At this moment.
The Third Shinobi World War had largely ended. Only small pockets of unrest remained along the borders, but they were under the higher-ups' control.
Everyone could see that the war was over.
Barring any surprises, the next phase would be one of peaceful development.
And Konoha was not only a prized prize among the major shinobi villages, but also among merchants throughout the ninja world.
Within the ninja world, the Land of Fire occupied a vital transportation hub, a key route linking north and south. Its unique geographical location had drawn together vast numbers of talents and resources.
Uchiha Madara looked at Konoha in the distance and froze slightly.
Had Konoha already developed this much? His clouded eyes sank into memories.
That year... as children, they had stood in the very forest now before them, speaking of their respective dreams.
That year... Hashirama and he had stood atop a mountain. A leaf with a hole in its center had drifted over. The village had still been small then, and through that hole, one could see all of Konoha.
That year... they had walked through the streets together, looking at the village they had built side by side.
Listening to Hashirama cheerfully describe that foolish vision of the future, those ordinary scenes still made the corners of his mouth rise whenever he recalled them.
Those truly were extraordinary days.
"Lord Madara, Lord Madara!"
Hearing a familiar voice at his ear, Uchiha Madara froze again and emerged from his memories. Then his vision blurred, and he seemed to see Hashirama grinning foolishly at him once more.
"Hashi—"
Once he saw the spiral-faced figure before him clearly, he forcibly swallowed the rest of the name and said coldly,
"You idiot, don't suddenly appear in front of This Old One."
Spiral