Kindling

Mito forced herself not to fidget- she hadn’t had trouble with that in years- as she knelt waiting, head demurely tucked down, letting her loosely styed hair hide the way she was watching people move around her (hide her thinking); Tobirama walked past her perched on the porch and waved a hand at her without even looking (Mito didn’t let her anger show on her face not even a tightening of her lips) “Come” he said disinterested “you will serve tea.” “Of course Senju-sama” she said demurely as the followed him into the man house, a little surprised to see him unbuckle his armor as he led her through the sprawling house into the wing he and his brother shared. He led her into a spacious warm room with folding doors on two walls that were tucked back to open it onto an engawa and a beautiful private garden covered in water features; a soft clink made her turn back to the Senju, a little startled to see the albino hanging his armor on a stand near the door and his sword on another (confident wasn’t he? Though, she looked at the garden, he probably could be here), “There is someone with the tea at the door” he said evenly; there was no knock but when she opened the door there was a tray in front of it, the servant that must have brought it gone.

 Madara looked at Mito as she brushed out her long hair (he was still shocked that the leaders of so many clans were given leave to live in one longhouse together, surely they were concerned that they would talk? On the other hand it wouldn’t do to have them live with their clans either) the Uzumaki had a thoughtful look on her face and her strokes were slow and easy, “Mito?” he prompted “Tobirama called me to serve tea today” she said mildly; Madara frowned, it was a little demeaning to ask a princess to act as a common servant, but she seemed thoughtful, not angry, “And?” he asked, frowning, this was the first time either of the Senju brothers had asked for anyone specifically as far as he knew. “hmmm, he was speaking with the Sarutobi clan heir,” she dropped her brush and looked him in the eyes “they were talking about trade routes.” Madara stiffened, that might sound like nothing but- “About trade with the Sarutobi? But that’s…” she smiled, just a little cat curl on her lips “I know. Speaking about trade in front of me…. I know Tobirama can’t be so stupid as to think that I won’t use that.” Madara nodded, if there was one thing eveeyoy knew about Tobirama it was that the man was frighteningly intelligent “He did it on purpose.” Madara murmured.

Hashirama was shaking as he picked his brother up off the floor, stealing glances at the door Father had left through, terrified that he would come back; he cradled Tobirama’s thin (tiny) form to his chest as he ducked back to their wing- he didn’t want anyone to see his brother like this, what if they figured out how to do it as well? what if Father got angry again?-, blowing out a relieved breath when Tobirama whimpered faintly “hold on little brother” he whispered desperately “hold on”. (It was the first he nursed his brother through the aftermath of the cursed seals, but not the last.) Tobirama lived, and two days later Father called him to training as if Tobirama hadn’t been shaking in Hashirama’s bed barely able to move since Father activated the seals; and Tobirama went, both of them forced to bow to the helplessness of their situation and Hashirama once again scraped him off the ground after Father was gone (Father’s attention was turned to Tobirama again- though Hashirama wasn’t allowed to go back to his old freedom- and Hashirama would do anything to get Father to leave his little brother alone).

He was just fourteen when Father remarried, the Lady Kagura was a lovely cold faced woman with dark eyes and long pale hair, her skin a warm tan that fit well in the Senju, but she was… strange. There was something about her that was just wrong and Hashirama was positive of this when Tobirama was introduced to her; when his little brother touched one warm colored hand he went white as a sheet, what little color he had fleeing even as he shrunk back from her, snatching back his hand like she had burned him. Father’s eyes were furious, the last time Hashirama had seen him look like that- “Leave us” Butsuma snapped and the room emptied of all but the Senju and their new member “You dare, you dare disrespect my wife?!” he hissed, Hashirama moved forward, desperate but- the lines on Tobirama's cheeks flared to life for the fourth time that Hashirama had seen and he crumbled. Hashirama forced himself to stay still- he couldn’t interfere that would make it worse- but Father had never gone this far before, never held it so long “Butsuma, it was not so big a thing” the new Lady Senju said apathetically “let him go, I wish to see my new home.” Father snarled but let the jutsu drop, escorting his lady out on his arm as Hashirama tucked his little brother as close as he could get. (Tobirama disappeared again after that, for three months he was gone and when he returned that was a new stripe of red, this one traveling down his chin to end on his breastbone, so very close to his heart)