—-

Madara wanted to give Hashirama an annoyed glare or at least his trademark look of nonchalance, but found it extremely hard to do so. He'd been feeling like this for the past week and it was driving him crazy; no matter how much he wanted to frown at his old friend-turned-enemy-turned-ally turned—

Ever since he'd gotten over his initial bout of extreme reluctance over the alliance of their clans, whenever he'd seen Hashirama, it was like taking in a breath of fresh air. The hopeful look on the idiot's face brought a certain warmness to his heart, and a sudden wave of nostalgia would wash over him like a wave in the ocean – and he felt himself drowning in it each and every time; it was maddening. To him, it was nothing more than a supreme loss of control, and it baffled him to no end. Never before had Madara felt so powerless in front of another person, except for the time when Izuna had eventually succumbed to his fatal injury—

No.

As the two shinobi walked down the spiraling stairs, Madara's thoughts seemed to echo throughout and bounce off the heavy, cold walls, never just leaving his mind and permeating the atmosphere with its torment; no, his confusion was forever trapped inside the depths of his mind, never to let itself be known to the man who walked so gracefully and confidently beside him. He spared a glance over to his right to see Hashirama looking off in front of him, unaware of the quick look his friend had given him.

Once they were outside, Hashirama offered to walk with Madara back to the Uchiha compound – but Madara did not say a word, this time giving off a sincere nonchalance at the friendly offer, while unintentionally hinting at his inner turmoil from being reminded of his brother's death just over a year ago...

So Hashirama walked with him silently until they reached their destination. Madara left his side and entered his home without a word or glance at Hashirama, who could only stand there, quietly observing his friend disappear behind the walls that separated them so deeply.

"...Hashirama? -sama," said a voice, quickly adding the forgotten honorific at the end.

He turned his head, swiftly scanning the area. Then with a sudden slowness, he tilted his head down toward his left. A young woman with shoulder-length dark hair stood roughly one foot away from him... An odd angle to approach somebody from, he thought. Then, it slowly dawned upon him that he knew her - a quick study of her face told him that she was the woman who had attended the last two clan meetings with Madara.

A guard, of sorts.

He smirked. He found the thought quite amusing, to say the least. This young woman? As a guard? For Madara? At least Tobirama could compare to him, but he failed to see how this relatively short woman could come even close to comparing with Madara.

He realized he was still staring at her when she quirked an eyebrow up at him.

"What is it?" she questioned.

He placed his hands on his hip."What do you want, young lady?"

"I asked first," she retorted.

"Well, you're the one who approached me."

"You're on my clan's grounds."

"...Fair enough. I was just walking here with Madara."

"I'm not that much younger than you, you know," she said, not liking to be called 'young lady'.

He smiled. "You're what, seventeen? Eighteen?"

"Twenty-one."

His face straightened. "Oh."

"Yeah."

"You're still younger than me by two years."

"Okay."

"..."

"Well..."

"Well...hi! Sorry for the awkward introduction!" He paused for a moment. "Actually, I don't think I have introduced myself."

She raised her eyebrows in amusement. "You don't have to. I already addressed you by name..."

His face fell flat. "Right. Well, anyway..." He stuck out a friendly hand. "Senju Hashirama, at your service."

She stared at his outstretched hand for a few seconds before placing her hand in his own, returning the warm gesture. "Uchiha Kyoko."

"That's a pretty name," he said smoothly.

"..." She stifled a loud smirk, but let it burst into a fit of laughter once she saw the look of confusion on the man's face. "Is...that what you told Madara when you first met him?"

Hashirama sputtered. "I-I-what?" His hand was released; he felt it fall back to his side. His cheeks burned a raging pink – he hoped it was not as visible as he felt. "Madara is a not a pretty name at all. I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Good. I agree. Your name is much prettier," she said in a low, sultry voice. "Hashirama."

He felt his cheeks redden even more before he eventually realized she was just playing him. His own younger, cheeky self came to mind. Oh, he had loved messing with Madara back when they'd first met. After all, that had been his own way of testing out his new friend and his sense of humor.

—-

"Keep gloating and we'll see how far you skip across this creek!" Madara shouts at him.

"I'm sorry," he cries. "I've cleary upset you. To atone for my sin, you have my permission to use me as a rock to throw across the creek."

Madara shakes his head. "Geez, no need to go and cry about it..."

A tiny, wry grin makes its way across his lips as he adds, "I just hope...I don't drown before I reach the other end..."

"Y-YOU-! YOU'RE REALLY ANNOYING! GET LOST!" Madara scowls madly.

"Ok, fine..."

"Hold on a sec!" he interrupts, grabbing him by the shoulders, secretly not wanting to already lose this person he had only just met.

Still looking the other way, Hashirama feels the warmness on his shoulder and grins happily. It is a familiar warmness, as if they've been friends already for so long...

—-

He smiled at the fond memory, and felt his eyes lighten up at this young woman's childish, yet effective attempts at getting underneath his skin. Feeling mildly impressed, he played along. "You're right. But...do you want to hear a name that's even prettier?" he asked lightly, with a big grin spread across his face. "Tobirama."

Kyoko almost looked bothered.

Almost.

"Do you not agree? To-bi-ra-ma~..." he continued, trying to elicit some form of revulsion from her. "It really is the prettiest name I've ever heard. And everyday I get to say it." He grinned at her again. "Aren't I lucky?"'

"I'm luckier," she replied easily with a knowing smirk, effectively countering his own. "I get to see him everyday, talk about him everyday, and sometimes I even dream about him..."

The door a few metres across from them opened just a crack.

"I call his name every night..." Hashirama responded in a blissful tone.

"I scream his name every night..."

"I tattooed his name across my back..."

"I carved my name onto his back..." she taunted.

This time it was Hashirama's mouth that fell open, mid-grin. "Hahaha!" He laughed out loud heartily—he decided right then and there that he liked this amusing woman. He studied her deep brown eyes warmly, and then froze when she seemed to suddenly tense. They both moved their heads toward the door opposite from them; their eyes widened at the sight.

A very disturbed Madara was standing in the doorway, staring at both of the shinobi, individually giving them each a look of disbelief. "You two...are disgusting. Stay very, very far away from me." He narrowed his eyes. "And Kyoko, don't even think about stepping on this property until I have cleansed your tainted mind." And with that, his face fell blank, and the door was calmly shut.

"..."

"She started it!" Hashirama called.

"Pfft," she responded.

After a moment of deliberation, Hashirama began slowly, "So...Kyoko. Your name sounds familiar, actually. It seems Tobirama has talked of you – or at least I have seen your name engraved onto his back."

"You...stared at his naked back?"

"Not as much as you have..."

"Nor as much as you have stared at Madara's..."

Hashirama felt his eyes narrow and his face cringe in slight response to this remark. Okay, time to take her mind off of him and Madara. Anyway, he was genuinely curious about her connection with his younger brother, after all. They seemed to have known each other for a while, but he'd never found the right time to ask Tobirama about her, seeing as how they had both been very busy. So he said, "Okay. How do you know Tobirama?"

"Let's see...you go with him to the head meetings; Madara brings me to the head meetings." She crossed her arms.

"Makes sense..." he pondered. "But then, do you...get along well?" he asked doubtfully, with a grin unknowingly still plastered onto his face.

"He does not like the Uchiha. He does not like my clan."

"And? What about you?"

"...What about me?"

"Does he like you?"

She did not blink. "He does not like my clan, therefore he does not like me."

A slight frown overcame his features as he took in her statements heavily this time. "But Kyoko-san, you are not your—"

"I am my clan," she confirmed unflinchingly. She watched his expression become somewhat somber. "And you are yours."

"...Wrong," Hashirama said. "I am this village...not my clan." He returned her look. "What are you?"

She did not reply – instead, she appeared to brighten up. "Bye!"

Hashirama simply stood there as the woman disappeared into the house. He shook his head and turned around to leave. "You Uchiha...are certainly curiously...interesting," he mumbled to himself as he left.

—-

The intricately designed door to the Senju house opened after what appeared to be a few seconds of struggling. The woman inside turned her head at the presence making its way inside the home. She set down her knife and rested her hand upon the countertop expectantly. "Tobirama..."

He looked up after shutting the door behind him. "Ah?" His eyes landed on Toka, who was, to his delight, already in the kitchen. "Your turn to do the cooking, Tooka~!" he announced unnecessarily, letting his voice boom throughout the house. He jingled the bag of groceries in his hand in the air before plopping them down beside her in a victorious fashion.

Toka eyed her younger clan member as he approached her. "Are you drunk, Tobirama?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Not in the least. But..." he narrowed his eyes at the bottle that she quickly hid behind her—she looked into his dark eyes innocently— "...You are." He reached behind her and grabbed the liquor from her grasp. His jaw hit the floor. "Toka! This bottle! It-It's half-finished! You know Hashirama was saving this for..." He let the word linger for a second before cutting himself off. "Anyway, he's already pissed." His eyebrows slid forward into a half-pout. "And now he'll be doubly so."

She leaned against the stove, unimpressed. "Did you anger him again with your nonsense about the other clans?" she asked bluntly. "And it's not half-empty. It's a little more full than that," she reasoned.

"...Toka, you better make something really great," he mumbled before cupping his chin into his hand, staring off to the side. "Hahh...I shouldn't have gone out with Akimichi-sama, and just come straight home instead..."

It was her turn to raise her eyebrows. "You went out drinking with the Akimichi...clan head...?"

It had been inevitable; unable to shake the bitter words of his one and only Uchiha ally, he'd luckily caught sight of and eventually joined the Akimichi head in getting tipsy over the nonsense that had occurred in the meeting just prior. "He's actually pretty friendly. Oh well." He felt the warm fuzziness in his chest become heavier at the thought of an angry Hashirama. He sighed again.

"Okay. Well. Um...I'm not sure I can cook right now." She pointed to the food item already in front of her—or at least she thought she was pointing at it. "I can hardly cut this cucumber in front of me," she admitted.

Tobirama looked at her. "No problem." He stood beside her and placed his hand over the water-heavy vegetable carefully. Two seconds later, its entire length was sliced into circular, half-inch segments.

"...Oh. I forgot you could do that." She scrunched up her face. "Why aren't you doing the cooking every night, then?"

"Because Hashirama always wants to. Plus, I don't love cooking nearly as much as you do."

"But you're so good at it!"

"But you're so much faster at it."

"Okay..." She set down the knife once again. "So...what should we cook?"

"You mean what should you cook."

"Right," she agreed docilely, as if she was not his senior by six years. She looked at him expectantly. "...So...?"

"Don't look at me! Whatever Hashirama likes, really." He turned away from her and began to stroll casually in the opposite direction. "I don't really mind either way— what do you like? Oh yeah. You like pretty much everything Hashirama does...so just cook...whatever!" He waved a hand in the air dismissively. "..." He paused midstep at her extended silence, and craned his neck behind him.

She had begun to drink the liquor yet again.

"Toka!" Running back, he grabbed the bottle from her and brought the label in front of his face. He sloshed its contents around, staring at it pathetically. "You..." He sighed. "Hashirama is going to be very pissed..." He set down the bottle beside him onto the countertop. "Never mind. Ok! Now...let's...cook something."

She let out a breath and hung her head a little. "...Okay..."

—-

The Uchiha head only had one thing on his mind as he was being observed by his 'younger sister'. "Kyoko," he said, turning around after arranging his room, "Tell your father I cannot meet your family for dinner tonight; it will have to wait."

The young woman stood in the doorway and raised an eyebrow. "Okay. Tell them I said hi," she said, before turning to leave.

"Tell who?" he questioned, not taking his eyes off the kunoichi.

"Hashirama-sama, Toka-san, Tobirama..." She droned casually.

"...Hm."

"You are not that hard to see through, ani-chan," she responded with a light smirk. He thinks I know nothing. Even Izuna had seen it..." I can see the delight written all over your face."

He tensed, but his tone betrayed nothing. "Really? I thought that was my I'm-going-to-fucking-kill-you face."

She giggled. "Madara-ani has the hots for the Senju Hashi—" She was abruptly met with a hand over her mouth. Her dark eyes widened guiltlessly.

His black hair fell over his right eye as he shifted his head toward her and spoke in a deep, menacing voice. "Say another word. I dare you," he muttered darkly.

Unfazed, she spoke while muffled by her elder clan member, "Madara-ani has the hots for—"

"Kyoko you damn idiot! Get lost!" He finally pouted in an angry manner, pointing her out his door. She was forcibly moved forward several feet away before Madara let go and retreated back into his room to finish preparing for the evening. Damn hair...always getting so messed up.

He heard her giggling echo in the hall as she walked further away. He was silent for the next few moments as he stared into the mirror in front of him solemnly. A sudden depression came over him as he thought about his current reality; and then his mind fell to the past, and he was a young kid, again — training, seeking the advice of his older brothers, giving advice to his younger brothers, watching two of them die in front of his eyes...

Not getting to watch the other two leave this world, and not getting to say goodbye...

His heart was once again ravaged by his painful past. And here he was, now allied with the Senju, along with the other clans he'd previously he'd attacked and been attacked by. Well, your best friend approves...

So what do you think, Izuna...?

Am I betraying you? For the love of the man whose clan so quickly ended your life...? His eyelids lowered and his gaze fell to the floor. He spent the next few minutes in heavy silence.

But then, Kyoko's grinning, cheeky face intruded upon and swept across his mind, cleansing his thoughts of all self-loathing and doubt. Slowly, he smiled softly.

—-

The look on his face was something the woman might only witness this one time around.

The Senju head stood, baffled. "HAHH?" he exclaimed incredulously, looking around him. The place was a mess. "T-Toka! What did you do?" he asked, placing his hands on his head as he walked through the kitchen. "This..." As he scanned the pigstye that was his his living room, his eyes found Tobirama, who was casually leaning against the refrigerator, holding a wet cloth in his hand.

He grinned. "Anija..." he greeted with a slight hiccup.

Hashirama's mouth fell open. "You did not—!" He stepped forward and noticed the large bottle on the countertop. "You did!" He was astonished. His favorite bottle of sake he'd been saving up for the one night Madara would join them...

"Huh?" he asked, confused, as he had trouble meeting his brother's eyes.

Hahirama let go of him and turned his head over his shoulder. "Toka!" he accused, pointing a finger at her. "It was you!"

She slowly turned away from him. "H-hello, Hashirama. How nice to see you," she greeted, stumbling over her words, looking only vaguely ashamed.

He dragged himself over to the countertop and cupped his face into his hands, just like his brother had done, earlier. "This place...is a mess...you do know I invited Madara over for dinner, tonight...?" he sobbed.

"What?" Tobirama snapped out of his daze and walked over to him, nearly tripping over a few potato peels and squash skins on the way. "What!" he exclaimed again.

Hashirama pouted. "I already told you, brother. Anyway, why did you let Toka cook, Tobiramaaaa~..." he sulked. "There's food...everywhere..."

"Hey—I went to old man Hatake's house and bought from him what I needed to. He overpriced everything, but it's there!" He pointed to the fresh vegetables that were laid out quite messily, half-chopped into bits. "Zucchini isn't even in season, right now, you know—"

"Of course I'd know!" he snapped back.

"How is your garden doing, Hashi-chan?" Toka asked, oblivious to her state of drunkennes.

He was indignant. "My plants are doing very well, obviously. Wait...Hashi-chan?" he repeated, and slapped a hand to his forehead. He turned on his brother fast. "Tobirama! How could you let Toka get drunk?! You know how she is!" he said vehemently.

"Don't ask me," he replied, raising his hands beside him. "The room was a mess before I got here."

He narrowed his eyes. "No it wasn't."

"Fine. But she was already drunk when I got here," he insisted.

"...Fine. I believe you. But why are you drunk?" he questioned suspiciously, noticing the rosiness of his little brother's cheeks.

"I'm not," he said straightforwardly, trying not to think about the excess beer he'd consumed in an attempt to cope with Toka's wild behavior. His eyelids lowered. "But I really don't remember you telling me that he was coming here," he muttered, staring past his brother, referring to the Uchiha as 'kisama'.

"Tobirama! That is enough of your bigotry!" Hashirama scolded.

"What...what big tree?" he asked, scowling.

"..." He whacked him on the head. "Ahou, take a break from your suiton training already – you've clearly gotten water in your ears." He walked over to the typically reserved woman and motioned that she start doing something. "Anyway, come on guys. We've gotta get this place cleaned up before Madara gets here," he said with a sigh, wiping the sweat off his forehead. Then he froze, and slowly turned to the front door. Shit.

"I like what you've done with the place," the Uchiha said smoothly. He stood in the doorway wih his arms at his side, wearing a bland expression. He moved past Hashirama and easily toward Tobirama, scowling at the man who scowled right back at him.

"What do you want," the Senju said disdainfully.

"Do you always talk to people like that?" he spat. "Don't forget I'm older than you." He saw Tobirama blink; he could almost read his mind from the look in his eyes – 'Is that the only reason you should be angry with me?' – was what those deep brown eyes said to him. But he only looked away, and grabbed the cloth out of the man's hand and thrust it straight into Hashirama's.

It was Hashirama's turn to blink. "Why me?" he argued incredulously. "It's Tobirama's fault this place is a mess!"

"Hey, I took no part in this. It's not my fault she decided to use ninjutsu on her cooking!"

"..." Hashirama moved toward him. "Ninjutsu? You knew! And yet you didn't stop her?" He glared at him before casting an irritated glance toward his other clan member. She gave him a sheepish look in return before moving her eyes to the Uchiha in the room.

"I commend you on using fire techniques to aid in your cooking, Toka," Madara said lightly as he walked over to her. He placed an arm around her shoulder in friendly manner. His expression remained cool, yet it was freckled with amusement. "Though I do recommend that you not use them right after drinking." He scanned the area around him and spoke graciously. "Well, Hashirama, dinner has been served. Thank you kindly for the meal."

Hashirama's eyes narrowed. "...That's it. Madara, you are helping clean up." He turned to his brother. "Tobirama! You, Madara, and Toka will spend the entire night cleaning up my house!" he ordered authoritatively.

"Like hell that's gonna happen," Tobirama repudiated, slurring mid-sentence. He leaned a forearm over the tall countertop in a spiteful manner.

"Be a responsible adult, Tobirama!" Toka snapped at him, nearly slurring her own words.

"What! You were the one who decided to cook with ninjutsu half-tanked off your ass!"

"Wrong!" she retorted. "I am fully tanked!" As if to emphasize this typically uncharacteristic behavior of hers, her long dark bangs fell out from behind her ears and covered her bloodshot left eye.

Hashirama's mouth was open for a moment. "..." He hung his head and turned toward his love interest in shame. "Madara...I am so sorry you had to witness my family's supreme foolishness..." he apologized pathetically, mumbling in his depressed voice. However, when he raised his gaze to meet the man's eyes, he froze. "..."

Madara peered at him sideways as the tip of Hashirama's prized bottle of sake pressed against his lips. Completely oblivious of Hashirama's thoughts, he cocked an eyebrow at his shock.

There was only one thought that befell the Senju. He pulled on a saddened, comical face and pouted. Why can't that bottle of sake...be me...

Madara turned to him fully. He removed the bottle from his lips and held it closely beside him, betraying the words he spoke next. "Want some?" he asked in the most nonchalant manner one could contrive.

"W-want you? To do what?" Though not an ounce of alcohol had entered his body, Hashirama found himself tripping over his words.

"What?" The long-haired Uchiha narrowed his eyes in confusion. "Hashirama, you're not making any sense." He lazily shifted his gaze over to the other two Senju, who were now physically struggling with each other. "And neither are they. What exactly is it that they are doing?" He set down the glass bottle heavily, causing a loud clank! to echo throughout the home.

At this, Tobirama and Toka turned away from each other, stopping mid-struggle.

"What?" they both barked.

Hashirama retrieved two more cloths and soaked them in water, and then created two wooden poles with his mokuton. Then, he attached the cloths to the bottom and proceeded to shove the homemade mops into the hands of his family members.

Madara held out the cloth he'd stolen from the white-haired Senju. "What about me? Don't I get a stick?"

"No," he rejected. "Since you encouraged them, you will be getting down on your hands and knees." Not because of the view, of course...

"What!"

Hashirama glared at him. "Do it."

—-

After a very productive cleaning session, the kitchen and living room were now clean. With a sigh, Hashirama sat down on the floor with his legs stretched outwards and leaned back on his arms. He looked up and admired the clean sight.

"Finally. I was getting hungry," Madara said. He examined his nails casually.

Hashirama turned his head and looked up at him. "Hey...you hardly even cleaned!" he exclaimed, pointing a finger out at him accusingly. He stared at Toka, who was standing beside the man with his arm around her shoulder nonchalantly. "Toka..." he whined. "You didn't help, either..."

"I think I'm still a bit tipsy. I wouldn't have been able to clean up," she said carelessly, shifting her cool gaze to the man keeping himself busy near the stove.

"Tobirama...my brother...you, too, have abandoned this task and dumped it upon me..." Hashirama cried, jutting out a lip.

The shinobi in question turned sharply to the right, holding out his soup ladle in an offensive position, thrusting it in the direction of his elder brother; the motion, however, caused heavy droplets of soup to splatter onto his face and the floor in front of the wielder of the ladle. "Ah..." A cringe became visible in his expression.

"..." Hashirama took his hand and wiped the soup off of his face. "Tobirama..." he muttered darkly.

Madara smirked.

"You better be done cooking. I'm starving." Hashirama scowled as he lifted himself off the floor and made his way to his brother.

"Toka was supposed to do it," Tobirama muttered, shooting her a look. And why was she standing so close to Madara? Were those two best buddies or something?

She didn't even look at him. "I couldn't cook, either."

"Thanks for the help, guys," Hashirama said as he moved past them and stood beside Tobirama. "Done?"

"Yeah," he replied, stepping away from the stovetop as his brother leaned closer to it, peering into the contents of the pot.

"Soup?" he questioned, glancing back at his brother.

Tobirama crossed his arms. "All of our food got destroyed, so I made do with whatever ingredients I could find," he muttered in response, looking away.

"Soup? That's it?" Madara laughed.

Toka nudged him. "He's actually very good at cooking. Don't underestimate him."

He looked up at her amusedly. "You're right. He probably poisoned it."

"Idiot. Why would I poison the entire soup?" Tobirama scoffed, nearly throwing the ladle purposely at the Uchiha's smug face. Dammit. Doing a woman's job in front of this jerk. I can already sense the endless ridicule he'll put me through.

"Okay whatever, guys," Hashirama butted in. "I'm hungry. Let's eat!"

And with that, within just minutes the four shinobi were seated at the table, ready to start the meal. Three of them eyed their meals and half-filled as well as over-filled wine glasses expectantly.

Before they ate, however, Hashirama spoke. "Let us thank the gods and Hatake ojii-san for having food at our table tonight. If it were not for them, we would not be having zucchini on this fine winter night. Let us also thank Madara for gracing us with his presence this evening, and Tobirama for cooking for all of us even though most of the food was destroyed due to Toka's drunkenness and Tobirama's lack of appropriate discipline due to his own drunkenness—"

"I was not and am not drunk," his brother cut in.

"—And let us wish Madara a very happy birthday." Hashirama finished with a smile.

"..."

"What?"

The remaining Senju exchanged glances. "Uh...yeah...hope you had a good one," Tobirama muttered awkwardly, not knowing nor caring of what to say to this surprise.

"Yes, happy birthday," Toka said casually.

"..." Madara shot hashirama a vague look. "How do you know the day of my birth?"

Hashirama winked in return. "I know everything," he said knowingly, poking fun at Madara's younger self. He remembered whenever he'd ask the boy something, he'd always receive that same response. And now, to his content, he could see the corners of Madara's lips twitch upwards at his response.

Less than an hour later, everyone's bowls were licked clean, and wine glasses spotless. During the meal they had wandered from the dining table, and droned about typical things, remarked on nontypical things, conversed about strange things, and laughed at amusing things.

Madara yawned softly. "Thhhanks for the meal, Hashiramaa..." He made his way over to and leaned back against the couch comfortably. He then looked up to see his love interest looking down at him happily.

His hands tickled and tingled and bothered him to no end; he fought back every urge he had to just grab Hashirama's face and make out with him right then and there. But... He slid his eyes over to the other Senju, who was picking up the dishes that were so randomly scattered throughout the living room, and slowly trudging toward the wall that blocked the Uchiha's view to the kitchen. Bastard. Why is he still here.

"Damn Toka, passing out like that...still not helping out," Tobirama grumbled, before disappearing into the kitchen.

Madara looked over to his right, where the elder kunoichi was soundly asleep. She was amusing to look at in this state, considering how sharp she typically held herself. He smiled softly at the sight — he definitely liked Toka.

While Madara was busy spacing out, Hashirama grabbed the two wine glasses on the table beside him, saying, "I'll take these two," and turned away to temporarily join his brother. Hashirama grinned at the sight – his brother actually doing the dishes – and chuckled.

He paused mid-scrub. "What?"

"Nothing," he said easily. He stood beside him carefully. "Just...thank you. For keeping yourself in check around Madara for me. You two didn't fight at all – at least I don't think..." He scrunched his eyes in suspicion. "You weren't sending hateful thoughts to each other, were you?"

Tobirama turned and gave him a dry look.

"Anyway, I'll finish up, here. Since I didn't help clean up before dinner," he said in a dry tone of his own.

"Not that you should have. It was mine and Toka's mess." He smirked. "But you still tried to punish him for it. May I ask why?"

"It was...punishment for this afternoon," Hashirama said lightly as he removed the glass from his brother's hand, signaling that he would now take over the chore. "Although I ended up doing it, anyway..."

"Hm," he said, raising an eyebrow in amusement. And with that, he left Hashirama to finish the dishes and re-entered the main room only to find a certain Uchiha staring at him. "Madara..." he said softly as he approached him.

"What is it?" he asked with a lazy slur of annoyance in his voice. They met eyes as Tobirama took a seat beside him. He slightly shifted his body away from his presence out of reflex.

"..." Tobirama stared into his black eyes as if searching for something, but after a moment he appeared to lose his edge. "...Never mind." He looked away and leaned back against the sofa, letting himself slide down a bit, folding his arms across his chest in the process. He stared off into space for a while, thinking only about his brother, Kyoko, and the man beside him.

Madara gazed at the Senju in light suspicion through half-lidded eyes. What was that about? But the thought soon disappeared, and within minutes he found himself dozing off, and only vaguely sensed the slow-approaching presence.

Hashirama was standing in front of the sofa, softly chuckling at the sight before his eyes. Madara and Tobirama...sitting next to each other, on the same piece of furniture...asleep... Still amused, he reached out a hand and place it on his brother's forehead, pushing back his fluffy white locks lovingly. He smiled. Then, he stepped closer to Madara, and stared down at his sleeping figure.

Unable to look away, he said softly, "Happy birthday, Madara..." Although a bit scared, he gathered his confidence and gently placed his hand over Madara's. He froze for an instant when the man's eyes opened at the touch; but to his relief, they closed just as swiftly as they'd opened. So Hashirama let his hand linger for just a moment longer before reluctantly pulling it back, and closed his fingers into a soft fist, holding it close beside his chest. I should get some sleep, too, he realized as he glanced at the clock. Tomorrow is going to be a busy day...

—-

A/N: Ah, I had some fun writing this one, though it was certainly longer than I expected. Hope you enjoyed. Reviews would be lovely. I might even get Tobi to make you some of his delicious soup! (you know you want some)