Chapter Text
Madara has given himself a day to come to terms with everything, but now it’s time to talk to the rest of his family. So with a sigh he gets up and starts to prepare breakfast. He makes sure to get up earlier than usual so he can make breakfast for everyone and be certain no one leaves before they have this conversation.
He decides to make tamagoyaki, it’s simple to make and they have leftover rice from dinner he can reuse to supplement; miso will be an easy side to prepare as well. He’s quite a good cook, but he really doesn’t like doing it. Probably resentment from all the years he spent essentially raising Tokaku by himself while his father insisted on waging pointless war. Both Myoukou’s mother, Rin-sama, and his and the rest of their siblings’ mother, Asuka-kaasama, had passed in childbirth, leaving the childrearing to the dubious care of their father. Myoukou, at the age of thirteen, already having been apprenticed at the Shrine under Yoake-baasama, was unavailable to help raise the rest of her siblings. However, this had left seven-year-old Madara (with occasional help from twelve-year-old Asahi and ten-year-old Hikaku) as the main caretaker of his five-year-old, three-year-old, and infant siblings. Madara shakes his head to put his father’s poor parenting skills out of his mind. He has more relevant worries.
Just as Madara finishes cracking the eggs he hears a knock at the door. He quickly moves to answer, hoping it’s Hikaku. He had asked his cousin to come this morning, but hadn’t told him an exact time, so Madara isn’t sure if he’ll have to get him or not. Thankfully he doesn’t have to.
He opens the door to Hikaku’s overly polite greeting, “Madara-sama, am I too early?” Hikaku asks. He’s using elevating honorifics, and Madara will have to ask again for him to stop. Hikaku himself is in the line of succession, there’s no need for him to defer so blatantly to Madara or any of his siblings.
“No,” Madara replies, “you’re just in time, please sit at the chabudai, I’m making breakfast now.” He leads Hikaku into the dining room and gets him seated on a zabuton with tea in hand, before stepping through the opening for the kitchen to resume cooking. He sometimes wonders how someone as demurely polite as Hikaku could possibly be the son of Ryuuken-ji. Tajima’s brother had been a brutish lout. Madara can only attribute it to Asakou-san, Ryuuken-ji’s wife and Hikaku and Asahi’s mother, who was their liaison to the Daimyo’s court until her pregnancy. How Ryuuken-ji had managed to marry someone as brilliant, deadly and wise as Asakou-san, Madara can’t fathom.
Madara is plating the first serving of eggs when Kurohime walks in groggy-eyed and yawning. “Who’s cooking?” she slurs through her yawn, “It smells so good, I hope you made enough to share.”
Madara looks up at his sister from the counter where he’s getting ready to take the first batch to the table, “I made Tamagoyaki, and there’s rice and miso also. But it’s for everyone and you have to wait until they’re all here unless you want to go wake them.” He turns back to the stove to start on the next tamagoyaki roll.
“Ugh, why do we have to eat together, we can talk after right?” his sister whines, “Why can't you just give me food now?” Kurohime says as she takes a seat in front of the full plate.
“We are having a family meeting and that means everyone needs to be here, either go wake them or put those chopsticks down!” Madara snaps, noticing the chopsticks in his sister’s hand creeping toward the one plated serving of eggs. He isn’t trying to sound cranky, but he is tired, he hates waking up this early, and his hatred for holding the unofficial position of household chef is beginning to show. It’s too bad all his siblings are subpar cooks. If he’s going to have a difficult conversation, he’s definitely not doing it over whatever goop Izuna throws together or whatever monstrosity of eclectic ingredients Tokaku will end up making them eat. And Kurohime can’t cook anything without it turning to charcoal. How he managed to raise a bunch of kitchen incompetents is beyond his ken.
Myoukou-nee walks in looking perfectly composed as always, how does she always look like she’s been up for hours when he knows she was asleep when he got up? Thankfully she’d clearly been close enough to hear Madara’s waning composure in his tone. “Kurohime,” she commands with the authority of her position as Amaterasu-Omikami’s Miko, “stop whining and go wake the rest of our brothers. Madara clearly has something important to say.”
Madara starts to plate another serving while watching his younger sister grumble and do as their oldest sister says. There is something to be said for being the oldest. The rest really fall in line, when Myoukou-nee tells them to do something.
Once Kurohime sulkily retreats to do Myoukou-nee’s bidding, Myoukou-nee looks to Madara, “Is there something wrong? Should we be concerned?” she asks with a furrowed brow.
He shakes his head, his shaggy mane relatively tamed for once in a high tail, “No, no, it's nothing bad. However, I do want to wait until we are all together to talk.” Madara continues to cook and serve the food while Myoukou-nee sits next to a silent Hikaku and watches him.
After five minutes they hear Izuna shrieking as he comes barreling into the dining room, “Leave me alone you shrew! I’m awake, you didn’t have to keep pulling my hair until I got out of bed! I wouldn’t have taken that long! You didn’t even let me use the bathroom! You’re never going to find a husband if you keep this up!”
“First off, who says I even want one? Maybe I just want a tumble with Touka-san!” Kurohime shouts from down the hall.
Madara turns to look at the hall entrance, “Touka-san is older than me!” He shouts back, completely scandalized. He looks to Myoukou-nee again but she seems unfazed, though whether that’s because she knows or doesn’t care is a mystery to him. Hikaku sighs, “Madara, she’s only four months older than you. An age gap of four years, give-or-take a few months is nothing to fuss over.”
Madara pouts, turning back to his cooking; his siblings are his babies. He'd raised them. He has the right to be as scandalized as he wants.
Izuna is still standing just in the entry to the dining area, staring back down the hall in shock. Madara thinks he hears him whining, “But I wanted Touka-san,” though he can't be sure.
Tokaku comes in with much less fanfare than the rest and just casually walks in and sits at the chabudai. Kurohime brushes past Izuna saying, “I’m 22, it’s not like I’m a child.”
Madara just ignores her and finishes serving breakfast while listening to his siblings snipe at each other—which is pretty typical for breakfast time. None of them is really a morning person.
Madara takes his seat at the head of the table and takes a deep breath before addressing them all, “So…I have some big news.” It’s a statement that gathers the attention of all his siblings and Hikaku. Their squabbling dies a pitiful wheezing death, and Madara speaks again, “It will affect you all in some way or another.” He watches as his siblings, who had just begun to eat, pause and stare at him.
It’s Tokaku who breaks the silence, “What’s going on Mada-nii? Are you okay?” Madara is filled with love for his youngest brother, he would be more concerned for Madara than himself.
“Everything is fine, it’s not bad. Hashirama is retiring at the end of the year…And he asked me to take over the position as Hokage.” Madara announces, a little wary of their reactions.
Izuna looks at him confused, “Okay I understand this is exciting for you, but why does it affect the rest of us?”
Hikaku rubs his hand over his forehead. He’s certain Izuna will be the cause of all his premature wrinkles, “Because it will make you clan head Izuna.” He’s already lamenting his future with Izuna as the clan head. He is going to have so much more work from now on. Madara will no doubt drag him in as clan heir, making him responsible for Izuna’s behaviour.
Izuna rears back, “Wait! What!?” he screeches, voice full of shock, “Why can’t he still do it?”
Myoukou-nee rolls her eyes and answers him, “It would be a conflict of interest, foolish otouto. Shouldn’t you know this already? It’s why Kawarama-san has been Senju clan head all these years.”
“You’re so dumb Izu-nii, don’t you spar with him, like, all the time; isn’t he your rival? How could you forget that he’s been stuck in the village as clan head?” Kurohime taunts between bites of food, as all good younger sisters do.
“Shut your mouth you obake-onna! I knew that! Just, why can't Myoukou-neesan do it?” Izuna snaps back.
“Same reason I’m not clan head now, I have a very important calling, and that isn’t to be clan head. You know this too, Izukkun,” Myoukou points out.
Izuna whines as he slumps down off his zabuton onto the floor, “I don’t want to do your paperwork Aniki. You spend so much time in the office. I don’t wanna!”
“Don’t forget having to deal with elders all the time,” Tokaku adds, very unhelpfully. “Oh and all the clan complaints will come to you now too!” He seems oddly excited about this, Madara isn’t sure if it's because he’s just enjoying Izuna’s suffering, or because he knows he won’t have to be clan head. It’s not fun, Madara would know.
Izuna, now fully flopped back onto the floor like a beached whale, continues to whine piteously about his new position. Kurohime meanwhile is in hysterics, cackling loudly at Izuna’s misery.
Myoukou is beyond thankful she has her work at the Shrine and isn’t forced into the role. Her brothers can have at it. She can’t even blame Izuna for his reaction, she would probably respond similarly. She idly wonders if being a whiny complainer is something they’ve all inherited from Tajima’s genetic contribution.
Hikaku, who has been mostly quiet this whole time. Is wondering to himself how he got cursed with these people as his family, and is hating that he’d agreed to be Madara’s adjutant, because now it means he’ll have to do the same for Izuna. Only he already knows Izuna will need a lot more help than Madara does. All he can do is sigh as he listens to the siblings bicker and whine. How is this his life? he wonders to himself. It’s early in the morning and all he wants to do is go get drunk and whine to his sister. Unfortunately, his mother has drilled far too much poise into him to actually do it.
On the other side of the table Madara is bemoaning his decision to have Izuna become clan head. He should have just asked if Hikaku would do it. He’s probably going to end up doing a majority of the work anyway. That or Izuna will finally have to grow up. Hard to say which way it will go. But if he keeps pouting on the floor Madara is going to throw him into the koi pond, and really give him something to whine about.
By Amatarasu’s grace, he hopes Hashirama has just as difficult of a time as he’s having. Madara’s going to be listening to Izuna whine until the day he takes over as Hokage, and probably everyday after that too.
Tobirama had rescheduled today’s guard rotation two days ago when Hashirama first came to him about retiring. He knew they would have to have a family dinner to discuss the changes Anija’s retirement would bring to their family, and he wanted to be able to participate. Hashirama always says he can participate while he’s on the clock, but Tobirama will never shirk his duty that way. If he’s distracted with his family’s problems, there’s no way he’ll be in top form in case of attack. No. It’s better just to have someone else on guard duty for this.
He’s just sliding through the seal-trapped window into the house when he hears Mito-neesama murmuring to Touka in sotto-voce. Apparently the reason they’re with the children instead of a part of the conversation is so that he and his brothers can have a chance to process everything without holding reactions back for their sake. Tobirama feels his chest inflate with love for his thoughtful Oneesama. It sounds like Touka wants to be a part of the conversation, but after a few debating comments concedes the point Mito is making. She remarks that they probably will be more free with reactions if it’s just them.
Tobirama has to wonder why they think the conversation will garner such emotional reactions, this is going to be a good thing. It isn’t like Kawarama is going to argue; he hates being clan head. He’s been chafing at the bit to return to active duty. The fact that he’s acting clan head is the only thing keeping him in the village, and Tobirama knows he’s starting to get cabin fever because he’s had to have a few of his agents intercept a few ill conceived pranks that would have risked trade relations. Kawarama should have known better as head of the diplomatic corps. Tobirama had ended up chewing him out that evening. He’d felt so bad about it later, he’d taken on three days worth of Kawarama’s clan head paperwork as a silent apology for his harsh scolding, after which Kawarama had done a passable impression of Tobirama’s dramatic twin with his apologetic, wailing thanks. So he doesn’t see where Kawarama might have any argument. Almost nothing would change for Itama, so what could their youngest brother possibly get upset about?
When he walks into the dining room he sees his brothers already sitting at the table, they seem to be in good moods, so he really isn’t sure why Mito thinks this is going to end up as an emotional minefield. Tobirama really hopes it doesn’t. He’s really bad at emotions—he’s aware of his own faults. It’s why he relies so much on Itama to help him navigate interpersonal interaction that doesn’t rely on official documents.
Tobirama silently joins them and sits down next to Hashira-nii. Hashirama startles at what he deems as Tobirama’s sudden appearance. “Sage’s Beard, Tobira! Make some noise at home! You’re going to scare me to death one of these days!” Hashirama exclaims with a hand pressed to his chest as if that would calm his racing heart. Tobirama wants to beat some situational awareness into his older twin. Even at home he should have some sense of who’s around.
“You’re a shinobi, you shouldn't be so easily startled,” Tobirama blithely responds.
“But I’m at home! I don’t have to be a shinobi here,” Hashirama whines back.
Tobirama can’t stop himself from rolling his eyes at his brother, sometimes it astounds him that they’re twins when the two of them are so different in almost every way, “Stop making my ANBU operatives’ jobs more difficult than they already are and retain some situational awareness, Anija.”
From across the table Kawarama spares their oldest sibling an unimpressed lift of an eyebrow, “Hashi-nii, being at home doesn’t mean not paying attention. It isn’t like Tobi-nii appeared out of nowhere. He walked in from the living room. I don’t actually know how you missed him,”
“Kawa~, why are you picking on me too! Everyone just gangs up on poor poor Anija,” Hashirama complains with a dramatic slump and crocodile tears.
Itama, who is sitting between Kawarama and Hashirama, sends Tobirama a welcoming smile. Instantly the tension he had started to feel at Hashirama’s soft scold begins to lift. He would never tell Hashirama, but when he scolds him for the things that just come naturally to him it always makes him want to leave and curl into a ball with his summons until he feels better. But that reaction had been trained out of him when they were children and he refuses to succumb to it now.
“Ugh! Stop being such a dramatic log, someday there will be ukiyo-e prints of you and they’re all going to be of you slumping over and crying like a shidarezakura tree in hanami season. You said we had to have a serious discussion. If it's serious then act serious!” Kawarama sounds annoyed which surprises Tobirama. He doesn’t think Hashirama is acting all that much different than usual, so he isn’t sure what has Kawarama up in arms today.
Hashirama sits back up and dries his crocodile tears, “You’re right. I do have something to discuss with you both,” his voice goes from whiny to calm and focused in seconds.
“Both? Don’t you mean all three?” Itama questions, he always worries about Tobirama being left out. He isn’t about to let Hashirama-niisan do it to him right at the table with all of them present.
“Tobira already knows.” Hashirama waves off Itama’s question and powers on, “I have decided to pass on the title of Hokage to Madara at the start of the year,” Hashirama says with a straight face. He wants to be sure his brothers see this isn’t a joke, unlike all the other times he said he was going to quit.
“Thank the Sage!” Kawarama exclaims, “I don’t have to be the clan head anymore! No more elders demanding that I marry to strengthen connections! They can put all their focus back into you. I can go back to being an active shinobi again. I’m going to go on missions outside of the village!” Kawarama is gushing, he’s so excited. Already fantasising about what his life will be like with this new freedom. He hasn’t been really able to exercise his wanderlust since taking over for Hashirama. And no one would be able to say anything about him wanting to court the ramen stall girl, now that he won’t be required to make a prestigious clan alliance as clan head.
Itama on the other hand is still looking at Tobirama, “Does that mean you will still guard Hashirama? What is your plan now?”
“I’ll continue my duty as I am now.”
“So you’ll stay with the ANBU? Will you continue to guard Madara-sama as you do Hashira-nii?” Itama isn't sure what he thinks about that idea. He knows the idea for the ANBU as a whole was based on Tobirama’s duty as Hashirama’s shadow, but he thought maybe when Hashirama retired that would mean Tobirama could too.
Tobirama tilts his head to the side slightly and blinks slowly, reminiscent of his snow leopard summons, “Of course, it's my job to protect the Hokage.” Tobirama isn’t sure why everyone thinks he’s just going to stop doing his job now that Hashirama won’t be Hokage.
“Are you sure? You could give up the ANBU. Become a regular jounin! Join R&D or help in Itama’s medical lab! You could even take a team of genin, I know how much you like working with the children. With all the clans here there is no way the Uchiha can do anything to you now,” Kawarama interjects with fervor.
“I’m content with my post right now, I have no desire to do anything else,” despite what his younger brothers seem to think, he does derive satisfaction in protecting the leader of the village. Whoever ends up being the Hokage is one of the greatest assassination targets in the village, and it makes him feel better to be ready to handle any threats. Perhaps it’s a remnant of his life as Hashirama’s shadow, but he doesn’t know how he’d manage dealing with so many people all the time if he were a regular jounin, or even a member of R&D or the seal corps.
“Plus he’s already met Madara! They got along great!” Hashirama speaks up with cheer.
Itama is instantly pissed, his dark eyes narrow under his mismatched eyebrows. So Madara is the person who was hitting on Tobira-nii, which means Hashirama is the reason Tobirama had shown his face. Itama knows he wouldn't do that on his own. Which means that Hashirama must have pushed him into it.
He’s on his feet before he even consciously decides to respond to Hashirama. His hands are planted on the table and he’s shaking with rage, “How could you force Tobira-nii to do that! How dare you!
“Wait, do what?" Kawarama asks, confused.
“He made Tobira-nii show his face to Madara!” Itama shouts, pointing his finger into Hashirama’s face, the tip glowing with a menacing amount of chakra.
"You did what?!” Kawarama explodes, turning a look of enraged betrayal on Hashirama, "How could you do that? We don’t even know what their thing is with red-eyed people, it’s clear that most of the time the Uchiha are respectful, but they usually ended up disappearing into the Uchiha compound never to be seen again! We should have gotten more information! And you had him show his face to the Uchiha clan head? I don’t care how friendly you are with Madara- sama ,” Kawarama spits the honorific as if it tastes foul, “How dare you put Tobi-nii at risk like that!” He is so angry, he knows Hashirama can be optimistic but this is going too far!
"Enough!” Tobirama doesn’t raise his voice, but it rings throughout the room just the same, all his brothers go instantly silent. “I am a grown man and I had a choice. Hashirama asked if I was willing and I agreed," Tobirama growls. He doesn't like being talked about like he’s a child to be coddled. He is older than both of them. Hashirama may be his older brother, but thirty-five minutes hardly makes a difference, he’s not going to kowtow to his brother's whims. He may be driven by duty but he is the more rational of the two of them, and the fact that his younger brothers think he’d allow Hashirama to make him do something he actually opposes is galling.
Itama lowers the hand he has pointed in Hashira-nii’s face, and looks at Tobirama sadly, “That isn't a choice, you were backed into a corner by duty. He should have asked if you wanted to retire with him. Then you could consider your options and come to your own conclusions. If you wanted to do it then you could decide that on your own." Itama feels bad that Tobirama is so driven by duty that if asked to do something he will always say yes. Especially if it’s Hashirama asking. He knows Tobira-nii has a soft spot for his twin, and for all that they’re all of thirty-five minutes apart, Tobira-nii holds Hashira-nii in far too high esteem.
“And you never should have been asked to show your eyes. You should only have to do it when you choose to." Kawarama says lowly, he just wants Tobirama to be happy, and he wishes Tobirama wanted that too, or at least knew he had the option.
Tobirama is taken aback by their protests, a little upset on Hashirama’s behalf that they think he would actually make Tobirama do such a thing. “Anija didn't ask me to show my face. He asked if I knew I would have to if I wanted to keep my position as the Hokage’s personal guard. I agreed and want to continue my duty to the village," Tobirama states; why do they always assume he can't make his own decisions?
Itama doesn't know what else to say. He knows Tobirama won't ever put himself first; he will always put duty first. He sighs and lowers himself back into his seat at the table.
Kawarama is having the same thoughts as Itama, but he’s more angry than sad. He doesn't mind that Tobirama feels safe in the shadows. But he thinks Tobirama should be given multiple options so he can decide what he actually wants. And it makes him mad that Hashirama can't ever understand that if he asks anything of Tobirama he will almost always agree with him.
Hashirama, on the other hand, doesn't understand why his brothers are getting so upset. Tobirama wants to do his job, it's what he does best. He likes to be in the shadows as a guard. He's always liked it. That's why he has always liked to be Hashirama’s shadow, hadn’t protested when Father had assigned him that duty as a child of five.
Hashirama blinks uncomprehending eyes at his youngest brothers, “I think you are both overreacting. Tobirama belongs in the shadows, it's why he's so good at his job. The ANBU was created based on the duties he took up before the village was founded. It's what he is best at.”
Tobirama can't help the flash of hurt that shoots through him at Hashirama’s words. While he is safer being hidden, and he can't deny he is good at what he does, he doesn't think he belongs in the shadows. The only thing truly stopping him from being upset is he knows Hashirama means well, that he isn't trying to be cruel. He honestly believes Tobirama is better off staying where he is now. He knows Hashirama wants what is best for him. He has never doubted his twin's love.
He shakes off the feeling, saying, “It is what I'm best at. This isn't a bad thing. I get to continue doing my job, Kawarama no longer has to be the clan head and Hashirama gets to be here for his children and Mito. I am content with this, and you should be, too." Tobirama addresses both of his younger brothers seriously; they need to understand he doesn't need their unwarranted concern.
Kawarama caves first with a heavy sigh, "If that's what you want, then I'm happy you get to continue as a bodyguard for the Hokage.” He knows he will be watching the Uchiha closely to make sure they don't have any unsavory plans for his brother. It’s a good thing his rivalry with Izuna has turned friendly since the foundation of the village. Perhaps he can taunt the older man a little to find out how much information about his brother has spread. He’s certain there’s no way Madara-sama is going to be able to keep Tobi-nii a secret, or that he even wants to.
“I won't stop you," Itama says begrudgingly. Inside, however, he promises himself he’ll keep an eye on Tobirama. Someone with a higher EQ than Hashira-nii certainly needs to make sure Tobira-nii isn’t doing himself more emotional harm with this new position.
"See, this will be good for everyone!” Hashirama beams. He is so happy his brothers are all on the same page now. Unaware of how disgruntled his youngest brothers remain.
Tobirama is just content that his brothers are no longer fighting, especially about him. It happens every once and a while, and he always hates it. He can never figure out where the schism is, and why his little brothers are so overprotective of him. He sighs. He’s going to have to call on his summons tonight; even though he’d cuddled with Itama and Kosetsu just yesterday, he needs the comfort, and after such an emotion-filled evening, he’s not going to deny himself this.