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Hikaku holds out his hand, lowering his defences before a clan who were his enemies a moment ago.
The example set by Madara-sama and Hashirama-sama is one they are all bound to follow, but it feels strange to offer a gesture of trust to someone who he was previously determined to disembowel.
Tōka-san looks vastly amused at his predicament but she takes his hand anyway.
There's no poison on her skin, no hesitance in her grip, nor does she attempt to crush his fingers, but he still feels like he's escaped a trap when she lets him go. Kunoichi are always to be respected, but Tōka-san is fearsome even for one of her kind and Hikaku has felt the bite of her naginata more than once.
She turns her cheek, grinning as she shows off the scar on her jaw from his kunai, and he smiles ruefully.
Well, they are all shinobi here, it is true.
He turns away, only to be confronted by blue armour that he had not expected.
That they should all meet their long time opponents on even ground was the agreement, making Tōka-san Hikaku's natural match at the peace negotiations and leaving Izuna-sama to claim his rival. That's apparently not the way it will remain, however, and Hikaku can immediately see the reason why.
Hashirama-sama is enthusiastically shaking the hand of every shinobi within reach in an excessive show of friendliness, but his eyes are shrewd as he sees who will take his hand and who will not. Tobirama-sama seems to be under instruction to do the same, and Hikaku knows he can do no less if he doesn't wish to shame his clan.
He takes the hand offered to him, breathing deeply to calm the trepidation he cannot help but feel.
This is the White Demon, a man so deadly as to seem supernatural, and Hikaku knows better than most how his sword can cut. It was he, after all, who cleaned Izuna-sama's wounds when Madara-sama was engaged in shouting matches with the Elders.
But, far from being as cold as death, Tobirama-sama's touch is warm.
His palms are rough, the skin slightly dry from the repeated suiton ninjutsu which he is so well known for, and his fingers are both long and strong.
But, more than anything else, it's the pattern of callouses which catches Hikaku's attention.
There are the thickened patches which mark a kenjutsu specialist, the same ones that Hikaku feels when Izuna-sama cups his cheek, but they are not the only ones. Kunai callouses are present as well, but there are a few which are not from a weapon.
The knuckles which brush against his... they're familiar.
Intimately so.
Because they are a match to his own.
Those are a writer's callouses, developed only after hours - years - of wielding a brush.
Hikaku freezes in surprise, holding Tobirama-sama's hand, and it's only the soft clearing of a throat which breaks into his shock.
"Ah... otouto?" Hashirama-sama throws an arm around Tobirama-sama's broad shoulders. "Are you going to let Hikaku-san go at some point? Or will I have to enter into marriage negotiations on your behalf? I'm sure Madara wouldn't mind…"
Hikaku's clan head makes a suppressed noise that still manages to sound like a cat whose tail has been trodden upon, but Hashirama-sama doesn't even flinch.
"I'll let him go, when he lets me go." Tobirama-sama's voice is a low rumble and Hikaku yanks his hand away abruptly.
"He has nice hands, huh?" Tōka-san's smirk is a purely evil thing, and Hikaku wonders if it shouldn't have been her that was named a demon. "I haven't had the chance to touch them until today, either. Shall I wrestle you for him?"
"Please don't, Tōka-san!" Izuna-sama comes to Hikaku's rescue, but he knows better than to be grateful. "I really don't think my best friend wants to be married into the Senju!"
"I could be convinced to give otouto to the Uchiha," Hashirama-sama is laughing but his brother only rolls his eyes at the idea of being sold off as a bride, and Hikaku is glad to see that Tobirama-sama is secure in his place within the Senju.
Nonetheless, Hikaku has to fix this.
"Please, pardon me." Hikaku bows deeply. "I was simply surprised to find a shinobi who is as much scholar as warrior."
"I as well," Tobirama-sama bows back, showing equal respect, and Hikaku feels the flush that burns high on his cheekbones. "When things are more settled, we should talk."
Talk, Izuna-sama mouths the word gleefully, and Hikaku wants to strangle his friend, he really does.
This will fuel months worth of teasing, he knows it will.
At the same time, he finds that this is something he doesn't want to give up.
"Yes," he bites his lip, but says it anyway. "Let's... talk."