Chapter Text
Touka marvelled in utter wonder at the sight of Hashirama’s near theatrical- and loud, sulking.
“Absolutely not, ” Hashirama vigorously shook his head. His voice wrenched out another shout just shy of noisily whining, “I refuse- No!”
The brunette muttered refusals as he melted into a puddle, heaps of blue Passion Flower vines and Sowbread growing around him in a mockery of a cocooning nest. The vines sprawled very slowly outwards from Hashirama’s human puddle in what seemed to be mimicking a collapse of despair in slow motion.
“Cousin, help make Tobi see sense! He isn’t allowed to!”
Touka glanced at Tobirama who was re-reading the scroll addressed to him. An Uzushio courier came by the Senju Compound on behalf of the Uzumaki Clan Scholars.
“And why should I do that, Hashirama?” Touka asked, grinning as she tilted her head.
“He- Tobi- He- he just can’t!”
“And why not? Use your words, Cousin, I cannot understand you.”
“Tobi can’t go!”
Looking at the sprawling vines now rapidly aiming towards Tobirama, Touka lurched forward, taking the vines in hand and yanking as hard as she could. Jerking Hashirama from the ground, which caused the brunette to bounce slightly, she quickly wrapped her older cousin in his own vines. Some of the blue passion flowers smacked the mokuton user in the mouth,
“Ack-“
Tobirama looked up, tilting his head away from his bound brother. Most of his face was hidden by the scroll in his hands but Touka could see how his eye glinted.
“It would be beneficial to tie our sister clan to us… permanently.”
Touka flinched at the sudden yell that erupted from Hashirama.
The brunette broke through the blue flower vines with a ferocious fervor as he lunged at his younger brother. Tobirama dodged left, ducking under Hashirama’s wide open arms before balletically dancing to stand steps next to Touka. From his new position near Touka, Tobirama used a rope’s length of water to bonk the Mokuton user upside the head. The now wet Hashirama sulked back into a puddle, surrounded in a formation of black dahlias.
Tobirama and Touka looked at each other before shaking their heads
“Truly, Anija…”
┬──┬┬──┬┬──┬┬──┬
Butsuma scanned over the Uzumaki’s request as he drank his tea.
Despite the Uzumaki’s tendency to be less than formal with allies, the invocation was courtly stated and concise. It was rare for the clan to send out any kind of formal paperwork, choosing instead to talk anything over. Ironic, considering the amount of parchment they used.
“Essentially, the Uzumaki Clan wishes for me to become a permanent ambassador between clans.”
Butsuma swallowed his tea as he nodded to show that he was following along and to continue.
“Anija, however… wishes otherwise.”
Stifling a snort, Butsuma looked up. The clan head could imagine that. Hashirama was rather clingy when it came to family and judging by the look on his son’s face, Tobirama agreed with his thoughts.
The clan head played with the idea of letting the second oldest stay in Uzushio. Tobirama did not seem to care whether he stayed or went. And it would benefit the Senju, keeping the Uzumaki close with yet another tie to them. It helps that the Scholars' of the Uzumaki Clan genuinely cared for Tobirama and his independence.
On the other hand, Uzushio worded the request in such a way that there would be no backlash from refusing to. The Uzumaki scholars' seemed to have respected his son more than enough to also respect his wishes.
But… Butsuma privately conceded, Hashirama could be unbearable when he was sad.
Being the clan heir, he needed all the support he could afford. And when Hashirama became clan head, there needed to be another clan heir just in case.
Butsuma glanced back at his son who tilted his head towards him with a wistful huff. Tobirama was content to go wherever, staying in the Senju compound or moving closer to the Uzumaki Clan, Butsuma saw that his fair-haired son was content with either or. Tobirama thinned his lips into a wry smile. Huffing louder than usual as he gently shook his head. That sealed the clan head's decision.
Better Hashirama than the unsuspecting Uzumaki clan. He knew how to handle his little brother.
Probably.
Hopefully.
In all honesty, it was for Hashirama’s sake and peace of mind.
“I will have to refuse accepting this request.”
“Understood, thank you for informing me of your decision, Father.”
Butsuma nodded, somewhat reassured seeing his son not taking offense towards his decision. Sipping on his tea once more.
“Although…” Tobirama's cherry eyes took on a more sadistic and wild look with a smile that calmly edged on feral as he continued, “I would like to… delay in telling Hashirama. He has been rather…”
Butsuma nervously swallowed as he turned back to Tobirama. Oh dear, has Hashirama finally annoyed Tobirama with his wailing refusals?
Well, better Hashirama than him. Better Hashirama than the Uzumaki.
The Mokuton User healed faster- he could bear the brunt of Tobirama’s… more playful moods.
Probably.
Hopefully.
“This, I will grant so long as you promise to eventually inform Hashirama.”
“I promise to inform him within the year.”
┬──┬┬──┬┬──┬┬──┬
Within a week, Hashirama managed to wrangle the other Senju children to aid in his protesting. Using the affectionately dubbed Child Spy-Network, shortened to CSN to loudly harass the Senju Clan Elders and Butsuma.
Though, most of the tiny protestors and their protests were swiftly distracted by Tobirama with the clever use of sweet bribes and mostly harmless manipulation.
Hashirama was mercilessly silenced with prejudice and wrathful torture via sibling.