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“You wouldn't understand.” Izuna hisses, the dark aura rolling off of him. His usual purple suit marred by black marks.“You wouldn't understand what it's like to be weak. To be replaced. You don't need me on this team. None of you need me. This is the only way I can be strong!”
“This isn't strength!” Tobirama spoke simply. Behind him, Madara stood eyes wide, his transformation belt limply at his side as he gripped the black and red shuriken in his hand. Touka glared, tears forming as her knuckles turned white against her silver shuriken.
Tobirama was the only one who could transform, his blue suit felt like it was choking him however. He didn't want to fight him, his rival, his best friend...the brother of the man he....had a weakness for.
“Strength isn't the power to hurt people. It isn't manipulating people. What would your brothers have to say about thi-” That was the only route he knew how to go.
“Don't you speak of my brothers! The one's your father had slain! What gives you the right?! You've had everything handed to you. You continue to take everything from me!” Izuna roars, charging forward.
The sword pierces Izuna before he can even think about it. He hadn't wanted to. Tobirama had considered letting him die in the process, but what would that accomplish? He was willing to be hated if it meant protecting everyone.
“IZUNA!” Madara screamed. He shoved Tobirama out of the way and held caught Izuna, who's transformation had broken. “Tobirama, how could you? He's my only brother left!”
“Madara, don't touch him! That thing controll-” But it was too late. The black mist froze around Izuna and swirled around Madara. Madara let out a scream as he dug his hands in his hair.
Tobirama's blood ran cold as Madara turned to him slowly, his red eyes now purple rings.
“You've taken my brother, Tobirama. Enjoy the time with yours while it lasts. I will take from you what you have taken from me.”
Jolting from his nightmare, no memory of what had happened only a few days ago, he stared into the infirmary. Touka sat at Izuna's side, holding his hand between hers. He was still alive, but barely with honestly very little hope of waking up.
“It's not your fault.” Touka spoke as he lingered in the door way. “He was being controlled. You would have died if you hadn't.” It was the truth, but maybe, the death of killing him would have brought him back to his senses. It certainly wouldn't have led to losing Madara. While they had finally forgiven each other for the past sins of their families, especially after finding out the evil yokai Zetsu was responsible for manipulating the Uchiha family to their doom, Tobirama doubted that the other harbored the same feelings for him as he did. His brother still harbored ill will after all, even though he thought they were past that.
“Whatever stupid brain loop you're in, stop it!” Touka turned, eyes narrowing. “It's not helping. It won't bring him back! It won't protect Hashirama!” It looks so weird to see his cousin's usually smug face marked by tears and frustration.
“...It won't make up for the fact that this idiot is going to die not realizing I loved him. If it's anyone's fault, it's mine. I should have told hi-” Touka started, digging her fingers in her hair and pulling.
“Your feelings wouldn't have taken away the hatred that thing pulled out from him. Our father killed his brothers, even if it's the yokai's fault. Your love isn't something that can fix that. Besides, the idiot wouldn't have wanted your confession like that. You just needed more time to come together....I'm sorry I took that from you.” Anyone with eyes could see that two were meant for each other. The day Touka had joined, when a shinobi possessed by his jealousy had nearly speared Izuna and Touka had manifested the legendary silver shuriken before destroying the kaijin the jealousy had spawned, it was obvious it was her fierce protective nature that had given her place on the team.
Just as they all had gained their powers, protecting each other. Because that's what power was for, protecting the ones you love.
“Touka! Tobirama!” Mito's voice came loud and panicked from across their gamaphones. “It's Madara. We've encountered him on the border of fire. We're not strong enough to stop him. We need back up. Hashirama is badly wounded.” Tobirama felt frozen with anxiety, with self-loathing, with frustration. This was his fault.
“Touka, protect Izuna. We don't know if that thing will come back from him if it knows he's still alive.” They'd already checked Izuna for traces of darkness in his system, and he was free of them.
“Tobirama, he'll-” Touka glared, stopping herself. “If you die, I'm going to bring you back to life myself and kill you myself.” It was such a Touka thing to do, to threaten him like that. He couldn't help but laugh softly.
“I'll bring everyone back alive...somehow.”
“Madara!” Tobirama calls out, stepping in front of a bloodied and beating up Mito. Mito has her sword of wind out in front of her, panting as she tries to protect Hashirama's unconscious body. “This isn't you. You know that. You're not a hateful person.”
“Oh? I recall you saying otherwise, Senju.” It's the same tone he had spoken to them the first time they'd met him and Izuna. Zetsu had been manipulating them ever so slightly. The Uchiha had been manipulated for generations to use the power of the kamen riders for evil. It had taken Hashirama's ever powerful love and friendship to save them. The rest of the clan hadn't been so lucky. Their father had slaughtered them. He had also been tainted by the evil Zetsu's dark magic.
“You're not the person who first joined. Hashirama is your best friend. I thought we were friends too, Madara.” He wanted to be more, but he dared not hope. Still, they had lunches together. They trained together. How many times had they saved each other from evil at this point. “I have seen your passion for our village. I know what you are capable of. Do not let that thing undo all the progress you've made. Do not let it undo what you have accomplished. You are better than that.”
“No. I am not.” Madara sneers, spinning the black and purple marred shuriken that once shone a deep crimson. The transformation jingle is sounds twisted and wrong, and Tobirama looks over to see Hashirama take a deep breath and cry. “M-madara...please...”
“Though, perhaps I am sad to see you perish, Tobirama. As I am of Hashirama. He was my best friend, but he does not need me anymore. He has you. He has Mito. And you...you have never needed me.” There's a pause as Tobirama can feel the darkness shift for a moment. “Even if I wanted you to.” Comes out as a whisper before Madara charges him sword lit with purple flame.
“I don't need you...?” Tobirama narrows his eyes. “You really are a fool. Who else will help me keep my brother in line? Who else understands the need for order and peace? Did you forget about the finisher we've used together? Flame and water. Our power lies stronger together even if to everyone else we appear as opposites.”
“You're like yin and yang!” Hashirama grinned, patting his hand hard on his back. “I was worried when we formed this team that you two would never get along. But look at you!”
Grumbling as he heads off practically stomping his feet, Madara looks like anything but someone who had gotten along with Tobirama. Their spar had gone well, but it had ended with Tobirama pinning Madara to the floor, hands above his head. Madara had turned bright red, and he'd head butted him while yelling at his loudest volume. Tobirama's ear were still ringing.
“I'm not sure I call that getting along.” Tobirama had rolled his eyes. The red on his face...he had hoped it was...but with the way Madara had stormed off, seeming angrier than ever...it must have just been embarrassment of losing and Tobirama pinning him like that. He truly hadn't meant to. It was just the easiest position. The tips of his ears turned bright red as he thought on it.
“Oh! That's just how Madara is! When he first admitted he was my friend, he nearly pushed me off a cliff. He's not good with feelings just like you are but instead of pretending he doesn't have any he just tries to pretend he has a different one! In fact, I think he likes you.”
Tobirama drowned out the rambling Hashirama started after this. It sounded roughly like he was planning their wedding, trying to figure out if he could be two different peoples groomsman. Who's best man would he be, etc. He instead paused thinking on their moments together.
Madara....liked him back?
Now, his heart squeezed tightly in his chest. The heart he tried to convince others he didn't have. He couldn't kill Madara. It had been to difficult to even stand against Izuna. That had been an accident too. Were those feelings false? Madara did seem to hesitate in every blow they exchanged, almost as if Zetsu didn't have a full grip on him.
It didn't matter. Zetsu had grown desperate after they'd destroyed his base. Now, the creature clung to whatever it could as a dark mist. If he destroyed Madara completely, then he could purge the creature from this world.
...He would do it killing himself too. His final attack had enough of a radius it should destroy them both. If he let Madara strike him hard enough, the creature would never see it coming.
Touka was going to pissed off at him...
“Enough of this useless drivel, Come at me, Senju Tobirama!” Madara yelled, activating his finisher before charging forward. Hashirama screamed as Tobirama charged forward activating his finisher. Could he do this? Could he really kill Hashirama's best friend? Could he kill the first man he'd ever had feelings for? Could he take another life?
No. He couldn't. Perhaps he was weak for that, but he purposefully misses Madara as...Madara's attack hits his side. It should have hit him full on, but it didn't.
“ANIKI!” Izuna's scream pierces the silence that follows immediately after. “TOBIRAMA! I'm not dead. Please!” Izuna limps forward as he leans on Touka. The bandages are coming undone as he charges forward. “I'm so sorry. I caused this. I let it get in my head. I thought...I thought no one needed me. I wanted to be useful...but I was afraid. I was afraid you leaving me behind, Aniki. You're the only family I have left and if you...if you and him....”
This was wrong. What was he doing? Even if Tobirama had killed Izuna, it wasn't his fault. He wasn't like the rest of the Senju. They were better than their ancestors. He was better than his. What was he doing? Oh god, there was so much blood. How could he have done this?
“Tobirama. I'm...I didn't...” The darkness shivered before, Zetsu screamed and removed himself from Madara. “I shouldn't have...I'm weak. In the end, I really was just a hindrance on this team. Just like you said from the start...”
“Idiot.” Tobirama scowled, cupping his face. “If I'm dying in your arms, I don't want you to berate yourself. Where's that pride I like so much? Where's the Madara I know is going to burn that evil plant to the ground?”
“That pride is why you're dying in the first place. I was going to....I was going to tell you that I...but now you're dying. I'm a monster just like my father.”
“No.” Tobirama grabbed his hair and tugged him closer. “You and your brother are stronger than your father. You are members of this team. I'm sorry I doubted that at the beginning...and Madara....I love you too.” Tobirama presses his lips against his before taking a deep final breath and falling down.
“No.” Madara feels his rage swirl in the pit of his stomach, but it's not one Zetsu can take advantage of. It's not born of jealousy or fear. It's love.
His crimson shuriken glows bright and floats in front of him, as does Tobirama's blue shuriken. “W-what?” And the swirl around each other before two more shuriken form. One is a black shuriken with a white center. The other is a white shuriken with a black center.
“The Yin Yang Shuriken!” Zetsu screams and tries to flee, but Hashirama forces himself up, transforms, and creates a wall of vines.
Is this really the legendary Yin Yang Shuriken? This is what sealed Zetsu away generations ago. Had they really earned it's right?
Tobirama's wound slowly healed before he opened his eyes. “Your brothers say hello, Madara, Izuna.” Tobirama coughs grabbing the white shuriken. “And that if we don't defeat this monster, they'll never give me their approval for our relationship.”
“W-what?!” Madara yells, tears forming at his eyes. “I. Is this really?” The black shuriken trembles in his hands.
And just like that they transform, side by side. Kamen Rider Yin and Kamen Rider Yang.
They waste no time activating their finisher, destroying Zetsu side by side.
The rest of the team runs forward to congratulate them as their transformations fall. Madara grabs Tobirama by the face and smashes his lips against his, which causes everyone to stop as to not interrupt.
“We did it! We saved the world!” Madara yells as he finally pulls apart.
The team charges forward and tackle hugs them to the ground.
Finally, they could be free.