Chapter Text
Tobirama was conflicted but he could not tell anyone why.
Months ago, the fair-haired Senju had found his older brother’s hiding spot next to the Naka and he had felt a Uchiha’s Chakra across the water. When he had first discovered everything, he had slapped a fish onto Hashirama.
It was only fair.
Tobirama had kept quiet about his older brother’s adventures and presence near the river. Time and again, the mokuton-user came back home alive and that was all that mattered in the end to Tobirama.
That did not mean Tobirama left his older brother to his own devices without some assurance…
Tobirama had hidden weapons around Hashirama’s foliage, just in case.
Kunai in the Oyster Mushrooms and senbon in the Peach trees. Tobirama even planted several more plants that were dangerous by nature; he had planted them in the outer rims of Hashirama's hiding spot so that no one had to worry about being poisoned. And when he had gotten the Snow Leopards contract, Tobirama requested for them to keep an eye on his older brother.
The clouds above only knew how much shenaniganry Hashirama got up to.
Tobirama still felt conflicted even with what small failsafes he could add to keep his brother just a little more safe.
Today, Tobirama not only felt conflicted for hiding such a scandalous and near treasonous thing, however. The fair haired Senju also felt something was amiss. He woke up to the feeling that something bad was going to happen, but Tobirama could not place it. Only that today was off.
Maybe Tobirama's paranoia was catching up to him, being suspicious of a mere feeling when he woke up but- a Shinobi who ignored their instincts was a dead one. So, Tobirama kept an eye on Hashirama's chakra, even going so far as to monitor the other side of the Naka River just in case.
It was good that Tobirama did.
Half an hour after Hashirama snuck out of the compound, Tobirama felt a distinctly different fire akin chakra across the Naka. It felt under developed, more sporadic and jumped around jaggedly. The chakra floated right behind the normal Fire and Hearth chakra, so closely that Tobirama had almost thought he was imagining everything. Then, the sporadic chakra jolted away from the Naka river, darting fast in the direction of the Uchiha Compound.
Someone had followed Hashirama's Uchiha.
And neither of the two had noticed.
It seemed that Hashirama would have to lose a hiding spot and perhaps an ally.
It took Tobirama a matter of minutes to leave the Senju Compound. Speeding as fast as he could, Tobirama headed towards his older brother.
He desperately wanted to slap Hashirama with another fish. Maybe Tobirama would, the jury was still out.
┬──┬┬──┬┬──┬┬──┬
Hashirama had just skipped a smooth stone across the river, bickering with his- dare he say- friend, Madara, when he felt the foliage around him rustling.
“We need to hide!” demanded his tiny little sibling, nudging Hashirama towards the peach trees. Hashirama nearly jumped out of his skin, arms flying up as his precious little brother suddenly appeared into existence.
“What? Why are you here? Why are we hiding?”
What was even happening, indeed. Several explanations would be extremely appreciated right about now, though that meant that Hashirama would also have to explain…
“Who are you?”
Tobirama turned towards Madara, currently ignoring Hashirama’s questions.
“You were followed, their chakra started back to the compound.”
Hashirama felt ice settle in the pit of his stomach. They were followed, that meant-
“I have a lot of questions I want to have answered, like who are you!"
“If you hold any value to your meetings with my brother, you will not mention us to the party that will come searching,” Tobirama bowed to the ravenette across the water, the Happuri framing his face that Kawarama and Itama gifted him glinted in the sun, “Please.”
Hashirama felt his eyes widen, Tobirama was not demanding or requesting this of Madara. But instead, asking him.
Hashirama’s eyes traveled to Madara, it was up to him on whether or not they would remain friends. Madara, fiery as he was, only squinted at them before putting his hands behind him and turning around.
“I never saw you- Either of you.”
Before Hashirama could thank his friend Madara, Tobirama pushed him into the tree line, and under the shrubs and roots. Covering the two in green foliage and thick foggy mist. Suddenly, Hashirama saw sets of feet on either side of Madara’s. The tinier one was mostly silent whilst the other, much larger, asked Madara questions. What felt like hours but must have been minutes, was over when all three left the Naka.
Hashirama and Tobirama stayed there, under the cover of the peach trees long after the trio had left.
A month later, Hashirama tried sneaking out to visit his friend Madara. He and Ravenette met each other’s fathers instead of hanging out. Tobirama and his Father came out of the forest behind him seconds after Madara’s Father. It took Hashirama and Madara by surprise.
The two brothers made their way back to the Senju Compound in silence.
“Anija…” started Tobirama hushed more than he normally was, which was a feat in and of itself seeing how quiet Hashirama’s beloved brother was on a daily basis, “I… I am sorry.”
It melted Hashirama.
Tobirama did not need to apologize.
Even if Madara and him purposely did not know who each other’s clans were, he should have been more careful due to his position as the Senju Clan Heir. While the his friendship was nice- How it came down, everything that had transpired was Hashirama’s own fault and he knew that.
It was not Tobirama’s fault how his friendship with Madara ended up, it was always going to be sort of complicated and filled with half-truths.
Hashirama gently but firmly hugged his precious remaining little brother close.
“Don’t apologize,” Hashirama murmured to Tobirama, ” None of it was your fault.”
“But, your privacy- I ruined your time with that Uchiha.”
“None of that. You did what you thought was right,” Tobirama leaned heavily into the hug as Hashirama continued on, “And I am glad that you did.”
Hashirama clutched his little brother in that hug tightly. The situation could have been a lot worse, really. The Mokuton User was grateful no blood was shed on either side and it seemed that both Clan Heads turned a blind eye to what could very well have been perceived as treason.
Tobirama peered from his hiding spot in Hashirama’s clothing to look into the Mokuton user’s eyes, his own eyes rimmed a bit redder, “What?”
“You did not ask me to stop- you even tried preventing everything.”
For a long time after that, the brothers stood there. Silently holding each other up.
Friendship, Hashirama mused, was important but he knew and loved his brother far more. Something that the brunette knew Uchiha Madara agreed on with his own sibling.
Maybe- later on...
Madara and him could try being friends once again.
That was a nice thought.