Chapter Text
Tobirama sighed for what seemed a hundredth time that morning. The meetings with elder had just ended with a throbbing headache threatening to split his skull into two. The winter is approaching fast and they are still licking their wounds from the last clash with the Uchihas.
He sipped his still hot tea. The elders had voiced their concerns about the preparations for winter for the third time this week. And, it wasn't like their concerns were baseless, they were—to Tobirma's annoyance—very much valid. If they didn't start stockpiling soon, they might starve before seeing the cherry blossoms.
With one sharp motion, Tobirama downed the tea in one reckless swoop, as if it was sake. Rising to his feet, he made a beeline towards the familiar pull of Hashirama's unusually large, warm and welcoming chakra. He stopped at a discreet distance, observing his brother speaking with the farmers-likely about the crop yields and soil fertility.
Tobirama has already gone through the reports, to say the least things were bleak. Another fight against their neighbors would mean famine during winter. Hashirama's mokuton couldn't work miracles; the soil has been drained of its strength. There was only so much they could do. Hell they might or would have to turn to the others for food-and though they have stong allies, the Senju's currently had little to offer. And it wasn't like anyone would let go of this deal without wringing out every ounce of the profit.
Tobirama took in a sharp breath. If this headache got any worse, he might just bash his head against the wall. Perhaps Uchihas were suffering the same, he wondered bitterly.
His musing ended when he sensed his brother approaching and a hand landed on his shoulder firmly grounding him back to reality. Tobirama blinked against sunlight, squinting up at his brother's beaming grin-the large lopsided smile that promised that everything will be alright, even though it wasn't.
Tobirama only pressed his lips together feeling the warmth of sun against his body it wasn't scorching hot anyways.
"How are you feeling Tobirama" Hashirama, asked as though he didn't knew it already.
"Fine," he replied.
Cool chakra washed over him, as his brother hummed softly in response, easing the pressure in his temples. Tobirama exhaled for the first time this day in relief. There was no point in protesting; they'd had this argument a million time before, and his brother's stubbornness always won out against his own. Hashirama can be really stubborn if needed to be, it was a trait he inherited from their mother though their father was stubborn too but not even close to their mother.
Looking up into his brother's chocolate-brown eyes, Tobirama asked "What did they say?" knowing full well the things they must have told him.
His brother removed his hand and withdrew his chakra, "The same. The first crop batch was good and upto expectations, but the last two were poor. I offered mokuton but..." he pressed his lips into a thin line "There isn't enough nutrient left in the soil for another. And even if we forced the harvest, the crops would be weak and lack nutrients itself. It's bad, Tobi... really bad. What do we do?" he completed looking concerned.
"Give me a day, I'll figure something out" like I always do.
Hashirama's smiled returned, warm and steady. "We'll do that. I don't know what I would do without you. Thankyou otouto"
And with that Hashirama left to continue asking people about their concerns. Tobirama looked ahead a grave task in his hands before he could enjoy some alone time a hand snaked around his shoulders and started leading him.
"Beautiful day isn't it?" Touka said leaning on him like a lazy cat, dumping all her weight on him, her arm looped snugly around his shoulder as they moved forward.
"Was." Tobirama rolled his eyes.
"You wound me little cousin."
"Good."
"I heard from my little birdies that we have a problem and it's making you grumpy, well you're always grumpy but you know more so recently"
"Go to hell."
"I can't." she shrugged. "Enma has a restraining order against me."
"If I were to count on someone to be banned from hell, it would be you." he deadpanned
"Hey, he started it."
Tobirama just looked at the sky. The winter chill is already settling around them, and it reminds him of how little time they had. Though Hashirama's word of encouragement were nice they can't fill their bellies. Tobirama has to come up with something sooner rather than later.
"He's pretty good with people." Touka gestured ahead towards where Hashirama was mingling with others. "It would have been so useful if he had a little evil in his heart."
Tobirama just stared ahead towards him. It was true though—his brother had a natural gift of dealing with people.
He always has been easy to like, he had something Tobirama lacked most time: Sympathy. And it wasn't like it bothered him; after all one of them has to think through their head rather than through their heart. Though both were necessary.
His brother was rather persuasive and always looked towards the bright side. It wasn't that he was blind towards everything, he just refuses to let despair take a root in him.
Tobirama could hear it—the steady rumble of his booming joyous laughter that shook houses. People seemed to lean towards him unconsciously so.
He always says it will be fine, and maybe people believes him because with him, it often is.
And it doesn't matter if people thinks he is a fool for always trying to take a peaceful approach towards things, he will always have Tobirama by his side.
And it doesn't matter if Tobirama has to kill people in his shadow just so he can still dream about peace. Tobirama will make his dream become reality for his brother and all those children that still have the ability to dream about something that looked so far fetched.
But before that Tobirama has one more job to make sure they don't starve this winter.
He exhaled as he watched his brother laughing and attentively listening his people's concerns and thoughts. He turned towards Touka to see her already looking at him, like searching for some answer in him. And nodded after a while like she found it.
"Alright so I have a place to be at." Finally standing on her own as they reached his destination, she grinned. "So if someone gets on your nerve, just... you know... I am right across the street. I don't wanna miss the show."
And with that she took off to who knows where, but at least now Tobirama doesn't have someone literally lounging on him. He entered his house making a beeline to his office.
Tobirama scratched idea after idea. The paper looked like a battlefield of crossed-out plans. he rubbed the bridge of his nose, pouring some water to ease up the dryness in his throat.
Maybe they could ask the Hattori clan that lived near them for some land and then maybe they could use mokuton, the clan itself wasn't big or anything just enough members to have few families among them.
And they did have fertile land but then again they were also near the Uchiha, he couldn't take a risk, the Uchiha might see them as a threat and they really shouldn't engage with them right now. So that's out of option.
They can't buy from anyone—aside from the risk of bandits and a few small clans ambushing them for whatever they had, they also didn't have much to spare or exchange.
They needed everything they could get their hands on. They can't let the words of their unstable condition get out or other might try to ambush them. It wasn't like Tobirama lacked faith in their manpower—he would just rather currently focus entirely on their survival till spring rather than clan wars.
Hatake might have few land to spare but they can't send Hashirama away, while his opponent just lived across the river. They have always been dangerously close to Uchiha though he never understood for all the hate, their ancestor decided to settle across from eachother, but that is a topic for another time.
Their safest option was trading with Akimichi, though it would be on their term as they have the advantage over Senju. But Tobirama couldn't think of any other clan that might have ration to spare and were their ally.
But now arises another problem: what would they offer them in exchange of a few month of rations and that too just a few weeks away from winter.
Senju clan is known for healing and their craftsmanship in woodworking, furniture-making, and building structure with both strength and beauty.
Though trading medicines was a lost cause as they already have Yamanaka as healers and Nara as medicinal expert. Though no doubt Senju have better healing than others.
So that left him with healers and their carpenters.
Another problem: how would they invite them here for a deal without looking like they are planning for another attack?
Uchiha were a paranoid bunch of assholes, who mostly don't think before they do something, and worse he heard Izuna of all Uchihas was on patrol currently.
His eyes were always watching them even when they cant see him. And would know better than Tobirama himself.
Tobirama leaned back stretching a little. He closed his eyes and there he could sense his chakra signature near their border as if waiting for them to make a move.
He really manages to become his problem without even being here.