Konoha's Weasel Prince

Summary: Itachi never got to use his Susanoo in his fight with Sasuke. As soon as the Kirin hit, he was sent back through time to the founder's era and it was up to him to ensure a safer and surer future for Konoha and the world at large. KisaIta TobiMada HashiMito others mentioned

Warning: Angst! Character death!

Madara's death wasn't the only lost of the First Shinobi War, but the attendance to his funeral was the greatest in number. His death was avenged by over five hundred raging Uchiha, lead by Izuna and Tobirama himself, and only three hundred returned. The fear of the Uchiha Clan and their Sharingan, though, skyrocketed as their fire and fury rained down on the opposition of Konoha from the rest of the Five Nations and the smaller villages. You could no longer take a step while having black hair, black eyes and fair skin without people giving you a wide arch in fear.

From the second to last battle of the war, Izuna did not return and Toka mourned as fiercely as Tobirama did, cutting down battalions of opposing shinobi in her grief. Tobirama and Hashirama followed her on her path of destruction and held her as she cried when it was Hikaku and not Izuna who attended the peace treaties as the Uchiha Clan Head and leader of one of Konoha's founding forces.

The war ended by Hashirama handing out the biju to the other nations despite Konoha's clear victory. The beats were given in good faith so that conflicts will stop. Toka and Tobirama both argued that it was a stupid idea to do so, but Hashirama was resolute to end all wars before he could lose anyone else of his loved ones.

Two years after the first war, Toka died when guarding a snobby nobleman.

A year later, Hashirama followed her as well, dying just as Konoha started flourishing again.

There was still no sign of Itachi anywhere.

Tobirama was alone with his students for quite the number of years as the Nidaime Hokage until a unfortunately bad meeting with Kumo that should have ended in an alliance broke out into a battle that will later on be added to the First War in history books. Through it all, Tobirama fought with himself to make Konoha better and stronger, strengthening the value of a village above everything else instead of a clan, but the Uchiha were pulling away. Hikaku had grown ill and his son was too young to succeed him yet, so other Uhciha were fighting for the position of Clan Head. Tobirama let them take over the Konoha Police Force completely at their behest in memory of his fallen lover, hoping that will pacify them.

Hikaku died a month before his battle with Kumo's Kinkaku Forces.

He took in Kagami as his own, providing him with a home and a place in his special Escort Unit since he had been Madara's apprentice and was indeed one of the best Uchiha warriors of his generation. Rarely was Kagami seen away from his side as they both grieved the loss of Madara, then Izuna and then Hikaku. And it was a good thing that Kagami always stayed near him. He had gotten so used to having an Uchiha with their Sharingan to watch his back for years that he felt unsecured without a pair of Sharingan eyes watching his back specifically. The young Uchiha had nothing against that, wanting to keep the last important person in his life safe for as long as he could. As the war raged on, Kagami was joined by the rest of his old team in constant vigil over their Nidaime Hokage, going out to war despite still being so young.

It was such a stray-away path from the original dream of Konoha that Tobirama at times felt he didn't deserve to stand before his family's graves, feeling ashamed for failing his brother and lover so spectacularly. He was even forced to think of alternate ways to maybe stop the war, so the Chuunin Exams came into being. They were bordering on mental and physical torture, bloody and far too filled with death for the dream Madara and Hashirama have made a reality. The increase in hostility had even had Tobirama finalizing the ANBU forces Itachi had been so against, making the only requirements be the level of skill and loyalty to the village for people to enter. Thankfully, there were no more kids like Madara, Izuna, Hashirama and himself, so he had yet to see someone younger than eighteen enter the black ops, but he still considered that too young. The sort of missions they underwent were not meant for such young people who have not been hardened by war the way Konoha's founders were.

Mito became his most trusted advisor and he left it only in her hands to guide the village when he left on missions. He rarely visited the Academy anymore but he demanded reports every week on the students progress. The laughter of children was no longer enough to soothe him, so he more often than not holed himself up in his lab and invented new jutus, new seals that will create a better barrier around the village to keep them hidden and protected, new inventions that will help them survive this war.

That was how he made Edo Tensei and the first time he attempted it, it was a failure and he didn't touch the jutsu for a month. He had so wanted to see Madara that it hurt when he hadn't gotten that one last chance to speak with his lover. He had wanted to at least get a proper goodbye. To hold him one last time, even if he were essentially a had thought that the jutsu failed with human souls since he had been able to bring back a dead rabbit, but it had been merely reanimated with its soul back in a dead corpse. He could not bring back the dead but he had still wanted to see his loved ones once more. He had wanted to ask his brother and Madara for advice. He had not dared try with Itachi even after he picked up his research again, for he feared he will be disappointed again, or worse yet, succeed, meeting a dead Itachi's eyes and finding himself lacking in them.

His research helped a great deal and it put Konoha in the lead, if such a thing existed in war. He was only glad that the other villages hadn't yet figured out how to control the beasts his brother had given away, or else these battles would be far bloodier than they already were. Still, Mito could not leave the borders of their own lands to fight, either, as she was their last of defense should anyone make it all the way through Konoha's forests. The Kyuubi's powers remained dormant.

However, like all wars must come to at one point or another before they end, things came to a dangerous stalemate, where both sides occasionally lost more than the other. Kumo was sending assassin against the Nidame Hokage and Konoha was losing men in their loyal defense of Tobirama. The Senju felt sick whenever he received reports of their casualties and the injured and he attended their funerals himself and even helped heal as many as his own chronically exhausted self could. He felt like he was punched in the gut every time he saw their loyalty and devotion shining in their dying or too tired and pained eyes and it took a lot of self control not to show it. He held his head up high and walked as the strong leader he must be for them with a proudly straight back and a strong stride. The Uchiha sneered more and more at it in the last few months of his life but he was too numb by then to really care. His students had his back and he trusted them to keep him safe.

He didn't notice when Saru's brows got that determined expression practically ironed into his features. He didn't notice Koharu growing more logically cold and far less compassionate for her teammates. He didn't see when Homura started seeing people as assets and not collages. He didn't notice when Torifu started drawing back a bit more into his clan, or the rest of the clans doing the same, little by little, despite still laying down their lives for Konoha. It suddenly mattered a lot more than it used to from which clan you were again. He didn't notice anything but the dwindling number of Senju as time passed by, in the end only leaving him and another small handful, including his young niece and nephew.

He didn't notice when Danzo's devotion turned to obsession or when his mind took a dive for the darkness.

He didn't notice when Kagami's smiles diminished.

Eventually, there came a day when he and his team were pinned by Kumogakure's Kinkaku Forces, not able to progress further or even run back to Konoha. The Gold and Silver brothers were far too fast for them to outrun them and Tobirama was far too ragged and tired for Hiraishin and for so many people, too. They'd barely made it back into the covers of foliage and masked their presence enough for the Kinkaku Forces not to find them straight away. As soon as they start moving, they will become targets and they will be dead. Kumo's people were a lot faster than an average shinobi. Exhausted as they all were, not even Tobirama would be able to escape and he refused to let his students die before him, too.

Madara really should have been the Nidaime Hokage, if only he had lived. Like Hashirama, he had been a force of nature and people feared him a lot more than they did Tobirama's older brother. Madara was ruthless and people knew it. No one would have dared to go to war with a man practically born and bred for it.

''We're surrounded,'' he told his students grimly, touching the ground with two fingers. It spoke of his exhaustion that he had to use the earth as a medium to sharpen his perception. ''There's ... twenty of them.''

''We don't have any other choice but to have someone act as a decoy and draw their attention.'' Kagami said with a glare, grim and solemn. He was twenty two years old now and Tobirama suddenly felt every year of his own life when he realized his students were fully grown. They were all adults. They were shinobi.

''A decoy?'' Torifu repeated a bit warily. ''That's suicide.'' His eyes didn't shift around but the Senju could tell that he wanted to look at each of his teammates and prepare for the grief of losing them. Tobirama frowned, seeing the way both Danzo and Hiruzen seemed to be contemplating it ... No, Saru looked determined. Danzo was still fighting himself to accept the task and Tobirama just watched them. Danzo and Hiruzen were friends and rivals and both were very skilled and smart. Either of them would make a wonderful Sandaime. But whose love for Konoha will trump?

''I'll do it.'' Hiruzen said as though he had heard Tobirama's contemplation. His teammates stared at him in disbelief, all but Danzo, who seemed to be shaking in relief and shame. Tobirama wished he had the words to say to the Shimura but Hiruzen beat him to it, placing a comforting hand on Danzo's shoulder, startling him out of whatever thoughts were running through his head. ''I'm leaving everyone to you now, Danzo. I'm sure you can-''

''Shut up! I wanted to raise my hand, too. Stop acting cool by yourself!'' Tobirama frowned at that. It was the first time he saw any sort of darkness in Danzo and this pride ... It reminded him of the elders of both his and the Uchiha Clan. But where was the little boy who had looked up to Itachi in something akin to awe for some six years because he could bring peace despite the pride others tried to defend themselves and their actions with?

He stepped in before the two could actually start a real argument. ''Danzo.'' He called, immediately getting his students attention on himself. ''You're always competing with Saru at something, aren't you. But what we need right now is to unite as comrades in order to work together. Don't miss personal affairs into this.'' The young man looked suitably chastised with his actions and Saru threw him almost a pitying look. Tobirama wanted to tell him that such a look is not something Danzo would want from him. He wanted to laugh historically, because Danzo was like Madara and Hiruzen was like himself, in some aspects. Madara would have murdered him if he had sent such a look towards the older man.

He didn't allow himself to contemplate that he had outlived Madara by half a decade and that he was now the older one. It would tear his heart apart again and he needed a cool head right now.

''The truth is, your decision was too slow. You must first take a clam look within yourself to find out who you really are. Right now, you'll only put yourself and everyone else at risk.'' He thought of all of his lost loved ones and a strange sense of peace overcame him. Hashirama, Itama, Kawarame and Toka. Izuna and Hikaku. Itachi. Madara. He can finally seen them all in the afterlife. He can finally rest, after he is done here. It made his words even easier than they would have been. ''I'm going to be the decoy, obviously. You are the young flames that will continue to protect the village with your Will of Fire.''

''You can't! You're the Hokage!'' Danzo protested immediately, the others a bit too startled to talk. ''There's no greater shinobi in the village than you!''

Tobirama stood from his crouch, making his decision final. ''Saru,'' he called to the young man who he had trained since childhood. He, Danzo and Kagami shared a sort of companionship that Koharu and Homura and Torifu will never understand, since those three hadn't seen the Uchiha-Senju war up close, how it ended or Itachi at work. These three boys believed in Itachi's words the most, believed in his and his brother's dreams of the village and of peace. They had desired it and had been bold enough to ask for it of Itachi. But Hiruzen was the strongest of the three of them and Tobirama saw a great Hokage in him. He was sure Itachi, Hashirama and Madara would agree. ''Protect those who love the village and those who believe in you. And take care of those whom you would entrust the next generation to. Starting tomorrow,'' he said seriously, half turning to depart. ''You will become the Hokage.''

They were all shell-shocked to hear the words. Well, all of them but Kagami. The boy was an Uchiha and very perceptive. He must have suspected it would come to this the moment he had told them they were surrounded. He had taken Itachi's words to heart the most bout not judging by appearances. He had trained himself to see all illusions.

Sarutobi looked like he couldn't believe what was happening. Tobirama wanted to smile, but didn't. ''Saru, I'm leaving Konoha to you.''

''All he heard before he left was a ''Yes, sir,'' determined and humbled and he knew Konoha will be in good hands. He darted through the trees, popping a few soldier pills to bring his chakra up some and sped up, drawing the attention of the Kinkaku Forces to him. He felt when his students ran the other way and relief washed over him. Even as he fought to kill as many of the Kumo's ninja, all he could think of were the smiling faces of his family and how he was sorry for never saying farewell to Mito, Tsunade and Nawaki. He should have had the decency to leave a message with his team for them, at the very least. Still, he fought and fought for hours before the last of his chakra left him and he was moving more sluggishly than when he first started training. He was not his brother or Madara to have enough chakra to last through the day and night long battles those two were wont to have. Stronger he might be than anyone else, than any other Kage, but he was still only human.

''You are human and humans are not meant to be perfect, no matter what people like to think. Everyone is allowed a moment of weakness. That does not mean you are weak. You are weak only when you cannot get back up when you fall down. That's the only time you are a coward, too, when you would rather give up than try again.''

Old words that had faded with time in a voice he had nearly forgotten whispered in his ear and Tobirama faced his opponent with a smile tugging on his lips. He had tried and tried again. He had been weak but he had not given up. He was not perfect but he had done his best and even as death claimed him - a mixture of chakra loss, blood loss, exhaustion and that one final wound Kinkaku delivered - he was content.

It was time to see his dearest people once more and his students were safe.

Senju Tobirama, Nidaime Hokage of Konohagakure, one of its founders by proxy, died peacefully.

00000

A gloved, shaky hand lay upon a cold, red-stripe painted cheek, strange impossible purple eyes taking in every dearly missed feature as a strange form bent over the downed man in dark blue armor. Tears that were felt in the very depths of the figure's form could not come even as two pale foreheads came to rest against each other. The weeping was silent even as the still alive man shook with his grief, the loss perhaps a bit too much with his current situation to handle.

There were swords and kunai and shuriken piercing Senju Tobirama's cold, dead body, almost all of them in some too painful or too deadly place to have been stabbed there while he was alive, because even weakened and exhausted, the man still living knew Tobirama was a good enough ninja to avoid such attacks. It angered him that those Kumo bastards had desecrated the body of a worthy opponent in death and he swore he was going to hunt down every single last one of them and kill them all. Vengeance would be his and the memory of Senju Tobirama's corpse will haunt him in the years to come.

He spent hours there, bent over the chest that was too still, too quiet when he had once known the rhythm of the heart that no longer beat and had fallen asleep to it more times than he cared to count. He was actually prepared to wait out his won second death right there, be it from starvation, exhaustion or some scavenger coming to steal from Konoha's Nidaime's corpse, when the one who had lead him here had enough and forced him to his feet.

''No,'' he protested, even as his body moved against his will, taking him away from the white haired Senju. He looked so peaceful in death. He wanted to stay there and try to gather that same peace himself so he could join him in the world beyond. ''Leave me here to rot. I don't want to live in this world anymore!''

''Be happy we allowed you this much.'' The black half of the creature that had forced him to resurrect himself said coldly, its black limb forever firmly implanted in his back so it could control him. ''You are useless to us dead.'' The lighter half said with something that might have developed into a snicker had the black half not scowled. ''Come now. Mother awaits. We have much to do.''

Black and White Zetsu took away the now Rinnegan wielding and Izanagi-resurrected Uchiha Madara away from his lover's body before the man could say goodbye.