i really love the theory that madara and hashirama were the ultimate case of unrequited love. like, if you actually look at the canon, it’s not even a rivalry, it’s just one man making another his entire universe while the other person had a whole world to care about. let’s talk about it
I. childhood: awakening the sharingan
everyone knows that for madara, growing up in an era of constant death, hashirama became the first and only bright spot (except for izuna, obviously)
canonically, the sharingan awakens from intense emotional trauma. madara awakens his when his friendship with hashirama — the only person who understood him from their very first meeting — is officially declared impossible because of their last names
this is the first moment of his "broken heart." madara trusted hashirama with his vulnerability, and from that moment on, his psyche was locked onto this man
ll. the founding of konoha: the attempt to be number one
despite the massive pain of losing his brother, madara gave himself a chance to live "normally" and trust hashirama to fulfill their shared childhood dream
when konoha was built, madara hoped that he and hashirama would rule side by side, just as they had dreamed as kids. madara only recognized hashirama; after izuna's death, he became the only person close to him, his only priority. but hashirama still had tobirama and the entire village
when hashirama became hokage and started listening to tobirama and the villagers, madara realized he was just "one of many" in hashirama’s heart. hashirama loved the village more than his friend, and that was the beginning of the end
lll. leaving and loneliness: the life of a ghost obsessed with the past
madara gave up on having a personal life. while hashirama starts a family with mito, madara chooses to stay alone. he has no wife, no followers. all his connections are purely functional (like with obito later). he literally "preserved" himself in his feelings for hashirama because he realized he would never feel anything like that for anyone else again
when madara decides to leave konoha, a crucial dialogue happens. as he’s leaving, he tells hashirama directly: “only you can stop me.” this isn't just a threat. it’s a confession of deep intimacy. madara is literally saying: “neither the uchiha clan, nor the village, nor the whole world means anything to me. you are the only one whose opinion and whose power have any influence over me.”
his entire life in the cave was just studying hashirama's cells and having a never-ending internal dialogue with him. for him, there was no world where hashirama wasn't the center of the system
lV. the fourth shinobi world war: the peak of obsession
madara humiliates the five kage, saying they are nothing compared to hashirama (poor tsunade...). he literally "advertises" hashirama, basically saying, “listen, look how great he is, only he is worthy of me.”
decades after his death, madara acts like a man who came to a date, not a war
until hashirama showed up, madara fought the shinobi alliance with the face of someone doing boring homework. but as soon as he felt that chakra, he literally bloomed. his line “i've been waiting for you, hashirama!”is the peak of his multi-year fixation on one person
while stabbing sasuke with a sword, madara repeats from memory the exact words hashirama said to him before his "death": “i won't forgive anyone who threatens the village, be they a friend, sibling or even my own child” this confirms madara’s obsession — he literally kept hashirama’s words in his head for decades!
V. the infinite tsukuyomi: an attempt to prove a point or "notice me, hashirama!"
madara wanted to create a world without pain and sacrifice, where no one would have to feel what he felt. but on a deep psychological level, it was an attempt to prove to hashirama: “your village failed, my way is better.” it was a cry from a man who wanted the only person who mattered to finally admit he was right
when madara finds out he was deceived, his world crumbles. but he doesn't waste his last breaths cursing zetsu or kaguya. his final thoughts and words are addressed to hashirama. in anime he asks: "hashirama, where did i go wrong?" it’s not a question to fate; it’s a question to the only person whose approval he ever needed. even as he dies, he continues this dialogue that started at the river decades ago
as he dies, madara feels hashirama’s presence — the only person in the world who matters to him. madara admits defeat. he looks calm but deeply sad. he talks about his dreams "crumbing." hashirama calls him "comrade." until the very end, hashirama saw him as a "partner in a dream." madara, however, saw hashirama as the only reason that dream even made sense
the tragedy of madara is that he is an uchiha. for this clan, love is obsession, madness, and sacrifice. his biology forced him to feel an intensity of feelings for hashirama that the latter physically could not feel in return. for hashirama, it was a strong friendship, but for madara, it was an obsession
madara was ready to burn the world for hashirama
hashirama was able to stab madara in the back with a sword for the sake of peace
madara would never have done it first. he always chose hashirama. hashirama always chose the idea
madara uchiha is the greatest example of how you can be the strongest person in the world but remain absolutely powerless before someone who is just a "good guy."
of course, hashirama loved madara, but he loved him the same way he loved tobirama, konoha, and the world
the tragedy of madara is that he wanted to be exceptional to hashirama, but became only a part of his great legacy
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