A/N: I have been writing for this fandom for years now. This means that I've been writing about these two characters for a while. But, for some reason, even with all of the time spent writing for them and knowing their joint backstory I never actually wrote a story about these two together and I'm so disappointed in myself that it took me this long to figure out that they're perfect for a rare-pair!
Anyway, this story is both slash and a huge A/U, so be prepared for a new world, essentially! There will be unimportant original characters and a lot of fan-made lore because... Well... Kakuzu doesn't have much information on him before he joined the Akatsuki. So he's an incredibly malleable character and I'm totally gonna abuse of this fact.
Also, Hashirama is a cinnamon bun of love- like the Akimichi- and deserves all the love. He won't be getting it in this story, though. Not until some tragedies have struck, at least.
Please enjoy~
~..~..~
Chapter 1: A New Beginning
Even with all of the time and effort he had put into his dreams, Hashirama had never thought he would live to see the day different ninja banded together to create a home for all of them.
He couldn't believe it... But... With Madara's help, Hashirama's life-long dream was being accomplished.
"Affinity?"
"All of us are Earth-Release users."
"Mastery?"
"Only I have S-Ranked skills in this type. The rest of my clan isn't as strong or skilled as I am."
Hashirama could tell that Tobirama was intrigued by the honesty of the man before him. And the elder of the two brothers took time to glance away from the schematics he and Madara had drawn up that morning to get a good look at the shinobi claiming to have such otherworldly control over jutsu.
The tent they had been using to welcome refugees and assign them temporary quarters and employment was a bit on the cramped side, so only three of the supposed twelve clan members had entered to not take up too much space. The other shinobi working with Tobirama were tending to their own refugees- it was an otherwise regular and busy day, nothing really stood out... Until Hashirama's eyes fell on the leader of the shinobi interviewed by his brother.
The first thing that surprised Hashirama was the man's height. He towered over his seated brother and that was a given. But he also stood more than a head taller than the rest of the refugees being interviewed. Immediately, the Senju began to wonder if the man was taller than him. Not only was he tall, but he also seemed to be broad; but that may have just been an assumption based on the rather heavy and frayed dark cloak that covered his frame until it reached a jagged end just above his ankles. The black sandals on his feet had seen their fair share of wear and tear and could stand to be replaced.
Next, Hashirama took stock of the absolutely unique look of his eyes: Blood red sclerae, absolutely no pupils, and the greenest irises Hashirama had ever seen. They were such a bright green, even, that they reminded the Senju of a forest in the bright afternoon sun- when the leaves were at their greenest and most beautiful.
"We could make use of your skills." Tobirama grunted as he brought out a stack of forms for the man and his clan members to sign. "You'll need to register everyone under your care, along with their skills, physical descriptions, and any other miscellaneous information- just fill in everything within the form. There are eleven people with you, you said?"
With a stiff nod, the man lifted his gaze away from Tobirama and looked around the tent. Hashirama continued to look at him, completely marveled by the odd green eyes, until, eventually, their gazes met.
Hashirama offered a soft smile.
The man's eyes widened marginally, then his dark lips twitched just slightly. Seeing how Hashirama had been around the likes of Madara and Tobirama long enough, he believed that this was the man trying to smile, yet being too emotionally constipated to allow a full smile.
"Please return these before five in the afternoon." Those intriguing eyes looked away from him and back down at Tobirama as the younger Senju began to speak yet again, "You will most probably be called upon sooner than any of your other clan members to gauge how strong you are. This settlement needs fortification and utilizing the resources around us is something we are heavily considering."
With yet another stiff nod, the man picked up the papers and turned around to face the other two women with him. Hashirama now noted that they all shared some physical characteristics- dark skinned, black haired, and green irises. The clothes of the women were also worn and torn, but they were wearing regular shirts and pants, there were no cloaks covering their bodies.
As the man handed an individual form to each of the woman, they walked out of the tent. And, seeing how all of the refugees were either taken care of or currently being tended to, Hashirama stood from his chair in the back of the tent, rolled up the schematics he had been glancing over, and made his way towards Tobirama.
"Natural fortifications?" He questioned as he placed a hand on his right shoulder, not even earning a simple flinch of acknowledgement from his younger brother.
The white haired Senju folded his hands over the desk before him and sighed, "We discussed the importance of secrecy and protection in this endeavor. I believe that the sooner we set possible limits and begin to hide our presence, the more likely we are to remain safe."
With a hum of understanding, Hashirama handed his brother the schematics Madara had drawn up.
With a dramatic sigh, his little brother unrolled the scroll. And, as soon his eyes fell upon the plans, Tobirama frowned.
Hashirama merely smiled down at his brother. "It's kind of terrifying how similar you two are."
"I am nothing like that Uchiha." He immediately growled, but didn't say anything as he actually began to analyze what Madara had planted. "Not a bad idea- for an Uchiha..." After he said this, his younger brother spent ten more seconds in silence before finishing with, "Rudimentary and childish as they may be, the ideas are not completely horrible. I will take this and fix this, then. Take over for me?"
Hashirama had never been bothered by meeting new people. Actually, he preferred welcoming new settlers to their Land of Opportunity, but Tobirama insisted that he was much too valuable to leave so open to danger on a daily basis. Instead of doing what he enjoyed most, Hashirama was usually relegated to looking over possible ideas for a large infrastructure to gave his approval based on what he was capable of completing and what would realistically work.
With a quick nod, Hashirama shooed his brother off and took his place, throwing himself into working with all newcomers with a large smile exhibiting how happy he was to do this.
~/~
"We should have stayed in our home. What could this land we have no ties to ever possibly offer us?" Kayda pouted up at him in that way she always did whenever she wanted him to give her something.
When they had been younger- before Kakuzu had seen family and friends slaughtered before his eyes; before he had been incarcerated and tortured for being part of the Etō clan; before he had seen his parents ripped apart before his very eyes-, Kakuzu would have given his younger sister everything she could ever want. Now, all he wanted was to ensure a modicum of stability and safety in their lives.
The Land of Void was still filled with warring clans and internment camps that were eager to fill their cells with shinobi like him. Kakuzu had witnessed enough in that land to know that he did not want to return until everything had calmed down... And his clan members were not exclusively targeted because of the mistakes committed by their now deceased elders.
"Possibly a vacation." His older sister, Kamiko, shrugged as she filled out the forms given to them by the white haired Senju. "We're not here forever, Kayda. Learn some patience. Kuzu dragged us here for just a couple of months."
That was a lie. He had dragged what little clan members he still had left to this recently born 'village'- that was still no bigger than a large clan's compound- with the intention to settle here and form actual roots away from their original home. His intentions had fully encompassed beginning a new life, far away from the heartless borders of the Land of Void.
But his sisters needed some kind of comfort. And while he could not offer them honesty, he could at least offer his silence and allow them to believe whatever they thought they needed.
Currently, the three siblings were sitting with their fellow clan members on the outskirts of the settlement's constructed lands, utilizing the thick shrubbery around them as shade from the bright summer sun shining over them. The twins, Mamiko and Midori, were bickering over the proper way to fill out the forms they had been given, all the while the rest of his clan worked quietly on their own forms.
Excluding the blind Yuu, out of the eleven able bodied shinobi left of the Etō clan, he was the only male. Twelve clan members: one male elder, one male shinobi, and ten worse-for-wear kunoichi. And Kakuzu had found the role of Clan Head thrust upon him at a mere twenty two years of age. Precisely one year ago, he had become the last capable shinobi of his clan. Precisely on year ago, they had begun their escape from the Land of Void.
He couldn't understand why either of his sisters were willing to return to the land that had destroyed their whole clan. But he didn't want to argue with them. Instead, he wanted to get them to complete these forms as soon as they could so they would be allowed proper entrance into the settlement. He didn't want to spend yet another night under the cover of trees- he missed an actual roof over his head.
"Just answer everything honestly. These aren't our enemies. I don't need any of you messing anything up for us." He growled loud enough to be heard by everyone around him, immediately earning looks of scorn and distrust from the clan members that had fought against getting uprooted from the Land of Void.
"These are our enemies, boy." Yuu, of course, was the first- and only- to undermine his orders. "We are of the proud Etō clan. Our hands have been stained with the blood of many clans- the Senju included. This preposterous project of a village for shinobi is nothing more than a childish dream that will implode within a handful of years. Having us play along with this charade is a juvenile decision on your part."
He had never been a fan of the clan's elders. They were crass and proud- over confident even in their old age; even as said age ailed them and rendered them weak and vulnerable.
"The Land of Void annihilated our clan!" He finally shouted, earning surprised gasps from some of the clan members around him. "We were hunted down like dogs and thrown into internment camps- or has the ink on your arms somehow magically evaporated?" With a growl, he forcefully grabbed the sleeves of his cloak and lifted the cloth up to his elbows, exposing the forearms that were scarred by circular tattoos he had never consented to. "This new Village is offering us something that the Land of Void would never even consider for us: a safe life."
With a cruel glower on his face, Kakuzu looked every single member of his clan in the eyes. They all shared the same vibrant green eyes, dark skin, and dark hair, but none of the women around him shared his ability to completely obscure all emotions from their faces- their worried and surprised faces were all Kakuzu needed to see to know that they had not been expecting his outburst. They had thought they could push without him giving in; they had been wrong.
Quite frankly, it was a testament to his patience how long he had put up with their shit.
"Fill in the forms and hand them to me. I'm going to make sure none of you mess up." He finished with a hiss, then made his way back towards his sisters and grabbed one blank form from Kayda's frozen hands. "And if you don't want to piss me off any further, you better finish everything in silence."
~/~
Hashirama had been expecting the man with the vibrant green eyes to come back. He wanted to get to talk to him and ask him a bit about his life and clan. He believed that, as one of the main proponents to this village of shinobi, he had the duty of getting to know everyone that came to make a home here; even if he could only get to know basic details.
When the man entered through the tent, it was around 4:30 in the afternoon and most of the refugees and other workers had left and left him and Tobirama in the tent in the event of any possible stragglers appearing by the end of the workday. Hashirama was the only one seated at the main desk, though, seeing how Tobirama had curled into himself in the back of the tent with the plans of natural fortifications they could invest in.
"Good afternoon!" He greeted as the tall man slowly walked towards him, standing up to- secretly- gage just how tall the man was.
Once they were only separated by a table and a couple of inches, Hashirama was intrigued to see that they were just about the same height... Maybe the man was shorter than him by only a couple millimeters, really. That was truly odd; Hashirama was accustomed to being the tallest person in most situations. Not many gave him competition.
"My clan has filled out all their papers. Everything seems to be within order." His deep voice sounded as if it came straight from his stomach- a rather soothing tone. "Is there any other thing we must complete before we are allowed within your walls?"
Seeing how the stack of papers was being offered to him, Hashirama took it and began to look them over. With a quick glance at the papers, he was able to learn that these twelve refugees were from the Etō clan, which had once gone to war with the Senju decades ago before they had been run out of the Land of Fire. If he were a cynic, he would consider their circumstances ironic, considering how the Etō had been the clan to claim the unworthiness of the Land of Fire so long ago. But he wasn't- he just wanted to help these people as much as he could.
Aside from learning their clan name, he was able to see a rather interesting pattern within the given names of five of the clan members. Three of their names began with the same letter, while two others shared their own first letter: 'K' and 'M'. None of the other members shared any other characteristics within themselves- only their clan name was shared.
Most had checked the 'Active Shinobi' box, while only one had marked the 'Retired Shinobi'. Their ages were varied- ranging from seventeen all the way to forty five. And, from what he could see in the various boxes checked within the different forms when it came to the 'Skills' category, they were an extremely versatile group.
"If you've all signed the terms to entering our village, I see no reason to keep you outside any longer." Hashirama murmured as he finished looking over the forms, then looked back up with a smile on his face. "Let me be the first to welcome your clan into Konohagakure. I know it doesn't look like much at the moment, but we're working on becoming something great!"
If Hashirama had been anyone else, he would not have noticed the slight twitch of those curious green eyes as they widened only marginally. But he had Tobirama as a brother and Madara as a best friend- he was accustomed to seeing these minute movements that betrayed emotion. It was, like with his brother and best friend, amusing to see.
"Thank you very much." The man mumbled almost numbly, which made Hashirama nod.
"No worries." As he said this, he grabbed the standard refugee-level permission slip and offered it to him, "Once you get to the guards at the main gate, give them this. They'll show you to your temporary quarters- unfortunately, we don't have many constructions completed yet and are kind of behind schedule when it comes to offering everyone within our boundaries permanent homes. You'll all be under a tent, I'm sad to say."
The man stared at him in astonishment for a moment. Hashirama continued to smile at him, although he did begin to feel somewhat self-conscious over the fact that he had somehow shocked this man beyond words by just being himself. His smile began to falter.
Finally, after a couple of seconds of intense staring, the man moved his hand and dumbly grabbed at the paper. He cleared his throat and averted his gaze to glower down at the ground, "Thank you."
He turned around and quickly walked off after that, leaving Hashirama to sigh in slight pity.
How long had it been since he had last been treated kindly by someone other than his clan? It must have been a long time if he had been surprised by Hashirama's own, rather tame by his standards, acts of kindness. Really, he was just being polite!
After a couple of seconds of standing there, just staring at the opening of the tent, Hashirama sat down. He remained somewhat stunned before he felt a hand come down on his shoulder. When he glanced up, it was to find Tobirama frowning down at him.
"Didn't I tell you that if the Etō leader came back you were to hold him here?"
Hashirama immediately looked away from his brother's angered glare and scratched at the back of his neck. Honestly, he couldn't remember Tobirama having asked such a- oh, wait, no. He remembered now. Whoops.
"Sorry." He managed to breathe out, then offered a lopsided smile, "Well, at least now he'll be able to rest up a little before you put him to work."
Somehow, Tobirama's frown managed to deepen.
"Tomorrow morning, at eight in the morning, you will seek him out. You will bring him to the southeastern borders we have established and keep him there until I am able to arrive." His younger brother demanded, leaving Hashirama with the urge to sigh dramatically.
Even though Hashirama had been the main proponent for a village of shinobi, Tobirama had been the driving force behind safety and political plans. Because of this- and because he was a rather neurotic person innately- he took everything that dealt with such topics with the utmost severity of someone three times his age. Sometimes it was very easy to forget that he was only twenty years old.
Hashirama took a moment to ponder on what his brother wanted him to do, then decided that he wouldn't really mind getting to know the man with the blood red sclerae and emerald green eyes some more.
"Maybe we can even get some breakfast- Oh, I can take him to meet the Akimichi cooks so he knows where to find a free meal in case-"
His brother cut him off with a simple slap to his shoulder. "I better not arrive before the both of you." Was the warning growl as he turned around and began to walk away from his brother. "I will see you tomorrow."
Without turning to even look at his older brother one final time, Tobirama walked out of the tent. This left Hashirama to tend to boredom until five o'clock hit and he was no longer morally obligated to stay in case any other refugees appeared to seek aid.
~/~
It had been a very long time since anyone had treated him with more than just reluctant politeness. And he wanted to say that he wasn't affected in any way by such a novel display of kindness... But he hadn't been expecting it.
The white haired Senju had been all business. Respectful, but distant. He had been just another person they had met, albeit one that had not denied them any common decency as soon as he had found out that the Etō clan had been audacious enough to seek asylum in a land they had proclaimed, decades ago, undeserving of their grandeur.
But this dark haired man... He had greeted him with a kind smile and an actual message of welcome. As if that hadn't been enough, he'd welcomed their infamous clan with open arms into this shinobi village without sparing a thought... He had been kind. Not only that, but he had excused himself for them not having an actual building for them to utilize, even though all Kakuzu really wanted was a ceiling over his head, be it cloth, wood, or cement.
Now- after having spent a night sleeping in a mostly secure settlement, surrounded by his still alive clan members and other refugees- Kakuzu felt grateful.
The Land of Void may have been his home at one point. But the Land of Fire was much more welcoming than it had ever been.
"I still don't understand why we couldn't have stayed in the Land of Heaven. If we had gone underground for a couple of years, everything would have quieted down. And we wouldn't have been seen as cowards." Asuka grouched as she sharpened the bladed end of the sickle that made up part of her kusarigama, all the while Doi oiled the chains for her. "We gave up a large part of our name because of Kakuzu."
The thirty four year old Asuka was the second oldest of their group, beaten only by Yuu. Doi, on the other hand, was so young that it bothered Kakuzu to have her so attached to the surly widow. She was learning the old ways of her clan and remained closed off from any new ideas or possibilities. A seventeen year old was supposed to want to rebel against tradition, not follow it so blindly.
With a small sigh, Kakuzu walked out of their temporary quarters to get some fresh air. Even though they had all gone to sleep with warm blankets and full stomachs thanks to the dinner they had been offered by some charitable Hagane, his clan was still not content. He believed they would not be content until they returned to the Land of Void and their clan was finally eradicated.
When he stepped out, it was to find a bright blue sky dotted with picturesque white clouds and a lazy breeze billowing all around him. This plot of land had been cleared of a good part of its vegetation and was mostly dirt, but there was something comforting about the sight of buildings in construction and long lines of tents that housed other refugees that Kakuzu had not found in the forests as they fled from slaughter.
He took a moment to close his eyes and think about possible jobs he could offer to do in exchange of money so his clan could begin to form actual riches. But his thoughts were derailed when he heard a hearty cheer resonate before him.
When he opened his eyes, it was to find the dark haired Senju smiling broadly as his left arm waved erratically. Kakuzu quirked an eyebrow at this, confused over the man's actions, then looked around to see if there was anyone else the man could be looking at. But there was no one else outside at this hour.
"I'm glad to find you awake, Kakuzu!" The man laughed for a moment as he stopped a couple of feet away from him all the while he placed his hands on his hips. "I'm sure you remember my brother- the white haired man you spoke with yesterday? Well, he wants you to come with me today."
Why would they- right. His skill in Earth-Release.
"I didn't think I would be needed so soon." He admitted in a slight daze, then took a step into the large tent and poked his head inside, looking for either of his sisters.
Kayda was looking at him with wide eyes, hands clutching at the raggedy coin pouch she had kept since Kakuzu had gifted it to her five years ago. It was almost completely empty.
He could remember a time when it had been so full, it had almost burst.
"Kayda, I'm going to work. Keep the clan in their place and make sure no one steps out of line. We have an actual chance here."
She frowned at him, clearly as disapproving of staying here as the rest of their clan, but still nodded. Even though they were not happy with their current situation, Etō clan tradition still called for complete obedience to the clan head from the kunoichi. Only other males were able to question decisions made by him. Yuu was the only person capable of questioning him, even though he was unable to fight him for the position of clan head. They were stuck with him and his decisions. And all because of a blind faith in tradition.
His family were fools.
Once he had finished making sure that all of his clan members were indeed within the tent- most were still asleep on their bedrolls-, Kakuzu walked back out and turned to the man that had come to seek him out.
"Let's go."
The man nodded and turned around, motioning with his hand for Kakuzu to follow. The male did so without asking any of the thousands of questions that were running through his mind.
It was only when they neared a small building that had delicious scents wafting from it that the man spoke to him again, "The name's Hashirama, by the way. Hashirama Senju."
Kakuzu froze in place even as the man began to walk up the steps that led into the quaint building.
The mythical Hashirama Senju?
The God of Shinobi... Seeking a refugee out for his help?
New questions surged within. But Kakuzu stamped down on his curiosity and followed the man into the house, merely grunting, "Kakuzu Etō."
~/~
"My brother, Tobirama, is obsessed with creating fortifications for our boundaries- but natural ones." Hashirama explained as they neared the rendezvous point Tobirama had requested of him. "He believes that creating a mountain chain around us would be one of the best ways to deter any unwanted visitors."
"Creating mountains?" Kakuzu questioned with clear doubt, "How does he plan to do such a thing?"
Hashirama offered the man a small smile as he clasped his hands behind his head and glanced up at the morning sky. "I'm guessing he's got something planned with Earth-Release users. How exactly he is thinking of accomplishing such a feat I do not know- he has refused to offer me more than just a couple of undetailed ideas. He is a rather dramatic individual that likes to make people think he is more mysterious than he actually is."
They had left the busy under-construction areas of the plot of land they had decided to call Konohagakure long ago. Now they were in the densely forested areas surrounding the small settlement, surrounded by tall trees and the songs of various animals scurrying about. Far away enough to not have to worry about any prying eyes, but close enough to reach the settlement in less than thirty minutes if they were to hurry.
With a small scoff, Kakuzu further allowed Hashirama to hear his doubt in the idea. "I have never heard of such a thing."
He couldn't stop himself from being amused at such... Well... Close-minded thoughts.
"You've never seen someone with exceptional skill in Wood Release, have you?"
"Last I heard, the Senju were the only ones able to wield such a style, Senju."
Without voicing it out, Kakuzu let him know that, no, he had never seen such a marvel. And Hashirama turned around to offer him a bright smile, "No worries. I promise to show you how I can make a tree house in less than a minute."
The man actually groaned at him... And Hashirama could not stop himself from chuckling at the reaction.
Even though they had only just met, Hashirama felt extremely comfortable around Kakuzu. And he very much enjoyed this reality.
They remained in silence after this until they reached the spot where Tobirama had asked them to go, only to find Hashirama's younger brother scowling at his fellow Senju.
"You are never punctual."
"We stopped for breakfast. And it was great, right Kakuzu?"
Behind him, he heard a soft grunt. "Beats rations any day."
Ouch.
Hashirama was immediately hit by the fact that Kakuzu was not a Land of Fire native and was still, very much, a refugee trying to rebuild his life.
… Had he by any chance ever heard of him and his skills? Because, if he had, he was acting extremely normal around him... Maybe he hadn't heard of Hashirama Senju or the ludicrous God of Shinobi title.
Somehow, Hashirama was extremely comforted by this idea.
"You had one job, brother." Tobirama shook his head in disdain, then scoffed and made his way to stand before Kakuzu.
Hashirama moved to the side so he could see the interaction, lowering his hands from behind his head so they were resting comfortably within his pants' pockets.
"I would like for you to create the largest wall from the earth around us as you possibly can. Use as much chakra as you have. This will be the only task you must complete today."
His brother sure was an odd one. But he undoubtedly had a reason for such a petition. So Hashirama offered a reassuring smile at the leader of the Etō clan and made his way towards a rather sturdy tree, that had an incredibly thick base and unbelievable height, and leaned his back against it.
There wasn't much more for him to do other than sit back and enjoy the show- whatever that may have been.
~/~
Tobirama was the name of the white haired Senju. Hashirama was his older brother and they were separated in age by two years.
From what he had gathered from the extremely talkative Hashirama, the village of Konohagakure was still in the beginning stages of its creation. Its inception had been a lifelong plan that had taken an unbelievable amount of years to begin to make a reality. And establishing this as a viable place of living for shinobi had been one of the hardest things the Senju and Uchiha clan had ever managed to accomplish successfully.
Apparently, this vast land within the Land of Fire was poorly documented by the Land of Fire's governmental body, seeing how the daimyo had never been particularly interested in this area while the shinobi clans had killed one another. Because not many outside of the warring clans had documented the landscapes, Tobirama had come to the conclusion that they would be able to change the layout of the land as they pleased to create natural defenses for their village. The main objective was to help their Village remain hidden from most and, with large mountains, to deter many from wanting to even come here and find out what nature kept secret.
It was an interesting idea. And, with enough competent shinobi, Kakuzu was sure that he would be able to achieve the results he wished to ascertain.
What he could not fully come to understand, though, was why an outsider that had only just recently arrived was being trusted with this information. These two were clearly the leaders behind the creation of this settlement- why would they be trusting someone so new to aid with something so important?
No matter. He had answered them honestly and the one thing his parents had drilled into him before they had met their unfortunate demise was that honest work always bore the best fruits.
Hashirama moved off to the side, all the while Tobirama moved to stand behind Kakuzu. This allowed the Land of Void native access to a seemingly infinite stretch of forest to mold to his whims.
Closing his eyes, Kakuzu took a moment to ground himself and envision the soil beneath his feet. He crouched down and laid his palms flat on the grassy surface, extending his chakra beneath him to get a good gage of precisely what kind of soil he would be working with- fertile and pliant; some of the easiest to manipulate.
After he had taken stock of what he would be working with, the man began to contemplate precisely what kind of creation he should work on. Even though Tobirama had said wall, that was really not the best structure to get a proper gage of a ninja's mastery over this element. Walls could seem thick and sturdy outwardly, but were so thin when compared to other structures that they could be flimsy within and no one but the creator would truly know this.
A mound was much harder to create. It required precise knowledge of radius and origin to create a proper base, and then the structure within had to be compact and sturdy to hold up the weight that would pile up with the height it reached.
Out of both possibilities that came to mind, the mound was the shape closest to a mountain- which was undoubtedly the endgame the younger Senju wanted to reach with the aid of people that had an affinity like his own.
Inhaling a steadying breath, Kakuzu sat down cross-legged on the ground with his arms stretched out before him, back rounded in the stretch. He counted to four, held his breath, then exhaled slowly and heavily.
Without wasting another second, he pressed his fingertips onto the ground and began to collect his chakra within his center, then allowed it to be directed up into his arms and out towards the dirt below.
First he softened the ground before him, rendering it even more maleable than it had already been. Afterwards he quickly searched around him with his chakra, making sure that there were no animals that would be affected by the change he would be creating in this space. Once he was pleased with his search, he shoved a heavy burst of chakra through the ground and into where he had envisioned the origin of his mound to be.
He didn't open his eyes. He barely even registered the sound of crawling soil and creaking trees. Instead, he remained wholly focused on his task, spreading the ground evenly to create a large base for the mound he would be creating.
Because he wasn't paying attention to his surroundings, he was not sure to which brother the murmur of amazement had belonged to. He guessed it must have been Hashirama, though, seeing how Tobirama did not seem to be the kind of person that would allow such awe to be acknowledged by other people.
The reason as to the murmur of amazement?
Within seconds of having created a firm foundation that spanned, roughly, at least one kilometer- which protruded a couple of centimeters from the ground but must have looked rather unassuming- the ground began to shoot upwards. Kakuzu forced his chakra deep into the ground, propelling it at an incredible speed high into the air.
Sweat began to fall down his temple even as his shoulders and jaw locked.
His reserves were beginning to wane. The creation of such a broad base had taken a lot out of him. But he couldn't stop. He needed to create something sturdy and show precisely how capable he was in this style.
Frowning, the man ignored the minute shaking in his arms. Instead he focused solely on plunging his chakra deeper into the soil so he could drive it up further and further, although making it draw in on the sides the further altitude it reached.
It was when he heard a gasp of horror that he noticed he needed to stop.
But the dirt he had moved was not stable. If he stopped now, it would crumble.
Ignoring the warm liquid now falling from the corners of his eyes, Kakuzu tensed his whole body and buckled up, forcing the ground he had moved to harden. It took at least a full minute to fully change the structure of the mound from pliable dirt into a hardened and sturdy substance, but he was able to do it.
When he was finished, he let out a heavy exhale. As he did so, he rolled his shoulders back and winced at the burning that now consumed his whole body.
"Are you alright?" He distinctly heard Hashirama question.
He didn't feel enough energy to speak. So, instead, he nodded blindly.
He had yet to open his eyes.
"That... Was impressive."
"Who cares?" Hands were now on his shoulders and the slight movement backwards they elicited sent Kakuzu's head into a dizzying spiral. "That was too much for one person. You're bleeding, Kakuzu!"
Even with the lightheadedness and pain he was under, Kakuzu felt like he had to explain to them the curse their clan's males had inherited when they were born with inhuman chakra reserves. But there was darkness consuming him and the pull of sleep was much too strong for him to ignore.
~/~
He was bleeding. From his eyes.
Hashirama had never seen anything like this before in his life. And he immediately began to freak out.
As soon as blood began to trickle from the inner corner of Kakuzu's left eye, Hashirama pushed away from his perch by the tree and walked towards him. But it was when blood was started to spew from the outer and inner corners of both eyes that the Senju ran to Kakuzu and crouched down in front of him.
Kakuzu didn't say anything- he remained deathly silent.
When he questioned if he was alright, trying to get an answer out of him, the man still said nothing. Tobirama was the one to speak up, sounding absolutely astonished by the grand show of power from the bleeding man. Hashirama hissed at the fool, incredibly worried over the fact that one single man had just created an incredibly impressive hill in the span of only a handful of minutes.
"What is wrong with you?" He questioned as Kakuzu's body lurched forward, dropping lifelessly forward.
If Hashirama had not been there to catch him, he would have fallen onto the ground. But, likely, the Senju had been there. And he caught him with a soft grunt, seeing how Kakuzu was as heavy as an active shinobi his height should have been.
"I asked and he delivered so much more. I'm truly impressed." Even though he couldn't see Tobirama, Hashirama just knew that he was shrugging nonchalantly. "With someone like him, our plans are more likely to be successful."
Of course. Tobirama was only contemplating on Kakuzu's usefulness- not on how much he may have just strained or hurt himself by this show of control.
"If your grand plan of a mountain range surrounding Konoha is going to cause this to him or any other, I will immediately veto it." Hashirama growled as sat on the ground, turning Kakuzu over to look over his face.
He was still breathing, thank kami. And the flow of blood from his eyes seemed to be slowing. So Hashirama was afforded a couple of seconds of relief- the man hadn't just killed himself completing an order issued by his idiot of a brother.
"We'll need to recruit more than just him to complete a whole mountain range, brother... Although, with this beginning, I would dare say Kakuzu would likely be capable of completing it all himself- although it would take a long amount of-"
"Tobirama?"
"Hmm?"
"Please shut up."
His brother scoffed, but Hashirama completely ignored him. Instead, he busied himself by moving Kakuzu's unconscious body until it was laying completely on his back and his head was rested on the Senju's lap.
After a couple of seconds of silence, Hashirama heard his brother's footsteps walking away from him. Then he heard Tobirama murmur, from farther away than he had previously been, "At least this is a good beginning for what I have planned."
When he craned his neck to look, he found his brother right beside the giant mount that had been constructed from Kakuzu's hard work. In essence, the upper layout of the land had not been changed- it was a large hill covered with the same trees and bushes that had been there before the man had set to work. But it was tall, much taller than either Senju brother, and seemed to be completely sturdy ground.
Crouched by the beginning of the hill, with his hand splayed on the ground, Tobirama hummed as he nodded, "That is extremely dense rock. The rest of the structure is stable and tough- the soil is even stronger than that which surrounds us. Your friend," He spat sarcastically, "Is more capable then either of us expected."
Hashirama frowned at Tobirama then looked back at Kakuzu's serene face.
There were no lines on his skin anymore- and Hashirama was able to see exactly how heavily the man frowned. He hadn't thought much of the wrinkles before, but, now that they were gone, it was a huge difference. He didn't know if this was a conscious effort or completely accidental... But he looked much younger now. He even looked to be near their age, actually. Before, he had seemed older by at least a handful of years.
"I'll be heading back into Konoha to begin rounding up a group of Earth-Release users. I am guessing you will stay with him until he has awakened."
Even though it was supposed to be a question, it seemed Tobirama did not care enough about his answer to wait for him. Instead, he began to walk away from Hashirama, not even sparing another glance at him.
"I sometimes wonder how we are related, dearest brother." Hashirama grunted, hand subconsciously moving to push strands of hair out of the unconscious man's face.
"I stopped wondering long ago and came to the decision that it is better to just not think on the matter."
His brother should have been a comedian.
~/~
Waking up was an unexpectedly pleasant ordeal.
Even though his body felt like melted lead had been allowed to harden over him; even though he had a splitting migraine that threatened to destroy his head; even though his stomach was rolling and his throat was so tight he felt like he could barely even breathe... He still, somehow, didn't feel completely horrible.
There was the softest of touches running over his scalp, carding deft fingers through the strands of his hair. It was a feather-light touch, but, somehow, heavy enough to keep him grounded and concentrated on it.
With a small sigh, Kakuzu allowed himself to sink deeper into the warmth blanketing his back.
"At least buy a guy lunch, hmm, Kakuzu?"
The voice was familiar... A deep rumble that ran straight through his spine.
Instinctively, he grunted, "Don't waste money."
His throat scratched as he tried to force the words out and they even ended up breathy and barely above a whisper.
The person carding their hands through his hair chuckled softly. They didn't say anything afterwards- merely continued to run their fingers through his long hair.
Eventually, Kakuzu forced his eyes to open and look at his companion... And was left stunned when he found the peacefully smiling face of Hashirama Senju.
The voice had been male.
He should move.
His body refused.
Every single cell within him screamed at him to move- to get away from the man because such an position for two males was uncouth and condemnable.
But he couldn't move.
He wanted to tense up, to physically show Hashirama he was uncomfortable with the fact that his head was now laying on the man's lap. But his body refused to do such a thing- if anything, it seemed to relax even further into the warm lap.
Hashirama's eyes were closed, but his lips were curved into a peaceful smile.
He had never seen someone so beautiful before in his life.
1. Land of Void comes from the term Void within the Japanese Buddhist philosophy of the five elements: water, earth, fire, wind, and void, or aether. Void in this case means "sky" or "heaven". And seeing how, from all of the lands in Naruto, the only thing missing was this specific part, I decided to name Kakuzu's fan-made home origin be named like this. The topography is incredibly mountainous and these mountains reach some incredible heights, hence why the land is known to have some connection with the heavens.
2. The Etō is my original creation and is, essentially, a very hierarchy oriented clan with deep-rooted respect for patriarchy. Next chapter, there will be even more information on them. But the most you need to understand about this clan is that it extremely conservative and believes that tradition is always right *cough cough* homophobic jerks *cough cough*.
3. You don't need to know any of the original characters names because they're not really all that important. But I did decide to give the Etō the tradition of naming siblings with similar names, hence Kamiko, Kakuzu, and Kayda and Mamiko and Midori.
4. This story will have three chapters: A New Beginning, Our Wretched Misery, and The Traitor's Stolen Heart. They're supposed to be posted on a monthly basis... Because these chapters will be long.
Finally, I thank you for reading this chapter! I really do appreciate all of my readers and hope I bring all of you some semblance of joy with the novel rare-pairs I randomly come up with.
Please review and tell me what you thought!