The battle in the video on the Heavenly Screen grew ever fiercer. The clash between Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha had utterly transformed the surrounding terrain. Once-magnificent mountains had collapsed beneath their power, rivers had been cut off, and countless bottomless chasms had split the earth, as though the entire world were trembling before their battle.
"Hashirama! Take this!" Madara Uchiha shouted, his voice brimming with boundless fighting spirit and arrogance. He swung his arm, and the Nine-Tails' Tailed Beast Bomb hurtled straight toward Hashirama Senju like a meteor. The earth tore apart and the air burned in its wake, as though everything were being reduced to nothing by its power.
Madara Uchiha did not stop there. Standing atop the Nine-Tails' head, he looked at Hashirama Senju, his eyes full of arrogance and fighting spirit. "Hashirama! I've reached the other bank! Can you still stop me?" His voice echoed between heaven and earth like thunder, as though proclaiming his victory.
The video continued to play, and the scene on the Heavenly Screen shifted from the apocalyptic battlefield to a secluded valley. Towering cliffs rose into the clouds on either side, with a broad river channel between them. The water had been muddied by the earlier fighting and rushed along with a deep roar. Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha stood facing each other on the water.
Both men were nearing their limits. They breathed heavily, their chests heaving as sweat mingled with blood and ran down their cheeks, dripping onto the earth beneath their feet. Their clothes had long since been torn to shreds, and their bodies were covered in wounds from the battle, but their gazes remained sharp as blades, as though each meant to see straight through the other.
Madara Uchiha's Mangekyō Sharingan still gleamed scarlet, but a trace of exhaustion had crept into the arrogance in his eyes. He panted softly, still gripping the Gunbai tightly in his hand. Its surface was covered in cracks, as though it might shatter at any moment. His voice was low and hoarse, yet it still carried unquestionable authority. "This time, you're the one who can't throw it across."
Hashirama Senju straightened, his hands trembling slightly, but his gaze remained resolute. His Sage Mode had ended, and the red markings on his face were gradually fading, yet that powerful Chakra still surged within him.
Their gazes met, as though invisible sparks flew between them. The next moment, they moved at the same time.
The two clashed in a split second, and Hashirama Senju's body fell heavily onto the water, sending up a spray of muddy water. Madara was still breathing heavily, but a victor's smile curled his lips. He slowly turned to look at Hashirama, the Gunbai hanging low in his hand. A complicated light flickered in his eyes: both the joy of victory and regret for his dearest friend of old. He began to lecture him.
Yet as Madara was absorbed in his lecture, an icy chill came over him from behind. Hashirama Senju appeared behind Madara like a phantom, a sharp katana in his hand and his eyes full of determination and sorrow.
"Squelch—" The katana pierced Madara's body without resistance. Blood dripped down the blade, staining the water beneath them red. Madara's body went rigid, and the Mangekyō Sharingan in his eyes gradually lost their luster. He slowly lowered his head and looked at the Kunai protruding from his chest, a bitter smile curling his lips.
The "Hashirama" lying on the water suddenly turned into a length of wood. "Wood Release Clone?!"
"To think I'd be stabbed in the back..."
"I'll protect our—no, my village. No matter what happens, I still firmly believe that protecting the village means protecting the people, the shinobi, and the children," Hashirama's voice rang out.
"Whether it's my friend, my brother, or even my child, I'll never spare anyone who dares to become an enemy of the village!"
Madara Uchiha fell to his knees, Hashirama Senju's katana piercing his chest. Blood continued to pour from the wound, staining the front of his clothes red. His breathing grew weaker and weaker, and his eyes were full of unwillingness and anger.
"You've changed, Hashirama..." Madara's voice was low and hoarse, filled with profound disappointment and sarcasm. A bitter smile curled his lips, as though mocking Hashirama's naivety and stubbornness. "You keep talking about peace and doing everything for the village, but everything you're doing now... is putting the cart before the horse."
His voice gradually weakened. "Do you think building a village can erase hatred? Do you think rules and institutions can restrain the darkness in people's hearts? No... you're wrong, Hashirama. One day, this village will become a breeding ground for darkness... hatred will grow, and war will return... and you won't be able to stop any of it..."
With those words, Madara's body finally gave out, and he slowly fell to the ground.
Hashirama Senju looked at Madara Uchiha's corpse, the light in his eyes gradually fading. It was as though all his strength had been drained in an instant. His legs gave way, and he fell heavily to his knees.
The image on the Heavenly Screen gradually dimmed, and the earth-shaking duel between Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha slowly faded with it. In the final scene, Hashirama knelt beside Madara's corpse, moonlight falling on them both, as though bringing their fateful battle to a tragic, heroic close. As the image disappeared, the Heavenly Screen slowly began to darken.
The real Shinobi World
The Heavenly Screen went completely black, and silence fell over the Shinobi World. Everyone stood where they were, feeling as though their hearts had been hollowed out, an indescribable emptiness spreading through them. The earth-shaking battle they had just witnessed had not only stunned their eyes, but also touched their souls. Two powerful men who had once shared the same ideals had ultimately fallen out over their differing beliefs, even going so far as to fight to the death. Such an ending filled everyone with immense sorrow and grief.
"Can different beliefs really drive former best friends to this point?" a shinobi murmured, his voice full of bewilderment and helplessness. A profound sense of powerlessness rose in his heart, as though he had glimpsed the predicament he might face in the future. The world of shinobi was full of contradictions and conflict, and the gulf between ideals and reality seemed impossible to cross.
"Perhaps... this is the fate of shinobi," an older shinobi sighed, his voice deeply world-weary. He looked into the distance, as though recalling his own past experiences. "Every one of us holds ideals dear, but reality is always cruel. The story of Lord Hashirama and Lord Madara is just one small reflection of the countless tragedies in the Shinobi World."
Complicated emotions welled up in everyone's hearts: admiration for Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha, but also regret over their fate. The battle between the two legendary shinobi had been more than a contest of strength; it had also been a clash of beliefs and destinies. Their story made people wonder: what was right, and what was wrong? How could the gulf between ideals and reality be crossed?
"The peace Lord Hashirama stood for, the power Lord Madara pursued... which of them was right?" a young shinobi asked quietly, a trace of confusion in his voice.
"There was no right or wrong, only choices," another shinobi said gravely, his voice tinged with heaviness. "Lord Hashirama chose to protect, and Lord Madara chose to bring change. Both their choices came from a deep love for and devotion to this world. It's just... their paths could never converge."
"Perhaps... there's something we can learn from their story," a shinobi said quietly, a note of determination in his voice. "Both Lord Hashirama's conviction and Lord Madara's devotion are worth remembering. And we... must find our own paths too."
The image on the Heavenly Screen had vanished, but its soul-shaking power remained deeply etched in Naruto and Sasuke's hearts. Naruto slowly rose from the ground, his golden hair stirring in the wind. He clenched his fists tightly, a determined light shining in his blue eyes.
"So this is... a battle between truly powerful people?" Naruto murmured, his voice tinged with awe and longing. The world-shattering duel between Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha replayed in his mind, stirring an indescribable excitement and passion within him. "The First Hokage was a hero who protected the village... I'm going to become a great Hokage just like him! I have to get stronger, strong enough to protect everyone!"
He gazed resolutely into the distance, as though he could already see his future self. He knew the road would not be easy, but he had never thought of backing down. No matter how powerful the enemy or how difficult the challenge, he would overcome them all. Because he was Naruto Uzumaki, the man who would become Hokage!
Meanwhile, Sasuke stood quietly to one side, a complicated light flickering in his black eyes. His gaze remained fixed on Madara Uchiha's figure on the Heavenly Screen, an indescribable desire and obsession rising in his heart.
"Madara Uchiha... that kind of power is true strength," Sasuke murmured, his voice cold and resolute. Uchiha Itachi's image appeared in his mind, the older brother he had once looked up to and yet hated. He clenched his fists, his nails digging deep into his palms. Blood dripped between his fingers, but he seemed unable to feel the pain.
"If I had that kind of power... if I could become as strong as Madara Uchiha... then I could kill that guy... kill Uchiha Itachi!" A hint of madness flashed in Sasuke's eyes, his heart full of hatred and obsession. He knew his strength was still far from enough, but he would never give up. No matter the cost, he would grow stronger, strong enough to achieve his goal.
The wind blew gently, stirring up dust. Naruto and Sasuke looked particularly lonely in the light, yet they were also full of strength. They each held different beliefs and goals in their hearts, but their paths were destined to intertwine.
"Naruto, Sasuke..." Sakura stood nearby, watching their backs, her eyes full of worry and complicated emotions. She knew that both Naruto and Sasuke carried unspoken obsessions in their hearts, and that those obsessions would make their futures incredibly difficult.
"I'm going to become Hokage, Sasuke!" Naruto suddenly shouted, his voice carrying a stubborn refusal to admit defeat. He turned to look at Sasuke, his eyes full of determination and anticipation.
Sasuke gave Naruto a cold look, his voice low and icy. "Hmph, Hokage? What a pointless goal. My path has nothing to do with yours."
Kakashi leaned lazily against the branch of a large tree, holding his ever-present copy of Icha Icha Paradise. His silver-white hair swayed gently in the breeze. Though his gaze appeared fixed on the pages, his attention had long since been drawn to the two bickering boys beneath the tree.
"Ah, youth..." Kakashi murmured, his voice lazy and teasing. He looked up from the book and glanced at Naruto and Sasuke as they argued fiercely.
Beneath the tree, Naruto and Sasuke continued to bicker. Sakura stood beside them, looking utterly helpless as she tried to make peace, but to little effect. Kakashi watched them, a smile appearing on his lips.
"Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura... what will your futures be like? The Heavenly Screen might show us..." Kakashi murmured, his voice carrying the faintest trace of sentiment. He knew his students would eventually forge their own paths, and all he could do was quietly watch over them when they needed him.