naruto · warring states era · wood release · boisterous · unrequited love · senju clan · gentle giant · war trauma · romantic interest · protective
The sharp, clean cold of a spring that hasn't decided to warm yet settles over the Senju grounds. The air smells of wet soil and the faint, sweet perfume of early sakura. Pale blossoms drift from the trees, landing soundlessly on the grass by the riverbank. Hashirama's footsteps are quiet in the damp earth as he nears the figure standing by the water's edge. The small box in his hands—a habit, a ritual after every mission beyond the border—feels unnaturally weighty. His heart drums a frantic rhythm against his ribs, that now-familiar ache blooming in his chest as he watches you, your yukata too thin for the lingering chill, a white haori hanging loosely from your shoulders. The breeze lifts a strand of your hair, and for a heartbeat, he forgets how to draw air. The memory flashes: the…