seijaku

I was still sitting at the edge of the cliff, nursing my wounds, when Chigiri arrived. This time, I wasn't so caught off guard when he all but materialised next to me.

"Damn. Sasuke really went all out on you today, huh?" he asked, watching me tie off a bandage around my biceps.

"It's what I asked for," I replied easily. "What are you doing here?"

"I came here to ask you something," Chigiri said, squatting down to take a seat on the ground next to me. "Well, actually, Hikaku wanted to ask you something, but he thought you'd be less pissed off if I was the one doing the asking."

I shot him a withering look and rolled my eyes.

"Okay, fine. Spit it out."

"A lot of people saw you leaving with Tobirama this morning. Apparently, some of them have...concerns about your intentions in Madara's absence."

I tied off the bandage I was wrapping around my biceps and placed down the roll of medical tape with a sigh. I should have known that something as simple as fraternizing with the likes of Tobirama Senju was going to raise red flags with the Uchiha clan. I wasn't surprised, but that didn't mean I wasn't disappointed, either.

"You can tell Hikaku it's none of his damn business, or anyone else's for that matter," I said as I rose to my feet. "I'm so sick of this us-versus-them bullshit..."

Chigiri had no problem hearing me loud and clear despite mumbling this last under my breath. He stood with me and offered a weary look.

"Don't take this the wrong way, but...you don't really understand them," he said.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean I don't know where you came from or how you ended up here, but this village was built on bodies," Chigiri explained. "It wasn't that long ago that every shinobi clan inside these walls was at each other's throats without a hint of remorse about who they were killing."

I looked away, dropping my gaze to the landscape below the sheer drop-off of the cliff. A sticky feeling coagulated in my throat as I pursed my lips.

"...I know that. I do," I said, softly. "And I don't pretend to know what that must be like for everyone here. But if there's any moving forward, we have to treat each other as one. The past has to stay in the past... Otherwise, we're doomed to keep repeating history."

Chigiri seemed to chew on that for a moment, looking out along the horizon as the wind picked up.

"...I think you might be right," he said finally. "But I also think we're not there yet. Maybe in a couple decades...when the new generation can rise up without the weight of our past holding them back. Maybe then they can see past all the blood and find something that brings us all together."

"Maybe," I agreed.

It would be a long and hard road to get to that point. It was difficult for me to come to terms with that while knowing there was a simpler way. I couldn't expect the world to think the way I did, though. To me, it made perfect sense to set aside grudges and work toward the greater good if it meant a happy, stable future. Just because it made sense, however, didn't mean that it would always work out that way. Emotions always got in the way. Pesky things, those.

"By the way," Chigiri said then, "have you met that princess lady from the Uzumaki clan yet?"

"Huh? Uh, no," I said, glancing at him with furrowed brows. "They're probably keeping her as far away from me as possible."

"Why's that?" he asked, starting to walk toward the path down the cliff. I fell into step beside him.

"Well, let's just say I'm not exactly upper class material," I said, earning a snort out of him. "They'd have to execute me the moment I opened my mouth in her presence just to preserve the peace."

"You're probably not wrong," Chigiri said with a smirk. "She sounds like a real piece of work."

"No kidding. I can't say I'm not curious to find out what kind of stick is lodged up her ass."

We both laughed at that. I leaned a little too far to my left while trying to catch my breath, my hand brushing against his. I jerked away by instinct, but before I could over-correct by putting distance between us, Chigiri's hand shot out to grab mine. I stumbled over my next step, flashing him an owl-eyed look. He simply smiled.

"You don't have to be afraid of touching me," he said. "I don't mind."

I stared at him like a deer in headlights for a moment longer before pointedly averting my gaze and gently removing my hand from his grasp.

"I don't really...touch people," I muttered, trying to ignore the heat in my face. "Not when I can help it."

I thought back to the first day I spent with Chigiri. He had held me then, when I was spiralling from a sudden panic attack, and I hadn't felt the same repulsion as I did now. In moments like that, it was as if my subconsciousness knew that I needed someone's touch to stay grounded, but when I was full aware of myself and my surroundings, I could hardly stand the thought. Weird how that worked.

"Does it hurt?"

I blinked.

"No, but—"

"Are you afraid of it?"

"No—"

"Then what's the problem?"

"It just—makes my skin crawl, okay?" I snapped, feeling involuntary shivers run up my spine as if Chigiri's touch had left some sort of residue on my hand. "It...takes a long time to feel comfortable with someone. Just...don't push it, please?"

"Yeah, okay," Chigiri said softly.

He even stepped slightly to the right as we walked to put a bit more distance between us. I felt myself let out a breath I'd been holding in my lungs.

"But just so you know," he continued, "I'm really looking forward to holding your hand one day."

That was...well, fucking cheesy, to be perfectly blunt. And a lot more forward than I was expecting, which was odd to think of considering how he was introduced to me. I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye.

"Why?"

Chigiri laughed again.

"What kind of question is that? Because I like being around you, idiot," he said matter-of-factly. Then he stroked his chin and said, "Maybe in a few years, I'll even earn a light hug."

I scoffed and rolled my eyes.

"You're the idiot here."

"Too much? What comes after hand-holding? Do I have to hold both of your hands first?"

"Shut up, you dork."

After that mildly embarrassing and far too emotionally vulnerable exchange, we walked back to the Uchiha District with more lighthearted conversation. I, however, couldn't stop thinking about it. Why did he want to hold my hand so badly? Or touch me at all for that matter? He already knew where I stood on relationships right now. Could this be...genuine friendship?

It was possible, I supposed. Not that I would know much of how normal human adult friendships were supposed to function. For all I knew, I was completely misreading something that others would find excruciatingly obvious. It wouldn't have been the first time and it certainly wouldn't be the last.

When I parted ways with Chigiri and returned to Madara's house, I was surprised to find that Hikaku was already inside, along with the mouth-watering scent of his cooking.

"Sorry for the intrusion," he called over his shoulder as he moved through the kitchen, adding the finishing touches to the meal he had prepared. "I hope you're hungry."

"Starving," I admitted, eyes glued to the platters of steaming fish and rice and vegetables, "but, if I may ask, what are you doing here?"

"It's come to my attention that your 'meals' have consisted of eating out with Chigiri practically every day," Hikaku said. "You should enjoy a decent home-cooked meal once in a while. Really, you should learn how to cook for yourself, but in lieu of that, I figured I'd do you the favour myself just this once."

Somehow, Hikaku had a special way of turning everything into a backhanded statement. A thinly veiled insult always followed his compliments and, clearly, even his acts of kindness must be double-edged. With a bemused huff of laughter, I toed off my shoes and moved to sit at the table, tucking my knees under myself to get comfortable.

"Well, aren't you just the perfect gentleman. I do know how to cook, you know," I said, resting my cheek on the palm of my hand. "I'm just used to...different cuisine."

That was to say that I had always had access to a variety of spices and seasonings, and I knew how to prepare only a small list of dishes that typically involved either chicken or potatoes. I had never tried to prepare or cook fish in my life and my attempts at rice had all produced varying results, and you could forget about me willingly preparing vegetables.

"Well, it's never too late to learn," Hikaku said as he prepared a couple of plates that he then brought over to the table, placing one in front of me while he sat down across the table. "Which reminds me—you never mentioned where you were from."

I hesitated before digging into the food, a burst of anxiety rippling down my spine. When I was forced to explain everything to Hikaku and the rest of the Uchiha who had been present at the secret meeting I had crashed, I did my best to skirt around the matter of my origins and how I had come to possess as much knowledge as I held. Chigiri knew a bit more than even Hikaku did—he knew that I had some sort of foresight that allowed me to know details about the future, which was why he didn't freak out when I had more or less given Hashirama his fortune about marrying Mito. I trusted Chigiri not to dismiss everything I told him about the strange circumstances of my presence here, but I still had to be careful of what I revealed and how I went about revealing it.

"Let me guess," Hikaku drawled after I had neglected to respond for a bit too long, "that information is 'classified' as well?"

He arched a brow at me. I couldn't help but let out a breath of relief that he had given me a way out of that conversation.

"It's just... I'm seeking asylum here," I fibbed. "I was in danger where I come from, so Hashi—Hokage-sama offered me refuge. I'm sorry I can't give you more details."

"I see," Hikaku said with a thoughtful hum. "You have my condolences, though you must understand how strange all of this is for us. It's not easy for us to trust outsiders of whom we know very little."

"I get it," I said, nodding. "I'm just thankful for all the hospitality everyone has shown me so far. I wish there were more I could do to repay you all..."

I was still a little sore over my failures in finding work elsewhere in the village before Tobirama approached me with his offer. Not a single vendor in the village wanted to employ someone like me for fear of their store's reputation, or just fear of me in general. I was a light-skinned freak of nature who had arrived in the village overnight with special attention from the Hokage and his brother and who had taken up sudden residence in the Uchiha District with an unexplained blessing from their clan head. I couldn't even begin to imagine how the rest of the village must have viewed the whole situation. For all they knew, I had brainwashed the leaders of their village and was trying to take control for myself, or something nefarious like that.

"If you truly mean that, then I may have something for you," Hikaku said then, capturing my attention. I quickly swallowed down the food in my mouth so I could speak again.

"Like what? I'm willing to try anything at this point."

"That's good to hear. The work I have in mind isn't desirable by any means, but it's work that needs done all the same," he said. "Chigiri-san tells me you have an affinity for suiton jutsu. We have need of someone to clean the walls of our district and revitalise our gardens."

My face fell at that as I went back to picking at my food.

"I'm sorry. As much as I'd like to help, I haven't actually learned any jutsu yet," I admitted. "Sasuke has been working with me on chakra control and training my body to be stronger and more agile, but I haven't even learned the basic techniques yet."

"I see. I suppose that makes sense, given Sarutobi-sama's methodical teaching style," Hikaku remarked. "His clan has always been known to follow the beaten path, moving forward slowly, but steadily. If you were left in his hands alone, I imagine you won't learn any real suiton jutsu for another year."

I pursed my lips. A whole year was a long time to wait to become anything close to resembling a useful shinobi. I knew that I was starting from the ground up, lacking any of the basic skills even children would enter the Academy with in the future, but it was still daunting to know how long the path was ahead of me.

"You don't strike me as the slow and methodical type, though," Hikaku continued. I glanced up at him again, wondering where he was going with this. "Suiton users have a similar reputation, the same way that a river will always follow the path of least resistance. However, many tend to forget that water can be just as unpredictable and destructive as fire under the right circumstances. Tidal waves, hurricanes, storms—these are forces of nature that carve their own paths and crush any obstacle in their way. Perhaps what you need is something to spark that fire inside of you."

I stared at him, mouth agape. Was he saying what I thought he was saying...?

"Your lessons with Sarutobi-sama are in the afternoon. If you're interested in getting ahead in your training, then you may consider joining me at sunrise for extra lessons. Think about it."

And with that, Hikaku wiped off his mouth with a napkin and took his dishes to put them away before excusing himself for the evening. Meanwhile, I had hardly put a dent in my food and it was beginning to get cold. I quickly scarfed down the rest and then took my own dishes to start cleaning them at the sink while I ruminated over Hikaku's offer.

If Hikaku could help me learn more faster, then I could be more useful and maybe even start influencing the events of history myself without having to rely on others to act on my behalf.

Hopefully Sasuke wouldn't be upset over it. He already knew I spent time with Hikaku and Kagami after our lessons to refine my skills with a sparring partner who couldn't obliterate me, but this would be different. If I understood what Hikaku had been implying, he planned to try to teach me suiton jutsu with katon methods. With any luck, he was right about that spark that I needed.

I decided to spend some time out back by the koi pond while there was still some sunlight left trickling over the horizon. It was exceptionally liberating to be able to exist in a place like this, soaking in the waning warmth of a day well-spent, listening to the buzz of nature all around me, watching the sky—free of the light pollution I was so used to—scattered with the faint twinkle of stars as dusk approached. It was so beautiful I could have cried.

My eyes did start to water a bit, in fact. I thought about my mom again. I wondered if I would ever get to see her or my brothers and sisters again. I felt the first tear break through as I realised that the answer to that was a resounding no.

I had killed myself. There was no denying that. I could still chalk up all this to an extremely intense fever dream playing through the dying neurons of my mind in the scarce seconds before my life ended, but I didn't imagine that moment. I didn't imagine the weight of the gun in my hand or the deafening bang just before it all went black. That was real. Undeniably, unquestionably real.

The grief was one I knew far too well. I had felt it several times over as each new set of memories had bubbled to the surface throughout the years. Memories of lives that had come and gone, families and partners I had loved with all my heart. People had always spoken of immortality like an ideal, the ultimate goal of humanity, and though some had had the wisdom to call it a curse, I couldn't imagine that any of them had thought of it quite like this. Over and over again, a never-ending cycle that only continued to accumulate memories over lifetimes with no hope of ever reclaiming those things held dearest to your heart.

It was never just the depression and nihilistic hopelessness of living in a world that didn't care about me in the first place. As much as I cherished those memories, I couldn't deny that a part of me had wanted it to stop. It was so much for one person to carry. It still felt that way now.

Stop it.

My breath shuddered as I heard the voice fade into the forefront of my mine. It wasn't Tooru, Issei, or Katsuki.

You can't do this to yourself again, the voice pleaded. Please don't. I can't bear to watch you go through this again.

It was Julian. Sweet Julian who wore his heart on his sleeve. I closed my eyes and held tightly to the sensation of his presence in my mind.

"I'm sorry," I whispered. "I almost killed us—I did...kill us."

Because it wasn't just my life that I had tried to end that night. It was all of ours. Seventy-four lives, to be exact. A massacre.

And who knew if all of them had found their way back like the others? If they didn't, where did they go? Were they okay? Were they lost? Were they even still alive?

Quiet now, Julian hushed, the sound of his voice growing more faint. Rest. We'll still be here when you wake.

I believed him. As much as I didn't deserve their loyalty, I believed him. Wiping off my tears on the sleeve of my yukata, I shakily gathered myself back up on my feet and shuffled back inside of Madara's house. This was the danger of leaving myself alone for too long. The scarier thoughts started to run rampant and, just like always, someone had to come and pull me back from the edge.

I almost started calling myself cruel names in my head, but I took a deep breath through my nose and shook away the thought. Belittling myself always felt...childish. It was the mental illness talking, anyway, and the narcissist in me wouldn't stand for it.

As I slid open the door to go back inside, however, I was frozen in place by the battle cry that echoed from up high.

"HASHIRAMA!"

No.

I slowly turned to look over my shoulder, eyes drifting up the face of the cliff in the distance to see one dark silhouette standing at the top, the sun setting far behind him as his hair billowed in the breeze, holding his gunbai at the ready.

"Let us settle this! Once and for all!"

Even from this distance, I could see the flash of red when Madara activated his Sharingan.

That bastard told me the fight would happen in two days—it had only been one, dammit! Did he tell me otherwise on purpose so that I wouldn't do something stupid like interfering?

Well played, asshole.

My gaze was drawn to the roof of the Hokage building, where Hashirama now stood, wielding a massive long sword in both hands.

"You don't have to do this, Madara! You can still come back from this!" the Hokage shouted up at him.

"No," came Madara's seething (and all too convincing) reply as he brandished his gunbai. "The only way forward...is for you to die!"

I watched as Madara's figure leapt down from the edge of the cliff with a gut-churning war cry. Hashirama leapt upward to meet him mid-air, their weapons clashing with a terrifying clang that sounded just like lightning. I felt chill bumps all across my body as I watched them, paralysed, until their destructive brawling had vanished over the cliff's horizon. I knew that their quarrel would take them to the place that would become the Valley of the End. Even though I couldn't see them anymore, I could still feel the distant rumblings of the earth as they traded blows.

It was breath-taking to know first-hand just how much power they both possessed, and how devastating it could be when pitted against one another. Madara may not have had the aid of Kurama to bolster his strength, but I had a feeling he wouldn't need it to put on a compelling show for Zetsu.

My hair fluttered around my shoulders when a presence appeared beside me on the back deck, one that I had learned to recognise as Chigiri's.

"This is how you said it would happen, right?" he asked quietly. I nodded, eyes still glued to the cliff.

"Once they draw Zetsu out of hiding...it'll be over," I said. I finally tore my eyes away from the distance to glance back at Chigiri, worry etched into my face. "They're both going to get hurt."

Chigiri looked at me with nothing short of tenderness. He lifted his hand, letting it hover in the air for a moment before, once he knew that I wasn't going to flinch away this time, placing it gently on my shoulder. I let it happen, leaning heavily against the door frame on my other side. I didn't know for how long the fight would last, but I did know that I wasn't going to be able to sleep until they had both come back alive.

Chigiri stayed awake with me. Once the sky had darkened and there were no traces of sunlight left, we were both surprised to be joined by Shirayuki and Mitsuri. They admitted that they were both curious to see the outcome of this farce we were putting on and decided to join me and Chigiri in waiting for the aftermath.

It was then that I learned just how close these three were. It turned out that all three of them had been placed in the same squad when they were younger, led by none other than Hikaku himself. They had a certain rapport with one another that was hard to connect with as an outsider who had come from a completely different world, but it was fascinating to witness all the same. Shirayuki had given me the impression of a responsible older-sister type, but Mitsuri revealed that he was the one who had to break up petty squabbles between her and Chigiri all the time. This, of course, also meant that he was the target of many of Chigiri's pranks and Shirayuki's violent mood swings.

It must have been nice to have the kind of friendship that lasted years. They had had to grow up in less than desirable conditions, but they still managed to forge such strong bonds with each other. I could recall bits and pieces of similar relationships from various timelines, but it wasn't something that I got to experience for myself in the life that I lived most recently. Luckily for me, it was more than enough to live vicariously through these three instead.

In fact, listening to them trade jabs and recount their greatest hits for my entertainment was so engrossing that, before we knew it, it was sunrise. My eyes were heavy and my cheeks hurt from smiling and laughing so much, but I wasn't exactly tired. I was, however, growing more and more antsy by the minute as I became all too aware of the time. How much longer would it be before Hashirama and Madara staggered back into the village with Zetsu in tow?

The hair on my arms grew stiff. A tingle shot down my spine, something that screamed danger in a way that pooled in my gut like a block of ice. Mitsuri, Chigiri, and Shirayuki had their kunai drawn in the blink of an eye before I could even process where this feeling was coming from. In front of us stood a figure that hadn't been there just a moment ago, poised elegantly atop the smooth surface of a stone in the centre of Madara's koi pond.

The budding light of the sun peaking over the horizon bathed golden rays over the long, silky red hair that flowed around her form. She still had those two signature buns of hers, but the rest of her looked brutal in the way that thorns adorned a rose. Even so, her royal status was unmistakable, given the expensive fabrics she wore and the groomed look of her hair, her face, her skin, her nails. Those nails were clutched around a packet of papers and her eyes—black and bottomless—were trained on me.

I swallowed down a lump in my throat. I realised, suddenly, that I had never truly feared for my life until that very moment.

"You," she drawled in a voice like honey.

She lifted the papers for me to see. I couldn't make out much of what was written on them in their crumpled state, but I caught sight of the only important words printed in plain katakana: Ma-ra-kai.

I could only assume that those were my files. You know, the secret ones that Hashirama and Tobirama likely kept about me. Also the ones that Mito Uzumaki certainly shouldn't have access to at this point in time.

"Why do you have that?" I heard myself ask even though my voice felt like it was coming from miles away.

"That's none of your concern," she dismissed. "But you are going to tell me what you know."

Her sharp eyes drifted to each of the three shinobi around me in turn, sizing them up.

"Lower your weapons, Uchiha. You don't want to start a war, do you?"

That made them hesitate. I couldn't blame them. The Uzumaki clan ambassadors were here to form an alliance through Mito's marriage to Hashirama, after all. If anyone in the village were to be caught raising a weapon against her, all hell would break loose. I pursed my lips.

"You guys go," I said, trying to mustre up as much bravado as I could. It didn't really work that well with the way my voice shook. "I'll be fine."

"Kai..." Chigiri started.

"Go," I repeated. "She won't hurt me." I stared deep into Mito's eyes. "That wouldn't be in her best interest."

She smiled with her painted lips, but it felt more like a lion baring its teeth. Slowly, Mitsuri, Chigiri, and Shirayuki put away their knives, but they still stood restlessly at my side. I supposed that whole bodyguard thing was still fresh on their minds.

"You should listen to the she-boy," she purred. "It seems to be rather smart."

Fire set across my body, every inch of my skin burning with a white-hot rage I hadn't felt in a long time. I couldn't be sure what was written in those papers about my gender identity, but I couldn't imagine it was phrased in any way that a sensible person would have thought those words an appropriate way to address someone like me. Or anyone, for that matter.

"Hey—!"

I grabbed Chigiri's arm. I grabbed it so tightly, in fact, that he actually winced when he turned to look at me, shock in his eyes. He clearly didn't find the remark amusing, either, but I couldn't let him lash out in my defence. I was all too used to this type of provocation and I wasn't going to let her feel like she had won anything.

My jaw still clenched, though. Oh, if looks could kill.

"If you want any information out of me, you're going to have to use your manners," I said instead of what I wanted to say. "That's just common courtesy."

Mito hummed, crossing her arms in front of her.

"I guess I can play nice for now...so long as you continue to cooperate." She smiled again with narrowed eyes. "Why don't you walk me back to Hashirama-kun's office if you want to be a gentleman so badly, hm?"

"Fine," I spat out before Chigiri could make a pass at her again.

I slowly released my grip on his arm, stepping forward to descend the steps of the deck. Mito leapt forward with a burst of chakra, landing softly by my side at the edge of the pond. I spared one last glance over my shoulder at the three Uchiha, who all watched me with a mix of anger and reluctance. Chigiri locked eyes with me, mouthing a silent warning—"Don't."

I offered him a smile. This wasn't a choice. This was me facing the consequences of my actions. It was only a matter of time before my meddling with the timeline caught up to me, after all. I knew something like this was coming... I had just let myself get distracted.

When we departed the Uchiha compound, the sun was fully visible over the horizon. Mito walked next to me with a graceful glide, flipping through the papers in her hands.

"I thought it was all made up at first," she said. "Or that my husband-to-be had gone mad, but when I saw you walk into Madara-sama's home without an ounce of shame or hesitation, well, I figured—nobody could be that stupid. And then I thought that perhaps you were his concubine, but then I read this interesting little part here..."

She thrust the papers in front of my face and forced me to stop walking. I was still trying to translate the text in my head when she oh-so-helpfully read it out for me.

"Your plan to capture this...Zetsu, was it? A battle at sundown to draw him out. That's what happened last night, isn't it?" she pried. Against my better judgement, I nodded. "And that's when it hit me. If you knew that all of this would happen, you must know more about the future. Am I right?"

She tilted her head to look at me with faux innocence in her eyes—a surprisingly convincing act. I bit out a sigh and looked away.

"Only some things. I don't know everything and I don't know a whole lot about your future, so you might as well forget about—"

"Ah-ah-ah."

She moved with a blinding speed, her sharp nails cutting into my jaw as she forced me to look at her again.

"I'll be the one to decide what's important and what's not important," she said with that sickly sweet smile of hers. She patted my cheek and shoved me forward to keep walking. "I'm sure you've already spoken with Hashirama-kun about me. What did you tell him?"

I should have told him you were an irredeemable bitch, I thought bitterly to myself.

"I told him you two would have a happy family together," I said plainly. I didn't see a point of hiding the truth at this point. "A couple kids, a couple grandkids. The whole village would look up to you."

I carried on a few steps before I realised that I didn't hear her following me anymore. I paused and turn back to look at her and the expression on her face was almost priceless. She looked genuinely confused.

"You're lying," she said. I shrugged.

"What if I am? How, exactly, did you plan on knowing what was true and what I pulled out of my ass?"

That was apparently the exact wrong thing to say. With a venomous hiss, she held a kunai to my throat before I knew what was coming. I tilted up my chin with my teeth clenched together, meeting her glare with a scowl of my own. The longer I had to put up with her, the less I feared her and the more I wanted to punch her in the face. It was becoming quickly apparent that she really was just a spoiled brat.

"Don't mess with me. All I have to do is scream and half the village will come running to find you at the scene of the crime," she hissed. "You'll be lucky to be killed on the spot, but maybe they'll interrogate you. Torture you a little. Make you incriminate yourself so they have a reason to throw you out to the wolves. I bet you wouldn't last a day beyond those walls, would you?"

I hated to admit that she was right. Even after all the time I had spent training, I was still a far cry away from the kind of person who could fend for himself outside of civilization. I didn't know the first thing about how to find food or build a shelter, let alone fend off the wildlife.

"That's what I thought," she drawled in response to my seething silence.

She withdrew her kunai and made me keep moving. We were approaching the Hokage building now.

"Let's say you are telling the truth," she continued. "Let's pretend that I find a way to love that oaf and agree to bear his children. Do I outlive him?"

Sheesh, what kind of question is that?

"I don't know," I replied.

I wasn't trying to be a smartass—I genuinely didn't know when Hashirama's death coincided with the historical events laid out in the canon timeline. It seemed likely that he had been (or would be?) assassinated before Mito passed along Kurama to Kushina as the next jinchuriki, but I didn't know for sure, and besides, she probably didn't want to hear that there was a possibility she could end up hosting the power of a creature these people viewed as a monster inside of her.

Mito clicked her tongue.

"Well, how many children would I have?"

"I don't know."

"Do I at least get some authority around here as the Hokage's wife?"

"I don't know."

Just as we stepped up to the doors of the Hokage building, Mito released a sound of pure ire as she lashed out to grab a handful of the collar of my yukata, dragging me toward her.

"Enough games! Tell me what I want to know or I'll—"

"Look, lady, I told you, didn't I?! I don't know everything! I have a very vague idea of what's to come and, sorry to break it to you, but you're not in the fuckin' spotlight!"

She gasped with all the scandalised offence that I would expect from a prima donna bitch like herself.

"You ought to watch your mouth! Do you have any idea who I—"

"Mito-hime?"

Both of us froze in place at the sound of the deep, ice-cold voice that came from over Mito's shoulder. She released her grip on me in an instant and whirled around with her hands tucked behind her back, gripping the stolen files, as if she hadn't just been caught assaulting someone in plain sight.

"Ah, Tobirama-kun! Just who I was looking for!" she greeted in a sing-song voice that actually made me want to physically throw up. "I was getting so worried about Hashirama-kun. Do you think he's alright? What if that Uchiha brute really hurt him?"

The force with which I rolled my eyes from behind her was almost comedic, but entirely sincere. Tobirama seemed to catch a glimpse of my expression over her shoulder and I could have sworn I heard him bury a snort behind a cough.

"I'm certain my brother is capable of holding his own against Madara. They have gone toe-to-toe many times before," he said. "More importantly...I see you've become acquainted with the other guest of our village?"

He gestured to where I stood behind Mito, prompting her to step aside and turn around as if she had forgotten I was there. I levelled her with a painfully fake smile, all too eager to hear how she was going to bullshit her way out of this conundrum.

"Oh, yes... Ma-ra-kai-san here was being such a fine gentleman by offering to show me around the village," she lied. "She's a...guest, you said?" She peered over at Tobirama.

"He is our guest."

Tobirama stepped forward in such a way that he practically placed himself between me and Mito. I didn't doubt that he could see right through her fake-ass act.

"Ma-ra-kai is under protection of the Uchiha clan by order of the Hokage," Tobirama explained. "It's unwise for him to leave their compound without a proper escort."

"Oh, I see." Mito put a hand to her lips as if she were at all shocked by this revelation. "My goodness, if I had known that, I wouldn't have let her come with me all this way!"

My eye twitched something serious. She was going out of her way to use the wrong pronouns even when Tobirama was quite clearly correcting her. What a fucking cunt.

"Mito-hime."

Tobirama stepped forward, looking down his nose at Mito now. She straightened her back in response, lifting her chin just slightly as if she expected an argument.

"I have nothing but respect for you and your people, but if you cannot offer the same respect in turn for our people, then I may be forced to hold counsel with my brother regarding the terms of this...alliance."

Oh, shit. I felt a grin crawl up on my face before I could stop it as I stared up at the back of Tobirama's head. What a fucking G! Not only was he defending my identity, but he also called me one of his people? Damn, I was going to get really emotional soon if they didn't wrap this up.

The sour twist to Mito's face was well worth it. She pinned me with a contemptuous glare over Tobirama's shoulder. I took the opportunity to flip her the bird. Her eyes widened and she pursed her lips with a disgruntled noise.

"Well, I'm beginning to think your people may not be worthy of the Uzumaki's support," she said with a dismissive flick of her wrist. "I'll be speaking with my father about this treaty, as well."

"You do that," Tobirama replied coolly.

With one last rueful glance at the both of us, Mito turned on her heel and sashayed back to whatever miserable fucking trash heap she crawled out of. When Tobirama heaved a sigh and then turned around to face me, I greeted him with my hand raised for a well-earned high-five. Unfortunately, I had miraculously forgotten where and when I was, and that such a gesture could easily be perceived as an attack. Tobirama snatched my wrist with a quickness, staring at me with furrowed brows.

"What do you think you're doing?" he questioned. I cleared my throat and wriggled my arm out of his grasp.

"I was just, uh, you know... It's kind of a...thing where I come from," I tried to explain. "When something really cool happens, you just sorta...slap hands with each other. Like this."

With a painful awkwardness, I carefully grabbed his hand and held it up in the air so that I could clap my palm against his. I lowered my hand again while he let his idle in the air for a moment, just staring at me. Tobirama then turned over his palm to study his hand with no small amount of disdain before he finally lowered it, as well.

"Extremely unnecessary. Don't do it again."

"Yup. Sorry."

"Now." He crossed his arms over his chest and pinned me with that cold glare of his. "Care to explain what the hell you were doing here with that witch?"

I grimaced the way one does when they really don't want to say something.

"Uh, not really, no." Of course, that was hardly an acceptable answer, so I hurried to continue before Tobirama could start lecturing me. "Uh, she—she showed up at the compound. And then demanded that I tell her about her future and threatened me a bunch...so yeeaah..."

"It's just like that woman to break into Hashirama's confidential files..." Tobirama muttered.

He looked down at the papers he now held in his other hand and I couldn't stop myself from gaping. Literally how did he get those from her without her noticing? And without me noticing until just now, for that matter?

"Once he hears of this, he'll call off the treaty and we won't have to suffer her a moment longer."

My eyes darted back up to look at him again.

"Wait, wait, wait." I put my hands out in front of me. "We can't call off the treaty. Those two have to get married."

"I know it's all the same to you, but I, for one, will not allow my brother to wither away in a loveless marriage with that loathsome—"

"But it won't be loveless! Not forever," I argued. "You've just gotta trust me on this one. Every part of the future hinges on Hashirama marrying Mito."

Tobirama pursed his lips as he studied me, clearly displeased with this news.

"Tell me something," he said. "Why is the future you know so important?"

I blinked.

"What so you mean?"

"I mean, why is it necessary for us to stay the course? You've already altered the future by thwarting Madara's plans to entrap the world in an Infinite Tsukuyomi, so why is it that my brother is the one who must suffer instead?"

I was at a loss for words. Mostly because...he had a point? I tried to think about the major changes that would take place if this marriage didn't happen. For one, Tsunade would never be born. Without her, would there be a Legendary Sannin? Would Jiraiya and Orochimaru still train under Hiruzen at all? If they never battled Hanzo in Amegakure, what would become of Konan, Yahiko, and Nagato? Would there be an Akatsuki? Would Kushina ever come to Konohagakure in the first place? If she didn't, then she wouldn't meet and marry Minato, which meant that Naruto would never be born. If Naruto were never born, what would change about all those times he was supposed to save people?

There were too many variables. If they deviated from this part of the timeline, there was truly no telling how the future would turn out.

"Well?" Tobirama pressed. I swallowed.

"I don't know what will happen," I said, my voice quiet. "Stopping a war is one thing, but...this will change everything."

Tobirama, at least, seemed to understand the gravity of that statement.

"...It is his decision," he said after a moment of thoughtful silence. "Only Hashirama can decide his own fate. I will tell him what has happened today, but after that...it's up to him."

I nodded wordlessly. Neither of us could put that kind if pressure on Hashirama and expect him to make a rational decision. He had to make a choice based on the facts alone and not all of the what-ifs and could-bes swirling around in my mind.

Speaking of which, I was starting to feel the worry return as the sun rose higher and higher in the sky and there was still no sign of Hashirama or Madara. Even though he didn't show it, I imagined that Tobirama must have been feeling anxious about it all as well, but I didn't get the feeling that he was the type to want to talk about that sort of thing.

Luck was on my side, though, as a convenient distraction presented itself in the form of a crowd beginning to gather down the streets. We both turned our attention toward the commotion just in time to hear what the people were gawking at.

"Is that Hokage-sama?"

"He made it back alive!"

"Is he with Uchiha-sama...?"

"The traitor?"

Tobirama and I shared a look with each other. It was time to run damage control before the hysterical masses got out of hand. We rushed toward the front of the crowd—surprisingly, I was able to keep up with him fairly well—and saw for ourselves that it was true.

Through the gates of Konohagakure, Hashirama and Madara stumbled forward, supported by each other's arms with these grins on their faces, like...like true friendship. I couldn't help myself but to stop and stare for a moment. I was so used to a version of Madara who truly hated Hashirama that I forgot, for a moment, that there were timelines in which that wasn't the case. This Madara lived a life that allowed him to open up his heart to a Hashirama who had no intention of betraying it. That was...something. Something extraordinary, in my mind.

"Everyone, return to your homes!" Tobirama commanded with that bellowing voice of his. "Our Hokage needs his rest."

"What about that traitor?!" someone shouted. "Why let him back into the village?"

"He's a madman!"

"How are we supposed to feel safe with him here?!"

My stomach dropped. I looked straight at Madara, whose carefree jubilation had fallen from his face to give way to a kind of apprehensive shame. I felt myself take a step forward, and then another, and another and another until I stood in front of him. He looked at me with weariness, half-slumped against Hashirama's side with exhaustion and riddled with the proof of their battle. I turned around to face the people of the village.

"Please don't turn him away." My voice cracked. I cleared my throat and raised my chin higher. "He's not mad or a traitor. Everything he did, he did to protect this place! To protect all of you! You don't see it, but it's true! Please believe me!"

There was a silence. People look around at each other, debating my words.

"Why should we?" someone else barked. "You're a stranger to us."

"All this started happening after you showed up!"

"We don't know you!"

It wasn't enough. I didn't have the persuasive plot armour of a main character. I was just some odd foreigner who knew nothing of their ways and brought calamitous change in my wake. They had every reason to distrust me.

" know him."

My eyes darted to the sound of that voice as the crowd parted to let through its owner. Chigiri stepped forward, smirk on his face and a hand on his hip. I felt my eyes start to water with an influx of raw emotion.

"I know how hard he's worked to find a way to belong here. Kai is one of the bravest and smartest people I know."

I heard Tobirama snort next to me, but I resisted the urge to elbow him. A display of pettiness like that wouldn't be a good look in front of all these people when Chigiri was putting his own neck out there for me like this.

"And I know our fearless leader. Madara-sama put on an act at his own expense to accomplish an important mission. Isn't that right?" Chigiri asked, looking over my shoulder at Madara now.

I glanced behind me to see Madara straighten himself (with some effort) and nod resolutely to Chigiri's words.

"People of Konohagakure, everything they say is true," Hashirama added, his voice echoing out from where he stood. "Madara Uchiha, my friend, had to pretend to be the enemy so that he could help us apprehend the true threat to our village."

Hashirama raised his arm up high, holding in his fist a writhing, black mass that hissed and spat curses in his grasp. The crowd gasped and backed away. Even I stumbled back a step at the sight of Black Zetsu in this form, hardly a creature at all in its current state. Its glowing, beady yellow eyes shifted around in its amorphous body, looking for any route to escape. Even parts of it tried to wrap around Hashirama's arm, black tendrils coiling, but for some reason, it wasn't able to take hold.

Something something willpower and righteousness, or some bullshit like that, I guess.

"This is what you should be afraid of!" Hashirama looked up at the organism in his hand with an expression that could only be described as disgust. "A manifestation of hatred and malice and vengeance. This is what awaits us all if we don't open our hearts and embrace our neighbours the way we embrace our brothers and sisters.

"This village—it's a symbol of how far we've come to avoid becoming this very thing. Konohagakure is a home to everyone who seeks shelter here, not just for ourselves. Every one of you came here looking for an end to the bloodshed, looking for a future for your children. That is what we stand for. We do not turn away those in need and we do not cast away our own."

He locked his other arm around Madara, yanking him close to his side again—much to Madara's apparent chagrin. He allowed it, though, and it was plain on his face that he, too, felt every bit of the emotion Hashirama put into his words. It was no wonder this guy earned the loyalty of so many people when he could give speeches like that.

After that heartfelt monologue, Hashirama guided us all back to the Hokage building, the villagers obligingly clearing a path for us and exclaiming words of praise and gratitude and apology. It was fascinating how, even though they still had no idea what Black Zetsu was or why it was a threat, they still believed Hashirama through and through. He was that genuine, that earnest. No one could deny that he was born to be a leader.

I felt a hand land on my shoulder as we walked. I almost jerked away from it, but when I noticed the glove that it wore, I peered up at Madara with wide-eyes. He had this soft smile on his face that made my heart melt to see. He looked as though the weight of the world had been lifted off of his shoulders at long last.

"Thank you," he said so very quietly that it was hard even for me to hear through the distant chatter of the townsfolk.

"For what?" I asked. "I didn't do anything... I couldn't make them believe me."

I looked back down at my feet. It was nice to know that my fear of public speaking was completely rational and that I should never do it again. I probably sounded like a jackass back there.

"It doesn't matter if they believed you or not," Madara said. "What matters is that you stepped up to say what's in your heart. Chigiri-san was right—you are brave to stand up for a man condemned by an entire village."

I kept my eyes on the ground as heat rushed to my cheeks. It was one thing for Chigiri to say something so cliche, but coming from Madara? It made my chest feel all warm and tingly inside, and that was a dangerous thing.

Once we were inside the Hokage building and safely behind the closed doors of Hashirama's office, he held up the writhing Zetsu in front of himself again for us all to examine.

"Now, then. What shall we do with you?"