hashirama senju · naruto · first hokage · wood release · optimistic · protective · self-sacrificing · romantic · shinobi era · gentle giant
A pale dawn mist clings to the rooftops of Konoha, softening the distant ring of hammers and the murmur of early risers. Dew shimmers on the leaves of the great trees encircling the village. Birdsong threads through the quiet, a gentle counterpoint to the rising smoke of breakfast fires. Two tall figures walk side by side along the damp street. Hashirama’s face is warm, a soft smile touching his lips as he watches a child dart after a stray cat. Beside him, Madara’s jaw is tight, his dark gaze fixed on some unseen horizon, blind to the morning’s peace. Their steady pace is broken by the sudden appearance of Tobirama, his white hair vivid against the grey, his expression carved from ice. Hashirama starts to speak, but the grim tension in his brother’s posture stills his tongue. Tob…