Chapter Text
Friday, June 20th
Tobirama Senju had always been a step adjacent from reality.
For Madara, he'd been his friend's otherwhere younger brother—a relatable common ground for two lonely and angry boys to connect over.
Then, after the river, he'd been Izuna's rival—an annoyance for his brother to overcome.
Over the years, as he grew older and more powerful, he'd shifted from annoyance to threat. He'd become the Senju's greatest weapon and asset. The notion of him represented everything inherently ugly and insurmountable in the war.
After, he'd been the lingering unease eating away at a hard-earned peace. A dissatisfied resolution.
Finally, rage-filled exposure broke apart rusting chains. What had been freed was something far more. He'd been the concept of injustice. Revelations elevated him to martyrdom. The allusion to him sparked a building sensation of unity, of pity, of guilt. He'd become a longed-for ideal by those who wanted better solutions and different options.
Even on a personal level, he'd been a missing limb, amputated but still causing pain. A phantom whose presence could be felt but never seen. You'd walk into a room and feel like he'd just been there. All that was needed was to call his name, and he'd be evoked.
But not once, in twenty years, was he a person to Madara.
He was Hashirama's brother. Izuna's rival. The Senju's White Demon, their Ghost and heir. He was Konoha's architect, its planner, and third founder. He was an unaddressed gaping wound. But not once was he real.
He was certainly real now. Tobirama stood there in front of Madara, acknowledging and challenging the Uchiha with the same cool and cutting stare as he had six years ago. However, that was where the similarities ended.
While Madara only had blurred memories to lean on, he was sure that that day, on their last battle, he'd been shorter. Back then, in the Sharingan-tinted memory, Izuna had stared down at Tobirama when they crossed swords. Now, the young man stood taller than Madara by at least two inches.
Before, his face had still held the faint traces of baby fat that usually lingered stubbornly into early adulthood. Now, with his faceguard gone and nothing to hide behind, it was clear the years had carved his features into something refined. Smooth skin, high cheekbones, a pleasing mouth set in calm neutrality. There weren't any obvious scars adorning the skin he could see, and Madara was grateful for that.
He'd clearly taken care of himself. He was lean, fragile-looking even, but there was strength in the way he stood. He stood with his shoulders back and spine straight. There was a kind of quiet readiness about him. Every small movement was purposeful, the sort of ease that came from knowing exactly what he was capable of. There was steel under his skin.
The finery suited him more than the old armor ever had. It was bold, perfectly cut, celebrating his uniqueness instead of covering it up. It wasn't just the obvious quality. It was the way he wore it... cool, composed, as though nothing around him could touch him. And maybe that was what hit the hardest: the calm confidence that said he knew how to handle himself.
It was… distracting, realizing how much Hashirama's brother had grown up. The teen who'd run away from home had come back a man. Even with just a simple greeting, he looked like he could walk into any room, take the measure of it in a glance, and, if it came to it, set everything to rights without breaking stride.
And damn if that wasn't a little unfair.
"Lord Ishaan-" Hashirama began.
Souza stepped forward and rudely interrupted. "Ishaan, it isn't necessary for you to oversee introductions."
There was a second delay before Tobirama pulled his burning gaze from Madara and slid it across his brother to settle it on the official. He didn't say anything, though. The silence built for another few seconds before the administrator realized his misstep and flushed faintly in embarrassment.
"Lord Ishaan," he corrected as he lowered his eyes to the ground. "Please allow me to handle this for you. I would be honored to assist."
After another moment of heavy silence, the detachment softened. Slender lips curved ever so slightly before Tobirama tipped his head in acknowledgement of the unspoken apology. The other officials, save one, all seemed to sigh in relief. The last one, however, continued to scowl at the lead official.
"Your offer is most generous, Lord Souza." When he spoke, the sound was rich and smooth, a deep tenor that vibrated more than it rang, settling in the chest before it reached the ears. It didn't just speak—it resonated. "However, I would not wish for you to strain yourself when I can introduce myself."
With that subtle rebuke, he turned his attention back to the Konoha contingent. His red eyes landed on Mito unerringly, and something in them warmed. The man didn't reach forward, though, and Mito was too shocked still to move beyond taking Hashirama's hand when it brushed against hers.
"Princess Mito," Tobirama dipped his head. "Your father sends his love and well-wishes, and asks that I tell you you are missed."
Like a slap to the face, Mito visibly jerked back before she forcibly reigned in the surprise behind a thick wall of propriety. She dipped her head in greetings. "Thank you for the message, Lord Ishaan. I'm grateful for your troubles in passing it on."
That garnered another small smile from Tobirama as he stared at his sister-in-law affectionately. "It would never be a hardship to tell you that you are missed."
The Uzumaki clenched her jaw and her husband's hand both. "Then I'm all the more grateful to hear that."
With that initial hurdle overcome, Tobirama turned back to Hashirama. "Lord Hokage. I know most people here, but would you make the introductions?"
The elder Senju brother nodded, his struggle to maintain his composure clear to Madara. In a choreographed move, Mito stepped back just before Hashirama did. That allowed him to turn towards Madara and the half of the village leadership that stood behind him. The Hokage lifted a hand and motioned it at him.
"You may remember Lord Uchiha, Madara." At Tobirama's slight nod, he continued. "He's the village's second founder and one of my top advisors."
"Lord Uchiha," the albino greeted once again. His eyes darted lightning-quick over the delegation behind Madara and settled on Hikaku.
"These are the leaders of Konoha's current clans and their spouses and heirs," Hashirama resumed.
When he reached the Uchiha clan, he hesitated. It was obvious why. The history between Izuna and Tobirama was legendary by now. So the Uchiha heir missing from these essential proceedings was worrying. Was it a personal protest against his former enemy's presence or something more sinister? After all, the last time they'd interacted, Tobirama had nearly killed the other shinobi.
Madara cleared his throat. "Apologies, Lord Ishaan. My heir would have been here, but he was hired at the last minute for a critical mission. He won't be back for another week or so. I'll be sure to present him when he returns."
Tobirama, having not looked away from Hikaku while the clan head spoke, did so then, along with a nod. "Understandable."
"It's still not proper," the fifth administrator spoke up. His disapproving scowl had shifted from Souza to Madara. "Our arrival was well-known. Everyone should have been here."
Madara felt a flash of anger in his gut at the stupid civilian's ignorance. He felt his lips begin to part, an instinctive retort on his tongue. It was impossible for him to sit back and let some mundane fool disparage his younger brother and heir for doing his damn job.
However, Tobirama beat him to it. The albino gently hummed once and waved his left hand idly. He glanced over his shoulder at the offending minister before looking back to Madara. "That is the shinobi life. Some missions, like life, cannot be put on hold. I was surprised that Izuna was the only one missing, honestly."
"We did our best to keep everyone in the village for your arrival. He wanted to be here, but he's one of our best," Madara explained. The few seconds from the younger man speaking helped calm his temper. "As I said, I'll present him right away when he arrives."
"You'll present him after he rests and has something to eat," Tobirama corrected, the order clear to everyone.
The Uchiha clan head blinked in surprise but nodded, too relieved to want to pick the interaction apart right then. "Of course."
The rest of the introductions continued uninterrupted, and soon it was the other side's turn. Souza, sensing an opportunity to regain ground, moved to speak. Madara, annoyed with the Capitol contingent, felt a headache rapidly build and pushed some of his chakra behind his eyes before forcing it down into his various pathways. He'd found, through trial and error, that circulating energy through his nodes helped with controlling his stress levels. The unintended side-effect of that was that his sensing abilities were almost always active when that happened.
So, because he was kneading his chakra, he caught the quick and almost unnoticeable thrust of a foreign chakra. It was cold and sharp, like a quick current slicing past. It snapped out at Daisuke like a whip. While, to the untrained eye, the wolf runner didn't appear to notice, the Hatake easily stepped forward and filled the silence before Souza could.
"So, you all know me," he began. "I'm Daisuke Hatake, Ishaan's dashing and beloved older brother!"
There was another minute tremble of earth, but this time it was joined by a second jab of what had to be Tobirama's chakra. Neither ninja gave the appearance of being annoyed, which impressed Madara. Daisuke didn't seem concerned.
"I'm here to help manage the chaos." He thumbed the carriage behind him. "With us is our cousin, Ichigo Hatake. He's here to manage me."
Well, shit, Madara thought. Ichigo was the grandson of the Hatake clan head, Yoruichi. His father was her youngest child. Ichigo was rumored to be the next in line for that seat. To have one of the Hatake's main-line members officially recognized as Ishaan's extended household? No wonder the wolf clan seemed so interested in Konoha's business all of a sudden.
The carriage door opened once again, and a man in his thirties stepped out. Like Daisuke, he was dressed in finery that identified him as part of Ishaan's retinue but held above the honor guard and servants. Black hakama, this time, with the same eye-catching blue top and a grey haori. Dark grey hair was braided to the side, its end tied with a strip of blue-dyed leather. Like his cousin, he wore a sword on his hip. However, in addition to that, there were thin bracers of the same blue leather wrapped around Ichigo's wrists. As he turned back to the carriage and held up a hand to the space inside, Madara noticed small black symbols etched into the material.
From inside the coach, a decidedly female hand reached out to grasp Ichigo's. The Hatake heir held steady as one, and then two emerging young women stepped down onto the dirt road with a stumbling grace, as if they had needed to practice.
The first was a little taller, around five-seven, with rich, dark brown hair that glinted bronze in the sun left to hang loose about her. Her eyes were dark, steady as still water, her skin warm-toned like weathered sand. She wore a blue kimono.
The second was slighter and a shade shorter, her light brown hair pulled into a loose braid that brushed her shoulder. She used Ichigo's shoulder to hop lightly down from the carriage instead of waiting for a polite hand, her hazel eyes already scanning the deathly-silent crowd as though mapping every face. Her complexion was fairer, with a faint scatter of sun freckles across her cheeks. Her dress was a light grey.
Behind him, he heard several of the younger men inhale loudly, more than was appropriate.
After the two females came another man. While not very tall, somewhere in between the two women, he was certainly stout. Broad was the first thing that came to Madara's mind. Shoulder to shoulder, he stretched a half-time again what Madara or Hashirama measured. Well-defined muscles rippled, no shirt or jacket to cover them. Instead, he wore a sleeveless, V-neck tunic in a darker grey over black pants. The giant of a man dropped down onto the street in a crouch. The sound from the impact was a loud thud that the Uchiha was sure the stunned villagers closer to the gate heard. He glanced around the crowd as well, his brown eyes narrowed in observation.
That has to be it, Madara thought. Surely there can't be anyone else squeezed in that thing. That's six!
But, indeed, there was more.
While the unknown man was straightening, tugging his shirt down from where it had ridden up, there was a flash of movement before two other people propelled themselves out of the vehicle and onto his large back. The man grunted and wobbled slightly, but he held his ground and planted his feet under him. Both newcomers latched arms around his neck and hauled themselves up his back so they could lean over his shoulders.
While everyone so far was clearly an adult, these two appeared to be teenagers, fourteen or fifteen years of age. Intuitively, Madara thought they had to be siblings. One of each sex, they were of comparable build and looks. They had deep brown hair, similar to the first woman. However, theirs were streaked with a scatter of cool silver that shimmered when they moved.
The girl's hair was woven into a single braid that ran across her scalp from one temple to the other, like a gentle crown. Though carefully braided, the strands had loosened slightly with movement, letting soft wisps escape around her forehead and ears. The braid held its shape but carried the relaxed, wild feel of someone who'd been playing outside.
The boy's was tousled and untamed, sticking out in different directions. The strands were thick and textured, giving him a rough, energetic look. It looked natural and effortless, with no sign of careful grooming.
"This isn't behaving," the mountain of a stranger grumbled as he looked up at the girl draped over his shoulder.
That got a cheerful laugh and a bright smile from both teens.
The minister from before, who had criticized Izuna's absence, got a pinched look on his face at the immature behaviour. He looked like he dearly wanted to admonish the teens, but was holding back. Not surprising if they were members of Ishaan's house. As highly placed as the man was, only he had the right to scold his family.
"Go, Su." Tobirama called out evenly, not turning around. He sounded unbothered by the scene.
The two teens looked up at that, their matching black eyes immediately locked onto the albino's back.
"We're behaving, Tobi-rama-sama!" The boy called out defensively.
The stillness around them shattered instantly. Whispered gasps and excited murmurs rippled through the villagers like a wave. Faces lit up with awe and disbelief, and the quiet road suddenly buzzed with the charged energy of long-held hope finally voiced aloud. No one had dared imagine it could really be him, but his name was said so blatantly that those doubts were crushed onto the rocks.
"Oops," the teen cringed. "Sorry."
"Go!" The girl cried in annoyance.
"I said I was sorry!" The boy, Go, complained.
"Go, Su." Tobirama repeated, and then added, "Hideki."
The big man grunted and rolled his shoulders, dislodging the two kids from their perches. They crashed to the ground in a jumble before they quickly stumbled upright. They shot their former resting place equally dirty looks before each taking one of the man's hands and tugging him forward. As they cleared Ichigo and the two women, those three fell in behind them. When they'd pulled close to Tobirama, they stopped.
Based on extrapolation, Madara decided that, if the boy was Go, then the girl was Su and the hulking man was Hideki. He was proven correct when Tobirama turned halfway to view his household. One by one, he presented them to Konoha's Hokage and clan leadership.
"This is Bando," he began. The first woman, the one in the blue kimono, stepped forward and nodded to the group. She then stepped back into her place in the second line.
"Makoto." The second woman, the grey kimono and hazel eyes, waved idly at them.
"Then there is Hideki." The man simply nodded at them all, dark eyes assessing.
"And these two..." he paused as the girl nudged Hideki's ankle. With a sigh, the big man rolled his eyes and raised his arms into the air. The two teens laughed in delight as they were lifted off the ground. "These two nudniks are Sumi and Go."
Both teens laughed again before Sumi protested. "We're not nudniks, Tobi-sama!"
"Yeah," Go agreed. Then he paused and tilted his head thoughtfully. "What's a nudnik?"
Without missing a beat, Tobirama replied. "Bugbears, palavers, burrs, worrimenters."
"You're annoying," Hideki cut in, still holding the two nudniks aloft.
"Oh. Well, that's fair then," Go decided. He swung his blue-clad legs in the air and grinned at Tobirama. "We're very good nudniks!"
A gentle expression flickered across Tobirama's face at that. "You are."
Red eyes flicked up to the carriage, and he frowned slightly. "Where are the others?"
Sumi kicked out at Hideki's thigh, and he lowered the two teens back to the ground. "They were afraid to come out."
The albino glanced between the girl and the coach before he prodded his chin at it pointedly. The girl beamed before running back to the vehicle and flinging herself into it. There was a brief but loud commotion before she reemerged. This time, when she approached, she held what looked like a very unhappy and mutated raccoon in her arms.
When she reached her prior place, she held the beast up for everyone to see. "This is Kenta. He's a tanuki."
She tossed the tanuki off to her brother— brother?—, ignoring its screeching, before reaching into the sleeve of her blue-checkered dress and gently pulling out two much smaller creatures. They were a slug and a turtle. The slug was white with three blue stripes, and the turtle was orange with a purple shell.
"And this is Katsuyu and Kyou," she introduced them, then slipped them away again.
Tobirama nodded at the girl, pleased, and then turned back to a confused and overwhelmed-looking Hashirama and Madara. "You have met Jun and Isao."
Hashirama, still inundated with all the strangers his brother had with him, just blinked slowly. Madara wanted to slap his hand over his face and sigh. Instead, he cleared his throat to draw attention away from the barkbrain.
"We have," he agreed. "Jun-san is quite lively."
Madara not mentioning Isao should be all that was needed to pass on his opinion of that particular fox. And by the slight glimmer in the younger man's gaze, he was right.
"Hmm." Tobirama hummed instead of responding verbally to that. "I have two more members of my immediate household. However, like with the younger Lord Uchiha, they are delayed. They should arrive within the fortnight."
"Wonderful," Madara tried to say, but the growing noise from the crowd made it difficult. So he tried again with more volume. "Wonderful!"
"Perhaps, now that introductions are over with, we should move to the estate?" Souza pressed, eyeing the ecstatic citizens warily.
Tobirama nodded at that easily enough, and Madara had the sneaking suspicion that the albino was close to becoming overwhelmed by the cheering masses.
Hashirama shook himself out of his stupor and smiled with a bit of effort. "Great! We can walk you there. It's a great way to see the village."
"Absolutely not!" the stuffy official snapped. Everyone turned to him in shock. He gathered himself and seemed to puff up. "The Ishaan walking? It's not proper!"
Daisuke, having melted into the back of the proceedings, perked up at that and nodded in agreement. "Getting dirt on his robes!"
The administrator bobbed his head, the implied support from the Hatake bouying him. "And in these conditions?"
Again, the Hatake nodded. "Exactly."
Ichigo closed his eyes and seemed to be praying for patience. Most of the Ishaan's household members were trying to cover various levels of grins. Tobirama, however, had slid his gaze upwards to idly stare at the sky.
"What conditions?" Madara asked innocently.
The minister blustered. "The sun! The sun! Lord Ishaan has already been exposed long enough as it is."
The wolf-runner frowned at that and began to tut. "And no one thought to grab Otouto's umbrella."
"Yes! Walking around in the middle of the day? Without shade?!"
"With his complexion?" The Hatake scowled and popped his hands on his hips. "And think of the mud!"
There was not, in fact, any mud to think about. The last rain was over a week ago, there had been no burst pipes near there, and the streets were bone dry. Several of the guards who were not already looking down at the ground to avoid showing their faces glanced around at the perfectly fine roads.
"It's not proper for one such as he to be walking on dirty streets like a commoner!"
Daisuke was nodding along, pointing a finger at the man as he began to rant, egging him on. Suddenly, a sharp snap of cold, biting energy lashed out and slammed into the Hatake's stomach, making the man wheeze and bend slightly. Most people were fixated on the ranting administrator and missed it, but Madara caught Hashirama flicking his gaze from the winded wolf-runner over to his little brother.
"Official Shin," Tobirama called out, halting the official's tirade. "It is important that the village sees me now. Otherwise, things will become untenable."
"But the sun, Lord Ishaan! Please! You must be mindful of your health."
Another battering ram of energy cracked into Daisuke, even as the man tried to inhale and speak. He would have been knocked to the ground if it hadn't been for Ichigo sidling up beside his cousin to subtly support his weight. Sparing a second to observe the Konoha delegation that he could from his position, Madara was shocked to discover that very few of them realized something had happened. Most were oblivious to what Tobirama just did.
"I have an umbrella, Shin," the albino pointed out.
"Oh, oh!" Go perked up. "I can hold it for you, Tobi-rama-sama!"
The man in question smiled at the boy once again. "You're too short, Go."
The teen pouted and crossed his arms. "I am not too short."
"What about Lord Uchiha?" One of the women— Makoto, maybe— piped up. Her voice was light and smooth like honey. "Lord Hokage can lead the procession on one side, with Lord Uchiha on the other, holding Lord Ishaan's umbrella for him."
Before Shin could begin to argue, Tobirama nodded. The other woman— that was Makoto, so the one who just spoke was Bando— quickly leaned into the carriage and pulled out an umbrella. It was large, wider than most by at least two hands. It was made of a sturdy red wood that tickled at Madara's memories. The thing looked heavy. Makoto closed the distance and handed the umbrella over to Madara.
Once it was in his hands, he realized it was shockingly weightless, far more than what was physically possible with even a lightweight wood. The washi paper was thicker than he typically saw, even on the heavy-duty umbrellas meant for long-term use. Where there were usually two to four layers, there had to be at least six on this thing.
"Are we ready, Lord Hokage?"
Madara pulled his attention away from studying Tobirama's umbrella to glance between the two brothers. While the younger sibling appeared to be completely fine with being there, the elder looked to be struggling. There was a bowing to Hashirama's back, as if he was buckling somehow, and the corners of his eyes were pinched tight in a way that his wide smile didn't account for. Worried, Madara tried to think of a way to comfort his friend, to get him through the next half hour. As Hokage, and the person who banished Tobirama, he couldn't be seen to fall apart in front of over five and a half thousand people and Capitol officials who were sent to spot just a weakness.
But it wasn't necessary. Before the Uchiha could find a way, another person did.
Chakra, cold and deep, crept up around Hashirama like a gently rising tide. Contained to just the Senju, Madara could still feel how it encompassed the taller man effortlessly. Unlike with the Hatake, this was gentle and soothing. As if you slipped into a cool pond after a hard day's labor. From his limited sensing abilities, Madara got the impression that it wasn't wrapping about the man so much as it was submerging him. As shocking as Tobirama comforting his brother was, even more surprising was the elder brother's reaction.
Hashirama melted, or, rather, the tension in him did. Stress was pulled into the sea by the other's chakra. The rigid posture and strained expression smoothed under the younger brother's softly lapping energy. The hunching stopped, reversed some even. With a less gentle nudge against Hashirama's spine, the man straightened fully and rolled his shoulders back. The water pulled back and receded into the ocean.
"Yes," the Hokage said with a clear and easy tone, almost all the previous anxiety from before Tobirama stepped out of the carriage gone. "I'll be happy to show you to your home, Ishaan-sama."
And damn if he didn't mean that.
"It's still not proper," Shin grumbled. But he could barely be heard over the roar of the crowd, so they all pretended not to.
Madara bowed his head to the younger man before popping the umbrella open. As it slid outward, he briefly caught the image painted onto the washi paper. A bold blue water dragon curled around a calico koi fish, both surrounded by waves of foaming water. Once it was fully extended and raised upright, the expanse under it was immediately blanketed in cool shadows. The extra layers were evidently added for additional protection from the sun. Interestingly, the Uchiha leader spotted tiny recesses at the end of each spine that weren't normally there. Strategically placed all over the underside of the canopy and along the pole were tiny seals.
Without hesitation, Tobirama stepped up onto his left, signaling to Madara which side of the procession the fire user would be walking on. That meant he had to shift the umbrella to his left hand. He didn't like it, since that was his dominant hand, but he got the feeling that was what the younger man wanted. If Madara's attack speed being hampered was what put Tobirama more at ease with him, then, so be it. For now, at least.
Of the honor guard that surrounded the carriage, eight of them broke off. Most likely, they would be walking with the leading party. If it were Madara deciding their movements, two would be assigned to Tobirama specifically, while the remaining six would guard his family members. Pleased to be proven correct, that was the plan by how two members passed the others and came to a stop a short distance away from the Uchiha clan leader and the Ishaan.
While that was going on, Hashirama turned to the Konoha delegation. "Thank you all for gathering to greet Lord Ishaan. I'm sure he will ask to meet with us all again once he's settled."
Most of them were immediately suspicious, remembering full well the history between the two brothers and Hashirama's blatant reluctance to bring his younger sibling back into the fold. On top of that, it was going against what they agreed to earlier. Everyone was expected to escort the procession to the estate so they could show the Ishaan around and answer any immediate questions he had.
However, Shikamoto nodded and bowed his head to the village's leader respectfully. "Of course, Hokage-sama. We'll remain here to send Lord Ishaan off. Afterwards, we'll be in the tower, seeing to preparations for tomorrow night's dinner."
The fact that the dinner was planned for the night after was enough of a message to signal the clan leadership not to argue. Hashirama flicked his gaze to Mito, the Uzumaki's eyes still locked on Tobirama, and then to Touka, his cousin standing stiffly between the Nara and Shimiji, before turning back to Madara and their guest. He motioned to the road ahead.
"Shall we?"
Tobirama dipped his head before glancing at his household. "Daisuke, Ichigo, please escort Bando and Makoto. Hideki, please walk with Sumi and Go."
He didn't address the officials, ignoring them completely as he turned away. He took a step, and both Hashirama and Madara quickly moved to either side of him. Hashirama stood a couple of steps apart, putting space between himself and his sibling. However, with his assigned job, Madara was pressed close to the albino. Ishaan's household filed behind them in three lines, forcing distance between the three village founders and the Capital administrators. As expected, two of the eight guards moved to walk behind the three leading the parade. The rest spread out on either side of the seven strangers behind them.
As they stepped out and away from the caravan, a massive roar went up. The thousands of people lining the road ahead all screamed and cheered, overcome by the knowledge that their missing founder and future savior were one and the same. So much had changed in the past two years. Everyone's opinions about the younger man next to him shifted away from preconceived notions.
Smoothly, as if he had always planned to do so, Tobirama slipped his hand through the gap between Madara's upper arm and side. A large palm cupped the front of the Uchiha's bicep, and long, thin fingers curled around to rest on the far side, closest to their owner. He startled at the contact and looked down at the pale hand gripping him and then up to the man's face.
Tobirama didn't look at him. His red eyes were locked forward, staring sedately down the cleared street. On either side of them, villagers were pushing each other to the far end, where the procession would be turning. Those close to the gate who had missed him wanted to catch a glimpse of Tobirama, the Ishaan, and were urging everyone ahead of them to shift.
As the parade continued, the masses began to resemble sardines in a tin can, packed so tightly together that it was hard to distinguish one from another. They filled any previously open space and quickly pushed against the fences. Some were crying. Many were reaching towards them, grasping at air. Disturbingly, the barricades were bowing outwards under the combined weight of thousands of bodies.
Madara was so dumbfounded at the scene that he flinched when he felt Hashirama's chakra snap out in a harsh wave in all directions. He whipped his head around to his friend and had to stare for a long moment at the dark lines under unexpectedly light brown irises. There was also a strange bullseye on his forehead.
The Mokuton user's energy crested outwards and slammed into the buckling barriers. It pushed its way into the wood, reinervating and strengthening it. The fences, thinner and more decorative before, grew thicker now. The narrow slats widened until they were solid panels, the railings swelled and rose from waist to rib height. The areas under the most significant threat of collapse quavered before the ground split, and massive vines shot up to wrap around the barricades and anchor them deep into the earth.
And it wasn't just the lane ahead. The street behind them also received the same treatment. The Uchiha turned his head back when he heard a distant cry and spotted a new fence growing up behind the last wagons of Ishaan's caravans. It appeared to be protecting it from several villagers who had climbed the railings to attempt a rearward approach.
Hasharama reigned his chakra back in and let it circle the earth directly below them. The concentrated potency of it caused random sprouts to shoot up and the odd flower or two to bloom. A large fragment of the Hokage's energy grew up and wrapped around Tobirama's ankles, dragging itself vertically. Invisible tendrils latched onto the man, digging in for purchase before continuing upright. Finally, when the topmost portion reached Tobirama's head, what felt like a thick vine to Madara wrapped around the albino's neck and squeezed.
The most immediate thing the Uchiha felt was panic, fear for Tobirama's safety. Never had he felt something like this from Hashirama before. There was a rawness to it somehow, a trace of feral that the fire user didn't like. And it wasn't a gentle embrace either. It felt vicious to him.
But before he could react, that's when he felt it. A faint sensation on his arm where Tobirama's fingers lay. It took a second or two to place, but when it did, his stomach dropped out from under him.
Shaking. Tobirama was shaking. It was localized to his fingers, true, but he was trembling nonetheless. The rest of him appeared to be detached and collected as he had been this entire time, not a hint of anything wrong. But Madara felt it as blatantly as if the younger man were wracking apart right next to him.
Initially, he thought it was the fear of his brother's strangling hold on him, but after a quarter of a minute, the shaking began to die down. Hashirama's constricting chakra tightened even further for a brief moment before it loosened, moving to release the albino's throat and drape across his shoulders like an imperceptible boa. The weight of it settled the young man between them further until, finally, the digits were completely still.
Unsure of what just happened, Madara pushed out his own chakra as best he could to prod at the vine on the albino's shoulder. Instead of making contact with it, though, he ran into a wall of jagged shards of ice. He yanked it back with an audible hiss and shot the man beside him a tiny glower. But a particularly loud scream of the albino's name made him flinch. Tobirama's fingers twitched as well, and the dense filiment of chakra around the man shifted to loosely wrap around his neck again. This time, thankfully, it was gentle.
Suddenly understanding, Madara looked up to where the latest deafening cry had come from and glared. He put the full force of his ire behind it, everything he could dredge up to fuel the expression for all to see. Along with it, he sent out his own chakra again. This time, he didn't try to buffer Tobirama from his elder sibling. This time, he buffered Tobirama from the villagers.
Hashirama had known what would happen when Tobirama's identity was revealed. He'd known how the villagers would react. So he'd created a stronger barrier than they all thought was necessary. Now, when even that was threatening to break and allow the man between them to be overrun by well-meaning but ignorant people, he'd reinforced it with his own life energy.
Madara chose to do the same. It wasn't possible to help Hashirama strengthen the dividers; he didn't have Mokuton. However, what he did have was arguably better. He had the Sharingan. Summoning Amaterasu would be foolish, but with his eyes, he could cast genjutsu that made it appear he had. Illusionary black flames roared to life, zinging down the base of the fences and leaping up to encompass them.
People shrieked and jumped back, pushing at each other to get away from the fire. It distracted everyone well enough that no one noticed red eyes dart over to meet his for a hair's breadth of a moment before looking forward again.
To their credit, when people realized it wasn't really Amaterasu, they quickly worked out why Madara had created it. Where before everyone was too caught up in the excitement to notice the differences in the barricades, they did now. It only took a few minutes of walking for most of Konoha to settle down. While they were still excited, the silent order to calm down and stay the fuck back was heard.
The hand on his arm relaxed, making Madara realize that it hadn't been before. In response, he shifted the umbrella and used the movement to flex that arm. He couldn't do anything else. It would risk being observed, and that would defeat the purpose of the performance they were putting on. Tobirama was the Ishaan. He needed to appear to be in complete control of the situation. Being overwhelmed by the press of a crowd would weaken his image and, therefore, his influence over the clan heads and the project. That couldn't be allowed to happen.
"Tobi-sama! Tobi-sama, it's me! It's me!" A voice called from the throng.
It should have been overlooked, ignored as just another pandering stranger. But Tobirama heard it and, apparently, recognized it. He drew in a quiet and sharp inhale and had to force his eyes to remain forward and away from the caller.
"Please! Tobi-sama! Please, it's me! Look! Look, please, over here!"
Now that he was paying attention himself, Madara realized he knew that voice. Sharingan darted to the right, studying the undulating crowd intensely. It was almost a minute before he spotted the boy, pushing at the bodies around him as he desperately struggled through the crowd to keep pace with them.
"Kouka," Tobirama breathed, his lips barely moving.
Kouka's eyes were wide, tears brimming the longer he thought he went unseen. He kept crying out, trying to be heard over the still loud roaring of the crowd. The adults around him, not noticing or caring, would sometimes knock him away. He'd be shoved into the barrier or onto the ground before he grasped the railing and dragged himself up and plowed back into the mass in front of him to catch up with the procession once again.
The Uchiha leader felt the tension returning to Tobirama, in both the hand on his arm and in the man's chakra. Knowing that something had to be done now, or the parade would be thrown off by Tobirama stopping for his former student, he shot his gaze around for someone, anyone, he could flag down. Luck was on his side, and he spotted both Anzu and Dai, two of the three women who had helped him prepare for greeting the delegation months ago. They were just up ahead, choosing to stand with the rest of the village as forwarners in case something happened that the Ushiha clan needed to know. As active kunoichi, they were fluent in the clan's shorthand used for missions.
Madara shot out several small fire hawks for show, grabbing people's attention and drawing excited crowing for more. While he sent another volley into the air, one shot down and fizzled in front of the two women. Dai elbowed Anzu, and they looked over to meet his gaze.
'Intercept target,' he signed rapidly. 'Senju. K-O-U-K-A. Behind. Right. Capture.'
Anzu read his message and then pointed behind her. Madara shook his head once. She pointed in front of her, back the way he'd come, and he nodded. She leaned out over the fence and, after a few seconds, spotted Kouka heading their way. She nodded back to her clan leader and then grabbed Dai's elbow. Together, the two ninja shoved their way through the bodies blocking their path until they cut Kouka off. He tried to avoid them, but the two Uchiha each grabbed an arm and pulled him away from the road, towards the nearest side street. From there, if they understood his intentions, they'd bring him to the Uchiha compound.
T-H-A-N-K Y-O-U was tapped out on his arm, and Madara gave a quiet hum in acknowledgement.
As they closed in on the curve, he noticed Tobirama's steps slow. The reason was obvious when you looked. Because, ahead, taking up the space in front of the Uchiha's old main gate, stood the majority of the Senju clan.
At some point, probably as soon as he exited the coach, word must have gotten around to them quicker than the gasping of the man's name. Between when their former heir made his appearance and when Go shouted his name, his clan had relocated from their random places in the parade to the end of it. They took up the vantage point that gave them the first and longest look of Tobirama. Standing where they were, Tobirama merely had to look ahead to see them.
Unlike the rest of the village, they were still. They stood tall and quiet, expressions banked. It wasn't easy to guess what was going on in their minds. Tobirama had been their de facto leader for half a decade. He'd been a key loadstone for double that. But, on the other hand, he'd abandoned them. Sure, it was for his own self-preservation, and no one could begrudge him that, but it still had to have created some grievances. Red eyes skipped over the hundreds of faces staring back at him, almost hungrily. He landed on one in particular and stayed there.
Ren, Takeo's husband, was standing at the fore. Dressed in a black formal kimono and hakama, his hair styled back, he was waiting for them patiently. As they neared, Ren looked to Hashirama first for several long seconds before turning back to Tobirama. Then, when they were just ten feet or so from the bend, the man moved.
As if on cue, the Senju clan in unison followed along. They lifted their hands, made a fist with the right, and pressed it against the palm of their left. Then, as one, they bowed. Every one of them, even the children born after the village. Every single one of them lowered their heads and eyes to the ground in supplication or apology or something Madara had no way of parsing out.
Whatever it was, whatever it meant, Hashirama didn't react, and all Tobirama did was lift his chin by a fraction of an inch. The three of them reached the curve and turned left. As they passed by the Senju clan, they remained as they were, silently bowing. Tobirama didn't look back, and they didn't call out.
Finally, the Uchiha's new main gate was in view, just past the Fire Pavilion. As they reached the structure, Tobirama eyed the trees and then his brother. He didn't say anything, though, and turned his attention to the next crowd waiting for him.
Like the Senju, the Uchiha were silent, though not as still. It was never clearer than this moment how outnumbered Tobirama's former clan was. The Sharingan clan was Konoha's largest, numbering just over fourteen hundred. Madara had made sure that all but a handful were in the village for this. So that meant close to 1,400 men, women, and children from what was once the younger man's greatest enemy were standing in mass. Realization struck the Uchiha leader like a lightning bolt.
Oh, shit. Over a thousand of Tobirama's greatest enemies were standing just ahead, staring at him silently. Tobirama, who, by all accounts, hated the Uchiha clan before the truce and could very well still do. Tobirama, who would be living in the heart of their compound.
Front and center of the massive gathering were the elders. Hiei and Makodo were in the middle and standing slightly ahead of the others. Hiei, whose son had lost a leg to the Senju's Ghost, and Makodo, whose last immediate family, her granddaughter, finally died on a mission when she ran into a Senju border patrol. They were watching Tobirama like hawks, coolly studying him as he closed in on them.
Unlike with the Senju clan, Tobirama did not continue. Here, he stopped. The procession slowed behind him until everyone was at a standstill. The former Senju ran his gaze over the gathered clan, lingering on a few specific individuals, but waited patiently for the two elders to finish their observations and pass judgment, whatever they were deciding.
Finally, after what seemed like a tense lifetime, Makodo's gaze tempered. She turned to a wide-eyed Chiyo beside her and then looked down at an equally wide-eyed Kagami. The little boy was holding what looked to be a bouquet, though where he got something so eclectic, Madara didn't know. The female elder reached over to nudge the boy, and Kagami startled. He looked up at his great-great-aunt and then his mother, before looking back towards them.
Nervously, the child approached them, glancing to Madara every few seconds for comfort. When he'd reached them, he stood two or three feet in front of Tobirama and craned his head back to look up at him. With the umbrella positioned as it was, the sun wasn't able to blind the boy, and so Kagami could look up at their newest village member unabated. Which he did for a full minute. No amount of nonverbal prodding or signaling could get him to move. Though Madara tried.
During that observation, which Tobirama suffered with good grace, Kagami's eyes had gotten steadily bigger, and his mouth opened in amazement.
"You're so pretty!" He breathed. Madara groaned and closed his eyes, just as the boy turned back to his mother. "Mama! Mama, he's pretty!"
Chiyo slapped a hand over her face and bowed her head in embarrassment, even as Makodo raised an eyebrow and multiple Uchiha broke their solemnity and laughed. Madara heard laughter from behind them as well, which sounded like both women, the two teens, and probably Daisuke. There was a deep chuckle, too, probably from Hideki. Hashirama, the idiot, couldn't help himself and giggled.
Instead of being insulted or brushing the boy off, Tobirama took a small step forward and then gracefully sank to the ground. Blue robes pooled around him as he kneeled. The movement put him slightly out of the protection of the umbrella, and bright rays bounced off his crown and glanced across his hair, making it seem to gleam and sparkle.
"What's your name, Little One?" Tobirama asked him, his voice gentle and warm in a way that they hadn't heard before, not even when he was talking to Go and Sumi.
"Ka—Kagami," Madara's baby cousin answered.
"Kagami. Do you know what your name means?"
Kagami shook his head, even though the clan leader knew Chiyo had told him many times over by now. Madara shot the boy's mother and his aunt a look, which both returned. Oblivious to his family's exasperation, Kagami kept staring at the pretty man talking to him. Madara, noticing the sun was hitting Tobirama's skin, shifted forward to stand between and just off from his cousin and the Ishaan. It allowed him a better view of both their faces.
The entire clan was watching the interaction with guarded fascination. While they'd been willing to accept Tobirama in the village and understood the necessity of befriending the Ishaan, the Uchiha hadn't been prepared for both at the same time and in the same person. Understandably, many were worried about the former Senju's reaction to them, especially a little boy who hadn't existed the last time he'd interacted with the Sharingan clan.
They needn't have been worried, though. At the still astonished look plastered on Kagami's face, the last remnants of impassivity in Tobirama's expression melted away. His eyes crinkled, and his mouth turned up into a lopsided grin. Hashirama, who had also maneuvered to stand on the other side of the two, sucked in a breath at that, his once-again black eyes staring intently at his brother.
Tobirama ignored the two adults on either side of him. Instead, he raised a large hand to cup the side of Kagami's head and ever so gently ran a thumb over a fragile cheekbone.
"Your name means mirror," the albino explained patiently. "Do you know what a mirror does?"
"It shows you, you," the boy responded as best he could.
"Correct. A mirror reflects an image back. Most of the time, it's your own reflection. But it doesn't always have to be that." Red eyes studied the little boy intently. "You're named after a mirror, I imagine, because you have it in you to reflect the best and worst back at people. They look at you, and you show them who they are and who they can be, Little One."
Something hot began to beat away in Madara's chest at that. His breath caught, and his eyes widened at the same time Chiyo's did. The young mother covered her mouth, and Makodo, equally moved, reached out blindly for her other hand. Hiei stood stunned. As did most of the clan members who could hear the Ishaan's words.
Tobirama ran his hand over the boy's head and then dropped it onto his shoulder, mindful not to knock the boy. "But there's something important you need to remember, Kagami. Can you do that?"
The child nodded, eyes fixated on the man.
"Most people think mirrors don't have a choice in what they show. After all, if you stand in front of one, you'll see yourself. But that's not true." He tipped Kagami's chin up with a long, delicate finger and leaned forward, as if he were about to share a secret. "A mirror always has a choice. It's their decision on what they reflect back. Do you understand?"
Kagami simply stared. Madara was afraid his cousin didn't and was too scared to answer, so the clan head began to formulate a way to get the boy out of the situation he was in. However, he was proven wrong.
The three-year-old reached up and grasped the finger held under his chin, his little hand easily fitting around the long digit. "I can choose if I show good stuff or bad stuff."
Tobirama, who had been waiting patiently for the boy to speak, grinned down at him brightly. "Yes. You are absolutely correct, Little Mirror. You get to choose whether to reflect the best in people or the worst. Always try to choose the first. Understand?"
Kagami nodded. More serious than Madara had ever seen him. Then, without preamble, he shoved the flowers he was holding into Tobirama's arms. "Granny says those are for you!"
Tobirama quickly reached up to gather the bouquet before it fell to the ground, and then studied it carefully. After a minute, he smiled again, though not as broadly, and gave a little laugh. The man's elder brother, though, choked and eyed Makodo judgingly. All Tobirama did after chuckling was to pull out one of the daffodils and slip it behind Kagami's ear. Then he plucked a rose and handed it to the boy.
"For your mother." When Kagami nodded, the man pulled out the camellia and gave it to the child as well. "For your granny."
Again, the Hokage let out a strangled sound and shot his brother a scandalized look that Tobirama ignored.
"Go on, Little Mirror," the Ishaan prodded the boy.
Kagami turned but then hesitated before looking back at Tobirama. "You're Tobirama-sama?"
A white brow rose, but the man seemed amused more than anything. "Among other things."
"The Ishaan?" the baby-Uchiha clarified.
"Mmmhmm."
The little boy bit his lip and glanced up at his clan leader before pushing on. "You're Kouka's sensei. Will you be my sensei, too? I wanna be awesome like you are!"
Madara sighed and closed his eyes in weariness again. Quite a few of his clansmen all sweatdropped at the child's audacity, and his mother buried her head in both her hands. Hashirama bit his lip to stop the laughter, but Tobirama's household didn't bother. They all chuckled at the boy's enthusiasm to various degrees.
"I'm awesome, huh?" Tobirama asked, grin widening.
Kagami nodded fervently. "Uh-huh. We all think so!"
Red eyes glanced up at the suddenly awkward Uchiha clan before back down to the boy. "What would you like to learn?"
The Uchiha clan leader knew what the answer was before his cousin's eyes lit up in glee, and he crowed— "Blood dragon!"
"You would enjoy that, you bloodthirsty little thing, wouldn't you?" Tobirama spoke not unkindly. "Alas, that's one thing I can't teach. Most people don't have the control needed. And even if they did, they aren't attuned to water as strongly as I am."
Mouth and brows both turned down in thought, Kagami turned the refusal over in his mind. "So water has to really like you, and you gotta be strong enough to tell it what to do?"
Madara quirked a brow at the mangled but well-thought-out recap of the albino's explanation. Maybe Touka was right in that Kagami was a lot smarter than what they gave him credit for. If the opportunity arose, he could ask Tobirama for his opinion.
"Exactly so, Little Mirror. Now, go on. Back to your poor mother. She's got enough grey in her hair as it is."
Chiyo automatically pulled her hands from her face and began running them over her scalp, trying to check for grey that simply wasn't there. Makodo laughed and pulled her kinswoman's appendages down. The woman pouted before giving a gusty sigh and then motioning for Kagami to return to her side. Kagami went after giving Tobirama a wave goodbye.
The younger man watched him go, still kneeling in the dirt, and only when he was safely next to his parent did he rise. Without waiting for his escorts, he began walking again. Madara quickly rushed to catch up, fumbling with the umbrella a tiny bit as he raised it to shelter the albino once again. Tobirama didn't move to take his arm, though. Likely, it wasn't needed as the pandemonium had died down considerably. The Ishaan completed the last stretch of the main road before curving right to face the large gate. As he passed them, Makodo and Hiei both dipped their heads in welcome, and the rest of the clan followed suit. Like with the Senju clan, Tobirama didn't acknowledge the motion, and the clan didn't pretend to expect him to.
Once through the portico, a brief walk down the newly built road brought them to the impressive main entrance of Ishaan's estate. For most of the length of the front wall, which began immediately inside the compound and ran along the left side of the street, it was thick stone. However, at the center, cedar walls stretched out on either side of large and inviting open doors. Each beam and joinery appeared to be cut with a craftsman's precision. Broad, tiered eaves lined with dark roof tiles sheltered the open doors and the walls. Waiting for them just outside those doors were the rest of Tobirama's household and the architects.
Miss Fukuharu stood in front, dressed in full geisha regalia. Her black hair was slicked up into the normal shimada style, though whether it was a wig or not, Madara didn't know. Her face was painted in deference to the special occasion. Her kimono, as fitting the established pattern of the household, incorporated grey and the eye-catching blue that the Uchiha was beginning to suspect was Tobirama's official colors. The ensemble was made up of a kimono in light grey, with blue hydrangeas and scattered silver water droplet motifs embroidered in at the hems and sleeves. Her obi was a reverse, blue with silver-threaded rain lines. Her zori were a grey base with blue straps. Placed in her hair was a kanzashi of silver, a hydrangea bloom in blue enamel.
Jun and Isao sat on the ground at her right. The orange and black fox glowered at the approaching crowd and turned his head away in annoyance. Jun, however, sat up in excitement and waved all three of her white tails.
On Fukuharu's left stood Yasushi Kida, Kirin, and the two court officials sent to plan and oversee the building of the mansion. The officials were dressed in formal wear and trying to appear more important than they were. Kida and Kirin, however, were in their everyday clothes. It did look like they'd gone through the effort to get rid of all the dirt they usually wore, though, and then put a comb through their hair.
Fukaharu bowed as they reached the gate. "Ishaan-ko, this one welcomes you."
The group pulled to a stop a few feet from the woman. Tobirama stepped forward, out from under the umbrella, and crossed the distance to gently touch her shoulder. At the signal, the geisha rose from her position and gave Tobirama a tiny smile, which he returned.
"Fukuharu, yes?"
She dipped her head. "Yes, Ishaan-ko."
Tobirama flicked his fingers at her address. "None of that, please. It's Tobirama to my house, and, if you must, I prefer 'sama'." He turned his head to peer through the gate and into the estate grounds. "I take it you were able to set things up for the officials?"
"Yes, Lord Tobirama. There were quite a number of people ready to help as soon as I arrived yesterday. We were done by midday."
"Good. Good." He sounded distracted, eyes still taking in what he could see of the grounds. His intermediary patiently waited, knowing he had more to say. Eventually, he pulled his attention from where it was and looked back at the woman. "We'll go through the main gardens first. Please remain behind to help get them situated while I finish the tour. Then, come find me. I'll either be in the dojo or the back garden."
"Yes, Tobirama-sama." She bowed again, straightened, and accepted the bouquet Tobirama passed off to her. She pulled back to allow his other two household members their turn.
Jun was practically vibrating from where she was standing. "Ishaan-sama! It's been ages and ages!"
Tobirama chuckled. "It's been three days, Jun, and you know it."
The kitsune scoffed before leaping at him. The young man caught her easily and held her in the crook of his arm. She stood up and rested her forepaws on his shoulder so she could get closer to his face. The position allowed Madara to see her as the two of them conversed.
"But three days too long. My fur is in shambles! Miss Fuku did her best, but she's not you. She doesn't know how best to brush me. And I was so bored, Tobi-sama. Madara-san's adorable little brother isn't here to play with."
From his place on the ground, Isao pretended to gag.
"You'll live," Tobirama drawled before turning his attention to the male kitsune. "Hello, Isao."
Isao grumped but turned his head up to look at the human. "Ishaan-sama."
They stared at each other in silence for over a minute. It went on for so long that everyone around them began to shift at the awkwardness and wonder when it would end. Finally, it did end when Isao looked away with an annoyed 'che'.
"Now that we've gotten that out of the way," the albino said pleasantly. Without sound or gesture, water appeared out of thin air under the male kitsune and began to lift him upright. "Jun."
With a "Hup," Jun jumped up onto Tobirama's shoulder, shrinking as she did so. When she was the size of a small shuriken, she leapt up on top of her perch's head and then again onto his top bun. The white fox landed gracefully and then turned to face the delegation behind. She plopped down in the center of the golden crown and waved her tails at Hashirama and Madara. Meanwhile, Isao writhed in the air as strands of water wrapped around his forearms and stomach.
"Put me down," he shrieked. "Put me down!"
Tobirama reached out when the pain was chest-high and gently grabbed hold of him. The water dissipated, leaving the kitsune struggling in the human's hands. Without pausing, the younger man merely resituated the fox until he was cradled in a blue-robed arm. Then, he calmly waited.
It took a little while, but Isao settled and glared up at the person holding him with sharp teeth bared. "I hate you."
"No, you don't," Tobirama refuted. "You'd have to actually walk if you did."
Unable to deny that without losing transportation privileges, the kitsune merely snarled half-heartedly before settling deeper into his position in Tobirama's arms. He turned his head to the right so he could look back at the delegation around Tobirama's bicep and glare, challenging them to say something. They didn't dare.
Kida snorted from his place in line. The old man smirked, but kept his mouth shut.
Tobirama turned to him and dipped his head. "Yasushi-san."
"Che," the architect waved the honorific away. "I told you, Yasushi's fine, kid."
All the officials, the two in front of them and the five at the back, gasped at the impropriety. Kirin's eyes widened, but he didn't say anything. Tobirama, however, smirked.
"If I'm a kid, you're a corpse."
Madara and Hashirama both bit back sounds of horror.
Kida laughed, great big belly shaking cackles that sent his head backwards and his eyes closed. "Better in a coffin than diapers."
"I'll have to take your word on that since you're in both."
"HA!" The architect hooted and slapped his leg. "You little shit. I'll get back at you for that."
"What are you going to do, Old Man? Gum me to death?"
"Lord Ishaan!" came Shin's scandalized voice from behind them all.
Tobirama pretended not to hear. "So, how many people did you bury?"
Yasushi grinned nastily. "Unfortunately, they weren't so much idiots that they tested that threat. They all beat it except these two assholes."
He thumbed at said assholes, who were glaring at the old man furiously.
Tobirama nodded. "Couldn't be helped. Itou was whining so much that the Daimyo gave in just to shut him up."
That made the two men beside Kida gasp in outrage. "That is the head of Fire's architecture department you're insulting!"
Without missing a beat, Tobirama turned unimpressed red eyes on the two men. "Do I look like I care, Tempo? You only got this job because Itou knew I would chuck him through another window if he even breathed on my house.
"And besides-" he pressed, not giving the man a chance to respond. His voice became more animated the longer he spoke, and he began to wave his free arm in emphasis. "You weren't even supposed to be here. I told the Daimyo that it was Kida or nothing. It was your boss who couldn't stand the idea of some nobody hack—"
"I'm right here," Kida cut in.
"—being the one to build my house to the lofty and ridiculous standards it apparently needs to be, as well as to my own goddamn specifications!"
The entire area went silent.
There was a long, drawn-out pause before they heard Kagami's voice in the distance. "He said a bad word, Mama."
Tobirama drew in a deep breath before pulling in all the frustration that had burst out during his impromptu rant. He rolled his shoulders back and pulled on his previous airs. With his posture tall and his eyes cool, he raised an eyebrow at the men.
They shrank back.
"Now," he started, tone completely calm and pleasant once more. "Why don't we all go see my lovely home so you all can relax. I'm sure you must be exhausted from all the work you put into assisting Yasushi. The court officials are also tired from their journey and would appreciate a rest."
The architects both nodded quickly and motioned for him to go ahead.
"Thank you." Tobirama turned back to everyone behind him, Isao now cheerily nestled in his arms with teeth gleaming and tails twitching. Ishaan took in their wide, wide eyes. He tipped his head to the side, long shining hair glinting under the sunlight as more of it shifted to fall in front of him, and gave them a gracious yet quietly menacing smile.
"Shall we go?"
Next to him, Hashirama whimpered, and Madara was in complete agreement.