Well after shouting that at the siblings, Madara seemed to all but deflate then; once he got his outburst out of his system, his shoulders sagged, he heaved a sigh and put his hands on his hips and stared at the two of them. It wasn't like they'd actually startled him; he was just playing up to it really, but he did feel a little bad when Hashirama was brushing his sister down and checking her over. Madara inwardly grimaced, did he push her away that hard to warrant Hashirama looking that concerned?

Something turned in his stomach, it wasn't like he was repulsed by the information that had come to light, if only to him, naturally. Was it just instinct and muscle memory? It wasn't like these two were the first of their clan he had encountered, albeit peacefully, usually most times Madara was pushing and shoving and fighting them off...he didn't mean for muscle memory or instinct to be the possible reason Saruyama got shuttled off and into her brother and had her brother looking like that.

Madara opened his mouth, a weird noise escaped his lips that even he didn't know what it was. He sounded confused, concerned too, but it was meant to be the start of a sentence; it wasn't, the noise just quietened off and didn't go anywhere. It did have the siblings glancing his way weirdly though, Hashirama was looking him up and down confusedly and Saruyama just raised an eyebrow when that sound left him.

"This is where you apologise, Madara." Saruyama stated while crossing her arms, she shifted her weight from one foot to the other and looked up at him defiantly. Her two toned hair blew in the gentle breeze of the day and her eyes slowly narrowed when he just stood there silently.

With a huffed sigh, Madara turned his head away and crossed his arms too. "You're the idiots that jumped me. What did you think was going to happen?"

"A catch and a cuddle?" Saruyama said, sounding reasonably serious while behind her Hashirama clapped a hand over his mouth, purely because of the look which appeared on his friend's face. Hashirama felt somewhat bad, but not by much seems joking at Madara's expense was the least Saruyama deserved after that push.

It was like something had just struck Madara in the head, with the way he flinched hearing her words. His fingers gripped onto the blue material of his kimono top, how his fingernails didn't rip into the soft fabric was beyond them. But the slow turn of his head, the blank expression on his face and the fact he stood ramrod straight just had Hashirama eventually bursting out laughing. He couldn't help it! He could see as Madara registered her words that Saruyama's shoulders were shaking, she was trying so hard not to laugh too, once she heard her brother, she all but joined in.

Madara hung his head with a groan, they truly could be unbearable at times. Though flicking his eyes up and looking through his hair he just inhaled slowly, Hashirama put an arm around her shoulders and the pair were still chuckling away, none the wiser to Madara's inner conflict. So, on the offset it seemed like it was easy to just carry on, but something in him just felt like it was constantly churning.

Hashirama caught the distant look on Madara's face and tilted his head, "What is the matter?" Hashirama was rather well in tune with moods at the best of times, and usually he could sense when his friend's mood was likely to shift; but this happened so quickly he just bypassed it. Something was clearly wrong, Madara was more silent than usual and was looking at them with this weird expression, almost longingly, imprinting them to memory, Hashirama didn't like it, it unsettled him.

Saruyama blinked quickly, "I was just joking," she said softly while holding a hand up, Madara found himself frowning and looking at her surely, he wasn't entirely buying that seems she appeared more than comfortable to be close to him. Saruyama just pouted and lowered her hand and glanced up at her brother as he circled around her and moved towards Madara.

"It's nothing, just home stuff." Madara said quickly, even he didn't believe what he said. It was a lie, to a point, but if he were Hashirama and Saruyama he wouldn't buy it. By looks of things they didn't, yet neither were going to push him for more information, even if they tried it was likely that Madara would just clam up and go completely silent.

"Well, in that case let's move away from here and go find something to do! I actually saved Saruyama from training with our brother, as exciting as that prospect was and is, I'm sure we can find something to upstage it, hm?" Hashirama rambled on, cheerily enough with a roll of his hand as his other patted Madara on the shoulder. Hashirama just had this look which wasn't helping Madara, it was literally the look of if he needed to talk, then he could. It wasn't like the pair hadn't been honest around each other, but somehow blurting out that they should technically be enemies just didn't seem particularly great.

"I may be stepping back from missions, and our dear brother may have a want for me to keep my skills as ever-present as possible, so..." Saruyama sprung up beside Hashirama before tapping him on the shoulder with a wide grin and darting off.

Hashirama opened his mouth and watched his sister scamper, "You're meant to give warning!" He didn't mind a game of tag, it was a good way to keep some of her skills sharp, he supposed. But literally, where was the fairness in this? "Well, this just won't do," Hashirama placed his hands on his hips, sighed and shook his head before smiling at Madara, "We best go find her or else she's likely to come back shouting at us over how boring we are for not joining in."

"Speak for yourself, she got you first-" Madara's sentence just cut off instantly as Hashirama smirked, patted his shoulder again and ran off with a loud laugh. "You're kidding me..." Madara ran his hand down his face, he should've seen that one coming, Hashirama the damn sneak...at any other time, a harmless game of tag would be amusing enough, but with context now everything just made Madara feel a little uncomfortable; especially the thought of chasing after Saruyama, that had him physically shuddering as he turned and took off running after Hashirama. It wasn't like he couldn't still hear him laughing, because he hadn't stopped, so direction wise it was easy to catch up to the brunette, it was less easy to get a grasp of him and tag him, Madara just cursed Hashirama's sneakiness again and decided the easier one would be Saruyama.

The moment she peered around a tree and had Madara turning his focus on her as Hashirama ran up and out of sight in a tree, had her blanching. "Nope!" She flat out said and darted off, skidding around trees and over fallen logs, little boulder outcrops and bushes as she did try very hard to get away from him. "Go after Hashirama! Shoo!" Saruyama called over her shoulder, kicking off of a tree and diverting down a small incline and deciding she'd rather just haul up and hide somewhere instead. Madara's over the top focus was creeping her out.

The light didn't reach so much down here, not that it was completely dark, but it was clear the incline spent more time in the shade than the sun; it wasn't eerie, it just didn't feel as warm and welcoming as the rest of the forestry which made up their home. Saruyama skimmed her hand around a tree and crept as quickly and quietly as she could to get back up top and find where Hashirama was. It wasn't that she had a bad feeling, she just felt like maybe in their little game they had all ventured off and further away then they originally planned.

She had zero clue it seemed that she was being watched from up high until Madara's form appeared before her, just upside from a bough. The choked and startled noise which came from her had Madara's eyes widening, "I think I'm coughing up a lung! Don't do that! What is with you?" Saruyama placed her hand over her heart and frowned his way. If she didn't know any better, she'd say he was picking on her for no apparent reason. He hadn't ever done that before, but it didn't mean he couldn't start, that thought hurt more than she'd like to admit.

"I didn't think you'd run all this way."

Saruyama scrunched her nose up and looked him up and down, Madara just looked at her simply from his hanging position. "You were chasing me! What did you think I was going to do? We are playing a game...sort of defies the point if I stop, you know?" Saruyama just huffed and waved her hand his way, she continued on her way to the incline, this was all too weird, she was opting to go find her brother now.

"Is it just a game though? You said it yourself, your brother wished to train with you today, what is a game of tag than the obvious catching of an opponent?" Madara couldn't see her anymore, so he reached up and braced a hand against the rough bark and dropped. Standing back up straight, he brushed himself down and had her turning to look at him strangely.

"Madara, if you've woken up on the wrong side of the bed and wishing for a game of riddles, you have chosen the wrong person to play with. I am not that smart, nor patient for such a thing." Saruyama said while pointing a finger his way, "And this, whatever this is...I'm not a mind reader! Nor is my brother, there is evidently something bothering you, just come out with it so we can just carry on with our day. I don't want to say you're bringing the mood down, but you are definitely creating an atmosphere." Saruyama said with a small pout and eyeing him up again. She didn't know if he realised it or not, but there just seemed to be this gloom hanging about him, it was uncomfortable.

Madara clicked his tongue in thought, "Yeah, if I said what was bothering me, believe me when I say we would not be carrying on with our day."

"So, you'd rather stay silent suffering and making us feel awkward, just to what...save face?" Saruyama asked from the small distance away, she hadn't started back up and he hadn't made a move towards her, it seemed the fun of tag had passed for whatever this now was.

Madara squeezed his eyes shut for a few moments before exhaling, he didn't want to do this, "We should find your brother."

"Oh, no. You started this," Saruyama said while holding a hand up and intercepting his path. "You cannot say something like that, and then drop it. It doesn't work like that, Madara. Nor is it fair to say something and leave me absolutely clueless."

"Even if me dropping it, is actually perhaps better for you? Maybe not in the long run, but for a little bit?" Madara looked at her as she thought over this, it was certainly a standpoint she hadn't mused over that was for sure.

"No," Saruyama said quietly in the end, shaking her head she looked up at him and away from the foliage around them. "That's like...dragging out false hope."

Or the inevitable, Madara thought briefly before combing a hand through his hair and looking at her determined expression. It was eating him up inside, that was what this churning agonising feeling was in the pit of his stomach; it was the blatant truth that no one was clearly willing to speak and now that the reality of it was in front of him, Madara would rather turn his back and be ignorant.

But Tomoko wasn't going to make being ignorant easy, not if she was going the way of her grandfather and had put out a special target in her mind for Saruyama. It was awful to say he was opting one over the other, but the only hypocritical defence he had was: Saruyama didn't deserve that level of aggression coming her way, because of a fight; they all fought, but Tomoko was taking it to a new level...it was a confusing mess, that wasn't to say he didn't have loyalty to the Uchiha girl, of course he did, but Saruyama...

Madara couldn't think of a tactical way to go about this, he had tried to think of a way, but either option someone would come off hurt. "There was a girl you fought, right? Not much older than yourself, angry, really angry, vengeful." Madara started off, watching as Saruyama's eyes glazed over a little. "She's going to target you, any chance she gets. To hear you are no longer taking part in missions, for a short-term plan is a good idea; but her grandfather went above and beyond to attack in the night." Madara watched it click in her mind, the reaction was much as he expected, she paled and looked close to fainting, she took a very wide step back from him and looked at him disbelievingly. "I know who you are, Saruyama Senju, as I am now sure you know who I am."

"You knew the girl holding us up? That hurt Satoko?"

"I don't know who that is-"

"My brother's girlfriend, she was his first love...and you stand here, and think now is the right time for this to come to light? I wish you hadn't told me. The truth is less pleasant when coming from you."

"Did you not think, deep down, that I looked frighteningly familiar to those who fight against your clan on a regular basis? You are smart, Saruyama, don't sell yourself short. You cannot think this is a massive shock."

"You rubbing salt in the wound isn't helping!" Saruyama shouted at him and looked at him with teary eyes. "You big idiot! Why tell me, huh? You're my brother's best friend, if there was anyone you should've confided in first, it was him! Definitely not me!"

"But you...you are...to me," Madara was floundering, lost a little and his head swimming just a bit as he pointed at her and clasped a hand to his chest, the air was definitely getting thicker, but he tapped against his chest and stared at her.

Saruyama tilted her head, "You were always saying that this was short-lived, and ultimately you are right, I just didn't think it would come to such a close, so quickly." She stepped forwards and hesitantly placed a hand to the one still clutching his chest. "I really did like you, a lot, which...was perhaps foolish of me. You're right though, a small part of me did always think you looked familiar. I just hadn't found you on a battlefield to confirm my thoughts. If it's anything, I think Hashirama has known all along...even if he's trying to deny that truth too."

"I'm sorry if I scared you earlier." Madara said offhandedly, he didn't want some of their last moments to be her remembering him running full pelt after her.

Saruyama laughed and wiped a hand across her eyes. "You could never scare me, Madara." He believed her, she sounded earnest and looked it too.

"Will you tell your brother?" He asked hesitantly.

"It isn't my place," Saruyama responded instantly. "I don't want the next time we meet to be on a battlefield, because we know this war of ours, I'll only be expected to take time out for so long, but I suppose that'll be it, huh? Opposite sides of the river, again."

"Don't sound regretful."

"I regret that this is an issue." Which she did, stupid fighting over nothing, for all she knew he could die in battle, and she'd never know because they were all so segregated; although in saying that, she also couldn't picture him going down easily, he was one of the strongest people she knew.

"I'll tell him the next time I see him. As for now I think we should part ways." Madara said slowly, painfully distant sounding as he watched her nod slowly.

"I'll say you had to go home for something, you forgot you had something planned..."

"You don't need to cover for me." Madara said while she scoffed, in hindsight maybe the truth wasn't great seems the words he just spoke about telling Hashirama the truth.

"You were my first childhood crush, Madara, the least I can do is this one last thing and that's tell a small lie."

"I expected more shouting and fighting." He had to admit to that quickly. She had been resigned, calm and accepting almost, because clearly, he was giving voice to something she already suspected.

Saruyama nodded slowly, "You've never given me reason to shout, or try to fight you. I dislike the people who are from your clan that have killed my brothers, as I am sure you feel the same. But that isn't you, Madara. You are not the sum of your clan, you are individual and brilliant, and I will very much miss you." Her voice was cracking a little there, and Madara felt dreadful, speaking this truth just made everything worse. Saruyama turned and did the last thing he thought she'd do; she tiptoed and wrapped her arms around his neck one last time. "Farewell, Madara Uchiha, I won't forget you, and you better not forget me, no matter what happens!" She exclaimed in a whisper and squeezed him tightly before slipping away before he fully registered what happened and couldn't reciprocate. She was glad, Hashirama wasn't as good at tracking as Tobirama, or else this would've turned worse, she thought. But she stepped back and took one last look at the dark haired boy before leaping and jumping up the incline and running off and out of his sight.

He dearly wished the next time he saw her wasn't in the heat of battle, but he too had this terrible feeling that the likelihood of that being the case, was incredibly high. Madara wasn't far from home, and though he didn't really wish to go back, his head feeling too confused and full of thoughts that conflicted each other, he just turned and walked away. He'd return home when he's ready, just...not yet Izuna would get snapped at and he'd feel awful for that, when it isn't his brother's fault that Madara is feeling pained and in a bad mood, it was this stupid life of turmoil that they all found themselves thrown into.