As construction on the village begins, Tobirama finds himself swamped with work. He was, unsurprisingly, one of the only ones to think about what a village of shinobi would actually need, beyond training grounds and restaurants. The hospital is his first hurdle, but it's hardly his only one. He helps plan the electrical grid and the pipes that will carry running water to every home. The defenses and academy aren't ever far from his mind, though the academy is on pause because of push back from some mothers and elders. Civilians, as well, seem anxious about the idea of a school full of shinobi children learning with each other and bringing the village as a whole closer together.

Sasuke and Naruto are in the village. Their chakra coats near everything, lingers on the strangest of people. Yamanaka Inoko, Akimichi Chojiro, and Nara Shikashima, when they were here, seemed to be of particular interest to at least one of the pair (where one goes, the other is sure to follow, it's almost disconcerting how close they seem to be).

The reason for their lingering chakra is, of course, the seals they leave absolutely everywhere. Most are beneficial to the village: protection seals, warding seals, strengthening seals slapped on walls, alarm seals to notify what seems to be everyone that something is going on that shouldn't be happening. Some are clearly prank seals that activate when a certain number of people are standing around it or when a strong enough chakra signature passes- all of these are harmless. Then there are the other seals. They're layered at every point of power, at every axis and pole, at the exact epicenter of the village. They're strong enough, together, to ward off pretty much everything and anything.

What's concerning is that the seals are pointed, made specifically against one being. Something of plant nature, even more so than Hashirama. Something inhuman, unnatural. Tobirama finds that he doesn't want to know what the seals ward against. The idea that whatever monster the seals ward against is real...

It scares him. It scares him that such powerful Fūinjutsu might be needed against something out there.

iii

Tobirama: *finds the seals against Zetsu*
Tobirama: what in the ever-loving f u cK