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Tobirama doesn’t remember his birth father.
His mother married Senju Butsuma when he was only two years old, so his only memory of a father was of the Senju clan head.
He only really remembers that shortly after his mother married him his new father began to train him to be a shinobi. And when his mother became pregnant his father told him that it was going to be his job to protect his little brother or sister. That they would one day be the clan head of the Senju clan.
Tobirama doesn’t really understand all of that, but he does know he wants to protect his little brother, something he insists is the case but all the adults say you never know until the baby is born.
But Tobirama does know. He’s been able to feel his little brother's chakra since his mother told him she was pregnant. Well before that, but he didn’t know what it was before.
When Hashirama is born Tobirama knows his little brother is super special. His chakra feels like life itself. He tries telling his parents about it but they don’t understand and think he’s making things up.
They don’t understand the extent of his sensing abilities until he is six and his mother is pregnant with his youngest little brother and he knows before she does.
Tobirama takes his training very seriously, and when Hashirama turns three he very excitedly helps their father start his training.
His father praises him for being such a good big brother and for being so good at helping Hashirama learn to train.
When Tobirama is eight, and now officially going on courier missions alone like a real shinobi, Butsuma asks him if he wants to be adopted. If he wants to give up the Hatake name and take on the name Senu. He obviously can’t be the clan heir while Butsuma has three healthy sons, but that as far as Butsuma and the Senju clan were concerned he was one of Butusma’s sons as well.
Tobirama is beyond proud and excited to officially be a Senju. His mother is a little sad, but he doesn’t really understand why until he’s much older. To him, he’s just excited that as far as the clan is considered he’s a real Senju, even though he hadn’t really understood before that he wasn’t.
When Hashirama develops the mokuton, Tobirama starts to have a little hesitation about their father. He’s harsher with Hashirama than he had been with Tobirama, expects more from Hashirama than he had with Tobirama.
It means Tobirama has to work harder to pull their fathers attention onto him as much as he can. He trains for hours and hours to develop skills to impress his father and keep his attention on him.
When Kawarama turns three and it’s time for him to start training Tobirama suggests that Hashirama helps, convinces his father that he learned a lot by teaching Hashirama and that it will give Hashirama a better understanding of chakra and training in general if he’s trying to teach it to someone else.
It works for a while, and then Tobirama has to get more creative to keep their fathers attention. He starts to teach himself sealing, and developing jutsu that not just he can use, but that others in his clan can as well.
That does work to keep his fathers attention. He puts a lot of time and effort into pushing Tobirama to learn more, to test more.
It gives his little brothers a break that they need.
It’s something he’s proud of. Until Kawarama dies. And then he wonders if maybe he should have let his father push harder. If he shouldn’t have tried to make training less harsh for them.
He stops being a buffer after that and starts to help his brothers train harder. Itama is only eight and he’s just started to go on missions, so Tobirama makes it his goal to help train his little brother so he will survive.
But it’s not enough, and one day he feels his youngest brother running, terrified, and five grown Uchiha pursuing him.
He ran as fast and as hard as he could to get to his little brother, even though he could feel Hashirama heading in the same direction, knowing his little brother would get there first.
But when he felt Itama’s final terror and pain before his chakra cut off forever he dropped to his knees and screamed. Twice now he’s failed to protect his little brothers. Not again.
He honed in on the chakra of those five Uchiha, they weren’t moving fast, glee resonating from their chakra. He would make them regret ever going after his little brother. Though they wouldn’t live long.
It was during that fight that he discovered that he could control water without a handsign, more than that, he discovered that he can control the water in another person's body. He discovered it when a man was about to get behind him and he just panicked, threw his hand out and just imagined shredding the man. Even though he knew it wouldn’t work. But then it did.
He walks back to the Senju compound dripping blood and holding the ripped Uchiwa off of all five Uchiha’s backs.
His father was proud of him. Told him he was to be Hashirama’s sword. That he will exact vengeance for their family and their clan. And at that moment Tobirama is proud of the title. He is happy with the idea of shredding the Uchiha. Of avenging everyone in their clan they’ve lost.
When he finds out Hashirama is meeting with an Uchiha he doesn’t even contemplate talking to Hashirama. All he knows is that his life is in danger and it’s his job to protect his last little brother.
Hashirama hates him for a week after that. But then his little brother comes to his room crying about missing his friend.
“He was an Uchiha, he wasn’t really your friend,” Tobirama argues.
Hashirama looks at him with watery eyes, “I knew he was an Uchiha, and he knew I was a Senju. But we met for months. He never betrayed me. He wants peace, just like I do,” Tobirama breaks down crying.
His brother is only twelve, but they are basically the same height even though Tobirama is fifteen. Unlike the natural born Senju, Tobirama isn’t tall, or at least he hasn’t hit a growth spurt yet. He just hopes they are somewhat similar in height when they grow up. His mother swears his uncle didn’t hit a growth spurt until he was sixteen or seventeen.
But since they are the same height it’s harder to wrap his little brother up in a hug the way he wishes he could. Still, he holds him as tight as he can. “Peace?”
Hashirama nods, his wet face pressed into Tobirama’s shoulder.
“Like between both our clans? I don’t see how that can ever happen. Look what they did to Itama,” Tobirama does his best to keep his anger out of his voice in consideration for Hashirama’s feelings.
Hashirama pushes back to stare intently into his eyes.
“No, you’re right. The adults are doing it all wrong. But we can be the change. We have to teach people our age. We have to start talking about peace now. Because when I’m the clan head I’m going to make peace happen.”
Hashirama is so fired up, he’s so intent that Tobirama can’t help but believe he will do it. “Okay otouto. I’ll help you make it happen.” Hashirama beams at him, “but! I’m not going to avoid killing anyone who is a threat to our clan.”
Hashirama nods, “no, of course not!” His brother hesitates a minute, “but, could you not kill Izuna?”
“Madara’s little brother?” Tobirama questions.
“Yeah. I don’t think he would get over that.”
Tobirama sighs heavily. “Yeah I think I can do that. He’s like, what, four or five years younger than me? I think I can avoid killing him.”
“Thank you nii-san!”
“Anything for you otouto.”
-.-
Tobirama really didn’t mean to hit Izuna where he did. Obviously he fought hard, but Izuna really wasn’t a match for him. The only person who had ever beat him in a fight was Hashirama.
So as soon as he realizes the damage he’s grabbing Izuna and healing him, completely ignoring Izuna’s attempts to escape and easily disarming the injured man.
“Will you just sit still so I can heal you? Fuck’s sake it’s like you want to die!”
“What?!” Izuna snaps, but at least he finally holds still.
Tobirama just looks at him like he’s an idiot. “I’m healing you so you don’t die.” He says the words slowly as if talking to a small child. Which…. Izuna is only seventeen, he’s basically still a child. “If we are ever going to have peace you have to live.” Then he snorts, “I shouldn’t have tried out my new jutsu on you. I should have tried it on someone else.” He’s now whispering to himself while he heals a now frozen Izuna. “Of course he wasn’t able to dodge it, the sharingan can’t see through time. Idiot.” He didn’t even realize he was speaking until Izuna responded.
“Your jutsu went through time?!”
Tobirama’s eyes snap up, “yes. Thank you for sitting still. You should be fine now,” he says as he steps back away from Izuna.
“I….don’t….Why? I don’t understand,” Izuna asks slowly.
“As I said. Your death would ruin peace.”
“But you hate us, you want us dead. You’ve been trying to kill me for years.”
“If I was trying to kill you you would have been dead years ago,” Tobirama states deadpan.
“We’re equals!”
He snorts, “we most certainly are not. You’re a child. I outclassed before we ever met.”
“We’re the same age!” Izuna says in offence.
“What? No we aren’t. Assuming I’m right about when you were born you are four years younger than me.”
“What? How old do you think I am?!”
“Seventeen.”
“Wait. Then how old are you?”
“Twenty-one.”
“Izuna!” Madara shouts as he suddenly pulls Izuna away from him.
He hadn’t realized how close they were still standing, his sword in his hand still dripping with Izuna’s blood.
Izuna swats his brother’s hands away, “shut up. This is important.” Then he looks back at Tobirama, “are you older than Hashirama?”
Tobirama’s head tilts in confusion, “yes?”
“Of course he is,” Hashirama says from behind him.
It takes every ounce of will power to stay still and not show his surprise at hearing Hashirma behind him. “Otouto, when did you get here?”
“Wait, wait. No. Wait. I’m confused,” Madara splutters. “You only talked about protecting your younger brothers. I know you did.”
Hashirama movies to stand next to him. “Of course I did. Tobi-nii doesn’t need me to protect him. Though I can beat him in ninjutsu now. I still don’t stand a chance with taijutsu.”
“You said you wanted a village where no more little brothers die.”
“No, I said brothers. Just because Nii-san is older than me and has been stronger than me doesn’t mean he can’t die.” Hashirama argues.
Tobirama glances around and the entire battlefield has frozen. Everyone is just staring at them, which makes sense. They are the two strongest fighters in their clan and they are just standing around chatting.
“Perhaps it’s time to call a retreat otouto. Our clans are watching us.”
The other three look around as well, and they all three wince. “Ah, yes. This doesn’t look good.”
Tobirama glares at his brother. Obviously.
As soon as they get back to the compound Hashirama is bouncing around in excitement that they were able to talk without any issues.
When they receive a letter requesting a cease fire Hashirama literally melts into the wood floors.
-.-
“Madara, be honest. Do you want peace because you want the war to end or because you want to get into Tobirama’s pants?”
-.-
The end…?