Chapter Text
When Tobirama is around 15 he’s gravely injured during a mission. He tries to make it home but he collapses near the Uchiha/Senju borders, really close to the place where his anija used to meet Madara. Madara, who still considers Hashirama his friend and keeps going to that place from time to time, finds Tobirama. He knows Tobirama is a threat to his clan and it’s better if he’s dead, but he can’t let Hashirama lose his last remaining brother. Madara doesn’t have great healing skills but is able to stabilise Tobirama. Tobirama regains consciousness but with his chakra depleted he can’t heal himself. He’s wary of Madara at first, but his actions don’t make sense… if he wanted Tobirama dead he would have let him die, if his intention was to torture him for information, he would have taken him to the Uchiha compound while Tobirama was unconscious. He finally accepts that Madara is trying to help him. Madara uses Tobirama’s seals to establish a safe perimeter and goes get some food. Tobirama slides in and out of sleep for a couple of days until his chakra is recovered and he can finish healing himself. In the meantime, he talks with Madara and gets to know the person his anija considers his best friend. He can see why, now. When Tobirama is sufficiently recovered he waits until Madara is out hunting for food to leave without a word. Madara doesn’t know what to feel about this ungrateful Senju. One day, Tobirama senses Madara alone near the river and goes to say thank you. They end up talking and before they know it, they’re meeting regularly. And fall in love. Hashirama finds out about this and swears to keep his mouth shut until they can convince their clans to accept peace. However, he gets tricked into spilling the secret to Zetsu. The love between Madara and Tobirama threatens to destroy his plans, so he curses them: Tobirama turns into a hawk by day and Madara turns into a wolf by night, so they can never get together and unite their clans.