Meeting the Uchiha on the mission to rescue Shiko opened some sort of floodgate. He can barely avoid shinobi anymore, even in other countries, where their villages are just getting started. He had to run from Suna after making the mistake of summoning water. Not only had he made an oasis, but he attracted the attention of the Kage and Daimyo- both of whom now want to catch him and force him to give Suna a decent amount of water. In and around villages, shinobi or not, in particular. It's not something he would generally refuse to do but that was before the Kazekage began sending every available shinobi after him. It's incredibly hard to avoid an entire country full of shinobi when they know the terrain far better than he does. He did make a few oases as he went, mostly on accident when he drew water from the ground and air to attack his followers with.
The Hiraishin markers, combined with his sensing and his summons' tracking, are the only reasons he hasn't been pinned down yet. There were some close calls, though.
Of course, his mad dash away from Suna shinobi is probably what led to his newest predicament. Yukiko had tried to warn him. Tried being the keyword since he had reverse-summoned her mid-sentence when a Suna shinobi got too close to actually nabbing her for his ease of mind and comfort. She's going to bite his head off when he summons her again. First things, first though.
"Hello?" He tries, wary, craning his head back to stare up at the huge tanuki crouched in front of him. The Ichibi tilts his head curiously, grinning in a very unsettling way.
"Hello, little human~" the Ichibi coos. The chakra of the Suna shinobi linger several dunes away, looping around Tobirama's position constantly in clear trepidation. Tobirama can see why. They were terrifying when Mito sealed them, they're not any less-
Mito. Where is she? In Konoha? Uzushio? Without Hashirama and their marriage, would Uzushio have had any reason to join an alliance with Konoha?
"What's your name, little human?" The Ichibi asks, voice sickly sweet. Tobirama turns back to the present matter.
"I'm Tobirama," he greets cautiously. "And you are?" The tanuki puffs up like a proud bird.
"I'm Shukaku, Ichibi of the tailed beasts!" He introduces with flare. Tobirama has to scramble to keep from being buried in sand. The Ichibi seems to notice, and stills the sand enough for him to regain his balance.
"Thank you, Shukaku-sama," he says. Polite is good. Polite means he might not get eaten.
"Ooooh, Shukaku-sama. I like you." Shukaku nods as if to drive the point home. "Much better than those other, angry little humans. Did you know that they attack me sometimes? It's awful!"
"Well, you're much stronger than them and that makes them scared," he explains. Shukaku peers down at him with an eye bigger than his entire body. He has to stamp down his automatic fight or flight response but that doesn't stop him from finding a Hiraishin seal he could hastily retreat to if the interaction goes south.
"They attack things they're scared of?"
"Sometimes." Shukaku's nose scrunches in confusion.
"Seems stupid," he says.
"It is," Tobirama agrees. Shukaku sighs, shaking himself slightly. Sand cascades down, out of his fur.
"I guess you gotta go, now," he huffs. "The nice humans never stay long." Tobirama decides resolutely that he doesn't want to know what happens to the mean humans. The Ichibi is genuinely sad, though, Tobirama can feel it in the beast's chakra.
"I can... visit?" He offers, hesitant and awkward. The bijuu's eyes go wide- or the one Tobirama can see does, at least. There's something disturbingly close to hopefulness in Shukaku's chakra. Who knew all you needed was to be nice and polite to make a friend with a bijuu (who knew they're so lonely)? He has to say, however, that he doesn't want to try this a second time. He doubts he'll get lucky again.
"Won't you?" Shukaku breaths and it reminds Tobirama in a strange way of his students, when he promises them things. He nods, resigned to visiting a bijuu of all available creatures.
"I will," he promises. He pulls at the farthest hiraishin marker he can (safely) reach and the desert disappears in a flicker of golden light and chakra.
