A/N: This is an attempt to explore the Hashirama/Madara relationship. It's dotted with some humor and existential questions. Also I tried to make it canon-friendly. Rating is for cursing and some light sexual descritions.

This fic tries to simulate the relationship before and after the Uchiha-Senju alliance, following mostly Madara's point of view. Sometimes, Hashirama may give his opinion on the subject, and, not so frequently, Tobirama and Izuna will leave their own view as well.

In this fic, Madara's character is how I imagined him to be before his descend towards the hatred when he felt that Izuna's sacrifice wasn't properly appreciated by the other members of the Uchiha clan. Here, Madara his mostly self-assured, prideful, kind, temperamental, dutiful, stubborn, and pleasant.

Disclaimer: I own nothing whatsoever (breaks down in tears)

Curiosity

It was, probably, one of the hottest days of the year. A terrible heat wave had came down from the Land of Wind, and was giving the inhabitants of the Land of Fire a really hard time. The only place safe from the weakening heat , was the cool shadow cast by the tall trees. And, under those trees, near a clear water creek, two young boys were training against one another. After a rapid exchange of some well placed kicks, the boys stopped, panting.

"Madara let's stop for a while… " Hashirama sat on the ground, whipping the sweat of his forehead.

"No! If we really want to change anything, we can't stop training just because you are too tired!" Madara frown.

"I'm not tired… It's just too hot… I need some water or I will die wizen like an old apple" Hashirama laid on his back pretending to be suffocating.

"Fine, but it's not going to be a big break, it's already past mid day"

Hashirama got up smiling and ran towards the creek. Sighing, Madara followed the radiant boy to the edge of water. He didn't wanted to be the first one asking for a break, but the heat was starting to get to him too. He was as hot and sweaty as Hashirama, especially because, unlike the other wise boy, he wasn't wearing a sleeveless haori, he instead, was to endure his long sleeved balck haori. Not his best clothing choice.

"Hey! You know what? I got an idea" Hashirama got up, smiling, and starts undoing his haori "let's take a bath on the creek! What do you say?" He looked at Madara, hopefully.

Madara twisted his nose. Even though he was just a kid, and had three brothers, all older than him, he always had a very private personality and wasn't very fan of exposing himself like that. Sure, he was fine with taking his haori off… It would be nice to train without the restraining heat, but going completely naked, as it was required if he was to take a bath, was a whole different thing. But, despite that, he had to admit that it was a tempting idea.

"Come on, it's just the two of us! Or is this like the peeing situation?" Hashirama laughed and dodged the rock aimed to his head.

"I'M JUST VERY AWARE OF MY SURROUNDINGS!" Madara snapped at him, but gave in and started opening his haori.

"Do you know how to swim?" Hashirama took his pants off unashamed. After all, he was a boy, the oldest of four brothers, so he felt comfortable being naked in front of other boys "I do. I used to swim often with my brothers, in a lake near our house"

Comforted by the relaxed way Hashirama was talking, Madara started undress with more ease. It was almost the same as doing it around his own brothers.

" Wow. It's cold" Hashirama was already naked and with water up to his knees. Madara took his pants off and folded them. He didn't like his clothes all wrinkly.

" You have to get all in at once. If you're going too slow, you're going to get cold" Madara jumped in the water, splashing Hashirama in the process. Hashirama followed Madara's advice and plunged in the clear water. After a while, they had both adjusted to the water temperature, and were feeling a lot more comfortable.

"This happen to be a good idea" Hashirama pretend to thank to a non-existent audience "It's just too bad it doesn't happen frequently" Madara continued, grinning and leaning his back against a rock. Hashirama faked a sulk.

"Mean"

He swam for a while until he found a rock, round enough to sit upon, opposite to where Madara was, with an inquisitor look on his face"can I ask you something?"

"Sure, what is it?"

"Well, it's a little weird" a small blush start covering his cheeks. This surprised Madara, he had never seen Hashirama blush or look embarrassed like that.

"I'm used to weird things. Or else, I wouldn't be your friend."

"Do you ever feel different?"

"What do you mean?" Madara is puzzled by this. Hashirama normally is very descriptive, in everything, a real mouthful.

"You know… Did you ever felt different…down there?" his blush deepens a few shades.

"Don't you have brothers to talk about those things?" now, also Madara's cheeks were getting warmer. This kind of subject wasn't one of his personal favorites, although it was one of his older brothers.

"No… I only have younger brothers…" Hashirama looks at Madara with pleading eyes.

"Well what do you want me to tell you? I guess its normal…" Madara avoids eye contact and sighs "sometimes it feels weird, and sometimes it feels good, and sometimes it doesn't feel anything. It's just the way that it is."

"I know, but… now it feels weird and good more often… And sometimes it becomes bigger…" the last part was almost a whisper, barely audible through the water. Madara closed his eyes and sigh.

"Do you know where do babies come from? And how are they made?"

"Sure. I mean, I guess I do…"

Madara sighs again. Although this wasn't, still, his favorite subject, he was more comfortable because he did knew where babies came from and had to explain it already, once, to his only younger brother.

So Madara explained Hashirama the mechanics of baby making, the same way he was told. Unlike other growing up subjects, this one wasn't introduce to Madara by one of his older brothers, but by his Obasan. She was a very old and down to earth kunoichi, and didn't mind using more graphic descriptions to explain it to a six year old Madara, when he asked the difference between girls and boys.

"I don't think I want to become a father anymore… not if you have to…" When Madara finished, Hashirama's eyes were wide and he seemed to be lightly shocked.

"I know. It's weird. I can't understand why grownups do it" Madara shrug his shoulders, starting to swim towards the river bank "but I also don't know why they like kissing so much either..."

"WOW. You kissed someone?" Hashirama asked eagerly, following Madara.

"Yes I did. Once. And I didn't like it one bit" Madara was already getting out of the water and unfolding his clothes. "You haven't kissed anyone?"

"No I didn't. How was it?" Hashirama looked up to Madara, curiosity shinning in his eyes.

"Wet. Well at first it was nothing special, so we tried that one kiss, some grownups do, with their mouths open, but it was terrible" Hashirama frown.

"Maybe you didn't like her. Okasan always told me to kiss only if you really like the girl"

"I liked her. I just didn't liked the kiss" Madara said before putting his pants back on.

"Ohhhhh! So you did liked her!" Hashirama said with a mischievous smile. Madara felt the blood rush to his face. Again, he had spoken before thinking, this happened way too often.

"Shut up. I know her since we're babies! That's why we tried it. We're both curious" strapping his all too hot haori, Madara frown at Hashirama, which only had his pants on. "Hurry up, the break time is over. If we take long, there's not going to be any time left to practice"

"What was her name?" Hashirama asked already fully dressed. Madara thought if he should answer that, but there was no way Hashirama would know her, so he responded unwilling.

"Naomi"

"Did it felt different" Hashirama whispered when they reached the cool shadow of the trees.

"Yes. It did"