Work Text:
Suzuka would never tell anyone, but she had a favorite. Out of all her children, grandchildren, nephews, nieces, grand-nephews, great-grandchildren, all of the near and far family members she’s amassed in all these long years, she couldn’t help but have a favorite.
Little Madara, still the gap-toothed boy in her mind’s eye that looked up at her like she hung the very stars in the sky as she told him story after story, the sweet child that wanted to be a dreamer and was made to be a soldier, was always her favorite.
She was old now. Little Madara wasn’t so little, all grown up and clan head in his own right. She was so proud of him, and the man he’s become but—
Madara didn’t smile anymore.
Oh sure, he smirked, bared his teeth, grinned while he cackled like a crow, but he didn’t smile anymore. Years of death and hardship had left him hardened. Tired. Her poor Madara faced each day like an enemy. She mourned for the child who wanted so much more than war for their clan, for their future.
Suzuka was also tired.
It’s been many years since her youth as a kunoichi. She had been unparalleled in her mastery of the daimyo’s court and all the men within it. She spent years undercover as one of the highest ranking courtesans in the capitol where she acted as both spy and assassin until she grew tired and returned home to spend her retirement with family.
Well, semi-retirement. It would be a waste if she threw out all of her old contacts.
Though her hair’s gone white and her vision a little blurry, her mind was still as sharp as the filed ends of her favorite kanzashi. It made it much more fun to play up the senile old woman routine. Why no one recognized that the woman who used to be known for her “I’m too pretty to be smart, I’m so non-threatening” courtesan role was perhaps still playing a bit was beyond her.
Look underneath the underneath, she always said.
Luckily for her, the clan’s blatant inattention made it very easy for her to sneak out of the Uchiha compound and into the forest bordering Senju lands. The guards were focused on external threats, not a single old woman off on an afternoon walk. It’s not like they would stop her, but they could tell Madara, who wouldn’t hesitate to come and escort her. Which would be very sweet of him, but would certainly ruin what she had in mind.
Because Suzuka was tired. She was tired of watching her family members die around her. Tired of too small graves and a constantly lit funeral pyre. Tired of shoulders drawn tight with grief. Tired of the stress lines that have made a home between Madara’s eyes.
She flexed the joints in her ankles and shoulders, relishing in the stretch, before channeling enough chakra to speed her up from a walk to a run. She probably couldn’t keep this pace up for long, but she just needed to get far enough away from the compound before anyone noticed she was gone.
She was tired of watching Madara and her other family members fade a little more every day this idiotic war dragged on. She was tired, and she wasn’t going to sit around and accept it. Did she have a plan? Not exactly, but she did her best work when improvising.
When she was about a mile from the Uchiha-Senju border, she slowed back down and allowed her chakra to dissipate again. She had to stop and catch her breath, fanning herself with her hand and cracking her back as the lush greenery of late spring spread out around her. Breathing deeply, the smell of tree sap and moss heavy on the wind, she stood up, straightened out her kimono, and began walking again.
Ten, twenty, thirty minutes she walked at a slow pace. It wasn't difficult to allow a simple smile to fill her face as she admired the landscape. The flora wasn’t noticeably different, but there was a sort of… overgrowth to the Senju lands that filled the forests with a beautiful and almost unnatural abundance. Probably a result of the little mokuton boy that was friends with her Madara.
Not that she was supposed to know about that.
She chuckled lightly to herself at the thought as the branches in her direct line of sight began to sway in the opposite direction of the wind.
How polite of an enemy to announce their presence to an old woman!
“You’re quite a way from the Uchiha compound.”
The deep voice was calm and level, more curious than worried. Thank the spirits the first person she ran into seemed reasonable. She looked up, still with an easy smile, and saw a man balancing on one of the large branches of the oak tree in front of her. She had to focus her eyes to get a better look at him, and was surprised to find he was much younger than she expected, despite the white hair. Lithe and lean with red facial markings sharpening his already severe face, there couldn’t be anyone among the Senju with his physical description besides one.
The White Demon.
He wore a simple blue yukata, the fabric obviously softened by age and wear, with a white haori. Her eyesight wasn’t good enough anymore to see what the embroidery around the edges was. No armor or visible weapons in sight. If she didn’t know the Senju compound had to be another twenty minutes away at shinobi speeds, she would assume he was just out for a walk.
“Oh, dear me, you’ve startled an old woman,” Suzuka laughed, putting a hand to her pounding heart. This was either the best or the worst outcome possible. “One day I’ll be able to take a walk without you kids sneaking up on me!”
Senju Tobirama was still standing calmly, watching her, but she could just see an eyebrow raised on an otherwise blank face.
She couldn’t assume he was fooled by her harmless old woman routine, but why wasn’t he attacking? Even caught by surprise in casual clothes with no weapons, Senju Tobirama was a formidable opponent. Suzuka was never a frontline fighter, her barely passable combat skills only degraded more with age, and she wouldn’t risk trying to put a known sensor under a genjutsu without the element of surprise. He didn’t meet her eyes, but his body language was relaxed, curious.
Curiosity she could work with.
“You walked here from the Uchiha compound?”
Hook.
“I might have lost my way a bit, silly me! So lost in my thoughts I didn’t even notice where I was going,” she said.
He tilted his head, posture still loose but ready. “What thoughts were so heavy they prevented you from noticing you entered Senju lands?”
Line.
“Oh, you don’t want to listen to an old woman ramble about her problems,” she sighed even more deeply, hand to her cheek. Before the Senju could say anything more, she bulldozed forward. “I’m just so worried about my grandson, he’s been so sad lately.”
Tobirama shifted minutely. She could imagine his discomfort; he probably thought someone died, with a Senju the most likely culprit. Suzuka didn’t want him getting worried she was here for revenge or anything silly like that.
She didn’t know much about The White Demon, most of it through reputation and rumors, but a thread of doubt planted by a contact still in the capitol made her wonder. They said Senju Tobirama has only ever shown complete public support for his brother, Hashirama. Senju Tobirama was a merciless killer, made for bloodshed — emotionless, a monster, the perfect shinobi. But Senju Tobirama also loved his brother, and Senju Hashirama wanted nothing more than peace.
Suzuka made a snap decision and changed her plans.
“I’ve only ever wanted him happy,” she mused, letting her voice lose some of its false cheer. “And war does not lend itself to happiness. I would do many things to allow him the peace he pretends not to dream of.”
Red eyes narrowed.
And sinker.
“A familiar sentiment,” he rumbled, thoughts turning, nearly visible on his face. “And who might your grandson be, that he would consider setting aside generations of turmoil?” If he was as smart as rumor said, he probably already suspected who she was speaking of.
“Great-grandson, technically, but little Madara just calls me his grandmother.” She smiled at the brief moment of surprise as other’s suspicions were confirmed.
The White Demon, scourge of the Uchiha, watched Suzuka thoughtfully, the sleeves of his haori fluttering in the wind. Birds sang merrily around them, undisturbed by this strange, chance encounter. He could use this opportunity to kidnap her, take her sharingan, ransom her. She can only pray that she’s read this man correctly.
“I’m familiar with Madara… He’s close with my older brother.”
It was her turn to be startled at the admission. It was practically an open secret that something happened between the two since the Senju clan head was very well known to shout friendship and peace at her grandson across the battlefield, but Tobirama actually admitting to their friendship was shocking.
Maybe he made his own bet.
“How fortuitous that I’ve run into a friend of my grandson’s then,” she said. Tobirama looked at her incredulously for a long moment before he huffed out a quiet laugh, jumping down from the tree to land lightly on the ground below.
“Fortuitous indeed,” he said. Though small, the shallow, lopsided smile warmed his face. It made him look younger. “You know, my brother’s not a fan of this war either. I think he’d be much happier if he could spend all day gardening instead of fighting.”
“And you want your brother to be happy?” Suzuka asked, nearly two heads shorter but standing firm in front of the man called a demon.
“You want your grandson to be happy?” He shot back. They eyed each other, knowing the other’s answer.
More than anything.
“I’m sorry, I don’t think I caught your name,” Tobirama said, relaxing his shoulders. He tucked a lock of hair behind one ear, showing a dangling earring that would certainly be a liability in a fight.
“Uchiha Suzuka,” she answered, smiling earnestly.
“Senju Tobirama.” He gave a shallow bow. “I’d be more than happy to escort Suzuka-san home before it gets to dark.” Suzuka watched him, and made another decision.
“I don’t think that’s necessary just yet.” He sent her a questioning glance. She leaned over and ripped the bottom of her kimono, ignoring the aborted movement Tobirama made as if to stop her.
“Oh, silly me, I’ve gone and twisted my ankle.”
Tobirama looked her over, standing tall (well, not tall, especially compared to the beanpole beside her) with her hair immaculate despite her run through the forest and a newly torn kimono exposing her pristine white socks. He met her smiling eyes and smirked, removing his haori and settling it around her thin shoulders. This close, she could finally see the detailing around the hem made a simple wave pattern.
“Then let me escort you to my home and I can wrap your ankle. My sister-in-law should have clothes you can borrow,” he said, holding out his arm for her to take. “Anija can write a letter to your grandson letting him know you’re safe.”
She held onto his arm and laughed, patting his hand. “What a kind young man! That would be such a tremendous help to this old woman.”
“Old? Suzuka-san must still be in her prime.”
She couldn’t help but snort at the deadpan teasing, breaking character for a moment. Intelligent, strong, and charming? Why in the world has she not heard of his marriage yet? She looked at him out of the corner of her eyes, his fluffy white curls swaying slightly as they walked.
Very handsome as well.
Hmm. Maybe she could bet on more than just peace.
“Since we’ll be walking for a while, let me tell you about my grandson, he’s such a good egg. It’s too bad he’s always so busy with the war, he’s the clan’s best babysitter.”
“Is that so?”
“Oh yes, the children absolutely love him. In fact, there was a time when Kagami was only a few months old and just would not stop crying, and Madara was the only one who could instantly get him to sleep.”
Suzuka rambled on while her new accomplice walked steadily beside her with an attentive ear and an intrigued gleam in his eye.
She wanted Madara to be happy in all aspects of his life, after all.