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War. Enemy shinobi clans fighting for supremacy and power. Betrayal and heartbreak. Never knowing whether the next day would be your last. Children were molded for fighting as soon as they could walk and hold a kunai. They were told that they could not trust anyone outside their clans. A life like that left room for little else. No friendship, no love, and no peace.
Some clans were especially volatile to one another. Blood feuds ran over generations. The Senju and Uchiha clans were no exception. Butsuma Senju and Tajima Uchiha carried a hatred for each other that their fathers drilled into them as their fathers’ fathers did to them and so on. They did the same with their sons. No mercy was to be shown to the other. When they were on the battlefield, their enemies were to be slain on sight. Outside battles, they were forbidden to interact. To do so would be considered treason.
However, some were more stubborn and let ignorance and a newfound friendship get in the way of following their fathers’ orders. Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha, the oldest sons of the heads of their clans, met at a river that lay in a neutral area between their clan’s respective lands. They only disclosed their first names to each other, as shinobi were never allowed to share their surnames. Respecting that, they formed an unlikely friendship, not knowing each other’s true identities.
They met up almost every day at the river, enjoying the limited time they had where they could be kids. Unfortunately, good things only last so long in a world torn by war. Eventually, the older boys’ disappearances were noticed by none other than their younger brothers.
Tobirama Senju started tailing Hashirama every time he left the clan compound, suspicious of his Anija’s actions. Izuna Uchiha, the younger brother of Madara, did the same. Both watched in silence as their older brothers met up at the river and spent hours talking, messing around, and skipping rocks. Being the loyal and dutiful sons they were, they reported this to their fathers, and their brothers were confronted.
Both Hashirama and Madara were shocked at what they learned but didn’t want any harm to come to the other. They tried to warn the other but to no avail. Their fathers clashed on the river while Tobirama and Izuna clashed blades.
“Hello, Tobirama!” Izuna spat, glaring at his white-haired enemy.
“Hello, Izuna,” Tobirama responded as he held Izuna’s katana at bay.
“If you think nii-san will continue to be tricked by your brother, you are sadly mistaken!” Izuna planted his feet firmly on the ground, not letting Tobirama gain an inch.
“Funny, I was going to say the same to you. Anija is too good for someone like your brother. This ends here.” Tobirama knew he and Izuna were evenly matched, but he had no doubt his father could finish things.
For better or worse, the confrontation ended there as Madara stated he couldn’t defeat Hashirama, ending their friendship and awakening his Sharingan. Both sets of fathers and sons left with the vow to defeat the other on the battlefield. War and generations of bad blood do not leave time for things as simple and innocent as friendship…
~*~
Years went by, and the Senju and Uchiha clans continued to fight. Hashirama and Madara became their respective clans’ heads and their brothers’ second-in-commands. Hashirama tried to reason with Madara telling him things didn’t have to be this way, but Madara didn’t budge. Unlike his brother, Tobirama held no such sentiments. He despised the Uchiha clan with all his being, especially his rival, Izuna. Izuna also held no warmth for the Senju and his rival, always telling his brother never to fall for Hashirama’s lies. There would be no friendship.
The clans continued to fight, neither gaining the upper hand, and both suffered losses. Feelings of distrust and anger only grew, further fueling the hatred and the war. Still, Hashirama didn’t give up trying to reason with Madara, and Tobirama and Izuna never quit trying to end the other. There would be no peace.
~*~
Things continued like this until a fateful battle where Madara was about to be defeated, but Hashirama once again pleaded for peace. Madara told Hashirama he would only accept Hashirama’s bid if he killed Tobirama or himself. Izuna once again warned his nii-san not to listen and kill Hashirama while Tobirama called for Hashirama to kill Madara. To both the youngers’ disappointment, it ended with Madara agreeing to peace after Hashirama made to end his own life. The war ended with peace garnered between the two former enemy clans. However, that didn’t mean everyone would fully accept the peace…
~*~
Now if the universe had a funny way of dealing with how the war ended, it had another thing coming. For years, tales were told to children about people being soulmates, bonded to one another for eternity by a force beyond their control. Young girls thought it was sweet, while boys thought it was silly. No one thought such a thing was real, especially in a world torn apart by war. Until the world no longer was…
People thought it was a fluke. People suddenly feeling an inexplicable pull towards another? It couldn’t be because they were soulmates. Different clans were living together in peace for the first time in the village of Konohagakure. It wasn’t that surprising that people were forming bonds with one another. People fall in love; it is natural. But as soulmates? Impossible.
At least it was thought of as impossible until it happened to people close to you. It happened to Hikaku Uchiha and Touka Senju. They were drawn to one another for a reason they couldn’t put their fingers on, a pull they couldn’t resist. They wanted to spend more time together; they needed to. Eventually, they fell for one another and got married.
Hashirama was overjoyed, while it didn’t really matter to Madara. It was unusual, but who was he to dictate other people’s relationships? It wasn’t anything he was interested in. On the other hand, both Tobirama and Izuna were appalled. A Senju and an Uchiha?! In what universe is that possible? It had to be a one-time thing.
Wrong.
One day, Tobirama was walking through the village, his arms filled with scrolls. He was bringing them to his lab so he could continue to study jutsu. His vision was obstructed, but he used his sensing abilities to help him avoid bumping into anything. It worked until he felt an annoyingly familiar presence rapidly approaching him. Before he could change his direction, something or rather someone collided with him, knocking both to the ground.
“Ow! Will you watch where you are going?! The streets don’t solely belong to you!”
“I believe it was you who crashed into me. So, if anyone should watch where they’re going, it is you.” Tobirama stood up and dusted himself off before holding his hand out to help the other person up. When their hands met, they felt a shock of electricity that had nothing to do with raiton. Tobirama snapped his head up to look into the eyes of none other than Izuna Uchiha.
The rivals stared at each other in shock for a moment before it dawned on them. This was exactly what Hikaku and Touka described when they realized they were meant for each other. Tobirama and Izuna snapped their hands back as if burned and looked at each other in disgust.
“Not YOU!”
“Not YOU!”
~*~
Since then, Tobirama and Izuna couldn’t stop thinking about each other. No matter how hard they tried to focus on anything else, their minds always wandered to the other.
Tobirama tried locking himself in his lab and focusing on developing new jutsu. It would work for a little while, but it always ended the same. He would be thinking about suiton, but then his mind would switch to katon. The next thing he knew, he was picturing Izuna using katon, his long black silky hair flowing gracefully behind him. Tobirama roughly grasped both sides of his head and tried to shake off the thought.
“There is no way I find Izuna Uchiha attractive! I don’t care how soft his hair looks or how much I want to run my fingers through it!” His eyes widened once he realized what he said, and he slammed his head onto his desk. Unbeknownst to the younger Senju, Hashirama stood outside the door and heard everything he said.
~*~
Izuna found himself in a similar predicament. Whenever he saw something red other than the Sharingan, it would morph into the red of Tobirama’s eyes and the marks on his face. Izuna growled and dug his nails into the palms of his hands. “Why in Amaterasu’s name am I thinking of Tobirama right now?! He’s my rival and former enemy! I don’t care how handsome his features are, nor do I enjoy it when he focuses his gaze on me!” His full lips parted when his brain finally caught up with his words.
He yelled out in frustration and started kicking a tuft of grass angrily. “The. Stupid. Senju. Is. Making. Me. Beat. Up. Grass!”
As Izuna will find out later, his brother Madara heard what he said. He was not happy when he realized what was distracting his Otouto of late.
~*~
Hashirama and Madara shared what they overheard and argued over what to do about it. Hashirama was ecstatic and supported a relationship between the two, while Madara was vehemently against it. Yes, he didn’t stop his cousin Hikaku when he married Touka, but heck, if he was going to let his brother be with Tobirama!
They stopped their own argument in favor of hearing the raised voices of their siblings. They rushed outside the Hokage building to see the two yelling at one another.
“I don’t care how fluffy your fur is, how well-built you are, or how hypnotic your control of water is; I am NOT interested in you!” Izuna shouted, jabbing Tobirama in the chest with his pointer finger.
“And I don’t care how full your lips are, how entrancing your Sharingan is compared to the other Uchiha’s, or how passionate you appear when using katon, I do NOT want you!” Tobirama shot back, pushing Izuna’s arm away from him.
Madara made to stand protectively in front of Izuna, but Hashirama held his friend back. “Let them talk it out…”
“Talk it out?! They are making a scene in front of the Hokage building!” Madara yelled, trying to shove Hashirama off, but he didn’t budge.
By then, Izuna and Tobirama closed the little distance between them until their faces were centimeters from each other.
“You are a stupid Senju!”
“You are an irritating Uchiha!”
“THERE IS NO WAY YOU’RE MY SOULMATE!” They both screamed in each other’s faces until gravity became too much, and they crashed their lips together. After passionately kissing, they pulled apart and glared at each other.
“I HATE THAT I LOVE YOU!” Then they started kissing again, Izuna running his hand over Tobirama’s chest and Tobirama tangling his hand into Izuna’s hair, undoing the ribbon so his hair flowed free.
Madara was rendered speechless as he watched the scene unfold before him. The villagers that gathered around whispered and watched in shock. Hashirama, however, waved everyone off with a smile on his face.
“Nothing to see here! Just another set of soulmates getting used to the idea. Please go about your business and have a nice day!”
Apparently, there would be love, even if those involved didn’t want it.