A/N: This is for people who are confused or just curious. If things are still confusing, please tell me and I can try to explain what's happening better. This is from Hashirama's side and in the correct chronological order. I don't think I need to add Madara's side too, but other prospectives, I'm not sure yet.

Hashirama watched his best friend as he slept peacefully—as he had been doing for the past couple hours. He glanced out the open window, a night breeze blowing into the room before focusing back on Madara. He squeezed his eyes shut.

When news about Madara's attack on the village reach him, Hashirama had steeled himself. He left his village grounds to stop Madara and he was mentally prepared going into the battle. He felt pained during the fight, he had hardened his resolve when he plunged a blade through Madara and he was overcome with an empty loss as he saw the man lie still in the waters. But why was it that Hashirama decided to bring Madara back to Konoha? He didn't know the answer to that himself.

Fluttering eyelashes he caught from the corner of his eyes brought Hashirama back to the present.

"You're awake," he said and Madara turned to look at him. He could see the man was still recalling his last memories. He told Madara he was in Konoha. Hashirama's face fell slightly at the other's body language that he recognized as anger. Though it didn't seem Madara was hiding his emotions, he did strain to sound calm. Hashirama uncurled the man's fingers from his palm, frowning. He didn't like that Madara was deliberately hurting himself, whether or not it was needed to suppress his anger.

His expression must have upset Madara because he almost hissed at Hashirama to stop looking like he was. Madara was mistaken in thinking he would ever give a look of pity to him and Madara should have known that by now. Hashirama had never thought of him to be pitiful.

"I believe you," he said and it was the truth. Madara scoffed. Hashirama's body went rigid as the man repeated his own words he had said to Madara at the end of their battle. He held his tongue, redoing the bandages on Madara's arm. He responded to the man that he wasn't thought of as a threat to Konoha. Hashirama hadn't hesitated, voicing it into a firm statement.

"Stop being so naive…"

This conversation again. He wasn't naive. Madara rolled his head, facing away from Hashirama. Madara knew he wasn't naive too. What good was it doing the both of them for Madara to lie, to avoid speaking honestly with him? Madara wouldn't attack the village again like he said he would. Hashirama believed this. To destroy Konoha to ruins wasn't where the man's true intention lay.

At Madara's confused expression, Hashirama explained there were seals place—on him and the room. He smiled, giving Madara's wrist a gentle squeeze.

"You can't access your chakra." Madara wouldn't be able to leave here. He would be confined here for the time being. Until Hashirama could trust Madara to stay within the village grounds, he wouldn't let the man out of his sight. Madara would always be within his reach. It surprised Hashirama though, when Madara made an attempt to gather chakra. His cry of pain alarmed Hashirama, his breath choked in his chest.

"I want you to stay here in the village," Hashirama said, making his intentions clear. That was all he wanted and all he was planning, nothing else, nothing more. He beamed, giddy. "I won't let you step a foot out of this room."

The only people who knew Madara was confined in a room Hashirama had chosen, was himself, his younger brother Tobirama, and his wife Mito. The fact that Madara was alive was hidden. It didn't matter how long it took until Madara came around—anything to ensure his best friend would stay in Konoha. For that to happen, it was simple: lock Madara up in a room where he could reflect on his thoughts alone.

Sometimes when Hashirama was busy or tired, Tobirama would bring Madara his meals instead. Today was one of those days. He was restless that night and had gone out for a walk around their clan compound when he'd heard a loud thud.

"Tobirama, what are you doing?" he called out to Tobirama as he spot him from around the corner. Of course the younger didn't say what was distressing him at first, but he started to see Tobirama's signs of contemplation.

"Madara, he…" Oh, it had something to do with Madara. He felt Tobirama glance at him, he had noticed the mention of the name interested Hashirama. His eyes widened when Tobirama had said Madara had a…corset piercing. Madara knew of his weakness…and Hashirama wanted to see it. Red would suit him. He laughed at Tobirama's reaction and headed to Madara's room.

Hashirama started off slow, then it changed into a speed walk and again into a run. He could feel himself smiling as he neared Madara's room. He slid the door with a slam, panting by the doorway. Madara was sitting at his usual seat on the window sill. The man smirked at his appearance.

"That was fast. I guess your brother told you?" Madara said. Hashirama blinked, replacing the subtle smile with a neutral face.

"Did you really.." He didn't doubt Tobirama's discovery but he wanted to hear it from Madara. He stepped into the room, locking the door behind him.

"Do you want to see?" Madara sounded amused and Hashirama had to swallow, remembering not to get ahead of himself.

"Why did you do it?" He breathed, holding the breath for a few seconds. "Why did you get a corset piercing?" Hashirama felt apprehensive as Madara laughed to the point where he teared up.

"Why? I thought I'd indulge you in your interests." Hashirama shifted on his feet. His interests the man had said. It was confirmed Madara knew and he'd even thought to indulge Hashirama. His stomach curled and twisted in itself. It hadn't answered his question, he pointed out.

"You never do," Madara said sharply. Hashirama's brows knitted and he bit the inside of his mouth. If Madara claimed he didn't understand him then he should just explain, talk to him about everything.

"Think of it as a little compensation for Konoha." Irritation quickly exploded from Hashirama.

"Madara!" he shouted. Why was the man insistent that he would eventually come and destroy the village? There were too many questions and misunderstandings with too little answers and understandings.

Madara had gotten the corset piercing for him. He had offered and Hashirama would gladly take it. As Madara's wild mane was bunched to the side, he held his gasp in. The crisscross of ribbon was nice, but more appealing were the rings pierced on the man's back. There were several of them lined up vertically, two columns of silver rings. The ribbons were tightly woven through the hoops and Hashirama couldn't help it, reaching his hands out. He traced over Madara's back and sighed.

"You're beautiful…" It was amazing. How Madara's skin would stretch when he tugged on the rings. He touched the man's skin, running his hands lightly all over, pinching the flesh here and there. Sometimes shaky breaths would leave his lips and he'd nuzzle his face against Madara's back.

"Red really suits you…" Hashirama leaned in and whispered in the other's ear, relishing how Madara's froze, rigid in response yet his face telling Hashirama he was embarrassed. How fun…He licked down Madara's spine, the man arching into his tongue and shivering—a sweet whine spilling out. His chuckle was deep and rumbled in his chest.

Hashirama caressed Madara's sides and smile as the man trembled at his soft touch. He wondered briefly, how Madara would look if he'd also pierced his sides as well. Wonder, of course.

"Your back's sensitive…" he commented. He remembered the way Madara would tense up if someone was behind him…and even now, that hadn't changed. He smirked when Madara didn't want to him to say more and asked for permission to undo his ribbon. He noticed the rings were captives hoops, disappointment prickling him. The corset piercing was only temporary.

Once he slid off all the rings on Madara's back, the pleasant sensation still tingling on his fingertips, he pulled on the red silk. It was like opening a present, his present. He brought the ribbon to his mouth and he was satisfied with the way it felt on his lips. This was the ribbon that bound Madara's back. Ah, he couldn't handle this.

Hashirama's attention went to the punctured holes. He stared at them, rubbing the holes with his fingers in a circular motion. These were the spots where the rings hooked into Madara's skin. He couldn't stop himself from shaking in excitement.

"Done?" The mocking tone didn't bother Hashirama and he said almost. He dug his fingernails into Madara's skin, digging harder with each passing beat. He eyed the hole, pleased when blood oozed out of the empty pore and lapped the fluid up. While he was enjoying the moment and Madara's hiss, he was elbowed in the chest. Hashirama coughed, temporarily out of breath by the blow.

He laughed breathlessly. "Don't be like, Madara," he said and almost growled. "You let me do this." Hashirama swiftly left the room. It wouldn't do to get too carried away as long as Madara's goal in indulging his hobbies remained unknown. It was lucky that the man hit him when he had. He didn't think he could control himself any longer. Hashirama probably wouldn't be able to contain his urge to do more.

The following days had plagued Hashirama sleepless. He didn't feel like eating or sleeping and the last option was to keep himself with work. Thoughts of Madara and what Madara had allowed him to do was all that filled in mind.

Here he was in a meeting, the stress getting to him. He hadn't gone to see Madara since the incident, too busy with work. When he yawned without realizing it, Tobirama kicked him from under the table. He yelped, gaining the attention of the members in the room and used the situation as a chance to excuse himself.

The tap gushed with water that drowned the sound of Hashirama's harsh pants. He smiled and chuckled to himself, his forehead against the mirror. He licked his lips and stepped away from the mirror, finally aware he was fogging it up. He wiped the fog off and stared at his reflection. He tensed, feeling Tobirama's footsteps stop nearby. He heard two knocks.

"Brother?" It was his younger brother's voice. Hashirama turned the tap off. Tobirama was checking up on him. His brother was worried about him. Colours of bold red against pale skin crossed his mind.

"I'm fine," he said when Tobirama asked him about his condition. Another image flitted in his mind, ribbons of silk splayed lazily across Madara's back. He laughed at Tobirama's straightforwardness. Hashirama past Tobirama and let him know he'd be in his office.

Madara was ruining him.

It was past midnight that he'd been informed of an ex-feudal lord's death. Hashirama raised an eyebrow at that, wondering why in the world anyone would want to assassinate the man now when he'd been left alone for months. The feudal lord was demoted and robbed of his wealth. No one objected that the treatment was light, after all, the man's assassination attempts weren't much of a threat. It wasn't anything Hashirama's Anbu had problems dealing with. Who would…

A smile crept onto his features. He put his pen down and twirled his chair to look out the window. So it was him…No matter what the other said or did, his priority would always be Hashirama's safety.

When morning came, he was still in his office and he had come to a decision. He leapt to his feet and barged into Mito's room. He glanced at Tobirama, having an inkling why his brother was in his wife's room. He ignored that and dashed out immediately, holding a tin box in his hands.

Hashirama brought Madara his meal tonight, after missing the previous days' meals to his brother. He was nervous because it'd been a while since he'd seen Madara. How would he react? He called out dinner in a cheery voice and was surprised to hear the man response with more than a word.

Madara seemed like he could read what Hashirama had come to his room for. "It's fine. What do you want to do?" He fidgeted under the other's gaze. Madara scowled and he jumped, placing the tin box he borrowed from Mito earlier, in between them.

"I want to…Can I?" Hashirama held up a sewing needle and he saw Madara's eyes flash. Madara was no fool. He knew what Hashirama wanted to do: sew the red thread in the tin box into his skin.

Hashirama was delighted as much as he was shocked at Madara's obedience. The man put forth his arms, a silent telling. Hashirama didn't want to dwell on the reason for Madara's actions. They didn't matter. If Madara stayed, that was all he cared for.

Hashirama ignored Tobirama's usual nagging as they both made their way to Madara's room. He brushed his brother aside and didn't let him step into the room.

"We need to talk," he said. Tobirama left the two alone and immediately, Madara scoffed.

"You didn't believe a seal could bind me forever did you?" No he hadn't, Hashirama admitted sadly. If only one could do that…Madara inched backwards, looking like he'd jumped out anytime. It put stress on Hashirama—Madara would and could escape from his grasp, again.

They talked and they tried as they had in the past. Hashirama wouldn't give up, offering that they had options, a future together. There was no need to kill each other in order to achieve dreams. Was it worth it? The village they founded and raised together, one that wouldn't have existed if either wasn't present. It was their dream but he guessed Madara had a different dream now.

Hashirama grit his teeth, muscles tightening when the wind seemed to push Madara out the window. He lunged forward and caught Madara by the waist, roughly throwing the man to the floor. His gaze grew hard and he stabbed Madara's hand to the tatami flooring, whimpers of pain falling on deaf ears. Hashirama panted even though he hadn't done much physically. Pressure was building in his throat, he wanted to let a sound out, a groan, a grunt, anything.

"Madara…" he murmured, a softness gleaming his eyes. The kunai bit into his neck but that didn't matter. "You're beautiful," another truth he said. Red truly suited Madara. Hashirama reached to the side, in his clothing and jabbed a second kunai, this time into Madara's guts. He shivered, biting a smile. The sinking sensation tingled in his palms, running a chill up his spine.

Hashirama smiled brightly, like he had during his childhood. This was it. Everything leading up to now could have turned out differently, but in the end, this was inevitable. Now together with Madara, he could…When he thought of it like that, he just couldn't help the joy radiating from him. Hashirama took the kunai in Madara's loosened grip and slashed across his abdomen, blood spewing onto Madara lying below him.

Hashirama wanted to laugh if he could, at the face Madara was making. It was as if they were back in time, still playing on the riverbed, childishly skipping rocks, sparring and pranking each other. Madara called him an idiot, a moron and a bastard. Hashirama rolled onto the floor beside Madara, smiling.

"One..too ma-ny," he retorted weakly, wheezing. He found his best friend's hand and covered it with his own. "I would die for you," Hashirama said. He wanted to let the other know. He knew it answered a lingering question between them ever since Madara had told him to kill either him, himself, or Tobirama. Perhaps that wasn't right. It might have been all the way back to the time they'd figured each other's identity.

Madara snorted, choking on the blood gathered in his mouth. Hashirama grinned. Now Madara wouldn't be able to deceive him, lie to the both of them or avoid him. He couldn't leave Hashirama behind now.