Chapter Text
Tobirama knows how it started, remembers it well, all the well meaning touches that made his skin feel weird and not his own - and at first it was almost comforting. Almost. If only it wasn’t for the fact that Hashirama forced his affection on him. Not the way he did before he knew, but he was always touching him. He knows Hashirama didn’t mean it that way, but it was almost a mimic of the way his father had. It just never got sexual. But that was about the only difference. It was still a possessive hold that made him shudder and feel unsafe.
Hashirama was always wrapping his arms around him and holding him tight, leaving him with no escape. Or he would kiss his forehead, it was something Hashirama did when they were young but he’d grown out of it years ago. Now it was back. Again it never felt sexual. But he didn’t want anyone to kiss him. Maybe never again. Probably the worst part was the fact that he made Tobirama sleep in his bed.
At the time he had no idea why Hashirama had started to do it again, especially after their father’s death. Tobirama thought that after it he would finally be allowed his own skin again - to belong to his own body and wills. To do as he pleased - and that included his desire for minimal touching and avoidance of people in his personal space.
Now, he couldn’t do anything about it. It seemed as if with their father gone, Hashirama had taken his place in the blink of an eye, always there, lurking, invading his privacy, not caring for his comfort zone.
At least before with his father he was allowed to escape to his room to decompress, to forget. To just feel normal - or as normal as he could ever feel with how dirty he felt in his own body. His father may have done unforgivable things but at least those were reserved to a few hidden moments here and there. With his brother, it is always, constantly. There’s no room for a breath.
Normal is gone now though. Has been for years. Not since he was sixteen. Three years ago.
Hashirama is due to be married now though. And for a moment he had a glimmer of hope that this might mean that he would gain some freedom. That they would return to having separate spaces. That he would be allowed his privacy again.
“Don’t worry Tobira,” Hashirama says as he pulls Tobirama in a tight embrace, one that still sends shivers down his spine even after all these years. Then again he doesn’t think he’ll ever get over the feeling of his father’s hands on his body, holding him down. “I already talked to Mito. I explained that you don’t feel safe if you aren’t with me. I didn’t give her the details, just that father’s abuse broke you.”
Tobirama hates that term. Hashirama uses it all the time. Broke him. Like he’s the one holding Hashirama down and forcing affection on him. He would say his father cracked him, put cracks so deep he doubts they will ever heal. If anyone broke him, or is going to, it’s Hashirama. Because Hashirama won’t let him heal.
How can he heal when he’s never given a moment to be alone. His ‘caring’ older brother had even stopped allowing him on missions. Sometimes, Tobirama thinks it’s a miracle that he is allowed to still keep his training up and his skills sharp, because Hashirama certainly treated him like a doll and dolls aren’t of the killing type.
Honestly, he has no idea what kind of logic Hashirama has inside that wood brain of his and he is beyond the point of trying to figure it out by now. He has tried to suggest alternatives, has tried to put on a face of disgust when the touches bother him - which is all the time - but either Hashirama is truly an idiot who can’t read the room or he does it on purpose.
More and more, Tobirama thinks it’s the latter.
He was occasionally allowed to work on projects alone in his room at least - because whatever it is that goes on through his brother’s head, the clan still needs scientific developments to prosper and Tobirama is their best brain for coming up with new things. The downside is it no longer had a window because Hashirama had used the mokuton to seal it over. ‘In case someone tries to break in and hurt you again. It’s not safe to have such an unsecure opening when I’m not there.’ Those were the words he used to justify this cage he is forced to live in.
Mostly Hashirama keeps him by his side while he works. Hashirama had emptied out the office he had once used and now forces him to work in Butsuma’s office with a desk of his own. So that Hashirama can keep an eye on him all day.
He hates it in this room. He hates that desk. He will never forget what the wood felt like pushed up against his stomach, and against his thighs as he was bent over it. It’s not something he’s willing to tell Hashirama about. Who knows what he would do. Probably take away his own desk, ‘for his protection’ of course. Justify it by saying desks were obviously a trigger for him. He never stops wishing for Hashirama to decide to get rid of his father’s desk and just build his own so Tobirama wasn’t constantly forced to see it.
Or worse, find himself pressed against it again. Never in the way he was before, but Hashirama would sometimes ask for his help and then hover over his shoulder leaving him once again pressed into the desk. Oftentimes hugging him tightly for helping his anija.
It doesn’t matter that it’s never sexual. Each time he has to suppress a shudder, to suppress crying as he’s thrown back into horrible moments he’s not allowed to forget. Worse, with Hashirama being as tall as Butsuma, and physically so much alike him, if he does certain movements or gets close too fast, Tobirama’s mind is suddenly back to all those years ago and it isn’t his brother he is seeing, it’s his father approaching, all handsy and demanding things that he shouldn’t from his own son.
He knows Hashirama thinks he’s doing what’s right. It’s something he has to tell himself again and again. Trying desperately to pretend it’s normal behavior. He never sees other people from their clan behaving like that-
It’s not. He knows it’s not.
He was just thrown from one cage into another. Before he would have labeled it ‘Butsuma’s cage of you look just like your mother’, now though he internally calls it, ‘Hashirama’s cage of love.’
Sometimes, rarely, he thinks Butsuma’s abuse was better. It was less frequent for sure. His father hadn’t been stupid. He never touched him when Hashirama was around, or outside where someone else could see. So at least then he was given some reprieve.
He never left visible marks, at least not ones that could ever be seen by anyone, not even when Hashirama saw him completely naked, not back then. Nor hurt him too badly so his funny walking would be noticeable the next day. His father would often touch him in a gentle kind way, as he murmured things like your hair is just like your mother’s, your skin is just as soft as hers.
Occasionally, when Hashirama was on a mission his father knew would take him away from the compound for days or weeks, he would make Tobirama wear her clothes. As he praised him for having a body like hers.
He tried so hard to build more muscle, to make his shoulders and arms too wide to fit her clothes, but he stayed lean. So he was forced to continue to listen to Butsuma’s, which is what his father made him call him in those moments, praise. His father seemed determined not to hurt him physically.
Hashirama hurts him, though. Sometimes his brother is careless with his strength, with how much devotion he wants to show - to try to erase all the bad touches with new ones full of love, as he calls it. It is never sexual but his brother’s strong grip is possessive and painful. It cracks his bones literally on these occasions. While Butsuma’s cracks have been left on his soul, Hashirama’s are both.
It’s not even funny how much Hashirama has to heal him from damage he himself inflicts upon him. Usually it was his wrists, Hashirama has a horrible tendency to drag Tobirama around by it, to stop him by holding it. To ‘gently’ explain why he had to treat Tobirama a certain way, why he wasn’t allowed to do something.
He hissed the first few times it happened, let out a few tears from the damage inflicted upon him. Now he’s used to feeling constantly in pain, be it caused from his own mind that flinches whenever his brother is close, or from all the touches that leave him broken or in various shades of purple that never get the chance to yellow away back to his pale tone.
He wonders what Mito will think of all of this? How will he justify his treatment to her? Will she be able to temper some of Hashirama’s ‘love’ now that he will be forced to split it? He knows the Uzumaki are freely touchy people as a whole and that they like to express their affections by it but he is certain she will find Hashirama’s behaviour…excessive.
Would she even have considered marrying his brother if she knew about his obsessive tendencies? About how he isn’t able to let go once he has something he perceives as his?
Or will she buy his excuses? Will the fact that Hashirama told her it was Tobirama that needed it be enough in her mind to justify it as good brother behaviour? Will she too turn a blind eye to how disturbing Hashirama’s actions towards him are?
He just needs an escape, a chance to taste real freedom again. He wants his window again. Surely she will at least find that strange? Maybe she will be offended that he has a desk in Hashirama’s office while she will have her own, Hashirama’s old office when he was clan heir. He can only hope.
He prays that she will be an ally, not one more person to deal with. He has no energy left, no part of his spirit that isn’t tainted to give to be cracked. He needs someone who can understand his side and support him, and help him stop Hashirama’s obsession.
But none of that matters, he can’t express any of those words. Instead he has to respond to Hashirama in the way he expects.
“Thank you, anija. I appreciate you talking to her but not giving her the details.” His voice sounds void of any emotion even to himself. Almost dead, just like he feels inside.
Hashirama smiles happily at him, “Of course, otouto. I won’t let anything separate us. I won’t risk your safety, not even for her.”
“Surley you will need privacy in your room, though. You will be expected to be intimate with her. The elders helped arrange this marriage because you need an heir. Especially since you made it clear I’m unfit for the duty.”
Hashirama laughs and pulls back enough to wave his hand in the air, as if dismissing the very thought.
“They don’t think you are unfit. And you are my heir. Mito and I can find time together when you are working in your office at home. You don’t need to worry about a thing. Like I said. I won’t let anything compromise your safety,” Hashirama ruffles his hair in a way he’s certain his brother thinks is comforting, but just reminds him of his father’s hand in his hair, gently brushing it from his face so he could ‘see him more clearly.’
He once tried to explain this to Hashirama and Hashirama had just said it was important to train his body out of the memories, that more exposure to things will help cure him.
Tobirama has heard of something like that before, but he is confident that what Hashirama does isn’t what it meant. If anything it just makes his skin feel more reactive than ever and the urge to run away from it reaches new levels of desperation.
“Thank you for seeing to my safety, anija.” The words feel like ash in his mouth. But if he doesn’t agree, if he doesn’t thank Hashirama, then his brother might worry he’s not okay, that something has upset him, which will just lead to more unwanted touching and comfort.
By this point, Tobirama has it memorized: an entire script of the right responses to give his brother for each touch he receives, of the false gratitude he has to voice for his brother’s thoughtfulness concerning him. If he tries to deviate from it, it will earn him a concerned frown from Hashirama and the next following days of more unnecessary and overbearing affection.
Today they are almost home, having left the administrative building. It wasn’t far from home, nor very large, having only been built by his grandfather since he didn’t like working at home where children were a distraction, it only had a few offices and a meeting space for the council to meet in.
As they are walking he sees Daiki, they had once been friends. Often training together, or even going on missions together. He was one of the few boys that didn’t care about Tobirama’s strange appearance and lack of tact when speaking. Their friendship had been fast to form and steady to grow in the years they had shared together as boys in the clan, training almost every day to become shinobi and even running missions together.
That is, until Hashirama had claimed he looked too long at Tobirama, that he must have ‘perverted’ thoughts about him. So now he wasn’t allowed to even talk to Daiki, not that Daiki would talk to him after the way Hashirama had threatened him if he ever tried again.
When they get home they go about making dinner together, something Hashirama no longer lets him do alone in case there were any ‘accidents.’ It hadn’t been an accident, it had been his one and only attempt to take his life after Hashirama started making everything worse. He should have tried a quicker method than his wrists, Hashirama had found him too fast.
He hasn’t tried again, won’t try again. Hashirama had gotten even worse after that. Doesn’t make him stop from wishing to. He still thinks of many ways in which he could take his own life, to end his daily doses of torture disguised as love.
Perhaps one day he will finally have the courage to act on it and actually succeed. Tobirama’s sure that his mother and little brothers won’t be too disappointed in his action when he encounters them on the other side, if they have been watching how he endures each day and how much it costs him to get up and try to live alongside Hashirama. Hopefully, he’ll be forgiven by them and their touches will feel like true love on his skin and he’ll actually want to hug them back.
They are halfway through making dinner then they are alerted to an altercation with the Uchiha, one that seems like it will lead to a bigger battle because the sensors felt Uchiha Madara coming out.
Tobirama stretches his own senses and sure enough, there are Madara and Izuna, their blazing chakra heading towards the Senju patrol that strayed a little far outside their usual boundaries.
At least this is something he’s allowed to do. Hashirama still allows him to be involved in the big battles. He tried once to stop it, but it had caused such an uproar in the clan - who would face Izuna without Tobirama? - that Hashirama had relented, but promised to keep a close eye on their fights.
He was ashamed to admit that he likes when they battle, it’s the only place he really feels free. And this time he’s coming with a brand new jutsu. One that he is confident will counter the sharingan. The hiraishin.
They are quick to put out any heat from dinner preparations and don their armor, Hashirama inspecting his to make sure it’s on securely. As soon as his brother is satisfied they are out the door and join the rest of their shinobi that are ready to protect their vulnerable patrol from the calamity of the Uchiha.
The fighting goes as it always does, the same song and dance, Izuna and Tobirama, two sides of the same coin, matching each other sword blow for sword blow, jutsu for jutsu. But this time Tobirama has the advantage; he has a technique that will finally allow him to beat Izuna.
He should be excited. But strangely he feels sad at the thought of Izuna’s death. And more than a little afraid. If Izuna is gone will Hashirama force him to stay home during battles now?
It’s almost a shame that he will test it out, because if he succeeds and kills Izuna, then he won’t have any more excuses to join the fights with the Uchiha, but at the same time, it is his obligation towards the clan to protect them as clan heir. So if by using his new jutsu, he can save more lives, spare his clansmen from horrible deaths, then he will without hesitation.
He doesn’t think before he adjusts the trajectory of the move. He swears up and down that he didn’t mean to adjust it so instead of putting his sword through Izuna, it was Izuna’s sword going through him.
Izuna looks just as shocked as he feels numb.
It’s a bad injury, if Izuna pulls his sword out he will bleed out in minutes. He can’t let that happen, so he grabs Izuna’s blade to keep it in place - only to freeze as he realizes exactly what kind of situation he is in. He doesn’t think it was even a conscious decision, just the realization that this could be it. This could end it all. With a calmness he doesn’t know he had deep inside him, he helps pull it out - forces it out.
There is no way Hashirama can counter this. He can’t save him from this much blood loss right? No one can. Hashirama is too far away and that is all the time he needs to bleed out from his wound. It is perfect for his purposes.
Izuna is standing with his mouth gapping, watching Tobirama basically kill himself on Izuna’s sword. He can feel the shock radiating out of Izuna’s chakra. Maybe even a little fear? Why would Izuna be afraid of doing what they’ve been trying to do for years? It doesn’t make any sense but he isn’t going to start trying to decipher his rival’s mind now.
Izuna stops him from pulling the blade all the way out. Tobirama can’t have that, each second that goes by increases the chance that Hashirama will realize and come over to save him.
So he gives up on pulling the blade out and instead tries pushing his body off Izuna’s blade.
It’s surprisingly harder than he expected. He thinks it might be because his legs feel numb, maybe a part of the blood loss? That has to be a good sign.
Finally, finally, he is free of the blade while Izuna, wide eyed, is still staring at him as he sinks to his knees. He doesn’t suppress a smile. Who would have thought it could be this easy. That he could have just let Izuna kill him years ago and he could have been free. He could have done this back when his father was alive even. It is so easy it is laughable how much time his brain has taken to catch up to it.
He had another option all this time. An escape he didn’t even realize. Suddenly, he feels so dumb.
He doesn’t even notice when Izuna’s sharingan switches to the mangekyo. All he sees now is his life flashing before his eyes.
-.-
(Rape of a minor, skip to the next section to avoid)
Butsuma touches his face, with a soft reverent look on his face. “You’re just as beautiful as your mother,” his thumb traces Tobirama’s lips. “Your lips are just as soft.”
Suddenly Butsuma is kissing him. He tries to pull away, he always does, but Butsuma has one hand holding his head in place as the other holds his body tight against his.
“I love you Kaede,” he hates when his father calls him by his mother’s name. It makes it hard for him to think kindly of his mother, makes him hate her sometimes for loving a monster and leaving him to this fate.
Butsuma is untying his yukata and pushing it from his shoulders. It’s not even his yukata, it’s his mother’s. Tobirama looks down and watches the fabric fall away from his body leaving it bare for Butsuma’s eyes and touch.
And Butsuma touches. He always starts with his neck, tracing it like it’s this delicate thing, before running his hands further down until he’s playing with his nipples.
Tobirama shudders and lets the tears fall from his eyes. He knows they won’t do anything to stop Butsuma, he just ignores them.
The feeling is revolting, he tries to disassociate, to escape into his own mind. But Butsuma won’t let him. His touch is always firm enough to keep him in the moment, his lips pressing kisses to his neck and chest. It leaves the disgusting feeling of saliva on his skin and all he wants to do is bathe and wash it all away.
His father pushes him down onto the bed and climbs on top of him.
He hates the next part even more. Butsuma is always so gentle when he prepares him, like he can’t stand to hurt him. As if the very act, the violation, doesn’t hurt terribly. He keeps his eyes on the ceiling, memorizing the patterns once again, to avoid seeing what his father is doing.
Tobirama keeps his eyes closed the moment his father presses his legs up and push them into his chest so he can fuck him.
He saw his father’s face once, that first time, and he looked at him with such love and devotion, with pleasure, it made Tobirama throw up. His father had just moved them away from it and kept going. So he doesn’t open his eyes any more.
But that doesn’t stop him from feeling it. From feeling the way his father presses into him. Tobirama’s tears continue to flow down his face. They always do. He can never escape the moment enough to just grit his teeth and bear it.
Suddenly he hears the door slam open and he opens his eyes to see Hashirama ripping his father away wrapping his vines so tight Tobirama is forced to watch as his father is literally crushed to death.
He cries harder, knowing he’s safe now that Hashirama is here.
-.-
(Safe to continue here)
He watches as Hashirama uses his Mokuton to seal his window shut. Not just shut, but completely covered, no light can stream through it any more.
“If you insist on working in your room I have to make it safe. What if someone else tries to come in? What if someone hurts you?”
Tobirama just sat and watched the natural light leave the room. It feels like a bad metaphor to his own life - once he could see and believe there was light even amongst all pain, but now he can’t see an exit anymore, it’s all endless darkness, no matter the time of the day. “But I like my window! No one will come in through it! And even then I can protect myself!”
Hashirama gives him a pitying look, “I think you’ve proven you can’t protect yourself, so you can’t have the window. I’m sorry you miss it, but it’s for the best. I’ll get you some more candles.”
When he leaves the room Tobirama lets a few tears build up in his eyes. Even his safe place is ruined now.
-.-
“It’s time for bed otouto,” his brother whispers in his ear from where they are sitting chest to back on the couch while Tobirama reads.
It’s so hard to concentrate when Hashirama insists on holding him like this. ‘To prove to him he’s not alone, that Hashirama will always be there for him.’ He sighs heavily. He doesn’t want to go to bed yet. He’s not tired and he’s certainly not a kid who can’t be expected to have healthy habits, and even though reading was difficult, he really did want to finish this book. He’s been so determined to improve his sealing skills.
“Okay anija,” he says as he gets up - refraining from the urge to sigh, least of all his brother starts naming again all the reasons why he does this to keep him from hurting himself. He already knows there is no arguing with him.
They retreat to the room to change for bed, Hashirama’s eyes on him the entire time, looking for any sign of injury or that someone else had touched him. As if that could happen when he’s never allowed to be alone. Though sometimes he does have bruises from Hashirama that his brother has to heal.
Maybe he should start taking his books and research with him when he has to use the toilet. It is the only time Hashirama allows him to use unsupervised and for how long he needs. He might hover over the door but he’s never once interrupted Tobirama while he was doing his business.
Although it was humiliating when Hashirama made sure to take away all the razors from the room - as if Tobirama isn’t a shinobi who knows how to use kunai - and he can only trim his beard when supervised now, he thinks it might be worth the pain on his butt from the prolonged sitting if he can actually get a breath from the constant touching coming from his brother.
Once they are changed Hashirama pulls him down into bed where he is pulled into Hashirama’s chest and held suffocatingly tight. “Goodnight, Tobira.”
“Goodnight, anija.” He wonders how long it will take him to sleep this time. He hates being held down so it always takes a long time.
He always feels like shit when waking up - maybe it is possible to develop chronic insomnia from outside factors and not because of his own screwed brain chemistry.
-.-
Tobirama was cutting carrots looking at the knife intently. His fingers tremble and adrenaline runs through his veins.
What if he just ends it all?
It would be so easy.
It’s such a sharp blade.
He could do it quickly. Just cut each wrist, he’d bleed out pretty fast if he does it right.
Hashirama is busy in the living room looking over the trade contracts.
He has no reason to come in here right now.
It could all be over before Hashirama even had a chance to realize it.
Then he would never have to feel a suffocating hug again. He would never again have unwanted hands on his body.
He would never again have to deal with the lack of privacy.
He could be free.
He does it fast. He can’t afford to waste any more time thinking. He has to bleed out before Hashirama comes in to check on him.
He watches the blood flow from his arms and sees the room going dark, he closes his eyes. Feeling at peace for the first time in years.
“Tobirama!”
-.-
Izuna can’t believe what he just saw, did he somehow just enter Tobirama’s memories? What even was that? It was just moments, but they were all horrific. Those can’t be his memories right? That can’t possibly have happened to Tobirama. His rival always came across as so strong, so emotionless and unbreakable.
Only a second has gone by in the real world, Tobirama is still on his knees. He hasn’t even hit the ground yet.
He doesn’t know if it’s because of what he just saw but he’s suddenly on his knees as well, catching Tobirama. Keeping him from falling. And then without any input from his mind he’s putting pressure on the wound. Trying to stem the bleeding.
“Don’t die,” he hears the words coming out of his mouth; he doesn't know why he’s saying them. “Nii-san!” He’s shouting, needing his brother to get here to help him.
With Madara’s attention on him Hashirama’s follows and before he knows it he’s been thrown to the side and Hashirama is leaning over Tobirama with his hands glowing green. The wound seals itself right before his eyes. It’s healing like he’s never seen before.
He can’t stop the breath of relief he lets out when Tobirama regains some of the color he had so quickly lost. It might be his imagination but he swears he can see Tobirama’s expression closing up, his red eyes becoming clearly unhappy and a frown making itself present, as if he’s disappointed in being saved.
Then again, if what he saw was truly his life, maybe Izuna has just done him a great disservice by making him keep living. He doesn’t regret saving Tobirama, even though he knows he should. He should have taken joy in, reveled in killing his rival dying.
But all he feels is a grim sentiment taking over, as if he just condemned Tobirama to a fate worse than death itself. Izuna isn’t familiar with guilt - he’s a shinobi and if he starts feeling bad for all the terrible things he’s done to people, he’ll never get a night of sleep anymore - but he feels it now, because he could never wish for a life like he’s just seen in Tobirama’s memories for anyone.
Hashirama looks up at Madara now, “please Madara, don’t make me lose my brother. Let’s stop this now. We have no need to keep fighting. Not when it can cost us our brothers.”
He watches his brother and he can see that his brother is struggling to decide what to do. If he should say yes or no. “Do it nii-san. Let the war be over.”
He can’t believe he just said that. Why did he say it? It has to be the influence of the memories he unintentionally saw in Tobirama’s mind. It’s the only thing that makes sense.
Madara looks over at him, “really?”
Well Izuna can’t change his mind now. “Yes. Really. The suffering needs to come to an end.”
Though who’s suffering he doesn’t specify.
He’s already thinking about ways to find out if what he saw was real - who he is trying to kid, of course they are, his sharingan can’t lie to him and it showed him Tobirama’s worst nightmares and they were too detailed to be anything but his own memories-
-and if it was to find out if that’s how things are still happening. Then maybe find out if Tobirama needs to be saved. Because if what he saw is true then there is no one in the world that needs saving more than Tobirama. Not even an enemy deserves to live like that.
“Okay, Hashirama. You’ll have your peace.” Madara and Hashirama then call both their forces back and tell them to retreat.
He hates to leave Tobirama’s side. Who knows what he will be going home to. He didn’t see what happened after the suicide attempt, so he doesn’t know if things got better or worse after that.
He watches on in silence as Hashirama sweeps Tobiramma up in his arms, he feels a shiver of disgust run down his spine. But he doesn’t think it’s his. He thinks it's the memory of how Tobirama feels while being held.
“Thank you, Madara. I’ll send you a message after I make sure Tobirama is fully healed and safe at home.” Hashirama smiles at Madara, it looks genuine. But he’s seen the darkness behind those genuine smiles before. His brother smiles back and is also genuinely happy.
Tobirama’s face is stone again. Not a single emotion is visible on his face. He hates it. There’s not even a trace of the pain he must be still feeling despite being freshly healed. Nothing. It’s a blank canvas, as if he is used to maintaining this facade in order to please Hashirama, or maybe avoid having his attention on him.
He doesn’t move as the Senju leave, as their own clan retreats, he just stands there.
Madara stands beside him but he can tell he’s confused why they are still standing here.
“What’s going on Izuna?” Madara asks once it really is just the two of them left.
“I accidentally used the mangekyo on Tobirama as he was dying.”
Madara looks at him alarmed. “Geeze!” He wheezes with horror in his voice. “What did you do?”
Izuna frowns and shakes his head, “I didn’t do anything. But I think I dropped in on some of his memories. They were random, and mostly unrelated, but they were all so dark.” Izuna actually shivers as he says it, because he’s locked those memories in his mind forever, because he used the mangekyo. He can't help but feel the horror and fear Tobirama felt in those moments.
“What do you mean?” Madara asks, clearly confused and concerned.
“I, I don’t even know how to put into words what to say, and I don’t want to share them with you because you’ll be forced to have them forever too. It’s bad enough that Tobirama and I have to live with them.” He flinches, “not to mention how many more Tobirama has to have.”
“You’ve got to give me more than that Izuna. You aren’t telling me anything. And what are you even trying to get at? Are you regretting peace already?”
“No, we need peace. I need to talk to Tobirama. I need to know if it’s still happening. If he’s okay.”
“If what is still happening!?”
“Well, I’m pretty sure the rape has stopped, but the rest of it.”
“I’m sorry, did you just say rape?!” Madara recoils.
Izuna hums and continues, still shaken by his recent revelation, “by his father. But Hashirama is still hurting him. Or maybe he isn’t. I don’t know.”
“Hashirama?” Madara asks in disbelief. “What is he doing to his brother? Is he raping him too?” Madara pales and looks completely horrified.
“No, or again, I don’t think so. But he still hurts him, but I’m not sure it was intentional. I don’t know! I didn’t see enough. That’s why we need peace. It’s why I need to see Tobirama again,” Izuna gasps desperately.
“Okay, then I’m with you. We will find a way to find out what’s going on. We will just have to gather more information.”
Izuna could drop in relief. Of course his brother will be helping him with this. Madara would never allow something like what might be happening to happen if he could stop it. Not even if it was to an enemy. His brother is a truly good person. Unlike Hashirama.
With their conversation over he feels like he can go home now. And then they can start to investigate.
-.-
To be continued….