Time for a new chapter! Hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: Naruto does not belong to me.


Chapter 7: Confession

"I'm in love with someone else."

"…What?"

Mito sat up and turned to Hashirama, who was looking down at his lap. After a few seconds of silence, Hashirama slowly turned his head until he met Mito's eyes, which shimmered from the tears that welled up. Intense pressure slowly built up in his chest as Hashirama's eyes slightly widened. Unable to bear the sight of Mito's hurt face, he turned away and bit his lip. This was it; the conversation had been brought up and now he must face it.

"Hashirama… what did you say?" Mito asked, her voice shaking.

Hashirama slowly shifted his gaze back to Mito, who now had a tear rolling down the side of her rosy cheek. He parted his lips to speak, but nothing left his mouth. "Mito, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," he thought to himself.

Mito sniffled and wiped away her tears. She tried her best to keep her composure, but still couldn't believe the words that escaped Hashirama's mouth.

"Speak Hashirama, she deserves this conversation," Hashirama thought. He fiddled with his thumbs, internally pushing himself to respond to Mito. He finally worked up the courage to answer, "Mito… I've been meaning to tell you this. I'm sorry… I think I'm in love with someone else…"

"Excuse me." Mito quickly got out of bed and left the room, closing the door behind her. She couldn't spend one more minute in that room, not after what she had just heard.

Hashirama sighed and buried his face in his hands. Damn it, what has he done? Now that he's finally put his feelings out there, he must see it through. Mito's reaction crushed him, but he was sure she was probably hurting way more than he was. Why wouldn't she? Her husband just told her he was in love with someone else.

Hashirama forced himself out of bed and walked over to the dresser, grabbing a shirt and pants to put on before leaving the bedroom to find Mito. As he walked into the living room, he saw her curled up on the couch, crying into her hands. He slowly made his way to the couch and sat down, prompting Mito to quickly halt her whimpers and wipe away her tears. She looked up at Hashirama with red, swollen eyes, her cheeks were flushed and moist from the residual tears.

"Mito…"

"Who?"

"Huh?"

"Who's the person?" Mito asked, her voice cracking from the crying she had been doing earlier.

Truthfully, Hashirama didn't want to get into the specifics. He was hoping to have this discussion without bringing him into it, though it might not be realistic. Hashirama wasn't the best at hiding things and Mito was always good at reading him and getting things out of him.

"Mito, I—"

"Is it Madara?"

Hashirama grew silent and his heart sank inside his chest. He felt a rush of heat throughout his body as his heart started pounding. How did she know? He slightly parted his lips, but no words came out. Hashirama wasn't sure how to respond to that, and any attempts to say something were halted by the lump that formed in the back of his throat.

"I knew it…" Mito whispered.

Surprised, Hashirama responded, "H-How did you—?"

"How long?"

"…How long what?"

"How long have you been in love with him, Hashirama? Don't play dumb," Mito pressed.

To Hashirama, it was complicated. Because for a while, he wasn't able to put a name to the feeling, so he really couldn't say. Hashirama looked away and softly said, "I… I don't know."

"You don't know?" Mito shifted her body to re-enter Hashirama's field of vision. Her voice now sounded more assertive yet hurt. She continued, "How long, Hashirama? Weeks? Months? Years?" Mito wasn't in the mood to show any mercy to Hashirama at the moment.

"I genuinely don't know, Mito."

"Can you at least look at me when I'm talking to you?"

Hashirama immediately turned his head and locked eyes with Mito. "S-Sorry. I-I don't know… I genuinely don't know."

But asking Hashirama to look at her might've been a mistake because the moment Mito met eyes with him—her husband, who had just admitted to being in love with someone else—she felt as though she had been stabbed in the chest. Mito sighed in frustration and tilted her head back, blinking away the tears that threatened to fall down her face. Her mind was muddled, and she was overwhelmed by feelings of sadness, frustration, and betrayal.

"I knew it. I knew something was up, but I didn't want to believe it. I didn't want to believe that you would love someone else. I didn't want to believe you would do this to me."

"Mito, I never intended for things to turn out this way. I—"

"Why didn't you tell me earlier?" Mito interrupted, her chest feeling as if someone was crushing it as she held back more tears.

"Because… I wasn't entirely sure what the feeling was. I thought it would go away, but it didn't. I tried to move past it, but I couldn't. And eventually, I just couldn't keep it from you any longer," Hashirama responded sincerely. He was hoping that Mito believed him when he said that.

Mito sighed and brought her knees to her chest, resting her forehead on her knees. She grew silent for a brief moment in an attempt to process everything that had been said so far. Finally, Mito asked, "So, are you seeing him? Are you guys sleeping together?"

"N-No!" Hashirama blurted. "None of that, I promise. He doesn't even… know how I feel. I haven't told him."

Mito raised her head and met Hashirama's eyes. "So, is this why you're telling me? So, you can go tell him how you feel?"

"No… I'm telling you because you are my wife. I love you, and I care about you, and I couldn't keep leaving you in the dark… You don't deserve that."

As much as Mito wanted to be upset about that answer, she couldn't because she knew Hashirama was being genuine, since that's just the type of person he was.

"Okay… well you've told me. What did you expect to get out of this? Now what? Now what do we do?"

Hashirama searched for the answer to her question. He honestly didn't think this far ahead. But what he did know was that he just didn't want to leave Mito in the dark. His feelings for Madara were growing stronger and stronger, which was a disservice to him and Mito's marriage. Damn it, this conversation was a lot harder than he anticipated. Not only did Hashirama feel intense guilt, but he also felt shame. He hated the fact that things turned out this way. He hated that he put Mito in this position. He hated himself for it.

After a brief silence, Hashirama finally responded, "You just… you deserve better than a husband who's in love with someone else…"

Mito clenched her jaw. What did he mean by that? Mito loved Hashirama and was dedicated to spending the rest of her life with him. To Mito, Hashirama was the perfect man for her. She didn't want things to end.

"Do you think you'll be able to get over your feelings for Madara?" Mito asked, silently hoping Hashirama would say 'yes' so they could put this behind them.

Hashirama could feel his heart sink in his chest. "Mito… I… I can't stop thinking about him…"

Suddenly, Mito's entire body felt heavy, and her stomach churned. Why did things come to this? Mito could barely speak when she forced the next words out of her mouth. "So… are you proposing a divorce?"

Mito's words cut deep. That wasn't necessarily on Hashirama's mind, but on second thought, that's pretty much what it sounds like. Hashirama didn't know how to respond. A divorce wasn't on his mind, and he didn't think things this far ahead.

"Do you want a divorce, Hashirama?" Mito asked impatiently.

"I-I don't know… do you?"

"If we divorce, are you going to pursue Madara?"

"I… I can't promise I won't…" Hashirama really couldn't promise. Every day he felt himself gravitate more and more toward Madara.

Mito could feel immense tightness in her throat. She hated that things were coming to this. She already had a gut feeling all this time, but the reality was still painful. More tears began to build up in Mito's eyes, the sight of Hashirama now turning into a blur.

"…What did I do? Was I… Was I not good enough for you, Hashirama?" Mito shakily said as she held back the desire to burst into tears.

Hashirama quickly grabbed Mito's hands and stared intently into her eyes. "Of course you are. You are more than enough for me, Mito. You're an amazing, beautiful, charming wife. Being with you has been amazing. Coming home to you has always been a highlight of my day. You're always able to lift my spirits up when I'm down. Your support has meant so much to me. You are more than enough, Mito. Please don't think otherwise."

"Then… why Madara?"

"Its… complicated… I've… known him since I was a child and we've been through a lot together. And… my feelings just ran deeper than I had imagined."

"So, it's because you knew him longer?"

"N-No! It's not because of that. I don't know, it's just…"

"Then because you both went through a lot together?"

"No, it's not— Mito. I don't, I don't know why. It just… happened," Hashirama stammered.

"It just happened? So, you're telling me you don't know why you fell in love with Madara while you were married to me?"

"Mito… I—" Hashirama paused, attempting to pinpoint when it all started. Was it during their marriage? He continued. "...My feelings for him might've already been there before our marriage."

"I don't care when, Hashirama. Before, after, during, in another life, I don't care. I want to know why Madara." Mito just wanted to know why her husband was in love with someone else. Seriously, was she just not good enough?

Hashirama couldn't get into it. It just didn't feel right to talk, in detail, to his wife about his love for someone else. He responded, "We don't have to get into—"

"Does he provide for you in a way I don't?" Mito interrupted.

"Mito, the way you provide for me is perfect."

"Is he a better person to talk to?"

"I love talking to you."

"What? Is he funnier? Is he smarter?"

"Mito, you're funny and you're smart—"

"Are you more attracted to him?"

"I'm very attracted to you, Mito. That's never been an issue."

"Do you think about him during sex?"

"I enjoy having sex with you Mito."

"It's been taking you longer to finish lately… and I always thought it was due to stress. Is it because I'm not him?"

"I have been stressed—"

"Why aren't you answering my questions?"

"Because… I don't want you to feel the need to compare yourself to Madara…"

"Well, I want to. I want to know what's been going through my husband's head, so just answer my questions… Please…"

"Mito, this wasn't my intention. I just wanted to be honest and tell you about my feelings, it has nothing to do with who you are as a person. This isn't… those questions don't matter. I don't think you should think this way… I don't want you comparing yourself because you are amazing just the way—"

"Hashirama Senju. Answer my questions."

"I… I don't think I will."

Mito rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Hashirama, after doing this to me, the least you could do is answer my questions. You don't want to leave me in the dark? Then answer them."

Hashirama paused before letting out a deep sigh. "I genuinely don't know when my feelings for him started. I've considered him to be a close friend ever since I met him. Madara and I are just friends, and we always have been. He doesn't 'provide' for me, but he's always been easy to talk to and I've always felt like I could go to him about certain things. But you are also easy to talk to, Mito, and you have helped talk me through many things, which I appreciate. He is funny, and his humor is interesting, to say the least. And I consider him to be a genius… far beyond me. His tactical skills are incredible. His strategies are on par with Tobirama's. And he's so… knowledgeable. B-But again, that doesn't make him any better than you. I… I am attracted to Madara, but it rarely crossed my mind that I was more attracted to him than I was to you. I try not to think about him during sex, but it very rarely happens, and I'm so sorry. And it takes me longer because I have been stressed, but I've also been feeling guilty and confused."

There was a moment of silence between the two. Mito didn't know what to expect from asking those questions. She just wanted answers. Her mind was racing, and she needed something. But this, this might've made her pain worse. Judging from the way Hashirama spoke about Madara, it was very clear to Mito that the feelings he harbored for Madara were real.

"…Do you wish you were with him and not me?" Mito finally asked.

Hashirama didn't want to lie, and Mito had already made it clear that she wanted him to answer her questions directly. "It's not that I wish I wasn't with you, but sometimes… I do wish I was with him."

Mito softly sighed and stood up, releasing her hands from Hashirama's grasp. "Then go be with him," Mito said as she walked away.

"Mito—"

"I don't want to talk about this right now."

Hashirama stood up and started going after Mito, who was headed towards their bedroom. As Mito walked into their shared bedroom, she closed the door behind her, leaving Hashirama outside. He quickly halted to stop himself from running into the shut door. Hashirama gently rested his forehead against the door.

"…Mito?"

There was no response. All he could hear was the sound of Mito's muffled soft whimpers through the door. He tried to open the door so he could comfort her but found that the door was locked. He could easily try to unlock the door from the outside but didn't want to push Mito's buttons.

"Mito…? Can I come in?"

No response.

"Mito, I'm sorry… Can we talk about it further, please?"

No response.

"Mito, please? I don't want you to think that I don't love you…"

No response. Just soft whimpers.

"…Do you want me to give you space?" Hashirama asked as he rested his palm on the wooden door.

"Yes, please."

Those weren't the words Hashirama was hoping to hear, but he decided to respect her boundaries. He said, "Okay, I'll give you space." Hashirama stood in front of the door for a couple of seconds. He didn't want to leave, but he knew his presence probably wasn't welcomed at the moment. He then added, "But Mito, I just really want to emphasize that I do love you. Everything I—"

"I don't want to hear it."

Hashirama quickly shut up. Before walking off he said, "I love you. Get some rest. I'll be around when you're ready to talk."

Hashirama then turned around and started walking towards their front door. He slipped his shoes on and quietly opened the door before slowly exiting their home.


Hashirama found himself at Tobirama's doorstep after leaving his home. It was the ultimate place his body wandered to while he walked through Konoha, deep in thought about what went down with Mito. He softly sighed, raised his fist, and knocked on his younger brother's door, hoping he would answer. He waited a moment, but there was no answer. It was late at night, so Tobirama was probably sleeping. Hashirama waited a few more seconds before knocking again, now a little louder.

Soon enough, the front door slowly opened, revealing a shirtless, sleepy Tobirama, who was rubbing at his tired eyes with the back of his hand.

"Tobirama!" Hashirama greeted as a smile spread across his face. He was relieved to see his younger brother after what happened with Mito earlier.

"Hmm? Is the village in danger?" Tobirama asked, his voice deep and groggy.

"No, but—"

Tobirama immediately closed the door in Hashirama's face.

Hashirama pouted, he didn't appreciate Tobirama's gesture. He raised his fist and knocked on the wooden door once again.

Tobirama opened the door and said, "Brother, it's late. What do you want?"

Hashirama laughed awkwardly. "Can I spend the night? Actually, can I spend a couple of nights here?"

"Why?"

"Mito and I… kind of got into it…"

"Then I suggest you go home and work things out with her," Tobirama advised as he attempted to close the door, but Hashirama held his arm out to stop it.

"Please? I told her I'd give her space… and we might be getting a divorce."

Tobirama quirked an eyebrow. "A divorce?"

Hashirama nodded, his smile fading into a frown as he felt his throat tighten up.

Tobirama noted the shift in Hashirama's facial expression. He could tell that his brother was hurting, and something definitely went down between him and Mito. He softly sighed. "Come in," he said as he fully opened the door for his older brother. He turned on the living room lights and sat down on his couch, where Hashirama joined him after closing the door and taking off his shoes.

"So? A divorce? What's going on?" Tobirama asked.

Hashirama sunk into the couch and sighed, "Things got… complicated."

"What got complicated?"

"My feelings."

"What about your feelings?" Tobirama asked. He liked it when people were direct, but Hashirama tended to be roundabout about certain things, which he didn't like.

Hashirama tried to search for the right words to say. He hadn't told Tobirama about his feelings for Madara yet, and honestly, he wanted more time to process it on his own before he told him. He scanned the room with his eyes while figuring out what to say next.

"It's just… I just… There were these developing feelings that I didn't know what to do about. And lately, it's become a lot clearer what they are to me. So, I thought Mito deserved to know."

Tobirama raised an eyebrow. "Oh? So, you finally told Mito about your love for Madara?"

"Wha—" Hashirama quickly turned to Tobirama with widened eyes. "How did you know? You could tell?!"

"Of course I could tell. You're both oblivious idiots, it's no wonder you're friends."

Hashirama was immediately overtaken by a depressed demeanor. Idiots, huh? He then quickly shook the feelings off. "Wait, both? Do you think he feels the same way?" Hashirama asked with a hopeful tone.

Tobirama didn't want to tell Hashirama that he could tell Madara felt the same way. He figured they should work up the courage to learn from each other themselves. This wasn't something Tobirama wanted to get between.

"I don't know, I'm not around him enough to be able to tell," Tobirama lied, his voice unwavering.

Hashirama sighed. "He probably doesn't feel the same way… But Tobirama, I… I really hurt Mito. I mean, not that it shouldn't have hurt her, of course she'd be hurt about it. I just couldn't keep hiding it from her. She deserved to know. She's been such a great wife, and here I was just falling in love with Madara. It's not even that I don't love her, I do. But Madara just…"

Tobirama let Hashirama ramble about his thoughts despite his desire to go back to sleep. He had a long day that day and needed the rest, but he knew his brother really needed a listening ear. So, he fought the tiredness and stayed engaged with Hashirama about his troubles. He listened. He listened to Hashirama tell him about his night with Mito. He listened to Hashirama pour his feelings out about Madara. He listened to it all.

"…and now that I've told Mito, and now that a divorce is in question, I just… I don't know where to take it from here."

"Hmm, do you want a divorce?"

"I… I think I want to be with Madara."

"So, you want a divorce."

"Not necessarily…"

"Brother, you can't be with both of them."

"I know! I know. I just don't know what to do," Hashirama groaned as he buried his face into his hands.

"I feel like you know exactly what you want, you're just afraid to admit it," Tobirama said frankly.

Hashirama sighed. Tobirama was right like he usually was. Hashirama wanted to be with Madara, but he hated that he had to hurt Mito in the process. He hated that he couldn't uncover his feelings and face this earlier. He hated that he ultimately broke his marriage vows. There was no good reason to leave Mito. Mito was fine just the way she was. But Madara…

"What if this was all for naught? Let's say Madara doesn't feel the same way, I would've hurt Mito for nothing," Hashirama said.

"I thought you told Mito because she deserved to know, not because you wanted a chance with Madara," Tobirama responded.

"I did! It would just suck if my love was unreciprocated, you know?"

Tobirama shrugged his shoulders. "Well, love isn't exactly an easy thing to navigate, and the timing isn't always perfect."

Tobirama wanted to be realistic here. It was a difficult situation. Tobirama had the natural urge to think about this logically. It's unlikely that Hashirama's love was unreciprocated, but what are the odds that Madara will even allow himself to be pursued by Hashirama? He believed Mito was good for Hashirama and didn't want to see his older brother fall victim to the curse of the Uchiha clan—a clan that loves hard and will easily fall into hatred when love is lost. Plus, what would the village think when they hear that their Hokage divorced his devoted wife to be with Madara Uchiha? It wasn't a good look for him. But… Tobirama knew that all of this was something Hashirama probably didn't want to hear right now. He highly respected his older brother and genuinely wanted the best for him. He did want his brother to be with the person he loved and be happy, genuinely happy.

Tobirama then added, "But… I'm sure things will work out the way they're meant to. You'll be okay."

Hashirama turned to Tobirama, moved by his words. He stared at him with widened, glimmering eyes. It's not often that Tobirama provides comforting words without barraging him with discouraging facts. He was more realistic, logical. But it was times like these that Hashirama really appreciated. Hearing those words was more than enough to cheer him up.

"Tobirama… Thank you!" Hashirama threw his arms around Tobirama and hugged him tightly.

"G-get off, brother!" Tobirama demanded as he tried to wiggle out of Hashirama's strong embrace.

Hashirama sniffled and finally gave Tobirama his space, flashing a wide, appreciative smile. "You're right! You're right. It'll work out the way they're meant to," Hashirama said. He then added, "But… do you think Mito hates me?"

"Well… You're probably not her favorite person in the world right now."

"Yeah, of course. Yeah…" Hashirama's voice trailed off and his smile faded. He sat in silence for a few seconds, retreating into his thoughts. He was brought back into reality when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Just take it a day at a time," Tobirama reassured.

Hashirama could feel his smile reappear. Really, he really did appreciate Tobirama. "Thank you, Tobirama. I will."

But shortly after, Hashirama's smile slowly faded again as he thought about some of his other concerns; the concerns he hadn't brought up to Tobirama yet. He said, "But on another note, I am worried about Madara. I've been worried about him for a while now actually, but these past few days, he's been particularly different… Earlier today, he brought up that he found the answer to true peace, and I couldn't shake this… uneasy feeling I got when he said it."

Tobirama straightened up, his face serious. This was something he had been prepared to talk about for a while now. "I agree, I've also noticed a shift."

"And did you hear he stepped down as leader of the Uchiha clan?"

Tobirama hummed in response. "I've known for a while now, yes."

"Why didn't you tell me? I had to hear it from Mito."

Tobirama furrowed his eyebrows in annoyance. "I did tell you, brother."

"When?"

"The day after it happened. Around almost two weeks ago, after lunch, in your office."

Hashirama searched through his memories to find what Tobirama was talking about. Almost two weeks ago, after lunch? What was he doing? He finally recalled that he was probably at his desk, napping behind a wall of paperwork. He must've been responding to Tobirama in his sleep.

"Right…" Hashirama responded.

"Were you not listening to me?!"

"Of course I was!" Hashirama said as he looked away to hide the guilt on his face.

Tobirama sucked his teeth, "This is why I can't let you run the village unsupervised."

"I'm not that bad—"

"The village would crumble."

Hashirama was immediately overtaken by a depressed demeanor. Sometimes it hurt him how little faith Tobirama had in him. The two continued to converse for a few more minutes until Tobirama stood up.

"Well, we should keep an eye on Madara for the time being," Tobirama said.

"I'll pay attention, but I don't think we should jump to conclusions, Tobirama. You have a habit of assuming the worst when it comes to the Uchiha clan."

"Hmph, I don't assume the worst. I'm cautious. We can't just overlook their history. If any of his actions even hint towards harming the village, I'll have to be ready to take appropriate action."

"Of course, and I will too," Hashirama responded.

"Good, as you should." Tobirama then stretched and started walking out of the living room towards his bedroom. "You can sleep in the guest room down the hall. Goodnight."

"Thank you, Goodnight."

Hashirama yawned. He sure was exhausted. He got up and made his way to the guest room, which was clean and organized, he wouldn't expect less from Tobirama. Hashirama took off his shirt and pants and crawled into bed, pulling the covers over his body. His mind raced with Mito, Madara, his feelings, everything, until he was able to fall asleep.


Knock Knock*

"Mito?"

It had been over a week since Hashirama opened up to Mito about his feelings for Madara. He had been staying at Tobirama's place ever since to give Mito some space to process everything. However, from time to time, Hashirama still tried to check in on her to see how she was doing. He was worried about her after all and didn't want to give her too much space and leave her all alone.

During the past few days, Hashirama had still been attending to his Hokage duties. He has also been fulfilling his word to see Madara every day even though Madara was still being stubborn. Hashirama didn't want to tell Madara about what was going on between him and Mito. He wanted to keep him out of it until everything was settled, especially since it involved Hashirama's feelings for him.

Hashirama waited patiently for Mito to answer the door, but received no response—no words, no open door. But she was in there, Hashirama could sense it. He decided to knock again, hoping Mito would respond.

Soon enough, the door slowly opened, revealing Mito. She was wrapped in a thick, dark green blanket, and her hair was out of her usual two buns, falling down the side of her face, appearing slightly tangled. Her eyes were puffy, her cheeks were sunken, and her lips were chapped. Hashirama could easily tell that she wasn't doing too well, and it made his chest hurt.

"Mito…"

"What do you want, Hashirama?"

"I wanted to come check in on you. May I come in?"

Mito slowly shook her head; she wasn't ready to face Hashirama yet. She was still grieving the potential end of their marriage. "I'm not ready to talk yet," Mito whispered.

Hashirama grew silent. He tried to meet Mito's eyes, but she kept hers averted to avoid eye contact.

"…That's fine, take the time you need. I'm worried about you though, are you eating? Are you getting enough sleep? Do you need me to bring you anything?"

"I'll be fine, Hashirama," Mito responded as she slowly closed the door in Hashirama's face.

Hashirama's attempt to respond was halted. He reached his hand out and gently caressed the closed, wooden door and sighed. He wanted to respect Mito's boundaries, but this was killing him. He really wanted to talk it out with her. But what could he expect? It's not like he can have it his way in this situation. The best thing he could do right now is to be there for her and respect her timing.

Dragging his feet across the ground, Hashirama left the walkway of their home and walked through Konoha as he became lost in his own thoughts. He soon found a nearby bench and sunk into the seat; his head tilted downwards to block out the scenery in front of him. What has he done? Hashirama beat himself up continuously in his head. He really messed up. It pained him to hurt someone he loved.

From a distance, Madara slowly walked down a nearby street. He had left his home to make his way to a remote area to train because he had a lot on his mind and really needed to blow off some steam. These past few days, he couldn't stop thinking about Hashirama, the Infinite Tsukuyomi, and the negative thoughts that plagued his mind.

Madara strolled down the street until he saw Hashirama sitting on the bench ahead of him. He briefly stopped as he wasn't expecting to see Hashirama there. Fortunately, Hashirama didn't notice him. He wasn't in the mood to initiate more conversations with Hashirama because he knew the man would try and push him to spend time with him. That wasn't what Madara needed right now. He needed to harden his resolve and leave the village.

Madara continued his walk before stopping again once he noticed something was off with Hashirama. He assessed Hashirama's slouched shoulders, his frown, his saddened eyes. Honestly, for the past few days, he could tell Hashirama was going through something. But, Hashirama never said a word about it. Madara didn't want to pry, because he knew if he tried, Hashirama might turn it back on him. And it would be hypocritical of him to expect Hashirama to open up, he supposed.

But truthfully, Hashirama was worrying Madara. He was used to Hashirama's cheerful self after all. Hashirama was a resilient and optimistic man. He was good at seeing the positives in any negative situation he was in. He was good at making it out of his lowest lows and helping others get through their own as well. All of these qualities were a part of the long list of things Madara liked about Hashirama.

Madara continued to stare at Hashirama from a distance, debating whether he should walk up to him or not. He went back and forth in his head, "I should walk away… no I should be there for him. No, I need to break away, detach myself. I need to leave everything behind. I need to pursue my plan. I can't keep getting pulled back by Hashirama. He has no room for a person like me… His light is too bright for me and my dark fate. But… he said he cared about me… But he could've just been saying that. He probably says that to everyone. I should go. I should keep walking. But… I should be there for him… But if he wanted me to be there for him, he would've told me what was going on, so no. But that's ridiculous thinking, Madara. Fuck. What the fuck is wrong with me."

Meanwhile, Hashirama was still engrossed in his own thoughts, not noticing Madara's presence at all. He then looked up for a moment, suddenly locking eyes with Madara, who was standing ahead of him. He watched as Madara flinched before looking around awkwardly, appearing a bit flustered. He shifted in his position, looking as if he was about to walk away, but stopped and slowly raised his gloved hand up to wave.

Hashirama softly exhaled and flashed a slight grin, slowly waving back at Madara before turning his gaze back down again, returning to his racing thoughts. It was strange. After everything that went down with Mito, he started feeling way more intense butterflies whenever he saw Madara. If his marriage with Mito does end, he could seriously pursue Madara if he wanted to, and this made his heart race.

But first, he had to settle things with Mito, or else it wouldn't feel right. Well, it probably won't feel right for a while, but still, his priorities start with making amends with Mito first. She was the main person on his mind right now.

"That's weird," Madara thought to himself.

Madara expected Hashirama to walk up to him, get in his face, and ask him to do something. But this time, he didn't. Madara briefly contemplated what to do next, but soon found himself walking towards Hashirama. He sat down next to him and remained silent, subconsciously waiting for Hashirama to say something. But no words. Nothing left Hashirama's lips.

Madara looked over at Hashirama, examining his solemn facial expression. He could tell that Hashirama was in his head right now. He should ask. He should be there. Madara finally asked, "Is everything okay?"

Hashirama's eyes slightly widened as he snapped out of his own bubble. He turned to Madara and grinned, "Yes! Sorry, I'm just tired."

Madara slightly smirked. "You're being dishonest. I can tell, you know?" he teased, alluding to the nagging he would get from Hashirama these past few weeks.

"Oh?" Hashirama grinned. "That makes the two of us then I guess," Hashirama responded as he smirked.

Madara pouted and turned his head away from Hashirama. See? There was no way he was going to let Hashirama turn this back on him. To his surprise, Hashirama didn't say another word. He was expecting Hashirama to turn the question back on him and ask if he was okay. But nothing. What was wrong? Madara didn't like to admit it, but it hurt him to see Hashirama like this.

Madara looked back over at Hashirama to see that he was back to his own thoughts, looking down toward his lap. Madara wasn't sure what to do. Usually, Hashirama was pretty open about the things that bothered him, but this time around was different. He wondered why. Madara glanced down at Hashirama's hands, noticing as he subtly twiddled with thumbs, a nervous tic Madara was aware he had. Was he nervous about something?

"Is something important coming up?" Madara asked.

"Um… No, not that I can think of."

Madara hummed in response. The two sat in silence for a few moments. Madara wasn't the best at consoling people, especially when he didn't know what was going through the other person's mind. He wished he knew what was wrong though… what was going on in that head of his?

Madara shifted in his seat to find a more comfortable position, causing their thighs to touch. They both felt a zap rush through their bodies from the contact. Hashirama felt the urge to lean into Madara's touch and pull him into a hug. But he desperately fought that desire. Instead, he kept his leg there, taking in Madara's touch.

Meanwhile, Madara's mind raced with all the things that could, but will never, be. Though he wasn't the most affectionate person, Hashirama's touch could be so… comforting. Madara kept his thigh against Hashirama's, savoring his touch. But despite being this close, Madara believed Hashirama was still so far out of reach.

After they sat in silence for a few moments, Madara sighed and finally stood up.

"Well, if you need anything…" Madara's voice trailed off. He was initially going to finish the sentence off by saying he was there for him, but why would Hashirama need anything from him? Apart from a listening ear, Madara didn't feel like he had much to offer. Moreover, he still made the decision to leave the village after all, so he won't be around for long... Right? So, would it be cruel to say he was there for him? But here he is, still here, in the village that he's been saying he'd leave. Curses.

Madara shoved his gloved hands into his pocket and started walking away.

"Thank you, Madara. I'll come to you if I do," Hashirama responded as if he heard the full sentence in Madara's mind.

Madara's eyes widened, and his chest fluttered as he stopped in his tracks. He then hummed in response and continued walking, leaving Hashirama alone on the bench.

Hashirama smiled as he watched Madara walk away. There was no doubt that he loved that man. But first, he had to work things out with Mito and reflect on what he truly wanted for himself moving forward. Maybe then…

"I'll see you tomorrow?" Hashirama called out, almost forgetting his daily ritual.

Madara stopped and turned to face Hashirama, meeting his gaze. They stared at each other in silence before Madara turned back around to continue walking.

Unappreciative of Madara's lack of response, Hashirama asked again, "I'll see you—"

"I'll be around," Madara interrupted before disappearing into the busy streets of Konoha.

Hashirama leaned back against the bench and smiled. "I'll take your word for it," he thought. As he stared ahead at the street where Madara once stood, Hashirama couldn't help but think about Madara and his touch. Before his mind could wander further, he shook out those thoughts. Right now, he needed to focus on Mito… and reflect.

Mito, he needed to work things out with Mito. And once he does, maybe then…


Thanks for reading! Tune in for the next chapter! ^_^