It's summer. In the far distance a civilian settlement is visible, flames eating away at the little buildings and Izuna allow his body to relax for a single moment as he is perched on the branch of a tree. The leaves rustle in a soft breeze, a sweet scent mixed with the soothing smell of burning wood fills the air and it's pleasantly warm that night. Just perfect.
In this moment of tranquility that the Uchiha does not actually have to spare, his eyes glide shut and he hums quietly, tilting his head from side to side. A content sigh passes his lips before his body becomes rigid once more and his eyes snap open, the Sharingan's tomoe spinning deceptively lazy circles on a backdrop of red.
A shudder of anticipation shakes Izuna's small frame as he spots a flicker of familiar chakra in the valley below, sees it approaching at a fast pace. It's the one that's unmistakably his, and the closer his presence gets, the lower the temperature drops. That Senju doesn't even bother to hide (not that there is any escape from the all-seeing Sharingan), just as Izuna doesn't try to run and remains still on his branch, like a cat preparing to jump, to extend its claws and bury them in its hapless prey.
The silence presses against his eardrum as he eagerly awaits the first move of his opponent, now somewhere resting inside a tree. As usual, Tobirama keeps him waiting, but Izuna refuses to fall for this. He intends to win this game, thank you very much, therefore he ignores the urge to attack and the urge to scream in frustration.
The leaves rustle in the soft breeze and in the distance a village burns down.
Then Izuna's Sharingan swirls and he swiftly jumps to dodge the kunai headed his way. A smirks plays around the corners of his lips because finally that damn bastard made his move. Time for him to spring into action as well.
For a while the two keep to the shadows, trying to lure the other into various traps and out into the open, before they both tire of this and pounce.
Time seems to stand still as the blades of their swords clash and Izuna can make out every small detail of Tobirama's ugly mug. From those ridiculous red face markings to lips curled downwards in distaste to a barely noticeable scar on his cheek (courtesy of Izuna of course) to ruby eyes filled with cold rage. A second passes, shatters their little moment and lilting laughter rings out as they are both forced back. Today Izuna has the upper hand, as he remains unaffected by such strong emotions.
He can fully enjoy this encounter as he dodges Tobirama's jutsu with the same liquid grace as the water itself. It's not a dance, not quite, simply because the other purposefully denies him that pleasure, moving out of sync with intention. This asynchronicity infuriates the Uchiha and Tobirama knows.
Izuna allows for this to happen though, because it provides him with entertainment. If anything can quench his boredom, it is this, those little mind games he plays with his Senju. Because Tobirama is his, nobody can quite match him and that is knowledge they share.
Not a word is spoken as they fight because their swords speak for them. Over the years they have learned to read the other's every movement and to pick up on certain signs that betray their thoughts and tonight, Izuna makes sure to let Tobirama see how much amusement he derives from this.
He wonders if the other has become so competent in reading him that he knows already that Izuna has found another way to make this game more interesting. If he does, he manages to not let it show.
Wonderful, that will keep it a surprise for later, when he has managed to make Izuna lose his patience.
It takes an agonizingly long time (it just had to), until his agitation has outgrown his amusement and he is overcome with the urge to smash the Senju mutt's face repeatedly against the trunk of a nearby tree.
With a frustrated growl, he gives in and grabs his opponent by that ridiculous abomination of a fashion disaster others would refer to as fur, using the element of surprise to his advantage and he slams his taller and broader Senju against a tree.
Tomoe spin avidly as his eyes take in the face before him and every bit of it is burned into his memory. This is highly convenient, finds Izuna, because he quite enjoys the sight of his rival glaring at him like this. As if he has recognized just this once who the leader is, who dictates the direction their game will take and who makes the decisions.
Izuna cannot help it, he has to laugh as Tobirama struggles but doesn't throw him off just yet. It's a playful, almost carefree sound that cuts through the silence of the night. The Uchiha inhales deeply, the scent of flowers in bloom, of burning wood that the wind carries to him, of sweat clinging to both their skins. A wonderful night indeed.
Just as Tobirama moves to push him away, Izuna's muscles tense and he uses his whole weight against the force. He comes to stand on the tips of his toes; he lost one of his sandals in the fight and twigs and sharp-edged stones pierce the skin of his sole.
For a man as ice-cold as Tobirama, his breath is oddly hot on Izuna's skin. Interesting, he notes and leans closer as if hypnotized. Did the other's breath just hitch for a moment? The thought makes his lips twitch and twist into a smile before he presses a kiss to Tobirama's lips.
It's like kissing a corpse, or how Izuna imagines it. Cold, chapped lips and completely unresponsive. Hm, he resists, and refuses to respond in any way. It frustrates Izuna and he applies more pressure, clenching his eyes shut so that he can imagine somebody more pleasant in the Senju's place.
His knuckles turn white as he grips the fur tighter and he pulls back a little to inspect Tobirama's face to search for any sort of reaction. Tobirama looks utterly disgusted as predicted, but the realization has dawned on him and grim smirk tugs at his lips, the twitch in his eye betraying him.
As predicted, he will play this game. He will play along.
Izuna is elated and the thrill manages to makes him forget about his revolting stomach and keeps the bile from rising up in his throat. He can even get himself to connect their lips another time, and Tobirama reluctantly returns the kiss this time and his lips taste of salt. Izuna much prefers the taste of something sweet but oh well. This is not about pleasure after all.
It's a game, just one of a different nature when compared to all the feuds they had before and all the games they played against one another.
It's about control. It's about who will crack first.
The human mind is a fragile thing.
He can will himself to move his lips against those of his rival and he feels a bold tongue sweep over his bottom lip and his eyes snap open; this is his signal to retreat.
With a smile that made his usual prey run and hide, Izuna pulls back and let's go of Tobirama, licking over his lip and not once breaking eye contact. Izuna is a patient man and he wishes to make this last; where'd be the fun in taking it too far right in the beginning? A little teasing has never hurt anyone.
Izuna has planted the seed inside Tobirama's mind and that too, is shared knowledge and he knows that his Senju curses him, but is more than up for the challenge. He is not somebody one should underestimate, and Izuna knows that he must take these little...precautions.
Until next time, the look in Tobirama's eye says and the bastard even manages to keep a straight face all the while, outwardly unaffected by their actions, as if Izuna hadn't kissed him, as if he hadn't invited him to a more dangerous level of gaming and gambling, as if his breath didn't hitch before.
Izuna had wanted to be the first one to leave, but this time Tobirama is faster and the Uchiha is left alone. With another sigh, he returns to his previous position on the branch of the tree that is, surprisingly enough, still standing. The moon shines bright and the village has burned down.
It's on.