Disclaimer- I don't own any of the characters.

Note- Random headcanon, Sasuke didn't end up like Madara primarily because Itachi didn't succumb to the Curse of Hatred like Izuna did. Here's a short story on how Izuna might have been saved.

Italics- Izuna's thoughts

Damn that fluffy Senju and his little tricks!

Izuna hissed, the last thing he remembered was Tobirama's katana slicing through him.

Nice day I picked to forget my armour.

Blood was gushing out of the cut, he was slowly losing consciousness. Everything was getting brighter, Madara was running towards him screaming. The tree Senju, the Senju he hated above all, in pursuit.

Nii-san, you fool, pay attention to the battle!

Izuna made a mental note not to get mortally wounded in front of his brother again. His vision flickered, his knees gave way. Everything went from white to black.

"Am I dead?"

"Not yet, Uchiha Izuna"

"Who's there?!", Izuna scanned the area, the surroundings weren't familiar. "Nii-san? Is that you?"

"Not exactly…"

A faint outline of a man was visible in the distance. Soon Izuna could make out the face.

Sharingan? "You're an Uchiha? No- wait! Kaguya? What the hell!"

"Otsutsuki. Indra Otsutsuki."

Izuna quirked an eyebrow. Indra sighed, "The eldest son of the the Sage of Six Paths?"

"Aaah, I've heard of him! He had children?"

"Hn…" Indra glared, "I'm hear to talk to you about Madara."

"What do you have to do with Madara?"

"Madara is my chakra transmigrant."

Transmigrant? "Wow! I knew Nii-san was cool, but this is awesome- "

"Don't be so happy!"

"Eh?"

"Have you heard about Ashura? My younger brother?"

"No"

Indra seemed rather pleased.

"Well, you see, Ashura and I weren't exactly on the best of terms. We started this conflict and we couldn't settle it in our lifetime. So it kinda got carried over-"

"Wait, so Madara will have to fight your brother's reincarnate?"

"It's not reincarnation actually and yes, Madara will have to fight this guy but more importantly he'll have to resolve the conflict."

"If he can't?", not there was anything Izuna thought Madara was incapable of.

"Well then the next transmigrant has to take responsibility."

Izuna sighed, "Why are you telling me this?"

"Every lifetime my transmigrant gets a brother, this time that brother is you."

"So I'm Ashura?!" Izuna exclaimed gleefully, there was not much conflict between Madara and him. Except when it came to baby sitting ninja cats, that is… and well a certain Senju with botanical interests.

"NO!"

Damn…

"But you are extremely important to resolving this conflict. Only when this conflict ends, when Ashura and I join forces, can we bringing peace to the Shinobi world. You need to help my transmigrant stop hating Ashura's transmigrant. You need to stop hating him yourself. You're the keystone of this entire plan!"

"Cool! How exactly do I find this Ashura transmigrant guy though?"

"Hn. Good luck, Uchiha Izuna." Indra smirked and began to fade into a mortified Madara.

"Hang in there! I swear I'll save you!"

Wait-! Huh? Nii-san?

Madara had him propped up, one arm around his waist and his shoulder supporting Izuna's arm. Tobirama was gasping for air somewhere behind them.

So tired, eh Tobirama?

"Hashirama…" Madara tone was half way between warning and pleading.

Izuna raised his head to meet the gaze of the man he hated the most. He had been approaching them with his katana, now he abruptly stopped.

"You can't defeat me, Madara!"

Cocky little-

"Why don't we end this?" Hashirama flung his katana into the dirt.

Wait- no no noooo!

"If the two strongest shinobi clans, Uchiha and Senju, join forces, nations will not be able to find other shinobi clans that can stand against us…"

Not HIM!

"The conflict will eventually start to die down"

HE is Ashura's transmigrant?!

"Come on"

Hashirama held out a hand.

Madara looked at Hashirama's hand and back at Izuna, his face etched with desperation.

Izuna's semi-blood-deprived brain was thrown into overdrive as he remembered Indra's words. Of all people! Why him? It made sense Madara and Hashirama had been fighting since forever. Yet there was this strange kinship between them. Izuna hated their bond, it had cause Madara so much pain. He hated the fact that Madara didn't hate Hashirama as much as he did. Izuna thought Madara had cut all ties with the Senju years ago, but there was still something there. He still trusted Hashirama, he still wanted to realise that stupid dream of their's and Izuna simply didn't understand why.

Madara looked over his shoulder, their clan's shinobi were not in a good state. He studied his younger brother's slumped form, he could feel Izuna weakening in his arms. He finally let his eyes rest on Hashirama's hand. Tanned and confidently held out. Madara took a deep breath and lurched forward.

"Nii-san-!"

"Izuna?"

Tell him! Now! Tell him to stop this madness!

"Are you sure Nii-san?" He painfully tilted his head so his eyes so he could see his brother's face. Madara jaw clenched as their eyes met.

"Yes. Yes, Izuna."

"Fine, Nii-san."

Indra, you better be right about this.

"Hashirama, I'll accept your offer on one condition-"

"You're in no position to set conditions-!"Tobirama protested.

"Oh, I've plenty of fight left in me, Senju!" Madara retorted, Tobirama fell silent. Izuna allowed himself a small smirk.

"What is it Madara?" Hashirama said evenly.

"If you really are willing let go of your hatred towards the Uchiha, then prove it! All our medics together heal all our injured, no discrimination."

Izuna smirked again, this would work out well for the Uchiha as they had less medics and probably more injured.

Hashirama considered it for a moment and then signalled his medics to heal the injured Senju and Uchiha shinobi. Madara did likewise by some awkward head-shake-gesture as both his hands were occupied supporting Izuna.

Tobirama threw his hands up in exasperation, muttering something like 'damn Uchihas'.

Izuna dropped all plans of hunting and brutally murdering the Kaguya-Uchiha hybrid when he realised that Hashirama was indeed not some one who cultivated blood sucking plants. However, Hashirama had apparently cultivated some rather unusual feelings for Madara, Izuna thought he should tell them that a few transmigrations ago this would have been classified as incest. He dropped that too, after all he still didn't understand what the hell transmigration was.