The world snapped in half with a whisper.
Izuna heard the voice behind him before his brain could process it. Cold. Precise. Tobirama's voice.
His Mangekyō flared so hard it burned, desperately twisting time itself for one more step, one more breath—
Too slow.
A flash of steel slipped through his chest, clean as a shadow cutting silk. Tobirama slid past him in the same motion, feet already planted behind Izuna, the strange three-pronged kunai still resting casually where it had been thrown a heartbeat earlier.
Izuna's breath caught.
His throat itched.
Then the coughing started.
Blood sprayed across his hand, warm and oddly bright. His eyes widened at the sight. He'd dominated the fight from start to finish. Tobirama had taken blow after blow like some stubborn eel refusing to die—
And then the snake showed its fangs.
Izuna understood it now.
Tobirama hadn't been losing.
He'd been waiting.
Waiting for Izuna to relax, to blink, to believe victory was a foregone conclusion.
The moment Izuna's guard wavered, the Flying Thunder God Slash carved straight through his chest. A killing strike with no room for ego or hesitation. The only reason Izuna hadn't died instantly was because he was Izuna Uchiha. Too strong to drop in one breath. Too proud to fall without seeing his brother's face one last time.
He tried to stand.
He failed.
His body crumpled with a dull thud, Mangekyō fading as though it understood before he did.
Izuna lay on the shattered earth, gazing toward the towering blue silhouette of Susanoo in the distance. Madara's shape blurred as it rushed toward him. A faint smile tugged at Izuna's lips, small and strangely peaceful.
As long as big brother is here… nothing's scary.
"IZUNA!"
Madara's shout ripped across the battlefield, raw with panic and rage. Susanoo tore through Hashirama's forest like a wounded beast, shredding vines and trees until it was close enough for Madara to leap out. The armor vanished the instant his feet touched the ground.
Hashirama was right behind him, dragging Tobirama close and planting himself between them like a human shield.
Madara didn't even look his way.
"Izuna!"
Izuna forced a grin, though blood dripped freely from his lips.
"Big… brother. Looks like this is… where I clock out."
"What are you saying?!" Madara snarled, kneeling over him. His hands shook as he lifted Izuna's torso, eyes burning as he saw the wound. When he turned toward Tobirama, his voice cracked into a beastlike roar.
"Senju Tobirama… I swear I'll kill you!"
"Madara! There's no time for that!" Hashirama barked, stepping forward. "Treat Izuna first!"
Madara's teeth clicked together. He didn't want to listen. But he knew Hashirama was right.
He grabbed Izuna and sprinted toward the Uchiha encampment, running so fast the wind tore at his hair. Blood streamed through Izuna's armor, leaving a red trail behind them.
After a moment, Izuna chuckled weakly.
"Been a long time since I've seen you this scared… not since Father died. Didn't think it'd be my turn so soon."
"Shut up," Madara growled. "You're going to live."
Izuna's smile softened.
"No. Tobirama's technique… it went straight through me. I can feel it. There's nothing left to save."
Madara flinched.
For the first time since Izuna was born, he looked genuinely lost.
Izuna's Mangekyō flickered open one last time.
"Big Brother… your eyes are reaching their limit. So… in the days you have left, let me be your eyes. Let me see the world for you."
"Stop," Madara whispered. His voice trembled. His Sharingan reddened almost black with grief.
He never cried. Not when Uchiha Tajima died. Not when clansmen fell.
But now…
Tears clung to the edges of his eyes.
Izuna saw them.
And he said nothing more.
The world blurred, dimmed, and folded inward.
He passed out in Madara's arms, breathing shallow, faint.
Madara tightened his grip around Izuna's body and ran faster.
The Uchiha camp erupted when Madara appeared with a limp Izuna in his arms.
"Medical ninja! Now!" Madara roared.
Dozens of clan members froze at the sight. Then panic swept through the ranks. Healers rushed into the tent, dragging supplies, shouting instructions.
Madara stood outside, trembling with helplessness, rage, and something dangerously close to fear.
His last brother.
His last piece of family.
Dying in front of him, and there was nothing he could do.
"Damn it!"
He slammed a fist into a wooden support pole. The tent beside him collapsed instantly, fabric sinking like a fallen beast. No one dared go near him.
Madara sucked in air through his teeth and forced his rage down. He turned to the nearest shinobi, voice low and deadly calm.
"From here on, Uchiha Ming will handle leadership. No one disturbs me. Not for anything."
"Yes, Patriarch!"
The shinobi scattered.
Madara stayed alone outside the medical tent, motionless as a statue, listening to the muffled shouts of the healers trying to keep Izuna alive.
Waiting for a verdict he already knew in his bones.