Chapter Text
"I can't see a more fitting punishment," Madara's voice is soft as he speaks and it's only the heaviness of his tone that makes Izuna think this is anything other than a cruel prank.
He sits across from his brother, watching this unfold just as he's watched the events from the last month unfold and once again he isn't able to do anything about it.
Madara can't hear his pleas, can't hear his solutions or suggestions, can't hear his protests. They all fall on the deaf ears of the living and Izuna is annoyed.
"It's creative, I'll give you that," he huffs and crosses his arms, a pout settling over his features as he pointlessly talks.
"He won't be able to marry anyone else, he'll have to live with your ghost and with the knowledge that it's because of his actions," Madara continues to explain to his spirit and Izuna rolls his eyes.
He's heard all of this before, the arguments for their marriage between Madara and the clan elders. Why they think it will be a good idea and what they hope it will do to Tobirama.
The problem is, they're all alive and they don't know how any of this works from the other side. Izuna does and he knows that tying his soul to Tobirama will mean an entire afterlife hanging around the man who killed him, the person he hates more than anything in life and death.
It's not Madara who is joking but rather the whole universe itself. This is a cosmic joke, retribution of some sorts for a life spent hating the stupid Senju and trying to kill him. Izuna hates it, but there is no possible way to express that to his brother now that he's dead and gone.
Really who would have thought he would need to make his wishes clear that he shouldn't be married off to Tobirama upon his death? Izuna thought something of that magnitude would be a given but clearly it wasn't.
Sighing, Izuna looks to Madara again in the silence he's fallen in to.
"Will it really help?" he asks into the stillness and he knows, logically, that Madara can't hear him. If he could he would have said something by now because Izuna has spent countless hours raging around his brother, begging and crying and pleading to all the gods for Madara to just see him one more time.
"I don't know that it will help anything," Madara says at nearly the same time and Izuna just nods. "The village is going to happen, with or without the Uchiha. It's better if we're there from the start and at least this way, he's being punished."
The Uchiha had been losing for a while, Izuna isn’t above admitting that though perhaps he wouldn’t have in his living years. Death had humbled him, if only just slightly, and he can see that it was only a matter of time before their demise.
It hurts to admit, but he knows the truth of that observation.
As the clan is currently, they are no match for the Senju and any alliance they have formed with others. A fight between them and the Nara would swiftly remove them from the playing field. The village, for better or for worse, makes sense.
It’s the punishment that Izuna doubts. Would Tobirama ever regret killing him? If the roles were reversed, would Izuna? Ultimately he realizes this isn't even about him or Tobirama, this is what Madara needs to move forward.
“Besides, he’ll have your spirit haunting him to contend with,” Madara laughs and brushes his hand over the drawing of Izuna sitting on the shrine. It’s old and from a few years back, one Hikaku had sketched of him during some down time. Izuna was surprised to see Madara had kept it all these years.
“Oh eldest brother,” Izuna sighs softly and shakes his head. “I don’t think being a ghost works quite like that.”
The bitterness of the situation settles in him. This is going to happen, regardless of his opinion on the matter and regardless of his desire to not be married to Tobirama.
Izuna just hopes it won’t be so bad.
Peace between the clans is nothing short of aggravating. It’s a lot of back and forth, a lot of negotiating. Tobirama doesn’t mind all that much, but he doesn’t particularly agree with everything the elders are trying to push for.
Somehow, against all his better judgment, he thinks it’s been best to leave most of the things up to Hashirama and Madara to decide.
It is, after all, their dream and he’s been pleasantly surprised with what all eldest brother has come up with and what he’s refused to concede on.
“You wanted to see me,” he takes a seat in front of Hashirama’s desk and immediately notes the odd tension in his brother’s shoulders and chakra.
“I did,” Hashirama says and it’s clear he isn’t happy about whatever news he has for him.
“Is it the Uchiha?” He asks and thinks maybe he’s spoken too soon about the pair being able to handle things.
“Yes,” Hashirama nods and then frowns. “And no. It’s Madara specifically and…Izuna.”
Tobirama doesn’t flinch at the name, he won’t do Izuna’s spirit that disrespect. The death he gave him was as noble and honorable as either could possibly give the other.
He doesn’t regret it, he knows it was either Izuna or himself, but he does regret the circumstances that lead to it. The constant fighting between their clans, even once their brother's came to power, resulted in nothing but loss of life for everyone. It’s regrettable.
Sometimes he does wonder what it would have been like to form this fragile peace with Izuna, to have gotten to know his equal on a more peaceful level. Life doesn’t deal in what if’s though and despite his extensive powers and meddling in death he’s almost positive Izuna’s ghost will never come around him.
“Are you listening to me Tobi,” Hashirama’s voice intrudes on his thoughts and he looks up in apology.
“Madara and the Uchiha have requested reparation for his death,” Hashirama says, a frown deepening his features.
Tobirama, to his own surprise, doesn’t blame them.
Izuna was a top warrior, skilled and fast. He would have been a good asset to them both on and off the battlefield. If the Uchiha run a similar amount of missions to that of the Senju and Izuna was at the same level he was, that is a source of income and stability they’ve lost.
“It seems fair,” he says, choosing his words carefully. Hashirama still looks stressed, perhaps even more so than before.
“You don’t even know what they’re asking yet,” he says and Tobirama shrugs a shoulder.
“We have ample funds, I can give directly from my own,” he offers. Food isn’t an issue either if they request that instead. Surely Izuna was a decent hunter given his prowess in battle.
“They’re asking you to marry him,” Hashirama says, face draining of color.
“Oh,” Tobirama says, mind whirling over the thought.
It’s an interesting move to be sure. Being wed to Izuna’s spirit would mean not being able to marry anyone else— which would in turn get the elders off his back. Being wed to Izuna’s spirit would mean seeing Izuna though— something even Hashirama didn’t know about him.
“It’s about the humiliation I’m sure,” Hashirama says, frown pulling at his lips once more. “I can try and talk to them, offer something else Tobi. This doesn’t have to be the end of the village or peace.”
“I’ll do it,” Tobirama says.
In the end it’s an easy decision to make. Madara wants to make him pay for Izuna’s death, he’d just been contemplating the idea of Izuna’s ghost seeing the creation of the village anyways, and it removes marriage from the elders hands as far as he’s concerned. There are very few downfalls to this that Tobirama can see.
“You…will?” Hashirama’s asks, shock on his features and in his tone.
“I will,” Tobirama nods. “Have them draft up the marriage contract. We can hold a small ceremony once it’s done.”
“I…you….we can ask for something else,” Hashirama says and Tobirama shrugs his shoulders.
"Eldest brother, this is what they want, this will make the village possible,” Tobirama says, his mind made up. “Make it happen.”
He doesn’t leave room for argument as he gets up to leave. He won’t let himself be talked out of this, not when they’re this close to peace and not when he can drag Izuna into it with them.