Uchiha clan grounds, the corridor beneath the side courtyard.
"Izuna, does your arm still hurt?"
Madara looked at Izuna and asked with a hint of concern in his voice.
Izuna shook his head, his tone steady. "It's nothing now. What about your left arm, Ni-san? The bandage hasn't been removed yet. Has it not fully healed?"
"It's fine."
Madara replied indifferently, then fell silent for two seconds, as if organizing his words.
"Hashirama... sent someone to deliver a message.", Uchiha Madara slowly spoke.
Izuna's eyes narrowed slightly, but he did not immediately respond.
Madara continued, "He wants peace talks. Not just a ceasefire, but a real alliance. The Senju and Uchiha forming an alliance and ending these decades of bloodshed."
Madara paused, his gaze heavy as he looked at Izuna.
"What do you think, Izuna?"
The air seemed to freeze instantly.
Izuna did not hesitate at all and spoke directly, his voice cold but unusually firm.
"No."
Madara's brows moved slightly.
Izuna looked straight at his elder brother and said word by word, "First, hatred isn't something that can be erased with a peace treaty.
"Our father just died not long ago. How many people in the clan have had their parents, brothers, and wives killed by the Senju?"
"Talking about an alliance now is the same as asking these people to swallow their blood feud. The elders won't agree, and the younger generation won't accept it either. Forcing it through will only bury an even greater rift within the clan."
"Second, Hashirama can talk about ideals, but Tobirama won't. That guy is ruthless and vicious, and his thoughts run deeper than anyone's. Even if they form an alliance on the surface, he'll think of every possible way to weaken us and divide us. Once we go in, it'll be difficult to get out."
"Third, Senju Hashirama has Wood Release now. Once that guy goes all out, there's practically no one on the battlefield who can stop him head-on. After forming an alliance, who will be the leader and who will be subordinate? Once we're truly sitting at the same table, the side with greater strength will only have more say."
"Fourth, and most importantly, we Uchiha don't need anyone to grant us a way to survive."
"We have the Sharingan, and we have enough power. If we even have to hand our own fate over to someone else for negotiations, then what are we talking about becoming stronger for?"
After Izuna finished speaking, his voice softened slightly, but he still did not back down.
"Ni-san, I know you've actually considered this path. But once we take this path, there'll be no turning back."
"Rather than gamble our future on someone else's goodwill, it's better for us to become strong enough ourselves, strong enough that no one will dare think of killing us again."
Madara listened quietly and felt that what Izuna said made sense.
After a long while, Madara let out a deep sigh and raised a hand to rub his brow.
"Izuna, you're right.", Madara spoke in a low voice, with a hint of exhaustion and helplessness.
"I really did consider peace talks. That guy Hashirama... always makes it impossible to completely hate him. But what you just said, every point hit the mark."
Madara raised his head. His Mangekyo Sharingan was not activated, yet his black eyes were exceptionally clear. "The clan is already unstable."
"The war faction is under enough pressure as it is. If we bring up an alliance now, I'm afraid even my position as clan head will be shaken."
Madara paused, his gaze falling back onto Izuna, his tone becoming heavier. "Since that's the case, we'll follow the original plan. The ceasefire is over. We'll settle things on the battlefield."
Madara looked at Izuna, and a clear hint of something strange appeared in his eyes.
He had originally thought he understood this younger brother of his best.
Izuna had always been sharp and aggressive, ruthless and decisive on the battlefield, but when it came to clan affairs and long-term planning, he often relied more on his own judgment.
But those few sentences just now had been well organized, directly pointing at the deepest conflicts and hidden dangers between the two clans, with almost none of the emotional impulsiveness he had expected.
"You..."
"When did you become so good at thinking things through? You weren't this meticulous before."
"Every sentence hit the vital points. Even I was almost persuaded by Hashirama's ideals, yet you're actually clearer-headed than I am."
Madara suddenly let out a quiet laugh and raised a hand to gently pat Izuna's shoulder.
Izuna's heart tightened.
Almost instinctively, he steadied his expression, not allowing anything unusual to show on his face.
On the surface, he merely lowered his eyes slightly, his voice carrying just the right amount of gloom. "Ni-san, it's because of Father's death."
Izuna paused, fully entering his actor mode.
"That day, when I watched Father's coffin being carried back, I suddenly understood a lot of things. Father was always the one standing at the front before. Now that Father is dead, we should also shoulder the Uchiha."
After saying this, Izuna raised his eyes and looked at Madara again, his gaze carrying a hint of sincere dependence. "Ni-san, I just don't want to lose anyone important again."
Hearing this, the probing look in Madara's eyes gradually faded, replaced by a gentle and steady expression.
Madara nodded, his voice low but firm. "An elder brother is like a father."
Madara raised his hand and placed it on Izuna's shoulder again. "Izuna, you still have me."
"As long as I'm here, I won't let anyone lay a finger on you."
The sound of drums rang out several more times in the distance, dull and urgent.
Madara withdrew his hand and turned to look toward the center of the clan grounds, where they had already begun assembling. His tone once again became the cold sternness of a clan head.
"Let's go, Izuna. Looks like it's time to head to the battlefield.", Uchiha Madara said.
Izuna froze, then nodded heavily.
Although this was his first time going onto the battlefield, the original Izuna's memories were still there, which helped him avoid much of the adjustment.
———
[Battlefield]
The morning mist had dispersed, and the flags on both sides fluttered loudly in the wind.
The elite forces of the Senju and Uchiha faced each other across the river, blades drawn, chakra faintly surging.
Hashirama stood at the very front, took a deep breath, and his voice carried across the empty river valley.
"Madara!"
"How have you made your decision?"
Senju Hashirama shouted.
Madara stood at the very front of the Uchiha formation, the bandage on his left arm already tightly wrapped again, but his Mangekyo Sharingan had yet to open.
Madara turned his head and glanced at Izuna beside him, then raised his chin.
"There's nothing to consider."
"Hashirama, your ideals sound nice, but my Uchiha don't need anyone to grant us peace."
Uchiha Madara said loudly with his arms crossed.
As his voice fell, Madara suddenly raised his hand.
"The entire army, attack!"
Almost at the same instant, a roar erupted from the Uchiha formation. The Sharingan lit up one after another, and the black shinobi uniforms surged forward like a tide.
A complicated emotion flashed through Hashirama's eyes, but he did not say anything else.
He merely said softly, "Come," then formed hand seals.
"Wood Release: Deep Forest Emergence!"
Huge roots burst out of the ground, instantly dividing the battlefield ahead into countless crisscrossing battlefields.
And right in the center.
Madara's figure flashed, and he had already rushed in front of Hashirama.
"Hashirama!"
"Today, we settle life and death once and for all!!!!"
The Mangekyo Sharingan suddenly opened. The three tomoe spun rapidly in the blood-red eyes, finally condensing into a unique pattern.
Hashirama likewise did not retreat. He brought his hands together, and the power of Wood Release rose with a roar from beneath his feet.
The two looked at each other.
The next second... the two collided.
"Madara, why!? Why won't you agree?", Senju Hashirama asked in confusion.