Chapter 2
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He’s still feeling dazed when they returned to the Senju compound, he was brought back by his father to his designated room. “Sleep son, I’m here.”
He wakes up with his brothers beside him, he asks what happened and they have given him a brief explanation:
The reason for his grogginess is because the Uchihas’ has begun the process to start the worship towards him, they have lit Amaterasu’s temple full of Jasmine and Juniper incense, which wasn’t supposed to harm him. It becomes overwhelming when Amaterasu proceeded to haste the process.
Amaterasu-sama is in a rush because she would like Tobirama to stay in her temple as soon as possible, but the Senjus’ and their Deities appealed to Izinagi-sama about his situation.
The Deities are having a debate of where he will be staying seeing that he’s a blessed, but since he was not worshipped in the land of the living Amaterasu cannot fully put a claim in him. Amaterasu then fought her claim by stating that Hagoromo was the reason why her people didn’t recognize her Tablet and now the whole court is in shambles.
Hagoromo-sama can’t back them up because he’s not a natural deity.
And his brothers are now worried because there might be a court who will decide his fate but seeing as Amaterasu is the highest and most powerful Shinto, and Amaterasu’s siblings Tsukuyomi and Susanoo are backing their sister and also wants their nephew with them, they might lose Tobirama.
Both his brothers are hugging Tobirama on both sides when they finished their explanation. “I have questions.”
“How many Aniki?” Kawarama teased him while Itama laughs and added “That’s because you didn’t listen to Monk Miroku when he was explaining about worshipping the Shinto!”
“I didn’t think it’s important to back then, I thought it was a waste of time talking to beings that are not real. Evidently they are.” He answered with a very flat face causing his brother to double in laughter.
“Well enough of that! Otousan said that if you wake up we can tour you around the compound, but you need to eat first.”
The tour was more fruitful than the first weeks that he came to the Pure Lands, they toured the whole Senju compound for days and it seems endless.
The Senju compound is ten times bigger than the original Senju compound, it also has ten main houses for all of the ten generations of Senju’s clan heads. The original clan head Ashura is on the very end of the compound, but the said man was not in there, Kawarama told Tobirama that they will explain that later on.
The compound seems to get bigger every time there’s a new clan head and other generations are born, it copies the building that was in the lands of the living into the pure lands. At the very entrance is the Senju compound that was built in Konoha.
The center of the compound consists of three buildings, the Library, the main hall which is the biggest building in the whole compound; the main hall is where everyone eats and meet with each other, and the smallest of the three is called the chamber of Kyōka Suigetsu, another thing that his brothers will explain to him.
Senju’s centuries-dead greeted him like they know him, they all treated him like a missing grandson now back home, they were able to meet the grandfather of their grandfather and many cousins. They have small talks with the other clan heads and his favorite was when they are with great great grandfather also named Batsuma who always teased their father every time they are present together in the main hall.
He was also able to observe his brother during the said tour, Kawarama seems to like explaining things while Itama is always jokes and laughs. Like the time they were eating together with their father.
"Did you know that father has to kneel in mung beans for a day when he arrived here? Great great grandfather is very angry about child-soldiers.” Itama stated with a blank face causing Batsuma to spill his tea and choke on it.
Kawarama has lead him to the Library one day “I’ll get you if we are gonna eat, I’m pretty sure you are gonna need a whole week to dissect every book in there. Mind you, you need to start in the Shinto section.” He just looked at his brothers with a disinterested look.
The Library which is located at the center of the village is also a portal that is connected to the Library’s of the other clans, it’s seven floors up and seven floors down and as wide as Konoha itself.
The center floor where the door-portals are located is the tallest floor, it has sections about the history of the clans that are in the pure lands and the deities that are protecting them it also has sculptures of all of the deities. The Senju’s section is guarded by Haniyasu-Hime and Haniyasu-Hiku sculpture.
He started walking there to read about his clan’s history and the Shinto connected to the when his name was called, he looked as to who called him and was surprised it was Izuna.
“Tobirama-sama, I was hoping you’d be here, I was camping here for three days already” Izuna bowed and said once he was near Tobirama.
Tobirama responded to the bow not allowing Izuna’s protest to stop him. “You were expecting me?”
Izuna then presented him with an object wrapped in silk in the shade of his favorite color “Yes! Susanoo-sama wanted to give this to you personally but seeing as Kami-sama forbade every deity from contacting you until a verdict is decided, he asked us to give this to you.”
He then accepted the gift and thinks of opening it in his room but looking at Izuna’s excited face he decided to open it in the Library. They moved to a nearby table and started unwrapping the gift. It was a scroll with gold foiling.
“Susanoo-sama wanted you to have read that. He told me that he was happy that you pick his element. And that you need to read that alone.”
“Please tell Susanoo-sama, I’m very honored for this gift.”
“I will tell him, Tobirama-sama.” Izuna then smiled “Can I accompany you here?”
Tobirama may not know Izuna properly but he knows when Izuna is planning something, his eyes always glint when he does.
“You may, I think it would be more productive if I have someone who already knows something that I don’t. But may I know why?” He asked while walking towards the Senju Section and indicating Izuna to walk with him.
“Sometimes I forgot to we know each other so well.” Izuna now smiled his well known predatory smile. “More than your brother really knew you.”
He wants to ask what Izuna meant about his brother, but there are other things that are more important than his own personal feelings.
“My clan is all agitated, we want you back in our compound, we want you back home.”
“I am home Izuna-san, I’m a Senju.”
Izuna then stopped walking “You are Amaterasu’s blessed, her son, you are Amaterasu’s gift to us, given to us to worship and love. For us to channel the passion that is embedded in the very fiber of our soul.”
That makes Tobirama face Izuna “Izuna-san.” He tried to counter Izuna but continued “We know we screwed up, I know that personally, I hurt you.”
“Izuna-san we are at war. And I hurt you too.”
Tobirama knows that the Uchiha’s are very passionate, Hikaku and Kagami are all like that. He remembers the way Hikaku had lead his clan when Madara left, the nights were Kagami has stayed to perfect his jutsus, he also remembers times where those passion almost cause harm either to themselves or the others.
So he did what he usually does, he placed both his hands on Izuna’s arms and try to comfort the young man and using his chakra to calm him. He remembers doing this many times to Kagami every time the young man loses his patience.
Izuna seemed calmed down and smiled at him “Sorry, Tobirama-sama.”
“It okay.” Still continuing calming Izuna
“You do this to Kagami often, most of us are very jealous,” Izuna said as he closed his eyes basking the comfort Tobirama is giving him.
Tobirama was then surprised at the statement “You know?” He makes sure that he did this to Kagami or Hikaku with only Toka around.
Izuna opened one of his eyes and looked at Tobirama “Your family hasn’t shown you the chamber of Kyoka Suigetsu?”
“No, they said they will explain that to me once we are there.”
“Then you're in for a treat. You will either find a way to break it or improve it.”
Once Izuna has calmed down he toured Tobirama around and answered all of Tobirama’s question, the topic about Tobirama was never brought up again until they were in the section of the Uchiha’s.
There were some Uchiha in the said section and is now looking at them.
“I know that things are still confusing to you. And no one is still answering all of your questions nor explaining everything that needs to be explained. And that I have no right to ask you this, but I beseeched you to listen to my request.”
Tobirama nodded wanting for Izuna to continue.
“Please come to our compound, you can go back here at the Senju’s, but I beg you, grace us with your presence.”
Izuna’s request has definitely mind-boggling that Tobirama wasn’t able to answer immediately.
“I don-, Izuna, you do know that I’m just human too.” Tobirama stuttered as he tried to compose his answer, but his answer seems to anger Izuna.
“You’re the blessed Tobirama-sama.” Izuna answered with the same passion as earlier.
Tobirama is in a situation he never encountered before, never need to plan for, so he didn’t know what to do.
“I’ll think about it Izuna-san, but may I ask a question?”
Izuna looked surprised at his answer “Of course Tobirama-sama”
“May I know why? I mean from what you are saying I was chosen by Amaterasu-sama, but I want to hear from your own words why I needed to be there.”
Izuna smiled at him again “Just like what you did to me earlier, like what you always did to calm Hikaku and Kagami. You are the soothing balm to our fiery passion, you cool us down, you balance us, the sun who gives us light in a very dark place.”
They continue their tour with Tobirama’s promise to think about Izuna’s request. They only stopped when Batsuma himself when to retrieve Tobirama to eat.
When they exit the Library Batsuma sees the package that Tobirama is carrying.
“Is that food?”
Tobirama looked that the gift “No, it’s a scroll.”
“Okay, I want to remind you not to eat anything they give you nor drink anything that they hand you.”
“Understood Otousan.”
They then walk towards the main hall to eat. And with the promise of his favorite tea and a conversation with his great great grandfather all of the events from earlier were pushed back in his mind.
“I don’t understand why you love talking to that old man, all he did was make fun of me,” Batsuma grumbled as Tobirama laughed.
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