Tobirama met those eerie eyes with their black sclera and hellishly bright activated Sharingan evenly. Considering how many times in the past Izuna had placed him under a genjutsu perhaps it was foolishness on his part but when they’d started this ridiculous relationship of theirs, he’d made a point of showing he trusted the other man by meeting his gaze heedless of the dangers as a sign of trust.
Perhaps now was not the time to offer that trust so readily but Tobirama didn’t know how else to prove to his former lover that his feelings for him had not changed. He’d told Izuna he loved him but he’d never been a man who was skilled with words and had always preferred to let his actions speak for him.
The light press of Izuna’s mouth against his was strange thanks to the eerie tepid quality of his simulated flesh. The Edo Tensei form lacked body heat but neither was it cold. Instead it sort of retained the ambient temperature of the room itself. Still, despite the vaguely unnerving feel and texture of those papery lips pressing against his skin, Tobirama still wanted to tilt his head ever so slightly to complete the kiss. But he was a master at ignoring his own wants and needs so he allowed himself to be pushed back without protest.
“As you wish,” the words came out cool and stiff sounding. But Tobirama did as Izuna had bid and gathered the chakra necessary to complete his hiraishin. The younger Senju brother had cleared out almost a week to finish finalizing his jutsu so when he showed up at the Hokage tower after only four days, the various ninja working there were understandably surprised. But Tobirama’s sudden appearance was quickly forgotten because there were far more important matters to attend to.
Almost as soon as he’d appeared, Sarutobi Sasuke was flagging him down with a grim look on his face. And that was when he found out that everything he’d been working for was in vain.
Because while he’d been in his hidden laboratory working on the Edo Tensei jutsu, Uchiha Madara had walked away from the village and declared Konoha his enemy once more. Everyone was in a tizzy over it but Tobirama just felt…numb when Sasuke informed him of what had been happening in his absence. Outwardly he was calm as he sought out his brother who he knew would be devastated by this but inwardly he was anything but calm. Something screaming and raging at the unfairness of everything clawed around inside of him leaving him feeling hollowed out and bleeding.
Why!? After everything why had Madara chosen now to do this?! How could he face Izuna after promising to bring his brother to him? If Izuna knew what had happened, Tobirama knew in his heart of hearts that Izuna wouldn’t stop until he’d broken out and joined his brother on the battlefield.
Once more they would be separated by war and it was so fucking unfair he wanted to scream.
Tobirama just had to shove all of that down and keep it locked up tight because as he’d feared, Hashirama was a complete mess. His brother didn’t know what to do about his best friend’s defection. In typical Hashirama fashion, he tried to take all the blame on himself. What he could have done to convince Madara of his place in the village. What he could have done to make him stay.
Normally, he might have been able to handle Hashirama’s stupid friendship dramas with Madara but considering the man had just betrayed Konoha, Tobirama wasn’t feeling particularly charitable. It eventually ended in the two of them getting into a fight and Tobirama finally had to storm out of the Hokage tower lest he say something that would injure his relationship with his brother.
Deep down though he knew it wasn’t Hashirama he was angry with which was why Tobirama had to excuse himself before he lashed out at the wrong person. He knew what he had to do now though. Izuna could not be allowed to get free of the lab. If he knew his brother had turned his back on Konoha then he would immediately go to Madara’s side and the Edo Tensei form was simply too strong to fall into enemy hands. It would be giving Madara a devastating tool to use against the village.
He had to send Izuna back. He had to dispel the Edo Tensei jutsu.
It was tempting to just do it now so he didn’t have to face Izuna. But the Uchiha would just view that as yet another ultimate betrayal, wouldn’t he? And hadn’t Tobirama made a silent promise to be forthright with the other man from here on out? So as tempting as it would be to just dispel the jutsu outright, he knew in his heart of hearts he had to tell Izuna why he had to send him back to the Pure Land.
It would be hours before he returned to the secret lab deep inside the heart of the Hokage mountain. He looked grimmer than Izuna had ever seen him before as he steeled himself for what he had to do.
no subject
Perhaps now was not the time to offer that trust so readily but Tobirama didn’t know how else to prove to his former lover that his feelings for him had not changed. He’d told Izuna he loved him but he’d never been a man who was skilled with words and had always preferred to let his actions speak for him.
The light press of Izuna’s mouth against his was strange thanks to the eerie tepid quality of his simulated flesh. The Edo Tensei form lacked body heat but neither was it cold. Instead it sort of retained the ambient temperature of the room itself. Still, despite the vaguely unnerving feel and texture of those papery lips pressing against his skin, Tobirama still wanted to tilt his head ever so slightly to complete the kiss. But he was a master at ignoring his own wants and needs so he allowed himself to be pushed back without protest.
“As you wish,” the words came out cool and stiff sounding. But Tobirama did as Izuna had bid and gathered the chakra necessary to complete his hiraishin. The younger Senju brother had cleared out almost a week to finish finalizing his jutsu so when he showed up at the Hokage tower after only four days, the various ninja working there were understandably surprised. But Tobirama’s sudden appearance was quickly forgotten because there were far more important matters to attend to.
Almost as soon as he’d appeared, Sarutobi Sasuke was flagging him down with a grim look on his face. And that was when he found out that everything he’d been working for was in vain.
Because while he’d been in his hidden laboratory working on the Edo Tensei jutsu, Uchiha Madara had walked away from the village and declared Konoha his enemy once more. Everyone was in a tizzy over it but Tobirama just felt…numb when Sasuke informed him of what had been happening in his absence. Outwardly he was calm as he sought out his brother who he knew would be devastated by this but inwardly he was anything but calm. Something screaming and raging at the unfairness of everything clawed around inside of him leaving him feeling hollowed out and bleeding.
Why!? After everything why had Madara chosen now to do this?! How could he face Izuna after promising to bring his brother to him? If Izuna knew what had happened, Tobirama knew in his heart of hearts that Izuna wouldn’t stop until he’d broken out and joined his brother on the battlefield.
Once more they would be separated by war and it was so fucking unfair he wanted to scream.
Tobirama just had to shove all of that down and keep it locked up tight because as he’d feared, Hashirama was a complete mess. His brother didn’t know what to do about his best friend’s defection. In typical Hashirama fashion, he tried to take all the blame on himself. What he could have done to convince Madara of his place in the village. What he could have done to make him stay.
Normally, he might have been able to handle Hashirama’s stupid friendship dramas with Madara but considering the man had just betrayed Konoha, Tobirama wasn’t feeling particularly charitable. It eventually ended in the two of them getting into a fight and Tobirama finally had to storm out of the Hokage tower lest he say something that would injure his relationship with his brother.
Deep down though he knew it wasn’t Hashirama he was angry with which was why Tobirama had to excuse himself before he lashed out at the wrong person. He knew what he had to do now though. Izuna could not be allowed to get free of the lab. If he knew his brother had turned his back on Konoha then he would immediately go to Madara’s side and the Edo Tensei form was simply too strong to fall into enemy hands. It would be giving Madara a devastating tool to use against the village.
He had to send Izuna back. He had to dispel the Edo Tensei jutsu.
It was tempting to just do it now so he didn’t have to face Izuna. But the Uchiha would just view that as yet another ultimate betrayal, wouldn’t he? And hadn’t Tobirama made a silent promise to be forthright with the other man from here on out? So as tempting as it would be to just dispel the jutsu outright, he knew in his heart of hearts he had to tell Izuna why he had to send him back to the Pure Land.
It would be hours before he returned to the secret lab deep inside the heart of the Hokage mountain. He looked grimmer than Izuna had ever seen him before as he steeled himself for what he had to do.