Blinded

Chapter 26

"You what?"

Tobirama had an incredulous look. It wasn't a hiss or anything in the form of anger nor irritation- just plainly, pure confusion. He blinked several times at his brother before elaborating the question.

"You're having second thoughts on your marriage?"

Hashirama avoided his eyes. He can foresee an incoming bazillion of questions from his brother. But before Tobirama opened his mouth, the older Senju raised a hand for him to stop.

"It's because of Madara."

Tobirama tilted his head as if he had misheard him. "Im sorry, what?" the intonation of his voice was starting to elevate.

Hashirama knows that lying to him was pointless. There was no reason for him to hide the truth. Anyhow, Tobirama always know that she was a very special person to him. His feelings for his childhood friend was always there, no matter how much Tobirama doesn't want to acknowledge it.

The albino's eyebrows met. Yes he knows, he knows that he loves her - for the love of Sage, anyone who doesn't know it must have been blind all along. It was too obvious, heck even the villagers' pets must have known. But Tobirama also knows that the love was not reciprocated.

Or so he thought.

Instead of raising his voice for a barrage of words (or whats or whys), he waited not so patiently on Hashirama's elaboration.

"We sacrificed too much, both of us, for establishing the village. But this, that, to sacrifice our own feelings for each other was just..."

"Hold on a second," Tobirama spoke hastily. "Your own feelings for each other?"

Hashirama stared at him blankly unsure if he should continue, unsure if he should say it. Would he believe it? Of all the people? Tobirama? Definitely NOT. But it was needed and so he dropped it like a bomb.

"She loves me." The older Senju said, audibly enough for the words to be heard clearly by Tobirama.

He didn't flinch.

He didn't react.

For some seconds, that's it.

Until,

"SHE WHAT?" Tobirama looked at him as though Hashirama just said the joke of the century. He started to consider that maybe the Uchiha casted an infinite genjutsu on his brother. He observed him but saw nothing but the injuries and bandages around his recovering body. Hashirama's face was blank, he felt lost but at the same time....happy?

"How so?" the younger Senju asked again.

"She told me."

"And you believed her?!"

"Tobirama," Hashirama halted his brother before the topic gets worse. He sighed, trying to get a hold of himself and explain it. Surely his brother won't believe it and he doesn't intend him to believe it at all. He just wanted him to know that that was his reason. And no, he has no plan to drill everything on Tobirama's mind especially what happened between them on the river.

Uchihas were always be their nemesis no matter how much his older brother deny it. They were still the clan who rivaled them for so many years. The mere fact that Madara was the one who killed their father was enough reason for Tobirama to hate her and in addition to his was her being the leader of this clan. The clan of hatred.

He wanted to say something against his brother's declaration or whatever he calls it. Of course, he himself cannot deny that even him have second thoughts of Hashirama marrying the Uzumaki lady because that..well... he doesn't love her and a marriage without love is doomed to fail at some point. But it he didn't, then Konoha is bound to descend in a pitiful state.