Work Text:
A philosopher once asked, Are we human because we gaze at the stars, or do we gaze at them because we are human? Pointless, really, Do the stars gaze back? Now that's a question.
— Stardust(film)
★彡★彡★彡
In those dark times, when the world was drowning in endless clan wars, an o-o-old legend circulated among the shinobi. They said that if you climb a high mountain peak whose snowy top touches the sky, and cast down a magic stone from there, the very one that crowns the daimyo’s coronet, a bright star will fall from the heavens.
Catching it in time is, incomparably, the most important matter in one's life. Upon touching your palms, the celestial guest will grant any wish, even the most cherished one.
But a dark warning was also hidden within the legend.
Should one be careless, should someone else find out about the fallen star… a Shadow with burning golden eyes would emerge from the ancient tree. A black minion, yearning to end the star's life and tear out its heart for the sake of boundless power and eternal immortality.
Therefore remember, you who crave the fulfillment of desires: the star will demand a heroic deed from you.
You are duty-bound to protect it from any ill omen.
★彡★彡★彡
Crimson maple leaves blanketed the hills they passed on their way to the temple to offer prayers to the gods and welcome the sacred festival. The week of peace had arrived, the period of Hare—so his haha-ue had said. A time when staining the earth with blood is considered a flagrant sin. And yet, she strictly warned Hashirama to be careful and to hold tightly to her hand.
Hashirama himself felt unbearably hot in the festive clothes, which seemed ridiculous and uncomfortable to him. Every now and then, he cursed under his breath and tripped over nothing, at which his haha-ue only shook her head gently and held his small hand.
Hashirama noticed she had been sad lately.
Hashirama does not know what to do. He is learning to listen to the earth and the forests, to understand the breath of nature and to help his friends, but chichi-ue constantly looks at him with a certain seriousness, with a heavy weight of expectation, while haha-ue hugs him and won't let him go anywhere, as if trying to hide him from a harsh future.
Hashirama does not know what to do. He wants not to be alone in this big world, where the clan elders scold him for not learning to fight yet—and yet, he possesses a most rare gift! He is already seven years old, the age when Senju children are dynamic-bound to step onto the battlefield and shed others' blood. But haha-ue only screams "no!", shielding him with her own body, tears in her eyes. Hashirama truly does not know what to do.
Therefore, after the ceremony ends, taking advantage of the noise of the festival celebrated together by the Senju and several clans close to them, Hashirama runs away. He nimbly leaps over smooth river stones, touches the wooden walls of tiny hoko—roadside shrines of the gods—with his palms, and hides from his cousin Toka. He ventures into the thicket and wanders among the trees until a splash of water reaches his ears.
Parting the maple branches, Hashirama freezes. At the very edge of the mountain river, squatting near a crystal-clear pool, sits a lone monk, staring intently into the darkening sky.
“Sometimes, the more intently I gaze into the heavens, the more I wonder…” the monk says softly, without even turning around at the boy’s appearance. “Somewhere out there, in the unreachable heights, the children of Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto are looking down at us in the exact same way. Curious, shining stars. They have simply frozen in anticipation of when it will be their turn to descend into our world.”
“What are you talking about?” Hashirama skips over the wet pebbles toward the stranger, trying with all his might to catch a glimpse of his face. But what was the use? It was securely hidden beneath a deep straw hat.
“About how every living being in this world has its own purpose, little Senju,” the old man finally turns his head slowly toward him. “Even those born amidst the eternal cold of the heavenly valleys. They watch our wars and wait for someone who will be lonely enough, or perhaps brave enough, to call them down.”
“But how do you call them? How, how, how?” Hashirama coaxes, trying to pry the secret loose. Curiosity makes his head spin. The earth beneath his sandals sighs resiliently and creaks, responding to the surge of his childhood chakra, but Hashirama is too spellbound to notice that the old man had effortlessly named his clan.
“Ha-ha-ha! It is a simple matter,” the monk lets out a rustling chuckle and points a finger to the right. “You must find a celestial crystal and hurl it toward the very heavens, while standing atop the peak of th-a-at distant, snow-capped mountain. Do this, and a star will plummet down to grant your wish.”
“And how do you recognize it, this crystal?”
“It will light up like the heavens themselves when you squeeze it in your fist… But it is merely a legend, child. Who knows if it truly exists… It is time for me to go. It is late already, go back to your parents.”
“Oji-san, you’re not lying to me, are you?” Hashirama pouted stubbornly, blocking his path.
“To lie is not permitted to me… Hashirama Senju.”
The boy was distracted for a moment, looking thoughtfully at the snow-capped peak where the monk’s bony finger had pointed. And only in the next second did it click in his childish mind. Wait. The name. The old man had called him by his name and clan! How?!
“How do you…” Hashirama turned around, intending to grab the stranger by the edge of his clothes, but the bank of the mountain river was empty.
The old man had vanished, without leaving even a sandal print on the wet pebbles. A sudden chill ran down the boy’s spine. The rushing fear made him abandon all his hide-and-seek, and he dashed through the forest at full speed, back to where his haha-ue was waiting.
He never noticed how, high up on a thick branch of a maple tree, a huge fox silently stirred.
★彡★彡★彡
“Where do you think you’re going, Hashirama?!”
Hashirama winced, hearing behind his back the strict voice of his cousin—far too strict for her age. He slowly turned his head and almost shrieked with fright; his sister was standing literally an arm's length away, nearly incinerating him with her ferocious glare.
Suddenly, the slope of that very snow-capped mountain the monk had spoken of creaked ominously behind their backs, as if calling the boy to itself.
Toka crossed her arms over her chest demandingly:
“Well? Why are you staying silent?”
“Just walking…” Hashirama drew out innocently, hiding his hands behind his back.
“You should have come up with a better excuse, otouto,” Toka scoffed. “Why are you wandering through the forest on the final night of the sacred festival? You should be fast asleep by now!”
Hashirama froze for a second, raising his eyes to the heights. The sky seemed endless, and billions of bright stars swirled and sparkled aloft, while the full moon flooded the world with silver light. Then he quickly glanced back at the darkening silhouette of the mountain and looked at his cousin again. There was no choice. To manage to find the celestial stone, he would have to pull Toka into this matter.
“Hashirama! Well, where are you looking again?” Toka stamped her foot in annoyance.
“If I tell you something very important… will you believe me and come with me?”
The girl frowned deeply and narrowed her eyes suspiciously:
“I can already feel that I’m really not going to like this. Alright, spill it.”
“Just you wait, you won’t regret it!” Hashirama smiled conspiratorially.
★彡★彡★彡
“Curse it, it’s freezing! Hashirama, we’re turning back! We’ve combed the entire peak and thrown down a whole mountain of stones. Your legend is a hoax!”
The wind howled over the cliff. Hashirama wasn't listening; his fingers were covered in frost, but he kept grabbing new rock fragments from the ground.
Behind him, Toka was breathing heavily. She had to continuously circulate hot chakra through her body to protect them from frostbite.
“The stone is here! I can feel it!”
“What makes you think that?! Because of some wandering monk’s fairy tales? How do you know he wasn't an Uchiha spy who just wanted to get rid of the Senju heir?!”
“He told the truth! He is not permitted to lie!”
“Yeah, and I’m the Sage of Six Paths then! It's all a bunch of lies!” Toka shouted angrily.
Hashirama couldn't take it anymore. Ignoring the massive snowflakes lashing his face and the wind threatening to knock him off his feet, he spun around to face his cousin and stubbornly clenched his fists.
"No! It's not a lie! Do you know why I believed it? Because if there is even a single chance... If there is even the slightest possibility to help haha-ue, save the clan, and end this foolish, endless war—I will do whatever it takes to seize it!"
Toka caught her breath, struck dumb by his words.
"Hashirama..."
Stinging tears welled in his eyes, freezing instantly upon his cheeks. Dropping back to his knees, the boy reached blindly toward the icy ground and grabbed the first random pebble his fingers brushed against. Between the cold, the blizzard, and the tears blurring his vision, he couldn't see a thing in front of him.
"I just want... for someone to see me," he mumbled through his sobs, squeezing the find tightly in his palm. "Not because of Mokuton... but just as me. Someone close. So that I could protect them, and they..."
"Hashirama!"
"What?!" he sobbed, turning back around.
"Look at what you're holding in your hand, you idiot!" Toka gasped, her voice trembling with pure shock.
Hashirama lowered his eyes. Piercing through the fingers of his frost-reddened hand was a blinding light, painting the midnight blizzard in the radiant colors of a falling sky.
A wave of magical warmth washed over his hands, so intense that the howling snow around them instantly ceased its wild dance. Everything around them seemed to come alive, cozy and warm under the caress of this unearthly glow.
"Either I have completely lost my mind," Toka whispered in profound shock, "or you, you wooden blockhead, actually dug up that glowing stone..."
She slowly drew closer and sank to her knees right into the snowdrift beside him. Weaving a few hand seals, the girl erected a barrier of stones, sheltering them completely from the biting gusts of wind.
Hashirama remained silent, staring in sheer fascination at the treasure resting in his palms.
"So, what are you going to do now?"
"Huh? What?" Hashirama tore his eyes away from the stone with great effort.
"Are you going to fling it into the sky right now, or are you supposed to make a wish first?"
"I... I don't know."
"Idiot," Toka replied, affection masking her sheer resignation.
"What do you think is best to do?" he asked, completely drained and softened after such an intense emotional roller coaster.
Toka looked at him as if he were an absolute moron.
"Just do what that old man told you. If nothing happens, we are going straight to bed to sleep and get warm."
Hashirama pouted resentfully, feeling the soothing, blessed warmth of the shining artifact finally spreading through his entire body.
"You're mean. And spiteful."
"And you're a dummy."
"Hmph."
Taking aim with all his might, Hashirama hurled the celestial stone high into the sky, pouring every ounce of his Mokuton chakra into the throw. Right out of the ground beneath his feet, a massive wooden tendril erupted, snapping like a living whip to launch the crystal even higher, straight toward the clouds.
The boy had already picked out his target, that very same mysterious red-and-blue star that flickered brighter than anything else in the firmament, nestled closer to the full moon than all the rest.
The stone climbed higher and higher until it detonated with a shattering boom somewhere in the unreachable heights. Hashirama and Toka stumbled backward in fright, their jaws dropping in sheer shock. In the blink of an eye, the dark dome of the sky bloomed with colors so unimaginably rich, it looked as if every single bowl of colored ink had been spilled across a canvas of black velvet all at once.
And then, Hashirama noticed a tiny, solitary speck of light.
An approaching light?!
"Is it just me... or is something flying straight at us?" he asked, completely paralyzed.
"Take cover, you moron!" Toka shrieked, forcefully grabbing him by the collar and dragging him down to the ground.
And then, the mountain shuddered from a terrifying impact.
★彡★彡★彡
From the heavens, the stars see the entire world laid bare. They witness human greed, cruelty, and the unyielding bloodlust of endless wars. They see foolish grudges, abandoned homelands, and forgotten kin. They watch as mankind grinds cities and lives into dust.
Yet, more than anything, the stars love to watch the birth of love—in children, in mature hearts, and in fading elders. They adore the stories of others. They are far too curious to remain mere onlookers, and they love nothing more than becoming a part of mortal destinies.
But no one had warned one bright, red-and-blue star that it would be hurled downward by a deceptive, glittering stone. It plummeted toward this mortal earth, unable to utter a single word of farewell to its father, brothers, and sisters.
It fell straight into the open palms of children, ready to alter the very course of history.
★彡★彡★彡
The first thing Hashirama and Toka heard was a deafening BOOM!
The ground beneath their feet shook. And then, a stunning light flashed before them; as its brilliance slightly faded, they finally saw a boy.
He looked about two, three... at most, five years old.
Hashirama froze on the spot, forgetting how to breathe.
A f-a-s-c-i-n-a-t-i-n-g child was staring back at the Senju children. His snow-white skin shimmered, and he was clad in ceremonial robes embroidered with precious gems. But his eyes were the most striking feature—wide, purple, and deep within them... the distinct patterns of distant constellations could be seen.
The little one blinked in surprise, looked around, and then confidently stood up on his feet.
Gracefully brushing the clinging snow off his luxurious clothes, he scowled displeasedly and asked in a clear voice:
"Now, which fool chose such a barbaric method of summoning?"
Toka, still in a state of utter stupor, silently jabbed a finger at her cousin standing beside her. The celestial boy shifted an judgmental gaze toward him:
"I see. So, what kind of wish are you planning to make?"
Hashirama, completely losing his wits, blurted out the first thing that popped into his head:
"Be my brother!"
Toka snapped out of it instantly at such an absurdity. She delivered a hefty smack to her cousin's head and hissed angrily:
"You idiot! Do you have wood instead of brains?!"
The celestial boy looked at him in sheer bewilderment. His wondrous, starry eyes shimmered in the dark. Hashirama stared back at him, motionless. It felt as though an unbreakable bond had just stretched out between them.
"Are you sure that is exactly what you ask for? Not power? Not authority? Not world peace?"
"I just want to protect someone dear to me," Hashirama said from the bottom of his heart. "Someone who will accept my ideas and share my world. Someone who will walk with me hand in hand. I will love him and do everything within my power for him."
The starry child tilted his head, as if humming some heavenly melody to himself. It was as though he were listening intently to whatever the universe and the full moon were telling him. Finally, he nodded and smiled:
"Let it be so."
The boy clapped his hands loudly.
And the world around them plunged into darkness.
★彡★彡★彡
Thirteen years later.
Hashirama clashed with Madara in the absolute heart of a brutal battle. His titi-ue had been wasting away from illness for three months now, and haha-ue had departed for a distant temple to seek treatment. This war had drained them to the bone.
Hashirama's hands wove seals on pure instinct. Mokuton erupted from the earth, crashing into and smothering the incinerating flames of his sworn friend. The very same friend with whom he had once sat upon the banks of the Naka River, sharing grand dreams.
He slammed his palms onto the ground, raising a flawless Doton shield against the swift strikes of Madara's gunbai. How drastically his friend had changed...
Hashirama cherished Madara... but he loved his younger brother more.
In some ways, he understood his former friend.
That was why, when they were twelve and Madara shared the Uchiha legend of Indra, whom a Star had preserved from the Shadow's curse, and confessed that his clan dreamed of finding the Star, protecting it, and hiding it away inside their ancestral estate forever, Hashirama had been terrified. Since that day, he had been consumed by the sole obsession of shielding his brother from foreign eyes. Tobirama had only shaken his head calmly back then, reassurring him that the disguise was foolproof.
No one would take him away.
And truly, after that unforgettable childhood clap of hands, reality had rewritten itself. The entire world genuinely believed that a second son had been born to Kaeda and Butsuma Senju. Tobirama Senju. Only Hashirama and Toka guarded this terrifying secret close to their hearts.
Suddenly, a desperate, agonizing shriek pierced the battlefield.
"Izuna!" Madara halted his assault instantly.
Hearing the twin cries—those of Madara and his own wounded brother—Hashirama bolted from his position. In that split second, he didn't care about the war, the truce, or the feelings he held for his friend.
Tobirama! My brother! Just please don't let it be him!
He dashed at the absolute limit of his capabilities just to make it in time.
His blood, his blood.
And he stumbled, catching sight of a wounded Tobirama. His brother was anxiously pressing a palm to his side, using medical jutsu with the last remnants of his strength to suppress the radiant glow of his silver blood.
Hashirama was consumed by unbridled rage.
The earth beneath him shook violently from a massive surge of Mokuton. Ordering the Senju to retreat, he tenderly scooped his brother into his arms and threw a final shout over his shoulder to the paling Uchiha clan head:
"I can help, Madara! Just change your mind, I beg of you, I can help!"
Madara tightly cradled Izuna, who was groaning in agony. A massive wound gaped black in his younger brother's side... Tobirama had not killed him. He knew of Hashirama's dream to end the war and had spared Izuna. Peering over his friend's shoulder, Hashirama noticed fine, shimmering star dust sparkling along the edges of the Uchiha's deep gash, keeping the wound from turning fatal.
★彡★彡★彡
"Otouto, maybe you shouldn't rush so much? Of course, I want this peace with all my soul, but..."
Their negotiations with the Uchiha had ultimately proven successful. They had to wait four long months—first to help Izuna get back on his feet, then to fully regulate all the treaties and allow the old wounds to completely heal. Madara had come to his senses after all, yet... his friend's behavior slightly unnerved Hashirama. During every single meeting, the Uchiha head would stare at his younger brother so intensely, as if trying to burn a hole right through him.
Tobirama clicked his tongue in annoyance and flicked Hashirama sharply across the forehead.
"Ow! What was that for?!"
"Anija, stop worrying so much," Tobirama said evenly. "You coddle me as if I weren't a shinobi, but some delicate court lady from the daimyō's capital. You would do better to worry about your upcoming wedding to Mito-hime with that same zeal."
Hashirama grew instantly flustered and rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.
"Do you think... she will even like me?"
Tobirama smiled softly and wrapped an arm around his older brother's shoulders. Dusk was falling rapidly outside, and they both needed to mentally prepare for tomorrow's negotiations regarding the layout of the future hidden village.
"She is already completely in love with you, just as you are with her. So stop panicking and calm down."
"I can't, Tobi... Madara just looks at you so strangely, I'm losing my mind," Hashirama confessed, his expression darkening. "What if, deep down, he never actually forgave you for wounding Izuna?"
"Hashirama, even if that is the case, I am more than capable of protecting myself. You know that."
"I certainly hope so," the Senju head mumbled.
But Hashirama still couldn't bring himself to fully believe in this facade of calm. The moment he recalled Madara's narrowing eyes, his heart would start to whisper in sheer terror: 'Beware.'
★彡★彡★彡
Six months later.
Hashirama was just closing the doors to his office. He was, to put it mildly, terribly exhausted; the recent Hokage elections had drained every ounce of his strength. And even though Tobirama had taken the lion's share of the paperwork upon himself, it didn't make things any easier. It was as if his younger brother actually enjoyed all this foolish bureaucracy.
The building was nearly deserted. The shinobi had left for their patrols, and the corridors had plunged into twilight. Only a thin strip of light spilled out from Tobirama's office. Hashirama took a step toward it, but paused, catching his breath as he overheard Madara’s muffled voice.
"Hashirama might be blind, Senju, but I know perfectly well that you absolutely despise the Uchiha."
"You have a bloated ego, Uchiha, if you think that every single one of my thoughts is dedicated to your clan."
"Then what is the point of this entire initiative with the Anbu and the Military Police?"
"Does that not allow your clan to possess the exact same equal authority as the Senju? Furthermore, the Anbu will include not just our people, but the clans of the Ino-Shika-Cho Trinity as well."
"Tch."
"Is that all? I have work to do."
"I remember how you pierced Izuna, White Demon. Don't hope that I will let this slide."
"Your memory is your own business."
Hashirama gritted his teeth. Madara was crossing the line.
Putting on a cheerful facade, he burst into the room, clapping his hands loudly:
"Alright, midnight gentlemen, march on home! Tobi, wrap it up, Mito has already prepared your favorite fish and made that tofu and seaweed salad. Madara, any problems?"
"None," Tobirama stood up, gathering his papers. "I am finished."
"Everything is fine, Hashirama," Madara took a step back into the shadows. "We were just discussing the shinobi lists for the Police and the Anbu. Verifying paperwork."
Hashirama offered a strained smile, caught his brother by the elbow, and quickly led him toward the exit. His back burned. He could feel it skin-deep as Madara's three-tomoe Sharingan flared to life in the darkness of the corridor behind them.
Either he was completely paranoid, or Madara truly hated his brother and wanted to hurt him.
★彡★彡★彡
"Still, how do you do it, Senju? What kind of technique is it?" Izuna persisted, leaning over the desk.
"Sen-ju!" little Kagami uttered diligently, mimicking his uncle.
"Kagami-kun, be so kind as to hand me those papers over there," Tobirama requested calmly, as if completely oblivious to anyone else's presence.
"Kagami, don't you dare listen to him!" Izuna hissed immediately.
"Izuna-shishou is mean, and Tobirama-sensei is much better!" the child pouted resentfully.
"When exactly did he manage to become your sensei?!" the younger Uchiha snapped, thoroughly outraged.
"May I ask since when my office turned into a daycare center?" Hashirama chimed in with a cheerful smile.
From his corner, he watched with undisguised amusement as Tobirama incessantly stamped reports, casually brushing Izuna off. The future head of Konoha’s intelligence department had been sticking to his younger brother like glue lately. And on top of that, there was Kagami, Madara’s nephew, who had decided that Tobirama was now absolutely obligated to take him on as a student. The little guy seemed to be only about four years old.
"Apologies, anija," Tobirama placed the final seal down. "I will finish with these lists shortly and take them out of here. We still need to discuss the Academy construction plan today. We should call a Council."
"Senju! Why the hell are you ignoring me altogether?!" Izuna flared up again.
Hashirama crossed his arms over his chest. Hmm, his mind wasn't playing tricks on him, was it? Is Izuna Uchiha truly trying his hardest to befriend his brother?
"Because you ask foolish questions and disrupt my work. I can show you everything you need on the training grounds, if you are so impatient..."
"That's just the thing! Madara kind of... doesn't allow me..."
"To train with me? Well, Uchiha, then that is your problem. Take care. Anija, I am finished. Goodbye, Kagami-kun."
A blue flash of the Flying Raijin, and Tobi vanished into thin air.
Yet, he forgot to take them with him...
"Hey! That's not fair!" Izuna yelled into the empty space.
"Uncle Izuna-shishou is mean! Sensei left because of you!" four-year-old Kagami choked on his tears of frustration.
"What did you just say, you little rascal?!"
"Hey, not in my office, please!" Hashirama called out jokingly, raising his hands in a placating gesture.
But inside, the Hokage tensed, and his cheerful smile faded slightly.
So, Madara doesn't allow Izuna to get close to Tobirama... Doesn't let them train together.
Is Madara still harboring a grudge over that wound, or...
Is it something else?
★彡★彡★彡
A month later.
"You are not going on any mission to another country, and especially not with Madara, and that's final, otouto!" In a fit of anger, Hashirama slammed his chopsticks straight into the stew Mito had prepared.
His beloved wife had already retired to the bedroom to rest by this point, so the three of them were sitting alone at the dining table. Toka, with a deadpan expression, was melancholically watching their latest heated argument.
"I actually agree with Hashirama, Tobira," she chimed in, setting her bowl aside. "You warned us yourself that if you cross the border of the Land of Fire, you will turn into stardust."
"See! Thank you, Toka!" The Hokage rejoiced, throwing his hands up in a victorious gesture. "So my answer is—no!"
Tobirama rolled his eyes in annoyance and ate the rest of his food in one large bite.
"Both of you think too narrowly," he muttered. "I have developed a unique jutsu—Shadow Cloning. And I created a special protective circuit—"
"I don't care about your jutsu!" Hashirama nearly slammed his fist onto the table. "Madara... Madara is dangerous to you, Tobi! He could hurt you!"
Tobi put down his utensils and looked directly at his brother.
"This is rather irrational, anija. Firstly, is Madara not your best comrade, the one for whom you built this world? And secondly... do you really not trust him?"
Not trust him? No, he trusted his friend. He could, without a shadow of a doubt, trust him with his own life, the fate of Konoha, and the future of all shinobi—but just not with his younger brother!
"Alright, both of you hysterics, calm down! I have a solution," Toka had finally had enough of this family circus.
"We are not hysterics!" the brothers protested in unison, quite synchronously pouting their lower lips in the exact same way.
"And yet you yell in perfect harmony..." Toka looked straight at the Hokage. "Hashirama, if I personally go on this mission along with Tobirama, will you finally calm down?"
"But then the Uchiha will demand to include someone else from their clan in the squad," Tobirama added reasonably.
"Well, then we'll take that... what's his name? His personal advisor, Hikaku," their cousin shrugged. "He's a calm, rational guy and seems to have real influence over their hot-tempered clan head. Well? Does this arrangement suit both of you?"
"Yes," Hashirama grunted.
"M-ma, fine, alright," Tobirama agreed.
"Excellent! Now eat in silence and stop disturbing Mito-hime’s peace with your shouting!"
Hashirama obediently buried his face in his food bowl, but gave Toka one last long look before he did. His eyes silently pleaded, 'Just keep him safe.' And Toka nodded in return, promising, 'I will.' For she, too, loved her younger celestial cousin.
★彡★彡★彡
Hashirama had lost his sleep.
For seven days now, he had been plagued by nightmares. Mito tore herself between their home and the Hokage residence, trying everything to soothe her husband, but it was all in vain. Inside Hashirama's soul, a phantom bell was tolling.
His heart was tearing apart from a terrible sense of foreboding. He dreamed of blades, pools of blood, and two enemy shinobi brothers from a foreign nation. He paced the rooms endlessly, sending out his summoned beasts for reconnaissance.
Silence.
It was only in the third week that an answer finally arrived. It happened during a dull report being delivered by Izuna Uchiha and Keiko Hatake.
Toka’s falcon slammed right against the office window.
The note contained only a few lines, but they made Hashirama's vision go dark:
"Ambush. Tobirama is wounded, we are moving toward the village.
Tobi made it in time, the blood looks normal. Be on standby.
There are no witnesses."
Hashirama bolted from his seat, causing Izuna and Keiko to grip their weapons in sudden fright. The Hokage flew out of the residence, throwing himself at full speed toward the borders of Konoha.
An attack. On Tobirama.
Who dared?!
★彡★彡★彡
Hashirama flatly refused to let his brother out of the medical ward in the main Senju house. Appointing Toka to watch over the wounded star, he himself hurriedly tore through the clan archives and ancient scrolls. His titi-ue and haha-ue had long been living at the monastery; thanks to the celestial blessing, their illness had stalled and no longer progressed. Yet Hashirama felt an irresistible pull toward the very temple where everything had begun thirteen years ago. Under the cover of night, while the village slept, he hastened there, leaving a warning only for his family and Izuna. Madara… Madara had been stressing him out severely as of late.
However, the Hokage found no answers; the temple chronicles remained silent. Even by that very mountain river where he had once met the stranger, it was completely empty. In despair, Hashirama commanded the earth itself and the roots of the trees to keep watch, to track down even the slightest clue, until…
"I see you have grown, Hashirama Senju!" a familiar voice rasped out from the darkness. "Well? Did the Star grant what you so desperately desired?"
A wave of primal fear washed over Hashirama, but he endured, forcing himself to stand firm, and turned his head. It was the exact same monk. The same deep straw hat… except his ceremonial robes now shimmered with crimson and fiery colors, and beneath the brim of the hat, an unnaturally wide, terrifying smile twisted his face.
"You!"
"Me… So, how did you like the ancient legend? Did you enjoy it?"
"I did," the Hokage spat through his teeth. "Just answer me—the attack on my brother wasn't random, was it? Is that right?! Someone found out his secret?"
"A bro-o-other?" the monk drawned, and a satisfied lupine growl rumbled through his voice. "So that is what you wished for… You truly are an egotist, boy. The great Indra Ōtsutsuki was exactly the same in his time. A fool! Well… you are right. They have learned about the fallen Star."
"Give me a name! Who is hunting my brother?"
"Black Zetsu."
"Who is he?"
"The veil of secrecy is hidden within the main temple of the Uchiha, Senju," the monk threw his head back, and his wide maw bared its teeth in the darkness. "Question your precious friend Madara. Has he truly hidden the chronicles of Indra and the tale of the Tree of Evil from you?"
Hashirama clenched his teeth until they popped. Turning around for a mere second, he caught nothing but a swirling vortex of maple leaves; the old man had dissolved into thin air as if he had never existed.
The Hokage sprinted out of the woods, making his way back home to the village.
Madara knows about the Tree of Evil.
Madara knows about Zetsu.
But… was it truly an ordinary old man speaking to him just now?
Was he even an old man at all?..
★彡★彡★彡
Two months passed. The influential Hyūga and Shimura clans officially joined Konoha. The Hokage was forced to call an emergency Council.
Madara had changed since their last dangerous mission, becoming unusually quiet. He looked at Tobirama as a close comrade, though he was too self-conscious to show it in public.
Hashirama, meanwhile, kept replaying his friend’s recent words in his head:
"Father used to tell us that back in Indra’s time, an ancient, evil being was constantly whispering in his ears, trying to lure him to its side and force him to turn against his loved ones. Driven to despair by those whispers, Indra stood on a mountain peak and furiously hurled the first rock he found into the sky. He had no idea the crystal was magical. The heavens heard him and sent a Star—a beautiful hime whose light saved our ancestor and cleansed his tormented mind. But the thing is, stars possess a terrifying power. One can drink immortality from their hearts, and their flesh grants the might of the entire universe. That is exactly why the Shadow has been waiting for centuries for a new Star to fall to earth. The Shadow wants to devour it to gain its power and release its long-imprisoned Mother. That is what our legend says, Hashirama. And that is why we, the Uchiha, by the sacred decree of Indra, are bound to protect the fallen Star."
Hashirama's head throbbed from a sudden migraine. That night, Tobirama caringly lectured him for his carelessness, forced him to drain a bowl of foul-tasting medicine, and affectionately kissed both Hashirama and Mito on the cheek. His celestial brother whispered that his sisters in the heights were telling him to be careful.
The foreboding proved true the very next day. Right during the Council, a second attempt was made on Tobirama’s life. The enemies slipped a terrible poison into his drink. Fortunately, Madara reacted in an instant; along with trackers from the Inuzuka clan, he managed to intercept the assassins and catch a weakening Tobirama.
★彡★彡★彡
The bottle of plum wine had been drained, and the pieces on the shōgi board lay overturned. Suddenly, Madara lunged from the tatami and pinned Hashirama into the corner of the room.
"Answer me, you wooden blockhead, and answer me now!" the Uchiha roared, his hot breath fanning Hashirama's face. "Why do they keep attacking your brother one after another? What kind of secret are you hiding?"
"I have nothing to tell you, Madara."
"Stop lying!" The Uchiha's Sharingan swirled dangerously in the semi-darkness. "Izuna is no fool; he senses something wrong with Tobirama’s chakra nature. And I can see it clearly myself as a sensor. There is something wrong with him!"
"Madara, look at me," the Hokage said, holding his pressuring, heavy gaze. "If I knew the reason, I would have settled everything long ago and come to you for advice."
Madara reluctantly stepped back, exhaling a breath heavy with wine. He walked over to the veranda exit, where koi fish swam in the darkness beneath the gentle murmur of water. He had only recently finished building this estate.
"Don't lie to me, Hashirama. Anyone but you. Please, don't," Madara turned around, a rare vulnerability flickering in his dark eyes. "If all of this is somehow connected to those clan legends you've been digging into... I beg you, just tell me. I care about your brother."
"If it ever comes to that, I will certainly tell you," Hashirama promised.
Hashirama was lying.
Shamelessly, looking straight into the eyes of his best friend. And for the first time in his life, he didn't feel a single shred of remorse for what he had done.
★彡★彡★彡
The first festival celebrating the founding of Konoha had finally arrived. Tobirama and Madara had both insisted on a large-scale celebration, even extending an invitation to the daimyō himself. The village was reveling in the festivities while Hashirama locked his office with a smile; it was time to rush home and surprise his beloved wife with a gift. Lately, his paranoia had finally quieted down, given that Madara and Tobi had actually started getting along quite well. His brother had even opened the Shinobi Academy and was completely engrossed in selecting his very first students.
Deciding to cut across the path behind the Hokage Monument (his own face now adorned the cliffside, a fact Madara had been mercilessly mocking him for for the past three weeks), Hashirama froze. A rustle echoed from the shadows. He peeked through the thicket and was left utterly speechless by what he saw.
"What is the necessity that brought me out here, Uchiha-sama?" Tobirama’s even, slightly ironic voice drifted through the air.
"Is that so? After everything we've been through, it's back to last names?" Madara countered with a touch of mock offense.
"Fine... Madara. Let's get to the point."
"I don't like anything that's happening around us right now," the Uchiha head's tone turned serious. "My scouts reported sighting suspicious shinobi squads from the Hidden Cloud near the borders of the Land of Fire."
"Drop it, Madara. It isn't Kumo that's troubling your mind right now."
Hashirama bit his tongue. That audacious Uchiha had just slid over to sit right next to Tobirama, leaving absolutely no space between them!
"You catch on quick, Tobirama. The clan is a total mess; everyone is losing their minds over our priestess's prophecy. Stars, Indra, the Tree... it's enough to drive a man insane. On top of that, your brother keeps jumping at shadows for no reason."
"Hashirama doesn't mean any harm. After all, the responsibility for the entire village rests on his shoulders. It is... heavy for him."
From his hiding spot, the Hokage watched as Madara gently took Tobirama by the shoulder, turning him around to look directly into his face.
"You're right. And yet... your eyes are absolutely mesmerizing."
"What, do they frighten you? Like a demon's?" Tobirama tried to deflect, recalling his wartime moniker.
"No. They are starry," Madara murmured softly, his Sharingan remaining inactive as his gaze simply reflected the moonlight. "My teacher used to tell me that stars come in different colors. There are blue ones—the hottest of them all—and red ones, which seem icy. But every single one of them is beautiful."
Tobirama lost his usual composure for a fraction of a second, biting his lip in distraction. A faint, rare blush crept onto his pale skin.
"Hearing a compliment from you is like crossing paths with a wild Bijū. A truly rare phenomenon."
"Catch the moment. It's exclusively for you."
"Ha!"
Hashirama quietly backed away into the bushes. His face was burning with righteous brotherly indignation.
And just when on earth did my best friend manage to fall hopelessly in love with Tobirama?!
The nerve of that guy!
★彡★彡★彡
Hashirama had let his guard down too soon.
On the evening just before the grand gathering of all five Kage in Konoha, he found Tobirama in the backyard. His brother was sitting directly on the grass, damp with dew, wearing nothing but a thin yukata, staring intently up at the starry sky.
"What, do you want to catch a cold, otouto?" Hashirama called out softly, draping a warm haori over his shoulders.
"No..." Tobirama replied quietly, not even turning his head. "It's just that my sisters in the heights are deeply worried. They want to take me back."
What does he mean—take him back?
Hashirama's heart clenched. He hurriedly sat down beside him on the grass. The moon tonight was massive and full, looking exactly like it did on that very night thirteen years ago when everything had first begun.
"But is that... is that even possible?" he asked, swallowing the lump in his throat.
"Well, you see, anija, stars have fallen to earth before me," Tobirama offered a sad, faint smile, the intricate patterns of distant constellations momentarily flickering within his eyes. "But the desires of mortals were usually fleeting. People asked for gold or victory, the contract would quickly conclude, and my brethren would return home to the sky. But I..."
The terrifying weight of his words finally dawned on Hashirama. It hit him like a lightning bolt.
"So you knew from the very beginning what kind of danger awaited you on this earth, but you still chose to grant my foolish childhood wish?!"
"I didn't fully know," Tobirama turned, looking at him with deep, human affection for the first time that evening. "But I truly like being your brother, Hashirama. And I will always be right here, my foolish earthly older brother."
"I will protect you, Tobi! No matter what it takes."
"I know. Go to sleep, anija. We can handle whatever comes."
Later, when Hashirama crawled under his fluffy blanket and closed his eyes, sleep refused to find him. In the dead of night, right next to his ear, the wind suddenly carried a gentle, silver female voice. Thousands of starry sisters were whispering to him out of the darkness:
'Hashirama, beware... It is approaching. Zetsu is already close, Hashirama... Protect our younger brother!'
★彡★彡★彡
Everything happened unbelievably fast. While the Kazekage was trying to protect those present, and Hashirama himself was doing his utmost to help the other Kage repel the sudden attack, he let his guard down for a mere second and lost track of his brother. Tobirama was nowhere to be seen, and the bodies of White Zetsu kept advancing and advancing, flooding the council hall.
And in the next moment...
"Get away from my brother, you maggot!"
A thunderous, inhuman voice shook the earth itself, causing the walls of the residence to crack. Everything around came to a sudden halt. A cosmic light, pouring from behind Hashirama's back, forced the shinobi to shield their eyes.
It was Tobirama. But he... he had changed beyond recognition.
"I am the light of the firmament, the son of the great Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto!" a terrifying roar vibrated through Konoha. "How dare you, miserable creature, lay hands on what is mine?!"
"The Star!.." a black shadow with burning golden eyes shrieked greedily.
His Tobi, his little otouto, had completely cast off his human disguise. He was literally levitating in midair, enveloped in a lunar radiance. His armor had transformed into luxurious celestial garments, embroidered with jewels and wave patterns. His purple eyes burned with the fire of constellations, and his snow-white hair was gathered high, glowing like a scattering of precious gems.
Madara, standing right behind him, whispered with barely moving lips:
"This can't be..."
And then, he slowly dropped to his knees before the sacred being from the legends of his clan. The Kage froze in sheer shock.
Black Zetsu spat out a curse and lunged into a final assault. A bladed spike drove deep into Tobirama's side, but the creature was not allowed to escape. Mito bound the monster with sealing chains, and a furious Madara summoned his Susanoo in that very same second.
Silver blood poured out in heavy spurts, burning through the stone floor.
And Hashirama ran.
He ran, ran, and ran with all his might, tearing through doors and tenderly cradling his brother's fragile body in his arms.
"Toka! Prepare the medical bay! Urgently!" he shouted to his cousin at the entrance as he bolted past.
"Yes!"
"Hashirama!!!" That mad, wounded roar and the crushing weight of Madara's chakra made his shoulders tense. "What have you done?! Is this what you were hiding from me?!"
But Hashirama didn't look back. He sprinted forward, pressing the unconscious Tobi tight against his chest.
His brother was breathing; he was still alive.
I know, Madara... I know that you love him with all your heart. But I... I once promised the heavens that I would protect my younger brother from the entire world. And I will keep that word.
I will protect him.
We can handle this.