Rocks
"Ne, Naruto-chan? Tell us about these shops as we walk to the park." Madara said. Might as well learn if the orphanage is an outlier in this boy's treatment.
The toddler looked at him with wide eyes.
"You said my name." It was said in awe.
"Of course I did. Unless… you only wanted to be called little storm?" Madara looked at the cerulean eyes as they seemed to sparkle with joy.
"No one says me name no more or calling me chan or nuffin. Only 'demon brat', 'cursed child', or 'monster'." Madara's eyes whipped to his husband's, realization in his eyes.
Tobirama once said over sake that he was called those names as a child, his unique pale and sharp Hatake genes standing out amongst the warm rounded Senju ones. Hashirama looks just as upset by this and Izuna looks like he is making a concentrated effort to stay calm.
Just how could anyone look at this little boy and not see the future this village was built for in his eyes? How had their dream failed him?
And why those names? I've heard gremlins, ankle biters, hellions and hell, even I call Izuna a brat sometimes. This boy can't be more than 3 judging by his size, how would he get such names this young? I had only begun learning how to properly wield practice kunai at that point.
What the fuck is going on here?!
"You guys went quiet… did I say a bad thing? Please don't be mad!" The tears welling up in his eyes had Madara's heart breaking further.
"No, no, no little storm. We… honestly, we've all been called bad names like that before and we're sorry that you are as well."
"You were called bad names too? But- you're so cool!"
"Indeed we have, I myself was the red eyed demon of my clan when I was but a few hours old." Madara saw Hashirama's mouth pinch, things he knew his friend had tried to stop but was far too young to have any sway.
"But your eyes are cool Oji-san!" The smile on his husband's face at that moment, hearing this bright ball of sunshine call him uncle, made the earful he was going to get later about going into his lab so worth it.
"Uncle?"
"Mhm, because he said," pointing to Hashirama, "that he married a princess of my clan! And you guys look like brothers so that makes you my uncle too!" Ha! Take that Tobirama! I'm not the only one who sees a resemblance!
His husband didn't smile much for others, but there was always one reserved for children that melted his heart every single time.
"Tell us about the shops around here." Izuna said, stepping into Naruto's line of sight, hands behind his head looking casual as ever. Nevermind that Madara knew his brother was thumbing the stash of senbon he had in a seal on his neck, given to him by Tobirama of course.
"Oh, right!" The kid righted himself on Tobirama's shoulders and began pointing.
And maybe… just maybe he and Izuna were weaving a slight genjutsu around them, just enough to make people ignore them as they walked. It wouldn't do if they were interrupted and didn't get the full tour.
"That's Mebuki-san's bakery! She always gives me good bread and sweets if I go to the back door."
"Why the back door? Why not go inside?"
"She says I can, but last time I did that some mean guys threw rocks and broke her window. I know it was 'cause I was there even if she says is not. So I go to the back door 'cause I don't wan' her to get hurt by the glass or rocks.Oh! Over there is Mr. Suke's store. Be careful if you go there, he always throws rocks when I walk by. I've gotten really good at dodging them!" The way it was with such proudness with the underlying message being that he doesn't always dodge them all, only made him look to where the boy pointed and make a point to return to that shop after they dealt with this current Hokage… which, the Mountain has four faces now that he's looking, and- wait since when dis Tobirama become the Nidaime?! He violently disagrees with anyone even joking about him being the successor! He'd refuse his name on the ballot faster than he could hiraishin out of the room!
Izuna made eye contact with him after seeing where he looked and put his knuckle in his mouth to hold back a laugh because he was usually the one to deal with the violent side of Tobirama's disagreements. (Izuna loved goading other's into fights)
Haahirama was oblivious to this revelation but Tobirama gave him one side glance to say 'don't even think about it'.
The fourth carving though…. He knew that some creative liberties were taken by the people who made them but, the hair looked so similar to Naruto's.
There's no way they could be related though right? If he's an orphan of this Hokage, the village wouldn't treat him so poorly, right?
Right?!