***

I want to stand as close to the edge as I can without going over. Out on the edge, you see all kinds of things you can't see from the center.

Kurt Vonnegut

***

Tobirama is walking a narrowing path with terrifying drops on either side. Hashirama is gone, safely tucked away with the Uchiha, and Tobirama and the clan have been taking the brunt of Butsuma's rage since.

He's bitten his cheeks raw keeping quiet, and he's not the only one. Even the diehards of his generation are struggling to justify the current situation.

Butsuma has declared Hashirama a traitor and an enemy of the clan. He wants him killed on sight, but there are few in the clan confident enough to actually try, so Tobirama knows he has some time before he has to worry about that.

The bigger concern is that Butsuma changed the allotments again to fuel increased mission numbers and constant security patrols around the compound, and now they're not going to have enough stores to survive the winter.

If it takes Hashirama too long to enact whatever secret harebrained scheme he's come up with that Madara is most certainly in on, the clan won't survive.

And despite how much Hashirama disagrees with their ways and how much he can't stand the compound lately, Tobirama's older brother is too kind-hearted to let them die.

He no doubt thinks he's saving them with whatever he's doing.

He'd just rather do it with an over-emotional rage kitten like Madara instead of his own brother.

Whatever.

Tobirama has enough work to do, between managing the clan and Butsuma and the scheming foreign Princess and keeping Edo Tensi half-finished so he doesn't actually have to go through with using it, that it's easy to push aside the feeling of abandonment and hurt.

Hashirama might prefer Madara to anyone else, but he won't leave everyone else to die. Tobirama knows that despite how much Hashirama's recent behavior baffles him.

If anything, Tobirama needs to figure out a way to communicate with Hashirama because he's going to need Tobirama's intel at some point.

Which also means Tobirama needs to start steeling himself to deal with the Uchiha in a non-violent manner.

And, ugh, start giving serious consideration to the village Hashirama's always harped about.

But first, food, before there's no one left to save.

And then, when this winding, tangled path Hashirama has set them on is finally finished, maybe he can have his brother back.

And find out what it was that scared Hashirama so much because that's the only reason he would have acted so rashly. He might be an over-emotional fool sometimes, but he wouldn't have attacked their father in public if he wasn't terrified of something.

And it's not Butsuma because he's been a concern their entire lives.

And it's not the Edo Tensi, no matter what Hashirama says, because he knows Tobirama would never use it without Hashirama's agreement.

But there is something that he knows that Tobirama doesn't, which is rare enough, but that it's driven him to act this way is concerning.

It may just be in conjunction with his relationship with Madara, or it may not. The biggest issue is that Tobirama doesn't know enough to make an educated guess.

And if he wasn't always rushing from one emergency to the next, trying to hold everything together until Hashirama returned, he'd storm over to the Uchiha himself and demand answers.

To bad he barely stands still these days.

He's never hated human beings as much as he does right now.

And these are the ones he knows.

What is it going to be like when Hashirama gets his village?

Maybe Tobirama will go into exile?

Yes, that's an idea. Peace and quiet and nothing but time for his research and the pursuit of new knowledge.

Hashirama can deal with the rest of the world.

With Madara.

Uuuggghhhh.

No one makes Tobirama feel or act more like a hormonal teenager.

So annoying.

He's never going to make it through a meeting at the Uchiha compound. The lack of control made bearable only by the fact that he knows Madara would never make it through a meeting in the Senju compound either.

He's going to have to meet Hashirama somewhere outside the clan-controlled forest or fields because Butsuma's paranoia has only worsened, and now it takes concentrated effort for Tobirama to do anything without his father knowing. Any time he gets truly angry at Hashirama, he just remembers that even when their relationship is at its worst, Hashirama doesn't feel the need to spy on him, trusting him even when they're furious at each other.

Knowing that, if he had the time, he'd dedicate more effort and brain cells to wondering why he can't trust his brother's opinion of Madara, but he isn't sure he wants to tug that string just yet.

If ever.

Because it means Tobirama is truly either an extremely skilled but terribly petty, jealous shinobi because of their friendship or an average shinobi terribly jealous and petty because of Madara's skill.

He isn't pleased with either of those options.

Touka, for once, isn't that helpful. She's still leading the Let's Kill Madara Camp, but it's becoming increasingly hard to tell if it's because she truly hates him or if she's just keeping face in front of Butsuma since she's now Tobirama's heir.

The Foreign Princess is another factor Tobirama can't completely read, and it only drives home how much he misses Hashirama and his ridiculously, unnecessarily open personality.

She's watching everything, and Tobirama knows she was talking to Hashirama right before he left, but every time he's tried to speak to her he's either been frozen out or blocked by her two handmaidens. She's waiting for something. Otherwise, she wouldn't have stuck around and put up with Butsuma's blatantly clumsy attempts to get her to agree to an engagement with Tobirama instead.

He's terrified she's going to agree, so he's also been going out of his way to be rude whenever he's forced to be in the same room with her...

Wait...

God, he's an idiot.

That's why she's not talking to him.

This is why he needs Hashirama around. Hashi's the people person, Tobi's better with weapons and jutsu and books.

He wonders what Madara's good at?

Nothing, he thinks immediately and then feels foolish for being childish. Madara is a strong leader, well-liked by most of his clan based on their intelligence, and despite the weird leadership structure of the Uchiha, Tobirama can't find a single instance of a true threat to his mantle.

Aside from a few strange assassination attempts over the years, but even their most dedicated spies have reported the Uchiha didn't take them seriously. There seems to be some weird belief that Madara is unkillable, which is ridiculous because everyone, even Hashirama, can be killed. It's just extremely difficult.

Extremely.

Annoyingly.

Nothing Tobirama has come up with has scratched Madara, and he'd be suspicious if he'd managed to successfully use any of them against Hashirama either.

The two of them are just....a different level.

An almost unnaturally different level.

Maybe he'll help Hashirama get his village so he can dedicate some time to studying Hashirama and Madara and figuring out what the hell sets them apart.

The Sharingan is fascinating, after all.

The most fascinating subject Tobirama has ever studied.

And coincidently, the one he's understood the least.

The Uchiha have locked down the information on the Sharingan so well that even the Senju, who face it in battle more than anyone else, have a limited understanding of its true abilities.

There are the old legends, of course. Of the Sage of Six Paths and the wars against Kaguya.

But it's been generations since the last one, and few records survived. Even Tobirama's summons, his moths that were once contracted to his great-grandfather, don't recall much besides the ferocity of the Uchiha in battle and their affection for fire.

His only significant discovery was accidental. When he'd sent his moths in to spy on the Uchiha and they'd been immediately discovered by a Sharingan user and then been so attracted to his fire-bright chakra that they'd barely been able to defend themselves and get away.

The Sharingan could see through any obscuration, living up to its name, and even the advanced illusion jutsu Tobirama's moths used was useless.

Butsuma had been furious.

So had Tobirama because he'd almost lost two of them, so badly burned they'd required a week of constant healing to survive, and it had taken a year before he could summon them again.

He'd taken down two of Madara's hawks in the next battle, but he hadn't been close enough since to see if they'd died or just injured.

An interesting fact, filed away with the others, Madara rarely used his hawks in pitched battles. That occasion had been one of a number that Tobirama could count on one hand, and he suspected, but couldn't prove, that the hawks had been present to hunt down his moths.

Both sides had walked away equal in intelligence that time, Tobirama's summons outed and injured and Madara's injured, possibly killed, though the Senju had managed to kill two Uchiha shinobi and had only lost one of their own in the battle.

He has to put aside his work for dinner with his father and the Princess and barely manages to keep his mouth shut through the meal. Head ducked as he shoveled food into his mouth, he left the conversation to Butsuma, the uncompromising Princess, and a quietly furious Touka who glared at anyone who forced her to converse.

She doesn't even try to hide it, which is new. Normally, Touka was better at playing politics than both her cousins, but something was clearly wrong now.

He lingered after the meal, something he hadn't done in a while, and walked out with her after Butsuma finally dismissed the table.

"Cousin."

"Cousin." She rolled her shoulders and sighed deeply, relaxing a bit once they were out of Butsuma's house. "Haven't seen you in a few days."

Tobirama snorted, "You're just as busy as I am, cousin."

"Fuck Hashirama."

"Touka!"

"Are you seriously not angry with him, Tobi? He left. He nearly started a war in the clan. He still might."

"Hashirama is doing what he thinks is right," Tobi murmured, stretching out his chakra to make sure no one was nearby.

"He's being selfish," she hissed. "His way is not the only way."

Tobirama shrugged. "It might be the best way."

She stopped in surprise and pulled him to a stop as well. "That kind of talk will get you killed, cousin." Her eyes flicked to the patrols on the walls. "Are you in contact with him?"

"Not yet."

"So you don't know if he even will reach out. Or if he's finally abandoned us for good."

"It's Hashirama, Touka. He will."

"Hashirama has not been himself for a long time. You've seen it yourself. And now he's openly joined the enemy."

"Where else was he going to go after father disowned him? We're allied to the Akimichi and Hyuga. They'd have sent his head back to father in a gold box. The Uchiha are the closest haven."

"You realize they must have known what he was going to do, right? Renji saw him walk right in the gates. He didn't get stopped or questioned."

It slips out in defense of his only remaining brother. "He's friends with Madara."

Touka blinks slowly, "That proves my point, not yours. Do you really think the entire Uchiha Clan would have let him just walk in if they didn't know he was coming?"

Tobirama can't bring himself to say yes. It is preposterous. Tobirama would have stopped Madara on sight even if Hashirama had told him he was coming, and he knew more about their relationship than anyone else in the clan.

"You need to stop worrying about Hashirama and focus on the clan, Tobi."

"I am focused on the clan." It's insulting that she's suggesting otherwise.

"Stop relying on Hashirama. You need to step up and do something about Butsuma before winter hits and the clan starves."

A pit forms in his stomach, tight and painful. "You want me to kill my father?"

Patricide is forbidden among the Senju. Tobirama could end up on trial in front of the very clan he was acting to protect.

Which would make Touka clan head...

She must have seen the suspicion in his eyes and rolled her own. "Butsuma's rubbing off on you, cousin. I don't want to be clan head. Hell, if I thought I could, I'd do it myself and kneel for my execution. Butsuma's always been unnaturally resistant to genjutsu. I've never been able to get him under."

And she'd need the advantage to take him.

Only Hashirama and Tobirama were equals to their father among the Senju and his ability to break genjutsu had saved him from the Uchiha more than once.

Although Butsuma had never faced Madara....

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

Maybe that was Hashirama's plan. His soft-hearted brother would never willingly kill their father himself, but he was intelligent enough to realize they'd gotten to the point that it was necessary.

That would explain why he'd gone to the Uchiha now.

Touka's gaze softened. "You and your brother are too soft-hearted."

"You're the only one that says that about me," Tobirama muttered. His last dalliance had called him cold when he'd broken off their time together.

"Tell me who said otherwise, and I'll break a few bones." She always offered that when she found out Tobirama had been dumped.

He'd never taken her up on it because he knew she was serious, and the last thing they needed was Touka breaking arms and legs left and right.

"Maybe that's why Hashi went to Madara."

His words made her pause, calculate. "You think?"

"Do you think Madara would hesitate to kill father?"

She snorted. "He'd do it laughing. The Great Calamity. It'd be a feather in his cap to be the one who killed the Senju Clan Head."

And it would leave Hashirama and Tobirama legally blameless among their clan since, without Butsuma no one would push to charge Hashirama with collusion.

Hopefully.

"Is their friendship that strong?" There's something bright in Touka's eyes now. A weak glimmer, but the best hope they've had in a long time.

Tobirama bites back what he wants to say.

That they love one another.

That they chose one another above all others.

That he caught them at the riverside and Hashi refused to apologize for it.

Instead, he forces down the bile and forces out a simple "Yes."

Touka beams.

***

Senju Sana isn't much compared to the rest of her clan. She's barely an acceptable shinobi and only a decent healer. She knows the literature and the technique, but she's not particularly skilled at anything, and her chakra levels are childish. None of them take her seriously except Hashirama because she cries when she finds dead animals and crushed flowers. He lets her help him in his garden sometimes and taught her all she knows about healing, often lamenting that if she'd had the luck to have been born with stronger chakra reserves, she could have been one of the best in the clan.

Butsuma despises her, as do most of the Elders, because she refuses to get married and start popping out children.

It's the only firm stand she's taken in her life and thankfully, the laws of the clan support her because of her skill as a healer.

And Hashirama.

Though now that he's gone, the Elders have resumed their pressure.

It's why she's out here tonight, in this place, at this moment.

It's why she's lucky enough to catch Aki spying on Tobirama and Touka.

Aki is the son of one of the Elders firmly in Butsuma's pocket. He's not smart enough to do anything without being told to, which means Butsuma doesn't trust Tobirama and Touka despite what he's been saying lately.

He also, like Sana, has an extremely low level of chakra, which allows him to slip by most censors unless they're actively looking. He's the only one who's successfully managed to sneak up on Tobirama in the last five years.

Though he only managed it once.

And it took him two months in the hospital to recover.

She has no doubt Tobirama would have caught him in a heartbeat if he wasn't overworked and over-stressed. She'd listened to Hashirama worry often enough that she memorized the signs: paler than normal, worry lines, tremors when he's still, no lectures about work and efficiency and chakra pathways and how the correct form for holding different weapons depended more on their material than their size.

In fact, the last time she and Hashirama had talked months ago, he'd asked her to keep an eye on Tobirama, though she hadn't thought she'd be doing it without him. She'd managed to keep Tobi somewhat fed, though he'd still lost a few pounds from the stress.

That and the fact that he never sat still long enough to eat a complete meal.

He makes her twitchy sometimes, the frantic energy he can never quite contain. Always spinning in a hundred different directions, each meticulously planned and organized because even Tobirama's whims are steps ahead of everyone's plans. She doesn't understand where his energy comes from. His diet and eating habits are terrible; the only home-cooked meals he eats are the ones she slips in between stacks of scrolls, and she doubts he even notices what they taste like.

The rest of the time, he shoves down whatever quick snack he can find whenever he remembers to eat.

Which isn't often.

Quite frankly, she's surprised he isn't dead from food poisoning yet because she's definitely seen him eat some questionable things and not even notice.

No wonder Hashirama worries so much.

She needs to keep Tobirama alive until he gets back. It's the least she can do for the only person in the clan who's ever seen any value in Sana herself instead of everything she's not.

***

There's not a lot that makes Hashirama nervous. Not anymore. Not after all the tries and all the failures and watching the people he loves die over and over.

He's learned some hard truths about himself through this whole fiasco and accepted even his baser uglier traits to a level most people would never be able to.

It's one of the few respectable things about him, Izuna thinks, maybe the only respectable thing next to his skill as a shinobi.

He doesn't know the full extent. He's not foolish enough to think Madara's Sharingan showed them everything. The Sharingan has its own motivations, and Madara has always cautioned him to take it with a grain of salt.

He's not stupid, but Madara has always been the thinker between them.

Izuna is the one who runs on instinct. The one who trusts his gut and his eyes without hesitation.

And his Sharingan is oddly idle when facing Hashirama.

Well, maybe not idle. Midoriko's either, based on the minute tic she's developing.

It's just shuffling through the more....pleasant, athletic memories of Hashirama while Izuna and Midoriko sit here with the goal of intimidating Hashirama into admitting what he really wants.

For all that his brother and Hashirama seem to share some intense physical affection, there's no sense of the obsessive, romantic love the Uchiha are infamous for.

Hashirama is not Madara's one.

But they do love each other.

And Izuna will go to his grave ignoring the overwhelming longing infusing the images of Hashirama's tow-headed younger brother that Madara's sharingan seems insistent on slipping in.

If Hashirama wasn't as openly loving of Madara as he was, Izuna would have let Yoruichi gut him like she'd offered to earlier.

Madara's clearly told him the clan's history and the love that makes it impossible for them to maintain the population numbers the other clans manage.

Has he told him how rare it is to have children with more than one partner?

That only Tajima has managed it in the last hundred years, a mix of a strong Sharingan and an equally strong desperation, and even then, there are some members of the clan that will never, ever believe Izuna and Madara are his blood kin.

Not that it matters in the grand scheme of things. It's just a bit painful.

The Senju don't have the same view of love and leadership that they do; that's always been obvious, but the Senju's beliefs are far closer to the other clans than the Uchiha's ever will be. Even the Aburame and Inuzuka follow familial bloodlines when it comes to clan leadership. So it's surprising to see Hashirama so openly approving of the Uchiha way. And so comfortable integrating into their daily way of life. He's been up with Madara every morning making the rounds or working at the temporary desk Hikaku set up in Madara's office because no one else wanted to share with him.

He's even holding clinic hours after Old Woman Keiko got through with him.

His first few days had been rough, and Izuna and the other Sharingan bearers had been on edge, waiting for violence to erupt when Hashirama and Madara both refused to hide his presence after the dance. Most of the clan had simply decided to ignore his presence until Old Woman Keiko, who may or may not have been a shinobi way back when no one else was old enough to remember for sure, had seen him tending a few dying plants in the public gardens and demanded he fix hers as well.

A few days of bending to the gnarled woman's scarred finger without complaint had done more for his integration than Madara's most passionate pleas.

Not that Madara was a great orator, either. Too awkward and honest.

Midoriko had been the one to take him to the small clinic the clan's healers managed because Izuna's wife was a goddess in human flesh. Nothing like the large hospital the Senju compound was famous for, and the horrified look on his face when he'd seen it was amusing. He'd spent hours scrubbing every inch clean while the medics watched...and spilled a few more things just to put him through his paces.

He'd calmed down eventually after Madara explained that most Uchiha shinobi knew a bit more than your basic nin about healing due to their intensive training regimes and Kekkei Genkai.

So here they were, surprisingly peaceful a few weeks in if you ignored Oda's scheming and the bets circulating about who did who in bed.

Izuna and the others weren't even allowed to join in because of the Sharingan.

Not that he wanted to bet on his brother's sex life, but he'd never taken well to being told he couldn't do something.

It was like they were saying he couldn't do it.

And, of course, his pride could never take that lying down.

No matter what Midoriko and Madara and Hikaku said.

Hashirama's started to fidget, pulling at his collar and sleeves and biting his lip to keep from speaking.

It made him seem young....even though there was no mistaking that physique as anything other than battle-hardened...

And oddly endearing...

And Midi was getting that look that pretty much guaranteed Izuna was going to get laid if he did what she wanted.

And there was no way Hashirama was actually that flexible; the Sharingan had to be exaggerating; he had way too much muscle...

***

Midoriko had not expected married life to be this much fun.

Between Madara throwing the clan into chaos with his changes and Izuna's over-dramatic reaction to everything his brother did just on principle and the rest of the clan's only slightly less extreme dramatics and the fact that the Uchiha are over-emotional crybabies obsessed with one another on a normal day....

They're a mess of a family, but a family nonetheless.

Although there are days when Midoriko feels like the only sane one in the compound.

God, she loves them all.

Well, except Oda and his lot, but she takes her oaths seriously, so they're safe.

....for now....

But at the moment, they can afford to focus on a fun part.

Things have been surprisingly quiet since Hashirama showed up. Senju Butsuma had increased his clan's patrols, but they hadn't strayed far out of the Senju territory. With Hashirama here, intelligence suggested Butsuma hadn't even let his remaining son out of the compound, too afraid to risk his last surviving heir.

And too busy trying to salvage the alliance with Uzushio.

Or there was some truth to Hashirama's claims that his brother would side with them when the time came, and Butsuma was attempting to keep them separate. He'd been adamant, even in the face of Madara's doubts, that despite their strained relationship, the Ghost would do what was right for his clan.

Midoriko was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. Everyone, including the Uchiha, exaggerated stories of their enemies in an attempt to make killing them more palatable. Dehumanization was a key step in any war and a necessity in keeping soldiers sane enough to be productive members of the clan once the war was over.

There's been a lot that's been excused in the name of defeating the Senju. Maybe Madara and Hashirama aren't wrong to say it needs to end.

If nothing else, it'd be nice to stop burying the small children.

She wants the son in her belly to grow up in laughter, not terror. She doesn't want to keep putting off telling Izuna and Madara out of fear of what the loss would do to them if something were to happen to her before the birth.

The last child born into the clan was Kagami four years ago. His mother had delivered him on a battlefield after being fatally injured in battle against the Senju and Hyuga. Madara had lost control and ripped apart the attackers while Hikaku had carried the screaming infant to safety.

Since Kagami's father had died in battle several months before, the orphan had been placed with his grandfather, but the old man wasn't long for the world, and Madara had already prepared a room in the main house.

Uchiha practice demanded any orphan be adopted into a family. If there was no direct relative to do so or no family within the clan that could support another child, any shinobi with no children of their own would take them in.

And if neither of those options were available, then the clan head was responsible for adopting the child and providing a healthy, loving home. Because the Sharingan users took on so much responsibility in the clan, the Clan Leader was generally viewed as having less work than other Clan Leaders and, instead, acted as head teacher to the younger members of the clan.

Madara had already made the decision to adopt Kagami, though he hadn't made any public announcement, allowing the boy's grandfather to live out his last days with his grandson.

Hashirama had embraced Madara's role as a teacher with an impressive level of enthusiasm, assisting him with morning calisthenics and afternoon classes in writing and reading for those under the age of six and more advanced evening classes in taijutsu and genjutsu.

He even sat in on Kisuke's chakra lectures, studiously following along and making notes. He kept muttering about introducing the boy to 'Tobi' and then trailing off into terrified mutters about tag-teams and lectures and re-writing something and never having any peace.

He was annoying likable, according to an extremely drunk Izuna.

It helped, too, that whatever sexual relationship Madara and Hashirama shared seemed to have cooled. Though there was no doubt they'd shared that in the past, but they seemed to be firmly in deep friendship now, so there were still delusional hopes among the clan that Madara would marry a female Uchiha and produce children.

It was funny how Oda and his lot persisted despite the fact that they'd all loved the Uchiha way.

It was also proof that even the Sharingan couldn't ensure a love that was kind. Oda and his wife had been a true Uchiha love, one and no other, but Oda had treated her terribly, sacrificing her on the altar of his ambition and greed despite being unable to ever love another.

He was still trying to get Yoruichi to agree to an arranged marriage despite knowing she'd found her one in Kisuke.

She wasn't sure what made him more delusional, thinking that he could arrange a marriage for a Uchiha or thinking that Yoruichi had any inclination to listen to her father about anything.

Most of them had bets on when Kisuke would snap and just kill the old man to give Yoruichi some peace.

Hell, Midoriko might do it herself if things kept up.

Oda was against the village anyway, and he'd need to be dealt with before it was built.

There was probably a similar group among the Senju.

There was probably one in every clan, and they were going to have to be removed or silenced before the village Madara and Hashirama dreamed of could become real.

Another thing to add to the to do list.

Thank Kami, the morning sickness hadn't kicked in yet. Once Izuna and Madara found out about the pregnancy, she'd never have any peace with their worrying.

Izuna was still scowling at Hashirama, but it was less angry now and more curious.

And she knew why.

Her wonderful, curious husband shared her appetites.

Shared his brother's, too, but that was less important. One way to end the fun before it started was to point out any similarity with Madara.

And Hashirama, with his sun-kissed skin, hair as dark as a strong cup of black tea, miles of muscle, and seemingly stern countenance, was exactly the type that tended to catch Izuna's eye.

Her adorable husband liked a little discipline.

Normally, Midoriko was more than happy to indulge when he was in the mood, but the shared memories from the Sharingan opened a whole new world of possibilities.

And allowed them a much more intimate way to vet Hashirama. The Senju had a very flexible view of sex compared to most of the clans. Rumor was, it was part of the reason the Damiyo kept refusing to appoint them a noble clan.

She let her lips curve into a smile, and it widened when Hashirama caught her eye, and a spark of realization entered his.

Izuna, lovely, loyal Izuna, watched, rapt when she slid into Hashirama's lap and then followed obediently when she pulled him in.

It was impressive that Hashirama could lift them both so easily.

And it seemed Hashirama did have a knack for meting out well-deserved punishments of the most pleasurable kind.

***

She left Izuna sulking in bed the next morning. His pouting was adorable, as was the sleepy octopus grip Hashirama had on him.

Even with the Senju out cold, Izuna couldn't get loose and Midoriko didn't feel bad at all about using him to get free herself.

She was pleasantly sore, and the red marks on Izuna and Hashirama were already fading in the early light.

Izuna had dozed off again by the time she'd thrown on a loose uniform and slipped out, a snoring Hashirama still pinning him to the bed.

The memories of the night before sent a warm tingle from her toes to her ears as she walked an early patrol through the compound.

Izuna was gorgeous, still the most beautiful man she'd ever seen, and he was just as beautiful, lost in pleasure taking her as he was when he'd been lost in pleasure as Hashirama had taken him.

God, he was something when his body was stretching to accommodate Hashirama, and his eyes rolled back in his head.

And when he'd watch hungrily as she'd demonstrated exactly how she wanted him to ride Hashirama next time.

Amaterasu had truly blessed her.

The Senju was a willing student and quick study and just as happy to follow as he was to lead. It hadn't taken him long to pick up on what she'd liked, and she hadn't missed the moment of realization he'd had while his face had been between her thighs. His grin would have given it away if her husband's attentions hadn't been firmly on her chest at the time.

Itachi did not look amused when she passed him on patrol; just rolled his eyes fondly.

Bai gave her a baleful look a few minutes later, but he wasn't foolish enough to say anything out loud.

It was an absurdity that they were more comfortable with Hashirama in her wedding bed than they were with him in Madara's unattached bed, but that was the Uchiha.

Contradictory in everything.

It made her smile as she approached the main gate.

And the fact that Hashirama had kept his mouth shut about her condition was a positive mark in his favor. He could clearly read a room and trust someone else's judgment.

She let herself brush a hand over her stomach, just for a second and imagined the bright-eyed, pale-skinned boy in her womb. The spitting image of his father, hopefully. Her own looks paled in comparison to Izuna's.

And with his laugh, too.

Izuna had the best laugh, belly-deep and loud and infectious.

He didn't laugh enough, but maybe if they got the village going, he would.

That would make all the struggle and pain worthwhile.

The morning guard shift bowed as she approached, then moved quickly to open the gates for her review.

There was nothing but wheat fields directly between the Uchiha and the Senju compounds. The Naka and its forests ran North to South to the West. To the East were the mountains separating the Land of Fire from the endless desert, the highest of them Mount Fuij, an ancient volcano.

No shinobi would ever attack the main gate of their enemies. Far too obvious and direct, so they were generally the weakest point in compound defense.

It was a beautiful morning. Bright and clear, the summer heat still held at bay by the morning air.

A gentle wind made the wheat sway in a ripple that was almost mesmerizing.

It lulled Midoriko and the guards into a false moment of peace as the Kyuubi approached.

Blurry at first, shimmering like waves of heat rising off the ground as it approached through the fields.

It wasn't until the demon beast planted itself right in front of the gate that Midoriko could move, and even then, all she could do was stumble back several steps as the guards broke and ran.

Easily two heads taller than the wall surrounding the compound, its great tails fanned out behind it and rhythmically ticking back and forth as it turned blood-red eyes on her and curled its lips in a sinister smile.

"Summon Dai Sainan, Uchiha. I wish to speak to him."

She tried to swallow, but the heat radiating off him left her throat parched. She could hear the camp alarms sounding and felt the explosion of chakra from both wings of the main house, Madara and Izuna and Hashirama.

Felt Hikaku and Yoriuchi from the other side of the compound.

The Kyuubi's chakra made her knees knock together. Her palms sweat too much to hold a kunai.

She called up the Sharingan, felt it answer in a rush of power, felt the barest pulse of chakra from her womb, and barely stopped herself from covering her stomach with her hands and giving away her weakness.

A pregnant kunoichi was the biggest target on a battlefield, a weakness they could not afford against an enemy like the Kyuubi.

An inhuman chakra demon driven by rage and not slowed by something as meager as pain or hunger.

And it was here, at the compound, where their children and elderly lived.

Where the entirety of the clan's history was stored in the temple beside the main house.

It would wipe them from existence before the sun reached the highest point in the sky.

Had Bustuma sent it? Had the Senju found a way to turn it against them?

It shifted, sniffing the air, and then, in a moment, Midoriko would forever be glad the Sharingan caught permanently in every detail, threw itself down in what could only be described as a sulk.

It huffed, its breath sending a cloud of dust into the air as its tails beat a steady, earth-shaking beat against the ground.

Midoriko had seen Kagami throw similar tantrums when he wanted attention he wasn't getting, and abruptly, her Sharingan calmed.

There was no threat here.

Her breath came back to her as she felt Madara's approach, and the Kyuubi's tail beat faster.

Clearly, this was something to do with Madara and Hashirama's secrets.

.....

Which included a chakra beast feared by all living creatures.

.....

By Kami, she was going to give Madara and Hashirama an earful about this....

After she changed her pants.

***

If we could read the secret history of our enemies, we should find in each man's life sorrow and suffering enough to disarm all hostility.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

***

~tbc~