A Gal’s Advice: Happiness Is A Butterfly

Sakumo: yeah obviously

Obito: sacrificed himself by pushing Kakashi out of the way of the rocks, likely knowing he was going to die as a result [im not sure how he dies the second time haven’t gotten there yet but anyway my point still stands]

Rin: killed herself via kakashi’s hand

Minato: sacrificed himself to save the village and seal the 9 tails within Naruto

SO when he sees Gai open the eighth gate, not only does he panic bc Gai is about to die, but he panics bc he’s about to lose Gai in the same way he lost everyone else

in gai's backstory, particularly in the anime, he's portrayed as a pretty anxious, angry kid, with kind of cynical/self-deprecating habits from a really young age. he cries in front of the class and picks fights with chunin and hides from his embarrassing dad and he's absolutely terrified of talking to kakashi, and it takes a lot of sort of cajoling from dai to cheer gai up. he's not very self-possessed at all, and as much as he loves his dad he doesn't always...believe him about all the youth stuff, at least until he's older. he's like.. a pretty regular kid all things considered, obviously "weird" (autistic coded) but like, normal enough until his dad dies. he starts off awkward and shy and grows into himself later, largely impacted by dai's sacrifice.

lee definitely has similarities, but i think its important to note that he not only lacked gai's anxiety but also had an inherent confidence that was later bullied out of him. but he started with it! he also has a much more controlled temper than gai; when he's being bullied he just plugs his ears and keeps walking, etc. even after years of being mocked by peers and teachers he doesn't give up, even with no support -- support gai had, and still lacked the same composure at first. only by the time lee and gai met had lee really started to falter, and so gai picks up the slack and pushes him to believe in himself again. but until that point, lee had made it entirely on his own. i can't really say i think gai would've managed the same at that age, without his dad's encouragement. a lot of lee and gai's truly common traits come later, because lee is intentionally emulating gai

i also think it's important to point out gai can do ninjutsu and at the very least can dispel genjutsu. he doesn't care to use it, but he has lightning AND fire chakra natures. he might not have had those abilities when he was young, but neither did like...naruto. they were just a little behind. lee is literally not physically capable of ninjutsu, and i'm inclined to believe it's the same for dai. dai was 35 when he opened the 8th gate. if he was able to use ninjutsu, it probably would've happened already (considering he had a son to care for, i doubt he would be out there begging for jobs because he was refusing to use ninjutsu on principle)

gai definitely took such a liking to lee because he saw himself in him, but there's plenty of so-called "losers" out there. what there is not plenty of, is losers who can't use ninjutsu but would do anything to achieve their goals, with saintlike patience and a really particular passion. we don't know dai's full backstory, but from gai's perspective he was always driven, always optimistic, always the way we see him now. maybe he wasn't that way when he was young, but gai can't know that. i think gai sees so much potential in lee because lee already had something it took gai a lot of pain to achieve. lee is better than him! it's why he's so precious! gai is afraid of letting lee down, and letting him lose what makes him so special... he's like, gai's platonic ideal of a person. which is, coincidentally, a facsimile of his late father.

gai's favorite color is red

(of his main 3 colors, red is unique to him from dai's outfit (dai's bandana being yellow instead) - later dropped by lee for an orange scarf, and metal lee for a black hitai ate; he consistently chooses red accessories and items (his weapons and wheelchair), even when he's not wearing green, and his primary summon is red; associated with the 8th gate, as well as passion and fire, and tied to kakashi via the sharingan)

while kakashi's is green

i mean for the leaf to still be seen largely as the "good" village is sometimes a little off to me. like we've been shown in the show, danzo and the village elders have the power to manipulate narratives and history to hide evil acts and the dark past.

though since the story is mostly about naruto and his opponents, we didn't see as much of the dark undertones hinting at systemic corruption. since the anime focuses on the "will of fire" with naruto being optimist #1 or smth, instead of the pragmatic horrors.

because i mean the leaf IS a military dictatorship by all definitons. they got child soldiers, trafficking in regards to bloodlines like with danzo, and selective ignorance.

the village, especially the higher-ups, was fully aware of the hyuga branch family system and the outright torture/slave methods. yet there was absolutely zero measures taken? just letting their own people be disposable life shields.

AND the chunin exams. the forest of death is just an pen to throw genin into for unmonitored murder. nothing to stop the truly violent participants like gaara, who didn't even bother getting one scroll and going to the tower, but actively sought out those to kill.

i wouldnt go so far as to say that the village is completely "evil" considering the whole naruto world isn't exactly a pretty place (like the "bloody mist" and whtever tf zabuza did, murdering his entire class js to graduate). but they're ruthless fs. i js dk whether the system was just ensuring their establishment was sustained or going a bit over a line.

Uchiha usually do not show emotions around outsiders, as they are a pretty homogeneous clan whose bonds center around trust in each other. But when one gets to know them very well, they will show their true face without disguise. You can see this with how gruff Madara acted when he first met Hashirama, then changed to an extremely open countenance after the two became good friends. In fact, it is interesting to note that Madara behaved more honestly with Hashirama than Hashirama ever behaved with him. Hashirama chose to save face when it came to his brother and his loyalty to his clan even when pursuing peace, but Madara consistently “spilled the beans” with his true thoughts.

Side Note: Japanese culture has this concept of tatamae and honne, where in a nutshell, tatamae is the face a person presents to others while honne is a person’s true face. Because the Narutoverse is set in a society with heavy Japanese influences, I am going to be borrowing from the knowledge I have to paint the picture I am imagining about the Uchiha clan. I’m going to say it right now: the headcanons in this post are in no way reflective of genuine Japanese culture, they are simply imagination all in good fun.

Typically, the neck is viewed as an intimate area to be protected. Uchiha usually cover their necks with high collared shirts mainly to provide special ventilation from the flames they breathe from the mouth and over the centuries they have developed a complex where they do not show the collarbone to anyone unfamiliar or foreign.

Children are taught to respect parents in accordance to Confucian values, as well as the expectation that they will honor their ancestors by keeping in accordance with tradition and virtue inspired by Shinto religion. Parents go to the Naka shrine to pray for their offspring’s prosperity and health. Clan members also attend smaller, lesser known shrines that have an illustrious history with miracles and are well respected historically.

Collective harmony is emphasized less so than the Senju clan, yet there is an ardent expectation that each individual will work their hardest to become powerful assets for the clan as shinobi. Fugaku pushed Sasuke by expressing disapproval when he stood in his brother’s shadow and rewarding him subtly when Sasuke demonstrated his own magnificent prowess. Likewise, discipline is used as a tool to train young children to match up with their prodigious peers. In a battle oriented clan such as the Uchiha, those who are weak are looked down upon, as they are a burden in battle and cannot independently fend for themselves.

While the Senju clan’s belief in unified cooperation for the sake of peace peace yielded the Will of Fire, the Uchiha hold a more individualistic mindset. They believe in strength above all, that whoever holds the most power will be able to determine the fate of everyone else. Thus, they train regularly and efficiently to obtain this goal of becoming all powerful. The theme of resurrection and rebirth is familiar in Uchiha culture. Deities including Amaterasu, Tsukuyomi, and Susanoo play a major role in both the myths taught to children before bedtime and techniques embedded in abilities that the user can unlock as they progress in prowess. Furthermore, fire symbolizes resurrection and rebirth, an element that Uchiha are naturally oriented towards.

Meritocracy is rewarded as long as it achieves the clan’s own ends. When the Uchiha were marginalized from the village, Fugaku praised Itachi for graduating first in the Academy because it meant that he could go on to pursue a strategical position in Root. When Sasuke met Juugo, he did not shun the afflicted man for being cursed with an uncontrollable demon. Rather, Sasuke clearly saw that Juugo could be a valuable asset and welcomed him with open arms onto Team Hebi. Sasuke’s emphasis on cool, calculating strategy is a microcosm of the overall Uchiha outlook. Uchiha may appear to be exclusive and arrogant, but this masks the fact that they really prioritize the best of the best.

Speaking of arrogance, there is some underlying looking down on other clans simply because the Uchiha have demonstrated talent and prowess that no other clan has been able to achieve. Tobirama Senju once said that “When an Uchiha unlocks their Sharingan, they obtain a power far more potent than even that of the Senju,” and he was not kidding. With their finely honed shuriken techniques, ruthless drive towards perfection, and magnificent ocular dojutsu, Uchiha are very proud of their clan’s accomplishments. Uchiha express pride by ignoring those who they consider to be lesser than them and responding with an apathetic “hn” when addressed by individuals from less prestigious clans. They may even verbally chastise the individual for any weakness apparent, as seen when Madara scorns Tsunade with his line of “I hate weak Senju.” However, they usually don’t instigate a fight without good reason and never physically harass others. Indeed elitism exists in intraclan relations, but clan members are traditionally taught to respect their elders and fellow clan members, as well as powerful shinobi who have demonstrated exceptional battle ability - even those from other clans.

It was once said that Tobirama called Hashirama “anijia” and Izuna called Madara “Nii-san” when they were kids. “Anijia” is more formal than “Nii-san,” indicating that there was a greater degree of trust between Izuna and Madara than Tobirama and Hashirama. The formal vs. informal use of “older brother” shows that the bond of the Uchiha brothers was different from that of the Senju brothers. Izuna felt comfortable showing his disbelief that there was a kid stronger than his older brother in front of Madara. In contrast, Tobirama never displays this level of innocent honesty with Hashirama, even when they were kids. It didn’t help that Butsuma was physically abusive towards Hashirama, smacking the boy hard in the face when he grieved for his younger brother Itama’s death.

Specifically, I want to remark that I don’t see Tajima as an abusive father at all, as some mistakenly believe. He trusted Madara’s judgement enough to ask his son if they could take on the three Senju clan members, and retreat willingly when Madara answered they were not strong enough. Would Butsuma have reacted so smoothly if Hashirama responded in the same way? Definitely not. Rather, Tajima was a loving but flawed parent, a product of his times, who desired the best for his sons but embraced the extreme beliefs that were so prevalent during the Warring States Era.

In the Uchiha clan, honor is prized as a life or death matter. When his clan’s name was insulted, Sasuke lashed out violently at the perpetrator who dared to stain the Uchiha name. Shisui, who many in the fandom see as pretty liberal, told Itachi to promise to “protect the Uchiha name” before falling to his death in the Naka River. What Sasuke and Shisui teach us is that even for youth, honor is emphasized heavily as a core cultural tenet. Clan members must swear to protect their own personal honor, which in turn reflects the collective honor of the Uchiha name. Their sense of honor is far more intense than that of the Nara, Yamanaka, or even Senju clans. In a way, it is reminiscent of the ancient Bushido code followed by samurai.

This line from Hiruzen is brief but it says so much about the way Konoha operates. In this panel, Naruto is 12, but because he graduated from the academy and earned his headband, by Konoha standards he is now an adult. Following this logic that means that Itachi, the Sannin, and Kakashi, who graduated at ages 7, 6, and 5 respectively, would have also been regarded as adults. I don't think I need to explain why that's fucked up.

But what makes it worse is that it reminds me of another scene:

Kawarama Senju was only 7 when he died, but being a Shinobi meant Butsuma and the other adult ninjas viewed him as an adult. Hashirama and Madara formed Konoha in part to stop this attitude because they'd seen how badly it impacted their own families...but it took relatively little time for this practice to return, enforced by one of Hashirama's followers no less.

So happy you ask this (warning, this is going to be a long one)

Tobirama is afraid of Madara, and fear is the worst kind of emotion for a rationalist like this one.

Let's get into the Tobirama flavoured fucked up vision, shall we?

Fear makes one act irrational, it makes someone act on instincts and subconscious habits rather than thought on conscious decisions. People, like Tobirama, who are control freaks and logic driven, will associate dislike with what they are afraid of (we all kinda do, but it's exacerbated in their case).

Tobirama’s fear of Madara feeds his hate for him, which is not stemming from anything grounded in facts or logic, so it's like a snake biting its tail and his hatred feeds itself.

But, you might ask, why would Tobirama be afraid of Madara in the first place? We have clear proof of the fact he sees him as a threat when he comes back as an Edo Tensei carcass in the fourth war, he immediately reacts strongly when he hears the mere mention of his name and rushes to get out, not paying enough attention to notice important details that he should have noticed if he was level headed (it's almost a phobia, at this point, Tobirama is Madaraphobic)

But for the reasons, well, we do have the simple fact that it's rather easy to imagine that Madara was fiercely protective of Izuna, and Tobirama was the one to land the lethal blow, so there is a warranted fear there.

Yet I think it goes back further in time. I think that it probably came from a general anxiety Tobirama developed because of his close level with Hashirama, the fact that neither seemed stronger than the other. After loosing two siblings and having only one left, it's probably stressful to know the last brother you have fights, with only very slim chances of victory that are as likely as him losing, with a foe that has clearly abandoned whatever kinship he might have developed during the little time he spent with him while your brother still clings on this doomed friendship.

That and the fact that Madara’s usual strategies seem to strongly rely on intimidation. Madara has created an image of himself for the rest of the world so strong everyone rushes to ally at the mere mention of his name, even though there is no proof it's him (that's crazy, I don’t think you realise).

Tobirama doesn't know Madara, and he chose to never even try to understand him, only seeing him through this fabricated image Madara has crafted himself, probably only to help his clan. He chooses to turn a blind eye to who he is, to his apparent grief and the relationship he has with Hashirama, to Tobirama, Madara is unstable, unpredictable, dangerous and cannot be trusted.

He needs to be eliminated.

So when they are in the Village, he speaks ill of him, he does what he can to exclude him, and that to the point that it has become a regular argument subject with Hashirama (there is nothing explicit, but it’s Hashirama who bring Tobirama up when Madara decides to leave the Village, and when he learns the Uchiha clan has been slaughtered, he berates Tobirama for not including the Uchiha, as if it was not the first time they had this argument). When Madara leaves, he probably encouraged if not pressed Hashirama to finally kill him, leading him to the final act he will regret for the rest of his life. When Madara is dead, he doesn’t even let him rest, he studies his corpse, desecrate his legacy and dissecting his eyes for science, but also a way to explain his irrational fear and distrust towards Madara, and now also the rest of the Uchiha, although to a lesser extent.

The curse of hatred is bullshit. He really just noticed that the Uchiha had more chakra concentration in their eyes and that it was connected to their heightened emotions, and he drew the conclusion that Uchiha will get more powerful because of their hate (it doesn't make any fucking sense, Madara was powerful even when his primary goal was to protect Izuna)

He has only one test subject he used to conclude that (which is very unscientific, I would know) and it's a very powerful nin who happened to dislike him because he killed his brother (I don't think Madara even hated Tobirama. He tried to ignore him the best he could and only showed true hostility after their death. His care and love for Hashirama was greater than any hate he might have had towards Tobirama).

All of that to say, Madara is just an anomaly to Tobirama, and it confuses and scares him, which feeds into an irrational hatred he refuses to face because of how he doesn’t want to recognise his judgment lacks logic.

He clearly ignores his own biases and prejudices, he lies to himself and explains it as normal distrust. It is not, and it goes against how Madara described how peace should work for it to last more that a few generations without internal bloodshed.

Madara, as a child, has everything Tobirama's idea of peace lacks, which is emotinal intelligence and the understanding of the other side (he looses that with Izuna’s death and his spiralling madness).

Tobirama, by his lack of care or understanding of how emotions exist whether or not he likes it or not, even in himself, is unable to understand someone as emotionally complex and intense as Uchiha Madara, and therefore, it makes him hate him.

For a less canon idea, I do also have the headcanon that Tobirama’s fear might originate from Madara’s chakra. It's linked to fireproof Madara hc, which I interpret as him having a very strong fire nature, so much so it's dense and overwhelming, and Tobirama would hate it as a keen sensor.

To have this overwhelming fear from a purely instinctive bodily reaction must be incredibly frustrating, and it's something I like to add when I write Tobirama’s view of Madara along with everything else I just explained.

It's also a neat way to explain how Tobirama and Hashirama use their chakra to intimidate, I think Tobirama had the idea from the inherent intense nature of Madara’s chakra.

Because this is what he does, he fears, he hates, and he obsesses.

At least, that's my understanding of his character (there are more nuances when we look outside the way he views Madara, but I was asked one thing, and this post is already long enough, lol)

(I want to add somthing I wrote in bullet point about Tobirama's views:

- As a child, he speaks of adults as “stupid” and sees peace as a transaction, a logical thing grounded in regulation and written agreement.

- He doesn’t take into account people’s feelings, probably a huge perpetuator of the “shinobi don’t feel” mentality, he even chastises Itama for speaking of anger towards the opposite side because of loss, claiming it to be pointless and something that would only end up killing him.

- We can conclude from this that he didn’t bear much if any grudge towards the other clans, but only saw them as pawn in a huge game of go

- That’s why Madara is terrifying to him, he is unpredictable and overly emotional. It’s fine that Hashirama is because Tobirama considers himself to be the dam that keeps him together (which isn’t wrong nor right)

Also suna has arab/wana inspiration and like people from around here travelled alot especially in ancient times , like ibn battuta, ibn majid and so on so gaara becoming sunas greatest explorer would actually be cool af

It also serves as a way to protect him because the akatsuki can't freaking find the guy on his world tour , also imagine him meeting naruto somewhere on his way and they just get to catch up and maybe tell him about the akatsuki

‘tobirama never smiles!!!’ oh I AM SURE.