Chapter Text
Tobirama is born with the words, “Tobirama, I believe?” tattooed on his left wrist.
Whenever he looks down at his wrist, he gets a fuzzy feeling, warmth spreading across his body.
He’s always wanted a soulmate.
—
Tobirama stares at the figures of the three Uchiha across the river, crouching deeper into his fighting stance.
“Seems we’re on the same page, Senju Butsuma!” the taller Uchiha yells, a crooked smirk on his face.
“Indeed, Uchiha Tajima,” his father replies coldly, a steady presence at his side.
His world shatters with Izuna’s next words.
“Tobirama, I believe?”
Tobirama blinks, gripping his sword harder as shock overwhelms him. He resists the urge to stare at his left wrist.
My—soulmate?
Instead, he retorts, “And you, Izuna?”
Izuna’s eyes widen briefly before narrowing, anger wiping away any traces of that previous emotion. He jumps forward, sword raised.
Tobirama runs to meet Izuna, his own sword raised in response. Yet, his heart is strangely light. He feels a giddiness at meeting his soulmate that he can’t suppress, even if his soulmate is his fated enemy.
My soulmate is Uchiha Izuna.
Tobirama and Izuna clash, sword striking against sword. Parrying and dodging each other’s blows at every turn, Tobirama can’t help his curiosity. He sneaks a quick glance at Izuna’s left wrist, a warm feeling spreading through him at the sight.
His uneven and wobbly handwriting on his soulmate’s wrist spells out his first words to Izuna in messy characters.
You’re really my soulmate.
Tobirama catches Izuna’s gaze flitting to his wrist, his eyes filling with poorly-concealed awe and hope. But Izuna shakes his head, and the awe and slight hope leave his eyes, replaced by viciousness. When Izuna slashes at him, none of the joy from meeting his soulmate remains.
You know now, too.
When Hashirama and Madara join the fray, Madara awakens his Sharingan. More words are exchanged, but Tobirama can’t seem to make sense of their words, the warm, buzzing feeling from meeting his soulmate distracting him from the scene in front of him. He keeps seeing his phrase on Izuna’s wrist written in his characteristic dark, messy strokes. He can’t get it out of his mind.
Izuna leaves with Madara and Tajima, his head raised high. His soulmate enemy doesn’t look back.
Tobirama savors the thought of a soulmate, someone all for himself. Even if that soulmate is Uchiha Izuna, his fated nemesis.
Later, in the safety of his room, away from the prying eyes of his father and clan, Tobirama admires the neatness and elegance of Izuna’s strokes on his skin. The total opposite of his own handwriting.
He hums a childhood tune to himself as he traces the writing on his wrist with his index finger. He never wants the happiness he feels from seeing his soulmate to fade. He knows it's wrong to look at an Uchiha with anything other than hatred and a searing desire to kill, but he can’t help himself. The giddiness he feels from seeing Izuna is something he’ll never let go.
Uchiha Izuna. My soulmate.
Tobirama will cherish those first words forever, along with anything and everything Izuna gives him.
—
A month later, Tobirama meets his soulmate on the battlefield.
Izuna rushes forward at him with his sword raised high, violence in his eyes. Tobirama parries the first strike and ducks backwards. He lunges at Izuna, thrusting his sword forward. Izuna jumps to the left and breathes a fireball at him, spraying the area with hungry flames. Wincing at the immense heat, Tobirama leaps backwards and summons a large wave with a wave of his hand. The water swallows the flames, dousing the fire. Steam hisses as both opponents jump back to circle each other warily.
Tobirama resists the urge to peek at Izuna’s wrist.
Izuna narrows his eyes. “It doesn’t mean anything.”
“But we’re soulmates,” Tobirama says plainly.
“Shh! Not so loud,” Izuna hisses, looking around. Seeing that no one is within earshot, he shakes his head, a tiredness settling into his features. “That’s exactly why it doesn’t mean anything. It can’t mean anything. If they know, we’ll be forced to kill each other to prove our loyalty.”
“They have no way of knowing unless we tell them. And besides, as the clan head’s second son, we’re already destined for that fate,” Tobirama points out.
Izuna shakes his head again and charges at him. As they parry each other’s blows, Izuna whispers in Tobirama’s ear, “If you have any sense of self-preservation, you won’t mention this ever again to me. Don’t even think about it either.”
Tobirama rushes forward with a blade formed from water. “But why?” he asks, perplexed.
A fiery hand evaporates the water, and Izuna looks at him with a tortured expression. “Don’t you understand? Because we’ll want something we can’t have! I already can’t seem to take my mind off you after meeting you once. Didn’t you see what happened to your older brother?”
“We can avoid that,” Tobirama says confidently. There’s nothing more that he wants than to be close to his soulmate.
Izuna half-sobs, half-laughs. “Just do me a favor and forget all about it. All of this, everything.”
“Will it make you happy?” Tobirama asks, stepping forward.
Izuna hunches his shoulders. “I’ll never be happy now that I know you’re my soulmate.”
Tobirama winces. But he understands. The pull of filial duty is too strong for either of them to ignore. Yet, the tie that binds them pulls them towards each other, regardless of clan affiliation. Their status as soulmates is a curse, an unstoppable force that will eventually lead to their ruin. Their only option left is to kill the other.
Charging forward, Izuna stabs at Tobirama with his sword, managing to slash his shoulder. Drawing back, Tobirama snarls and pushes forward with his own sword, landing a long gash on Izuna’s forearm.
Izuna jumps back, panting. He stares at Tobirama with something akin to fear in his eyes.
“You’ll be the death of me one day,” Izuna whispers.
The Uchiha call for a retreat, and Tobirama stares at Izuna’s retreating figure for longer than he should, the blood from the gash dripping slowly, leaving a trail that Tobirama is all too tempted to follow.
—
After another two weeks of bloody battles against the Uchiha, Tobirama sneaks away at the first opportunity to the riverbank that started it all.
As he approaches the clearing, he spots Izuna sitting with his feet in the water, his back facing him. Izuna dips his fingertips into the river as he says softly, “You shouldn’t be here.”
“You shouldn’t be here either,” Tobirama replies.
“I was here first,” Izuna says, slightly indignant. He is strangely childish, a sharp contrast to his battle-worn mannerisms.
Tobirama crosses his arms. “Too bad. Make some room for me, will you?”
Izuna sighs but obliges, moving over.
He sits down at Izuna’s side, lowering his feet into the water. It’s cool to touch, and Tobirama smiles when he feels the suiton’s energy wash over him. He’s not concerned that Izuna will attack him. Even though they’re practically strangers, they’re still soulmates. Nor is he concerned that Izuna will attack him here; Izuna would kill Tobirama on the battlefield, not the riverbank. (A privilege afforded to soulmates).
Izuna sighs softly. “We shouldn’t do this,” he murmurs. “It’ll make it too painful for me to kill you.”
Tobirama hums. “I won’t kill you.”
I can’t kill my soulmate.
Izuna whips his head to Tobirama. He’s aghast. “You can’t be serious.”
“I am being quite serious,” Tobirama says.
“That’s right, when are you not serious?” Izuna mutters.
Shaking his head, Izuna asks louder, “So you’ll let me kill you?” He raises a sardonic eyebrow.
Tobirama gestures at Izuna. “You could have killed me already. Why haven’t you?”
“Pfft.” Izuna looks down at the river and kicks his feet. “Aren’t you afraid our fathers will catch us meeting like this?”
Tobirama smiles. “Hashirama won’t tell on me,” he says confidently. “And I’m a sensor. I’ll know if there’s anyone approaching.”
Izuna’s jaw drops open again. “Are you suicidal?” he mutters. “Telling the enemy clan that you’re a sensor?”
“You’re my soulmate,” Tobirama says plainly. “I trust you.”
This upsets Izuna, who stands up and begins walking to the nearest tree. He bangs his forehead on the bark. Tobirama watches curiously.
“You’re so, so dumb,” Izuna mutters venomously, shooting a glare at Tobirama. “You’re going to get yourself killed.”
“No, I won’t. No one can kill me but you.”
Izuna bangs his head harder on the bark.
Tobirama frowns.
I’m only speaking the truth.
“I’m leaving,” Izuna announces. His forehead is slightly reddened.
Tobirama raises an eyebrow. “Your forehead is bruised.”
Izuna waves his hand. “That’s not the biggest issue at hand.”
Letting out a sigh, Tobirama asks, “Will I see you next week?”
Izuna reluctantly nods.