An Unexpected Romance

Chapter 1

The ache in Tobirama's feet had worked its way up to his lower back. Not for the first time he wondered why he and Hashirama had bothered to found Konoha if he wasn't ever going to spend time there. Sure, Hashirama got to spend plenty of time there, visiting with the townspeople and playing with children. Tobirama had spent less a month total in the village in the last six months.

Maybe it was better this way, Hashirama liked people more than Tobirama did anyway.

When they'd left Konoha for this mission, Tobirama had only been back from his last mission for two days. He and his men had been on the road three days already. The work of the alliances weighed heavily on Tobirama's shoulders.

There was no argument. The alliances were beneficial to the longterm strength of their village even if the nations they were allying were usually several days travel. And it was easier to sleep at night knowing they'd made treaties and built friendships with neighboring clans and villages.

The only one that didn't sit well with him, was the Uchiha-Senju alliance. Though Hashirama disagreed, Tobirama wouldn't put it past a clan that clung to tradition and avoided change to agree to be your friend and then stab you in the back when you least expected it.

It troubled Tobirama enough that he wondered if the offered alliance with Iwa might be a trap. Atsushi Hata, formerly a clan leader of a settlement just northwest of Konoha and now leader of Iwagakure, had close ties to Uchiha's who'd settled on the land he shared with the Kamizuru clan. He hadn't voiced the concern to his brother, but he had insisted on bringing four of his most trusted men for this trip.

Dai was an experienced ninja who could be counted on in a fight, no matter how bloody it got. Experience and a long friendship between Dai and Tobirama had built a confidence and camaraderie that couldn't be rushed. The other three men he'd chosen; Hideo, Isamu, and Kin, were several years younger than he and Dai, but no less talented or experienced in the trickery and violence of battle. None of the men he'd chosen had come from the Uchiha clan, a slight that was sure to be noticed.

The road they were traveling had slowly transitioned from the lush greenery of Konoha to the rocky terrain under their feet today. To pass the time Tobirama had been considering what sort of alliance Hata was hoping to form. Would he want to exchange diplomats? Or perhaps form a trade agreement?

At the very least, Tobirama would spend a few weeks trading fighting techniques with them. Isamu Nara could show off his shadow justu, and newly developed shadow stitching. That was sure to impress, and, Tobirama thought, ensure they wouldn't be attacked.

"Will we make camp soon?" Dai had fallen into step beside him while he'd been lost in thought.

Tobirama had wanted to make it to the village before sundown and avoid another night sleeping on the hard ground. He narrowed his eyes, looking for signs of the village and sighed with relief when he saw what he thought might be buildings behind a wide gate.

"That might be Iwa," he pointed out the smudge on the horizon and waited while the men with him searched for it. "No doubt we've already been spotted. We'll stay in formation until we reach the gate. If it's a trap it's better for us to be prepared."

Two hours later, as the sun was sinking below the rocky mountains that hemmed Iwa, they had reached the gates. The guards, hands on their kunai, stood warily watching them.

"State your business." The words were spoken gruffly, suspicion lurking in the guards eyes.

"Tobirama Senju. I'm here at the request of your clan leader, Atsushi Hata."

The man looked him up and down, noting the weapons Tobirama kept tucked into his waist and then did the same with Dai, Hideo, Isamu and Kin before nodding at his fellow guard. "Nao, escort Senju-sama to Hata-sama's main house. Be sure Sadao is alerted to their arrival."