Izuna still lay splayed on the ground as Tobirama came forth. Looking down on the Uchiha, seeing his large, brown eyes look up on him curiously as he approached, Tobirama was struck by exactly how much bigger he was; physically, he could crush him. It... did things to Tobirama he didn't quite understand.

Izuna rose up and walked back into the water, probably desiring to wash the salt away. He had his back to Tobirama, and Tobirama wasn't quite sure what to do, neither with his eyes nor his body nor his mind.

"Join me."

Izuna had turned his head around and was watching Tobirama. Was that playfulness he saw in Izuna's eyes? Joy, even?

Tobirama undressed. Pulled his polo over his head. Unbuttoned his trousers and took them off. Izuna was still watching him over his shoulder, but Tobirama tried not to mind, even if his heart was pounding. He stepped to the water, naked now, feeling safe as water was his element but dreading the cold. But when he took his first step in, he was surprised to find it was hot and pleasant.

"I warmed it up for you", Izuna said kindly, and Tobirama was reminded that fire was his counterpart's element.

"Thank you", Tobirama answered.

They swam softly, enjoyed the fresh sweet water until finally, they ended up opposite one another, a distance away, both leaning their backs against rocks that stuck up out of the water. Tobirama's feet touched the bottom with ease, and he rested comfortably, as did Izuna, even if he was shorter. The moon had disappeared, so the cave was quite dark, but not fully. Tobirama could see the Uchiha's contours; his big eyes, his delicate chin, his full lips. Oh, to touch them with his own.

"I'm sorry about your father", Tobirama said.

It was a stupid thing to say. He felt like an idiot. Was he one?

But Izuna didn't seem to think so.

"Thank you for saying that", he said. "I don't blame your brother, though."

Tobirama frowned.

"Explain", he asked.

Izuna shrugged. That small movement generated a shiver in the water, creating small waves that soon touched Tobirama's skin. He shivered. This was as close as they had been to touch. If this was what it felt when mere movements from Izuna's body touched his, he couldn't even imagine...

"What were your brother to do? Not kill that specific Uchiha clan member in order to spare my feelings, specifically?" he asked.

That's not what your brother thinks, Tobirama thought, but didn't want to say. For some reason, he didn't want this man to know about him and Madara. What was going on here, in this cave, felt too sacred.

"Are you scared, Tobirama?"

Tobirama jerked and looked at Izuna. His eyes glinted mischievously in the dark.

"I'm sorry, what?" he asked.

Izuna chuckled. He was beautiful when he did that, Tobirama thought. Beautiful when he laughed. And the sound... Like a thousand bronze bells chiming. He hoped he would make this man laugh many more times so he could hear that sound.

"Are you afraid of death?" Izuna clarified, making Tobirama feel mortified at his misunderstanding, but also mortified that this little man had so much control over him. "When you're at war, are you frightened to die?"

Tobirama tried to relax and actually considered Izuna's question. 

"Those are two questions", Tobirama said. "To answer the first one, no, I'm not afraid of death. But I am frightened at war. Because even if I don't fear death, I do fear the absence of being alive."

Izuna swam closer so he was just an arm's length away from the albino beast. If Tobirama reached his hand out, he could have touched Izuna's shoulder.

Tobirama remained still.

"What are you afraid of? You won't be there to experience it."

Tobirama smiled a crooked smile. 

"That's what I'm afraid of", he said. 

"I see", Izuna said.

Tobirama stood up.

"I need to leave", he said. 

He really didn't. He was just afraid that Izuna would be the one to leave first. He stood up and walked out of the water, incredibly aware of Izuna's eyes on his body that he knew was as white as a sheet. 

"Will you come back?" Izuna asked softly.

Tobirama turned around to where Izuna still soaked. He looked so sweet and relaxed. Imagining him being a killing machine... Not only was it hard, but he found it incredibly arousing.

"Do you want me to?" he asked.

"Yes", Izuna said without a moment's hesitation. "Of course I do."

Tobirama got dressed and left, feeling something that was new to him. 

"Oh, that looks delicious! Can I have some?"

Tobirama turned round to the open window in the kitchen of his house and smiled.

"I'm boiling water", he said.

"Knowing you, that boiling water will taste delicious."

"The door is open", Tobirama said calmly. "Let yourself in."

Hashirama did, just as Tobirama started to fry some spring onions in a heated pan with oil, then removed the boiling water from the stove so he could soak some rice noodles in them.

"You seem chirpy", Hashirama said, sitting down at Tobirama's kitchen table. "Is it the sunny weather?"

"No", Tobirama said, being a man of few words. but it was true; the weather never affected his mood. He was usually gloomy. 

"Have you met Madara recently?" Hashirama asked.

Tobirama added some more vegetables to the pan, fried them as well before seasoning.

"No", he said.

"Maybe that's why. What happened?"

Tobirama sighed. 

"I know the situation between us and the Uchiha is complex. I think Madara's problem is that he cannot see the bigger picture. He sees you killing his father as one bad deed, and does not see it as an effect of the war that is, at the end of the day, happening because of his inability to cooperate." Tobirama sat down at the table, waiting for the noodles to soften in the simmering water. "He has to leave those parts out of what is going on between the two of us for me to be able to continue. He cannot do that. And even if he will learn, the harm has already been done."

Tobirama became silent after this unusually long tirade of words, head bowed down to his cooking. Hashirama remained silent as Tobirama made two bowls with noodles, a salty broth and vegetables. He filled two glasses of water and drunk some out of one of them. 

"Have you considered Izuna Uchiha?" Hashirama asked.

Tobirama sputtered. He coughed, putting both glasses down, hiding his face in his hands as he almost fucking choked.

"What!?" he asked. 

When he looked up at a smirking Hashirama. 

"As a better leader of the Uchiha clan than Madara", Hashirama said, tilting his head to the side innocently. "Or did you have some other function in mind that Izuna Uchiha could fulfil?"

Oh, if an Uchiha didn't kill him soon, Tobirama would kill his big brother with his bare hands first!