Blinded

Two figures stood motionless below the glaring crestfallen sky. Drops of blood came rushing down from the taller figure as he grip his injured shoulder, shocked at the person who caused it.

Her eyes red as fire.

"Madara..why?"

She launched a second attack using taijutsu but this time, he evade it. Hashirama jumped backwards only to find the Uchiha already breathed fire coming to his direction.

"Katon: Gouka Mekkyaku!" the Uchiha fired one of her signature jutsu. The Hokage didn't have a choice but to defend himself and used one hand to summon a wood release. Hashirama created a wood of dome to shell himself from the majestic fire release, but the shield cracked moments after his relocation.

"Just like the old times." Her lips curved yet again into a dangerous smile, Madara pulled the gunbai at her back. "In moments like this I can feel that I am alive." she continued.

"What's the meaning of this?!" Hashirama glowered, his face is an epitome of despair demanding an acceptable reason of her to attack. But he knows better than anyone else why she must be doing this.

Unfortunately for him that the Uchiha traversed faster than he blinks "Because I hate all of you!" she yelled back,her face was just inches closer to him, gunbai ready to smash him down. Hashirama's eyes turned to slits and releases an earth jutsu in combination of wood to pull Madara down to stop her movements. His jutsu restrained her body for a while when she used an all new genjutsu on him.

"Really?" The girl teased "how pathetic of you trying to stop me instead of fighting me. I will not fall for it. You used that a hundreds of times already since we were children!" the Uchiha warned dodging Hashirama's plan in restraining her. His sword clashed through her gunbai. They stared at each other.

"Madara please, let us talk!"

"For what?"

"It's only a matter of time and we can still do something about Kirigakure!"

"Talk?" she glared. "that ridiculous thing cannot bring my brother back!" Madara screamed and goes an all out attack on Hashirama. The man did not move a single act of returning the favor but is merely doing his best to dodge. But then upon realizing it will not do him any good, the Hokage decided to go against her hand for her have to drop the weapon.

"Dammit Hashirama, how many times I have to tell you..." the Uchiha jumped back clearly reading the Senju's stance.

"I'm not going to fall for you games."

"Do you think this is what Izuna wants you to do?" Hashirama asked as he can already feel her anger towards him.

"This is what I want to do!"

"To betray us?"

Madara only stared at him blankly.

"To betray..me?" He asked again, this time clutching his bloody arm. "Madara, we've been through all the hardships in building the village! Please do not tell me it has all come to this!"

"There is no such place for me in that village anymore!" she hissed. "No, never did I feel I belonged in that nettlesome place!" the raven haired girl said with pure bitterness. Just by reminiscing the elders' wary stares at her way back on Hashirama's delegation as Hokage when they created it filled her heart with anger to no end. Those fool who did not believe in her, who keeps very suspicious to her, who never trusted her.

"That's not true!" Hashirama protested. "you have me, I am with you all the time.."

"Enough!" Madara grips her sword on the left and gunbai on the right hand "You don't fit to be Hokage Hashirama, if not because of your imprudent decisions my brother would have still live! it's your fault, if only I..."

Hashirama charged forward much to her surprise.

"If only I became the Hokage instead of you!" Madara plunged the katana directly on his already wounded arm, Hashirama gasped while trying to reach her other hand. Blood splattered all over him.

"What are you trying to do, running to your own death?" the Uchiha mocked with an obvious annoyance in her face. She cannot believe he can be this stupid by not predicting her moves. Madara knows he could just evade the simple tactic yet he didn't. She wonders if Hashirama is trying to pull something on his sleeves in the next seconds.
But then, Hashirama, non other than the most powerful shinobi known in their era - the very First Hokage, looked so tragic with katana shoved inside his shoulder, kneeling down before the Uchiha glaring down at him.
Before it registered that he wasn't trying to attack her at all, she felt a bloodied hand over the tight grip of her sword touching hers.

It was followed by silence. All they can hear was the swift breeze soon as they stopped shifting. The Uchiha scowled at the sight of it, her mouth opened and wanted to kick him away. How ugly, being weak is the most disgusting trait for the Uchiha. More especially if she knows that the man in front of her was never weak to begin with.

"What are you plotting?" Madara asked suspiciously waiting for the man's revelation. She is clearly having the upper hand but what annoys her is the thought of him taking it as a whim.

"I'll give you everything." He said, the girl's eyes slightly grew upon hearing it.

"Just not this, I cannot give you a fight you want" He slowly looks up, eyeing her unreadable face. The Senju stared at her like a human prays to their Kami as if she is a goddess holding his dear life.

"My death cannot bring Izuna back but I know you'll just say 'the world works that way'. Madara, I'm begging you please do not turn your back at our hardships! do not turn your back at me. I cannot do this alone, without you then it's all meaningless. The village, my dream, peace, Konoha's future, its all important to me but you-"

Hashirama cut off his sentence and slowly stand pulling out her Katana to his harmed arm looking eye to eye to the Uchiha.

"You are the most important to me!"

The girl's mouth left hanging hearing his words but before her thoughts vanished through the thin air, she spilled words that he cannot counter.

"Fine, then prove it" Madara said in a mocking tone then on a split second,it turns to a wry smile.

"Make me the Hokage." she demanded.

-xXx-

The Uzumaki group proceeded on their way back to Konoha leaded by Morito who was holding the giant scroll on his back. He felt a strange feeling from the scroll and immediately ordered everyone to stay out of his way.

"Morito niisama?" Mito asked, bemused.

"Stay back! The scroll-" Morito warned and tried to resist the enormous power coming from the scroll but before he knew it, he saw sent flying by a massive force and the group altogether were caught off guard.
The Ichibi summoned itself from the scroll causing massive chaos throughout the forest, wagging its tail on a circular motion, creating a sand storm. Ichibi's power was out of control.

Mito found herself keeping an eye contact with the monster, it was glaring at her as if telling her 'go to hell'. Her body froze from the moment their eyes met.

"Protect Mito!" Morito screamed and did his best to shield her from the Ichibi's attack, the same goes with the others. Everyone was terrified and knew from the start that they cannot win against the monster. The Ichibi howled and slammed everyone who attacked him to the ground with full force. It all happened in a nick of time that they almost had no time to react. Obviously, it was targeting Mito because she was the one who put the Ichibi inside the scroll.

"You're a dangerous one." The beast surprisingly spoke, towering in front of a helpless Mito.
"Mito!"

She's a shinobi and was well aware that there will be a time when a mission is more important than the shinobis. She might look like a weakling who can't defend herself against a monstrous beast, but deep inside of her is a burning desire to save everyone away from danger.

"The scroll!" Mito run as fast as she can. Being scared won't help and save people.
"I must return the Ichibi!"

Just when she was about to pick the scroll from the ground, the Ichibi raised its huge claws, aiming to destroy her. A huge shadow from the beast's form caught her attention and Mito looked above with bewildered eyes. Few seconds - that's all she'd got until its claw crushed her. Mito performed the sealing technique once again.

But it was a second late..

"Mito!"

The last thing she saw was her twin brother jumping to save her from death.

-xxx-

It was a disaster.

Everything that happened few days ago was a chain of unfortunate events. The village luckily remained peaceful somehow. That is to say, there wasn't a single attack since the last time the Hokage went on a mission. But the brewing disturbance in the air around Konoha was obvious.

"We we're about to return to Konoha when the Ichibi escaped from the scroll. We did everything but it was too powerful, we didn't had a chance against it. Lady Mito tried to return it in the scroll but…" The Uzumaki shinobi paused in his report to the hokage.

The room was filled by a somber air. Tobirama, who was standing beside his older brother, has his one hand over his chin. He mildly shook his head sideways and sighed. The albino then glanced at the Hokage, sitting and listening eagerly on the shinobi.

"..Morito-sama saved his sister, resulting his death." the shinobi continued with grief.

Hashirama nodded and slowly stand up from his seat. He have multitude of troubles to face -that's the only thing he can be sure of.

"How is Mito?" Hashirama asked concernedly. Tobirama from his side can feel the guilt seeping through his brother's flesh. After he returned to the village, Hashirama was immediately informed of what happened to Morito and his group. He was supposed to check Mito on that same day, but was stopped upon seeing Madara's glaring eyes. They went back together in Konoha after a brief clash. He couldn't tell exactly what stopped him at that time, but there was something behind those onyx eyes that told him not to go. The only thing he can be sure of is; Madara doesn't like the idea of him getting close with the Uzumaki woman. Hashirama, however, remained clueless of the real reason.

"She's still in shock." the Uzumaki shinobi replied sadly.

"I see," Hashirama mumbled. "thank you for your time."

After that, the shinobi bowed and left.

"Could you tell me why you left the group?" Tobirama asked in a slightly accusing tone. It was not because he's putting the blame to his brother, but because he feels that there was something going on since Hashirama and Madara were together when they got back in the village. And not just that, his brother has a deep wound and grimy - a clear indication that he got into a fight. Tobirama was aware of his brother's strength and there was no hecking way that an ordinary shinobi did such a thing unless it was someone who can take a par with him. Someone who is powerful enough. And to top it all, Madara herself looked like she was from a battle because of the blood in her armor and it didn't look like the blood was hers. Tobirama had a hunch but didn't spit it out right on that moment.

Hashirama was silent and ignored his brother's question as he made an excuse to visit Mito. But Tobirama did not take any of that.

"Brother," the younger Senju growled, stopping the hokage's steps. "I am asking you."

The Hokage knows that telling him the truth will only fuel the tension between the Uchiha and his brother and so he chose not to tell about Madara's bidding. Hashirama wanted nothing but Madara to stay in the village and his brother,well, he knows too well that Tobirama would not mind the Uchiha leaving the village anytime. Telling the albino about Madara's wish to make her hokage in exchange of staying in Konoha will only infuriates Tobirama to no end and thus, giving Hashirama another round of headache. He already have shitons of stress to deal with and the last thing he would ask for was to face another one.

But Tobirama is smart and there is no way he will allow him to leave without him spilling the beans.

"Tobirama," Hashirama said after a minute of silence. He then slowly turn around to face his brother. "I would like to ask you for one thing, just one." realizing he was left with no other choice, Hashirama decided to speak with him.

The younger Senju raised an eyebrow but nevertheless nodded. "Well, what is this?" he asked, curiously.

"I want you to remain calm as I am explaining why I left the Uzumakis." the older one said as he stepped closer to Tobirama.

"...Alright?" Tobirama said back but deep inside, bracing himself for anything that might whack the life out of him.

And oh, how he was so right about that.

Hashirama explained everything that happened to Tobirama. He did it calmly as if discussing the weather. Although he can hear the man in front of him gritting his teeth in annoyance. After he was done, Tobirama breathes in and out heavily.

"What," his red eyes flickered and widened. "What the actual fuck?!" Tobirama growled, louder than before.

"You promised to remain calm." Hashirama reminded him.

"How can I get my shit together?! Tobirama shrieked, he's acting like he was Madara, Hashirama massaged the bridge of his nose.

"She asked you to be hokage for her to stay in the village?!"

"Calm down,"

"And your answer? Please don't tell me you said 'yes'?" Tobirama's eyes widened even more, he looked like he won't hesitate to commit harakiri if ever Hashirama nodded with regards to his question.

"I told her to give me time." Hashirama replied.

"Give you time?! For the love of Sage, brother!" Tobirama wailed. "Well, knowing you, you will surely give her everything including the whole village that you worked to hard for!" he accused.

"Tobirama, she worked so hard for our village too!" Hashirama countered, now with an elevated tone.

"I don't care!" Tobirama said back. "Brother, she caused this war. Don't you understand?" he pressed, trying to show his brother a clear picture of their situation with his hands motioning like delivering a speech.

Tobirama readied to barrage him with words when a knock on the door caught their attention.

"Hokage-sama, it's me." It was Toka.

"Come in." Hashirama said anxiously while the other Senju sighed in resignation.

"Hokage-sama there is…" Toka paused upon sensing the tension between the brothers. She had known them for years and she can tell that there's an uproar soon as she stepped inside. She blinked and clear her throat before continuing,eyeing at Tobirama. "...a message from Uzushio."

The Senju brothers looked at each other. Toka handed the letter to Hashirama and briskly excused herself and left. Tobirama remained in the room, looking outside from the windows as Hashirama read the contents of the scroll.

"What does it says?" the albino inquired. When he didn't get a reply coming from the Hokage, he turned around to repeat the question, only to find the man with a sunless face while holding the letter.

Few days ago, Uzushio received a threat coming from Kiri for helping Konoha. They were left with no other choice but to pull out their troops. The Konoha badly needs their help especially now. However, following the events after Morito's death, Hashirama knew that they have every right to pull out their assistance on capturing the biijus. But doing so will put the village on risk and shame.

-xxx-

Later, Hashirama arranged an urgent meeting together with the clan heads. Tobirama is also present in the meeting room.

"We can't let the Uzumaki pull their assistance, not in this time!" the Yamanaka demanded.

"They do have their reason, which is why we're here. Can we do something about this?" the Hatake asked.

"I think the right thing to say is 'we must do something about this'." the ever so wise Nara commented.

The Sarutobi glanced at the brainstorming Hokage, sitting at center of the long, oval table before joining the conversation. "This is a bit rough, but I think the first thing we should deal with is the enemy, which is Kiri."

Everybody's heads snapped at Sasuke's direction as if he said the most idiotic thing to do. Hashirama was surprised but waited for his reason whereas Tobirama gawked at their friend's resolution.

"E-excuse me? I thought we're talking about how to negotiate with them peacefully." Eiji Hyuga confirmed with a hint of sarcasm.

"I never said we will cut their heads, Hyuga-san." the Sarutobi scorned back.

The two had a brief glaring competition until Hashirama cleared his throat to interrupt. He cannot allow them to start another childish argument. The problem needs action - a solution, not another additional petty fight.

"Please elaborate, Sasuke." Hashirama finally said.

The Sarutobi shifted his eyes to the Hokage while the Hyuga raised his eyebrow and folded his arm over chest as he waited for some elaboration.

"Clearly.." he paused and observed everyone's faces. "The Kiri is against us and I think it will be better if we do something about it, peacefully or not, we should use whatever method we can or else they will keep on getting in our way."

Silence filled the room. Just in case he will add more details.

"Are you saying we should attack them?" Hashirama asked calmly, despite being confused on what Sarutobi was implying.

"For once, I agree."

Everyone's head turned to the owner of the voice. Tobirama immediately looked offended despite not saying or doing anything. The Hyuga huffed, now this someone is way more nerve-wracking than the Sarutobi. Hashirama's eyes widened in surprise as Madara waltzed inside the room.

"M-mara.." he mumbled. Hashirama's heartbeat skipped.

Madara scanned the surrounding and simply smirked after noticing that everyone was flabbergasted upon her arrival. She casually walked towards the younger Senju's seat like a primadonna, leaned down and whispered:

"I believe that's my seat,Senju."

Tobirama sweats and gulps at her words. The truth is, he thought he was going to get decapitated the moment she stepped in the room. Wordlessly, Tobirama raised from his - no - Madara's seat and walked to the opposite side where Sarutobi is seated. When the Uchiha leader sat beside the Hokage, she squinted at everyone in the room.

"Is there a problem?" She asked in a derisive tone and turned her head to Hashirama who was still shocked by her sudden appearance.

"N-no, of course you are a part of the meeting." the Hokage answered, hiding the tension in his voice.

"Then why the hell I was not invited?" Madara asked again, flatly.

The air in the room shifted. The clan heads started glancing at each other but more specifically to the Hokage and his second-in command.

"It's..." Hashirama stuttered. A flashback of their encounter few days ago blurred his thought.

"We all thought you're still mourning." Hyuga replied and it was a very bad idea.

Madara snapped her head at the man. "I am not talking to you, blind man."

Awkward silence followed after that. Tobirama can only suppress himself from butting in unless he wanted to take a burn coming from the Uchiha. And not just him, literally everyone controlled themselves in retorting especially the Hyuga. This time, just this time, he decided to let his brother handle her.

It was impressive how a single woman's presence can make the strongest men have second thoughts of going against her.

"As I was saying," Madara continued and crossed her legs. "I agree on your idea, Sarutobi. The Kiri made up their minds to be our enemies and we should give them what they want - war." she stated.

"But Madara-san, it will also risk our allies' safety.." The Nara argued.

"And the village!" the Hatake added hastily.

The Uchiha looked at them. "Then tell me a better plan." she said in a challenging tone.

"Madara, I think it will be better if we first convince the Uzumaki to stay for a little longer until we settle everything with Kiri." Hashirama said.

Madara looked at him. Hashirama stared back and immediately felt the rigidity in her eyes. It was as if he said something ridiculous and it was clear on how she's giving him 'the look'.

Discussing with her like nothing happened was tormenting. Things would be much easier if they talk one on one. But here they are, in the middle of a meeting with the other clan heads and they are supposed to be composed as possible - especially on the Hokage's part - which is the hardest thing to do in Hashirama's case.

"Oh right," Madara rolled her eyes. "Yes, let's protect everyone including the outsiders when we cannot even protect the whole damn village, sure let's add more problem to the problem!" she mocked.

"Madara, we need to think of a solution that will assure everyone's safety." Hashirama replied.

"And that's how you think, I do not." Madara retorted.

Hashirama breathes in slowly. Arguing with the Uchiha won't solve their problem. Moreover, his problem personally with her.

The others, except Tobirama who was massaging his temple with his eyes closed and trying his very best not to say anything against the girl, were awkwardly looking at the ceiling, on the table and to the void except the quarrelling founders . The Hokage noticed it and straightened up on his seat. Madara, however, didn't give a shit.

"If you may allow me to say something." The Nara spoke amidst the silence.

"Yes please, my apologies." Hashirama replied.

"How do we plan to convince the Uzumaki troops to stay here?" the old man asked.

Hashirama's eyes flickered "...I will try to talk with Mito about that…"

On an instant, Madara's onyx eyes become sharper. She glared at Hashirama from one moment and looked away.

The meeting settled down with the Nara advising to take the Hokage's side. He said everything with utmost care with all due respect to the Uchiha and Sarutobi's suggestion. Sarutobi said it was fine with him. But Madara never said a word after the decision to make the Uzumaki troops stay in Konoha to continue their part in capturing the bijuus was finalized. She felt that everyone was against her, yet again.

"Please stay here." Hashirama held Madara's arm soon after he dismissed everyone and goes back to their respective duties. Tobirama faltered upon seeing his brother stopping the Uchiha from walking away but decided to get outside nonetheless.

When everyone is gone, Madara slapped away his hand and glares. "Don't touch me again." she warned.

"Madara, I need you." he whispered.

"Need me for what?" she snapped, confused.

"What I mean is-" he was cut off when she waved a hand.

"If you are going to ask me to play a part in convincing those outsiders to stay here then you can go fuck yourself, Hashirama." she hissed.

"No, listen to what I'm saying!" Hashirama demanded, but unfortunately, Madara didn't listen and turned around to taker her leave.

"We don't have anything to talk about other than my bidding." She stated with finality in her voice. "I'm serious, Hashirama. Make your decision as soon as possible or I'll lose my patience." Madara said and then left afterwards.

Hashirama closed his eyes.

Make me the Hokage.

He's well aware of the fact that making her the Hokage at this time is the worst idea. Well, it was never a problem with him to begin with,until everything falls apart and she returned to a wrathful being. Once he pass the title to her, she will definitely launch an all-out war against Kiri which will kill thousand of innocent people from both sides. As a leader and as a man who lived during the warring times, Hashirama doesn't want his village to experience that anymore. It was a hard decision to think of, added by his personal feelings for her.

The choice is his to decide.

The village or Madara?