Advancement Through Grief

"What is it?" Tajima's heart tightened. "As Clan Head, I order you to speak!"

"Yes, Clan Head." Senmei quickly gathered his thoughts. "Clan Head, first, the cells in their bodies have become extremely active after being tempered by violent lightning chakra. Whether that is good or bad, and whether it is permanent or temporary, remains unknown. Second, the excessive instantaneous lightning chakra severely damaged the skin on both their hands and injured their meridians. The recovery time is uncertain. Third, it is unknown when either of them will regain consciousness."

At that moment, apart from Senmei's treatment, there was no other sound in the medical tent.

"Intelligence Division! Have you determined exactly what happened?" Tajima's eyes were frighteningly dark, his voice filled with boundless fury.

"Clan Head, according to our questioning of the members of Madara's and Lord Kosuke's squads, the two of them led their teams to intercept and kill Hashirama Senju and Senju Tobirama." Fifth Elder Uchiha Ten'u silently swallowed. "Afterward, Madara and Lord Kosuke joined forces to surround Hashirama Senju, and the three of them moved farther and farther away from the others. Based on the investigation of the scene and their injuries, Madara and Lord Kosuke likely used a powerful Lightning Release, causing this explosion."

After speaking, the Fifth Elder wiped away nonexistent sweat from his forehead.

"Hashirama Senju?" Tajima narrowed his eyes, killing intent spreading without restraint. "Senju Butsuma! Look at what your son has done! I'll skin you alive!"

"Senmei, heal them as quickly as possible. Fifth Elder, send someone to notify the First Elder and the others to convene!"

Tajima abruptly threw open the tent flap, his figure swiftly vanishing from the medical tent.

Meanwhile, inside the medical tent of the Senju camp, Hashirama, who had endured the shockwave of the Lightning Release Forbidden Technique just like Lord Kosuke and Madara, regained consciousness shortly after being carried back.

He lay on the bed, his entire body wrapped in blood-seeping bandages, staring blankly at the flickering candlelight on the tent ceiling as he repeatedly recalled what had happened.

"Older brother, how much of your strength did you use on the battlefield?" Tobirama, who had been watching over him, spoke when he saw no one else nearby, his voice carrying its usual cold severity.

Hashirama slightly turned his head and met his younger brother's blade-sharp gaze.

Remembering what he had done on the battlefield, he forced out an awkward smile through the pain.

Seeing Tobirama's unwavering stare, Hashirama's eyes darted about. "About... eighty... ninety percent?"

Tobirama frowned—he knew this older brother of his too well. Whenever Hashirama wore that ingratiating smile, he was definitely not telling the truth.

"I have already instructed the clan members not to spread word of what you did on the battlefield." Tobirama felt more exhausted than ever. "If Father finds out, you'll be reprimanded again."

"Hahaha, then thanks, Tobirama." Hashirama raised a hand to pat his brother's shoulder, but the movement pulled at his wound and drew a muffled groan from him. Even so, his smile remained bright. "Tobirama, do you think Madara and the others..."

Hashirama suddenly lost his smile and looked toward the dim sky outside the tent, remembering the two equally battered figures amid the explosion. "They... they're alright, aren't they?"

"Older brother!!" Tobirama's voice suddenly turned icy. "They are Uchiha, and evil Uchiha at that! They are our enemies! Even if they died in that explosion, they only brought it upon themselves!"

Hashirama's expression immediately wilted. Beneath the bandages, his nose wrinkled into a knot, as though he had suffered the greatest injustice in the world.

"Here we go again!"

Seeing this, Tobirama could only rub his forehead helplessly.

This familiar scene played out in the Senju camp every few days.

After several hours of emergency treatment, Madara and Lord Kosuke were carefully carried back to their respective tents on stretchers by the Medical Ninja.

The Fourth Elder stood before the tent with his cane, his aged voice carrying unquestionable authority. "From now on, you two will care for Madara and Lord Kosuke until they regain consciousness."

"Yes, Fourth Elder!"

One day later...

Izuna and Mina returned to camp with their respective squads after completing their mission, worn out from travel.

They were exhausted from head to toe. Before they had even turned in their mission, they heard the horrifying news that Madara and Lord Kosuke had been seriously injured.

The terrible news struck their hearts like a heavy hammer, crushing the joy of their reunion after completing their mission.

Both were frantic with worry and did not even have time to see Clan Head Tajima.

Izuna and Mina shoved their mission Scrolls into the hands of nearby teammates.

After hurriedly saying only, "Help me give this to the Clan Head," they sprinted toward the depths of the camp.

The instant the canvas flap was thrown open, a strong stench of blood mixed with medicinal herbs hit them head-on.

Izuna's pupils abruptly contracted—beneath the mottled candlelight, Madara lay on the bed like a broken doll, his entire body wrapped in blood-seeping bandages.

The Two-Tomoe Sharingan in his eyes activated instinctively, crimson light flaring violently through the tent.

The unsteady lamplight mercilessly divided Madara's figure into light and shadow.

Fresh red blood slowly seeped from beneath the bandages, staining their surface with glaring patches of crimson.

"Older brother!" Izuna lunged to the bedside, the two tomoe in his eyes beginning to spin frantically. "Medical Unit! What happened? Why hasn't my older brother awakened yet?!"

His voice was filled with bone-deep coldness, and his Sharingan's dynamic vision clearly caught the tremble in the Medical Ninja's fingertips.

"Lord... Lord Izuna, Lord Madara's... injuries are too severe." The Medical Ninja's Adam's apple bobbed. "After every effort was made to treat him, he can currently only rely on his body's own functions to recover. His hand meridians also need daily nourishment and restoration."

"Where exactly did my older brother's injuries come from?" At those words, the two tomoe in Izuna's pupils abruptly spun faster, their crimson glow seeming ready to completely overwhelm the candlelight in the tent.

"It was... the Lightning Release Forbidden Technique." The young Medical Ninja swallowed. "When surrounding Hashirama Senju, Lord Madara and Lord Kosuke used a powerful Lightning Release Forbidden Technique. They were injured by the technique's backlash."

Izuna was struck as if by lightning, his body trembling violently.

He knew of that technique. Back then, in order to give them a powerful means of attack, Lord Kosuke had spent several months developing that forbidden technique.

Izuna lowered his head and looked at Madara, who lay quietly on the bed.

The Sharingan's insight allowed him to clearly see the miserable state inside his older brother's body.

Madara's cells were abnormally active, the meridians in both hands severely damaged, and large areas of his skin badly burned...

His entire body was a horrific sight.

"Senju!" The moment the words "surround and kill Hashirama Senju" pierced his ears, Izuna's voice cracked.

The blazing fury in his chest was like surging magma, nearly swallowing him whole.

At that moment, deep within his brain, a special Yin Release Chakra, driven by his unusually active mind, surged wildly along his optic nerves, forming a unique circuit.

The tomoe spinning at high speed within his pupils seemed to melt under intense heat as they began to reform.

Yet Izuna continued to stare fixedly at the unconscious Madara on the bed, his eyes filled with rage.

Just then, a third tomoe silently condensed within his pupils.

The instant it formed, the Three-Tomoe Sharingan erupted with an even more dazzling crimson light, bathing the entire tent in a glow like a slaughterhouse.