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Rating:
Mature
Archive Warning:
Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Category:
Gen
Fandom:
Naruto
Relationships:
Senju Hashirama & Senju TobiramaUchiha Izuna & Uchiha Madara
Characters:
Senju TobiramaSenju HashiramaUchiha MadaraUchiha IzunaUzumaki MitoUchiha Hikaku
Additional Tags:
Role ReversalProtective HashiramaExcellent Brother HashiramaIzuna livesbadass mitoHurt TobiramaIzuna Overcomes The Curse Of HatredTobirama Wants Peace Too
Language:
English
Collections:
Juricii's Collection of Various Stories
Stats:
Published:2022-02-11Words:7232Chapters:1/1Comments:22Kudos:809Bookmarks:225Hits:5217
A Moment's Hesitation
IncompleteSentanc (Erava)
Summary:
In which it’s Tobirama, not Izuna, who goes down on the field of battle that fateful day - and it’s Hashirama who would do anything, even give up on his dream, to keep his beloved brother safe.
Notes:
I did the thing. I wrote a non-time-travel Naruto story. Woo!
I hope you guys enjoy it.
(See the end of the work for more notes.)
Work Text:
He’s not sure what made him hesitate.
There’s a split second where Tobirama sees the clearest path to victory, and it would cost him one step to accomplish it. One step forward, and he could gut Izuna, and get rid of the Uchiha’s second most deadly fighter. It would change the tide of the war, if he and Hashirama could fight Madara together. No longer would they be at a standstill; they’d win, and the war could end.
But that isn’t what his brother wants.
Hashirama’s drive is for peace, true peace, not the kind bought by a lack of fighting but instead by a decision to stop fighting. Not bought by killing so many of the others that they can’t stand against them any longer, but bought by choosing to stand together in spite of their difference.
It’s… it’s a nice idea, Tobirama admits. It’s a foolish one, but it’s nice.
He doesn’t step forward. He doesn’t use the hiraishin to flash behind Izuna, already tearing a wild slice through his body. He hesitates, for just a split second, his blade wavering. Izuna’s eyes narrow in that split second, twisting his blade, and instead of parrying it, it slips right past where Tobirama’s own sword is. It goes through his defenses - because he’s hesitated, and put a hole right through them through his own stupidity, through Hashirama’s naive voice parroting away in his head - and the sword buries itself in his right lung.
The movement is quick, vicious, and deadly efficient. Izuna impales him and instantly tears the blade upwards, and pain- unholy, all consuming, numbing pain, tears through Tobirama along the length of the blade. It rips through his body, up through his ribs and collarbone, out through the flesh of his shoulder, and the spray of blood is incredible. It’s incredible, coating Izuna, who freezes with wide, blood-red eyes, as Tobirama emits a strangled noise he doesn’t even hear over the roaring in his ears, and tumbles backwards.
He hits the ground, blood splattering the air, already pooling under him. There’s so much of it that it had started to pool before he even hit the ground himself. He gasps wetly, weak as a fish out of water, and Izuna hovers over him with a furious expression and spinning red eyes, his sword drawing back to end him.
It’s oddly merciful, Tobirama thinks, especially given the hatred on the man’s expression. It’s oddly merciful, because Tobirama will be dead in minutes, the blood absolutely gushing from the horrible injury. Which means he’s trying to end Tobirama’s suffering, because the wound really is terrible, making it impossible to breathe, making him gasp and choke even as he squeezes his eyes shut and tries to make sense of how a split second’s hesitation meant his death.
