Chapter 1

Madara lay on the stony ground that had been their battlefield body spent, chakra exhausted trying to catch his breath. "If you want me to trust you Hashirama, either kill your brother or kill yourself. If you do this then… I'd be willing to trust your clan."

"Anija!" Its Tobirama's voice, for the first time his impassive mask is broken and he sounds furious. "This is insane. Are you planning on killing me now? Or yourself?"

But Hashirama does not look like he finds Madara's request ridiculous or beyond reason even. There is a considering look in his eyes and Madara isn't sure what to make of it.

"Thank you Madara. You really are kind hearted. Madara has given me a choice…an option where I wouldn't have to kill my little brother." He removed his armor quickly and with purpose, there is a kunai in his hands.

"Listen Tobirama and carve into your heart my final words. Words that I shall be exchanging with my life. You too my fellow clan members and even the Uchiha. After my death do not kill Madara, do not kill each other any longer. Swear right now upon our fathers and our ancestors and all that you hold dear. That the fighting between Uchiha and Senju will end." Hashirama lunged to impale himself. Madara gathered what little was left of his strength and grabbed the hand of his childhood friend to stop his foolishness. "Enough, I have seen what you are willing to do for peace."

But Hashirama shook his head. "No Madara, you say that now but until one of us is truly gone you will not be satisfied." He shook off his hand and moved faster than Madara thought was even possible for the man and impaled himself. Before jumping back and running through hand signs so quickly he cannot follow them without his Sharingan. "Ninja art human coffin." A blast of air is released throwing Tobirama and all who had attempted to stop him back. A large tree, split in half, emerged around him from the ground and then united into a whole with a loud snap. Blood squirted in every direction and insanely potent chakra was released into the sky above in a blaze of white light. He could feel the sudden gale of wind from the enormous energy discharged into the sky and it buffeted and pushed all those standing back an inch or two. In the end all that was left in the area was ashes. The life of the most powerful of all Shinobi in the lands…had ended.

Madara pushed himself up on his elbow. His eyes wide in disbelief. Tobirama fell to the ground on his knees his eyes wide in horror. "No…no this cannot be… Anija…" Madara himself could not believe it. Slowly the rest of the Senju clan fell to their knees in respect to the man who was a living legend. Hikaku is the first Uchiha that gets down on his knees, then the rest of the Uchiha follow suite. There is silence, save the rain that begins falling from the clouds that had gathered from the chakra storm. At length or what feels like an eternity Tobirama rises. His face is impassive though he cannot hide the way his hands clench at his sides.

Madara does not know what to expect and none of the Uchiha move to hinder him. Slowly, telegraphing his movements, he walks towards Madara and pulls out a small scroll and kneels down placing it by Madara's side. "This is the peace agreement. Do with it what you will." Then Tobirama picks up what is left of Hashirama's armor and calls a retreat.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

The peace treaty is signed that week. The Uchiha and Senju start their work on building a village. It would have been easier with Hashirama's mokuton but he is not here any longer. Madara feels like he is walking through some strange sort of dream when he sees the members of both clans busy cutting down trees with wind jutsus next to one another. Clearing out what's left to make flat land with earth jutsus. The architects of both clans gather together and Tobirama provides what is apparently his own extensive schematics on building a village with the Uchiha clan.

It is almost surreal to be standing over a desk in the middle of a grassy clearing discussing the different structures that are going to be built with Tobirama Senju in a peaceful manner. He has in depth explanations and reasoning on the position of every road and building and will field any and all questions from himself patiently. It doesn't really matter though, Madara is simply too empty to disagree. Most of the plans for the village look fine anyway, and it doesn't much matter to him where the Hokage tower is or the where the markets will be situated. He has bad days, days when it takes everything he has not to just straight up kill Tobirama and be done with it, alliance be damned. But that would be dishonorable to Hashirama's sacrifice, so he stays his hand. Sometimes he wonders if Tobirama has days like that as well.

There is tension between both clans the first few weeks. He mediates as fairly as he can, while Tobirama is needed everywhere by everyone at once for various clarifications. They range from complicated matters, such as where the pipes should go and how the sewer system will be structured, to things as simple as how wide the village gates should be.

Most are happy with his interventions and return to their work. In one instance one of the Senju all but demands Tobirama's presence to mediate, unhappy with Madara's ruling. Tobirama comes, listens to the man and the Uchiha he had scuffled with. Madara isn't sure what to expect from Hashirama's younger brother but to his disbelief he agrees with Madara's decision before having one of the other Senju forcibly remove the offending Senju from the area.

Tobirama has said nothing on what happened on that day. His face is impassive and his eyes focused. There is a certain tension that Tobirama has around Madara that he does not have around the other Uchiha. Otherwise, when Tobirama speaks with him it is no different from when he speaks with his own clan members. Though his speech with Madara is stifled. If he initiates it is for a reason. Otherwise, he will only speak with Madara when Madara prompts him with a question or request. He is not rude on the contrary he will elaborate as much as is required. But there is something distant in the way he treats Madara when compared to Hikaku or the rest of his clan.

By the end of the second month the Hyuga, Yamanaka, Nara, Akimichi, Aburame, Inuzuka and the Hatake, clans that had wanted to join their growing village send their own clan members to help with the construction. Once more shinobi join the tension in the air which has been slowly decreasing between the Uchiha and the Senju dissipates completely.

Tobirama has some of his men dig a large fire pit and a few smaller fire pits for use during meal breaks and has all the shinobi mingling and eating in several areas as mixed groups. It breaks something inside of him to see a Senju slap a Nara on the back and laugh at a joke the other made. To see an Uchiha in quiet discussion with a Yamanaka on chakra theory. He could have had this years earlier. Him and Izuna both, if only he had trusted Hashirama. If only he had listened to his friend, so many more Uchiha could have lived. But at the very least, going forward his clan will live.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

It is nearly three months after Hashirama's death that the village is complete enough to be considered habitable. Some of the markets are already filled and most of the clans have already finished building their clan compounds.

Madara sits behind a desk at the Hokage tower with Tobirama leaning against one of the other desks his arms folded across his chest. They are both out of their battle armor. Tobirama wears, his metal faceplate, a black long-sleeved shirt and black ninja pants, over which he wears a sleeveless blue kimono which reaches above his ankles. Madara is wearing his usual dark blue coat and pants that he wears when he is out of his armor. Though he has removed the high collar of the outfit, to as Hikaku put it look less intimidating and more approachable.

"Each clan head will have a seat on the shinobi council. The Hokage can choose two advisors, from a clan not their own, whose sole purpose will be to give advice but not decide on any course of action. That will be the duty of the Hokage." Tobirama elaborates on his question.

"And the Hokage, how will he be chosen." Madara sifts through the papers on the bureaucratic structure of the village Tobirama has provided him. He has already heard all of this in meetings with the other clan heads but never had the time to read through all the actual papers and the details they contain.

"He will be elected by a democratic vote of the shinobi council."

"He has to be nominated… by a clan head and has to have above Jounin level skills, and win the majority approval of the shinobi council. Hmm, but otherwise anyone can request to be nominated even a shinobi with no clan affiliation?"

"That is correct. The official nomination period opens next week. However, some of the selections have already been submitted."

Madara sifts through the nominations for the Hokage seat. "I do not see your name here. Will you be nominating yourself."

"That is what I am here to discuss. I went through the clan affiliations. The Inuzuka, Hatake and Aburame are likely to support an Uchiha choice. The Hyuga, Sarutobi and Shimura will likely support a Senju choice. The Yamanaka, Akimichi and Nara will likely support one of their own. Even counting other major and minor clan affiliations, the Uchiha and Senju will be in stalemate. Not to mention bigger clans like the Hyuga will never listen to a Hokage from the Yamanaka, Akimichi and Nara clans as it takes the combination of all three clans just to equal the manpower of the Hyuga alone."

"That could be problematic. What was the original idea then."

Tobirama shifted. "My plan was always to nominate Hashirama for the Hokage seat." Tobirama says his brother's name with no inflection in his voice. It is probably the first time he has heard the younger man say his brother's name since that day. "He was the one in communication with the other clan heads, and he was quite popular with them as well. Now though…even if we assumed there was no stalemate and say I won the Hokage seat. Who would take over the infrastructure planning."

"Are you saying you want to nominate me as Hokage?" It is an uncomfortable feeling. To know he was indirectly responsible for the death of the man's brother and yet unlike himself Tobirama does not seem to bear him any ill will.

"Yes"

"Why?"

"You are not my first choice. However, if I do not put forth my name or nominate a candidate the Hyuga clan will. Some of the minor clans owe the Hyuga favors which they may call in."

"And here I thought you were all for democracy."

"I am, I am using my political power as clan head to vote for and support whom I believe will be the better choice for this village."

"They are your allies, and yet you do not support them."

"Have you read the clan briefing report I provided on the Hyuga?"

"Not yet why." Tobirama sighed then closed his eyes and rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"Because then you would know that the entire Hyuga clan save the main branch have a cursed seal on them to protect there dojutsu."

"What kind of seal is it?" He'd heard something about it but not much, and if a seal master like Tobirama is concerned…

"The kind that can be remotely activated to cause any level of pain to the branch member. Or alternatively act as a kill switch should one of the main branch choose it to be so."

"That is…extremely barbaric." He feels a chill going down his spine. He couldn't imagine ever having such a level of power over Izuna, him or any of his Uchiha cousins. It's one thing to make a seal to protect a clan's dojutsu it is another matter completely to do this…. There is something extremely wrong with this clan.

"Which is why I would prefer someone with that kind of power not have a chance at the Hokage seat. That leaves only the Uchiha as a major player for the position. I do have a stipulation however, you will give me veto power. Should you pass a ruling that is deemed a danger to Konoha or one of the clans I can veto the ruling. If you still want to pass the motion we will take it to the Shinobi council and they can decide." Madara is silent. He isn't sure what to think. Does he want to be Hokage? He sees little issue with it. He wants to protect the village, he wants to protect Hashirama's dream. He wants to protect his clan, and now the village which will be his new clan. As for the veto power…its rather fair. If their positions were reversed, he would likely want the same thing.

Konoha is officially recognized by the Damiyo. Two weeks later Madara is elected as the first Hokage. Madara remains the Uchiha clan head but has Hikaku take over many of his official clan duties. Tobirama aside from his official position as head of infrastructure development and other projects is strongly understood to hold the position as defacto Hokage should Madara become otherwise unavailable. Inon head of the Yamanaka clan takes the position as head of T&I. Shikan head of the Nara clan and Hiyashu head of the Hyuga clan take the position as the two advisors to the Hokage. Tsuma head of the Inuzuka clan takes the position as head of village security and border patrols. Tagayasu head of the Hatake clan takes the position as head of forward scouts. Shibiro head of the Aburame clan takes the position as Jonin Commander. Elder Norusana one of the Senju elders takes the position as head of Konoha hospitals and medics. Chojiron head of the Akimichi clan takes the position as the head of Konoha's merchant guild. Hiruno Sarutobi head of the Sarutobi clan takes the position as the head of what will be Konoha's shinobi academy and education department. Konoha is ready to flourish.

Note: This is not and will not be slash.

If I had to pair Madara with someone in this fic it would be probably with Touka but that would be many years down the line and offscreen basically. This is a brotherhood and friendship fic and I don't see these characters in any other way.