Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Masashi Kishimoto does.
Time for her didn't have meaning to her. Hadn't been for a while now it seemed. At times she had jumbles of odd things here and there but didn't last long. It wasn't until clarity came in the form of a boy of around seven or eight years of age and for some unknown reason, she couldn't stop giggling like a madwoman towards him.
A bright grin was her reward for the mad giggles he was receiving. It was here that she was also sensing something that came from the boy and what she felt from him was overjoyed love towards her. Then he leaned forward and shook his short brown hair into her face causing yet another outburst of mad giggles. "You are too silly, Tsukino." He stated letting giggles out himself as hers seemed to be infectious.
Well this was one hell of a clue to her as to what happened. Rebirth. Seems she was no longer Mia Hanson. Her biggest clue was the baby face boy the leaned over her while she was even smaller than him. The second was having seen her fat, stubby arms of a really small child or toddler, she should say, wave about with a terrible control over them.
"If you keep going, elder brother, she'll end up passing out." Another voice said breaking the fun that had been happening as the boy turned to another boy that was calm in feeling. This one having white hair and red eyes. She took in this boy wondering why he look familiar as she tried her hardest to calm the giggles.
"I would never let it go that far!" he replied with a pout before turning back to her to suddenly start speaking in baby talk. "That right Tsukino? We would never make you pass out just from laughing."
The other boy sighed at his brother's way of talking to her. "If you must talk to her, elder brother, at least do so properly. We don't need our sisters to speak as such." Another pout worked its way onto the older boy's face. "Anyways, were supposed to bring her outside with Hashino. Grandmother wants them to focus on getting movement down since they have started crawling."
"Alright." He replied gently as he picks her up to follow the younger one outside.
Blinking some at the bright light of the sun, she looked around the open yard. There she spotted another toddler that had the same brown hair as the one that held her, just poofy from baby hairs. An older woman kneeled on the ground with the other toddler helping her to stand on shaky legs. What grabbed attention was the bright red hair that flowed down her back onto the grass filled ground. At the top of her head was a small round bun held in place by a thick band of silk. Thick strips of grey broke the vivid red of her hair showing her true age.
She turned at the sound of footsteps to smile at them. Grey eyes roam over the three before going back to the toddler she held. "Come over here. It is plenty cushioned by the grass should they stumble." She stated to which the boys did. "Hashirama, your father wished to see you. Tobirama, you can take over for your brother." It was here she gave the white-haired boy a meaningful look to which made him sigh.
Eyes took them in as she was passed between them now knowing who these boys were. It was no wonder she didn't recognize them as one didn't have the stripes and the other was without his longer hair. Her wide eyes now looked into the red ones of Tobirama. This can't be happening. Nope she refused to even believe this. The Senju brothers had no sisters, only brothers. So why the hell were their two of them?
Tobirama watched his sister stair wide-eyed at him in confusion. It didn't help that he could feel fear pour out from her chakra and found himself becoming concerned by it. He knew he didn't interact much with them since their birth, but he didn't think it would warrant full blown fear. "Grandma, Tsukino is afraid."
The woman glanced to the two with an eyebrow raised watching Tsukino. "If you tried to be around the twins more, they wouldn't be so." She bluntly stated, clearly hinting to the boy of what had happened just months past with the twins. "They are your sisters now and forever. Just as Kawarama and Itama were when they were born. Come sit next to me, they need to work on leg strength." Tobirama sighed but moved to kneel alongside her as he put Tsukino on the grass in front of him. "Make sure to encourage her as we go."
Tsukino felt the begrudge Tobirama gave off now understanding it was probably his chakra that she was sensing. Eyeing the fingers held out to her to take, she continued to sit and stare at the albino. Seconds past before Tobirama huffed and took hold of her hands to lift her up. Legs wobbled making her focus solely on keeping upright and it was only with the gentle, yet tight grasp of Tobirama that kept her from falling backwards.
Soon she grew irritated and frustrated at the uncontrollable limbs that she didn't realize the scowl she was giving to Tobirama. "Stop being frustrated, little sister, it takes time to train your body." Eyes blinked at his words in surprise before it came to her that it was his sensing abilities that told him. He sighed gazing away for a second before moving back to her. "Just take it slowly. You'll get it soon enough just like everyone else."
Damn right she was. Being unable to move herself like she wanted was downright unbearable. Baby babble made her turn to her twin who was having to do the same she was, only the woman was slowly having her go up and down to bend chubby legs. Tobirama having spotted what she looked towards started to do the same gaining Tsukino's attention. For the next few minutes this continued till the twins started to show signs of becoming tired.
Hashino was fast asleep by the time they made it to the room that held their beds. Tsukino on the other hand fought sleep like it was the plague. Tobirama huffed at the smile his grandmother sent him. "She is willfully fighting sleep." He stated while trying to keep ahold of the squirming toddler.
"Then we should let her onto the floor to work out the rest of her energy." She replied kneeling with Tobirama doing the same letting go of Tsukino. She quickly moved to crawl awkwardly away from the two. It wasn't but a couple minutes that had passed before Tsukino found herself passed out on the floor.
Months passed into a year as she worked to gain mobility back and soon she celebrated her second birthday along with Hashino. With the memories of a blurry before Tsukino pushed ahead of her twin who still needed at times help when walking. The more she pulled ahead of her twin the more she found attention of others on her. Many showed pride at her improvements, but she had only done it, so she didn't feel so helpless.
During that time Tsukino was always with her sister and, once in a while, one of the four brothers she now had. Kawarama she found to be one of those who loved to play. Didn't matter if it led him to be in trouble with Butsuma from his antics or just simple entertainment for his sisters. His nature of carefree playfulness she always felt from him was one she had come to enjoy. It was infectious to those around him, even the calm and collected Tobirama who was pulled into the fray of trouble occasions.
Itama was a whole different story. He was the gentlest and loving of the four. It didn't matter what energy level Tsukino had, the moment he held her or sat next to her, she was out. His chakra was so soothing it took no time for her to zonk out. When many realized this happened after several times Itama was the one they called to get Tsukino to take a nap when she venomously refused to do so.
The one she always tried to avoid was her father. Hatred filled the man anytime he caught sight of her or Hashino and she could never understand why. Always holding a sneer on his face when her eyes connected his that it always made her feel hurt. She may not hold much love about the man that was her father, but he was still that, her father in this life.
So, she took it one day after turning three to find one of her older brothers. The one she found was Tobirama who sat at the roots of a tree near the compound's wall. He glanced her way from the scroll he had been reading when he felt her approach. "Yes, Tsukino?"
Damn, he must have felt her unease. Tsukino shuffle some just a little from the edge of his sandals before moving to sit right next to him on the left with knees held up by her arms. "Why does father hate us so much?"
Tobirama paused at this and blinked. "What do you mean?"
"Any time father sees Hashino or I, all I feel from him is hatred towards us." She answered before looking away from him. "He's never happy to see either of us."
Tobirama sighed as he wrapped the scroll back up. This wasn't something he wanted to deal with but knew sooner or later they would both know what happened. Taking in her meek form and the way she looked at him, the same red eyes as his only a couple shades darker. She had come out albino also with only a stripe of vivid red near her forehead that always fell into her eyes. They sat in silence as Tobirama thought of how to approach this.
"Was it something we did?" she glanced at him again hurt shining in her eyes.
Tobirama could only close his eyes at the image before opening them as he moved to stand up. "We should get your sister." He stated helping Tsukino up. "Do you happen to know where she might be?"
Tsukino gazed at her brother as she thought it over while testing the area for the two chakras she had come to know by heart. Sadly, they were too far from her range. "Last I had seen, she was with Hashirama in the garden." Then a thought hit her. "Couldn't you have just sensed them?" Tobirama raised a brow at that as they moved to the garden.
"And how do you know I'm a sensor?" he asked, his red eyes holding a glint of something.
Tsukino stalled at that. Crap, she only just started learning about chakra and training a little in kata. Should she say anything about being a sensor too? It's always at the edge of her mind to feel any that come near her in her sensing bubble. Wait wouldn't he have been able to figure out she was one too? Even without having foreknowledge about his sensing ability she could tell he was one just from his chakra that was different than most around them. It had a sense of always moving around like sea water teasing the sandy beach before pulling back away.
Staring up to her brother giving him a confused look. "I can tell you're one just from the feel of your chakra." At that he gave a slight grin causing her to be even more confused.
"I could tell the moment you were born that you were a sensor like I was." He stated. "I wanted to see how far you could sense while at ease. I knew where Hashino and Hashirama were before even asking. Seems your range is only up to six yards."
"You could tell how far I can range?" Tsukino asked a little awed by that.
"Of course. I felt the moment you began to find them." He answered turning a corner that led to the gardens. By now, Tsukino could begin to feel her two siblings as she thought over what was said. "Tobirama?" Glancing at her with a hum for her to continue. "Would you help me with my sensing? I want to be able to sense like you."
Tobirama remained silent in thought but he turned to her with a small smile. "I won't take to you slacking off if I do train you." Tsukino grinned at that nodding her head quickly. "Alright, but after you've finished with your katas will we begin tomorrow."
Quickly Tsukino found herself jumping up to bear hug him using all her strength to crush him in it. "Thank you!"
"What has you so happy little sister?" Hashirama asked having heard Tsukino. He grinned as he stood up from the plants they had been working on greeting the two while Hashino took time getting up to dust off any dirt.
If one didn't know that the two girls were twin sister they wouldn't have known. While one was white hair primarily and red eyes showing the albinism the other was dark haired with honey brown eyes. The only similar look between them was the vertical pupil that had been inherited from an ancestor from the Inuzuka clan. They had later learned that it had been a great-grandmother named Tsume Inuzuka who had married Takuma Senju, their great-grandfather. It had been a political marriage to ally with the Inuzuka clan. It was another reason for both girls to have wild unruly hair that never seemed to become tamed.
Tsukino turned quickly to him her face bright. "Tobi is going to help me with my sensing ability!" A brow raised at that before Hashirama peeked at the white hair boy. "She really is like a mini you, Tobi."
"This really wasn't the reason to come here." Tobirama stated moving his eyes to look at Hashino. "Hashino, come. There is something the two of you need to know." With one glance from Tobirama the eldest understood what he had implied and gave a nod as his smile fell from his lips. Turning to Hashino he took her hand then went up to Tsukino to take hers in the other. Both girls giving the two older brothers confused looks. "Father should be the one doing this."
Arms crossed Tobirama took lead. "If he wasn't as he was towards them, yes, I agree. As it stands, we are the ones having to do it as the eldest in the family."
Hashino glanced between the two. "What do you mean father should be taking us?" Uncertainty ruled her face not understanding. Just as Tsukino could feel what their father felt, Hashino had been able to pick up the looks he would send their way. Most of the time the two sisters never were able to see their father nor speak with him. Always stating he had no time for daughters.
Tsukino scowled growling bitterly. "He never has time for us. He only makes time for the four of you." Images of her father, passing by as they trained through katas, hoping that the work they were doing would make him stop and watch. "He won't even take time to watch Hashino throw a kunai perfectly."
Hashirama frowned at that. It wasn't a secret that Butsuma neglected his only daughters. His own sons have seen the looks he gives them and the ignorance about them in general. "Well, if you ever want someone to show off too, you always have your older brothers." He said hoping to cheer the twins up. "I'm sure Tobirama won't mind taking time to help with training."
With a scan over his shoulder Tobirama took in the way the twins grinned at each other before turning to Hashirama. "Really!?" both asked.
Hashirama chuckled. "Really. I want my little sisters to be the best they can." Hashino giggled at the wiggling two fingers that Hashirama gave her before moving to do the same to Tsukino while still holding onto their hands. "I don't want to have to be the one to always beat idiot boys away from the two of you." He stated playfully as Tsukino swatted the offensive wiggling fingers from her face with a giggle.
"Boys are gross!" Hashino cried out in disgust glancing to her twin. "Right Tsukino!?"
Even with having knowledge of a blurred past Tsukino found herself answering with her twin. "Right! They always want to pick their nose or spit." Tobirama couldn't help the slip of a smile form on his lips at listening to them.
Hashino bulked at that. "EW! Why do they do that?!"
"Who knows. At least we know our brothers are better than them." Tsukino stated before tilting her head in thought. "Wait, I take that back. All but Kawarama are the best." Hashino paled at that having remembered when Kawarama chased them with a bug in his hand.
"I will never let a bug come near me again, thanks to him." Tsukino giggled at knowing just what memory she was stating. Even though she had run from him too, it wasn't because of the bug but more of the joy she had doing so. "Ahh, don't be that way sister, the bug was harmless." Hashino gave an annoyed hiss to her. "That bug was not harmless!"
Both brothers smiled at the banter that went on as they walked the path that led to a shrine. The trees that lined the path shaded it with small breaks from sunlight pouring through the green leaves. The red roof of the shrine caught the attention of the twins following the two older brothers up the steps moving through the archway into an open barren space. The barren space was lower than where they stood on the edge full of grass. The twins took in the mounds that were set in rows with some having sunk from the elements over time.
Tsukino started to understand where they were as Hashirama followed Tobirama to a corner that held several stone heads spaced some. Reading over the names till Tobirama pointed to one that held the name 'Shima Senju'. The head stone was plain rock but had been carved into at the top to hold a single white moon lily that had become dry.
"This is where our mother lays." Tobirama answered.
Tsukino gripped Hashirama's hand not really wanting to ask but still wanted to know. "How did she die?"
Glancing towards her he frowned at the memory. "She had been sick before becoming pregnant with the both of you. It had weakened her even more throughout the months, but she had days where she felt fine. Soon came the day the two of you were born. Having already been weak during the months carrying, she passed on afterwards."
Tsukino let her eyes wonder to her sister who stayed to Hashirama's right. Her honey brown eyes held confusion at what was said yet sad at knowing their mother had died right after delivering them. "Is that why father doesn't care for us?" Tobirama shifted some looking into Hashino in the eye. "Yes."
Hashirama kneeled then, moving the twins slightly to him as he continued to hold each hand squeezing softly in comfort. "You must understand, father loved mother very much. He…he didn't take her death good. He hasn't been the same since that day."
Tsukino scowled jerking her hand from his. Thoughts ran through her mind of every sight she had seen of Butsuma. "It's not right to us! We were only babies." Hashirama nodded regrettably. "Why should we be blamed for something out of our control?!" Tobirama stepped up from behind Tsukino to lay a hand on her shoulder causing her to twist her head in order to see him staring at her with calm understanding. "You don't blame us too…do you?"
"What? No! We could never think to blame you for mother's death." Hashirama stated quickly in shock at her words. Tsukino's attention went to him as her childish feelings boiled up even if she tried to push them down. It wasn't just the hurt she felt, but the hurt of her own twin which made Tsukino dive to Hashino with a cry. Taking in the hug Hashino quickly encircled Tsukino both trying to comfort the other.
"I did at one point." Tobirama said gaining everyone's attention with Hashirama eyeing his brother in surprise. The twins gave him a frown. "For a long while after her death I couldn't stand to be in the same room with them."
"Tobi-" Hashirama started but with the quick narrow of Tobirama's eyes at him he stopped. Mouth snapped shut understanding that his brother needed this to be said. Once he knew Hashirama wouldn't intervene again he moved his gaze back to his sisters.
"For a time, I didn't want to be your brother. I felt anger every time I had to be near you. How could she survive so many birthing's of my brothers but when she gives birth to two girls it ends her. I could not understand why it would be so. I loved mother but hated both of you for taking her from us!" Tobirama yelled his face consorting heatedly with anger.
His crossed arms detangling to hang at his side fisted, his memories taking him back to those days before he took control over himself with several deep breaths. Once he felt calm again he studied Tsukino and Hashino with a frown. Both of them looking at him in small amount of fear making him quickly look away letting a breath exit through his nose. "Yet, one day the whole clan was in an uproar over the two of you missing only months after your birth. We later found out a rival clan paid to kidnap the daughters of Butsuma."
Tsukino's eyes widen hearing this. Could it have been the Uchiha's that paid for that to happened?
"Being the only sensor at the time, as the others had been sent out to a mission, I had to go after the two of you with quite a few others." Tobirama continued. "For a day, I tracked down the group that had done the kidnapping." At the end of the sentence Tobirama flickered his eyes to the twins. "The scene I came upon was something I wouldn't wish for any child. Even ones that I felt hate towards. There we had descended on the group with fury at having seen many other children held within cages like animals."
Tsukino gasped at the image feeling Hashirama rub a hand along her back but her attention was held by Tobirama while Hashino buried her face into Tsukino's chest. "We hadn't known of the other children till we were upon them. Those that were not in cages, but in the enemy's range of grasp, were quickly taken hold of as a shield from the kunai being thrown before they tossed them to the ground to die. The battle went quickly after that as we had them outnumbered but many of the children died during that time."
"After the battle we scouted the area coming upon a boy that held the two of you close to his chest trying his best to stay flattened at the back of the cage he had been put into." A sneer broke through Tobirama's face remembering the fear filled look of the boy as he caught sight of Senju men. "It was then we learned that the rival clan hadn't been the Uchiha, but another clan, as the boy that crouched at the back of the cage was an Uchiha."
Her mouth hung open at that as Tobirama went on, letting the sneer he held fade away. "I will give the Uchiha boy credit as he showed bravery at shouting at us to stay away from him and the two of you."
"It was the only time the Uchiha's stayed peaceful with us." Hashirama stated making Tsukino and Hashino turn to him. "It wasn't long after the fight that a group of Uchiha's had come into the clearing. For a lengthy while I thought we were to go from one battle into another until the boy that held the two of you shouted out to his father. Tajima Uchiha was the father of that boy and leader of the Uchiha clan. When words were spoken Tajima stated that that was the only time he would let Senju return home alive, as it was with us arriving when we did it saved his son."
"We learned the boy was named Izuna and had been kidnapped a little before the two of you were taken. With having no sensor they had a harder time tracking the group." Tobirama stated taking over. "It had been him the enemy tossed the two of you at, not caring if you would survive such a fall. During the time back to the compound I found myself a little glad we had been able to recover you. It made me think if it was Kawarama or Itama that had been taken. I had no desire to lose more of our family than what has already been taken."
"I know I wasn't a good brother in the beginning by putting all of the hurt and anger about the death of mother onto you, but after that day, I found myself coming around that you were my sisters no matter what happened. I was one of the ones you would look to for guidance since father refused to do so as the parent. It took me time to work through mother's death, till I had come to enjoy having both of you as my sisters." Silence ruled for a moment before Tsukino broke away from her twin to dive at Tobirama.
His emotions were a whirlpool in its shifting but Tsukino clung to him wanting to let him know how glad she was for having him as a brother. Seconds later, Hashino had done the same in giving Tobirama a hug. Hashirama not wanting to be left out quickly took in all three in a hug as Tobirama protested.
