The name Kaguya Ĺtsutsuki sent shivers down the three's spines, "Im...possible... Kaguya Ootsutsuki is just a myth." Madara denied it.
Kaguya looked at her with an intrigued look, "There is always truth to myths, girl."
Black Zetsu laughed in Kaguya's sleeve, "Oh Madara, you were so easy to manipulate. Using that stupid tablet for a promise of eternal peace, such a thing is impossible even for godlike beings like mother. The infinite Tsukuyomi only turns humans into White Zetsu clones, but gives them an illusionary world before their mind is wiped and turned into a mindless slave."
Madara was going to bite back with something witty but froze, everything she'd done in the name of peace was for nothing. She was on the verge of a mental breakdown, she doomed everyone to a gruesome fate.
"Why do such a thing to people who have done nothing to you?" Hashirama asked irritated by his friend's deteriorating mental state.
"You would not understand, mortal. I have seen the worst our species has to offer, you have not suffered as I have." Kaguya said bitterly.
"I have seen the worst in humanity just as you have, but I have seen the things that make life worth living. The next generation, the legacy we leave for others. And we all make sacrifices for our ideals, the question is what have you sacrificed?" Hashirama said.
"I lost the one thing that made me whole, the only thing that showed me the light through the darkness we call the world. My husband Tenji." Kaguya said withholding anger.
Hashirama did not back down from Kaguya when she approached him, "Everyone loses someone they love, but that doesn't justify making everyone else suffer."
"And what would you know of love and loss, Mr...?"
"My name is Hashirama Senju, and I have lost my brothers, my father and mother, my cousins, my friends, and the woman I loved, and myself." He said with no hesitation.
Kaguya looked at the brunette man, "Then you should understand me more than most, Senju-sama. This world must be eradicated and a new one shall be born for those worthy enough."
"No..." Madara said weakly with her head down, "The world is not the problem, it is you. Maybe humanity was a mistake, or maybe there is not enough compassion in the world. But do not dare to think you understand us, you were a pampered princess who could not understand warfare, starvation, and sleepless nights protecting your allies. You may be the rabbit goddess but what is a goddess to a non-believer." Madara said angrily.
Hashirama turned to her and gave her a toothy grin, "That's the spirit, Madara." He said with happiness in his voice, he had only seen her this determined twice in his life.
"Stop smiling you idiot, I'm not doing this for you!" Madara said as she turned away from him to hide her blush. Hashirama smiled even more, "Of course not, it's because we are the last hope the earth has."
Kaguya looked at Madara and could see the same spark she had when she and Tenji were together, "Madara-san, surely this isn't what you want? You stand no chance against me as you are, I do not wish to butcher you both." Madara's posture did not waver and neither did Hashirama's, even if they knew she was right.
Obito knew that they were outmatched and decided she'd need to fight in conjunction with him, she teleported herself with Kamui.
Kaguya saw the scarred girl disappear into thin air and thought nothing of it, "Zetsu, tell me everything about these two." Kaguya ordered.
"Madara Uchiha, only daughter of Uchiha clan leader Tajima Uchiha. Sister to four dead brothers and a veteran of warfare, she is the strongest warrior of her clan and the only woman to lead a clan. She has no offspring and has never shown interest in a man. She founded the village hidden in the leaves with the same man she battled to death with, she was stabbed and killed by Hashirama Senju at the age of twenty-four. However she survived and planned everything out for the infinite Tsukuyomi, but she was too old to complete it so created two pawns that continued her mission. She died at the age of eighty-six. She was resurrected sixteen years later and has the Sharingan and Rinnegan. And Hashirama Senju, eldest son of Senju clan leader Butsuma Senju. Brother to three dead brothers and the only user of wood-based ninjutsu within a thousand years. Married to Mito Uzumaki, had one son, two grandchildren, and one great grandson. He was the first Hokage of the village hidden in the leaves and committed suicide at the age of twenty-five shortly after he killed Madara Uchiha. He was resurrected sixty-six years later." Zetsu explained eerily.
Madara looked at Hashirama confused, "Why would you commit seppuku?" Hashirama hung his head in shame, he hoped that Madara would never learn the truth of his death.
Kaguya now understood that spark, it was love. Love with the man who was in her life for so long and was most likely unsure of her feelings towards him, "Uchiha-hime, you and I are not so different. I wanted peace and got my heart ripped out in the process, but that is how the world works. You can join me and your friend can survive."
Madara hesitated but Hashirama did not, "What are you offering? To not be turned into mindless slaves and watch as innocents suffer and we sit idly by?!" Hashirama said as if he were insulted.
Kaguya thought that maybe a less hands-on approach was needed, "You are a righteous man, Senju-sama. But maybe this will change your mind," her Rinne Sharingan began hypnotizing the two founders, Madara tried to fight it but succumbed.
Hashirama woke up in a bedroom he recognized, he ran to the bathroom and saw himself when he was sixteen years old. He had his bowl cut that Madara made fun of so often, he knew he was under a genjutsu but had no knowledge of how to release himself. He walked out of his bedroom to see his father and Tobirama were eating breakfast, "Looks like someone woke up early." Butsuma said snidely.
"Maybe he's just excited about the big day, father," Tobirama said as he took a spoonful of miso soup.
"What big day?" Hashirama asked as he didn't know that a genjutsu could feel this real. Butsuma looked offended, "You forgot?! How could forget such a monumental day in history?!" He asked dumbfounded.
Tobirama sighed as Hashirama sat next to him on the tatami mat, "You know, the day we won against the Uchiha. It's also the day the Senju boys of sixteen get to choose from the Uchiha slave girls, you've been so excited about it since cousin Nowaki bragged about his slave last year. How could you forget?"
Hashirama was terrified of such a prospect, even if it was a genjutsu it was still a possible outcome from before he was born. "Why would we do such a thing, Uchiha are people just like us?" Hashirama asked.
Butsuma looked sternly at him, "Because it's how we get revenge on the men we killed already, to avenge the fallen, and because it signifies the day a Senju boy becomes a man by doing the only thing we can do to an Uchiha. You better not be getting cold feet now, Kujoh is saving you a specific girl too."
"I'm not, I just wanted to ask a couple of questions," Hashirama said nervously, Butsuma looked at his eldest son with a glare before relenting. Hashirama ate his genjutsu breakfast slowly, his mind was too focused on why this was his genjutsu world and not the future of when Konohagakure was founded, but his mind always raced to Madara and where she was in this fake reality.
Hashirama walked to the river that always appeared in his dreams, whether it was because of the nightmares of Madara's death or his countless memories of young Madara. Unfortunately, he wasn't alone as he saw many boys who were older than him with black-haired girls that were older than them and without clothes, Hashirama almost threw up at the sight.
He noticed there was a stone monument that had words inscribed on it, Hashirama walked closer and read, "The stone skipper's river, formerly a place where Uchiha women would wash clothes and unwind away from their husbands. Thanks to the brave, Tobirama Senju for following an Uchiha girl to their compound, that tried skipping stones across the river, her rock never reached the other side."
Hashirama fell to his knees at the monument, this wasn't just a genjutsu, it was his purgatory.
"You checking on the stone skipper's river, huh?" The young Tobirama asked. Hashirama loved his brother but not this version, "Yeah, I suppose so. Whatever happened to the stone skipper, Tobi?"
He shrugged, "I don't know, I think she was Tajima Uchiha's daughter so she could one of the many girls being used around us or simply died four years ago during the battle of Uchiha hill."
Hashirama left without saying a word, he felt something he'd not felt in a very long time, hatred, pure unadulterated hatred. He went to the training grounds he used to use, he punched the wooden log until his knuckles bled. His hands were in so much pain as he punched for five hours, Butsuma walked up behind him, "I think you won already, Hashi."
He ignored him and continued punching, "Hashirama, the selection starts in ten minutes. You should get ready." Butsuma said with worry in his voice.
"It doesn't matter," Hashirama said dully, "Nothing matters here."
Butsuma walked closer to his eldest, "Why does it not matter?"
Hashirama stopped punching the log, "Because, I failed Madara again." Hashirama said quietly, Butsuma still heard him, "How did you fail her? She's an Uchiha."
Hashirama paid attention to his genjutsu father's words, "Is she still alive, then?"
Butsuma saw that this Madara girl ate at his son, "She is, Hogoromo saved her for when you turned sixteen. I thought it was only right that my eldest son gets the Uchiha princess."
Hashirama was relieved and returned home to change out his clothes that had been covered in his blood.
He put on a black shirt and walked to the Senju compound square, everyone gathered around a wooden stage. He saw a weird-looking man who resembled Kaguya, standing next to the young Madara on the stage. He saw Hashirama and walked toward him with the young Madara being led with a dog collar and a leash.
"Hashirama Senju?" He asked with a deep hoarse voice.
"Yes, that is me."
The man looked around and then whispered to him, "We need to talk somewhere more private."
Hashirama was confused but agreed, the weird man lead him into a building, and the young Madara looked at Hashirama with fear.
"Are you going to make me your slave, Senju?" Young Madara asked fearfully, Hashirama couldn't even look at her in her current state, it was truly a nightmarish sight.
"No, I'm not like that. Madara I..." Hashirama looked away, "This isn't real, nothing here is."
"That is very true, shodai Hokage," Hogoromo said with seriousness in his voice. Hashirama had to do a double-take, "What did you just call me?"
"You are the first Hokage, I thought it appropriate."
"But you shouldn't know that, who are you truly?"
The man chuckled, "I am Hogoromo Ootsutsuki, but you know me as the sage of six paths."
"How and why are you in this illusion?" Hashirama asked dumbfounded.
"Because my mother, Kaguya Ootsutsuki was revived and I installed a failsafe using the creation of all things jutsu if she were ever to be, I am only a spirit, and such I am limited on what I can do but I can make my presence known to you and the real Madara."
"So Madara is caught in a genjutsu as well? I hope her's wasn't as bad as mine was." Hashirama said jokingly.
"I only have a limited amount of time before my spirit returns to the land of the dead so I'll be brief, only you and Madara can defeat Kaguya. But you can't as you are now, so I will give each of you half of my power to seal her again."
"How will we seal her?"
"My brother and I had created a special mark on our hands, mine was of the sun and his the moon. When brought together it was able to seal her and sealed her into the moon, but the black creature known as black Zetsu was created by my mother before she was fully sealed and preyed upon anyone from the Senju or Uchiha clan. Unfortunately, you know the rest."
Hashirama looked determined but still had one more question, "Out of everyone to live and fight, why Madara and I?"
"For as long as there has been light there has been dark, it is only when combined that they achieve true harmony. The enemy of my enemy is my friend as they say." Hogoromo said.
"Then once I get out of this illusion, Madara and I will seal the rabbit goddess away, but how do I get out?" Hashirama said scratching his neck.
"This illusion was used on both me and my brother, Hamura Ootsutsuki. The only way to escape was to confront your greatest fear, a clouded mind is the enemy of a Shinobi is it not?" Hogoromo asked.
Hashirama thought of all his fears, but the only one he dared not confront was staring right at him, Hashirama walked up to the young Madara nervously, "I know you're not the real Madara, but I have loved you since the day we met. My only regret was not telling you that after we founded the village, and I...was scared of you not reciprocating my feelings for you. I killed you rather than ask if you felt the same way." He said as he closed his eyes out of fear
Young Madara reached up to his cheek, "There is no need to be afraid, whether I did or not, it is just words. You've endured far worse things than a broken heart. Hashirama..." Hashirama grasped for her hand but felt nothing as the genjutsu dissipated.
Madara panicked as she woke up in a home she recognized but couldn't quite place it, she got out of bed and noticed she was wearing a sleeping robe, she had usually worn the dirty clothes that she wore the day before. Madara walked to the bathroom to see that she was still the same if not a little chubby, "It is just an illusion, all will be returned once I find out what type of genjutsu it is." She said activating her Sharingan, she looked around but could see no imperfections in the genjutsu.
"Dammit, it is a different kind of genjutsu. Most likely due to the Rinne Sharingan genjutsu, I suppose I can check out what it has to offer." She said begrudgingly walking to the closet next to the bed, Madara made a sound of disgust as there were only kimonos and dresses. She sighed as she'd not worn a kimono since she was young, but on the bright side, no one would see her wearing it, except for the illusionary people in the genjutsu.
She picked the only red kimono and left the house and realized she was in the Uchiha district of the hidden leaf village, It was raining lightly, and everyone has an umbrella. Madara did not care about the illusionary rain, although it did feel real as it graced her skin. Madara watched as ten children were playing in mud puddles in front of her home, she smiled even if it was fake. She was greeted by Hikaku Uchiha as he passed by, "Good morning milady, the Hokage needs your presence." He said.
"Hikaku, why are there so many children in front of my home so early in the morning?"
Hikaku tensed up, "Ummm...well...I guess because they're all your children." He said nervously.
"WHAT?!" Madara yelled, Hikaku was scared as he had seen Madara's fury many times when she lashed out at Izuna.
Madara calmed herself slowly, it was just a genjutsu but a damned annoying one at that. "I will go see Hashirama but we will talk about this later," She said before walking in the direction of the fairly small Hokage tower.
She walked past Touka's desk as if she weren't there and straight to Hashirama's office, she burst through the door to see Hashirama was sleeping on the couch in his Hokage robes, Tobirama and a red-haired man were sitting at Hashirama's desk doing paperwork.
The redhead turned in his seat to Madara, "Ah there she is, we were wondering when you'd arrive. Tobi thought you'd sleep in after the night the three of us had." He chuckled.
Madara was uncomfortable with the situation of a man she hated and a man she did not know, "My memory is a little hazy could you remind me?" Madara asked.
Tobirama answered, "Kenzo, you, and I had a very pleasurable night. But I say we don't continue while my brother is still sleeping right there, luckily he doesn't know about the children we've had together and I'd like to keep it that way, Mrs. Uzumaki."
Madara froze, not only had she had children, and slept with Tobirama and this Kenzo man, but she also married.
Kenzo laughed at Tobirama, "You know my wife hates being called that, she still has too much of her Uchiha pride." Tobirama chuckled as well.
She ran out of the office and immediately went to the bathroom down the hall where she could throw up the information, "What type of sick joke is this?" Madara thought as she threw up.
She returned to the office for the fake Hashirama, the two men ignored Madara. She walked up to the couch Hashirama was sleeping on and put her lips to his ear, "HASHIRAMA!" she yelled.
He fell off the couch with a loud thud, the fake Hashirama rubbed the bump on his head. He looked at Madara who had her arms crossed, "What's the matter, Madara, you're never this angry?" Hashirama asked.
"That is none of your business, Hikaku said you wanted to see me, and I myself wished to speak with you, alone," Madara said coldly.
"Okay then..., But Mito would like to meet you by the academy this afternoon," Hashirama said.
Madara turned around and out of the room but only stopped when Hashirama didn't follow, "Are you coming, Senju?"
The fake Hashirama quickly followed like he was asked, "Where are we going, Madara?"
She did not answer but continued walking until they reached the stone stairs up to the top of the mountain, she pointed to the top, "That is where we are going, the place in which the leaf village was born, not physically but the idea of it."
Hashirama nodded, "So would you like me to carry you up there?" He asked.
"No, I am not some helpless woman who needs assistance with everything. I am Madara Uchiha for Rikkudo Sennin's sake." Madara replied.
"Well, technically you're not an Uchiha anymore..." Hashirama stopped when Madara glared daggers into him.
Madara continued up the side of the mountain with the fake Hashirama, once at the top there was an odd-looking man with grey skin and a white robe. His voice was deep and stoic, "Hello Ms. Uchiha, you kept me waiting longer than Hashirama has."
The fake Hashirama looked confused as he hadn't met the man in his life,
"And who might you be?" Madara asked.
"I am Hogoromo Ootsutsuki, you have already met my mother."
Madara was shocked that someone like him could be in an illusion even dead, "But how, you have been dead for a long time?"
"True but I am the most experienced person when it comes to spiritual ninshu, but that isn't important right now, Hime. You and Hashirama are the only ones capable of sealing my mother away, but not as you are. I explained everything to Hashirama already and he agreed to receive half of my power, but do you even care to fight Kaguya, to save humanity?"
Madara couldn't but contemplate, yes she did want to save the world through peace but like Zetsu said it wasn't even possible for someone like Kaguya. One thought was all she could think of, the day she found out Hashirama was going to get married to Mito. She dedicated everything after that day to the Infinite Tsukuyomi, just because she was no longer the only woman in Hashirama's life. "Before I answer I just have one question, do you know what would have happened if Hashirama didn't marry Mito Uzumaki?"
Hogoromo rubbed his facial hair while looking at Madara with his Rinnegan, "I suspect this is about your love for him?" He countered.
Madara blushed, "No! I don't think of Hashirama that way, it's just..."
"It's just that you were jealous that Hashirama chose another woman over you, let me calm your heart. It was not because he loved Mito over you. It was because he chose the village over his personal happiness, he made the biggest sacrifice because he loved the village he created with his best friend."
"No, he..." Madara stopped because she realized Hogoromo was right, Tsunade admitted that Hashirama was not her grandfather but granduncle. So Tsunade was telling the truth, Tobirama was the one that had sex with Mito to produce offspring, so that means Hashirama never deprived himself of his honor.
"Hashirama was mustering up the courage to ask you on a date, but Tobirama asked the Uchiha Elder's permission with Hikaku's help for your marriage to Kenzo Uzumaki. The one of the reasons Hashirama agreed to nullify the arranged marriage was that he himself wanted to gain your hand." Hogoromo explained.
Madara was on the verge of tears, her best friend and lifelong rival felt that way about her. "So you're saying that Hashirama...loves me?" She was on the verge of a mental breakdown, time stood still for her as she thought of Hashirama.
"I don't think I've seen a man so distraught with a singular woman, he loved you but he also feared you did not share his feelings. If you want to right all you have wronged then you and Hashirama must defeat my mother. After that, it is up to you what you want. What say you, Madara Uchiha?"
Madara reminisced about her life, she had a minor crush on Hashirama even as a little girl and he even gave her a nickname. But Madara had always been oblivious to love that didn't involve family, it wasn't until her reunion with Touka that she even considered it.
From the beginning she liked Hashirama but she only considered themselves friends, he sometimes gave her flowers whenever he felt guilty and it was sweet. She chose Hashirama over her loyalty to her clan, to her father. And when Hashirama grew his hair out it gave Madara a sense of pride as he listened to her advice, not just because she made fun of him, but because he wanted to impress Madara.
Every time they fought they didn't just fight to the death but it was a complex and deadly dance they did as to not arouse suspicion from their family and clan, Izuna was always worried that Madara would slip up and Hashirama would get the upper hand and turn her into a sex slave, she always laughed in his face when he brought it up. He was just being an overprotective brother as she was all he had and she him.
But the day Izuna was killed by Tobirama, she almost gave up on everything and when Hashirama defeated her she did. When he asked to build the village she thought it was the most childish thing to ask a defeated opponent, she even humored him by giving him the choice to kill Tobirama or himself. But now she understood truly why Hashirama would give his life for hers and Tobirama's, he did not care if he was happy it was always about others.
Madara couldn't bear the sight of Hashirama's death and stopped him before he could commit such an act, "Fine, you have ve shown me what lies in your heart. I will agree to your peace, Hashirama Senju." Madara announced.
Three days later the Senju and Uchiha clans moved to a valley and it was officially confirmed that peace between the two was possible, Hashirama discussed with Madara the innings and outgoings of the village but a question caught her off guard. "Mara, I think you should name the village." He said with a bright smile.
When Hashirama asked her to name the village it gave her butterflies as he still held her opinion in high regard, but when he promised her to be Hokage and Hashirama instead became the Hokage she was furious because it was a lie.
Madara was always asked to travel with Hashirama outside the village by Touka, it was always awkward as Hashirama would sometimes say that his sleeping bag was cold and asked Madara if she would share hers. She was always reluctant about human contact and that is why she always wore gloves, but because it was like Izuna always gripped her hands from the afterlife. But she could never say no to Hashirama, "Fine, but do not get any ideas, Lord Hokage."
When she had gotten word about her supposed marriage to an Uzumaki prince she was livid, Madara was no ordinary woman to be traded when it was most convenient for someone. She was Madara Uchiha, the most feared woman in history.
Hashirama was terrified when she broke the door off its hinges, "Hashirama! What in Rikkudo Sennin's name do you think you're doing?"
"I don't know?" Hashirama said cowering behind his desk.
Madara walked up to the desk and stared at him like a beast would its prey, "Did you think I would never find out? I refuse to marry any man for as long as I live."
"I wish I knew what you we're talking about but I don't."
Madara cocked her head back confused, "If not you then... Tobirama..." She gritted her teeth.
"I'll talk to Tobi about making such requests behind my back, but right now I'll send word to Uzushiogakure that no alliance will be made through marriage," Hashirama said trying to hide his frustration.
"Alright then," Madara made her way to the door but stopped before leaving, "Thank you, Hashirama." Her voice was sincere.
Things were perfect between them for a long while, her trip with Hashirama to Iwagakure was a nice breath of fresh air for the two. She even asked the little stone Shinobi to mail a vase to Konoha, it was going to be a gift to Hashirama for his birthday.
October twenty-fourth, Madara finished filling acquisitions for more lumber and stone for future houses in the Uchiha district. She hurried home so she could wrap the vase in wrapping paper, she was always terrible with menial tasks like such. She discarded half a roll of wrapping paper before someone knocked on her door, she set aside the vase and the wrapping paper before answering the door.
Madara was surprised by the visitor, "Hello Madara-sama, may I come in?" Hashirama's assistant asked.
"Touka? What are you doing here?" Madara said shock ever present on her face as Touka walked inside.
"Well it is because it is Hashirama-sama's birthday, you did remember did you not?" The female Senju said deviously.
"I did, as a matter of fact, I was wrapping his present right now," Madara said so as not to give the Senju any leeway. Touka giggled once she saw the poor attempt at wrapping, "I'd say if it weren't for me you'd never arrive at his birthday party, so I can wrap it if you'd like?"
"Do what you wish, expert wrapper. But know I do not owe you anything." Madara said as she sat in a chair across from Touka as she wrapped the vase up. Madara activated her Sharingan as to memorize her wrapping technique, Touka finished by putting a red bow on top.
"There, all done, but are you going to his party like that?"
Madara looked at herself, she was just wearing a blue sweater, black leggings, and a red scarf.
"What's wrong with my outfit?" Madara asked.
"It's a special gathering, you can't just look like you've been at work all day. You must wear something that makes you stand out, something that tells people that you're important but also elegant."
Madara scoffed, "As if I would need approval based on what I wear, actions speak louder than words. I might as well arrive wearing my armor, that would gain everyone's attention if I wanted it." She said. Touka sighed, "Nevermind, wear what you like I think Hashi-san will just appreciate that you came." Touka began heading for the door, "It's a surprise party at Hashirama-sama's house, he should be done with paperwork by six o'clock."
Madara nodded and watched as Touka began heading back to Hokage tower, Madara walked into her bedroom and opened her closet. She grabbed a traditional blue Uchiha robe, it was the same robe she wore during the Senju-Uchiha alliance and founding of Konohagakure. She smiled to herself as Hashirama might like it, she put it on and grabbed the wrapped-up vase, and made her way to the Senju district.
It was five fifty when Madara reached the Senju district, she knocked on Hashirama's home where Tobirama answered. "Touka said you might be coming, but honestly I'd be lying if I hoped she lied." He said as he stepped aside to let her in, Madara didn't reply because today was not about her or the grudge against the man who killed Izuna.
Tobirama escorted Madara to where everyone else gathered, there were mostly some of Hashirama's Senju cousins, but someone caught her eye. "Hikaku? What are you doing here?" She asked, the short Uchiha slumped his shoulders. He was not expecting to run into his boss, in the Senju district of all places. He turned to her with a surprised expression, "Madara-dono? Funny seeing you here, I thought you'd still be working on acquisitions?" He asked.
"You changed the subject, why are you here?" Madara reiterated. Hikaku couldn't lie to his leader and former friend's sister, "I was invited by Tobirama-san, he and I have become close friends since the founding of the village."
"Do you not care that he killed Izuna?" Madara asked with a little bit of anger.
"Tobirama-san did what he had to do, as did we all during warring states. One shouldn't be blamed for defending his life, Izuna was my friend but he's dead now. Whether I like it or not I and Tobirama are like-minded individuals." Hikaku defended.
Madara walked from him fairly angry and sat on a couch with the wrapped-up vase, Hashirama was late as ever, it was like he had no sense of time or management. Tobirama turned out all the lights and waited for Hashirama to turn the living room light on, when he did everyone shouted "Surprise!" Hashirama laughed so loudly, that he completely forgot it was his own birthday.
"Oh you shouldn't have, it is just an ordinary day. However I am glad so many people cared," his eyes locked onto Madara's onyx orbs. His smile brightened, "So is there cake anywhere?" Hashirama asked and was immediately shut down by his brother. "You'll have to wait until after you finish opening presents, Aniki." Hashirama grew depressed but sat down on a recliner and was handed gifts by Tobirama and Touka.
On each present there was a name to signify who it was from, all of them had it but one. Hashirama opened one after the other with minimal excitement, not a single gift was thought out, it was simple items like ink, shurikens, wakizashi's, kunai, robes, and a jutsu scroll. The last present was covered with grey and blue paper, Hashirama was curious as there was no name but when he opened it he didn't need a name.
It was the same vase from Iwa, the only person who could've known was Madara. He looked around until he saw Madara, she darted her eyes away, and he smiled even brighter. Once that was over with he cut the cake and handed everyone a slice on a small plate, Madara was not one for gatherings but still enjoyed sweets, in which Hashirama knew this well.
Madara grabbed her slice and sat on the Senju brother's backyard porch, she ate silently as everyone was still inside mingling. "Is this spot taken?" She looked up to see the brunette man of the hour. "You need not ask, it is your home after all," Madara replied. He sat down next to her with a plate and slice of his own.
"I'm surprised you came, you hate crowds," Hashirama said with a smile.
"I could not let my friend think I forgot his birthday, it is un... leader-like." She replied. It only made Hashirama laugh, that was the Madara he knew.
"You remembered our trip from Iwa, I appreciate it. Thank you, Mara."
"There's no need to thank me," she blushed, "It was just a gift that's all."
Hashirama laughed as Madara turned her face away, she hated when he called her that but could never muster the strength to tell him to stop. She only allowed Hashirama to call her Mara, anyone else would feel her wrath.
Hashirama fiddled with his hands and looked away from Madara, "Ummm... Mara, I was wondering if you-"
"Aniki." They turned to see the intruder, Tobirama stood by the door frame calmly. "And Madara, there's been some intriguing news regarding the Inuzuka clan. I thought you would like to be informed." He said returning inside. Hashirama cursed his brother knowing that he'd been defused before he could even ask Madara if she was interested in dating, it was like Tobirama had a sixth sense about his and Madara's proximity.
Madara did not care for the Inuzuka clan, but it still showed that the village was still growing and evolving. "Well I should be going, it is almost nine o'clock," Madara said getting up.
Hashirama couldn't do anything but agree, "Yeah I suppose so, I can walk you home if you'd like to?"
"I suppose, the two founders walking around together at night... it is perfectly acceptable," Madara said before putting her plate in Hashirama's sink.
Hashirama did the same and walked with Madara in silence, Madara wondered why he was so quiet all of a sudden. "Madara," his voice sounded so nervous, "My aunt Kiyoko and my uncle Kawaki have been pestering me about maturity."
"My aunt Momo has pestered me as well, but why bring up foreign family?" Madara asked curiously.
"Well Ummm... It's about marriage..." Madara tensed at the mention, "They even brought it up tonight as I've become twenty-five, they say I need to marry a woman now or else no woman would want me." He said with a nervous chuckle.
"Some men have nine wives by the time they are fifty, why such a rush for you, you are a slow learner, no?" Madara asked teasingly.
"Hey, I've learned pretty fast! But it's mostly because of my wood-style kekkai Genkai that they don't want it to die with me. And I uhh... Have a woman in mind for such a thing..." He said scratching the back of his head.
Madara began fuming with the thought of Hashirama with a woman, it was unacceptable. Hashirama couldn't have just any woman, it had to be someone Madara thought was worthy of him.
"I won't hear anymore Hashirama, I get irritated of that lovey-dovey shit." She announced.
Hashirama protested, "But Madara, I..."
"No buts, I will have to take some migraine medicine when I get home if you are foolish enough to continue." She said holding her forehead.
Hashirama slumped his shoulders forward in defeat, he didn't say another word until they reached the Uchiha district, "Maybe someday we won't have entire districts dedicated to clans, and instead everyone will assimilate into just rows of houses and apartments." He said jokingly.
She didn't like the thought but decided to make fun of it, "If that were to happen then our clans would have an identity crisis, and we cannot have that."
He was a little confused as he heard something he thought he would never hear, "Did the 'great Madara Uchiha' just make a joke?"
Madara cursed herself for giving him ammunition, "And what of it, are you going to tell the whole of fire country about such an event?" She hissed back.
"Of course not, anything you don't want to be said will not. You have my word, lady Uchiha." He winked with a smile.
Madara hated that moniker and wanted to smack him, she also wished Hashirama wasn't so nice but that was why she walked alongside him, not as an enemy but as an equal. They stopped in front of her home on the outskirts of the Uchiha district, "Well then, I should retire for the night. Thank you for tending to me, even though I do not need it."
"Of course what are friends for," his laugh echoed in the night.
Madara walked up to her door but stopped, "Happy birthday, Hashirama." She turned with a slight smile.
Hashirama froze with happiness as she opened and closed her front door. "Wow, what a Groovy night," he said to himself.
October thirty-first, Madara was minding her own business, she was reading a story about a man from the future with one hand, banishing demons. It was called Medieval dead, Madara enjoyed the main character because it was the third book in the series and the main character was at the "I don't care" phase of the series.
She was busy learning about boomsticks and books of the dead when there was a knock at the door, it was Hashirama dressed up in a werewolf costume. He asked her to go to the Halloween festival and Madara agreed to do so if she wasn't required to wear a costume.
Madara enjoyed watching little children do the tradition of trick or treating, she wished she had such a chance as a child with Izuna. Hashirama was eyeing a vampire-themed cloak in the window of a tailor shop, Madara saw it as well and thought, "Hashirama could not resist getting me a costume, even one as basic as that."
She walked inside and talked to the tailor about it, she told Hashirama that he would have to buy it seeing as he brought her out and all. He agreed and Madara put the cloak on as they left the shop, she flaunted the cloak as if mocking Hashirama's bad decision.
They came across the village square where everyone was dancing, Madara froze as she hated large crowds and all the touching.
What was worse is that Hashirama asked her to dance and she...accepted. She followed Hashirama's movements with her Sharingan to the point they were in synchronization, but when the music slowed down Hashirama calmed her and told her where to put her arms and not to worry about the contact between them. Madara felt something akin to sparks in her belly during their slow dance, although it did not last long.
Once the music returned to upbeat and fast they decided to do something fun and interesting, Hashirama suggested the nearby Izakaya. Madara didn't object as she was also in the mood for a drink, especially after dancing with Hashirama.
Hashirama ordered three bottles of alcohol while Madara ordered a singular shot glass, Hashirama was fairly drunk and saw a poker table in the back. He thought it was a great idea to win some money back, Madara just laughed at him because his luck was the worst that she had ever seen.
Hashirama started with a thousand Ryo and he had lost all of it, Hashirama walked Madara home after such a defeat and fell asleep on his way back. Tobirama found his brother sleeping on a bench in the Uchiha district, he dragged Hashirama back to their home the next morning.
Madara wanted to continue "Medieval Dead," before going to bed. She was halfway through the third chapter when a word stuck out like a black sheep, "Groovy? What type of goofball says groovy?" She asked herself. She sadly didn't get the chance to finish it as she fell asleep due to her small alcohol intake.
December fourteenth, Madara was drinking tea at a teahouse, it was her one day off within two weeks. She had noticed that the village was struggling with the harsh winter. Most of the crops had been destroyed in a blizzard, cows, goats, pigs, and sheep were all in scarcity as wolves had been ravaging the little bit of farmland the village had. Madara knew Hashirama was trying his best but couldn't handle the immense pressure of an entire village, later she was going to confront him about maybe having a co-Hokage.
But something else was on her mind, she was going to turn twenty-five in ten days, it stressed her out a little as she hated her birthday being so close to Christmas. Though Madara was trying to relax as she watched the influx of new travelers and villagers alike. The Hyuga, Hatake, Sarutobi, Nara, Akimichi, and Yamanaka clans had all joined the leaf village within a short period of time. Unfortunately, that meant more mouths to feed, and that meant more money, money the village did not have.
Madara had noticed that the village was preparing for someone's arrival to the village, she walked outside the teahouse and into a crowd watching as some chunin and jounin created a long set of carpets.
Madara thought it must've been the daimyo of fire country, she overheard a Hyuga man and a Yamanaka woman gossiping, "Who do you think it is?" The man asked
"I think it's one of those fancy circuses from Iwa."
"Get real, it's probably the Kage from the hidden cloud. I hear they have darker skin in the land of lightning."
The two were interrupted by a shorter man with red markings on his face, "Haven't you heard?" The Inuzuka asked.
"Heard about what?" The Yamanaka woman asked.
"The Hokage has been engaged, his fiance is arriving tonight from the land of whirlpools."
Madara felt dazed like she was going to faint, she steadied herself by holding onto a nearby street lamp. A Samaritan man walked by and recognized her and noticed that she was also not well, "Miss Uchiha-dono, you don't look too well, are you alright?"
Madara calmed herself, "I am quite fine, I just had one too many Dango." She lied, she was everything but alright. Madara was full of rage, her best friend was getting married and didn't even tell her that such an important thing was happening. Not only that but she would most likely not see Hashirama as he would spend more time at home with his wife, she understood what would happen as women are naturally territorial and don't like competition. Even if Madara didn't like Hashirama that way, she laughed to herself.
Madara's life was slowly coming undone, she was slowly getting disjointed and shunned from the Uchiha clan and she could feel the stares that the villagers gave her, Hikaku even stopped helping her with her daily routine because he'd gotten married. Within the past several months she visited the Naka tablet every night before bed as she would decipher its meaning. She was ostracized in a society that was going to collapse in on itself if it continued as is, there needed to be someone to stop it and guide them. But change is a scary thing, there would be those that would disagree and react with violence. Something Madara knew too much of.
After hearing that Hashirama was to be wed she knew that she had nothing left, she was primed and ready to become the lone savior, she alone would plan for a better tomorrow with the infinite Tsukuyomi, it was her destiny, nothing else mattered to her at that moment.
Madara raced to the Hokage tower and burst into the Hokage office, Hashirama was woken up from a nap and saw Madara, "Huh... Madara? What are you doing here?"
"I want you to follow me, I have something to show you." She said coldly before leaving. Hashirama did what she said and followed her in his Hokage robes, Hashirama was concerned as he'd never seen Madara like this before, it wasn't her usual cold demeanor, it was ice cold to the core.
He had an uneasy feeling as today of all days for her to act up was odd, he needed to greet Mito Uzumaki and some of the other Uzumaki that came with food, livestock, and money. He felt wrong about giving himself up, but the village needed them and he was just a simple sacrifice in the grand scheme of things.
"Where are we going, Madara?" He asked worriedly, but she didn't respond, she didn't even register that he even said anything. Her mind was on autopilot as she was still registering the Naka tablet. Madara walked down the staircase that hid the Naka tablet, her eyes changed to the Sharingan so she could continue reading it while she talked to Hashirama.
When his eyes laid upon the stone tablet he felt more uneasy about the situation, "Alright Madara, what's this about?" He asked.
She continued reading and thinking about it, "I am going to leave the village." Madara said. Hashirama was shocked at his friend's sudden decision.
"What?! You can't leave, the village needs you." Hashirama said.
"No it does not, I see how everyone looks at me with fear and disgust. While you are given nothing but smiles and praise, the village is better off without me."
He knew how the village saw her and thought about her, it was always brought up to him and there were requests that Madara be removed from the Uchiha clan leader multiple times. "What brought upon such a rash decision?"
"The village is eating itself alive and soon enough there will be no village, this winter is proof enough that it will not survive more than two years." She elaborated.
"But other villages have popped up too, it just needs refinement is all."
"The other villages will turn their backs on whoever and whenever they see fit, for so long as there are victors the defeated will always exist. Love is the cause of everything wrong with this world, we fear that we will lose the thing we love and so hatred is born. The cycle of hatred as it is known, it will never end unless something is done to erase that fear. I intend to break this cycle, Hashirama."
Hashirama looked at her seriously, he knew she was right, the other villages always looked out for number one, themselves. He also understood what the cycle of hatred was, "You can't carry such a burden by yourself, we can find a way to break the cycle, together." Hashirama said.
"No Hashirama, only I can do this. I have no love and thus can have no hatred, you still have your brother and I hear you are to be wed soon. I have nothing left in this world, the Uchiha clan wants nothing to do with me and the village is scared of me." Madara said.
Hashirama didn't like where this was going as she was starting to sound mad, "I can step down and make you the second Hokage, you deserve it more than me anyway."
She turned to him, "I do not care for being the Hokage, my vision is far wider than just the village hidden in the leaves. But if I am to break the cycle I must eradicate all of the villages, and there is no one who I see as a threat other than you." She said.
Hashirama was almost speechless, she couldn't have been in her right mind, "Madara, you're clearly delirious. Have you been sleeping enough?"
"I am fine, I have debated about this for a long time. The tablet you see before you can only be read by a Sharingan, but with the awakening of my Mangekyou, it warns that overuse of the Mangekyou causes blindness and can only be cured with the eyes of another family member. Once I gained my eternal Mangekyou it speaks of the unification of Uchiha and Senju can peace be achieved through the infinite Tsukuyomi, the only way to achieve true peace is through the infinite Tsukuyomi it says." Madara explained.
"Maybe it has a different meaning, it might mean that Uchiha and Senju blood need to combine. But please, don't leave. I... Can help you with anything you need, just please don't leave, you're my best friend." Hashirama begged getting on his hands and knees.
Madara didn't expect his response but was aggravated by him still calling her his friend even after getting engaged to a woman he had not met, "Nothing you say or do will change my mind. I am going to destroy the village unless you can kill me, Hashirama Senju. So you decide what is more important, your village or our supposed friendship."
Hashirama froze as she spun her Mangekyou Sharingan, he could do nothing as Madara left. He was heartbroken, Hashirama cursed at himself. "Dammit! I just made things worse," he calmed himself, "Maybe there's still hope. Madara will see reason, she has to."
The first Hokage mustered the strength to run to his home and planned to grab his armor and scroll of weapons, he bumped into Tobirama and the recently arrived princess Mito Uzumaki. Tobirama was wearing his formal robes while the princess wore an elegant pink and green kimono and had her red hair rolled into buns. "Aniki! Where have you been? You forgot to greet the Uzumaki princess when she arrived." Tobirama said.
Hashirama bowed in front of Mito, "My apologies, something very important has come up since then."
Tobirama knew what it meant, "Meaning it has something to do with Madara no doubt," he said annoyed.
Mito was curious, "The Uchiha leader, mayhaps you can introduce him to me?"
"I'm afraid that may not happen," Hashirama said as he ran into his room and into his closet. He quickly undressed out of his robes and into fitting clothes and his armor, "What do you mean by that, Aniki?" Tobirama said at the doorway, Mito stood behind him.
Hashirama was nervous about telling his brother the truth but relented, "Madara has announced that she wants to destroy the village, I have to convince her otherwise."
"Her?" Mito asked. Tobirama answered as his brother strapped the giant scroll to his waist, "Madara is a woman, contrary to public perception."
Mito didn't know why a woman would ever be considered a man, it was an enormous offense. "But Hokage-sama and Madara-sama created Konohagakure together, what could have happened since then to change her mind?"
"She wants to enable eternal peace but that means that the five hidden villages must be destroyed in the process, I can't allow her to do such a thing after all we've done to bring our dreams to life," Hashirama said as he left the house and the leaf village to track down Madara.
"I can understand why he's in a hurry and all but he acted like I was not even here," Mito said as if she was insulted.
"I'm afraid to tell you this but no matter what you say or do but my brother will never love you," Tobirama said absentmindedly.
"That is a very rude thing to say to a woman y'know," Mito pouted.
Tobirama sighed, he was no better with women than his goofy brother. "It is because his heart belongs to another, Madara."
Mito stopped her pouting, she was not only intrigued but felt threatened by another woman in her fiance's life. "Is that why he was acting strange?"
Tobirama closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead, he wandered into his bedroom and grabbed his armor and forehead protector. "My brother has loved her ever since the day he met her as child, he has done nothing but protect her and not once has he ever thought of her as an enemy. He held her in such high regard that even when she was on the ground defeated he protected her and pleaded with her to create the village they had dreamed of, he went as far as to follow her orders to kill himself just in hope of a village. He would have died if not for her own intervention, so I believe she too feels the same way towards him. I think that is why she is going to such lengths to destroy what she built, it's because of your marriage to my brother."
Mito was baffled by the information, "So you are saying that I am to blame for whatever happens between those two?"
Tobirama's response was somber, "Yes, but I do not blame you but rather my brother's persistence on not giving up on her. I promised my father to do all I could to prevent Hashirama from fornicating with an Uchiha, we wouldn't have even asked for an alliance through marriage if not for me sending that letter."
"But my father said it was sent by the Hokage, are you saying he lied?"
"No, I used my brother's seal to send it, and later he sent his own letter nullifying the marriage between your brother and Madara. I am not proud of it but I did it out of necessity, I am sorry if my actions have insulted you, it was not my intention."
Mito stared at the albino, she could see a lonely man who only cared for duty and honor. "Are you going to follow Hokage-sama?"
"Yes, I may not be able to do much against Madara but I have to try." Tobirama had the look of a man who did not expect to return, a part of Mito didn't want the man in front of her to die, even if he was a little selfish.
"I shall come with," Mito said hesitantly.
"No, I cannot allow such a thing. You are not a Shinobi," Tobirama barked out.
Mito felt insulted once again, "You think me unable to perform ninshu? You are sadly mistaken, I have learned the ways of fuinjutsu and medical ninjutsu. At the very least I have to help my future husband and brother-in-law any way I can." She said determinedly.
Tobirama gritted his teeth, not because of Mito, but rather because he felt the chakra of the nine-tailed fox. He knew Hashirama could subdue tailed beasts but with Madara combating him it would not be for long, however if the rumors about the Uzumaki having a jutsu that could seal a tailed beast inside of a person were true then he had no other choice. "Alright! You can come but just stay out of my brother's way." He said begrudgingly. Mito followed Tobirama to where the two founders were battling.
When Hashirama met up with Madara she sat atop a waterfall with her gunbai and scythe, Hashirama was frozen by the image of her silhouette in front of the moon and her glowing red eyes. "So you came. Have you made a decision?" Her voice was cold and daunting.
"Madara, just listen to me, we have worked so hard to get to this point don't destroy our village." Hashirama pleaded.
Madara was angered by him once again, "Our? No no no, it is your village now. I have nowhere to call home, cause a savior does not need to be bogged down by lessers. You do not have to fight me, Hashirama. We can bring forth the perfect world together, as you are the only one I see as an equal." Madara extended her hand out.
Hashirama did not budge, "Anything, anything at all and I'll do it, just come back to the village please."
Madara sighed, "Of course, it is just as I expected, you cannot just leave well enough alone. You are too altruistic. Meanwhile, I am making the mother of all omelets here. You cannot fret over every egg." Madara sat up, "But I suppose this is fitting, you and me fighting against each other once again. But I have a trick up my sleeve," she began performing a summoning jutsu.
The whole ground shook as the nine-tailed fox emerged from the smoke, its eyes already mirrored that of the Sharingan. Madara sat atop the fox's head and ordered it around, Hashirama tried subduing the nine-tailed fox with a wood dragon jutsu but was stopped with a biju bomb, it shattered the wooden dragon and almost hit Hashirama.
"Wood style: wood golem jutsu." He said as a wooden hand caught the Biju dama and tried to return it to the fox but was stopped by a portion of Madara's Susanoo, causing it to explode and created a crater. Hashirama survived only by creating a wooden bunker to wait out the explosion, when he opened up his bunker he saw Madara had enveloped the fox with her Susanoo, "Time to test your conviction Hashirama!" She yelled.
The god of Shinobi kept his cool even if he was terrified by the sight, "Madara you sly fox." He smirked, even if he was terrified of the fight he still couldn't resist a good fight, though he hoped it would end with both of them standing.
Madara struck down one of her Susanoo swords at Hashirama but he caught it with a wooden hand, "I can still read your swordsmanship, Wood-style: laughing Buddha jutsu!" Six giant wooden hands erupted from the ground and surrounded Madara and the Kyuubi, with one slice she destroyed all of them and created a shockwave that knocked Hashirama into the air.
He struggled in the air until he jumped from different pieces of debris in the air, Hashirama knew that the Susanoo-clad Kyuubi was going to destroy all the landscape and eventually the leaf village. He started running for the seashore, and Madara chased after him.
Once she got fed up with Hashirama running she had the fox create a tailed beast bomb and wrapped one of her Susanoo swords around it, "Try running from this one, Hashirama!" She yelled. Hashirama almost had no time to react so he summoned five Rashomon gates that altered the trajectory towards an island off the coast, once it reached the island there was nothing but devastation.
Madara was impressed that Hashirama managed to do anything against such power, "Hashirama, it has been some time since we fought each other all out. You can see I have changed, can you not?" She said with venom.
"You're going to lay waste to everything we have accomplished up until now, Madara? Nothing can come of us fighting, it will only hurt the weak and defenseless. This is disrespectful to our brothers and our comrades." Hashirama said.
"You know nothing about Izuna!" Madara yelled. The more he weighed his options there was only the cold hard truth, "I don't want to hurt you, Madara." Hashirama said in a concerned tone.
"Are you implying you can commit such a feat at any time?"
"I'm not, I mean we're still friends."
Madara was annoyed by that word, "Enough of all this, my conviction will not waver, Hashirama. I already made it to the other side." She gestured to the destroyed island.
Hashirama sighed as he closed his eyes, "I will knock some sense into you if I must, sage art: wood style: shinsu Senju veritable one thousand arm kan'on." Hashirama reopened his eyes with the markings of sage mode, and a giant Buddha statue made of wood emerged from beneath Hashirama's feet.
"Here I come, Madara!"
"Let us end this, Hashirama!" They began yelling as their respective avatars charged toward each other, Hashirama's Buddha statue launched hundreds of arms at Madara's Susanoo-clad Kyuubi. The majestic attire Susanoo launched Biju damas with Susanoo swords infused with them at the approaching arms, the attacks colliding with each other created a smokescreen.
Tobirama and Mito arrived just in time to see Hashirama attack through the smoke causing a massive explosion when it collided with the Kyuubi, when the dust settled half of the Susanoo was torn off. Madara was shocked as nothing should be able to rip off an entire half of the Susanoo, Hashirama had been holding back the whole time before the creation of the village.
Mito was in awe at the raw power between the two, "Is that the nine-tailed fox? It's smaller than I expected."
"Well ain't that swell, but do you have any jutsu that could stop the fox?" Tobirama asked.
"Well there is one but it is a gamble as the mortality rate is high."
"Then the choice is all yours, I will distract Madara until my brother stops the beast." Tobirama ran faster than Mito could register, she was nervous as the jutsu had been performed successfully by her grandfather who sealed the tailed beast into himself. Mito had to do this for her new family and village, she dirtied her yukata by running through the dirt and mud and waited for Hashirama to subdue the nine tails long enough for her to perform the jutsu.
Hashirama detached the Buddha statue from the one thousand arm arsenal and tried to subdue the nine tails, Madara jumped on the hand that was about to touch the nine tails and created a Susanoo arm that cut the wooded hand off. Madara continued running along the wooden avatar's arm and eventually to the head where Hashirama was controlling it from, he used his scroll to block an attack from her and unsealed a giant longsword from it as well. The nine-tailed fox began shooting Biju dama at the wooden arsenal to lower Hashirama's attack potency, Tobirama teleported to Hashirama's seal and kicked Madara off the statue, "Aniki, dispose of the tailed beast. Mito is waiting on standby." He said.
"Tobi? This is my fight, not yours, return to the village at once." Hashirama said sternly.
"I will after I know that Madara doesn't have control of the nine tails, it's too dangerous even if you're able to sever her control over the nine tails," Tobirama replied.
Hashirama agreed, "Fine, then how do you suppose we do that?"
"Mito will do whatever she can, so stop the nine tails fast. I don't know how long I can stall Madara for." Tobirama said before leaping off of the Buddha statue.
Madara was furious with Tobirama's interference, "You pale bastard! This fight was between me and Hashirama, you are not even worth exerting power for but I will give you a slow and painful death nonetheless, just like you did to Izuna." She spat out.
"What I do I do for the village and my clan, my life means nothing compared to them. But you wouldn't understand that since you only care for vengeance, you can have your vengeance but it will not be given without a fight." Tobirama said unsheathing his sword.
Madara scoffed and flicked some of her hair out of her eyes, "You Senju and your self-righteousness, I will show you what righteousness gets you." She ran at Tobirama with her scythe ready to strike and her gunbai to overpower Tobirama's blade. Tobirama forgot the speed disparity between them, Madara was not only stronger than him but faster than him without the use of the flying thunder God jutsu.
Tobirama teleported to a nearby kunai to dodge her strike, there was a small crater where Tobirama had previously been. Madara sneered at him, "Your pesky jutsu can only keep you alive for so long, albino creep." Madara commanded the nine tails to attack Tobirama.
Hashirama used his Buddha statue to suppress the Kyuubi while it was focused on Tobirama, Mito got close enough while it was suppressed to use her jutsu, the eight trigrams sealing style.
Mito created a swirling symbol that resembled Uzushiogakure's symbol, the whirlpool on her belly from which the nine tails was sucked into, sealing it inside her.
Hashirama stared in awe as one of the most powerful creatures had been sealed away to never be seen again, he'd wondered if it could be used on people as well but that was a question for another time. Tobirama smiled as the Kyuubi was sealed, Madara realized it as well and created a Susanoo arm that swiped at Tobirama but missed. Tobirama was then caught off guard by the shockwave it created and flung him into a cliffside, Madara lunged towards the injured Senju with her scythe, "This is for Izuna!" She yelled.
Her scythe and gunbai were blocked by a large sword, it was Hashirama's and he kicked Madara away. He tended to Tobirama and asked him "Can you still use your jutsu?"
"Don't worry about me, Madara is your primary concern." He said weakly. Hashirama nodded and returned his attention to the Uchiha, "Hashirama!" Madara screamed.
"I am asking once more, please return with me back to the village. It doesn't have to escalate more than this, we've sacrificed too much for it to end with the other dying on the ground." Hashirama said still holding out hope.
"You have sacrificed too much? You are not the one without a brother! There is nothing you say or do that can alter my path now, I will bring peace to this world from the ashes of old. That is dead certain." Madara said with no hesitation.
"Then I will do what I must to protect the village," Hashirama said tightening his grip on his sword.
"You will try," Madara said before leaping towards Hashirama. Their weapons clashed with sparks in the air like flashes, they were unseen to the naked eye.
Mito held her stomach from the seal, she stumbled to Tobirama's slumped-over body. "Are you alright, Senju-sama?" She asked. Tobirama tilted his head up with a little bit of blood on his face, "I'm fine, and besides you should return to the village, you've done your duty." He coughed up some blood.
"No, you're not. You must have some broken ribs judging by your condition, you need medical attention." Mito said worriedly.
"I'll bleed out before we get to the village, if this is how die then I'm alright with that." He chuckled.
Mito cupped his face and she was mesmerized by his maroon eyes, "You forget that I am a medic-nin." Tobirama's eyes had changed from acceptance to scared, he was uncomfortable with Mito touching his face.
Mito began healing him and injecting her chakra, he felt a weird feeling in his chest from such an act. He thought it was from one of his ribs puncturing one of his organs but it didn't quite feel real, it was intangible. Tobirama stared at the dirtied Uzumaki princess unlike he had any other woman, he was unsure why he no longer worried and why death no longer scared him. Mito looked at Tobirama with her bright green eyes, "I've managed to stop the bleeding, but I don't have enough chakra to fully heal you after sealing the nine tails inside of me." She said retracting her hands from the albino.
She had a weird sensation when touching Tobirama, it was almost like she liked him. Tobirama slowly stood up still gripping his stomach, "Thank you, Miss Uzumaki." He said bashfully.
"Please, Mito is quite alright." She replied with a little blush. Tobirama extended his other hand, "If you please?" She accepted his hand and they were suddenly inside his bedroom, her mind raced at what just happened but then Tobirama fell over onto the tatami floor. She panicked and ran outside for help, luckily two Senju guardsmen ran to her cry and followed her inside to the unconscious Tobirama. Tobirama was then whisked away to the hospital along with Mito who had been suffering from chakra exhaustion.
Madara used her scythe to stab through Hashirama's wrist, knocking his longsword out of his hand. He ripped his arm away and healed it instantly, he created a wooden wall that her scythe was now embedded in, and he summoned a katana from the scroll on his back. Madara broke her scythe free and launched a giant fireball towards Hashirama, he blocked it with his Buddha statue. She manifested her perfect Susanoo in response, "Your sage mode is draining your chakra exponentially, you can only last for so much longer. You will have to resort to close-quarters combat as each jutsu drains it even more, and we both know I excel over you." She chided.
Hashirama knew she was right so he had to commit an all-or-nothing gambit, a fullscale barrage from the Buddha statue to dismantle her Susanoo, and then both of them will be forced into close combat with little to no chakra. He could only heal a few more injuries, so he had to be careful. "Then you know I have to end this quickly, here I come Madara!" He charged with the Buddha statue.
"Predictable Hashirama, I have already foreseen this outcome. Come then, show me what trick you will use." Madara said as her Susanoo began swiping its swords at the Buddha statue's legs, Hashirama wobbled on top of the statue as it pummeled Madara's Susanoo.
Madara was successful with cutting off one of the statue's legs causing it to stumble and Hashirama fell off the top and landed in a river, he was sinking to the depths. He had to ditch his armor as it weighed him down, he quickly swam to the top and saw Madara's Susanoo was crushed by the Buddha statue falling on top of it.
Hashirama swam to the shore with his katana in hand and pulled himself out of the river, he looked around and saw nothing but destruction. He loved nature so it hurt him a little bit, it began raining and he laid down on the pebble-filled shoreline and thought to himself as each droplet hit his face, "Is this the same river where Madara and I met at?"
His question was answered by a single rock hitting his head, "Agggh!?" Hashirama screamed in pain, he turned to see where the rock came from and saw a beaten and bruised Madara with her scythe and gunbai and parts of her armor missing on the other side of the river, "You can rest when you are sleeping in a grave or me in mine." Madara said dryly.
Hashirama stood up, "We can still talk this out, Madara." He said once more.
Madara snarled at him, "You never change, even now with both of us injured and almost drained of chakra you persist to give me a second chance. Face the truth, Hashirama. I am a monster that needs to be put down and you are the only one who can succeed."
Hashirama hated to admit it but she had a point, the village Elders hated her, the village was terrified of her, and most of the Senju clan still despised her for how many people she had killed, and outside of the village, she was too barbaric to be considered a woman. "Did our time together mean nothing?" Hashirama said boldly, hazel eyes met the blood-red of the Sharingan.
Madara's body shook at the question, there was a warm feeling about those memories but she suppressed them. "You were the only person besides Izuna and Hikaku that didn't treat me like a monster, for that I thank you." She said with a grimaced expression, "But you have always been my rival and for too long I have been in your shadow, I Madara Uchiha will be known as the strongest after I kill you and create my utopia." She said with her conviction unwavering.
Hashirama hung his head in defeat, "I cannot allow you to destroy our village whether you want to say it's yours or not, I will kill you if I must."
"Oh I'm counting on it," she said deviously. Madara rushed towards Hashirama with immeasurable speed, he barely blocked her gunbai but failed to block the scythe, it gushed his left arm and tore his left sleeve when she pulled it out. Hashirama didn't scream but used the opportunity to knee Madara in the stomach, causing her to be winded. She pushed him away to regain her breath, "The next attack will decide the victor. I will not allow you to reach the other side, you are too weak to stand as it is." She said, her Sharingan fading to its original onyx black.
Hashirama gripped his sword and charged toward Madara, he missed Madara and fell on top of the river but still held enough chakra for him to not fall in. Madara turned to see him on his chest, "I have finally beaten you, and now you know how it feels to be second best." She said smugly, she had finally triumphed over her one and only equal. Hashirama began sobbing, he was distraught by what was to come next.
Madara was concerned about her opponent, never had he cried with such sorrow since the day he lost Itama. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry..." He mumbled. Madara took a step closer to him to deal the finishing blow, but she felt a sharp pain in her chest.
"I'm sorry Mara," she heard Hashirama's voice coming from behind her. Madara's eyes widened as she realized Hashirama had stabbed her in the back, the Hashirama that was in front of her was a wood clone. Madara activated a delayed Izanagi, "You have changed, Hashirama..." She bit Hashirama's arm before she fell into the river, Hashirama grabbed and held her in his arms. He let out a scream of pain and agony as he stared at her dead body.
After five days Madara's Izanagi had activated, she got out of her coffin and grabbed a nearby bowl, and spat Hashirama's DNA out. She mixed it and plastered it onto her chest wound, Madara created a wood clone to take her place in the coffin. Madara traveled westbound and found a deep cave near the border to Iwa. several months after her battle with Hashirama he was announced dead, Madara was filled with a burning rage that an assassin got the better of Hashirama. Tobirama became the second Hokage, much to her dismay. And during his reign the great Shinobi war started, it raged on for nearly twenty years and every village except for the leaf had lost a kage.
She watched and waited in the shadows and eventually unlocked her Rinnegan, but she was well into her fifties. She summoned the Gedo Mazo and attached herself to it to prolong her life, she manifested her will known as black Zetsu and ordered him to give her Rinnegan to a simple pawn, a young Uzumaki named Nagato. She orchestrated his parents' death during the second ninja war in order to fill him with hatred and pain for the leaf village.
It wasn't until the third great ninja war a young leaf Shinobi had been broken and abandoned in her cave is when she found the perfect pawn, Obito Uchiha. Madara placed a cursed seal on Obito's heart, it was to prevent her from disobeying the completion of the infinite Tsukuyomi. This young girl reminded Madara of Hashirama, it was because of how hopeful she was, that she would find a way to break that hope and fill it with despair.
Madara watched and listened to the girl and eventually discovered the thing that would shatter her hope, she had a crush on a young boy named Kakashi Hatake. After a year of Obito living with Madara, Madara planned out for the hidden mist to seal a tailed beast inside of Kakashi and destroy the leaf.
Unfortunately, the mist Anbu grabbed the wrong child, Rin Nohara was the girl they kidnapped and Kakashi went to rescue her. Zetsu informed Obito about this and she escaped with a white Zetsu body, Madara was worried that her whole plan would crumble because of a single mistake.
Madara was a little surprised that Obito returned, the girl was almost emotionless. Obito pledged herself to create a world where she didn't see the boy she loved kill her best friend, Madara had a devious smile as her plan still worked. Madara put Obito into a genjutsu where no time would pass so she could teach her everything she needed to know, when it was all said and done Madara disconnected herself from the Gedo Mazo and died at the age of eighty-six.
When Madara's eyes reawoke it was on an older man in his sixties, she looked around and realized she was in Konoha. She looked at the coffin she was summoned from and looked at the caster, a snake man that would forever be a thorn in her side. She was surprised and angry that Hashirama was also reanimated with her, the rage she felt from their final fight still lingered inside her.
She met with a much older Obito after preventing Orochimaru's attack on the leaf and put Hashirama in a genjutsu to prevent him from following her. Madara was very impressed with what Obito had been doing but she was not happy with Nagato, the brat would not revive her. She trained her wood-style abilities as she could not in life as it would have exposed her still being alive, but most importantly she trained her Rinnegan abilities.
Eventually, Orochimaru rejoined the Akatsuki and brought some of his henchmen and experiments, Tayuya of the sound four stood out among the thousands of people Orochimaru brought. Tayuya was like a mirror reflection of her past self, she was different than Obito because she saw Tayuya as a person, not a tool. It was like the little sister she never had.
When Madara was alive again she could feel the fresh autumn breeze, a splash of water on her face, and food, and after a short conversation with Touka Senju, Madara struggled with what Touka had said. "She loved Hashirama," it echoed through Madara's brain like a scream in a valley.
When Madara finally confronted Hashirama after so long she was like a raging inferno, she needed to burn him to the ground, he was her only weakness. But Tobirama interrupted and it made Madara furious, she needed that battle but she had to settle for less-skilled opponents.
No matter where she went she was a Rekka, a fire that could never be quenched or sated. Madara even trembled when Tsunade said that Hashirama was in fact not her grandfather and Tobirama was, it made her question her whole plan for a second but she pressed forward.
Madara had a clear mind and returned her attention to the sage of six paths, "I will agree to whatever you ask of, I have occurred enough sins for the whole world. I do not expect redemption and I shall not ask for any, this will be my final curtain call." She said.
Hogoromo smirked, "You will have the mark of the moon on the palm of your hand, you and Hashirama will have to make contact with Kaguya at the same time for her to be sealed into the Gedo Mazo."
"That is nice and all but how do I escape this illusion?" Madara asked.
"You must confront your biggest fear, I'm not going to assume what it is as my time is almost up. Good luck to the both of you, you're going to need it." He said before dispersing into a cloud of smoke.
Madara thought of what she feared most, she didn't want to admit it but she feared being powerless because of her womanly nature. Her breasts, her small stature, her womanhood, compassion, and the thought of reproducing with another man...yuck. She always thought about how hard Tajima had to fight in order for her to become a Shinobi, he was almost exiled from the clan entirely but with the staggering deaths during those times they had no choice.
She turned to the fake Hashirama, "Senju, fight me."
The fake Hashirama was dumbstruck, "Fight you? But you aren't even a Shinobi, and a woman at that."
He was knocked to the ground with a quick punch to the face, "What I am to you does not matter, fight me or stand there while I use you as a punching dummy." Madara said.
The fake Hashirama rose from the ground and brushed himself off, "Alright, but you asked for this." He said. He charged at Madara with ferocious speed, he jabbed at her with a high kick but Madara caught it and kneed his exposed crotch. The fake Hashirama went flying into a tree with such force he flew straight through it, Madara walked up to the fake Hashirama. "It does not matter if I was born man or woman, everything is obtainable through hard work and dedication. I shall never forget that...I will always remember that you taught me that." Madara declared.
He started laughing, "I always underestimated you, Madara. Your fire is your greatest strength, never let that spark dwindle. You are a Rekka, but you can decide what that truly means to you."
Suddenly the illusion started crumbling around her and into a bright light, she had freed herself from the genjutsu.
Madara's eyes had to adjust to the real world for a minute, when her vision was clear she saw the rabbit goddess and Black Zetsu. "They broke free, mother, it seems they still have some fight in them." Zetsu said.
"Then I must put them out of their misery," Kaguya said rolling up her sleeves to perform hand signs. "Sage art: light fang." She shot a beam of light threw her mouth at Hashirama, Hashirama tried dodging but his right hand was cut off. Hashirama let out a restrained grunt.
Kaguya was concerned that Hashirama was barely able to dodge an attack that moved at light speed, she used her Byakugan to see that both Hashirama and Madara had an alien chakra within them. "Hogoromo..." She muttered.
Hashirama tried nullifying his pain but he grew a brand new hand instead, it made Madara concerned as it was weird to see someone grow a new hand. Hashirama began laughing, his healing abilities were enhanced thanks to the sage's power. "Groovy."
Madara couldn't help but muster a chuckle, no matter how dire things became he was always a sweet dork. Kaguya was disgusted by such childish behavior from a grown man, "What type of man are you to act in such a way?!" Kaguya asked.
"The type who doesn't care what others think, I am who I am and that's that." He replied.
"Then you have no place in my new world," she turned to Madara, "But you can still join me, I see many aspects of myself in you." Kaguya offered her hand.
Madara accepted it and then...punched Kaguya in the face with her other hand, Kaguya stumbled back clearly unprepared for it. Madara had a fire in her eyes that burned brighter than it ever had before, "If everything I did was for your resurrection then my life was for naught, I had dreams, dreams that were quickly crushed by this world. I make my own decisions, I am the weaver of my own fate, my own destiny! That is why I cannot allow this world to end because of you, I must give my life meaning! And...If anyone is to bring peace to this world then it is going to be me. You best remember our names, it will be the last thing you will ever know!"