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There was only so much he could do, only so much he wanted to do, so he sat under a tree with his eyes closed.
His hands were off to the sides, his head leaned back, and his weapons were either sheathed or put a distance away. If he needed them, he could reach them, but he knew he would not need them for some time. Even with the air of war, the way everything had been going lately, he knew he would not need them. He did not stir when a presence came closer, a weight dropping into his lap.
“My brother is going mad.”
“I had noticed, yes,” he whispered, lifting one hand to pet the hair now laid out over his thigh. “And to think, we had once thought to reveal our relationship to him.”
“There is no chance of that, now,” a hand reached up to remove his happuri, brushing through his hair in return. “Not with his madness. Not with the perceived betrayal from your brother. Our affair remains a secret because I know he would go insane and seek your death if we told him, Tobirama.”
Tobirama opened his eyes, looking down at his lapful of Uchiha Izuna, the way the man’s mouth was tilted in a small smirk. “Ever since Hashirama made the decision to marry – and to marry someone other than Madara – the undercurrent of betrayal has filled everything in the village. I could swear it has even invaded the dreams of those unrelated to our personal issues. My brother is an idiot, at times, though I do love him.” He sighed, shaking his head, continuing to stroke his fingers through Izuna’s hair.
Turning on his side, Izuna brought his hands up, cupping them together on Tobirama’s thigh, bracing his chin on them. “My brother is mad, though I do love him.” He echoed.
“And I love you, my vicious, vengeful little thing,” Tobirama smirked, trailing his hand to Izuna’s cheek, stroking his thumb across the curve of it. “Evil and cruel as you are to me in public.” He laughed when Izuna turned and bit gently at his thigh. “See? Vicious!” He lifted his other hand, resuming his stroking of Izuna’s hair, leaving the first one on his cheek. The two of them sat there for a while, laughing, before they settled back into silence.
“What are we going to do?” Izuna asked, eventually.
With a soft sigh, Tobirama’s head fell, his eyes half-closed. “I do not know.”
“War is coming."
“That I do know. I cannot see you on the battlefield, Izuna.” Tobirama took a deep breath, stomach churning. “But I do not know what else is to come.”
Izuna stared up at him, still holding his thigh. “I have to die.”
“What?!”
He lifted a hand, cupping Tobirama’s cheek. “Think about it. You cannot. You need to stay for the village, for your brother. Hashirama needs you. Madara does not need me, not when he is this close to losing himself, losing his mind, losing reality – Tobirama, he is so close to losing everything, and I cannot stay and watch him,” he sat up slowly, still holding Tobirama’s face. “So I have to die.”
His chest felt tight, his hands clutching at Izuna’s wrist as if that would keep the man with him. “No, no, there has to be another—”
“Tobirama,” Izuna interrupted him. “Not in that way.”
He stopped. Looking at his lover, he studied his face, his dark eyes, the pale skin he knew so well, knew as well as any map. “Trickery?”
“Trickery. Falsehoods and lies.” Izuna shifted until he was sitting in Tobirama’s lap, holding his face in both hands. “I know those who are loyal enough to me that they will not tell Madara the truth. They will inspect the wounds, and they will spread the word that I have died.” He settled on his knees, shrugging. “Though my brother will not like you any better for it, the blade that kills me will have to be yours, lover.”
“Mine – You play with fire, love.”
“Think about it this way,” Izuna sighed, rubbing their noses together, breathing softly of the same air Tobirama was breathing. “We have made our public hatred of each other known. It has been known by the entire village, by now. You and I have a fight, away from prying eyes, other than my brother, who stumbles across us near the end. I take damage from you, I stumble, I fall.” He brushed Tobirama’s hair back, kissing the space left bare. “Madara takes me home, a witness to my injuries – the only way he will believe it – and then he leaves me with the medics.”
“The story spreads from there.”
“Precisely.”
“His hatred of me increases, but that is a given, considering.” Tobirama nodded, his hands skimming up Izuna’s back, feeling the warmth of him.
“Mm-hm,” Izuna nodded.
“Plans made,” Tobirama murmured. “Now come here.”
He curled Izuna closer, letting himself slide down the tree a little until he was slumped with Izuna against him, both of them breathing slowly, heartbeats matching pace until they were sleeping. There were no witnesses to it other than the wind around them and the sun above.
They could enjoy the peaceful moment.