Naruto: Tsunade’s Reincarnated Older Brother

When Ina released the mind-transfer technique, both she and Tatami returned to the real world.

Tatami had been present not only in the spiritual realm but in the physical world as well, tears streaming down his cheeks from emotions he'd been suppressing for far too long. Ina sat beside him, gently stroking his trembling back.

Tatami couldn't hide his deep love for Hashirama, he was the ultimate grandfather's boy. Ina and Sakumo, who had known him for years, understood exactly what would happen if he discovered his grandfather had died for his sake. The same held true for Tobirama.

Among the Senju clan, renowned for their powerful bonds of love and friendship, Tatami's feelings ran deeper than most. His attachment to Hashirama was intense, he'd never once questioned whether it was wrong, but he feared his single-minded devotion might eventually drive him to madness. As expected, despite his attempts to hide his tears and appear strong, Tatami's forced smile couldn't conceal the darkness festering within him, which only frustrated Ina and Sakumo further.

They wanted him to rely on them more. Thanks to Ina's persistent efforts, Tatami had finally become completely dependent on her. A satisfied expression crossed Ina's face, like a woman who had accomplished something important.

Two shadows observed the pair from outside the hospital building, hidden in the shade of a leafy tree.

"Ah, Tatami is clinging to Ina!"

"Quiet, you're being too loud."

The figures were Hatake Sakumo and Inuzuka Yaeh. Sakumo had noticed Ina watching Tatami intently throughout the day. Having no idea what she was planning, when Nara Lucica asked, "Where is Ina?" he'd pretended not to know.

"But Yaeh, I didn't think you'd notice. Fūmaru, you really saved me."

"Woof!"

"Shh, keep it down."

Sakumo smiled and gently patted Fūmaru's head. Seeing the dog's tail wag happily, Yaeh pouted. "He's my partner!" she scolded, and Sakumo apologized, pulling his hand away.

Fūmaru looked sadly at the retreating hand.

Inuzuka Yaeh, with her natural intuition, had noticed the changes in Tatami and Ina's secretive behavior. Sometimes her words would slip out, threatening to ruin Ina's carefully laid plans. Sakumo and Fūmaru worked together to cover for her. Unaware of this conspiracy, Yaeh quickly grew dejected whenever it happened. Sakumo couldn't bear to watch.

"But thank you, Yaeh."

"For what?"

"For worrying about Tatami."

"What are you talking about? Tatami is my friend! He's not just Sakumo's friend!"

Yaeh puffed out her cheeks indignantly, and Sakumo found her utterly charming.

It seemed that after the battle at the city's edge, having gone through that ordeal alongside Tatami, a sense of possessiveness had developed, as if Tatami's friendship belonged "only" to her. Sakumo silently thanked Yaeh for pointing this out, though she probably wasn't even aware of it. Still, he felt he should apologize for having underestimated her feelings.

"Yeah, I'm sorry."

Sakumo spoke the apology honestly, and Yaeh replied with a satisfied expression, "That's all I needed to hear." Though there was no winner or loser in this exchange, Sakumo felt he'd been completely outwitted, and his estimation of Yaeh's intelligence rose considerably.

"Hey, Sakumo. Shouldn't we go?"

"It looks like everything's okay now. Let's just leave them be."

Sakumo quietly climbed down from the tree and beckoned to Yaeh, who followed him silently toward the hospital exit. Though she seemed flustered, Yaeh made no sound as she trailed behind. Sakumo's footsteps were light, as if he had no worries at all.

"I'm sorry, Yaeh. I kept you here so late. I'll walk you home."

"Sure! It's more fun going home together. But are you sure you don't want to see Tatami? You're back now..."

"You're right, but like I said, he seems fine now, and we can see him tomorrow. Besides..."

"Besides?"

"Guys have faces they don't want girls to see."

He turned around and smiled, trying to look cool, but Yaeh seemed completely unimpressed. Sakumo's shoulders slumped.

"Is that so? But Ina is watching him."

"Yeah, Ina is special."

Yaeh pouted. Just because Ina was special didn't necessarily mean Yaeh wasn't special too, but she felt excluded and clearly wasn't satisfied. Sakumo tried to placate her. When she asked if it would have been better for Sakumo, being a man, to comfort Tatami instead of a woman, Sakumo just smiled wryly as if to say, "What can you do?"

"You know, men have faces they don't want other men to see either."

"Doesn't that mean you don't want anyone to see them?"

"It's a little different, but yeah, something like that."

"But Ina is looking, isn't she?"

"Yeah, Ina is special."

Yaeh pouted again. "Eh?"

"Is that how it is?"

"That's how it is."

"This is so annoying!"

"Yeah."

"But Sakumo and I saw it too."

"Yeah. Let's keep it a secret from everyone else. Tatami would want that too, I'm sure."

"Tatami is such a hopeless case!"

"Really?"

He really is hopeless, Sakumo thought, clenching his fists tightly. He had been prepared to reason with Tatami in his own way if Ina hadn't acted first.

With cheerful voices, the two shadows melted into the night's darkness.

Finally, they're gone.

Yamanaka Ina had noticed them all along. Enduring the embarrassment of being watched, she had desperately tried to keep Tatami distracted from the two figures outside. Releasing her tension at last, Ina leaned against Tatami, utterly exhausted.

Exhausted from crying, Tatami awoke to the brightness of dawn. The first thing he felt was an overwhelming sense of refreshment, as if he'd taken his first proper bath in days. Though his eyes stung, he felt liberated, like finally relieving a long bout of constipation. The pleasant weight at his side was Ina's sleeping form. She had fallen asleep face-down, using his shoulder as a pillow. When Tatami ran his fingers through Ina's lustrous hair, it slipped through his palms like light itself.

"It's so bright..."

Looking out the window, he saw a cloudless blue sky and brilliant sunlight illuminating the earth.

A tear fell onto Tatami's cheek. By the time it left a stain on the sheet, he was already smiling.

"Uuuh... Grandpa..."

"Brother, are you still crying?"

"Just leave him alone, Tsunade-chan."

After staying at the hospital for a while, Tatami was finally cleared to leave. His extreme chakra depletion had apparently been caused by physical and mental imbalance, and once his mind was freed during that night with Ina, he recovered rapidly.

Tatami returned to his usual daily routine, but it seemed he couldn't easily let go of Hashirama's death. He continued to burst into tears at the slightest provocation. His family let him cry as much as he needed, believing it was better than bottling it up.

Even at the ninja academy, he would suddenly start crying. His classmates were initially confused and worried, but as it happened more frequently, they stopped paying much attention. When he began crying, he would stop quickly and return to normal, so whenever Tatami started up, everyone would quietly cover their ears.

Meanwhile, after the battle with Kakuzu, Ina had rapidly gained life experience and suppressed her own tendency to cry, growing into a remarkably strong young woman.

"Brother, shouldn't you let it out?"

"Yeah, maybe it's time."

As expected, Tatami had already stopped crying, and Tsunade sighed in exasperation, pressing her hands to her forehead. Ina smiled warmly at the siblings.

The reason for Tatami's latest crying spell was a bonsai stall. After the incident, he had received a bonsai plant from Hashirama and had been caring for it, but seeing similar plants displayed outside seemed to trigger something different in him. Right after being discharged from the hospital, he had teared up just from looking at a rock, so this represented considerable growth.

Tsunade and Ina had brought Tatami to the shopping district. Their purpose was to choose a birthday present for Sakumo, whose birthday was approaching. Since Ina and Tatami had suggested it, and Tsunade was also on good terms with Sakumo, she had agreed to the plan. However, Tatami had been the most resistant. He tried to brush it off, saying men didn't need presents and that friendship didn't need to be expressed through material things, but Tsunade knocked him down and dragged him along.

This was Tsunade's way of showing her concern, as Tatami had been focusing intensely on martial arts training since the incident, leaving little time for anything else. Tatami, of course, realized this, but the spot where she'd hit him hurt terribly. When he got up, Tatami said she'd gone too far, and Tsunade, realizing her feelings hadn't gotten through to him, teared up.

Ina, who understood Tsunade's feelings, grew slightly concerned, but when Tatami muttered over his shoulder, "Let's go to the gambling house," she sighed deeply. Tsunade, the gambling-loving older sister, was immediately moved, but Ina couldn't help wondering why someone so young would be obsessed with gambling.

Both Tatami and Tsunade were clearly more excited about the gambling that awaited them afterward than about choosing Sakumo's present. Tsunade was seriously trying to select a proper gift, but Tatami kept pointing at random items like a bear mascot, suggesting they were "good enough." When he pointed to a stuffed animal and said, "That's perfect!" Tsunade slapped him, and Ina felt sorry for Sakumo, who was once again trying earnestly to choose something appropriate.

That said, deciding what to give wasn't easy. However, it was precisely this act of deliberating over a purchase that the girls enjoyed. Ina and Tsunade ignored Tatami and excitedly discussed whether food, books, or ninja tools would be better.

Tatami suddenly remembered the gift he had already purchased and hidden in his room for Sakumo, a set of medicinal pills including soldier pills and blood-replenishing tablets. He's always getting injured, he thought, unable to think of Sakumo as just anyone else, since he was beaten to a pulp daily by his master, Tobirama.

Envious of Ina, who was being gently taught by Mito alongside Tsunade, Tatami couldn't help but send a resentful glance her way. However, Ina, being perceptive, narrowed her eyes and turned back, giving Tatami a warning look.

"What's wrong?" Tatami shrugged, placing both hands behind his head.

"You've changed, haven't you?", this was Yamanaka Ina's assessment.

From that night on, Tatami's personality began to change little by little. However, he hadn't become crude or lost his restraint like a weapon with its safety released. Rather, it was as if a spell had been broken, and he began imitating Hashirama far less often. On the other hand, this also meant that the natural kindness Hashirama had possessed began to fade, and Tatami started to take on a slightly bitter, more adult-like aura with a hint of danger.

The women thought this was acceptable, but Ina alone felt that Tatami was heading down a different path toward becoming lost. This was because the love-filled criticism Ina had directed at Tatami in her mind had stripped away his mask, though Ina was unaware of this effect.

Of course, he hadn't given up gambling, which had become deeply ingrained in him, or the bonsai he had started cultivating, but he no longer immersed himself in gambling to the same extent as before, nor did he fill his room with bonsai plants. Mito and others who had never been fond of his gambling saw this as positive progress and smiled approvingly. On the other hand, Tsunade, who was a true gambler at heart, had become even more deeply immersed in it.

The only one who worried that Tatami might have changed his role model now that Hashirama was gone was Tobirama, but seeing that Tatami had found his own way of life and remained calm, he was reassured that his concerns were unfounded. Now, perhaps inspired by his bonsai hobby, Tatami had planted a peach tree in the garden, his favorite fruit, and enjoyed tending to it daily.

"Hey, isn't that Hiruzen?"

"Oh, it's Hiruzen!"

As the group strolled through the shopping district, they encountered Sarutobi Hiruzen carrying shopping bags. The group bowed their heads in greeting, but Hiruzen seemed restless, glancing nervously ahead as if eager to escape.

"Hmph..." Tatami smirked.

"Hiruzen-san, what did you buy?"

"Ah, no, this is... books."

Seeing his obvious discomfort, Tatami chuckled.

Ina and Tsunade thought highly of Hiruzen as a wonderful ninja with an excellent personality, especially given recent events. Tsunade was particularly fond of him, which made Tatami feel bitter.

"Are those ninjutsu books?" Ina asked.

"Yes, they are," Hiruzen replied, and Tatami couldn't help but laugh.

"What kind of book is it?" Tsunade asked, and Hiruzen replied vaguely, "It's about... how to avoid enemy traps..."

"Indeed, it is a book about avoiding enemy traps," Tatami said with mock seriousness.

"As expected of the First and Second Hokage's disciples and my senior. You must train diligently every day."

"Yes, that's right."

Surprised by Tatami's unexpected support, Hiruzen's eyes lit up and he leaned forward eagerly. He didn't realize it was a trap.

"What kind of trap countermeasures are written in that book?"

"Well, it's..."

"Stealth techniques?"

"Yes, that's right."

"Infiltration?"

"Yes, that's right."

"Honey traps?"

"That's exactly right... No, wait, that's not—"

"I can see a photo sticking out of the bag."

"What?! ...Oh no."

As expected of a ninja, both Ina and Tsunade knew what a honey trap was. Then... Hiruzen's eyes turned to the shopping bag hanging from his hand.

His grip slipped, and Tatami threw a kunai, skillfully cutting only the shopping bag. A pile of adult magazines spilled onto the ground, special editions featuring women with large breasts on the covers. Hiruzen screamed and scrambled to gather the scattered magazines, trying to hide them beneath his body. Even Ina, who was somewhat accustomed to the exchanges between adults and Tatami, gave him a withering glare.

Yes, despite his refreshing appearance, Sarutobi Hiruzen was incredibly lecherous.

"Hiruzen, what is this...?"

"Biwako, it's not what you think!"

Just then, Biwako, the woman rumored to be Hiruzen's girlfriend, happened to pass by. Hiruzen was evasive toward Biwako, who was trembling with shock. Her expression, somewhere between tears and rage, was demonic as she stared at the adult magazine featuring a woman completely different from her own type. Ina and Tsunade, fascinated by this lovers' quarrel, hid the sparkle in their eyes beneath worried expressions.

Biwako couldn't stand it anymore and ran off, with Hiruzen chasing after her in a panic. The pile of magazines was left behind.

Tatami's suggestion to "dispose of them responsibly" was immediately rejected, and Ina took them, promising to return them to Hiruzen later.

However, Tatami thought to himself: What must it be like for a man to receive adult magazines from a younger girl? He broke out in a cold sweat, realizing the gravity of his sin.

As the sun set, the two girls finally seemed satisfied. Having Tatami create a shadow clone to carry their purchases, they returned home with content expressions. Tatami looked at the bag filled with women's clothing and wondered which item was actually the gift for Sakumo.

Later, there was a scene where Tobirama scolded Hiruzen, who had come to consult him with a serious expression.

Several years had passed since the battle between the previous Hokage, Senju Hashirama, and Uchiha Madara. The waterfall created by the aftermath of their clash was called "The Valley of the End." Although Tobirama wasn't particularly enthusiastic about it, a movement to build stone statues of the two fighters at the Valley of the End had begun in the Hidden Leaf Village.

This was the wish of the village elders, who wanted to preserve Hashirama's image before his memory faded from people's minds, especially since his reputation had been somewhat tarnished during the recent incident. Feeling the weight of the elders' suppressed voices during that crisis, Tobirama felt obligated to consider their wishes. He had no objection to erecting a statue of his brother. The problem was the other figure, Uchiha Madara.

To be honest, Tobirama despised Uchiha Madara. This stemmed from Madara's selfishness: despite betraying Hashirama's kindness, he had shown an intense, unhealthy obsession with him. Even after forming an alliance, he had spouted incomprehensible rhetoric before leaving the village, ultimately launching an attack meant to destroy both the village and Hashirama himself. In truth, Tobirama had no desire to go to the trouble and expense of erecting a statue of Madara. However, there were unavoidable circumstances.

The one who had suggested building Madara's statue was, ironically, a member of the Uchiha clan itself. It seemed that if they were going to build a statue of the Senju clan's leader, they should also honor their own former leader. Even though Madara was dead and their power had waned, restless elements remained within the clan. They couldn't simply disregard them, there was no guarantee that a second or third Madara wouldn't emerge, harboring similar grievances.

The Uchiha clan had been one of the two strongest clans during the Warring States period, alongside the Senju clan, known for their "thousand techniques." While the Senju clan placed great importance on love and bonds, the Uchiha clan was said to place great importance on the power of their techniques. However, the truth was different.

The essence of the Uchiha clan's technique power actually stemmed from their profound capacity for love. For some reason, the Uchiha possessed deep love while simultaneously suppressing it.

When a member of the Uchiha clan awakened to love and released that suppression, they became a person of exceptional character. However, on the flip side, if they lost that love, their mental state would completely invert, and they would become monsters consumed by profound hatred. This hatred grew stronger in proportion to the depth of their former love, and the deeper the hatred, the more the Uchiha ninja's combat power increased. Even if their current strength seemed insignificant, one couldn't afford to be complacent. If an Uchiha's love was deep and they lost it, harboring profound hatred within, suddenly, a "great evil" would emerge in the village.

That said, Tobirama didn't believe the other clans could be trusted unconditionally either. He simply believed the Uchiha clan was the one they needed to be most wary of. In fact, there had been many who tried to take advantage of his brother Hashirama's mercy and tear him down from within, but Tobirama had always defeated them all. Now that his brother was gone, he sometimes felt nostalgic for having to clean up such messes.

From Tobirama's perspective, he wanted to eliminate as many potential threats from the Uchiha clan as possible. However, he couldn't resort to force, nor would it be wise to treat them harshly. Even before Hashirama's death, one of the things that troubled Tobirama most was how to deal with the Uchiha clan. He had even considered wiping out the entire clan during the Warring States period, but the Uchiha ninja named "Uchiha Kagami" who served under him possessed strength rivaling that of his top disciple, Sarutobi Hiruzen, and harbored noble ambitions, making it impossible to simply lump him into the "Uchiha" category.

However, Tobirama's goal was simple: remove the Uchiha's fangs as much as possible during his generation and pass them on to the next generation in a weakened state. He believed that eliminating future concerns was his duty as a predecessor.

"Uncle, what's this? Is this a statue of Grandpa?"

"It's not Grandpa. It's the Second Hokage."

Statues of Hashirama and Madara. As Tobirama sat cross-legged, pondering what to do, Tatami peeked out from behind him. After training, proper rest was necessary. Today was his first free day in a while.

Who could this be? Somehow familiar.

That was Tatami's first impression upon seeing the completed statue of Uchiha Madara. He felt like he'd seen this face somewhere before, but couldn't quite place it. The frustration of having something on the tip of his tongue but being unable to articulate it was unbearable.

"Hey, Uncle, what's this...?"

"That is Madara. You must have met him before. He was the former head of the Uchiha clan, who stood alongside the Senju as one of the village's twin pillars."

Unfortunately, he was also my brother's best friend. Tobirama kept this thought to himself. He didn't think it worth mentioning, and didn't want to dwell on the topic of Madara.

"You don't remember, do you? It's no wonder. You were still a child, it was before he left the village."

"Uchiha... Madara..."

When Tatami was still an infant, before the deep rift between Hashirama and Madara had formed, Hashirama had been overjoyed by the birth of his first grandchild and naturally went to introduce Tatami to his close friend Madara.

At that time, Madara was still calm. Upon seeing Hashirama holding the newborn baby, he was startled, offered his congratulations, and then predictably scolded Hashirama for bringing a Senju baby to the Uchiha clan's compound, saying it was inappropriate. They had then returned the baby to his parents together. During that visit, young Tatami had been held in Madara's arms. Madara, with his intimidating appearance, tended to frighten children.

According to Hashirama's later account, Madara had seemed slightly pleased by the rare sight of a baby who didn't cry when held by him.

Having told this story, Tobirama felt exhausted. Why did I have to tell such a melancholy story about my enemy?

"Uncle, when I become a genin, will you let me help make this statue? I want to take on that task."

On one hand, it seemed like a hasty request, but the genin examination was indeed approaching. Looking out the window at the village, Tobirama realized it was already that time of year. It had been a turbulent year, but they had managed to get through it. However, what surprised him was that Tatami wanted to help create Madara's statue instead of Hashirama's. Tobirama had assumed that even if he wanted to help, he would choose his grandfather's statue. When Tobirama asked why, Tatami replied:

"If he's the man Grandpa called his best friend, he must be worthy of that title. Even if he's an enemy of the Senju, maybe it's okay for one of them to be here."

Tatami didn't elaborate on what he meant by "it's okay for one of them to be here," but Tobirama somehow understood.

"I see. He chose a different path than my brother and me, but that's a true Will of Fire."

A year had passed since then. It seems there's no need to worry anymore... Tobirama felt genuinely happy.

Tatami looked intrigued and urged Tobirama to continue the story about Madara. Tobirama sighed in resignation. Despite his reluctance, he did his best to grant his student's request. This was why Tobirama was so beloved by the younger generation, led by Hiruzen.

One of the strongest warriors of the Warring States period. A being who could match the mightiest in the ninja world, Senju Hashirama, though it couldn't be denied that Hashirama had held back slightly because they were friends, in terms of raw power. Fire techniques that could burn down entire forests, taijutsu that could sweep away hundreds of soldiers, and the ultimate eye technique, the Mangekyō Sharingan.

The legendary power described by Tobirama excited young Tatami. Meanwhile, Tobirama was exasperated. To him, Madara was no legend, he was a real-life threat and a source of trouble he'd faced since childhood. Why must I speak so grandly of my sworn enemy? Tobirama sighed again.

When Tatami asked who was stronger between Tobirama and Madara, Tobirama secretly puffed out his chest and said, "Of course, my older brother." However, when Tatami asked who was stronger between Tobirama and Madara, Tobirama fell silent. Tobirama was also among the strongest. As the fastest ninja and a skilled innovator, he believed he could hold his own if he played his cards right, but when asked directly who was stronger, he found himself at a loss.

Though thick-skinned by nature, Tobirama's face, when observed closely, was not one that could be easily read. Tatami felt fortunate to witness something so rare, but Tobirama was not one to let such things slide. He didn't yet realize how this would come back to haunt him later.

***

[Power stones and reviews please]

Support link: www.patr eon.com/Well_being

[10 Advanced Chs] [7 Chapters/week]