"No, Madara. We will not hand pick village representatives. The other clans would uproar as soon as our council puts through a policy they disagree with, and our peace would evaporate into thin air. We will host village elections, and one person from each clan will be awarded a position on the council."
"That would give the other clans the opportunity to put forth their most cunning members into positions of power, Tobirama. Then, they would have the chance to forcefully take over as village leader and destroy everything we've worked hard to build!"
The two of them had been arguing for at least thirty minutes, and Izuna was seriously regretting his decision to join them. After getting three extra hours of sleep, he returned to Madara's office and found them still sitting where he'd left them, going over the future plans for the village (thankfully, they'd moved on from talking about the academy. He likely would have ripped out his hair if he heard one more word about that damn scroll). Shortly after he arrived, they pulled up an old scroll of Madara's about village leadership. He suggested hand picking the most trustworthy members of each clan personally, in order to ensure village loyalty and fairness in village management. Tobirama quickly disagreed, saying that allowing clans to elect their own representatives would keep all parties happy, and would decrease the risk of rebellion from any clans after the village was built. Madara's bullheaded nature wouldn't allow him to admit being wrong, and Tobirama's (surprising) determination to protect the village kept him from backing down. They were both so stubborn, and Izuna knew that if he didn't escape soon, Madara would look to him for backup. Then he'd be put between the quarreling couple, and that was a fate he would wish on no one. The two of them were extremely powerful, not to mention terrifying. Just then, Tobirama rose in frustration (he hadn't moved from Madara's lap in hours, and Izuna would've thought it was cute if he wasn't so afraid for his life). They were seemingly in a staring contest, so Izuna took their moment of distraction as his window for escape. Unfortunately, his movement was enough to draw their eyes and they seemed to finally remember he was there.
"What do you think, Izuna? Tobirama's plan is ludicrous, is it not?" Madara grinned evilly. It was obvious he thought his brother would agree with him wholeheartedly, thus proving Tobirama wrong and him victorious. Unwilling to answer, Izuna made his break for the door. There was no way he wanted to choose either side! If he agreed with Madara, he would have the white demon after him, probably with some new sealing jutsu to lock him away forever. If he chose Tobirama, Madara's wrath would befall him and he very well may never see the light of day again! It didn't help that Madara was still angry with him for taking Tobi out on their little "date", which meant he'd have no problem torturing Izuna.
Just before he could reach for the doorknob, Tobirama suddenly flashed in front of him. He was the fastest shinobi alive, and Izuna had been a fool to think he could outrun him. Without time to stop, he slammed right into that firm chest (wow, Madara was one lucky guy! He was unnaturally toned). Arms wrapped tightly around him to prevent him from escaping (holy crap, he could feel the rippling of those muscles!!! How could a single man be this perfectly muscular? It was so unfair). Tobirama flashed him a smile that was much too sweet.
"Yes, Izuna, what do you think? Your clan head is most obviously a blind fool." Though he was speaking to Izuna, he sent a sly look Madara's way. The Uchiha yelped indignantly.
"Um. Well." Izuna gulped in fear. "I think you're both wrong. But also right? You should combine the ideas. Have the clans put up a few of their favored representatives, then choose out of their options. It would both satisfy the clans, and ensure loyalty."
Madara and Tobirama both stared at him for a while in silence, then at each other before turning away stubbornly. Izuna felt the hold on him loosen and quickly launched himself across the room to hide behind the desk. When neither made a move to chase him, he peeked over the top curiously.
"Perhaps... that could be arranged." Madara still refused to make eye contact when he spoke, though it was a surprise that he gave in so quickly.
Tobirama was just as childish as him, apparently, and also refused to look. "I would not be opposed to such a compromise. As long as each clan is still represented fairly, I see no issue."
It was an odd exchange to watch. The two of them obviously wanted to look at the other (those idiots were so ridiculously in love with each other), but neither wanted to be the first to give in. Looking first meant losing. Izuna was just glad they weren't going after him for calling them wrong. Tobirama seemed to notice something the others did not, and turned around to face the door expectantly. A few seconds later, a scout popped his head in with a sheepish smile( alongside a confused glance at Izuna, who was still cowering behind the desk).
"Kenshin," Madara cleared his throat. "Come in. What is it?"
"Apologies for intruding, Madara-sama. A Senju woman approached our borders and confronted our patrols. She did not attack, but she gave us this." The boy- he looked no older than sixteen- pulled a scroll from the pouch at his hip. It was bound by a familiar wax seal. "She said her name was Touka, and that this was to be brought directly to you." Madara stepped forward to accept it, rolling it in his palms with a sour expression.
"Thank you for this. You may return to your duties." Kenshin nodded dutifully and turned on his heel to leave. Before closing the door, though, he cast a worried glance over his shoulder.
"Madara-sama. We have not checked the scroll's contents, so you may want to be careful. It could very well be a trap."
Madara chuckled dryly and held the scroll up for the boy to see. The seal was clearly visible, and he saw that it was a lovely impression of a tree. "No need to worry," Madara said. "Unfortunately, I've received many of these scrolls over the years. It was sent by Hashirama. That man is too stupid to recognize me as an enemy. But thank you for your concern, little cousin." Kenshin flashed a bright smile and bowed before closing the door. With him gone, the two remaining Uchiha looked at Tobirama uneasily.
••••••••••
Though he tried not to show it, Tobirama was livid. He had been in Uchiha territory for six whole days! His brother must have known that he was with the Uchiha (he went missing after their last battle, and he would have made too valuable a prisoner to have killed, had that been their goal). But it had taken him six days to send a message. He had half a mind to return home just to beat the living hell out of Hashirama! They may not be close, but they were still brothers! He should have been important enough to warrant a message being sent earlier. Did his loss mean nothing?
Was the message even about him? Knowing Hashirama, there was a good chance it wasn't. Tobirama had been the messenger for a great many of his notes of (love) friendship, as well as his pleas for their clans to join as one in peace (for Madara to finally accept his feelings). The more he thought about it, the more the feeling in his gut worsened.
Madara laid a hand on his arm, and Tobirama realized that they were waiting for his say on what to do with the scroll. It was a message from his brother, and they would do whatever he wanted with it, even if it meant throwing it away. But he wanted to know what it said. He needed to know if his brother cared for him in the least. If Hashirama wanted him back. If the clan even realized he was gone (or if they were thankful that he was). He nodded once and Madara ripped off the seal. Tobirama and Izuna flanked his sides, watching intently as he unrolled it. Before he even made it half way through, Tobirama felt sick.
Madara,
You never answer my letters. We're supposed to be best friends, but I worry that our bond will fade if this continues on.
I do not know when I will have time to write again, but you can send your message back by meeting our messengers at the border. Tobirama will know when you've reached it and send someone to meet you. If he decides to come out of his study any time soon (the man has been locked up for nearly a week, likely working on some new project).
If we plan on building a village together, we cannot continue fighting as we are. Our clans have suffered great losses on both sides. These battles have lost any purpose- we are fighting more out of habit than true conflict at this point. It is time we end this pointless feud and join together, don't you agree? The time has come for you to join me, and for our clans to become one. All I want is to live side by side with you in peace.
After that, Tobirama stopped reading. First of all, Hashirama did not even realize he was gone. Hashirama simply assumed he was locked up in his study working on experiments day and night, and never even thought to worry. How could he have not noticed his own brother was missing? Was it really possible to be that oblivious (stupid!!)? And that last part. He all but proposed to Madara! His Madara! His fiance!
Speaking of Madara, his chakra was flaring angrily. Hashirama's letter was nothing but a pile of ash at his feet, and the sharingan spun vividly in his eyes. Izuna was no better. Once again, his chakra held the evil taint that it held on the battlefield. For as hurt as Tobirama was, he felt pity for his brother. The moment those two got to him, he was as good as dead.
"Izuna, arm yourself and prepare the clan. We are paying Hashirama a visit." Izuna nodded sharply and tried to make his way to the door, but was stopped by a pale hand on his chest. Tobirama shook his head with a sigh and pushed Izuna backward slightly. He would not deny that Hashirama deserved a good beating, but he would not sacrifice the lives of innocent Uchiha in order to get it (unfortunately, their battles almost always had casualties).
"No one is going anywhere," Tobirama said firmly. "Sit down. Both of you." Madara looked like he was going to argue, but decided against it after seeing the determined look on Tobirama's face. If he had argued so tenaciously about the village plans, Madara knew he would not give in easily on the attack of his own clan. Regardless of how they had treated him, Tobirama was loyal to a fault. Madara took a seat behind his desk petulantly, muttering obscenities under his breath (which Tobirama was kind enough to ignore). Izuna was obviously upset as well, but he managed to hold his tongue while he took a seat in front of the desk. Once he was sure that they would not make a run for Senju territory, Tobirama sunk into the seat next to Izuna's (much to Madara's displeasure- his lap felt cold).
"Are you not angry? Hashirama is a poor excuse for a brother if he cannot even tell that you've gone missing?" Izuna was getting more riled up as time went on- no doubt thinking about what he would have felt if he was in the same situation.
"Of course I am."
"Then tell me why we are still sitting here, doing nothing!"
"Because revenge is not worth the risks it poses." Tobirama swiped a hand down his face tiredly.
"What risks? Between the three of us, Hashirama stands no chance!"
That was true. If Tobirama fought alongside the Uchiha rather than against them, there would be no one capable of facing him among the Senju. That would allow for the two most powerful Uchiha and second strongest Senju to face Hashirama together. For as strong as Hashirama was, there was no way he could defeat all of them. Especially when he still refused to see Madara as an enemy. However, that did not fix Tobirama's main issues with storming the clan.
"That would still put too many at risk." The Uchiha were obviously too angry to think straight, so Tobirama had to be the voice of reason. "Without me there, the Senju lack any strong sensors. They would not know that we were approaching until we were well passed the border. We would march straight up to the Senju compound before they were prepared. A battle inside the compound would endanger everyone, shinobi or not. I refuse to allow that. Not to mention that your own clansmen would be expected to fight, and some would surely die. Would you be willing to send men to their deaths just to get back at Hashirama? This is far from the worst thing Hashirama has done to me in my life. I cannot say that it does not hurt, but I do not feel the need for revenge. And neither should you."
Izuna was looking up at him sadly, all traces of anger gone. With a sad smile, Tobirama dropped a hand to his hair reassuringly. From the other side of the desk, Madara sighed resignedly.
"Very well," he said. "If you do not wish for a battle, what would you have us do?"
"For now," Tobirama cast a longing gaze at Madara's scrolls. Village talk would have to wait until later. "I would like to train. It's been nearly a week since I have done any sort of training."
Izuna grinned happily. "To the sparring grounds!" Like a child, he leaped from his chair happily. Tobirama followed suit, but looked down at his clothes unhappily. He was still in his nightclothes (they all were), since Izuna woke him up at that ungodly hour, and he never had a chance to bathe after upsetting Madara. That bath would have to wait a while longer.
"First, I am going to need a change of clothes." He remembered the wrestling match against he'd had against Izuna. The yukata he had been wearing was much too restraining for training. "Something I can move properly in."
••••••••••
Watching Tobirama spar was absolute torture. Izuna insisted on fighting him first, since they had never fought without weapons and he wanted to see how they matched up. Finding nothing wrong with the request, Madara decided to take a seat in the grass to watch. And, boy, it was hard to concentrate (that wasn't the only hard thing he was struggling with). Just like the first time Madara found him beautiful, Tobirama looked like a war god. He was strong and determined, pinning Izuna down with ease (it turned out they were unfairly matched in hand-to-hand combat). The pants he wore were lose, and pulled back enough when he kicked to show off a perfectly sculpted calf. His arms were put on full display by the sleeveless shirt he wore, which clung to his skin with sweat. They were the standard training clothes nearly every Uchiha wore, but seeing Tobirama in them was a pleasure beyond description. Never in his life had Madara been so thankful for the training grounds. With how amazing he looked, Tobirama could punch Madara across the face and get a thank you in return.
When he managed to draw his attention back to the fight, it was just in time to see Tobirama deliver a swift kick to Izuna's chest, which left Madara in awe. Even after being comatose for two days, and not training for another four after that, Tobirama was in top form. He watched as Tobirama offered a hand to help up Izuna, who was clearly done for the day. He'd taken quite a beating, so Tobirama did a quick check to make sure he had no internal injuries (he had held back, but Izuna still took more than a few harsh kicks in the stomach and rib area that he was worried about). Madara watched in awe as his hands glowed green- medical ninjutsu had always been a mystery to him. When Izuna was cleared as being unharmed, he sprawled out in the grass and heaved a sigh of relief.
"Would you like to try, Madara? I promise to go easy on you. Though, that didn't seem to make much of a difference for Izuna." From where he lay in the grass, Izuna grunted unhappily. He was much too tired (and beaten down) to argue. In terms of hand-to-hand combat, Madara and his brother were both among the top fighters of the Uchiha clan. However, that was with the sharingan activated. Tobirama insisted that using jutsu was strictly forbidden, which included the full usage of their eyes. Without being able to use his sharingan, Madara was unsure if he could win. He stared at Tobirama's extended hand apprehensively.
"I would prefer to keep my dignity, thank you. I'm sure you've proved yourself a worthy opponent by now." Tobirama frowned. He was clearly disappointed, and Madara felt a pang of guilt. He knew Tobirama was still blowing off steam from Hashirama's letter. "But, I may agree if you allow me the use of my sharingan. I'll admit to being at a serious disadvantage without it."
The suggestion got rid of Tobi's unhappy frown, but he looked hesitant. "If you use your sharingan, that gives you far too much of an advantage." It seemed that Tobirama was still thinking, and Madara was about to suggest they take a rain check when he piped up again. "I suppose fighting at a disadvantage could be good for improving my skills. Knowing how to fight an opponent who can track my every move may save my life someday." At that Madara took his hand and stood. His hand was hot and sweaty from fighting, but Madara still found it hard to let go.
They took their positions in the center of the field. The clan cleared this area of trees long ago, leaving behind a wide expanse of open grass. Around the field was a ring of tall trees, which were often used to teach children chakra control and how to throw shuriken. Taking in a deep breath, Madara let his sharingan activate. There was a slight pain in his eyes that he ignored. It had become expected. Eventually he would lose his sight, like all Uchiha who unlocked their mangekyou. The excessive use had caused even his normal sharingan to hurt his eyes, but that was a pain he could endure.
Tobirama watched him closely for a moment before attacking. His fist was approaching quickly, but Madara's sharingan allowed him to be faster. He caught the fist, only to be swept off his feet by one of Tobirama's legs. The punch had only been a distraction, and Madara found himself getting excited. This was the first time he'd personally fought Tobirama, and he found that it was a joy beyond compare. He would have to make a habit of dragging him to the training grounds (especially if it meant he could ogle him in those clothes some more). Standing, Madara made a note to watch for fake attacks. If he allowed himself to be knocked down again while using his sharingan, it would be a disgrace to the Uchiha name.
Somehow, Madara managed to stay on his feet for the rest of the battle. That didn't mean he was without injury, though. Tobirama was a superior fighter to him, even with the sharingan, and had left him bloodied and bruised. He was quite proud of himself for landing several good hits on Tobirama as well, though he wasn't nearly as beaten. The Senju's speed as a fighter truly was remarkable. His movements were hard for even the sharingan to track, and Madara had been caught off guard by it enough for Tobirama to deliver a hard kick to the side of his head (Madara had also been distracted by the flash of skin from his pants pulling back, but that was a secret he would take to the grave). That had happened around halfway through, and his head pounded unpleasantly from that point on.
"Come, let us check you for injuries." Tobirama nudged him until he was seated in the grass next to Izuna. "Do you have any severe pains? I can check those first."
"My head is pulsing, but I do not think it is anything serious. It can wait." Tobirama nodded and started his exam from the ankles, which he'd delivered quite a beating to when he swept Madara off his feet. One was lightly sprained, which he fixed quickly. There were no broken bones anywhere or organ damage, luckily (he'd been afraid after taking a few hits in the stomach). Finally, Tobirama moved on to examine his head. He frowned after a long pause, then moved his hand and checked again. His frown only deepened.
"Your head is fine," he said. "But it is your eyes that worry me. The nerves are damaged beyond anything I have ever seen. It's odd. Not usual nerve damage at all. It is like your eyes have been deteriorating at an alarming rate. How can you even see?"
Not knowing what else to do, Madara only shrugged. He could see. Well, he could see well enough. This was obviously not the answer Tobirama wanted, and he placed his hand entirely over Madara's eyes to examine them. The chakra that flowed in eased his pain instantly, and he couldn't help but to sigh in relief. It had been so long since his eyes had felt so good. Tobirama was a godsend!
"What happened to your eyes, Madara? If this goes on much longer, you could go completely blind!"
This was supposed to be a clan secret. No one outside of the Uchiha had ever been told of the mangekyou's effects, and Madara was about to break a serious rule of the clan by telling Tobirama. They were not yet married, and the clan would see Tobirama knowing as a danger. But he was a brilliant healer, unlike anything the Uchiha had ever seen before. Maybe Tobirama could figure out how to keep them from going blind, or at least postpone it. It was a chance he was willing to take. His job as clan head was to do what was best for his clan, and his job as Tobirama's future husband was to trust him entirely. And so he told him about the mangekyou, and how its overuse turned those who unlocked it blind. How he had been going slowly blind for months, maybe even years. And Tobirama took it all in with the calmness of a doctor, then examined Izuna's eyes. He frowned again, but not as deeply as he had after seeing Madara's. They took that as a good sign.
"Is there a medical lab in the compound?" The question came from Tobirama's mouth suddenly, disrupting Izuna's moans of relief from the pain in his eyes. "I would like to run some tests."
"Of course," Izuna piped up. "We'll start rounding up volunteers. You'll need them, won't you?"
Tobirama blinked confusedly at that, then shook his head quickly. "No, that won't be necessary. I do not know if my experiments will work, and I will not risk worsening anyone's condition."
"Then how do you plan on testing healing methods? You do not have mangekyou blindness." Madara got a bad feeling from the look Tobirama was giving them.
"Well, the damage is much like acid damage, I suppose."
The brothers looked at him sadly. After so long experimenting on himself by Hashirama's command, he did not know how to accept the help. "You are not putting acid in your eyes, Tobirama!" Madara was glad that Izuna said it, because he was sure Tobirama would not have listened had it only been him objecting.
"I will not experiment on the clan, either."
"Fine," Madara said. "You will not experiment on our clansmen. You will use me." Tobirama immediately tried to reject the idea, but Madara hushed him. "I am already going blind, Tobi. There is not much more damage you could do to my eyes. I will not allow you to put acid in your own eyes, no matter what you want. You either use my eyes, or you do no research at all."
After that, Tobirama refused to speak to him. He tended to Izuna's eyes when they started hurting again (which happened before Madara's somehow. His eyes were supposed to be better). Then they all returned back to the house to bathe and ready themselves for bed, since they were at the training grounds until late. Izuna was the only one in good spirits when they retired for the night. This time, Madara and Tobirama slept in separate rooms.
Aha I've been writing this chapter for like three hours (I had to rewrite a bunch of parts multiple times to make them better oops).