Work Text:
Tobirama had hated Madara for as long as he could remember; Madara wasn't only the leader of the enemy clan, but also he was an arrogant, self-centered, and annoying man. If there was one thing that Tobirama hated more than anything probably was listening to Madara talking about his dead young brother; for Tobirama, no one was more stupid than Madara crying because someone killed his brother in the war. In the damn war, what did he expect?
And because his elder brother was weak-minded, he had been forced to work with Madara in that village that Hashirama wanted to build; of course, in his opinion, killing Madara was the best option, but he was a Uchiha with luck because Hashirama considered him his best friend.
He had been working in a secret jutsu, something about resurrecting people who had been strong and could help in future wars but there was one important piece of information that Tobirama needed; however, it was in the past. Tobirama remembered having seen that piece of information in Senju's laboratory when he was a tween. So, if he wanted to finish that jutsu, he had to find out how to go back to the past.
"Tobirama," Hashirama greeted him. "What are you doing?
Tobirama looked at him and took a deep breath, he couldn't remember how many times he asked his brother not to bring Madara to his office.
"elder brother," Tobirama said, "why you bring this Uchiha here? I work with top-secret documents."
"Tobirama," Hashirama raised his voice, "how many times I must tell you that Madara is my right-hand man."
Tobirama rolled his eyes and breathed deeply; at Hashirama's side, Madara looked at him with too much hate in his eyes.
"We should review those documents," Madara told Hashirama just because he wanted to annoy Tobirama.
"Don't be ridiculous," Tobirama said. "It's nothing important, elder brother, it is not necessary to review."
Tobirama knew that if Hashirama found his experiments, he would be in big problems; resurrecting people wasn't a game, and although it sounded well, it wasn't morals. Therefore, the most important thing Tobirama had to do was to remove that idea from Hashirama's mind.
"Anyway," Hashirama said, "Maddy and I are going to lunch. Do you wanna go with us?"
Tobirama felt Madara's eyes over him. Obviously, he didn't want Tobirama to go with them, but Hashirama didn’t seem too tired of trying to get Madara and Tobirama to get along; however, Tobirama didn't accept his invitation, and for that moment, Tobirama continued working, and he didn't have lunch that day.
Travel to the past wasn't easy and it took Tobirama many attempts to achieve success.
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"Brother," a black-hair kid was screaming, tears were falling down his face, and sadness seemed to live in his eyes. He was the first brother who Madara lost in the war.
Madara was used to death; Tobirama could see it in his eyes because he had the same eyes that Tobirama saw in himself when he was a child; the misery, the pain, the loneliness... all the worst things in the world to reflect on the children's faces. However, He said nothing, he wasn't here to socialize but to get the necessary info for his future jutsu.
He would have liked to arrive near his own clan, maybe he could have helped his children, and maybe his brothers would have lived a little more, but he arrived near to children of the Uchiha clan, all of them so helpless and small, and Tobirama thought in the big difference between see Uchiha children when he was a child and see them when he is an adult. Even Madara didn't look like a murderer but only a kid who was forced to kill to survive the war; in fact, none of those children looked like a murderer, and if Tobirama thought better, he would realize that the Senju children were exactly the same.
Then, he saw Madara lose his second brother and cry in a place where Madara thought nobody could see him; he had lost and cried his brothers too so he knew that pain really well. The third brother who Madara lost took away his hopes with him, after all, it was stupid to have hopes in a war; not long after, Madara lost his fourth brother, and when he met Hashirama, Izuna was the only brother Madara had.
At that moment Tobirama could understand Madara's pain, he understood why Madara hated him with all his strength, and why he seemed unable to talk with him; at least, he still had Hashirama but Madara had nobody, now his sadness was very understandable, now he could understand when he complained because Izuna died in the war, after all, loneliness had to increase his pain.
Then Tobirama decided to go for the documents that he was looking for and leave child Madara alone, after all, he couldn't come very close to him, he must take the documents not talk or change the past
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Tobirama returned to his own time with his heart divided between happiness and sadness; he already had all the info he needed but also knew Madara's pain. And the first time Tobirama used his jutsu, he resurrected an old enemy.
"Madara," Tobirama knocked on Madara's office door "Are you there?"
Madara breathed deeply before answering.
"Yes, you can come in."
Both of them looked at the other without knowing what exactly they should say; Madara didn't know what Tobirama wanted and Tobirama didn't know how to say it. However, Tobirama took a deep breath and stared at Madara before talking.
"I'm sorry..."
"What?"
Tobirama sighed, a little frustrated because he wasn't used to apologizing.
"I'm sorry for having taken Izuna from you," Tobirama said. "I'm sorry for thought your tears and your pain were ridiculous. I behaved as an idiot; please forgive me."
"Is this a joke?" Madara said; he couldn't believe these words, and if he were honest with himself, he would also say that they were cruel words.
"No, it isn't," Tobirama said. "I didn't understand it because I still have Hashirama. I lost many people I had, but I didn't lose all of them."
"I don't know what I should say."
"Nothing," Tobirama said, "come with me" Then, he took Madara to his office. "Listen," he said when they were inside, "First rule: say nothing to Hashirama..."
"I knew it," Madara rolled his eyes. "What have you been doing?"
"Shut up," Tobirama said, being sorry didn't lessen his arrogance. "Listen to me... this is temporary; he can't stay here forever."
"What are you talking about?"
Tobirama knocked on the door of his office's bathroom; a familiar voice fought from inside. Madara knew that voice very well; no matter how much time passed, he couldn't forget the voice of his brother, so Madara stared at Tobirama. He wanted to say too many things, but he couldn't; his mind was racing, but his body was paralyzed.
Tobirama sighed and opened the door; from inside, Izuna went out.
"Stupid Senju, what do you think you're doing?" Izuna argued with Tobirama. "You'll never lock me up... Oh, hi nii-san."
Madara couldn't respond but started to cry. He couldn't understand how his brother was there, but he didn't need it; he just wanted to be embraced by him and talk a little.
"I will leave you alone," Tobirama said. "Izuna, I control your body a little because I can't trust you, but I don't control your words or mind." With these words, Tobirama went out of the office, and Madara could talk with Izuna.
They talked about so many things, their childhood, their family, the war... about why Tobirama did that; they talked for hours, and Madara embraced him probably more than he embraced him when he was alive; but it was ok, Tobirama had been clear when he said Izuna couldn't stay forever, and Madara wanted to take advantage of all time they had.
And when Tobirama thought they already talked about everything, he back to his office.
"How?" Madara asked when he saw Tobirama coming in.
"How and not why?" but Madara didn't answer, just stared at him "Don't ask."
"When must he leave?"
"Nobody must see him," Tobirama said, "only today."
"Thank you," Madara said, it was difficult to think why Tobirama Senju did something good for him.
"Don't worry. When we have another idiot with the death penalty you'll be able to see him again"
"Why when... oh God"
"If you say something to Hashirama, I will use you," Tobirama said; it was a clear threat. Izuna wanted to start a fight, but Madara just laughed, not with arrogance or sarcasm but with a genuine smile.
Hashirama's voice came from his office, he wanted Madara back and help with something; then Madara sighed a little frustrated.
"Don't worry, I'll help Hashirama," Tobirama said, and before leaving, he stared at Madara, "Is this enough? Can you forgive me?"
"Why you did?"
"I wanted to survive."
"Yes" Madara didn't mean that, but that was the right answer. He didn't need to listen anymore.