"Madara, whether you believe me or not, these are the words I've wanted to tell you all these years, straight from my heart."
Facing his childhood friend and the love of his life once more, Hashirama was overwhelmed with guilt.
"Back then, peace had only just been established, and all the different factions were tangled together in Konoha. I thought that once things settled down, I would formally represent the Senju Clan and ask the Uchiha Clan for your hand. I'd marry you properly, with all the ceremonies and an eight-bearer bridal sedan, and bring you home."
At that, Madara's smile slowly faded. Her face grew ashen, and her gaze gradually turned cold.
"But the matter of the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, and the issues between the Uchiha Clan and the Senju Clan, kept giving me headaches. You know me. I've always hated politics."
"Back then, I wanted to finish dealing with everything on my plate and hand the Hokage position over to Tobirama. Then the two of us could leave Konoha together, without worrying about anything or getting involved in anything, and live somewhere with just the two of us..."
As he spoke, Hashirama Senju's eyes reddened. He looked at Madara with tears brimming in them.
"My clan pressured me. My clansmen didn't understand me, and neither did my younger brother. They couldn't understand why I loved you, let alone why I wanted to marry you... They used politics and Konoha's future peace to pressure me. I felt so wronged, but as the First Hokage and the head of the Senju Clan, I had no one to tell..."
"In the end, I could only go to you... But when I reached the Uchiha Clan Hall, I heard you urging the Uchiha to leave Konoha... Afterward, I asked why you were doing