Chapter Text
The battlefield was loud. His ears were throbbing from the agonized screams of the dying from both sides. Tobirama just wanted it all to end. He hated battle, and he hated taking lives more than anything else. He wanted peace as much as his older brother did, but he was no fool. He might have been sick of the loss of life, but the Uchiha did not seem to have that issue. They were a barbaric race that seemed to not care about much of anything at all, including the wellbeing of their clansmen.
They were monsters. All of them were bloodthirsty, selfish, wild monsters. It was the only explanation for why all of this was still going on…for why his life had been nothing short of a living hell for the past twenty years. He wished that he could talk some sense into them, that he could—
He immediately stopped that train of thought as he had to duck down low to keep his head attached to his shoulders, the way that he liked it. Izuna Uchiha’s eyes were swirling red as he dashed toward him again. The youngest Uchiha brother that was still alive did not seem to be in the mood today for Tobirama’s contemplative mind. That was quite alright. The battlefield was hardly a place for such thoughts anyway.
He moved forward to meet Izuna head-on, their blades clashing in between their bodies as they met once again on the battlefield. Sparks flew as they bared their teeth at each other menacingly.
Today would be the day, Tobirama decided as he looked into the hateful eyes of his sworn enemy. Today would be the day that he wiped this constant pain in neck off his list. He would never have to worry about Uchiha Izuna after he was finished.
As soon as they clashed, Tobirama pushed his blade toward Izuna, hoping to get the upper hand. With any luck, he wouldn’t have to use his new jutsu, the flying thunder god technique. When he felt his blade slipping, however, he knew that it wasn’t going to be that easy. The technique took a lot of chakra, but if he was able to manage it, then all would be good. Any other enemy that he would possibly face that day would not be as formidable as Izuna. He could afford to use it, especially if he got rid of such a large headache.
They both jumped back at the same time, and Tobirama pushed his hand forward, slamming it against Izuna’s shoulder in a way that would make it appear that he was trying to make him lose his balance and nothing more. Little did the younger Uchiha know that Tobirama was starting up his latest technique, one that would be the last that the other man would ever see.
He never took his eyes off the other man as he began to run at him again. He sheathed his sword and brought his hands forward in a series of hand signs that would mark the end of Izuna’s short life. It would be over in just two more movements….
Tobirama’s eyes widened as a brutal, unrelenting pain seared through his gut. His breath caught in his throat as his knees buckled as he was in mid-stride. He crashed down to the solid grassy ground, getting a mouthful of the plant life. He knew somewhere deep down that it was dangerous to just lay there on his stomach, but he was paralyzed. He couldn’t breathe, and the agony was so horrible that he couldn’t think. Past all of this, however, one thought stood out brilliantly in his mind.
Soulmate! My soulmate is in trouble!
That panicked thought was the last thing that he remembered thinking before he blacked out.
He woke up in a large tent on a lumpy cot. There was a heavy and warm weight sitting on his hand. He opened his eyes and turned toward the weight. All he saw was a large blob. He closed his eyes hard and opened them again. Hashirama came into view. His large eyes were bloodshot, as though he was crying. That meant that something grievous had happened, or he was happy. Both of those meant potential problems for him.
His entire body sunk ever further into the cot at the idea of that. He was exhausted, and he couldn’t remember why. What was the last thing that he remembered? He’d been fighting with Izuna, and then pain…crippling pain had blindsided him.
“I should be dead,” Tobirama murmured. His voice cracked painfully, and he winced. His throat was so dry. He flinched as a cup of water was thrusted in front of his face. Tobirama weakly reached up and grabbed the glass and brought it up to his lips, knocking it back as quickly as he could, relishing the sensation of the cool, slightly stale liquid running down his throat. Once it was finished, he held it out and Hashirama took it. Tobirama winced, expecting his brother to tackle him with a hug and was surprised when that didn’t happen. If that was the case, then Hashirama must still be worried about his condition.
“What happened?” he asked, his voice sounding quite a bit stronger than before.
“I….” Hashirama trailed off, sounding uncertain with just that one syllable. His face contorted into a worried mask that had Tobirama’s insides twisting with uncertainty. He didn’t like it when his brother looked like that. It was a cause of concern like nothing else could be.
“What happened?” Tobirama asked more firmly. “I need to know.”
“Madara and I were battling while you and Izuna were,” Hashirama said quietly. He wouldn’t meet Tobirama’s eyes, as though he was feeling guilty over something. “I managed to gain an advantage over Madara and I created a spear of wood that shot from the ground and impaled him in the stomach. I saw you go down from across the field a couple of moments later. I…you weren’t actually injured, Tobi, but you passed out and were cradling your stomach as if someone had stabbed you there…Tobi, I don’t know how to tell you this, but Mada—”
“Don’t tell me it,” Tobirama said quietly, looking down at his lap. “Don’t say anything else about it. What else is going on?”
“We’ve made a temporary truce with the Uchiha,” Hashirama said. “Izuna was inconsolable until I promised him that I would heal Madara. I haven’t mentioned anything about the connection between you and…and him. I don’t know if Izuna has connected the dots or not. I’ll leave it up to you when you want to mention something about that, or if you do something about it at all.”
Tobirama nodded slowly as he looked away from his brother and back to the white sheet that was covering his lap.
“Do you need anything else?” Hashirama questioned. His tone turned uncomfortable, and Tobirama was surprised at Hashirama’s ability to read the room. “I…I can get you whatever you want.”
“I want to be alone for a little while,” Tobirama replied. He wasn’t nearly as composed as he needed to be to speak to his brother. He felt as though he was about to break down, and Hashirama would be overbearing if he did so in front of him, which would only make the situation worse.
“I understand,” Hashirama said. “There’s a nurse just outside of the tent. Call on her if you need anything, and she’ll know where I am if you need me.”
Tobirama nodded again. He heard Hashirama leave and looked up once he was sure that he brother was gone. He sighed, feeling a sharp stab of pain and disappointment in his chest. Madara Uchiha was his soulmate. He hated that damned Uchiha. It was because of him that his entire childhood had been torn to pieces. He’d be the reason that his father had turned so possessive and controlling of all of them. Why had he tried to befriend Hashirama? Why did he have to be at that stupid river that day? He’d been the reason that he’d had to betray his brother’s trust and follow him on his father’s orders.
“I don’t care if he’s my soulmate,” Tobirama muttered to himself as he crossed his arms over his chest. “He’s my enemy and I hate him. I will never fall in love with someone so cold and callous.” Fate had really messed up with this one. He didn’t care if he was destined to be with him. It was never going to happen.