Blinded

He was worn out that day. Tons of paper works came late in the afternoon and all were required to be done before dawn. So to speak, he rushed the urgent works all by himself. On another note, he was also the Senju leader and he have other things to do aside from running the village as the Hokage. Tough job, for a tough man like him. Albeit he was strong person but he has only one mind and body. Hashirama was tired mentally - to the full extent. Not to mention his latest dispute with the Uchiha.

He sighed remembering how she smashed his idea to lead in training the Uzumaki. The Uchiha leader was an exclusive person so it's no surprise that somehow ,she will turn down the given task but Hashirama did not expect her to have a problem with the Uzumaki. They were tranquil and harmless people, needless to say that they are relatives with the Senju and he witnessed how they run the Uzushio. Though he was well aware that Madara always have a trust issue, that if a non-Uchiha person have to visit their home, you will need to pass an extreme evaluation from the other Uchiha before you can talk to their head. Ultimately, he wanted her to have a new company. The way he can see it, it seems his bestfriend doesn't have other persons in her life. She was too enclosed by her Uchiha clan and Hashirama wanted to expand her world just like he wanted his friends to be her friends too.

Unfortunately, she doesn't see it that way and they ended up getting in an argument again.

And much more unfortunate for him to have additional headache when he got home.

"You never sided with me!" His drunken brother snarled or more like accused him. His arms over the Hokage's shoulder while gently putting him on his bed.

If not because of Toka's helping hand, the younger Senju would have crawl in order to get home or worse, he wouldn't reach it at all. Hashirama thanked her for taking good care of his wasted brother before he arrived and apologized at the same time. Toka had been honest to inform him about Tobirama's hurtful feelings about what happened last day as he mumbled several times how he hated his older brother's actions in hearing the Uchiha lad more than him and worrying that if the brothers could not settle the issue sooner, it will greatly affects the both of them. Hashirama smilesd at Toka after a promise that he will take care of the issue and Tobirama himself, thankful that even though the younger one has an ego bigger than him, there was someone who greatly cares on his well being.

"Tobirama, you are drunk." Hashirama said, totally ignoring Tobirama's rants as he put a cup of coffee on the mini table beside the bed. "Drink this so that you..."

"Oh didn't you hear me? or maybe you did but you do not want to, anyway what's new about that. All you wanted to hear is that crazy Uchiha!" Tobirama rolled his eyes, shuffled his hair away from his face as he continue on his ramblings. Hashirama chose to remain calm for he knows he holds the responsibility why his brother was acting this way.

"Tobi, I am sorry if I offended you in my actions earlier, but please let's talk further if you are...on the right state of mind and not now." he gently patted his brother's shoulder, keeping a sincere eye contact but Tobirama was unimpressed.

"I am not drunk!" all of a sudden he stood up and continued to fulminate. He even made several hand motions as he protest, Hashirama did not made a single step back but was calm enough to hold his brother as he maintained his balance while the younger one murmured words of disappointments. Hashirama's patience, originally for three younger brothers - now two late brothers, was solely left for Tobirama's tendencies to burst like a magma.

"I am not asking for an apology coming from you!" Tobirama pushed him away and it made a wide gap between them. Hashirama was surprised by his actions. They've never been on a huge physical fight before and he silently hopes they would never have one at this moment.

"You are so blinded by her that you cannot see her flaws!" he pointed a finger at the older Senju, it was obvious who he was stating. The older one started to take Tobirama's talking seriously but keeping in mind that it was partly the alcohol's fault.

"Blinded?" Hashirama was befuddled.

"For once brother, I cannot believe you have fallen for a girl who killed your own father!"

Hashirama gulped hardly and this time did not take it lightly.

"Open your eyes and you will see how much of a shi-"

"That's enough Tobirama!" he grabbed his younger brother'sfurred collar pulling him closer to him, Hashirama was pretty exhausted from arguing with people close on him. But when Tobirama brings out something offending or a very sensitive topic of Madara murdering their father, he tried - but failed to compress his reaction.

"Not because you are on this state you can talk and push me away like I am something random to you, I am your older brother! And please, I am forbidding you in pulling that issue out again." He was dead serious on how he dropped the his last statements. They were face to face, Tobirama gritted his teeth and again was triggered to go against his brother's will. He was more angry than ever and he refused to listen on his pleas.

"See! You sided again with that Uchiha again!"

"I am not siding nor I'm siding on one of you, Tobirama." The Hokage have the urge to massage his temple, surely a drunken version of his brother was the hardest to converse. But this topic with Madara was so intolerable to his ears, what's more, he just wanted to end his before it gets worst and to have the longest rest ever right after he have a double headache.

Much to his shock, Tobirama pulled his collar closer, eyes burning with accusations. He hated her,not his brother. But seeing his brother will do anything in favor of the Uchiha , much to his dismay hurts him the most.

"She killed father!" he shouted, Hashirama was a patient man but for the first time, returned the favor of pushing his brother away on his bed in a forceful manner that cause Tobirama to plopped down on the said bed as he was heavily tipsy that he cannot think nor move straight. He was drunk but Hashirama was beyond losing his patience plainly because of Tobirama's current childishness and fatigue.

"I killed one of her siblings! so don't talk like we are the only victims of the past, Tobirama, you are the one who never listen to me!" He breathed out, the younger one groggily moved his head after bumping it to his bed watching while his brother tensed on their feud. The older one plopped a hand on his head at his action.

Hashirama feel sorry for his younger brother. He can remember how he mourned over their father's death. The second child of Butsuma Senju was the closest one to him. But at the same time, the thoughts of stealing the life of Madara's eldest brother haunted his memories whenever he remembers their father's death. No matter how much he convinced himself, it was not even, not at the slightest.

"...sorry."

He whispered before leaving his brother's room in peace.

-xXx-

"Neechan?"

"Hmm?"

"Is there a problem?"

"Nothing."

"Then...would you sit?"

"Why would I?"

Izuna sighed. He was currently studying a scroll after a silly low class mission of fetching a sheep from a not so far away village. She was continuously waltzing for about a minute already since she entered their home and the kid find it very disturbing.

"Fine." Madara then sat at the tatami floor beside a wall after noticing the observance of her brother and their pets while she walks from left to right over and over. Orenjiko sat on her lap wanting to be pet by her. It was her favorite though she equally loves the other two but the orange fat cat was the most affectionate to her and it always ended up on sleeping with her or sleeping on top her at night.

Uchiha Madara was on a shitty mood once again, but this time she cannot figure exactly why and how it happened. What's more upsetting her was that she cannot find the word on how she felt during the time of their meeting with the Uzumaki twins. Hearing how Hashirama complimented the Uzumaki girl was like the most irritating sound she heard and for once, she was having trouble on why the heck those thoughts entered her mind.

Why on earth would she was rather confused and annoyed (or maybe both at the time being). On another thing, how dare that Senju assigned her to a task he knew so damn well she would not take, like training an unknown group of men sounded crazy, knowing her exclusiveness and persona. And in the name of Neko-kami, what were her thoughts back then? Madara rolled her eyes and 'hnn-ed' while caressing Orenjiko's head - which shows how contradicting her facial reaction and actions at the same time. Izuna observed his sister, was it really hard to understand girls? that's a question that popped in his mind, but then realized his sister was beyond ordinary girl - far from that - and probably farthest from that.

"Did Hokage-san do something again?" Izuna innocently asked and was now reading a book, Madara stared deeply at her brother with a puzzling yet claiming an unreadable expression.

"What makes you ask that?" She asked back, the truth was she was alarmed how her little brother found out the reason why she's having her bad mood of the night.

"Isn't he's the always reason why you are upset?" It was true on Madara's behalf, but still, it was quite surprising how her kid brother knew it so well.

"...but I think he's kind, maybe you are just being hard with him at times, neechan." Izuna continued turning a single page on his book, his eyes fixated on it. Madara was taken aback and was now confused on her own brother's statements. By golly, he used to address Hashirama as 'Your Enemy' (when talking to her) or 'The Enemy Leader' or simply 'That Senju' but now he was addressing him as something highly and mighty as "Hokage-san", calling "Hokage" would be acceptable and just fine though still surprising, but putting "-san" is another big thing. Madara narrowed her eyes, her kid brother talks like the older one now.

"How could you say so?" The Uchiha girl wanted to growl at first, but Izuna was right. She did not protest when he describe him as 'kind', it was true that Hashirama was always a kind person and she wanted to knock her head in thinking things once again that maybe she should have not do, like remembering how patient the Senju was in handling her mood swings.

Stop..just stop thinking about it...

"I don't know but I can feel it when I talked to him."

-xXx-

It was probably one of his worst day. A verbal fight against Madara and his brother at the same day. Hashirama was inexplicably exhausted and that all he wanted to do ias to have the longest rest but no, there he was, walking around at dawn time with his Hokage robes, barely noticing the greetings of his villagers. Also, thinking about the possibilities of choosing between Madara and Tobirama on whom-to-get-okay first addend his headache. Why can't the girl agree on him easily without disagreements involved and why can't his brother understand his decisions?

Blinded, that's how Tobirama described him. Hashirama was not afraid to admit that Madara was a special person in his life. He is the strongest shinobi but the sad part was that he was a coward to admit his feelings directly to her. They have been enemies from the start as others knew it, but for him, the real 'start' of their connections was when he met her on the river plainly as Madara and him as Hashirama. There was no Senju and Uchiha surnames involved, just them being themselves.

The Hokage sat on a bench near his office. How he hoped those time can be rewinded and maintained. They have unfavorable past,probably the worst past for someone who claimed to be best of friends. But Hashirama doesn't want to get stuck on that ugly past, he wanted to move on and he wanted her to move on. A year ago after starting the village he have high hopes to be more open to the elusive girl about his feelings but still, every time he planned it was disapproved by Tobirama, saying things how awkward and unacceptable of him to trust the girl that much were enough to discontinue.

"Hashirama-san?" a familiar female voice returned him up from his thoughts, the Hokage smiled at her.

"Mito, where have you been?" He forced a tone that would not let her know how he feels at the present time being but his eyes betrayed him.

"I just bought some mushroom soup for dinner and I'm on the way back to the guest house." Mito answered, without failing to notice that Hashirama needed someone to talk to, she was sensible enough to ask the obvious.

"Are you okay? you look troubled." there was a glint of concern coming from the Uzumaki, the Hokage did the denial thing of telling he was just tired and that's all, though he knows she will surely caught him lying. He was fully aware of how much of a bad liar he is.

"I will be fine, thank you for asking Mito.'" It was like he answered her of a 'no Im not okay' but played his words perfectly not to boldly appear like that. Mito's concern grew more, thinking the man might wanted to be alone this time she decided to take her leave and respect him by avoiding to answer her directly.

"I hope you will soon, Hashirama-san, my apologies for interrupting you. I will take my leave then." she politely made an apologetic smile and bowed at the kage then slowly turned around.

"...Mito?" Hashirama called, Mito stopped and turn around to face him.

"Yes, Hashirama-san?"

"Can you...stay here with me?"

He just wanted someone to talk to and he saw Mito as the perfect one at the right time to hear him out. Mito blinked at his invitation to sit with him on the same bench but gladly (and giddy-ly) accepted it. They talked about random things from different elemental jutsus to their respective village climates - almost all of the stuff. Hashirama found it easier to communicate with someone like her - someone who was willing to listen to him even on the simplest topic. Mito was more than happy to have a bonding like this with him and without them knowing it, they were laughing their ass off.

"Did you just say mushroom soup?"

"Yes,why?"

"It's my favorite!"

"Do you want some?"

"Then thanks in advance!" they both laughed, his chest became lighter after their chatting. Hashirama made a toothy grin at her. Funny how a small act like that would make her heart pound on miles per second.

"Oh, I remember, I am a man of my words." Hashirama suddenly held her paper bag (which contains the ingredients for mushroom soup) by his left hand then held Mito's left hand by his right.

"Hashirama-san?" Mito was bewildered by his actions.

"Let me take you to my favorite place in the village."

-xXx-

She didn't know why she went outside, walking around at the center of the village at 6 o'clock in the afternoon. Usually, it was the time for her to arrange her Uchiha paper works and finish them off. A brief girly chuckle caught her attention coming from a group of teenage girls on the park. It was clear what's their topic all about - the usual. Madara mentally grunted after hearing them swoon over how handsome a certain man is, she glared daggers at them, can't they talk about anything useful instead?. Useless little freaks, she thought. On the other side were a group of male shinobis who stole glances at the group of girls. Madara did not find it amusing but it caught her attention. By the looks of it, the male shinobis were talking about the girls too.

The Uchiha has decided to observe them. She's almost at the same age of the teen age girls. It was unbelievable but the image of her joining the group of girls came through her mind - that is IF she was born as an ordinary person.

But she was not and she would never- she was born as an Uchiha shinobi and its leader. The goddess of shinobi as they knew her, fought so many clans and killed hundreds, men and women even children. There was no way in this world that someone will classify her by the likes of these persons.

"Faggots." she mumbled while walking away.

A sudden thought attacked her and that was Izuna's voice ringing on her head, crap this day that she's thinking the most random thing starting in the morning.

Maybe she was just hard at him at times, maybe she did overreact a bit, or maybe she was just paranoid or maybe, maybe...

"Bullcrap!" She hissed at no one in particular but the villagers that were passing by were so shocked that they made a wide gap on where she walks and where the villagers passes by. Her face became paler as she bowed her head to mutter a quite sorry at the villagers.

What are you doing, what am I doing, what is this shit all about?

She was behaving far from her usual self since the start of this day. Madara disliked it very much. She now hated herself for not being able to control emotions of getting upset so easily.

It was all this Senju's fault.

Oh, how she wanted to scream at him badly for making her feel like this. Even though she still cannot look for an appropriate reason and why she would. The Uchiha was itching to punch something to ease her out but then beginning to think again. Maybe if she tried to make excuses how she behaved when they argued it will give her peace and all will be normal again, like her normal self and logically speaking. Does the word excuses makes up for it? or maybe she would just try to make amends with the Senju everything will be fine.

Making amends almost equate on accepting that it was her fault and it was also unbearable for her like she wanted to vomit on the thought of it. But if it's the only thing that will bring her sanity again...

-xXx-

The two ended up on the Hokage mountains over Hashirama's giant stone face. Watching over the village lights from above and the stars at night made the solemn place alive.

"Thank you for bringing me here, Hashirama-san." Mito thanked him with a flush of red on her face, she was seated on a chair made by Hashirama's every reliable wood jutsu.

"You are welcome, I just wanted to fulfill my promise to you way back in our talk on the bridge."

Back to Uzushio, Mito and Morito talked how it was their favorite spot on the village. Reason why they bring Hashirama on the bridge when they were little. That was when Hashirama promised to bring the two of them too on his favorite spot soon after they arrived Konoha.

"Why is it that this is your favorite spot?" Mito asked curiously, the view from above was spectacular but there was no special about it. Just a very high place looking around the village, that's all. The redhead wanted to know the reason behind how it ended up being his favorite place, considering Konoha was huge in size and there was a lot more from it, like a forest a waterfall or maybe a marvelous garden. For she knows him, he was always fascinated by nature and this mountain top was far from his standards.

Hashirama was back on his quiet mood, clearly recalling some events on his life and smiled - a genuine smile. It was the 'truest' smile, not a forced one nor a toothy grin but Mito can see and feel how blissful he was behind that smile.

"It's because this place is where I made a promise that I will create this village with someone."

The Uzumaki smiled and contented at his answer, it was a great feeling and a giddy one that a powerful shinobi like him can be sentimental and emotional given that his abilities can rule the world.

"Is this someone your brother?" she asked again, Hashirama chuckled.

"Funny that he wasn't, even though we're close, Tobirama did not see the possibility to create a village like I did. It was with Madara."

Mito was taken aback. He really speak the Uchiha's name with passion, with an emotion. It was different, very different. Then her curiosity kicked again, Uzumaki Mito collected her courage to ask him - one thing that she's afraid of hearing the answer though it was nearly confirmed but she wanted to hear it coming from him.

"Can I ask you something?" her eyes were stuck on the view below but her thoughts were somewhere else. She knew his answer would either hurt her or crush her but still, he was something important to her and she would respect that. Hashirama turn his head at her waiting for her question.

"What is Madara-sama to you?"

Her question puts flame through his mind, soul and body. What is she to him? Mito, of all the people asked. Tobirama already knows what the Uchiha was to his life, no need to confirm that though he never got the courage to ask him straight to the point about it. Hashirama was bemused, wishing he can be straightforward and good with words as Mito did.

"She is the-"

"The playmate he had when he was a 13 year old kid getting tired of the foolish war-torn era and was glad he was not the only one."

Both of them turn their head at the direction where the voice came. Mito was perplexed but Hashirama almost had his eyeballs out as he watched Madara's figure appear.

The sharingan user did not hear their entire conversation, the only thing she have heard of was Mito's last question to Hashirama. Madara's thoughts in order as she walked; damn this Senju for bringing this bitch on 'their' place, damn this bitch for asking the stupidest question and the third and most of all...

Damn all the Senju in the planet because their leader might had carry this Mito bridal style in order for her to be in this top of the mountain. Heck, there was no other way she could be on this place without a shinobi's help!

"Mara..." Hashirama whispered.

"Sorry for any disturbances, I'm just here to actually report that the Uchiha renovations is done. Anyway, I got to go now. Enjoy." She bid a very sarcastic tone then waved a hand at the two. Biting her lower lip and her eyebrows met when she turned around leaving them, her fists curled into a ball. There was a burning anger deep beneath her.

Envy, she was envious by this Uzumaki Mito and she was now prepared to show her who is Uchiha Madara and what an Uchiha was capable of.