Kindling

Tobirama breathed slowly and Hashirama pressed himself closer, leaning his shoulder into Tobirama’s hip “Are you telling me that we should treat Guides and Sentinels that same way we always have?” he asked as calmly as he could. Izuna frowned and Madara leaned forward “I don’t know about Guides but the Uchiha training of Sentinels has never been a problem.” He said, watching Tobirama with eyes far keener than Tobirama wanted “Then I see no problem continuing the way the Uchiha work but we need a protocol for unaffiliated shinobi, unless you want to have untrained Sentinels running around just because they didn’t belong to a clan that could train them? Add classes to the academy, it wouldn’t be bad for every shinobi to know a bit more about how Sentinels work.” Madara hummed thoughtfully and nodded (Tobirama ignored the stupid rush of pleasure that his the Sentinel was happy with him), that works for me, we can work out the details when we get there with the academy, an Uchiha can teach and we can keep an eye on Sentinels.” Tobirama felt his spine ease a little, if Madara was behind him then the Sentinels would be ok, after all the Uchiha had the most Sentinels of any clan, the others had to follow their lead.

“And what about Guides?” asked the Sarutobi clan head “Are we going to abandon training them to the academy as well?” Tobirama felt his hands shake “And why shouldn’t we?” Hashirama asked in a mild voice; the old man puffed up importantly “Guides are a danger, what with the thrall they are a danger to all of us – after all how many Sentinels have been forced into a bond by a greedy Guide?” (Madara frowned) Tobirama took a deep breath, but “And Adjustment is the best way to do that?” he asked calmly, the Sarutobi snorted “It has worked so far hasn’t it?” Hashirama dropped his hand under the table and curled it around Tobirama’s calf “What does it matter to you anyway?” and- and Tobirama shouldn’t do this, this was not the time but- he- Hashirama squeezed his leg and nodded when Tobirama looked down, the albino took a deep breath “I am a Guide Sarutobi, so I think of everyone here I have the most right to speak for us.” Silence, (he was not going to look at Madara, he wasn’t) the man didn’t believe him- of course he didn’t- so Tobirama, breathed out and let his presence slip out a little letting it lap at the floor and swirl around legs. Sarutobi froze, eyes huge and wary and Tobirama- breathed “I am a Guide so I will speak for them. Do you ever wonder why there are so few that live to be adults? It is not that we can’t survive without a bond whatever you have been told, we are every bit as capable of living as they are though it is not…. pleasant.”

 Hashirama could feel Tobirama shaking against him and it was hard to bite back to the bitterness “But that’s not what we are talking about here, here we are talking about training and you think Adjustment is a good way to do it, so let me ask you, do you know what that is?” Hashirama hated Sarutobi he decided, deeply. He started a little as Madara nudged him, barely hidden concern on his face and Hashirama-

Had no idea what to say except to tighten his hold on his brother (he could never hate Madara, not after everything, not after Madara was what had saved Tobirama once upon a time but… but it was Madara that could help his brother and to see him just not care- Hashirama couldn’t hate Madara but sometimes he wished he could.)

 Madara was trying not to react to much to the feel of Tobirama’s Presence curling around his ankles like warm surf (ngh) and focus on what was going on; somehow it wasn’t as surprising as it could have been that Tobirama was a Guide, oh it didn’t explain everything but (standing on the edge of a festival and his head aching until Tobirama came up next to him) it did make sense. “No? I thought not. Shall I tell you what it is? The Yamanaka probably know if you would rather ask them.” Tobirama’s voice was even and distant but, but now that Madara was listening he could hear (Tobirama’s heart was pounding, breath coming to quick and fear in his scent) the distress. No one responded and Tobirama fixed his eyes on the Yamanaka clan head, who wouldn’t look at him “Adjustment is something that all- almost all- Guides are put through at twelve, it is supposed to help us understand and regulate our power. I’m sure you’ve heard all the justifications so I won’t go into that, but this is what Adjustment is: it begins with a tea designed to reduce all walls around your mind- to make you susceptible to suggestion- and then another to activate the Guide gift as strongly as possible, it’s painful-“ somehow the throwaway way he said that was even worse than any emotion could be “-after that there are chants and lessons taught with pain, but given that some of you probably have seen and done nothing when seeing children hurt by those they are supposed to trust I won’t go into it.” guilty shifting from a few people, Madara made a mental note of them to keep an eye on.

“There is no sleep, for the week they you are with the specialist there is no sleep and you sit seiza if you sit at all; again I know to some of you that is nothing so I won't linger. While all that happens you are fed brainwashing tea- I'm sure you know the blend- and all your walls are stripped away, everything- everything- presses in on you. Constantly. And then? And then they cover your eyes. Nothing right? a little thing. Until they cover your ears as well.” Madara felt sick, he… he had an idea where this was going “And then, of course, they give you a numbing agent- they make you eat it. it lasts for days- which doesn’t matter much, trust me, you don’t even want to eat at that point. I don’t know how they do the last part, seals and a salt bath I think, but they bind you head to foot and place you in water you can’t even feel. There is nothing. Not even pain. Just the Guide senses thrown wide to the whole world. That is what Adjustment is, the technicalities of it anyway, different Adjusters add different…. flavor.” Silence, Madara could hear Tobirama panicking but there was nothing on his face, nothing at all. “They rip you open and then they tell you it is your fault-“ Madara only stayed in his seat when Tobirama was interrupted because of Izuna’s hand on his arm “And you? You were Adjusted? You don’t act like other Guides.”  Sneered Sarutobi- Madara cheerfully decided to rip his face off- “What is your problem with Guides?” snarled Izuna “Had them tell you to fuck off before?” and wow, if Sarutobi’s face was anything to go off of that was completely hitting the nail on the head. But before it could descend into shouting Shimura spoke up “I hate to agree but, Senju what is your training if this adjustment didn’t take?”

“Brother-“ said a wire tense Hashirama and Tobirama dragged in a shaking breath- Madara wondered if he was the only one that noticed that- and placed his hand on his brother’s shoulder “I resisted Adjustment, unusual but not unheard of. Father was….  Father decided to try again when I was fifteen and I-“ red eyes flicked to look at Madara- he never would have noticed if he hadn’t been looking back- and he tried to look as reassuring as he could. Tobirama looked away and tightened his grip on his brother when Hashirama opened his mouth “I was spur-broke. I am sure the Yamanaka could tell you about that,” the wood around Hashirama was flexing and twisting and Tobirama looked completely unmoved (Madara’s senses told him the truth) “I don’t remember much of it clearly.” Hashirama stood up abruptly, his face hard and dark and so, so, angry, “It is rare and extreme and if anyone, anyone, ever tries to do it to anyone in the village they will not live to see dawn.” he snarled and the floor under their feet flexed and twitched, the threat was a clear one as he looked around the room “So now that we are all agreed that the training- not Adjustment- is going to be under the oversight of the Academy if there is nothing else my wife is expecting us, It’s my night to cook.” He spun and pressed a hand to Tobirama’s back leading his brother out of the room (Madara smelled salt and heard shaking breath and he wanted to go after the albino so much, but better to stay here and make sure the problem was over and that there would be no simmering anger) and most people turned to the Yamanaka when the Elder sitting next to the clan head whimpered, shoving back from the table and gagging, shuddering even as her clan head pressed a green glowing hand to her back. “What-“ “NO,” interrupted the Elder, ignoring the Nara clan head’s raised eyebrow at the discourtesy “no, I- I’m not going to tell you what that is or how it’s done. I- no.” she shuddered and tucked her head down, shaking and white and wiping wetness from her cheeks “It is the worst thing and make them- supposed to make them- I- I only saw it once and then swore never to have anything to do with it again. Oh god. It- it destroys Guides, I have no idea how Tobirama-sama is- isn’t shredding all of our Hearts, I’ve never seen a spur-broken Guide so sane.”