naruto (c) masashi kishimoto. no profit gained from writing this fic
contains genderbend; fem!hashirama and fem!izuna. rated m for feminism, politics and mature topics in general. there will be pairings. non-linear format.
need songs? search the indonesian title of this fic in spotify to find the playlist i made for you :D
(and if you used it, pls tell me what you think)
due it being a translation, the sentences are kinda different from my usual writing. you can find the original fic under the title of mahkota daun sang dewi bayangan.
*takhta = throne
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Hashirama was seven, and the baby in her arms might not survive tomorrow.
Her heart was restless, she glared at Kawarama who keep reaching for the branches above them. His legs were dangling from the branch; making her worried he would slip and fall. Fortunately, Kawarama finally stayed still. Her sharp ears caught sounds of muffled breath and restrained weeping. Even the forest birds didn't sing.
It was silent in the woods, almost.
She had no courage to look below. A chaos unfolded in the distance; men harshly yelling and women screaming were heard from their village. The only ones hiding in the branches with her was her two youngest brothers. The other children were scattered on different trees, hiding behind the shadows of lush foliage.
Mere minutes ago, one of their cousins ran home barefooted, ushering all the children to hide in the trees. Once they were safe among the branches, some male strangers rushed into the village. The sounds of beating and broken earthen jars followed after.
"Sis," Kawarama whispered, cutting off her wandering thoughts. "I want to pee."
She mouthed her reply, "no, not now…"
His face went pale. He then sat sideways, moving back and forth uncomfortably. Hashirama grabbed his arm, with her two legs clamping the branch. Her baby brother Itama was peacefully asleep in her other arm, but she started feeling sore from carrying him all the time.
"I want to peeeee," Kawarama repeated, impatient.
On the ground, all sounds ceased to be.
The similar discomfort spread to other trees. The younger children started to whine, wanting to leave. The older ones forbade them. The absence of human noises didn't mean the danger has gone. Every shinobi could move without bending a single blade of grass.
Itama wiggled in her arm. His mouth widely opened, suddenly bawling. Kawarama hurriedly covered his ears, grimacing.
"Ssh, Itama, don't cry!" Hashirama's attempt was in vain. Obviously, her brother was hungry. The last time their mother breastfed him was before she went with the other women to get water from the hills because their wells were dried.
But, where was their mother?
Their tree trunk was shaken gently, which she would miss had her body wasn't in a fight or flight stance. Hashirama exchanged stares with her brother, his eyes were teary. The foliage hid them from unwanted visions, but they were also trapped there. The other branches were too far away to be reached by their small arms and legs.
The footsteps approached, climbing the trees. It was loud enough, without any intention to hide their arrival. Itama's cry must had invited those possible attackers.
Hashirama shielded the baby with her body. She was the closest to the trunk. She could hand him to Kawarama, then while they were jumping down to the lower branches, she could keep those attackers busy. Risky, she knew, but staying still wouldn't do anything. But wait, if someone was waiting for them below, they would not survive—
"Hashirama?"
She was stunned. She recognized that voice! Her hands trembled trying to push the foliage away from their field of vision. All of her discomfort and tensions were gone once she saw his face.
"Otou-sama!"
Under the trees, male adults and teenagers had gathered, still wearing armor from the battle. While the other children were taken from the trees, Hashirama hurriedly looking for her mother, no longer trying to calm Itama's cries. But a middle aged lady stopped her and took the baby from her arms.
"Auntie, he's hungry!"
She said nothing, instead giving Itama to another woman, whom Hashirama knew just given birth a few days ago. Those women's bodies were full of bruises. The woman started breastfeeding Itama silently.
"Auntie, where is my mother…?"
They ignored her question. The older woman started taking care of the younger one's wounds and bruises. Hashirama's attention was stolen by her brother's blushing cheeks, until someone called her.
"Aneja."
Tobirama arrived holding Kawarama's hand, accompanying him away from their baby brother and grouping with another relatives. Her oldest younger brother was still armored, without any visible injury. All around them were men in red and green armors, walking around, smelled like soil and blood. Hashirama didn't understand what was going on until they arrived at Senju clan cemetery.
Their father stood still, stoic, his back was facing his three children while other Senju men were busy burying more than a dozen of wooden coffins. His attention was fixed on one specific burial hole on the ground.
"Otou-sama, where is mother—"
Her father's finger pointed at the hole in front of them, interrupting her question. The little girl was stunned as she looked around the burial site.
Her kinsmen worked in silence, but one or two people who exchanged words told her that all those caskets were filled with the dead bodies of the women who went to the hills to get water. Including their mother. They were attacked by a group of bandits who camped near the water springs. Only a small number of women survived; the rest of them were already died or disappeared.
"Hadn't the northeastern hills been cleaned from bandits, the last time we patrolled there?"
"The Uchiha clan repelled some other bandits in Daimyo Taneyuki's area a week ago, they're all scattered…"
"They must have sent those bandits there! Right when we went to deal with another clan's attack…"
Hashirama stopped paying attention, drowning in her own emotions. Senju clan has a lot of enemies, her father said. Like those bandits who raid villages and kidnap unwary villagers. However, the ninja clans scattered beyond the woods and mountains were more dangerous. They loved killing more than kidnapping, even slaughtering children. And the most dangerous is the Uchiha clan, the arch-enemy of their family. It is said that their appearance is unlike any other human being, but with eyes as red as blood and breath as hot as hell-fire that marked their devilish nature...
The blood scent faded among the whiff of crimson dusts and the diggers' body scent. Roasted by blazing sun, sweat seeped into her palm that was tightly holding Kawarama's smaller hand. She cried when all the graves were covered, like all the other children. Except for Tobirama who was only staring into the mounds. Her mind was distraught, but Hashirama didn't know what to do with it. Even if she expressed that, no one would listen willingly.
The Senju clan is a ninja clan, isn't it? A clan of warriors, of fighters? Then why did all these women lost and died in the hands of several bandits? Hashirama still couldn't understand why did they die so easily, or why weren't they armed with bigger weapons than just average knives? Or why did these women aren't allowed to fight in a battle? They should be able to handle a sword if they're taught. Bandits or even Uchiha clan wouldn't be a big problem.
"You're still young, Hashirama," her father said that night, after Itama was returned to his wet nurse. "You don't understand."
"But I want to know, Otou-sama," she insisted. Her tears had dried up.
Senju Butsuma stared coldly at his only daughter.
"If our women fought and died, then who would give birth to children?"
Hashirama fell silent, confused.
Are women really can't do both at the same time?
Hashirama was twenty five, and she didn't understand why the ruler of this country wanted to visit a nameless remote village.
The uphill path she took ended at a small open field surrounded by oak and pine trees on top of the hill. The buzzing of forest insects were interspersed by croaking birds flying by in the blue sky. Irises grew beneath the trees, protected under the shades. Clusters of blooming purple asagao grew scattered across the field.
Senju Tobirama, two years younger than his sister, stood with an unsheathed sword. His swing, faster than lightning, blocked perfectly by his opponent, a tall and slim woman. Her ponytail whipped every time she defended and attacked. There was no sound but steel swords clanging, grass crinkling, and outcries full of spirit. They were equal; they took turns to attack each other without falling out of tempo. Hashirama was impressed watching them, how their contrasting clothes danced with their swift movements until the colors seemed blending with each other...
The two fighters moved closer to the path. A thick chakra wall suddenly hit her, causing her to blink repeatedly in shock. The woman in the field shouted, "Stop!" then turned to her.
"Morning, Tobirama, Izuna," Hashirama greeted both of them.
"Oh, Aneja."
"Hashi-san," Uchiha Izuna nodded quickly. Her chakra wall shrank. Her chest was visibly moving up and down, with sweat flowed past her black collar. She sheathed her sword, then fixed the white cloth that covered her eyes. "Ah, it's slipping down again…"
"Don't you two usually practice somewhere else? Why did you move here?" Hashirama asked, staring at her younger brother and hoping for an answer.
"That usual place is already used to keep building materials. It's quieter here." Tobirama leaned his back on to a tree trunk. His leg was stretched forward while he drank the content of a bamboo tube. A cat showed up from behind the tree, and Tobirama pet its back. An intense, satisfied purr was heard soon after.
Four other cats showed up from behind the trees, approaching Izuna who had sat down in the field. All of them meowed asking for a pet. She giggled and squealed loudly when a cat rubbed itself on to her exposed forearm. When she was satisfied playing, she quickly got up. "Let's practice again, Tobirama," she invited, then searched the grass until she found her sword.
Didn't want to disturb them, Hashirama got up and went to another path that brought her to the side of hilltop. The sound of swords clanging against each other echoed from the place she left. The scenery that welcomed her by the end of the path was a pine forest circling around a settlement. There were still many empty housing plots, and half the area had fully established houses with unpainted roofs, showing the natural wooden color gleaming under morning sunlight. Its people—which looked smaller than her pinky finger—were walking around doing their daily errands. On the northern side was a towering cliff; a familiar place for Hashirama.
More than twelve years ago she was sitting on top of the cliff with her best friend, talking about something that was deemed impossible back then; stopping the war and building a settlement together with her family's arch enemy. If her father or their ancestors came to see what was happening currently… she didn't know what would they say about it.
A swift shade momentarily blocked the sunlight from her face. Hashirama looked up, and discovered a flash of green pheasant snatched by an eagle. She recognized that eagle. They flew toward south, so Hashirama ran hurriedly through the trees downhill. Her attention was kept upward, to a dark shadow among green canopies. Unwilling to be left behind, she jumped over giant tree branches and hit smaller twigs on her way. Her lower clothes billowed as she landed on the edge of a level settlement.
The green pheasant was already on the ground, lying with blood flowed out of its dead body. The eagle who hunted it, sniffed the air before it jumped to a tall man's covered arm. Its beak caught a lump of red meat from the man's fingers, then flew to another man who had decapitated its prey. Both men wore dark clothing.
Hashirama exclaimed at them, gasping, "Madara! You're home!"
The two men turned to her simultaneously. A young man she didn't know bowed in respect, then quickly busied himself with the eagle on his arm. The other man, who was older, took off his thick gloves and parted his long bangs away from his face.
"Hashi," Uchiha Madara greeted her softly with a serious tone. "I need to talk to you."
"Eh?" She blinked, she slowed down her steps. "What is it?"
Before he answered, Madara gestured the other man to leave with a nod. "I came across a courier from the capital. He had been lost for three days looking for our village." He took a gold-covered scroll with an official knot from his pocket.
"What is this?" She asked, receiving the scroll.
The paper looked expensive. Even a daimyo rarely used this kind of paper. Shinobis like her only use paper sufficiently, messages usually were written in short codes or sentences with thin pencils. She released the knot carefully, and she could smell the fragrance coming from the calligraphy ink. That was unusual.
Madara reached between the strands of her hair, taking the leaves caught in her hair while she read the letter aloud.
"'To The Chiefs of Senju and Uchiha shinobi clan'... oh, this is for us."
"Continue," he commanded.
"'We wished upon your health'... the greeting is so long, oh gosh." She frowned as she skipped unimportant long sentences. The language was excessively fancy and confusingly superfluous. "There is a congratulation for the end of inter-daimyo conflict…"
Madara scoffed loudly.
Her eyes widened when she almost reached the end of the letter. "...Emperor Nobutada wants to come in person here." Hashirama looked up from the scroll, stuttering, "the Emperor… the Emperor will come visit us next month…."
His hand stopped for awhile, then slipped strands of hair behind her ears. "Here?" Madara sneered. "To this remote place?"
The woman touched the top of her head, which was already cleared from forest rubbish. Inside her heart she was grateful, but also embarrassed because she was so hurried running down the hill that she didn't pay attention to her path. "That's what the letter says. The Emperor wants to talk to the village chief." She tied the scroll back together. "I don't understand… even a daimyo never comes in person to greet people outside their cities. So, why the Emperor…"
Madara shrugged, then turned to walk around the village. Hashirama followed him, reading the letter once more. For the shinobi, the Emperor was an entity outside of their comprehension. His territory stretched from east to the west, and from north to the south. But how far it reached, Hashirama had no idea. The only thing she knew was the existence of other empires beyond the horizon, which means Hinokuni had a border somewhere. There was also Tsuchinokuni, Kazenokuni….
"What do you think?"
Madara had stopped walking, not far from the main road that led to the settlement. Bustling sounds of the villagers vaguely heard from the spot where they stood.
Hashirama stared at him, then quickly scrolled the letter back. "The Emperor has been letting the daimyo fighting against each other for so long," she answered. "Now he was willing to see us. Even then, he rarely leaves the capital."
"Everybody knows the Emperor only cares about the retributions each daimyo offers to feed his ridiculously expensive army." Madara did not bother to cover his resentment.
"I'm glad he wants to come visit us, but… there is too much to consider." Hashirama tucked the scroll beneath her clothes, then they continued walking. At times, she glanced at her best friend who seemed to be drowning in his own thoughts. He had been gone for a week, to hunt boars and other wild animals, all while he mapped the vast wilderness. Hashirama understood their village needed more food supplies and Madara was one of the best hunters they had outside of the Inuzuka clan. She only wished Madara did not leave for too long—there were many things regarding their village that she wanted to talk about.
Soon the peaks of wooden construction frames were seen from behind the trees. Men, all dressed in dark clothings, were working while chatting. Weeks had passed, and only the Uchiha clan who was still occupied with construction works.
"Do tell the other clan heads that we need to form a village council as soon as possible. But keep the Emperor's letter secret, at least for now."
As she watched Madara's back turned to leave toward his clan's residence, she felt something unusually heavy in her heart.
"Mokuton."
The ground cracked, opened. Wooden trunks grew from an empty soil plot in front of her, square-shaped and smooth like they were polished by an expert. Square-shaped branches grew from the sides of the trunks, connected to one another until it formed a construction frame of a two-story building. She almost didn't blink as she watched them grow, making sure the sizes were as precise as the design plan in Tobirama's hands. After she was done with the framework, Hashirama continued working on the floors and walls, complete with openings meant for doors and windows. Last, she grew the roof; wooden boards lined up neatly in rows.
Gently Hashirama released her snake seal, feeling muscle soreness spreading to her back. For more than an hour she stood still without any movement to keep her focus steady. Releasing that much energy was easy in a battlefield. But it consumed a lot of stamina because she had to keep her energy flowing constantly while at the same time keeping the wooden frame's growth controlled. Leaning on her knees, she turned her head to her brother. "How was it?" she asked, out of breath.
"Much better than the last time," Tobirama commented. "There is an improvement."
"I have been… practicing…" Hashirama took a deep breath, then walked through the doorway.
The two-story building would be a temporary office for village council until a more permanent brick building construction had been completed. She recollected her remaining energy and made wooden tables, chairs, and shelves. The ground floor would be a meeting room, and the upper floor private offices. Outside, Tobirama instructed a carpenter to finish making windows and doors.
"How many can you make in one day?" He asked as they left the location. "Almost all of our clan allies are ready to resettle here. There will be not enough time to build all the houses…"
"I told you not to worry." Hashirama walked lightly next to him as they passed newly opened empty fields. "Everyone will get a house. I can work non-stop," she added with eyes gleaming in joy.
Her brother observed her skeptically. "Aneja, you haven't forgotten that time when our clan just moved here, haven't you? That time we had to evacuate ourselves because the roof of our house you made was too heavy that it collapsed in the middle of the night?"
Hashirama grimaced in guilt. Her mokuton was used more frequently in battles, so when she had to build a house quickly, she only imagined the shape of the house in her mokuton. Its construction was obviously weak. The weight wasn't distributed evenly, so it collapsed rather easily. In the next day, Tobirama hired their clan's construction expert to design houses and asked her to practice mokuton in her spare time.
Really, using mokuton to build houses was far more tiring than using it to fight against Madara. And speaking of Madara…
"Whose house we're going to build first?" Hashirama asked, "Uchiha?" she added, a glimmer of hope could be heard from her voice.
Tobirama rolled his house sketch, then shook his head. "They chose to build their own houses. We have to quickly divide housing zones before someone even think about fighting over lands."
She looked up to the blue, cloudless sky. A flock of birds flew by. She retrieved a letter scroll from her pocket. "I… have to tell you something. Emperor Nobutada sent a letter to us."
Her brother's deep red eyes rolled rapidly after he opened the scroll. "This is… strange."
"I know, right?"
"Our information network has been stagnant since we moved out. No one knows any significant news from the capital." Tobirama returned the scroll neatly. "What if I tell all the clan officials to gather and discuss about this matter?"
"I think it's alright. Please tell the other clans as well." Hashirama added. "But don't mention anything about this letter." She stretched her arms. "I will build some more houses before lunch."
"Just one."
"Three."
"Sis," Tobirama squinted his eyes; a gesture she always remembered, "please take care of yourself. You're already tired."
The woman was sullen for a while. "I'm aware of my capabilities, Tobirama. Trust me."
By dusk, Hashirama was back on the cliff, counting the empty house plots she hadn't built. Her vision got blurry once she finished the third house, that's why she hurriedly left the gathering crowd. If her brother knew about this, he would scold her again. Her fingers pointed the air as she counted. She could build five houses in a day… so she only needed…
"What are you doing?"
Hashirama quickly put her fingers down. "Ah—Madara! You looked so happy."
The man turned his face away, insisted, "It's nothing." Yet a slight smile could be seen forming on the corners of his lips. "Izuna… her kenjutsu ability has returned like before."
"Still as deadly as ever." Then Hashirama smiled. "I watched them this morning."
Madara parted his wild hair, showing a long red scar under his ear. "I sparred with her just now, and here's what I got."
"Aw." Her hand moved closer, gently touching the scar.
"It doesn't bleed anymore," he said, even though he let his best friend healed the scar until it disappeared. "She was angry I didn't take her hunting."
Hashirama didn't say anything on that matter. She already understood why. "By the way, I've informed all the clan officials to gather tonight."
"I've got your brother's message," Madara said, looking around the settlement. "We need a name."
"Eh? Whose name?"
"Name for this village, Hashi," he sighed, "and the title for its leader."
"Oh, of course." Her hand clapped on her fist. "Is 'village chief' not enough?"
"The people of this village aren't just ordinary people…" he said aloud, beating the sound of wind blowing towards them.
Hashirama tightened her clothes to hold back the cold wind. If almost all shinobi clans of Hinokuni allied under one name, then its leader must be more than just a village chief. The leader must be able to protect many people, not just the villagers. Then the entire Hinokuni would be protected as well…
"...'Hokage'," Hashirama murmured. "How about the title 'Hokage'? The protector of Hinokuni from the shadows? Isn't it good?" She turned her head, her grin was wide, hoping for a praise for her brilliant idea.
Instead, Madara turned sullen. "Not creative at all," he commented flatly.
"Huuuhh." She sulked. "Do you think you have better ideas? Like, the name for our village?"
"Heh. Of course." There was a leaf slipped between his thumb and index finger. It had a big hole on the center; a caterpillar's work. He lifted the leaf in line with his eyes while he muttered, "Konoha… gakure…"
Hashirama tilted her head. "What? I can't hear you."
"Konohagakure," Madara repeated it confidently. "A village hidden in the leaves. What do you think?"
Hashirama's jaw opened slowly. "From all the names you could think of…" she complained with a disbelieving stare, "you chose the one inspired by the most basic hiding tactics. Ugh, not creative."
Madara grumbled in annoyance. "Hey, look at yourself! You're not creative as well!"
She laughed out loud. "Alright then, we should ask for creative inputs from the others! But," she turned around to face him, "I want you to be the Hokage."
"...Are you serious?" He frowned in disbelief.
"Mhm!" Hashirama reassured. "I can't think of anyone else but you."
"Why?"
She didn't answer, but showing her wide smile. Madara was dedicated in protecting his family, and he was an incredibly strong shinobi. Their family was no longer just their own clans, but everyone who lived in this village.
In Konohagakure.
"Don't just grin like that, tell me the reason," Madara coaxed.
"It's—"
"There you are."
They turned, seeing Tobirama climbed the cliff. His face was sullen. "Come down, everyone is already gathered."
Once they arrived at the office, Madara entered the meeting room. But Tobirama stopped Hashirama from following him, and gestured her to the office upstairs.
"I heard your conversation back there," he said while closing the door. He didn't even bother with small talks. "You can't appoint him as the leader just like that."
Hashirama's eyes widened. "What's wrong with it…?"
"Someone who hold such position must be chosen democratically," he added, "we can't just appoint anyone that easily. Other clans' opinions should be considered as well. They must have other candidates."
She dropped herself onto a chair. "Madara is suitable as a Hokage, Tobirama."
"I understand why you think so. I'm not questioning his ability nor his leadership… but, I think you are also qualified as a Hokage. You both are equally strong clan leaders."
Hashirama felt like there was something else he didn't tell. "You still dislike him."
"Not really," he quickly denied. "This isn't a personal matter."
Her attention suddenly was drawn towards the glass window. She approached and opened it widely. "Did you feel like there's someone out there?" Her sight caught a shadow just leaving that place, but no one seemed to be there.
"My sensing chakra is currently inactive."
Only a messy pile of fallen leaves from a nearby tree scattered under the ledge.
Hashirama was nine, and she had embarrassed the whole Senju clan.
At the summer afternoon, their village was more crowded than the usual. They received a group of guests from the southeast sea, distant relatives who had been staying for a half season. It was the last day of their visit. The Uzumaki clan routinely sent them the best weapons and shared ninjutsu knowledge they researched. When the Senju clan was at war, they kept gathering data to form new techniques and tactics for Senju's victory.
The group was led by Uzumaki Ashina, an old man with average height and a red beard intertwined with silver strands. He was gathering with the other adult men, including Hashirama's father. Aunts and the other female cousins were walking back and forth to serve snacks and sake. Children were playing outside the circle, trying to catch ladybugs or showing off their chakra abilities.
Hashirama was busy accompanying the grandchildren of Uzumaki clan leader. They were fun; going in and out of forest was their daily activity when they were staying at the village. It turned out there was no forest with giant trees back in Uzushiogakure.
"Uzushio island is too small," Uzumaki Mito explained while she was braiding Hashirama's long hair. "You can go around the island in just three days. From the hilltop, the entire island can be seen clearly. There's only one small forest filled with pine and oak trees, but none of them as big as the trees here."
"No boars?" Hashirama asked. She sat on the ground, hugging her knees while watching the boys showing off forest bugs they caught. The differences between Uzumaki and Senju kids were quite contrasting. First, it was the Uzumaki's unique red hair that stood out, and secondly because all the guests were nicely dressed. Even everyday clothings were made from silks and vibrantly colored. Meanwhile Senju kids wore clothes made from hemps that were easily obtained, and wasn't always dyed.
"No boars. Maybe just pheasants and doves." Mito let her hair down with ornamented comb. "Your hair must be tidied up, Hashi."
"Hmm, your fields must be safe from pest attack." Hashirama ignored the comment about her hair. All her Uzumaki female cousins were so pretty, with shiny accessories decorating their hairdo. Whatever Mito did to her hair wouldn't enhance her beauty, anyway.
"Later when you come visit us, we can play in the sea. We can ride the fishing boats."
She did not respond. She didn't know where exactly Uzushiogakure was exactly, but through the conversations during their stay in the village it seemed to be so far away. As far as she knew, no Senju clan member ever traveled that far in groups. Missions were always done alone. Her father had gone to the city, but in a disguise at night to receive mission from daimyo.
Noises from the forest caught her attention. She found a group of Uzumaki cousins laughed out loud until their voices turned hoarse. The group was led by Nobuo, a boy her age that was tall and big with bald head. They surrounded another kid—a Senju kid, and seeing from the flash of his clothes—
Hashirama's heart was filled with dread. She recognized Kawarama's voice from the group. Nobuo lifted a pail and spilled its content into the center of the crowd. Kawarama cried.
"What a crybaby!" Nobuo laughed at him, while his friends imitated. "How can you be a ninja if you cry so easily! Are all Senju kids just a bunch of crybabies?" The crowds parted, showing a squatting Kawarama. There was something sticky covering his head, like frog eggs.
Her brother was terrified of frog eggs.
"Hashi—!"
In a blink of an eye, the girl swiftly left Mito. In the next second, Hashirama's fist bumped into Nobuo's nose. The boy fell on the ground, but the girl didn't stop punching him. Nobuo's fat arms flailed, trying to push her away, but Hashirama trapped his body between her legs. His grey eyes watered. Her hearing was ringing, deafening her from any noise but punching sounds.
The hands that tried to pull her away reminded her that Nobuo's friends were still there. Hashirama struggled, but she was outnumbered. Only when she was pulled back and got up, she realized what she had done.
That big and tall boy was still lying on the ground with face full of blood. Just like Hashirama's fists. Mito had knelt beside him, trying to stop the bleeding. Her white clothes was splattered with red blood.
"Aneja…?"
Sticky frog eggs were still covering his head, but Kawarama had stopped crying. He was frightened. He was not the only one; everyone around her was staring at her in fear. Slowly Kawarama glanced at his sister's back, and her nape hair bristled.
Before her father called her, she disappeared among the bushes. Her heart beat boosted her adrenaline rush, pushing her to run deeper into the forest. It was her reflex; triggered by Kawarama's cry. Fistfight wasn't anything strange for her, but that was the first time she punched a guest. He is Uzumaki Ashina's—the Uzumaki clan leader—oldest grandchild, too. His temple and lips were torn.
She stopped running when her ribs felt sore. Hashirama wiped off blood on her hands using nearby foliage. Her overflowing emotion had calmed down. Her stomach growled, so she stepped on a giant pine trunk to reach a ripe persimmon that grew next to it. From the above she could see limitless green ocean that comprised the protection labyrinth for Senju clan. Tree branches moved gently, blown by the wind.
Her favorite scenery relieved her anger.
Flash of colors underneath caught her attention. A convoy recently left her clan's settlement. Red spirals decorated their luxurious palanquins, flanked by red haired guards. They disappeared at the end of the valley. All of Uzumaki clan had went home.
Night would descend soon.
Hashirama moved closer to another tree trunk, hiding behind lush foliage. Her father must be wrathfully looking for her in every corner, swearing to punish her. She didn't want to kneel down and polish wooden floors all night long until her knees bruised. That Uzumaki boy deserved to be punched; she didn't care if he was a clan leader's grandchild. He had made Kawarama cried, even he was at the same age as her. During his stay, Nobuo enjoyed to annoy and make fun of smaller, younger Senju kids when the adults weren't looking. Even he pretended to act sweet when the adults rebuked him…
"Psst."
Hashirama's body froze, her ears tried to catch another sound beside rustling leaves and whispering wind. There was someone down there, but she couldn't peek below without losing her balance.
"Aneja, you are up there, aren't you?"
She blinked, then parted nearby twigs to peek. "Tobirama? Is that you?" She whispered. Twilight dimness hindered her from seeing clearly.
"It's me. Come down before anyone sees."
Hashirama almost got up from the branch when she realized something. "...Are you going to tell father?"
Tobirama said nothing.
"If so then I don't want to come down."
"Sis…" The tree trunk was shaking a little bit. Tobirama climbed up. He was breathless when he reached her position, his head popping up from behind the leaves. "You will go home eventually. Father will also punish you, anyway. Come on."
Hashirama looked away. "Ugh, nevermind! Just leave me to sleep outside!"
"Father said if I can't bring you home, he will make me a bait for Uchiha clan."
The girl froze in her place. The expression 'a bait for Uchiha clan' wasn't anything new for her; she often heard Senju clan members used that expression to scare naughty children. But she never heard their father said something like that to his four children. Was her action beating up an Uzumaki kid had gone too far?
"Sis." Tobirama nudged her foot.
She stared at her brother's face. If Father really threw her brother away to the Uchiha clan… she would never forgive him. They're all demons; even cannibals, maybe.
She sighed, then activated chakra on her feet to walk down the tree trunk. Tobirama followed, gripping from branches to branches, climbed the tree down like most people. Hashirama didn't look away from her younger brother, ready to catch him just in case he lost balance. Once they were on the ground, the sky was almost dark. Tobirama held her hand along the way home, telling her if there was any obstacles on the way, and every ups and downs.
In the doorstep, she stiffened her sluggish shoulders, ready to face her father's wrath. Tobirama patted her shoulder, exchanging stares with her before she opened the door.
Senju Butsuma glared at them intensely at the moment they walked in and sat in front of him. He still wore his best clothes, a gift from Ashina in his arrival day.
Tobirama looked down. Hashirama boldly stared back at him. Her fists clenched on her lap.
"So, Hashirama?"
"I don't regret for beating up Nobuo, Otou-sama."
Her father deeply sighed. "You just acted insolently towards Uzumaki Ashina's grandchild and you say you don't regret it?"
"He made Kawarama cri—"
"You are not supposed to do that to someone you might marry one day!"
Disgusted expression appeared on her face.
"Uzumaki clan is still our distant relative," Butsuma said. "If Nobuo is going to be their leader, your life will be ensured in Uzushiogakure. Children's fighting should not tarnish the relation between Senju and Uzumaki clans!"
Hashirama's fists trembled from holding back her anger. "I'd rather marry an Uchiha man than marrying a bully like Nobuo!" She shouted.
"Aneja—"
"Hashirama!" Butsuma snapped, his chakra burning in fury. "Tonight you sleep in the shed! Forget about dinner!"
She got up, gritting her teeth. Her feet stomped the wooden floor as she walked out. Her eyes watered, but she didn't let her tears fall until she was in the shed. The place was dark, moist, and cold. She stumbled upon old cupboards or chairs with broken legs. Her hunger worsened. Hashirama had to reach her hands in the dark to find a place to lay on among old, dusty furniture.
Her hands touched something that seem to be a musty old futon next to wooden boards. She tried to reach for it when the door was sliding open. A wave of cold chakra greeted her.
"Go back, Tobirama," she said without looking back, wiping her face with dusty arms. "You are not punished, right?"
"I brought an apple." Tobirama put a candle on top of a broken chair, then helped her to get the futon and rolled it out next to the door. "You weren't serious, were you?"
"About what?"
"When you said you wanted to marry an Uchiha."
Hashirama laid her back onto the wall, holding a napkin-covered apple her brother brought. "...No." Really, she shouted those words just because she was angry. She couldn't stand it because Nobuo continuously bullied Kawarama during Uzumaki's stay in Senju's village. But…
"Tobirama, if I marry Uchiha clan leader, will we stop attacking each other?" Silence. Hashirama added, "Wasn't that what the other clans did in the past? Making peace through pacts and marriages? Why don't we do that?"
She heard her brother sighed. "You should eat, Sis," he asked.
"But what do you think?"
"Do you really want to marry a demon?"
Hashirama didn't respond. She really didn't know what the real Uchiha clan actually looked like…
The closed room was filled by at least thirty people; clan leaders and some other representatives. They sat in three layered circles around a table. Every clan was represented by four people, including the leaders who sat in the front row.
From Senju clan was Hashirama's uncles; Azami and Joji. The first one was a one-legged war veteran who's currently working as a bee farmer, and the other one was a physically frail but strong-willed man. Uchiha clan was represented by a young man named Hikaku and one of Madara's uncles whom Hashirama didn't know. The other faces weren't familiar, except all the clan leaders she often met. Beside her, there were only two other women in the room.
All conversations ceased once she entered. After small talks and expressing gratitude for the attendees, she presented Madara to speak.
"Our village isn't stable yet," Madara explained to them. "Sooner or later the daimyo will try to contact us to fight against other clans outside our village. The only thing we can do right now is forming an official leadership structure."
No one disapproved the ideas for village name and leader title. Hashirama could see Madara trying not to smirk towards her. Her heart was beating uncomfortably once she realized the next section of the meeting.
"To start deciding on who will fill the position as Hokage," Tobirama started, "we'll determine through votes. Not direct appointment. I think it will be fair for everyone." His words was met by approving nods from all the representatives.
"But not all clans are present today," Nara clan leader spoke. "Is that alright?"
Hashirama exchanged look with her brother. "I think it's not a problem. Besides, Konoha needs an official leader immediately. Please nominate yourselves, or someone else you consider worthy." She glanced at her best friend. "I nominate Uchiha Madara."
Without a break, Tobirama added, "I nominate Senju Hashirama." His declaration was met by meaningful smiles from both of their uncles.
No one else nominated other names.
Hashirama didn't dare to glance at them both. Someone distributed small wooden boards with a brush to write. She spent some time staring at the wood fibers in her hands before writing Madara's name, then compiled it inside a box on the table after the ink dried.
Silence covered the room as a Hyuuga man was busy counting the wooden boards. He sorted and stacked them according to the names written on every board. One stack was piling higher than the other one.
"It's almost an unanimous decision," said the counting man as he smiled. "Congratulations, Senju-sama."
Hashirama was still staring at the wooden boards in front of her. Almost all of them had her name. She had many questions in her head.
How could this happen?
"Congratulations, Lady Senju!" Inuzuka Tsubaki laughed and patted her thighs, showing off her fangs with pride. "You are officially our new village leader!"
But the one who received congratulations only smiled awkwardly towards the Inuzuka clan leader, ignoring the two men next to her who flinched at her laughter. Slowly, sounds of applause started to fill the air, followed by more congratulations.
The chosen Hokage's attention wasn't focused on the voting result, but towards a small stack of wooden boards with Uchiha Madara's name written on it. The man was sitting next to her, with arms crossed on his chest.
"Congratulations, Hokage-sama."
Her gratitude was expressed softly as she tried to process the current situation. His diplomatic smile disappeared as fast as it appeared. His sight turned away from her.
While shaking hands with the representatives and dodging Tsubaki's tight hugs, Hashirama saw the edge of Madara's clothes disappeared through the exit door.
It shouldn't be like this.
Hashirama stood up, intending to follow him, but Tobirama reached her arm first.
"Let him go, Sis."
Her brother didn't understand. Hashirama had to follow him.
"Later."
But when?