It's bonds that you forged that are always hardest to sever, Hashirama realized as his blood dripped through his fingers, a glistening bead of ruby. Then the clear mirror of the water shattered, and the sky was stained crimson.
Hashirama, Madara, and the battle in between.
oOo
Would you force me to kill you? You, who understood me more than any other? Whose life I would've traded mine for in an instant, who alone was my greatest friend and my worst enemy? I would have sacrificed myself for you in a heartbeat, would have driven the blade through my neck myself to ensure your safety. You know that.
But don't underestimate me. You know full well that I would never back down, no matter what the cost. For what lies ahead for my village if I do so? Carnage, corruption, and death, everything that I have long fought against and will till my last breath will be my domain. I will do anything to safeguard my villages' safety. If it means destroying you, I will do so. Do you truly want me to be the end of you?
I never before thought I would go back on my word. At least I will rest in peace knowing it was not I who raised the blade and severed the truce, Madara.
The ending is as clear as undisturbed water. I can see it now, so clearly, in the crystal clear reflection.
The sky painted scarlet, bleeding color across the clouds. The wind carrying bitter scent of blood; the ground will be stained red, liquid flowing crimson between the cracks and crevices, flooding the dirt we fought on. The world itself will be torn apart between our hands.
And we both know how it will end.
Will you leave this world with me willingly?
You, my brother, my friend, would you truly force me to sever our bond with bloodshed and death? Or will you avoid that branch of destiny, prevent it even, and walk away from me?
There are two conclusions that await you-that await us, and our world. One light, one dark.
Perhaps before you decide, answer me this: Do you know which is which?
oOo
Author's Note: Because the First Hokage has long been one of my favorite characters (eat your heart out, old man), I've imagined his battle against Uchiha Madara and the Kyuubi many times. But once past the dramatic attacks and jutsus, I wondered what it felt like to be Hashirama himself during the battle. This just came to my mind, and I jotted the gist of it down. Not nearly as dramatic or as beautiful as I hoped, and it does not do the battle justice, but I can only hope it's somewhat satisfactory.
Now, as to explaining. I know that it has never been shown that Madara and Hashirama knew each other all that well. But they, like Sasuke and Naruto, had something in common that could possibly make it easier for them to understand each other. It was rather obvious, in the retrospect, but it took me some time to pinpoint it. Their power. Hashirama and Madara were arguably the strongest shinobi to ever live, if one didn't include the Sage of Six Paths. This is what made them such a great rivals. This is what made them fight, and eventually, brought their clans together.
Hence, the second sentence/question/thing.
The rest is fairly obvious, up until the contemplation of the future. Why I had Hashirama think so negatively; because that's what ninja do, they don't think optemistically. And face it, Hashirama knew how strong he was. He knew the only one who rivaled his power was Madara. And Madara plus Kyuubi generally means a stronger Madara. This made it possible for Madara to defeat him, but of course the Shodaime won't go down without a fight.
As for the ending, interpret it for yourself.