Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, the characters or plot


Tobirama had always lived in his brother's shadow. This was good; the shadows were where shinobi were meant to be. A warrior who struck from the shadows was one who would outlive the warrior standing in the open. As a child of the Senju, Tobirama lived with death hanging over him from his first breath. So he embraced the shadows, and honed his skills, and lived.

Tobirama loved his brother. His younger brothers he loved as well, loved their bright laughter and small hands. But his younger brothers were gone all too soon, and left only tainted memories and failure (and red like his eyes like their eyes). Tiny coffins engraved with the Senju crest, as though trying to reclaim them from death. Hashirama was similar to them, with the same bright laugh and open face. Hashirama was like the sun, and Tobirama couldn't help but to be dragged into his pace, entranced by his wildly dreaming spirit. Hashirama was older than Hashirama, and therefore not his (failure) responsibility. Hashirama lived.

Tobirama did not love his father. Butsuma Senju was his commander, the leader of his clan. He was strong and stern, and tolerated no disobedience from his warriors or his children. Hashirama was his heir, a strong shinobi in-the-making, the golden child. (Tobirama has lost track of how many times he's seen his brothers fall after a blow struck in anger. Hashirama was not spared his father's punishments.) Tobirama was second born, the spare should something happen to Hashirama. He was trained to perfection, to be a weapon for his father, later for his brother. Tobirama obeys Butsuma's barked orders without fail both on the battlefield and off. Tobirama is the dutiful, obedient son, a shadow compared to his wilful brothers. Butsuma trains him, and praises his skills before sending him on yet another mission. The day they bury Kawarama, Tobirama realizes that this is the first time he can remember talking to his father that is not strictly about shinobi matters.

Tobirama did not hate the Uchiha. He did not hate red eyes, or wake screaming from nightmares about spinning red death like so many Senju clansmen. Tobirama sees red eyes every day in the mirror, and they have never given him any reason to fear. He does not hate the Uchiha for his fallen clansmen, because he has been on those battlefields and can count just as many fallen Uchiha where they lie. (Tobirama is a shinobi, and they do not fight fair. That does not mean he lacks understanding of the concept.) The Uchiha are just another enemy, no different from the Hagaromo clan or Inuzuka or any other that he might face.

Tobirama does not begrudge them his fallen brothers. It hurt, when Kawarama died and he watched the too small coffin be covered in dirt, but he was a good shinobi and did not cry. It hurt, finding Itama's body and hearing Hashirama's grief, but he was a good shinobi and did not cry. If his traps were more vicious afterwards, or he killed more Uchiha than those twice his age, none sad a word. Tobirama was a good shinobi and did not smile.

Tobirama does not believe in his brother's dream. He was born in war, grew up in war, and has been molded by war with every breath. But Tobirama loves his brother, and if creating this village, if Konohagakure will make his brother happy then Tobirama will make sure that this dream becomes a reality. Only later, when he is reborn for a second time and staring at a child destroyed by a quest for vengeance, will he see that a dream of peace should never be built be a child of war.

If Tobirama was different, events would not have unfolded as they did. If he had hated the Uchiha like his clansmen, if he had loved his father even a little, if he was not so devoted to his brother. If anyone had seen a weapon in a child's body hiding in the shadows and realized that the weapon could think, and, choose, and wondered what he was planning. But Tobirama did not hate, and chose his own loyalty, and told no one of his plans.

Tobirama was a genius. Tobirama knew from that day at the river that his father would never stop the fighting, and Tajima Uchiha would never agree to peace talks. (Tobirama did not love his father.) So Tobirama waited, and gave advice on formations for the next battle.

Tobirama was a master strategist and tactician. Tobirama led strong Senju warriors to attack Tajima Uchiha, and watched them fall, slipping back into the fray at the last moment. Tobirama baited the strongest Uchiha with the promise of slaying the son of the Senju's leader, and they followed him into his father's attacks. Tobirama kept careful track of the wounds that each leader accumulated, watched as they grew ever so slightly slower, sloppier, with each new opponent (sacrifice). When it was time, he appeared before Tajima Uchiha, letting the other see his carefully widened eyes before fleeing into the forest, hearing one set of footsteps hurrying to follow him. (Tobirama was a good shinobi and did not smile.)

Tobirama was a shadow, and he disappeared and left Tajima in the clearing, picked out in advance with the troops carefully positioned to ensure privacy. He returned to his father's side, alone now as Butsuma's comrades had been killed by the barrage of surprisingly skilled Uchiha, and reported that Tajima Uchiha was nearby in the woods, wounded and separated from his clansmen. Butsuma Senju praised his son for his work, and followed him to the clearing. Both leaders were tired, and wounded, and alone. Both leaders were too proud to back down from such opportune weakness in their enemy. Both stood in the way of Tobirama's brother's dream.

Tobirama watched from the shadows as they killed each other.

Tobirama made several mistakes. The first was that Tajima Uchiha, though surely dying, was not yet dead when his sons found him. Madara Uchiha, who only saw Hashirama (the sun), took no notice when his father mentioned following his rival's white haired son before meeting Butsuma in battle. (Tobirama had always lived in his brother's shadow.) Izuna, however, had fought against the shadows and their white-haired weapon for years. Izuna knew Tobirama's tricks, and the seeds of suspicion were planted. The second was that he had believed that Madara was like his brother, fought only out of filial duty and would immediately call for a ceasefire. He was wrong.

Tobirama's final mistake was the same that many had made when facing him; he underestimated his opponent. As he charged at Izuna from across the field, Izuna's arms opened wide and abandoned all defence. Tobirama was moving too fast, Izuna went down in a spray of blood and Madara's cry echoed across the field. Tobirama could only meet Izuna's pained smirk with confusion before Madara and Hashirama arrived and were once again the centre of attention. Still, Izuna held his gaze and ever so carefully mouthed their fathers' names from Madara's arms. Then, "don't trust the Senju" shattered Hashirama's dream while Tobirama struggled to contain his reaction to the barest of flinches. As Tobirama watched his fellow shadow child disappear for the last time in Madara's arms, he wondered where he was wrong.

Tobirama was a loyal brother above all else.