The Six Paths Stone Tablet

Madara Uchiha led Utsusemi into the shrine's secluded underground chamber, where the stone tablet left by the Sage of Six Paths shimmered in the dim candlelight.

Ripples spread across her Tenseigan, those eyes that could see through everything. She keenly noticed several faint smudges on the tablet's surface. "Someone deliberately altered this writing."

She turned to look at Madara. "When Izuna's curse acted up on the night of the full moon, were there any unusual signs?"

Madara Uchiha frowned deeply, searching his memories. "Access to the compound is tightly controlled, and his attendants are all carefully screened. Izuna also said nothing unusual had happened."

Utsusemi gently brushed her fingers over the carved recesses. "The true medium of the curse is something else, but this tampered—with 'Infinite Tsukuyomi'..."

She suddenly stepped close to Madara Uchiha. "Someone born blind would still be blind in the illusion. A slave would still kneel before their shackles in their dreams. Someone who has never known warmth would not recognize joy in their visions."

She sneered. "And a villain's dreams would endlessly repeat their atrocities. If anyone dared to peer into the dreams of you and your brother..."

Madara Uchiha's Chakra instantly ran wild, and the stone table crumbled to powder beneath his palm.

Utsusemi calmly picked up a sharp-edged fragment and turned it over in her hand.

"See? Even you instinctively resist it. This so-called eternal dream is, at its core, a mass-produced, gentle grave."

She tossed the fragment into the moonlight, watching it turn to silver dust. "This so-called eternal dream is nothing more than the exquisite craft of encasing souls in amber."

She used The Matrix to illustrate the nature of the God Tree system, analyzing the danger of humans becoming its nourishment. "It's a virtual world created by machines, like the Uchiha's Sharingan Genjutsu. But the difference is..."

She lightly tapped Madara's chest. "The Matrix is a shared online world with real pain, while Infinite Tsukuyomi is each person's solitary descent, leaving every soul to rot in its own separate bubble."

Madara Uchiha's eyes darkened abruptly. "So the God Tree devours souls?"

Utsusemi sneered. "It's more thorough than devouring. It's plunder that erases even the traces of one's existence. For example, completely erasing the concept of 'Madara Uchiha' from spacetime."

"Awakening requires three breakthroughs." She held up three fingers. "Discovering a flaw in the rules, like you noticing something wrong with the inscription; questioning the reality of the world, like the Chakra disturbance when Izuna fell ill; and finally..."

Utsusemi pointed at the moon. "If someone used Infinite Tsukuyomi on Izuna..."

Madara Uchiha had already crushed the stone in his hand. Utsusemi blinked. "So, right now, would you rather be Neo the savior, or Smith the destroyer of the world?"

Utsusemi flashed a sly smile and playfully twirled a lock of black hair from Madara's temple around her pale fingers.

"After all, the peerless beauty of you and Izuna is a treasure rarely found in the Shinobi World. The Uchiha have produced great beauties in every generation."

Madara Uchiha shook his head and sighed, indulging her childish play without protest.

At the same time, he formed Hand Seals and laid seventy-two layers of sealing barriers around the tablet. Ancient incantations coiled around it like chains, sealing the secret away in darkness forever.

As they were leaving, Utsusemi took the specially made Yin-Yang Release tablet from her sleeve. "I'll come see you every day, and I'll bring Izuna over too. As for the exact time..."

"Let's use this to keep in touch." She suddenly smiled. "For Izuna's coming-of-age ceremony, I'll prepare a special gift for you both and for the Uchiha."

Madara Uchiha's voice was quieter than usual. "You've always taken care of us, but I've never repaid you."

"What are you saying?" Utsusemi shook her head. "I take care of you brothers because I want to. Happiness is like a candle flame... sharing it only makes the light brighter."

She opened her arms. Madara, who had never been close to anyone, stiffened all over and cautiously put his arms loosely around her.

"Hashirama mentioned the dream you shared as children," Utsusemi said softly. "I'll do everything I can to support it."

Madara Uchiha's eyes flashed with emotion, and the dream he had nearly abandoned came back to life at that moment. "Let the war between the Uchiha and the Senju end with our generation, with you as our witness."

As the night deepened, Madara asked Utsusemi to stay. "A separate residence has been prepared, or..."

He paused briefly. "The west room of the clan head's residence will always be reserved for you."

Utsusemi lightly gathered her sleeves and declined. She had to return to the Spacetime Tower to check on Izuna. "How about this? I'll stay over on Izuna's birthday. It's really too late now."

She set out beneath the faint light of scattered stars. Madara insisted on accompanying her to the boundary of the Senju Clan Compound and silently watched her recede into the distance.

Utsusemi hurried home, and the figure who had been standing at her door for a long time gradually came into view.

Night dew had soaked dark patches into Tobirama Senju's blue yukata. His silver hair was like frozen moonlight, and fractured starlight shimmered in his crimson eyes.

Utsusemi's gaze lingered where his white hair met his red eyes.

The combination of white hair and red eyes never failed to hit Eastern aesthetic tastes precisely, especially when he was also her instructor.

The double critical hit of white hair and a teacher was simply unfair, striking straight at a Chinese person's aesthetic sensibilities.

The sensory ninja had long since picked up her presence. When those beautiful red eyes turned toward her, her figure filled them completely.

"Gorgeous." The word slipped out in a daze, making Tobirama start slightly.

He strode forward, his Chakra sweeping over her body like a probe. "Traces of Madara's Chakra... forming a bruise on your left shoulder."

Utsusemi recovered from her dazzled state and discreetly adjusted her collar. "It's unavoidable that I'd pick up Madara's aura while treating Izuna."

Tobirama frowned deeply and repeatedly checked that she had been safe in the Uchiha Clan Compound.

Utsusemi asked wearily, "In your eyes, are Madara and Izuna really that awful?"

Still worried, Tobirama Senju wanted to take her to the laboratory for an examination, but the utterly exhausted Utsusemi had no energy to deal with him.

Even with such beauty before her, she had no strength to appreciate it. As she listlessly pushed open the door, she woke Itama, who was curled up in the living room.

The boy, who had once been surrounded by five Uchiha ninja and left gravely wounded and near death, and had survived only because Utsusemi made a contract with him and treated him, climbed off the sofa.

Even though he had witnessed her enter Six Paths Mode and overwhelm everything with her strength, he had still been deeply worried about her going to the meeting alone.

The energy consumed by Six Paths Mode and the mental contest against Madara Uchiha had left Utsusemi's mind like a bowstring stretched to its limit.

Her Tenseigan had operated at full power for hours. Even though she had continuously used Medical Ninjutsu to cool her overloaded brain,

it could only restore her physical functions. There was no way to release the mental fatigue that had built up.

The sustained pressure finally exhausted what little consciousness she had left.

Utsusemi heard Itama's concerned words as though through a fog. Before her consciousness sank into darkness, she dimly realized

that she probably would not be able to return in time to check on Izuna tonight. She stopped struggling and fell into a warm embrace.

In a haze, she sensed a faintly familiar presence in that embrace, vaguely stirring memories of a gathering.

Unable to remain conscious any longer, Utsusemi fell asleep.

Tobirama Senju looked down at the face sleeping against his chest, his fingers hovering over her slightly furrowed brows.

At last, his lingering worries turned into a sigh, dissolving into the night breeze as dawn approached.