Uzumaki Mito was a gambler.
From the day her husband, Senju Hashirama, passed away, Mito began to frequent gambling dens. Dice, cards, horse racing... she was game for anything. As a child, she would only help Hashirama sneak away to gamble, never actually engaging in the act herself. As the princess of the Land of Whirlpools, raised under the strict and demanding tutelage of her family, Mito was always aware of her limitations. Anything that went beyond propriety, she would not do (but it couldn't be denied that she also enjoyed gambling, and watching Hashirama gamble was pretty cool). In the present, all that mattered had faded away, leaving her to immerse herself in the game as a means of escaping the burdens of life.
And as a way to keep Senju Hashirama alive in Uzumaki Mito's existence.
At times, Mito would forget that he was gone. Perhaps, somewhere in the recesses of her mind, Hashirama was still alive, merely going on an official visit far away. Occasionally, she would call out "Honey, fetch me a cup" only to realize that Hashirama was no longer there. She would only acknowledge this cruel truth for a moment before forgetting it once again.
Hashirama.
With his long hair flowing past his waist, sun-kissed skin, sparkling eyes, and an ever-present radiant smile, he was a man of striking presence. His chakra possessed an extraordinary potency, capable of revitalizing an entire forest after the harsh grip of winter. His eyes seemed to awaken the dormant kindness and compassion within the hearts of shinobi. He was the Leader, the Hokage, the epitome of a father and a husband. In the realm of Mito's memories, wherever Hashirama was present, there was light. He always regarded her with eyes filled with love and tenderness. His presence was a source of joy, warmth, and vibrancy, so infectious that one could easily forget that he too was capable of experiencing pain, sorrow, or anger.
He would no longer be there to advise her on how to play this game anymore.
Emerging from the casino with unhurried steps, Mito felt the warm, golden fingers of the afternoon sun caressing her fiery red hair as the playful breeze danced through the sleeves of her black kimono. It had been a long time since she had last visited her homeland in the Land of Whirlpools, probably since the time she gave birth to little Shani. Uzushiogakure, thankfully, remained a vibrant and beautiful land in her memories, with its bustling floating markets, lively harbor, and crowded stalls, largely unchanged. Mito could still engage in warm conversations with the villagers, just like she did before she became a Senju bride. Upon entering the opulent and resplendent palace of the Land of Whirlpools, Lord Mazaku and Lady Mako's treatment of their niece remained amiable, albeit with a hint of awkwardness. In their eyes, she was no longer the naive child who once ran freely through the palace, but rather a "Senju woman" who commanded respect and attention. It was understandable. She had changed too, after all, and they had the right to do so as well.
Overall, the trip back to her hometown was pleasant. Mito felt a sense of ease and comfort being in the place where she was born and raised. Perhaps, as she grew older, she would return alone to the Land of Whirlpools, found a place free of traces of Hashirama, the Senjus, Konoha, or the Uzumakis, bought a small plot of land, built a little house, and lived quietly and peacefully every day until she closed her eyes for the last time. The only problem with this return to her homeland was that Mito was constantly bothered whenever she stayed at the Uzumaki main house in the center of Uzushiogakure. Every day, she had to receive dozens of guests from all over the Land of Whirlpools, sometimes clansmen, leaders of clans under the Uzumaki's banner, many villagers, and some officials in the royal palace... There were few people who genuinely cared about Mito, but there were many who came to ask her about Konoha. What is Konoha up to these days? (Mito would play dumb, and since Tobirama never told her anything anyway, so she really didn't know.) How did Hashirama die? (After asking, they would add the phrase "Poor thing, the young master and young lady must be very sad" to make it less impolite.) What is the situation within the Senju clan? And what are the Uchihas up to? (Mito smiled and replied that she would update them with news if there was ever a fight, to please the gossipmongers and busybodies like them.) And finally, can her son use Wood Release? (She had tried not to roll her eyes at them, oh my goodness, my first child is only five years old and all he knows how to do is grow scallions in a plastic bottle, thank you very much.)
Most of the visitors would take the hint and not ask any further questions after Mito's replies, but there were always a few who wouldn't. Either they would be shameless and try to squeeze every bit of information out of her, or they would use the excuse that she was being disrespectful to her mother clan to make a big fuss. Mito didn't really care anyway. There were many people in the world, each with their own opinion. She couldn't possibly control what everyone thought.
"Mito-sama..." A red-haired girl with an oval face and eyes that sparkled like stars approached her. Mito recognized her as Uzumaki Kazuha, the daughter of the village's head baker, who had been hired to serve her during her visit home. "Please return home immediately. Lady Takako from the Koyama clan has arrived."
"Very well, I will be there shortly." Mito blinked. The Koyama clan was a prestigious and powerful family in the Land of Whirlpools, with blood ties to both the Uzumaki and Senju clans. They were often at the forefront of battles against the Hagoromo Alliance and their Uchiha allies. Lady Takako was originally from the Uzumaki clan who married into the Koyama clan. According to their family hierarchy, Mito should address her as 'aunt'. When she was still a child, Takako would often visit their home, drink a few cups of sake, chat idly throughout the meal, and then leave. Her main purpose was to see if anything interesting was happening in Mito's family.
On the day Mito's father decided to betroth her to Hashirama, the news spread throughout the Land of Whirlpools in less than half an hour. No one but Takako had the ability to spread news so quickly.
Takako was someone Mito neither liked nor disliked. Perhaps her aunt was a bit too boastful about her husband and son's accomplishments, but she was an open book, with a straightforward and uncomplicated mind. From childhood to adulthood, Mito and the Senju brothers would always remind each other to speak as little as possible when they encountered this lady, lest they bring misfortune upon themselves. They never considered her to be a bad person, though.
"Is that you, Mito? You look so well these days." Greeting her upon her return home was a middle-aged woman with fiery red hair and deep-set eyes, a faint smile gracing her lips. Adorned upon her person was an elegant kimono in a deep mulberry hue, delicately embellished with scattered snow-white blossoms.
"Greetings, Aunt Takako," Mito replied calmly.
"Not many can handle themselves like you," the Koyama lady beamed. "Your husband passed away, and yet, you've gained flesh and become fairer in complexion. When I lost my youngest, I couldn't eat or drink, only wanting to sleep to pass the agonizing days and months."
Mito suddenly remembered that this woman had four sons, the youngest of whom had died on the battlefield at the age of six. Even now, that child was Takako's biggest regret in life. Helping her across the large courtyard in front of the mansion, she whispered: "Auntie, it's been a while since we last saw each other, but your words sadden me deeply. If losing a few pounds of flesh could bring Hashirama back, I would do it in a heartbeat. But unfortunately, such a thing is utterly pointless. We are all shinobi. When the dead see that their loved ones are living well, that they have not succumbed to grief, only then can they rest in peace."
"Being a Senju really does teach you to preach righteousness, doesn't it?" The old woman remarked absentmindedly.
"That's just the natural order of things, Auntie." Seating herself at the small, round table, Mito smiled reassuringly and poured Takako a cup of tea. "Few can be as clear-minded as our younger brother Tobirama. It took me a while to come to terms with Hashirama's death. Humans are not born to endure all suffering."
"Tobirama? That Senju brat, whether he's clear-minded or heartless, I can't tell for sure," Takako said disdainfully. "I've been hearing a lot of interesting things about him lately. The Konoha election was a real joke. Do you know anything about it?" Her eyes pierced into her.
Mito shook her head. "When the election took place, I wasn't even in the Land of Fire, so how could I know anything about it?"
"So your brother didn't tell you anything about it beforehand?"
"When I found out, I was just as shocked as everyone else."
"Tobirama, as expected, always does things in secrecy," Takako muttered. "This whole thing is like being thrown into an iron barrel..."
Mito raised an eyebrow. "I don't understand what you mean, Auntie. What do you think my brother and I would have talked about?"
"A plan? To turn Sarutobi into a puppet and destroy the Uchihas? I mean, everyone knows that Tobirama is behind...?" Her aunt looked at Mito in surprise.
"Do you think Tobirama interfered with the election?" The Uzumaki kunoichi glanced at Takako. "This is a baseless speculation. My brother-in-law was not chosen simply because he was not suitable. It's not that he was up to something. And the accusation that he rigged the election and manipulated everything from the voting process to the entire Konoha is completely ridiculous. Stop looking at Tobirama so negatively. He would never be so foolish as to break the peace that his brother worked so hard to build."
"You're so naive." Takako sighed, setting down her teacup. "One day, you'll end up being his puppet, just you wait. Your son even loves his uncle more than his mother, which is what I've heard from other Uzumaki people when..."
"Stop with those ridiculous conspiracy theories!" Mito snapped softly.
"Are you raising your voice at your elder now?" Takako sneered. "The whole world knows what your brother-in-law is up to. What's with this one vote business? He's been manipulating Konoha since your husband was still alive, what are you pretending for?"
"Nonsense."
"Right now, all the powers in the world are watching your brother-in-law closely. To see if he will suddenly grow fangs or if he is still hiding any claws in his fur. And who those fangs and claws will be aimed at."
"Dear aunt, what is the purpose of all this?" Mito asked wearily.
"Keep an eye on Tobirama, Mito," her aunt said, rising to her feet and leaning over the small tea table to whisper in her ear. "For the sake of the Uzumakis. At least then we'll know his intentions."
Something had shattered. Patience. And respect.
"The tea party is over." Mito said coldly, looking up at the other woman's face. "Takako-san, you must leave now."
"That's right, when we were the same age as this kid Shani, we grew up drinking other people's blood," the white-haired man said gently, standing in front of the red-haired boy. "Even after half a lifetime longer than this child, we still live like savages. Neither you nor I have made any progress at all, have we, Madara?"
Day after day, Madara continued to live like a machine. Working, attending council meetings, clan meetings, paperwork, and checking on the village security.In the rare moments when he was able to rest, he would collapse onto his desk and doze off for a while. As usual, he dreamed. This time, he did not see Izuna or Hashirama, but rather hazy, patchwork memories of his childhood. Madara dreamed of the journeys he took as a child with the Uchiha clan. He had been led by his grandfather and father through countless fields, forests, mountains, cities, and towns, climbing passes, fording streams, and braving rain and sun alongside his brothers and comrades. Back then, he was carefree and lived for the moment, simply enjoying the nomadic lifestyle without questioning the purpose of their travels.
"Savages?" Madara scoffed. "No, Senju. That's just your perspective. We are shinobi. Blood and death will cling to shinobi until our very last breath."
"Home." Uchiha Tajima, his father, said this as he held him close on a late autumn day, their family fleeing on an old horse-drawn carriage to leave the treacherous lord's territory that had turned against the Uchihas and forced them out. "We will find a home, a place where our clan can settle down."
He was lying. Madara knew that he and the entire Uchiha clan were born from the womb of a fickle god. The word "home" to him was something that could change, just like the word "wife". Even though countless times he had the most beautiful lands or the most luxurious castles to live in, Tajima still followed his clan's way and chose to live like a nomad, with no intention of "settling down". Madara remembered a place where his clan had lived the longest—two years—it was the Sugar Cane Valley in the Land of Fire. The scenery there was very beautiful, with flowers and streams, forests and birds, and the weather was always favorable. But the Uchihas still wanted to leave. As if tranquility did not flow in their blood. The Uchihas liked to break through, liked to improve, and would question themselves if they were satisfied with something for too long. They would never stand still but always move forward, seeking new paths. That is why they were honored as one of the strongest clans in the world.
Some say that we only think of home when we have wandered the streets for too long. After endless journeys, horrific battles, Madara was tired, restless, and weary of uncertainty. He always wanted a home to return to, a safe place where he and Izuna, Hikaku could understand each other, and where the clan would thrive and be peaceful for generations.
But, Madara smirked, what home would be enough for the Uchihas?
"Home." Tobirama's voice echoed in his ears, like the gentle autumn wind.
The cunning Senju, why was he appearing in Madara's dreams?
"Do you love the Uchihas?"
He stared angrily.
"Ah, I see, you don't love the Uchihas as much as Izuna, do you? After all, you will abandon them, and they will abandon you. The Uchiha will not listen to you. Izuna's wish will never be fulfilled."
"If you use that tongue to say his name again, it will be fed to the dogs," Madara threatened.
"Izuna wanted the clan to be honored," Tobirama said. "Your clan has traveled to many lands in search of a home. Now, the home is here, in this Konoha. Give them a true home with your influence, Madara. If you love the Uchihas enough. If you value Izuna's wish. If you feel that you would fight to the death for your clan to achieve power and a home, then do it. You will know what you should do."
Just as he finished speaking, Madara saw Senju Tobirama grab the red-haired child and disappear into the air.
Flying Thunder God Technique. Always marked, prepared.
"Has he flown away again?" Madara asked absently. He pushed the training cart down the corridor. "Faster and faster."
A week had passed.
The Uchiha clan leader still clearly remembered the night he first pushed a cart of documents down the hallway to the Eastern room. He met Hashirama's son, a troublesome five-year-old child, boastful and ignorant, somewhat stubborn but ultimately just a scaramouch. The kid, upon seeing him, jumped in to attack without any thought, which made him very disappointed. And the way Tobirama protected him made Madara somewhat angry. Instead of teaching him how to face his fears (at least to have the courage to look him in the eye after being threatened), and to take responsibility for his carelessness, that bastard Senju acted like a mother hen. That didn't help the child grow up. He did the same with Izuna when helping him overcome his fear of thunder as a child. Madara remembered locking all the doors and making Izuna sleep outside in the barn during a stormy night, forcing him to face his greatest fear. Izuna screamed wildly, his cries for help blending with the roaring thunder, making Madara's heart feel as if it was being torn apart, but he didn't know what else to do. Izuna was a shinobi and would become the heir of the Uchihas in the future. He must not be afraid of anything. Hashirama's son was the same, they were not people born to be mere decorations who only knew how to eat sweets.
This clueless kid could become a stain on the reputation of the Shinobi God.
Madara sighed. At least after this, Senju Shani would know fear. And Tobirama better be sensible and keep that kid out of his sight.
Tobirama himself was also very good at hiding. The first time Madara went to the Eastern office, he only encountered the lazy Nara secretary and a bunch of useless assistants. This time, all that greeted him was a room completely empty, littered with papers. They were all out.
Madara clicked his tongue in frustration. He intended to ask Tobirama to sign the document, not to attack him, but every time he came, that damned Senju conveniently wasn't in the room, as if he were avoiding him. Striding down the hallway connecting the two offices, Madara thought he would go home early today and leave the paperwork for tomorrow. But then something made his keen nose twitch.
The smell of burning.
Madara quickly moved to his office.
Fire--
Oh no, the documents...
He hurriedly opened the door, and the office was still intact, but his chair at the desk was on fire. The flames had started to spread to the armrest, and Madara stared wide-eyed, fearing it could burn the pile of documents he had spent the whole morning approving...
And from the window, a small figure in a moss-green cloak briefly appeared, turned to look at him with a smug smile, and then jumped down...
This chakra--
"S-E-N J-U S-H-A-N-I!" Madara growled each letter while forming hand signs for Water Release to extinguish the flames caused by that little Senju demon.
"It's because I didn't manage him properly..." In the Hokage's office, Tobirama bowed his head gently. "Everything is my fault..."
Just back from a short mission for the day, Tobirama barely had a chance to catch his breath before being dragged into a room by the Nara assistant, who reported on the "brilliant" stunt his nephew had pulled in Madara's office. Currently, he was sitting on a five-legged stool, to the right of a Hokage who was coldly staring into the distance, and facing a smirking Madara who stood with his arms crossed leaning against the wall.
"How do you plan to handle this, Hokage?" The Uchiha clan leader smirked. "Let's see, he's just a child and..."
"No--" Sarutobi Sasuke interjected, cutting off Madara. The Hokage's gaze was completely resolute; where had the usual carefree, whimsical, and mocking demeanor gone? This change was quite surprising. "Setting fire to the First Advisor's office is unprecedented. It's particularly bad that the child is the heir of the Senju clan."
Tobirama blinked. When it came to clan conflicts, even the thoughtless antics of children or the veiled comments of teenagers with still-fresh milk on their breath could threaten the fragile peace. He knew Sasuke would not let this go. After all, the Hokage must act reasonably.
Tobirama wished Shani would stop with the pointless antics. The Senju clan leader had never bowed so low, to the point where all he could see was the white hem of the Hokage's cloak. His nephew was very much like his father, always diving headfirst into trouble. Setting fire to Madara's office was completely foolish (he even felt lucky for Shani that the Uchiha leader had gone to find the Hokage for mediation instead of dealing with the kid on the spot). It was indeed very embarrassing. But what more could he do? His nephew had made a mistake, and it was the responsibility of an elder like him for not teaching him properly. For that reason, Tobirama would bear all the responsibility for Shani's debt.
"As the Senju clan leader and Shani's elder, I apologize to the Uchiha clan leader for all the damage today." Tobirama bowed solemnly. Madara smirked.
"The Senju clan must compensate for the damage to the property in the Western office." The Hokage issued the judgment firmly. "Senju Shani will be banned from the Hokage Tower until he reflects on his actions." The leader of Konoha looked up at Madara. "Uchiha clan leader, since your office was burned and flooded, please move your work to the Eastern office starting tomorrow."
"What—?" Tobirama exclaimed in surprise, looking up. He saw Madara glaring at him.
"You two will be roommates," the Hokage said with a smile.
"Have you lost your mind, Sarutobi?" Madara hissed.
"This is a terrible idea, Sasuke!" Tobirama protested.
"There are no other options," the Hokage insisted, with a meaningful smile.
They would share an office.
A nightmare within nightmares.