Just then.
"Cough..."
Izuna coughed up a spray of blood and weakly opened his eyes.
It turned out that Tobirama's Flying Thunder God Slash had pierced straight through his chest without killing him. He had merely held his breath for a moment.
"Izuna!" Madara was both overjoyed and frantic—overjoyed that Izuna still had a breath left, frantic because that single breath was all he had left.
Izuna weakly raised a hand and tightly clutched his brother's collar. His lips trembled, and though his voice was faint, it was exceptionally resolute:
"Brother... cough... don't... trust them... The Uchiha... cannot... compromise..."
Every word seemed to exhaust the last of his strength, carrying both a fierce attempt to sway his brother's decision and a deep-rooted distrust of the Senju Clan.
Madara, who had begun to waver, held his gravely wounded, dying brother as his body trembled slightly under the weight of his overwhelming emotions.
He raised his head, his Mangekyō Sharingan fixed firmly on Hashirama. There was no longer even a trace of the hesitation or possibility of reconciliation Hashirama had hoped for.
"Hashirama...!"
Madara's voice was hoarse and cold, each word seeming to be forced through clenched teeth.
"Stop? After your brother used such despicable means to severely wound my brother?!"
He abruptly rose to his feet, shielding Izuna in his arms as he let out one final roar:
"The Uchiha's honor will not be desecrated! I will remember what happened today! Everyone, retreat—!!!"
"Everyone, pursue them! Those who surrender will be spared!"
Seeing that Hashirama said nothing, Tobirama bypassed his brother and directly gave the order to the other Senju clansmen.
The remaining Uchiha ninja on the battlefield had witnessed Izuna, whom they had admired and regarded as flawless, suffer a devastating injury. They had then watched their clan leader order