War-torn
A/N: I realize how little I have planned for this story. Anyway.
Feedback is always appreciated! And forgive me for "forgetting" about the other Senju siblings, they may work their way into the story one way or another?
ALSO. I have only become aware that the Konoha Police was established ONLY AFTER Tobirama becomes Hokage. So let's all take this "Police Force" as something entirely different from that? Like, let's say just a group of shinobi in charge of investigations and general protection whose members are not limited to or headed by the Uchiha. That's all.
The hermit told her he could bring her back fifteen years into the past. The hermit actually brings her back fifty-five.
All she wanted was to find a sword.
Her last meal is probably the grandest meal she will ever get in this era.
Fried mackerel. Boiled rice. Pickled radish. A noodle salad. Miso soup.
It reminds her of the meals served to her as a child when she was being particularly disobedient and unruly, when her mother found her adventurous antics too much, or when her father found her skipping her lessons. It reminds her too much of home, of her time.
And it also reminds her of prison–of course, as she is a prisoner who is to be executed.
She tips the bowl into her mouth and savors the flavorful soup gingerly. Her hands, still cold from the crisp morning air, feel comfortable wrapped around the warm bowl.
"Get up."
The guards woke her before sunrise, pulled her out of the cell and out of the building, dragged her across dirt roads and into a small bathhouse. They shoved her into a small bathing room, stripped her of her clothing, and locked the door behind her.
"Hurry." One of them said from beyond the door.
There was only one high window, and the light seeping through was just enough for her to see the outline of a tub. She reaches out to test the water–it's still warm.
"Thankfully." She mutters before reaching out to search for a scrub brush, or a soap, or any of the necessities she needs.
She uses her hands to search in the half-dim room and finds only a pumice stone. She frowns, thinking of how half-hearted they are to give her a bath yet only provide her with lukewarm water and a rock.
She bathes nonetheless, using the stone to scrub her skin.
She must at least face her death with dignity.
She finishes the salad first, eating quickly as her hunger becomes apparent. Then she moves on to the rice, pouring the soup over it. And then she picks at the fish, taking it apart piece by piece, making sure to eat it in proportion to the rice. Before she moves to the radish, taking it slice by slice to clear her palate.
She finishes eating without leaving even a grain of rice.
And that is when she notices the chopsticks they provided were made of metal.
She thinks then, eyeing the pair carefully.
"I have finished." She says to the door.
"Get dressed."
The door opens quickly and the guards shove to her a piece of clothing before shutting the door again. She looks at it in the approaching light, and it isn't hers. It isn't the deep blue kimono nor the ebony hakama. It is a simple yukata in a deep burgundy color.
She thinks they have made a mistake–it's still dark out anyway–and gave her this instead of a white one.
She wears it all the same and appreciates how it smells of flowers.
How fitting for a death on a summer day.
The door slides open and a middle-aged woman enters quickly, shuffling across the floor without so much as a glance towards her, and takes the tray of food away. She pauses, but only slightly, before scurrying back as quick as she had entered.
Shikai thinks this all part of the ceremony and waits for someone to come. Whether it is an assassin who kills her without even her noticing or a guard who enters and orders her outside, she does not know.
But she does not expect the Shodaime Hokage himself, together with what might be his entire entourage, to be the one to come. And the thought comes to her as quick as lightning, that perhaps he delivers the executions himself.
So she acts then, bows deeply from her waist, presses her palms and her forehead flat on the wooden floor, and exclaims:
"I wish to confess!"
She hopes he is as merciful to her as he was before.
Hashirama feels embarrassed at the samurai's declaration. But despite this, he maintains a calm tone as he speaks.
"Please sit up."
And she does so, quickly, a certain stiffness and tension evident in her movements. She's afraid. She's terrified. Maybe she thinks she's going to die. He looks to Tobirama on his side and frowns at his younger brother.
But Tobirama responds to this with total indifference.
"Very well." Hashirama returns to the woman, "You may explain yourself."
Her shoulders loosen, and she begins. "Please believe that what I say is true. This may sound impossible to you, but I am not from this time."
She pauses and takes a deep breath. "I am from a time much later than this. About fifty-five years or so into the future."
"And how could you say that?"
"I met a peddler before I came to this village. He told me it was your tenth year as Hokage."
Both Tobirama and Touka glance at him pointedly.
"I see."
He thinks either the samurai or the peddler she mentioned was mistaken. This was only his fifth year, not his tenth. He gives her the benefit of the doubt, gives himself the benefit of the doubt. If she really was from the future, then it would totally be understandable that some things would be muddled or fuzzy.
"Before that, there was a hermit in a forest." She continues, pausing between sentences, "He told me he could go back in time. I didn't believe him at first, but..."
"And so you've found yourself here." He finishes for her.
"Yes." She nods.
He thinks to ask her a question, just to be sure. But he thinks she wouldn't know much about them or the time they live in. Perhaps she might know something of the samurai from this time, though he knew little of it. This would be difficult.
"Just so you know," he clears his throat, "this is just my fifth year."
She stiffens again, back arching up the slightest bit. Her jaw shakes and her fingers curl into her palm.
"But Shikai-dono," he smiles reassuringly, "I believe you."
Behind him, Tobirama's mouth tightens.
The first thing Tobirama does after catching Touka is go straight to Hashirama. Well, that is after he thinks about the possibility of her being controlled against her will and having her memories blocked. Would Madara actually be able to commit such a thing? Would any other Uchiha be capable of the same? If that were so, and if they found out she had been captured...
He breathes stiffly and calms himself; such thoughts would only burden him. They have yet to find more concrete proof. The maps aren't enough. The two swords aren't enough. She neither has a missive nor a letter to prove anything.
When he reaches Hashirama, he sees his older brother still poring over the maps with intense curiosity.
"Touka already told me." Hashirama spoke, already knowing what his brother came to him for, "This samurai might really come from the future."
And Hashirama said it so calmly, as if it were true, as if it was possible, but Tobirama refuses to believe it. Someone come from the future? How ludicrous.
"You don't really think that, do you?" He asks quietly.
"I'm feeling inclined to." Hashirama traces the outline of a country named Kaze no Kuni, before calling his brother over, "Look."
"Kaze no Kuni." He says the name aloud, "The other map shows only a desert."
Tobirama looks at both maps and sees similar outlines. If Hashirama believed this to be proof enough of that hypothesis, then what? If she were from the future, what then?
"And these islands." He points to a group of islands encircled several times, "Could they already exist?"
Neither of them has ventured far enough to determine that.
"Perhaps this is a ruse." Tobirama dismisses the hypothesis. "Something to cloud our judgment."
"And if it wasn't?"
Tobirama doesn't like it when Hashirama sounds so sure about something...
"If she really is from the future, then–"
...because that thing is often true.
"Then she is invaluable." Hashirama finishes for him. "But she is confused and unfamiliar, she may be exploited..."
"Maybe she already has."
Hashirama's questioning look tells him that Touka may have omitted information on purpose.
"Touka said there may be some sort of blockade."
Hashirama already knows what Tobirama is going to say next, and he cuts him off. "And you think..."
"It's a possibility."
Just a possibility.
"A message, Hokage-sama!" Someone says from behind the door.
The messenger from earlier enters and reports that Tenbutsu Masamune had given his consent. And Tobirama feels like frowning, thinking of how such a thing could ever happen in this time. Was it perhaps a jutsu? There was space-time ninjutsu, but could there be jutsu capable of moving back in time? If there was, could this mean that there is also a jutsu capable of moving forward in time?
He's half-afraid and half-fascinated at the thought.
"I am indebted to you, Shodaime Hokage!"
Shikai believes it to be a reflex, that she declares it with such fervor and bows deeply. She is more than thankful that he believes her, but fear that her confession may not be enough to spare her life.
But if it wasn't enough, then what is?
"Tenbutsu Masamune vouches for you." He continued, and she feels even more overjoyed that the tide has turned in her favor.
Last night she was more than ready to accept her death, pushing away all thoughts of possibly waking up in her own time, her real time. But the thought that this was all a deep, seemingly never-ending dream did not escape her. Even now, she still believes this to be part of this dream forced upon her by the hermit as a test.
But that doesn't matter so much right now because they have spared her and she is free to go.
She is free to go, isn't she?
"However, I must ask you one thing. How is the world?"
And she doesn't know what to answer him. Could this be a test? Or was he genuinely curious? Was this still really just a dream and that the hermit is the one asking her that? Or was this the actual Shodaime Hokage asking about the future?
"It is..." She thinks of a proper answer, "Konohagakure is still very lively."
He laughs. "Oh, is it? That's good to hear!"
She feels relieved and giddy, but doesn't know what to say next. She knows just enough about the shinobi world, but fears telling them would cause irrevocable changes and damages. Surely she can't tell them that devastating bijuu would terrorize countries or that wars would start because of them, can she?
A heroic and noble cause it may be, it might cause even more damage in the future.
So she tells them, "I've only been to Konohagakure a handful of times, including this one."
"I see." He's quick to become comfortable. "And the rest of the world?"
This is it. The pivotal question. She has to give it much thought before she answers.
But she doesn't, and says, "Very different."
Which is true, but still too vague to even be considered an acceptable answer.
But he laughs all the same, so she thinks it's all right.
"I would suppose so."
She thinks that perhaps he's taking this a bit too lightly. She was about to die until a few moments ago.
"Now then," he clears his throat. "As promised, you are to leave at dawn. And I, on behalf of Konohagakure, apologize for maltreatment you received."
She's surprised at how fast he moves from one topic to another, but is thankful that she can get on with this right away and go back to her own time.
"As such, you will be accompanied by a guide on your travels."
She becomes highly suspicious of this, but doesn't say a word.
"They will report to me your progress and your status bi-weekly to assure completion of your mission."
She thinks this is necessary to a certain degree, that they are responsible for her to a certain extent. Perhaps this is a way to acquire something else, perhaps the knowledge she has of the future, or perhaps the blade itself. Perhaps they are just using her...
"Rest assured that the blade you speak of is yours, but should you pose a threat to my people, you shall be eliminated."
She thinks that makes sense; they want to guarantee that she will keep to her word.
"Questions?"
"None, sir." She says compliantly.
"Good." He nods. "I wish you success in your mission."
"Thank you." She bows slightly.
A moment passes in silence.
"Ah, yes!" He blurts out suddenly, "Your guide will be my brother."
She looks up then.
"Tobirama."
He was looking at the white-haired shinobi on his side, who was very obviously glaring at her.
She thinks that perhaps she had spoken too soon about her luck.
A/N: Oh, gosh. Did that shift happen organically enough?