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“Is there any chance he’ll stop soon?” Tobirama asks dryly, keeping his eyes closed. He had been trying to sleep, the best he could sitting against a tree and shackled in chakra-cuffs. However, someone was vomitting. A lot.
The Uchiha watching him hits him, probably glaring at him, but he doesn’t say anything. Tobirama opens his eyes after a few seconds, sleeping or meditation was hopeless when Uchiha Izuna kept loudly vomitting, or crying. Looking over at the other boy, Tobirama did feel a little sympathy. Uchiha Izuna looked petrified, terrified of what was happening to him. Uchiha Tajima kept trying to get him to drink some water, and eat a little, but it wasn’t working too well. Anything he consumed just came back up, so obviously he didn’t want to consume anything more.
Tobirama and his watcher sit in silence for a while, Uchiha Izuna dry heaving and crying off and on. It was still irritating. Was he poisoned or something? Why hasn’t anyone given him an antidote? He could die if he continues like this.
Not that that was Tobirama’s problem. He was a Senju. He should want all Uchiha to die. Even the children. Even if they’re the same age as him. Tobirama picks at his cuffs, he could get out. He’s known how since he was five. Curiosity is what made him stay. He carefuly picks the lock, keeping an eye out for anyone watching him, and very carefully reaches out his chakra, making sure no one else could discover that he could use it, and checks on Izuna. From this distance, with the little chakra he was able to use without it being noticeable, he couldn’t identify the poison, not really. But he could narrow it down, figure out what antidotes would work.
“We don’t know what’s wrong.” Tobirama blinks, turning to his watcher, pulling his chakra back and relatching the cuff. The admission so quiet, Tobirama almost thinks he’d imagine it, except for how sad his watcher looks. So despondent. Looking at Uchiha Izuna rather than Tobirama.
“What do you mean? Was he poisoned?” Tobirama asks, keeping a low tone less they gain the attention of the adults.
His watcher shrugs, “Not that we know. He just, ate some food. Our food, everyone in the camp ate it, and he started throwing up. We’re trying, but we can’t find anything wrong with the food.” His watcher admits, hugging his knees to his chest.
“It’s not necessarily the food.” Tobirama states quietly, and his watcher turns to look at him. “It could be a delayed reaction, or a triggered one.”
“What. There wasn’t any opportunity for him to be poisoned though.”
“There’s always opportunity.” Tobirama counters dryly. “Did he drink anything different from you?”
“No. And he didn’t eat anything different either. And he wasn’t hurt when we grabbed you. There wasn’t any time.” His watcher counters harshly, irritated.
Hm. Tobirama glances over at Uchiha Izuna, that, at least, narrows the poison down to three. He watches as Uchiha Tajima tries to get him to drink again. “Does he have his own waterskin?”
“Yeah?”
Ah. “Then it’s a waterborne poison, feed him from a different waterskin.” That, at least, would stop him from getting worse.
“Are you stupid? He’s drinking the same water as the rest of us.”
Tobirama rolls his eyes, “If you look in my bag, there’s a purple flower thin petals, as wide as your finger but short.” Tobirama states, pointing at his bag. His watcher raises an eyebrow but digs through Tobirama’s bag, pulling out the flower with confusion. “On it’s own, the flower is harmless. However, if it’s placed in water and someone drinks from that water, it’s still harmless. Unless they follow it, or precede it, by eating something very salty. Then, the flower turns into a deadly poison, making the body attack all the salt within it, and then anything that houses salt.” His watcher was staring at him with wide eyes, and then looked at the flower. “However, a whole flower isn’t necessary.” Tobirama leans forward and plucks a petal, “A single petal in a waterskin is sufficient. It will have the same effect. All someone would have to do, is get close enough to Uchiha-san’s waterskin, drop a petal in, and he’ll be bleeding from every orifice possible.” When his watcher turns to look over at Uchiha Izuna with a furrowed brow, Tobirama tucks the petal into his sleeve and plucks another one.
“Izuna’s not bleeding.”
“No. But there are multiple types of poison’s that work the same way.” Tobirama states, dropping the petal and leaning back. “If he stops drinking the poisoned water, he’ll stop getting worse. But depending on the poison, it could already be too late to save him.”
Tobirama’s watcher glances to him, then to the flower, then over to Uchiha Izuna, then back to the flower. He seemed deep in thought for several long seconds before he stands and walks over to Uchiha Tajima.
Uchiha Tajima leaves Uchiha Izuna to another adult, walking a little aways to speak with Tobirama’s watcher. Tobirama’s watcher seemed nervous, talking more to the flower than to Uchiha Tajima. Uchiha Tajima gets angry, glowering, but calms himself down, and nods once before presumably dismissing Tobirama’s watcher. Tobirama’s watcher puts the flower back in Tobirama’s bag before he sits down again, curling into a ball.
“Didn’t go well?” Tobirama asks dryly.
His watcher shrugs, “He agreed there wasn’t any harm in letting him drink from someone else’s waterskin, but also told me to not take your advice. Ever.”
“That’s smart. I’m an enemy shinobi.”
“You’re ten.”
“I could still kill you. I could have also said nothing and let them keep making Izuna drink poison water until the poison level became lethal and killed him. Or I could’ve given you bad advice in healing him.”
“So, why didn’t you?” His watcher asks, peaking out from his ball to look at Tobirama with a furrowed brow.
“My brother died, recently. He was only seven. Call it grief sentiment and don’t question it further.” Tobirama states. It was better, for the Uchiha to assume it is weakness associated with family death, than for Tobirama to admit he doesn’t want to see children die. It is their world, yes, where children will die by adults because of purposeless fighting. That doesn’t mean Tobirama has to like it. Doesn’t mean he has to follow it.
“How?” His watcher asks, hesitant.
“By Hagoromo.” Tobirama states. Presumably, his watcher was worried that it had been Uchiha and Tobirama would be seeking vengeance.
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s good for your clan.” Tobirama dismisses. “You don’t have to pretend to be sorry over a death that benefits you in the long run.”
“You’re very callous.” His watcher notes.
“There’s a time and place for emotions. A good shinobi does not permit them to intervene with their mission.”
“I have. So many questions.”
“We’re going to be here a while.” His watcher hums, and after a little debate, starts firing off questions. Tobirama answered most of them, some of them were too close to clan matters for him to be comfortable answering. In general, however, the questions were fun. Quite a few about poisons, about how Tobirama learnt so much, why he was so interested in them, how to tell the differences from effects. There was also several about Tobirama’s general self; his colouring, his personality, his name. In turn with that question, he learnt his watcher’s name is Hikaku.
Hikaku had been in the middle of asking him about some of the rare poisons he’d heard of, when he trails off into silence, looking down as Uchiha Tajima approaches. Tobirama doesn’t, he looks up at the clan head without wavering.
“I do believe I told you not to talk to him.” Uchiha Tajima states, crossing his arms.
“I was just, curious about stuff. Sorry Uchiha-sama.” Hikaku says, keeping his eyes on the ground.
Uchiha Tajima sighs, and turns to Tobirama, he considers Tobirama for a few seconds before seemingly deciding something. “You know your poisons.”
“I do.”
“Do you know what’s wrong with Izuna?”
“I can guess. However, if you want a firm answer on what’s affecting him, I would need access to him and access to my chakra.” Uchiha Tajima narrows his eyes, clearly not happy with that idea, but was also considering his options.
“Would you be able to cure him?”
“Potentially.”
“And what, would you want in return?” Because, obviously, the enemy shinobi prisoner cannot help one of their heirs without cost.
Tobirama looks at his cuffs before looking back up at Uchiha Tajima, “Gee. I wonder what I could want.” He remarks dryly.
Uchiha Tajima crouches down, practically glaring at Tobirama, “I will not release you until I know Izuna is completely better.” Understandable. Tobirama could give him a false cure, get away and then Izuna could drop dead a day later. “And I will not release you if you can’t help him.”
“So, what. I’m supposed to diagnose him for nothing?” Tobirama asks sarcastically.
“What would you want for that?” Uchiha Tajima looked displeased, but, he seemed mostly displeased with the entire conversation. That he was stooping so low as to not only ask a prisoner for help, but their ten year old prisoner at that.
“My bed roll. I don’t know how far we are from your compound and I don’t like the hard ground.” Partially true. Also really just the most likely thing Uchiha Tajima would give him. He’d kill for some of his writing tools, but, well, he doubts Uchiha Tajima would want him to have those. He could be dangerous with those. A bedroll... not so much.
Uchiha Tajima blinks, surprised at the request, then buries his face in a hand, muttering words Tobirama has been forbidden from repeating, before dropping the hand and waving it off, “Fine. If you can cure him, you go free once he’s better, if you can’t, you get your bedroll.”
“If the cure takes several days I would also like my bedroll then.”
Uchiha Tajima huffs, but honestly seems amused. “Fine.” And then hauls Tobirama up by the arm and takes him over to where Uchiha Izuna was resting with another Uchiha.
“Tajima-”
“Senju’s are known for their poisons. We’re running out of options.” Uchiha Tajima admits quietly, sitting down beside Izuna. Tobirama hesitantly walks to the other side of him, kneeling down and holding out his hands. Uchiha Tajima looks at his son for a few seconds, his near deathly pale face, caked in sweat, he looked terrible, before he looked at Tobirama and undoes his cuffs.
The Uchiha holding onto Uchiha Izuna tenses, glaring down Tobirama, but he ignores them, hovering his hands over Izuna’s stomach and focusing his chakra, he barely got to identifying the poison when he was practically knocked over by Hashirama’s all emcompasing grief. Tobirama clutches at his head, folding his chakra around him to try and block out how loud Hashirama’s chakra was so he could think.
“What’re you doing?” One of the Uchiha demands, and Tobirama has a feeling there’s a kunai or katana pointed at him, but, he’s a little otherwise occupied with blocking out Hashirama. The problem, with Hashirama, is that he grieves over everyone. And it’s always inconvenient for Tobirama because as long as he’s grieving, Tobirama is useless.
“Is he crying?”
Is he?
Fucking dammit Hashirama!
Tobirama curls tighter, pulling his chakra in tighter, making wall after wall to block out Hashirama. It was always hard, because Hashirama has always been welcome. He’s always an ally. Convincing his senses that right now, Hashirama is an enemy to be kept out is always near impossible unless he’s concentrating on only doing that while Hashirama is grieving. However, that’s not always possible because Hashirama’s loud grief can last for fucking days.
By the time Tobirama can no longer feel Hashirama’s grief, his face is very wet and he is very irritated. And there are several adult Uchiha’s looking at him like they’re not entirely sure what to do with him. “My brother is loud.” Is all Tobirama tells them wiping his eyes with one of his sleeves. “I know what’s affecting Izuna.”
And just like that, Tobirama’s freakout is forgotten. All the Uchiha are all business. Uchiha Tajima is the one to speak though, “Can you cure him?”
“Depends. Do you have anything sweet?” Tobirama asks, arching an eyebrow. “Oh, and a clean waterskin with water.” One of the Uchiha’s go off to fill a clean waterskin, and another goes to search for something sweet.
“I did not think your brothers were around.”
Tobirama blinks, and now has to debate what exactly to tell Uchiha Tajima, or rather, how much he can tell him. Hm. “Anija’s chakra is, loud. He does not control it well when he’s emotional. That’s not to say he makes mistakes, or becomes less of an opponent when emotional, rather, if you are sensor, he becomes unbearable.” Tobirama explains carefully.
“And you are.”
Tobirama nods once, “It’s not, purposeful. I can just, feel, everyone.” Tobirama shrugs, if he wasn’t focusing his chakra so inward, he would be able to feel everyone in the camp. And probably figure out who died. Probably a cousin. He hopes it’s not Touka. She was fun. He does not even consider it could be Itama. They could not lose another brother so soon.
“How far?”
“I’m not sure.” He’s never found the need to find his limit, when his father requires it, it is always doable. “And even if I knew I wouldn’t tell you.” He only mentioned the unwilling part in case Tajima thought he was trying to escape.
Uchiha Tajima nods once, and one of the Uchiha returns, handing Tobirama the waterskin. Tobirama nods in thanks and uncaps it, as he’s doing so, slipping in the petal he pulled off the flower earlier with minor slight of hand, that neither Uchiha noticed. “Can you wake him up?” It was better than him choking on the water.
“We’ve given him enough water.”
“No, you haven’t.” Tobirama refutes. “I will-” Uchiha Tajima grabs his hand before he could touch Izuna, glaring harshly at Tobirama, before shaking Izuna awake. Uchiha Izuna wakes up with a grumble, seemingly upset at being woken up. “Drink this. All of it.” Tobirama orders, offering the waterskin.
Uchiha Izuna looks at him as if he’s crazy before turning to Uchiha Tajima, who just nods. Uchiha Izuna deflates, and, with a pout, takes the water skin and starts drinking. The other Uchiha comes back as Uchiha Izuna was doing so, informing them there was nothing sweet among their rations.
“I have some in my bag.” Tobirama admits, gesturing to Hikaku who still had his bag. The Uchiha consider him suspiciously for a second before walking over to Hikaku. They came back a few seconds later with a paper package, and Hikaku who still held Tobirama’s bag, that they hand over to Uchiha Tajima. Uchiha Tajima unravels the package and raises an eyebrow at the sweets, while Hikaku sits next to Tobirama. “My brother favours them, he’s been upset for some time so I thought a treat would be good.” Tobirama explains, and gently pulls the waterskin away from Uchiha Izuna’s mouth, who lets it go, making a face as he swallows the water in his mouth. “Give them all to Izuna. With the water and the sugar level in those, the poison will be nullified as best it can.”
“Best it can.” Uchiha Tajima repeats, glaring.
“This is a Suna poison, Liruno. It is rare for any poison from Suna to have a complete cure.”
One of the other Uchiha’s scoffs. "You don’t know what wrong with him, do you?" Tobirama just blinks at the man. "We’re not stupid. Liruno has no cure."
“No natural one.” Tobirama agrees, reaching into his bag and pulling out the flower Hikaku had earlier. “Anija created one.”
Hikaku furrows his brow, “Didn’t you say that flower is poisonous?”
“Only if you eat salt.” Tobirama shrugs. “Liruno has similar properties to salt, if there is no Liruno in your system, it makes your body attack salt, as long as Liruno is in your system, it’ll just attack the poison. Eating sweets prevents this from building up in your system enough that it becomes a concern later.” Tobirama explains, dropping the flower back into his bag. “Poisons can often be used to cure other poisons. My father uses quite a few, where the only cure is another poison of his, if those two are used together, the person suffers no ills. If they are used on two separate people, they will both die a very painful death.”
“So, Izuna needs that flower?”
Uchiha Izuna whines, “I don’t wanna eat a flower.”
“You don’t need to. You’re drinking it.” Tobirama states dryly, and Izuna freezes, the water he was drinking dribbling down his chin.
“When did you...” Hikaku starts, trying to think.
“I grabbed a petal earlier, when I was explaining it to you, then I slipped it into the waterskin before giving it to Izuna.”
“Gross.” Izuna mutters, making a face.
“It’s drink that or die.” Tobirama reminds, and while Izuna still looked unhappy, he did start drinking the water again.
“Why did you grab it?” Uchiha Tajima asks, in a, scarily calm way. Like he was restraining himself from getting angry. It confused Tobirama for a moment, before realizing that Tajima would most likely assume he was going to poison the Uchiha’s at large. Which, wasn’t a bad plan, also not Tobirama’s plan.
“Because there are few poisons that can be transferred through water and require a trigger and of those, the petals on those flowers will heal two-thirds of them.” Tobirama shrugged lightly.
“Why would you,” The Uchiha who had been holding Izuna when he was asleep starts, furrowing her brow, “Why would you grab a petal then?”
Ah, this was now uncomfortable.
Before Tobirama could respond, he pitches forward like he’d been hit. He was, mentally. Hashirama’s chakra was lashing out, panicking. He could feel two separate people touching him but pays them no mind as he unwinds his chakra. Hashirama’s panicking was louder, but targetted. Targetted at him. Concern, fear, terror.
What was wrong? What had happened? Why has Tobirama not figured out a long distance communication technique?
Tobirama reaches out his senses, trying to find what could be making Hashirama freak out so much, first, locate Hashirama. Then It-
Itama.
Tobirama freezes, his breath trapped in his lungs.
He couldn’t feel Itama.
He couldn’t find Itama.
That was impossible. He could feel Itama when the Uchiha captured him. They hadn’t moved that much. Itama couldn’t. He couldn’t be out of Tobirama’s range.
Hashirama’s grief.
Hashirama’s all encompasing grief.
Not a cousin.
A brother.
And Tobirama had retreated in on himself. Hashirama wasn’t a particularly skilled sensor, but, he could always find his brothers. Except when Tobirama did that. Tobirama had hid himself from Hashirama.
And Hashirama was freaking out.
Great.
“Um. Are you okay?” Hikaku asks. Tobirama looks at the other boy from the corner of his eye, he seemed genuinely concerned. Tobirama glances to Izuna, the other person touching him, who also seemed genuinely concerned.
Tobirama straightens, pulling away from both boys. The Uchiha were the only ones around. The only ones who could’ve killed Itama. And he was helping them. Helping them save one of their children while they killed his brother. Tobirama keeps himself calm, contained, he couldn’t escape from the middle of the camp. He keeps his chakra calm and collected. Hashirama wouldn’t come after him if his chakra was calm. Hashirama would remain safe. “I am fine.” He states, then to Uchiha Tajima, “He needs to drink all the water, and eat the sweets, and rest. Do not allow him to eat anything salty for the next twenty-four hours. The rest will be up to his body, there is nothing more to be done.” He states clinically. “May I go to bed now?”
Uchiha Tajima furrows his brow, obviously noting Tobirama’s shift in behaviour, but he nods, grabbing Tobirama’s hands and relocking the cuffs before gesturing for one of the others to take him back to the area he had been in before. He’s given his bed roll shortly after and Tobirama wastes no time curling up in it. Once alone, Tobirama picks the lock on his cuffs, and concentrates on keeping calm and the Uchiha. Most were asleep. There were only a few still awake. He could wait them out. It wouldn’t be hard. He just had to wait until the majority were asleep, and those awake not paying any attention to him, then he could substitute himself and run.
Soon, however, Hikaku rolls out a bedroll beside him and lays down. Great. This was going to be a little harder. Especially since Hikaku doesn’t go to sleep.
“Tobirama?” Hikaku calls softly, and after a little mental debate, Tobirama rolls over. Maybe Hikaku will go to sleep if Tobirama entertains him for a bit.
“What.”
“What’s wrong?” Hikaku asks.
“Nothing.”
“You’re lying. Something happened when you were helping Izuna, and then you got all closed off and grumpy.” Hikaku counters. “I know we’re, technically we’re enemies, but, I’m worried.”
Well, fuck. Hikaku was either Tobirama’s age, or at most a year older. Tobirama sighs, trying to think of a bland way to tell the truth without truly saying anything, when several people come into the camp. He narrows his eyes when he sees what one of them is holding. Itama’s katana. And well, the thought of not telling Hikaku the truth flies from his mind. It took most of his willpower to tamp down the burning rage that threatened to engulf him. Later. He could kill them all later.
“Do you know what those men do?” Tobirama asks, thrusting his chin out to gesture. Hikaku rolls over to find who Tobirama was talking about. They were talking to Uchiha Tajima.
“They’re shinobi, I assume they were off fighting.” Hikaku states, turning back to face Tobirama.
“They’re child-killers.” Hikaku tenses, his eyes wide in shock. “Does the Katana they’re carrying look adult-sized to you?” Tobirama challenges, and Hikaku looks back at them for a second before shaking his head, giving Tobirama his attention again.
“The Senju also have child-killers.” Hikaku defends quietly.
“We do.” Tobirama agrees. “But those ones just killed my brother. So, forgive me for not wanting to socialize.” Tobirama bites, rolling back over and trying to calm himself down.
“I’m sorry.”
Oh for- Tobirama was trying to not be irritated! “Don’t be.” Well, that was harsher than he intended, but he also doesn’t think he can micromanage his tone at the moment. “I told you earlier, don’t be sorry for a death that benefits you.” With that, Tobirama goes into meditation, keeping his chakra calm and trying to find a good time to run.
Hikaku stays awake for another hour, in that time the rest of the camp falls asleep save for Uchiha Tajima, before Tobirama hears him get up. He doesn’t go far, just to one of the nearby trees, and sits down. Then, Tobirama can hear the boy start crying. What the fuck.
Thankfully, Tobirama doesn’t have to listen to it for long, before Uchiha Tajima comes along. “Hikaku-kun? What’s wrong?” Uchiha Tajima asks softly.
“If, If Tobirama-kun-” Why that honorific? Why does that hurt Tobirama’s chest? “hadn’t been here, would Izuna-san have still recovered?” Hikaku asks, sniffling.
Uchiha Tajima is silent for a while, and then Tobirama can hear the man sit down. “No.” He admits softly. “Setsu was right. Liruno has no cure. Myoko cut open Izuna’s waterskin, we found several Liruno petals.” That admission seems to make Hikaku start crying again. “But Izuna’s set to make a full recovery. He’ll be fine.” Uchiha Tajima rushes to comfort, but Tobirama has a feeling Hikaku’s not crying over Izuna.
“Tobirama-kun saved Izuna-san’s life.” Hikaku states, and Tobirama can feel Uchiha Tajima’s confusion over that, probably the relevancy. “And we killed his brother.” Hikaku adds in a near whisper.
“Hikaku-kun? What’re you talking about?”
“He said, that, that squad killed his brother. Today.” Hikaku explains, sniffling.
Uchiha Tajima was quiet for a few seconds, before he says, “We are warring clans. They have killed our children as well.”
“Don’t cry over a death that benefits us, I know.” Hikaku grumbles.
“What.”
“S’what Tobirama-kun said. I shouldn’t be sorry about his brother’s dying because it benefits us in the long run.”
Tobirama feels like he could hear the confusion Uchiha Tajima has over that. How hard his brain is running to figure out why Tobirama would say that. Or even to just, process that Tobirama had said it about his own brothers.
Hashirama said he was weird. Cold and unfeeling about everything.
Their Father said he was an exemplary Shinobi, never letting his emotions get involved in his missions.
Tobirama’s not sure which one he should care about more.
“I- what?”
“He told me his brother died recently, s’why he wanted to help Izuna-san, then, his other brother was just killed. And when I said sorry about both he snapped at me to not be sorry. Said I didn’t have to pretend to be sorry about a death that benefits us.”
“...When did he find out about his brother?” Uchiha Tajima asks after several seconds of silence, apparently deciding to just, change the subject. He didn’t think his scolding was that weird. Hikaku was weird for being sorry about an enemies death!
“I think it was the second time he seemed to react to nothing. When he got closed off and immediately asked to go to bed. He said he didn’t want to socialize after realizing we killed his brother.” Hikaku states, then sniffles, “But, he still gave you concise instructions to help Izuna-san. Even reminding us to not let Izuna-san eat anything salty. He could’ve said nothing. Done nothing. But he still helped, even after he realized we killed his brother.” And Hikaku was crying again. Uchiha Tajima remains silent for a while, long enough to Hikaku to ask, in a heartbreaking tone, “Are we evil?”
“No.” Uchiha Tajima responds immediately.
“Tou-san says the Senju are evil, but, Tobirama-kun helped us so much, and we hurt him so much.”
Oh for fucks sake!
Tobirama huffs a sigh, getting up, not even bothering to put his cuffs back on and walks the short distance to Hikaku, sitting down on his other side. “How are you more irritating than Anija?” It was a genuine question. Tobirama didn’t think there was a single more emotionally irritating person in the entire Land of Fire. “I thought Uchiha were supposed to be good at controlling their emotions.” Hikaku pouts at the scolding, Uchiha Tajima... seemed to be processing Tobirama’s prescence honestly. Whatever. “I chose to help Izuna because I don’t want children to die in pointless battles that they have nothing to do with and are only involved in due to a curse of birth. If I can stop some from dying, I’m happy.” He’s aware he does not sound happy. “But I don’t expect everyone else to cater to my beliefs. I have been aware for as long as I can remember that whenever any of us leave the compound, we could be killed. That those killers could be Uchiha. I was not ignorant to the fact that your clan have killed dozens of my cousins, of my friends, when I chose to help Izuna. Do not debase me by implying I was not aware of that. That by saving Izuna I could be killing more of my cousins. That I could be killing my brothers. I am not a fool.” True, he expected the killing to be when Izuna was older and on the battlefield and a threat to their lives, but.
“But-”
“I became short because, despite the reputation I have been gaining, I am not without emotions myself. I do grieve for my brothers. But that doesn’t mean you need to. By all means, their deaths benefit you, they are your enemy. If they did not die as children, they could have grown to kill you, your family, dozens of your clansmen. We are at war. We are not friends. Grieving over your enemies death will kill you.” Tobirama takes a deep breath. “Speaking of your inevitable death, I would advise caution for the next few weeks.” Tobirama looks to Uchiha Tajima, who blinks a couple times at the sudden attention. “Father will be out for revenge, ideally he’d be aiming for one of your children, but he’d have no qualms about taking as many of your clan’s children as he could along the way. Now. I’m leaving, before the only brother I have left comes crashing into your camp because he’s no doubt found I’ve been captured and my chakra is currently storming and I can’t stop it anymore. So, before I give you the ability to kill another one of my brothers, I’m leaving. Don’t let Izuna eat anything salty or he will start bleeding to death.” Tobirama orders, grabbing his bag and preparing to go before he stops.
He shouldn’t care. He should not-
Tobirama grabs a petal off the flower and hands it to Hikaku, “If he starts throwing up tomorrow, give him half a waterskin with that, anything sweet, and nothing with salt.” He orders and then shunshins away, taking his sleeping roll with him. He stops to roll it up and shove it into his bag before he continues on his way home.
He makes it halfway before Hashirama tackles him out of a tree, half sobbing, saying nonsense and clinging tighter than strangle-vines. Tobirama just sighs and bares it for a few minutes before gently nudging Hashirama up, reminding him they’re in enemy territory, and heading towards home. Hashirama walks beside him slowly, holding tightly to one of Tobirama’s wrists, with his eyes glued onto a scrap of cloth in his other hand. Tobirama didn’t ask. He didn’t want to know. He already knew it was Itama’s. He didn’t want to know if that was all that was left.
Eventually though, Hashirama stops walking, once they were well into Senju territory, and Tobirama stops at the small pull on his wrist. Waiting for Hashirama to speak, or to start walking again.
“Revenge gets us nowhere.” Hashirama says quietly. “Death for death will just kill us all.” Hashirama recites. He was talking more to himself, than he was to Tobirama, really. Hashirama takes a couple, rather loud, deep breaths, “So why do I want to hunt these bastards down?”
Oh. A question. One he could feasibly answer. “Because it’s Itama.” Tobirama doesn’t turn to look at Hashirama as he speaks, keeps looking forward, “Because it is far easier to say revenge will fix nothing, when you haven’t a reason to seek it yourself, and far harder to commit, when you do. You want to avenge Itama, you want to kill the people who killed him because you think it will make you feel better.”
“It won’t. I know.” Hashirama agrees softly, still sounding so conflicted. “I can still hear him screaming. I found his body, Tobi. They tortured him. They killed him right before I got there. They played with him. Fucked with him. They laughed. I don’t. I don’t want people like that alive, Tobi.”
He. Doesn’t have much of an answer for that. Hashirama, to his knowledge, still doesn’t know that Tobirama actively hunts child killer squads with one of their cousins to specifically kill them, because Tobirama hates that they even exist. It was also, incidentally, the reason the Uchiha even had the opportunity to grab him. Although, speaking of the Uchiha. “I saved Uchiha Izuna’s life earlier.” Tobirama flinches slightly when the grip on his wrist tightens to a painful extent.
“What?” Hashirama asks, barely aduible.
“Someone poisoned him with Liruno, I have your flower in my bag. His vomitting to death was irritating, so, I offered help.” More or less. “Let’s, not think about who killed Itama. Think about what Itama wanted for the world. Keep him alive, avenge him, by working toward it.” That, would be good. Might be nice. Be good for him too, honestly, because all he’s been able to think about was those men, was that squad he saw with Itama’s katana, was killing them for daring to kill his family. But life for life will only end when everyones dead. He doesn’t want to forgive them. They don’t deserve forgiveness for what they’re not even sorry for.
But they have to move on. They have to move forward. And Itama hated revenge. Hated the needlessness of going after someone for anothers death. Just adding another body to the pile, just adding another death, when nothing will bring the dead back. Nothing will give them Itama again. And killing those bastards doesn’t even feel good.
“Thank you.”
Tobirama blinks a couple times, and finally turns to look at Hashirama, who was looking at the ground, but, looking less weighted than he had earlier. “I’m sorry for hiding from you. But you started grieving when I was working on Izuna.” Tobirama states, honestly not sure what else to do. Hashirama, very rarely thanked him. And very rarely was it in this sort of environment. Normally it was training or the battlefield where it was a quick ‘thanks’ and they moved on. They could not physically move at the moment. Because Hashirama wasn’t.
Hashirama nods, finally looking up, and, he didn’t smile, no, but he seemed softer when he met Tobirama’s eyes. “Let’s go home. And not tell Chichi-ue anything.” Ha. Right. Chichi-ue can never know. Tobirama would be in so much shit. Hashirama moves forward, not letting go of Tobirama’s wrist but loosening his grip back to it’s light hold, taking the lead on taking them home. It was, nice. Like they were little again, and Hashirama would lead/drag him everywhere just like this. Tobirama let himself relax a little, and just, trust Hashirama to lead him home.
(Trust that was ultimately misplaced when Hashirama got them lost, on account of the trees. According to him at least. And Tobirama had to take the lead to get them actually home again. At the very least, Chichi-ue just sighed and rolled his eyes when they told him why they were so late getting back. And didn’t question anything.)