☆HashiMada OneShots☆

Once Upon a Time

The view from the cliff into the forest covered valley was phenomenal as always. Madara could see a gust of wind like a wave driving through the trees in the valley, taking golden leaves with it. They swirled like sparks from a fire.

"Where do you think we should build the academy?" asked Hashirama.

Madara turned to the boy beside him and looked at his silhouette. Hashirama's skin had that very special sun-tanned complexion that Madara had been envious of from the beginning. He, on the other hand, was as pale and pasty as a shroud. Now in the light of the autumn evening sun, the contrast only stood out even more.

Fortunately, Hashirama was unaware of these thoughts of his friend as he babbled on. "I would say ... there!" he said, pointing to a random spot in the forest below them. "Not outside the village, definitely not, but not in the center either. I think it's awful when the old grannies always watch me exercising on their way to the market and flutter about how cute I am. And of course there has to be a big place for the actual training. Theory is important, but practice is so much more fun! Then the children can practice their Justus in peace. Just imagine, lots of children from different clans training together!"

"Now don't go rushing ahead like that," Madara curbed his friend's enthusiasm. "First of all, we have to establish this village to begin with."

Hashirama reached into his pocket and pulled out a handful of chestnuts they had collected earlier. He handed one to Madara, ate the second himself and threw the third into the valley. "One day it will grow into a big and strong tree," he said as he looked after the rapidly shrinking dot. "It will grow tall and have strong roots, it just takes a lot of patience. It is the same with our dream. Today it may still be a small seed, but with enough time and trust it too will grow into a tree with many strong branches. Its roots will reach deep and nothing will ever be able to take it down, for deep roots are not reached by the frost."

Hashirama looked so happy. His eyes were shining with excitement and he was grinning as wide as ever. Everything about him radiated warmth and confidence. Madara just couldn't help but be infected by it. Without thinking any further about it, he leaned against Hashirama and rested his head on his friend's shoulder.

"This is a beautiful dream," he said softly. He imagined hundreds of small houses peeking out from between the foliage and thousands of little people scurrying along in the shade of the trees. How children ran around laughing and never again had to fear that their little brothers and sisters were in danger or that their parents were murdered in gruesome battles.

For a while they sat in silence, each absorbed in their own image of their village. In the west, the sun slowly tilted towards the horizon, casting long shadows.

"Um, Madara ..."

"What's up?"

"I wanted to ask you something."

"Spit it out."

"But only if you promise not to head-butt me."

"It won't be that bad."

"Well..."

"If you don't tell me right now, I'll hit you in the head for this!"

"All right! So ... um, well. I wanted to know if you ... how should I put it? Have you ever had a girl... What one does. With girls. You know."

Madara backed up and stared at his friend, perplexed. Hashirama was bright red in the face and grinning that stupid grin he always put on when he was embarrassed.

"Did I kiss a girl, you wanted to know?", Madara inquired.

Hashirama scrunched his hakama. "Yes. Have you?"