Otouto

This is a big, big time AU fic. Certainly off canon a lot so give it a try before deciding to hate, but if you don't like…let me know.

Please read if you want. Review if you want.

Still own nothing. Nothing.

Chapter Twelve

The day was fine until the child's temperature rose to an alarming rate that evening. Hashirama wet another washcloth to fold and place on Madi's forehead as he slept.

"Tsuna said to give Madi this medicine three times daily," Tobirama began as he arrived from talking with the medic nin, "It seems one of the Akimichi clan genins picked up a cold from the Land of Iron and brought it back to his little sister. She spread the illness within the academy by accident. Not a severe cold, but it causes high fevers, chills, and vomiting much like the flu. At least we don't have to worry about sneezing."

"True enough," Hashirama agreed, "Madi so rarely catches a cold that this is a bit surprising to me. It must be a strong germ bug to have invaded our otouto so quickly. Hand me that glass of water on the chest, please. Madi-chan? Wake up, Baby."

"Hama-nini?" Madi whined as he blinked his eyes open before seeing his brother fill a small medicine cup with a thick syrup, "Ew."

"Yeah, I'm sure this doesn't taste great, Madi-chan," Hashirama chuckled, helping the boy lean up so he could swallow the syrup before allowing him to sip some water to wash the taste away, "A lot of your classmates have this same cold so the medicine is important to get better. Are you chilly?"

"Hai," Madi agreed and sighed as Tobirama spread another blanket over him, "Thank you, Bima-nini. My tummy hurts, Aniki."

"I know, Baby. I've brought a bucket that is here by your pillow," Hashirama advised, "If you feel like you need to throw up then do so in the bucket. Try to breathe deeply and go back to sleep for me, okay?"

"I want Bima," Madi whimpered as Tobirama slid to sit beside him to rub the boy's back before the child sighed and drifted to sleep.

"You've still got it, Nappy-Brother," Hashirama teased as Tobirama snorted softly, "I'll start making some rice porridge. Madi will probably need something plain to eat tonight since his stomach is upset. Here is a fresh bowl of water to rewet the cloth on his forehead. Call me if I'm needed."

It was late in the night when the brothers bundled up the youngest and flashed to the hospital only to be greeted by other frantic parents.

"What the hell is going on here?" Tobirama questioned once the brothers had found Tsunade, "Tsuna, what is all this?"

"Parents are coming in by the dozens. This illness is truly something else," Tsunade hissed, leading her family into a hospital room to lay Madi down for her to examine, "Illness starts as a cold, but just seems to get worse and worse with time. It also seems that fire users are the most affected by this cold. The germ is messing with the children's chakra and making the fever excessively high. Madi's is one of the highest temperatures I've seen, but his natural affinity to fire is the problem. I was about to send for you to bring Occhan here so that I could follow up on his condition."

"Why isn't the medicine working for Madi? Shouldn't the fever be lowering now that the medicine is in his system?" Hashirama hissed as he hovered close.

"Little Occhan here just got sick," Tsunade began, "The medicine hasn't had enough time to work yet, but this fever is way too high. We've got to do something now. Let's get him into a tub and cool him down. Follow me."

Tobirama scooped up the sleeping child and scowled as he noticed familiar parents in the hospital hallway. Many of Madi's classmates and friends had been brought in. Something wasn't sitting right with him and it seemed that Tsuna knew more than she was saying. It also seemed that Hashirama's thought were the same judging by the hard set of his jaw.

"Tsuna, what is going on here?" Hashirama demanded, "This seems to be spreading too fast to be just a bad illness."

"Agreed, Aniki. Tsuna, has an adult caught the illness or any child that doesn't have chakra?" Tobirama asked as Tsunade shook her head, "So only our children who are destined to be shinobi are affected. Doesn't sound normal to me. Could this be an attack of some kind? I find it hard to believe that only children with chakra would catch a regular cold or flu bug."

"Hokage-sama already had that thought," Tsunade snarled, looking beyond livid as her impartial, medic nin mask finally dropped, "Kakashi is looking into it while I continue to research the germ bug. I've found nothing to confirm that theory yet, but it is a possibility if another village is trying to weaken Konoha by picking off the next generation. We've had three deaths already from the illness."

"Oh, my God!" Hashirama gasped, glancing in horror at Madi sleeping in Tobirama's arms, "How? What were the warning signs? Is Madi showing the same signs?"

"Calm yourself, Jiji," Tsunade sighed with a frustrated shake of her head, "The three that passed away were all tiny and their systems were weakened from other medical conditions that they were born with so the illness was devastating for them. I have no proof that this illness actually causes death of stronger children. Let's just cool Madi-chan down for right now."

Tobirama exchanged a look with his brother. Any dead child was one too many. What the hell was going on? The two decided to focus on their otouto first and then analyze the situation more once Madirama was out of any danger.

"No," Madi whined once he woke within the lukewarm tub as Tsunade doused him with water, "I want my Hama and Bima."

"Right here, Otouto," Hashirama soothed as Tobirama and Tsunade scooped the water over the sniffling child, "Bima's right here too. You are too hot, Baby. We have to cool you down some."

"Try to relax, Madi-chan," Tobirama spoke up as the boy shivered.

"I don't like this," Madi wailed, reaching for his eldest brother as Hashirama hugged the boy close, regardless of getting soaked, "I don't feel good. Hama, make Tsuna stop. I'm cold and I want to go home."

"Shh, Madi-chan," the eldest Senju said as he scooped water over the boy's head to try and continue to cool the six year old down, "You'll only be in the tub a few more minutes. Be a brave little shinobi for me, Otouto. You're okay. Bima and Hama are right here."

"Look, Otouto," Tobirama tried as he created a small, water dragon to whirl around the boy as Madi's eyes brightened, "Watch the dragon while we cool you down. He likes you. See the dragon dancing for you?"

"Awesome," Madi whispered, hugging Hashirama tighter as he watched the jutsu work, "Look, Hama-nini, a dragon."

Hashirama continued to encourage his little brother to watch the dragon as the cooler water started working to lower the boy's fever. Madirama was settled in a hospital room with his kitty plushy soon after his fever came down. Tobirama stood guard over their brother while the eldest followed Tsunade to see her medical research on the illness.

"This doesn't look engineered, but that doesn't necessarily mean anything," Hashirama huffed as he gazed into a microscope, "Still…illnesses do not discriminate in nature so this can't be natural. Has any child recovered from the virus yet?"

"Not yet," Tsunade admitted, "However, the illness just popped up about two days ago and we tracked it to the Land of Iron through that genin."

"Mist and Sand are affected too."

Hashirama and Tsunade turned to see Kakashi stalking into the room with Gaara following him. Both Kages looked furious.

"My village is full of ill children," Gaara spat in a rare display of true emotion for the usually staid young man, "None of my medical experts can unravel the source of this strange virus and we have had five deaths."

"This has got to be planted," Hashirama growled, looking back at the blood sample he'd been studying, "Tsuna, have you checked for hybriding?"

"No," Tsunade gasped, "I never thought of that. I'll do so now."

"What is hybriding?" Kakashi asked as the eldest Senju scowled.

"Yes," Gaara agreed, "What is that? None of my medical experts mentioned that word in connection to this…this epidemic."

"Sometimes bioengineers can mask their work by creating a hybrid with a common illness, such as the flu," Hashirama explained, "You see the flu on the outside, but underneath is the real problem created to act as an internal weapon. I have a feeling that this illness is a hybrid."

"Done by whom?" Kakashi spat.

Hashirama frowned as his mind whirled. There was actually only one village he could really think that could possibly have the technology to pull something like this off.

"Truthfully, I am suspecting the Village Hidden within the Cavern due to their expertise in the medical field," Hashirama began, "Plus, there have been strange happenings that always seemed to involve that village over the past year. The Kage there wiggles out of getting fully blamed, but her hand still seems to be present quite frequently in odd events."

"Of course," Gaara breathed, crossing his arms as he considered the idea, "That village has always dealt in bioengineering and poison development. I have been suspecting that they have been attacking my nin teams over the last few months, but I can never get enough proof and my spy hasn't returned with any intel."

"Well, I have intel that Cavern is gearing up for some kind of battle," Kakashi bit out, "My hunch is Cavern is planning to attack villages while they are distracted with their ill children. If Lady Tsunade can prove that the germ bug was engineered by Cavern then we will prepare to invade. Our youth are the future of our village and we will…not…lose them."

"Sand will stand beside the Leaf," Gaara nodded out, "I cannot see one more child buried. This has to end."

"Hybriding!" Tsunade snapped suddenly as she broke a table by smacking her fist down upon it, making the group jump in surprise, "Bastards. Jiji, you are correct. This germ bug has the signature stamp of Cavern. The helix variable within the cell is shared with every poison that Cavern produces. Our children have been basically poisoned since the illness targets immature cells. There is no way to heal this. We need the antidote."

A sudden flare of chakra made the group stand to attention when Hashirama's full abilities were unsealed as his rage built. Targeting children? Cavern would pay.

"Hokage-sama, I'd like to lead the team," Hashirama snarled as Kakashi nodded firmly since there would be no way to stop the Senju anyway, "Tobirama, who is with Madi?"

"A nurse," the other Senju answered as his full chakra also unsealed once he stepped into the room, "I came as soon as I felt your signature beginning to pulse. You are angry. Explain why Hagoromo-sama has unsealed us, Aniki."

The whole group's eyes widened as Tobirama roared a whole string of curses a moment later that could have probably burnt the paint from the walls.

"He may seem staid, but not when it comes to family," Hashirama remarked as his brother roared again, "Just give him a moment to calm himself."

"He can stay angry for all I care," Kakashi bit out, "I want as much as that rage aimed at Cavern as he can possibly allow."

"Indeed," Gaara nodded out as Tobirama whirled on the group.

"This will not be allowed to go unpunished," Tobirama gritted out as he snapped himself back to his usual calm, "We need a plan and a team now, Hokage-sama. No more children, including my otouto, can be allowed to continue to suffer."

"We have much to figure out," Kakashi murmured, looking deep in thought, "Let us meet at the Hokage tower to discuss our plan of action. Lady Tsunade will remain here to watch over the village children."

"My brother and I will check in on Madi-chan and be right there," Hashirama decided as his younger brother nodded, "I request that Genma Shiranui-san and Raidou Namiashi-san guard with Tsuna-chan. I trust those two very much and will feel comfortable leaving Madirama and the other children under their care with my granddaughter."

"Fair enough," Kakashi agreed.

The elder Senju brothers found their otouto awake and unsure while the Kage left to gather reinforcements.

"Baby, why are you awake?" Hashirama called as he hurried over.

"Cause I felt your chakra get all big. Hama-nini, you and Bima-nini feel like a fire," Madi blurted as the two men flanked the boy's bed.

"How so, Otouto?" Hashirama asked as he tucked the child under the blankets more.

"I can feel your chakra all bright and hot like a fire," Madi explained, "Hama, you feel all warm and earthy and Bima feels like running water, but he's all…I don't know. Bima-nini feels like he's all whirling and crashing like waves."

"Ah, Madi-chan, you are feeling our elements," Tobirama grinned out, "That is good, Otouto. Sensing elements can help you discover an enemy's abilities. How do you feel?"

"My tummy hurts and I had to throw up, but a nurse helped me to the bathroom," Madi whimpered, "When can we go home?"

"As soon as Bima and I go and get you and your classmates a special medicine to make you all better," Hashirama soothed, "Genny-kun and Raidou-san is going to come and watch over you and the other children who are sick while Bima and I are gone. Will you be a strong shinobi for us until we get back, Otouto?"

"Hai, Hama-nini," Madi sighed, yawning wide for a moment, "You will come back soon? I don't like when you or Bima-nini goes away."

"We promise to get back as fast as possible," Tobirama answered for the eldest, "Sleep time, Otouto. Close your eyes and just relax. You got your Kitty-Boy?"

"Uh-huh," Madi breathed as Hashirama kissed his forehead like the eldest always did when the boy went to bed, "Love you always, Ninis."

"We love you too, Baby," Hashirama breathed as the boy drifted to sleep as the two, older brothers' eyes met in anger, "Let's go."

Tobirama used his Hiraishin to flash his brother and he home to don their armor and prepare to fight for the young of Konoha and Sand. No words were spoken as the two arrived at the Hokage Tower. The whole of Konoha's jonin forces had been assembled, minus the ones left to protect the hospital, and were awaiting the Senju.

To be continued…