The last echoes of Ishiki's boisterous laughter faded into the forest, his chest rising and falling as stray tears of pure amusement glistened at the corners of his eyes.When he finally wiped them away, he found two death glares fixed on him, Tobirama Senju and Izuna Uchiha, bound and dangling like furious ornaments on a tree.
Their faces were twisted in red-faced indignation.
Ishiki cleared his throat, straightening up with a disarming smile.
"Honestly, you two…" he said warmly, "you're exactly like your older brothers. Izuna, you have Madara's hot temper. Tobirama, you inherited Hashirama's stubbornness. I have a feeling you two will become the best of friends someday."
The reaction was immediate.
"FRIENDS?! With him?!" Tobirama barked, practically spitting the words.
"In what nightmare would I ever befriend this idiot Senju?!" Izuna shot back, turning his head so fast his ponytail snapped in the air.
Both boys faced opposite directions in synchronised disgust, their bodies still trussed up by the Infinity Lasso and swinging gently from the tree.
Ishiki sighed, his earlier amusement melting into something quieter, heavier.
"The hatred runs deep," he murmured under his breath."Before peace… this poison must fade."
But then the strategist in him kicked back in, and a cunning little smile crept onto his face.
"So," he asked casually, "what brought you little devils looking for me? Why attack me the moment you saw me?"
The answer came immediately, and loudly.
Tobirama scowled. "What did you tell Hashirama? Father punished him! He's under strict house arrest. He's not allowed to leave at all!"
Izuna nodded aggressively, adding fuel to the fire."Madara said the same. Hashirama must have said something serious. Father was furious."
Ishiki blinked.
Only house arrest?Thank god.
Outwardly, he kept a calm, almost confused expression.
"You should've asked your brothers or your fathers," he said lightly."Why come all the way here?"
Tobirama's brows twitched."Father says I'm 'too young' to know anything. Hashirama… just smiled at me."
A pause.A jaw-clench.A tremble of pure outrage.
"That smile," Tobirama hissed. "I HATE that smile."
Izuna took his turn.
"Madara said that if I beat you, he'd tell me everything," Izuna admitted, cheeks flushed with shame and anger.
Ah, Ishiki thought.Clever, clever Hashirama and Madara… pushing their brothers forward. Testing them. Protecting them. And maybe… teaching them.
The pieces clicked instantly.
"So that's why you're here," Ishiki said brightly."Well, too bad. I'm not telling you anything."
The twin looks of betrayal and fury were spectacular.
But Ishiki lifted a finger.
"Unless…"They leaned in instinctively.
"…you manage to defeat me within one month."
Silence.
Then,
THUD!
He loosened the lasso. The boys dropped unceremoniously to the ground.
"But let me be honest," Ishiki continued, dusting his hands."You two are far too weak to beat me alone."
Immediate outcry.
"I don't need this idiot's help!" Tobirama snapped.
"As if I would cooperate with a Senju! Never!" Izuna snarled back.
Ishiki shrugged."That's your problem then. Either of you can win, as long as you touch me once. Just once."
Their eyes sharpened.Stances shifted.Chakra flared.
They were about to pounce,
"Stop."Ishiki held up a hand.
"Today's attempt is over. One chance a day."
Both boys froze mid-lunge, their indignation fizzling into awkward silence… just as their stomachs betrayed them.
GRRRRRR
Two loud growls echoed through the clearing.
Ishiki slowly looked at the two boys.They flushed a mortified red.
He had cooked three fish, out of instinct, out of habit.Three meals, prepared for three old friends who didn't appear today.
He sighed softly.
"Here," he said, and tossed a fish to each boy.
They caught them by reflex.
"I don't need your, " Tobirama began.
"These were meant for your brothers," Ishiki cut in gently."They didn't come. So you two eat."
Tobirama paused mid-insult.Izuna's hand hesitated.
"You'll need strength," Ishiki added, "if you ever hope to beat me."
That sealed it.
Both boys devoured the fish with single-minded ferocity while Ishiki cooked a fresh one for himself, watching them with a soft smile that went unnoticed.
When they'd finished, Ishiki stood up.
"Alright," he said, brushing crumbs from his hands."Tomorrow, come at me with everything you've got."
The last rays of evening washed over the forest as the two boys walked home in opposite directions, with stolen dignity in their steps.
Ishiki watched them vanish through the trees.
"So much potential," he whispered.
Then he turned, walked back to the village, ate dinner at the Chief's home, and went to sleep early.
Tomorrow would be another step toward peace.And shaping the future required starting with the smallest branches… even if they cursed each other nonstop.