The End of the Road

"Where the hell is Toka?!" Tobirama gasped.

"She has taken a trip somewhere. She won't be back for quite a while. In fact, she might not even be able to come back." Hikaku sarcastically remarked.

Tobirama sat forward, "If you placed even one of your disgusting Uchiha fingers on her, I will--"

"She isn't dead." Interrupted Hikaku. "Sit back against the wall and relax. You're bleeding heavily, you don't have the strength to even put up an honourable fight, let alone a successful one."

Tobirama clenched his jaw with anger. As painful as it was to hear, he knew he was on the verge of passing out... forever. 

"Who are you?" Tobirama asked.

"You know me very well, Lord Second. In fact, you even announced my death."

Tobirama was still trying to make out who it was, but his vision was becoming increasingly more and more blurry.

"Come. Let me see your face?" Once Tobirama asked, Hikaku tilted his head to the side, thinking about Tobirama's intentions. Under any other circumstance, he wouldn't trust him. Tobirama was known for launching surprise attacks when an enemy believed they had the upper hand. But this was different. Somehow, Hikaku could sense that Tobirama had no more fight left like he knew his end was near.

Hikaku grabbed each side of his chair and pushed himself up. He walked towards him slowly, pausing for a second after each step. As soon as his face become visible, Tobirama said, "You must be kidding me. How? Did you fake your death? Or have you Uchiha found a way to reverse death itself?"

As soon as Hikaku found himself two metres away from Tobirama, he bent down and sat on the floor against the wall. Neither of them turned their heads to face the other. They continued to look straight ahead.

Hikaku answered, "Well, my Sharingan ability allowed me to see my death. So I was able to stop it from happening and I faked it. I prefer helping my people from the shadows, without a constant bounty on my head."

"You Uchiha are such a pain." Tobirama stated, keeping his teeth clenched.

"You know, I have always wanted to kill you. I have thought about it constantly, the thought remains on my mind like a rash. But, now that you're here... I feel sorry for you." Once Hikaku stopped speaking, Tobirama nearly found himself looking at him. He couldn't believe that an Uchiha would undermine him like this.

"You have no reason to feel sorry for me. I did what I had to do, to protect my people. To protect my squad. I feel sorry for you. Being too scared to show your face, so you've hidden here in the dark like a rat."

"But a rat will live in a person's house, sharing it, occupying the same space, and because the person is stronger the rat will bite them out of fear. It seems to me that the Senju are the rats." Asserted Hikaku. This was the first time his voice resonated with aggression.

Tobirama responded, "The conflict we had with the Uchiha was a necessity. I and Hashirama both wanted peace. But war was the only way to get rid of the problem."

"The problem is us? Why fear us for being strong? The war is done. Yet, you still have such grave hate towards us."

"I am not foolish enough to believe that all Uchiha are evil. That's why Kagami is in my squad. There are a rare few who are trustworthy, I am sure. However... the vast majority of you are not. I know that you still have hate towards us, just as I do for you, it's natural. It's hard to just act like a whole war never happened... no matter how hard you try and smile like everything's fine."

"I always said that I would get revenge for Izuna and Madara's death. By killing you. And here you are. Helpless. It seems a bit little too good to be true."

"Hmm, killing me whilst I'm down. Isn't much of a revenge is it?"

"Revenge is revenge, I don't need to make you suffer. I just want you gone."

Hikaku pulled himself up and walked toward the chair he was originally sitting on. From its side, he drew a sword. He held it aloft in front of him, glaring up and down its silver spine. He walked back towards Tobirama, who still refrained from looking at Hikaku. Once Hikaku positioned the sword with its point towards Tobirama's face, he finally looked at him. Tobirama's eyes were cold, void of emotion and feeling.

"I do commend you... and everything you have done for the village. You will die with honour." Hikaku then raised his sword into the air, ready to strike it through Tobirama's throat.

Unexpectedly, Itari came bursting through the door with Kagami in his arms. Struggling to hold him, Kagami fell flaccid onto the floor.

"Hikaku! I found him bleeding outside. I don't think he has long left." Itari shouted breathlessly.

"What happened?! Tobirama, what happened to him?!" Hikaku shouted in demand.

"He got injured on mission. His wounds are deep. I don't know if any of Kinkaku's unit got to him after we parted ways." Tobirama responded, with guilt flourishing on his face.

Hikaku hurried over and examined Kagami's wounds.

"We need to make this as comfortable for him as possible. A gifted shinobi like him doesn't deserve a slow, painful death." This was the first time Tobirama saw empathy in Hikaku's eyes. He knew that Hikaku's perspective of death must have changed since he saw his own.

"We can't let him die." Whispered Tobirama. "Bring him to me."

"You can't possibly think anything will help him. You're not even a medical ninja." Itari abruptly responded.

"Quiet, Itari. Lord Second... what do you have in mind?" Hikaku asked, curiously.

"I can save him. There is a forbidden jutsu I have created... and no one knows of its existence but for me." Tobirama looked into Hikaku's eyes. Hikaku stared back, not sure if it was a bluff.

"Hikaku, let me save him."

"Tell me how." Demanded Hikaku.

"I am able to stop him from dying, in exchange for my own life. But, it will only work if death is indeed certain."

Hikaku hesitated, before picking Kagami up and lying him alongside Tobirama. He took a few steps back, heart pounding vigorously.

Tobirama gently spoke, "Hikaku... be sure to look out for him. Do not tell him what I did. He wouldn't be in this situation if it wasn't for me anyway."

"As you wish."

"I gave Hiruzen the position of Hokage. You must ensure that Kagami keeps an eye on him and Danzo. If I assign him to assassinate the two of them, it will just cause more unrest and disunity. I want to make sure --"

"I understand." Interrupted Hikaku.

Tobirama placed his left hand on Kagami's chest. He could feel Kagami's breathing gradually slow down. His heartbeat was just a mere mutter. Tobirama closed his eyes and spoke under his breath. He didn't want anyone else to hear his words. His body began to shake. As Kagami's wounds began to heal, blood poured down Tobirama's eyes and out his mouth.

There were no signs of wounds or marks on Kagami's body. His breathing returned to normal, yet he remained with his eyes closed, unconscious.

"Lord Sec--", as Hikaku began to speak, Tobirama's body fell limp onto the floor. It worked. Hikaku looked at Itari, whose eyes were filled with tears.

"He did it, Sensei." Said Itari, conflicted with sadness and joy. "This isn't how I imagined he would die..."

"I know... he gained an ounce of honour in my books. Out of respect, I will make sure Kagami carries out what he wished. Itari, carry Kagami to his house."

Itari lifted Kagami onto his shoulder and stumbled away. Hikaku stood above Tobirama's body, unable to take his eyes off his body. Images of war flooded through his mind, leaking into his eyes to the point where he forgot where he was. It was as if he even reliving everything he did, everything he saw, everything he felt.

He then looked at his sword, before throwing it across the room. He walked towards his chair and fell into it in an unbothered fashion.

As he rested his face on his hand, resting on the arm of the chair, he thought to himself.

"You don't want Kagami to kill Hiruzen and Danzo? You don't want to kill them? Why... would you want to kill them? What did they do?"