Not so imaginary

viii.

Senju Tobirama is often described as strict—cruel in the journals of Uchiha, innovative— idea stealing in the journals of Uchiha, honest— rude and condescending in the journals of Uchiha, and a force to be reckoned with. He was the second son of Senju Butsuma, the only son who had silver hair and eyes associated with the devil. Growing up, Tobirama learns to ignore the whispers or the looks they gave him. The war was more important. His brothers' lives were more important. So he trains. He trains as hard as he could and fought as many as he could yet two of his brother still ended up returning in small caskets. 

Growing up, Tobirama learns early on that death was always at his doorstep; not for him but for his family. With Itama's birth, death collected the first soul— his mother. The young woman who had cared for him for the first 5 years of his life was gone within a night. The second soul Death collected was his second younger brother Kawarama. Kawarama was 8, only two years younger than Tobirama when he had fought bravely against a group of Uchihas. His body was found mutilated and marked with the Uchiha's crest. Tobirama's anguish and hatred for the Uchiha grew. Then came Itama's turn, his youngest brother. Itama was 7—the same age Tobirama had been when he first joined the war. Itama's head was found on a stake alongside 3 other Senju children who have also been missing for a couple of days. Despite discovering the 4 heads with no body to mourn for or have a proper funeral ceremony— it had been a warning the Senju ignored. It had been a warning Senju Butsuma stubbornly ignored despite Hashirama's pestering of retreating. 

Because to Butsuma, to retreat means to give up and to give up means to lose the war. After all, Senju Butsuma has a pride and value to uphold and it was not Hashirama's turn yet to decide on the fate of the clan. So he orders every household to send those who are 7 years and above to train and prepare themselves for war. It was fair to say Hashirama had not agreed with his father's decision. Butsuma was soon notified that his eldest had not been attending his post or training yet the boy had left home as he usually did. 

So where did he go? That was up to Tobirama to find out.

When Butsuma had ordered Tobirama to spy on his only remaining brother's whereabouts, Tobirama had been nervous. Hashirama was all they had left—was all he had left and to see him—the future of Senju interacting with a boy who was clearly an Uchiha— the same kind that put two of their younger brothers in a casket was absolutely horrifying. 

Traitorous thoughts filled the younger Senju at once.

How long had Hashirama interacted with the Uchiha?

Had Hashirama given away any of their clan secrets?

Did Hashirama betray them?

But Tobirama was not one to rush to conclusions. Upon observing his naive older brother a little longer, it was obvious the Senju heir had not given away any of their secrets or even his own identity. The two oblivious boys were only interacting as if there wasn't any war—skipping stones at the edge of the river dreaming of a world with no war.

Anger curls in Tobirama like a blazing inferno, because how dare he? How could Hashirama pretend as if there was never any war? It was all as if their siblings had not been cruelly slaughtered by the kind he was sitting beside as they spout nonsense about a new world— a new community that he wishes he could create. 

And yet for a moment— a moment that Tobirama is ashamed to admit, he falls for their promises of a better world. A community where everyone could interact with each other peacefully. A community where children would not have to worry about war. A harmonious and prosperous village.