She was obviously trying to figure out what to do with her current predicament.

Of finding him without making contact.

Tobirama had watched the Uchiha woman pace the small cavern that was currently his secret hideout.

Courtesy of her grace and kindness.

He had allowed himself to fall into a light sleep the night prior and had woken to an empty, somewhat chilly, cave. Which had admittedly confused him at first until he realized why.

Usually when he found himself waking again, it was due to his head being in her lap as she gently ran her fingers through his hair. She'd started doing this many nights ago, and to his annoyance, continued to do so every chance she had gotten.

Which was far too often for his liking.

But she'd always managed to keep the fire going, even after her departure. Another fact that he had let his weary mind latch onto in the moment he'd thought it.

So it was oddly concerning to him that when he awake this time that neither of those things were currently in his life.

And he dared not dwell on how uneasy that made him or even how much more upsetting that almost made him. He had infused his recovered chakra minutes after only to frown at the fact that her chakra was among that of her clan.

Not all that odd, considering.

But the anger he felt now that he realized how close to the Senju she was had him grinding his teeth together as the realization of the situation hit him. A battle, then. She most likely returned to the Uchiha to follow up on any 'leads' they might have not told her about concerning my 'whereabouts', gather supplies, and then had probably planned to return before I woke to inform me of her plan or even lack-thereof.

His eyes moved to the pile of wood on the ground as he focused on the multiple chakra signatures, including the weakened ones that were fading.

Obviously something then changed. Perhaps Chichiue pushed for an attack believing they held me captive. Either way, I'd assume upon her arrival back at the Uchiha compound and a short time after, the Uchiha then reacted and she was no doubt forced to join in.

The man frowned as he lifted his hand to his side and felt under the shirt only to scowl at the tenderness and pain that still afflicted his side from the injury.

He loathed to admit it, but she had done a damned good job on it so far and while it was more than tempting to rush off towards his clan, towards his brother, he wasn't a suicidal fool.

Chakra recovery or no, he was far too aware he wouldn't be able to stand up to either Madara nor Izuna in this state and while Hashirama would do everything in his power to help him if he did show. It'd be far too risky.

One mistake is all it takes, after all.

The man frowned as he kept track of her signature and how it would weave around the weaker signatures in the back.

He stiffened when Toka got near.

The Uchiha had put distance between them, but he knew Toka well and knew she wasn't going to be easy to fight. And he realized that the Uchiha woman hardly seemed the type which should be on the battlefield. He'd long come to the conclusion she was an infiltrator of sorts.

Most likely a spy.

That's what he'd use her for.

Tobirama waited with baited breath as the Uchiha woman who's very hands had most likely saved his life now fought one of the most hardened and relentless kunoichi he'd ever known.

Her warm fiery chakra moved far faster than he had given her credit for. Not as quick as he, it seemed, but she appeared to be by far the fastest in that clan. He theorized her Sharingan must be activated from the way the two chakra signatures were dancing around each other.

Toka most likely expertly wielding her sword and only getting all the more frustrated with the elusive woman in front of her.

He was beginning to find it commendable that the Uchiha had lasted this long against her, too.

I have underestimated her. He thought as his eyes narrowed when it fell with the Senju woman's in front still.

The motion which followed soon after had the man far more tense than he initially realized. He could picture in his mind's eye their positions. The Uchiha dazed on her back without her weapon as Toka raised her blade for the final strike.

But just when the Senju must have made her move, the Uchiha's chakra shifted

Only to then manage to get away.

Whatever then happened, he felt Toka's chakra increase and flare as she was forced to move back from the other woman with haste. It was then he took note of the fact that the Uchiha had wisely used that moment to quickly further the distance between them.

And it was at that exact moment that his brother's chakra, along with Madara and Izuna's, ended up between the women.

The other Senju were now leaving the battlefield.

Toka's signature then, after a moment's pause, soon to then follow whatever order Hashirama must have given before his joined far later.

Izuna's chakra went to the woman's, then. But whatever then the circumstance was, the two of their signatures were then close the whole rest of the way of their return. He judged by the way her chakra was hovering just behind his, he was carrying her on his back. Tobirama stopped infusing his own only after she'd remained stationary for quite some time.

To say he was feeling anger would be a fair assessment.

But as to why, he didn't try to linger on the possible cause as he decided to light one of the torches she'd set up some time ago and foraged for something to eat inside one of the crates she'd stored. He didn't want to risk the chance of discovery at the moment.

She limped into the cave late the next day and started a fire far too effortlessly.

"How many of my clansmen did you kill?"

She didn't exactly startle at his question and yet she had looked to him with wide eyes.

He frowned at her reaction and stepped closer. "How many, Uchiha?"

She sighed.

A long, weary, drawn out, sigh.

He roughly grabbed her sleeveless haori and pulled her closer, "How many?"

She turned eyes to him, keeping his gaze far too calmly for his liking. And then she moved one of her hands into his peripheral and so he looked to it in suspicion.

Her fingers formed a shape that only made him angrier.

0

"Uchiha…" He growled at her in warning as his narrowed red eyes went back to hers.

Obsidian just stared at him. He didn't like that he couldn't find any deceit within her weary expression. And he didn't like that it only frustrated him more.

His grip tightened on her as she continued to keep his eyes, despite the fact that they looked ready to slide shut at any moment now due to what he could only conclude as pure exhaustion.

He roughly released her as he stood. She flinched slightly as she fell to her back.

And he let out an irritated breath as his eyes caught fresh blood that seemed to have run down her leg from her thigh.

She made to get up as he grabbed supplies from where she stored them. When he turned, he snapped, "Don't move!'

She had been ready to stand and now just blinked at him as she sat back down slowly as he approached. "The wound. Show me."

She had looked down at that and he watched her shift carefully as she untied the faux obi and moved the hems of the sleeveless haori apart to reveal her taut stomach and a pair of very short tight black shorts.

His eyes caught the white wrappings from just underneath the end of her shorts and about an inch from above her knee, already soaked.

He knelt down and easily ripped what he could tell was a poor job at wrapping a wound from her, wondering how she hadn't realized it'd reopened on her.

His eyes took in the long slash down her inner thigh as he grabbed at the bucket of water by the fire only to drop a clean cloth into it. He then firmly grabbed at the point above the start of the newly acquired wound.

He was somewhat relieved at how loose and relaxed she was keeping her muscles. He started to wash away the blood quickly enough and then applied pressure in order to help stop the flow. Luckily, it wasn't long and it didn't take much before there was no more blood seeping out and he found himself scowling at the work, "Whoever did this, did a poor job."

He glanced up to her at that. He was very familiar with her work. If she'd been the one to handle it, it'd have been a far neater and far more thorough job.

There was an almost amused look on her face, though. But he ignored it in order to resow the wound. And this time, properly.

He leaned back once he'd completed his task and found himself staring at her closed eyes and softly rising and falling chest with her head nodding forward.

He'd have thought given the pain alone, she wouldn't even be able to rest. But then his eyes glanced down to her neck where underneath a silken black band, laid another, deeper wound. One in which made this nothing more than a mere flesh wound.

His eyes then traveled further down and he frowned at the fact that her now partial opened haori was threatening to reveal more of her naked flesh underneath. He could already see where the curves to her breasts started below the fabric.

He reached over and grabbed the edges to pull them more together in order to properly cover her back up.

But when she shifted and he had to catch her and stop her from falling, his eyes caught sight of another long scar. It started from the tip at the far side her collarbone and traveled diagonally down above her breast and stopped centimeters from her sternum, at the edge where the soft mound of flesh started.

She stirred in his arms and so he quickly covered her as was his original intention and even managed to tie the worn cloth back around her in a way that promised the top be kept together, at least. The last thing he wanted or needed was for her to think him that lowly of his person.

Not that he cared what an Uchiha thought of him.

He just didn't want to have to deal with that type of headache.

He had carefully laid her down on her back, close enough to the fire, and found an extra blanket to toss over her.

It was starting to get colder out there now that the seasons were starting to change.

He decided, while she slept, what she didn't know wouldn't exactly kill him, so he decided to do a light and basic workout to help burn off his ire and restless energy. But he made sure not to strain too much or even to stop when he could feel himself pushing it too far.

If he were to make it back to his clan, he needn't reopen his wound. That would only add to the healing process and take an even longer amount of time that he couldn't afford. And as he rummaged the contents of the bag she'd brought with her for the food he knew she had for him, a scroll fell out enough to catch his eye.

The last one was her assignment to find me. Either it's more of the same, a personal letter as it's addressed to her, or it's a new mission altogether.

He decided to pull it out to see that the seal hadn't been broken yet and gave a soft irritated scoff. And so he gingerly returned it as he then pulled out the bag of fresh herbs,vegetables salted meat, rice, and noodles.

He eyed the bag suspiciously after that, wondering how she'd managed to fit it all in there and how they let her sneak off in this condition.

More like last time, then. Someone might very well visit this place soon. As long as I keep up my guard, the situation should be avoidable.

He decided to cook up first some of the meat and then added the herbs, cut vegetables, and then threw in the rice before waiting it out.

But he wasn't expecting that after his meal, as he prepared to try and sleep, for her to sit upright all of a sudden and start to scramble backwards until her back slammed harshly into the cavern wall.

He felt the frown on his face as his eyes caught her hands going to her neck, tearing off the black ribbon as she clawed at the scarred flesh and hunkered into herself.

He walked to her hesitantly and called out calmly, "Uchiha."

She flinched at that, her nails digging deeper, drawing blood.

He moved closer to her at that and ripped her hands away, "Uchiha!"

Her eyes, when they raised, were wide and full of fear and panic as tears fell down her cheeks. Her mouth was moving in a frantic attempt to say something as her chest moved up and down frantically.

Tobirama furrowed his brows as he searched her while she fought to tear her hands from him in her frightened state. His eyes then caught her lips moving as if she were trying to call for someone as her dilated eyes now became full of pain and confusion.

And then complete heartbreak.

As if her whole world just shattered.

Her body started to shake as she began to hyperventilate all the while tears just cascaded from her like a waterfall and she fought him even harder as she tried to call out again for someone unseen.

He knew it was someone as he finally pieced together the word that couldn't escape her into vibrations anymore as they were barely even gasps of air.

Touchan!

He tightened his grip on her wrists as he tried to think on the best solution in order to calm her and get her grounded back in this reality. He'd seen it before, of course. It could happen to anyone, no matter their age, gender, or strength. He just wasn't usually the one to handle them.

He remembered when he was a boy still, a member of his clan had gone completely berserk in the middle of the compound as he walked alongside his wife.

The man had smiled in greeting to Butsuma and he and his three brothers at the time. Back when all four of them were still alive.

He recalled that his brothers were doing something annoying and so he had turned to scold all three of them, ignoring all else at that moment.

But it was enough to miss what had happened.

The man had gone from a kind and warm person with a smile to suddenly yelling and attacking anything that was around. Including his wife.

Luckily, his father had pulled her away before any true harm came to her aside from the bruise that would form on her temple. And the man had turned on the four of them with wild roving eyes.

But a man had stepped in front of them, speaking gently, "Easy, you're not there. See? Hana-san is right behind you. I'm here. Listen to my voice, follow it. Easy…wherever you are, whatever you're seeing is long over."

There was something to it, Tobirama had supposed, but he had just been relieved when the man blinked a few times as if in a confused daze, as though he hadn't a clue where he was.

Eventually, he remembered later asking his father about the incident and what punishment the man would have and had been mildly surprised as his father folded his arms with a sigh, "Nothing, boy. What he's going through is punishment enough. He had been captured and tortured by the Uchiha for months and barely escaped with his life. What happened back there was him experiencing it all over again as though he were there again. Physically, he's recovered from the trauma. Mentally, however, is another story."

Tobirama moved his eyes quickly down when he saw her Sharingan activate suddenly. His grip on her wrists tightened as she tried, once again, to free them from his grasp. And from the way she was trying to move them, he figured she'd just try to tear out her neck again.

He ran through his head anything he could possibly say to ease her back from wherever her mind was, but he really didn't have much to work with.

He wasn't Hashirama, after all.

He took in a deep breath and spoke again, calmly and in as gentle a tone he could muster towards this young woman from the enemy clan.

"Umekiyo-san."

Her breath hitched, stuttering almost.

He focused on her scar, inwardly grimacing at her name and hating that he just wanted to shorten it now. He couldn't rely on her to respond verbally, either. He let out a breath and sighed. "Whatever it is you saw, wherever it is you were, whatever it was you experienced, that time has long past."

That was really sadly the best he could say, he realized.

She stilled, then, though. And he chanced a look up only to soon relax after he saw obsidian instead of blood red and black tomoe.

And, of course, more tears as she bent forward, her forehead on his arms as her fingers curled inwards and her small body shook as she she silently cried.

He didn't release her to move away nor did he move to comfort her.

Author's Note:

So sorry it took a bit longer on this one, I had a hard time moving it from my last point. Bit of writer's block. Sorry if this chapter went a little different then what some may have thought, but I'm trying to work a lot of what I'd had written previously into play and it's all a bit hard to do for me since I like to write snippets or 'moments' for the characters in order to see how they'd react in different situations. So, while I have the ideas down, I don't have a chapter mindset. So, sorry, again. And thank you all for reading! Stay safe!