Mother

"Brother, mother wants to see you."

Tobirama leaned by the open door to the room they shared with his endearing frown. Hashirama nodded and replied back with an okay. Then he slowly put away the scroll that he was staring at for the last fifteen minutes. The boy padded out of the room and down the hall to his mother's room.

A short knock on the rice paper door and a dutiful call of come in led Hashirama into the room of his mother. A room that he has not entered in several days even before his falling out with Madara because when he looked at his mother's rapidly deteriorating state made the boy's heart tighten in the most dreadful way.

A frail woman with dry white hair sticking up in multiple directions and piercing red eyes gazed upon her son from her futon. The mother kept her gaze on Hashirama for a few moments as she tried to lift herself up to the sitting position with difficultly before Hashirama quickly moved to her side and helped her. As Hashirama moved his mother he could not help the feelings of amazement and dread passed through him at how little weight his mother held. Mother closed her eyes to smile widely and gave an embarrassed laugh.

"Thank you Hashirama, now please come sit next to me," the mother said as she patted the space next to her. The boy slowly made himself sit next to his mother, the woman shakingly moved her arm to grasp around Hahirama's shoulders and pulled him closer into her bosom. The woman then slowly lifted up her boney hands to glide through her son's hair. Sighing contently Hashirama nestled more deeply into his mother's skeletal body.

"Now, I would like you to tell me about your friend," the smiling mother requested. Which startled the young Hashirama but not enough to relinquish his hold on his mother.

"Mother-" Hashirama tried to say but a finger pressed against his lips silencing him.

"Worry not about your Father finding out about the topic of this talk my lips are sealed. I just wish to know more about the Uchiha. He must be very special to you to continue meeting with him knowing the danger it presented."

Still slightly unsure but more than willing to confess the built up feelings he has held in for these past days Hashirama started from the beginning. From how Madara and himself first met while skipping stones to the unsaid agreement to continue meeting at the riverbank, the spars they shared, the games they have played and some topics they have discussed together. Everything came flowing out like a stream and once Hashirama started he could not stop.

"-and we said we are going to build a village where we can protect children so that they don't have to kill each other!" the boy exclaimed excitedly. To which the mother nodded her head softly.

"That is a noble goal."

"Yeah! Yeah but...I am not sure if Madara still believes in it." Hashirama ended dejectedly and thought back to the last and possibly final meeting with his friend.

The two sat in silence for a long period time before Hashirama removed himself from his mother and was about to lay her back down however before he could reach for her shoulders his mother began to talk again.

"Hashirama the world we live in is harsh. If you are weak then you will be turned to ash while the strong grow from your remains. The Uchiha that you speak of has a liking to you that I believe still continues to hold strong and whether that will be enough to complete your goal I do not know. But I see so much potential in you Hashirama," Mother's red eyes started to water and she grasped her son's hands tightly.

"From the moment you could speak you had a natural charisma that attracted people to you. You will have the power to change this world. The village you and the Uchiha want could be yours but you have to push through trials for this world is old and stubborn and will not want to change. The conflict between the Senju and the Uchiha has been apart of our society for centuries but whether the conflict will be continued through a blood leaden path is up to your generation Hashirama. Peace will be a hard goal to reach but if this is what you want then crave it, desire it and endure until you are able to look upon what you accomplished. And for the Uchiha try to keep him close. Bonds like that between two people happens once in a life time."

The woman's body started to shake," I fear…I fear that I will not be able to pass this illness and see you become the powerful young man you will be. So I will tell you this now, follow your heart and do not let this world dictate what you can and cannot do. Promise me, Hashirama"

Hashirama pulled his mother into a tight embrace which she weakly returned and tears leaked from his eyes and stained his mother's shirt just as his mother soon following tears stained his shirt.

"I promise."

A loud bang startled the duo by Butsuma quickly sliding the door open and when his gaze landed unto Hashirama a deep scowl made its way to the elder's face. Hashirama disengaged from his mother's arms and was forced to make his way out from the dark look his father was giving him. He wiped his tears as he walked to the door, before Hashirama exited he gave his mother a backwards glance. She gave a small wave back with a tiny smile on her face but her eyes still held despair within them, as the door slid shut. This was the last conversation Hashirama had with his mother.

Thank you for reading and if there is anything that needs correcting please do not hesitate to tell me!