Written for Day 2 of MadaTobi Week: Alternate Universe.

I actually had another plan for this (a very vague one, not a plot) but then this idea jumped me and I just had to run with it - I loved it too much.

The structure of the world/peoples here, and in regard to politics and wars, is something closer to the Naruto 'verse, or a cross between it and the ATLA 'verse, rather than a direct lift.

Work Text:

"Ha, no waterbender can really stand up to one of us anyway!"

Madara paused midway through coming up from a lazy stretch, tilting his head in the direction of the cocky voice.

"Really?" Another voice piping up this time, a bit younger than the first.

"Absolutely! Their water is a danger to our fire, of course, but we can burn straight through it, steam if off, just like when Uncle dumps us in the river during training," the sound of a solid clap on a shoulder or back punctuated the assurance, "the only place they can be so dangerous as that is if we chase them onto the ice or over the deepest ocean waters, and even then. . ."

Madara actually turned around and looked as the cocky brat continued explaining why no decent firebender could be bested by a waterbender, no matter their strength, as long as the firebender held out. His fellows chimed in with further sureties, each growing more confident all the time as they confirmed it among themselves and egged each other on. None of them, fortunately, were among Madara's own crop of brats - they were mostly Setsuna's, he thought? he didn't keep track of all the clan children - and not his responsibility, but. . .

With the brash declarations of the foolish - and sheltered - youth still echoing in his mind as he headed for home, Madara could not help but think of the smothering, terrifying crush of what had felt like an entire sea crashing over the battlefield. A battlefield far from the ocean, but not far enough from the Naka river.

Burn through the waters summoned by a waterbender . . . certainly. Such an easy thing.

He thought of a curling dragon shaped of water lunging across the battlefield with wide jaws, of rushing water so swift and keenly controlled that it sliced like the finest blades. Of spiralling ice growing from nothing; scores of icicles sparkling beautifully as they reflected the brightness of his own flames and those of his kinsmen, looking so incredibly delicate and then-

Driving forwards, their twisting lengths streaked and dripping with blood, gleaming like rubies - remaining strong and unbroken as firebenders struggled and died upon them, despite the raging flames they summoned.

Even Madara, most powerful bender born to his family in generations - and they more powerful than most if not any other benders of their nation - had struggled at times simply to survive battle across the field from Senju Tobirama, though he be the sole waterbender amongst a clan of powerful earthbenders.

Madara shook his head, turning the final corner heading towards home. He was very glad that his life no longer included facing off with the Senju across the battlefield, for many reasons. Peace and the lives of his kinsmen was certainly one of them, and his rekindled friendship with his best friend, but also. . .

"I'm home, snowflake!" Madara called as he stepped into the courtyard of his own home.

There was no immediate response, and he surmised his lover might be in the lab out behind their home, out of easy earshot.

A tousled white head leaned into view from around an ornamental tree. "Must you?" Tobirama asked dryly, arching an eyebrow at Madara. He grinned, and Tobirama's lips twitched, the red slashes on his face shifting as he attempted to suppress a smile. "What should I call you, then? Ash cloud?" he teased as he emerged from the trees.

Madara only laughed, stretching out his hands to his lover.

Tobirama walked into them, his own hands sliding over Madara's shoulders. "Welcome home, darling." he said warmly, crimson eyes glittering - more like the ice he called up at a whim than Madara's flames, as ever, despite the vibrant colour. Madara sighed, tension smoothing out of his shoulders simply at having Tobirama in his arms again.

Tobirama bowed his head for a kiss Madara accepted eagerly, hands trailing up over his lover's chest, wrinkling his light surcoat, to curl around his neck. He hummed, swaying fluidly into Madara's body as his hold tightened, raising one hand to his hair, freeing it of the high tail he wore while training with his brats.

Madara huffed, amused and fond, as they broke apart, his hair falling around his face and the pieces of the leather tie that had held it dropping to the grass. Tobirama's eyes were warm and fond as he smoothed Madara's hair with a graceful hand, fingertips brushing his cheek and jaw. He rubbed his nose against Tobirama's, arms folding behind the small of his lover's back, eyes heavy-lidded with contentment.

"What were you muttering about when you returned?" Tobirama asked, cocking his head to one side. He dipped down for another quick kiss, thumb brushing along Madara's jaw, before drawing back to let him speak.

Madara tightened his hold to keep Tobirama close, but he only pulled away a little further, pressing against Madara's forearms. He scowled, and Tobirama laughed, fingers combing through the shorter lock of Madara's hair that fell alongside his jaw, framing his face. "Mm? You sounded cross." Tobirama arched a brow, looking playful, and even though he didn't say anything Madara could all but hear the comment about the commonness of such moods with him.

"Oh, nothing in particular. . ." Madara said with a shrug and a huff. "Some of Setsuna's brats were talking and I hope someone else sets them straight before he lets them head into battle thinking the way they are." Tobirama made a curious sound and Madara sighed. "They're young, they think they're invincible . . . and they're convinced fire will always win out over water, at their hands." He curled one hand into Tobirama's surcoat.

Tobirama's brows rose until they were solidly hidden behind his fringe. "I know Setsuna loathes us on 'principle'," he said disdainfully, "but surely he is not so foolish. . ." he trailed off as Madara shook his head, mouth twisting.

"He may be." Madara said with a frustrated sigh. "His hatred has ever seemed it may steal away his sense."

Tobirama scoffed disgustedly, and Madara did his best to hide a smile. No surprise his lover held little patience for any who would allow their thinking to be clouded so.

"Perhaps," Madara said reluctantly, "I should endeavour to set them straight myself. If they seem to be persisting in such foolishness. They may not be my brats directly, but I can't let them go out to possibly face waterbenders without being prepared, and leave them to. . ."

Tobirama kissed him lightly at one corner of his mouth, nuzzling his cheek. "I know you'll do best by them." Tobirama said softly, easing some of Madara's irritation. "You can do nothing for them now, in any case. Why don't you come inside and get clean?" he asked, stepping smoothly out of Madara's arms, slipping his grip.

Madara's first impulse was to refuse, but he was dirty - keeping the brats from hurting themselves and each other was rough work at times - and singed in a few places. And there were always benefits to allowing Tobirama his way.

Madara trailed him inside, pausing to remove his dusty boots, dropping them aside with a clank of the worn metal soles on the wood floor of the entryway. Padding on barefoot he continued through into the large bathing chamber on his lover's heels. Tobirama began to draw water through the provided channels without bothering to utilise the plumbing laid in - he was faster and smoother anyway - quickly filling the bath with cool water.

"Snowflake?" Madara said, drawing his lover's attention back to himself. "Have I mentioned to you recently how overjoyed I am to come home to you?"

Tobirama gave him a dubious look, crossing his arms.

Madara laughed softly. "To come home to you rather than to face you - and your brother, your clan - across the battlefield?" he added, and Tobirama's expression softened. He nodded, reaching out to twine their fingers and clasp Madara's hand snugly.

"I, too, darling." Tobirama said, closing the remaining space between them and raising his free hand to stroke Madara's cheek with the backs of his fingers. He gave Madara a soft kiss, then stepped back. "Come here." He tugged Madara along with him towards the bath, nimble fingers making quick work of removing Madara's layers, from his light armour all the way on downwards.

Madara managed to get Tobirama's surcoat off himself in the process, but his lover chivvied him into the bath before he could try for anything further.

Obediently slipping into the water, Madara hissed at the faint chill, but didn't move to heat the bath. After working with his brats through much of the day, dodging careless - or simply untrained - blasts of fire and bathed in the near-constant heat of his own flames, given a few moments to adjust to it the bath's light chill would be soothing.

The water rippled as Tobirama slipped into the bath beside him, and Madara looked up with a smile. Tobirama arched a brow, stepping down and settling on the smooth seat beside him. A fingertip swirled over the surface and a light flick brought water rising up in a tiny twister that curled back on itself as it grew taller and became a ribbon, floating gracefully through the air.

Madara leaned back as the ribbon of water approached, but it only brushed over his shoulders and neck, then spilled down over his chest. Madara snorted, amused, and shook his head, eyes cutting sideways to his lover. Tobirama was smiling, shifting on the bench and leaning closer to smooth his hands over the same path the water had taken.

Madara closed his eyes, shivering and going lax under his lover's touch. He could feel the occasional brush of water unaccompanied by any contact of skin on skin, but Madara had long grown comfortable with the alien feeling of waterbending. At least that which came at Tobirama's beloved hands.

Madara sighed, letting those hands coax him into moving forwards, then settling a little lower in the water. Whatever his lover wanted. Tobirama's fingers kneaded his shoulders firmly enough to make him moan, just shy of aching, then directed water through his hair.

He jumped, then tipped his head back, allowing Tobirama's fingers to thread through the tangled mass, smoothing it out neatly as more water poured over his head, thoroughly soaking his hair. Under Tobirama's ministrations Madara sank to his knees in the bath before his lover, practically purring as his fingertips sank all the way through Madara's hair, rubbing gently at his head.

Madara went all but boneless as Tobirama patiently combed the knots out of his hair, washed it, and rinsed it clean again. He didn't doze off - he would have fallen too far under the water if he had - but he sank into a peacefully meditative state, his world filled with the soft sounds of rippling water and the touch of his lover's warm hands.

Eventually Tobirama pulled him up and settled him on the bench again, this time between his lover's lean thighs, leaning back against Tobirama's chest. He tipped his head to rest on Tobirama's shoulder with a soft hum, a little more awake but content to sink, wordless, into his lover's embrace.

After a few minutes Madara stretched, extending his hands and letting out a slow, lazy breath. The water rippled silently, the temperature slowly rising as Madara breathed, hands twisting in easy, familiar patterns. Tobirama moaned softly, relaxing a little more himself against Madara's back.

He smiled and closed his eyes again as Tobirama's hands wandered up and down his chest and sides in languid patterns.

"So you intend to teach the children better?" Tobirama said after a few minutes of lazy petting, and Madara stirred himself a little.

". . .mm?" he prompted after a moment.

"About their own . . . invincibility in the face of benders from other peoples, other elements." Tobirama clarified, fingers smoothing over Madara's collarbones. He sighed. He didn't want to, for one thing he had quite enough to do with the brats that were actually his own responsibility, but he would feel guilty if he did not - they were his clan's children, after all, and they were currently more than ill-prepared for the battles they would no doubt one day fight.

". . .perhaps you should do it." Madara countered suddenly, as the thought occurred to him.

"Pardon?" Tobirama questioned, curling a lock of Madara's hair around his fingers and tugging gently.

"Spar with me. In front of the brats." Madara said, warming to the idea. It would work far better than any lecture he might give them - he might be a legend to them, but they were still brats, young and thoughtless. Sure of themselves as only adolescents could be, they wouldn't take him so easily at his word, he suspected. Not on such a lesson as this. "Show them how dangerous their ill-knowledge may be." he added.

Tobirama's fingers stilled and he made a thoughtful sound.

"Please." Madara added, tilting his head to look up at Tobirama, though most of what he saw was spiky hair, water droplets beaded on its tips, the curve of his sharp jaw and one streak of red decorating a thin cheek. "Mm?"

"I'll think about it." Tobirama said, one arm curling more snugly around Madara's waist as his fingers tugged gently at Madara's hair. The corner of his mouth quirked upwards, and Madara smiled as well, settling his head on his lover's shoulder again and closing his eyes as he covered Tobirama's hand with his own. That was a yes, if not in so many words.

So hopefully it was obvious . . . but, the Uchiha are a clan of powerful firebenders; the Senju are similarly powerful earthbenders, but Hashirama and Tobirama's mother was a waterbender. Tobirama is the only one who inherited her waterbending, and proceeded to blow every expectation out of the water (so to speak) by being one of the most powerful waterbenders in the world.