"Tobirama, why are you running? Listen to your big brother." Hashirama picked up the basket, gathered the fish, and hurried after Tobirama Senju.
"No, I won't listen." Tobirama Senju was so frightened that he jumped through the window into his room and locked both the door and windows. As long as his brother didn't say it, they could still be good brothers.
If he dared say it aloud, their father might as well beat him to death.
Bang, bang, bang!
Someone pounded on the door outside. Tobirama Senju pretended not to hear, burrowed under his covers, and pulled them over his head. "Big brother, I'm asleep," he said in terror.
"Tobirama, come out. I just had this little fantasy." Hashirama thought his little brother had discovered that he wanted him to wear women's clothes, and wanted to explain how the idea had come about. He hadn't expected Tobirama to react so strongly.
"Get lost! If you dare say it, you're no brother of mine."
A fucking fantasy, my ass. Go die!
Tobirama Senju was already considering whether to suggest to Butsuma Senju tomorrow that they marry his big brother off to another clan.
The Uzumaki, who were on friendly terms with them, would be a good choice. They were far away and of suitable standing-a perfect match for his big brother.
Early the next morning, Tobirama Senju arrived at the study with dark circles under his eyes. Seeing his father buried in documents, he knocked on the door.
Butsuma Senju looked up, saw Tobirama, and motioned him inside. Noticing his dark circles and exhausted expression, he asked, "Tobirama, were you up all night? What did you want to see me about?"
"I was thinking about something," Tobirama Senju said tentatively. "Father, have you found a match for big brother?"
"Oh? What is it? Does your brother have someone he likes? Who?" Butsuma Senju perked up. Lately, he had been looking for a suitable girl to arrange Hashirama's marriage, but that troublesome brat had resisted.
"No. I was thinking, since there's no one he likes in our clan, why not look outside it? The Uzumaki Clan would be a good choice, and they've always been friendly with us..." Tobirama Senju glanced at his thoughtful father and didn't dare say what came next.
"Yes, the Uzumaki Clan is a good choice, but I'd rather Hashirama find a girl from our own clan. If a marriage alliance is necessary, I'd prefer you to be the one, Tobirama."
Butsuma Senju weighed the matter carefully. As long as his eldest son didn't die in battle, he would be the next Clan Head. Marrying within the clan would be more appropriate.
If Hashirama died in battle one day, his child would still be a Senju child. With a wife from another clan, there was no telling whether the child would favor the mother's clan.
Hashirama wouldn't care about such things, though. He would even consider it a bond between the two clans.
Tobirama was different. He was clever enough to handle such matters properly.
"What? Father, I'm only ten! Ten!" Tobirama Senju had never imagined that he would end up the victim. It was bad enough that his big brother wanted to torment him, but now his father wanted to do it too.
How the fuck am I the best choice for a marriage alliance?
"I know. That's why we'll arrange your marriage in two or three years."
Butsuma Senju simply ignored his son's resistance. As the Clan Head's son, he had no right to choose his own marriage unless he became useless.
He picked up an intelligence report from his desk and tossed it to Tobirama Senju. "Read this intelligence that came out of the Uchiha."
Tobirama Senju opened the report and read it word by word. When he finished the last page, a strange expression crossed his face, and he looked at Butsuma Senju with doubt in his eyes.
"Isn't Uchiha Tajima's eldest son Madara Uchiha? That young prodigy who can turn the tables and kill adult shinobi? Are we sure this Uchiha Natsu is Uchiha Tajima's eldest son?"
"Yes. This intelligence is absolutely reliable. We've never heard of anyone like him before. I suspect this is an Uchiha scheme, and Madara Uchiha's reputation as a prodigy was meant to mislead us Senju."
Butsuma Senju laid out a convincing analysis. Even more infuriating was the fact that Uchiha Tajima actually had one more son than he did.
"We know too little about this person at present. Whether you encounter him on the battlefield or during a mission, kill him at any cost. We cannot let him grow into an obstacle for your big brother."
"Yes, Father. I'll pass the order along right away."
Tobirama Senju left the study, radiating a chill. He had always thought there were four Uchiha brothers. To think there were actually five, with one they knew almost nothing about.
Meanwhile, Indra, the focus of their attention, was reclining beneath a cherry blossom tree in the courtyard of the Clan Leader's Residence. He held a book, with a pot of tea on the table beside him, as he supervised four Uchiha in training.
In addition to Madara Uchiha, Uchiha Izuna, and Uchiha Osamu, there was now Uchiha Tajima.
No one was more excited than Madara Uchiha. At last, he wasn't the only one being driven hard by Nii-san.
Even his father was getting beaten, so his own beatings hardly counted for anything. Hearing his father's screams delighted him. He had broken free of his big brother's genjutsu three seconds before his father.
Most importantly, he had used those three seconds to kick his father square in the chest, sending him flying several meters before he crashed to the ground. The earth cracked, and dust billowed.
"Are you useless? You're over thirty, and even teenage Madara broke out of the genjutsu before you. No wonder the Senju are still alive. It's all because you're incompetent! If you'd killed the Senju Clan Head earlier, would they still be strutting around as a great clan on par with the Uchiha?"
Indra unleashed a rapid barrage of insults. Uchiha Tajima scrambled up from the ground and went berserk, venting all his fury on Madara without holding back.
That unfilial son wouldn't let Madara die anyway, so he might as well beat him within an inch of his life and teach him how vicious people could be.
"And you, Madara! What was that just now? Even a corpse dug out of a coffin wouldn't be as stiff as you. You could have gouged out his eyes, so why did you hit his face? If you don't know how to use your fingers, break them off yourself."
After berating Uchiha Tajima, he started on Madara Uchiha, determined not to spare a single unfilial descendant. Once he finished with those two, he turned his gaze on Uchiha Izuna and Uchiha Osamu.
The moment his eyes fell on them, both raised their swords. No longer caring that they belonged to the same clan, they treated each other as Senju and slashed to kill.
The flesh on Uchiha Osamu's arms, waist, and thighs hung torn open, but she didn't dare stop. She truly couldn't bear the eldest young master's venomous tongue. He could genuinely berate someone to tears.
She would rather take a vicious beating than be scolded.
Hearing the wails, the First Elder who lived next door stealthily climbed the wall to see what was happening. He found father and son attacking each other, Izuna and his "sister-in-law" hacking at one another, and a white-robed youth beneath the cherry blossom tree delivering an endless stream of abuse.
"Tajima has it rough, too, but he brought it all on himself. Thank goodness I only have one wife." The Uchiha First Elder quietly ducked his head back down. He wasn't getting involved in their family affairs.
At lunchtime, a Shadow Guard who had been waiting for a long time appeared in the courtyard. He stole a glance at the four badly injured people lying on the ground, then approached Indra and said respectfully, "Eldest young master, several elders request your presence."
"Hm?" Indra raised his eyes slightly, fixing his Three-Tomoe Sharingan on the Shadow Guard before him.
"I don't know what it's about. I was only ordered to deliver the message."
That look frightened the Shadow Guard into explaining himself at once. You've already beaten the Clan Head, the Heir, Young Master Izuna, and the concubine. Surely you can't beat me too!
Before you continue