tobirama grows a garden

The sun had begun to set, and the kids gathered in the kitchen. Touka’s mother was still passed out on the couch, and Butsuma had not exited his study in a long while. 

“We had something relatively heavy for lunch, so we need something lighter for dinner,” Tobirama muttered, deep in thought. “Touka, can you check the food storage to see if we have sufficient pork for some tonkatsu?”

“On it,” Touka nodded, sprinting off to the storage rooms.

“Oooh, Tobi! Tobi!” Hashirama called. “Can we have some zosui? Please? I know we have leftover rice water! And I—”

“No! I want the rice water!” Itama objected. “I was gonna use it for my hair. Or medicine. Or both.”

“That actually works?” Hashirama asked, eyes sparkling.

“It has a bunch of nutrients, so—”

“Got some!” Touka interrupted, hauling raw porkchops into the kitchen. 

Tobirama shook his head. “Can someone get mother’s cookbook? Me and… Kawarama, well. We made some notes a while back that should help with the zosui issue.”

“Yes!” Hashirama cheered. “I’ll go grab it!”

“Kawa… Itama, start chopping mushrooms,” Tobirama instructed. “Touka, you slice the pork into thin strips while I wash the rice.”

“More rice? Don’t we have any leftovers from lunch?” Itama asked from his station. 

“If we do, it’s a very small amount,” Tobirama shrugged. “Besides, it’s more rice water for you and Hashi.”

“I’m baaaack!” Hashirama announced, doubling over and out of breath. “I… I got… the book…!”

“Thank you,” Tobirama replied as he plucked the book from his brother’s hands. “Hm. I see. We could use a light miso broth for optimal rice water preservation.”

“Really?” Hashirama’s eyes sparkled once more.

“Yes, really. Now, go Hashirama, you’re on panko duty.”

“Awww, can’t I switch with Tou—”

“Sorry little cousin, no way!” Touka cackled. “You’re on breadcrumb duty, not me!”

“Ita—”

“You already know my answer, eldest brother.”

“Waaah! When you call me that it makes me feel old!” Hashirama wailed.

Tobirama bopped the back of Hashirama’s head. “Anija! Shut up and get to work!”

“Sorry otouto,” Hashirama muttered, dropping to the floor in a ball. “I’ve failed you as your Anija.”

“Oh come on Nii-san!” Itama sighed. “Get up and go!”

Hashirama rocked back and forth, his dramatic episode making everyone else sigh.

“If you don’t get up right now I’m gonna throw your brothers out of the window,” Touka threatened.

Hashirama got up and flailed. “Touka! No! How could you do that to my precious little brothers?!”

No one responded, choosing to ignore Hashirama in favor of their duties. The Senju heir sighed dejectedly and went about to his station, pouting and grumbling all the way.

It took a while for all of the food to get done, but once it was finished, all four children were chatting at the dinner table. Touka had tried to corral her mother to the dinner table, but the woman had passed out in a guest bedroom instead. No one wanted to go feed Butsuma, as Tobirama could still feel the man’s rage in his chakra. Sometimes they sat in silence, sometimes one of them (read: Hashirama) would blurt out a rush of words that made no sense, stirring up conversation. 

“I miss him,” Itama wistfully muttered, looking toward the vacancy that Kawarama would have filled. “It still hurts.”

“Just like when we lost mom,” Hashirama sighed.

Tobirama stayed silent.

“I’m sure little Kawa’s is looking over all of us right now,” Touka spoke, forcing a grin on her lips. “The little brat’s probably haunting us as we speak.”

“That sounds like something Kawa would do,” Hashirama laughed. “Knock over some family heirlooms then poof away.”

“And then go run away to cook dinner with Tobi,” Itama smiled. “Always knew how to get out of trouble.”

“Don’t forget that you started catching on,” Touka reminded. “And then you’d go pretend to help in the kitchen.”

“And then dad would get mad at me!” Hashirama whined.

“Or me, for condoning their behavior,” Tobirama deadpanned. “Especially when Itama and Touka managed to burn down our kitchen that one time.”

“Ikoto was chasing me around the room!” Itama protested.

“He started it by getting an egg in my hair!” Touka shot back.

“Then Kawa tripped one of you and it all went downhill form there…” Hashirama sighed.

They laughed a little, cried a little, and, before they knew it, it was time for bed. Butsuma emerged from his study with a stormy and stern look on his face, causing the boys to lead Touka to the guest room she usually slept in. Outside the door, Itama called everyone into a huddle.

“Aniki, when are you gonna… y’know… garden?” Itama whispered, worry creasing his brows.

“I can go tonight, but you know how father checks up on us sometimes,” Tobirama thought out loud. “We’d need some way to guarantee he doesn’t come to my room…”

“We can all sleep in the same room… like a nest!” Hashirama whisper-yelled. “He won’t notice you’re gone if we’re all lumped together!”

“A bright idea for once, eh, little cousin?” Touka laughed. 

“Okay,” Tobirama whispered. “Just leave the window unlocked for me.”

The others nodded, determined expressions in their eyes.

They got ready for bed while Tobirama equipped and packed light shinobi gear, weapons, and a few snacks.

It was gonna be a long night.

…

Tobirama sprinted toward the Naka, enhancing each step with chakra to run faster. When he neared the river, the rushing of water rapids becoming louder, he slowed to a walk, looking around toward the rocky ground. He stood on the river, a bit difficult as the water tended to be more violent with the call of the moon. Tobirama contemplated placing the garden on the Uchiha’s side of the Naka, wondering if his father would be more or less upset. Maybe he could make flowers sprout on both sides? 

Even then, he had to recall how to grow flowers, which brought up another intriguing point. If Itama was best with vines and was most proficient in Fuuton, and Hashirama was best with wood and most proficient in Doton, does that mean that flowers required more proficiency in Suiton? Tobirama stood on the water, facing downstream, thinking and thinking when—

A gasp.

Tobirama whipped his head around and moulded a wave of water to an offensive slash. He saw something dodge, then run forward from the shadows of the trees to directly under the moonlight. It was another kid, probably male, who was a bit taller than Tobirama. The other kid looked at Tobirama with wide, disbelieving eyes that sparkled a little as he opened his mouth to—

“Amaterasu-okami?!”

Tobirama paused, thinking hard once more. This seemed to be an Uchiha, no doubt. He could see it now as he analyzed the other in excruciating depth. A little bit of anger tried to poison his brain, reminding him of which clan killed Kawarama… But the albino Senju pushed these thoughts away as quick as they came. But Tobirama couldn’t read his chakra… it was like it was blocked off, perhaps a seal? Even if he might be able to overpower the stranger, it was a strong might, and he had no way to asses the other’s strength when his chakra was obscured.

“My apologies for attacking you. I thought you were an enemy. I had no idea you were simply a child,” Tobirama said, bowing deep to show sincerity. “I am male, and certainly not Amaterasu.”

“Well— hey! Don’t call me a child!”

“We’re both children,” Tobirama deadpanned, walking over to the Uchiha carefully.

The Uchiha visibly watched of the way he walked on water and narrowed his onyx eyes, a look of suspicion on his face. Tobirama quietly sat down with his back to the other kid, trying to seem not threatening. The Uchiha’s chakra slowly unwound itself from concealment. Huh. He must have been consciously restraining it— which was surprising. And that’s when Tobirama realized his mistake. This young Uchiha was very powerful. As powerful as his Anija. And Tobirama just turned his back to him. The Uchiha’s chakra thrummed with a familiarity that resonated with some of the Uchiha he’d killed after rescuing the Hyūga boy. Tobirama should have run away when he had the chance, because now his life was in the hands of the Uchiha kid— who didn’t even know it.

“…Hello,” the Uchiha said after an awkward silence, shuffling a bit behind Tobirama. 

“Greetings.”

“…”

“…”

The Uchiha kid sat down beside the Senju, turning to look at the other boy. Tobirama, however, continued looking at the water.

“Why are you here? Who even are you?” The Uchiha boy asked, raising a brow and leaning in to observe the albino.

“I’m here to find a good spot to grow herbs that are helpful for cooking and medicine,” Tobirama spoke, trying his hand at doublespeak. “It should be helpful for my brothers.”

“Cooking?” The Uchiha mumbled.

“Yes. I cook quite often for my family,” Tobirama said, tilting his head slightly.

“Cooking is girly,” the Uchiha kid snorted. Ah. “I mean, I thought you were a girl at first, but now…”

“Cooking is an essential skill that every shinobi should know. To refuse learning such a tool for the sole reason that it is seen as a womanly thing…” Tobirama sighed, already getting a bit irritated. “Pardon my manners, but that is one of the most foolish decisions one could ever make.”

The other boy paused, thinking of a response. Tobirama began to calm down. Surely the other boy had realized by now that assigning an action to a gender was a bit idiotic, no? From the quietness of the Uchiha, he thought there would be no further conversation. So Tobirama allowed himself to bask in the soothing sounds of the river, and—

“I would disagree,” The Uchiha boy snarked after the longest time, accompanying his proud statement with the raising of a demeaning eyebrow. “I say learning something that has no use to you is one of the most foolish decisions someone could make. Why even waste your time?”

“…No one else in my family can cook for their lives without my help. So, I don’t really see how helping them is a waste of time.”

“But why help with cooking? Why not something, I dunno, cooler? At that point you’re practically just a little housewife who shouldn’t figh—“

“I cook because it is fun and it reminds me of my dead mother and brother,” Tobirama hissed, offense clouding his judgment. “And I despise when people are so shallow-minded as to think that housewives are anything but hard-workers, or that only women can enjoy cooking. Making food is therapeutic, and I like to think I’m quite good at it.”

The Uchiha boy winced, looking away from Tobirama. So he wasn’t gonna say anything then? Surely this ignorant Uchiha boy couldn’t even process what he’d said fast enough, and his irritation at the boy grew the longer he stayed silent. It was safer to leave anyway. Butsuma had always tried to reinforce on his sons the idea that Uchiha would viciously kill any Senju they came across, and sometimes it was just… easier to revert to that mindset. So, the albino scoffed and stood to leave, but was stopped by a hand grabbing his wrist.

“I’m… sorry,” the Uchiha boy sighed. And Tobirama faltered at the sincerity.  “…Um. My mother taught me glassblowing. People expected me to like blacksmithing because it’s more… uh, manly. But… glassblowing is very important to me, so… I… What I’m saying is… I get where you’re coming from. I’m not trying to be an asshole, I swear, but—”

“Hm. It was very rude of you. Misogynistic too. Whatever. It’s alright,” Tobirama sighed, wincing once he realized the harshness of his words. “You’re just… very opinionated, and people like that can be difficult to negotiate with. I’m like that too.”

Tobirama thought for a bit, looking at the remorseful boy. Well, he had to stay to make the garden, so, might as well chat up the locals. “To quote you earlier— why are you here?”

“I like coming here to clear my mind… I’m Madara,” the raven-haired boy offered, looking away. That name sounded awfully familiar, but Tobirama couldn’t remember why... Searching through his brain for answers might cause him to slip up and miss any useful information, so Tobirama filed it away for later. “—‘m thirteen.”

“Tobirama. Eleven, almost twel—”

“Eleven?! You’re the same age as my—! Wait… do you know Hashirama?”

“Figured that out by the rama at the end of our names?” Tobirama laughed, cursing himself and Hashirama in his brain. (His brother was meeting an Uchiha in secret?! Butsuma would have killed him!) He just had to play it off. “So I’m assuming you’re whatever he keeps sneaking off to see? Hm… You’re good at disguising your chakra. Anija, however…”

“Anija…?! There’s no way he’s your older brother! He’s very…! Y’know!”

“…I know what you mean.”

“I guess that means you got all of the smarts? Hashirama only seems smart when we’re talking about peace in the future, and even then…”

“I agree. He can be a bit… much at times.”

“Wow. I never noticed, but you talk like a grown-up.”

“Tch. Adults.”

“Hah, I agree with you there!”

The two boys stared at each other under the moonlight. Tobirama looked away, the prolonged eye contact making him uncomfortable. 

“I can’t believe you thought I was a goddess,” Tobirama muttered, breaking the awkward tension with a roll of his eyes.

“Hey! Well! Shut up!”

“What a retort,” Tobirama scoffed.

“Argh! Shush! You… You look like a woman!”

“Really? In what way?!”

“Um… uh! Well… You just do, okay?!”

“So intelligent and witty, Mada-kun,” Tobirama snorted, swooning sarcastically.

“Are the dramatics a family thing or is it only present in you and Hashirama?!” Madara screeched, putting his face in his hands.

“I think that’s the most dramatic you’ll ever see me. Enjoy speaking to the human equivalent of a sentient rock. At least that’s what Anija says.”

“I’m not even sure which version of you I’d prefer at this point!” 

Tobirama snorted, hiding a smile while looking away from the other boy. “…I can see why Anija spends time with you.”

Tobirama realized what he’d said and stiffened. He didn’t realize his guard was slipping that much. Especially around an Uchiha. He quickly spread his senses out, confirming that he wasn’t in a genjutsu.

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” The Uch— Madara hummed, tilting his head toward the moon. “So… you said you’re good at cooking? So are you a housew—”

“I take everything nice I ever said or thought about you back,” Tobirama scowled. “I’m eleven. I’m not even old enough to be married.”

“I guess. But I heard some clans do arranged marriages, so age wouldn’t really matter in that case. Fucking gross. Can you imagine marrying someone not for love?” Madara spat.

Tobirama just sighed as Madara rambled on. 

“—I just… can’t imagine! In my cl… uh, family, we marry for love. And only love. Not for stupid political gain or land or… you get what I’m saying right?!”

“I suppose the Uchiha are ahead of many in that aspect.”

“Yeah! We— wait! How did you know—?!” Madara exclaimed, turning to Tobirama with suspicion and disbelief.

“I’m a great sensor.”

“Well sensors can’t sense lineage!”

“Tch. I can tell you’re strongly Katon-oriented, and that your chakra pools toward your eyes when you’re shocked, which is a trait usually present in those with a dōjutsu,” Tobirama explained, watching the other boy’s eyes widen more and more with each passing second. 

“Okay, well— by those standards… no, stereotypes, I still could have been a Hy—”

“And there’s the fact that you exclaimed ‘Amaterasu-omikami’ when you first saw me. Amaterasu is the Uchiha clan’s matron goddess. You’re wearing a color that is very similar to the indigo or navy colors that the Uchiha tend to don, and your dark hair and eyes are awfully similar to that of an Uchiha, no?”

“Okay then. Damn,” Madara breathed, clear disbelief written in his face. “You gotta be like… Hatake then? Part Uzumaki?”

“What makes you say that?” Tobirama inquired, a brow raised.

“Well, your hair looks like a Hatake. And only Uzumaki are that good at sensing. And Suiton.”

“I’m only a quarter Hatake.”

“Seriously?”

“Yes. So is Hashirama.”

“I… wow. Surely you’re at least a little bit Uzumaki then, right?”

“I haven’t a drop of their blood in my body.”

“Shit, what are you then?” Madara laughed. “A Senju?”

Tobirama stayed silent, turning his head toward his side of the river.

“No,” Madara whispered. “A fucking Senju?!”

Madara gaped, his hand shakily moving toward the place where his weapons pouch was no doubt concealed. Tobirama shook his head and stood up. He had a job to do. That did not include fraternizing with the enemy. He pinged his chakra through the ground, pointedly ignoring the anger and shock in Madara’s chakra as he sought out the most fertile soil beneath the rocks.

Madara sat there, still frozen as Tobirama began thinking of which flowers to grow. He knew many of the scientific names of flora, not very familiarized with the layman’s terms. Additionally, Tobirama wasn’t very well-versed in the art of floriography— though it is something that he should consider picking up now because of his newly-awakened Mokuton.

Tobirama pressed his hands into the rocks, releasing chakra gently into the earth. He felt the beginnings of something begin to fester, and he trickled more chakra into soil, pulling away when he felt some small buds of field poppies begin to emerge and push aside rocks in their path. They grew into a beautiful bloom that caused pride to swell in Tobirama’s chest. He did that. He could somewhat understand why Hashirama got so sad when they had to cut down trees he had made for wood. It was his creation, and to take it away…

Madara’s chakra spiked in confusion and, once again, Tobirama was reminded that he had an audience— a very dangerous one in fact. Tobirama was not someone who enjoyed skipping around issues unless he absolutely had to. So the decision to turn and face the Uchiha, even if it mean death, quickly satisfied the small impatience spawned from Tobirama chickening out of assessing the Uchiha’s reaction.

“Think of me as you will,” Tobirama spoke, sternness clear in his young voice. “I’ve known you were an Uchiha since I first detected your presence, yet I have not attacked you in any way.”

“That’s rich! I shouldn’t even be talking to you or Hashirama! And! And! You fucking attacked me when you first saw me!”

“Only because you were concealing your chakra and I was caught off guard! Don’t be stupid!” 

“You’re lucky you’re alive right now! I should kill you where you stand! You’re a damned Senju!”

“Who cares if I’m a Senju?! If Hashirama and you get your inter-clan happy ending rainbows andsunny days brand of peace then it won’t matter anymore!”

Madara’s eyes widened as a retort died in his throat like a failed Katon. Tobirama groaned and scrubbed at his face with his hands. Madara spluterred at the other’s reaction.

“It hurts standing next to you, knowing that you are an Uchiha,” Tobirama admitted. “I’m… It’s difficult. Sitting here with you, talking with you while knowing that people I love have been killed by the people that you love… However, I imagine that the same has happened to you. It’s hard. It hurts. But it’s necessary for peace. So that we don’t have to fight in a pointless war anymore.”

“I… think so too,” Madara nodded after a while. “That’s exactly why it’s important that we try to make peace. No matter how hard it will be. Hashirama and I… we just want a world where we don’t have to bury little brothers anymore…”

“That is admirable. It shows that both you and him can and dream of and see a future that most adults cannot,” Tobirama said, looking Madara in the eye. “The most difficult part is moving forward. Converting people who are for war to supporters of peace. How will you convince the majority that we can all put aside our prejudice and be civilized with each other?”

“Hashirama and I speak quite often. The Senju and Uchiha feud has been well-known for decades. Who better representatives for lasting peace than an Uchiha and a Senju?”

“Two Senju,” Tobirama corrected. “I like to think we’ve been quite civil thus far.”

“You’re quite right,” Madara laughed. “Two Senju. Who are a quarter Hatake.”

The two sat in a comfortable silence, just staring at each other and their reflections in the river.

“Tobirama,” Madara called, a questioning tone to his voice. “Are you good at skipping stones?”

“Skipping stones?” Tobirama asked, looking at Madara with a curious tilt of his head. “What?”

The Uchiha’s eyes widened and he looked away, hiding in his mess of hair. “Yeah! Skipping stones! Don’t act all cute and innocent now, Senju!’

Tobirama’s confusion only evolved further. He leaned toward a red-faced Madara with sparkling and curious eyes. “I genuinely have no idea how you would make stones skip. Is it an expression? A secret code? Do you need chakra to do it? How much? Is it a seal? What’s the purpose of making them skip?”

Tobirama began thinking in his head about all of the advantages of making walking stones while Madara just looked at the albino with disbelief.

“No, I mean… like, just… watch, okay?” Madara said, picking up a stone from the riverbank. 

He threw it like one would a shuriken, and it bounced across the water a few times before sinking. Madara smirked. It went further than last time! But still…

“Ugh. Hashirama does it better. Don’t tell him I said th…at,” Madara didn’t think Tobirama’s expression could grow more… pure? Curious? Whatever it was, Tobirama now had stars in his eyes as he looked at where the rock had sunk beneath the river’s surface. “What are you—”

“I’m thinking that is has to do with gravity… maybe surface tension? Right?” Tobirama muttered. “Surely the smoothness of the rock affects how far it can travel? Hm… will chakra influence it in any way? Will it?”

“Um… I don’t know,” Madara replied, a bit confused at how or why the ice-boy had practically melted at the sight of a rock being skipped.

The Uchiha blanched as he saw the ground start sprouting white roses and gymea lilies where the other boy vigorously paced. The flowers in question slowly spread to the other side of the river.

“Do it again,” Tobirama demanded, the stars and sparkled in his red eyes replaced with a determined spark, making the flustered Madara almost trip over his own feet. “Please.”

“Whatever you say, snowflake,” Madara hastily agreed, turning toward the river after plucking a milkvetch that grew from Tobirama’s mess of white hair.