pt 2/5
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Tobirama run, but everywhere he went, he finds plants suddenly sprouting on the ground. His brother was using them to spy on where he is. Hashirama is still trying to catch him, even when Tobirama already shouted at him to stop.
That’s why Tobirama tried using his hiraishin-seals that he placed strategically around the compound, but apparently, they were transported way back when he still hadn’t placed them, nor invented the very technique itself.
So running was his best course to escape his brother.
He can feel his brother controlling the roots that are trying to entangle him and pin him. But fuck that, he had enough. His brother might be stronger than him, but he got more experience than him. He may not have the mokuton itself, but he’s still a Senju, he can still feel where life flows, like a chakra flowing and growing around and in the body.
He waited until some of the roots reach his ankle then he freezes it, and continues freezing it until it went to the body of the plant itself. Cause people need to remember that he’s best suited with water and that there’s water everywhere.
“Tobi?!” Hashirama questions his brother when he felt his very mokuton and the land itself freezes.
Tobirama looked back and sees his brother looking at him with an expression that was never intended for him before. Hashirama looked stunned then suddenly proud, proud of him.
He almost stops, but he can’t, still can’t.
Hashirama waved at him with both hands, with his usual jolly self, with fat tears running from his face “I’ll be waiting for you otouto! Come back home when you’re ready. Anija will be waiting.”
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Tobirama ran to one place where he felt safe before Konoha was built, where he first meet his platonic soulmate, the river.
And even when he was still miles away from the place he felt a familiar chakra, one that he thought he will never feel again.
“Izuna?”
“You ass, what did you do?” Izuna asks him, with friendly anger that can be seen as teasing etched on his face. “I thought I told you I’ll be waiting at the end of the line? Not for some time travel technique you probably conjured up!”
But Tobirama broke, his knees gives up as the whole world came crashing down. Izuna hurriedly went Tobirama, embracing the albino.
“Tobi?” Izuna asks with a soft voice, trying to caress Tobirama’s back as he shushes him. Position them on the forest floor to be comfortable, spooning Tobirama while sitting. “Otouto? Tell me what happened.”
Izuna always uses the 10 days gap that he had at birth, he started calling Tobi as his younger brother a tease, a joke, but it turns affectionate even before finding out that were each other's platonic soulmates.
“Otouto.” Izuna repeated, this time voice serious making Tobirama look at him “tell me what happened.”
And Tobi did, from the very start till his summoning to battle the aged Hiruzen, till the 4th shinobi war. From when Tobirama and Izuna’s last battle and what Zetsu did to ensure that Izuna will die, till the outing of the truth.
Izuna’s anger can be felt and the atmosphere surrounding them starts to sizzle, Tobirama suddenly remembers that it was Izuna who first awoken the Mangekyo, not Madara.
“Ni-chan?” Tobirama calls Izuna who’s long in the direction of the Uchiha compound. “Are you angry at me?” A little bit of emotion that he only allow Izuna to see was starting to seep out.
“No, never. I just remember trying to break out of the genjutsu, otouto I tried so hard, for you. Because I know that it will break you. But at the back of my mind, I thought.” Izuna gritted his teeth, burying his face in Tobirama’s hair “I thought that maybe your stupid brother will be there to comfort you. That he will understand that we were at war and death will always be an outcome.” Izuna hiccuped and continues “I should fight more.”
“It’s not your fault. It’s okay.” Tobirama answers, hugging Izuna back, squeezing him as far as he can, “it’s okay now that you’re here.”
They stayed hugging each other for a minute before Tobirama felt another chakra nearing them, he tried standing up but Izuna tightens his hold, “Izuna! Stop it. Your brother’s here.”
“They already know the truth right? Leave him, I’ll fry him when he comes near us.” Izuna threatened, and there was a spluttered cough that can be heard from the forest.
“I think he heard,” Tobirama informs Izuna as he tries to poke Izuna’s cheek
“Good.” Izuna huffs, placing his face on Tobirama’s hair again, he sighed comfortably and giggled a little. “You know, when I woke up, I really thought you conjured a time travel technique.”
“I didn’t think I can manipulate time that much, but I did try another route,” Tobirama answers as he tries to swat Izuna’s hand that was pinching him.
“What route?” Izuna asks, and as he felt Tobirama stiffen, he sighs again, “Tobi~ what did you do?” And gets Tobirama’s face and squeezes it.
“Promise me you won’t get angry.”
“Tobi! What did you do?!”
“He created a forbidden technique that can summon the dead.” It was Madara who answered, he walked near to where the two are.
Izuna looked at his brother with a pissed emotion “I didn't ask you aniki, so shu-” then Izuna absorbs the answer “What the fuck! Otouto! I told you not to continue that technique!”
“Otouto?” Madara asks.
“Shut up aniki! I’m not talking to you.” Izuna looked at his brother then back at Tobirama.
“Well, you died! And I wanted answers, I know you ask me to stop it. But I needed you.” Tobirama answers.
Izuna felt his own tears welling up, he was about to answer when a massive chakra approached them.
“What’s happening here?!” Hashirama’s booming voice calls out at them, his face was happy, but his chakra was both protective and weary.
“Fuck this,” Tobirama whispers and runs out again. Leaving the three looking at a leaf that drops down the earth.
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