Chapter Text
Village politics were never fun, expect for those few moments where they allow him to crush some big egos and show old men what progress really looks like. But sometimes it’s also terribly painful, and he just wants to scream. This event is all of the above. But first, let’s go back to the beginning.
“We’re holding a Kage meeting,” Hashirama had sat Tobirama and Madara across from him. It meant nothing but trouble, “It’s in five days.” In that moment, he could see that Madara and Tobirama are in a very happy relationship, or maybe just spending too much time together, because they have adopted each others habits. They both shut their eyes, and took a deep breath while they counted to ten. When they opened their eyes, they were both calmed on the outside. Well, sorta. Tobirama has that look in his eyes where he’s debating murdering Hashirama or just torture him slowly. Madara’s eyes were littered with red, ready for that sharigan to turn on and utterly destroy him. Well, Hashirama knew this was going to happen. He isn't stupid, just dumb. And for once, he admits he kind of deserves it this time, he definitely shouldn’t have sprung the Kage meeting up on them with so little time to prepare, but he also didn’t know! He kind of missed that letter under all the paperwork… or maybe he just forgot until he got the messenger hawk reminding him. Eh, he’s been busy.
Tobirama glared, “You are springing up a Kage meeting on us, with only five days to prepare,” he let out another long, long breath, “Hashirama, do you understand how big of a deal that is? Do you even… ok, you are the Hokage. You cannot be this idiotic. This is a huge deal for us as a new village.”
“In other words,” Madara leaned forward, almost absolutely threatening, “He means Fuck. You are so fucking stupid and this whole ordeal is absolutely atrocious.”
Hashirama perked, “Tobirama is rubbing off on you nicely! You’re using big words now!” When the fist made contact with his face, he wasn’t even a little surprised. He’s still quite happy, as a matter of fact. Madara is finally sounding like an intellectual! And maybe he was trying to get the attention off his one really big screw up onto this smaller, petty remark.
He rubbed his cheek, tears in his eyes and he was pouting up at Madara, “So cruel!” Madara was red in the cheeks, panting like a dog with rabies, and Tobirama was now also on his feet, expression unnaturally neutral and his aura screaming murder.
“Madara, if you murder him I will be your alibi,” he took a steadying breath, back to business, “Now, I will go prepare the entire village for your Kage meeting because apparently you forgot how to be Hokage, and you will learn how to not disrespect or offend any other villages. Yes, that means studying their culture, mannerisms, oh- and you need to learn what the hell you’re going to be talking about because, let me ask, do you know why they’re coming?”
“…If I answer honestly I think I’ll be punched again.”
“Yes, so you will find whatever important document you lost and figure your shit out. Madara will babysit you because obviously you cannot be trusted, and I will take care of the rest.”
With that, he turned and walked out. Because frankly, he knows Madara needs privacy when committing first degree murder.
He won’t admit it often, but he loves preparing for things: celebrations, birthdays, spars, anything. There’s a joy in the nature of making everything right, making things work, bringing loose ends together and seemingly irrelevant modes into something interesting and fun. He loved it. He loved doing it. Preferably, he’d have more time than five days to turn the village into something presentable but, he’s been in worse situations and he will not fail. Especially not after getting Mito’s help. Mito, bless her soul, was also unnaturally good at this. She had an air of authority about her, a feeling hat if you disobeyed one would get sent straight to the depths of hell. It was impressive. And of course, she had an eye for fashion.
Fashion is not something Tobirama can do, a disadvantage of being blind. That is also one thing he does not envy. His taste, as he’s told, is black or blue. Plain and simple and oh so fitting to his personality (at least, that’s what Mito says and she is the one and only one he trusts with his fashion). In the home, he allows Madara to choose his fashion (namely, Madara has a possessive streak a mile long and overjoys in seeing Tobirama in his clothing). Not that they actually live together, but thinking on it more... they practically do. In all sense of the meaning, they just haven’t admitted to it yet and that’s not a thought the Senju wishes to have right now. Now, it’s time to focus on the Kage meeting.
Kage meeting. Yes.
Tobirama let our a long breath, focusing on Mito instructing different ninjas and civilians in how to do this, where to hang that, no those two don’t go together and don’t even think about bringing that monstrosity out. He grinned, he truly is quite fond of her. His attention turned when he sensed a growing chakra presence, and he looked in the way of where it was coming. The chakra was a glowing buzz, popping in the air in ever growing excitement. He recognized it, Hell, he recognizes all chakra signatures within the village, by now. But this one held a special little place in his heart. “Izuna,” the other ninja’s chakra spiked, he must be grinning, and from that chakra spike he knows it means trouble. He felt himself frown, “Should I ask?”
He heard a snicker, “You really shouldn’t. But I’m going to tell you anyway,” a pause for dramatic effect, or so Tobirama assumes, “I’m sent to help you prepare because your brother is a dumbass and got the days wrong. You only have four days! Isn’t that great, we have even less time!”
Tobirama forced himself to calm. He should not shoot the messenger, and planning murder would be very unproductive at this time despite how tempting it is. For now, he needs to keep his head on and pull everything together even faster. “Just the one day early?”
“That we know of! If it makes you feel better, My brother is in the process of murdering yours.”
“That does, thank you,” ok. So they need to get the mandatories done first. Mito can finish up everything else that’s not mandatory- while making the village seem prettier and more appealing for the Kages. “Izuna, you’re helping me. We need to get that nice restaurant on the Hyuga clan territory to host the first dinner in. It’s the nicest one in the village, and we need to reserve the entire restaurant for the sake of privacy as they speak. The other clans won’t like it, of course, so we will need to ensure they feel just as included in the meeting.”
“Well the Kages will be here for roughly a week so maybe we can hold a village festival where all the clans can gather and brag about themselves?”
“More work, but it might just be what we have to do. Besides, we can convince the clan heads to work together, so we will just have to monitor it, not create it. Less work on us while appeasing everyone, great idea. I’ll go to the Hyuga compound to start sorting the dinner, you start talking to the heads,” Izuna presumably nodded, his chakra rushing as he took too the roofs, the clatter if ninja sandals softening as he got farther away. Tobirama went quickly as well, dodging the rush of people and objects: civilian chakras all glowing as the moved, the trickle of chakra through wood benches and rocks, Hashirama’s chakra in the buildings he created. It was all so easy to sense, to feel, and Tobirama mastered it to a higher level than even his brother was aware of. He puts on an act to be underestimated. He puts on an act during missions, to make them believe it takes more work than it does, so they don’t realize the full potential of his ability. So, they underestimate him. It’s thrilling, frankly, to know how much his opponent, even his own teammates, don’t know how strong he is. To have the knowledge that he can sense them, even when they think they’re hiding. Not to make them out to be weak. They are smart. They’re out of range of any normal sensor.
But there’s nothing normal about him. And he embraces it, every day, because it’s what makes him so strong. So lethal.
He stopped in front of the Hyuga compound and bowed politely at the shinobi standing guard, and when they returned the bow he walked in. He walked straight back to the clan heads house, knocking in the door. When the Head open the door Tobirama bowed again. The Hyuga has a unique chakra signature. Their chakra is like a whisp in the air, dancing and graceful much like their fighting style. But when they strike it whips out, harsh and abrasive and strong. So beautifully lethal. “Hyuga-San. I have a favor to ask of you.” The Hyuga moved to the side, and Tobirama let himself in. They spoke softly over tea, debating how best to do it. The Hyuga was more than willing to allow the Kage’s to eat on their land, it was an honor after all. It will show the village- all the villages- just how important the Hyuga’s are.
Hopefully the other clans won’t take much offense, considering they’re putting on a festival to appease they’re growing ego.
Izuna, for all he is and will admit to, he was pretty charming when he wanted to be. He was able to charm most all the clans here, able to get them all to agree to be apart of the festival. But there are the ones charm don’t work on, like the Nara. The stupid, genius, ‘troublesome’ Nara. They were much harder to convince of, well, anything. They were geniuses, and they knew how to get what they wanted, or when they didn’t want anything they still knew how to get something. It was fun for them, playing circles in politics and getting meaningless wins just cause they knew they could.
Izuna hated them. Especially now.
“How troublesome, you allow the Hyuga’s to host the Kage dinner but you only allow us to share spotlight with the other clans at a festival the Kage’s are likely to not even go to?” Izuna twitches because, well, she was right. She was right and dammit, he wishes Tobirama was here to out-smart them back, “That seems hardly fair. But I have a proposition to make it a bit more even,” she smiled lazily, eyes hooded. The Nara looked like she was about ready to pass out, or maybe go lay in the sun like a cat and just stretch out. She certainly didn’t look like she was shredding apart his and Tobirama’s carefully constructed plan. “It won’t be obvious, since I’m sure if I get more the other clans will want more and no one wants that,” more like she wants to ensure only her clan will get the one-up over the others, but she’s not egotistical enough to make it obvious. Dangerous, that’s what she is. “How about, we agree to let a Nara just-so-happen to become one of the guards for the Kage meeting, hm? Accompany them for the time they’re here.” Listen to the conversations, gather information when they can, talk to them and force them to slip up and spill just a little bit more than they’re meaning to. He wants to say no. Wants to ensure this clan doesn’t get such information- but they’re a village now. They have to start trusting each other eventually and, well, he hasn’t the time to argue.
“Fine. But we pick which Nara.”
She shrugs, “I trust all my clansmen.” And like that, he damned his soul to hell by making a contract with a demon.
Tobirama will probably support his decision, Hashirama definitely will. Madara will probably yell at him and call him weak but he can take it. He’ll just remind Madara that he got duped by a tiny Kagami and now the great Uchiha Head has to have weakly tea parties with the boy. So ha! Then they’ll continue to bicker until Tobirama steps in and separates them either with words or fists, and then they'll continue on their manic prepping and Hashirama will probably end up crying once or twice more. It’s a routine by now. A routine Izuna has grown comfortable with, something that feels almost domestic and he can’t help but wonder when they all got so close. Well, he can pinpoint the time. When Madara worked up the nerve to finally ask Tobirama out. That was the change. Sure, they were growing close, slowly, but it was never domestic or affectionate before. That was new. But now they’re a family of sorts. A weird, gross, family; but a family none the less.
He stopped outside the Hokage tower, waiting a mere five minutes before Tobirama showed up, “I sensed you came early so I rushed. I hope you weren’t waiting long,” Izuna shook his head and opened the door to the Hokage’s office to allow Tobirama in. The Senju thanked him softly before walking in, Izuna followed behind. Together they walked up to the office and Tobirama paused for a second before he turned away from the door with a deep breathe. “Something weird is happening in there,” he doesn’t want to open the door. He really doesn’t want to hear what’s happening in there. He doesn’t want to know, he doesn’t want to know.
Izuna opened the door to the office after a little pause, and he froze, “You’re right. This is incredibly weird. Do you know what they’re doing? No, you don’t. Your boyfriend is sitting on Hashirama, pinning him to the floor, and force reading him the reports he has to memorize.”
“… Madara is your brother too.”
“Yours is by choice, mine was by force.”
“Oh yes, my mistake,” Tobirama sighed and forced himself into the office, his ears immediately being bombarded with Madara screaming out reports while Hashirama cried about how he was being crushed. Tobirama blinked, “You know, Madara, this isn’t what I had in mind when I asked you to babysit him.”
Madara stopped his reading, and Hashirama begged Tobirama to save him, but he was ignored, “So you don’t sit on the baby when you babysit?”
“...I’m glad it’s impossible us for have kids,” Tobirama finally walked further into the room, gently guiding Madara off his brother and helping Hashirama off, “Anija, why can’t you be serious? Don’t you know how big a deal this is?” He watched emotions flash through his brother’s eyes and smiled when he saw resignation in Hashirama’s eyes.
Hashirama nodded, “Fine, fine. I’ll stay late tonight and work on it.”
Tobirama’s grin widened, “Thank you.”
Madara sputtered, pointing forward and mouth agape, “What? It was that easy?!”
“There are perks to being a brother.”
Four days came and went way too fast. Mito made the village absolutely gorgeous. It never looked so nice, as a matter of fact. The streets were cleaned, plants were planted, flowers bloomed, and the sweet scent of food was wafting in the air. It was spectacular, and Tobirama was so proud of her. He’s not the only one, really, Hashirama was also overly enthused and proud of his wife, as per usual. He spun her around and hugged her tight, laying a big kiss on her lips before pulling back and turning around to face the entranceway of the village. Mito, the angel, humored him through it all with a soft giggle and warm smile.
They were all dressed their best. They were dressed in their best Kimono’s which were accompanied by the Hakama, Obi, and Zori. It was clear they were all quite uncomfortable in it, as it restricted movement and was rather oppressive in its wear, but they had to both impress and display the fact that they do not expect any hostilities from any party. That didn’t mean they liked it: Madara kept pulling at his and it took both Izuna and Tobirama to kick him a few times for him to finally stop fidgeting. Tobirama was at least able to hold it together a bit more, and Hashirama seemed perfectly fine, except for the occasional tug on his sleeve. Mito, of course, didn’t even flinch.
The chosen Nara was in his flak wear, standing to the side composed and hiding his amusement behind a face of indifference. Tobirama could tell by the way his chakra laughed, in long strings of swirls and wisps. Tobirama ignored him though. He stood and straightened out his robes, before looking up when he sensed the other Kage’s first flash of chakra. Their chakra wasn’t nearly as large or lethal as Madara’s nor his brother’s, but it was still impressive. They would certainly be a tough challenge if they fought. But he isn’t surprised, they are Kages, the best of the best. They are all lethal and dangerous in their own right. It just reminds Tobirama how he shouldn’t underestimate them, especially now when they’re trying to prove themselves to these pre-established clans. They still need to show their ability to stand on their own. And these Kages, they are going to be judging them, looking for any sort of weakness or moment of vulnerability to bare their teeth in and tear them apart.
He elbowed his brother hard, forcing Hashirama to attention to face the entrance and at least pretend to be a dignified leader. It’s not long after the first Kage appears. A man from Suna, Reto. Then an old man from Kirigakure, Byakuren. A man from Kumogakure, A. Then a man from Iwagakure, Ishikawa. Tobirama tensed, they were all powerhouses in their own right, as was their guards, but neither Hashirama or Madara flinched. In fact, his darling brother smiled brightly and lost his composure, bounding over to the Kages and bowing excitedly at them, “Oh it is an absolute honor to have you all in Konoha!”
The Kages confusions were well founded. From his peripheral, Tobirama saw Madara resist the urge to facepalm. Tobirama couldn’t blame him. He will be having words with Hashirama about how to properly act like a leader. Bless her heart, Mito stepped in and respectfully bowed, “What my husband is trying to say, is that we humbly welcome you to our village. We have much planned to convey our gratitude for your long travels. Please, allow us to show you to your lodgings so you and settle, and afterwards we invite you to join our prestigious leaders to dinner.”
Reto huffed, arms crossed as he raised an eyebrow towards Mito, “At least one of them has some class!”
Byakuren laughed loudly, pointing between Mito and Hashirama, “Good thing he has her. Ey? Ey?”
Hashirama straightened and smile gratefully, “I am infinitely lucky to have such an intelligent woman by my side! I couldn’t have asked for a better partner! Now, to your lodgings!”
The Hokage led them to the center of the village, where lodging would be right next to the Hokage tower. Madara and Tobirama stayed behind to take up the back and talk silently amongst themselves.
“We’re doomed.”
“No, we have Mito.”
“…so we’re not completely doomed.”
“Exactly.”
And they will still play their parts. They will work their hardest to keep Hashirama’s embarrassment to a minimum and… well, Tobirama knows better. Hashirama acts, yes, he’s silly and ridiculous but he knows when to straighten up and knows when to act. If they underestimate him, it’s easy to get the upper hand, after all. Tobirama smiled, just a tad to himself, the slightest upturn of the corner of his mouth. Yes, he doesn’t doubt his brother. Not for a second. Ok, maybe a second, especially in the beginning of this whole mess, but not now. Not anymore.
Herding the kages to their lodging was like herding cats. Both good and bad. It meant they were interested in the village, as was the village interested in them. They wanted to look around, see what new and exotic foods and antiquities they could find and bring home. Byukuren was quite the chatter box, and poked at just about everything he could find. A was mainly interested in the foods and weapons, judging the Konoha throwing stars to his own. Reto was wary of the ninjas, mentally calculating strength and status- trying to read the uniforms and the clans. Ishikawa was speaking silently, but Tobirama doesn’t doubt he was trying to get the political layout involving the villages. Tobirama would be more impressed if he wasn’t so tired of their bullshit. Finally, they got them to their rooms, giving them an hour or two to clean up and pack their clothes- and weapons- away, and then they will go to dinner.
Madara wasn’t in much better shape. His hair was frizzled and there was a permanent little scowl on his lips. “I hate them.”
“Don’t say that,” Tobirama stepped over, placing a hand gently on Madara’s lips, “You know they’re being difficult because they don’t respect us yet. We have to earn it, and if you’re good at anything it’s gaining respect. Or fear. But for you they’re rather synonymous.”
Madara puffed out a surprised laugh, “That was such a high compliment from a man like you.”
Tobirama smirked, eyes fluttering and he leaned down just a tad to place a soft kiss on his cheek, “You deserved a bone- no, stop. No perverted jokes. Ok, rewording. You deserve a treat after all the hard work you did when this is over. But it’s not over, we still have dinner to get through.”
“Without killing anyone.”
“That should have been a given. We don’t want another war.”
Tobirama pulled back, brushing Madara’s hair down back into the stylish mess it usually is, rather than the frizzy, unstyled mess it is right now, “Now pull yourself together. We have work to do.”
Madara gave him a sloppy salute, “Yes sir!” Tobirama rolled his eyes, turning away, “You’re so hot when you take charge like this.”
“Keep it in your pants, Mada. I’m going ahead to make sure the restaurant is ready,” With that, Tobirama fled the scene. He was really just escaping his responsibilities by taking on slightly not as hard responsibilities. Truly, he would have never known a day would come he’d rather socialize with the Hyuga’s then not. But alas, here they are. He let out a breath, enjoying the silence for a bit before stepping in. Really, the Hyuga’s wouldn’t be so bad if they weren’t so stuck up. They have an ego a mile wide, but he assumes it’s well deserved. That, and the whole familial abuse seal-cage thing. But, that’s a worry for another day.
He entered the building, rolling his shoulders and getting the attention of all the staff in the room, “The Kage’s will be here soon, let’s get ready.”
Hashirama was seated at the head of the table, Tobirama at his left and Madara at his right. The Kages took their seats down the rest of the table. The resteraunt was empty except for the staff, the leader’s own guards, and a few Konoha ninja. The atmosphere was carefully neutral, but the underlying tension was clear to see for those who looked.
“So, Hokage-Sama, how is Konoha coming along? I see there is still some underlying tension through the clans?”
Hashirama laughed off the remark of Reto, grinning widely and shrugging, “Not much! We’ve all been getting along better since the ninja’s have been going on missions together!” Hashirama chuckled, “Some have even started dating between clans! It’s amazing!”
“That quickly?”
“Yeah! Amazing right?”
Tobirama did feel a small swell of pride at the shock of the other Kage’s in the room. No other village has formed this easily or this quickly. Of course, Hashirama being best friends with the head of the Uchiha Clan, and Tobirama’s and Madara’s not so secret relationship, they really set a precedent for the rest of the clans. Now everyone is playing nice, and those who aren’t are being bullied into playing nice. It’s a rather nice arrangement, frankly. The two big clans teaming up on the big but slightly less big clans. Perfect, right? Makes for a great village. Regardless, it’s working and between Hahsirama’s need for all the clans to do group bonding activities, festivities, and joint-missings, things have gone well. Maybe not as good as Hashirama is currently making them out to be, but the Kages don’t have to know about that.
Tobirama let out a controlled breath and settled back. He could already feel this was going to be a long meeting.