First story, so don't crucify me on grammar. It's gonna be a few chapters before we get the M rating from the story we all deserve. I don't own Naruto or these characters. I forgot what else you're supposed to put in these intros. Leave a review. Help me grow, enjoy the story.

Chapter 1: A Foreign Chess Match

We've finally started. We had built it together, and it's something beautiful. It's a spectacle Hashirama and I dreamed of when we were just children. And it was, for me, what I had dreamed of and envisioned during the war, what I desperately hung onto and strived for. I'll miss that wide view filled with trees, forage, and general greenery dearly. But happiness overtakes the imminent nostalgia. Building like this, after years of searching for an end, a peaceful resolution, extremely gratifying.

Can't help but reflect. It's all I ever wanted. And I'm glad that instead of just words, we were actual able to see it all within our lifetime. As much as our lives depend on passing things down to generations after us, history upon history, building and growing and evolving over time, I'm glad it's finally coming to an end. This difficult chapter of bloodshed can come to a close. I do wonder when the next time conflict will arise; but for now, I will enjoy peace. Hopefully. The feel, the sight, overbearing. Crisp leaves, the sun's light only slightly dimming as it partially touches the horizon.

And the sound of happy families everywhere we look. It's almost paradise. And the most wonderful part, I'm allowed to have my mind is at ease. I feel I can relax myself for the first time since Hashirama and I met. I turned to my left to see that man, whom I shared this dream with. The optimism, the pure life and exuberance, the very radiation of joy that emanates from the man currently at my side. I look at him with immense adoration.

Both of us played an equal role in an equal part in creating this, yet I can't help but feel like I'm basking in his shadow. A glowing picture of light incarnate. I'm shocked that I was able to move past my feelings for him. The only man I gave my adoration in this world of Shinobi. Wanting to give more, I couldn't show any. Hashirama's the only one I can claim to be a true friend of mine. I've lost all my brothers to this war.

Struggling to keep hold of my sanity, to keep my joy, to hold my peace and to be there for others all at once. Being the leader of the Uchiha clan, it's kind of a daunting task; I'm not a socialite like he is. But I'll manage.

Hopefully…

With all the fighting, with everything I've had to endure in my life, I've never stopped to consider what or who I am. And what I truly want after peace comes about.

It may have been made obvious by this point; I think a little too much about my surroundings. I just overthink in general. Hashirama sees it as a strength, but I have trouble seeing his point as I now realize that I've been too distracted with my thoughts to notice him almost yelling at me.

"Hey… Madara!" Almost patronizing, and had it been anyone else, it's highly plausible that I would have just torn them apart to save myself the embarrassment of the situation. One look at his concerned face however and my defensive auto pilot calmed itself down.

"Don't take that tone with me Hashirama," I bit back, maybe a bit harsher than I intended. Okay… It may be very slightly possible that I still need to work on my anger. I wouldn't say I have anger issues. I'm just a grown man who feels that when people step on me, I need to have the last word so they know not to do it again. Is that too much to ask? I still have some growing to do.

A truly discontent and apologetic look lied in Hashi's eyes, and his face, and his entire demeanor, very telling. I clearly brought him down. Yep, there are definitively some issues of mine that need sorting out. A pang of guilt washes over me.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to scare you Madara."

"You think you can scare me?"

As soon as the offending bit of intended banter leaves my lips, I felt idiotic for letting it slip out. It probably came off as insecure too. Why can't I be a normal person? Why is small talk only outlandish fantasy for me?

"No, and it wasn't my intention to try and scare you either. But I did have to speak loud considering this is the third time that I've called your name. What are you thinking about?" Suddenly too embarrassed to speak, a retort becomes far too difficult to muster. Not only had I managed to miss Hashirama calling me while staring directly at him, but now the very rare occurrence of my cheeks flaring is giving me away.

I quickly look back to the front of me, the back Village in view; very caught off guard and flustered, it feels impossible to think of something to say.

"Never mind that, just tell me what you had to say," is all I could blurt out in my failed attempt to save face. Out of the corner of my eye, I witness Hashirama's face jump from puzzled to annoyed to inquisitive, before he internally drops the matter entirely and settles on bored of all things. Am I boring you Hashirama? But before I could blurt out anymore, Hashirama interrupts my train of thought a second time.

"Madara, the people need someone, and I want that to be you. During this war, while both of our clans payed dearly, you've had to suffer more than I. And while we've both wanted this for the same amount of time, you clearly have more passion for the role. What I am saying is, I would like you to be appointed the leader of this Village."

My unconscious reaction was to fully face my body towards him, paralyzed in shock. What. The. Hell. I've never heard anything so scripted. I know Hashirama likes to sound stoic in his speech when he's trying to command a room, but he's really putting me on the spot here. How does he expect me to react to all of that? Facing me, sternly looking me dead in the eye, it's clear that he expects an answer right this moment. Got to buy myself some time to read the situation.

"Do you have a name for that yet?"

"What?"

"For the leader of the village. Am I stuttering?"

"Oh, I'm just thinking of the Hidden Leaves Village Leader. You like it?" I almost fucking cackled in front of him. And while I did a good job of not reacting to the name, somehow, I think he could take a wild guess about what was going through my head. It was plain obvious that I didn't like the so-called "name" he came up with.

"Oh-oh wait! What aboooouuuuttt…. Hidden Leaf Village Elder? Hehhh? What about that?" He was gleaming in pride as he said it too. I couldn't stop it; I was already holding my sides before he could finish his sentence. Choked air pushed past my nostrils after a botched attempt to keep my chuckles to myself. Why does he do this? This would not be the first time he's pitched an idea this poorly and acted like it was a legitimate award-winning gem. Oh my god.

"That's an awful name. Why are you so bad at these things?" A genuine question I, to this day, cannot find an answer to. Maybe he shouldn't be trusted to run a village.

"I know…"

Hashirama now in his depressed manic state. Meanwhile, a burst of full out laughter erupts out of me. You know, one could call it evil to shoot down his friend's ego. I would call it mission complete, considering I now have Hashirama distracted for 30 seconds to ponder his initial offer before he questions me again. And I like to believe that I'm a quick enough thinker. Okay, what do we know?

Hashirama doesn't want the position himself. Of course, this is rooted in general concern for the Village and his genuine belief in me. However, I can't ignore that there are likely some ulterior motives. Nothing too grand or evil. But we do know that as tired as I am with fighting and war, Hashirama is just as tired with the bonus of being naturally lazy, all things considered. And with the obvious lack of introspection and critical thinking shown in things like his naming ability, you can see why he lacks confidence in his ability to lead the Village. But above all else, the most incriminating piece of the puzzle is that we all know Hashirama to be a HUGE COMPULSIVE—

"GAMBLER!" I shout directly at him all the while pointing my finger to the accused person of interest. Clearly confused and still depressed, fake tears continue rolling down his face as it finally dawns on me what his motives are.

"You're MEAN!" A grown man, I almost want to laugh, but I've got a mystery to solve.

"Oh no, don't try to change the subject now. I see what you're up to Hashi! You want me to be the leader so that you don't have to be responsible for anything! In fact, you're probably hoping I'd peddle money to you in complacency with your damn gambling issues and alcohol problems!"

*Intense gasp*

"HOW COULD YOU SAY THAT?" The once mirroring streams of crocodile weeping are now two matching lakes. He thinks his puppy dog eyes are going to get him out of this one.

After turning back to the village and giving him half a minute to collect himself and clean up his bad acting, I receive a pull on my right shoulder. As I'm turning back to face him, I'm taken aback at how close he got. I wanted to walk back a foot or two to put space between us, but somehow, he's got me stunned and locked in place, lost in his brown pools of light. A moment of silence is held between us, both of us still thinking, not fully knowing what to say. At least I don't feel so lost. It's in these moments that I feel saved by him.

As typical and casual as this conversation (in my mind at least) may seem, I feel very honored that he would bring this all to my attention. That he acknowledges me as a possible suitor for that role, let alone his sole choice. Not only that, but thinking more about it, I can guess with full confidence that I'm the first and only person he's talked to about it.

However, I want to share that role with him. I believe that people could respect him if he did it on his own. I wouldn't get that same respect though. I wouldn't be able to do it alone. I wouldn't even want to do it alone, and while I may have been able to cast aside my feelings for him, I objectively would need his help for something like this. Sometimes, in my mind, I imagine my life without him. And I imagined the scenario that people would not have taken my declaration of a peace treaty seriously in such a universe without Hashirama. I need his help.

"Hashirama, let me ask you something. Why would you assume that I am the better person for this role rather than yourself? It seems to me that you just want to seem humble. How am I to suspect that you don't actually want to do it? Maybe you're just trying to use reverse psychology so that I urge YOU to do the role, with no further competition from me." I proceed to cross my arms in a defensive stance. The accusation itself wasn't so baseless and out there that I regret saying it; it wasn't that great of a case to build in the long run. And it also takes away from what I want to know.

"No, Madara it's nothing like that. You know me. And I know you. And I've seen what's in your heart. I'm not willing to call myself stupid, I do have to admit though, you are the more tactful and careful one out of us two. You would not leave this Village astray. Whereas I wouldn't be what the Village needs to be most. I couldn't do it on my own."

"Then we could do it together. Did you ever consider that Hashirama? Why haven't you considered there being multiple leaders?"

"No, it must be one, this is the first time any Village has been established ever, and before others follow suit, the system needs to be done correctly. We can't tinker with the idea of multiple leaders the first time around, especially when we're the leaders of our respective clans. It could lead to conflict down the road over which clan is more powerful."

He does have a point; he's clearly thought about all of this before talking with me. Something I do tend to forget is that he clearly does exhibit critical thinking about things he cares about. There is an overwhelming effort towards fighting for his goals, unlike any other.

"The last thing I would want is to bring more turbulence to the great people of this land, Uchiha or Senju; we've all given a lot just to be a part of this. We've done it all together, and we'll all be in this together. And as I said, I feel like you suffered, more than I have. It's also my way of thanking you for not attacking Tobirama. You may still hold contempt for him, but it was you who had announced an end to the war. Whether it be because you didn't want to see me die, or because you didn't want to see anymore people you care about die, I thank you."

He's been thinking hard about this hasn't he. He's been worried. Something about this makes me want to cry. I haven't cried since the first time I lost a brother. I can tell Hashirama feels my discomfort because he then grabs both my shoulders while looking like he's about to cry himself.

"We've both lost our parents and brothers to this war. Unlike me, you lost all of them, and I know you don't like talking about it… and I'm sorry."

I see him starting to shake continue to unravel right in front of me; we're still locked in fierce eye contact. I almost can't bare all of it, everything he's telling me, how much he's trying to get me to see what he sees. I lay my hand on his chest to try and console him. As he starts to relax, I resist the urge to caress his pecs. I partially try to console him as to keep him from hugging me at random, it happens a lot, and I always stuck in a position of trying to escape before unwanted erections embarrass me and ruin our relationship forever. I find the best way to avoid unwanted physical contact is to give partial physical contact. It works with him anyway.

"I'm not fully sure what to say."

"You get what I'm saying, though? I really would like you to consider the position."

I thought it all over quickly. But when I think about the Village accepting me in general, let alone as their leader, I imagine massive hatred and fear in response. A full on rebuke of my character. Not saying I'm fragile to critiques, I'm just aware that I'm not... popular... enough...

Hashirama was born to be universally loved. Everyone loves him. He's even made me see light and it's not something anyone can do. If it had been anyone else at that pivotal point in the war, I would have taken their lives. Especially Tobirama's for killing my brother in front of me. Hashirama is the only one in my mind that can reunite this land and recreate the Shinobi world. I don't believe I have that power. And that's not even to knock me down as I don't think anyone else around me has that power either. I'm not even fully respected in my own Clan. I've been called weak just for creating the truce with the Senju in the first place.

I'm not even sure…

If I'd be good in any role…

Or what I'm supposed to do…

This is all happening so quickly. And it took a long time filled with mindless fighting and endless battles. It has all lead up to this. I don't know what I'm doing anymore. And it's not something I can talk to Hashirama about either. He'd obviously win the people's vote anyway. And then there won't be any time left for me to be with him like this.

"Well, what do you say? Do you accept the bid the nomination for Leader of The Village hidden in the leaves?"

I take one last moment to think it over. And with the facts that I just laid out. It becomes a resounding answer in my mind, all too clear in fact.

"No Hashirama, the position is clearly yours. There is no way the people of the Village would accept me as their leader. And besides you're clearly the one of us to that everyone loves; that everyone adores, that everyone roots for. Everyone sees this Village as yours anyway. In any case, it would not be in my power to accept the nomination. Nor is it yours to give. It's the people's. Whether or not I accept your personal nomination isn't too much of a factor. It all depends on whether people see me as a good fit. When we get to that point, I might consider it. But until then, I must be acknowledged by the people of this Village first and foremost. So, I guess my answer for now is technically no on the grounds that I wouldn't win anyway." Whew. A bit winded after that. At least I didn't stutter this time.

Hashirama's face scrunches and puffs with annoyance and disappointment.

"But I really would like to thank you. I appreciate the offer and I'm glad you still are trying to think of a way to make me useful." Nearly grumbled that last sentence. Instant regret as now we're about re-argue the legitimacy of my nomination. Can't I catch a break with him?

A defiant stern look rises upon Hashirama's face, he raises one finger and-

"Hey, what are you two wasting time up here for?"

A powerful voice filled with spite and clear bitterness cuts through the tension. Whipping our attention to the other side of the mountain, we immediately distance ourselves from each other out of shock and embarrassment, a mutual silent agreement to drop the current discussion for now.

As we turn around, we see none other than the expected white hairand scarred face bearing red eyes that could challenge even my Sharingan.

While he is making it a point to yell at both of us, he's very obviously glaring directly at me with those eyes. And I, of course, return the glare in full. As much disdain that we clearly have for each other, he's the only other man that's really given me any purpose, other than Hashirama. In this time of peace, I shouldn't want to create more conflict. However, avenging Izuna will probably end up being my purpose in the far-far-far future. If anything, he's the one who'll end up ruining the peace that we all worked so hard to achieve.

I can't help it. I can't help but feel angry when I look at those eyes. It's like God's playing a sick cruel joke against me. Why is it always me? The man I'm glaring at. The man who took away my last brother and yet still standing. Has the audacity to glare at me? Worsened by the fact that I didn't start this. Something about him has always put me on edge. Partially it's the mutual distaste for each other. He's never liked me. Not when we were children. Not now. Not even after I put aside my anger for him and declared an end to the war, after directly establishing peace. When I see him glaring at me, I see how the village looks at me, although the people don't want to admit it. We're still outcasts in our own village. Tobirama is just more upfront with his hatred of the Uchiha than others. Especially with me.

When I look at Tobirama, I lose faith that we will ever truly be equals in terms of respect; that our clans will ever truly be united.

And most of all, pride be damned, I feel like I'm hopeless. When I look at Tobirama, I do feel like a weak leader. Like I truly should have killed him before he ever laid a finger on Izuna, and I definitely should have done so after. And me letting him go was a slap in the face to all the Uchiha clan members who had died before.

I'm so tired of feeling this way.

I'm so tired of looking at the Senju clan and feeling this way. But something that can topples this hatred, something that keeps me in line, something that may be deemed as a weakness.

I just can't help it.

I don't know what Hashirama has done to me.

Why do Senju men have to be so. fucking. hot…?

Part of me feels stupid for glaring at him. Part of me knows it's just an excuse to ogle him while he wastes his time glaring. Glaring at him is clearly not going to make any situation better. It's obvious that if we were to fight that I would win and if at any given point I wanted to kill him, I could. I'd have to deal with Hashirama's wrath, and I'd probably die from that. But that doesn't take away from the huge gap in power between me and his younger brother.

Words may seem meaningless in the Shinobi world, holding pointless hatred and animosity towards each other is even worse though. Feeling very complex emotions in one hand because I feel like I've been made the scapegoat for a lot of people's hatred. And I must do it in the name of the Village's happiness. In the name of ending that hatred and dying with that hatred. it's becoming painful and I don't know who to talk to.

But we've been staring at each other long enough, so I turn to face the village for the last time. As in, I'm finally ready to move forward. I'm ready to move past hatred, with or without people like Tobirama. Clearly Hashirama sees this; he sees how his own brother doesn't like me. How much he clearly despises me being in his vicinity or even having to see me at all. As if on cue, He beckons Hashirama to come back to the village with him. But before Hashirama decided to leave me here alone, he walks over to me and he hugs me as a goodbye.

"I know something's on your mind… other than what we were talking about… something really painful. You've been like this all day. I'm worried about you. And if you ever want or need to talk about anything. Please reach out to me. Please be kind to yourself. Don't suffer."

"I'm fine Hashirama. I promise. Don't worry about me. I'll be fine. I am fine. Don't worry." Maybe I should've sounded more confident. He was making me nervous. And I needed to get him off me before our unwanted visitor gets any ideas. I also wanted to keep MY unwanted visitor from doing the same. Again, I am confronted with the disappointed distraught look on his face. It's all real this time though, which is so much worse. It rips me apart on the inside to lie to him like this. And his response alone is shutting me down. He's not stupid, as much as I tease him. He's astounding with human emotions. It's one of many reasons why people like him so much. It feels like there's nothing he can't do. Maybe that's why he's always trying to lend a hand. If I let him into more of my world. Things won't be the same with him. I'm not sure I can ever give him my full honesty.

And then I was struck by a revelation, did he just offer me the position because he knew I was depressed? The pieces are all there. It may be an audacious thing to assume that Hashirama is putting me on a pedestal, but that look in his eyes told me that there was nothing of higher concern than my well-being. I want to scream. Intense agony writhes through my body. Why do I always bring people down? There's no other word for it. I'm heartbroken.

After awkwardly looking back at Tobirama, Hashirama finally decides, it's time to go. He waves me off with a goodbye and both proceed to exit the Mountainside and I'm left here with my depressing thoughts. But before they are gone, I can feel Tobirama's eyes wandering back to me.

So anyway tell me what you like/don't like in the review section. Do you think Madara should take the position? Do you think a duo Hokage shared position could work. Or is Hashirama doomed to the chair? I'm still working on the story so let me know what you think would be interesting.