"Wow, what a beautiful sight."
At the site of the future Kage Rock, three young men were dreaming about the future.
"I've decided." Senju Hashirama spread his arms, his expression alight with excitement. "I'm going to build a village here."
"A haven where there's no discrimination, children don't have to fight on the battlefield, and all the clans can live together in peace."
Beside him, Uchiha Madara was just as stirred. He, too, looked forward to that future.
"Kyosuke, what about you? Will you help us?" The two of them turned to their newest companion.
"Me?" Kyosuke walked to the edge of the cliff. His eyes seemed to reflect the sight of the future village of Konoha.
The Hokage Building, Ichiraku Ramen, Food Street, the Ninja School. The look in his eyes was so complex that the two beside him couldn't make sense of it.
"I'm looking forward to seeing the village built, too."
"Hahaha, great!" Hashirama was so excited he could hardly contain himself. For years, he'd had no one to share his dream with.
Even his closest younger brother couldn't understand what he was thinking.
So it was true. People could understand one another—even Senju and Uchiha.
"Madara, Kyosuke, I'm truly—"
"Wait." Cutting off Hashirama, whose features had twisted with emotion, Kyosuke spoke calmly. "Don't celebrate too soon. We're insignificant compared to the entire Shinobi World."
"Yes, I understand. In the future, we'll—"
"You're too naive, Hashirama." Interrupting him again without the slightest courtesy, Kyosuke turned his head, his gaze sharp. "People's ideas change over time. Yours and mine are no exception."
"Once you truly understand the cruelty of war, and the helplessness between people, you might not still feel the way you do today."
He stopped the young man from arguing, his voice low. "Think carefully before you speak. Otherwise, you'll only make me look down on your dream."
At that, Hashirama took a deep breath and said with resolve, "I'll overcome the pain and keep moving toward my dream."
Looking at his earnest expression, Kyosuke wanted to ask him: What would you do if I personally killed Tobirama?
But before he could speak, Madara quietly stopped him.
After thinking it over, Kyosuke decided not to press the issue. Perhaps he'd just been reminded of the Uchiha's tragic future.
The founders of Konoha, one of the most powerful clans of the Warring States Period, would ultimately be reduced to a position where they were bullied by minor clans like Sarutobi and Shimura.
By today's standards, it was a colossal joke.
"No one can say what the future holds." Kyosuke's words were laden with meaning.
Whatever happened along the way, the three of them had at least shared their thoughts for the first time.
After they said their goodbyes, and the excited Hashirama had left, Madara suddenly asked, "Kyosuke, how did you show up?"
Kyosuke shook his head with a laugh, not answering. Instead, he muttered, "I've noticed that whenever Hashirama's involved, you get completely worked up."
"How could that be? He and I are just ordinary friends. Don't read too much into it." Madara immediately denied it three times over.
"Be careful." Kyosuke didn't want to say more, so he left Madara with a warning. "If I can track you down, do you really think no one in the clan knows what you're doing?"
"Your family will never approve of you being with him."
"Yeah, I know—wait, what do you mean, being with him?!" Madara glared at him furiously.
Kyosuke darted away in a flash.
When it came to speed, even several Dance Kings couldn't match him.
After his friend's warning, Madara didn't go to meet Hashirama for the next few days.
Unfortunately, secrets always came out eventually.
One night, Uchiha Tajima cornered his son at home.
"Madara, who have you been meeting lately?" Tajima's voice was dark, and he looked furious.
At first, Madara had planned to make up some excuse and brush him off.
But for some reason, he decided to sound out his father's opinion.
Three minutes later, Madara paid for his foolishness.
"The Uchiha and Senju make peace, then build some damn paradise together?!" The Clan Head looked at his son as if he were an idiot.
"The enemy's gotten into your head." Tajima asked, sounding exasperated. "I never thought you'd be so naive. Have you told anyone else this?"
"...Kyosuke knows, too."
"You fool!"
The Clan Head nearly choked with exasperation. "Do you know who Uchiha Kyosuke is? He's your biggest rival for the position in the future. You've just handed him something he can use against you."
Madara grew impatient. He hated his father's constant talk of threats.
He'd heard the same sort of thing over and over for years. "Father, Kyosuke isn't the kind of person you think he is."
"Madara, I never thought you'd be so naive." Tajima wouldn't listen to his son. The truth was, he was a stubborn, self-righteous old fool.
The only thing people like him understood was obedience. They knew nothing about that ridiculous notion of understanding one another.
He snapped his fingers, and more than a dozen shadows appeared around them. They were elite clan shinobi trained in secret by the Uchiha.
Their purpose was simple: to take care of people or matters that the Clan Head couldn't handle personally.
"Uchiha Kyosuke has been proven guilty of colluding with the enemy. Take him down tonight. If he dares resist, kill him on the spot." Uchiha Tajima stared Madara down and asked menacingly, "What do you think of that?"
Madara clenched his fists. He knew his father might only be trying to scare him.
The problem was, he couldn't risk calling his bluff. If he lost that bet, there'd be no going back.
"What exactly do you want?" Madara finally gave in.
This time, he felt utterly exhausted.
If convincing his father was already this difficult, there was no way he could sway the clan members who were consumed by hatred.
So Kyosuke had been right. If they wanted everyone to let go of their hatred, they'd need to use overwhelming pressure.
Expecting everyone to understand one another?
That was nothing but a childish fantasy.
Seeing his son give in, the Clan Head waved his hand, and the secret shinobi vanished at once.
"Do you know who that person you've been meeting by the river is?"
Without waiting for Madara to answer, Tajima revealed the truth. "His name is Senju Hashirama. Oh, you probably know that already, but do you know that he's Senju Butsuma's son?"
Senju Butsuma, the current Clan Head of the Senju of the Forest, was undoubtedly one of the most powerful shinobi of the Warring States Period.
One of Madara's cousins had died at his hands.
The two sides had a deep-seated feud. Each wished the other would drop dead.
"Hashirama..." Madara's eyes widened slightly. He'd never imagined his friend was the Young Clan Head of the Senju.
Could this be fate?
"Now you understand." Tajima patted his son on the shoulder, his tone softening. "There's still time to fix this. As long as you—"
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