It's been a while since me and a boy called Madara became friends. We met by chance near a river the other day. He was throwing stones over the water surface trying to reach the other side. I was better than him in that game though. Well, actually, I was better than him in almost any game. Except that one time… when we played Hide & Seek.
"Oi, Hashirama! Today I decide which game to play!"
"Huh? Wasn't your turn yesterday?"
"No, it's today!"
"Uhhh.."
Hashirama sighed while Madara smirked at his depressed friend. He had that habit ever since they started hanging out together. It was kind of weird.
"Ok, listen up! We're gonna play Hide & Seek!"
"Hide &.. Seek? Never heard of it.."
"Whaaat, seriously? It's the most popular game in our Clan. We kids play that a lot.. when we have time, that is."
"Oh.. okay.. So, how do we play that?"
"Easy.."
Madara took both of Hashirama's hands and held them up.
"You're gonna close your eyes -like this- and then count to 10. In the meanwhile, I'll go somewhere and hide. When you finish counting, you'll open your eyes and try to find me. The spot on which you stand now is gonna be the 'Start'. If you don't find me and I'll manage to pass by you and reach the 'Start', you lose the game. But if you find me you'll have to run back to the 'Start' and scream 'I found you!'.. That's all. Easy, neh?"
"Eeeehh?!"
Hashirama looked confused. He knew it seemed easy, but actually he hadn't understood a single word. Maybe he wasn't really paying attention. Madara was squeezing his wrists really hard. He looked excited about playing that game, so Hashirama went along with it.
"Ok, I.. I'll try my best.. Although I don't really understand it.."
"Oh come on! It's the easiest game ever!"
Sighing again and looking down shyly, Hashirama accepted his friend's choice and closed his eyes.
"One… Two… Three… Four…"
Madara quickly hid behind one of the huge rocks and suppressed his chakra so that Hashirama wouldn't notice him right away. He knew there were only two options.. Either hide near the 'Start'-point and wait for the seeker to fend off OR to hide at least thirty meters away from the 'Start'-point and approach slowly. He chose the easy and quicker way, which also was his specialty. He could suppress his chakra to the extend of being almost invisible. Hashirama was a weak tracker, so that was also a plus point.
"Five… Six… Seven… Eight… Nine…"
"I'm finally gonna win for once." Madara whispered while lowering his body to the ground, ready to sprint to the 'Start'-point.
"Ten!"
Hashirama slowly opened his eyes, unsure if he didn't count too fast.
"Uhm…I… I'm coming to find you!"
With a slow pace he moved forward and looked around at first. He couldn't see him anywhere… and strangely… he couldn't sense his presence either. He climbed a tree and tried to get a better view from above. Little did he know that Madara was already heading to the 'Start'.
"Huh?"
Hashirama gasped surprised.
"I sense him! Oh no!"
"Tehehe You loooooooseeee!"
"Whaa-"
Madara was grinning and making a victory pose while standing on the 'Start'-point. Hashirama felt depressed again. It was the first time he'd lost in a game.
"Alright.. now's my turn! I'll start counting NOW. Go and hide!"
"Uh..o..okay…w-wait!"
He looked around quickly and tried to figure out where the best place to hide would be, but couldn't really decide.
"…Four.. Five.. Six.."
Madara could still sense his friend's chakra and only after saying:
"Nine… Ten!"
His presence disappeared.
"Alright.. I'm coming.. You better be hiding well or else I'll win again! hehe"
The Uchiha quickly scanned the perimeter by using Sharingan, but couldn't detect Hashirama.
"Hm.. he must've run for it.. Such a coward.."
He'd been looking for Hashirama for over twenty minutes, but still couldn't find him. He wasn't waiting at the 'Start'-point either, so where could he have gone?
"Oi, Hashirama~! Where the hell are you? Hey, Hashirama!"
He yelled his name quite a few times, but he got no response. Just when he was about to give up his search and head back home because it was getting dark, he decided to look once more near the waterfall.
"If he's not here either I'll beat him to death tomorrow for leaving me out here alone, that bastard!"
He looked down the waterfall and saw a huge lake. He and Hashirama would often go swimming in that lake because it was really deep and they could dive better. He took a deep breath and prepared to scream his name.
"HAAAAASHIIIIRAAAMAAAA~! ARE YOU THEREEE~?"
He closed his eyes to focus on the sounds around him. The waterfall was being really loud, too. Then, a slight scream was heard from downwards..
"..dara… M-Madara!"
He opened his eyes and looked down again, screaming Hashirama's name once more.
"I'm here! Help me!"
Madara gasped in fear for a second as he realized his friend was in trouble. What could have happened? He needed to hurry!
"I'm coming! Wait up!"
Climbing down the rough rocks of the valley, he heard Hashirama's voice again.. He was getting closer to him..
"Hashirama! Oi, where are you?"
"Over here!"
He reached the ground and walked to the direction the voice was coming from. He heard tree branches being broken and leaves were landing on top of his head. He looked up and stood shocked for a while, but then burst out laughing.
"Madara! Get me down from here! DON'T LAUGH!"
"Hahahahahaha~!"
Hashirama was caught from the back of his shirt by a tree limb and couldn't get loose. He struggled with arms and legs, but all he could manage was to break some side branches and denude the tree from its leaves. Madara was holding his stomach because it started hurting from all the laughter.
"Hahaha! Alright, alright.. hehe.. Wait.."
He focused his chakra on his feet and walked up the tree to free his friend.
"Oi, stay still, will ya?"
"H-Hurry up already!"
Hashirama looked up to Madara, who was standing right above him and tried to somehow lift him up, but he was too heavy.
"YOU FAT COW, WHY ARE YOU SO HEAVY?!GGRRR..!"
"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!"
"STOP MOVING YOU IDIOT, WE'LL FALL DOWN!"
"THEN QUIT CALLING ME A FAT COW! TAKE IT BACK!"
"SHUT UP!"
"TAKE IT BACK!"
"SHUT. UP!"
"TAKE. IT. BA-.. Uh oh…"
The Senju's shirt started ripping off and Madara tried to hold him, but as he said before… He was too heavy…
Both screaming, they fell down together. Madara hit his back on the ground and felt a pressure on his belly. It was Hashirama, who had landed on top of him.
"YOU FAT PIG, GET OFF OF ME!"
"Ouch.."
Hashirama was holding his head and clenched his teeth in pain. It looked like he'd hit it somewhere while falling. Madara stopped yelling and looked at him worried.
"O-Oi.. you ok?"
"Gghh.."
Still holding onto his head, he looked at Madara on whom he was standing and sobbed.
"H-hey! Wh-What's wrong?"
"M-M-My head… hurts… I.. I think I hit it… It hurts…"
He rubbed his eyes a bit and Madara leaned forward to face him. He touched his friend's head and stroke it gently.
"Wh-Where does it hurt?"
"…here…" he said while sobbing and pointed at the left side, above his ear.
Madara looked at his sad face and pushed Hashirama's head frontwards to reach it with his lips. He kissed the aching point and stroke Hashirama's back-head.
"There… Now it won't hurt anymore."
He smiled at him and Hashirama was stunned by the Uchiha's gesture just now. He looked his friend in the eyes while tears were running down his cheeks and suddenly jumped up and hugged him very tight. He cried on Madara's shoulder and mumbled about how sorry he was that he sucked at the game. He said he didn't know where to hide so he just run off and without realizing it, he was hanging down from a tree. Madara patted him blandly and hugged him back.
It had already gotten dark. It was time for them to head home.