Tobirama's Heartache

The journey from the Naka River back to the Senju clan grounds was marked by a heavy, pervasive silence among Senju Kyogawa and his companions.

Along the way, Kyogawa's mind kept replaying the words Izuna Uchiha had just spoken, leaving a bitter taste in his mouth. He had truly come to regard Izuna as a close friend, and he had never expected such a cold, decisive rejection.

The more he dwelled on it, the more distressed Kyogawa felt. Perhaps Izuna had assumed that Kyogawa was only getting close to him and Madara Uchiha with ulterior motives.

Meanwhile, Izuna Uchiha was far from comfortable himself; after all, he had been so infuriated that he had awakened his Sharingan. During the time he had spent with Kyogawa, the latter had tolerated his temper, helped him treat his wounds, kept him company to ease his worries, and even taught him how to catch and grill fish. Although the prideful Izuna would never admit it aloud, he had long since come to view Kyogawa as a friend in his heart.

However, he simply could not accept Kyogawa's identity as a "Senju."

The death of his brothers was a hurdle he could not overcome.

That was why Izuna felt that Kyogawa had been deceiving him. Under the intense influence of grief and rage, his chakra had surged and impacted his optic nerves—or, in layman's terms, his emotions had boiled over—which was what had triggered the awakening of his eyes.

Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha also remained silent throughout the journey. The "break" with their dear friends had left their hearts filled with a sense of loss. Both men couldn't help but wonder: could the clan and peace truly not coexist?

As for Butsuma Senju, his mood was naturally far from pleasant.

He was secretly fuming that the Senju clan had suffered a double loss today—both of his sons had been "bewitched" by the son of Tajima Uchiha. Furthermore, not only had they failed to leave Tajima's son behind, but they had also essentially gifted the enemy two pairs of Sharingan, which would only increase the Uchiha clan's combat strength.

Tobirama Senju's expression was equally conflicted. He glanced at Hashirama on his left, then at Kyogawa on his right. There was so much he wanted to ask, but seeing their despondent expressions, he couldn't bring himself to speak.

Tobirama felt bitter. Both his older brother and his younger brother had been led astray by others right under his nose. Even Izuna Uchiha, whom he had already identified as a worthy rival to face on the battlefield in the future, had now become his younger brother's opponent.

Tobirama's heart was a chaotic mess of emotions. He was worried about his brothers, yet he also felt incredibly miserable. Who was there to comfort him in his misfortune?

As for Tajima Uchiha, although he had been quite displeased when he first arrived—due to the "illicit affair" between his eldest son and the eldest son of the Senju—he now felt refreshed and invigorated. Not only had everyone returned without injury, but both of his sons had awakened their Sharingan!

Awakening the Sharingan at twelve and nine years old was an exceptional feat within the Uchiha clan, and his sons possessed limitless potential.

Although he regretted not being able to kill Butsuma's son, and was surprised by the sudden appearance of Butsuma's youngest child, he was currently in high spirits.

In summary, of this battle between the two sides, Tajima Uchiha was the greatest winner, and Butsuma Senju was the greatest loser.

By the time they returned to the clan grounds, it was nearly noon. Kyogawa remained troubled by the day's events, so he had no heart to cook; he went straight to his room to isolate himself the moment he got home.

Hashirama, also feeling distressed, went straight to the training grounds, hoping to vent his frustration through physical exertion.

Upon entering the Senju grounds, Butsuma was immediately approached by clansmen, so he went directly to handle official business. He had no time to deal with his troublesome sons and planned to discipline Hashirama and Kyogawa that evening.

As for Tobirama...

The innocent Tobirama tearfully cooked a meal for himself. He had no appetite, and with no one to confide in, he ate the mediocre food—which was nowhere near as good as what Kyogawa made—washed the dishes in silence, and went out to train.

By evening, when Butsuma returned home, Kyogawa had finally managed to steady his emotions.

He tidied himself up, prepared a proper meal, and sat at the table waiting for his two brothers and Butsuma to return.

When Butsuma walked in, this was the scene that greeted him—

The dim, warm light of a kerosene lamp illuminated Kyogawa's fair, delicate face. Because the lamp flickered, his features appeared somewhat blurred.

He sat there quietly, his white hair, which had grown past his shoulders, draped behind him. A few stray locks of his bangs obscured his eyes, which only served to highlight the refinement of his lower face.

Butsuma couldn't help but stop in his tracks, hesitant to move forward. In a daze, he felt as though he were looking at his late wife, Haruko Senju.

This scene was exactly like the countless nights Haruko had spent preparing dinner and waiting for him to return home.

Both Kyogawa and Tobirama resembled Haruko, especially Tobirama with his white hair and red eyes, which were a carbon copy of his mother's. However, Tobirama's features leaned more toward Butsuma's cold rigidity, while Kyogawa's appearance was softer and more delicate, perhaps due to his younger age.

In short, Butsuma mistook Kyogawa for Haruko and believed he was dreaming.

Meanwhile, Kyogawa, who had obediently prepared the meal and sat quietly at the table—not even daring to move his hands for fear of stoking Butsuma's anger—suddenly saw Butsuma freeze at the door. A silent, rounded question mark appeared over his head.

Due to the lighting and his angle, Kyogawa couldn't see Butsuma's expression at all. He had no idea that Butsuma was currently in a trance, oscillating between joy and sorrow, looking for all the world like a man under the influence of a drug.

Thinking Butsuma was still angry, Kyogawa dared not make a sound, playing the part of the well-behaved child for fear of punishment.

In that instant, the atmosphere between the two was incredibly awkward; one was dying of embarrassment, while the other was lost in a beautiful, unreachable memory.

"Father, why are you standing at the door instead of coming in? Little brother has already prepared dinner..." Tobirama happened to return just then. Seeing this strange and awkward scene, he couldn't help but ask.

Butsuma finally snapped out of his memories. He blinked, realizing that the person he had mistaken for his wife was actually his youngest son, Kyogawa.

He coughed twice to cover his embarrassment and, as he walked inside, turned his head to glare at Tobirama.

Tobirama, having been glared at for no apparent reason, had no idea what he had done wrong. He felt utterly innocent.

Tobirama: ???