I really need to go study for an exam... /shot

In any case, here's another chapter. Sorry if I'm not very interesting (sighhh). This is just whatever my brain spits out, so...tada!

HEADCANON: Sakumo's white hair explained. Well, they ended up not naming the kid Sakumo, but Tenzou (ohoho Yamato, your mysterious codenames appear everywhere!) is the first Hatake, and then so on, and so forth... /shot (in my head, of course) Because everyone's a Senju. =3=

Disclaimer: I obviously don't own it, seeing as Kakashi is not the great grand-child of Tobirama, and Obito has not yet demanded to know why Kakashi killed Rin... -runs away with the spoilers- and because for some reason, the Second Mizukage doesn't have a name...(yet?)

Oh! And Maddy made a nice appearance. Too bad he's trying to create a new world with his long-lost son. He even modeled his hair after his own. (I was begging Zetsu to cut it, but he just let Obito run amok like that... -shakes head-)

If Tobirama could choose one thing that bothered him the most about Mariko, it would be how cute she was to him. It bothered him simply because of the numerous ways it made him feel. He and her cuteness had an intense love-hate relationship. Mariko was adorable, yes, so much so that he felt the urge to scoop her up in his arms and plant a generous kiss on her lips. Or ruffle her hair, since he knew it annoyed her.

On the other hand, she was the cutest, most evil, manipulating girl you could find, if you let her. When he tried denying her something she wanted, out came the pleading eyes and the irresistible pout. Every time she pulled it out, Tobirama seethed on the inside, but such emotions were overwhelmed by a new urge to take the blue-haired bundle of cuteness in his arms. Sometimes he wanted to glare and ignore her, but Mariko was simply just impossible to ignore. She would bother him until he finally relented in the end.

So when Mariko laid in bed for an extra hour and a half staring at the ceiling, Tobirama noticed right away that something was up. It was a little disconcerting, seeing her lying in the tangled sheets, long blue hair spread around her like radial arms, silently and solemnly contemplating the ceiling.

"Something interesting?" he asked, hoping to provoke her into one of the smiles that he loved. Tobirama had long since gotten dressed and was ready to leave for a mission later that day with his team, but even after he had returned from grabbing a small breakfast in the kitchen, Mariko was still in the bed, staring at nothing.

"I guess," she answered nonchalantly, without acknowledging that he had settled next to her. Tobirama frowned. He had known her for six or so years now, and never once had she failed to blush, even very slightly, when he laid down next to her and rested a hand on her stomach. To his surprise, she even removed his hand and pushed it away.

"What's up with you today?" he demanded, propping himself up on an elbow.

"Nothing, really."

"I can see that," he noted, brushing away some of her hair that was tickling his face. "I was going to ask if you wanted to come on our mission today. It's really short."

"Don't you have to leave, then?" Mariko spared him a small glance, before returning to her seemingly important study of the ceiling. Tobirama noticed that she had deliberately drawn the blankets up to her chest, as if trying to hide or create a separation between them. At least, that's what he saw it as.

"We plan to leave around noon. It's an easy mission. So do you want to come with, or not?" This was tempting; if given the chance, Mariko rarely turned down a mission. She and Saru were the life of the party, especially on long walks.

"No thanks." Mariko rubbed her hands together. Tobirama frowned, surprised at this.

"You sure?"

"I'm sure."

"Are you sure this isn't a Hurricane thing?" he tried, pulling out the old jokes of her home country to get a reaction. Nothing.

Tobirama reached for one of her hands, only to find cold fingers and an icy palm. He asked if she was all right, but Mariko merely shrugged and offered a wan smile. Tobirama sighed, pressed a kiss to her forehead, and then headed out the door. He took one last glance at her, worried that she was sick or depressed, but left her to her own devices and set off for Konoha's north gate.

"Mito." After about an hour or so, Mariko had rolled out of the bed and padded her way over to the Senju main complex, where Mito was making lunch for her one son, a five-year-old a bit who was quite tall and gangly for his age, and reminded Mariko of the leggy colts that sprang across the paddocks during springtime back in Hurricane. He bore a striking resemblance to Hashi, with his brown hair and long limbs, but inherited Mito's round Uzumaki eyes and his mother's warm smile.

"Good morning, Mariko. I heard you slept in?" Mito smiled, gently swatting at the boy who was now skipping circles around her, singing about going to the village's new Ninja Academy.

"Sort of," Mariko said, gripping the sleeves of her jacket in her hands. Really, it was one of Tobirama's old sweaters that she had grabbed—she loved the ones with fur-lined hoods and the warm, fuzzy insides—and it had served to warm her up quite well. "I, um…I have a question."

"Go for it," Mito prompted.

"Do I look any different?"

Mito looked up at the girl, pausing in her determined cutting of the carrots, and gave her a quick study. Was she supposed to look any different? The little blunette was still as petite and blue-haired as she remembered, and nothing looked radically changed. The Uzumaki frowned for a moment. Mariko shifted uncomfortably, arms wrapping around her stomach, but waited patiently anyway. With Tobirama's too-large sweater which came down to almost her knees, Mito couldn't really see anything about the girl besides her face and legs. She seemed nervous, too, holding her stomach and glancing up and down anxiously. Then it hit her.

"Different?" she probed again, waiting to see if she was on the right track.

"Yeah, like…my figure?" Mariko's oddly pale face reddened a bit. Mito began to wonder if she was off by miles, and Mariko was just concerned about gaining weight.

"Mariko, how do you expect me to tell you anything when you're wearing that?" Mito gestured at Tobirama's dark blue sweater, and Mariko sheepishly tugged the article of clothing off. Nothing strange, there; just her regular blouse and leggings.

Mito now had to decide whether to continue on her hunch or on what seemed like a weight concern. As far as weight went, Mariko was usually fine…

So Mito followed her instincts and asked, "Have you felt anything weird?"

Mariko's blush deepened a few shades, and shook her head no. Mito smiled to herself, rather proud of her ability to deduct what Mariko was referring to.

"Have you come up with any names yet? Have you told Tobirama? When did you find out? You're not sick, are you? Did you confirm with a doctor? Toka has some great baby name books, don't ask me why—"

"No, no, no, no, no, and I'll ask her for it," Mariko answered, hands wrapped around herself a little self-consciously now. Yes, she was pregnant. No, of course she hadn't told Tobirama. If she had, Mito thought, then Tobirama would've exploded, and maybe a tornado, or maybe a hurricane, might be tearing down Konoha. And Konoha was nowhere near the Fire Country's ocean front. Exploded with joy, maybe? But besides that, Mito just kept rambling on and on.

"—this clan has an abundance of health and medicine scrolls, we'll take good care of you, I would know. Oh, and Hashi will be so delighted, and now my son will have a sibling, sort of, and oh, Tobirama will go nuts, you just wait. I bet he'll just stare at you and not understand a word you tell him. That's okay, though." Mito's uncharacteristically overwhelming talk was exciting and a little intimidating all at once. The redhead took Mariko by the shoulders, beaming. "You just wait, Mariko. This will be fun."

Mariko wondered just exactly what "fun" meant.

Hashirama glanced at his clock. It was nearly dinnertime, and Team Tobirama was due back in around an hour, and then he would turn in the simple mission report and come home for dinner. If he could cut down this pile of paperwork, then he might make it back as well. Hashirama set to his task.

He was a fourth of the way through his monstrous stack of files and reports when Mito slammed the door open, a fierce grin on her face. (This was the type of grin one could find on Uzumaki Kushina, in later years…) Behind her, she dragged Mariko, who shuffled awkwardly into his office. You would think that after six years, Mariko would become more outgoing and confident—which she did—but she still had a touch of child in her, and would become overwhelmed and a little bit clumsy (something Tobirama found irresistibly adorable, among many other things…).

"Something happen, Mito?" Hashirama asked, rather tiredly. The ink on the page in front of him had begun to blur into and endless stream of characters, and his furious blinking and coffee didn't do much to help.

"Yamato, Tenzou, or Sakumo?" she demanded. Hashirama replied with a perplexed arch of his eyebrow, mouth slightly agape, obviously confused by her strange outburst. When he continued to blink in befuddlement, Mito planted her hands on her hips and asked again. Since it seemed to be "which name?", Hashirama picked.

"Tenzou," he said, forcing it out steadily because if he hesitated, he knew Mito would pick at him until he was sure.

"Mei, Megumi, or Aiko?"

"Aiko," replied Hashirama. He was still very confused.

"See? I told you he would agree." Smiling, Mito turned to Mariko, nodding.

"Why am I choosing names, again?" Hashirama said, shaking his head. In answer, Mito triumphantly held up one of Toka's many baby-naming books and set it down on his pile of paperwork. Baby names? Hashirama hastily glanced over his wife; she didn't look pregnant, but was it possible…? He pondered for a moment, before he had that aha! Tricky, tricky… moment as well, and his eyes immediately flew to Mariko. By the looks of it, she had just found out and probably wasn't ready to tell Tobirama yet. How like Mito to force her into suddenly picking the child's name…

"So, are we naming my nephew or niece?" Hashirama smiled.

Tobirama came home to a devastatingly strong slap to the shoulder by a suspiciously happy Hashirama. His older brother just grinned and nodded at him, telling him things like "Congratulations" and a more ominous "get ready, dear brother". In the end, after being shoved around by Mito—and totally failing to notice the numerous baby-related things on the table—he was pushed back into his bedroom, where he found Mariko as he had left her: still on the bed.

Well, she was sitting up now, and fiddling with her fingers.

"What's with all this commotion?" he asked, rubbing his still stinging shoulder. Tobirama was used to getting battered and bruised after years on the battlefields of war, but he was sure that none of his enemies resorted to painfully good-natured slaps on the back at any point in time.

"News," she replied vaguely.

"I've been both congratulated and warned. What is this?" He definitely knew something was up, but didn't catch on as quickly as his brother or sister-in-law.

"How was your mission?"

"Don't change the subject." Tobirama rolled his eyes.

From outside, Mito groaned inwardly, but at the same time was giggling like a little girl. Hashirama wondered if Mito accidentally ate too much sugar somehow…

"Well?" Tobirama waited.

"Would you prefer our child called you Daddy, or Papa?"

Tobirama's eyes widened, and he stared at her for a good minute or so.

Outside, Mito was ready to burst out into a round of laughter, as was Hashirama, but the tall Senju clamped a hand over his wife's mouth and they continued peering through the crack in the door. Tobirama remained still, gaping at Mariko. It was rather amusing, Mariko's outright refusal to say something as plain as "I'm pregnant". She avoided the words very carefully…and instead, prompted Tobirama to confirm with her.

"Wait…you're pregnant?"

"Yes."

"You mean…we're having a child?"

"Yes."

"As in…a baby?"

"Yes."

—Mito snorted at this part, and Hashirama rolled his eyes. Sometimes Tobirama was just too funny…

"You mean to say that we are…" he trailed off and gave her a quick once-over (she sure didn't look like she was with-child) "…I'm a dad?"

"You are a father. End of story."

"I am a father." Tobirama smiled at this.

Mito wanted to bang her head against a wall at her brother-in-law's in-shock state of stupidity. Hashirama wanted to take a tree and hit it against his brother's head, but this was rather comical.

"Why didn't you tell me earlier?" Tobirama exclaimed, though he was now obviously overjoyed and skipped a very unmanly circle around the room. He came back to squeeze his wife into a hug, kissing her with a smile, and then jumped around again.

"Because she was afraid that you and your big mouth would tell us!"

It was obviously a joke about Tobirama's big mouth—he was rather stoic in public—but the voice that the comment came from astounded everyone.

"Congratulations, Tobirama, can I be the babysitter?"

Uchiha Madara leaned against the open window, grinning away.

Somebody, take away the internet! (just kidding)

I need to do my studying, though.

OBITO. Please kamui this info into my brain, kay?