Chapter Text
Tobirama sat behind the large Hokage desk and interlocked his fingers, “What’s this about, Uncle?” Tsunade stood with her teammates on either side of her.
“I’m going to be rather blunt,” Tsunade raised an eyebrow but didn’t say anything. “I am not planning on staying in this position once the village is stable once again.”
“No,” Tsunade’s voice was firm. Tobirama raised an eyebrow but looked at the other two.
“While I wouldn’t be opposed,” Orochimaru crossed his arms. “I was believed to be responsible for several orphaned children’s deaths. I’m not what the village would want even if the truth were revealed. I, admittedly, did some morally questionable experiments, but none that would easily be explained to those of normal minds.”
“We’ll come back to that in a second,” Tobirama looked at Jiraiya, “And your excuse?”
Jiraiya rubbed the back of his head, “Spy Network?” Tobirama gave him a look, “Yeah, didn’t think so. Honestly, Hokage-sama, I don’t feel like I deserve the title.”
Tobirama sighed, “Well, unluckily for you three you are the only ones that I know of that are able to take the position and it isn’t your choice.” Tobirama looked up with determination, “It is the village that will determine the next Hokage once the village is stabilized. If you can find suitable replacements for you and are of suitable age, only then will you be taken off the ballot.” The three were silent, so Tobirama took that as he could continue, “So, whatever you believe your issues are, I would suggest you get over them or find suitable replacements. Am I understood?”
“Yes, sir,” Jiraiya and Orochimaru said.
Tobirama looked at his niece. Tsunade sighed, “Yes, Uncle,” her voice was soft.
Tobirama stared at his niece for a few seconds before looking at Jiraiya, “As I doubt Hiruzen wrote down any information you gave him, I want anything that you believed was important within…let’s go with the last twenty years.”
“That long? Most of that will be out of date, Hokage-sama.”
“Let me be the judge of that,” Jiraiya scratched the side of his head before sighing and nodding. “Now, what are these morally questionable experiments?”
Orochimaru glanced at Tsunade quickly, “If it’s alright with you, Hokage-sama, could we discuss that privately?” Tsunade and Jiraiya narrowed their eyes at their teammate.
Tobirama hummed, “Very well. Jiraiya, I would like all information by tomorrow morning. Tsunade, head for the Senju Compound, I have things I want to discuss with you, but they can be done at home. Both of you are dismissed.”
“Yes, sir,” Jiraiya looked at Orochimaru again before reluctantly leaving the office.
“Tsunade,” Tobirama gave his niece a look. Tsunade sighed and left the office, closing the door behind her. Tobirama gestured for Orochimaru to speak.
Orochimaru rested a hand on his hip, “You know of Tsunade-hime losing her fiancé, yes?”
“It’s been mentioned to me, yes,” Tobirama nodded. “She left the village soon after.”
“Well…yes and no,” Tobirama narrowed his eyes. “While it’s very much true that Hime left the village because of all the hurt associated with it and the title of Hokage,” Tobirama raised an eyebrow but didn’t comment. “Another factor was that she didn’t want to be pressured into having children that weren’t Dan’s.”
“I’m sorry. What?” Tobirama’s voice hardened, and he stood from his seat. “She already has a daughter—”
“That is just by Senju Law. Elders, such as Danzou, wanted the Wood Release.” Orochimaru didn’t even flinch as Tobirama’s chakra started rising.
“There’s no guarantee that the Wood Release will follow Anija’s bloodline!” Tobirama snapped, “Naruto has just as much of a chance of it developing in him! Or any Senju for that matter! All Anija developing it did was solidify my bastard of a father as the damn Clan Head!”
“You and I are aware of that, Nidaime-sama, but most everyone else?” Orochimaru crossed his arms. “All they hear is bloodline limit.”
“So, my being his brother negates the bloodline?”
“We didn’t know of you having blood children, Nidaime-sama.”
“Mito was smarter than we’ll ever know,” Tobirama sighed and all but flopped down in the chair again. “What does the…breeding problem that is now on my list of things to fix have to do with your experiments, Orochimaru?”
Orochimaru sighed, “Sarutobi-sensei saw that we were similar in…certain aspects, and he did give me one of your jutsu notebooks before the Second War broke out.” Tobirama just stared at the man in front of him, “Your third notebook. Page 58.”
Tobirama searched his mind, and went wide eyed, “You were…but that resulted in inconclusive—”
“You were staying with your original objective, Nidaime-sama,” Orochimaru shook his head. “With what I was trying to accomplish was far easier because the laws of nature were in my corner.”
Tobirama nodded slowly, interlocking his fingers together, “And why would that be morally questionable?”
“I…admit to running a few tests on orphaned children in exchange for a bit of pocket money for them to spend. But they were only tests. No children were harmed.”
“If you were trying to accomplish the goal of giving my niece a blood child with her dead fiancé, why were you even running tests on children?” Tobirama narrowed his eyes.
“As you said, while it’s not limited to the Shodaime’s bloodline, it is still possible for the Wood Release to appear,” Orochimaru moved some of his hair off his shoulder. “There was even minimal evidence and early signs of it possibly starting to develop in Nawaki-kun.” Tobirama held his head and nearly sighed loudly, “Which only increased Tsunade-hime’s fears of what the Elders would do.”
“Get to the point, Orochimaru, please.”
“Not every…pairing is strong enough if the child does develop the Kekkei Genkai to support it,” Tobirama narrowed his eyes. “There were several cases of Senju children dying young outside the wars before the village, correct Nidaime-sama?” Tobirama gaped in shock. How did I miss…? “All I did was test children with Water or Earth Affinities with both Tsunade and Dan’s DNA. I was not creating a child for Hime-sama, and having it die before it was ten because of the Kekkei Genkai that’s all but godlike.”
Tobirama closed his eyes and took a deep breath through his nose, “And your results?”
“As I expected, Dan’s DNA was powerful enough to hold a child stable if they develop the Wood Release,” Orochimaru nodded. “Dan was a powerful shinobi, and it threw everyone when he was killed. My tests resulted in a child most likely with Water Affinity and if Earth developed as Second Affinity, then Wood Release would be 60% possible, and the child would be stable. I was in the process of finding Tsunade and informing her of the experiments and giving her the option when I was tricked and exiled from the village.”
Tobirama took a deep breath, “Let me guess. Many of the orphans you tested on were the ones found dead.” Orochimaru nodded and Tobirama sighed.
“However, Hokage-sama. Many of the children were not,” Tobirama looked up. “I looked at all the children in hopes of convincing Sarutobi-sensei. Sarutobi-sensei knew I was experimenting with Earth and Water Affinity and was even looking into Wood Release. It’s not a surprise that he thought I was testing with the Shodaime’s DNA,” Tobirama narrowed his eyes. “But I was not. I was only running tests with Affinities and Tsunade’s DNA. I never touched your brother’s DNA, Nidaime-sama, but Sarutobi-sensei was certain I was. That means—”
“Somebody was experimenting with my brother’s DNA,” Tobirama’s chakra flared, and it spread out into the village. “Trying to replicate the Wood Release.”
“Possibly from what little notes I wrote down,” Orochimaru shook his head. “They ignored what I discovered about the Kekkei Genkai killing if it wasn’t stable, ignored that most Senju were dead. They were….”
“Completely insane and irrational,” Tobirama stood from his chair again. “I wish I could go back to whoever created this Kekkei Genkai for my clan and end them. It’s done nothing but cause pain and suffering.”
“I apologize for my hand in all this, Hokage-sama.”
“You are not to blame,” Tobirama looked at the man in front of him. “You just wanted to give your friend and teammate a bit of happiness in all the pain and tragedy in her life. What one’s experiments and results are used for by others does not negate what the original intent was.” Orochimaru lost tenseness in his shoulders and nodded.
“Thank you, Nidaime-sama.”
Tobirama nodded and took his seat once again, “I’m not going to push anything, but I would suggest trying to mend the bridge with your sensei before it’s too late.”
“Maybe…later,” Tobirama nodded.
“Then I believe we’re done for now. I may have jobs for you to do as I start to discover things within the village, but for now,” red eyes turned to the closed door. “I believe a child has been waiting patiently for us to be finished,” the door swung open and Orochimaru was suddenly hugged tightly.
“Anko…,” Orochimaru breathed out.
“Idiot, Sensei,” Anko was near tears.
“I believe you two have a lot to discuss,” Tobirama waved the two off. “I would also suggest if you’re planning on still giving Tsunade the option, to inform her soon. She should be accumulated with a child before she possibly takes office.”
“It’ll still take at least ten months to create the child, Nidaime-sama.”
Tobirama raised an eyebrow, “And you’re hilarious if you think fixing the village is going to take less than two years, Orochimaru-kun.”
“Noted, Hokage-sama. Thank you,” Orochimaru and Anko bowed before leaving the office.
Tobirama took a deep breath and massaged the bridge of his nose. How did this dream of my peace-loving brother turn into a dream of my war-crazed father? He sighed before he continued sorting through the paperwork that littered the desk.
Two hours went by and Tobirama was only about halfway through all the paperwork, when he froze, eyes widening. He physically turned to where his senses were. Tsunade, Shizune, Kakashi, Shisui, and Mikoto were around where Obito was. Sasuke and Naruto were in Mikoto and Shizune’s arms. Tsunade walked up to Obito, and her chakra did something and—Tobirama suddenly flashed into the room. Everyone jumped, “Fuck…it really is a Kekkei Genkai,” Tsunade breathed out, her hand still glowing with medical chakra on Obito’s forehead.
“Tsunade—”
“Calm down, Uncle,” Tsunade removed her hand. Everyone watched as Obito’s eye opened slowly, “I’m terrified of blood, not healing.” Mikoto had tears in her eyes.
“Obito….” Kakashi whispered.
Obito turned to Kakashi, “…not fat.”
“Of course, that’s the first thing you say when you wake up. Dumbass,” Kakashi sat beside Obito on the bed.
Obito looked over at his aunt as she placed a kiss on his forehead. He smiled, “Hey, Auntie.”
“Never scare me like this again,” Mikoto set Sasuke on the bed before leaning over and hugging Obito. She looked over at Tsunade, “Thank you, Tsunade-sama.”
Tobirama walked over and Mikoto pulled away from her nephew. Obito went wide eyed. The albino smiled softly, running his fingers through his grandson’s hair, “I believe we should all let Obito rest. He still has a lot of strength to recover.”
Naruto pulled himself onto the bed before grinning at Obito, “Nii-chan!”
Obito blinked at Naruto, “Okay, someone didn’t fill me in on everything while I was in the coma. I’m so confused. I thought Minato-sensei and Kushina-nee’s son died. And why is the Second Hokage alive?”
“Later,” Tobirama stated. “When you have more strength, we will explain what you wish, but your health comes first.” Obito groaned and Tobirama rolled his eyes, “No complaining. Rest.”
“But haven’t I been resting for almost four years?”
“Listen to your grandfather, Obito,” Mikoto scolded.
“…What?”
“Later,” Tobirama pressed two fingers to Obito’s forehead. “I will forcibly put you to sleep if you do not do so of your own volition.”
“Fine….” Obito’s eye slowly closed.
Tobirama lifted his hand and shook his head, “He’s going to be like Kagami. Sage, help me.” He turned to Tsunade, “I have paperwork to finish going through, but I will be back by dinner. After dinner, we have a lot to discuss, Tsunade.”
“Yes, Uncle. Wait, who’s cooking?” Tsunade looked at the people in the room.
“Ayame-san has made it her personal mission to cook for those within the compound. I would suggest alerting her to your and Shizune’s arrival,” with that said, Tobirama flashed back to his office.