#Me gesturing vaguely their relationship is complicated it has layers like an onion

[denialcity]

hashirama & butsuma grave ficlet

I was in a hashirama mood over the weekend, kinda wanted an epilogue ish thing for a fic I'm not gonna write

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"Honourable father," Hashirama greets as he lights the incense and sticks it standing in the tray before the name tablet. He claps his hands together and bows. 

"Hope you're well," he says conversationally as he settles into his seat on the floor cushion to watch the stick of incense burn down. "I tried to get Tobirama to come with me, but he… actually I think it's better if I don't repeat what he said." 

The rising smoke curls around the name tablet. SENJU BUTSUMA the gold lettering declares. 

"You've got three granddaughters now. They're in Uzushio right now— Mito's mother insisted they visit once Mito and the baby were fit to travel, and she adores them so much she won't let them come back just yet— that's why it's just me."

"The village with the Uchiha is going well. Hikaku-san has really settled in and he's a great clan head. Mission death rate is down even more than anticipated with their three-man team system. Illness-related death is record-low as well. Income per capita doubled and peace is. Really good. It's really, really good. There are some things here and there I'd change if I could but overall it's more than I ever dreamed."

His fingers fiddle with the hem of his sleeve, a habit which had gotten him scolded in childhood, which only reappears here in the ancestral shrine.

"I wish you could have seen it," Hashirama concludes as the red ember of the incense stick burns out.

"You always were an angry man, so no doubt you would have found something to be unhappy about, but I still wish you could have seen what all your son's useless dreaming amounted to." 

He stands.

"Anyways, I can't stay," he explains apologetically. "Village to run, clan to lead, all that. It's busy work. I'll be back next year hopefully." 

He bows and steps backwards out of the shrine. 

"Until then, father," he says, and he closes the doors.