Tobirama had given himself quite a bit of time when speaking with Aiko so he doesn't make a mad-dash away from Wave. Still, his pace is fast because he does, genuinely, want to spend time with the kids he's visiting. What Aiko had said before he left reminded him of that. Despite always thinking of these people as alternates of those he left behind, he still ended up caring for them.

Shukaku and Matatabi were the most surprising, he thinks. It makes him remember just what he, his brother, and Mito put the other Bijuu through with… almost shame. They hadn't deserved to be jailed away for the use of power-hungry shinobi. Of course, there are a lot of innocents affected by the ways of shinobi. This time as a nomad has made him realize that more clearly than anything else.

He lets them slow to a stop for a break, beginning to get a bit tired of carrying Shukaku around. Of course, the young Bijuu could always keep up on his own but the Ichibi loves to be spoiled and has a wicked set of puppy dog eyes. He stops on the crest of what is either a large hill or small mountain, setting Shukaku down on his feet. Having stayed fairly close to the shore after crossing to the mainland, they have a brilliant view of the sea. Tobirama lets himself admire it for a moment before starting to set up a temporary camp. Shukaku settles where he is, sanding out a place for a fire. He can't help but ruffle the kid's hair as he passes.

"Tobirama?" Shukaku asks suddenly, hesitant and serious in a way that he hasn't been since he started traveling with Tobirama.

"Hm?" Tobirama pauses, crouching down beside Shukaku to begin to pile the kindling. He'll have to hunt something for them to eat, he doesn't want to use up the provisions he… borrowed from Aiko needlessly.

"Were you telling the truth? What you said to Matatabi?" He stops, recognizing that this is a serious conversation- two such conversations in a row, how lucky is he?

"I am from an alternate universe," Tobirama says slowly. "I'm… only here because I happened to die at a really lucky time."

"Do you miss it?" Tobirama hesitates.

"...Sometimes," he finally admits. "Mostly the people I left behind." Shukaku frowns, eyes downcast, and Tobirama has an idea of what this is all about.

"I can't return there," he says, "Because in that universe, I've died. Besides, I couldn't bear to abandon any of you." Shukaku seems to relax a bit, shifting to curl into Tobirama's side.

"I'm sorry," the Bijuu says quietly, far more vulnerable than Tobirama ever would have suspected.

"It's ok," Tobirama says softly. "It's not your fault."