Time Heals All Wounds
Summary: The day Tobirama died happens earlier, during Hashirama's time as Hokage when they are at war with almost every new village but years after Madara's death. Only he didn't die. He somehow ended up in a time not his own and met a familiar face he though gone forever. Can he get back? And what of his new friend?
Apologizing had never been so easy, had never felt so right as when he spoke the words, sincere and from the heart, to Madara and left himself open and vulnerable in the man's - teen's? That's going to need some discussing, given the difference in Madara's actual age and biological age (that's apparently Tobirama's fault, but whatever) - judgement. He knew he'd accept whatever Madara decided but his traitorous heart hoped for forgiveness. Madara had become such a vital part of his day to day life that Tobirama would feel his absence worse than a missing limb.
But he did not say anything else to try and sway the decision one way or another. It was Madara's to make and his to live with.
He still nearly collapsed in relief with the Uchiha's response.
"That's all I wanted to hear, idiot Senju. Now, complete that apology with inarizushi so we can be even and go on with our lives." Madara smirked at the Senju, obviously glad they could still call each other such because if Tobirama had not apologized, there was no doubt Madara would have kicked his ass six ways to Sunday. Tobirama was equally glad that the status quo between them had not changed.
It allowed him to take the few steps still separating them and hug the shorter male tightly, finally letting all of the tension leave his body when Madara didn't even stiffen at the contact but just melted into him and returned the embrace. This was the physical proof he had needed to know that his friend had, despite finishing what he had returned to life for in the first place, Madara won't be dropping dead any second now, though he did have alarmingly low chakra reserves left right now. Whatever he had been doing just moments ago had obviously drained him considerably. Tobirama would have to make sure the fool got some actual rest.
"Madara~!" The yell really shouldn't have surprised them, nor should have the strangling hug that enveloped them both, but somehow they did and Tobirama found himself cursing his brother as the breath was knocked out of him and the moment was utterly ruined. "You remember! You finally remember! I am so glad you came back to us, my friend! We have so much catching up to do now that you remember everything and-urgh!"
"Let me go you incompetent tree lump!" Madara, who had grabbed Hashirama by the hair and was pulling like his life depended on it - and knowing Hashirama's lack of impulse control, that may not be wrong - a rather enraged expression on his face. It fairly reminded Tobirama of how angry Madara had been with the whole orphanage situation and their fight about it- Oh. Oh, he owed Madara an apology for that as well, didn't he? For rubbing it in Madara's face that Kagami had become his student and spent barely any time with his Shishou, something Tobirama knew Kagami had often beaten himself up about after Madara left and especially after his death. He'll have to make it up to Madara and some Kagami cuddle time ought to do it. "You have no right! You stabbed me in the back! Literally! I trusted you and you stabbed me from behind! Get away from me before I set you on fire!"
Hashirama, surprisingly, didn't fall into a sulk but instead flinched away in genuine sorrow. Tobirama was grateful for the ability to breathe again but he still didn't like how depressed Hashirama looked right then. "I am so sorry, Madara. I wish I could say I had no choice, but I did and I chose and I betrayed your trust. I regret that more than you can ever guess. If you have it in your heart to forgive me, I would be eternally grateful and I swear I will never betray your trust again."
"That implies I would ever trust you again," Madara pointed out in a rather cold voice and both Senju brothers flinched upon hearing it. "Luckily for you, I am in an extremely good mood today so I will forgive you and grant you some of my old trust back. But," the Uchiha warned when Hashirama suddenly looked overjoyed and ready to hug him again and possibly praise him for his mercy or something. "I don't know if I will ever trust you with my back ever again. That you will have to earn."
Hashirama grew somber and nodded seriously, a determined glint in his eyes. "I will spend the rest of my life doing my best to earn it, my friend." Madara eyed him suspiciously before he nodded and the tension evaporated when he opened his arms and allowed Hashirama him to grab him into another hug. Tobirama saw Madara's face soften at the same time he realized Hashirama was crying and whispering almost reverent gratitude for the chance given. Madara may not turn his back to Hashirama for a long while, but it would seem that their relationship won't suffer from that. It was heartwarming, even if a part of Tobirama was a little jealous. Whether it was of Hashirama or Madara remains to be seen, honestly. He'd never doubted his brother's love but he now understood on a very deep level why it had also been oh so easy for Hashirama to latch onto the Uchiha and refuse to let go, despite everything.
'Konoha will grow stronger for this,' he realized with a happy, content flutter through his whole being. Perhaps the dream of peace was beginning only now.
"Hate to break this up, boys," Toka's voice cut through a long time later. The three men only realized how much time had passed when they saw that the sun was already well on its way to the western horizon. When they looked over to the pleasantly amused kunoichi, it was to find her with a huffy Kurama on her shoulders and Tobirama realized that none of them had even noticed when the biju had jumped from his own shoulders and wandered off. Some sensor he was turning out to be. "But we need to figure out what to do with them." She pointed a finger to where the Konoha nin were guarding the Iwa and those few Taki shinobi that had accompanied the Tsuchikage on this mind controlled quest. They were quiet and placenta, not trying to fight or escape their fate. The Iwa nin were simply sitting around their still knocked out Tsuchikage and waiting to find out how all of this would progress. Then again, there was no reason nor logic for them to try either right now. Not with the fastest man alive alert to chase them and the two strongest ninja of their generation - and possibly all before - ready to fight them. No one in their right mind would dare try to fight after the stunt Madara had pulled. "Also, aren't the Hachibi and Nibi Kumo's biju?"
" ... Damn it," Tobirama cursed fervently as he realized that in the heat of things and focusing on Zetsu and how it might have been controlling Onoki, none of them had paid attention to the fact that Iwa had different biju.
"In my defense, I was not there for that bullshit political move, so I don't actually know which nation has which biju. I just know it was a stupid ass decision," Madara cut in, channeling Director Fury to a T with an arched eyebrow at Hashirama because he, apparently, had quite an opinion on the whole Jinchuriki thing. Not unexpected, given how close he and the Kyuubi were. "As for them, we need to bring them to Mito. The Fence Sitter Brat and the Jinchuriki seem to have been put under some type of controlling seal. If I'm not mistaken, that thing's meant to just stop any suicide attempts, but I'm no Uzumaki seal expert. Mito should take a look before we try to get those off. Especially given they're literally put on the fucking heart. Zetsu needs a new hobby."
"Speaking of, you have a lot to explain. Do you have any idea how many questions I have!?" To the youngest Senju's great annoyance, Madara just laughed, mighty amused by the fact that he was frustrating Tobirama with all the new bits of information he gathered during the fight but having no concrete explanation behind any of it.
"Sorry to say your questions will have to wait-"
"You're not sorry at all, bastard."
"But I have some ... things to deal with." Tobirama paused at that, their banter dying as he realized Madara was dead serious. "As soon as we get back to Konoha, though. So we should just finish up here and get going."
"You don't have all that much chakra left," the other sensor felt the need to point out but Madara just arched an eyebrow and held out a hand for Kurama. The Kyuubi gave him one of his paws and Madara's hand glowed with chakra at the same time the paw started emanating red energy. It was easy enough to tell that Madara was somehow absorbing the Kyuubi's chakra and Tobirama stared with a deadpan expression as he felt Madara's reserves fill up with more than enough chakra for a return trip to Konoha. "You did that on purpose." Because damn him, of course he would do something to make Tobirama even more curious.
"I can neither confirm nor deny," the teen singsonged even as he stopped absorbing chakra and just took the cat-sized Kurama into his arms, the two cuddling just to piss him off. Tobirama swore vengeance. It will be petty and it will be glorious. "And now that that's settled, let us return to the village. Like I said, I have some things to deal with."
Of course, those things, after a long, Madara-silence filled run back to Konoha with Kurama carrying the three Jinchuriki on his back and all of Tobirama's questions left unanswered, turned out to be the Uchiha Clan. Not that they had any clue of that until they arrived at the gates and Madara, in true Madara fashion, took a deep breath and hollered "UCHIHA!" at the top of his lungs, so reminiscent of his old war cries when he used to command them that none of them even thought before reacting. Every Uchiha, even the youngest babe in arms or the rare few graying and wrinkled elders, stood before their rightful Clan Head in seconds, looking grimly ready for before they realized what was going on. It was impressive and spoke of the respect and authority Madara had once held among his clansmen.
Of course, they then realized what they had done and quite a few grew prickly about it real quick. A particularly annoying elder, Elder Miyako if Tobirama remembered well, an old woman who just loved making each meeting miserable, was quick to scowl at the teen. "What is the meaning of this? How dare you be so insolent as to summon us like this-" She cut off, gasping in half awe and half fright, she and almost every other Uchiha taking a step back when Madara finally clearly looked at them and they saw his new eyes. Some of them looked almost reverent.
Clearly, the Uchiha know what's so special about Madara's new doujutsu.
"How dare you speak with your betters in such a manner, Elder Miyako?" Madara, as though he had never been gone at all, never mind for years, sneered back as the woman, head held high and shoulders proud. The man he had been in his last months in the village was gone, instead now replaced once more with the Uchiha's greatest war general and strongest shinobi and you could see the exact moment that the Uchiha realized this, as they grew tense and something like fear filled their chakra signatures.
Madara, a sensor the likes of which was only second to Tobirama, noticed, of course.
"Uchiha," when he spoke this time, his voice was authoritative but there was no trace of a threat in his words and that drew the clan's attention. As well as the attention of every other noisy person in Konoha who had followed after the horde of retreating Uchiha to see what was going on. Tobirama was pretty sure the entire village was here. "Tell me, what do we as a clan, as people, stand for."
Confused and unsure silence met his demand.
Madara continued, undeterred, as though not having even expected an answer. "Those who know nothing of the Uchiha say that it is hatred and pride." There were quite a few who looked away from the clan in question who had obviously believed those rumors. "Those who know something about us say it is love and pride. Tell me, my clan, my family, when has it transformed into that? When has our sacred love and honor transformed into ugly, petty things like hatred and pride? Do we not pride ourselves with how strong our love is? How strong we are for our love? Tell me when, exactly, has it become acceptable to spurn the blood of our blood, one of our own flames from the great Uchiha fire? And I speak not only of myself. I know you know this. This has been going on for far longer than I should have allowed. The 'outside born', the 'bastards', the 'defective ones' who have yet to awaken our Sharingan. But do you truly wish upon your children the pain that is necessary to awaken out doujutsu? I have reached the highest evolution of every doujutsu ever and I would not wish it upon my worst enemy. Tell me, Uchiha, you still reject integrating fully into Konoha - why? Because you fear all that makes us unique will be washed away? Because you fear our values will change? You've already changed them, Uchiha! Do you no longer love?"
"Of course we do, Madara-sama!" A younger kunoichi shouted in answer. Tobirama recognized her as one of the braver kids who hung around Madara when he was training and watched him decimate the training grounds.
"Have you lost honor, then?"
"Never!" A large number of the Uchiha exclaimed, obviously offended by the two questions. Madara seemed pleased. He had been expecting this. Tobirama wondered if he had been planning this. And since when.
"But you do not protect the blood of your blood. Tell me, has your fire finally sputtered out in my absence?" The taunt was mocking and disgusted and disappointed and it definitely drew on the Uchiha passion and the Uchiha dramatics, because the Clan as a whole made quite a big fire hazard by breathing out tons of fireballs into the sky. Many of the civilians ran for their lives, fearful. Madara looked pleased.
Hikaku stepped forward, out of the line of Uchiha, and bowed to his older and only remaining cousin. "Perhaps it can still use a little stoking, Madara-sama." He straightened up and smiled, conveying silently all the things that the cousins will no doubt have to talk about later now that Madara's memories were back. "Or perhaps a little fanning."
And Madara grinned, wild and pleased and proud before not making a single hand seal and breathing the by far biggest fireball of all of the Uchiha, causing them to cheer. Somehow, years of tension seemed to have seeped right out of the clan as a whole and Tobirama had no idea how Madara had done it or why he had waited so long to do it. Obviously he had known that he could do this, but perhaps his own unstable emotional state had hindered him in his confidence to reach out to his clan like this.
There was wariness in some of the oldest members of the Uchiha Clan, yes, but Madara had always been his own version of charismatic. Trying to be like Hashirama would never work for him and Tobirama only now realized that the reason Madara never fit in was because they were trying to force him into a mold that was simply not made for him. Mafara was charismatic in that way that made you want to give your life for him, that made you protective and defensive of him, proud to call him your commander. It was actually glaringly obvious that Madara will always be the rallying war general type, that no number of years will dull his blade, will slow his reflexes. On the battlefield, while Hashirama may be the holder of the lofty title of God of Shinobi, Madara was, perhaps, the embodiment of the god of war. And on a battlefield, it is the war god people look to. Hashirama had power, charisma and skill but Madara had always managed to fight him to a standstill and he was the better general. Tobirama remembered well the hours upon hours each war and strategy meeting ever held since a fifteen year old Uchiha Madara became an official battlefield general. Hashirama had needed time to adjust. With Madara, it had been like duck to water and the Uchiha had never hesitated. Why should they, when Madara would burn the path for them? Hours upon hours had been dedicated into figuring out how to counter the Uchiha 'battlefield demon' and rarely did they succeed.
The Uchiha had survived as long in war when food stores were low after a particularly bad winter not by having an outside ally to send them food or a Mokuton user to simply grow it. Madara would simply take less men into battle and with strategy keep the Senju back. In hindsight, it had been rather impressive, even if back then all Tobirama had wanted to do was slit that pretty throat for the headaches and strategy meetings torture.
So, no, Madara will never be as charismatic as Hashirama. People will always fear him - it was a guarantee after what he had done, the power he now possessed; especially as soon as the shinobi that had been there with them to witness it spread the word around - especially civilians or smaller clans. (But so will their enemies.) And yet, Tobirama has a good feeling that people will start seeing, one day, that Madara uses all that immense power for them, for Konoha, and they will understand. Not fully, never that. Not even Tobirama or Hashirama and not even Hikaku, who grew up with him every step of the way, fully understood the reinstated Uchiha Clan Head and he was actually close to them. But they will realize that, while scary and a bit temperamental, Madara was no threat to them.
Watching the incredulous joy on Madara's face as he was accepted once again by his own people, Tobirama couldn't help but smile. A tension and a sorrow he had not even realized clung to his friend seemed to be evaporating with every person that approached him, apologized sincerely for their behavior and equally genuinely welcomed him back. The white haired Senju realized that this was exactly what Madara had needed. After two lifetimes of never being (fully or at all) accepted, Madara had needed to be welcomed back by his people. Even if no one else in Konoha ever gave a crap about him, Madara will be happy. And perhaps that will be enough. It had to be. Happiness should be the measure of a good life and Madara deserved some of both.
(He tried not to think about how empty his home will be when Madara moves out to finally go to his own home, where he belonged.)
(He failed to conceal how incredulously happy he was when he found Madara preparing him breakfast the next morning.)
(Madara at least said nothing about it, just smiled.)