Uchiha Tajma on the Attack

"Wow, what a beautiful view."

At the future Hokage Rock, three young men were dreaming of the future.

"I've decided." Senju Hashirama spread his arms with an excited expression. "I'm going to build a village here."

"A sanctuary without discrimination, where children won't have to fight on the battlefield and every clan can live in harmony."

Beside him, Uchiha Madara's heart also surged with emotion. He, too, looked forward to that future.

"What about you, Kyosuke? Are you willing to help us?" The two of them looked at their newest companion at the same time.

"Me?" Kyosuke walked to the cliff's edge, his eyes seemingly reflecting the future Konoha.

The Hokage Building, Ichiraku Ramen, food streets, the Ninja Academy. The complexity in his gaze left the other two completely unable to fathom his thoughts.

"I'm also looking forward to building the village."

"Hahaha, good!" Hashirama was so excited he could hardly contain himself. After all these years, he had never had anyone to share his dream with.

Not even his closest younger brother could understand his way of thinking.

Sure enough, people could understand one another. Even the Senju and Uchiha Clan could do the same.

"Madara, Kyosuke, I really—"

"Wait." Forcefully cutting off Hashirama, whose face had begun to twist with emotion, Kyosuke spoke calmly. "Don't celebrate too early. To the entire ninja world, we're insignificant."

"Yes, I understand. In the future, we'll—"

"You're too naive, Hashirama." Kyosuke interrupted him again without mercy. Turning around, his gaze was filled with sharpness. "People's thoughts change with time. You and I are no exception."

"When you truly understand the cruelty of war, and the helplessness between people, you may not retain the feelings you have today."

He stopped the young man from arguing back, his tone somewhat low. "Think before you speak. Otherwise, I'll only look down on your dream."

Hearing that, Hashirama took a deep breath and said with a firm gaze, "I'll overcome the pain and keep moving toward my dream."

Looking at that seemingly sincere face, Kyosuke really wanted to ask what he would do if Kyosuke personally killed Tobirama.

But before the words could leave his mouth, Madara quietly stopped him.

After thinking it over, Kyosuke did not press further. Perhaps he had just been reminded of the Uchiha Clan's tragic future.

The founders of Konoha, one of the foremost powerful clans of the Warring States period, would ultimately be reduced to being coerced by minor clans like the Sarutobi Clan and Shimura Clan.

From today's perspective, it was simply a colossal joke.

"No one can say what the future will bring." Kyosuke's words carried deep meaning.

Regardless of the process, the three of them had at least exchanged their thoughts for the first time today.

After saying their farewells and watching the exhilarated Senju Hashirama leave, Madara suddenly asked, "Kyosuke, why did you show up?"

Kyosuke shook his head with a laugh. Rather than answering, he muttered inexplicably, "I've noticed that whenever it involves Hashirama, you become very irrational."

"How is that possible? We're just ordinary friends. Don't read too much into it." Madara immediately gave a triple denial.

"Be careful." Unwilling to say more, Kyosuke left him with only a warning. "If even I can notice your movements, do you really think no one in the clan knows what you're doing?"

"If you stay with him, you're destined never to receive your family's blessing."

"Yeah, I know—wait, what do you mean, stay with him?!" Madara glared at him fiercely.

Kyosuke, however, vanished in a flash and fled far away.

When it came to speed, even several Dance Kings could not compare to him.

With his companion's reminder, Madara did not go meet Hashirama over the next few days.

Unfortunately, paper could never contain fire forever.

One night, Uchiha Tajma cornered his son at home.

"Madara, who have you been meeting recently?" Tajma's tone was grim, and he looked extremely angry.

At first, Madara planned to make up some lie and brush him off.

But for some reason, he decided to test his father's thoughts a little.

Three minutes later, Madara paid for his foolishness.

"The Uchiha Clan and Senju Clan calling a truce, then fucking building a beautiful homeland together?!" The clan head looked at his son as if he were an idiot.

"You've been influenced by the enemy." Tajma asked in a tone of disappointment, "I never expected you to be this naive. Have you told anyone else about this?"

"...Kyosuke knows too."

"You idiot!"

The clan head nearly fainted from rage. "Who is Uchiha Kyosuke? He's your greatest future rival. Aren't you just handing him leverage to use against you?"

Madara also began to grow impatient. What he hated most was his father's theory of threats.

He had heard similar words far too many times over the years. "Father, Kyosuke isn't the kind of person you imagine him to be."

"Madara, I truly never expected you to be so naive." Tajma could not take in a word his son said. In truth, he was an obstinate old man who believed only in himself.

People like him had only obedience in their minds. There was no such bullshit as mutual understanding.

Snap! With a light snap of his fingers, more than ten black shadows instantly appeared around them. They were Clan Secret Ninjas specially trained by the Uchiha Clan.

Their purpose was simple: to handle matters—or people—the clan head could not deal with personally.

"Uchiha Kyosuke's crime of colluding with the enemy has been confirmed. Capture him tonight. If he dares resist, execute him on the spot." Uchiha Tajma stared down his son and asked darkly, "What do you think of that?"

Madara clenched his fists. He knew his father was very likely trying to frighten him.

The problem was that he did not dare gamble. If he lost, nothing could be undone.

"What exactly do you want?" Madara finally yielded.

This time, he felt utterly exhausted.

Even persuading his father was so difficult, let alone all those clan members who harbored hatred in their hearts.

Sure enough, Kyosuke was right. If they wanted everyone to cast aside their hatred, they would have to use extremely forceful measures.

Expect everyone to understand one another?

That was nothing more than a child's boring fantasy.

Seeing his son yield, the clan head waved a hand, and the secret ninjas instantly vanished without a trace.

"Do you know who the person you met by the river is?"

Without waiting for Madara to answer, Tajma revealed the truth. "His name is Senju Hashirama. Oh, you probably already know that. But do you know that he is Senju Butsuma's son?"

Senju Butsuma, the current clan head of the Senju of the Forest, was absolutely one of the most formidable superpowers of the Warring States Period.

One of Madara's cousins had died at the man's hands.

The enmity between the two sides ran as deep as the sea. Each wished for the other to suddenly drop dead.

"Hashirama..." Madara's eyes widened slightly. He had never imagined that his companion was actually the Young Clan Head of the Senju Clan.

Could this be fate?

"Now you know." Tajma patted his son on the shoulder, his tone softening somewhat. "There's still room to make things right, as long as you—"