Past * Fiction

The carriage bumped along the forest road back to Konoha, its Wheels making a rhythmic sound as they rolled over gravel and clods of earth.

The carriage was completely silent; the air seemed to have frozen.

Izuna sat on a cushion, facing Hashirama and Madara, who sat side by side.

Madara crossed his arms, his back ramrod straight, his deep eyes fixed intently on Izuna's face.

Hashirama leaned forward slightly, his hands clasped on his knees, his face showing an unusual seriousness and concern.

"Izuna," Madara finally spoke, breaking the silence in the carriage, "Can we talk now? All this time, there are some things about you... I've refrained from asking, trusting you have your own reasons."

His gaze deepened, and his tone became more serious. "But now, I feel I must get to the bottom of this. What happened to you, the power you suddenly displayed, these..."

Izuna's fingers, which were resting on his knees, twitched almost imperceptibly, but his face remained calm.

He looked up to meet Madara's gaze and asked softly, "What does Madara want to ask?"

"Everything. Your past, everything you know, everything you've experienced, everything."

"All..." Izuna repeated the word softly, her eyelashes drooping slightly, casting a faint shadow on her fair cheeks.

A brief silence fell over the carriage again, broken only by the sound of Wheels rolling over the road and the faint chirping of birds in the distance.

Hashirama felt a pang of pity seeing Izuna's silence, but he also understood Izuna's worries.

Izuna's changes and hidden secrets have reached a point where they can no longer be ignored; this dialogue must begin.

He softened his voice, trying to ease the tension. "Izuna, we didn't mean to pressure you. It's just... we're all very worried about you. Last night's situation, and the power you suddenly gained... we want to know what happened so we can better help and protect you."

Izuna raised his head, his gaze slowly sweeping over Madara and Hashirama's faces.

He could see the deep worry and determination hidden in Madara's eyes, and he could also see Hashirama's undisguised sincerity and concern. They were both genuinely looking out for him.

He sighed softly, a hint of confusion and weariness in his voice. "Actually... I'm not quite sure how much I remember."

"What do you mean?" Hashirama was taken aback, his brows furrowing.

Izuna's gaze was slightly unfocused, as if he was trying to recall something, "Because... I have absolutely no memory of what happened a few nights ago when I 'went berserk.' From sensing Black Zetsu, rushing over to save Shinya... what happened after that."

"I don't remember anything at all."

Madara's pupils contracted slightly, and Hashirama also showed a look of astonishment.

Amnesia? And such a crucial memory at that?

Izuna was truly troubled. Although he knew the ending was good, he seemed to have indeed gone berserk, but why?

What could make me go berserk?

I just can't figure it out.

Could it be Black Zetsu?

But that thing isn't something you can catch overnight. Haven't I already figured out what to do?

So why did it go berserk?

Seeing Izuna frowning and deep in thought, Madara and Hashirama exchanged a glance.

Ban said softly, "It's okay, just say whatever comes to mind. Don't force yourself to recall what happened that night. We can start from even earlier."

Hashirama immediately nodded in agreement. "Right, right! How about this then! Let's start from... um... how the four of us met? You remember that, right? Haha, speaking of which, it was really..."

His laughter gradually subsided under Madara's speechless gaze and Izuna's increasingly silent expression. He awkwardly scratched the back of his head, "Uh... you don't remember this either?"

Izuna fell silent again.

This silence lasted even longer, so long that both Madara and Hashirama felt a slight sinking feeling in their hearts.

Because the fingertips of Izuna's hand, which was resting on his knee, had turned slightly white from the force he was exerting.

What "past" does he have?

All his "memories," his understanding of the world, how he came to know Hashirama and Madara...

These are all Parallel World versions imagined based on the original Naruto.

If I just say it like that... will Madara and Hashirama believe me? They're so perceptive, won't they immediately spot the falsehood and contradiction?

However, it was no longer an option to remain silent. Madara's attitude was so resolute that Hashirama had clearly become suspicious as well.

Go ahead and say it. Didn't you already know what you were going to say?

Continuing to be vague will only make them more worried and make it easier for them to slip up in the future.

We have no choice but to move forward.

Izuna took a deep breath, as if he had made up his mind.

He began to speak, his tone calm and gentle, with a sense of wistful reminiscence.

He said that when he was a child, he always followed Ban Ge like a little tail.

When Brother Ban went to training, he followed; when Brother Ban went on patrol, he followed; when Brother Ban went to handle clan affairs, he waited outside the door.

He remembered that his father was always busy back then, and his mother had passed away early, so Ban Ge was his only support and his only source of comfort.

"For a while, Madara, you suddenly became very mysterious. You would often disappear for most of the day, and when you came back, you would smell of moisture and grass." Izuna tilted his head slightly. "I was curious, so I secretly followed you."

He described the open space by the river, the two boys skipping stones across the water, testing their Ninjutsu, and Madara's initial surprise, followed by helplessness, and finally, a look of determination and gentleness when he discovered him.

Madara took my hand and told me about Hashirama.

He said that was the first and only person he had met outside the battlefield who could truly understand him.

He said he wanted to end the war and create a future where children wouldn't have to go to war... and Hashirama shared the same dream.

He told me to keep it a secret.

He said it wasn't the right time yet; it would be troublesome if his father and other members of the clan found out.

"I agreed. But..." Izuna's face revealed a childlike slyness and determination, "I said I want to join too! I also want to meet the Senju who can make Madara smile like that!"

Madara and Hashirama listened silently. The beginning of this story... was so similar to their memory of meeting by the river when it was just the two of them, yet there was an additional small bystander and participant.

"Then, there were three people by the river instead of two," Izuna continued. "Hashirama was a little surprised at first, but he quickly accepted it and even laughed, saying, 'Madara's brother is my brother.' He's very enthusiastic, talkative, and always has a lot of strange and wonderful ideas..."

His gaze Hashirama, his eyes softening slightly. "Hashirama always took good care of me, bringing me delicious food, teaching me to identify herbs in the forest, and telling me stories that sounded like fantastical tales."

"As for Tobirama..." Izuna's tone unconsciously carried a hint of disdain when she mentioned the name, "He was dragged here by Hashirama. The first time we met, he had a stern face and looked at people with icy eyes, as if everyone owed him money. And the way he looked at me... tsk, it really annoyed me."

Madara's lips twitched almost imperceptibly, Hashirama coughed and touched his nose.

"So we often fought." Izuna shrugged. "By the river, besides sparring with each other in Ninjutsu and Taijutsu, Tobirama and I fought the most. We fought from the water's edge into the forest, taunting each other, tripping each other up... Looking back now, it was actually quite childish."

"But... as the fight went on, I discovered that although that guy had a grumpy face, he was actually very smart, and he was actually a very cheerful and gentle person."

"Furthermore, his attack methods are very flexible, so I taught him Uchiha Style Taijutsu. He learned exceptionally quickly; he could master the Uchiha Style Taijutsu that require extremely high agility and skill very quickly, and even apply what he learned to other techniques."

"And me..." Izuna gently clenched his right hand, "I'm naturally stronger and have better stamina."

"I actually find the powerful, sweeping fist and sword techniques of the Senju Style more comfortable to use and better able to utilize their advantages."

"So, as we played along, we actually learned a lot from each other behind the scenes. Of course, neither of us would admit it."

Madara and Hashirama exchanged a glance, both seeing the realization in each other's eyes.

No wonder Izuna's Taijutsu style is based on the Senju Style; now I understand why.

It's no wonder they sound so authentic, having learned it from a young age.

"Those days by the river were quite happy."

"Although I sometimes felt conflicted because of my family's stance, and although Tobirama and I still argued Tenten, at that time, I really felt that the future Madara and Hashirama talked about was possible."

He paused for a long time, and the air in the carriage seemed to freeze.

"But the truth will eventually come out." Izuna's voice became strained. "Our father... found out."

"The adults on both sides were furious. Madara and Hashirama... they stood up. They opposed their father's arrangements, saying they didn't want to continue this pointless vendetta."

"The conflict... has broken out."

"Our father made his move. He did it with murderous intent."

"To protect Hashirama, who had revealed an opening, Hashirama took a fatal blow from his father with his own body..."

Izuna's voice trembled slightly, "He lost a lot of blood... He lay on the ground, barely breathing..."

Hashirama's heart clenched, and Madara's face turned pale instantly.

Although they knew this was something from Izuna's "memory" and hadn't actually happened in their world, the vivid imagery evoked by the description still made them feel a deep sense of empathy and unease.

"And I..." Izuna raised his hand, subconsciously touching his left eye, his voice as soft as a sigh, "I saw that white-haired guy... Tobirama, he was stunned because of Hashirama's serious injury, completely unaware of the attack from my father... I rushed over and pushed him away..."

He lowered his hand, forcing an extremely bitter smile, "Then, my left eye... was pierced by my father's Kunai. It hurt terribly, my vision turned blood red instantly, and then... only half of it remained."

"After that..." Izuna let out a long sigh, as if a huge burden had been lifted, "The adults on both sides probably realized something. Or perhaps they were shocked by how desperately we four children resisted? In any case, they didn't forcibly separate us again, nor did they explicitly forbid us from seeing each other again... It's just that the gatherings by the river never happened again."

We... went home.

A long silence fell over the carriage.

Hashirama and Madara were both plunged into a tremendous shock and silence.

This story... is completely different from their memories.

In their memories, there were only the two of them by the river, sharing their dreams and throwing pebbles.

After being discovered by their families, there was a standoff, a painful choice, and a parting of ways. There was no violent, almost fatal conflict, nor were Izuna and Tobirama involved, nor were there any details about Izuna's injured left eye.

This is a completely different version, a different direction for the past.

But...

This past is so reasonable, so perfectly explaining the many mysteries surrounding Izuna that have long surrounded him.

Why is he so accustomed to monocular vision, seemingly born with an adaptation to the lack of visual field in his left eye?

Why does his Taijutsu foundation subtly bear the hallmarks of the Senju Style?

Why is he so familiar with Hashirama and Tobirama, their relationship so close it's like family?

Why is he so familiar with policy decisions and understands how to build a collective?

It turns out... in his mind, the four of them had known each other for a long time, had stood shoulder to shoulder for a long time, and had been hurt and bled together for the same dream.

This deep and tragic bond is the underlying logic that supports all his actions.

Izuna's voice rang out again in the carriage.

"After that... although we can't meet as often as before, the dream... hasn't disappeared."

"After Madara returned to the Uchiha, he trained even harder than before, handled clan affairs, and diligently searched for comrades within the clan who were willing to listen to different opinions... Although it was difficult, Madara never gave up."

"Is it the same for Senju Hashirama? I don't know the specifics, but I've heard that different voices are gradually emerging within the Senju Clan, and they're no longer so extremely hostile towards the Uchiha... I think it must be because of Hashirama's efforts."

"As for Tobirama and me... we occasionally run into each other by chance during missions. Sometimes it's a hostile mission, sometimes it's not."

"But regardless of how things appear on the surface, we tacitly avoid each other and convey certain messages in ways only we understand."

"For example, information about the internal dynamics of the two clans, warnings about potential conflicts, or... simply the clandestine exchange of insights into Ninjutsu development."

At this point, Izuna's lips curved into a very faint, nostalgic smile, "That guy was a true genius when it came to researching Ninjutsu."

"I learned a lot from him. Of course, he also 'borrowed' a lot of my Taijutsu and some of the secrets of the Uchiha Style. We both kept it to ourselves."

"And so, time passed little by little. We all grew up, became Strength, and gained more and more influence within our respective families."

"Eliminating hatred... is not an easy task. We've tried many methods."

"The process was difficult, and I failed many times. Sometimes I even felt pain and confusion because of my own 'betrayal'. But every time I thought about those days by the river, and about the future that Madara and Hashirama described... I felt that I could persevere a little longer."

His voice gradually hardened. "Later, the time seemed ripe. Madara and Hashirama were Strength enough to suppress most of the opposition within the clan, and the four of us secretly rallied more like-minded clansmen. And so, that meeting... that changed everything."

Izuna looked up. "I don't remember the specifics of the talks very well. I only remember that the sun was shining brightly that day, Madara and Hashirama were standing in the middle, and Tobirama and I were standing behind them. On either side were the Uchiha clan elders and the Senju Elders... The atmosphere was tense, but in the end, an agreement was reached."

"Ceasefire, merge, and establish a village belonging to all Ninjas."

"The village's name was given by Brother Ban."

Konohagakure (Konohagakure)

"The location is the forest below that cliff."

"Then came the construction." Izuna's expression brightened, as if recalling that busy yet hopeful time. "Everyone contributed a lot. Hashirama used Wood Release to build houses and Road Construction, Madara planned the defense and training areas, Tobirama designed the Barrier and the village's administrative structure, and as for me... I helped coordinate personnel, handle some miscellaneous tasks, and do some diplomatic work."

He spoke very briefly, glossing over many details. For example, he didn't elaborate on how he persuaded his people, the difficulties encountered during the construction process, or how other families joined.

The more you say, the more mistakes you make Izuna understood this principle very well.

Providing a broad framework and letting the listener fill in the details themselves actually makes it less likely to reveal flaws.

So let's not talk about that three-year Exchange Student or anything like that.

He stopped narrating, and the carriage fell silent once again.

Madara and Hashirama remained silent for a long time.

Madara looked up at Izuna: "Then, why did you subconsciously feel that Hashirama was dead?"