatures, Hashirama's bright, growing power and a doton user's heavy, grounding force. The lack of shinobi soothed that wild, raw feeling in Madara's chest - this probably wasn't a trap then. He would still be cautious of course, he hadn't lived this long by being foolish - and Izuna would still stay back if he knew what was good for him.

Signalling to Izuna, he threw his brother a sharp glare, tomoe spinning, so that he understood that the plan hadn't changed - that he was to stay back until ordered otherwise.

Satisfied that he had gotten the message, Madara focused on the two signatures. Hashirama felt slow and heavy with grief, the doton user was the same, though they were also plagued with buzzing worry and a deep, rumbling rage. Beginning to fear the worst, Madara prayed to Amaterasu-omikami that his theory was wrong.

A reaction this extreme, and the grief in their chakra could mean unfortunate things. And if it was so - if Senju Tobirama was dead... Well, Madara couldn't say that he would mourn the man, not truly, he hadn't known him well enough to do that. But he would feel regretful. The other shinobi had saved his brother, and an Uchiha child when he didn't have to, he was the younger brother of his friend and an able warrior. Madara would be sorry that he never got to meet him properly and repay the debt that he owed him.

Approaching the Naka he signalled Izuna again, telling him to stay out of sight. Spreading his chakra the Uchiha bounded out of the treeline to the two restless signatures on the other shore. Landing lightly, he turned and observed the Senju.

Hashirama sat cradled between the roots of the willow tree they had sat on last time and his companion - a tall, severe kunoichi with a naginata on her back, was pacing back and forth with a furious expression on her face. She was Hashirama's cousin - his third in command, and crafted genjutsu impressive enough that even Sharingan users had gotten trapped in them.

Right now she was crouched in a defensive position, her shrewd gaze pointedly looking away from his activated Mangekyo. Her reaction was normal, but it was Hashirama that worried him.

His friend was still curled up on the ground, a tear-stained piece of paper clutched tightly in one hand and he was gazing at Madara like someone had sucked all the hope and the joy out of this world. Heart-dropping, Madara approached the fallen Senju cautiously, deactivating his Mangekyo and nodding to Hashirama's cousin, who had moved to crouch protectively over him.

Knealing next to his friend Madara gently took his hand and pried away the note. Absently accepting Hashirama's hug Madara opened the missive, and almost dropped it having seen the contents.

The note itself was pitiful - a handful of sentences on a ripped, tear-stained piece of paper, but its contents were heartbreaking.

“Anija,

Forgive this foolish otouto, whose failure once again goes against your dream. To atone, I will go to the Uchiha and heal Izuna - if by the time I get there it will be too late, I will throw myself at Madara-sama's feet and ensure that the clan will not be punished for my mistake. If I should succeed, then I will go into exile - so that my presence does not disturb the peace you are trying to build. I know that nothing I can say will convince you that I too long for an end to this fighting, but I hope that the peace treaties and village schemes that I have left will be of use to you in the way that I could not be.

Best regards, Senju Tobirama”

Madara stared at the note in his hands in shock, reactivating his Mangekyo to ensure that he had not missed or misunderstood anything. Nothing changed - the pathetic little note was still written in the same cramped scrawl, tear-stained and smelling faintly of blood... BLOOD!?

Bringing the note closer to his face, Madara channelled chakra to his nose, and checked - yes, there was definitely a faint undertone of iron, easily missed if you didn't know to look for it. But why in Amaterasu-omikami's name would Senju Tobirama's note to his brother, presumably written in the safety and comfort of his compound be covered in blood?

The only possible explanation would be if the shinobi was injured. But if that was the case, then surely his older brother would have known, and never let him out of the compound.

Thoughts racing, a dark suspicion began to form in Madara's mind.

Turning to Hashirama, he ignored his despondent gaze and nudged him, thrusting the note under his nose he ordered sharply “Sniff.”

Eyes widening in shock, Hashirama grasped the note delicately, cursing when he found the same thing Madara had. Not reacting when the note was suddenly snatched from his hand, Hashirama turned wild-eyed with a scared whisper of “Touka...” But the woman didn't answer, she was lost - staring at the note like it had revealed her worst nightmare to be true.

Suspicion growing Madara turned back to Hashirama, demanding “Was your brother hurt in the battle that day?” Hashirama just looked at him, lost, and whispered “I don't know.”

And Madara's thoughts came to a screeching halt.

He didn't know. How could he possibly not know?! They had just come back from a serious battle, and Hashirama was a skilled healer, the only way for him not to know would be if...

"You didn't check did you.” stated Madara flatly, already knowing the answer. Shamefaced Hashirama just nodded, his eyes welling up. Pushing away from him, disgusted, Madara turned and started pacing. He needed an outlet for his anger - or else he would do something inadvisable to the brainless log-head in front of him.
Through clenched teeth Madara finally asked him, desperate to understand.

How? How could a man who had professed to love his younger brother enough to ignore a generations-old blood feud, be the same man who did not check if that same little brother was safe and sound after something as harrowing as a battle?! Madara tried to imagine it - a scenario in which Izuna was not his first concern after a battle, and he failed. It didn't exist, there was no world in which his precious otouto - the only one he had left, wasn't his first concern.

Looking at Hashirama's sobbing figure, Sharingan on, Madara waited for an explanation but none came. Just as well, nothing could have justified this betrayal - not in Madara's mind.

And remembering suddenly the conversation that was had here days ago, the 'argument' that Hashirama had confessed to, Madara couldn't help but imagine it. Senju Tobirama - tired and injured after a hard-won victory, called into his brother's office and yelled at him enough that he had felt the only way to earn his brother's forgiveness was to do THIS.

Suddenly Madara understood why Izuna had been called, and he found that he too wanted to know the answer to the question that apparently only his little brother could answer. Turning sharply, Madara let out a piercing whistle, knowing that his brother would hear it and respond promptly. Sure enough moments later Izuna burst out of the trees, Sharingan blazing and blades drawn.

Madara sighed and stopped him with a flash of his own Mangekyo. Turning he addressed Senju Touka, who had come out of her catatonic state to glare at his otouto. Advancing menacingly she thrust the note at Izuna before growling out. “Was Tobi injured?”

Bewildered Izuna read the note - clearly shell-shocked by its contents, he merely nodded to the Senju. Hashirama whimpered, having gotten his affirmation, while Touka merely cursed, resigned.

Turning towards his brother, unamused Madara quelled him with a look that told him he had better start talking if he knew what was good for him. Startling slightly Izuna jumped to explain - still confused. “Not badly! It was barely a graze really, a lucky hit. A shallow cut on the ribs, he would have been fine after seeing an iryo-nin. "

And therein lay the problem.

Because clearly Senju Tobirama had not seen an iryo-nin. If he had then his brother and cousin wouldn't have needed to go to the trouble of meeting Izuna. So either he had healed the wound himself - unlikely considering how potently the note smelled, or the fool was wandering about Hi no Kuni injured and chakra drained.

At this point the chances that he still lived were low. He had been missing for too long, his injury and exhaustion would have made him easy prey, and with last night's storm any tracks he might have made would have disappeared.

Had he gone through the forests then he would have travelled under the trees, and the rain would have washed away his tracks, had he followed the Naka north then the river would have removed any traces as it overflowed, and any scent he may have left would similarly be gone by now. The same thing with the tracks of anyone who could have found him.

Senju Tobirama had disappeared like a ghost, and from the letter he had left, he had no intention of coming back - if he even could at this point.

Cursing, Madara went to Izuna. This morning had not gone as he had planned, and he needed to feel his little brother - safe and alive near him. Imagining Izuna in Tobirama's position, wounded, exhausted, and exiled...

No, no. Madara shuddered just thinking about it, Izuna would never end up in such a position - not while Madara still drew breath.

Turning to the two Senju, Madara asked a question that had been plaguing him since he had caught the blood on the note, “Why didn't he heal himself?” he questioned. For surely if the Senju had been skilled enough to heal his clanmate's debilitating wounds he could have easily healed himself.

Silence, neither shinobi answered him for several minutes, seemingly thinking, before at last Touka spoke. “He likely couldn't” she started, elaborating at his confused look, “Tobi was born prematurely, and his chakra coils were underdeveloped as a result." At Madara's disbelieving eyebrow raise she scoffed, before continuing." To save him, Manami-sama had to ink seals along his eight gates. The seals succeeded and he lived, but he never had as much chakra as he should have, his coils not able to handle the strain of producing more." Well, that certainly explained how he had managed to survive - though living with damaged coils would surely be excruciating. Headless of his pitying thoughts, Touka kept talking - though she would have likely taken offense on her cousin's behalf had she known what was going through Madara's brain.

" This plan of his, it relies on chakra, he needed enough to get into the compound, heal Izuna, and get out. He was already exhausted from the battle and healing Midori and a few others, so had he healed himself as well he wouldn't have had enough chakra for his plan to succeed.”

Hearing all this Madara's mind blanked, before his thoughts started to run madly, he didn't know what to focus on - the fact that Senju Tobirama had apparently managed to heal several people while injured and exhausted, the fact that Senju Tobirama had been sickly enough as a babe to need permanent chakra support to keep him alive, or the fact that Senju Tobirama's fascinating tattoos were seals.

In the end the main thought that remained was how badly Senju Tobirama's brother had failed him, at this point, it was a wonder that the man had remained at Hashirama's side for so long. Had anyone ever treated Madara in this way, he would have killed them - because that was a betrayal, an abandonment too serious for Madara to ignore.

Turning to Hashirama's slumped form Madara launched a small fireball at the idiot Senju, not feeling a shred of pity when the other yelped and rolled out of the way. Spluttering the log turned to Madara, faltering when he saw his sparking mouth and furious eyes.

Satisfied that he had Hashirama's attention Madara let go of the heat building in his throat, but he didn't switch off his Sharingan. Ensnaring the Senju he cast a genjutsu, unwilling to discuss such personal matters in front of Touka, but needing to express his rage and disappointment.

Ensconced in the genjutsu, Hashirama had no choice but to focus on Madara, who was glaring at him through his fringe. “Things are far worse than you implied, old friend.” The Uchiha said through gritted teeth, wondering what justifications Hashirama would come up with to explain this nonsense.

Seeing the fury on his face, Hashirama hesitated, and started to explain himself, “Tobirama likes his space,” he began, “especially after something as draining as a battle.” Here he paused for a moment, seeing that Madara wanted to comment, glaring he did so “That's no excuse Senju, even if he prefers to be alone, which is understandable, you should at least check on him after a skirmish, especially if you know that he's prone to hiding away when vulnerable. Imagine he hides away while wounded, and the wound isn't cared for properly and gets infected." Like it probably is now wasn't said but it was heavily implied. " This whole situation could have been avoided had you made sure that he wasn't injured. Maybe he would still have gone through with his foolhardy plan, but at least you would know that he was healthy! Instead here you are, with an injured, missing brother, having no idea what state he's in. He could be tired but fine, he could be feverish in a cave somewhere or he could be dead in a ditch!” Madara roared, knowing that these were the kinder options.

It could very well be that Tobirama had been found while vulnerable, and there was no telling what could be happening to him now if that was the case.

Through all this Hashirama remained silent, tears streaming down his face. “And what should I do about it then?” He yelled back, “I've already sent out messages to all the clans in Hi no Kuni, begging aid, and asking that they pass on a message from me if they know where he is! What more can I do, if I don't know where he is!”

At this Madara stopped, astounded by the stupidity - had Hashirama truly announced to all the shinobi clans that his clan heir was missing?! What assurance did he have that they would pass on his message and not just capture his brother to torture clan secrets out of him? Some clans may very well do as asked - for a favour of course, but many more would use this against the Senju.

In his attempt to find his brother, Hashirama had just put him in even more danger.

Covering his eyes with a hand, Madara desperately thought about this situation. If he was a wounded shinobi fleeing from his clan, where would he go? The answer was a complex one, depending on too many different factors, but in this case, he would probably try to seek shelter with any friends he had, or even better family, if he had any out of the clan.

Remembering suddenly that Butsuma's wife had married into the Senju from another clan, he queried, hoping that he wasn't misremembering, “Could it be possible that he has gone to his mother's kin?”

Following his question, there was a moment of stunned silence before he was bowled over by an ecstatic Hashirama. Fighting to free himself from the idiot's claws, he would have missed what the log was saying - had one particular word not caught his attention. “Madara, you genius, of course! If Tobi would be anywhere it would be with the Hatake!”

"The Hatake... as in the vicious, summons-bound clan from Tetsu no Kuni, famed for being fiercely protective of anyone they considered to be kin." Madara asked, praying that he was wrong. Because if it was the Hatake of Tetsu no Kuni to whom Tobirama had gone to them when he was so vulnerable, then he must have been pretty sure that they would accept him, and probably hunt down anyone who had hurt him...

Naturally all of Madara's hopes were swiftly and mercilessly crushed, when Hashirama chirped out a "Yep!" and dispelled the genjutsu to go tell his cousin that they had a lead.

Senju Tobirama may have gone to the Hatake, and depending on the state in which he got to them, Hi no Kuni may soon be overrun by furious, overprotective packs of shinobi with deadly summons...

Even if Amaterasu-omikami herself helped them, they were screwed.

Notes:

so unfortunately this'll be the end of my frequent updating bc tragically school has started again, and already it is taking my time and will to live. i'll try to update weekly, mostly on the weekend but i don't know if i'll manage to stick to the schedule. mostly bc my profs don't believe that we should have a life outside of school, so yeah.

a note abt the paper that the note was written on, paper was brought to japan sometime in the fifth century, between the years 280 and 610, so by the time we reach the sengoku period paper has been used in japan for more than 800 years.

as always, ty for all the comments, kudos and bookmarks!

Chapter 9: in which tobirama is welcomed

Summary:

Tobirama wakes up in a familiar place, and is tended to by a person that he has not seen in many years.

Notes:

hiii, sorry it took so long to update, school is back in course and my professors have all decided to destroy our sanity and will to live with a dozen projects and tests!

but anyway as i'm suffering i decided to comfort myself through tobirama, who is finally recieving the care that he deserves,. side eyes hashirama judgementaly

edit: realised that canonically kawarama was killed by the hagoromo not the kurama and fixed that lol

30/06/2025 edits: i'm fixing up some mistakes and changing some sentences/formatting bc my writing style has changed a bit and this makes the read smoother and also fixing some plot holes/inconsistencies

anyways, hope you enjoy the chapter!

Tobirama stirred to the soft murmur of voices and a dull ache in his side.

Disoriented and scared he reached out, where was he? Who were these people? Why did he hurt? He needed anija - anija always healed his hurts, but when he called out anija didn't come. The unknown voices got louder, frantic before he felt a sharp prick in his neck and the world faded once more.

The next time he woke, there were no voices and the pain in his side was gone, replaced by a pounding migraine. Knowing instinctively that opening his eyes would worsen the situation, he tried to reach out with his sensing. Only to cry out as his chakra coils screamed, burning, his seals activated to contain the flow and try to stabilise him. Blacking out from the pain, the last thing he heard was a door slamming open and swift steps approaching him.

After that every time he woke he never stayed awake long - each time he was disoriented and in pain, but aware that there was always someone tending to him. He didn't know who, but it was always the same person, and they were always unnervingly gentle with him.

When at last he managed to stay awake longer than a couple of minutes, he discovered that he was in a warm, dark room, decorated with carved wolf motifs. He lay on a startlingly soft futon, covered in furs, his head propped up by a dozen pillows.

Even in the dim light he could recognise the person sitting at his bedside. Long braided silver hair, a thin, symmetrical face and a pair of warm dark eyes that calmly observed him. Blinking sluggishly Tobirama tried to speak, but his throat was dry and painful, his vocal cords raw from the screaming. A pair of pale, scarred hands lifted his head and brought a water skin to his lips. Gratefully he drank, the cool, sweet water soothing the ache. Once he had drank his fill the hand with the water retreated, but the one that supported his head remained, rubbing gentle circles over his temples, soothing his migraine.

He sighed - at peace for the first time in years. The last time someone had rubbed his head was a distant memory, his mother when he was still young, gently kneading his scalp with chakra coated hands to soothe the overstimulation caused by his passive sensing. Her soothing, wild scent and deep voice as she called him her little cub, the soft tickle of her thick gray hair as she leaned over him, how she would hum gently as she showed him how to prepare the animals they had hunted together.

Eyes prickling with tears, he remembered things he had thought forgotten. This room with its dark, ironwood walls and carved wolf motifs, this futon, soft and covered with furs, the incense that burned gently, releasing soothing clove and cinnamon. And the fearless woman sitting by his bedside, long silver hair pinned back into braids, her chakra gently prickling along his senses.

So similar to his mother's, though it lacked the cool, clear underflow her's had had. The suiton nature that he had inherited from her, and that she had inherited from her Yuki mother. All these memories jumped forward as he finally met his aunt's tired black eyes and knew that he was safe.

Clutching Madoka-obasans hand as she stroked his hair, he tried to remember how he ended up here. But all he could recall was the terror of being hunted by something - a flash that he assumed was from hiraishin and then - panic and pain as he was discovered before blacking out.

He realised that he must have been found a Hatake patrol that must have recognised him and brought him to safety. And for them - no place would have been safer than under his aunt's eagle eye, in the heart of the clan compound, with thick walls and dozens of shinobi between him and anything that could be a threat.

As he made these observations his aunt shifted, removing her hand from where it was rubbing soothing circles over his temple and lifting it, showing the subtle green glow that characterized iryo-ninjutsu. Knowing that this was her requesting permission, he gave an asserting murmur, wincing as even that grated his sore throat.

Frowning in disapproval Madoka-obasan gently lowered her hand to his exposed neck.

Shivering as a wave of soothing chakra washed over him, he sighed in relief as it did its job, ignoring the prickly after-feeling that revealed his aunt's raiton affinity. Satisfied, his aunt removed her hand from his abused throat and placed it back on his aching temple, repeating the process.

As the dull ache in his skull ceased, Tobirama wondered what had happened since he had been brought here, as he could sense a surprising number of shinobi considering the time of year.

The Hatake were semi-nomadic, they stayed in the compound during Tetsu's brutal winters, but as soon as the frost melted most headed out - tending to the clan's vast trade network and patrolling to ensure that no shinobi clan had overreached during the cold months. So the fact that he could feel so many static chakra signatures made him wonder if something had happened - the last time the whole clan had gathered in such a way during the warm months was when the Kaguya had tried to take Nami no Kuni for themselves and the Uzumaki had called on the clan to help push the would be conquerors back to Mizu no Kuni.

So this gathering could suggest two things - either that something had gone wrong in the Ninkai or there was a major celebration happening that he didn't know about. The second was unlikely - considering that Soran Yosakoi had always been celebrated early and the sacrifices in Takeminakata-sama's honour wouldn't happen until August, so it must be the first option.

Now that the pain was fading Tobirama could think about the situation in which he found himself - and how his aunt must have felt having her youngest living nephew appear so suddenly and in such a state. How his mother's clan might misconstrued the situation and realised that they were probably gathering because of him. Wincing, he couldn't help the rising guilt - his obasan had already lost so much, had he been in a worse state when he arrived he could have caused her and the clan even more problems.

It had never been his intention to disturb anyone or cause problems, but looking at Madoka-obasan's drawn face the Senju understood that he had been extremely unfilial.

He would have to atone.

Sometimes it seemed like that was all he did these days.

Reaching weakly for his aunt, he hoped to provide some measure of comfort, to repay her for all she has done for him - her imouto's disgrace of a second son. Sighing she took his hand and brought it to her mouth, placing a feather light kiss onto his tender pulse point, a vulnerable area. If she were to bite through his wrist with her razor sharp fangs, he would bleed out in minutes. And it would be well in her rights to - as punishment for his many mistakes. But she did not do this.

His aunt was a hard woman, as life had forced her to be, but she had always been unerringly soft with him and his siblings. Even Itama and Kawarama - who were children of Butsuma's second, civilian wife. His father's remarriage had never made sense to Tobirama, who had seen this usurpation of his mother's place as nothing less than a betrayal, especially as his stepmother had been a civilan.

The soft, coddled daughter of one of the Daimyo's ministers, a woman had never held a weapon in her life and fainted at the sight of blood. She brought strange beliefs and customs with her, and as Senju-hime she had the power to force others to follow them, something that his father - busy with the feud never bothered to stop. Among these beliefs was that Tobirama - with his strange colouring, was an oni's child, sent to bring ruin to his clan. Fortunately she did not have the power to drown him nor send him away as she wished to - alas this only made living under her roof more painful and humiliating for Tobirama.

The only joy that strange, weak woman who had taken his wild, powerful mother's place gave him were his younger brothers. Tiny, soft babes that he protected and guided in their mother's place. The woman herself was always too busy pampering herself or bothering his father to care for her children, leaving them with civilan maids and nannies, as though they would know how to properly care for infant shinobi.

No, it was Tobirama who fed the infants his chakra, guiding their developing systems to flow properly, it was Tobirama who taught them how to walk silently, it was Tobirama who took them on their first hunts and gave them fur blankets made of their prey to celebrate their success.

But it hadn't been enough, all the training in the world wouldn't have been enough, because Tobirama had still felts those lovely, bright souls fade and die while he was helpless. It still brought tears to his eye, remembering it.

He had been returning from a mission in the Daimyo's court when he had felt Kawarama's chakra spike out, a call for help that any Senju would have recognised. The boy had sensed his pursuers and desperately tried to escape them, consantly calling for help, Tobirama had tried so hard to reach him - but he had failed in the end, had felt as his brother's young signature had flickered desperately before going out.

It was his fourth mission, a simple courier run to the Trinity clans, but he had been caught and killed by a group of patrolling Hagoromo - allies of the Uchiha at the time, the act likely done to please Tajima, who had returned Butsuma's hatred with an intensity that only a Mangekyo-mad Uchiha could have.

Itama's death had been worse only because it was slow and planned. His brother had been so painfully young, studying healing as he had been unsuited to combat. But still - it would be shameful for one of Butsuma's sons to hide in the compound, so he had been sent out to gather herbs.

He never returned.

An Uchiha child-killing squad ambushed him as he was mere miles away from the safety of the compound - they had toyed with him, their cruel amusement searing across their chakra like an oil spill. Tobirama had tried to interfere, to go save him - but his father had forbidden it. In Butsuma's eyes, the only ones worthy of life were those that fought for it, and needing to be saved made you weak, an unforgivable sin for any Senju shinobi - but especially for his own children.

So Tobirama had been forced to feel every agonising moment of his otouto's suffering, sitting seiza in his father's office, under his watchful eye, as they both sensed what was happening to Itama. It had taken six hours - six horrifying, hellish hours before his brother's spirit had gone to join Kawarama's in the Pure Lands. And at the end of it his father had scoffed and said that it was just as he had expected.

Tobirama remembered then the helpless, chocking fury he felt, and how he had lost his iron clad control and lunged at his father - aiming to kill him.

He failed, but for his insolence he had been sent to Tetsu no Kuni, to learn to be filial from the Hatake clan, famous for their loyalty and unity, under his aunt Madoka's vigilant gaze.

He recalled his fear, and how quickly his mother's kin had soothed it, how soft and gentle everyone was with him compared to back home. How here he was allowed to grieve, and crying didn't earn him a beating but cuddles and assurances. How at the centre of all this was his Madoka-obasan with her strong arms and calming voice - emanating safety and empathy as they both grieved his mother and his siblings.

And now he was back in his aunt's warm embrace, her calming voice coaxing him out of painful memories, her breath soft in his ear as he lay curled into her like a babe.

Coming back to himself, he realised that he must have been having flashbacks, and that at some point his aunt must have climbed onto the futon with him to calm him and stop him from hurting himself - just like she used to do when he was younger and suffered from the nightmares of witnessing his mother's death, and feeling his brother's.

Exhausted and pained, Tobirama turned into Madoka-obasan's embrace - seeking her soothing scent, he knew that she would protect him and that he was finally safe. And so, listening to her drumming heartbeat and gentle humming, he fell asleep.

Notes:

sooo our boy is safe and sound under his aunts overprotective care, surrounded by a compound of shinobi ready to raise hell for him, in a land known for it's unforgiving climate! i'd say his situation has improved significantly now that he is no longer on the verge of dying of blood-poisoning 🤗

realised that canonically kawarama was killed by hagoromo not kurama and fixed that

next chapter we are back with our sad tree man as he struggles desperately to fix his many, many mistakes under touka and madara's judgemental gaze. izuna will also be there, and we will finally introduce our stunningly intellingent, ruthlessly cunning, divinely sent ...mito uzumaki!!!

so yeah, assuming i can make it next update will be next weekend

ty as always for the kudos and comments, i hope that you liked this chapter!

Chapter 10: in which mito appears

Summary:

Hashirama does his work and misses his brother, meets with the Uchiha brothers and Touka to discuss their planned village and is interrupted by an unexpected guest.

Notes:

sorry for the late update! busy week, lots of tests and things came up, hopefully next week will be calmer

30/06/2025 edits: i'm fixing up some mistakes and changing some sentences/formatting bc my writing style has changed a bit and this makes the read smoother and also fixing some plot holes/inconsistencies

Hashirama stared morosely at the letter on his desk and wondered on how he was going to fix this.

Unfortunately Hyuuga Kiyoko's fine, aristocratic calligraphy gave no answer. If anything it made him question things even more! Honestly, what was Tobirama thinking running around wounded in a rainstorm?! But no, that was the wrong question. Hashirama could guess exactly what his otouto was thinking. What drove him to such desperate lengths, but the mere thought of it made Hashirama's gut swirl with guilt.

Which he deserved - as Madara and Touka had taken to pointing out. Ame-no-Uzume but those two were terrifying together, comparing everything from weapons and genjutsu tips, stories on how to wrangle stubborn younger relations that made Hashirama's chest ache, and criticizing his every move. Just thinking about their latest tirade made Hashirama shiver - those two were absolutely ruthless.

The worst thing is that were usually right - their criticism was harsh, but fair and it genuinely helped him improve. And he needed to improve, especially without Tobirama here to handle the more technical aspects of his paperwork - just thinking about those tax forms for the Daimyo made him want to cry. No matter, taxes could wait, right now he had to focus on fixing his latest blunder.

In hindsight revealing the fact that his clan heir was missing to all the clans in Hi no Kuni wasn't the best idea .

He had forgotten in his fear and desperation that not everyone had his power - physical and political. Had he gone missing, captured by an enemy, he could have probably gotten himself out with mokuton, or his clan would have come and gotten him. As clan head he was too important to be left behind, so the clan would have done everything to retrieve him.

Unfortunately that wasn't the case for his otouto - Tobirama may be heir, but that was just until Hashirama himself had children, so his position was not stable and he was replaceable.

As a shinobi he was fearsome, one of their best, but it was commonly known among the clan that his reserves were meager and that he needed seals to help manage his chakra - a weakness that made many wary. So if he was captured it was unlikely that the elders would agree to a rescue mission, or accept a ransom - never mind that Tobirama handled most of the clan's paperwork, or that his inventions had increased their wealth exponentially.

After all, you wouldn't keep a broken tool as Butsuma would say, and in the eyes of the elders if Tobirama got captured then he had failed, and was no longer useful.

In the end though, his mistake had paid off, as the letter he had received this morning from the Hyuuga clan head had informed him that his otouto still lived and was last seen north of the Kishimoto Valley - where he had likely rested before heading to Tetsu no Kuni.

According to Touka the fire rock cliffs have hidden caves which are safe to rest in, though she didn't reveal how and why she knew that information, annoyingly enough.

So Tobi had likely curled up in one of those caves to rest and hopefully heal, before using the cover of the storm to flee north, to their aunt Madoka's lands - where he would be welcomed and protected.

Hashirama knew that if he made it then it was probably for the best - the Hatake had always welcomed and included his otouto in a way that the Senju hadn't while Butsuma lived, but still, the lack of his brother's quiet, calm strength left an ache in Hashirama's chest. An ache that he deserved, with how badly he had messed up, but still, he hoped to atone and for that to be possible, Tobirama had to be alive, so even if it would end badly for him personally if he was with the Hatake, he still prayed that it was so.

Since he knew for a fact that he wasn't with the Uzumaki, Mito-hime was the first person he had written to when he realized what had happened - but her reply was negative, curt and short, indicating her displeasure. These days letting down those he cared about was all Hashirama seemed to do.

The worst thing is that this had been going on for years, starting when his brother had been sent away after Itama's death.

Hashirama remembered how hard those months were, losing all three of his younger brothers in quick succession. His only solace was that unlike Itama and Kawarama, Tobirama would come back - only when he did return he came back different. It felt like a betrayal. While Hashirama had grieved alone with an uncaring father all those months, Tobirama apparently gotten to enjoy being among their mother's kin, returning happier and stronger while Hashirama had reached a rut with his mokuton and constantly failed in training, too heartsick to truly try to Butsuma's ire.

In the end that's what led to him running away to the Naka, and his friendship with Madara - the pressure from his father and the widening chasm between him and Tobirama leading him to seek solace in that wild haired boy's company. And now it seemed he had ruined even that friendship.

Madara was incensed at him over his treatment of Tobirama, and though they met regularly at the Naka to plan their next moves with Izuna and Touka, Madara always acted coldly and spoke only of business. No inside jokes, no offers to spar, nothing but going over Tobirama's endless treaties and discussion on how to proceed with peace.

The cease-fire had officially been signed last week, after pointless back and forth with the clan's elders - stubborn old foggies that refused to cooperate, blustering about tradition, pride and avenging their fallen. As though sending more children to die in the name of a pointless feud was more important than seeing their clan finally prosper after centuries of war!

Blind fools all of them, no wonder Tobirama was always so frustrated after meetings, honestly Hashirama hadn't given his otouto enough credit for all he did for the clan, now that he was gone it felt like Hashirama's workload had tripled. He had been forced to put Touka in charge of clan finances and taxes, while he handled the clan, diplomacy, trade and strategised peace.

It was exhausting, as he hadn't bothered with the logistics since he became clan head, his brother was in charge of them as heir - but evidently between his duties as heir, his teaching, his experiments and his help in the healing halls, Tobirama's workload had increased exponentially and his absence left Hashirama and Touka floundering, not knowing who to trust with what until they had found a list of names in Tobirama's rooms, written in case of his untimely death - or so the title declared.

Hashirama shuddered at the memory of Touka's reaction to that particular discovery, it had been loud and violent, and after she had finished berating him she gone to vent her rage upon some poor unfortunate clan member in the name of training, rather than look at his “irresponsible, ungrateful, inconsiderate log-self.”

Reading over it, he had been gutted, as the list revealed that Tobirama was doing half his work for him - handling finances and diplomacy with the Daimyo's court, as well as coordinating with the Hatake on trade. Overall this whole experience had taught Hashirama that he wasn't half the leader he thought he was without his brother by his side, and that he owed his poor overworked otouto several apologies, an increase in pay and multiple holidays.

So sighing deeply, exhausted, he picked up a calligraphy brush and began penning a response to the Hyuuga, thanking them for the news and asking if they might be able to meet up to discuss the matter - as messenger birds weren't the most secure.

This was the third time he was rewriting this missive, as Touka was merciless when she checked his response to ensure that it didn't offend - the Hyuuga were notorious for their strict adherence to tradition and manners after all.

No matter, tomorrow he could take a break when he met with Madara, to discuss how to proceed with peace talks. Though Hashirama was also planning to bring the village plans that Tobirama had created, and enquire on wether they would include the other clans in their peace treaty. If they were to make the village work, as he desperately longed too, then a solid stategy was needed, and while Tobirama had added some helpful tips and information, it wouldn't be enough for what he envisioned.

So he would ask Madara and Izuna, if he was there. Hopefully they would have some ideas, unlike Touka, who had snorted at him when he asked and ordered him to focus on finishing making peace with the Uchiha first - before losing himself in dreams of a united Hi no Kuni.

Guiltily, Hashirama acknowledged that she was right, but he couldn't help himself!

Tobi had given him these plans for a reason - and he would be damned if he didn't use them, especially considering how hard his little brother had worked on them. Truly, the plumbing plans were a work of genius, featuring the latest Tetsu no Kuni technology, and the layout was drool-worthy, labyrinthine and defensible against enemies, but easily navigable for anyone trained to know the layout. There was even a list of possible locations! Truly his genius otouto had thought of everything, like always.

With that last, rather morose thought Hashirama went to find Touka so that she could proof read his missive, and hopefully after she approved it and had it sent he could finally go to bed.

******

Dusk approached as Hashirama wove his way through the trees, ignoring their mutinous whispering about the katon users on their territory, and expanding his senses to check that he wasn't being followed. Though his sensing wasn't much compared to most of his clan members, it was still a useful skill, and anything he couldn't feel the trees would tell him. As promised Madara's powerful, blazing signature was there, almost covering Izuna's sharp, prickly power.

Protecting the younger even in this - truly Madara's every action reminded Hashirama of his own failure, of the lack of his brother's quiet presence at his back, replaced reluctantly by Touka, her steady chakra behind him as she worked to ensure that no one noticed their absence.

His cousin may be an amazing fighter, deadly and dependable, but her speciality didn't lie with paperwork or clan management, and she hated the extra work she had been saddled with with a passion. So while he was endlessly glad for her support, the role she had been thrust into didn't suit her, and it made her grumpy and violent, a violence she couldn't unleash because he needed her in the compound.

She had taken to sparring with Izuna while he and Madara talked, but nowadays even that didn't help. Maybe he would send her on a mission soon - let her unleash a little before she caused serious problems. She had already fought with the elders twice in the past week, and Hashirama couldn't have that - the clan needed to show a united front, else their enemies would close in, especially with Tobirama missing.

Veering sharply left the Senju leaped out of the folliage and landed on the branch of the willow, observing the two Uchiha beneath him,. Izuna seemed to be sleeping, his head pillowed by his brother's thigh while Madara read over Tobi's notes on the other clans. Hashirama had let the Uchiha take them to memorise them with the Sharingan so that they could copy them out, unwilling to part with anything written by his brother for long - especially since the Uchiha still had his happuri. He had only agreed to compromise knowing that the information Tobi had provided needed to be shared, and that it would please his otouto to see his work be put to good use. Tobirama had never believed in hoarding knowledge - arguing that it divided and weakened them, arguments that Hashirama had accepted - unlike their bloodthirsty fool of a father.

Madara had been amused by his reluctance to give him the notes and had proposed this instead, likely aware of exactly why Hashirama had reacted so defensively.

Speaking of the Uchiha, it seemed that Izuna had noticed his presence. Unlike his brother, he couldn't track him with his sensing - so his startled reaction was understandable, though his pout was amusing. Madara had no doubt known he was there, having followed his journey since he left the compound. Hashirama had felt his friends signature settle over him like a cloak as he ran, heavy and comfortable - and understood why Tobirama had found it so pleasing.

Right now Madara seemed content to ignore his presence, waiting for Touka to arrive so that they could start. It doesn't take long before the trees start whispering again, and sure enough Hashirama's fleet-footed cousin emerged from the canopy to land, crouched next to the two Uchiha, her bow on her back and a game bag clutched in one hand.

So that's their excuse for leaving then - a hunt, no doubt she had framed it as her needing to blow off steam and requesting his company to make sure that nothing happens. Unsurprising - given that she is technically heir now that Tobirama is gone.

It was a necessary measure, no matter how much it displeased her - most of the clan weren't aware of what happened, only that Tobirama had left on an important mission and still hadn't returned, and that Hashirama was taking steps to find him. Hashirama had made sure to mention that he wanted to visit the Hatake to avoid the elder's suspicion, but he wasn't sure if they believed him, and Madoka-obasan still hadn't answered any of his letters. Which was a good thing, he told himself. After all, if she wasn't answering it probably meant that Tobirama had found his way to the safety of her lands - and given his likely condition when he had arrived this was merely the Hatake's way of punishing him for the lack of care shown to his otouto.

Had Tobirama not made it then the reaction would have been much more extreme - he could imagine the roaming packs of ninken that his aunt would have sent to comb through Hi no Kuni with orders to track his brother down and ensure his safety. The lack of them was definitely a sign that Tobirama had made it to Tetsu no Kuni safely.

Sighing heavily, he dismissed thoughts of his brother for now and jumped down - landing behind Madara to hand him the plans that Tobirama had made. Even if it was far too soon to even think about implementing them it was best that they had a back up copy, in case an 'accident' happened to the originals. Hashirama was doing his best to protect his brothers work - sealing off Tobirama's rooms and locking his office with mokuton, but still, better over-prepared than dead as the shinobi saying went.

Madara reached for the scrolls, opening them with a delicate flick and flashing his Sharingan over them, as had become routine. What wasn't routine was the way he paused over one of the paragraphs - looking shocked, before turning to face Hashirama. Curious, the Senju approached, leaning down to see what had his friend so shocked, third paragraph, section C... Ah the academy plans.

An explanation was clearly wanted, but before he could extrapolate, the scroll was snatched out of Madara's lax grip by Izuna, who jumped up into the willow and started perusing it, curious as his brother - though for a different reason.

Ever since Tobirama had beaten him, Izuna had developed something of a hyperfixation on him, constantly questioning Hashirama and Touka about anything to do with him. Worried - Hashirama had asked Madara about it, but he had waved it off, citing that it was normal for an Uchiha and that his interest would fade when he had found whatever he was looking for.

That explanation didn't bring Hashirama relief though, because while Izuna's interest may fade, he doubted Madara's would. He knew his friend too well and the way he was acting... Well he may not be the most observant of shinobi, but one would have to be blind to ignore the signals that Madara was sending. The worst part was that according to Touka, Tobirama wouldn't mind Madara's interest - if anything he would be ecstatic to learn of it, and it saddened Hashirama that Tobirama wasn't here to experience this.

His otouto would have loved to discuss the finer points of his plans with the Uchiha, bask in Madara's chakra, spar with Izuna - kami there was so much that he was missing, and it was all Hashirama's fault. So here the four of them were, on the cusp of a peace engineered by his brother, while Tobi was all but exiled, unable to enjoy the fruits of his labour.

For a moment Hashirama was struck by such deep longing that he almost couldn't breathe, before Izuna stomped over to him, breaking the moment. The Uchiha was obviously pissed, scowling up at the Senju with resentful eyes. It was almost amusing - how jealously he hoarded his brother's attention, how he lit up under his gaze and how desperately he wanted to please him.

Smiling down at him indulgently, already knowing what he wanted Hashirama restarted his explanation, before a powerful hand clamped down on his shoulder - stopping him. Turning Hashirama saw Madara's frowning face, his eyes flashing Sharingan red as he reached for his kusarigama. Face paling Hashirama reached out his sensing and listened as the trees whispered about sea storms and ink - the powerful gale that approached from the east.

Patting Madara's hand Hashirama signalled to Touka - this wasn't a false alarm, but he knew that chakra, and if she had come this far to speak to him well... It would be folly to not hear her out.

Turning to Madara he spoke only one word in explanation - “Uzumaki.”

The Uchiha's eyes widened before he nodded - reaching for his brother. Izuna made a startled noise, offended by the coddling, but his elder had been even more protective than usual after he was wounded and as always would take no chances. Ignoring Izuna's grumbling as he was dragged away Hashirama turned east, following the kunoichi's course as she raced along the Naka.

Feeling her powerful chakra, he knew that he had less than five minutes before she reached them. Touka moved towards him, ready to cover his back if things got violent, but he shook his head at her and signalled to follow the Uchiha.

This he needed to do alone.
He had failed Tobirama - and so it was only right that he answered his best friend when she came to demand why. Just as that thought passed through his head, Uzumaki Mito-hime broke through the trees like a whirlwind.

Her blood red hair tied in it's usual buns, seals hanging from them, an Aburame silk kimono over her mesh armour, twin katana on her back - she looked like she came to battle. Magnificent.

But what truly frightened Hashirama was the chill in her lilac eyes as she beheld him for the first time in three years - since that fateful mission in Kusa no Kuni. He realized looking at her, that no explanation would satisfy this woman - that she wouldn't forgive him until Tobirama was found.

Notes:

hashi's missing his brother and chugging vinegar over the uchiha brother's relationship, madara is slowly descending into madness trying to figure out wtf is up w tobi and our goddess mito is here and ready to sort everything out!

as always i hope you liked the chapter, and ty so much for all the kudos and comments

Chapter 11: in which tobirama is content(ish)

Summary:

Tobirama settles in at the Hatake compound, takes on some students and doesn't think about his clan or the students he left behind.

Notes:

welcome back!

sorry for the late update, but i'm going on a week long school trip and all the profs are trying to cram as many tests as they can before we leave 😭

that said idk when i'll be able to update next, i will try to have another chapter out this weekend, but no promises
still, i hope you enjoy this one!

30/06/2025 edits: i'm fixing up some mistakes and changing some sentences/formatting bc my writing style has changed a bit and this makes the read smoother and also fixing some plot holes/inconsistencies

Tobirama squinted, chuckling as Minori tricked Kaito with a substitution jutsu and tripped him up with a volley of kunai. The boy cursed wildly and leaped out of the way - right into the wire trap that he had helped Minori assemble earlier. He observed carefully as the girl took this opportunity to attack her clan mate and force a surrender out of him with a kunai to the throat.

Nodding to himself in satisfaction, the shinobi rose and approached his young students.
Clearing his throat to get their attention, he gestured for them to follow him, turned and leaped up onto the rock he had been crouching from to observe them.

Glancing down at the youngsters, he smiled as they glanced at each other, uncertain. At their age he had already been tree walking, but the Hatake trained their children differently - both in accordance to the fact that they didn't need to send their young shinobi to war and the fact that Tetsu no Kuni had few trees, so chakra-walking wasn't as necessary a skill to have for children.

Instead they focused on speed and teamwork in training, their shinobi paired up young in accordance to their skills, both to ensure that they became familiar with each other's fighting styles and to make up any weak points that their partner might have.

A training style that Tobirama couldn't help but think was superior to the Senju one. Having a partner to support and challenge him would have helped much more than his father's pathetic attempts to pit him and anija against each other. Knowing that someone had his back and expected him to have theirs would have pushed him to improve that much faster - after all, Tobirama knew himself well enough to acknowledge the fact that he was at his best when he had something to protect.

Hashi didn't need that, even when they were young he was a powerhouse - his chakra constantly overflowing, flowers and plants sprouting wherever he went until he learned to reign it in and let it out only when it was needed.

And Touka, glorious, whip-quick Touka also didn't need him, she was older and had an already established fighting style that wouldn't suit his.

No, he needed someone who could keep up with his speed and make up for his lack of chakra and power - a ninjutsu specialist to his fuinjustu and kenjutsu. Such a pairing would have been a powerful combination on battlefields, and it would have helped his standing in the clan by quickly demonstrating that he had overcome the weakness that had plagued him in infancy. That he would be useful to the clan and the war effort - unlike his father's weak, civilian second wife, widely despised in the clan for her disregard of shinobi traditions. Instead it had taken years to prove himself - and the cost hadn't been worth it in the end, not when it had ended in the loss of his brother's friendship with Uchiha Madara and an escalation of hostilities between the clan and the Uchiha that had seen too many dead too soon.

Shaking off thoughts about what ifs and could have beens, Tobirama focused on his two young charges, their little faces staring up at him in consternation, chakra suffused with annoyance. Snorting lightly the elder shinobi smirked and with a flick of his wrist he lifted his students onto the boulder. The technique was an Uzumaki one - taught to him by Mito the last time he had visited, a mere trick, or so she claimed, to get their children used to fuuton. He smiled at the memory, not noticing how the children lit up seeing him happy.

Glancing at each other mischievously , they shifted closer - until they were both curled up against him like kittens burrowing into a mother cat. Smiling down at them he patted their heads, unbelievably grateful to Madoka-obasan for trusting him with this.

Still, he had brought them up here for a reason, and as enjoyable as cuddles were they needed to get to business.

So, clearing his throat, he tapped Midori on the forehead to get her attention and began explaining all the things she could improve on and praising what she did right. “You did well with the traps and you took advantage of your enemies' moments of weakness beautifully, but you struggle when things don't go the way you plan. That's a major weakness, earlier you were too thrown by the fact that Kaito didn't fall for your pit trap to notice the fact that he left his right unguarded. Had you attacked him you could have overpowered him and won. You also did wonderfully in asking me for help, a thing that most shinobi struggle with.”

Hearing this Midori grumbled and hid her face in his side, blushing from the praise.

Kaito, on the other hand was indignant “What do you mean she got help?! THAT'S CHEATING!” The boy shouted right into Tobirama's ear. Wincing the shinobi pinched his students ear in admonishment while simultaneously pulling an angry Midori back - as the girl took offense and tried to go after her clan mate with razor-sharp teeth.

Sighing deeply Tobirama turned to the huffy youngster, still keeping a firm hold of Midori as he addressed Kaito. “Asking for help is not cheating Kaito, because for a shinobi there is no such thing. If a tactic gets you out alive then it's valid. We are not samurai, to think of honour. You may have your personal values and morals, lines that you won't cross, but don't expect others to have the same ones. We as a people do not have such a code, nor do we want one.”

Tobirama observed the youth carefully as he spoke, to ensure that this particular lesson sunk in. It could save the boy's life one day. Both the childrens' lives. Midori had also been listening, stopping her incessant wriggling to pay attention. He was glad, they were young still, sheltered in the compound and unaware of the dangers outside, and the Hatake as a clan were closely tied to the samurai and had adopted many of their values as their own. A good thing, valuing loyalty and your comrades lives - but also a dangerous one in their world, where many sneered at such a soft-hearted approach and wouldn't hesitate to take advantage of percieved weakness.

Their innocence made something in Tobirama ache - at their age he had already made his first kill and was present on the battlefields. Still he was unbearably glad that these two at least would keep their innocence for a few more years.

Patting Kaito's head to console him, the Senju went back to explaining what went wrong, and how they could improve. “Kaito, you are fast, and skilled with ninjutsu, but you push yourself too fast, wasting chakra, and you really need to improve on your awareness - you wouldn't have gotten caught in so many traps if you were more careful. Your creativity astounds me, that mix of raiton and suiton that you used could pack a serious punch. You just need a plan other than hit them till they're down - you're more likely to run out of chakra before that happens. And asking for help is not a weakness, you are young and have much to learn. Accept help while you still can, because there will come a day when you need it and won't have it.”

Looking at the boy, Tobirama tried to impress upon him the seriousness of his words.

After all, he remembered being that young and helpless, and how much assistance he needed - and how often he had to go without. Looking down at the two bright children curled up against him, he vowed that he would do his best to make sure that they never felt that way.

In the distance a gong rang out, breaking him out of his dark thoughts and signalling that lunch was ready. Unlike the Senju , the Hatake ate comunally when they could. Of course with such a big clan not everyone was always present, and the choice to cook your own meal and eat alone or just with close family or friends was available, but generally people tried to make an appearance in the main hall at least once or twice a week.

Tobirama found this arrangement to be wonderful, as it allowed everyone to mingle and ensured closer bonds between clan members. He loved how included it made everyone feel, like they were all part of something bigger. Sharing food and stories, staying afterwords for games of go and shogi, an experience so different from what he was used to.

Back home he usually ate alone, cramming food into his mouth as he worked. Once or twice a week he share meals with Touka and anija, when they found time in their busy schedules, sometimes he ate with his students and their guardians - when they wanted to hear how they were progressing. The only truly sedate meal he had was breakfast, and he was usually joined by Hashirama for a cup of tea, but they rarely talked. The clan as a whole ate together rarely, during holidays and festivals. It was too dangerous to do it often - as the risk of an attack when everyone was celebrating was high. As such those celebrations were more of a work experience for him than an opportunity to spend time with loved ones.

It was his job to smooth things over with the elders and distract them while Hashirama spent time with the clan, checking if there were problems and generally making himself available, and Touka almost always handled the security during such events. So Tobirama was left alone with the council, and such evenings almost always left him with a migraine from the overstimulation - and a wish to never hear about politics again.

Wincing in remembrance the Senju rose. Ensuring that he had a secure grip on Midori he snaked an arm around Kaito's waist before leaping off the boulder and taking off towards the compound. Eating up the ground with a loping run Tobirama smiled, delighted by the giggling protests of the children in his arms. Shifting slightly the shinobi picked up his pace, racing along the gently babbling brook, leaping across the rocks that surrounded it to the children's delight.

Crossing the stream he rushed through the fields, turning north-west at the grove of ironwood trees he leaped up into the foliage. The Hatake compound wasn't far - half a mile away from the grove.

Settled in the valley between two mountains, it was hellishly difficult to reach if one didn't know the markers - or didn't have a guide. Tobirama himself had almost gotten lost a few times as he refamiliarised himself with the terrain, though luckily his cousins hadn't left him to wander for long. Those initial days of weakness still hung over him, how vulnerable and useless he had been.

His obasan had enforced bed rest for three days after he had properly woken before finally caving after consulting the healers. So with strict orders not to over do it, Tobirama was allowed some freedom. Under the watchful gaze of what felt like half the clan of course.

Even the children had been recruited to help, to his mortification. It seemed like every time he was going to do something a little strenuous a little one would run up to him with some question or a request for help and he inevitably caved every time - even though he knew that it was a trick. He couldn't help it, seeing the children's bright happy faces brought a warm, tight feeling to his chest as he was reminded of his students back home.

Students that he had abandoned.

Such thoughts always dulled the happy ache, and he would sink back into melancholy - alas his kin didn't allow him time to sulk. Everywhere he turned there were oji-san looking to play a game of go with him, oba-san that claimed he was too thin and tried to feed him up, cousins that wanted tips on this or that technique - and a sea of curious children that flocked to him no matter what he was doing.

He realised that this was all orchestrated by Madoka-obasan, as a way to get him settled into the clan, but it felt so genuine, like these people really wanted him here that he couldn't help but give in and join them instead of sulking of on his own to stew in his homesickness.

So he ignored the instincts that whispered about threats and hidden knives and tried to enjoy himself, knowing that he would have to leave soon. Locking his dark thoughts away, Tobirama threw himself into the wild joy of running, and the delighted laughter of the two children he had been trusted to protect.

Notes:

sooo even surrounded by loving family our boy manages to put himself down...smh

the hatake are doing the work tho, esp the kiddies ❤️ we love to see it
unfortunately back home things aren't looking so hot for hashi, who now has three ppl on him making him work

rip tree-man

as always tysm for all the comments and the kudos!

Chapter 12: in which mito regrets

Summary:

Uzumaki Mito hears some troubling rumours about her friend and decides to investigate, what she finds will displease her greatly, and cause Hashirama a lot of problems.

Notes:

welcome back!

this chap is from mito's pov, no tobi unfortunately, but we'll get back to him soon.

30/06/2025 edits: i'm fixing up some mistakes and changing some sentences/formatting bc my writing style has changed a bit and this makes the read smoother and also fixing some plot holes/inconsistencies

The first time she had heard of Senju Tobirama's disappearance Mito was during a diplomatic meeting in Kumo.

She had been sorting out the more finicky details of a trade agreement with the Chinoike when she had heard two of their shinobi discussing it - according to rumours he had gone missing after a battle, and his brother was so desperate to find him that he had released that information to all the clans in Hi no Kuni.

At the time she had ignored it, thinking it was another baseless rumour surrounding Tobi. But still doubt remained, and when she passed through a village in Hi no Kuni on her way home and heard no news of the White Demon she began to worry. Usually whenever she passed through Hi no Kuni she would be met with dozens of amusingly over-exaggerated stories.

Silly things like “The Ash Bringer burned down all the woods on his side of the territory so that it couldn't be controlled by the God of Shinobi!” or “The Senju's White Demon broke into the Daimyo's court and held him hostage until he agreed to favour his clan in his tax policies!” Such amusing rumours were always floating around the territories near the two feuding clans - so this silence concerned her.

Not enough to drop in of course - that would be rude. An heiress dropping in unannounced and uninvited would be an unforgivable breach in conduct, and say what you will about Mito, but she had been raised right. She would check what was going on - discretely of course, and if her interference was necessary then she would intervene.

But she doubted that the things those Chinoike shinobi were saying were true - after all what clan head would be foolish enough to reveal such a glaring weakness to a country full of his enemies? No, if such information was released it would likely have been done as a ruse - to hide the fact that the heir in question was probably doing some incredibly questionable things for said clan head.

And while Senju Hashirama-sama was known more for his power and brute force than his strategies, Tobirama was a recognised genius whose planning skills were praised as some of the best in their generation. Even the Nara acknowledged his intelligence - his friendship with the clan heir was known, as was the fact that he reliably won a third of their strategy games.

So while such a situation was possible, something still niggled in the back of her mind, making all her carefully honed instincts scream... Determined to get to the bottom of this, she made the trip home in half the time it usually took her, and what she found waiting for her displeased her greatly.

The missive she had received from Senju Hashirama-sama cleared up the situation and infuriated her. This man - this foolish, foolish man wrote to a shinobi he had only met thrice, who he knew only through his brother - and gave her information that could destroy his clan and get his brother killed! This gods-forsaken idiot had really gone ahead and begged her for help, ignoring all the official routes offered to him as clan head and ally to her clan, to throw himself at her mercy! Honestly, how was this man still alive and in charge of his clan?

She understood that he was ludicrously strong, but this type of political ineptitude wasn't something that could be covered up by strength alone, unless...

Of course, Tobirama.

It was likely that the only reason that this buffoon was still around and clan head was because he was blessed with a whip-smart and staunchly loyal little brother, who was more than willing to cover his flaws. Except that now that little brother was gone, and from the tone of the letter she had received he wasn't coming back. Which meant that Senju Hashirama-sama was without someone to watch his back in politics, and as demonstrated with this missive and his declaration to all of Hi no Kuni, the man was floundering - badly.

There was nothing for it. Senju Hashirama-sama may be an idiot, but he was a ridiculously strong idiot, and their ally to boot. If Tobirama was no longer around to cover his deficiencies, someone would have to step up and do his job, and from what she had seen so far no one in the Senju clan seemed capable of that.

And so she had no choice - as heiress to the Uzumaki clan and Tobirama's friend, Mito would have to step up and take his place in ensuring that his elder brother didn't ruin everything he cared about.

It was because of this that despite all logic and common sense telling her that this was an incredibly stupid idea, she went to her mother and told her that she had heard concerning things about their allies and that she wished to go to Hi no Kuni to check the situation out - discreetly. Uzumaki Nami was sceptical, but she was also a hard, practical woman who had given too much for the Senju alliance for it to fail, and it took little for Mito to convince her that she should be sent. Because she was heiress to the clan and also a close friend of Senju Tobirama - and therefore more suited to this task than any of her kin.

So armed with her clan head's permission, enough supplies to last her three months and a veritable library of sealing scrolls Uzumaki Mito left her beloved Uzushio to travel West.

And immediately regretted it as she was reminded why she hated travelling in summer. Hi no Kuni's lovely temperate forests turned into veritable jungles - every branch and leaf seemed determined to stick to her like it was their gods given job and the humidity hit her like a punch to the gut. So here she was, slogging through muggy, soupy folliage, her combat kimono sticking to her like a second skin, cursing every decision that had led her to this.

Senju Hashirama-sama had better be grateful for this, she thought murderously, running along the steeply curving riverbank. She had been travelling for five days - two of which she spent following the Naka's snaking flow, concealing her chakra and resting rarely.

Stretching her immense power, both to sense and as a warning to others to stay away - an action that she knew wasn't wise, but at this point she didn't care. She was tired, sore and sticky from this ridiculous heat, and if she didn't reach the Senju soon she would give it up as a lost cause and pass out on the edge of the river, melting into a pathetic puddle of shinobi goo until this damnable, hellish heat-stroke ended - or until she was found by someone.

Luckily for her, she didn't need to employ such drastic measures, because there at the very border of her sensing she found who she was looking for.

His chakra tasted sweet and heavy - a fresh spring growth against her own gales and shifting tides. And it seemed that he wasn't alone. Accompanying him was a ridiculous bonfire of warmth, a loadstone of power which seemed to obscure a smaller, sharper spark. Whoever it was seemed to be doing it on purpose, curiously enough.

The last chakra signature she almost missed, a doton user's grounding force, diminished by melancholy and depression. No matter - whoever was with him didn't seem aggressive as far as she could determine through her senses, and so they could be ignored for now.

Emboldened, she picked up her pace, unwilling to let her target scurry back to the safety of his compound - where she would be tied by protocols and rules as his guest. Slowly she let the rage that she had suppressed come out.

This man that she hunted had hurt her friend, and while she may have come to help him but that didn't mean that she couldn't make her displeasure over his actions known. So she would express herself - and her dissatisfaction.

Painfully.

Full on sprinting now, she circled her chakra and let it out, a beacon to her location. No one could miss her approach, so they wouldn't mistake her presence as a deadly attack, though if she was right about who his companions were, she doubted that they would intervene while she burned off some of her anger. If anything they might be inclined to assist her. Senju Touka-san especially wouldn't be displeased, by the feel of the woman's chakra - she suffered deeply from her cousin's absence and by the distance she maintained, she blamed his elder brother for it.

Thoughts of said elder brother were interrupted by a change around her. Nothing overt, but she felt observed in a way that made her wary. The trees had stilled, where before they moved with the wind, now they stood unnaturally, their inner chakra oddly focused... On her.

Of course - Senju Hashirama-sama must have heeded the warning she had sent with her chakra, and whatever misgivings she may have about his intelligence, he was clearly not foolish enough to ignore such an overt message.

Excellent, if he knew of her approach, he would also know to prepare himself.

Humming under her breath she stretched her chakra until it encompassed him - testing. She got no reply, but that didn't matter, she was close now. Putting on a final burst of speed she leapt across the Naka, landing on the creaking boughs of an old oak. She jumped from tree to tree, using the techniques that Tobirama had taught her to maintain speed and balance.

This close, she could practically taste her mark - his chakra heavy with tiredness and dull with despair. Good, she thought viciously, he should despair after all the trouble he had caused Tobi over the years. Too often her friend had come to her home with dark circles under his eyes and stress marks on his face. Too often he was forced to use the diplomatic meetings with her clan to maintain their alliance as a break - an escape from the war and the work back home.

She wasn't the only one who noticed naturally,. Even her mother had realised that something was wrong, often finding reasons to prolong his visits so that he could rest and recover longer. He knew of course, and although he demured and tried to argue at first, he always stayed, and found overly ostentatious ways to thank them.

Still no matter their efforts, they were never enough, eventually he was forced to return home, to his brother and the war - to endless, thankless work. And though it had gotten better when his father had died - for a while, it didn't take long before his new responsibilities as heir swamped him, and every year that he came to them he always appeared waner and sadder - the darkness in his bright eyes growing. Just thinking of the last time she had seen him made her grit her teeth and want to stab something. Thin and weak, his thick hair brittle and his eyes so tired that it made her want to weep.

And now he was gone.

The mere thought of him out there alone and suffering made her want to breathe fire like a bloody Uchiha - a terrible idea in the middle of a forest, especially considering that her grasp on katon was shaky, so instead of trying to burn the forest down, she latched onto the chakra of the fool that had started all this and with one last burst of spead, she leapt out of the canopy to face him.

Tobirama may be gone for now - but she would find a way to bring him back. In the meantime, she needed to release her rage. And his brother sounded like the perfect target for that.

Notes:

soooo, hashi's in trouble

mito as a character has always fascinated me, so writing her pov was an interesting challenge.

unfortunately idk when the next update will be bc i'm going on a week long school trip, and it's unlikely that i'll have time to post anything, so the next update will be late.

i hope that you liked the latest chapter, and thank you for all the kudos and the comments!

Chapter 13: in which hashirama messes up even more

Summary:

As Senju Touka drowns under the weight of her duties and her worry for her cousin, Hashirama marshales his allies and tries to come up with a feasible way to get his brother back, ignoring the problems festering under his roof.

Notes:

so sorry for the late update! things have been kinda hectic since i came back, and unfortunately i didn't have the time or energy to write.😔 Still, midterms are over next week so hopefully i will have more time to write.

hope you enjoy the chapter! 🙃

02/07/2025 edits: i'm fixing up some mistakes and changing some sentences/formatting bc my writing style has changed a bit and this makes the read smoother and also fixing some plot holes/inconsistencies

Senju Touka was drowning in a sea of grief and rage.

Her cousin, her loyal, hard-working, baby cousin... Was gone. And she could do nothing about it - once again she was helpless, as she hadn't been since she was a teen and her uncle was still alive.

It was infuriating! Was she not a kunoichi? Was she not one of the best fighters the Senju had - a genjutsu-user powerful and skilled enough to trip up even the Mangekyo Sharingan? And yet she couldn't protect the one person she loved best. This whole situation was ridiculous!

Hashirama was useless, Butsuma was dead and the bloody Uchiha were more help than her own clanmates! Even the gods-damned Hyuuga had changed their tune - sticking their snooty, traditionalist noses into the situation as though they had any right to know anything about her cousin. The Uzumaki she could understand, they had been allies for years, and Mito-hime was his close friend - but what place did Hyuuga Kiyoko and her council of slavers have in her clan's compound, meeting with her clan elders?

It was official, Hashirama had lost his gods-damned mind!

Bastards all of them - taking and taking until there was nothing left, and then being surprised at the consequences. They had drained Tobi of everything he had, his genius, his devotion, his love, leaving him an empty husk. Hashirama, the elders and their allies have long since taken him for granted, and now that he was gone they were floundering - badly.

Grumbling dire threats under her breath, she shifted, restless.

The tile was hard and cold, her position uncomfortable but suited to the job she had been assigned. Guard duty. If ever there was a more tedious occupation she had yet to find it. Staying in place for hours on end, unsure if anything was even going to happen. At least with reconnaissance and ambushes she could be sure that there would be some excitement later.

Besides, she was meant Hashirama's heir while Tobi was gone, - no matter how distasteful the job might be, and it meant that she should have been guaranteed a spot in that meeting.
Especially considering that they had let the bloody Uzumaki in, and she hasn't even been here a week!

Truly she should follow her cousin's example and leave - it would serve Hashirama right for excluding her from the investigation and not sharing the information that was given to him. The selfish prick.

She shifted again, trying to sneak a look into the meeting room, but the windows were shuttered and the engawa doors closed. Not surprising considering the fact that the weather hadn't improved. Storm season was living up to its name. The air, heavy and humid, pressed down on her, sticking her shinobi blacks onto her, obstructing her breath.

She couldn't breathe - she hadn't been able to since Tobirama left.

Abandoning her in a cold, empty ocean, grounding her in to the compound and a position she hated. Gods, she hadn't been out on a proper mission in weeks - stuck here to squabble with the elders and keep the clan together, ensure that Hashirama ate and slept instead of wasting away in his office.

She couldn't blame Tobi, she knew it wasn't his fault, but still since he left she felt so wretchedly alone.

Just as she considered ending this ridiculous farce by jumping down and forcing the damn engawa doors open to make her opinion known, she was hit by a splat of water. Blinking in surprise, she looked up, jolted and sprung down from her post on the roof just as the skies opened. Cursing wildly, she shunshined to the porch - her mission blacks already soaked. Even her hair was coming loose from her topknot, limiting her vision.

Grabbing the engawa doors, she thrust them open and hurried inside, allowing them to close behind her with a resounding bang as she turned to face the suspiciously silent room.

So that's how it was going to be then. Furious, she glared at Hashirama, bowed with a muttered excuse me and left for her quarters - seething. He wanted to keep things from her? Fine. She knew this game, she had played it with his father for years before the old man had finally croaked. She would be the the perfect shinobi - no more and no less, obey every order, follow every rule, but she would not consider him family, not again.

Hashirama-sama was her clan head, and every other tie was irrelevant in the face of that.

Notes:

and hashirama messes up again!

i've always loved touka as a character, and i wanted to explore her relationships with her clanmates but more specifically tobirama, hashirama and to a lesser extent butsuma. i think that tobirama's absence would hit her hard, maybe harder than it hit hashirama, simply because they have a closer relationship.

i also wanted to explore how hashirama, despite not meaning to can abuse his authority and hurt his family, tobirama more than touka, but they are both hit hard by the fact that as their clan head, he has power over them , i tried to show it in the first chapter with how tobirama was summoned to his office and berated until he felt that the only way to fix it was a borderline suicidal plan, and in this chapter with how isolated touka feels. she's technically clan heir, a position of power, but she feels powerless because her cousin keeps blocking her and won't let her exercise that power.

next chap will be hashi's pov, an explanation on why he's acting like this and what's going on with the hyuuga

as always ty so much for all the kudos and the comments, i hope you enjoyed the chapter ❤️🤗

Chapter 14: in which hashirama tries to fix things

Summary:

Senju Hashirama reflects on his cousin Touka's recent behaviour and comes to some worrying conclusions, determined to fix things he decides to reach out, hoping that this time he won't be too late.

Notes:

welcome back!

midterms are over, and i'm free! also easter hols are coming up, so i'll have more time to write

hope you enjoy this update!

02/07/2025 edits: i'm fixing up some mistakes and changing some sentences/formatting bc my writing style has changed a bit and this makes the read smoother and also fixing some plot holes/inconsistencies

Hashirama knew that something was wrong.

It has been three days since Touka last spoke to him - three days of chilling silence and blank-faced obedience.

It unnerved him.

The last time Touka had acted like this his father was still clan head, and Touka, his only niece - was his perfect soldier. Granted, she hadn't been like that at first, when he was younger and okaa-san was still alive he remembered his cousin to be a lively, mischievous presence. But after okaa-san passed things changed, with Touka's behaviour becoming so radically different that it had scared him.

He learned later that it had been the pressure - she was eldest in the household, and as such her duties increased exponentially. And with an increase in duties came an increase in expectations, adn punishments when those expectattions were not met - and while Senju Butsuma had never been kind to his sons in that department, with his younger sister's child he was be downright cruel.

With Tobirama he had been dismissive and Hashirama overbearing - but in those years before Hashirama earned the title of clan heir, Butsuma had managed to make Touka hate him so much that when he died she refused to come to his funeral or give him offerings - things that should have been an integral part of her duties, both as his niece and as third in command in the clan. This insult was not ignored by the clan, and she was judged for it. The elders especially criticized her, reminding her that he took her in after her mother's death and shaming her for her refusal to pay him respect.

Ignorant fools the lot of them - his father hadn't taken Touka in out of the goodness of his heart, or as a favour to his departed sister. No, he had done it because he needed a second option - in case Hashirama didn't meet his expectations. Tobirama had already failed him, and he wasn't willing to take any risks. He knew that while his wife was alive he couldn't take another spouse, so Touka was brought in.

She was used to threaten him, competition for the title of heir - a warning to his sons that they were replaceable at the end of the day.

Tobirama hadn't cared, he had already disappointed the man in every way that mattered, so Touka wasn't a threat to him. But Hashirama, young and impressionable, desperate for his father's love and recognition - he had taken Touka's presence badly.

Thinking back on it he was ashamed of how he had acted, his cousin had just lost her mother in a traumatic way, and was placed with her cold uncle - so his acceptance of her would have gone a long way. Unfortunately he had acted like a brat and ignored her, hoping that that would make her go away - naturally his mother hadn't accepted such behaviour for long, and after her scolding he had tried to make it up to his cousin, but they have never been as close to one another as she had been with Tobi.

That had never stopped her from being an exemplary third in command, always ready to serve and willing to help, and that still hasn't changed but... She was acting off, and Hashirama wasn't fool enough to assume that it wasn't because of him. Had he been the man his father wanted him to be, he would have ignored it - she was fulfilling her duties, therefore whatever her problems were, they were irrelevant.

Fortunately, Hashirama had learned empathy and compassion at his mother's knee, and he while he may have forgotten a few of her lessons over the years, he wasn't cruel enough to leave Touka to suffer if he could do something about it.

It was the least he could do for her after all her assistance throughout the years. Resolving himself, he sealed his paperwork into a stasis that Tobi had inscribed into his favourite portable desk years ago, when he had first realized how much Hashirama hated working in the clan head's study, and how much more productive he was when he worked outside - and went to find her, bracing himself for what was sure to be a rough conversation, and probably some violence.

Knowing that if he didn't want to be interrupted he had to be discreet, he decided to take the rooftop route to the training ground that Touka preferred when she was in a bad mood and wanted to be left alone. Approaching his favoured tree, Hashirama hopped up into the thick branches and using the roof ledge he leaped up - grabbing onto a tile and pulling himself up easily.

From here it would be relatively easy to get to the orchard on the east side of the compound - and from there he could easily tree-leap to Touka's training ground.

Humming to himself, he wondered how he should approach the topic - he couldn't just go up to her and start accusing her, that would just put her on the defensive and probably bring back bad memories to boot. No, he needed to go about this more delicately, perhaps suggesting a spar would help. She could work off some of her aggression against an opponent without having to hold back - and after he could broach his concerns.

Hopefully this way she wouldn't feel put on the spot, and since they would be in a private spot where she felt safe she would be more likely to open up to him. Yes, that sounded like a good plan, or at least one that wouldn't blow up in his face.

Hopping over old Tsukauchi's clematis, Hashirama gently unfurled his senses, trying to get a feel for Touka's mood. As always his mokuton worked swiftly, enabling him to hear the orchard trees overjoyed muttering - unfortunately, he had been to busy recently to talk to them much, but they didn't care, as ever his oldest and most steadfast friends. She's here here here, they whispered rustling their branches - sad and lonely and tired, but here.

Unsurprising news, but it still had Hashirama frowning. Sighing, he thanked the trees and absent-mindedly sent some chakra their way, promising to come meditate with them soon. The fact that Touka was sad and tired was a given, but lonely? Hashirama hadn't considered that possibility - which in hindsight was foolish. Touka has always been a private person, and her position within the clan didn't exactly allow her a lot of freedom to hang out with relax with others. Of course she had friends and people she could go to, but Tobirama was her closest companion, and with him gone it was no wonder that she felt alone.

After all, his little brother had known intimately what it was like, being held separate from the rest of the clan because of his position, working thanklessly with little acknowledgement, forced to clean up after Hashirama and work with the council of elders for the good of the clan - no matter how distasteful it was to do so.

He just had to keep making the same mistakes like an idiot didn't he?

No matter, he knew what the problem was now, could recognise the signs, and he would do his best to fix it - Touka and Tobirama shouldn't have to suffer just because he couldn't keep his life in order.

Leaping over the last few roofs, he sank into the soft, loamy earth of the orchard, carefully stepping over the young saplings whispering for his attention. Kneeling down, he stroked their new leaves, channelling a little chakra to aid them with their growth. Chuckling as they curled around his fingers in thanks, he untangled himself and turned towards one of the older trees, and started walking up their trunk.

He could of course run if he wanted to, but he needed to be calm for the conversation he is hoping to have to work, and few things relaxed him as being surrounded by nature - so instead of tree-hopping, he would walk to Touka's training grounds, and use the time to ground himself and think on how to help her. Tobirama was gone, and for now Hashirama could do nothing about him - but Touka was still here, and her he could help.

If she was tired he could decrease her workload, and maybe distract her from her sadness by sending her out on some easy missions - away from the compound and all its painful memories. As for her loneliness... He had no idea, he could offer himself up as a confidant, but it was unlikely that she would accept.

But still, there were some things he could try, like invite her to tea with him and Mito-hime, who she admired. They were both capable kunoichi, and had important positions within their clans - and as Mito-hime was her social equal it might be easier for her to open up to the other kunoichi, besides their fondness for his otouto gave them plenty of conversation topics. Yes, that could work, both to alleviate Touka's loneliness and work towards fixing his relationship with her. Mito-hime would probably agree, and help him out in trying to fix his relationship with his cousin. She has recently taken to nagging him about how he sucked at relationships and needed to do better.

Yes, that could work - but only if Touka agreed. It was a sobering thought, knowing that no matter how Hashirama schemed or what he tried, it was all useless if Touka didn't also try. It made him wonder, was this how Tobirama felt all these years? Reaching and reaching for a big brother who never reached back - doing everything in his power only to be met with dismissals, and “I'm busy Tobi, tell me laters”.

The thought saddened Hashirama deeply, he had never intended for things to go this way, had sworn to himself that when he was clan head things would be different - this certainly wasn't what he had in mind when he made that promise, he thought bitterly.

The closer he got to Touka, the louder the trees got, telling him secrets and gossip, reminding him that he wasn't alone, recounting childhood memories involving his cousin. He appreciated it - their support and assistance, it was nice knowing that no matter how badly he messed up, he would always have them to rely on.

It was what gave him the courage to keep walking, knowing that he had someone at his back - and that even though this confrontation was probably going to leave him bruised and bloody and aching in the depths of his soul, he would have done something truly good.

So he kept walking, his feet tracing paths he had tread since he was a child, even as in the distance he began to hear harsh panting and cursing, and the steady thwack thwack of fists as they made contact with something.

Finally after what simultaneously felt like an eternity and no time at all he stopped walking and allowed his mokuton to flow through him to the tree he was on, asking it to gently lower him to the ground. It did so, and Hashirama finds himself facing a barren clearing - there was nothing there but packed dirt and a destroyed stack of training dummies, and his enraged cousin standing above them with bloody fists, looking as if she would like nothing more than to set them on fire.

Determined to avoid damage to his beloved orchard, and to fix things with his older cousin - Hashirama braced himself and awkwardly cleared his throat, and when Touka spun to face him, fists raised defensively, he smiled at her and asked. “Want a training partner?”

Notes:

sooo, hashi is trying? like his mark is kinda off on some of touka's problems, but she'll probs clear that up while handing him his ass.

also, i read a lot of fics in which hashi had like concentration issues, esp regarding paperwork, one in particular in which he made origami out of paperwork bc the paper 'wanted to be a flower, i was helping it be a flower' which really hit me and i thought - what if. and i added to that, that maybe working in his father's office, a place that doesn't have good memories tied to it might make it worse, so like, they compromised and made a system in which hashi still has to do the important, official stuff in the clan head office - bc it's defensible and has solid seals from decades of other clan heads adding to them, and where all the official documents are stored, but the lighter stuff? he can totes sit in his courtyard surrounded by flowers and nature, a place where he feels calm and less restless, esp if he's meditating/channeling chakra into the plants this way he gets a lot more done and is in a better place mentally, and his work reflects that.

mito as always the real mvp, watching the senju family drama and wondering how any of these ppl are alive and functioning

next chap will probs be either tobi or madara's pov

ty for the kudos and the comments, they make me rlly happy and i hope that you enjoyed this chapter!

Chapter 15: in which madoka-obasan helps

Summary:

Senju Tobirama is waylaid by his aunt during morning practice, and reveals his future plans.

Notes:

welcome back!

i've been really sick lately and worked on this chapter since i wasn't at school. it's one of the longer ones and i rlly liked writing it so i hope you enjoy!

02/07/2025 edits: i'm fixing up some mistakes and changing some sentences/formatting bc my writing style has changed a bit and this makes the read smoother and also fixing some plot holes/inconsistencies

Tobirama rose with the sun.

It was one of the pleasures he allowed himself back home, waking early and running through his kata as the world still slept. Slipping into quiet meditation as he did his stretches, delighting in the silence and the stillness - so different from his hectic life. Enjoying a filling breakfast on the engawa while he caught up on his reading, occasionally joined by his brother for tea when the other eventually woke - before they parted to do their respective duties.

He missed it, that quiet company. So early in the morning, his brother wasn't awake enough to be his usual exuberantly overbearing self, and Tobirama's own edges were dulled by his workout and meditation. Sometimes it felt like that was the only time the two of them could coexist peacefully, without the world getting in the way.

He knew that that wasn't true of course, but recently it felt like it. He knew that Hashirama loved him, even if he didn't always understand him - and that should be enough for him, even if sometimes Tobirama couldn't help but long for the closeness of their childhood.

When they would sneak into each other's beds to whisper secrets and stories they had made up until their mother found them and sang to them till they slept, when they covered each other's backs in training to avoid their father's wrath, and planned pranks to play on the more annoying elders. Things were so much better then - when Tobirama had his anija to watch his back, and he knew that he wasn't alone.

And now look at him, exiled and forced to rely on his aunt's goodwill because he couldn't find a way to reconcile his brother's orders with his duty to the clan, left adrift without his home and his kin, without his duties.

The worst part was that logically, Tobirama knew that he was in this situation because he had planned it to be this way - he was lucky that his scheme had worked. His aunt had reported that a cease-fire had been signed with blood and chakra-ink, sealed and witnessed by the clan heirs.

Which made Tobirama was happy, but a part of him just couldn't help but think that the whole situation was unfair, because even if he had sworn to himself that he would leave and never look back, he ached at the fact that the Senju and the Uchiha had drawn up an official cease-fire and he wasn't there as witness, that Touka had taken his place as heir. Even the knowledge that Hashirama and Madara met up regularly at the Naka, and that a full peace treaty was imminent didn't dull the ache. His plan had worked, his students and his kin would be safe and his brother's dream was so close to being fulfilled but a part of him still felt hollow - because no matter how much he loved staying with Madoka-obasan and his Hatake kin, it didn't change the fact that Tetsu no Kuni wasn't home - not in the way that Hi no Kuni and the Senju were.

With every passing day Tobirama missed his clan more and more, he missed his anija and Touka, his students and his laboratory, his correspondence with Mito, and his work with the iryo-nin. He had left a whole life behind, and he thought that he knew what he was doing when he left, but maybe he was wrong. He had grown up in Hi no Kuni's forests, and while Tetsu's cliff provided a shelter when he was young and grieving, now they did nothing but remind him of what he had lost.

Because at the end of the day, he felt like he had nothing - he wasn't needed here like he was back home, where he was heir and had what seemed like a thousand duties. Even the children given into his care, his precious students, were not enough - not when the Hatake raised their children communally, and weren't at war, and so did not require the intense training he used to oversee back home. It made him restless, with no projects or duties, stuck in the compound - it reminded him too much of his youth.

He would give anything to do something, so much so that he had started drafting new sealing projects to take up his time. It had been a while since he worked on seals, and he had forgotten how challenging they could be - his latest project, the hiraishin had included seals, but that part had come easily to him, the difficulty lay in training to use it, dealing with the vertigo that came with moving so swiftly from one place to another - different to kawarimi, which used his own chakra to guide the technique, with hiraishin everything depended on a thin strip of metal and how he timed his throws on the battlefield.

It was a thrilling and dangerous technique, but intrinsically different to seals - where each character was a carefully drawn piece of an intricate puzzle, every step had to be meticulously planned lest everything blow up in his face. Yes, seals weren't as flashy as jutsu, but they could be much more useful if applied correctly, and they were ten times more fun to work with.

He and Mito could spend hours combing through notes on sealing and not get bored. Some of his deadliest techniques were seal-based, and seals were the only reason he had even lived this long - so he had a certain fondness for them, and he enjoyed the extra free time he had to work on sealing, but still, for a man used to being busy all day every day, the sedate lifestyle he had with the Hatake was beginning to grate.

He was honestly this close to going to Madoka-obasan and begging her to let him out on the trading trails before he went insane - he knew that she would let him if he asked, but he didn't dare knowing how much it would worry her.

She had been frantic in her own quiet way during his recovery, hovering over him while he was on bedrest and setting his myriads of cousins to do it when she was busy. Having him out there again so soon after he had almost died would stress her - and while she was a strong, capable woman and knew that to be shinobi was to flirt with death every day, he didn't want to burden her with his passing.

The best thing for him to do at this point was to leave and stop imposing on her generosity - before they both got too attached to the idea of him staying. But he couldn't just up and disappear as he had done with the Senju. No, he had to plan this carefully, and after some thought, he had realized that the best time for him to leave would be in August - after the rest of the Hatake returned to the compound to honour Takeminakata-sama and prepare for the coming winter.

Madoka-obasan would be too preoccupied with the clan and the return of Minoru-obasan to worry over much about him, and he could head south, to try and rally the clans of Hi no Kuni to his brother's side as he had originally planned before his injury and his kin's worry had derailed his course.

Speaking of worried family members - it seemed that he had company.

Knowing that it would be rude to ignore her, Tobirama shifted and with a finishing high kick turned to face his aunt. She was leaning against one of the pillars supporting the roof, observing him with shrewd eyes, and there was a breakfast tray at her feet. Wondering why she was here this early, Tobirama approached, sinking into a respectful half-bow when he had reached the engawa.

Predictably, his aunt sneered away such attempts at respectfulness with a scoff and a wave of her hand, he rose, amused, and was about to ask if she required something of him when she spoke first. “Have breakfast with me, nephew.” This drew Tobirama up short, and he wondered if he had done something wrong for her to make this request.

Sinking his sharp teeth into his bottom lip he gave a sharp nod in agreement and sank down to his knees to take the tray - alas he was thwarted, his aunt grabbing it lightning fast and throwing a smirk his way and barking out - "But first, a chase!” before taking off. Shocked, Tobirama stared after her for a moment before cursing and rushing after her.

Remembering the amused glint in her eyes, he realised that he really should have expected this - it was a common training method that she used the first time he came to the Hatake compound, more of a game than training really, but it increased his endurance and trained him to be wary of strange offers and gifts, so it had been one of his favourite exercises - so much so that he himself used it on his students regularly back home.

Still, it had been a while since it had been used on him, so he was embarrassingly out of practice - and it showed in the fact that it took him five minutes longer than it used to finally catch up to his aunt. She was waiting for him in the clearing he used to train Minori and Kaito, perched primely on the boulder he usually sat on when he advised them.

A fact that she must have known given the smug smirk that she shot his way when he finally caught up to her. “Join me nephew.” She rasped, patting the space beside her and beckoning him, and while he wasn't particularly inclined to eating after the merry chase she led him on, the tempting smell of the miso soup and braised fish she was laying out made him concede and leap onto the boulder. She smiled at him knowingly and poured him some soup from the thermos, as he added the fish that had so enticed him, and some pickled vegetables - avoiding the natto entirely.

She sighed when she saw this, and commented “You haven't changed your palate since you were small at all, have you?” Tobirama considered this and acknowledged that, “Not really no, I know what pleases me, and see no point in wasting food and time trying things I might not like, besides it's not like I had much time to experiment with dishes and cooking, too much to do.”

Madoka-obasan just sighed at this, muttering “Hopeless” under her breath before taking the whole plate of natto for herself, “Well since you won't have it, I will - no point in having it go to waste.”

At this Tobirama couldn't help but scoff, “It's not like anything goes to waste around here, your shinobi act like starving wolves, there's nothing on the table after they're done eating, even the plates are licked clean!” His aunt rolled her eyes at him and quipped “Leave off, winters are rough here, we have to fill up in the summer to stave off the coming chill!”

Tobirama paused at this, disbelieving “You're not bears obasan, it's not like you hibernate. Besides, I've seen your stores for the winter, and that amount of food could keep the Senju sated for at least two winters.” This may have been a bit of an over-exaggeration, but it was true that overall the Hatake consumed much more compared to the Senju.

At his statement, his aunt paused in affront, her chopsticks hovering over the pickled vegetables, she gazed at him balefully and replied “Well we can't all photosynthesize like your log-headed brother, cub, our constitution and metabolism is different compared to other clans, something that you should damn well know, considering you inherited those traits from your mother.”

With this parting shot she grabbed the vegetables from his slack hand and with a murmured “Itadakimasu” began to eat. Tobirama shook his head, repeated the same, and also began to partake.

They ate in silence for a while, enjoying their meals as Tobirama pondered on his aunt's words. It was true that different shinobi had different dietary needs, he knew that for instance, the Hoshigaki clan from Kiri needed to eat thrice the amount he did because their physique and techniques required it. He himself ate more than his clan mates, with a preference for rawer meats and bigger portions.

He could also admit to himself that he was sometimes forgetful about it - going without appropriate meals when stuck researching, relying on field rations and rice to sustain him. Anija or Touka usually pried him out of his labs to feed him if he didn't come out within a week, but that was rare.

Overall, he was like most shinobi - aware of his body's limits and careful to keep himself in peak condition in case he was needed out on a mission or on the battlefield.

While he pondered this, his aunt reached into her sleeve and produced a thermos and a pair of wooden travel cups, unscrewing the flask, she poured and Tobirama paused as the fragrant scent of green tea overwhelmed his senses. With a murmured “Thank you” he took the cup that Madoka-obasan offered him, and carefully bringing it to his lips he took a sip.

It was just as he remembered, bitter and fresh, the taste clinging to his tongue and bringing him back to better, brighter days.

“You remembered” he stated, not looking up from his tea, his aunt scoffed at this and replied, “Of course I remember your favourite tea nephew, what sort of aunt would I be if I didn't notice such a thing?”

At this Tobirama looked up at her and smiled sadly, “Few people bother knowing my preferences these days, I'm afraid.” Madoka-obasan looked at him sharply in response to that statement, her dark eyes glinting knowingly “And yet you still continue to note such things about these people, despite them not bothering to return the favour.”

Her tone was sharp, with an undertone of anger and Tobirama knew that they were no longer talking about tea.“He doesn't mean to,” he parried “he is busy, the clan occupies much of his time, and the feud stresses him out.”

“Too busy to check on his only brother?!” His aunt demanded with a raised eyebrow. “He wrote to me recently you know, asking me if he knew anything about you, saying that the two of argued and that you disappeared,” at this Tobirama paused, surprised, before sending his aunt a panicked glance and starting “Did yo-” “Don't worry nephew,” she interrupted him, “I told him nothing, both because you were still unconscious at the time and I didn't know if you wanted him to know your whereabouts, and because I doubted the verity of what he wrote me. I still haven't answered, beyond a generic note after you woke - expressing my surprise that he wrote to me after all these years and claiming that I had not heard from you in a while.”

At this Tobirama exhaled, relieved, and took a calming sip of tea “Thank you, aunt, I appreciate your discretion on the matter. Had anija learned of my location, he would have probably marched up here and dragged me home, and that would have ruined everything.” “Well, I sincerely doubt that dearest,” his aunt rebuked, refilling her cup “He seemed genuinely worried judging by the tone of that letter, and his presence during your recovery would likely have helped considering how skilled he is at iryo-ninjutsu. Besides, he'll have realized that you're here by my lack of reaction - despite the persona he puts on he is still a shinobi, and you know damn well that as soon as things are settled in Hi no Kuni, he will likely try to come and get you."

Tobirama wordlessly handed over his cup for a refill and tried to come up with the words to explain the situation “I meant ruined in terms of the fact that anija had to stay and finalize the cease-fire with the Uchiha, and he couldn't do that if he were here hovering over my bedside, besides, I am perfectly aware of the fact that he likely knows of my whereabouts by now, and what his next steps will be - it is why I left the documents regarding a united Hi no Kuni where he would find them before I left, as a reminder that right now peace must take precedence over me.

His aunt didn't reply, laying down her cup and gazing at him with intense dark eyes before sighing and giving in, “You have to know that this is foolishness Tobirama. You cannot avoid your clan forever, and I know that this exile is already grating on you.” Here Tobirama opened his mouth to object, but his aunt stopped him with a sharp glare “You cannot lie to me cub, I know that you miss Hi no Kuni and your idiot of a brother, no matter how well you think you hide it. Gods know that I would gladly keep you here with me, and have you take on the Hatake name, I would do it in a heartbeat if I thought that it would make you truly happy, but I know it won't and that's why I haven't offered. Now, I know that you are planning something, so out with it, you know that I will find out anyway sooner or later!”

Her words stopped Tobirama in his tracks and he looked down - shamefaced. Here he was, sheltered and cared for by his aunt, taken in despite all the trouble that he had caused her, and instead of being grateful, he was already planning on leaving without saying anything.

His aunt must have known what was going on through his head because she shifted until she was next to him and reached out to gently stroke his hair “None of that, cub” she murmured roughly, “I can hardly hold any of this against you, my sweet one, it is natural that you miss your kin and the home that you have lived most of your life in, it would be unfair of me to expect anything else from you, and I knew from the moment you woke up that you weren't going to stay forever.”

In response to her words Tobirama just nodded, closed his eyes, and curled up against her warm flank, feeling guiltier than ever.

“I planned to leave” he choked out at last, his head buried in her shoulder. She said nothing, just hummed in acknowledgment and kept on stroking his hair.

“When do you intend to go, and where?” she asked, not faltering in her movements, “August, when the rest of the clan comes back," he whispered. “A wise choice,” she acknowledged, “There will be plenty of supplies, you can stock up appropriately, but you still haven't told me what you plan to do.”

Tobirama sighed, and breathing in her familiar scent thought over his plan, “I'm returning to Hi no Kuni,” he finally replied, raising his head to look into her knowing gaze. “I need to speak with the Nara.”

Notes:

sooo this chapter was kinda heavy, because getting tobirama to open up is like trying to pry open a clam with your fingernails. still it was fun to write and explore his feelings, especially on the matter of his exile.

mostly because even though it was planned and he's safe with family, he's still homesick. at the end of the day, the hatake are strangers to him, he lived with them for a few short months when he was young, and he has fond memories of them and kept in contact with his aunts. but he's a grown man and not a little kid, he left a whole life behind with no intention of returning and that is incredibly hard.

i also want to show that his relationship with his brother, no matter how distant they are now is still one of his main motivations, they were close as kids and tobirama has spent his whole life following his brother. now that they are separate he is kinda lost on what to do, so his goals still center on his clan and helping his brother. when the village is actually up and running tobi will have to face this unhealthy habit and build himself a life that doesn't revolve around work and his clan.

i hope that you liked this chapter, and as always thank you for all the comments and kudos, they really cheer me up.

Chapter 16: in which madara plans

Summary:

Madara works on planning the peace treaty, while considering Senju Tobirama and his many skills.

Notes:

madara's back! and he's overworked...

03/07/2025 edits: i'm fixing up some mistakes and changing some sentences/formatting bc my writing style has changed a bit and this makes the read smoother and also fixing some plot holes/inconsistencies

Madara squinted at the tax forms on his desk and absently wondered what he had done to deserve this torture.

Because honestly, at this point he was convinced that the Daimyo's taxes were the root of all evil and the fact that he hadn't gone mad because of them was a bloody miracle. Little wonder Hashirama had pushed almost all his clan's financial work onto his little brother - especially considering the fact that the tree hated maths with a passion most reserved for their worst enemies, and couldn't sit still even to save his own life.

Alas Madara himself didn't have that luxury and as such had created a handy system to get it out of the way quickly so that he could get on with the more pleasurable aspects of his job. After all, he had all but given up on trying to get Izuna to do his work, given the fact that he was more likely to set his paperwork on fire than complete it.

Which was why Madara had Hikaku handle the bureaucratic aspects of being clan heir, especially considering the fact that the one and only time that Izuna tried to handle matters with the elders he caused two fires and almost murdered elder Metsukeishi - so it was really for the best that he was in charge of clan security instead. Not that murdering elder Metsukeishi wasn't an unreasonable thing to want - Madara himself had had to stop himself from doing just that almost everytime he was in the damnable man's presence.

Speaking of unbearable fools, Madara had to check on Hashirama and his progress. The tree had reported that their missing Senju was last seen by a patrol of Hyuuga, and that he was going to invite the prissy assholes to his compound to discuss what they knew - to Madara's eternal horror.

Still, better Hashirama than him, if he had to deal with the slaving bastards he was liable to commit several crimes - and that didn't bode well for the peace Hashi was always blathering on about. He studiously ignored the fact that it was a peace that he had helped plan, and was actively participating in.

Finishing his tax reports he rose and with a satisfying pop of his back yanked open the drawer in which he kept the White Demon's notes.

When this whole thing had started, Madara had assumed that Senju Tobirama's desperate flight was uncoordinated and foolish, and while the second affirmation held true, the first one was quickly disproven. Hashirama's little brother was a genius, and Madara couldn't for the life of him understand why the man wasn't held in higher regard.

His notes on administration and bureaucracy were amazing, and his plans for a universal academy in which the clans pooled their shared knowledge in order to better train and protect their children were nothing short of drool-worthy. When Madara had questioned Hashirama as to how and why his brother was so knowledgable about children and how to train them, the man had promptly answered that the White Demon apparently spent his free-time teaching his clan's children.

A fact that had Izuna frothing at the mouth - apparently he was still unable to imagine the fact that his rival had a personal life and hobbies outside of inventing creative new ways to kill Uchiha. Still, Senju Tobirama's apparent fondness for children explained the fact that he had gone out of his way to heal Kagami fully - wasting valuable time and chakra. These qualities intrigued Madara, and he couldn't help but admire the man.

The more he learned about him the more he wanted to know, so it was unfortunate that the Senju was likely with the Hatake, where Madara couldn't reach him. There was much that he had to ask him. Still, there were plenty of other places that Madara could get information - the Nara for one, were said to host the pale Senju often, and Madara wouldn't mind having a chat with the clan heir about what he knew if the opportunity presented itself.

And with the way things were going it likely would - Hashirama wanted to move soon and invite the clans of Hi no Kuni to witness the signing of their peace-treaty in the hopes of uniting them all together. If such an event were to take place, Madara would take the opportunity presented to him and snoop around for any news on the Senju heir.

It would kill three birds with one stone really - bring the clans together, show off the newfound unity of the Uchiha and the Senju, and give him important insights on his quarry.

Alas Madara couldn't look forward to the event - not when he knew that organising it would be a logistical nightmare that would probably fall on him considering Hashirama's track record, even though it would for the best all things considered, as asking Hashirama to participate in planning would be a recipe for disaster.

No, this matter required careful thought, inter-clan cooperation, and patience. As such, to get them out of the way and prevent a diplomatic incident, Izuna and Senju Touka could collaborate on the security - giving them little opportunity to piss off anyone truly important. Hopefully, they would distract each other and not cause any fires.

Uzumaki Mito, Hikaku and Madara himself would work out the meeting place, time, accommodations and refreshments. The cost would be split evenly between the Senju and the Uchiha as the hosting clans, though Mito-hime had kindly offered her services as a seals-mistress free of charge.

And naturally Hashirama's job would be to be his usual exuberant self - mingling and charming their guests to his heart's content. Madara himself knew that he wasn't going to be much use in convincing anyone of anything, to angry and stern compared to his friend's smiling persona. No, his job would be to guard Hashirama's back and make sure the fool didn't make any promises he couldn't keep - since his brother wouldn't be there to do that.

Ugh, he was just thinking about sticking to Hashi all evening while the other flitted about like an idiot and he was already getting a migraine, so the fact that Senju Tobirama managed to do just that on a regular basis without commiting fratricide was nothing short of miraculous, especially considering what he knew of the man's personality from his brother and cousin's stories.

Thinking about the pale Senju, Madara lit up his kiseru and took a long drag, savouring the clove as he breathed out. He knew that he really shouldn't smoke in his office - it displeased Izuna, but he needed something to take the edge off. These last few weeks had been stressful, what with Hashirama's breakdowns over his missing brother and all the extra work that came with trying to establish peace - dealing with the elders had been a nightmare after he dared sign the cease-fire without seeking their advice.

And, speaking of errant younger brothers - it seemed that his own had taken the opportunity to escape the compound while Madara was distracted. Disregarding the fact that as a sensor Madara was almost always aware of what went on in his own compound. Truly, such reckless stupidity was liable to get him killed - Madara would have to remind him of the dangers of sensory skills when he returned, especially considering his rival's talents in the art.

Still, his brother leaving without informing him bothered him - he knew that Izuna needed space sometimes, and Madara's overprotective hovering wasn't conductive to that, but in his defence the last time he had let his brother out of sight he had gotten mortally wounded and had only survived because of his greatest rival's mercy. So sue him - he knew that he was being overbearing, but he had lost too many siblings to take Izuna's presence for granted.

What would have happened, he mused if Izuna had died?

The question was redundant, he knew, he was a Mangekyo bearing Uchiha - kept sane by a thread. Had Izuna left this world, Madara would have likely lost his mind trying to avenge him and then died himself. In the event that his brother had died and Senju Tobirama had thrown himself at Madara's feet to spare his clan as was his plan... Well, Madara knew himself well enough to recognise that Hashirama would have lost his last remaining brother to death instead of exile.

And the White Demon likely knew that as well, so the fact that that choice had even been on the table for him was admirable. Luckily it hadn't come to that, and never wouldm - Madara owed too much to the man to ever raise a weapon against him in anything other than self defense.

And on the matter of said debts - it seemed that he would soon have company.

It seemed that a tiny spark - young and mischevious, was trying to sneak into his garden. Smirking in amusement, Madara took another puff of his kiseru and absently questioned what exactly Kagami had planned. Wandering over to the window the Uchiha activated his Sharingan, tomoe spinning wildly as he observed his young cousin as the child set up... Traps.

Ah, a prank, how charming. Observing closely, Madara noted how Kagami unspooled lengths of ninja wire and affixed it to hang over the paths, where an unwary shinobi might trip over it. Amused, he continued to observe, recalling a few of his own childish escapades, and how he caught his siblings, parents and clan members with similar traps.

Overall it was a harmless trick - but it could increase a child's fine motor control and help them spot good places to set up traps on the fly and as such was tolerated among even the stringiest of the clan elders. It was good that Kagami was recovered enough to go back to pranking, it had been the child's favourite pastime before he had gotten hurt, and besides, it had been a while since anything interesting had happened, and Madara had missed the indignant yelping that followed a sprung trap.

So it was nice to see Kagami well, he had so busy lately that he hadn't been able to spend much time with the boy, and who knows, mayhaps his erstwhile brother would provide Madara with some much needed amusement when he inevitably tripped over one of those cleverly placed wires while he trained.

With that amusing thought, Madara extinguished his pipe, sighed and went back to work.

Notes:

ngl, this chapter was kinda hard, but i hope that you enjoy madara's inner musings and kagami being cute!

next chapter will either be a continuation of the senju family drama from touka's pov, or i'm considering doing kagami's pov and his thoughts on his saviour.

as always tysm for the kudos and the comments, and i hope that you liked the chapter!

Chapter 17: in which kagami wants

Summary:

Uchiha Kagami wants more than anything to meet the nin who saved him and thank him, but unfortunately there's a compound of overprotective clanmates in his way.

Notes:

welcome back! i decided to try my hand at kagami's pov, and since this chaps more of a filler it's kinda short

still i hope you like it, next week we'll be back to our regularly scheduled senju family drama

03/07/2025 edits: i'm fixing up some mistakes and changing some sentences/formatting bc my writing style has changed a bit and this makes the read smoother and also fixing some plot holes/inconsistencies

Uchiha Kagami knew that his survival was a miracle - and that it made most of his clanmates uncomfortable if he spoke of it.

But he remembered the pain, Madara-sama's desperation and the iryo-nins' frantic attempts to heal him. He knew that the Hagoromo's poison was almost impossible to drain, and couldn't be safely neutralized at his age without killing him. He recalled Madara-sama's desperate search for an antidote, and how he had spent almost every moment not on the battlefield at Kagami's bedside, cocooning him with his chakra as though afraid that he would slip away the moment Madara-sama stopped paying attention.

He remembered the fever, and how scared he was, how he clung to Madara-sama and whispered that he didn't want to go yet - despite knowing that it was inevitable. He had felt it in the way his chakra was fading, his vision blurring, how his clan mates congregated around him to whisper blessings and told him that if he was brave a little longer, he would see his parents soon.

So yes, Kagami knew that the fact that he was alive was a miracle, and he was as surprised as everyone that he had lived. Not only because of how he was healed - but also because of who healed him.

After all, his kaa-san and tou-san always said that the Senju were awful, disgraceful fiends, unworthy of being called shinobi, and after they were killed by them and he entered into his cousin Hikaku's care, the man did nothing to dissuade those beliefs.

And yet Kagami had been healed by a Senju.

The worst Senju of all, according to cousin Izuna, who was always muttering about “that damn white-haired freak” before he was injured and healed. So Kagami was confused - because the Senju were their enemies, they had killed his parents and his aunts and uncles and cousins, but Kagami, cousin Izuna, Guren-san and Arabi-san had all been healed by a Senju, and now Madara-sama was saying that the Senju were no longer their enemies.

Which was confusing because it angered a lot of Kagami's clanmates, and it displeased the elders, which was the one thing kaa-san had told him he must never, ever do.
But Madara-sama did it, but maybe it was okay because he was clan head? Still, it made Kagami happy - because if the Senju were no longer enemies, then Kagami could meet the nin who saved him and thank him properly without betraying his clan!

Admittedly he didn't know how he was going to do that yet, because he was little and not allowed far from the compound, and after his injury Madara-sama had ordered that no child under 12 was permitted outside without supervision, not even to go on messenger missions!

But Kagami would figure something out, he was smart! Everyone said so - complimenting his traps and his katon justsu, saying that he was quick and quiet on his feet. So yeah, as soon as Kagami could figure out how to sneak out without Madara-sama noticing he would do it!

He knew that his saviour was a Senju, and the Senju lived on the other side of the Naka, so Kagami's Senju must also be there!

And Kagami knew how to get to the Naka, he had run messenger missions before, he was used to following the river till he reached the Trinity clans or the Kurama, and he had always been told to never cross because the other side was enemy territory. But still, if the Senju were no longer enemies, that meant that now the other side was safe, and if Kagami went and asked, he was sure that they could lead him to his Senju - because they were allies and allies helped each other!

So really all Kagami had to do was create a distraction, slip out of the compound, cross the Naka, find a Senju and voilà!

He could meet with his Senju, and the only other big problem was that Kagami didn't know his Senju's name - or what he looked like.

All he remembered was the feeling of clear, sweet chakra as it cleansed Kagami of poison and took his pain away - a hoarse voice whispering assurances and long fingered hands combing soothingly through his hair. But still, that obstacle meant nothing, because Kagami was determined to meet his Senju and he was an Uchiha! And according to Madara-sama an Uchiha should never give up if they truly want something.

And Kagami really wanted to meet his Senju and thank him more than anything in the world. So now he just needed to make it happen!

Notes:

ngl writing a child's pov was hard, esp a young child like kagami who i hc to be about 7ish in this fic, mostly bc i wanted to make it realistic which was hard bc he's not a regular child, but a child soldier. so i had to mix in a childish outlook tainted with the knowledge that he could die and how he would react to his near death in a manner that doesn't seem weird.

i also wanted to explore how the feud affected everyone, especially children, and their role in the clan and the war

i hope i managed all that, and that you liked the chapter!
as always ty for the kudos and comments, they really make my day

Chapter 18: in which touka breaks

Summary:

Senju Touka is confronted by her cousin while she trains and is forced to the brink when he asks her a question she hasn't heard since she was a child.

Notes:

sorry for the late update!!!

i had an exam today and spent the whole weekend studying and forgot to edit this so it wasn't ready for posting.

WARNING this chapter has a character experience a panic attack, if this upsets you and you want to skip it, there will be asterisks marking the start and end of the scene. please take care of yourself folks!

as always i hope you like the chapter and i'm sorry for the lateness

03/07/2025 edits: i'm fixing up some mistakes and changing some sentences/formatting bc my writing style has changed a bit and this makes the read smoother and also fixing some plot holes/inconsistencies

Touka pounded her fists against the training dummy, relentless.

The comforting thumping of fists hitting straw as her heart pounded in her ears, the smell of dry hay and pollen mixing together in the air, the sun beating against her skin as she sweated in the humid heat. This was where she belonged - this was what she was good at. There was nothing else in the world, just her and her body, beating on an enemy until one of them gave up and dropped.

So far she was winning, ignoring the ache in her muscles and the blood dripping down her knuckles. She should have grabbed gloves, but in her anger, her need to get away from it all and vent she had forgotten, and she now paid the price. It didn't matter though, nothing mattered except the feeling of flesh pounding hay and the pure catharsis of taking her rage and helplessness out on something.

She knew that she would regret it later - when her fists stung like hell and she wouldn't be able to move without wincing. But later didn't matter - now did.

She had been out here for hours, working out her frustrations and trying not to think, distract herself until she was so tired that she could forget all her problems and just sleep. She snorted to herself, knowing how unlikely that was.

Punching the dummy extra hard at that thought, she sighed when the hay finally gave up and it collapsed to join its fellows on the floor. Wiping her sweaty forehead with a forearm she winced at the sight of her bruised, bloody knuckles and just as she contemplated tearing her shirt to wrap them she heard it. Whirling around she sank into a defensive stance - only to freeze in shock at the sight of her doofus of a cousin standing under the tree canopy with a pained smile on his face.

For a moment they stared at each other in silence, until Hashirama cleared his throat and offered her an opportunity she had been yearning for since Tobirama left, “Want a training partner?”

Never before had such words so shocked and pleased her - here was the perfect possibility to vent her rage against an opponent she didn't have to hold back against, and one she was pissed at to boot. She could go all out without any worry.

Forgetting her bloody knuckles and abused muscles, she unfurled from her crouch and gestured for Hashirama to come closer. She didn't know why he was offering, or if he would ask anything in return for this and frankly she didn't care. All she wanted to do was beat his smug face in until she felt human again, then collapse somewhere and sleep for a week.

Fortunately he seemed willing to provide, and she was too pissed to question it - if he wanted to get thrown around for a few hours then by the gods she would be happy to do so, maybe she could beat some intelligence into the man - though she didn't have high hopes for that. If a childhood under Senju Butsuma hadn't taught him better, nothing in the world could.

Approaching him, she watched as he slid into a defensive position - tracking his movements, she noticed a weakness in his left flank and so without hesitation she rushed forward and punched. He danced out of the way, her fist barely grazing his haori, undeterred she pushed onward hitting him with a series of jabs. He blocked most of them, but his footwork faltered on the last ones, giving Touka the chance to sweep her foot out in a vicious kick and get him in the knee.

He grunted and shifted, attempting to alleviate the pain and defend at the same time. She didn't let him, pressing forward she increased her speed to keep him destabilized. It worked, as with one final kick and a blocked punch to the face she cornered him against a tree. By this point they were both panting slightly with exertion and her knuckles were sorer than ever, but Touka didn't care “Yield” she growled out and only removed her leg from his gut when he nodded and wincing mumbled his assent.

Allowing him to rise Touka turned around and returned to the centre of the clearing, cracking her back and shaking out her aching arms she faced him and coldly demanded “Again.”

He didn't answer, merely joining her with an assessing gaze and slipped into a defensive crouch. She scoffed at him, and lunged forward - restarting their violent dance.

They kept at it for hours, and by mid-afternoon they were both exhausted and covered in sweat. Hashirama had taken off his haori sometime after their fifth bout and Touka had wrapped her knuckles with strips of her shirt to stop the bleeding, and through it all her cousin had been acting strange...

Quiet and observant, less exuberant, letting her take the lead in their fights, it put Touka on edge considering that she didn't know what he wanted - and that pissed her off. So she kept at it, beating against him in the vain hope that he would get sick of it, tell her what he wanted and fuck off like he usually did. But from the way that he was acting she knew that that wasn't happening, so if she wanted to be left alone she would have to take point.

Striking him one last time, she flipped out of the way of his block and landed, raising a hand to stop his approach. Deciding to be direct she eyed him carefully and demanded “What do you want?”

He faltered at this, his expression smoothing out as he muled over her words and tried to formulate an answer. She waited, shifting impatiently as he visibly struggled with what to say, before finally sighing heavily and declaring “I want to know if you're alright.” This statement startled Touka so much that she stopped, frozen and stared at him - disbelieving.

“You came, her to ask me...if I am alright?” She repeated slowly, tasting the words on her tongue and wondering over their meaning.

Hashirama nodded earnestly and looked at her with a hopeful expression on his expectant face. Touka couldn't answer him, not at first, busy thinking about the aching loneliness of the past few weeks - her helplessness and exclusion in matters that by right she should be involved in. No, she decided, Touka was most definitely not alright, she hadn't been alright in quite some time in fact, and the fact that her tactless log of a cousin dared ask this question filled her with enough rage to have her spitting acid.

Ass, she couldn't help but think to herself viciously, horrid, selfish ass to corner her like this and do this. Years he had ignored her and Tobi, never asking after them and now suddenly he decided to change?!

Glaring at him, blinded by rage, unthinkingly she moved whipping forward with a punishing blow. Naturally, he jumped back, startled, and grasped the fist she aimed his way gently, as though he didn't want to hurt her. And after that she couldn't keep it in, letting out a desperate, hysterical laugh - because since when had Hashirama cared!

**********

“How dare you,” she choked out, desperate “HOW DARE YOU ASK ME THAT AFTER EVERYTHING!!!” and collapsed, sobbing.

He caught her of course, but she barely noticed him cradling her, muttering desperate platitudes, asking her what was wrong. She was so lost in her pain that she almost couldn't breath, fighting the endless tide of memories that she had suppressed. All she knew was that she was alone, and her most trusted person was gone and she could do NOTHING, helpless like when she was a child under Butsuma's cruel gaze - her best efforts never good enough.

A weak, pathetic child, orphaned and alone but for a tiny cousin who followed her around like a wary cat. A cousin who was now gone, and it was her fault.

If only she had known she could have stopped him - if only she had checked on him to make sure that he was alright then they wouldn't be here. Her, stuck in the compound doing a job she hated, following orders like a good soldier, unable to help him in anyway. And him, exiled from the clan, homeless and wounded, fuck but she didn't even know if he was alive!

Her thoughts spiralled endlessly, all the moments in which she could have intervened, all the ways in which she could have helped, the doubts that she had squashed when he looked at her with hooded eyes and a fake smile and promised her “ Don't worry I'm alright, just a little tired.” And she had ignored her instincts, choosing to believe him like a fool because it was easier to not acknowledge it - ignore it until it went away, like they had always done.

Except it hadn't gone away, or at least not in the way that she wanted, because never in her life - not even in her most horrifying nightmares had she imagined living in a world where her brilliant baby cousin wasn't by her side. She had always thought that if they were separated, it would be by her death.

Not like this - never like this.

This was all wrong, like being stuck in an Uchiha's genjutsu, except that it was real and she had no idea how to get out. Her thoughts swam round and round, a black hole of fearful, lonely, helplessness - and she couldn't escape from them. No matter how hard she tried, she was left grasping for an escape like a drowned man grasped onto driftwood.

**********
And suddenly... Humming - she could hear humming. And feel the soft silk of a haori scrunched up in her fist. The scent of pine and sunshine tickled her nose, a warm body holding her tightly and humming softly.

Weary, she opened her eyes and met a warm honeyed gaze, seeing her cousin smiling at her tremulously and whispering “Rest cousin, I will keep you safe.”

Disbelieving, but too exhausted to do anything Touka nodded and buried her head in his shoulder. Hoping that just for a little while, the world would go away and let her grieve in peace.

Notes:

yikes, touka really didn't react well did she. poor hashi just wanted to have a chat and ended up having to deal with a panic attack, poor man

unfortunately the senju don't have access to therapy atm, and shinobi in general have pretty shit mental health
but touka will have mito and hashi to help her so things will get better!

thank you for the kudos and comments, they really make my day
and i hope you liked the chapter!

Chapter 19: in which hashirama cares

Summary:

Hashirama deals with the aftermath of his cousin's breakdown and realises several unpleasant things about himself and his actions.

Notes:

sorry for the lateness!
i have my IGSCE exams in a week and i've been studying like mad lol, it's like i have no time for anything else 😭 but still it'll all be over soon and i'll be free, i'm on break rn but it's back to hell on monday and i'm dreading it soo much

also happy liberation day!!!

as always i hope you like the chapter, and i'm sorry again for being late

03/07/2025 edits: i'm fixing up some mistakes and changing some sentences/formatting bc my writing style has changed a bit and this makes the read smoother and also fixing some plot holes/inconsistencies

Hashirama had no idea what to do.

All he knew was that he had promised Touka that he would keep her safe - and he had no intention of breaking that promise. The problem was he had no idea how to go about fixing her problems - or what the problems even were for that matter - he had approached her hoping to resolve things, but he seemed to have only managed to make things worse, which made him suspect that the cause of the problem was probably him.

Which was certainly an unpleasant wake-up call, and he seemed to be getting lots of those recently.

First Tobi disappearing, then Madara shunning him and now Touka having a breakdown because of him... Well needless to say it was enough to make a man reflect. And reflect he did, gazing down at his resting cousin - who did not appear to be having a restful time at all. Her brow was furrowed and her lip was red from how hard she was biting it, stifling any sound she may be making - probably a nightmare then.

Those Hashirama could deal with at least, he still remembered lulling his younger brothers to sleep after they had bad dreams, and he could very faintly recall how his mother used to calm him down after a restless night.

Sighing through his nose Hashirama started slowly stroking Touka's hair and gently humming the melody his mother used to sing for his cousin when she first came to stay with them. He hadn't taken care of anyone this way in a long, long time - but evidently some things stay with you no matter how much time passes, because Touka's frown eased and she started breathing normally, relaxing enough to stop biting her lip bloody.

Noticing for the first time how bruised and bloody she was, he winced to himself in admonishment. Here he was intruding and demanding a spar - not even checking if she was fit for it. Focusing on his chakra, he removed the hand stroking her hair and with a careful application of iryo-ninjutsu he healed her lip before moving on to the rest of her.

Starting with her knuckles, he sighed at the state he found them in - so damaged that they had managed to bleed through the wrapping she applied, sticking the stiffened fabric to open wounds. He would have to unwrap them to heal her, but it would undoubtedly hurt given how the dried blood had glued the cloth to her hands, still it would be better to heal them now rather than wait for her to wake and risk infection.

Decided he hummed louder and started unwinding the fabric as gently as possible. Fortunately Touka was accustomed to pain and didn't react to the process aside from frowning faintly and letting out a few pained grunts. Slowly the cloth was removed, showing raw flesh sluggishly oozing blood, seeing the mess Hashirama winced and wondered why she hadn't used gloves to avoid this situation - which led to the consideration that she might have done this on purpose to punish herself for some perceived failing or other like he often did and nope, no, he wasn't going down that road.

Ignoring uncomfortable thoughts on self punishment Hashirama proceeded to carefully heal the lacerated flesh - observing as the wounds scabbed over before knitting together fully, the scabs pealing to reveal smooth tan skin.

Flexing his fingers Hashirama returned a hand to his cousin's hair, stroking her silk smooth strands until she shifted in his lap, seeking a more comfortable position.

Looking down at her, he couldn't help but notice how young she was, and how tired she looked, with dark circles under her eyes and stress lines around her mouth. Fragile, he couldn't help but think - so very, very fragile. He had never noticed that before, seeing only her strength and her resilience, her determination and fierce loyalty. She had always been there - a great shadow at his and Tobi's backs, ready to divert their father's attention, take on the harder missions to give them more time to prepare, and on the battlefield she was always at the back, covering for them as everyone retreated.

Always there, always loyal, unwavering even when he didn't deserve it. Truly he hadn't been fair to her, failing her as he had his brother - falling into the same distructive, neglectful patterns without even realising it. Shame rose up at that thought, the fact that he was so foolishly blind, following his father's footsteps without even knowing.

Making his family suffer just like him, too focused on a single goal to bother checking how they felt, standing above them as clan head and not an equal, a family member.

No wonder they never came to him with their problems he thought bitterly, blinking back tears. He had failed them so badly it was a miracle they stayed and supported him as they did. Touka could have left - should have left really, followed his brother and protected him as she so clearly wanted to.

And oh, little wonder she was pissed at him when he had excluded her from his investigations - denying her access to meetings she had every right to be in as clan heir. Fuck, but he was a fool! He thought he was protecting her by keeping her in the dark, knowing how much Tobi's absence pained her. He had believed that she wouldn't want the reminder of the fact that he was gone.

But Touka had always hated to be idle, of course she would want to be involved and actively searching for her beloved little cousin instead of twiddling her thumbs in the compound.

Well, from now on she would be involved Hashirama promised himself, she would be invited to every meeting no matter how private, she would have access to all correspondence and be the first to know about any news, and she would organise and lead the patrols he had planned to send on the Hatake trade routes instead of being stuck in the compound, bogged down by paperwork and endless meetings with the elders.

Drying his eyes with the sleeve of his haori, Hashirama resolved that from now on he would do everything in his power to protect his family and see to their needs - as he should have been doing all these years. And he would so starting now, rising slowly, he lifted his cousin in his arms and started back towards the clan house - she needed a safe place to rest and recover and he needed help.

Hopefully Mito-hime would be generous enough to provide it.

Notes:

they need so much therapy istg. poor hashi on the verge of his own breakdown realising how badly he keeps fucking up, hopefully mito will be able to help him lol.

fr tho tobi is out there living his best life while his fam is imploding without him lol, still the poor man really deserves a break after all the bs he was put through. next chap we will see how he's doing and what he's planning

kudos and comments give me life, and i hope you like the latest instalment of senju family drama!

Chapter 20: in which izuna fucks up

Summary:

Izuna just wanted to help his aniki by finding information about the disappearing Senju, unfortunately he hadn't planned this particular mission very well and ended up in a ... hairy situation.

Notes:

so sorry about the lack of updates!
but my latin igcse was this friday and i am officially free! (until the 13 of june 😭😭😭) so i had very little time to plan out, write and edit new chapters.

but on the bright side summer hols are three weeks away and the i'll have all the time in the world to write so please be patient with me 😅

as always i hope that you like this chapter!

03/07/2025 edits: i'm fixing up some mistakes and changing some sentences/formatting bc my writing style has changed a bit and this makes the read smoother and also fixing some plot holes/inconsistencies

Izuna cursed as he raced through the trees, avoiding a volley of kunai by a hair's breadth.

Leaping onto a lower reaching branch he ducked to avoid a doton jutsu and responded with a katon before shunshining into the folliage. He could admit that he had been kind of rash and maybe could have planned this encounter with the patrolling Inuzuka better - but it's not like he had meant any harm by approaching!

Honestly, he just wanted to learn more about their clan and traditions, in a bid to help his brother. The Hatake were related to the Inuzuka, and the two clans had a strong bond, so Izuna had thought that maybe he could approach them and enquire about a certain missing Senju. He sure as hell hadn't expected them to react as though he had threatened to murder their clan head!

Aniki must never learn of this, he ascertained as he ran, followed by the baying of bloody ninken, knowing that if Madara ever found out he would laugh himself hoarse before promptly shutting Izuna up in the compound forever!

Really, if he thought about it, this was all Tobirama's fault - if the fucker hadn't healed Izuna then Madara could have just gone insane and avenged him like a normal Uchiha instead of developing a ridiculous hyperfixation on his stupid rival. But noooo, Senju Tobirama just had to subvert every fucking expectation Izuna had of the man and heal him before fucking off to the thrice-damned Hatake, leaving Izuna with an obsessive older brother who couldn't do anything about his obsession because the object of it had fucked off to bloody Tetsu no Kuni of all places.

If Tobirama had just slunk back to his log of a brother like a normal person, Izuna would be safe and comfy in his compound instead of being chased after by a bunch of enraged Inuzuka through half of Hi no Kuni. If this is what happened when Izuna tried to help, then he was never doing anything of the sort again - aniki could get his own info about the Senju and leave Izuna out of his weird fixations.

Swerving to avoid being bitten by brutally sharp teeth, Izuna couldn't help but wonder how long this would go on. Because they were close to reaching the Uchiha lands' northern border - and yet his pursuers weren't showing any signs that they were slowing down, and he was beginning to think that they intended to chase him all the way back to the bloody compound.

Which absolutely could not happen! Because then Madara would find out, and he would make That Face and then Izuna would be forced to explain because he couldn't stand That Face. So he would cave and tell his aniki about his genius plan - but would Madara understand his brilliance? No! He would probably drop his head into his hands and start muttering about diplomacy and other political bullshit before locking Izuna in the compound with the clan's decrepit, judgemental elders till Izuna was just as decrepit as them!

So, yeah Izuna needed to find a way to stop them from pursuing him, and fast, unless he wanted to be stuck in the compound doing paperwork until he gave up and died of boredom. And for that, Izuna needed a plan and he needed it fast. And at this point, realistically - he had very few options.

And really the only truly feasible one would be heading north-east so he could cross the Naka into Senju territory where if he remembered correctly the Inuzuka couldn't follow him due to the treaty they had made with Senju Butsuma decades ago. A treaty that they hopefully still respected because if they didn't then Izuna was so screwed.

Still despite this plan's (many) flaws and uncertainties it was really the best option he had. So Izuna muttered a quick prayer to Amaterasu-omikami, shot out another quick katon, and jolted west. A whine and some incredibly creative cursing told him that his jutsu had hit, but he really didn't have the luxury to turn around to check the damage.

Instead he rushed through the forest like he had the bloody White Demon on his tail.

At the speed he was going he had just a few more miles to go before he would reach the Naka and from there all he had to do was hop across and hopefully enjoy his pursuer's indignation at having lost their prey from the safety of the Senju's ridiculously sized trees. Yeah, that would probably make up for being chased across half of bloody Hi no Kuni by salivating hounds and their pissed-off humans.

As Izuna ran he pondered on how exactly he was going to conceal this little adventure from his aniki's eagle eyes before promptly being forced to acknowledge that such ponderings were a terrible idea when involved in a chase as he was almost herded off a bloody cliff. He managed to save himself with some quickly executed shunshin and plenty of liberally applied katon but it was still the principle of the thing!

An Uchiha did not simply fall for such blatant tricks - and he was kind of offended that they had even tried it on him. He also conveniently ignored the fact that it had almost worked, consoling himself with the fact that really, it was aniki's fault for being so scary and distracting him.

But still, the sight of the cliff cheered him up significantly as he realized how close he was to his goal. Because sure enough if he circled his chakra to his ears he could already hear the river currents' roar, flowing swiftly to the sea - dividing his clan lands from the Senju's as unerringly as their feud divided them.

Not that lands and divisions would matter for much longer considering his brother's and the tree's diabolical plans for a united compound, where all clans would stay and be united as equals. Which Izuna was not looking forward to by the way, because if things went as planned he would have to live with the bloody Hyuuga and their weird sealing practices and stuffy manners.

And judging by the amount of planning going on, it was very likely that this unification project would work - of course, once again it would all be Senju Tobirama's fault. Because these days it seemed that he could barely go a single day before his brother started waxing poetic about another one of Senju Tobirama's planned schemes or treaties, or worse of all... tax laws.

By Amaterasu-omikami was Izuna tired of listening to his brother extrapolate about section A subclause 21! Or the thrice-damned Academy notes!

Because really, at this point it was almost enough to make him want to run away to Suna and never return - and Izuna despised Suna! Filled with sand as far as the eye could see and containing only half-feral shinobi who couldn't hold a decent conversation or provide any sort of entertainment if their miserable, dry lives depended on it.

Honestly, if you asked him, his aniki desperately needed a hobby that had nothing to do with politics or planning, or obsessing over Senju Tobirama or any of Senju Tobirama's stupid projects.

Any hobby at all would do! Hell, even sparring with the tree would be better at this point, except that nooooo Madara was mad at the tree and refused to interact with him when they weren't talking about their future plans or politics. Forcing Izuna to witness the Shinobi no Kami sulking of all things!

See, and even this was Senju Tobirama's fault because if the pale fucker would just come back, then maybe the tree could finally fix whatever problems they had and Madara would stop being mad at him, and Izuna wouldn't have to witness anymore undignified sobbing!

It was the perfect plan, hence Izuna's attempt at having a calm, reasonable conversation with the Inuzuka - which lead to him somehow pissing them off, and being chased across what felt like all of Hi no Kuni! As soon as he was back at the compound, he would have Hikaku write a strongly worded missive to the clan head, complaining about the aggressiveness of her shinobi.

Actually no, as soon as he was back at the compound we would take a nice, relaxing bath and wash off all the sweat and dog drool he had accumulated during this ridiculous chase. And then he would go whine at Hikaku until the other gave up and wrote a letter that wouldn't have Madara tearing his hair out (which is what happened last time Izuna wrote a letter addressed to another clan and that was also responsible for Izuna being banned from doing diplomacy again, ever, on pain of having to deal with the elders.)

So, yeah Izuna may have made a few mistakes in the execution of his plan and his attempts at communicating - but they were all neighbours and this violence was really not necessary!

In this case Izuna chose to conveniently ignore the fact that the Senju were also technically neighbours and much closer ones at that because THAT was different and the violence was entirely justified.

He was thinking about all the ways in which he could complain to his brother about this whole situation (obviously twisting the story a bit, he wasn't a complete idiot!) when he finally breached the folliage and made for the opposite bank with a pack of pissed off nin dogs on his tail. Glancing behind him he winced and making a snap judgment leaped to the other shore, having to twist at the last moment to avoid a ninken's razor-sharp teeth and thus not noticing the fact that there was a person on the other bank.

A person that Izuna would have ended up ramming into if they hadn't snatched him out of the air as though he was an unruly child. And it was at this moment that Izuna caught on and realized that he had monumentally fucked up - because there was only one person in his life who had ever dared grasp him by the collar like that.

And sure enough when Izuna raised his head he was met head-on with a single raised eyebrow and unamused scowl before his captor decided to have mercy on him and turned to address the pack of baying hounds and pissed-off shinobi pacing on the opposite bank.

Not that Izuna much cared about them anymore, because frankly, he had much bigger things to worry about now considering the fact that he had been literally caught by the last person he had ever wanted to find out about this particular misadventure. And judging by the expression that he had been met with - Izuna knew with swift and certain clarity, that he was fucked.

Notes:

idk why but i've decided that izuna will be my clown in this fic, i just know that that's the vibe i'm getting and imma flow with that bc it's kinda funny. on one hand we have, stern, hardworking tobirama and on the other we have his clown of a rival who is incapable of talking to anyone important without starting a diplomatic incident lol.

anyway this chapter was a bit different compared to my usual, but next week we will be back to our regularly scheduled tobirama and his pack of overprotective puppies (now including his younger aunt, who is very dismayed to have missed her beloved nephew's arrival and the fact that he is planning to leave so soon)

kudos and comments give me life and more importantly seratonin, and i hope that you liked this chapter!

Chapter 21: in which tobirama starts a new project

Summary:

Tobirama winds down and works on his projects, enjoying the time he has left until he has to leave and go put his plans in motion

Notes:

welcome back!

this chapter is mostly about tobirama using his genius and having fun with his projects, living his best life while the land of fire gang suffers through politics, diplomacy and izuna

as always i hope you enjoy! 😊

04/07/2025 edits: i'm fixing up some mistakes and changing some sentences/formatting bc my writing style has changed a bit and this makes the read smoother and also fixing some plot holes/inconsistencies

Tobirama hummed as he finished another hiraishin kunai, pausing to double check that the seals he had etched were perfect.

He had missed seal work, the meticulousness and care put in every character calmed him and occupied his thoughts enough that he stopped worrying about everything else. The world faded away when he was working on his sealing and he entered an almost meditative state, able to stay in the here and now instead of worrying over battles and feuds.

It also helped that the field was so delicate that making a mistake could wind up deadly - so he was left alone while he worked, everyone too scared too come bother him with their problems in case he messed up while distracted. His aunt had given him leave to use his Minoru-obasan's office since she was away and he needed a quiet, out of the way place where he wouldn't be disturbed.

And, oh it was wonderful - he could spend a couple of blissful hours a day working on his projects in silence before joining his kin for meals and lessons with the cubs. His inclusion brought warmth to his chest, but he needed a few hours to himself to decompress, especially considering how rowdy and social his cousins were. The Hatake were too closely tied to their summons - and the bleed over had given them a pack-like mentality.

Useful in combat when they all had to work together, less so when the loss of pack could cause a Hatake shinobi to literally go mad. An unfortunate occurrence that didn't happen often, but when it did it always ended badly. The kindest thing to do when that happened was a mercy kill, as there was no coming back from such a loss.

If the shinobi was young when it happened, then they could be integrated into the clan and recover given sufficient support - but for older shinobi who had lost too many it was often impossible. Such cases often ended in suicide and there was nothing to do about it other than to try and ease their passing. He theorised that something like the Yamanaka mind jutsu could help in such cases - but even that was risky.

In this Tobirama knew, he took after his mother, his loyalty written into his very bones. A fact that was unfortunately proven when his younger brothers died and he ended up near catatonic with grief. His father's decision to send him to the Hatake was the only good thing the man had ever done for Tobirama and it had likely saved his life, probably because for once the man had headed the warning signs and remembered his wife's advice about what grief could do to her clanmates.

A shame that Butsuma hadn't headed her advice about Hatake and loyalty, and as such almost ended up breaking one of the most important alliances the Senju had - he had been lucky that the Hatake hadn't broken their treaty and gone to ally with the Uchiha after the betrayal of his marriage contract to Tobirama's mother.

Tobirama himself had been too young to be involved but he remembered how tense the situation was after Butsuma had remarried and how even years later - when he went to stay with his aunts, they still hadn't forgiven his father.

Hatake mated for life, and it was stipulated in the contract that Butsuma was to take no other spouse after Hatake Manami.

Unfortunately his father had decided that such stipulations no longer mattered after his wife's death and did the equivalent of spitting in the Hatake clans face by proceeding to take another wife. The only reason that his Madoka-obasan hadn't done as threatened and allied with the Uchiha was because if she did so then she would be forced to cut ties with her nephews permanently, and for all her pragmatism Madoka-obasan hadn't been willing to do that.

Still, that incident had strained the two clan's alliance so much that even after Hashi took over as clan head things didn't improve - though not for a lack of trying on his brother's part.

Part of Tobirama's self assigned mission while he was here was to try and see why exactly the Hatake were unwilling to resume the previous relations with the Senju and to try and fix things. If the Hatake would back his anija up in his Village building project then everything would go much more smoothly. The participation of such a well respected clan would go a long way and the inclusion of their trade contacts and routes would make the Village wealthy - and maybe even tempt the more reticent clans like the Orochi and the Iburi into joining.

And oh! Abandoning the kunai for now Tobirama hurried over to the desk for some paper - eager to write down this latest idea. Because maybe they could expand the networks to include the Aburame's silks, the Akimichi's food products and the Kagetsu's herbs, even the Kohaku's amber, spreading clan made goods down the Hatake's trade routes! So many opportunities, the boom in trade would attract other clans and the Village could become self sustaining in a way that the clans on their own simply couldn't! It would mean that they wouldn't have to rely so much on outside forces and be better equiped to handle things like droughts - because by pooling resources they could also take advantage of alliances with clans from other lands, like the Hyuuga's political alliance with the Taketori clan from Mitsu no Kuni!

So many benefits would surely bring the clans closer together than any non-aggresion pacts or promises of peace - because while safe-guarding their children was all well and good it would be useless if they had nothing to eat and struggled over missions. In this way, each clan could bring something unique and useful to the Village, expanding it's wealth and sharing resources with everyone equally would ensure that no clan was overlooked and would help while they figured out how to handle missions distribution!

Humming happily Tobirama continued scrawling, consulting various maps and remembering which clans where affiliated with who and plotting proposals and letters - losing himself in his new project, content to ignore the outside world for now - so absorbed in his work that he didn't notice his Minoru-obasan's chakra descending on the compound like a hurricane.

Notes:

tobirama: in his happy place drawing up plans and treaties and stuff having the time of his life
madoka: welp as long as he's having fun
minoru: NEPHEW!!!

tobirama flitting from one project to the next like a mad man, work space looking like a storm passed through it grinning at his aunts presenting a ten step plan to make them all ten times richer

next chapter we'll finally see minoru, who is v disappointed in her sister for not informing her that their nephew had been back with the hatake for weeks and that she wasn't there to welcome him or spoil him like he deserves lol

Chapter 22: in which mito has guests

Summary:

Mito entertains Hashirama and ponders on how best to help her best friend's older brother

Notes:

welcome back!

in this chapter, i'm bringing back the peerless uzumaki mito, the only sane person currently in the senju compound lol
i only have a week left of school and then summer hols start so i'll be posting more often 🤗 anyways, i hope you like the chapter and i'll see you next week!

05/07/2025 edits: i'm fixing up some mistakes and changing some sentences/formatting bc my writing style has changed a bit and this makes the read smoother and also fixing some plot holes/inconsistencies

Mito knew intellectually that Senju Hashirama-sama was a powerful and intelligent man.

But faced with his current pitiful expression as he stood before her door, holding his cousin like she was the most precious thing in the Ninkai - it was rather hard to take him seriously. Still, Mito was raised right, and it was rude to leave guests waiting. So, she shifted wordlessly and gestured for the man to enter. Nobody's fool, he heeded her and came in, his steps shinobi silent, his grip on Touka-san unnervingly gentle.

Now Mito had no idea what happened, but judging by the exhaustion and fading panic in both shinobi's chakra she could make a guess - but she would withhold her judgment until she had a clearer grasp on the situation.

In the two weeks since she had met with Senju Hashirama-sama and promised him her aid, Mito had discovered several things about her host. Some of them she had already known, while others came as a surprise. She had already learned from Tobirama how much his brother cared about peace - but it was one thing to hear about it and another to witness it firsthand. It was clear to anyone who cared to look how much Hashirama-sama wanted peace – and not just a temporary cease-fire, but true, lasting peace. Any man willing to invite a delegation from a clan that was not his ally and treat them as cherished friends, any man willing to write to all the clans in his country and beg for aid, no matter how foolishly, any man ready to make peace with the clan who had killed his little brothers in cold blood very obviously cared about peace.

Yes, Senju Hashirama-sama lived and breathed for peace and was willing and ready to work for it - which Mito could respect. However, that didn't change the fact that some of his actions left much to be desired - for instance, the way he treated his family left Mito with questions. It was blatantly obvious to her that he cared deeply about them - her sensing gave her front-row seats to how his chakra brightened around his clanmates and curled around the whole compound protectively, but his actions were nowhere near as clear.

Case in point, Senju Touka-san being excluded from important meetings and planning when she should have been included - given her position as clan heir and her close bond with Tobirama. But instead of allowing his clearly grieving cousin to help in the investigations he had confined her to the compound - leading to her spiralling into a breakdown that could have been avoided.

Mito couldn't help but heavily disapprove of the lack of communication between clanmates, as it could cause significant problems and lead to grudges or desertions - Hashirama-sama's authoritarian approach to leading his clan could ruin him if he wasn't careful. Although, from what she understood, the Senju had always worked like that - if anything, Hashirama's rule was considerably softer than his father's and grandfather's had apparently been. But they had led the clan in war, and now that they were at peace - things needed to change and Mito wasn't sure if Hashirama had realized this, given his recent behavior.

She decided firmly that she would bring it up later, leading him to her living room and making sure that he and Touka-san were settled before going to make tea. As she prepared her good matcha, she contemplated what to do with her guests, allowing the familiar, soothing steps to calm her worries. Setting each cup onto a tray with a rhythmic clink, she wondered whether she should prepare one for Touka-san as etiquette required.

Sending out a flare of chakra, she sensed the exhaustion and pain in the kunoichi's chakra. She decided it would be better to let the woman sleep - whatever had happened had clearly deeply affected her and it would be cruel to wake her unnecessarily. With her decision made, Mito carefully plated up her favorite wagashi and went to join her guests, tea tray in hand.

Entering her living room Mito noted with approval that Hashirama-sama had sat himself down in front of her chabudai and situated his cousin so that she was comfortable, body laying on Mito's cushions and head pillowed on Hashirama-sama's lap. Whatever had happened must have shaken him greatly for him to allow such a breach of etiquette. Normally, Mito would disapprove, but the situation was delicate - and family came before manners. She was happy that Hashirama had realized there was a problem and was trying to fix it. It boded well for future clan relations.

But still, the fact that Mito had noticed Touka-san's behavior and how it had changed after the meeting with the Hyuuga before Hashirama-sama had was concerning. However, it was a clan matter, and it hadn't been her place to interfere.

She was here to assist in retrieving Tobirama and to advise Hashirama-sama on diplomacy - so as to keep any more blunders like the one that revealed the Senju clan heir was missing from happening.

But if Hashirama-sama were to ask her to assist him in other matters - well she would not necessarily be opposed. Their clans were allies and as long as he didn't ask her to do anything that would endanger the Uzumaki, Mito was happy to help.

And since he was here with Touka-san it was probable that he wanted her assistance, and she would provide it. After all a stronger, more united Senju could only benefit the Uzumaki and if helping Hashirama-sama overcome his problems with his family also helped Tobirama - well that was just a bonus.

Observing the man cooly over her teacup, Mito couldn't help but note the softness in his gaze as he looked down at his sleeping cousin, his expression partially shielded by a curtain of long chestnut hair. Not for the first time Mito noted how attractive Senju Hashirama-sama was and wondered what would have happened had the marriage alliance that Senju Butsuma-sama wanted gone through.

Such thoughts were useless and Mito knew it. Senju Butsuma-sama's request for a marriage alliance had been refuted and his son's pretty face wouldn't change that. Mito was here to help an ally - not to seek a husband. So dismissing any thoughts about pretty doe eyes and long silky hair Mito cleared her throat and gestured for her guest to start talking.

After all, he may have come to her for help, but she was no Yamanaka to read his mind. If he wanted assistance, then by the gods he would have to learn how to communicate like a normal human being, instead of staring at her with his stupid doe eyes and hoping that she would solve all his problems!

Notes:

mito babes ily but your taste in men is just terrible. like yes he's pretty and powerful and occasionally smart but like come on you can do soooo much better

ik people hc that mito and hashi had an arranged marriage, and that is a cool concept but i think it's way funnier if they meet and bond bc of tobi who then has to play matchmaker later when his idiot brother realises that he's in love with this pretty deadly lady, like omg tobi what does she like??? and tobirama is just. so tired of his brother's bs but also wants to see him happy and as such is dragged kicking and screaming into matchmaking lol

anyway i hope you liked this chapter and don't judge mito too heavily for her taste in men lol

Chapter 23: in which minoru-obasan is a menace

Summary:

Tobirama's latest project is interrupted by the unexpected arrival of his aunt, who is eager to pull her nephew away from his paperwork for some long overdue family bonding.

Notes:

sorry for the late update, but the muse ran away and it took a while to chase her down lol
also, summer hols have started so dobby is free!

as promised this chapter introduces tobirama's second aunt (and her summons) and sees tobirama getting absolutely no work done bc he deserves a break

i hope you enjoy!

05/07/2025 edits: i'm fixing up some mistakes and changing some sentences/formatting bc my writing style has changed a bit and this makes the read smoother and also fixing some plot holes/inconsistencies

So, Tobirama may have miscalculated. Lying on the floor under 150 pounds of wolf while his aunt cackled at his predicament, he pondered on the fact that he really should have been paying more attention to his surroundings.

Alas, if only he hadn't been too embroiled in his current projectm - then maybe he wouldn't be stuck in this unfortunate situation. Usually, he would never have allowed anyone or anything to sneak up on him, his sensing keeping him aware of everyone around him since he had learned to master it in his childhood, and the hard-won instincts honed on battlefields and missions ensured that his awareness of his surroundings was impeccable - as expected of a Senju shinobi.

Unfortunately, he had let himself go, embroiled in his newest task, assuming he was safe in the middle of his kin's well-protected compound. Staring at his aunt's toothy grin, helplessly trapped underneath her furry companion he was forced to reevaluate that assumption. Clearly, he should not have been nearly as trusting, then maybe he wouldn't have ended up like this - stuck at the mercy of his mother's wild older sister, with nothing to shield him from her loving clutches.

Though in his defense, he had assumed that his Minoru-obasan would be returning with the last of the trading parties - overseeing that all was well, and satisfying her wanderlust before Tetsu's brutal cold forced her to remain cooped up in the compound all winter with the rest of the clan.

It had been like that when he had come to stay with them as a child, his wild aunt wandering all over the Ninkai - guarding the Hatake's trading routes, taking missions, signing contracts and deals in her clan head's name. Second in command to Madoka-obasan as he was to Hashirama.

He had always looked up to the relationship the two shared, how they didn't let duties and distance dull the love between them - or let their clear differences divide them. The way that they respected each other's abilities, how his Madoka-obasan never judged his Minoru-obasan for her wildness and wandering nature, and how his Minoru-obasan respected her older sister's pragmatism and followed her commands - trusting her leadership. He had hoped that he and his anija could share a similar bond, unfortunately, that particular dream had faded over the years - as the divide between them grew and Tobirama failed to surmount it.

It had saddened him when he was younger, made him think that there was something wrong with him - that was before he had met Mito-hime and realized that a relationship was a bridge and, while he could try and cross all he liked, if his older brother didn't do the same then all his efforts would be in vain.

And so he had stopped trying.

He was respected, his work was trusted and his skills acknowledged and that was enough for him. He had forgotten how good it felt to be praised for his projects until his Madoka-obasan found out about his most recent idea and started clucking about how good it was, endorsing him to continue and even handing over some of the Hatake's ledgers detailing trade agreements so that he could look over them.

And indeed that was what he had been doing - before he was so rudely interrupted by his aunt's summons. Said aunt was naturally deeply amused by his attempts to escape, interrupting his fruitless wriggling with an irreverent laugh before adding to his misery by cruelly leaning against her wolf's bulk.

Choking slightly under the added weight Tobirama let out a whine before turning pleading eyes towards her, putting on his most wounded tone, he kissed his dignity goodbye, and wheezed out a plaintive "Obasan please, I can't breathe"

Naturally, his aunt wouldn't fulfill his request and instead exclaimed "Dear nephew, are you calling me and Yuri fat?!" In the most fakely offended tone known to man. Unamused Tobirama merely glared up at her and tried to shift the happily panting wolf off of himself. When that failed he scoffed and muttered "For your information, I was working on an important list before your oversized canine decided to use me as a cushion!" At the mention of lists his aunt shuddered dramatically and finally let up, pushing Yuri off of him and yanking him up off the ground - and into her arms as though he was still a scrawny child.

“Lists," she declared caustically, "Is that why you didn't come greet me, nephew? Too busy doing paperwork to greet your aunt, cub? Are you sure that you're not secretly Madoka's son?” Familiar with this joke, having heard it bandied often during his last stay Tobirama relaxed into Yuri's warm fur and with a sharp grin that bared his Hatake-sharp teeth parried “I fear that I'm far too reckless to be Madoka-obasan's child. Had she been my mother I sincerely doubt that I would be here now.”

Snorting in acknowledgement his aunt finally relented and let him go with a quick hair ruffle. Unfortunately, the reunion wasn't finished as Tobirama found himself smothered by Yuri when the ridiculous wolf decided that he should reacquaint himself with the Senju's smell and started to judiciously sniffle at his face and hair. His aunt - used to her summons antics, merely cackled at her nephew's plight.

Huffing in amused annoyance Tobirama tolerated Yuri's scenting until the wolf decided to start licking him - at which point he had enough, grasping onto the wolf's thick fur Tobirama shifted until the animal was leaning over his shoulder, delighted, his aunt's summons snuffled closer and attacked his hysterical mistress with slobbery kisses.

Satisfied with his vengeance Tobirama patted Yuri's thick fur and enjoyed his aunt's disgusted noises with a smirk.

Shifting his weight against Yuri, he buried his face in the summon's fur and ignored the way the oversized puppy was wiggling to enjoy the wolf's familiar wild pine scent and the way his thick fur tickled Tobirama's cheek. Noticing the Senju's state Yuri ceased attacking his mistress with kisses to lower himself onto the tatami mats.

Forced to move or let go, Tobirama knelt and proceeded to bury himself back into the wolf's comforting side - only to be displaced when his aunt decided to join them. Grumbling softly the Senju allowed himself to be manhandled until he was leaning comfortably against his Minoru-obasan's side, her long, limber fingers buried in his thick, overgrown hair and scratching in a way that made him go limp with pleasure.

Burrowing closer, Tobirama shifted his head onto her shoulder and let the soothing, rhythmic pounding of his aunt's heartbeat and her wild, familiar scent lull him - remembering all the times they had done this when he was young. As a child they would curl up together like this, him safely tucked between her and Yuri when she decided that he had worked enough and needed to rest.

She hadn't been present as often as Madoka-obasan, but Tobirama remembered with fondness how she had rushed back to the compound after finding out that his father had sent him to the Hatake - forgoing travelling the trading routes that year to spend time with her young nephew.

And though had she still ventured out of the compound on missions and hunts, she always returned within a week or two to spend time with him, having satisfied her wanderlust.

He was deeply touched that she cared enough about a nephew she barely knew to control her wandering nature and stay with him. He had even joined her on a few of her hunts, spending days in the wilderness learning how to track and hunt like the Hatake - lessons that he had started with his mother, but that had been discontinued when she became too sick to leave the compound.

His obasan had helped him with that grief as well, with fond stories and amusing anecdotes of what his mother had been like when she was young - before she had married Butsuma and left Testu no Kuni's cliffs for Hi no Kuni's forests. It had helped him in a way that little else had, made him feel close to her and remember her when she was flushing with health, running wild in her beloved forests.

Surrounded by familiar warmth, Tobirama pondered on how much he had missed this — the comfortable companionship of another person who had no expectations and wanted only to spend time with him. Jolted out of his thoughts by a gentle tug on his hair, Tobirama brought his attention back to his grinning aunt, who looked exceptionally pleased at having distracted him.

With a grin on his face, Tobirama closed his eyes and relaxed. It was obvious that he wouldn't be able to get any more work done - so he decided to enjoy the peace and quiet before his Madoka-obasan finished her work and came to fuss over them.

Notes:

poor tobi, almost squished to death lol

minoru is like izuna, in the sense that she's fabulous at being a shinobi and absolutely abysmal at paperwork, although she is better at diplomacy than him, at least she's never set anyone on fire lol although she had threatened to gut ppl

as always i hope that you liked the chapter, and kudos and comments give me life!

Chapter 24: in which madara is diplomatic

Summary:

Madara is forced to fix his little brother's mistake and receives a surprising invitation.

Notes:

welcome back!

this chapter is brought to you by my personal experience with running after my siblings and cleaning up after them, and i hope you like it!

05/07/2025 edits: i'm fixing up some mistakes and changing some sentences/formatting bc my writing style has changed a bit and this makes the read smoother and also fixing some plot holes/inconsistencies

Madara was exhausted. Standing on the edge of a meandering riverbank, holding his brother by the collar, facing a pack of furious Inuzuka - he couldn't help but wonder if Senju Tobirama had the right idea by running away and leaving his idiotic sibling to deal with his own problems for once.

Because judging by the furious expressions of the Inuzuka and his little brother's obnoxious pout he could guess how exactly this had happened and he was disappointed. Madara didn't expect much from his brother - but staring at the seething shinobi on the opposite bank he had to admit that he had severely underestimated his otouto's ability to piss people off.

Honestly, all he had wanted was to cool off after another difficult meeting with certain elders and instead, he was forced to deal with this nonsense.

Letting go of his little brother's collar Madara ensured the idiot didn't fall and then turned to face the Inuzuka, but not before sending a warning glance backward and a flash of his Sharingan to his otouto, warning him to not intervene. Thankfully Izuna obeyed without fuss, trusting his older brother to fix the problem - trust that would have warmed Madara had he not been so pissed off.

The Inuzuka must have sensed his disquiet and as such were rightfully wary - which wouldn't help Madara's goal of trying to solve whatever problems they had with his sibling so that they could all go home without bloodshed. Alas, he was an expressive man, his chakra signature blazing and his emotion easily visible - especially when he was as angry as he was now.

Still, a bad mood was no reason to start a diplomatic incident, especially considering his brother's actions. So Madara pushed down his rage, cleared his throat, and raised his hands to show that he was unarmed.

Not that such a gesture meant much to a shinobi who needed nothing but his eyes to kill someone, but the gesture showed that he meant no harm and the Inuzuka seemed to accept this as they stopped their furious pacing and growling to allow one of their own to approach. A tall woman with a huge, black ninken - likely the patrol leader judging by the many fangs that decorated her hunt necklace, stepped closer to the river and spoke with a growl “Your brother led us on a merry chase Uchiha-sama.”

Nodding his head in a show of respect Madara replied “I apologize for whatever problems my otouto has caused Inuzuka-san, and while I don't doubt your judgment may I know what he did that merited being chased all the way to the Naka by a full patrol?” At the implication that he might have deserved being run down, Izuna let out an offended squawk - but thankfully chose to remained silent after Madara flashed him another warning glare.

The interaction seemed to amuse the Inuzuka, who grinned showing off razor-sharp, pearly white teeth and distorting the crimson clan tattoos on her cheeks and oh, oh Madara had a terrible feeling that he knew exactly why Izuna had decided to approach the Inuzuka. Staring at the grinning shinobi Madara prayed that he was wrong - that his foolish otouto wasn't stupid enough to ask a clan known for their loyalty to spill secrets about allies.

Naturally, his prayers went unheaded as the Inuzuka opened her nightmare of a mouth and declared Izuna's folly to the world “Izuna-sama approached us with... questions,” the pause after that word was highlighted once more by flashing fangs “About our Hatake cousins. He was quite insistent. Because his main line of questioning concerned Madoka-sama's nephew, we took it as a threat. Especially considering Izuna-sama's relationship with the shinobi in question.”

And there it was, clear as day, his little brother really had been foolish enough to go to the Inuzuka with questions about Senju Tobirama - who was apparently not just related to the Hatake but a nephew of their clan head. Sage wept no wonder he fled to them, sure of his welcome! Hashirama had clearly omitted things when he told Madara why Tobirama may have gone to them. And no wonder the Inuzuka were so defensive, usually they were damn hard to piss off but threatening family... Yeah, that would do it.

Izuna was lucky they were willing to talk and hadn't just ripped his throat out for the insult.

“My apologies, Inuzuka-san,” Madara repeated, stiffly “I can assure you that my brother meant no harm with his queries - as you know, we have recently entered into a cease-fire with the Senju, in part due to their clan heir's actions and since he left to join the Hatake, Senju Hashirama-sama has been distressed by his absence. Given our past friendship and my clan's skills, he has asked the Uchiha to assist him in finding his brother. I can promise you, Izuna meant no harm with his inquiries, if anything he seeks to help considering the fact that he owes the Senju in question a life debt.”

At his words, the patrol leader hummed in consideration and sniffed carefully before turning to her companions. The rest of the Inuzuka had formed a sort of circle around their leader and were now whispering amongst themselves. Now Madara could mold chakra to his ears and eavesdrop - but that would be rude and counterproductive to his goal.

Not that Madara had any scruples with being rude and causing offense, but such things had a time and a place. Right now Madara needed to act like a dignified clan head and be diplomatic, so he ignored his desperate curiosity to turn to his brother and raise a judgemental eyebrow at the brat.

Naturally, Izuna responded to his taunt with a glare and opened his mouth to say something undoubtedly, horrifyingly impudent, only to be interrupted by the Inuzuka, whose statement was so surprising that for a moment Madara wondered if he was somehow stuck in a genjutsu - because unless he had somehow misunderstood they had just been invited to meet with the Inuzuka clan head.

Notes:

poor madara, dude just wants a break and is forced to do diplomacy lol

ik that the inuzuka and the hatake aren't actually related but i figured since they both have canine companions and similar values in my universe they are distant cousins/allies, so it stands to reason that madoka would let the inuzuka clan head know about what's going on, especially considering the fact that tobi is going to go back to Fire country.

next chapter we'll be back with the wolf aunties and our boy, in the meantime i hope you liked this update!

Chapter 25: in which tobirama reflects

Summary:

Tobirama spends time with his aunts and thinks back on his relationship with his father.

Notes:

welcome back!
sorry for the late update, i wrote a touka pov but scrapped it bc i hated it and this chapter took a while to finish bc i didn't know where to take it lol

as always i hope you like it

06/07/2025 edits: i'm fixing up some mistakes and changing some sentences/formatting bc my writing style has changed a bit and this makes the read smoother and also fixing some plot holes/inconsistencies

Tobirama was right; it had taken less than half an hour before Madoka-obasan had abandoned her paperwork to join them in their sleepy contentment.

When she had seen them spread out on the floor, she had scoffed and rolled her eyes - but the way her chakra softened and reached for them told Tobirama all that he needed to know. She was pleased - probably because she had been pushing him to rest and relax more, insisting that he shouldn't work himself to exhaustion and pass out at his desk. She like to remind him that here, no one would begrudge him his projects or try to take them away, claiming that they were useless to the war effort and, as such - a waste of his time.

All things that Tobirama knew and understood, but after a decade of ingrained habits and his own tendency to tunnel vision whenever he found something that inspired him, well he tended to slip. Back home that would have meant days in the lab before someone dragged him out - either because his family was starting to worry or because he was needed.

Here, he had no lab and as such no place to barricade himself into, and his aunt was stringent about him socialising - insisting that it was good for him to spend time with others and not locked up in his head. Which he had to admit was true, as he had noticed that he worked and felt better if he had more interactions, and he enjoyed spending time with his kin - especially knowing that he would have to leave soon.

But that didn't mean that it wasn't disconcerting getting dragged out of his work - it was always frustrating when he lost a thread of thought and couldn't get it back because he had failed to note it down. Something that had happened often, until his Madoka-obasan realised that something was wrong and almost immediately thought up a solution, telling him to take a notebook and brush with him when he went out so that he could jot things down, calmly remarking that no one here would complain about him being passionate about his work.

This had proven to be true, as when Tobirama had followed her advice, tentatively squirrelling a bound leather journal and discretely making annotations under the table, no one had been insulted - instead they had simply made space for him at the table and left him muttering in peace, occasionally nudging him to remind him to eat.

They had even asked questions and offered advice, and since many of the shinobi currently present at the compound walked the trade lines their opinion proved to be quite valuable. The Hatake rotated who stayed and who went out yearly - taking preference and compatibility into consideration when deciding who took on what roles, so most of the shinobi Tobirama spoke to had been out recently and given the Hatake's neutrality they had encountered and traded with a lot of clans and could tell him who was allied with who, what problems they had and what their leadership was like.

All information that Tobirama had noted down, as no matter how wonderful the lists his Madoka-obasan had loaned him were, they detailed technical information regarding what clans traded what and with whom and would only get him so far. He also needed to know the character of a clan's head and what mentality the clan followed if he was going to approach them.

It would be stupid and reckless for him to go to a shinobi clan without learning as much about them as he could and planning how to deal with them - which unfortunately included making exit strategies in case things went wrong. If he wanted to help anija create his village, he also needed to figure out the best way to get clans to join, because no matter what his brother thought a promise of non-violence and defence simply wouldn't be enough in some cases.

Such a thing wouldn't be trusted unless sealed with blood and chakra, and most ordinary shinobi would balk at taking such extreme measures - let alone clan heads who had to think not only, of keeping themselves alive but also all their kin. Hence Tobirama's plans.

Plans that he was planning to share with Minoru-obasan, who had travelled the trading lines for years and was on pleasant terms with a lot of important people as a result. Knowing that if he asked her she would be willing to assist him, no matter how boring she found the work to be.

Rising from his comfortable position against Yuri, Tobirama greeted his Madoka-obasan with an absent-minded kiss and shuffled over to the desk he had commandeered during Minoru-obasan's absence. Riffling through the sheets of paper, he hummed triumphantly when he found his original list and eagerly presented it to his Minoru-obasan - who took it from him gingerly and patted the spot next to her in invitation.

An invitation he gladly accepted, positioning himself on Yuri in such a way that he could comfortably read over his aunt's shoulder and offer any clarifications. His Madoka-obasan - already familiar with his project and well aware of the problems he was encountering due to his many rants, went over to the organised chaos on the desk and started sorting through Tobirama's mess.

The Senju in question felt a jolt of panic at the thought of his organised chaos being disturbed and half rose to stop his aunt, only to be pulled back by his Minoru-obasan, who halted his panic with a mutter of “Colour coded according to importance, lists on the left pile, treaty and talk plans on the right, random ideas and half baked plots in notebooks kept either on shelves or in drawers, anything finalised also set aside, usually colour coded with a black line on the top of the page,” she looked over at his perplexed expression and raised a questioning brow “That is the system you use to organise things, no nephew?”

Her question brought Tobirama out of his stupor, and he hummed affirmatively, ignoring the warmth in his chest at the fact that they had remembered, his aunts who he had not seen in years had memorised the system that he used for his projects like it was important - like their nephew's work was significant and they didn't want to cause him problems by disturbing it and oh! He shouldn't be surprised by this but squinting over at his Madoka-obasan, he realised that she was respecting his system and keeping his piles carefully separated as she looked over his latest notes.

Naturally, his Minoru-obasan noticed his distraction and clicked her tongue in irritation, and shifting his gaze towards her Tobirama was surprised at the pissed-off look on her face and the cryptic murmur of “Well now I understand that request.” Alas before he could question her, his aunt ruffled his hair and rose, crossing the room in powerful bounds and disappearing into the corridor - all while mumbling swears and insults about shitty fathers and terrible taste in partners.

Confused, Tobirama turned towards Madoka-obasan, but the older woman simply sniffed at her younger sister's antics and went back to flicking through Tobirama's plans as though nothing out of the ordinary had happened. Biting his lip, Tobirama was just about to wonder what exactly he had done to annoy his aunt so much that she had to leave so abruptly, when Madoka-obasan chimed in “It's not your fault, dearest, she's angry because that degenerate that dared call himself your father keeps proving that he should never have been allowed around children even from beyond the grave.”

At this Tobirama decided that it would be wiser to not ask any more questions - as any mention of Senju Butsuma was liable to send both his aunts into a frothing rage. So instead of inciting a tirade about Butsuma's many faults and perceived crimes Tobirama rose and joined his aunt in sorting through his many notes, knowing that the topic of Butsuma would inevitably be brought up another time.

It was surprisingly nice to hear his usually calm and composed aunt go on a tangent about how awful Tobirama's father was, cathartic to know that he wasn't the only one who disliked the man and judged the way he ran his clan and was willing to bring it up instead of staying silent out of “respect for the dead". Back home Butsuma simply wasn't talked about - not even Touka who hated him more than anyone and refused to give offerings at his shrine dared talked ill of him, and trying to mention him around Hashirama was useless unless his goal was to have his brother lock himself in his courtyard and not talk to anyone until he had calmed down. So finding people who were willing and able to discuss Tobirama's father openly, and who didn't judge him when he expressed opinions that others would find disrespectful and unfilial had surprised Tobirama - but it had also helped him immensely.

Being told that the way his father had treated him, both in training and out of it wasn't normal and that he didn't deserve it, nor was he at fault for it - was extremely gratifying, because logically Tobirama knew that fathers shouldn't treat their children the way he and his brothers had been treated by Butsuma. But some part of him had always questioned it, had thought that maybe if he had been faster, better, more skilled or knowledgable then his father would have loved him more.

His aunts had listened to his thoughts and disputed them, reminding Tobirama that love wasn't something that children should ever have to earn from their parents - and that his mother sure as hell hadn't cared how quickly her children could cut down enemies or how powerful their jutsu were, she had only cared that he and his brother were healthy and happy.

And Tobirama knew that to be true, he remembered how often his parents had argued when his kaa-san had been alive - how the shouting could be heard even through the soundproofed wall of his father's office, his mother howling about how he had no right to treat her children this way, fierce as a storm in her defence of his and Hashirama's right to enjoy their childhood. How her rage was so great that often Butsuma capitulated, letting Tobirama spend time with his seals and allowing Hashirama to lose himself in his orchard for a few hours before they were forced to go back to training.

He also remembered that as he got older and his mother sicker these privileges were permitted less and less - his time was occupied more with learning kenjutsu and Hashirama's occupied with heir duties and training his mokuton. And he resented it, the fact that even now years after his father's death he had to justify the way he spent his time - and he suspected that his brother felt the same way.

He hated it, how even now his father had such an influence on him and his actions, and it was the main reason behind why he refused to treat his students the same way, even though the elders disapproved. Shinobi children they may be, but he refused to do to them what was done to him. So he trained them, taught them kata and jutsu, how to set up traps and hone their sensing - but he also left them time for themselves to do as they pleased, and he never berated them for the activities they chose to do to fill that time.

Because he still remembered the way Butsuma had reacted when Hashirama had spent a day painting instead of honing his mokuton, how their father had destroyed his brother's art and supplies before ordering him to make up for the time he lost by training through the night - he remembered how heartbroken his brother had been. Tobirama didn't know if Hashirama had managed to keep painting after that incident, but if he did he kept his work private and never confided with him - and even after their father's death he didn't know if his brother had dared pick up the brush, and if he had, he hadn't shown anyone his art.

At least Tobirama's hobbies were useful and he had been allowed to work on his seals and jutsu as long as they helped the clan.

But even then he had restrictions, having to constantly justify his work to his father and the council of Elders - and if they were dissatisfied with what he had produced then he would be punished and his time in the lab restricted. After Hashirama took over things were different, and Tobirama was allowed to dedicate more time to his projects and no longer came under scrutiny if his tinkering didn't produce anything useful - but his time was also taken up by his various duties.

No matter how much he longed to work on his own things, there was always something else to do, something more important - and he had been raised to put the clan's needs above his own. Even here he sometimes felt like he should do more to help, and his aunt always rebuked him for such sentiments.

Now, helping her sort through his latest project, which he enjoyed and could spend as much time on as he wanted, Tobirama couldn't help but note with some irony that his estranged aunt - with whom he had spent little more than a year, was a better parent to him than the man who had raised him could ever hope to be. And that thought hurt more than it should.

Notes:

hi, i really don't like butsuma!

i'm sorry about the lack of action on tobi's side of things, but as he'll be leaving soon and travelling all over so i want to focus on his relationships and how his mindset is changing away from his clan as well as flesh out why he is the way he is and also how his relationship with his brother became what it is bc i love writing sibling relationships and can't wait for their reunion

as always i hope you liked the chapter and kudos and comments give me life !

Chapter 26: in which izuna plots

Summary:

Izuna is ordered back to the compound while his brother visits the Inuzuka, unfortunately, he also had a plan.

Notes:

welcome back!

this chapter is brought to you by summer holiday listlessness and annoying younger brothers, please enjoy!

06/07/2025 edits: i'm fixing up some mistakes and changing some sentences/formatting bc my writing style has changed a bit and this makes the read smoother and also fixing some plot holes/inconsistencies

Izuna made sure to make his protests heard when his brother bade him to return to the compound, but Madara ignored his perfectly reasonable complaints and forced Izuna to retreat under his gimlet glare.

Bounding into the foliage he turned to give his brother one last pleading glance only to receive a flash of his Sharingan in response! Message accepted - he was going. He knew that he had messed up with the Inuzuka, but he still thought that his brother going into another clan's lands without backup was stupid and dangerous - no matter how powerful Madara was!

He could be captured and used as a hostage, they could torture him for clan secrets or they could just kill him to weaken the Uchiha! Madara was a good clan head and a better shinobi - he knew all of this. So the fact that he had still resolved to go alone - instead of taking Izuna or asking the Inuzuka if it would be possible to postpone this visit until he was better prepared made him worry.

And being a good little brother, Izuna wasn't about to go and let his aniki walk into a trap - no, he would follow at a distance and rejoin him when they were at the edge of the Inuzuka's lands, so that Madara couldn't send him away without putting him in danger or revealing a lack of unity and communication!

Or at least that was the plan until Izuna felt his brother's chakra against his own, tracking and warning him to behave. And well, there went that plan. Izuna knew that his brother was stubborn enough to track him all the way to the compound if he needed to, and that he would refuse to follow the Inuzuka until he was certain that Izuna wouldn't be able to follow him.

Usually, his brother's refusal to budge on certain matters amused Izuna - like Madara's refusal to entertain certain elders on certain practices. Izuna still remembered the rows over eye-swapping which had almost seen elder Metsukeishi exiled. Considering the fact that that particular tradition had died with Izuna's grandfather and how hard Izuna's father had fought to stamp it out it was a wonder that the elder had retained a position on the council, but Madara had been young and new to his role - while Metsukeishi was old, powerful and respected.

Had his brother gone through with his threats then he would have allienated the rest of the council, who would protect one of their own regardless of whether they agreed with him or not - and Madara knew that he couldn't afford to make any enemies out of his councillors. But Izuna was well aware of the fact that it still bothered Madara to this day, and that his brother kept trying to find reasons to oust the curmudgeonly old man - his ire at the proposal burning strong even after all these years.

So yes, Madara's stubbornness had benefited him in the past, but right now it was intervening with his plans and if Izuna returned to the compound, relaying the fact that Madara had decided to go to the Inuzuka's clan compound unaccompanied and Izuna hadn't followed him then Hikaku was liable to skin him! Not to mention what the council of Elders would have to say about this, letting his clan head follow a patrol of unallied shinobi to their compound would be worse than treason in their eyes and Izuna could already hear the ear-splitting lecture that was coming from his way!

Really Madara was cruel for subjecting him to this - he bet that Senju Tobirama didn't have to put up with such indignities! Then again he had to deal with Hashirama, which was probably ten times worse, but still, the point stood.

Only Izuna's aniki put himself in stupidly dangerous situations that left his poor brother worried out of his mind and at the mercy of power-hungry old people and pissed-off cousins! Alas, his brother was as stubborn as a mule and Izuna knew that there was no way to convince him this time, so he needed to get to the compound quickly and alert Hikaku - who was a skilled diplomat and would know what to do.

The man had survived the Daimyo's court, surely he would find a way to ensure that Madara didn't get his fool self killed. The Uchiha had just finished a feud and Izuna wasn't ready to be clan head, if Madara fell at an Inuzuka's hand the Uchiha would have no choice but to declare war and frankly Izuna was a bit tired of fighting.

He hadn't realized how much the feud with the Senju had affected not only him, but the whole clan - until it was all over. Izuna had grown up in war, as had most of his kin, and as such the air in the compound had always been one of expectation - the Senju could attack at any moment and they had needed to be prepared to respond. Now that there was peace Izuna found himself at a loss, he hadn't realized just how much of his life revolved around the damn Senju until they had stopped fighting! He no longer had to always keep weapons on his person at all times, he could relax in his own home and sleep deeply without fear and he had time to dedicate himself to hobbies that he hadn't practiced in years.

He hadn't picked up his shamisen since his father had died, too bogged down by his duties as Madara's heir and his training, so much so that he had forgotten how enjoyable it was to spend an evening just playing or composing - without worrying about being needed.

It had forced him to realize just how much this war had taken from them all, and it had made him wonder if it was the same for the Senju. Was Tobirama also forced to put aside his hobbies to focus on his duties? Izuna knew that he helped train his clan's children, but did he do that because it was necessary or because he genuinely liked teaching? Just how much of their identities were built around being heirs of warring clans? Was his rival also lost - unable to remember what it was like before he had been thrust into war?

Izuna knew that Madara felt the same way he did - but his brother had duties to occupy him even when they weren't in battle and so didn't feel the same listlessness that Izuna did. Even Hikaku couldn't understand, busy writing to their allies about Senju Hashirama's planned clan reunion, fielding the Daimyo's requests for assistance with the bandit problem down south, and brokering trade deals with the Hatake.

It felt like everyone had something to do and Izuna was useless, and his brother sending him away like an unruly child certainly hadn't helped.

But no matter, Izuna was near the compound now, and once he was there he could speak to Hikaku about how best to approach the Inuzuka, gather a small party of shinobi, and reach their lands before Madara could enter their compound unprotected. After all - it was hardly unusual for clan heads to bring an entourage when going to visit another clan.

Besides, this way Izuna wouldn't even have broken any orders! Madara had told him to go back to the compound and he was doing that, but he had hardly been ordered to stay there! So really, it was Madara's fault for not being clearer in his orders, and Izuna was just being a dutiful brother! Also this way he wouldn't have to stay and listen to the elder's nagging, so it was a win-win!

Notes:

izuna seems to have forgotten the fact that his last plan ended with him being chased across half of fire country by pissed off dogs, and is also the reason for his brother's unexpected visit to the inuzuka compound.

his musings on how war affected his clan kinda blindsided me, but then i realized the delicious angst potential and the fact that i've kinda been writing the same about tobi, except that he also has the fact that he's far from home and so his usual projects/hobbies are mostly out of reach. bc if one is forced to fight a war when one is very young and then suddenly everything just stops then obviously that would have repercussions, aside from the trauma and ptsd the return to normal everyday activities would be hard and i want to explore that.

also dw, izuna will have plenty to do once hashirama's clan meeting comes around, he'll be so busy he'll probably wish that they were still at war lol. seriously tho, managing to keep the peace between a bunch of unallied shinobi clans sounds like a nightmare and i don't envy him and touka their job at all.

hope you liked the chapter and kudos and comments give me life!

Chapter 27: in which madara has opinions on tradition

Summary:

Madara ponders the political ramifications on outlawing certains traditions as he travels to the Inuzuka compound.

Notes:

welcome back!

this chapter is brought to you by politics and shitty traditions (cough the hyuuga cough)

hope you like the chapter!

06/07/2025 edits: i'm fixing up some mistakes and changing some sentences/formatting bc my writing style has changed a bit and this makes the read smoother and also fixing some plot holes/inconsistencies

Madara sent Izuna home, letting his grumbled protests fall on deaf ears.

His otouto had already made enough of a mess of things - the last thing he needed was him causing the Inuzuka clan head offense and starting a feud when they had just finished one. Watching him until he disappeared through the trees Madara let his chakra furl out, ignoring the Inuzuka's discomfited grumblings and their ninken's growling, he followed his brother's prickly signature as he made his way to the compound, ensuring that the fool was actually doing as he was told to instead of trying to follow them in secret.

As soon as he was sure that his brother really was following orders for once he curled his chakra back into himself and turned to the Inuzuka with an apologetic grimace. “Sorry about that,” he said gruffly, “ I had to make sure that he wouldn't try to follow.”

It wasn't much of an apology, but Madara hoped that the explanation would help soothe any ruffled feathers. “Your brother just wanted to protect you Madara-sama, your actions are understandable, we merely didn't expect your chakra to be so...explosive.” Right, the Inuzuka valued loyalty to an absurd degree, little wonder that they understood Madara's need to ensure that his little brother was safely on the way home, and he, in turn, understood their reaction to his chakra - though he wanted to wince at hearing how they chose to describe it.

Chakra signatures were said to mimic a person's nature to a degree, so what did it say about him if his was so awful that even other shinobi flinched from it?

Although having his enemies cringing from him was certainly useful, and it helped protect his clan it was hardly pleasant to hear that people avoided his presence because of his chakra. It had bothered him more when he was younger and had less control - to see even his kin avoid him when he was in a mood, but he had grown to accept it when he took over his father's mantle and realized how useful it was.

Still, it was hardly pleasant to hear strangers comment on it in such a way. Giving the Inuzuka a curt nod he gestured at her to proceed, which she did, barking out commands to her patrol group before bounding into the forest, her kinsmen following her in formation and Madara himself bringing up the rear.

They ran mostly in silence, following the Naka north, keeping to the cover of the trees. The Inuzuka used battlefield hand signs foreign to Madara and he discretely flashed his Sharingan at them - memorizing the unfamiliar gestures. The Uchiha had little to do with the Inuzuka - their lands were too far away for an effective alliance, and the missions they took were too different for there to be competition on that front, but one never knew when one would need information and if they were willing to reveal such things before a Sharingan-bearing Uchiha then either they weren't too concerned about secrecy or they had underestimated him. Either was fine by him, he had no quarrel with their clan but he was still a shinobi - and he certainly wasn't about to waste an opportunity like this.

He knew that the Inuzuka preferred to take bodyguard missions for both merchants and nobles or tracking missions, that they were allied with the Aburame and occasionally took missions with the Hyuuga. The Uchiha were a more martial clan, taking assassination and mercenary contracts - rarely did his clan take retrieval and tracking missions as those were preferred by the Hyuuga, and the Uchiha had no wish to be accused of stealing by those prissy assholes.

Having to trade with them was bad enough, if he had to share missions as well he was pretty sure he'd get an aneurysm - coordinating such things would be a nightmare and he doubted that even Hikaku would be willing to enter talks with them.

Madara could respect their skill in battle, but that didn't change the fact that every time he saw that damn seal imprinted on the forehead of a child it made him want to descend onto the mountains of Tsukuyomi and burn everything in sight, and he knew that the majority of his clan felt the same. To hear them use protection against line and eye theft as an excuse to continue such atrocities when the Uchiha also dealt with such things and never descended to such savagery was an offense - not only their clan, but to all others that bore doujutsu. And while he wasn't fool enough to try and confront the Hyuuga, not when it would likely result in a feud - he still wished to do so every time he saw that damn slave seal, and the fact that should Hashirama's plan succeed he would have to live in close quarters with them burned, but Madara had a plan.

If he was forced to coexist with them, he would do it on his terms; in this case, he had moral and political high ground. Senju Tobirama had written an extensive village charter and with some tweaking Madara was sure that he could adjust it so that to put a seal on an unwilling shinobi if they had committed no crime illegal.

And on this he wouldn't budge and neither would his clan, Hashirama could extrapolate the importance of tradition and not losing their roots all he wanted and Madara agreed with him for the most part, but when those traditions included enslaving your own damn kin then maybe they were better off forgotten. The Uchiha themselves had some less than savoury practices, eye swapping chief among them - but that had been outlawed and for good reason.

He was sure that if he proposed it to the other clans they would agree, traditions were to be preserved only if they weren't actively harmful and clans would have the autonomy to decide what to keep and what not - and if they weren't sure what constituted as harmful then the clan heads could put it to vote. This way no clan could claim discrimination and the Hyuuga couldn't complain as they wouldn't be the only clan under scrutiny - after all, plenty of shinobi clans had unsavoury traditions, and child snatching was chief among them Madara couldn't help but think, eyeing the surrounding Inuzuka.

Notes:

the hyuuga piss me off. neji was absolutely correct and people getting annoyed at him for his treatment of hinata was a bit ridiculous, like yes she's a slaver and next in line to the clan and would be responsible for enslaving any children neji might have, but she herself never mistreated neji! so him beating her up in the chuunin exams was wrong! wtf else was he supposed to do??? he couldn't attack his clan head and this was literally the only form of protest available to him! like yes hinata did nothing to hurt him, but she was in a position of privilege and she sure as hell didn't help, neji being angry about the treatment he and his fellow branch members faced and proving a point by defeating the clan heir, thereby showing that the branch aren't inferior should have made him a damn hero!

the uchiha and hyuuga aren't just mad at each other bc the seal thing, but if i was from a doujutsu clan and heard asshole slavers going "oh yes the seal is necessary so people don't steal our eyes" i would be pretty damn insulted. like the uchiha face exactly the same problem and you don't see them enslaving their own damn kids do you??? also the seal didn't even stop people from stealing hyuuga eyes, like kiri literally had a shinobi with a byakugan so the hyuuga's excuse falls flat! also if they were scared about eye theft then maybe they should have sealed the whole clan! like hinata literally almost got kidnapped by kumo for her eyeballs, the main line are all in danger so seal everyone and problem solved!

thanks to those who let me know bout the accidental double update, i deleted the chapter but unfortunately that also deleted your comments, but i have read them! to the reader who commented about neji, you raise some excellent points and i agree with you, and i'll check out that si fic you mentioned!

as always i hope you liked this chapter, thanks for all the lovely comments and kudos!

Chapter 28: in which hashirama resolves to do better

Summary:

Hashirama spends time with Mito and Touka, meditating on his mistakes and making plans to do better.

Notes:

welcome back and sorry for the long wait, the muse kinda ran away from me for a while lol

anyway, hope you like the chapter!

06/07/2025 edits: i'm fixing up some mistakes and changing some sentences/formatting bc my writing style has changed a bit and this makes the read smoother and also fixing some plot holes/inconsistencies

For the first time in a while, Hashirama was relaxed.

He had spent several enjoyable hours with Mito-hime, discussing what he had done wrong and how he could fix it, eating snacks and enjoying good tea with his cousin safe by his side. The only missing thing was Tobi - had he been there then it would all have been perfect.

Hopefully, he would join them soon, but for now, it was enough knowing that his brother was alright.

Madoka-sama had finally answered Hashirama's letters, and although the contents of her reply left much to be desired he had understood - he was lucky to have even gotten the curt 'He's well' that she had deigned to send him, and he had made sure to thank her profusely in his reply - going so far as to get the letter checked by both Touka and Mito-hime to ensure that it passed muster.

He had had to rewrite it thrice, but it had been worth it for the quiet smile that Mito-hime had bestowed upon him and for Touka's surprised eyebrow raise. He had sent the letter off with his best eagle that morning before he went to speak to Touka, and he was glad that he hadn't put it off like he planned to.

The very thought of leaving Mito-hime's peaceful presence right now was distasteful, especially considering that Touka had yet to wake up. And doing it for a letter, no matter how important - seemed like a waste. He wanted to spend as much time with his cousin as possible before his duties forced him away, and even though she was sleeping being in her presence was enough.

Still, her long nap was beginning to worry him. So much so that Hashirama had asked if they should get a healer, concerned about how long it was taking her to wake, but his hostess had scoffed at him and told him that it was perfectly natural for people to sleep so long after they had been stressed and suddenly found themselves in a safe place.

She explained that their bodies just crashed, shutting down to recover from the strain - which explained why Tobi had always slept so long after missions or projects. Father had always scoffed and called it laziness, often ordering that Tobi be woken immediately because a good shinobi must always be ready for duty, but Hashirama himself had tried not to do that when he first became clan head.

His otouto had often looked too tired, and he may not have been the most attentive brother but he was hardly cruel enough to disturb his brother's sleep outside of emergencies. The clan could survive a few hours while Tobi slept, and he had shut down the elder's whispers about ineptitude and laziness with a sharp reminder about human limits and the dangers of burnout. He realized with shame that he had stopped giving his brother the rest he needed as he listened with horror to Mito-hime's tales about how shinobi could go mad if they were pushed to do too much without rest.

Hearing about Uzushio's solution to this problem, he vowed to establish new rules for shinobi coming back from missions, based on their closest allies' own solution.

Shinobi would be given at least a week to recover and relax he thought, calculating the costs of that and how they would cover gaps in the rosters. After that, they could be given light duties like going on patrol or guarding the compound, and for every mission longer than a month they were sent on, they would spend two months in the compound - close to comfort, safety, and family.

He promised himself that he would bring it up at his meeting with the elders next week, and considered asking Mito-hime for help coming up with arguments to convince them. According to her the Uzumaki had a similar schedule, and it had worked for them for years, surely she had ways to prove that it worked.

Just as he considered the politest was to ask her for assistance in this task, a frantic knocking sounded at the door and Hashirama bolted up with a quick “I'll get it!”

After all, he had already intruded on her enough, and she looked so at peace, drinking tea with a blissful expression, he didn't want to inconvenience her further. He was the clan head and the caller was likely for him - there was no reason for her to bother herself any more than she already had.

Just thinking about how long he had kept her had Hashirama's stomach sinking with guilt, he knew that she probably had countless important sealing projects, and he had taken up hours of her time! He remembered how fussy Tobi could get if he was interrupted, muttering about dangerous and time-sensitive experiments and whatnot, so Hashirama knew that interrupting a seal master's work was a bad idea.

The one time he hadn't headed his brother had ended with explosions and a destroyed lab, Tobi was so heartbroken that Hashirama had immediately set about trying to fix things. He had grown his otouto a new lab, in a secluded part of the compound, made of ironwood, and replaced all of his delicate equipment. In return, Tobi had promised to warn him if he was going to be doing things that couldn't be interrupted and Hashirama tried to make sure that he wasn't disturbed when he was working.

It wasn't a foolproof system, but they were at war and Hashirama did his best. He knew that it wasn't nearly enough, knew that Tobi was still regularly interrupted for paperwork, or because he was needed in battle or on a mission, or because Hashiram needed help with something. But they had been at war then, and Hashirama soothed himself with the knowledge that when Tobi came back - all of that would no longer be necessary.

His brother could work on his projects however long he pleased and whenever he wanted, safe in the knowledge that they were no longer at war and he wouldn't have to stretch himself in fifteen different directions - cleaning up after Hashirama's messes. He would be able to focus on his experiments and his students without interruptions, Hashirama would make sure of it.

When the village was up and running Tobi could even run the Academy!

Hashirama had read the notes and hadn't understood much about the various policies but he had understood the training program ideas and he agreed with what his brother had planned out. Even Madara had been impressed, and judging by his happy crowing he could guess that the policies his otouto had planned were also very good. Madara was hard to impress, so to have him heap such praise on the notes was surprising.

Hashirama knew that Tobi didn't much care for the administrative and bureaucratic side of things, he liked planning and writing out policies and laws just fine - but he hated having to interact with people, which was necessary when it came to actually implementing his ideas.

In the new village, Hashirama and Madara could be in charge of that, while Tobirama could do something that he actually enjoyed, like teaching students, or if he wanted a position of more power he could direct the Academy! Or he could be in charge of a more specific unit, such as head of the sealing department or the sensor corps. This way he could do experiments and teach interested shinobi sealing or sensing!

There were so many possibilities, and Hashirama couldn't wait to discuss them with his brother. He knew that he had made mistakes - but he was determined to fix things when Tobi came home. When Tobi returned his priority would be to ensure that his brother was safe and happy at his side - engaging in activities that he genuinely enjoyed. With that in mind, Hashirama opened the door, ready to resolve whatever issue had Midori knocking at Mito-hime's door so desperately.

Notes:

sorry for the long wait! i lost inspo and rewrote this chapter like five times before giving up and deciding to take a break to focus on other stuff.

this fic is by no means abandoned, and i have a clear idea of what i want my next few chapters to be about so those'll be out soon too.

hashi doesn't realize the damage that tobi went through, and he won't for a while so he doesn't know that his brother has no intention of coming back. he didn't mistreat him bc he's malicious but bc he's kinda stupid and lost sight of why he wanted peace, focusing so much on one goal that everything else kinda became irrelevant and this will be talked about by the brothers before they can reconcile fully.

anyway, hope you like this chapter, the next one will be from either hashi or izuna's pov

Chapter 29: in which hashirama makes several deals

Summary:

Hashirama is given a worrying message and goes to deal with it, leaving Mito in charge of his clan.

Notes:

rip izuna and hikaku, they are not having a good time rn lol

gentlereaders i hope you enjoy the chapter, it includes a grumpy baby uchiha

06/07/2025 edits: i'm fixing up some mistakes and changing some sentences/formatting bc my writing style has changed a bit and this makes the read smoother and also fixing some plot holes/inconsistencies

“There's a lone Uchiha child near the border!” Midori gasped out, panicked and Hashirama's heart dropped.

He knew well that Madara would never allow one of his clan's vulnerable children out of the compound unaccompanied - not even to allied territory. He needed to see the child and ensure that Madara and the Uchiha were alright, and he needed to do it now.

“Go warn the elders that I'm leaving!” He barked at Midori, running inside. Dashing through the hallway he slipped into Mito-hime's living room, knowing that what he was about to ask of her was unbearably rude. “Mito-hime, “ he started as he knelt before her, “forgive my presumption but there is a problem, and I would not ask this of you if I wasn't desperate.” She raised an eyebrow at that and motioned for him to continue, and he hurried on, “There's been a situation with the Uchiha. One of their children has been found in our territory, unaccompanied.”

At this, her fine brow furrowed and she laid her teacup down with a clink, before turning her full attention towards him. “I must go and speak to the child and lend aid if that is what is required.” She nodded at that, but her eyes narrowed suspiciously and he gulped before continuing. “While I am gone, I ask that you lead the clan and protect Touka. I understand that I ask much of you!” He hurriedly tacked on as he saw her stony expression, “And I swear that you will be rewarded, but both my second and third in command are unavailable, and I do not trust certain parties within my clan to not do something inadvisable while I am away.”

He knew this wasn't his best idea, handing over control of his clan to an outsider, even if she was an ally, not to mention admitting to such a weakness. But Mito-hime was Tobi's friend and one of the strongest shinobi he knew - if there was trouble he trusted her to protect Touka and keep the compound safe and its denizens under control. It wasn't fair to her, asking her to take command in such a way, of a clan that wasn't her own, but times were dire and if the Uchiha had been attacked like he suspected he couldn't stay here and leave them to fight alone.

He couldn't abandon his oldest friend and risk the peace they were so close to achieving, but he also wasn't willing to leave his clan vulnerable. So if she refused - he would stay. It would destroy him and ruin everything that he had been working towards, but he would stay. He couldn't leave his kin vulnerable chasing a dream. Not again.

“Very well.” Mito-hime replied, her head tilting regally as she stood, towering over Hashirama as he knelt before her, hardly daring to believe that she had agreed. “I will watch over your clan Hashirama-sama, ensure that order is maintained within the compound, and lead the defense should we be attacked. In return,” she uttered, whisper soft with a steely undertone, “you will allow me access to Tobirama's lab and give my clan 5% more than you promised for the protective seals we shall place to protect the village you plan to build with the Uchiha.”

Her tone was final as she stared down at him, her chakra so potent that he felt it even without using his mokuton. He continued to kneel as he considered her proposal, knowing that he had no choice but to agree, but still... “Tobi's lab is sealed.” He rasped out at last hoping that that would deter her, but she merely snorted, “I am an Uzumaki, Hashirama-sama. I was the one to show Tobirama the blood seals that he uses, and I can assure you I am more than capable of bypassing them.” At her statement his heart sank, and he mentally apologized to his brother for what he was about to do, “Very well then,” he conceded, “but I ask that you not touch any of his experiments. You may look at his notes but, please, please do nothing else. He's always hated it when people touch his projects.”

He was begging, and he didn't care. Even giving her permission to go through his otouto's notes felt like a betrayal - if she touched his brother's prized experiments then he wouldn't be able to forgive himself.

“There's no need for that Hashirama-sama,” Mito-hime's cool voice rang out, “I am well aware of Tobirama's protectiveness over his pursuits and I have no intention of touching them. I will not even disturb the stasis seals that they are under. I merely need his notes on a project we worked on together the last time he visited Uzushio. I am neither in need of or interested in his other dabbles - but if it makes you feel better you may come with me when I retrieve the notes to assure yourself that I don't disturb anything else.” By the end of her assurance Hashirama had risen and he clutched her hand fervently, muttering thanks, unbearably grateful that she wouldn't have him hurt his brother in this way.

“I will increase your clan's revenue by 10% for the protective wards,” he declared, as she smiled wrily, patting his hand. Noticing that he was still holding her's he let go with an apology, which she waved away as she led the way out of her living room and he followed. “Touka?” He asked as they exited her home and stopped, “I'll be alerted if she wakes. Though it is unlikely.” She replied as she took one of the pins from her hair and pricked her finger, smearing the blood on an iniquitous-looking charm that hung from her roof.

Hashirama watched curiously as the charm gave a sharp ring and the smeared blood seeped into the grooves carved into the metal. Intrigued he turned to Mito-hime, but before he could ask her about the charm and her curious actions she leaped onto her neighbour's roof and started running towards the the clan head's house, forcing him to follow.

He did so, using the aid of a flowering jasmine plant to gain on her as she dashed over the rooftops. He caught up to her as she slid off the roof of the healing hall and leaped onto the ground, overcoming her with a sharp left turn, he led her through a shortcut.

When they arrived at his house the elders had already gathered - arguing over each other on the porch as Midori anxiously wrung their hands. Landing on his porch with a quiet thud, Hashirama ignored Mito-hime behind him to address his squabbling elders. “We have received notice that there is an Uchiha child within our borders!” He boomed, “Given how unusual that is, I have chosen to go and investigate this matter and if necessary give aid to our allies.”

There was some shifting and a scoff at that, but Hashirama silenced them with the gimlet glare that he had learned from his father, “I am leaving Uzumaki Mito-hime in charge while I am gone. Any problems or complaints should be taken up with her. You will head her,” Here he looked sharply at elder Haruki, “ as if she was your own clan head. In case of an attack, you will follow where she leads and do as she orders, fight by her side, and guard her back!” By the end of his speech, the elders were all silent, staring at him as if he were a stranger - but he didn't care about their shock.

They had rarely seen him give orders, as they didn't participate in battles and usually dealt with Tobi or Touka in the compound - but he was still their clan head and they could either obey him or face the consequences. Either way, he was going, and nothing they did or said could sway him now that he knew that he was leaving the clan in good hands.

And even that felt like it had taken too long, he felt the urgent need to go, run, find out what was wrong, and provide whatever aid he could. He had made his orders clear, Mito-hime could handle the rest. Offering her a short bow, he turned around, leaped up onto his roof, and made for the compound gates.

He used trees and vines to speed himself along, branches reaching forward as he lept wildly from one building to another, vines bridging gaps too wide to jump across as he raced onward. Finally reaching the gates he nodded to the guards and with a sharp hand sign stopped them from opening the gates, springing over them with the help of an old sakura tree instead, and disappearing into the surrounding forest.

Bounding through the trees he carefully reached out, his chakra stretching out slowly until the whole forest was alive and singing. Young, young, young whispered the trees as he ran past, young and anxious. Sparks sang the grass as he hopped down, following the trail the plants told him about, how it snaked and trailed strangely as though its maker was confused and didn't know where they were going.

The child was likely lost, Hashirama thought and who knew how long they had been wandering before their signature had been noticed. For all, he knew they might have been out there for days and he was too late again, just as he had been when... No, no, that was unlikely and he knew it - the plants would have reported if anything had happened and he had gotten a message from Madara yesterday morning.

He ignored the pounding what-ifs and ran, blazing a straight trail towards the frail spark he could feel through the trees, the child was close to the border, having crossed the Naka at its narrowest point and wandered further into his territory, heading south-east, but the route was confused as if they knew in which direction to go to reach the compound, but not it's exact location.

This was worrying, because surely Madara would have told the child how to reach them if he had sent them, unless something had happened and he couldn't, only being able to give them a location before being distracted...or worse.

At the thought of something happening to Madara, he sped up, vaulting back into the trees as the trail snaked east, the spark getting brighter and the trees louder. There, there, there they hissed as Hashirama leaped off the last branch and found himself in a meadow. In the center, curled up in a tight ball around his bag, was a little boy.

He had his clan's pale skin and ebony eyes but his hair was a tangle of wild curls that suggested one of his parents wasn't Uchiha. He didn't seem to be injured, nor scared, his signature peaceful and sleepy as he observed Hashirama with sharp eyes. “Are you a Senju?” He asked as Hashirama approached slowly. “I am,” He replied, careful to keep his voice soft and his posture relaxed, and the boy smiled at that, his eyes curling into happy crescents.

“That's good cuz I've been looking for a Senju!” He piped happily, “I was saved by one and I'm looking for him. Could you tell me where he is? Madara-sama said that his name was Tobirama, but when I asked Izuna-sama he started muttering about demons, so I'm not sure.” At that Hashirama blinked and buried his head in his hands, almost collapsing with relief.

The Uchiha were fine! But, oh, oh Tobi!

He had saved him, saved this sweet little boy, and no wonder Madara had finally agreed to a cease-fire when one of his clan's precious children had been saved by a Senju. Not when he would have moved the heavens and the earth for them and a cease-fire would have been a small price to pay in return. Gods, but his little brother really was amazing, wasn't he?

Going into an enemy compound, healing not only his rival while injured but also finding the strength to heal an innocent child as well.

Hashirama sniffled a little at the thought, his eyes wet, but he was distracted as he felt a pulling on his hakama and when he glanced down he saw that the boy had left his pack and was tugging at his clothes. When the child saw that he had his attention he let go and took a step back before tilting his head, “Are you ok?” he asked with narrowed eyes, and Hashirama couldn't help but smile at his doubtful tone.

“I'm fine thank you, and the shinobi you are looking for is my brother.” he replied, sniffing and the child perked up at that, his eyes widening in excitement, and Hashirama regretted having to tell him that Tobi was gone - but it would be cruel to keep him in the dark, and he would have to go home soon anyway. From the looks of it, he didn't have permission to be out of the compound in the first place and Madara was probably losing his mind from worry right now.

“I'm sorry little one,” Hashirama started, “but my brother isn't home right now. He's gone to Tetsu no Kuni to visit family and I don't know when he'll be back.” By the time he was finished explaining the child's smile had dimmed and he looked so disappointed that Hashirama was worried that he might start crying. Fortunately, that didn't happen, instead, the boy narrowed his eyes and furrowed his nose before asking, “Is Tetsu no Kuni far?” in a worryingly considerating tone and Hashirama almost had a heart attack at the thought of this tiny boy trying to get to the Hatake all alone.

“Very,” he said firmly, crouching down, “much too far for a tiny boy like you. When you're older and have your clan head's permission I'm sure you can visit, but for now I think it's time that you go home, I'm sure Madara-sama will be very worried if he notices you're gone.” Judging by the minute flinch, Hashirama's assumption had been correct - the boy had snuck out without permission.

Which meant that Madara was definitely going mad with worry, especially if the boy had recently suffered injuries severe enough that Tobi had to intervene.

Still, Hashirama felt bad about disappointing him, and while he couldn't get the boy a meeting with Tobi right now, he could offer him something else, “How about this,” he told the tiny Uchiha gently, “I'll take you home and on the way, I'll tell you stories about my brother - and when he comes home I'll talk to your clan head and see if we can arrange for you to meet him." The child perked up at the offer, his eyes shining longingly as Hashirama continued. "But only if you promise not to run away to try and meet him on your own again.”

The boy had looked intrigued by the proposal, but at the stipulation Hashirama had set, he furrowing his nose in displeasure and gave him a mutinous look. “Fine,” he declared after it became clear that Hashirama wasn't budging on the stipulation “but only cuz Madara-sama will be home soon and we're gonna have karaage for dinner.”

The last bit was mumbled, and Hashirama couldn't help but beam at the boy - secretly relieved. If Madara wasn't in the compound then maybe Hashirama could get the boy home before he returned, avoiding any madness, overprotective fury, or accusations of child theft.

Rising from his crouch, Hashirama reached out and patted the child's curls before gesturing for him to get his bag. The boy did so, scrambling towards it after swatting Hashirama's hand away with a pout, his other hand reaching up to fluff his curls back as Hashirama fought not to coo at the action - remembering how Tobi used to do the same thing when they were children, bearing his sharp teeth at Hashirama whenever he tried to tussle his hair, fixing his braids with fussy hands and offended mutters of “kaa-san did them!”

When the boy was done, little bag strapped over his shoulder he gave Hashirama's hakama another sharp tug, bringing him out of his reminiscing with another adorable glare. Hashirama smiled down at the boy and knelt, offering him his back, but the child didn't climb on.

“We'll be faster this way,” he promised, bemused by the boy's untrusting face, “and you know that the sooner you get back, the sooner you get karaage.” He reminded the child teasingly. At the promise of karaage, the boy stopped his suspicious staring and with another sulkily muttered “Fine!” clambered onto Hashirama's back, curling his arms around his neck carefully and shifting to get comfortable.

When he stopped wiggling Hashirama rose slowly, and waited patiently until he felt the boy's chakra seep into his back, sticking the child to him and ensuring that he wouldn't fall. “Ready?” he asked lightly, and when he felt a small nod against his nape he smiled and bounded up into the trees - the boy a warm weight on his back.

Notes:

meanwhile at the uchiha compound:

izuna: what do you mean you LOST him!?
hikaku: i mean that i was working and when i checked, he was GONE!
izuna: WELL WE BETTER FIND HIM BEFORE MADARA COMES BACK AND KILLS US ALL!!!

 

the senju bros and madara are good with kids while izuna is terrified of them, no i will not be taking criticism.

this chapter was basically a baby giving multiple war veteran heart attacks and i regret nothing.
anyway i hope you liked it, next one will either be izuna suffering through OH MY GOD THE BABY'S GONE! or madara suffering through politics, the muse hasn't decided yet

Chapter 30: in which izuna encounters a problem

Summary:

Izuna's plans to follow his brother are destroyed by a distraught Hikaku, who gives him some distressing news

Notes:

WARNING!!! this chapter had graphic mentions of child death for the purpose of organ harvesting, i have added asterisks at the beginning and the end of that passage, so if anyone wants to avoid reading about that can skip it.

that said, enjoy the chapter!

06/07/2025 edits: i'm fixing up some mistakes and changing some sentences/formatting bc my writing style has changed a bit and this makes the read smoother and also fixing some plot holes/inconsistencies

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU LOST HIM!” Izuna screeched at his cousin, who was too busy being buried under a mountain of guard schedules to deign respond to him.

He had returned to the compound, planning to take a patrol with him and set out to follow his aniki. Instead, he had been summoned to the clan head's house and given the worst damn news he had heard since discovering that he had been healed by bloody Senju Tobirama! “I mean that I was working on the Hyuuga correspondence as Madara-sama requested, and after I finished I realized that he wasn't in the compound.” his cousin answered sharply, his tone dry as one of Suna's deserts.

“And was he not watched by anyone while you worked?” Izuna hissed out in disbelief, and started to pace “How could he have disappeared from the heart of our compound without you noticing?!” The last part was spat out as Izuna recalled how easily Senju Tobirama had managed to sneak into their compound - and gain access to their most vulnerable. They had since tightened security, but evidently not enough if an Uchiha child could be taken from their compound without anyone noticing! How were they going to explain this to Madara?

The last time something had happened to Kagami his aniki had damn near lost his mind - it had taken both Izuna and Hikaku's Sharingan to overpower him and put him into a genjutsu so that he wouldn't rampage all over Hi no Kuni, and Izuna could only imagine how he would react if he came back and found out that Kagami had been kidnapped.

Hikaku's mouth tightened and his answer was sharp and stilted “Because he wasn't taken Izuna.” And at that Izuna almost stopped pacing, flummoxed, “If he wasn't taken then why isn't he in the compound?!” At this Hikaku gave him a droll look which had him bristling, “He left on his own Izuna. There was no sign of a struggle, and his mission bag is missing, as are his best kunai and several spools of shinobi wire. The guards have sensed no foreign chakra signatures, and it's the middle of the damn day.”

At this pronouncement Izuna stopped, staring at Hikaku and wondering why Kagami would leave the compound's safety. Hikaku glared at him, an angry frown painted on his face as he waited for Izuna to compose himself.

“Why would he leave?” Izuna quieried, and Hikaku's expression grew stormier, “I don't know, but the lack of provisions suggests that he either didn't plan very well, which is unlikely, or that he plans to return soon.” The words were meant to be comforting, but Izuna only felt worse hearing them - it didn't matter what Kagami had planned, or how well prepared he was. After all, Izuna knew well what happened to lone Uchiha children who were caught unawares outside of the compound.

**********

He still remembered Rin's tiny, eyeless face, her terrified expression forever frozen in death - and the grotesque slash across her throat. She had still been alive when they took her eyes.

She was the last child that they had lost to bloodline hunters, the last that they had failed to avenge, and the reason why Madara had banned children under twelve from missions despite the elders' protests.

Izuna knew that Kagami had only been missing for a few hours, that he likely hadn't even left their lands, but still the memories threatened to overwhelm him - the situation was too similar. He couldn't help but see Kagami in Rin's place, cold and still in death, his eyes taken like hers had been and he had to bite back bile.

Judging by how pale Hikaku was, the same memories plagued him. Hikaku had been the one to find Rin - the one who had lit her funeral pyre, and it had been her death that had awoken his Mangekyo.

**********

“Do you know why he left? Where he planned to go?” Izuna asked his cousin - desperate to distract them both from the memories of too young bodies and the overwhelming scent of blood. Hikaku jolted at his question, his brow furrowed in thought. “I don't know for sure, but I have reason to believe that he went to the Senju,” he replied in a hushed tone, perrusing what seemed to be the days patrol schedule, “Madara-sama told me that he expressed interest in meeting Senju Tobirama, and thanking him for healing him.”

The last part was gritted out reluctantly, Hikaku had never recovered from the deaths of his closest family at Senju Butsuma's hands, and knowing that the man's son had healed his little cousin while he was helpless grated. And now, to learn that Kagami had left the compound, putting himself in danger to thank the man? It was a wonder that Hikaku had managed to keep calm and not run off after him.

Izuna certainly wouldn't have managed to keep his composure in such a situation, and he was half tempted to raise the alarm and send out every battle-ready shinobi they had out to look for him. But that would only cause unnecessary panic, and the last thing they needed right now was for the situation to grow out of their control. Madara was gone, so they needed to keep the peace until he was back. Starting a clan wide search across half of Hi no Kuni wasn't conducive to that, and if they wanted to find Kagami quickly they needed to be discreet.

People would notice if the Uchiha started scouring their lands in large numbers, and they couldn't afford to show such weakness, no one could learn that one of their children was missing, if that information gone they would have every bloodline hunter in the nation sniffing around their lands, searching for weakness - not to mention what the certain elders would do if they saw an opportunity to undermine his brother's leadership and gain power.

They needed to get Kagami back quickly and discreetly, before anyone noticed that he was gone, and that meant that they had to at least try to maintain an air of normalcy. They couldn't leave the compound unprotected, he would have to convince Hikaku to stay behind while he himself took a patrol squad and tried to retrieve Kagami.

It meant that he couldn't follow Madara and ensure that the Inuzuka didn't try anything, but his aniki was an adult and a clan head who knew exactly what he was getting into and Kagami was a child. A child who had no idea what dangers he faced outside the compound or how to defend himself against said dangers. He could get lost, or get caught in a trap, wander into another clan's territory or come across hungry wild animals! The dangers were inummerable, and even if the boy did manage to make it to Senju territory - there was no guarantee that they would welcome him.

The ink had barely dried on the cease-fire, and Izuna knew that despite Madara's attempts there was still some discontent among the clan, too much blood had been spilled, too many loved ones had been lost for some of his kin to just move on, and Izuna was sure that some of the Senju felt the same way. If they managed to find a lone, unaccompanied Uchiha child on their lands - who knew what they would do.

Hopefully, Kagami had yet to manage to cross the Naka, and Izuna could intercept him before he did and bring him home, if not then he would have to forray into Senju territory and pray that the treaty held. Hopefully, if they were caught Senju Hashirama was home and could help, and if not... Well he would think of something, he always did.

But first, he needed to convince Hikaku to stay behind, lead and ensure that everything was calm until Madara came back. It would be no easy task, considering the fact that Hikaku was Kagami's guardian, and his closest kin apart from Izuna and Madara, but Izuna was the stronger fighter and as heir, he would have more sway with the Senju if they were caught. He wasn't a sensor like Hikaku, but he knew the Senju lands better than he did, and he had interracted with Senju Hashirama more. He was also faster, having dealt with and kept up with Senju Tobirama's Hatake physique for years, and as such could reach Kagami faster. If he took Asagi and Kendo with him they could reach the Naka in less than an hour and track down Kagami by his chakra - and hopefully make it back before Madara returned or anyone else found out that he was missing.

“I'll take Kendo and Asagi and see if we can track him,” he ordered, hoping that Hikaku wouldn't argue. Alas, it seemed that this time, his usually mild-mannered cousin had chosen violence, considering the fact that his reaction was to stand so fast that he almost tipped his desk over.

“Not a chance,” Hikaku hissed out, his Sharingan flaring threateningly, “Kagami is my responisibility, as such it is my duty to retrieve him - as it was my failure that had him leave the compound. If someone must stay at the compound and keep the elders at bay let it be you!”

Izuna had to fight the instinct to flinch at the Killing Intent seaping from his cousin, instead crossing his arms and letting his own Sharingan flare out, three tomoe spinning hypnotically in an effort to keep Hikaku calm, “I am forbidden from dealing with the elders after what happened last time," he reminded his seething cousin firmly, “and I am faster than you. Should we come across a patrol of Senju I have more power as clan heir, and I have interacted with Senju Hashirama in a way that you haven't before. The Senju are more familiar with me, and unlikely to attack.” He would keep his promise, find Kagami, and bring him home safely, even if it meant having to be polite to the fucking Senju.

Hikaku grimaced at his words and slumped back down into his chair - eyes fading back to ebony. He obviously didn't like it, but he knew that Izuna was right, and while ordinarily he may have gloated about getting one over his dedicated, political cousin - he wasn't callous enough to make a joke of it now. There would be plenty of teasing opportunities later, after they had both calmed down and Kagami was safely back in the compound.

Instead of making a quip like he usually would have, Izuna leaned down over the desk and took his cousin's hand, giving it a light squeeze with a muttered, “I'll bring him back safe, I promise.” Hikaku didn't acknowledge his words, face hidden behind a curtain of hair, but Izuna still heard the hitch in his breath and decided that it was time to go.

Hikaku had always been intensely private, and Izuna knew how much he hated showing weakness in front of others, so he left his cousin to his sorrows and went to find Asagi and Kendo.

He would keep his promise and find Kagami, no other child would end up like Rin had - not on his watch.

Notes:

ngl, i wanted to have this be much more light-hearted and then realized that it couldn't be bc the naruto world is a dangerous place for kids in general, and especially so for kids with magic eyeballs.

also, school is tragically back in session, and as it's my last year my professors are already threatening us with what will happen at final exams if we slack and have already left chapters and chapters of reading. i hope to be able to update at least once a week, but it'll depend on my schedule and the muse so please be patient with me.

as always, i hope you liked the chapter, the next one will be about madara (a cat person) suffering around multiple dog people and politics, please pray for him.

Chapter 31: in which madara gets some surprising news

Summary:

Uchiha Madara travels to the Inuzuka compound to speak to their clan head, and discovers that the visit was worth the risks after hearing news about the Hatake clan's guest.

Notes:

pops up a year late, post-graduation to leave y'all this humble offering.
in all seriousness though, i have no excuse, my hyperfixation faded, i tried to keep it - i failed as always and ended up focusing on other fandoms. this fic is not abandoned, it will probably never be abandoned unless i die or something so no worries on that front.

that said, happy reading, i hope you like the chapter!

There was no clear marker, no boundary line that marked where the Inuzuka lands began, but Madara felt it when they crossed into clan lands - he saw it in the loss of tension in the surrounding shinobi and heard it in the sudden baying of their ninken.

Already, he could feel other Inuzuka with his sensing, their chakra wild and melded in a way that he wasn't used to – and they were being surrounded, he realized with no small amount of trepidation, wondering for the first time if perhaps he had made a mistake in sending his brother away. He didn't believe that he was in danger - not truly, but going to another clan's compound was always risky, even if he was invited. Except for the fact that his invite hadn't come from official channels, this meeting wasn't prearranged, and he had no escort.

He consoled himself with the knowledge that Izuna knew where he was, so his clan would know to take the necessary steps to retrieve or avenge him if he didn't return. Because, despite wanting to believe that the Inuzuka invited him here for a genuine reason, he couldn't discount the fact that this could be an ambush.

After all, more than a few clans were eyeing the new Senju-Uchiha cease-fire with trepidation and for a good reason - the Senju were one of the largest clans in Hi no Kuni, what with their predilection for accepting outside shinobi into their ranks, and the Uchiha, though significantly smaller and more insular - had one of the deadliest kekkei-genkai in the Ninkai.

His friendship with Hashirama was known, as was Izuna's hatred for the Senju, it wouldn't be out of the realm of reason for someone to assume that by getting rid of him, the cease-fire would fail and the two clans would go back to being at odds, too distracted by each other to avenge Madara or cause problems for rest of Hi no Kuni's clans.

That wouldn't be the case, obviously, not when Izuna owed the Senju a life debt - but that wouldn't stop opportunists from trying to restart the feud between the two clans. They were too powerful to leave alone, and many of the nation's clans were displeased by the cessation of their feud, fearing that without it there to keep them in check, he and Hashirama would turn on their neighbours and cause trouble.

But the Inuzuka were usually far less underhanded in their assassinations, and gained nothing from killing him, so he had felt safe enough in following the patrol back to their lands. That didn't stop his sharply-honed instincts from screaming that this was wrong wrong wrong, he was alone in another clan's territory and it didn't matter that the Inuzuka weren't known for bloodline theft or that the Uchiha had never fought them in Madara's lifetime - rationale did nothing against years of ingrained training and the paranoia instilled into every child of his clan.

Not to mention the overwhelming number of canines that surrounded him, their chakra so melded with their partners that it was difficult to distinguish the nin from the ninken, and for a sensor used to knowing how many people he was surrounded by with a single flick of his chakra, it was torturous.

Were those three signatures three nin or a single shinobi and their bonded ninken? It was hard to tell, and the Inuzuka's rough, wild chakra didn't help, nor did the way their signatures interacted with one another - the chakra signatures stretching and weaving, brushing up against one another, forming complex bonds that gave Madara a headache when he tried to decipher them, but that reminded him distinctly of the bonds he had seen between the Hatake the few times he had met with their trade caravans.

It was nothing like the gossamer-thin strands that marked kinship in his own clan, or the tangled, almost weed-like way the Senju presented their bonds, far stronger and more settled - entwined in a way that suggested that it was almost deliberate. Bonds cultivated with the connection the clan had to their ninken, if Madara had to guess – and it was likely the same with the Hatake and their summons.

And it was probably instinctual, and done when very young - as the focus and skill needed to weave signatures together so strongly, without adversely affecting the shinobi involved or damaging the delicate tenketsu points was a feat that even a Hyuuga with a mature Byakugan would balk at, and it could ruin any mature shinobi's coils if even the slightest mistake was made.

It was so impressive that Madara was tempted to ask about it, but refrained, not wanting to cause offence. Still, if an opportunity revealed itself he would make the enquiry - as this method possibly give their children more access to passive chakra, which could help them develop their own signatures and stores by absorbing it from clan and kin.

The possibilities almost overwhelmed him as he carefully observed the Inuzuka, distracting himself while he waited for confirmation that he could speak with their clan head. He had never met Inuzuka Yaeba-sama, but he knew of her by reputation - like most of Hi no Kuni.

She was old for a shinobi, had survived her husband, three children, and her ninken, and she led her clan peacefully after she had ended a blood feud that had lasted for three generations by slaughtering the Hondoten clan down to the last child - and avenging her youngest in the process.

It was an impressive list of accomplishments, and she was one of the most respected clan heads in Hi no Kuni, but she wasn't very politically involved and hadn't taken sides in the Uchiha-Senju conflict - unlike her predecessor, but she did continue to maintain strong ties with the Hatake and was said to visit Hatake Minoru-sama often when she was out on the trade routes.

This fact was the reason why Madara had agreed to come talk to her, as her closeness with the Hatake head's sister might mean that she had information on Senju Tobirama that she might be convinced to share if Madara phrased things the right way - like by citing concern over his best friend's otouto.

Mentioning how worried Hashirama was, and the circumstances behind Tobirama's disappearance might soften her enough to have her share his condition if nothing else, and at this point, Madara was desperate enough for information that even that meagre tit-bit would do.

It would be enough to know that Senju Tobirama lived and breathed, safe among his kin, that that brilliant mind was even know working on some new marvel and that one day Madara may be able to meet with the man face to face - away from the slaughter fields of their youth, and discuss policy and politics without generational feuds or responsibilities to their clans getting in the way.

He wanted so badly to talk about the fledgling clan charter the Senju had included in his preliminary law notes, and what to do about traditions like the Caged-Bird Seal and child snatching, and whether it was possible to preserve a clan's culture while simultaneously getting rid of practices that were harmful and degrading without causing issues.

He imagined that Senju Tobirama would have much to say, judging by the crude sketches of the Hyuuga's loathsome seal and the scattered notes on how it affected the shinobi it was put on, the complex and layered chakra theory that Madara had spent hours deciphering and still didn't fully understand.

The preliminary charter had included several ideas on how to ensure that such traditions wouldn't continue, but looking them over, Madara had understood that they wouldn't work - not on a clan like the Hyuuga, proud as they were.

The mere idea that someone would dare try to convince them to change their ways would leave them fuming, and the proof that the seal they used was actively harming their clan would only make them cling more stubbornly to such practices.

No, facts and logic would do nothing to sway them, and neither would an appeal for compassion or a show of force. If he truly wanted to make them change their ways permanently, then Madara would have to find another way, and loath as he was to admit it - he probably couldn't do it alone. Alas, his options were limited. Hashirama would be useless in this situation, Izuna worse than that, Hikaku outright refused to deal with the Hyuuga outside of correspondence, and any of the Uchiha elders would be more inclined to start a feud than be of assistance.

He needed a neutral clan, or at least one whose opinion the Hyuuga would take into consideration - like the Nara or the Sarutobi. Or the Inuzuka, whose clan had a rivalry with the Hyuuga and who would probably be inclined to help Madara knock their haughty neighbours down a few pegs without asking for too big a favour in return.

It would also strengthen Uchiha-Inuzuka ties, Madara couldn't help but note, and maybe even make them more inclined to listen to his and Hashirama's proposal, not to mention assist with bringing Senju Tobirama home.

Yes, there were many advantages, and he was sure that Inuzuka Yaeba-sama would agree, if she really was as shrewd as the rumours claimed. Speaking of the Inuzuka clan head, it would seem that he wouldn't have to wait much longer to meet her, judging by the alert state of the chakra signatures around him and the subtle way the shinobi moved into position seemingly without being ordered to.

Sure enough he soon felt it, a shift in the air as they approached the compound and more signatures became known to him – the young, exuberant sparks of children and their nin-pups and the older, heavier chakra of the adult shinobi, and watching over them all was another signature -older and wilder than the others, tinged with the weight of grief in a way that Madara had never felt before.

Inuzuka Yaeba-sama wore her sorrow like a shield, Madara couldn't help but note, and she seemed to be connected to her shinobi – those same ties he had noted earlier all connected to her in some way, and he wondered to what extent she could feel them, if the bonds presented the same way they would do a sensor, a mild awareness – or if they pulled on her, causing a physical strain. Because if that was the case, Madara couldn't imagine the pain – it would mean that she felt everything her clanmates went through, every death and injury, and unlike him and his sensing, she would get no reprieve.

Slowing down as they approached the compound, Madara turned his attention to his guides, paying attention to their hand signs as they approached the thick tangle of trees that seemingly hid the Inuzuka clan compound from view.

It was a fascinating approach, had Madara not been a sensor he never would have guessed the location of the compound – any visitors would need either a guide, a sensor or a nose as strong as an Inuzuka or a Hatake to find their way to this place, and should a trespasser try then they would be besieged by shinobi the instance they crossed into clan lands, as it was well known that the Inuzuka as a clan had out-postings with packs of shinobi scattered throughout their forests, who could smell an intruder coming from miles away.

Case in point, it seemed that something had made Inuzuka Yaeba-sama aware of his presence, as he could feel her signature moving closer to what must be the compound entrance as he and his guides broke through the thick copse of trees, landing to stand before thick ironwood gates guarded by a pair of menacing kunoichi – each with an impressive hunt necklace, and their growling ninken.

The kunoichi that led the patrol stepped forward to greet them, her ninken a step behind her, and he kept still as the two guards scrutinized him while his guide explained his presence. The rest of the patrol shifted away from him, moving back as the compound gates opened with a creak, faint seals pulsing, and another kunoichi stepped out.

She was old – older than his father would have been now had he lived, Madara couldn't help but think with a pang of grief, and strong, her chakra powerful and her stance straight. Her hair was greying, and her clan markings were covered by black tattoos – a marker of the loss of her ninken, and her gaze was shrewd as she looked over the gathered shinobi, although it lingered on him and his guide.

After a moment of consideration, she approached him, heedless of the way her clanmates tensed, and offered him a nod and an acknowledging "Uchiha-sama." Which he returned, careful to keep his posture and tone respectful, given the fact that he was a guest and younger to boot, his nod was lower - as a sign of respect and an acknowledgement of her experience.

She hummed in recognition and, with a sign, bid her shinobi to stand down before turning and gesturing for him to follow her into the compound. He did so, fighting not to tense as his guide and her ninken followed behind him, the rest of the patrol dispersing among the trees as the heavy gates creaked shut.

Discretely looking around, Madara noted with some surprise how much greenery was in the compound, the trees had not been cut down – instead they loomed, heavy and protective, over the houses, which were almost camouflaged by the foliage.

The Uchiha compound had very little in terms of plant-life, and they cut down any trees that tried to encroach on the compound, but then again, they had been at war with a clan who's deadliest kekkei-genkei was mokuton for generations, so it was natural that they were wary of anything growing. Knowing that any plant-life they let into the compound could be used against them had made them almost unnaturally guarded – so to see another clan be so casual about something that he and his clan had feared for so long was a new experience, and he wondered if now that there was no risk of Hashirama attacking his clan via nefarious green things he could finally replace that odious stone garden with something a little more scenic.

Observing his surroundings, he seriously considered the merits of reintroducing plants into the Uchiha clan compound, knowing full well that the elders would likely have an aneurysm at the mere thought of giving the Shinobi no Kami such an advantage, before deciding that he would do it for their reactions alone.

"Not what you are used to, is it, Uchiha-sama?" The Inuzuka clan head enquired with a nod at some gorgeous oaks, having noticed where his attention had strayed, and he nodded in assent, "Our compound is much less green Inuzuka-sama." He said in a moderate tone as they approached the stately manor house that he assumed served as the clan head's residence, "I can imagine it is, yes, what with that nastiness with the Senju."

Only an Inuzuka, Madara couldn't help but think with some amusement, would refer to a centuries-old blood feud as mere nastiness, "Indeed," he replied, trying to keep his amusement hidden, "we are all glad that it's over."

Her gaze sharpened at his statement, and he fought the urge to flinch away from the sudden heaviness in her dark gaze, "Yes," she muttered, with no small amount of bitterness "after all, blood feuds are so rarely worth it" and Madara was abruptly reminded that the woman before him had lost many of her closest kin to a similar feud.

There was no coming back from such a loss, he realized with a sinking heart, observing the woman in front of him - it might be over now, over for good if he had anything to say about it, but none of them had escaped unscathed – not truly, not even their youngest, not when too many of them had been orphaned, and it was the same for the Senju, he imagined.

"I agree." He declared quietly, and although Inuzuka Yaeba-sama may have been skilled enough to hide her shock, his guide wasn't and he wondered if it was truly so surprising – the idea that he was not his father, nor his grandfather, that despite his battle-joy he was not the warmonger so many imagined him to be.

The Inuzuka clan head must have somehow perceived his disquiet, for she shot his guide a quelling look before declaring firmly, "Your brother needs you, Atama." The kunoichi must have known the dismissal for what it was, as she shot Madara an apologetic look before bowing and retreating with a murmered "Yes, thank you, Yaeba-sama," leaving Madara alone with her clan head, who sighed heavily and gestured for him to follow her as she opened the shogi doors with a clack, and led him into a sparsely furnished genkan.

He took off his sandals without her having to say anything, then followed his hostess as she led him further into the house – not into an office, to his surprise, but to a living room, where a pot of koucha sat steeping on the chabudai. Not letting his dismay show, he sat across from her as she indicated, and accepted the cup of koucha she pressed into his hands with a murmured thanks. Circling his chakra, Madara gave his tea a discrete sniff, but caught nothing – if it was poisoned or otherwise altered he could not tell, and besides, he had gotten this far with nothing befalling him, so he would take a leaf out of Hashirama's book and trust that the Inuzuka meant him no harm.

Taking a sip, he was surprised by the smoky richness of the brew, how the maltiness of the leaves left a pleasant aftertaste. His hostess observed him quietly for several moments as he enjoyed his drink, before finally giving in and asking.

"Well Uchiha-sama, did my granddaughter explain why you were brought here, or did she simply demand a meeting?" At her question, Madara hummed consideringly, shelving the fact that the kunoichi was not just a patrol leader but directly related to the clan head and almost winced remembering how his brother had acted before her.

"She did not explain no, but considering the fact that I found her chasing after my brother after he dared ask some imprudent questions, I figured that in the interest of continued peace in Hi no Kuni it would be best if I followed her." He replied carefully, setting his cup down, but she merely smirked at that, her sharp canines glinting, likely perfectly aware of his brother's reputation when it came to dealing with other clans.

" Besides, I felt that it would be rude to deny a clan head as respected as yourself a visit, no matter how much I didn't expect the invitation." He was fishing, and unsubtly at that, but she had let him into her compound, into the beating heart of her clan, and he wanted to know why.

She looked at him then, and he was unused to have shinobi who were not his kin directly meet his gaze, "There have been rumours," she told him seriously, putting down her cup, "that you hunt for someone out sister-clan claims as kin. Considering your brother's past relationship with the individual in question, I wished to verify if it would be safe for him to return to Hi no Kuni, or if he should be cautioned to stay away – to avoid being burned by Amaterasu-omikami's black flames."

Madara blinked at the casual mention of his Mangekyo gift before he caught on to what she was saying. "He has nothing to fear from anyone who bears a Sharingan." He assured, surprised, "Senju Tobirama is owed four life-debts by my clan, one of which belongs to a child - if he wishes to return to Hi no Kuni, then he is more than welcome to do so, none of my clanmates would dare stand in his way."

Of all the reasons behind this invite, he could admit that this was the least expected. His host scrutinised him carefully, her gaze forthright as she tried to read his intentions as he kept himself firmly still, fighting the instinct to return her gaze with his Sharingan.

It seemed like an eternity before she finally let up, her attention turning to filling their cups as her shoulders lost some of their tensione, "I am glad," she said into the stillness, "Minoru was worried about the welcome that he would find, she said that he had some kind of plan and that it involved the Nara of all clans."

Blinking in surprise at this new information, Madara mentally reformed his plans. It would seem that he would be meeting with the Nara prior to the scheduled clan meet, before his eyes narrowed in suspicion as he realised that Inuzuka Yaeba-sama had given this information to him on purpose - instead of going to Hashirama.

"I see," he said blankly, accepting his tea as his thoughts raced, "and do you know if there is a time frame for this plan, Inuzuka-sama?" She smirked at him, distorting her ebony clan markings, and replied, "I couldn't say, but well, everyone knows that travel to and from Tetsu no Kuni is limited after the festivities in honour of Takeminakata-sama, what with the Hatake closing the trade routes."

August, then, Madara thought furiously, Senju Tobirama planned to leave Tetsu no Kuni in August, and he would come to Hi no Kuni to parlay with the Nara. "Thank you, Inuzuka-sama," Madara said, almost unable to believe his luck, "let us hope that his plan succeeds."

Notes:

ngl i wondered if me making all these clan heads women was problematic?
until i remembered that kishimoto's treatment of female characters is egregious - case in point we don't even know the name of kakashi's mother, let alone how she died, but sakumo gets pages of attention and his death is treated like a tragedy (which it was btw, i am not denying the fact that hatake sakumo was an awesome character who in no way deserved the shit konoha put him through, i am just saying that if you compare the attention he gets vs the attention kakashi's mother gets there is an ocean of difference.)

like mito - canonically travels to konoha just to be the kyuubi's jinchuuriki like that's not literally kushina's story copy pasted? how about no? how about we see a powerful kunoichi who saw hashirama's vision and fell in love with him and decided of her own volition that she wanted to go and live with this man and work on the peace he had planned instead of being just another woman forced into a situation bc of bs politics?

like, even kushina's storyline was not well explored? kishimoto could have tapped so much angst with the fall of uzushio and how she felt like a stranger in konoha and her relationship with mito but noooo heaven forbid women get more screentime than it is necessary to show that they are hopeless fangirls who can occasionally pack a punch! like, there are so many powerful, awesome women in naruto and we know nothing about them bc the mangaka decided that they are not worth it!

for example inuzuka tsume - the inuzuka clan head was literally on a genin team with hyuuga hiashi and aburame shibi, she survived the war with those two as her teammates! and we know diddly squat about her. uchiha mikoto and uzumaki kushina - same thing, reduced to dead mothers with nothing going for them. it is so disheartening searching up female characters from naruto and getting nothing like istg if kishimoto had put in half as much effort to develop his female characters everything would have been so much better - characters like karin and tsunade, seemingly important to the plot but nope! bc kishimoto couldn't write women to save his own hide so fuck it - honestly at this point i am tempted to make hashirama and madara the only male clan leaders in hi no kuni just out of spite. and even if i don't this fic will be crammed full of oc's bc we have like, barely any named characters from that era so yeah.

Chapter 32: in which hashirama tells tales

Summary:

Hashirama tells Kagami stories about his brother in their youth as he brings the child home - and reminisces on his first mistake.

Notes:

gentlereaders, i bring you more cute uchiha babes, please enjoy my humble offering.

also, there is a super brief mention of child abuse in this chapter. it's a throwaway line about butsuma being an asshole and beating hashirama to punish him, and i didn't think it warranted a full warning, but if anyone disagrees just throw me a comment and i'll change that.

“Really? He did that?” Kagami asked him and Hashirama had to fight back a smile at the excitement in the boy's voice.

“Really.” He confirmed, as tiny hands pulled at his hair. “And what did your parents say?” “Well, our kaa-san was very proud, she smiled and lifted him up, calling him her big strong cub, but, tou-san was kind of dismayed – and with good reason, imagine waking up and finding your youngest son and his summons have somehow managed to drag a dead sika deer of all things into the compound!” Giggles followed his statement, and he felt it when the boy buried himself into his long hair to try and muffle the sound.

They were almost at the Naka, and so far young Kagami had proven himself to be a most agreeable passenger. He hadn't complained when Hashirama had taken to the tree tops, and he had reacted with no small amount of wonder as the plants around them woke to help ease their travel - Hashirama hadn't wanted to make the journey too rocky, worried about the little one slipping or being sick, so he had used his mokuton liberally. He admitted to being surprised by the boy's delight - it was a common reaction among the Senju children when he made flowers bloom for them, or took them on rides through the trees, but Kagami was an Uchiha, and he had thought that his clan might have instilled some caution in him, considering how easily mokuton could become deadly, and how often its wielders had used it against the Uchiha in the past.

It warmed something in him, to be able to use his technique to bring joy to an Uchiha child after having had to use it as a weapon against the boy's clan for so long. To feel tiny fingers and a warm weight on his back, clutching him trustingly, and know that he would not have to face this boy on the battlefield in a few short years. This child would get to grow up without the constant, looming terror of war hanging over his head; he could enjoy training and learning jutsu without the awareness that someday soon he would have to put those skills to use.

It was the same for the children of his own clan, Hashirama remembered the parents and guardians who had approached him after had he signed the cease-fire, fearful and hopeful in equal measure, asking “Is it true?” The weeping and the relief that had followed after he had made an official declaration to the clan, the knowledge that their children would not be sent out to die as they had been. Tt had more than made up for the elder's scorn, the whispered insults about his weakness and incompetence – let them whisper, let them insult, for the bright, young students his brother had taught, for this curious child he could safely carry back to his clan, he would bear it all a thousand times over.

A tug on his hair brought his attention back to his charge, “Senju-san?” “Yes, Kagami?” “How did Tobirama-nii-san get summons?” It made Hashirama want to coo, hearing his otouto get called 'nii-san' by an Uchiha child, but another sharp tug on his hair had him grasping for an answer, one that wouldn't result in the boy attempting techniques that could get him hurt, “Well, there's several ways in which a shinobi can acquire summons. The first way is to inherit or otherwise procure a summoni-” “What's procure?” “It's another way to say get, Kagami.” “Oh, ok – continue.” “Of course, as I was saying, a shinobi can get a summoning scroll, and they can use that to call the spirits that are bound to it and if they agree, that shinobi can sign the scroll, which creates a contract and means that the spirits will come when the shinobi calls.”

There was silence following his explanation as Kagami processed his words, and hopefully registed the fact that a summoning scroll was necessary, as Hashirama wasn't going to explain reverse summoning, remembering what had happened when Tobi had learned of it. Ad Kagami pondered over what he'd been told, Hashirama used his distraction to check on their surroundings, spreading his awareness. They were almost at the Naka, and the trees were calm, although – fear fear panic, they rustled, raiton and katon in the east approaching the flow.

Ah, Kagami's clanmates had noticed that he was missing. Hashirama withdrew his presence from the trees, thanking them absent-mindedly with a wave of chakra, and pondered on what to do. The raiton user was likely Izuna, and as he had no skill in sensing it was probable that his companions did, although depending on how wide their range was, they might not be aware of where Kagami was or who he was with.

Hashirama was used to Tobi and his incredible range, and he came from a clan that had honed sensing as a skill for centuries, a necessity given the fact that their enemies were genjutsu specialists – but he had some idea of what the typical shinobi's range was, and if he was right then their presence would soon be noted, so he had better spead up.

The Naka would be an appropriate meeting place, as it wouldn't force the Uchiha into Senju lands or have him cross into theirs – a risky thing given his position as clan head.

“Kagami,” he said seriously, shifting to get the boy's attention, “your clanmates have noticed that you're missing and are coming to get you, I sensed a raiton signature and two katon, do you know who they could be?” There was a moment of silence as the boy thought about it before he tentatively said, “Izuna-nii-sama? He's probably the raiton, but if he's coming, then Hikaku-nii probably stayed back cuz he's no good at sensing and cuz Madara-sama's not in the compound and one of them's got to be in the compound so that the elders don't get ideas.”

As Hashirama suspected, still, he couldn't deny the relief - he preferred Izuna to Hikaku, having dealt with the younger shinobi before in Madara's presence, he knew what to expect. The Death Chime, on the other hand, was Touka's usual opponent, and he knew little about him besides his predilection for sound genjutsu and his brutal efficiency on the field, that he was Madara's third in command, and skilled at diplomacy and bureaucracy.

The situation was delicate enough without factoring in unknown shinobi, even if he would have to navigate around Izuna's dramatics. “Do you know who could be accompanying your Izuna-nii, Kagami?” He prompted, speeding up, “Arabi and Kendo are the best sensors aside from Madara-sama, but Arabi was hurt and healed by Tobirama-nii-sama, but he didn't heal her completely and she stays in the compound, so it's probably Asagi.” The boy answered reluctantly, and Hashirama was once again faced with how amazing his otouto was. He had known logically that Tobirama had healed other Uchiha besides Izuna that night, but it was one thing to hear about it and another to be confronted with the people that had survived thanks to his brother, “Asagi is Arabi's twin,” Kagami added belatedly, “they're the granddaughters of elder Akihime-sama, who used to be against peace but then changed her mind cuz Arabi was healed – she was burnt really badly when Asagi got her Mangekyo and the iryo-nin said that even if she survived she wouldn't be able to walk, but then Tobirama-nii-sama came and now she can walk and run and do jutsu again!”

An elder's granddaughter, Hashirama boggled, Tobirama had unknowingly healed an Uchiha elder's granddaughter. “That's nice Kagami,” Hashirama said, wondering if he could use this, if it truly was Arabi-san's twin coming to get Kagami, would the kunoichi be hesitant to attack him, knowing that it was thanks to his brother that her sister lived?

Because he wasn't fool enough to believe that this couldn't still end in bloodshed, much as he would like to avoid it, he carried an Uchiha child, and the cease-fire was new enough that an accusation of child theft could ruin everything – which could not happen. They had given too much for this to fail now, and if he had to manipulate a life-debt to maintain peace, he would do so without regrets.

Leaping out of the canopy Hashirama landed on the shore of the Naka, and wondered whether he should move to the location in which he usually met with the Uchiha brothers, or if it was safer to stay here. Reaching once more, he connected with the trees, feeling through them. Fast fast fast, the trees sensed, conveying the pounding of feet on heavy boughs, aware intent relieved. It seemed that they had entered the sensor's range, and judging by the relief, they must have known who he was, and that he meant Kagami no harm.

It would be better to stay here then, lest they think that he was trying to keep Kagami away from them as some sort of hostage. Reaching for an oak, Hashirama grew one of its heavy branches out until it hung over the river. “Woah!” Kagami gasped, wiggling in excitement as Hashirama approached the branch he had grown, intent on setting the boy down on it.

That proved problematic as the child refused to get down, giggling as Hashirama tried to coax him off his back, wiggling around, his arms wrapped tightly around the Senju's throat. “Nooo,” the boy whined when Hashirama finally managed to grasp one of his ankles, and used it as leverage to peel him off his back, manoeuvring until he had the tiny Uchiha dangling in front of him, upside down and giggling.

“You caught me,” the boy complained with an adorable pout, “So I did,” Hashirama agreed amiably, setting him safely down on the branch, “your Izuna-nii is close, and I didn't want to be accused of anything untoward, young one, so I'm afraid that the piggy-back ride is over.” At the mention of Izuna, Kagami grew somber, shifting guiltily in a way that had Hashirama concerned that the boy had done something inadvisable to escape his compound without anyone realizing.

Fortunately, he wasn't left wondering long, as Kagami peaked at him shyly before admitting, “I'm not supposed to leave the compound without an adult, no one is – not unless they're older than twelve, not after what happened to Rin-chan.” Well, no wonder Izuna was so frantic and Kagami looked so guilty, Hashirama didn't know who Rin was, but he knew enough about what happened to Uchiha children unawares outside of the clan compound to guess at her fate, and that it wasn't pleasant.

“It's alright Kagami,” Hashirama assured the boy, patting his fluffy curls. “I'll explain what happened to your Izuna-nii, as long as you promise to never leave your compound alone like that again, ok?” The boy nodded enthusiastically, his expression so earnest that Hashirama had to fight the urge to cuddle him close like he would one of his own clan's children.

“How about I tell you some more stories about Tobi while we wait?” He offered, knowing from experience how much children disliked waiting for anything, and that it was best to distract them before they managed to cause trouble. Fortunately, Kagami was very taken with Tobi, greeting the idea of hearing more about him with great enthusiasm, and Hashirama had plenty of stories about his otouto that he was more than happy to share.

Settling down on the branch beside the boy, he got himself comfortable and began, “Once, after our mother told us a story about constellations, Tobi decided to climb onto the roof so that he could see the stars that she had told us about” “Why couldn't he see them from the ground?” Kagami interrupted impatiently, and Hashirama smiled, having expected the question, and explained, “Tobi's an albino, so his vision isn't very good, and he couldn't see the stars clearly from the ground.” Or from the roof if Hashirama was honest, a fact that had his otouto pouting for days, until their mother managed to track down a constellation map. Looking at Kagami to check if the boy had understood, he noticed that the tiny Uchiha had lit up, "So Tobirma-nii-sama is like Enjin-san, and Kazan-san, and Emiko-san!" Kagami exclaimed exuberantly, "And Misa-" "Yes, Kagami." Hashirama interrupted, knowing that if he didn't the boy could well decide to list all the Uchiha who had vision damage from Mangekyo overuse. 

 “Anyway, Tobi couldn't see well, but his other senses were excellent, so after everyone went to bed, he crept outside and used a tree to get to the roof, except that it was dark and quiet and he forgot where the tree was, so he was stuck up there till morning, when our father came to wake us and found out that he wasn't in bed.” “How did he react?” Kagami asked eagerly, his eyes glinting, and Hashirama chuckled, remembering the panic as Butsuma realized that his youngest son was somehow missing.

“Well, he was very scared and very upset,” more pissed off than anything, though that was a detail Hashirama prefered to omit, “he looked for Tobi all over the house and in the training yard and he couldn't find him until our kaa-san, who was a Hatake, caught his scent and realized that he was on the roof!” Why the man hadn't just used his sensing, Hashirama had never understood, but then again, he had understood very few of his father's actions when the man still lived, and he understood them even less, now that he was gone.

“And then what happened?” Kagami prompted, jolting Hashirama out of his musings, “Well, then our kaa-san climbed onto the roof and found Tobi dozing there, safe and sound!” “Did he get in trouble?” Kagami whispered? “No, he didn't – the adults were very impressed that he managed to get out of bed and onto the roof without alerting anyone, so he was given a day off training and an extra story before bedtime.” Hashirama explained, although he left out the fact that the true reason why Tobi hadn't trained that day was because he had spent too long in the sun, and his condition caused him to burn badly enough that kaa-san had insisted he stay in, despite their father's protests and rants about consequences.

Though their parents really had been impressed by Tobirama's ability to sneak around undetected, their mother because of the potential it gave him in the hunt, and their father for more nefarious reasons.

It was after that incident that Tobi's sensing training began in earnest, and their father hadn't cared about how much it hurt Tobi to use his full range, the migraines and overstimulation, the way he would lose himself in the chakra – drifting so far that he became unable to distinguish his own signature from the natural chakra around him, let alone from the chakra of other shinobi, but Butsuma had pushed until Tobirama had learned to ignore his pain, and could return to himself without needing external help.

By the end of his training, his otouto was aware of his passive range at all times, fully able to track every shinobi in Hi no Kuni no matter his condition – a fact that their father had used often to undermine their enemies and sabotage their rivals.

Looking back, Hashirama could acknowledge that his attempts to keep his friendship with Madara a secret from Tobirama were laughable, that his brother would have sensed the instant he had met Madara, and that his otouto had likely known from the very start that his friend was an Uchiha. Despite that he had chosen to keep Hashirama's friendship a secret, and that when he had revealed his secret and agreed to follow their father to the river that day he had only done so to save Hashirama's life, having sensed that Izuna had also discovered what was going on and was also leading a patrol of Uchiha to the river – a patrol that included Uchiha Tajima, who would have killed Hashirama instantly the moment he realized that he was Butsuma's son.

Tobirama had saved his life that day, and Hashirama had accused him of ruining his friendship like a foolish child, instead of thanking him for having his back. He had regretted it later, when his anger had cooled beneath their father's fists, but that didn't mean that he hadn't hurt his brother terribly with his callous words – something that Touka had relished in informing him after Tobirama had locked himself in his lab and refused to speak with him.

That was when he first came up with the idea for Edo Tensei - as a way to bring his little brothers to life, since his elder brother had seemingly rejected him. Hashirama never forgave himself for pushing his otouto to such lengths. Even after Tobi had modified the jutsu to serve as an offensive move, he had never been able to forget how and why the idea had first come to him, and while their father may have relished in the destruction it unleashed, he had forbidden its use after becoming clan head – afraid of what Tobi might do should he push him too far again.

And he was right to have worried, though the direction of it was misplaced - he had never imagined that Tobirama would so willingly throw his life away like that, not over mere words. In his foolishness, his willful blindness, he had somehow managed to forget how sensitive his otouto could be when accused of failing to do his duty, and the lengths he was willing to go to redeem himself in the eyes of the only brother he had left.

It was a mistake he wouldn't make again, couldn't make again, not if he wanted to keep his brother by his side.

“Senju-san?” Kagami's voice brought him out of his regretful spiral, and he turned to the boy his brother had saved with a feeble smile, “Yes, Kagami?” “Why did Tobirama-nii-sama go to the Hatake after he healed me? Shouldn't he have gone home to help you with peace like Izuna-nii is helping Madara-sama?” Out of the mouths of babes, Hashirama couldn't help but think with a guilty wince.

“Well Kagami,” he began, only to stop as the trees around them shuddered in warning - and Izuna leaped out of the canopy, Sharingan blazing.

Notes:

i want to add - hashirama chose to tell kagami these stories and excluded the things that he did on purpose. he is well aware that the things he shared are probably going to be common knowledge among the uchiha bc children, even shinobi children are terrible at keeping secrets, so this is essentially a form of propaganda. hashi is basically telling the uchiha "look how amazing my little brother was even when he was small!" bc sneaking out of the clan head's house, hunting and having a summoning contract at that age would be pretty damn impressive even for a shinobi child, and these stories humanise tobirama. they go to show that the 'white demon' was once a little boy with a mom who tucked him into bed and read him stories, who was curious about the stars and yeah, mentioning his bad vision was a risk, but a calculated one bc the uchiha have tobirama's happuri and madara is aware of tobirama's sight problem. and with a clan who's most powerful technique leads to blindness, hashirama assumes that they know full well that things like bad vision can be worked around for shinobi and that this doesn't make his brother any less deadly, if anything it helps, bc he suddenly has a disability that they can relate to, having many clanmates and family members who share it.

Chapter 33: in which kagami is successfully returned

Summary:

Uchiha Izuna manages to retrieve his young cousin Kagami without bloodshed or a renewal of the Senju-Uchiha feud, but plans to handle the situation with the clan get derailed by an unexpected arrival.

Notes:

izuna is soooo pissed at both senju brothers, he cannot stand these people, really

hope you like this chapter and my dramatic little clown

Izuna didn't know what to think, staring at Senju Hashirama's smiling, dimpled face as the man sat beside his baby cousin and acted as though sharing pleasant conversation with Uchiha was an everyday occurrence for him - then again, considering who his best friend was that might as well have been the case, but Izuna resented the fact that the big lug had somehow succeeded in charming not only his big brother but also his baby cousin - his baby cousin who shouldn't even have been out of the compound talking to Senju in the first place!

At least he's unharmed, Izuna thought with no small amount of relief, scrutinizing Kagami carefully with his Sharingan as Asagi and Kendo caught up with him, landing a few steps behind with weapons at the ready.

Smiling, hair tousled, sitting comfortably next to a man who had not so long ago been the Uchiha's greatest enemy, on what looked to be mokuton-manipulated tree branch of all things, Kagami looked like he was having the time of his life, clinging to the Shinobi no Kami's haori as though the man couldn't kill him with a twitch of his fucking finger.

He wouldn't, Izuna knew with a bone deep certainty, even if he could he wouldn't, he had spent enough time around the man to realize that he was good in a way that most shinobi weren't, that he wished for peace and resented killing in a way that neither he or Madara could truly understand, and that his idealism and stupid dimples hid a well of strength and power that had earned him the moniker 'Kami' before he had reached his mid-twenties.

Those same dimples seemed strained now as the Senju avoided his gaze, and Izuna realized belatedly that his Sharingan was still spinning, and that Hashirama, for all his strength, had more reason to fear a genjutsu than most of his clanmates, because Madara, despite his mastery over the art, preferred to fight his best friend with his gunbai's brute strength and ninjutsu, rather than bother with the delicacy of genjutsu.

Turning his Sharingan off was an exercise in strength with Kagami sitting right there, but Izuna managed, and signalled his clanmates to be at ease as he approached the pair, studiously ignoring the wary way in which Asagi stared at the Senju clan head, and how Kendo's hands remained in ready reach of his katana as he gazed at the greenery around them in horrified suspicion.

And Izuna realized, with dawning horror, that Hashirama was uniquely advantaged here, by the Naka, surrounded by so many trees that not even a myriad katon jutsu could burn them all down. Fighting the urge to tense, Izuna met Hashirama's gaze as the Senju looked him in the eyes, seemingly without fear now that the threat of the Sharingan was gone, amiable smile in place - those damn dimples making him seem harmless, when he was anything but that.

“Senju-sama,” Izuna acknowledged the man, whose smile grew impossibly wider, his eyes curling into crescents as he replied, “Just Hashirama is fine, Izuna-san, you know you don't need to stand on ceremony with me.” Izuna had not even once addressed the man formally in all the time he had known him, and the Senju knew that - but the situation was delicate enough that Izuna felt the need to put all those lessons on diplomacy and etiquette that his parents had forced him to sit through to good use.

Still, he couldn't deny the relief he felt at the permission; it meant that Hashirama had no intentions of making this any more political than it had to be, and he admitted to himself that it was awkward to address him formally, having spent so much time with him in a casual setting. “Hashirama-sama,” he corrected, keeping the honorific because appearances still needed to be maintained in front of his clanmates, especially considering the fact that elder Akihime-sama would definitely be hearing about this.

Judging by the sharp look the Senju sent Asagi, he was well aware of who she was - and more importantly, who her grandmother was.

That explained his own use of honorific; it seemed that the man was also capable of diplomacy, and skilled enough in reading the political landscape of a situation to know that he couldn't be his usual flailing self here, not if he didn't want to cause Madara problems with the elders.

“I assume that you are here for young Kagami,” Hashirama said beautifically, shifting so that they could see their young clanmate more clearly. “His visit was a pleasant surprise, but I understand that it wasn't exactly sanctioned?” Kagami coloured at the admonishment in the Senju's tone, his pale skin turning crimson in mortification as he attempted to hide his blush in his escort's haori.

“You would be right Hashirama-sama,” Izuna replied, carefully hiding his amusement, “I apologise for any inconveniences he might have caused,” “Oh, no harm done, Izuna-san” Hashirama assured him, patting the boy's curls in a way that had him puffing up in indignation, “we had a lovely stroll together, though he did scare poor Midori quite badly when they first sensed him in our clan lands.”

The last part was added as an afterthought, but Izuna caught the subtext – Kagami's presence had scared Hashirama, no doubt making him believe that something had happened to the Uchiha, for one of their children to be wandering around his clan lands without an escort. No wonder the Senju clan head had come in person, he must have thought that Kagami had a message to pass on, or a warning to deliver, and the fact that he was willing to leave his clan compound for that, when everyone knew that his clan heir was missing, spoke a great deal about what he was willing to do for the Uchiha.

This is a good thing, Izuna thought to himself, noting Asagi and Kendo's reactions, let them see how serious the Senju are, how good the Shinobi no Kami is to his allies, let them report that to the rest of the clan – it will only help Madara's plans in the long term.

“I'm very sorry for the trouble,” Izuna repeated, as Kagami squirmed guiltily, “I'll take him off your hands now, so that you can go back to your clan, as I'm sure you're very busy, and please - apologise to poor Midori-san on my behalf,” he was laying it on a bit thick, but at this point he didn't care, he'd damn well become the best kiss ass in Hi no Kuni if it meant getting Kagami safely back into the compound before his brother came back.

Hashirama nodded agreeably at his proposal and shifted off his overgrown tree branch to stand on the Naka itself. Kagami followed along, reaching his arms out to the Senju, who happily picked him up and settled him on his hip as though carrying Uchiha children was the most natural thing in the world for him!

As Hashirama began to walk towards them, Izuna moved to meet them halfway, careful to mimic Hashirama's non-threatening posture. As they got closer Asagi and Kendo grew notably tenser, and not even Izuna's hand sign to back off got them to move their hands from their weapons, something that Hashirama noticed but very carefully didn't react to.

They met in the middle of the river, and Kagami came easily into Izuna's arms, but as he handed him over Hashirama managed to whisper into Izuna's ear, “Dawn, two days from now, the usual place, I'll send a note,” before retreating as Kagami settled himself comfortably on Izuna's hip, smiling as though nothing had happened.

Before Izuna could move safely back to their side of the river, Kagami tipped forward and grasped onto Hashirama's haori, which had Asagi twitching forward and Kendo's grip tightening on his katana, but the Senju didn't react beyond smiling at Kagami and reaching forward to pat his hair, dimples deepening as he grinned. “Thank you for bringing me to Izuna-nii, Senju-san,” Kagami declared brightly, “and for telling me stories about Tobirama-nii-sama.”

WHAT THE FUCK DID HE JUST CALL HIM?! Izuna thought wildly as his clanmates quietly exclaimed in shock.

“It was my pleasure, young one,” Hashirama beamed, as though random Uchiha children calling his brother, the White Demon, 'nii-sama' was perfectly normal! “As soon as he's back in Hi no Kuni, I'll see about arranging a meeting with your clan head, as promised, but you have to be good and -” “And not leave the compound alone again.” Kagami repeated dutifully after the Senju clan head, who had apparently managed to bribe him into behaving, something that Hikaku, Madara and Izuna himself had all failed to do. Because, of course, Senju Hashirama with his stupid dimples and doe eyes was good with children, why wouldn't he be?

“Right,” Izuna said, trying to get the situation under control, “thank you again Hashirama-sama, I'll be sure to let our clan head know of your proposal,” like hell was he giving aniki more opportunities to rant about Senju Tobirama, Kagami could inform him himself, “unfortunately, it's getting late and we really must go if we want to make it back before dark.”

“Ah, yes,” Hashirama chuckled, “I've been reliably informed that there will be karaage for dinner, and we wouldn't want to miss that now would we,” and the bastard proceeded to wink at Kagami, who giggled. “Besides, I had better be getting back myself. I'm afraid that I've left Mito-hime in charge, and she'll be quite cross with me if I leave her alone with the elders for longer than necessary.”

He said it as if it was a joke, but Izuna remembered the way that the terrifying kunoichi had completely shattered Hashirama's mokuton defense with explosive fuuinjutsu and understood that the Senju clan head was not actually joking, and that Mito-hime's displeasure was something to be avoided at all costs.

“I'll be leaving first, then Izuna-san, Uchiha-san, Kagami-kun, please, have a safe trip back.” And with one last beaming smile, Hashirama gently detangled Kagami's grip from his haori and disappeared into the foliage as the tree branch he had grown retreated back to its tree - leaving no trace of his presence.

Izuna stared at the spot where he'd been until Kagami's insistent pull on his ponytail brought him back. Kendo and Asagi, when he looked back at them, hadn't relaxed their postures, their gazes heavy on the other bank of the river, like they were scared that at any moment, Hashirama would emerge at the head of an army of trees and attack them, even as they must have felt his chakra moving away.

Looking down at Kagami's frowning face, Izuna was faced with the fact that his baby cousin liked his brother's ridiculous best friend, and he wasn't sure how to feel about that. Bad enough that the boy had some sort of hero worship for Senju Tobirama, and no, he still wasn't over the fact that he called him 'nii-sama', but now he had apparently also bonded with Hashirama as well, which really didn't bode well for Izuna.

Tapping his baby cousin on the forehead to get his attention, Izuna shifted until Kagami was on his back and stuck securely with chakra, before making his way back to his clanmates. Asagi activated her Sharingan as they approached, and she was looking at Kagami with an intensity that would have scared Izuna had he not seen her grandmother wear that same look as she worked in the healing hall.

Knowing that she would want to check on him, but wanting to get home as fast as possible, Izuna jerked his head towards the tree tops and didn't wait to listen to her protest before bounding up into the canopy, knowing that they would follow. Sure enough, they flanked him a few seconds later, easily keeping up with his brutal pace.

It took less time than Izuna had expected for Asagi to get impatient, so he was a little surprised when she addressed his passenger, “Kagami-kun, what did Senju-sama want when he accompanied you?” Her question was blunter then he had expected, but Kagami was young enough that attempting subterfuge was pointless, as proven by the way the boy lit up at the mention of his new acquantaince, “He wanted to take me home, cuz he was worried that Madara-sama would be sad if he noticed that I was missing, and cuz he didn't wanna waste Tobirama-nii-sama's hard work in healing me. And he also told me stories about Tobirama-nii-sama in exchange for me not leaving the compound again, cuz he was worried that something might happen to me since I'm small.”

Asagi hummed as she digested this information, and Izuna knew that Akihime-sama would know everything before the night was out, “He didn't ask anything of you? Information, resources, some form of payment?” Kagami shook his head, “No, he offered a deal though, he'd tell me about Tobirama-nii-sama only if I promised not to sneak out again.”

“And did any other Senju approach you?” Asagi's questions were becoming insistent, and Izuna wondered whether he should stop her. Kagami thought over her question for a moment before slowly shaking his head, “He was the only shinobi I saw,” the boy said slowly, “and he was sad cuz his brother is gone.” The last part was mumbled reluctantly, and Asagi softened and paused in her questioning as Kagami perked up, “He asked me who was coming to get me after he used the trees to sense,” the boy declared proudly, “and I told him that it was probably Izuna-nii cuz he sensed a raiton user, and you two cuz Arabi can't leave the compound.”

“I see,” Asagi said slowly, her tone thoughtful as Izuna wondered at the ramifications of Senju Hashirama knowing who their best sensors were.

“How are your eyes?” Asagi asked, switching topic so suddenly that it gave Izuna whiplash, and made him want to snarl at her. Kagami was too young to have developed a Sharingan, and the fact that he had was nothing to be proud of, but a failing of the clan, that they had put a child in the position in which it became necessary.

“Fine,” Kagami said happily, not understanding the ramifications of her question, “Did the Senju ask you about them?” She continued, and Izuna was sorely tempted to turn around and punch her for that question. In all their years of feuding, the Senju had never, not once, taken their eyes, they had killed them, they had tortured them, but they had never resorted to bloodline theft, and Izuna did not appreciate the implications of her line of questioning at all.

“Nope,” Kagami answered nonchalantly, once again blissfully oblivious to what she was truly asking, “Are you su-” “Did you know that Tobirama-nii-sama can't see well?” Kagami piped up, interrupting Asagi's next question, to Izuna's relief. Asagi obviously hadn't known that, though Izuna had, and she was shocked enough by this revelation that she let Kagami speak, “it's cuz he's albino,” the boy continued, “he can't see the stars.”

It took a moment for her to process it, and Izuna saw the moment the realization hit, followed quickly by an almost unwilling compassion. Even Kendo reacted, his neutral expression sinking into a frown.

Both shinobi had family members with vision problems – Asagi's elder brother had dealt with vision deterioration due to Mangekyo overuse until his death during a mission in Kumo, and Kendo's husband was compound bound after an encounter with bloodline hunters in his youth had left him with cornea scarring so bad that not even their iryo-nin, specialized as they were in eye injuries, managed to restore his sight.

So the fact that their enemy, the White Demon, also dealt with this, and the specific detail about the stars, humanised him on a level that little else could. It implied that Senju Tobirama cared about not being able to see, and not because it would make him a more efficient killer, a better shinobi, but because it deprived him of the simple joy of seeing the night sky in all its glory - and unfortuantely that was something that every Uchiha could relate to, because they all knew someone who had once had that ability and lost it.

After all, how many times had Izuna listened to his father lament about not being able to see the rock garden that their mother had lovingly arranged, in his last months of life? How often had Kendo guided his husband's hand over the carvings around the compound, describing the colours and designs so that his beloved could once again appreciate the beauty of their home as he had before? How often had Asagi and Arabi led their brother through the market, letting him touch the fine Aburame silks and feel the firmness of the produce, knowing that making him feel useful outside the field helped like little else?

The Uchiha as a people, knew how fleeting sight was; they would not be able to ignore this information about Senju Tobirama, not even his most fervent haters wouldn't feel some compassion for the man.

Something that Senju Hashirama must have known when he had told Kagami these facts, Izuna realized with sudden clarity - the man had done this on purpose, aware that the whole clan would know about it by the end of the day.

It was a shockingly sophisticated strategy from a shinobi known mostly for his brute power, but then again, he had lived with Tobirama for a decade, so something must have rubbed off. “Really?” Kendo asked Kagami, his expression complicated, and Kagami nodded enthusiastically before elaborating, “Really, really, when he was little like me his kaa-san told him a story about the stars but he couldn't see them so he snuck out and climbed on the roof to see them, which scared his tou-san!”

Sweet kami, it was worse than Izuna had thought, as Kendo positively melted at this new information. Vision problems were rare in Uchiha children, and when they occurred, the whole clan came together to care for the child, so to hear that Senju Tobirama not only couldn't see well, but hadn't been able to since childhood, would be a big deal.

Asagi's reaction was much less subdued than Kendo's but even she, who had complicated feelings towards the Senju heir, softened further at the idea of a tiny White Demon wanting to see the stars so badly that he had climbed a bloody roof, a fact that probably hadn't actually helped him see the stars any better.

“He also has summons!” Kagami declared cheerfully, having understood that he had a willing audience, as Izuna almost tripped in his shock because what?! Since when did Senju Tobirama have summons? He thought furiously, trying to remember if he had heard anything about that, because if he did in fact have a contract, the man had never brought them out onto the battlefield.

So it was probably something harmless or useless in combat, which wasn't unusual, as summoning contracts could be used for a variety of things and very few of them were used on the field. “He has snow leopards!” Kagami interrupted his spiralling thoughts, and WHAT? Snow leopards were definitely not fucking harmless, Izuna thought wildly, remembering the vicious predators he had the misfortune of seeing the last time he had had a mission in Shimo no Kuni, so why the fuck had Senju Tobirama not used his summons on the battlefield when they could have given him a huge advantage?

“He used to hunt sika deer with them when he was little,” Kagami added unhelpfully, which what? Senju Tobirama not only had a summoning contract, but he had apparently had it since he was a child. That was rare because it meant that either he had acquired a scroll somehow, or more terrifyingly, he had reverse-summoned himself, and the spirits that had chosen him were fucking snow leopards, and knowing what he did about his rival, Izuna had a sneaking suspicion that the second option was more likely.

“And I asked Senju-san how he got a summons, cuz I want one, but he said that you need a scroll, so I gotta get a scroll and then I'll have summons just like Tobirama-nii-sama!” Izuna was hit with a sudden wave of relief at the fact that Senju Hashirama hadn't told Kagami about reverse-summoning, because he could just imagine the chaos that would be unleashed should his little cousin find out that an eternal animal companion was just a few hand signs away.

Judging by the way Asagi faltered, she had also guessed at what could have happened, and Kendo outright swore as he realized the disaster the Senju clan head had averted. “Maybe when you're older we can see about getting you a scroll,” Izuna told Kagami, determined to prevent any attempts at independent acquisition.

The Uchiha as a clan didn't have many contracts; their main ones were with cats and birds – corvids mostly, though there were a few raptors, but nothing that they used in battle. Still, he was sure that they had something that would occupy Kagami's attention enough that he wouldn't try to run off and gain a scroll independently, or worse.

As he thought the matter over, Izuna realized that his aniki would have a field day, Kagami was enraptured enough with Senju Tobirama that he would share anything he knew willingly and with great enthusiasm, and from the sound of things, Hashirama had given him enough information to have Madara dissecting and combing over every damn detail for days.

Which meant that Izuna would be stuck listening to him as he pondered over summoning contracts, the history and users of the snow leopards contract, albinism as a condition and it's effects, and also whether the hunting was a summons thing or a Hatake thing. The mere thought had him shuddering in horror. Aniki may not have realized how far he's gone, but Izuna and Hikaku had, and he foresaw a lot of commiserating glances in their future as they were forced to listen to their clan head pontificate on the wonders of the Senju clan heir's tax plans.

Which, Izuna understood, taxes were evil, and the fact that Tobirama had found a system that made them easier to handle was great, but did Izuna really need to hear about it? Everyone knew that he would probably never be trusted to do the taxes, and with good reason; he had his strengths and paperwork was decidedly not one of them, so he failed to see why he had to listen to his brother's feverish mutterings over tax deductions and how the village economy would work!

As they ran, Izuna ignored the dreaded upcoming taxes lectures to seriously consider what he would do when they got back to the compound. By now the elders would have probably heard about what had happened, meddling old coots that they were, so he'd have to deal with them until Madara came back, because he would come back Izuna told himself firmly, and in the meantime he would need to reassure the clan that all was well with the Senju, and deal with Kagami and Hikaku, mostly by figuring out how exactly the seven year old had managed to leave the compound without anyone noticing and patch up that security risk – preferably before Madara came home and learned that it existed.

Really, it would be better for everyone if Madara never learned of any of this, but Izuna knew that that wasn't possible at this point - though there was still hope for mitigation, if they made it to the compound in time, he could sooth the elders and Hikaku, coach Kagami on what to say and find a way to bribe Kendo and Asagi into not revealing everything too egregious to the rest of the clan before he had the chance to discuss things with Madara.

Alas, before he could think about what exactly to say to the elders to get them to back off, they were hit by a billowing maelstrom of chakra, which almost bowled Asagi and Kendo over in its intensity, and Izuna was hit by a horrific realization – Madara was home before them.

Notes:

he's out here, the last bastion of senju hate, but both his brother and his baby cousin have gotten seduced to the dark side, and hikaku is dangerously close to the edge as well

also i am sure that madara will have absolutely no problems with this situation and will be totally normal about it

the comments are fueling the muses btw, so thanks for leaving them even if i don't always reply, i promise i read them all!

Chapter 34: in which madara comes home to a problem

Summary:

Uchiha Madara returns home to find one of his clan's children missing, his brother out of the compound, and the elders out for blood.

Notes:

hi, in this chapter madara suffers bc of old people, please pray for him.

Madara didn't know what exactly, he was expecting to come home to – but it sure as hell wasn't this.

He had landed at the gates to a commotion, and as soon as the guards let him in, he was greeted by a pale-faced Hikaku and a pack of enraged elders. One look at his cousin had Madara immediately on guard.

Whatever had happened to put that look on his face must have been bad - the last time Madara had seen him so distraught was when Izuna had been wounded by Senju Tobirama. Wondering wildly if someone was dead or dying Madara spread his chakra out to check on the clan, but everyone seemed to be alright, his clanmates chakra banked and peaceful as they went about their day.

Everyone but... "Where's Kagami?” he demanded roughly, shutting up the squabbling elders, and approached his distraught cousin as Hikaku gazed back at him despairingly, the look in his eyes shattered.

“Kagami's gone,” he admitted, his voice thick with shame as Madara stared at him. “What do you mean gone?” He asked over the roaring in his ears, as he continued to desperately search for that bright young chakra in the compound. “He snuck out,” Hikaku said, “to see the Senju, because he wanted to meet the shinobi who healed him.”

Madara didn't know what to say to that, his thoughts disjointed as he processed the fact that his seven-year-old clanmate had somehow snuck out of the safety of the compound to pursue a vain quest into the territory of a clan that had not so long ago been their greatest enemy.

Anything could happen to him Madara thought numbly, remembering what had happened the last time Kagami had left the compound. Turning away from Hikaku, he drew upon his chakra and reached out, throwing everything he had out in a furious wave, ignoring the way the elders paled and stumbled as he desperately searched for the bright spark of Kagami's chakra.

Fortunately, he didn't have to search long - Kagami was near, his signature accompanied by the prickly static of Izuna's chakra, followed by Kendo's lava-like heat and Asagi's furious bonfire. “He's near,” he announced, focusing his chakra on the four approaching signatures, ignoring the way the elders groaned in relief as his chakra calmed, “Izuna has him,” he added to Hikaku, “Kendo and Asagi are with him, all appear to be unharmed.”

The last part he added for elder Akihime's benefit – the woman had grown increasingly protective of her granddaughters since Arabi's brush with death, and he needed her amiable if he wanted to get through this disaster relatively sane.

Turning back to Hikaku, Madara placed a bracing hand on his shoulder as his cousin trembled with relief, muttering prayers of thanks to Amaterasu-omikami as he led the way out of the gates, resolutely ignoring the grumbling elders that followed them. “Madara-sama!” Elder Metsukeishi's voice rang out over the throng, and Madara had to fight the urge to sneer at the insufferable man as he turned his face towards him and hummed in acknowledgment, hoping that whatever he wanted could be dealt with quickly so that Madara could focus on his returning clanmates' chakra.

“What happened with young Kagami-kun and the Senju-” Madara cut him off, well aware of what the old man was about to insinuate and too pissed off to even pretend to tolerate that nonsense. “Honoured elder,” his voice came out as a rough growl, the respectful address tasting like ash in his mouth, “I hope that you were not about to suggest that the Senju - a clan that has never in all the centuries we have feuded resorted to bloodline theft, have somehow manipulated events just to kidnap a random Uchiha child? You do realize how preposterous that sounds, don't you?”

His Sharingan was out, and the force of his glare had the elder take a step back as he replied, his wrinkled face placid, “I only meant that Kagami-kun, as your ward, would make a valuable hostage.” It was Hikaku who reacted to the elder's words, his chakra spiking with rage as he intoned, “Kagami is my ward, Metsukeishi-sama, he lives in the clan head residence because I do, but that does not make Madara-sama his guardian. And I ask that you don't insinuate such vile things about a clan whose head family has been remarkably accommodating, considering all that has transpired between us.”

Madara spiked his own chakra in support of his cousin's words, before turning, dismissing elder Metsukeishi and focusing on his brother's swift progress towards them. Hikaku's support regarding the Senju was interesting, but he would have to dissect it later. Right now he needed to focus on the situation at hand – the elders were getting restless, their chakra bubbling with frustration, and Madara wondered whether he should say anything to calm the situation or if it was better to keep his mouth shut to avoid making things worse.

He had a tendency to make mistakes when he was angry, his diplomacy flying out of the window as his temper took over, and that couldn't happen now. Fortunately, in the end he didn't have to say anything, as moments later Izuna sprang out of the canopy and landed before them, a cloud of dust rising due to his rough landing - Kagami safe and sound on his back.

He was followed moments later by Kendo and Asagi, who had conflicted expressions on their faces, something that he wondered about before deciding to relegate for later. As Kagami slipped wordlessly from Izuna's back, Hikaku rushed forward to take the boy, whose curls were unusually fluffy and who had a healthy flush on his cheeks, his black eyes lively.

“I'm ok, Hikaku-nii,” he reassured, patting his cousin's cheek as the man fretted over him, “I made it all the way past the Naka! And a Senju found me!” Madara turned sharply to Izuna for confirmation as the elders started muttering among themselves, and Izuna nodded before reporting, “Hashirama-sama himself came to check what was going on after Kagami was sensed by one of his clanmates, he was worried that something had happened to the Uchiha, since he knows that we don't let young children out of the compound unaccompanied. When he understood the situation, he decided to accompany Kagami back himself, bringing him to the Naka, where he sensed us and decided to wait and hand Kagami over to us rather than risk crossing into our clan lands.”

Looking at Kendo and Asagi to confirm Izuna's report, Madara wondered at the miracle that was his otouto using a formal address, overcome by a wave of fondness for his old friend as he understood that Hashirama's actions must have led to his brother's rare diplomacy. “It's true,” Asagi confirmed Izuna's tale, “when we arrived at the river, the Shinobi no Kami was waiting for us, Kagami safe by his side, and he never tried to cross to our shore, meeting Izuna-sama in the middle of the river to hand over Kagami-kun before retreating.”

Kendo nodded in agreement before adding, "He was remarkably respectful, and he asked for nothing in exchange." Elder Enma hummed at that, looking intrigued, as Kagami piped up, “He told me stories about Tobirama-nii-sama and promised me that he'd tell me as soon as he's back so we can meet and I can thank him!”

More than one elder choked in shock at the way Kagami addressed the White Demon, though Hikaku just looked tired, his exasperated sigh hinted that he had expected that this would happen, but Madara was stuck on Hashirama's promise, and how he had worded it. "When he's back," - was it possible that the Senju clan head knew that his brother was leaving the Hatake soon? Or were the words used a mere coincidence, an attempt to soothe an upset child who had found out that he had acted in vain?

Following everyone back into the compound, Madara waited until the heavy gates had closed before addressing the elders, his thoughts running wild, as he declared, “As you can see, elder Metsukeishi's worries were unfounded, and the Senju have once again proven themselves, they have done more for us than many of our allies, so forgive me honoured elders, for not understanding why you are so against a peace treaty.”

It was elder Kaisa who replied, her thin voice ringing out, “They may have returned this child to us safe Madara-sama, but does that really make up for all those they killed? The myriads of too small pyres we have lit? Do those children not deserve to be avenged?!” Elders Shakunetsu and Sumika were nodding along to her words, but Madara wasn't too concerned about them.

“What right have you to speak of loss?” Elder Akihime demanded before he could respond, indignant as she clutched her granddaughter, “You, who have four living children and six grandchildren? You who have never had to light one of those too small pyres you so love to preach about.” The last part was spat out, and elder Kaisa flinched away from the vitriol as though struck before rallying, “My husband fell to Senju blades!” She cried out, as elder Mokusei snorted and intervened, “Your husband was killed because he was a sadistic bastard who relished in child killing - at least when the Senju killed our children, they made it quick. Everyone knows what Ranma did to Senju Butsuma's youngest boy, and that his death was clean by comparison.”

“Mokusei is right, Kaisa,” declared elder Ranmaru, “Ranma's death at the White Demon's hand was better than he deserved after what he did to that man's brother. We may have had our orders, but child deaths were meant to be humane, damn it all. The fact that they returned Kagami-kun to us alive and well proves that they want peace in good faith - so let us leave the dead to their rest, and concentrate on the living.”

Elder Kaisa shot him a bitter glare before nodding, but Madara knew better than to think that she was truly cowed by her brother-in-law's words. She had been elder Metsukeishi's strongest supporter for years, and since her beloved's death her hatred for Senju Tobirama ran deeper than Izuna's ever had - there was no way that she would accept peace without a fight, and Madara needed a two thirds majority among the elders to be able to move forward with the peace treaty.

Deciding to ignore their squabbling for now, knowing that they were too busy arguing with each other to pay him any attention, Madara focused on Hikaku, who had ushered Kagami away from the commotion and was speaking quietly to the boy, his hands gentle as he held him close. Ambling over to them, Madara observed Kagami as the boy was scolded by his guardian, and wondered how the boy had managed to leave the compound without anyone realising that something was wrong. He needed to speak to the child, both to reassure himself that the boy was truly well and to ensure that nothing like this could happen in the future.

They had gotten lucky this time, and Madara thanked Amaterasu-omikami that Hashirama was such a soft touch when it came to children; he didn't know what he would have done had anything happened to Kagami, but considering his reaction last time, it was better not to consider it. The rage and underlying fear still hadn't left him yet, his chakra blanketing his little cousin and Izuna, reassuring him that they were both here, alive and well, and not ashes on a funeral pyre.

He had the Senju to thank for that, and the fact that the elders refused to accept that and move on was infinitely frustrating for him – if he, who had fought on countless battlefields against them and saw as his kin died beneath their blades, whose battle-joy was stronger than most, could accept peace - what excuse did his decrepit advisors have, when most of them hadn't picked up a blade to fight in years, cloistered safe in the compound as young shinobi died on their orders?

“Let's ask the boy then!” Elder Rokka's booming voice rang out among the din, and Madara turned to see what their problem was now. Seeing the intimidating elder start towards his cousins and guessing at his intentions, Madara reached the end of his rope.

“Enough.” He intoned menacingly, letting his chakra unfurl, coating everything in a miasma of heat and ignoring the flakes of ash that started to fall as a result, his glare freezing elder Rokka in his tracks. “Honoured elders, I am tired, I have just returned from a meeting with another clan head to find out that one of our children has gone missing, and has been safely returned to us by the grace of a Senju - again.”

A flash of his Sharingan kept them from objecting as he continued, “Therefore, I think it's best if we reconvene tomorrow, at a more appropriate time and place, after everyone has had time to rest and cool off, and I have had the chance to ascertain how this situation came to be.” He didn't give them time to protest, sweeping a startled Kagami up into his arms and proceeding towards the clan head's house, he was too eager to get home and rest to worry about offending the old codgers right now – even though he knew that he would regret this later.

Notes:

i have tried my best to research but i could find no mention of what role elders played in clans. so here they're advisors - kinda like the hokage's council but for the clan head. the uchiha clan is small, like 150-200 people, and there are currently 15 elders on the uchiha council, their job is kinda to look after the clan, manage most of the religious aspects (this is for the uchiha btw, who all collectively worship amaterasu-omikami, in a clan like the senju, who i hc don't have a set patron and everyone worships whichever kami they feel like the elders would have little to no religious oversight), advise madara and bring any problems anyone has to him, sort of like representatives, bc lets face it, madara is head of a clan at war, he cares about them yeah, but if he tries to be involved in the day to day running and squabbles not only would he get nothing done but he would also probably lose his damn mind. so he's in charge of logistics, diplomacy, war, and trade, he's gonna be the one talking to other clan heads and organising treaties and trade and all that jazz and the elders are meant to advise him and also let him know if there are any problems within the clan. but also, since they are technically representatives, he needs their approval for something big like a peace treaty with a clan they have a blood feud with, which is fucking with his plans a little bc even though they are supposed to represent the clanpeople, they also have their own agendas that they want to push.

also, elder in this context is a shinobi who has lived past 50, and has some standing and respect within the clan - they don't just assign the role to randos. to get onto the council you need to be knowledgable in various fields (politics, diplomacy, warfare ect) to be able to advise a clan head, you need to have been nominated by at least two other elders who are not directly related to you, and you need to have a certain power level, there's a criteria for the amount of missions/battles you have completed/fought. and this is different for every clan btw, the uchiha decided to do it this way, the senju being much larger have a totally different way of deciding who gets to be on the council and also how many members they have.

also, i've been rereading the naruto manga and my god zabuza was an idiot, as soon as he had kakashi trapped he could have killed the old man with a water clone and been on his merry way with haku bc like. the genin did not have the power to stop him lets face it. instead the idiot started monologing about the fact that these 12 year olds are not real ninja bc they're not in his bingo book like sir. you are meant to be an elite ninja, a jounin of the bloody mist, wtf are you doing with your life? the suspension of disbelief one has to have to make that arc believable is unreal. 😭 master assassin of silent killing deciding to get into a ninjutsu battle with a guy famous for his ninjutsu who also has an insane bloodline limit that helps him specifically with ninjutsu, why the hell didn't haku just kill tazuna while zabuza distracted kakashi with jutsu? again, it's not like the genin could have stopped him, one senbon and poof job done!

Chapter 35: in which hashirama deals with the elders

Summary:

Senju Hashirama comes home to find Uzumaki Mito engaging with his clan elders and decides to take advantage of the opportunity presented to him.

Notes:

this time, it's hashirama's turn to deal with old people

also, another warning, there is again mention of child abuse in this chapter, bc some elders were fuckers and followed senju butsuma's parenting plan. again, nothing graphic enough that i felt the need to add a proper CW, but if anyone feels differently, let me know and i'll fix it right away.

As Hashirama wove his way through the tree tops he listened carefully to the plants around him as they reported on Izuna's progress, tracking the younger Uchiha brother as he led his clanmates back to the compound, where Madara was waiting.

He had felt the Uchiha clan head's furious chakra as it washed over him and assumed that Madara had come home before Izuna, and that he was displeased with the situation. Hashirama could sympathise with him, the Senju were less cohesive as a clan than the Uchiha, and their children were less at risk from bloodline thieves, but if something happened to any one of them, Hashirama wouldn't rest until they were back with their family and those that had dared touch them were fertilizing his favourite orchard.

He wasn't often an advocate for violence, but in this one case he and Tobirama were in agreement – those that hurt children deserved no mercy, and he would go scorched earth on them with no regrets.

It was something that the elders had tried to use against his plan for peace in the past, constantly reminding him of all the children the Uchiha had stolen from them, of his little brothers' too-small graves. Constantly asking how exactly he could contemplate peace with the very clan that had been responsible for their deaths. In turn, Hashirama liked to argue that it wasn't just the Uchiha that had killed them, but the feud itself, and whatever harm their enemy had done to them they had reciprocated, knowing that Madara had also had to light too many far too small pyres.

So, in this, Hashirama considered them even - after all, while he had lost two little brothers, Madara had lost three elder brothers, not to mention how close he had come to losing Izuna too. 

Besides, the Senju hadn't lost anyone under twelve to Uchiha blades since Madara became clan head, and it was the same vice versa, so his arguments for peace held much more weight than the elders' warmongering. Hashirama remembered how many children they had lost under Butsuma's leadership, when both clans' child-killing squads roamed freely and deliberately hunted those too young to defend themselves.

It was barbaric, and had his father and his elders stopped for even a moment to consider the ramifications of their orders, perhaps Itama would still be alive; instead, they had chosen to disregard what such a violent escalation would lead to, and the Senju had suffered heavy losses because of that. Uchiha Tajima had returned fire with fire, but he had kept his clan's children safer, sending them out when they were older and better trained – wary of bloodline thieves, while his father had sent shinobi as young as seven out on missions without any regard for their safety, and they had ended up losing more than they had gained from that brutal venture.

Hashirama had put a stop to it as soon as he became clan head, forbidding anyone younger than twelve from taking missions, steamrolling over the elders' protests and letting Tobi handle the council. His clever brother had managed to find a way to oust a third of their father's advisors, allowing Hashirama to replace them with much more reasonable elders who's advice wasn't to follow in his father's footsteps and soak Hi no Kuni in Uchiha blood and martyr their kin for the feud.

And while some of the old guard remained, they were in the minority, as over the years, Hashirama had had the chance to convince his clan that peace would benefit them more than this senseless war ever had. Tobirama had helped in his own way, handling the elders so that Hashirama could focus on their clanmates, and even Touka had backed him up, albeit her approach was much less political and involved a lot of complaining about certain elders and their policies with the more battle-hardened members of the clan.

But Hashirama couldn't deny that it had worked very effectively, with most of his clan having accepted that that they would have peace, and despite some resistance from the council, he was confident that when he called the vote the majority would be in favour of an alliance with the Uchiha.

As he neared the compound, he felt Madara's chakra recede, and reaching for the trees earned him a reassuring rustle. Safe safe safe, they confirmed as he leaped out of the canopy and onto Yuzuki's roof. A pulse of his chakra confirmed his identity and prevented the defensive seals from trapping him, and a swift signal to Tsumugi had the kunoichi running off to inform the patrols of his return.

As he made his way to the clan head's residence, he asked the plants how the clan was doing, happy happy safe whispered the wisteria that had slowly claimed Kouki's house walls, peaceful excited joyful called the willows the children liked to play under when they didn't have training, sleepy productive content, rustled old Tsukauchi's clematis, alive alive alive, sang the jasmine plants flowering in the marketplace, watchful satisfied fulfilled intoned the trees that dotted the compound, often used by patrol units as observation places.

Satisfied, Hashirama fed the plants with a burst of chakra, ignoring a kunoichi's surprised yelp as her strelitzia suddenly bloomed, and a few children's delighted squeals as a pair of sakura trees' cheery blossoms drifted, showering them with petals. As he got closer to his goal things changed, controlled controlled powerful whispered a hydrangea as he passed, impatient offended planning, shared Ryousuke's quince as he leapt off the man's roof, landing quietly in the street and making his way under the maple trees that guarded the way to the clan head's residence.

Entering the house, he removed his sandals in the genkan and proceeded deeper, following the plant's whispering. He found Mito-hime and the elders in his favourite courtyard, the Uzumaki lounging on his mother's chaise, presiding over the council like a Daimyo reigning over her court. She appeared to be in conversation with Chisato-sama as Masaki-sama and Honoka-sama listened and occasionally nodded along to what was being said.

He took a moment to enjoy the scene, pleased at the effortless way she had wrangled his advisors, and infinitely grateful that she had agreed to do it, despite the impropriety of it. He was a little bit surprised that it had worked as well as it had, as he had been certain that some elders would push back, refusing to follow the orders of another clan's heiress, and looking over at Haruki-sama and Rinka-sama, he could tell that they were displeased by the situation, but they appeared to have been cowed by Mito-hime's indomitable will.

Shifting slightly, he made his presence known by sliding his foot across the floorboards, watching as the elders froze and turned to face him, while Mito-hime remained immobile, likely having sensed his return, if she hadn't outright followed his progress as he dealt with the Uchiha.

It took him a moment to notice that she wasn't alone, Touka a lethargic shadow behind the chaise, gaze flickering distrustfully at the gathered elders before she shifted it to glance at him, eyebrow lifted in question. He offered her a small smile and a hand-sign, confiming that the situation was handled, before turning to address Mito-hime, “The situation has been resolved without any complications,” he reported happily, ignoring certain elders unhappy muttering, “I must thank you again for handling things here while I dealt with it Mito-hime, I don't know how I would have managed without you.”

He did know how actually, but without her assistance things would have been immensely more complicated - for one he wouldn't have been able to leave the clan, having to send Midori to deal with young Kagami in his stead, and there was no telling how things would have gone down with Izuna and his companions, who doubtlessly wouldn't have been happy to see one their children with an unknown Senju, and had they chosen to attack Midori would have had trouble fending off all three of them at once. So the fact that Mito-hime had chosen to help was an unbelievably relieving.

“It was no trouble Hashirama-sama,” the kunoichi demurred, her gaze sharp, “I am glad that I was able to assist you. Things have been peaceful here, and talking to your elders has certainly been...fascinating.” Several elders shifted uncomfortably at her tone, which while perfectly polite, had an undercurrent of steel that would raise any shinobi's hackles.

He admired the quiet strength she possessed immensely; he himself had never been able to handle the elders in this way, though Tobirama was a master at it. He had the same cold tone and dangerous, cat-like aura as Mito-hime, and his ability to stare at people unblinkingly until they conceded had won them many concessions from the council.

In fact they were so similar in some of their manners that Hashirama wondered whether Tobi could have learned it from Mito-hime, or vice versa, and then he had to fight the urge to shudder as he realized that they had probably practised and swapped tips, feeling abruptly rather sorry for the Uzumaki elders that had had to deal with the two of them together.

“If I may, Hashirama-sama, “ Nanako-sama's creaky voice rang out, “what was the situation?” Hashirama blinked at the old woman and stepped further into the courtyard, approaching the chaise as Mito-hime shifted to make room for him. Settling himself down beside her, he ignored the way her thigh pressed against his and focused on answering the question.

“Well, it turns out that one of the Uchiha Tobirama healed was a child, and the boy was so taken with his saviour that he decided to venture into our lands to meet him. Naturally, his adults knew nothing of this plan, and Madara was out of the compound, so I thought it best to return the boy to his clan before anything happened to him. Fortunately, I didn't have to cross into Uchiha lands, as the boy's guardian had realized what had happened, and a patrol led by Uchiha Izuna met me at the Naka to collect their wayward clanmate.” “I see,” Nanako-sama murmured, “in that case, it is a relief that the child was returned to his kin unharmed, you did well Hashirama-sama.”

Hashirama beamed at the elder for the praise, pleased that she approved of his actions, and studiously ignored Rinka-sama's dissatisfied glare. No doubt she would have preferred it if he had staked the boy out with his mokuton and left his crucified corpse by the Naka as a warning to the Uchiha of what happened when they came into their lands uninvited, but Hashirama had refused to listen to her barbaric suggestions on what to do to their former enemies for years, he wasn't about to start humouring her now that they were on the brink of peace.

The woman had lost all five of her sons to Uchiha child-killing squads, and instead of doing some introspective thinking and realising that if she hadn't supported his father's savage proposal, her children might still be alive, she had decided to buckle down and stew in her hatred and grief. It was well known that she was willing to do anything to kill as many Uchiha as possible, and even Tobi had balked at some of her proposed war plans.

She wasn't the only elder to have problems with the idea of peace, but she was the most dissident and outspoken, and she had the support of Haruki-sama, who was well respected by many in the clan. The man had killed Uchiha Tajima's eldest, and led one of the more successful child-killing squads, and despite all of Tobirama's work, they still didn't have the leverage to oust the man from the council.

For that to happen Hashirama needed to either prove that the elder had committed acts that made him unfit for his position, or a majority vote by the council, which he wouldn't get if he called for it now. He needed to bide his time, be patient, wait for the old war-hawk to slip up, and catch him in the act when he did. It wouldn't be long now, Hashirama thought with a glance at the man, who was too busy glaring at Mito-hime to notice that his clan head's attention had fallen on him.

The man hadn't left the compound in decades, not since he had tried to kill Madara and failed, getting his leg cut off by a furious Uchiha Himiko, who had never forgotten who had killed her eldest. The elder had barely escaped with his life, and the injury had been crippling enough that he had been dismissed from active duty, much to his displeasure.

The man had taken up weaving to pass the time, and decades of practise with shuriken, senbon and kunai had given him dextrous hands, which served him well, this fact had earned him the admiration of the clan's many weavers, most of them civilian, some shinobi, and it had also unfortunately given him a willing audience for his hatred. It had taken years to disprove the man's nonsense, because while most shinobi knew better than to believe that the Uchiha were demons sent to eradicate them all down to the last babe, civilians who rarely if ever met Uchiha shinobi, but who had lost family to their blades, were more than willing to accept what the elder told them.

It had taken Tobirama speaking out against him for many of them to start questioning what he had told them, and from there to ask those who had faced the Uchiha what they were truly like, and while often times what they learned wasn't pleasant, it also disproved many of Haruki-sama's tales – the Uchiha may have been skilled shinobi, deadly on and off the field, fiendishly good at ninjutsu and genjutsu, but they were undeniably human. They bled and died like any other shinobi, and the elder's words were soon dismissed as the product of his debilitating injury at Uchiha Himiko's hands.

A common theory was that the kunoichi had trapped him in a genjutsu as punishment for having killed her firstborn, making him believe that the Uchiha were all demons determined to drag him down to hell. It was an amusing hypothesis, but Hashirama knew as a matter of fact that the elder wasn't under the effects of a genjutsu; he had merely seen an opportunity to manipulate their civilian clanmates, who didn't know any better and had fallen for it, having trusted that their own kin wouldn't lie to them like that.

Butsuma had accepted the propaganda, as it was useful to his cause, keeping the clan angry enough to escalate the feud, and as a result Hashirama had had a hell of a time resolving the situation when he became clan head. Touka had been indispensable, taking constant missions and bonding with shinobi, drinking and playing cards with them until they were willing to hear her out. As third in command, she had more freedom than Hashirama, who for all his natural friendliness, had to maintain some distance, and while she wasn't the friendliest, her violent attitude, willingness to cheat at cards and predilection for rowdy jokes had made her popular enough among their clanmates.

And after she had figured out how to trap Sharingan bearers with genjutsu she had earned the respect of most of old guard, those shinobi of his father's generation that had survived, and their acceptance had made it easier to convince the rest of the clan.

Hashirama's generation had agreed with him easily, having fought and been led by him even when his father was still alive, they had been made aware of his plans sooner than most, and he had guarded their backs and saved their lives often enough that they trusted him to do what was best for the clan, and if that was peace with the Uchiha then so be it.

Tobirama had, despite his reservations worked on the iryo-nin, who were more open to peace than most, as they rarely saw battle but were affected by the feud, constantly having to work overtime to heal their clanmates after skirmishes, sabotaged missions, and battles, and who were tired of losing patients for a war that gave them no benefits.

In short, the political atmosphere in the clan was favourable, and he hadn't needed to consult the elders before signing the cease-fire, but the peace treaty and subsequent plan to build a village would need not only the approval of the council but also a clan vote, and to get that he needed the council to approve one, which was difficult given the bitter old biddies grumbling about vengeance and glory and evil demons.

“As relieving as the news about the Uchiha is Hashirama-sama, there is another matter that we wish to discuss with you,” Chisato-sama said, bringing his attention back to the matter at hand, “What is it elder?” Hashirama asked, concerned, as Masaki-sama took a scroll out of his sleeve and passed it to Chisato-sama, the woman took it with a murmured thanks and opened it before beginning to speak, “Mito-hime has spoken to us about the documents that Tobirama-sama left for you before departing for his mission. According to Mito-hime, the peace treaty he wrote is fair and benefits neither clan over the other, and apparently, the proposed village plans, while rudimentary, do highlight several benefits for both clans. The council has not yet reached a majority decision regarding the matter, but many of us,” she ignored Rinka-sama's discontent muttering, “ would like to look over the documents and discuss your plans for the future. As such, we would appreciate your presence while we peruse your brother's work, as proceedings would go smoother if you are there to discuss any major contention points and explain in case there are things we don't understand.”

Hashirama determinedly did not turn around to look at Mito-hime, but he could feel her radiating smug satisfaction, choosing instead to focus on the elder and her request, “ I would be honoured to meet and address any concerns that you have, and I would be more than happy to provide my brother's work on the village plans, but please understand that it was a bit of a side project for him, as you know he was rather busy between his experiments, his work in the healing hall, his duties as heir and the feud, so he couldn't dedicate much time to work on village plans.”

Hashirama hadn't even known he had been working on the village, and he ignored the rising guilt, focusing on Chisato-sama, who had nodded along as he spoke, and looked intrigued by the prospect of learning more about the village plans Tobi had drawn up. “However,” he said, “some of the documents are currently in possession of Uchiha Madara, who requested to view them after my brother healed his, and I consented, as I felt that it would be safer to have more than one copy of the documents and the Uchiha, given the Sharingan's perfect recollection, are more than capable of recreating his writings.”

He knew that revealing the fact that he had given Madara access to Tobirama's work was risky, and sure enough, Toshimasa-sama didn't hesitate in proclaiming his indignation, “You gave your brother's notes to the Uchiha?” The elder demanded, bristling, “What if there was confidential information in them? Mentions of his experiments and jutsu, instruction for techniques? You could have handed them a wealth of information that could be used against us!”

He was not the only one alarmed by this revelation, as Ryou-sama, Mikare-sama and Suirei-sama also started expressing their concerns before Hashirama lifted a patient hand to stop them. “No, honoured elders, I can assure you that the documents I gave to the Uchiha did not reveal any information that could be used against us, as when my brother wrote them, he wrote them with the intent to eventually share them with other clans, and so he was careful in what he added. And even if that had not been the case, I verified them myself, before I decided to hand them over to Madara, and ensured that there was nothing incriminating. So I can assure you that your concerns have been handled.”

There were sighs of relief after he finished explaining, and although he understood why they were worried, he resented the fact that they believe him so incompetent as to not check before handing another clan head important documents! He knew that his friendship with Madara made him biased towards the man, but that didn't mean that he was stupid enough to just hand over his otouto's precious notes!

“But how can you be sure that Tobirama-sama truly wanted this information shared?” Asked Narumichi-sama from his place beside Haruki-sama. Hashirama lifted a disbelieving eyebrow at the man, unable to believe that there was someone who didn't know about his otouto's stance on information sharing, but before he could remind him, Mafuka-sama scoffed and rebutted. “Don't be ridiculous Narumichi, you know full well how Tobirama-sama felt about keeping important information from allies, did you somehow manage to forget the many rants our clan heir subjected us to regarding how having efficient, proper communication channels and sharing what we knew with other clans could solve about half our problems? If that's the case, then perhaps it's time to go get checked by the iryo-nin, it seems that your old age is catching up to you.” Narumichi-sama flushed at her words, but a nudge from his neighbour had him settling down with a grumble, refusing to respond to Mafuka-sama's taunt.

Hashirama blinked at the old woman, who was smirking at her rival and decided to intervene before she managed to provoke him enough to start an argument, “Thank you, Mafuka-sama, you are correct, as my brother specified that he wanted this information shared with as many people as possible after he left to complete his missi-” “And what is this mysterious mission, Hashirama-sama?” Junken-sama demanded, “If it was to heal the Uchiha clan heir, then he succeeded, what possible orders did you give him that have kept him away for so long?”

Hashirama glared at the man for interrupting, before his words registered and then he paled, staring at him in horror. "I didn't order Tobirama to heal Uchiha Izuna." He declared, silencing the elders, who stared at him in disbelief. Hashirama stared back, not knowing what to say as he realized that the council had truly thought he had been the one to order his brother on what was essentially a suicide mission. Sighing deeply, he decided to explain, "I didn't order my brother to do anything, honoured elders. Tobirama chose to act independantly and in secrecy after I berated him for endangering my plans, knowing that despite my anger, had I learned of what he planned to do I would have forbidden it. I planned to send a missive to Madara offering my own skills to heal his brother, not to send my last living brother on a suicide mission to save a man who had made it clear that he wanted him dead in the most painful way possible!"

The elders stared at him, looking surprised by his outburst, but Hashirama was too angry to apologise for his tone. That they had honestly believed all this time that he would risk Tobirama's life like that, and after a major skirmish! “I would never,” he spoke softly as the plants around him reacted to his anger, growing and blooming wildly around the shocked elders, “risk any of our clanmates like that. I am not my father, honoured elders, I do not believe that my shinobi are expendable, and every life lost weighs on me. That is why I have fought so hard to achieve peace, not because of my friendship with Madara, not because I want to spit in the face of all that my father has worked for, but because I am tired of losing kin to a senseless feud. This war has already stolen two of my little brothers from me, and I refused to let it steal a third. So no, honoured elders, I did not send Tobirama to the Uchiha, and no, I don't know when he will return, but I do know where he is.”

A tap of Mito-hime's heal against his leg had him reigning in his chakra as the elders shifted away from the overgrown plants, many of them looked spooked at the sudden reminder of his deadliest technique, and Hashirama didn't even pretend that he wasn't satisfied at the way Rinka-sama flinched away from his azalea as though afraid that it would suddenly gain sentience and attack her.

Momoka-sama's soft voice brought him back to the matter at hand, and he settled more comfortably in the chaise, purposefully loosening his muscles to appear more relaxed, flashing the elder an apologetic smile as he listened to what she had to say. “We apologise Hashirama-sama, our intention was not to imply that you do not care for your brother, or your clan. But it is well known that Tobirama-sama follows your orders to the letter, so we hadn't considered that he would act without your approval. We have been concerned about his absence, that is why we brought it up, not to insult you or doubt your care, but because we have wondered where he has been all this time and when he will return.”

Hashirama considered her words, scrutinising her calm posture and open, friendly face and resolved that she was sincere. Sighing, he admitted, “Tobi was injured during our last skirmish with the Uchiha,” there concerned mumbles from some of the elders before they were shushed by Touri-sama's sharp glare, “I didn't know about it, obviously, otherwise I would have insisted on healing him myself, and I certainly wouldn't have left him alone to execute his half-cocked plan. But I was busy informing the families of the deceased and panicking over what to do with the Uchiha, too angry to check on him properly,” he lifted a hand to stop any questions, knowing that there would be many, “it was my failing I know, and I regret it bitterly. But I can't change what happened, all I can do is follow my brother's instructions and hope that he forgives me and comes home.”

That was unlikely, given the note that his otouto had left, but Hashirama wouldn't, couldn't go into that now, not unless he wanted to break down before the entire council and Mito-hime.

“Before he went,” Hashirama continued, “he left me documents and a note, explaining his plan and what he wanted me to do. As you know he succeeded in his mission, healing not only Uchiha Izuna but three others as well, one of those, as I had previously mentioned, is a child – Uchiha Kagami, younger cousin of the Death Chime, and as such a close relative of Madara and Izuna, one of the others is Uchiha Arabi, granddaughter of one of the Uchiha elders. With his actions, my brother has cemented peace, but it cost him. He had gained a wound on his ribs during the skirmish, which Uchiha Izuna confirmed wasn't lethal, but that, compounded with his chakra exhaustion, led to him being severely weakened after he healed his targets, enough so that Madara was able to sense him before he left.”

He got a few shocked looks at that statement, the elders well aware of Tobirama's skills and how bad his situation must have been for him to be noticed when he didn't wish to be. “He left behind his happuri, so that the Uchiha would know who had healed them and realize that I was sincere in my offers of peace. His goal was successful, as Madara approached me with a request to meet almost immediately after, but Tobirama, fearing that the Uchiha would be less willing to treat with us if he was around, decided to go into exile.”

“What!”Sato-sama exclaimed, dismayed, and Hashirama paused in his tale to observe the council. Many of them looked distressed by this news, but Rinka-sama and her supporters looked almost pleased. Hashirama glared at her, aware that she probably hoped that his otouto had perished from his injury.

“He is with the Hatake.” Hashirama declared, silencing the elders' questions, “Hatake Madoka-sama has reassured me that he is well, and Hyuuga Kiyoko-sama confirmed that when one of her patrols came across him as he made his way to Tetsu no Kuni, he seemed hale.” That was not actually what the Hyuuga regent had said, but Hashirama felt that it was better not to share the fact that his brother had been so desperate to escape Hi no Kuni that he had used hiraishin while injured, as it might make certain elders believe that his exile was permanent when it wasn't.

Hashirama would make damn sure that it wasn't, even if he had to go to Tetsu no Kuni and drag his otouto home himself.

“So he has abandoned his clan!” Rinka-sama accused, triumphant, and no. Just no. Hashirama could accept a lot, and had, but this was a step too far. They could say whatever they damn well pleased about him, but they did not get to insult his brother like that.

Mito-hime clearly agreed with him, her whirlwind chakra stirring the air around them as Touka moved. She was behind the elder in a flash, her expression furious as the old woman stilled, her expression twisting as she realized that she had made a grave error. With a sharp hand-sign, Hashirama ordered Touka back, as his own chakra unfurled, feeding into the nature around them, focusing on the azalea the elder had been eyeing with such trepidation earlier.

Hashirama watched in satisfaction as the plant grew, surrounding Rinka-sama, and pushing her supporters away until she was surrounded by greenery, the stems scratching at her skin as she choked on the blooms. Only when she started to beg, apologising desperately, did Hashirama rein in his power, pushing the plant back until it revealed the dishevelled elder, her skin bloody from myriads of cuts, her impeccable up-do covered in petals and leaves, her silk kimono tousled.

The other elders stared between her and Hashirama fearfully, but he just smiled, curving his eyes and said chirpily, “Oh dear, forgive me elder, it seems my emotions got away with me." Rinka-sama eyed him wildly and gave a short bow, muttering an apology before rising swiftly and exiting the courtyard as Haruki-sama, Narumichi-sama and Junken-sama called out after her in alarm.

When that failed to bring her back, they turned as one to glare at Hashirama, Junken-sama starting to exclaim “How dar-” before he noticed Mito-hime's icy glare. The air around the kunoichi was turbulent, her fuuton mastery evident as she sent a sharp wind towards the three elders that had them hurriedly rising and following after Rinka-sama.

Hashirama turned and observed the way Yukina-sama, Yumehana-sama and Syouma-sama were eyeing their peers' exit with interest, but when they noticed his gaze they stopped, and with a quick mutter among themselves, chose to remain.

“Good riddance.” Declared Nanako-sama with a sniff after a few moments, ignoring Toshinasa-sama's glare, “Now we can finally get things done without having to hear her elaborate torture plans for those that had dared to hurt her precious boys.” “How dare you mock others' pain Nanako! One would think you would know better, considering how many you've lost to Uchiha blades!” Mikare-sama scolded, as if she had room to talk – when Hashirama had struggled in training after Kawarama's death, she had told him to get over it and hit him with a switch until had he collapsed, and after that she had called him a disgrace and walked away, leaving him to make his way home, bruised and bloody, to face his father's displeasure.

He wasn't the only one unamused by the hypocrisy, as Hanamomo-sama raised a judgmental brow and drawled, “Yes Mikare, because you are famed for respecting others' grief. Remind me again, what was it that you told your daughter after her wife's death to console her? I remember it being something along the lines of 'Get over it, she was weak anyway' but my memory wasn't what it used to be so I could be wrong, do you mind reminding me?” The elder flushed at the reminder of her estranged daughter, refusing to acknowledge her peer's words.

“My losses, as you say Mikare, have marked me deeply. I have lost my partner and three of my grandchildren to the Uchiha, and you don't see me going around muttering about how I'm going to convince an Aburame with kidaichu to set their hive on their shinobi and cackle as they're devoured by the damn things! That woman needs to be seen by a Yamanaka, I've been saying it for years. We have all lost people, we are shinobi, Hashirama-sama's goal is to ensure that our children don't have to suffer as we have, and her suggesting that Tobirama-sama of all people abandoned his clan is pure madness! We all know how hard that boy worked to ensure the clan's wellfare, and if he left then he must have had a damn good reason!” Nanako-sama exclaimed, with unexpected passion considering her usually mild-mannered demeanor.

“Thank you, Nanako-sama.” Hashirama said, knowing that if he didn't interrupt the other elders was liable to also start praising his brother, and as much as Hashirama enjoyed knowing that his otouto was appreciated, he wanted to get this meeting over with so that he could properly discuss what had happened with Touka and Mito-hime.

“It is as you say, Tobirama felt that, given his reputation, it would be best if he stayed away while I sorted things out with the Uchiha. As it happens, for once his hypothesis was incorrect, as Madara is extremely grateful to him and has expressed the fact that his clanmates wish to thank their saviour personally, but Tobirama doesn't know that and I have decided, given how hard he has worked recently, to allow him to remain with the Hatake and rest, especially given his recent injury and the shameful way that I have behaved.”

Suirei-sama shot him an approving look at that, and Masaki-sama was nodding, his expression thoughtful, “Wouldn't his presence in Tetsu no Kuni also help our relationship with the Hatake?” Itsuki-sama enquired, their tone mild as they weathered the incredulous gazes of their peers. Hashirama sighed and nodded, answering the elder's question, “It might, Tobi has always been close with Hatake Madoka-sama and Minoru-sama, having stayed with them when he was little after the incident,” a few elders looked guilty at the mention of the event that had seen his otouto sent away, likely because they had advised his father to take action in the hopes that the Hatake would toughen him up, but Hashirama studiously ignored them, “but that's not a guarantee that they'll treat with us as they had before. My father broke vows when he remarried, and the Hatake aren't bound to forget that anytime soon, no matter how fond they are of Tobi. The Senju broke faith, I'm afraid, and it's a miracle that they still let us use their trade routes, instead of going through with their threats and allying with the Uchiha.”

“I see.” Itsuki-sama said mildly, ignoring their peers' discomfort. Senju Butsuma's mistakes were not talked about, and to have them brought up like this had clearly made many of the elders uncomfortable. They still feared to speak ill of their deceased clan head even after all these years, and Hashirama didn't know how to reassure them that he didn't mind if they criticized his father's mistakes, in fact, he would be overjoyed if they did so, as they were many and had caused him a lot of problems.

“Senju Butsuma-sama had an interesting way of running things,” Mito-hime commented, eyeing the council lazily, “sending his seven year old son on a courier mission to enemy territory that got him killed, letting his youngest be hunted down by a killing-squad because if he couldn't escape on his own then he didn't deserve to live, one had to wonder what the man was thinking.” Silence followed Mito-hime's remark, but the kunoichi didn't let it bother her, leaning against Hashirama as the elders stared at her in shock.

“Indeed,” Hashirama murmured, wrapping a careful arm around her shoulders, “I confess that I understand very little of why my father did what he did Mito-hime, but some of his actions were unforgivable in my eyes. The missions that led to my brothers' deaths, Tobirama's treatment, and the child-killing squads were choices that I could never make, and I am not ashamed to admit it.”

The elders stared at him after his declaration, eyes flitting over his face, assessing his body language, and he let them look their fill, gesturing to Touka, who had been lurking by his azalea, her eyes trained on the rest of Rinka-sama's supporters as though daring them to insult her little cousin.

She eyed him for a moment, her gaze flickering over him, before conceding and slinking over to the chaise, and with one last stony gaze at the elders, she settled at his feet, resting her head comfortably on his thigh as she closed her eyes and feigned sleep. Hashirama merely smiled down at her, satisfied, and stroked her sleek hair once before turning his attention back to the council, some of whom had observed their interaction with an almost rabid interest that he refused to admit discomfited him.

Danzen-sama gave Mito-hime a curious look before glancing at Sato-sama knowingly, and Hashirama had to fight the urge to sigh as he realized how this looked.

They had done this on purpose, he reflected as Mito-hime shifted, making herself more comfortable, to make him seem more approachable, as his father wouldn't have been caught dead sharing affectionate contact with anyone. Unfortunately, while it was acceptable for him to act this way with Touka, when he did it with Mito-hime it gave an entirely different impression, something she must have known, judging by the devious smirk she sent him.

This is her revenge, Hashirama realized belatedly, I left her here alone to deal with the elders, so now she is giving them enough gossip fodder to last at least a century.

He could already imagine the bets they would be placing later as they gossiped over their card games, the hints and advice they would try to impart on him in an effort to get him to move so that they could win. It would be excruciating, but she had earned it, and so he would play along. Tightening his arm around her, he gave her a small, gentle smile, softening his eyes just so and relishing in Mafuka-sama's stifled gasp.

Mito-hime returned his smile, but her violet eyes were sharp as kunai as she responded by shifting closer and settling her head on his shoulder, her carmine hair a sharp contrast to his pale haori. Touri-sama interrupted the moment with a delicate cough, forcing Hashirama's attention back to the elders, “I confess that we have also struggled to understand Butsuma-sama's intentions in the past, and some of us have tried to guide him to a more moderate path, without much success, I fear. Especially in his last few years, his decisions cost us much, so I am gratified in hearing that you have no intentions of repeating his mistakes.”

To Hashirama's pleasant surprise, many of the council were nodding in agreement to their peer's words, “Thank you for your honesty, Touri-sama, I appreciate it, and I hope that you will inform me if you feel that I am making a mistake as we move forward into this new era of peace.” The elder nodded at his words, a small smile on her face as she responded, “It will be our pleasure to guide you moving forward Hashirama-sama, we know how hard you have worked on this cease-fire, and how ardently you wish for true peace. The council will deliberate on your words, and on Tobirama-sama's work and I am sure that we can come to an agreement regarding the matter.”

Some of the elders looked dissatisfied with her words, but most of them seemed approving, so Hashirama decided that it was time to give them a small push. “In that case, I will come to the council hall tomorrow after the market closes and bring some of the paperwork you requested.” The elder hummed in confirmation before adding, “Thank you, Hashirama-sama, that would be appreciated.”

With those words she rose out of her seiza, and added, with a respectful nod to him and Mito-him, “I will take my leave, I promised my youngest grandchild that I would teach them to whittle today, and I fear that if I don't keep my promise the child might show up here to remind me,” chuckles followed her statement as everyone remembered how rambunctious young Tomoki could be, and there was little doubt that they wouldn't hesitate to break into the clan head's house to bother their grandmother.

“Very well Touri-sama, in that case I wish you a pleasant day and hope that young Tomoki doesn't wear you out too much.” She smirked in response and with one last bow she intoned “Thank you for hosting me,” “Thank you for coming,” he replied after Mito-hime nudged him. The elder smiled knowingly at the Uzumaki heiress, having caught the action and gracefully glided out of the courtyard.

Her departure started a wave of whispers, and Hashirama observed how Nanako-sama and Momoka-sama exchanged glances before rising together, “We should also be leaving, Hashirama-sama,” they said as one, and he nodded graciously before asking, “Do you wish to be escorted?” A subtle glance at Touka had them shaking their heads, “We can manage, Hashirama-sama, thank you for hosting us.”

“Thank you for coming,” he said, this time without needing to be nudged.

With a short bow, they followed after Touri-sama. From there, it wasn't long until the rest of the council declared that they also needed to leave, citing various projects and tasks, and meetings that they desperately needed to attend to. Hashirama acknowledged them all, offering thank yous and good lucks with varying sincerity, Mito-hime murmuring platitudes alongside him as Touka pretended to sleep so that she didn't have to participate in the charade of social politeness.

He wasn't surprised by this - like Tobirama, Touka had always detested small talk and all the other expected social niceties, finding them tedious and wasteful of her time. Therefore, it was a true blessing to have Mito-hime here; she was a consummate professional in the art of proper social conduct, and her farewells were so flawless that not even Yumehana-sama could find a way to twist her words into something offensive that she could feign indignation at.

But even with the Uzumaki's presence, the farewells still seemed to take an inordinate amount of time, and when the last of the elders had finally shown themselves out, Mito-hime relaxed against him as though she were a Suna nin's puppet who had had all of her strings cut. Hashirama looked down at her, awed by the trust, as she turned to him with a smirk and quipped, “I hope you don't mind that I didn't offer them refreshments.”

Notes:

the elders totally gathered at nanako and momoka's house late to drink tea, gamble and gossip about hashimito, and since nanako is a bonsai fiend, hashirama hears all about it and tells mito, who laughs at him with touka bc he's really embarrassed by the fact that his clan's old people are a bunch of nosy matchmakers.

there are currently twenty-seven elders on the senju council, bc they are a large clan around 400-450 people,
and i subscribe to the hc that it's bc they took people in. their name is lit "a thousand skills" or "a thousand hands", and it's also how they were able to keep up with the uchiha, the clan with one of the deadliest kekkei genkai, through sheer numbers and ingenuity. however, the fact that they adopted also means that as a clan they were less homogeneous, being composed of smaller, family units - this also means that being in charge of them all would have been difficult, hence the vote. all shinobi who have served can vote on important clan matters, like say peace treaties, but for a vote to be called hashirama needs a vote of 51% in favour by the council, which he doesn't have yet.

on the matter of the senju and konoha, i am a fan of the hc that they didn't disappear, they integrated, breaking into family units and marrying other shinobi and even civilians until the only ones left who used the name were the clan head's family, which has always been small. in the warring states period it was just hashirama, tobirama and touka, then hashirama's kids with mito until all that was left was nawaki, who died young and tsunade. this was bc the senju didn't have a kekkei genkai apart from mokuton, which was basically exclusive to the clan head's lineage so they were much less distinct a group than clans like the uchiha who not only mostly looked the same but also had the same affinities, techniques and bloodline limit.

Chapter 36: in which madara discovers something useful

Summary:

Uchiha Madara speaks with his young cousin, searching for answers, and manages to discover some very useful information.

Notes:

asshole old people are at it again!

“Hashirama wants to meet." Izuna declared as soon as they were safely ensconced in his office, protected by seals.

Madara hummed in interest, but his focus was on Kagami, who was squirming in his arms, and Hikaku, who was hovering anxiously, as though afraid to come closer. He shifted, plopping the boy onto one of the comfortable couches he had had installed for situations like these, and wordlessly gestured his cousin closer.

Hikaku came forward, his posture tense as Madara grasped his shoulders and pulled him into his bulk, “It wasn't your fault,” he murmured into his ear, ignoring the way his cousin stiffened, “you were left alone to handle the clan, and that was my failing, so believe me when I say this. Kagami getting out was not your fault.” Hikaku sighed and accepted Madara's embrace, melting into his hold as the worry seeped out of him, but he didn't acknowledge his words. They'd have to work on that, it wouldn't do to have Hikaku stewing in unnecessary guilt.

Gently, Madara led him to the sofa where Izuna was spread out, a concerned-looking Kagami seated on his lap, and with a nudge, he got his brother to make room, which he did with a reluctant grumble as Madara settled Hikaku down carefully.

The man shifted immediately, turning to Kagami, who crawled over Izuna, ignoring his dramatic yelping, to drape himself over his guardian. Hikaku accepted the affection, wordlessly nuzzling into the boy's soft curls. Kagami endured the treatment, patting Hikaku on the head gently and babbling apologies and promises that he wouldn't do it again, and Madara let them have a few moments as he went to make some tea.

Perusing his collection, he selected the calming genmaicha that the Yamanaka had suggested the last time he went to purchase his usual herbs from them and began the soothing process of making tea. He tuned out Izuna's whispered questions and Kagami's quiet responses, heating the kettle he kept in his office for this exact purpose with a gentle katon and carefully measuring out the loose tea leaves.

Leaving that to steep, he opened one of the heavy, dark ironwood cabinets that he had inherited from his father and produced a set of four tea cups, patterned with colourful koi fish. The set had been a gift from his mother after his father had succeeded in breeding his first batch of koi, and it had been his favourite, often used when he was teaching Madara how to handle the clan.

He had stopped using it after he was left widowed, the memories too painful, the same way that he had stopped taking care of his koi pond, forcing Izuna to step up and handle its maintenance.

Setting the cups down with a careful clink, he strained the tea and poured, watching with satisfaction as steam gently wafted off the fresh brew as he placed them on a bamboo tray. Headless of the heat, he made his way back to his family, setting the tray down on the chabudai with a quiet clack.

Izuna immediately reached forward to take a cup, but Madara warned him off with a glare and presented the tea to Hikaku, who accepted it with quiet gratitiude, as Kagami shifted, slipping off of his cousin's lap and settling beside him, cautiously taking the cup Madara passed him and sniffing it delicately before thanking him and taking a careful sip.

The flavour must not have been too bitter, as the boy lit up and started drinking with enthusiasm, until a nudge from his cousin reminded him to slow down and savour the tea. Madara smiled at the boy indulgently, ignoring Izuna's attempt to get his attention until the brat tried to kick him, at which point Madara decided to retaliate by taking his own tea and settling down beside his cousins, ignoring his brother's petulant mumbling as he was forced to get up and take his own cup.

Sipping his tea placidly, he observed the way Hikaku kept his gaze on Kagami, as though afraid that the boy would disappear if he looked away.

Madara understood the sentiment; he had felt the same after Izuna had been healed, scared that whatever technique Senju Tobirama had worked wouldn't last, that the blood would fill up his brother's lungs and leave him choking, dying, drowned on dry land.

He had despised the helplessness, and he imagined that Hikaku had felt the same way, stuck in the compound with the elders, forced to trust that the Senju would be merciful and that Izuna would make it in time. No wonder he was so spooked. Madara imagined that after this incident, none of them would be letting Kagami out of their sight for a good long while.

Moving closer to his cousin, Madara told him decisively, “I'm giving you a break.” When Hikaku moved to protest, he raised a hand and continued, “No, you've done more than enough for now. I can handle the extra paperwork for a few days while you rest and spend time with Kagami. You know that you both need it after the shock you had, Izuna and I can handle things while you recover.”

It was telling that Izuna didn't protest the increase in workload, merely humming in agreement from Madara's other side as he enjoyed his tea, his eyes half-lidded as he observed their cousins. “Aniki's right, Hikaku, you've been working like mad on the Hyuuga correspondence, no one will begrudge you if you take a break.” The sharp glint in his eyes warned that if anyone did they would be dealt with, painfully, and Madara took a moment to appreciate his brother's loyalty. Whatever his flaws, the brat could always be trusted to rain hell on anyone who tried to hurt their kin, so Madara knew that whatever happened, Izuna would have his back.

Still, if the elders complained, he would deal with them himself. Bad enough that they harassed him; he wasn't going to accept them going after anyone else in his family. Izuna could handle himself, but Hikaku's status and position depended partially on the council, so he would have a harder time defending himself if they decided to go after him.

Finishing his tea with a slurp, Izuna rose with a stretch and put his cup on the tray before announcing, “I'm going to go take care of dinner,” and sweeping out of the room with a knowing glance Madara's way. Madara sighed at his antics, but he couldn't deny that he was grateful. If anyone came by, Izuna would take care of it, leaving Madara free to talk to Kagami and figure out what had happened.

With a glance at Hikaku, Madara finished his tea in one gulp and placed the cup beside Izuna's before kneeling down by his young clanmate, so that he could better see the boy's face. He waited for Hikaku's approving nod before addressing the boy, “Kagami,” Madara began, “please, this is important. How did you get out of the compound?”

Kagami hesitated, his eyes darting guiltily to his cousin. Madara reached forward and swept the boy's wayward curls away from his eyes, “I need to know, for the safety of the clan. If you could get out, someone could get in, and then we'd all be in danger. Bloodline thieves wouldn't hesitate to use this opportunity, and you know who they would go after, don't you?” Kagami's eyes widened in horror as he whispered, “The children and the elderly, those who can't fight back.”

Madara nodded, and Kagami bit his lip before admitting, “I overheard elder Metsukeishi-sama talking about how you used to sneak out of the compound when you were little, like me, to see Senju-san.” A pause as Kagami looked at him anxiously, Hikaku whispering a quiet curse as Madara patted the boy on the cheek soothingly, his thoughts furious.

Damn the man, Madara resolved as he accepted Kagami's silent request to cuddle, letting his little cousin roll up into a little ball by his side, safe and warm, burrowed into his haori. Madara knew as a matter of fact that the underground tunnel beneath the compound's eastern wall had been barred for years, ever since his father had learned of how he had managed to get out of the compound.

Only a doton jutsu could clear it, and there was no way that Kagami could manage such a feat. And it was a well-known fact within the clan that elder Kaisa, having spent months undercover in Tsuchi no Kuni and copied a wealth of doton jutsu spying on the Nohime clan, was almost as skilled with doton as she was with katon. She was more than capable of clearing the tunnel without anyone noticing, and if anyone did notice – all she had to do was claim that she was following his orders and creating an escape tunnel, plausible considering the recent security breaches, and she would be left alone to finish her work.

Damn them both, Madara thought vehemently as he considered how he would deal with them. They would have undoubtedly erased their trail by blocking the tunnel again, and if he accused them, they would just claim that Kagami was lying to stay out of trouble, but there had to be a way to prove that it was them. There would be signs, Madara realised, no matter how skilled elder Kaisa was with doton, with the Sharingan he should be able to tell that the block was new, the old one had been in place for years and last time Madara checked, it was old and dusty, it's surface uneven from when he had hit it with a katon after he found the tunnel blocked. There were also scratches from his target practice, and some of them were faint enough to be barely noticeable – even if the elders had recreated everything exactly the same way, he would be able to tell, and then it would be his word against theirs.

He could use this, he realized giddily, to oust them from the council! If he provided proof before the rest of the elders that they had plotted to put a child at risk, they would lose all credibility – and they had put a child at risk, letting Kagami know that there was a way out of the compound and clearing the way for him to do so was grave enough, but they had done it with the expectation that Kagami, if he reached the Senju, would die beneath their blades. They had intended to use his little cousin's murder, so that they could martyr him and convince the rest of the clan to take up arms against the Senju again.

Hikaku must have reached the same conclusion that he had; his grip on the teacup tight as he stared into the leftover dregs, his chakra spiking angrily even as his face was perfectly placid. “They will pay,” he promised his cousin, “but we need to be patient.” Hikaku nodded jerkily and rose, stalking over to the still steaming kettle and pouring himself some more tea, as Kagami watched him, concerned.

“Am I in trouble?” Whispered the boy anxiously as Madara sighed, wondering how to reply. On one hand, the child hadn't meant any harm and he had been manipulated by people older and wiser than him, who had wanted to use him, but on the other hand, the boy should have known better than to leave the compound unaccompanied - like all the clan's children, he was aware of what dangers lay away from the safety of the clan, and Madara's orders had been clear.

“We'll see,” he said non-committally as Hikaku joined them. “I really am sorry,” the boy whispered, “I just wanted to thank my Senju, I didn't mean to cause trouble.” “I know,” Hikaku said, gazing down at him sadly, “but that doesn't mean that your actions don't have consequences. You were lucky that Senju Hashirama found you, otherwise who knows what could have happened.”

Kagami nodded, resigned, and Madara eyed him before declaring, “I know what your punishment will be.” Hikaku gave him a startled glance, but Madara winked at him, and the man relaxed, choosing to observe the proceedings silently. Kagami pouted at Madara, ebony eyes misty as he gazed at him in trepidation. Madara grinned at him and declared, “When you won't be training with your Hikaku-nii, you'll be accompanying me as my assistant, helping me with paperwork and clan duties.” Kagami nodded morosely, resigned to his fate, and asked, “For how long?” Madara looked at him smugly and firmly declared, “Two weeks, cousin, so you had better get used to running, because you're going to be delivering a lot of messages around the compound.”

Kagami paled at his words and stared at him, betrayed.

It was well known that the boy found errand work boring, preferring to work on trap setting and training, and Madara relished Hikaku's quiet chuckle as the man realized what his punishment entailed.

“DINNER'S READY!” Izuna's screech brought Kagami out of his sulk as he turned to Hikaku, “Is it karaage?” He asked excitedly, and Hikaku gave him an indulgent look, “Why don't you go check?” He suggested mildly, as Kagami beamed at the permission, imminent punishment forgotten in the face of his favourite meal. Madara watched indulgently as the boy hopped down off the sofa, set his cup down onto the tray with a careful clink and hurried out of the office, closing the shoji behind him with a firm snap.

Listening as his pattering footsteps receded, Madara turned to Hikaku, and knowing what that determined look on his face entailed, he asked, "What is it?” His cousin stared at him, eyes flickering over his face, assessing his mood, before he sighed and quietly admitted, "I have a request." Madara raised a careless brow and enquired, "One you couldn't make in Kagami's presence?" Hikaku grimaced and shook his head, "If he knew about it he'd want to come too." And Madara was starting to get an inkling about just what his cousin wanted from him.

"Ask." He prompted, rising and giving Hikaku a hand. The man took it, letting Madara pull him up with a careless heave, but he still didn't make his request, staring down at his unfinished tea like it held the answers to all his questions. "Ask," Madara repeated, pulling his attention back to him, "you know that there is little that I would deny you." Hikaku sighed at that, his expression exasperated, before meeting Madara's eyes and declaring, "I would like to go with you, when you go to meet Senju Hashirama-sama."

Madara smirked, satisfied about being right, and chuckled, "But of course. Let Izuna be the one who stays behind this time."

Notes:

izuna is gonna be soooo pissed about this.

also, madara is cackling gleefully as certain elders just felt a foreboding shiver run down their spines.

Chapter 37: in which tobirama is beset by relatives

Summary:

Tobirama spends time with the Hatake clan's children and endures his cousins' teasing.

Notes:

there are cute hatake kids here, please enjoy

“There's a patrol incoming,” Tobirama informed his aunt over lunch, his eyes not leaving his notebook as he scribbled down all the information he could remember about the Aburame clan and their silk production. His Minoru-obasan acknowledged his words with a hum, her mouth too full of bloody steak for her to give him a verbal response. He ignored her nudging his plate closer to him, busy trying to estimate how much the Daimyo would tax the clan per year, knowing that their income was supplemented by weaving.

He was jolted out of his thoughts by his aunt's rough growl, “Eat.” The woman insisted with a fierce glare, gesturing at his own, slightly less bloody steak. Tobirama sighed, but knowing that she wouldn't give in until he had a few mouthfuls, he put down his notebook, using the self-inking brush he had gotten from his aunts as a bookmark, and picked up his chopsticks.

Minoru-obasan watched him eat for a few moments before prompting, “You said something about a patrol?” Tobirama nodded through his mouthful, “About twenty shinobi,” he confirmed, “if they keep their current pace and don't take any breaks, they should be here by tonight.” “Huh, they're early,” his aunt muttered, her expression thoughtful, “guess I'll go warn Madoka.”

She stood and, with one last growled reminder to eat, ruffled his hair and loped off to find her sister. Tobirama scowled, shaking his head to clear his vision, and went back to scrawling in his notebook, occasionally taking bites of his meal, knowing that if he didn't his aunts were liable to send his myriad of small cousins after him in revenge, and as much as Tobirama loved the pups, he could admit that they could be absolute horrors when they decided to cause trouble for someone.

The last thing he needed was for them to turn his temporary office into a prank zone or mess with his seals. And speaking of pups - “Watcha doing?” asked Sakuho, peering over at his notebook with interest.

Tobirama glanced at them and wondered how to reply - he was trying to calculate how much each clan paid the Daimyo in taxes each year, taking into account not only mission-earned income but also separate ventures, which was an interesting exercise for him, but he doubted that a child would care much for it. “I'm trying to figure out how much money the clans of Hi no Kuni earn and get to keep each year.”

He said at last, shifting over on the bench so that the child could join them if they wished. Evidently they did, as they clambered onto the bench and pressed closely into his side, their eyes never leaving his notes, “Who're the Aburame?” They asked, as Tobirama nudged his notebook closer to them so that they could see better. “They're one of Hi no Kuni's clans,” he explained. “They have a kekkei genkai that permits them to host chakra-eating insects called kikaichu.”

Sakuho wrinkled their nose and asked, “What's host mean?” Tobirama smiled patiently and explained, “Usually it means someone who invites someone else somewhere, and as such takes responsibility for them. For instance, your clan is hosting me. In the case of the Aburame, they use their own bodies as hosts for their kikaichu, feeding them chakra and giving them a safe space to live and breed, and in exchange, getting to use the hives they host in battle.”

“Cool!” Exclaimed Sakuho, gaining the attention of the other pups in the hall.

Nouji decided to run over immediately to see what had his friend so excited. “What's cool?” He demanded, trying to get a look at Tobirama's notebook. “Didja know that in Hi no Kuni, there's a clan whose members have bugs living inside of them!” Sakuho told him excitedly, “No way!” Nouji shrieked, at which point Managa decided that she also wanted to know what was going on and ran over to them, ignoring her father's calls to finish her meal before going to play.

“What's going on?” She asked, almost tripping, forcing Tobirama to grab her by the scruff of her kimono so that she didn't collide with the bench. “Thanks Tobi-nii-san!” She chirped with a toothy grin as he settled her on the bench between his and Sakuho, who obediently made room. “So, what's going on?” “In Hi no Kuni there's a clan that hosts insects in their bodies.” Sakuho declared primly, as Managa tilted her head in confusion, “What's host?” She asked, squinting, and Sakuho proudly explained, “Well, it's like when someone stays with someone, like Tobi-nii-san is being hosted by Madoka-sama an-” Nouji interrupted, “But isn't Tobi-nii-san a Hatake?” Managa chimed in, indignant, “Yeah, so he's not being hosted, he's come home! Are you saying that just cuz his eyes are different? That's mean!”

Tobirama sighed affectionately and decided to intervene before the pups decided to start a brawl. “Sakuho is right, Managa, Nouji, I am being hosted by Madoka-sama, and it's not because my eyes are different, but because I am a Senju, not a Hatake.” “But I thought Madoka-sama was your aunt?” Managa asked, her dark eyes curious, as Tobirama nodded and acknowledged her point, “She is, because her imouto was my kaa-san, so I am half Hatake, but my tou-san was the Senju clan head, and as his second son, I am as such also a Senju.”

Nouji squinted at him, “But you look like a Hatake.” The boy pointed out, gesturing at Tobirama's hair and sharp teeth, “Though you are rather short.” Sakuho added thoughtfully. Tobirama chuckled and agreed, “Among the Hatake, yes, but I am one of the tallest in my clan. My anija is taller, and a few of my cousins, but over all people in the southern nations are shorter than people in the northern ones. And the Senju clan has some of the biggest shinobi in Hi no Kuni - on average, we are the tallest clan apart from the Akimichi.”

“Who're the Akimichi?” Nouji asked as at the same time as Managa questioned, “Why're southerners shorter?” Tobirama chuckled and shifted his plate away from Sakuho as the child tried to take a bite, throwing the pup a quelling look as their mother shouted at them across the hall, “OI BRAT, COME EAT YOUR OWN FOOD INSTEAD OF STEALING YOUR COUSIN'S!” Sakuho gave her a puppy-eyed stare and called back, “BUT TOBI-NII-SAN'S TELLING US COOL STUFF, I DON'T WANNA MISS IT!”

Tobirama sighed and interrupted the argument, “Why don't you bring your plate over here so you can eat while I explain?” He suggested as Sakuho brightened and clambered off the bench, “Both of you.” He added with a glance at Managa, whose father had seemingly given up on getting his daughter to come back and finish her meal.

“Ok.” The girl chirped, getting off hurriedly enough that Tobirama was forced to grab her again to stop her from falling, “Thanks Tobi-nii-san!” She threw out as he released her collar, rushing towards her exasperated-looking father as Nouji sat in the space she had previously occupied. “I'm finished.” The pup told him, glancing over at his notebook with interest.

Tobirama wordlessly pushed it in front of him and focused on his meal, knowing that if he wanted to finish it he had to do it before the pups came back. Taking big bites of steak and rice, he ignored the amused looks he was getting from the rest of the adults in the hall, who had been observing the spectacle the pups had caused with fond exasperation.

A few discreetly signalled to him, asking if he needed rescuing, but he firmly shook his head, so they had shrugged and continued eating. He was more than happy to entertain the pups, and by now most of his kin knew that if they wanted a few hours of peace, they could leave their offspring with him as long as he wasn't working on his seals.

As a result, he had gained a small posse of children who constantly came to bother him with questions and requests to teach them, something his aunts frequently laughed at as they observed him get tugged around by the clan's children.

“I'm back!” Sakuho declared cheerfully, popping up with a plate, which Tobirama took from them and carefully set on the table as the pup climbed onto the bench. “So am I!” Managa said, accompanied by her father, who had her plate in one hand, the other clasped firmly over his daughter's shoulder to stop her from running away. Tobirama threw him an amused glance, and the look he got back was extremely long-suffering.

Managa shrieked in indignation, having discovered that Sakuho and Nouji were in what used to be her spot, but Tobirama scooped her up and sat her on the other side. She giggled gleefully, burying herself into his flank, and stuck her tongue out at the other two.

“I'll handle her for a few hours, “ he assured the man, who gave him a deeply grateful look before loping out of the hall to enjoy a few child-free hours. Turning back to the children, who were all staring at him in expectation, Tobirama sighed and said, “Let me finish eating, and then I'll explain.” He got three enthusiastic nods, and the children gathered around his notebook, murmuring quietly among themselves as he finished his meal.

When his plate was scraped clean he pushed it aside, making room for the pups to huddle closer, his notebook pushed back in front of him, ink brush in its proper place. “Now,” Tobirama said, “I will answer your questions, one at a time but you have to be good and not interrupt. If you have anything to say, you can raise your hand and as soon as I am done you may speak. Understood?.” In response, he got three determined nods and a chimed “Yes, Tobi-nii-san!”

Turning on the bench so that he was facing them, he began his explanation, “The Akimichi are a clan from Hi no Kuni, allied with the Nara and the Yamanaka, two other clans. Together, the three are often referred to as the Trinity clans. The Akimichi clan techniques permit them to change size, but such jutsu take a lot of chakra, so they consume a lot as a result.” Sakuho raised a hand and Tobirama paused, nodding at the child, “What's consume mean?” They asked, “In this case it means to eat,” Tobirama answered, before continuing his explanation, “As I was saying, they have an alliance with two other clans, and they often take missions together – they specialize in capture and interrogation, and the Daimyo often makes use of their services when dealing with traitors and suspected spies.”

“So cool!” cried the pups as one, starry-eyed, “Can we see them?” Asked Managa, and Tobirama gave her a quelling look, “When you're older and join the patrols along the trade routes, I'm sure you'll meet them. They use the routes sometimes to sell the specialized rations they make, and their chakra replenishing pills are a rare luxury that many shinobi clans pay much to have.” Managa nodded, looking determined and Tobirama resolved to privately speak with her father in case she decided to get any bright ideas.

He still remembered the time he had offhandedly mentioned that blackberry bushes grew along the Naka, and how Himari, Rimari, and Aori had left the compound while he was out on a mission to go look for them. Poor Midori had almost lost their mind worrying, so he knew the trouble and stress that curious shinobi children could cause, and he was determined to prevent it.

“Moving onto Managa's question, the reason why people who live in colder climates have larger bodies is because this way they retain heat better, helping them survive, the same way people who live in warmer climates have smaller bodies so that heat dissipates better.” The children all had blank looks on their faces, and Tobirama sighed, “Ask your questions.” He prompted, “What's climate?” Sakuho enquired as Nauji and Managa added, “What's retain?” “What's dissipate?”

“One at a time.” Tobirama reminded them firmly. They nodded, their expressions apologetic and Tobirama patted Sakuho's head as he formulated his responses, “Climate is the average weather somewhere. For instance – Hi no Kuni is usually hot and humid, while Tetsu no Kuni is windy.”

The children nodded their understanding, Managa bumping his hand, demanding head pats as Nouji pouted. Tobirama sighed in exasperation and shifted so that they could come closer, and they gleefully accepted, ignoring Sakuho's indignant yelp. They settled happily into his sides, rumbling as he patted their heads, “As I was saying, climate is a place's normal weather, while retain and dissipate means that something keeps something. So when I say that a larger body retains heat longer, I mean that people with bigger bodies stay warm for longer.”

“Is that why my kaa-san's so tall!” Sakuho asked curiously. Tobirama smiled at the pup and said, “It's part of the reason, the other part is due to genetics. The Hatake as a clan are tall, and since height is an inherited characteristic, the same way eye colour and hair colour are, most of your clanmates are tall.”

“Huh,” said Nouji, “is that why everyone's got silver hair Tobi-nii-san?” “Yes,” Tobirama replied, “Do the Senju also have silver hair?” asked Managa and Tobirama wondered how to answer, knowing that if he wasn't delicate, another argument about him being Hatake could break out. “No,” he said after a moment of consideration, “most Senju have brown hair, in varying tones, and we tend towards darker skin tones as we spend lots of time out in the sun.”

“Then why's your hair silver?” Demanded Nouji as Managa reached around Tobirama to swat him, “Idiot,” she hissed, “it's obviously cuz his kaa-san's a Hatake!” Tobirama laughed as Nouji tried to bite Managa for the insult; several other adults had also heard the discussion and were chortling along, and Sakuho had a confused expression on their face as they squinted at Tobirama.

“But his hair's white, not silver!” The child blurted out, forcing their two friends to stop tussling and stare at Tobirama. “It's because I'm an albino,” Tobirama told the confused children, “it means that my body doesn't produce enough of a substance called melanin, which is what gives the body colour, and it's also the reason my eyes are red.”

The pups kept staring at him, cataloguing how pale his skin and hair was, “Is that why you have those lines?” Managa said at last, staring at the seals tattooed on his skin, “No,” Tobirama told her, “those are tattoos.” Sakuho brightened at that and exclaimed, “Like kaa-san's!” “Not quite like hers,” Tobirama said, “but similar. Your mother's tattoos are decorative, while mine serve a purpose. They are seals that help me regulate my tenketsu points.”

Nouji squinted at that, “Can't you do that yourself?” he wondered, only to yelp when Sakuho elbowed him and whispered, “Don't be rude!” Again, a few adults laughed as the two pups almost fell off the bench, forcing Tobirama to separate them. They quieted as soon as he put them on either side of him, Managa obligingly shifting closer to him to make room for Sakuho.

“I can now,” Tobirama told the children after they had stopped protesting, “but I was born early, with underdeveloped coils, and so my kaa-san had an Uzumaki tattoo these seals on me to help me.” “Cool!” Cried Nouji as Sakuho raised a hand, “What's an Uzumaki?” They asked, tilting their head, “The Uzumaki are a clan that specializes in seals, they live in Uzushio no Kuni and I am very close friends with one of them.” Tobirama explained, ignoring the pang of loneliness at the mention of Mito.

“Friends, how?” Nouji asked, "cuz my nee-san says that adults have kissy friends and non-kissy friends, which I think is gross cuz I don't wanna kiss my friends!” Tobirama chuckled at the exaggerated disgust on the pup's face, “We're non-kissy friends Nouji.” He told the boy, who nodded and declared, “Good, cuz kissy friends are gross.”

Sakuho and Managa nodded in agreement, and Tobirama smiled and placidly commented, “If you say so pups.” To the amusement of Sakuho's mother, who began chuckling loudly. Tobirama smirked at her and stood, picking up Managa by the collar and setting her down beside him before she tried to get off the bench on her own.

He waited until the other two pups had clambered down before leading the way out into the main courtyard. Turning to the three, he squatted in front of them and asked, “So, who wants to work on trap setting?” They responded with enthusiastic cheers, attempting to smother him with hugs, and he laughed, lifting the three of them as he stood, delighting in their excitement.

“In that case, lets go tell Madoka-obasan that I'm taking you out of the compound for a few hours so she doesn't worry.” The pups agreed, clinging to him as he went in search of his aunt, their warm weight barely noticeable.

He found his Madoka-obasan in her office, with Minoru-obasan, and they both eyed him and his passengers with a great deal of amusement. “I'm taking them out of the compound for a few hours,” he told them, ignoring the children's squirming, “we're going to practice trap setting. I won't go past the river.” Madoka-obasan shared a look with Minoru-obasan, who shrugged.

“Alright,” she told him, “but be back before the patrol.” “Of course,” Tobirama promised, “I plan to have them back by dinner time.” The children cheered in delight at the approving nod she gave him, slipping out of his hold with calls of “Thank you, Madoka-sama!” before they ran out of her office, forcing Tobirama to call a rapid farewell to his aunts before rushing after them.

***************

When the sky started to darken, Tobirama gathered up his charges and told them it was time to get going.

He ignored their protests as he carefully guided them through dismantling their traps, “The patrol will be here soon,” he told them, his senses following the pack as they made their way home. They had picked up speed when they had reached the Sanro, and if he didn't hurry up, they were liable to reach the compound before he and the pups did, and then Madoka-obasan would give him a Look.

The last thing he needed was to be teased for being unable to deny the children, especially if his suspicions about some of the returning patrol members were correct.

Kneeling to check that Managa had put away her nin wire properly, Tobirama told them his assessment of their traps. “Sakuho, you were very creative in using the natural environment to conceal your traps, but the ones you set out are more liable to wound than to kill. Which is acceptable if you're looking to capture a target instead of killing them, but know that there's a risk that the target could free themselves and continue attacking you. So you need to double check and make sure that if you are setting out to capture, you make your traps difficult to escape from.” The child nodded gamely, chewing on a ration bar he had given them after they had complained about being hungry, despite knowing that it was a bad idea to feed them so soon before dinner.

“Managa, well done with the nin wire, you were very smart to use it as a trip wire, but you need to memorise where you place your traps, else you run the risk of getting caught in them.” “Yes Tobi-nii-san.” Mumbled the girl, her cheeks red as she remembered how he had to stop her from walking into one of her own traps earlier.

Patting her hair fondly, he moved onto Nouji, who was sitting by a boulder and pouting. Sighing deeply, Tobirama signalled for the other two to stay and rose to join the boy. “You'll get better,” he promised the pup, sitting down beside him. He accepted it when instead of responding the boy curled into his side, wordlessly seeking his warmth, “your pit traps weren't bad, they just need to be deeper, and you need to think about how you position them, and you have good instincts when picking where to place your kunai traps, you were just too ambitious when trying to set them up. Had you asked me, I would have tree-walked you up and helped you prepare them.”

Nouji snuffled at that, peeking his head out from under Tobirama's arm, “What if I wanna tree-walk myself?” He asked, and Tobirama smiled at him calmly, “Then I can teach you how to tree-walk, so that you can set them up yourself.” “Promise?” The boy asked hopefully, “I swear.” Tobirama promised, calculating how much time he had left and realising that he had two weeks to teach them.

And it would be a them situation – as soon as the other pups learned that he was teaching Nouji how to tree-walk, they would demand to be taught too, and he could hardly deny them.

Getting up, he let Nouji clamber onto his back, and made his way back to the other two, who were whispering among themselves furtively, immediately quieting when they noticed that he was coming. Raising a knowing eyebrow, he ignored their giggles and knelt down so that they could climb on. They did so, Sakuho settling on his hip as Managa wriggled into him until he wrapped his arms around her. Hugging her close, he circled his chakra, ensuring that all three were firmly attached to him, before bounding towards the compound.

Ignoring their gleeful squeals at the speed, he focused on the approaching patrol and realised that he would have to run hard if he wanted to make it back in time. Putting on an extra bout of speed, he bounded up into a copse of evergreen trees, knowing that he would make it back sooner this way. He had grown up in Hi no Kuni, and using the trees to travel came much more naturally than running on the ground.

Soon enough, he caught sight of the compound gates, and smoothly bounding off the pine he was on, he landed on the pine-needle-riddled ground. The children shrieked at the free-fall, laughing madly as he raced through the open compound gates, only to be met by his Madoka-obasan's unimpressed face.

“Made it.” He gasped, ignoring the hectic activity in the main courtyard as the Hatake made preparations to receive their clanmates. “Barely cub,” chuckled his Minoru-obasan, catching Managa before she could run off. “I'll take them back to their parents,” Tobirama said, desperate to get away from the teasing, “No need,” his aunt cheerfully rebutted before calling out, “OI BOUMA, COME GET YOUR BRAT!” Managa's father approached at a jog, leaving a huddle of shinobi who seemed to be carrying a huge roast boar into the main hall.

“On it Manami-san, thank you for looking after her, Tobirama-san,” the shinobi said, scooping up his protesting daughter. “It was no trouble, Bouma-san,” Tobirama assured him, “she was a delight.” Minoru-obasan chuckled as Managa blew her father a raspberry “Yeah, I'm sure she was.” The man joked as another clanmate called out to him. “Sorry, got to go help out,” he said with a toothy grin, lugging his daughter away as she waved at Tobirama, her expression mutinous.

“My kaa-san's by the forges, can I go to her?” Sakuho asked, and Tobirama turned to his aunts, unsure of how to answer. “Only if you promise not to touch anything and to be very careful,” Madoka-obasan warned, “And don't interrupt her if she's doing something, wait quietly until she acknowledges you.” Minoru-obasan added knowingly, gesturing to the large burn scar on her forearm that Tobirama knew she had gotten after one of his cousins had shouted in the forge while she was handling molten metal.

Sakuho paled at the scar and nodded rapidly, “I know, I gotta be careful and quiet, I will be, promise.” "Then you can go," Madoka-obasan told them. The child tackled Tobirama with a hug, muttered “Thanks for the lesson, Tobi-nii-san, it was really cool!” before running off to the forges.

Only Nouji remained, and when Tobirama gave him a questioning look he shrugged and said, “My nee-san's out with the patrols.” No mention of parents, and Tobirama knew what that meant. “She'll be back soon,” Minoru-obasan promised him, “in the meantime, I'm sure your Hagiho-ojisan is waiting for you.” Nouji nodded, though he seemed glum, and after giving Tobirama a quick hug, he scampered off.

"He lost his parents two years ago,” Minoru-obasan explained quietly, “an ambush in Taki no Kuni, we lost half of the patrol, but the bastards that did it are all dead.” It was a grim consolation, but at least it meant that they wouldn't be able to repeat the stunt. The Hatake were rarely attacked when they were out on the trade routes; their network was too precious to risk alienating them, but occasionally, bloodline thieves or greedy clans tried their luck. The clan always avenged itself in such cases, but the losses still stung.

“His sister stayed home the past two years, helping their grandfather care for him, but this year he urged her to go. She's taking one of the shorter routes, so she'll be among the first back.” Tobirama nodded, glad that Nouji would have more family around soon, knowing that sometimes, one could be lonely even when they were surrounded by kin.

He had felt that way when he had first been sent to the Hatake, missing his anija and Touka desperately, but that soon faded as he soaked up his aunts' affection and played with his cousins. He had still missed his family, but he had had plenty of things to distract himself with, and he had known that he would see them again. He ignored the pang of grief he felt at that thought.

Sensing as the patrol drew closer, he muttered, “I'm going to go clean up” and headed to the main house, where he had taken up residence. He was halfway across the courtyard when three shinobi split from the rest of the patrol - and he recognised those signatures. Freezing in place, he tracked their frenzied run until - “COUSIN!” Kihohu roared, rushing through the gates and making a beeline straight for him.

Tobirama barely had the time to brace himself before he was barrelled into and lifted, his cousin's arms tight around him as the nin hugged him. “You're as tiny as I remember!” Kihohu declared happily, his grin displaying his sharp teeth as Tobirama spluttered.

“I am taller than most of my clanmates!” He protested indignantly as Kihohu let him go, “But you're short for a Hatake,” Atsuho pointed out as he approached at a much more sedate pace, “Because you're all giants!” Tobirama complained, accepting his hug, “It's not my fault that genetics gave you all such ridiculous heights, I can hardly control my DNA!” He paused at this, considering, as an idea came to him and he grasped his pockets in search of his notebook, “Actually, I could maybe manage to-”

“Oh no you don't!” Shouted Minoru-obasan from where she was overseeing the rest of the incoming patrol, “Kihohu, don't let him note that down! The last thing we need is him trying to vivisect himself, attempting to modify his genes!” “On it, kaa-san!” Kihohu said, lifting him into another rib-crushing hug. “Fine, fine, I won't try genetic modification!” Tobirama wheezed, hoping that the concession would get his cousin to release him.

“I'm glad. I heard that it can be quite dangerous.” Utsuho declared placidly from behind him,“Welcome back, cousin.” They added, stepping forward as Kihohu let him go, they didn't hug him, choosing instead to place a gentle hand on his shoulder and nuzzle his cheek with theirs, their long braid tickling his throat as they drew back. “Thank you, Atsuho,” he said drily, “it's good to be back.”

“We brought the good sake, the one brewed by that one Kusa no Kuni clan.” Kihohu said excitedly with a wiggle of his brows, “I've kept some for myself, as a reward for all my hard work.” Madoka-obasan snorted at that, but the lack of objection meant that Kihohu had permission to take said sake and had not in fact been stealing from clan stores.

“HIYA AUNTIE!” Kihohu called out to her, “DON'T WORRY, I DIDN'T TAKE MUCH!” “WE STOPPED HIM,” added Utsuho as Atsuho nodded gamely. “GOOD, AND HELLO TO YOU TOO YOU MENACE,” Madoka-obasan called back, nudging her grinning sister before turning her attention back to the rest of the patrol.

“What do you say,” his cousin whispered, “wanna imbibe?” “FIRST COME AND GREET YOUR MOTHER, BRAT!” Minoru-obasan roared, and Kihohu winced, clapped Tobirama on the shoulder, and ran over to her. Atsuho and Utsuho sighed and turned to face him with identical quizzical expressions. Tobirama threw them a droll look, wrinkling his nose.

He disliked the lack of clarity that came with alcohol consumption, as he had had few chances in his life to drink safely. As a result, when he did imbibe, the way the substance dulled his instincts made him panic. It was part of the reason why he had developed a jutsu that allowed him to indulge without actually getting drunk, but he suspected that his cousins wouldn't let him use it.

“We have gossip from Hi no Kuni.” Atsuho bargained, and that decided it. Sighing in dismay, Tobirama accepted his fate, nodding his consent.

Kihohu, evidently having greeted his mother to her satisfaction, let out an excited hoot. Letting his cousins drag him off, Tobirama did his best to ignore his aunts' alarmingly gleeful cackling, already knowing that he was going to regret this.

Notes:

tobirama is canonically 182cm - 5,11 in feet, hashirama is 185cm - 6 feet tall and madara is a 179 - 5,10 feet (yes tobirama is exactly one inch taller and madara is petty about it.) izuna is the shortest - he's 174cm - 5,8 feet and he hates it so much.

unfortunately we don't have touka's height (i blame sexism) but i hc that she's the same height as tobirama.

also, managa is constantly tripping and making mistakes not bc she's a bad shinobi or anything, but bc she's younger than the other kids and recently had a growth spurt, so she's like one of those puppies stumbling all over themselves, unused to the length of their limbs.

also, unfortunately, there won't be updates for a while bc i'm going to a work camp and won't be able to post.

Chapter 38: in which the uchiha elders meet

Summary:

The Uchiha elders hold a meeting, and Madara presents his findings before them, hoping to finally oust his political opponents.

Notes:

this chapter was brought to you by tea-stealing baby siblings.

Madara rose with the sun. The house was silent around him, everyone else was either asleep or out training, and he took a moment to luxuriate in the peaceful quiet, knowing that it was probably the only peace he would have for the rest of the day.

Breathing in the humid air, he rose from his futon, yukata slipping off one shoulder, and went to open up the shoji doors. As he expected, Izuna was already up, his eyes closed as he went through his kata. Madara observed him for a while before the heat got to him, his unbound hair sticking uncomfortably to his nape.

Resigned, he left the shogi doors open and went to prepare breakfast, snagging a worn leather strap to tie his hair up with snagging a worn leather strap from his chest of drawers to tie his hair up with before he left the bedroom. Izuna had already started the breakfast preparation before he started to train. There was a pot of miso bubbling away on the stove, some rice left on the counter, along with a pan of salmon ready for frying, as well as two perfect tamagoyaki, ready to be cut up and served.

Heating up the rice with a quick katon, Madara plated it into four separate bowls and poured some dashi over it, before adding umeboshi. With another gentle katon, he lit up the stove, and began to fry the salmon, occasionally stirring the miso that his brother had started to make. When the salmon was done, he extinguished the stove, and cut it into slices, adding it to the rice. As usual, he forwent Hikaku's plate, knowing that his cousin wasn't fond of fish. Instead of salmon, he added an extra portion of tamagoyaki to his plate and poured the miso into bowls, and from the pantry, he pulled out three jars of pickled vegetables. He added jalapenos to his own plate, as well as some eggplants and radish, plated Izuna's preferred cucumbers and carrots carefully before closing the jars, but leaving them on the counter for when Hikaku and Kagami woke up.

After putting covers over his sleeping cousins' trays so that their food wouldn't grow cold, he picked up his and his brother's trays, and made his way outside, making enough noise for his otouto to hear his footsteps. By the time he had made his way over, Izuna had already slipped off of the koi pond, his hands eagerly extended to receive his breakfast.

“Brat,” Madara muttered fondly, handing it over. Izuna made a content sound, plopping down on the koi pond's smooth stone wall and immediately went for the salmon, as Madara knew he would. He watched in silence as his brother enjoyed his meal, basking in the early morning quiet and the presence of his otouto, knowing that soon he would have to face the elders and explain himself.

He had gone to check the tunnel late last night, after the other members of the household had gone to sleep, and it had been as he suspected - the block was new. And even though a decent attempt at defacing it had been made, he could tell that it wasn't the original - the kunai markings were too new, the burns and ash residue left from his katon practice were a bit off, and the whole tunnel had smelled fresh when he had directed chakra to his nose. The air had been clean and smelled slightly of greenery and smoke. The last time he had been down there, it had been dusty and stagnant. Someone had obviously meddled, and no matter how skilled the culprits were at covering their tracks, they had left some sign of their meddling.

The other elders would notice it, having been down there with Madara and his father, before and after the tunnel had been sealed, not to mention the fact that mere months ago elders Rokka and Enma had gone with him to inspect the passage's integrity! There was no way that they wouldn't realize that someone had replaced the block, especially if he asked them to inspect it with their Sharingan, and no matter their personal opinions regarding the culprits, Madara believed that in this they would be fair - they would have no choice, especially if they wanted to keep their seats on the council - not when a child was involved.

In matters of this nature at least, the council had always been united and no matter how much Madara disliked some of them, he could at least admit that most of them were competent when it came to doing their jobs. Many of the current members of the elder council were remnants of his grandfather's days - As most of his father's generation were dead due to the escalation of the feud.

As such, some of the current elders believed in the old ways – namely eye swapping. Elder Metsukeishi in particular liked to preach about how much better things were when the Uchiha didn't have to fear blindness – as though that was an acceptable reason to turn on your own kin. It was well known that the man had gotten his own eternal after he cut out his imouto's Mangekyo – the kunoichi had gotten it after seeing her wife fall to Senju blades, and like many Uchiha, she went mad because of her beloved's death. The elder had excused his actions by claiming that she would be useless on the battlefield in her state – an acceptable reason in his grandfather's eyes.

It had been a dark time for the Uchiha – when they had to be as wary of each other as they were of their enemies, always conscious of the fact that if they weren't careful, an opportunistic family member might cut them down to claim their power. Fortunately his father had put an end to the madness – he had inherited after his own older brother tried to claim his eyes and failed, and his sister was lost to madness from a botched eye swap involving one of their cousins. She hadn't lived long after that, according to his mother - choosing to kill herself rather than live with the memories of the kin she had killed in persuite of power.

Madara had supported his father and his decision to outlaw the practice, but that didn't stop certain elders from trying to sway him into changing his mind. He still remembered how elder Metsukeishi had dared to approach him before his father's funeral pyre had cooled, bringing tales of power beyond his comprehension and promises of being able to beat Hashirama – if only he were to take his brother's eyes.

Madara had refused. Violently.

When it became clear that he wasn't going to listen, the elder tried to drive a wedge between him and Izuna, whispering the same tales into his brother's ear, unaware that he had already told his otouto, who had been extremely unimpressed by the elder's attempt to manipulate him. When Izuna had also refused to listen to him, elder Kaisa presented herself to the council, and, claiming concern about the clan only having an heir and not a spare, had Hikaku appointed to his position.

No doubt elder Metsukeishi had asked her to do so on his behalf, believing that he would be able to blackmail Hikaku if his arguments failed a third time, but fortunately with Madara and Izuna both standing at his back, his cousin's position was secure, and Hikaku had lost too much family during his grandfather's reign to listen to his nonsense, to the old man's fury.

“Are you going to eat that?” Izuna demanded, bringing Madara's attention to his untouched tray. “I was thinking,” he muttered, picking up his chopsticks and ignoring his brother's pout. As usual, the brat had devoured his meal in seconds and was somehow still hungry. “There's extra in the kitchen,” Madara told his brother through a mouthful of rice, “but leave some for Hikaku and Kagami.”

Izuna nodded, but it was obvious that his thoughts were elsewhere, and Madara knew that talking to him before he had a second portion would be useless. “Get some tea.” He called out after his brother, who acknowledged his request with a quick hand-sign as he crossed their mother's stone garden to the kitchen. Settling down on the wall that Izuna had previously occupied, Madara focused on finishing his breakfast before the tea was ready.

He was on his last spoonful of miso when Izuna wandered back out again, tea tray in hand. The smell was that of Madara's favoured hojicha, the nutty scent indicating that his brother hadn't under-steeped it as he was prone to do - Izuna preferred weak teas, disliking the bitterness, while Madara and Hikaku enjoyed the flavours presented by the stronger strains.

It seemed that this time, his brother had decided to take his preference into account, and Madara accepted his cup with a happy sigh, enjoying the way the warmth seeped into his hands as Izuna settled beside him with a grumble. “Did you finish the salmon?” Madara asked, finishing his first cup and reaching for the teapot. “No,” Izuna muttered, scowling at his cup, “I left some for Kagami.” He added before Madara could ask.

“That's good,” the elder Uchiha said, “what are your plans while I'm with the elders?” Izuna scowled even harder at the reminder of what Madara would be doing today, his hatred for the elders chipping away at his usual early morning cheer. “I'll check up with Kendo and Asagi, find out what the clan knows and spread some of the information we have, maybe tell the right people what Kagami told us last night.” Madara hummed in acknowledgement, “A good idea, but be careful with the information, I don't want certain elders to accuse me of trying to undermine their reputation.”

Izuna snorted at that, “There is no undermining when we're discussing events that actually happened; their own damn actions speak for them.” His otouto wasn't wrong, of course, but playing such games was dangerous, and Madara didn't want to take such risks before he knew that he could pin something on the elders in question. “I'll be careful.” Izuna conceded with a sigh, taking Madara's tray, “as long as you keep your temper.” He added cheerfully, making Madara growl and threaten to throw him into the pond. Of course, the brat ran inside before he could fulfil his threats, leaving Madara to contemplate his cooling tea and the half-full pot his brother had left for him.

With a deep sigh, he finished his cup and moved to finish the rest of the pot, only for a pale hand to lash out and steal it. “DAMN IT IZUNA!” Madara bellowed after his brother's cackling back as his otouto made off with the teapot, “I WAS GOING TO DRINK THAT!” “I KNOW,” his brat of a brother called back, “BUT I FIGURED THAT HIKAKU AND KAGAMI ALSO DESERVE SOME, SINCE YOU WERE INSISTING ABOUT LEAVING STUFF FOR THEM!

“THEY CAN MAKE THEIR OWN DAMN POT!” Madara growled out, indignant, but Izuna had already disappeared inside. Eyeing his cup in disappointment, he resigned himself to no more tea, knowing that Izuna had likely hidden the pot by now, and having no desire to spend his limited free time rummaging around and enduring his otouto's teasing. Alas, he had no time for such shenanigans this morning, not if he wanted to be prepared for the meeting with the elders.

Speaking of said unfortunate meeting, he needed to start getting ready if he didn't want to be late, for a given value of the word, as even if he happened to be there early, there would be mutters about how he should have been the first one present to greet the old fogies. Never mind that such customs hadn't been observed since the reign of his great-grandmother, certain factions felt that he owed them obeisance and had since before he became clan head, and he doubted that the Sage himself could convince them otherwise.

It made meetings with the council a special type of frustrating, but Madara was head of a clan at war, and he needed them to manage and oversee things while he was busy leading the fighting, and as such, he had to make concessions. That would end soon, but for the time being, it was best not to test their patience too much.

Sighing, Madara picked himself up off the wall and, taking his brother's abandoned tea tray, he proceeded inside, putting it on the kitchen counter with a quiet clack, he retreated to his room. Closing both sets of shogi doors to ensure privacy, he wandered over to his garderobe and, after a moment of perusal, pulled out an indigo montsuki haori, high-collared and embroidered with uchiwa on the breast and the back.

Pulling off his sleep yukata, he reached for a pair of fresh black shinobi pants, pulling them on and making a note to bandage his calves. His usual black, high-collared shitagi preceded the haori, covering his juban. The sash he tied around his waist to hold it in place was white and also subtly embroidered with uchiwa. It had belonged to one of his elder brother's, and the embroidery was his mother's work, done in a fit of grief. Madara had always disliked wearing it, fearful of ruining it, but some of the elders had an eye for detail and would appreciate the symbolism, so needs must.

Pulling on the montsuki haori, he observed himself critically in his mother's old mirror. Adjusting the garment's high collar, he smoothed down the fabric so that the uchiwa embroidered on his breast was clearly visible, and after a moment of reflection, he also pinned up his hair with the golden kanzashi that he had been presented with for his coming of age. Normally, he disliked having his hair up, but he needed the elders on his side and knew that many of them would view his putting his hair up as a concession, and that might make those with more traditional views look upon him more favourably.

Pulling on a fresh pair of black gloves, he went to his dresser, remembering that he had recently stashed a fresh roll of bandages there, only to curse when all he found was a single, meagre roll with barely enough bandage left to cover up a finger, let alone both his calves. But he was sure that he had prepared an extra roll, which meant that someone had been rummaging through his stuff again.

“IZUNA!” He bellowed, knowing that the brat would hear him. A moment later his brother came crashing into his room, the shogi doors clacking harshly as they were pushed aside. “What?” His brat of a younger brother asked, still holding the damn teapot, before he noticed Madara's unimpressed expression and the roll of bandages he was holding. Then his expression shifted into something apologetically sheepish, and he made a swift retreat.

Madara sighed at the shogi doors he had forgotten to close, and prayed for patience. A moment later his brother's purposefully loud footsteps echoed down the corridor and a brand new roll of bandages came sailing at him. Catching it one-handed, he swore at his brother's retreating back– the brat still hadn't closed the blasted doors.

Crossing the room, he closed them with an irritated tug and then made his way to his unmade futon. He could put on the bandages standing, but that made the process fiddly and uncomfortable, and Madara had no intentions of making his life any more difficult than it had to be this morning. Settling on the futon with a grumble, he wrapped the edges of his pants with the bandages, expertly tucking them in such a way that not even the most finicky elder would be able to accuse him of sloppiness.

Rising, he smoothed down his haori one last time, and with no small amount of reluctance, emerged from his rooms. As expected, his otouto had made himself scarce, knowing from experience that Madara's mood before meeting with the council was always terrible, and that it was best to avoid him if he wanted to avoid a trip into the koi pond.

Padding gently down the hallway, Madara let his sensing unfurl, allowing his clanmates' bright presence to soothe him. Hikaku and Kagami's signatures were curled up together, their presence banked by sleep, while Izuna's bright spark indicated that his brother had taken up residence in Madara's office. Many of the clan were up, having risen with the dawn to pay homage to Amaterasu-omikami, but most of their signatures were sedate, his clanmates enjoying a peaceful morning. The sentries and patrols were alert, their bright chakra signatures offsetting the unusual calm of the rest of his kin, though a few shinobi had already taken to the training fields, their chakra burning bright as they honed their skills.

And some of the elders were already gathered within the administration pavilion, their signatures muted by the heavy seals that protected the building. With an annoyed sigh, Madara catalogued which of them was present and sped up. The meeting wasn't due to start for another half hour, but if they were already gathering, then it meant that they had something to discuss, and Madara was disinclined to give any of them time to plot.

Emerging from his house, he channeled chakra to his legs and bounded towards the administration pavilion, the few Uchiha who were out and about clearing the way for him wordlessly with respectful nods. The pavilion was eerily silent as he gently landed before the barred doors, the inscribed seals keeping all noise from escaping, but Madara could feel the agitated signatures of the elders, and could make a guess at who was speaking and why.

Approaching the heavily decorated doors, Madara let out a burst of chakra that had them springing open, silencing elder Shakunetsu's impassioned speech. Only a third of the council were present, and they all stared as Madara slowly entered the pavilion to stand before them. He returned their gazes for a few moments before giving them a short bow, his face set into an impassive mask.

Despite the early hour, the pavilion was already suffused with incense, the scent cloying in the enclosed space. The chamber in which they held the meetings had no windows, and braziers were lit for visibility, the flames highlighting the high columns decorated with phoenixes, dragons, and kirin, casting shadows on the mosaiced walls and floor. The elders were perched on the elevated obsidian seating that ran along the pavilion's perimeter, observing him shrewdly from their decorated cushions.

“Good morning, honoured elders.” He intoned carefully, rising from his half-bow, his tone flat and unassuming. “Good morning, Madara-sama.” Elder Shakunetsu and elder Sumika's silence echoed louder than their peers' greeting, their displeasure clear in the firm set of their mouths and the unpleasant glint in their dark eyes. He ignored the twinge of annoyance at the disrespect, choosing to focus on elder Akihime's silent indication to sit down, knowing that it was useless to attempt to bring it up.

Those two had always made it clear that they believed him unfit to lead the clan, having supported his eldest brother when he had been alive. Inabi had been a strong shinobi, capable and ruthless, and like their father, he had believed that their feud with the Senju could only end with the total annihilation of their enemies, but unlike their father and Madara, he had listened to elder Metsukeishi more than was wise.

The whole clan had mourned for weeks when he died, and while Madara had been to young to remember him well, what memories he had were positive and he knew that things changed irrevocably after he was gone. His okaa-san was never the same after, growing colder and angrier, her sanity waning as she overused her Mangekyo trying to avenge her eldest son.

His otou-san changed too, his attitude more severe, his lessons harsher, but his focus was always on his elder sons. No one had expected Madara to be the heir, to lead, not when he had had three strong, skilled brothers ahead of him in the line of succession. Until they had all died before reaching adulthood, only then had that duty fallen on him.

If Inabi's fate had broken his mother's heart, Rai and Baru's deaths had stolen the rest of her sanity and sealed her fate. After her death, his father had focused all of his efforts on honing Madara and Izuna's skills, desperate to ensure that his younger sons would survive to lead the clan after he was gone. Hashirama's friendship had been one of the few good things Madara remembered of that dark time, a soothing balm to his father's grief, the endless crush of duties, and the brutal training sessions.

The loss of that friendship had crushed him, but his father's disappointment and his mother's death at the hands of Senju Butsuma compounded in ensuring that the next time he saw Hashirama, he was compelled to treat him as the enemy, as was expected of him. Izuna and Tobirama's rivalry hadn't helped matters in that regard, and despite the fact that Hashirama had remained mostly unchanged personality-wise, Madara had been unable to accept his countless offers to meet, to talk, to try and end the feud.

A part of him regretted that attitude now, but he knew that while their fathers still lived and led, they would have achieved nothing, and his position at the time had been too precarious for him to accept Hashirama's offers to meet. His brother had still distrusted him when it came to Hashirama, and Madara had cared too much about Izuna and his opinions to risk doing anything, even exchanging letters, not when the threat of his father and the elders finding out was there.

“Is Kagami-kun well Madara-sama?” Elder Kagome's question was a welcome respite from his dark thoughts, and Madara nodded to her before replying. “He is, thank you elder. Tired, but unhurt. Senju Hashirama-sama ensured that.” Elder Sumika scoffed at that, but Madara ignored her, unwilling to get into a battle of wits with the stubborn old crow, knowing that nothing he said could convince her that the Senju were not all evil incarnate. Not when she had led one of the child-killing squads until Madara banned the practice as soon as he was clan head, forcing her into early retirement when she refused to return to the battlefield to fight, knowing that the Senju would target her, wanting vengeance for their murdered children. At least she had followed orders and ensured that their deaths were quick, forbidding torture, unlike Ranma's squad.

“It is a relief that Senju-sama's clanmate informed him of the child's presence,” Elder Enma remarked calmly, “do you perchance know the identity of the shinobi in question Madara-sama?” Madara was surprised by the question and mildly suspicious, but he was truthful when he answered, “I do not honoured elder, Izuna was not told their identity.”

Elder Shakunetsu shifted, his gaze shrewd before his creaky voice rang out, “And how can we be sure that the Shinobi no Kami wasn't lying? It could be that he sensed the boy himself and decided to create a fictional clanmate who supposedly decided to save an Uchiha in order to hide his clan's true intentions?!” Madara smiled thinly at the elder, amused by the attempt to sow doubt, “Because Hashirama is not a sensor, honoured elder, and moreover, he has no reason to attempt to deceive me in such a way.” The surprise on the elder's face at his rebuttal was gratifying, but before he could question Madara, the pavilion doors opened.

Elder Hiroyuki and elder Ransai entered silently, their expressions placid, and Madara spared a moment to be thankful that the more troublesome members of the council had decided to forgo coming early today. “Good morning.” The elders said, and Madara echoed the greeting, waiting until the two elders had settled before continuing his explanation. “You were saying that Senju-sama can't sense, Madara-sama?” Prompted elder Kagome, and Madara nodded, “He can use his mokuton similarly, but he has no skill at sensing, unlike his younger brother.”

There was a moment of silence as the newcomers processed his words before elder Sumika started to question him, “And how do you know this?” She demanded, ignoring her peers' disbelieving looks. Madara fought the urge to sneer at the woman, but his tone ws biting when he replied, “Aside from the fact that I have fought him for years honoured elder, I remind you that we used to be friends in our youth, and he often lamented his lack of a skill that his clan deemed necessary while bragging about his brother's abilities.”

“He could have been lying,” the elder parried immediately, and Madara scoffed. “I myself am a sensor honoured elder,” he reminded her, “and I have never once felt him sensing. Not to mention the fact that had he been a sensor, he would have been aware of Izuna's ambush in our youth, as I was aware of Senju Butsuma's. Besides, he was a terrible liar as a child, and I have seen his abysmal attempts at sensing. I know for a fact that he lacks the skill.” Elder Sumika appeared dissatisfied with his explanation, but having no rebuttal, she chose to stay silent.

“I thought that all the Senju could sense?” Elder Ransai said, their tone curious, and Madara turned his attention to them, “Most have the skill,” he admitted, “there are a few among them who are natural sensors, Senju Tobirama being the most notable example, and most of the clan is trained to be able to sense, but I know that a few lack the aptitude.”

Most of the council members nodded, accepting his explanation, but elder Sumika still looked doubtful, likely remembering Senju Butsuma's sensing and how often he had feigned getting caught in genjutsu to lull Uchiha into lowering their guard. Madara couldn't blame her caution, but he did resent her for thinking that he would not have done his due and checked whether he was being lied to, and he knew for a fact that Senju Hashirama was useless when it came to sensing – he could use the plants as a focus by utilizing his mokuton, but it was not the same thing as sensing and he wouldn't have known that Kagami was on his clan's lands unless he constantly connected to his land's plants.

Madara knew that Hashirama didn't do that, not only because the amount of chakra required to keep a constant awareness was monstrous even by their standards, but also because it would require maintaining a constant connection – something that Hashirama would have trouble doing constantly. Besides all that, Hashirama had no reason to lie, not when he knew that Madara would demand further explanation from him the next time they met!

"Madara-sama," elder Shakunetsu said with narrowed eyes, "but what did you mean when you said that Senju Hashirama has no reason to deceive you in regards to this matter?" Madara raised an eyebrow at the question, displeased by what the old man was implying, "Hashirama knows that I will contact him, as I wish to hear more details about what happened while Kagami was out of the compound, and as such, he's aware that I will enquire about how he became aware of Kagami's presence. There are many sensors among the Senju, but considering how far from their compound Kagami was reported to be, they must be quite skilled, and that narrows the list down. Having spent years fighting against the Senju and being a sensor, I am aware of the few who were capable of such a feat, and it wouldn't be difficult for me to verify his words. Hashirama knows this, and he isn't willing to lose my trust by lying to me, not when he has finally gotten me to accept a cease-fire after all these years."

The elder seemed dissatisfied by his explanation, but before he could continue interrogating Madara, the doors of the pavilion burst open, letting in the rest of the council, and Madara realized that time had gotten away from him as the rest of the elders took their seats. He had just spent half an hour arguing with elder Sumika and elder Shakunetsu, he realized with disgust, and he would soon have to spend who knows how many hours arguing with the rest of the council over how Kagami had managed to get out of the compound and what had happened after he left. Not even two hours had passed since he had risen, and he was already exhausted.

“Good morning,” Rang throughout the pavilion as the council members greeted each other, and Madara was irritated to note that elder Metsukeishi and elder Kaisa were the last ones to take their seats. When the doors of the pavilion closed with an ominous bang, silencing the elders, Madara rose from his embroidered cushion to stand in the centre of the mosiaced floor, his feet positioned over the mythical Rinnegan as he faced the council.

“Honoured elders,” he addressed the council with a short half-bow, “I have spoken to Uchiha Kagami, and determined the events that brought him out of the compound, and how he came to be in the presence of Senju Hashirama-sama.” Elder Metsukeishi's face remained inscrutable during Madara's declaration, the flickering light from the braziers casting ominous shadows over the old man's visage.

“Then speak Madara-sama, the council would hear what you have discovered,” Elder Akihime's voice rang out, “and share what we ourselves have heard.” So she had spoken to Asagi and Kendo, and she had found what they had to say important enough to share with the rest of the council in an official setting. Madara nodded at her words and cast his eyes respectfully to the ground as he prepared to speak.

“Kagami claims to have gotten out of the compound via the old tunnel beneath the compound's eastern wall.” Silence followed his statement as the elders processed his words. Uneasy glances were shared, until finally, elder Kaisa cried out, “Impossible! That tunnel has been blocked for years! I myself preformed the doton that closed the passage!” Her indignation would have been amusing had Madara not known who had ensured that the tunnel was cleared so that his little cousin could leave the safety of the compound.

“Indeed, honoured elder, I investigated his claims at once, and was unsurprised to discover that the tunnel was still inaccessible -,” “So the boy was lying!” Exclaimed elder Shakunetsu, “We must interrogate him, since you obviously failed, you always were too soft on the bo-” “The block was new!” Madara snarled, lowing his patience.

“Elder Rokka and elder Enma can perform another investigation if you don't believe me, but that tunnel was disturbed recently. Besides, honoured elder, whatever else may be said about Kagami, he is neither a fool nor a liar, and as for my softness, forgive me if I don't believe that beating children black and blue in the name of discipline is necessary.” Elder Shakunetsu sneered at that, his crooked, yellow teeth gleaming in the firelight, but Madara didn't let the hateful old man speak, turning to face elder Kaisa.

“Elder Uchiha Kaisa,” he declared, ignoring elder Shakunetsu's offended spluttering, “I accuse you of willfully endangering one of our clan's children.” The hateful old woman paled drastically as she registered his words, her voice shrill as she spat out, “Accuse me, Madara-sama? When I have served on this council for seven long years, and done everything to protect our clan? Maybe it was you who replaced the block after you snuck out again to meet with your precious Senju, betraying the Uchiha again!”

Madara didn't have the chance to defend himself before Elder Rokka boomed out, “I find that unlikely, Kaisa! I was there when Madara-sama inspected the tunnel, and the blockage was secure! If what you are saying is true, then he must have somehow gained the ability to perfectly emulate your doton, and we all know that, for all his strengths, Madara-sama doesn't have your ninjutsu skills. Besides, he is clan head, he answers to no one, if he wanted to meet with the Shinobi no Kami he can just stroll out of the front gates, he has no reason to use the tunnel.”

Madara spared the grizzled old shinobi a grateful glance before replying, “Thank you, elder,” Madara said respectfully. “As I was saying, I questioned Kagami before checking the tunnel. The boy claimed to have learned of its existence by listening to elder Kaisa and elder Metsukeishi. I believed him, as the tunnel had been blocked before he was born, and he had no idea of its existence.” The elders stirred at this revelation, looking at their peers in shock.

Metsukeishi looked displeased, but before he could speak up, Madara continued, “I found his claims disturbing, and knowing his character, I have little reason to believe that he lied, and as such, I ask for your assistance in helping me uncover the truth of this matter.”

The elders stared at him in silence for a few moments before elder Ryuuka cleared her throat and said. “Thank you for bringing this matter to us, Madara-sama. We will of course, do our best to assist you in investigating this incident.” “But-” Elder Kaisa cried out, her voice weak, but a glare of elder Mokusei's Sharingan silenced her.

Elder Ryuuka turned towards her peer, her expression stormy as she addressed her, “You will be silent, Kaisa. This is a serious matter in which you have been implicated, and if what young Kagami-kun told Madara-sama turns out to be true, and you have meddled with the tunnel, then know that the consequences will be severe. You were chosen to serve on this council and to be a voice for our kin, not to put our children in danger and baselessly accuse our clan head simply because you dislike him. Until this matter is dealt with, you are not to leave this room.” A murmured assent followed the elder's declaration, and Madara fought the urge to sigh in relief.

Elder Ryuuka was the oldest member of the council, and the eldest miko the Uchiha had; as such she was in charge of all religious ceremonies and had the most influence among the council. Having her support would help his cause tremendously.

Elder Sumika looked furious, and elder Metsukeishi's displeasure was clear, but neither said anything to contradict elder Ryuuka, even elder Shakunetsu was keeping silent, but that was expected - they didn't want to implicate themselves further. It was elder Hinagiku's reaction that interested Madara. The old shinobi's foggy eyes hadn't moved away from his allies, his unblinking stare discomfiting.

The rest of the council were murmuring amongst themselves, but he remained silent until elder Enma rose and declared, “With the council's permission, I will go check Madara-sama's claims.”, “Is there anyone who wishes to accompany me?” Elder Rokka rose at his words, his expression thoughtful, “I was with you last time, so I will also come.” He said. The other elders muttered among themselves, but Madara still said nothing, knowing that if he attempted to interfere now, some would suspect that there was some truth to elder Kaisa's claims. After a few moments, elder Netsumi rose gracefully from her place and strolled over to the other two. “I will also join them, my Sharingan is used to noticing minute details, and I'm a better sensor. If a jutsu has recently been used there, I will be able to tell.” Her expression was placid, but her tone was sharp enough that no one dared argue with her as she turned and bowed to the council, awaiting the others' permission before exiting the hall.

After a glance around the chamber, elder Ryuuka nodded in approval, but before she could say anything elder Hinagiku also rose, his grip on his ironwood cane tight as he quietly affirmed, "I will also go." The rest of the council exchanged surprised looks, but elder Ryuuka appeared unsurprised, her eyes sharp as she eyed the quartet. "Very well." She said, and with a burst of chakra, opened the pavilion doors, letting sunlight spill into the stiffling room. The four elders bowed to the council as one and trailed out of the chamber.

Madara watched after them until the doors shut with a bang, leaving behind a chilling silence. A silence that he had no intention of breaking, too busy musing on what the four would choose to report.

Elder Rokka, while not necessarily an ally of elder Metsukeishi, shared many of his views, and was firmly against peace, but he was also a grandfather thrice over, and he had approved Madara's decision when it came to protecting the clan's children; if he did find signs of meddling, he would report it. Elder Enma did not support Metsukeishi, but he also wasn't on Madara's side, not fully, but he disliked elder Kaisa a great deal, and like elder Rokka, would be honest in reporting his findings. Elder Netsumi supported Madara and his bid for peace, and she used to be a trap specialist when she served as an active kunoichi, she would have no problem recognising the age of the marks made on the block, even if her sensing picked up no recent chakra use. The problem was elder Hinogiku - like elder Ryuuka he was among the oldest members of the council, and he was firmly against peace. He usually spoke little during council meetings, and he never made a spectacle of his opinions like elder Shakunetsu.

Madara had no idea why he had chosen to go observe the tunnel, and though he doubted that the man would stand with elder Kaisa, the lack of clear motive made him weary and suspicious, especially given elder Metsukeishi's silence.

Still, Madara knew exactly what they would find in the tunnel, and he had no doubts about what elder Rokka, elder Netsumi and elder Enma's consensus would be, and judging by elder Kaisa's pale face, she had come to the same conclusion. If Madara and the returning elders cast genjutsu comparing their memories of the block, the fact that the tunnel had been tampered with would be obvious, regardless of what elder Hinogiku would say.

Unfortunately, the only one who would be truly implicated by that bit of evidence was her.

She was the one known for doton jutsu, and Metsukeishi could attempt to claim ignorance of the plot, and while it was unlikely that the rest of the council would believe him, not with how closely allied he and Kaisa were, there was still a chance that the wily old man could escape from this with no consequences.

Notes:

hashirama's old people gossip about his love life while madara's old people accuse him of treason and muse about how much better his big brothers were.

also i find it interesting that we know the senju brothers' names and roughly how they died, but there's virtually no information about madara's older brothers and by interesting, i mean shitty. their deaths were just as much a catalyst for madara and hashirama's friendship and konoha being built, so the fact that there is no info about them is a little ridiculous!

Chapter 39: in which tobirama indulges

Summary:

Tobirama finally gets information about his clan, and drinks more sake than is advisable.

Notes:

ngl this isn't my fave chapter, but i did my best 🤷

They ended up in the room Tobirama had claimed for himself, his cousins taking a detour to divest themselves of their travel clothes and and weapons while he arranged his futon, knowing from experience that this evening was likely to end with all of them passed out in his room.

It didn't take long for his cousins to pop up, Kihohu and Atsuho piling onto his futon in casual yukata, clinging to him and complaining about how long it's been. He would have been more amused by their cuddliness if they stopped teasing him about his height and his reluctance to drink.

His rebuttals that he had been too busy back home to drink recreationally were met with yet more teasing about his dutifulness, which he accepted with good humour until Utsuho appeared with three bottles of sake. "Must I?" Tobirama whined when Atsuho insisted thathe should be the first to drink, only to sigh in defeat when Kihohu insisted that it would only be polite, as he was the guest.

The grin on Kihohu's face did little to inspire confidence as he poured the alcohol into the sakazuki his sibling had brought. "It's the finest nigori!" He declared grandly, "We had it chilled," added Atsuho slyly as Utsuho nodded. Tobirama stared at them blankly, wondering what the hell he had signed up for. "Drink!" Kihohu exclaimed, having poured a generous amount into his sakazuki, "and don't you dare try any tricks with jutsu, you know we can tell!"

As expected, Tobirama wanted to wince in despair, his cousins really did know him too well. "Very well," he muttered petulantly before taking a sip of the alcohol. His cousins stared at him as he did so, their expressions avid as he tasted the drink. He blinked at them, and then at his half-full sakazuki, before muttering an irate, "Too sweet," and placing it back on the tray.

"WHAT!" Kihohu exclaimed in disbelief, "the finest Kusa nigori, and you call it too sweet!" Atsuho sighed and elbowed his brother, forcing Kihohu to retaliate. Tobirama had a brief instance of worry that they would tip over the tray and pour sake all over his futon with their tussling, when a quiet growl from Utsuho got them to stop.

With a sigh his cousin turned to glance at him and declared, "Just as I expected," and without an explanation rose and left the room. Tobirama raised his brows, wondering what they had meant by that, but a quick glance at Kihohu and Atsuho told him that they would tell him nothing. Resigning himself, he setted more comfortably on the futon and observed as Kihohu downed his sake in one go and reached for the bottle, while Atsuho smirked at him knowingly.

Utsuho's padding footsteps in the corridor had Kihohu abandon the bottle to glower at Tobirama, muttering something about spoilsports as Utsuho entered the room."Junmai." His cousin declared, holding up a bottle, "It should be more to your tastes," they added as they settled next to Tobirama, who wordlessly presented his half-full sakazuki to them.

Kihohu sighed and took it, finishing the too-sweet alcohol before passing the saucer to his sibling. Utsuho took it with a smirk and poured, proudly presenting the sakazuki to Tobirama, who accepted the alcohol with a resigned sigh, and after an experimental sniff, took a sip.

Utsuho was right, it was more to his taste, it was earthier and less sweet than the nigori, and he had no problem finishing it. Utsuho looked smug as they poured him some more, ignoring Kihohu's grumbles. "Who's a spoilsport?" Tobirama asked at last, tired of the whining, and Kihohu sent his sibling a dirty look, but didn't bother to explain. Atsuho's amused chuckle had Utsuho smiling smugly, and Tobirama eyed them worriedly.

"They had a bet," Atsuho said, "we knew of your tastes, remembering how much you avoided sweets the last time you were with us, but Kihohu bet that not even you could resist good sake. Utsuho thought differently, and claimed that if you didn't like the nigori it would be cruel to force you to drink it. They bought the junmai with their own funds, with the stipulation that if they were right Kihohu would have to hand over double the amount that they had spent."

Tobirama blinked at his cousin before turning to Utsuho and saying, "Thank you, that was kind of you." His cousin smiled at him, their fangs flashing as their eyes curled into happy crescents, "Think nothing of it," they demured, "you have just earned me a nice bit of money." Kihohu's despairing groan made their smile grow, and Tobirama wondered what nonsense his eldest cousin had been up to, that Utsuho had decided that fleecing him like this was just revenge.

Looking at their gleeful face, he decided that it was better not to ask, finishing his junmai and placing the sakazuki down with a decisive clack he glared at his cousins and said, "I've drank, now I believe you owe me gossip." Kihohu's hoot of amusement didn't sway him, nor did Atsuho's despairing groan as he realized that they had forgotten to stipulate how much Tobirama had to drink before they had to fulfill their end of the deal.

"Alright you menace." Atsuho said with a sigh and a fortifying drink, "We found out that you were at the compound about a week after you arrived, auntie sending the news via summons. That's when kaa-chan decided to separate from the patrol and head home, but we were in Mizu no Kuni at the time, establishing an exclusive trading deal with the Hoshigaki clan, and she couldn't leave until the contract was signed, but as soon as it was over she took off, but not before ordering us to take the route through Hi no Kuni. The fact that we should take note of any rumours was implied, and ever the good, obedient, filial children, we obeyed."

Tobirama couldn't help but snort at that, remembering all the occasions in which his cousins had been the opposite of good and obedient, though he couldn't deny that unlike him, they had always been filial. "And what did you learn?"He asked, curious.

He had gotten little information regarding what was going on back home from his aunts, and he was eager to know what his aniki was up to. He was aware of the fact that his clan had signed a cease-fire, and that a true peace treaty was in the works, as Uchiha Madara frequently met with his brother at the Naka, with Izuna often joining them. Apart from that, no information regarding his clan had reached him.

He didn't know how Midori was recovering after their surgery, whether his students had continued their training, if Touka had taken any interesting missions, or how Hashirama was faring without him. He was hungry for information, and he couldn't be bothered to hide it, his cousins' knowing glances filling him with anticipation.

"Well, I suppose that the most relevant information we discovered was that Uzumaki Mito-hime is in Hi no Kuni,a guest of Senju Hashirama-sama." Atsuho said at last after being nudged by Utsuho, and Tobirama blinked at them in shock.

Uzumaki Mito, a guest of Hashirama? The last time the Uzumaki had come to the Senju in an official capacity was when Uzumaki Nami and his father had signed the alliance agreement. After that, it was always the Senju who went to Uzushio, in deference to the fact that the Uzumaki clan head was unwilling to risk sending her shinobi to Hi no Kuni, knowing that as allies of the Senju, the Uchiha would be more than willing to hunt them down.

Tobirama should know, as he had been the envoy who had been sent to renew the agreement every year since his brother became clan head. Not only because Hashirama wasn't willing leave the clan for long, but also because of his close friendship with Mito and his sealing prowess. The Uzumaki were more willing to deal with him, given his understanding and admiration of their techniques, and his brother had understood that better than their father ever had, ignoring the elders' complaints about how he was breaking tradition and disrespecting their allies by sending him in his stead.

Not to mention the fact that his brother had always used those diplomatic missions to get him to rest. Hashirama knew that he would never accept a true break from his duties, so he had compromised, getting him away from the clan and from the feud, which had weighed heavier with each passing year, as well as from all his other responsibilities under the guise of maintaining ties with another clan.

So in Uzushio, Tobirama did as his brother wished, losing himself in sealing theory, discussing and experimenting with new techniques with Mito and her clanmates, and spending a few peaceful weeks focusing on strengthening the Senju's rapport with the Uzumaki, doing his best not to worry about missions and feuds and all the endless crushing duties that awaited him back home.

But in all the years that their clans had been allied, Mito had never come to visit him in Hi no Kuni as an official guest of his clan – it had always been too dangerous, and the fact that she had decided to visit now boded ill, even with the cease-fire.

"Do you know why?" Tobirama asked his cousins, who smirked at each other in a way that boded ill before gesturing at the bottle of junmai. With a sigh Tobirama poured himself some more and gulped it down, knowing that he would get no answers otherwise. "Well," purred Kihohu in satisfaction, pouring himself some more sake, "rumour has it, that the Uzumaki heiress received a personal missive from the Senju clan head." His expression was overly innocent, but Tobirama was too busy panicking to worry about what his cousin had implied.

Because apparently Hashirama had felt the need to write to Mito. Personally. Without going through the proper channels.

His aniki had written to the heiress of their closest ally, and whatever was in that letter had Uzumaki Nami send her eldest daughter to Hi no Kuni, to stay with the Senju! It was surprising that the kunoichi had conceded, and Tobirama knew her well enough to realize that his aniki's missive alone couldn't have convinced her to act, leaving him to wonder what Mito had told her mother to get her to agree.

Guilt struck him, followed swiftly by relief, it was likely his absence that had had Mito willingly leave her beloved home – he should have expected this, but at the same time, he couldn't deny that knowing that his brother wasn't alone, that he had someone as capable and politically savvy as Mito to help guide him was immensely relieving.

"Do you know why she went?" He asked his cousins numbly, hoping that whatever the reason was, it wasn't too grave. Kihohu's smirk sent his heart sinking. "Well, dear cousin, apparently, Senju Hashirama-sama was so desperate to find his dear otouto that he wrote to all the clans in Hi no Kuni, begging for news!"

Fuck, thought Tobirama in despair, no wonder Mito had decided to stay with the Senju if Hashirama was sending correspondence like that to all their neighbours! And he could only imagine what the elders' reactions regarding that decision had been. Rinka-sama must have been overjoyed.

"It's not so bad cousin," Utsuho stated calmly, "according to the rumours, most believe the letters to be a ploy to distract from the cease-fire and whatever mission your brother sent you on. Many clans are worried about the Senju and Uchiha allying, especially after news came out that you beat Uchiha Izuna. Even Hyuuga Kiyoko and her council of elders were affected by that information, as they deigned to descend from their mountain to personally meet with your brother."

With a jolt, Tobirama remembered the Hyuuga patrol that had tried to catch him as he fled from Hi no Kuni, and the words the kunoichi had shouted at him before he activated his hiraishin. "That's not why they asked to meet," he told his cousins with a grimace, "one of their patrols almost caught me as I was leaving Hi no Kuni, I was out of it at the time and after Hashirama sent those letters they must have realized that it wasn't a cover up or a bluff to hide a questionable mission."

Atsuho eyed him, surprised by his admission, before conceding, "That's not ideal, but even if they do know the truth, the Hyuuga are in no position to threaten the Senju, they don't have the manpower and their lands are too far away to bother causing conflict." "They would do it if they thought that it would weaken the Uchiha," Tobirama countered, "They could attack my clan, knowing that I'm gone and Hashirama has no heir, making the Senju seem defenceless and goading the Uchiha to restart the feud."

"They would fail," Utsuho told him, their tone firm, "there's no way that Uchiha-sama would restart the feud, not when his clan owes you four life debts." Tobirama startled at that, surprised that his cousins knew. Kihohu grinned at him smugly, having caught his shock, "We found out because Uchiha-sama had a meeting with Inuzuka Yaeba-sama, who requested to meet him on mother's behalf."

Tobirama blinked at his cousin, not comprehending. "Madara admitted it?"He asked blankly, not knowing what to think. Kihohu eyed his empty sakazuki accusingly, and Tobirama handed it over with a sigh, taking a sip of the sake conceedingly. His cousin nodded in satisfaction before continuing his tale, "Kaa-chan reached out to Inuzuka-sama and asked her to verify whether it would be safe for you to proceed with your plan, and Inuzuka-sama reached out to the Ash Bringer and met him in her compound. Apparently, he has been helping your brother search for you, and Inuzuka-sama was curious about why, especially when Uchiha Izuna approached one of her patrols with some uncomfortable questions."

Tobirama stared at his sakazuki bitterly."Izuna hasn't let it go, has he?" He asked, voice hoarse. His cousins exchanged uncomfortable glances, Utsuho shifting closer tohim, "We don't know, Inuzuka-sama didn't tell us anything regarding that incident," they admitted, "but Madara-sama appeared to be sincere when he told her that he wishes you no harm."

"Just because he wishes me no harm doesn't mean that his clan feels the same way!" Tobirama snapped, hating the pitying looks Atsuho and Kihohu were giving him. He was well aware of his reputation, and no matter what pretty words Uchiha Madara spouted before another clan head, Tobirama knew what the man likely thought of him.

"I cut down Uchiha Madara's only living brother on a battlefield less than a month ago," Tobirama reminded his cousins softly, "his heir, his clan's second strongest, and regardless of his words, there is no way that the Uchiha would see my return as anything other than a threat. I can only imagine what their elders' reaction would be, but I doubt that they would allow for any sort of peace treaty while I am around, despite any supposed debts Madara apparently claims the Uchiha owe me."

His cousins looked disturbed by his words, Utsuho's expression mulish, but Tobirama's glare dissuaded them from speaking. Grabbing the bottle of sake, he poured himself a generous serving and drank it, done with sobriety.

His thoughts were already muddled, despite the fact that he had drunk less than his cousins, but still he found them to be too lucid. His cousins' words echoed endlessly, tempting him, reminding him of all that he had left behind. The desire to return home, to hug his brother and Touka, to show Mito around his lab and to instruct his students again was almost unbearable, a heavy ache in his chest. But he had meant what he said. Apart from the danger his reputation posed to the peace treaty, the matter of the life debts put the Uchiha in a weaker position, and while his brother wouldn't dream of using his actions to try and gain an advantage, certain Senju elders most assuredly would.

Tobirama could only imagine what concessions Rinka-sama would try and gain, claiming that she was protecting his interests, but he knew that his presence would divide the council, which couldn't happen. His aniki needed their full support, and that wouldn't happen while Tobirama was around, not when certain members of the council mistook his caution of the Uchiha as hatred, and were convinced that he wished to follow his father's path.

Kihohu's heavy sigh brought him out of his dark thoughts, and he realized that his sakazuki was empty once again. He held it out wordlessly, his head pleasantly fuzzy. Kihohu poured him more junmai and watched as he gulped it down, his expression displeased.

"I thought you wanted me to drink," Tobirama muttered languidly, sipping at the sake, "Not like this," Kihohu grumbled petulantly, pouring himself more nigori as Atsuho rose to get another bottle. Utsuho merely eyed them all judgmentally, their own sakazuki still half full.

Tobirama snorted, unamused and downed the rest of his sake, putting the sakazuki down on the tray with a clack he picked up the bottle of junmai, ignoring Kihohu's impressed whistle, he took a swig, determined to forget all about the news his cousins had brought.

Notes:

izuna fucked up doubly, rinka-sama manages to cause trouble a whole damn country away and tobi is still kinda depressed. his cousins did not intend for that to happen when they plied him with alcohol; they just wanted him to have a good time and instead they lowkey just made things worse by telling him that his bestie is hanging out wiht his brother when he can't go join them.

also, tobi beating izuna is politically a huge deal, like had izuna died it would have left the uchiha at a major disadvantage when it comes to the feud, which is probably part of the reason why madara conceded to peace despite it going against izuna's last wish. since izuna is still alive and tobi is no where to be found, all the other clans are kinda eyeing the senju and the uchiha and wondering what the fuck is up, esp after hashirama sent out those letters bc wtf? the white demon supposedly cuts down uchiha izuna and disappears, only uchiha izuna is apparently fine??? and suddenly the senju and the uchiha are planning peace? like the whole situation is hella sus and no one really knows what is actually going on, but they don't trust this.

Notes:

i hope you enjoy my fic, it's my first work and i'm not sure if i'll have a schedule when it comes to updating, but i'll try to be consistent and post at least once a week.

thank you for reading !